superposition

can't pretend that I was perfect, leavin' you in fear
oh, man, what a world, the things I hear

Peter liked to think that he was handling things pretty well. It’s been about, what was it again? 14 months and seven days since he was erased from everyone’s memory? Yeah, something like that.

Don’t get him wrong, it’s been hard. Especially in the beginning. The first six months since the spell, he was on a downward spiral. He wasn’t eating, he wasn’t showering, the only time he slept was when he passed out from exhaustion or dehydration. Even Spider-Man was suffering, despite the fact that he was on patrol nearly 24/7.

It was a terrible life. 

His wakeup call came May 2025. Peter had come back to his apartment in the wee hours of a Tuesday morning and had woken up deep into a Thursday afternoon. Two and a half days gone, just like that. A combination of starvation and the fact that he was running himself into the ground had left his body practically screaming at him for help. When he had looked at himself in the mirror, he wasn’t able to recognize the person staring back at him. 

How could he be a hero when he couldn’t even save himself? 

That was a very sobering thought for him. As much as he had thought that he was doing the world a favor by being Spider-Man more than Peter Parker, he was in no condition to be fighting crime when he could barely see straight. Not to mention that the thought of being a homeless Spider-Man was less than favorable to him and the notices that were stacking up from his landlord were incredibly concerning. 

He needed a change. His sacrifice couldn’t be for nothing.

So yeah, compared to that, he was doing a lot better.

Now, he was a lot better at juggling work, school, and most importantly, Spider-Man. It helped that a lot of his classes at Columbia didn’t technically require his attendance so keeping his work schedule during the day allowed for patrol in the evening and night. He was on the up and up. 

“Peter?” He was taken out of his thoughts by the feminine voice, looking up to find Kate.

Right, and then there was Kate. After he had realized that MJ and Ned were safer without him and his Parker Luck, he swore that he would not let himself get too close to anyone else again, to not risk their life. Unfortunately, that was much easier said than done. His difficulty came in the form of Kate Bishop.

“Hey!” He greeted, pushing the iced latte towards her as she settled in her seat across from him. They were at their favorite cafe in the Upper East Side. They met up here a lot, no matter the reason. It has become almost a weekly occurrence since that day in September.

Anyways, long story short, the moment Kate found out that he was Spider-Man, she wouldn’t let him ice her out. No matter how hard he tried. Part of him was grateful for that.

“So,” The archer sipped her drink, looking at him skeptically. 

Peter pulled a face at her expression, “So what?” 

“You said you had info for me!” She exclaimed before leaning in closer, “You know, like, reconnaissance.” She said quietly. 

He barked out a laugh, “You and I have different understandings of that conversation, I said nothing about reconnaissance. ” He said mockingly. 

“Don’t be a dick, you said you had something to tell me!”

“You asked me how the robots connected to the bridge, I said that I didn’t want to discuss that over text message.” 

Kate rolled her eyes, leaning back with an exaggerated huff, “Whatever Pete. Same difference.” 

The banter with her was easy, whether they were Kate and Peter or Hawkeye and Spider-Man. It made him feel normal. Well, as normal as he could be. Sometimes he found himself wondering what it would have been like if he had known her before, well, everything. What it would be like if she had known MJ an-

“Peter!” Fingers were snapping in front of his face and he blinked, his eyes refocusing on Kate’s face. “You alright?” Her eyes were soft now and he hated it. 

“Yeah,” He cleared his throat, “Just…yeah, I’m good.” 

She stared hard at him however his own gaze refused to waver. “Okay,” She said slowly, “So, what’s the connection?”

He appreciated how she never pushed, although he could tell she wanted to. (Nevermind that the last time she did, it had ended terribly) He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face, “It’s so weird.” Peter said simply. “When I got to the bridge, there was this guy, he called himself the Tinkerer.”

He was speaking quietly, having Kate’s full attention, “He had all these, like, explosives and they all had triangles carved into it, I think that’s like, his thing. I caught one of them and it exploded in my hand into literal sparks-”

“Was that why your gloves were fucked up?"

“Yes, thank you for noticing, I’ll be fixing that soon. Anyways, he blew up the fucking bridge but he kept mentioning someone, like there was another guy above him,” He took a moment, trying to think of what exactly the Tinker had said to him, “Something about the man letting the muscle be seen before him or whatever but I think he’s following the orders of somebody else. And then those bots yesterday? It’s too coincidental.”

“So somebody’s pulling the strings behind the scenes?” He pursed his lips, nodding at her question. “Any idea who?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out, it’s kind of hard because the first time, the Tinkerer was gone by the time I was back on the bridge and then he wasn’t anywhere near the bots. But I have an idea,” He leaned to the side, pulling a small black device from his backpack. “If and when he shows back up, I’ll be ready.” 

