Chapter Text
Everything was slipping through his fingers.
First Pepper, then Steve, and now half of the Avengers… what was next? Everyone else? The whole world? Himself?
Scratch that, Tony was already falling apart. Had been for years.
But this might be the thing that finally did him in.
Tony grabbed his arm as pain laced through his chest. No. He had to stay focused. He couldn't have a panic attack right now. There was still a chance this would be okay, that he could salvage this. He just had to find Steve and convince him to sign the Accords.
Somehow.
Around him, there was a flurry of movement–superheroes, military, politicians–all on their way to win. Not to protect. Just win.
And that was not what this was about. Tony wasn't just trying to protect the world, but the Avengers, too–everyone he cared about, the people he called family… he was trying to protect them. Sure, the cards they'd been dealt were shitty, Tony could agree with Steve on that. But fighting wasn't going to solve this, winning wasn't going to solve this.
Yet no one seemed to understand that.
Not even the great Captain America.
One of the screens switched to a news station. At first, Tony paid it no attention, still trying to sort through his torrent of thoughts. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw it. A figure, swinging through the grainy frame, holding onto a single string.
Hm. Now that was interesting.
Switching his attention to the screen, Tony watched the footage intently. Even through the chaos, Tony could hear the reporter's words as the mysterious individual landed in front of a kid, stopping a thrown car with just one hand. "The superhero known as Spider-Woman has once again protected the citizens of Queens…"
"Tony?" Rhodey was beside him, arms crossed and face serious. Ready to throw down. To fight. To win. "What's the plan?"
"...selflessly fought against a criminal, tried to compromise…"
"Tony?"
"...protect…"
"Tony!" Rhodey snapped his fingers in front of his face. "Hey! Earth to Tony! You in there?"
Sometimes I wonder, he thought, but switched his attention to his friend anyway. Rhodey was staring at him with that quiet kind of worry, the kind that handled him like he was a fragile toy about to shatter into a million pieces.
But broken was the last thing Tony needed to be right now.
"What's got your panties in a twist, platypus?" He adjusted his cuff links, putting forward the I could buy you careless air, the one that had carried him through so many situations just like this.
"You know damn well what I'm worried about." Rhodey crossed his arms. "Ross gave us our time limit. Steve isn't going to cooperate. What the hell are we going to do?"
Good question.
What was he going to do?
Tony glanced back at the screen, replaying the footage of the so called Spider-Woman. She leapt into the flames of a fire, just to return moments later with people slung over her shoulders. Then, she turned and headed back in, appearing with a child tucked against her chest. Then she went back in… again and again and again.
That was what he needed: that conviction, that resolution, that need to protect.
Tony needed someone like that kid.
And suddenly, a plan began to fall into place.
"FRIDAY, find all footage on that superhero," Tony said, pointing at the screen.
His watch beeped in affirmation. "On it, boss."
"Who?" Rhodey followed his gaze and squinted at the screen. "That scrawny kid? Seriously, Tones?"
"She might just be what we need." Tony strode towards the door, determination burning like the arc reactor that once rested in his chest. "FRIDAY, tell Happy to fire up a jet. I have a friend in Queens I need to meet."
***
By all accounts, Morgan was strong.
She'd always been tough, but the spider-bite had heightened her abilities to... well, superhuman standards. Which was weird and a bit worrying, but you know what, she wasn't going to complain about it.
After all, it meant she could help people.
Drag them out of fires, pull them from car wrecks, save their cat from the tree... it didn't matter. Whatever it was the people of Queens needed, Morgan could provide it.
And she loved it, she really did!
...But it did come with some drawbacks.
Namely, the amount of cars that got thrown at her face.
Morgan had raced into the street to usher the kid there to safety, only for her spider-sense to scream at her to turn around, and.
Well.
There was a car flying at her face.
Again.
Of fucking course.
Morgan jerked her hand up just in time to catch the car, the metal twisting around her fingers with a sickening screech. Her heels dug into the asphalt as the kid behind her cried out in fear.
Alright, throwing a car at her was one thing. She dealt with that at least twice a week.
But a kid?
Hell no.
Not in her Queens.
"Hey, what the hell, man!" Morgan set the car to the side, shaking out her aching hand. "Not cool!"
The wannabe super villain cackled, the machinery encapsulating his arms pulsing an acidic green. "Oh, but just you wait, Spider-Woman! That was only a taste of my power! Soon, this whole city will fall to its knees around me!" He picked up a truck with a cackle."Now: behold my power!"
"Nope, not happening." Morgan scooped the kid up, webslinging away from the flying truck. "Come on, kid, let's ditch this party!"
