Chapter Text
“Peter,” Tim says in a voice so full of understanding that it makes something in Peter’s chest clench tightly.
“I-” Peter’s voice catches in his throat. He wants to go back with them. He wants to keep them by his side. For months now they’ve been with him and Peter can’t imagine losing that companionship. But this is New York. This is his New York. His home. this is where his parents and Ben and Tony and May are all buried. This is his city and they have been mourning the loss of Spider-Man as much as he’s been mourning the loss of his home. He can’t abandon that. He can’t let that go. He can’t let Morgan lose her brother and her Dad so close together. He can’t standby while Miles is out there trying to step into his shoes with no training and no support.
Jason’s hand drops onto his shoulder, heavy and grounding. He turns his head to look up at the older man.
“I’m think I’m going to miss your birthday, " Peter apologizes, “I got you a present. Damian knows where it’s hidden. There’s gifts for him and Alfred too.”
“I’ll make sure they get them,” Jason assures him. And Peter can’t help it. He throws himself forward, clinging on tightly to Jason and hiding his face. Jason stiffens a bit uncomfortably before letting out a long sigh and returning the hug, resting a hand on the top of Peter’s head. After a second Cass slides up as well and wraps her arms around them as well letting her head rest on Peter’s shoulder and when even Tim gives in and joins the hug as well Peter knows that he doesn’t actually have to say a word. They know his choice, they understand why he’s making it. Maybe they agree, maybe they don’t but either way they’re going to let him make it without a fight. He’s grateful for that. He doesn’t know that he could have kept his resolve if they had.
“It is okay,” Cass promises him.
“We have the bands,” Tim adds, “It’s not like we can’t just pop over to bug you whenever we want to.” Peter hopes that’s true. He hopes that they’ll be allowed to continue to hop back and forth without messing up anything more in the multiverse.
“Plus I can guarantee Dickhead and the demon brat are going to be bugging you every chance you get,” Jason points out. Peter feels terrible for that too, because Dick, Damian, Stephanie, Alfred, Wally, and all the others who made him feel so welcome and so at home in the other universe aren’t here for him to give proper goodbyes too. He’s sure that the word will be spread that he’s not returning. Will they feel hurt by his choice? Damian had been doing so good adjusting to his new life. Would Peter leaving him derail all of that? But Morgan too needs him to be here, to help her navigate this world where her father no longer exists because of him. Because he died on Titan in Tony’s arms when he should have stayed on earth like he was told. Because he didn’t put the gauntlet on when he had the chance to.
“Please,” He chokes out. “Please tell them that I said thank you. Tell all of them?”
“We will,” Tim promises, his hand squeezing Peter’s arm briefly before he pulls away from the hug. Jason takes the chance to extract himself as well. Peter let’s Cass take some of his weight as she ducks properly under his arm. A silent promise of her own. He is not alone, even if they’re separated the family will still come if he calls.
“Thank you Cass,” He whispers as he presses a kiss to her temple, “You’re my second favorite Aunt.” Cass gives him a playful pout, knocking her forehead against his head before she too steps back. Towards the portal. Towards Gotham. Towards home. Peter tilts his head back and rapidly blinks away some of the tears threatening to fall before he turns to face Bruce.
“Peter,” Bruce says in a gentle voice as he comes to stand before Peter.
“You’re a pretty good grandpa,” Peter tells him, “I think that maybe, now that you’ve gotten a second chance, you should focus on being a good Dad too. For Damian, but also for the others. You’re never too old to need a dad.”
Bruce’s lip twitches up slightly in a smile as he cups Peter’s cheek with one hand. Ice blue eyes scanning over him with a concentrated look. Peter has spent enough time with him to recognize it now, as Bruce catalogs all his details. Storing them away in whatever weird filing system his brain uses.
“No, you never stop needing a father,” Bruce agrees. Peter hadn’t gotten to spend much time with Thomas in the universe where Bruce had died instead. The man had seemed a little unhinged, though Peter can’t imagine doing much better himself if he lost a child that way. The anger and the hurt that he’d felt when May died was hard enough. The same with Ben. Both times Peter had come close to going too far. It had been the people around him that had kept him from going over the edge.
“The portal is going to need to close soon,” Tim says before quickly dodging the elbow that Jason throws at him.
“Right,” Peter clears his throat and manages to do really well with not complaining when Bruce’s hand falls away. Peter is probably eighteen now. He does his best to stand tall as Bruce joins his children before the portal.
