It turned out that it wasn't everyone who wanted to talk to Spencer right away. No, it was one person in particular. The one that Tony had warned Spencer that he was going to call in – and the one who hadn't stopped staring at him.
Stephen Strange folded his hands on the table in front of him and leaned forward, his eyes still fixed right on Spencer. When he spoke, it wasn't a greeting, wasn't a question, wasn't anything like what Spencer was expecting. No, the very first words he said to Spencer were "You need to work on your mental shielding or the world is going to overwhelm you."
The young genius arched an eyebrow at him. "I manage." How could this man see his shields, or the state of them? Or was he just guessing? In this world, where superheroes existed, it was hard to rule out any possibility. Maybe he could see into Spencer's head and see his shields. Or he could just be reading his cues from Spencer's body language and was going from there.
A hint of a smile twitched at Stephen's lips. "I'm sure you do." The way he watched Spencer, it was with a gaze that made him feel as if he was being stared straight through. "What you've managed to create naturally is impressive. I can help you improve it."
Yeah, because that didn't come off as suspicious at all. Spencer shifted his weight just slightly to the left; a small degree further away from this man of magic. "Pardon me, but having someone I don't know help me build the shields that protect my mind – it seems rather counterproductive, don't you think?" There was no way he was going to let some stranger come anywhere near his mind. It was one of his greatest weapons and the most sure thing in his life. The one thing he could always count on. He wasn't going to risk anyone messing with it. "Besides, I highly doubt that's why you're here, Doctor."
"No, it's not, child."
Hearing the 'child' at the end of that had Spencer wanting to grit his teeth. Later, he'd blame the way he snapped on the fact that he'd only had a few sips of his coffee. At the moment he didn't even think about it. In a tone far sharper than anyone, even Peter, had heard from him, he snapped out, "Doctor." He pushed himself to stand up straighter and forced his eyes to get as close to meet Stephen's gaze as he possibly could. "SSA Dr. Spencer Reid, if you'd like to get technical. Not 'kid' or 'child' or any variation thereof."
His sharp words had surprised them. That was easy for Spencer to feel. Not surprisingly, Tony was the one to break the quiet that had briefly fallen. "You're a doctor? And you said last night that you were how old? Thirty?"
"Thirty-five." Spencer said flatly, a hint of color starting to seep into his cheeks. He always hated having this conversation with people. He also hadn't intended on giving that much about himself away; not yet, at least.
So of course that was when Peter had to open his mouth. "He's got three doctorates and three B.A.'s. He got his first doctorate at fifteen."
The sudden spike in interest in the room was echoed by a little jolt of pain in Spencer's forehead. He reached a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose in an attempt to combat it. Dammit. "Yes, Peter, thank you."
"Oh Lord." Jim groaned out, his emotions far too cheerful to match up to the grumpy look that was on his face when Spencer peeked up. "Another genius? That's all we need in this place."
Spencer deliberately avoided looking over at Tony. Out of everyone, his interest had flashed the highest, and there was no doubt in Spencer's mind that the older man had a multitude of questions he was ready to ask. Just as Spencer knew he wasn't in the mood to answer them. He was saved by Stephen of all people. "Yes, yes, you can poke at him later, Stark." The man said with amusement, waving a hand in Tony's general direction. His eyes stayed on Spencer, though. "First, I think it's time that you and I stepped away and had our chat, Doctor."
Instant tension filled Spencer. "Chat?"
The man – wizard? Sorcerer? What did you call someone who was an expert in magic? – chuckled lowly. "Nothing so harmful as you fear, I promise you. It'll be as easy as meditating for you. I simply need to sit down and try and look for any traces of magic around you. If I can find some, it'll help us verify your story as well as potentially provide us with a way to send you back home."
Now that, that had Spencer perking up. He wasn't stupid – he knew there was every chance that he was being lied to here. That Stephen might take him away to a different room and do something to him once they were out of sight of the others. However, he also knew that that scenario wasn't likely. There were too many people here that his empathy was insisting were good people. How his powers seemed to know that, he had no idea. Bad people could have good emotions. It was just – his gut was telling him that they were good. His powers, their body language, nothing about them was setting him off. Spencer reminded himself of that over and over. It helped him to keep his voice calm as he asked "You think you can do that?"
"Indeed. If there are any traces of the spell left on you, I will find it."
"And what do I need to do?"
"Nothing." Stephen said. "All we need is a quiet room where we won't be interrupted. Once in there, I simply need you to sit and be still. The rest will be up to me."
Going off into an empty room with the weird new guy seemed like a terrible plan to Spencer. Honestly, going anywhere away from Peter in this place seemed like a bad idea. Who knew what might happen then?
When he didn't answer right away, the others exchanged a few curious looks. Stephen gave him a gentle smile. "Would you feel more comfortable if we were supervised?"
The question had Spencer's spine immediately straightening. He lifted his chin without even realizing he was doing it and forced his hands to stop shaking. Then he turned himself to look right at Tony. "Is there anywhere in this facility that your security isn't capable of watching?"
"No." Tony said immediately. No jokes, no qualifiers. Just a simple no that made his answer that much more believable.
That was good enough for him. Besides which, Spencer knew he was at least a little capable of looking out for himself. Especially while in a building like this that was so full of electricity. It'd take no effort at all to draw some in and shield himself. He had lots of practice at shields. "After you, Doctor."
