Just Another Hero

Maisie always considered her powers to be a gift despite the horrible way she got them.

Her mother taught her to be positive, to look at all the things in the world with a sense of wonder and beauty. As she got older, Maisie found it was harder to keep the optimistic view of the world, and by the time she moved to New York, was recruited to fight against Captain America and the other Rogue Avengers, and got kicked out of her own home, she was sad to say that her worldview had become slightly more cynical.

After the disaster that was her sophomore homecoming at Midtown Tech, she was officially moved into the Avengers Compound in Upstate New York. Transportation was simple with her power of teleportation; every weekday, she teleported to the alley near school where she was sure no one would see her.

Despite her new living situation, Maisie still wondered if her father thought about her or worried about her safety, but the lack of communication between them after a few weeks became something of an indicator that he didn't.

Maisie's life at the Compound wasn't as lonely as one would think. Despite Tony and Pepper's frequent business trips for Stark Industries and the meetings with the government regarding the unsolved situation with the Avengers, she saw them more often than she used to see her own father. It'd been almost four months of living as an Avenger, and she hadn't been this happy since before her mother died.

It was a Tuesday night, and Maisie was finishing up some homework in her room. Usually, she ignored it until last minute, but she decided to get a head start on some of her math for that week. Peter was planning on staying the weekend at the Compound, so she wanted to make sure she didn't have too much to do.

Her room was put together by Pepper, though there were small touches that let Maisie know that Tony had some of an influence. The Iron Man bobblehead, along with the Stark Industries hoodie and jacket was a bit of a tip off. Her second night in her room, she explored more of the closet, and she found a cheesy Iron Man t-shirt that said, "Keep Calm and Iron On." She simply shook her head, knowing it was his doing.

The large TV resting on the wall opposite her bed and the white laptop sitting pretty on her desk let her know that she'd be well taken care of while she stayed with Pepper and Tony. She'd never seen such obvious wealth before, and at times it overwhelmed her. But, it eased her spirits to know that in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't more than a speck on the Stark budget sheets.

A knock sounded on Maisie's door, and she called, "Come in!"

Tony stepped into the room, hands in his pockets, "Hey kiddo, you busy?"

"Nope," Maisie replied honestly, "I was getting a head start on some homework. Boring stuff, I don't think I even realized I was doing it to be honest."

"Good," Tony nodded, "we've got a small mission, if you're up for it."

Maisie's eyes brightened, "What is it?"

******

Maisie let out a groan as her alarm chirped incessantly on her phone, singing out the catchy tune of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears. She used to love that song, but she realized that the more it was used to shock her awake from a peaceful sleep, the more she grew to hate it.

As Maisie sat up, she was reminded of the newly bruised shoulder from the night before. It throbbed painfully, and she winced, knowing she'd have a hard time with her backpack at school.

"Good morning, Maisie," FRIDAY's Irish accent rang. "Boss has asked me to relay a message," Maisie heard Tony's sarcastic voice take over for FRIDAY's, "'Up and at 'em, or you'll miss your French test. See, I pay attention to you.'"

Maisie scoffed, but she obeyed, swinging her feet over her bed and standing up. Her legs weren't as sore as she expected, and she called that a success. Missions were becoming more frequent, but she was proud to say that she was in shape enough to keep up.

As she got ready, she recalled the events of the night before. This mission in particular was quite simple. Maisie, along with Tony, was commissioned to retrieve a biological weapon stolen by terrorists. Maisie wasn't given complete details on what the weapon would do, but she figured it was some form of rapid virus that would give the human population three legs, a tail, or something equally as scary. That, or just kill people. Since the Avengers were called in, it was more likely that it was the latter.

Luckily, they were able to get it back without the terrorists using it, though they held an eleven year old girl hostage in an attempt to make demands before Maisie teleported in and saved her.

Maisie made a scoffing noise, shaking her head in anger and disbelief as she recalled that detail from the night before. Why did some people have to be so horrible?

After throwing on some dark jeans and a black jacket, Maisie made her way to the kitchen, planning to grab an apple before teleporting off to school.

"Decathlon after school today?" Tony asked, sitting at the island and scrolling through something on his phone, not looking up at she entered the kitchen.

"Not today," Maisie grabbed the darkest red apple and smiled in satisfaction. "MJ said we need a break—well, she said she needed a break from the team's idiocy. I respect it."

Tony gave an amused hum, then looked up from his phone, "How's your shoulder today?"

"Bruised, kinda hurts," Maisie took a bite of her apple with a shrug. "I'll be fine in a few hours."

"Great," Tony nodded, standing up. He clapped a hand on her unhurt shoulder, "Good job yesterday. That little girl owes you her life."

