Getting Started

It was an early Saturday morning in Queens. Peter was yawning in his bus seat headed towards Brooklyn. On that cold March morning, he was dressed warmly and carried gym clothes in his backpack. Other than Physical Education, Peter had previously not been much of an athlete. But the previous day's events proved that his quirk may have given him more of an aptitude for it.

"Hope you got enough sleep last night," said the man seated next to him.

Peter smiled, "As much as I could, Uncle Ben. To be honest, I'm so excited about working with Mr. Stark I couldn't stop thinking about it!"

Peter's uncle smiled broadly at the boy. He was an older man in his mid-fifties. Broad shouldered and slightly pudgy, Ben had a the look of a man who had seen a lot during his life but hadn't let it wear him down. He had a perpetually warm expression and sported grey hair worn in a ponytail.

"Well that's certainly understandable," he said. "Your Aunt's still processing the fact that you developed a Quirk, let alone that you were personally invited to meet with Iron Man, of all people!"

Peter had previously recounted a shortened, somewhat tamer version of the afternoon's events to his guardians. And while they reacted as expected over the thought of their nephew encountering a villain, the fact that Peter somehow manifested a quirk in that moment was cause for both celebration. His cover story regarding Iron Man was that the hero was impressed by his actions and wanted to speak with him.

Aunt May had been particularly worried by the news she heard about the Carnage attack, perhaps fearing her nephew would encounter another villain during his commute. And so it was that Ben insisted on accompanying Peter on the bus to Stark Industries. At least for the first day.

"Now... You wanna tell me what really happened?" He asked in a serious tone. Benjamin Parker wasn't noted for being a particularly intimidating man. But when he got serious, there was something about his manner that made him a very respected man in the community.

Peter then told his uncle the whole story. Carnage, the "rescue" of Flash, even his first encounter with Iron Man; leaving out only the situation of Iron Man and his Quirk. Ignoring the flight and the conversation in the building, Peter wove a very convincing story. Since he didn't lie, just omitted a few parts.

Ben stared at his nephew for a bit. Peter couldn't tell whether his uncle believed his story, but he was sure of one thing; if he looked away, the older man would definitely be more suspicious. Fortunately, his uncle breaks his gaze first, leaning back in his seat and let out a tired breath.

"I know you dreamt of being a hero Peter..." His Uncle said, taking off his glasses and wiping them on his shirt. He did this when he was embarrassed or touched on an uncomfortable subject.

"But throwing yourself headfirst in danger isn't going to help anything," he went on. "It would just end up killing you, and you know May would kill me if that happened." He ends it with a little humor.

"Got it, Ben. I'm sorry..." The boy said, absorbing his uncle's words. But he soon felt Ben's callused hand ruffle his hair. Peter looked up and saw his Uncle smiling as he withdrew his hand from the boy's head.

"It's okay Peter. And honestly, I'm proud of you for wanting to do the right thing," said Ben. "Just promise you'll be more rational in the future, okay?"

Peter nodded in response.

"We'll have to get you some new glasses, seeing as your old ones are busted," he chuckled at his pun. This made the boy realize that his new powers had also corrected his myopia.

Ben looked out the bus window. "Here we are," he said as they came to a stop. "Jeez, this place is even bigger in person."

Peter looked up excitedly at the skyscraper. Emblazoned near the top was the word "STARK".

"Call us when you're ready and I'll come meet you here," Ben smiled at the boy.

"I will," said Peter, anxious to get off the bus.

"Don't forget your bag!" Said his Uncle, tossing it to the retreating boy. He caught it with a wink and hopped off the bus.

As the boy entered the building, he was amazed by how high tech and futuristic everything looked. The first floor was the reception area. At the desk, a red-haired women typed on a computer. She gave him a warm smile.

"Hi there." She shook the boy's hand. "You're Peter Parker, right?"

Peter nodded.

"I'm Virginia Potts, you can call me Pepper. Friday's updating her systems, so for now, I'm taking her place."

"As a secretary?" Peter asked.

Pepper held up her arm and smirked. A robotic hand quickly encased it, her palm pulsing with energy, "As a defense system."

Virginia 'Pepper' Potts. Hero Name: Rescue. Quirk; Technopath. She generates an invisible electronic field around her body, letting her utilize and manipulate technology within her field of vision.

"Mr. Stark left this note for me to give you," she went on, handing Peter a letter. "Said he wanted you to come to this location instead."

The boy was somewhat disappointed he wouldn't be able to see the interior of the Stark Industries building, but he was sure the hero had a good reason for the sudden change. This just meant he'd have to take another bus...

Is this the right place? Peter thought as he stood in front of a dilapidated looking building. The address was for an old boxing gym in Hell's Kitchen: Fogwell's Gym. The door creaked open, and Tony Stark stuck his head out the door.

"What're you waiting for, another invitation?" Quipped the hero. "Get in, before someone sees ya!"

Peter quickly entered and took in his surroundings. Around him, the wall plaster had peeled off in places, exposing bare clay bricks. A few old posters hung on the wall, as old and faded as the building itself. At the center of the gym was a boxing ring. Several old heavy bags hung from chains. Multiple weights, exercise gear and gymnastics equipment was scattered all around. The place smelled of sweat and leather.

"Kinda shabby, I know. But it's best that we keep things low-profile," Tony said. He sat on a bench near the far end of the room. He wore his old Mark 42 suit, "I'm borrowing the place from a guy I know, promised I'd fix it up in return, add a few upgrades so Quirk users might have a place to train."

He stuck out his hand, "So, what do you say we get started?"