House of TM: The Interview
[OOC: The world has gone white, and the House of TM is officially in full swing. This little article should catch people up on where Steve, Tony, Wanda, Jean, Billy, Tommy, and Sally Stark-Rogers are in this universe. Co-written by starspangledcap, iron_tony, daughter_of_m, and sal_starkrogers. X-posted.]
Investing in the Future:
The Stark-Rogers-Grey-Maximoff Family Unveils the Young Avengers
by Avery Roberts, Time
Avengers Mansion sits proudly across from Central Park and is home to one of the most famous - and famously private - families in the country. Any given day the mansion is surrounded by tourists and paparazzi hoping to capture one of the mansion's inhabitants on film, but its secrets are abundant and these people are usually disappointed. Today, however, this humble reporter has been invited into the hallowed halls of Avengers Mansion, home of what may not be the first family of super heroes (that honor is given to the Fantastic Four) but is almost certainly the most prominent, and complicated: the Stark-Rogers-Grey-Maximoff family, also known as the leaders of the Avengers and now, the newly inducted Young Avengers.
Explaining the relationships between the family of super heroes that reside in Avengers Mansion is difficult. The mansion itself has long been in the family of Anthony Stark, also known as Iron Man, an original member of the Avengers as well as CEO of Stark Enterprises. Stark is celebrating ten years of marriage this year; his partner in all things is the leader of the team, Steve Rogers--Captain America. The two have an adopted daughter, Sally Stark-Rogers, who they have raised together since her parents were killed in a battle with Kang the Conquerer when she was a toddler. The mansion is also home to the third member of the Avengers' top tier, Wanda Maximoff, and her wife Jean Grey who acts as a liason between the Avengers and her former team, the X-Men. Jean and Wanda have two children, twin boys William and Thomas. The boys are in fact the biological children of Wanda, Steve, and Tony which sets all three children up nicely to inherit the duties of the Avengers from their parents. Which brings us to why we are here today:
Captain America, Iron Man, the Scarlet Witch, Phoenix, Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman recently announced the formation of a new training program for young super heroes, the Young Avengers. Steve, Tony, and their daughter, assumed to be the leader of the new team, agreed to sit down with me and discuss the program.
AVERY: Why create the Young Avengers program?
STEVE: Well, we've got a bunch of superpowered kids who are itching to start fighting crime and saving lives, and they're all pretty headstrong. If we didn't set this up for them, they'd find a way to do it themselves. At least this way we can help to train them, and get them into the business in the right way - safely and smartly.
TONY: Charles Xavier has understood this for years, starting the X-men the way that he did. The mutant community has always led the way in this sort of initiative, and I'm a bit embarrassed that it took us so long to follow their lead. Jean, obviously, was a major influence in getting the ball rolling. But it was Sally herself, after spending some time at Xavier's school, who suggested that a program should be available for metahumans who don't happen to be mutants. I'm sure, of course, it was all about that and not about a certain young mutant boy. . .
SALLY: To-o-o-ony!!!
TONY: All right, all right. Forget I said anything.
Stark winks at his daughter. It's a father's right to tease.
AVERY: Are they privatized or subsidized by the government?
TONY: Well, obviously, Avery, we wouldn't ask the taxpayers to foot the bill for an experimental program. Especially not when the Maria Stark Foundation has the means.
STEVE: But we do have full governmental approval, of course. We'd never have the hubris to start a program like this without first checking its legality.
AVERY: Of course. What is the plan for the team?
STEVE: The team will begin training for combat, and then, eventually, participating in light missions, all under Avengers supervision. Over time, they'll be allowed to take part in more high-risk operations, but their main purpose will still be to train to become the best heroes they can be. The current Avengers won't last forever - I'll be the first to admit that we're all getting a little long in the tooth -
TONY: Speak for yourself, Mr. Rogers.
STEVE:. . .and the Young Avengers will serve as an apprenticeship program, preparing these kids to take our places someday, when they're old enough - and wise enough - to do so.
AVERY: Who is involved? Who are these Young Avengers and who is training them?
