A Familiar Face
Several days pass with Christina keeping in contact with Peter, working hard to procure a spot for him in the laboratories.
Eventually the lab manager for her particular division, Calvin Ross, agreed after viewing Peter's inarguably impressive resume.
It was a chilly Saturday evening when Peter entered the lab for the very first time for a quick introductory course, and what he saw amazed him.
The lab itself was wondrous.
Gleaming, swathes of stainless steel, sleek black tiled floor, glare of fluorescent tube lighting suspended from steel rafters, floor to ceiling windows down one wall, geeks in white laboratory jump-suits and black framed glasses, eight foot high steel cylinders of chemicals, mass spectrometer, centrifuge, circuit boards, trays of assorted microchips, computers, electron microscope, wires, coffee machines, high tech biscuit dispenser with lots of buttons, soft classical music piped throughout, slight smell of disinfectant with heavier overlaid scent of morning coffee.
He was allowed to explore and study at his leisure.
Mister Ross even allowed Peter to see their cherry on top - a compressor able to, well, compress almost any feasible matter. Peter could hardly believe his eyes.
When he returned to Stark Tower's laboratory in hopes of telling Tony his amazing discovery, the older man interjected with, "You saw it, right?"
Peter stopped in his tracks, confused. "Saw what?"
"The compressor."
Peter blanks. "Oh - yeah. Why?"
Bruce pokes his head out of the almost-completed Time Leap Machine and says, "That's the final piece."
"You're gonna steal it," Tony smirks, patting the teenager's back.
"Pardon?"
"You. Are. Going. To. Steal. It," Tony repeats slowly, head swinging left to right with each word.
"I'm guessing by final piece you mean it'll make the time machine run, right?"
"We're hoping," Bruce nods, walking over with his trusted notepad in hand, hair ruffled and oily. "All calculations point to Horizon Labs being our saviour."
"So we developed a sneaky, sneaky plan for Spidey-Widey. Wanna hear?"
Peter throws his arms up, desperate for his chance to speak. "Woah, woah - time out. We're stealing, now? We can't just steal! We're - we're the Avengers! Like what even-"
"Fine. You don't have to steal the compressor," Tony agrees. "You just have to snatch the schematics."
Peter burrows his brows. "That is exactly the same as stealing the compressor! Just easier!"
"Fine. You don't have to steal the compressor," Tony speaks again, his voice sounding falsely sincere. "You just have to help us gain Christina Felter."
"So you can - what - build your own compressor?"
"Precisely. It's the least illegal option of the three. Pick your poison." Tony's white teeth shine brilliantly as his features erupt into a toothy grin which stretches from ear to ear.
Peter looks imploringly to Bruce, hoping for any other option. Unfortunately all that's reciprocated is a kind smile accompanied with a shrug.
Peter sighs.
"I'll find a way to get her help."