Chapter Text
How it all began...
"Have you seen this?"
Peter threw the newspaper down so hard it made a loud snap as it hit the floor. Tony didn't jump, but it was close. He wheeled himself out from under a prototype for a new, cleaner car engine and being upside-down didn't stop him from giving Peter the stink eye.
"Cool it or you're out kid," he ordered. He couldn't have a teenager having a temper tantrum amongst the dangerous materials in his lab.
Peter huffed and nudged the newspaper closer to Tony with his foot. "Just, look at it!"
"I don't need to," Tony wheeled himself back under the engine. How could he have avoided it? 'HOW MUCH DAMAGE THE AVENGERS HAVE CAUSED - FACTS AND FIGURES'. For all that his stomach churned at yet another reminder of how much they'd fucked up, it was easy to put on a show of not caring in front of the kid. "It's the same thing over and over."
"But it's - it's wrong!" Petter spluttered. "You're out there saving lives, and they're -"
"Stop right there," he interrupted. He didn't want to get into it further, not when it took them dangerously close to the Accords and he could not deal with that clusterfuck right now. "The media are vultures, kid. It isn't just the Avengers, it's anyone in the limelight. Hell, I bet you've seen some about Spider-Man, haven't you?"
"I - yeah, I guess, but..."
Tony adjusted a gear and then sighed, saying, "It comes with the territory. If you're gonna stick with this business, you better get used to it."
The teenager was silent for so long Tony wondered if he'd left, so he put down his wrench and wheeled back out. Peter was still there, his brow furrowed as he scrolled through something on his phone. Annoyance welled up in his chest; if all the brat was going to do was play on his phone, why even bother coming and wasting Tony's time? He was just about to say that when Peter's gaze snapped back to him, the anger from before replaced by determination.
"You don't have an Instagram account," he said.
Tony blinked, derailed momentarily. "I don't what?"
"You don't have Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat - not even Facebook though that's so old now," he muttered the last part.
"I have a whole PR team dedicated to social media," Tony frowned.
"For Stark Industries sure, but for Tony Stark? Zero. Zilch. Nada."
Realising Peter wouldn't let this go so easily, Tony pushed himself to his feet and reached for the towel on the nearby chair to wipe away some grease on his face and hands. "Do I look like I have time for social media? VIP, CEO, engineer, advisor-"
"You know, even the President has Twitter," Peter interrupted.
"What did I say about interruptions? And is the President a superhero?"
"... No?"
Tony narrowed his eyes and wondered about the education in schools. "Why did you hesitate?"
"I'm not - Mr Stark, come on! You're the foremost expert in all the latest tech and you're making a huge difference everywhere all over the world and it's just so crazy that you don't even have a social media account, 'cause you have no idea how many people would go mental over it -" he only fell silent when Tony held up a hand. The kid was looking a strange mixture of nervous and determined and Tony realised this meant quite a bit to the kid, for all that it seemed to be a recent idea.
"Tell me why I should then," he asked as he crossed his arms.
Peter bit his lip and then looked down at the newspaper. "You're Tony Stark - yeah, you're a billionaire who used to make weapons and drink and throw lots of parties, but you're developing cleaner energy and you donate so much to different charities and you save the world on a regular basis. You're a hero, Mr Stark," He looked ridiculously earnest now. The pain in Tony's chest felt like heartburn. "If people only see the bad stuff, they're not gonna remember the good. But if there was good stuff out there - stuff that made you more human, then people might change their minds."
Tony didn't reply because he wasn't sure what to say, but he did make a mental note to talk to Pepper about it later because it was true that they probably needed some good PR.
1.
Tony Stark Reveals A Few Hidden Talents, Tours the Avengers Compound and Introduces Us to Spider-Man
Stark Industries President Tony Stark, aka Iron-Man, invites Vogue into his home and answers 73 Questions. In this episode, Tony talks about life as an Avenger, shows off just how talented a singer he is and introduces us to his mentee slash adorable son, Spider-Man.
Good PR was why, a few weeks later, he was finishing up the preparation for a unique style of interview with Vogue at the Avengers Compound.
"It feels like a more natural interview," Pepper had explained. "It's done in one take. Usually, you take them on a tour and they ask you questions."
"But everything here is top secret," Tony had argued.
