| Spider-man Rocks? |
| Summary: | After having a serious flashback that leaves her distraught and in tears, Serenity calls Peter Parker out of desperation. He sends a car to pick her up and bring her to Parker Industries. After they talk, he gives her a chance to sing for him and offers her a recording contract on the spot. |
| Date: | 2016-08-21 |
| Related: | None |
| NPCs: | Miss Wei, Unnamed Limo Driver |
| Scene Runner: | Spider-Man |
| Social/Plot: | Social |
| Players: |
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It's moving on after dinner time when Peter Parker's phone rings and displays the number of the cellphone he gave to the girl in the park that night.
Peter is working on a project of his own design. Currently he has a blueprints pinned up to the wall, and several white boards all full with mathematical markings on them. The chair was all metal with wires that came out of it in all directions, and on the back a spine that attached to a helmet that had several different attachments on it as well. He heard the phone ring, and took a step back wiping the sweat off as he picked up the phone. "Go for Peter?" he said before he remembered.. "Oh, sorry.. umm Parker Industries Peter speaking." he corrected himself as he went to one of the white boards to re-read his math as he held the phone up to his ear,
On the other side of the phone the girl's voice is small, "Are you really Peter Parker?" There's doubt in her voice but also just a hint of tears thickening her voice.
Peter stops for a moment looking away from the board to check the number of the phone. "Unless there is another one I don't know of, I mean there is always an evil twin right?" and he chuckles a little bit. He continues holding the phone with his head, as he writes some more things on the board. "Listen, I am grateful that I have fans, but listen I am not big on autographs or rewards so if your from the city I appreciate the effort but there is no need for it." he scratches some more things out, and writes other things down though he doesn't hang up as that would be rude.
Serenity must have expected him to do exactly that but she says, "I'm not a fan. You gave me this phone in Central Park fifteen days ago after saving me from Jason and his friend."
Peter stops writing, "OH hey.. Sorry, I get a lot of calls these days and I didn't recognize the number. What's up, he didn't come back again did he?" he sounded serious for a moment. "If your in trouble you know you can just ask, I will do what I can." He moves over to the desk, and pushes a button on the desk, as he mutes the phone on his side for a moment. "Send in Mr. Brown please." then goes back to the phone unmuting it again.
Serenity says softly, "I'm safe and I know you have no reason to care, but I just needed to talk to someone. I can't talk to the people here. Not yet. I…" She cannot find the words so just stops for a moment, waiting for him to hang up or something like that.
Peter listens, and nods though she couldn't see it, and waves in Hobie Brown as he continues to talk. "Listen, we all need someone to talk to once in a while, but I can't leave here right now. So this is what I can do, if you give me an address I will send someone to pick you up, and bring you here. We can talk maybe eat a hot meal, and we can keep you coming here a secret from the public at large so you can still keep your secrecy." he pauses, "This isn't something I will try to talk you into though it has to be because you want to I know what it is like to be alone, and the only way out is a choice made by you.. So how bout it? You up for the challenge?"
Serenity hesitates for a moment, "You'll send me back where I was when we're done talking? I'd hate to have to call them and beg for a ride back."
Peter chuckles, "Of course, though I will be sad we don't get to keep you I will drop you off wherever you want in the world does that sound alright? Though if it isn't New York it would be tougher for me to reach you if ya ever want to talk again, but that is up to you." he waits then continues. "So let me know, and I will send someone out there.. we will say the password is.. Spiderman Rocks!" and Peter grins again to himself.
There's a long pause at the silliness of Spiderman Rocks as a password. Then Serenity gives the address of Xavier's Institute in Westchester County. "Does that mean I have to say that to get the ride to where you are?"
Peter chuckles, "No.. You don't have to, but it is nice to hear sometimes. One moment.." he puts the phone to his chest, "Have one to pick up at the Xavier Institute she will be waiting for you… Take the tinted window car, and keep it hush hush." He is about to put the phone back, but then remembers and tells the other person in the room. "Oh, and the password is Spiderman Rocks.. Yes, seriously.. What…" Peter sighs, "No.. you don't have to say it, why do people keep asking me that?" and with a smile he puts the phone back up, "Alright he is on his way, don't go anywhere if he isn't there in thirty minutes call me back okay?"
