A Whole New World
Peter dislikes the rain. Not because it's 'cold' and 'uncomfortable,' but because May can't afford to buy him a coat or repair the hole in their roof. So when it rains, he'll most likely have to sleep in a damp bed until the weather clears. And, while the idea of a 'water' bed may seem appealing to some, it isn't all that enjoyable in reality. It causes spots of mould to appear on the walls of his bedroom, and he's certain that whatever he's breathing in isn't safe.
It could be a lot worse. He's fortunate enough to have a roof over his head (even though it's half damaged), and he has a kind guardian who does everything she can for him. They manage to get by. And it's not the end of the world if he spends a day without eating because they haven’t got the money for it. He's been shot, stabbed, and tortured for as long as he's been Spider-Man, so he's certain that a little hunger or rain won't be the end of him.
Since the bite, it's been worse for them. As soon as it happened, all his senses were heightened. As a result, his appetite increased tenfold. He was always hungry. But the hunger wasn't just a passing fad. If he didn't get enough, he felt weak, which led to him making silly mistakes in the field, thus resulting in the majority of his injuries. Craving more, he began to rummage through bins in search of leftovers. He felt horrible and guilty, but it was a way of life for him now. He couldn't tell May how much he needed. Because if he did, they'd only struggle to afford it. As a result, he kept it to himself.
It's raining heavily as Peter walks home with Ned. The wind makes it worse, blowing the raindrops in their faces as they try and ignore it. It’s difficult, and by the time they arrive back at Ned’s house Peter is a shivering mess. Ned looks at him with a worried frown, as he always does. His eyes glance up at the dark clouds. Looking back down at Peter, he opens his mouth and Peter knows exactly what he’s about to say.
His best friend was kind. Always has been, always will. He’s been behind Peter’s back since day one, and if he knew the way he rummaged through bins and slept in what looked like an abandoned house, he’d be offering his spare room in a heartbeat. But Peter didn’t want him to know. He wasn’t a pity case, and he didn’t need Ned’s hospitality. He and May were fine.
“I’m okay, Ned,” Peter smiles, his hand resting on the band of his backpack. He tightens his grip, pulling it up as it’s shifted slightly on his back. It’s a bit wet, and he wonders if the rain has leaked into his books. He ignores the thought for a second as Ned’s worried face doesn’t leave. “It’s just a bit of rain.”
“I think it’s a lot more than that.”
“Ned,” Peter says, “you think that Spider-Man himself will be beaten by some water?”
Ned’s eyes widen. “Duh! Haven’t you heard the nursery rhyme?”
“Oh, god. Not you too,” he groans. “That’s all Iron Man says to me on the field, other than the time they all thought I died. But that nickname- it’s either ‘Itsy Bitsy’ or ‘Underoos’. Honestly, Ned. You’d think he’d be glad I help them out, but he still uses those words to annoy me.”
“Right. So... Did you just say all of that to make me jealous? Because it worked.”
“I’d never do that to you,” Peter grins. He laughs for a second, before turning around to face the direction of his flat. “I gotta go. Cooper said he’d be calling me as soon as he got back.”
“Then are you patrolling tonight?”
“Probably,” Peter shrugs.
What Ned doesn't realise is that the reason there has been more talk about Spider-Man recently is that May has taken on longer shifts and Peter dislikes being alone in the apartment. Helping others, like she does every day, gives him a sense of relief. He gets to utilise his talents for good by aiding the people around him. If Ben could see him now, he hopes he would be proud of him. Furthermore, some people want to give him money when he saves them. When he accepts it on the rare occasion, he feels bad. But when May 'finds' some additional cash in the sidewalls of their sofa, it makes everything worthwhile.
Ned’s grimace makes him feel guilty. His friend’s worried, and it’s times like these which he wishes Ned didn’t know. He gets the weather’s bad, and reports of gangs coming into their borough have been all over the news, but just because the crime gets worse doesn’t mean he gets going. It’s times like these which he should be out there now, doing something before the problem becomes too big to contain. Ned once said he was too young to have all of that on his shoulders, but who else was going to do it?
The Avengers were complacent about the minor threats that plagued people day by day. The friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man served the people he lived with. He recognised people by name, and he recognised their shouts and cries. He knew the ideal spots to go, where criminals would target their victims... He was the one who had the power to change everything. That's what Ned didn't get.
He had to do it.