“See you later kid,” Jason says with a sharp look in his eyes that makes Peter think it might be both a threat and a promise.
“See you later,” Peter repeats. A hand slips into his own and he looks to see Morgan standing at his side, both her hands gripping onto his and a determined look on her face. She looks like Tony. Peter gives her hands a gentle squeeze then returns his gaze to the portal. He doesn’t move as the four of them disappear into it one by one. Back to Gotham. Back home.
He doesn’t know how long he remains standing there after the portal has closed. He did it. He made it home. Back to his own world. There’s work to be done. People he needs to reach out to. He needs to reestablish his identity and find a place to live. But it’s hard to pull himself away, hard to accept that this is it, the end of his time in Gotham. So he remains standing there, Morgan’s hands in his the only thing keeping him on his feet. Eventually it’s Bucky who breaks the silence.
“We should eat.” He declares, before moving stiffly to herd Ned and MJ back inside the penthouse. Peter lifts Morgan up into his arms and follows them inside. She doesn’t complain thankfully, just loops her arms around his neck and drops her head onto his shoulder.
“The Winter soldier wants to eat with us!” Ned hisses to MJ in an excited whisper. Peter can’t help but smile a bit at that.
Bucky does make an effort, he moves around the kitchen checking the fridge and cabinets and grumbling under his breath when he finds only scraps of food left over. They hadn’t stocked it well, only planning to be here for a few days. Finally he gives in and calls in a pizza order.
“We’re eating pizza with the Winter Soldier,” Ned whispers to Peter when they’re all on the couch with what would probably be considered an obscene amount of pizzas if it wasn’t meant to feed a super soldier and a genetically modified teenager. And things are good. Peter feels good. Peter sits on the floor in the living room and he listens as Morgan and Ned attempt to catch him up on everything he’s missed since he disappeared and MJ and Bucky are sitting on the couch and Bucky is carefully flipping through MJ’s sketchbook and asking her questions and MJ has that look on her face that she gets when she’s trying to remain stoic but is actually quite pleased. And it is good. Its everything that Peter thought that he’d never have again in his own world.
Except, except it’s not exactly the same. Because when he tells a funny story about a science experiment that he and Ned did in middle school that filled his bedroom with foam, he can’t quite enjoy everyone else laughter because he can see the blank look in Ned’s eyes. And when MJ tells him about the coffee shop that she’d been working at and how mean the owner was Peter brings up the time that the owner had told him to either get to work or get out and Peter had ended up scrubbing the bathroom floors while waiting for MJ to finish her shift and he can see that she doesn’t remember it either. and he made this choice, he knew the consequences of Strange’s spell. But it still hurts. It hurts to have all these little moments just gone.
Eventually it gets late, and Morgan needs to go home so Bucky takes her and Ned doses off sprawled across one of the couches and MJ’s head keeps drooping as she flips through her sketchbook. So Peter covers them both with blankets and he takes MJ’s sketchbook to set it safely aside and he glimpses towards the beginning of the book and finds blank pages where sketches of him used to be. All his moments in crises just wiped away like a blank slate. He tries to sleep at first. Pulls the mattress back down into the center of the room and curls up in the middle of it. But Tim’s joints aren’t stabbing into him and Jason’s not hogging the middle of the bed with his conflicting mix of radiating heat and icy cold hands and feet, and Cass isn’t snoring. Peter gives it a good hour before he’s up once again and slipping quietly out onto the balcony.
It’s loud outside, the sounds of the city that never sleeps. He perches himself on the railing as he observes it. There’s laughter and crying and shouting and singing and Peter loves it. He loves every last inch of this place and these people and he would give everything that he is made of to protect it. To give these people the hope that they need. To make sure that no one experiences a bad day like the ones that he’s had. This city is etched into his skin. But it doesn’t know him the way he knows it. This city has forgotten Peter Parker. And he has to come to terms with that. Come to terms with the fact that he is only Spider-man to them now. That Delmar won’t remember his sandwich order or ask after his aunt. That the barber he started going to after Ben passed won’t remember how to cut his hair anymore. That the firefighters at Ben’s old station won’t welcome him with open arms when nostalgia drags him back there. And May’s family are still out there. They’d never been that close but they won’t know the truth of her death. Do they blame spider-man for it? Do they know that May died trying to save people the way that she always was? Peter barely knew them before, only met them once before the summer that May worked as a traveling nurse right after Ben had died. Did they come for her funeral? Was she buried next to Ben and his parents?