A proud smile grew on Maisie's face, "Thanks, Tony."

Tony nodded, dropping his hand back down by his side after giving her a little shove toward the door, "Now go fail a French test."

"Impossible, I'm too great of a student," Maisie scoffed, taking another bite of apple as she turned toward the door. "See ya, dad!"

With that, she teleported out of sight and into the alley near school. Maisie wasn't there to see the shocked expression she left in her wake. As she landed, however, her heart stopped, and she dropped her apple.

"Oh, God, no," Maisie's eyes were wide in horror.

She stood frozen in the alley for a few minutes, reeling from the embarrassment that came with calling Tony Stark "dad," and not even in a sarcastic way. She felt her heart sink to her stomach, trying not to feel a sense of shame for calling someone else what she already had.

Maisie started walking, shaking her head as she finally pulled herself from her stupor. She didn't owe her father anything, including and especially any real meaning behind that particular word. He never spent a second caring about her; he didn't deserve for her to miss him, but still, she did.

As Maisie reached her locker, MJ was already waiting, giving her a confused look, "What's with you?"

Maisie blinked, "Uh... nothing."

MJ shrugged, never being one for deep emotional conversations, but then again, neither was Maisie.

"You ready for the French test today?" Maisie changed the subject, opening her locker.

"Bien entendu," MJ responded simply. After a moment of silence, she continued, "Saw the news about last night, it looked like Iron Man took that new superhero with him again."

Maisie stared at her calculus textbook, keeping her face neutral, "Huh, weird."

"Spider-Man wasn't with them, and I thought they were sort of partners," MJ shrugged.

"Yeah, me too," Peter chimed in, appearing on Maisie's other side and leaning against the lockers. "Coulda sworn that they went out pretty much every night as a team, I saw them together a lot."

Maisie shot him a look, shutting her locker. The door barely missed Peter's fingers, but he pulled them out of the way just in time. He looked slightly offended, but Maisie ignored him.

"She's not ditching Spider-Man, they're like best friends, right?" Maisie glanced at MJ. "That's what the news is saying at least."

The bell rang, interrupting Peter before he could say anything else. MJ backed away, "See you guys at lunch." Maisie waved.

Peter frowned once MJ was gone, "That was the sixth time this month you've ditched me to go on a mission with Mr. Stark!"

"Shh!" Maisie sighed, knowing he was right. "I'm sorry, I really was going to come, I just forgot. And Mr. Stark said something about a little girl that'd been kidnapped and used in a terrorism threat with this biological or chemical weapon, and—"

"It's alright," Peter interrupted. "I just miss being out there with you, you know? It's not the same anymore."

Maisie's lips tilted into a teasing grin despite the rising blush on her cheeks, "You miss me, huh?"

Peter stopped walking to look her in the eyes, "Yeah."

She didn't really know how to respond, his seriousness surprising her, so she ran an anxious hand through her hair and pointed at the classroom, "Er, wanna go in?"

"Sure," Peter sighed, letting her walk in first.

They silently sat down in their usual seats, waiting for the teacher to begin class.

After a moment, Maisie leaned over, whispering, "I miss you, too."

Peter smiled.

******

Maisie left her last class of the day with a full heart. She made up with Peter, and they made plans to patrol that evening, she saved an innocent person from becoming collateral damage the night before, and she was on her way to pick up some coffee before heading back to the Compound.

"Just an iced coffee, please," Maisie smiled at the barista.

She handed her credit card over, something Tony insisted she have now that she was living with him at the Compound. The barista swiped it and gave it back, and as Maisie was putting it back into her bag, her eyes caught the TV in the corner of the coffeehouse showing the news.

"—only eleven years old, a young girl by the name of Evelyn Hargreeves was rushed to the hospital at around three thirty in the morning," the newscaster displayed the image of the girl, and Maisie froze. "Hargreeves was involved in a kidnapping earlier in the night, but Iron Man, along with his fellow hero, Mischief, rescued her. Unfortunately, exposure to a virus has resulted in young Hargreeves' untimely passing. She was surrounded by family in her final moments, and the virus has since been returned..."

Her heart felt like it was falling out of her chest as the picture on the news of a girl named Evelyn took her back to the night before. She was such a brave little girl.

From a hiding place in the rafters, Maisie heard Tony's voice say something eerily calm for someone who was threatening several gunmen, but she didn't hear exactly what he said. She was too focused on the shivering brown-haired girl in the corner of the room tied up against her will. All Maisie needed was a second, and she'd be out of there with the girl's life.

When the thug closest to Maisie raised his gun, she teleported, latching onto the girl's arm and getting out of there.