Together, the two quietly left the room.
Those left behind watched as the two disappeared from the room. Tony took another drink off his coffee and tried not to feel guilty for this.
Spencer had definitely been uncomfortable walking into that room. The look in his eyes and the way he'd carried himself had made that clear. Even if he'd drawn up his shields after Stephen offered for someone to supervise them, it was still pretty clear that he didn't like the idea of being alone with the other man. Asking about FRIDAY's abilities was testament to that. It was a clear announcement that he didn't trust them. Or, Stephen. Was it because Stephen was magic, or because he was a stranger, or was it something else that Tony very much did not want to think about?
"Is he going to be able to help him?"
The worried note in Peter's voice drew Tony's attention off of the room and over to the teen who had somehow slipped up to his side without him noticing. There was a furrow between Peter's brows and a tension in his body that made it clear just how worried he actually was. Tony couldn't help himself; he reached out and draped his arm around Peter's shoulders, easy and casual the way that he usually only did with Jim, mindful as he did of the injured shoulder that was now tucked against him. It didn't escape his notice how Peter relaxed down into that touch and a bloom of warm pride had Tony smiling a little. "He'll be fine, kid."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. You, on the other hand." Using his arm to tug on Peter a little, Tony turned enough to mock-scowl down at him. "You're in so much trouble."
A few laughs were smothered around them. The others drifted away a bit, getting breakfast together and on the table, leaving the two a small sense of privacy that Tony was going to take advantage of. It meant none of them were over there to see as Peter looked up at Tony, scowling and pouting all at the same time, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy. "What? What did I do!"
Was he seriously asking that? He wasn't that stupid. With the arm he had around Peter, he lifted his hand and thumped at the kid's forehead. "How about finding some strange kid out in the streets and, instead of calling for backup, you instead took him home. Then you kept him there, hiding him from me, lying to me…" With each word he said, Peter hunched down a little more.
Peter had gone from scowling to biting at his bottom lip. "Oh. Right."
Snorting, Tony ruffled his hair. "Yeah, oh. Consider yourself grounded from web-slinging for the next week, short stuff."
Peter pulled back just enough to look up at him with horror. "A week!"
Letting his arm slide a little, Tony took hold of the back of Peter's neck, giving him a small shake even as he fixed the kid with a firm look. "A week. Considering that's how long you lied to me for, I'm thinking it's fair, don't you?" Besides which, a week would give Tony time to throw together a few things that would certainly ease his conscience a little when Peter went back out there. Like protection against electric shock and maybe a web function or two that might help restrain a being that could actively control electricity. This kid's story might prove true – there was no telling how this visit with Strange would go, or the results of any of Bruce's further tests – but that didn't mean that Tony was going to just trust him out there with the kid who had managed to squirm his way into Tony's life and heart and set up camp.
He saw it as Peter thought about protesting. He even opened his mouth, the words sitting right there on the tip of his tongue, only for him to deflate. "Yes, sir."
He's such a damn good kid. That thought warmed his gaze, though it didn't stop him from wrinkling his nose. Tony used his grip on Peter to give him another little shake before letting him go and nudging him over towards the mostly ready table. "Gross. What did I say about the 'sir' bit, Parker?"
"I thought I was supposed to pretend you didn't say any of that." Peter fired back, giving him a sassy little smirk before laughing and hurrying forward, avoiding the swat that Tony sent his way.
The laughter that filled the room warmed Tony. It chased away some of the chill of fear that had been left in him after last night. Seeing Peter here, surrounded by family, watching Jim laugh at him and even Bruce chuckle – Vision just smiled at them all – helped Tony to settle just a bit. Most of his family was here, and while they weren't in the best of condition they were safe, and that was what mattered. There were only a few missing – or, at least, a few that he let himself think about – but that would be fixed soon enough. One of them would be arriving in a week, and Pepper would be back in just a day. The rest of them were here and, while Peter was still injured, they were mostly okay. These were the moments Tony lived for.
He enjoyed the hell out of it when he was ushered into his seat at the head of the table – no one else ever sat there. Not since someone had tried to nudge Peter there once and he'd looked so innocently confused as he'd told them "That's Mr. Stark's seat." Ever since then, the rest of them took great pleasure in making sure Tony sat there and only there during their family meals. It was the same when they were in the kitchen in his private quarters, too, which was where they usually had their 'family meals'.
As they all started to serve up their food from the various platters of eggs, pancakes, hashbrowns, and sausage, Bruce took a moment to point across the table at Peter – the two of them sitting on either side of Tony. "You need to eat a full plate, Peter. Two, preferably. Your healing factor is working overtime and you need the extra nutrients to help it along."
Peter was still enough in awe of Bruce that he didn't lodge any of the complaints he might have if Tony had said it. Just a quick "yes, sir" that had them chuckling. Still, Tony watched until he was sure the kid had loaded up an actual full plate – sometimes Peter was still a bit weird about being given stuff for free, even food – until he served his own. He pointedly ignored the smirk that Jim was sending his way.
By silent unanimous agreement, no one spoke about Spencer, though whatever was going on between him and Strange was in all their thoughts. Instead, Jim asked Peter about what kind of stuff he'd gotten to do this week, and they all let the kid's familiar, comforting rambles wash over them, regaling them with stories of his newest suit upgrade while they waited for any news to come their way.
