Welcome home

— I’m… – Peter froze awkwardly, blinking his eyes. Well, what a failure, every time he walks he drops something. – Peter, – Banner regained the remnants of his lost composure and quickly walked towards the guy. – I only have one question, – the man looked at the guy with an intense look. – Are you here with the class? Peter was taken by surprise by the question; he expected, perhaps, something like «you want to crash my whole laboratory.» Unable to think of anything better, Parker simply nodded his head silently. There was a relieved exhalation, Bruce was clearly more worried about this than the broken flask. It's clear that if Peter had been seriously injured without notifying Stark of his arrival, Banner would have been held responsible. Deciding, nevertheless, not to wait for the scientist, Peter bent down to collect large fragments. And almost got cut in the process. – Peter, don’t, – Bruce patted the guy on the shoulder. – I’ll clean it up myself later. – Parker immediately blushed, trying to look anywhere but Bruce. Yes, every time he breaks something he is terribly ashamed. But the classmates continued to stare and whisper, it seemed to him that their eyes are going to popp out of their sockets. Then the rhythmic clicking of heels was heard from behind. Catherine, who noticed something was wrong, headed towards them to find out what had already happened. – So, what do you have here? – Katheryne approached them and with a sharp movement turned Parker towards her. — Did you get wet? – She looked him over. – Is this something dangerous? Having received a negative answer from Bruce, the girl sighed. Peter was indeed covered in alcohol. It had soaked into his sweatshirt and pants; there was a huge stain on the clothes and a couple of smaller ones. And now this was really bad, even very bad. The guy cast a guilty glance first at Katya and then at Bruce. But the only thing in his head was the desire to get away from them as soon as possible. He already attracted too much attention and still wanted to reduce it to himself to a minimum. But that was not the case. Katheryne quickly realized what was happening and commanded: – Go to Stark. Take some of his clothes and come back. Peter's eyes widened. Damn it! Now so many dumbfounded glances were looking at Parker that goosebumps ran through his body. Some even opened their mouths in surprise. There was deathly silence. Parker begged all the existing gods to make him fall underground every second. Well, now all his hopes have fallen to dust, if he returns in Stark’s clothes, he will definitely not be allowed to live to the end of school in peace. – Why did you freeze? – Katheryne pushed the frightened Parker towards the exit. – Go, I’ll warn Friday. Make sure you don’t sneak away anywhere, – she threatened. Peter gave her a pleading look. But the girl was adamant. She quickly understood the guy's silent request. – No. I can't let you go without your class teacher. – She shrugged. – So change your clothes and come back. – After that, the girl took out her phone, quickly typing something. And a second later she returned back to the class. Trying with all her might to return their attention to the excursion. And Peter had no choice but to go to Tony. So surrounded on all sides by looks of completely different content, he bowed his head as low as possible and trudged towards the exit. They looked at him in surprise, with eyes full of aggressive envy. Someone looked at the guy like he was another exhibit from that museum. But a couple of views were still different. Flash and his friends looked scared. Thompson shifted tensely from foot to foot and looked surprisingly unsure. But this is unlikely to last long. He'll come up with some stupid reason again for why Bruce knows him. And everyone will willingly believe it. Peter silently took off his lab coat, hanging it over his shoulders next to the exit, and with a quiet click of the electronic door, he left the laboratory. As soon as the door closed, Peter groaned helplessly. The situation couldn't be worse, Friday and Bruce recognized him. Sended Peter to Tony Stark for clothes. It couldn't be worse than this. Parker thought that everything was bad that Friday, but that day can't be compared to today. The teenager slowly, trying to delay the time as much as possible and grab at least fifteen minutes for himself, headed towards the elevator. If he stays longer, he may not have to return for the excursion. Their backpacks were taken from them and taken to the bus. So Peter can come just at the end, pick up his backpack and calmly go home. But here, as luck would have it, there is a chance that Friday, following orders, will simply prevent Peter from walking around the tower as he pleases. The guy suddenly stopped abruptly and took a better look at himself. Even if he wanted to, it would be difficult not to notice that Peter was all wet. In addition, he