As soon as she rematerialized at the Avengers Compound still holding the little girl's hand, Maisie leaned down, "I'll be right back, okay? What's your name?"

"E-Evelyn," she replied, scared out of her mind.

Maisie easily unraveled Evelyn's ties, "Evelyn, no one can hurt you here, okay? This is a top-secret Avengers facility, and you're completely safe."

"Okay," Evelyn nodded, her brave face returning.

"Good," Maisie smiled, "I'll be right back, I just have to go deal with those bad guys. See you in a minute!"

Back in the coffee shop, Maisie was unable to move, unsure if she'd be able to do anything except cry. When Maisie returned to the Compound, Evelyn wanted to go home, and she looked fine, so that's where Maisie took her.

She couldn't do it. All that work to save that girl from some of the most vile people in the universe, and Maisie let them win.

"Iced coffee for Maisie?" the barista called out.

Her voice snapped Maisie from her thoughts, and she stepped forward to take her drink.

"Thanks," she whispered, trying to stop her hands from shaking.

"You alright?" the barista asked, concern in her eyes.

That was the first time Maisie noticed the tear falling softly down her cheek.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," she brushed it off. The barista gave her a look. Maisie ignored it. "Thanks for the coffee."

The girl rushed out of the coffee shop, unable to stay where she could see the news displaying the beautifully innocent face of Evelyn Hargreeves. She reached the alleyway and teleported almost immediately, landing in her Compound bedroom and pushing the coffee she ordered aside, untouched. Putting her head in her hands, she sat down on her bed, letting her tears fall without care.

She could've done more. She should've done more.

******

"Boss, Ms. McCall is currently in distress," FRIDAY's voice echoed over the intercom, interrupting Tony's latest project.

Tony frowned and looked up from a set of schematics displaying experimental nanoparticles, "Why?"

"It seems as though she has heard bad news," FRIDAY responded. "I am unsure, I could—"

"No, no, that's okay, FRI," Tony replied, waving a hand. "I'll go figure it out."

"Yes, boss," FRIDAY answered, her Irish accent floating from the ceiling.

Tony approached her door, hesitating before knocking. He still hadn't forgotten what she called him that morning. He was sure he'd never hear someone call him that... ever. He and Pepper had never talked about it. Every time he imagined bringing a life into this screwed up world, he remembered how his own dad treated him, and he knew he couldn't do that to another kid. He knew he'd never be good enough for a kid.

But, Maisie called him "dad" so easily, almost like she hadn't even realized she did it. After she'd left, and after the shock wore off, he couldn't help but feel a sense of bursting pride that this kid he cared for thought that he was worth caring about, too.

Tony knocked on Maisie's closed door, nerves kicked away for the moment, "Maiz?"

Maisie's eyes widened, and she furiously wiped the mascara marks from her eyes while clearing her throat, "What's up, Tony?"

"Kid, I know you're not alright," Tony responded, hearing her voice waver through the door. "Let me in, what's wrong?"

Maisie considered the thought. Her father never asked how she felt or asked to talk about what made her upset. She was used to holing up in her room until she felt better or until she fixed what was making her upset. She didn't really know how to approach this situation. Little did she know, Tony was just as confused and unsure as she was.

Hesitantly, she stood up, walking over to her bedroom door, and she opened it.

Tony looked at her; messy hair, black eyes, and wet cheeks, "What happened, kiddo?"

Maisie bit the inside of her cheek to stop a wave of tears, turning her back to Tony and sitting down on her bed. She couldn't answer.

"Maisie?" Tony asked, using her first name for the first time that Maisie could remember.

"That little girl," Maisie said through gritted teeth. "We... I didn't save her."

Tony stayed quiet, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"She died this morning," another tear slipped out of Maisie's eye, and she hastily moved to wipe it away, avoiding Tony's eyes.

Tony didn't know what to say. He wasn't prepared to handle a distraught teenage girl; what was he thinking, coming in here? He watched her as she forced back more tears, wondering what he could possibly do to help.

"I failed," Maisie summarized. "I failed. All I want to do is go back in time and change it. It's my fault."

Tony's heart sunk; he knew exactly how she felt.

"Kid, it's not your fault," he said, shaking his head. "You were just doing your job, you didn't know, and you did beautifully. There was no way to know—"

"If I'd known, I wouldn't have taken her home! I would've taken her to a damn hospital! We have a medbay in this building!" Maisie didn't seem to be listening, and Tony sighed."If we'd gotten her there, a doctor could've—"

"Have I ever told you the story about how I became Iron Man?" he interrupted.

Maisie stopped, confused, "What?"

