Author's Note: So now we get to the awkward meeting the family for one of Piper's friends. We'll get to the team meeting them later. I own nothing.
21. Meeting The Folks
The elevator was sleek and shiny on the inside, streamline and there were no buttons. Eddie glanced at Piper who smiled sheepishly and spoke.
"Take us to the family floor please." A British voice rang from no visible speakers Eddie could see.
"Very well Miss Parker." The elevator began to move smoothly upwards. Piper fidgeted.
"So… Um…. You should probably know, my adoptive family is kinda… famous?" Eddie nodded raising an eyebrow slightly. She seemed overly nervous about him meeting her adoptive family.
"Ok, good to know." Piper refused to meet his eyes as the elevator continued its upwards climb. Soon the bell dinged and the door opened. Piper stepped out into a spacious and tastefully decorated living room. There was a bar across the room and a matching couch set was set up around a big screen TV. The windows showed an amazing view of New York, the kind Eddie thought you could only get in the Empire State Building. Eddie followed Piper looking out the windows in amazement. Before he could say anything though someone dropped from a ceiling vent to land right in front of him. He yelped as the figure straightened revealing short curly red hair and a slim muscled body clad in head to toe leather. As the woman glared at him another vent opened and a man in a purple slightly torn t-shirt and black jeans landed nimbly on the floor looking miffed.
"Natasha! We were supposed to go together!" Natasha smirked at Eddie's terrified face as she answered.
"I know Clint, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity." Eddie stared, mouth working silently as Piper crossed her arms and glared around the room.
"Anyone else hiding out to scare one of my oldest friends?" After a few seconds of silence one of the three doors out of the room opened and Eddie nearly fell over. Steve Rodgers walked out, his shield in one hand and a bottle of polish in the other.
"Piper, I see you've brought your friend who convinced you to skip class." Eddie had to sit down hard on the large plush couch.
"Your dad's Captain America!?" Before Piper could answer a metallic voice came from one of the other entrances to the living room.
"Worse." Eddie looked up and fell off the couch. Iron Man stood before him in full armor. The noise he made was something akin to a mouse being stepped on. Piper fearlessly stepped up to the armor and flicked a switch hidden on the side of the armor. The whole thing fell apart leaving a pile of metal pieces on the floor. A voice, normal sounding this time came from the final door off the room.
"Party pooper!" Piper turned to face what appeared to be the kitchen door where a head had popped around the frame. Tony Stark's head to be specific, wearing something that looked like a sensor on his face.
"The Mark 42.5 really dad?" Another head popped around the corner.
"I told him it was a bad idea." Piper nodded.
"Thanks Uncle B, I appreciate that there's at least one voice of reason in this house." As Piper spoke the elevator door opened again.
"Two voices of reason kiddo." Pepper Potts looked up from her tablet.
"Everyone on the couch please. Tony that includes you." Piper helped Eddie, who was still stunned, to his feet as the Avengers flopped down on the couch. The only one that wasn't present was Thor. Piper sat Eddie on the love seat next to the couch that barely fit all of the Avengers. She herself remained standing.
"Alright let's handle this like adults. Piper introduce us to your friend." Piper nodded.
"Eddie this is my family. Uncle Clint, most people call him Hawkeye. Auntie Tasha, the Black Widow. Uncle B, Bruce Banner, the other guy is Uncle H. Uncle Steve, yes Captain America and my dad Tony Stark. Everyone this is Eddie Brock, he's been my friend since we were kids. And this is Pepper AKA mom-venger." Pepper grinned at the nickname and nodded at Eddie. After a few seconds he found his voice.
"How…?" Piper's smile slipped slightly.
"I told you what happened to my Uncle Ben. Well I was packing up some stuff to take with me to the orphanage after he died and I found my parents will. I was all of eleven at the time so I didn't really understand a lot of what it said but it listed a couple of guardians. Uncle Ben and Aunt May were first, but Tony Stark was listed after them. Believe me neither of us were really happy about it at first." Tony leaned forwards and smiled.
"This was about a year and a half before I became Iron Man. I wasn't in a good place, I was an emotional mess and an alcoholic. It wasn't easy but she had nowhere else to go and she'd just lost her whole family. I'd been there, I couldn't leave her on the curb. Then we found something we have in common. Science." Piper smiled.
"Isn't that the truth. So, he took me in and we both got better as people." Tony nodded.
"I stopped drinking as much, left off the one night stands. Then when I became Iron Man I realized a lot of things so I made it official, I adopted the squirt." Piper stuck her tongue out at her dad before turning back to Eddie.
"We kept it under wraps for a number of reasons. Paparazzi are bloodsucking demons for one. For another it's dangerous to be and Avengers kid. Dads got a lot of enemies who wouldn't hesitate to use me against him if they got the chance." Eddie nodded, he was starting to come down off his shock.
