The Interview
Peter Parker’s definitely a special person. His best friends, Ned and MJ, as well as his Aunt May would agree to that. Throughout his history, he had been through more than anyone could imagine.
He lost his parents at the age of four, to a plane crash that took other’s lives along with it. He couldn’t remember their faces or the way they said ‘I love you’. When all the kids at school spoke of their parents, he had nothing to add. He couldn’t speak as he became an outcast, pushed to the opposite side of the playground. Ned Leeds, his best friend, was the only one that spoke to him at first and Peter would forever be thankful.
Turning into a superhero was terrifying. The original bite only stung for a few seconds, what hurt the most was the aftermath. In only a few moments, he could suddenly hear everything. Every beating heart was in his ears in the neighbourhood alongside every word spoken in his building. His mind was scrambled, he couldn’t focus on anything around him. Suddenly, he had these powers that he didn’t know how to control.
Then, only weeks later, his Uncle died right in front of him. Peter had to watch as the life behind his eyes left. The worst thing was, he could’ve done something about it. That guilt ate him up.
Somehow, Peter managed to go on. He lived his life with traumatic memories, more than mentioned before. He applied for an internship at Stark Industries thinking that he’d ever get accepted. He didn’t think he’d even have the chance. So, when he got the email to say he was invited to a group interview, he couldn’t believe his luck.
He picked out the best shirt he could from a thrift shop, putting on his Uncle’s blazers over it. The tie he wore didn’t look expensive but, he thought he looked good.
Walking down the street to his meeting, later that day, he suddenly felt a pain over his stomach. He looked down to see hot liquid all over his brand new white shirt. Looking up, he saw Tony Stark standing in front of him and then suddenly, the pain the was gone.
“No way!” Peter managed to say, “You’re Tony Stark! This is like the best day in my life! I was on my way to Stark Industries right now for an internship and then I see you right here, isn’t that crazy? Life is a little crazy sometimes, Mr Stark. I think so, anyway. You might be following me, maybe. Is this a test? I can get a new shirt or you might need a new coffee,” Tony didn’t say anything so, Peter blushed and took a deep breath. “Well, um, I should probably just be quiet now.”
Tony stared down at the discard coffee club on the floor and then back up at the kid. A small, hesitant, smile lifted over his face as he listened to the kid ramble. “Are you hurt?” He asked, finally.
Peter looked down at his t-shirt again. “Well, yeah. I mean, it really burns. I don’t blame you, though! I really don’t! I should’ve been looking where I was going!”
Tony raised an eyebrow. His coffee was definitely hot, he liked them like that. The kid must’ve been in a lot of pain and he wasn’t willing to say anything because, he was Tony Stark. He wanted to tell the kid that he should care and that he should step up for himself but, he (obviously) didn’t really care what the kid thought.
“Lets go back to the tower,” Tony said. “My bodyguard, Happy, is waiting. If you’re really coming for an internship then you might as well come with us.”
“Happy? Is he one of the seven dwarves?”
“Sure, kiddo. Sure,” Tony mumbled, walking towards where the man was parked. He didn’t even take a look back to see if the kid was following.
When Peter climbed into the back seat, next to Tony, he marvelled at the interior. This car was the fanciest thing the boy had ever sat in. Tony, however, didn’t seem too bothered. Peter noticed how the man in the front looked at him through the mirror. He waved.
Tony looked over at the kid, his eyes glancing over the name badge once again. Peter Parker? Where had he heard that name before? Thinking about it, he thought about all of the intern’s submissions. That project this boy put in was the best he saw, by far. He definitely thought he was going to give him the job. He was a genius (if those blueprints had anything to say about it). He took his eyes off the kid, telling Happy to start driving back to the tower.
“Thanks, Happy!” Peter said as they got to the front door, “It was really nice to meet you! I’m Pete-,” Before Peter could introduce himself properly, the man walked away.
“Don’t take it personally. He’s not a people person,” Tony told him, “Come on, follow me.”
“He’s definitely not that happy, Mr Stark. Doesn’t live up to the name,” Peter mumbled, walking behind Tony as they entered the building.
The room was magnificent, large and modern, and Peter would’ve been mobilised if he didn’t have to follow Tony. Hundreds of staff walked across the lobby and Peter wished that one day he’d be a part of them.
“Kid, hurry up,” Tony said, standing in one of the elevators.
“Where are we going?” Peter asked, running to stand next to Tony. He looked into the mirrored lift and realised that the coffee stain was worse than he thought.
“Making sure I didn’t burn you too much with the coffee,” Tony said, putting his hands in his pockets. “Now, no more questions.”
The doors opened to the med bay and Peter was shocked. How something this advanced was hidden away in the tower was crazy. He didn’t see many patients so, he wasn’t sure if this was even a hospital. Tony did say this was the ‘med bay’, didn’t he? He looked over at Tony who was talking to a woman in a lab coat and he felt a little out of place.
“What is this place?” Peter said when Tony came back over to him.
“What did I say before?” Tony said, a little bit of an amused smile playing on his lips. “No questions.”
Peter nodded. Only moments later, he broke that promise. “Did you design this?”
