penistower | And you could have it all

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And you could have it all - My empire of dirt.

Rhodey is distracting the government types long enough for Tony to hack into the airspace and make sure none of this is being recorded. He loops the moments before the Milano pierces the atmosphere and plays them back, knowing by the time he's out of the system and they figure it out they won't be able to prove it was anything but a technical malfunction. He does all of this from his phone as he stands near the landing pad with Steve flanking his side. He's trying to do things right this time -- no more lone gunslinger act, as Pepper had phrased it.

He looks over his sunglasses at the spaceship as it decompresses, wondering who he's just invited over for dinner. Hopefully they're friendly... When the platform descends it really is just like Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He can't help but geek out a little. He'd technically met space aliens before, and Asgardians, etc. but somehow this is way cooler. "Welcome to Earth and please watch your step, we don't have liability insurance yet."

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He nods to show he accepts Peter's decision. Does he agree with it? Obviously not. He lost out on valuable Peggy time because he assumed she was dead at first too. Steve knows this isn't the time or place for advice. It's better spent shooting Tony a look for undervaluing himself. He's telling Peggy later.

Then the show starts. Steve barely resists the urge to laugh. This is the early days of the Avengers all over again. He gives a little nod to say yes this is a little entertaining. Not helped by the fact one of them (Rocket) is clearly yelling about how he hasn't done anything yet. He's guessing that excuse isn't going well for him because it gets quiet after that for everyone who doesn't have enhanced hearing.

"They seem....fun." He informs Peter as he waits for them to come back. He's already making a mental note to keep Bruce and Thor away from these two at all costs.

The waterboy... Peter doesn't get a chance to respond because Rocket is pitching a fit about not being included and being treated like a child... Why does Quill get all the facetime with humans? It doesn't matter that he's from Earth. On and on and on. Drax is just laughing. Peter hates when he laughs like that because once he gets started there's zero way to stop him... Unless they get Mantis. But that could just be adding fuel to the fire. He should have stun-gunned them all and been done with it, had a cool presentation like this Tony guy.

"They might seem... unruly, but they'll come through when it counts." He doesn't have any stats other than saving the world twice and he doesn't have anything fancier than his word. He has to grimace when the screaming starts up again. God, this is mortifying. "...Is there anything valuable and super easy to steal in this room? Hide it, if there is." He mimes zipping his lip and throwing away the key just as Gamora comes in with their charges. He said nothing!!

If Gamora comes back looking a very tired and angry mom with two misbehaving kids, can anyone really blame her? She's ten seconds away from knocking them both out and just throwing them at Thanos when the time comes. Let her pretend father deal with this nonsense.

Somehow she gets them over there without something ridiculous happening. To make up for the slight, Gamora does her best to mimic what Steve did earlier for his teammates. "This is Rocket. He's a brilliant engineer, pilot, and tactician. We've won many battles thanks to his quick thinking." She gives him a quick look. See? She does value you. Now onto her other headache.

"And this is Drax. He's excellent fighter. He's also one of the few beings in the galaxy successfully able to cause trouble for Thanos to the point where he's known as 'The Destroyer' for his actions." Now she'll just wait for them to ruin her kind words.

Tony had no idea what to expect, honestly. A talking raccoon and a man who looks to be made of stone tattooed from head to toe was not even a consideration that had entered his mind. Peter's worry about theft is even more amusing on top of all the rest, but he knows he needs to not laugh right now despite his very real urge to do just that. He doesn't even bother looking around, there's nothing they could take in this room he couldn't replace. And he'd already offered his facility and everything he had to them. It's endearing honestly, even if he can't help but flashback on his own psych eval for the Avengers in the early days. Giving these guys the (bemused) benefit of the doubt seems key, especially when Gamora describes what they can do.

