2013.10.04 - Thunderous Request

The weather outside darkens a moment, announcing Thor's arrival moments before JARVIS does. The Thunderer requests to speak with Pepper as promptly as possible, if it is not an inconvenience, and then waits with barely restrained impatience until he's told he can come down into Pepper's office. Once there, the Asgardian walks in and offers Pepper a formal and regal sort of bow.
"Lady Pepper. My thanks for seeing me so quickly," says the Thunderer forgoing the usual pleasantries of friendship for the pleasantries of politics.
Pepper Potts is just finishing a phone call that she interrupted to admit Thor, and stands as the Thunderer walks in. "Anytime, Thor. What's going on?" She gestures for the Aesir prince to have a seat while she moves to the wet bar to fill two glasses with water.
Thor sits as bid, weapon clip empty, hands empty, Mjolnir not in evidence. With empty hands, he twists them together slightly, a tell of his nervous as he awaits Pepper's return before baring the weight on his heart.
"I have come to ask a consideration of thee and thy assistance in asking the same of Tony. It is... about my brother, Loki," says Thor as he reaches for the glass of water with a gentle and careful grip.
Pepper Potts poured Thor's water into ... well, technically it's not a glass. It's a tankard, one of those double-walled steel things designed for holding extremely hot or cold beverages. Her own glass glass seems positively dainty in comparison. When Thor mentions Loki, her eyebrows draw together in a brief frown. "What's happened?"
"He has been arrested by Supergirl for his crimes on Midgard, and even now sits patiently in the cell upon the helicarrier," he replies, brows likewise pulling together in memory of that cell. 
"However, he has paid his debts and has been born anew. Steve did state that it would be good to give my brother the chance to prove himself, and that the Avengers should watch over him. But I would not want to force the group to accept him. That is, I mean to say... It would mean much to me, and Sif, and Loki... if the Avengers would allow him to work with them, aid them, that he may show that he is repentant of his crimes, that the Loki thou did know at that time is dead, made to suffer and feel agony and pain for his crimes, and the Loki that stands before them now is the Loki of my youth and his youth, before.... before all those... before he... we..." Thor fumbles here, eyes casting down as the request goes from political sort of Prince of Asgard asking Earth's heroes for something to a brother hoping his friends will help him give his brother a second chance... and himself one too.
Pepper Potts thinks about that for a long moment, taking a sip of her water. She's fairly certain that this will take more than her going to Fury and asking pretty please. "I'll need to talk with a few people about this." Which implies more than just Tony, though definitely him to start with. "Did Supergirl name specifically which crimes she was arresting him for?"
"Nay. Not that I am aware. But she stated something of warrens? Warnings? I called to Steve for assistance and he saw wisdom in her actions, given what Loki had done previously. I would be grateful if thou did speak with the other Avengers. Natasha and Tigra have both agreed to allow this, to work with Loki, though they may not fully trust him. Barton has his reservations, but I Sif did inform me that he stated he had no say, and so would not deny my brother this chance for redemption. For myself, upon Loki's arrest, was ready to go to blows with Kara Zor-El, and bid Sif take Loki home, either to my apartment or to Asgard, until the confrontation was over, but Loki did calm everyone down and promise to go with her quietly. He has done so, and even now sits and waits for thy judgement of him," says Thor, unable to take a sip for the tension in his frame that threatens to tighten his throat.
Pepper frowns slightly again. "JARVIS, find me every warrant with Loki's name, likeness, or even vague characteristics on it. Include all of the US, EU, China, and Japan."
"Yes, Miss Potts."
While the AI digs up the requested info, she sets her water aside. "Oh, and tell Tony that I'd like to talk with him as soon as possible. And Phil, too." Looking at Thor again, she can't help but be a bit impressed that he's already contacted so many others. "I can't promise how quick this is going to be, Thor, but we will figure something out one way or another."
Thor nods to this, setting the drink aside as he moves to stand.
"Of course, Lady Pepper. I understand. Loki has promised to wait as long as it takes to show his good word. And my brother doth not break a promise once given," Thor says once on his feet. 
"I go to see to Sif then to sit at my brother's side. I shall not leave him to face this alone," he says, tone interwoven with an unspoken request to be excused to go.
Pepper Potts sees the warrants start to list on her desk's interactive glass surface. "All right, Thor. And if you need anything else, let me know."
"I shall, Lady Pepper. Again, my deepest thanks to thee for this. And if thou needs to speak with myself and my brother or Sif regarding this matter, thou doth know where we each may be found," Thor offers before giving Pepper a respectful bowing salutes and turning to leave the office.
