"Miss Parker—"

"Please, call me May."

I cracked a small smile. "May. You'll have to excuse me. I need to make a phone call before someone makes a mess of things."

"O-Oh! Sure!"

"Tony?"

"Mm?" He questioned, chewing on some sort of walnut bar that May had offered that I knew he hated.

"Behave."

He shot me an offended look, but I rolled my eyes and stepped just outside the small apartment, lifting my phone to my ear.

"Hello, Miss Jess."

"Vision, I told you to stop calling me that."

"My apologies, Phoenix."

"You know what? Never mind. I'll take 'Miss Jess' over that," I grumbled, earning a chuckle from him. "How's Wanda?"

"She is in good health."

"I meant, how is she acting?"

"She is… quiet."

Go figure. I sighed. "Vision, Steve is going to send someone to collect her."

"Then, I will do everything in my power—"

"You will let her go."

"But surely—"

"Vision, trust me. We're all going to meet up. There will be no civilians involved other than the sole terrorist who thought he could get away with setting off a bomb in Vienna. She'll be safe. As it was, I… I shouldn't have done what I did by making her stay there."

"She is not being forced."

"No, but she's being guilt-tripped, which is just as bad. Give her the phone, would you?"

"…Hello?"

"Wanda, it's Jess. I just… I wanted to apologize for making you stay there."

"No. I understand. I have caused enough problems."

I sighed again, running my hand through my hair. "That's not it, Wanda. I was just trying to protect you, but the way I was going about it was wrong. Putting you behind closed doors won't do anything but confirm everyone's fears. You should have been here with the rest of us. Look, I've got a plan going and I've just told Vision to stand down. Steve is going to send someone to collect you. Go with him."

"But it's dangerous to—"

"Trust me when I say there is no danger to you or anyone with what's about to happen. I've got it all worked out and after this, no one will have to worry about the accords or being shut away because of public incidents out of their control, okay? Everyone will be there and… it'll be a learning experience."

"Vision as well?"

"Everyone," I pressed. "Well, other than Thor and Banner. I sent them an offer, but they refused, which is fine."

She chuckled. "Everyone has been searching for them, and I don't know why I am surprised you know where they are."

"I keep track of my people," I smiled, spotting someone down the hall heading this way. "Now, I've got work to do, so I'll see you when everyone's together. And tell Vision to relax. He's too uptight."

"Of course."

I hung up the phone just as the young man reached the door, making to unlock it, only to frown when he found it already open. He brushed it off and slipped in, allowing me to slide in behind him and lock the door as he greeted his aunt.

"How was school today?" May asked him as I took a seat next to Tony, stealing the walnut bar from his hands and taking a bite myself.

Could be worse, I mused as Peter looked over.

"It was okay. There's this crazy car parked outside…" He trailed off upon seeing us.

"Oh, Mr. Parker," Tony smirked, pretending they didn't know each other.

"Um, what… what are you doing…" He stammered, removing his headphones before catching onto what Tony was doing. "Hey! Um, I-I-I'm Peter."

"Tony and this is Jess."

I gave a small wave to the kid. "I tried to tell him not to take a flashy car, but he refused."

"R-Right. What are you, what are you, what are you doing here?"

"It's about time we met. You've been getting my emails, right?"

Poor Peter looked very confused, though I leaned back in my seat to see how this played out.

"…Yeah."

"Right?"

"Yeah. Regarding the…"

"You didn't even tell me about the grant," May accused, filling in at least one blank.

"About the grant."

"The September Foundation," Tony clarified.

"Right."

"Yeah. Remember when you applied?"

"…Yeah."

"I showed it to Jess and we approved, so now we're in business."

"But you didn't tell me anything. What's up with that? You keeping secrets from me now?" May complained, making Peter scramble for an excuse.

"I just, I just know how much you love surprises so I thought I would let you know… Anyway, what did I apply for?" He questioned us, avoiding his aunt's probing questions for now.

