Having Spencer staying with them was nothing at all like Tony had worried it might be.

He hadn't expected the kid to meld so seamlessly into their little family here. Nor had he expected to enjoy his company quite as much as he did. Spencer was quite – far quieter than Tony was used to deal with from people – and almost painfully shy sometimes, while at other times showing a confidence and surety in his words. He was bright and sweet, with a hesitant humor that only came out now and again, and those too-old eyes that spoke of a pain inside no kid his age should ever have to know. Tony, despite his hesitance, genuinely liked him, and he hadn't expected to.

He also hadn't expected to worry about him. Bad enough that he was worrying about one teenager – did he really need to add another?

Yet there was no other way to describe what he felt the next morning when Spencer came flying back in the next morning. Well, really, he'd been feeling it ever since he woke up almost an hour ago and had seen the news talking about the strange, bright flashes of light that had come from down at the docks.

The very same docks where Peter had been attacked a week ago.

Tony sat at his breakfast table and glared at the display in front of him as he read through the article while drinking his second cup of coffee. He was so busy glaring at it he didn't hear Jim come into the room until the man was almost to the table. Then the soft whir of his prosthetics was enough to tell Tony that someone was behind him, and just who it was. He didn't bother turning as Jim prepped himself a cup of coffee. Silent, Tony continued to glare at the article and wait. There was a reason he was on this floor and not his own, after all.

His best friend slipped down into the chair at Tony's side and nudged him with his elbow, getting his attention enough to pass him a plate of cut up fruit. "What's got you scowling so early in the morning?"

"Did you see this?" Lifting one hand from his mug, Tony gestured vaguely at the article. He didn't wait for Jim to start reading it. "Bright flashes of light were seen down by the docks. The very same docks where Peter got shot last week. And, oh, let's make it even better – someone spotted Spiderman fleeing the scene later."

Jim hummed lowly and lifted his mug with both hands to take a sip. "Looks like Peter's celebrating being ungrounded."

Yeah, that was one way of putting it. Not that Tony could blame the kid. Of course he was going to go out and celebrate being free – just like Tony had known that he'd go check out the docks to find out what had happened down there. Good thing Tony had already gone down there after last week's… issue… and taken care of the main trouble there. It hadn't been any group that had seriously been gunning for Spiderman, thankfully. Just a case of bad timing. Spiderman had swung through while they were doing some shady things and the guys had been certain that he was there for them. So, they'd attacked.

There was never any end to the shady deals that went on down there. Though Tony had chased that group out, it was no surprise Spencer and Peter had found a new group to mess with last night.

None of that was what made Tony scowl so heavily. Though, he wasn't happy with it, he was mostly resigned to the risks Peter felt the need to take. No, what had him scowling was the kid's companion. "What were they thinking?" A growl edged in Tony's words. He flopped back in his seat and continued to glare. "I swear, Platypus, these, these kids!"

"You know he's not actually a kid."

"Then he shouldn't act like one!" One of Tony's hands came up and gestured wildly at the screen as he turned his glare to Jim. "He's out there fighting bad guys in some leftover Halloween clothes of Peter's. What kind of protection does that even offer him? He's just as bad as Peter! At least Peter had the excuse of faster healing to fall back on," even if that hadn't flown well with Tony, nor did it ever work when Peter tried to use that to excuse his bad choices, "this kid – this guy – has some accelerated healing, but he has to use his powers to get it. And what does he do? He goes out in Halloween clothes that might as well be as good as the pajamas that Pete used to wear!"

Jim waited patiently through Tony's whole rant, watching him with one eyebrow raised and a slightly amused expression growing on his face. "You like him," he finally said when Tony was done.

For a second the engineer spluttered. "How…" He furrowed his brows and finally turned his glare fully to his friend. "We were talking about his utter recklessness! Not whether or not I, I care or whatever!"

The amusement on Jim's face grew. The ass was outright grinning by now. He shifted his weight in his seat and relaxed back a little, keeping his mug cradled in his hands and not even bothering to use it to hide his grin. "Pretty sure you're the last person to lecture someone on being reckless, Tone." When he saw the protest starting to build instantly on Tony's lips, he held one hand up and chuckled. "All right, all right. Calm down. If you're that worried about the guy being out there, why don't you talk to him about it, see if he'll stay in or something. I mean, Strange has got to be close to figuring things out by now, right? It's been a week."

