The day could not pass any slower. I was anxious to return to the Marvel universe. However, I had to wait until everyone was asleep. I did not know the time difference between the universes, and if my parents noticed I was missing, they would panic. It was safer to wait for night.
So when the clock in my room struck midnight, I disappeared quietly.
One second I was there.
The next, I was standing in a random alley.
Note to self: next time, focus on where you want to appear.
I stood there, alone in the middle of an alley at night. Really, what is my problem with alleys? Why is it always alleys? I sighed in frustration, having no idea where I was.
Snap.
I was not alone.
A ten year old by herself in an alley at night probably looked like easy prey.
"Well, what are you doing here all by yourself, little girl?" a drunken man slurred. "Didn't your parents tell you it's dangerous to be out at night?"
He staggered closer.
I raised my hand, preparing to fight. I concentrated, reaching for my power.
Nothing happened.
I tried again, harder. The best I managed was lifting a beer bottle slightly before it dropped and shattered on the ground.
Why wasn't it working? That was not normal? Why can't I use my telekinesis? Focus, I can't worry about this now, I will leave this problem for later.
Plan B. I turned around and ran.
I dashed through the empty streets, my legs burning. Despite my size, I quickly managed to lose him thanks to his drunken state. Still, I did not stop running.
I kept glancing over my shoulder, checking if I was being followed. I was so focused on that that I failed to notice where I was going.
Bang.
I crashed into someone.
We both fell to the ground. The contents of her bag spilled across the concrete.
"I'm sorry," I blurted out automatically.
I scrambled to help her gather her things, shoving them back into her bag as fast as I could. I nearly shoved the bag into her arms before turning to run again.
She grabbed my wrist.
Only then did she really look at me.
At the fact that I was a child.
"Hey," she said sharply, concern cutting through her voice. "Wait. What are you doing out here alone?"
The woman softened immediately.
"My name is May," she said gently. "And it's really not safe for a kid to be alone in the middle of the night." She glanced around the alley before looking back at me. "I live close by. You can wait at my place while you call your parents."
She hesitated for a moment, then added, "What's your name, sweetheart?"
I studied her carefully before murmuring, "Erica."
She noticed my wariness and laughed softly.
"I know how this probably looks," she said. "But I promise I'm not a bad person." She pulled out her phone and held it out to me. The screen was already open, dialled to 911. "If you feel even a little unsafe, you can call the police. I won't stop you."
That helped.
I nodded and followed her. It was not like I had many other options.
As we walked, I slowly relaxed. She really was kind. We talked about why I was out so late, and I said I was lost. She told me it was lucky she had been working the night shift at the hospital. Destiny, she said, must have decided we should run into each other.
She mentioned she had a nephew a few years older than me who lived with her.
When we reached her apartment, I noticed the welcome mat in front of the door.
Parker Residence.
I quietly stored the surname away in my mind.
The sound of us entering must have woken her nephew, because a minute later he appeared in the living room, rubbing his eyes.
"Aunt May, it's really late," he said sleepily. "Did you eat something at the hospital?"
He did not even notice me at first.
"Yes, I ate a sandwich, Peter," May replied fondly. "You don't need to worry." Then she turned slightly. "Peter, we have a guest. I found Erica wandering around lost and offered her a safe place to call her parents."
That was when my mind finally connected the dots.
Aunt May.
Parker.
Peter.
The boy now staring at me in surprise was Peter Parker.
The future Spider-Man.
"Hello," I said awkwardly. "Can I make that call now?"
"Yes, of course," May said, handing me her phone. "The password is Peter123."
"Thanks."
I sat down on the couch and searched for Stark Enterprises online. Tony was the only Avenger with publicly available information. I ended up arguing with the secretary, who kept insisting I call back in the morning. She even suggested that if I wanted a paternity test, I should stop dreaming, since there had been thousands of fake calls recently from people looking for money.
Annoyed, I gave up and spoke to the Ai in charge of the Starks enterprise servers instead.
"JARVIS," I said, hoping he would intercept the call. "Tell Tin Can to wake up and come get me. I promised I would visit and come back, but I have no idea where I am."
I turned to May and Peter. "Excuse me. Could you tell me where we are so I can tell my uncle?"
"Queens," May replied. "New York."
"Queens, New York," I repeated into the phone. "Tell him that I know that he lives in Miami, but if he doesn't get here within an hour, I will crush his suits into scrap metal."
I hung up and handed the phone back to May.
"Thank you for your help," I said. "My uncle will be here within an hour, at most."
While we waited, I talked with Peter to pass the time. Eventually, the conversation drifted to Star Wars.
When I told him I had only seen the first movie, he was outraged.
"How have you not seen Star Wars?" he demanded dramatically. "They're the greatest films ever made."
I could not exactly tell him that in my last life I had been obsessed with the MCU, or that in this life for me it was only 1983 and the other films had not even been released yet.
"I'm just not interested," I shrugged.
That somehow made it worse.
He launched into an excited rant about the films, their themes, their importance, and how watching them would change my life forever. He was practically shaking my shoulders with enthusiasm.
I laughed. His energy was contagious.
When he realised what he was doing, he immediately let go and blushed. That just made me laugh more. He was adorable.
Then the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Peter said quickly, rushing to the door.
He froze the moment he opened it.
"Aunt May," he called weakly.
"Peter, be polite, ask him to enter," May said as she approached. "Her uncle is probably worried about his niece."
She reached the door and froze too.
Tony Stark stood in the hallway, wearing pyjamas.
"Hello," he said casually. "Is Erica Sinclair here?"
Peter's brain visibly shut down.
"T-Tony Stark," he squeaked.
"Shhh," Tony said. "Let's not wake the neighbourhood, kid. Now, is Erica here?"
"She's in the living room," May answered, still trying to process reality.
Tony stepped inside and spotted me on the couch.
"Hey, Tin Can," I greeted. "You got here fast from Miami. Were you worried about what happened the last time we saw each other?"
"Who cares about you," he scoffed. "JARVIS intercepted the call and sent it straight to me. I was just worried about my poor armour after what you did to that big alien."
I chuckled at his obvious tsundere behaviour.
"Anyway," he said, "thank your hosts. We're leaving. You have a lot to explain, gremlin."
I pointed my hand at him, faking an attack.
He immediately raised his hands. "Sorry. Young lady."
I rolled my eyes and followed him toward the door, where May and Peter were still staring at us in disbelief.
"Aunt May, thank you for everything," I said. "Peter, if we ever meet again, you owe me a Star Wars marathon."
May finally snapped out of it and pulled me into a hug. Peter tried to respond but only managed incomprehensible babbling.
We headed downstairs until Tony pointed upward.
"I parked on the roof."
Minutes later, I was settled on his back as his suit lifted us into the air.
Suddenly, Peter burst through the rooftop door.
"Thank you for saving us," he shouted. "You were that kid fighting with the Avengers during the invasion, right?! You saved my aunt and me."
I blinked.
"Oh," I called back. "You two helped me today. We're even."
I waved at him as Tony took off.
"I won't forget you," Peter shouted. "Someday, I'll repay you."
Then his shouts, along with the neighbours' complaints about the noise, faded away, and we disappeared into the night sky.