WONDER
i. HOME SWEET HOME
❝GOODBYE, MAINE. HELLO, NEW YORK.❞

HAVING BEEN BORN AND RAISED IN MAINE, Cassandra Dalton had grown accustomed to the cold. Still, the young blonde shivered with her head against the window as her music blared through her earbuds. Her gaze was fixated on her father, Nathan, as she watched him speak to his older brother several feet from the car. Cassandra didn't know her Uncle Sam as well as her parents did, considering they had cut contact with him after an expedition had gone wrong. She never had all the details and it had been such a long time ago, she didn't care enough to ask. Though, in their time of need, Sam had shown up and that was enough for Cassandra to know he was a good man. Their gaze turned to her, causing a sigh to leave her lips. She tried to focus on the music, but she could feel her heart race as the two men approached the car.

Her father tapped on the window, causing Cassandra to roll down the window and the brisk winter air welcomed her first. She took out one of her earbuds, waiting for her father to speak. "Cassie?" Nathan started, bending down to lean against the door frame to get a better look at her. He glanced back at the three-story apartment complex behind him. "So, what do you think?"

"It's... different," Cassandra mumbled, leaning out to examine the brick building they would call their home for the next couple of months. Some of the lights were on and she could see silhouettes of people as they silently watched from their windows, but she didn't blame people for being curious. She missed the house they owned back in Maine, the house she had lived in all her life, but her father had to sell it after... everything. But, she didn't want to give up on New York without giving it a chance first.

"It's alright," Sam chuckled, leaning against the car as he kept his gaze on the building. Being closer, Cassandra could catch whiffs of cigarette smoke and cologne. Under his jacket, she could see tattoos peeking out and it made her realize how different he was from her father. "You can say it sucks because it does."

"Sam..." Nathan sighed, placing a hand on his hip as he shook his head. At that moment, it was difficult to tell that Sam was older than Nathan. Her father used to be more playful and was never seen without a smile, but that was when her mother, Elena, was still with them. He turned his attention back to Cassandra, giving her an apologetic smile. But, it didn't reach his eyes ━━ none of his smiles did anymore. "It's only temporary, baby. Once we get settled, I'll look for something better, alright?"

"New York grows on you," Sam chuckled, digging into the pocket of his denim jacket before he pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He offered one to Nathan, but he declined. Cassandra half expected him to offer her one, wanting to be the 'cool' uncle but he only tucked them away. "It'll take some getting used to, considering you lived in a manor back in Maine."

Nathan scoffed, shaking his head. "It wasn't a manor, Sam."

"It sure looked like one compared to the shithole I live in," Sam laughed, taking another drag of his cigarette. Cassandra could feel the tension brewing between them, but neither one of them wanted to step into uncharted territory.

"Most of the bills were covered by Elena's job," Nathan mumbled, shrugging his shoulders as he crossed his arm. Sam only rolled his eyes in response, but he continued to listen and keep the peace. Cassandra wondered if the conversation would have gone different if she wasn't there. "After she disappeared," Nathan looked back at Cassandra, giving the young girl a sad smile, "the bills kept adding up and the bank ended up foreclosing. Without Elena, there is no house."

Elena Dalton (née Carlisle) worked as a photojournalist and her job led her to travel all over the world while her father was an archeologist with a... less reputable background. Somehow, their paths had crossed and they had fallen in love. Together, they had built an empire together. But their last expedition, finding the lost treasure that belonged to the Amazons, had been what caused their downfall. It was the same treasure that cursed Cassandra for the rest of her life.

"Well, the landlord is a personal friend of mine and he owes me a couple of favors," Sam grinned, patting Nathan's back. "I got him to keep your rent under eight hundred dollars a month, I'm sure you can handle that, right?"

"I don't have much of a choice," Nathan reminded, sighing as he pinched the bridge of his nose. It seemed as if her father had aged decades in the past couple of months, donning more gray hair than Cassandra had ever seen on him. Sam was older of the two, but he looked younger underneath the light of the flickering lamp post.

"You two will be fine here," Sam reassured, looking back to smile at Cassandra who had silently been listening. He looked around the street, taking notice of all the people that had been watching the newcomers. "Just.. don't step on any toes and keep to yourselves. You don't bother anyone and no one bothers you. It's how I've gotten by."

