"I'm not going to ask you again." Fury told me as he gave me that one eyed glare.

"Good. Because I'm not going to tell you again." I was unfazed by that glare.

"Am I the only one that really believes her when she says she just wants to go back where I found her?" Spidey asked no one in particular. "I mean, come on. She's in her damn pajamas for crying out loud."

"Widow could kill you in the same get up." Fury shot back without missing a beat.

"No...she would try and kill me in the same get up." Spidey clarified.

"The point is." Fury glared now at the wall crawler. "I want to know what's going on."

"Wanting isn't getting." I told him. "Please, I know why you are concerned. And I can understand it. I promise you I mean no one here any harm. I just want to go back to the area Spidey found me at."

"Lady...do you have any idea of the shit storm that is brewing at what you did tonight?" Fury asked me.

"Nothing compared to the shit storm that's gonna brew if I don't get back." I mumbled under my breath.

"Is that a threat?"

"No...more like a friendly heads up." I told him.

"What I'm trying to say here, around all the smartass comments, is you've got everyone from Doc Ock to Egghead out there looking for you, and that doesn't even include Hydra and A.I.M. Who have no doubt been alerted but are moving a bit more quietly on it."

"Take me back and this won't even be an issue anymore." I told him through clenched teeth. Was seriously about to lose my cool here. "But if you don't it's going to complicate matters for both of us more than I want it too."

The reply to that was lost when I suddenly felt something very familiar. 'Vicky! Can you hear me dear one?'

'Leo?'

'Donnie found the portal you went through. We'll get you home shortly. Are you alright?'

Not really... 'I'm fine.' I told him instead. Really didn't need him to worry anymore than he already was.

'You don't sound fine. More like annoyed actually.'

'Might be because I am.' Came the dry reply.

'Just hang tight until we get a-' Suddenly he was cut off and again everything was silent in my head.

'Leo?' Silence. "God damn it..." I muttered under my breath. Only once that conversation was over with did I notice what was going on around me.

"-another spike. This one stayed fluctuating more this time before it suddenly shut out." Jarvis was tattling on me.

"That's it." Fury growled as he turned to me. "Lady, if you like it or not you are coming with me."

"I don't think so." I replied as my eyes narrowed.

"You don't have a choice in the matter."

"Now come on Fury." Spidey protested. "I brought her here to help her, not so you could lock her up in the helicarrier."

"She really does seem harmless." Tony agreed. But his eyes were narrowed a bit as he looked at me.

"I don't care what either of you two think." Fury snapped back. "Until I get answers out of her about what is going on, I don't know whose bed she is sleeping in."

I raised my brow in amusement over that. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"No."

"Let's go."

"No."

"I wasn't asking."

"Good...because I'm not going anywhere but back to where I was found."

"Lady, you don't have a choice." He said again.

"I think I do." I crossed my arms.

"That's it!" He started marching towards me, and I kept backing up. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be."

"Then leave me the hell alone!" I snapped back at him. "Jesus fucking Christ! I just want to go back to where I fell so I can go home. That's all I want is to go home!" I finally lost it in my frustration.

He wasn't going to let up though it seemed. He had me cornered against a wall by that point and I looked around in desperation. I really didn't want to hurt him really, I knew he was one of the good guys. Just one who was confused. But he was also an asshole.

Left with no other option I went the only way I really could. I leapt over him in a forward spin and hit the ground in a crouch behind him before I hauled ass back towards the door that led to the helipad.

"Oh...good going Fury." Spidey said sarcastically behind me. "Now you spooked her."

"Stark! Stop her!" I could tell he was already chasing me, but he obviously couldn't keep up.

"Sorry chief, systems are still down from Thor's temper tantrum." Came the calm reply.

That shocked me a bit since they seemed to work very well earlier. I didn't dwell on it though as I barged my way back outside again. My bare feet slipped a bit on the smooth concrete out there but I somehow kept my balance as I ran on. Towards the edge of the building. I was seriously hoping I was reading my superheros right, gave it a split second of thought actually...then threw myself off of the edge.

And immediately regretted that as I found myself falling again. Yup...I was screaming all over again too. God I'm an idiot sometimes.

Didn't make it far though before a pair of arms wrapped around me. "You got some serious guts chicka." Spidey calmly informed me as he held me close to him.

"I have to have them." I replied, still a bit scared out of my mind. "If you could only understand what I'm trying to protect."

"I think I do." Was his calm answer as his arm came out and with another thwip a webline came out. He easily guided us into another swing as Fury was left quickly far behind.

"I just want to go home..." I was trying to hold back the tears. "Please just take me back."

"Vicky...I wish more than anything that I could. But Fury is right. You've managed to stir up a large hornets nest with your entrance. That doesn't mean I agree with him about his plans for you. I don't think being grilled for hours in the helicarrier is going to help anything, and it's sure as heck isn't going to get you back home."

"Where are you taking me then?"

"I brought you to Stark for a reason." He said. "And I'm not giving up on that reason."

"That really doesn't answer my question... Where are you taking me now?"

"Stark's penthouse apartment. By his request actually."

"Why... So I can get ambushed again?" I mumbled.

"Nope. He actually suggested it. It doesn't get used much, but he's offered it to you as a safe haven."

"When exactly did this occur?" I asked him with a raised brow. "You two haven't said a word about that the whole time."

