Spencer took Tony's advice and gave himself a 'rest day'. He didn't spend it in his new room, though. No, he spent it in Peter's. The two of them shut themselves away and just spent the rest of the day in there together. They talked a little, about what Tony had said and what he'd offered. Spencer gave Peter the bare bones details of things. Mostly, he reassured him that he wasn't going to go anywhere. The two spent the rest of the morning just talking, trying to stick to relaxing subjects, finally breaking when it came time to grab some lunch. Thankfully, someone seemed to understand that neither teen was in the mood for company, because FRIDAY let them know there was food outside the door and the two found a tray there waiting for them with no one nearby.

After lunch, Peter ended up taking a nap at Spencer's insistence. He chose to climb into the hammock he'd made out of webs in the corner of the room instead of taking the bed. It took mere minutes before he passed out.

That left Spencer free to take some time and just think. He sat down on Peter's bed, propping himself up with pillows against the headboard, and for a little while he just sat there and stared out the window as he tried to process everything that had happened and all that had changed. There was so much. Added on to everything now was the worry that he was going to get these people in trouble with his presence. Tony was right – according to what Spencer had read of the Accords, the people here were legally required to report his presence and let the public know that there was someone with powers in their midst. Someone they didn't know and who could be a potential threat. The fact that they were willing to keep his presence a secret – these people who had seemingly fought so hard in favor of the Accords – was staggering.

The Accords themselves were something that Spencer had been leery of at first. When he'd come across them in his research at the library, he hadn't been sure what to feel about them. On the face of it, it looked like a way for the government to try and control those with abilities. To take them and lock them away or use them as they saw fit. It wasn't until he sat there and read through it all, as well as some of the big events that had brought them about, that he began to understand.

The original outline of the Accords that he found had been rough and had definitely needed work. It'd been too tight in some areas, and hadn't covered others that were probably important, and it'd allowed room for people in high positions to step in and abuse it. But the more he read, the further he went into things and the more amendments he discovered – it was shaping up to be something good. Something that would protect the world while also protecting the superpowered individuals. These individuals, they had rights just like anyone else, but at the same time the people of the world had rights. They had the right to want to be safe. They had the right to not want superheroes in their country. Whether or not that was a smart move, that was their choice. You couldn't take away someone's choice just because you thought it was stupid or that you knew better. One individual shouldn't have the power to ignore an entire country's request.

He'd seen a few interviews of Tony Stark talking about them. About why he supported them – "We're people, just like the rest of you, and that means we should be held accountable for our actions. More so, even, when our actions can have such devastating effects…" – and the hard work he put into them.

To have that same man sit here and offer to hide him was crazy. Even crazier when Spencer thought about the fact that Tony had admitted the other adults in the house had voted and agreed on this course of action.

Why? Was it because they felt for his situation? Because they didn't view him as a threat? Because they worried about what might happen to him? Or was it simpler than that – was it that they trusted Peter, and Peter wanted to protect him?

Spencer didn't know. Nor was he sure he ever would. However, he could make it as easy on them as possible, and try to stay out of trouble. That meant being extremely careful if he went out at night with Peter again.

Once Spencer processed his way through that, he moved on to other things. Namely, the books that Stephen had given to him. Some were about mental powers, with sections on empathy, and another was about meditation, while there was an entire one dedicated to just empathic abilities. The information that Spencer found in there was fascinating. It kept him interested as he read through one after another after another at a speed that would've surprised anyone looking on.

Peter slept most of the day away. His body needed it to help his healing along, and pushing himself to be up and about this morning – Spencer felt more than a little guilty over that – hadn't helped anything at all. The only time he woke up was when FRIDAY alerted Spencer that there was dinner outside the door. Spencer got Peter up long enough to get food in him, and to take a second to check his bandages and assess his healing, and then the room was quiet once more as Peter drifted off to sleep.

If Spencer ended up sleeping on the teen's bed, there was no one but FRIDAY around to judge.

They couldn't hide forever, though. When they were both up the next morning, neither had to mention it, but both knew that they couldn't stay in there.

"It'll be all right." Peter reassured Spencer, bumping their shoulders together as they stood in his room. "Why don't you go ahead and go get dressed while I go find us some breakfast?"

The nerves that Spencer had been pushing back came rushing forward once he was in the privacy of the bathroom. Under the spray of the shower, the young genius was able to bow his head down and finally stop trying to hide what he was feeling. He let the panic roll through him and didn't bother to push it back. Instead, he closed his eyes and just, let go, letting the shakes run through him, letting the tears be washed away under the shower's spray. Fear ate at him and left him nauseous. Despite his bravado with Peter, and the calmness he tried to portray, he was terrified. Completely and utterly terrified.

The information he'd learned about his empathy yesterday hadn't helped matters, either. Because there'd been enough information in there that suggested Spencer had been right in bringing up his worries about his own emotions. From the sounds of it, with enough practice an empath could learn control, but that didn't mean they were going to be able to control their own emotions. They couldn't stop what they felt. All he was going to be able to do was learn how to cope with it. That skill couldn't come fast enough. Not even during his actual teenage years did Spencer remember feeling things this strongly. Every emotion felt like it was amplified. When he was happy, it wasn't a little thing, just the warmth and a small smile that had always made Derek grin at him. It was bigger now, a full-body feeling that made him want to grin and rock up onto his toes. When he thought of his friends back home and the grief tried to slip in, it wasn't the heavy ache that he associated with loss. It was a soul-crushing pain that had him wanting to curl in on himself and sob.

So far he'd managed to keep his composure as best as possible and keep all this under lock and key. How long was that going to last? How long was he going to be able to get by with holding it in until he could break down in the shower like this?

