[Steve]
Parenting alongside Tony Stark is proving to be much more difficult than I had originally anticipated.
I mean, sure. When he revealed that he wanted to sign on as Willa's second guardian, I was immediately skeptical. Of course I was. But the way he treated her with such care when we first rescued her really had me convinced that this was all going to work out relatively smoothly. Now, I'm not so sure.
The first real indicator that things might be going south was when Tony got upset with Willa after she was shot at the safe-house and hid it from all of us. I wasn't in the room when it happened, nor did I hear his comments to Bruce after, but the doctor let me know that he was very concerned, and when I tried to bring the incident up with Tony later, he didn't want to talk about it.
Then, there was a period of a few days where Tony just didn't see Willa much at all. Bruce didn't want him talking to the child alone, and Tony felt insulted that we would suggest he be 'supervised' during his visits. While I understood his frustration, at least, to a certain degree, I don't think the best decision was to ultimately ignore the girl completely.
And then, when the child was finally able to leave her bed more and be out in the common space with the rest of us for the majority of her day, Tony began to display even more questionable behavior, which thankfully the five-year-old was mostly oblivious to; the scientist would just disapprove of various things and express his concerns to me. He still didn't like the pacifiers. He thought I was too "soft" with her, as he put it. He thought she got too much attention from everyone, in general. He didn't like that we prepared separate meals for her. He didn't like the way the little girl acted; he said we were babying her and therefore she was acting like a baby. Which Bruce has had very strong things to say about, on the contrary to Tony's ignorant opinion. He just doesn't seem to be grasping the fact that Willa is hurting. She's been hurting her whole life, and even though she's safe from her captors, she's still going to carry that hurt with her wherever she goes.
A few instances have ultimately escalated to where Willa has been exposed to his bad parenting, and each time, I've had to remove her from the situation while Bruce or someone else talked Tony down. At this point, it's clear to me that this is no environment for the child to be living in. Tony has no right to make things difficult for her like this.
Things have been so difficult, in fact, that Bruce has decided to call a team meeting for all of the fiftieth-floor residents to discuss concerns for how we're going to continue raising Willa collectively. While Tony and I carry the responsibility of her guardianship together, the rest have agreed that Willa is going to be a group project. Peter is the only one missing from the bunch; he's up watching the girl while the rest of us, the adults, meet.
That's how we all ended up in this stuffy conference room on the forty-somethingth floor, sitting around a long oval table in cheap rolling chairs. Bruce is at the head, since he is the one who called for the meeting. To his right are Tony, Nat, and Thor. To Bruce's left, I sit across from Tony, followed by Wanda, who's across from Nat, and Clint, who's across from Thor. Bruce brought his notepad, but other than that, we're all empty-handed. Tony attempted to bring down a little science gadget to mess around with, but Bruce scolded him, reminding him that this is a serious matter.
"So," Stark clears his throat, breaking the awkward silence. "Are we gonna do anything in this meeting, or what? 'Cause I got a whole bunch of stuff I gotta work on back in the lab, and I'm really starting to think that maybe this is a waste of my-"
"Alright," Bruce cuts him off as a few faces around the room roll their eyes at Tony's impatience. "We'll get started, then. I was just going over my notes to make sure I have everything written down that we need to cover."
"Notes schmotes," Tony dismisses, "you're way too fussy about these kinds of things, Banner. I wish you'd learn the art of 'winging it.'"
"Is that what you decided to do when you committed to raising a child?" Nat asks under her breath. I cough slightly, the sudden jab catching me off guard. The spy looks at the man next to her intensely, not a hint of humor showing on her face.
"Jesus," Tony breathes out, "tough crowd. I had a bad feeling about this, and you know what, if this is just going to be a writing session for Mr. Genius Billionaire Playboy Philanthropist's diss track, then I would much rather be-"
"Enough," Bruce interjects once more. "You were the one who wanted to get started, so let's go," he presses, his voice slightly raised in anger. I glance over a little bit to my left to see Wanda's face looking unmistakably worried. Beyond her, Clint is rubbing his temples, clearly agitated by the genius billion-whatever. "The first thing I want to do is go around the room and let everybody say how they've felt the past few weeks have gone with Willa in our care. If you have any concerns or issues you want to bring up, now would be the time to do so. How about we start with Thor," Bruce suggests, his eyes landing over on the Asgardian.
