Back to the Future

2018-

Ned sat in the back of Tony’s lab, watching the man tinker away on operation ‘get Peter home’. He tried to keep up with the man but, it was Tony Stark, it was impossible. Peter would’ve been able to do it, he was the smartest person at school.

Tony turned to him, goggles strapped to his face. The sleeves of his lab coat were scrunched up, his t-shirt baggy as it laid just by his thigh. “Ned, pass me that screwdriver,” He mumbled, turning right back to his work.

Ned was quick to comply, grabbing the tool and putting it on Tony’s desk (he knew how the man was about taking things, he got used to Tony’s ‘eccentric’ ways quickly).

“We are so close to finishing this, kid,” Tony said, his head down close to his desk. “Before we know it, Pete’s going to be down in the lab.”

“I hope so, Mr Stark,” Ned told him, placing the second bit of lego onto the structure he was building. “Because I can’t keep coming up with excuses at school, I’m a terrible liar. I’ve told about five different people that’s he moving to Madagascar.”

“Wow, kid,” Tony chuckled lightly. “You really are a bad liar.”

“Yeah, I am,” Ned smiled.

Having a bit of Peter in his lab calmed Tony down. Ned was sweet, he had a similar personality to the kid but, it wasn’t the same. He felt guilty: both to Ned and Peter. However, Ned looked happy to be in the lab so, he let him stay. Maybe it was good for both of them.

“Hey kid, I’ve been quite- you know,” Tony waved his arm around, hoping Ned would get where he was going with this conversation. “Without Pete, it’s been strange. You’ve helped me through it. So (I don’t say this a lot so, appreciate it), thanks.”

“That’s okay, Mr Stark. I can see why Pete likes it so much here. He always talks about you, you know. It’s been to have someone to hang out with whilst he’s gone too. MJ’s my friend but, she’s a bit scary sometimes. So, thank you!”

“Nice to hear,” Tony smiled, the first genuine one in a while. “You’re welcome.”

Ned left later that evening. Happy took him home after complaining that he wasn’t a chauffeur, especially for two kids. Although he quickly obliged, all Ned had to do was remind him of how much Peter enjoyed his time with Happy and the man turned to putty. Tony knew how much he actually loved Pete (and his Aunt).

Whilst running through a new prototype, Tony got so close. He went to change something on the hologram but, was interrupted when Dr Strange flew out beside him.

“Holy shit!” Tony cursed, putting a hand over his heart. “You scared the crap out of me!”

“Haven’t got the kid back yet?” He asked, ignoring Tony’s outburst. Tony’s glare told him everything he needed to know. “It looks like you need some help then.”

“I don’t need your help-,”

Strange looked down at the floor. Tony was sat down, the whole area covered in nuts and bolts. Tony’s hair was scraggly and the dark circles underneath his eyes suggested he wasn’t sleeping. “I think you do.”

Tony scowled. He looked up at Strange. He sighed, admitting defeat. It was for Peter. “Fine. Come on then.”

1995-

“Oh, kid,” Tony said to himself, looking at the floor of the guest room. He was about to leave when he noticed the Polaroid photo on the floor, the one the kid showed him before. He stared at it for a few moments, the regret of what he said the night before falling back over him.

His head hurt. He was definitely hungover, the pounding in his head making him want to rush back for the covers. Something stopped him, that something being a kid named Peter Parker. He wanted to pretend it wasn’t hurting him but, the boy’s presence was something he missed.

At only twenty-five, Tony had been through a lot in life. The experience of finding a friend, a kid, and then letting him go made him feel something he hadn’t felt in a while. He felt guilty. He wasn’t best friends with the kid but, he hadn’t feel this bad for yelling at someone since he blew up in front of Rhodey during their college days.

So, Tony knew he had to do something about it. Getting changed into a random outfit, he decided to step outside and start the search for Peter. He walked through the city, noticing how his every moment was trailed by the paparazzi (each of them trying to get a money-shot of the eccentric, alcoholic, billionaire).

