Tears of an Angel

1 Year After Snap (May 2019)

Payton pulled on the glove with all her strength. A smile pulled on her lips as it moved past his fingers-

Red dust travelled over them, revealing she had been holding onto nothing as a deep laugh echoed around her. Payton looked around to see she was in Queens. Almost every building was entirely destroyed, more like the site of an ancient ruin. Except everything was also on fire.

'Not good enough little spider.' She turned around to see Thanos walking towards her, in his ungloved hand was a swaddled, crying baby. 'All that effort, and for what?'

He crushed an Iron Man helmet under his foot as he stalked toward her. Next to his foot was May's body. May's glazed over eyes stared back at her. You're fault. They seemed to say. You should've done better.

'All of that...' He was in front of her now, ignoring the baby's cry. 'Leads to me." Purple light glowed from his fist as he raised it-

Payton gasped awake, rapidly blinking. She coughed sitting up, pushing her hair back from her sweaty forehead. They're already gone. Payton looked up as she recognized the cries weren't remnants of her dream.

She leaped off her bed before rushing to the next room. Baby Morgan laid awake screaming  as she weakly kicked off her blanket.

"It's alright." Payton cooed picking her up, grabbing the pacifier in the crib. "It's alright, sweetie." Payton gently pushed the pacifier back into Morgan's mouth, she spit it out crying louder. Payton hummed softly as she walked over to the rocking chair.  "Remember me

Though I have to say goodbye

Remember me

Don't let it make you cry

For even if I'm far away, I hold you in my heart

I sing a secret song for you each night we are apart.

Remember me

Though I have to travel far

Remember me

Each time you hear a sad guitar

Know that I'm with you the only way that I can be

Until your in my arms again

Remember me."

Payton sighed softly seeing Morgan was fast asleep. Most nights took a few more rounds before she fell asleep.

"She asleep?" Payton looked over to where Pepper was lingering by the door.

"Out like a light." Payton whispered softly as she continued to softly rock them.

"I didn't even hear her." Pepper admitted walking closer.

"Well I do have enhanced hearing."

Pepper stood over them, brushing Payton's hair back softly. "You're going on that trip."

By some miracle, she was still allowed to attend Midtown. Despite all the craziness going on, they had managed to save the Aca Dec field trip money. But since so little of them were left they opened up the invite to anyone who wanted to attend.

Payton looked away. "I can't just leave y'all."

"Honey," Pepper knelt in front of her. "It's just a week. Rhodey, Happy and Nat will be on call. And it's your senior year. You should do something to enjoy yourself." She paused for a moment. "May and Tony also wanted you to have some semblance of a normal life."

Cheap shot, Pepper Potts. Payton thought as she looked up to her. "I reserve the right to come home any time I want."

Pepper kissed her forehead. "I'll even have Happy pick you up."

*******

Both Ned and MJ were victims of the Snap. As were most of her Academic Decathlon Team. Well except for-

"Hey penis!" Payton turned to Flash Thompson running towards her as she walked around Venice.

"Flash." Payton greeted as he caught up. Flash, like her had lost a lot of friends to the Snap. He had also lost his father, leaving him with his step mother. 

"You liking Venice so far?" He asked kindly. Over the last few months since the Decimation, the two had slowly grown closer. Not exactly friends, but closer.

"It's nice." Payton agreed looking over at the dolphins who squeaked as they jumped out. "They're beautiful."

"They're annoying." Flash commented kicking a rock into the canal.

The back of Payton's neck tingled as the dolphins quickly swam away, a strange ripple going through the water. Payton looked up as a giant monster made of water stood up.

"SHIT!" Flash exclaimed taking several steps back.

Of course a water monster would attack while she was at Venice. So much for a vacation.

"Run!" Payton yelled, pushing him forward as they ran. She looked back in time to see a figure in green smoke come flying in.  Flash was already gone in the chaos. Payton quickly slapped on her web shooters before grabbing a mask from the stand and joining the battle. 