"I guess most people already know my cave story, but do you know why I went to Gulmira and saved that small village from those terrorists from the Ten Rings?" Tony asked.

"Because you're an awesome person?" Maisie shrugged, sarcasm flowing off her tongue.

"Because I found out that the man I looked up to like a father had been selling my weapons to terrorists for extra cash under the table," Tony replied simply. "I was the CEO of Stark at the time, and I had no idea."

Maisie's eyes widened, but she stayed quiet.

Tony continued, "The weapons that I created for our country to use to save lives and win wars, and Obie, he was using them to get more money at the expense of innocent people."

"You didn't know," Maisie spoke softly. Her eyes cast downward once she realized why Tony was telling this story.

"You didn't either," Tony shrugged. "It's what you do once you have all the variables that makes you a hero, kid."

Maisie was quiet for a moment. Only the sound of the occasional sniffle filled the room.

"I just wish I could've done more," she thought of the little girl again.

"I know," Tony sighed, patting her awkwardly on the back. Maisie wiped her cheek with her sleeve again.

"I can't remember the last time I got a pep talk like this," Maisie scoffed, embarrassment evident on her face.

Tony noticed her hesitance and decided he'd lighten the mood, "Well, I figured I should start giving fatherly advice."

Maisie's eyes widened, and she groaned, "I was hoping you didn't notice..."

"Hey, if you wanted to call me that after everything you've been through," Tony shrugged, "I'd be honored."

Her eyes started to fill with tears for the second time that night, and Tony immediately backtracked.

"Or not! I mean, I'm not your, er, father, and I don't want to—"

Maisie interrupted his rambling with a crushing hug, wrapping her arms around Tony and surprising him for the millionth time since he met her.

"Thank you," Maisie was smiling.

"I don't, er, wanna take your dad's place or anything," Tony explained, still slightly uncomfortable with the whole situation.

"Tony, my father kicked me out of the house for going out and saving innocent people's lives, and now he's threatening me with exposing my identity if I don't come back to live with him," Maisie scoffed, shaking her head. "I'm not holding onto that relationship any less than he is."

Tony's eyes widened, "He's doing what?"

She winced, recalling her run-in with her father the week previously.

Maisie stopped in front of the candy aisle at Delmar's, considering her choices. Peter was expecting her for patrol soon, but she wanted to surprise him with a treat. Reese's or Snickers? she thought.

"Margaret," a voice spoke behind her.

Maisie froze, a cold feeling settling over her at the sound of her father's voice. Though she didn't want to, the girl slowly turned around.

"Dad," she stiffly nodded, wondering if she should even call him that.

"I thought you'd be here," he nodded, as though he was proud of his detective skills. "This is where you and your terrible influence of a friend meet up after school."

"Is there something you need?" Maisie asked, ignoring the jab on Peter.

"Yes, as a matter of fact," her father continued. "It's time you return home. Quit your silly running away game and come back."

Maisie didn't know what to say for a moment. It's been over four months, and he suddenly wants her back home?

"What the hell are you talking about?" Maisie shot back. "You're the one who kicked me out!"

"It's come to my attention that you're staying at the home of Tony Stark—"

"Yeah, and funnily enough, I'm actually happier there than I ever was at home with you," Maisie spat.

"Listen here, Margaret," her father took a menacing step forward. "You're going to come home with me, or I'm going to start spreading the word about your little superhero secret. Maybe I'll start with the Daily Bugle, that place can't seem to get enough of you and your Spider-Friend."

Maisie's eyes widened, "You wouldn't! That could get me killed—"

"The choice is yours," Mr. McCall moved to walk past her, stopping beside her. "You have one week."

Maisie didn't watch as her father left the store, unable to be honest with herself. Her own father wouldn't turn her in, would he?

Maisie shook her head, ignoring the memory, "I really think he's bluffing. My own father wouldn't do that, and I'm not going to let one threat decide how I live my life. I was just going to ignore him."

Tony heard her, but he was able to see past the unfounded hope that Maisie had that her father wasn't as terrible a person as he seemed.

"Kid, you know that while you're living here nothing can touch you, right?" Tony asked.

Maisie smiled, "I know."

"Good," he nodded.

On a whim, the man leaned forward and kissed her on the top of the head. Maisie figured this was the type of thing that a good father would do with his daughter in a perfect world.

The two enjoyed the moment until Tony finally said, "Don't forget, Peter's waiting for you on top of some rooftop in Queens."

Maisie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Shit!"

