͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

09|Luciana Lopez Costa
͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Defeated Luciana had returned home after dropping Peter off, and she had hidden her disappointment from Daniela as best she could. The woman had made Luciana warm chocolate and a kiss on the forehead for comfort.

Granted Lucian and Peter hadn't been working together all too long, but going back to solo missions wasn't what Luciana wanted. She enjoyed having someone she could talk to. Her friends and family tried to comprehend what leading a double life meant, but they didn't. Natasha and Clint came closest, but even then it was different. But Peter understood. He was in the same boat as her. Both teens who were in the superhero business on the side, granted Luciana actively chose the life whilst Peter more or less stumbled into it.

The next day at school Peter's morale was dampened and he was sent to detention as a consequence of skipping class and bailing in Washington. Any conversation Luciana tried to start was more or less shot down. In their group chat, MJ shared drawings of a depressed Peter in detention and Luciana felt bad for lying when MJ asked if Luci knew what had killed Peter's happiness.

Luciana took the subway home alone with Taylor Swift singing in her ears. She arrived home and called out a greeting to Dani without much thought as she slipped her heart-socked feet out of her Converse.

"Hey Luci, there's someone here for you!" Daniela called out from the couch, just cutting over All Too Well.

Somewhere deep inside Luciana, a little star of hope popped up and she imagined that maybe Natasha had returned. That Tony had called the assassin and that she was dropping in to assure Luciana all was well and that Luciana was doing okay.

The girl removed her earbuds and shoved them into the pocket of her yellow, green and red striped trousers. Luciana spun around and rushed to the couch and her brows knit together when she saw that it was a man beside Daniela. "Hi?" She asked.

The brunet turned around and there was Tony Stark, with a large smile on his face. "Hello." He waved and Luciana sloppily returned the gesture before turning to look at Daniela, who looked like she was holding in screaming at the man.

"I'll give you two some privacy," Daniela said as she stood up.

Tony smirked at Daniela. "Thanks for letting me in." He winked at Daniela, but the woman only internally scoffed as she waltzed away to her room.

Silence took over the room and Luciana slid her backpack off of her shoulders and allowed it to drop onto the loveseat near the couch. "Do you want anything to drink?" She asked, licking her lips. Tony held up his glass which was still half full. Luciana made an 'oh' sound and shuffled to sit on a loveseat, her hands clasped together tightly. "Can I help you?" Luciana inquired.

"Well, when I first saw you I thought I recognised you," Tony looked intently at Luciana and she glanced down at his shoes. "That's because I did, we met at Avenger's tower right?" Tony tilted his head at Luciana and she nodded carefully. "Clint and Natasha's mentee," Tony laughed to himself. "I had to pull some strings to get this." The man held out a file to Luciana and she hesitantly took it and flipped it open.

There was no picture attached to the file, but it had a name. Luciana's birth name. Luciana Acindina Costa Lopez. The information was outdated, courtesy of her parents' friends wanting to keep her safe. The official file stated that Luciana was put in foster care and where she was or with whom was unknown.

"Why would you give this to me?" Luciana looked up from the file to the Avenger in her house.

Tony looked at her in silence for a moment. "This file was modified by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, I wouldn't put it past HYDRA to know you're alive. Might want to look out for them," Tony said before finishing his drink. Tony Stark leaned back, looking at Luciana thoughtfully.

The teen gulped. "Are they going to come for me?"

"Probably not, what's left of HYDRA probably has to use their resources differently," Tony sighed and watched Luciana visibly relax ever so slightly. In that moment he was painfully aware of the girl across from him being just 15. Wasn't too long ago that he had seen her for the first time and nearly confused her for a toddler. The Avenger cleared his throat. "So, Luciana, you've got some serious potential. But remember, being a hero isn't just about cool tech and fancy moves. It's about responsibility and making tough decisions when it counts."

Luciana nodded, taking in his words. "I know. And I'm ready for that. I've seen what happens when I don't act, and I don't want to stand by and do nothing."

A bitter laugh came from Tony. "You remind me a bit of your parents when they were younger. They were brave, just like you." He pointed at the girl.

Luciana's eyes widened in surprise. "You knew my parents?" She closed the file and set it on the coffee table.