Tony wanted to scoff at the idea that Spencer would stay in if Tony asked him to. Over the years Tony had become pretty damn good at reading people. It was something you had to be able to do in his line of work and he'd learned well in life. One thing that Tony had come to see while watching Spencer was that there was a core of steel underneath the shy-guy exterior. Spencer might be quiet and meek, willing to let others take the lead, but if it was something he felt strongly about there was no doubt in Tony's mind that he'd dig his heels in and do what he wanted and damn what anyone else said.

The rest of what Jim said was enough to have Tony forgetting about that first part, though. He tried to smother a grimace as he slumped a little in his seat.

"Tone?"

Sighing, Tony brought his mug up, taking a drink but not really tasting it. He stared down at the liquid afterwards. "Strange still hasn't found anything," He finally said, voice low. "He's not sure he's going to, either. This spell uses stuff he's never even seen before. He says that either Spencer got some parts of it wrong when he wrote it down, or it's something that doesn't exist in our universe. At least, not all of it."

"If it doesn't exist here, how the hell did it send the kid here?"

"He said that some of it matches here, and some of it might've been wrong, like the guy didn't copy it all right or whatever." Tony hadn't really understood all of it. Magic wasn't something that he understood. Was fascinated by, yes. At least privately. But understood? Not at all.

Jim looked just as bothered as Tony felt. Any signs of teasing were gone from his face. "What's he going to do?"

"He's going to stop by after lunch today and talk with Spencer, see if there's a chance that he might've remembered wrong or something like that." He'd mentioned bringing a few books for Spencer to look at so they could compare symbols or something like that. Tony wasn't going to get his hopes up, though. The idea of Spencer remembering something wrong, well, the probability of it wasn't very high. They'd have to hope that maybe he'd just copied it wrong. Because, if Stephen couldn't figure it out, their chances of being able to send Spencer home… Tony grimaced. No, he wasn't going to let it come to that. He'd already sent out an email last night to Reed. He was the only other person Tony knew that ever did the whole dimension travel thing. If Stephen couldn't figure it out, maybe Reed could.

Their conversation was cut short by the article in front of Tony vanishing just seconds before he caught the sound of footsteps down the hall. In an instant Tony had shifted himself so that he was able to watch as Spencer made his way into the room. One look at the tired expression on the kid's face and Tony had to fight not to scowl at him. Seriously, what was it with him and surrounding himself with these teenagers who seemed to think they had all the energy in the world? Tony knew what kind of energy output Spencer had during the daytime, even with a day off, and he knew just how much the kid ate to keep up with it. Just like he knew the same information for Peter.

Watching the boy shuffle in, Tony drawled out "Long night?"

Only those that knew him well would've recognized the edge to his words. The worry that put a hint of sharpness to them. Those that knew him well – or empaths.

Spencer flinched just a little and tipped his head so that he could look up through the bangs hanging down over his face. He did it a lot, Tony had noticed. Like it was habit. "Long enough," was the answer he finally gave. Despite his obvious nerves, Spencer stopped near the table and stood there for a moment, studying the two of them, before he spoke with that occasional bluntness that sometimes made Tony want to shake his head, though more often than not he appreciated it. "You're displeased with me. Because Peter and I went out last night?"

"I'm 'displeased' because I seem to be surrounded by kids who think it's cool to fight crime in pajamas," Tony shot right back.

He heard Jim's sigh and the low "Tony" that the man gave. He just chose to ignore it.

Surprisingly, Spencer didn't seem bothered by his words or his tone. "I wore what was available. I had no intention of going out there and fighting. Nor had I any other night that we went out."

"But you did it."

"I did," Spencer agreed. He crossed his arms over his chest, a clearly defensive posture, and yet lifted his chin a little at the same time. "For the most part I go out there to watch Peter in action. It's what he believes, anyways. But I can't in good conscience let him go out there without someone to watch his back. If he needs the backup – which he did last night – I'm going to be there to provide it for him. I won't apologize for it."

