Chapter 3
FIVE YEARS
When Peter was told that the stones were gone, that Thanos was dead, he screamed. He collapsed into Sam who held him to his chest as he cried. It was comforting the way Sam rubbed his back. He missed everyone.
That night with MJ and Ned sleeping over in his room he thought about the next steps. He needed to figure out if the Barton children were alright. He couldn't sleep so he could do that now. Without waking MJ and Ned, who slept on his floor with memory foam mattresses.
He moved to the main lab where he hoped Friday could help him. She very much did while telling him of the consequences of hacking secret shield files. He would sneak off early in the morning and take a jet but he had a few more things to check over before he left though.
By the time Friday alerted him that he should leave if he wants to get out undetected it was four in the morning. He'd gotten a lot of information and done research on certain things when he didn't have anything else to do. He'd gone down the rabbit hole a few times but corrected himself.
He'd collected information on a few of Tony's connections. He found one that needed help like the Barton children did. His name was Harley Keener. Tennessee was a bit out of the way but he'd see if the guy was alright. Tony would if he was here.
Peter found two remaining Barton's alone and running out of food. They didn't know him but he said he was Clint's friend and here to help. They got back on the jet to Friday saying Sam was calling them. Peter made sure to decline for now. He'd be back in a few hours no biggy.
Harley Keener's house was unoccupied when he got out of the jet. He did see that the garage light was on. He slowly made his way over telling the two Barton children to stay in the jet.
Peter was tackled when he got inside the garage. He put his hands up as a potato gun was shoved in his face. It wouldn't kill him but it would hurt like a bitch.
"Who the hell are you?!" The southern accent was something that shouldn't have hit Peter as hard as it did.
"I-I'm Peter Parker! You're Harley Keener right? You know Tony Stark?" He hoped not to get shot in the face but he prepared by clenching his eyes shut. The boy was straddling him, arms pinned beneath his knees as well.
"Yeah, I am. Is he dead too?" The voice was much lower and held the amount of sadness that Peter felt hearing those words. It hurt because he hadn't heard them until now.
Harley lowered his gun and could see the pain in Peter's eyes. Harley remembered Tony talking about Peter all the time. The boy got off of Peter and put his hand out for the other boy to take. Peter looked up at Harley for a moment before accepting the hand.
After that Peter explained the situation and everything that had happened. Harley told him that his mom was visiting his aunt and uncle with his little sister. They were already in New York when this all happened. His aunt had called him not long after this happened to tell him she couldn't get down there. Harley didn't know how long he would be stranded for but he'd told his aunt he was fine and to take all the time she needed. Peter saw he wasn't fine.
Sam was pissed when Peter got back. They all were.
"I'm sorry that I've been doing important shit? All you've been doing is moping around being sorry for yourselves! I got off my ass and made sure these three were okay. Did you even think to go looking for the Lila and Nate when you figured out Clint and Laura were gone?" Peter and Sam seemed like they were going to but heads a lot more than anyone hoped of them too. "No. I looked into Tony's contacts and saw Harley's mother is fucking gone! He was stranded because his aunt couldn't get to him!" Peter yelled and Bucky stepped in front of Peter who still didn't back down.
"We have other things to worry about-"
"Like what?!" He looked to everyone as if he was seriously asking. From Bucky to Sam, to Bruce, to Pepper, to Nebula, because he wanted to know. Everyone was depressed about this and he sighed understanding knowing that he was as well. "They aren't coming back. I'm trying to help people now. I think we should start doing that." Peter said once again looking around and finding sad faces.
"You're right," Sam said moving around Bucky to stand in front of Peter who stood up a bit straighter. "So let's do that."
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Everything changed from then on. It was different for them and everyone all over the world. There was so much devastation that needed attending to, people going hungry, lack of staff at jobs, people going out of business.
At first, most didn't know what they were doing. Some expected those who were lost to come back. People held on to even the smallest bit of hope. Peter was one of those people. Harley too. Sometimes Peter thought his boyfriend was just there for him but then he remembered the early days when they'd fight. Just little things usually ending in "why don't you just leave" but neither ever did.
The second-year a few months after Morgan Stark was born was when Pepper left the compound. She took Nathaniel with her and Lila visited them every weekend, facetime every day. Peter and Harley would sometimes go with her to see them on weekends.
It was a better place for the six-year-old than the compound. Nate loved it there but the cabin would be better. Happy or Pepper would take him to school depending on how busy she was, most Friday’s Harley or Peter would come around early and take him to school then babysit Morgan while Pepper went to work.
They visited more after the third year when Bucky and Sam moved into a cabin across the lake with Sam's nephews. AJ and Cass were adorable whenever Peter visited them. Peter and Harley would come on weekends. They’d babysit Morgan, go see Sam and Bucky and the kids there.
