open | it's not the finding, but the searching

[hypoxic]

Who: Doctor Fitz and OPEN
Where: All over, but increasingly in 600/602 on the first floor.
When: August-September
Rating: PG, will warn for higher. CW for a general species-ist perspective in his narrative text though
Summary: A catch-all log for the doctor poking his fingers into things. This cycle: Lab nonsense, Hydra-ing up the gaudy unused shield HQ, trying to build up some alcohol tolerance, and making some moves about this infestation of powered people because THIS PLACE CAN TURN EVERYONE INTO BIRDS KILL IT KILL IT WITH FIRE. I don't mind making more specific starters for people who aren't already in his social circle, so please come at me here or on plurk if you want to hash something out.
Also, if you want Monika before/instead of Fitz, just drop it in the subject line and we'll make it happen for you.
The Story:

[ Sixth floor bar ]

[This is, ostensibly, the only bar with any class and dignity. As such, the doctor will patronize specifically this, sampling proper Earth liquors and pounding shots when appropriate. Perhaps his tolerance for harder drinking isn't quite what he recalls, but that's all the more reason to sit there for long stretches. Everything requires endurance training now and again, and it's important for a man to have a strong drinking ability.

If there are others available to join him, he'll acknowledge them with a nod and a tilt of his glass. Drinking is always better when it happens in a social environment. It's how bonds are forged.]

[ First floor, SHIELD HQ ]

[He tells them that it's necessary for safety purposes. If he's going to build the portal up from scratch, he won't repeat the mistake of preparing it in a populated space. It's an excuse to divorce himself from the general group of people who know their own Fitz, who want him to smile and keep his head down and work on fanciful dalliances that lead nowhere.

How could anyone have the energy to do something like that, after what's been going on? After they've had their very humanity torn away from them like some kind of game? This is unhealthy. It must've already driven the rest of them mad. He won't let it get to him. He can see right through the truth of it. The magic-users and the powered people are subhuman trash trying to dilute the human race, and the humans are happy to let it happen. It's disgusting. They're all infected. And if the need arises, they'll all have to burn down with the rest of it.

They can have their food festivals and their social events. They might be able to forget what was done to them. But Wonderland has actively declared war, and Doctor Leopold Fitz did not get where he is by lying down in the face of conflict.

Throughout August, he'll be adding pieces to the massive supercomputer there, as well as framing the base for something big enough to fit human life. And sometimes, visitors might be greeted by a bright feminine voice while he's in a back room occupied with something else entirely. Feel free to say hello to Monika while you wait. She's perfectly sweet and innocent. Really.]

Comments

HIIII

[255000255000255]

That's really rude, you know.

[ Monika crosses her arms on the small screen that she's greeted Tony from--and it had been a very polite greeting, she might add. Nothing worthy of an eye roll!

Hmph. Her lips pucker into an annoyed pout. She'd heard plenty of talk of Mister Metal Man from the Doctor, and it's been nothing but accurate. Go figure he'd be the first super nosy person to stop by. The level of sass is already too dang high!

Okay, time to try this again. She breathes out and puts her smile back on. Happiness and cheer! ]

Like I said, the Doctor's not available right now. If you want me to relay a message, I'll do it for you. But only if you say it nicely~

[revokes]

[ He laughs, actually downright laughs. This is too much. ]

I don't even know where to begin. FRIDAY, I hope you're filing this under 'severe mental breakdown'

[ opening new folder, boss ]

Yeah, hey, I'd like to leave a message. Sure - uh - tell - the doctor -

[ cue air quotes ]

That Horse Head said hi. You know what, scratch that, I've gotten what I wanted.

[ a look. for now, that will do. ]

[hypoxic]

[It's good of Monika to be doing as she's told, but she's not the only one with access to the system in the hall.]

It's fine, Monika. Let him in.

[And there might be some pouting from the girl in the entryway, but the doors will hiss and part without complaint. Come on in, Tony. It'll be fine.]

[revokes]

[ something is weird, entirely out of place. He had realized that once the title was thrown into the air. The whole premise is off-putting. Last he remembered, they weren't really on speaking-terms. ]

Uh, yeah, I'm not here for a social call.

[ he says as he walks in ]

Just passing by.

[hypoxic]

[He'll enter into a space designed to be impressive. It's sleek and modern, a passion project of the previous Tony Stark. It's covered in SHIELD emblems, though that might not be out of character for the organization. The doctor steps away from his work at a holotable, acknowledging Tony with a nod.]

Casually passing by an otherwise uninhabited space after several hundred empty rooms? That sounds like quite a walk. [For a drunken embarrassment who regularly forgets to bathe. Who are you in this world, Tony Stark? Are you more functional? Can you be manipulated in the same ways?]

[revokes]

Not uninhabited anymore.

[ he doesn't offer opinions or verdicts, just a casual observation. He has his opinions about SHIELD but then, who doesn't? ]

Not that I mind the wholw science project thing.

[hypoxic]

I intend to revive the previous portal project. [Among other things.] Given the previous disasters, it seemed appropriate to create a space for it further away from the general populace. Damages sustained here ought to be more easily containable.

[And nobody will be close enough to hear the screaming.]

[revokes]

You mean the one when the mirrors killed people? I read about that.

[ The only portals he's aware of in his world came from the space stone. It shouldn't be impossible to build one provided one has an energy source. ]

So you and the harajuku AI are buulding a portal. Must be fun.