It was moments like that one that reminded Tony that this wasn't just an average teenager. That speech wasn't the one of a fumbling kid. It was the speech of an adult; one who had seen plenty and who was smart enough to be afraid of it while also not letting that fear rule them. Tony couldn't argue in the face of it. He just couldn't. How was he supposed to protest someone keeping an eye on Peter, having his back?

The suit, though – he couldn't just let that one go. "You're not gonna be much backup going out dressed the way you are."

One corner of Spencer's mouth quirked up just the slightest bit. "I provide plenty of backup, thank you. My powers are in no way directly related to my chosen outfit."

Jim openly laughed at that, the bastard. Though Tony found it kind of hard not to give in and smile. The words Spencer said might've sounded sincere to anyone else; to the people who'd been spending the last week with him, it wasn't hard to see the humor hidden under those words.

Once he smothered down his own smile, Tony shook his head. "Your powers might not be related to your clothes, but any sense of protection is. Why do you think I made Peter his outfit? It wasn't just to make a better fashion statement." This was the time to set aside jokes and get serious. What Tony had to say here was important. Right now Spencer was his responsibility; his problem. He wasn't going to try and keep the kid home, though the risk of exposure out there was huge and dangerous. But he was going to make damn sure that the kid was safe when he went out. "Look, I get it. You want to keep Peter safe and God knows I'm all for that. But you're gonna be no good to him if you can't even keep yourself safe. So, because I know you're too stubborn to drop this, I'm not going to fight you on it, Spencer. However," He tacked that last bit on when it was obvious that Spencer was going to try and speak. When he was sure the teen was going to stay quiet, Tony went on. "I'm not having you run around in a glorified Halloween costume. You want to go out, it's in a suit or not at all."

Spencer stopped any and all rocking or twitching that he'd been doing. He tilted his head enough that his bangs fell away from his face and he was staring right at Tony. One eyebrow arched up, and Tony swore he could see little crackles of electrical energy dancing through Spencer's eyes, something that was becoming more and more common. "You do realize you're not my actual parent, don't you? You can be concerned about my safety but you can't technically order me not to do something."

"You do realize you're a minor who doesn't technically exist, don't you?" Tony fired back. "Someone has to look out for you."

His blunt words had Jim snapping out a sharp "Tony!"

Neither Tony nor Spencer looked away from one another. They watched each other for a moment. Tony swore that Spencer was doing more than just looking at him. It was unnerving, having someone who could look at the emotions that he kept hidden under the surface. All the masks that Tony usually put on around people were pretty much useless around this guy. Spencer could just feel it.

Whatever he was feeling at the moment had him letting out a soft sigh that seemed to take his tension with it. "Okay."

Tension melted out of Tony, as well. He hadn't realized just how much he'd been braced for trouble. Not until Spencer agreed and Tony felt like he could relax again. "Okay." The two shared a look and a smile, one that left Tony feeling a lot more exposed than he was comfortable with. So of course, he reacted the only way he knew how.

He ran.

Coffee cup still in hand, he pushed himself up from the table, snagging the fruit that Jim had brought him earlier as he went. A bright smile was plastered on his face as he straightened up. "Well then! Considering I doubt we'll be able to get Peter to stop, I should probably get to work on this before tonight." Good thing he'd already semi started with some ideas and such this past week. Plus, he had some leftover things from when he'd been making Peter's suit, stuff that might be able to be easily manipulated into something different. "I'll send word when I've got something. Catch you kiddies later!" And with that, Tony was gone, leaving the others staring after his quick retreat.

Spencer couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty when Tony locked himself away in his workshop for the rest of the day. The idea that the man was in there doing something for him – something to keep Spencer safe – was a slightly weird one. One that he wasn't quite sure how he felt about. The gesture felt weird. Nice, but weird.

There were a few things to keep Spencer occupied during his day, at least. With as fast as Tony had ran away, he hadn't taken the time to explain to Spencer that Stephen was stopping by that afternoon. Jim took care of it for him, though. He explained to Spencer that Stephen had a few questions about the symbols that Spencer had copied down and he was going to come by and ask them after lunch. He tried to downplay it, really, making it seem like Stephen just wanted to confirm a few things. Spencer didn't call Jim out on the obvious sugarcoating.