Tony barely ate, unable to get much in with the tension that sat in his stomach like a weight. This meeting with Strange could go two different ways and each outcome had its own trouble. If Spencer was lying and he was something dangerous, it was going to spell trouble for all of them, and it was going to break Peter's heart. If his story was true…well, what they'd do would depend on what Strange had to say about being able to send him back.
There were just too many unanswered questions at the moment and no real way to get those answers. Not until this meeting was done.
Tony forced himself to focus on what Peter was saying while inside, he worried.
When Spencer had gone into a room just down the hall with this Doctor Strange, he hadn't been entirely sure what to expect. Even when the man had said that he needed to "examine the magical energies surrounding you" there hadn't bene any real indication of what that involved. What he hadn't expected was for it to mean that he just sat there in a chair while Doctor Strange sat in front of him and muttered words Spencer didn't understand while waving his hands over him. Sure, Stephen had said he'd just have to sit here. Still, Spencer hadn't quite been prepared for… this.
It didn't really seem like what he was doing required any sort of input from Spencer. That was fine. It allowed him the freedom to watch.
The idea of magic was just – it was so much more than even the idea of superheroes. Spencer had always been attracted to the idea of magic. He'd been fascinated by the things magicians did. But that had been mostly because he couldn't help trying to figure out how to replicate it. The tricks that let the tricks end up looking like actual magic. He'd studied so much of it until he could easily make a quarter appear from behind a kid's ear, or do thousands of card tricks, or make something 'vanish'. There was pleasure to be found in watching people be so enthralled by the idea of 'magic'.
This seemed nothing like that.
Stephen was muttering in a language that Spencer didn't know, at least at first. After a while he recognized the switch to Latin. Was even able to translate a word here or there, though most of it was too low for him to hear. But there wasn't anything flashy. Nothing that really struck him as magical.
When Stephen finally pulled back and sat down in his own chair, Spencer had to admit he was disappointed. Just a bit.
"There's definitely magical energies left around you." Stephen told him without any preamble. He didn't waste time; just got right to the point. Maybe he saw that Spencer needed that at the moment. "I can't quite read the spell itself. I got an image of some of it, and it's unlike anything I've ever seen before."
Spencer licked lips that had gone dry. "Can you use it to send me back?"
"I don't know. Not right now. I don't understand enough about this to be able to really give you an accurate answer. If I had access to the spell itself, that might help. Or the symbols. Stark told me that you touched your bloodied hand to a wall of symbols inside of a shrine."
"I did. Um… if it'll help, I uh, I copied down all the symbols that were on the wall." Spencer offered. At Stephen's surprised look, Spencer gave a half-smile. "I have an eidetic memory. I copied everything as best as I could recall, as well as anything else that was in the surrounding area. I've got it all in notebooks back at Peter's place. If I have those brought over, would it help?"
The sorcerer nodded at him. "Absolutely. Anything that can tell me about the spell itself would help immensely."
"I'll get them to you, then." It wouldn't be hard to get back to Peter's and get them. Or have May bring them over, maybe. There was no telling if or when he was going to be allowed to leave this place. Spencer didn't delude himself into believing that he was going to be allowed to just walk out of here. "What you've seen… is it enough to verify to the others that I'm telling the truth?"
He felt a burst of relief when Stephen nodded again. The man crossed his legs and sat back in his chair, folding his hands into his lap. "Yes. I saw quite a lot of you when I looked. Nothing too personal!" he hurried to add when he saw Spencer's expression go tight. "Just enough that I can verify you are who you say you are. An image of the man you were, standing briefly in front of that wall. Yes, there's no doubt you're from an alternate universe." He lifted his hands out and briefly spread them on either side of him. There was an apology written clear as day on his face. "I wish I had better news for you, Dr. Reid. Rest assured I'll do everything I can to help you find a way to get back home."
The news wasn't all bad. Spencer tried to console himself with that. The news wasn't all bad. Almost absently, he reached out and picked up the mug of coffee he'd forgotten about and drained the cool liquid in one gulp. He was going to be stuck here for a little while longer, that was all. This guy, he knew about magic, apparently, and he was going to try and get Spencer back home. That was a step up! It was good! So why did he feel so sick?
He was startled out of his thoughts when Stephen rose and did something – Spencer's mouth dropped open as an actual portal appeared right there in front of him. A hole that was literally in the middle of the air, through which Stephen reached inside of and pulled back some… books?
Spencer was too busy staring in stunned shock at the now closing portal to realize at first that the books were being held out to him. When Stephen cleared his throat, Spencer's gaze snapped to him. He found the man smiling down at him. "Here, these are for you. They might help you with understanding some of your empathic powers. If you have any questions, please, feel free to ask. Tony has a number where you can reach me."
"How did you do that?" Spencer blurted out. It was all he could think of. How on earth had the man done that? It should be scientifically impossible!
Stephen let out a low chuckle. "Practice." was the only answer he gave. Then he pushed the books towards Spencer once more. "You seem like the type to appreciate reading as a form of learning. Take good care of these and be sure to return them when you finish. I have more, if you end up needing them, though I hope you won't be here that long. In the meantime, they should help you learn ways to strengthen your mental shields and protect yourself against the emotions of others."
