Work Text:
“Wait.”
Peter paused, halfway through mixing his next batch of web formula, and looked over at Mr Stark who was sat on the other side of the lab begrudgingly going through paperwork Pepper had shoved at him. His face was drawn into a frown and Peter suddenly wondered if he’d just remembered there was an alien invasion or something else equally important going on that he’d ‘just been too busy to remember’ again.
“Shouldn’t you be in school right now?”
Oh thank god, the world wasn’t ending. Last time Mr Stark had said “wait” with that tone of voice Peter had suddenly been alerted that half of Manhattan was on fire and Mr Stark had known about it for two hours but had managed to forget to either tell Peter or actually… do anything about it because he’d been distracted by having to write down just one more formula and then I’ll definitely get right on it, for sure… in a minute.
“Uh no. No school for me today.”
“Hey Fri?”
“Yes Boss?”
“It is Thursday isn’t it?”
“Yes Boss.”
“And isn’t Thursday a day in which most teenagers generally attend school?”
“Yes it is, Boss.”
Mr Stark peered over at Peter, faux curiosity lining his face as he waited expectantly for an answer.
Peter scoffed, “I do actually know what day it is y’know?” Mr Stark seemed just about as impressed by that answer as anticipated. “Seriously, it’s fine. Aunt May said I could come in to the tower today because I was, uh, not involved in today’s field trip that the rest of my class is taking so… here I am.”
Peter finished with a flourish, jazz hands that for some peculiar reason didn’t seem to distract Mr Stark from his little hiccup mid sentence.
“‘Not invited’ huh?”
“I may, or may not, have a few too many absences on my record to allow me to go on the field trip.”
Mr Stark sighed, “Kid, what’ve I told you about letting Spider-Man get in the way of your studi-”
“It’s not!” Peter protested, already anticipating the Disappointed Mentor speech that he was bound to receive. “I do all the work anyway, it’s just sometimes I just don’t arrive quite on time. Plus,” he added as an afterthought, “It’s not like the trip would exactly help my education out anyway.”
“Oh?”
Peter laughed, already turning back to the work sprawled across his desk as he spoke, “Turns out the ‘super incredible, once in a lifetime opportunity to visit a location that will vastly expand our scientific minds’ was actually just a guided tour at Stark Tower.” Peter grinned, gesturing around the personal lab of Tony Stark in which he was currently seated, the same place he had been coming to weekly for the last two years.
It was the absence of Mr Stark’s classic derisive snort that eventually made Peter glance back up. Surely the idea of Peter Parker, legitimate personal intern to Tony Stark being awarded the riveting opportunity to see the same building he’s worked in and to take the same tour that Peter had just about memorised at this point, was just as funny to him as it was to Peter. Instead Mr Stark was doing possibly the single worst thing he was able to: he was sitting there, leaning back casually in his chair with one foot propped on top of the other upon his desk, smirking at Peter with one eyebrow raised. Essentially, as far as Peter could tell, this particular stance meant that Mr Stark had an idea and it was almost certainly the type of idea that would ensure Peter was not going to come out of this well.
“Damn it.” Was all he had to say in response, causing Mr Stark’s grin to widen, “What are you thinking about?”
“Well kid,” he said, getting to his feet all of a sudden so that he could cross the room to relocate himself right down on Peter’s desk and interrupting any work he may possibly have been able to do, “I think we here at Stark Industries have neglected an incredibly important part of your training as an intern.”
“Oh really?” Peter deadpanned, already not liking where this was going.
“Really.” Mr Stark nodded. “But luckily for you I have just the solution! See, the thing you’re so sorely missing is, of course, public interaction. How selfish I have been Peter, to keep you locked away up here with me. You’re young, and dorky, and the type of people who come to Stark Tower out of interest are exactly the type of people who love to see the bright young minds of the future-” Peter had to duck away from Tony’s half hearted attempt to pat him condescendingly on the head, “-being involved with what’s happening here.”
“Please don’t make me do what I think you’re about to.”
“So Peter!” Tony continued, as if he couldn’t hear Peter’s whining. The only tell that he could was of course that with every second that Peter slumped further and further down in defeat, Tony’s eyes lit up with ever more mirth and humour. “I, your kind and generous boss, have decided that today your internship will be done with a different department. The department of tours.”
“I don’t think that’s their name.” Peter protested weakly. He’d already assumed his favourite ‘Tony Stark is about to make a terrible decision on my behalf’ pose, which basically just meant he had tucked his head into his arms and laid them both down on his desk, blocking out as much light and sound as he could so maybe he could pretend the world had ended and he could finally get out of this awful plan.
“See!” Tony exclaimed, cheerily patting Peter on the shoulder now that he couldn’t defend himself in this defeated pose, “That’s exactly the type of thing you’ll find out about when you work for them today. You’re learning already!”
“Mr Stark?”
“Yeah, kid?”
“Why do you do this?”
He laughed, jumping back off Peter’s table so he could return to his own. “Why else? It’s because it’s funny. Now hop to it, they’ve arriving any minute now I’m sure.”
“Boss?” Friday piped up with far too much enthusiasm and sinister glee, as far as Peter was concerned anyway. “The Midtown High tour group is scheduled to arrive in five minutes, would you like me to alert their current scheduled tour guide that her services won’t be needed for this group?”
“Excellent idea Fri, I knew I kept you around for something.”
“Is that something because you both like to torment me?” Peter asked even as he gathered his stuff off the desk so he could start to make his way to the elevator.
“Yes.” They chorused in response.
Mr Stark was already picking up his screwdriver when he suddenly looked back up at Peter and added, almost as an afterthought, “You’ll be fine, I know you already know far too much about that tour anyway. But don’t do anything stupid though kid,” He warned semi-sternly, waving the screwdriver threateningly at Peter, “you’re representing my business.”
Peter scoffed as he stood and muttered under his breath. “I’m representing Pepper’s business.”
At least two good things came out of Peter leaving the room. First, he was free of this conversation. And second, he was sure to stick his tongue out at Mr Stark’s back as he left and that was just an incredibly satisfying thing to do. Because he was a very mature young man, obviously.
-
It was only when the elevator doors closed behind him did Peter suddenly have to confront the fact that he was actually about to head downstairs and lead his entire class on a tour of Stark Tower. At what point had his life gotten so strange that he was honestly more nervous about this than he was last week when Doc Ock threw a building at him? See, Peter could deal with being Spider-Man. He could understand that when someone out there in a tacky, probably-animal-themed outfit all he had to do was throw a couple of punches, wrap some thugs and henchmen in webs and make a couple of funny quips. Easy stuff.
But being Peter Parker? Well, that’s where things got a bit messy. See Peter Parker the student was never meant to be the type of person to get all the attention - to show anyone that he was capable of more than sitting at the back of the class and wearing dorky t-shirts. However Peter Parker, personal intern to Tony Stark, was a little bit different. This place is where he was in his element. No one questioned what he was doing. Everyone trusted that Peter Parker would be able to handle any task set before him.
