I apologise for the wait, but unfortunately I recently went back to school and I've been piled with a lot of stress. My brother's gone to university, my school's trying to give me a panic attack with GCSEs and lack of inspiration has hindered my punctuality- if I actually had a deadline to conform with. Again, I regret not keeping on top of this, but I can't change that now. Hopefully I can get this finished quickly, so I may concentrate on my studies.

Chapter 3: Absent Alias

"Can anyone explain and provide evidence for this quote on the board? Turn to page sixteen in the script to find it, you should have been writing notes inside too." The teacher explained while gesturing to the board- neat flowing writing was inscribed onto it. Peter sagged over his desk, releasing a puff of air; his mind wandered away from the English text, as his eyes glanced at the clock. Twenty more minutes of this boredom, then he'll be able to swing above the streets and foil criminal acts! But until then, he attempted to realign his attention to the work currently in front of him. Laboriously, Peter flicked through the pages of the script; while writing up a half decent paragraph, his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. Blinking, he hastily dug into his pocket and peered at the caller ID. Excusing himself from the lesson, Peter made his way to the rest room and hauled himself up in an empty stall. Swiping his finger across the screen, Peter answered the call: "Err, h-hey Happy, not that I don't like you, but you don't usually call during the day and I was kinda busy..." He audibly gulped as his mind generated numerous scenarios that required Spider-Man's assistance. Of course, he'd enjoy the possibility of being able to join Mr. Stark on a new Avengers mission, but he knew that his education was supposed to be his top priority.

"Well tough luck Kid, but Tony decided to make me inform you that you're needed at the Avengers Facility. He's set up a meet and greet thing and I'm supposed to pick you up after school." Happy stated, grumbling to himself and people that must have been around him.

"B-but Happy, you can't pick me up right in front of school. It'll make- It'll make people suspicious! And, what about Aunt May?" He stuttered out, but his argument was thwarted as he heard the constant thrum on the opposite end. Happy had hung up on him. Hanging his head in dejection to his future fate, Peter dragged himself back to class. Ned hovered over Peter as he tried to finish his work; "What was that about? Is it an Avengers mission!?" His giddy babbling consuming Peter's patience. Forcing himself to calm his nerves, Peter turned to his best friend- "Ned- Ned, it's nothing important. I'm just meeting people apparently." He stated, uncertain about the 'meeting'. He hadn't thought about the intentions behind this sudden assembly of superheroes, which peaked his nerves.

"Do you think you'd be able to meet Black Widow? Maybe the Hulk! Oh, what about Thor!? Neither of those last two have been seen recently. Just imagine what you could do with them!" Ned rambled, an awed expression gracing his features.
Peter groaned softly while frowning at his friend, "I doubt they'd just randomly show up only to meet me..."
"D'you think they will let you on bigger missions? Tell you some bad ass secret? Maybe involve you in some awesome hero team up!?"
"Again doubtable," Peter quipped absent-mindedly.

Shifting in his seat, Ned leaned closer attempting to observe Peter's work while seeking his attention. "What's the matter, Ned?" Peter asked, an irritated clipped tone smearing over his words; although, the words didn't hold an malice or hatred against his best friend, simply a tired snap. Ned understood, of course, by phrasing his words with no hint of hurt or guilt: " I was wondering, you see, when will I get to go to the Avengers Facility to- ya know- be your 'Guy In The Chair'?"

Peter decided to abandon his work to stare wide eyed at Ned; "Seriously, that's what you want to do, I bet it's just so you can fanboy ove-" He clamped his mouth shut as Michelle- no, MJ- strolled over to their work bench, a few books and her pencil case held tightly against her chest. She sat adjacent to Peter, regarding him in an inquisitive manner: head tilted to the side and lips jutted out slightly, as if she was trying to stop words from forming. Which made everything worse... Silent intrusion always left Peter feeling uncomfortable. He didn't cave in to her silent interrogation, focusing solely on his work again.