The kid's fear was quickly forgotten as they swung through the New York air, the wind ruffling his hair as a soft gasp of awe left his lips. Morgan grinned behind her mask, pride blooming in her chest.
No matter how many people she saved, Morgan could never not love the thrill of helping someone.
It made all the cuts, bruises, and late night tears worth it.
Morgan landed on the sidewalk, setting the kid down on the sidewalk. "You good?"
"That was so cool!" The boy chirped, all wide eyes and vibrating joy. "Can we do that again?"
"Maybe once I kick this guy's ass." She knelt down, scanning his limbs for any injuries. "Where are your parents–"
"Max!"
"...and there they are." Morgan stepped to the side, allowing the mother to sweep the kid into her arms. The father was just a step behind, practically crushing them both in his arms.
Tears welled in Morgan's eyes, hot and sharp.
The father looked just like Uncle Ben.
Except he didn't have as many smile lines, or any freckles they could draw constellations from, and–
Another car smashed into the street.
Morgan blinked away the grief.
It was fine. She was fine. She had to be fine.
She had people to save, after all.
It was the least she could do for Uncle Ben.
"Get to safety," she told the teary-eyed parents sternly before racing back into the battlefield.
She could–no, she would do this.
She had to.
I have to.
Her spider-sense roared as soon as she stepped foot on the cracked asphalt. She caught a lamppost, thrown like a javelin, with a sigh. "Seriously, man? What are you trying to accomplish here?" Morgan spun the metal pole in her hands. "This is just ridiculous."
"That's what they all said! They called me insane! I was the laughing stock of the town!" The criminal raged, his face as red as May's burned onions. "But I'll show them! I'll show them all!"
"Wow, you really got the whole villain act down, huh?" She hefted the lamppost in her hands. "Well, I got bad news for you–I got the whole hero act down, too."
Morgan wound back and threw the lamppost.
He tried to dodge out of the way, but it still clipped his shoulder. The criminal stumbled back, crying out as part of his machinery was dislodged, fizzling out with a sad whir.
"No, no, no! Not yet!" He screamed as Morgan stalked forward, rolling her shoulders. "It wasn't supposed to go like this!"
"Yeah." Morgan raised her fist. "That's what they all say."
Her fist cracked across his jaw and the man dropped like a bag of rocks. Morgan dusted off her hands, admiring her handiwork as sirens pierced the air.
Right on time.
"Hey, Captain." Morgan gave George Stacy a lazy salute as he clambered out of his car. "Rough day at work?"
"Yep," He sighed, coming to stand beside her. "This the troublemaker?"
"Yeah. I'm guessing it's the same thing as last week. He was in over his head, got a hold of some weird tech, made some sketchy deals, etcetera, etcetera." Two officers dragged the criminal upright and cuffed him. By the looks on their faces, it had been a three-coffee kind of day. "There haven't been any more of these guys, right?"
"I wish. We just finished rounding up another one." Stacy ran his fingers through his thinning hair. "He put up one hell of a fight."
"Damn. Sorry I wasn't over there."
"You can't be in two places at once, kid."
"Still feel bad."
Stacy clapped her shoulder. "You did good, keeping this one contained. It would have been a lot worse if both had gone crazy at once."
Morgan glanced around the scene (which was only mildly ripped apart) and sighed. "I guess so."
"Take the compliment, kid. You don't get a lot of wins in this line of work." Stacy turned back to his car, waving a farewell. "Now get your ass to school before I have to arrest you, too."
"Ha-ha, so funny. Hilarious." Morgan tried to deepen her voice (which failed miserably, but she had to try). "But I'm not a kid!"
Stacy just flipped the bird over his shoulder.
Morgan groaned.
Whatever. It was fine. It's not like Stacy knew who she was, anyway. Just some kid in a suit with some weird powers. It was fine.
Probably.
Dispelling the anxious thoughts, Morgan flicked her wrist and shot out a web. With a whoop, she swung up into the sky.
Queens blurred around her as the whole world stilled for just a moment. She hung in the air, weightless as a feather–then... she was falling. The street rushed up beneath her, her toes brushing the pavement below. She arced through the street, heart soaring the whole way through.
This was how she wanted to live.
But then–like always–reality smacked her right in the face. Morgan's phone buzzed and she swore, changing direction so sharply she startled some birds off their flight path.
"May's gonna kill me," Morgan muttered as she landed in the bushes beside Midtown. She tore her backpack out of its hiding place and dug out her spare clothes, but without the time or a place to change, she was going to have to make do. She yanked off her mask, tossed it in her bag, and zipped it shut. Throwing on the sweatshirt and pants, Morgan stumbled out of the bush with her shoes half-on, looking like a certifiable mess.