Nathan sighed again. "Sure, Sam."

Her eyes flickered down the street, noticing a group of men as they handed around a bottle of what looked like whiskey. Cassandra listened closely, hearing most of their conversation as they spoke about the latest football game. In fact, she noticed how loud New York was as she pulled out her other earbud too. She winced, hearing the blaring sirens from a few blocks over and all the conversations that happened so close in proximity. On their street alone, she could hear dozens of voices as they clamored nonstop. Maine was quieter, considering their neighbors were miles away.

Sam knocked on the top of the car, snapping Cassandra out of her thoughts. "You okay, kiddo?"

"I'm fine," Cassandra muttered, sticking one of her earbuds back into her ear as the music began to block out all the noise. She noticed the look she received from her father, watching his features twist in confusion. It made Cassandra shrink, not wanting to draw any more attention to herself. The smell of cigarette smoke was overwhelming her senses too, but Cassandra didn't say a word about it. Silently, she told herself to ignore it all.

Nathan cleared his throat, causing the attention to drift to him instead. "Thanks, Sam, for arranging all of this. I appreciate it. Really, it..." For a moment, he drifted off as he took in a sharp breath. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie as he stared at the apartment building instead of Sam. "It means a lot to me."

Sam placed a hand on Nathan's shoulder, giving him a nod. "Hey, what else is family for? Right, Cass?"

Cassandra nodded awkwardly, shrugging her shoulders. "Can we head inside?" she asked, wondering if it would snow if the weather dropped anymore. When they had left Maine, there had been snow but New York didn't seem to have seen any yet. "It's too cold out here."

"Yeah, here," Nathan said, opening the car door to allow Cassandra to step out before he handed her the key to their apartment. She stood tall, almost reaching the shoulders of the men beside her as she looked over the key to notice the number 4 engraved into the keychain. Her father picked up her backpack, handing it to her as she mumbled a quick thank you. "Just head up," he added. "I'll be there soon, okay?"

"Okay," Cassandra replied, heading up the stairs that led into the apartment complex. It looked like a long skinny house on the outside, if she was being honest. She looked back, waving to Sam since she wasn't quite sure when she'd see him next. "Bye, Uncle Sam."

He waved back. "See you around, kiddo."

Cassandra entered the front door, looking down the thin hallway that led to a staircase. The smell of cigarettes and paint lingered in the air, causing the young girl's nose to wrinkle. To her left and right, there were doors ━━ 1 and 2 engraved into thin bands. She assumed their apartment must be on the upper floors, making her head toward the staircase. Once upstairs, she noticed a window at the end of the hall that looked out to the street. Again, there were two doors at her sides. On her left, the door with the number four stared back.

Home sweet home, Cassandra bitterly mused.

With a deep breath, she pushed the key into the lock and opened the door. Darkness greeted her as she took a step inside, waiting for her eyes to adjust. She brushed her hands against the wall, searching for a light switch. She could hear the neighbors from across the hall as they discussed the TV show they were watching, but their voices dulled somewhat when she closed the door behind her. To distract herself from the voices, Cassandra tried to focus on the music from her earbuds.

The apartment was smaller than she had envisioned, furnished with second-hand furniture from the previous tenants. She brushed past the kitchen and living room, sparing the red plaid couch a glance, as she headed toward the back where she found three doors ━━ two bedrooms and one bathroom. Cassandra reminded herself to be grateful, knowing that some apartments in New York were the size of storage closets. Getting a two-bedroom apartment in New York City for eight hundred dollars was a blessing, even if Uncle Sam had to use blackmail to get it. She opened both bedroom doors, quickly figuring out which one was hers since some boxes labeled with her name were already present. They were lucky that Sam had decided to help them, despite the bad blood.

"It's a bit small," her father's voice sounded, causing her to look back to see him standing in the living room as he placed one of the bags on top of the dining table. "But I promise we'll move somewhere better once I get some cash."

"I don't mind it," Cassandra replied, giving him a smile.

He returned it, nodding his head. It was quiet for a moment before he continued. "You're a good kid, Cass."

She scoffed, shaking her head. "I can be more rebellious if you want? Maybe take up smoking like Uncle Sam."

Nathan feigned an expression of shock, shaking his finger at her. "Don't you dare, Cassandra Dalton. Smoking is for losers."