STEVE: We have six great kids involved in the program so far. First there's Sally, who will be going by the code name name Liberty Belle. We also have two other fantastic young women: Valeria Richards, daughter of Reed and Sue Richards, and a girl who calls herself "Stature." Then there's Billy and Tommy Grey-Maximoff, who will be using the code names Wiccan and Speed, and another young man who calls himself "Hulkling." As for the training, I'll be leading most of the physical training sessions, though various other Avengers will be involved in the process, helping the kids learn to develop and nurture their own specific power sets. Everyone at the mansion is eager to help out with the program.
TONY: Obviously, I'll be handling the tech-based aspects of training. And as for Steve's qualifications in teaching hand-to-hand, I can vouch for those myself.
Rogers blushes a little at the implications of that sentence but it is my understanding he has genuinely been instrumental in physical combat training for many of the Avengers over the years.
SALLY: It's also, I just want to add? It's been really an education working with Ms. Grey and Ms. Maximoff. They are experts, great teachers, and they understand what it's like, being mutants? They understand what it's like to have these powers as a, well, as a teenager.
AVERY: Mr.s Stark and Rogers, you must be very proud of your little girl.
STEVE: You bet we are.
The smile Rogers gives his daughter could light the city for weeks.
STEVE: She's the best daughter anyone could ask for.
TONY: And let's just say that the faculty at a certain alma mater of mine will soon be sharing our high opinion of Sally's abilities. She has shown quite an aptitude for engineering, naturally.
STEVE: But of course she can study whatever she likes at college.
At this point Rogers looks meaningfully at Stark. It is my impression this is perhaps a difference of opinion that has come up before.
STEVE: If she decides to major in underwater basketweaving, we'll support her through and through.
TONY: Yes, God knows. The world always needs more underwater baskets.
Sally doesn't say anything herself, but she looks down at her hands, fiddling with the bottom button of her blouse. For a moment she looks like a child, not a young woman.
AVERY: Sally, what's it been like growing up in Avengers Mansion?
SALLY: It's been the most amazing experience, Avery. I've had the privilege to meet some of the best people our planet has to offer. And a few other planets, too!
AVERY: Do you feel a lot of pressure growing up in such a famous family?
SALLY: I think all children feel some pressure to live up to the expectations of their parents. I am just glad that the expectations my dads have for me, that they help me become a better person. The fame, that doesn't really enter in to it too much. Dad and Tony, they know how hard that can be, and they help.
AVERY: What about being the most prominent same-sex union in he US?
Sally giggles and blushes as she answers.
SALLY: Avery, these are my dads, oh my god! I don't think about that!
STEVE: We're proud that we were able to do our part to ensure equal marriage rights for all Americans. We never could have kept our relationship a secret, knowing that we could help, by our example, to promote those rights, which are at the very foundation of the Constitution's ideals. And if a little prying and extra media exposure is the price we have to pay to achieve that goal and ensure its continuance, we're more than happy to do so.
He smiles at Stark, clearly very much in love.
STEVE: Otherwise, we're just very happy to be in a stable and loving marriage, just like any other couple.
Stark smirks as he adds,
TONY: Only better.
But then his expression becomes serious as he leans in and speaks with directness and distinction.
TONY: Look, I'm a futurist. That means I don't just look out the window and see what's going on today. I see what things are going to be like in five, fifteen, a hundred years. And I can guarantee, a hundred years from now, people are going to look at the way social attitudes toward marriage were, just a few years ago, and they'll be as puzzled as we are when we read about societies that denied women the right to vote, or made people drink from separate water fountains. I'm glad that we could do our part to break down some of those barriers, but we don't sit around congratulating ourselves. Instead, we ought to ask ourselves, what injustices are out there that everybody accepts that will seem unbelievable to our grandchildren?
AVERY: I can appreciate that, Mr. Stark.
I turn my attention back to the young lady sitting between her two fathers. Although neither is her biological father she resembles both strongly.
AVERY: Sally, what are your powers exactly? Are you a mutant?
Sally glances quickly at Stark before answering.
SALLY: While I'm sure there are websites out there that have the answer to this? I, uh, we, the Young Avengers? We don't tell our abilities to the press. For security reasons. Why make it easier for anyone we fight, you know?
TONY: Look, it's the same deal as with our personal lives. We're happy to be here, open and honest with the American people, but that doesn't mean our lives are an open book. We need to find a balance. Especially when our little girl's safety is at stake.