By the time that Stephen showed up, Spencer's stomach was in knots, and he was more than a little anxious. FRIDAY had alerted him to Stephen's arrival and directed him where to go. As Spencer made his way there, arms full of the books he'd borrowed the last time they met, he found himself wishing that Peter were there with him. Or Tony. Both of their emotions were easier and more comfortable for Spencer to deal with. Being around them was just a bit easier than being around anyone else. Peter more so than Tony, though that could have something to do with how much time Spencer had spent with Peter first and how comfortable they were together. It was kind of surprising to find that he was getting there with Tony, too.

Something of Spencer's nerves must've showed as he let himself into the room where Stephen was waiting, because the man looked up at him and his expression softened into something almost gentle for one brief moment. "Good afternoon, Dr. Reid."

"Good afternoon, Dr. Strange." There was a subtle difference in the way that Spencer said that; one that he wondered if the other man noticed. From what Spencer had heard about this man, his 'superhero name' was Doctor Strange, but he was once also an actual doctor. One of the best. A degree like that, and that kind of reputation, took a lot of work. Spencer could at least honor that by giving the man his proper title of 'Dr. Strange'. "I brought back the books that you lent me last time you were here. Thank for allowing me to use them – I discovered quite a bit in there that was helpful."

Stephen sat at the head of the room's table, looking comfortable as he crossed one leg over the other and reclined back just the slightest bit. He smiled at Spencer's words and gave a small nod of his head while he watched Spencer set the books down on the table. "I can tell. Your shields are quite a bit stronger than the last time I saw you. They could still use some work, but they aren't as delicate as they were before."

Well thank God for that. Spencer wanted to sigh a little in relief. The last thing he wanted was to have to deal with the kind of overload that he'd dealt with back at Peter's place. Feeling everybody in the building and not being able to shut it off? No, thank you. Spencer could go the rest of his life without having to feel like that again.

Spencer took one of the other chairs once he'd set the books down. Curling one leg under himself, he folded his body down into the seat. Despite the worry that sat in his gut, he didn't back down from looking right at Stephen's face. "Colonel Rhodes said you wanted to speak with me about the notebooks I gave you."

"Indeed. I want to show you a few symbols from my books and see if there's a chance that they better match what you saw than the version that you drew in the notebooks." The older man sat forward and bent to scoop up books off the floor that Spencer hadn't noticed. The books that Spencer had brought were pushed to the side and the other ones were put on the table and spread out. As Stephen opened one book, he explained, "In magic, the size and shape of such symbols is extremely important. You can have two symbols that appear similar, only there are the slightest of variations that cause it to mean two separate things. A few of the symbols that you drew might be that way. I'm trying to discover if perhaps what you saw and what you drew are slightly different, or if it's simply a matter of different magic across different dimensions."

The idea of it was both confusing and fascinating. Magic wasn't something that Spencer had ever even considered might be real before he'd come here. To see it now, to touch these old books and look at the words written inside, all that ancient knowledge right there at his fingertips. Spencer had to fight to keep himself from flipping through the pages and trying to read more and more. This wasn't the time for him to indulge his need for knowledge.

Even so, it was easy for Spencer to lose himself in what he was doing. Though he didn't see it he surprised Stephen more than once with his attention to detail. When the older man asked him about the potential size of one of the symbols, it was easy for Spencer to call the memory forth and look at it. From that, he was able to make an estimate of size that he was pretty sure was accurate based off the relative size of things around him.

Eventually, Stephen finally had enough information. He closed up the last of the books and then opened up another of those portals, dropping all of his stuff off in what looked to be a library. He brought one book back out, which he passed over to Spencer. Then he let the portal close. "This book should help you improve your shields even more. I'm doing my best to be able to try and work through this magic as quickly as I can so that I can get you home, but I'd like to know that you're safe from your powers while I do so."

Spencer reached out and carefully took the old-looking book from him. "Thank you."

