Chapter Text
For the past five minutes, Peter had been doing absolutely nothing.
Well, nothing except staring at his phone on the table.
Of course they were going to Stark Tower.
The one place he practically lived at. The one place where literally everyone knew him. The one place where keeping his secret was basically impossible because FRIDAY could probably identify him by the sound of his footsteps.
A normal person would be excited about a field trip to Stark Tower.
Peter Parker was currently considering every possible way to fake his death.
Because this wasn’t just a field trip.
This was a disaster waiting to happen.
A disaster, Peter realised, that Tony freaking Stark had probably manufactured. This was the last and final straw. Peter picked up his phone once again.
Messaging Tony Stark
underoos: YOU B****
tony: thats no way to address a father figure peter
underoos: YOUR THE ONE WHO PLANNED IT DIDNT YOU
tony: plan what?
tony: shouldnt you be asleep right now
underoos: DONT ACT ALL INNOCENT
underoos: I KNOW IT WAS YOU WHO PLANNED THE FIELD TRIP TMR
tony: i literally dont remember planning a field trip for you?
underoos: you dont remember half the things you know but thats beside the point
underoos: YOU STILL COULDVE WARNED ME IM TAKING A FIELD TRIP TO STARK TOWER TMR?
tony: you are?
tony: i mean
tony: thats great, yes i did, now sleep time
underoos: no the only way im sleeping now is with one of those darts
tony: do you want me to send Nat to tranquillize you then?
underoos: NO im good
tony: thats what i thought
underoos: buh bye luv u
underoos: actually i hate you for that little stunt youre pulling
underoos: bye!!!!!!!!
tony: love you too, kid
Message was deleted
tony: sleep tight, kid
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“Ah, Peter, there you are! I was thinking you weren’t going to come in the first place! Come on now, we’re five minutes late!”
Mr. Harrington spoke brightly, evidently in a good mood, completely unaware of Peter’s internal crisis.
Peter had tried to pretend to be sick, but May saw right through his lies and sent him anyway. What good was being a superhero if you were a terrible liar?
MJ and Ned shuffled up beside him as they lined up, one of them practically bouncing up and down with joy.
“I can’t believe it, Peter! We’re actually going to Stark Tower! And touring it! Oh-my-gosh, we might meet some Avengers! And-and we can see the labs! Peter, the LABS! Oh-my-GOD!”
MJ, meanwhile, looked much less excited. Which, for MJ, meant she was probably wondering how long it would take before someone on the bus committed a crime against humanity. Knowing Flash, it wouldn’t be very long.
“Ned, calm down!” Peter whispered low enough that only he could hear, “You’ve literally been there before with me!”
“Yeah, but this time I can actually TELL people! And no one can say I’m lying!”
Peter sighed as he climbed onto the bus, seeing no way to convince Ned otherwise. He was right, in a way.
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Peter could hear his heart thudding along to the speed of light.
But that wasn’t the worst thing.
He could also hear the heartbeat of exactly 7 other individuals—every single one of them (yes, including MJ)—somehow beating faster than his own.
Peter really needed to calm down.
Unfortunately for him, the universe had other plans.
As the team face-planted hard against the cold bus glass to admire the giant skyscraper, Peter actively debated his top three life choices: drop the act and swing away in full spandex, dramatically yeet himself out the nearest building, or aggressively dig into the Earth until he dies.
Okay, Peter told himself. You’re Spider-Man. You can handle alien tech! That means you can handle a field trip!
Unfortunately, Peter’s pep talk lasted approximately three seconds.
Because the second the bus doors opened, he was reminded of one very important detail.
This wasn’t just Stark Tower.
This was Stark Tower.
The place where he had accidentally walked into high-profile military meetings wearing his pajamas. The place where he had eaten breakfast with Avengers. The place where an artificial intelligence knew him better than half his classmates.
And now he was here.
With his entire Academic Decathlon team.
Peter stepped off the bus, forcing himself to smile and look the slightest bit normal.
Normal people would be very excited about this field trip.
Peter was anything but.
But that was fine.
They didn’t need to know that.
They definitely didn’t need to know that.
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“Hi, I’m John, your tour guide! Today, I’ll be showing you some of the lower labs and other offices of Stark Tower. I hope you have fun!”
John spoke confidently, a practiced smile plastered across his face.
Peter immediately knew he was doomed.
Because that wasn’t just some tour guide named John.
That was John.
One of the lab technicians he had spent countless hours working with.
One of the people who knew him as more than just some random kid from Midtown.
And John didn’t know that.
Oh sh**.