The good thing about being at the avenger compound is that the people there had already seen some of the crazy things that can happen – especially when magic, or alien tech were involved – and they didn't immediately ask Tony and Pepper if they were drinking. (unlike some smart-alec teenagers). On the way back to the lounge from leaving Peter and Pete, Tony asked FRIDAY to let those who needed to know what was going on that he needed them in the lounge. It was a measure of how rarely he asked for any meeting that there were several already arriving when he walked in with Pepper.
The people at the table were quiet as Tony told them what happened. They weren't all there, of course, but Nick, Natasha, Steve, and Clint were – as were several of the lead SHIELD security people, and even Dena the bartender, who had what might be called a minor role in the compound, but it was an important one, really. Especially where Peter was concerned. Carol wasn't there, but she was around, and Bruce was away from the compound, just then, and would have to be told, later, what was going on, of course.
"So he's here?" Nick asked when Tony finished what little explanation he had.
"Yes. He's with Peter, getting settled in a VIP room." He hadn't, technically, asked permission before having Pete come, but it was one of those get forgiveness rather than permission type deals, Tony supposed. "Then they'll be coming here."
"And this other Peter-"
Tony interrupted Clint.
"We're calling him Pete, to make things easier."
"Pete," Clint said. "He's never met the Avengers?"
"Nope."
"And he lives with May, still…?" Steve asked.
"Yes."
"How is that possible?" Steve asked. "I thought the realities all parallel each other."
"They do," the billionaire agreed. "But there are changes. One thing might be different, or maybe a dozen. Maybe something happens in one that doesn't happen in another, and that sets off a lot of other changes. Alec told Peter that May might be alive in Pete's reality because Thanos might not be a threat, there, and so she wasn't needed as a sacrifice, because Pete might not ever need to gather the infinity stones."
"Huh." Clint shook his head. "That's crazy to think about."
"Well, just remember that he doesn't know you guys, so expect a little uncertainty."
"He's sweet, though," Pepper said, smiling.
Having the information that they really needed, the SHIELD supervisors left, as Dena, who was going to go check on their dinner.
"Do you think that this is what had Peter so edgy, earlier?" Natasha asked. "When he felt something was happening…?"
"Might be," Tony agreed. He hadn't thought about that, but it was a definite possibility, he realized. The boy hadn't seemed edgy, later, after all. "We don't really understand how those spider senses of his work, after all."
Before he could say anything else, there was a motion at the entrance to the lounge, and they all turned to look.
"Wow…" Nick said. "That's uncanny."
"Right?" Tony said, waving, casually, at the two boys who had stopped to allow Pete a chance to look around and get his bearings. "Don't freak out on him, okay?"
OOOOOOO
"Holy shit…"
Peter smiled.
"Don't let Steve hear you say that."
"That's really Captain America…"
"Yeah."
"Wow. Where's his shield?"
"In his rooms. He doesn't carry it around all the time."
"Huh."
Too bad. Pete really wanted to see it.
"They're just regular people when they're here," Peter said, trying to put the other boy at ease. He could feel him practically vibrating with excitement. "Don't freak out, okay?"
"Yeah. Sorry."
"No need to be. I was like that when I first met them, too. That's Nick Fury – he used be the director of SHIELD and he pretty much invented the idea of the Avengers, back in the old days. That's Clint – he's Hawkeye – and that's –"
"Woah… that's Natasha Romanoff?"
Peter smiled at the way he'd said it.
"Yeah."
"Black Widow…"
"Yep. But don't call her that, okay?"
"Yeah. I mean, no. I won't."
Peter slapped his back.
"Come on, they're waiting to meet you, I bet."
"Okay."
The adults watched as the boys walked over and Peter and Pete stopped by Tony and Pepper.
"Hey, Peter…" Natasha said, not missing that the newcomer looked a little nervous. He was definitely Peter Parker, though, wasn't he? Paler, and his hair was slightly different, but even the same style in casual clothing. Same height, same eyes, same everything, really. It was crazy. "Introduce us to your friend."
"Yeah. This is Pete." The boy smiled. "He's… um… not from around here…"
There were definitely smiles at that, and Pete blushed, slightly.
