"Careful... Easy does it..." Peter muttered as he cautiously disassembled his web shooters. With his internship prematurely ended, the boy had come to the Support Department Laboratory to get some work done. After the fight with Punisher, there were plenty of ideas racing through Peter's head. And at the top of the list was upgrading his web shooters.

Professor Foster, the head of the laboratory, had to leave for a staff meeting. But after seeing the boy's homemade tech and level of skill, he gave him permission to work alone. Unfortunately, Peter's gadgets weren't making it easy, as a wire got loose and zapped him as he removed a covering.

"Ow!! Dammit..." He sucked on the tip of his finger, trying to rid it of the sensation. Where were you on that one, Spider Sense? The boy thought to himself.

Just then, he heard a voice chuckling behind him, "Technology has a way of fighting back sometimes, doesn't it?"

Peter turned around to see Riri Williams watching him. She carried a cardboard box with some parts in it, and had an amused expression on her face. "Hiya Parks! What's up? Didn't think I'd see you around here so soon."

"Hey Riri," Peter replied. "Yeah, my internship ended a bit early after the League attack downtown. Figured I'd use the days I had left to work on my web shooters. I finally got them working, but they're still a bit crude. I'm taking one apart now, but as you can see, it's being a bit temperamental..."

Riri eyed the table, her interest piqued, "Mind if I take a look?"

Peter gestured toward the disassembled tech, "Feel free."

She set down her box and walked over, running her fingers lightly over the boy's invention. "Hmmm, definitely not the sleekest babies I've ever seen," she said. "What'd you make these with?"

"Let's see..." He pondered a moment, "Different parts from an old computer, some of my Uncle's old watches, I think I used some wiring from a blender at one-"

"Whoa-whoa, hitting the pause button," Riri held up her hands. "Are you saying you built these out of garbage?"

"I mean... kinda?" Peter scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm not exactly rolling in money, so I make do with what's available, y'know?"

Riri placed her hands on Peter's shoulder, her eyes tearing up slightly in sympathy, "You poor thing, you've been deprived for too long!"

Peter blushed slightly, "Um... Wha-"

"Just look around you! Outside of Stark Tower, this place is Tech Nirvana! An inventor's paradise!" She held her arms out, showing off the sparkling, new machinery all around them. "Your days of dumpster diving are finished, my friend. Just imagine the possibilities you have at your disposal now!"

Peter chuckled somewhat, taken aback by the normally reserved Riri's outburst. And indeed, this laboratory appealed to his scientist heart.

"I knew from the day we met you had the brain of an inventor!!" Riri shook him slightly, "How come you didn't apply for the Support Class? This is right up your alley!"

"That was gonna be my Plan B if I didn't pass the Entrance Exam for the Hero's Course," he explained. "But when I got in, my head went more towards heroics and focused a bit less on the science. I wanna rectify that and get back to basics."

Riri nodded her approval, "Hey, how'd the suit work out for you? I meant to thank you for the free publicity! I saw you on the news for a hot second."

Peter grinned, "Oh it held up great! Exactly what I needed. Still..." He put his hand to his chin thoughtfully, "The other night showed me the limits of what I can do right now. That's why I'm here, to adjust my tech and increase my potential."

"Well," replied Riri. "Don't be afraid to speak up if there's something you want improved. That's what I'm here for."

"I had a few ideas," Peter said, bringing up the schematics for his suit. "Is it possible to install a HUD or GPS in the mask? I got a bit lost during all the craziness, and knowing where to go is kinda important during a crisis!"

"I'm actually working on installing one in my own project now," Riri indicated a half finished helmet in the box she brought. "Let me try to get it functioning. And if it works out, I'll look into adding one to your suit."

Peter nodded, "That's fair."

"What else ya got?" Asked the girl, grabbing a pencil to jot down the ideas.

"I'm thinking a belt to store extra web cartridges," he replied. "I don't want another situation where I run out of webbing mid-battle."

