new jeresy
"Iduna!" the kid yells from the patio.
"Morgan!" the teen hollers back as she leaves the ship. "Thank you for flying me here, guys. Safe travels." She bids the crew goodbye as she steps off the ramp and runs toward the Stark house.
As the ship ascends, Iduna picks up Morgan and gives her a squishy hug and tickles her. The kid screeches with laughter. "No, stop! I'm ticklish."
"You've grown so much since I last saw you." Iduna laughs jokingly and puts her down. "Where's your mum?"
"Inside." The young Stark girl takes her hand and pulls Iduna towards the house. They rush up the patio stairs, and Iduna opens the door. Morgan runs through and finds that her mom isn't in the lounge where she last was. "Mom! Iduna is here!" She yells just as Pepper emerges from the kitchen.
Pepper shushes Morgan. "I know, sweetie, we both saw the ship." Pepper places a gentle hand on her daughter's head. "Hello, Iduna." There was an instant sadness between them. "Oh, give me a hug." Pepper wraps her arms around the Iduna and feels the young girl shudder under her. "It's been a long time." They separate and welcome Morgan into their huddle. "Now, would you like something to eat or drink?"
Iduna beams. "Yes, one of those carbonised flavoured drinks, please." She tails behind mother and daughter into the kitchen.
"You mean a soda?" Morgan chimes in as Pepper helps her to the beach chair.
"Oh, yeah. I totally forgot what they're called here." Iduna blushes from the schooling by a child. Pepper searches through her fridge as Iduna looks at some picture frames on the kitchen countertop. "Are you going to hang these?" She thanks Pepper as she smiles at a family photo of the Stark family.
Pepper nods. "Yes. I want to put them up by the staircase. That's my favourite one." She points to a picture of Morgan and her dad out by the lake, posing in their fishing gear. "it was taken two days after the new year."
Their ears perk up at the sound of a car pulling up to the front of the house. "That should be Happy, right?" Iduna finishes her soda hastily, but then her eyes squint from the fizziness.
Pepper nods and helps Morgan down, and leads the way to the front of the house. "I hope you come back for a visit this summer; Morgan really missed your company." That comment made Iduna a little confused. Summer is not for a couple of months.
"Ah, yeah, of course. I'll see if I can get my schoolwork under control." Now that left Pepper a bit confused. The redhead picks up a large piece of flimsy cardboard, holds it under her arm, and opens the front door.
Standing at the bottom of the patio, Happy Hogan smiles brightly. "Hi, guys." Morgan rushes down and gives Happy a big hug as Pepper hands over the cardboard. "I'll be sure to give this to May tonight." Happy holds up for writing for a high-five from Iduna. The heiress slams her palm to his. "Ouchies... and a high-five for you as well, Morgan. Right, you ready, kid?" The alien girl looks to the Starks and her heart aches.
Iduna shrugs. "Yeah, I guess."
After they said goodbye to the Stark family, Happy puts the board back as Iduna gets in the passenger seat. The drive to New York was at least forty minutes, which was enough time for Iduna to bleed Happy dry of everything in his soul. She asked him about everything that's happened since she's left and if he'd made a move in May, and whether Shuri would be in New York soon.
The sight of the city made Happy full of relief. If he had known she had this much energy, he would've made her sit in the back and make it less conversational. However, his antisocial mindset was kicking in, and he did miss her company from when she was here.
"I need to go to the school and fill out some forms, something about a trip." Iduna says as Happy drives through New York. "Nothing really changed, it seems." She became silent as the car drove past a colossal graffiti sketch of Iron Man.
During the last period of school, Happy dropped Iduna off at Midtown School of Science and Technology. Apparently, Peter was still here, so she would have to find him to find her way home because Happy was required somewhere else. The class was still in session when she arrived.
Going through the front doors, she makes her way to the reception and is told to wait. When she's invited to the principal's office, she blocks out the mention that summer begins soon as she becomes distracted by all the decorative pieces in the office.
She's handed some forms filled out by her guardian, May, and they only needed her signatures. She was told that filling out these forms at such late notice was irresponsible, but May excused her absence. Iduna did not understand a thing she was told. She was not about to ask and be made a fool of on her first day back.
