Spidey and the Iron Girl: Vol. 1

#8: Misplaced

Let's be honest, the only reason you'd even be considered for a position in the Initiative at all is because you're Tony's daughter...

Peter's words chased Collin as she pounded the pavement. That fucker, what the hell did he know? She could feel her heart rate climbing and her breathing bordering on hyperventilation so she stopped, bracing her hands on her knees to take deep breaths.

Right on cue, her phone started to ring. She pulled it out of her pocket-- and had to resist the urge to throw it across the street. It was her dad.

"Yes?" She greeted him curtly.

"What are you doing so far away from Peter right now?" He questioned. "I told you you had to stick with him for protection--."

"Have you just been sitting at the compound, watching my every move?" She exploded, getting some funny looks from pedestrians across the street. She flipped them off. "Mind your fucking business!"

"Who the hell do you think you're yelling at?" Tony exclaimed.

"Not you, some people looking at me-- but you know what? I should have been yelling at you because you deserve it!" She raised her voice again.

"I wouldn't have to track you if you would just be where you're supposed to be!" Tony yelled back. "You turn right back around and find Peter or I swear--."

"What? You'll activate my suit and fly me back home?" She laughed bitterly. "Way ahead of you, Dad."

"So what if I do activate the suit, it's for your own good--," He cut off short. "Wait, what do you mean "way ahead of you"?"

"I left the Spiderfucker hanging out with friends from school. I'm literally just walking back to May's apartment to go to sleep early," Collin growled into the phone. "Or does your tracking device not listen in on my conversations?"

"It does not, actually," Tony said slowly.

"What's sad about this is that you don't even know how ridiculous you are," Collin pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'll see you later, Dad."

"Collin, I would still really prefer--," Her dad began. But then Collin actually did throw her phone across the street, splintering the screen into a hundred shimmering pieces. She was angry, so angry her skin felt hot to the touch, and the cogs in her mind were whirring a mile a minute. Following the path of her thoughts, she ducked into the next bodega she came across and bought acetone and several batteries.

May seemed surprised when she came home without Peter, coming out of her bedroom with her reading glasses on.

"Hey, honey... Peter's still out with his school friends?" She asked.

"Yeah, I was just tired so I decided to head back early," Collin lied. "I've got a little project I wanted to work on, too, if you don't mind me using the dining room table..."

"Oh, sure, go ahead--."

"Thanks," Collin flew past and dumped out her paper bag of purchases onto the table. Then, she walked to her suitcase in the living room and proceeded to dump out it's contents to retrieve a little black leather pouch she'd hidden in a pair of socks. She brought it to the table and unfurled it, revealing the miniature lock picking set she'd managed to sneak past her father. Now she had everything she needed.

May knew better than to ask what Collin was up to, so she just hovered in the hallway, watching as Collin sat down and started tinkering with the twin bracelets on her wrists. In a matter of minutes, what had looked like two pieces of jewelry began to light up and beep rather alarmingly.