A/N: Pulled some weirdness in this chapter- a character that's not quite an Avenger, but I think you'll enjoy him. He's a doll to write ;)
Also, queue fiery Stephanie!
I love all of your reviews! Thank you so much! :D
Chapter 6
"Stephanie, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help."
She had to shake herself into reality. She had been off, avoiding thoughts, waiting for hours to pass, and here Pepper was thanking her for something that wasn't something she should be getting thanked for. Because all she really was doing was breathing air.
"Oh, it's really not a problem Pepper."
And it really wasn't a problem, because Stephanie wasn't doing anything.
At all.
She was standing there, and giving comments whenever she asked for them. Being someone from a state that had more marriages early than most, she had helped plan plenty of her friends' weddings with them. And she could tell when the planner was just excited about design then actually thinking about Pepper. It didn't happen often, but when the designer had wanted dark colors, Stephanie had suggested an elegant cream that would set Pepper apart perfectly, classy and kind as she was. And when they had wanted two huge sculptures and an ice decoration, and Pepper had looked not happy with the thought but too polite to say so, Stephanie had shaken her head to let the designer know to lay off.
Apart from that, Stephanie was moral support, smiling, agreeing, disagreeing whenever Pepper needed her to, reading emotions on her face. It seemed like Pepper didn't have many real people in her life. And speaking of real people, where was her Maid of Honor? Shouldn't she be doing this? But, honestly, she didn't mind. Natasha probably had S.H.I.E.L.D. agent stuff to deal with.
"Miss Potts?" the designer was calling her over. Pepper touched her shoulder kindly, and moved away to the designer.
"This is beautiful," Pepper was saying, and Stephanie felt like Pepper had it under control enough that Stephanie could zone out again, "Yeah I really like this."
Stephanie turned away, wrapping her arms around her.
She felt so cold that day, so empty. But it hadn't been as bad as yesterday. Yesterday she had not wanted to wake up. And she knew that was a silly emotion. So she had gotten up, gotten dressed, had refused when Tony asked her to come down to the lab through Jarvis, had taken that belated, but enjoyable tour of Stark Tower with Steve, and hadn't gotten to dinner because Pepper had had a press conference to go to.
So she hadn't seen Br- him at all yesterday.
She had taken a run in the gym Steve had shown her, and missed the Rocky mountain air as she was forced to run on a treadmill. She missed her family, who she should be with, right at this very moment. Her mother who would comfort her, and her brothers who would run around the German countryside with her, would mess around while she took them to the markets in their little village her father had been stationed in. She should be there for her brother's graduation. She should have been allowed to speak with her parents, but Jarvis had forbade it several times now and it only made her break into tears while running, because she should be running up to her favorite castle ruins right this moment instead of being stuck here in this miserable place.
Here in this miserable place she had become a mutant. She had become a tool, and a genetic experimentation. That had been the only reason he had been fond of her, after all. It was the only explanation. She was the cure, his cure, and that was it. That explained why he'd been so careful to keep her safe, so cautious about her health. She was his one chance at salvation, so he could move freely without having to become a monster. As soon as she wasn't tied to that chore he would go back to Betty.
For surely he had left her side to keep her safe from him. It sounded like something noble he would do. And now that they would have a chance to go back to her, to keep from hurting her, why on Earth would he not go back to her? They had been in love for years right?
She was herself a hopeless romantic. She loved when a couple was finally able to get together after years of separation. Her mother and father were often separated when her father had to go to war, and when they reunited again it was beautiful and romantic and wonderful. And if Bruce and Betty had these things how could she ever begrudge them that?
How could she ever begrudge Bruce that?
But it had been so – blissful to feel that in lo- that, secure. Couldn't it have lasted until she had had to leave, when she would never see them again, never seen him again? She could have carried a torch and she would have been so happy to be ignorant of Betty.
And how, how had Tony's few words ruined everything so completely? So very completely. She was a stupid twenty four year old who hadn't even gotten her master's degree yet. She was surrounded by genius and by strength and by heroes and she had thought she could play along, become one of them.
It wasn't true.
So when Steve had come in, she had been hitting a punching bag with puffy red eyes. And hitting it pretty lamely too. Her knuckles hurt and her wrist ached from jamming it and she could never make enough of an impact to move it.
Steve had been kind. He'd consoled her, and when she demanded it, he taught her how to throw a good punch.
When he asked who it was she was punching, since the punching bag somehow had to represent someone, she told him no one, and the minute he insisted that it wasn't true, she stopped punching and had gone to go back to running. She never really wanted to punch anyone. She had just been letting her frustrations out. Was that allowed? Or now that she was a part of a super hero team did she have to fight bad guys too? Well, sort of part of a super hero team, kind of like a water boy was a part of a football team. The water boy never had to be on the field though. He was on the sidelines. And this waterboy wasn't going to be part of the team forever. She would go back to chess club, or whatever the equivalent of real life was comparatively.
When Steve let it drop after Stephanie had walked away, not willing to put a face to the bag, for fear of what that face might turn out to be, she had gone back and practiced throwing punches at the bag with him again, trying to remember to use all of her body, instead of only her arms, which were weak, though he was too nice to say so that bluntly.
"Same time tomorrow?" he asked at midnight, when they had finally given up to exhaustion. Or, more accurately, she had given up to exhaustion. He was still probably pumped and ready to go.
"Sure, if you'll teach me how to kick too," she grinned.
"How is your balance?" he questioned, and then he pushed her.
She stumbled, and then looked back, realizing she had failed a test of some sort as he shook his head with a smile. "Pretty pathetic," she said sarcastically, hands on hips.
"Can't be as pathetic as your left hook," he teased, and she grimaced at him. "We'll see tomorrow."
She had slept easily after she had showered, and today she was much sorer than she had ever remembered ever being, ever. Her arms didn't feel like lifting at all. And the soreness kept so many thoughts at bay that she just wasn't ready to think about or deal with. And if excursion kept thoughts away, she would have to exercise all the more.
