"Now remember to be on your best behavior Mittens. Your actions reflect on us all, you know."
"Yes, mother," Amity replied, gazing out the window of their limousine as it drove through the streets of New York City.
"Oh, and remember your Uncle is a very busy man, so try not to bother him too much. Seen and not heard and all that."
"Yes, mother." Amity prayed she would stop talking.
"Mittens, stop slouching. That is unfitting for a Blight such as-"
"Stark," Amity replied without thinking. She felt a cold sweat start as Odalia stared daggers at her.
"What was that, Mittens?"
Amity gulped, "B-Blight-Stark...mother. My l-last name."
Odalia just stared at Amity, before taking an indignant sniff, "Yes, yes, Blight-Stark. Even more reason to impress yourself on your uncle Tony. He is one of the richest men in the world! Can you imagine the amount of prestige our family will get once you start going to events with him? Oh, I can see the headlines now."
Amity didn't say anything. She caught her father's eye, and the look that said, 'I'm sorry you have to endure this, Mittens.' It was only for a few more hours, then her father and Odalia would be out of the country on some globetrotting meeting with their various investors. They would be gone for at least 9 months, probably more if things went well. Knowing Odalia, things were going to go well. As the limo pulled up in front of Stark Tower, though, Amity couldn't help but feel a sense of...dread? She didn't know why. She had only seen Uncle Tony a few times in her life, as it was only recently her father and his brother had finally gotten over their estrangement. Their meetings before had been at big parties or events, where Tony was obligated to show up as a way to schmooze with the New York Elite. He had also been piss drunk every time they had met. Her father had told her he was better now, seeking help after his kidnapping in Iraq, but those memories of him reeking of alcohol were all she had of the man.
"Dalia, I'm sure my brother will adore his niece," Alador spoke, his voice monotone and weary.
"He needs to do more than adore her, Alador. He needs to show the world that she is next in line to his empire. Edric and Emira were failures, but our Mittens won't be."
Amity had to bite her tongue, literally, at the bad mouthing of her older siblings. Sure, they had teased her a lot when they were younger, but over the years they had matured. Well, Em had matured. Edric was still Edric, but that's why Amity loved him so much. Hearing Odalia call them failures made her blood boil. They had left for Empire State University the day they turned 18 and had never looked back. She was proud of them, of Ed and Em finally becoming their own people, not just Odalia's perfect twin dolls. She remembered the long nights they would spend together talking about their plan to leave, and how sorry they were they couldn't take Amity with them. Amity understood completely though. Besides, she only had 2 more years before she would join them at ESU. She had made sure to promise to take a picture of Odalia's face when she saw her "Little Miss Perfect" walk out the door and join her "delinquent" siblings. The thought actually made Amity smile a bit, as she walked up the stairs and entered Stark Tower.
The lobby was pristine, with a very modern aesthetic, Amity noted. A large fountain adorned the middle of it, with statues of the Avengers lining the walls. Considering Stark Tower also doubled as Avengers Tower, the statues were very much expected. What was not expected was to see Tony Stark, the Invincible Iron Man himself, personally cleaning each statue. He was standing on a step ladder, a washcloth wet with soapy water in his hand, as he made slow circles around the statue Captain America's shield.
"Ugh, don't you have people who are supposed to clean those?" Odalia's shrill voice cut through the lobby like a knife through butter.
"Oh, hello Odalia. Yeah, see here's the thing. These statues? They're my friends. Well, the statues aren't, but the people are. They are important to me, so if I have to spend a few hours out of my day to make sure they get cleaned properly, then that's what I'm going to do. Al, how's it hanging bro? Oh, and that must be Amity! Wait, didn't you have two others? Where are they?" Tony Stark spoke, not halting his cleaning at all. Amity felt a small sense of pride when she looked at her mother and saw how angry she was at being ignored.
"The twins are currently going to Empire State University. If they haven't gotten themselves expelled with their childish pranks that is. We...haven't spoken in quite some time," Odalia once again spoke, not allowing her husband to utter a word.
"Good for them. I remember when I went to ESU. The parties there were legendary." Tony said, a grin now adorning his face.
"Tony, you were 14 when you went to ESU. What 'parties' could you have possibly been to?" Alador asked, the first hint of emotion Amity had ever heard in her father's voice catching her slightly off guard.
"I didn't say I went to the parties while I was a student there! I mean I did, but I didn't say that," Tony flashed a smile Alador's way. The fact he had acknowledged him and not Odalia made Amity's admiration for her Uncle Tony increase. Odalia noticed this as well, her face slowly filling with a barely contained rage.