"Mmhmm," nodded Riri. "That's easy enough to assemble, but given how strong that stuff is, you don't want some villain to grab one and use it against you. So I'd recommend a slim belt worn under the suit."

The boy cringed at the thought of someone like Punisher or Hobgoblin using his tools, "Good point..."

"You might wanna think about putting in a warning system to set off once you start to run on empty," Riri suggested. "Even something as simple as a flashing light on your web shooters could save you a few headaches."

Peter looked at the framework of his web shoooters, "There should be enough space to rig up a light. But the big thing I definitely wanna adjust the output."

"How so?" Asked Riri.

"Well right now, I can only shoot one strand of webbing at a time," Peter explained. "It's good for swinging, but I want to make the webs more versatile, maybe adjust to a wider spray for capture."

A sudden burst of inspiration entered Riri's mind, "Like Hawkeye's Net Arrow?"

"Exactly!" Replied Peter, remembering when the archer used it to try and catch Iron Man.

"Hmm, well if the tensile strength of your webbing allows for that, it should be possible to alter the form without compromising the structural integrity," Riri said thoughtfully. "But it'll need a strong enough force to push it in those opposing directions. What's the pressure in one of those? Can I see one?"

Peter tossed over a container of web fluid, "About 130 psi."

"That's no good," muttered Riri, running a few calculations. "You'd need at least 300 psi to get something close to what you're trying to do." She looked back at the web shooter, noting a small tube, "I see you're already compensating for that with the added CO2 canister, but it's still a bit bulky."

"Yeah, I'm trying to streamline the form, without altering the effectiveness," Peter added.

Riri examined the web container closely, "There's no manufacturer's name, or even a serial number. But these were made to help with your Quirk, yes?"

The boy nodded, "I've gotta drain the web fluid in my body every 2 or 3 days. On the plus side, I'm essentially my own supplier, so refilling them is quick and easy. I've got a ton of them literally sitting in a box under my bed."

"I see," Riri replied. "Well try to get in touch with the manufacturer, find out if they can come up with a 300 psi unit in a similar size. If they can't, I'd be glad to give it a shot."

Peter smiled, "Thanks, Riri."

"Hey, it's the Support Department's job to make sure your gear does what you need it to," she shrugged. " As for making a net web, that's an easy enough solution. Try replacing the nozzles on your shooters with ones you can adjust. Think of it like garden hose nozzle. Give it a twist or a press, and it spreads the webbing."

For a while, the two bounced ideas off each other as they worked on their respective projects; Peter experimented with his web fluid over a Bunsen burner while Riri took her box of parts over to a workbench. At her station, a familiar set of boots and gauntlets lay out.

"Hey, that's the gear you used in the Sports Fest, right?" Peter asked.

"Good eye, they're part of a project I'm working on," Riri replied.

The boy walked over and scanned a set of blueprints sprawled out to the side, "Are those... plans for an Iron Man suit?"

"Not exactly," she said, removing her welding goggles. "I mean, yeah, they're inspired by the real deal, but the design's all me!"

Peter picked up a gauntlet, "Is this part of your curriculum?"

"Well, yes and no..." Riri answered hesitantly.

Peter raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Sounds like there's a story there," he commented, handing back the gauntlet.

Riri looked up at him, taking the weapon back. "It's silly..." she muttered.

"Hey, you're talking to a guy who once swung around in long underwear before I got a decent costume," Peter smiled sheepishly. "Try me. No judgements, I promise."

Riri hesitated a moment before she finally opened up, "Well like any impressionable kid, I dreamed of being a superhero. Unfortunately, my quirk 'Energy Ball' doesn't lend for the best offensive capabilities that M.A seems to prefer for the Hero Course..."

"I have noticed they choose more combat based quirks..." Peter admitted.