Instead, she ought to take it better to find Peter before the end of the school day. The principal agreed and escorted her to Peter's last class, which was a free period. She would question Peter about it when it came to it.
Iduna hasn't seen Peter in months and had totally forgotten Midgardian social cues and rules, so when she saw him seated next to his friend Ned, she forgot that she was in a public setting.
Peter's spidey senses tingled. "Oh shit." He whispered softly. "Gotta go, Ned."
"Huh?" His friend looks at him in confusion.
Peter gets up from his chair and almost slams into Iduna. He takes her by the hand gently and pulls her out of the class before anyone saw her.
"What the hell." Iduna mutters as Peter finds the nearest janitor's closest and pulls them both inside. "If you do that again, I will throw you to the ground." She threatens him lightly as Peter locks the door.
The boy turns around quickly. "What are you doing here?"
They were standing in the darkness, with the only light coming from under the door. "What do you mean, what am I doing here? I'm here for school, moron." Her colloquialisms from before were restored in her mind instantly. "Why are you so surprised? I wanted to say hi to Ned."
She could picture his surprised face in the darkness, the wide eyes, the quivering lips and the stressed posture. "are you serious? Today is the last day of the year. You're not meant to be here. You're meant to come after the summer break." He explains.
And then the light turns on in her head. "Hold on... You are finishing your school year?"
"Yes!"
"And you start your vacation tomorrow?"
"Yes!"
"And you start your junior year after your vacation?"
"Yes! I remember telling you this!"
Now they're both annoyed. "Turn on the light, Parker." She orders, and he obeys. A little light hovers above them. "Now, must I remind you I come from an entirely different planet? The dates from your Midgardian school system aren't that easy to remember, and I swear, on my heart, I was told to arrive today."
Peter held a fist to his mouth and was about to point a finger when Iduna smacked it down. "hey!"
"Were you gonna point that at me?" he holds his tongue. "Right. Call May right now."
Peter scrambles in his pocket for his phone. "I remember we literally planned this months ago."
Iduna sighs. "Well, for the past few months, I've been in another solar system... you know this whole ordeal makes sense." The phone was ringing now. "Both Happy and Pepper mentioned a summer break, and I was so confused."
"Peter?" May's voice echoes from the phone. Both teens say hello back and try to talk over one another. "hey, hey, stop all that bickering! Iduna, is that you?" She was also surprised.
"Yes, yes, it is. May can you please check our messages for when I'm supposed to be back here, please?" Iduna cringed at the thought of Morrigan telling her she should've organised her granddaughter's trip. May says, and all they could hear was shuffling on the other end. "I swear I'm meant to be here today."
Peter scratches the back of his head. "If I knew you were here, I would've come to see you don't you think?"
Iduna's eyes soften under the dull light. "You would?"
He grins. "Ah, well yeah."
"Uh, hey cuties, I have the dates," May says through the phone. "And it was my mistake. Instead of the twenty-fifth of September, I sent the twenty-fifth of June."
"I'm three months early." Iduna exclaims.
"Ah, May, June and September are two very different months, and you actually know the school calendar," Peter says, already regretting his snappy tone. "Sorry, May, we are just both surprised. It was just a bit of miscommunication."
Iduna arches her brow. "Yeah, totally. Miscommunication."
A long silence overcomes them until May pipes up. "alright, we will figure this out after tonight's charity conference. Iduna, you are more than welcome to come, and Pete, make sure she gets back to the apartment, okay."
The teens agree to their guardian's instructions, and Peter ends the call. They stand in the janitor's closet in silence. Iduna noticed his cute Midgardian outfit and was then overcome with the worldly desire for new clothes.
"Well, you're here now. Come with me to get my stuff, and we'll go home." Peter surmises the plan. "And Ned should still be there so you can say hi."
Peter and Iduna walked together back to the classroom to find Ned sitting by himself on his phone. He instantly gets up and gives Iduna a big hug. They also hadn't seen each other since she left. He knew about her true identity. They tell Ned the real reason she's early later, but Peter takes her back to the apartment for now. Saying goodbye, Peter gets an exemption to leave early.
Once they're out of school, Peter looks to Iduna with a somber expression. "You're really here, right?"
