CHAPTER THREE
Tony and Steve stand at the front of the room, glancing back at Natasha and Dana. Their eyes hopeful and glistening.
"Well, what do you think?" Tony asks, bursting the silence.
"It's a bit of a risk…" Natasha hums.
"It's moronic" Dana huffs, her eyebrows narrowing. "You want us to go into a school and recruit?"
"Not just any school. Charles Xavier's School for the Gifted." Tony reiterates again.
"They could be a school full of Power Rangers and I still would stand by my point." Dana stands from the chair she was sitting in, wishing another fag was in her hand. She notices Steve's face turn to confusion at the term Power Ranger. "Tony it's a school…with children."
"It is risky Stark, I mean, trusting sixteen-year old kids?" Natasha hesitates.
"But they're not just sixteen, they're god-like! One can walk through walls, one can teleport…" Tony exclaims.
"Jesus Christ, what is wrong with you?" Dana hisses, turning her back on the pair before whipping her head around. "S.H.I.E.L.D is falling apart right in front of your god-damn eyes, the public want to flay you alive and your answer is to go to school and hope some prepubescent children can save the day?"
"It's the best we got. We haven't seen Banner in god-knows how long. Thor is probably in a different dimension. Clint has got children!" Tony starts.
"Oh yeah of course, you going to ask them if they wanna' join the Avengers and play with the team?" Dana spits, running her fingers through her hair.
"We have to give something a go, we're running out of time and the people's patience. Maybe some new faces to the Team is what we need." Steve murmurs beside Tony.
Dana scoffs, rolling her eyes, looking at the wall.
"You've got a lot of opinions for our team considering your reluctance to join it" Tony points out.
"You're the one asking me to recruit these kids, so yeah Tony, I'm going to have a damn opinion!"
"Guys cool it, yeah?" Natasha exhales. "Maybe we should just take a look, the age range is up to eighteen right? Some of the teachers there…"
"Yes! Brilliant!" Tony claps, grinning, before crossing his arms happily.
"Dana, we're not asking children to fight on the front line. We're asking those who have the capacity to make a decision, make one. We'll have procedures…" Steve speaks softly. Dana notices the reluctance in his voice too.
Gritting her teeth, Dana looks in between the three.
"Fine, I'll take a look, but I swear to god Tony…"
"Brilliant!" Tony claps, smirking "Well let's get a move on, Charles has invited us four to take a lovely gander at the school because we are interested in what their motives are as parents with children with special abilities!" Tony blurts quickly.
Dana opens her eyes widely in disgust, Natasha sighs and Steve's face goes red from embarrassment.
"You are fucking kidding me?" Dana says, looking at Steve.
"It was the only way Charles would let us on the property… he kinda' has a strict rule against 'no Government' interference."