Tony nodded. "Yes, I did. They were friends with Peggy Carter and my parents by extension, and I got to know your parents through them," He explained with a smile, remembering sorrowfully that he was the only one still drawing breath from that evening. Ana and Edwin Jarvis were gone, succumbed to old age, Maria Costa and Fernando were killed in action in Paris and Howard and Maria Stark died at the hands of HYDRA. "We even had dinner at the Stark residence once. They were good people." The two had made an appearance at the Stark funeral and tried to comfort Tony with little success. A sad smile graced his face as he realised that Luciana and himself had more in common than she realised. Both their parents were killed by HYDRA.

A mix of emotions swirled in Luciana upon hearing about her parents from Tony Stark, of all people. It made her miss them even more. Somewhere she wondered how it all might have been different if her parents had lived.

Clearing his throat, Tony decided to change the subject to something cheerier in nature. "But let's talk about those wings of yours," Tony shifted his weight, uncrossing his legs and leaning back into the sofa. "They're a neat little gadget you've got there. How do they work?"

Luciana took a deep breath, explaining the origin of her wings. "Actually, these wings belonged to my mother. They are based on advanced technology, combining aerodynamics and specialized mechanics. Nat and Clint found them in storage and adapted them for me. The wings have an internal power source that allows them to expand and retract, I have to charge it after each use. It's a combination of miniaturized thrusters and a compact energy pack that keeps me in the air. They respond to my movements," She extended her underarms to Tony, showing off two thin silver-coloured bracelets. "Via these," Tony almost laughed as he realised that his original movement tracking sensors of his Iron Man suits were based on the ones from Luciana's suit. He had one day found remnants of Howard and Fernando's notes about the wings and had decided to reuse and update the tech. "That's what allows me to be so mobile," Luciana breathed out, pulling her arms back and pressing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose.

"Impressive. Our dads were pretty smart to come up with this in the 90," Tony muttered, and as Luciana opened her mouth to ask, he nodded. "Yeah, I found some old notes that I used for my suits, they're outdated, but not terrible. Our dads and my mom worked on those bracelets for your mom. But you know, with a few modifications and upgrades, I think we could make these wings even more efficient, update them a bit. Increase speed, and manoeuvrability, maybe even add some extra features. What do you say?" Tony tilted his head at Luciana.

All sadness of losing Peter as her teammate vanished and Luciana's eyes widened in surprise and excitement. "You'd really help me with that?"

Tony smirked and rubbed his hands together. "Well, I'm not one to let good tech go to waste. Besides, I see potential in you, kid," He rubbed his left hand over his goatee. "With a bit of mentorship, you could be a force to be reckoned with."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark. I would love to learn from you."

Tony chuckled, shaking his head. "Hold your horses, kid. I said 'could' be," He pointed a finger at her. "You've got some growing to do, both as a hero and as a person. I'm not ready to take you under my wing just yet. Keep doing what you're doing, and we'll see where you're at down the line."

"Oh okay," Luciana muttered, slightly defeated.

"I've gotta go, but can you do me a favour?" Tony asked as he rose to his feet, straightening his tight jeans as he did. Luciana nodded eagerly. "Keep an eye on Peter for me."

Once more Luciana jerked her head up and down. "Of course, Thank you for coming, Mr Stark," Luciana said, standing up to see him off.

Tony gave her a small smile. "Anytime, Luciana. Just keep your eyes on the sky and your feet on the ground. You'll do great things, I can tell." With a last grin, Tony opened and closed the apartment door and disappeared from Luciana's line of sight.

"So, what did he say?" Daniela asked as she rushed out of her bedroom.

A sigh came from Luciana who rubbed her eyes underneath her dark-rimmed glasses before she told Dani what had transpired in her meeting with the one and only Tony Stark.

◎ ◉ ◎

"Are you going to tell Peter?" Rory questioned, picking the tomatoes out of her sandwich and dropping them onto Luciana's tray. The cafeteria buzzed with the students who were on their lunchbreak. When no answer came, Rory glanced at her friend before snapping her fingers in front of Luciana's face. "Helloooo, I'm talking to youuuu."

Luciana returned to reality and looked at Rory who was awaiting an answer with an expecting look. "Sorry," Luciana shook her head. "What were you saying?"

Sticking out her tongue as the mature adult Rory was, was her first response. "As you were rudely not listening, I was being considerate and asking if you were going to tell Peter about a fucking Avenger paying you a visit." Rory gave Luciana a pointed look and without breaking eye contact took a large bite from her sandwich.