“Peter?” He called, as strangers looked at him with weird faces. “Pete?” The volume in his voice hurt him, making his head pound from the hangover.

The rain was still rampant, falling down to the floor as it did the night before. Tony hadn’t been bothered to pick up an umbrella. He looked down every road, at every single area that Peter could be in. Nothing happened. Peter was lost and there was nothing he could do about it.

Peter sat in the alleyway, searching through thrown away materials that he could use to try and make his own machine. With a frustrated yell, he threw away something he was working on. He needed to go back to Tony but, he knew the man didn’t want him. He never would, would he? His own Tony probably wanted him gone. Would he even be surprised if this whole thing was constructed by his Tony to rid him to a different world?

Peter’s thoughts were stopped. Tony looked down the alleyway to see him crouched over, tears clearly down his face.

“Go away,” Peter said, scooting his whole body so he was sat facing the wall.

Tony stepped forward. “Come on, kid. I’m trying here,” He said, the alcohol still on his breath. “Look, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. You were just telling the truth.”

“I wasn’t-,” Tony sighed. He walked around so that he was in the boy’s line of sight. “Kid, please. You can’t be out here on your own.”

“Why do you care!?” Peter snapped. “Leave me alone!”

“Stop being so stubborn!” Tony shouted. “You’re going to get ill! If future me comes back and finds you dead, I’m the one who’s going to be blamed!” Tony took a deep breath, calming himself down. “Also, I mean, it was kind of nice having someone else in the house.”

“Do you mean that?” Peter said, finally putting his stuff away.

“Maybe.”

“Well, doesn’t mean I want to come back just to make you happy. I want- I, uh, I need to stay here. I have to get home Mr Stark and I can work better here, maybe,” Peter said, softly.

“Kid, I’ll help you. I can help you get home if you let me fix my mistakes,” Tony whispered, placing a soft hand on the kid’s shoulder. “Look, kid. I hate talking emotions, shit like that, but... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you, I wasn’t thinking about what I said.”

“Fine. I’ll forgive you, reluctantly. It’s only so I can lounge in your awesome swimming pool,” Peter smiled softly.

Tony chuckled, his head falling back as a soft, genuine, smile stretched over his face. He helped the kid up, their hands fitting together.

He got up and grabbed his backpack, putting it over his shoulder. Taking a look at Tony, he started to walk out of the alleyway. Tony’s hand, however, stopped him from stepping outside. Before he could comprehend what was happening, Tony’s $2000 coat was around his shoulders. Tony placed the hood over his face, wrapping his arm around Peter so he was close to him. He didn’t want anyone taking a photo of the kid. Peter didn’t technically exist yet so journalists might start to get suspicious when they find nothing on him. Secondly, he just didn’t want the kid to face the press.

They got into the beach house not longer after Tony convinced him to come back. Tony put the heating up, making sure the kid didn’t get hypothermia. That’s all it was, really. He wasn’t that bothered that the kid was wet and freezing. He wasn’t attached to the kid, was he? That was future Tony’s problem, not his. However, a little part of him wanted him to be like this other version of him. He was used to partying and dancing with people and drinking himself away, not looking after little kids.

Peter was curled up on the sofa, a blanket draped over him. Tony looked over at the kid and suddenly he realised how small he actually was. He was just a little kid but, he was so willing to try everything to get back to him (well, him in 2018). He wasn’t sure how much he had changed in the future but, if someone like this kid looked up to him then surely he got something right.

“So, uh, have you made much progress on the time machine?”

“Not really, Mr Stark,” Peter sighed. “It’s just so frustrating. I get so close and then everything goes wrong. It doesn’t work and then I’m at step one again.”

Tony sat down beside the kid, taking the boy’s plans out from out of his backpack. Raising his eyebrows, he looked over the work. Impressive stuff. The blueprints are some of the most advanced stuff she had ever seen and (with the right time and resources) it could even work.

“You’ve made a mistake here but, that’s all that I can see for now.” Tony told him, pointing to one of the room calculations.

