the strongest avenger

twenty

"You have zero questions?"

"Oh no, I have loads of questions." Peter says with a small smile.

"Okay, one at a time."

"What are your powers? How did you do that thing with my healing? Were you born with them?"

"Hold up, the word 'powers' makes it sound so much cooler than it is. They're more like a nuisance...an annoyance. Something I didn't want. Tony calls me an absorber, because I can take someone else's...powers...and replicate them for my own use. Most of the time I've done it on accident, with Thor and Wanda. But with you, I remember on the roof you mentioned healing abilities and I needed them. So I borrowed them."

"So do you have them forever now?"

"Yep. Now I'll heal just like you. But it only went faster earlier because when I was touching you, I was able to pull it directly, making the ability stronger than normal."

"Okay, makes sense. What else?"

"Well when I first met everyone I had came into contact with Thor's skin and I, unknowingly, absorbed his control over lightning. It's weird cause he's the God of Thunder, but you only really get lightning. Anyway, last year, I don't remember when, I had touched Wanda and had absorbed her telekinesis and her ability with energy manipulation and a bunch of other stuff that has really long and complicated names. Basically, Wanda's a badass and now I can do what she does, but not as strong or cool."

Peter nods along while he listens. "What about the earth stuff, you wrapped me in roots?"

"I was born with the ability to control and manipulate the elements. Well I think I was born with them. Air, earth, wind, and fire."

"And now you can add super healing to the list."

"Yay." She says in a flat tone. "I mean that's useful so I'm okay with it."

"You uh, you said you were an alien. Could you um, explain that part?"

Talia sighs and looks down at her hands.

"So...I actually know less than you would think. Basically, during the attack on New York in 2012, there was a wormhole over the city that led into space," Peter nods. "I fell from it, from space and then the Avengers took me in. I think...I'll explain that later. I don't actually remember anything that's real from 2012 to 2015. Basically, when we all met Wanda last year with the thing in Sokovia, Tony knew that she could do mind stuff. So he made Wanda go into my mind and take my memories. She replaced my memories with fake ones. Fake ones of a fake mom who's not even real, and fake memories with all the members of the team. It must have worked because I feel like i've been friends with everyone my whole life."

"Why'd he want to wipe your memories?"

"Tony said that I was...haunted in a way. I wouldn't let anyone touch me, wouldn't talk to anyone, wouldn't really eat. Stuff like that. He said I woke up most nights with nightmares and barely got any sleep. Apparently this went on for three years until Sokovia, where Tony found his solution. They think that...I was like that because I was tortured or something. I don't know—I don't remember. They say that I told them that I was a prisoner of someone. All I can recall from that time period, or whenever I think of my past, these fake memories come up. My mom kissing me on the forehead, or Tony and I baking on Christmas Eve, even though that's not a very Tony thing to do. I just remember these heartfelt memories with all my friends...but they aren't real. I guess that's the worst part, that it wasn't real. Thor and I didn't bake cookies, Steve and I didn't go sledding on his shield, Nat and I didn't go shopping. It just sucks, I guess. I found out when the Secretary of State came and introduced the Sokovia Accords to us. He had called me an alien and I was like 'dude what the hell are you talking about?' and then everyone was like 'shit'. Tony had basically told me what I just told you in a shorter version and then I left the room, went to the roof with Spiderman and then flew out to London."

Peter stares for a second, his mouth dropped open. "I'm really sorry Tal."

"Why are you sorry?"

"Cause that whole situation sucks. And I'm just sorry you have to deal with it...um, I have another question."

"Go on."

"Why's your last name James?"

"I took my fake mother's last name. Tony's my legal guardian, he adopted me, but he wanted me to be able to 'be a normal-ish kid'," She uses air quotes. "So I guess that's why I'm not Talia Stark."

"Makes sense, to keep you out of the public eye and to try and maintain some normalcy. Do you have a super hero name?" The girl rolls her eyes. "Like Steve Rogers is Captain America, Mr Stark is Iron Man. What's yours?"

"I don't have one, I don't really want one. The public don't know who I am, Tony keeps it that way. He does his best to keep me out of the headlines. There was a...uh, an incident in Lagos and I was just an 'unnamed, new Avenger' on the news, which is fine with me. I'm not against people knowing who I am, it's just not something that i'm dying for people to know."

Peter nods along. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"No one knows except the other Avengers."

"Are you an official Avenger?"

"Yes, I was sworn in last year...why didn't you tell me?"

He takes a deep breath. "No one knows. Not even Aunt May. I mean now Mr Stark and Happy, and you know...I would like to keep it that way."

"How did you get all Spider-like?"

"I was bit by a spider...long story. But now I have these cool abilities. I had made my first set of web shooters with this web formula that I came up with."

"Only you would make being a hero sound geeky." Talia says with a small smile.

"Yeah yeah."

The girl leans her head back against the couch and closes her eyes. "Peter."

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you go shower, and I'll have Happy order us some food? I am starving."

"That sounds good to me." The boy pushes off the couch and makes his way into the other bedroom.

Talia takes this time alone to think over the last week. Her best friend, Steve, would probably be on the run from the government for a while with Bucky. Sam, Wanda, Clint, and Scott would definitely be arrested or held some place. Talia herself, might get arrested. But then she thinks back to what Tony had said. Because she was a minor she might not be arrested, but she'll definitely have to sign the Accords now.

The girl sighs and rubs her temples, the beginning of a headache forming. Probably a minor concussion from when Bucky had thrown a desk at her and from when she fell from the sky.

She sits up and takes a deep breath before hobbling over to Happy's room to get them some dinner.