Stark squeezes Sally's hand as he says this and she responds with a big grin.
AVERY: What about those Madame Hydra rumors?
STEVE: Rumors?
AVERY: The reports that claim Miss Stark-Rogers is actually the daughter of Madama Hydra.
STEVE: As Tony just said, we prefer not to discuss our family's private affairs with the media. But I will reiterate, for the sake of clarity, that Madame Hydra is not Sally's biological mother, nor does she have any other important connection to this family. Sally's biological parents passed away tragically many years ago, and Tony and I are her only living parents.
AVERY: Do you ever worry that Kang will reappear to claim or kill you?
Sally smiles a little as she answers, though her expression is serious.
SALLY: I think Kang would have a lot of trouble these days.
TONY: Kang will never get anywhere near our daughter again. I can absolutely assure you of that.
AVERY: Are you seeing anyone? Is it hard to have a relationship or even friends?
SALLY: I think, Avery, that even a public family like ours gets to have some privacy.
Sally looks at Rogers for reassurance or perhaps backup and he gives me a stern look as he adds,
STEVE: Sally is a very well-adjusted young lady. She's never had any trouble making friends, and that's all that matters.
AVERY: What about the other Young Avengers, are you close with them? To your adoptive half-brothers, Billy and Tommy?
SALLY: Oh, yes, we're close. Teammates, that's a bond, you know? Their lives are in my hands, and the other way around, and we trust each other completely. Even if someone hogs the remote during movie nights!
Sally winks at the camera, clearly an in-joke, but to whom?
AVERY: Are you excited about the Young Avengers?
SALLY: Yes, very excited.
AVERY: Do you ever wish you lived a normal life?
SALLY: I wish that more people could have the kind of stability and happiness that I've had. My dads love me, and there's nothing anyone can do or say to make that less than it it is.
Stark laughs as he explains in his own aristocratic way:
TONY: Hey, what's normal anyway? It's like the man said, "we are the makers of manners, and the liberty that follows our
places stops the mouth of all find-faults." Or --
He glances at his husband, a smug expression on his face.
TONY: --something like that.
STEVE: Tony's right. This is the only life we've ever known, and I don't think anyone would disagree with me when I say it's been a great one. This is normal for us -- and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Rogers smiles at his family and at this point we are joined by three other members of the household, Wanda Maximoff and her twin boys. The brothers are minature versions of their fathers, one blonde and blue-eyed and the other dark and patrician. But the smirk young Tommy, Rogers' son, gives his adoptive half-sister indicates their personalities may be reversed.
WANDA: Oh, it's your interview. I hope we're not interrupting.
AVERY: Not at all Ms. Maximoff, please have a seat. We're just finishing up.
Maximoff takes a seat beside Rogers and the two boys sit on the floor. The family is clearly tight knit.
AVERY: Mr.s Stark and Rogers, you've done so much for the country, what do you want to be your legacy?
STEVE: Legacies are for people who care more about what they look like in history books than about what they actually do for this planet. As long as I leave the world a better place than I found it, I don't care who remembers what I specifically did to improve it.
TONY: I'll go further than that. Legacies are for the dead. Legacies are for people who have stopped trying and are content to sit around on their own. . .self-satisfaction. I believe in the future, and the future is now.
AVERY: Now that your children will be taking over saving the world - do you have any plans for retirement?
Rogers looks ready to respond but Maximoff speaks first, teasingly.
WANDA: These two will never retire. They'll be saving the world from a nursing home in Miami.
AVERY: Have you ever considered going into politics? Writing an autobiography?
STEVE: I've never been much of a politician. I'm a soldier, through and through, and I'll leave that sort of thing for those more suited to the job. I'm here to fight the battles politicians can't fight. And I can't imagine many people would want to read my autobiography. I'm really not that interesting.
All five of the others start to protest this declaration and Stark speaks over the din most clearly.
TONY: What he means is that you wouldn't believe him if he told you.
The two share a smile.
TONY: As for me, I'm not ruling anything out.
I almost volunteer to collaborate with him but at that moment a golden retriever bounds into the room, nearly knocking over the twins on the floor. The dog is introduced as "Warpup," named by a six year old Sally after Carol Danvers who was apparently instrumental in bringing the two together. The dog's arrival breaks up the interview as the twins run off and the adults follow, leaving Sally to get the last word in. Answering my question about the future with slightly theatrical charm she says:
SALLY: Oh, Avery! Ask me when I'm eighteen!
