Field trip!!
I got back around three in the morning, calmer and more relaxed than I'd been before the Yucatan. It was amazing what real solitude could do for a person. I'd done some thinking as well. When I got back, there was a message from Peter, saying his aunt was worried about his lack of focus and was worried he was in danger of losing his scholarship from the Stark Foundation, and would I talk to her. I texted an affirmative, then rethought and said I was coming out. Then I went to bed and slept until nine.
When I woke up, I had a summons from Nick. I had a hasty breakfast and went to his office. "Where did you go last night?" he asked without preamble.
"Out for a drive," I replied briefly.
"You're not supposed to leave the campus unescorted," he said, frowning.
"I wasn't; I had Sigurd and Torburn. But that's one of the things I was thinking about last night. What is it about my abilities that presumably make me so valuable? I can't do mass production. I'm not terribly effective with biologicals. I am not like the rest of your heroes. And how would anybody have known where I was? I picked Seattle on a whim. You know what I think? I think the first thing, the men with the needles, was a setup so that I'd be more receptive to your offer, and the second thing, the airplane thing, was a result of either somebody being careless or deliberately leaking information. Nothing too specific, just that the Avengers were interested in a person, which would be enough to make some people very curious. I don't think Stark would deliberately crash his own plane." Nick just sat there very still.
"No comment, Fury?" I said mockingly.
"Not really, no," he said, crossing his arms and leaning back.
"Since I'm not field-trained, I expect that I won't be going out into the field anymore," I said tersely. "So I won't need any more costumes, and I won't be making any more appearances." Fury's eye widened. "Furthermore, Pete got in touch with me last night. His aunt is worried about him and he wants me to talk her down. I leave at noon."
"Emma, don't do anything rash," he said, sitting up.
"I'm not. I'll do what Peter wants, which is to reassure his aunt that he's not in trouble and he still has money to pay for college, which he does. I will personally guarantee that." I got up and left.
When I left, telling the dogs they'd need to hang out with Thor, Scott was waiting in the hall with keys to the car pool. "I'm your driver," he said jovially. I looked at him. "All I know is that Fury asked me to drive you to the airport, you were going out to talk to Pete's guardian." So he drove me out; there wasn't much conversation. I don't think either of us really knew what to say. I got through security easily, and my flight to New York was without incident. No crashes, not even a drunk on the plane.
I got a room at a nice hotel that did not have a view of Stark Tower and called Peter; he asked me to come over after dinner. At seven, I was in a nicely tailored suit knocking on the door. Peter's Aunt May answered the door; she was a pretty woman about my age. I introduced myself and she invited me in; we talked a little about the weather first, then we got down to business. She was concerned; she'd woken up a few times in the night and found Peter gone, and she felt he was keeping something from her.
"I certainly don't know your nephew like you do, May, but this is concerning behavior. I'm quite impressed with Peter; he seems to have a level head and a great deal of common sense. There's got to be a rational explanation, and I think I might have one." She looked interested. "Stark Industries tends to collect workaholics. A lot of people go back to work for a few hours at night if they think of something; it seems to make people more creative if they feel like they can explore their ideas as they occur. It's possible that Peter's picked up on that aspect of the culture." I held up a lanyard with an ID with Peter's picture; I'd aged it a bit on the flight over. "This was found the other night in his workspace."
May's face relaxed. "I was worried," she admitted.
"I don't blame you," I agreed. "But is Peter here? We can ask him." I'd seen his heat signature when I came in and odds were that the walls were thin enough to hear through if he concentrated. She smiled and yelled for him. He came out, looking appropriately apprehensive. May asked him where he'd been, and this time he came out with a story that agreed with mine. He waited for his aunt's reaction, chastened.
"Why do you do that?" she asked, sighing. "You have school."
He rubbed his face. "Because I like feeling like I'm on the team. They treat me like one of them. I want to pull my weight."
"Honey, don't be in such a rush to grow up," she said softly.
"My grades aren't slipping," he countered. She looked over at me.
"I can certainly understand that you're concerned that he might be spreading himself too thin, and you're probably worried about his safety, too. I don't want to forbid him from coming in late; I like to encourage teams to bond, and Peter is a valuable member of our team. But maybe there's room for compromise. Say, Peter agrees not to come in with every idea, and I can give him our Uber account information so that he always has safe transportation."
She thought this over, then agreed. Peter agreed, and I wrote down the information for him. I doubted he'd use it, but it was always good to have. I wasn't lying when I said I was concerned for him. "Do you have any other concerns or questions?" I asked her.
