Phantom of SI
The whispers started slowly. Some interns began noticing little things—a shadowy figure darting through the hallways late at night, coffee mugs moving ever so slightly when no one was looking, and random objects mysteriously disappearing, only to reappear in strange places hours later. It didn’t take long before the rumors started.
There was a ghost at Stark Industries.
Or, at least, that’s what the lab assistants and interns thought.
Unbeknownst to them, the “ghost” was just Peter Parker, who’d found himself a new hobby in harmlessly terrorizing Stark Industries staff. It had started out small: a coffee cup mysteriously slid across the counter, someone’s notebook moved to the other side of the lab, a pen that seemed to vanish into thin air. But as the legend of the “ghost intern” grew, so did Peter’s enthusiasm for his prank.
Tony had, of course, figured it out almost instantly. The moment he caught Peter crawling out of a vent and sneaking through the darkened hallways like a spider in his natural habitat, he’d pieced it together. But instead of shutting down Peter’s antics, Tony decided to play along. He quietly enjoyed the chaos his “cryptid intern” was creating—after all, no one was getting hurt, and he hadn’t had this much entertainment at the office in years.
One morning, as Tony sat in his office, the door swung open, and in walked Pepper, looking bemused.
“Tony,” she said with an arched brow, holding up an iPad with a security report displayed. “Do you know anything about this… ‘ghost’ that everyone’s talking about?”
Tony leaned back, feigning innocence with a smirk. “Ghost? In Stark Industries? That sounds ridiculous, Pep. It’s probably just one of the new security features—JARVIS can get a little overzealous with the cameras.”
Pepper sighed, but she couldn’t hide the hint of a smile tugging at her lips. “You’re not fooling me. The interns think it’s a teenage ghost haunting the lab, and I don’t suppose you’d know anything about that…?”
Tony gave a nonchalant shrug. “People see what they want to see, Potts. Who am I to ruin their fun?”
She crossed her arms, eyeing him knowingly. “Or is it that your idea of fun just happens to involve letting Peter sneak around here like some kind of cryptid?”
At the mention of Peter, Tony grinned. “I’d say it’s more of a…training exercise. The kid’s getting creative.”
Pepper huffed, trying to suppress a laugh. “Creative? Half your staff is convinced this place is haunted. You know, they’re telling stories about the ghost of an intern who ‘vanished’ in the building years ago?”
Tony’s smirk grew. “They’re saying he’s a mischievous kid ghost, right? That’s kind of charming. I mean, he really does add…a certain energy around here.”
“Oh, sure, Tony.” Pepper rolled her eyes, but she looked more amused than annoyed. “The last time I heard, someone found a single, half-eaten donut left in the break room—just one bite taken out. And they swore they saw a ‘shadow’ near the vending machine.”
Tony chuckled, clearly proud of Peter’s work. “I have to admit, the kid’s got style. The donut was a nice touch.”
Pepper shook her head, smiling despite herself. “If he keeps this up, they’re going to start leaving offerings for the ‘ghost’ just to keep him happy.”
Tony leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Maybe I should encourage that. Imagine the snacks Peter could score if they think he’s some kind of supernatural entity. Kid would never go hungry.”
Pepper rolled her eyes again, but she was laughing now. “Tony, only you would turn Stark Industries into a place where we feed imaginary ghosts.”
At that moment, Peter popped his head into the office, completely unaware of the conversation. “Hey, Mr. Stark! I, uh, may have…moved Dr. Lewis’s lab notes. On accident. Kind of. Think she noticed?”
Pepper gave him a pointed look, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Peter, you realize half the lab staff thinks you’re a literal ghost, right?”
Peter’s eyes widened, and he tried his best to look innocent. “What? That’s—that’s so weird, Ms. Potts. I’m just, you know, blending in.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “Well, this ‘ghost intern’ of ours has nearly given Dr. Lewis a heart attack three times this week. Maybe we should set some… guidelines?”
Peter and Tony exchanged a look, clearly sharing the same thought.
“Guidelines, sure,” Tony said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “No problem. Just—let the kid keep having a little fun, alright? Consider it…morale boosting.”
Pepper looked between them, trying to look stern but ultimately giving in with a sigh. “Fine, as long as we don’t end up with any more missing donuts or disappearing lab equipment.” She leveled a warning glance at both of them. “And if I find out you’re behind any actual hauntings, Stark, you’re explaining it to HR.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Tony replied, grinning as he watched her leave.
Peter’s legend only grew from there. With Tony’s subtle approval, he added a few new tricks to his repertoire, always careful to keep things harmless. Shadows in the lab, strange noises from the vents, the occasional flickering light. At one point, he even left sticky notes on people’s desks signed “The Ghost Intern,” just to see how they’d react. The rumors spread, with each story getting wilder than the last.
One afternoon, Pepper walked into Tony’s office holding a small stack of papers, clearly amused. “Did you know they’re calling him ‘The Phantom of Stark Tower’ now?”
Tony smirked. “Phantom? Really? The kid’s got style.”
She rolled her eyes but handed him one of the notes, a sketch of what looked like a ghost with webs for arms. “This one’s for you. Apparently, the ‘phantom’ left it in the break room.”
Tony looked at the drawing, his grin widening. “I think we’ve created a monster.”
Pepper laughed. “Maybe, but at least it’s a pretty harmless one. Though, for your sake, Tony, you might want to make sure ‘the ghost intern’ doesn’t end up haunting any more of Dr. Lewis’s things.”
Tony raised a hand, placing it over his heart in an overly serious manner. “I promise, only minor hauntings from now on.”
And so, the legend of the “ghost intern” continued, with Peter haunting the halls of Stark Tower, his antics earning him a place in the company’s own brand of folklore. It didn’t take long for Stark Industries employees to start leaving offerings of snacks and treats in the break room— “just in case” the ghost decided to stop by.
Pepper, of course, kept up appearances, feigning exasperation while secretly indulging Peter’s antics as much as Tony did. After all, she was starting to appreciate the “ghost’s” impact around Stark Industries. Maybe, just maybe, a little chaos and laughter were exactly what the place needed.