smelled terribly of alcohol. The hospital smelled like that every time Parker had to go there. If there were people here, they would shy away from him several hundred meters. But, fortunately, at least this time he doesn't meet anyone in the corridor. It was now the height of lunch time. So everyone had left a long time ago and had not returned yet. And yet, no matter how slowly Parker walked, stopping every five steps, he still came to the elevator. It opened right there, apparently waiting for him since Katheryne’s message, and Peter, sighing heavily, stepped inside. The doors closed, cutting off all the last escape routes, and taking him straight to the top. Friday didn’t ask for the floor, she just get him to the floor. Apparently, Katheryne gave a clear command. The guy leaned his elbows on the glass behind him and winced. He felt as stupid as possible. What was he even hoping for when he thought he could sneak away from people? He had to pretend to be dead to be sure. He already has enough problems, so now he won’t be able to live normally at school. The cramped space of the elevator was immediately filled with a pungent «hospital» smell, and Peter didn’t like the smell of alcohol. Try to find a person who likes. He wonders how long it will take for all this to disappear from the elevator? And then he also has to go back to the laboratory. Or he would need no longer go in the laboratory? If he manages to stay here for at least three hours, he may not show up for the rest of the excursion at all. Although it's too much time. Peter glanced up at the scoreboard to look at the floor, and unsuccessfully turned his hand, leaning directly on the new and huge cut. He received it over the weekend from his father. The drunk had a knife in his hands, and Parker did not have time to dodge, and there was also nothing like bandage to heal it. Peter jumped up, clenched his teeth tightly, and hissed. The main thing is that it doesn’t start bleeding again. Suddenly Friday announced the floor, and Peter jumped up convulsively, leaning back on his back. The elevator dinged and the doors slid open silently. The guy carefully opened one eye, not daring to go out. – Oh my God, – Tony stood in the doorway and looked at the boy. Pepper was also with him, hugging some papers. Her gaze, unlike Stark's, was filled with sympathy. — Is our fire extinguishing system faulty? Where did you manage to get so wet? Or, wait, – he exaggeratedly sniffled. – Don’t tell me that Banner got you drunk. I know he could. He's also a drunkard. – Tony, – Pepper besieged him. – Be more polite, it seems Peter had a difficult day. – Very funny, – the guy muttered dissatisfied. But he still blushed, he didn’t even think that the smell of alcohol could be reminiscent of... alcohol. He himself has other associations. – I just dropped something, – he fell silent for a second, looking at the floor in embarrassment. – Again. Parker finally stepped out of the elevator, shuffling his feet on the floor. Taking a deep breath, he blurted out in one breath: – In general, they can’t let me go, because Miss Brown is walking somewhere, and it’s impossible without her permission. So they told me to go and change clothes. And with what, I don’t know, – having finished speaking, he blushed even more and again looked down at his feet and ran his hand through his curls. Pulling them painfully. – Got it, got it. Don't continue. It's obvious that you need to go to a fashion boutique. Pepper, help this guy find something modern. Peter exhaled loudly. Tony absolutely cannot live without ridicule. To expect anything different would be at least strange. On the other hand, he shouldn't miss any chance to stall for time until... well, it's too late. – Can I just take one of the hoodies, – he grumbled. Maybe neither Pepper nor Tony will understand that Peter is on a field trip. And he'll just walk around the tower. The guy frantically grasped at any thoughts, even the most absurd ones. – Of course you can, – Pepper decided for the businessman. – Hey, don’t you want to ask me? – What, are you going to say no? – On the contrary, I love it when my things are given away left and right. But Peter needs to take a shower first. And the fact that you walk around in my sweatshirt with the smell of cheap vodka could create problems for me. I don't want people to think that I'm getting you drunk. Parker rolled his eyes. Okay, maybe Tony was right about something this time. The guy smelled horribly of alcohol. So much so somebody might actually think that he had drunk more than one bottle somewhere. Well, and get wet along with it, of course. – Let’s go, – Pepper gently grabbed his shoulders. – The bath is there, I'll lead you the way. And you, – she turned to Tony. – Prepare clothes for the guy for now, – the businessman rolled his eyes, but didn't argue, but only followed them to his room. Peter followed Pepper silently. At the same