Peter Parker: Intern

Chapter 9

Peter knew things had gone too easily for him... WAY too easily. But the first real indication that things were going downhill was when someone dressed in a remarkably realistic looking Batman outfit sat down nearly in his lap and threw an arm over his shoulder without saying a word.

Peter looks left at the 'hero' beside him, the figure obviously struggling with staying still and stoic.

Peter glances to his right meeting MJ's eyes in confusion... The guy isn't giving him a 'tingle' but this is closer than he usually likes to let strangers get outside his actual suit, and he begs Michelle for help.

The Traitor leans out around Pete and looks at the Bat, grins and shrugs, abandoning him to the cold cruel world of dealing with social interaction on his own.

With a sigh, he turns back to ask the guy to back off but pauses, that is... a really well-made costume, "Like REALLY well-made" he thinks.

But the face under the cowl is wrong somehow.

Frowning, it takes him longer than he will ever admit to figure out that the man beside him is wearing one of those fake celebrity masks underneath and though the cowl undoubtedly fits well enough over his own face... the mask does not... Folding itself in weird ways at the chin and near his nose, ruining the otherwise perfect outfit.

Shooting a confused glance at May, Miles, and M.J. (who seems to be in a little pain as she tries to hold back her laughter, now), he clears his throat swallowing his words when the newcomer leans (without looking) into his personal space...

Very...

Very...

Slowly.

The arm over Peter's shoulder stays put even as the creep encroaches further and whispers out of the side of his mouth...

"Hey Baby Boy. How's the party so far?"

Blowing out a relieved and exasperated sigh, Peter relaxes and lightly shoves Wade's arm from his shoulder.

"Pool!" he hisses. "How did you get in here?"

"Haven't you ever heard the saying 'speak of the Devil and he shall appear'?" Deadpool grins, dropping his imitation of the fictional hero in his excited banter.

"Pool... Wade. I haven't said anything about you?" Peter's confusion isn't alleviated at all when Wade winking into the middle distance, ignoring his surroundings as he does from time to time grabs him around the neck for noogies and adds, "Oh you precious lil' Nugget! I wasn't talking about you!"

Batpool shifts his grip when Peter almost manages to free himself, so that he's now squeezing the other man's cheeks obnoxiously.

Peter flails at the anti-hero, trying to make him let go, but only succeeding in instigating a slap-fight there on the couch as his family tries not to laugh too loudly and interrupt.

Tony chuckles to himself at the sight of a dime-store Spider-Man in a slap fight with Batman, but before he can make his way over to get in on the fun, a loud crack of thunder and a painful flash of lightning heralds the arrival of none other than Thor.

Tony squeezes his eyes shut, trying to clear the spots from his eyes and turns to greet the God of Thunder with a grumpy complaint, missing the frown that crosses Peter's face when Thor walks in.

"STARK!" Thor booms as he flings his hammer to the floor, striding purposefully through the slowly filling room, and beats his greeting into Tony's back.

Releasing the billionaire, Thor scans over the room with a moronic smile pleased grin plastered on his face. "Good to see you, Stark! How fares the team? Lady Natasha? The Captain? I trust all shall be in attendance for my homecoming?"

Tony sighs and rolls his eyes at the over-the-top alien... God... thing... and shakes his head, quickly entering into an argument with Thor over the reason behind the party.

Tony walks up to Miles and smiles towards Peter who's standing nearby with a drink in hand. He leans closer to the younger spider who Peter can tell is feeling anxious at Tony's proximity, and whispers, in a sing-songy way, "I know your see-cret!"

Peter raises his eyebrow, looking from Miles to Tony and back, wondering when they'd ever come into contact for Tony to know anything about the kid.

"Don't worry, I won't spill the beans to the others, but you have to tell me the truth..." Tony pauses, for the drama obviously, before continuing. "How did you get your powers?"

Peter spits his drink back into the glass and laughs, not making eye contact with either of the others as he composes himself. "C'mon Mr. Stark, leave S-Miles alone." Whispering like he's trying to not let Miles hear he leans towards the older man. "You can't cheat on the bet!"

Through the night, Loki-as-Thor's speech becomes more and more outlandish and even as a frog, Thor wishes he had hands so he could hide his face in shame.

Unnoticed by all, Frog-Thor had freed himself from his plastic prison and makes his way across the room, clinging onto passing partygoers until he finally reaches a familiar figure. Such a long journey is tiring for the small god, and he clings to Peter once again, trying to figure out a way to make himself known.

Which is when he gets the idea to summon the real Mjolnir! That would prove himself worthy to all in attendance and oust the imposter in one fell swoop!

Thor raises a paw. Foot?

Thor dismisses the fleeting thought and concentrates on the power within him, feeling the tug within him as the mighty hammer responds to his summons.

...

Almost too late, he recognizes the fatal flaw in his plan.

As a tiny frog, Mjolnir will obviously outweigh him and potentially crush him if he tries to catch the weapon. Leaping away at the last instant, he croaks loudly, attempting to warn the Spider to duck and like all others in attendance... is struck dumb when the hero almost unthinkingly reaches out and catches the sparking weight with one hand before it manages to strike anyone around him.

When Peter realizes what he's done, his jaw drops and he glances around, the futile hope that no-one saw him dying almost before it could bloom.

"Uh..." He adds, eloquently. Setting the hammer down gently and stepping away from it, he racks his brain for how to explain things but in an instant everything changes as his Spider-sense flairs up suddenly.

"Everyone down! NOW!" He yells, diving out of the way as a he hears an all too familiar 'thwip' sound and something zips past his chest, sticking itself to the wall behind where he had been standing.