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chapter six
HEROES
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THE CAR IS PAINSTAKINGLY silent even though Steve had turned on the radio in an effort to prevent the ride from being too torturous. A classical music station is playing soft violins. Lena is grateful for it— the absence of words makes it easier for her brain to begin processing everything that has just happened.

She stares out the window without seeing the scenery pass. Her eyes are unfocused, the world a blur of color from this perspective. She can't stop the images from invading her mind: Tony's ashen complexion, Pepper's face wrenching in pain, the way Steve had tried to reel his emotions in enough that she and Peter wouldn't see him break as they'd climbed into the car back at the safe house.

It had been a somber walk for the two miles down the road they'd traveled to reach the nondescript building that Tony had offered to send her to mere minutes before his demise. The inside of it had managed to give her a tiny sliver of hope— that, no matter who had created this place, they'd done it in the event of the Avengers Compound being destroyed. This isn't the end of them. From those scraps, it's still possible for them to rebuild.

Bucky sits in the front passenger seat. He hasn't spoken either, eyes blank in an almost eerie way as he listens to the music pouring gently from the speakers.

They're all still disheveled from battle. Lena, herself, is still in her Havoc suit. The realization of this settles deep into her bones. She has no idea where her backpack is. She'd left it in the quinjet upon arrival in Wakanda, but that was five years ago. She could ask Steve, but she doesn't trust her voice to work in her favor right now, nor does she want to disturb the quiet. This means she has no change of clothes. Sneaking in through her window is out of the question. She has to face her parents like this— as who she really is.

Lena tears her gaze from the window and blinks a few times to clear her vision. They're in the city now, the streets slowly becoming familiar. She feels her shoulders tense in apprehension. Seeing her parents again is exciting, but revealing her biggest secret to them... is not.

Glancing to her left, she notices Peter staring at his folded hands in his lap. He's still in his suit as well, but with the mask off so she can see his tear-streaked face. Her own cheeks are stiff from the dried salt on them from both sweating and crying. Technically, she hasn't showered in five years. Hopefully she'll be able to find some products that aren't expired. She feels like she needs to scrub off several layers of skin, like maybe if she could rub hard enough, she could rid herself of the memory of this day.

Carefully as not to startle him, Lena slides her hand across the space between them and opens her palm out to Peter. He glances away from his own lap to stare at her offering for a few seconds. After a moment's consideration, he slips his fingers between hers and lets their clasped hands rest on the cold leather seat in the middle of the back row. The material may be chilly but their hands are warm. That's all that matters— the confirmation that Peter is alive, and they'll get through this together, because that's what they always do.

Lena doesn't know how Steve knows her address. He doesn't ask for it, but they pull up to her apartment complex too soon, and she feels her stomach rise into her throat. Peter feels her hand get clammy as Steve finds a place to park on the hauntingly empty street. In response, he gives her palm a comforting squeeze that warms her heart.

"We're here," Steve announces as if that weren't already obvious. "I'll go inside with you."

"You don't have to do that," Lena tells him, voice smaller than she would have liked it to be.

But he's already climbing out of the front seat. "I insist."

Bucky twists around to look at her, one side of his mouth pulling up in a halfhearted grin. "Sorry, kid. There's no point in arguing on this one."

The usage of the word kid sends a fresh punch to her gut. That's what Tony had called her, Peter, and Graham, no matter how close they got with him. They'd always stayed kid. He'd only used their real names for scolding them for being stupid or when times had gotten serious.

If Bucky notices the clouds in her eyes, he doesn't comment, just turns back around with a sigh. Peter is back to staring at his lap again. This time, however, his right grip seems to be more for reassurance for himself, not her.

Steve opens Lena's door like a true, old-fashioned gentleman. She takes that as her cue to leave. Giving Peter one last look, she softly says, "Call me if you need anything," and gives another squeeze before letting go.

Peter mutely nods in response. His eyes briefly flicker to hers, though it's like he can't look at her for long without bringing a fresh wave of emotions to the surface, because he averts his gaze just as quickly.

Climbing out of the car and looking up at her apartment complex is strange. Strange because she knows it's been five years since she's stood on this sidewalk, but it's hard to believe it because everything looks exactly the same. The same purple drapes in the fourth-floor window facing the street. The same spider-web cracks in the sidewalk that she used to jump over as a kid. But the inside, her home... that's what she's worried will be different.

