Upside-Down

Chapter 18

Peter sits down across the table from a woman sitting next to Tony, but he doesn't notice her for a minute, he's too busy talking to Pietro. Wanda comes into the room, red particles surrounding her, holding up plates for her. The delicious smell strengthens, leaving Peter's mouth watering.

Wanda smiles at him and a plate land in front of him. "First let the little spider try."

Peter looks at everyone else, noticing another man he hasn't met before, but who he's seen on TV. The famed Hawkeye. Their expressions range from disinterested, to impatient to eat, to staring at Peter, almost analyzing him. That ones from Hawkeye.

He looks to Tony for confirmation, unused to special treatment. Tony nods. "Go on Peter."

He takes the fork, aware of everyone's eyes on him. Then he scoops up some food and takes a bite. There is an explosion of flavors and spices. The taste out does the smell, which is saying something. His eyes start watering, and he quickly takes another bite. This is so good...

"I'm glad you think so Peter," Wanda smiles, waving her hand, and more plates land in front of the Avengers sitting at the table. Peter almost chokes.

"Can- can you read minds?"

"I'm sorry, I don't do it often," She sits down next to him. "I won't do it again if you don't want me to. I never tell anyone what I see unless it's absolutely necessary."

"I'm fine-" Peter begins to say, but Pietro cuts him off.

"Are you sure Peter?" He leans toward him. "Do you have anything to hide?" Then he bursts out laughing. Wanda rolls her eyes.

"You can read my mind, I guess..." Peter says to Wanda, ignoring his friend. Then he looks up, seeing the woman next to Mr. Stark for the first time, looking right at him. "Oh!" He says, embarrassed. "Sorry, I didn't see you," he begins to ramble again, because she looks awfully familiar, another famous hero, surely going to think he was impolite and-

"It's okay Peter," her voice confirms who it is before she does herself. Oh no... "I'm Pepper Potts." The CEO of Stark Industries.

"I'm-I'm Peter." He winces when he realizes she had just said his name.

She laughs, "Tony's told me a lot about you."

"R-really?"

"He won't stop talking about the famous Spider-Man. He went to a press conference this morning."

"In which he told the press that I said something I didn't." Steve is sitting next to Ms. Potts, leaning forward to glare at Mr. Stark.

"Hey, I had to say something."

"That was a violation-"

"Freedom of speech!"

"Not when you're quoting someone!"

"Aw, quiet down, you're both pretty," Natasha interjected, taking a bite of food. Then she turned to Bruce, "and you are too."

"I think Peter should be allowed to go on missions!"

"He's fourteen!"

"I'm fifteen!" Peter entered the argument.

"Oh, nah-a." Mr. Stark waves a hand in Peter's direction. "You don't get a choice in this. You're my responsibility."

"He doesn't get a choice in being how old he is?" Pietro challenged.

"Everyone be quiet!" Ms. Potts stands up, yelling. "You guys got to clam down," she says more quietly once everyone shuts up. "You're going to have a civil war at this rate!"

"Yeah, over whether or not Peter is fourteen," Pietro whispers, so only Peter and Wanda can hear. Pepper jerks her head in their direction and glares. Pietro withers.

"We're gonna get this place organized. I did it to Stark Industries, I can do it to the Avengers Tower."

"Hey, Stark Industries was already pretty-"

Ms. Potts moves her glare to Tony, who promptly closes his mouth. "Okay. We're going to start with basic stuff. Then we'll move on to training schedules..." She turns to Steve. "You'll have to help me with those..."

Ms. Potts gets on her phone after a minute of muttering, sitting down, back straight as a rod, and Peter slowly returns to his food. No one speaks, until plates are clean. Then Ms. Potts clears her throat. "Wanda, can you get dessert?" Wanda nods and scurries into the kitchen. She comes back a minute later carrying a huge crate of ice-cream, no signs of magic particles in the air.

"Okay. We'll start with the chores." Peter can see Mr. Stark pale beside her. "Everyday it will rotate. You guys are spending way too much money on people to clean up after you. I just gave them a nice severance package, and they're on their way to a job I recommended for them.

"Everyone's in charge of their own room, that won't change, but we'll have someone making dinner every night. Someone vacuums the shared spaces, someone picks stuff up, I have a list." Wanda hands Peter a bowl of ice cream, covered in whipped cream, sugary cherries, and chocolate sauce. He carefully bites into it, to avoid Ms. Potts' wrath.

"If anyone one skips chores, I will know." No one doubted her. "Friday set up a hologram in the main room. Everyday, starting today, everyone will have an assigned chore. Wanda's already done hers. Peter, you're in charge of the dishes, Pietro, cleaning the main room, Clint, the library, Bruce, the aquarium in the main room," she went on, pausing just before the end. "Tony, you're in charge of cleaning the main room's bathroom."

Peter almost feels sorry for Mr. Stark. He looks infuriated and at the same time, like he is cowering in fear. Once everyone's ice-cream was done, everyone silently gets up to go do their chores, Ms. Potts watching them even more hawklike than Hawkeye.

Just before Peter pulls on the rubber dish-washing gloves, to rinse off the dishes before he puts them in the dishwasher, Ms. Potts walks into the kitchen. "Hey Peter," she says, sounding apologetic. "This is not exactly how I would've liked to meet you."

Peter sighs and smiles. "We'll, you where right. I bet that argument would've somehow ended in Pietro spray-painting one of the Ironman suits pink. It's all for the best."

"I'm glad you think so," she smiles. "I hoped you wouldn't mind... I asked Tony if I could pick you up from school tomorrow," she says kindly. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah, but Mr. Stark said I should still do extracurricular stuff, so I won't be ready until five."

"Okay, that's good to know," Ms. Potts hesitates, "do you want help with the dishes?"

"I'm sure you're busy, Ms. Potts, you don't have-"

"I'm not going anywhere. And you don't have to call me Ms. Potts, Pepper will do fine."

"O-okay," Peter, steps over to one side of the sink, offering a pair of the fancy dish-washing gloves to Pepper. The start to clean the dishes, side by side.

Peter hears Pietro zooming back and forth in the main room, after a minute something falls over and makes a shattering sound. Then there is lots of frustrated sokovian yelling, and then Wanda yelling at her twin, "Watch your mouth!" and laughing. Peter assumes she's lounging on the couch well her brother struggles.

Pepper grins at him, and he smiles back. Ms. Potts had brought the world's finest heroes to their knees.