Chapter Text
After seeing the Stark Industries Museum, the group was headed up to the employee cafeteria for lunch. Peter stood beside Harley as he addressed the tour group, explaining to them that they had 30 minutes to have lunch and then they’d be moving on. Harley also explains that their ID cards each have 25 credits on them to use to purchase food but if they went over, they’d need to cover the rest on their own terms. With that, the group dispersed. Even MJ and Ned went their own separate ways from Peter and Harley.
The two settled on pizza and went to wait in line, coincidentally, Clint was in front of them in the aforementioned line. The assassin had gasped dramatically when Peter kicked the back of his knee. “Shouldn’t you have like…seen that comin’?” Harley questioned, raising a brow, arm draped over Peter’s shoulders.
“He never pays attention.” Loki literally materialized out of nowhere to reply to Harley. Peter was too busy watching out of the corner of his eye as Flash passed them. Flash had tried to make a snide remark but slipped in water because he was too obsessed with glaring at Peter to notice the—extremely obvious—wet floor sign.
Peter immediately burst out laughing, covering his mouth with a hand in attempts to hide it. “You did that, didn’t you?” He asked, looking back over to Loki who nodded proudly.
“If he’s that idiotic, there is only a matter of time before Darwinism takes its course.” The god remarked, concealing a smile. “May I join you for lunch?”
—
Peter peaked over at the clipboard in Harley’s hands as his class regrouped to continue the tour. They were apparently headed off to visit the training levels next, the gym and the shooting range. Why they’re allowing high school children into the shooting range? Peter has no clue, he just hopes no one’s in the training levels at the moment, he isn’t sure Flash’s fragile ego can handle anymore humiliation. He’s also not sure Flash would make it out alive if he was in the same room at Natasha Romanov.
Unfortunately for Flash—fortunate for Peter though, he’s always happy to see his family—Nat and Rhodey were sparring in the gym when the tour group arrived. Nat was kicking Rhodey’s ass, as expected. It was not frequent for anyone to beat Nat or even last long against her; aside from Peter, not that Peter’s some amazing fighter. It’s just that they both fight so similarly—so acrobatically—it’s more like they’re dancing than actually fighting.
When they saw the tour group enter, Nat and Rhodey finished up their match. The Colonel exited the ring to approach and greet them. “Junior! I’d hug you but I’m covered in sweat.” Rhodey remarked as he came to stand in front of Peter and Harley.
“Yeah, gross. Do not get your sweat all over me.” Peter grimaced, scrunching up his nose.
“Not my fault, Nat gave me a run for my money.”
“I can tell.” Harley remarked, waving a hand in front of his face.
“Oh yeah, let’s all bully Rhodey, lovely idea.” The Colonel complained, “Who’re all these kids anyway?” he asked and gestured to the tour group.
“This is Midtown Tech’s Academic Decathlon team, Colonel Rhodes. They are here on a tour of Stark Industries.” F.R.I.D.A.Y chimed from overhead, making Rhodey look up.
“Паучок! Разве ты не должен быть в школе?”(Translation: “Baby spider! Aren’t you meant to be at school?) Nat called from beside the ring where she had been drinking water, drawing the attention of Peter…and the group.
“Да, мы в гастрольном туре.”(Translation: “I am, we’re on a tour.) Peter responded, Natasha nodded thoughtfully. The rest of Peter’s class, including Mr. Harrington, looked perplexed.
“Поспаррингуем? Обещаю, всего один быстрый раунд!”(Translation: “Spar with me? Just a quick round, I promise!”) She asked, gesturing for him to come over.
Peter thought for a moment before he nodded. He wouldn’t decline a sparring match with Nat for a billion dollars. “Хорошо. Только очень быстро — я тут немного ограничен во времени.”(Translation: “Alright. Super quick though, I’m kinda on a time crunch here.”) He agreed as he removed his sunglasses, tossing them to Harley as left and approached the ring.
“Oh, darlin’ come on! You’re gonna ruin my tour!” Harley groaned, as he caught the Garret Light’s. As if he cared about the tour anyway.
“What? It’ll be a quick match, promise.”
Harley drags his hands down his face. “You say that every time! A ‘quick match’ to you two is 30 minutes!”
“I’ll make it up to you.” Peter replied, climbing into the ring with Nat. If he and Harley weren’t miniature Tony and Pepper, who was.
“NO. No! You will not make it up to me! You’re NOT buying another giant stuffed rabbit!!” Harley yelled, crossing his arms. Peter just got into his preferred fight stance and began to spar with Nat.