She looks at him with a puzzling look until she realizes the genuine questioning in his voice. "Yeah, I am." She takes hold of his hand. "Now, I'm starving. Indeed you take me to a cheeseburger place, which reminds me, we have to go see Morgan sometime soon, and I want to go to the Liberty statue again and- "
Peter laughs. "I forgot how much you liked New York." Iduna flipped him off with that. "well, come on." Looking behind her, Peter was walking away from her.
"Hey!" she calls out and speed walks to catch to him. Sliding her arm around his, Iduna tugged him to her body. "how dare you leave me behind like that?" she didn't notice the flush of pink in his cheeks as she looked up at the nearby buildings.
The two teens make their way through the city. Iduna becomes mesmerised by the city's infrastructure and the life bustling on its roads. She did not miss the smell of intoxicating fumes and other unsavoury scents that should be reserved only to the underground sewer pipes.
Peter mentioned a new sandwich vendor that had recently opened up near the school and that he hadn't check it out yet. Iduna was more than happy to try something new.
They passed countless Iron Man memorial pieces of art. There were many discarded posters that had notices for where the missing heroes were. There were even posters calling for Spider-Man. Iduna tried to press Peter on it but he disregarded it and made them walk faster.
At the new vendor, Peter and Iduna both got the same sandwich - triple spiced sub with excess greens and sauce. As they say goodbye to the vendor, Iduna tore off the foiled packaging, Peter stuck his hand out. "No!"
Iduna stopped and looked around confused. "Yes?"
Her friend's face quirks up. "Central park sub date?"
The mention of their sandwich dates lit up her face. "oh! I'm so sorry, I forgot." she says softly. During her time in New York with Peter, the teens would occasionally buy sandwiches from random shops and eat it in the park before heading home.
Peter looks in the direction of the city's iconic park. "let's put our sandwiches in my bag." Peter opens his backpack and the sandwiches are put away. "take my hand, Dune." the boy sticks out his hand for her to take.
Iduna arches her brow. "I'll outrun you though."
He shrugs. "I know, just for old times sake?"
She gives in.
Taking hold of his hand, the pair began their trek through the city. Dodging countless pedestrians, cyclists, cabs and buses, the teens laugh and scream in excitement above all.
This was the feeling Iduna had missed so much. She missed walking past people that didn't know who she was and that she was able to laugh and scream without someone calling her out on it to be an embarrassment to the crown.
Any moment of time she spent with Peter made her feel so mundanely special.
When they eventually reach the park, the sun had begun to set and their sandwiches were nearly cold. Neither minded as they found the closest bench and slumped down, exhausted from the trip here.
Peter hands her her sandwich and then just the sound of chewing from both parties.
They sat where they could watch the people pass by. The street lights became brighter and the nightlights on buildings began to turn on. The vibrant nightlife of New York was waking up with each passing minute.
"So, how are you, really?" Iduna asked as she finished chewing. Peter stopped mid-chew as Iduna asked him the piercing question. "And just know whatever you say in your first sentence will be a lie so just tell me the truth."
Iduna rest her back against the arm of the bench and put her feet up. "Uh..." Peter closes his eyes as he struggles to swallow. "Fine... Doing okay." He looked up at Iduna quickly before averting his eyes as she narrowed in on him.
She groaned. "Liar." Peter gave her a shocked look. "What?"
He squints at her. "How are you, really?" He says, mocking her.
Iduna nudges him in the hip with her foot. "I've had to get used to these." Iduna pulls back her right sleeve of her jacket to reveal the array of scarred tissues. Anyone could see the definitive six trails each Infinity Stone created eight months ago. "Now, you."
His expression falls slightly. "Better. That's the only way I can describe how I'm doing." He looks at her scars.
Her eyes fall to her own arm. "Same." They continue to finish their sandwiches in Central Park as New York city begins to change into the evening. Iduna gave Peter one last look, deciding that it was best not to press him about his feelings just yet. "Surely we go for a walk?" She wraps up her foil and stands up before walking over to a bin.
Peter gets up as well. "Yeah just we gotta leave in time for the charity conference."
"What is that all about anyway?" She asks as they begin walking a path that leads further into the park.
Peter explains that those who came back after the Blip found that they had no savings, home or just plain security in this new society. The charity conference was put together to gather more donations for these people and thank those that have donated. Peter's appearance as Spider-Man is to reinforce the idea that Midgard still has its heroes.
