the strongest avenger

forty four

Talia walks down one of the hallways of Midtown. Its the next day and she went to school late. She stops when she sees Peter and Ned backed against a wall.

"What's...goin on?" She asks as she nears them.

"Shh, that's one of the guys that tried to kill us." Peter says while gesturing around the corner.

"Oh."

"What?" Ned asks.

"Yeah, we gotta get outta here."

"I literally just got here."

"No, no, no. I gotta follow them, maybe they'll lead us to the guy that dropped us in the lake."

"Someone dropped you two in a lake?"

"It was not fun, I do not recommend. Especially when you don't know how to swim." Talia explains.

"Yeah it was not good." Says Peter.

Talia slowly follows Peter as they follow the two guys.

"Ned stay here."

The duo head into a stair well, Tal letting Peter take the lead.

"Man can you imagine what the boss would say if he knew where we were?" One of the men asks.

"I'm saying there was an energy pulse right here."

"There's no sign of the weapon."

Talia and Peter make it to the end of the staircase.

"Even if it was here, now it's gone."

"So are we."

The guys hear the two shuffling, Talia quickly flies up into the air, hovering on the ceiling while Peter jumps underneath a table.

The guys move past them, looking around while carrying a gun. Tal watches as Peter shoots something at the one guy's foot.

Once they leave, Tal comes down and Peter comes out.

"What was that?"

"A tracker."

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"This is so awesome!"

Ned, Peter, and Tal sit in Peter's bedroom while Ned looks at the blue hologram showing the tracker.

"I know right? They're in Brooklyn."

Talia does her homework, ignoring the boys as they obsess over the tracker. Hours fly by, spent by the three alternating between watching the hologram, eating snacks, or doing homework.

As it starts to get dark out, Talia starts to wonder how long she'll stay.

"Tal you staying over?"

"Can I?"

"Sure, May won't care. I don't even think she knows that Ned's here."

"Thanks Pete."

"Where do you live?" Ned suddenly asks.

"Avengers Tower, well for now. We're moving to the new Compound upstate soon."

"You're still going to Midtown though, right?"

"Obviously."

"So—if you're an alien...how is Tony Stark your dad?"

"Adoptive. Well, it's a long story for another time."

"Will you tell me your powers?"

"Do I have to?" She asks.

"Tal controls the elements," Peter starts. "but can also siphon abilities from other people. The lightning comes from Thor, telekinesis and such from Wanda, and super healing from me."

"Perfect! 100% Peter-O."

"So...you can read minds?" Ned asks with wide eyes.

Talia and Peter glance at each other. She opens her thoughts to Ned's and winces as his exploding mind meshes with hers.

This is so cool.

I wanna read minds.

I have to get my stuff for DC.

What time do we meet for the bus tomorrow?

Why is she looking at me like that?

ARE YOU READING MY MIND?

I am. Tal responds into his brain.

YOU CAN SPEAK IN MY MIND TOO?

Please stop screaming it gives me a headache.

"This is so cool." Ned says out loud.

Talia pulls back, relieved at hearing the quiet.

"Ned you don't have your stuff for DC yet? We leave tomorrow."

"Well it's at my house. Figured I'd go in the morning."

"We could go now. I can drive."

"Holy shit I forgot you can drive. But you don't have to."

"My stuff's at my place so either way I was gonna have to go out." she says with a smile.

"Let's go, bring the hologram!"

The trio quietly sneak out of the apartment, May having been sleeping, and pile into Tal's car.

"Buckle up."

"Do I have to?" Ned calls from the backseat.

"Yes. Ned you're furthest so can we go to the Tower first?"

"Cool with me."

As they drive, Peter observes the hologram. A beeping sound comes from it, startling Tal slightly, causing her to swerve.

"Please don't crash." Ned says.

"They stopped." Pete says.

"Where?"

"Maryland."

"Well that's kinda far, how are you getting there?" She asks.

Peter looks at them, a smile on his face. "The Decathlon, DC isn't too far."

Tal parks in the garage and ushers the boys inside the building. She leads them to the private elevator.

"FRIDAY take us to my level please."

"Yes Ms James."

Ned looks around in wonder as they go up.

"You've been here before ya know?"

"It's still so cool and fancy."

The elevator dings and they flood out onto Tal's floor. There are boxes everywhere, the furniture gone. It's...cold and empty.

She heads to her room, the boys peeking inside to find her walls bare, boxes on the floor and a duffel sitting on her bed. She goes over to it and quickly looks inside.

"Okay, all good. Just one more stop before we go to Ned's."

"Where we going?" Peter asks.

"Tony's lab."

"Oh. Are we um allowed?" Ned asks.

"Don't know don't care."

They enter the elevator. "FRIDAY take us to Level 10 please."

"Yes Ms James."

Talia taps her foot impatiently as they read Tony's personal floors. They step out and are overwhelmed by all the boxes.

"They haven't finished up here, so it better be here."

"What?"

Talia ignores them and heads towards the lab area. She peers inside, not that many boxes around. Talia looks around, and then spots it.

Her light grey suit is hanging along a wall. She heads over and tugs it down, folding it nice and then placing it in her duffel.

She looks up at the boys. "If we're doing this, I need my suit."

"Understandable." Peter says.