Serenity says, "I'll be at the end of the drive waiting for him." She hangs up, wipes her face and goes out to wait for the car. When the driver gets there, she tentatively says to him, "Spiderman rocks?" before getting into the car and letting him drive her off to someplace unknown. She then proceeds to spend the entire trip calling herself crazy for getting in a strange car like that. She knows firsthand the dangers of hitchhiking after all. Soon enough she is arriving at the Baxter Building.
The driver looks just like a normal guy as the limo with the blacked out windows pulls into the institute. The back window rolls down, and a large and what might be scary to some looking man looks at her with a gruff impression nods to her. "I am not going to say it the boss pays me well, but not that well." and opens the door to let her into the car. He doesn't say anything to her as they drive away he does lift the phone, and push a button. "Yea we have her, and on our way back… No, clear any stragglers, and enable the signal blockers just incase." He then shuts the phone, and his eyes shift around almost like someone who is looking for threats around them.
It doesn't take long for them to get back to the Baxtor building, as they pull in it looks like there is no-one else about as they pull into a drive way that goes under the building away from public eye. As the car stops the large man opens the door and leaves the car then holds the door open. "Miss, there is an elevator right there." he points to the nearby elevator, and continues. "Use this card, and push the top button. Just let them know your there for Mr. Parker and they should let you in." After she leaves the car he would re-enter it, and they would pull away again to do who knows what who knows where.
Serenity gets out of the car when the door is opened and looks around for any signs of potential danger herself. When she cannot spot any she tentatively follows his instructions, feeling really stupid and a little wary. By the tie she finally gets to the person who she tells that she's there for Mr. Parker, Serenity is so wary she looks like she's about to jump out of her skin if someone so much as say Boo.
It is a pretty quiet trip up, and up.. The elevator opens, and a woman is just sitting behind a desk in a pure white room. He wearing a suit nods, and gets up leading her to another double doors that are behind him. Opening the doors lead to a large open room. It looks like this is where Peter works as there are pictures of mechanical devices all around, and books galore some in order. Some of them are on shelves some of them on tables, and even some on the floor, but what really sticks out is the large metal chair. Under the chair are two little legs that seem to be bopping the feet to some sort of beat. There are sparks coming from under the chair as it could only be guessed on what it is for with the wires going everywhere, and the metal spine that connects to the helmet above it. As she enters the doors are shut behind her, with the person that let her in says.. "Good luck." giving her a smile as they knew that Peter once explaining things could make ones head hurt. So she is left standing there what looks like a plastic human representation with parts like the head marked and open, and on the other side a picture of multiple planets all overlapped onto one on a map with math markings all over it.
The Good Luck does not make Serenity feel better. She walks into the room, eyes wide, wondering what she's gotten herself into this time. She clutches her hands together as she says, "Peter?" Apparently they are going to be on a first name basis.
There is no answer for a bit, as the young Peter crawls out from under the chair he stands up there are ear-buds in his ears, and he has a wielders mask on. Flipping the mask open he moves to put down what looks like a wielder singing a bit to the song, "Haters going to ha…" he stops mid-word as he see's Serenity pulling out the earbud's and turning off the music quickly.. "Oh hey! Didn't think you were going to be here that quick.. I am sorry!" he smiles and waves her over. "I hope you were not waiting long!" he adds now that the embarrassment was over he takes off his gloves, and tosses them down removing the wielders cap all together. "But welcome to Parker industries.. I hope I don't have to mention what you see here I wouldn't tell others about it isn't ready, and I don't want to get hopes up."
Serenity shakes her head, "No. I wouldn't know what to tell someone if I wanted to tell someone. Your secrets are very safe." She slowly moves toward him but still looks really wary. Her hair is brushed unlike the last time he saw her and there's not a speck of dirt on her anymore, or her clothes. "It's not good to sing with your ears blocked so you cannot hear yourself. It can really hurt your ability to stay on pitch. A lot."
