Chapter Text
Previously, on Young Avengers:
“You… Should… Ha-Have gone… For the head,” Thanos pointed out. And snapped his fingers.
The energy from that move burned through the Mad Titan’s hand and it was now scarred and charred.
“Wh-What… WHAT DID YOU DO?!” Thor demanded, but then Thanos simply used the Space Stone and portal-ed away, leaving Stormbreaker behind.
…
“Hey Fel…” Peter smiled weakly.
“Hey… Don’t close your eyes, got that?” Felicia replied sternly, but concern also laced her voice.
“Licia! Pete!” Kate called out. “How are you two?” She knelt down next to Peter. “Oh Pete… You’re gonna make it through, got that?”
“Kate… What happened?” Peter asked, still coming to.
“We…” Kate trailed tiredly.
“Steve?” Bucky called out and they turned to him. To their absolute horror, he suddenly turned to dust. Steve then walked to where Bucky was and knelt, to see if this was… Real.
“What the hell…” Sam trailed, but then he turned to dust too.
“By Odin’s beard…” Loki said in shock but then he too disappeared.
…
“Tony…” Harley’s eyes widened.
“Ah s***… Kid, you two take care of everyo-,” Tony said quickly but then he disappeared too.
“Oh my God…” Harley let his tears fall and went to his knees.
“He did it… He actually did it…” The blue alien said dejectedly.
…
Peter’s Spider-Sense went off. And he turned to, “Kate… Please no…” he said hauntedly, tears streaming down his face.
“Peter we’ll figure it-” then she noticed herself fading. Felicia also started crying. “Pete, Licia, I-,” she said just before fading as well. Neither of them were able to say anything to her before that.
“Oh God Kate!” Peter began crying.
“Kate…” Felicia sobbed as well.
“KATE!” Clint called out and ran to them. “Oh God no… No, no, no…” Clint began to break down as well, losing the only family member he actually loved.
Peter, while maintaining the hug, noticed Steve next to Vision’s body. “Steve…” Peter called out, and that got everyone’s attention. “Wha-… What happened?” He said in a broken voice while trying not to choke in his sobs.
Steve then just collapsed. He was tired, hollow, and resigned in everything… “Oh God…” He eventually said after some silence. “We lost.”
In the Wakandan Palace:
The surviving heroes were able to route the rest of the alien invaders. They were able to win the battle in Wakanda… But ultimately, they lost the war for the fate of the universe.
As a result of Thanos’ Snap, half of all life seemed to have vanished. That included the Wakandan Royal family, in T’Challa the King, Shuri the Princess, and even Ramonda the Queen. Roughly half of the Wakandan army was also dusted as a result.
The Snap also exalted a heavy toll on the heroes. Half of the actual Avengers were gone. And while only one member of the Young Avengers was snapped, that didn’t make it any easier for them.
They had to stay for one night, at the suggestion of practically every sane person. All of them were exhausted, so flying a plane, even something as intuitive as a quinjet, was not adviseable. They eventually relented and were given quarters for the night.
Peter Parker and Felicia Hardy were in one of the guest rooms of the Palace, the one designated for the former. There were no more tears to be shed for them, their tear glands dry from the rivers they let out for the past few hours. They simply lied on the bed, holding each other, trying to comfort one another for the loss of someone close to them: Kate Barton, Peter’s first love and Felicia’s surrogate sister.
The last few months for them were some of the happiest in their lives. Peter and Kate first got together, then Felicia eventually joined in. In a way, they were a team in themselves. They brought something to their relationship, each one bringing the best out of one another, and everything worked out. Kate’s seriousness and maturity were balanced by Peter and Felicia’s jovial and carefree natures. Felicia helped Peter and Kate work through their guilt complexes because she understood how grief should be handled: By having the right perspective and growing from there. Peter constantly reminded everyone of the responsibility they all had with their gifts and never hesitated to help anyone in need. They just worked.
And now… Peter and Felicia were left to pick up the pieces.
“I could have tried harder…” Peter whimpered out.
“Hey,” she guided his head to look at her. “I think you could have died earlier… But for some reason… He just stopped and changed his mind,” she whispered.
“I don’t know why… He just… He just said, ‘So you’re Peter,’” he continued.
Felicia looked at him in confusion. “How… How does he know of you?”
“Maybe Tony or Harley might have said something? I dunno…” He answered while trying to lean back on the bed, adjusting his position. Felicia came in closer and hugged him, not letting go. Peter wrapped an arm around her back, trying to hold onto her tightly. “Will you please stay here, Dear?”
“Of course, Lover,” Felicia nodded, her eyes still puffy. “I think we both need this.”
To hold one another. To get any kind of affection from a loved one who was not a victim of the Snap. To have a rock to help be the foundation for whatever this new world will throw next at them. They’re more than ready to trust each other.
In the guest room designated for Cassie Lang, she was with Ava Ayala.