"Oh, great. So now this is group therapy," Tony huffs, causing me to glare at him silently.
"Alright, as you wish," Thor agrees. "As you all know, I have been in and out over the span of the tiny human's stay. I fear I do not have much to contribute to this conversation, but I will say that I've noticed Captain carrying the majority of the burden in terms of caring for the child. In fact, I completely forgot that Tony had guardianship as well, until recently, when the man of spiders reminded me. I, for one, question the man of iron's ability to care for the girl- or really, to care for anyone other than himself. That is all," he finishes. Tony rolls his eyes.
"He's an alien; his opinion doesn't count," the dark-haired man interjects.
"Shut up, Stark," Clint groans, "I'll go next." The eyes in the room shift to the archer as he lets out a deep sigh before beginning. "I have a lot of concerns about the way Willa's currently being raised. I think Steve's doing a great job, as great as he can, but yeah; I agree with Thor. Tony's clearly not stepping up to the plate and doing his part. His terrible attitude doesn't help," he notes, nodding at Tony, who frowns in response. "I don't know if Willa's got any idea that Tony's supposed to be caring for her, too, but I do know that she's picking up on Tony's unfriendly nature. The other day, she asked me, 'Why does the scary guy with the glasses hate Willa?' And that isn't healthy for her. Whether or not she knows who Tony's supposed to be." I sigh, looking down at my lap. I wasn't aware that she had asked Clint that; it breaks my heart that she's able to pick up on Tony's cold disposition.
"I never said anything about hating her; of course I don't," the man tries to defend.
"That doesn't matter," Bruce shakes his head. "With kids, it's not so much about intention. The only thing that's important is how you make them feel."
"How am I supposed to control her feelings?" Tony whines.
"I'm next," Wanda speaks up, ignoring his comment as she sits up slightly in her seat from her previous slouched position. "I've loved having Willa here. Even though it's hard to witness what she's been through, I think that she really brightens our lives, all of us. Even if we don't notice it all the time. I personally have felt like I'm doing something greater, even greater than being an Avenger, by just being her friend. I know Peter feels the same," she says, a hopeful smile on her face. When her gaze connects with mine, I send a smile back at her, her eyes sparkling with affection. "I agree with Thor and Clint," the girl then continues. "Stark is having an adverse effect on Willa's recovery. I've sat with her several times and tapped into her dreams; they're all nightmares," she discloses, causing my heart to ache in my chest. "A good portion of them are back at Hydra. There's a jumble of other things and people she knows mixed in, too. But second to her time in captivity, her dreams are mostly about Stark. He rejects her, hurts her. Rips her out of Steve's loving arms. Throws her away. And I believe it's a direct result of how you've treated her," Wanda accuses, her gaze rising up to meet Tony's with a hint of crimson anger flickering in her eyes.
"That's just absurd," the scientist fires back, "how the hell am I supposed to control what she has nightmares about?"
Rolling her eyes, the girl beside me seethes, "Don't you find it even a little concerning that you're so relevant in her terrible array of dreams?
Tony scowls at her, opening his mouth to say something more, but Natasha stops him by jutting in, "Alright. I'm gonna go now. Tony, keep your mouth shut," she instructs. He huffs at the spy, but thankfully obeys. "I agree with everything Wanda had to say; having Willa here is great. It's especially endearing to see Steve thriving in a position we've all teased him needing to take for so long," the redhead adds, winking at me. I smirk back at her, appreciating her subtle attempt to lighten the mood. "Obviously Stark's not doing the whole parenting thing right. I mean, I can't say I'm surprised. Just disappointed, I guess. If he doesn't get his act together, I don't know why he would have to keep guardianship. Steve seems completely capable of doing the job himself. And if he wants someone to co-parent with him, I can bet I'm not the only one in this room who'd be willing to step up to the plate."