Peter doesn’t even know. How could he not know? He hadn’t even really thought about it much after he’d gotten to Gotham. He’d mourned her death but he hadn’t stuck around to see her body taken care of. He’d left it to Happy. He’s sure that happy would take care of her but what about after Strange’s spell was complete? Did forgetting Peter mean that Happy forgot May? Or did the universe rewrite how they met. Does Happy know her as Spider-man’s aunt? As his girlfriend? Peter needs to find out.
He stays out there through the night, it’s cold, his purple joggers and slightly too large Superman hoodie not quite up to the task of keeping him warm. But he can’t bring himself to move. He hears a child crying and listens as its parents come into the room, as his mom sings a lullaby and his dad promises to chase away any monsters from under the bed. He wonders how Dick and Damian reacted to him not returning. If they already expected it or if they’d been holding onto the hope that they’d be reunited.
When the sun finally rises over the city it doesn’t take long for the light coming through the wall of windows to wake MJ and Ned. Peter slips back inside as they stir and he plasters a smile onto his face as he asks them how they slept and they both admit to having things to do and places to be and there’s hesitancy in them both when it comes time to leave. They’re both reluctant to let him out of their sight and Peter can admit that he feels the same but his reappearance shouldn’t disrupt their normal lives. That’s exactly what he didn’t want when he agreed to let himself be erased. He wanted them to be able to move forward, to go to college, to become more. So he urges them both to go and when the portal Ned opened to get them where they needed to go closes Peter feels more alone than he has in a long time. He has to keep moving.
It doesn’t take him long to dump out his bag onto the beds in one of the rooms. There’s no need for him to sleep in the living room anymore and until he decides what his next steps are the towers is a good of a place to stay as anywhere else. Even if its a little to big for just one person and feels slightly haunted with the echoes of what it used to be. But Peter has things to do. So he finds himself a pair of jeans and a leather jacket big enough to fit over his hoodie to try and combat the cold front that seems to be moving in.
The first place that he goes is the cemetery, stopping along the way to pick up a couple of flowers from a bodega. He’s relieved when he gets there and finds them all together. Richard Parker, Mary Parker, Benjamin Parker, May Parker. He crouches before her headstone, there are flowers already there for her. Expensive looking bouquets and a scattering of loose flowers. None of them look very old, despite the chill. He lays his flowers among them as his eyes scan over the marble headstone.
May Parker, When you help someone you help everyone. It’s fitting. Perfect for her. Peter wonders who he has to thank for getting it right. Happy probably. He stands back up taking a few steps back as his eyes scan over his family all side by side. His chest feels tight and his eyes burn with unshed tears. There’s no time for crying now though. Peter has a lot to do and he can’t just keep sitting around and wallowing in misery. Someone comes to stand beside him and Peter’s sense isn’t alerting him so he glances to the side and sees that it’s Happy standing beside him. He’d been gone by the time they got back the night before. Him and Pepper having to run off to handle some Stark industries emergency. There’d been too much going on all at once and Peter hadn’t had the chance to talk to him properly. He’d heard his name. He’s pretty sure. He heard the name Parker. And now here they both were at May’s grave.
“I didn’t get before how Spider-man had connected me to her,” Happy admits, “I just knew that I met her through him. You guys… Parker?”
“My aunt,” Peter admits, and he’s thankful that Happy ignores the way his voice catches when he says it.
“I didn’t look for you,” Happy says, there’s pain in his voice. “She died and I knew that you were involved. I blamed you. So when they started looking for Spider-man… I didn’t.”
“I blamed myself too,” Peter admits, shoving his hands into the pocket of his hoodie and wishing for a moment that he could shrink in on himself. They’re both silent for a bit, gazing down at the stone at their feet.
“You’re just a kid,” Happy says.
“Eighteen now,” Peter corrects.
“But not then.”
“No,” He admits, “Not then.”
“You were with her when she died. I saw you. I saw you holding her and I thought…”
“I had to help people, they had done wrong but they… I couldn’t just let them die, Happy. Not when there was something I could do to save them. And May… May knew that. She knew we had the power to help them. But it wasn’t enough. One of them, Osborn. He turned his back on us. On the help we were offering. He caused her death and I almost killed him for it. I almost forgot everything they’d ever taught me and it was… it was the worst feeling I have ever experienced.”
