Chapter 22: Peter Came to Tea
Thanks for all the reviews.
There are so many different back stories to how Peter Parker became Spider Man, that I'm keeping it generic. I know he was bitten by a radioactive spider. I know that in most of those backgrounds he was a high school kid. I know he had an Uncle Ben and an Aunt May. So those are going to hold true.
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The next time Ivy wanted to throw a tea party; everyone was busy. The Asgardians, including Gandr, were busy connecting as a family and discussing how to get Fenrir to the house without Odin or Heimdall noticing. Tony and Pepper were at SI with Happy, and Natasha and Clint were at SHIELD. So, they were out. Goose didn't want to have any tea with her today.
Not wanting to have one alone, she decided to go looking for someone. She knew she shouldn't go out alone, so she called Deadpool to come with her. He was free, and agreed to meet her outside the gates of Tony's house.
"Why don't you want to have a party with me?" Wade asked as they walked along the sidewalk.
"You have to remove your mask and you don't like that," she explained, like it was obvious, even though he wasn't wearing his mask right now. He was wearing a hoodie and it covered his face just fine. "I know you don't like being in the house without your costume."
"I don't mind being unmasked around you," he said, bending down so he could look her in the eye. His brown eyes meeting her green ones.
"I know, but I am rarely alone for long," she pointed out. "Why don't you ask the magicals to give you some cream for your face?" she inquired. It was something she had wondered about. They had many different types of magical remedies. Surely there was something that could cure him.
"They did, and I tried some, but it didn't work," he said with sadness in his tone. It had been a last-ditch effort on his part. "It got rid of some of it, but when I woke up the next morning, I looked like I had before. I think it's cursed," he said, not sure how to take that. Venessa had been so happy to see some of it gone that night. Though she didn't show her disappointment the next morning when it all came back, he could feel it in her movements. They were stilted.
"Well, maybe we can find someone else that you don't mind being unmasked around, besides your Venessa," Ivy said, taking his hand and skipping down the sidewalk.
"How did you know my girlfriend's name?" Wade asked, looking at the little girl like she had broken the fourth wall.
"Frank told me," she said, still moving down the sidewalk in a skipping manner.
"Oh, that makes sense," Deadpool said, like unicorns talked all the time. "I don't think we'll find anyone in the residential area of this part of town. Let's call a cab and go downtown," he said, and whipped out his phone and did just that. They played rock/paper/scissors while they waited and soon enough a cab pulled up and took them downtown.
There were a lot of pretty people wandering around with roller skates and skateboards. They were mostly dressed for the weather, which was hot, which meant they wore very little. There were a lot of scantily clad bodies wandering around the boardwalk.
Ivy was wearing a shorts suit, while Deadpool was wearing some jeans and a hoodie, which was pulled up to hide his scars. He looked very out of place.
"I don't think we're going to find anyone interesting here," Wade said, looking at all the beach going individuals. He didn't think any of them would be interested in taking tea with his little princess, nor did they look like they would be any fun.
"I was hoping to find a superhero or villain," Ivy lamented. She knew they mostly hung out in big cities, but they might like to go on vacation and her daddy lived here with the Avengers. Surely there had to be someone that was interesting.
There was a teenager who was working on a laptop that looked just as out of place as Wade with his pale skin and jumpiness. He had dark hair and a skinny frame. He was wearing basketball shorts and a baseball jersey. It was like he was trying to fit in and failing badly.
"What about him?" Ivy said, going toward the boy.
"He does look different," Deadpool said, going with her. He liked the feel of the teen.
"Hello," the little girl said, putting her cutest smile on and moving to stand in front of the teen. "My name is Ivy Harriet Potter-Stark. What is your name?" she asked him, sensing something different about him. There was an aura about him that said budding superhero that Ivy just couldn't quite turn away from. Like he was new to the game and hadn't quite gotten used to it yet.
"Peter Parker," the skittish boy said, looking from the cutest little girl he had ever seen to the shady man standing behind her. "What are you doing here with him?" he asked, wary of the man. His spidey-senses were tingling. The man just made him want to wrap him up in webs and run as fast as he could. That and get the little girl away from him, but there was also as sense that the man would kill for her too, so that was keeping him from reacting.