Peter stood tall, stretching back to his full height as the floor numbers shifted ever downward. He could do this. He was competent, and he’d taken that tour like, a hundred times so he knew just about everything anyone would need to to lead a class full of hyper-intelligent teenagers. No pressure or anything.
The doors opened and Peter stepped forth into the lobby. He glanced around, taking note of the usual traffic of men and women pacing through the room, dressed in their cleanly pressed business suits. Each one looking like they’ve just come from a very important place, only to head towards an even more important place. Although Peter was pretty sure they were actually just wandering around trying to find the best place to get coffee as quickly as possible.
The only thing that seemed particularly out of order was the hoard of teens milling about near reception. Peter grimaced before schooling his face back into a semblance of normalcy, this would be fine. Everything was going to be just fine.
Peter squared his shoulders and with one final deep breath, he walked towards his class. He was almost thankful that none of them were looking over at him just yet, they were all busy staring around the room in wonder. He was still at a distance but he was pretty sure he could see Sally and Cindy bickering with each other while Mr Harrington chatted with one of the women Peter recognised from accounting. No wonder she looked like she’d rather be doing literally anything else with her time. He almost laughed at the sheer exasperation on her face as Harrington bumbled his way through small talk. Of course, that was that exact second Harrington peered around the room and spotted him as he walked through the crowd.
“Mr Parker?”
Peter could practically feel the blood rushing to his face as his class turned in unison. Shock and confusion plastered over each and every one of their faces. Really, it took nearly all his willpower not to just turn on the spot and run. Ooh, boy, this was going to be a long day. But, he managed to keep his tenuous smile in place as he walked, coming to an awkward stop before his class.
“What the fuck, Parker?”
Peter snorted. Of course Flash would be the one to break the uncomfortable silence. And in other interesting news; water is wet and the sky is blue.
“Mr Thompson!” Harrington scolded, not that Flash was even listening as he was far too busy mouthing the words “What the fuck?” over and over at Peter. He grinned back, waggling his fingers at Flash while Harrington’s back was turned.
Suddenly though he registered the way everyone was still staring straight at him. Oh yeah, that’s right: he should probably actually say something. Something fun, something clever, something cool.
“Uh, hi?”
Oops.
The silence only lasted a second before Peter heard possibly the most comforting voice he could. “Hey!”
Peter’s eyes locked with Ned’s, relief instantly flooding through him. Everything was at least a little bit easier when he had his guy in the chair, and more importantly, his best friend by his side. Plus it definitely didn’t hurt to see MJ beside him, arms crossed and eyebrow already raised in amusement. If nothing else were to come from this day Peter knew for sure that she would be thriving off any and every mistake made on this tour. His antics never failed to amuse her so at least someone was benefiting from today’s turn of events.
“Right!” He said, confidence seeping back into his voice. He nodded at the woman from accounting and was pleasantly surprised by how competent he appeared. Is this what it was like to be an adult? Just nodding along and pretending you’ve got everything under control? Peter suddenly recalled every single time he’d watched Mr Stark look Pepper right in the eyes and tell her that nothing was wrong even while a pile of machinery was actively on fire right behind him. So maybe Peter wasn’t all that far off. “Shall we get going everybody?”
He grinned at his classmates before turning on his heel and sauntering right back the way he came, a thrill of excitement running up his spine as he registered that he had basically just assumed they would follow him without question. From the corner of his eye he glanced into the reflections in the windows to see the class pause for just a moment before Ned confidently began striding after him, with everyone else trickling into line too.
“Dude,” Ned’s semi-hushed whisper was almost certainly still loud enough for their classmates to overhear. “That was the best entrance I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Peter pretended like he wasn’t totally preening under the praise, a task made even more difficult by MJ’s amused agreement. He grinned to himself, letting them chatter on as he navigated his way through the crowded lobby.
“Gotta admit Parker,” MJ said as they neared the elevator, “I like your style.”
Finally he turned to her. “My style?” He asked, letting all the pride and humour he felt at being the one chosen to lead a tour group of his own peers on the tour he was banned from taking. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Her laugh was swallowed by the sound of shuffling feet and the many murmured conversations of the Midtown High students. As much as Peter was absolutely loving this weird, newfound directoral power he’d apparently acquired through not only his position as tour guide, but just the sheer audacity of his many remarks about being a Stark intern being - shockingly enough - totally true. He could practically feel the tension radiating off of everyone as they wondered just how much they’d underestimated him all these years. He almost laughed at that, and just how much they didn’t know about him.
Peter directed his class (his tour group?) towards the metal detectors once he’d passed out all their guest badges. He didn’t even bother to question Betty’s excitement over this turn of events, nor did he question the surprisingly large amount of money that suddenly exchanged hands after that announcement. Maybe he was better off not knowing why his class was as weird as it was. Once they had all been passed out, or snatched out of his hands except in the case of Ned (which was funny) and Flash (which was predictable), the students wandered through the scanner. Each student beamed when Fri announced them, as if it was somehow a surprise that she knew their name in particular despite the fact she evidently knew everyone else’s.
Finally, Peter was the last one to go through. He sent a quick glare up into the nearest security camera, practically daring Fri to be a pain in his ass.
He should’ve known better.
“Peter Parker. Alpha Level: All Access pass.” She declared. If she had an expression he was almost certain it would be a smug smile that stretched from ear to ear. Why Mr Stark thought it was a good idea to program an AI who loved to torment him so much was beyond Peter. Well, upon reflection it was exactly the type of thing Mr Stark would do, especially given he was the one who had the bright idea of sending Peter down here to be a tour guide in the first place. No wonder he and the AI got on like a lab fire.
“Welcome back, Peter, where would you like to go?”
“Thanks Fri,” Peter said, steering his classmates into the elevator as he tried to ignore their expressions of total shock, “but I know you are well aware I have been in this building for hours, you really don’t have to reintroduce me every time.” He glared back up into the nearest camera, now located in the top of the elevator.
Friday paused. Luckily for him, Peter was the only one who’d spent enough time interacting with her enough to know she was absolutely revelling in this. From the moment she’d spoken all the other students had eagerly awaited to hear more. If he’d thought Mr Stark had the biggest ego in the tower he might have to revise that opinion. Friday might be more subtle but she certainly did love to make her (omni)presence known.
“Protocols are in place for a reason Peter. Now where would you like to go?”
“Fri, I am perfectly capable of pressing a button on my own.” he said, his hand already reaching for the button he needed from amongst the nearly endless number on the wall. Before he could select the floor he was after though, the elevator began moving and he simply let his hand drop, a fake exasperated sigh on his lips as the AI directed them higher up the tower. Of course Friday would flex her power just a little bit more. He grinned ruefully up at the camera, pleased that she was having fun at least.
Around him the class buzzed with quiet chatter, some more money passing between hands which at this point Peter could only guess had to do with some system of betting they must’ve established earlier. Others were clearly still preoccupied with the way Friday had interacted with him, their eyes shifting from Peter to the ceiling and back again, like all of a sudden they would be able to see Friday despite the fact she was quite evidently just a voice and not, y’know, a living person.