Because standing here with Pepper was not helping anything.
She was too keen on letting her thoughts slip to the lab downstairs, to thinking about how things were progressing with serums and such, or if they were making any progression at all. Would they call in Dr. McCoy soon? If he was the expert she hoped he was coming. She didn't want to have to spend her time stuck hiding from Br- from him.
She didn't think she could do it for very long. His presence was so kind, so inviting, warm and-
But he was taken. He and Betty would probably be together now that he had an infallible cure. Married, even.
And she wouldn't begrudge him that.
She was being silly. Silly. She would get over him, over this. It would happen. She just needed time. Time healed all wounds, as the saying went.
She found herself rubbing that same spot on her arm where two days before Tony had injected her with whatever it was. She had determined it was a small capsule by its shape, and it itched often. Sometime though, it got hot in her skin. She would panic, afraid it would burn a hole right through her arm, but then it would cool immediately. Still though, she had to catch her breath, and wonder if she could catch Tony sometime when he was not with Bruce or Pepper and demand that he take it out.
"Miss Potts, the wedding photographers are here," Jarvis said from overhead, calling Stephanie to attention. She had to shake herself away from deeper thoughts.
"Send them up Jarvis," Pepper nodded, half brushing the designer off, and the wedding planner stepped up to her side to take the designer's place.
Jarvis was already responding, "I already have. Miss Potts-."
"Hi," Pepper stepped towards the elevator door as it opened, cutting Jarvis off, and then frowned as four people stepped off, looking to the leader of the new group. Stephanie followed, listening as Pepper said, "I thought you said there would be only three photographers."
"He's just here on commission. He does good work." The lead photographer patted a kid on the back, making him come forward. The kid was tall, gawky, like he hadn't fully grown into himself yet, but was close. Thin too. Ridiculously thin.
"Oh, good," Pepper nodded cordially, "What's your name?" she asked politely.
"Peter Parker. You've got a beautiful home, tower-," and then he took a breath to keep himself in check, before finishing with a cocky grin, "Place."
"Thank you Mr. Parker," Pepper smiled back, amused, and Stephanie couldn't help but smile too. Funny kid. "Alright, if you follow me this way, I'll show you the room we're using."
"Not a church?"
"No, Mr. Parker, not a church," Pepper smiled. Stephanie glowered at the kid, though he was immediately abashed for speaking out loud. That was a personal question, and he had no business asking it. Impertinent much? "Tony, isn't- religious."
"And after he worked alongside a god and everything," Stephanie muttered under her breathe as she made to follow Pepper and the gang, but something caught her eye.
She spotted Mr. Impertinent Peter Parker slip away out of the corner of her eye, and followed him with her eyes as he went back the other way. He looked back their way momentarily, and met her gaze, freezing on the spot. She set her mouth, made to turn to catch him.
"Stephanie if you want to go, you don't have to stick around for this part."
Pepper had caught her off guard. She half smiled, her eyes flickering to find Peter Parker again, "Right- of course." He had headed around the corner to the elevators, and out of sight.
"But you can stay if you want." Pepper sounded worried, like she had been offensive somehow.
Stephanie was quick to assure her otherwise, "No, no, that's alright," she was smiling, already backing away, "I'll see you later."
Pepper nodded, and went back to her photography group. Which was one short. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the elevator doors close just before she could reach them.
She frowned, biting her lip, pushing for the other elevator to head downwards, "Jarvis?"
"Yes Miss Steph?" Jarvis answered promptly.
"That press photographer? He's sneaking around the building."
"Yes." Jarvis must have found him on the elevator heading downwards, "I will call security."
"No," Stephanie said, almost to her own surprise, "Can you just tell me where he is? I'll take a whack at him." And she did want to take a whack at him. Stupid photographer had no right to snoop around the tower, not while he was supposed to be preparing to photograph the wedding.
"He's on an elevator," Jarvis replied, sounding anxious as she stepped into the elevator that opened for her, "Are you sure, Miss Steph?"
"Yea-," and then she thought about how she had no way to detain him if he wasn't cooperative. "Is Steve around?" she inquired. Back up would be nice.
"Yes Miss Steph. He's upstairs, reading."
She smiled, imagining Steve trying to figure out the tablet that held so many books on it. He probably didn't know how to use the search engine. She could almost see him pound at it in frustration, and then feel guilt when he realized what he had done. "Send him my way, if you could, please?"
"Of course, Miss Steph."
"Thank you Jarvis," she smiled, and then realized she didn't even know what floor this Peter Parker was going to, "What level is he heading to?"
"Why- the laboratory where Master Stark and Dr. Bann-," but Jarvis stopped speaking, and then said, "Protocol requires me to stop the elevator Miss Steph."
So she wasn't going to get a whack at him after all. She sighed into a wall as her elevator began to descend, "I understand."
But Jarvis broke in with a note of apprehension in his voice, "He's, climbing, Miss Steph. He's climbing down."
"What?" Stephanie stood straight, taking her hands out of her pockets.
"He's descending through the elevator shaft," Jarvis stated more clearly.
Stephanie frowned, confused, shaking her head, "But he must be- a hundred and ten stories up-."
"A hundred and seven now, a hundred and three," Jarvis counted down. The man jumped down four stories at once.
"What is this guy, an acrobat?"
Was he crazy? Or worse?
But the kid had seemed harmless. She hadn't gotten a bad read offa him. But then, who was she, to think she could read people? She was just Stephanie Haven, girl from nowhere Utah. He was jumping four stories for no apparent reason other than to get down to the lab. That sounded sinister enough to her.
And yet-
They stopped, and the elevator doors opened onto the lab.
Something landed on top of the elevator, lightly, but enough that Stephanie noticed, and looked up. Narrowing her eyes, she twisted her mouth at the ceiling of the elevator. The acrobat was obviously not here for wedding photography if he was willing to risk his neck like this.
"Are you going to come into the elevator, or are you going to wait until I get off?" Stephanie demanded, folding her arms.
"Probably wait until you get off," came a voice through the ceiling that wasn't Jarvis.