"The September Foundation," I spoke up, checking my watch and knowing I had a few other calls to make before the cogs started doing the opposite of what I needed them to. "A grant that offers you funding to get through school based on your performance academically and through our application process."

"So, there's money involved?" He questioned, looking hopeful.

"Look who you're talking to," Tony snickered, before looking to May. "Can we have five minutes with him?"

"Sure."

"My, uh… My room's over here," Peter offered, leading the way and once we were in his room, Tony locked the door behind us.

"This is the kid?" I questioned and Tony nodded.

"This is him."

"Sorry, who, who are you again?" Peter questioned, looking at me.

"Jess Norris," I hummed, sitting in a chair and giving him a once-over. "Tony's girlfriend, business partner, and current person in charge of the mess going on right now with the Avengers. Which is why I'm currently in your bedroom. Tony, apparently, has some plans for you."

"Whoa, what do we have here?" Tony hummed, not even really listening once he'd spotted the set-up on Peter's desk. "Retro tech, huh? Thrift store? Salvation Army?"

"Uh, the, uh garbage, actually."

"You're a dumpster diver?" Tony repeated, unimpressed.

"Yeah, I was… A-Anyway, look. Um, I definitely did not apply for your grant."

"Ah-ah! Me first."

Peter paused. "Okay."

"Quick question of the rhetorical variety." Tony pulled out his phone, using the holographic imaging to show a video of a swinging red and blue figure. "That's you, right?"

"Um, no. What do you, what do you mean?"

"Yeah."

"Terrible liar," I muttered, giving Peter a look. "You need to work on that."

"Look at you go," Tony mused, switching the film to another one of him stopping a car about to hit a bus. "Wow! Nice catch. Three thousand pounds, forty miles an hour. That's not easy. You got mad skills."

"Please don't say that again," I grumbled.

"That's all, that's all on YouTube though, right?" Peter pressed. "I mean, that's where you found that? Because you know that's all fake. It's all done on the computer."

"Mm-hm," Tony hummed, looking around as I sighed.

"Kid, you're not fooling us. We have an algorithm that searches through YouTube, Facebook and other social media looking for enhanced individuals from unaltered video footage. And…"

"What have we here?" Tony questioned, pushing up on a door leading to the attic and dropping the very same red and blue suit we saw—which Peter quickly grabbed and shoved into the laundry bin behind him.

"Again, terrible liar," I repeated as Tony eyed him trying to act nonchalant.

"So, you're the Spider-ling… Crime-fighting spider. You're Spider-Boy?"

Peter folded his arms across his chest, a bit embarrassed. "S-Spider-Man."

"Not in that onesie, you're not."

"It's not a onesie," Peter complained, moving to his bed as Tony looked at his outfit. "I can't believe this, I was actually having a really good day today, you know, Mr. Stark, Miss, um…"

"Norris. Jess is fine," I waved off as he continued.

"Didn't miss my train, this perfectly good DVD player was just sitting there and Algebra test… nailed it."

"Good job," I offered, earning a small smile.

"Thanks."

"Who else knows?" Tony questioned. "Anybody?"

Peter shook his head. "Nobody."

"Not even your unusually attractive aunt?"

"No. No," Peter pressed giving me a look as I rolled my eyes with a sigh—knowing Tony meant no harm by the words since he was just teasing me. "No, no, no. If she knew, she would freak out. And, and when she freaks out, I freak out."

"You know what I think is really cool?" Tony said, undoubtedly ignoring most of what he'd said and tossing the capsule that Peter caught without looking. "This webbing. The tensile strength is off the charts. Who manufactured that?"

"I did."

"Climbing the walls, how you doing that? Adhesive gloves?"

"It's a long story. I was…"

"Tony," I chided. "He's a human spider."

"Lordy! Can you even see in these?" Tony questioned, looking through the goggles of Peter's suit before Peter took it away. "I'm blind!"

