The next morning, Carter was woken by an overly excited teen by the name of Wade Wilson slamming her door open.
She groaned. "Wade, what do you want?"
"Peter, Laynie, and I are going out and you should come." He grinned, before pulling her off the bed.
"Ah!" Carter yelped. "Wade!" She threw a pillow at him, but he was already out the door.
She sighed, but got dressed anyway. She knew that Wade wouldn't leave her alone until she agreed to come with them.
A while later, she came out fully dressed. "Morning." She greeted the three teens in the living room.
Peter and Wade greeted back, Laynie on the other hand gave her a simple nod.
Carter was confused at first at her strange behavior, but then she remembered what had happened the night before. She turned to Wade and Peter, "Guys, could you give us a minute. I need to talk to Laynie."
"Oh sure." Peter nodded, "Come on, Wade." He dragged Wade to the elevator.
"Hey Laynie," Carter started. "I just wanted to tell you... I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you."
"What?" Laynie asked.
Carter blinked, then noticed how glassy her friend's eyes were. "How late did you stay up?"
She rubbed her eyes and then laughed a little. "I slept for two hours. Me and Tony were watching TV."
Carter shook her head. "That's special. So you aren't angry?"
"Nah, I'm used to you being moody."
Laynie laughed when Carter half-heartedly punched her arm.
"C'mon, Wade's going to chew the drywall off if we don't get going."
The moment the two girls stepped off the elevator they were dragged away by Wade.
"Wade, where exactly are we going?" Carter asked.
"A magical place," he said. His eyes were widened to a creepy proportion.
"Taco Bell," Peter deadpanned.
"Breakfast of champions," Laynie grunted. "I'm sure all late night superheroes breakfast there."
Peter only snorted. "Mostly, we prefer to sleep through breakfast."
"I'm with you there, dude." Carter agreed, linking arms with Peter.
A short walk later and they stood in front of Taco Bell.
"You know, I kinda assumed this 'magical place' would look less like a dump." Carter looked on the establishment with disgust.
Wade gasped. "You take that back!"
Laynie wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, I kinda have to agree. Can't we go somewhere else for breakfast?"
"You weirdos do what you will," Wade said dramatically. "But I came here for tacos and I will not leave without them!"
"Are you sure we won't get food poisoning?" Carter whispered to Peter.
"Not really."
Carter nodded, "Great..."
Once all had ordered and collected their bags of food, Wade shelled out some cash (SHIELD issued), and they made the short walk to the tower.
"Yo JARVIS," Laynie called as she flopped on the couch with a burrito.
"Yes Miss Stark?"
"Is my dad up yet?"
"Yes ma'am. He never went to sleep, and is still working on the repairs to your suit."
Laynie froze like a deer in the headlights under the gazes of her three friends. If deer ate beef and potato burritos, that is.
"Um, did JARVIS just say repairs?"
Laynie wanted nothing but to bury her face in the couch and become a permanent fixture of the stuffing.
"I knocked it over."
"However, the repairs to the training area have been completed by a team of DUMB-E bots."
Peter scoffed. "Oh, right, you just knocked it over."
"Tony let me fly it around and shoot at stuff with the beams and I crashed into walls and only slept for two hours because I want to be a superhero, okay?"
"I thought Tony wasn't going to let you use the suit until you were older?" Carter asked.
"I know, but there's no reason I shouldn't be practicing, right? He didn't really learn how to fly his suit in a day."
Carter shrugged. "You've got a point there."
"Wait, so Tony built you your own Iron Man suit?" Peter asked incredulously.
Laynie bit her lip a moment before answering. "Yeah. It's pretty cool actually."
"Well, try not to kill yourself." Carter told her friend.
"Or otherwise injure anybody," Wade added.
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence guys. Don't you have tacos to eat or something?"
The group dropped the conversation in favor of eating their tacos.
"So, anything else planned for today?" Carter asked.
"Napping would be good," Laynie mused from the couch.
"Games. Video games, preferably the most intense variety you have."
"Training, actually." Peter said, elbowing Wade. "Wade has to go into SHIELD today for some training with some special agent he won't tell me about."
"Have fun with that. Meanwhile, I think I will spend my day sleeping and/or eating." Carter grinned.
"Nope, now Wade has to tell us about this secret agent," Laynie urged.
"Do not," he argued, mouth full of taco.
"Uh-huh. Once someone says something I'm curious about I'll never leave you alone," Laynie said. She moved to the other end of the couch, giving Wade her full attention.
Wade looked to Carter for guidance, but she only shook her head.
"She's not kidding."
"You should probably tell her now, it will be easier for everyone in the long run," Peter suggested.
"I'm not telling. It's... Top secret. Yep. Level six stuff." For a fleeting moment, Wade was satisfied with his answer.
Laynie and Carter exchanged a glance, and burst into laughter.
