Peter POV
Chapter Text
Thursday Morning – Midtown High
Some mornings are good. Some mornings are bad.
This morning?
This morning is "don't-make-eye-contact-with-Flash-or-you'll-regret-it" bad.
Peter kept his head down as he maneuvered through the crowded hallway, hugging his backpack like a shield. Flash's voice rang out from somewhere near the lockers:
"Hey! Penis Parker! You trip over your own shadow yet?"
Classic. Peter ignored him, dodging a poorly aimed paper ball. Luckily, MJ was at her locker, leaning against it with the kind of energy that said she was already done with the day.
"You know," she said, without looking up from her book, "if you walk any faster, you'll break the sound barrier."
"I'm..... uh, just trying to get to class," Peter mumbled.
MJ smirked. "Sure. Definitely not running from Thompson and his tiny ego."
Ned caught up, slightly out of breath. "Dude, you left me back there! Flash tried to trip me instead. I think he's evolving."
Peter grinned. "Survival of the dumbest."
The three of them walked to class together. Ned started rambling about some new Stark tech theory he'd been reading, MJ dropped sarcastic comments, and for a few minutes, it almost felt like everything was normal. No villains. No pressure. Just high school.
Late Morning – Shared Classes
Classes dragged. Peter tried to focus, he really did, but his mind kept drifting. Equations blurred into thoughts of suit upgrades, patrol patterns, and that new AI project Tony mentioned yesterday.
MJ elbowed him during chemistry. "Daydreaming about your rich mentor again?"
Peter flushed. "No! I- I mean, it's not....."
"Relax," she said, smirking. "Tell Mr. Stark I said hi."
Ned leaned over. "Don't forget, we have to duck out before lunch. I already told the office we're leaving for a Stark Internship thing."
Peter whispered back, "You're the best, man."
Ned grinned. "I know."
Afternoon – Stark Tower, Lower Lab
The Tower always smelled like coffee, ozone, and genius. Peter felt the tension in his shoulders melt away as soon as he walked into the lab.
"Roo," Tony greeted, tossing him a bag of chips. "You're late."
Peter glanced at the clock. "I'm literally on time."
"Exactly. You should aim higher," Tony teased, already pulling up holographic schematics. "Come on, let's make your suit cooler before you break it again."
For the next few hours, they worked side by side. Peter adjusted polymer seals while Tony fine-tuned nano-weave cooling systems. They argued about web fluid viscosity and how many extra parachutes a suit actually needed ("none," Tony said; "at least one," Peter insisted).
From Peter's perspective, this wasn't just work. It was home.
Karen's voice chimed softly through his suit speakers:
"Peter, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, Karen."
"If there were a new AI one that needed to learn about people would you help teach it?"
Peter blinked. "Uh, yeah? Of course. If it's one of Mr. Stark's, then, yeah. Totally."
"Thank you," Karen said, almost like she was smiling.
Peter didn't think much of it. Just another day in the lab with Mr. Stark.
Evening – Patrol in Queens
By the time Peter left the Tower, the sky was deep purple, stars faint above the city haze. He swung across rooftops, wind whipping past, the city lights shimmering like a million fireflies.
This was his favorite part of the day just him, the web lines, and the city.
He stopped a mugging, helped a lost kid find their way home, and even prevented a hotdog cart from rolling into traffic. Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man stuff.
As he perched on a water tower catching his breath, Karen spoke again.
"Peter about the AI we mentioned earlier. His name is JOKASTER. He's..... new. Like a child. He'll need you."
Peter tilted his head. "You guys really want me to help, huh?"
"Yes," Karen replied softly. "You make people better. Even us."
Peter smiled under the mask. "Then count me in."
Night – Queens Apartment
By the time he crawled into bed, Peter was exhausted but happy. His day had been perfect school, friends, lab time with Mr. Stark, and a good patrol.
He fell asleep thinking about how great things were.
And how he had no idea the world around him was preparing for a storm he couldn't see.