"Still, it has several useful applications as a power source," she continued. "So, I decided to follow in the footsteps of my- well I suppose our hero, Tony Stark. His Quirk wasn't good for combat either, but through his time as a student in the Support Class, he overcame those limitations with his brains and his tech. The more time I spend here, the more I get to hone my craft and grow closer to his level. My goal is to use my experience and build the perfect suit for me, one that could even bring me up to the Hero Course! That way, I can be a hero just like he is."

"Well you definitely look like you're on your way," Peter replied, looking over the various parts set up on a mannequin. "How long before you can take it for a test drive?"

"Unfortunately, it's still a ways off," Riri said. "There's always some kinks to work out when I try putting everything together, and don't get me started on the flight system... But, as the saying goes, 'failure is the mother of all success'. So even with every back step, I'm feel like I'm getting closer."

Riri took out a rudimentary chest piece from the cardboard box she brought in. "Still, it has to take a backseat to my actual class work. I tinker with it in my spare time, and if I'm able to do projects that could potentially improve my suit as well, it's progress. So for now, I'll keep helping my classmates. That's what heroes do, right?"

"That's a good way of looking at things," Peter smiled.

"Maybe you should look into armor as well," Riri suggested with a cheeky grin. "Think about it; in a sweet baby like that, you could fly around, shoot lasers, be completely bulletproof..."

"Definitely tempting, but I like feeling the wind in my face when I'm swinging," Peter replied. "Plus, I need the free range of movement for my Quirk, and armor can be kinda bulky, not to mention heavy."

"There is always Nanotech," Riri noted with a shrug. "Although Stark's keeping those patents to himself for now..."

"It's fine," said Peter. "You and Mr. Stark can be the armor guys, I'll just be me."

"Aw c'mon, Parks! You can't be satisfied with the bare minimum here, the sky isn't even the limit in this lab!! Like the guy says in that anime, 'Go Big! Go Beyond'!" Riri pumped a fist up in the air, "'Plus Ultra'!!!"

The boy lets out a laugh, this was a new, passionate side to Riri she'd only previously hinted at. "Alright, alright. I get it," he acquiesced. "I'll tell you what, you wanna plan out some tech, go for it. If I like it, we can build it together." He stuck out his hand, "Deal?"

Riri grinned and shook the offered hand with her own, "Deal! Man, have I mentioned how cool it is actually having someone I can bounce ideas off of? Most of you Hero students just submit a request and call it a day. But you're more hands on, willing to do the finicky work that nobody really thinks about."

She leaned back in her chair, "All my life, I was more quiet and introverted because nobody could keep up with me. Like, what was the point, you know? Tony Stark was the only person I could understand, at least by reading his papers. But lo and behold, there's actually someone my age who speaks my language!"

"I definitely get you there," Peter nodded. "I was in kinda the same boat back in my old school. Didn't matter how smart I was, nobody thought I could make it as a hero, let alone into M.A. I had no friends, no Quirk, no-"

"Wait, what do you mean 'no Quirk'?" Asked Riri, inquisitively.

"I was... something of a late bloomer," he replied. "So if anyone understands your position, it's me. With that tech and your level of self confidence, you'll move up to the Hero's Course in no time. You've got nerves of steel and a heart of iron to go with that big brain of yours!"

Riri smiled, "Thanks Par-, I mean Peter." The boy blushed slightly, this was the first time she'd referred to him by his actual name. Riri sniffed the air, "Is something burning?"

"Oh crap, the beakers!!" Peter rushed over to the table and switched off the Bunsen burner as Riri chuckled before getting back to work on her armor.

"'Iron Heart'... Huh..." She muttered, working on the chest piece. "Not bad..."

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Barber's Chair

• For the first time since the Sports Festival Arc, Peter and Riri get to interact. I was definitely excited to write their conversations, given how much they have in common. Both look up to Iron Man, they're inventors, and so on.

• This chapter, I figured I'd hint at some of the tech Peter uses in the comics and other media. Stuff that he may or may not use as the series progresses.