Peter Parker Field Trips And More

Peter Parker's Field Trip (Of course it's to Stark Industries) 2/6

Happy drove around to the private entrance of Stark Industries -- occasionally referred to as “Potts Industries” whenever Mr. Stark was feeling cheeky, though Pepper was against re-branding when the name did a wonder for sales -- and Peter offered him a halfhearted wave goodbye as he slipped out of the car, trying to ignore the worried frown that he was given in turn.

He keeps his head down as he approaches the door, fumbling with his backpack so that he can pull out the key-card that Happy had given him when Mr. Stark had decided that Peter should be spending more time at the Tower. He slips it into the little slot and pulls on the handle when the light turns green, stepping into the pleasantly warm entrance just in time to hear Friday’s greeting him.

“Welcome back, Peter. You are running fifteen minutes late. I will inform Boss of your arrival.”

“Thanks, FRI.” Peter mumbled, sending a bashful smile to the secretary who ran things over here at the private entrance.

She smiled back pleasantly before looking back down at her computer. Probably checking him for weapons. There are more than a dozen cameras on him every time he comes in this way, and for good reason. This entrance was reserved for Mr. Stark, Ms. Potts, and the Avengers, since that was a group of people who had a hard time walking in the front door of any place without being mobbed. Peter still wasn’t sure how he’d ever been included among their ranks.

The elevator door chimed when Peter had, apparently, successfully passed the check. His watch would be the only thing to register as a possible threat but as a personal design of Mr. Stark, any attempts to have FRI do a more detailed examination would be met with a restricted access code, as well as notice that it was authorized equipment for Peter to have.

Peter gives the secretary a little wave and wonders what she thinks of him. If she also thinks it’s impossible that he got into a place like this. Or if she ever thinks about it at all. Maybe one of the parts about working at Stark Industries was just accepting things as they are. Either way, he scurried into the elevator and slipped his badge into another key card reader, there, before pressing one of the three unmarked buttons sitting higher than the ones labeled for the different floors. Mr. Stark’s lab was his designated location, but he knows that one of the other three is for Mr. Stark’s private living suite and the other one is compound away from the compound, where the visiting Avengers would lounge, train, and squabble with each other.

Peter’s never been to Mr. Stark’s “house” of sorts. And he’s never been on the floor for the Avengers by himself, though that’s his fondest dream. He wants to explore it, more than anything, rather than seeing it during quick visits, in and out of the suit. Peter’s almost sure that Mr. Stark would let him if he asked… but, he still isn’t sure that he’s earned it and he’s left chewing on his bottom lip as the elevator starts to carry him to Mr. Stark’s lab, thinking about how great it would be to belong there.

The elevator doors open smoothly to Mr. Stark’s lab… where he’s already there, bent over something on the table. Peter starts to hurry, dropping his backpack so that he can start helping him out, but -

“Lab safety, Underoos. Does that mean anything to you? No running.”

Peter scowls as he slows down. “I wasn’t running. I was walking with purpose.”

“Yeah? Well, you should have been running. Your late and my time is precious.”