"Peter, where can I get one of these?" Cooper asked as he flew one of the Iron Man robots around the room, he was surprisingly good after only three days of using it…but then again, he was a pre-teen and played his Xbox often so using the controls wasn't overly difficult.
"I can make you one if you want, well once I'm allowed back in the lab," Peter offered as he flew his own around the course they had created around the room. They had attempted to make one the day before but Nate kept knocking over the obstacles and trying to catch the robots so they had been forced to wait until today. It was just Peter and Cooper in the penthouse, the girls were out with their mom's shopping and Nate was spending time with his dad so it was just the two of them. As Peter thought about the other three kids he couldn't help but wonder why Cooper was with him. "How come you're up here and not with Nate and your dad?" he asked turning to face the other boy as he landed his robot on the table.
Cooper landed his own robot next to it's partner and shrugged, "I like hanging out with you, you're fun and well…Nate doesn't remember dad so I don't want to intrude on them getting to know each other again. I feel bad about it. Lila has been taking up a lot of his time so with her away I thought it was a good time to come up here so they could you know….bond" he finished with air quotes around his last word.
Peter just nodded unsure what exactly to say to that, he wasn't very good at comforting people. "You've spent time with him too though?"
"Well duh, I was a bit angry in the beginning because he just left, he said he had retired then just disappeared but there's nothing to do about it now. He's my dad I can't stay angry, and we have been spending time together when the other two are in bed, that's helped." The younger boy said before he looked back at the robots on the table, "hey Peter, have you thought about maybe selling these? They are brilliant, I'd buy one and I think my friends would too."
"Ummm no I hadn't thought about it, do you think people would buy them?"
"Uh yeah, definitely."
"Huh, maybe. I'll think about it. Actual work on them would have to wait until my groundings over though."
"You can't have long left surely? It's been aaaaages"
"Its not been too bad really with you and the others here to be honest, and my mom and dad are always home for the evening by dinner time so it's fine. I've only got today of being stuck in here but then I'm grounded from the labs for another eight days."
"That sucks."
Peter just shrugged he couldn't argue with that.
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"Earlier Cooper was saying he would buy one of the Iron Man robots, do you think people would?" Peter asked halfway through dinner with his parents that evening.
"I think so, well I mean they are brilliant Pete, were you thinking about selling them?"
Peter shrugged suddenly unsure about the idea. Was it even legal? Surely the Iron Man image was already owned by a company. "Maybe, I mean could I?"
"Legally yes you could but it's a lot of work Pete, you know that right?" Pepper asked as she considered the idea.
"Well yeah, but I just think that as you and dad said one day SI will be mine so why shouldn't I start now?"
"If you are serious about this Pete we can look into it, but this is your idea okay, this is on you. Think of it like a trial run, are you sure you can handle it?" Tony asked, he didn't want this to end up being delegated to someone else, it was Peter's design so he should see it from start to finish, it would be educational.
Peter steeled himself and nodded. Of course he could do it. "Do you have a book that could point me in the right direction?"
"Fri will send some to your Starkpad, you'll get it back first thing tomorrow."
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The following day Peter found himself on his way to the MBF with six Iron Man robots, he had managed to persuade his dad to allow him two hours in the lab that morning under strict supervision so he could make them for his market research, he hadn't wanted to take the ones from the penthouse, after all, they meant a lot to him, there were only four and two of them were strictly for use by himself and his dad. He wasn't sure it had been that great an exchange to be honest, he had been given the time to make them if he agreed to join all the Avengers that evening. Sure Clint was cool, he had only spoken to him a few times but Cooper's admiration for the man was enough for him, the same went for Scott. Sam seemed okay, he had only spoken to him that first evening but the man had apologised to Uncle Rhodey as soon as he saw him so that made him rise up in his expectations. Also Wanda had been sent to stay with a Doctor Strange for a few weeks of her house arrest so she wasn't around. No most the Avengers were fine…it was just Rogers. He hadn't actually seen him since that first night and that was totally fine with him.
Peter arrived at the MBP and was immediately allowed access by FRIDAY, only himself, his parents and Happy were granted the privilege, the safety of the children here was a high priority. "Umm hi," he started nervously as he walked into the room, there weren't many children in the room he had just walked into, maybe fifteen. "I've come down with some robots and I was wondering if you could test them out for me."
"Who are you? I've not seen you here before." One of the older boys spoke up as he looked at him warily.
Before Peter could open his mouth to answer a familiar voice sounded from the corner. "That's Peter Joe, remember the boy I was telling you about, the one who was good at math."
Peter grinned as he laid eyes on Noah, "I hope I'm good at more than just math, do you want to test my robots out?" When the boy nodded he placed the box containing the robots and the controllers to the kids and started explaining how they worked.
