Chapter Text
New York, New York (Earth-616) Three Weeks after the Battle at the Endgame.
The streets of New York were covered in red-and-blue banners. Thousands of people flooded the streets, clothed in red and blue, many wearing masks designed to look like Spider-Man’s own.
There was a stage planted in front of the City Hall, many officers of the NYPD stood in front of the stage.
On the stage was a podium with a microphone, and behind that was a large LED screen.
To the side of the stage there was a crowd of anxious reporters at the ready.
A young boy runs through the crowd pulling his backpack straps closer together, he pushes his way to the front of the stage and pulls a home-made Spider-Man mask over his tear-stained face.
A clock tolls in the distance, church bells ring across New York.
The crowd silences as the Avengers begin to walk up the stairs onto the platform.
Tony Stark approached the podium, and tapped the microphone gently. Static played through the air.
Tony leaned into the mic.
“You all should be aware of what occurred three weeks ago. We fought our biggest threat and we won. Not because we were strong, but because he was.” Tony gestures to the screen behind him and a photo of Peter Parker appears on the screen.
The crowd seems confused.
“That is seventeen-year-old Peter Parker, and our Spider-Man. You didn’t know him, but I did. He was the best damned intern I’ve ever had. He loved his friends and family, he made us watch Star Wars every movie night.” Tony's voice cracks. “He volunteered his free time at F.E.A.S.T. the legacy of his late Aunt, May Parker. He spent school nights swinging around Queens, the place he loved most in his heart.” Tony pauses.
“Three weeks ago, he made the greatest sacrifice, one he shouldn’t have had to make. If he hadn’t made that choice, we would not be here today, there is no doubt about that. We owe Peter Parker our lives. The universe owes Peter Parker.”
“We cannot bring him back, but we can do our best in his honor. Help your neighbors, your family, your friends, your community. Share as much love as Peter did for the world.” Tony stepped back from the podium and turned toward the screen, he looked as though he was trying to burn the image of Peter into his eyes.
Others stepped up and gave their thoughts about Spider-Man and Peter himself.
The sun began to set and people held out lit candles, held onto their neighbors and swayed together.
Eventually, the crowd began to thin, over a thousand flowers laid beneath two frames, one holding a photo of Peter, and the other Spider-Man.
The Daily Bugle - One hour after the vigil for Spider-Man
In an office at the top of the tower the Daily Bugle was housed in, a man sat at a large wooden desk.
J. Jonah Jameson sat alone, in the dark, only illuminated by a small television in the corner playing a recorded broadcast of the vigil.
Sigh
He took a swig of whiskey from his glass.
In an apartment in Queens, NY
Ned and MJ sat on his bed with two plates of tacos from the best taco truck in Queens.
He grabbed his remote and turned to Star Wars: the Last Jedi.
“This is for you, buddy.” Ned said aloud as he raised a taco and put it in the air in a cheering motion.
“Cheers, Peter.” MJ said, raising her food to meet Ned’s.
They learnt of Peter’s death two days after it happened. Tony wasn’t so cruel as to not tell them before the vigil. But, it didn’t make the night any easier.
The three musketeers were down to two.
Avengers Tower - One hour after the vigil
Tony opened his liquor cabinet. It was still pretty full. He needed to change that.
Pepper had tried to talk to him after the vigil, but he brushed her off. It was unfair of him to do so, he knew Pepper had loved Peter as much as he did.
He just didn’t have it in him to care anymore. Peter was gone. He was never going to walk through the lab and bug Tony till he stopped working. He was never going to see Spider-Man clinging to the side of the tower, knocking on the window even though he lived there full time and could use the door. He was never going to hear Peter nag about how much time Tony spent in the lab and needed to take better care of himself.
Tony would sit through all the complaining in the world if it meant he could have his boy back.
He should have been the one. Peter had so much more life to give, rather than some crotchety billionaire. Pepper and Peter would have been sad, but they would take care of each other.
Peter had been “gone” before, but when Peter was dusted on Titan, there was always still a chance for him to come back, Tony felt that deep in his heart.
But Tony screwed it up, he had finally gotten his boy back and sent him to his death within an hour.
Peter was gone for good now. He can’t even time travel fix-it this time.
He pokes around his liquor cabinet, dragging a finger along each bottle. Stop. Cognac 1811 Grande Armee. A very expensive wedding gift from another affluent friend. That should do. He had been waiting for a reason to open it, now seems like a perfect time.
