Half a Man
Earth 1610, The Present
POV, Peter Parker
“How the hell, are you here right now? You have 5 seconds to explain to me, why you are sitting on Ned's floor, alive!” MJ sound furious and Peter is scared for a second that she will kill him, for being alive.
Peter smiles awkwardly at her, giving her a little wave.
“I'm from a different Universe?”
“Is that a Question?” MJ retorts.
MJ bites her lip, still standing in Ned's door frame. She looks unsure of what to do. Her eyes wander from Ned to him. Her steps seem a little wobbly when she enters the room. He can see her a little better in the light. MJ looked tired, and her eyes seem swollen like she had cried.
“Is it really you, Peter?” Her voice is shaking and Peter could see how her hands were trembling.
“Well, kind of.” He answers her honestly. “I accidentally traveled to this Universe, and now I'm stuck here, and I don't know how to get home.” He fiddles with his Jacket.
“So you're not from here?”
“I'm sorry. I'm not your Peter.”
Her eyes look glassy when she joins them on the floor. She sits right in front of him, scanning him from head to toe. He could understand Ned and MJ. He would probably freak out when he would see his Uncle or his Aunt back from the dead, no clue how it was possible. He could also understand if they would be mad or disappointed when they saw him instead of well their Peter. He looks down at his hand. Suddenly overwhelmed with everything going on.
“God, shut up.” she cries, wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him.
Peter sighs in relief, nuzzling his head into her neck. She still smelled like sweet apples and fresh air, like home. His eyes get teary like so often these days. Her skin is soft, and he resists cupping her face gently into his hands. God, he missed MJ so much. Missed her Touch, her hugs, and the late-night talks they had. Just everything. Life without her and Ned just wasn't the same, and after fucking his chance up, he thought he was never able to see her again. But here he was, in Ned's room, with her. It felt like everything was meant to be that way. He wraps his arms around her, holding her in his strong grip, like his Life depends on it. Her Hands wander to his hair, grabbing it slightly. She nuzzles closer to him, laying her head on his shoulder.
"I missed you, Peter."
He bites his Lip. Peter wanted to tell her that he missed her too. That every day without her was almost unbearable, and he wanted to give up every single second, but kept going, because he had promised her. Promised everyone that he would keep going, be Spider-Man, safe Life's every day, but god he was so tired. He just wanted to sleep, and wake up from this Nightmare he called living. He wanted to tell her badly, that they had each other back now, and they would never be apart again, but he couldn't.
This wasn't his life, Peter reminded himself.
His head was rumbling, and he tears himself from MJ. She seems dazed and confused at first, from the sudden lose of contact. Here eyes are glossy, and she scrunches her eyebrows together.
"What-"
"I'm sorry, this was a stupid Idea!" He abruptly stands up. "You don't even know me. You just miss your Peter, not me. I'm sorry for coming here. I should go!"
Peter didn't know why he was overreacting right now, but everything just seemed so wrong. Why the hell was he here? It was unfair, letting Peter see this. Everyone alive and well, while in his Universe everything was so sad, so gray. Here Tony lived, May lived. Everyone remembered who he was. Missing him, even, while he was stuck in a world where he was nothing. The only thing that he had there was being Spider-Man.
He knew that he shouldn't be ungrateful, he should be thankful that he lived, while this Peter sacrificed himself, but his Life just seemed so pointless.
God why was he such a fuckup?
His Spider tingling was all over the place, and he felt like he was dying. His hearing was dialed up, and he could hear screaming from blocks away. His vision was sharper, and he could see every edge of every texture. He cries out in Pain when the light was suddenly too bright, and he felt like he was turning blind. The colors merge together and turns into white. He gasps for air, pressing his eyes together. A whimper escapes him, and he turns to the door.
The sudden movement hurts, but it isn't stopping him from leaving the room, walking blindly through the corridor. MJ and Ned follow him and steps echo through is head, turning louder every second. It turns into a buzzing sound and Peter holds his head. His head screams Danger and no matter in which direction he turns it won't stop. His legs begin to wobble, so he tries to steady himself, leaning against the wall, staying upright. When MJ tries to touch him, he jolts away.
He didn't see it coming, his Spider tingle didn't catch it.
"Peter." He can hear her voice through the buzzing. "It's alright, you're having a sensory overload. It's going to be alright. You're safe."
Peter knows MJ is talking to him, but the words mix up and nothing of what she says makes sense in his head, so he just shakes his head, which makes his world spin. A bile roses up in his throat, and he turns, vomiting on the floor.
'’M'sorry." He slurs out. Sliding down the wall, on the floor, where his own vomit lays, but he doesn't care.
Everything is spinning, he tries to open his eyes, but just cries when he is blinded again.
"I'm going to touch you know, okay, Peter?"
MJ tries to touch him again. This Time it's more gentle, and he knows it's coming, so he doesn't yell. She and Ned help him, slowly. Taking him to Ned's bedroom again. This Time there is no light and everything is dark. They help him strip down his jacket and his jeans, and lay him into the bed.
