Chapter 3
"You were up early." Tony said the next morning, as Steve walked into the kitchen.
"Yeah, couldn't sleep." Steve said pouring himself a glass of water. "Thought I'd go for a run."
"This is really bothering you isn't it?" Tony asked, pouring himself some coffee.
"A little." Steve said "I just don't like the idea of her being picked on, I mean she has already lost her entire family, you'd think the kids at school would give her a break."
"Life is doing it's best to give her the short end of the stick." Tony replied. "But she is a tough kid, I'm sure she can handle it."
"She shouldn't have to handle it!" Steve said sternly "It isn't on the victim to put up with the bully! I just wish I knew what happened so I could help."
"Well I can help you a little on that front." Tony said, sipping his coffee. "I had Javis do a little research. Seems like some Flash Thompson guy has been giving her trouble for a while."
"Flash?"
"Yeah the things people name their kids. Anyway he seems like your average meat headed jock. Top of the pile so thinks he can spit on everyone else, every high school has one."
"And this one is targeting Penny? Maybe I should go have a talk with him." Steve said annoyed.
"Slow down Cap, the last thing we need is Captain America being thrown in jail for knocking out some kid." Tony said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Look I want to help too, but right now all we can do is talk to Penny. She is obviously embarrassed about all this, that is probably why she didn't say anything before."
"Your right..." Steve said sighing. "I'm going to go see if she is awake." He added, heading down the hall to her room.
"Penny?" Steve said, knocking the door. After a moment, when there wasn't a reply, he pushed the door handle down and opened the door gently.
"Penny?" He whispered, taking a quit scan of the room. The curtains were open and the bed was empty and for a second Steve thought Penny must have gone out as Spiderman, but then heard a noise from the en-suit.
"Eugh stupid stain, come out!" Penny said angrily.
"Penny? Everything okay?" Steve said, walking over.
"Oh yeah...I thought I'd try and get the paint out." Penny said, adding more nail polish remover to the stain. "Javis said this could help."
"I see..." Steve replied "And are you okay?"
"Sure...I mean it was just a little paint. I'm fine." Penny said, looking down at her stained shirt.
"Penny..." Steve said deciding to change tack. "You know, when I was younger, I used to get picked on a lot."
"You?! But, you're...huge!" Penny replied shocked.
"Heh now maybe, but back before I was given the super solider serum I was small, weak, quiet, an easy target all round really." Steve explained. "It was worst when I was a teenager, if Bucky hadn't been around I'd probably have been beat up everyday. It didn't help that I was always stepping in to help other kids who were getting picked on, but I wasn't about to let some big jerk stop me from doing what was right."
"No wonder they picked you for the serum." Penny said smirking.
"Yes well, for a long time I used to wonder what was wrong with me. Why was I always the one getting punched? In the end I realised it wasn't me. Bullies see someone different, weaker, or just on their own, and they torment them. Maybe it's to make themselves feel better, maybe it's just to look good in front of other people, but whatever the reason I shouldn't have been embarrassed and neither should you." Steve continued.
"But...all that happened before you were Captain America." Penny said sadly. "I'm suppose to be a hero...it is pathetic."
"Penny you are anything but pathetic! Spiderman takes on super villains not school yard bullies , if anything it speaks to your character that you didn't knock the guy out." Steve said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"I was tempted to..." Penny said.
"I would have." Tony said from the doorway. "Sorry to eavesdrop but I didn't want to interrupt the little after school special you had going on."
"Tony." Steve said sternly.
"What? It was sweet. If the Captain America thing doesn't work out your can always find work as a motivational speaker." Tony joked, walking over to them. Penny let out a laugh.
"Ah you are feeling better then." Tony said, ruffling her hair.
"Yeah...thanks." Penny said, more to Steve than Tony.
"Great! Well then, I think we can safely say these are ruined." Tony said, pointing to the stained clothes. "So, shopping."
"Shopping?" Penny asked.
"Shopping. I'll call Pepper and have her pick you up, you can get those replaced and get yourself a new back pack to." Tony said, handing her his credit card.
"Huh? Um thanks Tony, but I'm sure I can get this out." Penny said.