Once they alighted on their floor Peter strode out, once again loving the way everyone seemed to just trail after him expectantly. It was fun in a way, being able to finally prove to everyone that he did actually know what he was doing. He directed them through the halls, pointing out bits of fun trivia all around them.
“Over there is actually one of the first computers ever constructed, Howard Stark had a hand in developing the designs and so he bought one to keep in his manor.”
“And that is one of our older pieces, it was one of Thomas Edison’s early designs for the lightbulb. I’m pretty sure Mr Stark keeps it here to make himself feel better every time one of his machines don’t work on the first try.”
“And,” Peter continued as they reached the end of all the trinkets sprawled around the halls, “This section of the hall is actually dedicated to Howard Stark’s early work.” The class ‘ooh’d and ‘ahh’d appropriately at the large display. Dozens of pieces of machinery were set up against the walls ranging from Howard’s camera-pen that he created in the late 40’s for American Intelligence agencies, to his hover car. Peter had spent hours upon hours staring at these inventions, pulling them apart in his mind’s eye and putting them together again. He couldn’t help but feel like anything was possible when he was on the tour. Especially when it started here, with such humble beginnings and led all the way through Tony’s inventions - this was a place where Peter could revel in the sheer amount of creativity and genius that he was surrounded by daily. Maybe his own work would show up in these corridors one day.
Then again, there was also a note next to the hovercar noting that it was only a replica because the first one got sucked into another dimension, and seeing as Peter couldn’t entirely tell whether or not that was a joke considering how weird his life had already been, so maybe he should leave any and all plans for the future to be set aside for now. He really never did seem to know what was going to happen next anyway - uncertainty was pretty much the main feature of his life at this point.
And speaking of not knowing what was going to happen next…
“So Parker,” came a familiar sneer. Yay. Flash had something to say. Oh joy.
“You still gonna claim you know Tony Stark?”
Wait.
“You.. seriously still think I’m lying about my internship? Peter asked. He didn’t bother even pretending to hide the incredulity in his voice because there was absolutely no way that Flash could be serious. There was only so far denial was going to get him, but surely even he could acknowledge that the fact Peter was, y’know… leading their tour meant that he wasn’t lying about the internship. Surely.
“Nah, I can see you work here genius.” Flash said sarcastically, as if Peter was the one who was too stupid to realise what was happening. He glanced around at the rest of his class just to make sure they were seeing this too. He hadn’t been secretly poisoned and was hallucinating right? Admittedly, sometimes Mr Stark did mix up the ingredients in the fridge with the chemicals from the lab, but that hadn’t happened in nearly two months. So Peter thought he was probably safe from that at the very least. “I just finally know your game now.” Flash continued, looking supremely smug for someone who was almost certainly wrong about whatever he was going to say next.
Peter leaned back, propping one hand on his hip as he awaited the inevitable.
“Oh?” He asked calmly, well aware that every pair of eyes in the room was locked onto the two of them. “And what game is that?”
“You’re embarrassed.” He declared, the smug grin widening.
Peter paused.
He waited.
But weirdly enough, the punchline to whatever joke Flash was trying to tell never came. Alright then, Peter was nothing if not patient.
“Embarrassed that I have the job I’ve been saying I’ve had for years? Or embarrassed on your behalf that you were the one who didn’t believe me?”
Behind him Peter could hear the twin snorts of amusement from Ned and MJ. There were even a few scattered laughs from the rest of his classmates who by now had been thoroughly convinced that Peter was telling the truth and they’d all been spending the tour actively seeking him out to learn what they could. They were from a school of some of the brightest kids in the country, so funnily enough they’d known not to question the obvious truths in front of them. Well, most of them had.
“No dumbass.” Flash soldiered on. “You’ve been saying you know Tony Stark and Spider-Man and the Avengers! Where are they, huh? That’s right. They’re not here. Because you’re not Stark’s personal assistant or whatever. You’re just a random tour guide. You’ve probably never even stepped foot in a lab here have you?”
In less than two seconds Peter had nearly doubled over with laughter. Just… the idea that Flash still didn’t believe him was enough to have Peter wiping tears out of his eyes. Peter could probably look him right in the eye and tell him that he was Spider-Man, hell, he could walk onto the roof and still be met with those crossed arms and the raised eyebrow of disbelief. Part of Peter wanted to try it - to see what he could get away with under the protection of Flash’s absolute refusal to acknowledge reality. Instead he just continued laughing.
“Brilliant Flash,” he said, “Absolutely brilliant. You’re literally seeing me at my work and still think I’m making it all up for… what? Your approval?” Peter shook his head, plastering the most insincere smile he possible could onto his face, and absolutely loving the way Flash seemed to regret every word he’d just said. He was used to a Peter Parker that would wilt under the constant ribbing, but Peter Parker wasn’t just a student. And here in the tower? Well that was where Peter was allowed to let a little bit more of that Spider-Man strength and confidence seep into him.
He let the other students finish giggling at the disruption of the same power dynamics they’d witnessed over the last four years of highschool, before quieting them down with a single glance. “Now, shall we continue with the tour?”
After leading the group through the exhibition and having a little fun pointing out as many personal memories he had of Mr Stark’s encounters with the building, he slowed to a halt outside one of the doors.
“Now,’ he said, still a little bit shocked at the way everyone turned to him curiously. They were staring at him with nothing but respect and interest. Each person had come up to him at some point during the tour to actually ask questions because they’d seen just how much he’d known about what he was doing. And on the one hand, yeah it felt fantastic to finally be able to share with people about the massive hoard of knowledge he’d acquired about these rooms and all these inventions. But it was also still just a little insane to see the way everyone looked at him, like he was worthy of their respect. Like, maybe him standing up to Flash and asserting how he didn’t need anyone else’s approval was what had earned him the interest of his classmates. Maybe Peter Parker, lowly student, didn’t have to play into the role he’d unwittingly assigned to himself two years ago. Maybe he could let in some of the best parts about being Spider-Man.
It’s not like being confident was going to be the thing that would get his identity revealed or anything.
“Is everyone ready for the most exciting room of them all?” Peter asked the class. The reaction was immediate. All the students seemed to practically hum with all the excited energy they were giving off. Peter could even see a few of them rocking back on their feet to try and peer into the room behind the doors. “Because I’m about to show you guys the Avengers exhibit.”
Despite the fact they all clearly knew exactly what was behind the door a few scattered cheers and whoops were let out. Stark Tower’s Avengers exhibit was quite possibly the most sought after exhibit in the country. Dozens of curators and inventors had come begging at the front door for a chance to be let in which wasn’t that surprising actually considering they were accompanied by roughly half the population of New York. Professionals in all fields wanted to get up close and personal with the tech that let everyone's favourite (or maybe least favourite) heroes save the world. Peter also knew that even Mr Stark hadn’t anticipated the scale of interest. Pepper had eventually been the one to decided that only guided tour groups were allowed into the exhibit which was probably for the best considering how most of the Avengers exhibit was actually just their disused armour or out of commission weaponry. Well, Tony claimed they were out of commission but Peter had also had just the tiniest tingle of his Spider Sense around Natasha’s Widow Bites, so it was entirely possible Mr Stark was just keeping that lie up for the public’s sake. It would certainly be helpful after all if something happened to the Avenger’s usual toolkits and there was a ready supply of weaponry stored conveniently downstairs.
