Who: Pepper Potts-Stark and Nebula. What: Meeting to establish a Human identity. Where: Pepper's stylish office at the Tower. When: Backdated. Early April, after Nebula's beer with Rhodey, after Loki & Nebula sort out the illusion and before her coffee with Tony.
Stop signs were red and to be obeyed. Traffic lights were sometimes red, except when they weren’t, and they were also to be obeyed. Blood was red and not to be spilled unless absolutely necessary. And tape could be red when it came to anything associated with Earth governments.
Nebula’s learning curve was rather sharp when it came to becoming accustomed to the rules and regulations of the City of New York. There were rules for living in the Tower, too, and for being an Avenger, which she wasn’t really - unless she was now - and, apparently, there were rules out there for how to dress and eat and behave and so on, depending upon where you lived, who you were and how much money you made. There were some people who thought the rules didn’t apply to them at all.
At least, if Judge Judy was to be believed.
In general, life beyond Earth wasn’t much different, but for Nebula, her previous ‘career’ wasn’t really something you’d put on a resume and the only rules that applied to her had been enforced by Thanos. Everything changes, she thought as she was cleared by security and entered the outer office of Pepper Potts-Stark. The wife of Ironman and president of Stark Industries was going to assist with the red tape when it came to establishing her as a citizen of this planet.
She paused at the desk of a minion an associate or whatever they were called, and cleared her throat slightly. She’d chosen to wear something other than her regular garb and had used Quill’s company card - hers wasn’t active yet - to order an outfit from Amazon. Just one. It was a blue pantsuit with flared bottoms, a round neckline and flowing, gauzy blue sleeves that petered out below the elbows. It was probably the height of fashion when Ali MacGraw was a big thing in Hollywood. Today, it was a vintage look. Except for her usual space boots, which were mostly hidden by the pants.
“I’m here to see Pepper,” she said in her distinctive, husky voice.
There was a reason Pepper was in charge of details -- after all, details were her thing. Tony seemed to think throwing money at problems made them go away, and while it was true to a certain extent, it didn't solve anything tangible.
How exactly was Nebula supposed to be a "citizen" without ID? Birth certificate? Social Insurance Number? A backstory? With Drax, Pepper hadn't bothered but Nebula was a different story.
For some reason, Pepper felt for the other woman. Maybe it was how completely alien she was… pun intended. Regardless, once the whole image thing was sorted, Pepper made it clear that her office would be Nebula's next stop.
When her admin buzzed her, Pepper approved it, and walked out from behind her desk, so when she greeted Nebula it would be with a smile and a handshake. "Thanks for coming." Not that it was an option really. "I appreciate it. Do you want coffee? Water? Tea?"
Pepper paused. "It's customary to offer beverages but it's not mandatory to accept," she explained. Pepper really had no idea what level of etiquette Nebula had, if any. "Another earth thing."
Nebula accepted the other woman’s hand, as she had seen many Humans do, though she was a bit awkward with the shaking part. Knowing when to release seemed key. She managed. An observer might think she was unsuccessful in trying to complete one of those cool handshakes kids did nowadays. To Pepper, she said, “I didn’t think it was an option.” To the offer of a beverage, she said, “Coffee. Black. Please.” Three separate sentences, as if the words were three separate thoughts, which was the case.
She wasn’t sure how Pepper preferred to be addressed, so she’d stick with the easiest option and use her first name, as she had with the person at the front desk.
Glancing briefly around the office, which was immaculate, Nebula focused on the windows.”Nice view, Pepper.” She had seen on television that when entering someone’s space, people commented on the decor, the furniture or some aspect that was appealing. She chose the view, because it was very nice and it was safer than making a misstep with her opinion of the decor.
“Thank you”, Pepper responded. She went to get Nebula’s drink, and with minimal preparation, handed the other woman a coffee, black, as requested. “It is a nice view, I agree. With real estate being as scarce as it is in New York, we lucked out.”
There was a pause before Pepper chuckled softly. “Actually, let’s be honest -- luck had nothing to do with it. Tony is ridiculous and when he wants something, he gets it. And he wanted this space, so here we are.” She motioned to the room, completely immaculate and screaming a restrained luxury that Pepper didn’t expect Nebula to see. Unlike Tony, Pepper didn’t like having great shows of wealth. She preferred it to be understated, and appreciated.
“How are you enjoying Earth so far? I would imagine it’s very different than being out in space. Not only in environment, but in living arrangements. Is there anything you’re finding lacking? I can assist with it. We want your transition to be as seamless as possible.”
