I Gave my Blood, Sweat, & Tears for This
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A blonde woman stood firmly in the middle of Times Square as people around her began running in every direction. Some were weeping, others whooping. People embraced in the background, others wandered aimlessly.
“Are we live?” She asked the man behind the camera. She must have received confirmation, because with a shaking hand she addressed the audience tuned in from all over the country.
“Good evening folks. My name is Betty Brandt, and five years ago, we lost half of our population. They were our neighbors, our friends, our family, our partners.” Her voice cracked. “And I don’t know how, or why, but right now I am in New York, and they are all coming back.”
A elderly woman who was standing in the background suddenly approached the news reporter.
“My daughter- have you seen my daughter?” She placed a hand on Betty’s shoulder. For a moment her crumbling resolve fell away, and the nation watched the girl behind the bombshell television personality. She lost her high school sweetheart in the Blip. She wrote a book about it that thrust her to the mainstream of journalism in her sophomore year of college.
“No… I’m sorry-”
“Mom!” A teenager came from behind Betty and hugged the woman. They both began sobbing, and Betty stood speechless as they rocked back and forth. She turned back to the camera, mouth agape, wondering the same question the rest of the nation was asking- is my person there? Are they really back?
Its been five years. Funerals were held. Loved ones were mourned. Houses were sold and widowers moved on, children were adopted, and America pulled itself up by the bootstraps after losing their super-hero crutch.
“We’re going to cut to our correspondents at our headquarters now.” Betty said firmly. “The White House has issued a crisis number… um.. It will be displayed on your screen shortly. But this is a very, very, historic day, America. They’re back.. Holy shit, they’re back.”
—
Tony Stark, genius, playboy, billionaire, philanthropist, drew in a singular, ragged breath. And then another, and another. He doubled over, leaning over his knees, and laughed. It was a huge cosmic joke, that a mis-matched army cherry-picked throughout the galaxy at near-random could defeat a Titan. He fell to his knees, taking in the red-stricken darkness, illuminated by fires that billowed out black smoke. He was laying in the ashes of his own creation, billions of dollars down the drain. He was bleeding, he was broken- this should be Tony’s own personal hell.
Instead, all he felt was joy. Pure, estatic, eletric joy. Not only did they do it, but he could live to tell the tale.
By God, they did it. He looked up through the haze and smoke and saw the muggy idea of the sun. It warmed his face. They did it. He flexed his knuckles, allowing the gentle vibrations of his nanotech ground him. Along the horizon, he saw his people pull themselves up from battle. Like Daisies- Morgan would say. They’re popping out of the snow like Daisies…
Tony began counting who he could recognize: Clint, Sam… there was the Valkyrie…. Steve.
Tony’s face broke out in a grin when he saw Roger’s blonde head appear from behind a fallen tree, sooty as it was. He didn’t think he would ever have that reaction again from seeing Roger’s sorry ass. But it was a good day, a miracle day. They won. Everything was forgiven. Tony could go home and see Pepper again, he could see Morgan again, he could see Peter.
Peter. Tony hugged him earlier, just like he had meant to on Titan all those years ago. To say he felt pure bliss would be an understatement. Tony would thank God every day from now on just for that moment- and previously, he had believed in no God.
“My favorite Yellowstone exhibit.” Tony called up, smiling when he saw the way it caught Steve’s attention. “How did you do it?”
Steve looked shocked to see Tony. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”
“Well I didn’t.” Tony snapped his left hand. “Was it Thor? Danvers?”
Steve shook his head. “Danvers is above the ship… Thor’s over there.”
Tony laughed. “What?”
The first hint of dread began to pool in Tony’s gut, and that’s when he should have known this day was going to be the center-stage for all his nightmares for years to come. He didn’t like to not know things, and not knowing where the gauntlet was is a rather important thing to not know. He was acutely aware of the fact that while Thanos’s army was gone, sympathizers still existed. Even in Mankind. That gauntlet in the wrong posession- Tony didn’t want to think about it.
“Then who…” Steve began walking closer to Tony, and for a second he thought it was about to be a poorly constructed joke, when he realized Steve’s gaze was going behind him. Tony turned- T’Challa was up and crouching over something.
No, someone. That used to be someone.
Their body was splayed out all wrong, one red-footed leg twisted awkwardly, and suddenly Tony realized he would know that suit anywhere, he made it, after all. He hugged it only minutes ago- or had it been hours?- he held him in his hands, and now…
“Oh God.” The words weren’t Tony’s but they came from some guttural part of him. “Peter.”
The worst thing of all, is that when Tony looks back on this moment, he doesn't feel fear or sadness, but anger. Anger at the universe, because it was unfair, so unfair that the second he got his son back, he lost him again. Was all that Tony was going to get be a half-hearted hug in the heat of battle, a tearful hello, before being thrust back into the emotional hell the last five years had been?
His shoulder was killing him. With each inhale of the dusty air, he felt the inside of his nose burn. He was tired, so tired, what was it all for- what was any of it for?
If it hadn’t been for Morgan, Tony would have still been lost in the fuge that set in when Peter turned to dust five years ago.
It wasn’t fair. Tony didn’t invent time travel just to have Peter take the hit. It wasn’t right.
“Tony, you need to step back.” Dr. Strange’s words brought him back to reality. While his mind was elsewhere, his legs took him to Peter’s side, where the good doctor was attempting to remove his mask. “You’re in shock.”
“I’m not in shock.” Tony bit back. “That’s my fucking son.”
Or it was. His arm was all wrong- charred, as the gauntlet hummed just inches away. A grayish-purple stretched up to his neck and licked at his cheek and right beneath his eye. God. It looked so painful. His eyes were closed. His eyes were closed. His eyes were closed, his lips were parted, and his chest wasn’t moving-
“Tony.” Pepper was the one who finally hauled him away. “Tony, calm down.”
“There’s a heartbeat,” T’Challa murmured. “Very faint.”