"I'm telling Uncle Sam you said that," Cassandra chuckled, placing a hand on her hip. The two shared a laugh, forgetting about their worries even if it was only for a moment.

"So, what do you want for dinner?"

She shrugged. "I'm not really hungry."

"Bah, none of that, Cass," Nathan retorted, dismissing her words as he grabbed his wallet from his bag. "You survived on a bag of potato chips the whole trip here. Gotta get some actual food in you."

"Alright then," Cassandra shrugged. "What about pizza?"

"Pizza, it is," Nathan grinned, agreeing with her choice of dinner. "I saw a pizza restaurant down the block, so I'll go. Will you be okay alone for a little bit?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Don't open the door to any strangers!" he added, heading toward the door as he made sure he had his phone and wallet on him again. "I'll do the special knock so you know it's me."

I'll hear you from a block away, actually. Cassandra wanted to retort instead, considering she'd probably be able to hear him at the pizza shop if she tried. But instead, she knocked in their signature pattern on the wall that may or may not be in the tune of Stayin' Alive.

Nathan laughed. "You still got it! See you soon, Cassie."

"See you."

Cassandra locked the door after him, sighing as she looked around the living room again. A part of her wondered what her mother would have done with the space, considering she always had a talent in decoration. But, the apartment was... depressing. Off-white walls with brown carpet, most of the furniture was wooden except for the red couch. The kitchen had cabinets in a similar brown stain to the dining table. She peeked into the bathroom, feeling claustrophobic in the space. There was a shower with a tub, a toilet, and a sink with an opening mirror filled with someone else's medicine prescriptions. The bedrooms were decently-sized ━━ one had a twin-sized bed while the other had a queen.

She entered the smaller room, setting her backpack down. Unzipping it, she made sure everything was still inside. Wonder Girl's armor stared back, making her frown. It was said that the armor was made by the Greek Gods and Goddesses themselves. If she wasn't Wonder Girl herself, she would have never believed in such nonsense.

There was a knock at the door. She zipped up her backpack, throwing it underneath the bed to make sure no one would stumble upon it when she wasn't around.

Music still blared in one of her ears as Cassandra approached, hearing the calm heartbeat on the other side. She opened the door, seeing an older man towering above her. He wore a white tank top with dark pants stained with paint. He wore sunglasses, despite being indoors and it being dark outside. "You're younger than Sam mentioned," he grumbled, nose wrinkling as he shook his head. "I thought Sam's brother was staying, not a little girl."

"I'm fifteen," Cassandra mumbled, staring at the man with a blank expression. "And, I live here with my dad Nathan."

The man sighed, holding out a stack of mail tied together by a piece of red string. "Good, I don't want to get in trouble for having a kid in one of my apartments alone."

Cassandra took the mail from him.

"Tell your Daddy that rent is due on the 1st of every month, electric bill is separate so contact them on your own. Water and garbage bill is due on the 15th; the bill comes in the mail," he said, listing off the rules he must tell all his tenants. "No pets, and no loud noises after nine. I live in apartment 1, so if you need something... I guess hollar, but it'll add to your rent if something is broken."

"Okay, cool."

"Great, see ya," he said, walking off toward the staircase. "Name's Tommy, by the way!"

"Cassandra," she mumbled, but she wasn't too sure if he had heard. Nor did he seem like the person to remember what her name was.

She set the mail down on the table, spreading the papers around to take a glance at all of them at once. Most of them were bills that had been forwarded from their address in Maine. She flipped through, finding an envelope addressed to her. It was from Midtown School of Science and Technology, also known as Midtown High. Both names were written on the envelope. She opened it, scattering its contents out. It was just welcoming her to the high school and had a paper that detailed her classes, the supplies she would need, and the best route to take to school. Fortunately, it was only three blocks away so Cassandra could walk. She took a peek at her class schedule, seeing the regular classes she took. It seemed as if her credits from her old high school transferred over, thankfully. But, some classes were different since the schools didn't offer the same coursework.

Cassandra didn't mind. Though, she wasn't super thrilled the date she started was tomorrow. She would have liked to have a few days off to explore the city before going to school. But, perhaps, it was better to start right away then dread the approaching start date. She studied the schedule and the map to do her best to memorize it, not wanting to look like she was lost tomorrow at school.