******

Peter forgave her easily; he was never one to hold grudges. They spent the night busting small acts of crime including an attempted bank robbery, something Maisie hadn't seen for a while. Still, not even saving a teenage girl from a mugging was enough to soothe the guilt lurking in the back of her mind. She didn't tell Peter what happened, she knew he'd just tell her the same thing Tony already did.

"See you tomorrow, Peter," Maisie plastered a smile on her face, standing on the edge of the rooftop.

"Maiz," Peter stopped her before she could teleport off, taking off his mask. "I know something's bothering you, and, you know, I'm here for you if you wanna talk."

Maisie avoided eye contact, nodding stiffly, "Thanks, I'll... see you tomorrow?"

Peter looked disappointed, but he nodded, putting his mask back on and turning toward the city, "Yeah, see you."

He shot a web and swung off into the night, leaving Maisie alone on the rooftop.

She wished she could see a world where that little girl still had her whole life ahead of her, somewhere where she survived past that night because Maisie got her the help she needed before it was too late. She wished that Evelyn Hargreeves' whole life wasn't torn apart at the age of eleven, just like Maisie's was. Difference was, Maisie still got the chance to grow up.

Shaking her head and tearing herself away from the tragic thoughts, Maisie turned toward the edge of the rooftop, ready to teleport home. Still, she couldn't help thinking about Evelyn as she jumped off into the night sky.

******

When Maisie rematerialized, she was staring up at the same abandoned building from the night before.

She frowned, not a stranger to what happened when her mind wandered as she teleported despite the fact that it was quite an amateur move. Maisie took a deep breath, and she was about to teleport back to the Compound when she heard what sounded like repulsors and gunfire from inside the building.

Eyes widening, Maisie teleported into the rafters of the building, careful to stay out of sight until she figured out what was going on. Her eyes found the attackers, seven large men wearing gas masks and holding weapons too advanced to be bought on the regular market, but there was something eerie about them. It was almost like she'd seen them before.

"You really should let the girl go," a familiar voice said calmly.

Maisie looked over in surprise to see Tony, wearing his Iron Man suit, holding one hand toward the men in an obvious threat. Okay, now this was definitely something she'd seen before. The night before last, in fact. The night that resulted in the death of Evelyn Hargreeves.

Sure enough, Maisie turned her head to the side to see a little girl with brown hair and a bright blue headband tied up by her hands in the corner, unmistakably Evelyn. And when Maisie glanced to the ceiling a few feet from her, she saw herself.

Thankfully, Maisie chose a place hidden from view of her past self or that would've been a confusing conversation for them both. This was the part where Maisie teleported in to save her before dropping her safely in the Avengers Compound, telling her to sit still until she came back.

She should've taken her to the hospital, Maisie's eyes widened.

Maybe this was her chance to fix it.

As quick as blinking, Past Maisie teleported down, grabbed Evelyn by the hand, and disappeared again.

"Oh, wait, you didn't have to," Tony snarked. "Good thing I have people for that."

The men opened fire, and Past Maisie reappeared, ready to help her mentor.

Maisie didn't waste any time once she saw that her past self was back at the warehouse, and she teleported to the main living floor of the Avengers Compound. She smiled when she saw the young girl staring in awe at everything. Maisie felt exactly like that when she first visited; she still couldn't believe it was her home.

"Hey," Maisie spoke softly, trying to make her voice sound as nonthreatening behind her mask as possible.

Evelyn's head whipped in her direction, eyes widening, "T-That was fast."

"Thanks," Maisie shrugged, turning the attention back to her. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Sort of gross, but I guess that's how you feel when creepy old guys kidnap you," Evelyn said, disgust evident on her face.

Maisie couldn't help but smile under her mask, "You're definitely right about that, but just to be sure, let's get you to a hospital, okay?"

Evelyn grinned, showing a missing tooth with a new one already growing in, "Okay. I like hospitals!"

Maisie laughed, holding out her hand for Evelyn to take, "You're the only person I've met who likes hospitals, Evelyn."

"I wanna be a doctor one day," she said with pride, the gap in her teeth making another appearance. "I wanna help people just like you and the other Avengers, just without all the superpowers."

Maisie's anxiety levels rose even higher at her words, "Well, I hope so much that you do. I know you'd be an amazing doctor."

Evelyn looked proud of herself, and she glanced at their intertwined hands, "Are we gonna teleport again?"

"Sure are," Maisie smiled. "Are you ready?"

Evelyn's eyes brightened, "Yes!"

Maisie laughed, squeezing the girl's hand tight, and she teleported in front of Helen Cho's medical bay in the Avengers Compound. If anyone could fix whatever unknown virus Evelyn was infected with, it was her. Evelyn's eyes blinked several times in a row as she tried to adjust to her new surroundings, but the smile never faded.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"This is where all the Avengers go when they get sick," Maisie explained, catching Cho's eye and beckoning her across the room.