****

After the battle the fish bowl wearing man that defeated the creature approached her. "Spider Girl?"

"How do you know who I am?"

"My name is Quentin Beck. I'm from an alternate dimension and need your help."

"I can't help you." Payton protested. "Maybe the Avengers-"

"I tried." He sounded desperate, his voice cracking. "There are no Avengers here. Not a real team. Not one capable enough to help. I need someone I can trust. Do you trust them?"

Could she? Among the entire team only Natasha bothered to stay in contact, but she only lived at the Compound. Thor went back to his people. Clint's gone AWOL. Bruce is pretty much locked up in his lab 24/7. And Steve...

She doesn't even know where he's gone, let alone what he's been doing. She knows he's not with the Avengers though.  No one is.

****

Payton met with him later that night in an abandoned building. "Hello?"

"There you are." Payton turned to him as he walked in from another room.

"What are you trying to do?"

"I've been trying to find a way to track the energies of these creatures." He pushed a button on his wrist. A hologram opened up in the middle of the room. Four creatures were in a circle. "My world called them Elementals: Cyclone, Sandman, Hydro Man and Molten Man." I managed to defeat Cyclone and Sand Man on my own. And you had the misfortune of meeting Hydro Man. It's Molten Man we should worry about."

"Why?"

"He's the one that destroyed my world." Beck said sadly as the hologram closed. "He feeds on metal to expand. He could power volcanoes and devour whole landmasses. If he gets too powerful, he'll destroy this world too."

"How do we stop him?"

"I'm working on it." Beck turned away from her. "But it won't mean anything if we can't find him. In my world you're the greatest hero of all time. Granted you're also a little older there, but I know you can help me. Will you?"

"Of course." He turned to look at her, hope in his eyes. "Karen, speaker mode."

"Of course." Karen's voice projected from her watch as she lifted it up so a hologram could float between them. It showed off a map of the world. "What shall I search for?"

"What is this?" Beck asked amazed.

"Karen." Payton patiently explained. "She's an AI Mr. Stark designed to help me." She ignored the pang in her chest as she continued. "She's connected to pretty much anything, and can help me hack into anything else. But what should we search for?"

****

One defeated lava monster in Prague later.

"I can't be everywhere." Payton tiredly whispered as they sat on the roof of the club. "They keep asking me about who'll lead the Avengers. Who'll take over Stark Industries? I just want to finish high school. I want to be a kid." She groaned into her hands. "God, how selfish am I?"

"You're not selfish for wanting a normal life." Beck gently told her. "But you can't do this on your own."

Payton looked to him. "Join us."

"What?"

"I know Natasha's been at Avengers Compound, but there's too much to do. You two can reform the Avengers."

"What about you?"

"I was never really an Avenger. But if you tell her what you've done, she'll help you. You're a great hero. I think Mr. Stark would've liked you."

Beck hesitated before nodding. "Alright I'll go. But... I don't know where that it is."

"I'll take you." Payton hesitated, "But I've already been missing from class long enough..." Payton slipped her watch off. "Karen?"

"Yes?"

"I want you to assist Beck."

"What are you doing?" Beck protested.

"Karen can help you." Payton assured. "I need to get back, but you shouldn't have to wait on me." She held the watch off to him. "Take it."

He hesitated before slowly taking it. "Thanks Spider Girl."

****

It was all a trick. A cruel, painful illusion.

Payton quietly sat on the plane as Happy stitched her up.

She should've been better. She should've known he was lying. She shouldn't have even contacted Karen. Now Beck was using her to take control of Mr. Stark's drones and it was all her fault.

"I've known Tony for years." Happy said softly after having patched her up. "And he doubted everything he ever did. The only thing he didn't doubt, was you. So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to kick his ass. But first, I need to make a couple of phone calls."

****

Payton's foot tapped on the ground as the quinjet landed outside of London, in front of her and Happy. Amazingly, Beck hadn't unleashed the drones yet.

"Payton." Rhodey breathed out as he rushed to her. "Are you alright?"