By the time Spencer climbed out of the shower, he'd managed to stem the tears and at least curb most of the shaking. There was still a slight hint of a tremor in his hands that he hoped would fade away.

There was a bag on his bed that was full of his stuff from Peter and May's house. From there, he pulled out some clean clothes, opting for the softest jeans and shirt that he had in there. How it was that Peter always had the softest of fabrics, Spencer didn't know, but he much preferred them to the usual rough feel of jeans or the itchiness of some t-shirts. Sensitive, his mother had always called him, laughing when he'd buy another pair of slacks or button-down shirts. She'd never judged him for his little quirks. If he didn't want to buy something because the texture didn't feel right, or if he wouldn't eat something because it had a strange feeling in his mouth, or when he'd begged for new sheets because the last ones had left him feeling like his skin was trying to rip itself off, she'd never once judged him. Just smiled and kissed his head, maybe ruffled his hair a bit. "My sweet, sensitive boy." She'd call him.

Spencer curled his hands into the hem of his shirt as he pulled it down his stomach. He had to close his eyes to fight back the tears that wanted to come forth. Thinking of his mother hurt. How was she doing? Did she miss him – did she even realize he was gone?

Her health had been getting worse. Alzheimer's mixing in with the schizophrenia… it wasn't a good combination. She rarely recognized him anymore when he came by and often mistook him for his uncle, who'd passed away when he was just five. It was hard to see her like that; hard to walk into the room and know that there was almost no chance that she'd recognize who he was. Gone were the times where he could come and visit her and sit at her side, or sleep in her room, and get more than just a glimpse of the woman she'd once been.

"Dr. Reid." FRIDAY's voice broke into Spencer's thoughts. Immediately he brought a hand up and tipped his face down at the same time, discreetly wiping at the moisture he could feel on his cheeks. FRIDAY, bless her, didn't comment on it. "Colonel Rhodes just finished making breakfast down in the communal kitchen."

Spencer licked his lips and wiped one last time at his face. "Thanks, FRIDAY." There was only a hint of hoarseness to his voice to give himself away. He used his towel to carefully dry off his face and hide any traces of his tears. There was nothing he could do about the red-rimmed look, and he cursed himself for being stupid enough to let himself get that upset again, but there was nothing to be done for it. After tossing the towel into the hamper, he drew himself together as best as he could and made his way out to the communal kitchen.

He found Jim in there, serving up what appeared to be some sort of weird… breakfast mixture thing. Just the sight of it was enough to have Spencer's stomach twisting and his nose wrinkling.

Peter was already perched on a bar stool – this kitchen was set up much the same as the one in the Avengers wing, only everything here was done in yellows and greens and lighter woods – with a plate of his own. He beamed at the sight of Spencer and gestured for him with one hand. "There you are! Come on and eat. The Colonel makes an awesome breakfast!"

Chuckling, Jim shook his head as he cast an amused look Peter's direction. "What did I say, kid? James or Jim, pick one. None of this 'Colonel Rhodes' business."

A hint of color dusted Peter's cheeks but his grin was wide and bright. "Yes, sir."

That had Jim laughing again. He threw a towel Peter's direction, which was easily dodged. "Sassy little shit." He said the words with obvious fondness, though. Smile still in place, he looked up at Spencer. "Come on and join us, Spencer. I've got plenty enough for everyone."

The idea of sitting down to eat wasn't the least bit appealing. Spencer cast a quick look at the food once more as he made his way over to join them. Seeing it only made his stomach roll again. Yeah, no, he wasn't going to be eating that. Not unless he wanted to throw it back up everywhere. "I'm, um, I'm actually not that hungry." Spencer tried to make himself sound as polite as possible. "I'll take some coffee, though. Do we have any of that?"

Jim lifted the spatula in his hand and pointed it at Spencer, a firm look on his face. "Nope, nuh-uh, no meal skipping in this house. Especially not for teenagers with high metabolisms. Doctor's orders."

Just barely did Spencer manage not to grimace. "Honestly, Colonel – Jim." He corrected himself when Jim opened his mouth to remind him. "Jim. I'm really not… I'm not hungry. But thank you. I appreciate the offer."

Before Jim could protest or Spencer could say anything else, Peter looked up from his own food, over to Spencer, back down to his food, and then back up again with a look of realization on his face. "Oh! I forgot. Shoot, Spencer, I'm sorry." He quickly turned towards Jim and used his fork to gesture over his plate. "Spencer doesn't like his eggs all mixed together with anything. It like, I don't know, grosses him out or something. He won't eat it."

This time it was Spencer's turn to be embarrassed. He hadn't realized that Peter had noticed that little quirk. Nor was he entirely comfortable with having it pointed out. Usually, this was the point where people would laugh at him, or start to make fun of him, or a million other responses that so rarely turned out good for Spencer.

That was why he was so surprised when Jim just nodded like it wasn't a big deal at all. He didn't laugh, didn't tease, didn't do any of that. In fact, he shrugged, like it was no big deal at all. "I'll make sure to remember that." He said, nodding at Spencer. "We haven't really stocked up the kitchen yet, so I don't think we've got a lot in the fridge, but I know we've got some fruit leftover from yesterday, and I think there's some yogurt in there as well. Would those work?"

Spencer couldn't help how he smiled. "That sounds wonderful, actually. Thank you."

In short order Spencer found himself sitting at Peter's side with a platter of fruit for the two of them and a large bowl of yogurt. He also managed to get a rather large mug of coffee with just a bit of milk and plenty of sugar. When it was placed in front of him, he practically felt on it, wrapping his hands around it and breathing in happily. He didn't even look up when Jim laughed at him. "Boy, Peter wasn't kidding when he said you like your coffee, was he?"