Only years of practice had Spencer capable of remembering his manners in that moment. "Thank you, Dr. Strange." There were a thousand questions about what had just happened now running through his mind. He did his best to push them back – holy shit, magic was real! – and focus on other things. Stephen's answer had made it clear he wasn't going to say much else.
Once more taking his seat, Stephen again nodded at him. "If there's anything I can help with, let me know."
That brought to mind a few things that had been in Spencer's head; things he hadn't had anyone to ask so far. If there was anyone that was likely to understand about this part of his powers, something told him it was going to be this man right here. Because of that, Spencer shoved everything else in his head away and brought his focus on Stephen. "I have one question."
"Yes?"
"Is it… does it make sense that the empathy might affect my own emotions?"
He was a bit relieved when Stephen didn't immediately dismiss his question. "How so?"
"I used to have more – control. I didn't feel like this." He didn't feel so much. Sure, he'd had strong emotions, but not quite like this. Not this, overpowering. It wasn't just the emotions of others that got to Spencer sometimes. His own could be just as bad if not worse.
Something akin to understanding lit Stephen's eyes. "I get the impression that the person you were before was good at hiding from their emotions. I'd wager it wasn't that you felt less, it was just that you didn't allow yourself to feel it."
There was no way Spencer could deny that. He had felt things, sometimes too strongly, but he'd become a pro at pushing it down and locking it away.
"Empathy doesn't allow for that luxury. Being open to the emotions of others means that you're more open to your own as well. It doesn't allow you the luxury of hiding from yourself. From what I understand, empaths see the world in emotions. Every memory is tied to them, every person linked to a specific emotional signature. Everything is emotions. To separate from that would be to take away a part of yourself. It would make sense that your day to day life would be the same. Everything you view is going to be through the filter of your powers – empathy and electricity alike."
That wasn't at all what Spencer had been hoping to hear. The words rang true, explaining a little about how he seemed to see things now, and yet they weren't at all what he'd wanted to hear. Curling his hands over the books he still held, he tried to keep his voice from cracking as he asked "How am I supposed to exist if I can't push it down?"
"I don't know." Stephen admitted without shame. "I've only known a few with the ability. They learned to live with this and even use it as a blessing in their lives."
He must've been able to sense that this was all starting to get to be too much for Spencer. Pushing up to his feet, he reached out as if to touch, only to draw his hand back. "I've given you a lot to think about. Why don't you stay here for a few moments before coming back to breakfast? I'm sure things will start to look better once you've had a meal in you."
The idea of food didn't sound the least bit appealing. Still, Spencer nodded. "Thank you, Doctor."
"The pleasure is all mine, Dr. Reid."
A moment later Spencer found himself sitting alone in the room. He didn't move from his chair. Didn't rise or go to the window or make any move to go and join the others. He just sat there and held the books in his lap and tried to still his racing thoughts.
He was still sitting there an indeterminate amount of time later when the door opened. He felt Peter before he saw him. The teen came forward, pausing for a moment before crouching down beside Spencer's chair. Even if Spencer hadn't been able to feel his worry it would've been easy to see in his eyes. He didn't say anything at first. He just squatted there with an ease that Spencer was sometimes jealous of, before he remembered his body was young and he could likely do that now too without any pain in his knees.
Spencer closed his eyes and drew in a breath to steady himself. "I'm not going to be able to go back with you, am I?"
It wasn't a question, not really, yet Peter answered it anyways. "Mr. Stark said I could set you up in the room next to mine. I've got a room over in his wing of things here. He was gonna put you in this wing, but Colonel Rhodes said he should let you be next to me and Mr. Stark didn't argue it, so…"
For once Peter's ever-present babble was absent. The somber atmosphere in the room had them both quiet. Spencer kept his eyes closed as he took a few more steadying breaths until his stomach felt less like it was churning and he was sure he would be able to keep his emotions under control. When he finally opened his eyes again and turned to look at this kid he called friend, he tried to give Peter a small, reassuring smile.
He was pretty sure the teen saw right through it. Still, he didn't call him on it, and for that Spencer was grateful. "Come on, I'll show you where it's at." Peter said instead.
Spencer let himself be led out of the room and in the opposite direction of the kitchens. Their route took them a little bit. According to Peter, "We were on the common floor before. It's the top floor of the Avengers half of the building. Top floor is their common floor, under that is a floor for all their rooms, and then there's uh… other things under that." He'd flushed to cover up the fact that he'd almost blurted out things he'd likely realized he shouldn't. Spencer had to give him credit, though, he moved on quickly. "This building's sort of shaped like a big U. That was the longer leg of the U, and it holds most of the housing for the Avengers and other personnel. The middle part is where the med area and other things are, and the shorter leg is where we're going. That's Mr. Stark's wing. He's got the top floor to himself, so don't try and go up there cause FRIDAY won't let you, but the floor below it has a few guest rooms on it, and that's where we are. There's my room, an you can be right next to me, and then a few more empty ones, and then on the other side of the hall there's a room for Colonel Rhodes and there's a couple other rooms, too, plus a communal kitchen area. Each room has its own bathroom, too. It's pretty freaking awesome!"
The description kept up the whole way there, through security that Spencer deliberately tried not to notice.