MJ shushes him when he tries to sit up, telling him he needs some rest. She strokes through his hair, helping him calm down. Peter didn't fell asleep in instant, but his head gets less cloudy, and becomes clearer. He doesn't know for how long he is in that state, but soon his eyes gets heavy, till they're dropped.
Earth 1610, The Present
POV Tony Stark
"Okay, so we can't find anything else on Spider-Man at the moment, that isn't about his liking of visiting secondhand stores. I don't know what else I'm supposed to look for, May."
Tony looks at the brunette, she looks older, of course, she aged when he wasn't there, but since Peter's death, the woman looked like she aged faster every day. Her Hair had more gray in it and the usual smile on her face, looked sad now, and he understood. She wore her hair up now, all the time, which gave her a stern look.
“There must be something that we're missing, okay? Why would he appear out of nowhere and then just hide? It doesn't make sense!"
May waved her arms around dramatically while she speaks. She sighs, biting her lip. Tony doesn't want to ruin her hope, god he wishes that Peter would be back somehow, but how could he? His son was dead, and not even the wizard could do anything for him, so there was no chance that Peter just came back from the dead. Pepper, who entered the room, raises a brow at Tony, but he just turns to May.
“May, maybe it's because it really was just a dumb kid, cosplaying him.” Tony lays his hand on her shoulder, looking down at her.
She shook her head violently, Furiously shaking her whole body in the process. Pepper joins them, taking May's hand, but she jolts at the touch and takes a few steps back.
“No! Friday, look for facial recognition on Peter Parker!”
“Of course, Mr. Parker.”
Tony was about to interrupt Friday when May spoke again.
“Tony, please believe me. I dreamed about him. The Night this Kid came up, I dreamed about him. He looked so sad, telling me that everything will be alright, but I knew he wasn't, and I wasn't able to hold him or comfort him. It felt like I was the one dying, Tony. He looked so small and fragile, like he was a child again. It hunts me! If there is even the slightest chance, of hugging our kid again and telling him that everything is going to be okay again, then I'm not stopping!”
“Sir, If I may-” Friday began, but Tony shuts her up quickly.
“Not now Friday-” Tony takes the rumbling May in his arms, stroking her back. “May, dreams mean nothing. I dream about him every Night, but that doesn't mean that he is coming back. If there is a chance that Peter is here, you know I would never ever stop looking, but this? You know, even the wizard tried everything in his power to get him back. How could Peter possibly be here, when Doctor Strange couldn't do shit?”
Tears leave May's eyes. “I know I'm being silly, but I just-”
“Sir, I must insist that you listen now.”
“Friday-” Tony was about to interject again, but was quickly shut when he heard what Friday had to say.
“I found Peter, Peter Parker, he was sighted near the Public Library at Queensboro Hill. He looks much younger than he is in my system.”
Silence filled the room. Tony heard a gasp next to him when the Picture of the security cam came up on the big screen. There he was, his Boy, not looking much older than the Day he saw him disappear into thin air on Titan. He must be 17, Tony thought. His breath caught in his throat, and he glided down to the floor, his eyes fixed on the boy. His brown curly hair was all over the place and a scarf was wrapped around his neck. The denim jacket looked way too cold for the time of the year, but he was alive and well, walking around Queens. Tears stream down his face, and suddenly he can't breathe. The Oxytocin just won't go through his lungs, and he feels like he is dying.
This must be some sick cruel joke.
Peter couldn't be here, he would have come to him. How long was he out there? Alone? Scared maybe? Wandering around the city at night, having no place to sleep? No, god no. His poor son.
Tony desperately tries to breathe, holding his throat, just coughing. His vision gets blurry, but he can see Pepper in front of him, holding his shoulders. He doesn't hear anything except a constant white noise. Pepper's lips move, but he can't focus, all he can think about is Peter, his son. Alive. His son was alive.
Earth-616, The Present
"I killed someone again."
America is holding back her tears. They deafeted Wanda, but at what price?
"You didn't."
"You don't know that! Spider-Man is stuck in some Universe! We don't know which one and he is not able to return! He is as good as dead!"
Doctor Strange sighs, rubbing his eyes.
"Right, but we don't know that he is stuck somewhere helplessly! He will get help. Trust me. The kid is not stupid."
"But what about the off Balance and everything? What will happen to New York without Spider-Man? Also he dosen't deserve this! Maybe he has a family here? Children? We don 't even know him personally, we can't just stand here and do nothing!"
"Well it's certainly will be more trouble to contain the Crimes, but there will be no internal damage."
"Are you even listening to yourself?"
"We can't do anything, America! We don't know in which Universe he is! the portal closed, and you know that we are not able to track him back, I'm sorry! We can just hope that he finds another Doctor Strange that can help him find his Way back!"
America just shakes her head.
"I wish i could do something, this is all my fault."