14175/Picking up stray spiders

Picking up stray spiders
Date of Scene:	09 March 2022
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Spider-Man, Iron Man

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Spider-Man has posed:
There is a certain buzz around campus, a day away from spring break. Many of the students have already had their last classes before the break, and have already shifted into that mind frame. Others are trudging their way along, somewhat jealous of their friends enjoying a nice warm sunny day out on the grass commons in ESU. A quiet refuge from the hubbub of the city.

One student engaged in neither is Peter Parker - he is making his way quickly towards the small office he shares with other graduate assistants. There are papers to grade and turn in before the break officially starts, and Peter's nocturnal activities have, as usual, caused him to fall far behind on responsibilities as a TA. One of these days, he tells himself, he will find a way to balance being Spider-man and Peter Parker. But that day has not yet come, and he has no real way to scale back when villains attack. He has considered scaling back on Peter Parker time, but he is not quite ready to give up on his career in science just yet.

Those thoughts suddenly swirl out of his mind as his Spidey senses kick in. He immediately tenses up, fingers moving down to grip his messenger bag as he casts a gaze around quickly, doing his best to _not_ look suspicious among the crowd of students.

Iron Man has posed:
Sunny day in NYC means a lot of things to a lot of people. Some walk the campus green to blow out dust of the rapidly departing cold weather, some take advantage and play a little frisbee (is that still a thing?), and others just sit and enjoy, though not without their various bits of tech, whether it's phone, tablet or tunes. Sunny weather for one Tony Stark, however, means that he's out of the Tower and driving one of his many convertibles around the City. He's left Happy at home, his erstwhile chauffeur, bodyguard and all around guy-Friday. Pepper gets the benefit of his company.

So, in one of his many, many vintage cars, Tony is dressed 'down' in shirt, sport jacket over it, and jeans, with sneakers. Of course, dark hair is beginning to show hints of grey, and almost black sunglasses sit on his face. The candy-apple red car has a license plate emblazoned with 'STARK1', just in case one can't identify the driver.

And it's a good thing that those Spidey-senses are tingling. If they weren't, something would definitely need to be done as Tony isn't quiet as he pulls up and downshifts so he's just barely rolling, music pounding from the speakers, the bass rolling over it all.

"Hey!" Tony calls out up and over the blasting music; eyes are now turning to look at the tableau. Some whisper to each other, and others are getting up off the ground and starting to move slowly towards the scene. "Parker! Over here. Get in."

Spider-Man has posed:
Peter rolls his eyes for a moment. Subtle, Tony. "Hey Mr. Stark," he shouts out, waving as he trots over. There are certainly some oos and ahs from the students assembled, phones rapidly whipped out to snap photos. "Got my message about that positron research we were doing?" He tosses that out for the fans - just normal graduate level science stuff from a graduate level science student talking to a billionaire genius playboy philanthropist super-hero.

Peter manages a suitably Hollywood movie star look of admiration for Tony, no doubt captured by some of the cameras, as he slips into the car. Lowering his voice as he buckles his seat belt (he knows how Tony drives), he murmurs to Tony. "You know, you could have just sent an email, I'd have swung by." Literally, no doubt.

Iron Man has posed:
Billionaire genius playboy philanthropist super-hero with advanced degrees coming out of his.. well, yes, from MIT. Tony only stopped because very little was challenging. The concepts advanced as cutting edge were so dull that it wouldn't even slice through softened butter. "I did, yes." Tony's looking in Peter's direction, but his attention is focused on the co-eds taking pictures. For them, he gives that million-dollar smile that everyone is familiar with; that sort that makes him look as if it's just for that one person. It's a talent. "I think we'll get some interesting results," is continued broadly before Tony pulls out, his voice lowering, even with the *boom* of the bass, "Yeah, but let's face it. You need all the cred you can get. Email just doesn't come near." Thus endeth the lesson.

"Besides," Tony continues, "'meet me at Kathy's Korner for a burger' lacks all cool when it's written down."

Spider-Man has posed:
A soft laugh from Peter. "Do you expect that women will just fall over anyone who happens to be in your orbit?" He leans back into the seat, settling in for the ride. Not the car, of course - whatever business Tony is up to. "If that's the case, why is Happy always so, uh, Grumpy?"

He watches the campus fade away into distance, along with his hopes of getting the grades turned in on time. Peter Parker, late again...

"So, what's going on? If it was an emergency I figured you'd be in your other outfit, and we'd already be in the skies."

Iron Man has posed:
"Happy is so pleasant because he feels he has to protect me from everything that is bad in this world. I try to give him time off, but it doesn't seem to work. He sneaks back in with a different badge." Happy and badges! Tony looks back and forth from his passenger to the road, "And absolutely I do. Stick with me, get your picture taken a few times and agents will be calling you to hook their girls up with you for a Red Carpet event. Or a gala." Such is Tony's life.

"And if it were an emergency, we wouldn't be going for a burger in a kitschy little cafe that Pepper raves about all the time. Well, okay, we would. But yes, we'd be flying there." He grins soon after, and shrugs, adding, "Different level of cool. Stick with me and you'll learn." Tony does drive such that one actually does require the seatbelt, and as he turns corners, it's like he's the only one on the road. In the City.

"We gotta talk, though. Like grown ups. Think you can handle it?"

Spider-Man has posed:
"I'm not sure I am quite ready for that level of spotlight, Tony." Peter squirms a bit in the seat - still worried that some day his double life will sneak out. "I don't have the same freedoms you do about where I am spotted, and what I am doing."

Peter glances around quickly as the car speeds along, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, we'll see what kind of appetite I've got when I got there. I'll do my best to not Paste Pot Pete in your front seat." A soft laugh. "Listen, I know I still run around in my underoos, but I've been able to legally drink long enough that I've picked up a few adult conversation tactics. What's up?"