For those wondering, Erskine was the man in Captain America: First Avenger who came up with the super serum.
Peter stood in the elevator nervously. He still didn't know what to do. What did he do now? What was he supposed to do with life, I mean, it's not every day this sort of thing happens. Finally the lift reached the fifth floor. The doors slid open and Peter stepped out. The scene in front of him shocked him. Captain America had a grin sliding off his face once he saw Peter sitting on a white leather sofa. Tony was red faced, standing in front of Steve with his glare moving from the super soldier onto Peter. And then there was Bruce Banner, Peter's main idol. He sat there comfily on the sofa grinning at Steve and Tony for some reason. Like the others, his gaze moved off of his friends and onto the teen with his expression changing to uncertainty. Peter stood there nervously with everyone staring at him. The elevator doors slid shut behind Peter.
"Have I done something wrong?" Peter asked cautiously while his mind raced with all the things he could have done. Tony started to storm towards Peter with his face becoming an even brighter shade of red. Steve sprung up with worry clouding his face. Bruce cautiously went onto his feet. Peter just became slightly scared. Just as Tony was about to reach Peter he tripped on a small coffee table next to one of the sofas and ended up ungraciously sprawled on the floor looking like he might cry.
Steve strode over to Tony to help him up but the man brushed him away and lay there looking up at Peter who was still trying to figure out what was going on.
"I'm your FOURTH FAVOURITE?!" Tony whined. Peter looked questioningly at the soldier who let out a small smirk. Peter was so confused.
"Sorry what?" He questioned.
"I'm your fourth favourite scientist! Why? I'm the coolest there is and I'm a superhero!" Tony whinged. "I want to be your favourite!"
Peter was in shock. What the hell was going on?!
"You prefer Bruce to me! I wanna be the coolest! I am the coolest!" Tony cried wriggling with frustration on the floor.
"Um..." Peter replied.
"I thought." Tony started trying to stand up in his drunken stupor, "I thought we had something special."
Tony started walking towards Peter. Steve, knowing how unpredictable drunk people could be, followed cautiously, ready to spring into action if Tony raised a hand. Bruce stood there trying to think whether to laugh or tell Tony to calm down.
"WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?" Tony screamed as he walked circles around Peter. Peter flinched into himself. This was really scaring him. Steve went to grab Tony to put a stop to all of this. He was making the poor boy nerous.
"ANTHONY STARK!" A voice cried from the elevator. All the men (and teen) looked over to the source of the voice and there stood Pepper Potts glaring at Tony. With Tony's tantrum, no one had heard the elevator.
"Hey Pepper." Tony mumbled. Steve could see the anger vanishing replaced by a little bit of fear, just a little.
"How dare you get drunk like this! How dare you scare our guest! Shame on you!" Pepper screeched storming forwards and slapping Tony on the face leaving an echoing crack to fill all of their ears and a bright red mark on Tony's face. It definitely knocked some sense and soberness into the poor man.
"Ow, Pep!" Tony grumbled.
"It serves you right!" Pepper huffed before turning and smiling at Peter. "Hi, I'm Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark industries and ex-girlfriend to Tony Stark." Pepper greeted sticking her hand out.
It took Peter a moment to come out of his shocked stupor.
"H- Hi." Peter said gripping her hand. Bruce had a large smile on his face and slumped back in his seat. Steve, seeing everything was taken care of, went back to his seat.
"Wait, what?!" Tony exclaimed.
Pepper turned back to Tony schooling her expressions.
"Yes?" she questioned calmly.
"What do you mean ex-girlfriend?!" Tony cried.
Peter looked between the arguing couple and realised he was standing right in the middle of their little war. He looked around the room pleadingly for something to save him. Steve caught his eye and made a small gesture signalling him over. Peter willingly took this escape and sat next to Captain America and Bruce Banner.
"Don't worry." Bruce whispered as he saw Peter eying Pepper and Tony nervously. "They're always fighting. They'll have made up by tonight."
Bruce had only whispered loud enough for Peter to hear and Steve's super hearing to pick up. Steve watched in amusement.
"It's going to stay that way until you either sober up or learn not to scare kids!" Pepper retorted. Peter was quite lost about what was going on in the conversation now.
"By the way, I'm Bruce Banner." Bruce greeted at normal volume taking Peter's attention from all of the shouting.
Peter turned and gaped finally realising who was talking to him.
"Doctor Banner, I'm a big fan!" Peter exclaimed, now completely distracted from the argument just metres away from him.
"I've heard." Bruce grinned. Peter looked at him dumbfounded before realising what had happened. He stared wide eyed at Steve.
"I thought you said not to tell anyone or Tony will annoy you?" Peter said curiously.
