They spent the morning in a small conference room, with Steve doing most of the talking. He had a huge display, which showed a layout of the compound and much of the area around it – several miles out. Tony and Pepper sat beside each other, with Tony's hand holding hers, firmly, as if trying to reassure her (or himself) that they were going to be fine. Also present were the guardians – minus Groot – T'Challa and Okoye, Natasha and a few SHIELD people, Clint, Nick, Stephen and Wong.
"The military has been informed," Steve told them. "Right now, since we couldn't really give them any timeline, what they're going to do is start activating some National guard units – quietly – from New York and all the surrounding states. They'll stay where they are, and the higher ups will be telling them that they're doing readiness drills."
"Which is true," Clint pointed out.
"Right." He looked at Tony. "We're going to have a couple of military liaisons coming out to stay here – to be available with instant communications to their superior officers. If – when – something happens, they'll be in the position to call up those activated units and get them into position. And call on the Army regulars, as well."
"Good plan."
Steve smiled.
"It's the military. We like to be organized and ready."
He was a long time removed from having actually been part of a military unit, but that didn't negate the military mindset.
"In the meantime," Tony said. "We'll want to start looking at how best to protect this place – in the event that the shield doesn't keep these guys out. He looked at Gamora. "Would you mind giving us all that you know about those who might be coming with Thanos?"
"Yes, of course."
She'd expected it, really, and was prepared. Even better, when she stood up, Quill stood as well and with a portable display of their own that grew exponentially to the size of the one Steve had been using, she was able to bring up images of each one of Thanos' so-called children, and give an extremely detailed description of who they were and what – if any – abilities they had beyond what their size and demeanor would make one expect.
The entire room was silent, except for the sound of several pens scratching on paper as some of them took notes the old fashioned way.
OOOOO
In the workroom off of Tony and Pepper's quarters, there was a briefing of another sort going on. Groot and Peter were sitting on the edge of the work table, listening to Shuri as she went through all of the equipment that she'd brought with her, telling Peter what each did and explaining that most of it was really for the pulse cannons.
"They're really called pulse cannons?" Peter asked her, surprised by how small they were.
"Yes." She shrugged. "We can call them anything, really, but the energy released when triggered is in the same beat as a heart, really. The vibranium in the barrels will absorb the energy as it travels the length and magnify it when it comes out. Which is why they can be so small."
"Can you hold it like a gun?"
She smiled.
"No. Unless you wish to be knocked backward half a kilometer. They pack a tremendous punch. Not even Steve would be able to wield it as such. They'll need to be positioned on the roofs. But they have swivels and each power pack will be tied in to the same energy source as the shield. They have to be, because otherwise the shield will drain the cannons."
"I am groot?"
"Do they have to be manned? Or are they one remote?" Peter translated.
"They can be remotely operated." Shuri shrugged. "We have never actually done more than simple tests with them," she admitted. "But when I saw the damage that had been done in New York, and the creatures that did it… If anything will bring down the flying monsters, it will be one of these."
"You're amazing," Peter told her, genuinely impressed.
Which made her blush, and smile.
"Now, let me explain the shielding and what we'll require."
"Friday? You're listening in?"
"Of course."
Peter pulled out his tablet so that he could make some notes of anything that he had a question about. He knew that he didn't actually have to write anything down, really, since Friday was listening, and Karen was networked in. Anything they heard, he'd have access to instantaneously.
OOOOO
"Have we heard from Peter?"
"Friday says they're in the workroom." Tony glanced at his watch, and then at T'Challa. "I didn't expect that to take so long, sorry."
It was well into the afternoon by the time Gamora had finished telling them about the resources that Thanos had available to him in the form of the people (and creatures) that he had around him. The list had been worrisome, and definitely troubling. What had been thrown at New York was apparently nothing compared to what could be thrown at the earth if the madman showed up on their doorstep. Looking around the room as they finally broke up the meeting, Tony could see a lot of serious expressions but no fear. Only resolution.
His people knew that they were the first line of defense against the dangers to the planet and their people, and they would do what they needed to do to keep her safe. Earth's mightiest heroes, and all that.