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Two hours later Tony walked into the MBP to find the largest room holding all the kids on the floor as they each tried out the toys. Two of the large whiteboards from the study room had been dragged in and were covered in writing, he would have gone to read them but the thought of crossing the room full of screaming and laughing kids seemed a little daunting. Also, this was the first time in years he had come into a room been noticed and then almost immediately ignored. He thought that showed exactly how good his son's robots were. The toy Iron Men were more interesting than actual Iron Man.
"Hey dad. They seem to like them." Peter told him happily as he made his way over.
"That's quite an understatement Pete, I got you the forms to fill in for a patent, they're in the kitchen." Peter nodded at his dad's words his grin not leaving his face. Maybe these toys were actually pretty good, he knew they were good but he still hadn't been sure his dad hadn't said he liked them because they were a gift from him. His Uncle had said the man would love anything from him after all, obviously this was not the case thought judging with how the kids were arguing over whose turn it was next.
Peter wandered over to the boards on the opposite side of the room and looked over the ideas. Was it possible to patent the mechanics of it? He wasn't sure, a few people had written they would like different versions, of course Iron Man was the first one he made and would try to get off the ground but perhaps in the future he could design more. After all the Iron Man aspect was just the casing, the inside of the robot was the same, he could make Peter Pan or a fairy or a female superhero from a comic, he didn't know any real ones that could fly. Obviously, he wanted it to be someone that flew because that was the most fun part of the robots, running them around was cool but the flying was the best part without a doubt. Looking back over the board he saw someone had written they wanted it to shoot darts or something, he had considered the idea when he first made them but that made the robot more about fighting than anything else and he didn't want that. Iron Man was about saving people and doing the right thing, Iron Man wasn't a weapon so he wouldn't allow his robot to be marketed as a toy for fighting.
After another half an hour it was clear nothing more was going to be written on the boards, so Peter snapped a photo and left the MBP leaving the robots behind as he told FRIDAY to make sure they didn't leave the floor.
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"So Peter, I hear you were working on doing something with those robots you created." Sam said as he sat down next to the teen that evening.
"Ummm yeah, Cooper gave me the idea actually," he said as he nodded towards the other boy, "and dad got me the paperwork to fill out for the patent of them so if that goes through I guess I'll see where to go from there."
"That's impressive kid. I don't know many fifteen-year olds that would spend their summer doing business."
"I don't think of it as business really, it's fun at the moment so it's just exciting it doesn't feel like work really, maybe it will at times, but I think I like the robots too much for that to happen."
"What will you call them?" Clint asked from across the room.
Peter stopped as he thought it over, he hadn't considered that at all, he supposed it made sense he couldn't just call them Iron Man robots."
"Super Iron Man?" The archer suggested.
"That's too close to Superman and Iron Man is a hundred times better than that character." Tony complained as he entered the room.
"The incredible Iron Man?"
"RoboIron Man?"
Peter grinned as names were tossed around between everyone, he began laughing as they became more and more ridiculous. "We aren't calling him Tony Stank, that makes them sound like a knock off." He told his uncle bluntly. "Come on though, surely someone knows a good name."
The room was silent for several moments as everyone thought then a voice spoke up from the other side of the room, "ultimate Iron Man."
Peter grimaced, it was actually really good he had to admit, if only it hadn't been Rogers that suggested it. As soon as the man said it he knew it was the one, ugh so annoying. "That is pretty good, I'll think about it," he said after thinking it over, there was no use throwing it aside just because Rogers had suggested it, it was a good name. He ignored the smile the man sent his way though, just because he accepted his suggestion did not mean he accepted him.
Steve honestly didn't think there was anything he could do to make Tony's son like him. He understood perfectly why the boy hated him but it still hurt. He seemed like a great kid and the change in the billionaire was Stark…no pun intended. He was impressed with the boy, his robots were incredible, if he hadn't been told the slight teenager before him had made them he would have assumed they were made by Tony himself. "Have you thought about making other heroes?"
"No offence Capsicle but what would be the point in a Captain America one? He would just be the same as a GI Joe if they were remote controlled," Tony told him bluntly but not with harshness behind his words.
"Good thing I wasn't thinking of a Captain America one then isn't it?" the blond snarked back.
"I've already made a War Machine for Uncle Rhodey that isn't a new idea, and I can make a Falcon it would work just the same but I suppose when you make him fly the wings would come out the pack."
"I…I was actually thinking of Spiderman." Steve said quietly.
Peter's jaw fell when he registered the man's words. "That's…that's actually not a terrible idea." This time he did return the man's smile. "He wouldn't shoot webs though, or at least I don't know how he could at the moment, I would have to improve the movement though, Iron Man isn't very mobile…" He pouted when his dad elbowed him for that comment earning a laugh from the others. "Huh…I'll think about that, thanks Steve. I won't be able to do anything on that now, anything beyond Ultimate Iron Man is still a dream at the moment."
