Matilda's family was terrible. It wasn't just dysfunctional—it was a nightmare.
Her father was a low-level gangster, deeply tied to drugs and violence. Her stepmother sold herself on the streets. Her half-sister was cruel and ugly in spirit, always stirring up trouble whenever she could…
In short, life at home for Matilda was nothing but misery.
The only bright spot was her four-year-old biological brother—an innocent child who didn't yet understand the darkness around him.
But aside from that, her other family members would often beat her, scream at her, and curse her existence.
Jack Kadere knew all of this. He remembered it from his previous life. What he didn't know was how Jessica had crossed paths with Matilda in this world.
"It's like this…" Jessica said softly. She pulled her brother aside, lowering her voice as she began to explain.
Jack listened carefully, nodding along as she whispered the story.
After a while, he pieced it together.
Jessica—his kindhearted, justice-driven sister—had once taken on a commission through her private detective agency. While investigating a case, she had encountered Matilda.
Jessica, being Jessica, couldn't just turn away after learning what the girl endured. She had seen the bruises, the loneliness, the quiet suffering—and instead of ignoring it, she'd shown Matilda warmth and kindness. The two became close, like big sister and little sister.
In short, this wasn't about a case anymore. It was about Jessica's instinct to protect, to comfort, to give someone who had nothing a reason to smile.
When Matilda spotted Jessica now, her face lit up.
The weight of sadness and the false maturity she carried at such a young age vanished. For that moment, she was just a girl again. Her eyes sparkled with innocence and relief as she hurried over.
"Jessica!"
Her small hands clutched two bottles of soda. She eagerly offered one forward. "I bought this for you—it's your favorite flavor!"
Then, almost as an afterthought, she held the other bottle toward Jack, though her eyes never left Jessica.
She whispered, "Should I give this one to your big brother? Does he like it?"
"You keep it," Jack said gently. He pressed a finger against the bottle and pushed it back toward her.
"Oh…" Matilda lowered her gaze, pulling the large bottle back against her chest. Her eyes flicked up to Jack quickly, then away, her mind racing in that sharp little way of hers. "So… you don't like this kind?"
She didn't linger on it, though. Almost instantly, her expression shifted. "Jessica, I heard gunshots earlier. What happened?"
Jessica's expression hardened as memory returned. "Ah, right! There was a shooting—really bad. A whole family of four was killed!"
She explained quickly, "I already knocked out the gangsters responsible and called the police, but I don't know if some of them got away. It's dangerous here. You two should leave first."
"A family of four… killed?"
The words hit Matilda like a thunderclap. Her eyes widened in horror as realization struck. Without another word, she bolted for the spiral staircase, running up as fast as her small legs could carry her.
Jessica blinked. "What's wrong with her?"
Jack frowned. "Jessica, do you even know Matilda's family situation in detail?"
Jessica shook her head, worry tugging at her features. "Not much. I only know they treat her horribly. She's always injured, but… I can't exactly interfere with someone else's family. All I can do is patch her up when I see the wounds." Her voice wavered with guilt.
Jack exhaled slowly. "…Jessica, when you fought those gangsters earlier, did you check the crime scene afterward?"
Jessica froze. "No. After I kicked the last one out of the room… I saw you two come in downstairs, and then I got distracted—oh no!" Her eyes widened in panic. "Brother, you're right! I need to check the evidence before it's too late!"
And before Jack could stop her, Jessica sprinted upstairs after Matilda.
"…Sigh."
Jack pinched the bridge of his nose. His sister could be brilliant, but her tendency to rush headlong into things was exhausting. No wonder she was so calm around Matilda earlier—she hadn't realized yet that the murdered family was Matilda's own.
....
Hammer Industries Control Room
Click-clack. Natasha Romanoff's fingers flew across the keyboard as she worked quickly to override Hammer's systems.
"Stark," she reported over comms, "I've regained control of Colonel Rhodes's armor. But Ivan Vanko—the one Hammer broke out of prison—he's gone."
Inside the chaos of the Stark Expo battlefield, James Rhodes flexed inside his War Machine armor as the controls synced back to him. "Tony! I'm good again!"
"Hey, careful," Tony Stark quipped, shoving Rhodey off of him. "Don't get the wrong idea in front of the lady."
Before Rhodey could retort, Natasha's voice came back sharp. "Don't celebrate yet. Something's approaching—its energy signature is off the charts."
Whoooosh—
The ground shook.