“I understand,” Happy looks at Peter then. Properly taking in all of his details. Peter wonders if he’s hoping to see May there. But there won’t be anything. Despite everything she did for him, everything she was to him. They weren’t blood. “Whats your next plan?” he asks.
“There’s a lot of work to be done,” Peter admits, “I don’t… I don’t think I’m going to be able to do it all on my own.”
“How can I help?”
“I need a meeting with Nick Fury. The real Nick Fury. I thought that maybe with your connection with Tony… maybe you could help me with that? And then after that… well. I’m going to need help from someone who might have some experience with wrangling inexperienced heroes.”
“Not sure about Fury, but I’ll give it a shot,” Happy offers, “As for the other thing, well I might know a guy.” Peter shifts to the side a bit, pressing his arm against Happy’s and taking just a moment to absorb some of his warmth and his steadiness and he’s grateful that the older man allows it. Peter knows that he and Happy had a bit of a rocky start to their relationship but he doesn’t know where he’d be now without him. He’s glad that there is still someone out there that misses May as much as he does. Someone that he can share his memories of her with. After a moment he forces himself to stand back up straight and squares his shoulders. Taking a deep breath in and letting it out slow. There’s no time for standing around moping.
It takes a couple days to get everything together. The tower is useful, central to everything and with the landing pad it would be easy for Peter to swing in and out as Spider-man but its just a bit too empty for him. It doesn’t feel right. Instead he lets Pepper offer her assistance and a few days later and older firehouse that had been slated for demolition to be turned into another overpriced apartment complex is instead purchased by Stark industries. Like a whirlwind a group of builders is in and out reinforcing the building and adapting it into something more usable with comfortable living quarters. And Peter is admittedly a little sour that he didn’t get to put the work into it himself. It’s no Opera house but it’s somewhere that he can call home that isn’t haunted by his own past. A fresh start, and it’s not like he really has the time to put into it. Not like he did in Gotham.
Once the firehouse is ready to go he sets up a meeting at Visions Academy with a Stark industries badge around his neck and a folder full of legitimate internship paperwork for a meeting with Miles Morales, his parents, and the principal. Peter sits in that office in a perfectly tailored suit purchased for him with the Stark card that he’s finally accepted that he’s going to actually need to use. He introduces himself as Peter Parker, head special intern at Stark industries, here to inform Miles and his family of his selection for the internship program that will require him to leave campus on a regular basis during the week. Of course if he happens to get a little enjoyment out of watching Miles fumble over a weak excuse of having not told them about applying well that’s just for him.
Next is a trip to New Jersey and a meeting with the Khan family. Peter sits awkwardly on the couch in their living room and tells them about the internship and he sees the confusion on all their faces as he explains that Kamala was chosen.
“You were recommended by my colleague Nick,” He says meaningfully to Kamala, and he sees the way her eyes light up and laughter bursts out of her.
“Oh! that kind of internship! Abbu, Ammi it’s about superhero stuff,” She explains, and just like that the confusion is gone from her families faces.
“Oh Nick Fury sent you! He is a good man,” Her mom says as her father nods his agreement. Peter is a little bit flabbergasted because Fury had given him a list with urging from Happy and Pepper but he had been a little reluctant to give Peter anything else. They haven’t had time for a proper meeting yet. Peter isn’t sure how it will go.
“You know about the hero stuff?” He asks, just for clarification, because sure May had eventually found out about him but he doesn’t really imagine that he would have told her himself otherwise.
“Of course! We know everything about our children!” Kamala’s father insists. Peter doesn’t miss the side eye that both Kamala and her older brother give but their parents seem to.
“Well, I guess that makes my job easier than,” Peter says, relaxing back into the couch. “My name is Peter Parker. I understand Kamala that you had been interested in forming a team.”
“Yes!” She jumps up from her seat, “Yes like the Avengers but made up of the younger heroes! I got to work with Monica and Carol and it was sooo cool! But like they’re kinda old you know? Not that its a bad thing. Cause like Captain Marvel is my all time idol right? Like I chose to be Ms. Marvel because of her. And she even gave me her approval!”
“I’d like to help you with that,” Peter cuts in, sensing that she could go on for a bit longer if he doesn’t. He’s not usually one to stop people’s excited rambling but he’d refused to accept use of the Stark Industries jet and he only has a couple hours until his flight to California.
