Rin sat cross-legged on one of the couches in Tony's lab, arms folded, brows furrowed in irritation. The soft hum of machinery and the flickering glow of holographic displays surrounded her, but she paid no attention to any of it. Her mind was entirely focused on the absurdity of the conversation she was currently having.
"No. Absolutely not. You cannot make me go to school," she declared, her voice carrying the stubborn defiance of someone who had fought literal gods and come out the other side.
Tony, standing across from her, took a sip of his coffee before responding. "See, that's where you're wrong, kiddo. I absolutely can. And I absolutely will."
Rin scoffed. "Why? Why do I need to go? I already know more about quantum mechanics than half the people working at S.H.I.E.L.D. I might not be able to build an arc reactor, but I can handle just about anything they teach in high school. So what's the point?"
Tony tilted his head, considering her words. "You make a solid point, but let me counter with this: I don't care."
Rin groaned and threw herself back onto the couch dramatically. "You're impossible."
"And yet, you're still here," Tony shot back with a smirk. "Look, it's not about the academics. You need to learn how to blend in. You might be the smartest ten-year-old—or whatever number you've assigned yourself in that timey-wimey brain of yours—but socially, you're a mess."
She rolled her eyes. "I blend in just fine."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Because muttering things about 'altering the timeline' and casually mentioning world-ending threats to strangers isn't exactly normal. Also, normal kids don't build weapons-grade technology or whatever you call your equipment in their free time."
"It was one time," Rin muttered under her breath.
"And I had to confiscate it," Tony shot back. "Look, this isn't up for debate. You're enrolling at Midtown School of Science and Technology, and you're going to be a normal high school student. Well, as normal as you can be. You'll make friends, do homework, maybe even attend a dance—besides, I've already made one exception by enrolling you two years ahead of your actual age. Be grateful I didn't stick you in kindergarten for fun."
Rin sat up straight, horror dawning on her face. "No. No dances. I draw the line there."
Tony smirked. "We'll see."
Rin huffed, clearly unimpressed. "You do realize I have seen wars and fought assassins, right? High school can't be worse than that."
Tony chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, kid. You have no idea."
............................
A few days later, Rin found herself standing in front of Midtown School of Science and Technology, glaring up at the building like it had personally wronged her. The modern structure loomed over her, its sleek glass panels reflecting the morning sun. Students bustled around her, chattering, laughing, completely unaware of the begrudging time traveler in their midst. Posters for upcoming science fairs and robotics competitions decorated the walls, and the faint scent of fresh notebooks and cafeteria food lingered in the air.
She adjusted the straps of her backpack and muttered under her breath, "Fuck you, Stark."
Tony's voice crackled in her earpiece. "Heard that. Now go make some friends."
With a resigned sigh, Rin took her first step into high school.
Inside, the classroom was already filling up when Rin entered. She immediately recognized Peter Parker sitting near the front, chatting animatedly with his friend Ned. MJ sat a few rows away, absorbed in a book, while Flash Thompson leaned back in his seat, exuding his usual arrogant energy. Seeing all these familiar faces from the movies she had watched in her original timeline made her sigh.
"Great. Just great," she muttered to herself before taking a seat.
Before she could get too comfortable, the door opened, and a man with a noticeable limp walked in. He set his bag down and turned to the class, adjusting his sleeves before speaking.
"Good morning, everyone. My name is Dr. Curtis Connors, and I'll be your biology teacher this year," he introduced himself. "Additionally, I will also be your homeroom teacher, so you're stuck with me more often than not."
The students murmured a collective response, and Rin merely leaned back in her chair, already dreading the next several months.
........................
Meanwhile, back at the Avengers Tower, the atmosphere was far more relaxed. Tony poured himself a drink, casually swirling the glass as he stood by the massive floor-to-ceiling windows. Pepper, seated on the couch with her arms crossed, eyed him skeptically.
"So," she began, "did you do it?"
Tony took a slow sip, buying himself time. "Do what?"
Pepper narrowed her eyes. "Don't play dumb with me, Tony. Did you ask her?"
Tony exhaled and set his glass down. "Pep, come on. Cut me some slack. I'm already not great with these emotional things. I can't just walk up to the kid and randomly ask if she wants to get adopted by us."
Pepper sighed, rubbing her temple. "You're impossible."
"Yeah, yeah. I get that a lot," Tony muttered, taking another sip. "Look, I'll get around to it."
Pepper arched an eyebrow. "Soon?"
Tony smirked. "Define 'soon'."
Pepper groaned. "Tony..."
Tony held up a hand. "Look, I know it's important. I know she's important. I just… I don't want to mess it up, okay? The kid's been through hell. I don't want to make it worse by saying the wrong thing."
Pepper softened slightly at his admission. "Then maybe don't overthink it. Just talk to her."
Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah. Easier said than done."
Pepper smiled knowingly. "You're Tony Stark. You do the impossible all the time. This should be easy."
Tony chuckled. "You'd think so."
Outside, the city buzzed with life, unaware of the storm of emotions brewing inside one of its most famous residents. And somewhere across town, Rin sat in a classroom, already counting the minutes until the school day ended, utterly unaware of the conversation happening in the tower.