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"First of all, you can go to hell," Jessica Drew says.
So, okay, maybe Tony isn't the most tactful of people. He's just going about this recruiting business the way he'd want it gone about. That is, with maximum absurdity. Flying through Spider-Woman's window to demand her birth sex apparently isn't charming.
"Look," Tony tries, holding up his hands, "Nick Fury sent me."
Jessica blinks at him for a second. "Do you think that makes it better?"
Granted, privacy violations aren't exactly admirable.
"No?" Tony says. "Look, the thing is, I'm trans, and I figured—"
"I know, idiot," Jessica snaps. "Everyone knows, especially people who read any tabloids ever or pay attention to other socialites. Get out of my house."
Tony sets his helmet down. "Okay. Can we start this again? I'll come through the door this time. It's just . . ." Okay, honesty, ouch. "This is kind of weird and lonely. Because there're a few other superheroes, and sure, there are other trans people, but . . ."
Jessica sighs. "But you want someone whose weird matches your weird across the board. I can't believe I'm saying this, butfine. I'll hear you out. This might be a little relevant to my life."
She doesn't flinch or look as though she's on her guard, so Tony guesses she's not exactly new at this. People like her, rich girls with a lot of confidence, were the kind of people he always envied as a teenager. He almost says that, but then he realizes that it might be a little insensitive. Jessica probably envied those girls when she was a teenager, too.
"So," he says, "I'm putting together a team."
*
The second person Tony recruits is, improbably, not from earth. At least he's not from the surface of the earth.
"You better be right about this," Tony mutters to Jessica as they stand at the edge of the water.
"I'm so right," she says, shivering a little. They're both in costume, and it's cold and rainy out. "Besides, he wouldn't have agreed to come otherwise."
"Maybe—"
Tony is cut off by a man grabbing the edge of the dock and hauling himself out of the water.
"King Namor!" Tony says cheerfully.
Namor gets to his feet, glaring venomously at Tony. "This had better not be a joke. I only came out of curiosity. Do you know how filthy the water here is?"
Tony fights a grin. This guy is basically just like everyone said. "Yeah, sorry about that. So, as you may have guessed, I'm Iron Man. Interested in a team of transgender superheroes?"
Namor rolls his eyes. "A team of surface-dwellers who believe I have some kinship with them simply because—" He frowns at Tony. "We don't use the term transgender."
"That's friendly, for him," Jessica mutters.
Tony brightens. "We can definitely talk terminology. And whatever else. I just wanted to get a few people together and see where we could go from there."
Tony has a million questions, like what they have for hormones in Atlantis, but he keeps his mouth shut. He's heard Namor is easily offended.
"Mm," Namor says, glancing around disdainfully. "I'm willing to try."
*
They're not all rich kids like Tony and Jessica. Once word gets out about Tony's little team, he starts attracting attention, and not just from the assholes in the press. At the fifth meeting, Pepper interrupts them to show a kid in. They're in Tony's living room, because he figures informal is better.
"Uh, I didn't want to interrupt, but I think this might be related," Pepper says. She smiles somewhat apologetically at Jessica, who Tony is starting to think she has some kind of feelings for. Straight women, his life doesn’t have any.
Tony bounces to his feet. "Hi!"
The kid, short and wearing a hoodie and gloves, peers androgynously at Tony. "Hi," the kid mutters in what sounds like a southern accent.
Tony extends a hand, which the kid doesn't take. "What's your name, kid?"
The kid frowns. "I . . . don't know."
Tony's about the repeat the phrase incredulously when he remembers the horrible, uncomfortable space between Tasha and Tony, and the gap it left in his mouth.
"That's okay," he says, "let's not worry about that right now. Have a seat. We're just discussing every superhero's favorite topic: getting the press to shut the hell up."
Namor huffs out a breath that's almost a laugh, so Tony considers that a win for the day. Namor has about as much sense of humor as a fish. Of course, Tony isn't sure what they have for press in Atlantis, so maybe Namor's just laughing at Tony's existence.
By the end of the meeting, the kid is laughing and smiling and even making a few suggestions along with everyone else. When they're ready to split up for the day, Tony takes the kid aside.
"Need a place to stay? I don't know where you're from, but I've got about a thousand spare rooms."
The kid nods. "Thanks, but I'm okay. I don't want to be any trouble." The gloves are still on, even though the room is hot.
"It's not trouble." Tony lounges against the wall and considers what the best course of action is. "What's your power, anyway? We'll be talking some actual strategy next time. I hear there are a few crises that need to get checked up on."
The kid takes a few steps back. "I. It's not . . . I just came because I thought maybe . . ." The kid takes a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm sorry. I'm a mutant, I'm sorry . . ."
"Whoa, whoa." Tony holds up his hands. "It doesn't matter, all right? We're not . . . like that, here." Like they could afford to be. "Mutant or not, we don't care. Namor's half mutant. Bet you didn't know that."
The kid nods, still looking panicked. "No. But . . . thanks. Really. You'll change your mind when you see my power, though."
"I doubt it," Tony says breezily. "Hey, I don't even have a power. Who am I to judge?"
The kid swallows. "Can I come back to the next meeting and maybe talk about it then? I don't want . . ."
All Tony wants is for this kid to finish off the meeting without crying. "Sure, no problem. We've got one planned for tomorrow at five. That work for you?"
The kid nods. "Yeah. I . . . My name is Marie, by the way. Marie." She sounds certain.
Tony reaches out and takes her gloved hand. "Nice to meet you, Marie."