Pepper had not looked convinced. "There are many public areas of the compound you could show off, and you could show off the personal areas too. Vision and Rhodey have already agreed to participate. I'll even be there too," she had squeezed his hand reassuringly. "This is a good move, Tony."
And that had been it. So now, Tony was stood with his hands in his pockets, shades over his eyes and immaculately dressed - his usual public persona.
"We're ready whenever you are," Chuck the interviewer said as he walked up to him.
"Great," Tony clapped his hands together. They'd already done a trial run, a rehearsal of the route Tony was going to take him, and everyone who was going to cameo (Rhodey, Vision, Pepper and Peter, who he'd got involved because this was all his fault. Happy had point-blank refused to go anywhere near it) were in their positions. The mystery came from what questions he was going to be asked. It was a strange combination of prepared and on the fly. "We'll start with the car and then the suit, and go from there."
"Got it," Chuck nodded and then pointed the camera towards the entrance of the compound, which they were just a little inside from. "I'll start rolling in twenty seconds."
Tony activated his Iron-Man armor and flew up to the top of the compound. With a few words to F.R.I.D.A.Y, his AI driven car rolled up the driveway and he heard Chuck start speaking.
"Just look at that car!" Chuck whistled and then moved closer to the empty front seats. "Hey, there's no one driving! Where's -"
That was Tony's cue. He activated his thrusters and flew down next to Chuck, who had twisted the camera to catch him. He landed a few feet away, tapped his wrist and as he walked forward the armour disappeared in seconds. He summoned his most charming smile and said, "Hey man, what do you think?"
"You - I - wow," Chuck breathed. "I don't know whether to start with the car or the suit!"
Tony preened and then said, "Well I can't offer a ride in the suit, but how about the car?"
"Really? Wicked!" The car doors opened and Chuck climbed in the back. Tony settled in the front passenger seat and, without a word, F.R.I.D.A.Y started driving. The plan was to do a small loop around the front entrance of the compound, so the viewers would get a rough idea, while also showing off his new technology and, of course, asking Tony questions along the way. "So Tony, where exactly are we?"
"The Avengers Compound," Tony said, putting on his usual interview tone. "My tower just wasn't cutting it anymore, you know? So we came out here instead."
"And who is actually here?"
"Right now?" he paused like he had to think about it, but really it was to hold in the depressed sigh. "Mainly my staff - lab techs, admin, blah blah - oh, and Rhodey and Vision are here somewhere. Pepper too, when she's not away on business."
"Rhodey is the Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes, aka War Machine?"
"Yup," he popped the 'p' at the end.
"Do you live here?"
"If I'm in town, sure, but I have a lot of meetings that take me out and about."
"What's the best thing about living here that you didn't get when you were living in the Tower?"
Tony smirked. "It's a lot quieter, so more work tends to get done as well. So I've heard." It also makes New York less of a target, he wanted to add.
F.R.I.D.A.Y parked them in front of the landing pad, next to the building with the large 'A' on the side. He and Chuck got out and Tony gestured for him to follow up the rest of the driveway.
"So what's a normal start to your day Tony?" Chuck asked as they walked.
"Oh you know, push ups, sit ups, crunches, uh... what other exercises are there?" he paused then snapped his fingers. "Wait, that was Cap's usual morning routine. I didn't actually sleep last night, so that's... actually a pretty typical start to the day."
They entered the main lobby where there were a few members of staff sitting at the front desk and made their way over to the elevators.
"Do you normally go whole nights without sleep?" Chuck asked. Tony fought back a frown. Would saying yes or no look better?
"When I'm inventing new toys," he compromised as he called for the lift. They didn't need to know about the nightmares or the insomnia or the -.
The elevator doors dinged open and they waited for the scientists to clear out before heading in themselves, and Tony pressed the button for the second floor. It was time to go see Pepper.
"What's your favourite movie?"
"Uh, La Grande Bouffe."
"A book you plan on reading?"
"Easy, my autobiography," he grinned. They left the elevator and Tony twisted, walking backwards so he could stay front and centre on the camera as was requested.
"A TV show you haven't seen but want to watch." He didn't usually sit down and watch TV shows, but he vaguely remembered Rhodey saying something about -
"The Good Place?" he shrugged and then said, "Hey, look who's here!"
