The bus lurched to a stop, and I shifted impatiently on the vinyl seat beside Ned. Mr. Harrington hadn’t announced our destination, and the usual field trip anxiety gnawed at me. My phone buzzed with a text from Mr. Stark.
Stark: hey kiddo! Still up for helping me tonight in the labs?
He continued, “I’m doing a tour with some school kids, probably younger than you, so I’m going to show them your lab (it’s tidier than mine). Thought you’d appreciate a heads-up.”
A grin stretched across my face. I genuinely enjoyed working with Mr. Stark.
Spideyparker: Sure! I’ll text May later. Also, can you tell the kids not to touch anything, please? I don’t want my lab looking like it’s been Hulk smashed :-)
Stark: Consider it done. Oh, and I remembered it’s your field trip today. Do you get back at normal time?
Spideyparker: Yeah, I think so.
Stark: Great. I’ll have Happy pick you up.
The bus doors hissed open, and Mr. Harrington announced, “Right kids, we’re here!” I looked out the window and gaped. We were parked in front of Avengers Tower. Crap.
“What’s wrong, Parker? Scared people will find out you’re a fake?” Flash sneered beside me. I sighed and rolled my eyes. I actively despised Flash Thompson.
…
We stood in the reception area, waiting for our passes. I already had mine, but I waited to see if the tour guide would hand me one. She didn’t. Everyone lined up to scan their passes through the double doors, entering the tower proper. I sighed, pulling my personal pass from my pocket.
“Thompson, Flash, level 1, must be with level 7 and above,” FRIDAY announced as Flash scanned his card. Crap. FRIDAY would undoubtedly call out mine. And I was level 10, because Mr. Stark insisted I have the same clearance as the Avengers. Even though I hadn’t met them all. Natasha, Clint, and Bruce, yes. Captain America seemed to avoid Mr. Stark at all costs, especially after the Civil War. None of them knew I was Spider-Man, apart from Mr. Stark.
It was my turn.
“Parker, Peter. Alpha level 10. Welcome back, Pete. Boss told me to let you know he totally planned this,” FRIDAY’s voice dripped with amusement. My cheeks flushed. I could practically hear the smirk in FRIDAY’s tone.
“Hey! How come Penis Parker gets a level 10!?” Flash shouted, earning a glare from MJ and Ned. I hurried to the back of the group, slipping my pass into my pocket.
…
The next part of the tour led us to the labs. And, predictably, Mr. Stark decided to showcase my workspace.
The tour guide, Rachel, opened the door, and the class was greeted by a busy Tony Stark. He looked up as the swarm of young teens entered the lab.
“Hello kids,” he said, his eyes meeting mine. “Hey Pete, I’m working on some new webshooters for Spider-Man. Want to help?”
My eyes widened.
“E…erm yeah, sure, Mr. Stark.” I walked to the bench he was working on and reviewed the blueprints. I quickly made some corrections, sketching out adjustments with a marker.
…
“What’s Penis Parker doing? He’s going to mess up Spider-Man’s suit now! Yo Parker, you useless freak!” Flash shoved me against the wall of the lab, hard enough to rattle my teeth. He kept kicking at my feet, and soon enough, I was on the floor, a bloom of crimson spreading across my shirt.
Suddenly, I felt Flash ripped off me and hurled across the room. My vision blurred, but I forced myself to stay awake, to watch Flash being screamed at by…Mr. Stark!? Holy cow.
“Stay away from p… if you ever hurt my son again… I’ll make your life hell! Got it?” Mr. Stark practically roared, his face contorted with fury. I saw black spots dance in my vision.
“Hey Pete, stay with me, okay… don’t sleep… I’ll get Bruce… med bay… school trip.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I whispered, before darkness consumed me.
Mr. Stark knelt beside me, his expression grim. He cradled my head in his hands, his voice laced with a controlled fury that sent shivers down my spine. He muttered into my ear, “Stay with me, Pete.”
I felt his hands lift my head, and the cool air of a medbay filled my lungs. The scent of antiseptic and worry filled the room.
Well. That happened. I’m terrible at writing in 1st person, so most of these will probably be in 3rd person. Again, feel free to vote, comment, and make any requests for this story?