"Yes, yes, I can. Look. I can, I can see in those. Okay? It's just that when whatever happened, happened it's like my senses have been dialed to eleven. There's, there's way too much input, so they, they just kinda help me focus."

"You're in dire need of an upgrade. Systemic, top to bottom, hundred-point restoration. That's why I'm here."

"Oh, here we go," I mumbled, giving Peter a look as he sat on the bed. "He won't stop now until you have a better suit. I just lost another week of sleep thanks to you."

"I, I'm sorry?"

"Why are you doing this?" Tony asked Peter then, a question more interesting to me than how his powers worked. "I gotta know. What's your MO? What gets you outta that twin bed in the morning?"

"Because…" Peter struggled to form the words. "Because I've been me my whole life, and I've had these powers of six months. I read books. I build computers. And, and yeah. I would love to play football, but I-I couldn't then, so I shouldn't now."

"Sure, because you're different."

"Exactly. But I can't tell anybody that, so I'm not." He paused for a moment. "Look. When you can do the things that I can, but you don't… and then the bad things happen… they happen because of you."

Tony looked back at me as the room grew quiet, looking for my approval and I had to admit, that sort of thinking? After only six months with his powers? He's responsible. He thinks before he acts. He's just a kid, but any kid I know would be showing off to the world, trying to be the next Hulk or the next Iron Man. But he just… tucked himself away. Selfless, protective over those he cares about, creative, smart, understanding and… God damn. He's got me. You would find the one kid I wouldn't be able to leave alone. I sighed, folding my arms over my chest with a small betrayed frown and Tony smirked, looking back to Peter knowing he'd won.

"So, you wanna look out for the little guy. You wanna do your part? Make the world a better place, all that, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Just looking out for the little guy. That's what it is."

Tony moved towards the bed, eyeing his leg sprawled over it. "I'm gonna sit here, so you move the leg."

Peter swung his leg off and Tony sat, giving his shoulder a pat.

"You got a passport?"

"No. I don't even have a driver's license."

"Have you ever been to Germany?"

"No."

"Oh, you'll love it."

"I can't go to Germany!"

"Why?"

"I got… homework."

Tony made a face. "All right. I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that."

"N-No, I'm being serious! I can't just drop out of school!"

Tony got up. "Might be a little dangerous. Better tell Aunt Hottie I'm taking you on a field trip."

"You are not calling her that," I grumbled in mild annoyance, earning a smirk from him.

"Depends. Are you jealous?" He questioned, putting a hand on the doorknob only for Peter to stand and use his webbing to stick it to the door as I snorted.

"Nope. Not jealous of that at all."

"Don't tell Aunt May," Peter said seriously, making Tony eye him.

"All right, Spider-Man. Jess will work out the details. Now, get me out of this."

"Sorry. I'll get the, uh…"

I cracked a smile, getting up. "Don't worry about it, Peter. I've got it."

"What? But, it's really strong and—" He gaped in shock though as my hand burned bright red and easily melted through the webbing. "Wow."

"Trust me. It's not as impressive as you think, but that's what I get for upsetting a rival of Tony's."

"Oh, he was hardly a rival," Tony scoffed.

"Nearly killing both of us out of jealousy and revenge? Sounds like a rival to me." I turned to Peter. "I'll work with your school to get you off on independent work-study while you're gone. That should ensure no dropping of your grades and I'll help you with your homework if you honestly need it."

"What, seriously?" Peter questioned, looking to Tony in shock as he shrugged.

"If she says so, buddy, she tends to mean it. See? I told you you'd like him."

"Oh, don't start," I grumbled. "I'll make up some excuse for your aunt too, so don't worry. Now, excuse me. I've got a Wakanan King and a task force agent to call."

And as I stepped out, I nearly chuckled at what I heard through the door.

"You're dating that?"

"Impressive, right?"

