The hardest thing
"Boss, there is a video sent in my codes and is about to play in 20 seconds," Friday announced. Tony looked up from his work and looked at The Avengers in confusion, “Video? What is it about, Friday?” Friday says it was about Peter, to which the others flinch at the name.
“Do we play it?” Scott asked, “Well, it’s going to play anyway but let’s just play it early. Friday, stop the countdown and play the video.” A sound of acknowledgment came from Friday and a video started up.
“Hey! Sorry for the holdup, guys– Woah! Valeriana?!” Peter enters to see the newt in white with the Calamity Box. “She was waiting for us when we got here!” Ned exclaimed while gesturing excitedly at her.
“Those two are there too? What were their names, Ted and Michelle?” Tony asked. “Pretty creepy if you ask me.” Natasha and Clint said in unison.
“Pretty creepy if you ask me,” MJ commented as a bird flew on her head and said the same thing. “Hello, Peter. Are you ready for your final battle?” She asked Peter who was walking up to all of them. “Oh hell yeah.” “Good, now.”
Valeriana walks behind all three of them with her staff. “All three of you, close your eyes. Focus. Think of your memories in Amphibia, think of how much this world means to you.” The trio does as she said.
“Amphibia? Isn’t that just some apparent myth from Asgard that Loki and Thor were talking about?” Clint commented. “They said it was but they both said it was a myth about Earth. Or, well, they think.” Bruce replied.
“This will allow the stones to resonate with your hearts, once again!” She points the staff at Peter, he glows blue, MJ is pink, and Ned with green. The gems lift from the music box and they go to their owners—the light of blue, green, and pink shattering the castle windows.
“Warriors of Amphibia, arise!” She announced as the three of them donned their full calamity powers with new armors, and they comment on their new looks.
MJ tests out her new powers by shooting up at the castle roof, destroying it, and leaving a heart with wings as a symbol. When she saw what she could do with the power, she blows off her finger like a gun, “Peter, you could do that this whole time!?”
The Avengers were too stunned to speak. Eventually, Steve let out a ton of questions regarding their safety, how much they were hiding, and if they still had it now. “Wait, if Peter could do that and he had those powers this whole time, then why didn’t he use it on Thanos?!” Tony cringes at the mention of Thanos. “We don’t know when this even took place, for all we know this probably never happened.”
Friday’s voice rang in the room as she announced that in scanning the video, the events happened approximately 3-4 years ago. After the Civil war and Homecoming.
“Uh, nope. These powers feel way more intense than before.” Ned was floating near Peter, “The powers must stack when used in tandem! Classic synergy buff.” He informed while carelessly floating around in his new form.
“Ok then, let’s go punch that moon in its big ugly face!” The Calamity trio flew off out of the castle and towards the moon as the others cheer them on.
“Ok, so they saved a world once. Are they ok now???” Tony asked, his face betraying him wanting to mask his emotions–again–. “I would hope so. Well, not much since they were snapped.”
The three made their way to the moon, which put out monsters to stop them. Peter uses his tennis skills to attack the space bugs with his powers. “Here’s a serve!” The tennis ball turns into Mr. Dellmar’s cat, Murph, and tiny versions of it spread out to attack the bugs, exploding it spelling out ‘ACE!’.
MJ uses her pink powers to make pom poms and use them as boxing gloves and sprouting out wings, punching all of them with ease, her wings making her speed up as a booster and the explosions made it look like a giant heron.
Ned stands excitedly, “This is the coolest, most anime thing that’s ever happened to me, I’m so happy I’m able to fight by your side!” He summons a 20-sided-die and throws it at the monsters, landing on 10, and 15, the bug catches the die but Ned makes a comment. “At 20, baby!” The die explodes on it and the three reunite, spinning around while they work their magic and fight.
“Impressive for 13-year-olds who just got their powers,” Scott commented
Andrias summons the robots to help the trio push back the moon. “No way! Andrias’ robots?” “They’re helping us!”
