Tony opened the door to see the girls sitting there. "I was beginning to wonder if you two ran off without me."

Kasey flinched a little bit at that even though it was a light tone. "S-Sorry... I just... I needed to get out."

Tony smiled softly. "It's alright. Just warn me next time."

Kasey nodded at that.

"Alright. You two ready to go?" He handed Kasey's backpack to her.

She accepted it but hesitated.

"Just for a breath of fresh air and all that jazz." Aurora responded, using the ledge to hoist herself up into a standing position. She glanced over at Kasey.

"You okay?"

Tony looked back at her and frowned softly. "Kase?"

She gripped her backpack a bit tighter. "..." She didn't know what to say. She... she didn't want to leave but she wasn't sure she was allowed to stay either. She felt like she'd be intruding... But she didn't want to go to the tower and be treated like a fragile flower for the next week either.

And the tower was where all the info was...

She didn't want to feel trapped in a cage, regardless of how different it was.

She felt her chest tighten up a bit as she sat there, gripping her backpack.

Aurora glanced between the two of them, trying to figure out what exactly was going on here. Her brain wasn't being cooperative, being quite slow to process anything.

"Is something wrong? I thought you'd be glad to go home."

Tony nodded in agreement at that, knowing she could sense him do so.

"I..." Her voice was quiet and uncertain. "I don't want to."

Tony leaned back a bit in surprise and confusion. That was... not what he was expecting.

Aurora furrowed her brows in confusion, but remembered the conversation they just had. "You want to stay here? Why?"

She shifted, clutching her backpack close to her chest. "D-Despite everything th-that happened today? Today was the closest I've felt to... to being home since..." She looked down at her backpack with a weak laugh.

"Since getting out of that hell hole." She was tense as she went on. "It's the first time I've actually been away from the three of you since we met. You know that, right?"

She took a shaky breath. "It's the first time I, really and truly, felt... normal." She admitted. "I love the three of you to death, you know I do, but I just... I don't feel like any of you trust me to be on my own..." She kept her voice low as she spoke.

Tony stared at her, his eyes searching her face, trying to think of how to even respond to that. He saw what she meant but... She was somewhat right. He didn't trust her out alone.

She was a kid, who had been traumatized and blinded by horrible people. Who had clear PTSD from it too. She may be enhanced but... that didn't change the fact she was still learning her abilities, her strength... He saw those doors back there.

He didn't feel she would be safe.

He didn't feel others would be safe...

Aurora heard her friend out, thinking over what she was saying. She knew that Kasey was right. Even though she knew Kasey could protect herself, she also knew that a lot of bad people were after her. So yeah, she was fairly concerned with letting her go off on her own.

"I know we've been with you all this time, but it's for a reason. Those guys that took you, are still after you. It's not something that anyone could handle alone."

"And that's not what I'm asking you to do!" She looked up at them. "I know I can't handle that- I-... I know." She looked away with a shaky breath. "I just..." She tried to figure out how to explain it. "I feel like I'm supposed to be here." She finally replied. "I-I couldn't tell you why but I just... do."

Tony crossed his arms with a sigh. "Where would you even stay?"

She tensed. "I... I don't know... I can figure it out though. If that means making a hammock twelve feet off the ground in an alleyway, so be it. I just... I'm not ready to leave."

Aurora looked Kasey up and down, the cogs in her brain turning slowly but surely. She understood that this place might feel more homey to Kasey, but also...

"You shouldn't go back. To the corporation, you know. At least not alone. Just... wait for us, okay? We got a lot of info from them tonight and-" She sent Tony a knowing look, already anticipating his reaction.

"I was planning on going back anyway. So please, just wait a little while, and talk to Matt about finding a place to stay. Sleeping in an alley won't do you any good."

Kasey flinched when she was called out but froze when Aurora said they had gone. Without her. "You... went back?" She asked, not looking at her, her voice hollow. "Both of you?"

Tony winced a bit. "Kase, you were in no position to-"

"THAT'S NOT THE DAMN POINT STARK!" She pushed to her feet, tossing her backpack aside as she snapped at him, her eyes filled with fire and tears met his wide ones and her voice was sharp like a knife. "YOU WENT AND YOU DIDN'T THINK TO AT LEAST TELL ME?!" She demanded. "WHAT? DID YOU TAKE PETER TOO?!" She scoffed. "WERE YOU JUST... JUST GOING TO HIDE THIS FROM ME?" She asked, tears flowing down her face as she took a couple steps back, her foot hitting her backpack.

Tony jerked back in shock at the outburst but tried to calm her down. "Kasey, I'm sorry. No, Peter had nothing to do with this. I swear. It was just the two of us." He tried to explain but she just glared at him, her heart racing in her chest.

"YOU DIDN'T TELL ME!" She argued back. "THE ONE DAMN PERSON WHO HAD A RIGHT TO KNOW!"

"Kase-"

She shook her head with a small growl. "Don't." She cut him off, her voice low and cold. She glanced towards Aurora, hurt in her fiery eyes. "You have some damn nerve to tell me not to go alone when you were going to do the same. damn. thing." She hissed at her.

She glared at them both. "I thought I was being paranoid when I thought you'd confine me to the tower for the next month." She told Tony, her voice starting to shake. "Maybe I had a right to be." And before either could stop her, her backpack was kicked up into her hand and she did a backflip up into the air, spun around and landed on the other rooftop, taking off running.

Aurora flinched hard at Kasey's sudden change, and panic clawed at her chest. Of course she had to go and say that. Of course she had to go and ruin everything they had just worked to fix. Damn it! If her stupid head wouldn't have been spinning so damn much she would've thought that sentence through a lot more than she did. "Kasey please-!" Before she could say anything else, she was gone.

Kasey was right though. Aurora had been begging her not to go at anything alone, but instead was struck with the biggest realization that she herself had never noticed. She was one of the biggest hypocrites to walk the earth. How was she telling all of that to Kasey but never thinking to even take a portion of that advice for herself?

"I think I royally screwed up..." She muttered, her emotions and thoughts swimming through her mind.

Tony wanted to go after her but knew he could find her with Atlas. "We both did, kid." He told her with a deep sigh. "And you are in no shape to go after her." He reminded her gently. "Let's get you home, okay? Kasey... As much as I don't want to admit it, can take care of herself. At least until I can come back to get her."

"I know, I know..." Aurora mumbled, stepping over towards him. Kasey could fend for herself, this was true, but that didn't stop Aurora from worrying about her, and thinking about what an awful friend she herself had been towards Kasey. Everything had just seemed so confusing lately, and it made her want to shrink in on herself.

"I-." She paused, before continuing. "I'm sorry I lied to you earlier. There were a couple of the corps members in that building, and I could hear them talking about the fight with Kasey. I started a fight with them but.." She touched the temporary webbing on her side, which had in time stained red, and peeled part of it back.

Tony sighed softly at her and grimaced at the sight of the wound. "You know there was a nurse in there right-" He lightly teased her but put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Do you think you can make it back to the tower?"

"I can try, but no guarantees. My head is swimming." She took her mask, pulling it back over her head. At least with the mask on, she was somewhat safe from others perceiving her expressions. She hated pity.

"Do you want to see if she can stitch you up before we go or do you want a ride?" He offered her. "I can always call Happy too."

"I don't really want to bother her again..." She knew that between Matt, Daredevil, and Kasey, that poor woman had to deal with all three of them and their issues. Then again, it'd probably be less embarrassing to ask Claire to stitch her up instead of Tony. "I might though."

He chuckled softly and helped her over to the door and lightly knocked on it again. Though he was pretty sure they heard Kasey yelling. He'd be surprised if they didn't...