“Kid, come on,” Tony laughed, shaking his head. “You really like to talk, don’t you?”
“Uh, yeah. Sorry,” Peter mumbled, looking down at his feet. They didn’t quite touch the floor from where he sat, wobbling back and forth to keep him entertained.
Tony sighed. He looked at the boy and immediately he felt guilty. He didn’t mean to take his bad day out on the boy he dumped a cup of coffee on. He decided to indulge the boy’s questions, it wasn’t like the boy would ever had the opportunity to ask them again.
“Don’t apologise for curiosity, Peter. This place we’re in is the Avengers MedBay. The floor is designated to treat earth’s mightiest heroes and you (apparently). Yes, I did design it. I designed the whole building.” Tony told him, enjoying Peter’s excitement.
“Wow,” Peter said, eyes widening. “That’s awesome, Mr Stark! You’re awesome!”
The random compliment surprised Tony. He was used to the cruel words from the press and even from his teammates at times. He wasn’t used to compliments from genius children, ones he burnt in the middle of a busy New York’s street. His heart started to beat just a little bit quicker.
The kid wasn’t harmed. It didn’t even look like anything happened. The only thing that even showed he had coffee dumped over him was his, now ruined, t-shirt.
“They’re going to think I’m scruffy,” Peter said to the woman in the lab coat, the person he now knew to be Helen Cho. One of the coolest doctors in the world (Peter learnt that quickly).
“What, Stark?” She asked, caught up to the whole scenario. “He’s the scruffiest person in the whole building. I’m sure he won’t mind a coffee stain he caused, Peter.”
“He’s doing the interview?!”
“Who did you think was going to do it?” Tony said, walking back into the room with a jumper in his arms. He threw it at the kid to wear. He only gifted it to the kid as it was his fault. He didn’t really care that much. He didn’t.
Peter pulled the jumper out of his lap, staring at it. This was an expensive jumper. It only came out days before. Most of his school was obsessing over it. Nobody had it, however. He couldn’t believe that Tony had given him it. “What’s- what’s this, Mr Stark?”
“I believe it’s called ‘a jumper’, Mr Parker. I thought that you were a ‘genius’, kid. You put it over your head and then it keeps you warm. A genius invention, really.” Tony said, sitting on the chair beside the hospital bed that Peter was sat up on.
“B-But, it’s yours-,”
“Oh, wow. Then why does it say Peter in the name tag?” Tony said, lifting the name tag and showing Peter. His name was written over the fabric in Tony’s handwriting, the ink fresh. “Looks to me like it’s yours.”
“Thank you, Mr Stark,” Peter grinned.
“Don’t know why you’re thanking me. Just passed your jumper over to you. Didn’t do anything drastic,” Tony said, dismissing Peter’s thanks.
Pepper watched from the corner, a smile tugging at her lips. Her husband had always been good with kids, as much as he didn’t like to admit it. The way Peter was smiling at him, Tony’s smile looking back, made her almost weak in the knees. The kid looked so sweet in the oversized piece of clothing, the sleeves falling over his hands. Tony, as hesitant as he was to show the world that he was a good man, rolled up the kid’s sleeves to make sure he was okay. It just made her want a kid even more.
“I’ll see you during the interview, Peter,” Tony told him, stepping up and walking away from him. “Ask Cho to take you down when it’s time, she’ll know where to go.”
Tony walked out, noticing Pepper close to the door. “Hey, Pep,” He said, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “What are you doing down here?”
“Nothing really,” She said, smiling. “Who’s that over there?”
“Oh, Peter? He’s an intern, well an applicant. I spilt coffee over him,” Tony said, looking back to see Peter pulling Cho into a conversation. The kid talked with his hands, clearly excited about whatever he was saying.
“He seems sweet-,”
“Yeah. Yeah, he does. I guess.” Tony nodded, taking her hand.
Peter couldn’t believe the day he was having. Wearing one of Tony Stark’s jumper wasn’t even the only crazy thing that happened. Walking down to the group interview, he was a ball of nerves. But if he could handle meeting the richest man in the world with coffee all over him, he could handle anything.
It was a no brainer, really, for Tony. He watched all the applicants at work. Peter was by far the youngest, at 14, whilst the rest of them looked to be around 21 and older. Peter, however, was obviously the best option. He coded his robot, making it as perfect as it could be. He wasn’t chatting, his mind focused purely on the machinery. Everyone else didn’t have a chance with Peter Parker in the room.
They let the rest of them go. Taking Peter into his office, Tony explained to the kid that he got the role. They went through his hours and Tony even decided, in the last moment, that they were bumping how much he’d get paid. Peter didn’t even know that he was getting paid in the first place.
So as he walked home, still in Tony’s (his?) jumper, he chatted to Ned on the phone about his crazy, amazing, day. He smiled more than he ever did when he told his best friend that he was officially an intern at Stark Industries.
When he got into his apartment, the room was set up with balloons and decorations. Ned, MJ and May were there with party poppers. They shouted to him, yelling “congratulations,” as he opened the front door. Wow, he really had the best family.
And life was just getting better by the second.