Cable Car
Tony wasn't currently in New York, but he had told him he was sending Steve the next best thing to himself. He had told Steve to go to Stark Tower and wait there, and help would be on the way. Steve was relieved, he needed the help, though he'd prefer even Tony to a complete stranger. Steve entered Stark Tower and approached the reception desk.
"Hello ma'am, my name is Steve Rogers and I am supposed to be meeting someone here?"
"Just one moment please," The receptionist replied and began typing on her computer. "Ah yes, Ms. Potts will be down shortly to see you Captain. Please feel free to have a seat or help yourself to a beverage," She said as she gestured to the bar to the side of the lobby.
"Thank you ma'am," Steve said with a nod.
Steve had enough coffee for one day and decided to sit and wait. Today was arguably the most social interaction he'd had since the battle for New York, which was a troubling realization. Before the military and pre-serum he wasn't the most out-going of guys, but Bucky had always forced him out. When they could afford it they'd go to baseball games, Coney Island, and periodically Bucky would force him on double dates that never lasted terribly long. But now, with Bucky gone, Steve really was alone. He had never really had friends other than Bucky, until he became Captain America. He remembered his men fondly, but they too were now gone. Somehow making friends now just seemed foreign to him, just like everything else.
"Captain Rogers?"
Steve was pulled out of his introspection by the inquiry. He stood up immediately when he realized it was Ms. Potts.
"Yes, but please call me Steve," he requested.
Ms. Potts extended her hand to him, and he shook it. She seemed very polite, and was dressed similarly to how Dr. Harrison had been earlier. Steve would remember today for many reasons, one of them being the day that he always seemed more under dressed than everyone else.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you Steve. I've heard so much about you. My name is Pepper Potts and I am CEO of Stark Industries." She informed him.
Steve's jaw nearly dropped, but he caught himself from reacting too openly.
"Stark really didn't have to send the CEO of Stark Industries. I am very sorry Ms. Potts, I'm sure you have more important things to do during your workday," Steve apologized.
"Please, call me Pepper. And of course I have time for such a good friend of Tony's. In fact, I've been hoping to meet you. I've already met most of the other Avengers; all that was left was yourself and Thor." She informed him.
"Stark told you about me?" Steve inquired.
Steve hated to admit it, but it felt nice that Stark considered him a friend. However, that didn't change the fact that anything related to the Avengers was classified information that Stark really should not be sharing with people.
"Oh, um yes well "officially" and "on the record" I know nothing about you or the Avengers. But, there was a lot to discuss with Tony after the attack on New York, and I think that S.H.I.E.L.D. could forgive him for sharing certain details with his significant other," Pepper said.
Steve noticed the slight bitter tone she took with the last statement. So, she was Stark's girlfriend? He could only imagine her horror, watching the news during the attack and when Stark flew the nuke into the portal and then when he fell back out.
"Anyway Steve, Tony said you required some assistance. What can I do for you?" Pepper inquired.
"I really don't want to trouble you Pepper, this all seems silly now…" Steve was embarrassed now, having a CEO of a major company helping him run an errand.
"Anything for a friend. Now what could possibly be silly?" Pepper insisted.
Steve pulled the list out his pocket and bashfully handed it to Pepper. Pepper, however, did not seem fazed at all as she smiled encouragingly at him. She unfolded the crumpled paper and scanned it quickly. Her smile broadened considerably.
"Oh Steve, this is absolutely no trouble at all! When do you need these things by?" Pepper asked.
"Ideally by this evening. I don't need them until tomorrow morning but… I have no idea where to even begin finding this stuff, and I still have to learn how to use them," Steve admitted.
"I can take care of that as well. Follow me," Pepper instructed.
Pepper led Steve to the elevator where she swiped her security clearance badge and was granted entrance. The elevator doors closed and a voice came through the audio system.
"Which floor Ms. Potts?"
"J.A.R.V.I.S. we'll be going to the penthouse, thank you." Pepper instructed.
The elevator automatically began to ascend. Pepper noticed the disconcerting look on Steve's face.
"Is everything alright Steve?" Pepper asked.
"Yeah uh, sorry. I was just noticing there are no buttons in this elevator past the 15th floor," Steve said as a means to ask about J.A.R.V.I.S.
"Ah yes, well the first 15 floors are dedicated to Stark Industries and our New York employees. Anything past that belongs to Tony personally and only a select few have clearance access. J.A.R.V.I.S. controls said access," Pepper explained.
"J.A.R.V.I.S.?" Steve inquires further.
"Oh, it stands for Just A Really Very Intelligent System. He is an artificial intelligence system that controls and runs all the internal systems here in the tower. If you ever need anything while you're here, simply ask J.A.R.V.I.S." Pepper explains.
The elevator doors open to an expansive living area. Steve remembers it; it was where Loki finally surrendered to him and the Avengers. It looked a little different now after some reconstruction. It could not appear more opposite to Steve's own apartment. When S.H.I.E.L.D. had provided him with an apartment, they also took to furnishing it modestly, in pieces that weren't too overly foreign to him. Styles of furniture he recognized from his own time, which he appreciated because at least while at home he could feel somewhat normal. However, as Steve walked into Stark's penthouse he felt very out of place.