“The gauntlet won’t come off, it's continuing to cause damage.” Scott said. “Steve, you gotta-”
“That’s my son.” Tony echoed. He looked to Strange. But the doctor was far away, deep in conversation with King T’Challa. Before he knew it, sparks were connecting upstate New York to the medical wing of the Wakandan palace. Just like the day he returned from space, five years ago, everyone else was moving around him, without him, and Peter was caught in the balance.
“Careful, he’s a hero.” Valkyrie murmured to the Dora Milaje as they placed him on a stretcher. But that wasn’t true, was it? Peter was just a kid.
Peter was May’s kid.
—
It was three years after the Blip when May Parker got diagnosed with breast cancer, but the disease was in her system longer than that. In another world, one could blame her for not seeking help earlier. She had known there were lumps, she felt the symptoms deep in her bones. But the world didn’t truly right itself from the Blip until at least mid-2022, and her work as a nurse was more than vital.
Besides, it wasn’t like she had a teenager to come home to anymore.
So she worked and she worked, and she saved countless lives. FEAST began on the side as a thought experiment with Pepper Potts, but after a year of perfecting the model it was becoming a large name in Queens for humanitarian work. After her diagnosis, she didn’t tell anyone, not for a year and a half, and that was only when her treatment shifted from offensive to defensive; when the doctors stopped telling her about shrinking the tumors and more about increasing her comfort. When Tony thinks back on May Parker, he realizes with a larger clarity how strong the self-sacrifice gene is in the Parker pool, or maybe the Parker name, because May was most definitely working herself down to the bone to the last second.
May Parker was indomitable, but unfortunately May Parker only was. Which made Tony’s deathbed visit to her all the more excruciating.
“Hey, you.” Tony’s head snapped up. In his hand was a bouquet of flowers, which he had grabbed happenstance on the way over. He wasn’t sure why he got them- May had terrible allergies. However, showing up empty handed still felt wrong. “Somehow your Armani perfume is stronger than the antiseptic.”
Tony rounded the corner, smiling when he laid eyes on May. “I don’t even wear that shit anymore. Morgan told me it makes me smell old.”
“Well, you are what you wear.” She shrugged and laid her head back against the pillow. Her eyes flicked between Tony and the doorframe. “Where’s my partner in crime?”
“Pepper? She’s at the park with Morgan. They’re visiting Peter’s monument.” Tony said nonchalantly. “Flowers, pad-thai, the whole she-bang.”
“Good, good.” May murmured. She watched him as he placed the flowers on her table, she met his eyes with a roll. But she smiled. “He’ll like that.”
Acutely aware that she was fading for the afternoon, Tony switched conversation. “I need to talk to you about something, though.”
“You’re already down to get the meatloaf recipe in my will, Tony.” May said warily. Tony crossed the length of the room and sat in the chair closest to her bed. He pushed down the urge to hold her hand; somehow, he had gotten more attached to the Parkers in the last seven years than he cared to admit. “Don’t you worry.”
“I’m not.” Tony deadpanned. “Listen… do you know who Scott Lang is?”
“A name like that either sounds like a criminal or a fashion designer.” May said. Tony snorted.
“Oddly, one of those is correct.” he conceded. “He’s… a case. A friend of Steve’s, an enemy of my dad’s- so basically a friend of mine, too. Anyways… he’s brought some new information to the table.”
May was looking at him intently, and Tony lost the will to go on when he saw how pained her expression is. Before he even said it, she knew.
“You’re going to get him back?” She asked softly, but it came out more like a command.
“Yes, May.” Tony said. “And I wish I knew this sooner, I just… I just figured it out last night. I got it all figured out last night.”
May nodded. “How long do you think it will take?”
Tony looked down at his hands. He wished he was better. “A month… two. It’s… we don’t have any do-overs for this one. I can’t let us mess up again.”
May reached for her phone and began typing. “I’m going to have to call my lawyers, rewrite my will. Set aside money for Peter-”
“He’ll be taken care of.” Tony insisted. “He’s going to be ok.”
“I know he will, Tony.” May said. “But don’t you think it will be easier if you already have custody when he comes home?”
“May-”
“I want Pepper to come by with my photo albums, there’s notes I want to leave for Peter. Advice, memories.” She turned to Tony. “And for you. I’m proud of you for surviving terrible twos but seventeen scaries are much worse.”
All Tony could do was laugh.
“I thought you would be mad,” he said somberly.
“I am.” May said. “I’m mad that you’ll get to see him grow up and I won’t. That’s a dick move coming from the Universe. You get everthing.”
“But,” she said with a sigh. “I’m tired. If I stay around longer than two months… what version of me will he really get to come back to? This is good. I can… I can get it all ready for him, and when he comes home it will be like a band-aid coming off.”
“You’re handling this with a whole lot of grace, May.” Tony said. May just looked at Tony.
“How else am I supposed to handle it?” She said, and in that single sentecne Tony fundementally understood what was at the core of May Parkers, and in extension, all Parkers in general.
That night, Tony Stark gained legal custody of one deceased Peter Parker. The lawyers were baffled. The judge was confused. People just don’t adopt dead people, not normally. The judge didn’t really know what to do. She told Tony this privately. But the world had been a dark place for the past five years, and she didn’t mind granting a bit of kindness. The title “LOST” on Peter’s record said that much. And maybe this was the first true spark of hope. Sure, Scott’s technology made it all feasible. But Tony had built a life in this weird, permanent bubble called “after.”
There’s this thing called the self-fulfilling prophecy. If a person is surrounded by the same narrative of the future, they’re more likely to subconsciously alter their behavior and words to fit that outcome. So when Tony and his lawyers requested for legal guardianship for Peter, the legal offices started to whisper. The courthouse started to whisper. These whispers spilled out into the streets, full of “maybes” and “Don’t you thinks” and all sorts of crazy, impossible things. Tony never heard them, he doesn’t think. But there’s this thing called the self-fulfilling prophecy, and perhaps having Peter tied to him on paper was the first step in just knowing that he would have his kid back.
Two weeks later, May Parker passed away peacefully, not in a hospital but at the Stark’s lake cabin. She had been dozing in a chair, her last letter to Peter folded and put away. Pepper had just stepped away for a moment to get May water, and looking back, that was most likely May’s last act of grace. For once in her life she didn’t go down fighting, she went down resting with the sun on her cheeks. The scariest thing of all wasn’t finding her, afterwards, but her unfailing faith in Tony when he had let her down so many times in the past.