Kate reached across the table, taking the tracker between her fingers, “Ya know, if you get me another one of these, I can put it on an arrow and that’s two chances.” 

To be honest, he didn’t have any desire for Kate to get swept up into his mess. But then again, his wants weren’t really important to the universe. “I’ll think about it. Promise.” He hurriedly added the last part at her annoyed look. “Anyways, what did you and Yelena end up doing last night?” 

“Oh, we just grabbed some drinks. She really wants to do a bar crawl,” She raised an eyebrow at him, “You know, you could come with us…” She trailed off.

That was the thing about Kate. She was aware of the fact that he was a victim of the Blip but she was also aware of the fact that his state id technically put him at the same age as her. 23. 

“That’ll be a no.” 

“Peter-”

“Kate,” He sighed, “Yelena knows him , not me. It just…it’s not a great idea, okay?” He was quick to shut it down. The idea was enticing, don’t get him wrong, but he wasn’t looking out for himself. The more people that truly knew him, the more people that would get hurt in the end. 

That didn’t mean that he didn’t feel bad at the dejected look on her face.

“Are you doing anything tomorrow night?” He questioned after a moment. 

Kate immediately brightened up, a grin crossing her face, “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting, Parker?” 

“You want to go to a party?” 

That was another thing that made this life bearable. While Peter didn’t make an effort to create actual, meaningful relationships with his peers at Columbia, he did make a little name for himself within the student body. Turns out that while alcohol had no effect on him, apparently being able to drink the most at a party was an impressive trait. And being impressive gets you invited to things.

-

The first people that knew of their return was the Barton family. 

It was accidental, of course, as Laura Barton had barged into the garage in the midst of their Q&A and Tony was delightfully surprised when the woman pulled a gun on them. Like, she pulled an honest to god glock out of nowhere. God, if he could have gotten a picture of Steve’s face at the sight. 

However, Laura Barton finding them led to Tony having the pleasure of meeting Lila and Nathaniel Barton, for the second and first time, respectively. Or, maybe more so for the first time for both of them? After Ultron, he wasn’t really thinking straight so meeting Lila and Cooper was kind of a blur and he was never really invited to meet Nathaniel between his birth and the Avengers catfight. 

To be honest, he was quite surprised at how easily the Barton family seemed to take in their sudden “resurrection”. It only took less than five minutes for Clint to explain the situation to his wife, and suddenly Laura was squeezing the absolute shit out of Natasha. (Her death seemed to have an immense impact on the couple, rightfully so. )

“It has been over 14 months since the destruction of the Statue of Liberty and officials are still debating whether or not the restoration of…" The television droned on but he wasn’t paying attention. He was too busy lost in his thoughts and while his eyes were trained on the screen, they were more-so glazed over than focused. As much as he hated it, Tony didn’t know what to do. Never in his life had he anticipated trying to find his place in a different universe. 

Sure, multiversal travel had piqued his interest at one point but never to this extent. He had been slightly comforted by the fact that the Watcher had said this universe was the same in every way but how their battle with Thanos ended, but what if there was an oversight? What if things were different here and Pepper didn’t love him the way that she did in his world? Or what if he doesn’t recognize Morgan because somehow this universe’s Morgan took more after Pepper than him? What if-

“You’re awfully quiet,” He startled slightly at Nat’s voice, the spy taking a seat beside him. They had all changed into the civvies provided by Clint, which were genuinely much more comfortable than their alter-ego attires. 

“It’s hard not to be speechless when you’re sitting in another universe after being transported by a mysterious being,” He said earnestly, “Even for me.” 

He was delighted to see her smile at his wink; after Vormir, he didn’t think he would ever see it again. “You’re nervous,” She said softly, resting her hand on top of his. God, he missed her. The Accords debacle ruined a lot of things. 

“When have I ever been nervous?”

She let out a laugh at this, throwing her head back, “They’re going to be happy to see you.” She assured him. “It might be a little…rocky, but in the end, they’re going to be happy to have you back.” 

He stayed quiet, considering her words. Tony was always one to question things but he was also one to find a solution. There was a chance that something could be different in this world than his own, but when it came down to it, it didn’t matter what version of his family he was getting, it mattered that he was getting them back in the first place. Pepper. Morgan. Peter. Happy. Rhodey. His heart clenched at the thought of seeing them again. 

“This is the third National Monument that Spider-Man has been responsible for destroying! When will it end? When will he be brought to justice for his crimes?!”

“That’s the kid, huh?” Nat asked, nodding towards the TV. The camera was previously focused on the two news anchors, however it was now broadcasting footage of Spider-Man in three different scenarios- once at the Washington Monument, once at the London Bridge, and the third at the Statue of Liberty. The footage for the last one was, in his humble opinion, horribly shot and if he squinted his eyes, Tony could just barely make out Cap’s shield being added. 