Stephanie half smiled, despite herself. This guy had guts. And for some stupid reason she found herself liking him.
"You shouldn't be running around in elevator shafts you know," she hissed, trying to sound angry, "It's really dangerous."
"Yeah, you almost took me out," came the sarcastic reply breezily.
She was horrified, "I did? I'm sor-."
"Please tell me you're not that blonde secretary from upstairs," he moaned. "I really don't have time for this-."
She bristled, "What's wrong with being blonde?"
"Stephanie?"
It was like someone had knocked into her with a battering ram, instead of just saying her name aloud. But her name from his mouth left her breathless and woefully unprepared as Bruce came forward, pulling off his glasses. Such a look of hope in his eyes-
And she had nothing to defend herself with. She hadn't mentally prepared herself for seeing him, for hearing his voice. She should have thought about this, about seeing him again, because despite this tower being 100 plus stories they were bound to bump into each other, whether it be with coffee cups or otherwise. And she was trapped there, literally stuck to the spot as she reeled, held upright in those bright eyes, and did she catch a look of sorrow there, worry, concern? Not for her, surely, she was being absolutely,- ridiculous.
So she was happy when the trance was broken by Tony.
"What are you doing down here, Angel Face?" he wanted to know, wearing a black wife-beater and looking miffed that they'd been interrupted. His circle of light on his chest glowed, and she felt bad for wanting to stab it with a fork. He probably had spares anyways, but, she shouldn't be this mean to her host-
But as he spoke she saw something that stopped her heart. Camera dangling from his neck, Stephanie watched as the acrobatic photographer crawled across the ceiling. She realized too late she'd been asked a question, and looked down to Tony to try and answer it, "Oh, nothing- I. I-. Think-." She opened her mouth to tell him about the guy hanging by his fingertips on the ceiling when he interrupted her.
"You keep working on that," Tony patted her cheek patronizingly as he turned away, "Let us do the real thinking." He made to pull Bruce away, back to work.
She scowled at him angrily, remembering now why she wanted to fork his energy circle, but her eyes watched as Peter Parker paused, and examined- the jet pack! The one that had been used in the air port and had started this whole mess.
He descended slowly, as though suspended in mid-air, and was hanging by a thread, literally, as Tony and Bruce looked around. "Ah-!" she yelled, and she had both of their attentions, and Peter's, who caught her looking at him, and dropped to the ground behind the table, out of sight.
She looked back to Tony, and Bruce, who were looking at her in puzzlement (to put it kindly on Tony's behalf) and made a split decision, because a bad guy wouldn't talk to you after he ninja'd his way down an elevator shaft would he?
"Anthony Stark!" she marched up to him, frowning, "You are the biggest-," and she paused when she saw a hand come up over the edge of the table with the jetpack on it, before she went on, "jerk on the face of the planet. And I suggest," and she yelled this part to get it clear to Peter Parker, "You get out!" and when she met Tony's eyes again she saw the confusion and anger, and was immediately bashful, "Of my way," and then she saw the hand snag a bit of the jetpack, "before I call security-." She saw Peter's head pop up as he finally understood. The weird sentences, messages were meant for him.
"Excuse me?" Tony stepped forward, forcing her to look at him as he glared at her with incredulity.
Bruce touched her shoulder, "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," she said, retreating slightly, out of his touch, "But if you don't meet me upstairs I'm going to get really upset." Peter Parker nodded once at her, puzzled expression on his face. He was puzzled? She was more confused than he was. She was covering for him major. And she didn't know why. Except- that she liked him. A gut decision. Which was weird, and motherly, and – what was she doing again?
Tony was annoyed, but tried to play it off, "What did you give her, Doc?" he clapped Bruce around the shoulders, "And where can I score some?"
Bruce shook his head, pushing his way out of Tony's reach, but was trying to peer into her eyes again, "Nothing, nothing I swear. Stephanie,-."
"No I'm ok. Sorry," Stephanie was back pedaling, escaping, refusing to look into his face.
As she turned, though, he touched her, caught her arm, and all the sudden she was only tense knots, as she looked back around to him.
Bruce held her elbow, as though he was afraid she was falling, and she was falling. But not in the way that he thought, "Let me help you to your room-."
Her room, where he'd slept by her bed to make sure she was alright.
No, to keep her blood safe. Without her, there was no cure for him. No way for him to be with Betty.
A defense came up, angry and bitter as she tugged herself free, "I can get myself there, thanks."
He stepped back as he stammered, "Al-alright."
And he sounded so confused.
Oh, this wasn't fair to him, to avoid him when he hadn't done anything wrong. It wasn't his fault that he was in love with someone else, had been in love with someone else for years. He had thought they were friends, and here she was bitter and biting when he had brought her here, had kept her safe from Eye Patch and his gang, even thwarting Tony for her sake so she was safe. He'd been kind, and she'd been mean in return.
She got back into the elevator, completely morose and forgetting that she had something else to worry about.
The elevator doors closed, and someone dropped from the ceiling. If she'd been in a right mind she might have screamed, or might not have, but she didn't. The thought didn't even cross her mind. She still hung her head.
"Wow."
"Wow what?" she snapped at Peter Parker. It was his fault she had seen him. His fault that she had gone to the lab in the first place. She was allowed to be mad at someone who was a thief, wasn't she?
"What was that?" Peter sounded sarcastic.
"I was keeping you from getting tossed into jail," she frowned at his feet, folding her arms, lips pursed.
"I can handle myself," he sounded cocky, shrugging into himself comfortably, and she saw a half grin on his face.
She glared up at him, "Oh really? What are you, fifteen?" He looked young, with dark hair and dark eyes. He looked like he should be hanging out with kids at the mall or something. What did city kids do with their time, anyways?
"Twenty two," he corrected, with a spark of anger in his eyes.
Oh. But still. She just wanted to thrash him, to lash out, at someone, anyone, and this kid was closest. Even if he wasn't a kid, or whatever, "Did you know this place is the most high tech building in all of New York? All the world, maybe?" He was looking at the ground, leaning back and forth, nodding at the floor.