Eventually, they ended up in yet another hall and Peter tapped at one door, telling Spencer "This one is mine" with such a smile on his face it was hard for Spencer not to smile back at him, before he moved on to the one next to it and opened up the door. "And this one is yours."
The room was about the size of Spencer's living room back home. The young genius walked inside, still holding his books to his chest, and looked around him. Any other time and he might've been a bit in awe. The bed was king sized and covered in plain grey sheets and a comforter. The headboard was pushed up against the far right wall, with a nightstand on either side. There was a lamp on one of the nightstands and a clock on the other. There were windows covering almost all of the wall directly in front of Spencer, letting in lots of natural right. To the left there was a desk with just a lamp on it, a rolling desk chair, and then there was a large chair and coffee table tucked over into the corner next to a bookshelf. The room was cozy and comfortable looking and Spencer really couldn't have cared less.
He stood in the middle of the room and closed his eyes yet again. One week. He'd had one week with Peter to try and get himself as comfortable as possible in this midst of all this chaos. Now his world was getting turned upside-down again and he was in a new home with adults who knew well enough to not trust him. Even with Stephen verifying his story, it was likely these others wouldn't trust him. They obviously didn't trust him to be around Peter anymore. Was he even going to get to see him after this or was Tony going to try and keep them apart?
Spencer didn't realize how trapped he was getting in his own thoughts until Peter's voice broke through. "Spencer… Spencer?" There was the soft sound of footsteps as Peter moved closer. "Are you, uh… are you okay?"
"Yeah." Spencer said slowly. He wiped a hand over his face and hated how it shook. Curling his fingers in, he dropped his hand down and curled it back over the books, trying to hide it. He deliberately turned away from Peter and walked over towards the desk to set the books down. It let him put his back to Peter and hopefully hid whatever look was on his face.
"Did something happen? With Dr. Strange?"
Setting the books down, Spencer pressed his hands flat on them, staring at the obvious signs of age on the cover of the top one. These were old, old books. He was going to have to be careful with them. "No, no. I just…" Spencer paused and sighed. It wasn't like it'd cause any harm to admit it. He turned back to Peter and tried to smile at him, hoping that it would work to reassure him somewhat. "It was a rather illuminating conversation, that's all."
There was a hint of hesitance in Peter's body language as he moved himself forward, only to stop, unsure. It made Spencer's stomach twist to see. While Peter had been in turns nervous or awkward or uncomfortable before, he'd never really come off as this hesitant or unsure, not since the beginning. Spencer found that he didn't like seeing it now. Because of that, he made a quick, split-second decision. Pushing past his own discomfort, he stepped forward and lightly brushed his fingers over Peter's arm. "Come on. I need somewhere to breathe for a bit that isn't surrounded by electronics."
The smile he got from Peter brought out his own in return. It grew even more so when Spencer looked up to the ceiling and asked "FRIDAY…" He paused, slanting a questioning look at Peter, and got a quick nod in return to let him know he'd gotten it right. "FRIDAY, what's the quickest way outside?"
He was a bit surprised when one of the windows near the chair opened. "This might be the best choice for what you want, Dr. Reid."
The fact that she – and that voice was definitely female – knew enough to know that he could easily get out the window, or maybe she just assumed that Peter could take them out, should've bothered him. It didn't. Spencer found himself actually smiling. "Thank you."
If only his team could see him now. Spencer was amused by the thought as he climbed up into the open window. None of them would believe the change in him. They wouldn't picture him the type to do this. The only one who probably wouldn't be surprised was Derek. He knew Spencer well enough to know there was a bit of a daredevil in him sometimes, in the right circumstances. He would've laughed if he were there to see as Spencer braced on the window and then leapt.
The energy board was easy to call up. It caught Spencer only a few feet down, after a rather thrilling freefall.
He made it bigger just in time for Peter to land half beside and half behind him. The other teen was grinning broadly at him, not showing any signs of being bothered by his injuries. He put one hand on Spencer's shoulder to brace himself and then lifted one finger on that hand to point over in the distance where there was what looked like a small forest. "There's a little lake over that way. Put us down in the trees and we can walk on over."
That sounded like a good plan. Spencer rolled his shoulders a little and let the power on his board push up just enough to grip at both their shoes. It'd allow them to move their feet, so long as they didn't try to pull off the board. It'd keep them on it. Then, with a smile, he called out "Hang on!" and pushed them forward, shooting them up into the sky in a move he knew would make Peter laugh.
After only one loop, just because Spencer couldn't resist the second-hand joy he got from his companion, he finally landed them at the edge of the forest. They both stepped down just as Spencer let go of the energy and the board's energy drew back into him.
Being out here, standing down on solid ground, was enough to take a bit of the tension out of Spencer's muscles. His steps became easier as he and Peter moved away from the building and onto a small path that looked like it led into the trees. Judging by where it came from and where it went, it was likely part of a jogging path of some sort. There was no one on it now to bother them as they stepped into the shelter of the trees.
Peter walked quietly beside him. Despite what other people probably thought, the teen was capable of being quiet. He was actually pretty good at the type of silences that Spencer sometimes preferred. Sure, he could babble with the best of them, sometimes putting Spencer to shame with his rambling ability, but he also knew how to be quiet and just be sometimes.
They walked for a little while together without saying a word. It wasn't until they were well into the trees and Spencer had almost completely relaxed before he finally spoke. Even then, it was a low "Thanks."