"True, but the idea of annoying Stark was too good to miss." Steve admitted.
"So that's what Tony's weird antics were about?" Peter asked for confirmation.
"Yes." Bruce said. "Is Tony really your fourth favourite scientist?"
"What? No, I said no particular order." Peter tried to correct.
"But I conveniently left that bit out." Steve added with a small laugh. Bruce chuckled.
"Well, I'm honoured to find someone interested in my work." Bruce said honestly.
"Oh yeah, I was fascinated by your latest study into gamma radiation." Peter enthused.
"Wait, you understood that? I haven't decoded most of the scientific language yet." Bruce replied slightly shocked. Peter blushed a little.
"I like science a lot." He admitted.
Just then Peter and Steve felt droplets of cold water crash onto their arms. Everyone looked up and saw Pepper standing there with an empty champagne bucket. You could see how cold the metal had been by the droplets on the outside and the ice on the floor. Tony was covered in ice cold water from head to toe. Pepper looked at Tony with an innocent smile.
"Are you sober now, sweetie?" Pepper asked. Tony nodded and Pepper stormed off.
Tony waddled back over to the sofa before squelching onto the leather sofa opposite Steve, Bruce and Peter.
"That woman is scary." Tony said quietly.
"You did sort of ask for it by getting this drunk." Bruce said.
Tony wanted to glare at Bruce but he knew it was true.
"Sorry about that, kid." Tony said. He sighed. "It shouldn't matter who your favourite scientist is."
Steve grinned before looking at his companions and then back to Tony.
"Peter never admitted to you being fourth. He said no particular order." Steve admitted.
Tony sat there starring dumbfounded.
"Wait," he said slowly, "You actually lied. As in, you told a lie?!"
Peter was so confused. Steve had just admitted that Tony wasn't his fourth favourite scientist but all he picked up was the fact that Steve had lied.
"No, I just altered the truth." Steve said simply.
"But you didn't tell the full truth!" Tony pointed out.
"I am able to lie you know." Steve said.
"You, my dear boy scout, never lie." Tony butted in.
"Wait, what's going on?" Peter asked. He may be shocked who he was in a room with but he was getting used to the idea that they were all human (if a little modified) and they had normal conversation.
"Your dear great uncle-"
"Grandfather." Steve corrected
"Never lies. He says everything truthfully and is annoyingly honest. He just lied – altered the truth – whatever you want to say." Tony finished.
"I can lie, I am human you know. I just don't lie normally, I believe you should barely ever lie, if ever." Steve explained.
"No, you're a robot with a stick up your arse, a sort of nice robot on occasion but I wouldn't count you as human." Tony snorted. Peter grinned, these people were the world's mightiest heroes?
"I have just not moulded into modern times." Steve said exasperated. Peter could tell this was a recurring conversation.
"You should see him do sarcasm. He's still learning but it's hilarious." Tony laughed. Bruce snickered. Peter guessed there was a tale behind this but decided to not get into it. There was silence for a moment and Tony looked between Steve and Peter. They had about a foots distance between them and seemed tense. They had no idea how to act.
"So, what's great grandpapi going to be called then?" Tony asked. Peter and Steve looked at each other nervously although it was much harder to tell with the super soldier, he was better at controlling his emotions.
"Unless Peter actually wants to call me something different, I think Steve will suffice." Steve said neutrally.
"Yeah that works." Peter said. "It'd be too weird to even call you gramps."
Tony smirked. Bruce laughed and Steve just smiled and nodded.
"I may be in my eighties theoretically but I don't feel old enough to even be called dad." Steve joked.
Tony wiped some cold water from his eyes before realising that an awkward silence had settled in the room again.
"So, I hear you're a fan of Bruce's and my work." Tony said. Bruce rolled his eyes. Tony just had to keep talking.
"Yeah, Doctor Banner's research is one of the things that got me into science. And your work with mechanics is fascinating, Mister Stark." Peter said rubbing the back of his arm awkwardly.
"You can call me Bruce by the way." Bruce said with a smile. "And Tony will bite your head off if you call him Mister Stark."
"It was my father name, it makes me feel old." Tony retorted.
"I'll try and remember that." Peter grinned.
He stayed with the three heroes until dinner and then they stayed up talking about nothing of any relevance until ten when Peter called it a night and headed to bed. Once Peter got upstairs he changed into his pyjamas and curled under his blanket. Today had been a good day. With that thought, he drifted off to sleep which consisted of no nightmares, only blissful darkness.
To those hoping to have Pepper tell Tony off, I was already planning it, scary, you read my mind.
I didn't screw up this chapter up did I? Please tell me, your opinions and views are incredibly important to the success of this story. To those supporting this story already thank you for your support, keep supporting it!