Steve closes her door behind her when she doesn't move. Then, lightly touching her elbow, he urges her along with him.

"Before someone sees you," he explains, nodding at her unmasked face.

Lena nods and leads him toward the front door. The nondescript car they'd driven here disappears behind it as it closes, sealing them in the lobby. She heads to the elevators without allowing herself to look around. Doing so will only distract her.

She tenses as they walk into the lift. Ever since the Chitauri bomb had gone off in D.C, she's been wary of them, but she quickly had to stifle her rising fear because she uses one every day. Taking the stairs everywhere would be too much. Now, the panic is familiar and she keeps it hidden well enough that not even Steve's watchful eyes catch her breath coming out in shallow huffs.

Luckily, her floor is empty. They step out of the metal contraption and into the hallway, the gray walls and plain white doors seeming to stretch on for miles. Her apartment has never seemed so close and yet so far away. She feels like, if she takes a step forward, she'll just keep walking for miles without ever actually going anywhere.

Steve waits until she's ready. He doesn't urge her on, doesn't take the lead and have her follow along. Rather, he stands at a respectful distance behind her that both gives her space and lets her know he's close enough for comfort.

Lena releases a slow breath out of her mouth and takes the first step. Once she starts, she doesn't stop, sure that if she does, she'll lose her momentum and go fleeing down to the lobby and back into the car. It's not that she's afraid to face her parents. It's that she's afraid they won't see her as just Lena anymore, but as Havoc, and they won't be able to handle it.

It feels like it takes both too long and too little time before she's standing in front of her door. Her fist raises and then hovers in mid-air inches from the wood. It's been newly painted, she realizes, meaning the landlord must have had the doors touched up over the years. She imagines she can smell the new paint. Is it selfish for her to grasp onto the faint hope that, just maybe, nothing else has changed? That her cacti are still alive and well in her living room windowsill. That the kitchen utensils are exactly as worn as she remembers them being.

Lena knocks. It's sharper than she'd intended it to be, and the surprise of it causes her to yank her hand back and drop it to her side unceremoniously. Steve gives her a reassuring pat on the shoulder as they wait for someone inside to respond to her presence.

The lock clicks. The teenager swallows, curling her hands into fists until her nails begin to dig into her palms. Slowly. It seems that the door opens so slowly, but soon she's staring into her adopted father's face, and she feels the immediate need to cry.

Pa had survived the snap. She knows that instantly— his black hair is grayer than she remembers it being, his soft face marked with more wrinkles around his forehead, mouth, and eyes. He's wearing his usual attire of a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and jeans, a fact that comforts Lena in spite of everything.

His mouth falls open. She has scarcely seen her father speechless, but now it's like the very breath has been knocked from him.

"John?" Ma's disembodied voice comes from inside. She asks who's at the door in Tagalog, but Lena can hardly hear her because it seems that her entire brain has turned to mush.

It's like Pa doesn't even notice that Steve Rogers is standing behind her. He stares at her like he thinks she's an illusion, like he's dreamed of this reunion for the past five years and needs confirmation that it's real.

"It's me, Pa," Lena says, both of their eyes filling with tears at her words. "I'm here."

She reaches out to him, and like any good father, he pulls her into his arms and hugs her as if he can protect her from every worldly harm with just the security of his embrace. Lena rests her head on his shoulder and closes her eyes against the salt water gathering in them. In sharp contrast, she can hear Pa whispering a prayer of thanks that his daughter has finally returned to him.

"John—"

Ma's voice abruptly cuts off, presumably as she takes in the sight before her. Lena doesn't have time to open her eyes before a smaller frame joins in on their hug. That's what causes the dam to finally splinter— being in both of her parents' arms after everything that has happened. She begins to sob until her shoulders tremble, Ma brushing a gentle hand through her hair and mumbling soothing words that Lena is unable to comprehend.

Finally, after what seems like years, Lena manages to speak through her hiccuping sobs. "You — you said you'd love me no matter what, right?"

At this, both of them pause. It's Pa who pulls away first, red-rimmed eyes searching her tear-stained face and his hand tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Of course."

It's Ma who starts to catch her drift. Since she's shorter than Lena, she has an up-close view of her silver suit, which is recognizable from the countless news stories and internet articles that Havoc has been in through the years. Lena can see her connecting the dots. Her mother looks up at her as if she's mentally placing the blonde wig over her brunette locks and the mask over her face.