"I'm Tony," he says with a casual wave, then points to Steve. "That's Cap. I'm an engineer and he's a soldier so I think we'll get along fine." He nods, even more curious now about who else they're hiding away, but this seems an auspicious enough start. It doesn't take long for he and Rocket to spiral into a side conversation about micro-explosions because of course it doesn't. Xoxo besties already.

He shakes his head at Peter's comment. Steve already knows that Tony would literally give someone the shirt off his back. You can't steal from a guy who will give you anything you ask for. "Just tell them they're welcome to whatever they want in here." He whispers back before they actually come on.

Okay he did not see the racoon coming. Gamora sells him on the little guy pretty quickly. They could use another one of him. The fact that he and Tony are already becoming engineer bffs pleases him.

"It's a pleasure to meet both of you." Especially Drax. Steve is pretty obviously scanning those symbols on his body. This is like the coolest thing he's ever seen. He catches himself a couple seconds into it and reddens. "Sorry, I used to be an artist before the war. Are those tattoos or natural part of your body? Is that rude to ask?" He's looking to Peter for that one as the other human. He doesn't know if that offends aliens or not!!!

He blinks a little owlishly at the way he's dismissed for his concerns. They have cool stuff! If he were them he would be worried about people taking it. He'll have to tell Gamora about that later, he knows she'll be even more shocked by it than he is. Peter watches Rocket and Tony get acquainted, already talking about stuff he can't follow. That's a good sign. Especially since it seems to calm Rocket down overall.

Then Steve is addressing Drax and he nearly facepalms, not because anything Steve did was wrong but now Drax will never shut up. He starts describing his tattoos to the other man in way too much detail and how they each signify the best and the worst highlights of his life. He starts tuning it out at a certain point, shuffling over until he's shoulder to shoulder with Gamora. He offers up a cheesy little smile and a thumbs up to Steve as a wicked delayed response to his question. Hope he appreciates having Drax glued to his side for the rest of the afternoon.

"That went better than I expected," he admits to her under his breath so that hopefully only she can hear him.

Gamora is surprised by how well this is going. She expected them to make complete fools of themselves and the Guardians in general. Evidently, their interests overlap in several places. She watches at how 'Cap' seems to actually listen to Drax and value what he has to say. Rocket seems happy that someone is able to actually follow what he's saying fully.

She lets herself relax a little. They made the right decision coming here. "Nebula will still be difficult, but if they can get along with these two we should have nothing to worry about." She whispers back. Needless to say she will wish later she asked more about Steve's enhancements because he is definitely listening in.

Everything follows a natural progression from there as the Avengers who are around come out to meet their new arrivals. Everyone moves through HQ, exploring and showing their new friends around respectively. Mantis and Kraglin even eventually come out of the ship to join the party and people flit in and out of the Milano to check it out and to see to Groot. It's all pretty smooth, things being what they are, and Tony finds himself relaxing into his familiar host role. He has fun showing Rocket the arc reactor technology and everything is about as peaceful as it can be -- considering there's still a member of the Guardians who has yet to make herself known. Oh yeah, Steve whispered that to him on one of their many pass-bys.

When things seemed to have calmed down a bit, he goes to single out Gamora. She is unquestionably fascinating and what little she's said about herself only intrigues him more. She also seems to mostly keep to herself while her partner flits around like the proverbial social butterfly. It's a dynamic he recognizes, but doesn't make it any less interesting for him.

"Hey," he greets softly, finding her in a corner by herself. "Penny for your thoughts?" It's an old line, but there's a lot riding on it. He knows she's the true hurdle they have to getting this all to work out.

Gamora watches over these affairs like a true guardian. She measures every threat carefully and only moves on when it's clear bonds are being forged. It is something to see how well they mix together. While it's true her family and these people are likely to die in the days ahead, she's heartened by the fact she'll bury less of them than she expected to. She really thinks they can win with these people.

She wonders if Nebula has realized it too. She has no doubt her sister is carefully measuring the strength and resources of these people right now.