For her own reasons, Cassie’s tears ran dry. She was worried for Harley Keener, hey boyfriend. The same one who went to space with Tony in order to protect a wizard who was safekeeping one of the Infinity Stones. But then, Thanos had all the stones, meaning something happened to their group.
“Ava… Harley and Tony wouldn’t have given that stone. Not as long as they were alive. Harley… He would have fought tooth and nail to protect it… Which means…” Cassie sniffled, tears no longer forming.
“Hey…” Ava hugged her friend. “I think the big purple alien could have gotten the stone some other way. You’re thinking of the worst possible outcome.”
“That’s because that’s the outcome those two would have allowed,” Cassie responded dejectedly.
“Look at me,” Ava suggested, and Cassie did so, showing her puffy eyes. “He could have killed any and all of us in that last stand, but he didn’t. He just wanted the stone. So, until, and only until we find any indication of them actually being gone, then you have to hold onto hope, Cass. Promise me that? Promise the rest of us that, please?”
“O-Okay…” Cassie breathed out while nodding hesitantly. Ava’s words though were probably exactly what she needed to hear, because they were as sensible for the situation they faced. “Once we get back to the compound-”
“I know Pete’s going to do everything he can to help find them,” Ava assured her. “But you have to understand…”
“He’s also mourning yeah…” Cassie sobbed. She couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for them. To see someone they know and love so deeply just suddenly turn to dust and die right in front of their very eyes. The horror and confusion that went with that was just unreal for her.
Harley had finished crying over Tony’s death. Everyone he was with in the trip suddenly turned to dust in front of him. He eventually began talking with the blue alien android who introduced herself as ‘Nebula,’ and they formed a plan: Use the Guardians’ ship and somehow get help. A pretty reasonable plan all things considered.
One hiccup though: The fuel cells of the ship were damaged.
So normally, as a mechanic himself, Harley’s first instinct was to somehow try and fix it. Then he ran into the next problem: the fuel cells were probably a few centuries ahead of what Earth had. However, after some help and guidance from Nebula, they were able to actually repair it.
Which led to another problem: The fuel cells were low on power. The damage caused the energy to leak, but at least they patched that up nicely.
Maybe the arc reactor of his suit could help. Thankfully, despite the beating his suit took, at least it protected that power source. He and Peter made sure to design the arc reactor to easily absorb energy and also dissipate excess energy rather efficiently. What surprised him was the fact that the arc reactor maintained its integrity despite the power of an Infinity Stone coursing through the suit.
When he and Nebula checked the control panel though… Yes, another problem. The arc reactor obviously wasn’t going to be strong enough to allow the ship to go into hyperspace.
So they decided to try and set course for the nearest refueling station, which was… A month away with the speed they were going to cruise in.
Yep. They were screwed.
But determined.
They set course for it. Because any chance of getting help was better than none. It was better than resigning to an alternative fate.
The flight back to the compound was somber, to say the least. There were silent conversations between the teens. The most a voice was heard was when Peter and Felicia tried to whisper assurances in each other’s ear, and Peter’s promise that he’ll do everything he could to find Tony and Harley.
Also, at least Peter had a basic idea of flying a quinjet, having taken lessons for the past few months. He still wasn’t as good as Kate in that department, but it’s doable, especially since Tony programmed the jets recently with a ‘Head Home’ feature. Landing the aircraft would be tricky, but as long as he wasn’t too near anyone, he would be fine.
Once they were back, their first order of business was burying Vision. They did not want him to be taken to wherever. Who knows what kind of nasty experiments would happen to that body?
Peter and Steve took point in digging a grave for the fallen android. When they laid the body to rest, they immediately started working to cover up the hole. Neither of them minded doing the manual labor, since their enhanced physiologies made that a cakewalk.
When they were walking back, Peter did quietly say, “I still can’t believe we lost…”
Steve put a hand on his shoulder. “Me too, son…” He sighed out. “Me too.” They shared a look. A look between two leaders with weights of responsibilities on their shoulders. Of those who did their best, and yet fell short and stumbled downhill. They showed remorse, regret, and frustration. How they wished they were better.
Later that evening, the beginnings of a list were forming from a census. A list of all those dusted or presumed dusted because they were missing. The teens braced themselves as they searched for the names of those they cared about. The problem was, almost all of them were there.
Keener family
Jim Paxton
Janet Pym (She somehow reappeared recently, but then went missing again)
Dr. Hank Pym
Hope Van Dyne
Maggie Lang
Scott Lang
Obviously, Cassie was in tears and sobbing upon seeing those names. All of her boyfriend’s family was lost. Her step-dad was gone. Her mother and father were both gone, as well as the extended family in the Pyms. She was basically an orphan now, with no real guardian to her.
Hector Ayala
Ava tried to be tough. That was the expectation upon taking up the mantle of the White Tiger. But seeing your last living parent be declared dead, and you weren’t there for them was… Heartbreaking for her. She tried to quietly sob as her own tears fell, realizing she was an orphan now as well.