Simultaneously, her parents' gazes both drift to Steve, who stands in the hallway with his hands in his pockets and features softened from witnessing their reunion. Pa's eyes snap back to hers with questions swirling in them.

Lena's voice is a whisper now. "I have something to show you."

She glances back at Steve, who double-checks that there aren't any possible witnesses in the hallway before nodding. Then, she turns around and faces her parents. One hand releases her iron grip on Pa and hovers palm-up in the middle of their little cluster. Lena's eyes flutter shut. She concentrates, forming a minuscule ball of energy that floats slightly above her hand. Pa's breath catches. After a moment, she makes it stream through her fingers as she rotates her wrist, heart hammering wildly in her chest as she does so.

"I'm not dangerous," she says, the words coming out like vomit before she can think about what she's actually saying. "Mr. Stark was helping me control them, and we were almost done before—" She hiccups, the words getting stuck in her throat as she opens her eyes and a fresh wave of tears spills over onto her cheeks. Her breath shudders. "He's dead. He sacrificed himself to save us, and I couldn't even make myself say goodbye."

Pa thinks for a moment before lifting his hand to wipe one of her tears away. "I admit I do not understand powers like these, and I have never been fond of them, but now I wonder if I have failed as a father. I didn't make you comfortable enough to tell us the truth. And for you to feel the need to ask if we still love you..." He trails off, brushing away another tear with the pad of his thumb. "I will always love you. We can figure this out together, as it always should have been."

Lena's heart feels close to bursting as she glances at Ma, who nods her agreement. The teenager throws herself back into her father's arms. She'd been living in fear for so long that it feels like a weight has been lifted off of her shoulders, leaving her lighter than she's ever been in her life.

Ma says to Steve, "Thank you, Captain Rogers, for bringing her home."

"It was my pleasure," he replies respectfully, as Lena had known he would.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Pa adds with his tone as formal as it had been when he'd spoken to Tony for the first time. "Mr. Stark brought Lena's bag to me shortly after the disappearance. He'd been keeping an eye on me over the years. The world truly will be a different place without him."

Steve must have nodded, for he doesn't verbally reply. Maybe the loss remains too fresh for him to speak without his voice breaking.

Lena releases Pa and faces the super soldier. The man who has been so gentle with her, so kind when they'd barely known each other. The man worthy of lifting Thor's hammer.

"Thank you for everything," she says, wondering if he can hear the insurmountable amount of gratitude in her voice that she can't convey into words.

He nods again. "Take a break. You deserve it."

Steve turns and retreats down the hall. Before he can get more than a few steps away, though, Lena blurts out, "Captain Rogers?"

He stops and faces her with a curious expression. Lena takes a step toward him, then another, and another until she's close enough to reach. She flings her arms around him and presses her cheek to his firm chest. His strong arms circle her after a few moments, comforting her when she needs it most.

"I mean it," she whispers, her voice still thick with tears as she repeats her words to drive them home. "Thank you for everything. You know, you deserve a break, too."

"Yeah," Steve responds, the rumble of his chest muffling his voice where Lena's ear is pressed to it. His tone sounds far away like he's lost in thought. "I'm glad you're safe."

She pulls away, giving him another grateful nod and as much of a closed-lipped smile as she can manage with her heavy heart. Steve begins walking back down the hallway with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. Lena watches him go for a moment before a part of Pa's former words strike her as odd, her eyebrows drawing close together. Whirling toward her mother and hurrying back into their apartment, she scrutinizes her small frame from head to toe. She's exactly the same. Her hair is still a dark brown color, heart-shaped face smooth as ever.

She turns toward Pa with newfound realization. "You were alone."

Pa pulls his lips into a line, the action making him look even older as the lines around his mouth deepen. "We came back from the Philippines early because I had gotten sick. Luckily, there was a same-day flight that brought us home as quickly as possible. We had just gotten back to the apartment. Your voicemail told me you were at Graham's, so I wasn't worried when you weren't in your room. But when I came back... " He swallows. "Your mother was gone. It was like she'd vanished from thin air."

Lena's world tilts. She feels dizzy, like she needs to sit down before her knees buckle. Pa must have been so lonely in this bright apartment for the past five years, wondering where his wife and daughter had gone. What had Tony told him when he'd dropped her backpack off?