time, trying his best to calm himself down. Well, if he tries to think positively, he will miss quite a lot from the damn excursion. An uninvited thought immediately appeared in his head: «And then you will have to explain where you have been all this time.» Took a shower, damn it! By the time they got there, Parker had worked himself up so much that he had even turned a little pale. But Pepper didn't seem to notice this. – Okay, here's a towel. Soap and shampoo are also here. If you need anything, call me or Tony. But you better call me, because you will only get help from Tony after a series of jokes and sarcasm. In general, don't pay attention to him. Make yourself at home. – Thank you, – Peter embarrassedly thanked the girl and went into the bathroom. It was quite spacious, which, by the way, was not surprising; he's still in Stark Tower. Peter looked around. Smooth white walls and a marble floor, which, by the way, was also heated - a whim of the rich. Parker, by the way, still didn’t understand what room he ended up in; it seemed to be Stark’s room. Although, what difference does it make to him? The main thing now is to take a shower. Parker suddenly, loudly sneezed - yes, that’s his reaction to the pungent smell of alcohol. Parker smelled so bad that even the fairly large bathroom was already filled with a «hospital» smell. Peter sighed and looked up, noticing the shower stall. Well, there’s nowhere to go anyway, but it really wouldn’t hurt to take a shower, just a quick shower. There certainly shouldn’t be any problems; he’ll just put on different clothes later. And of course, in the worst case scenario, he will also return for an excursion. Unfortunately, the guy didn’t know how long this excursion lasted, and therefore didn’t know how long he needed to spend here in order not to meet anyone from the class. If you think so, then he may well try to convince everyone that he bribed Katheryne. Well, Flash, oddly enough, will help him a lot with this... Moreover, he is probably already doing this. He is trying to convince everyone that Parker is a deceiver of all of America and in fact Tony Stark doesn't know him, and Katheryne with Banner are just a coincidence. Peter sighed. It would be better if it were so. In general, Parker has no choice but to try to spend as much time on the floor as possible. Say, for example, that the head takes a long time to dry. *** Tony opened his closet and began choosing clothes for Peter. Basically, he only had sweatshirts, T-shirts and a pair of jeans - these were for home. All formal outfits, according to Pepper's instructions, were perfectly ironed and stored in another closet, ready for all occasions. However, for the boy, all the clothes of a businessman will obviously be too big and weight like a bag. And if this is not so bad for T-shirts, then pants can easily slip down. After a few minutes of digging, Tony finally decided on a short sleeve t-shirt and jeans with a black belt. Most likely, Peter will not be very happy with the choice of his boss, since he continues to hide his wounds, thinking that Stark has no idea about anything... But it will be interesting to see how he will get out this time. Or maybe he’ll give up and finally tell who made it? Although no, this is not what would do Peter. Why would he even come to the tower now? The guy has school after all. There must be. This is all very strange. Oh, school! – Friday, what time is it? — It’s eleven o’clock thirty-seven minutes. Damn it! Excursion. He himself gave permission for it, but now he has completely forgotten. Tony put his clothes on the sofa. Well, at least now he knows what school Peter goes to. *** Well, quite a realistic excuse. It might even work. As a result, Peter got into the shower with almost no problems. Only a fresh wound reacted sharply and noticeably painfully to hot water. There was little pleasure in this. So Parker had to switch to cold water, and the painful sensations disappeared, so the guy calmly took a shower. The legs suffered the most, so they had to be washed with triple effort. After hesitating a little, Peter finally took the shampoo, deciding to wash his hair. As it turned out, alcohol got there too. However, he had to make sure that the foam didn’t get on the same wound, otherwise it would sting. Parker spent twenty minutes in the shower. His conscience didn't allow him anymore. And he was in the water for about fifteen minutes at most. The rest of the time he spent figuring out how the shower even worked here. It turned out, surprisingly, through Friday. When the guy got out of the shower, he quickly wiped his head with a towel and, looking around, realized that the clothes were most likely in the room. Eyes instinctively flew up to the mirror. Peter bit his lip. The sight was not a pleasant one: a series of bright and fresh bruises adorned his chest. Together with those that had almost disappeared, they stretched