But it would have to do, because her watch buzzed again.
"Shit, shit, shit!" She raced inside, her heart pumping as she sprinted down the empty hall. "Wait–!"
Morgan crashed through the door right as the bell rang. "I'm here! I'm here, I swear! I'm not late!"
Her teacher didn't even look up, just flicked through her stack of papers. "Then prove it and sit in your seat."
"Yes, ma'am," she murmured, ducking her head down as she hurried to her seat.
And then she tripped over a foot that definitely wasn't there two seconds ago, knocking a girl's soda off her desk. It spilled all over Morgan's sneakers and seeped through the holes into her toes.
Morgan scowled as Flash snickered.
What ya gonna do? he mouthed, eyes glinting with malice.
She just gave him the middle finger.
Dropping her backpack the floor, Morgan collapsed into her seat as the teacher began the lesson. She let out an exhausted sigh, desperately wishing for a coffee right about now. Maybe she could swing by that new place after school…?
A pencil poked her arm. "Hey."
Morgan ignored the poke, opting to watch the teacher draw something on the board.
But the pencil merely jabbed her arm harder.
"Don't ignore me," Lily hissed.
"I'm trying not to get us detention again," Morgan shot back, her heart twisting at the lie.
"She's as deaf as a dinosaur. We're fine."
Morgan groaned. "Lily…"
"Nuh-uh. None of that." The pencil dug more aggressively into her arm. "Where were you?"
"Got caught up in traffic," Morgan lied, turning to grab her notebook so Lily couldn't see the grimace on her face.
Lily didn't buy it, because of course she didn't. After all, every aspiring journalist needed to have a bullshit detector. It was just part of the job.
Lily abandoned the pencil entirely and went straight to grabbing Morgan's arm. Although Morgan could have easily broken out of her grip, she allowed Lily to spin her around and glare at her.
"Don't lie to me." Her hazel eyes were narrow slits as wispy strawberry-blonde hair framed her face. "I know you, which means I know when you're lying. And you are."
The hurt desperation in her voice made Morgan wince, and for a moment, she considered telling Lily the truth.
But then she remembered: Ben, the thrown cars, the pain.
She couldn't drag her best friend into all of that.
"Come on, Lil, can't you drop it?" Morgan eased her friend's hand away from her arm, stomach churning all the while. "I promise I have a good reason. I just… can't tell you yet."
Grief flashed across Lily's face. "But why not?" The betrayed note in her voice made Morgan's heart drop. "I'm your best friend."
"I–"
"Excuse me, ladies! Are you paying attention?"
They both snapped to attention, pivoting in their seats to face the teacher. "Yes, ma'am!"
"Good." The teacher hobbled back to the board, her monotone voice drawling through the rest of the lesson. Morgan did her best to pay attention, scribbling down notes every so often.
But that was hard to do when Lily's gaze was burning into her back.
It's fine. It's worth it. She sketched out the face of the boy she saved–Max, right?–as she gnawed on her lips. It's all worth it if I get to help people. It's not like she knows.
As long as no one knows, I'll be fine.
No one else has to get hurt.
I can save everyone.
A phone chirped, then another, and another. The teacher tried to scold the students, but people were already talking in low murmurs, eyes wide and postures tense.
Lily exhaled, sharp and stressed. "Shit."
"What?" Morgan craned to see what she was looking at.
"The Avengers are fighting."
"Well, shit," Morgan agreed. "That's not good."
...Maybe I can save everyone.
Another alert pinged on Lily's phone.
"Due to the likelihood of a fight breaking out between these super powered individuals, and based on the amount of Avengers-based events that have taken place here, we strongly encourage all citizens of New York to return to their homes and–oh, for crying out loud, they're treating it like we're gonna have a hurricane or something!"
Morgan pulled out her own phone, wincing as the first thing that popped up was a video of the Avengers taking down an entire alien army.
"I mean... they kind of are." She swallowed. "They're literally like, the saviors of the world. But if things go wrong..."
Who's gonna save them?
***
May stumbled up the stairs, her legs screaming in pain. As much as she loved being a nurse with her whole soul, the crashes afterwards were not fun.
With a sigh, she unlocked the door to her apartment. "Home sweet home," she muttered, slipping off her shoes. "Now, where's the food...?"
May walked into the kitchen, looked at the dishes in the sink, and decided she was just done with today. Screw social norms, today called for special measures. Kicking her purse into her room, May slunk into the kitchen and started digging through the freezer. Oh, she really hoped Morgan hadn't eaten the last of the ice cream…
Knock-knock-knock!
"Oh, for crying out loud!"
Knock-knock-knock!