"It is better to have all the information and skip lunch," T'Challa said, shrugging.
"Let's go see what the kids have been doing," Tony told him. "We'll pull them away from their video games and make them have an early dinner with us, just so we know they had something to eat."
The young king nodded his agreement, even though they all knew that they weren't going to find Peter and Shuri goofing off. The four of them headed for the workroom, leaving the others still in the conference room, but separating into smaller groups and heading for various other places. Mostly the lounge, or the commissary, since they were all hungry, too. As they walked three wide in the corridor with Okoye trailing just a little behind – more because she would be better able to protect her king from that position than because of any subservience – they discussed the stones, with Tony telling T'Challa as much as he knew about them and where each one was, as far as they knew.
The conversation cut off when they reached their quarters and walked through them, stopping at the open door of the workroom and frowning at what they saw. Groot was sitting in a corner of the room, with Nutmeg on his head and a weird wall of thin branches seemingly holding the kitten in the small area. He was watching Peter and Shuri – at least the adults assumed it was Peter and Shuri, since all they could actually see was a tangle of legs sticking out from under the heavy worktable. From the position of the feet, Peter was on his belly and Shuri was on her back.
"What…" Okoye started to step forward, instantly assuming the worst, but T'Challa held his hand up to stop her, watching.
"It doesn't go in that way, Peter," Shuri's voice could be heard. "Look for the hole."
Pepper's expression was a little confused, and Tony's was a mirror of it, but as they watched, a small nut came rolling out from under the table, followed by a few smaller pieces of equipment.
"I think we're going to need to try it in a different position," came Peter's voice. "This isn't going to work."
Tony stepped forward, with Pepper and T'Challa following. All of them stopped near the feet.
"Do we even want to know what's going on under that table?" he asked, and heard a thump that sounded like someone bumping their head. Which was followed by a decidedly feminine giggle as the feet went still and several more screws and bolts went scattering out from under the table.
"Ouch."
"You okay?" asked Peter's voice.
"Did you know they were coming?"
"I felt them, yeah."
"You could have warned me."
"You had my nuts in your hand. I didn't want you to drop them."
Tony reached down and took hold of Peter's feet and pulled his son out from under the table with an easy motion. Sure enough, the boy was on his stomach, fully dressed, and holding a multi-tool in one hand and a diagnostic reader in the other. Peter rolled over, looking up at them, while T'Challa gave his sister a similar helping hand, pulling her out from under the table as well. She was rubbing her head, and holding a small bag of nuts and bolts.
"What are you doing?" Tony asked, curiously.
Peter got to his feet, easily, and T'Challa hauled his sister to hers.
"We were discussing how we want to affix the pulse cannons to –"
"The rail guns," Peter corrected.
She rolled her eyes, but nodded.
"The rail guns to the roof of the compound – and where. Peter was showing me how the table is held in place, and demonstrating the same configuration could be used with the cann – rail gun couplings."
"It'll give us a 180-degree range of fire," Peter said. "It was either go under the table, or up onto the roof and I didn't think T'Challa would appreciate me dragging Shuri up there."
Tony shook his head, now amused more than anything and smirking at the expression on Pepper (and Okoye's) faces.
"What are we learning?"
"Knocking the monsters out of the sky isn't going to be an issue," Peter told him, looking impressed. "Keeping them form hurting anyone when they come down is going to be, though. We'll want to have them as far out as possible when they get taken out."
"Presuming any come," Okoye said.
"Something will come," Peter told her. "Whatever it is – creature or spaceship – Shuri's rail guns are incredible. They won't have a chance."
"Good." Tony was glad the boy was so confident, although he knew that there was such a thing as being too confident. Cockiness wasn't one of Peter's traits, though, so if he thought they had a chance to take down flying invaders, then they probably did. "We're done with our briefing. Why-"
Peter suddenly looked up, drawing everyone's attention to the ceiling, even though there wasn't anything to see.
"Incoming, boss…" Friday alerted him, just as Peter looked over at him.
"What is it?" Tony asked – Friday or Peter.
"Carol's back," Peter told him.