Peter Parker Field Trips And More

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

Peter’s hyper-aware that his classmates are all staring at him, now, as they move forward from the entrance and to the first stop on their tour. A long hallway that’s lined with pictures of Stark Industries through the years. Newspaper clippings hailing it the first step toward the future of clean energy, pictures of Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts standing proudly in front of the building, handwritten notes from the desk of Tony Stark with the goals of the company scribbled out in his rough but looping handwriting. And yet, despite all the super-cool stuff that’s surrounding them… Peter is the one getting stared at, like he’s the display and everything else is just background noise.

And it’s disconcerting. 

He doesn’t really know how to feel about it or what to say. Part of him wishes he could enjoy it. Maybe do a little I-told-you-so dance, but it doesn’t really feel like a victory. He’s just kind of tired. So, everyone believes him now. What does that mean? It’s not like he’s going to suddenly be popular. Or maybe they think that he will be, but he’s not sure he wants to be friends with a bunch of people who counted him out from the get-go. The hero worship is so bizarre from this side of things and Peter makes a mental note not to stare at Mr. Stark so much. 

Luckily for him, Lisa is an expert on getting and keeping attention and her never-ending explanation of every photo they pass is pretty good at keeping some of the gazing off of him and all of the conversations to a low murmur rather than a roar. Even so, Peter sticks to the back with Ned who’s positively beaming at everything around them, just to avoid getting roped into a conversation that’ll loop back into his internship. Like, asking how he got it. Where he applied. How it worked out for him. All of those questions that he can’t possibly answer. 

Ned’s questions are easier to deal with. 

“You’ve really never been down here! That’s great! I mean, I was worried that you were going to be bored the whole time and not really have fun hanging out with me but it’s way cooler that we’re both experiencing it for the first time, together!” Ned’s words are somehow moving faster than his lips. It’s like experiencing lag in person and Peter can’t help but grin as they’re ushered into a HUGE elevator. One that’s so spacious and so tall that it seems like it was designed for groups like them… or for the Hulk. “I wish we were allowed to take photos. How cool would that be?” 

“Very,” Peter says, nodding in agreement. “But you know, it’s a legal thing.” 

“Well, Penis -” Flash suddenly hisses behind them. “Maybe you should talk to your good friend Tony Stark about it, since he apparently bends the rules for you. If he can give you an internship, why not let Ned, here, take all the photos he wants?” 

“Life sure is hard when you’re not the one benefiting from special treatment, isn’t?” Michelle says, casually reaching over to grab Flash by the back of his jacket and pull him back a few feet. “Stop breathing down Peter’s neck like you’re going to try to steal his badge or you’re going to get us all kicked out.” 

“I wasn’t going to -”