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ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING
xiv. US VS THE WORLD

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   RESTLESS WAS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. Riley wasn't just restless, nor was she just jittery. She was a mixing bowl of worry, her thoughts being the ingredients. If it wasn't clear by now, Riley did not know how to conduct a press conference. Interviews were one thing, but press conferences were another, multiplied by ten.

   What Riley said today could quite literally define the next few years of her life. There wasn't anyone to back her up either. The only person Riley could depend on was herself, and after Steve Rogers left the world in Riley's hands, she couldn't afford another screw-up.

   After the public's reaction to her previous "resurrection", Riley was just a little traumatized. She had never felt so much hatred from so many people all at once—not since her days as a young S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, at least.

   "I don't think I've ever seen you like this," admitted Peter Parker. He sat on her bed casually, watching as Riley paced throughout her and MJ's cabin.

   There was only half an hour until Riley was supposed to clear the air with the public, and it was clear that Riley wasn't ready. At least, she didn't feel ready.

   Riley suddenly stopped in her tracks. "I have an idea."

   Peter perked up. "Really? That was fast. What is it?"

   Approaching him with a smile, Riley calmly said, "I need you to punch me in the throat."

   Peter rolled his eyes. "I'm not gonna punch you, Riles."

   Riley pouted and sat down on her bed. She laid down while Peter sat up straight. "I can take a hit better than I can take criticism," she grumbled.

   Peter was unsure of how to help Riley. The closest he'd been to Riley's situation was a Socratic Seminar in his English class last year, and he knew for a fact that those sucked. Let's just say that if humanity depended on Peter successfully getting a word in during a Socratic Seminar, Earth would be doomed.

   "What if I say something wrong and everyone hates me again?" Riley mumbled.

   "I don't get it," admitted Peter. "You've done a bunch of interviews before. Why are you all nervous now?"

   "Because those interviews were about Thanos and the Decimation and time travel," she listed. "That's all easy stuff. But now everyone's putting me on the spot and it's giving my anxiety anxiety."

   Peter refrained from what he wanted to say, which was, "Wow, I'm dating a genius and I can't even bake cookies without using premade dough." He figured now wasn't the time.

   "How am I supposed to face the world again when whatever I say could ruin everything?" she continued.

   "With a smile?" Peter suggested, causing Riley to softly scoff.

   "Cuteness won't save me when Valor piñata sales skyrocket."

   Peter chuckled. He took Riley's arm, pulling on her so that she could sit up. Riley straightened her posture for a short moment before sulking again, this time by resting her head on Peter's shoulder. "That's not gonna happen, Riles."

   "I dunno," confessed Riley. "I took Morgan to this girl's birthday party last month and they had a Thanos piñata. I didn't even know people made those. But everyone seemed to like hitting it, so I guess I get the appeal—"

   "I'm not talking about the piñata," interrupted Peter. He wrapped his arm around her comfortingly. "But if it helps, I promise I won't buy one."

   Peter smiled when he heard Riley laugh into his shoulder. "You sure know how to win a girl's heart," she sarcastically commented.

   "More or less," he bantered. "I'm telling you, you'll be fine. Would I lie to you?"

   "Probably."

   "Exactly, I wouldn't—Wait, what? No! I mean, maybe, but I wouldn't lie to hurt you..." Peter shook his head. "Never mind. The point is: Beating yourself up over something that hasn't even happened yet is gonna accomplish absolutely nothing."

   "I hate when you're right," she muttered. "It's kind of like a warm-up, you know? So when I inevitably screw up the only thing I have left going for me, I'll know the best position to lay down in for the next 10 years."

   "Stop saying stuff like that," Peter replied despite chuckling. "This isn't like you. You're supposed to be Riley—the optimist, the hero, the girl that can overcome anything." He paused, seeing that his words had no effect on her. "Alright, come on. Sit up. Look at me."

   With a heavy sigh, Riley complied. She stared back at him with a subtle pout. Peter placed his hands on her shoulders and instructed, "Repeat after me: I'm Riley Stark."