"Hi."
"It's a pleasure, Pete," Steve said. "Sit down, okay? Tony told us what's going on and told us that Stephen and Wong are working on the solution, so no need to go into any of that, really. How are you doing?"
"I'm okay. Thanks. It's an honor to meet you."
"Come sit down," Pepper told the boys – mainly Pete. "We're about ready to have dinner."
The boys did as they were told.
"Do you like baked chicken?" Clint asked, grinning at the newcomer. "Peter Pony likes it and the cooks have a crush on him so we have it every day."
Peter rolled his eyes.
"Not every day," he said.
"Why do you call him Peter Pony?" Pete asked, curiously, relaxing a little more every minute.
They were the Avengers, and that was incredible to him, but like Peter had said, they seemed to be normal people, too.
"Because he's dumb," Peter said, making Natasha snort.
"Because my daughter Lila named her pony after him."
"Good thing she got a pony and not a platypus," Tony pointed out. "Or he'd be Peter Platypus."
The lounge kitchen servers came over carrying platters of food and plates rather than allowing anyone to have to serve themselves. Dena brought a bottle of cola for Peter and set one in front of Pete also, who thanked her with a smile.
"What do you do for fun, Pete?" Nick asked.
He was watching the new boy, intently, and hiding his amazement at having two of them behind his usual stoic expression, but he wanted to know more about the differences between the one that he knew so well and the one who had suddenly ended up in their reality. He knew – without looking – that Natasha was doing the same thing.
"I build stuff."
"Skyscrapers?" Romanoff asked, her eyes amused.
He blushed.
"Electronics. Mostly."
"You do the Spiderman thing?" Steve asked.
"Yeah. Not every night, or anything, but when I have time."
"He's Stephen's apprentice," Peter told them.
"Really?" Natasha was clearly interested. "How does that work?" she asked. "Did he make you a magic wand to work with?"
"We don't use wands," the boy replied, blushing, again. He knew she was teasing him, and being teased by an incredibly sexy woman wasn't something that he was used to. He liked it, though. "There's a lot of reading involved and learning how to channel the energies of the world around you. It's pretty hard stuff, sometimes – but I haven't been doing it for very long."
"How did you meet Stephen?" Natasha asked, taking over the interrogating while the others started dishing their plates with baked chicken, green beans, and scalloped potatoes. "Obviously you didn't walk up to the front door of the sanctum and demand to be taught."
"No. He came looking for me."
As they ate their dinner, Pete told them about his initial meeting with the sorcerer supreme in the dark alley, and then the man's subsequent visit to the apartment that he shared with May.
"She wasn't that sure it was a good idea," he said. "But I told her that it might come in handy, sometime, if I run into something really serious when I'm out patrolling."
"Has that happened?" Steve asked, curiously.
"Not yet." He shrugged. "I don't do anything too crazy," he added. "Kind of low-key stuff."
"That's how Peter is, as well," Tony said. "Today he helped a guy change a flat tire."
Clint made a sarcastically amazed sound, and Peter smiled at the teasing.
"I was heroic," he assured them all. "Flash saw me, later on, and commented on seeing Spiderman when I got to decathlon practice."
"You do decathlon, too?" Pete asked.
"Yeah. You?"
"Of course. MJ's the captain. She'd be mad if I didn't."
"True."
"Does he know about Shuri?" Tony asked Peter.
The boy nodded.
"She called while we were in my rooms."
"She's pretty," Pete said. "And a princess? It's crazy."
"It just proves that Peter Parker can get the girl," Natasha said. "No matter what reality that he lives in."
Both boys smiled at that.
Tony gestured at their plates.
"Eat, boys. Peter can show you around when you're done."
Pete perked up at that.
"Really?"
"Not the high security areas," Nick added, pointing his fork at Peter. "But it won't hurt anything to let him see some of the place."
"Show him the Quinjet," Clint suggested.
"And then the simulator," Steve suggested.
Peter looked at Tony, who shrugged his permission, and the boy grinned, excited to show off something so amazing.
"You'll love this," he told Pete.
Of course he would; Peter did.