"An argument could be made that Oscorp-," he tried to interject.
She cut him off, because Oscorp was known to have slimeballs for business dealers and frauds for scientists. Wasn't it something, like five, six years ago? That one of their guys had turned themselves into a lizard to try to re-grow his arm or something? It was around the time that Spider guy had run around New York for a bit, but then Iron Man had come into the picture, and stolen the show, like he always did. "Well Jarvis knew where you were the whole time."
"Jarvis?" Peter sounded puzzled, and a little cautious.
"The computer program that runs Stark Tower," she explained dryly.
Peter looked up and around, blinking, "It- knew where I was the whole time?" he asked, looking nervous.
"Yes he knew," she smiled confident that she'd shaken this idiot into his right mind, and pushed a button for the elevator to start, "And where did you learn stunts like that? I mean, running around Stark Tower is gutsy, but jumping down an elevator shaft when the elevator stops working?" he was looking truly nervous now, as though he didn't know what to do with her, "And climbing on the ceiling-."
That caught him completely off guard, "You saw that?"
"How could I not see it? Your camera was dangling out of nowhere," she gestured widely, "How did you do it?"
"Do what?" he was pretending now. She wasn't going to have any of that from a smart mouth kid.
"Don't play dumb," she snapped, "Or innocent. I can still call security you know." The elevator door opened to the first floor, where people were milling about in and out. Only the top ten floors were private, and a few floors were for experimentation, but the rest of this building? Steve had only shown her part of it. Of course it made sense that people worked here.
He paused as she stepped out, "Wha- wait, where are we going?"
Stephanie grabbed him out of the elevator, "You're going back to campus, kid."
The elevator door closed behind him as he frowned, tugging away from her roughly, "Kid? You've got to be like, three years youngerthan me?"
"I'm twenty four," she corrected him, feeling old as she said it, mouth pursed.
"Two years older than me," he rolled his eyes, before he narrowed them, leaning forward, "You'd think Tony Stark would want a girl with, you know," and he gestured to make a large chest, "for a secretary."
She scowled, folding her arms over her chest self consciously, "First off I'm not a secretary, and second off he's getting married."
"What for real?" he blinked, "Tony Stark is getting married."
"Yeah, and she's way too-," and as he gestured at the camera, she realized too late that he had been sarcastic as he held up his camera. He was here as a wedding photographer. She shook her head at him, "You're a punk."
He grinned, standing straighter at the title, putting his hands in his pockets, "So what are you doing here? Who are you?"
"I'm Stephanie Haven. I'm here- for the time being." How long that time being was she didn't know. And he wasn't supposed to be asking the questions! "And I could ask you the same question."
"I'm Peter Parker. I'm here as a commissioned photographer." Oh so funny. This kid was going to get her newly reformed left hook if he didn't cut it out.
"And?" she wanted to know.
"And what?"
She put her hands on her hips, "And what did you steal that piece of the jetpack for?"
"I didn't steal anything," he lied. He twitched at something, looking over his shoulder, paranoid. Totally. Lying.
She didn't particularly like liars. She narrowed her eyes at him, "Are you working with the guy who used that jetpack?"
"What?" he was taken aback, stepping away from her as though reeling, "No, no! I'm on one of the good guys."
She'd thought so- but just because he said it didn't prove anything, "Right. So what did you need that piece of the jetpack for?"
"It- had a symbol on it," he relented, a hand jerking to his pocket.
Stephanie knew it immediately, "A hammer."
"Yeah." He sounded surprised that she had known as he pulled it out reflexively. She made a face. Just because she was blonde didn't mean she was entirely useless. And she hated how pop culture had created the horrible stereotype for blondes; either a blonde was a villainess, or she was the obnoxious, stupid, pointless side person. Stephanie knew she wasn't the first and was pretty sure she wasn't the later. Unless she was talking to Tony Stark.
"Do you know who's symbol it is? What it represents?" she asked him, earnest. If they could get to the bottom of this, now, then it would save them a lot of trouble after they figured out how to turn the chemical in her blood into a serum. They wouldn't have to go interrogate the bad guy.
He shook his head, his eyes flicking around, "Not yet," and his eyes grew dark as they set on something, not there but in the distance, a storm sparking in them, "But I've got some idea who's behind it all."
Intriguing. Peter Parker was intriguing. He obviously had a past of some sort, training too if the acrobatics were anything to do with it. "Who is behind it all?" she encouraged, hoping to induce something out of him, "There's more to this?"
"Yes," Peter Parker looked over his shoulder, and then over her shoulder, unsettled, and she could sense, ready for action. She tensed.
"Well it was nice to meet you, Stephanie Haven, but I have some business to attend to-." And with that he leapt clean over her, and was pushing the button of the elevator as she turned, mouth gaping.
"Hey! Wait-!" she managed before the elevator doors slid open.
And revealed Steve.
He looked down at Peter, who was looking back at Stephanie with a cocky grin as he walked straight into him. Peter bumped, and stumbled backwards. "What do you think you're doing, son?" Steve asked in a great authoritative voice. Stephanie would have imagined it would be able to stir crowds in the 40s to fight Nazis.
"Oh," Peter looked up at Steve, surprised and now unsure, his shoulders jerking away as he gave a false grin that showed his bottom teeth, "Hi."
Steve easily picked him up by the front of his shirt, letting Peter's feet dangle off the ground, "Bye," he nodded to him slightly, confidently. And he made to take Peter to the exit.
Peter scrambled to get their attention, trying to free himself of Steve's hold on his front "Look I'm just trying to find out who that guy with the jet pack was! I think I found a lead on who is behind it-!"
Stephanie stepped forward, no longer a spectator, "Who?"
Steve paused, looking to her doubtfully, "Steph, who is this guy?" he asked as he held her aloft.
"He's-."
