Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Peter Parker had been Spider-Man for approximately three months, which meant he had spent the last three months swinging between buildings, stopping petty crimes, rescuing cats from trees, returning stolen purses, and occasionally getting yelled at by old ladies who apparently did not appreciate a teenager landing on their fire escape at two in the morning. It wasn’t exactly what Peter had imagined when he first decided to put on the suit, although Peter hadn’t really imagined much past the first week either.
He was fifteen, lived in Queens with his aunt, went to school, did homework, tried not to get caught sneaking out at night, and spent whatever time was left figuring out how to be a superhero without getting himself killed. So far, he thought he was doing pretty well.
Tonight had been particularly successful. Peter had stopped a group of guys from robbing a convenience store, webbed their weapons to the pavement, and left them hanging upside down from a streetlight for the police to find. He’d even managed to get home without getting shot at, which, as far as Peter was concerned, made it a pretty good night.
He landed on the edge of a rooftop and crouched there for a moment, looking down at the street below. He pulled his mask halfway up so he could breathe properly before checking his phone.
11:47 PM.
“Okay,” he muttered, looking at the time again. “Definitely time to go home.”
He turned around, ready to swing away, when a car suddenly rolled to a stop below.
Peter looked down.
It was a very expensive black Audi. The driver’s door opened and a man stepped out.
Peter immediately stopped moving.
He knew that face.
Everyone knew that face.
Tony Stark.
Peter stared down at him from the rooftop, trying to figure out why one of the most famous people in the world was standing in the middle of a Queens street at almost midnight. Tony looked around casually for a moment before tilting his head upward, straight toward Peter.
Peter froze.
Tony smiled.
“Hey, Spider-Man.”
Peter’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest. He crouched a little lower and stared at him, suddenly unsure of what he was supposed to do.
“Uh…”
Tony waited, and Peter slowly raised one hand.
“Hi?”
Tony laughed.
“Come down.”
Peter glanced around before looking back at him.
“Why?”
“Because I’m talking to you.”
“I can hear you from up here.”
Tony looked amused.
“Okay. You got me there.”
Peter stayed where he was. Tony shoved his hands into his pockets and looked up at him again.
“Nice suit.”
“Thanks.”
“Homemade?”
Peter hesitated.
“…Maybe.”
Tony nodded thoughtfully.
“Not bad.”
Peter narrowed his eyes.
“Why are you talking to me?”
Tony shrugged.
“Because I’ve been hearing about you.”
Peter’s eyes widened slightly.
“About me?”
“Neighborhood Spider-Man. Stops carjackings, breaks up robberies, pulls people out of burning buildings.”
Peter scratched the back of his neck.
“Well, when you say it like that, it sounds pretty cool.”
“It is pretty cool.”
Peter smiled beneath his mask.
Tony pointed upward.
“How old are you?”
Peter immediately became suspicious.
“Why?”
“Curiosity.”
“That’s creepy.”
Tony laughed.
“Fair enough.”
Peter looked down at him.
“I’m fifteen.”
Tony’s smile disappeared.
“Fifteen?”
Peter nodded.
“Yeah.”
“You’re a kid.”
“I’m actually pretty responsible.”
Tony stared at him for a moment before glancing toward the streetlight where four criminals were still hanging upside down.
“You just webbed four armed criminals to a streetlight.”
“They were armed.”
“Exactly.”
“They were also criminals.”
“Still.”
Peter shrugged, like that settled it.
Tony sighed.
“Do your parents know you’re doing this?”
Peter’s expression faltered for half a second.
“My aunt thinks I have a normal hobby.”
Tony noticed the hesitation but didn’t push. Instead, he looked at Peter’s suit again.
“How would you feel about learning how to do this properly?”
Peter tilted his head.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“You mean…” Peter pointed at himself. “Me?”
Tony smirked.
“You’re the one wearing the spider suit.”
Peter glanced down at himself.
“Right.”
Tony nodded toward the car.
“I’ve got a program. Training, equipment, someone to make sure you don’t accidentally fall off a building.”
Peter considered that for a moment.
“Would I get paid?”
Tony stared at him.
“You’re fifteen.”
“So… no?”
“We’ll discuss it.”
Peter grinned.
Tony started walking back toward his car.
“Go home, kid.”
Peter blinked.
“That’s it?”
Tony opened the driver’s door.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
Tony looked back at him.
“Yeah.”
Peter leaned over the edge of the roof.
“Where?”
Tony smiled.
“You’ll know.”
Then he got into the Audi and drove away.