"It's Miss Potts!" Chuck exclaimed as they approached the large conference room, where Pepper was giving a presentation to a few members. It was a fake presentation - they couldn't allow any real data to be recorded - but they didn't need to go in, because when she saw them she stepped outside the conference room with a warm smile.
"Soon to be Mrs Stark," Tony reminded with a wink.
"How are you guys?" Pepper greeted as Tony gave her a kiss on the cheek and then wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Okay, what's the most outrageous thing you've ever worn Tony?"
Tony blinked. He'd worn a lot of things in his time. He glanced at Pepper and asked, "What's the most outrageous thing I've ever worn?" She would have a better idea, given she'd often been responsible for how he dressed.
"Hmm," Pepper placed her hand on her chin in mock thought. "Oh I know! Do you remember that bright yellow suit? With the black -"
"Not until now," he admitted with a grimace. That had been at the height of his drinking days, before he'd had the smartest idea of his life and put Pepper in charge.
"Can you describe Pepper in three words?" Chuck asked. Pepper raised an eyebrow at Tony.
"Powerful, organised and patient," he said and then his eyes widened. "No, wait. Powerful, efficient and patient. Pep!"
"Oh jeez," Pepper put a hand over her face, but she was smiling. She kissed him and then Tony had to move on, so she went back to her fake meeting while Tony gestured for them to move on down the corridor.
"What's your favourite food?"
"Filet Mignon Meatballs," Tony said as they climbed some stairs and then entered a kitchen. There was a low hum of a TV in the background, from the nearby living room, but he paused in front of the coffee machine and turned to Chuck. "Want a coffee?"
"Sure!" Tony prepared the coffee himself, not wanting to give away F.R.I.D.A.Y just yet, as Chuck continued. "What do you love on your pizza?"
He couldn't quite hide his grin as he glanced over his shoulder and said, "Pepper...oni."
"Favourite drink?"
"Coffee," Tony handed the first cup of steaming coffee to Chuck, who smelt it and sighed happily.
"That's some good coffee. Favourite ice cream?"
"The Iron-Man Ben and Jerry's."
"Favourite music?"
"Sesame Street," Tony deadpanned, then snickered at Chuck's face and said, "Classic Rock." His coffee was finally finished and he held it close as he said, "Do you wanna sit down in the living room for a bit?"
"Sure!"
They walked into the living room where Rhodey was on the sofa watching TV. "If you could sing a duet with anyone, who would it be?"
"Rhodey," Tony replied instantly as he sat down.
"What's that?" Rhodey asked, muting the TV and looking at them while Chuck settled on an armchair opposite.
"Hey James," Chuck said.
"Hey," Rhodey nodded back.
"James, if Tony invited you to sing a duet with him, would you?" Chuck asked. Rhodey didn't look surprised to be asked a question - the possibility had been brought up, though not which one - and instead, his best friend gave him a considering look before grinning.
"Sure. His voice is pretty good."
Chuck's eyes widened. "Tony, can you sing?"
Tony suspected this wouldn't end well for him even as he shrugged and said, "As well as the next person."
"Can you sing something for me now?"
When Tony hesitated, Rhodey raised a challenging eyebrow. Between that and Pepper's threat that he couldn't screw this up, he sighed, cleared his throat and sang the first song which popped into his head.
"Smile though your heart is aching... smile even though its breaking... when there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by... if you smile through your fear and sorrow... smile and maybe tomorrow, you'll see the sun come shining through... for you..." Rhodey looked regretful for an instant before it disappeared behind his usual calm, and Chuck quickly shut his mouth and shook himself.
"Okay, wow. If you could master one instrument, what would it be?"
He wanted to say piano, but he didn't want anything close to that coming up, so he said, "Guitar."
"Dogs or cats?"
"Dogs," Tony scoffed. "Cats are little assholes."
"Okay, this one's for you both. Who has better style?"
"I do," Tony said.
"He does," Rhodey agreed.
"What Disney character would each of the Avengers be?" Tony blinked, a little thrown by the question being about all the Avengers. He shared a considering glance with Rhodey, and Tony knew they were both trying to remember just what Disney characters there actually were.