"And I'm sure you can't, so we can either stand here and argue or you can go get some new clothes." Tony replied.
"I find it best not to argue, unless you want to be here all day." Steve whispered.
"Alright...thanks Tony." Penny said.
"Good, don't worry about the money, as long as I don't see you've bought a car with that thing we'll be good." Tony said, turning and leaving the room.
"I really don't have any choice?" Penny asked Steve once Tony was gone.
"No." Steve replied. "He is trying to make it better and he isn't great at talking, so let him at least do this."
"Okay.." Penny replied.
"Great, I'll leave you to get ready. Pepper will probably be here soon." Steve said, leaving the room.
Penny took her ruined clothes out of the sink and threw them in the bin. She didn't exactly feel right about using Tony's money, but she wasn't one to say no to free clothes.
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"Umm...shut uuuup" Penny said, turning over and hitting the snooze on her alarm clock. It was Monday morning and Penny was in even less of a mood to get up than usual.
"Ah, so that is why you are always late." Steve said from the doorway.
"Steve?" Penny asked, sitting up and trying to smooth down her wildly sticking up hair.
"I came to offer you a lift in, and if you get up now you might actually have time for a proper breakfast." Steve said.
"Ah, scrambled eggs?" Penny replied. "Wait, how can you give me a lift? What about not letting people know I live here."
"I'll keep my bike helmet on, no one will know it is me. Now if I were you I'd get up before Tony comes out of his lab and eats your eggs." Steve said, heading down the hall. Yawning, Penny stood and brushed her hair in the mirror, she then pulled on her new clothes, making sure everything was the right way round, and headed down the hall to the kitchen.
"Tony! Those were meant for Penny!" She heard Steve scold as she walked in the kitchen.
"They were unguarded, they are mine now." Tony replied, shovelling more egg into his mouth.
"It's fine, I'll just have some cereal." Penny said, getting a bowl.
"I don't think those sugar covered chocolate flakes can really be considered breakfast." Steve said disapprovingly. Behind him, Tony rolled his eyes and Penny suppressed a laugh.
"They are fine, they've got..vitamin d and stuff." Penny said, looking at the box.
"You know what else has vitamin d? Eggs." Tony joked. Steve shot him a pointed look and the billionaire decided now that the eggs were gone, it was a good time to return to his lab.
After breakfast, Penny put her books into her new bag, double checking to make sure she had all her homework this time, and followed Steve down to the garage.
"Put this on and hold on to me tight." Steve ordered, handing her a helmet. Penny nodded and put the on helmet, hoping it wouldn't mess up her hair.
On Steve's bike, it took only ten minuets to get to school. The ride was exhilarating, Penny could feel the speed much more then when riding in a car and Steve was able to weave through traffic as though it wasn't there, meaning they almost never stopped.
When they arrived at school, Penny dismounted and couldn't help but notice the stares of other students.
"I'll pick you up later." Steve said, not lifting his visor in case someone recognised him.
"Alright." Penny said happily, handing him back the spare helmet.
"Penny!" Harry called, as Steve drove off behind her. "I just heard about what happened, are you ok?"
"I'm fine, don't worry about it." Penny reassured.
"I'm gonna kill Flash..." Harry said angrily.
"Thanks but these clothes are new, I don't want to get them covered in dirt when we have to hide the body." Penny joked, heading inside the school.
"We can just throw it in the river, those rocks in his head should make him sink fast enough." Harry joked back.
"Who are you two murdering now?" a voice said from behind them. The two friends turned to see Gwen Stacy following them inside.
"Hey Gwen, how are you feeling?" Penny asked.
"Fine, it was just a 24 hour thing." Gwen replied. "What about you, did you manage to get the paint out?" Gwen asked, she had rung Penny the moment she'd found out what happened online, and the two had had a long chat about how much of a jerk Flash Thompson is.
"I'm fine, really, it was just a little paint, not the end of the world." Penny said "Anyway I got a nice new bag out of it so..."
"OH MY GOD!" A voice almost screamed. The three turned towards the noise just in time to see three cheerleader run over.
"Is that a Kidson bag?!" Liz Allen said, looking over the bag.