Ivan Vanko landed before them in his upgraded Whiplash armor, arcs of electric energy sparking like serpents around him. His Russian-accented voice was cold and venomous:
"Tony… I'm alive. You… are dead."
Rhodey cursed. "This isn't good. We'll need heavy firepower. Let me use the 'Ex-Wife'—it'll tear his armor apart!"
Tony blinked. "Use what now?"
Rhodey's shoulder pod opened, the small missile locking in on Vanko. A beat later—click… sputter… fizzle.
Nothing.
Both men stared at the pathetic display.
"…Hammer Industries weapon?" Tony deadpanned.
"…Yeah," Rhodey muttered.
....
Back in the Slums
Matilda stood frozen, staring at the lifeless body of her little brother sprawled in a pool of blood. The world tilted around her as tears blurred her vision.
"No… no, no, no…" she whispered, her voice breaking, crystalline streams rolling down her cheeks.
"Matilda…"
Jessica crouched beside her, for once without her usual fire or sass. Her expression was soft, tender, and full of sorrow. She gently pulled Matilda into her arms. Only then did the truth hit Jessica—this massacre was Matilda's family.
And suddenly, she felt the weight of empathy crash down.
This girl… she had just lost everything.
Jessica remembered her own pain—her parents, the car accident that had changed her life. For a moment, she saw herself in Matilda.
Her clever mind turned. She looked at Matilda crying against her shoulder, then turned her gaze toward Jack, who was leaning against the wall, quietly sucking on a lollipop he'd found in Matilda's room.
"…Why are you staring at me like that?" Jack asked flatly. He pulled the lollipop from his mouth, already wary of the scheme forming in his sister's eyes.
"It's been a while since I spanked you," he warned, his tone dry. "Don't tell me you're getting ideas."
Jessica squeaked and reflexively covered her backside, then leaned closer, whispering with a mischievous glint:
"Jack… have you ever thought about… adopting another sister?~"
Jack groaned and rolled his eyes. "What, are we turning our place into a shelter now?"
"Don't be like that, Jack~" Jessica looped her arms around his and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder with mock affection. "Just let Matilda stay with us. I'll take care of her. She can even be my assistant at the Alias Detective Agency~"
Thwack! Jack flicked her forehead. "Have you lost it? You want an ordinary girl hanging around your detective agency in Hell's Kitchen?"
Jessica pouted dramatically, covering her forehead. "Because she already lived here before, I forgot for a moment, okay? Besides, being my assistant doesn't mean she has to show up at the office. She could just help with files or paperwork here at home."
…
The siblings bickered back and forth, while Matilda sat silently, listening intently. She knew this decision could change her life. Despite everything, she wanted to stay with Jessica — the sister figure she'd quickly grown attached to.
…
"Alright, alright." Jack finally gave in after Jessica's relentless pestering. "Fine. But you're responsible for her. You said it yourself. Anyway, you're headed to college soon — you'll have time."
"Mm-hmm!" Jessica beamed, stood on her toes, and kissed Jack on the cheek. "Thank you, Jack! Long live big brother!"
"Thank you… Brother…" Matilda echoed softly.
Seeing Jack agree to take her in, Matilda also tried to mimic Jessica, standing on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. But being shorter, she couldn't quite reach.
Jack smirked, scooping her up with one arm and leaning down so she could "stamp" his face properly. "Just call me Jack for now. You can call me brother once you feel comfortable."
Despite her rough edges, Matilda was sharp and had potential. With some proper guidance — cough correction — she could grow into a strong, grounded girl. That thought brought a faint, approving smile to Jack's face.
But before he could dwell on it, Matilda, her eyes still glistening from earlier tears, fished a crumpled cigarette out of her pocket and held it up.
"Jack… want a puff…?"
"..."
Jack sighed, plucking it from her fingers. "No more of this. You won't need these anymore."
Like a protective older brother, he kissed her gently on the forehead.
Matilda froze, her cheeks blazing red as her small fingers brushed her lips in surprise. Jessica had kissed her earlier too… Maybe this was normal affection? A way of saying she was accepted? Whatever it was, it filled her chest with warmth far more intoxicating than nicotine.
"As expected of Jessica's brother," she thought. "The whole family is so… gentle…"
"…Jack, I…"
Her thoughts, however, turned dark when she looked at the unconscious gangsters sprawled around them and the weapons littering the ground. Her expression hardened with raw hate.
"I… I want to…"
"Want to kill them?" Jack asked bluntly, nudging a handgun into the air with his boot before catching it smoothly. "Do you want to pull the trigger, or should I?"