“You are pretty young yourself aren’t you?” Kamala’s brother asks.
“I am,” Peter admits, “But I’ve been doing this for a long time. I started early, too early and I didn’t have guidance or anyone I could go to for help. Maybe I would have eventually figured out how to do things on my own eventually but I made a lot of mistakes in the beginning and Mr Stark took me under his wing and he gave me the tools and the training that I needed. So this is me returning the favor. I’ve got a place in New York, something that can serve as a headquarters and a training center and a home for anyone who might be without one.”
“I’m so in!” Kamala announces, turning quickly to her parents. “I can go right?”
“It doesn’t have to be an all the time thing,” Peter quickly offers when he sees the hesitation in their faces. “One of the mistakes I made was putting my hero work before everything else. I forgot to be myself for a while and that’s not going to make anyone a better hero. So for anyone in school they should still stay in school. I’m uh… Well, I’m kinda new at this whole mentorship thing. But I can figure out a schedule and stuff. So that Kamala could train with us, and probably go on missions. But still be here for normal life things.”
“Who else have you recruited?” Kamala asks over whatever questions or objections her parents had been about to come up with.
“Well right now it’s just you, me and the new Spider-man,” He admits, “I’ve been gone for a little bit so I’m kind of behind on the times. I went to Fury to figure out who could benefit from this and he gave me the list. Said I should come here first.”
“Oh man this is so cool! Where are you going next? Can I come? I totally have to come! I’m going to go pack!” and with that she takes off for the stairs. Peter follows her with his eyes, delaying just slightly the moment when he meets the stern gazes of her family members.
“Kamala is a strong spirit,” Her mother starts when she does catch his eyes. Peter nods his head.
“That’s the impression I got from Fury.”
“Can we know who you are? To know who we are trusting our daughter to?” Her father asks. Peter spins the web-shooter hidden beneath his sleeve. This is something that he’s struggled with. Because he is asking these people to trust him. People who’s identities he’s just been handed on a secure tablet. He wants them to trust him. But the idea of so many people out there knowing who he is, its daunting.
“My name is Peter Parker,” He tells them, “I am the son of Richard and Mary Parker, now deceased. I am the nephew of Benjamin and May Parker, also now deceased. I attended Midtown high school in Queens, New York. I was blipped by Thanos and gone for five years. I graduated from Gotham Academy and eventually I plan to attend Empire state university in Queens. I was an intern to Tony Stark. Who I am in the mask is nowhere near as important as all that.”
“And Fury, he knows you and he trusts you?” She asks.
“Not as me, not anymore,” Peter admits, “But Pepper Potts-Stark, and her head of security Happy Hogan, and Bucky Barnes will all vouch for me. I can have them call you.”
The family before him all share looks as the sound of Kamala’s footsteps come thundering back down the stairs.
“We trust our Kamala’s instincts,” her father declares, and that’s all it takes. Soon Peter and Kamala are on their way to the airport together and Peter is texting Happy to tell him that it looks like they might need the jet after all and Kamala is talking a mile a minute about all of her adventures so far since getting her powers and finally, for the first time since returning to his world Peter starts to feel that little spark of hope flare back to life in his chest. He’s excited for the future.
It takes a while to get everything together. Between balancing everyone’s personal lives and Peter’s own college classes starting. But after New Jersey to recruit Kamala and California to recruit Cassie Lang, Peter manages to track down Kate Bishop in New York and recruit her as well. It makes things quicker at least. They get to Chicago, and Baltimore and then branch out further to Kamar Taj, Wakanda, and after an annonymous tip they hop briefly into another universe for one final recruitment.
Three months later he stands in the firehouse, in the truck bay turned training room surrounded by a small group of young heroes all in costume, and he feels a bit under dressed in just his work out clothes, but Miles is the only one who knows him as both Peter and Spider-man. He’d wanted to make sure that it was Peter that they came to know and trust. Morgan stands at his side, Rescue helmet on her head, having insisted on tagging along, she holds onto his arm with both hands and rocks back and forth on her heels.
“Sorry it’s taken so long for this day to come,” He tells them all, “It’s important to have a team at your back and I wanted to make sure that everyone could be here when this meeting first happens. But I think it’s also important that this happens on everyone's terms. So I’d like us all to introduce ourselves. Whether that includes your civilian name or not is completely up to all of you.” Kamala is the first to step forward, practically vibrating with excitement.