across the chest, stomach and arms, like some kind of garland. And it was terrifying. When only Peter managed to get them all, although his father had recently often taken out his dissatisfaction with work on the teenager. Parker looked away, wondering what to do. Showing up with so many injuries was clearly a bad idea. Deciding that something needed to be done, Peter carefully crept to the door, listening. There is a chance that there is someone in the room. So the guy decided not to take another risk and check. To Peter's great regret, his guess was confirmed. A man's voice was heard from the room. Tony was talking on the phone, apparently at the window. Parker's face reflected such universal disappointment that masks for some sad opera would be jealous. Peter had no choice but to carefully open the door. Looking around, he noticed clothes on the sofa, which stood perfectly close to the door. Without a doubt, which was intended for him. Damn it! And how to pick it up without being noticed. After thinking a little, Peter realized that there were no options other than to try to quickly jump out, grab it and run back. He'd rather look like an idiot than show ugly bruises all over his body. Peter took a couple of deep breaths and stuck his head out first, checking the situation. Stark stood with his back to him, looking out the window and talking. – Calm down. I’ll bring him, – the man snorted at the answer received on the phone and hung up. Peter froze, afraid that Stark might turn around and go sit on the couch, but Tony continued to look at the phone, rhythmically tapping on the edge of the window, apparently thinking. Parker silently opened the door wider and rushed towards the sofa. He quickly grabbed his clothes and immediately ran back into the bathroom. The guy leaned on the door, running his hands through his damp curls. – Parker? – Tony, of course, heard the guy and was puzzled by what was happening. – Yes, I’m getting dressed, – Peter answered and quickly got into his pants. As expected, they were huge for him. Peter secured them more tightly with the belt around his waist and squatted down. To keep his jeans from dragging on the floor, he rolled them up to his ankles. Well, if you look at it like that, it doesn't look so bad. There's much people now wear wide pants. After securing the jeans a little more tightly with the belt, Parker reached for the top. The guy, of course, didn’t think about the fact that it could be a T-shirt. Peter straightened it out and was horrified - there are short sleeves. Damn it! The teenager didn’t know what to do now. On his forearm, as a reminder of itself, a cut hummed with monotonous pain. The situation was critical, but there were no options. Peter threw a T-shirt over himself and looked in the mirror. Everything that he was so eager to hide was now visible. A cut that hasn't even begun to heal. Bruises that seemed to reflect the entire color palette of blue and purple. And in general, nothing good. Parker looked around frantically, running helplessly around the entire perimeter of the bathroom several times. Peter noticed a sweater forgotten on a hanger, burgundy red, with a pattern of long stripes. Parker breathed a sigh of relief: maybe it’s too bright, but it’s clearly better than walking around like you’ve been trampled by horses. And yet, life sent him salvation after a series of tortures. What kindness on her part! Deciding not to hesitate for long, Peter took the sweatshirt off the hanger and carefully, trying to touch the fresh wound as little as possible, stuck his hands in. When they were told about the excursion, Peter was so excited that all his thoughts were filled solely with how not to get caught by his acquaintances in the tower. So he completely forgot about the injury. But now he remembered it perfectly, and the wound began to hurt again. Seriously announcing it's presence. It would, of course, need to be treated. But doing it in a tower is a terribly bad idea. Here, whatever someone may say is a greater chance of being exposed to some bloody cotton wool. So, trying to move his left hand as little as possible, Peter carefully walked out of the bathroom. – Well, shall we return you to your fellow sufferers? — Stark turned off the phone and studied the teenager with his eyes. – Did I give you this sweater? Doesn't matter. Take what you want. Let’s just go quickly, because I’ve already been scolded by everyone who could and couldn’t. And leave your clothes there, – he added. After that, the businessman headed to the elevator and took the guy along. Oh no, no, no. Damn it! Until the very end, Peter didn't give up hope that he would be able to sit in the room for at least some time. But Katheryne is not stupid either. The girl quickly realized that Parker would play for time and called Stark, apparently having pretty much brainwashed him. Parker raised his hand, pulling his curls out of habit. He