The Devil With The Face of an Angel | Irondad, pepperony

Chapter 20

We will not deal with it at all. 

Peter rolled uneasily on the other side and looked at the clock. Three in the morning. He couldn't fall asleep, a brief conversation with his parents kept on in his mind. Pepper immediately rejected his suggestion, but Tony seemed to be beginning to think about it. Maybe if he managed to persuade him somehow...

He understood that Pepper was worried about him; actually, he didn't blame her too much, considering how many times his father had almost lost his life. But should he just sit at home and make no use of his new skills?

He rubbed his temples. His mind was full of thoughts, and he constantly imagined helping people in trouble and helping Avengers save the world. He put his hands behind his head dreamily and remembered the conversation he had with other Avengers at one of the parties. They were wandering about whether he would have any superpowers. He would never have thought it would happen.

He rose from his bed and began pacing around the room. He could make a suit. Or try to work on it, make some designs... and if he got his father on his side, he would certainly help him make a suit. And if not... he might discuss it with Friday, right?

He decided to implement his plan immediately. He wouldn't fall asleep anyway. He crept around his parents' bedroom as quietly as possible and headed for the lab. He tapped the code and Friday let him in.

"Good morning, Peter. How come you're awake so early?" a robotic voice greeted him and turned on the screens.

"I have an idea and it won't let me sleep," he confessed.

"I am listening."

"Friday, would you be so nice to inform me if my parents woke up and started walking around the house? It wouldn't be good if they found me here," he mumbled, and artificial intelligence assured him that he would keep him informed. "Thanks. You know, I'd like to make a suit."

"You want to be the new Iron Man, Peter?"

  "Don't be silly, Iron Man is just one and only, and no one will ever replace him," Peter said, his eyes twinkling. "You know about everything going on here, Friday, so you know I have some... abilities."

  "Yes, I happen to know." 

  "There you go. I want to create my own suit and make full use of those skills." 

  "I understand. Do you have any specific idea?" 

  "No, actually, it was a totally spontaneous decision, and I wanted to make designs here," he confessed. "Could you create some inconspicuous folder where mom and dad couldn't get? Hide it somewhere, please. I will gather all the information and suggestions there," he asked her.

  "Generating." 

  "Now please make a copy of Dad's latest suit," he muttered cautiously. The Iron Man suit was brilliant, and Peter needed something that would be based on it.

  "I'm making a copy," she announced, and a lighted hologram suddenly appeared in front of Peter, showing Iron Man's suit. 

  "I'd like something more comfortable than being locked in a piece of metal," he said, thoughtfully expanding and shrinking the various parts of the suit. 

  "Have you came up with your superhero name already?" Friday asked. 

  "No," he laughed, starting to sketch his own body. "I have something like a sixth sense. I can climb the walls-"

  "So you have spider skills? Are you Spider-boy?"

  Peter frowned. He didn't like this at all. "Friday, those skills will probably remain for the rest of my life. When I will jumping at thirty on the roofs, I will definitely not be a boy anymore. I could be... Spider-Man. Maybe." 

•••

Since his parents hadn't wanted to send him to school yet, he had plenty of time to work on his suit. The initial designs were not so bad, but Peter tried to improve them. He was so charged with energy that he almost didn't go to sleep.

"Hey, kid, what are you doing?" Tony suddenly opened the door to Peter's room. Peter was sitting at his desk working on another design, so he quickly covered the paper with a chemistry textbook, trying to look like he was just chilling.

"Nothing, just... I'm just drawing. And also learning. Chemistry," he answered, trying to make it sound convincing. Tony walked to his desk and nodded.

"Oh okay. Do you want to practice something with me? What are you learning?" he wondered and grabbed his textbook, which he started browsing through. Peter quickly turned the drawn list of papers. "What is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"That on that paper."

"Um... it's just an Iron Man suit. I want to put you... in a comic book. Yeah. I work on a comic book and I will give it to Mom for her birthday. You get a nice beat up from Steve and mom herself gets you on your shoulder blades," he laughed when Tony hit him on the head with a textbook.

"Are you suggesting that I am no longer suitable for Iron Man?" he asked, amused.

"Not at all, Dad. No one else could be Iron Man."

"All right. Will you show me the comic?"

"Actually..." It was too late. Tony grabbed the paper and examined it. He raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"That doesn't look much like Iron Man suit."

"That's your... new suit."

"And why do I have a spider on my chest and not a reactor?"

Peter sighed resignedly and got up from his chair. He started walking back and forth and ran his hand into his hair. "Okay, I'll tell you. You would have figured it out anyway. But don't tell Mom, please! I started... I started working on my suit. Spider-Man's suit," he said. Tony looked at him.

"Peter-"

"I know, I know! But I want to help too, Dad! Then what are those skills for? And I'll take care of myself, I will not risk anything! I just need-"

"If you don't want anyone to know what you're doing, you should learn to smooth your tracks. Yes, I found your designs and I must admit they are not bad at all." He looked back at the door. "Don't tell Mom. We will set the rules for using the suit. Now come on, I have some ideas you might like."

•••
Will Pepper find out?