   Riley narrowed her eyes at him. "Pete, what are you—?"

   "Do I have to say Simon Says?" he interrupted. "Do it."

   Riley stared at him for a few seconds longer before shrugging. "Um, okay..." she trailed off. "I'm... Riley Stark?"

   Peter shook his head. "Not like that. Say it with confidence," he ordered. Riley hesitated, but she did it nonetheless. It wasn't as much energy as Peter had been hoping for, but he'd take what he could get. "Good. Repeat after me: I'm strong, smart, and capable."

   "Uh... I'm strong, smart, and capable."

   "And I will not let a bunch of Boomers define who I am."

   Riley giggled. "And I will not let a bunch of Boomers define who I am," she repeated, matching Peter's tone.

   "Because I'm a badass and no one can take that away from me!"

   "Because I'm a badass and no one can take that away from me!" Riley cheered, mostly to satisfy Peter.

   Peter looked all too pleased with himself. "Good!" he praised. "Now, who are you?"

   Riley sighed, her energy fading rather quickly. She shrugged and calmly answered, "Riley Stark."

   Peter's smile dropped. "Seriously? You can do better than that! I said, who are you?"

   Riley stared at Peter for a moment longer. "...Riley Stark."

   "We're gonna keep doing this until you do it right," he revealed, causing Riley to unhappily groan. He stood up and took Riley's hands, effortlessly pulling her onto her feet. "Who are you?"

   It was then when Riley decided she'd play along just to please her boyfriend. "I'm Riley Stark!" she weakly exclaimed.

   "Sorry, who?"

   "Riley Stark!" she answered again, this time a bit louder.

   "You're starting to get it," enthused Peter. "One more time?"

   "I'm Riley Stark!" she shouted, suddenly amped up. It was like a surge of positive energy just swept Riley off of her feet.

   "There you go!" Peter shouted. "And who's gonna kill this press conference?"

   "Me!" she bellowed. "Riley fucking Stark!"

   "Hell yeah, you are!" Peter yelled. The rush of success overtook him as he and Riley laughed. It was then when a thought came to mind. "I have an idea."

   Riley curiously observed as Peter pulled out his phone. Since everyone at Mirkhaven was going home tomorrow morning and all camp-wide activities were canceled, Principal Morita decided to return everyone's mobile devices in advance. He figured it was the least he could do.

   A few seconds passed before a song played aloud: King Kunta by Kendrick Lamar. Peter placed his phone down and declared, "We're gonna do that thing Mr. Stark makes you do and dance until your nerves go away."

   A big smile swept across Riley's face. She stood on her toes and gently kissed him. "You're seriously my favorite person ever," she sweetly stated.

   "Well, that's a relief," Peter confessed. "I was scared I was #2."

   Riley hummed. "You might get moved down if you keep dancing like that, white boy," she taunted.

   Peter scoffed. "You don't deserve my moves!"

   Riley rolled her eyes as they danced, carefree and happy. She'd let him keep thinking that for now.

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   This wasn't the first time Riley wanted to murder Tony Stark. The truth of the matter was that everyone who came into contact with Tony eventually felt some kind of murderous intent toward him, including Tony himself. Still, that didn't justify that Riley was about to start her press conference, and Tony and Pepper were nowhere in sight.

   Riley wished that Roman or Peter or MJ were by her side, but she had no idea where her friends were. Riley had sort of kicked Roman and MJ out of the cabin early this morning to scream into a pillow, which was when Peter had shown up to check on his girlfriend. But after Peter left the cabin, she had quickly lost track of her friends.

   Riley turned to the doors of the dining hall. Yes, her big press conference would be held in Camp Mirkhaven's dining hall, of all places. Talk about unconventional, right? That sentence alone pretty much summed up Riley's life thus far. She took in a deep breath before heading inside.