Investing in the Future:
The Stark-Rogers-Grey-Maximoff Family Unveils the Young Avengers
by Avery Roberts, Time
Avengers Mansion sits proudly across from Central Park and is home to one of the most famous - and famously private - families in the country. Any given day the mansion is surrounded by tourists and paparazzi hoping to capture one of the mansion's inhabitants on film, but its secrets are abundant and these people are usually disappointed. Today, however, this humble reporter has been invited into the hallowed halls of Avengers Mansion, home of what may not be the first family of super heroes (that honor is given to the Fantastic Four) but is almost certainly the most prominent, and complicated: the Stark-Rogers-Grey-Maximoff family, also known as the leaders of the Avengers and now, the newly inducted Young Avengers.
Explaining the relationships between the family of super heroes that reside in Avengers Mansion is difficult. The mansion itself has long been in the family of Anthony Stark, also known as Iron Man, an original member of the Avengers as well as CEO of Stark Enterprises. Stark is celebrating ten years of marriage this year; his partner in all things is the leader of the team, Steve Rogers--Captain America. The two have an adopted daughter, Sally Stark-Rogers, who they have raised together since her parents were killed in a battle with Kang the Conquerer when she was a toddler. The mansion is also home to the third member of the Avengers' top tier, Wanda Maximoff, and her wife Jean Grey who acts as a liason between the Avengers and her former team, the X-Men. Jean and Wanda have two children, twin boys William and Thomas. The boys are in fact the biological children of Wanda, Steve, and Tony which sets all three children up nicely to inherit the duties of the Avengers from their parents. Which brings us to why we are here today:
Captain America, Iron Man, the Scarlet Witch, Phoenix, Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman recently announced the formation of a new training program for young super heroes, the Young Avengers. Steve, Tony, and their daughter, assumed to be the leader of the new team, agreed to sit down with me and discuss the program.
AVERY: Why create the Young Avengers program?
STEVE: Well, we've got a bunch of superpowered kids who are itching to start fighting crime and saving lives, and they're all pretty headstrong. If we didn't set this up for them, they'd find a way to do it themselves. At least this way we can help to train them, and get them into the business in the right way - safely and smartly.
TONY: Charles Xavier has understood this for years, starting the X-men the way that he did. The mutant community has always led the way in this sort of initiative, and I'm a bit embarrassed that it took us so long to follow their lead. Jean, obviously, was a major influence in getting the ball rolling. But it was Sally herself, after spending some time at Xavier's school, who suggested that a program should be available for metahumans who don't happen to be mutants. I'm sure, of course, it was all about that and not about a certain young mutant boy. . .
SALLY: To-o-o-ony!!!
TONY: All right, all right. Forget I said anything.
Stark winks at his daughter. It's a father's right to tease.
AVERY: Are they privatized or subsidized by the government?
TONY: Well, obviously, Avery, we wouldn't ask the taxpayers to foot the bill for an experimental program. Especially not when the Maria Stark Foundation has the means.
STEVE: But we do have full governmental approval, of course. We'd never have the hubris to start a program like this without first checking its legality.
AVERY: Of course. What is the plan for the team?
STEVE: The team will begin training for combat, and then, eventually, participating in light missions, all under Avengers supervision. Over time, they'll be allowed to take part in more high-risk operations, but their main purpose will still be to train to become the best heroes they can be. The current Avengers won't last forever - I'll be the first to admit that we're all getting a little long in the tooth -
TONY: Speak for yourself, Mr. Rogers.
STEVE:. . .and the Young Avengers will serve as an apprenticeship program, preparing these kids to take our places someday, when they're old enough - and wise enough - to do so.
AVERY: Who is involved? Who are these Young Avengers and who is training them?
STEVE: We have six great kids involved in the program so far. First there's Sally, who will be going by the code name name Liberty Belle. We also have two other fantastic young women: Valeria Richards, daughter of Reed and Sue Richards, and a girl who calls herself "Stature." Then there's Billy and Tommy Grey-Maximoff, who will be using the code names Wiccan and Speed, and another young man who calls himself "Hulkling." As for the training, I'll be leading most of the physical training sessions, though various other Avengers will be involved in the process, helping the kids learn to develop and nurture their own specific power sets. Everyone at the mansion is eager to help out with the program.