still had to stay in the shower longer and pretend that he just couldn’t figure it out. Or alcohol has a pungent smell, and he can’t get rid of it that easily. In general, at least something, the main thing is to stay longer. Peter really didn’t want to go back for the excursion. At least because he is now wearing different clothes. And the class, unfortunately, is not for deaf children. The guy froze uncertainly as he left the room, shaking his head. His hair was still damp, but no longer wet, so he could hardly use it as an excuse. Parker shifted from foot to foot, frantically wondering how to legally escape. By the way, they now have another floor on schedule. It's still a long way from the Avengers workshop and living room. Well, to be more precise, then it's two more floors. Maybe Peter will still be able to find a homeroom teacher and leave early. – And don’t look at me like that, – Tony was well aware of this look. – I’m aware that you’re thinking through an escape plan right now. And I warn you in advance: don’t you dare. At least not in front of me. And anyway, if it's any consolation you, I don't want to go there either. But I need to make a quick tour to avoid unnecessary waste of oxygen in my workshop. – In the workshop? – Peter looked at Stark dumbfounded. Now it wasn't supposed to be a workshop. It shouldn't be. No, he is absolutely sure that it is not a workshop. It should have been after the Avengers Lounge. Peter cursed quietly. They really needed to change the damn schedule? – Yes, actually, you were supposed to visit it in about an hour, but Katheryne called me and said that plans were changing. She refused to take the children to the training room; she doesn’t want to take on such responsibility. It turns out that besides you, there were also geniuses who broke a couple of flasks with substances in the laboratory. But, thank God, at least they didn’t spill it on themselves, otherwise I wouldn’t want a crowd of curious teenagers to occupy my bathroom, – Stark grinned Parker's eyes widened. Well, no! He needs to leave. Urgently and as far away from here as possible. Hoping that Tony wouldn't pay attention to Peter for the entire duration of the allotted time would be stupid, to say the least. He tried to come up with a good excuse as quickly as possible – Or maybe I'll go find the class teacher. She just sort of went off somewhere. Maybe she got lost. There are so many floors here,” Peter pleaded in fear. If only it would work. The only thing that Peter clearly understood was that his last hopes for «salvation» were rapidly disappearing right before his eyes. – What did I tell you about escape plans, boy? Redirect your brain activity in a different direction. Although I still need to find your teacher, I want to ask you to take the day off so that you don’t have to run home a hundred times. – What?! – Barely moving his feet, he still followed Tony. – Can I still go home, – he muttered. – And it will be too late. The elevator doors opened and Peter froze again, not daring to go inside. The guy looked around, looking for the fire escape. Could he really escape? While Stark turned away, preferably, of course, immediately forever. He wonders how much tickets cost... somewhere in South America, for example. Tony saw so much despair in his intern's eyes that he almost felt sorry for him. But at the same time, he did not understand it at all. What good is it for him to run away from the excursion if he then comes back here? This was not available to the businessman. – Listen, don't panic so much. It's just a tour. Especially with your own class. Whatever they think, you shouldn't care. – It’s easy to say, – Peter exhaled noisily, fixing his annoyed gaze on the floor. He really was desperate. And if this may seem strange to someone, it means this person has never been in his place. That same feeling when the problems are through the roof, and you avoid any way to attract an ounce of extra attention to yourself. Already now, being in a hopeless situation, Peter clearly understood that the idea of coming on an excursion was doomed to failure from the very beginning. Peter, despite his own warnings, chose a simply brilliant way not to attract attention to himself. Namely, to make sure that all the Avengers, half the staff, and the artificial intelligence of one of the most recognizable superheroes in New York get to know him. And at the same time, get completely caught up, wearing Stark’s clothes. And if you look, it doesn’t seem clear that these are his clothes. But when they say this loudly, you have to be either an idiot or deaf not to hear it. Parker exhaled in defeat. It will still be impossible to get out of the situation. So, in his situation, there is nothing to do. Peter slowly tried to delay the moment of return, and entered the elevator. He only took a couple of steps when the jacket suddenly touched the wound. Peter had only two gifts - to forget about serious problems and to be able to screw up on little things. And now, as it happens, two things happened at once. The untreated wound, of course, reacted instantly. Parker instinctively grabbed the edge of the fabric and pulled it back, clenching his jaw tightly and hissing at the sudden onset of painful sensations. – What's wrong? – Tony asked him worriedly. The man knew about the bruises and contusions, but the reaction was too harsh if Parker just touched one of them. – N...No. It’s okay, – Peter forced himself to let go of the pulled hoodie, immediately wincing. The guy mentally ordered himself to find something to wrap the wound, otherwise he wouldn’t last long, even with Parker’s «ability» to lie. The guy shook his head, driving away the thoughts. There's no time for that now. They stood in silence for a couple of long seconds before Parker realized that he needed to add something else, if only as an excuse. – I just hit myself, – he muttered barely audibly, straightening up. Tony didn't answer, but Peter felt his hard gaze on him; True, he couldn’t recognize his intonation. Here the elevator finally closed and quickly went down, following Stark’s command to head to the additional workshop, where the excursion was supposed to take place. Parker cautiously walked closer to the doors. The plan was to slip out of the elevator as unnoticed as possible and, at maximum speed, hide back behind the backs of his classmates, to the very end of the class. Although he tries to avoid questions addressed to him, he still hides back. Firstly, because no one wants to turn around on such an excursion. In trying to see every millimeter of the tower, usually no one pays attention to the others, especially to those who are somewhere behind them. And secondly, the fact that he can still be recognized has not been canceled. Moreover, everything is not so scary. No one advertised his «status» in Stark Tower, so in extreme cases it would be possible to get away with it. Like only Katheryne and Banner know him. Maybe it will work. In the end, that’s what he did: when the elevator opened again, the guy flew out of the elevator with lightning speed, without even looking around, going to the very end of the crowd. Despite hopes that they would look exclusively at Tony, they immediately began to turn to him. The girl right in front of Parker looked back and, looking at the guy with a look full of silent surprise, was about to ask something. But she was distracted by Stark, who finally came out, immediately taking the teenagers’ attention to himself. – I welcome the new generation to my workshop, – he began immediately and all the conversations in the crowd immediately fell silent. – Please don't touch anything with your hands. Everything in this room is very valuable. Yes, yes. This coffee mug too. Put it in its place. Then a classmate turned to Parker. Apparently, he was overcome by his interest in Parker more than in Tony Stark. Trying to speak as quietly as possible, he asked with interest: – Are these Stark's clothes? His eyes lit up as he examined Peter. Peter shook his head and walked away from his curious classmate. Parker ruffled his hair, it looked like it was almost dry. Tony, meanwhile, was telling something, causing everyone around him to constantly whisper and listen to his every word. Peter looked at his feet, wondering where Miss Brown might have gone. When he felt a searching gaze on him, the guy raised his head, looking around and caught Katheryne looking Parker up and down and smiling approvingly. Well, at least someone is happy, he thought mentally, returning to completely meaningless thoughts. Well, at least they helped take my mind off things. Contrary to expectations and hopes, every now and then someone turned around at the guy himself. Yeah, so much for «interest in the excursion», he’s not an exhibit, after all. What's so interesting about it? Peter didn’t understand this, but he clearly understood something else: he couldn’t see a quiet school life like Jupiter from Earth. Frankly speaking, Parker didn’t listen at all to who was saying what, and he wasn’t particularly interested. Peter, unexpectedly for himself, noticed that already within five minutes he had been showering Miss Brown with all possible curses. This is where she spends so much time walking! Met and flirting with someone or something? And as luck would have it, she still hasn’t returned. When about half an hour had passed from the excursion, they were allowed to disperse around the workshop so that the teenagers could see everything for themselves. After all, no matter how hard you try, you can’t tell them about everything here. But all this, of course, happened under the strict supervision of Katheryne and Tony. Peter, sincerely trying to merge with everything that is here, goes into the very depths of the workshop. At the huge table with drawings, whatman paper and