Shuri, Peter, Harley, and Lila would often try to figure out how to get everyone back. They had tested and tried but most of their attempts had failed. The stones were gone so their only option was going back to get them. Back in time that is.
But then one day, after five whole years of failed time travel attempts, Peter found something. He’d been looking into projects just before the snap and found the Pym’s. Plus Scott Lang, Peter had met him briefly in Germany, but he didn’t really know him.
"Shuri! Shuri! SHURI!" He found her in the main living room. She was with Harley who was always on the monitors in case anyone needed anything. Bruce, Carol, Rocket, Nebula, anyone from anywhere on world or off-world.
"Peter unless you've got Tylenol in your pocket shut up," Lila said entering the room holding her head.
It had been one of her friend's birthday parties last night. Peter picked her up and brought her home while she threw up in the back of his car. It was fun to clean out this morning. He tossed her a bottle of Tylenol which she caught with fast reflexes.
"I know how to do it," Peter said to which they frowned at him in their different spots in the room.
Lila leaned on a doorframe as she downed a couple of Tylenol a glass of water in her other hand. Harley had his feet up on the table chewing gum with his hands behind his head. Shuri was at the circular table used for research. Before Peter walked in she had been looking at problems up in Canada, just more mafia that thinks the rest of the Avengers needed to die for failing the universe.
"Do what?" Harley asked taking his feet off the table and Peter smiled like he'd just won the prize.
"Bring everyone back," Peter said moving to the table Shuri was at and pushing her tabs aside pulling up his from the iPad he'd just been on. Shuri, Lila, and Harley watched crowding behind him. When they saw what he was on they sighed.
"Peter we tried this. Hank Pym's work had been destroyed what wasn't destroyed didn't help us in understanding how to make the Pym particles." Shuri said leaning against the table, Lila flopped down on one of the couches while Harley rested his chin on Peter's shoulder.
"We've tried darlin'. It's been five years." Harley whispered and kissed Peter's shoulder.
"No, no, you don't understand. We looked in the wrong place. Do you know who Ant-Man is?" Peter spun holding Harley by the shoulders but also looked at the girls asking them the same question.
"Yeah, he's been around fought you and Iron Man at the airport in Germany right?" Lila asked sitting up squinting and leaning back down on the couch when a stream of sun crossed her eye line.
"Yes! Pym was the one who gave him that suit. So I thought, Scott Lang is his name, maybe Scott has some things of Pym's." Peter smiled at Harley before turning around and continuing his way through hacking systems and security. "Now, Scott was blipped but his stuff, including a van they used for entering the quantum realm, was put into his daughter's name. She's sixteen, I think. Her name is Cassandra Lang she lives with her mom in San Fransisco." Peter said pulling up a bunch of photos, some with Scott and Hank Pym, some were Scott and Hope Pym, some were of Cassandra and Scott, some of what Cassandra looked like now.
Shuri pushed him aside and did a little more research. Peter and Harley looked over her shoulder as Lila groaned while struggling to get off the couch. Shuri was researching about the van and anything about Ant-Man that could possible help them.
"How did we miss this?" Shuri muttered more to herself than to the boys that were leaning practically on her as she did her search.
"He wasn't well known, I should've at least thought about it without YouTube recommending a video of him from years ago," Peter said to which Shuri looked over at him over her own shoulder. He backed up and so did Harley after seeing her death glare. "I know I'm a stupid forgetful idiot," Peter said hands in the air in surrender to which she rolled her eyes and turned back to the hologram screens.
"Five years with you and believe me I know you're an idiot, sometimes forgetful," Shuri said before standing up straight from where she was leaning down to type into the hologram. She smiled triumphantly seeing Cassandra's address. She then turned around looking Peter in the eyes. "You might be stupid but you sure as hell ain't dumb Peter Parker," Shuri said winking at him to which he smiled holding his head a bit higher.
"Soon to be Keener," Harley muttered to which the girls raised an eyebrow at him while Peter glared.
"No!" He said shaking his head as if it was the obvious answer. "I'm not marrying you dumbass," Peter said walking off saying he was going to go get the jet ready.
"What why not?!" Harley said going after him.
Shuri and Lila glanced over at each other.
"Bet Peter they'll be engaged by the end of the week." Lila offered to which Shuri laughed.
"Peter's gonna give." Shuri offered as a counter to which Lila shook her head.
"Nah, Harley will gush his feelings about why he wants to get married then Peter will give. Because everyone in the universe knows he didn't involve feelings." Lila said and Shuri shrugged both of them staring after the hallway the two left through.
"How much?"
"I need a new car. Ten grand?"
"High price sweetheart. Deal."
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