“You cannot stop a GOD!” The moon pushes harder, their strength not enough. “Even with the robots, it’s not enough!” MJ’s color flickered from pink to her normally dark hair. “Guys, hate to bring this up but I think I’m fading fast…” Ned has the same situation. “Me too, our bodies aren’t as used to this as yours…”
Peter stays silent with the choice final in his mind.
“Kid, what are you about to do?” Tony asked with slight caution, he wasn’t gonna do anything that could kill him, right? “I think you know him well enough to know what he’s about to do,” Natasha replied, partly on behalf of Peter.
“Look, guys? I know what we have to do. I’m gonna call upon the power of all three stones…” Peter pauses for a moment, debating on whether or not he should tell the consequences. He knew they were gonna stop him, he knew they were gonna look for another way, but there isn’t any time and there are no other ways.
“I may die in the process, but at least you and everyone else would be safe.”
“Bullshit,” Steve said, they would’ve teased him about it if it weren’t for the fact that they realized the kid who wanted to be like them and fight by their side had probably died twice. “You don’t have to do this!”
“What!?” The two said in unison. “Are you crazy?!” MJ asked but it was more rhetorical than genuine, “There is no way we’re letting you do that!” The robots start exploding from pressure. “Our whole lives, I followed you two, counted on you, trusted you! Now it’s your turn to follow my lead. Please, let me do this.”
The duo was about to cry when Peter held out his hand for the stones. “Peter…” “But, but…” Neither of them could say anything to stop him. He made up his mind and there was no time left.
They hand over their stones and they lose their powers. The worry and fear in their eyes never left as Peter smiled sadly at them. “Not sure how this’ll go, so, you better get out of here.” MJ and Ned crashed into Peter, sharing one last hug as Peter tears up more. Even his tears had hearts.
“This can’t be happening. No, my kid didn’t die twice. I-... That never happened!” Tony shouted.
More robots exploded as Peter sends his friends back. “You better come back alive, Parker! I swear to frog you better!”
“Same words, kid,” Clint muttered to himself.
Peter faces the moon as the Plantars asked what was happening, only to be told that Peter might not make it. Sprig couldn’t help but ask Frobo to take him to his human friend, much to the family’s protest.
The Core comments on Peter using the stones, Amphibia’s ‘Greatest treasures’ against them, only for him to retaliate that no, that is not what Amphibia’s greatest treasure is. “Mother Olm said all I had to do was ask. So, I’m asking. Can you help me save the world I love…?”
The stones shook as Peter barely held on with the power as the colors spread and the gems shatter into a million pieces. In the distance, the power was so great, that you could see from back in Amphibia. Peter was drained of all color, and his eyes were in the shape of a diamond star as he heard Sprig call out his name.
“Peter! Please don’t do this, don’t go! I don’t know what I’ll do without you! You’re my everything, you changed my life!” Desperation in his voice, he couldn’t let his best friend go, it was too hard to say goodbye.
“Listen to him, please…” Bruce whispered. “Well, if he was here then that means he survived, right? I mean, he can’t just revive himself alone so he had to survive!” Clint said. Maybe it was denial, maybe it was him thinking about it in-depth. Either way, his voice cracked at the thought.
“I really hope so, Clint. He’s a good kid, I wanted him to survive.” Natasha replied a hint of sadness in her voice. Rare since she was used to hiding her true emotions.
Peter held Sprig's hand, finally getting a good look at him. His body was starting to crack, his voice was echoing with every word he muttered. Sprig lets tears fall as he and Frobo flew behind.
“Goodbye, Sprig.”
None of them could speak, the look of Peter literally cracking would be engraved in their minds forever.
Peter turned back, summoned everything he could in his power, and shot at the moon, cracking even more in the process.
And then, the Core broke and so did the moon.
“He did it… Please be ok!” Scott was basically biting his fingernails at the footage.
