Chapter 24
MILES
He’d been avoiding his sister since the ‘de-aging’ incident, hating that his parents refused to tell him anything about Emerson’s past. Miles knew it hadn’t been good, but not to this extent. What had happened her first fifteen years? After talking to his friends about it, he decided to give her space and not bring it up.
Which meant avoiding her at all costs.
After four days, though, it was his sister who finally confronted him in his room.
He had just gotten home from school, laying on his bed with his music blaring in his headphones when his door slammed open. The teen jumped nearly a foot off his bed from the noise, scrambling to bring his tablet back into his arms as he glared at the woman standing in the doorway. He muted Childish Gambino with a glare.
“So what’s your plan, avoid me forever instead of being a big boy and actually talking to me?” Emerson asked as she walked over to the bed, shoving his legs to plop down next to him.
“Yes, actually,” he snarked back, putting his tablet under his pillows. “Which one sent you?”
“Papa bear, who else? Now ask me what it is you want to ask me.” He’d always appreciated that about his sister, she never bull-shitted him.
“Alright, fine,” he said as he sat up, shifting around to face her fully. Miles had to take a deep breath, feeling some anger begin to bubble inside of him. “I want to know what happened to make tiny-you cry and freak out when I was near you. What happened before Dad and Pops adopted you. And why everyone decided not to tell me.”
He watched as his usually confident and wise-cracking sister deflated in front of him.
“Well,” she started quietly, “let me start with the why.” Miles pulled his knees up to his chest as he waited patiently, not liking the tears beginning to form in Emerson’s eyes as she took a deep breath before continuing. “I didn’t want to tell my little brother about my fucked up past because...because I wanted to protect you.”
“Protect me?” Miles asked in confusion, feeling a little more heat in his chest. “I’m not a little kid, Em. If anything I should’ve known so I wouldn’t offend or trigger you in any way! Not find out about your fucked up past because you drank some de-aging alcohol and ran away from me.”
Emerson sat in silence as a thought suddenly occurred to the teen that had heat pool in his stomach.
He oftentimes forgot...they were technically half-siblings.
Because they shared the same father…
...who Miles hadn’t thought about until this exact moment.
“Emerson,” Miles whispered harshly, “was our father...the one who abused you?” he choked out, his anger quickly replaced with horror and queasiness.
“Yes,” she said quietly, unable to meet his gaze. “Our father…” she closed her eyes as she kept talking, “both physically and...sexually abused me. He was a drug-dealing pimp. And sometimes he...would let other men use me to...pay off his debts. My birth mom was in the picture but was too doped up to do anything. I eventually ran away and told someone but was then thrown into the system where...habits were repeated. I was fifteen when I transferred to Peter’s school.”
Miles had never thought twice about the man...but was now wishing he was alive to pay him back for what he did to his sister.
“Is he still alive?” he asked after another moment of silence, confused when he saw her smile at that.
“Aunt Nat took care of him.” Well that explains the smile.
Even got him matching hers.
“Did she track him down or something?” That question made her smile disappear, which made his stomach ache with anxiety.
“No, he um...kidnapped me. My confession when I was eleven dismantled his drug ring and threw him in jail. He got out around Dads’ twentieth wedding anniversary. Dumbass didn’t really consider who my new family was...got his ass handed to him by the Avengers. Pops carried me out of the warehouse while Nat took care of Robert…”
“Fuck…” he said to himself, absorbing all of this information before launching himself at his big sister. She squawked and fell back against his bed, but only laughed and returned the hug after a moment. “I’m sorry Em, thanks for telling me. I wish I could’ve met him if only to kill him myself.”
She scoffed in his embrace before shoving him back, making Miles think she wasn’t taking him seriously.
“I’m serious.”
“Sure, you could kill another person…”
“Hey!” he squawked in offence as she sat up again. “I could totally kill a person!”
“Miles,” she said with a smile, “I was there when Pop had to kill the fish you caught cause the hook dislocated its jaw. And when Dad had to put the mouse you ran over with your bike out of its misery. And last week when you asked me to kill that wasp-”
“-Alright! I get it!” Miles interrupted with a laugh, grabbing one of his pillows to smack his sister with. “But I could do it if it mattered,” he grumbled, totally without pouting like a child.
“I really hope that situation never comes, Miles,” Emerson said in a more serious tone. “I hope you never have to take a person’s life. It’s not as exciting as it sounds.”
“Wait...you?” he asked, mouth hanging open in shock. His sister suddenly looked sick and shook her head from side to side, as if whatever memory she was having was repulsing her. “Em...you okay?”
Panic shot up the teen’s spine when he saw his sister change before him. Her hands began shaking and her face was beginning to sheen with sweat. She covered her face with her hands and continued shaking from side to side, but he could hear her struggling to breathe as she sucked in breaths of air.
“Uh...JARVIS?” Miles asked the AI in panic, thinking he was witnessing his sister having a panic attack but not sure if it was somehow a weird seizure. Regardless, he was out of his element.
And maybe...a little scared.
"Miss Emerson is experiencing a panic attack. Sir isn’t currently in the tower but Captain Rogers has been notified and will be here shortly."
Not even a second later and his Pop burst through the door, taking in the state of the two before rushing to Emerson. He gave Miles a reassuring nod before gently grabbing his sister’s wrists.
“Emerson, baby girl you’re okay. You’re safe. You’re with me and Miles, in his room in the tower,” his Pop said gently as he brought her wrists above her head. “You need to get your breathing under control. I’m going to help you, alright? Try and match my breaths.”
Miles watched in awe as his Pops calmed his sister down, patient and gentle as he eventually brought the less-hyperventilating, nearly thirty year old into his lap to further match his breaths. After a moment, the blonde turned his gaze to his youngest, snapping the teen out of his thoughts.