Peter chuckles a bit, and facepalms.. "Let us specifically forget that part!" He on the other hand looks a bit different as well as he is wearing a spiderman T-shirt, and jeans and is covered in what could be metal bits, dirt, all kinds of stuff that one picks up while working. He does nod to her though, and moves to a pile of books, and papers from what it looks like. "Well I am all ears, did you need a drink or something before ya started I have Orange juice, Milk, Soda, Redbull, you name it." As he talks he moves the books, and papers as there is a mini-fridge hidden under it, and grabs some juice for himself. "Either way take a seat somewhere, what is on your mind?"
Serenity refrains from muttering that she really wishes she could forget his singing. She looks around the room. "Is there a chair that is safe? This looks like a room nobody should be in." She chews her lower lip. "Juice would be good."
Peter looks up, and chuckles. "Oh you don't want to sit in the big metal torture looking chair?" he grabs Serenity some apple juice heading back. He heads back, and hops into the Metal chair tossing her the juice. "There are folding chairs on the wall over there." he nods to the wall. "So what is up?" he adds quickly at the end of it.
Serenity glances around until she spots the folding chairs then goes over to get one. She unfolds it then curls up into it. She unslings her guitar from her back in the process and puts it in her lap. "I just needed to talk to someone. Have you ever needed to talk so badly you felt you might burst if you didn't and had no one to talk to?"
Peter listens, and nods. "For a long time I felt that way about my hidden identity, but there was no-one who I could talk to… It was pretty rough." he eyes her, "But your stalling aren't you." he adds with a smile, "It is okay you are safe here, I won't plug ya into some evil chair or nothing." and gives her a wink! "So tell me what is on your mind? What is it that you want to talk about? I get it is rough, but you came here because you knew you could talk to me, and now is your chance."
Serenity rubs her face then her eyes specifically before closing them. Too much in this room is something it would be better if she didn't remember. "I should be happy but I can't stop feeling like I'm making a mistake. It's nice not to have to worry about where your next meal is coming from but… I can't help feeling I'm missing a huge catch." She tugs at her Xavier's t-shirt as if that would explain what she means.
Peter isn't the 616 Peter so he doesn't know about the X-men, or the institute. He is quiet for a moment, and nods. "Well… mistakes by themselves are not bad, but one needs to be careful what makes you think what your doing is wrong? I mean I can offer you meals, and a place if ya needed it, but would that be a mistake on my part? Maybe, but I am still willing to try because it could turn out well for someone." he shrugs to himself. "Then again the worst that could happen is you are a spy for another company, and even then I could just invent other things." With a chuckle, he takes a drink before continuing. "You sometimes have to measure the good, and the bad.. Have you listed them out yet?"
Serenity smiles wryly, "I don't know when I last felt like the worst thing that could happen was something as small as corporate espionage. You're very lucky, Peter." She looks down. "Xavier's looks like it's a safe place. Everyone tells me it's a safe place and that they are like a family, but I can't trust it. No good place ever is." She pulls her legs up into her chair so she can wrap her hands around her knees and rest her head on them. "But I can't say that to them either, now can I? If I offended them they might kick me back out on the street. And Jason's probably still looking for me."
Peter shrugs, and continues "You have no idea…" thinking about how he just kinda popped up and had all this. He listens though, and ponders. "I wonder, if your thinking about leaving anyway, what harm could it be to talk to them? I mean you never know sometimes people surprise us, and worse comes to worse isn't it better to speak your mind, and know other then to leave and wonder what could of been?" he smiles and takes a drink, "And yes.. he has, but he hasn't came near you as far as my security has told me. I mean right now he is still fighting legal issues over his last encounter so hasn't had time to wander too far."
Serenity blinks once then again. "You have security people watching Jason? And how can there be legal issues if no one pressed charges against him?" She frowns, "Or is it me you have people watching?" She starts to shrink back warily into her chair even though it really doesn't make that much sense that he would be. Her suspicious nature overrides her logical thinking sometimes.
