Jemma Simmons is a terrible liar (needanewplan) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-06-08 10:03:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, jemma simmons, tony stark (iron man) |
Who: Jemma Simmons and Tony Stark
What: Last minute life saving thanks to the Dreams
When: 8 June 2015, early morning
Where: Stark Industries
Warnings: Some NPC!rats were harmed in the creation of an antiserum. Some near death.
Status: Log | Complete
Well, things certainly had gotten crazy and fast. Between her recruitment to the Agency which she was only now starting, the two weeks of vampires and demons and finding scientific ways to fight them and try to help people, and just.. life? Well. Jemma hadn’t had much time to think about her dreams or the team and what happened in them. If she hadn’t been so busy perhaps she would have put more thought into the dream she’d had where she’d nearly died. Perhaps she would have remembered that things like that could cross over. But with everything that had gone on, things like that hadn’t crossed her mind.
As it was, she was in the lab at Stark Industries working on a project she’d been in the middle of, though she was currently by herself. If there were others in the building, she didn’t know but that was okay. For Jemma, she was lost in her work.
A sign that perhaps she should be worried had shown up that morning. The arrival of Chitauri brain tissue samples, but the connection hadn’t been made, though she had put them into a petri dish and had them with her. Call it curiosity and wanting to exam it during a lull in her current project. For someone who excelled at preparation, she really hadn’t put much thought into what could feasibly be happening to her.
At that moment, the young woman was looking through a microscope, completely enthralled by what she was seeing to notice that metal objects around her had started to float.
To say that Tony knew about everything that was going on in his business would be a vast, vast overstatement. He had some idea of some of the projects his company was working on, but he let most of the business stuff up to Pepper. And those she employed. He helped when he could, steering the company with Pepper in the right direction, but really, he was on his own up in the penthouse. He sort of left everyone else alone and they did the same for him.
He did wander, though. Especially when he had things to think about and didn’t want to occupy his hands and risk possible distraction. He was wandering by one of the labs currently, and noticed something strange out of the corner of his eye. He stopped, backtracked by a few steps, and then poked his head into the lab. Things were… floating? Huh. That wasn’t something they were developing, was it?
No, it certainly was not something that was being developed, though Jemma presently was unaware of what was happening right behind her. The joys of being distracted by work? Though it had been Coulson saying I’m so sorry, Jemma for her to realise in the dreams that something was wrong as well. As it were, Tony poking his head in was within her line of vision and so she was aware of that when it happened.
“Hello, Mr. Stark. Can I help you with something?”
Because well, he seemed confused. And as far as she was aware, there was nothing to be confused about as her project was relatively on the normal side of things.
Tony was under the assumption that this woman--one of his employees that he couldn’t remember the name of at the moment--was working on something top secret. Or that she had some sort of amazing, magnetism project going on. He raised an eyebrow as she looked so nonchalant, trying not to be nervous about the things flying in the room.
“Just out for a wander,” he said, calmly. “Whatcha working on?”
Because it was interesting truly seeing the sample under the microscope, Jemma was more than happy to explain it to Tony since her project for Stark Industries was at a lull for the moment while she waited for things to cultivate.
“Some Chitauri tissue sample showed up from my dreams so I was looking at it, do you want to--”
As she turned around to motion to the microscope for Tony to look for himself, Jemma finally noticed the floating objects and her eyes widened in shock and even horror.
“O...oh no….”
With that, they clattered to the floor, causing her to jump. She knew it was a risk, that things from dreams crossed over. The tissue samples should have been the clue but in typical fashion, she got more excited about the biology and hadn’t put the pieces together.
“There seems to be a problem, sir…”
She was trying to remain calm, but there was an undercurrent of fear in her voice, a slight waver. She had to think. How much time did she have from now and to when she would quite literally become an EMP and knock out all of the electronics as she died.
Tony was stepping forward when everything clattered to the floor. He did his best not to jump, though he did flinch at the sudden movement and sound. Damn. He wished he could keep his cool a little better than that. Kicking himself inwardly, he took another step into the room.