Pepper gestured for him to take a seat on one of the couches, while she walked over to the bar.
"Can I get you anything Steve?" Pepper called from behind the bar.
"Just water, thank you." He replied.
Pepper returned and handed him a glass of water, and Steve noticed it had bubbles in it. Steve took a tentative sip, and while it tasted fine the bubbles were a little odd.
"Leave it to Stark to not even have normal water…" Steve mused.
Pepper took a seat across from Steve and took the tablet that had been sitting on the coffee table. She began typing on it quickly, ignoring her own drink.
"J.A.R.V.I.S. I just input a list of things that Steve will be requiring. Could you please have someone from HR prepare them and bring them up for us? Also, Steve is going to require tutorials that I was hoping you could provide?" Pepper asked.
"Yes Ms. Potts of course. HR has just been informed. Is there anything else?" asked J.A.R.V.I.S.
"Yes, this could take a little while so please have some food delivered from that Italian place I like," Pepper requested.
"Of course, I'll let you know the estimated delivery time," was the reply.
"You do like Italian right? I should've asked first, I'm sorry," Pepper apologized.
"Italian is just fine, thank you," Steve said.
Just then the elevator opened and a man in a suit came through, and he was carrying a box. He walked toward them and placed it on the coffee table.
"Hello Ms. Potts, would you please check to make sure we haven't forgotten anything?" The man asked.
Pepper took the lid off and began taking the items out, placing them on the coffee table.
"Everything looks in order. All of these have been set up and are operational on Mr. Stark's personal network?" Pepper asked.
"Yes Ms. Potts."
"Thank you very much for bringing these up so quickly, you can go," Pepper said.
The man nodded, turned, and left, and that was when Steve noticed that there were items on the table that weren't on his list. He reached out and picked up the cell phone off the table.
"Ah yes, I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty. Tony has complained that you're a difficult man to reach because you don't have one. You'll be connected through our network," Pepper explained.
"Our network?" Steve questioned.
"Yes, I didn't think it was secure for you to acquire these through normal venues. We can't have Captain America using common everyday machinery for security reasons, and we won't monitor you like S.H.I.E.L.D." She explained.
"Pepper, I really appreciate this and all but… I don't think I can afford all of this. I was barely going to be able to afford the things on the original list," Steve admitted.
"All of this is courtesy of Stark Industries, and don't argue. Tony and I are happy to help. Though I am curious, if I may ask, as to why you are suddenly interested in catching up with 21st century technology?" she asked.
Steve sighed, "I'd probably still be avoiding it if I could. But it seems increasingly more difficult as time goes on. Now that S.H.I.E.L.D. has given me a History tutor, she gave me that list saying I'd need these things to continue with lessons, though I'm not entirely sure why."
"History tutor?" Pepper asked.
"Yeah," Steve sighed and sat forward leaning his elbows on his knees. "Fury wants to catch me up to speed. I suspect he doesn't want me wasting away in Brooklyn. The super serum isn't useful to S.H.I.E.L.D. if I'm not useful… I don't see the harm really. I never really had the opportunity to get a proper education, with my background and where I was headed before the serum it didn't seem to make sense at the time," Steve explained.
"A free education would be a terrible thing to waste. Who is your tutor? A member of S.H.I.E.L.D.?" She asked
"No, she's not with S.H.I.E.L.D. at least that is what Fury and Dr. Harrison have said," Steve replied.
"Do you believe she's with S.H.I.E.L.D.?" She asked.
"I don't think so… she wasn't what I was expecting, from S.H.I.E.L.D. and just as a teacher in general. I thought I was going to just get lectured at but…" Steve trailed off.
"Yes…?"
Steve paused, unsure of how to explain what had happened today. Heck, he was still trying to process it himself.
"She asked me to think," Steve actually smiles a bit at the memory, "She asked me to question her, to question everything really… a far cry from my military days."
"Ms. Potts dinner is on its way from the lobby to the penthouse," J.A.R.V.I.S. informed them.
"Thank you J.A.R.V.I.S." Pepper replied.
The elevator opened and Pepper went to retrieve their dinner. She set up place settings at the bar and motioned for Steve to join her.
"Well Steve, this seems like a beneficial situation for you really. I think it's a wonderful idea. Who knows what it could lead to," Pepper said while serving him a plate of Linguine Amatriciana.
"Lead to?" Steve repeated.
"Yes, an education could open doors for you to other possible careers. I know that you're not an official member of S.H.I.E.L.D. so really with an education you could do just about anything," She clarified.
Steve hadn't thought of it that way. He had only ever perceived this as a means to groom him even more for S.H.I.E.L.D. Steve had never really considered a career outside of the military or S.H.I.E.L.D.
"I'll have to keep that in mind," Steve said with a polite smile.
"Well Steve, lets have dinner and then J.A.R.V.I.S. can get you acquainted with your new laptop and cell phone," Pepper said.
Steve nodded and began to eat. Meeting Pepper was definitely a good thing. He was beginning to feel a little bit better about all this now.
If you did like the chapter please review and follow! If you didn't like the chapter please review and follow! This isn't as long as I had promised but the next chapter should be up more quickly. So until then, until then.