Peter chuckles, and shakes his head. "If I had been watching you, I would of known where you were at, or what the issues you were facing were. Unfortunately I know neither, as it is him I was.. lets just say keeping an eye on." he looks at her, and sighs. "At some point you are going to need to let someone in, it doesn't have to be me maybe someone at this Institute you are talking about, but though there are a lot of bad people out there.. there are also some good ones. It is just hard sometimes telling which is which." he chuckles, and shrugs. "Oh, and about his legal issues, we were forced to restrain him, and though you did not push criminal charges, we did civil charges so he has to pay for our equipment. Until he does we are keeping an eye on him to make sure he doesn't pull any funny business" he hops up, and tosses his empty drink into the bin, and gets another one. "So is there a headmaster there at this school? As maybe it is time you had a sit down with them, and explained where you are now, and where you wish to go.. you know.. in the future."
Serenity doesn't precisely relax but she becomes less tense. "I already let someone in once. I don't know if I have it in me to do it again. I thought I wouldn't have to worry anymore. That even though I was still homeless, at least I was safe with him watching out for me. But he didn't even think twice about abandoning me when he decided to go. Everybody leaves. Except the people you want to leave."
Peter nods, and looks at her. "I get that, and it is hard to trust again.. I don't want to underestimate that, but at some point I am sorry to say it this bluntly, but you have to move on." he shrugs to himself. "One of those things, might be to straight talk to someone like your headmaster other then to assume how they will react give them the benefit of the doubt." he smiles at her, "If you want help doing it I can meet this person, and maybe see if they are really that bad. I mean why not right?"
Serenity admits softly, "I don't even know who the headmaster is. I'm not even officially a student there. I think I'm just freeloading and taking up space in their conservatory because I can't keep my hands off the grand piano. They came to find me in the park but now that I'm there it seems like no one cares."
Peter nods, and thinks about it. "So they are just giving ya a place to stay. Well that is weird, I mean you seem to be young enough for classes and stuff I mean is there a reason?" he shakes is head, "And it is always easy to say no-one cares for those who do are prob trying to keep a straight face and be happy for you other then being sad that your not there. I mean who know, maybe they don't know you as from how little I know about you now it doesn't seem you make friends easily so maybe it is because you were so isolated?" he holds up his hands, "I am not saying that is too bad, I mean we all deal in our own way, but if you don't go out and meet people ya can't worry about them not knowing you are gone to be fair."
Serenity frowns, "Don't you judge me, Peter Benjamin Parker." Does she sound suspiciously like his Asian minder there? "I never said I worry about them not knowing I'm gone. I said no one seems to care that I'm there. No one's tried to get me to enroll in the school. I'm old enough that I don't have to, but it might be nice since I never finished school."
Spider-Man chuckles, and holds his hands up. "Judging is not the same as logic… It only makes sense to be honest. And if you don't speak up then you will just be where your at never moving forward or back, I mean what do you want to do? Do you want to go to school, do you want to get a job somewhere? I mean maybe they are just giving you a chance to decide what you want to do, and giving you the room to do it?" he looks around, and then walks up to the metal chair. "Do you think this was all given to me? I had to work hard to learn science, then fight to get my patents through despite my age, and then make the money step by step to reach where I am now." Okay it was a bad example, the other Spider-man did it, but to be fair it was how he got here, and then he just popped in and took it over. Peter sighs, and looks at her. "I am not judging, I am trying to help but you need to know what you want to do first so you know where your heading. Does that make sense? I mean how can I say for sure that you need to do X if I don't know what the goal even involves X?"
Serenity chews her lip again. "I want to sing. That's always been true. Someone told me my covers feel like they should be on an album themselves. But I can't do that without id. Although I suppose I could get an id now that I'm 18." She closes her eyes, "I'm not trying to say you didn't work hard. I don't even know you. You seem awfully young to have done all this though. I mean how old are you even?"
