Disclaimer: I don't own Avengers or Spidey.
Chapter 11: The unsuspected recruit
The accidental meds from yesterday and the stitches on her forehead had taken a toll on her usually good complexion; she wasn't going to make a good impression. She took some clippers from her grove compartment and chopped off a bit of hair, trying to trim it into proper bangs. There, good as new.
Another look in the rear-view mirror convinced her to put some makeup on. After 5 minutes of a heated argument with the eyeliner, she decided to go for the natural, I've-just-fell-off-the-stairs-and-got-stitches look. After all, the entire room was going to be filled with angsty teenage hormones; the last thing they'd notice was her forehead stitches.
She got off the car and saw a Chrysler imperial, black. Polished. Classic. Right, he's here. Good. She got her briefcase and pad and asked Brandon how everything was back at the office.
"Dr. Banner's stable, no further incidents. He seems rather interested in an alternative he found for his formula" when she reached the doors of the place, she exhaled slowly. She hated crowds. She hated teen crowds. They were just sweaty, loud, noisy and obnoxious overgrown children. All they ever did was mock her for being smarter than them. And then treat her unfairly. And then think she was too full of herself. What the heck am I doing here? What? Why? Stupid assignment.
She exhaled again while taking little steps through the corridor. She needed to get to the principal's office. Oh, cheerleaders, joy. Then she needed to make contact with the Dean of ESU. Of course, the jogs come right after the pompons. And then head to where the College Fair was. The gym: home of the worst bullies and highly unprepared jerks who turned to games because they can't handle their inner demons better. I can take them down in a second, for all time's sake.
She stopped and took a slow, deep breath with her eyes closed. She needed to shut those feelings down; it was the aftermath of the drugs. She was an adult. She knew better than them. She wasn't that scared little girl heading for college when she was way too young for it anymore. Real life was hard for everyone, even these kids. Just breathe.
She made eye contact with the Dean, who nodded and half smiled at her. Comforting. That's over now. You're in an assignment. You need to recruit the kid. She scanned the floor and saw him staring at her. Of course, the heels, the briefcase, the slow breathing. She became a mark the moment she set foot on that gym.
She walked towards the ESU stand, measuring every word she said. The kid still had his eyes on her. "Hello Stanny" he smiled "How are you Dr. Morse?" this was a long practiced mimic they had going on. "I'm doing fine. Had a little accident in the stairs yesterday, very foolish of me" he snorted. "I heard, loud and clear" She lifted her eyebrow annoyed "Is there anything Brandon doesn't tell you?" he giggled "I got the cam feed by email. Apparently those guys monitoring the stairs have all the fun. And I'm stuck in this Dean thing. So dull, you have no idea. I have to read essays with a Board of Boredom. Oh Dr. Sullivan, I don't think you've met Dr. Morse."
The mid-fifties woman was rather upset with Stanny's way of referring to a board that she was part of. "Hello Dr. it's lovely to see you again so… grown up!" they shook hands and she kept the small talk, shifting it back to Stanny, the "youngest Dean this University has ever seen, truly… remarkable." Yes, she definitely wanted that job and SHIELD got in her way. Well, she'd get it eventually, this was just temporary.
Sooner rather than later her mark and his girlfriend couldn't help coming in to their stand. Penny smiled at them in a friendly way and the girl answered. They seemed a normal senior couple, ready to take on the world. Penny picked on his… watch, which he hid from her view the moment he realized she was interested. "I'm Penny Morse, I was a student in ESU a few years back, have you decided on our little college?" she smiled frankly, there was something about this kid, you could see he was kind right away. She feared what SHIELD could turn him into.
His posture changed when he heard her name. He was off track, you could say defenseless "Wait a minute, you're THE Dr. Penelope Morse? The one with the transcription factor theory?" She blushed. "It's not my theory really, something similar was very popular in the 40's, I just focused it on the things we know today and the potential medical usages that could have. I am an MD after all" And that's why Fury picked me for this. Gotcha kid.
"He wrote his application essay about that paper, I thought a biochemist wrote that" the blond girl was between jealous of her and proud of her boyfriend. His face changed to a grim all of the sudden. "I'm both actually. I feel much honored, not many people liked that essay. I guess most companies and agencies are more concerned about turning everything into weapons instead of making people's life easier" Yes, I'm looking at you Stacy. Stan felt it was the time to shut her up before she spilled the beans "So you're applying? I hope you're joining us, Mr.…" Stan was being smooth. Smooth was his middle name. Sometimes.
"Parker, Peter Parker." They shook hands. Then Gwen Stacy introduced herself. She had a commendation letter from a former employer-now-turned-to-psycho-lizard. Not good for her. But her grades helped, and so did her work at Oscorp. Penny shivered slightly at the thought of that company. It was like Stark industries, only with no change of heart after being taken hostage by The ten rings. Well, change of heart could be a bit of a stretch.