But Ned never told Peter not to. He supported him. He just told him to be careful, and Peter would always say he was. Sometimes it was a lie, and he regretted that it had to be like that… but if it put Ned at peace and allowed him to keep doing what he needed to do, then so be it.
“Bye, Ned,” Peter smiles, as Ned opens his door and steps through. They wave, tell each other they’ll see each other tomorrow, and then Peter’s by himself.
It's a good thing he has sticky fingers since otherwise he would've dropped the keys to their flat as the weather worsened. The heavens opened as soon as Ned walked inside. He's lucky like that. Everything seems to always be going his way. Of course, Peter is just the opposite. He has had a difficult life. But he realises that others have it worse, which is why he tries his hardest to keep going.
He comes up to his flat and pushes through the door, tossing his bag alongside the shoe rack haphazardly. When he doesn't see his aunt, he switches on the light switch and frowns. Her schedule is posted on the fridge, so he knows when she'll be available. But, for some reason, every time he's alone recently he hates it. He just feels… lonely.
He hangs his coat up and walks into the kitchen. There’s a note from May on the fridge. It says…
‘Hey, Pete. It’s going to be a long shift tonight. I’ll pick us up some dinner on the way back. I’m thinking spag bowl! There are some snacks in the fridge, but don’t go too crazy. Love you lots. Don’t get into too much trouble when I’m gone- May.
He sighs as he rereads it. He knew May would be gone, but he didn't know how long for, and the hunger in his stomach has gotten greater. It's as if something is devouring him from within, demanding him to raid the cabinets and consume everything inside. So, before he turns into some monster enslaved to emptying everything in their kitchen, he takes out his phone and glances at Cooper's contact. He said he'd facetime him when he got home, so Peter puts his phone down and waits for him to call. How long could it take him to get home?
It takes forty minutes of idle waiting and scrolling through Twitter (if he retweets some tweets about how amazing Spider-Man is, it technically isn’t egotistical as nobody on his timeline knows it’s actually him) before the notification comes through. He answers it after one ring, hoping he wasn’t being too eager. He didn’t want to scare him away- not when he was the first person (apart from Ned and MJ) to stick around in a while.
Peter keeps his surprise to himself. Because Cooper's home isn't just 'lovely.' Oh no, we've reached a whole new level. Peter feels as though he's sitting in front of his TV, watching the newest episode of 'America's nicest homes.' The opposite of where he comes from. Peter shifts in his seat, turning his camera away from the old walls and toward some windows. He shouldn’t be embarrassed, but he is. Because Cooper's family appears to be rather wealthy. And Peter has spent months trying to find food in the trash. He hopes the term ‘opposites attract’ is legit otherwise, Peter can expect this friendship to end as soon as the project is done.
“Hey man,” Peter smiles, waving at Cooper as he props his phone up against one of May’s books. He lounges back into their sofa and waits for his Wi-Fi to connect so that he can see Cooper waving back. “Can I just say- wow. Your bedroom is awesome.”
“Thanks!” Cooper grins. “My dad’s friend Tony designed it for me.”
Peter tries to have a peak as Cooper moves his camera to prop it on something. Probably a mac book pro or something far superior to a coffee table placeholder that was made in the 2000s. There’s everything in it you could ever want.
“…You’ve got something on you-,” Cooper starts to say. He stops. “I think you may have left your window open or something as I think it’s some rain.”
Peter looks up. “Oh, that? It’s just a hole in our ceiling- it’s normally just a leak but because it’s raining today it’s a lot worse.” He looks behind him. “Crap, sorry! I forgot to change the bucket- it’s overfilling.” He laughs awkwardly.
He empties the bucket full of water into their sink, quickly putting it back under where water is dripping. He turns back to the camera, his stomach dropping when he sees the guilt on Cooper’s face. Peter knows he’s going to try and ‘save’ him, but that’s not what he wants. All he needs is a new friend and a good grade for this project.
“So- uh- for this project… We could study at the library or-“
Peter tilts his head out of confusion as he sees Cooper’s eye line go above where his phone would be. His cheeks tint red, and Peter’s not sure why until the phone moves and a woman’s face comes on screen. Peter remembers her from his principal’s office from that morning. She looks a lot like Cooper, which does make sense as he was introduced as her mother. She’s kind of familiar, as if Peter’s seen her before- but where from? He has no idea. Could it be when he was Spider-Man? Whenever it was, she’s currently smiling at him right now as if she’s over the moon her son has someone else to speak to.
“Are you Peter?”
Peter nods. “Yes. That’s me.”
