Field Trip to the Avenger's Compound

16 Weapons?

Peter's POV

"Alright, Midtown! Let's go ahead and make our way through the security gates to make sure you don't have anything you're not supposed to bring in," Katherine's voice echoed through the crowded hallway. She had a bright smile on her face, but I knew she had to have been rehearsing that speech for days. The girl had an endless amount of energy, and nothing made her prouder than giving tours of the tower.

I stuck near the back of the group with (Y/n), hoping to stay out of the spotlight. Not that we were ever really able to do that for long when we were in the Avengers Tower, but hey, it was worth a shot. We'd been here countless times before, but for everyone else in the class, this was a huge deal. We were about to step inside one of the most secure, high-tech buildings in the world—and it was about to blow their minds.

As we walked toward the security gates, Cindy, one of the students from our class, asked, "What do the stripes on the badges mean?"

I couldn't help but smile at how eager she was to learn. Katherine's eyes lit up, and she gave one of her signature grins. "Oh, that's a great question! There are ten levels of clearance for the building. Level 1 is the lowest, and level 10 is the highest. The badges are color-coded for each level." She paused dramatically as she adjusted the strap on her shoulder and continued. "Green stripes are level 1. Those are for tours, like what you guys are on today. Yellow stripes are level 2, for reporters, press, and photographers. Blue stripes are level 3, for low-level interns and janitors. Purple stripes are level 4, for mid-level interns and janitors. Red stripes are level 5, for beginner scientists and janitors. Orange stripes are level 6, for low-level scientists and low-level doctors. Pink stripes are level 7, for high-level interns and tour guides like me," she said with a wink, probably because she was so proud of being the tour guide.

"Lime stripes are level 8," she continued, her tone almost becoming more serious. "Those are for scientists, doctors, and security guards. White stripes are for Avengers who don't live here but still visit regularly. Think Doctor Strange, Ant-Man, the King of Wakanda, and his sister, the Princess of Wakanda," she finished, pointing to the ceiling as if the entire class could see them hanging out up there.

"And finally, gold stripes. Those are for Avengers who live here full-time—like Pepper Potts, and two other very secretive individuals who I'm not at liberty to talk about," she added with an extra wink, leaving everyone hanging for a second.

The class oohed and aahed, clearly impressed, but I could feel (Y/n) rolling her eyes beside me. She'd heard that speech so many times, it was practically burned into her brain.

As the class filed into the line for the security scanners, I immediately spotted Flash, elbowing his way to the front. Of course. It was like he didn't even know how to be subtle. I could hear him muttering about how he couldn't be at the back of the line, how it wasn't "his style," and how the front was the only place for someone as important as him.

I shook my head and followed along with (Y/n) to the scanners. I watched as each person in line went through, hearing the AI system, FRIDAY, announce their clearance levels. Each time, I couldn't help but glance over at (Y/n), because we both knew exactly how this was going to go when it was our turn.

Then, I heard the familiar voice of FRIDAY over the intercom.

"Eugene Thompson. Level 1 clearance. No weapons detected."

The class jumped back in fear at the sudden announcement, looking around wildly to see where the voice had come from. It took them a second to realize it was the AI system, FRIDAY, speaking through the speakers. Katherine just chuckled and patted one of the students on the back. "It's just FRIDAY. She's the building's AI system. Don't worry, she won't bite."

Everyone calmed down a little, but the nervous energy was still palpable. Flash, of course, had to make it worse by loudly claiming he wasn't scared, even though his face had gone pale.

As the line kept moving, Katherine suddenly looked over at (Y/n) and me, her eyes narrowing with a mischievous glint. She strolled over with purpose, her smile teasing. "Hey, you two. I think we might need to make a special detour for you guys to the highest-level intern's lab," she said, her voice light but with a certain knowing tone.

"No!" (Y/n) and I replied at the same time, both of us quickly shaking our heads.

Katherine just winked, clearly amused by our reaction. "Alright, I won't drag you into the inner sanctum just yet. But trust me, you'd like it." She then moved on, ushering the others through the scanners.

At that moment, I felt a strange sense of pride bubbling up in me. We'd been through so much in this building—the battles, the near-death experiences, the chaotic Avengers team-ups—and yet the class was acting like we'd somehow just walked into some top-secret, government facility. For us, this was home, and we still hadn't seen half of the cool stuff the tower had to offer.

Finally, (Y/n) and I were the last ones left in line. I gestured to her to go ahead of me, but she waved me off. "You go first," she said with a smile.

I rolled my eyes but stepped forward, ready for the inevitable.

"Peter Parker. Level 10 clearance. Four authorized weapons detected. Hello, Peter. Would you like me to inform Tony Stank of your presence?" FRIDAY's voice rang out loud and clear through the intercom, and I heard the shocked gasps from everyone behind me.

I could barely hold back my grin. "Hey, FRI, no need. Tony's probably already heard I'm here."

The entire class went absolutely silent, and I caught the wide-eyed expressions of most of them. Even Mr. Harrington looked stunned for a moment, as if the realization of who was standing in front of them was just sinking in.

Katherine was barely holding it together as she nodded toward (Y/n). "Alright, (Y/n), you're up."

I stepped aside and gave her room to pass through. She didn't even hesitate as she moved forward. I could practically feel the tension building in the air, especially as we all waited for FRIDAY to announce her clearance level.

"(Y/n) Rogers. Level 10 clearance. Sixteen authorized weapons detected. Hello, (Y/n). Would you like me to inform Star Spangled Man with a Plan or Metal Man of your presence?" FRIDAY announced, her voice as calm and polite as ever.

The room went dead silent. Sixteen weapons? Seriously? How did she even—?

I stared at (Y/n) as she nonchalantly stepped through the scanner, unfazed by the number FRIDAY had just announced.

"Hey, FRI, they probably already know I'm here too. Thanks, though," (Y/n) replied casually, like it was no big deal.

I couldn't help but chuckle nervously. Sixteen? That was... a lot.

Mr. Harrington immediately turned red in the face and stalked over, clearly upset. "(Y/n) and Peter, this is unacceptable! You can't bring weapons into a place like this. You have to remove them!"

Katherine, ever the cool-headed one, stepped forward and calmly addressed him. "Actually, Mr. Harrington, their weapons are authorized. So, you can't make them remove them."

I gave her a grateful nod, and she returned a knowing smile, as if she was used to this by now. She led us through the scanners, and Flash, of course, had to make his usual snide comment from behind.

"Are you two losers trying to kill us or something?" Flash sneered, clearly trying to stir the pot.

(Y/n) and I both ignored him, knowing he was just trying to get a rise out of us. We kept walking, and I leaned closer to (Y/n), whispering, "Sixteen? Really?"

She shot me a playful grin. "You never know when you might need them. Besides, Loki taught me how to hide weapons well."

I laughed, the tension lifting between us. After everything we'd been through in this building, it was nice to have a moment of humor to keep things light. As we caught up with the rest of the class, I realized that no matter how crazy our lives got, this—this weird, chaotic, security-conscious world of the Avengers Compound—was somehow our normal.