Smiling, Stephen nodded. His sharp eyes were watching Spencer's face, reading who-knew-what there. It made the young genius uncomfortable and he had to fight not to shift underneath that stare. Eventually, Stephen's smile grew a little. "I'd like to return within the next few days, if that's quite all right with you. I believe that, not only would the others around here benefit in learning how to put up a simple shield to block you from feeling them in emergencies, but you might also benefit from some lessons that are more hands-on than just looking at a book. Knowing the theory is all well and good – however, it's practice which makes us truly learn."

How would they practice him shielding? Spencer's mind immediately leapt to multiple different possibilities and not a one of them seemed all that pleasant. Yet, he couldn't deny the logic of the idea. He needed to know how to take care of himself.

He thought back to last night and fighting with Peter. How it'd felt when he'd had to step in to help Peter out and he'd been forced to fight, forced to go on the offensive. No one had prepared him for how it would feel to attack someone when you could feel the pain that came as a result. If Spencer had to be put in that position again, being able to better shield from it would do him good. It'd let him be able to help Peter for longer without feeling like his head was going to explode.

It was that thought that had Spencer nodding his agreement. "That would be great, Dr. Strange. Thank you."

"It's my pleasure, Dr. Reid."

After his meeting with Stephen, Spencer took his new book to his room and let himself shut out the world for a little bit as he curled up in his chair to read. It was fast becoming one of his favorite places to be. In his comfortable chair by the window, able to look up and watch the outside world, yet still warm and safe inside. He'd wrap a blanket around himself, tuck his feet up in the chair. Sometimes he'd open up his powers a little and let himself feel the pulse of the building around him. Feel FRIDAY all around him.

He was almost halfway through his book when FRIDAY reached out to him. She often reached to make a connection with him if she had the time instead of just speaking into the room around him. It'd gotten so that Spencer almost instinctively accepted her touch. "Dr. Reid, Boss is requesting you come to his workshop if you've got the time. He's got something to show you."

"Of course. Can you let him know I'll be there in a minute?"

After marking his page, Spencer set the book down on the table in front of him and then bent to slide his shoes back on his feet. Once they were on, he made his way out of the room. When he got to the elevator he was surprised to find that FRIDAY didn't take him in the usual direction. It would seem it wasn't Bruce's lab they were going to this time, or the more generic lab that others used. If what he remembered of Peter's descriptions were correct, he was being taken in the direction of Tony's personal lab, the one that very, very few people got to see.

When he was finally brought to the correct floor, the doors opened up and Spencer made it out a step before he froze. If Bruce's lab had looked amazing – this… there were no words for this.

Spencer had studied a lot of things in college. He had degrees in chemistry and mathematics, which had helped him to feel so at home in Bruce's space. But the engineer in him, the one that had prompted him to tinker around enough to get his engineering degree, was immediately in love with the space he was in now and the machines and tools around him.

Though it was nothing compared to what he felt when one of the machines started to move towards him. Spencer's mouth dropped open a little as he listened to the excited beeps and he swore he could feel its excitement as it raced towards him, another bot on its heels. These had to be the 'bots that Peter had told him about. Judging by the claw that was reaching forward, Spencer was guessing this one was Dum-E.

The whole reason for coming down here was forgotten as Spencer smiled brightly at the machine in front of him. He didn't hesitate to take a few steps forward and meet Dum-E halfway. As soon as he got close, he reached out for the claw that was reaching for him, and he clasped it the same that he would any other being. Dum-E chirped happily at him, making Spencer let out a low laugh. "Well hello to you, too!"

He laughed again as the claw slid up his arm and towards his head, ruffling against his hair. The energy he put off was nothing as complicated as, say, FRIDAY, but there was a presence to it, a sentience, that made it clear this was more than just a simple machine. The same for the other two that were moving to join them. In no time at all Spencer found himself surrounded by the three bots, all of them touching him in some way and beeping at him, the pulse of their energy running over his skin and making him laugh out loud. He'd been surrounded by children before while on the job and this reminded him a lot of that. Whereas FRIDAY had the mind and capabilities of most adults – more so, in a lot of ways, she was just so damn smart! – these guys definitely felt like children.

