C101 Two Above All

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The next day, Peter Quill, accompanied by his grandparents Jason and Anne, walked into a shop called Tape World.

The shop was a haven for music lovers, filled with shelves lined with CDs and posters of legendary bands adorning the walls.

Peter had been meaning to update his music collection since returning to Earth after a five-year absence. And now, with Natasha and her family safe, he finally had some free time to go shopping.

His grandparents, unwilling to leave his side for the time being, had tagged along. He had invited Natasha, but she declined, not wanting to intrude on his family time.

As they stepped inside, the familiar scent of fresh plastic greeted them. Peter led the way, his eyes scanning the shelves for cassette tapes. His grandparents followed closely, talking softly between themselves.

"You know, your mother used to drag us to places like this all the time," Jason said, smiling wistfully. "She loved her music."

Anne nodded, her eyes misty. "She would spend days in places like this if we let her..."

Peter's heart warmed at the memory of his mother and her love for music. It was something he had inherited from her, a passion that had carried him through many dark times in his life.

However, as they walked further into the shop, Peter noticed a glaring problem. Despite the shop's name, there were no cassette tapes in sight. Instead, CDs dominated every shelf.

Peter frowned, a wave of frustration washing over him. He didn't have a CD player and wasn't sure he wanted to give up his beloved Walkman and cassettes. They were a connection to his mother, a tangible piece of his past.

Seeing Peter's dilemma, Jason approached the man at the checkout desk. "Excuse me," he began, "you don't happen to have any cassette tapes, do you?"

The employee, a grey-haired old man with glasses and a bemused expression, looked up. "Cassettes? What would you want those old things for? The young people want CDs nowadays."

Peter turned to argue, but as he laid eyes on the man, he froze. The employee looked astonishingly familiar. It was Stan Lee, the legendary comic book writer and creator who appeared as a cameo in every Marvel movie.

But this wasn't a movie. Peter's mouth hung open in shock.

[Insert picture of Stan Lee here]

'Stan Lee?' Peter could barely believe his eyes. Was this some kind of cosmic joke?

Stan Lee smiled knowingly, seemingly unfazed by Peter's reaction. "You know what, kid? We might have some cassettes in the back." He turned and called out, "Hey Jerry! You back there still?"

A gruff voice answered from the back room, "What do you want now, old man?"

When Jerry emerged, Peter's eyes widened even further. The man looked exactly like George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars. Peter's heart pounded in his chest. This had to be a joke. Were these two gods of this crossover universe playing with him?

[Insert picture of George Lucas here]

Ignoring Peter's shock, Stan Lee gestured to Jerry. "Do we have any leftover cassettes?"

Jerry grunted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe. Give me a second." He disappeared back into the room, leaving Peter to process what he had just seen.

A minute later, Jerry returned with a big box full of cassette tapes, some old and some newer, and placed it on the counter. "There you go, kid. That's what we've got. Feel free to look it over."

Walking on eggshells in front of who he believed had to be gods, Peter hesitantly started sifting through the cassettes. His grandparents stood beside him, unaware of the beings they were in the presence of.

Jerry wandered back to the rear of the shop, muttering, "If that's all, I'll be taking a nap. Don't wake me up again, old man."

Startled by his departure, Peter respectfully said, "Thank you, uhh… Jerry."

Jerry merely grunted and waved over his shoulder, disappearing into the back. As he left, Stan Lee started complaining, "Kids these days don't have respect for their elders. When we started this, I never knew my partner would be so lazy..."

Peter wondered if Stan was talking about the record shop or perhaps the creation of this crossover universe as a whole. It had to be the latter, right?

Lost in thought, Peter was brought back to reality by his grandfather patting him on the shoulder. "Find anything good, Peter?"

Peter muttered, "Let's find out," and continued searching through the box. He found cassettes from the '70s all the way to 1992, seeing many bands he liked. Anything from 1993 seemed out of reach, and he realized he would need to buy a CD for it.

'Maybe I should upgrade?' He thought.

His heart skipped a beat when he found a cassette for Alice in Chains' album, Dirt, which had one of his favorite songs from his past life, "Them Bones." Excitedly, he put the cassette into his Walkman, which was strapped to his waist, and donned his headphones. As he hit play, the music filled his ears, bringing a smile to his face.

🚨Play Them Bones by Alice In Chains🚨

Ah!🎶

Ah! 🎶

Ah! 🎶

Ah!🎶

🎶I believe them bones are me🎶

🎶Some say we're born into the grave🎶

🎶I feel so alone gonna end up a big ol' pile of them bones🎶

Ah!🎶

Ah!🎶

Ahh!🎶

🎶Dust rise right on over my time🎶

🎶Empty fossil of the new scene🎶

🎶I feel so alone gonna end up a big ol' pile of them bones🎶

…

..

.

Beside him, his grandparents smiled, happy to see Peter enjoying himself. Even Stan Lee smiled, watching Peter with a knowing look.