------
Sif has spoken to the majority of the Avengers on the proposed idea with Loki. There was only Pepper and Tony left. Which she was going to see now. She went from her chess game with Natasha up to Pepper's Office.
When she arrives, she's dressed in a pair of black stretch pants, white boots and an emerald green shirt with silver embellishments. And, let's face it, at this point nothing can hide the pregnancy. Not that Sif ever tried. And at least she doesn't look like she's about to die any moment now!
A knock sounds on the office door.
"Come in," Pepper calls seemingly absently. She's multitasking as per usual, typing on the virtual keyboard on her desk's surface, then reaching to take a sip from a tea cup set to one side. The orchid that Sif gave her a while back is still there on her desk and blooming happily, complemented by a second orchid that looks equally healthy.
The door opens and the Goddess walks in. Despite looking as if she's due any day now, there's still a fluid grace and ease to her movements. "Lady Pepper," is greeted warmly and with a smile. "How are you?" As always, her sword is present at her hip. "I hope I am not interrupting."
Pepper Potts looks up from her work and smiles. "Not at all, please, have a seat anywhere." She stands quickly and starts the tea kettle, then reaches for a teapot. "You look like you're feeling better, how are you doing?"
Sif smiles and nods her head. "I am. Much better, actually, thanks to Hercules." She watches as the tea is started and smiles. They're very fond of their tea here, it seems.
Taking a seat as bid, she asks, "How are you doing, my friend?" Getting settled takes a little wiggling around but eventually she manages. "I apologize that it has taken me so long to come see you." Pause. "And for the fact that this isn't strictly to catch up."
Really, it's only Pepper that's fond of tea. "I've been doing all right. Keeping busy, you know how it can be." She also takes a moment to open the mini-fridge hidden in the bar and then comes back to her desk with a smallish plastic container filled with grapes and berries -- clearly something she'd brought from home. "Would you like a snack? I was about to get something myself." She moves to sit back down at her desk, offering the container across to Sif.
"A snack would be lovely, thank you." She takes a few of the grapes, looks at them a moment, and then giggles softly before popping one in her mouth. "I am glad to hear you have been well." She smirks. "And yes, I understand busy quite well. More so these days than ever before."
After a moment, and another grape, she lifts her eyes to meet Pepper's. "I need to speak with you about a matter concerning Loki." She'll not mince words with Pepper. Her friend deserves the straight forward truth from her.
Pepper Potts nods slowly, but seems somehow unsurprised. "Does this have to do with his having been arrested?"
Sif blinks for a moment before she smiles slowly. "Thor has been to see you, I take it?" She gives a soft chuckle before nodding her head. "In a manner, yes, and the proposition that Steve made. How much did Thor tell you?"
"Not a whole lot. He seemed ... rather distraught. I've been doing some research in between everything else, and trying to narrow down how many of these arrest warrants are actually for Loki and which aren't." She drags her fingers along the desk's glass surface, and a 'paper' flicks toward Sif and rotates so it's right side up to the black-haired woman. "I've already removed several that I was almost positive could not have been him." You know, petty crimes, assaults, things that just didn't seem ... Loki enough.
Sif sighs softly. "Thor and I have been..." She pauses, fumbling to find the right words. "We have recently come to understand how greatly we have wronged Loki in the past and even if this is a different version of him... The guilt is still there. Especially after...what I did to him."
She looks over the read out, scanning through it and nodding. She manages to point out one or two more than she's certain weren't Loki. She then turns her attention back on Pepper. "When I asked Steve what he thought an appropriate punishment would be... He suggested having Loki work with the Avengers. So that he might be given the chance to prove he isn't the same person while still being watched very carefully..."
"That makes a lot more sense when you phrase it that way." Pepper smiles a bit, perhaps a tiny private joke at Thor's expense. "I got the impression that Thor meant something like that, but... well." She then gestures to the list of warrants, where the 'paper' has already removed the ones that Sif indicated as being not Loki. "I did already promise to talk with both Tony and Phil to get their opinions on the matter, and I think with the two of them supporting Loki in this as well as Steve's and the other Avengers' endorsements, we can probably convince Director Fury to remand him to the custody of the Avengers for... I guess a close approximate is community service?"
"Steve wanted the others to agree. It isn't making Loki an Avenger but giving him the chance to work with us and earn their trust... to show he -can- be trusted. He's paying, currently, for crimes committed by a different version of himself. A version that paid with his very life." Sif's hand tightens into a fist as she says this and a haunted look passes over her face. "I come seeking your agreement to give him this chance as well. I think, perhaps, if anyone understand the Asgardian cycles... it is you. Better than any Midgardian we know. I seek your help in explaining to Tony that the Loki currently in holding, while he remembers what he has done, is not the same one that committed those crimes and would seek to set to right those wrongs."
