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The Norm There

Midtown School of Science and Technology was a huge building with giant gates that made Penny's stomach clench in what she thought might be fear...or maybe nerves. She'd been allowed to take the exam at the tower, filling out the answers on the computer a few days ago. Tony had gotten a call the day after she'd taken the exam that she'd passed with flying colors, although her strongest subjects were science and math, while she'd be placed in easier classes in subjects like what Tony called social studies, which she still wasn't great at. Apparently her scores had been enough to impress the principal though, so she was in.

Tony was the one to drive her, pulling into the parking lot by the huge black gates. For a moment, she clutched her seatbelt, watching the groups of kids her age walking into the building. They were all different sizes and colors, all wearing different clothes and hair styles and it hit her, then, that she would be in the building with all of these people and...would she have to learn who they were? Would she need to learn their names? Or talk to them? Would they have to fight?

Tony shut the car off, then turned to her with a little smile. "Alright, kiddo. You ready to head inside?"

She wanted to lie and say yes, that of course she was ready and that of course she could do this but she found herself shaking her head instead, heart pounding. Tony softened, clasping her on the shoulder. "Do I have to?" she asked, her voice hoarse and afraid.

"Yeah, honey. You have to go to school. But remember, this is nothing like the other place. You'll go to your classes and then you'll come home."

"Do we...will we have to fight or…"

"No." Tony shook his head, face serious. "No, and if anyone does try to hurt you, I want you to fight back and then I want you to call me. You have your phone?"

Penny nodded. The phone had been sitting on the table that morning along with her breakfast of chocolate waffles, which he'd said were acceptable because this was a special occasion. Digging into them, she hadn't paid the phone much attention until she'd finished her breakfast.

"Alright, kiddo. This is your phone. Built special, just for you. You know how your watch has a button where you can call for me?"

She had nodded, glancing down at the watch strapped to her wrist.

"This phone has my number, Pepper's number, and Rhodey's number programmed it, plus the line that will ring upstairs because Captain America insists on his landline." That part had been said with a smile, and Penny had laughed a little, recognizing that it was a joke but not quite understanding. Pointing at the touch screen, he'd walked her through how to find contacts, how to send a message with the keyboard that appeared at the bottom of the screen, and how to make a call.

She had been familiar with phones as communication devices, but never, in her entire life, had she ever considered that she might own one. Nor had she connected the idea of a communication device with the little boxes that the guards and teachers had played on when they'd been bored. When they should have been teaching them. So now, to own one of her own...well, she wasn't sure how she felt about it. She had also been warned, by both Tony and Pepper, that she wasn't allowed to play with it in class, so she tucked it away in her backpack where it sat now on the floor of Tony's car.

"Alright, kiddo...let's head inside. We don't want you to be late on your first day."

In fact, Penny would have been happy to be late for her first day and never have to go back, but according to Tony, that wasn't an option, so she nodded, took a deep breath, grabbed her new backpack which was full of notebooks and pencils and folders and other things that she would apparently need for school, and climbed out of the car. Tony waited for her, holding an arm out that he draped over her shoulders, leading her toward the school. "You're going to be fine, Pen. I promise. Hell, you need to meet some kids your own age before you get bored with me."

Penny turned to him with wide eyes. "I wouldn't get bored with you!"

Tony chuckled, squeezing her shoulder before dropping his arm and patting her back. There was something in his eyes that she couldn't identify, and his mouth opened like he was going to say something, but instead, he just gave her a soft smile and opened the front door of the building, ushering her in. Penny hesitated for just a moment, then, steeling herself, she took a step inside.

The walls in the school building were a creamy white, with glass cases filled with trophies and pictures right in the entrance. Tony led them toward a room off the side with a plaque that said 'office' past a man holding a gun that nodded to them, and Penny turned to him, eyes wide. "Security guard," he explained softly. "He just watches the door. Makes sure that no one who isn't supposed to be here stays out."

Swallowing hard, Penny nodded, moving a little closer to Tony. She had to do this. She had to. He'd told her that she had to and so she would do it. He had explained security guards to her before...had explained that they, for good or bad, were stationed at schools all over the country. He opened the door, stepping into the room ahead of her and saying hello to the two ladies that sat at a desk. Penny said hello as well, a bit more shyly, and the women gave her warm smiles, directing them to yet another door where a man stood up from behind his desk, holding out a hand.

Shaking hands means a promise but it also means saying hello.

"Miss Parker. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Principal Morita."

"Hi. It's nice to meet you," Penny parroted the words she'd learned to say, giving him her best smile.

"Mr. Stark."

"Good to see you again." Tony greeted, and she envied him the ease with with he shook the man's hand and seemed to know exactly what to say.

