[Reader x Marvel x DC] Tempest

Narrator's POV

"And you're just telling us this now?!" Steve snapped, his voice echoing around the boardroom.

Bruce flinched as another lashing of lightning cracked outside the window of Stark Tower, a boom of thunder following in quick succession. The storm had been raging for over a week. There was not a whisper of its coming. It arrived like a shadow in the night, in complete silence, and without warning. It raged with a vengeance outside of the windows of the boardroom, rain lashing against the glass.

"Indeed I am," Stark replied in his usual, indifferent demeanour.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not a babysitter," Natasha scoffed.
"And neither am I," Steve declared, pacing around the room.

Stark had been expecting this kind of reaction. After all, they were heroes. Their job was to save the world, not to raise a teenager. It was bizarre, how quickly your life could change. Only yesterday did Stark find out about Storm's Last Will; and though he thought a day had been long enough to prepare his speech for the team, standing in front of them, his mind ran blank. After all, Cap was the one who made the speeches.

"I'm well aware that we are not the most... maternal bunch. However," Stark paused at the thought of his old friend. "This is Storm's kid." The tension in the room softened. "Storm who saved Earth countless times, just as much, if not more than us." He paused to take a deep, shaky breath. "Looking after her daughter is the least we can do to honour her death."

The silence in the room was palpable.

"S-Storm is dead?" Clint whispered in disbelief. Stark turned away from the team to wipe a stray tear from beneath his glasses. He was never very good at sharing his emotions.
"Yes, Clint," Stark replied, stone-faced as he turned back to face them. "Storm is dead."

Everyone flinched.

"God," Natasha whispered, eyes wide with emotion as she leaned back in her chair.
"And her father?" Bruce asked softly, eyebrows furrowed to stop his tears.
"Doctor Doom is-"
"Her father is Doctor Doom?!" Steve and Thor shouted in unison.
"-unavailable," Stark finished with an exasperated sigh.
"This is a joke," Steve scoffed.
"Come on-"
"You are insane if you think we are going to harbour the daughter of one of the biggest supervillains in history!" Thor bellowed, slamming his fists on the table.
"Yes well-"

But Stark was cut off by the screech of a chair dragging across the floor. Everyone turned to the end of the table, watching Clint's bowed head as he stood up. He took a deep breath, his tear-stained eyes trained on the table.

"We do not punish children for the crimes of their fathers," He said slowly, the silence around the room punctuating his every word. "Dawn is an innocent child who didn't ask to have a father like Doom. And while we cannot reverse what damage has been done, we can give her a home. And we will. Because that's what Storm wanted, not Doom."

Finally, Clint looked up from the table, his eyes locking with Stark, who nodded in agreement. Maybe Cap wasn't the only one who made the speeches. Knees shaking, Clint sat down.

"So," Steve said gruffly. "When's she coming?"
"Well, that would bring us to our next mission," Stark announced, massaging his forehead. "I called the Xavier Institute to arrange for someone to pick her up, but they were under the impression that we already had."
"She ran away," Banner sighed.
"Probably to avenge her mother," Natasha added.
"Exactly," Stark replied. "So, our job, is to find her before she finds them."
"Or," Thor said grimly. "They find her."