"All right, guys, all right. Calm down." Spencer laughed as one of the claws tugged at his shirt. He felt a small pulse of what might've been annoyance from one of them and he turned to look, taking just a second to parse through what he'd said and what he'd felt. "Oh. Oh! My apologies. Guys and girl?" He ran his hand over the arm extended towards him, and its – her – chirping took on a much happier air. Spencer smiled at her. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"Well it looks like you're making friends."

Spencer looked up from the center of the piece of chaos he'd found himself in, and he grinned broadly at Tony. He had no idea how much that grin surprised the man. No one here had ever seen Spencer quite so open and relaxed as he was in that moment. Spencer held no shame or worry as he told Tony "They're fantastic! You have the most amazing children, Tony." The chirping and beeping increased rapidly and Spencer laughed again.

When he looked up he found that Tony was watching him with something on his face that was a whole lot softer than Spencer was used to seeing from him. Or, at least, not directed his way.

The man stepped forward and placed a hand on Dum-E, who instantly beeped at him and spun his way. Tony ducked back from the claw and shot a mock-scolding look at him. "Watch where you swing that thing, buddy. We've talked about that! You knock me out and you're getting the cap again, I swear it." A low, almost sad beep was his response. Spencer doubted he was supposed to notice the soothing way that Tony rubbed at Dum-E or how he offered him a gentle smile before nudging him away. "Go on and go make us something to drink, all of you. I'm sure Spencer's got better things to do than be pinched at by you guys. Go, go, get things together. You can play with him later."

It took a minute for Tony to finally usher everyone away. Spencer made sure to give them all individual goodbyes, smiling and touching each one of them as they moved away. Eventually he was left standing there with just Tony in front of him. The way the man was looking at him had Spencer wanting to stuff his hands down into his pockets or squirm a little.

"You treat them like they're real," Tony finally said.

That wasn't what Spencer was expecting to hear. He stopped the instinctive rocking that he'd been doing and tilted his head as he looked up and studied Tony's face. "Because… they are?" What was he supposed to do, act like they were furniture?

"Not many people realize that. They just see another machine."

Oh. Spencer supposed he could see that… sort of. Maybe it was his powers that made it different for him? "I just… I mean, they seemed real. And they feel just as real as us, or FRIDAY. I can feel them; the power that runs them. But it's almost like, I don't know how to explain it. They feel."

Tony's eyebrows shot up. "You can feel their emotions?"

That was a simplistic explanation for something that felt far from simple in Spencer's head. "No – and yes, at the same time."

"That's wonderfully clear, kid."

"They feel, it just doesn't seem to be the same as humans feel." He wasn't quite sure how to explain it. How to break it down in a way that would make it make sense to someone else. "It's more… it's this weird combination of both my powers. Like their emotions are electronic based while at the same time they're still real. I don't know how to make that any clearer."

"No, no, it makes perfect sense," Tony said, watching him carefully. His expression had gentled again and for a moment he just watched Spencer. Then he shook his head as if to brush all those thoughts away before he turned and gestured with one hand for Spencer to follow him. "Come on. Fascinating as this is, it isn't the reason I called you down here. I want you to come over here and take a look at this. I had some old material left from when I was making up Peter's suit, and I tweaked it around a little bit until I came up with something that I thought might work for you. It's not perfect, not yet, but it should be able to help keep you safe for the time being."

Tony led Spencer further into the workshop. He didn't really give Spencer any time to marvel at the things around him. They made it to the center of the room and then Spencer found himself caught up in the suit hanging up on a stand with holograms all around it.

The suit was black, which Spencer was absurdly grateful for – he'd been worried, considering how bright Peter's was and how bold Tony's suit was. The only color on it were jagged lines of dark blue that, upon closer inspection, resembled lightning. It even had a mask. An actual, full mask, just like Peter's did. Only, the shape of the eyes was different, more rounded and nowhere near as big as Peter's were, and instead of the white rimmed in black that Peter had, Spencer's were a dark blue that matched the lightning. The whole outfit had a sort of dark look to it that, surprisingly enough, appealed to the young genius.

