Chapter Text
Alicia POV
Midtown Tech
I practically ran to the end of the hall and walked into my class right as the bell rang. My teacher looked up at me but said nothing and gestured for me to find my seat. I quickly nodded and went to sit next to my best friend.
“Girl, I swear one of these days you’re going to be late,” she said to me.
“Nah, she’ll just run faster,” My other friend, Luke, added in.
“He’s not wrong though,” I replied, bumping fists with him.
“Whatever.”
And with that we got started on our work. I started on the bellwork and then got out my laptop to continue working on our group project. I turned to Julie and Luke and we started working on it.
“Why do you keep working on that? One of these days you’re going to get caught,” Julie said, leaning over my laptop and looking at my screen.
So maybe, I wasn’t fully working on the project, but really it’s just as important, actually more.
“Miss Bellago, you are needed at the front office, please bring your belongings you are going home.”
What? Did they figure out what I’m doing?
“I’m going home?”
“That’s what the secretary said.”
“But, why?”
They’re gonna kick me out of school. Crap. No…
“I don’t know, just pack up your things and leave already.”
“Yes, Miss.”
I start to pack up my things and Julie grabs my wrist and whispers to me, “Take a deep breath. It’s fine. Whatever it is we’ll figure it out.”
I nod and finish packing my bag. Then I walked out of the room and grabbed what I needed from my locker and walked down to the front office, where I saw Peter.
“P...Mr. Parker? What are you doing here?” I asked when I walked into the office.
“Why must you insist on calling that? You know me better than that.”
“Cause.”
“Alright well, I’m signing you out. Come on let’s go.”
“Oh, Okay.”
He stood up, waved goodbye to the secretary and we walked out of the building to his car. Once we were both in the car and pulling away I asked him, “Why did you just pull me out of school?”
“Because I think I might have figured it out.”
“Really?”
“I’m not sure, that’s why I need your help.”
“My help?”
“Alicia, we’ve been working on this for years, why do you sound so surprised?”
“I’m just surprised you need my help to figure it out. If you figured it out…”
“I don’t need it, but it is nice.”
“I swear you become more like him with each day that passes.”
“Hopefully you meant that as a good thing,” he replied as he pulled into his garage at the tower, his garage that contained 30 some cars, the majority of which were Tony’s.
“So you think it works now?”
“That’s the hope,” he replied as we stepped into his personal elevator.
“Good afternoon Boss, and Miss. Romanoff.”
“Hi FRIDAY, bring us up to my lab.”
“Yes, Mr. Parker.”
And soon enough we were in Mr. Stark's, now Peter’s lab that took up all of floor 25. And even though I’ve been in here a good amount, I was still in awe as we stepped out of the elevator into the lab.
“Over here,” Peter gestured to me to go over to the area we had been working at.
At the table, I saw the plans for the project Peter and I have spent the past 5 years working on.
“I know we’re doing a bit of time travel with this but given it works how are we?”
“Still haven’t figured that part out yet, let’s just focus on getting this work, then we can worry about the specifics.”
“Ok, yeah, we can do that,” I replied, as I started to zoom in on the 3-D projected model.
I check all of the things we were having problems with before and then give a glance over at the project as a whole and deem it acceptable.
“You know what,” I start off with, “I think after five years of perfecting this, we finally got it right.”
“I think so too Lollipop.”
“Would you stop calling me that?”
“Never.”
XXXXX
Our plan was set in motion. The next day I went to school, as Mr. Parker started building our special project in the same room the old-time machine was built in.
So, what is this “special project”? It’s one where just maybe we can save Mr. Stark and Miss. Natasha. Where maybe just maybe if we pull it off right, everyone can get their happy ending.
It really all started after the dusting. When my family aside from my sister all dusted away, and I was struck with a fifteen-year-old who was so into herself she didn’t remember she also had a seven-year-old sister to take care of. It was then when I was crying on the grass in front of the compound after “running away” that Miss. Natasha found me. It was her who took me in and started caring for me in a way not even my own family had. She became a mom to me. And I loved her with all my heart. But then one day she came to me and said, “Alic, we figured it out. How to get everyone back.”
“Really?”
“Yeah… I can’t wait to introduce you to everyone they’re going to love you.”
“Will I have to go back to my family?”
“If you want to, but maybe if you wanted we could arrange to have you stay with me.”
“Mom, that’d be the best!” I had excitedly replied before realizing what I called her. The shocked look on her face lasted for a second before it changed into a small smile, with twinkling eyes that showed how happy she was.