"No," Luciana said, resting her cheek on her fist. "Don't want to hurt him." Luciana sat up and picked Rory's tomatoes and put them in her own sandwich before taking a bite.

Over the pink haired teen's shoulder, Luciana spotted two people asking each other to homecoming. The girl quickly swallowed and looked at Rory. "So, are you going to ask MJ to the dance?"

At Luciana's words, Rory looked up shocked, sending her food down the wrong hole which resulted in a coughing fit. Rory wouldn't be Rory if she refused to let her choking stop her from talking. "What," Rory slammed her fist against her upper chest. "Hurg are you," She coughed and Luciana blinked at the scene. "Talki," Rory sneezed and inhaled sharply. "About?" With a final cough and tears in her eyes, Rory finally recovered.

"That was disgusting," Flash commented before plopping down beside Luciana. "Swallow before you talk, yeah?" The boy ignored the middle finger that Rory offered him. Instead, Flash turned to Luciana. "Luce, wanna be my date to homecoming? I don't want any of these losers to think I couldn't pull anyone." Flash looked around the cafeteria with narrowed eyes, silently judging everyone.

"Are they really losers if you care about their opinion?" Rory questioned with a smirk and tilted head.

Flash looked back at her and made a mocking face, mouthing nonsense. "Shut up jerk," He turned back to Luciana with raised brows. "Luce?"

"Okay, sounds fun," Luciana looked back at Rory. "Especially since Rory and MJ are already going together." Rory's gaze turned stormy again and it was as though lasers shot out of her eyes and incinerated Luciana.

With a raised brow Flash turned back to Rory. "Jeez, took you two long enough." He popped a fry into his mouth.

"Shut up Flash."

Smirking Flash looked at Rory. "Never."

Rory turned back to Luciana. "Let me kill him, por favor." She clasped her hadns together, begging her best friend for permission.

"You wouldn't dare," Flash hissed back.

"Wanna bet, pretty boy?"

Flash laughed. "Thanks." At his words, Rory's face fell as Luciana laughed at the exchange.

As the two continued to claw at each other's throats, Luciana looked to the left and spotted MJ striding up to them. She held a lunch tray in one hand and a book in the other. MJ strolled up to the group with her usual nonchalant swagger, greeting them casually. "Hey, what's all the noise about?"

Flash and Luciana exchanged smirks, both fully aware of Rory's unspoken feelings for MJ. Flash couldn't resist playing around a bit, leaning back on the bench with a mischievous grin. "Oh, nothing much," He replied, feigning innocence. "Just that Rory here has something super important to ask you."

Rory's eyes widened, and she shot Flash a warning glare, dise=integrating him in her mind, but he was relentless. Blushing furiously, Rory nervously fiddled with the edge of her sleeve. "Well, um, I was wondering if you'd like to go to homecoming with me?" She managed to say, her voice barely audible.

Sitting down, MJ's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise, and a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Going to homecoming with friends sounds fun," She responded casually, not quite picking up on Rory's true intentions.

Knowing and amused glances were shared between Flash and Luciana. Whilst Luciana had the decency to not pile on too much, Flash lacked that decency. "Aw, come on, Jones, don't break Rory's heart like that."

A frown appeared on MJ's forhead and she tilted her head to look at Rory. Rory's eyes widened in panic, and she quickly tried to clarify the situation. "Oh, no, no, that's not what I meant. I just thought it'd be fun to go as friends, you know?" She hurriedly explained, cringing on the inside.

MJ chuckled awkwardly, making Flash and Luciana narrow their eyes. "Of course, Rory. Sounds fun." The girl set her book down on the table. Upon reading the title, Flash nearly burst out laughing and elbowed Luciana so she'd read the title. Human Bondage wasn't nearly as amusing to the girl as it was to Flash.

"Yeah, homecoming buddies," Rory muttered, a mix of embarrassment and amusement in her voice.

They finished their lunch and the bell rang, luckily for Luciana and Flash they had a class just the two of them the next period and quickly headed over. In the halways, Flash looped an arm through Luciana's as they walked through the crowded school corridor. "You know, I think our matchmaking skills are spot-on," He commented.

Luciana chuckled softly, nodding. "Definitely. But let's not push it too much. We might end up discoureging them."

"Boo," Flash stuck out his tongue at Luciana. "You suck."