[hypoxic]

[The mirrors again. How these people fear them. It'll be interesting to note for later.]

Her name is Monika. She has a great number of talents.

[And he's sure that saying so out loud will earn him loyalty later. ]

[revokes]

Yeah, I bet she does.

[ no one programs an AI to be useless, after all. He eyes the room before shaking his head. ]

I hope portal-making is up there on that list. If not, I won't be the one to judge a person for a little cyber sex.

[hypoxic]

[Someone programmed this one to be as useless as possible, actually. He considers her a work in process.]

There's also another issue that I think might require your eyes. If you're interested, of course.

[revokes]

Work with SHIELD? Been there, done that. I don't dig the concept of intelligence organizations.

[ look how that one ended. ]

Might want to try with someone who's a team player.

[hypoxic]

Shall I take that to mean you enjoyed being a bird last week? You're content to stay under the power of something that can strip away your humanity?

[revokes]

No. But that doesn't mean I'll team up with SHIELD. I'm already under the power of Wonderland but that doesn't mean I need to be under SHIELD's. The whole concept of SHIELD was one of dad's mistakes. I like to make my own, not repeat his.

[ the last they need is secrecy. ]

[hypoxic]

Then don't work with SHIELD. Work with me. Two brilliant men making things better for everyone else. No one is safe anymore. How do we know there's not some vampire up there terrorizing children? We can do something that can help people.

[revokes]

And you'll tell them everything? You'll publish what you know and what you plan? The risks, all of it? Otherwise it's SHIELD all over again. The place was made out of secrets.

[ and besides - ]

The last time I engaged in a brilliant science project and kept it to myself, people died. Bring others in.

[hypoxic]

Have you seen the way this populace reacts? Monika, bring up the network transmission we've flagged. QR thirteen.

[On the screen behind him, he'll see himself in this very room advocating for a publicly-sourced network of resources offering to educate and train the masses to work with the Avengers.]

Be sure to include the reactions as well.

[And on the smaller screens below, recordings will play of the cynics, naysayers, and trolls.]

If you tell the people you want to help them, they'll reject common sense. They'll hardly admit to being in danger at all.

[revokes]

They were right.

[ he hates to see himself in this room at all, hates to see himself align with SHIELD, representing it. trying to be - what? his father, all over again? ]

The Avengers never had the right to police themselves. SHIELD never had the right to hide things from people just because they might not see eye to eye. This whole thing reads wrong - it's presumptuous and it's dangerous. Your reasoning makes sense, it does. I feel it. But I also know where I heard it before - it came from me and it led down to Ultron.

[ he shakes his head ]

And you hated that part, you were right to. You're going to let Wonderland change that?

[hypoxic]

[He's learned enough to navigate around the references to "Avengers". Utter rubbish, letting powered people form a team that then lords over them with an iron fist. But "Ultron" is new. It seems to signify something important to him. He squints, and takes a gamble reaching for potential connective tissues. Stark liked to talk to himself in his drunken stupors. He named his little robots like a child at a tea party. He exhibits flecks of that here, but the name he uses doesn't match the one from home.]

What would Jarvis have said, if you could consult with him?

[Was it a progression? Failed experiments that left him without his favorite imaginary friends? What is the life of a Tony Stark without the guidance of Hydra to keep him on the proper path?]

[revokes]

To have a square lunch and get some sleep.

[ He doesn't miss a beat, the answer is as natural, as easy as supplying his own name were he asked to. He scoffs, shakes his head. ]

You should know who you're talking about when you try to make a point.

[ JARVIS is named after someone, after all. ]

[hypoxic]

[Ah, he's stepped into a hole. This Stark must know their Fitz better than he's connected with his own. In that case, he'll fall into the defense that's worked best so far. He grimaces and shrinks back, posture immediately deflating.]

I've done it again, haven't I? It's something else I'm missing?

[The lines in his face go soft, his eyes dewy and pitiable. They expect weakness from their Fitz. Does Stark also trample on their weak little pet? ]

[revokes]

You've been missing about sixty things in the last five minutes.

[ namely, everything about this place. the SHIELD vision, the AI, the whole nine yards. It all rubs him the wrong way mainly because he can't settle all of this with the man who has cried and bitched at her since his arrival. ]

Seriously, what is all of this about?

[hypoxic]

[He's had time to practice this. He sinks into the closest chair, folding in on himself and letting the confidence evaporate out of his body.]

When I was home, there was an incident.

[He stops early. Let them ask him for more. It's worked so far.]

[255000255000255]

[ Monika's eyes narrow in confusion behind Tony's back, then suspicion. The Doctor's acting in a manner she's perhaps heard from his pocket, but not witnessed in person, so it's all pretty strange. He's being all wimpy.

She glances between Tony and the Doctor, frowning, then she puts the pieces together. An act! She's good at acting!

Suddenly, she lets out a soft whimper of sympathy. See! She's helping! ]

[revokes]

Okay, I have worked with weird people. I mean, Avengers, we're kinda weird - I'll admit to that. Banner and the whole rage monster thing, Cap adopting a teenage witch and Vision being a thing but this is -

[ w e i r d ]

So I get it, the world is weird, Wonderland is weirder but this here is - actually weirder than both. If there ever was a proof that geniuses need to work with people.

[ he gestures around them. there it is ]

I'm the worst choice for this, seriously, talk to Rogers. Try to get this past him.