One Month

Chapter Five

Everyone stared at the holographic screen that Tony had been using with video feed for the last half hour. Everyone, even the kids, were paying attention to Tony and his presentation.

"We have no idea the route that it's going to end up taking," Stark explained after telling everyone what the spaceship even was -- an Intergalactic Jumper as Fury and Stark had called it for its ability to jump light-years from its current spot. "I want everyone to be prepared for the worst if this ship heads our way."

"Why tell us now?" Steve was the first to ask a question and Tony immediately turned to him. "This thing has yet to even begin toward any planet near our solar system. Why worry about it now?"

Without a word, Tony pulled up a second video with a quick, "Might want to cover the children's eyes for this one." Natasha covered Cooper's and Peter covered Lila's. Tony pressed play, and the small crowd watched as a planet imploded, several ships escaping along with the one that had been deemed Intergalactic Jumper.

"That is why we are preparing now," Tony told Steve as Steve stared at the screen.

"They drained the planet," Peter mumbled and everyone turned to him. "Well, technically, they made the planet's internal pressure enough for it not to stay solid."

"We'll continue with 'drained the planet,'" Tony decided and his eyes flicked to Peter, "even if it is technically inaccurate." Peter tried to hide his grin.

"Still, even with secret projects, our government -- and I'm sure no other government -- has the ability to repel something like this," Sam was the one to bring up the government, but Rhodes nodded his head.

"Tony, I understand we're, well, the Avengers, but we'll need government authorization and something to work with," Rhodes explained. "How long do we believe we have before this ship even comes close to our solar system?"

"If my math is correct," everyone's head turned to Bruce Banner as he emerged from the labs, "there is the same possibility of it appearing today as the possibility of thirty years from now."

"So, we don't know?" Natasha asked. Cooper squirmed in her arms at a new voice and Natasha uncovered his eyes as Tony took away the video of the imploding planet. Peter took his hand away from Lila's eyes, too.

"No," Banner answered. "That's why Tony arranged this meeting. He wants everyone prepared. We're going to try to begin work on something that could repel this."

"Question then," Clint began, and he glanced at everyone, "why am I here? I retired from the Avengers, this is no longer my duty."

"Because if it comes to a fight, you may not have the option of retirement," Bruce told Clint, who hung and shook his head. Peter knew that he was upset -- everyone did -- but nobody moved to comfort him. "I'm sorry, Clint, I really am."

"We're going to begin regular training exercises," Tony spoke after Bruce and Clint's conversation finished. "Clint and Thor are allowed to join but they are not required to attend. I want everyone in their top shape if this happens. Peter, after this, I need you to follow me to the labs."

"For?" Peter asked instinctively even though he knew that he would trail down to the labs eventually. Their work had always amazed him, if he was allowed, he was going.

"Your new suit," Tony told him. "I need to ask you some questions for certain adjustments." Peter simply nodded his head instead of trusting his voice, his face already heating up. He was aware that nobody else here knew what Tony was talking about, but he was terrified of the team finding out and betraying him.

Although Tony and Pepper had made it obvious on many occasions during their first meeting that they would easily side with him should anything happen.

"Okay," Peter finally squeaked out. Tony ignored his uncomfortableness and continued on.

"A suit? I want one!" Cooper exclaimed and Lila hopped up in Peter's lap with, "Me, too!"

"We'll get you both suits," Laura told their children. However, they shook their heads.

"Not costumes, real suits," Cooper argued, and Natasha poked his side, making him laugh. "Ow, stop!" He tried to push her away but Natasha only continued her onslaughts of tickling. "Okay, okay! Cos- costumes are fine!"

"Most of our suits are just costumes anyway," Tony mumbled out and a few of the Avengers' heads went to him. He smiled in return before he seemed lost in thought. "Okay, I believe that's it. F.R.I.D.A.Y. will let everyone know when training begins. Peter, can you come with me?"

Peter nodded his head and moved Lila from his lap with ease before he stood up. Everyone returned to talking and playing and joking as Peter stuffed his hands in his front pockets and followed Tony down to the labs. Bruce Banner had stayed upstairs and Peter was inexplicably happy about not having to come out to another person. Everyone now saw him as he was, not who he used to be.

"I just needed to check with some out-of-date information," Tony explained as he rushed around grabbing things like he was back at work. Peter stalled at a small mechanism that mirrored his web-shooters, except Tony's were much more advanced.

"Okay?" Peter said as he inspected them, but the squeal of a door made his head turn. He joined Tony's side and watched as a new suit stood in front of him. "Is this it?" Peter asked in awe. Tony simply nodded his head.

"I need to know if a chest binder is necessary in this one," Tony stated as he pulled up another holographic screen on a desk nearby. Peter shook his head with a proud grin even though Tony wasn't looking at him.

"No," he said out loud and Tony glanced at him.

"No?" He asked and Peter nodded his head excitedly. He hadn't been able to share his accomplishment with many people other than Aunt May.

"I got top surgery," Peter told Tony. "Aunt May, my therapists, and the doctors decided that it would benefit me more since I--" Peter stalled, knowing he would get in trouble once Tony told Pepper, so he dropped his voice to barely above a whisper, "since I wore my binder majority of the time."

Tony stalled this time, and he glanced at Peter. "That's unsafe," he said simply although his head rang with times Pepper had talked to him about it. She had done plenty of research the moment Peter had come out to them. "I know I now can't tell you to not do it again, but, Peter, you should have been more careful. You do know that you're lucky you even got to have top surgery with pulling something like that, right?"

Peter nodded his head although he didn't much care for his mistake. The surgery was done and over with, and he already felt closer to who he was and wanted to be.

I went with my sister to her doctor's appointment today. I got to see my nephew for the first time :)