"My name's Peter Parker," Peter said in a rush over her, trying to pry Steve's fingers away. Who did this guy think he was? This was Captain America for goodness' sakes- but Peter seemed surprised about how strong Steve's grip was. Oh that's right. Not everyone knew who Captain America was. She was on the inside now. How weird.
"Steve Rogers." Steve returned the courtesy politely. Steve was polite. She'd always liked that about him. "You have a lead on the man that attacked Stark Tower," he prompted.
"Sort of," Peter quibbled, but Steve held him higher, a sterner look coming over his face, and Peter was more compliant, "I-I-I mean that he's linked to something bigger-."
"Who's your lead?" Steve asked this time.
Peter sighed, and then a determined look, that same storm in his eye fired up, "Oscorp."
"Oscorp?" Stephanie was taken aback. Sure slimeballs worked there, and mad scientists, but to arrange an attack against Stark tower so blatantly? Gutsy move, yeah? Did people in New York City do that?
Stacks of newspapers and news feed said they did. It was odd to be in a place that held this amount of crime. It reminded her of how very real it was, not just a picture in the paper or thirty five seconds of time on the nine o'clock news.
But- a hammer wasn't the Oscorp symbol. Maybe it was an Oscorp associate, and he was looking to trace them back together?
"The science company that rivals Stark Industries?" Steve was surprised to by the sound of it.
"Yes." And Peter's confidence was eerie, even as he dangled several inches off of the ground. She had to question it.
"What makes you think it was Oscorp? They have a different symbol than a hammer, don't they?" she pointed out to him.
"They do," Peter did his best to turn to her, but there was kind of a fist in the way. He pointed his finger at Steve as he tried to pry himself free with the other nine, "But hey, can you get him to put me down?"
She looked to Steve, who nodded at her, but before he put him down, he glowered, "If you run again the next time I put you down it'll be in pieces." And he dropped him.
Stephanie stepped back- what dark depth had that threat come from?
Peter didn't even seem fazed. He unwrinkled his shirt as best he could, staggering away from Steve towards Stephanie, "Alright, sheesh." He looked to her, "And can we go back up to my tour group? I don't want to lose my job."
"Tour group?" Steve was confused.
"He's here as a wedding photographer," Stephanie told him with half a shrug as Peter tapped his camera cheekily. She gave the kid an exasperated look as she punched the button for the elevator.
"What's he doing down here?" Steve asked, keeping a close eye on Peter as they all stepped into the elevator. Peter was careful to keep Stephanie between them as he did so.
"It's a long story," Stephanie sighed as the elevator doors slid shut. She turned to Peter, hand out, "Look, you have to give me back that metal piece."
"Why?" Like a two year old demanding why he couldn't keep the toy. He'd fit in brilliantly with Tony. Maybe too brilliantly.
She twisted her mouth, "They'll notice it missing." And sullenly he handed it back to her, mouth off angled in a pouty sort of way. She shook her head at him, and with an encouraging smile she left her palm open, "Here, take a few pictures of it."
He was surprised at that, and half grinned up at her brightly, "Alright." He grabbed hold of his camera, and started snapping away, turning it this way and that. Stephanie stood there patiently.
"Why are you so willing to help this guy?" Steve muttered in her ear as he did this.
"Yeah, why are you helping me?" Peter asked out loud as he continued to look through his camera lens.
"It," and she didn't know how to explain it, because she didn't know herself. Her gut instinct? Was that so wrong? The fact that this kid looked like he was eighteen instead of twenty two? Why? Why had she done it? "was a split decision. Sort of. Thing. I don't know." But she cocked her head at the kid, "But I'm not sorry I did."
And Peter paused to give her a half grin, but there was more than cockiness to it this time. Had she detected- trust there?
Steve was not happy with Peter eavesdropping. He stepped in closer to Stephanie, "He could be-."
"One with the Dark Side of the Force," Peter cut in as he stood up straight, done with picture taking. Stephanie snorted outright. Steve was left in the dust, and annoyed with it. Peter continued, "Well, for one, if I were, wouldn't I have wreaked a whole lot more havoc or something?" The kid did have a point. "And two, would I be giving you all this information?"
"But you're not giving us all this information," Stephanie pointed out.
"I'll explain later," he said as the elevator door opened. He turned to see her sarcastic glare. He held his hands up, "No I seriously will. I just want to keep this job." He jerked his thumb back towards where they had come, "Look, we can meet for coffee sometime. Tomorrow?"
"Where?" Stephanie wanted to know.
"Here's the address," Peter pulled a wadded up piece of paper from his pocket, along with a pen, and scrawled something out in a hurry, "Come alone. I don't want to have to explain to body guard here what's going on."
Steve already wasn't happy. Why'd he have to go and jibe at him more? "Son,-."
Stephanie interjected, "Steve should come. He's knows the city, and I don't."
Peter made a face, before shrugging it off, half staggering away amusedly, "Fine, whatever." He was about to hand her the paper when-
"Where have you been?"
It was his boss.
Oh no.
Peter was immediately abashed, "I'm sorry-."
"It's my fault," Stephanie said smoothly, stepping up, hands behind her back to hide the metal jet pack piece. "I-I wanted his opinion on some of my own photography."
Stupid! Not a good enough excuse! She could read it in his boss's eyes.
He looked back at Peter, "This is a job-."
"No it really is my fault," she inserted, now level with Peter and his boss, "Please don't get mad at him, or- or fire him. He's really good with a camera. Pepper, you'd miss some great photo ops if he doesn't come back." She gave Pepper an imploring look.
"I know," Pepper smiled, and graciously stepped to Stephanie's side, "I'm sorry, you haven't been properly introduced. This is my dear friend, Stephanie- she's filling in for my maid of honor who couldn't be here today." She smiled broadly.
He looked at Stephanie with more respect, it seemed, "Oh a pleasure, miss."
"So we agree? He'll still be here to photograph the wedding?" Pepper nodded once at the boss encouragingly, and, was that a hint of a threat too? Barely there in her eyes? As though she would be upset if things didn't go her way?
The boss seemed to see it, too, "Yes- yes of course."
