Chapter Text
Peter sat with Mr. Stark in their shared lab, both of them working on their own projects at the same table. Life had been difficult after May’s death, but Mr. Stark had appeared at just the right moment. No one knew how it had happened, but Mr. Stark showed Peter that he still had a family even when he had lost all of his biological relatives. Peter now stayed with Mr. Stark and his family until college (at MIT, to Mr. Stark’s delight) started in the fall.
Mr. Stark still didn’t know exactly what happened with Dr. Strange and the multiversal visitors; the memory of May’s death and almost murdering Norman Osborn to painfully fresh in his mind. Peter was happy to keep things the way they were, with Mr. Stark unaware of what Peter had become. He was trying to be better than Peter 3 said he had been in his grief, but it was hard. Mr. Stark’s fatherly relationship with him kept Peter afloat and he did not want to lose that last tether to a family.
Peter sat on a stool at the lab table working on his web formula on the holographic interface projected in front of him. He still wanted to know about Peter 2’s organic webbing—he had so many questions—but he had to make do with the insights he gained from Peter 3’s altered manufactured webbing. Before they enacted their plan on the Statue of Liberty, the three Peters had some time to exchange notes on their techniques and on how to combat potential future villains that they had defeated in their own universes, and Peter wanted to implement some of that. While they were technically the same people, they each seemed to have their own personalities; they really were more like older brothers.
Older brothers that Peter had probably lost forever. He sighed, remembering the empty promise to see them again. Stephen had managed to keep the multiverse stable, so he doubted that the other Peters would return even if it was possible without destroying the multiverse.
Mr. Stark looked up from his work at Peter’s sigh. “What’s wrong, kid?” he asked, setting down his tools.
Peter eyed his movements. “It’s nothing.”
Mr. Stark paused, considering. “Are you sure? You can tell me about it, you know. Always.”
“It’s fine,” Peter replied, lying on instinct, still looking at Mr. Stark’s hands. He had gotten into the habit of assuring people he was fine. What was the use in bothering them with the truth? But he still felt the guilt settle in his stomach.
“Pete, will you look at me?” Mr. Stark asked. Peter slowly dragged his eyes upwards to meet Mr. Stark’s. He wouldn’t lie to his face, and Mr. Stark knew it. Sometimes his ingrained morality was frustratingly inconvenient.
Peter slumped onto the table, head resting on his arms. “Okay, I’m not fine, but I will be. Thanks, Da-Mr. Stark. Thanks, Mr. Stark.”
At his slip, Peter darted a glance at Mr. Stark’s face to see if he noticed. Mr. Stark’s eyes widened minutely at the slip, but he just said, “Anytime.”
Just then, a spark appeared in the air of the lab, quickly growing into a flaming circular portal. Peter and Mr. Stark jumped up from their seats, almost falling on the floor. Mr. Stark looked at Peter in alarm to see if he sensed danger, but Peter quickly shook his head: his Sense was quiet. Somehow, he felt even safer than he had before.
The portal opened into the Sanctum Sanctorum. A layer of snow and ice no longer smothered every surface; instead, Peter could see the warm wooden interior. He imagined this was what it was supposed to look like, not the cold winter wonderland.
However, his inspection of the room ceased when his eyes caught on Stephen. Nothing seemed wrong, but considering the last time they saw each other, Peter asked, “Is everything okay, Stephen?”
Any response Stephen might have begun was cut off by Mr. Stark’s offended “Excuse me, ‘Stephen’? Why is he ‘Stephen’ and I’m still ‘Mr. Stark’?” Peter laughed nervously, waving him off as casually as he could.
Stephen looked at Mr. Stark in barely restrained amusement for a second and immediately turned back to Peter. “Yes, everything is fine. The multiverse is still intact.”
Peter heard Mr. Stark exclaim, “The what?!” but he tuned it out, focusing on Stephen instead. “Okay, so why—”
Peter was cut off by the appearance of two familiar figures in the background of the Sanctum. Two red and blue suits, at once similar and yet so different from his own. His eyes widened and a grin stretched across his face. “Peter 2! Peter 3!” he exclaimed, greeting each one.
Tony followed Peter’s gaze. “Wait, what the fuck? Am I the only one who has no idea what is going on right now?”
Stephen chuckled. “Mostly, but even I don’t fully understand those three. Come,” he said, and ushered Peter and Mr. Stark into the Sanctum, closing the portal behind them.
Peter ran to greet the other Peters, who had yanked their masks off. He wrapped an arm around each one in a hug. He pulled back just as fast to look at them.
“What are you guys doing here?” he asked. “I thought I was never going to see you again.”
Peter 2 laughed. “What, you thought I wouldn’t want to check up on my brothers?”
Warmth rushed into Peter’s heart and he felt his eyes begin to water from his overflowing happiness. His family was suddenly bigger than he thought it was. “I wasn’t sure it was possible.
Peter 3 explained, “I wasn’t either, but what was I supposed to do when I saw a mysterious portal open up in front of me? Not go in?”
“Ned told me that the last time you went into a mysterious portal you ended up wiping a spider web off of his Lola’s ceiling,” Peter replied, discreetly wiping away a small tear with his thumb.
“Well, she was delightful! And Peter 2 went in the portal too, and he’s supposed to be the responsible older brother, so…”
Peter 2 frowned in mock offense. “I am not! What made you think there was such a thing as a responsible Peter Parker?”
Peter furrowed his brow and placed a consoling hand on Peter 2’s shoulder. “Do we need to talk about your self-image?”
Peter 3 cackled while Peter 2 sputtered, lightly pushing away Peter’s hand. “Excuse you, my self-image is great. I’m just saying I’m not responsible.”
“Okay, but you said ‘circle back to that’ in a conversation unironically,” Peter 3 pointed out, regaining control of himself.
Peter 2 considered that for a moment, and then admitted, “Okay, fair enough. I did do that. But it was a necessary evil.”
Peter 3 smiled, satisfied, but he paused when he noticed Peter’s misty eyes. “You okay, Pete?” he asked softly.
“Yeah,” Peter said, pulling both Peters into a hug again, “I really missed you guys.”
He heard Peter 2 reply, “I missed you, too,” while Peter 3 said, “Me, too.”
In the ensuing calm, Peter heard Mr. Stark’s voice again. “Okay, will someone please explain to me what the hell is going on?”
Peter grimaced and turned around. Well, he guessed it was time for the truth. With the other Peters steady at his back, he began to explain.