Would they go away if she just ignored them long enough?
Knock-knock-knock!
Apparently not.
May crossed the room to the door, dragging in a deep breath. It was fine. It was fine. It was fine. It was probably just Mr. Heinz again, fretting about whether or not he remembered to feed his pet platypus. She could deal with that without murdering anyone. She was completely, utterly, perfectly fine.
Plastering on a smile, May threw open the door. "Hi, what can I do for–"
The words died in her throat as the visitor spun around to face her.
"...you," May finished. "What are you…?"
Tony Stark swiped off his sunglasses and flashed her a smile. "I didn't interrupt something, did I?"
Other than May's plans to sit with a tub of ice cream and watch horrible movies until her feet stopped aching? "No, not at all." May shook her head, trying to jump start her mind back into motion. "Why are you… here?" At my little apartment? In my life? Just in general?
"The grant?" Stark raised an eyebrow as May just stared at him blankly. "Hm. Seems like we have some details to discuss. Morgan's not here yet, right?"
"N-no." May could do nothing but watch as Stark waltz into her home as if he owned the place. He might, for all she knew. "How… how do you know that?"
"I know a lot of things," he said vaguely, glancing around their small apartment. "Hey, do you mind if I have some of that bread? I'm absolutely famished."
"Oh, sure. Go ahead." May closed the door, taking a moment to lean her head against it. What the hell. What the hell. What the hell. "Um. You mentioned a grant?"
"Yep." The word was a bit garbled, no doubt said around a mouthful of bread. "Wow, this is excellent. Did you make this yourself?"
"It's an easy recipe." She brushed off the compliment as best as she could. It was fine. Everything was still fine. She was fine. Everything was fucking fine.
...who was she kidding, she was not fine.
But life still kept going, and so May had to roll along with it.
Recollecting herself, she entered the living room with cautious steps. Don't freak out. "Did… did Morgan apply for this… grant?"
"And passed with flying colors." Stark dusted off his fingers. "Here, I'm gonna sit down. You should, too."
May tentatively sat down on her couch as Mr. Stark lowered himself down, inhaling slightly. Alarms blared off in her head as she honed in on quick slip-up, and, sure enough, her suspicions were correct. Mr. Stark winced slightly at every movement, his eyes tightening in pain. And to top it all off, there was a deep bruise blossoming around his eyes, though it was mitigated somewhat with make-up. Where and why had he gotten those injuries?
And was he bringing that trouble to her niece?
"Why–" May cleared her throat, trying to cover her cracking voice. "Why was Morgan chosen?"
Mr. Stark waved a hand in the air. "She's smart, hardworking, a nice person, all that good stuff. Can I have another piece?"
May pushed the whole plate over to him. "I know she is, but her grades–"
"Aren't the best?" He dismissed the thought with another wave of hand (but this time with a piece of bread in his fingers). "About 90% of the people I work with either dropped out of high school or were trained in a secret Russian facility meant to build killing machines. Grades aren't exactly a priority here."
That was… comforting. Maybe. Kind of. May wasn't exactly sure what she was feeling. "I see. I just.. I just thought since Morgan has applied to other scholarships and hasn't qualified because of her grades…"
"No one should be judged about something like that," Stark remarked, polishing off a third piece of the date loaf. "Especially if their aunt can make something as delicious as this."
May managed a strained smile. She was a nurse–she knew misdirection when she saw it. And Stark was dealing out stacks of that. "How exactly did you choose Morgan, then?"
That finally got his attention. Stark faced her head-on, face stony as his eyes locked onto hers. May swallowed at the intense gaze, but didn't look away. She stared right back and refused to move.
If this man was here to harm Morgan, then he had better be aware she would rain down hellfire if he so much even took a step towards her.
Nothing was going to hurt her niece today.
Not even Iron Man.
"I'm not here to hurt Morgan," Stark finally said, his voice stripped of all grandiose and sarcasm. His eyes met hers, unwavering and sure. "I do want to help her."
May was a little taken aback at the blunt honesty. Still, she had to make sure. "Sorry, but I can't help but be a little suspicious about all this." And though she felt jittery to her bones, May leveled a glare at him, the one she reserved for only the most uncooperative of patients. "And I will protect my ward, no matter what."
Mr. Stark sat back, raising his hands in surrender. "Hey, I get it. I know I can tend to be a little… dramatic, but I promise I have no ulterior motives. Nothing. Nada. Zilch." He grinned. "So. Do you wanna learn more about the grant?"
May sighed, running a tired hand through her hair. "Oh, alright. I'll bite. What exactly does this grant entail?"
Mr. Stark smirked. "I'm glad you asked."