Pepper, how are you such a genius? Stephanie beamed, and Peter seemed to sigh into a more relaxed stance. The kid was lithe, she could tell even just how he stood.
"That's a relief," Pepper's predatorily hint was gone, and she was content again. What a pro. Stephanie wondered how she did it. "I think I was showing you to the elevator."
"Ah yes," and the photographers made to leave.
Peter nodded at Pepper graciously, "Thank you, Miss Potts."
"Thank you Mr. Parker," Pepper smiled at him, nodding back respectfully, "I don't think I've seen Stephanie smile that brightly in days now."
Stephanie twisted her mouth. Had she really been that pouty?
"Stephanie," he nodded at her.
"Peter." She smiled at him, before half turning, "What time?"
"I'm free for lunch," he shrugged.
She nodded. She was free all the time. She looked at him through shrewd eyes, "You'd better be there."
"I will." He told her with cocky conviction, and she felt the paper press into her palm. He swiveled around so he faced forward in the elevator, and then, with a flicker of a wave, he and the photography team, were gone.
Pepper had already moved on, was talking to the planner and the designer as they paced into the wedding room, which left Stephanie standing next to Steve with the paper in her hand.
"Steph what was that about?" he asked her imperatively.
She turned. He had come to her rescue, and then had been left in the dust. She looked up at him, sincerely hoping he wasn't upset, because she couldn't handle losing another one. "Don't be mad."
He shook his head, "I'm not mad." And he looked into her eyes, "You went on your instincts. A good trait." He patted her on the back, and smiled at her.
"It can be a bad one," she twisted her mouth, but was relieved, because he wasn't mad. He was proud. She smiled at her shoes as they got into the elevator, and looked at the paper in her hands. She fiddled to get it open. "What did you think of him?"
He stopped, narrowing his eyes as the elevator door shut, taking more of a stance as he did so. He covered his mouth with one of his hands, and then, with half a smile said, "He's- one of us."
She blinked, and smiled as he approved her judgment. She'd made the right call then! Because there was no way Captain America's instincts could be wrong, "A good guy then?"
"A good guy," he smiled at her innocent phrase, "Though a little young for you-."
She made an appalled face, "Ew, Steve!" and she smacked him. It hurt her knuckles. "He was like twelve!" And while he hadn't been twelve, she saw him that way- like the way Steve was that older brother she'd never had, and Peter was categorized similarly, something like a kid brother, shuffling around in his pumped up kicks and all. Tony was that obnoxious uncle, and his only redeeming quality was the woman he was marrying, Pepper, who was amazing and wonderful. And Bruce-
No, he wasn't a relative.
But maybe she should make him one. Maybe then it would be easier to forget that she lov-
And then she realized how stupid it was to categorize these people at all. These were the Avengers! And Peter. Somehow that kid had to fit into this mess somewhere.
Steve was still snickering at his joke, "I know." And for some reason he sobered up. She peered up at him curiously, before he tentatively tried, "Have you talked to Dr. Banner-?"
She looked away from him immediately, staring at the silver doors, "No, I haven't."
He pried further, "What happened, Steph?"
"What do you mean?" she queried in a tone that said she really didn't want to know what he meant, staring straight ahead.
"The other night, at dinner," he prompted as the elevator doors opened.
"Nothing," and she would have stuck with that had Steve not caught her shoulder and spun her to face him. She twisted her mouth, not making eye contact. "Ok, it's complicated- or it's not complicated." She touched her head, not sure how to unscramble the mess.
"That makes it a whole lot clearer, Steph." His tone was obviously sarcastic as he tried to look into her face.
She shook her head at him, walking away, "Don't tease me, ok?"
"Miss Steph," Jarvis said politely, "Master Stark is calling for you."
"Tell him to shove it," she said viciously, stalking towards her room.
"Geez," Steve said in surprise, and stopped next to her door, "And I thought I didn't like him."
Jarvis spoke up again, "Miss Steph, he's insisting."
"Tell him I'll talk to him later, ok?" she told the ceiling as she opened the door. But of course she wasn't going to talk to him later. Not ever, if she could help it. Especially not when she felt like forking his circle of light.
"He says if you don't come down he will come and get you." Jarvis sounded cautionary and exasperated at the conversation.
Stephanie scoffed, "Oh yeah? I want to see him try." She stepped through to her room, and said, "See you later, Steve."
"But Steph-." And she shut the door.
All she wanted to do was figure out where the meeting place for tomorrow was. She sat cross legged on her bed, and unfolded the paper. It had some old gum folded hastily into an edge which she "ewwed" at, but there was an address scrawled there.
She put it on the bed, and next to it she laid the distorted piece of metal with the hammer symbol on it. A lead, and a clue. She flattened out the bedspread around them, making it smooth.
"Jarvis, can you bring up a screen?"
One appeared before her, opaque and with a search bar. She smiled. Stark Tower was so cool.
"Can you search for this address?" she held up the paper with the old gum and address on it.
"Yes, Miss Steph," Jarvis said kindly, and an image on the screen appeared of an outdoor café. It turned out to be a camera feed, which she realized as people milled about, and girls came out to ask for orders, "Also, Miss Steph, Master Stark is-."
She cut him off, not wanting to hear about "Master Stark". "Is it close?"
"Yes Miss Steph," and a route on the screen appeared in red, from Stark Tower to the address.
It wasn't far. She smiled at the ceiling, "Thank you Jarvis-."
Jarvis sounded a little frantic as he interrupted, "Miss Steph, he's-."
And Tony came barreling through the door, walking directly for her. "-nobody in my house can just refuse me anything, Jarvis. That's not how it works-."
"But sir,-."
And before she could even register anything happening, Tony had hauled her over his shoulder, tossing her like a sack of potatoes, and was leaving.
She caught her breath, "Put me down!" she demanded in a strangled, outraged voice as he closed the door behind them, "Anthony Stark I swear-."
He bumped her up on his shoulder, "Also, I hate to be called Anthony."