I rolled my eyes with a hint of a smile. Honestly. Kids.

The airport was silent. All civilians evacuated and standing outside one of the hangars was a number of Avengers members and enhanced.

"All right, now that everyone's here, do we all understand what's going on?" Jess asked, standing at one end of the two lines of people and Peter leaned forward with a hand raised.

"A-Actually…"

Jess sighed. "Right. So!" She clapped her hands. "Here are the rules. All Iron Man suits are powered down to fifty-percent. Guns are not allowed. Lethal force is not allowed. Vision is also controlling his abilities down to be less effective. Try not to cause any damage that will take over a month to heal, so no broken bones preferable. Directly in front of me is a red line. Anyone who has finished taking out their aggression or feels they cannot continue will step behind this, say their farewells and move on with leaving to their destination unhindered.

"Steve and Barnes will take the Quinjet in hangar five. King T'Challa has already agreed on the plan I gave you both for when this mess is completely over and done with. Likewise, I expect any and all of you who are here to keep me updated with your location once you leave through the number I provided. It is a secure system. Not even Tony will be allowed to know where you are. People may request permission to know, but I will tell nobody unless you say it's all right. And I only need to know in case it's an emergency on a large enough scale that we need all of you back together. Any questions?"

"Why are we doing this?" Rhodes grumbled and Jess sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Because we're all stressed to the breaking point and have things we need to discuss, but you all like to use your fists, so this is the chance for you to feel free to do so."

"So, it's just a superpowered playground fight," Clint muttered.

"Basically, but it has a purpose. Everyone gets to vent their frustrations, the newbie's get a chance to see what teamwork is like and work out controlling their abilities in a superpowered fight, no civilians are involved, no military, no newscasters. We all get a chance to let loose and argue to our heart's content and in return, the world sees it as the end of the Avengers."

"You're breaking up?" Peter gaped.

"To everyone else, it will look like that. In reality, we're going our separate ways for a bit until we're needed back together," Jess explained, starting to walk between the lines of enhanced. "And with the Avengers split up, the accords are therefore nullified because they only apply to organizations, not individuals thanks to my subtle rewording of the amended portions. You're welcome. Now, you all have three minutes to start before I run in and punch someone myself," she said, her body flaring red as her own suit began to cover her, letting off steam. "And go easy on the kid."

"Hey!" Peter complained, going ignored as Jess stepped to the end of one of the lines, folded her arms over her chest and waited.

The group was quiet for a minute. Neither side wanting to be the fist as Jess glanced at her wrist, counting down. Then, finally Tony sighed.

"All right. I've run out of patience. Underoos!"

Peter slung webbing, grabbing Steve's shield and catching it as he jumped onto a car—leaving Steve with his hands bound as well.

"Nice job, kid," Tony praised.

"Thanks! Well, I could have stuck the landing a little better, it's just a new suit. Uh, it's nothing, Mr. Stark! I-It's perfect. Thank you."

"Yeah, we don't really need to start a conversation."

"Okay. Cap-Captain," Peter saluted him, earning a curious look from Steve. "Big fan. I'm Spider-Man."

"Yeah, we'll talk about it later," Tony complained. "Just, good job."

"Hey, everyone," Peter waved at the others, who were watching in mild amusement.

"You've been busy," Steve remarked, and Tony shot him a look.

"And you've been a complete idiot. I'm glad Jess set this up because I've been wanting to get a punch in on you for a long time for the crap you've been putting her through and I—"

"Three, two, one, time," Jess muttered, before making Tony gap as her fist slammed into Steve's jaw, knocking him a few feet away. "Sorry, Tony. I've wanted to hit him far longer than you, I think."

"Well, that's just not fair," Tony grumbled, earning a look from her.

"I did give you a three-minute head start."

"Nice hook," Steve complimented. "Lang?"

"Guys, something—" Peter was cut off as Lang resized and stole Steve's shield back, surprising Rhodes.