Peter smiles, and nods. "A singer huh.." he shutters as he thinks about his singing.. "I could never do that.. I could make a robot that does it, but never that." he kicks his feet up.. "How bout this, to become a singer you need to be discovered, and then backed usually by a record label.. etc." he looks at her, "You sing for me, and if I like it I will hook you up with manager, and Parker Industries will back you. I will have a contract written up, and I am sure we will have to take some small percentage. Once ya pay me back for the money invested you can re-sign or go with someone else. If you fail… you come to work for me here. I will pay you of course, as I am always looking for people I can trust, and then take a small amount out of your pay until you pay me back at which point you can quit, or do whatever from there." he smiles, and stands. "And I am sixteen.. I have been doing this for a while though, and I have an eye for talent, and opportunity not to mention one of three highest IQ's on the planet so yes I am really young to do all of this, but there is a good reason for it."
Serenity just stares at Peter like she can't quite believe what he's saying, "Are you serious?" She licks her lips then shifts her guitar into playing position, "What do you want to hear? I can sing for you right now."
Peter nods, "Yes.. Top three. Oh you mean about the signing." he gives her a wink. "Of course, we are talking business.. I won't go easy on you, so you need to be good, but if you are I will fully back you as I said. It is not usually our field of expertise, but I can reach out.. money knows money and all that. So.." he sits in his metal chair, "Wow me.. whatever ya like, just go for it and don't hold back as this is your shot." he smiles at her. "No pressure though." then he sits back and listens and waits for her to begin.
No pressure he says. Just a chance to have her own record contract and be set in the job she would have chosen for herself. No pressure at all. She closes her eyes and thinks for a moment and then begins to sing, Yesterday by the Beatles. She doesn't give him time to express his opinion when she finishes. Instead she moves straight from the Beatles to Guns and Roses with Sweet Child of Mine. That's followed by an excellent acoustic version of Taylor Swift's Shake It Off. Serenity's good. She has perfect pitch so every tone is precisely what it should be. She has natural rhythm so she never chases the beat or plays too fast. Her vocal quality changes from one song to the next as Serenity cannot help infusing some elements of the original singer's voice into her version of the song. Only after the third song does she stop and look at him nervously.
Peter is quiet even after she is done.. He just sits there quietly looking at her looking at him. He doesn't say anything for a while until he stands up, and moves to his desk. With a sigh he pushes the button on it, and it buzzes. He looks at her still quiet.. just waiting, as the doors open. "Yes sir.." a Chinese lady shows up opening the door. Peter speaks up, "I need the Miss here to be put in contact with a lawyer, and a contract written up for a lawyer, and musical manager from one of our more industry inclined people." she looks at him, "Sir? This is going a bit far for a fri…", but Peter cuts her off.. "This is business Miss Wei. We are doing this not just for her, but for our company as well." then all he gets in return is a "Yes sir, of course.. I will get right on it." maybe she was just glad he was working to expand Parker Industries, or maybe she heard his tone that showed this wasn't just for fun, but looks over at Serenity. "Miss, if you would come with me we are going to need to do a sit down, and find out what you need, and talk numbers." she looks at Peter. "I am sure the boss would not want something unfair for you, but there is much we need to do." Peter looks at her, "Listen.. I need to get back to work on this, and I will be around.. How bout you go with her figure out what needs to be done, and we can continue this after your done so you can tell me any worries that you have okay?" he moves to hold a hand out to her. "Welcome to Parker Industries.. You are hired into our new Music industry.. Parker Recordings. I guess I am now your boss if you agree to it."
Serenity seems a bit overwhelmed by this turn of events and even though she desperately wants to just sign anything they put in front of her to get her hands on this opportunity, it's just too good to believe. She looks from Miss Wei back to Peter and says, "Matt Murdock is my lawyer. He's a lawyer at Nelson and Murdock in Hell's Kitchen. I want him to say it's okay before I sign anything." She's obviously reluctant to go with Miss Wei even as she turns to do so. She stops and turns back to shake his hand.