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Chapter Text

The yellow school bus rumbled down the street as the students of Midtown High buzzed with chatter and excitement. Peter Parker, however, sat slouched in his seat, trying his best to sink into the fabric and disappear. His head was bowed, his face burning with embarrassment, and his hands fidgeting in his lap.

“Parker, I’m warning you,” Mr. Harrington’s voice echoed from the front of the bus as he twisted to glare in Peter’s direction. “If I catch you telling anyone that ridiculous story about working at Stark Industries, there will be consequences. Midtown High will not be humiliated today.”

Peter groaned, covering his face with his hand. “Mr. Harrington, I wasn’t—”

“I mean it!” Mr. Harrington interrupted, his voice higher-pitched than usual. “We’re lucky Stark Industries approved this trip. Let’s not push it, alright?”

Peter sank deeper into his seat as the entire bus erupted into snickers.

Flash Thompson, sitting across the aisle, leaned over with a smirk. “Don’t worry, Parker. Everyone knows you don’t actually work there. I mean, you can barely keep up in class. No way you’re smart enough to work for Stark.”

Ned, sitting beside Peter, turned to him and whispered, “Do you think he’s going to explode when he finds out you’re not lying?”

“Hopefully not in the Iron Man suit room,” Peter muttered under his breath, earning a stifled laugh from Ned.

From the seat behind them, MJ chimed in, her tone dry as usual. “Honestly, Peter, you should’ve leaned into it. Next time, tell people you’re running the place. CEO Parker has a nice ring to it.”

“Not helping, MJ,” Peter grumbled.

She shrugged. “Just saying. If you’re gonna get yelled at, might as well make it worth it.”

When the bus finally pulled into the parking lot of Stark Industries, the gleaming building loomed above them like a monument to everything Peter was desperately trying to hide. As the students filed off the bus, they craned their necks, taking in the massive glass facade and the sleek, futuristic designs.

“Whoa,” Abe said, stepping off the bus with wide eyes. “This place is insane. Do you think Tony Stark’s actually here?”

“Pfft, of course not,” Flash scoffed. “Guys like Stark don’t hang around giving tours. The most we’ll see is some scientist nerds and a bunch of holograms.”

As the students gathered near the main entrance, Mr. Harrington stood at the front of the group, clipboard in hand, looking uncharacteristically nervous.

“Alright, everyone,” he began, clapping his hands for attention. “We are here as guests of Stark Industries. That means no touching anything, no wandering off, and absolutely no causing a scene. And for the last time, Peter…” He paused to fix Peter with a pointed glare. “…do not embarrass us with your… creative storytelling.”

Peter opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Flash chimed in. “Yeah, Parker, let’s not ruin it for the rest of us. We’re here to learn about real science, not whatever imaginary job you think you have.”

“I told you, Flash,” Peter snapped, his patience wearing thin, “I actually do—”

“Save it, Parker,” Flash interrupted, laughing. “You probably got confused because you delivered pizza here once.”

The group filed into the lobby of Stark Industries, a gleaming space filled with holographic displays, futuristic art installations, and employees bustling around with purpose. The students gawked at their surroundings, some pulling out their phones to snap pictures.

“Whoa,” Cindy said, spinning around to take it all in. “This is… insane. I can’t believe we’re actually here.”

“Alright, let’s get moving,” Mr. Harrington said, leading the group toward the visitor center. “Stick together, everyone.”

As the group moved through the lobby, Peter tried to stay inconspicuous, but it didn’t take long for his worst fears to come true.

“Parker!” called a voice from the reception desk. Peter froze mid-step, his stomach dropping.

It was Donna, one of the receptionists he worked with during his shifts. She waved enthusiastically, a warm smile on her face. “Back already? I thought you had the day off!”

The entire group stopped in their tracks, turning to stare at Peter.

“Uh…” Peter stammered, giving Donna a weak wave. “Yeah… just, uh… field trip.”

Donna raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. “Wait, you’re on the tour? Why? You work here.” She laughed lightly, shaking her head. “Oh, Parker, you’re too much.”

Flash turned to Peter, his eyes narrowing. “What did you do? Pay her to say that? No way you work here.”

“Flash, I—” Peter started, but Mr. Harrington cut him off.