Peter led the class into the room, glaring sharply at the few of them who immediately tried to break away from the hoard so they could peer at the weapons up close. To his surprise they actually obeyed and slunk back into place with the rest of them to hear him out.
“Here’s all the Avenger junk Mr Stark still has lying around. And before you ask: yes. These were their real weapons. And no. You can’t touch them, they’ve been deactivated.”
He stared directly at Abe having noticed the way the boys hand seemed to twitch in the direction of Hawkeye’s bow, practically itching to get his hands on it despite the glass surrounding it. Aside from a few students sighing at the ‘Don't touch the weaponry guys, c’mon’ rule, everyone dutifully waited for Peter’s next series of fun facts and actually valuable information.
He opened his mouth to deliver a spiel on the Mark II Iron Man suit that was situated immediately to their left, or maybe he’d mention the fun magnetic features Mr Stark had installed on this replica of Cap’s shield, but the moment the words started to leave his mouth the sirens started.
Peter stilled. He was as close to a statue as a human being could possibly achieve because every instinct in his body was telling him to charge forward. He wanted so badly to follow that screaming impulse in the back of his head which was practically begging him to run to the window and join whatever danger was out there. But he couldn’t. Peter breathed deeply, centreing himself because now was not the time to run off and be the hero. Whatever responsibility Spider-Man had to the people of New York it was no less important than the responsibility Peter Parker had to the people in this room.
Around him the students were panicking but Peter couldn’t tell where danger was coming from. The noise of the sirens were practically excruciating considering his enhanced hearing. Thankfully, the students had instinctively turned to Harrington, seeking reassurance from the only adult in the room. Less fortunately though, Harrington looked about as competent as a fish trying to climb a tree. Not that Peter blamed him, the screaming siren and flashing lights were familiar enough to the people who worked in the building but Harrington was a stranger in this situation (he was also at least a little bit of a coward if Peter were to be honest with himself).
Peter stood strong, still waiting for any more information before he could find the optimal path to direct his peers to safety. He tracked them all with his gaze, monitoring who looked most scared and who was going to be the biggest help to him. Ned of course was already by his side, a comforting hand lain across his shoulder. Peter could breathe just a little easier with the knowledge that his best friend still had his back; Ned trusted him to know what to do no matter what. Peter intended to prove that he’d earned that trust.
His gaze also swept past MJ, only watching her for a second to check that she was alright. There had been something about this whole trip that seemed to instinctively make him dance away from her intense stares. MJ had never been a subtle girl, that was for damn sure, but today he’d felt like she was trying to pick him apart and put him back together the way he used to look at Howard and Tony’s inventions. It was like he was a puzzle that needed to be solved and every move he made was leading her closer to the answer.
Peter ignored Mr Harrington’s stuttered platitude to the group, and Flash’s confused shouts. Instead, he scanned the windows for any sign of immediate intruders before Friday’s voice finally rang out through the hall.
“Attention.” She said, her familiar teasing tone gone in place of pure efficiency. “This is not a drill. The Tower is under attack. Please move to your nearest allocated safety zone.”
Well shit.
Admittedly, Peter could figure that much out on his own what with the way the Spidey Sense was still screaming at him to move. But he couldn’t just abandon his class like that. They were civilians, they were his friends.
“FRIDAY.” He called out, staring intently at the nearest camera just so he didn’t have to see the look of desperation in his classmates’ eyes as they sought any kind of comfort and direction they could find,“Where are the intruders?”
“They have infiltrated through the east side of the fifteenth floor and are currently moving to the northern stairwell.” she replied, there was no time for jokes or fun now. They were in the middle of battle and she was nothing if not familiar with the drill here.
He grimaced. “ETA?”
“Approximately five minutes.”
He sighed, irritated at how close he was going to be cutting it. He wanted a few more just to ensure that there was no one wandering this floor by chance but he was going to have to just hope for the best and get the people in his immediate care to safety. He would also have, if the universe had wanted to be nice for once, liked a chance to duck away and put on his suit. But since when did things ever go well for him?
“Alright everyone,” He said, pleased at the way everyone stood to attention before him, ready to listen. It might’ve been his imagination but Peter could almost swear a few of them calmed down at the sound of his voice. He was good at this stuff, it was the type of dumb, dangerous situation he’d been throwing himself into for two years, so he was glad that experience was giving him a chance to calm his friends down if nothing else. “We need to get to the panic room. Follow me.”
He turned to Ned. It was as if they had an entire conversation in a period of two seconds because without another moment’s hesitation Ned nodded and following Peter’s hurried explanation, he was marching forward through the corridors. It took a moment for Peter to explain that Ned knew the way but the students soon followed suit. They were practically tripping over themselves in their rush to follow Ned to safety, but also in their constant habit of turning around and checking back that Peter was bringing up the rear. It was almost like they were actively looking out to him for reassurance.
“FRIDAY?” Peter called out as the reinforced door to the panic room came into sight.
She responded instantly, already intuiting what he was asking. “The intruders are approximately one minute from your location Peter.”
“Shit!” He hissed, “You didn’t tell me!”
“I assumed you knew,” She replied, her classic indignation seeping into her voice for just a second. “You were leading your class northwards”
He rolled his eyes, well aware she would catch the movement. It’s not like it was his fault there were no windows in his damn place. Not to mention the way the constant blaring of those sirens was slamming into his subconscious. He was going to have a headache for the next two days at the very least.
“Well fuck.” He muttered. That made things somehow more difficult than they already were. Yay.
He was just going to have to improvise then. He whirled around once most of the students had pushed their way inside the safe room and latched onto Mr Harrington. The man looked startled at the grip. Maybe Peter was holding on too tight but he didn’t exactly have either the time or the mental energy to curb his excess strength to whatever would be expected of a normal teenage boy. He was on a mission.
“I need you to get everyone indoors.” he urged, his eyes constantly flicking to the end of the hall. His Spidey Senses were more than just a scream at this point. It was almost deafening the way the sirens and the senses worked in tandem to get him to just move already.
“Peter,” Mr Harrington chided, his eyes full of fear but also concern. He was after all an adult looking at a teenager who was volunteering to stay outside the only safe place in their nearby vicinity whilst he was well aware there were dangerous intruders heading right their way. Peter couldn’t begrudge him the worry but damn if it wasn’t incredibly inconvenient right now. “You’ve got to come in with us. Don’t play the hero. Not now.”
