No More Spiderman

Chapter 3

1 Month Later

"I'm so excited!" Ned grins as Peter and him walk home, "I got a letter from the Stark Internship Competition today!"

"Yeah, uh, me to!" Peter says, checking the mail box for his apartment.

"Open them at the same time?"

"Yeah, once we get up to the apartment though."

The two boys rush to the elevator, going to Peter and Aunt May's apartment, before ripping their envelopes open.

Peter's face lights up, but Ned's face falls.

"I-! What's wrong?" Peter's smile fades at the look on Ned's face.

"Dear Ned Leeds, We regret to inform you that your application for the Stark Internship Competition has been rejected. You will not be among the 10 interns that will compete this summer. Regards, John Beckett & Amanda Beson." Ned reads, "Well, what's yours say?"

"Uh, Dear Peter Parker, We are happy to inform you that your application for the Stark Internship Competition has been accepted. You will be one of the 10 interns that will be competing this summer. Competitions start June 1st at 12pm. Please report to the lobby of Stark Tower at that time. Regards, John Beckett & Amanda Beson."

"Not much variety." Ned mutters, "But anyway, at least you got in! Flash better not have."

"There's no way Flash'll get in if you didn't." Peter assures him.

"Unless he bribes his way in." Ned jokes, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Like he could even bribe Tony Stark." Peter laughs.

5 Months Later

Peter arrived at Stark Tower bright and 15 minutes early. There were already 6 of the other competitors lounging and talking in a small circle.

"There's a new kid!" Calls a boy with a chaotic afro of hair.

"Hi, I'm Peter."

The different kids chime in with their names, Lami, Kenja, Naira, Kentay, Lucas, and Oliver.

By 12pm, the final 3 kids had arrived, two girls, named Clare and Amani, and a boy named Pio.

"Hello competitors!" A woman's voice announces right as the clocks hit 12pm. "Welcome to your first challenge!"

The kids look around, confused as the doors slam shut, and the room seals shut completely.

"This isn't good." Lami says, sounding worried.

"It'll be okay." Peter assures her as the group clusters a bit in the middle.

Then the room goes dark.

"Oh my god!" Peter feels one of the girls grab onto his arm, and Lami exclaim,"Who is this?"

"It's me, Peter." He tells her, taking her hand.
    "Oh, okay." He hears her sigh of relief

"Everyone join hands." Lucas calls.

Peter feels someone else stumble into him and fall, and he catches them, "Who just fell on me?"

"Sorry...." Clare's voice rings out.

"It's okay." Peter responds, taking her hand too.

There's some shuffling in the dark as everyone locates each other and joins hands.

"What's the challenge?" Oliver shouts.

"Good of you to ask." A male voice announces, "The challenge is to find a way out of here."

Suddenly, the floor starts to move. The group rises into a new room, where the lights slowly turn on.

The group looks around at the room, a small room with a door with 5 locks.

"Oh... yes!" Lami exclaims, "I love escape rooms!"

"Okay, who's good at these?" Lucas asks.

Lami, Kenja, Clare, Kentay, Pio, and Oliver raise their hands.

"I'm not actually that good," Oliver clarifies, "I just used to do them a lot because my ex-girlfriend used to want me to do them with her, so I know a few basic tricks."

"Okay, everyone pair off with someone that's good and someone that isn't, Oliver we're counting you as not good so that it can be half and half." Lucas announces.

Amani pairs with Kenja, Kentay with Oliver, Pio with Naira, and Clare with Lucas.

"I guess we're partners?" Lami turns to Peter, smiling.

"Yeah, where do you want to start?" The two look around and pick a clue to start with.

Oliver and Kentay get their key first, then Clare and Lucas, then Peter and Lami, then Pio and Naira, and finally Amani and Kenja.

Each team goes up in order of finish and tries their key in the color matched lock.

Once all the locks are opened, the door swings open to reveal a long wing with 10 doors, 5 on each side.

"These are your rooms for the summer. As many of the challenges will take long hours of work, and extreme amounts of teamwork, we're putting you together in order for all of you to bond." The female voice announces, this time attached to a woman with hair in a tight bun standing at the end of the hall.

"The girls rooms are to your right, and the boys to the left." The man's voice announces, now belonging to a tall man with red hair.

"Each door has your name painted on it. You'll have the rest of the day to move in, the notes you have provided for your rooms have been used to create these." The woman, presumably Ms. Beson, continues.

"Your luggage is in the elevator behind us." The man, probably Mr. Beckett, finishes, and the elevator opens. They pull out the 10 suitcases, and exit.

"I guess let's just go get done and then explore. The letter I got last week said we had this whole floor." Lami says as the group walks to their suitcases. She grabs hers, which is dark blue with rainbow flowers.

"Agreed." Clare says, taking her dark grey suitcase and scanning the doors for her name.

Everyone disappears into their respective rooms, leaving Peter to grab his bright red suitcase, the one Ned got him for Christmas, and goes to his room, which is next to Oliver's, and across from Lami's.

Peter takes his suitcase to his room to decorate it.

Maybe after I'll convince some of the others to come explore our area, he decides.