“What were you guys talking about?” his Pops asked in a gentle tone, not accusing Miles but wanting to know to help his sister.
“She told me about her past and how…” Miles almost cringed at the words, “...she killed someone?” He ended up cringing fully when his sister whimpered at those words. It didn’t help the way his Pop’s face fell or how he tightened his arms around his daughter.
“Shh, sweetheart you’re alright. Want me to tell him for you?” the blonde asked as he rocked the girl in his lap. So his Pop knew this story, Miles thought to himself as he saw his sister nod in answer. Pop kissed the top of her head before looking back at Miles. “Before you were born, you had another sister. And when Emerson was six…and knowing the life that sweet baby was headed for...decided to end her life instead of being trafficked out to Asia.”
Miles’ mouth hung open in shock, again, as he absorbed those words.
“Holy fuck...Emerson...I...I don’t know if this is going to help or hurt you right now...but...fuck dude you’re my hero.” The statement got the desired effect, causing both his Pop and sister to turn and gawk at him. “That was such a...profound thing to do morally,especially for a six year old. We live with superheroes and you...were a hero at six. You’re right, though...I don’t think I could kill someone.”
“What?!” Pop squeaked out, getting a laugh out of his sister, which had been the teen’s goal.
“Pop, I’m having a heart to heart with my sister,” he said with a pout, knowing that his Pop will cave to his puppy eyes and that Emerson enjoys when their Pops was flustered. Like he was now, pale face flushed pink. “As I was saying, you’re brave as fuck, I love you, and what was our sister’s name?”
“Miles, you know you’re up to fifty push ups for the cursing, right?”
“Papa! Sibling bonding,” the teen cried out, dramatically waving his hand between him and his sister for emphasis. Helped whenever he threw a “Papa” at the blonde, usually got him out of things.
“Okay, fine, I’ll get out of your hair. You alright kid?” Pops asked Emerson as he gently pushed her off his lap to stand up off the bed. His sister rubbed her eyes with her hands before nodding.
“Yeah, I think I’m going to go too. I need to take a nap,” she said as she stood up off the bed, not able to look the teen in the eye. “Miles her um...her name was Samatha Rose,” Em said quietly.
“That’s pretty,” the teen replied. “Does she have a tombstone? Maybe we...can visit it one day?” The question got a fond smile from his sister and an almost embarrassing coo from his Pop that he attempted to ignore. Until said man spoke up.
“That is so sweet, Miles. I’m proud of both my babies,” the blonde cooed again as he pulled Emerson into a hug, loving that his sister was just as annoyed as he was and pushed their father back.
“Alright, I’m going to go take a nap. See you guys for dinner,” Emerson said with pink cheeks, quickly leaving the room and leaving Miles alone with the hug monster. The teen stayed seated, knowing his Pop and watching as his attention turn to the younger man before spreading his arms wide.
Miles rolled his eyes as the man came closer, groaning in fake annoyance when his father plopped down on the teen’s bed and pulled him into his arms. He didn’t actually hate his Pop’s hugs, just felt like maybe he was getting too old (and too tall!) to fully sit in the man’s lap.
Apparently his Pop didn’t agree.
The blonde kissed his temple before resting his head in the crook of the teen’s neck, allowing the two to settle into a comfortable silence.
“You still owe me fifty push ups,” his troll-of-a-father said after a moment, immediately chuckling when Miles groaned in his arms.
“Do I have to? I was just emphasizing my love for my sister,” the teen grumbled, if only half-heartedly.
“You know my rules baby boy. No cussing until your eighteen and no making fun of my age. Something your sister still hasn’t quite figured out. Brother too. You in fact seem to be the only smart one with that.”
“That’s just cause I hate being tickled and know better.”
“Yes, well you still owe me fifty. Wanna get them over with now?” his Pops asked, adding one more kiss to the teen’s head before gently pushing him off.
Seeing as he didn’t really have any other options, he crawled onto the floor and started counting his punishment.
“Are you excited about the mansion? Looks like you’ve mostly finished packing,” the blonde commented, since Miles’ room was bare and full of filled boxes. Thirteen, fourteen…
“Yeah. My studio is awesome. Dad helped me pick out different things I can spray paint besides canvases. Plus my room has an ocean view. Only thing that would make it better is knowing I have a nice car I can drive to and from our new home...” Thirty two, thirty three…
“Your next car is going to be at least ten years old and ugly and you’re only getting it after you retake both your driving tests.”
“POP!” he whined as he took a break, frowning when his father just looked back at the ground for Miles to finish. Grumbling, he did so before standing up and crossing his arms over his chest. “Does it really have to be ugly?” he couldn’t help but whine, already knowing the insults he’ll get from his ‘friends.’
“Yup. And your Dad is going to program it so your phone and engine can’t be on at the same time.” Miles couldn’t help but throw his arms up before spinning around and falling back against his bed next to the blonde. It got a chuckle out of his Pop, Miles smiling along with him knowing the action reminded both of them of his Dad.
And his dramatic flair.
“Alright I’m going to go start on dinner,” Pop said as he patted the teen’s knee twice before standing up off the bed. “Let me know if you need to talk - about anything, okay sweetheart?” Miles smiled as he nodded at the man, knowing all the implications of that offer, before watching him turn to leave his room.
“Love you, Pops,” the teen called out as the blonde closed his door, causing the man to open it back up to poke his head back in.
“Love you too, baby,” Pop said before closing his door. Leaving Miles alone to rummage under his pillows for his tablet, before letting out a triumphant squeak when he found it.
And so glad no one saw what he had been working on…
...which may or may not have been a possible superhero costume...