Spider-Man: Unmasked

Chapter Eighteen

Peter was in his room, working on homework like always. He could barely focus, thinking back to what his pops had said the other day about talking to his dad. As far as he could tell, nothing had been brought up about the subject. But one could hope, right?

Peter was brought out of his thoughts by his pops entering the room. "Hey bud," he said, standing near the door. Lots of people could be heard talking throughout the tower.

"Hey," he mumbled, looking at his Pops. "How's the party?"

"It's going fine," Steve said, surprised that Peter was actually talking to him. "I was actually hoping that you could come out and join us."

Peter was about to say something, most likely no, but then Steve continued, "I think it would be best. For you, for the other Avengers-"

"For the press," Peter muttered.

Steve just gave him a look. "Look, if you won't do it for me, do it for your dad. He still seems shaken up from the mission and won't talk to anyone about it. Not even me," he said with a sigh. "I know you're mad at him, but he did do it because he cares about you. We both do."

Peter looked down. "Yeah, I know." He wasn't as angry as he was before, knowing that there was a chance he could become Spider-Man. But he still was upset. "I'll be there soon, Pops."

Steve smiled softly. "Thank you, Pete. I'll see you out there." He left the room.

Peter sighed and stood up. He went to his closet, grabbing a pair of black jeans and a white button-up. He changed before leaving his room and surveying the crowd that lay before him.

He saw Rhodey telling a story to an unamused Tony and Thor, Bruce and Natasha flirting at the bar, and everyone else just talking.  He took a deep breath before plastering on a smile and walking into the crowd.

He immediately wished Ned or MJ were there after he got stuck talking to a group of teens who had snuck in that had strangely weird and personal questions about the Avengers. No, Thor wasn't obsessed with Pop-Tarts. No, Clint climb around in the vents. Not anymore, at least. No, Natasha was not single. He had just barely snuck away unseen when they began to argue about what it meant to be worthy.  Nerds.

It was an interesting party.  Rhodey told the story again, getting a much better response from people who weren't superheroes.  Some old man got dragged out after drinking some drink Thor had. Sam, who had already had too much to drink, teamed up with Clint to tease Peter. Fun times.

"You actually decided to join," Sam remarked, wrapping an arm around Peter's shoulders. "Did math homework get too boring?"

"Nah, it couldn't. The math is Peter's favorite part, the nerd," Clint said, drawing out the word 'nerd.'

"Thanks, guys, really glad I came out here," Peter said, shaking his head. "Maybe I should just go and do my homework again if it's so interesting."

"Woah, who said you had to leave?" Sam tightened his grip. "Stay, nerd! Meet people! In fact..." he looked around the room before pushing Peter into a woman his age.

"You got this, nerd!"

Peter barely got to say an apology before she left. Smooth, Parker. This is why he stuck with Ned and MJ.  Man, he really wished they could free him from this.

He spent the next few hours just walking around, occasionally talking with an Avenger or two.

Later, after the party, the Avengers, Sam, Rhodey, Peter, Agent Hill, and Doctor Cho gathered, sitting around on couches. They were laughing and talking, some of them seeming as if they drank a little too much.

"I'm telling you," Sam said to Tony. "It doesn't make sense! There isn't just one definition of worthy. Worthy of what? It doesn't make sense!"

"You don't have to tell me that," Tony said, glancing back at the amused Thor. "I feel the same way."

"You guys just say that because you're sad you aren't worthy," Peter suggested.

"But it's a trick!" Clint exclaimed.

"No no," Thor said, shaking his head.  "It's much more than that."

"'Ah, whosoever be he worthy shall have the power.'"  Clint rolled his eyes, smiling.  "Whatever, man!  It's a trick!"

"Please," Thor chuckled, setting the hammer on the coffee table.  "Be my guest."

Clint raised an eyebrow.  "Really?"  He stood up.  Everyone quickly chimed in with 'yeah,' and 'oh this is gonna be good.'

"It's okay if you can't lift it, Clint,"  Peter laughed,  "we'll all just judge you.  Quietly, of course."  Clint just shot him a glare and went to pick up the hammer.

When he failed after pulling with all his might, he just laughed and shook his head.  "I still don't know how you do it!"

"Smell the silent judgement?"  Tony asked, smirking.

"Please, Tony, by all means," Clint said, stepping away from Mjolnir.

Tony got up, causing 'oohs' from the group.  "Never one to shrink from a challenge."  He went to Mjolnir.  "It's physics.  So, if I lift it, I then rule Asgard?"

Thor nodded.  "Yes, of course."

Tony nodded.  He tried for a while before letting go.  He looked at the group.  "I'll be right back."  He left and quickly came back with the arm of his Ironman suit.  He failed upon pulling with the suit arm as well.  He even got Rhodey to help with the War Machine arm, but they both failed.

After Tony, Bruce tried, failing.  After him, Steve went.

"Go ahead, Steve," Tony said, cheering his husband jokingly on.  "If you lift it, I'm technically Asgardian royalty.  No pressure."  Steve just winked at Tony and grabbed Mjolnir, causing Peter to let out a fake gag.

Steve attempted to lift the hammer.  Peter's eyes widened a little as he noticed the hammer move slightly.  He looked at Thor, who had noticed as well and was staring at the hammer as if willing it to not move.

Steve eventually gave up and let go, heading back to his seat beside Tony.  "Your turn, Pete," Steve said, looking at Peter.

Peter blushed, slightly embarrassed.  "No, I couldn't. I-"

The group started to urge him on.  "C'mon, Pete, think of the Asgardian Royalty!"  Steve reminded him with a laugh, arm around Tony.

Peter laughed softly.  "Alright, alright."  He stood up and walked over to Mjolnir.  He gripped the handle and tested it.  He was surprised to find it lighter than he expected.  He smiled softly and was about to lift it when he remembered what had happened when his Pops almost lifted it.  He'd rather not have Thor kill him. Instead, he settled for bringing it up like his Pops, barely moving.

He let go, hands going in the air.  "Guess I'm not worthy."  He sat down, Tony giving him a suspicious look and Thor staring at him.

Bruce looked at Natasha.  "What about you?"  He said with a smile.

"Oh, no, no," Natasha said with a laugh, taking a sip of her drink.  "That's not a question I need answered."

"All deference to the Man Who Wouldn't Be King," Tony said, grabbing his glass.  "but it's rigged.  The handles imprinted, right?  Like a security code.  'Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints' is, I think, the literal translation."

Thor nodded, standing up.  "Yes, it's a very, very interesting theory.  I have a simpler one," he grabbed Mjolnir and spun it.  "You're all not worthy."

Everyone booed him and groaned, laughing a little.  They insisted that it was a trick until they heard a high pitched whine.  Everyone went quiet.  Peter covered his ears, confused.  He looked around, slowly taking his hands off of his ears as the whine stopped.

"Worthy," he heard a raspy voice call.  He looked at the source of the speaking and saw a robot - one of his dads, half-destroyed with wires hanging loose.  "No.  How could you be worthy?  You're all killers."