sheets of A3 and A2 were scattered throughout the area. Half were failures and incorrectly drawn, the other half were just sketches - this is usually of little interest to teenagers. That’s why the choice fell on it. The table itself stood almost against the wall, near the huge panoramic windows. Everyone was much more interested in looking at the costumes of the famous Iron Man, so Peter was here alone in peace. More precisely, it was so until a certain moment. Peter stood with one arm on the table and his weight on that side, lost in thought. The only good thing was that Tony didn't pay attention to Parker. The man was talking to Katheryne about something, periodically cutting off some student. He didn't even look at the guy, well, at least Parker didn't notice. Peter looked somewhere through the houses, thinking about how best to get rid of the hateful rumors that would quickly spread once they returned to school. Unless, of course, they have already spreaded. The main thing is that as few people as possible know about it, or in extreme cases, they tell it implausibly. Then perhaps it will gradually subside. Few people would believe that some tenth grader works for Stark. Peter was so lost in thought that he heard footsteps at the last moment. And the only thing he managed to do was transfer his body weight from his arms back to his legs. And for good reason. At the same second, a hard blow flew into his hand, knocking his hand down. Flash was clearly counting on a fall, but he was broken off. Peter, silently exhaling, turned to the guy. His friends returned to him, who had apparently gone off to look around, and now the three of them stood, casting sharp glances. Peter compared them to Thompson’s faithful «dogs» - they constantly followed him almost on his heels - naturally, only in his thoughts. Flash himself, who apparently had already recovered from the temporary shock in the laboratory, decided again, for fun, to get rid of Parker. Only, unlike his smarter classmates, he didn't speak in a whisper, but simply in the same way as usual, maintaining a demonstrably loud and mocking tone. – Well, Penis Parker – his laugh sound disgustingly. – Did you think we would all believe in the circus that you organized? I don’t know how much money it cost you, loser. But it turned out quite believable, – he broke into a cheeky smile, and the guys nearby, every now and then, agreed, adding a couple of caustic words and ridicule. But now Peter didn’t care so much that he forgot that in addition to insults, Flash could also use physical force - that is, physical assault. Because even taking into account how much of an idiot Flash is, he definitely won’t seriously beat up Parker on the excursion. After throwing a couple more harsh insults, Thompson probably noticed that it wasn't working and decided to take it back to the fullest. The guy apparently firmly believed in legends and that he had nine lives. Well, or he's just an extreme idiot. Parker was more inclined to the second option. – What do you want? – Peter asked tiredly. He was quite fed up with the constant bullying, but he never dared to fight back. Moreover, both Ned and MJ, the reason seemed idiotic. But Parker continued to stand his ground. After all, in parallel classes there is someone weaker than Parker himself. And Thompson, as you know, bullies precisely those who cannot answer him. If it weren't for the power Peter inherited, he definitely wouldn't have been able to fight back. And he got it by accident. So, in essence, he helps the weaker and everything seems to be fair. Parker had no doubt about the correctness of his reasoning. – Look! – Flash, continuing to amuse himself and his friends, broke into an unkind smile. Such a smile definitely didn't bode well. – Teething! – Flash continued. The guy to Thompson's right chuckled, an unpleasant grin on his face. Parker sighed heavily, trying his best to ignore the next round of ridicule. The guy on the left whispered something to Thompson. And he suddenly fell silent and headed towards Peter. – You’re such a clumsy Parker, – something like sadness was reflected on his face, and the guy raised his eyebrows, as if with his whole appearance saying «I have nothing to do with this.» Trying to sound disappointed, it turned out, to put it mildly, like shit. – What a pity, – he added sarcastically. Apparently, Peter's reflexes failed along with his instincts. Still, not eating normally for almost two days is a bad idea. Parker didn't immediately understand what was happening. But it only came to light when he received a fairly strong push in the chest with both hands. And here’s what’s stupidest about this situation: Peter instinctively grabbed the table, trying not to fall, but ended up dropping one of the twisted Whatman papers on which he tripped. Peter fell backwards, managing to hit his head on the edge of the table. Parker groaned, clutching his head