The Legacy of a Hero
Chapter Twenty-Five
Heather opened her eyes, blinking in unfamiliar darkness. The room was lit dimly by lighting strips along the floor, and every surface seemed to be either concrete or gleaming steel. The bed she was laying on didn't feel like hers. She reached up to wipe her eyes and came into contact with her goggles. Oh, right. Avenger's tower. I got hurt. Am I still hurt? What time is it?
She sat up and a few motion sensor lights came on dimly. She was grateful for that, it meant her retinas weren't going to kill her. She tried her best to feel her back where Tony had stitched her up, but she could only reach so far and her fingers only came into contact with bandages. They don't really hurt, it's just uncomfortable. Have they already healed?
She pulled her phone out of her belt, checking the time. Almost eleven, so I slept for around six hours. Slowly, she slid off the bed and tested the ground beneath her boots, waiting for nausea which never came. This fast healing stuff is weird, man. I don't hurt exactly, but I feel so stiff and my muscles ache.
She slowly approached the med bay entrance, frowning. Where's Dad, anyway? Surely he wouldn't have left without me? The double doors swished open for her automatically and she walked down the echoey hallway, glancing at closed doors curiously. None of the doors opened for her, and the few that she tried were locked.
She thought of just breaking one open, she definitely could, but decided against it. I probably wouldn't like it if someone broke my bedroom door just because they were curious and they could.
She wandered around the dimly lit hallways for a couple of minutes before eventually stumbling upon a conference room. She was about to dismiss it as being empty as well before she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Tony was sitting at the far end of the table, his face dimly lit by a holoscreen, apparently engrossed in work. She didn't want to interrupt him, but she still hadn't found her dad, or anyone else for that matter.
Heather tapped on the glass door just loud enough that the engineer would hear her, but not so loud that she would startle him. "Hey, um, do you know where d- Spiderman is?" She could have kicked herself for almost slipping again. She had to start thinking before she spoke.
"Back from the dead, kiddo?" Tony asked instead, taking a sip from a mug of coffee.
"Yeah, I feel a lot better, thanks," She admitted as she approached where he sat at the end of the table. She folded her arms awkwardly. "Do you know where he went?"
The dark haired man shrugged, puffing out a breath. "Ahh, he said something to the effect of 'I have a spidery idea that I must go hunt down like a fly in my web' then took off."
She raised an eyebrow he couldn't see. "Oh. Right. Did he leave a message for me?"
He kept typing on his holopad with one hand as he gestured vaguely with the other. "What am I, your secretary?" He asked sarcastically, but she could tell there was no real heat behind the words and it made her smirk. "'Don't be late for class', were his exact words… Maybe. Possibly. I wasn't really listening? Hard to pay attention to someone who dresses brighter than a billboard."
"Great," She pushed her goggles up on her head and rubbed her eyes.
"Need a lift? I can arrange for a car to take you home," He offered, and she appreciated how genuine he sounded.
"Nah, it's cool. I can make my own way," She shrugged, and winced when she felt an uncomfortable tugging. "Hey, you think you could double check the stitching? It kind of feels weird."
"What are you trying to say? I don't know how to stitch?" He pointed at her, tone mock-serious. "I'll have you know I have stitched myself up more times than either of us could count."
Heather hopped up on the conference table and crossed her legs, turning her back to him and pulling her hair to the side. "I don't doubt it, Mr. Stark. I meant no offense," she said, trying not to laugh.
She heard him stand up. "I'm sure the star-spangled banner would prefer we do this in a more sterile environment, but sure, the conference room works too. Hey, let me ask you something, what's up with you and webhead?"
"What do you mean?" She hedged, hyper aware of his hands as they pulled at the tape holding the gauze in place.
"You seemed pretty hostile the last time you were here, and now… well not so much," He said, the unspoken question clear.
"We…" Heather waved her hand helplessly, then sighed. "I don't know. I guess you could say we came to an understanding."
"Oh yeah, no I totally get that," Tony said in a tone she couldn't decipher, then made a humming noise of surprise. "Look at that. We can take the stitches out. At this rate, you'll just have scratches by tomorrow night. Hang on, let me grab some scissors."