"I don't watch Disney so my choices are limited," Rhodey eventually admitted. "But I could see Thor being that man from Beauty and the Beast? All looks, no brain?"
"Yes!" Tony clapped his hands together and pointed at Rhodey. They both turned back to Chuck, who hesitated.
"Which Disney character would Tony be?"
"Peter Pan," Rhodey said immediately, then added, "Or Donald Duck."
Tony frowned. "Wait, why Donald Duck?"
"Because he's an asshole that no one understands when he talks," Rhodey grinned.
"I see how this is," Tony sniffed and stood up. "Come, we're done here."
"Fair enough," Chuck said, following him out the room. "Bye James."
"Bye," Rhodey waved.
Given this was meant to be a tour of the facility, Tony didn't take them back the way they came. He took them down a side route, another set of stairs, and then they wound up on the ground floor at an exit which led out to the next building over - the training area. Along the way, Chuck kept asking questions.
"What's the best gift you've ever received?"
"Uh..." Nothing really stood out in his mind, except for recently, "... Not sure if this counts, but Happy - my head of security - he carried the ring I proposed to Pepper for ten years in his pocket. By that point, it was almost like a gift from him."
"Huh. What's the best gift you've ever given?"
He'd given a lot of people gifts over the course of his life - hell, gifts were the only worthwhile things he could really offer them - and for a moment, he wondered if giving Rhodey back the ability to walk counted. However, he also didn't want to get into that during this interview, so instead he said,
"If we go by reactions, probably some of the tech that I gave the kid."
"Who's the kid?" Chuck asked as they walked across the tarmac.
"The Spiderling," Tony couldn't stop the smile as he thought about the kid. "New York's crime fighting spider, your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. You know him?"
"I've heard of him."
"You wanna meet him?"
"Sure!"
Tony gestured. "Then let's go. He should be in here, last I knew."
"Does Spider-Man live here?"
"No," he said. "Spidey's got his own family, but sometimes he comes here for training."
"Will Spider-Man become an Avenger?"
"Who knows?" Tony said as he entered the training building. He hesitated for a moment, debating whether to mention the invite, before eventually settling on, "I will say the kid's doing good work and has the right attitude to become one."
"High praise from Iron-Man," Chuck said as they walked to the edge of the balcony. They looked down over the large gymnasium. Off to the side in another room there was an obstacle course, but at the moment Peter was sparring with Vision. Or rather, it looked like they were testing Peter's strength. "What's your favourite country to visit?"
"Italy."
"What's the last country you visited?"
"Hong Kong, for some business."
They made their way down the steps and, as instructed, neither Peter or Vision turned to look at the camera. They'd been told to wait until Tony or Chuck or both engaged with them.
"What's the best way to de-stress?"
Tony turned and gestured to the sparring pair. "You're looking at it. Spidey, Vision!" he gestured. Vision approached in his usual calm manner, greeting them with a nod, while Peter practically vibrated with excitement as he bounded up with a cheerful,
"Hey Mr Stark! Hey everyone at Vogue and on the internet!" he waved at the camera, the eyes on his mask squinted in happiness.
"Hey Spider-Man, Vision. Who do you normally spar with, Tony?"
"We rotate partners," he said because he couldn't say the truth - that he'd rarely participated in the sparring for relaxation, having preferred to take comfort in a bottle of alcohol.
"Okay, what's your favourite sport?"
"Boxing."
"Cool! Can you show me some moves?"
Tony blinked. "Sure. Spidey, you wanna assist?"
"Yeah!" Peter bounded enthusiastically over to the mats and then held up his hands. "I always wanted to fight you Mr Stark! You ready? One two hyah!" he punched with some of the worst form ever and Tony sighed, pretending to be exasperated but was secretly amused.
"Like this, kid," he said and adjusted Peter's stance. "Stay like this, then pull your fists up like this." He stood opposite Peter and showed him, and Peter mimicked him. "Now, keep your arms like this to protect your face," he showed again and then, when Peter did so, loosely threw a punch. It bounced off Peter's arms and Tony nodded. "You see?"
"So cool," Peter breathed. Tony shook his head, wondering why he always had a lot more heartburn when Peter was around, and took off his jacket. He rolled his shoulders and loosened his dress shirt so he wouldn't accidentally rip it.