Payton smiled at him. "I'm fine. And I'm sorry, I should've called earlier-"

"You should've." She looked over to Natasha. who also came out. "But now that we're here, what do you want to do?"

"He thinks I'm dead." Payton reasoned, not wanting to go into any more details about why he would think that. "We're going to use that. Rhodey, Natasha can you play distraction. Act like you just got word of what was going on and are trying to fight the threat. Save everyone you can. Happy, he's going to try to kill my class. Get them to safety."

"What about you?" Natasha questioned.

"I'm going after Beck."

****

The one place he could be hidden and still see everything was apparently a bridge with three window walls. Go figure.

Payton closed her eyes as the drones surrounded her in darkness. The back of her neck tingled as the sound of a motor and gears shifting came from her left.  Payton ran right, jumping off the wall and punching through the drone before throwing it back to the other. Finally she grabbed the guns off of the drones and smashed them through the third one.  Payton rapidly shot webs at the drones by Beck clogging their guns. In the chaos, Beck was shot. "I need medic to the bridge. Now."

Payton rushed over, kneeling next to him. "You lied to me."

"I know." Beck said smugly, groaning as Payton shot web at his wounds. "These days people will believe anything."

"They're also going to believe me when I tell them what you did." Payton looked over to see Natasha coming towards them, a slight limp in her step. "SHIELD is gathering your team and looking through your hard drives." Beck's face paled. How fast was he losing his blood? "Yeah you're little contingency plan isn't going to work this time."

"What contingency?" Payton asked as SHIELD medics rushed to him, Natasha pulling her away.

"Don't worry about it, Little Spider." Natasha said wrapping an arm around her as she led her away. "Let's get you home." 

****

"You did good." Payton blinked up sleepily at the woman.

They were on the quinjet on their way back to New York. Beck had been given to SHIELD. Rhodey and Happy were sitting on  the other side of the jet, already looking like they were fast asleep.

"Thanks." Payton said softly.

"How much training did Tony give you?" Natasha asked sitting next to her.

"We worked in the lab a bunch." Payton didn't mention how they could spend entire weekends down there. Or how when they were done they'd have movie marathons.

"I mean in physical combat."

She thought about the times she would swing around the city avoiding him and Rhodey in their suits. "Then not really. I've been able to just rely on my powers and suit." She swallowed trying to ignore the flashes of the illusions.

"You can't rely on your suit all the time." Natasha said. If you're nothing without the suit, you shouldn't have it.

"You're right."

"Compound. Saturday. We're training." Natasha walked toward the front of the jet.

"Do I have a choice?"

"No." Natasha turned to her. "You should rest."

"Will you tell me Beck's contingency?" Payton asked as she laid down on the seats.

Natasha smirked. "Nope."

"Worth a shot."

****

"So your Spider Girl?" Payton looked over to Flash. They were at his graduation party, out on the balcony.

"How long have you known?" Flash blushed slightly.

"Prague." Flash explained. "Something finally clicked I guess."

"You're smart." Payton commented. "I guess it was only a matter of time."

"You could've easily beat me up."

"Yup." She popped her p. 

"But you didn't."

"Yup."

"Why?"

Payton looked to him. "You remember my uncle? Before he died, he told me 'With great power, comes great responsibility'. It wasn't until after he died that I realized it meant if I could stop bad things from happening than I should. And yeah I could've used these abilities to become popular, but it wouldn't have been right. Wouldn't have helped anyone. And that's all I want to do now. Help people."

"Either way that's no excuse for always being a jackass to you. I'm sorry."

"I forgive you." Payton tilted her head at him. "You know where you're going to school yet?"

"Well I didn't get into MIT or Caltech. And Dad would've killed me if I settled for a community college. But I was thinking of taking a gap year. Go exploring around Europe without almost dying this time."

Payton laughed. "That sounds like fun. Be sure to send me a postcard wherever you end up."

****Summer 2019****

Payton walked through the Compound, Natasha by her side.