She glanced over her shoulder, watching as he rummaged through a drawer. "He's…" She started, then stopped. "He can be a lot," she finally finished, knowing it was a lame answer.
"Yeah, my old man was 'a lot' too," Tony said as he came back with the scissors and Heather felt her breath hitch. They stared at each other for a long moment.
"How long have you known?" She finally asked.
"Basically from the moment you walked into the tower that first day," He shrugged, staring at the scissors as he fiddled with them. "I knew Webby had a family - we all did. Not like he's ever brought them to a Christmas party or something, but I'm nosy. It's not too hard to find what you want on the net these days. No one else on the team has figured it out though. Not the brightest bulbs in the pack sometimes."
"Does he know that you know?"
"I don't really care if he does," He smirked. "But we can keep this between us, if it makes you more comfortable. Like I said, my old man was a tool too."
"He's not always so bad," She defended weakly. She looked ahead again as he started sniping the threads and tugging them out. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Sometimes it's like… like I don't recognize him, or maybe he doesn't recognize me. Like he's a stranger." She felt her eyes stinging and she blinked quickly.
Tony hummed again. "If you were anyone else, I'd be tempted to tell you that it's because you're a teen and that's a normal feeling."
"But I'm not, so...?" She trailed off, waiting.
He tugged the last of the thread out of her back and she turned on the tabletop to watch him throw the trash away. "So, I say trust your instincts," he dropped the scissors on the counter and met her gaze. "Something feels off? It probably is."
"What would you do if you were me?" She asked, her voice smaller than she meant.
"Find the thing that doesn't belong," He offered his hand and helped her to her feet. "Don't stop until you do."
"Dude!" Rhi hissed as she slid into her seat beside Heather the next morning, breaking her train of thought.
"What?" Heather asked in the same hushed tone.
"You are blowing up all over social media!" Rhi showed Heather her phone, and the redhead recognized the video the girl from yesterday had shot of her. She watched as her past self leapt into action and caught the car which had come flying out of nowhere. "That was so cool!" Rhi whispered, grabbing her friend's arm and shaking it in excitement.
Heather flushed. "It wasn't that big of a deal," she muttered, embarrassed. "Not long after that I almost got barbecued and sliced to ribbons. Which reminds me," she added with a wince, "I kind of need you to fix my suit."
Rhi shook her head affectionately. "It's a good thing I love you. You'd never be able to afford my services otherwise."
"Wait, was I supposed to be paying you?" Heather asked, smirking.
Rhi gave her a playful shove. "Of course not, dork. What do you take me for? Just bring it to Coach's place after school and I'll stitch it right up."
"Thanks," Heather smiled, then caught sight of the video looping on Rhi's phone and frowned. Dad never came home last night… he wasn't there this morning either. He would have called me if there was a problem, right? But he went after that lead without me, so how can I know that he would? Is Mr. Stark right? Is there something he's not telling me?
"What's wrong?" Rhi said, recognizing the troubled look in her friend's eye.
"Just thinking about some advice I got last night," Heather shook her head. "Don't worry about it." Their teacher's entrance ended the conversation, but Heather could tell that Rhi wanted to ask more. The problem was, she didn't know what to tell her.
The rest of the school day felt like it went by in a blur. Before Heather knew it, the final bell had sounded and she found herself leaving in the crush of students with her friends.
Later, she looked down at her notebooks, frowning. "I'm not sure I took good notes today," she admitted once the three of them were squished onto a subway bench meant for two people, with Rhi sitting on Mike's lap to make room.
"You seem like you were somewhere else today," Mike observed.
"Just something I've been thinking about," Heather said evasively.
"Does it have to do with that other thing we're not supposed to talk about?" Rhi asked, making Heather chuckle at her not so subtle hint.
"Sort of," She admitted. She watched the traffic below the tracks pass by in a blur. "I don't want to talk about it until I have more information," she said eventually and her friends nodded.
