No matter how many times Peter went to the Avengers tower, he could never get over the size of it. Looming so tall over all the other buildings, to think a wormhole had stood right above the tower only a few years ago. A text to Happy earlier had ended with an immediate invite to come to the Avengers tower after school.
A quick ride on the subway and he was in the busy town of New York. Entering the bottom of the tower Friday's voice instructed him to enter the lift, and he went up to the top level. The doors opened and Happy stood there holding up his phone with an article on the Oscorp fire.
"Did this have anything to do with you?"
"Yeah about that..." Peter started sheepishly scratching the back of his head "That's what I wanted to talk to you about."
After being offered a variety of drinks, both alcoholic and soft, Peter was able to explain what had happened last night. The weapons he'd seen, how he'd saved the scientists and how he had erased all the files. All the while Happy had sat there listening silently.
"C-can you say at least something. I want to know if I did the right thing."
Happy removed his hand perched on his chin sitting up straight on the leather sofa.
"Yeah, you did the right thing kid."
"Even erasing all the files?"
"Definitely. The public don't know this but Oscorp has been gradually moving further and further down the list of weapons developers. And now it seems they've looked to villains like the Chitari and The Vulture for inspiration."
"Oh..."
But then the conversation was paused when Peter's phone started to ring.
"Who's that?" Happy asked.
Looking at the screen it was a blank screen as it was (Y/N), they traded numbers at the end of the day.
"A girl?" Happy smirked.
"N-no just a new student at school who I made friends with!" Peter was quick to tell him.
"Uh huh yeah sure."
"C-can we just get back to the fire? Like do you know how it started?"
"I've actually looked into the fire myself. As it turns out it was started by an old employee with a grudge because he was fired, they left a device to start a fire an hour after everyone should have left. And by the sounds of it those scientists and Norman Osborn stayed behind to secretly work on those shit weapons."
"So? So what's going to happen to those scientists, and Norman?"
"Well they haven't broken any laws, so there's nothing we can do about those weapons. Besides you sorted all that out. But I'll get the Stark relief foundation of the scene to help with the clean up of the tower."
"Is that it?"
"Why is there anything else you want to tell me?"
"No, that's everything that happened. I promise."
"Sounds to me like your worried about Norman."
"Well i-it's just that I know his son. Harry Osborn, and I know they'll probably be struggling at the moment."
"Okay then, how about this? I'll ask Tony if we can help them rebuild some of their labs?"
"You'd do that!?" Peter exclaimed his mood drastically improving.
"Course I will if it finally puts that cheesy smile back on your face."
"My smile is cheesy?"
"Super cheesy. Alright then we're done here then. Go and, do some homework or something."
"Okay, but um, can I use a different exit?" he asked gesturing to the window.
"Do what you want. But if you go splat on the window I'm not cleaning you up."
Happy felt very accomplished when he heard Peter give a small chuckle headed to somewhere to change. Soon enough racing through the streets, when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. Landing on a roof top he pulled it out thinking it was Ned wondering where he was. But no, it was another email.
Gulping Spidey timidly tapped it, quickly scanning the words, only to have relief wash over him.
Hey Pete
Thanks so much for the quick reply. Glad to know you're still alive. Sorry again for emailing so suddenly out the blue. My dads doing a lot better now, it turns out he inhaled a lot of smoke but the doctors quickly sorted him out. I'd really like to meet up, it'll be much better than emailing. We've got a lot to catch up on.
Harry
Peter thought it stupid when he found his eyes watering, on instinct he reached up his hand to rub his eyes only to be met with his mask.
"Peter? What's wrong?" Karen asked.
"Uh um nothing, just that a friend of mine, his dad was hurt in the fire, but they're both doing fine now."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"Yeah me too."
"Isn't that the girl you talked to the other day?"
Following Karen's comment Spiderman gazed down at the street seeing (Y/N), chasing two guys.
"Get back here you thieves!"
"She appears to be chasing shop lifters."
"Yeah I kinda caught onto that!" shooting a web he swung down skillfully kicking the two crooks into a new by alleyway, using a web grenade to make easy work of catching them.
(Y/N), who had lost sight of the thieves for a second, was certainly surprised to start running down the alleyway they had hidden in, only to them squirming webbed to the wall.
"Oh! Hi there!" Spiderman tried to act as casual as possible.
Suppose now's my chance to make a slightly better impression than the one today, he told himself.
"Oh my gosh its you again!" she exclaimed.
"Well at least you don't sound disappointed." he chuckled.
"W-what? No of course not! And nice job uh... 'webbing' those guys up. They stole a load of magazines and chocolate bars from the new by news stand. It may not seem a lot but to that place it is."
"Hey I'd say fair play, most people would keep their mouths shut."
