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Morgan Stark tried to hide the sigh that was threatening to bubble out of her. She was sitting on a bus, in the hustle and bustle of Manhattan traffic around, with the chatter of her classmates, dreading their final destination.
Her class was going on a field trip to Stark Industries. AKA, the company her family owned.
She understood why. She was attending a school for brilliant young minds and Stark Industries loved to encourage and cultivate those young minds. She knew that this was an amazing opportunity for anyone interested in the STEM field or even the green-energy field.
But also, it was literally her second home. Morgan knew that building like the back of her hand. After all, she lived there during the week so she could attend school in Manhattan. But her mother had insisted that she attend because it was a growing experience and wasn’t life about growing?
Morgan hadn’t even mentioned the trip to her dad. Because knowing him, he’d burst into her field trip with embarrassing photos and calling her by her childhood nickname and Morgan did not need that. It was bad enough that Gregory Steinberg called her Iron Kid. She didn’t need him knowing about the nickname “Maguna”.
“You look like you’re going to a funeral.” Cordelia, her best friend who sported a messy blonde bun and inquisitive light eyes, popped her head up from the seat in front of her.
“I’m just less than thrilled about this, Cor,” Morgan said with a sigh.
“Why?” Cordelia asked, getting up from her seat and plopping down next to Morgan. She was loudly chewing bubblegum, a trait Morgan found oddly endearing because it was just so very Cordelia. “I mean yeah, it’s your house but like, isn’t it fascinating to just hear about the company, Mor?”
“It’s just…” Morgan was struggling to find the right words. A lot of her moaning about this made her sound like a spoiled rich kid. And she hated doing that in front of Cordelia, who attended their school on a scholarship and had to take two subways and get up at 5AM just to get to school on time.
Luckily, she didn’t have to explain herself. Not when Gregory Steinberg decided to make himself known.
“Sup Iron Kid and friend,” Gregory said, an obnoxious smile on his face. He pushed some of his dark hair out of his face and brushed something off his shirt.
“We have names, Steinberg,” Cordelia said with an eyeroll. “And it’s unsafe to stand on a bus. Not that watching you tumble down the aisle wouldn’t be absolutely hilarious.” At that moment, the bus lurched a little and Gregory stumbled.
“Sit down Mr. Steinberg!” The teacher called from the front, forcing Gregory to retreat to his seat. Morgan just sighed, leaning her head back.
“He’s why I’m not looking forward to this,” Morgan said. “Because it feels like people are always pointing and staring and reminding me who my family is.”
“That’s not a bad thing,” Cordelia pointed out. Morgan didn’t have time to respond, to point out how much pressure society seemed to drop on her simply because of her last name.
Because the bus was pulling up to Stark Industries. And Morgan felt like she could feel everyone’s eyes going back and forth from the building to her, leaving Morgan already feeling exhausted.
“Welcome to Stark Industries.” Morgan was standing in the back of the group, even though Cordelia had tried to tug her forward. Morgan didn’t need to be close, she knew exactly what the head of security was going to say.
He was her uncle after all.
“On this tour, you are guests.” Morgan watched as Happy spoke, the assistant head of security, who would take over for him whenever Happy decided to retire, right next to him, shadowing just as Happy always asked him to do. “Listen and do not touch anything. Or else the building’s AI will let us know immediately. Stay with your tour guide at all times. Now, everyone will get a badge. You get one badge because I don’t reprint. If you lose it, you’ll have to wait down here while your group finishes the tour.”
“He’s no nonsense, huh?” Cordelia said, elbowing Morgan’s side. Morgan simply shrugged, even though she knew Happy’s work persona was hardly who he actually was. Her uncle was a big softie who still took her out for cheeseburgers if she was having a rough time.
“Take a badge, take a badge.” Happy was moving through the group, passing out badges. When he got to Morgan, he pulled the basket back, causing Morgan to frown. “Kiddo, where’s your badge?”
Morgan couldn’t help her frown from deepening even more. Everyone was staring now, whispering about how the serious head of security had called her “kiddo”.
“Can’t I just take a guest badge?” Morgan asked, pleading eyes at her uncle. Happy narrowed his eyes, studying for a moment before shaking his head.
“You know my rules, Morgan.” Morgan huffed and dug her badge out her back, pinning it to her shirt in the place Happy preferred because he argued it could be clearly seen from all vantage points.
“At least yours has a cute picture, Mor,” Cordelia said with a smile. “You should curl your hair more often.”