Pepper Potts stands again and goes to fill the teapot with now-boiling water, filling the room with the sharp scent of jasmine. "Sif, I'm not part of the Avengers. I'm just Tony's PA. I can approach him about this for you and Thor and Loki, but at the end of the day my vote on the matter holds no weight at all." She carries the teapot back over carefully balanced on a folded linen towel, two matching teacups in her other hand. "If he's truly different -- which I believe you when you say he is -- then Tony will very likely step up on his behalf. Phil... might take a little more convincing."
Sif chuckles softly. "You carry far more weight within the Avengers than you give yourself credit for, my friend." She inhales deeply and blinks. "That... is a wonderful scent. What is it?" Yes, Pepper just managed to shiny Sif.
She gets her right back on track though. "I would never ask you to speak to Tony for us. He deserves to hear it from Thor or I. What I would ask of you is, that if I fumble with words as I seem prone to do while asking this of people, that you help me explain. Reincarnation is, it seems, difficult for many Midgardians to grasp..."
She chuckles softly and nods her head. "Aye. Phil... As difficult as I was certain Natasha was going to be, which she really wasn't, I fear Phil will be more so."
She blushes faintly. "And I will admit to a certain... trepidation in approaching Tony with this request as well."
Pepper Potts smiles a bit amusedly when the jasmine tea (chosen because it's considered an herbal tea and has no caffeine) manages to derail Sif's brain for a moment. "So it's not that you want me to ask them for you. You want me there to help them understand what it is you're asking. I can do that." She can only try and guess what Phil's reaction might be. And she worries that that reaction can be summed up as 'not good'. "Give me a day or two to catch them to talk with you, and I'll let you know. Sound good?"
Sif smiles warmly. "Precisely. I would never be such a coward as to have you ask them in my stead. He is my brother... The request should come from Thor and I." When she agrees, the smile turns to one of relief and her body relaxes. "Thank you, my friend. From the bottom of my heart." Her own request gets another nod from Sif. "Of course! I am at your disposal."
Pepper Potts nods, then pours a cup of the jasmine tea for Sif, sending the aroma into the room again. She sets the cup in front of her guest, then snags a mulberry before pouring her own cup. "It's entirely possible that Phil's out on a mission so I won't be able to reach him at all, but I can for sure corner Tony in the next day or two."
Sif nods her head. "Completely underst--" That scent reaches her again and the Goddess visibly relaxes a little more. Her eyes close as she inhales the scent deeply. "Lovely." She opens her eyes and blinks a moment before blushing faintly. "I apologize. I seem easy to distract these days. I'm becoming as bad as Thor." She chuckles softly. "And it's completely understandable. I shall see if I can get in touch with Nick as well."
Pepper Potts chuckles softly, then goes over to the wetbar and brings back a small metal tin to set next to Sif. "The instructions are on the label." She then returns to her seat to take a tiny sip of the tea. "If you have trouble getting in touch with him, let me know. I'll try."
Sif blinks as the tin shows up next to her thanks to Pepper. Again, a light blush touches her cheeks. "I thank you. The scent is quite relaxing." She takes a sip of the tea and sighs. "And the flavor doesn't disappoint."
At the other woman's offer, the Goddess nods and smiles her thanks. "It is appreciated. Greatly." Another sip of the tea is taken before the Goddess is forced to cover a yawn. "Oh. I apologize." She's going to blame the tea...
Pepper says, "It's one of my favorites for that reason." She glances at her wristwatch, then looks at Sif apologetically. "And now I have to run off, there's a meeting of the R&D section heads and if I'm not there to keep Tony in line he'll insult every last one of them and rant until they all quit." Well, Howard wouldn't, but there are reasons for that.
A laugh comes from Sif as she finishes off the rest of her tea then stands. "I should go and rest anyhow. Thor has become quite insistent that I keep off my feet as much as possible. He worries far more than necessary." She smirks and takes up the tin. "Thank you again for you help and... Good luck with Tony." She gives the woman a wink. Keeping him in line will be like keeping Thor in line.
Pepper Potts smiles as she scoops up her teal shoulder bag and drops her phone into it before moving to follow Sif at least as far as the elevators. Oh, and the berries. They'll be good for distracting Tony too. "It's not luck with him, it's timing."
A laugh comes from the Goddess. "I understand that as well." She smiles and leans in to give her friend a hug. "Be well and stay safe, my friend. I will visit again as soon as I can." And with that, she vanishes. Best to get home before Thor realizes she has been resting the entire time hes been gone!
Category:Log