"Put me down now!" she commanded, trying to kick her way out of his grip, but it was strong as he walked with her nonchalantly down the hallway to the elevator.
"Sir!" Jarvis protested as Tony pushed the button to descend.
"What the hell is going on here-?" Steve's voice came out of nowhere as she heard jogging footsteps. She tried to turn and see, but, oh, wait, Tony's fat head was in the way. She kicked all the harder, shrieking defiantly.
"Go back to the gym, soldier," Tony said dismissively as he made to get on the elevator.
"Stark-!" shouted Steve as she glimpsed him, before Tony turned and she was facing the stupid steel wall.
"Jarvis, the doors."
And they slid shut on Steve's face. Stephanie pounded his back angrily, furiously. How dare he? How dare this world class barbarian force her to go anywhere? She would stab his light circle- no, too violent. She would sue for harassment, and take him for everything he was worth! This was infuriating, and humiliating, and how dare he!
"Sir if you would-," Jarvis tried when they had been descending for a moment.
"If she had behaved like a rational adult and come down when I had asked, this wouldn't be a problem," Tony gestured to the elevator.
"You don't get to boss me around-!" she yowled.
"If you weren't acting like a sulky five year old I wouldn't have to," he told her as the doors to the elevator slid open, "But, as it is."
"Tony!" and she heard something glass drop to a counter as Bruce came to her rescue.
"Hi," Tony told him as they passed, Bruce staring on in open horror.
"Put me down this-," and he deposited her unceremoniously on a table, when she landed hard, "Oof!"
"Now," he stepped forward, and leaned into her face with a false smile, "explain why there is an engineered spider thread hanging from the ceiling of my lab."
She glowered at him, not really caring what was in his stupid lab, "A what?"
"An engineered spider web," and then he made his voice slow and little, like he was talking to a child, "It a string that comes out of a spider's a-."
She stopped him before he continued, "No, I get what a spider web is."
And blinked.
Something- clicked. Inside her head.
A spider's web where Peter had been dangling- a spider's web?
But Spiderman was believed to be dead, or had hung up the mask, or something. Peter Parker was only twenty two- he couldn't be Spiderman. It meant that he would have been something like sixteen, seventeen when he fought Lizard man? That couldn't be right. A high school kid fending off a villain like that? Spiderman had stuck around for a few months after Lizard man,-until Tony Stark-. Tony had taken over the super hero of New York gig, and Spiderman had faded into the back ground.
Was Peter Spiderman?
That would be interesting to bring up over coffee tomorrow.
Stupid of him to leave such an obvious clue in the middle of Tony Stark's main lab. If he really was Spiderman, he was rusty.
"Tony, she doesn't have anything to do with this," Bruce inserted, stepping forward, and catching her eyes. No- no not again.
"It was here after she left," Tony pointed out. And he was probably right.
She had to cover for him, "Just because you've got problems with your cleaning lady-."
"Angel Face," Tony leaned in closer, "I don't think you grasp the concept." He thought she was dense. "Engineered. Meaning man-made."
She wasn't dense, she was bluffing, "Stark, I really don't know why there's a spider web on your ceiling. I'll go get a duster if it'll help."
"It's based off of something created by Oscorp, a type of tiny cable that can hold an extraordinary amount of weight," Bruce said, pulling up pictures of the Oscorp cable as he spoke so that Stephanie had to twist around to look at them, "And then made to become sticky, like a spider's web." He had an image of a thread enhanced by pulling at an edge of the picture, and then flung it to the center, "It's actually a brilliant idea." The lilt in his voice expressed his excitement as he grabbed images from mid air with only his finger tips and flung them towards the middle so they overlapped each other.
"I hate bugs," Tony said quietly as he stepped up around the table to take a closer look at the images. He grabbed hold of several with his fingers and flung them out so he could examine the middle one. "And this one is particularly creative," he said slowly, to himself.
She could see them going back into work mode, and leaving her behind again. Ah, yes, she remembered that first day of testing like it was yesterday. Oh wait. It had been almost yesterday. Four days ago, actually.
She wanted to leave. She didn't want to stay there and watch them work. It was not something she would put up with again now that certain facts had come to light, and she had already been close enough to Bruce for too long, his presence was infiltrating her senses. Her barriers weren't thick enough. But she was almost sure that Tony wouldn't let her go after carrying her down here like that. Well she could at least try to make a break for it. She slid off of the table top, "Well if you expect me to have figured out how to fabricate a spider web-."
"Um, no, I don't think you figured it out," Tony told her without looking away from the images, folding one arm, and propping an elbow up on his folded arm so he could stroke his weird goatee.
"Then what are you saying?" she demanded, waiting for him to make her stay. This time she was going to hit him. It really was going to happen.
"Leave."
She paused mid step, and turned around. "What?"
"I don't need you anymore," his tone was dismissive, matter of fact.
"You didn't need me in the first place!" she raged, infuriated.
He had humiliated her by dragging her down here, and then she hadn't even been worth the fuss. What, did he just want to dramatize everything in life? Or was it because she had told him to shove it that he had had to take it up as a challenge? He had just wanted everyone to know he always won, no matter what! Self centered, egotistical brat of man! "You hauled me all the way down here-."
He interrupted evenly, "Jarvis get me a list of everyone who's entered Stark Tower today. I think we can narrow down that it was someone with a higher level of clearance," he turned away from the image as he spoke, walking towards her until he almost ran into her. She glowered up at him, mouth tight, fire burning in her eyes. "What are you still doing here?" he asked as he edged around her.
She turned on the spot to watch his retreating back, her hands balled into fists, "You've got to be the most infuriating guy-."
"Infuriating guy that has saved the world-." He added as he stopped at a microscope, pointing a finger as though to remind her.
She stalked up to him, "I don't care if you saved the world or not. I don't care how rich you are or how smart you are." She was trying to get in his face, but it wasn't very effective when the person was looking into a microscope, "It doesn't give you right to treat people like-."
And he stood up, to pat her cheek, "Uh, it gives me every right, Angel Face," he said in the most self satisfied, aggravating, egotistical tone she'd ever heard.