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Grateful to have something to do with her hands and wanting the caffeine, Nebula gave Pepper a shallow nod of thanks. “Your partner… husband… prefers to be in control of his environment,” she said. “I’m not surprised he arranged for this view.” Though the location of the Tower doubtless had many benefits, it figured it would be chosen for the aesthetics as well. Her comment on the decor was brief. “It is practical. Uncluttered. It is fitting for someone in your position.” If the room was screaming anything else, Nebula didn’t notice.
She turned to face Pepper with her dark stare. “Terra… Earth is very different from space. Most planets are, but the gravity here feels lesser than some, to me, anyway. The weather is appealing. ‘Spring’ is what you call this season? And I’m used to smaller quarters, so that is also different…”
Transition. She didn’t belong here, and yet she was gradually becoming used to having people around. They weren’t trying to kill her, either, which was a nice change, though she did miss the regular fights she encountered.
“You have always been very kind,” she added softly. “Stark is fortunate to have met someone who is caring and patient. You were always kind to me… to her.” Nebula shook her head, as if to dissuade an errant insect from buzzing around her. “To me. Thank you.” These things weren’t easy for her to say, but it felt right and needed to be said.
Pepper listened quietly, preparing herself a similar cup of coffee (although hers had a touch of milk to counteract the bitterness) before she leaned on the front of her desk, her legs crossed at the ankles before her. She always forgot that Earth had a different name. Peter tended to call it Terra as well. Strange, but no stranger than know Brazil was actually Brasil. Names went along with the culture.
“Tony and I are both lucky to have each other.” Pepper smiled. “We’ve worked together for a long time, much longer than we’ve actually been a couple. It helped.” And even when it didn’t, it wasn’t a hindrance either. “And then of course, there’s Morgan, who I can’t picture my life without. I can only imagine what living in such small quarters with a child would be like… Although, if we’re being honest, Drax and Peter don’t quite seem like fully functioning adults either.”
And for that reason alone, Pepper was glad she’d invited Nebula out.
Looking down, she grabbed a sheath of papers and motioned Nebula to take a seat. “In here is your information. I used the image that Strange has provided for you, and did my best to keep your IDs as uncomplicated as possible. You really won’t need much other than your citizenship, passport, and social insurance number, but that’s for work. Tony has offered you a job, correct? I believe your sister did security for us when she was here -- that could be arranged again.”
Nebula listened to Pepper, sipped her coffee - perfect - and sat in the chair the other woman indicated. She glanced at the folder then back to Pepper’s face as she explained the contents. Had Stark offered her a job? She couldn’t remember, which was odd. And Gamora had worked in security?
“I don’t recall if employment has been mentioned,” she said. “But Doctor Strange didn’t give me an image. Loki provided an illusion spell.” Setting her cup on the edge of the desk, Nebula extracted her phone from the pouch on her belt and pulled up a photograph she had taken of herself for the paperwork. After some deliberation, she had made herself look a bit more polished, the way a professional Human might do.“This is the image you have?” she asked, holding up her phone for Pepper to see.
“Right. Loki.” She honestly hadn’t even considered his involvement -- after all, she barely remembered the Asgardian existed. Other than a passing knowledge of who he was, and hearing his name in conversation, Pepper hadn’t so much as spoken to Loki.
Peering at the picture, Pepper smiled. “Yes, that I got right at least. If you open up the folder, you’ll see something similar on the ID.”
Although Pepper wasn’t a gossip type person, she was very curious about the woman in front of her. No one seemed to have much information and the few tidbits she’d overheard hadn’t been enough to provide her with much.
“Do you need access to the training facilities? You do know we have state of the art equipment here. Even Thor can work out without too much worry of breaking things.”
Nebula accepted the folder and opened it to reveal the pieces of identification Pepper had mentioned, all with the photo of Human Her attached. It was strange to look at what was, essentially, her face, only so pale and whole and with so much hair on her head.
She closed the folder. The contents could be studied later, though she was certain everything was in order. Should anyone need confirmation that she belonged, Nebula was confident that producing these papers would be sufficient.
“I need exercise,” she said. “That would be appreciated. Is it possible to arrange matches, that I might become better acquainted with fighting in this gravity and atmosphere?” The chances she really needed to adapt to Terra - Earth - weren’t very high, given her experience and adaptations, but to engage in combat without threat of death or more pieces of her being removed? That would be novel.
Putting her mug down, Pepper went behind her desk and rummaged in one of her drawers before making a 'a-ha' noise. Triumphantly, she held up a keycard.