May Parker left Tony a note. He read it once, twice, and on the third round cried into Pepper’s shoulder. She was buried a week after that. Three days later, Tony’s last second chance was complete. The prophecy was fulfilled.
It was just in the worst way possible.
—-
Tony had been staring at a white wall for seven hours before Shuri came to collect him. In that time, people came and went. Steve left with Strange to deal with the cleanup. Rhodey was seen at medical then flown back to the States so he could meet with the President. Pepper was discharged from medical, kissed him on the forehead, then flew back to Morgan at Tony’s insistence. He had no clue, or care really, where Steve’s merry band of rogues were at- Wanda faded into the background, he faintly recalled Sam helping Bucky onto a quinjet, and Danvers most likely left with Rhodey, now that Tony really thought about it.
Rhodey always had a thing for taking on stubborn assholes, if his friendship with Tony demonstrated anything, so it made sense he would inevitably woo Danvers as well. All this is said in jest. Tony fucking loves Danvers.
But unfortunately, there’s something to be said about wisdom and age, and Tony was old now, so he lost the emotional capacity to be pissed at the wonder couple for helping the rest of the world reel from an event almost as apocalyptic as the initial Blip.
Although the feeling was not unfamiliar, he was touched by how much in this moment he missed May. How many times had he sat outside a hospital door next to her, hoping for the same outcome? How many times had she insulted the uncomfortable chairs in jest, assured Tony, and ushered Tony towards bed alongside Pepper when the good news was finally shared? Those days were over. It was just Tony and Pepper, now.
In this moment, it was just Tony.
Despite everything, knowing everything, Tony missed his friend. He was alone when Shuri exited the surgical theater, which made it all much the easier for him to finally break down in tears when she said Peter was stable.
“I don’t know how,” Shuri said after her initial admission, “Or more precisely, I don’t know why, but it appears Mr. Parker’s body has survived the Cradle. Whether his mind will do the same is all up to him.”
That didn’t matter- Tony invented cross-dimensional time travel to bring Peter Parker back to the land of the living. As long as there was a heartbeat, there was a future where Peter could finally grow up, and Tony could finally leave the dusty, red planet for good.
–-
“Have you heard from your dad?” Ned asked. He was sorting through files on his computer- unfortunately, being gone for five years meant that it had gathered a lot of dust, and needed a lot of updates. He was just thankful his over sentimental Nana hadn’t scrapped it when it became obvious he wasn’t coming home anytime soon. He had so much information about Spider-Man on this thing.
“Nope. But a group home isn’t all bad. I get to be around people all the time, a lot of despair for my sketchbook.” MJ said in a monotone voice. He heard her shift in bed over the facetime call. “It's a lot more boring without you here.”
For the first three days after everyone came back, Ned and MJ had been put in one of many group homes set up sporadically in Queens to deal with the influx of unclaimed minors. Within hours, hundreds of parents were rushing from home to home, trying to see if their child came back. But Ned’s Nana had to work, and Ned didn’t have his phone until recently, so she was only able to look for him when she was off her shifts.
Their tearful reunion was one of the best and worst moments in Ned’s life. There was a tiredness in her eyes that wasn’t there last time he had seen her. For Ned, that had been three days. For his Nana, that had been five years. For the first time, he was a stranger in his own city. Things were different, attitudes were different. People were nice in New York now- the other day while he was walking with MJ, someone said “excuse me” after Ned bumped into him- now who does that?
MJ hadn’t been so lucky. Her dad was MIA, allegedly in Los Angeles after a job transfer last year. He had a sparkling clean instagram that Ned had been able to dig up, which was surprising only for the fact that before the Blip, MJ’s dad had a vendetta against all social media, just recently allowing her to have Twitter (which is owned by Elon Musk now? The car-in-space guy?). The most recent image was of a baby girl, named Michelle.
He wasn’t responding to the group home’s calls.
“You’re always welcome here, MJ.” Ned said. “My Nana loves you more than me sometimes.”
“Yeah, yeah.” MJ said. “I might just take you up on that. Have you heard from Peter?”
And that was the other thing. Peter didn’t show up after everyone came back. It made sense, in a way- Ned and MJ watched with bated breath alongside their classmates as Spider-Man vanished into the atmosphere alongside the spaceship. When Ned came back, the first thing he did was call Peter, but nobody picked up. After some research, he found his aunt died- which effectively orphaned Peter for a second time. His name was registered as one of the Lost, but some deeper digging revealed that there were a lot of people registered as Lost who simply took the opportunity to disappear; maybe Peter chose to as well. Ned was knees deep in running a facial recognition of New York security cameras, as well as cams in cities where SHIELD had large bases, on the premise that if Peter chose to go MIA, a different type of heroism would be his calling.
No such luck. Wherever Peter was, it wasn’t on earth. And deep down, beneath his unfailing faith in Peter as Spider-Man, a part of Ned was terrified that Peter died for real five years ago, clinging onto a ship hurtling into space.
His Nana had complimented him last night for taking the Blip in stride, for handling it well. Ned desperately wanted to tell someone, anyone, that all he was doing, all of the time, was looking for Peter. It was all he could think about. It kept him up late at night. A deep part of him understood that the obsession was the only thing keeping his mind from truly fixating on the fact that legally, medically, truly, he had been dead for five years.
“Working on it.” Was all he told MJ.
—-
Peter was flown back to the States a few days later. While his body was healing with exponential speed, he had still failed to react to any stimulus. An MRI was still too risky, especially with the amount of radiation he had already been exposed to, so at least until there was significant improvement, his condition was pretty touch and go. This was what Shuri told Tony as the medjet was being prepped.
Shuri also made sure to tell Tony that the prognosis frustrated her greatly. They were alike in the mentality that there is no such thing as an unsolvable problem. However, the Princess was stretched too thin. T’Challa had taken sick following the days of the battle, so governing duties were still falling on her and her mother’s shoulders. They had their own people.
