Thank you for the reviews. For those who reading my other stuff: Avengers: Next Gen. I may or may not continue it. The reason why I started it was to try to integrate Spiderman and Wolverine any other known affiliate into the Avengers. Now that there is new information on Avengers: Age of Ultron, I'm able to go ahead and pull together a tighter story. Some comic background may be included, but please volunteer some information in the reviews. It helps fight writers block. Peter meets the Avengers will he tell his secret or hold it off? Peter is nineteen years old right now his birthday is August 15.
January 15th
Avenger's Tower. Noon
The Avengers. Here. Altogether.
"You may want to close your mouth before you catch any flies," said a guy with sandy blonde hair.
"Oh! Ha, yeah. Sorry."
"Don't be. You just gave reaction that is less common with us."
"Which is?"
"Pretty much screaming and leaping for joy," he responded waving his arms about over his head. A couple of them chuckled.
"Well I'm doing that on the inside."
Mr. Stark cane over and put a hand firmly on my shoulder. "I like you kid. Lunch is going to be ready soon. So come sit with us. Don't be shy."
"This is Peter everyone. I was supposed to interview him earlier but I got caught up. He's going to have lunch with us, so please don't traumatize him like the others," warned Banner.
Like the others? Is this a test? What kind of assistant is Dr. Banner looking for?
He lead us, well me since I don't live here, over to the seating area. One of them rose up to greet me.
"This is my very good friend, Lt. Col. James Rhodes. We call him Rhodey."
We shook hands and Rhodes motioned me to sit down. The rest of the team introduced themselves.
"Hi there. My name is Steve." He reached to shake my hand.
"Nice to meet you, sir."
"Likewise. These are the other Avengers: Thor Odinson, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Sam Wilson and Pepper Potts. And the one in the kitchen making the burgers is James Howlett."
"Why is he making the burgers?"
"He lost a bet."
"To my super awesome girlfriend, slash CEO of Stark Industries," Stark gleefully announced. Ms. Potts just laughed and reached over to shake my hand.
"I'm awesome because I'm super tolerant of you hon,"
Mr. Stark lunged over while putting a hand over his heart with a mock hurt expression. "But I've been on my best behavior!"
Everyone chuckled while I sat there listening but felt out of place. Ms. Potts turned her attention back to me and smiled. "So Peter, what are you majoring in?"
"I'm double majoring in biochemistry and biophysics."
"Where at?"
"At Empire State University."
"That's very nice."
"Peter," spoke up Dr. Banner, "I have taken a look at your grades and papers from high school. You could've gone anywhere else. I'm not saying that E.S.U. is not a great choice, but you also had different options for full ride scholarships and student research."
This is a little more personal compared to my other interviews. Are they digging?
"Well it's more economic right now to go to college at close locations. I'm lucky that my best choice for that was E.S.U."
Dr. Banner nodded his head in understanding but it didn't rub off the feeling that my answer totally satisfied him. Steve went on to ask me where I lived. I told him I lived in Forest Hills, Queens.
"So what's for lunch?"
"Oh, we are having burgers and fries made by moi, your host. I hope you're hungry. It's special mix for meat from Canada. We've had his burgers before so hope you'll like."
Before I could answer my stomach grumbled loudly causing Thor to laugh. "It sounds like a hungry pack of wolves Peter."
"Uh yeah. So did the other applicants get to have lunch with you guys?"
"Just one. No one else. The other was already hired on account of his mother working with us."
"Is it someone who also went to Midtown High?"
"For a little bit. You might now him. His name is Amadeus Cho. He goes to NYU though. He wanted to be both me and Dr. Banner's assistant."
Dr. Banner shook his head at that. "I didn't want a kid 'kid' to be around materials that might be dangerous. And he is little too arrogant for his age and looks down on some of the employees. It is not something I want to encourage. Hiring him and knowing his tendencies would do that. And besides he got his job out of a partnership Stark Ind. signed with his mother."
"I remember Amadeus. He was only in for the fall semester during my senior year. Last I've heard from him, he was competing for a scholarship program for molecular medicine at Oxford University against…" Against Gwen. It's been seven months.
"Against who?" asked Natasha. I looked over to her and suddenly felt uncomfortable under gaze. It looks she is concerned but also analyzing me.
"Against this girl who was our valedictorian of my class."
"Who is this valedictorian you speak of?" asked Thor, cocking his head to the side.
"She was a very good friend to me. Her name was Gwen Stacey." The room started to feel a little weird all the sudden. My palms started to feel clammy. "Is there a bathroom around here I could use?"
"Yeah, go down the hall there and it is the second door on the left," motioned Dr. Banner. I nodded to him and got to head to the bathroom. Shutting the door behind me and locking, I turned the faucet on the sink on and started putting water on my face.
It's been almost a year and I still can't shake the feeling of guilt whenever I think of her. Sure there are a lot of good memories that I hold on to. But this guilt still won't go away. I heard that most of the time it helps if I talk to someone about to relieve myself of this burden. But who can I talk to? I've been in here long enough. I should get back to them. Dr. Banner could've taken me anywhere else for lunch other than his team's private sanctum. This 'weeding out' process might be an excuse. I'm supposed to have an interview not a social gathering. A year ago this would've excited me but now I've gotten more careful than ever.
I may sound paranoid but it has kept everyone I cared about that's left safe. I should leave. Or stay? I have a chance to reveal myself to people who are familiar with this burden. But Stark, though brilliant and seems nice, told everyone he was Ironman. Despite everything he's been through that I know of, he seems to be arrogant sort of guy who thinks no one can touch him or anyone he cares about. What he tries to tell everyone who I am or holds it over me?
Now I'm sounding too paranoid. Why not take a leap of faith? OR…. I could wait a bit and come forward after learning whether or not I can trust. Drying off my face and I cleaning my glasses I wonder about my parents. Would they want me to come forward and have someone help me with my burdens? I guess, yes.
So that's it for now. I'm kind of on a roll right now so please comment, volunteer ideas, and check spelling me for me please. Enjoy almost done with the third chapter!