The interviewer kept asking questions, as Tony started to both 'show some moves' and teach Peter some basics.
"Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?"
"Pepper."
"Who was the last person you sent a text to?"
"... Probably Pepper too."
"Hey Vision, if you could ask Tony a question, what would you ask?"
Vision tilted his head to the side. "What is the weirdest thing you have seen in someone else’s home?" He'd been given a list of questions to choose from, though he hadn't been allowed to show it to anyone so it would remain a surprise.
"Uh..." Tony used the time he was adjusting Peter's stance again to formulate a safe answer. "I was once in a place where someone kept their baby teeth on display. That was kind of weird."
"What about you Spider-Man?"
"What question would I ask?" Peter checked, then laughed. "Easy. My friend's and I wondered this all the time when we were younger. Mr Stark, could you technically be classified as a cyborg?"
Tony stared at Peter, who stared right back, and then Tony pointed a finger at him. "Just for that, I'm taking the suit back."
"So that's a yes?" Peter grinned. Tony took a step forward, fist coming up threateningly, and Peter back-flipped away. "People of Vogue, I have uncovered his secret!"
"Hey Tony, can you describe Spider-Man in three words?" Chuck interrupted, though the grin on his face indicated he was enjoying it. Tony dropped his fist and turned to the camera. He shoved his hands in his pockets and straightened, trying to regain some dignity.
"Annoying, childish and monstrous," he said without hesitation.
"I see. Hey, what's the best part about being an Avenger?"
"Saving people," he said because he couldn't say the truth, that right now there was no good part of being an Avenger. With the way the Accords were going, the civil war and the lack of S.H.I.E.L.D and Fury, it was looking pretty fucked up.
"What's the hardest part about being an Avenger?"
Tony hesitated, then admitted, "Not saving people." It was all too easy to imagine he was back in that corridor, with the grief-stricken mother. Chuck seemed to sense that, and didn't press any further. "Come on, let me show you the rest of our work-out regime," he said, forcing his voice to sound cheerful, and then twisted and said, "Hey kid, you're coming with us."
"I am?" Peter looked excited but sounded hesitant. They hadn't done this in the rehearsal, after all.
"Yeah, I need someone to give a demonstration. For that cyborg comment, you earned it."
"Worth," the kid muttered as he followed behind Tony and Chuck, who took this chance to ask another question. Possibly given what they'd just talked about, he kept it light.
"Favourite smell?"
"Whatever perfume Pep uses."
"Aww. Favourite cologne?"
"Gendarme V," he said and made a note to check whether the sales of it would increase after this video went public.
"Favourite colour?"
"Take a guess."
"Red and gold?"
"Ding ding ding, we have a winner," Tony said, though he kept it light to indicate teasing rather than mockery.
"Least favourite colour?"
"White." It stained far too easily, with wine, with blood...
"Rolling Stones or the Beatles?"
"Rolling Stones."
They reached the beginning of the obstacle course. Originally, Tony had built it to give Natasha and Steve a challenge, but it had served as excellent entertainment and training for everyone.
"Scary films or happy endings?"
"Happy endings," he said, without really thinking about it because his attention was now on the kid. "Hey Spiderling, you're up."
"Yeah yeah..." Peter sighed dramatically and started moving.
"Diamonds or pearls?"
"Diamonds."
Chuck hesitated, glancing at Peter, before asking, "How do you think he's going to do?"
Tony chuckled. "This course is too easy for him. I need to make some changes so he actually has a challenge, but still, you can get an idea of some of the training we put ourselves through."
"I'm ready Mr Stark!"
"Go when you want kid," Tony said, as Chuck moved further back so he could get both Spider-Man and Tony in the shot.
"So Tony, who are three people alive or dead you would like to have dinner with?"
"Good question," Tony said as he stalled for time, and then decided to go with the easy answer. "Einstein, Newton and Tesla."
"You just couldn't think up anybody else," Peter called as he swung over a mud pit with a web.
"No comments from the peanut gallery, thanks," Tony said and deliberately turned his back on the kid to smile winningly at the camera. "Next question?"
"Do you bake?"
Tony shook his head. "Why cook when you can afford to pay for service?"