"Are you going to tell me why I'm here?" Payton asked curiously. "It's not Saturday."

"I know." Natasha said with a small smile. "But I've been thinking, it has been a while since we've had a meeting."

"Nat, we have a meet up every week." Payton said, her face scrunched up in confusion.

"We do." Nat agreed as she pushed open a pair of double doors. "But not with them."

Payton's mouth dropped. Okoye, Carol, Rhodey, Nebula and Rocket were all standing there. In hologram form, but still. It was probably the most any of them had gathered since the Snap.

"'Bout time y'all got here." Rocket said in his usual gruff voice. "I was starting to get bored."

"Well you got us all here, Natasha." Okoye said, seemingly ignoring Rocket. Her gaze looked onto Payton. "I see you have brought a guest."

"You all me remember Payton." Natasha said standing next to Payton, who was desperately trying not to fidget. "Recently she stopped Quentin Beck from destroying most of Europe, almost entirely by herself."

She felt her cheeks start to heat up. "Well, I wouldn't say by myself. I mean Nat and Rhodey-"

"Didn't do nearly as much as you did." Rhodey interrupted. "She found out the plan and stopped Beck. Nat and I were only distractions."

"But that got me thinking." Natasha started. "A teenager on her class trip should not have had to do that alone." She looked at Okoye. "A general should not have to deal with her countries problem alone." She turned to Carol. "A captain shouldn't have to safe guard the universe on her own." She looked to Nebula and Rocket. "You two shouldn't wander the stars aimlessly." She looked to Rhodey. "And you shouldn't deal with the government alone.

"The point is none of us should be doing this alone. It's been a year, we all have to move on. But everyone here has seemingly decided that includes helping others, right? But not one person can save the world, let alone the universe alone. It's time we reinstate the Avengers."

"You want us to be the Avengers?" Carol asked. "How? I'm not even on-"

"You don't have to be on Earth." Payton spoke up seeing where Natasha was going with this. "Y'all can be Avengers Space Edition?"

"First it's Guardians of the Galaxy." Rocket interrupted.

"Then, what if we're just Avengers and Company?"

"As far as names go that kind of sucks." Rocket muttered.

"Then what would you suggest?"

"That's not my job." Rocket argued. "I'm just to make stuff that blows up people who annoy me."

Payton looked to him and raised an eyebrow at Nebula as if to ask 'How do you deal with him?' She merely shrugged in response.

"But this could work." Carol mused. "When I was with the Kree we'd be in units, but still maintained communication. If nothing else it made them efficient. And we've already established a good communication link."

"Yeah." Payton said examining the holograms. "Maybe we could even upgrade it to improve the picture."

"It seems fine to me." Rhodey pointed out.

"Just because it works doesn't mean it can't be approved." Okoye said. Payton looked over to the general who was staring at her, a strange look in her eyes. "On behalf of Wakanda, we accept your offer."

"So do I." Carol spoke up.

"You know I'm in." Rhodey smiled.

Nebula and Rocket exchanged a look of silent conversation. Rocket sighed then. "Alright fine. We're in. Great." He looked around the group. "Another group of jackasses, standing in a circle."

Payton chuckled slightly. Looks like the Avengers were back together.

****Fall 2019****

Payton swung through the city one last time before she was going to MIT. MIT, the same school her parents and her mentor had once gone to.

"You'll love it.' Mr. Stark once told her. 'I got some pull there. Can get you into all the best classes. Maybe even get them to pass you no matter-'

'Mr. Stark!' Payton protested, playfully flicking a fry at him.

'Relax, kid. You're way too smart to even need my help.'

Payton gasped as her web tore, sending her sprawling to the roof. Payton rolled to her knees. What was that? Her Spider Sense screamed at her five seconds before she jumped out of the way of an arrow. She looked up to see a figure in a hood, wielding a sword coming toward her. She shot a web at him which he easily dodged as Payton got to her feet. She dodged his swings before webbing his foot to the ground. He swung the sword at her again, she leaned back-

Payton gasped, taking several steps back as she grabbed her right cheek. The blood was already oozing through the cut on her mask.