"Well, Miss Parker, your test scores were quite impressive." He gestured for both her and Tony to sit in the chairs across from his desk. "I have your class schedule here," he slid a piece of paper across the desk and, after a squeeze on her wrist from Tony, Penny reached out and took it. It was a typed list of classes and numbers and times that she stared at for a minute, unsure of what she should say. After a moment, he spoke again. "I have also recruited one of our top students to show you around for your first day. She'll be joining us in a moment. I wanted to see if you had any questions. I know that this will be your first time in a traditional school setting. I wanted you to know that my door is always open if you need anything."

Penny glanced at Tony before giving a quick nod.

"Can I get a copy of that schedule?" Tony asked, and the principal nodded, clicking something on the computer keyboard.

"Of course." A machine behind him whirled to life, and then he handed Tony a piece of paper identical to her own.

"She has a phone that I want her to keep on her, but I've told her not to use it in class. If she needs me, though, I want to make sure that her teachers will excuse her from class to make a call."

The principal nodded. "Of course. I have already explained the situation to all of her teachers."

"And her lunch account is all set up?"

"It is."

"Alright." Tony turned to her, squeezing her wrist. "What do you think, kiddo? You ready to do this?"

No. She was not ready. But Tony was looking at her like he knew she could do it, eyes soft. He needed her to be ready, so she would be ready. He'd saved her life. She would do anything for him. Even go to school.

And so she nodded, and he reached out, tugging on her ponytail. "Aright, kiddo. I'll see you today at 2:15 sharp. Okay?"

Penny nodded again, even though all she wanted to do was grab onto his arm and refuse to let go. To beg him not to leave her here in this strange place with people she didn't know and a guard who might have a gun and other students she wasn't supposed to fight. Tony had warned her not to use her powers at school...that other kids might not understand if she decided to climb a wall. She hadn't done that much at the tower, but he'd warned her not to do it at all in school. So she'd agreed. It wasn't like she'd been allowed to use her powers much in her other school anyway, nor was she comfortable with the idea of standing out more than she was already going to.

The three of them stood together, the principal leading them into the office, Tony keeping a hand on her back as if to urge her forward. Penny had to fight the instinct to cling to him, and instead kept her hands clasped in front of her as Principal Morita stepped aside, revealing a girl with long, curly black hair who waited with her hands in the pockets of her blue jacket. "Ah, Miss Jones. Just in time!" The principal smiled between them as Penny stared at the girl, unsure of what to do. "Penny Parker, this is Michelle Jones. Michelle, this is our newest student, Penny."

The other girl nodded. "Hey."

"Hi."

"Alright, Pen, I'm going to head out. See you this afternoon?" Penny nodded and Tony gave her a quick pat on the shoulder, nodded to the other girl who nodded back, and then he was gone. Out the doors. And she was alone with this stranger and these other strangers in a building full of strangers.

"Okay, so Michelle is going to show you where your classes are. You have several classes and lunch together, so that should help. If you have any questions, just ask her."

Michelle led Penny to her first class, the two of them silent as they navigated a hallway full of other kids. A few turned to look at her, but most seemed caught up in their own conversations. And there were so many conversations...so many people talking and laughing and fighting that Penny couldn't keep track of it all. There were adults walking around too, maybe teachers, but no guards that she could see. No one with guns. Moving a little closer to Michelle, Penny risked a question.

"We're allowed to talk? Whenever?"

Michelle glanced at her, an eyebrow lifted, but then she nodded. "In the hallways, yeah. Just not in class. Unless you want to ask a question or whatever."

That made sense. That was how their classes had been in her old school...but they had only been allowed to talk at the end of the day, and even then it hadn't been encouraged. Depending on the moods of the guards, getting caught being too friendly with other students could mean anything from being yelled at to being dragged away.

"So this is English with Ms. Davidson. Next, we both have Chemistry together. Um...I'll wait out here for you?"

Penny nodded, dropping her eyes and crossing her arms, shifting from foot to foot. "Thank you."

"No problem. See you soon."

Penny stepped into the classroom and looked around the classroom full of students. The woman standing at the front holding a clipboard gave her a warm smile. "You must be Penelope. I'm Ms. Davidson. This is for you," she told her, grabbing a folder from the large desk in the front of the room. "We're reading The Great Gatsby so here's your copy. We just started last week, so try to finish by the end of the week."

"Thank you."

The woman smiled just as a bell rang, and Penny jumped, looking up at the ceiling with wide eyes, then glanced back to find several of the students were starting at her with open curiosity. "Why don't you take a seat and we'll get started."

Penny did as she was told, slipping between desks and ignoring the twenty-eight pairs of eyes following her back to the only open desk by the wall. But as soon as the teacher began to call attendance, with Penny realizing that she was supposed to say 'here' when her name was called, all of the students turned around and the class began.

Each of her morning classes passed that way. Her teacher would greet her, she would go to her seat, and then, after saying that she was 'here,' the teacher would teach. Actually teach. Some wrote on the chalk boards and some had screens projected onto the wall, but in every single class, she pulled out a notebook and took notes, wondering if this was how school was supposed to be...if her other teachers had been assigned this job too...of if they'd just been in charge of watching them.

But why? Why bother teaching them? Why bother training them?