"And what makes you think you can just take my guardianship away?" Tony questions, his voice dripping with sickening arrogance.
"We can ask you to step down," Clint suggests. "That would be the easiest way, wouldn't it?"
"And what if I say no?" Tony challenges.
"We can always get in touch with whoever you were working with from Child Services. If you really want to get that messy about it," Nat threatens.
"Guys, come on," Bruce interjects. "I know we're all frustrated with Tony; I'll be the first one to say that his behavior is completely unacceptable. But we want to aim for growth, for change. Not for involving the authorities again."
"You think Tony Stark is going to change?" Wanda mutters.
Bruce sighs, running a hand through his hair, clearly not coming up with an answer. Turning back to Tony, a pained look appears on the doctor's face. "Look, Tony... we're just bringing these things up to you because we're worried. We don't want things to get any worse for Willa, or for you. Ultimately, these guys are right. If you keep having such a negative effect on her, it would be wrong of us to not do something to try and keep her safe."
"Keep her safe? Keep her safe?" Tony raises his voice, a look of pure rage appearing on his face. "Do I have to remind you that this is coming from a guy who literally turns into a big green monster when he loses his cool?" Bruce's face hardens at his friend's petty jab, but Tony just keeps going. "Look, I get that I'm not a super soft cuddle buddy like Steve, but that's the point! You guys are treating this kid like she's two! She's five years old, for christ's sake! She doesn't need binkies and sippy-cups and to be carried around everywhere! It's pathetic! She's pathetic" he exclaims. "And I'm the only one who seems to get that! She's been with us for how long, and she's not even in school yet?"
"Tony, she's five," Clint sighs. "Kindergarten doesn't even start until six."
"Well, she needs some sort of education," Tony retorts. "She may be five, but she acts stupider than a fucking box of rocks."
"Tony," Nat seethes, looking as if she's about to go off completely on the man.
"Steve," Wanda's soft voice cuts through the chaos. "You haven't said anything this entire time." Glancing up, I see that everyone in the room is now looking at me. "Do you want to give your side of the story? How you've felt since Willa arrived?"
Taking a deep breath, I nod slowly. "Sure," I agree, "I was just waiting for everyone else to go." I feel a lump forming in my throat, but force it down. Now definitely wouldn't be the time to fall apart, not in front of everybody. "Being with Willa has been... the greatest joy of my life," I breathe, doing my best to keep from tearing up. "Maybe even greater than loving Peggy, or rescuing Bucky's division during the war, or winning any fight we've faced as a team. And even though I thought originally that Tony and I were going to do this together, I've been alright just doing it on my own," I admit, feeling more sure of myself than ever. "I don't want Tony to lose guardianship. I believe in him and his ability to grow into a better parent. But the harm he's causing Willa can't go on. And if it does, I won't stop at anything to protect her." Looking around at my friends again, I see their expressions shifting to ones of respect. Then, my eyes land on Tony. And he's absolutely fuming.
"I have just as much of a right to fight for what I think is best for her as you do," the man growls.
"Yes, you do," I agree with him evenly. "But I think it's clear who would win that fight, just based on the other opinions in this room, alone."
"Oh," Wanda raises her hand, once again breaking through the tension. "I forgot to mention this, I'm sorry. Is it okay to bring something else up?" she asks, looking at Bruce.
Banner nods, and the girl sighs in relief. Tony glares at me, as if to say, 'This isn't over.'
"I think that Willa's powers might extend beyond her healing capabilities," Wanda discloses. "A few times when I've read her dreams, I've been able to continue looking into her mind once she's woken up."
"Can't you do that with everyone?" Nat asks.
"Yes, but when it happened with Willa, I had closed the door into her mind as soon as she woke up. It was almost as if... she had her own door that was open." This new idea hits the group hard, and it's quiet for several moments, all of us taking a second to process what Wanda's shared.