TONY: Obviously, I'll be handling the tech-based aspects of training. And as for Steve's qualifications in teaching hand-to-hand, I can vouch for those myself.
Rogers blushes a little at the implications of that sentence but it is my understanding he has genuinely been instrumental in physical combat training for many of the Avengers over the years.
SALLY: It's also, I just want to add? It's been really an education working with Ms. Grey and Ms. Maximoff. They are experts, great teachers, and they understand what it's like, being mutants? They understand what it's like to have these powers as a, well, as a teenager.
AVERY: Mr.s Stark and Rogers, you must be very proud of your little girl.
STEVE: You bet we are.
The smile Rogers gives his daughter could light the city for weeks.
STEVE: She's the best daughter anyone could ask for.
TONY: And let's just say that the faculty at a certain alma mater of mine will soon be sharing our high opinion of Sally's abilities. She has shown quite an aptitude for engineering, naturally.
STEVE: But of course she can study whatever she likes at college.
At this point Rogers looks meaningfully at Stark. It is my impression this is perhaps a difference of opinion that has come up before.
STEVE: If she decides to major in underwater basketweaving, we'll support her through and through.
TONY: Yes, God knows. The world always needs more underwater baskets.
Sally doesn't say anything herself, but she looks down at her hands, fiddling with the bottom button of her blouse. For a moment she looks like a child, not a young woman.
AVERY: Sally, what's it been like growing up in Avengers Mansion?
SALLY: It's been the most amazing experience, Avery. I've had the privilege to meet some of the best people our planet has to offer. And a few other planets, too!
AVERY: Do you feel a lot of pressure growing up in such a famous family?
SALLY: I think all children feel some pressure to live up to the expectations of their parents. I am just glad that the expectations my dads have for me, that they help me become a better person. The fame, that doesn't really enter in to it too much. Dad and Tony, they know how hard that can be, and they help.
AVERY: What about being the most prominent same-sex union in he US?
Sally giggles and blushes as she answers.
SALLY: Avery, these are my dads, oh my god! I don't think about that!
STEVE: We're proud that we were able to do our part to ensure equal marriage rights for all Americans. We never could have kept our relationship a secret, knowing that we could help, by our example, to promote those rights, which are at the very foundation of the Constitution's ideals. And if a little prying and extra media exposure is the price we have to pay to achieve that goal and ensure its continuance, we're more than happy to do so.
He smiles at Stark, clearly very much in love.
STEVE: Otherwise, we're just very happy to be in a stable and loving marriage, just like any other couple.
Stark smirks as he adds,
TONY: Only better.
But then his expression becomes serious as he leans in and speaks with directness and distinction.
TONY: Look, I'm a futurist. That means I don't just look out the window and see what's going on today. I see what things are going to be like in five, fifteen, a hundred years. And I can guarantee, a hundred years from now, people are going to look at the way social attitudes toward marriage were, just a few years ago, and they'll be as puzzled as we are when we read about societies that denied women the right to vote, or made people drink from separate water fountains. I'm glad that we could do our part to break down some of those barriers, but we don't sit around congratulating ourselves. Instead, we ought to ask ourselves, what injustices are out there that everybody accepts that will seem unbelievable to our grandchildren?
AVERY: I can appreciate that, Mr. Stark.
I turn my attention back to the young lady sitting between her two fathers. Although neither is her biological father she resembles both strongly.
AVERY: Sally, what are your powers exactly? Are you a mutant?
Sally glances quickly at Stark before answering.
SALLY: While I'm sure there are websites out there that have the answer to this? I, uh, we, the Young Avengers? We don't tell our abilities to the press. For security reasons. Why make it easier for anyone we fight, you know?
TONY: Look, it's the same deal as with our personal lives. We're happy to be here, open and honest with the American people, but that doesn't mean our lives are an open book. We need to find a balance. Especially when our little girl's safety is at stake.
Stark squeezes Sally's hand as he says this and she responds with a big grin.
AVERY: What about those Madame Hydra rumors?
STEVE: Rumors?
