Although this is in the Avengers Movie section, it also contains other characters from the Marvel Universe, including the X-Men among others. See end for more notes.
"Don't forget to email me at least once a week to let me know how you are getting on!"
"Oh, and I packed a spare pair of underwear into your bag this morning just in case!"
"I love you!"
"Have fun!"
"You'll make friends in no time!"
"Don't eat too much take-away while I'm not there!"
"Just be yourself, they'll love you!"
It all made a sick feeling rise within him. Everywhere he looked he could see parents waving their children off, giving them warm embraces and shouting the most cliché farewells he had ever had the displeasure of hearing. In his mind, he tried to pretend as if he wouldn't even want such a sappy goodbye even if he could have had it, but he knew to some extent that wasn't true. All around him parents were wishing a good year to their children and what had his father done? Left a post-it note in the back of the Mercedes saying that if he was kicked out of S.H.I.E.L.D than that was it and he would be cut off completely. Perhaps a little exaggeration considering the fire at his old school was not entirely his fault and at the one before that the principle had simply hated him and he couldn't be blamed for that.
Happy had tried to fill in the role for him, but there was little he could do except wave from the car before he drove off, leaving Tony at yet another school for the 'gifted'. He wasn't going to email his parents once a week, they wouldn't read them even if he did, his mother didn't pack his back and she didn't think to do anything as motherly as pack extra underwear as embarrassing as it seems, he wouldn't make friends easily, he would eat as much junk food as possible and he was completely and entirely sure his parents didn't love him. Apart from that, it all seemed to be going rather well.
The building could easily be seen as intimidating with the marble pillars lining the walls and the roses climbing the solid slate grey bricks which made up a mansion, but for some one who had travelled the world over in five star hotels the effect was somewhat dimmed on the young Stark, who began to pull his travel bag behind him towards the entrance of yet another school.
The problem was not that he didn't like school, in fact he quite enjoyed learning and discovering interesting and new things- the only problem was that school didn't actually achieve that aim and instead left him listening to some teacher babble incessantly about something they weren't even babbling correctly about. He wanted a challenge, a new experience- anything which would take away the boredom which had the capability to consume him.
He'd already been to MIT and achieved his PhDs in electrical engineering and physics and yet still his father didn't think he was old enough to do his own thing. He'd been through more than anyone he knew his age; he lived solely because of a palladium arc-reactor thrumming in his chest and each and every day he saw it he was reminded of the events he went through to get it. And yet still his father didn't think he was old enough.
Ever since the incident last year in Afghanistan, his parents had been even more withdrawn than previously, which was saying a great deal. They didn't really know how to deal with an arrogant, flirtatious and completely irresponsible child, they knew how to deal with one who had suddenly picked up moral awareness and was suddenly fighting against his own father's corporation even less.
Which lead him to where he suddenly was, alone in another school he probably wouldn't last long at. The main throng of students seemed to be heading towards the main hall, so in no particular hurry he wandered after them, taking in every aspect of the halls as he walked along them. Each wall seemed to be draped in either paintings or tapestry, all different but rich colours which brightened up the would-be monotone brick. Candles placed in holders stood between every other painting. The least which could be said for it was that it was not too shabby at all.
The doors which lead to the hall were at least 3 metres tall and made of solid oak which creaked slightly as the students rushed in past them. Around the doors were pictures of previous headmasters and mistresses, mostly in black and white, which hung resolutely as if each and every one of them was judging Tony as he walked in.
Tony had seen many impressive places in his life, but even he found himself inhaling a gasp as he took in the sight of the main hall. Chandeliers bigger than he had ever seen them lined the hall like some thing out of a fantasy book and the ornate wood work did nothing to move away from that image. The walls inside were also lined with candles and paintings of various sorts and the hall itself was packed full of benches in which sat a whole manner of students all talking and bustling about, chatting easily to those they already knew or making new friends just as their parents had promised them.
Uneager to begin a happy social event which never really fit the Stark style unless he was the center of it, Tony flicked a headphone into his ear and hummed along almost unconsciously, not noticing when he nearly ran into one of the boys in front of him.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" At the sudden indignation, Tony lowered his sunglasses slightly and peered over the top, taking in the rather angry looking person in front of him. Neither particularly tall or short with short, cropped dirty blonde hair and a bow strapped to his back he was a strange sight if only for the bow. As if that wasn't odd enough he also seemed to have a number of arrows sticking out of his back and a frown large enough melt any ice queen. For some reason the frown made Tony kind of like him.
"Who are you, Legolas? What's with the whole bow and arrow thing, Robin Hood?" He continued walking; almost hoping the other boy wouldn't follow and was rather disappointed when he indeed didn't follow.
"I'm in the archery team." He heard vaguely from behind him and he stopped to turn around and answer but when he did so he saw the boy's interest completely transferred to a pretty petite ginger girl stood in front of the archer. With a shrug and guess that it was the guy's girlfriend he continued on and found an empty space on the end of one of the benches, watching with more interest than he would admit as the guy sat a few benches ahead with his arm around the ginger's shoulder and her arm around his waist. The previous interest was lost almost immediately- couples who were so love sick they had to be all coupley annoyed him… couples in general annoyed him.