The match did in fact go on for 30 minutes. Nat jumped to kick him in the side, Peter jumped even higher to dodge the kick. Peter swung, Nat ducked and rolled, kicking at his legs, Peter jumped over her to avoid being knocked down. It was like they were stage fighting, every time one of them almost got a hit the other made it out the way last second. It could be hypnotizing to watch at times, like synchronized swimming or something.
“Enough you two!” Steve yells from the doorway, making Nat and Peter freeze. Nat has been mid-kick and Peter’d just barely rolled out the way. “You’ve held up this tour for half an hour! Get moving!”
“But moooomm.” Peter whined, feigning a frown.
“Do not give me puppy dog eyes, that only works on your father.” Steve huffed, heading to set his things down by one of the punching bags. “Now go finish your tour, please. Tony nags me all day everyday that you’re not here, if he finds out you’re in the building he’ll start donating his fortune to the school to keep you here.”
“Ughhh fine.” Peter relents.
“Rematch after school?” Natasha asks, exiting the ring with Peter.
“Of course, wouldn’t miss it for the world!” He called in return and he jogged back over to Harley, taking his sunglasses back. “Where to next?”
He’d honestly expected the range to be empty, it was not. They came into the room and were met with Bucky, standing at one of the shooting stalls, playing with what looked like a new gun. The super solider turned when the group came in, setting his weapon down, he smiled. “Питер! Привет!”(Translation: “Peter! Hello!”) Bucky greeted happily, removing the ear protection he was wearing.
“Привет, Баки. Новая игрушка?“ (Translation: “Hi, Bucky. New toy?”) Peter returned the greeting with a smile, grunting as Bucky hugged him all too tightly. “You’re being suspiciously nice today, Sargent.”
Harley began continuing the tour around the two. Not able to spend anymore time waiting thanks to Natasha.
“Am I?” Bucky lets go of Peter, “On a completely unrelated note, could you take a look at my arm? Whenever you get a chance?” he asks, extending his metal arm towards Peter passively, grimacing as he does so.
Peter frowns, grabbing hold of Bucky’s upper arm and supporting his forearm with his free hand. “What’s wrong with it?”
“Hurts when I move it, I don’t know why. I was sparring with Steve yesterday and he knocked me on my back, hasn’t been the same since.”
“Hm…maybe he dislodged it? Could’ve knocked around the tech that wires it to your nerve endings.” Peter suggested and Bucky made a face.
“That sounds invasive to fix.”
“It might not be that, it could be something much simpler. I can look at it-“ Peter cuts himself off, now it was his turn to make a face. He forgot he was with his class, he can’t fix it now, but he also doesn’t want to leave Bucky to suffer for another 3 hours. Bucky’s suffered enough in life. “Ok, y’know what? Let me go talk to Harley and I’ll figure something out really quick.”
“You don’t have to, I can wait.”
“No, I insist. I’ll work out a way for me to take a look. Just one second.” Peter let go of Bucky’s arm and scurried over to Harley to see where the tour was headed next. He prays it’s a lab. “Harls,” He hissed, dragging Harley aside.
“Darlin’, I’m in the middle of-“ Peter clapped a hand over Harley’s mouth to shut him up, rude but effective.
“Where’s this tour headed next?”
“Uhhh,” Harley glanced at his clipboard. “Research and Development, why?” Peter had already walked away before his boyfriend had finished speaking. Harley just sighed and went back to speaking to the group.
“Okay, Bucky. My group’s doing down to R&D next so, I could take a look at your arm down there. Is that good with you?” Peter asked as he approached Bucky, hands tucked in his pockets.
“Uh, yeah. That’s alright.” The super solider nodded, a little caught off guard by Peter’s effort. The last person to go so much out of their way for him like this was Steve.
R&D was an interesting place, something exploded about every ten minutes and it was like an active war zone at times. Which is exactly Peter came in and restored order before the tour group and Bucky entered, “Just because we can afford a casualty does not mean we want to pay for one.” Everyone in the lab seemed to find that logic sound and calmed it down as the AcaDec team entered.
Peter pulled Bucky aside and kicked an intern out of their lab space(sorry Dave), and began brushing aside the debris from whatever it used to be that they’d just blown up. Bucky took a seat on the table and Peter rummaged through a toolbox, tossing aside the useless tools until he found the correct sized screwdriver to gently open the panels of Bucky’s arm.
“What’s the verdict, bug boy?” The Sergeant asked, watching the spider-boy circle the table to inspect the back of his arm.
“Good news, actually. It just hurts because Steve dented one of the plates on the back of your shoulder. The dent is disrupting the rest of the parts from moving properly. It’s probably pinching a nerve somewhere.” Peter explains as he lifts Bucky’s arm, carefully taking off the top three plates so he can remove the fourth—dented—plate.
