I yawned and sat up in the bed, stretching. I looked around, expecting to be on my friend Rebecca's floor. But then I remembered. The orb, the accident, the hose, and then breaking down and going to sleep. And the empty bin of ice cream in the garbage can. And my laptop on the floor and the Hudson River outside the window that wasn't even mine. Everything.

And it was amazing.

But I wasn't going to get caught off guard. Not this time.

I stood up and walked to the cramped kitchen, starting to cook myself some eggs. When I finished them I plopped them on a paper plate and sat at the counter, stuffing my face as I started a schedule.

Make list

Go to dump

Earn the boys' trust

Go to the wrestling ring with Steve

Get special defense classes

Get transportation

Get paint

Get someone to help me with metal (Johnny?)

PLAN

I then made a calendar with seven days, checking off the first.

In the second box I wrote:

Ring with Steve
Dump
Paint
Work
Decoration

In the third box I wrote:
Ring with Steve
Dump?
Johnny
Bonding
Work

The fourth I wrote:

Ring with Steve
Dump?
Transportation (Motorcycle?)
Johnny
Bonding
Work

I continued on in the same fashion until I came to the seventh and last box.

BE PREPARED!

I sighed inwardly, gathering my plate and fork and dumping them in the garbage before stretching and yawning again. I got dressed in my shorts and T-shirt before glancing at the bedside clock. Seeing it was an early 7:32. I went outside quietly, though I doubted it would make much of a difference with the boys' acute senses. I walked outside and stretched in the early morning air for a final time. After a few more minutes Steve came out and accepted my request to come to the ring with him, where I learned some valuable lessons. He even let me land a few punches on him for good measure, though I'm sure they didn't hurt him. After I said farewell and let him get to his bag punching I booked a spot in a taekwondo class, which felt good during the sample. Then finally I headed towards the nearest dump, scavenging.

I was looking for metal. Thin stainless steel. Non magnetic. For a good reason too. I managed to get a lot of pieces, though I would probably have to swing by tomorrow. I swung back by the apartment to drop off my scraps and then went back out to the small shopping center nearby. I bought a motorcycle helmet. It had no mouth cover, which was an advantage on my side. I wanted to breathe. Everyone needs to breathe right? It also had a teal tinge to the glass that flipped over the eyes. I also bought black and teal paint, as well as a lot of thin stretchy fabric.

My big plan was very stupid. A far shot at most. But there was absolutely no way I wasn't going to help save the world especially if I could. As someone great said; with great power comes great responsibility. Yes, I was quoting someone. My power (no, I'm human. I assure you. It's like a state of mind kinda deal) was that I knew what was going to happen for about the next year. But after that I was at total loss, which bummed me out a bit. I would never be able to introduce myself as the nut job genius who knew the future to Ant-Man. Shame. Too bad I had to come here before that one came out.

I arrived back at the apartment and dumped everything in the closet in the bedroom. And then I grabbed more paper and the measuring tape that came in the first aid kit and planned. I made measurements, and cut and looked at my metal to see what shapes I might be able to bend them into. I repainted the helmet, and started sewing the under layer of my suit. I had bought a kavalar spandex that melted when it came into contact with heat. I was quite proud.

I had never been much of a craftsman, but I knew any seams I left open would be covered by the metal. I hoped at least. At last I had finished the kavalar part, and put it in the bag of scrap metal.

I have to admit, I was nervous about talking to Johnny – or even being in the same room with him – after the episode with the hose. I had though all day about what I should say. I had even asked Steve for help; which was a long shot in my book. But I was still unsure of what to say. But alas, before I knew it the bag had been slung over my shoulder and I was knocking on his door.

I immediately regretted it, nervousness taking me over. I had humiliated the Human Torch, and I wasn't apologizing until two days later. Was he mad at me? He had come up last night when I was deeply depressed about Peter's future, though I didn't tell either of them what was wrong. What would he do? What the heck would I do?

Before I could speculate any further, the door opened. I was surprised; though I expected it. He had been shown as a bit lazy in the comics. And cartoons. And movies.