"Mm." They were lucky they'd gotten this much conversation out of him so far. Coffee was important. Derek liked to joke that a doctor was going to try and take blood from him one day and was going to come up with coffee in his veins instead.

That memory had Spencer sinking in on himself a little. He ignored the others, drinking off his coffee and picking at his food. Eventually they began to talk around him, letting him have his quiet.

It was because he was drifting a little that he noticed the change in the electrical energy around him. So far he'd been trying to block out his perception of all the electronics in this place. There were so many, they kind of melted into a constant buzz in the back of his mind. But the small shift he'd just felt drew his attention. Spencer closed his eyes and focused on that little shift. He had to parse through all the other bits around him and mentally catalogue them – coffee pot, fridge, cell phones, Jim's braces – until he was down to the one major train of electricity that always seemed to be everywhere. Without really thinking about it, Spencer reached out, trying to see what it was. He was stunned completely when he felt it reach back.

Excitement won out over any fear that he might've felt. He reached a little more until he felt his own energy touch the energy around him. The two connected and it felt like clasping hands. One curling around the other without either one trying to push or overpower the other. Spencer didn't even notice that he was grinning. Nor did he hear his own gasp when he felt the energy he touched ripple and then – it was like a buzz against the inside of his skin, through his bones, and though there was no voice there was something that his brain labeled as sound and yet not, like he'd tapped into the frequency of the speakers around him only they were transmitting inside of him in a way he couldn't even begin to explain. Good morning, Dr. Reid.

"Holy shit." Spencer breathed out. His eyes snapped open, though he didn't really see anything around him. His gaze tilted up to where his powers told him a nearby camera was installed. He looked up at it with a blindingly bright grin. "FRIDAY?"

Indeed.

"Spencer?" Peter asked, reaching out yet not quite touching him. "What's going on?"

Spencer waved one hand Peter's way in a bid for him to wait. Then he focused on that bit of energy he was still clasping and, he wondered, maybe if he just… Can you hear me too?

I can, FRIDAY sent back. There was something like amusement in her voice, shifting through her energy. I wasn't sure you'd be able to hear me though.

Laughter bubbled up Spencer's throat. He was electronically communicating with an AI. The idea was insane. I can hear you, but at the same time I can't. I'm not entirely sure how this works.

It feels the same as sending a text for the Boss. Or talking with my siblings.

Your siblings?

Any chance for FRIDAY to answer that was lost when the elevator at the end of the hall dinged and all three humans in the room heard Tony's loud "Spencer Reid, where are you?" A second later the genius was practically skidding into the room. He was in slacks and a button down, looking for all the world like he'd come from a meeting if it weren't for the color in his cheeks and the messy hair. Jim made as if to go towards him, and Peter braced himself for trouble, but Spencer met Tony's excited gaze and knew what this was about. In an instant Tony was crossing the room towards him. "How are you doing it?"

There was no point in pretending to not know what the man was talking about. Spencer was at least grateful that Tony didn't seem afraid by this development. If anything, he looked excited and enthralled. Spencer's lips twitched with the urge to smile. He gave a small shrug of his shoulder and shifted himself to better be able to look at the other genius. "I'm not quite sure. We were just discussing it."

"Um, someone want to explain what's going on here?" Jim demanded, still looking on alert, though less so than before.

Tony didn't look away from Spencer as he blurted out "He's electronically communicating with my little girl. I want to know exactly how you did it – every step!"

"I didn't really realize what I was doing at first." Spencer began to explain. He drew in the mug he'd almost forgotten he was holding and took another drink, letting the caffeine help to kickstart his brain. He, too, was caught up in what he'd just done, almost as eager as Tony at the idea of it. "Your house, it has a constant electronic buzz. Most places do, though yours is quite a bit stronger than most. So far I've tried to ignore it until it was just white noise. But as I was sitting here, I felt something shift, something that changed."

"He felt my cameras go from passive to active, Boss." FRIDAY supplied helpfully.

So that's what that'd been. Huh. Interesting. Spencer logged that away in his head so maybe he'd be able to recognize it later. "I was curious as to what it was, so I tried to just take a look. After I labeled and separated all the various energy sources in here, I was left with just one. I… reached out to it, I guess you'd say, and it reached back." They were still holding on to one another, actually. "After that… I'm not sure how she sent a message to me. It was strange, like it was inside of me. I could hear her and yet… there wasn't sound. FRIDAY said it was like when she sends a text for you."

Tony looked fascinated. His eyes were a bit wide and his mouth kept falling open like he was trying to speak, only the words wouldn't come.

"Dude," Peter drawled out, leaning on the bar until he was at Spencer's side. He looked both impressed and amused as he stared at Tony. "I think you broke him."

Jim just laughed. Then he whipped out his phone and took a picture. "Perfect! I'm showing this to everyone."

They never got to know what kind of words Tony might've come up with. FRIDAY spoke up, drawing their attention. "Boss, it looks like your guest is arriving." The hold that FRIDAY and Spencer had pulsed a little before she started to draw back. Spencer found he was surprisingly reluctant to let go. He did, though.

A long-fingered hand came up and pointed right at Spencer. "This isn't over yet. We're adding this to the list of things we need to test. Until then, be nice to my baby girl, she's still just a baby." There was a distinct warning in those words and in Tony's emotions that Spencer knew was real. Tony wasn't joking around about this. He was letting Spencer know to be very careful. In that moment, he very much looked like a father protecting his daughter, and Spencer's mind went back to FRIDAY's comment about talking with her siblings… oh. Well then.

Spencer made himself meet Tony's eyes as he nodded his head. "I give you my word, I won't hurt her, Mr. Stark. Not intentionally."

