Every Little Thing She Does is...Magic?

[Iron Man]

The repairs to Avengers Tower had been completed weeks ago, but Tony Stark still broke out in a cold sweat every night.

Pepper had survived her surgery, taken on the name Rescue, and wore a brand-spanking new set of armor to match her shiny new superhero persona.  She could do all the things Tony wanted to do but couldn't with what was currently on his plate.

Maria Hill was now running SHIELD, but Tony still kept sticking his finger in all the pies over there as a consultant now that Nick Fury was off in parts unknown yet again.

That stuff seemed to be all squared away.

It was his alternate universe progeny that kept him awake at night.

Jackson kept working on his own suit of armor and was polishing his way with the ladies as much as his helmet. Aside from some silly banter with Jen Walters, things with Jackson were fairly calm most of the time.

Niamh,  on the other hand, was all too much her mother's daughter with her flaming red hair and her stubborn will, but she was drawn to the science side of things as much as he brother. It was just too bad her powers scared her paternal genetic donor to death. Tony would never, ever get used to being called a father. He was not their father anyway, and he felt odd staking claim to that title.

"Sir," Edwin Jarvis said as he walked into Tony's lab, "Miss Niamh and her mother are headed back to San Francisco for a family wedding. Master Jackson is supposed to go as well, but he seems determined to vex his mother by staying here."

"And you are telling me this because..." Tony asked as he downed another banana, blueberry and kale smoothie.

"Because it is upsetting Miss Niamh, and she is slowly dismantling things in the lower levels," Jarvis added as he took a deep breath. "With her mind and some flicking of her fingers."

Tony set down his glass and leaned against the metal and glass work table. This was reminding him way too much of the whole House of M disaster with Wanda and Pietro. "Could you stay with Cupcake and send her mother up here, please, Jarvis? Distract her with those wonderful stories you have about Peggy Carter and the spies she knew."

"Yes, sir," Jarvis replied before exiting the lab.

"And now, time for the talk I never thought I'd have," Tony said to himself as he sat down in his rolling chair, twirling so his back was facing the doorway.  "Adaryn, I think it's time we consider binding Niamh's powers," he continued, not realizing Adaryn was now in the doorway until a glass went crashing to the floor. "And my timing sucks more than usual today," he muttered as he spun around in his chair. 

[Celtica]

{{This is not my Tony}} Adaryn had to keep telling herself as she glared at Iron Man. {{My Tony would never have asked me to do such a thing}}

"You are not suggesting something as easy as turning off a light," she said as she waved her hand and swept the broken glass into a trash can near the door. "I know why you are suggesting it. I know why you might think you have the right to suggest such a thing. You are not their father."

"No, but they are living part-time under my roof," Stark started to say, but he could tell Adaryn was likely ready to pop as she stood there simmering in her own anger. "I'm actually afraid for her and not afraid of her."

"I doubt that is all you are thinking about," Adaryn replied as she walked further into the room. "This all reminds you of Wanda and how you were powerless to fix it. I understand that. Niamh is not Wanda Maximoff. She has a fully-formed support system..."

"What, with your sisters and brothers and that loony aunt of yours who looks like River Song on Doctor Who? Your paternal grandmother who would just as soon kill me as look at me?" Stark asked as Adaryn shook her head.

"Grandmum is not around all that much, and neither is Auntie Eavan. Niamh is not going to go all Celtic Dark Phoenix on us. And I am not shutting down her powers.  I lived like that for years. I won't do that to her!" Adaryn said as her hands started to shake. She clenched them into fists to keep from blowing out a window or something. "And yes, I do have stress remembering being held captive for years. Not everyone can be as calm and collected as you are."

[Iron Man]

Tony wanted to pound his head into the wall at that point. He had heard, from Logan and his beloved bride, among others, about Adaryn's time locked away by a maniac offshoot of the Priest family. He was not going to downplay her pain. But he could not just let Niamh run roughshod over this world now that she was here. No one had ever fully figured out why Morgan Le Fay wanted her in the first place. It still made Stark a bit queasy thinking about it.

