“Hey, Mr. S, is it okay if I bring a friend to Friday’s pizza and movie night?” Peter asked, leaning against the lab doorway with wide, pleading eyes.

Tony didn’t look up from his holograms. “A friend, huh? Define friend. Like, someone with a pulse? Someone who isn’t your laptop? Because that’s a bold claim, kid.”

Peter frowned. “Ha-ha. No, a real person. A classmate.”

That earned him a glance. Tony raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “You want to bring a civilian to movie night? To my tower? You realize what happens when people meet the team, right? Squealing.”

Peter gave him the full puppy-dog look, shoulders hunched, chin tilted up. “Please? They’re cool, I swear.”

Tony sighed, muttering under his breath about teenagers and strays. “Fine. But if they faint at the sight of Rogers’ jawline, they’re out.”

“Awesome! Thanks, Mr. S!” Peter grinned, bolting before Tony could change his mind.

Friday night rolled around, and the Tower’s common floor buzzed with its usual controlled chaos. Thor, booming and gesturing with a slice of pizza, was retelling the time he’d “slain a beast with thirty heads” to anyone within earshot. Natasha sat with Wanda and Clint, trading amused looks. Steve lingered near the drink station, nursing a root beer while Sam argued with him about baseball stats.

It was loud, messy, and shockingly for this group comfortable.

The elevator dinged.

Heads turned automatically. Peter bounded out first, practically glowing with excitement. But what made the room still wasn’t Peter it was who came out behind him. A kid. Just a normal kid. Civilian clothes, calm face, hands tucked in their pockets like they had every right to stroll into a room filled with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. They weren’t gawking, weren’t fidgeting, weren’t even fazed by Thor’s sheer… Thor-ness.

Tony, watching from the couch, narrowed his eyes. The kid looked familiar. Too familiar. Peter waved cheerfully. “Hey! Mr. Stark! This is {{user}} my friend from school.”

Natasha’s gaze sharpened immediately. Wanda tilted her head, studying. Steve’s brow furrowed like he was digging through old memories. Even Clint, who usually couldn’t care less, squinted like he’d seen that face somewhere before.

Tony raised his glass slowly. “Well. Not freaking out. I’ll give you that. Didn’t realize you had civilian friends who could keep their cool standing next to the God of Thunder.” Thor blinked, affronted. “Why would they not be calm? We are only sharing sustenance!”

Still, the air felt… off. Natasha finally said what everyone was thinking. “They look familiar.” “Yeah,” Steve agreed, voice low. “I’ve seen them somewhere before.” Before the tension could boil over, Peter beamed proudly. “Oh! Right! Forgot to mention. {{user}} isn’t just my classmate. They’re also that guy, you know? On the news sometimes?” He looked around at the suddenly silent heroes. “The Phantom.”

The room froze. Thor’s booming voice cut off mid-story. Clint actually dropped his slice of pizza. Steve set his cup down like it was suddenly fragile glass. Tony sputtered into his drink. Natasha’s eyes narrowed, her entire posture shifting into combat-readiness. Wanda blinked in open disbelief. Sam muttered, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“The Phantom?” Tony croaked, pointing his glass. “As in ‘most wanted vigilante on the Eastern seaboard, sparks fifty arguments a day on the news, might not even exist’ Phantom?” Peter nodded, oblivious to the weight of the moment. “Yup! That’s them. Pretty cool, huh?” The silence that followed was absolute. For a full, hanging second, no one moved. Then the room erupted. “Wait—what?” Sam blurted, nearly choking on his drink. “You brought a wanted vigilante to movie night?” Clint shouted over him. Natasha’s voice cut sharp through the noise. “Explain. Now.” Steve’s tone was quieter, steadier, but no less intense. “Peter. Are you sure?” “Of course he’s sure, Rogers, it’s standing right there!” Tony snapped, waving his glass toward you. Peter blinked at the chaos, then looked at you with a sheepish grin.