Peter begins to put the unharmed plates back into place as he explains. “It should be pretty easy to fix! I’m gonna just take the broken one out for now so it doesn’t bother you anymore until I can put a new one in later tonight.”
“So you don’t have to like, get all inside my arm or anything?..Right?”
“Nope, just have to have the Fabrication Unit make a new plate and attach it.” Peter assures and Bucky sighs in relief, not that he doesn’t trust the kid to fix his arm, he just isn’t quite used to tune ups not hurting anymore yet. Sometimes he still freaks out in the lab, nothing the kid with super strength can’t handle though. Peter passed the dented plate to Bucky.
—
Next up on the list was the chem labs, a floor up from R&D. Bucky had parted from the group headed back to the Avengers floors. Peter instructed him to be very careful with the exposed inter-workings of the arm. Not only because it would be a bitch for him to fix, but also because it would probably be pretty agonizing for Bucky if something got jammed inside of there.
The chemistry labs were just as modern and sleek as the R&D labs, they tended to have less explosions up here though. The employees and interns in these labs were far more careful, they had formulas for everything, it’s all calculated. They also of course had to follow standard lab protocol, obviously.
While on their little walk through of the labs, Dr. Banner had spotted Peter and pulled him aside. Of course this just had to be another whole thing for his class. Peter was understanding more and more just exactly why he lived in this extremely tall, high security tower; so people didn’t gawk at him all day while he was trying to go about his life.
Peter helped Bruce with an equation he was struggling with, a fresh set of eyes on something really does wonders. They had a little chat before F.R.I.D.A.Y started speaking overhead. “Dr. Banner, Boss would like me to remind you of an obligation you have in twenty minutes.”
“Oh, I almost forgot. Thank you, F.R.I.D.A.Y. Sorry Peter, I have to go, I don’t want to be late.”
“It’s fine, doc. I’ll catch ya later?” Peter said, waving bye to Bruce and circling over to rejoin the tour. He was now realizing he’d spent more time doing side quests than he’d spent actually paying attention to the other people. Another play from Tony’s book, Peter really only listened to what someone was saying if that someone was important to him.
“Peter, Boss requests your presence in the common room as well.” Fri says, Peter raises a brow. The rest of his class looks over to him, MJ doesn’t, she’s too busy sketching Flash’s 43rd crisis face of the day.
“Uh, what for Fri?”
A clip of Tony’s voice comes over the AI’s speakers. “Tell Underoos, that I said to get his ass up here or I’m overnight shipping his boyfriend back to Tennessee.”
“Y’know what, forget I asked any questions. Tell him I’m on my way!” Peter bolted out the room. Mr. Harrington didn’t even try to stop him at this point, he just looked so over it. No one would be surprised if the poor man retired after this.
—
An Avengers QNA was both something Peter never wanted to have to witness and never wanted to have to partake it. Now he had to do both. When he arrived upstairs he was met with the rest of the Avengers suited up. At first Peter thought there was some sort of emergency, but no, Pepper explained that they had to do a QNA for Midtown Tech. Of course. When he questioned why Pepper just threatened to take away his lab privileges, Peter didn’t ask anymore questions he just went and changed into his suit.
They gathered on the stage of the auditorium that was on the second floor of the tower and shortly after the AcaDec team filtered in through the doors. Peter sighed and beside him Tony huffed, what do they say? Like father like son? Down the table he could hear Sam mutter to Bucky and Steve about “not having taken this job to answer the invasive questions of snotty nosed teenagers”. Peter couldn’t help but agree.
Steve did most of the talking, probably the smartest decision anyone’s made today. Tony wasn’t know for his filter, despite being able to be interesting enough to capture a room’s attention. Steve, on the other hand, knew how to filter himself and his ‘Captain America voice’ could make it seem like herding cats was as easy as addition.
Everything was fine and dandy until they all had to do introduce themselves. Steve had the bright idea to make everyone say a ‘fun fact’. Tony went first, lifting the faceplate of his Ironman suit and bringing his mic closer. “You know who I am, I don’t see why I need to introduce myself.”
“Tony.” Steve hissed, shooting him a look only a 60 year old woman could give to her husband of 40 years.
“Alright, alright, fine. Only because I don’t want Cap to make me sleep on the couch tonight; I’m Tony Stark, better known as Ironman and…” He trailed off in thought for a moment, trying to find a fact about himself the public didn’t already now and that wasn’t classified. “my favorite color is hot-rod red.”