"I knew I had one kicking around. Here," she said, extending her hand. "A pass to the Avengers' levels. The gym is there, and you have access to the network, so you can make arrangements with the others. Have you spoken with Hope or Natasha yet? Both would be good sparring partners… Sif as well."
Pepper liked solving problems.
"There's also Nick Fury's team, which I believe that at one point, the Guardians did side jobs for." She gave Nebula a smile. "No shortage of things to do here, I'm afraid."
She took the offered card, looked it over, and slid it into the folder on her lap. “I have communicated with Natasha, but not about sparring. Perhaps I will inquire over the network to see if there is any interest.”
Nebula picked up her mug and had another sip of coffee, uncertain how to proceed. She was curious about Pepper’s role as president of such a large corporation and about Morgan, a child she’d had very little contact with in another universe. Would the little girl only see her Human illusion? The Luphomoid had no experience when it came to dealing with children, never mind Human children. There were probably similarities that were universal, but motherly instincts didn’t seem to be present for Nebula. If she was honest with herself, she wasn’t sure how that made her feel. Procreation had never crossed her mind, not when she was under the sway of Thanos. There was also the complication of her status as an assassin, her modifications -- and the chance of any other survivors from her homeworld, which had ceased to exist long ago.
Shutting down that line of thought, Nebula looked up at Pepper and managed a small smile. “No shortage of things to do,” she echoed. Then she had an idea. “Do you spar, Pepper?”
The question took Pepper aback. “ME?!” She shook her head furiously. “Oh no, I’m not a superhero or any type of person to do that kind of thing. I do yoga… that’s about it.” Not from lack of urging on Tony’s part. He’d been after her for a while to learn how to defend herself, Hell, he’d even made her that suit, which she’d only used the few times.
But to actually learn to fight? No… she was surrounded by people far more capable than she.
“I have no actual desire to harm anyone,” she admitted. “Don’t have that natural warrior instinct in me. I’d rather battle with words and strongly written emails than my fists.” She smiled. “Besides, there’s no shortage of those types around here.”
Picking up her drink again, she took another sip. It had cooled enough that she wasn’t burning her tongue. “So if you need someone to verbally spar with, more than happy to do that, but physically?” She shrugged. “Sorry about that. Not the girl for you.” --------------------------------------------------
“Ah, I see.” Nebula nodded, understanding that not everyone felt the need to learn fighting skills. Certainly not the kind she had acquired. “You do have many people here who will protect you, though I believe if your child or husband was threatened, you would find a way to hold your own.” She had another sip of her coffee and realized it was nearly done. Resting it on the folder, she tilted her head slightly as she looked up at Pepper.
“I have two more questions. First, should I change my name to something more Human?” She was aware there were inhabitants of this planet who were known mostly by only one name, like Cher, Prince, Adele, and random people on the Internet who seemed to be known as ‘Idiot’, but two names were the norm. ----------------------------------------------
Pepper gave her a curious look. “No, why should you? I mean, I had to give you a fairly generic last name, so I apologize for that, but Nebula is fine. I’m sure there are children named that on this planet. After all, Kinzley is a name, so why not?”
She really didn’t understand the naming choices some people made. Morgan was a good name. Solid.
“What’s your second question?” ---------------------------------------------
She had been introduced to people with stranger names than ‘Kinz-el-ly’, so why not, indeed? Pepper had given her the surname of ‘Miller’, which seemed as good as any other.
“What is… yo-gah?”
Doubtless, Nebula could look it up, but she was curious now and if it was something Pepper did, maybe she should consider it. The head of Stark Industries seemed healthy and fit despite what must be a very busy schedule. She wouldn’t be taking precious time to do this yo-gah if it wasn’t important. -------------------------------------------
Pepper gave a laugh. Right -- Nebula wouldn’t have a clue. “It started out as a type of spiritual movement, a way to connect one’s spirit to one’s body and somehow turned into an exercise that soccer moms love.” She grinned.
“We’ll try it out sometime. It’s a great balance and flexibility exercise.”
Her phone started to ring, and she glanced at the clock. “Oh shoot, that’s my next meeting. Thank you so much for coming by, Nebula,” she said quickly, reaching for the speaker button. As thought, it was her assistant, and she let the other woman know to wait a few minutes.
“Stay in touch, alright? And if you have any questions about this crazy world of ours, let me know. I’d be more than happy to help out.”
While Pepper turned to focus on her next task, Nebula rose, placed the coffee cup on the station where it had been prepared, and left the office, file folder under one arm. As she turned for the stairs, she decided that Googling yo-gah would be her next task