Peter watched the car disappear down the street, standing there for a few seconds as he tried to process what had just happened. He looked down at himself, then toward the street, and then back at himself.
“Did Tony Stark just recruit me?”
There was no one around to answer.
Peter sighed.
“I really hope this isn’t a kidnapping.”
The next evening, Aunt May was in the kitchen when she heard a knock at the door. She wiped her hands on a towel before walking over to answer it, expecting a neighbor or maybe a delivery. Instead, she opened the door to a man she definitely hadn’t expected to find standing outside her apartment.
“Tony Stark?”
Tony gave her a polite smile.
“That’s me.”
May stared at him for a moment, clearly trying to figure out why one of the most famous men in the world was standing at her front door.
“Can I help you?”
“Actually, I was hoping we could talk about Peter.”
That immediately caught her attention.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, no. Nothing like that.” Tony held up a folder. “Peter’s been accepted into a program I’m putting together.”
May raised an eyebrow.
“Peter?”
Tony nodded.
“He’s a smart kid. Very smart, actually. I’d like to give him an opportunity to learn from some of the people at Stark Industries.”
May stepped aside.
“Well, you probably shouldn’t be standing in the hallway while we talk about it.”
Tony smiled.
“I like you already.”
May rolled her eyes, but she let him inside.
By the time Peter got home, he was tired, hungry, and mostly thinking about the mountain of homework waiting for him. He unlocked the apartment door and stepped inside.
“May, I’m home.”
He kicked off his shoes and dropped his backpack beside the couch before looking up.
Tony Stark was sitting in his living room.
Peter froze.
Tony looked completely comfortable, sitting across from May with a cup of coffee in his hand as if he hadn’t just walked into Peter’s apartment and rearranged his entire evening.
Peter stared at him.
Tony smiled.
“Hey, kid.”
Peter’s mouth opened, then closed again.
“What…”
May turned toward him.
“Oh, Peter. You’re home.”
Peter slowly looked between her and Tony.
“Yeah.”
Tony lifted his coffee.
“Good timing.”
Peter narrowed his eyes.
“Why are you here?”
May frowned slightly.
“Peter.”
“What?” Peter asked, still staring at Tony. “I mean, hi. Nice to see you, Mr. Stark.”
Tony’s smile widened.
“Mr. Stark?”
Peter suddenly remembered that May had absolutely no idea he’d met Tony the night before. He forced a smile.
“Have we met?”
Tony raised an eyebrow.
May looked between them.
“You two have met?”
Peter shrugged.
“I don’t think so.”
Tony took another sip of his coffee.
“Interesting.”
Peter gave him a very pointed look, but Tony looked entirely too amused.
May gestured toward the couch.
“Come sit down. Tony was just telling me about a program he wants you to join.”
Peter slowly sat down.
“A program?”
Tony nodded.
“An internship.”
Peter blinked.
“An internship?”
“Yes.”
Peter looked at May, then back at Tony.
“You didn’t tell me about this.”
Tony shrugged.
“I thought I’d surprise you.”
Peter stared at him.
“You don’t surprise people with internships.”
“Apparently I do.”
May smiled.
“Tony says it’s with Stark Industries. You’ll get to work around engineers and scientists, learn about some of their projects, and have access to resources your school obviously doesn’t have.”
Peter tried very hard to look normal.
“Oh.”
Tony watched him closely.
Peter knew exactly what this was. He was recruiting him, right in front of May, who had no idea that the internship was actually about Spider-Man.
Peter cleared his throat.
“That sounds… cool.”
Tony nodded.
“It is.”
May smiled.
“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity.”
Peter looked at her.
“But I have school.”
Tony leaned back.
“It won’t interfere with school.”
Peter looked suspiciously at him.
“How do you know?”
“I’ve already looked at your schedule.”
Peter’s eyes widened.
“You have my school schedule?”
Tony smiled innocently.
“I like to be prepared.”
Peter stared at him.
“He asks a lot of questions,” May said with a laugh.
“I’ve noticed,” Tony replied.
Peter sank farther into the couch.
This man was going to be the death of him.
May looked back at Tony.
“So, when would he start?”
“Whenever he’s ready.”
Peter glanced at Tony. Tony gave him a knowing smile, and Peter immediately looked away.
May stood and picked up the dishes from the coffee table.
“Why don’t you two talk for a minute? I’m going to finish dinner.”
Peter watched her disappear into the kitchen before turning back to Tony.
“You’re really doing this?”
Tony leaned back against the couch.
“I told you I’d see you tomorrow.”
Peter frowned.
“You didn’t say you’d show up at my house.”
“I wanted to meet your aunt.”