"No problem." Peter said easily. "I didn't even stop to think what it'd feel like for someone with your kind of powers to have to be in there."
"It's fine."
"Are you sure? Because – it doesn't have to be, Spencer. I mean, yeah, there's not really much else we can do, and I know you're gonna stay no matter what I say, but that doesn't have to mean that it's all fine. It doesn't have to mean you're fine."
Spencer didn't answer right away. He took a breath first and lifted a hand, trying to visualize what he wanted. He gathered the energy needed and gave a small wave of his hand to spread it out in what ended up an electrical shield around them that would be invisible to the naked eye, but would keep them protected from anyone trying to listen in on their conversation. Only when that was in place did he finally drop his hand down and let himself relax the rest of the way. At Peter's curious look, he flushed a little. "Electronic shield." This time his hand waving was just a flustered sort of gesture around him. "I figured it'd be nice to talk without being listened to."
Instead of being bothered by that or worried about what Spencer might want to say, the only reaction that Peter gave was a broad grin, followed by a slightly awed "Awesome." His smile was quickly replaced with a frown once more. "So what's up? What's going on?"
The fact that they now had privacy – at least, he hoped so – meant that Spencer didn't have to fight as hard to hide his sigh. Granted, he still tried some, because this was Peter, who was just a kid no matter how much he might protest that title, and burdening him with Spencer's problems seemed ridiculous. He was the adult here. He should be able to handle it! Yet… this past week, they'd gotten somewhat close. And Peter was the one he trusted the most in this world right now. He was also the one who would have the answers to some of Spencer's questions. "These people – you trust them, right?"
"Yeah! Yeah, absolutely!"
There was nothing in his body language or his emotions that suggested he was lying to try and make Spencer feel better. Peter wasn't good at hiding things, either. He wouldn't have been able to hide anything like that from Spencer. Which meant that he was being honest. He really, truly trusted the people here. "All of them?"
"Yeah!" Peter nodded emphatically. "I mean, I don't know Vision all that well, but I don't think anyone really does. Not even him. He's still sort of… young. And new. But he wouldn't hurt anyone. I know that. Not unless he had to. And Colonel Rhodes is awesome. Him and Mr. Stark have been friends since college. He's a good guy. They're all really great, Spencer. Really. I mean, they can get a bit overprotective, and sometimes I think they forget that kids can do things too, and they're ridiculous about curfew and eating and stuff like that, but… I don't know. They're, uh… they're nice."
The color that bled into Peter's cheeks with those last words was sweet. Spencer leaned in just enough that his shoulder bumped against Peter's bicep. Then he tilted his head enough that he could smile up at Peter. "If you trust them…then I'll trust that I'm safe enough here. The rest, well – I wasn't figuring anything out on my own. I can only hope being here with them will help."
The blush in Peter's cheeks deepened even as his grin stretched wide. "If there's anyone who can figure it out, it'd be them. Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark, they're like, some of the smartest guys on the planet."
Spencer dropped his gaze back down and coughed to cover up his chuckles at the obvious hero-worship in Peter's voice.
After they'd been walking in silence for a bit, Spencer lifted a hand and waved it, dissipating the shield that he'd built around them. Then he stuffed his hands down into his pockets and let his body just relax.
By the time they made it back to the main building, both were much more relaxed, though Spencer could tell that Peter was definitely ready for more pain medication. It was part of why Spencer had turned them back around. Peter had been pushing himself too much for someone so fresh from surgery. Even someone with a healing factor. It was also why Spencer had opted to fly back instead of walking. He'd called up his board, much to Peter's surprise, and didn't give him much of a chance to decide if he wanted to use it or not. "Come on, it's time to get you back home."
"I'm fine." Peter insisted, even as he let Spencer tug him up onto the board. Instead of climbing up to stand by him, the teen just climbed up onto the edge and sat there, his legs dangling as Spencer drew the board up into the air. The only concession he made to balance was to reach out and curl a hand around Spencer's ankle.
Spencer didn't protest the touch even if he kind of wanted to. He just set a course towards the window they'd left from, which was still open for them, and he made sure that his powers wouldn't let Peter just slide off. When they got close to the windows, one of the bigger ones opened, making a clear route for them to fly in, and Peter drew his legs up to cross them under him so they'd be out of the way as they sailed inside.
There was a guest waiting for them when the two arrived. Spencer wasn't surprised – he'd seen him already, and sensed him as they got closer. When he flew into the room he didn't flinch at seeing Tony Stark sitting against the head of the bed with his legs stretched out on top the blankets. The man had a tablet in his hands – Peter had told him they were called Starkpads, and the teen was desperate to be able to own one – and he was tapping away at it as they came in. He didn't look up, not until Spencer stopped the board in the middle of the room and Peter slid down carefully to his feet, calling out a slightly cautious "Hey, Mr. Stark."
"Finished with your morning constitutional, I see." Tony said dryly, tapping a few more times at the screen before laying the tablet down in his lap. He smiled up at them as Spencer let go of the board and hopped down to stand at Peter's side. "I hear those are good for your health, or something like that."
Peter made a funny sound, no doubt ready to protest, but Spencer beat him to it. "They are, actually. In all definitions of the phrase. Especially for someone in your age range. You should try it. An early morning walk has been proven to help reduce high blood pressure and high cholesterol."