“I’m Ms Marvel!” She says a bit too loudly, “But you guys can call me Kamala.”
“I’m Hawkeye, Kate bishop.”
“I’m Cassie Lang, I go by Stinger.”
“Spider-man,” Miles says.
“Aren’t you a little young to be Spider-man?” Someone asks.
“I’m the second Spider-man,” Miles offers a little more resigned.
“I am Loki, King of the void!”
“Kid,” Peter says, not really ready to have this fight again. Kid Loki scowls and crosses his arms. It had been Thor who brought the request to Peter to bring the boy from another universe, but Peter’s pretty sure it had come from the adult version of Loki who was apparently not dead again. People were going to have trouble trusting another Loki without him running around declaring himself a king. Peter’s pretty sure that’s exactly what Loki had done when he made his first appearance in Germany.
“Kid Loki,” He spits out. Peter nods his head and gestures for the next in the circle.
“Ironlad, Nate is fine.”
“I am Shuri, daughter of Romonda and Queen of Wakanda. You all may call me Black Panther,” Shuri teases, winking at Peter when Kid Loki glowers at him for not correcting her. She’d been skeptical about joining. But he’d managed to convince her that they’d been friends once, especially when Bucky explained that Peter had helped with his arm. And she’d agreed to join them on a part time basis, usually when she was in New York to work with the Wakandan outreach programs she and T’Challa had started before he passed. She’d confided to Peter that one day there would be another Black Panther, who she believed would benefit from having friends and she wanted to have a connection to the wider hero community so that he would never have to be alone in his mission.
Morgan grips Peter’s arm tighter and lifts herself to swing from it. He adjusts easily to her weight, using his free arm to adjust her borrowed helmet so she can see out of it properly. He gets what Shuri is looking for.
“I’m America,” the next girl says, she stands a little back from the circle, hands shoved into the pockets of her jean jacket.
“Is that your name or your hero name?” Kamala asks, she’s still practically radiating excitement about this whole thing. Peter had to bribe her with a promise to introduce her to Captain America to get her to leave her notebooks in her backpack so the others wouldn’t feel pressured with their introductions.
“Both I guess, “ America shrugs.
“That’s so cool,” Kamala gushes. The introductions continue.
“Wiccan.”
“Patriot.”
The two most reluctant to join. Billy hadn’t wanted to deviate from his mission to find his brother but Peter had explained that being part of the team would offer him access to more resources. He’d gone to the sanctum with Ned. He’d heard about what happened in Westview. What happened with Wanda. He knows that she had tried to use America to get to her sons. He worries a little about having America and Billy in the same place. That it might attract trouble. But they’re both kids like him and the others. They’re feeling displaced and what they need now more than anything is stability. Friends. It’s what Peter knows they all need just a little bit. Somewhere to feel accepted for the things that make them unique.
Patriot had been the last to agree to join and even Peter had been surprised when he’d shown up outside the firehouse on his own. He’s extremely distrustful after everything his grandfather was put through. After the injustice he’s experienced his whole life. But when a blood transfusion from his grandfather Isaiah had passed on the super soldier powers he’d stepped up to follow his families legacy. Peter wasn’t sure about him really. Something about him set Peter’s spider-sense on edge. Eli wasn’t the only one either. Kid Loki and Iron lad also rubbed him the wrong way, but Peter was a strong believer in second chances, or first chances rather. And he couldn’t let his past experiences stop him from trying.
“What about you?” Kate asks, turning everyone’s attention back to Peter.
“I’m Peter Parker,” He says with a little bit of a smile on his face, unable to pass up the chance to mess with them just a bit.
“And what we’re just supposed to trust you? Some Stark industries flunky? You can’t be any older than her,” Eli says, pointing at Kate.
“No we’d probably be the same age if I hadn’t spent five years as dust on an alien planet,” Peter admits. “But I’ve been doing this hero thing longer than any of you.”
“Prove it,” Cassie challenges, but there’s something lighthearted in her voice and a sparkle in her eye that tells him she’s pretty cool with him. Her and her dad both had been pretty interested to hear about his use of the Pym Particles to make his multiverse gizmo. Her grandpa not so much but Peter had a feeling that had more to do with the fact that he’d forgotten to take off the Stark industries hoodie he’d found on the jet on the way over there.