He smiled. It was that same shy smile when we had first met on the Helicarrier.
"Hi."
"Um… Hi. Sorry about the other day. It's just; people here won't need or respect people like you for another week. And even then some will still have doubts. I just don't want anything to happen so early into us getting here. If those kids say Logan's claws, or Pete climbing the walls; or even the smallest spark come out of your finger they'd probably freak out." I gestured to a small group of kids playing in the yard of the next door apartment. One was wearing an Iron man mask and hand gauntlet toy. He even wore a Stark Expo Sweatshirt. He was running around the lawn with another little boy carrying a plastic Captain America shield.

Johnny nodded in understanding; which took me off guard.
"You wanna come in?" He asked, gesturing inside as he pushed the door open wider.
"Yeah actually;" I said, "I need some help with some stuff, you're like the first person I thought of."
"What with?" He asked as I entered. "What did you mean by another week?"

I blushed as I realized my slip; which only made his smile grow into a cheeky grin.

"I'm onto something." He said, grin now like a Cheshire Cat's.
"Well…" I began. "So in my universe;" I gestured to the roof, and above the sky, "There was this movie called the Avengers. Earth's mightiest heroes and whatnot. And it was mainly the thing that brought me into liking Marvel, which is the comic and now movie making group that basically invented you."
He looked confused; but I continued anyway.
"Anywho, I watched it and looked up a Marvel timeline, blah blah… and now a big alien invasion is going to happen in about… five days."

Johnny's eyes widened and he stood, and started to pace.

"Don't tell anyone! I needed your help because one, I know who's gonna start it, and two because I know what's gonna happen for about the next year. But after Thor comes back from Asgard for a second time, I'm lost and it's up to the world. And I am not going to stand by and let people die from this. I want to help! I know karate and some stuff, and Steve's teaching me some moves; and maybe I can get something out of Peter or the taekwondo class I'm going to take. I'm gonna make armor. I just need you to melt the metal so I – maybe you… I might burn myself – can bend it into shape."
"So you want to be a super hero?" He asked, anguished and surprised.
"Yes." I deadpanned, crossing my arms after plopping the bag on the floor with a metallic clank.

"Ok…" He drifted. "Why?"
"I told you. Can you help me or not?"
"Yeah! Just… tell me more while I do this for you. And you owe me."
"I know."

I took the kavalar and a few pieces of metal out of the bag, which he heated in his hand. Then I – sometimes he – bent it and pressed it gently into place on the kavalar; which melted and stuck to the metal. I told him more about Loki, Thor, and everyone we'd probably be seeing in the next week. Less than a week. I also told him what I knew about Logan and Peter.

"How old are you?" I asked.
"Seventeen. You?"
"Sixteen. I plan on getting a dirt bike. I used to drive one back home in Texas. My friend Rebecca and I would sometimes ride them to the movie theater." I smiled at a few memories that had managed to flick their ways before my eyes.

Johnny laughed before turning to the last scrap of metal we would be using, since the other turned out useless. By the time we finished, the front and back and an arm had been finished. I pulled out some paint and Johnny sat and watched.
"You like music?" He asked.

I nodded and he turned on the TV.

"I see you've been putting yourself to some use all this time while we were out getting jobs. I recommend you get one too." I laughed.

The song 'Beating Heart' by Elli Goulding came on the TV, having Johnny turned on a radio station.

"I wanna hear your beating heart. One last time." I sang along, smiling to myself as I remembered me and Rebecca dancing and singing that song in her redneck truck. I laughed to myself.
"What's so funny?" Johnny asked.
"Oh nothing. Just more memories of dancing on a redneck truck to this song. "

He laughed too.
"You did that?"
"Yah' darn right I did." I said as I finished.

I held it up, proud of my work.

"I'm going to have to get more metal for the other arm and lags tomorrow." I said before waving goodbye and sighing in relief on how it went.

I had been afraid I would turn into a stammering mess. And the funny thing was; I kinda liked him. But I shook it off and waved to Steve as he entered the parking lot in front of our apartment and setting my things back inside mine. I went back outside. The sun was just starting to set and made the world glow a settling gold color. A few little girls and boys where drawing with chalk on the sidewalk nearby. One waved at me; and I smiled and waved back. I had a wad of money in my pocket; now almost four hundred, and headed towards a shop I had seen a dirt bike at. I would get to check something off my list early. I got a dirt bike with a damaged cover. I was going to use the extra scraps to fix it. I bartered and got it for three hundred and fifty, which was actually a pretty good deal. But it would need fixing. Lots of fixing. I was able to ride it as well, and it went pretty fast to my genuine pleasure. I had brought my motorcycle helmet and wore it on the way back to the apartment. I walked it to the backside and set aside everything else I had to save up.