"He's my friend, Wade Wilson, or you can call him Deadpool," Ivy said, perfectly calm.
"Deadpool!?" exclaimed the teen, having heard of the anti-hero.
She put a hand on his arm and blessed him with a huge smile that made him feel much better. He relaxed and breathed better. He still kept his eye on the hooded man, but it wasn't as judgmental.
"Oh, you've heard of me?" Wade said, a smile in his tone. "That's great. Wait. Does that make you friend or foe? No. It doesn't matter. Ivy here wants to have a tea party, do you want to join us?" he asked, like it was perfectly normal to do.
"A tea party?" Peter said slowly as if tasting the words. "Did you say your last name was Stark?" he asked, as if he had just remembered that she said that she might be related to his hero.
"Yes, Tony Stark adopted me," Ivy said, getting out her phone to call her daddy. "Daddy, I made a new friend, can I invite him to have tea?" she said into the phone. "His name? Peter Parker," she said and then listened. "I am downtown," she said, then listened some more. "Of course, I didn't go alone. I called Wade," she said, then giggled her tinkling giggle. "He's right here," she said, then handed the phone to Deadpool.
"Yeah," Wade said, then listened, and nodded and hummed and did that a few more times and then handed the phone back to Ivy. "I'm grounded," he said and laughed.
She listened and giggled and hummed and then said, "Goose is home," and giggled and hummed and said, "Okay, Daddy," and hung up. She giggled some more and looked at Wade, who was still looking smug under his hoodie.
"Don't you mean she's grounded?" Peter asked, confused. He tried to see the man's face, but it was hidden under the hoodie. He sounded happy to be being punished though.
"Nope, I am," Deadpool said, clapping his hands in a joyful manner. "That means I get to stay for a day or two." He seemed glad about that.
"Yay, then we can play," Ivy said, clapping with him and jumping up and down. "Frank misses you," she added, gleefully. "And you can meet Jormungandr," she added still jumping up and down.
"The World Eater?" Deadpool said, slapping his hands on the side of his face and squealing in glee.
"Yes," Ivy said with great delight. "He's my best friend now. Well, Goose is my best non-cat friend, and Gandr is my best non-human friend," she stated, thinking hard on that.
"Yes," the man said, making a pumping fist action. He loved meeting world ending types. They had the best stories.
"You'll love him, he's young like me, yet years older," the little girl said, then went into a long description on what made Gandr a great guy.
Peter was just looking back and forth between the two as if they had lost their minds. This went on for about two or three minutes until Ivy ran out of things to say.
"So, Peter Parker, what brings you to Malibu?" Wade asked, taking a seat next to the teen, and if it was too close, well, that was just the way the man was. He was so close that their thighs touched and were squeezed together, like they were in a packed subway and not in an open boardwalk.
Peter scooted over on the bench a bit, giving his poor thigh some room and said, "How do you know I'm not from here?" He put as much bravado in that as he could.
These were two strange people, and he was from New York. He was no stranger to strange people, but these two took the cake. The little girl was so adorable that he felt like he had to go along with everything she suggested, which made his spidey-sense tingle. That made him stick firmly to the earth, sorta. He still wanted to hug her and get her away from the hooded man. Even if they did seem friendly with one another.
"You're far too pale," Wade said, showing off his tan, albeit overly scarred, arm. "I'm from New York, but I've been here for a few months, albeit in costume most of the time, and I've got more color than you," he added. He put his arm next to Peter's white leg and the contrast was noticeable.
"Costume? Never mind," Peter said, remembering who he was talking to. "You got me. I'm on vacation," he said sullenly. Like it was the last thing he wanted to be doing. He stared at the scarred arm like it was the most grotesque thing he had ever seen. Then he remembered that was rude and looked at Ivy, who was much prettier.
"Aren't you happy to be here?" Ivy inquired, showing some concern. She noted that Deadpool's arm was tan, and ugly and she vowed that she was going to find a way to heal the man. There just had to be something magical, Asgardian or alien, that could heal him.