For a moment more Tony just looked at him. There was no doubt he could see the seriousness of Spencer's words. He gave a small nod back, just a tiny one, and then the mask was slipping back into place. A mask that Spencer was just beginning to realize was a mask. He was smiling brightly at them and he clapped his hands together as if to make sure the attention was firmly on him, despite the fact that it already had been. "Well! Now that that's settled – you ready to go meet the person who's going to assess your powers for us?"

"You have someone capable of that?" Spencer asked with interest.

Jim cleared his throat, trying to draw their attention. "He just sat down to eat, Tone. It can wait a few minutes."

But Spencer was already pushing up from his chair, waving Jim off with one hand while using his other hand to bring his mug up so he could finish his coffee. "No, no, it's fine." Spencer said as he set the cup back down. The idea of meeting someone who was capable of telling him about his powers – giving him the information that Spencer didn't have, the facts that might help him finally understand – was a lot more important than breakfast. Food would still be here later. For Spencer, information and learning won out over eating any day of the week. "You think that this person is going to be able to help me understand my powers?"

"He's the one I mentioned to you, the one that runs a school for mutants." Tony explained. "If there's anyone that could help, it'd be him. Not to mention the man's a mutant himself. He's a telepath, so if there's anyone that can understand mental shields like what you need, it'd be him." There must've been something on Spencer's face that showed just how he felt about being near a telepath – the idea of that was enough to make Spencer shiver and want to suddenly draw what little shields he had as tight as he could get them – because Tony's expression gentled a little bit. "He's good at what he does, Spencer, and I trust him to help."

So much trust was being asked for around here. Spencer couldn't help but wonder when he was going to reach his limit. Trusting people had never gone well for him. It wasn't something that he did lightly or easily. Life had taught him far too early that you couldn't ever really trust anyone but yourself. Working at the BAU, that had helped him learn how to trust again, at least a little. But that didn't mean it was easy to do with people he didn't know. They usually had to earn it first. Yet since coming to this universe it seemed like Spencer was being put into situations over and over again where he was the one required to trust everyone else to know best.

The room went quiet as Tony took a step towards Spencer. There was a flash of pain deep inside the man. It left a bitter taste on Spencer's tongue and an echoing throb inside his own chest. But in Tony's eyes – in there, Spencer found compassion and understanding. "This is the last person." Tony said lowly, never looking away from Spencer. "You've got my word on it, Spencer. This is the last person I'm gonna ask you to trust, just on faith. After this, everyone else – me, Bruce, Rhodey, the whole rest of my family – we'll do our damndest to earn it."

Sincerity flowed over every word. Tony meant it. Unless he was some expert at hiding any of his emotions from someone with powers, he really meant what he was saying.

One last time. He could do it one last time. Drawing in a breath that was a lot steadier than he felt, Spencer nodded his head. "Okay."

Tony smiled at him. "Okay."

No one said anything as Peter joined the two when they made their way out of the room. It was a little easier for Spencer to breathe with Peter at his side. He drew strength from the presence of someone he knew he could trust unequivocally. He could do this. He could do it. One last meeting and then he wasn't going to have to place such blind trust in anyone else. Spencer kept a tight grip on that thought as Tony led them down through the elevator and then outside. One last time. Just one last time.

Whatever Spencer had expected of this meeting and the man that they were going to see, he wasn't quite sure. However, it definitely wasn't the three men coming towards them.

One of them was an older gentleman, who had absolutely no hair and was dressed in a well-tailored dark blue suit, and who sat in a wheelchair. The other two men walked along on either side of him like silent guards. Spencer couldn't help himself – profiling them was instinctive. The one who stood on the right of the man in the chair, he was tall and slender, with dark brown hair that was just a bit too shaggy to be considered neat. He walked with the air of a soldier. Shoulders back, chin up, spine straight. Even with a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes, it was easy to tell that he was looking all around him, keeping careful watch. The way he stood by the chair, how he angled himself, all of it suggested he was protecting the gentleman in the chair.

The guy on the other side – he was quite the difference from the soldier. He was shorter than the other, yet he made up for it with sheer mass. He had the build of a serious fighter – or a lumberjack. It didn't help that the man radiated this aura of threat to him. Even in plain jeans, a t-shirt, and a plaid shirt over that, he gave the impression of being ready to fight in an instant. The rest of his look didn't really help. A scruffy face, wild hair, and sharp blue eyes that made Spencer feel like prey in front of a very large predator.

And yet…

When the trio got close enough for Spencer to parse out their emotions from one another, identifying them as individuals instead of as a group, Spencer almost gasped. While the man in the middle was muddy, sort of shielded and yet not quite, and the Soldier's were firm and steady while being edged with extreme caution, the other man's, the wild looking one, his were amazing. They were intense without being that overpowering sensation that Spencer got from Bruce. His emotions were real and true and just, right there, right out in the open. They weren't half hidden like some people liked to do. They weren't this weird mixture of seven different things that all felt strangely connected and left Spencer feeling out of sorts, not knowing which emotion to trust. No, what this man felt, it was straightforward, no hiding. Spencer wanted to go curl up against him and warm himself against the pleasant heat of those emotions.

Almost as soon as he had the thought, he felt himself blushing. Don't be ridiculous! You don't even know who this guy is!

The trio stopped at a section of the yard that carried a few benches. It was obviously meant for them to sit together and meet at. However, Spencer kept himself on his feet once they got close, as did pretty much everyone else. Spencer kept at Peter's side as Tony stepped away from them and held a hand out to the man in the chair, wearing a smile that was warm and honest. "Charles. Thanks so much for coming."

"Of course," The man – Charles – said, shaking Tony's hand. When he let go, he sat back and gestured with one hand to the men with him. "I hope you don't mind that Scott and Logan came with me."

"Not exactly who I expected you to bring." Tony said, eyeing the two.