   Riley's pupils dilated as a number of cameras flashed in her face. She tried to blink through it and remain composed. Shouts shook the dining hall as Riley approached the front of the room. She just needed to stop thinking about the world hating her all over again. That seemed to be what was troubling her the most. Then again, if Riley could save the universe, she could take on a bunch of... Boomers, as Peter put it.

   Once a microphone was passed to her, she cleared her throat. The room became silent in an instant. Not even the tremble of an unfinished sentence or the clicks of pens were heard. Riley offered a small smile. "Well, that was easy," she commented, laughing lightly.

   No one reacted to her initial words. Instead, the reporters and journalists all inched closer. Recorders and pens were in the air, prepared to capture every detail of every word that left Riley's mouth.

   Riley nodded slowly. 'Relax. They're not gonna hate you. They're here for clarity. They want to trust you. You're okay, Riley,' she told herself.

   "I'm not gonna beat around the bush. You're all here for a reason, and that's for some clarity," she began. "I understand that it's not... easy to accept that someone you hardly know is taking over for Steve Rogers, as well as three other original Avengers. I get that. I'm willing to answer your questions as long as you're all patient with me. If I hesitate or stumble over my words, it's because this is all still new for me. Interviews are easier because I could depend on whoever I was with, but press conferences are a lot harder in my position. They don't really train you for media work when you're supposed to be... well, a ghost." She let out a little laugh. "Now, with that being said, I'm opening the floor for any and all questions."

   Riley relaxed just a little bit as she spoke. She knew this was only the start, but it was better than the anticipation that had been eating her alive all night.

   One of the reporters spoke up in an instant. "Ms. Stark, five years ago, Tony Stark and Pepper Potts informed the world of your true identity, but few details about your story. Your parents, Athena and Rob O'Dair were killed in 2003 until it was discovered in 2017 Rob O'Dair survived the accident you caused. Can you tell us more about that?"

   Riley nodded. "Well, uh, there's not much you don't already know. My biological parents died in an explosion I accidentally caused. I was two and Athena and Rob were... irresponsible. It was a recipe for disaster," she elucidated. "It was reported that I died with my parents when in actuality, I survived and developed powers from the explosion. S.H.I.E.L.D. chose to keep my file confidential to learn more about my abilities and how they could be utilized. Then, I helped save the world, the Avengers were formed, and here we are now."

   The same reporter spoke again, "So were you aware that Rob was still alive and working alongside Adrian Toomes?"

   Riley had to refrain from laughing. "No," she answered. "Trust me, if I did, I would've stopped him way sooner."

   Another journalist stepped forward. "If you weren't aware of their plans, then why did you spend several months in Queens? Why did you attend Midtown High School—the same school Toomes's daughter, Liz Allen attended—as a fake student?"

   Riley felt her blood run cold. This was where they were going to ask her about Spider-Man. She was starting to worry that this would be where she threw someone she cared about under the bus.

   "Right," she replied. "Around that time, Tony and I had recently come in contact with New York's Spider-Man—"

   "You mean, the friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man?" interrupted another.

   Riley hesitated. "Yeah, him," she confirmed. "I wasn't sure why at first, but Tony liked the... the Spider-Man. He asked me to keep an eye out for him, show him the ropes. He was convinced Bug Boy would be a perfect addition to the Avengers. I accepted and befriended him. I decided to show him the basics of being a hero until other more pressing matters came calling."

   She paused, quickly devising a lie. "Attending Midtown High School as a fake student was to get intel on smaller dangers to aid Spider-Man in his training," she added.

   See, lying wasn't the problem. Riley could lie all damn day. She was a secret agent, wasn't she? The thing that worried Riley was getting caught in a lie.

   Her lie about aiding Spider-Man wasn't a total lie. Riley did eventually start teaching Peter the ropes of being a hero, but that didn't start happening until the drama with Rob and Adrian passed.

   She was relieved when another interviewer asked a new question, "How can we be so sure that we can trust Spider-Man? He's inexperienced and young. At least, we know that Valor has been training to protect us for more than a decade!"