It was a surprisingly short time before all the students were sat, some far more odd than others and Tony was sure he had seen a guy with red skin walk past him, and the principle began walking up onto the podium. Tony eyed him critically; he didn't look like any teacher he'd ever seen before. Black leather trench coats and eye patches weren't a general trend in any of the professors or principles he'd ever had before that was for sure.
"I'd like to personally welcome you to the S.H.I.E.L.D school for the gifted in this academic year, for some of you your first year and for others their first time here. As some of you will know, Xavier's school for the gifted has had to shut down for many reasons that none of you are privy to knowing, what I can tell you though is that we're happy to say Xavier has relocated here in order to teach here instead. Many things lie ahead this year, and it's your job as a mutant, genius, specialist, agent in training or any of the above to be prepared for whatever is to come. We hope you enjoy this year, and if you don't- we have Councillors for that so don't bother coming to see me about it." A few shocked looks passed amongst some of the students and one of the teacher sat near him looked as if she was strongly resisting the urge to elbow him as he took his seat once more. Tony just chuckled, he still didn't like the guy, but kudos were due nonetheless.
The only part which had shocked him, hard-ass teachers aside, was that he was going to the same school as mutants. He'd read many articles over the X-gene in his bid to understand the nature of it and how the gene worked, despite his interests laying further in physics than biology and genetics. Perhaps, for the first time, when they said for the 'gifted' they actually meant it.
A map was handed around to each of the students, bar Tony who refused to be handed the map and instead picked one up from a nearby bench and gave it a fleeting glance before he headed off in the direction of his dorm, feeling less morose about the year than he had done a few minutes before. It wasn't a long walk, and for the first time in a long while he found himself appreciating the beauty of where he was. Of course he could appreciate beauty and saw it in many things, in the sparkle of a diamond, the look in a beautiful girl's eyes as he led her towards a bed and above all the fine art involved in mechanics. The jewel of his own eye being the Iron Man suit he was currently constructing which he'd packed away into the bag he was wheeling along behind him. Most of his stuff, like his workbench, tools and computers had been sent ahead and Tony smiled as he remembered he would hear at least one comforting voice greet him that day, even if it was Artificial Intelligence in the form of the computer system he had spent a whole year building. In Stark days that translated into a lot of time. He didn't admit it to anyone, but J.A.R.V.I.S didn't just stand for Just A Rather Very Intelligent System but was rather fondly named after his father former butler Edwin Jarvis who Tony was oddly fond of, though to be honest no one ever asked so there was no one to deny it to.
The room he found was just as spacious as promised in the leaflet Happy had given him on the way to the mansion and with a few posters and technical drawings there was a possibility it could become a home to the billionaire. To his delight, most of his computers were there as was his workbench and even his favourite chair, one he had designed previously for a national competition to be the most comfortable and yet practical chair possible, was there waiting for him. One thing he was not expecting however was the other bed on the other side of the room, neat to an almost clinical standard with a worn leather bag perched on top of it. He had not been informed of a room mate.
Deciding to leave unpacking till later, when he had spoken to someone about the fact he was not ok with someone sharing his personal space in such a way, he switched some music on from and collapsed on the bed, mentally calculating how far away the physics labs were and how late he could awaken the next morning and still arrive at a reasonable hour. Just as he was settling for ten to nine the next morning, a rather sheepish looking head popped around the door he'd left ajar.
"Hi, I'm Steve… you must be my room mate!" Looking far too chipper, he strode into the room and gave a warming smile and cheerful tone, all bright blue sparkling eyes and a quiff better than any Tony had seen before. He had a friendly enough looking smile, but there was something in the way he looked at Tony which made it clear he didn't approve of the way he was sprawled across his bed, or the Black Sabbath blaring out the speakers. Tony eyed him just as critically, he didn't even look like a student. Far too tall, way too muscular and definitely too old… early twenties at the least. He stood with purpose, in a way which was almost charismatic and all at once too perfect that in an instant the young genius knew he wouldn't like him.
When no reply came, Steve walked stiffly over to his bed on the other side of the room and gave another sharp glance over at Tony's unpacked bag.
"Would you like some help?"
"No."
"Well, how about a drink? You look tired," For a moment, Tony thought about simply walking out and coming back when his room mate had left, perhaps to go in search of the science labs, but decided against it at the last moment and instead gave the most insufferable glare he possibly could, hoping it would send the message. When it didn't appear to, he sighed and swung his legs over the side of the massive bed.
