Chapter Text
Peter sat on his bed with his back to the wall. He could still hear Happy and May talking in the living room. “Everyone deals with grief in a different way,” Happy said. Dealing with grief. That was a funny way to say he was super depressed because his entire life changed in a matter of minutes. He accusingly stared at the Iron Spider suit balled up at the foot of his bed. It had sat there ever since he got home after the final battle. He didn’t let anyone touch it. Not May. Not Happy. Not even Rhodey who said he only wanted to get it repaired. They would take it away. This was Peter’s last connection to him and he wasn’t about to let anyone take that.
The front door opened and closed taking with it the talking. He could still hear Happy and May, their voices growing distant and May walked Happy down to the building’s entrance. Peter stayed on his bed eyeing the Iron Spider suit. How long had it been since he's worn it? A week? Two? The days had melded together. Peter couldn’t remember if it was Monday or Saturday. He didn’t know if Ned had stopped by earlier today or if it was four days ago. He reached forward and grabbed the mask.
Peter pulled the mask on. It was dark and for a moment he worried the settings had been damaged in the battle against Thanos and he should have let Rhodey take it to be repaired, but then it came to life. Data spread out across his vision. The date, his location, the time and the weather.
“Hello, Peter,” Karen said into his ear. She hadn’t been present when they fought against Thanos. Peter thought something happened when traveling to space and back. “Nothing happened. Friday’s control took over to link everyone together.”
“Did I say that out loud?”
“Yes, but it’s alright. I’m here to answer your questions and help make life easier for you.”
“That’s nice because life is not easy right now. Is there an opposite of easy that isn’t hard? Is there a word that means ‘everything was a mistake and this isn’t happening right now’?”
“Perhaps video would help?”
“Wait, what?”
—
“Alright, Spider A.I. test one. Give me some stats about Spider-Man.”
“Spider-Man, also known as Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider while on a field trip at Oscorp. The spider bite altered his DNA to resemble that of a spider. Peter’s strength was amplified, coupled with his ability to climb walls and acrobatic abilities Peter has taken up the mantle of New York’s newest hero, Spider-Man.”
Tony smiles. “Not bad,” he says. “Let’s try and keep his name down to a minimum, yeah? Friday, make a note to change the programming to keep her from giving out the kids identity.”
“Note created. Should I shut down the Spider A.I.?”
“Nah,” Tony says. “Let it keep running in the background.”
—
“Friday, how’s the Spider A.I. looking?”
“Ready to be transferred. Should I begin the process?”
“Not yet. Program being ready and me being ready are two different things. I’m still eighty-seven percent sure I shouldn’t be giving this kid a suit.”
“Analyzed data shows that Mr. Parker will continue his vigilantism with or without the suit. At this rate, Peter would be safer with the suit and the A.I.”
“I hate when you’re right.” Tony looks at the suit. “Start the data transfer.”
—
Peter couldn’t breathe. This was...he didn’t know what this was. Videos of Tony, sure, but why? “Karen what...What is this?”
“I record everything, Peter. Would you perhaps like later footage?”
—
Peter watches as Tony tries to explain the plan to the Guardians. He mostly watches Tony and the facial expressions he makes as his words go unheard. It was pretty hilarious asides from the whole looming threat of death.
“Jesus Christ, we are all going to die,” Tony says to Peter.
“I don’t think they’re so bad, just a bit eccentric.”
Tony turns to Peter. “Kid, one day you’ll understand how not okay this situation is. It’s pretty fucked. Don’t tell Aunt Hottie I said that in front of you.”
“I’m gonna tell her.”
—
Tony sits in the lab with a drink in hand. He looks terrible. There are dark bags under his eyes. It looks as though he hadn’t slept in weeks. Maybe he hadn’t.
“Tony, it’s time for bed.” Pepper says. She’s out of sight, at the opening of the lab. Tony doesn’t say anything. “Tony, please.”
“I gotta keep working, Peter’s suit needs a new upgrade.” Pepper sighs. “Ten more minutes.”
“Ten minutes.”
—
Morgan’s a baby. Pepper’s holding her in the lab. She wide-eyed and grabbing everything she can reach. Pepper laughs as Tony struggles to childproof the lab. “You don’t have to do this,” she tells him.
“‘Course I do. She’s gotta start young if she’s gonna get into MIT.”
“MIT, huh?”
“Yup. Rhodey and I have it all planned out.”
“Do I get to be apart of these plans?”
“Maybe. Honey bear and I haven’t decided yet.” Morgan reaches out to her dad. Tony takes her from Pepper. “MIT is the dream, kid. Peter and the Tennessee brat used to talk about it all the time.”
Pepper frowns. “You haven’t talked about them in a while,” she says. “Are they still trying?”
“‘Tasha is. Bruce started experimenting with gamma radiation, I don't know what he's planning and I don't think I want to. Clint’s still MIA after his family and Steve’s running a support group. Thor’s been in New Asgard for the past year, but I hear he isn’t looking pretty.”
“And what about you?” Pepper asks. She steps up to Tony. “You haven’t forgotten. You haven’t forgiven, but you’re not trying.”
“I can’t lose what I’ve got here.”
“But you want to bring them back.”
“They has this idea last year, using the stones to bring everyone back, but we don’t have them. Don’t even know if it’ll work.”
“But you want it to.”
Tony looks at the newest Spider-Man suit where it hangs on display in the lab. “Yeah, yeah I do.”
—
“Karen, can you find Mr. Stark?”
“Linking up with Friday. Mr. Stark is currently battling on the left side of the field.”
“Cool, thanks!” Peter takes off in the direction she said, swinging from the ships in the sky. The fact he was doing that was both awesome and terrifying and he couldn’t wait to tell Ned all about it.
He finds Mr. Stark where Karen had said, the big guy overwhelming him. Peter shoots off his webs and pulls back, jumping out of the way when the tall guy from Germany squishes the alien.
“Hey! Holy cow!” Peter says as he drops down next to Tony. Up close he doesn’t look any better. He actually looks distant like somethingwas bothering him. “You will not believe what's been going on. Do you remember when we were in space?” Peter points to the sky. And I got all dusty? And I must've passed out because I woke up and you were gone. But Doctor Strange was there right. And he said 'It's been five years. Come on, they need us.' And he started doing the yellow sparkly thing that he does.” Peter reaches in front of him and mimics Dr. Strange’s portal things. “Anyway…”
Tony grabs Peter and pulls him into a hug. Peter stands there for a moment, frozen at the fact that he was finally getting a hug, and then throws his arms around Tony.
“Oh, this is nice.”
—
“Mr. Stark…”
“I have hundreds of hours of footage from my early development to our final moments with him. Would you like me to compile it?”
Peter rubbed his eyes. That sounded nice. He could send the happy family stuff to Pepper, she’d like that. “Yeah, go ahead and do that. Anyway to filter out all the happy moments?”
“Of course. Should I create a separate file?”
“Yes, please. And name it Iron Family.”