“Morgy,” He says gently, lowering her down to the ground. She let’s go of his arm and skips over to hug Shuri’s legs instead. Peter lifts up his arm, moving his sleeve to reveal his webshooters and the multiverse band that sit there. He touches his fingers to the webshooter, releasing the nanobots to form his new suit.
It’s not his Gotham suit. It’s not the Iron Spider either. They hadn’t felt right to him here in New York. Not when he’s trying to make a new start. He won’t get rid of the old ones though. They sit now proudly displayed in the loft level the firehouse, after he’d made a quiet trip down to the DOD to liberate his suit and the EDITH glasses. A reminder to himself of where he came from. Of the people that helped him along the way. His new suit goes back to his roots. Back to the blue and red colors he’d chosen for himself when he’d made his first one. He’d taken the designs from the two Peter’s that had come here from the other universes. It felt right.
“My name is Peter Parker,” He says to the group, as his mask settles over his face. “I’m known as Spider-man.”
“I thought he was dead,” Kate whispers to Cassie.
“I got better,” Peter offers, unable to control his smile as he steals Jason’s joke for himself.
“So what happens now?” Shuri asks, clearly trying to keep them at least a little on task. She pats Morgan on the top of her helmet and nudges her back to Peter. He scoops her off the ground when she reaches him and settles her on his hip.
“Now we train,” Peter says. “We train, we learn to work together. We learn to trust each other. It’s not going to be easy. We all have things that we want. People we want to protect. But people need us. We’ve been given our powers and our skills, and that means we have a responsibility to use them for good.”
The team is not perfect. It’s going to take a lot for them to learn how to work together. To build themselves into something great. But Peter is sure that they’ll get there. That they’ll learn. that they’ll make a positive impact on the world. No matter what struggles they face. Peter will make sure of it. This world is his. It’s his duty to protect it.
***
When the team makes their first appearance in the public as a team they are dubbed the Young Avengers by the public. It’s a rough start with their clashing personalities but somehow they manage to make it work.
Despite his hectic schedule Peter manages to figure out his college schedule at Empire State, even earning himself an internship for Doctor Curtis Connors. He’s a little disappointed to find out that somehow Flash also got it. But despite his lack of memories of their history Flash still manages to settle in the unoriginal insult of calling him Penis Parker. Peter does get along pretty well with the other Interns Gwen and Harry at least.
He makes sure to take his English credits in professor Todd’s classes. It feels strange for Peter at first, to see someone so similar to his dear friend and know they aren’t the same. Professor Todd is nice though. He invites Peter to join his family for family dinners on Thursday nights and he shares stories about Peter’s father from their childhood. When Peter brings Morgan along and she meets Lian the two get along like a house on fire.
It takes some time, but Peter is able to rebuild his relationships with Ned and MJ. He and Ned manage to finally finish building the Lego death star and MJ manages to fill all the formerly blank pages with new pictures of Peter in crisis.
Peter and MJ go on a second first date. This one thankfully does not end in disaster.
One day when Peter and Ned meet up to hang out together they get tripped up when doing their secret handshake as Ned does the old one and Peter does the new one. Somehow his memories of Peter returned without either of them even noticing.
*****Bonus******
Peter lands on the head of the statue of liberty, ducking out of sight of a helicopter by hiding behind the crown he drops down to sit and stretches his legs out in front of him, letting the sun warmed copper chase away the fall chill. On his comm's he listens to the chatter of his team as they spread out across the city, trying out the new patrol routes they’d come up with earlier that day. The team isn’t perfect. There’s a lot of bickering and not enough trust. He’s trying to work it out, but he wishes more than anything that he had Dick here to help teach him how to lead.
Coming to the statue was a habit he’d picked up at some point, maybe something to do with his last moments here before he’d been sent away. Maybe just because it was a relatively isolated spot among the crowded city. Either way, it was a moment of peace for him.
The peace lasted approximately three seconds. Reality hiccuped, or maybe it was more of a stutter. Peter wasn’t really sure how to describe it. The skyline before him glitched, and then there was music that seemed to come from everywhere all at once, too loud for his sensitive hearing. Mariachi music.
“Oh, no,” Peter groaned as a glowing portal burst into existence before him and spit out his worst nightmare, red and black suit covered by an oversized glittery pink T-shirt with the words ‘#JusticeForWade’ spelled out in bubble letters.
Deadpool landed before Peter with a dramatic tumble and a crash of cymbals that seemed to come from nowhere.
