Homecoming is almost here, please enjoy the beginning of something I've had in the works for awhile!

Midmorning Washington, D.C. was at least able to hold its breath on sidewalk traffic enough to allow Cassidy a leisurely walking pace. There was no breeze in the air, leaving the sweat on her back and neck to try and coax her temperature down. She'd kicked her own ass at the gym, pushing for one more set of squats and an extra lap.

The downtown facility had still been swarming when she left it to walk the few blocks back home and the gleaming apartment complex allowed the elevator to deposit her straight into her own kitchen and into the excited pawing of Rambo. Three years old and already massive, the Rottweiler was ditzy and loving despite his large frame.

She hadn't lived in that place long, but already had a designated spot in the corner to toss her gym bag before she made headway for the freezer. Tossing Rambo a bit of meat and grabbing a bowl of grapes, she closed the freezer door and nearly screamed when she saw a man standing a few feet away.

"Who the hell are you and what are…" she trailed off as recognition kicked in and it seemed impertinent to keep reaching for the pepper spray on the counter.

Tony Stark in all his suave suited glory was leaning on the wall with a half-eaten apple in his hand.

"Ok, ok," she steeled her own buzzing nerves before furrowing her brows and addressing him again. "Um, how'd you get in here?"

"Most people are more starstruck than you, kid. Told the doorman I needed to talk to you and he couldn't open the door fast enough. And Fido here was only too happy to chase a bone into the other room."

The grin spread on her cheeks like lightning. She faintly remembered that this happened to another kid one time, and now the man behind Iron Man fame had come to her, merely weeks after the showdown in Germany. She pushed a few frizzing curls out of her dark face and plopped down on a stool expectantly.

"So, what can I help Tony Stark with?"

"You are Miss Callahan, correct?" Tony lazily walked closer, eyeing her critically. His words posed questions but his tone said show-off. "Of the Callahan diplomatic family? Nineteen, not in school, comfortably on your own, a little vigilante work when you can?"

Cassidy humbly lowered her eyes but couldn't keep the smile off her face. "Alright, so you've got a file on me."

"Maybe. Tell me more about this thing with having powers."

"Well, smoke. I can manipulate it and sometimes produce it if my adrenaline's pumping. It's useful for a sneak attack." She would have continued, but it was clear from his gaze that he already knew those things.

"Any monikers? Superhero name? Anything other than plastering Callahan across headlines?"

She sat up a little taller, not liking the insinuation that she could be reckless with her work, even though she knew full well that she sometimes was. "I'm not asked about one a lot, but I usually use Gray Blitz when I am."

"Right. Cause smoke is gray and…yeah got it." He bit into the apple and nodded definitively, but then jumped into the questions once again. "And so why exactly aren't you in school anymore?"

"I can intern at Capitol Hill anytime I want, and it's easier to stop robberies when I'm not worried about exams and research papers." Cassidy took her own passive-aggressive bite of a grape while trying to stay positive.

Tony Stark was known for being kind of a dick, but at least she'd been lucky enough to be sought out by him, right? Her powers weren't spectacular, but she was keeping D.C. a little safer from robberies and assaults. Apparently the big leagues were calling her name now, a thought that perked her back up.

"Were you this tough on the other kid when recruiting him?"

Tony's eyebrows shot up. "So that's gotten around to all the disgruntled teens that can do weird things?"

"Of course! Word travels fast."

"Well, this is kinda about that other kid."

Her head tilted, much like Rambo's when he was puzzled. "What about him? Spiderman, right? Is he fighting something else that I need to help with?"

"Not entirely. But he's kinda famous now, or infamous as it may be, after fighting alongside me. It's not the safest situation, I can tell you from experience."

There was something he hadn't told her yet, and being in the dark left her lips twisted in confusion.

He picked back up with, "Look, I need the kid to have someone there with him that knows he's Spiderboy and can help him out if he needs it. I'm just a little too busy for it." He was talking with his hands now, a surefire way to make sure she understood. And understand she did.

She deflated almost entirely.

"So, babysitting." Her voice was flatter than a dead guy's heart monitor. "You want me for an exaggerated babysitting gig."

Tony rested a hand on her shoulder. "Just listen to me. I need you there, you're competent enough to help him avoid some horrid targeted death. Be friends with him, maybe you can even work on your fighting experience along with him."

Being slow to true anger was one of her virtues, and it kept her voice from raising to a shout. "Why not sic Captain America or one of the spies on this guy?"

"His name's Peter Parker, don't put him too high on a pedestal. We've got the safety of the world to worry about and you're my closest bet to witness protection for him." Clearly Tony had been expecting a little reluctance because he continued the convincing. "This is your stepping stone into the limelight, Callahan. Work on your fighting skills some more while keeping an eye on him and the next time I need a sneak attack I'll call you first."

Cassidy pursed her lips and studied the vast amounts of space left undecorated on the powder blue walls. She still had boxes of all those foreign decorations from her parents left to unpack.

"If I said yes, where would I be going?"

"Queens in New York. Change of scenery would be good for you. D.C. most of your life, right?" He clapped her shoulder again, smiling prematurely at his victory. "And look, I've even got incentives. Monthly stipend of a young Hollywood starlet and you can bring the dog as long as he doesn't eat the Spiderling."

As if on cue, Rambo traipsed back in and pushed his head into Cassidy's hand. She ruffled his ears and chewed on another few grapes as well as the offer.

The more she considered the gig, the more it contrasted with the relative quiet of her life for the past couple years. It promised time-consuming purpose, or at least more than repeated trips to the gym and regular crime fighting could offer.

"Yeah," she said to herself, then repeated louder for Tony to hear. "Yeah, I'll do it."

He flashed his press-worthy grin and took his keys out of his pocket. "Good woman, Callahan. I'll have you set up to start classes next Monday."

As if it was rehearsed, her mouth fell open and he swiveled back with an answer to her unasked question. "Yeah, you'll be going back to school. That's where Parker spends an admittedly grotesque amount of time. And do tell your parents you're moving but, uh, maybe leave out the real reason."

After a few more promises to take care of every aspect of the move, he whirled out of the door and left Cassidy with little more than a panting dog and lots of boxes to start packing.