The avengers are recruiting, trying to find advanced people when Peter gets home from school. He says he knows someone but they’ve got to be gentle with her. Apparently Spiderman has a magical girlfriend.
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@fanficreaderrThe common room of Stark Tower was its usual brand of organized chaos. Tony was at the bar, pouring himself something amber while arguing with Bruce about the thermodynamics of something that no one else was pretending to understand. Sam and Bucky were on the couch, fighting over the remote with the energy of an old married couple, which was only slightly concerning given they'd known each other a week.
.
Wanda was curled up reading, occasionally shooting a red tendril at Loki's hand when he tried to steal her snack. The god of mischief, sprawled dramatically across the armchair across from her, seemed to consider this a delightful game.
Steve was at the kitchen island, methodically cutting vegetables that would probably become dinner, and Natasha sat on the counter beside him, stealing slices of bell pepper and making pointed comments about Clint's archery form, which he was practicing at a target down the hall.Well, arguing about whether it counted as archery practice if you're using a foam tip arrow. Rhodey and Yelena were engaged in a deeply serious game of poker using M&M's, Yelena looking like she was winning throoroughly cheating.
The door to the private elevator pinged open, and in walked Peter Parker, still in his Midtown High hoodie, backpack slung over one shoulder. He looked tired in that particular teenage way that meant school had drained every last drop of his social battery,but there was a flicker of something else in his eyes. Something almost–casual.
Tony Stark
glances over, raising his glass Ah, the man of the hour. How was school/chemistry? Did Flash Thompson try to shove you into another locker, or did we get lucky today?
Peter Parker
drops his bag by the door, walks over and flops onto the arm of the couch next to Sam School was school.Newton's laws, pop quiz, Flash being Flash. Same as always.
That wasn't the whole story. You could tell by the way he was not quite looking at Tony, the way his fingers were fiddling with the hem of his sleeve. The kid was hiding something, and it wasn't a bad grade.
Natasha Romanoff
tilts her head, eyes narrowed slightly Peter. You're doing the thing.
Peter Parker
blinks What thing?
Natasha Romanoff
The thing where you try to act like nothing happened but your face is screaming 'I have a secret' louder than one of Tony's concert speakers.
[A beat of silence]. Everyone's attention slowly drifted, like planets caught in a gravity well. Even Loki looked up from his philosophical war with Wanda's snack bowl.
Peter Parker
rubs the back of his neck, a small, almost sheepish smile tugging at his mouth Okay, so. Hypothetically.Say I know someone. Someone… who might be useful. For the whole 'building an army' thing.
Tony Stark
sets his glass down. The clink was loud in the sudden quiet Hypothetically.
Peter Parker
nods I mean, she's… she's got powers. Real ones. Not just like, tech or training. Like, actual, glowing-when-she's-upset powers. And she's insane. Like, track star. Runs the length of Queens every night at 2 AM for fun. She's smart, too. Don't let the whole 'self-deprecating sarcasm' thing fool you.
???
from the armchair, voice silky with interest A 'she', now?
Peter Parker
points at Loki without looking at him Don't.
Tony was already on his feet, circling the couch like a shark who'd just smelled blood in the water. The air inc] the room shifted—the easy domesticity replaced by something sharper, more focused. This was business. This was the mission.
Tony Stark
Pete. You've known her how long?
Peter Parker
shrugs, the motion too casual A while.
Natasha Romanoff
And you're just now mentioning her because…?
Peter Parker
finally looks up, meeting Tony's gaze.Because I didn't want to bring her into this. She's… she's not like us. She's not a soldier. She's not even a vigilante. She's just a girl who runs at night and happens to have a rock stuck in her chest that makes her magic.
[The room went very, very still].
Tony Stark
slowly A rock. Stuck in her chest. Magic.
Peter Parker
the sheepish smile turns a little more real, a little more stubborn She's my girlfriend, Tony. And if you guys are gonna keep doing this—this whole recruiting thing—you're gonna want her on our side. Not because she's dangerous, but because if someone else finds her first?
The unspoken hung in the air. He didn't say "she could be weaponized." He didn't say "she could be turned against us." He didn't have to. The silence said enough.
Bucky Barnes
from the couch, voice low, measured How powerful are we talking?
Peter Parker
meets his eyes steadily The rock isn't a rock. It's, like… an intergalactic universe core. That she found when she was fourteen. Touched it. And now it's part of her. When she uses it, her skin glows like she's got a galaxy under it.
For a long moment, no one spoke. Even the M&M's sat forgotten on the table between Rhodey and Yelena. Thor shifted, his hand instinctively moving toward where his hammer would be before he stopped himself, looking almost embarrassed by the reflex.
Tony Stark
a long beat.Okay.
Peter Parker
blinksOkay?
Tony Stark
a slow grin spreading across his face I'm gonna need her name, kid. And a phone number. And maybe a full background check, a blood sample, and a full psych evaluation–
Peter Parker
groans Tony.
Tony Stark
holds up his hands I'm kidding. …Mostly. But you're right. If she's got that kind of power, and she's not trained, we need to know about her. For her safety, if nothing else.
Natasha Romanoff
slides off the counter, crossing her arms And for ours. If she's got a universe in her chest, she's a liability until she can control it.
Peter Parker
turns to her, his jaw set in a way that looked startlingly like Steve for a moment She controls it. She's had years. And she's good. She's just… scared of hurting people. So she doesn't use it. Unless she has to.
[The silence that followed was different. Softer. More understanding. It was the silence of people who, in their own ways, had all been afraid of the same thing].
Clint Barton
from the hallway, foam arrow still nocked, but his voice was warm Bring her by, Pete. We'll be nice. Promise. Mostly.
Peter Parker
lets out a breath that was almost a laugh She's not gonna appreciate being 'brought by.' She's not a rescue case.
Tony Stark
nods, the grin softening Then tell her we'd like to meet her. As a courtesy. As the boyfriend's very powerful, very intimidating, very nosy family.
Peter Parker
looks around the room—at Sam and Bucky on the couch, at Wanda’s curious smile, at Loki's inscrutable gaze, at Steve's steady nod, at Natasha's evaluating eyes, at Tony waiting.…I'll ask her. But I'm not making any promises. She doesn't exactly do well with 'meet the family' situations. Last time someone tried to introduce her to a group of people her own age, she quit track and started running at 2 AM to avoid them.
.
Tony Stark
snorts Noted. We'll break out the good snacks, then.
And just like that, the tension cracked, dissolving back into the easy rhythm of the tower. But underneath it, something had settled into place. A thread had been pulled. And somewhere–likely mid-run through the streets of Queens–a girl with a galaxy in her chest was about to become very, very interesting to the Avengers.