Peter Stark

Chapter 14 - Stark Tower Pt. 5

When we got there, everyone was sparring lightly. When we sat on the benches, they stopped and turned towards us. “Oh, good. You’re all here,” Natasha said.

“Why are we here?” MJ asked. “I mean, this is cool and all, but still.”

“Well, Peter’s class deserves a VIP tour.” Scott grinned.

“But what are we doing?”

“Well, we are going to give you a basic self-defense class,” Clint explained. “We’re going to start with a few demonstrations and then we’ll pair you up.”

“Alright, we’re each going to choose a partner to demonstrate with,” Steve said. “T’challa, you get to choose first.”

They went down the row, each choosing partners that were equally matched with them, like Steve against Bucky and Sam against Clint. Then Natasha got to choose. She looked up and down the row of heroes. Then she shook her head. “Nope. I need a challenge today.” Drax and Peter Q. looked offended, since they weren’t partnered up yet. “Peter, get down here.” Natasha pointed at me then at the ground in front of her.

I glanced around at my class before slowly making my way to the spy. I stood next to her as everyone else partnered up. Then they started to spar, going up one by one. When I saw they were using weapons, I walked to the weapon rack on the wall, aware of eyes watching my every move. I took off my hoodie and pressed my hand against a section of the wall, activating my training uniform which formed on my body. It was a classic black suit like Natasha’s, and it was made of the same material as T’challa’s, nothing would give me away as Spiderman. I filled my sheaths and holsters with my preferred weapons and turned back around, my face an emotionless mask.

My class stared at me as I double checked that my guns were loaded with rubber bullets and my knives were balanced. Then I pulled out my favorite weapon, my staff, from my backpack. It was shrunk to the size of a pocketknife. I pressed the small button on the side, and it sprung to its full size, which was about as tall as me.

MJ was sketching Flash’s face in her sketchbook, and Ned was grinning. I walked over to my partner, standing next to her with my back to my class. This whole trip I had been still pretending to be weak, but now that was ending. I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold back in a fight. My training wouldn’t let me.

I watched my family fight, my fingers twitching in anticipation. A small smile worked its way to my face. It was the smile of someone who craved the adrenaline, craved the rush that fighting gives. On some people it might be considered sinister, but no one in my family thought about it that way. It was my class that worried me.

When all the other teams had finished, making me wonder why they made me wait, I followed Natasha onto the mat. I twirled my staff a few times, watching my opponent carefully, waiting for her to make the first move. She lunged at me; knife aimed at my chest. I blocked her with my staff. Then I swiped at her feet, which she jumped over gracefully. The few seconds that she was mid-air gave me enough time to push her back, throwing her a few feet away. I dodged a widow bite and threw a knife at her throat. We engaged in a deadly dance, our weapons clashing. After 10 minutes, I managed to pin her down, my staff to her throat and gun to her temple.

“Yield?”

“Yield,” she agreed.

I smiled and helped her up. “Pleasure sparring with you Ms. Romanoff.”

She rolled her eyes. “Come on.” We walked back over to the benches, and I unloaded my weapons and deactivated my suit. My staff went back in my pocket, and I sat with MJ and Ned, ignoring the looks my classmates were giving me.