"I'm sure it'll work out kid, I've never seen anything like this as long as I've been alive."
"Is that meant to mean it's impressive. When you were a kid, building bricks were toys and you can hardly use a phone, I don't mean to offend but that's not a very positive endorsement man." Peter told him and immediately thought it had perhaps been a bit harsh, it was true but maybe a little mean? The man had been quite helpful. Would he have to listen to another lecture from his dad about being polite to him?
Steve just laughed at the boy's comment, "you've got me there I suppose."
Tony breathed a sigh of relief as his son and Cap interacted. It may not be much but it was something, his son was no longer being openly hostile and that was impressive in itself. He just wanted the boy to have as many people in his corner as possible, he knew Cap would probably help his son regardless of the teen's feelings for him but still despite what had happened between them, he still trusted Cap to keep people safe where he could and he only hoped that included his son.
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Three days later Peter walked into the kitchen for breakfast to see his dad holding papers in his hand a grin on his face. "Didn't you have a meeting this morning?" the teen asked smiling slightly as his dad waved away the comment.
"Not important. This came for you today, I thought I'd wait and see you open it."
"Already? I didn't know patents could go through that quickly."
"They can when the name Stark is attached, as it's your full name on the papers it possibly got fast-tracked through the system as they thought it was mine. Sometimes there's bonuses to being a Stark," the billionaire shrugged.
Peter wasn't too sure what to say that but took the envelope from his dad's hand and looked at it nervously. What if it was refused? What if there was already something like this on the market? What if someone saw it and just laughed? Seeing his dad's impatient look he bit the bullet and opened the envelope.
Dear Mr P. Parker-Stark
We are pleased to inform you….
"They accepted it! I've got a patent dad! Me" Peter almost shouted as he leapt towards his dad and threw his arms around him.
"I knew you could do it kid, there was no doubt in my mind Underoos." Tony told the boy truthfully as he pressed a kiss to the teen's forehead. "I'm proud of you. Why don't you go and show your mom while I order a frame for it, I want this to be the first thing people see when they come in here, how much of a genius my kid is."
Peter blushed under the praise, "daaaaad, you don't have to do that."
"I don't but I want to, now go show Pep and don't forget to text your Uncles, if they have to wait until family dinner tonight to find out I don't think they'll be happy. And tell the Avengers they'll want to know." Peter rolled his eyes as his dad continued listing more people.
"Okay okay. I got it. Tell everyone I meet." He said sarcastically as he made his way to the elevator and went down to his mom's office.
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Peter threw his pen down on his desk as he let out a groan. He was getting nowhere with designing the packaging for Ultimate Iron Man. He had read the books FRIDAY had sent to his StarkPad cover to cover and they all said to stand the best chance of getting his product picked up he needed to have it ready for sale which included packaging. He was a man of science not a man of art! He had considered asking MJ but a horrible as it sounded he wanted Ultimate Iron Man to be his project, he wanted to do something for himself from start to finish…well excluding the name, that was Rogers. He had looked at packaging for all sorts of toys and knew he wanted it in a box with a clear panel so people could see what they were buying but that was as far as he got.
"Still struggling Pete?"
Peter jumped at his dad's voice he had been so far into his own head he hadn't heard him come in. "Yeah, I just don't know where to start. And I have to pitch Ultimate Iron Man in just days. I don't know what to do. Have you done this before?"
Tony sighed at his son's words, "to be honest kid no I've not, I just do the engineering and designing, the marketing team deal with the packaging. I know we said we wanted you to see this start to finish but me and Pep…we just meant you design it, you market test it and then you sell it, you don't have to do it all."
"I know that but I want to. I just don't know how to start."
"Start it simple Pete, list everything that goes on a box then tick off everything as you do it. Capiche?"
"Capiche" Peter agreed with a grin. He could do this.
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That evening Pepper came home to find her son stuck to the top corner of the room with a camera in one hand, the controller for his robot in the other and his feet keeping him in position.
"I'm not going to ask."
"This isn't the weirdest thing you've caught him doing." Tony quipped from the other side of the room causing her to turn and look at him.
"I thought we said no Iron Man in the house dear?"
"Well…technically but you did…" at the sharp glare he suddenly found himself receiving Tony held his hands up in front of him, "I'm joking Pep, Pete needing some photos of real Iron man for the box of Ultimate Iron Man, I was outside next to mini-me."
Pepper just nodded letting out a sigh of relief, she knew logically it was extremely unlikely they would go back to how they were a few years ago and she supposed their son was to thank for that.