"Well, we have places to go, investors to impress. You know how that is. Mittens, remember what we talked about in the car. Best. Behavior." Odalia spoke, her eyes staring daggers at her youngest daughter. "Come Alador," Odalia turned on the spot and exited the tower.
Alador looked between his daughter, his brother, and his wife, before taking a deep breath, "Be good for your uncle, Mittens. I...I love you." He turned and followed his wife.
Amity blinked as she watched her father leave. Had he said, "I love you"? The last time she remembered him saying that had been...wait, had he ever said it? Amity felt a rising panic, as she felt herself start to hyperventilate. Had her father never said he loved her!? Her vision began to darken as she felt her lungs start burning. Suddenly she felt a gentle arm wrap around her, the smell of oil and iron filling her nose. Familiar smells to her, as it was the same smell her father had.
"Breathe Amity. In for 4, out for 4. Like this," A voice said, as it began the breathing exercises. Amity followed what the voice said and felt the burning in her lungs lessen. "Good, keep it up kiddo. It's gonna be ok. Uncle Tony is here to make sure of that, ok?"
Amity looked up into the face of her uncle, a man she hardly knew, but the kindness evident in his face broke the dam within her. She began to sob, pressing her face into her uncle's chest, trying to speak, "U-uncle Tony, I-I don't think Dad has ever said I love you to me before. I c-can't remember if he has. Oh God, what if he never has before? What if he doesn't love me and just said that because you were here!?"
Tony rubbed circles on Amity's back as he embraced her, "Kiddo, let me tell you something. Howard Stark, your grandad, wasn't the warmest of parents. Wasn't his fault, it was just how he was raised passed down. You know how many times I heard him say I love you to me? Twice. Once after I had been fished out of the ocean after falling off our yacht when I was 7 or 8. The other wasn't even to my face. It was in his video will. Imagine growing up with that figure as your only reference on what a dad is. The thing is, I know your dad loves you. You know why? Because when we finally reconnected a few months ago, he talked non-stop about you and your siblings. How amazing you guys were, how smart you were...how proud he was of you guys. Now, let's go up to the penthouse. I can come back to finish the cleaning later, but right now you need some comfort. How does an entire carton of ice cream and deep-dish pizza sound?"
Amity smiled, nodding slowly while getting her breathing under control as she stood up. However, there was something she wanted to ask, something she needed to ask. So as soon as they stepped onto Tony's private elevator and the doors closed, Amity turned to her uncle and took a deep breath, "Uncle Tony...I want a suit."
Tony stared at her, blinking, "Uh, if you want? I mean, you can wear whatever makes you feel comfortable Amity. I'm glad you trusted me enough to tell me though. I understand coming out about your sexuality and gender identity can be scary but know that I'll always be in your corner no matter what Ams. We can call my tailor tomorrow and get your measurements, and we can hit Bloomingdale's and pick out some casual clothes for you as well."
Amity's face went red, her mouth agape as she processed what her uncle had just said, "That's not-I mean, thank you for being an ally Uncle Tony, that really means a lot, but...I didn't mean a piece of clothing. I meant a SUIT. Like yours."
Tony frowned, "An Armani? I can get you whatever kind of suit...you want...wait, you mean..." The lightbulb went off in Tony's mind, realizing what his niece was asking for, "No. No, no, no. Being Iron Man isn't some game, Amity, it's dangerous. Do you know how many times I've nearly died since I put that suit on? You think this is some kind of fashion statement," he asked, pointing to the miniature arc reactor on his chest, "Cause this little thing is what's keeping me alive. I have shrapnel slowly moving towards my heart, and the only reason I'm not dead is because this reactor is powering a super magnet that stops the shrapnel from getting any closer. You're sixteen! You should be worrying about what college to go to in a couple years, not about saving the world!"
Amity turned away, steadying herself for what she was about to say next, "Odalia is double dealing to terrorists, criminals, and super villains. When I'm bored, I sometimes hack into the computer system back home. A few weeks ago, I discovered an encrypted drive buried deep within the system. After cracking it, I discovered it was a list of sales to some really bad people. Wilson Fisk, Hydra, A.I.M., hell, even more mundane threats like ISIS and the Houthis. Tony, she is bankrolling the God damn Tinkerer! I have to stop her. Please, I know this isn't a game. I just...I just want to stop anyone else from getting hurt because of her, and whether you help or not I am still going to try and stop her."
Tony looked away, as he thought it over. A massive bombshell like that would make anyone else break down, but not Tony. He had experience with people he considered close family betraying him. "Putting me in a tough spot here, huh Ams? Fine, but if we're gonna do this, we do this my way. Meaning I will train you, but you don't get to do a thing without me until I say you're ready. Jarvis?"
