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Thor blinked.
"I don't see how this is a problem," he said after a moment. "She will be safe, yes? And have we really any other options?" He glanced at Steve. |
Steve was quiet for a few moments. Clearly he wasn't going to find an ally in Thor. He would, however, make sure that Elaine was safe.
"Fine," he said after a moment. "How do you want to do this, then?" He glanced between the other two. |
"Jove mentioned that, whenever one leaves for any length of time, they tend to stay near the greatest concentrations of humans," Thor mused. "Therefore, I think it best to assume they are here in the city somewhere, if the reports speak true of the unusual occurrences."
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"So somewhere in the city, in public, with lots of people," Tony said with a shrug. "Alright. That's not hard to do."
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"If you are planning to include either of the ladies in your plan," Thor pointed out, "should they not have a say as well?" He looked between Tony and Steve. Both clearly had differing opinions.
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"They only need to know the details," Tony said with a shrug.
Steve glared at him. "I'll get Elaine," he said, getting up. Because now that Thor had mentioned it, that did seem like a good idea. So he went over to go get Elaine, stopping in front of the desk. "Elaine?" |
Elaine jumped slightly. She'd been listening to a new audiobook and had gotten absorbed in it.
"Sorry," she said, taking her headset off. "I wasn't paying attention. Was there something I can help you with?" |
"Actually, we were hoping you'd come help us with a problem in the meeting room." Steve shifted his weight, uncomfortable with this. He didn't like getting Elaine involved in this.
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"Alright," Elaine said, setting down her headset and getting up. Dragging her fingers along the wall to guide her, she got herself clear of the desk. "After you."
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Steve made his way back over to the meeting room, holding the door open for her.
"Elaine," Tony greeted. "We're hoping you'll agree to help us with something." |
"I suppose that depends on what that something is," Elaine replied as she stepped into the room. Almost immediately, she could smell ozone and hear the hum of Tony's arc reactor, so she knew at least the two of them and Steve were in the room.
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"We need to get hold of Cupid and Venus," Tony said. "So we want to use you as bait."
"Tony..." Steve groaned, pulling out a chair for Elaine aand steering her to it. "What? It's the truth." |
Elaine habitually shrugged out of the 'steering hold' that Steve had on her arm, and instead rested her hand on his wrist. She hated being steered or led anywhere if she hadn't asked for it first.
"So you're running with what Kae and I suggested," she said, sitting down. "Did the first plan not work as well as you thought it would?" |
"Nope," Tony said with a shrug. "Apparently Jove didn't have any good information for us, so we have to run with Plan B."
Steve glanced down at Elaine, frowning a little. He still didn't like this plan, but she didn't seem to be as hesitant as he was. |
"What's the plan, then?" Elaine asked. Because that was the crux of it. She didn't mind being bait, really, if she was going to be in a well-populated area with someone she knew. But if she was going to be by herself somewhere unfamiliar, then there would be a problem.
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"Put you somewhere in the middle of a crowd, somewhere like the park or maybe in front of Stark tower, and you and the Cap get to hang out for a while." Tony grinned.
Steve glowered at Tony for his wording, but he didn't actually say anything against the plan. |
Elaine thought about that for a bit, and then nodded.
"Alright," she said, managing to keep a completely straight, not-blushing face. "As long as someone's there with me." Someone meaning Steve, but who was keeping track? |
"Trust me, you won't be alone." Steve kept his voice even. Because he definitely wasn't going to be leaving her alone during this crazy thing. If it even worked. "You can say no if you want. You don't have to do this."
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"I can be useful," Elaine pointed out, trying not to sound desperate. "I'm not some damsel in distress, I can help."
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Steve sighed but didn't say anything else. Clearly she was determined.
"Excellent. When do you want to set this plan into motion?" Tony looked between the two of them. |
"Well, you seem to be the man with the plan, Tony," Elaine pointed out. "Speak now or forever hold your Reeses."
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"I was asking you because you have an actual schedule," Tony said. "I could just tell you, if you want. But you can't complain if you have other plans already."
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"The only thing in my foreseeable future, if you'll excuse that pun, is working here," Elaine said. "Which Kae and Ben can handle."
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Tony nodded. "Alright then. How about this afternoon? We can get this done and over with, hopefully."
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"Fine with me," Elaine said, nodding a bit. "Steve?" She turned her head slightly to where she last knew Steve was.
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