His eyebrows furrowed, he shouldn’t be concerned about the quality of the videos, he should be concerned about the videos themselves. He was aware of the D.C incident however the London Bridge and the Statue of Liberty seemed to have happened after he passed. “Ah, Pete,” He whispered softly, running his hand through his hair. “What’re you getting yourself into?” 

They were going to have so much to talk about.

“Hey,” They both turned their heads to find Laura standing at the entrance of the room, leaning against the wall. “They’ll be here soon.” She informed them. 

Tony’s stomach did a flip at the news. After finding out about their apparent resurrection, Laura and Clint had insisted on getting into contact with their respective family members (which is when they found out that Nat had a sister) and it had only taken Pepper less than an hour to respond. Apparently Pepper and Morgan Stark were pretty close with the Barton family which meant it didn’t take much convincing for them to accept an invitation to the farm.

He felt bad about not giving them a heads up as to what they were really coming for, but this was definitely not the kind of information to be given over the phone.

“Did you hear anything from…” Natasha trailed off. 

“Yelena said she would be here as fast as she could,” Laura smiled, “I think she’s on a job.” 

“And Sam and Bucky?” 

“I already told Steve. They won’t be able to get here for a bit, they’re out of the country. He’s a bit bummed,” She shrugged, “I don’t blame him.” 

Tony pursed his lips, he didn’t either. Steve lost both of them and having to wait even longer to really see them again had to hurt. He would be more than bummed if he was in his shoes, waiting even ten more minutes to hold his wife again was enough. 

“Oh,” Laura turned at the sound of the knock on the door. “They’re here.” 

He glanced at Natasha, his eyes widening slightly as his heart started beating a little quicker. This was it. She offered him a comforting smile, both of them listening as Laura opened the front door. He squeezed his eyes shut as Pepper’s loving voice filled the room, Pepper greeting Clint as the archer went to welcome them alongside his wife. He stood up slowly, turning to face the entrance as he prepared for them to come around the corner. 

“Laura, you have to tell me. Did you invite us here to tell us that you’re pregnant?” Pepper asked. 

“No, no! God, no.” Came Laura’s amused response. “Three is more than enough.”

“Then what is t-” Pepper was caught off by Morgan’s hysterical shriek. 

“Daddy!” 

He was stunned for a moment as his daughter’s small form slammed into his legs only for him to fold immediately, taking his little girl into his arms. “Mommy! Daddy’s here!” A tear fell down his cheek as he held Morgan close to him, cupping her head with his hand as she clung to him. 

Startled gasps sounded and then he was vaguely aware of Natasha standing behind him and the two of them were facing the stunned faces of Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy. Morgan paid them no mind, burying her face in his shoulder, small hiccups shaking her body as she refused to loosen her grip on his shirt. (Not that he wanted her to.)

“I asked Santa to bring you back,” She whispered, “I knew he could do it!” 

“Morgan, sweetie,” Came Pepper’s shaky voice and another tear slid down his face, “Come…come back over here, baby.” Her eyes were stuck on his and he could have sobbed at her pained look. 

“Clint, what’s going on?” Rhodey demanded, “This…I…who are they?” Happy stayed silent although he put his hand on Pepper’s shoulder. 

“It’s me, honeybear.” His own voice was wavering, “It’s really us.” Pepper stepped forward out of Happy’s grasp, her eyes shining with tears as she slowly inched towards him. 

“Pepper…” Happy reached out again but she was just out of his reach. 

Tony was the sole focus of her attention

She stopped right in front of him, reaching out slowly until her hand was hovering by his face, her eyes pleading with him. He squeezed Morgan tighter, nodding his head as he tried to assure his love that he was really who he said he was. Pepper let out a cry of despair as she finally cupped his face, leaning her head forward until it was resting against his.

“How is this possible?” She whispered and he took a deep breath in, reveling at the fact that he got them back. This was his Pepper, his Morgan. “It’s you.” 

“It’s me, Miss Potts.” He repeated and she laughed softly at the familiar reference. “It’s a long story.”

“You can tell me later, Mr. Stark,” She nodded, shaking both of their heads, “I missed you so much.” 

“I’m sorry,” Was all he could say and he pressed a kiss to the top of Morgan’s head, “I love you. Both of you.”

At his words, Pepper shifted to hug him tightly, sandwiching Morgan between the two of them and he realized that his face was soaked from his tears. This was honestly surreal, just yesterday everything was so wrong. Now everything was right again. Almost. 

“It’s…it’s really you, Tony?” He looked up at Rhodey’s words, him and Happy staring with eyes full of unshed tears. 