Lydia Hardy
Felicia winced upon seeing her mom’s name, and a single tear did leave her eye. They weren’t always the closest, but Lydia did everything she could in her power to make sure that Felicia had a comfortable life and a guaranteed future. It was her particular love language. Then there was the fact that Lydia loved and respected Peter, so that would be missed too. Felicia was a little relieved to see that her father, Walter, wasn’t dusted.
Now she had to deal with a new problem: Taking over and managing the Hardy Group. And she wasn’t even 18 yet. ‘Surely mom would have had some sort of contingency plan,’ she thought to herself. She hoped she could rise to the challenge.
Betty Brant
Ned Leeds
Michelle Jones-Watson
May Parker
Peter was devastated to see those names, and actually began crying again as well. He was already an orphan, who lost his paternal figure in Ben just a couple of years ago. Now he lost his two oldest friends in Ned and MJ. Ned’s girlfriend was also gone. Finally, he’s also lost his ‘mom’ in May. He had no living relative left in his life. He was the last one in the Parker line.
He did note that Harry and Gwen weren’t on the list, which somewhat relieved him. Mentally taking note, Peter thought of contacting them soon enough.
Pepper Stark approached the teens after hearing the news. She offered to take them in so that they could at least have a legal guardian. In fact, she was willing to go as far as letting them live with her in a new house if they wanted to. Pepper’s heart really went out to all of them, because she believed none of them deserved to experience what they’re going through.
The teens thanked her profusely for her kindness and generosity, but also requested to be by themselves first and to talk. Pepper understood and respected them not going into a decision so hastily. Once in the conference room, they all sat down, and Peter began, “Okay, I understand that we’re all going through a lot, but I want you everyone to know that we still have each other in getting through this. No matter what, I can promise you that I’ll be there for each one of us, so if you need someone to talk to or to just be there for you, just say.”
“We appreciate that, Pete, thank you,” Felicia gave him a soft smile. “I can offer the same everyone as well,” she added.
“Same here,” Ava said appreciatively while nodding. “I just want to add that… I’d prefer to be with you all at the moment.”
“Thanks Pete,” Cassie gave a slight curve of a smile. “And I agree with Ava. Which… Brings us to Mrs. Stark’s offer…”
“Right,” Peter nodded curtly. “Personally, I’d take it. I won’t force any of you to take it, but I think she’s the best option. She already knows who we are and what we can do, so we don’t need to hide any of those things. Plus, she really cares for all of us, and she’s shown that over the time we’ve known her.”
“To add, money’s not an issue for her, so having a few extra mouths to feed won’t be a problem. And no, I don’t want to hear any arguments against that. At least she can actually take care of us and we won’t be unnecessary burdens for her,” Felicia explained.
“Where would we stay though?” Cassie raised a hand.
“We… Haven’t really discussed that, so how about we do so now?” Peter asked. “I know Mrs. Stark has a penthouse in Manhattan.”
“Staying with her is an option, but we can stay with me too. All expenses for the penthouse are handled by the Hardy Group, so I don’t need to worry about that,” Felicia offered.
“That’s an option I’d like to take, Fels. I don’t want her to move back there if it could be helped. And I still want to do patrol. Eventually,” Ava said.
“Gotta agree with Ava there,” Peter admitted. “After we pick up the pieces, I’d like to patrol again too.”
“So we’ll tell Mrs. Stark of the arrangement?” Cassie inquired.
“Yep,” Peter answered.
After they concluded that meeting, they went back to another room being used as a make-shift command center. At least most of Bruce’s equipment in his lab wasn’t destroyed during the attack, so they were able to set-up a scanner for space and also began searching for Thanos. Peter was hoping Harley would be sensible enough to send a transmission message soon, since they all expected to get one when they returned, but there was none.
“Queens, any luck on Tony and Harley?” Steve asked as he walked in.
“None, Steve. Sorry,” Peter shook his head. “Bruce and I are already doing scans for the entire electromagnetic spectrum in case of any transmission attempts, so I’ll let everybody know if we get anything.” Steve nodded in response
“We really appreciate this, Pete. If anyone can help find them, it’s you,” Cassie squeezed his arm, and Peter acknowledged with a small smile. Gosh he wished he could bring back his best friend, as well as their mentor figure.
“Hey, I found this,” Natasha entered, raising some sort of modified pager, with a gold star in the middle of red and blue screen. “It was by Fury’s car on the road, and it’s been sending this signal for who knows how long.”
Peter and Bruce examined the device. “Let’s make sure it doesn’t run out of juice, and bypass the battery,” the former offered.
“Yeah, I’ll attach it to the robot arm in my lab, then plug it in,” Bruce replied, and they went to do that. Thankfully with Rocket’s help, they were successful in doing so.
Natasha also updated what was going on within the city. In short, it was absolute chaos, since cars were left on the road, and planes crashed at various places. Meaning that people who initially survived the Snap died as a result of being collateral damage.