“Remember, we are guests here at Stark Industries. That means no wandering off, no touching anything, and absolutely no making things up.”

“I’m not making anything up!” Peter protested, his voice rising in frustration. “I really—”

“Enough!” Mr. Harrington said, his voice cracking. “You’ve already pushed your luck with this ridiculous story. Just… keep quiet and don’t embarrass us any further.”

Peter sighed, running a hand through his hair as the group continued on, Flash still hassling under his breath. MJ, walking behind him, leaned in with a smirk.

“So, how’s it feel to be an unsung hero and a pathological liar?” she asked.

Peter groaned. “This is going to be a long day.”

Donna POV

Donna tapped her stylus against her tablet absentmindedly as she sat at her desk in the Stark Industries lobby. It was shaping up to be another normal day—well, as normal as it could get when you worked at the nerve center of the world’s most advanced tech company. Between checking visitor logs and directing deliveries, she kept an eye on the security feed, noting the arrival of a bright yellow school bus pulling up to the entrance.

“Field trip,” she muttered to herself with a small smile. She loved seeing the look of awe on kids’ faces when they stepped into the building. It reminded her how magical this place could be.

Her smile widened when she spotted a familiar face hopping off the bus. “Peter Parker,” she said softly, her tone fond. The kid was a walking brain trust with a heart of gold. Everyone at Stark Industries loved him—not just for his work ethic, but for his kindness and humility.

But her smile quickly faded as she noticed something… odd.

Peter hung back from the rest of the group, clearly trying to keep a low profile. The students around him were laughing and chatting, but Peter didn’t look like he was part of the conversation. In fact, he looked downright miserable. Donna tilted her head, her sharp eyes narrowing as she focused on the scene unfolding just outside the glass doors.

“Alright, class,” the teacher—Mr. Harrington, she assumed—said as he stepped inside the building, clipboard in hand. He turned to face the group, his tone a mix of nervousness and excitement. “Remember, we are guests here at Stark Industries. That means no wandering off, no touching anything, and absolutely no making things up.”

Donna frowned. “Making things up”? What’s that supposed to mean?

“I’m not making anything up!”

“Enough!”

She watched as Mr. Harrington’s gaze zeroed in on Peter, who was lingering near the back of the group. The teacher’s expression twisted into a look of mild exasperation. “Peter,” he said in a tone that was both warning and weary, “I’m going to say this one more time. Please do not embarrass the school with your, uh, stories about working here.”

Donna’s jaw dropped slightly. Stories? What was this guy talking about?

Flash Thompson, a stocky kid with a smug grin, laughed loudly. “Yeah, Parker! Try not to tell Tony Stark you’re his favorite or whatever. Oh, wait—you already did that, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t—” Peter began, but Flash cut him off with a dramatic bow.

“‘Oh, Mr. Stark, it’s me, Peter Parker, your totally real intern!’” Flash crowed, drawing laughter from several of the students.

Donna’s eyebrows shot up as she saw Peter visibly shrink under the barrage of laughter. Another girl, this one with a dry expression and a book tucked under her arm, muttered something that made Flash scowl. Donna couldn’t hear the words, but the dynamic was painfully clear: Peter wasn’t just the odd one out—he was the punchline. ***

Donna’s grip tightened on her tablet as she watched the group enter the building, Peter trailing behind like a kid who’d just been scolded in front of the whole class. Her heart sank. This wasn’t the Peter Parker she knew. The Peter she worked with was confident (well, mostly) and brilliant. But right now, he looked like he was ready to bolt.

Donna glanced around the lobby, her protective instincts kicking in. Stark Industries wasn’t just a workplace—it was a family. And Peter? Peter was the kid. Everyone in the building looked out for him. If these kids and their teacher were going to give him a hard time, Donna knew exactly how to handle it.

With a few quick taps on her tablet, she opened the Stark Industries Internal Messaging Thread—a casual group chat that employees used to share updates, funny stories, and occasionally, warnings about people to keep an eye on. The thread’s pinned name was, of course: “S.I. Loves Peter” (an affectionate in-joke that Peter himself was completely unaware of).

