"What exactly are you hoping for here?" I follow Peter in through the fancy double doors. He waves to the guards, who nod to him as he pushes past the tour lines, heading for the stairs.
"Not too sure, but May and Mr Stark are supposed to be figuring out what to- how May should proceed," Peter picks his words carefully.
"Whether or not she should dump me in the system," I nod as we walk down the many flights of stairs.
"I don't think they'd dump you in the system."
"They'd totally dump me in the system,"
"They'd probably consider dumping you in the system," Peter concedes. "But that's not gonna happen," He adds under his breath.
"Huh," I exhale. "Any ground rules? Things not to touch, people around not aware of Spiderboy, etcetera?" I continue on.
"This is about as rules free as you'll get. Mr Stark is all for no holds barred science, and he's cool with your...what did you call it?"
"Porting. He's cool with that?"
"If anything he'll be excited. Please present that when he's about to yell at me, if you don't mind," Peter pushes through another set of doors and reveals Stark and May standing over a counter, clearly in a tense discussion.
"Peter Parker!" Stark shouts as soon as we get in. "First of all, stop tracking people. Second, why did you steal my stuff?"
I decide to follow Peter's suggestion and take the opportunity to port to one of the tables where an Iron Man helmet lies. I briefly fan away the purple cloud and pick up the helmet, looking at it from several angles. I notice that the conversation paused and look up, seeing Peter, May and Stark staring at me. Peter mouths 'thank you'
"...Teleporter," Stark mumbles curiously.
"Sorry," I mumble, setting down the helmet carefully. I glance up at him and lightly brush off some invisible dust from the helmet.
"No- no, no, you're...fine," Stark stares at me. "Would you mind coming back over here?"
I port back over to the table. Stark makes an intrigued face and pokes my shoulder, causing me to stick my foot out behind me.
"Do it again," He says- commands. There's something unsettling about it, but I can't imagine why. I glance behind him and reappear there, another purple cloud. Stark whips around.
"Is it tiring?" He circles around me, reaching for the cloud. "What's your stamina like?" Stark asks, I can see in his eyes how fast his mind is working. This seems less...monopolizing than the Tony Stark you hear about on the streets. He's more curious, like he just wants to learn.
Tony gestures for me to answer.
"Uh, no, it's actually kinda... exhilarating. Gives me a rush, sometimes I'll go back and forth really fast for fun, but it's hard because... people. Don't like mutants," I say awkwardly.
"Yeah, that one might be a teeny bit on me. How long you been on the streets?"
"End of June," I feel like I'm being interrogated.
"Before that?" Stark asks. "Hey, catch!" He declares, tossing a piece of wiring towards the other end of the room. I shoot him a weird look, port over, catch it, and pop up back in front of him to hand it back. He waves his hand through the cloud again.
"No freaking idea,"
"Date of birth?"
"Again, no clue,"
"Where you from? You remind me of someone,"
"I was going to ask her that last night, actually," May notes quietly.
"I need a freaking tape recorder tonight- I don't know,"
"May, what do you think?" Stark glances to her as he sorts through some files and types something on one of his weird tables.
May sighs and runs a hand through her hair, staring at me, before nodding.
"Do it,"
"Done," Stark declares, half-jogging over to a printer and handing me some papers.
"Sonder Elizabeth Mainard, congratulations on your new foster home," Stark says. The top paper is a birth certificate, making me 15. Foster home.
"Better than Elaine," I stick my tongue out at Peter.
"May, congrats on getting licensed in the hideous state of New York as a foster parent!" May nods, biting her lip. She seems...nervous. This means May is my legal guardian. And that if I leave, she can send the cops after me. It also means that I have a... no. A place to stay.
"Peter, you're still grounded, but you're slightly less grounded if you tell me what you did that the trackers work on Hyperspace over here," Stark points to a rolling chair and crosses his arms to begin chewing out Peter.
I wander a bit, finding myself in some form of kitchen, but it's covered in dirty dishes, mostly coffee mugs. On the fridge is a picture of Peter...standing awkwardly behind a birthday cake with candles saying '15.' This is absolutely golden.
"Peter, why is your birthday cake on Tony Stark's fridge?" I laugh as I call back to the other room.
"Mr Parker is unavailable," Stark shouts back to me. "He's busy being sentenced to life!"
"Come on!" Peter cries. "She's a criminal- it's my job!"
I frown and port back around the corner, on top of one of the tables. I cross my arms at Peter.
"That's a little rude," I pout. Despite the renowned Peter Tingle- as May calls it- he still jumps and squeals like a little girl.
"She's right, you know," Stark points to me. I grin in satisfaction. "But, Parker numero two, the adult- me- is speaking," He points out, calling me number 2. Peter huffs a satisfied breath and makes a face as if he were resisting the temptation to stick his tongue out.
"I don't know if you heard, but Stark Industries- me, again- has been doing quite a bit of funding to cover for some kid who can't keep his hands to..." I tune out Stark, wandering away again and touching things I shouldn't.
On top of a very messy table is an open file, with pictures of... some sort of lab. A dirty one. Underground. In the photos it looks deserted, barren, almost distraught. But it's easy to see it full of people, full of life. So easy...an image that comes unprompted.
My head explodes in pain and...and...memories.
I stumble backwards, trying to get away from it. I feel myself glitching all over the place, knocking into a desk. I focus for a split second long enough to port somewhere with meaning.
"Peter," I barely manage to mumble out the word, my body feeling like it's on fire. My heart is racing, I can't catch a breath, I've never felt so sweaty in my life, I can't think. Flashes like they're from my nightmares. Power. People. Running everywhere. Always terror, but I don't know why. Pain everywhere. These, these are the dreams I can never remember.