"Is anyone concerned with what's happened with the actual heroes though?" She gave him a suggestive look, wondering if knew what has really happened in the last few months. "Or are Midgardians only concerned with their materialistic ideals, et cetera?"
Peter gave her a stern look. "Don't say that. It's easier to deal with simple human stuff than the superhero stuff."
Iduna nods. "Agreed... but you know right?"
The teens connect eyes, trying to transfer information through their eye contact. "I've heard... whispers?"
Iduna catches on. "Ah, yes, I too have only heard whispers."
Peter smirks slightly. "The others seem to forget that we were also there."
"Precisely." Iduna says, looking around in the dusk light of the park before back to Peter. "They can't find her."
Peter's face twitches as he remembers who Iduna was talking about. "Really?" Iduna nods. "You know about the others as well right?"
"Yeah. They stirred up a lot of trouble." Peter says quietly.
The teens walk in silence for some time, dwelling over what was said.
She was the first to talk. "How amusing it is that the adults are the ones being irresponsible."
Peter nodded. "They should learn to chill and just live."
She laughed. "Yeah, just chill and be alive." The teens take the path leading back towards the direction of Queens. "Although, I feel like something bad could happen if people aren't careful."
The last few months have been filled with tumultuous actives that were never disclosed to Iduna. That however, did not stop her from snooping around and finding stuff out.
Peter doesn't reply and instead checks his phone for the time. "Shit." He looks up at the darkening sky.
Iduna follows where his eyes gaze upon the buildings in front of them. "What are we looking at?"
"We gotta go now or we are going to be late and May is going to kill us." It took a second for her to realise Peter was talking about the conference.
"She'll kill you; I still have my jet-lag card." her face was smug. Peter then digs into his backpack and pulls out two web-shooters before activating them to his wrists. "What are you doing Parker?"
"Take my hand." Peter holds out a hand for her before looking up again at the nearby buildings. "Please." Iduna holds his hand. "Now, run."
"Wh- whoa!" She yells just as Peter takes off. She nearly trips twice before she syncs up her legs with Peter's. "Why are we running?"
"Just follow my lead!" he shouts as he extends his free hand upwards as the teens run closer to an exit of the park.
Iduna's eyes widen in fright as a web shoots out from his wrist. "No!" she screams just as Peter lifts off from the ground and takes her with him. Iduna yelps in fright as the teens ascend into the evening sky. Peter wraps his arm around her torso as they near the rooftop of some tech business. "Don't drop me!" she cries out as they seem to float above the roof.
Peter carefully lands them both and Iduna staggers to the side. "That wasn't so bad." he says as he looks over the top of the roof.
"Some warning next time Spider-Boy." She says as she gains stability. "What are you giving me these for?" Iduna gives Peter a confused look as he places an extra set of web-shooters into her hands and activates them for her. "Excuse me?"
Peter turns around points to something in the very far distance. "We need to get there in literally five minutes." Iduna squints and spots a shelter building. "We need to run across these roofs to get there in time."
"Roof running?" Iduna looks down. "and I'm meant to use these?"
Peter nods hastily. "As you jump, shoot out two webs onto the next roof, and pull yourself towards them, and kind of bounce from roof to roof." Peter displays some weird demonstration. "Now as you... Iduna!"
All she needed was the motion as to use the web-shooters before taking off. Iduna runs across the roof and as she jumps onto the roof ledge, she uses both web-shooters and shoots two webs across the gap between this building and the next.
She is pulled across the gap and lands effortlessly before taking off again. "Come on!"
Peter quickly catches up to her and syncs up with her motions. He was surprised at how efficient her movements were and how synchronised her aim was with the web-shooters.
The kids howl with laughter as they cross each others paths. At one point Iduna was using one arm at a time as she tried to jump over bigger gaps. The streets below wondered what was echoing from the sky as the teens continued to cause a ruckus.
"We did it!" Iduna calls out as the teens safely arrive at the shelter where the conference was taking place.
Peter watched the alien girl spin around in excitement. "Yeah, we did." They landed on its roof and quickly deactivated their web-shooters. The girl hands back her set as Peter pulls out a little device. "Head down that fire escape and go through the front doors, and ask for Aunt May."
Iduna looked once more at the city. "See you in there?"
"See you in there."