Gamora doesn't stop her watch when Tony approaches. She does him the courtesy of responding. "I was thinking if you're not careful, Drax will declare himself that girl's guardian when this is over." She watches the way they interact with some pride. She knows it's hard for him to be reminded of his beloved Kamaria. He still talks eagerly with Wanda all the same. "Now I am thinking I don't know what a penny is."

He sits down next to her at a (hopefully???) safe distance, not wanting to pause her watch honestly when he's been doing the same. Though he runs his mouth a lot more than she does, he gets this feeling like she has a similar role with the Guardians that he does for the Avengers. They both take everything in, damage control, assess every outcome. Sacrifice themselves when needed. Maybe that's why she intrigues him so much, or maybe it's simply that he has a hunch about her origin and the other woman still hidden from sight and he's rarely wrong.

"That was his... daughter, right?" Tony can't even imagine how it would be to have his own children, let alone lose one. It must be the most lonely feeling one can have, especially when coupled with the loss of his wife. Tony knows he couldn't smile as much as Drax does if he ever lost Pepper. Pulling a tiny coin from his pocket, he deposits it into Gamora's hand. That's a penny, he says without saying it. And now that one is hers.

She nods in response. Drax never did waste time explaining his motivations. Despite how difficult it must be, he never hesitates to talk about his wife and daughter. She admires him for that. "His people were fearsome warriors with the exception of his child as he tells it. Someone that innocent could never stand a chance against a pawn of Thanos." She informs him before accepting the penny. Gamora pauses her watch to study it curiously.

She pockets it and meets Tony's eyes. She's still sticking to business despite knowing eventually she will have to explain herself and Nebula. "If any member of the Quill family is alive, I trust you will tell me before we begin."

Tony nods, his face set in grim lines for a moment. It makes him all the more determined to keep Peter Parker out of this. But her statement draws him out of his own thoughts in a turnabout.

"Do you? Trust me." That's an important question, isn't it? He doesn't fully expect her to, not yet. But he nods after a moment before she's responded. "Because I will." Tell her. He has to spend some time on it first, but he doesn't mind taking a break. He actually needs it, truthfully.

Gamora doesn't answer right away. She can't really. She doesn't know how to stop calculating and assessing everything. Now really isn't the exception to that. "I have brought the only home I know to your planet. I have allowed you access to what I hold dear. I have also asked you to do this favor for my captain. What do you think?"

She trusts him enough to do all this. They'll see if she can trust him on the battlefield when it counts.

He smiles softly at that, understanding better than she realizes. "I think he's a lucky man." To put it mildly.

"It was obvious." Gamora notes with some irritation. She doesn't like that this man can see it. She knows it can't be helped. Even if she could conceal her feelings, Peter will give them away to Thanos. He'd hate for just the suffering he caused so many. How could he bear to look at the person who tortured the woman he loved for years and be calm?

"And your partner is simply your partner?" She only asks because they make eye contact for an uncomfortable amount of time. Seriously #relationshipgoals.

"Only if you know what to look for," he assures her, though it's probably for nought. It had been hard to miss, but he doesn't let many things like that pass him by. Her question gets a laugh from him -- not a cruel laugh by any means. He can see where people would get that impression.

"We're not romantic partners, but we are family." So not just his partner, no. "I'm engaged. To a woman." A clarification for clarification's sake. He's too old to get defensive about this stuff.

She nods in approval. Drax is living proof of the risk that kind of commitment can have. She respects he got engaged even knowing what's ahead.

"Congratulations. Will you be marrying her before or after?" She wouldn't blame him for the first.

He almost asks what she means before it catches up. They're about to enter into the most epic battle of any of their lives, it's a legitimate question even if Pepper would be horrified to hear it. "Before. But not because... It's been a long time coming." Tony looks around before catching Gamora's eyes again. "Looks like I'll have to expand the guest list."

