The end
The prank war ended the day that they made Wade cry.
The others had never seen Wade cry.
Peter had only seen him cry once.
And that was when he recounted what happened to him with Weapon-X.
It had been an innocent prank, really. A simple ‘play Allstars at the highest volume possible’ prank, at three am. Clint and Tony stood over the control panel, while Steve crossed his arms behind him.
God knew that he couldn’t work technology.
“Well, at least I don’t argue with the toaster every-day!” Cap said.
“I swear, that Toaster has a thing against me!” Clint defended.
“Yeah,” Tony said. “Probably from that time you kicked her and called her a fucker.”
“Language,” Cap said under his breath, but Tony heard.
“Hey, it doesn’t count when I’m quoting someone. Reprimand Legolas over here.”
Clint was fuming. “HER? HER?? THAT THING IS AN IT! A NO-GOOD, GOOD FOR NOTHING IT!”
“Wow,” Steve said. “That escalated quickly.
Tony snorted. “You know no good and good for nothing mean the exact same thing, right?”
Clint huffed. “Just play goddamn Allstars,” he said, reaching for his phone to tap the song.
In his anger, he tapped the wrong song.
He tapped “Pieces,” by Rob Thomas.
The three didn’t notice.
They had soundproofed the room so their ears wouldn’t be assaulted, after all.
Harmless, right?
“WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?” Peter screamed as he sat up, eyes wide, covering his ears in an attempt to stop the assault of piano notes.
Run away, run away if you can’t speak.
Wade sat up in a flurry of limbs and rubbed his eyes.
“Is this supposed to be a prank?” Wade mumbled, “Because if it is, it’s a terrible choice of song.”
Wide awake and you’re scared that you won’t come down, now.
Wade froze.
“Wade?” Peter asked.
Didn’t I warn you, didn’t I warn you?
“TURN IT OFF!” Wade screamed. “TURN IT OFF RIGHT NOW, THIS ISN’T FUNNY!” He started shaking.
Better start believing in yourself.
Wade clutched his head.
“Shut up, shut up, shut up,” he started hissing like a mantra.
“Wade?” Peter asked again.
We build it up, we tear it down. We leave our pieces on the ground.
Wade launched towards Peter, and held him tight against is chest.
“I couldn’t do anything,” Wade whimpered. “Don’t leave me. Don’t leave. Don’t go. You don’t want to go.”
Hold on to me, You’re all I have, all I have.
Wade’s shaking intensified. Peter held Wade’s face I his hands. “What are you talking about?” he asked. “I’m never going to leave you.”
“You might not have a choice,” Wade replied, and a tear fell onto his cheek.
“What’s going on?” Peter asked.
Wade clutched his head again. “Please make it stop.”
“Jarvis!” Peter shouted. “Turn it off!”
The song continued to play, and Jarvis could barely be heard over it.
“Mr. Stark has prevented me from doing any such thing.”
“Just turn it off!” Peter screamed.
“I cannot, sir.”
Peter whipped his head around to Wade, who was still clutching his head and crying.
Pete huffed impatiently. Tony was going to kill him for what he was about to do, but he had to.
“Jarvis?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Initiate code 371.”
“Are you recording this?” Clint said to Tony as they watched Bucky leap a foot into the air when the music began playing. The cameras were pretty blurry, but they would have to do.
“Do you really think I’d pass up an opportunity to see Peter flip his ridiculously earnest shit?” Tony asked.
“How are Wade and Pete doing?” Steve asked, leaning over Tony.
“Let’s see, shall we?”
Suddenly, the room went dark. The monitors turned off, the holographic screens shut down, the lights, the exit signs, even the small lights on the fire alarms turned off. The only light came from the window in the control room, and even that was low due to it being, you know, three in the how can you call this morning. Plus, they were too high in the tower for the street lamps below to be of any help.
“What’s going on?” Steve asked Tony.
“Shit, Mary and fucking Joseph, who left a desk in here?” Clint said, rubbing his toe from where he had stubbed it on the table, that he knew was there. He just couldn’t see it. It was dark, alright?
“Language,” Cap said under his breath.
“I get ten points for creativity, though,” Clint said still hopping around on one foot.
“Jarvis?” Tony said.
There was no reply.
“Hey, Jarv?”
Jarvis voice came over the speaker, though it was unusually robotic, and lacking its usual emotion. “System reboot will be completed in five hours.”
“System reboot?” Tony asked, the same time Clint said, “five hours?”
Steve looked at his husband. “Did you accidentally reboot Jarvis?”
Tony levelled a glare at Steve. “Does it look like I reboot Jarvis?”
“Honestly, yes.”
“Well, I didn’t, so someone else did.”
Wade was still holding his ears, despite the music having turned off when Peter reboot Jarvis. Peter removed Wade’s hands and held them.
“Wade?”
“Do you know what I dream about?” Wade said, looking up.
“Uh- I- I know you have nightmares but-” Peter stammered, not quite knowing where this was going.
Wade shushed him. “I see things in my dreams.”
Peter was silent, waiting for Wade to continue.
Wade cocked his head. “Do you believe in the multi-verse?”
“Well, I’ve heard you mention it a few times-”
“I do,” Wade interrupted standing up, and he began to pace.
“Every night, I shut my eyes, and I see different universes.” Wade continues to pace.
“But lately, all I’ve been seeing is one.” Wade began flapping his arms.
“This one universe, where we lose.” Wade stopped flapping, stopped pacing, and turned to Peter.
“And half of the universe dies.”
Wade’s eyes began to fill with tears.
“Ant every night I have to watch everyone die. The only family I’ve ever had who has actually accepted me.”
Wade flopped down on the bed.
“And you, he said, quietly.
“And that song,” Wade continues, louder.
“That MOTHERFUCKING SONG plays in my head. Every single time I watched you die.”
Peter wrapped Wade in a hug. “But that’s not our universe, and trust me. I am never going to go anywhere where you can’t follow me.”