“Well, we can handle it. Together. All right?” He held up one hand in a calming gesture. First thing’s first, time to get to the bottom of all this. “What’s your name again, kid?”
Jemma was about to respond that the only way she had gotten through it before was because of Fitz. Okay, so Ward had jumped out of the plane when it had all seemed to be too late and she had jumped to save the team because she hadn’t known the antiserum actually worked, but Fitz was the one who had made the delivery mechanism.
But given what Tony was able to do, maybe it would work out. Differently, because she was pretty certain some of the things she’d used for the antiserum didn’t exist here, but also because she didn’t have the data for the electric charge device. She just had to be calm. And tell him her name.
“Jemma Simmons…”
Deep breath. Okay. First, explain the virus.
“It’s a Chitauri virus. It spreads through electrical shock. The symptoms start showing towards the end of the lifespan….” She’d had what...a few hours on the bus between when Coulson put her in quarantine and the desperate attempts at making the antiserum, to jumping out of the plane. “I’ll need to make an antiserum, which can only be delivered through an electrical charge of some kind.”
She was trying to hold it together. Look at it logically. Stay focused. Don’t let the doubts and worries cloud her vision because of the different factors at play here as opposed to the dreams.
Tony raised both eyebrows at that. Chitauri virus? This was all Dream stuff, then. Well. They could handle it. Like he said. “All right, Jemma. What do I need to do?” He asked, stepping forward into the room and rolling up his sleeves. “Give me all the information you can. I’m here to help.”
He should probably let Pepper know something strange was going on. “How much time do we have?” Of course, every asset of Stark Industries was at her disposal. Tony really didn’t like the sound of towards the end of the lifespan.
“I don’t know what Fitz made, it was a pulser of some sorts I would reckon, but it was able to administer the antiserum through electrical charge… If you could handle that? Also, do we have any mice or rats I can use to test the antiserum?” Because it wouldn’t do any good if they made everything and then the antiserum didn’t work for whatever reason, be it different ingredients based on availability or what.
“Optimistically? Three hours at most…” Because it had been hard to tell how far along it was or how long she had been working on the antiserum as the time continued to tick away. For now it was just… stay focused.
“Not in this building, but I’ll have some sent over.” Tony said. They’d stopped testing on animals not too long ago. But he still had contacts. He was already pulling out his phone and tapping the screen, sending instructions to whoever needed to get them. “I’ve never heard of administering anything via electrical charge, but hey, I’m always up for new adventures. I’ve got an old tesla coil in the attic I can pull down and re-wire?”
“Thank you.” Because as much as she would prefer not having to experiment on animals, she also knew that it was necessary to know that the antiserum worked because otherwise, well… she would have to get out and find a place to die where she wouldn’t cause damage to people or electricity. “This is definitely an adventure. A life or death adventure, but an adventure… That sounds like it could work.”
“Life or death adventures are the best kind,” Tony said, giving her a small smirk. He was trying to lighten the mood. Three hours wasn’t all that much time. “All right, we’ll have rats here in fifteen minutes,” he said, then pocketed his phone. “I’ll pop up to my lab and get started. You want to join me up there?” He asked. Hey, he had some of the best equipment in the world for this kind of thing. She could follow him and use all of his resources.
Fifteen minutes. Okay this could work. It had worked out in the dreams and it would work out here. She appreciated the attempt for levity given the circumstances they were facing. If they didn’t have that or hope, they would be certain to fail. “Yes, let me just get some things from here I will need. Thank you.”
Gathering up the things she would need (including her Chitauri tissue samples since that would be key for the antiserum), Jemma followed Tony to his lab so that they could get to work and to utilise the time they had as best they could.
Tony held the door open for her as she collected her things, then motioned for her to lead the way to the elevator. His mind was already spinning with ideas about how this could all be done. How the machine would deliver the antiserum and electricity in one. He could make that Tesla Coil work, he was sure of it. It would just take some tinkering. And three hours wasn’t all that much time.