“The school said you were one of the loveliest students they have ever had. So, don’t you worry about studying in some horrible, dingy, library. We’ve got plenty of space over here. You can come over, and we’ll make you some dinner and after you’ve done some work, we can watch some films. How does that sound?” She asks.
Peter laughs when he hears Cooper protest in the background. Of course, he's not opposing Peter coming over. But rather the fact that she's still holding his phone, which is undoubtedly embarrassing him. Peter, on the other hand, thinks it's sweet. He adores May, but he often wonders what it would have been like to have his mother and father around. May is his mother- so she could fit that role easily- but she’s never around enough to even embarrass him in front of Ned.
Peter can't resent her for it—that would be selfish—but he wishes that he could help out more so her workload would be less, and they could spend more time together. But it’s wishful thinking.
“That sounds lovely. If Cooper’s okay with it, I’d love to come over.”
“Of course,” Cooper says. “If my mom would give me my phone back, then we can talk all the logistics through.”
“Logistics?” his mom laughs, “Coop, this isn’t a business meeting. Your friend is coming over. That’s all.”
“Thanks for that, mom,” Cooper rolls his eyes, finally grabbing his phone and taking it from her hands. He props it back up. Instead of taking it again, his mother walks into the frame and rests her hand on the back of the chair her son was sitting in. “What day would be best for you, Pete?”
Peter glances over at May’s schedule. She’s on a twelve-hour shift on Saturday (it was currently Wednesday), so that was probably a good day for him. Wherever Cooper lived, he had some extra money to get on the subway or a bus (or if he’s close enough, Peter could always walk. Or swing if he was just the right distance). “Is Saturday alright with you two?”
“Of course,” his mom replies.
“Well, thank you for inviting me over, miss. It’s very nice of you.”
“Oh, Pete. Call me Laura,” she says. He hears her whisper in Cooper’s ear, “how polite.” He’s not sure if he should’ve heard that or if his super-hearing was helping him eavesdrop, but he chooses to ignore it just in case.
“Well, uh, I would talk to you for longer, but the kitchen has just made dinner- so- uh- well, I gotta go,” Cooper says. “I’ll text you.”
Peter waves goodbye and set his phone down with a sigh as FaceTime finishes. The kitchen? Cooper had staff?! Peter wonders if he’s downplaying how important his father must be. If this is another case of a friend having a super villain father, he wouldn’t know what to do. What if Cooper was part of the mafia and they’ve caught onto his identity, and this was their way of defeating him?
Okay, so maybe he’s overreacting. But still. It’s all a bit weird.
Peter gets up and heads inside his bedroom, pocketing his phone. He makes his bed after forgetting to do it in the morning and grabs the sewing machine he built from scratch from behind his desk. He takes the stick he keeps by his wardrobe and pushes it up against a loose tile in his ceiling. The Spider-Man suit pops out.
This suit’s a lot better than what he first wore. No longer does he parade around in pyjamas and goggles that look like they’re from a steampunk cosplay. It has a vibrant blue and red pattern and enables complete swinging freedom and flexibility. And only a few weeks ago, he developed a more resistant material, which meant fewer 'slicing' incidents. Except for one hole that presumably was from the bullet that grazed him the other day, it was all good to go. So he spends the next twenty minutes sewing it up before throwing it on over the clothing he was wearing to school that day (it was freezing outdoors, and he wasn't going to die from hypothermia).
He opens his window and leaves it slightly ajar for his return before climbing up his building's roof and dashing out towards the skyline. He drives down to the street, his feet mere inches from the ground before he shoots a web into the distance. People yell his name; they idolise the guy behind the mask, oblivious to who he truly is. It's strange because he's just as famous as Cooper's father must be—but it's different. In actuality, he's still just a regular kid—what would people think if they found out?
Apart from a bike burglary and one tabby cat caught in a tree, Peter finds a rooftop to sit on after hours of silence. While the clouds refuse to go, he sits for a while, kicking his feet back and forth. The rain feels uncomfortable on his suit, probably because he'd never usually go out in this weather. But today he feels compelled to, which might be due to his spider-sense or the fact that he is tired of being alone in the apartment. Even if there isn't much there right now, he knows he'll stay for another hour just in case.
Every other minute, his stomach rumbles. His brain begs him to get up and get something to eat. He's so hungry he'll eat anything. As fate would have it, as he glances down, he hears shouting coming right from a restaurant. So what if he could rescue the day and earn some food as a reward?