Donna typed quickly:

Donna M. (Reception):
Hey, heads up—Peter just walked in with a school group, and they’re being super dismissive of him. His teacher straight-up told him not to “make up stories” about working here. Like, what??
He looks stressed. Just thought you all should know.

The replies came almost instantly:

Priya K. (Robotics):
WHAT. They think he’s lying about working here?! Are these kids blind??

Erik J. (AI):
Oh, no. Someone get Friday on this. No way we’re letting anyone talk down to Peter.

Danny L. (Tech):
Sounds like it’s time for some strategic interruptions. Let’s make sure they know EXACTLY how important Parker is around here.

Donna smiled to herself as more messages flooded in. She didn’t have to ask twice—Peter’s coworkers were already plotting to drop by and casually remind his classmates exactly where Peter stood in the hierarchy of Stark Industries.

As she hit send on one final message, she glanced up to see Peter awkwardly entering the lobby with his class. “Don’t worry, kid,” she muttered under her breath. “We’ve got your back.”

Donna M. (Reception):
Also, someone tell Stark. He’ll want to deal with this personally.

Chapter Text

The Midtown High students shuffled into the sleek corridors of Stark Industries, the polished floors reflecting the futuristic glow of overhead lights. Holographic displays lined the walls, showing various Stark innovations—new eco-tech projects, experimental robotics, and even concept art for enhanced Avengers gear.

Mr. Harrington’s voice broke through the awestruck silence, reading from the sheet to guide them. “Now, this is where Stark Industries designs some of the most groundbreaking technology in the world. Pay attention, everyone! This could inspire your futures in STEM!” He glanced over his clipboard, visibly sweating. “And remember: don’t touch anything.”

Flash, already holding his phone aloft, was live-streaming to his followers. “Yo, what’s up, Flash Mob? Your boy is here at Stark Industries, about to see some top-secret tech. Stay tuned—maybe I’ll get recruited to be the next Iron Man.”

Peter rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure they’re just waiting for you to show up, Flash.”

Flash turned, smirking. “What was that, Parker? I think I missed it over the sound of you being irrelevant.”

Before Peter could respond, a familiar voice called out from behind him.

“Hey, Parker!”

Peter froze. He didn’t even have to turn around to recognize the voice—it was Erik, one of the junior engineers from the robotics team. The tall, bespectacled man jogged over, clutching a tablet under one arm. “Did you finish tweaking the AI calibration on the micro-drone project? The system was still flagging errors last night.”

The class went dead silent.

Peter rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Uh, yeah, Erik. I fixed it before I left yesterday. Should be good to go.”

“Awesome.” Erik grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. “Thanks, man. You’re a lifesaver. Oh, and congrats again on the Stark internship extension—you totally deserve it.” He turned and hurried back down the hall.

The silence from the group was deafening.

“What… the… hell?” Flash finally managed, his mouth hanging open. “Did that guy just call you a lifesaver? What do you even do here?”

Peter shrugged, trying to play it cool. “I… help out. A little.”

“A little?” MJ chimed in, arching an eyebrow. “What’s next? You built the building?”

“Parker,” Mr. Harrington snapped, his face growing redder by the second. “You promised—promised—to stop lying about this.”

“But I’m not lying!” Peter said, throwing his hands up. “I actually—”

“Peter!” Another voice interrupted, this time from a woman in a Stark Industries lab coat who was hurrying toward him with a clipboard. It was Maya, one of the lead engineers in experimental tech.

“Thank God you’re here,” she said, slightly out of breath. “The 3D printer’s software is glitching again, and I’m already behind schedule. Can you take a look at it before I lose my mind?”

Peter hesitated, glancing at his classmates, who were all staring at him like he’d just announced he was an alien. “Uh, Maya, I’m… kind of on a school tour right now.”

“Oh!” Maya blinked and adjusted her glasses, finally noticing the group of stunned teenagers and an increasingly flustered teacher behind Peter. “Right. Sorry. Field trip. Forgot you’re still in high school. Ugh, must be weird working here and still having to do algebra, huh?” She laughed lightly, then gestured down the hall. “Anyway, just swing by when you can, okay? Thanks!” With that, she disappeared around a corner.

The class erupted into a wave of murmurs.