Tony had his.
—-
LOG 616 POST-BLIP, WHITE HOUSE.
…
[REDACTED]
…
[CONGRESSMAN Brown]: While your military counsel is appreciated, Miss Danvers-
[CAPTAIN Danvers]: Captain.
[VICE PRESIDENT Rhodes]: Captain.
[Brown]: Captain Danvers, what’s going on here is more of a social strategy, so to speak.
[Danvers]: This will ruin his life. He won’t be able to have a normal experience again. He already did enough for you- let him rest.
[Rhodes]: I implore you to hear Captain Danvers out.
[CONGRESSMAN Zanders]: As if you are an impartial party here.
[Rhodes]: I have met [REDACTED] personally. He’s a sweet kid. The reason… well, Tony and he always got along great because [REDACTED] always saw him as a person, not anything else. And I do fear that doing this, releasing this information, will take away his personhood, so to speak.
[PRESIDENT Scott]: What are we supposed to tell the public, then?
[Danvers]: Captain Rogers was severely impacted by [REDACTED] and has gone completely AWOL. We can pin the snap on him and everyone will be happy.
[Brown]: Except for Russia and China. Having Captain America defeat the biggest threat this planet has known will severely strain our relationship with them. They’ll be scared.
[Zanders]: Scared people, nuke people.
[Danvers]: Can we please be serious?
[Scott]: Captain Danvers.
[Rhodes]: With all due respect Mr. President, Zanders and Brown are out of line. Steve could be useful for us this way.
[Scott]: Brown?
[Brown]: The party won’t like that.
[Danvers]: This is going to ruin a real life, Mark.
[Scott]: What did you just call me?
[Danvers]: I’ll treat you with respect once you realize that your actions have consequences far graver than a point margin in an election. Now why don’t we talk about something important? A S.W.O.R.D. facility just got attacked, the Vision’s corpse is missing-
[Zander]: Careful, Carol, the damage looks a lot like your people’s thing.
[Rhodes]: Captain Danvers, Senator Zander.
[Danvers]: Are we going to talk about “your people” and “my people” again? I can bring up what your supporters say about the mutant demographic, your own consituents. Did you swear to serve them too, or just those you think are “pure” enough?
[Scott]: Rhodes, get your girlfriend in line.
[Danvers]: [REDACTED]
—-
It had been seven days since nearly four-billion people returned to Earth, and it was like the world was ending all over again, except way worse.
Food production was horrifically behind. There was a housing crisis everywhere- because those who had been blipped either had their apartments rented to others, their homes sold by loved ones, or buildings demolished altogether. Not to mention leadership- whose term was it really, when the previous president who had died re-materialized in the Oval Office? Not to mention that he was of the other party.
All of this was happening, and all of this Betty had been reporting on. She had spent more time the past week in the office than out of it, and she felt near her tipping point. Harry had yelled at her last night about it- that was new. He never used to raise his voice at her.
Now he was at the office, giving her the same treatment she had given him- always away, always absent, always working. She wasn’t exactly being fair to him. Oscorp was doling out humanitarian aid like an ice cream truck on a hot day- loudly and in high volume, with the hope of drawing publicity. He had to if his father’s company was going to survive. Oscorp was on a downward death spiral since the emergence of Iron Man in ‘08, and it only got worse from then on. Harry wasn’t just saving the world, he was saving his legacy.
Ned had called. Twice. And the coward she was, Betty couldn’t pick it up. In one of his voicemails, he had told her he read her book. Their book. The whirl-wind romance that ended in dust and a woman on the precipice of reinvention. The book that brought her millions of dollars, hundreds of interviews, and a job offer from every major media company. She was the poster woman for Blip reporting. Betty covered everything from border realignments, to new government systems, to the nearly-collapsed economy. People trusted her, because they could relate to her- she was on the edge of adulthood when the Blip happened, and she had lost just as much as anyone else. She had something to prove with the wisdom that nothing was certain.
The book had made her, but it was built on Ned’s grave. It always had been. And ever since, his ghost had trailed her career. She still talked about him on air sometimes- which was one of the points of contention between her and her husband. Harry couldn’t deal playing second string to a dead seventeen-year-old, and Betty couldn’t blame him. But a divorce one year into marriage was too soon to throw in the towel, and would be horrible publicity for them both.
But maybe bad publicity was something Betty really, really needed to get out of this nightmare.
She buried her head into her hands, finally allowing her shoulders to shake. Betty didn’t cry once when writing the book. She didn’t shed a tear when she found out that her high school decathlon team didn’t survive the Blip. She only got teary once, and that was when she called Ned after the field trip and he didn’t pick up, and she knew. He wasn’t even her type, really, but it was the idea that he could be that really hurt her. They could have been a great couple. The rest of high school could have been a romance-musical instead of a dreary documentary. So many could-haves that were so easy to pile on the grave of Ned Leeds and sell for $18.95.
Betty Brandt never cried. She always pulled herself up by the bootstraps and decided to find what good could come out of a situation. That’s how she survived the Blip, that’s how she thrived in the industry, and that’s why she wrote the book. But a small, twisted, human part of herself that she buried deep down squirmed in embarrassment. She never thought Ned would read it. She never thought she would see him again.
But her phone was vibrating beside her, face up on the bedside table.
Slowly, carefully, shamefully, she turned it over.
—-
SOLID GROUND by BETTY BRANDT
4.5 STARS ON GOOD READS
“One of the most touching memoirs to a world before the Blip, punctuated with optimistic humor and unexpected wisdom.” -Rolling Stones
“The unshaking testimony of a survivor with the innocence of a child. Brandt’s debut proves that she is not only capable of navigating post-Blip America, but she excels at it.” -New York Times
“Brandt’s interviews are what really makes SOLID GROUND a standout from all other 4/27 literature. Her ability to widen the subject matter of her narrative within the biographical genre adds a uniqueness perfect for the circumstances under which she writes.” -Washington Post
SOLID GROUND is the touching story of how an American girl dealt with the loss & trauma of the Blip. From her vivid recollection of the events of 4/27 to her battles with depression, Brandt’s narrative is full of interviews from family, friends, and the people of New York, alongside vignettes of her short-lived romance with her blipped classmate, Ned Leeds.