Had that really been Susie?

Penny hadn't told Pepper or Tony what she'd seen...or what she'd thought she'd seen. Because it had to have been...a mistake? A hallucination? Something. Because Susie was gone. Dead. She'd already come to terms with that. Had shoved thoughts of her friend as deep as she could so that she wouldn't have to remember...she didn't want to remember. She couldn't help but wonder...should she have told them? Should she have followed the girl she'd thought was Susie? Ask her what had happened?

Or should she just try to forget? Forget the school and forget Susie?

"Hey, you're Penny right?"

She jumped, pulled out of her thoughts from where she'd been staring at the square pizza on her tray. She needed to eat...she knew that. When she didn't eat, her hunger was the only thing she could focus on and Tony had reminded her more than once that she had to eat. So she opened the little container of chocolate milk and turned to the boy who had spoken. He was a larger boy, with dark eyes and dark hair, and his face was round and friendly, his smile making her return the smile without conscious thought. Michelle, who had sat at the same table as her, pulled a novel out of her backpack, and started reading, didn't look up.

"Yeah."

"I'm Ned. Ned Leeds. We're in Chemistry together."

Penny vaguely remembered that. Mr. Harrington had put her at a table in the back to catch up on a few things, mostly papers talking about lab safety, and had told her that the next day, she would be partnered up with Ned Leeds. "Oh. You're going to be my partner."

"Right! Yeah, since the class had an odd number I was always by myself but, uh...yeah, it'll be good to have a partner. What were you guys doing at your old school? Or were you in Chemistry or…?" The boy trailed off, and Penny stared down at her food. She doubted she was supposed to tell people the specifics of her old school, or what exactly they had done there.

"We read a lot of papers," she told him after a moment.

"Oh...so, like...you haven't done lab work?"

"No."

For a moment, she worried that he'd think that was weird, but he breezed past it. "Cool. I think you'll like it if you like science. You live with Tony Stark, right? I read that you were, like, his cousin or niece or something? And that he was going to adopt you? Do you get to work in his lab and stuff?"

"Um….yeah. I do my homework in the lab while he works. Or I read papers." She shrugged, taking that opportunity to take a bite of her food, then another. She was starving! He sat back, starting on his own food, but that didn't stop him from asking more questions.

"So, where was your old school?"

Penny swallowed, casting her mind back. Tony hadn't told her where the school had been...all he'd ever said that it wasn't too far from New York. So she went with that. "Not too far from here."

"Yeah? Well Midtown's a really great school. It's cool that you were able to transfer mid-semester. Are you going to join any clubs? Because I'm on Academic Decathlon, and so's Michelle, and we could always use another team member!"

"What's Academic Decathlon?"

He blinked at her a few times, mouth dropping. "Your old school didn't have an Aca Dec team?"

"We didn't have any clubs." Clubs were another thing that Tony had told her about the day before, which had mostly been spent prepping her for the American high school experience. Everything from raising your hand in class to go to the bathroom to clubs and extracurriculars and extra credit and grades and how to buy lunch had been covered. The thought of spending even more time in school when all of these kids had families to go home to seemed strange to Penny, but she didn't say that out loud.

"Like...none?"

She shook her head.

"What school did you go to?"

Penny bit her lip, wondering if she should have lied...or just kept her mouth shut. "Um...it was...a private school." She told him, grabbing another term that Tony had taught her out of thin air. "Religious."

"Ahh." He nodded, so she figured that made enough sense. "So Academic Decathlon is so cool. We answer questions and compete against other teams from other schools and we go all over the country for competitions. This year, our big competition is in DC!"

She filed away the question of what DC was in the back of her mind as she nodded along. He didn't stop there, though. For the next ten minutes, she got a complete crash course on Academic Decathlon and how he'd joined and why he loved it as she ate her pizza and little bowl of corn. He ate too, speaking between mouthfuls. It was nice, hearing someone chatter while she ate. Meals at her old school had been silent. Or else.

But Ned told her all about Academic Decathlon and how much he loved it and how she should try out and she liked listening to him talk.

Her next class, a history class, was one that she apparently shared with Ned, but not Michelle. She knew this because he grabbed her schedule from the table, told Michelle that he would walk her to class, and then they were sitting in desks right beside each other and he was telling her all about the class and the teacher. And Penny found herself missing it when the teacher started speaking and she had to take notes.

Before she knew it, the day was over, and somehow, Ned found her despite the fact that she didn't have her last class with him. But there he was, waiting outside the door, a familiar face in a sea of strangers, and Penny felt a smile grow on her face as soon as she saw him. He stood out like a lifeboat as though she'd known him for her whole life, and, deciding to just go with it, she slipped through the crowd and came to a stop at his side.

"Are you taking the bus home?" He asked, stepping to the side along with her so they didn't block the other students who were practically running to get out of the building.

"Uh...no, Tony's going to take me home."

"Cool. I'll walk with you."

And that, it seemed, was that.