Charles tipped his head up so that he could smile at Tony. "No, I imagine they're not. However, the one you're likely thinking of is currently away on some… family business. It was at his suggestion that we brought Logan, though. I'm beginning to believe it was the smart choice, too." As he said that last part, Charles looked over to Spencer, and so did everyone else. Their expressions ranged from surprised and curious to amused.

Amusement curled itself around Spencer, over his skin and down inside of him, echoing in his senses like a rumbling growl. "Told ya, Professor."

The sound of that voice so close beside him had Spencer's head snapping up, only to find that somehow while he'd been watching Charles, Logan had somehow managed to get right up beside him. Only… no. As Spencer looked around, it didn't take him more than a second to realize that Logan hadn't moved anywhere. Somehow, Spencer had moved closer to him. Embarrassment had his cheeks burning. He instantly tried to take a step back.

It earned him another of those growling curls of amusement that made him want to give a happy little shiver. Logan stepped with him, coming back to stand at his side. He didn't seem at all bothered that it took him away from Charles and brought him closer to Spencer, Peter, and Tony. "Calm down, pup. You're fine."

"You have our apologies, Dr. Reid." Charles said, drawing Spencer's attention back to him and away from the man who seemingly had no problem referring to him as pup. Charles smiled when Spencer looked at him. "One of the residents of my school is an empath, to a degree. Though he's never been able to articulate why, he's always insisted that Logan's presence is naturally soothing. I'll admit, we were curious to see whether it was something that worked on all empaths, or on our friend alone. On the off chance it was true, we were hoping his presence would help make our meeting easier for you."

Part of Spencer was offended at the idea of being manipulated like that. Bringing someone along solely because of their calming effect on empaths seemed sort of, underhanded. What makes it even worse is that it's working, he thought to himself. He couldn't even really hold on to his temper. Not when he felt the warm and easy presence that still stood at his side. But it didn't stop him from feeling wrong-footed. These people were here to talk to him, he knew, yet the fact that Charles greeted him by name and title – despite no one having really gotten around to making proper introductions – and that he knew enough about Spencer's powers to bring someone to help soothe them, it meant that he knew a lot more about Spencer than the young genius found he was comfortable with.

That was supposed to be the point of them being here, though. Tony had said this person was here to talk to him about his powers and help him assess them. Which also meant that Spencer was going to have to be honest about them. It's just like talking to a doctor. They need to know all the symptoms to be able to make a proper diagnosis. Charles is going to need all the facts to be able to properly understand my powers. With that in mind, Spencer chewed on his lip as he tilted his head toward Logan. He looked through his bangs, not wanting to openly stare, although Logan had no such qualms. The feral looking man was meeting Spencer's gaze as best he could through the screen of hair and he wasn't flinching back. "You're… different." Spencer said slowly. "You're not as muddied as the rest of the world."

"What do ya mean?"

The way Logan asked that wasn't angry, though the growl to his voice made it sound that way. He felt honestly curious. Spencer relaxed a little at that and his next words came a bit easier. "So many people seem to feel things, only they don't like feeling them and so they try to push it down and make themselves feel something else. Or they just end up feeling so much at once. It's rarely just one. Like anger – I've felt people who are angry, guilty for being angry, upset with themselves over it, upset at the person they're angry with, exhausted from fighting... the list goes on. But you… don't. Your emotions are strong and simple, without any confusion, and they're… they're pure, I'd almost call it." Flushing a little, Spencer ducked his head, uncomfortable with the subject and the attention it brought to him.

Luckily, he was saved by the presence of someone who seemed to have just as hard a time as him at discussing real feelings. Tony was looking at Spencer with an almost scientific interest on his face as he asked "Does each person feel different to you? Do we all, I don't know, register on your senses in different ways?"

Spencer nodded a little as he looked up. "Definitely. Everyone carries their own natural feel." At the interested way that Tony was watching him – like he was trying to understand, to make this make sense in his head – Spencer straightened up a little and once more got animated in what he was saying. His hands came up and moved along with his words. "Everyone has a sort of baseline feel to them. Stronger emotions, those push against my shields individually. But each person carries their own personal emotional signature. Something that is uniquely them. Once I get to know it, I recognize it easier. Like with Peter," he gestured over to the teen, who bounced a little and grinned at him, making Spencer smile in response. "I've become so used to him, it's easy to block out his stronger emotions, and I can recognize him from around a block away. Further, if I've had my focus on him already and he's moving away from me."

He saw Charles nod in understanding, and he wondered briefly if it worked the same for telepaths as it did for empaths. But he also saw that the others weren't quite understanding and he hurried to think of something that might help. He found an analogy pretty quickly that he thought might work.

"Think of it like multiple radios." Spencer told them. "You can hear them all playing at the same time. Some of them might be louder, some quieter. You notice the louder ones more, of course. They grab your attention more. But if you focus or move closer to one of the other radios, it gets louder, dominating your hearing. Other radios you could pick out even across the room, with all the others playing, because they're playing songs you know by heart and it's always easier to notice something you know. Does that make sense?"

Peter's mouth was hanging open just the slightest bit. "Dude, that's awesome."

Huffing a little, Spencer shrugged, though he still smiled at his friend. He could admit that it was pretty cool sometimes. It was also terribly loud.

"It's no wonder you seem to have such a good start on your shields." Charles said, effectively drawing the attention of the group back to him. He was watching Spencer, though, and no one else. There was something in his gaze that left Spencer feeling as if he was being stared at deep down inside, not just on the surface, and he swore – as ridiculous as it sounded – that it made his brain itch. Charles chuckled a little. "I can tell you right now that you have excellent mental shields. Usually, I can pick up on at least the surface thoughts of others, or project my own, but you're too well shielded for that. I can sense the electricity, like a crackling shield, and something else mixed in with it."