As Spencer walked up to the suit, he heard Tony behind him, explaining some of the basics of it. "This is some of the strongest material around. It should help cushion any blows you get, as well as protect you from a multitude of things…"

Listening only with half an ear, Spencer reached out and let his fingers trail over the material. It was soft. That – he hadn't expected that. The whole thing felt so much softer than he'd anticipated. Which was great because the thing was full bodied just like Peter's was. Kind of like a full body unitard. The legs stopped about at the ankles, but the sleeves didn't come with gloves like Peter's did, nor did it stop at his wrist. It actually came up to his palm, with a hole for his thumb to go. Spencer let his fingers ghost over that part, testing the pull of it and finding himself surprised at how flexible it was and yet how strong it felt.

He heard Tony move up beside him. The man had stopped his ramble about the material, seeming to realize that Spencer wasn't paying that much attention. "I wasn't sure how your energy works, if you need your hands open to the air or if your powers can go through the material."

"I haven't tested it yet," Spencer admitted.

"Well, until we do, I figured this was the safe way to go. It leaves your hands open for you to do your thing with while keeping your sleeves in place."

Spencer looked the whole suit over and couldn't help his amazement. Tony had done this in a day. One single day and he'd managed to make a super suit for Spencer to wear. "Tony, this is… this is amazing."

He felt Tony's pleasure at the words, as well as the way that he quickly dismissed it all. Those emotions were echoed in a lazy shrug. "No big deal. I had an afternoon free, and I figured it was probably a good idea to help make sure you don't end up dead before we get you back home."

Maybe it really was 'no big deal' to Tony. For all Spencer knew, making suits was common for him. He sure seemed to have plenty of practice at it, judging by how quickly he'd done it. But for Spencer, it was so much more than he'd expected, and the care that had been placed into it was clear. Without even thinking about it first, he found himself reaching out, his fingers brushing against Tony's arm. It surprised the older man enough that his head snapped to the side and his eyes went instantly to Spencer's face. Spencer bit the inside of his lip for a second as he stared up at him. "Thank you. It means a lot to me that you'd take the time out of your day to make something like this for me just because you were concerned for my safety. I really appreciate it, Tony."

This time Tony's pleasure was a whole lot stronger, though it was tinged in embarrassment. It was almost like he didn't quite know how to deal with someone showing him gratitude. That matched with what Spencer had observed of him so far; it also made him sad. No one should be so unsure with something as simple as gratitude.

He didn't call Tony on it when the other man drew back and clapped his hands together, clearly trying to brush past his obvious discomfort. "Right! Well," With one hand he waved at the suit. "You should probably try this on before we go any further. None of it's gonna do any good if it doesn't fit you. So, you go ahead and get it put on, and we'll do a few tests. U! Let's get some coffee going. Daddy's got some work to do!"

The suit fit like a dream. It was snug, almost like a second skin, and moved easily with him. Spencer was a whole lot more interested in what it was made of once he had it on. Unfortunately, the material Tony listed was something that Spencer didn't even know existed, which meant nothing for him for once he got back home.

Tony put him through quite a few tests to make sure that he was able to move around in it, as well as use his powers, and he talked him through the minimal features he'd put in there. "There wasn't a whole lot I could do. Considering your powers are electrical, there's too great a risk of you frying whatever I put in there. That said, I was able to get some things in there. You have the same touch-activation that Peter does on your chest…" That was what Spencer had used to be able to get the suit on and off, tapping it to make the suit expand and retract, "…and there's a comm built into it that's similar to the one I made for Thor, so it's capable of withstanding his lightning without breaking. Though, he just calls it down from the sky, he doesn't actually generate it in his body. I'm not quite sure how much of a difference that's going to make."

That was… reassuring. Spencer vowed to keep from generating too much around his head if at all possible.

The mask itself was a marvel. Despite the dark lenses, Spencer was able to see surprisingly well. They filtered the light and took away the brighter edge to things that Spencer hadn't even realized was there. He hadn't realized just how much energy he was seeing around him until it was dulled down.

"If something happens and you manage to fry the suit, the lenses will default to clear. But if for some reason that doesn't work, you can pop them out." Here, he took a second to show Spencer the catch that released them, which required his hands just enough that he was confident they wouldn't be at risk of popping out on their own.