"Just as long as it's not as earth-shattering as the last time you had something to tell us, I'm good," Mike joked and Heather smiled tightly.
This is so stupid, Heather thought later. I'm being paranoid, absolutely ridiculous.
"You good, kid?" Coach asked her as he watched her pace restlessly on the rafters above.
"Peachy," She ground out, irritated. "I'm freaking peachy."
"Just asking," Holldar glanced at Rhi and Mike quizzically. Mike spread his hands cluelessly. Rhi just shook her head, hands busy working the sewing machine.
"Almost done, Heather," Rhi said, hoping the news would ease some of the tension in her friend's demeanor.
"Thanks, Rhi," Heather said, bending into a backflip to walk on her hands.
"You get tired of pacing on your feet?" Mike teased, but his friend seemed too distracted to answer.
Once her suit was fixed, Heather took it and changed quickly, leaving the gym with only a short, "See ya," thrown over her shoulder.
"What's eating her?" Coach asked, scratching his salt and pepper hair.
"I wish I knew," Rhi said quietly.
"You want me to do what?"
"We both know you heard me, Mr. Stark," Heather said, crossing her arms impatiently.
"First of all, it's Tony. If you're going to demand things from me, we should be on a first name basis," he said, pushing back from his desk to look at her properly, ignoring the many flashing apps and graphics on his holo computer for a moment. "Secondly, what makes you think I can even do that?"
"Because you're Iron Man," She counted off on her fingers. "Because you have access to some of the most cutting edge tech in the world; because I know you have a DNA sample on everyone on the roster in the database; and because you said I shouldn't ignore it when I know something isn't right."
He frowned at her, narrowing his eyes. "Damn, I did say that." He sighed, rubbing his eyes, debating with himself. "Look, I sympathize, and I really do think he's hiding something but this… this takes things to a new level. If I do this, it's going to cause a literal shit storm. You have to appreciate the position this puts me in," He leaned forward in his office chair, elbows on his knees. "Have you tried just asking him?"
"Oh okay, sure," She paced the office, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'll just ask him whether he's really my father. He's definitely going to tell me the truth, not brush me off, or lie to me. Just like he told me about that lead he had last night? Just like he called me today to tell me what the hell is happening, not leaving me worried sick all day. Yeah, he's all about telling the truth!"
"Kid, take the dramatics down a notch," He rubbed his forehead like he was getting a headache.
"I'm almost seventeen years old, I am not a child!" She snapped, feeling at her wits end. He gave her a pointed look and she closed her eyes, taking a long breath to collect herself. "I don't even have the option to ask him, Tony. He's missing. I called my mom on the way here, she hasn't heard from him either and she's trying not to freak out."
"So how is doing a paternity test going to help you right now?" Tony spread his hands out, exasperated.
"Neither of us have tracking chips or anything. I even tried pinging his phone and that was a total bust," Heather said, pushing her goggles up to rub at her tired eyes. "I got to thinking today, maybe you can track him because we share the same radioactive DNA? But, that's only if we actually do share it. If he's not my dad, then I'll have to figure out another way to find him. It's worth a shot, right?" She tried not to sound as desperate as she felt, but it was clear he could see right through her.
He got up and walked to the floor to ceiling window, looking down at the skyline below, his hands in his pockets. Just when she thought he was going to say no, he turned to her, a thoughtful look on his face. "I can't help much with this but," He held up his finger significantly. "I do happen to know an expert in radiation. Jarvis?"
"Yes, sir?"
The disembodied voice of the AI startled Heather for a moment. She'd nearly forgotten about Tony's invisible assistant.
"Call Banner, tell him to meet us in the lab ASAP."
"Right away."
"Come on, kid, let's go do some science," He grinned at her, like a kid on Christmas. Despite her mounting fears and anxiety, she found herself smiling too. Finally… answers.
An hour later - which Heather knew because she'd been checking the clock every five seconds - she wasn't smiling anymore. Tony and Bruce were crowded close together, examining the results on the holo screen in front of them, their backs to her. She sat on the exam table she'd slept on the day before, legs curled to her chest, unwilling to look at the results herself.
