The prize to pay for the lost souls

1

Peter dropped his keys in the bowl, and his satchel on the floor beside it, letting out a sigh before he locked his door and trudged into the kitchen.

"Hey, Karen. Any news for me today?" He started the coffee maker and stared blankly into the fridge, secretly wishing he had dr. Strange's powers and could fill the kitchen with all his favourite foods without having to leave the apartment.

"Mr. Stark wants to tell you that Morgan has requested your presence this weekend for a family dinner. Captain America wanted to thank you for your help on the mission last night and Dr. Banner wants your insight on a new project. The files were sent at noon. How was your day, Peter?" Karen's calm voice filled the small apartment, and Peter could swear he would marry her if she was an actual human being. The AI always made him smile, even after a long day at work, with his head aching from inhaling chemicals all day. She somehow knew how to make him relax, even with the simplest gestures.

"It was fine, thanks Karen. Could you show me dr. Banner's files, and let Cap know it was no big deal? Do I have any plans this weekend by the way?" He scratched his head, grabbed his coffee and turned around, almost dropping it as a hologram appeared in front of him.

Honestly, he loved Mr. Stark, and technology, but something was telling him that he would never get used to this. He steadied himself and let out a huff, silently cursing his brilliant AI, absolutely one hundred percent sure she did this on purpose, just to make him squeal like a girl.

"You have dinner plans with Mr. Stark. He cleared your schedule for you." Peter's hand clenched and unclenched a couple of times to calm himself as he stared at Banner's notes, breathing through his nose.

"Well, don't let him do that again, Karen. I am actually able to maneuver my own life, thank you very much. Did I have any plans before he invaded my privacy?" He zoomed in on the holo screen in front of him, humming in deep thought, making his own notes to Banner's newest project on a vaccine against an illness the space dogs from Thanos' war dragged with them.

"I'm sorry, Peter, he hacked my systems, but you did not have any plans at the time." And Peter could swear he heard the apologetic tone in her voice, and it baffled him every time.

"I'll make a new firewall for you, Karen. It's not your fault. I'm sorry." He waved off the  holo screen and put his cup in the sink. His stomach scolded him for lack of food and he asked his AI to order pizza while he rummaged his dresser for a set of clean pajamas and shuffling into the bathroom for a hot shower.

He dragged his hands through his hair, enjoying the warmth engulfing him as he stood there, feeling every drop pierce his skin, leaving it red and hot and massaging his sore muscles after a night of fighting stray doom bots on the loose in Manhattan, and a full day hunched over a desk. He had just soaped in his very grateful body when Karen informed him through the hidden speakers that Mr. Stark was calling. He declined, not really in the mood for his over protective father figure while standing butt naked in the shower after a long day. Of course it didn't matter, Tony's voice roamed his damp filled bathroom anyways. Because of course it does.

"What makes you think you can avoid me, kid. I know you're home. what's up?"

"I'm having really hot shower sex, Tony. Is the word privacy included in that enormous vocabulary of yours?" He pinched the bridge of his nose. I'm so not in the mood for this. "What do you want?"

"I'm gonna ignore that sex part. Just wanted to make sure you got my message about this weekend. Morgan misses you."

"About that... I'd appreciate it if you didn't just invade my life like that. I'm not a kid anymore. I do, in fact, have a life of my own. But I'll be there. Just... Stop treating me like a sims character. It doesn't work like that."