“FRI, give me a display of all files, would ya?” Tony asked, as he fiddled with one of his gauntlets down in the lab. “Certainly, boss” The AI responded, and a second later there was a list of files in front of him. He frowned as he saw one named `The kid winning his science fair´. Looking through his system, he noticed there was no other file named something with the word ´kid´ in it.
He opened the file, his brows furrowing. Who was this kid? “FRIDAY, do you have any other files with this kid?” he asked, and although no verbal answer came, multiple different files appeared in front of him. His eyes widened.
He wouldn´t just forget someone. Unless that person was unimportant, of course, but this- it didn´t seem like that. There were hundreds of files in front of him. “…Friday, get the team to the living room” he said, before quickly making his way there himself.
He had to know if one of them knew the kid.
***
“Tony, why did you call us here?” Sam asked, standing with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall. The engineer didn´t say anything, but pulled up the picture he has from the kid with a medal. “Do any of you guys know this kid?” he asked, and the others frowned. “I… can´t say that I have” Steve muttered, walking closer. “It does feel like I know him, but…” Wanda said, and a few nods in agreement went around the room.
“So, no? Because I´ve got over a hundred files in which he´s featured. Haven´t watched ´em yet” Tony said, and the others stared at him wide-eyed. “A hundred?” Clint repeated, and Tony nodded. “Well. Looks like we´ve got our movie night early” Scott said, before plopping down on the couch. “So, we´re just going to… watch them?” Bruce asked, and no one disagreed.
“Should I get some snacks?” Stephen asked, and slow nods went around the room, America following Stephen into the kitchen.
“That´s Peter” she casually mentioned, and the man´s head snapped around from where he was getting a bowl. “How do you know that?” he asked, and America raised an eyebrow. “Multiversal travel?” she deadpanned, and Strange looked embarrassed away. “Why can´t we remember him?” he asked, and America shrugged. “Can´t tell you" she said, before grabbing two of the bowls and rushing back to the others. Stephen shook his head before following her.
“Okay, everyone ready?” Tony asked, and multiple ´yes's rang out. With a deep breath Tony started the first video.
“Dad, are you sure that this is worth recording?” The kid asked, worried, and off-camera Tony scoffed. “Kid, you made your first AI. Of course, it´s worth recording” And a blush appeared on the kid´s face before he turned back to the computer standing in front of him.
“Okay… Uh… Karen? You there?” he tried, and a female voice answered “Peter. It is a pleasure to meet you” The kid whirled around to Tony, his eyes sparkling and a wide grin on his face. “It worked!” he cheered, before suddenly jumping on Tony, making the man yelp, and it was obvious they were hugging. “Pete…” Tony softly said, and the boy quickly scrambled back.
“I´m so sorry! I forgot that you weren´t into hugging! I promise I didn´t mean to make you uncomfortable! I just-” he was interrupted by a hand ruffling his hair. “It´s alright, don´t worry” Tony said, and a small grin was on the kid´s face. “Thanks Dad…” he muttered.
Then the video cut off.
The Avengers were left in silence. “Who was that?” Sam asked what they all thought. “Obviously someone close to Father over there” Harley commented, and the others were silent. “He called you dad…” Pepper muttered, and Tony hummed. “Friday, play- play the next one” he breathed out, and the video started.
“I´m not that strong” The kid muttered, a small smile on his face. “Peter Stark. Need I remind you that you carried twenty thousand tons the last time we checked?” Tony said, once again off camera, and Peter groaned, before shoving Tony gently. “Well, yea, but this is Kate! She´s strong and fucking badass…” he muttered, and, in the background, there was a chuckle.
“Well, thank you Petey. But since when did you back down from a challenge?” Kate asked as she stood in the doorway of a room-seemingly Peter´s- smiling softly. “I promise I won´t kill you. Yet” she added, and the brunette boy groaned. “I hate you” he muttered before pushing past her to the training room, flipping Tony and Kate off as they laughed.
The camera cut to the training room, where Kate and Peter were standing across each other in fighting position. “Give me all you got” Kate said, right before jumping forward. From there it was a blur of Kate´s clothes and Peter´s. In the end, Peter was on top of Kate, a knee holding down one of the girls' hands and a hand the other. The other knee was keeping her upper body restricted.
Multiple ´oohhh´s´s were heard from behind the camera, and Peter stood up with a huff. “You were holding back” he accused, and Kate stood up her hands raised. “I did no such thing. Perhaps Spider-kid is just stronger than Hawkeye?” She teased.
The video cut off. “He´s- that Spider… Spider vigilante” Cassi whispered from where she was tucked into Scott´s side. “I- It feels like somethings coming in my memories…” Bucky muttered, and the others were quiet. They felt it too. “We- Should watch the next one” Cooper muttered, and then the next video started.
“Are you seriously filming us playing right now?” Clint asked from where he was dancing on Just dance!. This time Tony was in the video, sitting on the couch, looking amused. “Why, yes” came Pepper´s amused voice. A squeak was heard as Peter was accidentally hit by Sam, who went a little too far to the side while dancing.
“Watch where you´re going, birdman number two” the boy grumbled, and Sam let out an offended gasp. “Respect- Respect your elders!” he grunted out, doing his best dancing. “If you win, you´ll be my favourite birdman” Peter challenged, and the man didn´t back down from a challenge, it seemed. “I´ll be your number one, just you wait” he hissed, and Peter´s laughter rang out.