"Um...yeah." Penny replied. The bag was one Pepper had picked out and Penny had fallen in love with. At first Penny had thought she should look for a cheaper one, but Pepper had convinced her Tony really wouldn't mind if she choose one that a little expensive.
"It has got to be a knock off, how could Parker afford a Kidson bag." Amber said, as though Penny wasn't standing there.
"It was a gift from my foster father." Penny said pulling her bag out of their grasp. "Since my other one got ruined."
"Oh, was he the one on the awesome bike?" Tiffany asked, twilling a piece of her hair.
"No, that was the other one." Penny said, smirking. Before the girls could respond, the bell rang and Penny headed to her first class with Gwen.
"Like oh my god, jealous much?" Gwen mocked as they took their seats. Penny just smirked in response, she couldn't help but feel a bit smug. She knew she had cool foster parents, but it was nice to have other people know too.
The day passed quietly after that. As Penny expected, Flash didn't get into any trouble over the paint incident, as 'there wasn't any proof it was actually him'. There were rumours ofcourse, but apparently those didn't count. This annoyed Penny, but there wasn't a lot she could do about it. Atleast she managed to avoid Flash all day, or tried to until...
"I know this is awkward but, we really need a picture of the gym for the year book, and I was suppose to sort it Friday I was ill, and now Jamie is off, and you are the only other person with any talent with a camera..." Gwen begged, half way through the lunch hour. The year book was going to print tomorrow and there was only one picture left take, unfortunately it happened to be of the place where Flash Thompson was currently having basketball practice.
"Gwen it's alright I'll do it. We'll just stay out of his way" Penny said.
"Like that has ever worked before." Harry said stealing Penny's last chip "I'll come with, just in case he tries to cause trouble."
"Ah yes I can see Flash quaking in his boots at the thought of facing the great Harry Osborn." Gwen teased, finishing her own food.
"Damn straight." Harry replied. "Or have you girls forgotten the way to the gun show?" He added, posing theatrically.
"Less guns, more water pistols." Penny laughed, standing and heading towards the gym with Gwen. Harry pouted, but followed behind.
"Lets do this as quickly as possible." Gwen said as they entered the gym.
"Right in and out before -"
"Parker!" Flash called, walking up to them. "Aww you went back to brown, I thought the red hair suited you."
"Get lost Flash." Harry growled, stepping in front of Gwen and Penny.
"You gonna make me Osborn?" Flash said, squaring up to him.
"Harry leave it, he isn't worth the trouble." Penny said, pulling him back.
"Yeah, better do as your little 'gal pals' say, unless you wanna get hurt." Flash scoffed, shoving Harry, causing him to fall into Gwen.
"Flash, just shut the hell up. You are pathetic!" Penny snapped, losing her temper. "The only reason anyone puts up with you is cause you are good at putting an orange ball through a hoop. But you know what? In the real world, not a lot of call for that. So you can carry on with your little 'I'm Flash Thompson and I do what I want' thing, cause in a couple years that show is over and while the three of us will be off at college you'll probably be selling hot dogs out of a truck."
"You! I'm gonaa-" Flash began angrily
"What? What you gonna do hit me? You gonna pour paint over me again? Fine! Cause you know what? That doesn't make anything I just said less true!" Penny said, glaring. "Come on guys, lets go take pictures of the other half of the gym." she added, helping Harry and Gwen to their feet.
The three of them began to walk across the gym, however they didn't get more than 3 steps before Penny's spidey-sense went off and she turned around just in time to catch a basketball before it slammed into her face.
"Opps, butterfingers." Flash said, smirking. For a second, Penny thought about throwing the ball straight back into his face, but then she had a better idea. Turning back the way she was going, Penny jumped and tossed the ball high into the air. It sailed the three quarters of the court from where she was, and landing directly in the net.
"Heh no wonder you like this game." Penny said to an astonished Flash. "It is really easy."
Taking a high five off Harry, Penny took hold of her camera and headed to the other side of the gym.
"So maybe I can't use my Spider powers to punch Flash through a wall." Penny thought to herself "But I can sure use them to shut him up when he is being an ass."