“Wait a second,” Cindy whispered, leaning toward MJ. “Did she just say Peter works here and goes to high school? How does that even make sense?”

Flash threw up his hands, his face a mix of incredulity and outrage. “This has to be some kind of prank! There’s no way Puny Parker works here! I mean, come on, Stark Industries doesn’t hire guys who still get grounded for missing curfew.”

“I don’t get grounded,” Peter muttered under his breath, but Flash was too busy ranting to notice.

Mr. Harrington pinched the bridge of his nose, looking like he was on the verge of a breakdown. “Peter… I don’t know how you’re doing this—paying people off, bribing them, something—but I’m begging you, stop. This is humiliating for the school.”

“I’m not bribing anyone!” Peter protested, his voice rising in frustration. “I actually—”

“Parker!” Yet another voice rang out, this time from further down the hall. It was Danny, a Stark drone technician, jogging toward them with an excited look on his face. “I’ve been looking for you! Those recalibrations you did on the flight stabilizers worked perfectly. Seriously, I don’t know how you figured it out so fast, but even Bruce was impressed.”

Peter’s face flushed. “Uh, thanks, Danny. I was just, you know, doing my job.”

Flash let out a bark of laughter. “Your job?!” He pointed at Peter, spinning around to face the rest of the class. “You hear that? Parker says this is his ‘job.’ What does he do, clean the bathrooms? Deliver sandwiches? Maybe he’s Stark’s personal high-five guy.”

Danny frowned, confused. “What are you talking about? Peter’s on the engineering track. The kid’s a genius.”

Silence fell like a hammer. Danny glanced between Peter and the slack-jawed group of students. “Uh… did I say something weird?”

“Oh, no, no, not at all,” MJ said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Just unraveling the fabric of our entire reality over here. Carry on.”

Peter buried his face in his hands. “This is exactly what I didn’t want.” ***

The tour group moved on, though the energy had shifted entirely. The students weren’t gawking at the Stark tech anymore—they were gawking at Peter. Even Mr. Harrington was muttering to himself, his clipboard shaking in his hands as he tried to make sense of the chaos. Flash, meanwhile, looked ready to burst a blood vessel.

“This is insane,” Flash said, pointing a shaky finger at Peter as they walked. “I’m not buying it. These people are just messing with us. Parker couldn’t even fix the school’s 3D printer last year without blowing a fuse. There’s no way he’s suddenly some tech genius.”

“People improve, Flash,” MJ said, smirking. “It’s called character development. You should try it sometime.”

Flash ignored her, rounding on Peter again. “Alright, Parker, prove it. If you really work here, do something cool. Hack a robot or something.”

“That’s not how it works!” Peter hissed. “And I don’t need to prove anything to you.”

“Convenient,” Flash said, crossing his arms. “Sounds like something someone lying would say.”

Before Peter could respond, a familiar voice called out from the other end of the hall. “Parker! There you are.”

The group turned to see Dr. Bruce Banner himself walking toward them, clutching a tablet and looking slightly frazzled. The class froze as if they’d collectively forgotten how to breathe.

“Peter, can you come help me with something?” Bruce said, stopping just in front of the group. He glanced at the stunned students and added, “Oh. School trip?”

Peter gave a nervous smile. “Uh, yeah, Dr. Banner. Just, you know, showing them around.”

“Right.” Bruce nodded, then gestured toward the lab behind him. “I hate to interrupt, but the vibranium rig is acting up again, and I could really use your input. You’re the only one who’s managed to stabilize it.”

Peter hesitated, glancing at Mr. Harrington, who looked like he might faint.

Flash’s jaw hit the floor. “The Bruce Banner just asked Parker for help? Am I having a stroke?”

Peter raised a hand. “Uh… maybe after the tour?”

Bruce blinked, clearly confused. “Okay… just swing by when you’re done. Thanks, Peter.” He gave a polite nod to the group before disappearing back into the lab.

The silence was deafening. Flash turned, his expression a mixture of horror, confusion, and outright denial. “This… this is a dream. It has to be. There’s no way Parker just blew off the Hulk like it’s no big deal.”

MJ leaned against the wall, arms crossed and her smirk wider than ever. “You good, Flash? You look like your entire worldview just collapsed.”

