Kidnapped (Peter Stark)

Chapter 3: A Suprising Nonlethal Field Trip

Then his genius mind wanders; this seems too good to be true. It's probably a trap. SHIELD must have a top-secret middle-of-the-desert or boobytrap-death-island prison. What are they going to tell May? He is dead, so they could experiment on him till the end of his days. This is it. No more pizza, subs...

Thankfully, Peter is knocked out of his thoughts; literally, his bully, Flash, bumps into him, causing him to fall to the ground. A stab of pain goes through his body from the wound two nights ago. It is healing slower than usual, but he is sure it is not life-threatening, probably. Suffering through the pain, he rises, shaking the dirt and grime off his clothes, and follows his class into the lobby. His jaw drops like his classmates, and Peter thinks the outside is astonishing, but this is on an entirely different level. A smile passes over his face as he glances up to see floors framed with glass balconies. Chandeliers hang down from at least twenty stories, spreading beautiful lights to all the levels. However, the most impressive part is the large block lettered STARK at the back wall. The background is gold, but it is filled with different machines that are continually moving. Peter feels as if he had just won the golden ticket to the Willy Wonka Chocolate factory.

Visitor passes are quickly handed out, and the group goes to security. They check bags for various weapons, but Peter is one step ahead. Instead of going straight to school, Peter went by Delmare's, where he left a bag with his suit. It was a truly remarkable idea because if the Avengers didn't know he was Spiderman before, they would surely see after they found the incriminating evidence. Even with that precaution, Peter is still fidgeting, so it is no surprise when the head of security, Harold (Happy) Hogan, questions the kid.

"What's your name?" The abrupt question comes from a voice behind Peter, causing him to jump a few inches in the air.

The young hero shifts and faces a straightforward man in a suit. "Umm. Me?"

"Yes, you." The comment continues with Happy's eye roll.

"Peter... My name is Peter Parker." He stammers, but not in a damaging way. Though Happy understands stuttering implies guilt, Peter's stammering appears to be nervous. This causes the head of security to do something he doesn't normally do, smile. What could he say? Even if he had only met Peter a second ago, there was something special about the kid.

"Well, Mr. Parker, have a good tour," The usually grumpy man says.

"Thank you, sir." Peter lets out the breath he is holding. That was a close call.

The group commences the tour in the Hero's Hall, where memorabilia of all the heroes' journeys is displayed. The hall was expensive and modern, filled with their armor, weapons, and the best practical jokes. Each display was titled with their made-up names and nicknames. While the room is a classy dark, bright spotlights illuminate their most prized weapons. All the studio focuses on the picture in the center. It is of a family, not related by blood, but a family just the same. It was taken at a restaurant; the six were huddled around a round table, looking as if they went to hell and back, but smiles covered everyone's faces.

Peter notices the woman standing in front of the picture. She does not turn around as the class enters, but he can tell she knows they are there. A black hoodie and baseball cap conceals her face; still, Peter can recognize the stress in her body language. While the remainder of the class admires the hero's weapons, Peter goes up to the lady as he is always the hero. They stand side by side, gazing at the picture in front of them.

The woman tilts her head slightly to her side, gauging the kid. "Want an autograph?"

"What?" Peter glances at the woman. His eyes widen in recognition. "You're the Black Widow!"