Now with a concluding chapter, capturing the exact moments the Lost returned.
—-
“What do you mean, Steve’s gone?” Tony said in a hoarse whisper. Bucky shifted his feet, metal hand resting on the doorframe.
“Well, he came back, but… he’s… different. He’s older. He went back and had the whole picket fence gig.” Bucky said. He rearranged his arms to cross over his chest. “Gave the shield to Sam then fucked off into the woods.”
There was a glaring hint of betrayal in Bucky’s voice.
“Where’s Wilson?” Tony asked. It was weird to see Barnes alone. He either was chaperoned by Steve, bickering with Wilson, or following the Wakandan royalty around.
“In the gym. Pissed to high hell.” Bucky supplied. His eyes flicked over to Peter. “How’s the kid?”
“Pete?” Tony turned his head toward his kid. “No news is good news, at least for now. Brucie has an MRI scheduled tomorrow to see… what’s going on up there.”
“Is there anything?” Bucky asked, and something in his voice made the question not as offensive as it sounded.
“I think there is.” Tony placed a hand on Peter’s knee and squeezed. “He’s a fighter.”
“He’s the one from Germany?” he asked. Tony nodded, and Bucky crossed the room to sit next to him. “Then he’ll be just alright.”
Tony often viewed much of his life in scales. Whether or not anything he did after ‘08 was enough to tip them closer to even. Iron Man, the Chitauri, Ultron- there was enough blood on his hands to last him several lifetimes. Then there was Barnes- a war vet whose body and skill was used against him for the better half of the century, quietly choking life out of any man, woman, or child he was pointed at. Tony combed through his file. Read every single name that died in Bucky’s hands.
Yet here they were, sitting side by side, next to a kid who might as well have saved the life of every living being in the universe.
There’s something to be said about scales and balance, and something to be said about how truly unfair it was that Peter was on one end, clinging to life, while Tony and Bucky sat comfortably on the other.
—-
OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM S.H.I.E.L.D. INITIATIVE ‘AVENGERS’, REGARDING APRIL 23rd, 2023.
Fourteen days ago, at 10:03 AM, April 23rd, 2023, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Bruce Banner, Scott Lang, and James Rhodes resurrected all parties affected by the Blip in a five-year effort to undo the effects.
The result was instantaneous, and all parties were brought back to the exact location they disappeared from at the closest solid ground.
At 10:07 AM, Thanos attacked Earth for a second time, causing significant damage to the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in upstate New York. Spider-Man, also known as Peter Parker, took control of the infinity stones and eradicated Thanos and his army. He is a hero.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is aware of the extreme displacement of families impacted by the Blip and is dedicated towards committing resources and aid to those affected. We are partnering with STARK Industries and OSCORP to bring widespread humanitarian aid tailored to the needs of each specific community, as well as individual governments on how to best address the problems of their respective nations.
The location of Peter Parker and his health condition remains to be confidential.
—-
WHO IS PETER PARKER? AN EDITORIAL by BETTY BRANDT
A few hours ago, S.H.I.E.L.D. finally broke their controversial silence on the return of the Lost. While their public statement was vague, and at times shady, they did divulge some vital information on the identity of Spider-Man.
For my readers who are unaware, Spider-Man had been an established presence in the Queens borough of New York before the Blip. First appearing in 2015, he gained a reputation as a wholesome, non-lethal superhuman protector of the ordinary man- doing odd jobs that range from rescuing cats to holding a ferry together. In 2018, however, he was spotted alongside Tony Stark disappearing into the atmosphere. Whether or not he died in space, was Lost, or hung up the mask following the Blip was a point of contention in online circles.
Inexplicitly, in late 2019, Tony Stark fully funded a monument to Spider-Man outside Queens Memorial hospital. This was seen as a confirmation of Tony Stark’s rumored sponsorship of Spider-Man before the Bip. Since that point, the Stark family had been frequent visitors of the monument.
[Recommended: STARK REMEMBERS SPIDER-MAN by BETTY BRANDT, July 3rd, 2019]
But how closely was Spider-Man to the Stark family? According to public documents, Peter Benjamin Parker is 17 years old, not counting the years he was registered as Lost. He’s a Queens native, son of Mary and Richard Parker, both of whom passed away in a plane accident in 2009.
Up until recently, he lived with his aunt May Parker, a co-founder of the F.E.A.S.T. operation in Queens alongside Pepper Potts. Unfortunately, four weeks ago she lost her battle with breast cancer.
May Parker’s affiliation with Pepper Potts insinuates she was close with the Stark family, close enough for them to seriously invest in a non-profit venture. In addition, Peter was a 2016 recipient of the SEPTEMBER FOUNDATION, and was offered an internship position with Stark Industries, only three days before Spider-Man’s sponsorship by Iron Man and appearance in Germany to arrest Captain Steve Rogers.
Was that internship a front for his sponsorship, or was Peter really an honest employee of Stark industries? Did May Parker know the extent to which Tony Stark was supporting the repeated endangerment of her child? If S.H.I.E.L.D. is being truthful with the identity of Spider-Man, then his first official appearance was just after Peter’s 15th birthday- just days after his uncle, Ben Parker, was gunned down in front of him.
Given this information, it paints a very different image of the self-assured Spidey all of New York had come to love. Behind the mask wasn’t a hero known for his light-hearted humor, but a broken child, one who had been subjected to countless tragedies and manipulated by Tony Stark for his own PR benefit. Even worse- his last remaining guardian, May Parker, appears to have been all the much more a willing participant to this endangerment.
The current legal guardian of Peter Parker has not been released to the public, nor his location or health status.
[Recommended: Senator Zanders to Speak on S.W.O.R.D. Breach, Pro-Mutant Counter-Protest Schedueled Concurrently]
[Reccomended: Whereabouts of Captain Steve Rogers Unknown, Rumors of Second “Freezing” Growing]
[Reccomended: FEAST to Honor Late Founder May Parker amid Spider-Man Scandal]
—
@SPIDEYFAN001
Uh… does anyone recognize who else is in this picture with Peter Parker
[JPEG EXTENSION]
@QUEENOFQUEENS
Isn’t that Betty Brandt’s Ned?