I stood on the deck outside my tiny room for a while and spotted Stark Tower on the other side of the river. Before I went to sleep I spotted Peter leaving and swinging over the bridge.

After that I slipped into my bed again and had a fitful dream.

oOoOo

I was running through a deserted city street. Paper and ashes flickered around me, some alighting before extinguishing. I was wearing my suit… costume… whatever you want to call it. The ground was littered with overturned cars and rubble. And dead alien bodies. From the movie I realized. Gold armor and energy guns and everything to its glory. Johnny was beside me, hand over his eyes as if to block out the sun. Logan was ahead of us, seemingly tracking something. I glanced behind us; and my eyes nearly popped out of my sockets. Iron Man was on the ground, being helped up by Steve. Hawkeye and the Black Widow had joined the group. Thor was standing of to the side, a look of concern directed towards us. Then I realized who was missing.

As if on cue, my dream self screamed a name.

"Peter!"

My voice was frightened, on edge, and raspy.

"Peter!" I called again, this time my voice faltering as I lowered myself to the ground in a shivering shaking mess.

I half expected him to come swinging in at any moment, a quip at the ready; but nothing came. There was no sound of the web shooters firing or the patter of his feet on the sides of a broken building. No flash of red and blue. No cheery voice answering.

"Peter!?"

My voice was now mangled as I felt tears dripped through the visor on the helmet.

"I'll see if I can track him through the comns." A voice said beside me.

I looked up to see Iron Man replacing the face plate onto the rest of his helmet. He stood still a second before taking off, Logan launching himself in the same direction. Everyone else followed, including me. Johnny and Thor took to the air and Hawkeye, the Black Widow, Steve and me ran behind Iron Man and Logan.

We ran for what seemed like forever before Iron Man stopped at the entrance of a subway looking escalade. Logan however continued and ran into it. I followed Logan, ignoring everyone else pleas to stop and see if it was safe. I didn't care. I turned a corner right after Logan howled in rage. And then everything went black.

oOoOo

I woke up in a cold sweat, jolting upright as I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. My hair had most likely grown crazy during the night. I glanced at the window and then at the bedside clock to see it was almost four in the morning. I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. I knew it.

The vividness of the dream I had was still haunting me. But I knew better. It would never happen. It was just a dream.

"Please be just a dream." I said to myself.

I pushed myself out of the bed and stretched. Afterward I slipped on my Jurassic Park shirt and then shorts I had been wearing the day before. I also went to the rare measure of pulling my hair into a messy bun. I took another glance out the window, marveling at the lights that the city still showed. Stark Tower shone like a beacon. They all shone brightly against the sky, blocking out the stars, which upset me a bit. I wondered into the living room and turned on the TV, surfing the channels.

Just as I found a good channel I heard someone walking up the stairs. They had obviously been trying to be quite, but the creaky old stairs didn't give on that ability. And someone knocked on my door.

I stood and opened it, rubbing the tiredness out of my eyes.

"Hia." I said sleepily.
Peter stood in front of the door sheepishly.
"Oh my gosh! Get in here!" I exclaimed when I realized he was still in costume.
He stepped in and I quickly shut the door and turned on the lights.
"I couldn't get inside my apartment. The door fell shut." He muttered shyly, glancing at the red mask in his hands.
"What happened to you?" I asked quietly, noticing his bruised face and a slash across his arm.
"Mugger." He answered, still looking towards the ground. "With a knife."
"I thought you weren't afraid of 'small kitchen knives'" I mocked playfully.

He grinned and looked at me.

"Sit down." I ordered him, pointing at the couch."I'm getting the first aid kit."

"What!? No!" He stood up but I pushed him back down and rolled my eyes.
"I know you have your super fast healing; but it could get infected." I answered him.

So I found the first aid kit and helped him.