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 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."

Tony smiles softly at that. Food was the way in for a lot of people here so he should have known. "I'll see what we can scare up for her. I think Steve made a rhubarb pie." And who can say no to one of those??? "But if she just wants the plant, I think we have some left over. Pepper says they're good raw, but I've never tried it myself."

Gamora nods in approval. She's actually making herself hungry now with all this talk of food. She's certainly curious about the food Peter grew up with. "We'll take both." She informs him since there's no way she isn't going to try that pie. Well she supposes it can't hurt to ask about it while reenergizing herself.

"...I am also interested in food from Terra. Peter talks about it often since he's responsible for cooking our meals."

He chuckles and nods. "I think that can be arranged." Even if it's only making him more curious about her sister. Somehow he didn't picture Peter as the cooking type, but he supposes it would follow. "Well... every place has its own food, for the most part. But America is a beautiful combination of all of them. In New York there are vegan taco trucks parked outside of Italian pasta/meatball buffets. And anything in between. But first, you have to try pizza." She's going to love pizza.

She isn't following any of this. Gamora has mastered the art of nodding while wondering what any of that actually means. "Peter mentioned pizza before. I will try it." And probably fall madly in love with it.

"Good call." His expression softens a little even as he poses what would usually be a casual ask. Given her history, he knows it's anything but thus the weight he adds to the inquiry. "Where are you from?"

Gamora visibly stiffens. She knows he means nothing wrong by it. It is clearly a sore subject for her. "The planet Zen-Whoberi. It is nowhere near Terra."

He nods, filing the information away. "I could have guessed that," he points out gently, a tiny wan smile spreading his lips. He commiserates more with her than she could ever know. Or maybe she will, she's proving easier to talk to than he'd initially thought. "You must miss it." Tony feels homesick for Manhattan sometimes, but at least he can go there easily even if he doesn't own property there anymore. Her situation is far more grim; he doesn't know how to express empathy for something like that, though he certainly feels it anyway.

"I lost my parents, too. The bad guys that took Bucky killed them. I guess because my father knew too much." He supposes he'll never fully know the real reason, but it hurts more than it ought to to know the truth.

She shrugs a shoulder. It really is hard to tell who can come from where. Thanos did originate from this part of the galaxy, after all. That's a story for another time. Gamora nods at the second comment even if it isn't quite right. She doesn't explain until he finishes. That visibly softens her since she can relate to both men. She knows what they're feeling all too well having watched her parents be killed and soonafter having her body torn apart by the very one who killed them.

"I miss how it once was. It's a graveyard now." She smiles ruefully. "I was the only one denied a quick death."

She glances at Tony apologetically. Even unnecessary condolences should still be given. "I am sorry you know that loss and for his pain. I hope you both can know the happiness that I have found. It is possible to move on." She and Nebula are now a living testament to that.

Tony gets that so he says nothing. Nothing he can say would fix it or even dull the sting of something like that. He's starting to understand that they really are cut from the same cloth, and it makes him trust her even more deeply than he already did. This is going to work out, he thinks, this alliance. For once, he had an idea that isn't going to go terribly wrong... right? The look he gives her then is unbelievably vulnerable.

"We're happy. I'm getting flippin' married, right?" He has to laugh -- or he'll actually cry, his eyes filling up with water suddenly that he frantically blinks away. "And Bucky has... Steve. Not like that, not like that. They're brothers, you know. Like you and Nebula."

She frowns at the sight of that vulnerability. It can't be helped. They're all clearly carrying terrible burdens. The best she can do is shield those vulnerable hearts from the "siblings and father" that would exploit them to secure their victory.

"My mistake." She very gently reaches out to touch his shoulder in solace, ready to drop her hand the second it seems unwelcome. "We are more alike than I expected." She comments evenly.

He does tense at the touch, but only because it's unexpected. The second he understands it's to comfort him, he relaxes and smiles gently in gratitude. "You took the words right out of my mouth." It's too serious for his tastes, and maybe a little sappy too, so he goes on the same way he always does. Joking is as automatic as breathing when things are this tense. "Though, and this pains me to admit, you have way more fabulous hair than I do. You'll have to hook me up with your stylist."

She hesitates for a few seconds to work out what a stylist is before settling on it being someone who styles hair. Gamora smiles, unable to resist offering the truth while also teasing the man next to her.

"I don't think Peter will be able to braid your hair."

Tony laughs outright at that, rubbing at the short hairs on the side of his head to concede her point. "Maybe he could've if you guys had showed up a few years ago. I keep it shorter now--gray hair's a bitch." Does her race go gray? Is that ombre natural? He has so many questions.

Gamora studies his hair carefully. "You should let it go gray. It looks becoming on Nova Prime." She's just saying.

"Nova Prime, huh?" One corner of his mouth twitches upwards. "Pepper does always say she likes it," he admits. Apparent silver foxes aren't just an Earth thing, who knew.

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

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