As the music played, Peter couldn't help but think of his mother. He knew she would have loved this song. As the guitar riffs echoed in his ears, he felt a deep connection to her. For a moment, everything felt right in the world. 'If only she was here…'

…

While Peter was lost in the music, nodding his head to the beat, he sifted through the box of cassette tapes. He made a small pile of tapes he planned to buy, carefully placing them on the counter one by one.

Beside him, Jason and Anne watched with fond smiles, reminiscing about the past.

Suddenly, the screech of tires interrupted the tranquil atmosphere. Everyone in the shop turned their attention to the front window.

Outside, a bright yellow Lamborghini had come to an abrupt halt, music blaring from its speakers. The driver, clearly unconcerned with parking etiquette, took up two spots as he stepped out.

The man was in his early twenties, with tousled dark hair and a goatee that gave him a slightly roguish charm. He wore casual clothes—a fitted T-shirt, designer jeans, and expensive-looking sneakers. If one looked closely, they'd notice the subtle details that screamed luxury: the fine stitching, the high-quality fabric, and the unmistakable logos of top-tier brands.

As he exited the car, a woman walking her dog along the road shrieked, "Oh my god, it's Tony Stark!"

[Insert picture of Tony Stark here]

Inside the shop, Jason and Anne exchanged glances, their expressions turning somber. They recalled Tony's parents, Howard and Maria Stark, who had not too long ago.

Although they had never met Tony, they had been acquainted with Howard through their military service. After all, Stark Industries had always been a trusted name, providing the army with cutting-edge gear and weaponry.

There was even a saying among soldiers: "If you don't see a Stark Industries emblem on your gear, then you're already dead, especially if you see a Hammer Industries logo."

Jason sighed, watching Tony walk towards Tape World. "He looks just like Howard," he murmured.

Anne nodded, her eyes following Tony. "I wonder how he's been doing since, well, you know..."

Jason frowned in thought. "He looks healthy…"

Tony walked into the shop, his presence commanding immediate attention. He glanced around, perusing the shelves with mild interest until his gaze fell on the pile of cassette tapes on the counter. One tape, in particular, caught his eye: "12 of the Best" by AC/DC, his favorite band.

(A/N: Apparently, that's a $10,000 cassette tape nowadays. Very rare. I looked it up.)

Unable to resist, Tony reached for the cassette. Jason and Anne tried to stop him and explain that the tapes were already taken, but Tony was quick, his fingers grasping the cassette before they could say anything.

But before Tony could pick it up, Peter, sensing the movement, instinctively grabbed Tony's wrist, stopping him. "Those are mine," Peter said, pulling off his headphones with his free hand.

Tony grunted in pain, his eyes widening as he tried to pull his hand back, but Peter's grip was too strong. "Hey, easy there!" Tony exclaimed, the cassette falling back to the counter.

Peter turned to face Tony, his eyes widening in shock as he realized who he was holding. 'Iron Man!'

Peter's surprise caused him to release Tony's wrist abruptly. Tony, who had been pulling away with all his strength, suddenly found himself free and stumbled backward, almost tripping but managing to catch himself in time.

Peter quickly got himself under control, looking apologetic. "Sorry about that," he said, turning to Tony, who was straightening his clothes.

Jason and Anne, concerned, asked, "Are you okay?"

Tony waved them off with a casual smile. "I'm fine, no harm done." He then cleared his throat and turned back to Peter, pointing at the AC/DC cassette. "How much for the cassette?"

Peter shrugged. "I haven't even bought it yet, and when I do, I won't be selling it."

Tony smirked, turning to the employee behind the desk. "I'll give you ten times the price for that cassette," he said to Stan Lee. "Sell it to me instead."

Peter scoffed, glaring at Tony. "Hey, you slimy f*ck, I was here first."

Tony's smirk widened. "This is capitalism, kid. The one with the most money always wins. Learn that now, and you'll be less disappointed in the future."

But to Tony's surprise, Stan Lee shook his head. "Sorry, but the kid was here first. Selling it to you would be like taking food out of someone's cart in a grocery store. It just wouldn't sit well with me."

The smirk disappeared from Tony's face. Peter laughed, giving Tony a smug look. "Yeah, now f*ck off, you grubby loser. These are my tapes."

Jason and Anne immediately reprimanded Peter. "Watch your language, Peter!"

Peter looked sheepish. "Sorry, Grandpa, Grandma." But he didn't apologize to Tony, clearly enjoying the chance to mess with the rich guy who usually got whatever he wanted. 'But not today,' he thought in amusement.

Tony's expression hardened. "Do you know who I am?"

Peter shrugged nonchalantly. "A money-wasting snob?" He said, making sure not to curse this time.

Tony couldn't help but chuckle at that. It had been a while since someone had the audacity to talk to him like that. Most people kissed his ass, hoping to get something from him, whether it be money or power.

"I'm Tony Stark," he said, expecting Peter to be impressed.

But Peter just nodded uncaringly. "Cool, I'm Peter." He said and went right back to searching through the cassettes, completely obliterating Tony's ego in seconds.

Tony stood there for a moment, stunned by Peter's lack of interest. For once, he found himself at a loss for words as Peter continued to casually go through the tapes, ignoring him entirely.

A/N: 1958 words :)

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