The resistance cheered as they witness the pieces left over from the moon as Sprig takes Peter’s gray body back.
Oh no
“C’mon, Peter. You’ll be ok!” Sprig said, but when he looked around, he saw them grieve. Grieving the loss of a hero. “Don’t cry, Sprig. It’s ok. Saving this world was the best decision I ever made. My only regret is that… I never got to see Love Choice 2.” They laughed, probably the last laugh they’ll ever get from Peter.
“Goddamnit, this was years ago! He was ok! He had to be ok if he was right next to me in the lab when he was working with me with the suit when I gave him a real internship! He was here! He survived! There is no way he dies twice!” Tony exclaimed. His stoic expression crumbled long ago.
But when he looked at the others with him, he found they were all grieving, knowing what could be the outcome.
And with that final laugh, he faded into leaves, leaving his friends and family behind.
It was then that Tony broke. He let his tears fall when he finally realized he died in the same way as he did in Titan. Peter still had so much to live.
Tony's breath was beginning to pick up speed. It was all my fault. My fault. My fault my fault my fault.
"Why can't I save him…?! He was just a kid! He died one too many times and all of it was because he wanted to help…!" Tony muttered through hiccups and sobs. Rhodey gently places a hand on his best friend, he can't do much aside from reassuring him and just be there for him.
Peter used to do that too…
"Peter."
"Wh- what the–?!" Tony's head perked up.
Voices calling out Peter's name can be heard, you can even hear some Avengers and classmates call out to him.
Peter wakes up in his Spider-man suit. He looks up at the shooting stars seen in blue, yellow, pink, and green as he stands up on a floating island with a house on it.
"He's… alive?! But how?!" Scott asked, getting no reply.
He enters the small door that lead to the inside of the house, it has framed pictures of MJ, Ned, Aunt May, the AcaDeca team, his friends in Amphibia, and Tony and the rest of the Avengers, and many of the things that were familiar to him, and then there was an old computer in the middle of the room.
'3_stones_deity would like to chat. Accept?'
"3 stones deity? Who even is that?" Clint asked only to get no reply, but he already knew that.
Peter clicks 'accept'
3_stones_deity: Hello Peter O.o
"Uh, Hello." He starts typing and sends the message.
Pet3r_P4rker: Hi. Who are you? What's going on?
3_stone_deity: I am the cosmic guardian who has watched over countless worlds for countless eons… :)
"Woah. Ok…?"
The Avengers stared in awe, Tony calmed down a bit but was still teary-eyed when looking at on-screen Peter. "Where is this conversation going?"
Pet3r_P4rker: What's with the old timey computer?
3_stones_deity: Old? Are you human teens using something else these days?
Pet3r_P4rker: Yeah, you're off by a couple decades.
3_stones_deity: Well, perhaps we should try a different form…
The computer starts to glow and took the form of Murph, Mr. Dellmar's cat. "How's this? Better?"
"Heh, knowing Peter and that cat, he's definitely gonna hug the shit out of that." Steve pointed out, earning a laugh from some of the ones in the room.
"So much better, come here you!" Peter goes and hugs the god-cat, who refuses and Peter puts it down. "I figured your response would be something like this. I am very cute." And they were, indeed, right.
"So… What's going on? Am I… dead or something?" Peter asks with slight restraint. "Yes, and no. I made a copy of you right before you expired. A backup, if you will. For all intents and purposes, you're the same Peter Parker."
"What the fuck." Rhodey deadpanned. None of them could comprehend what was happening or how this part of his very confusing life is beinh shown to them.
Peter looked at the god with wide eyes and a horrified expression. "Well, that's gonna cause some serious existential dread later on." He pauses for a moment before continuing. "So, does that make you…?" "Just a watcher, a viewer. I'm- not in the demographic though." "And you look like Mr. Dellmar's cat, because…?" "My true form would make your human brain explode."