"No, I want to be studying for my scholarship. I have to maintain an A+ average or above," he stated, gesturing to his laptop.
"How do you get above an A+ average?" Wade wanted to know. He was a smart man, and he got As and Bs on his report card. He couldn't see how you got better than the highest grade.
"Promoted into advanced classes, skipping grades, or good IQ scores," Peter said, his shoulders slumping. It was grueling to keep up with the demands of his scholarship, but he did it, and he was glad to do so to lessen the burden on his aunt, now that his uncle was gone. He was still hurt over that incident, as it was.
He was a genius. He'd like to think he was almost as smart as Tony Stark, but he knew he wasn't quite in that league. There were things that Stark did that he never even thought of. Then again, there were things he thought of that Stark never did, so maybe they just had different fields of study. He'd bet Stark would never have come up with webbing or the many other things that he invented for Spider Man's nocturnal shenanigans.
He hadn't told these two the whole truth either. He was worried that crime would be at an all-time high now that he was not there to patrol the streets of his neighborhood. His Aunt May made him come here to take a break from school though. It was Spring Break and she said teenage boys needed to be at the beach for that. He had only been a superhero for a short time and the stress of it was getting to him. So maybe she was right and he needed the break. Just not for the reasons she thought.
"Well, I think you need a break. You're coming home with me," Ivy declared, unknowingly voicing his aunt's thoughts. "You can meet the Avengers when they get home. Until then we can have tea. Daddy said you can come," she added, just to make sure he knew that he was invited. Tony said as long as Deadpool and Goose were there, she could invite him along.
"I don't do tea parties," Peter said as Wade snatched his laptop and put it in his bookbag, much to the teen's protest. The older man was stronger than him though, which was new. That and the little girl was giving him puppy-dog eyes.
"You don't have to drink tea," she said with a slightly pleading tone. "You can have a fizzy drink," she added perking right up.
"A what?" Peter asked, trying to grab his bag from Wade, who was skipping along the boardwalk, deftly avoiding all the other pedestrians. He was quite light on his feet.
"Pop," Deadpool said, keeping the bag away from the agile teen. It wasn't easy, the kid was like an eel. There was a supernatural grace about him that screamed there was more than met the eye. He was going to have to keep an eye and an ear out for what was so special about Peter Parker.
"Why didn't she say that?" Peter said, glumly, finally giving up on getting his bag back. "Fine, I'll go to your tea party," he sighed in defeat. It wasn't like he was having any fun on the boardwalk. Sure, there were lots of pretty women to look at, but he was too shy to actually talk to them. He was a nerd, and he knew it. That and he had the hots for Mary Jane. He didn't like the thought of cheating on her, even if they weren't exactly dating.
"Yay," both Ivy and Wade said, moving towards the street to hail a cab. Soon enough, they were on their way back to the Stark residences. Ivy kept up a commentary on all the people who lived there and what they did, keeping those people's secrets at the same time. Peter paid rapt attention, knowing that he was going to meet people he had only read about in the papers. He was a goo over meeting some of science's masterminds.
Tony met them at the door, much to Ivy's surprise and delight. He must have taken time off work just to meet her new friend.
"So, you're Ivy's new stray," he said, holding out his hand to the shy teen. "Wade," he said, nodding to Deadpool. There was a token of respect in that nod.
"Peter Parker, sir," Peter said, taking the hand and shaking it. "It is a great honor to meet you," he said quite quickly. "I am a great fan of your work. I've read everything you've written. I have wanted to meet you for a long time," he said, still talking fast. The hand he was shaking was going up and down so hard that Tony's shoulder was going with it.
"Right," Tony said, extracting his hand and putting it on the teen's shoulder. "Stop," he ordered. "Take a deep breath and just breathe," he suggested, looking the boy in the eyes and doing what he was saying. When Peter calmed down, he said, "I'm glad that you enjoy my stuff, and I like my ego stroked as much as the next guy, but you need to calm down."
"Sorry," Peter said, turning beet red. His eyes darted around the room taking in everything. He was in Tony Stark's house. He wasn't going to miss a thing.