"Ahem, wanna explain to me what Nerd Two was 'going' to fanboy over?" She raised one eyebrow as she looked at 'Nerd Two' unamused.
"Err, not really, but if you insist-" MJ glared at him "-The new Lego Star Wars set is coming out soon, he really wants it and was wondering if I was going to help him with it." Internally Peter breathed a sigh of relief as he managed to evade Michelle's question flawlessly, feigning a casual and slightly guilty air to him: as though he had just ratted out Ned's biggest secret, even though nearly everyone knew of his obsession with the brick building. And yet, she still looked suspicious. Damn. Peter cursed lightly to himself. Luckily, she brushed it off and ceased to question them anymore, resolving to concentrate on her work; Peter and Ned did the same, a light conversation flowing between the two of random topics that seemed to sprout from their lips.

Thankfully, the rest of the lesson sped past quickly, allowing Peter to be reminded of the 'meeting' which seemed like a punch to the gut. Darting through the crowded hallways, Peter managed to escape with no encounters from Flash, a triumph in itself! However, he still managed to knock into Michelle on his way to the main doors; Upon contact, both stumbled backwards slightly- a stunned expression gracing both their faces. Peter averted his gaze, a tinge of red dusting his cheeks; "Oh god, I-I'm so sorry, I was in a rush a-and I wasn't l-looking where I-I was going!" He quickly stammered out: talking to girls still made me really nervous...
"Hey cool it Dork, It's fine. Y'just caught me off guard, that's all." She replied patiently. The fact that she admitted to Peter that she was surprised sent him into another wave of spluttered apologies. A small smirk tugged at the corners of her lips, while she patted his shoulder as she passed: "Don't worry about it."

Sunlight bombarded his eyes as Peter pushed through the doors of his school. Squinting, in an attempt to adjust to the brightness, Peter began to walk cautiously along the pavement; his eyes searching for a certain vehicle. He felt the hairs on his neck itch against his skin, as he wandered away from the school. He hoped that if he was a decent distance away, then his peers were less likely to find out that he road around in an expensive limo. Peter did have an image to keep after all: not many nerds were rich during secondary school. Separating his vigilante and normal life would benefit those around him, and his vigilante life included Tony Stark and the Avengers. He knew he couldn't avoid them, but he also acknowledged why he was needed. By rejecting Mr. Stark's offer to become an Avenger, Mr. Stark provided an alternative: Becoming a substitute Avenger- or how Mr. Stark dubbed it, the Part-time Avenger. Peter guessed that the 'meeting' was for him to introduce himself to the team and to familiarise himself with them. He only hoped that he didn't embarrass himself. Of course, he would be wearing his costume while at the Avengers Compound, because the other Avengers didn't know his civilian identity. As he spotted the familiar black limousine and quietly entered the vehicle, Peter continued to stress over the possibilities.

Silence consumed the space of the limo, suffocating the occupants the entire journey to the Avengers Compound. As the vehicle came to an abrupt halt at the correct destination, Happy twisted round to face the nervous teen: "Look, Peter, all that's going to happen is some friendly conversations. No one's going to be judging you or testing you. Now get changed before you leave the car." Despite the monotone voice, Peter felt oddly comforted. The screen-permitting Peter a clear view of the front seat- rolled up sluggishly, allowing Peter to change into his Spider-Man uniform without interruption. Giving Happy a faint smile before pulling the mask over his face, Peter leapt out of the vehicle and made his way into the building, a slight jitter in his step- displaying his nervous energy in volumes.

"Welcome Spider-Man, I have been instructed to guide you to the common area," the computerised voice of FRIDAY echoed across the entrance, Peter cringed in response to the loudness. Holding up a thumbs up, he made his way to the desired location and hesitated. Nervously tapping his index finger against his thigh, he considered turning around and going home. Perhaps even patrol like usual. But, if he did decide to bail now, he would be disappointing and humiliating Mr. Stark. He trusted Peter by allowing him to meet his closest allies! Forcing the lump that was lodged in his throat by swallowing thickly, Peter pressed his palm to the light maple door and strode cautiously into the room.