It’s a nice restaurant. Only the most affluent people attend. Consider politicians, superheroes, CEOs, and their youthful partners who parade around in expensive jewels and designer clothes. It's a magnet to the upper class. In the queue, Peter had never seen someone like him. If he did, they most likely had a very wealthy friend send them a voucher, or they were turned away and ridiculed by the servers who dress in full piece suits or ballgowns to serve food. But, if he protected them from a robbery, would they have the heart to offer him something in return? He'd do it regardless of the prize because that's who he is, but... you never know till you try.
Climbing through a shattered window in the back, Peter breaks through the locked door with his bare hands and frees the people who were huddled in the kitchen. A multitude of unsuspecting employees and a few customers who must have slipped in all leave rapidly as soon as their exit is discovered. Their freedom is met with a swarm of cameras, and Peter realises this is more serious than he once thought. The idea of free food has long passed him by because he doesn't care now. People are in danger. That is his responsibility. Obtaining free perks is not.
He saw two men with guns standing at the kitchen entrance, and another two further back standing around a group of terrified people. He listens for a while to comprehend their goals, and it appears that they are attempting to extort money by kidnapping the children of famous and wealthy people. As he looks to the farthest corner, he sees the kids themselves in handcuffs. So, before it’s too late, he bursts through the doors and knocks out the first two directly next to him.
A sea of bullets come his way, but he knows just what to do. He’s been in this situation so many times before… weirdly enough. Jumping up, he starts to scale the walls like it's second nature. He'd be able to avoid them even if he closed his eyes. But he's not worried about himself; he's worried about the people they're holding prisoner. He manages to web all their weapons away, tying them to the high ceiling where no one can reach them.
“Hey- why don’t you guys pick on someone your own size?” he quips, swinging through the room as he tries to knock out more of the men that keep coming from nowhere. There seems to be a whole gang, and whenever he knocks one out another takes its place.
He’s up on the ceiling when one of them says, “come down here and I’ll squish you like the bug you are, Spider-Man.”
“See- what you just said there doesn’t make sense,” Peter says, sitting on the ceiling. “You said ‘bug’ and then ‘Spider’. I know people struggle sometimes- but they’re not the same thing. Do you understand? Spiders are not bugs. Honestly. You know- the amount of people that say that to me, it’s tiring.”
“Whatever, just come down and fight us!”
Peter tilts his head, “you really think you’ll beat me? With no weapons? I’ve defeated gods, dude- like literally last month I was in the fight with Loki, and you think you’ll be the one that does it…” The criminal looks at him with determination. “Right. Sure. Okay. Let yourself get put in prison then. And then blame me afterwards- when, really, you’re the one that decided to try and kidnap kids.”
Peter comes down and sees that after beating ten of their men- the one guy that spoke up is the last one left. Peter comes down, webs him up and uses some moves he learnt from watching the Avengers religiously when he was younger to take him down. With a punch, some kicks, and eventually using his webs to stick him to the wall, it was over.
He calls for the police, and they come in with full riot gear and take the men away. But as they do- one catches his eyes and says, quite manically, that “this is not the end, Spider-Man. You will pay.”
“Ah, man. I hope not. Because- I’m telling you now- I am broke,” Peter tells him, stood there with his hand on his hip. “You won’t get much out of me.”
“This isn’t over,” he repeats as he’s pushed down to the ground and handcuffed himself.
“Looks like it is, though. Doesn’t it?” Peter says.
A police officer comes over, thanking him. They appreciate Spider-Man when he does stuff like this, but then print masses of press over why he shouldn’t be allowed to operate in New York. Hypocrites. He tells them it’s okay, and when the crisis team comes in to help clean up and get the victims to safety- Peter sneaks into the back and tries to grab some of the fresh food they’ve made.
But as he goes to take some, more people come into the back to gather evidence and he’s ushered away.
Dejected, Peter goes outside and sits on the side of the road (still in his Spider-Man suit) and watches as everyone gets to safety. Just as he was about to give up and leave, to celebrate a good job well done, he feels something tug at his leg.
“Hello,” a little girl says, a wide smile over her face.
“Hello,” Peter replies. “Where’s your mommy or daddy- or whoever you were here with?”
“Mommy is in the ambulance. They’re making sure she’s okay,” she smiles, “they said I did well. Look! They even gave me this funny sticker.”
“Look at that! Are there two unicorns?!” He asks as he tries to look around for what ambulance she’s looking at so he could get her back to her mom. His voice is a higher pitch, as it always is when kids come up to him, and he thinks he’s doing a decent job. But the young girl looks at him and pouts.