He grabbed only the bottle, he wasn’t intending to portion his servings in a glass.
He plopped down on his couch. The couch he, Pepper and Peter had movie nights on.
Hah. He took a swig from the bottle. He coughed briefly. This drink was not exactly worthy of the twenty thousand dollar price tag.
Tony didn’t really care about the taste, he wasn’t in this for enjoyment. He just didn’t want to think about Peter any longer. He didn’t want to feel the guilt.
Tony had managed to hold himself together the past three weeks after he was gone. Tony knew he needed to keep it together long enough to get the recovery process moving for the rest of the world. He needed to see Peter’s vigil through with as much grace as he could muster.
He couldn’t do it anymore.
He took another swig. And another. And more. He’d be worrying about alcohol poisoning if he could think clearly.
Doctor Stephen Strange. He said there was only one shot, and he told me if I knew, it wouldn’t happen.
He knew. He knew his boy was going to die. Why didn’t he tell him? Sure, that outcome wouldn’t have happened, but Tony would put his own life down instead. Equal trade, it shouldn’t have changed a thing.
Tony looked at his phone lying on the side table. He picked it up and opened the contacts.
Scroll, scroll, scroll, stop.
He clicked on ‘Strange - Wizard.”
It rang three times before someone picked up.
“Tony, what do you need? It’s nearly midnight?” Strange answered.
“You. Y-you knew.” Tony slurred.
“Tony, I have no idea what you mean. You’re going to need to be more specific.” Strange huffed.
“Yooou said we had one shot. Pe-he was gonna die and you knew it!” Tony yelled through the phone.
“Tony, I did not know. I honestly did not see that outcome. The only outcome I saw was you dying Tony. Truly, Tony, I was completely and utterly surprised.” Strange pleaded.
“B-bullshit. If-if you had told me he was going to do it, you’d have gotten that outcome. But, you didn’t. It’s your fault. You should have told me. Pete would have lived. He’d have been safe. All that’s left of him is a charred arm in a metal cast.” Tony hung up the call before a sob could leave his throat.
He took another swig from the bottle still tightly clutched in his hand.
“I’m sorry, Peter.”
For once in his life since accepting the Time Stone Stephen Strange had no idea what had happened.
It’s your fault. You should have told me. Pete would have lived. All that’s left is a charred arm in a metal cast.
Tony’s words repeated in his mind.
Stephen let out a groan, and put his head into his hands, pressing the palms of his hands into his eyes.
Maybe Tony was right. Maybe if he’d told Tony, the kid wouldn’t be gone. Wouldn’t have met a miserable end. Stephen was foolish. Maybe talking about the future wasn’t like telling someone your birthday wish.
Wishes can’t come true if you share them out loud.
Fuck.
Stephen laid back onto his bed. He wanted to just sleep the thoughts away, but the guilt was eating away at him.
Avengers Tower - Three hours after the vigil
The team hadn’t left as soon as Tony did, but after their part they didn't stay long.
They had gone back to the tower and sat down in the common area.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The sound of Clint throwing a ball against the wall was loud in the room.
No one was talking, they didn’t need to.
There was a general feeling of failure and guilt that was shared by the group.
They all felt they could’ve done more. Maybe if they had fought harder Peter wouldn’t have felt the need to make that choice. It was an irrational thought. They all had fought their hardest and it wasn’t enough. The snap was something that needed to be done. They each wished they had been the one instead.
Tony may have been expressing his guilt in the loudest, most self-destructive way, but that didn’t mean he was the only one that cared about Peter.
One year after the “Civil War” as Tony had sarcastically called it, the team kissed and made up. They knew they needed each more than they could admit, so they all moved into the tower.
Peter moved in a few months later after one Green Goblin flattened his Aunt May with a parking garage.
Peter had a rough couple months, but the Avengers and Pepper got him through the grief, and helped Peter focus on the more positive things in life. When Peter wasn’t terribly depressed he was a ray of sunshine that was sorely needed in the tower.
Peter wasn’t just another superpowered individual, he was family. And everyone missed him.
The room remained silent, save for a few sighs. The Avengers stayed like that for a while. After an hour they slowly filtered out, one by one, returning to their quarters.
It was just Nat and Clint left in the room.
“I wish it would have been me.” rushed out of Clint’s mouth.
“I was going to say the same about myself.” Nat huffed out with a laugh that held no humor as she put a hand on Clint’s shoulder.
The silence returned, but now that the feelings had finally been expressed, the quiet tension was gone.