A robotic voice spoke up, "Yes, Mr. Stark? Oh, Miss Amity, how good it is to see you again. The last time I saw you was at that Stark Christmas party when you were 6. You were so excited to speak to a real 'robot man' if I recall."
Tony smiled, "Jarvis, take us to the Garage. We need to get Ams to design her new suit."
"Very well, Mr. Stark," Jarvis replied, the Elevator stopping in mid ascent, suddenly seeming to change direction on a dime. Amity nearly fell, and probably would have if she hadn't been holding on to the rail. The elevator picked up speed, before coming to a slow descent. The door opened, and Amity walked into the coolest room she had ever been. The walls were lined with different Iron Man armors. Some were for deep sea exploration, others were meant for deep space travel, while still others were larger Hulkbuster style armors. Walking around the Hall of Armor filled Amity with a sense of wonder she hadn't felt since she was a child. Tony just watched her, a smile plastered on his face.
"It's awesome, isn't it? Welp, we got work to do. Step on that dais in the center of the room, hands out please."
Amity nodded, walking up to the slightly raised platform. As she raised her arms, Tony went to a monitor as a holographic display popped up. Tony hit a few buttons, and Amity watched as a series of lasers began scanning her, she assumed for measurements of some kind. After they had finished, a holographic image was overlayed on top of her, looking like a basic Iron Man suit.
"Ok, first things first: armaments. Now, I am not going to be putting you on the frontlines immediately, so I am going to have your armor focused on support for now. I'll give you a basic weapons compliment, repulsors, missiles, stuff like that, but none of the really heavy stuff. No unibeam, no minigun, no nukes, you know. Instead, you will have a new invention of mine I have been working on. I call it the Aegis system. It can create a shield around anything, whether yourself or innocent civilians. The shield can withstand both kinetic and directed energy weapons, and really the only thing it can't stop is magic, but that's why I have Stephen Strange on speed dial. It self-repairs, but multiple repeated blasts will drain it and eventually break it. I will also give you a full complement of medical equipment. Defibrillator, antiseptic cream, gauze, burn cream, the works. Any questions?" Tony finished, his eyes darting over the holographic display.
"Um, yes actually. Can I show you something I have been working on?" Amity asked. Tony nodded, so Amity stepped off the dais and walked over to the display. She began inputting complex equations, her tongue slightly sticking out. Tony smiled softly. He knew that look. It was the same one Alador would have whenever he was working on a new project. Finally, Amity stepped back, her hands doing a flourish as if to say "ta-da!"
Tony took a glance at the screen and was absolutely blown away. It was a type of programmable matter, that could go from a liquid to a solid state with electric signals. Tony began running simulations, and realized this...goo, for lack of a better word, could be used to form just about anything. Weapons, shields, gloves, literally anything could be formed with it. The only thing Amity seemed to be missing was how to get an electrical signal to it without an external source. "Amity, this is amazing! You came up with this?"
Amity grinned, her face slowly turning red at the praise her uncle gave her, "Uh, yes. Well, me and my dad worked on it together, but I came up with the original concept. I call it Abomination slime. As you can see, I still have some work to do, but I figured you would be able to help on that front. You are Tony Stark, after all."
Tony smiled, "In fact, I think I have just the thing," he said, tapping a few buttons on the display, pulling up some schematics, "This is a Stark Tech Nanobot. I have been fiddling around with them for a bit, but one of the things I can have them do is create an electrical pulse. If we combine those with your slime, we can send the electrical signals through the nanobots, forming the slime to whatever shape we want!"
Amity's eyes lit up as she began working on combining the nanobots and her Abomination slime. Her and Tony began bouncing off ideas, getting lost in their shared love until Jarvis spoke over the intercom, "Sir, you and Miss Amity have been down here for quite some time. I urge you to take a break and eat before you forget. Again."
Tony smiled, "Ok, hold your horses, Jarvis. Now, if I recall I promised you ice cream and deep-dish pizzas."
Author's Note: So it IS shorter than chapter 1. I actually had a whole different plan for this chapter, including Amity testing out her new suit, but I actually like where this went instead. So, for you Marvel fans out there, this is not Earth-616. I am dubbing this Earth-11020, which is the original air date for the first episode of The Owl House! I will get more into the background of this Earth later, but the biggest thing to keep in mind is Superheroes have only been around for about 10 years in-universe, not counting Captain America who obviously fought in WWII. Next chapter we will be checking in with Luz and Vee at the X-mansion. Until then, enjoy!