“It would be, sweetie.”
“I…”
“Shhh, I like that name.”
She said to me, putting her finger on my lips. Then she got off the couch and went into the kitchen to make us a quality dinner of kraft mac and cheese.
And the next day she told me she had to travel to go bring someone back home and that I had to go stay with Mr.Stark for a couple of days. So I did. I went and stayed with the Stark’s at their nice lake house and I got to hang out with Morgan despite our five-year age gap, and take in the full wonders of technology and everything Mr. Stark loved to do. It was there my interest in science began to grow, and my fascination with it all led me to become one of the smartest students in my school, despite only being a sophomore. But then she returned just when she said she would with a man who she claimed to be Clint. He seemed so happy, yet sad to be in the company of children, but his sadness faded away quickly as he got wrapped up in playing a game of tag with morgan and me, while Miss. Natasha and Mr. and Mrs. Stark talked. But once they were done talking we said our goodbyes and left. The next morning Miss. Natasha was up early putting on some white suit and came into my room, once she was ready, to give me a kiss of the forehead, and I love you, and an I’ll back soon.
But she didn’t come back to me. I spent the next couple days hopeful, but when my eldest sister came to collect me from the ruins surrounding the compound, I knew the woman I had once deemed my mom wasn’t coming back to me.
That was when I met Mr. Parker, but back then he was just Peter to me. He also sat solemnly near the spot where Mr. Stark snapped his fingers and saved everyone. I remember seeing him crying and walking up to him and sitting next to him and giving him a side hug. I knew him from some of my aunt’s and Mr. Stark’s stories.
“I just miss him so much. I finally come back and he goes and leaves me,” He whimpered in between his sobs.
I calmed my sobs for a second to say, “I miss them both. My… Natasha, she was my world. She promised to come back, but she didn’t.” He just squeezed me tighter as a reply. I remember sitting there for hours, before he pulled himself together, stood up and told Happy he was ready to go out to the lake house.
It was there we attended Mr. Stark’s funeral.
I waited weeks, but there was no funeral for her.
But then, Peter came to me after I got home from school one day, with an idea, on how to save them both. And between the two of us, him doing most of the sciencey technical work and me making sure he stayed well rested and fed, we made a way to get them back, and it only took five years.
In that time Pepper stayed CEO, but Peter took full control of R&D. Peter also continued to be Spider-Man and save everyone, and well… I’ll save that for later.
XXX
I got to the tower that afternoon to see Peter at his station still working on our project.
“Hey kiddo.”
“Hey Peter.”
“Yes! No more of that Mr. Parker nonsense!”
“Hush. I was only doing that cause we were at my school.”
“Let’s go get some food then we can get to work.”
“How bout Shawarma?”
“Shawarma sounds amazing Lolli,” he replied and he walked out of the lab to grab his phone.
So as Peter ordered our food I sat down at the concept table admiring our work. And took to working on the special armor we’d need for this mission, and gathering a list of all the help we could get.
XXXXXXXXXX
“Hey Mr. Parker!”
“Hey! I thought you stopped that!!”
“Wanda replied, she’s in.”
“Nice! Anyone else yet?”
“Not really, Clint said and I quote he’s “too old for this shit” but wishes us luck in our endeavors, Scott’s seeing if he’s able to, Bucky and Sam offered their services if we absolutely need them and that’s it.”
“So we so far have a possible team of… five?”
“Yep!”
“Better than nothing I guess, just start working on Wanda’s suit, and I’ll call Shuri.”
“Got it boss,” I replied, “Now just gotta get started on this, but first music!”
**lullabye by Billy Joel starts playing**
Goodnight my Angel time to close your eyes…
Xxxx
Flashback
One year after snap
I got out of my bed and walked to the living room where I saw Nat sitting on a chair staring at nothing. “Auntie?”
“Baby girl what’re you doing up? It’s three am.”
“I had a nightmare”
“Ohhh Shhhhh, baby girl, it’s alright Auntie Nat’s got you,” she said as she stood up and picked me up in her arms, and walked back to the couch. “Tell me about your nightmare.”
“It was so scary, they just poofed out of existence.”
“I know, I know, but we’re gonna get them back for you, don’t you worry your sweet little head,” she reassured me as sat in her lap with her arms wrapped around me.
“Are you gonna kill Thanos?”
“Now how do you know that name?”
