You would have thought with everything that just happened the aftermath and cleanup would be relatively simple...wrong, oh so hilariously wrong. Sure, we eventually found our way back to most of the remnants of the expo where ambulances littered the scene along with every other emergency vehicle you could think of all screaming their various sirens into the night air. That was where we found Peter's Aunt and Uncle frantically trying to describe him to a police officer because they haven't found him in the rubble of the building.

Peter called for their attention, leading to a fantic reunion for the little family that we didn't quite have ourselves. If I was being honest most likely we've just come to the uncomfortable conclusion that situations like the ones we were just in were inevitable for us. His guardians looked up I could tell they didn't quite believe their eyes with what was in front of them.

Uncle Rhodey was off, clean up was a part of his job description I believe, Bucky was still here, Dad still stuck in the suit, and Pepper had me up on her hip. Impressive with her still in heels god I will never shut up about it. Mostly us as a group were feeling varying levels of being sheepish, or just outright mortified that works too.

"I take it," Ben Parker said, still looking like he was trying to process everything, "there is a lot more to this story than I initially assume?"

"Little bit," Dad said with a grimace, "we can explain it all at the hospital."

"Oh do we have to?" I groaned, not at all excited to be back there any time soon.

"Yes!" Came the chorus of adults, none happy with the questioning of authority I guess.

What was amusing was how we were having to wait for an ambulance to take us to the hospital as they all were filled with people already who have been injured. Dad was trying not to lose his patience, he really was, even doing his best he was twitchy as hell. Pepper was trying to do initial explanations for the Parkers regarding, uh, who exactly I was which I never thought would have to happen in my life. Peter and I universally agreed that the adults were just going to do their own thing, explanations weren't fun so I was teaching him how to play a hand concentration game. We've already run around enough for one day to even think about wanting to play something like tag...and our lungs hurt.

"I don't think you're a Slytherin," Peter suddenly said, still watching our hands to keep the pattern going.

"Why's that? I was just accused of unleashing acts of terrorism on a government orginisation just yesterday."

"But did you have a reason?" His question made me pause, making it so we had to restart the clapping pattern.

"Yeah," I dragged out the word, "they kidnapped me from my house."

"Then I don't blame you." He said so matter of fact that it threw me, "I think you've got all the Hogwarts houses in you, you're very brave you saved me! Smart, cunning, that leaves loyalty. I don't need to know you for very long to know that's true as well."

I just kind of stared at him, still just a boy, a child himself and yet so wise. Is this what everyone else feels when I say something rather profound? "I think I'm gonna keep you Pete," I couldn't help but tease him because I did tend to collect these people like Pokemon.

"I guess that counts as loyalty." He shrugged before glancing slyly at the ragtag team of adults, "How weird is it having Iron Man as your Dad?"

"It's...not weird exactly because I've only ever known him where he was Iron Man," this is actually the first time anyone has asked me this question. "It's definitely scary sometimes, I don't like getting kidnapped. But I wouldn't change it, I love my Dad."

"I can't really remember my parents," he whispered, flicking his eyes up to be sure no one was listening in, "I've lived with my Aunt May and Uncle Ben since I was four and…"

My eyes were burning and my throat itching, I knew it wasn't just from the smoke, "I'm starting to forget too Peter. I can't remember my Mom's face."

I.F.I.F.I.F.

Across the way the group of adults were, in fact, paying attention to their kids even if just on a surface level. They were all jumpy from the danger that had passed them by, not likely to outright ignore them any time soon but let them have the impression that they had this time to themselves.

The adults were, to put it simply, multitasking. Listening and giving explanations respectively while not trying to seem overbearing. Basically that meant Pepper was keeping Tony from hovering directly over the two children in question with a glinting gaze.

"So what are you going to do now?" May asked Tony after finding out about the rather rublie state the house in Malibu was left in.

"I'm not too sure, I was thinking of moving operations out of California. Hell, maybe New York would be as good a place as any huh Pep?"

"You want to move the company." The question was delivered flatly, as if her question were the verbal equivalent of checking to see if there were any piranhas in the water.

"Not everything!" He was quick to raise the white flag, "Just the main base of operations, our end. I just thought it would be better for Anika, no matter how high her test scores are she can't be out of school forever and there are loads of ones suited for her intellect where she would be with children her own age." He paused when Ben shushed him looking over at Tony's daughter and his nephew, seeing silent tears leaking down their faces.

"I can't really remember my parents, I've lived with my Aunt May and my Uncle Ben since I was about four and…"

"I'm starting to forget too, Peter. I can't remember my mom's face." Tony saw the unbreakable walls crumple like tissue paper, could hear how quiet she was trying to keep her cries. How both of them were, the adrenalin dump no doubt making everything that much more emotional.

He started towards them but was stopped, May levelling him with a soft yet firm expression. "Let them be, they need this more than they need us barging in." She whispered it so that they would not hear her, and Tony was torn. "We've taken him to child psychologists and he wouldn't give them anything," she further explained, "she hasn't even known him a day. I suspect they both needed someone like the other who would feel the loss in the way only they would."