@7741BECKERST
Do you think she knew who Spidey was all along?
@SPIDEYFAN001
I mean… y’all saw how close she and Ned were in her book.
@QUEENOFQUEENS
Its kinda fishy how connected they all are. Why isn’t Betty saying she knew him?
@OHSNAPIRONMAN
Take a look at this. It’s a class field trip with May Parker as the chaperone…
[JPEG EXTENSION]
@7741BECKERST
Oh so she LITERALLY knew May Parker…
—-
“We agree that’s bullshit, right?” MJ said, reading through the statement again on Ned’s busted computer. “They’re holding the facts too close to their chest. SHIELD had needed good publicity for the past decade, let’s be honest, and they wouldn’t hold a victory like that.”
“I’m more worried about the fact that they revealed Peter’s identity.” Ned said. “I mean, first it takes this long to say anything, and now they’re leaking the name of Spider-Man?”
“It means wherever he is, they’re confident that no one can get to him.” MJ said. When Ned was silent, she looked at him pointedly. “He’s not dead.”
“No.” Ned replied, like a promise. “He’s not.”
Ned sat in silence. “Have you been getting the emails from-”
“The reporters? Yeah.” MJ huffed. “I can’t believe Brandt is out there with them, especially with all the shit she wrote about you.”
“I think it was kind of sweet.” Ned admitted. MJ stared at him. “I mean, think of it from her perspective. To her, we really died.”
“You think its sweet what she said about May?”
“No- no I don’t. I mean Solid Ground.” Ned held his hands up. “The editorial… they must have told her to write that.”
“I wouldn’t write books about my dead friends then make it a pillar of my career.” MJ shrugged. “But maybe I have morals.”
“That’s not fair.” Ned stood up.
“What, you still have feelings for her?” MJ stood up. “She’s twenty-two now, Ned. She’s married to that asshat that transferred in right before the Blip.”
“Shut up, MJ.” Ned walked away, grabbing his computer. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You guys never even dated. You were just a stepping stone to get into that hot-shot journalism school she couldn’t shut up about.” MJ called out as Ned retreated into the kitchen.
“Shut up!” Ned yelled from the kitchen. MJ followed the voice.
“When Peter turns up dead are you and Betty going to co-author your joint love story about him? How being in the guy-in-the-chair was so hard for you?” MJ spat in his face. “Because that’s what she did to you, Ned.”
“Stop it!”
“She’s a fucking liar, and a manipulator, has she even answered your calls yet, I mean, come on-”
“I get that you’re mad that your dad doesn’t love you anymore, MJ, but that doesn’t mean you get to ruin what I have left from before!” Ned yelled back. “So shut the fuck up and leave me alone.”
MJ stood there in the doorframe of the kitchen, back stiff. They both were shocked by their own cruelty. When he realized he rendered her speechless, Ned’s face fell.
“MJ-”
She stopped him with a hand, ducking out the kitchen and up the stairs. A door opened and closed. Ned took a deep breath.
This was the first time they fought, but it wasn’t the last. Something like that sounds almost sour, like a love gone wrong. But at the end of the day, as mad as they would get, MJ and Ned both knew they were unique in that they were the only of Peter’s friends to have truly known and loved him before the Blip, Spider-Man and all. They were bonded that way. They were separate that way.
So for every unforgivable thing they would say to one another, there would be a cup of tea and a tearful apology that would turn into a hushed laugh when one of them would manage to crack a joke. Because after battles are waged and lives are lost, true survival is keeping sanity in the moments when the emotions grow too big.
Ned and MJ physically returned, but in any of those fights they could have lost each other all over again. However, they were built from the same mettle Peter was, one born specifically from Queens’ earth. As long as they had each other, they had someone, which was enough to keep them from going mental.
Moments after MJ disappeared upstairs, Ned put on a kettle for tea. By the time it was done he knew just what to say, which was convenient in that MJ upstairs had just finished rehearsing her apology for Ned.
An hour later, Ned began the preliminary measures for hacking into STARK Industries security footage. They were going to find Peter.
—-
“He’s not getting better.” Tony murmured, staring blankly at Peter’s slowly rising chest.
“There hasn’t been a change in his condition.” Dr. Cho corrected as she reviewed his charts. Tony turned his head and just looked at her. She met his gaze, defeating his apathy in the blaze of stubborn will of a 48-year-old geneticist who had seen more shit in half her life than half the world would ever care to know. Or maybe Tony was inflating the narrative slightly.
“Do you want me to be honest?” Dr. Cho said, shifting her weight. Tony shrugged. “You need to pull yourself together. Three weeks ago, you were the only one arguing to keep him on life-support. Since then, he’s made moderate improvements that justify- ethically - to keep him alive. You were right again, Tony.”
Tony took a deep breath. “He just looks so…”
“Dead?” Dr. Cho finished. “Because he should be. If we’re being realistic, there shouldn’t be a body to bury.”
A choked sound escaped Tony.
“But for whatever reason, he’s still here. As long as he is, I’m going to do everything in my power to help him, Tony. Your apathy has no place here.” She set the clip-board down and sighed. “Go home.”
“What?” Tony’s head snapped upwards. Dr. Cho looked unimpressed that this elicited genuine emotion from him.
“Go home, Tony. See your wife and daughter.” She shook her head. “Call Rhodey, feel some sunlight, I don’t care, but you’re spiraling right now. Peter won’t wake up in the few hours you spend outside this room. You’re no help to me and no help to him if you keep going like this.”
A deliberate shift in weight at the doorframe drew Tony’s attention to Bucky, who feigned nonchalance. In another world- hell, even months ago, the idea of leaving Barnes near anyone incapable of defending themselves was a strong no-go. But with so many of his team scattered to pick up the pieces, Tony found himself with a smaller circle than before of people he could lean on.