“Why are you even doing homework right now?” Harley asked from where he was talking with Kate. He had an amused expression on his face. “Because… We´ve got a lot” Peter muttered, and suddenly the room grew tense for some reason. “Didn´t you do that task already thirty minutes ago?” Natasha suddenly asked, and Peter froze. “I-” The paper was taken away from him.
“And why does here stand ´Flash Thompson´?” she hissed, and Peter looked quietly away. “Have you been doing his homework for him?” America asked, frowning. “He´s a goddamn asshole. Why are you doing this?” she continued and Peter bit his cheek, drawing a little blood.
Natasha choked on her own spit, suddenly.
“He´s bullying you, isn´t he?” Peter´s silence confirmed it. The room was suddenly raging. “How long?” Tony asked, but Peter stayed silent. “How. Long.” he repeated, and Peter mumbled something they couldn´t understand. “Say that again, but louder” “A few years” Peter said, this time louder.
A literal growl escaped Bucky. “I´ll kill that fucker, I swear to god-” Harley hissed, and Peter jumped up. “Don´t! Please, I promise it´s alright-”
Then the video cut off. Tony gasped, his head aching.
“Dad, you don´t have to come-”
“I love you, Pete.” “I love you too, dad”
“I´m- I´m Spider-man” “No, you´re not” “I- I am? I think?”
“Pete- Petey, don´t do this!” Tony screamed, feeling his heart pound in his chest. “Dad- He said it´s the only way” His son- his fourteen-year-old son- whispered, but it felt like shouting to Tony. “Peter, he´s lying” Strange also tried, trying his best to figure out where the boy was. “I love you guys” Peter whispered, and Tony felt his heart skip a beat.
“NO-!”
He woke up the next day, wondering why one of his rooms was full of Star Wars stuff.
Tony was crying when he came back to himself. “Peter-” he choked out, and he saw the others in equal kind of shock. “Tony-” Steve whispered, but Tony immediately looked up to the ceiling. “FRIDAY, find any kind of hint on where he is” he immediately demanded, quickly standing up.
He wiped his cheeks with his hand, Looking around the room. He saw Harley crying in Pepper´s arms, who had wide eyes. Kate and her siblings were with Clint and Laura, looking horrified, Scott, Cassi, and Hope were just staring in space and the others were in some way comforting each other.
They forgot Peter. They forgot their youngest, who has now been alone for almost a year. “Fuck…” Tony muttered, sitting down next to his wife and son. “How- How long ´till FRI will find something?” Kate shakily asked, and Tony went quiet. “I don´t know” he whispered, and a painful silence swept over them.
***
Peter hummed to the melody coming from his air pods. He was carrying a bag of groceries up to his apartment, smiling to himself. He had a pretty good day today. No flashbacks, no memories, and especially no sighting of his family. That was a new record.
He opened his apartment door, and jumped five feet into the air, the groceries falling on the floor. As much as he wanted to deny it, he did scream.
There, in the middle of his apartment, stood Tony Stark. With everyone else lounging somewhere around.
Peter blinked, trying to process what the fuck was going on. “Uh- hello…?” he offered, and suddenly everyone was looking at him, making him squirm under their gazes. He heard his father's heart speed up and he frowned. “Are- are you alright, sir?” he asked, looking at Tony, who snorted. “Seriously? Sir? That´s so goddamn worse than anything else you ever called me” he said, making Peter´s heart skip a beat.
He took a step backwards, his eyes widening. He was ready to fucking bolt out of there. “Petey, I love you, but if you take one more step away, I will ground you until you´re thirty” Tony threatened, and a snort came from Harley. “As if you aren´t already going to do that” he said, and Peter was sure he was going insane.
He just stood there, staring at them. “Oh my fucking god…” he whispered, and suddenly a choir of “Language!” rang out. “Absolutely not!” Peter exclaimed, before he was bolting down the stairs. He heard groans behind him but ignored them in favour of doing his best to blend in with New York.
He turned around, making sure that no one was following him, when he stumbled right into someone. He looked up, wanting to apologise, when he saw that it was Rhodey, who had a raised eyebrow. “Seriously?” The man asked, exasperated, and Peter just blinked. “You´re coming with us” Stephen suddenly said, appearing behind Rhodey. Peter let out a defeated sigh before following them.
“So, how do you guys…?” Peter started and they raised their eyebrows. “Remember? We watched some footage, and boom” Harley simply said, and Peter hummed. “Cool, cool…” he muttered. “Now, what made you think that making everyone forget was a good idea?” Tony hissed from where he was sitting on the couch. Peter looked away.
“I thought… I was told that was the only way…” Peter muttered. “I´m sorry…” he whispered, and Tony deflated. God, his kid was going to be the death of him. “Come ´re” he muttered, opening his arms, and his son hesitated a bit before throwing himself right into his arms. Tony ignored the way his shirt was getting wet in favour of savouring the fact that he was hugging Peter right now.
“By the way, we´re going to have to have a party for your fifteenth” Harley suddenly piped up, and Peter groaned while the others laughed.
Yea, okay, they were going to be alright.