"Dr. Strange said they needed work." Spencer felt compelled to say.

Charles nodded his understanding, or his agreement. Spencer wasn't sure which. "Your empathic ones, yes. But the rest? Your private mind and thoughts are one of the most protected I've seen. That's good, though. It means you can be sure your mind is your own. If you want, I can teach you how to control it, maybe even how to lower it if you ever chose, and I can help you start to put into practice any theories that Stephen gave to you."

Any advice that the man could give him would be appreciated. "Thank you, sir. That'd be wonderful."

The fuzzy feel of Charles' emotions warmed up with something that Spencer couldn't quite put a name to. "It'd be my pleasure. We should also test your strength while I'm here. I'm used to dealing with an empath who isn't quite your traditional one. He picks up on certain emotions, but mostly his projects a certain emotion to others. Yours seems to be more along the lines of true empathy. To work with it, we need to be able to understand what you can and can't do, and we need to know the strength to know how to work with it. Unlike your electrical powers, it's also pretty easy to test. Though it might not feel easy to you. Are you comfortable with letting me do that?"

This was the whole point of him being here, right? To assess Spencer's powers and how best to work with them. If Spencer wanted answers, this was what he had to do.

Testing out his empathy was easy, just like Charles had said, though it wasn't entirely fun. They had to test what Spencer could pick up from them, how far away he could pick up on people – they discovered he had a pretty good range and could feel most everyone in the main building if he focused hard enough – and how well he was able to separate one person from the next. Then they had him test just how well he could project. Both with and without touching the person.

From there, they moved on to his electrical powers. Spencer felt a bit like circus act as he stood there in front of them and walked through everything he and Peter had discovered he could do. Not all of it required demonstration; some of it, Charles seemed happy with a simple verbal explanation, one which Peter helped him out with.

By the time they were done, Spencer and Peter were sitting on one of the benches, with Logan standing to the side of them, Charles in front, Scott behind Charles, and Tony behind the teens.

Charles stared at Spencer for a long moment once they were done. He had his elbows resting on the arms of his chair and his fingers steepled together in front of his mouth. His eyes, they left Spencer once more feeling as if the man could see inside of him. It had Spencer shifting uncomfortably in his seat. In response, Peter edged just a bit closer, their elbows brushing together. Tony took a step forward as well until Spencer could feel the heat of him right at his back, close without actually touching him. Their support made it easier for Spencer to breathe.

After a long moment, Charles finally spoke. "You have an interesting combination of powers. Your empathy is strong, but it's non-manipulative, which will make it easier for you to control. While you'll likely find that the emotions of others affect you, none of your projections are strong enough to truly manipulate another person. You can make us feel what you feel, but not enough to convince us that the emotion is ours. We're very much aware that it's coming from you. With practice, a person could even learn to shield themselves so they don't have to feel it, at least so long as they don't have skin to skin contact."

Spencer hadn't realized that was a fear of his until those words took it away. He almost slumped with the amount of relief he felt. He'd been afraid – so damn afraid – that he might inadvertently make someone feel something, manipulate them somehow, and it'd made him a bit terrified of his powers if he were honest. However, hearing that he wasn't that strong, that people were able to note the difference and could chose to ignore it or even learn how to shield from it, it took away a weight and left him feeling so much lighter.

The way that Charles looked at him said he understood that fear. Had maybe even deliberately said those words to relieve it in Spencer.

After a short pause to let Spencer collect himself, he continued on. "Your electrical powers, at least what I'm able to see of them, are a different story. Those are strong. You're going to have to work to learn control. Mutant powers are often tied to emotion, and you're more closely connected to your emotions than the average person. The fact that you haven't been making things blow up while upset or angry is a testament to your own self-control."

"I've uh, I've fried a few things." Spencer admitted.

Charles nodded at him. "It's likely going to happen a few more times. Even once you get control of yourself, you'll find that it might still happen in the future if something really upsets you. It's just a part of our life that we all learn to live with. But I think you have a very good chance of learning control. What you've done so far, the practice you've managed, has gone a long way towards helping you get a good start. Being able to speak with FRIDAY electronically, sharing 'messages' with her, tells me that you're strong. You can work with your power on what would be considered a delicate level. I wouldn't be surprised if you find yourself able to do other things. Maybe even use your energy to speak with other computers, or download and retain data."

"How much power are we talking here?" Tony asked, interrupting the moment between the two. He sounded just a bit worried; mostly, he seemed curious, and steady, like he was trying to get all the facts so he could sit down and figure things out. As if finding all the pieces would allow him to put everything together and get it running smoothly. "If he has a nightmare or something and his powers go postal, are we talking like a little blast wave in his room, taking out the power to the Compound, or should we worry for the city, too?"

"I can't make any exact guesses without testing his actual strength, which we can't do here." Charles told them, making Spencer's stomach sink a little. "However, I feel safe in saying that, no, you shouldn't worry for the city. Likely, judging by what I've seen I doubt that he'd take out the Compound from just a simple nightmare. I don't doubt that he," Charles paused and then turned to Spencer, addressing him instead of Tony. "I don't doubt that you could take out the power here if you so chose to. But I don't think you'd do it accidentally. It'd take a conscious effort, considering what Tony has here. However, electricity on its own isn't the most stable of things, and there's no telling what kind of damage a powerful blast could cause." On the heels of that revelation, the man added on "Don't think that it makes you invincible, though. Every power comes with its own weaknesses."

For the first time in a while, Scott joined in the conversation. He'd been silent so far while his emotions had made it clear just how uncomfortable and unhappy he was with the whole situation. When Spencer had used his powers, he'd been on edge, as if waiting for Spencer to do something dangerous or to mess up. So it seemed sort of expected that when he finally chose to speak it was to say "I know quite a few at our school who'd be able to take you down without breaking a sweat."