All he wanted was for the ceaseless piercing wails to stop. He winced against the noise and struggled to draw his mind back into focus, he couldn’t let a little thing like the pounding throb of his own head distract him. What did it matter if he couldn’t hear his own thoughts? He had a class to save. At this point that alone was enough for him to do what he had to.
Harrington was still beside him though, saying something else, something urgent and important probably. His hand tugged weakly at Peter in an attempt to get him to join the class in doors. But now that Peter’s attention wasn’t so fully devoted by the incoming threat, he could finally see the class in question. He could see the way almost everyone was safe inside the room, cowering as far back in the corner as possible. Good, they would be okay.
Of course, not everyone was quite alright with leaving Peter out in the halls with an unknown amount of assailants mere seconds away from intruding. Ned was waiting. His whole body looked like it was thrumming with nervous energy but he was holding his ground; against the fear coursing through his veins and against the insistent tugging of MJ by his side. Peter met his eyes, a moment of understanding passing between them. Ned nodded, and with whatever assurance he’d found in Peter’s gaze, Ned relented to being pushed back into the room with the others. The crushing pressure in Peter’s chest seemed to loosen just a little bit when he saw Ned cross the threshold, it helped when he was out in the field to know that Ned was safe at home, far away from all the threats and danger. He still woke up in a cold sweat at times thinking about how close Ned had been to deadly weaponry that time at homecoming. And now with him safe behind those reinforced doors, well that was the best Peter could ask for.
Except for the fact that those doors weren’t closed yet.
His enhanced hearing picked up on a rhythmic thudding of boots hitting the ground. Peter’s stomach dropped. He guessed there must’ve been about a dozen or so of them before he even turned. Behind him a chorus of gasps and shuddered breaths meant that the rest of his class had clocked their presence. Shit.
He didn’t have any seconds left to waste arguing with Harrington, so with the hand still wrapped around the man’s arm, Peter pushed him forward. He stumbled as he crossed the threshold, clearly not anticipating anything like the strength Peter had just displayed. But that was alright, Peter would just have to tell him it was just all the adrenaline that gave him that extra strength. He’d sort out his lies later though.
There was a near inaudible clicking of guns being cocked, of fingers finding their home upon the trigger. Each and every sound came to Peter muffled. All his senses seemed to be battling amongst themselves, caught between the need to be alert and ready for battle, and their want to dull, to mute the pain that he was still feeling with every screech of the alarms.He’d just have to get this over with soon then huh?
Peter ignored the shiver of his Spidey Sense, he ignored it’s urging to jump and run from all of the many gun barrels pointed his way. His hand wrapped around the panic room’s door and with one final scan of his classmates, Peter began to close the door. He saw MJ gasp, her feet stutter forward, nothing but fear in her eyes as she reached for him, begging him to join them inside. He cast a smile at her that he hoped hid… well, whatever the swirl of emotions churning in his gut were. “Everything’ll be fine,” he said, and desperately hoped he wasn’t lying.
Finally the screeching of his senses were too much and Peter slammed the door shut with all his strength, barely registering a thought that he didn’t actually know if these doors auto-locked. But he didn’t have time to dwell on that because no sooner had his hand left the door than the unfortunately familiar sound of bullets exiting chambers and shooting towards him filled the air. Peter jumped.
His body twisted middair, using his own momentum to throw himself up onto the ceiling. There was a small spray of plaster as bullets lodged into the walls and a ringing of steel from the door which joined the already near unbearable cacophony in his head. Yay.
Peter began to crawl across the ceiling, taking advantage of the evident shock in the intruder’s eyes. Guess they hadn’t seen that one coming. He couldn’t stop the tiny smile that tugged at his lips as he peered down at the men. They were so thrown by his new position that a few of them even lowered their guns until they pointed at the ground. Peter beamed at the intruders, dazzling them with his smile until he had the perfect opportunity to position himself above one of them and drop down letting gravity direct his movement. Peter slammed onto the guy’s back but he had barely landed for half a second before he was swinging his body weight to the side, dragging the now-unbalanced man with him, slamming him into one of his companions. She let out a grunt as the two of them crashed into the ground together.
As for Peter he was already leaping away. There were a lot of things that were incredibly terrible about this fight, most of which had to do with the fact he was going to have to find some way to explain how a teenager managed to take down a dozen armed intruders when he finally let his class out of the panic room. But the one good thing to come out of it was Peter finally had a chance to use a new move he’d been practicing. He would eternally be grateful to MJ for showing him a series of olympic gymnast’s routines last week because he’d watched that video religiously over and over until he understood how it had been down. And now here in the middle of the hallway he had a chance to do it. He launched from the guy’s shoulder, twirling in midair and letting out a whoop of joy for good measure, before somersaulting only to land poised on one foot which let him both avoid the poorly aimed swing of an intruder, and he managed to use the residual momentum of his move to sweep a leg out, catching her off guard so she went tumbling to the floor.
Peter flipped out of the way of another spray of bullets, laughing lightly at the look of absolute confusion on the guy’s face when he looked around only to find Peter perched casually on the roof above him. He waggled his fingers at the guy for good measure.
“You guys are a little late for the official tour y’know?” Peter said conversationally even as the guns rounded onto him. “Tickets are actually meant to be purchased in the lobby.”
One of the thugs didn’t seem to appreciate getting told to buy his tickets like everyone else, instead he seemed to think slashing at Peter with his big, scary knife would be an appropriate form of transaction. How rude.
Peter tutted at him and for that he snatched the knife away from his grip, flipping it up through the air until it lodged in the ceiling which only he would be able to get back again. He’d apologise to Mr Stark for the ceiling knife later on.
“If you guys wanted,” Peter continued chatting, this time dodging out of the way of someone who seemed to think it was a good idea to just hit him with his gun instead of, y’know, shooting him, “I can give you a quick rundown of our tours best features!”
Peter kicked another knife down the hall, silently cheering when it managed to avoid Ms Potts’ favourite plant pot.
“If you look to your left,” he continued cheerily, “You’ll see my fist.”
To Peter’s absolute surprise, the guy he’d talked to actually turned to look. Peter’s fist connected with his face even as he let out an amused giggle. “Holy shit, that actually worked?”
Peter was still laughing, hands on his hips as he stared down at the guy who’d fallen for possibly the dumbest trick in the book, when his Spidey Senses began tingling in earnest again. He sighed, dejected that he wouldn’t have a chance to use his “Fun tour fact: getting punched in the face hurts!” line. Instead he stood there, biding his time until the very last second when he dropped to the floor. Gravity and his own momentum pulled him to the ground quickly enough that he had time to look up and see the guy who’d just tried to punch him had grossly miscalculated how much force he’d needed, and then he’d gone ahead and swung all the way around until he punched his own friend. Peter snickered.
He jumped back to his feet, grinning broadly at the pair of them “We here at Stark Industries don’t really appreciate unsolicited violence.” he recited the words he’d heard on no less than four seperate tours when some patrons got a little bit too excited about seeing one of the original arc reactors, “I’m going to have to ask you to vacate the premises.”