Payton tensed hearing a scream below her. She looked over the side of the building into the alley. Two men were holding down a teen girl as another stood over them.

No. Her Spidey Sense screamed, Payton looked over seeing the hooded man swinging at her. She quickly grabbed onto the blade, ignoring as it dug into her hand, before roughly pushing him away, sending him back several steps.

She then jumped down into the alley. She webbed the back of the standing man pulling him away, knowing he hit the alley wall. She rolled into a landing, webbing one of the other men to the wall. The third man looked around in fear before letting the girl go and rushing to her wildly swinging as the woman ran out of the alley.

Payton easily dodged, before punching him in the face, easily knocking him out. She tilted her head as she heard footsteps rushing to her. She turned around, gasping as she saw the hooded man pull the sword out of him.

"What are you doing?!" She demanded rushing to the bleeding man laying on the ground. "Karen call an ambulance to my location. Now."

"He's as good as dead." The hooded man finally spoke as Payton pushed down on his wound. "You saw what they were doing. They deserve this."

"That's not our choice!" Payton cried. She looked down to see the man was unconscious, but could still hear his heartbeat. "He's still a man."

"Billions get dusted and scum like him keeps living. He's wasting his second chance, he deserves this."

"We don't decided who lives or dies. If you think you can, you're no better than Thanos." Payton gasped as the man pulled her off him and ripped off her mask, putting the sword at her throat as he pinned her to the wall.

"...No." The hooded man said softly. This closely she could see his face. His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly agape. Staring at her like water in the desert, mixed with a tinge of horror. "She would've been around your age."

"Who?" She asked softly.

He blinked, his eyes hardening. "Stark recruited you. Why?"

"Stark recruited me?" It clicked for Payton "You're Hawkeye. Clint Barton."

"If you know who I am, you know what I can-"

"Nat's been looking for you. She's worried about you."

Clint glared at her for several seconds before the sirens were in hearing range. "You tell her you saw me and I will come back for you." He threw the mask back at her before moving his sword away, shooting an arrow to the roof and swinging away.  

****

"Rough night?" Natasha asked at training the next day.

"What?" Payton looked to up to her, still rubbing the small scar on her palm that hadn't fully healed yet.

"Your cheek." Ah, that one hadn't entirely gone away yet either. But it should in day or two. "What happened?"

"I-" Clint had looked at her so desperately. He seemed nothing like the man Natasha described. She cleared her throat. "I got caught in a three on one fight. They got a couple of lucky shots. What are we working on today?"

****2 Years After Snap (Spring 2020)****

Payton had been at MIT for a few months already. She was somehow top of her class, and has rejected yet another person because of their not so subtle interest in her only because of her connection to the Starks.

"Are you really going to stay here all night?" Ava, her roommate asked. "We're in college. How many chances are we going to get to go to a party like this?"

"We're in college." Payton reasoned, turning around to face her. Ava was wearing a white long sleeved dress that went down to her knees. Her signature tiger amulet was now transferred onto a shorter chain. "We'll get more chances."

"Oh please." Ava rolled her eyes. "Time's not guaranteed. Or have you missed the whole snap thing. I plan to enjoy life to the fullest. Which now includes me getting in a dress and partying with a bunch of people I'll probably never talk to again."

"Have fun." Payton encouraged turning back to her laptop.

She heard the door close and the receding footsteps before she looked away from the laptop and to the picture frame. In there was an image of her parents holding a toddler Payton, behind them were May and Ben, all smiling at the camera. Next to that was a picture of Tony and her in the lab that FRIDAY had captured. Finally was a picture of her, Pepper, Rhodey, Happy and Nat surrounding Morgan as she smashed a giant chocolate cupcake.

Go to college. Natasha had encouraged. Relax. Live a little. Make memories.

"What do you guys think?" She asked the pictures. Payton nodded to herself with a sigh. "Alright. Let's make memories."