"Nice, Scooter." Logan grumbled as he rolled his eyes.

Scott shot him a glare. At least, Spencer thought he did. The glasses made it hard to tell. "He needs to understand, Logan." That said, he focused on Spencer again. "You've heard all about what you might be able to do. It's just as important to be able to understand what you can't, or what others might do to you. You need to think about those kinds of things. Because if you go up against someone who has thought about it and you're not prepared, you could find yourself trapped. They might have a power that nullifies yours. They might be prepared and bring things that're resistant to electricity. Or maybe you find out that even though you're immune to your own powers, that it doesn't electrocute you, you can still be electrocuted if you let your charge out into things around you and it comes back to you, or if you grab on to something electric. And that doesn't even touch on the ways your empathy could be used against you."

That last bit had Spencer giving a small shiver. He remembered his first day in this universe. Those men who'd chased him, the one who'd pinned him to a wall. How it'd felt to get sucked away on the waves of his lust until Spencer hadn't been able to tell that it wasn't his own he was feeling. Unconsciously, he drew into himself, crossing his arms over his chest and holding on.

His reaction didn't go unnoticed by anyone. Logan gave a low growl at the same time that both Peter and Tony moved. "Hey!" Peter snapped, shifting himself so that he was angled just a little more towards Spencer while also giving the impression that he was ready to push up off the bench if need be. "Back off, buddy. I thought you were here to help, not try and terrify him!"

"I agree." Tony's voice was sharper than Spencer had heard it before. He didn't bother trying to watch Spencer. He simply walked around the bench and placed himself directly between Spencer and Scott as if he could stop the conversation with his body. "Trust us, we understand the threats. There's no need to shove them down his throat."

"I don't think you guys do." Scott said. His words sounded angry while at the same time Spencer could feel an underlying layer of apprehension. If he had to guess, he'd say that Scott wasn't fond of what he was saying, either. "You guys are looking to slap a band aid on this and hope for the best while you solve the problem of getting him home. You need to be thinking clearly. He should be somewhere that he can get the right kind of help for this. Somewhere that's prepared for all these kinds of outcomes and can keep him safe."

Peter opened his mouth to argue and was cut off when Tony turned just enough that he could reach back and put a hand on his shoulder. The engineer left his hand there. Though Spencer couldn't see his face, he could see how straight Tony was holding himself, how he had shifted his stance just a bit like he was preparing for a fight of some sort. "He made his choice, Summers, and we're all going to respect it. That includes not attempting to terrify him into making a different one. If you can't manage that, you can wait back at your jet until the grownups are done talking. The choice is yours."

The idea of staying out here and continuing to talk with them wasn't one that appealed to Spencer. All he wanted in that moment was to get back inside the buzz of the Compound. He didn't want to hear any more of what Scott or even Charles had to say. They'd given their opinions, discussed his powers. What more needed to be said?

Spencer lifted a hand to wipe over his mouth. Then, with a deep breath, he drew himself up to his feet. "That won't be necessary, Mr. Stark. I think we're quite done here." As tended to happen when he was stressed, Spencer's voice became a little more formal, his word structure a bit more stilted. It was what plenty of hurtful people had called his 'robot voice'. The one that he put on when he was trying to hide what was going on underneath.

To Spencer's eternal gratitude, no one commented on it. Nor did they seem surprised by his leaving. Tony nodded his head but didn't bother turning around. "Sounds good, kid. Seeing as how we interrupted breakfast, why don't you two grab some lunch?"

Just as Peter made to tug Spencer away, a sense of something from Charles had Spencer turning his head to look at him. He found the man reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out – a card? He held the small little card out Spencer's direction. "Please, Dr. Reid, feel free to call or message me anytime with any questions or concerns. I promise, whatever you have to say will be confidential, so long as it doesn't put the planet in danger."

"The fact that you feel the need to add that qualifier disturbs me slightly." Spencer admitted. Still, he reached out and took the card, putting it into his pocket. Then, with one last glance to Tony, who gave him a small nod, Spencer turned and followed Peter back towards the house, neither one of them commenting on just how quickly he moved.

Tony watched as the two teens made their way across the yard. He held his tongue, waiting patiently until they were inside, wanting to make absolutely sure that neither one of them could hear him. Knowing now that Spencer's senses were a bit enhanced – quite a bit when he was actively holding on to his electrical powers, it would seem – he knew to treat him like he did Peter, making sure there was no chance someone with enhanced hearing could pick up on his words. Once he was sure, though, he turned back to his guests and fixed Scott Summers with a hard glare that had cowed many a person over the years. "Let me make myself clear here, Summers. We called Charles out here for help, not you. Your opinions weren't wanted or needed. You have a problem, you bring it to me." His expression hardened as he leaned in a little. "Upset him like that again and I'll make your life miserable. You've got my word on that."

The curl to Scott's lip showed just how unimpressed he was by Tony's threat. "Adopting another stray, Stark? One wasn't enough for you?"

Tony fought back the urge to snarl. Peter wasn't just some 'stray' to him. He was a hell of a lot more than that and this pompous asshole treating him like anything less was enough to put all of Tony's hackles up. Just barely did he keep himself under control. Scott didn't have the greatest impression of him, Tony knew. He saw what the public saw and believed too many of the rumors that always circulated about the infamous Tony Stark. Hell, if he'd been around during what the public called the 'Civil War', there was no doubt in Tony's mind what side Scott would've fallen on. He hated the Accords and he really hated just how much Charles was getting involved in them. He placed the blame for it squarely at Tony's door. Which, fine. Whatever. Tony didn't care. People thought worse about him all the time.

Like hell if he was going to let it blow back on Peter, though. Or Spencer.