Peter sighed heavily, his face red as a tomato. “Can we just finish the tour without any more… interruptions?”

“Interruptions?” Flash repeated, his voice rising in disbelief. “This whole thing is an interruption! I demand answers, Parker! What kind of blackmail are you running to pull this off?!”

“Flash! Please quiet down!” Mr. Harrington hissed.

Chapter Text

The group walked deeper into the labyrinth of Stark Industries, the futuristic glow of holographic signs illuminating their way. The students had largely fallen into stunned silence after Dr. Banner’s appearance, though the occasional whisper of disbelief passed between them.

Peter did his best to stick to the back of the group, hoping to avoid more encounters with his coworkers. But this was Stark Industries, and Peter Parker was not invisible here.

The Robotics Lab The group stopped in front of a wide glass wall that gave them a view into the Robotics Lab. Inside, mechanical arms and drones hovered in synchronized movements, some assembling intricate gadgets while others performed maintenance on their own systems.

“Wow,” Cindy whispered. “This is insane. Do you think they’re working on, like, Iron Man stuff in there?”

“Probably just Roombas 2.0,” Flash scoffed, folding his arms. “Not like Parker would know. He’s too busy pretending to be important.”

Before Peter could respond, the lab door slid open with a quiet whoosh. A young engineer named Priya stepped out, clutching a tablet in one hand and a coffee in the other. She looked up, spotted Peter, and immediately beamed.

“Peter! There you are. I was just about to send you an email.” She glanced at the group, her smile faltering slightly. “Oh, is this a school thing?”

“Uh, yeah,” Peter said awkwardly. “Field trip.”

“Gotcha.” Priya nodded, then leaned in conspiratorially. “Listen, I’m running into that problem with the neural network on the new drone prototype again. Your notes helped a ton last time, but the system’s still lagging. Can you take a look later?”

“Sure,” Peter said quickly, trying to avoid the growing stares from his classmates. “I’ll, uh… swing by after the tour.”

“Great. Thanks, Peter!” She gave him a quick thumbs-up before disappearing back into the lab.

The silence behind him was deafening.

Flash broke it with a loud laugh. “Okay, okay, now this is getting ridiculous. Neural networks? Drones? You couldn’t even pass chemistry without a tutor!”

“That’s not true!” Peter shot back, his face flushing red. “I got a B+!”

“Exactly,” Flash said, throwing up his hands. “You’re not some kind of tech genius. What are these people seeing that we’re not?”

“Obviously not his GPA,” MJ muttered, earning a snort from Cindy.

The Energy Lab The next stop on the tour was the Energy Lab, where towering glass cylinders hummed with power, casting faint blue light across the room. Mr. Harrington was visibly trying to keep it together, but his frazzled expression betrayed him as he gestured for the group to stay close.

“This,” he said, his voice cracking slightly, “is where Stark Industries works on renewable energy. Truly groundbreaking work—”

“Parker!” A deep voice called out, cutting through Mr. Harrington’s speech. Everyone turned to see Dr. Morales, one of the senior energy scientists, walking toward them. He was holding a clipboard, but his focus was entirely on Peter.

“Hey, I just wanted to say thanks for the heads-up about the energy redistribution model. I thought it was solid, but your suggestion totally streamlined the process. You saved us weeks of work.”

Peter scratched the back of his neck, mumbling, “Oh, uh… no problem, Dr. Morales. Glad it helped.”

Dr. Morales clapped him on the shoulder. “You’ve got a sharp mind, kid. Stark’s lucky to have you on the team.” He nodded politely at the group and walked away, leaving Peter to face a crowd of gaping mouths.

“Okay, no. No, no, no,” Flash said, shaking his head. “This is fake. This has to be fake. Are you paying these people, Parker? How much is Stark charging you to play pretend?”

“Flash, shut up!” Cindy said, glaring at him. “You heard him. This guy’s a senior scientist! He wouldn’t lie about something like that.”

Peter sighed heavily. “Can we just keep moving, please?”

The Holographics Wing The tour moved on, the students now hanging back slightly, whispering among themselves as if Peter were some sort of enigma they couldn’t crack. Mr. Harrington looked increasingly panicked, occasionally glancing at Peter as if he might somehow be responsible for all of this.