"So, who all knows, if you don't mind me asking." Tony nodded.
"Well, the Avengers of course. You, Piper's friend Mary Jane Watson and the Osborn brat." Piper glared at her dad.
"Dad his name's Harry. He's a good guy." Tony rolled his eyes as Clint grinned and leaned closer to Eddie to explain.
"Norman Osborn and Tony have a business rivalry but when Tony got kidnapped in Afghanistan Osborn's kid, Harry was there for Piper, kinda kept her on her feet you know? They've been buddies ever since much to Tony's annoyance." Eddie nodded and raised an eyebrow at Piper.
"But Mr. Osborn's cool with you two being friends?" Piper nodded.
"He is. Because he is far more reasonable than dad when it comes to matters outside work." Tony made a strangled noise as the elevator bell dinged again and a new figure came in carrying Piper's prizes from Coney Island. Piper stepped forwards and helped un-burry him.
"You didn't have to bring these up here alone Happy." The man, Happy, smiled.
"Didn't want you to have to do it yourself, what with introducing a boy to your dad." Piper blushed slightly but laughed.
"It's not like that Happy. This is Eddie, my oldest friend. Eddie this is Happy Hogan, security chief at Stark Industries." Tony nodded.
"He's also one of the only people I trust to pick Piper up and drop her off places. Now about skipping class." Piper sighed as she set the large plush hulk down on one of the armchairs in the room. Bruce was eyeing the thing like it was a hostile alien and Clint had gone starry eyed looking at it. Piper turned to her dad and Eddie stood ready to tell them the truth that it had been his idea but before he could say anything Tony wrapped Piper in a hug.
"I am so proud of you!" Eddie was very confused. Steve's eyes narrowed.
"Tony." Tony scoffed at Captain America as he released his daughter.
"Oh, come on rebellion at her age is healthy. It could be worse, she could be doing drugs instead of carnival games." Piper laughed and Pepper and Happy shook their heads in unison apparently used to this behavior. Natasha was cleaning under her nails with a wickedly sharp blade she'd pulled from god knew where.
"Or she could be a world class assassin, I was at her age." Clint had made his way over to the large plush Hulk.
"Or she could be a circus rat like me." Steve turned to Bruce who shrugged.
"I got nothing, I was a timid science nerd without a degree at her age. Only thing that's changed is the other guy and I have multiple degrees now." Piper was bent double laughing at the expression on Steve and Eddie's face. Eddie was confused to the point that his mouth was just hanging open like he was trying to catch flies. Steve looked miffed but rolled his eyes muttering something about 'back in my day' under his breath. Tony joined his daughter in her laughter. Pepper waited until they were calmed down before she spoke.
"Despite Tony's opinions the school has seen fit to give you a weeks detention for this little stunt. As far as I know that goes for both of you." Piper groaned she knew what detention meant for her. It meant training extra hard at SHEILD. Steve looked satisfied with that, likely because he also knew what it meant. Bruce stood.
"Tough luck kiddo." He patted Piper on the shoulder and turned to Eddie.
"It was nice to meet you but I have a cellular experiment I need to get back to." With that he left by the door he'd entered from. Steve sighed and turned to Eddie.
"Sorry for the scare, it's traditional. Since we all saw Mary Janes reaction its what we do when Piper brings people home." Eddie nodded and took the hand that the hero offered. He was a little star struck in all honesty, he couldn't stop grinning.
"It's an honor to meet you sir, seriously you have no idea." Steve's smile softened as he shook Eddie's hand. He then stood and grabbed the polish and his shield.
"I should probably do this at the kitchen table so none of the polish gets on the rug." With a nod to the others he too made his exit. Eddie was about to speak when he found himself eye to eye with the Black Widow.
"Hurt her and no one will ever find your body." He could only nod, but that seemed to satisfy the Widow enough for the moment she nodded curtly and flipped off the couch landing on her feet and sauntering away. Eddie let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Tony and Clint laughed. Pepper tapped Tony on the shoulder.
"You have a meeting in twenty, go put on a suit." Tony nodded, hugged his daughter and spoke as he was walking away.
"No boys on your level Pipes! Feel free to give him the tour." Piper shook her head as he disappeared through the kitchen. Pepper turned to Eddie and smiled.
"It was lovely meeting you. It'll be small by our standards but were having shwarma ordered in for dinner if you would like to stay." Piper grinned at Eddie who nodded.
"I mean if that's ok. Pipes and I still have a lot of catching up to do." Pepper nodded and Clint smiled as Pepper followed Tony out of the room. Happy said his goodbyes and went to get the car ready for Pepper and Tony.
"So I'm gonna go make some coffee." Eddie checked his watch.
"Its four in the afternoon." Piper nodded.
"Yeah but Uncle Clint lives on that stuff. He drinks more coffee than water." Clint winked and left the two of them alone in the living room of Avengers tower.