“Good.” Steve said from where he was sat on the left of Peter, who was in between his dad and Steve. “Thank you.” The Captain tacked on after far too long of a pause because of the look Tony gave him.
“Oh, my turn! Right, I’m Spider-Man,” Peter said in his typical cheery ‘friendly neighborhood superhero’ voice. “Aaaannd uhmmm, my fun fact is that my webs aren’t organic. I actually designed devices that shoot artificial webs! That’s why they’re so strong!”
Steve continued the trend in an orderly manner, probably the best one at public relation here. “I’m Steve Rogers, or Captain America, and my fun fact is that I was recognized as an actual Captain a long time after I was named ‘Captain America’.”
Bucky sighed, “My turn?” Steve nodded at him. “Okay, uh, my name’s Sargent Barnes. And…my fact is that I don’t like being called The Winter Solider.” Bucky shrugged when he was done speaking, folding his arms over his midsection. “Stupid name.” He added quietly.
“Sam Wilson or The Falcon, my fun fact is,” Sam leaned forward in his seat to look down the line of heroes at Peter. “Spider-Man is banned from playing poker with us because counts cards.”
At the end of the table Clint whines, “Aw man! That was my fact!” he complains, glaring at Sam. Steve pinched his nose bridge and sighed.
Nat leaned forward in her seat to talk into her mic. “Natasha Romanov, The Black Widow. Fun fact: fun facts are for children.”
“Oh c’mon, Tasha, have a little fun!” Tony said, looking over at her. He knew she wouldn’t say a fun fact because she was too private of a person. Sure the team knows tons about her but she wouldn’t even tell the public her favorite color. ‘Security risks.’ She’d say.
“My turn, awesome! I’m Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye. My fun fact is that I’m the best Avenger.”
“Untrue, Katniss, I am.” Wanda interjected.
“No, I am.” Bucky declared, scoffing.
Tony made an incorrect buzzer noise and nudged Peter. “Wrong, Manchurian Candidate. Spider-Man is the best Aveneger.”
“Tony! How many times have I said don’t call him that!” Steve complained.
“This is nepotism! You’re only saying that ‘cause the bug’s your kid!” Sam objected, clearly offended. They’re gonna have to dish out additional NDA’s for that one.
“I’m not a bug, I’m an arachnid!”
“I’m inclined to agree with Wilson.” Nat remarked, smirking.
“We don’t have the time for this guys!” Harley called from off to the side of the stage.
“Oh can-it, Potato Boy!” Clint yelled.
Peter nearly sprained his neck as he snapped his gaze over to Clint. “Hey! Leave him out of this, Birdbrain!” He exclaimed, sticking up for Harley. This whole thing was going to start a fucking civil war.
“Okay, okay!” Steve interrupted everyone. “Enough introductions, clearly that was a mistake. Let’s take some questions now.”
“Ugh, do we have to?” Wanda complained, resting her chin in her palm.
“I’m not getting lab privileges taken away because of you, Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Yes, we have to.” Peter hissed, Tony rested the mechanical hand of the suit on the spider’s shoulder as he tried to stifle laughter.
“Stand down, Underoos.”
“Clearly this was a mistake.” Remarked Bucky, Peter very much agreed.
They’d been answering stupid questions for what felt like forever. Peter had slumped against Tony only 10 minutes into this hellscape, head leaned on the metal shoulder of the Ironman suit. Bucky looked like he’d rather be back in the Alps. Wanda was staring into space. Sam was folding several paper airplanes out of the paper from an empty SI notepad that had been left on the table from the last time it’d been used.
Nat looked like she was calculating the best way to kill everyone in the room. Dr. Banner was just outwardly on his phone, no one stopped him. Thor looked like he wouldn’t be coming back from Asgard ever again after this. Rhodey had shut the face plate of his suit and was probably watching a movie in there or something; maybe he should tell Karen to put on a movie…
Peter nearly groaned outwardly when he heard Flash’s annoying ass voice come through the speakers in the room. He hadn’t even bothered to listen to what Flash had said. Apparently whatever it was pissed Tony off enough to make him stand up because Peter, who was leaning pretty much all his weight against his dad, almost toppled out of his chair.
If he hadn’t known better Peter might’ve thought he’d dozed off for a few minutes there because the entire atmosphere of the room had taken such a change that it felt impossible for it to have happened in just a couple seconds.
Natasha was now visibly seething, Bucky had gripped the table with his metal hard so hard it’d cracked a bit. Wanda had red swirling around the tips of her fingers, slowly creeping up her hands. Jesus Christ, what the hell did Flash say? It had to have been something pretty bad because even Thor looked pissed.