"I was worried about his scholarship," she said. "It's going to be very important to his college plans."
"I understand. But you don't have to worry. He's got a scholarship for college. I can guarantee it." And if Stark was ever a dick about it, I'd pay it myself. I pulled out a card and wrote on it. "Here. This is my personal cell number. If you have any questions or concerns, please know I'm interested in hearing them. Call me at any time."
She took it with relief. "Thank you, Emma. This really helps to put me at ease." I felt kind of like a heel. She was really nice. I wondered if I was guilty of child endangerment. I decided to talk to Peter more in depth later. We shook hands, and she directed Peter to see me down.
"Don't suppose I can talk you out of it until you're of age," I said in the elevator, and he smiled.
"Nope."
"Well, that's a key card that will actually work at Stark Tower." I'd swallowed my pride and set it up while waiting for the meeting with May. "You've got an office on the floor under the labs. Go in a few times, get the guards used to seeing you." His eyes were big. "Don't forget, I really do have your best interests at heart. If you run into any trouble or just want to talk, call. You won't be bothering me."
"Thanks, Emma. I really appreciate you coming out here. It means a lot that you'd help me out, especially with what happened in the meeting."
"I could use the time off," I said, sighing. "One more thing. There's a small medical clinic in Stark Tower. Your ID gets you 24 hour access. There's no copay and your aunt won't be bothered unless it's something that can't be hidden, like a broken arm." Peter snorted.
"Thanks again. What...what do you think you'll do? At the facility, I mean. That meeting was pretty intense. It didn't really seem fair."
"I don't know, actually. I joined up on some assumptions that turned out not be what I thought they were. So I need to figure things out. I'm staying here for a few days, get some space."
"Do you think you'll leave?"
"I don't know, but there's no need for my alter ego if I don't go into the field," I said, and he nodded. "But regardless of my location or affiliation, I expect to hear from you. I've got your back."
"Yes, ma'am," he said, throwing me a little salute. I smiled, and the door opened.
The next day I went shopping. Since I didn't know what I'd be doing, I felt a wardrobe upgrade was in order. And just because I slobbed around campus in yoga pants and sweatshirts or t-shirts didn't mean that I should do it all the time. I got some nice suits and had them marked for alterations. They'd be sent to me when they were done. Nice blouses in fine cotton, linen, and silks. Some nice casual pants and a few pairs of jeans. Skirts. Screw Promotion. I liked my figure. Boots and dress shoes that were different and eyecatching. A couple of new purses in neutral colors that went with everything. A long winter coat in fuschia wool, with a scarf and leather gloves to match. I didn't like wearing hats. Nice lingerie and sleepwear. Who knows, I might sign up for some dating sites. I went to a salon for a hideously expensive cut, then to the Met. I love museums.
I'd gotten back to the hotel after dinner and was contemplating bed after a nice long bath when I got a call from Peter, wondering if I'd meet him. He wanted to introduce me to someone. That sounded much more interesting than a bath, so I agreed. He gave me an address and told me they were up on the roof. I took a cab to the address, which wasn't in the best part of town. In Hell's Kitchen, come to think about it. It was chilly, and I was grateful for my new coat that kept me warm to my ankles. On the roof, I saw Peter talking to a guy in a funky red suit. He looked at me and acknowledged Peter's introduction, which was, "This is the lady I was telling you about." It amused me for some reason.
"Nice to meet you, Mr Devil," I said, and put out my hand. He bumped it with his, and seemed momentarily flustered.
"Our friend has told me a lot about you," he said. So it was going to be like that. No names. I could live with that. "Nice try getting him to stop." His voice was smooth and...practiced? Certainly well educated.
"Had to be done. I'm worried about child endangerment."
"I don't think you'd be liable; you're not his guardian or parent, and you've tried to get him to quit."
"I'm an enabler, though." I had the feeling he was smiling.
"Your secret is safe with me." A gust of wind blew my hair in my face. I wasn't use to the style, which was considerably chicer than my usual ponytail.
"I wanted you to meet," Peter said. "So you wouldn't worry about me being alone out here." I snorted.
"Like that's going to change," I scoffed affectionately. "Everybody has their own work to do too."
"That's true, Ms H--um. But I can keep my eye out for this one." The Devil's tone was wry.
"Appreciate it," I said, and he nodded and left. We watched as he moved away, very powerful and controlled, like he knew at least one form of martial arts very well.
"I have friends," Peter said softly, and I nodded. I hoped it would be enough. When I got to the hotel, I put some ideas I'd had into Google and found what I thought was the right result.
