-"Last question." Michelle reads from her note card, then awkwardly looks up at us. "What is Barium Sulfate, its properties and chemical formula?"

Quickly, I slap Ned and I's bell. "The chemical formula is BaSO4. It is a white crystalline solid that is odorless and insoluble in water."

"Crystalline…" Flash says under his breath, continuing his mocking. Michelle ignores him, instead opting to give him the side eye.

"That is correct Peter. I'm out of questions." She smiles at everyone, then shrugs her shoulders. "Whaddya waitin' for? Get outta here. I'll see you guys on Monday!"

Ned pushes his chair out beside me as Abe, Cindy, Sally, Flash, Tiny, O'Reilly and Michelle all either stand up or start gathering their stuff. Outside the library window, the patter of rain continues constantly. "Hey, my Mom's outside and wants to take you home. You don't need to wait for the train in all this." Ned tells me, then points at the window.

I have a jacket, but not a rain jacket. May said it was going to rain, and I told her I had it in my bag. But I hid it in my closet instead of actually grabbing it. I didn't think it was going to pour like this.

"You sure she wouldn't mind?" I ask, trying not to smile at the offer. Ned smiles to himself, then types out something on his phone before turning it back to me so I can read it.

'He wants to know if you mind taking him home.' – Ned

'Kidnap him. Don't let him get away this time.' – Momdre

"Well I guess I'm being kidnapped." I smile, causing Ned to laugh. "Momdre?"

Ned quickly looks embarrassed and looks to his bag as he grabs it. "I used to call Mom that back when I took Spanish in elementary school. It's kind of stuck."

"Nice." I smile, then gesture for him to lead the way.

"Bye Ned, Peter." Michelle smiles at us and waves.

"Bye." Ned smiles, and I half salute our new fearless leader before letting Ned lead us all the way down to the main staircase where outside I can see Ned's mom in their tan sedan waiting for us. Ned and I time it so that we duck into the downpour at the same time, and into her car, Ned in the front and me in the back.

"Thank you." I instantly say and smile at Mrs. Leeds.

"Of course dear. We can't have you walking in this monsoon. Are you boys hungry?"

Ned replies "Starving." As I shrug.

"We've got stuff at home. Thank you though." I thank Mrs. Leeds as she pulls out into the restricted traffic.

"Delmar's is almost rebuilt, I know that's your favorite. The meat right?" She asks, glancing back into the rearview mirror.

"And the right amount of bread." I smile before Ned puts his phone in my face. "What's this?"

"Until Dawn! I found it online for a bargain, and it's amazing. The lead voice guy's named Brett Dalton, and his range is ridiculous. He can play the good guy, straight guy, bad guy, aliens, anything."

"Anything?" I ask skeptically.

Ned gives me a disappointed look. "I don't want to spoil."

Of course not.

"How's your internship Peter?" Mrs. Leeds asks. "Ned's told me it keeps you more than busy. You had to quit everything but Decathlon."

"Yeah, I'm trying to figure it all out. I like it though." I try to say offhandedly.

"He's never met Tony Stark though." Ned says, sounding disappointed.

Ned's mom shakes her head. "Of course not. He's one man, running a global corporations. Not to mention the Avengers. Interns don't matter to him I'm sure. He has to have results, then he'll look at you. That's how it is at the Port."

"Do they…" I start then trail off. "I don't know how to ask my question." Ned looks back to me as his mom looks back to me silently, waiting for me to sort it out. "It is all professional? Do they explain anything or is it just 'Do this and be happy I let you do it.'?"

Ned's expression turns to shock before his mom signals to move into the turning lane. "It's professional, but there's limits. There's professional courtesy, the amount of information you have to know to get your job done. Most times it's better to keep your head down and do as you're told I've learned. There's a proverb."

"The dumpling one?" Ned asks.

"No Ned." His mother chastises him. "The nail that sticks out gets hammered."

"Oh." I blurt out.

The more you mess around, the harder you get hit.

"What about the squeaky wheel gets the grease?" Ned asks.

"Replace the wheel for one that works." His mom answers easily. "Don't be trouble, and you'll get enough rope to hang yourself. Does that help Peter?"

I nod as she turns again and May and I's building comes into focus. "Yeah. I'm just trying to make it all work really."

