One Change, One Chance

*2*

Mz. King watched him leave with a small smile on her face, she sure loved Peter Parker, and who couldn't?

Anna-Marie Taylor was walking through New York, trying to get through the crowded streets of New York. She was on the way to her boyfriend's apartment, but she seemed to be failing.

She had however, succeeded in not making eye-contact with anyone so far, because in this crazy place she called home, who knew what she could see if she brought her eyes up from the sidewalk.

That was until she felt a small weight land on her, right in a spot that would make any (decent) woman uncomfortable if some random person (whichever gender they may be) landed face-first there.

Right in the - erm - chest. and she had a pretty large chest to run into.

She looked down, startled. Only to see the small brunette already pushing himself up, apologizing profusely. Before she could get in a 'it's fine' the boy was already rushing past her towards the newly-fixed Avenger's tower.

Anna-Marie rolled her eyes at the ground, and checked that her freshly braided box braids were still in place, and wondered why did she choose to go to NYU in New York instead of the small community college where she grew up and where someone was allowed to breath.

Oh yeah, why would any collage student go half-way across the country.

To get away from her parents.

She sighed, hopefully alekai wouldn't be upset she was a few minutes late.

~

Peter rushed past the young adult he had just crashed into. He really should start watching where he was going. especially when who he runs into is a muscular woman, who takes no shit from anybody. he took a moment and a apologized many times, but the dark skinned woman didn't seem too offended.

Oh well.

He walked into the tower that towered over New York. Making sure to straighten up his clothes, hair, and glasses so he didn't look like any other scruffy teenager that could have been plucked from the streets from New York, he walked up to the dark-haired secretary that was at the from desk. She appeared to be trying to take two phone calls at once.

"Can I put you on hold, please. Thank you." She said into one as she set it down. "Yes, sir. I'll be looking out for any of those, yes, I promise, oh, no of course not. Why would I... why would you... oh ok thank you sir. Ha, yes, sir you are very funny." She gave a half-hearted and harried laugh into the other and hung up.

"How can I help you today?" Peter startled at the woman's sharp tone, he had tuned out the woman's one-sided conversation for her privacy and hadn't heard her hang up. Peter figured that he hadn't done a very good job on trying not be scruffy-looking, because he could see that her hand was about to press the button to call security, while she was fixing him a glare.

"Oh, I'm here for an interview with Mr. Stark. I'm Peter Parker." He explained nervously. The woman's, whose, unless the name-tag attached to her blazer was lying, name is Laynie, stern glare softened.

"Oh, Mr. Stark told me about you, he told me to send you to his personal lab." She said with a small smile. She was eyeing his bruises, scuffed nose, and split lip, he just knew it. "The elevator is right over there. Oh, and here is a guest pass so you can get up there, Mr. Stark made it so you can.." She handed him what looked like an I.D. badge, and pointed to the metal doors that were obviously an elevator. "Are you okay?" She acknowledged the injuries on his face she had been eyeing.

"I'm as well as I can be. Maybe better. Thank you, ma'am." He gave her a quick, but nonetheless grateful, smile and headed over.

It was 3:52.

In the elevator, it didn't seem to have any buttons.

That was what Peter thought, at least. Maybe there was a voice-thing that you have to tell where you want to go.

"Hello?" He called out timidly.

"Hello, I am J.A.R.V.I.S., Master Stark's A.I.. What floor do you wish to go to?" Peter was startled by the British voice that was just doused in knowledge seemingly coming out of the ceiling, but, he already knew about  J.A.R.V.I.S., he had read about it in a Teen Scholastic that his Science Teacher thought he would enjoy. But that doesn't mean he was expecting it.

"Um, I, uh, was hoping to go to Mr. Stark's lab? Miss. Laynie gave me this badge and I, uh. Yeah." He trailed off lamely. At this point he was holding up the plastic card to the ceiling. He felt so stupid. He was talking to the ceiling.

"Would you like to go to Master Stark's testing lab, or his tinkering lab?"

"Um, there's more than one? Well uh, which do you think he would want me to go to?"

"Mr. Stark would most likely want you in his testing lab. He is in there most often during the day."

"Okay, then I guess take me there?"

"Alright, Mr. Parker."

Peter didn't ask how the A. I. knew his name.

Standing awkwardly in the elevator waiting to get to his level, he was about a third of the way up when Peter suddenly heard a thump somewhere above the elevator.

Watching the vent that was on the ceiling, Peter was slightly terrified. The sound sounded like it came from there.

He calmed down when nothing happened, and he had almost forgotten about it, but when he was about a half of the way up, the vent swung open and out jumped...

Is it someone trying to play a harmless prank, or something far more sinister? Stay tuned to find out. The Next Chapter is coming out soon.

I think I'll try to update this story at least twice a week. Hopefully three times.

*edited*

Anna-Marie is another O. C. of mine. What do you think, will she reappear or is she just in there for the sake of being there? Comment you thoughts?