She picked at the now useless bandaid on her inner elbow where Bruce had drawn a blood sample from her earlier. "God, will one of you just say something already?" She finally demanded. Her whole body was a tightly coiled spring, ready to explode.
Bruce ran his hand through his dark curls, as he turned to look at her. Tony leaned closer to the screen, frowning like he was willing the information to make sense.
"It's a yes… and a no?" Bruce finally said, shrugging his shoulders.
Heather blinked at him. "The fuck does that mean?"
"Yes, you have the DNA markings of Peter Parker as your father, but… it's only thirty percent," Bruce explained slowly as he sat down on a stool by the exam table.
"That's," Heather blinked. "That's not how DNA is supposed to work. Right?" She glanced between the two Avengers, confused. "Isn't it supposed to be fifty from the mom and fifty from the dad?"
"Technically yes," Dr. Banner said, looking at Tony. When the mechanic failed to add to the conversation and instead read over the results with more scrutiny, going so far as to pull out a holo projection of Heather's DNA to manipulate, Bruce continued. "Although we do know that in some cases, children can get slightly more genetic material from one parent over the other, like when a child inherits a rare disease that was only present on one side of the family. But for the most part, the fifty/fifty rule stays true."
"So how did I end up with seventy from my mother and thirty from dad? That… I mean, I shouldn't exist, right? Isn't that what happens when something messes up with the gametes, the fetus dies?"
"Usually," Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's complicated."
"You guys don't know what any of this means, do you?" Heather realized, wanting to scream in frustration.
"Actually," Tony finally said, having pulled up her DNA model to the size of a full grown man. "I think I have an idea."
"Care to share with the class?" Heather said, jumping off the table to circle the model. Her knowledge of high school AP biology only told her so much from staring at the rotating double helix though.
"You remember that one guy who gave webhead so much trouble?" Tony spun towards Bruce, ignoring Heather's question. "Maybe fifteen odd years ago? What was his name?" He snapped his fingers repeatedly, trying to jog his memory. "Wolf? Dingo? Hyena?"
Bruce frowned. "Jackal?"
Tony clapped his hands. "That's it - Jackal! Ohh, I mean the guy was brilliant, but totally deranged."
Bruce nodded slowly, like the pieces were beginning to come together for him. "He was at the forefront of his field. The technology was cutting edge, even if it didn't always produce perfect results. Didn't matter to that guy though. Couldn't ever get past his own ego."
"I'm beginning to see a pattern with my Dad's enemies," Heather deadpanned.
"You'll find it's a common theme," Bruce told her with a hint of a smile.
"Hello! I'm being brilliant over here," Tony cried, catching their attention. He pointed at Heather as he walked through the hologram. "You have more of your mother's DNA because it was compensating for gaps in your dad's. Your dad's had gaps because it wasn't ever supposed to be able to reproduce in that way."
"Wait," Heather rolled her hand. "Back up. My Dad is infertile? That doesn't add up." She waved her arm at herself. "I am one of three children he's had."
"Your dad was," Tony said slowly. "But Peter isn't."
"I don't understand," Heather admitted, a feeling of dread in her gut.
"Peter Parker isn't your father… his clone is," Tony finally said softly, his eyes tight with sympathy.
"What are you…?" She trailed off, finally noticing the small text box on the hologram that labelled a section of her DNA coding.
The box read simply, Paternal Match Found: Ben Reilly.
AN: Taa-daah! The chapter I have been waiting to write since 2012. I'm pretty sure I still have some early drafts for this chapter on my old laptop. There were just so many different ways I could have taken this, I could never properly decide on it until now. I also tried very hard to lay hints along the way that weren't super obvious, but I'm sure some of you detectives out there already figured it out (or you read W4 and found out that way... I got impatient, okay?). Anyway, Heather finally knows the truth, but there is so much more she's going to uncover before we end this. I know this has been a slow burn, but god I appreciate all of you for sticking with me for this long journey. I think I can safely say the pace is going to pick up significantly after this, so don't be surprised if chapters are a bit shorter in the future.