Pain and Power

---_-___-_-_-_----Chapter 10----_-_-_-___-_---

Hey, we're at the end! So quick...

"You got the ring spanner under there?"

"Yes, Mister Stark," Peter replied, rolling his eyes as he looked at the underneath of the Audi. "Hey, can you chuck me the big bucket — tub thingy?"

"Here." Mister Starks voice came from somewhere else in the workshop — somewhere other than underneath the car, where Peter was — and the large black bowl slid under the car, hitting him in the head.

"Ow."

"Sorry kid!" His mentor yelled back. "You got the flashlight under there too, right?"

"Yeah, man. We've done this so many times, I know how to do it." Peter said, unscrewing the drain plug with the ring spanner.

They were in the workshop at the Starks lake house, where Peter and May stayed most weekends. Excluding the fact that it was underground, it was a very similar shop to the one at the old compound — holo-tables, screens everywhere, lots of expensive cars, and the sound of sort of loud music in the background.

It was comfortable; a sort of escape from reality for both of them. Here, they could act like Peter hadn't died, and then nearly died again, staying in a little safe bubble.

"Whatever, Dominic Toretto." Mister Stark said, and Peter could practically see his smirk. "Just making sure you don't destroy my favorite car!"

"I don't think I'm physically capable of stuffing up an oil change anymore, Mister Stark!" He rolled to the side slightly as he pulled out the drain plug, to avoid the oil that was now draining into the big tub. "We've done it so many times that I'm a pro now."

Mister Stark gave a short snort of laughter. "Okay, fine — just proves that I trained you well."

"Whatever." He muttered, pushing the now full tub away from him, and cranking the old oil filter. "You wish you could be this skilled — there's a reason that you make me do it! And can you pass me the new filter? Make sure that you —"

"Hey, I know what I'm doing too, Parker!" The older man exclaimed, as the new filter also slid beneath the car to join him.

"Course you so, sir — that's why you're sitting up there doing nothing while I do all the work!"

"Well can you hurry up with the work? Rhodey and Nat are gonna be here soon, and Happy might even be here already, upstairs, with May..."

"He and I need to have a serious conversation about what he wants with my Aunt," Peter said bluntly, as he finished attaching the new oil filter, and put the drain plug back in.

He crawled out from underneath the elevated car, wiping his oil-covered hands on the old towel lying on the floor, and grabbed the large bottle of new oil from one of the shelves.

"Here's the funnel." Mister Stark said, handing him the bright green — why? — funnel, before turning back to the nanotech Iron Man watch that he was working on.

When Peter was finished pouring the new oil into the motor and was checking that it was full, the loud music stopped abruptly, making both him and his mentor turn around swiftly — only to see Pepper standing at the glass door at the bottom of the stairs.

"Please don't turn off our music." Mister Stark said somewhat bluntly, leaving his work to give Miss Potts a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I'm actually really surprised, Tony." Miss Potts said in amusement, grinning. "That wasn't AC/DC. It was even — from this century! Radioactive. Not really your usual style, what happened, honey?"