"Our parents were level seven field agents. They were in the business of preventing international disasters, not meeting with 'secret agents'. Unless you're going to stop the next terrorist attack, it's not level six." Laynie finished her short speech by wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, letting out one last laugh.
"I really, really hope you're not involved in any level six stuff. That would end badly for everyone." Carter chuckled.
Peter laughed in surprise that Carter would dare go there, until Wade sent him a silencing glare.
"Okay it might not be level six but it is secret and I'm not telling."
"I don't believe you're going to SHIELD. You're going on a date or something, aren't you?"
Wade's face began turning red as he leaned in toward Laynie and shouted, "I am not!"
"Then what are you doing? Tell meee," Laynie begged. Her tired eyes were oblivious to Wade's growing anger.
"Laynie, just let it go." Carter stretched out on the floor. "We all have our secrets."
Laynie sat back in the couch and gave Carter a look.
"Yeah, video games sound great," Peter said to break the tension.
Just as the game system was warming up, the elevator opened up to Bruce. He looked like he had gotten about as much sleep as Laynie, and hadn't even bothered to get dressed.
"Oh," he said as he stepped out of the elevator. "I didn't know you two were over."
Wade gave Bruce a salute, mostly neglecting him in favor of the video game. Peter gave him a nod and a wave, also enveloped in the game.
"What's hanging Brucey?" Laynie asked. She seemed to be the only one actually paying attention.
"I need to talk to Carter for a minute."
Laynie's eyes widened a little. "Well, be our guest."
"What do you need, Bruce?" Carter asked from her seat on the floor.
"Do you want to do this here or talk privately?"
"Well, if it's about what I think it is, I guess we should do it privately." Carter huffed and removed herself from the floor.
Laynie, Peter, and Wade shared a look of concern, but chose not to get involved.
Carter silently led Bruce to her room and shut the door behind the both of them.
"What do you want?"
Bruce leaned against the door, frowning. "I wanted to clarify a few things. I would like you to let me say my piece before you say yours, alright?"
Carter gave a short nod.
"Alright. Firstly, I want you to know I care for you tremendously. You're my daughter, at least in my eyes. But I have to be a parent to you, it doesn't matter what you see me as. I'm not going to punish you for anything to do with last night. Maybe it's my fault..." He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. "If you don't bring your grade up, there will be repercussions. I'm willing to help any way I can, but you have to bring that grade up, okay?"
Carter rolled her eyes. "And what makes you think I'm just going to be okay with any 'repercussions' you decide to give me if I don't bring my grade up?"
"Carter, I'm your legal guardian whether you like it or not. Didn't you want to be adopted?" His voice was almost pleading.
"No, I really didn't." Carter deadpanned.
"Wha-" Bruce started.
"No, stop. It's my turn." Carter snapped. "I didn't want to be adopted. I didn't want my parents to die. And I definitely didn't want to be an orphan. I know it's surprising, but I didn't actually want any of this. What I want, is to be back at my home, with my parents. But that's not going to happen."
Bruce's mouth hung open a moment, completely taken aback by her short speech.
"Carter, I..." He looked down, not able to hold eye contact with her any longer. He shook his head, reaching for the doorknob. "I obviously can't help you."
Bruce evacuated the apartment, and Laynie filled the doorway just as quickly.
"What did you do?" She asked, concerned for Bruce more than her friend.
Carter sat quietly on her bed. She looked up at her friend, eyes filled to the brim with tears. "Laynie, I just... I don't think I can talk about it right now."
"Bruce looked like he was going to cry."
"I don't want to talk about it!"
Laynie recoiled, glancing over her shoulder at their friends in the living room.
Carter stammered out an apology, rubbing at her eyes. "I didnt mean to snap at you. Do-do you think you could stay? Please?"
Laynie stuck her head outside the room and shouted at the boys not to break anything, then shut the door.
"What did you say to Bruce?
Carter laughed mirthlessly. "I said a lot of things. Basically...I said I didn't want to be here and I didn't want him." She bit her lip. "I know I shouldn't have said it, but... it's partly true. And it's also not true." Burying her face in her hands, she mumbled, "I just don't know anymore."
Laynie patted her on the back, albeit a little awkwardly. "Let us remember that I'm not a tactful person as I recommend you take the standing offer for a counseling session or two? I know it seems weird... But you know, I went to a couple after the dreams... Nightmares. And it kinda helped."
Carter sighed. "...I'll think about it."
Laynie smiled lightly.
"Until then, do you think we could grab some ice cream and watch some movies? I'd kinda like it if my whole Saturday wasn't ruined." She looked at Laynie nervously. "But, only if you want to. I'd understand if you'd want to hang out with Peter and Wade."
"Nah, they've got stuff to do anyway. I'll clear out the boys, you get the ice cream." Laynie stopped just short of leaving the room and turned around. "Also, I am going to fall asleep within the first twenty minutes of any movie."