"Kid, don't ask to see it I swear to god."
He asks to see it, only to be met by an indescribable being as Peter screams before it turns back to a cat.
"Now, to business."
"Business? What business? He's already interning for me!" Tony exclaimed, suddenly being more protective–than usual–of the kid on the screen. "I don't think it's that kind of business, Tony."
"Peter Parker? I brought you to this place because I want to offer you a job." "Wha?"
"You were saying, Ms. Romanoff?" Tony said with sarcasm oozing out of every word. Natasha rolled her eyes.
"To keep a near infinite story short, I've been doing this for a very long time. It's exhausting! So, I was wondering if you would consider being my replacement." The deity explained.
"You were saying, Mr. Stark?" Tony flips Natasha offbecause why wouldn't he.
"Me?!" Peter replied exasperated. The thought of him as a god of some sorts. He'd probably be on-par with Thor and Loki, if not, above them! And he was only 15!
"Yes, you! I created the stones to see how well mortals would handle unlimited power. Turns out, not that well. Would you believe that in 10,000 years, you're the only individual who used that power for good?"
"He's the only one? Either that kid is a saint or the alien frog people are greedy as hell, probably both." Bruce commented with almost all of them agreeing. They really couldn't deny Peter being the best.
"Uhh, this is a lot to take in right now. I mean, do I have a choice?" Peter asks, the response from the deity was a yes, he wasn't a jerk! "Well then, I'm gonna have to pass." Much to the surprise of everyone
"What?! Rejecting being an Avenger, but a god?! This kid got balls of steel!" Tony let out a laugh at his own comment. This kid was either so humble that he didn't want to think he was above everybody despite saving the world, keeping Queens from going to shit, and went to space to try and save the whole goddamn universe, or he thought low of himself. Either way, they were still confused as to why he did it.
It left the god confused. "Huh?! No! I haven't even told you about bagel fridays!" "Sorry, dude. You seem cool! But I'm just a 15-year-old kid. For every 'heroic sacrifice' I make hundred dumb mistakes! I'd probably blow up the multiverse if you put me in charge."
"Oh c'mon kid. You make more sacrifices than I have arrows on my ceiling."
"No! Don't do this to me, kid. You're the only mortal who qualifies! You're perfect." The god complains, trying to convince Peter. "No one's perfect. My time in Amphibia taught me that we're all changing, and improving, and learning as we go. Every time I hit an obstacle? I found a way to overcome it." Peter explains as the deity in the form of a cat listens intently.
"When I thought MJ and Med would be stuck in their old ways, they proved me wrong and our friendship got stronger! And Wartwood? The oldest fashion, least accepting place, ended up accepting me as one of their own!" It was quiet again. No one said anything as the god was deep in thought.
"So you're saying you can continue improving? Maybe even one day feel worthy of this post?" They questioned, slightly smug.
"It's possible! I have my whole life to make bad choices and learn good lessons from them. Or… I had my whole life ahead of me…" He trails off as the realization sets in. He's dead.
"Right, but that means he lived if he was here till he went to Titan!" Steve pointed out.
"About that." The entire room disappears as Peter is left floating over a white abyss of nothingness. "Woah! What's happening! Am I actually dying this time?!"
"God, I would hope not."
"I'm sending you back to the world of the living, you've shown me the error of my thinking, and if you could do that at age 15? Then imagine the guardian you would be in a life fully lived!" the 3 Stones deity shows itself one more time, this time with a more godly figure.
"Go, live your life! I've waited thousands of years to retire, what's 78 years more?" "Wait, are you saying that in 78 years I'm gonna–?! AAAAHH!!!!"
For some reason, that struck them all like a boxer strikes a punching bag. Only, replace boxer with 'emotions' and punching bag with them.
Peter still could've lived till 91, but Thanos was cruel, and the universe hates kids with a good heart.