The following day, the teens did communicate their acceptance of Pepper’s offer, but asked if they could stay with Felicia first to give them the chance to do any hero work without disturbing her. She accepted without any issues and admired them for what they were still trying to do. However, she did insist on making sure they wouldn’t have money issues. Since Pepper was CEO of Stark Industries, she also handled funding for the Avengers, and consequently the Young Avengers as well. At her insistence, the teens were to receive the same salary as an ordinary Avenger, because what they did recently proved that they were more than deserving of that.
Of course they were all a little taken aback by that gesture, but considering they were all fending for themselves now, it was much appreciated in the end.
Felicia then met with all of them about budgeting: She’d handle lounging, no questions asked, while everything else was split between the rest at their insistence (that included groceries, any new furniture, and every other miscellaneous expense). And the excess, they either put into savings or plowed back into their investment accounts.
Peter was still doing scans for any transmission while helping fix the labs. He and Bruce expected that the pager that Nat found would receive some sort of reply sooner or later. They were still hopeful in getting a message from Tony and Harley.
Felicia was also making calls to the Hardy Group’s Legal Team to communicate that she was alive. Apparently, her mother left a will, and she was invited to the hearing of Lydia’s Last Will and Testament the following afternoon. She was allowed to bring one guest, so of course Felicia invited Peter to join her. Bruce simply assured Peter that he would handle everything with regard to the pager and the receipt of any messages then.
However later that night, the pager did receive a reply, albeit not the kind they were expecting. The pager Fury owned contacted a woman named Carol Danvers, AKA Captain Marvel. She was joined a teen named Sam Alexander, who went by the codename ‘Nova.’ Carol got her powers from an Infinity Stone, the Space one in particular. Sam though drew his powers from the Black Nova Helmet. They were a couple of galactic heroes.
Carol then explained that the pager was something she left with Fury to contact her in case there was a threat that he needed her to deal with. It just so happened that his recent use of the device was the first and only time he even sent a signal. “So he’s really gone?” Carol asked when Fury’s details were projected on the holo-table.
“We think so,” Natasha sighed out. “I found the pager next to his car. If it’s as important to him as you say it is…”
“Right, yeah… He wouldn’t just leave it there,” Carol winced.
Sam though interacted with the teens the most, since he was himself a teenager. “How are you guys holding up?” He asked them delicately.
“As well as an orphan can…” Cassie sighed out.
“Same,” Peter said quietly.
“Me too,” Ava shook her head.
“We’re doing what we can first,” Felicia breathed out.
“I lost my parents too,” Sam said morosely. When he asked what they were planning to do the following day, Cassie and Ava said they were going to help Bruce monitor for any transmissions from their friends. When Felicia and Peter explained that they were attending a will hearing, he asked, “So you two are…”
“Together, yes,” Felicia nodded then raised an eyebrow.
“And Fel asked me to accompany her first, so of course I’m joining,” Peter added.
“Right, so you two are together, we’re trying to find Cassie’s boyfriend, and Ava is single,” Sam nodded and flashed the single lady a smile.
“If that’s your attempt to flirt with me, you have to do better than that buddy,” Ava chuckled.
Lydia Hardy left nothing to chance when it came to her daughter, even after death. In Lydia’s last will and testament, she made sure to leave 100% of her shares to Felicia, and named her the successor as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of the Hardy Group. Going forward, Felicia was to have access to the entirety of the Hardy Group’s headquarters, facilities, and properties (that included the CEO office, desk, and even computers). Lydia ensured that the board had approved the choice of Felicia as the successor and would be under strict compliance with that.
Felicia though wouldn’t become CEO until she graduated high school, but at least there were two trust funds: One worth $300,000 to pay for any future education, and another worth $600,000 for her immediate access.
Both Felicia and Peter were pretty stunned to hear what was left behind for the former. While they were expecting a trust fund and a good chunk of the shares, neither of them expected her to be named the successor of the company just like that. The general counsel did acknowledge her as the boss now, and that company property was hers to access effective immediately.
They then went to her penthouse first to research how to deal with high school. Because of the Snap, schools were considering to simply administer aptitude tests to students and see if they were competent enough to be considered graduates of the institution. Printing the news of the option, they would show it to Cassie and Ava as well, considering none of them really felt like going back to school for the meantime anyway.
When Felicia and Peter told them about the option, neither of them hesitated to avail of it. The exam for Midtown was about a little over a month away, but none of them were truly concerned for that. They were some of the best students in school, so it wasn’t a question of whether or not they would pass, but what their rankings would be in the Top 10.
Harley was keeping track of the days because of his suit. Or more accurately, what was left of his suit. He and Nebula decided to dismantle parts of the armor to try and repair the ship. They made good progress, and were even able to get more out of the fuel cells, but even those sputtered out. Harley did have his helmet and communicator left though.