“Spider-baby!” he shouts, arms flailing about like one of those inflatables used to sell cars. “We need to talk. Immediately! No urgently! No, Epiloguely!”
“Whatever this is, I didn’t do it. I am not involved. I’m just chilling,” Peter says, attempting to calm the older man down. Thoroughly regretting that he’d ever agreed to tell him he was home.
“Exactly!” Deadpool exclaims, turning suddenly from Peter to point an accusing finger at the sky, “Exactly! Which is why you’re getting a statue-top epilogue with hopeful skyline shots and internal monologues, while I, Deadpool, Wade Freaking Wilson! Only got name-dropped once! In Chapter thirty as a joke!”
“It was a good joke,” Peter offers lamely, very aware that Deadpool is now completely beyond reasoning.
“I was compared to Beetlejuice!”
“To be fair, it’s not that inaccurate,” Peter rubs the back of his neck and wonders how quickly Karen could map out escape routes for him. Before him, Deadpool paces, arms still flailing as if trying to argue with the air itself.
“This is an outrage,” He insists, “A narrative injustice. I demand reparations in the form of a dramatic entrance, a glorious exit, and a slow motion action montage with fire and doves. At the least!”
The air stills, the skyline dimming as the colors surrounding them become washed out. Peter’s spider-sense remains silent, whatever’s happening isn’t a threat. But he gets the feeling that he’s just somehow been pulled into one of Wade’s delusions.
Then from the sky, or maybe a Chromebook on loan from a library a voice echoes, “Deadpool.”
Wade freezes. Peter’s eyes dart towards the sky, unable to figure out what exactly is happening.
“uh oh,” Wade whispers. The writer had arrived.
“I Told you,” The voice continued, laced with exasperation, “You aren’t part of this fic. You were never supposed to be in this fic. It’s a Spider-man in Gotham fic. Grounded, tonal. Minimal unhinged energy.”
“Oh, I’m sorry for bringing a little spice to your feel good found family bullshit.”
“I’m not going to sit here and argue with a fictional character.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Deadpool taunts, “Should we dig out the authors note from your old Amuto fics?”
“How did you ev-” the voice cracked.
“Oh, I dug deep, and if I remember correctly” he continued, tapping his temple like a smug professor of internet archaeology, “you used that same account the that tragic Legend of Zelda/Kingdom Hearts crossover. You, know the one where you took Sora and dropped him into Hyrule? Sound familiar?”
“That fic was deleted,” hissed the voice.
“Everything lives forever on Fanfiction.net,” Deadpool gloated, ”Especially that tragic attempt at a SasuNaru slow-burn.”
“I was thirteen!” The writer snapped. Deadpool raises his hands, Peter inches towards the edge of the statue.
“And yet I’m the immature one for wanting an explosion? You wanna talk about tone? Let’s take a look at the chapter where Ikuto-”
“Fine!” The writer shouts, as if pulled to the edge of a nervous breakdown. “You want your moment? You can have a moment.”
All at once the color around them returns to normal before the sun suddenly drops to almost fully set, casting an orange glow over their surroundings. There is a rush of air as they’re pulled from the statue into an unfamiliar street.A skyscraper explodes in the distance, fireworks shaped like tacos bursting into the air. Doves, inexplicably rush into the sky from a nearby bodega.
Deadpool struts forward through the smoke, slow motion dialed to the maximum. His katanas gleam in his hands and there are sunglasses over his mask. The word ‘Redemption’ explodes behind him in glitter. Peter stands on the edge of it all, staring in confusion.
“How are they doing that?” He asks, but Deadpool doesn’t answer. Too busy striking a pose and throwing finger guns at something Peter can’t see.
“I own this epilogue now!” Wade declares, “Add that to the AO3 tags!”
The sky above them begins to fade, the explosions lingering just long enough for a few more doves to flap aimlessly towards what Peter thinks might actually be a screen of some kind.
From the sky, the Writer sighs one last time, “I’m switching to original fiction after this.”
Deadpool winks at his invisible audience once again.
“Sure you are. Like we haven’t all seen that growing pile of WIPs hidden away in your Google drive.”
“I need a vacation,” Peter mutters, letting his full mask close over his face once again.
“Good luck with that Spider-baby,” Deadpool calls, suddenly twirling sparklers in both hands that he’d seemingly pulled from thin air.
And With that, the screen fades to black, accompanied by Wade’s soft, off-key humming of ‘Simple and clean’.