"Time management really helps. How often a week is it?"

"Monday thru Friday." I answer as Ned nods to back me up.

His mom quickly winces. "You need to tone that down. You need to have fun. Maybe watch some TV or something streaming. You're too young to have basically a full time job. Enjoy your youth while you're young." She says wisely as she stops the car.

"Thanks for the advice." I smile at her as Ned reaches out for a fist bump, which I quickly return.

"Of course. Stay dry!" She tells me as I push the door open and dash towards the awning, only stopping to smile back at their car and for Ned and his mom to wave back at me.

Everybody has different advice. I've asked two people, was given advice by the third and all three have told me different things.

I pull my backpack closer to me and drop my head as the elevator rises before attempting to block out all the stray voices and noises that drift to me, as well as the draft from the tiny opening in the ceiling that lets air in from the musky elevator shaft that'll eventually become a problem because the elevator will stink.

The elevator dings and I slide right to the door and open it. "I'm home May!"

Aunt May looks away from the news on TV and smiles. "Hey! How was school?"

"Alright. Decathlon went well. Lot of chemistry questions."

She tilts her head as I set my backpack next to the foyer table and move to the fridge. "Is that good?"

"Yeah, I'm good at chemistry. Makes sense to me. Can I make something? I'm starved."

"Of course. Did your jacket help in all this? Weather's even worse than they forecasted."

I shake my head, moving towards the cabinets. "I don't know. Ned's mom made me let them drive me."

"That's nice of them." May answers as the TV suddenly goes silent and I set everything aside and grab the bread.

Ooh, she got a new loaf of the nine grain.

"Thanks for picking up more bread." I thank her.

"You're welcome. We're figuring this out." May smiles, barely a tone of regret in her voice.

Yeah, we are. Things are getting normal again, after the old normal. And the Ben 'normal'.

I glance over the island to her and see that she's rearranging the pillows on the couch before a wave hits me.

I think she's having a bad day.

"How was your day?" I smile, grabbing a knife and starting to put a sandwich together.

"Good. I got some chips I think you'll like. Sour cream and onion." May deflects, causing me to look and catch her looking uncomfortable.

"Who came by?" I put my hand on the counter.

Something happened. She's robotic, like she was watching the news to deflect like she used to right after Uncle Ben. Distractions.

May glances down. "It was a letter. Am I that easy to read now?"

"I just saw it." I confess with a shrug. "I won't push. I'm sorry."

Right away, May hops up and pulls me into a hug. "Love you. You know that?"

"Love you too."

"I'm so proud of you. Even though you stress me out and will give me early heart pressure." She jokes, a laugh in her voice before I push her away and shake my head.

"Not funny." I chuckle.

"You laughed."

"Only because you did first!" I defend myself. "Not fair."

There's a letter on the counter. A bunch of them.

May keeps on talking as I push myself to see the first couple of lines.

"Dear Ms. Parker,

As mentioned in our previous correspondence—"

Multiple knocks at the door, in a familiar beat prompt me to glance up as May looks to me. "Is Ned coming over?"

"Tomorrow." I explain before she gets up to grab the door.

Those slimy lawyers better not becoming after what she's owed. They told us after everything that she'd be taken care of. That's the last thing she needs to worry about.

"Hi. Sorry about the delay. May we come in?" A familiar voice asks. I turn away from the letter to—

Stark.

"This is my…something, Pepper." Mr. Stark introduces a redheaded woman to May before he looks to me. "Hi Peter."

"Hi…" I say blankly.

How'd he…That's the CEO of Stark Industries. I've seen her online.

"I figured it was time you two met. Transparency and all that. I'm not very good at that, so…" Mr. Stark confesses, then moves awkwardly toward the coat rack.

May turns away from Mrs. Potts. "You know, bringing her isn't going to make me less mad?"

"It shouldn't. You should be mad." Mrs. Potts smiles, then waves at me. "Hi. You must be Peter."

"Yeah, hi." I nod, then slide step over to the mail and start putting it into the knickknack drawer.

They don't need to see any of this.

Stark obviously spots my movement and slides around the table. "Whatcha looking at? Making a sandwi—"

Instinctively, I flip my butter knife around and stab between where his fingers are barely grazing May's letter. "Stop."