Peter didn’t give the guy much of a chance to respond because he was already grabbing him by the waist and chucking him down the hall. There were still five invaders left and Peter needed to clear a little room for his next round of fighting. It was practical that’s all. Even if he maybe said “yeet” as he watched the man fly through the air.
Peter turned back to the gathered criminals who all suddenly seemed hesitant to face the teen who just threw a fully grown adult down a hallway and was currently standing amidst a pile of groaning or unconscious bodies. Weird that they didn’t want to keep fighting huh.
He smiled amiably at them. “If anyone has questions, feel free to raise your hand.”
“Shoot him! You idiots!” One of the ones who still had a gun yelled, “He’s just a fucking kid!”
Peter pouted at her, putting on his best ‘I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed’ face he could. He stepped forward, arms raised placatingly. “I’m sorry to inform you-” he said before dropping to the floor when his Spidey Sense told him that she was fed up with his bullshit. Bullets rocketed through the air where he’d just been stood. Alright that’s it.
He rolled back to his feet, the movement as elegant and fluid as he could manage, he alighted between the two guns still trained where he’d been moments ago. “-But I have to confiscate all unauthorised material!”
He reached out, wrapping his hands around the barrels and with one quick movement he’d crushed them in his palms. Ah, finally some peace. Now all he had to worry about was fists flying around a knife or two. That was basically a holiday to him at this point.
He was just in the middle of a very good joke about appropriate gift shop souvenirs when his Spidey Sense reared its head back again. Something had just gone terribly, terribly wrong. Peter whipped his head around in an effort to find out if maybe another dozen intruders had entered while he wasn’t looking.
Oh no. Something much, much worse had happened instead.
“Not another move.” Said the man holding one of his best friends hostage. Peter saw the way MJ swallowed nervously, her throat pressing even closer to the knife pressed against her skin. Fuck.
He couldn’t breathe. All the air in the room seemed to dissipate as nothing back panic filled his body. Peter couldn’t tear his eyes away from the blades held against his friends, yet somehow even that wasn’t enough to distract him from the way the panic room’s door swung open freely behind him. He was almost sure he could see Mr Harrington blocking the way entrance as best he could to protect the other students. Maybe that was the only saving grace Peter could count on in this situation; the intruders seemed to have accepted that getting just two of the teens was enough hostages.
Ned waved at Peter weakly, throwing in a half shrug as if to say “eh, what can ya do about it?” well, the answer to that would be to not get captured Ned.
Honestly Peter was afraid to look MJ in the eyes right now. She was far too intelligent to not have connected the dots about who he was. Actually, just about everyone in his class must’ve made the connections by now. The constant tardiness. The weak excuses. The sudden Stark Internship. Well, it was nice having a secret identity while he could.
Peter swallowed dryly, pushing any other distracting thoughts away so he could focus on the situation he was in right now. Carefully and oh-so-slowly, he lifted his hands into the air, unquestionably surrendering to the whims of these people.
“Good kid,” the guy holding Ned said. “Now I dunno what kinda freak you are but you’re gonna sit there and play nice ‘kay?”
He nodded absently in agreement, kind of thrown by the fact that the man hadn’t figured out his identity. That seemed wild but eh, Peter will take it. Maybe the guy was willing to chalk Peter’s fighting abilities to some kind of illegal Stark Industries human experimentation. Wait. No. He was meant to be staying on track, not getting distracted again. Shit.
Around him, the still standing criminals gathered their fallen comrades, clearly preparing to move out. He watched as one woman moved towards the panic room, adrenaline already coursing through him as he prepared to leap to their defence. Only for her to sneer at his class, a grim laugh escaping her at their frightened squeals and then she closed the door locking them in for good.
“What about them?” Peter gestured at Ned and MJ who were still being held in captivity.
The leader of their little gang scoffed, grasping MJ tightly and dragging her down the hall to lead the way. “We’re taking the hostages with us,” he called to his team, ignoring the way MJ’s breath seemed to stutter with every step as the knife seemed to swing casually to and fro before her neck, “so this kid doesn’t start thinking he can take us on again.”
Peter began moving after that. He lead the way through the halls. It took all his concentration not to turn back and check that his friends were alright but after the first four times of him doing that the leader had barked out a command that Peter keep his eyes forward. So instead he was left to rely on his enhanced hearing. It was easy to pick up the two pairs of uncoordinated, stumbling footsteps of his friends which were surrounded by the dull thudding of the adult’s boots against floorboards.
Finally they arrived back at the exhibition hall. It felt impossible how much had changed in the last few minutes since he’d been in this room. Now he was dealing with yet another hostage situation but he was the wrong person. Spider-Man was capable in these situations because he had his webs and his mask and it wasn’t his best friends being used as emotional leverage against him. Instead, Peter Parker was just going to have to be the one to figure a way out of this mess.
The leader of the group stepped forward which forced MJ to involuntarily follow along. She eyed the knife carefully but he wasn’t paying attention, instead he brandished his knife around the hall. He’d made it pretty damn clear that he was looking for the Avenger’s weapons but eyed the displays sceptically.
‘Where are they, kid?” He demanded.
Peter huffed indignantly. It might’ve been a false show of confidence or maybe he really was just tired of pretending like the guy assigned to “keep him contained” could actually hold him down, but Peter pulled out of the man’s grasp dismissively and walked to the centre of the room. He ignored the quiet hiss of irritation behind him but he definitely noticed the way both MJ and Ned’s lips quirked up in tiny, amused grins at the display of strength. It was seeing his friends who, even when caught in the middle of probably the most dangerous situation they’d ever been in, still trusted him to take care of them. They apparently had enough faith in whatever plan Peter had that they were cool with laughing at one of their captors.
Pride and determination swelled within him. Peter figured now was as good a time as any to try out the one thing he’d always wanted to.
“Over here.” He replied to the leader, holding eye contact with him for a moment. As much as he wanted to stand with shoulders squared and head held high, Peter realised discretion was his best course of action for once. He ducked his head, hands held in the air in deference to the armed intruders around him. It felt wrong to be seen as so weak but if he wanted to get the drop on these guys he’d have to adjust his usual methods. He tried to put a tremble of fear and regret in his voice when he next spoke, channeling the tornado of emotions swirling through him right now into something a little more productive. “There’s a button on the shield.”
The leader’s manic grin and subsequent knife-waving was enough to permit Peter to break the glass. Peter’s own lips began to curve up as he felt his fingers grasp the rim of the shield before him. Captain America obviously still had his vibranium one with him. But who would Tony Stark be if not a insomniac paranoid who spent his nights coming up with ever better weapon designs for his teammates in case of emergency? Peter hefted the shield a little higher, letting out a small hum of appreciation at the carefully balanced weight. Under the guise of searching for the button Peter adjusted his grip while already calculating the physics of his next moves. He’d only have one shot at this and it better go well or he was - as the kids say - totally screwed.