****

Go to a party, Ava said. It'll be fun, Ava said. Payton thought bitterly as she rolled onto her back, moving her arm to cover her eyes from the lights. She had woken up from her first hangover at her first college party at her first year at MIT. I didn't even think I could get drunk.

She moaned at the knock on her door. "Go away Ava!"

"It's not Ava." A man's voice said.

She shot up ignoring the headache staring at a young man around her age was light brown shaggy hair wearing jeans and a black and red flannel over a gray shirt. She looked down at herself relieved to see her blue blouse was still on if wrinkled, as well as her dark jeans.

But just to be sure... "We didn't...?" She felt her cheeks start to redden.

His face redden as well, "No. No. Nothing happened."

She sighed in relief. "Thank God."

"I was just letting you know, the rest rooms open if you want to use it. My roommates out today."

"Thanks um..."

"Harley." He smiled at her before walking out. "Harley Keener."

She quickly washed up before walking to see Harley standing at the kitchen counter.

"Coffee?" He offered holding out a red mug.

"Please." Payton said taking it, sitting down at the tiny table. "So what happened last night?"

"It was a good party." Harley laughed. "I don't know how long it took for you to get drunk. But I did see you dance on a table. Later I found you passed out drunk in the hallway."

"Do you know if anyone got a video of it?" Payton asked ashamed.

"A few." Harley admitted sympathetically. "I think Drunk Stark is trending right now actually."

Payton groaned putting her face in her hands. "Pepper's going to kill me." Shit. Her head shot up. "Where's my phone?"

"Here." Harley said sliding her phone across the counter as she grabbed her shoes. "But it was already dead when I brought you and don't have a wire for it. What's wrong?"

"I've got to call Pepper." She explained tying her shoes. "She's probably freaking out by now." She marched to the door. "And then she'll call Rhodey who'll be-"

She cut off as she opened the door revealing the Colonel.

"Pissed?" He finished. "Definitely."

"Rhodey!" She exclaimed surprised. "How'd you know I was here?"

"I didn't." His gaze travelled behind her to Harley. "Kid."

"Hi Colonel Rhodes."

"You two know each other?" Payton looked between them.

"Yeah." Harley said casually. "Tony introduced us a few years ago." At her shocked look, he shrugged. "Small world."

Rhodey placed a hand on her shoulder. "We need to talk." He pushed himself into the room closing the door behind him. "Harley, do you mind?"

"Go ahead." Harley said sitting on the couch. At Rhodey's look, he sighed. "Fine. I'll be in my room."

Harley walked to the room, closing the door with a firm click as Payton sat on the couch.

"Alright," Payton said. "Say it."

"What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't." Payton said matter of fact. "My roommate Ava convinced me to go to a party. I got drunk, you of all people know how easy that is."

"Yes," Rhodey said tiredly. "But you have to remember you're actions still have repercussions. You can't just start-"

"One drunk night does not mean I'm going to become an alcoholic."

"I'm not saying you will be." Rhodey continued. "But- You have an enhanced metabolism, how much did you drink to get that drunk?!"

Payton shrugged. "I didn't count."

"Of course." Rhodey sighed looking around. "Thirty years later and I'm still lecturing a drunk genius at college."

"If it makes you feel better, I have no intention to ever drink again." Payton sighed. "I just wanted to have fun. To forget."

"Look, I get it. Trust me I do. You need someone here for you. I had Tony and Richard. You need someone too. What about your roommate?"

"Ava's nice. It's just-"

"Wait a minute." Rhodey said staring at her. "Have you had any friends since the Snap?"

"Do y'all count?"

"Any friends your age?"

"There's Flash." Payton said, not mentioning the part where she lost contact with him two months ago.

"And?"

Payton took a long sip of her coffee rather than answer.

"Kid-"

"I'll try." Payton conceded. "I'll try, but I don't even know where I'd start."

"With me." Payton looked over as Harley came back in. "If Tony thought you were interesting, maybe you are."

Payton smiled. "Maybe."