Stan asked her if she was ok since she seemed a bit confused. Sullivan and the young couple were also slightly alarmed "You see, she fell off the stairs yesterday, hit her head pretty bad. And look at her now, all heeled up, I couldn't talk her out of not coming here today. She just wanted to give you guys a glimpse of what college life could turn out to be" Sullivan tried hard not to chuckle. Oh yes, because you and I are the best examples of cool social college afterlife, Mr. my-date-is-my-AI-girlfriend.
She faked a smile "I'm fine, I'm fine, so are you guys going to join ESU? You still have a couple of months to apply" Of course you won't, you're broke, the mortgage is due and you can't afford it. There was that grim look again. Oh, you hadn't told her yet, that's what's happening here. Poor kid, so alone. She shook her head again, unnoticed by everyone but Peter. She half smiled at him. She felt sad for the guy "Nah, I don't think so." Gwen was shocked. Yeap, she had no idea. "What do you mean?" he didn't want to talk about it, especially not in front of complete strangers in nice suits. "I can't get a full scholarship Gwen, and Aunt May needs me. I'm taking that part time job I told you about" they nodded to the nice people from the college he'll never be able to afford and started walking away.
Stanny looked at her and whispered "Now right there, that was your window to offer him the goose that lays the golden eggs" No, it was too soon. She smiled at him "Your call, I'm not the one that-" Penny made him stop, Peter could be hearing them.
"When were you gonna tell me?" She's mad. Mad's not good. "We've been planning and talking and we started hanging out with college people!" No, you started planning. "Gwen, I- I- college isn't for me. I have too many things going on right now" She looked at him with disbelief. Ok, I gotta do better than this. She seems really mad. Why don't girls come with instructions?
"Too many things? Well, if you mean the - you know, well, maybe you can join, have real training. That'd get you a scholarship. If that's what you want. But Peter, you're amazingly smart, don't waste your life like this" Is she really telling me to join the Marines? Me, a Marine? Maybe Navy, I could make my own hammock, he. Ok, not funny, I'm not giggling, we are having a serious talk.
He could hear steps coming through the corridor, about to get to the girl's bathroom where they were talking. Heels, unfamiliar, not a school regular. Was she following them? Ok, maybe she just needs to go. Gross. "Someone's coming" he grabbed her and held her up on a bathroom stall, covering Gwen's face with his hand. She was too close not to kiss her. And probably that'd calm her down. Ok, it didn't calm her down. Frak.
Soon they heard the door swinging open and Dr. Morse's voice over the phone "Don't panic, I'll be there in a couple of hours and we'll order Chinese, okay? Relax. Yes, well, he works in the same building! What do you expect? Of course the boss wouldn't tell you he's there. Can you relax? You're hyperventilating in my good ear Hob. Ok, relax. Breath in, breath out. You can do this, c'mon, just think of it as flying. Love you too" when she clicked off her Bluetooth she looked herself in the mirror. The drugs were still around the light purple circles around her eyes. The cut started throbbing again. She took a deep breath while splashing her face with water.
When she looked up again, he was next to her. She was startled. This can't be happening, it's the drugs, it's just the aftermath of the drugs. She closed her eyes and opened them again and he was still there, grinning from ear to ear with his dark hair and mischievous look. She looked to her right and he was gone. So now you're having visions too. About him. Great, your subconscious loves you.
The upside of the drugs' aftermath was that her senses were heightened. So heightened that she could feel agitated breathing on the first stall. And she could see a shadow bigger than one person on top of the toilet. "Who's there?"
She had an idea of who could it be, considering they were the only two hormone-packed youngster that took off from the hideous gym. "Guys, I know you're there, come out" Still nothing. So she did the Fury thing.
"You know you can get suspended by fooling around in the bathroom, right? Especially if you get caught by someone outside this faculty" she cleared her throat loudly, in an apparent menacing way. The door unlocked and Gwen came out. Penny lifted her eyebrow and started tapping the floor with her shoe. "I was just here Dr. Morse" they came closer to one another "Right, and your feet weren't in the ground while using the toilet because…" Kid, please, I'm genius-level smart. And you're being plain stupid.
"I was, um" Penny cleared her throat again "Peter, come out this minute" she managed to hit a nerve with her tone because he came out, looking more grim than before "Please Dr. Morse, we weren't-"
She loosened her posture and half smiled at them. No, not at them, at him. "Oh, I know all about this kind of twosome thing. I don't think anyone saw you come in so, why don't you come out right now and you manage to leave through that window there, I'll guard the door." The teens were shocked. "Oh, c'mon I was your age once. Chop chop"
Peter looked at her. "Thanks Dr. Morse" she smiled "Call me Penny. And you owe me a coffee"
Peter *had* to be here. Not only Mockingbird and him are close friends and well, Andrew Garfield is so 3 3 3