“My mom did that, Cor,” Morgan said with a huff. “And wearing this while everyone gets a guest badge is embarrassing.”
“If you say so,” Cordelia said with a shrug as the group started moving forward. The tour guide was taking them through the security checkpoint. Morgan frowned, not at all looking forward to what was coming next.
“Our building is run through our AI system called N.A.T,” The tour guide said. “Which just stands for newly automated technology, but our head of Research and Development knows how much Mister Stark likes his AIs to have anagrammed names.”
“When you go through the checkpoint, NAT will announce your name and clearance,” The tour guide continued. “She might even say hi! And you can say hi back too, she’s been programmed to be friendly.”
“Nicole, tour guide, clearance level 5,” Nat intoned. “Greetings Nicole and hello to your tour group.”
“Hi NAT and thanks!” Nicole the tour guide said with a bright smile. “Now you’ll all step through and we can begin our tour.”
Morgan sighed as her classmates started to go through the checkpoint. As promised, NAT announced each one of them. And she was dreading what would happen when it was her time.
“Hello Morgan.” Everyone’s heads whipped towards her as the AI spoke differently to her. “You’re home early.”
“Field trip NAT,” Morgan grumbled before being given the clearance to walk through. SHe moved next to Cordelia, her shoulder slumping as she could hear the whispers begin.
This day was going to suck.
Morgan was about ready to burst. The day had been awful and she wanted to leave or even just dig a hole in the ground and burrow underneath.
After the disaster that was just getting into the building, the eyes on her hadn’t stopped. Especially as the tour guide showed a video about the beginnings of Stark Industries before launching into a lecture on Stark Industries foray into green energy and its humanitarian relief around the world, headed by their current CEO. And of course, a shot of both of her parents on the screen had everyone whispering and talking about her.
“Her mom’s a Fortune 500 CEO.”
“Yeah, only because her dad gave her the job.”
“Can you imagine what it’s like to be Iron Man’s daughter?”
“Yeah, I mean the guy saved the universe! And he’s a legit genius.”
She had heard it all. And it was never ending. And Morgan couldn’t take much more. In fact, she was sure one more comment would have her losing it.
“Hey Iron Kid.” Morgan was sitting in one of the labs with Cordelia. They had been giving the space, a space that Morgan actually knew was hardly used and was just for things like field trips and pressers, to play around with some old Stark Industries technology that was no longer in production.
“What?” Morgan snapped at Gregory, her ability to hold it together slowly slipping through her fingers. “What do you want?” Gregory looked a little startled by her response.
“Mor?” Even Cordelia sounded concerned. And Morgan could only huff before getting out and walking out of the lab. She couldn’t handle this anymore. She couldn’t handle the staring or the whispering or the overall reminder of who she was. She was exhausted and just needed to get away from it all.
She found a quiet little hallway, no doors or stairwells around and sat down on the floor, leaning back against the wall. She hated this; this field trip, this day, these constant reminders. She hated it all.
She felt her eyes watering, everything catching up with her when she heard footsteps approaching.
“Morgan?” And she looked up, eyes bleary with tears waiting to be shed, into the concerned eyes of Peter.
Peter Parker had been keeping an eye on things all day. He knew, from looking at the Stark Industries calendar, that Morgan had a field trip there that day with her school. And Peter could only imagine how she felt about that.
So, he was keeping an eye on things as he did his work. He saw Happy make Morgan use her ID instead of just letting her have a guest badge like the rest of her class. He saw kids watch her as she went through the security checkpoint.
And he watched as Morgan left her class, shoulders hanging in the same way Mister Stark’s did when he was trying to act like everything was fine.
So, he got up and went looking for Morgan. He didn’t expect to find her sitting alone in a secluded corner, two seconds away from crying.
“Morgan?” Peter’s heart broke for the teen, seeing just how upset she was. He sunk down to the floor, moving to sit next to her. He opened his arms and just like she had when she was four years old, she melted into the hug, burying her face in his shoulder.
“I’m not being a moody teenager when I say this is the worst day ever,” Morgan said, when she finally pulled away. She wiped at her eyes, sniffling a little as she did.
“Do you wanna talk about it?” Peter asked. Morgan just shrugged. “Mo, come on, it’s just me.”
“You wouldn’t understand,” Morgan said, looking away from Peter. Peter sighed, giving her a moment before he spoke again.