The elevator came and the doors opened with a ding. Tony led the way in, and gave his thumbprint to take them up to the restricted lab in the penthouse. He gave her a reassuring nod as the doors closed. They’d fix this. He’d do whatever it took.
Jemma could be quite chatty at times, really it just all depended on what was going on, who she was with and the current atmosphere. This? This was not one such situation where Jemma was chatty. She couldn’t really figure out what to say. She needed to focus. She needed to fix this. But Fitz wasn’t there, and Fitz was the one who, in the dreams, was beside her the entire time. Never had she missed her best friend from the dreams more than she did in this moment.
Once in the lab, the biochemist set up shop. Which involved having to infect the rats once they showed up so that she could then test the antiserum on them. They were small enough that whatever electric charge they emitted if they died wouldn’t cause any damage, unlike say, her. That was cheerful. Next step? Figuring out mixtures, the comparisons and contrasts to what was in Stark Industries and what had been on the bus.
Test one. Failed.
Okay. She would need to just tweak some measurements. She could feel herself growing weaker, it seemed hotter than it had, and sometimes things started to float from the electricity around her. In a word, she was fading. But she was also determined and she knew Tony was as well.
Test two. Failed.
Okay. One chance. Well, the stakes certainly had to be raised, didn’t they? One would think that, with her knowledge from the Dreams, she’d have a better grasp of it, that it wouldn’t be this nerve wracking. But that wasn’t the case when crossing over. And the last batch of serum was ready. Already there were two rats floating from dying.
“Here we go…”
She was trying. But it was clear that Jemma’s time was near over. If this didn’t work… well, she’d have to find somewhere to die. That was a cheerful thought. With a hopeful look sent to Tony, she administered the antiserum to the last rat and…
It was floating.
It didn’t have to mean it was over. This had happened before. When she had to accept she was to die, but that it actually worked and it had just shocked the system… It didn’t make her feel better in that moment. No. Jemma just sat in a chair and held her head in her hands. Was it really going to end this way?
Tony was working on the other side of the lab from where Jemma was playing with the rats. It was a shame to see the creatures go, but better them than say, the whole city. Or whatever. This was serious, if he was to believe her (which he did, stuff didn't normally float around a person, thanks), so he had to move quickly.
It was easy enough to get the Tesla Coil out and start making rearrangements. He got shocked a couple of times as he re-wound the wires, sending electricity through them and playing around with the effects. This was all new to Tony, so he hoped that he was getting it right.
Tony went to ask her a question once, but saw that she had her hands full with rats and more things floating. Yikes. So he left her alone until she spoke, and he turned to look... hmm.
"Hey." Tony said, approaching. He brought a hand to touch her shoulder. "It's not over until it's over," he said, as if reading her mind. "You're not a quitter." Stark Industries wouldn't have hired her if she was.
This was as close to a pep talk as Tony Stark ever got.
“The only known specimen to survive the virus was the one who wore the helmet, that sample is needed for the antiserum and there was only enough sample for the three variations of the antiserum…” No, she wasn’t a quitter, but she also knew when she needed to admit defeat. The three hour mark was nearly upon them, even if she did have enough of the brain tissue to make another variation of the antiserum, she didn’t have the time. “And it’s a matter of fifteen minutes now, not enough time to make another batch..”
Wiping at her eyes, she gave a sad smile.
“Thank you, sir for all your help, but I think--”
It was then she noticed the third rat, which previously had been floating like the other two, drop down and sniff around it’s cage. It worked. Breath catching, Jemma quickly got up and put the vial of the antiserum into the delivery device. There was hope. With that thought, she injected herself with the antiserum.
She still felt like she’d been sick, but there were no longer symptoms of electricity from her fingers, nothing floating around her from the electric charge in the air. The breath she didn’t realise she’d been holding when she’d injected herself was let out on a phrase.
“It worked…” Turning to Tony, she hugged him in relief, “Thank you thank you thank you!” Because he had made the device. Because he had believed her.