As they entered the Holographics Wing, the walls lit up with three-dimensional projections of designs and blueprints. A massive hologram of a new modular suit hovered in the air, rotating slowly as data scrolled across its surface.

“Whoa,” Ned whispered, nudging Peter. “That’s one of the new modular designs, right? The one you mentioned last week?”

“Yeah,” Peter said quietly, hoping no one overheard.

Unfortunately, someone did.

“Wait,” MJ said, raising an eyebrow. “Last week? Why are you talking about Stark tech with Peter?”

Ned froze. “Uh…”

“Parker!” A cheerful voice interrupted, and Peter turned to see Sam, one of the holographics technicians, jogging over. “Thanks for the suggestion on the rendering algorithms. The display is running smoother than ever. Stark was impressed.”

Peter blinked. “He… he was?”

“Yeah! Said you had a knack for creative solutions.” Sam grinned. “Anyway, just wanted to say thanks. I owe you one!” He waved and walked off.

Flash groaned loudly, throwing his hands in the air. “Why is this happening?! Parker’s not even good at normal school stuff! He can’t be some tech prodigy! This is like finding out your goldfish is secretly a rocket scientist.”

MJ smirked. “Maybe you’re just bad at judging people, Flash. Not surprising, really.”

“Shut up, Jones!” Flash snapped, but his voice was losing its usual conviction.

As they continued down the halls, more employees greeted Peter—some with casual waves, others stopping to thank him for his help or ask for input on various projects. By the time they reached the Innovation Lab, the students looked like they’d collectively seen a ghost.

“I don’t understand,” Cindy whispered to Abe. “Is Peter some kind of secret genius?”

“I don’t get it either,” Abe replied, glancing nervously at Peter. “He’s, like, so normal at school.”

Flash, meanwhile, was muttering to himself, his face a mixture of denial and rage. “This is a conspiracy. It has to be. There’s no way Parker—”

“Flash,” MJ interrupted, smirking. “You okay? You’re looking a little… sweaty.”

Peter sighed, running a hand through his hair. “This is officially the worst day of my life.”

By the time the group reached the Prototyping Lab, Peter felt like he was about to spontaneously combust. Every time they turned a corner, another coworker greeted him like he was an integral part of the Stark Industries team—which, to be fair, he kind of was. But that didn’t make it any less mortifying when his classmates and teacher continued to stare at him like he’d just claimed to have dinner with Thor.

The Prototyping Lab was a sprawling workshop filled with half-finished gadgets, robotic limbs, and glowing tech. A massive screen displayed blueprints of an advanced-looking drone design.

“Oh, man,” Ned whispered, nudging Peter. “That’s the drone project you were working on last week, right? The one with the built-in cloaking tech?”

Peter’s eyes darted to him. “Shhh!”

“Wait,” MJ said, her eyes narrowing. “You were working on that last week? Care to explain?”

“I, uh—”

“Parker!” A voice interrupted, yet again. This time, it was Marcy, one of the mechanics, rolling over in an office chair. Her hands were covered in grease, and her bright smile lit up her face when she saw him. “Perfect timing. Did you see the new module they sent over? Your design tweaks for the energy cells made the whole system more efficient, so we’re moving into the testing phase.”

“Uh… that’s great, Marcy,” Peter mumbled, his face beet red.

“Seriously, kid,” she said, leaning back in her chair. “You’re gonna be running this place one day. Don’t forget about us when you’re a big-shot engineer.” With that, she spun back around and returned to her workstation.

Peter heard a loud thunk behind him and turned to see Flash slamming his head into the wall.

“This cannot be real,” Flash muttered. “This is a nightmare. A terrible, terrible nightmare.”

“You’re telling me,” Peter said under his breath. ***

As the group moved on, they passed a glass-walled break room where several Stark Industries employees were sitting around a table. One of them spotted Peter and immediately waved him over.

“Peter! Hey, quick question about the database migration—oh.” The employee paused, noticing the group of teenagers trailing behind him. “School thing?”

Peter nodded miserably. “Yep. School thing.”

“Got it. Well, we’ll catch you later. And don’t forget—you’re bringing snacks to game night this week.” The employee grinned and turned back to their coworkers.