"What's wrong with her?" Stark asks. He sounds serious. I'm still glitching everywhere. In and out, trapped in my mind, I slam into a wall.
"Hey, hey, hey," Peter reaches for me cautiously. "I don't know, it's never been this bad before," I stretch out a hand for Peter, looking for something to ground me, but I glitch again before I can touch him. I tuck myself into a corner, my hands scraping at the wall.
Stay, stay, stay, stay
I will myself to get a grip and the glitching slows, just popping in and out of the same spot.
"Sonder?" I hear May calling.
One room. A lonely little room. Trapped. Pain. I can't breathe. Here or now, I can't tell, but I can't breathe.
"Found her!" Someone shouts. I see a man coming for me, it's like tunnel vision, I can't tell anything else. A man. He brings pain. Him and his... his pokers? What are pokers? No...his needles. I didn't run far enough again. They'll lock me up again!
"No!" I shout and port away, clawing at my forearms. Can't let him get me, can't let him get me, he'll poke me again! It'll hurt, I'll go back to the room.
"Sonder?" Someone gently calls. I snap my head up. I'm on a table. I see my hands, it's like they aren't there. Wait, someone's talking to me. A woman. I focus on her face. May. She's reaching for me hesitantly.
"May," I half-sob, dragging myself towards her. She rushes for me and I cling to her for dear life, half-hanging off the table.
"They're gonna take me back, they'll put me back- back in the room," I mumble into her shoulder. I dig my fingers into her shirt.
"What room, honey? Who's going to take you?" May asks gently. The room... stone walls. Windows. All windows. Everyone sees. They all see me. Pain.
"The room," I force out, unable to think of anything else. "I can't go back, May, don't let them take me back. Please don't let them take me back!" I cry.
"Shh, shh, you're safe, Sonder. You aren't going anywhere," May murmurs.
I start to nod when a pain hits my shoulder. A poker- a needle. I cry out and let go of May for a second long enough to port again, taking myself to the kitchen. I hear people still. People, with their pokers, this isn't safe. Where's safe? Where am I safe?
A name forces itself to the top of my thoughts, sitting on the tip of my tongue...Rose? No, not Rose. I blink hard, trying to clear my head. Focus!
Home. Home is safe. I think of home. Details, come on, details!
Details.
Couch. Quilt. Cramped. Vanilla and Garlic. Noise. Neighbors. Home.
I open my eyes and I'm sitting on the Parkers' couch. I fumble with the stabbing pain in my shoulder, digging out an empty needle. I've seen these before... where have I...?
Tranquilizers. I hit the floor.
__
"Where'd she go?" Peter shouts. He almost had her before she teleported again, like she'd seen a ghost. One that had already killed her.
"Sonder?" He hears May's gentle voice from the kitchen. Launching himself over furniture in a flash of acrobatics and limbs, he comes in in time to see Sonder cling to May like her life depended on it. Her eyes clenched shut, visibly in pain, shaking.
She says something about a room into May's shoulder, but Peter can't hear it. He takes a step forward- and immediately takes two back when May shoots him a look of liquid fire.
"What room, honey? Who's going to take you?" May asks her. Tony comes into the room, holding a syringe, and parks himself next to Peter.
Sonder says something in another language, she says it in the most pained voice Peter has ever heard. Tony is reminded of the recordings of his parents' death- the way his mother cried out.
"I can't go back, May, don't let them take me back. Please don't let them take me back!"
Tony's mind is made, and he moves without thinking. He can tell she's in immense pain, her mind an endless abyss. She won't find comfort in herself.
"Shh, shh, you're safe, Sonder. You aren't going anywhere," May assures her moments before Tony can slam the syringe into her shoulder. Sonder screams, teleporting again.
Stark swears, and when he meets May's eyes she looks like she might as well.
"Where'd she go?" Peter shouts.
"Shh, listen," Tony holds up a finger, telling them to be quiet. From the kitchen, muffled crying is heard. May is already moving to find her when they hear the telltale puff noise that says she teleported.
"F.R.I.D.A.Y!" Tony shouts. "Scan the facility!"
"Of course, boss," An automated voice responds. "She's gone," It says a moment later.
"Scan it again," Peter tells it. "Please," He hastily adds.
"She's not here," The voice repeats.
"Peter," Tony barks. "Tracker, online, now," He orders.
"I thought you said-"
"Yeah, well, we've got an enhanced having a panic attack that just went missing, find her!" He shouts again. This time, Peter nods, running for his bag. He digs through it for a small device and his mask.
"Karen," He says as soon as the system is online. "Activate tracker 32C," He tells her.
"Locating," Karen replies.
"32C?" May cries.
"I'm trying to find her here, May!" Peter says in a strained voice.
"She went home," Karen says in an almost bored voice.
"Home?" Peter looks to May and Tony. "She doesn't have a- a home?"
"Yes, she does," May murmurs, already grabbing her bag and sprinting outside. Peter reads off the location the device shows him- it's his.
"She still moving?" Tony asks Peter. Peter focuses on the screen in front of him.
"No, no movement for almost three minutes," Peter relays.
"She's out," Tony mutters. "Let May find her,"
"But I-I could get there-"
"I said let May find her," He repeats. "Something about you scared the everloving crap out of her, and I doubt sending a suit would have the most soothing effect,"
Peter grumbles, mocking Tony, but he knows he's right.
Two hours of driving crammed into one by a very anxious May- later, she's rushing up the stairs to the apartment, and bursts in, finding Sonder collapsed on the rug. The needle Tony shoved into her lying on the floor. May swears, rolls Sonder onto her side, and debates the best way to get rid of the needle. She settles on putting it in a piece of tupperware she wasn't all too fond of and throws all of it away.
Home.