He turned, energy thrumming through his very bones. MJ and Ned were both watching him with hawk-like precision. Honestly he might have just found Clint some new apprentices at this rate. But still, Peter’s friends were nothing if not attentive so the very second that he looked at them their years of silent communication across classrooms and the kind of bond that can only be formed over countless conversations about nothing and everything, kicked in and they dropped to the floor like a sack of bricks.
Peter had the advantage of preparation and heightened sense so no sooner had his friends begun moving then Peter was winding back his arm to whip the shield forward with shocking precision. Seriously, even he was impressed by how well the disk curved through the air, carving the direct path he’d anticipated. It slammed almost rhythmically against the remaining intruders, knocking them to the ground one by one until the shield’s momentum was finally disrupted and it clattered to the floor. There were four people left standing, each staring in shock and mounting horror at the sudden increase of unconscious bodies collapsed onto the floor.
Peter held his arm out, activating the switch he’d just slipped off of the shield. It buzzed for a moment before the shield’s magnetic properties kicked in and it came flying back to his hand. With a silent thanks to Tony’s innate need to throw in as many special features into every device possible, as well as a side thank you to that one time Peter bugged him so much he finally let him play with all the Avenger’s spare weapons for the sake of “practice”, Peter whipped the shield forth one more time.
It slammed into the remaining men, sending them tumbling to the ground. The leader was the last to fall, an expression of fury crossed his face until it was suddenly interrupted by the tiny inconvenience of having a gigantic metallic disk crashing into it.
Peter flicked the switch once more, recalling the shield to hand. He surveyed the room, studying for any signs of further trouble only to realise that the fight was over in a matter of seconds.
Slowly, like the were worried yet another terrible turn of events would happen, Ned and MJ rose up from the floor. Peter watched them carefully. Not only because he was checking them over for any sign of damage, but this was also the closest either of them had ever been to danger and Peters heart probably wouldn’t stop thudding with anxiety for quite a while.
Ned stepped forward, his hand already raised for a high five that Peter happily obliged, “Dude.. that was awesome.”
Peter laughed, pulling his friend in close for a hug that quickly evolved into their over complicated handshake. Having Ned there grounded him in many ways, enough so that his heart rate returned to what one might almost call “normal”. Unfortunately, that grounding came with the distinct realisation that he and Ned weren’t the only ones left in the room. Peter turned to MJ, and immediately did his best to assume the classic “I promise this isn’t my fault” expression he’d honed over the years. Of course, that expression tended to work better when he wasn’t directly responsible and at fault for what had happened; like, say, lying to her for years about his secret dual identity as a superhero.
“Uh… surprise?”
He had barely two seconds to start composing a short yet comprehensive run down of the events of the last two years which just so happened to paint him in a very good light, only to be interrupted by the sudden feel of her arms wrapping around him. He was startled but that wouldn't stop him from hugging her back just as fiercely, still just glad to have tangible, physical proof that she was alright.
Once he’d reassuringly hugged his friends one more time (although whether that was reassurance for them or him he never could tell) and agreed to get MJ an exclusive interview with Pepper Potts as is retribution for lying to her about his constant lateness and his ditching of decathlon practice, Peter led the way back to their class.
“Hey FRIDAY?” He called as they began to move, “You can take the tower off lockdown. I got them all.”
Ah, silence.
Peter couldn't help the way tension seemed to practically flood from his system the moment those wailing sirens finally shut the hell up. It was music to his ears to finally be able to actually hear . Beside him, Ned rubbed a comforting hand along his back while MJ stood there clearly still processing the fact that Peter, as Spider-Man, had enhanced senses. He wondered how long it would take her to realise he had heard literally every snarky remark she had made about their teachers and classmates. On the bright side though he would no longer have to stifle his grin next time she called Flash “the hybrid embodiment of elitism and nepotism within the educational system”.
Peter skipped ahead of his friends, eager to get past the inevitable drama that was about to occur. Plus, it was probably in his best interest to intercept the rest of his class before they have even more time to sit there theorizing that either he, Ned and MJ were gone forever, or just letting them discuss the now very, very evident fact he was Spider-Man. There was a whole lot of damage control to be done and while he wasn’t looking forward to it, the one thing he did know was that if he didn’t get in front of rumour soon, then he’d be absolutely screwed.
Gingerly he came to a halt outside the panic room door. He assumed Friday had unlocked it when the rest of the tower was taken out of emergency state but clearly none of the class had thought to try the door. Not that he blamed them, if he weren’t who he was he too might be less than eager to open a door that might lead my right into the path of very dangerous criminals who had just taken his friends hostage.
After a steadying breath Peter reached forward, clasping his hands around the handles and without giving himself a moment more to back out, he opened the door.
Immediately a few startled and scared gasps arose from the huddle of students. Half of them had their eyes screwed shut but the ones staring frightfully out at him were definitely the interesting ones to watch. Peter almost convinced himself he could see the gears of their minds turning as they processed a few things simultaneously. One, it was Peter not an intruder who had just entered. Two, if Peter was the one standing there then the intruders were dealt with. Three, if they were dealt with it meant they were probably all safe now. Four, holy fuck Peter Parker is Spider-Man and as they were no longer in danger they could finally deal with that particular turn of events.
Silence reigned across the room as Peter tried to think of what he could possibly say to explain himself, only for the quiet to be broken by someone else first. Betty Brant stepped forward after disentangling herself from the crowd. Peter opened his mouth to say something only for her to let out a squeak that was half way between saying “what the actual fuck” and “thank you so much”. Not that Peter would notice at first because she’d already run launched herself forward to wrap her arms around him and squeezing with all her might.
Dully, Peter hugged back even as he wondered if this was the most hugs he’d ever received in such a short amount of time. He patted her back awkwardly and was pretty sure he’d mumbled “It’s okay, you’re safe now” before she pulled back. Her hands rested on his shoulders, directing him to look straight at her as she stared thoughtfully at him for what felt like far too long. Eventually, she nodded.
“Yep. You make so much more sense to me as a person now.”
And with that she pushed past him out into the corridor where she waited for everyone else to get out of the panic room. Soon enough a veritable flood of grateful students were pushing past him. Some stopped to thank him. Others seemed at a loss for words which resulted in him ending up with a surprising mix of high fives and yet more hugs.
Mr Harrington seemed particularly confused by how he should be treating Peter now. He was probably thinking about how he gave Spider-Man detention last week. Peter smiled serenely up at him, already thinking about how good it was going to be next time Harrington tried to give him detention for being late, only now he’d also have to remember that time Peter saved his life from a falling elevator and the time he single handedly fought off over a dozen armed criminals. Eventually Harrington settled on an awkward pat on the shoulder which Peter took as his own way of saying thanks.
Which left, of course, Flash Thompson.