Wanting to go on a long as possible, they mutually agreed to ration the food available on the ship. They calculated that it could last them three weeks if they ‘rationed’ properly.
To pass time, they played paper football. Harley had to teach her though. It was a game he, Peter, and Tony played regularly when they needed to take breaks. In fact, Bruce and even Rhodey joined the mentor and the protégés during their downtime. “Alright, my turn…” Harley said in determination. They were both tied in score.
Then he flicked his paper football, and missed. Nebula then tried to make a goal, and she did. She won! “So that means…” She trailed.
“You won Nebula! Good job!” Harley extended a hand, which she shook. “Pretty good sport by the way! Fair game’s far as I’m concerned,” he smiled sincerely. Nebula actually seemed happy to have finally won at something. “You had fun, right?”
“Yeah. I did,” she gave a slight smile.
Seven days drifting into space, Harley decided to pull one more trick out of his sleeve. “Okay so if I synch up my tracker ring to the communications array of this ship, the signal sent should be picked up by any Earth satellites, allowing communication and even an approximate location… And if I reroute the power from my arc reactor, I should get this communicator online…”
“How are you able to keep up with the technology of this ship? If Terra’s science is not as advanced as you say it is…”
“Well, I have to believe I can. Tony taught me to do that,” Harley nodded.
“And why help me? We didn’t even know each other until Thanos left,” Nebula asked quietly.
“I’ve got some abilities and skills on-hand, so I gotta use it to help as many people as possible. That’s something my best bud Pete taught me,” Harley answered, a little more seriously.
“Thank you…” Nebula said in all but a whisper.
“And of course, I believe in you. I don’t think you’re evil or malicious, just maybe a little frustrated, maybe wanting some recognition. All my friends taught me that, especially Cass,” Harley added with a soft smile.
“Is she your partner?”
“Yeah, and she’s the love of my life too. I’d do anything to see her again. Hence why I have to at least try this,” he responded with determination.
When the communicator came back online, Nebula actually felt a bit of hope for them. “You did it,” she said sincerely.
“Alright then!” He said triumphantly. Putting his damaged helmet in front of him, and he pressed a button to start a recording. “Okay here goes. So hi, my name’s Harley Keener…”
In the Avengers compound, the teens have been staying there for the past week, not wanting to leave until they get something from Tony or Harley.
Everyone was gathered in the conference room. Rhodey spoke up, “It’s been seven days since Thanos came to Earth.”
“World governments are in pieces. Those that are… Still ‘working’ are trying to continue doing a census and with the current ones available it looks like…” Natasha trailed.
“Like Thanos really did wipe out 50% of all living creatures…” Peter shook his head.
“Boss! Incoming transmission!” Karen spoke up.
That got everyone’s attention. “Is that Tony?” Pepper breathed out.
“And Harley?” Cassie asked, finally seeming hopeful.
“Karen, access and play transmission,” Peter requested. The holo-table in the middle of the room then projected someone familiar.
“It’s Harley,” Cassie said in a voice ladened with emotion while a single tear fell.
“Okay here goes. So hi, my name’s Harley Keener. If anyone’s getting this message, currently I’m drifting off in space. Been like this for a few days now. Maybe a week, I think. We tried getting to a refueling station, but the fuel cells were cracked. Managed to reverse the polarization of the ions there for a little extra juice, but that conked out eventually…” Harley shook his head.
“Oh God…” Cassie trailed, as if horrified.
“Wait, he’s been drifting in space for the last week!?” Peter asked incredulously.
“Karen, FRIDAY, begin tracking where that signal came from,” Felicia ordered.
“Got it, boss!” The AIs replied.
“Came up here with Tony and Dr. Strange, a sorcerer. We went to this planet together but I’m the only one who got off. They turned to dust right in front of me,” he sighed tiredly.
Pepper actually began crying. That was confirmation that Tony was gone. “He… He always comes back…” She sobbed into Rhodey’s chest, who tried comforting her.
Peter actually shed a few tears and tried to control his sobs in front of everyone. He already lost so many people he cared about, so it just hurt like hell to learn that his mentor and father figure didn’t make it as well. Felicia went on over to hug him, and did her best to provide any comfort.
“If Mrs. Stark gets this message, please know I’m sorry… I swear, I pulled off every trick in the book I knew. Heck, everything Pete and I came up with worked pretty well, but… But Thanos was just too much for us. He won, while we lost… I couldn’t save him, Ma’am, and I’m so sorry again,” Harley said dejectedly.
Everyone just looked down. Ashamed that they lost. Frustrated that they couldn’t have done more.
“It’s… It’s my fault too…” Peter quietly said through his sobs.
“Lover… Pete, no it’s not,” Felicia assured him as she cupped his cheek.
“Harls… It’s not your fault,” Cassie whimpered out. Pepper quietly agreed with both of the young ladies in the room, and mentally noted to talk to the boys.