“I heard Stevie say it.”
“Oh you heard Stevie say it?”
“Mmmhmmm”
“Alright well why don’t we just go lay in my bed together, maybe turn on a movie and fall asleep and cuddle?”
“That sounds awesome!”
“It does?”
“Mmhmmm!”
“Let’s go then,” she said as she stood up with me still in her arms and went to her room.
Xxxx
Four years later
“Hey Nat! Look what I did at school today!” I exclaimed as I ran into our floor off the elevator.
“Oh wow! That’s so cool! When’d you learn how to do that?”
“Today!!” I said dropping my backpack on the floor as I ran over to her at her desk.
“Wow baby girl, I’m impressed.”
“Really?”
“Of course!” She relied before picking me up and twirling me around.
It was then that I noticed the extra presence in the room, Steve.
“Hey Steve,” I said as she set me down.
“Hi Alici. How was your day?”
“It was good… but what are you doin here?”
“Just talking to your… aunt about some stuff.”
“Okay, cool.”
“Well I’m going to go now but I’ll talk to you later Nat,” he said as he walked out her office and over to the elevator.
“Okay bye Steve!” She replied back, “alright so, what do you want for dinner?”
“Mmmmmm… pizza!”
“Pizza sounds good, we haven’t had that in a while, do you want your normal?”
“Yes please.”
“Aww, thank you for using your manners.”
I turned away and went to change out of my school clothes and into something more comfy while she ordered our food when I saw my birth certificate and adoption papers sitting on our hallway table. Knowing I’d ask her about it later I kept walking and went to go change.
Once I was done I walked out of my room and went to go look closer and the papers and noticed they were gone.
“Hey… Nat?”
“Yeah girlie?”
“What…?”
“Hello party people!” I heard a man yell form our entry.
“Hey Tony,” Nat replied, “hi pepper, hi Morgan.”
“Hello Natasha,” replied Pepper.
“So, Ali, I forgot to tell you after dinner tonight the starks are taking you back to their lake house to watch over you for the next couple days cause I have to go away to go find my friend.”
“Why can’t I come with you?”
“Cause my friend’s a little dangerous and I think you’d have more fun with Morgan here.”
“But she’s only five, I’m twelve,” I whispered.
“I know but I think you’d still have fun,” she whispered back, “please? Just cooperate for me?”
“Ughhhh… fine. I’ll go pack my bag…”
“Thank you pretty girl.”
And so I turned from the kitchen and went to my room and packed a bag of clothes, a mixture of fun, comfy and cute, and another bag of all of my electronics and toys I wanted to bring. Like my teddy, my iPad, my headphones, my coloring book, stuff like that.
“Alright mom, I'm all packed,” I announced as I walked back into the kitchen.
But of course all of the adults were in the middle of a conversation so none of them heard me. So, I walked up to Nat, tapped her a couple times and told her I was ready and she told me our food came, so I grabbed a plate and food as she did and we went and sat down at the table.
“So, Ali, Natasha here tells me you’re interested in science,” Mr. Stark started.
“Yep! I wanna learn science so I can get perks like Spider-Man!”
“Like Spider-Man? What do you wanna be a Spider-Woman?”
“Yep! Or maybe something else, I just want powers! Maybe kind control like Wanda, Nat is always telling me about her.”
“Her powers are pretty cool,” he replied.
“Yeah, they are…”
Xxxx
Present day
“Alic? Ali? Ali!”
“What? Sorry, Peter spaced out for a second there.”
“It’s fine, just can you go grab me that MSW-12 that’s in my office?” He asked me.
“Sure, brb.”
I can’t believe I just got lost in my head like that, that was weird. Kinda hard to believe it was almost 10 years ago when she first took me in.
Alright well, here’s the part he needs. I guess I better get back to these armor suits. I already have Peter’s done, just have to figure out everyone else’s.
As I sit back to down to work on the suits I hear Peter’s music turn back up. I can’t think of a day that he hasn’t blasted ACDC or Led Zeppelin in his workshop. It’s kinda crazy how much I’ve been in my head lately. It keeps happening more and more often, I keep getting these flashbacks and sometimes it feels like they’re flashbacks to moments I wasn't even there for. Like when Thanos snapped his fingers, or when Tony did it. Or when Natasha fell off the cliff. But for some reason I can picture all of the moments perfectly.
I was broken out of my thoughts when I heard a loud whoosh come from outside.
“So…. I heard there’s a party?