"Mischief? What seems to be the issue?" Dr. Cho asked, confused by the presence of the young girl. Evelyn didn't notice, she was looking around at all the different types of medical equipment.

"This is Evelyn, and she has been infected with some sort of virus," Maisie explained under her breath. "We need to find a cure, fast."

Dr. Cho nodded, "I'll see what I can do."

Evelyn frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Maisie tried, but the girl was much too smart for that. She sighed, "We think you might get sick soon, so we're trying to fix it before it happens."

Dr. Cho gestured for them to follow her, and Evelyn hesitantly complied.

"Okay," the girl said, "I wanna make sure I'm good enough to go to school tomorrow."

Maisie's heart constricted, "Me too."

"Right this way, Evelyn," Dr. Cho said. "We need to run some quick tests."

"Can't she come with me?" Evelyn pointed at Maisie.

"I'm afraid not, but she might be waiting for you when you're all better," Dr. Cho looked awkward; it was obvious she didn't get much time around children.

Evelyn took a few steps back until she was by Maisie's side, and she whispered, "You're my favorite superhero."

Maisie tried not to let herself be too affected by the girl's words, and she nodded, "Thank you, Evelyn."

Evelyn beamed, and she turned to follow Dr. Cho down the hallway towards the scientific minds that would save her life. Maisie smiled, knowing that Evelyn would be okay.

As Maisie stood alone in the hallway of the Avengers Compound, she realized one thing: she had no idea what to do.

"Okay, so you went back in time, that's new and fun," Maisie whispered to herself. "Saved a girl's life, she's gonna grow up to be a doctor, you did a good thing!"

But how did she do that? She just thought of the little girl and how much she wanted to save her, and all of a sudden she could teleport back in time? Maisie thought about the Tesseract, wondering how it could've possibly granted her the power of time travel along with teleportation. Time and space never had a true definition before, so she wasn't optimistic she could try to figure it out now.

"...Tony I swear, I left her in the living room!" Maisie heard her own voice echo down the hallway.

Her eyes widened, jumping out of sight before she screwed anything up in the past.

"I'm telling ya, kid, she's not here," Tony responded. "She must've gone exploring or something, that's how kids are, am I right?"

"Yeah, I guess," Past Maisie shrugged. "Ask FRIDAY?"

Maisie's eyes widened, whispering, "Shit."

"Yeah, FRI, where's the littler kid?" Tony asked. Past Maisie gave him a look.

"Evelyn Hargreeves is currently in the medical bay with Dr. Helen Cho," FRIDAY responded.

Tony and Maisie exchanged a look, "Why is she there?"

"It seems as though Dr. Cho has identified a fatal virus that Evelyn has been exposed to," FRIDAY explained. "She is currently running several tests in the process of creating a cure. She is close, and Evelyn will certainly be just fine."

"Holy shit!" Past Maisie exclaimed. "It's a good thing Dr. Cho found her! If she'd gone home..."

"Hey, Helen has it covered, that's all that matters," Tony assured her before looking back up at the ceiling.

Maisie smiled and teleported into the medbay, looking around until she saw Evelyn and Dr. Cho next to an exam table. Evelyn was asleep, something Maisie found quite astonishing after the night she had.

"How's it going?" she asked Dr. Cho.

"We have the cure right here," Helen replied, holding the syringe in her hand. "Could you stand next to that monitor and tell me what it says?"

"Okay," Maisie glanced at the door, trying not to let her nervousness show. "How do you know if it worked?"

"If her pressure spikes, let me know," Dr. Cho responded, searching for a vein. "If it works, which it will, her fever should disappear almost immediately."

"She has a fever?" Maisie asked, eyes wide.

"She won't in about a minute," Dr. Cho inserted the needle into Evelyn's thin arm, "Pressure good?"

Maisie glanced at the numbers once, nodding, "Yeah, it's fine."

A small exhale came from Evelyn's mouth, and her scrunched face suddenly relaxed, as though she were relieved of some invisible burden.

Dr. Cho reached forward, feeling Evelyn's forehead, "Temperature?"

Maisie glanced at the monitor, "Ninety-nine even."

The doctor smiled, "She'll be just fine."

"That's good," Maisie breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll take her home soon, just let her rest for a bit."

Dr. Cho nodded, "I will go get her something to eat when she wakes up. She needs some Vitamin C."

"Okay," Maisie nodded, "I'll stay here."

Dr. Cho left the room, mumbling about orange juice as Maisie turned back to the sleeping girl.