"What the hell was that?"

"I believe this is yours, Captain America," Lang said, handing the shield back as Steve broke the webbing on his wrists.

"Oh, great," Tony grumbled. "You two are teaming up? Nah, no thanks. Sam, you wanna go?"

"Oh, you bet."

"I'll get the Cap," Rhodes offered, rolling his shoulders. "Always wanted to have a showdown with you."

Steve smirked. "It'll be my pleasure."

"Barnes is mine," T'Challa chirped, readying himself as Barnes hesitantly did the same. "I plan on doing better than last time."

"Play nice, Cat Nip," Jess told him, giving the others a look. "As a heads up, I'm playing ref too. Anything against the rules and I'll interfere and put you in time out."

"Yes, mom," Clint drawled, making her smirk.

"Oh, you and me, Clint. I want to knock that sarcasm down a notch," Jess grinned, making him grumble.

"Great."

"Hey, Mr. Stark? What should I do?" Peter asked.

"What we discussed. Keep your distance, web them up to make them easier targets."

"Okay, copy that!"

"Hold on. I want a go with you, your majesty," Steve said, throwing his shield at T'Challa before he could get to Barnes. "You already had your fun with Bucky. I think it's my turn."

"Don't regret it," T'Challa mused, throwing multiple kicks at Steve, who blocked with his shield.

"Look, I really don't want to hurt you," Lang said to Natasha, who shot him a look.

"I wouldn't stress about it."

She began fighting him, only for him to use his size exchange as an advantage and flipping her until she managed to zap him. Peter had decided to try his luck with Barnes, who was quick to throw a punch, but Peter caught it easily.

"You have a metal arm? That is awesome, dude!"

Sam split away from Tony then, moving to help Barnes, so Tony tuned to trying to deal with Wanda.

"Wanda, I think you hurt Vision's feelings," he lightly chided her.

"You locked me in my room."

"Okay, first, that's an exaggeration. Second, it was to protect you. And third… it was Jess's idea." He was suddenly knocked out of the sky by Jess, who huffed, flexing her red-tinted metal hand.

"Blaming me, you dick. At least I apologized!"

Tony hit the ground by Clint, who had armed his bow to fire at Jess before she'd flown off to punch Tony.

"Hey, Clint."

"Hey, man."

"Clearly, retirement doesn't suit you. You got tired of shooting golf?"

"Well, I played eighteen, shot eighteen. Just can't seem to miss," he quipped, firing off some arrows at Tony once he'd gotten back in the air.

Tony dodged them, firing off shots to destroy the arrows. "Well, first time for everything."

Clint though smirked. "Made you look."

Cars began to fall from the parking structure behind him with Wanda's power until he was eventually knocked into the ground.

"No broken bones, I said!" Jess chided.

"Sorry," Wanda smiled sheepishly.

Meanwhile, Peter was doing his best to try and get a hold of Sam, while also dealing with projectiles from Barnes.

"Hey, buddy! I think you lost this!" He chimed, throwing the sign back only to get kicked off his perch by Sam.

He was easily able to get off him and used his webbing to shut down Sam's suit before pinning him to a railing.

"Those wings carbon fiber?"

"Is this stuff coming out of you?" Sam questioned in return.

"That would explain the rigidity-flexibility ratio which—I gotta say—that's awesome, man."

"I don't know if you've been in a fight before, but there's usually not this much talking."

Peter chuckled. "All right. Sorry. My bad."

Barnes tried to stop him kicking Sam, but instead, they both ended up webbed to the ground.

"Guys, look, I'd love to keep this up, but I've only got one job here today and I've gotta impress Mr. Stark and Jess, so I'm really sorry." He went to web them some more, but his web shooter was grabbed by one of Sam's drones and he was thrown out a window.

"You couldn't have done that earlier?" Barnes complained.

"I hate you."