"When she reappeared a few hours ago, I called the Seager family and asked about you. Mrs. Seager said you weren't there. Though, now I suppose I know you weren't actually with Graham."

Lena winces. "I'm sorry. I lied to you a lot."

"And I would appreciate it if you didn't do so anymore, or you'll be in trouble."

"Fair enough."

-♕-

Lena straightens her shirt for the sixth time in two minutes. She's been more restless than usual, unable to stop her fidgeting no matter what she does.

Her parents are talking to May. She hadn't told them about Peter's secret— for all they know, the Parker family is here for because of the Stark Internship. But once Graham shows up, they might start to put the pieces together.

Footsteps come up behind her. Lena turns around to see Graham dressed in a black suit and tie, not looking more than a few days older than when they'd talked on Skype before she'd gone to Wakanda. She wonders what excuse he'd given to his family for going out in such dressy attire. For now, they don't know his secret, and she doesn't think he'll ever tell them.

The Seager family had suffered from the snap as well. Mr. Seager had been dusted along with Graham, leaving just Mrs. Seager and the twins Max and Owen behind. Graham had told her how weird it had been to come home from Ned's and realize that his previously younger brothers are now the same age as him. He'd texted her a picture of them. While they do have subtle differences, their resemblance to Graham is uncanny.

"Hey," Lena greets, opening her arms for a hug that he returns somberly. After doing the same to a very quiet Peter, Graham examines the attendees by sweeping his gaze over the backyard of the Stark residence.

"This is not how I imagined seeing the Avengers in the flesh," he says in an attempt to alleviate the pressure stifling the air. Peter releases a huff of air from his nose in acknowledgment.

It's true— all of the main Avengers are here, including Danvers, who stands apart from the crowd in a black jumpsuit. The Necklace Wizard looks bizarre without his signature red cape. Hank Pym stands beside the woman who'd had wasp-like wings and a man she now knows is Scott Lang. Steve and Thor are inside, listening to a private message. The only other person missing is Natasha.

Lena had been informed of her sacrifice to retrieve the Soul Stone. She mentally thanks her, reminding herself to buy a Black Widow poster and hang it in her room in her honor. Natasha had been nothing but kind to her. Lena had hoped they'd get more time to bond, and the loss of her weighs heavy on her heart.

The back doors to the house open. Instantly, all of the hushed voices cease, the guests forming an aisle between them as Pepper and her daughter emerge first. Lena's face pinches at the sight of the little girl. Her hair is as dark as her father's, eyes wide and cheeks childishly chubby as she hops down the large steps onto the grass. Tony had left so much behind. This family, the team, a new life he'd spent five years constructing.

This lake house is proof of that. Tony had abandoned the hustle-and-bustle life of his past for a more tranquil one. His new house is located on the shore of a lake, the sunshine glittering off of the water and making it seem like it's sparkling. The woods surrounding it make the oxygen cleaner than it is in the city. At night, the stars must be beautiful. Lena wonders if he'd ever sat out here with Morgan in his lap, pointing out the constellations.

Pepper sets the memorial gently in the water: Tony's original arc reactor surrounded by flowers. He'd had it on a shelf in the lab where he and Lena worked on stabilizing her powers, so she knows what it says. Proof that Tony Stark has a heart.

The memorial shrinks the further away it's carried by the gently lapping waves. Lena doesn't even feel any fear by being so close to it, instead seeing the same beauty here that she's sure that Tony had. If she could swim, she would want to spend all of her time here, not only in the water but also kayaking or rowing a canoe, or perhaps ice skating on the ice in the winter.

Afterward, Lena stands in the shade of a tree, staring at the lake. She can't see the arc reactor anymore. The reflecting sunlight makes looking at the water almost blinding, but she doesn't care. The pain is almost welcomed.

"You know, I expected to be the only kid here."

Lena turns toward the voice to see an unfamiliar teenage boy with windswept dirty-blond hair. His hands are shoved in the pockets of his black dress pants, making his lanky frame look even thinner. He squints against the brightness of the sunlight, which bathes his pale skin in a slightly orange glow. She's not sure if she's ever seen him before in her life.

"I'm Harley. Harley Keener," the boy says, still staying a few steps away.

"Lena Santos," she replies. "How do... did you know Mr. Stark?"