"I'm gonna have to go, but I know you're gonna be fine now," Maisie smiled. "Grow up and be a doctor, okay? You're gonna help so many people, and I'm really happy I was able to help you."

Maisie heard distant footsteps in the hallway, and her eyes widened. She took one last look at Evelyn's peaceful face and took a deep breath.

"Alright, time to go," Maisie whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. I wanna go back to my own time, back to the place I left to come here.

With that, she hoped really, really hard and teleported.

******

When Maisie opened her eyes, she was looking down at a street, cars driving by and pedestrians walking quickly on the sidewalk. She was standing on the edge of the building she left when she went back in time to save Evelyn.

"Whoa," she breathed, letting the cool air brush a few stray hairs across her cheek.

She checked her phone, reading the date and time of when she left. Her eyes widened, realizing that she successfully traveled back in time and saved a little girl's life. Maisie's eyes scanned the lighted city for the sight of a swinging superhero; there was one person she really wanted to tell.

Maisie teleported into Peter's room at the same time he entered through the window.

"Ah—God, Maisie?" Peter jumped, hitting his head on the windowsill. He looked confused, "What're you doing here? Did you want to talk—"

"Peter, I just went back in time," Maisie burst out.

Peter's eyes widened, "What?"

"I time-traveled back to last night," her eyes were bright with excitement. "I saved a little girl from dying. Her name was Evelyn, and she wants to become a doctor, and now she can be!"

"You teleported back in time? What the fu—" Peter's eyebrows furrowed. "Wait, you said you saved a girl named Evelyn?"

Maisie nodded, "Helen Cho saved her life, she was infected with some virus, and I should've taken her to the hospital last night, but she wanted to go home and she said she was fine, so—"

"Evelyn Hargreeves?" Peter asked suddenly, scrolling through his phone.

Maisie's smile faltered, "How'd you know?"

Peter hesitated, frowning as he held out a video of an old news story.

"At only eleven years old, a young girl by the name of Evelyn Hargreeves was rushed to the hospital at around three thirty in the morning," the newscaster said, the same thing that Maisie heard earlier that day in the coffeeshop. "Hargreeves was involved in a kidnapping earlier in the night, but Iron Man, along with his fellow hero, Mischief, rescued her. Unfortunately, exposure to a virus has resulted in young Hargreeves' untimely passing. She was surrounded by family in her final moments, and the virus has since been returned—"

Maisie shut off Peter's phone, shaking her head, "This doesn't make any sense."

"Are you sure that she was, er, cured?" Peter asked.

"Yes! Cho used the serum she made, and she looked so peaceful..." Maisie frowned, confused. Then, the reality of the situation sunk in—she still hadn't done it. "I saw my past self, I was there, she saved her... I swear!"

Maisie was so sure, she was so confident. But it hadn't even made a difference.

Peter seemed to understand as soon as she did. His eyes filled with sadness; it hurt him just as much to see her upset, and he reached a hand forward to hold her. Maisie pushed his hand away, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Maiz, I'm here," Peter moved in front of her. "I understand, I get it! Don't you think I know how it feels to lose someone?"

Maisie's watery eyes shifted their gaze from the floor up to meet his face. His brown eyes looked so sincere, begging her to trust him.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed, shaking her head. "I'm not usually... all..."

"Teary?" Peter supplied.

Maisie sighed, nodding, "Yeah."

"You don't always have to act so strong, you know," Peter shuffled his feet, moving closer to her. "That's why I'm here."

He'd never seen her look so broken, not since her dad kicked her out. She was usually so put together, almost indestructible. Peter had started to think of her that way. Maisie wouldn't let anything hurt her, and if she did, she wouldn't let anyone know.

Maisie didn't say anything, but that didn't stop Peter from wrapping his arms around her in a hug. His heart was beating too fast for it to be normal, but he didn't care.

"Thank you," she whispered into his shoulder, too nervous to say anything else.

"You're welcome," he said into her hair, the lemony scent filling his nose.

"I just..." Maisie sniffled. "I was just so sure I did it."

Peter thought for a moment, his hands moving slowly through the soft strands of her hair. Slowly, he pulled away, a pensive look in his eye.

"What?" she asked.

"What if you did do it?" he wondered.

Maisie frowned, "I'm confused."

Peter's eyes lit up as he thought; Maisie could practically see the gears turning in his brain as he spoke, "You said you went back in time when you teleported, right?"

"Yeah..." she still wasn't getting it.

"What if you didn't just teleport through time, but time and space?" Peter theorized, eyes wide in excitement. "You got your powers from that dumb blue cube right? The thing that opens doors to other places in space? If you didn't change anything here, maybe you changed it somewhere else."

