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It was the other class who got to go on the field trip in the end, it was on the day the rest of the school was free and Peter didn’t mind not going all that much if he was being honest. He and field trips didn’t have the best of history. Besides he would get to spend an extra day at the Stark Tower on his “internship”, even though it wasn’t really an internship anymore.
It had all happened when Pepper and Tony wanted to go on a vacation and Peter had wholeheartedly encouraged them, but they didn’t have anyone to watch over all the projects. Peter really wanted them to go, because they deserved it, so he had offered to do it as a joke. And Pepper and Tony had taken it completely seriously. So a week later he found himself in charge of the biggest company in the world.
When Pepper and Tony came back everyone had been very enthusiastic about Peter, who had enjoyed being in charge a lot, minus the sleep deprivation, but he was used to that. After that he'd started helping much more in the Tower itself. He oversaw the other interns and checked projects in all the departments before they went into production. He practically worked full time and he earned money.
The money he earned he saved for college so that May could use the money she had been saving for him to go to school and go up in the hospital. This was also why he lived in the Tower with Tony and Pepper. Life was great, it was amazing even. He had everything going for him, outside of school that is. No one believed him there, but he didn’t mind MJ and Ned believed him and that was what was important for him. He had wanted to invite them to hang out today, but they were going on that field trip to, uh..., Peter had forgotten where to, but they were both going, he knew that.
He got out of bed at 8:00 and put on Tonys too big for him Stark Industries sweater and some jeans. He ate some breakfast and decided to chill on the Intern Levels today as he reviewed some of the stuff there and went through the projects he was sent.
~
The Midtown Tech class was standing in front of Stark Tower with wonder in their eyes. It was an impressive building and only MJ wasn’t looking up. Ned leaned over to her and said: “I wonder if we bump into Peter today.”
MJ shrugged, but didn’t get to respond because Flash pushed through them while loudly exclaiming: “It so sad that you two believe Penises lies.”
MJ rolled her eyes and said: “Just because you are too dumb to get a spot doesn’t mean Peter is, alternative.”
Flash huffed, but left them alone in favor of getting in front of the group as they started to walk inside. Their teacher got to the desk and the woman behind them pointed them in the right direction where a thirty-year-old woman was waiting on them with a basket of badges. She smiled: “Hello everyone, I’m Mira and I’ll be your tour guide today. I will give you a badge, which you need to pin on your clothes. Do not take this off, because you will be escorted out of the building. At the end of the tour you will have to give them back.”
Then she went down the line handing them out and the tour began. Mira talked about the history of the building while they went through a small museum, the Arc-Reactor and the current projects.
They got into the elevator and the tour guide said: “We’re going to the Intern Levels, there our 50 interns work on their own projects next to the work they do for the employee they follow. I have ask you to be respectful and leave them to do their work. There will be a few who we can ask questions about their internship. You are talking to the bright minds of the future, so be polite.”
After that the elevator doors opened and they were in a gigantic space. There were work stations everywhere and it was one big hive of production. People were walking in and out, packages were being delivered and from time to time lights flashed. The group moved slowly as they tried to take everything in, when they were distracted by a loud cackle and a loud yell.
“NO!”
Then an explosion. They whipped their heads towards the sound and saw no one other than Peter in a SI sweater laughing while standing next to a table while brushing a bit of dust out of his hair. Next to him stood a college aged guy with big shocked eyes. Peter put a hand on his shoulder and said: “I told you it would be fine.”
“It exploded.” the guy said back.
“Yeah, that was the point. We put it in danger of being captured by someone unknown, so it self destructed. We can employ these safely to distribute information without risking enemy capture.” Peter was still grinning manically.
From a station over someone arrived with a fire extinguisher. She put out the small burning robot and said: “Really Peter, you need to stop testing explosive stuff here when it’s not from here. You’re scaring people.”
“If they want to work on the higher levels they need to get used to sudden explosions, I’m doing them a favor.” Peter shot back with a smile, then he added: “Besides, who doesn’t love a good explosion.”
The girl only rolled her eyes and pushed Peter. Then she waved and said: “I have a tour to go to, see ya.”