"Wait, never?" Peter broke in as he dangled upside-down from a net, and Tony knew he was thinking about all the baking his aunt did. Probably also wished the aunt didn't do any of it either, given the taste.
"Let's just say there's a reason I made a career out of electronics and not baking," Tony said and, when Peter snickered, he added, "Hurry up and finish so we can move on Spiderling."
"What's the farthest you've ever been from home?"
Space sat on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it back and said, "I've travelled so many places; I honestly don't know."
"And where were you born?"
"Manhattan."
Peter landed next to him then, barely out of breath, and Tony wrapped an arm around his shoulder and started guiding them into the next section - a lounge, with a large TV and fridge that used to be stocked with snacks, for everyone to relax after a training session.
"So, for the next few questions I want you both to answer at the same time," Chuck said as they all settled on a seat.
"Yes!" Peter punched the air. Tony pretended to stroke his goatee, but it was really to hide his smile.
"Who's the cooler superhero of you two?"
"I am," Tony said.
"He is," Peter agreed.
"Of the Avengers, who's the strongest?"
"Hulk," Tony said.
"Thor?" Peter shrugged.
"The funniest Avenger?"
"Hawkeye," Tony said. None of them were particularly funny, but Hawkeye enjoyed a practical joke.
"Thor," Peter said firmly. Tony eyed him suspiciously, but said nothing.
"The one most likely to eat all the pizza?"
"Cap or Thor," Tony said.
"Thor...?" Peter was back to being hesitant, but he was still answering with Thor. Not that it bothered Tony.
"The one most likely to wake up in the middle of nowhere with no memory of how they got there?"
Tony considered saying himself, given it had happened before after drinking, but that would look bad, so he said, "Bruce," because he knew it had also happened to his friend, though for a different reason.
"... Thor?"
"Okay," Tony huffed and twisted to look at Peter. "Since when did you care about Thor so much?"
Peter shrugged back. "Thor's a God, man. Not just any god either, the ruler of the nine realms. Or was it seven? Anyway, he's definitely in charge of all of us. Until you tell me otherwise, he can do anything."
"Christ, how did I miss this?" Tony sighed.
"Okay, what's something stupid you've done you don't want the other to know about?"
Tony blinked, squinted, then admitted, "I think most of my stupidest decisions have already been caught on camera. I've got nothing to hide."
"Hey man, not cool..." The eyes on Peter's mask were wide with terror, but of course the kid didn't even consider making something up. "Okay, I've got one, though it's not really something stupid I did..." He turned to look at Tony. "Remember a few weeks back, I came to you with a ripped suit 'cause I was fighting off all those muggers like a total badass?"
"You know, half my grey hairs come from you," Tony muttered.
"Well it wasn't really muggers, I just didn't wanna tell you 'cause I didn't think you'd believe me," Peter continued like Tony had said nothing, little bastard. "There was this mutant cat and I swear -"
Tony snorted before he could stop himself and then straightened, cleared his throat and regained his composure immediately. It had been a long time since he'd snorted with anyone, let alone on camera, and of course it would be because of this damn kid.
"You're telling me a goddamn cat ripped up my million dollar suit?" he said incredulously.
"Mutant cat," Peter said weakly. "Its claws were super sharp."
Tony just shook his head and turned back to Chuck. "Please, give me something."
"Being a superhero isn't all glamour I guess," Chuck said with a sympathetic smile, before asking, "If you could choose one superpower to have, what would it be and why?" When Peter and Tony shared a confused glance, Chuck elaborated. "You both wear suits and use technology, which aren't technically superpowers. Compared with Thor, for example, who can call thunder."
Irrationally, Tony felt a flash of irritation at the mention of Thor again, and it had nothing to do with the way Peter perked up.
"I mean, I -"
"Kid," Tony shot a warning glance at him, almost certain he was about to say he did have powers, then continued with his own answer, not the truth but the easiest. "Super strength. I've seen Cap do a lot with that." Chuck nodded, then glanced at Peter.
"Time travel with the ability to take people with me," Peter said so quickly Tony raised an eyebrow at him. Peter lifted his chin up, refusing to be embarrassed. "You've got to be specific with these kinds of things."
"Really," Tony said.