Upon entering the room, Peter was greeted to an empty atmosphere: no one was anywhere in his line of sight. Creasing his brow in confusion, he approached the counter top- gazing around the location occasionally- and placed his bag on the polished marble surface. Rummaging through the contents of his bag, Peter laid his school homework across the counter top and began to progress through it slowly as he waited. Chewing his lip, as he scratched his pencil into the papers, Peter became completely consumed in his task and with his mind engrossed with the task at hand, all his senses were dulled from his surroundings. Shifting on the stool, Peter continued to wait, averting his gaze from his work to glare at clock. The constant tick digging into his mind, ingraining the sound as Peter began to tap his foot in sync to the pointer adjusting position.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed across the floor, numerous people approached the door. Springing to his feet, Peter hastily gathered his belongings and stuffed them back into his back pack. The door swung open and a man with chocolate skin wheeled into the room; his arms twisted around to push the wheel chair he was strapped to. "Uh, hey! I'm supposed to be meeting some people- ah, Mr. Stark sent me... I'm Spider-Man," Peter spluttered as he flailed his arms about in panic and he repeatedly indicated to the spider sprawled chest. The Wheel Chair Guy simply stared at him with his jar slightly agape.

After a few more moments of spluttering explanations, The Wheel Chair Guy waved his hands forcefully in front of Spider-Man: "Dude, would you calm down!?" Clamping his mouth shut, Spider-Man twitched nervously as he eyed the dark skinned, wheel chair bound man. Peering at the red and blue webbed spandex wearing vigilante, he stared incredulously as he inquired; "You the Spider-Man? Fuck, man, you sound like a twelve year old kid who hasn't had his balls dropped yet!" Squawking indignantly, while Wheel Chair Guy quirked a grin- relaxing in his mobile chair as the Spider-Kid rambled on about height and puberty.

After an awkward lapse of silence with Spider-Man fidgeting and averting his masked eyes, he finally managed to form the words he had been pondering about in his mind: "So, err, w-where're the rest of the Avengers? A-and who're you, I didn't exactly meet you without a-a mask? Oh, are you that crazy cat guy!?" He babbled excitedly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Shocked spluttering greeted his enhanced hearing, as the guy in the wheel chair reeled back with a hand clamped firmly over his mouth- in an attempt to muffle his laughter. "The name's James Rhodes, but I'd prefer it if you called me Rhodey. I'm War Machine, Kid."

"Ahh, that's so cool! I remember you now, from when you fell to the ground- I- err- I mean, I'm sorry for your legs and all, but you were really awesome!" Spider-Man's wide- awe filled- eyes generated a sad smile from Rhodey as he remembered the incident.
"Eh, please don't sweat it, I appreciate you being my fan!" His mouth tugged upwards in a wide grin. "As for the other Avengers, well, Vision will probably phase through the wall-"
"Oohhh- Holy shit!" The Kid leapt from his previous position in front of Rhodey to the ceiling, as he gawked at the red skinned man who appeared suddenly from the sink. "I apologise for startling you, but I was informed you would be aware of my appearance. Greetings Spider-Man, my name is Vision." The newly introduced android alien spoke slowly, drawing out each word with no emotion. His head tilted slightly as he gazed at the ceiling with something akin to confusion briefly flashing across his eyes.

"I was informed by Mr. Stark that we were to be more acquainted by your presence." Vision stated while floating around the room. Peter slowly returned to the floor, hesitantly eyeing Vision while Rhodey rolled his eyes: "As a part-time Avenger, it's out job to show you the ropes and all. Whatever you need help with, we'll give you a hand when we can." He elaborated while stirring himself towards the table, which previously was scattered with books and papers. "I saw you working on some homework-" Peter gave him an alarmed look, albeit disguised by his mask, as Rhodey began dragging all the books out of the discarded bag- "Don't worry kid, I make sure not to find out your identity and if it does slip into my eye sight, I've never heard the name before." He assured firmly, an arm stretched over the name as he opened several books.