Stark instantly freezes, looking at where my butter knife had penetrated the counter halfway up as the room has gone dead silent. "That's none of your business."

"I wasn't—"

"I don't care. Talk to May." I tell him, trying to leave no room for him to slither away in a word I leave hanging.

He's so good at that, bouncing from word to topic to right where you don't want him and right in his wheelhouse. So I'm trying to respond to force.

Stark takes the hint, slowly leaving the kitchen while giving me a look of confusion before breaking eye contact and asking "May we sit?"

We, like they're a thing. He was hitting on May last time he was here. Like everyone else.

"Sure. Would you like something to drink?" May politely asks, moving to the kitchen as I yank my knife up and wipe it off so I can finish making my sandwich.

"Dear?" Stark asks his CEO.

"Sure, water's fine. That'd be great, thank you." She smiles at May as May reassuringly rubs my back while grabbing out a pair of glasses.

Stark and Pepper exchange looks before Stark puts one hand on the back of the couch. "Hey Pete, have you, by chance been messing with the suit?"

"So that I know what I'm dealing with, yeah."

"With your buddy? The one who called Happy?"

I nod, smoothing out the mayo before moving to the fridge to grab some cold cuts. "Yeah."

"Well, that's one way to run thru the Training Wheels Protocol." Stark muses to himself before snapping multiple times, ending with his palm up holding a closed fist.

"The what?" May asks, grabbing everyone's drinks minus mine.

She knows I can grab my own.

"I made a training program for Peter. In the suit. Like training at work? But, in superhero form." Mr. Stark explains, taking May's drink.

May frowns slightly. "And you called it what again?"

"Training Wheels Protocol." Mrs. Potts smiles. "He thinks he's clever."

"I'm right here." Stark turns to her.

"Yeah, but you're in the doghouse. So…?" She trails off, then smiles at May.

May returns the smile. "Glad I'm not the only one that's mad."

"Tony has been trying to help Peter in his own way. But sometimes, things go a little off the rails." She explains.

I don't exactly help either. He called the FBI on the ferry. They had Liz's dad caught and I messed it up.

I set down the container of ham, slip into my room and activate Karen. "Karen."

"Hello Peter. How was school?"

Stark asks "Jocasta? Did you just call Jocasta Karen?" distantly from the living room and I ignore him.

"Karen, can you record the conversation in the living room?"

"Sure thing Peter." Karen says, prompting me to turn around, right into Mr. Stark.

"Record? Not necessary kid, but I like the idea. Jocasta—"

I raise my voice. "Karen, don't, no. Record and ignore him."

"Why are you calling her Karen? That's not her name." Stark grabs my shoulder.

"You didn't tell me her name. So I got tired of calling her suit-lady and came up with a name." I explain, then take his hand off my shoulder and stark back to the living room.

"Karen? That's what you came up with? She already had a name. Is he always this…snippy?" Stark asks May, still in the doorway to my room.

May shrugs. "Sometimes. He is a teenager with super powers."

Uh oh. Full on sarcasm.

"Tony gave me a full file on Peter. Have you seen it? Looks pretty extensive to me, powers, personality tests, the works."

"Like this!" Stark says, just before I sense a projectile flying at me and blindly stick my hand up and wait for it to hit my hand.

I got it…It should be here by—

My old baseball flies right into my hand and sticks before I reflexively wraps my hand around it. I flip it to my right and flip it back to Stark, still standing in my room. "Please put it back." Stark meekly catches it and moves back to set it back on my desk.

Focus Peter.

I let out a breath and zero in on my sandwich, half made.

I need the lettuce, pepper, a little mustard and the chips.

"Like I said, off the rails." Pepper says before I block everyone out.

One pepper grinder twist, Two pepper grinder twist…Mustard on top! Lettuce, bread and smush.

I softly press the whole sandwich together and grab the chips May bought while also grabbing a glass.

I can't mention what I've actually been doing while I've been grounded. So everything's fine. May's mad, and I'm following along in that.

"—Whole thing is on a tablet in my bag. Tony, grab my bag and the tablet.

I pour myself some lemonade and give myself a fair amount of chips before moving my plate to the island. "Karen, duplicate it for me."

The small icon, indicating that I've got a screen waiting for me. I open it, and am immediately greeted by my own face, smiling back at me.

My school ID. Peter Benjamin Parker.