With Steve gone, it was no secret Bucky was searching for purpose. He had been living with clear objectives ever since he joined the service in the 40’s. Maybe he needed Peter- someone to look over, to monitor, a job, really- as much as Peter needed them.
For the second time in what was too soon, Tony left the bedside of an unconscious Parker, unsure what the future held. He drove home in silence, following the streetlights like they were beacons home. Settling into Tony’s chair, Bucky took the night shift.
—
When Betty returned home from work that evening, Harry was already home. He sat at the farthest chair from the door at their kitchen table. Betty isn’t even sure they’ve ever eaten there. They got it for dinner parties but… despite everything, there hadn’t been much to celebrate recently. The most they’ve eaten together was take-out two nights ago. Between his schooled expression and Betty’s surprise, a part of her felt like a child about to be chastised for sneaking out.
“Mom still wants to reschedule dinner with Quentin and us,” Betty said dumbly as she stood before him. She’s not sure why she said it, and to her amusement, Harry looked just as surprised, “even though husband-number-two is back from the dead.”
Acutely she was aware her posture was too stiff, something she was always criticized for whenever she was on air. Betty flexed her back, trying to fix it, but to no avail.
“Did you know?” Harry asked quietly. Sitting in front of him was Betty’s article on Peter Parker. She looked at the dark print for too long. Betty’s head snapped up. Of all things- her absence, Ned Leeds, the book, this is what he was focusing on?
“No.” Betty said quickly. She crossed the length of the kitchen and sat down next to Harry. “Of course I didn’t.”
She didn’t mention the fact that if she had known, she definitely would have written about it.
“He was Ned’s best friend. You have to had known.” Harry said indifferently. He stared straight at the wall. Betty reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers, but he pulled away as if burnt. “He killed my dad, Betty.”
“Harry-”
“Don’t say I’m wrong.” Harry snapped. He jammed his pointer finger against the paper, nailing it to the table. “I know what happened. Spider-Man… he’s always been obsessed with Oscorp. It’s because Tony was funding him, you said it here. That’s the motive.”
The night before the Blip, there was an explosion in one of the far labs on Oscorp’s campus. Norman Osborn was the only one there, working on experimental tech that never saw the light of day. The Bugle had printed a story connecting Spider-Man to his death, but no formal investigation followed, initially due to lack of evidence and especially because of the Blip.
When Betty tried to re-imagine the day of the field trip, she can suppose that Peter appeared more tired and subdued than the night before. Haunted, maybe. But five years can also suggest things that were never there. Harry never lost his unwavering faith that Spider-Man killed his dad. Betty always had doubts but… when both were done and buried, there wasn’t much use of arguing over it.
“He’s back and… we can finally get justice, Betty.” Harry said. He stared down at the paper. “You probably had to print a favorable article, anyways. The rest of the media is worshiping the ground he’s walked on. Savior of the Universe my ass.”
Betty didn’t want to point out that the article was fairly critical.
“It’s just crazy to think… he was just a normal guy at our school. Nobody thought that he could..”
Be a hero? Hold ferries together, fight alongside the Avengers, defeat an alien army, save the universe? Peter Parker was the making of a high-grossing action flick right then and there. You can’t make that up.
“Snap, like that.” Harry said. He turned and looked at Betty. “I forgive you, by the way.”
She blinked. “You forgive me?”
“Ned always had you wrapped around his finger. You probably couldn’t have told anyone even if you wanted to.” He shrugged. “Lets face it, you only grew a backbone after he died.”
“Harry.” Betty stood up. “I had no idea. I told you that.”
“You also told me you were over Ned, but there were always three in our marriage, Betty.” Harry stood up, too.
“Oh my God.” Betty laughed. “He was my high school boyfriend for three months!”
“You’re the one that built your career on it.” Harry shrugged. Finished with the conversation, he grabbed the newsprint and rolled it in his hands, turning as if he were going to leave. Betty grabbed his arm.
“I built my career by myself, by telling the truth, and being the best one doing it.” Betty said through clenched teeth. “I had no idea Peter Parker was Spider-Man.”
Harry looked down at the rolled newspaper, and for one brief second Betty was afraid he was going to hit her with it. Harry’s eyes grew wide as if he had the same fear. He put it down, regaining his humanity.
“He’s a killer, Betty.” Harry said softly. “He killed my dad, and Tony Stark helped him.”
Within moments, he was sobbing, burying his face into the crook where Betty’s shoulder met her beck. Carefully, she encircled him in her arms. Holding him, she wasn’t surprised to find Harry cold when she expected warmth.
—
“Daddy!” Morgan rounded the corner and wrapped her hands around Tony’s legs. Despite himself, Tony smiled. He grabbed his daughter from under the armpits as she squealed and kicked her legs out.
“Honey? I think one of the chickens got out again.” He called out, laughing at the way Morgan protested.
“I’m not a chicken!”
“Really?” Tony said. His eyes lit up. “Oh, its Morgan!”
“I hope you’re hungry.” Happy called from the kitchen. “I dug one of Maria’s old pasta recipes out from your cookbook.”
Tony put Morgan down, following the sound of cooking and Happy’s voice to the kitchen. His back was to the doorframe, as he tended to three different pots.
“Thanks for coming to help with dinner, Hap.” Tony said, shifting slightly to let Morgan move around him. She ran up to a chair beside Pepper, who was at the kitchen table paging through paperwork.
“No problem.” Happy grumbled. “Lord knows you can’t cook.”
“Hey.”
“Since school is canceled, I’ve been helping Mom with work!” Morgan said excitedly. She held up a notepad with near gibberish on it, but Tony could see the simplified sketched out explanation of stocks and trading in the margins, alongside Morgan’s careful recreation.
Beside her, Pepper looked exhausted. Still recovering from her first wartime experience, she was thrust back into SI alongside taking care of Morgan, who was home full-time now that half the world was trying to fit their jagged, puzzle piece sides into a world that had long changed. Which explained Happy’s presence. He had rented out his apartment to a displaced family who refused to take charity. Now he was a third parent to Morgan while Pepper oversaw SI and Tony oversaw Peter.