There was a blinding white light and Peter was back. He raises his head and sees everyone from the resistance mourning the death of a hero. Peter Parker.
"Ahem. What's everyone looking at?" He said as he walked over the Plantars and Grime, MJ, and Ned. "Not now, Peter. We're mourning the loss of a true hero, and the greatest kid who ever lived–" "Peter?!"
Sprig runs up to Peter with tears in his eyes. He was still crying for god knows how long, all they knew was that it lasted till sunrise. "Hey, dude!" Sprig tackles Peter into a hug, and soon the others are running too. Peter giggles as he asks what he missed and MJ explains how the moon exploded and so did he. "But you're back somehow! Which is amazing but also, how?!"
"I don't know where to begin. The whole thing feels like a dream!" But then Sprig asks why Peter's pocket is glowing. It was glowing a hint of blue, pink, and green. Peter takes it out revealing three shards and a note that says 'ttyl O.o'
The group was still tearing up at the scene, but not from sadness anymore, but from seeing the friends so happy after a whole year from when they went missing. They were crying tears of joy.
"What are those?" "I think they're a chance for a fresh start."
Sprig hugs Peter again, still not believing how he was back from the dead as the others laugh at the scene.
"Damnit. Why am I crying? This is a happy scene goddamnit!" Steve said tearfully as everyone gave a watery laugh.
Ned puts up the shards to take a closer look. "Based on what Pete told us, I think these shards are low output versions of the stones."
"Low output? Does that mean it won't last long long or it would be a small portal?" Bruce asked with a hint of worry.
"So we can use them to get back home?" MJ asked Ned who agreed, though, based on size and luminosity he thinks it's one time use only.
"So if we use these to get back home, there's no going back…" "Not only that, who knows how long they'll hold for. Could be hours, could be minutes." Ned replied.
The family looked on with sadness but with a smile. "Well, we better say our goodbyes. You guys need to go back to your own lives.and I think we've kept you long enough."
The trio looked at each other and nodded sorrowfully. It would be the last time they'd see their amphibian family and they were gonna take the time to say goodbye the proper way.
The group couldn't watch in silence without hearing sniffling every few seconds.
Yunan crowned Ned with a green flower crown, green flowers for the green gem holder. "I came to this world thinking only of myself, it was… wrong of me. And, I wish I've gotten to know you two better."
"It's weird seeing Peter's friend be this calm and collected. He's usually so energetic and excited that he matches Peter's attitude perfectly. No wonder they're best friends." Clint mentions while wiping a tear from his eye while smiling.
"I think we all have a lot to learn, Master Ned. Don't be so hard on yourself." Olivia said. "In a way, you helped us see what was important as well." Ned glances at the two hands that held each other with a sad smile, confirming that they are together.
"Not gonna lie, those two are cute together." Bruce said.
Ned looked at the sad shell of a former King that was Andrias, who couldn't look any of them in the eye. "Goodbye, Andrias." The newt looked at him with wide eyes as the kid acknowledged him and his existence.
He was silent for a moment till he said. "Take care, kiddo."
The others were silent. They knew nothing about what happened or as to what they went through but it doesn't make it less heartfelt.
Grime tries his best to put the pink crown on MJ with the one arm he has left. A pink flower crown for the holder of the pink strength gem. "Commander." MJ started while saluting. "Lieutenant." Grime continued with the same gesture. "It was… an honor serving with you." He held out his hand, attempting to maintain a professional demeanor.
"Did they not bond the whole time they were there?" Rhodey asked with slight disappointment. He's heard about MJ's chill demeanor no matter what circumstance it was from Peter, he kinda wanted to see if she had any emotions other than a thin line as her lips that probably resembled a smile to others. He was kinda disappointed to not see a teary goodbye from someone like her.
MJ's lips quivered, not being able to keep up the cold lieutenant facade she continued to uphold the whole time. All of a sudden, she bursts into tears, "I'm gonna miss you so much!!!!!!" MJ sobbed, showing how she was really just a big softie.