Steve looked to Peter and to Harley’s projection. Both of them looked devastated from Tony’s death, and as if they carried an immeasurable weight on their shoulders. But Peter’s been looking better over the past week because Felicia constantly talked to and reminded him that what happened was never going to be his fault. Harley didn’t look like he got that kind of support recently.
“I hope this message gets to someone in time, because well… I do want to go home. I wanna see my friends again. Gosh I hope they’re all alright… Especially you, Cass,” he said sincerely and manage to give a soft smile.
Cassie began sobbing again. She really wished he could get home too. Harley was one of the few people left in her life. Ava went over to hug her and massage her shoulders as well.
Natasha and Clint looked at him softly. They knew he was starting to feel resigned to his fate. No kid deserved to feel that way.
“In case I don’t make it though, I just want y’all to know that I really miss you guys. I wish we fought together one last time. Heck, even just one more movie marathon would be great. Pete, thanks for being like the brother I always wanted. Take good care of everyone, Tony told us to do just that.”
“Gosh we should have stayed together,” Peter’s voice cracked. “Could have made a difference in that fight…”
“Most of all, to my friends turned family… I love all of you. You especially, Cass. I hope we see each other soon, but in case we don’t… I’ll see y’all on the other side.”
“Please… Please tell me we’ll find him…” Cassie whimpered out through her sobs.
“Karen, FRIDAY, any news?” Peter asked, fighting back a sob of his own.
The holo-table then projected the night sky and a red circle appeared somewhere. “Signal tracked to approximately come from this location, boss!” Karen responded.
“Okay, ready the medical wing in case he needs it. I’ve got a rescue mission,” Carol said as she walked to the exit.
A little over an hour later, the ship arrived with Carol carrying it. Everyone was outside on the field as the ship descended. When the door opened, Harley walked out, a little banged up and thinner than before, but alive and well. Cassie quickly barreled into him for a hug, while tears were streaming down her face. “Oh gosh you’re alive…” She said in relief.
“Hey darlin’… Sorry about missin’ our date last week,” he tried to chuckle out. He then gave a grateful nod and smile to Carol. She simply nodded back at him with a smile of her own.
“That’s fine… You’re back. That’s what matters,” she smiled. Turning to Carol, she mouthed out a ‘Thank you,’ to her, which she acknowledged with a smile.
Peter then approached his best friend, with Felicia by his side. “Harls… I’m… I’m so sorry I wasn’t there, man…”
“Pete… I’m sorry I wasn’t where you guys were…” Harley sighed out. “And… Tony’s gone…” he continued as a tear left his eye. “We lost up there man…”
“We… We lost here too…” Peter looked to the ground. “Everyone in the team lost someone or…” He trailed, unable to say it and looked to the ground and tears started falling too. Peter and Felicia just hugged again, the pain of remembering was still intense, but they’ve been getting better at managing it.
Harley looked around. He saw that some of the Avengers were gone. Turning to his team he noticed it. “Oh God… Pete… I really am so sorry, man…” He was trying to fight a breakdown. And Harley couldn’t imagine losing Cassie.
Then Ava stepped in and pulled everyone closer for a hug. After God only knows how long, she broke the silence. “It’s still good to have you back, Harls,” Ava said sincerely.
“Thanks guys… It’s still good seeing y’all…” Harley smiled softly. He then turned to his new friend. “By the way, this is Nebula. She was up there too. And we helped each other while stranded in space.”
“Your friends?” Nebula asked.
“As I said, friends turned family,” Harley smiled softly.
“He’s told me about you all,” Nebula said longingly. They smiled sweetly back at her and introduced themselves.
Harley and Cassie then approached Pepper; whose tears still stained her face. “Mrs. Stark…”
“It’s not your fault. I know what you were going to say, and no. I don’t want to hear it. I’ve been telling Peter over the last week, and I had to remind him again recently,” Pepper said compassionately as she pulled him into a hug. “Neither of you are to be blamed, got that?” She whispered in her ear. He simply nodded in response.
Felicia and Cassie made the best beef stew, and thankfully, there were leftovers to heat. After a good hot meal, Harley was caught up as to what happened on Earth over the past week. He decided he would take the aptitude test as well with the rest, and would stay with everyone else in Felicia’s place first.
Everyone was gathered in the command center once again. The pictures and names of all those confirmed dead or missing continued, and Harley was pretty devastated to lose all his family members. And he felt for the rest of his team too, having lost almost everyone they cared for. His heart definitely sunk when he saw that his little sister was snapped away as well.
After Natasha gave another update on what the world governments were doing, Harley asked for another kind of update. “Okay, so, were we able to find Thanos?” His voice still shaking from the news.
“No, not yet. He opened a portal and… Walked right through it,” Steve sighed.
“And uhm, what’s wrong with Thor?” Harley asked, seeing the god sulk in the corner.
“He thinks he failed,” Rocket said. Harley had to blink twice to check if he really was actually seeing what he was seeing. “Which of course he did, but you know there’s a lot of that going around, ain’t there?”