“Oh really?” Tony asked. He crossed the length of the kitchen and dropped a kiss on Pepper’s temple. Beneath her readers and serious expression, the hint of a smile tugged at her lips.
“Hi.” She murmured.
“Hi.” Tony replied.
“How’s Peter?” Pepper took the readers off and pushed her laptop away. Morgan looked away, attempting to be indifferent, but her expression betrayed her. She was so curious about the boy from Tony’s stories. He had a feeling she didn’t quite understand the Blip- most kids born after didn’t. Everyone else mourned a future they didn’t have, when children like Morgan treated it like their norm- because it was.
“He’s…. He’s resting. Cho sent me home. I was moping.” Tony said. He sat down next to Pepper. “How’s work?”
“Somehow Japan still expects the merger despite… everything.” Pepper shook her head. “There’s also the whole issue with jobs and getting people settled again… paychecks we never handed out because of the Blip… jobs that since then don’t exist.”
“You’re an angel.” Tony said, and he meant it.
“If you’ve read some of my emails, I definitely haven’t been.” Pepper sighed. She closed the laptop. “Are you here for the night?”
Tony thought back to Dr. Cho’s expression.
“Yep.” He popped the p. Morgan’s face lit up.
“We can watch-”
“Moana.” Tony and Pepper finished. Morgan first pumped the air. Happy sighed.
“Again?” He asked. But beneath his grouchiness there was a smile. Underneath the table, Pepper threaded her cold fingers in between Tony’s. When he met her eyes, there was warmth in them.
“I’ve missed you.” she said quietly, while Happy and Morgan began singing Disney songs.
“I know.” Tony sighed. “I miss you, too. As soon as Peter’s stable…”
“Take all the time you need.” Pepper replied. That response wasn’t easy. The circles under her eyes and presence of Happy said that alone. Not to mention the fact that Pepper had never seen war before, not really, and before she could really process that, she was thrust back into the corporate world and motherhood. And somehow, some way, she was managing to stay sane.
“Best of wives and best of women.” Tony said quietly. He kissed her hand, right above her knuckles.
“I’m excited to meet our son.” Pepper said back. For the first time since the Blip, Tony’s life felt almost as it should be.
—
SPIDER-MAN: MARVEL OR MENACE? By J.J.J.
**EDITOR’s CHOICE**
Ignoring the recent events of the last five years, one could say that the identity of Spider-Man being none other than a seventeen year old child is the most shocking headline ever printed by the Daily Bugle. But like many other impossible things, it is true.
The fact that the criminally controversial neighborhood vigilante is nothing more than a vandal, delinquent high schooler makes more sense than most things. It makes more sense than the Republicans losing the House, much more sense than #MutantStillHuman movement, but still slightly less laughable than Vice President Rhodes’ recent engagement to an actual space Alien.
And yet we call this child a hero? My readers, what makes more sense- a child wielding what we should understand to be the building blocks of the universe in his bare hands, or that the events of 4/27/23 are being covered up by S.H.I.E.L.D.? This wouldn’t be the first time the public has been lied to by S.H.I.E.L.D.- whether it be their foreign espionage invasion in 2014, their endorsement of the Black Widow released later that year, or their cover up of Carol Danvers, Nick Fury has always valued his own safety and profit over the protection of the United States. Frankly, I wouldn’t trust a word they put out.
After all, Spidey needs good press- now that he’s back, the odds of him experiencing an investigation into Norman Osborn’s death are higher than ever. His puppy-like loyalty to Stark is a remarkable role model (or mold?) for future Avengers recruits, should President Scott choose to not make good on his campaign promise and scrap the program completely. Furthermore, the big lie- the Savior story- fuels the flames for the Left’s attack on Christianity.
Spider-Man is no Savior of the Universe. If he’s even a child, he’s just a child. And if he’s not… then pray for Peter Parker who will be forever tied to the mask.
[Recommended: Is Carol Danvers to blame for Senator Brown’s Landslide Loss?]
[Recommended: The Case Against Spider-Man Grows: What we Know About Norman Osborn’s Death Five Years Later]
—
“So this is the kid.” Wilson leaned against the doorframe of the hospital. “He’s the one that kicked our asses back in Germany?”
Bucky nodded, not taking his eyes off of the heart monitor. Sam sighed.
“He looks like you.”
That got Bucky’s attention. He turned to Sam, mouth slightly open. Sam shrugged.
“Well, he looks scraggly, around the edges-” Bucky laughed, which Sam took as an invitation to sit beside him. “Kinda needs a shower, or three. Has the whole arm thing going on… he’s brooding, in his sleep, look at that-”
“Alright, knock it off.” Bucky shook his head. “He saved the goddamn universe.”
“You also had a hand in that.” Sam said. His hand fell to his side. “We all did. I mean, kudos where kudos are due, but he didn’t do it alone. Avengers, plural.”
“I killed more monsters than you.” Bucky said indifferently. Sam paused. He looked at Bucky.
“How the hell would you know that?”
“The rat told me.” Bucky shrugged.
“The rat.”
“The rat that wanted my arm.” Bucky raised his prosthetic. “What, a teenager saves us from being turned into atoms and you’re questioning a rat?”
“I’m not questioning a rat, I’m questioning the rat, looking at me.” Sam said. He glanced at Bucky’s appearance. “Seriously, when did you last take a shower?”
“Five years ago.” Bucky deadpanned.
“Ha.” Sam said. “You were waiting for that one. Gross, man. We’ve been back for weeks.”
“I was joking.” Bucky leaned back. He then mumbled the next part. “I’ve been using Stark’s bathroom while he’s at home and I put the hair gel in instead of shampoo.”
“That’s too good.” Sam said. “I’m telling him you used his fancy stuff, you know that? He’s so prissy with that shit, it costs him 5k-”
“Like he cares about 5k-”
If Sam and Bucky were watching Peter- which they weren’t- they would have noticed something very, very miraculous come to pass.
At the mention of Tony’s name, Peter’s fingers began to twitch. It was short- just three, frail fingers on his unscarred side wiggling- but it was movement nonetheless.