Matilda stiffened. Fear tugged at her nerves, but she didn't want Jack to take the burden for her. Slowly, she reached for the weapon in his hand.
"Brave girl." Jack gave a small nod of approval… before raising the gun himself.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
One after another, shots echoed as he emptied the magazine into the gangsters, leaving crimson splashes across the concrete.
Jessica flinched but masked her worry with sarcasm. "Brother, aren't you worried about the fallout from just gunning people down like this?"
"It's fine." Jack spun the gun in his hand before tossing it back onto its owner's corpse. "Contact Skye, have her team clean it up. Nobody will trace it back."
Matilda, clinging to his side, looked up at him with gratitude shining in her eyes. She pursed her lips, then impulsively pressed them against his cheek.
Jack blinked but let it slide. "…Mm."
…
Later, when they returned home—
"Jack, who's this?" Felicia Hardy arched an elegant brow at the unfamiliar girl at Jack's side, though she quickly corrected her wording.
"Ah—" Jack stretched the word, ruffling Matilda's hair. "New little sister."
"New little sister?" Felicia's smirk deepened as she leaned in, sniffing lightly like a cat memorizing a scent. "Hmm. Got it. I'll remember."
"Hello…" Matilda greeted politely, her inner thoughts racing. This white-haired sister is so beautiful… but something about her feels strange. Is she also part of the family…?
Jack, of course, didn't bother introducing them properly.
"Brother is so lazy," Jessica muttered with exasperation. She took the initiative, pulling Felicia and Matilda down onto the sofa to get acquainted.
…
Jack tuned out their chatter and switched on the TV. The Stark Expo battle had already concluded.
"Tony's probably showing off again," he muttered. "And the new energy project should be announced soon…"
The thought reminded him of the checks Stark had handed him earlier. He decided he'd use them to buy Stark Industries stock directly. That way, the so-called "Vice President of the Ghost Spider Club" would also be a shareholder in Stark Industries.
…
After watching TV for a while, the girls had finished their chat. Jack Kadere leaned back on the sofa, glancing at Jessica. "Are there any rooms left?" he asked casually.
"Rooms?" Jessica tapped her finger against her lip in thought. "Most of them are already taken… how about Matilda stays with me?"
"Jessica…" Felicia reached out, tugging at her sleeve like a cat reminding its owner of something important. "Did you forget? You're always resting with Jack at night now…"
"Oh—" Jessica's face went red as she froze mid-thought. She scratched her cheek awkwardly. "That's true… well, anyway, we all rest together these days."
Putting an arm around Matilda's shoulder, she smiled warmly. "How about this? You can sleep in sister's room tonight. Sister will just go and stay with brother."
"This…" Matilda's voice was small, her eyes wavering with uncertainty. She didn't want to be left out again in a new family. Gathering a bit of courage, she asked hopefully, "If sister sleeps with brother… then can I also sleep with you all?"
"Cough—cough—!" Jack almost choked on his own breath. His face flushed slightly, but his voice was firm. "Absolutely not, Matilda. That's… not possible."
With this new little sister around… how could he and Gwen ever find a moment for themselves?
"…Okay," Matilda whispered, her tone carrying a trace of disappointment.
Jessica quickly knelt down, cupping Matilda's cheek with a smile. "Don't be sad, Matilda. Sister will make you something delicious. I'll even cook some Pastel de Nata for you~"
Her enthusiasm bubbled over, and after giving the girl's head a gentle pat, she darted toward the kitchen, clearly eager to show off her cooking skills to the new family member.
…
Once Jessica had disappeared into the kitchen, Matilda's gaze wandered back to the TV screen. Her wide eyes lingered on the flashing image of Iron Man in his suit, flying across the battlefield.
Jack noticed and leaned forward. "You like Iron Man? If you do, I'll take you over to Stark Tower one day. You can meet Tony himself. He's… eccentric, but a good guy once you get past the attitude."
Matilda shook her head gently. Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but the words caught in her throat.
Jack could tell she was holding back. If there was one thing he was good at, it was coaxing people to open up. He drew her closer, settling the slight girl on his lap, his voice calm and steady.
"Don't be shy. From now on, you don't have to keep things bottled up. You're part of this family now, Matilda. You can live happily here, I promise."
Matilda's legs, wrapped in her quirky comic-pattern tights, swung idly as she hesitated. Then, finally, she leaned gently into Jack's chest, her eyes sparkling with innocent hope.
Her voice was soft, almost childlike, when she whispered, "Brother… I just want to watch cartoons."