The next morning, I made an appointment at a law firm. I took a cab back to Hell's Kitchen.
The woman at the desk seemed very happy to see me, and I wondered if the firm was in financial trouble. She called both of the named partners out. One of them, a man she introduced as Foggy, was very pleased to meet me and very friendly. His partner, Matt, was less effusive. "How did you find us, Ms Harrington?" he asked.
"Honestly, your Yelp reviews were very helpful."
Foggy laughed a little nervously. "No offense, but you look like you could afford a white-shoe firm for your business. Why did you choose us?" The secretary hissed at him.
"I like people who care about other people," I said. "I think your firm is uniquely qualified." Foggy shot a panicked glance at his partner, and I was shepherded into Matt's office. The secretary (she never introduced herself) brought coffee, and closed the door behind her.
"What can we do for you today, Ms Harrington?" Foggy asked as we sat down.
"I'm looking to have my will revised," I said, and told them that I had a will here in New York, which was where my assets were, but I lived in Seattle, "at least for now."
"We're not licensed to practice in Washington," Matt said coolly, and I smiled.
"But I'm sure you could read the statutes and requirements and make sure that it would be ok. I expect the will to be probated in this state, when it comes to that. "
"Are you expecting to die soon?" Foggy asked, concerned.
"No, but you just never know. I've been in a rather risky profession lately."
"Oh, god, you're one of Them," Foggy whispered. I looked at him quizzically. "Them. You know. Heroes." I could barely hear the last word.
"Have been,"I conceded. "I don't know if I'm going to continue."
"Can you talk him out of it too?"
"Foggy!" Matt said, almost in a shout.
"I doubt it," I said.
"How did you figure it out?" Matt asked quietly and calmly. Foggy shot him a nervous glance.
"The handshake. Your legal knowledge. Your demeanor. So I Googled blind lawyers in New York. I'm not kidding. Your Yelp reviews are excellent."
"I don't think I can help you, Ms. Harrington," Matt said stiffly. I rolled my eyes at him.
"How about you, Foggy?" I asked, and he hastily showed me into his office.
"Sorry about Matt," he said once we were settled. "He's a little freaked out you figured him out. So what can I do for you?"
I took a copy of my will out and handed it to Foggy. "In light of my current profession, I want to make a change in beneficiaries. It's not a big deal and now I'm worried that I might have inadvertently insulted you by asking you to make such a minor change."
"No work too small," he said, smiling, and made notes as I explained what I wanted to leave to Peter Parker. He gave the notes to the secretary to type up, using the previous will as a template for everything but the new bequest, which was added at the end after a few revisions had been made, and I arranged to put them on retainer. We made small talk until it was done and printed out, and my signature witnessed and notarized. A copy was kept with the firm and I took one with me as I prepared to go. When the secretary left with my debit card, he leaned over the desk.
"Which one are you?" he whispered. I grinned and whispered back.
"That is totally protected by privilege," he assured me, and I laughed. I liked Foggy.
I signed the charge slip on my way out. "Bye, Mr Murdock," I whispered toward his door, and I heard a pen drop. Mwahaha.
Even with my last-minute business, I was able to catch my flight with no trouble. Sam was waiting for me at the curb and raised his eyebrows at my new look. "Nice," he said approvingly.
"Wait til you see what's being mailed to me," I said, and he laughed. We had an easy, teasing conversation on the drive back from SeaTac. Superheroes were not part of the conversation except for telling him about meeting Pete's Aunt May. I checked my email when I got to my room and found no new requests. I walked over to the workshop and surveyed the mess I'd left. I folded the mail shirt away and dumped the white armor into a drawer. The pole for Bucky's weapon had been delivered, along with some boxes and inter-office mail. I picked out the stuff for Loki, and as I walked over, a few snowflakes began to fall.
It was nice and warm down in the room with Loki's cell, and I was surprised to see him chatting with his brother. Thor stood immediately and offered me the chair, but I declined, slipping the order through the slot to Loki. "Lovely," he said, looking at me.
"You look very presentable," Thor assured me, and Loki shook his head.
I was starting to feel like an utter slob since everybody was so taken aback by a haircut. And makeup. Ok, and the new clothes.
"The dogs were running around outside," Thor told me, and I went outside to find them. After I called for them, they came bounding up, tails wagging hard. I gave each of them a hug and we went to dinner early. I'd say it was good to be home, but I didn't quite know if this was still home.
Later that night, I decided to make an early evening of it at 11, and changed into a turquoise silk chemise I bought for night wear. Nice. I pulled on my new velvet robe (which wasn't as warm as I thought it would be) and answered the door.