   Riley felt defensive in an instant. She hated it when people undermined others, especially if that someone was Peter Parker. "Actually—"

   "Why did you choose Midtown High instead of any other high school?"

   "Are you sure Spider-Man will become an Avenger? Isn't he too inexperienced?"

   "Riley, can you tell us Spider-Man's true identity?"

   "What is Spider-Man's real name?"

   Riley puffed out her chest. "Frankly. Spider-Man is a hero. I've seen it myself. Honestly, it's offensive hearing that my partner is still being undermined after all he's done. His identity shouldn't matter. What's important is that Spider-Man is an Avenger. He's not just some friendly neighborhood hero. He's the Amazing Spider-Man, and that should be your only concern. If I, the leader of the Avengers, say we can trust him, you can take my word for it."

   She paused before adding, "Now, if that's alright with all of you, I'd like to move on from questions regarding Spider-Man."

   Silence swept the room. Some were frantically scribbling down Riley's statement and her coining of the nickname "The Amazing Spider-Man". Others were busily thinking up what to ask next. Riley held her breath, praying that her statement was enough to get the world to back off of Spider-Man—at least, for a while.

   And so, more and more questions were thrown Riley's way. There were questions about the Blip that came up again, as well as questions regarding the original Avengers that went into retirement. There was nothing that had come up that she couldn't handle. Even clearing the air with Spider-Man seemed to be easy for Riley.

   "Valor, you've been busy lately," a new voice chimed. "You spent months at a time doing interviews across the globe before you dropped off the radar completely these past few weeks. Why did you end up, here, at Camp Mirkhaven?"

   By now, Riley had relaxed. She was being thorough and semi-honest. But knowing that there were still concerns regarding her being at Mirkhaven was enough to reignite her worries like a flame the wind just couldn't put out.

   "My parents, Tony and Pepper, thought I was overworking myself," Riley explained. "They figured that since my responsibilities as an Avenger were temporarily halted until our headquarters are reconstructed and since I was still considered a student of Midtown High, going to camp and seeing my old friends would do me some good."

   "By now, you're aware of a letter that surfaced the internet yesterday that exposed you for being here. Can you explain why the original writer, Flash Thompson, used the words, "We're harboring an alien" in his letter?" a reporter wondered.

   Riley faltered. "I... answered this yesterday," she admitted, hesitant. "Being here is like harboring an alien for everyone—"

   "Because she was actually harboring an alien. Wasn't it obvious?"

   Riley felt her heart stop beating. All heads turned to the back of the dining hall where the voice came from. The hairs on Riley's arms stood, her entire body tensing as her eyes fell on the boy standing in all of his asshole-ish glory.

   Roman.

   'Oh, for fuck's sake.'

   Riley's brown eyes glimmered with distress as cameras flashed throughout the building again. Roman stood tall as he strutted down the aisle. "You'll have to forgive me. I'm a little camera shy after being out of the spotlight for so long," he admitted.

   Riley would've laughed, but as of right now, her brain was spinning with excuses she could give to somehow save him from this situation. Once Roman joined Riley's side, he smirked at her blatant surprise. "Aw, c'mon," he quietly mentioned, "admit you're happy I'm saving your ass."

   Riley covered her microphone with her hand. "You realize the world doesn't like aliens right now, right?" she hissed. "I'm trying to help you."

   Roman shrugged. "I've lived a lifetime of you saving me. Let me save you for once," he returned. When Riley still looked unsure, he added, "Don't act like I couldn't sense your nerves from a mile away. It's us versus the world again, kid. What do you say?"

   Riley shook her head at her colleague. "You're an idiot," she mumbled before turning back to the crowd of reporters. She flashed them a big, award-winning smile. "So... surprise?"

   In an instant, reporters were leaping out of their seats. Suddenly, all questions were geared toward Roman: Roman, how are you still alive? Roman, how did you survive? Roman, where have you been since 2012? Roman, Roman, Roman.