"What way is that which is so different that a therapist couldn't help?" Pepper's mind was reeling, how had she not noticed? She spends so much time with her and she never showed a single sign.

"Child geniuses," Tony said darkly, "lonely, hurting, child geniuses who just long for their own kind."

"May, Ben," Pepper straightened and was straight to business, "I hope this isn't too forward of me to ask, but will it be possible to keep regular contact? Playdates? However it best fits your schedule if need be."

"We were just about to ask the very same," Ben stated sneaking another glance towards the two who were clutching like they would never feel a hug or comfort from another human being for the rest of their lives, "I feel like she would also make great friends with Ned, May dear."

"I can see that happening, a good balance."

"Wait, what is happening?" Tony was a little lost, too distracted by the impulse to go over to comfort his daughter and even Peter alongside her. He did have two arms after all, but he was having to really stamp it down.

"We're moving, Tony, pay attention. I'd imagine you would want Malibu to be fixed up as a getaway still for when New York gets cold, I'll start making calls."

"So are you resigned or not we never actually clarified that one."

"How about, we figure out the details later. Specifically after we get the Wonder Twins to get their lungs checked for smoke inhalation."

Tony grinned, only slightly, evilly, "She is going to be so pissed that it's you actually making 'Wonder Twins' a thing."

Pepper shrugged, hiding a small smirk, "Not my fault the first time she makes a friend her own age they happen to two identical peas in a pod."

"Mind if we get in on the 'Wonder Twin' thing as well?" The Parkers were looking just as devious about the nickname.

"They are so going to hate you guys," Bucky chimed in from the shadows, who had not once taken his eyes off the children, all with a gleeful snicker.

"Like you weren't thinking it Terminator." Tony challenged him, he would have crossed his arms were it not for the fact that with the suit on he was physically incapable of doing so.

"Thinking, yes. Actually saying it to their faces? I choose life thanks."

"Oh she wouldn't actually hurt you," Pepper rolled her eyes, not unlike the way Anika herself does, "not when she has the wrath of God over her head."

"Yeah, about that." Bucky looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or just be resigned, "I hope you have a large set of funds on reserve. Shield might just be sending you the balding agent's therapy bill."

The Parkers looked to Pepper and Tony raising a brow with frightening syncrosy. "Oh no what did she do?" She was bracing herself internally, her imagination wasn't giving her any good options.

"Yeah, going by your face my guesses are probably not even close to reality." Tony wanted to just bite the bullet and get it over with.

"Do you want it chronologically or alphabetically?" Pepper groaned, "Well...she created a chemical bomb in one of their supply rooms, committed espionage by downloading information from their computers leaving behind a 'nasty surprise' in said computers, and had that balding agent accuse her of terrorism directly to her face." Everyone else's jaws dropped to the floor in utter astonishment.

"I was right, definitely worse." Pepper had come to resignation as well.

"In her defence," Bucky wanted to smooth things over with the Parkers to keep the shock from going too far, "they DID kidnap her and were holding her hostage. I'm actually kind of shocked at how everything she did never actually hurt anyone it only spooked them."

"Speaking of which," Tony turned to him fully, "where were you during all this? Stayed away until you could sneak in and get her out?"

"Unfortunately no, she got out herself allowing me the chance to pick her up where they couldn't capture me as well. She took her looted information to a scientist they stole it from, driving in one of their cars."

"She drove a car?!" Pepper and May interjected with varying degrees of dismay. "Oh she is so grounded." Pepper muttered, "After everything is settled she's grounded."

Tony thought it wise not to contradict her, even though internally his thoughts were swirling on a different matter. "That's my baby girl!" he quietly cheered, eyes shining. Pepper shot him a dangerous look but he wasn't to be cowed on this one, "Oh come on, they kidnapped MY kid. I'm like contractually obligated by dad-code to celebrate that they got what's coming to them."

"Amen mister Stark." Ben said with a nod.

"Call me Tony."

I.F.I.F.I.F.

I was grounded...me! Grounded! She actually grounded me! I have never been grounded in my LIFE! This has to be against the Geneva Convention somewhere.

It was the most unconventional and unorthodox kind of grounding I've ever seen though, at least from my observations on tv being my only guide to go by. It was mostly Pepper enforcing the ordeal, which should have been obvious, but it mostly was eerily focused on mental health. My mental health, any conversation going towards that territory and I run screaming in the opposite direction I can see why she decided this as punishment because of how I couldn't actually escape.

You weren't supposed to have this many play dates when grounded right? From the tv that's what I would assume at least, yet Peter and the Parkers were very routinely over at the penthouse Dad was renting during our stay. If we looked carefully enough from the balcony, you could see the beginnings of the tower being built. I'm not sure how it was set up, but Peter's friend Ned has started to come over as well. He was funny, just a hilariously happy dude.