"OK, let's back up a bit before we both say things we'll regret. Smoothie?" Tony asked as he showed Adaryn the green concoction in his blender. "It tastes like, well, green stuff."

"No, I'll pass. Blueberries and I do not get along. And before you ask, yes, immortals can have allergies," Adaryn said as she tried to calm down. "We just don't have to fear dying from them. But you enjoy that healthy drink," she said as she rolled her eyes. "If I might, could I raid your mini-fridge for some water? And maybe an apple?"

"Knock yourself out," Stark replied as he noticed Adaryn looking at some photos above his desk. "Yes?"

"Oksana. Have you heard from her?" the redhead asked as she found what she wanted in the mini-fridge.

"She was sent on assignment by SHIELD to parts far away from New York. I think between the Avengers and the X-Men, she got sick of the super hero life. Now, back to Princess Peach. What do you suggest if you don't want to bind her powers?"

[Spider-Man]

As Peter Parker finished repainting the lobby of the avengers tower, he began his long walk up the many stairs. Apparently Tony had asked to see him... According to the goon in the sunglasses at the desk anyway. 

Reaching the door, Pete heard some slightly raised voices, pushing the door open slowly he said "Hello? Tony? Bad time pal?"

Spotting Tony's alternate universe better half Peter stuttered. "Oh... Oh! Very bad time Huh?" he began to walk backwards slowly. "I'll just umm...  Wait... Outside?"

[Iron Man]

"No, your timing is fine," Tony said to Peter as he saw Adaryn shaking her head. "I'm just ticking Adaryn off anyway, and she has a wedding to get to in San Francisco."

"Hello," Adaryn said as he nodded to Peter. "Good to see you again. And yes, I have to put in an appearance at a family wedding, so I had best be  on my way. But this conversation is not finished, Tony. Not in the slightest," she added as she walked past Parker and out the door.

"Thank you for saving me from myself,"  Tony said to Peter as he got out another glass. "Smoothie? Oh, who am I kidding? These taste about as good as the paint you were using downstairs. How is that all going down there? Any problems? Did the groupies find you yet?"    

TBC Adaryn in the wedding post

TBC Peter & Tony here

[Spider-Man]

"Good to see you too... Bye?" Peter said as he waved to Adaryn. 
Turning to Tony he said "It's pretty much done... Groupies? Are we having one of your friends over again? Slash? Ooh! Gene Simmons? No! Wait! AC/DC!" he clapped his hands together in feigned excitement.

"As for the smoothie, I think I'll pass." he gave a thumbs up as he spoke. 

"So what's the dealio? The drama. The haps?"

[Iron Man]

Tony was still getting used to Peter's youthful exuberance, for lack of a better term. Not to say that it wasn't needed. Not at all. The tower was a deadly place when things got too dark, and he could use some youthful insight right now.

"Can you give me a crash course in how not to screw up teenagers, because I could sure use one," Tony replied as he looked at Peter. "And as for AC/DC, yeah, I might be able to work that out. But not until I figure out how to make heroes out of those kids who call me dad. I never wanted to be a dad. I am not their Tony Stark, as Adaryn has pointed out many times. I would not want to be. Guy had cancer and died getting eaten by Galactus saving his kids. I saw how much my dad was really in my life, and I don't want to be that for anyone. But I can't be their Tony either."

Tony knew he was rambling. He could go for the world title in it at the moment. Time to pull back a bit and get centered.

"I think you met the mini-me crew, right? Niamh, who is all magically crazy with wild red hair, and Jackson, who wants to bed She Hulk if he gets the chance and has magic powers, too, even if he won't use them all that much because he is making his own upgraded flight suit. I can't let them go all...all..." Tony stopped and dropped the leftover glop from his blender into the trash.  "I can't let them go all Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver on the world.  House Stark only works on Game of Thrones. How can I make sure I don't screw this one up?"