AVERY: The reports that claim Miss Stark-Rogers is actually the daughter of Madama Hydra.
STEVE: As Tony just said, we prefer not to discuss our family's private affairs with the media. But I will reiterate, for the sake of clarity, that Madame Hydra is not Sally's biological mother, nor does she have any other important connection to this family. Sally's biological parents passed away tragically many years ago, and Tony and I are her only living parents.
AVERY: Do you ever worry that Kang will reappear to claim or kill you?
Sally smiles a little as she answers, though her expression is serious.
SALLY: I think Kang would have a lot of trouble these days.
TONY: Kang will never get anywhere near our daughter again. I can absolutely assure you of that.
AVERY: Are you seeing anyone? Is it hard to have a relationship or even friends?
SALLY: I think, Avery, that even a public family like ours gets to have some privacy.
Sally looks at Rogers for reassurance or perhaps backup and he gives me a stern look as he adds,
STEVE: Sally is a very well-adjusted young lady. She's never had any trouble making friends, and that's all that matters.
AVERY: What about the other Young Avengers, are you close with them? To your adoptive half-brothers, Billy and Tommy?
SALLY: Oh, yes, we're close. Teammates, that's a bond, you know? Their lives are in my hands, and the other way around, and we trust each other completely. Even if someone hogs the remote during movie nights!
Sally winks at the camera, clearly an in-joke, but to whom?
AVERY: Are you excited about the Young Avengers?
SALLY: Yes, very excited.
AVERY: Do you ever wish you lived a normal life?
SALLY: I wish that more people could have the kind of stability and happiness that I've had. My dads love me, and there's nothing anyone can do or say to make that less than it it is.
Stark laughs as he explains in his own aristocratic way:
TONY: Hey, what's normal anyway? It's like the man said, "we are the makers of manners, and the liberty that follows our
places stops the mouth of all find-faults." Or --
He glances at his husband, a smug expression on his face.
TONY: --something like that.
STEVE: Tony's right. This is the only life we've ever known, and I don't think anyone would disagree with me when I say it's been a great one. This is normal for us -- and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Rogers smiles at his family and at this point we are joined by three other members of the household, Wanda Maximoff and her twin boys. The brothers are minature versions of their fathers, one blonde and blue-eyed and the other dark and patrician. But the smirk young Tommy, Rogers' son, gives his adoptive half-sister indicates their personalities may be reversed.
WANDA: Oh, it's your interview. I hope we're not interrupting.
AVERY: Not at all Ms. Maximoff, please have a seat. We're just finishing up.
Maximoff takes a seat beside Rogers and the two boys sit on the floor. The family is clearly tight knit.
AVERY: Mr.s Stark and Rogers, you've done so much for the country, what do you want to be your legacy?
STEVE: Legacies are for people who care more about what they look like in history books than about what they actually do for this planet. As long as I leave the world a better place than I found it, I don't care who remembers what I specifically did to improve it.
TONY: I'll go further than that. Legacies are for the dead. Legacies are for people who have stopped trying and are content to sit around on their own. . .self-satisfaction. I believe in the future, and the future is now.
AVERY: Now that your children will be taking over saving the world - do you have any plans for retirement?
Rogers looks ready to respond but Maximoff speaks first, teasingly.
WANDA: These two will never retire. They'll be saving the world from a nursing home in Miami.
AVERY: Have you ever considered going into politics? Writing an autobiography?
STEVE: I've never been much of a politician. I'm a soldier, through and through, and I'll leave that sort of thing for those more suited to the job. I'm here to fight the battles politicians can't fight. And I can't imagine many people would want to read my autobiography. I'm really not that interesting.
All five of the others start to protest this declaration and Stark speaks over the din most clearly.
TONY: What he means is that you wouldn't believe him if he told you.
The two share a smile.
TONY: As for me, I'm not ruling anything out.
I almost volunteer to collaborate with him but at that moment a golden retriever bounds into the room, nearly knocking over the twins on the floor. The dog is introduced as "Warpup," named by a six year old Sally after Carol Danvers who was apparently instrumental in bringing the two together. The dog's arrival breaks up the interview as the twins run off and the adults follow, leaving Sally to get the last word in. Answering my question about the future with slightly theatrical charm she says:
SALLY: Oh, Avery! Ask me when I'm eighteen!