“Game night?” Flash exclaimed, his voice cracking. “What kind of secret life are you living, Parker?!”

“Flash, can you just let it go?” Peter snapped, his frustration finally bubbling over.

“Let it go?!” Flash turned to the rest of the class, gesturing wildly. “How am I supposed to let it go when Puny Parker is apparently Stark’s golden boy? This makes no sense! He can’t even bench-press a textbook!”

“Maybe that’s why they hired him to use his brain,” MJ said dryly, clearly enjoying watching Flash unravel.

By now, Mr. Harrington looked like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. His grip on his clipboard had tightened, and his face was pale as he tried to address the group.

“Alright, everyone, let’s stay focused on the tour, shall we?” he said, his voice shaking. “This is a rare opportunity to learn about—”

“Excuse me, Mr. Parker!” A woman in a sharp suit approached from a nearby elevator. She was carrying a sleek tablet, and her brisk, no-nonsense demeanor made her stand out from the more casual Stark employees. “I just wanted to thank you for your input on the cybersecurity protocols. Your suggestions were instrumental in resolving the vulnerabilities.”

Peter blinked. “Uh, you’re welcome? Sorry, I must have forgotten your name…”

“Maria Cox, sir. We haven’t officially met, but you saved me hours of work. Thank you, again.” She nodded curtly and walked away, leaving the class once again stunned into silence.

“Peter,” Mr. Harrington said slowly, his eye twitching, “why does it sound like you’re responsible for fixing Stark Industries’ security system?”

“I’m not responsible for—” Peter started, but Flash cut him off.

“No. No, no, no, no.” Flash’s voice was rising in pitch with every word. “This has gone too far. I demand answers! How is Parker doing all of this? Is this some kind of government thing? Are we on a prank show? Is Peter, like, secretly a spy?!”

Peter rubbed his temples, his head throbbing. “I’m not a spy, Flash.”

“Then what are you?!” Flash shouted, getting in his face.

Before Peter could respond, Friday’s calm, mechanical voice rang out through the room.

“Alert: Mr. Parker’s elevated stress levels have been detected. Engaging intervention protocol.”

Peter froze. “No, no, no, no. Friday, don’t—”

“Sorry Peter, you know the rules. Please standby.”

But it was too late. A familiar voice boomed through the speakers, laced with both amusement and annoyance.

“Alright, who’s giving my favorite intern a hard time?”

The students turned as one, their jaws dropping as the unmistakable figure of Tony Stark strode into the room. He was wearing a perfectly tailored suit, sunglasses perched on his nose, and his trademark smug grin firmly in place.

“Oh no,” Peter muttered, sinking down in embarrassment.

Tony glanced around the room, taking in the stunned students, the frazzled Mr. Harrington, and the visibly sweating Flash. “Let me guess,” he said, pointing a finger at Flash. “This one. You’ve got ‘problem child’ written all over you.”

Flash made a strangled noise, his face an odd mix of terror and awe. “M-Mr. Stark…”

Tony ignored him, walking straight over to Peter and clapping him on the shoulder. “Parker, my boy. What’s going on here? Why’s Friday telling me you’re about to blow a gasket?”

Peter sighed. “It’s… a long story.”

“Well, lucky for you, I’ve got time,” Tony said, turning to face the rest of the group. His smirk widened. “Now, who wants to explain why my top intern looks like he’s been dragged through the wringer?”

Tony Stark scanned the group of stunned teenagers, his sharp gaze lingering on Flash, who looked like he was teetering between fainting and wetting himself. Mr. Harrington attempted to regain control, stepping forward with a nervous chuckle.

“Mr. Stark! Oh, it’s such an honor to meet you. We’re from Midtown High, and this is just a simple field trip. Nothing to worry about! Peter’s been… uh…” He glanced at Peter and winced. “…creative about his involvement here.”

“Creative?” Tony echoed, raising an eyebrow. He crossed his arms and tilted his head toward Peter. “What does he mean by ‘creative,’ Parker?”

Peter groaned softly, wishing the floor would swallow him whole. “It’s nothing, Mr. Stark. Just… my classmates don’t really believe I work here.”

Tony frowned, looking genuinely perplexed. “Why wouldn’t they believe you? You’re here more than some of my full-time staff.”