After sending the boys away and grabbing the ice cream, the girls spent the rest of the day eating, sleeping, and watching a multitude of movies ranging anywhere from Disney to romantic comedies.
They had just finished their last movie and were about to go to bed when one of their windows popped open.
"Carter..." Laynie said with wide eyes. "I think someone's trying to break in."
"There's no way. We're like, fifty stories up!"
Carter grabbed a nearby pillow and cautiously made her way over to the window. Laynie followed close behind just in case her friend was attacked.
Carter was about to slam the window shut when Wade popped his head in. "Wade!" She exclaimed. "What is wrong with you? You shouldn't be sneaking around like that!"
"Yeah, yeah." He hopped inside to join the two girls. "I'm going for some late night tacos, and you two are coming with me," he announced.
"Um, what?" Carter questioned.
Wade got closer, and raised his voice. "Ta-cos. At midnight. C'mon."
"I'm in." Laynie began looking for shoes and a hoodie.
Carter groaned. "I'm already in enough trouble as is without sneaking out after curfew. Do we really have to do this now?" Despite her words, Carter went in search of her shoes as well, knowing she'd be dragged along whether she wanted to go or not.
Wade led the two through the streets of New York as if he had been living there his entire life, and eventually picked a hole-in-the-wall restaurant out of the crowd. They sat down for about thirty minutes, talking very little until they had devoured their tacos.
"How did your meeting with Mr. Secret Agent go?" Laynie asked.
"It was fine."
There was an underlying tone in his voice that made the girls share a look of concern.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Carter asked.
He shrugged. "I'm good actually. How was your marathon?"
"It was fine. I think I slept through half of it. So, where's Peter?"
Wade pointed outside. "He'll probably only stay out until two since tomorrow's school."
"Oh yeah, because that's totally okay. Isn't he ever tired?" Carter asked
"He's freaking beat. But he really likes hanging out with you guys."
Carter just shook her head. "I don't know how he does it. If I stayed out that late I would not be getting up the next morning."
"I can handle being on my phone that late, but I don't know if I could fight crime until two and be in homeroom by six." Laynie shook her head, staring out the window. "It would be difficult."
"Yeah, no thank you." Carter agreed. Checking her phone, Carter said, "We really need to get back to the Tower."
Wade frowned. "Yeah, let's go."
Laynie and Carter were shocked to have gotten away with staying out late and not being caught, but they weren't about to complain. However, they both loudly protested when Wade threw himself across the couch and said goodnight.
"You cannot sleep there. I don't know about Bruce, but my dad would kill us. Completely dead."
Wade looked up at them with the biggest puppy dog eyes, but neither of them cracked.
Laynie put her shoes back on and gestured toward the door. "Come on, I'll walk you downstairs."
Both of them said goodnight to Carter as she crawled to bed, then headed downstairs.
On the elevator, Laynie sniffed and said, "I've been to therapy too, you know." She held back her sly smile when Wade startled and glared.
"It- it was a meeting with- about this dude... How did you know?"
"Lucky guess. I know it feels embarrassing. It's awkward."
Wade rubbed a hand over his chin. "Yeah. Why- um, should I ask?"
Laynie held up her wrist and let her friend examine the scars. "Over the summer I was kidnapped, held prisoner by a shackle on this wrist. I ripped the skin off of the muscle and bone trying to escape. With some cracked ribs and a second grade concussion, too."
She paused as the two stepped off the elevator and walks outside. In the cool New York evening, with people bustling by, it was easier for her to talk.
"It was more mental than physical scarring, but my wrist still bugs me. I was having really bad nightmares, paranoia and all. That, combined with my stint in foster care and the circumstances of my mom's death... Tony kind of forced me to go to a few therapy sessions."
Wade put his hands in his pockets, looking anywhere but the girl beside him. "Did it work?"
"No. I'm still having nightmares, but I can control myself better. I know I'm safe with my dad, and I'm- I'm alive still, y'know? I feel like if I can keep living after that, I'll be okay."
"But you said training was the only thing keeping you sane."
"I'm dramatic. I'm still not one hundred percent, but I don't think I'll be having any emotional breakdowns."
"How do you forget?"
Laynie looked up at Wade and sighed. "I'll never forget. The things that I've seen and experienced this last year have changed me, but it's human nature. We're going to be okay."
Wade smirked. "You're so sure about that?"
Laynie elbowed him. "I am. Carter, you, me, Peter, we're screwed up but we'll get by."
"I'm holding you to that."
"Go ahead. I'll see you at school Wade." Laynie gave him a short smile and a wave, then went inside.
Author's notes:
Lartovio: Hi guys! Sorry about not updating last week, both of us forgot! Thank you so much for the reviews and support!
Quick message pertaining to this chapter: Depression is real crap, guys. If you're struggling, find help. Tell someone. Don't drown alone, because there are others out there experiencing the same things as you. You are loved.