Grume soon followed in the sob-fest the duo were suddenly in. "Not as much as I'm gonna miss you!!" MJ puts both her hands on her own father-figure, "You find Percy and Bradock, you tell them I'll miss them forever!" MJ exclaimed as she barely lets out the words through her almost comical sobs.
"I will," he pauses, "as soon as I find the pieces of my heart and piece them back together!!" The two hugged as the sobbed on each other's armor.
The Avengers chuckled at the sight. They laughed at the lighthearted goodbye the two had, kinda like a break from all the heartbreak they've witnessed.
And now, it was time for Peter to say goodbye. He had a blue and red but mostly blue flower crown, symbolizing his role as Spider-man and as the holder of the blue gem.
Peter knelt down to meet Polly's height. "Goodbye, Polly. You're the little sister I never knew I needed, I know you're gonna grow into an amazing frog and take over the world." He said as he caressed the young pollywog who had tears in her eyes.
"Without you as my moral compass, I definitely will!" She gave Peter her last hug. "Goodbye, HP. Thanks for taking me in. I'm so lucky to call myself a Plantar." "I'm the lucky one, Pete. And I'm so blessed to have a grandson like you! If you ever… need a home-cooked meal or your old room back, just… stop by."
He didn't bother trying to hold back the tears anymore. He just lets them roll down his cheeks as Peter replies, "Like an old wise frog once told me, family always finds each other."
For some reason, that line hit them like bricks. Especially Tony. Peter wasn't even his real kid and yet here he is, crying over his first death and literally about to rip the universe apart to get the kid back.
Clint and Scott thought of the line too, them having kids themselves, of course. All they wanted to do was see their loved ones again.
Hop pop and Peter share one last hug when Peter hears sobs from the last Plantar to say his farewell. Sprig. Peter walks up and hugs him, and he returns it soon after. "Goodbye, Peter. I-... I'll never forget you." "And I won't forget you either, Sprig. Which means we'll never be apart, not really…"
The younger kept sobbing as Peter continued. "Nothing will ever change how much you mean to me. Not time, or space, or being worlds apart."
"Sparkar against the world?" "Sparkar against the world." They do one last handshake before Peter reaches in his pocket to take his phone out. "I want you to have this." Sprig takes the phone from Peter. "Maybe, it'll help you in your future adventures.
They all share one last hug together, including Bessy and Frobo, Ned and his newt moms, and Grime and Sasha before Valeriana walks up, signifying it's almost time.
Sniffles could be heard as they realized that this is the moment they came home and were found back at the playground where everything started.
The trio walks up to the newly opened portal. They turned around, held hands, and took a bow at the resistance, the amphibians who helped them grow into new people, the ones who were there the whole time, their otherworldly family.
Ned and MJ already went into the portal, with Peter lagging behind and feeling a pair of hands hug him from behind, only reaching his waist.
He kneels down and hugs him, this time, it was truly the last, as the camera spun around them and Peter lets go and enters the portal and they all disappear.
Tony saw how much the other two grew, Ned was more calm and collected and MJ was more emotional, finally letting her emotions free and not locked up in a box.
But Peter was still the same. He was still the caring, soft spoken, self-sacrificial kid he'd met all those years ago when he recruited him. Maybe he changed a lot, that's no surprise nor secret. But maybe his personality is really all just caring, soft spoken, and self-sacrificial at its core, all his other quirks and personalities were just add-ons.
Nonetheless, he was still proud, and he was still mourning at the loss of a kid who still had 73 years left to live and become a guardian of the whole Multiverse.
Tony wasn't gonna see him live up to then, not by a longshot and he knew that. But he'd rather die first than see his kid die for the third time.
There was a blinding light and the portal was gone and so was the music box, disintegrating into ashes.
And then the footage ends, leaving the team a somewhat emotional wreck.