"And leave it to the likes of you and the Avengers."
Spiderman then recalled the fact she had rung him earlier.
"Ugh stupid kids..." one of the crooks mumbled, who was soon met with a web to the mouth.
"So how's your dog?"
"Oh he's fine. My dad usually takes him for a walk, and today I was just buying a paper."
"Huh, I thought someone like you would be hanging out with some friends."
"Well I have friends but they're relatively new, so I'm not quiet at the stage of hanging out yet. Although I accidentally hit the call button when I tried to text my friend Peter, you know to try and get to know him a little better as he seemed really down in class today. And I am rambling I'm so sorry!"
"Peter? Do you mean Peter Parker?"
"Yeah! Ned said you knew him!"
"I'm pretty good friends with both of them."
"That's so cool!"
"Yeah they're both really good cheery guys."
"Well that's good to hear, although Peter did seem a little down today. I hope he cheers up soon."
"I'm sure he will. And don't worry you're not rambling at all."
"Heh thanks for listening to my silly problem."
"Hey, everyone's allowed to have problems. So I better go and sort of some of this cities problems."
Slinging a web he went away as (Y/N) called after him.
"Thanks again Spiderman!"
That went really well, Peter smiled underneath his mask. And now, he had half a Millennium Falcon calling his name.
Meanwhile however, a very different scene was taking place.
"This is a disaster Norman. We've lost all back ups of the blue prints of future weapons which we had already been contracted for, along with all the completed prototypes. All of which cost millions to manufacture. So what do you have to say for yourself?"
Norman sat uncomfortably in his leather seat at the top of the meeting table, as the head accountant enjoyed every second of claiming another inch of power. After he had spent the entire night fighting for his life, and then dragging himself out of hospital to get to this meeting. All for this, for the blame to be pinned on him.
"What do I have to say for myself? I didn't start the fire."
"Yes, but the employee who did was fired by you. You handled the situation appallingly and now the fire is your fault. Furthermore you failed to send the back up designs to another lab."
"Well I'm sorry I was too busy fighting for my life."
"It doesn't excuse the fact you didn't do so earlier. It's cost the company millions and someone needs to pay."
"And you see that person as me don't you? You're enjoying this aren't you?"
"No Norman I'm not, not when the company and thousands of jobs are on the line. We've been able to hide things from the press so far as if this got out we'd be ruined. However we have been made an offer."
"What offer?"
"The Stark relief foundation has offered to provide funding for the rebuilding of several labs, it isn't much but its certainly a help."
"You can't accept a gloating offer like that!"
"We'll keep the poor state Oscorp is in away from the press quietly announce that the poor mentally health Norman Osborn is resigning."
"You can't do this..." he seethed leaning forward in his chair.
"Can't we? The companies already lost enough and we can at least get a little off if we blame your poor mental health along with expecting Stark's aid."
"You can't do this. Not without giving me a chance to selvage the situation."
"And how do you expect to do that?"
"I'll figure something out."
"Very well. You have a week."
"A week?"
"Yes, Norman. A week. That's how long Stark has given us to accept his aid. Meeting concluded."
Angrily stepping out of the meeting room Norman ran a hand through his hair. What now? His company was against him, all his research gone, being forced to grovel and beg accepting the help of the arrogant Stark and he had a son to support. And he was in the mess all because of him. Because of Spiderman.
Yes Norman was fully aware he owed his life to Spiderman, but the situation he had left him in he might as well be dead, to his company and the world at least. He'd seen him stood there erasing the blue prints, destroying months of Norman's hard work. No doubt he was an accomplice to Tony Stark. Yes. It was all Spiderman's fault. All his fault that now Norman's company and life's work was about to amount to nothing more than Hammer Tech. At that moment his phone started to ring, looking at the screen he saw an image of his son.
"Bring the car around the back." he ordered his chauffeur before answering his phone "Hey Harry." he answered with a smile and cheery voice.
"Sorry I know you probably literally just got out of the meeting, but how did it go? And how are you feeling? Any problems breathing?"
"Nothing to worry about son." Norman lied getting into his car "We've got back up files of everything and it wont cost too much to make a few more prototypes. And I'm breathing just fine, you forget I had the best doctors in the city looking after me last night."
"That's great to hear. I'm really relieved for you dad."
After nearly loosing his dad Harry was eager to make sure he was okay. And now even more relieved that his company still belonged to him. Such luck seemed impossible. And it was.
"Now what have I told you? You don't need to worry about me. I'll be home in about an hour, I just need to swing by one of the old warehouses out of town and check up on a couple of things."
"Alright, see you later. Bye."
"Bye."
If the board weren't going to help him. Then Norman was going to need to help himself.