I settled behind the red line, letting my helmet slide off as I drank from a water bottle, only to nearly choke when a truck was flipped through the air and exploded.

"Lang!" I shouted, making him wince.

"I-I thought it was a water truck! Sorry!"

Tony went over and helped Natasha up, and I sighed, beginning to see how this could start getting out of hand. That's the problem with being the ref. I had my turn to blow off steam, now I have to ensure the others don't actually kill each other. I watched as they lined up once more and the fighting began again. Tony and Steve, T'Challa and Barnes, Natasha and Lang, Peter and Vision versus Clint and Wanda. Nope, they've switched it up. Natasha and Clint with a hint of Wanda and… now I need to step in. I sighed, helmet coming back on as the rest of the water evaporated and I threw myself forward, grabbing T'Challa's clawed am before he could grab Barnes by the neck. He resisted on instinct, before my hand heated up, warning him.

"No lethal actions. Time out. Now."

He hesitated and I tipped my head, challenging him to argue before he sighed and nodded. He left to go wait behind the red line, but I waved him off, giving him the go-ahead to leave and he gave me a salute before stepping out. I sighed, looking to Barnes.

"You done?"

He nodded, looking a bit worn out and ready to leave, so I gestured to the line and he started for it.

"Wait for Steve. I'm going to be ending this soon."

Lang suddenly became gigantic and I sighed.

"And by soon, I mean now." I tapped my comms. "Steve, your friend is ready to go, get behind the line."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. We're done and you lot are getting out of hand. Vision, help me out and take care of the ground under the Giant's feet. Tony and Peter, get the others off the field and behind the line. Get Wanda to play defense should Lang start chucking things at the line."

"What about you?"

"I'm gonna seal him in. Vision?"

"On it, Phoenix."

I sighed, taking off into the air. "I really should have punched whoever agreed on that name."

Lang wobbled as Vision cracked the concrete under his legs, making him sink. I flew over and removed my suit, heating up my body as hot as it would go, and melting said concrete before Lang toppled forward.

"Vision, get his arms too."

"Of course."

And once I heated that up, Lang was trapped, leaving me to cool down and face him with my hands on my hips like a scolding mother.

"You know, I expected Tony to be the one causing trouble, not a newbie."

He chuckled awkwardly.

"Yeah, oh so funny. You know who has to pay for all these planes?"

"Y-You?"

"Not anymore, no. Tell me, how much do you make?"

"Uh, oh," Tony muttered, leaning over to Natasha. "He thought she was going to pay."

"Yeah, never assume the woman pays the bill."

"Especially not Jess."

I twirled a finger. "Come on then. Get small."

Lang shifted, tearing his limbs out of the concrete that I heated up for him as he rolled onto the ground.

"Anyone have any orange slices? Or, you know, a few million dollars I can borrow?"

I ignored him moving in front of those behind the line. "Now, everyone got it out of their system?"

The group nodded.

"Good. Steve, Barnes, head 'em out. Tony and I will catch up with you later to help deal with the other Winter Soldiers. Anyone hurt beyond scratches and bruises?"

There were shrugs and mumbles, but nothing concrete and I nodded.

"Good. Let's plan another, less destructive fight some other time. Peter, you've got homework waiting for you."

Peter sagged in defeat.

"Clint, I sent you a vacation package since you were supposed to go out with Laura. Send her my apologies."

He snorted. "You kidding? She loves you."

"Don't boost her ego," Tony muttered, wincing when a heated rock bounced off his helmet.

"Pot, meet kettle," I said shortly, tossing another rock in my red hand, eyes flaring gold.

Smart him held up his hands in surrender, wincing and I rolled my eyes, heading over and looking at his arm.

"I thought I asked about injuries."

"I'm fine."

I eyed him. "You're lucky it's not broken."

He cracked a smile as we started back for where we left the cars. "On the plus side, at least there won't be any fighting for a bit."

"Don't jinx it."