Tuesday

3:30 p.m. (one hour after dismissal)

Jack sat in a chair, browsing through the laptop on the desk, looking for something, anything. A long knife lay across his lap. He had cleaned it off after Saturday's events. A notebook was next to the laptop, open and covered in scribbled notes, many of them crossed out.

He slowed in his search as he felt someone approach. Without turning, he spoke.

"Who are you?"

The figure stepped through the doorway. "I'm Tony Stark."

"Why are you here?" As he spoke, Jack slipped the knife into his hand, ready for a fight, if the need came.

Tony spotted the movement. "You know, I almost didn't catch that. You seem to be well trained."

"Why are you here?" he repeated.

"I just want to ask a few questions. As I said, you seem well trained."

"Only two and a half years."

"Who were you trained by?"

"Multiple people, many with over twenty years of training and experience."

"Peter told me you probably wouldn't answer my questions. It seems he was incorrect."

Jack was now fully facing him. "It depends on the questions."

"Can you explain your unique eye color?"

"I don't particularly know myself."

"What about your parentage?"

"It's complicated."

"Why did May adopt you?"

This question surprised him. "I'm an orphan, nowhere to go, I suppose she felt sorry for me."

"What about your name?"

Jack was confused. "You already know my name."

Tony held up a paper. "These symbols were found in the same alley as you. What do they mean?"

Jack leaned forward. His eyes glowed, and he spoke. "That's Enochian (symbols, not letters, it makes more sense with symbols). There's symbols for protection and--" he broke off. "How did those get there?"

The kid was genuinely worried. Tony had assumed he had written them, but it seemed he hadn't. "I thought you wrote them. You were going to say something else about them?"

"That one," Jack said, pointing at one, "means avenger. And right there... that's a friend's signature. He wanted me to see them. I don't know how he did it, but..." he trailed off.

"Well, I guess you're in luck: I'm an Avenger. So is Peter. And if you're looking to join!..."

"Maybe later," Jack said quietly, staring at the photo.

The symbols were drawn by Cas because he realized what world that was and that Jack should go to the Avengers. He did something to make them show up there, the author doesn't know what.