"Daddy," Ivy said, breaking the tension with her cheery voice. "I'm going to take Peter to my room and we're going to have a tea party," she explained, she took the boy's hand and was about to do just that when her daddy's voice stopped her.
"Why don't you let Deadpool take him, while you and I have a discussion on why it is not a good idea for you to go to town without a member of this household?" Tony suggested instead. He leveled her with a look that he had never given her before, and she didn't know how she felt about it. On one hand it was nice that he cared, but on the other hand, it was scary that he was upset at her.
"Yes, Daddy," Ivy said, feeling something she hadn't felt since she left her aunt's. She knew she was in trouble, and she knew she was now going to have to be punished. She felt fear. Well, not fear, but uneasiness.
"Don't worry, princess, I'll look after Petey," Wade said, suddenly in his Deadpool costume. It was like he had snuck off and changed while everyone else was talking and came back and stood in the exact same position. Or he had a superpower that made him change whenever he needed to.
"Don't call me that," Parker snapped, then blushed as he looked at Stark.
"Just go, and let me deal with my misbehaving child," Tony said, waving the other two off. "Jarvis, show them the way," he said to the air, making Peter fanboy out again.
"Jarvis," the teen said, looking around the room like he could see the AI. "I have heard of him, of course, but to meet the great AI, I'm flustered," he stated, turning in circles. "It is nice to meet you, Jarvis," he said to the air as if speaking to a human.
"Thank you, young man," the AI said, lighting the way to Ivy's room. "If you will follow the lights," he said.
"Right," Tony said, then he turned to Deadpool with pleading eyes. "Wade," was all he said.
"Come on, Petey, let's go see if Goose is around," Deadpool said, grabbing the teen's elbow and following the lights to Ivy's suite.
"Who is Goose? Is he another AI?" Peter asked, getting excited again. Who knew what wonders he would find in this house.
"No, he's an alien," was the answer.
"Wait! What?" came the squawk.
And the voices trailed off with laughter.
Tony looked at his daughter and sighed. She was just so cute that he really didn't have the heart to yell at her, but she couldn't just go off to wherever she wanted whenever she wanted. He picked her up and placed her on the couch and sat across from her. He sighed again. "I am disappointed," was all he said at first.
"I know," she said, cute little tears crawling down her face. Because everything she did was cute. She didn't mean to be so adorable, it just happened.
"You did the right thing in calling an adult, but why Deadpool?" he asked, running a hand through his hair. "You're more mature than he is," he added, trying to be serious.
"He will kill anyone who so much as looks at me funny," she said as if it was obvious. "That and he is fun to be with. Everyone else was busy," she added, in a non-accusatory manner. She knew they all had grown-up things they had to do. It was not their fault that Spring Break was now.
"I already grounded Deadpool into being your bodyguard until Gandr and Loki figure out how to get Fenrir here. I am grounding you to the house until such time too. That means no going to visit Frank. I mean it, Ivy. I am upset with you," Tony said, standing firm at the trembling lips that were happening in front of him.
"Yes, Daddy," Ivy said, upset that she would not see her unicorn in days, maybe weeks, but understanding that she had done wrong. It was loads better than being locked in a cupboard for days.
"Also, you need to not bring strangers home," he added, picking up his phone. "It's a good thing for you that Peter Parker is well known for his scholastic accomplishments," he said, showing her the research, he did on the teen. There was nothing bad said about the boy. He was on the honor rolls and was quite the accomplished young man.
"You said I needed to make more friends," she pointed out with a great deal of cheek.
"I meant school friends," he snarked.
"I have plenty of those, but they can't come here," she said, there was a hint of sadness in her tone.
"And I am sorry for that," Tony said, reaching over and clasping her hand. "You know why that is," he added, leaning back in his chair. He really hated denying her anything, but there was just too much magic and superhero things going on in this house to keep it secret from children, who were notoriously unable to keep secrets. He just hoped this Peter Parker would sign a contract, or his mind was going to be whammied.
Well, no it wasn't but he was going to find a way to get the guy to keep his mouth shut.
"Go play with your new friend. I've got to get back to work. I'll be home for dinner, as will everyone else. Try to keep Parker here and we'll get him to sign a contract," Tony said, standing up and going to his daughter, picking her up and hugging her tight.