“You always do help me out,” Peter told him, grabbing his pencil to write the right calculation.

“Tony Stark, kid. It’s what I do.”

Rhodey and Pepper walked into Tony’s house later in that week, expecting to see the man cramped up in his lab with a bottle of whisky in his hand. What they didn’t think they’d see was their friend playing an aggressive game of uno with a teenage boy.

“You’re cheating!” The kid said, a mop of ruffled brown hair over his face.

“I’m not!”

“You keep putting your cards behind your back! I’m not blind!”

Peter turned, feeling the presence of three people in the room. He saw the duo, his face lighting up. “Woah! You guys are so young! Look at you!”

“Uhhh, who are you?” Pepper said, although a smile was on her face as she looked at him and Tony.

“Names Peter!” Peter replied.

“Peter? Why are you with Tony? This doesn’t really seem like him, if you don’t mind me saying,” Rhodey joined the conversation, his eyes going from Tony and then back to Peter.

Young Tony Stark looked just like he did in the future, only subtle changes keeping them apart. Young Pepper, however, was different. Her hair wasn’t tied up like it usually was, laying just above her chest. Her hair was darker than Peter was used to and she was dressed the most casual he had ever seen. Rhodey looked like he hadn’t aged a day. He did look young but, Peter also thought the man always looked brilliant for his age.

“Well, uh, I-,”

“He’s a time travelling nescience, if you’d believe it,” Tony said.

“Time travelling, huh? No, I don’t believe it.” Pepper said, concern on her face. She always was the sensible one.

“That is a big bomb to drop on somebody, Mr Stark,” Peter looked up at him, a frown on his face.

“We can trust them, kid,” Tony told him.

“Oh, I know. Look Mr Rhodey and Miss Potts, I’ve proof!” Peter said, taking out his phone.

“Woah, you haven’t shown me that before!” Tony said, staring down at the phone with interest.

“Latest StarkPhone, I helped build it,” Peter said, a clear amount of pride in his voice. “It’s so cool but, anyway, that wasn’t the proof.”

Peter scrolled to his photo app, into his favourite’s album, and picked a photo of them at the theatre. Pepper’s standing with her hand in Tony’s. Rhodey’s hand is on Peter’s shoulder, Tony’s arm is around the other. Happy is also there, a reluctant smile on his face. May’s on the other side of Peter, her hand in Happy’s. They all look like a loving family.

“This is my family. You guys are my family. Well, you’re not. I mean, like, you are but you’re not- if you know what I mean because, uh, like-I don’t exist yet! I will soon. I think. Well, I was born in 2001 so we’ve got a while and-,”

“Peter- you said I dropped a huge bomb. Stop rambling, you’re going to make their heads blow up from all the knowledge,” Tony said, putting a hand over Peter’s mouth. He smiles at how Peter glares at him, a playful pout on his face when his hand moved away. “Let me look at that.”

When Tony took the phone in his hand, he was (at first) only interested in the design. The technology was out of reach, it was so interesting to him. Ignoring the design for a second, he stared at the photo on the screen. Wow, that camera quality. His mind drifted from science, eventually, when he noticed how he held Pepper. He always thought something might be there but, he was always too scared to commit to anything. When he noticed the wedding ring on his hand, he could’ve flung the phone out of his hands.

“Is that Happy?!” Tony gasped, “No way.”

“He’s dating my Aunt. It’s nice but, it does kind of weird me out at times. They’re happy, though. Really happy. He didn’t like me at first. You made him chauffeur me around during our missions and-,”

“Missions?” Tony asked.

Peter closed his eyes, cursing underneath his breath. He had done so well to not mention anything about their alter egos. He had already altered the future timeline too much, he couldn’t tell Tony too much. He didn’t want to stop Tony from becoming Iron Man.

“Anyway! Miss Pepper and Mr Rhodey! Do you want to see some old man Tony photos?” He asked them, their smiles lighting up at the offer.

