Meanwhile in Queens

A/N - Not really part of the story, but since Madison and Peter dated, I feel like Tony would use this to his advantage.

Peter unlocked the front door of the apartment he shared with his Aunt May.

May was sitting on the couch with a man.

"Hey, May," Peter greeted her.

"Hey. How was school today?"

"It was okay. This crazy car parked outside." Peter's eyes went wide as he saw Tony Stark sitting on his couch.

"Oh, Mr. Parker," Tony said.

"Wha…what are you doing…? Hey! Uh, I'm Peter."

"Oh, I know who you are. You dated Madison."

"Uh, yeah. How…how's she doing by the way?"

"Oh she's good. Fell in love with a guy whose sister tried to kill us, but you know how it goes."

"Oh. Oh, good. Good for her." Although it hurt Peter to know she was dating someone else, he was happy that she'd finally found someone right for her.

"It's about time we met."

"Yeah, yeah. I tried to get Madison to introduce us, but…"

"Why didn't you tell me about the grant?" May asked Peter.

"About the grant."

"The September Foundation," Tony supplied.

"Right."

"Yeah."

"Remember when you applied?"

"Yeah."

"I approved, so now we're in business."

"But you didn't tell me anything. What's up with that? You keeping secrets from me now?" May asked.

"I just know how much you love surprises so I thought I would let you know… Anyway, what did I apply for?" Peter asked Tony.

"That's what I'm hear to hash out."

"Okay. Hash it out, okay."

"It's so hard for me to believe that she's someone's aunt."

May laughed. "Yeah, well, we come in all shapes and sizes, you know?"

"This walnut date is loaf is exceptional."

"Let me just stop you there," Peter said, not eager to watch his aunt get flirted with, "This grant got money involved or whatever? No?"

"Yeah, it's pretty well funded."

"Yeah? Wow."

"Look who you're talking to. Can I have five minutes with him?"

"Sure," May said.

They went to Peter's bedroom.

Tony spit out the food in his mouth. "As walnut date loaves go, that wasn't bad." He looked over Peter's desk. "Whoa, what have we here? Retro tech, huh? Thrift store? Salvation Army? Can see why Madison liked you. The whole wide-eyed puppy thing you've got going on…"

"Uh, I got it out of the garbage, actually."

"You're a dumpster diver?"

"Yeah, I was… Anyway, look, um, I definitely did not apply for your grant…"

"Ah-ah! Me first."

"Okay."

"Quick question of the rhetorical variety." Tony brought up a video of Spider-Man. "That's you, right?"

"Um, no. What do you mean?"

The video kept playing.

"Look at you go. Wow. Nice catch. 3,000 pounds, 40 miles an hour. That's not easy. You got mad skills."

"That's all on YouTube, though, right? I mean, that's where you found that? Because you know that's all fake. It's all done on the computer. It's like that video. What is it?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You mean like those UFO's over Phoenix?" Tony poked the attic door with a pole and Peter's Spider-Man costume fell down. "What have we here?"

Peter grabbed it.

"C'mon kid. I know who you are. I've been cyber-stalking you since you and Madison started dating."

"Cyber-stalking? Me?"

"Of course. I couldn't let Katniss hang out with just anybody. Especially after what happened. You're the Spider-ling. Crime-fighting spider. You're Spider-Boy?"

"Spider-Man."

"Not in that onesie, you're not."

"It's not a onesie. I don't believe this. I was actually having a really good day today, Mr. Stark. Didn't miss my train, this perfectly good DVD player was just sitting there, and Algebra test, nailed it."

Tony picked up Peter's costume. "Who else knows? Besides Madison of course."

Peter shook his head. "Nobody."

"Not even your unusually attractive aunt?"

"No. No. No! If she knew, she would freak out. She was worried enough when I was dating Madison. And when she freaks out, I freak out."

"You know what I think is really cool. This webbing." Tony tossed it and Peter caught it with lightning-fast reflexes. "That tensile strength is off the charts. Who manufactured that?"

"I did."

"Climbing walls, how you doing that? Adhesive gloves?"

"It's a long story. I was…"

Tony held up Peter's goggles. "Lordy! Can you even see in these?" He held them up to his eyes.

"Yes. Yes, I can." Peter grabbed the costume from Tony. He tucked it away in his closet. "It's just that when whatever happened, happened, it's like my senses have been dialed up to 11. There's way too much input, so they just kinda help me focus."

"You're in dire need of an upgrade. Systemic, top to bottom, hundred-point restoration. That's why I'm here. Why you doing this? I gotta know, what's your MO? What gets you outta that twin bed in the morning?"

"Because…because I've been me my whole life and I've had these powers for almost a year now. I read books, I build computers. Yeah, I would love to play football, but I couldn't then, so I shouldn't now."

"Sure, because you're different."

"Exactly. But I can't tell anybody that, so I'm not. When you can do the things that I can, but you don't…and then the bad things happen they happen because of you. That's why Madison and I got along so well, because she understood. She understood what it felt like to wanna make a difference in the world. To make it a better place for everyone to live."

"So, you wanna look out for the little guy, you wanna do your part? Make the world a better place, all that, right?"

"Yeah, just looking out for the little guy. That's what it is."

Tony stood up and walked over to Peter. "I'm gonna sit here, so you move the leg." He sat down on the bed next to Peter. He put a hand on Peter's shoulder. "You got a passport?"

"No, I don't even have a driver's license," Peter told him.

"You ever been to Germany?"

"No."

"Oh, you'll love it."

"I can't go to Germany."

"Why?"

"I got homework."

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that." Tony stood up and headed for the door.

"No, I'm being serious. I can't just drop out of school."

"Might be a little dangerous. Better tell Aunt Hottie I'm taking you on a field trip."

Peter stood up and flung some webbing at Tony, sticking his hand to the door. "Don't tell Aunt May."

"All right, Spider-Man."

They stared at each other for a moment, then Tony pointed at the webbing. "Get me out of this."

"Right, sorry."