Oh no, he's dead!
Pepper blinked her eyes open blearily, her daughter Morgan asleep next to her. Since Tony had died his spot was always occupied with her little body. They both missed him so much. Pepper wished she had kept a few of his colleagues close, only now having Happy and Rhodey.
Gently leaving the bed she let her daughter rest, she was growing to look more and more like Tony now. It was nearing her 7th birthday and Pepper was making a list. She’d invite the remaining Avengers, retired or not. She also wanted a few of Morgan's friends. Happy and Rhodey were a given. She still felt like she was missing someone.
For the school year they had moved to the Tower, always visiting the lake house and Gerald the alpaca. Morgan went to school and came home, hanging on Happy. He was more than happy (ha get it?) to drive, like he was used to chauffeuring children to school. Odd. This was one of the few weekends they stayed at the tower, Morgan having a playdate later.
In the kitchen she started making waffles. As the batter sat in the helpful machine that formed and cooked them, she started on the eggs and bacon. Stirring the yolks together with a fork and letting them cook before scrambling them. The Bacon sizzled in its pan as she took the waffle out of the machine. Starting another she heard the soft patter of her daughter coming into the kitchen. She padded to the counter and sat down, she was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
chuckling, she finished breakfast, plating it for the mother-daughter duo. Pepper nudged the syrup at Morgan who immediately poured probably too much on her waffle. Pepper cut it up for her as she asked, “hey Mo, who do you want at your birthday party? I've invited your friends who i've met, the avengers, uncle Rhodey, and uncle Happy. Who else honey?” she asked, now digging into her own plate.
“Spidey!” her daughter shouted through a full mouth. Pepper's brain seemed to clear what she didn't know needed it. She now noticed the Spider-man plush that sat in her daughter's lap. The one that was made for her by Peter, Spider-man. Tony’s son, and by connection, hers. How had she forgotten peter? Pushed him away? Let all those things happen to him?
Oh god his identity was revealed to the whole world!
Morgan kept stuffing her mouth with waffles, egg, and bacon. Completely oblivious to the mental turmoil in her mothers head. Chatting away about what she and Petey could do at her birthday party. She could introduce him to her friends. Pepper’s fork hung in the air,close to her open mouth where she was about to take a bite.
_________
Ned and MJ rushed to each other. MJ had called her boss at the cafe, claiming sick. She had woken up with a terrible headache, then she watched the news. Spider-man, Peter Parker, was missing. No one had seen him. He just up and disappeared.
Calling Ned they ran to meet up outside of Stark Industries. If anyone would help them, it would be Pepper Stark-Pots, the wife of Peter’s mentor, and father-figure. The one problem they had was- well two problems technically.
First- Pepper was known to spend the weekends at the lake house, so they had no clue how to tell if she was home or not.
Second, and building off the first one- they had no way to get into the tower.
The security was known to be the hardest to get through. And two just out of high school kids were not on the list to get in. pacing the front together they talked quietly and rapidly. How to get in, how to find peter. It delved deeper into peter. He could be dead.
How did he disappear off the face of the planet?
As they were talking, growing increasingly concerned about what happened. Their save and grace popped up. Pepper Pots in her powerful and tailored suit, heels clicking on the concrete, walked past. All three of them did a double take. MJ watched her purse her lips before bucking her daughter, Morgan Stark, into the sleek black car that was waiting.
Go wait in the lobby, I'll come back and explain soon.
It was whispered in their ears as she pretended they had asked for an autograph. Smiling a PR smile that held some hurt and guilt behind it. She definitely remembered too.
Doing as was asked, they sat in the lobby. It was only about twenty to thirty minutes before Pepper strode in, no Morgan hand in hers this time. She gestured for them to follow her to the elevator, not needing to be told twice they followed.
___________
Strange was in the sanctum. He was in his room, finally sleeping after what felt like years but was only a few days. What he didnt expect when he woke up from his much needed nights rest was Wong blaring the news about Spider-man in the room next door and for him to feel the rush of magic leaving him. His magic. He had made himself and everyone else forget about Peter Parker. The sweetest kid in the universe,
Sitting in his bed, his heart sank. It was so heavy with grief and guilt he didn't think he could get up again. He knew his eyes were wide, bloodshot almost, and he could feel the tears, but nothing registered. Only a strong, yet comforting hand on his shoulder brought him back from the turmoil of hit thoughts. Looking next to him he saw the worried face of Wong, his mouth was moving like he was saying something but all he heard was the ringing of his thoughts.
I failed Tony.
I didn't do everything I could.
The kid was missing, who knows where now, all because of him.
What if the kid died.
He failed the kid.
It was a long while before he felt himself again, his eyes stinging from the amount of crying he was doing, tears still leaked from his eyes and down his cheeks. They left ugly marks that were a sign of his failure, he didn't wipe them away. He wouldn't protect his ego when Peter was missing. And it was his fault.
Wong was there, he hadn't left. He sat on the edge of Stephen's bed and kept a comforting hand on his shoulder. Now that thing registered, so did the questions Wong was asking him.
“What happened? Was it a nightmare again?”
Stephen closed his eyes, the last few dregs of tears leaving his eyes, he shook his head.
“Wong, I messed up. Bad.” He still wasn't looking at his best friend.
__________
Loki looked around his room in Asgard. It felt different than when he fell asleep the night before. Everything always feels different nowadays. But this was a weird different. He looked closer, into the tiny details of the pictures that littered his room. Odin had never allowed them to have pictures of their friends on their walls, unnecessary attachments and whatever. But with his father gone and Thor the king now, that changed. Loki had put up many pictures. Most were with the people he’d met on earth, a photo with the Avengers, a few with his brother. And lastly, the majority. But they were blank now.
Some were just scenery that once held something, Loki had no clue what though, as the scenery wasn't particularly pretty either. His eyes landed on the last picture, him and a man in a red suit. Spider-man.
Peter.
The images that were empty bled away, leaving the original picture. Him and his closest midgardian friend. Peter Parker. It had been a while, a year or so ago Thanos had attacked and he was helping his brother and Asgard adjust. He’d been meaning to visit his friend soon, but never found the time; Thor always demanded his attention.
He heard a hard knock on the door, immediately noticing the roughness that came with Thor. But it was still gentle, a sweet brotherly thing that made him feel like he actually had a family here. He would have liked his mother to still be alive, but everyone goes in the end.
Snapping his fingers, the smooth leather of his normal attire folded around him, replacing the pajamas, combing out his hair to be presentable. Deciding to ignore the obvious magic manipulation that forced him to forget the one midgardian who was nice to him from day one, he opened the door.
Thor beamed at him, his golden hair glinting at the natural lights streaming through the uncovered windows. Thor had really turned himself around, all for the sake of Asgard, he no longer sported a heavy unkempt beard and had a beer gut. He gained his muscles back, and shaved, his hair was still long but was now silky and at a manageable length.
“I was wondering if you would like to go to Midgard with me! I would like to see the Avengers again, and know that you and the man of spiders are close!” Loki smiled at his brother, a new thing he was still trying to get used to. He was thankful Thor wasn't as much of an oblivious oaf anymore.
“Sure, I was going to head down today anyway.” Thor beamed brighter somehow, throwing his hand with his reconstructed hammer in the air. It was now an axe but Thor was just glad to have his weapon back. They walked side by side to the bifrost, Thor going in first. It went directly to Stark tower. The few minutes by himself gave him time to think. Why was there magic in his memories? Why didn't he remember Peter?
What have you gotten yourself into Peter?