Son of Mary and Richard Parker, who died in 2003 during—

A CIA op gone bad. Details are classified, and May won't let me look at the file until I'm 18.

Currently being raised by May Parker, formerly married to the now deceased Benjamin Parker.

Who died by gunshot wound that I should have been able to stop.

Angrily, I wave the screen away and take a bite of my sandwich.

My fault. My fault, my damn fault.

"—Pretty good school. The teachers there are good. We're trying." May tells Pepper with a smile.

"And you're doing an amazing job. This should help though. Catch kid." Stark says, then throws something metal at me, which I catch, only for it to hit me in the fingernail and for it to vibrate.

Ow…keys? Keycard?

"What's all this?" I ask Mr. Stark.

"Keys. Keycard. To my labs, down in the city." He explains, kind of.

"Your labs?" I follow up.

Stark nods. "Stark Industries has a lab set up in downtown. Not centrally located, but it's on the island. Figured if you're 'interning' for me." Stark says, air quoting 'intern'. "You might as well actually work on some science stuff. You said last time I was here that everything had been dialed to eleven. Same thing happened to me with the ARC reactor. So when I did that, I found that tinkering helped."

Huh.

Behind him, Pepper is giving a slight frown before May smiles. "Oh. Well yeah, that sounds good."

"I think we've been pushing him a little too hard. I have, correction. Not you." Stark rambles, moving his hands all about. "He shouldn't be spider-ing every day. We don't want a schedule, because being off Tuesdays and Thursdays sounds like crime is going to spike on those days. Am I making sense?"

"Yeah." May nods. "His grades can't dip either. And no more skipping detention, leaving hotel rooms, any of that."

"I agree. Hero Complex is a real thing." Stark smiles at her.

Pepper gives Mr. Stark a side-eyed look. "Oh that's rich coming from you. Mr. Let's Invite a Super-Villain to my house on national television!"

"I learned my lesson." Stark smiles widely at her. "And I'm trying to pass it along. Like a torch. You see the torch?" He asks, gesturing between himself and I.

May shifts her position before sipping her drink. "Okay, I'm asking now. Why did you wait so long to come here?"

"I've been busy. Not much of an excuse, but that's why." Stark ducks his head.

Pepper nods. "He has been."

"With what? Your pet project has been in major trouble, saving your ass and your plane. You can't drop by a day or two afterward? I had to ground Peter and investigate myself!" May snaps.

"And you wouldn't have bought half of what I said, investigating anyway. I know, it seemed harsh, but I thought it was the best way. Pepper too, that's why she came with me. I'm…not good at…I don't know." Stark rambles, gesturing meaninglessly with his hands.

"Mentoring. Teaching." Pepper helps him out.

Stark snaps his fingers once and smiles. "I can't mess him up. Peter can mess up, will mess up. But I can't be the one to mess him up. I assigned Happy to handle him because I tend to break stuff."

"He really does. All of his AI's, he can micromanage." Pepper nods at May.

"Anything big, like the ferry, I can swing a big stick. It worked out in the end." Stark points at me. "Okay?"

"I screwed it up." I shake my head.

"Nobody died. Only property damage. And boo hoo, that helps the economy." Stark waves my concern down. "And to answer your final question…I can't really answer it very well other than to say I'm trying to knock on a particular door."

A particular door?

"What does that even mean?" May fires back at him.

Stark frowns. " I can't—"

Oh. I know what it is.

"The energy detector. The one you just announced as an Avengers project, to prevent another wormhole from popping up that we don't know about." I say as fast as I can. Silencing everyone. "That's it."

That's a very particular door. Asgardian tech is strictly forbidden from getting out of Damage Control's hands. Loki messed up enough last time, and I barely remember it. May, Ben and I barely got out into traffic before it was all over.

Pepper and Stark just stare at me for a moment. "Did you—"

"No." Stark replies. "You're paying attention."

"Trying to." I reply.

"Don't forget to stay close to the ground." He quips.

I smile at him. "I'm grounded. Can't get much lower Mr. Stark. Do you really think that Loki's coming back?"

"I…" Stark's whole body freezes up. "I don't know. I'm just trying to stop it before anybody can get hurt."

He looks hurt. Like all this has taken a toll.

May and I quickly glance at each other.

Stark's human.