“What’s up? Why are you sad?” he asks.
“Nobody gave you a sticker,” she replies.
“That’s fine. I don’t mind, I’m waiting my turn,” he lies. “Should we get you back to your mommy?”
“You look hungry,” she says, ignoring his question.
Peter looks down at his stomach which, as if on cue, rumbles again. “Yeah, I guess I am. Stopping bad guys is a lot of work.”
“You tried to get some food, but they scared you off,” she says. Peter wonders how she knew. “I saw when they picked me up. Mommy was crying, but I wanted to meet Spider-Man- and you went to get food.”
Peter nods, weirdly emotional. But he doesn’t let that on. “Oh, well. It doesn’t matter, though. Because you’re safe now- and so is everyone else in that room.”
The young girl digs through the purse she has around her shoulders, one that looks more expensive than anything he has and puts a candy bar in his hand. She smiles. “There you go.” They both hear a shout from across the road. “Oh, that’s my mommy. I gotta go, Mr Spider-Man. Thank you for saving us.”
Peter lowers his gaze to the candy bar. He puts it away into the pockets of his suit, before swinging away to a neighbouring alleyway. He consumes the entire bar in a few seconds after unwrapping it, satisfying his appetite for a few minutes.
This was his preferred outcome, even if he knew he would have had more food in the restaurant. That little girl was under no obligation to give up her food. She did it, though, out of the kindness of her heart. And that was what Peter was attempting to represent as Spider-Man. If you are good to others, they will ultimately be kind to you. It's a circle he intended to build, and now his message is starting to make its way through to even the younger generation.
Obviously, he can’t give himself all the credit, but his heart tells him he’s at least pushing people in the right direction.
He finishes up his patrol knowing that May should be back soon with dinner. He climbs in through his window, making sure nobody was around to see him. Slipping out of the suit and into some pyjamas, he puts it away and moves into the living room to wait for May to come home. It’s an hour after she should be there when he starts to worry.
His phone rings. Peter picks it up immediately, his heart in his stomach as he assumes the worst has happened.
“May?” he says.
“I’m so sorry, baby. The hospital needs me to stay for a while. They’re going to pay me overtime for it, though, so maybe I can get you that game you wanted after all.”
Peter sighs sadly. “No, that’s fine. Don’t worry, May. Use it on yourself, you deserve it.”
He hears May sniff over the line. “No. No- it shouldn’t be like that. I’m meant to be treating you. You shouldn’t have to miss out on the latest game so I can get something. I want to get you the game, and that’s final.”
“No, May. Honestly-“
“Peter, please. I just want to- I just want to feel like a good mother to you, okay?”
“May, you are. I promise you. I love you; you know I do. I really don’t care that I don’t have that game. I can play it at Ned’s, and you know I go over there all the time. It’s no problem. We’ll just treat ourselves, okay?”
“Okay, baby. I’m sorry that I’m not going to be there with you tonight. Just make sure to lock the door, okay? I’ve got the spare key in my purse. And please make sure to go to bed early,” she says. Peter listens to the beeping in the background. It means she must go already. He waits for her to say goodbye wanting to hold on for as long as he could. “I gotta go, Petey-Pie. I love you loads.”
“Love you too, May.”
The line drops.
So, that night, Peter spends his evening in the apartment with the lights off to conserve electricity as the rain continues to drop into his bedroom. His quilt doesn’t provide him with any warmth, and the dropping feels and sounds like torture. It’s all he can hear, other than the distinct sound of people still wandering the streets late at night. He would cry if he had the strength to because the hunger worsens and all he can do to forget about it is sleep. And, as weak as he felt, that might be easy.
A few days later (Saturday)
Peter is on the phone with Cooper and Ned as he gets changed for the day. In the last few days since they first met, Peter can honestly say that their new friend has slotted perfectly into their dynamic. They spend all their time together at school and call regularly when Peter isn’t out patrolling. Ned and Cooper call when he’s out, and if he’s feeling okay, he’ll join after he’s done. Not that Cooper knows what he’s doing, but Peter will always catch Ned watching him closely to look for any injuries.
Today was Peter's first visit to Cooper's house to begin work on their project. Sure, Peter was nervous. What if Cooper's father was there, and Peter had to spend the entire day under surveillance by the secret service? Peter had no idea who his family was, but based on how they talked about him, he appeared to be significant enough to have round-the-clock protection. Above all, however, he was looking forward to spending time with his friend outside of school for the first time. Nothing, not even the imminent possibility of Cooper being born into a mafia family, could dampen his enthusiasm for that.