"Okay, Daddy," she said, perking right up. She wasn't in as much trouble as she thought she'd be in. But she'd not do that again. She didn't like her daddy disappointed in her.
Tony left and Ivy went off to find her friends. They had fun playing house and having tea parties until it was time for everyone to come home. The Asgardians were still gone, but all the Avengers were there.
Peter Parker was in heaven. Not only did he get to meet Tony Stark, but he got to meet Bruce Banner. He fanboyed over him just as hard, much to Tony's pleasure and Bruce's bewilderment. He wasn't as impressed with Captain America and the other two Avengers, but he was polite. He did sign an agreement not to tell about anything he learned in the house and had an open invitation to come and visit anytime, as long as he called ahead.
He had a great Spring Break even if he had to put up with Deadpool and tea parties. On the last day he decided to let them in on his secret.
"Ivy, Deadpool, there's something I have to tell you," he said, setting his teacup of pop on the table. He didn't wear the boa or tiara, but he did yield to wearing a top hat.
"Oh?" Ivy said, putting her cup down as well.
"I'm Spider Man," he blurted out quickly as if to get it out before he lost his nerve.
"Oh, so that's the hero you are," Ivy said, clapping her hands.
"You knew I was a hero?" he asked, flabbergasted.
"Of course, your aura screams good guy," Ivy said, picking up her tea and sipping it.
"I pegged you for a sap right away," Deadpool said, once again dressed in his costume. He wasn't drinking because of it, but he had an empty cup and was pretending. He also had a tiara on his head.
"So, you don't mind that I'm Spider Man?" Peter asked, making sure that they were cool with it.
"You're in the house of the Avengers," Ivy pointed out wryly.
"You should let them know, they might have some resources that you might use," Wade said, thinking of the tower that he could use when he needed a safe house. Or Jarvis, if Tony would connect him up.
"I think so too," Ivy said, nodding along.
"Maybe," Peter said, shyly. "They are much more than I am," he said, thinking they were stronger and smarter than him.
"Just let them know tonight at dinner. You're going back tomorrow, right?" Wade said, putting his empty cup on the table.
"Yeah," the teen said, thinking it over. "Okay, I'll let them know," he said, thinking it couldn't hurt.
So, that's what he did.
"You patrol your neighborhood at night, and go to school during the day?" Tony asked, then remembered the kid worked too. "And you hold a job? Damn, kid, that's dedication," he added, holding up his glass of Coke to the kid. "If you need to hide out in the tower for any reason, feel free. I'll let Jarvis know that you have free access. Just no parties," he said with a smirk.
"Thanks, Mr. Stark," Peter said, gushing. He still called him that, no matter how many times Tony told him not to.
"Peter, if you need anything, just call us. You have all our numbers," Bruce said, more than willing to help the kid out.
"I will," Parker said, nodding quickly, happily ready to call his heroes for any reason.
"We may not have much to offer, but that goes for us too," Clint said, pointing to him and Natasha.
"I'm going back to New York in a few days," Deadpool said, handing Peter a card. On it was printed, Sister Margaret's School for Wayward Children. "This is where you can get ahold of me," he said, grinning at the confused look on the teen's face. "It's a bar," he stated, making everyone's face do funny things.
"Oh," was all Peter said as he pocketed the card. "I want to thank you all for showing me a great week," he said, glad that Ivy had picked him to have tea with at the beginning of the week.
"It was our pleasure," Pepper said, being the most gracious person there, bar Ivy.
"Yeah, kid, you're not so bad," Tony said, meaning it. "When you get out of school, look me up and we'll see about internship," he offered.
"You mean that?" Peter asked, sitting up straighter.
"I said it didn't I?"
"Great! I mean, I will," Peter said, getting excited. It hadn't been his plan, but this was so much better than freelance photography.
Peter Parker left the next morning with a much better outlook on life and better job prospects.
Ivy got a new friend and pen pal. She knew better than to wander downtown without one of the household with her, and Deadpool didn't count, even if he would kill for her.
Loki, Thor and Gandr showed up the next day with Fenrir in tow.