"I'm not even old enough to drink. I mean, how old are you anyway? You look old enough to be teaching here, what did you get held down ten grades or something?" It wasn't quite true as he didn't look old enough to be teaching at all but it didn't seem to fit the point to say so. For a moment he regretted it when he virtually saw the mental wall come down over Steve's features and remembered the words an old friend of his father's, who happened to be a shrink, had once said: 'He pushes away anyone he loves and there isn't much you can do about it I'm afraid. Young Anthony is what I would call, excuse my colloquium Howard, a bad seed. Not much to be done about it old boy but to let it rot'. It seemed the advice was taken to heart; certainly his father wouldn't have cared if he had rotted away in that cave the year before.
"I'm… I'm a bit behind the years... that's all," Steve replied briskly, before leaving the way he'd come almost as quickly as he'd arrived. Tony knew he should have been grateful for his absence which is what he'd wanted from the beginning, but he only saw the way the older man's jaw had tightened and the casual easy expression, open and friendly, had been dropped like a hot poker. Then he pushed the feelings away, remembering he didn't give a fuck in the first place, even if it still didn't quite sit right.
Steve didn't return that night, and after setting up J.A.R.V.I.S and making sure his suit hadn't been damaged in the move he decided to call it a night knowing an alarm would be blaring by ten to nine the next morning. Despite his best wishes, he still felt uneasy as he noticed the perfectly made bed across the other side of the room which remained un-slept in.
The next morning when he awoke the first thing he acknowledged was that his alarm hadn't stopped chirping. The second was that J.A.R.V.I.S was not controlling the alarm, the third that the alarm wasn't his and the fourth that it wasn't ten to nine but was instead half six in the morning. None of these things made the morning a good start. After five minutes of fumbling he worked out where Steve stored his alarm clock and managed to shut the thing off, half desperately as he realized it was a wind up and he couldn't simply take the batteries out. Which begged the question why any one would carry an alarm clock which looked like it was out of the 20th century and didn't have batteries- but Tony was far too tired to ponder any of that and instead went in search of a shower and a cup of coffee.
By the time nine rolled around, he was up, ready and dressed and yet he still managed to arrive five minutes late to his first class. By the time he arrived at the physics lab there was only one space available next to a curly haired boy hunched over a notebook. Not complaining he took his seat and glanced over, noticing the lab coat over a deep purple coloured shirt, the wire rimmed glasses and the brown eyes underneath as well as an unusual fleck of grey in his curled hair.
The professor at the front of the class stated that as it was the first day of term, they would be getting to know their lab partners for the rest of the year and learning each others strengths and weaknesses.
"The key to the success of a great team is understanding the key strengths and weaknesses of all involved," he read as he wrote it down on the board at the front. Stark rolled his eyes not only at the use of a board but also at the idea of team work. It had never been one of his strong points and looking over at the utterly shy teen next to him it wasn't looking great for this time around either.
"My name's Bruce. Bruce Banner," he mumbled slightly and Tony nodded in response and shook his hand, though wondered only a second later why he had done something so stupidly formal and so like his father. Bruce however didn't seem to mind in the slightest and didn't even object to the fact Tony had not given forth his own name, but instead began to work on the sheet in front of him.
When Tony made no movement toward his own sheet and instead fumbled inside his jeans pockets for a simple pen, Bruce smiled and offered him a biro he readily took.
"Work done is equal to the force times the distance moved in the direction of the force," he mumbled when Tony still didn't reach for his sheet and when he only got another simple nod in response he said no more. The silence was not an uncomfortable one and after a few minutes they managed to complete the entire sheet and begin working on the complex formulas on the opposite side.
"Tony. My name is Tony."
"Nice to meet you. How do you feel about string theory versus loop quantum gravity?"
It felt like the beginning of a friendship.
Well this is the first chapter; sorry for any mistakes I'm uploading it now at 2am, as I won't have a chance to tomorrow. If there are any major errors please do let me know and I'll change them as quickly as possible.
In other notes, J.A.R.V.I.S is revealed to be Just A Rather Very Intelligent System in the film novelization- I didn't just make that one up.
Also, Edwin Jarvis was Tony Stark's human butler in the comics- that's where that was from.
Ok, on the basis of character, all will be revealed later in the story. However, there are a few things I'll explain now for any one interested. Feel free to skip over if you don't want to be spoiled for later!
Tony
Tony is 17 years old and he does have his arc reactor. This is because he was sent to Afghanistan to sell his father's weapon for him as a trial run and was then kidnapped as per the instructions of Obadiah who was not in charge of the company but one of Howard's close advisors. Obadiah was found out and arrested but Tony only escaped through the creation of the first Iron Man suit and has the Palladium arc reactor in order to stop the shrapnel entering his heart.
Steve
Steve was, in my mind, 24 when he was frozen in the ice (this may go against cannon, I did research but didn't find much and I'm not completely up to scratch on Captain America in the comics) and when he was rescued he agreed to attend Fury's school as a student and assistant. He is therefore 24 in this story.
Bruce
Can transform into the Hulk when incredibly angry due to an accident involving Gamma radiation but when he was much younger as he is also 17 in the story. He has yet to meet Betty Ross.
That's pretty much all the back story for this chapter, more will come later on.
Thank you for reading :)
Electrical Storm 1996 (Beth)