The duo neared the classroom and they spotted Peter heading inside, Flash launched forward to squeeze into the classroom before Peter. In return, the teen hero let out a tired sigh and Luciana walked up to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. Surprised, Peter turned around to come face to face with Luciana. "Sorry about him," She said.

"You don't have to be sorry about him," Peter murmured, fixing the backpack straps on his shoulders.

Luciana tilted her head at him. "I know, but I still am. Deep down he is a nice guy, I swear." She looked at Flash who had taken a seat near the back of the class and kept the seat next to him free.

"Would be nice if it surfaced," Peter scoffed, making Luciana laugh softly.

"Luce!" Flash screamed from inside, causing the teacher to sush him. The discussion between the two quickly filled the classroom and Luciana shook her head.

The girl looked up at Peter. "Okay, Sokka. Want to watch some Brooklyn 99 later?" She looked at him with hopeful eyes.

Peter mirrored Luciana's smile and nodded. "I do have detention, but I can come by after?"

"Okay, fun!" Luciana patted the side of Peter's arm before rushing inside to stop Flash from getting himself into any trouble.

◎ ◉ ◎

The bell rang loudly, stopping a dancing Daniela in her tracks. The woman turned down her radio slightly and she swung open the aparmtent door, sweat glistening off her forhead and hair messy from her workout.

In the doorway stood a beaming Peter, he was dancing on the balls of his feet. Daniela smiled fondly at the boy "Hi, Peter! Luci's been expecting you. She's in her room," Daniela said, stepping aside to let him in.

"Thanks, Daniela!" Peter called and headed straight to Luciana's room after kicking off his sneakers in a hurry. He knocked lightly before pushing the door open. Luciana looked up from her desk, where she had been finishing up some schoolwork, and smiled at him.

"Hey, Peter. Come on in," She said, putting her pen down and motioning for him to sit on her bed. Luciana pushed herself off from her desk and turned her chair so she was lcoser to her bed and faced Peter.

Peter sat down, trying to suppress his excitement for a moment so he could surprise Luciana properly. "You won't believe what happened! I have some amazing news," Peter was practically radiating sunrays of glee.

Luciana raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Peter's excitement. "Well, spill the beans then! What's the big news?" She cocked her head and pulled her foot up onto her chair to rest her chin on her knee.

The boy took a breath, trying to regain his cool so he wouldn't loose all his dignity towards Luciana "I asked someone to homecoming, and she said yes!" He announced triumphantly.

Luciana's face lit up with happiness for her friend. "Peter, that's fantastic! I'm so happy for you," She said, genuinely thrilled for him. "Who's the lucky girl?" She inquired

A blush coated Peter's neck and cheeks. "It's Liz. I finally got the courage to ask her, and she said yes!" His cheeks hurt from the amount of smiling he was doing.

"That's amazing, Peter!" Luciana said, clapping her hands together. "You two are going to have a blast at homecoming." Her excitment for him shook her chair, nearly making it roll out from underneath her.

"Thanks, Luci. I can't wait!" He paused for a moment. "Actually, I was wondering if you'd help me pick out a corsage for the dance. You have great taste."

Luciana grinned, happy to be part of the fun preparations. "Of course! I'd be honored to help you impress Liz," She hopped off her chair, making it nearly topple over. "But first, NINE-NINE." She jumped on her bed and grabbed her laptop.

With a grin, Peter settled back against the headboard of Luciana's single bed as she laid beside him on her stomach, fully pressed agaisnt Peter's legs and using his knee as a pillow. And so they watched a handful of episodes.

a/n:
the beginning of tony adopting yet another teenager lmaooo,
if you're confused as to how maria and fernando knew peggy, dw the explanation will
come in due time. this is also the simultaneous beginning of mory and these two are
so soft for each other i can't loll.

only a little bit left and then we are donw with act 1, after which we will go on to
infinity war and endgame which i am excited for as we will see a lot
more from the other merveille characters.

if you got the sokka refrence, consider checking out my sokka book: koishiteru

and if you liked this chapter be sure to vote and comment as it really helps
out this book and my account!

have a lovely day
-v

funny post

pleaseee lmaoooooo!! tony and that crab's face!
fun fact, this nearly happened to me as a baby lol. how i survived until
adulthood is a mystery to everyone, including me.

date published: 30 july 2023
word count:3454