“Yes, he is an actual talking raccoon, Harls,” Cassie pointed out.
“Okay… Definitely did not expect that today,” Harley said plainly.
“We’ve been hunting Thanos for the last week,” Steve tried to steer the conversation.
“While we were trying to find you, we also did some deep space scans, satellites, and all that. Still nothing,” Peter shook his head.
“Harley, you fought him as well, right?” Steve asked.
“Uhm, I think that’s an embellishment, Cap,” Harley chuckled sarcastically, and probably only Peter could really understand why. “I wouldn’t really say I fought him. He frikkin’ threw a moon at Tony and I,” he drawled, and that statement garnered concerned looks from everyone. “Then, he coursed some energy through my suit and for a while my body, then slammed he me facedown onto the ground.”
“Can’t say I had a moon thrown at me, but I know what you mean about him coursing frikkin’ Infinity Stone energy through me, then being slammed down too,” Peter breathed out. The adults couldn’t imagine what the heck those two went through in holding back Thanos.
“I mean… I really thought I was goin’ to die…” Harley rubbed a temple. “Then Strange gave the Time Stone away for my life, and yours, Pete.”
That got everyone to just look at him.
“Wait, Harls… Did you just say that he gave it away so that he wouldn’t kill either of us?” Peter asked, working through his shock.
“Yeah, he did…” Harley nodded.
“Because… Thanos looked like he was going to kill me but then…” Peter trailed.
“Kate and I…” Felicia tried to say, the name almost making her choke. “We screamed his name just before he was going to deal the finishing blow.”
“Then Thanos looked at me and said, ‘So you’re Peter,’ and didn’t kill me there,” he said thoughtfully. “Then he threw me to the side of a mountain, cracking that.”
“Wait, not that I’m not grateful that you two are alive, but I just need to know… Why did the wizard bargain for your lives?” Clint raised.
“Because… Strange said there was 1 in 14 million timelines where we won, and he said he would make sure we would head off the right path no matter what…” Harley answered, his eyes wide now.
“Meaning that path requires the both of you to be alive,” Natasha finished thoughtfully.
The teens all gave one another a look, silently understanding what they had to do. “Come on,” Peter nodded. “Let’s get back to finding that bastard.”
Once they got back to finding Thanos, Nebula did mention that since her ‘father’ was successful, he would ‘retire’ somewhere. “It’s called the Garden,” she said as she inputted the coordinates, and it showed a green and blue planet, almost like Earth.
“You’re sure about this, Nebula?” Harley asked.
“I am,” she nodded curtly.
Then something showed up on the scanners. “Hey wait. That’s an energy surge right there,” Peter pointed out.
“Look at that,” Rocket said thoughtfully, and then pressed a few buttons on the holo-table. “When Thanos snapped his fingers, Terra, or Earth here, became ground zero for a power surge of ridiculously cosmic proportions. And no one's ever seen anything like it.” The projection showed a large, energy surge showcasing various colors that went all over the whole world and then emanated into space. “But that looks familiar right?” He asked smugly.
“It’s exactly like the surge from the planet Nebula mentioned,” Peter answered.
“He used the stones again,” Steve stated. Everyone shared a silent look, knowing what they were all thinking.
“Whoa, hey, hey, hey everyone. We would be going in shorthanded,” Bruce chimed in.
“Look he’s got the stones-” Rhodey said.
“So let’s get ‘em,” Carol nodded. “And use them to bring everyone back.”
“Yeah exactly,” Nova also nodded.
“Just like that?” Rhodey asked, trying to hide the incredulity in his voice.
“Yep, just like that,” Peter said as he narrowed his eyes on the hologram.
“Even if there’s a small chance that we can undo this,” Natasha offered.
“Then we have to take it,” Clint said seriously. “Because we owe it to everyone who isn’t in this room to at least try.”
“Okay, so if we do this, then how do we guarantee that it’ll end differently from last time?” Bruce inquired, still skeptical about the plan.
“Because last time you didn’t have me,” Carol said plainly.
“And me,” Nova added confidently.
“Okay, new kids,” Rhodey said nonchalantly. “Every person here is about that superhero life. And if you don't mind me asking, where the hell have you two been all this time?”
“That’s because there are a lot of other planets in the universe, that unfortunately didn’t have you guys,” Carol answered.
That shut Rhodey up. It was quite an eye-opening statement, because it was a reminder that this problem didn’t just involve Earth. It involved the entire universe.
Thor got up for from his seat and approached them. He then held out his hand, it being between the heads of the two space heroes, and waited. Suddenly, Stormbreaker flew across the room, and it was caught in Thor’s hand, mere inches away from the heads of the two new allies. They didn’t even flinch, and they gave cheeky smirks at him. “I like these two,” Thor nodded in approval.
Everyone looked at the hologram once again.
“Okay let’s go get this son of a b*tch,” Peter said.