"Yeah, it's like the wishes," Peter said. "You can wish to be immortal, okay, but if you don't say 'be immortal and look forever young and be healthy' then you're gonna grow old and have health problems but you'll never die, which is awful, right? So you've got to give it a lot of consideration. So, that's why I say time travel with the ability to take people with me, because travelling through time is so cool but if you do it alone it's gonna be super lonely too."
"... Sometimes I wonder what you get up to in your free time," Tony eyed Peter and then looked back at Chuck.
"You'll thank me later, if you ever run into a genie," Peter said. And Tony wanted to say genies didn't exist, but a few years ago aliens hadn't existed either.
"Okay, I gotta start wrapping this up," Chuck said and stood.
"Right, sure," Tony followed. "I'll take you the long way out. Kid, come with us. Happy'll be waiting to take you home, probably." He hadn't exactly asked him yet, but F.R.I.D.A.Y would pass on the message.
There was another exit back out onto the compound, and they slowly walked around the building back to where they had started. As they walked, Chuck asked,
"If you were stuck on a desert island with only one other Avenger, who would you take?"
Tony tilted his head to the side briefly and said, "Bruce or Rhodey. They could fight and help come up with a way home."
"And what's your favourite thing about yourself?"
"My engineering ability," he said easily.
"Okay, a few things to go out with then. One song you recommend people listen to?"
"ACDC Back in Black."
"One book you recommend people read?"
"I don't really read, so I can't," he shrugged apologetically.
"Fair enough. One movie?"
"Tropic Thunder."
"One dish?"
"Peking duck."
"And lastly," Chuck said as they reached the spot where they'd parked the car. "What advice would you give to someone who needs a hero, but can't find one?"
Tony panicked, though he didn't let it show in his expression. What could he say to that? What was the right thing to say to that? How could he flip it off casually like the rest of the questions?
"I can tell you what he told me if you like," Peter said quietly. "It's not the suit or the technology that makes you a hero. It's what you do, and how you act, that makes you one. If you need a hero, but can't find one... you become one yourself."
"... Tony?" Chuck glanced back at Tony, who just shook his head and wrapped an arm around Peter's shoulders. His throat was oddly tight and he was grateful for the sunglasses so they would hide his sudden need to blink.
"Couldn't have said it better myself," he said.
"Great, well, thanks so much for letting me come," Chuck said.
"No problem. Why don't you get a ride out?" Tony gestured and then Chuck climbed into the car. He angled the camera up, then Tony shut the door and after a few seconds, Chuck turned off the camera and dropped it. "F.R.I.D.A.Y, open the window," he ordered and the window came down.
"That was... honestly fantastic, Mr Stark," Chuck said. "I'll take it back and we'll edit it up, then we'll send it to your team before publishing."
"Pepper will get in touch," Tony nodded.
"Right. It was lovely to meet you, Mr Stark, and you too Spider-Man," Chuck held out his hand to shake.
"You too, man," Peter said and shook it. "I love watching these interviews."
"Then I hope you'll enjoy watching this one too," Chuck said.
"It's Iron-Man, how could I not?" Peter laughed and looked up at Tony.
Tony should probably see his doctor about the frequency of the tightening in his chest.
Wosenhimer 2 hours ago
My ovaries are ready for this man
Nah6Sweaty Six minutes ago
Damn, Stark's totally jealous of Spidey's love for Thor #TonyStarkHasaHeart
Hawkish_eye 1 hour ago
"You know half my grey hairs come from you" HAHAHA Its like hes a dad or something
Elicityes4634 35 minutes ago
Look at Spidey nail that obstacle course like its nothing and I can barely get out of bed in the morning
Swagever 2 hours ago
I want him
24/7
Nat_Cutie_Camp 1 hour ago
So I thought he was super arrogant and didn't care at all but when he's with other people it's like he's a totally different person #mindblown
Angelrer1993 Ten minutes ago
"Powerful organised patient NO powerful efficient patient" LOL Stark can be funny without being a dick who knew?
xmypandabear 30 minutes ago
Look at 5:47 his eyes crinkle he's totally hiding a smile with that hand
"Peter holy shit dude," Ned gaped at him.
"I know man oh my god you have no idea -" Peter's voice rose with every word.
"Holy freaking shit dude -"
They both started to hyperventilate. Michelle sighed at them from across the table.