There were a few other things, such as the thin yet durable soles of the boots that came with the outfit, and the communication capabilities of the com that he should be able to access with his powers similar to how he reached out and connected with FRIDAY here. It was, as Tony put it "A pretty basic suit", but to Spencer it was perfect, and it was so much more than he'd expected.

They might've continued to test it and play around if Jim hadn't come into the workshop to interrupt them. Both men looked up as Jim came walking in. The other man smiled at the sight of them, giving Spencer a quick look-over. "Nice suit, man. It suits you." Then he turned to Tony and arched an eyebrow at the man. "Happy's downstairs pacing a hole in the floor. You were supposed to be out the door ten minutes ago."

Tony didn't seem the least bit perturbed by that reminder. He just waved a hand and continued to jot down the notes he'd been making. Spencer, however, cast a curious look Jim's way. One that he was surprised to have answered. "Tony's got a meeting bright and early tomorrow morning, so he's flying out tonight."

"Did I forget to mention that?" Tony asked, clicking a few more keys before closing his notes. He spun his chair so he could face Spencer. "I probably forgot to mention that. I've got a few things I can't put off. Accords business. I shouldn't be gone more than a few days. I'll be back no later than Thursday or Friday. Thursday, if I can manage it. Don't worry, though, Rhodey will stay here with you, keep you company, and you'll have my Brucie-bear, too."

Spencer understood, at least as well as he was able. He knew enough about Tony to know that the man owned and ran a business, even if a Pepper Potts seemed to be in charge of most things. The company was still Tony's. Not to mention, he was heavily involved in fixing the Accords. It made sense that he'd have to go now and again to take care of things. What was surprising was that he hadn't been called out already. "I'm sure we'll be fine, Tony. I'm sorry if my presence has kept you from your business."

Again, Tony waved a hand. He pushed up to his feet and started to close out the other projects he'd had open earlier when Spencer came in. "Don't worry about it. Trust me, boring stuff, all of it. Who wants to sit through these meetings?" Once everything was closed, he spun back towards Spencer again and lifted a hand, pointing a finger at him. "Now, I expect you to behave while I'm gone. Don't go out without the suit, and try not to get hurt or killed out there. If I get a call from Rhodey telling me that you or Peter were stupid and got yourselves hurt when I'm not here to pull you out of it, I'm going to be pissed when I come home."

It would've been frustrating to be talked down to like that, as if he really were a child, if he hadn't been able to feel the actual worry Tony felt at the idea of leaving. Because of that, Spencer kept his voice even and as reassuring as he could manage. "Absolutely, Tony."

"You boys can come down to the workshop to visit the bots if you want," Tony told him, moving to grab his coat from a nearby chair. "They'll probably like that. Just don't try and mess with anything in here. FRI will me know and I don't wanna have to have her lock the labs down. She's going to make sure you guys are okay and let me know if anything serious pops up."

There was no telling how long Tony might've gone on if Jim hadn't cut him off by laughing. "He'll be fine, Tone! You won't be, though, if you don't get outta here. Pepper will murder you if you're any later than you already are."

That seemed to be enough to motivate Tony. In a whirlwind of movement and words – "Be good! Seriously, though, don't die while I'm gone, really!" – Tony was gone from the workshop. Spencer stared at the closed elevator doors for a long moment. Eventually, he gave a small shake of his head.

Jim chuckled at him. "Yeah. You get used to that. He's a worrier."

"I've noticed." There was rarely a time that Tony wasn't worried about something. He'd relaxed quite a bit while working on the suit with Spencer, but the worry had still sat there at the back of his mind. It made Spencer wonder if there was anyone that took care of him the way that he seemed to try and take care of everyone around him.

Spencer's thoughts were cut off when he heard Jim straighten up. "Come on, man. Let's get out of here. I think it's time Uncle Jim showed you how to have a little fun."

"Uncle Jim?"

"Considering the dad-routine that Tony just pulled?" With a laugh, Jim clapped his hand on Spencer's shoulder. "Welcome to the family, kid. Try not to let your brother talk you into too much trouble this weekend."

He was still laughing as he walked away, leaving Spencer standing there, gaping after him.