CEO??

Chapter 27

Shuri had left a week ago and things had died down. It was finally time for the heads to meet the team. I led them into the lab, where everyone was working in their own ways.

"Guys, this is my team," I said, gesturing around as they stared with wide eyes.

Eleanor was on top of her cabinet, which we had built a workspace into the wall for, and was working on an idea that she was going to shoot down to Lab Three. She gave a small wave but otherwise ignored us.

Connor grinned at us and hopped off his table. "Boss Man! Are these the heads you were talking about?" I nodded and he grinned at them. "Welcome to the awesomeness that is our workspace!"

I chuckled. "Connor, you have that engine to finish."

"Can I build a motorcycle for it?" he asked with a grin.

I sighed. "Sure. After you finish the engine. We need to get that out for production." He was almost done with the engine, and I hoped that the motivation would help him finish sooner. We were planning on producing the engine, though not for public use, as we didn't want it to get in the wrong hands. Mainly to help law enforcement and hospitals keep costs down so they could function more efficiently.

He shrugged and happily walked back to his space.

Tim grinned triumphantly and shouted, "I did it! Guys, I finally did it!" Everyone cheered for him and even Ellie let herself unfocus long enough to congratulate him.

"What did you do?" Charles asked.

Tim blushed when he realized he had everyone's attention. "I've been working on a formula that will help Dr. Banner stabilize his relationship with Hulk. They will be able to communicate mentally and he will be able to get angry without turning green. Though, if his emotions are too intense, it won't stop his transformation. I finally got the first trial ready for testing."

They all seemed interested, but before they could ask questions, a loud noise came from my lab.

I frowned and opened the door. "Sam, stop hiding and come meet Landon."

He stared at me with wide eyes. "Do you mean Mr. Long? Head of Recovery?"

I tilted my head. "Sam, were you not paying attention when we discussed this?"

He shook his head and followed me into the main lab. "Mr. Long, it is such a pleasure to meet you!" he gushed as soon as he saw him. "I loved your design for the..." he went on rambling and leading Landon to see his current project.

I chuckled. "Anyway, the one working on the engine is Connor Blake. He's the one who keeps the mood happy, always cracking jokes. The one on the cabinet is Eleanor Bishop. She made some stuff for Spider-Man and is now working on finishing something for Connor. Timothy McGee is the one who made the serum for Bruce. Samuel Jackson is the person who is currently fanboying over Landon.

"They each have a specialty that they contribute. Tim is our resident coder and chemist. Sam knows anything and everything about pollution and its effects. Ellie is our main designer. She works on blueprints that she passes off to one of the others and exterior designs for most projects. Her solo work, however, is focused on the Avengers' suits. Sarah is our medical expert. She knows everything there is to know about human anatomy and medical practices and can invent a gadget in a day. She combines those skills often to make accessible medical equipment and such. Connor is a whiz at almost anything. He'll be working on an engine one week and building a supercomputer the next. His passion is the Avengers' equipment though."

My explanation was long, but I was glad to see their attention was still focused on what I was saying. "Interesting," Charles said. "How is the dynamic in the group? With such different interests, I would think they wouldn't be compatible."

I laughed. "You're thinking like a mechanic, Charles. They get along great and work together so well you would think they shared a mind. They're friends outside of work, which I have found always improves how a team works together. Sure, they argue, everyone does, but it doesn't carry into the workspace."

The heads began to split up and chat with the team, who had put aside their work to talk to them. I sighed happily as I saw them exchange phone numbers.

"Mr. Parker," Ren said quietly. "Dr. Stark is looking for you."

I frowned. "Let him up, Kid."

He nodded and tapped his tablet, releasing the elevator. I smirked. That was my favorite part of the custom StarkPad: it could control everything in the tower.

Sam was recording, as he did with any drama.

Tony walked out a few minutes later, looking slightly frustrated. "Hey, Pete. What was up with the elevator?"

I smiled sweetly. "You didn't have access to this floor. Darren had to release the elevator."

He frowned. "Since when is my access limited?"

My smile disappeared. "Since you made me CEO. It is my right to control access to the tower, and this is a private lab."

He shrugged, showing he wasn't upset about it. "Okay. I was wondering if you wanted to do something but it seems like you're busy."

I sighed. "Sorry, Tony. You and Pep are great and all, but there was a lot wrong when I took over. It'll take time to fix."

He nodded sadly. "I understand. Let me know if I can do anything to help."

I nodded back. "Will do."

He left again, giving everyone a small wave.

"That wasn't Amber-worthy," Sam grumbled. "I was expecting something bigger. You've been annoyed at him since he made you CEO."

I just smiled. "He's still family, Sam."

"Hey, darlin'," Harley whispered in my ear, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind, as he does often. "What was my dad doing up here?"

"He wanted to spend some time together, but noticed I was too busy. Then he said he would help however he can."

Harley kissed my neck lightly and I stepped away. "Not the place, Love," I said. "Save the PDA for after work."

He pouted. "Can I steal Ren?"

Ren looked at him in confusion. "Why?" he asked.

"Umm..."

I rolled my eyes. "No, Harls. You cannot just steal Ren. He isn't a toy."

Harley pouted. "Loki gets to!"

"Loki is teaching him to defend himself." I crossed my arms and stared at him sternly.

Ren watched us with a small smile.

"I can teach him something too!" Harley said defiantly.

"And what would that be?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I can teach him how to shoot a potato gun."

Ren laughed quietly as I glared at Harley. "He is learning to shoot an actual gun, Harls. That's a whole lot more effective than a potato gun."

"I'll teach him to drive?"

"He's twelve!"

Harley pouted again. "Peterrrrr! I want to prank Clint and I wanna teach Ren pranking."

My glare strengthened. "You will do no such thing! If you want to prank someone, prank Tony. Clint retaliates with a full out war."

He backed up slowly. "I'm just gonna go now before you kill me," he said before running out the door.

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Thoughts?