It was hard to deny time travel after seeing all that proof but, Peter was still surprised that they all believed him. In the corner of his eye, he noticed Tony and Pepper standing in the kitchen. Tony’s hand was over Pepper’s, his eyes focused on hers. He clearly loved her already.

“I wouldn’t push them too much, kiddo. They’ll get there eventually, evidently,” Rhodey came up to him. “I’ll tell you, it’s so strange to see my Tony as a father. I mean, the man in the photos is not MY Tony but, he’s a version of him.”

“You’d be proud of him, Colonel Rhodes. He’s done so well. He’s been sober for two years. It’s been hard to be separated from him but, I think I’m growing on your Tony. It’s not the same, though. Your Tony is still a little weird around me.”

“It probably took your Tony a long time to get over his childhood, kid. Well, I don’t think he’ll ever be ‘over it’. Howard was a bastard,” Rhodey said, his eyes also on the couple in the kitchen. He did look proud already, a smile lighting up his face. “Colonel, huh?”

“I’ve probably said too much,” Peter chuckled. “I don’t know why but, I think I’ll miss it here when I’m gone. Tony and I are working on a memory potion beside the time machine, I don’t think it’s wise that everyone remembers me. I know somebody at home who has always told me it is unwise to mess with time.”

“Wise. I’m guessing we’re going to have to take that too, huh?” Rhodey smiled. Peter nodded. “That’s a shame, kiddo. It’ll be a shame to forget my Nephew.”

“You’ll meet me again very soon,”

Peter spent that evening with his family. Different versions of his family but, his family nonetheless. He played board games with them, made jokes and watched films. He almost felt like he was right back at home (almost). He used his phone to take photos and videos with the group to show them all when he got back.

The next day, Peter and Tony were right on track to building their machine. Tony looked at the kid as he tried to put something together. Something in his head screamed at him to stop helping, to delay the kid going home. He wasn’t ready to let go. He didn’t want to let go of all this progress he had made.

“Mr Stark?” Peter asked, pulling him from his insecurities.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for everything.”

“You’re welcome, kid,” Tony mumbled. “You’re welcome,” he repeated, as if he was trying to tell himself that he was doing a good job.

2018-

“You got a damn time infinity stone magic thing,” Tony said, staring at the stone hanging around Strange’s neck. “Can’t you just zip, zap, zop and bring him back? Your freaky sorcerer friend took him somehow. Aren’t you meant to be the best in the business?”

Strange’s scowl would’ve made Tony laugh if the man wasn’t so damn frustrated. He would’ve been proud that he finally got underneath the man’s skin.

“My ‘freaky sorcerer friend’ is the one preventing me from getting to Peter. He’s most likely watching Peter, ready to bounce whenever he’s alone.” Strange told him. “I can’t get him back, Tony. Do you think I’m heartless? I’ve looked into it but, all the things I would have to do goes against the fundamental laws of my powers. I can’t do that.”

“Rules are made to be broken, don’t you think?” Tony said, sighing back into his chair. He looked over at Strange. The man almost looked guilty. “Look, thanks. Thanks for everything you’re doing for the kid. We’ll get him back.”

“I guess we’ll just have to rely on your brain, Stark. Don’t let us down.”

As much as the words sounded harsh, this was the most sincere Strange had been to Tony Stark since they first met. Tony nodded, watching as Strange created a portal. He said goodbye and let him know he’d be back, before stepping into it and leaving. Once again, Tony was back in his lab alone.

“Two thanks you in one day. What have I become?” He said, out loud. “What do you think DUM-E? Have I become soft?”

The robot let out two little beeps, as if he was replying to what Tony said. The man chuckled at it, looking down the robot he created with an amused grin. Peter loved his robots. Walking over to his creation, he noticed a note on it’s shoulder. It was from Peter. All it said was ‘coffee’s on the table- your favourite intern:)’. Looking down at it, Tony chuckled. Wow, he really missed this kid. The robot beeped at him again, taking Tony away from zoning out. He smiled at DUM-E; the robot was definitely annoying but, always lovable. The beeping sounded a bit like a conversation. Perhaps he wasn’t really alone after all.