His words had Peter choking a little. Tony narrowed his eyes. "I can't decide if you're being honest or sassy. Or both. So, I'm going to ignore it, and pretend that you didn't just call me old. Instead, we're going to discuss what I actually came in here for." He tossed the Starkpad to the side and sat up a little, curling one leg in and letting the other one drop down to the floor. "As you can probably guess, Strange came down and confirmed your story for us. I may not like the idea of magic, and I rarely trust things that can't be explained by science, I'm not enough of an idiot to discount an expert just because I don't approve of their field. If he says you're telling the truth, I'm gonna believe you. But that mean's we've got a few options here."
This sounded like it was going to take a moment and Spencer didn't want to keep Peter on his feet any longer than he needed to. The kid was definitely in need of medication. Spencer held a hand up Tony's direction, requesting silence, and then turned his focus to Peter. Because of that he didn't see the surprise on Tony's face at being silenced. Spencer reached out and made himself lay a hand on Peter's arm, just a light touch. "Peter, this sounds like it's going to take a while. Why don't you go find Dr. Banner and I'm sure Mr. Stark or I will come find you when we're done." When he saw that Peter was about to protest, he pressed his fingers in just a little and lowered his voice. "I can feel how much you're hurting, Peter. Go on, go take something for it. I'll be fine. I trust you, remember?"
There was a brief moment of indecision on Peter's face. Then he sighed and nodded. "Fine. You'll come find me afterwards?"
"One of us will, I'm sure." Spencer said. It wasn't an answer, but apparently it was enough of one that Peter accepted it. With only a little grumbling, he left the two of them alone in there.
Spencer waited until the door was closed before he turned to get the rolling chair from the desk. What he planned to say was cut off when he saw the food that was sitting on the coffee table. The sound of Tony moving had him turning to look back at the man. As Tony pushed himself up to his feet, he gestured towards the spread of food. "You left without eating. Big no-no in this house, especially for kids with super-fast metabolisms, who are way underweight."
Looking down at himself, Spencer did a quick mental calculation, trying to guesstimate his weight and then match it up to what he knew he'd been last time he was this age. "I'm not that far off of what I was before. Five, maybe ten pounds?" He shrugged and looked back up at Tony. "Fairly standard for when I was this age." Still, the idea of food sounded good.
As Spencer made his way towards the chair by the coffee table, he missed the strange look that Tony gave him, though he picked up on the slight curiosity. "You remember what you weighed at twelve?"
"Fifteen." Spencer corrected automatically. He slid down into the chair and glared up at Tony just a little. "I'm not twelve, Mr. Stark. And yes, of course I do."
Tony snorted. Pulling out the desk chair, he spun it around backwards and sank down into it, folding his arms to rest on the back of it. "Oh, of course. Because everyone remembers what they weighed when they were babies."
The sarcasm wasn't lost on Spencer. It took him a minute to understand the reason for it, though. Then it clicked. While he might've told them that he was a doctor, and Peter had spilled about the amount of his degrees, he hadn't shared anything else really with this man beyond his previous profession and how he'd gotten here. Tony had no idea about his mind. He wouldn't understand why Spencer considered it natural to remember his weight at fifteen. That realization softened Spencer's annoyance. He was no longer glaring as he reached out to the platter in front of him and picked up the empty plate that sat next to the platter of hot foods and cold fruits. He opted to take one of the thinner pancakes and load it down with fruit as he explained himself to Tony. "I'm an eidetic, Mr. Stark. I don't tend to forget things. Especially things that involve numbers."
"You're an eidetic?"
The absolute shock in that had Spencer looking up as he settled back into his chair. For the first time there were no masks on Tony's face. He was just openly gaping at Spencer.
Furrowing his brow, Spencer nodded. "Yes. Do you… do you not have those here?" Wouldn't that be an interesting difference. Not that eidetics were common in his world or anything, but they did exist.
"They're largely considered a myth here. Impossible. A photographic memory, yes, but there are no actual cases of eidetics out there."
The fact that Tony knew the difference between a photographic memory and an eidetic memory made Spencer want to smile. So few understood. A person with a photographic memory could recall an image almost perfectly; as if their brain had taken a snapshot of the moment for them. But that was all it was. A snapshot. A photo. Dull, flat, and lifeless. Spencer didn't know how people functioned with a memory like that. His memory – it was alive. Memories for him involved all of his senses. He didn't just recall a flat image. He saw a living movie around him. He could see it – feel it – smell it – hear it. All of it was brought back for him. For the longest time he hadn't known that people could think any other way.
Tony was looking at him with a hint of fascination that was tempered by – was that horror? Sympathy? Pity? Spencer didn't get a chance to question it before Tony blurted out "And they let you work at the FBI?" Then he huffed out a breath and threw up his hands. "What am I talking about. Of course they let you work there. They probably begged you to work there. I doubt they gave a damn about your mental health. Jesus."
"Better under their control than no control at all." Spencer said philosophically. While he might not have fully understood when he was being hired, he'd had plenty of time over the years to come to terms with why the Bureau had been so willing to get him. Willing enough that he'd become the youngest agent to ever be hired and allowed in the field. The only agent to have almost all physical requirements waved just so he could join them. "I wasn't someone they could risk being outside of their control. The risk was considered too high." Pausing, Spencer tilted his chin up. "Your government is going to feel the same way."