She heard her father's footsteps minutes down the street before he began to knock the familiar tune. Cassandra stood to her feet, opening the door to reveal her father's smiling face. "New York is known for its pizza, right?" he said, setting it down on the wooden dining table, along with breadsticks and a liter of Pepsi. He noticed the letters on the table. "We got mail already?"

"Yeah, the landlord dropped them off, said his name was Tommy," Cassandra informed, taking a seat at the table as she grabbed two slices of pizza from the box.

Nathan hit her hands, shaking his head. "Go wash your hands, Cass."

"We don't even have any soap yet," she mumbled, walking toward the kitchen sink to rinse her hands under hot water. She dried her hands against her jeans, returning to her pizza.

"I thought I told you not to open the door to strangers," Nathan reminded her, clicking his tongue as he poured the soda into two plastic cups the pizza shop had spared.

"He seemed harmless enough," Cassandra shrugged, taking a bite of her pizza. She could feel an ache in her stomach, making her realize how hungry she really was. "He said rent is due on the 1st, garbage and water is due on the 15th. Electricity is a separate bill, so we'll have to contact them. Um... no pets and no loud noises after nine. He lives in apartment 1."

"I see..." Nathan mumbled, running a hand over his face as he let out a heavy sigh. "Well, I'll get everything set up tomorrow. I have to head in for orientation tomorrow at work. It's the same company that Sam works at, so they're cutting me some slack."

"Uncle Sam seems cool."

"Yeah, just ignore the things he says sometimes," Nathan sighed, shaking his head. It was clear that something had happened in the past between the two, but it was best to keep moving forward. "He can be passive aggressive, but he means well."

She nodded, not saying a word as she continued to eat her pizza. New York lived up to its reputation, it did have some very good pizza.

After dinner, Cassandra had dug through her suitcase and found supplies for the bathroom. She set up all the toiletries, having separate ones for her father and herself. After showering and brushing her teeth, she had changed into a fresh pair of pajamas and gotten ready for bed. While she was showering, Nathan had set up the bedding for both rooms and put some things away in the kitchen. She could hear him in the bedroom, unpacking his suitcase. She laid down, closing her eyes but the loud sounds of the city hurt her ears.

It caused her head to pound as she tried her best to block out the noises with the pillow, but to no avail. She heard a knock at the door, causing her to raise her head. "Yes, Dad?"

The door opened to reveal Nathan, offering her an apologetic smile. "It's a little loud in New York, don't you think?"

"A little?" Cassandra mumbled bitterly, huffing as she placed her head back down on the pillow. It didn't help that her hearing was amplified, making it hurt to hear everything at once. She hoped it would be something she could quickly get used to.

"I got some ear plugs," he said, coming into the room to hand her a pair of earplugs in a sealed plastic bag. "I thought it might block out some of the noise, so you can sleep."

"I hope..." Cassandra mumbled, ripping open the bag to push the ear plugs into her ears. It didn't block out everything, but it muffled the noise enough for her to sleep. She sighed gratefully, giving her father a smile. Despite how much she missed her mother, she was grateful she still had her father by her side. "Good night, Dad."

"Night, Kiddo."

♡

WELCOME TO (technically) THE SECOND REWRITE OF WONDER! Most of the plot will remain as the original plot back in 2018, but a lot will be changed because I honestly don't remember what plans I had for this book! I only have my old chapters to go off. But, I am excited to write this book and plan out a whole new plot that takes inspiration from both Wonder Girl and Spider-Man! I have a lot of different places that I am pulling inspiration from and I am excited to see it all crash together into this book!

I don't know how far I will take this book or if I will take it into the movies. I have to see how I am writing this book because I do have some ideas for the movies, but nothing concrete yet! I do know this book takes place after Civil War but before Homecoming! I need to rewatch the Spider-Man (and actually watch the 3rd one) movies to get more inspiration! I did originally have plans to write books for Michelle, Ned, and Flash too. But, I'll see how it goes!

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, major Uncharted vibes in this one! More episodes will be out soon and we'll see Peter in the next chapter!

AMARA.
[ PUBLISH DATE ━━ 06.06.2022 ]
[ ORIGINAL PUBLISH DATE ━━ 03.20.2018 ]