“It’s him,” Pepper sobbed softly, her grasp on him tightening. “And…and Natasha.” She gasped out. 

He didn’t miss the way she reached out, grabbing Natasha by her arm and pulling her into their shared embrace. Before he knew it, they were joined by Rhodey and Happy, Clint and Laura watching the tearful reunion with melancholic smiles. It was hard to believe that just yesterday, they were fighting a titan and his army. 

“This is crazy,” Rhodey gave a wet laugh as they all reluctantly pulled away, “How is this possible?” 

“He wasn’t joking when he said it was a long story,” Natasha nodded, wiping her eyes. “It’s not just us either.”

Happy furrowed his eyebrows, “What does that mean?” 

“I’m here too.” They turned to find Steve standing beside Laura and Clint and if Tony wasn’t mistaken, he seemed a tad timid. 

“Captain Juice Pop!” Morgan shrieked, her eyes bright as she stared. 

Tony let out a bark of laughter, right, his stories about the Avengers had included a Captain Juice Pop instead of a Captain America. He hugged her tighter at the memory. Morgan was older now but she still fit perfectly in his arms. 

“Steve,” Pepper breathed. 

“I can’t believe this,” Happy pinched the bridge of his nose, however he did follow it up with a pat on Steve’s shoulder. Rhodey and Pepper followed his lead in greeting the Captain and Tony was pleased to note that Steve’s tensed stature softened up a little. 

“You guys were just, spontaneously resurrected?” Rhodey questioned, his eyes flickering between the three. Despite his question, he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Tony was alive. “You look…the same as that day.” 

“Um, not necessarily resurrected…” Natasha trailed off. 

“Maybe we should sit down.” Laura gestured to the couch, “Clint, help me in the kitchen? We’ll bring you guys out some coffee.” 

Tony sat on the couch in between Pepper and Rhodey, with Morgan on his lap and Happy sitting across from him beside Steve and Natasha. It was silent for a moment and he knew that they were waiting for one of them to start but to be honest, he wasn’t quite sure what he could say. Explaining an apparent Nexus Being was something he had never anticipated having to do and right now, all he wanted was to revel in the fact that he had his life back. 

“Technically, we’re not from this Earth.” Steve started slowly. “We’re from somewhere else, we were fighting Thanos.” Everyone tensed at the titan’s name. 

“Wait, fighting Thanos? Like…like the final battle?” Rhodey asked, staring right at Tony. The heartbreak in his best friend’s eyes told him that he had witnessed his death. 

Tony cleared his throat, “Yes. Except, we were losing.” He couldn’t help the waiver of emotion in his voice. They weren’t losing, they had lost. 

“He snapped again,” Natasha said lowly and Tony stealthily moved his arms to try and block out the conversation from Morgan’s ears. “But instead of dying, we woke up. It looked like,” She paused for a moment, taking in a pained breath, “It looked like Vormir, but it wasn’t.” He stared at her for a moment, remembering the orange sky and the soft sand. He hadn’t realized that she recognized it as more than just a prism. 

“There was a voice, the person called themselves the Watcher. He said the Stones thought we deserved a second chance, that we had the choice to come here. That this whole had lost its…us.” Steve explained and at the reminder of his death, Pepper squeezed Tony’ s hand harder. There were a lot of key details being left out but he didn’t have time to fixate on that, he didn’t even know if he wanted to. 

“I can’t believe this.” Happy shook his head, “I thought…I thought that we’d never see you again.” 

Tony couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face, “I knew you loved me, Hap.” He grinned. “Can’t keep me down.” 

“A lot has happened since you guys have been gone,” Rhodey said, nodding at Clint as the man handed him a steaming mug. 

“You’re telling me,” The archer groaned. 

“I’m sure we can catch up on everything,” Natasha smiled. “Steve has a lot of experience in that department.”

“I’ll make another list.” Steve nodded and the serious tone of his voice made it impossible to tell if he was actually joking or not. 

“I’ll help!” Morgan squealed, wiggling out of Tony’s grasp to make her way towards the other couch. “I’m really good at spelling.”

Tony smiled into his own cup of coffee, leaning back against the couch. This went a lot smoother than he had convinced himself it would. He didn’t know why he doubted Pepper’s ability to come to terms with this, she had taken plenty of outrageous things in stride. Sure, maybe this one was a tad more outrageous in the others but his wife was resilient. 

“Hey,” He said softly to her, the conversation of the others droning on in the background. “How’s Peter doing?” 

At his question, Pepper looked at him incredulously, “Peter?” 

“Y’know, the kid?” His clarification did nothing to rid the confusion in her eyes, “Peter Parker?” 

“Tony, baby,” She ghosted her fingers against his goatee, “I don’t know who that is.”