Spencer's fear had been a palpable thing the instant that Scott had mentioned the downsides of empathy. Thanks to Spencer's rather blunt report when he first told Tony about who he really was, Tony knew what had happened on the kid's first day here. What had almost happened. Judging by the fear that had actually projected from Spencer at Scott's words, there was no doubt in his mind that that was what Spencer had immediately thought of. Tony hadn't stopped to contemplate the protectiveness that had welled up inside of him. He'd just reacted.

"Scott." Charles cut in sharply. "That's enough."

Logan let out a low rumble. "It's more'n enough." The way he glared at Scott made it clear that he wasn't happy either.

What was it about these scrawny teens that made everyone want to look out for them? Anyone who met Peter seemed to want to either kill him or wrap him up in a blanket and protect him. Tony knew firmly which category he fell into. Sadly, he was starting to see which one he was going to fall into for Spencer as well. Because that was all he needed. Another kid to look out for. At least this one's technically an adult, with an adult mind. That should make it easier, right?

Choosing to ignore the two with him, Charles brought his focus back to Tony, and he had that serious look on his face again. One that had Tony instinctively bracing himself. "While Scott's delivery could use some work," Charles said, casting a brief look over to Scott. "His concerns weren't wrong."

"Yeah, I'd already figured that much out for myself, thanks." Tony said dryly.

His tone didn't bother Charles. The other man was far too used to it. He just nodded his head at him. "You need to be prepared, Tony. This won't be easy for any of you. Every empath I've ever met has been on the sensitive side. Spencer appears to have shields the rest of them don't. Likely, it comes from the life he lived before he came here. He acts like someone well used to guarding his feelings and keeping them hidden. His empathy isn't going to let him do that. For as natural as he seems to be adapting to his electrical powers, I feel his empathic ones are going to be much harder."

That was something Tony had already thought of and worried over. Crossing his arms over his chest, he huffed a little. "Gee, don't sugarcoat it."

"I won't." Charles said. Folding his arms down in front of him, he leaned forward just a bit, eyes intent. "You need to be prepared if you keep him here, Tony. He's going to feel what everyone around him feels. Crowds are likely going to be difficult until he finds some sort of control. Even then, I've seen a well-practiced empath collapse in a crowd of strong emotions because it was too much and it tore their shields apart. If that happens, he'll be exposed to every emotion around him, too open and raw for him to do anything against them. They'll be so strong it'll be an actual, physical pain for him."

"I don't exactly plan on taking him to press conferences. He's going to be here, where we can control the people he's around." Unlike how it'd be if he went to Xavier's School. Tony shot Scott a look to make sure the man knew that comment had been meant for him. He enjoyed the scowl it earned him.

"I'm not sure if it's the same for all of them, or if these problems are unique to the one I know, but – I'd exercise caution around certain individuals or groups." Charles paused, and it was obvious to Tony he didn't like what he was going to say next, and that Tony wasn't going to like it either. He was right. "Rape doesn't seem to be an uncommon problem amongst empaths, and it's often one they internalize. It's hard to bring yourself to report a crime when you were so swamped by the lust from the other person you couldn't help but enjoy yourself. Or didn't even realize that the lust wasn't yours. If their shields crash, I've been told it can create a loop, the empath feeling and accidentally projecting the lust from the other person, which in turn only makes that person's lust stronger, until it's a cycle no one can break out of."

Oh, sweet hell. Tony fought back the urge to throw up what little food he'd put in himself today. The idea of that happening to anyone, to that baby-faced teenage boy in there – adult or not, he looked like a baby – had his stomach churning. He'd already realized, thanks to Spencer's story, just how dangerous the emotions of others could be for the kid. But hearing it spelled out like that wasn't easy. "You know, the more I hear about this empathy, the more I'm beginning to think the kid got the shit end of the stick when he came here." This sounded like the last power that anyone would want to have. Where on earth was the good in it? Reaching up, Tony let himself relax just enough to rub a hand over his face. When he dropped his hand, he had his control wrapped around him once more. "I appreciate you coming out here, Charles. This'll help us quite a bit."

"The pleasure is all mine, Tony. I just wish we could stay longer for a proper visit."

Tony chuckled a little. "Downside of being a big and important – someone always wants your time."

Wasn't that just the truth? After bidding Charles, Scott, and Logan farewell, Tony turned to make his way back inside, his own words echoing in his head. He knew the feeling well. It seemed like someone always wanted his time; rarely was it left open for him to do the things he wanted to do. It'd been even worse lately with how much he was working to try and fix the last few bits of the Accords. They'd come a long way in the past year since the whole Civil War had happened. But they still had a little ways left to go. After that, it'd be working to add the part of the Accords that covered mutants, and that wasn't going to be easy at all.

On top of all that, he now had a mutant kid staying with him, one who was from an alternate dimension of some sort, and he had to do his damndest to help try and figure out how to get him back home.

For a brief moment Tony indulged in the wish that his team was still here. There was a time where he would've had them at his back to handle this. Other people would've been put in charge of keeping an eye on Spencer, because Lord knew that Tony wasn't good with people or kids. He would've been left to handling the science of it with Bruce while Steve, Jim, and Clint would've handled the personal side of it. Natasha could've been there to handle training. Vision would've watched over them quietly, and Sam could've been there to talk to Spencer, help him keep his head on straight. They all would've had their roles. Together, they could've done this.

Tony shook his head to force those thoughts out. There was no point in wishing for what couldn't be. The rest of the team wasn't here. And that was for the better. Even if it didn't always feel like it, it was. He could do this without them. Maybe he didn't have his so-called team here to help him – he did, however, have most of his family, and the rest of them were on their way after a phone call from him. They'd be able to help him, and together, they'd all help the kid.