Dad's only regret with it all was with how many lego bits were lying about. They were elusive things, even when we used every piece there was always one that would lie and wait like an assassin to strike whenever he would be walking past. I had a sneaking suspicion it was all Bucky though if I had to guess which person was devious enough to enact such an evil plan. True to form, he still remained nanny-esque when Dad and Pepper were left with no choice but to deal with Stark stuff. And this all was WITH them supposedly on vacation time. That's what I knew the whole grounding ordeal was about, they weren't fessing up, but I knew they heard us. I just haven't told Peter that they overheard our conversation that we actually kind of wanted to be private.

This bizarre wonderland has been my life for the past couple of months, if only because the grounding was extended due to both Peter and I healing from that oh so fun smoke inhalation. Never thought I would have to use an inhaler again in my lifetime, certainly brought back not so fun memories that I wouldn't have minded forgetting. Basically it just meant the medications made us sleepy, not so much of a bad thing with napping away in a pillow blanket fort in the main living room esque area of the penthouse, falling asleep to the varying sounds coming from the tv as background noise.

Having Peter and even Ned, honestly it was...nice. I had forgotten what it was like to have an actual friend who can come over or vice versa and you just play. It was wonderful, not being hounded by the adults, like I didn't realize how badly they were in the past. The past two years have had no interactions with people, as much as I hate to say it, in my age group. I was starting to come to the conclusion that no matter how 'grown up' my mind may be I was still seven and there was no changing that...apart from going through puberty that is...AGAIN I might add!

Then there was the 'family dinner' aspect, that one was new. The table that came with the penthouse had to be exchanged for one that would fit closer to ten people over the five the original could barely manage. They were always slightly chaotic, well 'slightly', they were always loud and filled with chatter. Games and excited conversation, a lot of which managed into competitions of 'can you do this?' The most recent one I challenged everyone with knowing where in the world the town that has the record longest name is.

"Goodness, I know this. I think I've heard this with some trivia." May said with her face scrunched in concentration.

I grinned, "Wales, Great Britain. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch!"

Dad blinked, "Gesundheit."

Peter rolled his eyes and I giggled at how it looked exactly how I did it, the kind of expression you make when someone dribbles down their shirt in front of you, "No, that's the name of the town in Wales. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch."

Bucky groaned into his hand, "Are we sure they aren't related?" He said despairingly before glaring at Dad and pointing at him, "You, I don't trust you. This is tied to you in some way and I'm calling it now. Nature over nurture." Peter and I stared at each other in the way one does when trying to go unnoticed by arguing adults.

"Perhaps he could benefit from a spa day," I whispered, "work out all that bottled up stress." He nodded wordlessly with emphatic agreement.

I.F.I.F.I.F.

Then there was Fury, what an...interesting thing that turned out to be. Why Dad brought me along to that little meeting I will never know. Especially because it felt as if he were pulling me right back into the belly of the beast. Though it was amusing just sitting on his lap leaning on my skinny elbows over the table keeping a dead-on stare with his single eye. Frankly Dad's prattle wasn't even a thought on my mind with the point I was making with the director who as of yet hadn't even said a word regarding me. He probably wanted me to go first, give him the power of giving answers.

Eventually though he broke and decided to bring the topic to me, "And you have brought along the littlest terrorist."

"Is it terroism if I was taken unwillingly from my home without the permission of my parental figure? The definition of kidnapping? Is it terrorism when acting in retaliation against a totalitarian organisation that feels that they are above the law in regards to civilians?"

Fury's single eye was unnerving to have even harder focused on oneself, but I kept my ground refusing to so much as even blink. I refuse to be labeled as being in the wrong for my actions while held against my will. I heard Dad start to inhale to speak, causing me to pinch his leg as a silent warning not to interrupt. This one was one where I had to hold my ground specifically so they know not to fuck with me in the future. "In fact, the definition of terrorism lies in unlawful violence, specifically against civilians, for political gains. Which if you look at it that way, YOU would be the terrorists with me as the freedom fighter in this scenario."

"You do not care for Shield, do you miss Stark?"

"You have not given me much reason to." I clipped with a single raised brow.

"Not even, if it was founded by your Grandfather and… 'Grannie'?"

"Good people build great things, only later for the greedy to make use of them for their own agenda. I have no attachments to Shield because a man I have never met and Grannie were the ones to start it all."

"Be glad you didn't," Dad cut in cooly, "he wasn't the nicest of people and you two would have got on like a cat in a house fire."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Fury said, "Now, with you being a consultant to Shield we hopefully will not have much need to see much of you for a long long time." He leveled me with another one of his unsettling gazes, "The same goes for you, Miss Stark, we shall not have to see much of each other for a long time."

Now I smirked, I knew how Shield worked and he was trying too hard, "Somehow, Nick," he added ice to his stare, "I do not believe that for one second. Not one second at all."

A/N

I'm basically just word vomiting these out, and really I don't much care that I am causing instant gratification with how many of these I've been spurning out but eh what can I do?

Fun fact! I actually CAN say the word Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, even if my pronunciation isn't like a Welsh's just yet. It is a skill I will be taking with me everywhere for it is one I am mightily proud of. Now, be ye warned, interludes are be what lie ahead for Avengers is far into the future but fear not! We must have bonding and growth in order for what lies ahead to come to pass.

Til the next time my lovelies.