Recluse → Peter Parker

prologue

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The million-dollar lab was full of Tony's numerous experiments and contraptions, just as it always was. Sixteen-year-old Andi was, as usual, curious about what went on inside her uncle's head, so she used every opportunity to figure it out. She was a very curious young girl, not to mention in love with the science Tony used to create such wondrous and complex things. She had a knack for tinkering with the mechanisms of things. Andi was obsessed with the science of machinery and the science of all things in general. It was one of the reasons she was where she was today, and one of the reasons she would remain one of Tony's favorite young people.

Several moments later, the sound of footsteps began echoing ominously through the halls, and a low hiss escaped Andi's mouth. She turned her head to the lab door and visibly relaxed upon the realization that the suspected intruder was only Tony.

"Would it hurt you to announce your arrival every once and a while?" Andi questioned the billionaire. "My senses may be phenomenal, but I can't exactly tell who's walking the halls."

"It would, actually," Tony answered the blonde.

Andi rolled her eyes and turned to look at him. "What are you doing here, Tony?"

Tony raised a brow. "What am I doing here? What are you doing here? I happen to own this place."

"Yeah, but whose aunt runs the place when you're off fraternizing with the rest of the Avengers?"

"Listen, smarty pants," Tony started, receiving a laugh from the young girl. "I need you to do something for me."

Andi picked up what looked to be a bionic arm and began studying it. "What might that be?"

"I need you to watch over someone for me," Tony answered and removed the arm from her grasp.

"Do I look like a babysitter to you?" Andi snorted back her laughter and leaned back against the cold metal of the table, her brown eyes focused on the man standing in front of her. "Why can't you just get Happy to do it?"

Tony shrugged. "He is doing it, kind of, but I need someone who'll blend in with this person. I need someone on the inside that can keep watch over him without drawing any attention to themselves, and I just figured you'd be the best option."

"And why is that?"

"Maybe because you're of high school age and Happy is not," Tony told her. "Also, all the kid does is annoy Happy, so I can't really get much feedback from him."

"Leaving Happy to watch over a teenager wasn't really your smartest idea to begin with," Andi said to Tony with a roll of her eyes. She knew all too well just how much Happy hated playing babysitter. He'd been assigned to look over her once before, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that he hated it. "You remember what happened last time you did that, don't you?"

Tony let out a breath and ran a hand over his bearded face. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that."

"I'll do it," Andi said.

Tony's brown eyes lit up, "Really?"

"On one condition."

"I knew it was coming," Tony replied with a roll of his eyes. "What do you want, blondie?"

A snide smile appeared on Andi's face. "What I've wanted since I was eleven," she reminded him.

Tony knew immediately what she was referring to, but he couldn't bring himself to an agreement. All he could see inside of his head was Pepper chastising him for the action. "You know I can't do that, your aunt will kill me, and I mean literally."

"The last time you talked to her about it I was thirteen," Andi responded. "I was thirteen and didn't have the abilities I do now."

"You still tend to get yourself into trouble from time to time, little arachnid."

Andi laughed and stepped forward, her brown eyes meeting Tony's own. "I want my Audi, Tony Stark."

"You don't even have your learner's yet, Andromeda Andrews," Tony smirked and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I can get my learner's and my license whenever I want to, but can you find someone else willing enough to look over your teenage pet?" Andi mimicked the smirk on Tony's face, which only dropped after realization of her words set in. She was right.

"Fine." Tony sighed, "I'll get you your Audi, but only if and when you complete your mission."

Andi smiled widely and held out her hand for him to shake. "It's a done deal."

Tony only smiled and shook his head before shaking the young girl's hand.

"Now," Andi started as she withdrew her hand from his grip. "Tell me more about this mysterious teenage boy I'll be taking care of."

Tony could only let out a breath. "Don't even get me started."

Andi laughed, not at all prepared for what she was about to get herself into.