"Y-you'd help me with h-homework?" Spider-Man squeaked, swiftly perching on a stool next to Rhodey. His concealed eyes never straying from Rhodey's face- whether in curiosity or caution, Rhodey didn't voice. The kid shivered in barely contained energy- Rhodey guessed as nervous energy, considering what Tony had told him of the kid- as he flicked through a History book.

"Heh, not what I had in mind, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try and help. Mind you, I'm no good with Science, that's Tony's niche really." That sentence managed to elect a slight snort from the teen, which Rhodey guessed as the kid lightening up around them. "You know anything about world war two?" Spider-Man inquired as he grasped a pen in hand and began to work on a presentation.

Tony entered the elevator with a cup of coffee in hand and a pair of sun glasses limply hanging from his opposite hand. Tapping his foot on the floor repeatedly, Tony instructed FRIDAY to get the elevator to floor 50. He glanced at his expensive watch impatiently while the elevator moved sluggishly. He was aware that Peter, Rhodey and Vision were probably socialising awkwardly, attempting to get to know each other without exposing Peter's identity, and he knew Peter would make it awkward due to the fact that he was a quiet and reserved teenager. And god, Tony did not want to walk out of the elevator greeted to the awkward atmosphere. Hopefully, they managed to figure out a comfortable conversational topic that did not include belittling Tony: Rhodey knew a lot of things that were embarrassing and he did not want the Kid to hear any of it. The Kid idolised him and he liked the idea of Peter staring wide eyed in awe at everything he did. Rhodey would not dare tarnish that for him, god damn it!

Tony was snapped out of his internal monologue as the elevator pinged and the doors gradually opened, revealing a surprising sight: Spider-Kid leaning forward on his stool, staring intently as Rhodey spoke animatedly on some crazy mission he accompanied Tony on. Both were so consumed by the tale that neither noticed Tony's entrance. He rested his elbow on a counter, cupping his head in the hand, while the other arm hung limply from the surface- his cup swiftly discarded in the nearest waste bin. Empty of course, Tony would never waste coffee. A soft smile curved onto his face as he watched Peter snicker over Rhodey's poor attempt at a villain's voice. Despite Peter being 15, he sure as hell acted like an innocent kid and that's a rarity in the vigilante business.

Glancing at the clock hesitantly, Tony breathed quietly to himself. Wandering up to the pair, Tony stated: "Alright Kiddo, May'll be worried if you don't head off now." The groan emitted from the spider-themed vigilante didn't placate Tony- a slight bubble of guilt in his stomach, however- as he began to usher the teen to tidy up. Rhodey and Peter departed with a friendly fist pump and a promise to meet up again. Peter skipped towards the elevator with Tony in tow with his bag. At the door, Peter spun round and embraced Tony in a quick and tight hug, chirping: "Thanks dad, this has been the best visit ever!" before snatching his bag from Tony's outstretched hand and descending in the elevator.

Rhodey spluttered shocked, while Tony stood frozen in his spot when Peter left. "Holy shit, did he- did I- were you just called dad!?" Rhodey's entire face seemed to have been devoured by an ear-splitting grin as he strode up to Tony and slapped in on the back. "Congratulations Tones!" He swiftly retreated into another room as Tony began to curse at his form.

Crappy ending I know, but I've delayed this so much and I believe you guys deserve some sort of update before I work on the next chapter for months. Anyway, I finally managed to finish this and now I'm going to wait patiently for feedback...

Oh, my mind's ran into a ditch, anyone want to bring forth an idea to help nudge me onto another short story for this? I do want to finish this and get onto more bigger projects!

Thank you for your time,

-Kyrani Ervin