"Stark threw me a note written on a coaster when Fury was occupied with you."

"Oh..." I sighed. "Think I'll be able to wait there then in peace?"

"Stark seems to think so. Just what exactly are you waiting for?"

I sighed again. "If I can't get back? ...A whole shitload of trouble."

He just looked at me. I couldn't see his eyes behind those lenses, but I knew he was giving me a probing stare. Had felt them often enough from Leo to know when someone is trying to pick your brain apart from the outside to see what was inside.

"You keep saying that." He said with amusement.

"Because I'm trying to get through your stubborn heads that I deal with very over protective family members."

"Never clarified that part."

"Because you morons wouldn't listen! What part of 'I want to go home' doesn't sound like I might have family waiting for me."

"Good point."

It wasn't long after when we came down ontop of another high building and Spidey calmly walked in the open door. I hesitated a bit. "I thought you said it doesn't get used much?"

"It doesn't."

"Then why is the door wide the fuck open?"

"Because I came and unlocked it for you." Tony came out of the open door, or should I say Iron Man did as his metallic footsteps clunked outside. "Didn't want you getting hurt trying to get in."

That made me nervous for some reason. Good lord... If I wasn't careful I was going to blow myself up in his place. I hate technology...

"Well, come on in. Before someone, like Fury's snoops, see you out here."

"You sure it's safe?" I muttered as I hesitantly began to walk inside.

"Safer than out here." He chuckled as he walked back in.

Didn't really reassure me to much. But I followed him in anyway. "You sure Fury won't come looking for me here?"

"Not for awhile he won't." I was reassured by the tinman superhero. "Jarvis has him chasing moonbeams of another spike...on the other end of town. Should keep him busy long enough so we can talk."

"About what?" I flatly asked him.

"Like about the fact that I think I know what you might be hiding." His arms crossed. "Unusual mixture you have in you. You mind filling me in on how you ended up with a peculiar type of reptilian DNA in you?"

My jaw dropped. "How did you..."

"Jarvis." Iron Man replied. "Clued me in on it back at Avenger headquarters already. But he can't pinpoint what type of reptile. Matches no known specimen, though it does resemble box turtle DNA."

Spider-Man rubbed his forehead as he took that in. "Vicky...you sure do have a lot of surprises in you. So...she's what? Another Lizard?"

"Not really web-head. She's obviously in full control of her sanity. I'm just concerned on how this even happened. Normally something like this is usually the result of experimentation that shouldn't be done."

"I thought you were a tech wiz and not a genetics buff." I snapped at him.

"Just because I don't dabble in it doesn't mean I'm not familiar with it." His iron masked face looked dead at me over those still crossed arms. "All I want to know is, is this something that was done to you against your will?"

"It was done to save my life!" I snapped again. "And I'd appreciate it if you would stay out of my DNA closet!"

"Touchy subject for her it seems tinhead." Spidey leaned against the nearby wall.

"Genetics manipulation usually is a touchy one."

"So now what?" I asked, my eyes narrowed. "You going to rat me out to Fury?"

"Of course not. I'm just trying to get a feel for what's going on."

"Hey..." Spidey said thoughtfully. "If she's part turtle...shouldn't she be...I dunno...slow or something? Don't see many turtles that move as quick as she does."

"Think that might be because of the anomaly in the DNA." Stark answered. "But I can't be sure unless I know exactly what was given to her."

Mutated turtle blood you doofus... "Nothing that you need to concern yourself with." I growled instead. "If you won't drop it, I'll fucking leave."

The metal hands came up in surrender. "Alright, alright..." He backed off. "Anyway, I think I have an idea that may work to get you back."

Finally...something I wanted to talk about. "And that would be?"

"I'm assuming you need another one of those spikes to happen before you can go back...right?"

I just nodded. I think that point was very clear by now.

"But every time it does it sets off all kinds of alarms."

"Which gets Fury's attention." Spidey mumbled.

"Which also means that as soon as it happens again, Fury is going to be all over it like hungry wolves on a slab of meat. So, we need to hide it."

"A cloaking signal?" Spidey asked.

"Something like that, yes. I've got a set of armour that should do the trick just as well."

"Stealth armour." I muttered, remembering that from, yup, you guessed it, another TV show. Anyone ever watch Iron Man: Armored Adventures? I did.

"How did you know about that?" Came the surprised question. "I just finished it and haven't even broken it out yet."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I told him, a little embarrassed at my careless slip. I seemed to be saying that a lot lately.

He was quiet a moment before he continued. "Anyway, I might have to readjust a few settings, but I think I can manage to spread out the stealth capability to include the spike signature. But I won't be able to fight very well in that suit if something come up. It's just not designed for it."

"That's where I come in." Spidey spoke up. "I think I can distract them long enough to throw her back into the door when it pops open."

"Very well." Then I had the metal man's full attention again. "But what do we do with you? Spidey is a natural at hiding, and I'll have the armour. How are we going to keep you out of sight? Those rainbow pajamas you got on are going to be a dead give away."

I almost stuck my tongue out at him. It's not my fault that I just happened to be wearing yellow pajamas when the portal decided to malfunction. "I can hide. If you got something dark I can wear, it would make it a lot easier though."

I really didn't like the tone in his voice when he answered with "I got just the thing here. It should fit you very nicely."