"It takes time." Gamora remarks cryptically. She knows her and Peter took long enough. The hint of an invitation wins the first real smile from her since she arrived. "I apologize in advance." If he thinks he's getting a reprieve from hearing in graphic detail how Drax conceived his daughter, he's got another thing coming to say nothing of how drunk everyone, but her will get.

"Seventeen years." Is that long enough? He smiles wider, piggybacking off of hers. "Don't. This is great." He gestures to the way everyone is interacting. It's heartening, really. He could watch and listen to it all day. He can tell just by sitting here that she feels the same.

After a pause, he has to ask. He hates breaking up the fun moment to be serious, but here goes nothing. "Is Nebula shy?" He had met everyone else, so why is there a holdout for the last member of their group? Is it some sort of insurance or was it the individual's choice not to show themselves. It's important he know now.

She's sure it began as insurance. Now Nebula is too uncomfortable to show herself. She knows she won't be able to mingle or rather believes that. It will take more time for her to adjust.

Gamora looks down, not knowing or really desiring to explain. She doesn't asking how he knows about her. She's positive any member of the team would have brought up her disappearing act at this point. There's no need to point fingers.

"In these situations." She takes a breath and forces herself to explain the situation as calmly as she can. "Nebula and I are sisters. We were held together as prisoners for most of our lives so it's difficult for us to trust anyone. It's especially hard for her. She endured far worse than me during our captivity." So he can get why she doesn't feel up to this.

Sometimes he really hates being right. He's happy to have the information directly from the source, though. That goes a long way towards him trusting her in return. "Is there anything we can do to help her feel welcome?" He lifts his eyebrows, if it wasn't clear already he'll turn this whole place upside down just for their benefit.

She sees that drive to be helpful to them. Gamora knows she can't just accept it without clearing one last problem out of the way. "There is something else that may be holding her back as well."

Gamora forces herself to maintain eye contact while she calmly explains. She needs to catalogue every reaction to what she's saying for her sake and Tony's. Depending on what he does, her sister may just appear out of thin air to protect her.

"You didn't look surprised to hear I lived most of my life as a prisoner. I imagine you're smart enough to guess who our captor was, but I will tell you anyways. Thanos has a habit of eradicating races and taking one child from them to be his own afterward. Most don't survive the initial torture and modifications, but Nebula and I were among the few who did. He raised us as his daughters until the day he finally miscalculated enough to allow us to escape him. The things we did in his name before then are unspeakable. If you cannot handle what we did to survive, you should say so now. I promise you the Asgardians will waste no time informing you of every evil we committed especially if they need to distract you from how easily their prince bended to Thanos' will." She smiles ruefully. She already knows they'll do anything to protect one of their own even if he betrayed them gleefully.

He listens carefully, nodding to signify to her that he's absorbing the information she offers him. It isn't unreasonable, but they've glossed over some significant things to impress the Guardians on their end as well.

"First of all, Thor is the only Asgardian we listen to around here. And that's only if we catch him on a sober day." Just to get that done because Loki is pretty small potatoes when compared to Thanos. He just wants attention and Tony refuses to give in if he can help it. "Before I became Iron Man, I made weapons. I didn't know it at the time -- or maybe I did, just not consciously -- but those weapons weren't staying with the soldiers on our side. A lot of them ended up in our enemy's hands. Countless innocent people died. Sergeant Barnes, like you, was taken and made to do unspeakable things. Scarlet Witch tortured us and killed her own people to prove a point once. Hulk has leveled entire cities. No one here is perfect, Gamora. But we all want the same thing." He hopes that rings truer than any platitudes he could give her about how her past transgressions don't matter.

She lets out a slow sigh when he finishes. That makes her feel much better. If they're all on a level playing field instead of playing games over who was the most pure, she has a lot less to worry about.

"She enjoys sweet roots. We used to dig them up on missions we were allowed to go on with only each other as company. If you have anything like that on Terra, she will come out to accept those."

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