“No, wait. I’ll come with.” Peter ran after her, “I’ll green light this for production and then I need a break I’ve been busy since 8:30. And I’ve promised to help on Level 80 when I wasn’t busy and I don’t want to go without taking a break, so I need to be busy.”
“Only you, Peter, only you. What were you going to help with?” the girl asked, they were pretty close now.
“Just the alien tech stuff. We’re trying to figure out if it can give us clues for better and cleaner energy or if it’s harmful to the environment as well.” Peter answered.
They were next to the group now and the girl said: “Hello everyone. I’m Kyra and I’m an intern here. I’ll be answering your questions about the internships at Stark Industries and if I don’t know it Peter here can answer you.”
She pointed at Peter who looked up from his hologram tablet and promptly dropped it. The small rectangle device hit the ground and the hologram disappeared. He quickly picked it up, straightened himself and said: “Uhm, hi guys. Fun to see you here.”
“What the hell are you doing here!” and Flash had found his words again.
Kyra raised his eyebrow at Peter who rolled his eyes back at her and explained: “These people are from my school, I forgot they had a field trip here today. So, I think I’m just going to bail on you and help upstairs.”
He started to walk away, but Kyra got a evil glint in her eyes and she grabbed his collar. He chocked on it and shot a glare back. “Let me go!”
“Nope,” Kyra replied, “This is way too funny and you still owe me for hiding you form Clint last week.”
“That’s no fair.” Peter whined, “You said I didn’t owe you because no one should be tester for punch-arrows, and I got you that material you asked for, I even rushed it.”
Kyra gave zero fucks about his complaints: “I retract that statement. You owe me, now stay and answer this nice boys question.”
She pointed at Flash and Peters face turned sour. “He’s not a nice boy.” he whispered, then he said: “Well, Flash, since I am free from school today, I’m using my extra time to work. I thought I told you about working here.”
“Yeah, but you were lying. You have to be. They don’t take High-schoolers as interns I called and asked.” Flash was frowning.
Kyra said: “They don’t, but Peter isn’t an intern. Seriously, did no one believe you?”
Peter shrugged: “Ned and MJ do, right?”
Ned nodded excitedly and gave him two thumbs up and MJ also nodded, but more subtle. Kyra smiled at them, meanwhile Flash was having some sort of meltdown. He said: “If Peter isn’t an intern, what is he doing here. He doesn’t even have a badge, so shouldn’t he be escorted out of the building?”
Kyra started laughing now and Flash was getting mad. He was demanding an explanation and Kyra managed to wheeze: “Peter is a full time employee, he is so high up he doesn’t even need a badge and you, you all just didn’t believe him. That’s really fucking funny.”
Kyra dissolved back into giggles and Peter just rolled his eyes at her antics. The teacher broke the shocked silence with: “Uhm, can you tell about your position in the company.”
He too was trying to wrap his head around the fact that Peter had a full time job at he company they first didn’t even believe him to have an internship at. He needed someone to talk so that he could regroup himself.
Peter was also taken aback by the question, but soon answered: “I’m a bit of the last stop before things go into production. Everything that this Stark Industries building makes goes through me or Mr. Stark, but I’m also a helper. I go around and help where extra hands are needed.”
His watch bleeped and he said: “Speaking of that, they really need me now, so I have to go, but enjoy your tour! I hope you enjoy the robot exercise I designed at the end.”
And then he was running away while putting an ear piece in. Before the elevator closed behind them they could hear him say: “Do not touch a thing. Try to stay still the particles are-”
Kyra had now sobered up some more and she said: “Peter is one of our best, but he is very humble. There is no one in this building who doesn’t like Peter. There are rumors that he was in charge for a week and is the heir of the company, but those are just rumors, for now.”
The whole group was silent. Their brain was overflowing with information and no one knew what to make of all of this. This wasn’t Peter, it couldn’t be. The tour guide seemed to sense this, because she clapped in her hands and said: “Well, why don’t we take a break. It’s lunch time, follow me.”
As a horde of zombies they followed her.
Peter avoided school for the next two days, but after that he never got called Penis or a liar ever again.