Pepper Potts stood in the doorway to her daughter's room, staring at Megan, who was holding her legs tight to her chest as she tried her best to fall asleep.

She wanted to comfort her, but she didn't know how. It had been four months since Peter and Megan broke up, and she had been nothing but a wreck. Despite being the smartest student in school, she was failing miserably.

Mainly because people wouldn't leave her alone. Now that they know her true identity, she had to be escorted out of class early. She hated it.

Being the center of attention bothered Megan. She never wanted to be in the spotlight, to have her face on the cover of magazines, or billboards. She wished she was Megan DaVoe: a smart girl with a bright future.

But she was Megan Stark: a smart, rich girl who just lost her father.

And she could never change who she really is.

ᛤ

Monday

Megan kept her head down as she walked through the halls, everyone yelling at her to talk to her. To be their friend. She knew all they wanted was popularity and money. That's all people ever wanted these days. What she didn't understand was why people hadn't stopped bothering her. This should have been the new normal for them by now.

She heard the familiar voice of Flash Thompson, and an anger boiled inside of her as he started bragging about how close of friends they were. He went to get her attention, but Megan ignored him quickly, going into her first class.

Today, Megan was going to a press conference to discuss the matters of "who is the next iron man?"

Megan turned to Ned, who gave her a warm smile. She was glad he was there for her as well as Peter and MJ. They were the only three friends she could trust would stick by her side.

The day had been long and agonizing. By the time Megan got to lunch people were already surrounding her, begging for her to sit with them. Her guard pushed the nosy teens back, allowing Megan to rush over to her usual spot across from Peter and next to Ned.

But once again, people were taking up the spots that her friends would sit at, and Megan lost her appetite once again. As Ned and Peter began walking to their table, Megan got up and ran out, everyone complaining and asking where she was going.

Megan ran into the small "alleyway" of the school and sat down, resting her head on her knees and forced her tears back.

She stared at her hands, focusing hard and tried to light them on fire, watching as small white sparks left her fingertips. Before a true flame could erupt, she heard footsteps walk up to her, turning to see Peter slowly sit down next to her.

"I hate this." Megan said after looking away from him, Peter sighed. "It's the same thing every day." She continued, resting her head on the wall.

"Maybe it'll get better. People will get over it eventually. It just takes time." Peter said and Megan scoffed.

"And when they find out I have powers? They'll never let this go." She complained.

"I'm—"

"Sorry? Yeah, I've heard that one before." Megan snapped, standing up but not walking away. "I'm just— I'm just so tired of feeling like shit or being the center of attention. I want to be left alone so I can cope over the fact my dad is dead, and I don't get that time because all I ever hear is the ringing of the buzzer to our fucking gate!" Megan continued, her voice growing louder and louder. Peter's eyes widened as he stared at her.

"I just want, for one moment in my life, to be the giro that people know but never paid attention to! To be the girls whose best friend became her worst enemy, who had a sad break up! I don't want to be this... this 'pretty blonde rich girl with daddy issues!' I want to be my own fucking person!" Megan finished and she lit up into a white flame, Peter yelling in shock and falling back. Megan stared down at herself, hands finding her hair, which was floating and on fire as well.

"What the—" before Megan could finish she heard gasps of surprise, her head turning to see students finding her and Peter. Phones were already out, snapping pictures.

"You've got to be kidding me." She muttered and slowly started floating into the air. She looked down at Peter and with one final look, she set herself off into the air and away from everyone.

Considering that she was not use to this flying ability, she wobbled several times before eventually her anger diminished, and then she was falling.

"Shit!" She yelled, trying to aim for any body of water. She landed in a small pond, yelling in pain before her head bobbed up. As she went to get out, she ducked back down, realizing she was not wearing clothes.

"Great." She muttered. "Can this day get any worse?" She asked. And low and behold.

It did.

A shadow covered her face and Megan looked up, staring at a very confused Rhodey.

"Do I even want to know why you're skinny dipping with the koi fish?" He raised a brow and Megan smiled awkwardly.

"Just give me something to cover up." She ordered and he nodded, looking around before yanking a table cloth. He looked away as she covered up, walking out of the pond. "Thanks, Rhodey."

"How did that even happen?" He asked, making sure her face wasn't seen so people wouldn't get too nosey.

"I Uh... found out when I'm very angry I turn into a burning ball of fire that can fly." She smiled forcefully as his confused look worsened, and he nodded slowly.

"Uh huh... let's uh— get you back to the compound." He suggested.

ᛤ

Megan stepped out of the bathroom, stopping to look at a very nice pants suit. She ran her fingers through her wet hair, raising a brow before remembering what today was.

Pepper slowly walked into the bedroom. "They're all here, darling. Get ready quick." She said and Megan nodded slowly.

She shielded her eyes from the flashing lights, hearing the uproar of questions before she stood at the podium and cleared her throat. Everyone went silent.

"I know that this should have been done four months ago. Actually... It probably should have been done years ago. My dad protected me from the public eye because he didn't want the world to know every little detail about his life and mine. He didn't want this day to happen. He didn't want me talking in front of a camera that was recording every word I utter because I'm his daughter. My father sacrificed his life to save ours. To save mine. He did it so I would be safe. But the truth is.. now that my real identity is out there. I'm not safe. Because I'll always be watched. I'll always be judged. There will be people who try to hurt me and my friends because they want money or power." Megan stopped herself as she ranted, allowing someone to ask her a question.

"Will you be the next Iron-Man?" A reporter asked, and Megan's heart stopped for a moment.

"No. Iron-Man is someone you cannot just replace. You have to go through what he did in order to be an 'Iron-Man.' I haven't even scratched the surface of being my father. And I don't plan on being my father anytime soon."

"A viral video shows you lighting up into flames. Is it edited?" A female reporter asked. Megan stayed silent, staring at the woman. "Is it edited?" She asked again.

"No." She answered bluntly. "The video footage of me turning into a white flame is not edited. During the attack if Ultron, the Android implanted me with something no one but I could come in contact with. My powers were dormant for years because of a pill my father created specifically for me, but I stopped taking them a little bit before... Thanos attacked." Megan explained.

"So you're father is responsible for your powers?"

"Ultron is. I do not blame my father for what that robot did."

"But he created the thing that gave you your abilities."

"You stop pushing this into my father. Next question." Megan snapped.

"Are you an Avenger?" A man asked.

"Yeah. I am."

"So do you know who is behind the Spider-Man mask?" He continued to ask.

"I don't even know his initials." She lied and cleared her throat. "No more questions." She ended, but people erupted into asking more, even after Megan left the room.

She collapsed onto her bed, rubbing her eyes. "I never want to do that again."