Chapter Text
Tony went back to Haven Harbor to check that none of the departing politicians or generals had left any unpleasant surprises. He didn't mind a few kicked in doors or other minor damages. He'd smashed enough stuff after his stint in captivity, and while the Skrull had more efficient ways of getting cooperation from a prisoner, Tony knew he would have hated it more than beatings and waterboarding. So, yeah, understandable. Probably also understandable the hoard of food hidden in various rooms. None of them had been starved, but Rhodey's description of the 'people chow'... ok, but... Slim Jims and Twinkies under the mattress? That was just sad.
The cleaning crew were discreet, but, you know, generals and politicians? It's tempting to spread funny little jokes about them. Not so funny when you think about it, though. So he took time to have a staff meeting to explain how 'not funny' it was, before pausing to visit the bugged bathroom. "If you're still listening, Fury, no hard feelings." He wouldn't go so far as to apologize for thinking Fury had sicced Wanda on Vision, but it had to be tough on the paranoid old bastard, knowing that Wanda had peeped through the windows of his mind palace. Mind dungeon? Mind labyrinth, most likely.
Haven Harbor really should be used, Tony thought as he wandered through the rooms, empty except for the maintenance staff and the few scientists and doctors who had work here. Xavier had a training facility which was in constant use by the older students.Tony had planned to open HH to the online community of HAVEN, but according to JARVIS and Happy, very few people were willing to leave their homes and jobs to indefinitely mooch off Tony. 'Mooch' was Happy's word for it, JARVIS put it more diplomatically. Sure, Dr. Cho had her lab and assistants, but even they wanted a separation from work and their private living arrangements.
Now the Avengers, they'd had no problem with it. Even Wilson, who had his own house, had signed up for indefinite residence and perpetual training. In retrospect it was odd how Rogers had given up his apartment in DC, and Romanoff... well, who knew, maybe she had lived on the helicarrier and didn't have another web to hang out in. But still, you'd have thought such independent souls would have chafed at giving up their freedom in exchange for doing whatever Rogers wanted. And you would have thought that Maximoff would have despised being dependent on Tony's generosity.
It wasn't as if any of them couldn't get jobs and blend in, not like some of the poor bastards SHIELD had locked up on the Raft. People who couldn't hide what they were...huh... Xavier had ways of helping his people pass for human. Did Magneto? Not that he'd admitted to having people but the way Mystique followed him. That was rather revealing. Magneto had an air of accustomed command and when he talked about 'making arrangements' that implied obligations, and people depending on him.
So... maybe...worth a try. Tony went outside and gazed around the landscape. Plenty of trees. Lots of room for outdoor activities, plus the assorted small private buildings. It wasn't as impressive as Xavier's school (and yes, Tony had looked it up online. It was disguised as a boarding school, expensive and exclusive, and it looked it.) Tony pulled out his phone. "JARVIS, call Professor Xavier."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Stark. How may I be of assistance?" Xavier looked as cool and unruffled as ever.
Tony said, "Mr. Eisenhardt said you might be able to contact him and pass on any questions."
Xavier gave Tony a slight smile. "Well, I can try."
"Great. Here's the thing," Tony said, turning the phone around and scanning to give a good view of the grounds and the main building. "I have this big facility, currently sadly underutilized. Dr. Helen Cho has her lab, and I have a workshop, plus a few assorted other science types, but no one is actually living here. I'd envisioned it as a training facility and living space for people willing to dedicate themselves to preparing to protect the Earth from alien invasion. Not the Skrull, they're busy making friends and kissing politicians, but someone bigger and badder. From all accounts he's not in it for profit, or territory, or pride, or pretty much any of the normal reasons for making war. I didn't get into details with you when we met, and then you did me the favor of sussing out Riva, which many thanks, wow, that guy. Happy is on him, so he'll get yanked one of these days..."
Xavier continued to look at Tony mildly.
"You're just going to let me ramble on forever, are you?" Tony said.
Xavier smiled. "A mind like yours... and no, I haven't been reading it... you just... it must be exhausting in there with the constant shifting of focus. I would offer to help you refine your thought process, but ..."
"Yeah, no thank you," Tony said, refraining from shivering at the thought. "So, getting back on track. I don't know if Mr. Eisenhardt has people who could use my Haven Harbor. We'd have to discuss it. Have him look it over. See if we could come to some arrangement." Tony shrugged. "I understand that he might not want to risk trusting me, and I'd have to trust him that they were reliable, but it's an option we could discuss."
"True," Xavier said. He steepled his fingers and put on a thoughtful look. "You must be very concerned about this 'big bad'."
"Yeah. I've known something, someone, was coming since the battle at New York. And all the scattered freaky events that have happened around the world since. SHIELD, or Nick Fury, at least, thought half a dozen people would take care of any little pesky things like an invading alien army. Granted, he did have other irons in the fire, but... he got burnt." Tony grinned at several witty things he could say but decided not to because Xavier would just sit there and not be offended. That takes a lot of fun out of wisecracking.
Xavier nodded. "Very well, I will pass the message along. I do hope you are able to come to an equitable arrangement. If not for anything else, I would wish to see Mystique in a more nurturing environment. She has great potential... and an even greater history of betrayal and loss."
"Yeah, I could see that." Tony looked at Xavier as a new thought occurred. "Do you have any cute kids here?"
"What?" For once Tony had succeeded in startling Xavier.
"I've been lining up a lot of potential bridesmaids, but I forgot about ringbearers and flower girls."