Chapter 15
The whole world knew that Tony Stark was an Iron Man. Therefore, it was not surprising that S.H.I.E.L.D. introduced him to the Avengers program. So now Peter was sitting in the aircraft carrier's lab, where future Avengers members met face-to-face for the first time.
Peter gazed enthusiastically at the small laboratory and preferred not to touch anything. Though they had countless labs in the Stark Tower, and he had helped his father several times with some work, he preferred not to risk anything here. After all, he wasn't supposed to be here at all, but he persuaded Tony to take him with him, and he almost immediately agreed.
"Ah, new reinforcement?" a male voice came from the doorway, and Peter turned, startled. A spectacled man peered in with a kind smile, watching Peter curiously. It was Dr. Bruce Banner.
"N-no, sir, I just..." What? He asked himself in his mind and was so nervous that he forgot what he was going to say. So he quickly reached the man and held out his hand. "I'm Peter Stark. And you're Bruce Banner, am I right? Wow, I can't believe I'm meeting you!"
“Oh, young Stark!Tony didn't mention he was taking a little genius with him. And he has the nature of boasting far more insignificant things," Bruce said, squeezing his hand. Peter scowled.
"Well, you know, I'm not supposed to be here. Mr. Fury wouldn't be too excited if he found out that there was someone... someone like me."
"I think he would be much more worried about me if I turned into Hulk," he winked, and Peter smiled. "Fury's a little scary, huh?"
"I would say that he can claim respect." But was that true with his father, too? He has never followed much with orders and rules.
"Definitely yes. Hmm, Peter, I have to go for a brief meeting. Will you wait here? I think we'll be back with your father soon," he assured him, and Peter nodded. Bruce smiled at him and then disappeared.
Peter began to wander around the lab, looking fascinated at everything, every device, as if he had seen it for the first time in his life. Then he was disturbed by energetic footsteps, and he saw a tall, muscular man walking past the glass. Captain America.
It caught him totally unprepared. A low gasp stuck in his throat, his eyes widened and his heart pounded. Wow, Captain America just passed around him! Alive, from flesh and bones! Wow!
Without a second thought he ran outside and ran down the corridors he thought the man had passed. He would like to have a few words with him! He asked him for an autograph... would he be willing to sign? Would he mind?
Suddenly he found himself in a place where he did not know it at all. There was almost no illumination, everything was shrouded in a veil of darkness. But some glow came from the side corridor, so he decided to look there.
In the center of the room was a special cell, in which a dark-haired man in dark green clothes walked lazily. Feeling a strange look on him, he paused and tilted his head aside. Then he smiled broadly at Peter.
"Ah," he said in a low voice, walking slowly toward him to get closer to him and see him better. "I had no idea there were little children on this ship."
"I'm not a child," Peter objected, although of course, he wasn't right. "Who are you? Why are you locked up here? Did you do something?"
"It depends on the point of view," he answered mysteriously, hoping to catch the boy's attention, which was done, and the boy stepped a little closer. "People tend to choose the worst for themselves. I'm here to help them."
Peter grimaced. "But S.H.I.E.L.D. probably does not like it, right?"
"I have already answered your question," Loki said, folding his hands behind his back. He glared at the boy. "I'm Loki. And what do they call you, young man?"
"My name is Peter Stark. I would shake your hand, but when you're locked like that..."
Loki laughed. "You have good manners. You know, you could just let me go..."
"I'm not stupid, sir."
"I know that, of course. I see great potential in you, Peter. I'm sure you'd like to be the same as your father, wouldn't you? Would you like to accomplish great things? Would you like to show him that you have that in you, that you're better than him?" he asked him with interest, then shook his head. Peter paused. He didn't want any of this... "I know what it feels like to be second in everything and be eternally overlooked. Standing constantly in something's shadow. I could help you if you let me."
"You are wrong.Nobody overlooks me," Peter snapped a little harder than he intended. “My dad and mom love me, they take care of me and spend their time with me. I don't need to prove anything to them. They both know who I am." Then he stopped. Seriously he just called Pepper his mother? All these years she had been an incredible support, and along with his father, she was the closest person to him. She gave him everything his biological mother couldn't.
"Well, you're a lucky man," Loki raised the right corner of the lips into a smile.
"But you aren't, are you? That's why you are discharging your anger now on people who haven't done anything to you?" Peter asked, and Loki chuckled. "Do you have at least anyone?"
"I have myself. I don't need anyone else."
"Too bad you're not Avenger. I'd be friends with you."
Loki snorted. "Avengers? Is that a bunch of losers?"
"Hey! What are you doing here, kid? How did you get here?" a deep, masculine voice came from behind Peter, and the boy turned. He almost collapsed when he saw Captain America walking toward him. He frowned at Loki and took the boy's shoulders. Peter was in heaven. “What did you tell that boy? Did you lure him to you?"
"He came alone and voluntarily. I didn't tell him anything he wouldn't know," Loki sneered at Steve, his gaze straying to Peter again. He gave him a small smile. He almost felt sorry for Loki.
"Come on, you shouldn't be here," Rogers said to the boy, and he was quickly taking him away. He led him through the dark corridors he had come here before, still keeping him in his grip. "What did you think to go to him? And what are you even doing here?"
"I am sorry, I didn't know anyone was there," Peter mumbled ashamed. "I got lost. I just wanted to follow you."
"Follow me?" Steve asked in shock.
"Yes. You're Captain America. I admire you. I have a few cards at home with you. And every morning I drink cocoa from a mug where your shield is drawn. Although the mug belongs to Dad and he even painted it, but now he only drinks coffee from a mug with the Stark Industries logo," he spewed at him, and it took Steve a moment to straighten it all out and realize who the boy was.
"So you're Tony Stark's son?"
"Yes, sir."
“Then we should go to the lab. What is your name?"
"Peter, sir."
Steve stopped abruptly. Then he knelt to be on the same eye level as he was and smiled at him. "Has Loki really not done anything to you, Peter?"
"How could he when he was locked in that cell?"
"You're right," he shook his head and laughed. "Come on, don't let your father worry. Do you really have a mug with my shield at home?"
"Yes, just ask Dad. He really admires you, you know?” Peter told him, and Steve smiled unknowingly. They hadn't been getting along very well with Tony yet, but that might change over time.
"Actually, I was a good friend of your grandfather, Howard. It was he who created the shield for me, you know that?"
Peter paused a little. “No, I didn't know that. My dad never talked much about Grandpa..." Then they were both quiet until they reached the lab where Tony and Bruce tried to track down Tesseract.
"Aren't you missing something, Stark? Or more of someone?"
"Not really, and if you're talking about yourself, I'd like to say-" he paused when he noticed that Steve didn't come alone. "Hey, kid. Did you wander off somewhere? I thought you went somewhere with Aunt Nat."
"He went to Loki."
"You've got guts, kid. What did that bastard tell you?” his father grinned.
"Tony..."
"I think he's sad and alone," Peter answered, and all three men lost their speech for a moment.
"Well, he definitely lied to you because he has his brother here. Will you help us?" Tony quickly suggested, and Peter nodded. Steve raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Do you think you could give me an autograph, please?" Peter asked Captain America shyly. For a moment Steve was puzzled, but then assured him that it wouldn't be a problem and signed on a piece of paper to glowing Peter.