But then Cooper sent him his address and it was like his entire world was turned upside down. Because, surely, this had to be a huge prank. Who lived at the Avengers compound other than the Avengers themselves? And, for all Peter knew, Cooper wasn’t an Avenger. Peter even had inside knowledge on that! He’s worked with them! He’s never seen someone his age out on the field other than that time they had to fight an evil clown who tried to kill him in a hall of mirrors (Peter still loses sleep thinking about that night).
“…Are you sure you sent me the right address?” Peter says, walking over to where his phone is led down on his desk. He pops his head into the camera frame as he pulls up his jeans and waits for Cooper to respond.
“Yeah- ah- my mom… she’s a scientist there. So- uh- they gave us temporary accommodation as she works on this big project.”
Peter doesn’t know if he should trust him. What if Cooper made friends with Flash on the first day and this was just an opportunity to see how far Peter would go? He decides to trust him, though, as when he looks into his eyes- he doesn’t see any evil intent. All he sees is hope. Hope that his friend would trust him even if it seems very outlandish.
“Ah- right. Well, I’ll have to take a bus to the train station and then a train over to the compound- so, uh, I better get going,” Peter explains, throwing on a jacket and pocketing the little bit of money he saved for this very journey. “Bye guys. I’ll see you later!”
The journey isn’t long, per se, it’s just tiring. But eventually, he arrives at the front gates and must pretend he’s not out of his mind at how amazing it looks in person. He goes to walk in and is stopped by a very scary man in some sunglasses and a suit. Peter looks up, terrified, and realises there probably is going to be security. He is in one of the biggest places in America right now. He can’t just expect to walk in without any resistance. What was he thinking?
“Do you have a badge?”
“Um- no. My friend Cooper lives here, and we have a project for school?”
The man is suddenly a lot less scary as he takes off his sunglasses and smiles. “Peter Parker?”
“Um, yes…”
“Brilliant, follow me.”
Peter does just that. He’s walking behind this man with his hands in his pockets, attempting to hide how nervous he is. He gets taken to the front desk and is photographed for a pass. And then, when he turns to his left, he sees the grumpy bodyguard from the first day he met Cooper.
When they make eye contact, he hears him say, “Oh, brilliant. It’s you.”
“It’s nice to see you too,” Peter grins. “Bet you thought you’d never see me again.”
“One could dream.”
The bodyguard looks between them both before putting his hand on Peter’s shoulder. “Happy, this is Peter. Peter, this is Happy Hogan. He’s head of security here and he’ll escort you over to where Cooper is staying.”
“Happy?” Peter says, with a burst of laughter. That is the most ironic name he’s ever heard in his life. “Your name is Happy? Oh, man. That’s brilliant.”
“It’s a nickname.”
“Oh, no. I’m sorry. Go ahead, Happy. Tell me all about why they call you that,” Peter says, looking up at the other security guard who was openly laughing in his co-worker’s face with the slight decency to look guilty. “Ah. That’s really made my day.”
“I’m glad,” Happy mumbles, finally finishing Peter’s badge. He puts it on a lanyard and pushes it into his hand to put it on.
“Well, you don’t look it,” Peter replies as he slips the lanyard over his neck.
“Let's just get this over with.”
Happy takes Peter far away from the actual compound to some land with several homes, each of which appears to be far too extravagant to be real. Happy gestures toward the farthest one and encourages Peter to go there, but suddenly leaves without giving him time to think. Peter waves him goodbye without receiving a reaction and walks up to the house where Happy said Cooper would be.
As he steps inside, the interior looks a bit… well, it’s not homely. It looks a bit like a giant lab.
As he continues on, he realises he may have entered the incorrect building because surely this isn't a house. Or perhaps it leads up into the rooms, and this was Cooper's mother's workplace on the ground floor? He believes his idea is right since there is an elevator and some stairs to his left. He was about to walk up the stairs when he noticed some work led out on the table.
Walking over, he glanced through the calculations and realised that whoever had done them had accidentally made an error in the middle. Surely, if he wrote them a message with the proper answer, they wouldn't mind, right? So, that's how he spent the next ten minutes.
When he was done, he put everything down and was about to leave when his spider-sense altered him to danger. Sure enough, as he turned around, there was a gauntlet pressed up against his head and an incredibly angry-looking Tony Stark was staring down at him.
“Who the hell are you?”