   Luck had finally returned to Riley's side. The fates sang with open arms for Riley and her friends. The rest of the press conference went as well as Riley could've dreamed. It was like being with Roman and knowing that she could tell them the truth made her feel stronger. But personally, Roman knew that Riley always had that strength deep down she showcased that afternoon.

   Together, they told the reporters everything: from the moment of his resurrection to hiding in Camp Mirkhaven. There was no telling what the world would say in response to Roman's rebirth. For now, all they could do was wait, and strangely enough, Riley was okay with that. Now, Riley could enjoy the remainder of her summer knowing that the hardest part was over.

   The interviewers soon shuffled outside as the press conference concluded. The students of Midtown who had snuck in to observe left, as well, excluding Peter, Ned, and MJ. Instead, they decided to reunite with their favorite Avengers, who happened to be quietly bickering with one another.

   "You're the most reckless idiot I've ever met! And we're both friends with Steve and Tony!"

   "Friends is a bit of an exaggeration."

   Riley rolled her eyes. "Face it, Mood Ring, you love the Avengers."

   Roman scoffed. "I love when they shut up, but sure, kid."

   Riley was about to reply with a witty response of her own when Peter, Ned, and MJ approached them. She was quick to drop her conversation with Roman to run into Peter's arms. She practically threw herself onto him as she tightly hugged Peter and cheered, "I did it!"

   Peter's cheeks burned scarlet, his smile growing. "I-I know!"

   As Riley pulled away from her embrace, Ned piped up, "You should've seen his face when you were defending Spider-Man."

   MJ nodded. "He was all, Dude, she's defending Spidey in front of the whole nation!? like a total fangirl."

   The teenagers all laughed as Peter's blush deepened. Even Roman found himself chuckling. "Aw, c'mon, guys," shyly murmured Peter. "Seriously? You, too, Roman?"

   Riley linked arms with Peter as she insisted, "It's cute." Peter just sighed, suddenly rather timid. Riley glanced back at her friends, bouncing in her spot energetically as she asked, "Did I look stupid up there?"

   The four teenagers standing around her each had different things to say in response to that, including:

   "Nah."

   "No."

   "No way!"

   "Do you want me to be honest?"

   Riley narrowed her eyes at that last one. "Roman!"

   "He has a point," MJ conceded. Riley dramatically gasped as if to say 'You traitor!' "I'm saying this because we're friends, Riley. Shouldn't you be more worried about the safety of your friend?"

   Roman looked pleased by MJ's words. "I knew there were some humans that weren't insufferable," he stated, causing MJ to offer him a small smile.

   Before Riley could defend herself, a new, but familiar voice entered the conversation: "Well, what can I say? Tink's a Stark, after all."

   The sound of the voice caused Riley to spin around in an instant. Her jaw dropped as she saw not one, but three people standing before her: Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, and Morgan Stark.

   Eyes widening, the first thing Riley found herself doing was (rather loudly) shout, "You asshole!"

   Tony blinked in surprise, eyebrows arching upward. "Well, geez, I thought I was father of the year after basically saving your reality, but—"

   "That's not what I meant!" she interrupted as Morgan ran toward her, happily squealing her big sister's name. The older lifted the younger in one swift movement and propped her up on her hip. "Where were you!? I thought you ditched me!"

   Pepper greeted her daughter by kissing the top of Riley's head while Tony reminded her, "You realize you've fought evil robots and aliens, right?" Tony's gaze traveled past his daughter, falling on Roman. "You missed one."

   Roman scrunched up his nose, ignoring Tony's words and instead, locking eyes with Morgan. "Why is it looking at me?"

   "You're funny-looking!" Morgan happily said.

   Roman didn't seem fazed by that. "...So are you," he retorted.

   Morgan just beamed up at him. "Thanks, mister!" she replied.

   Riley found herself snickering as she passed Morgan to Peter. Honestly, the way Morgan's eyes would light up when she saw Peter made Riley feel a little jealous sometimes, but then again, who doesn't like Peter Parker?