with one hand and falling to the floor with an unfortunate loud crash. A laugh was heard. Now Peter just didn’t understand how someone could be such an idiot to do this in front of the tour guide and Tony fucking Stark. Maybe they would have simply ignored the bullying. But now this would simply be impossible. But these idiots didn't seem to care. Flash put his hands on his knees, bending over. – How come Parker? You need to be careful, – he laughed cheerfully. Peter swallowed, but not at the sight of Flash. – Yes, caution would really do the trick. Not for Peter, but for you, – Flash shuddered and turned around. Tony stood behind him, and from his look it was clear that the teenager was in for big trouble. – How upset will your parents be when I tell them what kind of bastard son they raised? And at the same time I will provide a video report. Do you see the camera over there? Flash turned pale in an instant. He looked around in fear and noticed a glowing red light in the corner of the room. – I. I, – Flash couldn’t think of anything better than to blurt out the first thing that came to mind: – Do you really know him? – Now, Peter, who quickly realized that things smelled of something fried, began to crawl back unnoticed, intending to sneak away unnoticed. – Oh, I know Peter very well. He's my intern. But who are you? First and last name. Loud sighs were heard. Now Peter had turned pale. Well, that’s it, now there’s definitely nothing to fear. Here's your status, as if ordered. Thank you universe. Peter, having crawled away from the «risk zone,» got up and quickly walked to the opposite end of the room. Now they looked at him with a look that seemed to have never been looked at all day. One of the guys jaw was going to hit the floor now. – Penis Parker. Intern? – Thompson was taken aback, blinking his eyes stupidly. And that's why he missed the last question. – Hah, cute nickname. Bet I can come up with something better for you? State your first and last name, guy. Otherwise, I will find out from your teacher. But then you will be even worse off. While Tony was dealing with Flash, Katheryne caught up with Peter and, carefully touching his shoulder, asked: – Are you okay? Peter ran his hand through the curls and pulled at the exact spot of another, new bruise. The pain almost doubled, and the guy groaned quietly. – Yes, everything is fine, – he smiled tightly. – I didn't hit myself hard. – Okay, –she smiled encouragingly at Parker. – Maybe it's not so bad. But now Fresh won’t touch you. – Peter laughed quietly. – Flash, – he corrected carefully. Katya groaned and smiled, as if by chance, and whispered. – My version is better, – she winked at the guy, leading him to the far wall, as he originally wanted. – And yet, why didn’t you fight him back? — the girl frowned. – It’s not the first time he’s done this, – the last phrase was more of a statement than a question. Parker squeezed his palm harder, increasing the pain. – There are reasons for this, – he answered evasively, awkwardly looking away. Needless to say, he has strength that is impossible for his age and physique. Even if he say that, there will be three times more questions. So it's easier to avoid answering. And Parker didn’t plan to reveal Spider-Man’s identity either. – Okay, – Katheryne with didn't press. The girl looked back into the room and caught herself. – Hey, guy! – she called out to one of Peter's classmates while Tony was dealing with Flash. All responsibility fell on Katheryne. – Don’t touch this, – she winked at Peter encouragingly and quickly walked towards that same guy. Peter looked back at Thompson. The guy stood as pale as a sheet, his head bowed dejectedly and frightenedly shifting from foot to foot. His friends ran away as soon as they heard Stark's voice, like cowards, hiding behind their classmates. So all of Stark's resentment fell on Flash alone. – T...Thompson, sir. Flash, – the guy muttered, swallowing. – Great, Thompson... Familiar name. Wasn’t it your parents who recently offered me cooperation? Exactly... Well, I think you yourself will explain to them why I refuse. Thanks in advance, Slash Thompson, – Tony grinned and walked away, leaving the trembling teenager alone with his conscience. Peter bit his lower lip and covered his face with his hands guiltily. He even felt sorry for Flash for a moment. But remembering what he did not only in relation to Parker, Peter realized that he probably deserved it after all. True, the brain quickly realized that Flash would not leave it like that. The guy will definitely win back tomorrow and will definitely beat him. Damn it! Peter let out a long breath without removing his hands. A couple more future bruises! But there is still the Avengers living room ahead, and there is no need to expect something good like Miss Brown finally arriving or the unexpected receipt of the invisibility cloak. Should he retreat out of the window...