Harley still wasn’t in the best state, so he and Cassie stayed behind in the compound first.
Inside a repaired Benetar flying through space, Rocket asked, “Okay, who hasn’t been to space?” Near him were Nebula, Carol, Nova, Bruce, and Thor.
Peter, Felicia, Ava, Steve, Rhodey, Nat, and Clint raised their hands. Rhodey asked for them, “Uh, Why?”
“Just don’t throw up in my ship,” Rocket turned back to the controls.
“Approaching jump,” Nebula stated. “In 3… 2… 1!”
Then the ship went fast. Like stupid fast. Peter thought that it was probably warp speed by the look of it. The ship then entered a hexagon-shaped portal and then another, before arriving at ‘The Garden.’ The ship slowed and hovered above the planet’s orbit.
Carol and Nova went outside. Carol in her golden aura, while Nova glowed blue. “We’ll head down to recon first,” Carol said.
Inside the ship though, Steve was looking at an image of Peggy Carter. Nat and Clint looked at a picture of them with Kate at the farmhouse. Peter and Felicia were also looking at a picture of them with Kate while they were hanging out in Felicia’s penthouse.
“This is going to work,” Ava whispered to them.
They all turned to her. “I sure hope so Ava… Because I don’t know what we’re gonna do if it doesn’t,” Peter sighed, garnering nods from everyone.
The Carol and Nova approached the Benetar once more. “We got nothing,” Nova said.
“No satellites, no ships, no armies, no ground defenses of any kind. It's just him,” Carol added.
“Then that’s enough,” Nebula said.
Thanos didn’t really stand a chance this time. He looked ridiculously weak. When Carol and Nova flew in, they used their energy blasts to distract him then they knocked him down. Carol went for a headlock, while Nova went for a leglock. Then the Hulkbuster went through the floor and grabbed the gauntlet arm and pulled hard. Suddenly, Black Cat and White Tiger came in, their claws digging deep into the arm and forearm that didn’t have the gauntlet on. Thor then came in and used Stormbreaker to slice off the arm that had the gauntlet on.
Spider-Man walked up the steps of the house and then entered with a determined look on his face. Steve, Rhodey, Nat, and Clint walked behind him, all looking intensely at Thanos.
“Hello again, Peter,” the Mad Titan greeted wearily.
Spider-Man then removed his mask to show who Peter really is. “I see you still have the souvenir you got from me last week,” he quipped, referring to the four gashes his nanotech claws caused on the villain’s face.
Rocket then walked next to them and flipped over the Infinity Gauntlet to reveal… That it had no Infinity Stone attached to it. Everyone stared at that for a second. “Oh no…”
“Where are they?” Steve asked.
“Answer the question, before the lady squeezes harder,” Clint sneered.
“He’s got a point,” Carol agreed as she squeezed harder.
“The universe… Required correction… After that, the stones served no purpose. Beyond temptation that is,” Thanos answered.
“You murdered trillions!” Bruce shouted as he pushed Thanos back. Luckily, Carol and Nova let go. But Black Cat and White Tiger kept their grip, and their claws caused deep gashes that made his other arm useless as well.
“You should be grateful!” Thanos groaned in pain. “Especially you, Peter, after I spared your life as well as your co-protégé’s!”
The next scene shocked everyone for a variety of reasons. Peter then speed-blitzed the Mad Titan and punched him as hard as he could. When the downward punch connected at the alien’s face, there was a bit of a shockwave, then Thanos was sent through the floor. Peter then shot a web to bring him back up and put a tight grip around the Mad Titan’s neck. The gashes on his face also began bleeding once again. “You killed people we love, and you expect us to be grateful?” Peter sneered before throwing him across the room.
“Queens!” Steve said.
“Hey,” Black Cat said gently as she removed her helmet to show her face. “This isn’t you,” Felicia whispered gently to him. Peter let some tears fall before he looked down on the floor in shame. Felicia then hugged him tightly, letting him know that she was there for him.
Turning their attention back to Thanos, Natasha asked, “Where are the stones?”
“Gone… Reduced to… Atoms,” he grunted out.
“You used them a day ago!” Clint shouted.
“I used the stones to destroy the stones,” he breathed heavily. “And it nearly killed me… But now the work is done, and it always will be…” Thanos was panting now. “I am… Inevitable.”
“But that would mean…” White Tiger trailed hauntedly.
“No, no, we have to tear the place apart, he has to be lying!” Rhodey was panicking.
“My father is many things… But a liar is not one of them,” Nebula pointed out.
“Ah… Thank you daughter… Perhaps I treated you too harshly-” Thanos sympathetically said, but then…
Then Thor sliced the Mad Titan’s head off. Stunning everyone.
“What… What did you do?” Rocket asked, still shocked from the scene.
“I went for the head,” Thor sounded like he wanted to sob. He just walked out of the house, leaving everyone still stunned and speechless as to what transpired… And as to what it meant…
Thanos really won. And they couldn’t reverse it.