"You know what, I think I might've experienced that, too," Clint mentions, appearing a little lost in thought, as if he's still putting the pieces together as he speaks. "Just as we were about to arrive back at the tower, after the incident at the safe-house. She started having a flashback of what happened, and I could instantly tell what it was. It was weird... like, it wasn't just that I knew. I could actually see it all, myself."
"So, she has some sort of mind-channeling complex, like Wanda," Bruce thinks aloud. "Have you noticed anything else?"
"When I sit in on her dreams, sometimes I can open my eyes and still receive the information. Usually, I've looked and the glow around her has been red. But other times, it's been different colors. I don't know what they mean, but the energy source definitely isn't mine."
"You're saying she's a witch like you?" Thor speaks up.
"I have no idea," Wanda shakes her head sadly. "I have a feeling that more abilities could pop up as she grows. If she was born with them, we have no idea how long they could take to show."
"Okay, so... a weird mutant kid showing signs of emerging powers? Alright, that's easy; we run tests on her," Tony cuts in, "set her up in the lab. I don't have machines that can run anything too crazy, but we could at least get started on her brain, maybe her blood, too. Hey Jarvis?" he calls.
"Yes sir," the AI responds.
"Start running Project 24," the scientist instructs. He looks back at all of us, who are startled by his sudden burst of inspiration. "I've been working on programs to analyze Hydra's experiments for quite some time now. I wasn't granted any access to the other prisoners we found in Seoul, but-"
"Woah, woah, woah, hang on a second," Bruce finally intervenes. Every face in the room besides Tony's is painted with worry. "We are not going to use her for one of your- your projects. You were denied access to the others for a reason."
"What do you mean, we're not? I'm not saying any of you have to get involved, but the more hands on deck, the quicker we can figure out the kind of power she possesses. This could be a breakthrough into Hydra's research," Tony tries, but none of us are on board.
"Tony, we just rescued her from a group of evil scientists who used her as a living experiment," Natasha reasons. "And now you want to throw her back in a lab and experiment on her some more?"
"This could throw us light-years ahead of Hydra in terms of science," the stubborn man argues. "They do the mutating, but no one over there is smart enough to make sense of any of it. That's where I come in," he smirks. I feel heat rising in my cheeks, but swallow down my anger, knowing that an outburst wouldn't be the best choice in this situation.
"Absolutely not," I declare firmly, not willing to negotiate the subject. "We promised her we were saving her from her life of experimentation. She's our child, Tony. Not our science project." Tony stares directly back at me, rage glowing in his eyes.
"I don't think you're quite understanding the gravity of the situation at hand, Spangles. This could be it; she could be our tool to overpowering Hydra. Don't you want that, Steve? An end to their torturous ways?" Tony spits.
"Not if it means torturing an innocent child in the process," I maintain, not willing to be swayed by him at all.
"This is why I don't think you should have guardianship," Clint interjects. "She's an object to you, something you now want to use for your own personal gain. You want to be the one who cracks the code, who outsmarts Hydra, I get it. But come on, Tony. You referred to the girl you adopted as a 'tool.'" Tony turns to him angrily, about to say something in response, but just as he opens his mouth, there's a knock at the door.
As we all turn our attention to the source of the sound, there's another round of knocking before the door opens slowly, revealing a panicked-looking Peter, carrying a rosy-cheeked Willa who's wailing loudly into the boy's shoulder.
"C-Cap? Mr. Stark? Sorry, I-I should've waited after I knocked, but I-" as he's talking, the child squirms out of the boy's arms, landing on the ground and running directly over to me, ducking under the table when it's briefly in her way. Willa crashes into my legs, letting out a sob.
"Hey, sweetheart, what's the matter?" I instantly hush, my entire demeanor shifting from tense and rigid to gentle and concerned. The girl crawls up onto my lap and burrows her way under my shirt, pressing up against my bare chest.
"What's going on?" I hear Nat asking Peter, but before he even has a chance to answer, I already see it as I look down at the trembling child being covered by the soft white fabric.
Beneath the loose shirt, the small girl's body is glowing blue.
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