Room 307, Monday Afternoon

[dollpocalypse]

It wasn't like Topher was writing fanfiction about one of his best friends or anything.

At all. Because that would be wrong.

It was just that, well, said best friend (shut up, he totally was his best friend) happened to be a superhero. A superhero with, as it turned out, an exceptionally devoted online fanbase. Who had… ideas. And something called a

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[selfhelphero]

It wasn't like Billy was reading fanfiction or anything. It just happened that he was bored after class, and that meant pulling out his laptop and wandering through the internet. It was a total accident that he ended up at the kinkmeme.

Just like the last few times. Really.

He was just scrolling through, skimming the new entries when the words "high school" caught his eye. That was entirely Tony's fault, for talking to him and reminding him that a teen-aged Iron Man existed. As for reading the story, well, that was probably his own fault, but it was so long and earnest that he had to keep going to see where the story would end up. He had trouble letting go that way.

When he got to the end, he logged in registered to leave a response, wondering if the fangirl author (the writing totally pinged fangirl to him, even if it was about a boy) would even read it. Still, he typed Great story! Would love to see more. :) and sent it off.

[dollpocalypse]

Ha! Finally, someone who didn't want to talk about Shakespeare or self-inserts or whatever. Take that, Jane.

Thanks! he wrote back. I'm thinking about a sequel where Chris saves him from a tentacle monster. Yea or nay?

[selfhelphero]

Billy had never actually had that mental image before, but it was kind of hard to get rid of now. Yea, definitely, although where would the monster come from?

Darn Billy and his need for a modicum of reality in his stories.

[dollpocalypse]

This fic here, Topher answered helpfully, with a link to a dreadful, dreadful story he'd read this morning, says they just show up in subway tunnels sometimes.

Someone in Tony's universe had gotten her facts wrong, oh yes.

[selfhelphero]

Billy made a face, but clicked on the link anyway, and then backed away quickly. No, they really don't. Definitely not like that. Because ew, no, dreadful. Maybe there'd be one at the school?

[dollpocalypse]

Seems like something that would show up at Pandom, Topher replied thoughtfully. Because his fake names for things were so creative. Seems like the kind of place that would get that kind of thing. Or mechanical spiders. Or weird mutated alots and stuff.

Shh, Topher.

[selfhelphero]

Billy eyed the screen for a moment, because while he was a little oblivious sometimes, he wasn't entirely clueless. Or maybe Chris and Iron Man could get bitten by something at the school, and think they were in love with each other, or something.

Maybe it was a different place vaguely rhyming with Pandom. He couldn't think of any girls here as crazy obsessed with Tony as he was, even if he did keep his attention a secret.

[dollpocalypse]

Clearly Billy just wasn't looking in the right places!

I like that!! Topher agreed excitedly. Dude. That's way better than gremlins turning them into croc hunters. I like the way you think!

[selfhelphero]

Oh, now Billy's curiosity was totally piqued.

Glad I could help, but I have to ask--gremlins?

[dollpocalypse]

They're these little green things that live near my school, he explained. They bite.

Someone needed to explain to Topher the rules of internet safety.

[selfhelphero]

Yes, that was very unsafe, but Billy was glad for the naivety right now. This couldn't be real, seriously. You didn't happen to base the school in the story on your own school, did you? And maybe base Iron Man on someone there? he replied, waiting a moment before adding Just curious.

[dollpocalypse]

You're not trying to kill him, are you? Topher checked, because he was vehemently opposed to giving out any information that might lead to Tony's death.

[selfhelphero]

Would I be here reading stories about him if I was trying to kill him? Seriously, that'd just be awkward. I'm asking because I go to a school with gremlins too.

That was vague enough for the internet, right?

[dollpocalypse]

Well. You know. Maybe. There were some weird people out there.

Topher paused, considered that, then decided to present a challenge. Then what's his name?

[selfhelphero]

Billy paused for a moment and prayed that Tony - any version of him - wasn't the kind of guy to Google himself. Or pay anyone else to do it for him.

Tony Stark. It's funny, because there's a guy with that name at my school too. It could totally be a different Tony! And Stark was a really common name!

[dollpocalypse]

Topher didn't know whether to be possessive over the object of his crush or glad that there was someone else at this school in the same boat as him.

Probably a weird combination of both.

You go to Fandom, don't you? Topher ventured.