krasnaya_vdova | IC Inbox @ Riverview

[She pieced together who was the doorman on her previous visits, so it doesn't come as a particular surprise when she sees him sitting on his worktable. There's that touch of a smile, and she waves in his direction.]

What are you working on?

[Just going to dive straight into misdirecting from the reason why she's here.]

[Tony shifts enough to shoot her a slightly knowing look, but shrugs to himself and turns back to the hologram. He can run with this, if that's what she wants.]

Trying to figure out how big the arc reactors are going to need to be.

[She does. For the moment, anyway. Not that she's completely against the idea of talking about it, not with him. But also it's just- this is easier. The numbers, the science, questions with easy answers.]

And how much Palladium you'll need? I think my way was easier.

[She's teasing, mostly, even if it doesn't come out as easy as it might under normal circumstances.]

I think your way had a much higher chance of someone exploding. I like to avoid that if I can, saves on insurance costs.

[Though he does pause and make a show of peering at her intently.]

Why do I suspect you'll be trying it anyway?

Well, you know what they say: is it really science if there's not a chance of explosions?

[She's teasing him. But, well, she does shrug her shoulders a little almost-sheepishly at that accusation. Look, just a small fission reaction. It'll be fine. Probably?]

But, I meant more the arc reactors in general. You concerned about stability?

[It was not an insignificant worry, to be fair. But also- this was just the easier conversation to have, with so many other things in the air.]

Of the reactors? No.

[Those, he knows inside and out. And he flicks Ava a look that's both knowing and amused.]

It's everything else I'm less sure about.

I mean- You don't trust me. What I can do.

[There's a slight lift of an eyebrow there, a tilt of her head as she looks at him. It's an easier issue to talk about than the other ones, so here they are.]

Not that I can really say that's wrong.

[He arches his own eyebrow right back at her.]

I don't know what you can do. All I can do is go off what you say.

[And she does tend to treat herself as dangerous. So.]

Well, the only option that will make you feel like you know is letting you run tests, right?

[She smiles, a little wry, something in her voice that says that probably an opinion from experience.]

I mean, the whole thing where the relay picked up and the Guard got interested in the power stations? That was because of my work on the sky trams. The backup generator on the relay was absorbing the residual energy because of the connection to the rail line, which eventually reached the threshold to start the backup systems.

[She once knocked out every subway in New York City. If she acts like she's dangerous, it's practicality.]

Okay, but that doesn't actually explain anything. That could be any number of things.

[He suspects a little that he's running up against one of those weird alternate universe things - that this is something Ava feels like he should already know. Not much he can do about that other than keep asking questions, though the idea of running tests makes him briefly look slightly concerned.]

Right. So what do you want me to do?

[There's a hint of irritation she can't quite press down. Maybe it is about alternate worlds, maybe it isn't. For this Tony, it seems that seeing what she can do isn't good enough, and that's not something she's particularly used to.]

How do I prove it to you?

[He makes a sound that isn't quite a laugh. Tony's not trying to make fun of her obvious annoyance, he's not that much of an asshole. But he can't quite hide the fact that he's well aware of a certain amount of irony here.]

I don't need you to prove anything, just tell me about it. Your words.

My words?

[That takes her by surprise, a brief scrunch of her eyebrows that's almost uncertainty, but then she sighs, looks up at the ceiling for a moment, before she looks back to him.]

I'm not good with- explaining it is hard. For me it's all feelings, nothing quantifiable or objective.

[Nothing that matters is what she doesn't say. There's a reason she usually explains it in terms that she steals from Tony or what SHIELD had to say about it. But she shrugs, smiles a little lopsidedly.] But, alright. Ask me what you want to know, and I'll do my best.

[Tony can't help but smile a little wryly. The quantifiable and objective thing sure sounds like somebody else, and he can probably guess who. Which is weird, but what else is new.]

I'm not asking for a book report. What I mean is, I want to know what you think it is that you can do. I'm sure you've got measurements and numbers, I'm talking potential.

I'm... not sure, if we're talking potential. Not that I don't know what I can do so much as I don't really know what I can't, where the line is.

[Which is vaguely terrifying, but she leaves that part out in favor of continuing to talk. Moving on before she has to talk about that side of it. The feeling like she might just explode.]

I mean, energy just sort of feels intuitive. I touch something and I can feel where the energy goes to make it work, I know how to break it. At basis I can create and manipulate energy, I guess, but I don't really know where that stops.

[There's a pause, a moment where she quiets, looks over at Tony with a slightly wry lift of an eyebrow.]

Is that as worrying as I think it is?

[His eyebrows lift a little.]

It's as dangerous as you decide to make it. Unless you're planning to take a turn for the maniacal, I'm not particularly concerned.

[That can of an ability untrained could be a problem, but she seemed aware enough on her own. No reason to rub it in.]

So okay, intuitive understanding of energy in general and how to manipulate it. I can see where you'd be wanting exact numbers.

That's.. not really the problem. [She frowns and her lips thin, her head tilting back for a moment as she considers.] The dangerous part isn't that I'm going to intentionally destroy things, it's the side effects.

[She's very aware of that, but she's trying to handle it better.]

Yeah, but it's been hard to put numbers on. I keep thinking if I could, maybe it'd be a little easier to find someway to visualize it better?

So you can't control the side effects at all?

[Somehow he kind of doubts that. For one, the place is still standing. So maybe it's a matter of just not using her abilities to their full potential, but that's still a choice.]

Maybe. Numbers are helpful, but I wouldn't call them a cure-all. How are you visualizing it now?

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