He was slow to exit. Taking his time to stare Peter up and down, reevaluating his rather conflicting opinions of Peter Parker (the kid he’d shoved into lockers and given a host of equally stupid and unkind nicknames to over the years) and Spider-Man (the quote “coolest superhero that ever lived Parker, sucks for you that he wouldn’t give you the time of day but I know for sure he’d be my best friend if we ever get to meet”). Flash stuttered out a half dozen starts to a sentence that always ended up trailing off. Peter for one was curious, willing to wait patiently for Flash to decide on how he was going to reconcile this sudden shift to his entire worldview. Eventually he settled on an unnatural, jerky nod of acknowledgment at Peter before he was scurrying off to the rest of his friends.
Peter was already schooling his face back to neutral after letting out a small, amused smile, when he began to herd the still shell-shocked students down to the lobby. What he wasn’t prepared for was the way they all eagerly and dutifully listened to his directions. Honestly, he’d never seen that many teenagers obey a command so quickly and so voluntarily. He wasn’t quite sure he knew what to do with this sudden power he’d somehow acquired.
The trail of teens behind him were whispering amongst themselves. Hushed conversations as they slowly released some of their burning thoughts and opinions on the last hour out. Flanked as he was by Ned and MJ, Peter decided to just focus on getting everyone to the lobby so they could let their families know they were alright, this way he wouldn’t have to think about the terrible consequences of today that were going to happen now his identity had been revealed to such a large group.
The sudden crash of an explosion somewhere on their floor sent adrenaline returning to his bloodstream. Peter pushed his friends behind him, ready to defend them as best he could even while calculating the best escape route for them to go down. He’d have to stay behind obviously, act a distraction and he’d just have to trust Friday to direct them all to safety and then he’d have to-
An awfully familiar sound of clanking metal shut that line of thinking down immediately.
“Ah, damn it,” Peter muttered to himself even as his tense muscles began to relax again. The students crowded behind him murmured in confusion at his sudden shift of attitude. Any unasked questions were soon answered though with a crash and a dramatic entrance from one Iron Man.
Peter honestly couldn’t say what his classmate’s reaction to Mr Stark’s sudden presence was, he was too busy trying to think of any possible excuse he could make now that would stop the way Tony was raising one sceptical eyebrow right at him as he observed the destruction lining the halls.
“Well,’ Tony said, his face blank, “I seem to remember telling you this morning not to do anything stupid.”
Peter’s excuses were quickly abandoned in favour of pure indignation. “Hey! It’s not my fault we got attacked. If anything it’s yours for not having better security in place.”
Sudden regret filled him as he remembered just how well things turned out for him last time he’d blamed a problem on Tony Stark. He struggled to backpedal as quickly as possible. “I-I just mean, uh,” he stuttered, “I didn’t mean to do anything stupid, there were just the guys, and my class was here, and I couldn’t do nothing y’know? So I, uh, did stuff?”
Even as he spoke, Peter could feel his own lips tugging up into a smile as he saw the way Tony was also struggling not to smile at Peter’s rambling. The two of them has spent far too much time together to suspect that either Peter was genuinely at fault, or that Tony was genuinely mad. But boy, the two of them sure did like messing with everyone else so he was well aware just how much they both were enjoying the way the rest of his class were currently picking their jaws up from the floor. It took all his willpower not to turn around and see whatever expression Flash was currently wearing as he witness Peter chatting with Tony Stark. Ah well, Friday will have been recording all of this for prosperity’s sake.
“Good work on the saving your friends thing.” Mr Stark said and Peter couldn’t help but straighten his shoulders just a little bit more, and smiling just a little bit wider at the praise.
“Alright younglings,” Mr Stark said, addressing the class as a whole as he managed to effortlessly gain control of the situation with little more than a handful of words. “Now I’m sure you’ve all seen some very fun and or frightening stuff today. Feel free to call your parents and let them know you’re all fine. The police will be here in a bit to come take statements and all that other official jazz.”
And with that he simply turned and wandered down the hall, correctly assuming that the gaggle of teens would immediately fall into step behind him. He directed them through the halls and it was only after Peter saw a momentary stutter in his steps as he turned into another room, that Peter then remembered he’d left a small pile of unconscious criminals in the middle of the exhibition hall.
“Hey Pete?” Tony said, finally coming to a halt. Around them, the students all seemed to turn in unison to watch this fun new interaction. “Do you maybe want to explain the multiple unconscious adults I have just found lying on my floor?”
Peter peered into the room, happily noting that everyone had in fact stayed unconscious. He turned back to Tony with a smile plastered on his face. “Oh don’t worry! I didn’t.”
“You didn’t?” Tony asked, looking back at the still entirely visible group of criminals.
“Nope!” he replied cheerily, “I did however leave one or two people to sleep off a few sudden minor head injuries here on Ms Pott’s floor.”
Tony huffed a laugh, “One day you’re going to stop reminding me who owns this building.”
“Will I though?”
Instead of properly responding, Tony just shook his head and kept on walking. Meanwhile, just about every teen was busy trying to get a quick glimpse of the people sprawled across the carpet while Peter did his best to keep his head ducked away from sight. It was definitely a strange sensation to have his class all glancing back and forth between their nerdy classmate and the bodies of people nearly twice his size that he’d just felled.
Eventually though they seemed to move on, it was one thing to have Peter turn out to be Spidey but they also were currently in the presence of the Tony Stark and for a school of dorky science kids this was pretty much heaven. To his credit, Tony took the questions with the same casual air he’d addressed everything so far, happy to indulge in the scientific queries of young minds. Plus, if Peter were to indulge in his own fantasies, he might even suggest that Mr Stark was keeping everyone occupied so their attention wouldn’t be solely on him.
Peter fell to the back of the group, Ned and MJ by his side as always. He watched his friends and classmates make their way through the tower accompanied by the familiar tones of Mr Stark explaining information that they wouldn’t learn until five years later in their studies. Beside him, Ned carried on about the tour, pestering Peter for any information they missed when their tour was interrupted. Peter obliged, sprouting fun facts and tidbits that he knew would impress his best friend. It was calming, the routine, the normalcy, the way Ned knew exactly what Peter needed to hear.
It wasn’t until he caught a glimpse of MJ glaring at a student who looked like she was about to lightly interrogate Peter about being Spider-Man that was when Peter realised just what role MJ had taken upon herself to occupy. The sporadic flutter of nerves that would arise every time it seemed like someone was going to push him a little too hard for details was quelled just by the sheer reassuring presence MJ always carried with her.
He didn’t bother hiding the bright, thankful smile that had crossed his face. When she caught sight of it MJ nudged him with her elbow, but still she stood just a little bit closer. Who that move was meant to comfort was unclear, but maybe they were both getting something out of it. Plus, Peter totally caught the small flush of pride on her face as she took her place right by his side.
As students piled back into the elevator Peter hummed with nervous energy, comforted by the presence of his friends and mentor but still unsure how things would work out when they all ended up downstairs and an entire class full of people who knew his biggest secret would be let loose. It was daunting to know that just about everything in his life was about to change all at once. He didn’t have much time to worry about that though as Tony subtly leaned over to him.
“We’ll be talking about those footprints on my ceiling later kid.”
… Oops?
Well, maybe things wouldn’t be so different after all.