Work Text:
“I’m not saying you can’t handle it,” Tony tells Hope impatiently. “I’m saying, back up is never a bad thing in these situations, and I’m the only person who has half a chance of understanding what’s going on if something goes wrong with your gadget.”
“I don’t particularly want you to understand what’s going on,” Hope shoots back.
Tony’s flinch is so tiny, so well suppressed, Stephen’s not sure if anyone other than him saw it. Tony presses his lips together for a moment, then relaxes all at once. “You know what? You’re right, this mission doesn’t need more than one hero in a highly engineered suit.” He pushes his chair back from the table and stands. “So I’m going to go do something productive.”
Stephen looks around the table, but no one else—Steve, Hope, Rhodes, and Sam—seems confused. “I’d appreciate it if someone could explain what just happened.”
Steve and Sam look away. Rhodes sighs, but explains. “Hope’s father, Hank Pym, used to work with Howard Stark. They had a severe falling out. I don’t know what actually happened, but Hank Pym has been loudly proclaiming for years that Stark Senior stole his research.”
“And this has what to do with you and Tony?” Stephen asks, catching Hope’s gaze and holding it.
She sets her jaw. “Dad was pretty clear that you can’t trust a Stark.”
Stephen raises both his eyebrows. “The only person I’ve seen perpetuating their father’s mistakes in this situation is you.”
“Tony hasn’t exactly gone out of his way to build bridges—” Steve starts.
“And why is that Tony’s responsibility?” Stephen cuts him off. “Has it really never occurred to you,” he cuts a glance over to Hope to make sure she knows she’s included, “that Tony is abrasive specifically because of reactions like yours? Do you think you’re the first people to judge him on his father’s mistakes?” The silence that follows is strained. Stephen shakes his head and stands. “You know, it occurs to me that this mission doesn’t need a magic user, either.”
Hopefully, he’s given them something to think about, but he wouldn’t bet on it.