He watched as Tony sighed and deflated for just one moment. "Yeah, I know." In between one breath and the next the man drew his shields back up. He straightened his spine a little, the worry lines vanishing off his face and a half-smirk sliding in, giving him a sort of I-don't-care vibe that was at complete odds with the exhaustion that Spencer could feel from him. "That's part of what I'm here to talk with you about, small fry. See, we've got a few options here, and I think you've got the right to help pick which one you like best."
"Okay." Spencer settled himself in more comfortably, drawing his legs up to cross them under him, and he put a bite of food in his mouth almost absently. All of his focus was on Tony.
"Has Peter explained anything to you about the Accords?"
"A bit. The general gist of them. I read through them while I was at the library, though. I felt it prudent to be educated on it if I was going to be stuck here."
Again, Tony looked surprised. Also, a bit pleased. "Okay then, that makes this a bit easier. You've probably realized then that, legally, I'm required to report your presence to the Council. Since this happened on American soil, in New York – a city I have some pull in – it wouldn't be hard for me to get permission to investigate this. But there's no guarantee that they'd allow me to house you here, especially since you're in the body of a minor. That means you'd most likely be taken and held at a government facility while Strange, Brucie, and I work on a way to get you back home."
That sounded like a terrible option and one that Spencer really wanted to avoid.
"Our second option is close to that. We've already reported the original incident and we have permission to look into it. We'd simply just… not tell them that you're here until after the fact."
Spencer raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That'd risk putting you in quite a bit of trouble, Mr. Stark."
The older man shrugged one shoulder as if this were no big deal. "Maybe. See, here's where it starts to get a bit… tricky." He lifted one hand and waved it around in front of him as if to emphasize how tricky it was. "When Bruce and I were looking at your blood work, we happened to find something called the X-gene. What that means for you is that the body you're in, it's not a superpowered human like, say, Peter. Your powers weren't created by something external. You're what the world refers to as a mutant. As such, you're not technically covered underneath the Accords. At the moment the Accords only cover superpowered humans, or superheroes. Or the Avengers. They don't cover mutants. Not yet, at least. Charles and I are still working on ironing out the sections made to deal with mutants."
"I have so many questions about this X-gene." Spencer admitted. God, did he ever! He made himself focus, though. "I can see what you mean, however, about the protection it offers me, but what about you? If your government finds out that you've been hiding me here, is the fact that I'm a mutant going to help offer you any kind of protection?"
The fact that Tony felt confused about Spencer's question was worrisome. Almost as much as the way he brushed it off. "It'll be fine. Besides, the only people allowed out here are teammates, and none of them are going to say a word. Even if someone does discover you, or if they already saw you out in costume with Spiderman, it doesn't mean they'd have to know you're connected to the event that brought you here. We just need to make sure we've got an identity prepared for if that happens. But all of that is if you decide to stay here."
"Where else would I go?"
"That friend I mentioned – Charles – he'd be more than happy to let you come and stay with him. He runs a school for mutants that're learning their powers."
A whole school full of children, mutant children? Spencer shuddered. No. He could only imagine what it would feel like for his empathy while there. Children seemed to feel stronger than most people did, except for Bruce. Being stuck in an entire school of them? There was no way his shields would be able to stand up to anything. Besides which… he'd meant it earlier when he'd told Peter that he would trust in Peter's trust of the people here. Going somewhere strange – no. But at the same time, "I don't want to create trouble for you, Mr. Stark, or anyone else here."
Again, Tony waved a hand at him, and this time his emotions backed up the dismissive gesture. "Please. All the adults in the house took a vote and each one of us is willing to have you stay here. If – and it's a pretty damn big if – someone finds out who you really are, we'll deal with it. But the chances of that are slim."
"If you're sure…." He watched Tony carefully, trying to read his face, his body, his emotions, anything to make sure that the man was totally sure about this. When he found nothing to suggest otherwise, the teen nodded. "I'd like to, to stay here. Peter trusts in all of you. I see no reason not to put my faith in that."
He could tell that his words caught Tony off guard. Just as he could tell how they pleased him. Any sign of the real emotion was hidden from his face, though. He covered it up by pushing up to his feet and clapping his hands together. "Great! Well, consider today your 'resting' day. Eat, get some sleep, get settled. I'm sure Peter will come keep you entertained. May's letting him stay, and I sent Happy to go pick up your things from their place. Whatever else you need, just let FRIDAY know and she'll get it for you. Any questions, you can ask her, too."
"Thank you, Mr. Stark."
"Tony." He corrected him. "I've seen you half naked and dripping blood, and now I'm hiding you from the government. I think you can call me Tony. Now! Take your day, get some rest, and tomorrow we'll get together and do a few tests and see what we can come up with. I'll see if I can get Xavier to send someone out, too, to at least assess your powers. Mutant powers are a bit different than kinds like Peter's here. He'll be able to take a look at things and give us some pointers on control for you."
"Thank you, Mr. Stark – Tony."
Once the man was gone, Spencer stayed in his seat for a moment, thinking about everything he'd just learned. He continued to absently pick at his food. He stayed silent long after Tony was gone, even after his plate was empty, wondering if he'd made the right choice, if he could trust these people.
If he was ever going to be able to go home.