“I might not be a Stark,” Peter said. “I might not know what it’s like to live in a world where people talk because of who your parents are.” Morgan sniffed again, still avoiding his faze. “But as the kid who was picked out of nowhere and taken under the wing of Tony Stark for reasons most people didn’t understand....”
“There were reasons,” Morgan interjected, glancing back at him, referencing the Spider-Man of it all. Peter chuckled and shrugged.
“Either way,” Peter said. “It’s a lot of pressure. And it’s not pressure that your dad meant to put on me, but it was still there.”
“So what did you do about it?” Morgan asked quietly.
“Well,” Peter began, a fond smile on his face. “I figured I could either keep being upset about how uncomfortable I was letting it make me feel or I could own it.”
“But people…”
“Will talk no matter what,” Peter said. “Your dad taught me that. But what they have to say doesn’t have to dull your shine, Morgan. I know how incredible you are. So do your parents and Happy and that great friend of yours. Own who you are, Morgan. Because who you are is pretty darn special.”
Morgan was hugging him again, tears bleeding into the fabric of his shirt. But this time, he could tell these weren’t tears of an upset teen. These were different tears, ones he knew well.
The ones that came when someone realized how much the other person believed in them.
“Thank you Peter,” Morgan said, pulling away. “You’re the best, you know that?”
“What are big brother’s for?” Morgan smiled before standing up. Peter sighed, slowly pulling himself up from the floor, Morgan giving him an unimpressed look. “Hey, you’ll understand when you’re my age, kid.”
“Peter, you’re like barely thirty,” Morgan said with an eye roll.
“And my bones feel like they’re fifty,” Morgan snorted, a smile crossing her face and Peter smiled, glad to see Morgan looking a little happier. “Ready to get back to your class?”
“I think so,” Morgan said with a nod. They started to walk back into the direction of the lab that Morgan’s class was in, when she spoke again. “You don’t think me wandering off means they called my parents, do you?” Peter was about to respond when he heard the familiar clacking of a cane against the tile floor.
“No, I think they did,” Peter said, turning around with Morgan, right as Mister Stark turned the corner. He looked over at Peter before giving his daughter a look.
“Maguna,” Mister Stark said, walking over to his daughter. “Just because you know the building doesn’t mean you should wander off.”
“Sorry dad,” Morgan said with a sigh. Then she frowned, looking up at him. “Wait, you knew I had a field trip today?”
“I own the building, little lady,” Mister Stark said with a chuckle. “But your mom had me in a board meeting all day. We were just getting out when your teacher called saying you snuck off.”
“I wasn’t having a good day,” Morgan said. “But Peter was there for me.” She glanced over at Peter and Peter shot a smile in her direction. “So, I’m sorry for wandering off but I’m ready to go back now.”
“Well then,” Mister Stark said, smiling fondly at his daughter. “Lead on. I should make sure you get back there in one piece.”
“Okay.” And Peter smiled proudly, seeing Morgan proudly be herself and not dull herself for anyone. She headed down the hallway towards the lab and Peter was about to follow her when Mister Stark stopped him.
“You know you’re amazing, right kid?” Peter tilted his head and Mister Stark smiled fondly. “I heard what you said to Morgan. You’ve really grown from a plucky kid from Queens to a bright, kind-hearted adult. I’m so proud of you, Pete.”
“It was nothing, Mister Stark,” Peter said with a shrug. “I was just looking out for my little sister.”
“And that’s why you’re amazing, kid,” Mister Stark said with a smile. “Even if you’re not such a kid anymore.” Mister Stark pulled Peter in for a hug and Peter couldn’t help but smile.
“Alright,” Mister Stark said, pulling away, still smiling fondly at Peter. “Should we go check on the young minds?”
“Actually,” Peter said. “I think Morgan’s gonna be okay. And besides, I have something I want you to see in my lab.” Mister Stark, pursed his lips, a smile on his face but clearly trying to make Peter think he was considering it. “NAT’s keeping an eye on Morgan, I promise.”
“Well then,” Mister Stark said, clapping Peter on the shoulder. “Why don’t you show me what you’ve got working in that lab of yours. As long as it’s stuff the Head of Research and Development should be doing and not what our superhero friend is up to.”
“Come on Mister Stark,” Peter said with a smile. “You know I only work on that stuff in your lab.” And Mister Stark could only smile as he fondly patted Peter’s shoulder, before walking with him down the opposite direction that Morgan had gone.
After all, Morgan could handle this. She could handle anything.