Suddenly, it clicked. Maisie's jaw dropped, "You mean... you think I teleported into the past, but into a different space? Wait..." her eyes widened. "Do you think I created a new timeline entirely?"

Peter rapidly nodded, "If you go back in time—"

"That past becomes your future, and the former present becomes the past... which can't be changed by the new future!" Maisie exclaimed. "Did I really save that girl?"

"Yeah, Maiz," Peter grinned, "I think you did. I mean, we'll talk to Mr. Stark about it, he'll be able to figure out if this makes sense or not—"

Maisie jumped forward, throwing her arms around his neck and laughing. Peter caught her, spinning her around in amusement.

"I saved her! I—" she stopped suddenly, pulling back. "But... she still isn't alive here."

"Yeah, but you did something no one else can do," Peter's eyes were filled with sympathy, but there was something else there that Maisie couldn't place. "You went back in time, and gave the girl another chance at life."

Maisie's frown lessened, it was hard for her to resist his sincerity. Evelyn was alive somewhere else, dreaming of becoming a doctor and sleeping in her own bed, safe and happy. Maisie looked up at Peter again; his puppy-dog eyes were hard enough to resist in the most trivial of times, and this was no exception.

"Thank you, Pete," the corner of her mouth lifted up in an attempted smile.

Peter sensed her unease, and he wished that the little girl could've been saved in their timeline. There were several things they both wanted to change about their pasts, but things happened the way they did. Despite Maisie's newly found power, they were still as helpless to change the horrors of the past as they were previously.

"Come on," Peter suddenly grabbed her hand. "Take us somewhere for pizza, I'm hungry."

Maisie's bubbling laughter filled the room before Peter clasped a hand over her mouth, equally as amused.

"Shh! May will hear you—" he tried.

"It won't be the first time she's caught me in your room," Maisie giggled again, taking his hand off her mouth and holding onto it.

Peter's cheeks reddened at the insinuation, but she teleported them away before he could stutter a word.

******

Two knocks rapped on Mr. McCall's door, causing the man to pause his television and slowly rise to his feet. He leaned forward to check the peephole, but he was met with nothing but the palm of someone's hand covering it. McCall stood still, confused but curious as he turned the handle of his door.

"Oh, good," the visitor's voice hid anger through a veil of amusement. "Now I won't have to blow the door down."

McCall closed the door behind him, "Tony Stark. I thought you might show up."

"Glad to know your brain works at all," Tony wandered throughout the apartment, rolling his eyes at a picture of Maisie still framed on the mantle. "I'm here... because a young lady I happen to be quite fond of, is having issues regarding a creepy old man threatening her with blackmail."

"Still doesn't explain what you're doing here," McCall brushed off his insults with ease.

"Oh, I'm here to make sure it never happens again," Tony took a step toward him, all traces of amusement gone from his voice.

McCall's reaction wasn't one the superhero was expecting: he started laughing.

"Am I missing something?" Tony raised an eyebrow, his tone level.

"Please, Stark, I knew she'd run and tell you the second I spoke to her," McCall smirked, taking a seat on his couch. "So, how much are you willing to keep my daughter's vigilante identity a secret?"

Tony stared at the man for a moment, wondering how he managed to raise Maisie: a girl willing to put her life on the line for others at the first sign of danger. She was a miracle, Tony guessed. That, or her mother was a saint.

"Here's what's going to happen," Tony held his watch up, tapping a few buttons on it. "I'm going to make you an offer. It's take it or leave it."

McCall leaned forward, "I'm listening."

"You tell me that you will never, ever give up Maisie's identity," Tony stared him down. "And I won't kill you for all the shit you've put her through."

McCall shook his head, another scoff, "There's no way you'd do that. You're a public figure, people would—"

"I think you'd be surprised," Tony tapped another button, and pulled his watch gauntlet over his hands, aiming its repulsor at McCall's chest. "Now, as a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, and Avenger, it's my word against yours. As an emotionally and physically abusive father who kicked his fifteen year old daughter out of her own house, how well do you think that's gonna fly?"

McCall was silent, staring with wide eyes in awe at the icon standing in front of him.

"It's your call," Tony smirked, "McCall."

The man's eyes were filled with rage, but his defeated nod of the head signaled his surrender.

Tony wasn't finished though, "And if you ever come near my daughter again, I'll blast you into the ground without a second glance."

He turned to leave the way he came, McCall glaring furiously at his back.

"She's not your daughter, Stark!" he yelled, spit flying from his mouth.

Tony didn't even look back, snapping, "Well she's sure as shit not yours."

He slammed the door behind him.