Chapter 115: Peter Parker Interlude

Chapter 115: Peter Parker Interlude

Peter Parker stood and made his way to the front door of the apartment, the buzzer for the main entrance ringing periodically. He pressed the intercom button to connect it to the buzzer.

"Hey Peter, it's Ned! Come down and help me!" The familiar voice of his best friend came through immediately, cutting off any question he might have.

"Alright, be right down!" He said, a smile on his face as he opened the front door and rushed down the hall and down the two flights of stairs, letting Ned into the apartment complex.

Ned was carrying three bags, one filled with snacks, another with drinks, while the last one was carrying a singular box, though its contents were hidden. Peter took the drinks and snacks, which ned handed over gratefully.

"Thanks, the drinks were cutting off the circulation in my fingers," Ned said, shaking his hand out while Peter started to lead him up the stairs.

"So what's in that bag?" Peter asked as he led the way.

"It's a surprise," Ned responded, smirking eagerly. "Your gonna love it! It's something to do while we wait for the press conference to start."

For weeks now, Ned had been talking about how a new company that was closely tied to Stark Industries had been hiring more and more people. His friends on the conspiracy theory forums he frequented had been going crazy trying to figure out what it was about. When the news that Tony Stark was organizing a press conference to announce what he had been working on, Ned insisted on a watch party.

Not that Peter would have argued against it. Junk food, hanging out, and then a video game tournament afterward? What was there not to want? Besides, when Iron Man had something to announce, nerds everywhere tuned in.

"Did you settle on your prediction?" Ned asked. "I'm still going with Tony announcing a superhero team. We know he was working with another guy in armor at the fair, at least."

And hadn't that been a nightmare? Months were spent begging to go and see some of the most advanced companies in the world and what they were working on, and the whole place almost blew up! Aunt May hadn't let him out of her sight for weeks.

"I'm going with Tony Stark turned them all into vampires, and he is announcing his run for presidency," Peter teased, referring to one of the crazier theories that one of Ned's online friends had been convinced of. "That or he is a werewolf and he is trying to become the pope."

Ned groaned as they stepped into the Parker apartment. They both headed for the living room, the TV already on their preferred news agency. Already they had cameras pointed up at the recently completed Stark Tower. The anchor was discussing how much extra money Tony Stark paid out of his own funds to get the building completed almost four months early.

"We have about thirty minutes before the press conference starts," Ned said, checking his watch. "Do you want the pizza rolls now, or while the conference is going on?"

"Now, it's easier to watch and eat chips," Peter reasoned seriously, Ned nodding back just as seriously.

"Good point."

Ned went into the kitchen to heat up their snack while Peter started clearing off the coffee table. He pulled out the still-cold Code Red Mountain Dew, pulling out one for himself and one for Ned before putting the rest in the fridge.

When Ned was done, returning with a plate of hot, perfectly microwaved pizza rolls, putting the tray down on the coffee table.

"Ready for the surprise?" He asked, pulling the box out of the bag.

Ned was clearly excited because he couldn't wait for a response, instead just pulling off the final covering to reveal a Lego set, a large model of the Millenium Falcon. Peter jumped up and accepted the box from Ned, his mouth hanging open.

"No way! How did you convince mom to buy it?" Peter asked, staring down at the box, and turning it over to look at the back.

"That might be Jane Foster. I've never seen her picture before, but I know she works with Erik Selvig a lot, he is her mentor."

When the crowd eventually settled, Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries stepped forward and began her speech. Peter had seen her speak before, a few times during events and announcements for Stark Industries. She had a way of being personable but still professional and formal, despite the fact that many would consider that paradoxical.

This time she was talking about Stark Industries and their many charities, even mentioning one that Peter had heard of before as Aunt May had been petitioning them for support for her latest project. When she was done, she stepped aside and let Tony step up to the podium.

"Who is that guy?" Ned asked, referring to the man standing on the raised platform. "Do you think that it's the flying guy?"

Peter shrugged at his question, still focused on the screen, waiting for Tony Stark to start. The billionaire's speech was a lot more casual to start off than Pepper Pott's had been, teasing the reporters and acknowledging that he spent a lot of time with the press while making a joke. Peter couldn't help but wonder whether his confidence in front of all these people was a learned skill or if he was just born that confident.

As Tony Stark talked, his casual tone faded to a more serious one as he talked about his company, his father, and his father's legacy. It brought back thoughts of his own parents and what their legacy could have been. Not for the first time, Peter wondered what kind of people they were and what they would think of him.

Ned started to say something about the person that Stark introduced as Maker, but he quickly fell silent as Tony kept talking.

"Once upon a time, the sky was the limit! But now, together, we will reach for the stars!

Behind the genius inventor, the large archway that Peter had mistaken for a fancy decoration started to glow, carved lines and shapes, almost like runes, lighting up along the matte bronze arch. When the light of each side met at the highest point of the arch, the space inside it all but exploded with orange energy, before it shimmered, the entire space was replaced with a new view. It was a park of some kind, with a black sky that was hard to make out.

"I happily introduce the Space Technology and Research Station, a lunar base focused on research in all fields, done by the greatest minds of humanity. Here we will forge a better tomorrow among the S.T.A.R.S.!"

Stark paused, the loud shouting and flashing of cameras making it temporarily impossible for him to be heard. When the questions kept coming, the volume didn't decrease. It took minutes for the crowd to finally die down, though there was still plenty of talking.

"STARS will strive to improve human existence in every aspect, with advancement in medicine, engineering, chemistry, biology, and everything in between. Built with state-of-the-art facilities, our scientists will have access to everything they could possibly need to strive in their field, to solve the greatest problems of our generation, of the next generation, and even those of the generation before us."

Tony continued to talk, his voice somehow cutting through the clamor. He looked at the people sitting in front of him before focusing on the camera for a moment, winking once and continuing.

"STARS will work closely with Stark Industries and other manufacturers, making sure that our solutions are distributed to humanity in ways that are affordable and fair. We are here to help, to further humanity, and stand proud while doing it. Already our scientists have plans to tackle global warming, the energy crisis, the availability of food to those who struggle financially and some of the dangerous diseases and illnesses that curse us."

The billionaire inventor kept talking before concluding the first part of the introduction, promising to answer questions during the second half. The camera cut back to the news anchor, who, at first, said nothing. After a moment, they seemed to recover enough to simply regurgitate what had just been explained, discussing what Tony Stark could have possibly meant by a lunar base. They promised that the conference would return shortly.

"That" Ned said, still staring at the TV.

"Yeah"

"He said."

"Mhmm"

"Damn."

Peter and Ned sat in the living room in relative silence, their food, drinks, and Lego model completely forgotten. When Aunt May eventually returned home an hour or so later, they were still there, watching the news roll in.

Just a quick reminder that I have a Pa_tre_on. (under MetaBettaOmegaLetta) My board members, the seven-dollar tier, actually picked Peter Parker as the subject of this interlude. They also get six fanfiction chapters early, and five chapters a month of my original book. If you're interested in showing your support, stop by! Every bit helps!