Video;

[manofiron]

[ The video begins with a dark-haired man centered in the middle of the frame. He’s got dark eyes, a precisely cut goatee, and hair that’s a little too styled to be naturally that neat. There isn’t a lot to see beyond his chin, he’s sitting too close to the camera, but what can be seen looks vaguely like a shirt of shiny red metal.

His brow knits almost immediately after the feed starts recording, his expression edging toward disbelief as his lips twist into a mild frown. ]

Look. I get it. In a time of crisis, rationing’s necessary to keep resources moving in the right direction. Perfectly understandable. You guys needed to save your turtle. What responsible citizen wouldn’t do their part for that noble cause?

[ There’s a slight hint f sarcasm creeping into his voice, as though he’s heard the whole turtle spiel already and not only hasn’t been impressed, but also doesn’t really buy it either. Not even after having spent half a day scouring the network for information about what’s really going on here before making this video. ]

But really? Twenty bucks?

[ The low, indistinct murmur of another voice can be heard, though what it’s saying and who it belongs to is anyone’s guess. Whatever it says, it’s enough to make the man roll his eyes. ]

Juulan. Whatever. Doesn’t matter. The point — [ Whether he’s talking to the camera or the unidentified voice is unclear. ] — is that it isn’t enough for a day, let alone the entire bogus adventure.

[ It isn’t so much the way he looks at the camera – his eyes have never left it – but the change of his tone, less querulous and more curious, that indicates that he’s talking to whoever’s on the other end of the console. ]

So really. Turtle propaganda aside. What’s a guy gotta do to get some decent money around here? Sell his organs? Hit the street corners? Scrub barnacles off the bottom of the turtle? What?

Comments

[the_other_eight]

[She nods. It's something that, since Tony's 'death' she's thought about a lot.]

If it's not entirely mastered it would also explain the random disappearances and loss of memory.

[manofiron]

Maybe it's what's happening. Maybe it's not. I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket here.

[ And risk having his hopes crushed when he's wrong. ]

[the_other_eight]

[She glances down, mouth twitching down slightly in a frown.]

It's better then thinking we're superfluous.

[She'd thought about that concept too. About them being only here to fight their war and then die for nothing.]

When I talked to the general he said that we had something that they didn't. That was the reason they were kidnapping us. If we were just clones with implanted memories then we wouldn't have what they need.

I'm not giving up Tony, I'm still looking for the answers.

[She just doesn't have the scientific know how that others do. She needs to speculate and work with the people she can.]

[manofiron]

I don't expect that you would.

[ Unraveling the mysteries of the place seems like as good of an idea as anything else. If he is nothing more than a meat-suit for someone else's memories, he needs to know. And if he's not, well, he needs to know that too. ]

Don't expect anyone else is either. Seems like the kind of mystery that folks would want to clear up.

Time will tell, right? Let's hope it tells us something good.

[the_other_eight]

Hopefully we'll have soothing concrete soon.

[Just like that the matter is closed. It's time to move on to other business.]

I'll talk with the local tailor about making you a few more suits. Do you have any particular colors you'd like?

[And of course she'll bring over a few bottles of the wine she bought. Pepper doesn't mean to fall into problem solving work mode, it's just her natural state, especially when she's not really able to be a happy that he's here girlfriend. So instead she handles everything around him.]

And Bruce isn't the only one from our world. Natalie is here and roughly from the same time ... I think. Mr Rodgers as well. Also Mr Barns and Agent Carter, I don't think you've met them.

[At least he never told her if he had.]

[manofiron]

I'd rather have jeans and t-shirts. Not a whole lot of big business on a turtle, is there?

[ And even if there is, he's out of the business. The suit fits better when it's not put on over jackets and ties and wingtips. At least, it's a better mental fit.

Listening to her rattle off the list of familiar names, his eyes narrow for just an instant. But it passes as soon as it happens and he doesn't draw attention to it. ]

I haven't spoken with anyone but Bruce. And you, obviously.

[the_other_eight]

Alright, we'll do that then.

[When he mentions that he hasn't seen the others she doesn't really look surprised.]

They all seem to keep to themselves mostly. I don't think I've really seen any of them since they arrived.

[manofiron]

[ He doesn't know Steve well enough to make a judgment call about that one, so he doesn't even try. ]

Anything else you think I ought to know?

[the_other_eight]

[And so Pepper tell him all things turtle that Tony Stark would need to know.]