Harley takes that as an invitation to join her in staring across the water, his pupils shrinking into tiny dots in the center of his blue eyes as the light bathes him. There's a ghost of a smile tugging up his thin lips.

"He broke into my garage," he recalls fondly. "Remember when everyone thought he died in 2013 because his house was attacked? He crash-landed in Tennessee and used my equipment to recharge his Iron Man suit. I got kidnapped. He stole my sister's Dora the Explorer watch. It was a fun time. You?"

"Uh, well..." Lena begins, cracking a smile at the thought of Tony Stark wearing a kid's watch. "He actually met my ... um... friend first. You've heard of Spider-Man?"

Harley's head snaps to her. His eyes are wide in realization, mouth dropped open. "No way. You're—"

"Havoc? In the flesh."

"Wow." He blinks. "I thought you were blonde."

"Yeah. That's kinda the point. Anyway, to make a long story short, I got a really bad concussion after being dropped in a lake, and he had to rescue us. He helped me figure some stuff out about my... erm, past. He grounded me and then grounded me again from everything for life when I disappeared."

Harley grins sadly. "Sounds like him."

Lena nods, then feels a prickle on the back of her neck like someone is watching her. She turns around to see May, her parents, and Peter staring at her from afar.

"Looks like we're being watched," she says with a roll of her eyes. "I gotta go. It was nice meeting you, Harley."

"You too." He extends a hand for her to shake. When she does, he adds, "By the way, my sister thinks you're really cool."

Lena's smile turns fully-blown at that. She walks back toward her family and friends, waving goodbye to a possible new one.

"Who was that?" Peter questions as soon as she's close enough to speak to.

Just as she opens her mouth to answer, Graham pops out of the shadows beside her and everyone gives a collective scream. He shrugs nonchalantly. "Don't worry. I listened in on everything they said. He's cool."

Lena's face turns cherry red as she remembers the shade provided by the tree she'd been under. She turns and hits him on the arm with her eyes wide. "You were eavesdropping? Are you kidding me?"

"Hey! It's my job as the best friend to make sure no creeps are talking to you!"

"I can handle creeps by myself!"

Graham pretends to be hurt by rubbing the spot where she'd punched him, but she knows he's faking it because his martial arts skills had given him a high pain tolerance. He just doesn't have a good comeback.

Peter has been unusually quiet, the question from earlier being one of the only things he's said this entire time. He'd called her the night they'd come home, saying he couldn't sleep and needed someone to talk to. She'd been glad; she couldn't sleep either, and the ever-growing shadows in the room had been taunting her. Now, though, it's like he's retreated to an inner corner of himself. She's not sure how long it'll take them both to recover.

Graham had told Ma and Pa about his powers as well, leading Ma to almost faint when he demonstrated shadow-traveling for the first time. Her parents are still wary of their abilities. However, it's better than the looks of disgust Lena had been expecting, so she supposes she'll take what she can get.

Lena feels eyes on her again. When she turns toward the source, there's nobody there except a piece of black fabric that swishes behind one wall of the house. Her gaze lingers in that direction before slipping away. Whoever it had been, they obviously hadn't wanted her to notice their presence.

She glances back at the house with a clench to her heart. If only she had gotten to witness Tony's life here— gotten to see his daily routine without the weight of the world on his shoulders. The best thing she can do is keep being what he'd told her she was when she began to doubt herself:

A hero.

END OF ACT TWO.

THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE SERIES. BOOK TWO IS UP!

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u ever just... cry during this entire chapter?? because i did while writing it. my hands were actually shaking while i typed her reunion with her parents! what do you think of them being in the loop now?

i'm actually really excited to start far from home! the sequel will be up very soon. i have lots of ideas already, including more scenes with the decathlon team (cindy and abe especially!!) and graham's brothers owen and max, since they're now the same age as him and lena.

i was happy to include harley in here because i feel like he'd fit insanely well into the group! if you didn't realize, he actually was at tony's funeral (in the back). apparently when ty found out he was coming back, he was in the car with his mom and screamed so loudly that he scared her! idk i just find that really adorable

i put some incorrect quotes for lena in my meet my oc's book! it would mean a lot if you checked them out because i spent a LOT of time on them and i think they're funny.

until next time, in the sequel!

note: it's now up! check out "aftermath" (:

— kristyn