   Riley looked to her parents, waiting for an explanation. As far as she had been concerned, Riley thought Tony and Pepper skipped out on her press conference. Pepper was quick to explain, "We were here the whole time."

   "Surprise," mocked Tony as Peter, MJ, Ned, and Roman entertained themselves by chatting with Morgan.

   Pepper shook her head and turned to Tony. "Be nice," she warned before following after her youngest daughter, leaving Tony to talk to Riley.

   Riley pinched her eyebrows together. "Huh? You... what? Why didn't I see you—?"

   "Because we didn't want you to," he revealed. Tony reached out and wrapped his arm around Riley's shoulders, pulling her to the side. "Riley, you're about to start a whole new chapter of your life. You're gonna hate that I'm saying this, but... you're used to all of us being there for you to fall back on."

   Riley scoffed. "I'm not used to—"

   "Clint, Steve, Fury, Coulson, Hill, Nat, me," he listed. Riley pursed her lips. He had a point. Still, she was hesitant. What was he going on about this time? "The point is, we're all out of the main picture. Don't get me wrong, we'll always be there for you, but you can't depend on us on the job anymore. You're leading the Avengers now. People are gonna start depending on you. Make sense?"

   Riley glanced back at the man, still mystified. "Where are you going with this, Dad?"

   "So, by not coming here today, I wanted you to prove something to yourself," Tony explained. "I, uh, I wanted you to realize that you're capable of doing this leader shit without us."

   Riley found herself smiling up at Tony. "Seriously?"

   Tony nodded like it was obvious. "You're gonna do great things. Hell, you've already done more than most of us, but I'm gonna pin that on your age. I'm proud of you, Tink." When he noticed Riley's grin, he eyed her and added, "Don't look so smug. It was my idea, actually. Pep didn't like it, but I knew it was what's best for you. Call it a... parenting moment, yeah?"

   Riley paused in her tracks. She didn't look up at him as she reached out and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "Thanks, Tony," she mumbled into the fabric of his shirt. "For everything."

   Tony froze for a moment before returning the hug. It was so obvious that he still wasn't used to being a parent. He wasn't sure how to be one even after all this time. Somehow, someway, he seemed to be doing a... good job. Could he really say he was doing a good job? Maybe a decent one, at best? And if he wasn't, he knew Riley would never let him live it down.

   But that's the thing: Riley was standing there thanking him. Maybe he was doing a good job, after all? Or maybe Riley and Morgan were the ones teaching him how to be a parent.

   Well, whatever it was, if there was one thing Tony was sure of, it was that Riley and Morgan were the best things to happen to him and Pepper. He wouldn't tell them that, of course. Their heads were already massive. Maybe it's just a Stark thing...

   "I'm assuming that thank you was for letting your alien buddy stay with us for the time being," Tony mentioned as Riley pulled away.

   Riley hit his arm lightly. "His name is Roman, and knowing you, he's about to be your next son," she argued. Tony didn't seem to know what she meant by that, judging by his puzzled facial expression. "Dude, you have a thing for annoying kids: Harley Keener, Peter, Nebula, Morgan, me." She hesitated. "But Peter's not your son. That'd just be gross."

   "...Why?" asked Tony.

   "Well, it's not like I want to date my brother—"

   "You're dating Peter Parker!?"

   "...Uh, wow! Would you look at the time? I gotta go!" Riley shouted before turning invisible and running off.

   And as Tony aimlessly yelled at an invisible Riley while the Midtown gang chatted with Pepper and a very hyperactive Morgan, everything was so clear. Riley's life had changed a lot, and it was only going to keep changing like the leaves on a tree. But for the first time ever, Riley was actually looking forward to it.

   Because for the first time, she didn't have to face the future alone, and really, that was all she could ask for.

   Well, that and maybe a better way to tell Tony that she was dating Peter Parker, but then again, Riley wouldn't have it any other way.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

i literally had to stop writing this chapter 10 times b/c it really does feel like everything's coming to an end.....and it's making me EMOTIONAL

anyways, the next chapter is the last one haha....who else cryin right now?