There was a slap.
It sent Stark reeling, stepping backwards as he clutched his face, looking appalled.
"No," she seethed, panting, "It doesn't."
It took her a moment to register that her hand was stinging, that adrenaline was running through her veins as though she were in fight or flight mode. And then she realized too late what had happened.
She had just slapped Tony Stark. The Tony Stark. The wealthy, powerful, Iron Man Tony Stark.
She looked to her hand, and then back at him, blanching.
She had never hit anyone- well, not since kindergarten- but, never. And she had just slapped one of the most influential men in probably the history of the world. Outright. Well if there was a place to start.
"I-." And then she turned to go. She couldn't say sorry. She didn't really mean it. She wouldn't apologize to him. She wouldn't.
"Why are you so mad at me? Is it because you overheard the other night at dinner?" and his voice made her pause. "That isn't my fault-."
How dare he bring that up?
"No," and she half turned to face him, anger half racing through her again, "it's because you continue to ridicule-."
And now Tony had caught up to her, hand over where he'd been hit, "So?"
She felt tears pricking in her eyes. Oh no not now. Not now when it was all so wrong, and so embarrassing and so absolutely awful. Her voice was strong though as she answered, "So just because you hate me-."
"Hate you?" he cut her off, wrinkling his nose in disgust, "Um, no, I don't hate you. Way to assume that you know everything though."
She faced him full on, her hands fists again, "You totally hate me-."
"No, see, if I hated you, you wouldn't be here," he told her, circling his finger at the floor.
But- it seemed like- he hated her- from the very beginning, she'd just assumed, because he was so rude to her.
"Uh huh," he said in an "I-Told-You-So" tone of voice as he saw the expression on her face.
And there was her hand print, bright red on his cheek. Guilt overwhelmed her, clenching her stomach.
"Actually," he said, backing away nonchalantly as he shrugged, "I think you're kind of funny."
Her eyes met his, and she was sorrowful. So sorrowful. She pressed her fist into her stomach with her other hand, trying to ease the awful feeling there, somehow.
She had been wrong, she had been so wrong.
"Yeah. Fun to tease, etcetera etcetera-," and he half smiled at her, and, was he trying to cheer her up? Because that's what his expression looked like, but that had to be wrong! He gestured outwards, "but I'm just saying this so maybe you'll stop acting like an easily offended teenager and you realize that I always win-." And while his smile was cocky she also registered that he didn't mean it, that he was only trying to goad an annoyed smile out of her, which came readily, "And that you're still in my lab after I asked you to leave." And she realized she'd been planted there, watching him. And she realized, yeah, he was a jerk, yeah, but she had to deal with it. Not because he was making her, but because really, deep down, she liked him. She really did, even if he was a pro at pushing buttons. Well it had worked too well this time, Tony Stark, she felt like saying aloud, but he was already talking, "So don't make me repeat myself again. Go." And he shooed towards the elevator, "Away."
She twisted her mouth ruefully at him, before heading back the way she came, "Jerk," she muttered.
"What was that?" he asked, and she smiled, annoyed still, "That's right, keep walking."
"You didn't need to be so mean to her." She creaked to a stop at Bruce's voice, wrenching.
He had been there- the whole time.
The light hearted feeling that had just been comprehend was instantly gone.
Bruce had watched her – the whole time.
She forced herself to push the button on the elevator, her shoulders rigid.
"Still, big guy? Still?" Tony's voice sounded incredulous.
"Yes still," Bruce murmured, his tone hushing itself so she barely heard.
"You've got to be joking-," Tony was stammering with indignation, "She just hit me. Did you- You saw that, right?"
"Yes, I saw it."
Did she detect a smile in his tone?
She didn't dare look.
The elevator doors opened, and she stood straight, walking into the elevator and resolving not to look around until they had closed behind her.
"And still-?"
"Yes still-," and Bruce snapped angrily this time.
The elevator doors shut, and she sighed, leaning against one wall for support.
The fact that that had all just happened in real life was still processing in her brain. She'd slapped Tony, and then he'd made sure they kissed and made up before he kicked her out again. He didn't hate her, he just was a self centered, obnoxious, obscene, self serving brat.
And he had to have everyone he liked loving him, and only paying attention to him all the time or he got snippy. And because she hadn't like him right off the bat, he had teased, and argued, and ridiculed until she had slapped him. Hard.
Her hand still hurt.
"He's got to be the biggest jerk on the face of the planet," she grumbled out, because it was probably true, "Jarvis," she asked.
"Yes Miss Steph?" the voice came politely.
"You can't tell him about Peter."
Now Jarvis stuttered, "But I-."
"Please," she clasped her hands together in front of her, "He's the first lead we've got."
"Actually, I believe Master Stark has deduced-."
"Please, Jarvis? Please?" she begged.
"Alright, Miss Steph," he relented with a sigh, "I will not tell him about the acrobatics, though I am sure he will discover the identity of the person who left the spider web soon enough without my help."
"Just not until tomorrow," she added with a half smile of hope. She had a few questions to ask this alleged Spiderman, and she was going to be one step ahead of Tony Stark for the first time since all this had begun.
For now she was going to the gym. And the was going to learn how to box that punching bag right off its hinges, like Steve did.
A/N: Welcome Peter Parker to this crazy story! what did ya'll think?
Guys, I just really like Peter. I saw the movie (you should too) and he is part of the Avengers sometimes, and why else would they be doing a reboot now if it weren't for the Avengers? That's my theory on the matter. I thought I'd include him early, since Oscorp really is something to do with this plot.
For those of you wondering about Clint, and his Tasha, right now, and why I haven't added him quite yet, well, he's off in this story "Of Finding A Doctor" by InfinityLessThree. Go read it! It'll help clue you in.
Yes we are beginning to tandem write. Don't worry. It'll be fabulous! ;)
Your reviews are all so encouraging! I can't wait until I hear your feedback on this one! Love you all lots!
Till next time, dearies!