[Jack Thompson] (The things they don't know about) Miss Tonya

[ 1 0 : t h e - p r o m i s e - o f - t w o - l i v e s ]

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Warnings: Mention of explosive, but no actual explosion, mention of sleeping with someone, but nothing at all explicit (never will be btw) and angst over sexism 

Spoilers: Agent Carter Season 1

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"Doctor Vanko, what do we have here?"

Peering into his microscope, the Soviet scientist replied: "A lanthanum carbon alloy. Rather clever..."

They had taken the defused nitramine shell to the lab at one of the Stark Industries buildings, out of town enough to avoid suspicion. Initially, Jarvis had suggested Tonya look at it in the private lab of one of her and Howard's shared homes, but she was anxious to avoid doing anything that may incriminate her brother further; studying one of his supposedly missing weapons in the lab of their own home wouldn't exactly help his plea of innocence if the S.S.R. decided to search their homes again.

She had resolved that they take it to one of the main industry buildings, where they could appear slightly less conspicuous in the event of an investigation. It also allowed her to utilise the help of the Starks' good friend and business partner, Anton Vanko.

"Equally, rather unstable, am I right?" Tonya added, not doubting that she was.

Vanko inclined his head with a smile. "Quite."

"So, it couldn't have come from very far away." Peggy mused as she walked around the desk to lay out a map on the table opposite.

Tonya handed Vanko a phial containing another sample so he could observe that also and they followed Peggy round to the table as Jarvis unfolded his spectacles to join them.

"Well, before the war, there were only three refineries capable of something like this," Ticking them off in his mind, he listed: "Um, the Navy tore down Franklin Chemical–"

The actress surprised them slightly by giving a snort. "For the best, I suppose – they wouldn't have a clue about what to do with this anyway."

Vanko looked amused as he continued. "Eaglestar converted to Diesel, so that only leaves–"

Peggy tapped the map. "Roxxon."

"Right." The scientist confirmed as Jarvis glanced knowingly at Tonya, who gave an audible groan.

Peggy quirked an eyebrow at her, so Jarvis offered an explanation. "The Starks aren't exactly on the best terms with the founder of Roxxon, after certain unwanted... advances on his part."

Tonya rolled her eyes at Jarvis dancing around the real reason with his euphemisms. "He tried to sleep with me, so Howard slept with his wife." she interjected bluntly; Vanko was looking increasingly entertained, especially as Jarvis' complexion reddened at her frank speech.

Making an expression that was decidedly approving, Peggy nodded. "Well, I can't say that isn't fair..."

Desperate to return to the matter at hand, Jarvis gave an embarrassed cough. "Roxxon...?"

"Ah, yes," Peggy looked down at the map again as Tonya and Vanko moved their focus to the phial in the latter's hands. "This has to be 200 acres. It would take weeks to search..."

Jarvis also seemed newly uninterested by the map, as he nervously glanced over Peggy to the two scientists. "Doctor Vanko, please tell me that isn't still, um, volatile."

"Oh, volatile – no, no..."

"Active?" Tonya added with a small chuckle. "Oh, yes."

Jarvis cringed and looked away, trying to convince himself that if he couldn't see the object, then it wasn't really a danger at all.