Flash made a strangled noise. “Because he’s Parker! He’s just… a kid!”

Tony turned sharply to Flash, his expression immediately hardening. “And who are you, exactly? Let me guess—classroom loudmouth? Thinks he’s cooler than he actually is? Probably calls himself the king of dodgeball?”

The entire class stifled snickers as Flash spluttered. “I—uh—I—”

Tony didn’t wait for an answer. He gestured toward Peter. “Let me clear something up for you, dodgeball champ. That kid? Parker? He’s a genius. A once-in-a-generation kind of genius. You know why your phone has those cool Stark Industries widgets? Half of them came out of Parker’s tinkering. You like how Stark drones didn’t crash during the last New York fireworks display? Guess who fixed the stabilization protocols.”

Peter shifted awkwardly, his face burning as Tony continued.

“And let’s not even start on the modular suit upgrades he’s working on. Stuff that’s way over your head, by the way.” Tony turned back to Flash, smirking. “So tell me again why you don’t think he works here?”

Flash stared, his mouth moving soundlessly.

Tony grinned. “That’s what I thought.”

Tony clapped his hands together, turning to address the entire class. “Alright, listen up, high schoolers. You’ve just spent the last hour and a half wandering through my building, wondering why Parker’s coworkers keep stopping him in the hallway like he’s some kind of VIP. Let me make it simple for you: Peter Parker is not just an intern here. He’s a problem solver. And in my line of work, that’s worth more than gold.”

The class remained silent, every single student staring at Peter as if seeing him for the first time.

“Now,” Tony continued, pacing in front of them, “some of you are probably sitting there thinking, ‘But he’s just a high schooler! How could he possibly work here?’ And to that, I say: genius doesn’t care about age. It doesn’t care about popularity or whether you can bench press a football. It cares about results. And Parker? He delivers.”

Peter felt like he was going to melt into the floor. “Uh, Mr. Stark—”

Tony held up a hand. “Not done yet, kid.” He turned to Mr. Harrington, who was nervously clutching his clipboard. “And you, Clipboard Guy. You’re supposed to be the adult here. So why are you letting your students act like they’re on an episode of Mean Girls?”

Mr. Harrington blinked. “I—I wasn’t—”

“Oh, you were.” Tony waved him off and pointed at Flash. “And this one’s the ringleader, huh?”

Flash looked like he wanted to vanish into thin air. “I wasn’t—uh—”

Tony smirked. “Relax, Flash Thompson. I’ve dealt with way worse bullies than you. Trust me, you’re not even in the top ten.”

MJ snorted loudly, earning a glare from Flash.

Tony stepped back, gesturing grandly toward Peter. “Now, here’s what’s going to happen. You’re all going to stop acting like Peter’s some weirdo for being smarter than you. You’re going to go home, Google his name, and realize you’ve been in the same room as a kid who’s probably going to change the world one day. And you?” He pointed at Flash. “You’re going to start being nice to him. Because one day, when you’re flipping burgers or doing whatever it is you’ll do, you’re going to want to say, ‘I knew Peter Parker when he worked at Stark Industries.’”

Flash’s face turned an alarming shade of red.

Peter groaned. “Mr. Stark, you’re really not helping.”

“Oh, but I am,” Tony said, winking.

The students gasped audibly. Flash made a sound somewhere between a squeak and a whimper.

“Any questions?” Tony asked, spreading his arms wide.

As the class filed out of the building, they were eerily quiet. Flash kept his head down, muttering under his breath, while Cindy and Abe whispered furiously about Peter’s accomplishments. MJ, as usual, was the first to break the silence.

“Well,” she said, smirking. “That was dramatic. Almost makes me want to work here.”

Peter groaned, his face still red. “Can we just forget this ever happened?”

“Not a chance,” MJ said. “I’m putting ‘knows Peter Parker, Stark’s favorite intern’ on my résumé.”

Behind them, Mr. Harrington hurried to catch up, his face still pale. “Peter, I—uh—I owe you an apology. I didn’t realize—”

“It’s fine, Mr. Harrington,” Peter said quickly, desperate to end the conversation. “Really.”

As the bus pulled away, Peter leaned his head against the window, letting out a long sigh of relief.