“You could’ve warned me.”
“Then it wouldn’t have been fun.”
Peter sighed.
Tony stood.
“Come on.”
“Where?”
“I want to see your room.”
Peter immediately stiffened.
“My room?”
Tony nodded.
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
Tony shrugged.
“Curious.”
Peter’s stomach dropped. He knew exactly what Tony was looking for, and unfortunately, Tony Stark was about to find it.
He sighed.
“Fine.”
He led Tony down the short hallway. The moment they reached his bedroom, Peter opened the door and immediately stepped in front of the window.
Tony walked inside and looked around. It was a small room with a desk covered in homework, school books stacked unevenly beside the bed, and a couple of science projects scattered around. Then he spotted a backpack sitting on the floor near the window, one Peter had forgotten to hide.
Tony glanced at it.
Peter noticed.
“That’s nothing.”
Tony raised an eyebrow.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You were looking.”
“I’m allowed to look.”
Peter crossed his arms.
Tony walked around the room, taking everything in without saying much. Then he spotted something.
A red and blue piece of fabric was sticking out from behind the radiator.
Tony stopped.
Peter’s eyes widened.
Tony pointed.
“What’s that?”
Peter looked.
“Oh.”
He immediately moved toward it.
“That’s…”
Tony waited.
Peter grabbed the suit.
“My pajamas.”
Tony stared at him.
Peter stared back.
“Your pajamas.”
“Yeah.”
Tony nodded slowly.
“Very practical.”
“They’re comfortable.”
“I’m sure.”
Tony took another step toward him, and Peter backed up.
Tony smiled.
“You’re Spider-Man.”
Peter’s face fell.
“…No.”
Tony laughed.
“Kid.”
“I’m not.”
“You really need to work on your lying.”
Peter sighed.
“Okay.”
Tony waited.
Peter looked down at the suit in his hands.
“I’m Spider-Man.”
“I know.”
“You knew?”
“Since last night.”
Peter stared at him.
“Then why did you ask?”
“I wanted to see if you’d tell me.”
Peter frowned.
“That’s mean.”
“It’s called parenting.”
Peter looked confused.
Tony paused.
“Not parenting.” He cleared his throat. “Mentoring.”
Peter nodded slowly.
“Right.”
Tony pointed toward the suit.
“Put it away.”
Peter shoved it behind the radiator.
Tony looked at him.
“You’re coming with me.”
Peter blinked.
“Where?”
“Germany.”
Peter’s eyebrows shot up.
“Germany?”
“Yeah.”
“For what?”
“There’s a little situation involving some people who are about to have a very bad day.”
Peter stared at him.
“You want me to go to Germany?”
“I do.”
“Why?”
“Because I need someone with your particular set of skills.”
Peter hesitated before shaking his head.
“I can’t.”
Tony frowned.
“Why?”
“I have homework.”
Tony stared at him.
Peter stared back.
“I have a lot of homework.”
Tony slowly nodded.
“Right.”
“Homework.”
“Very important.”
“Extremely.”
Tony sighed.
“Peter, you’re Spider-Man.”
Peter nodded.
“Yeah.”
“And you’re fifteen.”
“Almost sixteen.”
“You’re fifteen.”
Peter rolled his eyes.
Tony smiled.
“You want to do this?”
Peter’s expression became more serious.
“Yes.”
“Then you’re going to learn how to do it properly.”
Peter looked at him.
Tony continued, “You’ve got talent. I’ll give you that. But talent isn’t enough. You need training. You need better equipment. You need someone who knows what they’re doing.”
Peter looked down.
Tony softened slightly.
“I can help you.”
Peter looked back up.
“Why?”
Tony shrugged.
“Because somebody should.”
Peter smiled.
“Okay.”
Tony smiled back.
“Good.”
Peter’s smile disappeared.
“Wait. Does May know about Germany?”
Tony nodded.
“I talked to her.”
Peter’s eyes widened.
“You did?”
“And she said yes?”
“She said you’re old enough to make your own decisions.”
Peter stared at him.
Tony started walking toward the door.
“Oh, and she told me to make sure you eat.”
Peter groaned.
“Of course she did.”
Tony laughed.
Peter grabbed his backpack.
“Fine.”
Tony looked back.
“Fine?”
“I’m coming.”
“Good.”
“But I’m still doing my homework.”
Tony nodded solemnly.
“Obviously.”
Peter narrowed his eyes.
“You don’t believe me.”
“Not remotely.”
Peter smiled despite himself.
Tony opened the bedroom door.
“Come on, Spider-Man.”
Peter followed him.