A/N: I'm back! This idea wouldn't leave me alone, so I hope you like it. This takes place after my previous story "His Weak Spot." It is five years after the incident in the bank. This is an AU in which the Infinity War disaster happened only months after Peter was rescued in that story. I explain a little of what the Avengers are up to in this future fic, but the focus will mainly be on Peter's character growth and development as a hero. In this fic, Tony and Pepper live in Avenger's tower, which will act as a center of intelligence for the Avengers as well. The rest of the Avengers mainly reside and train at the compound. There will be more details throughout the story, but again... the focus will mainly be on Peter and the evolution of his relationship with Tony. All recognizable characters belong to Marvel, but Captain Jenkins and his family members belong to me. Please enjoy... and don't forget to leave your feedback in a review.
Warning for some Infinity War SPOILERS
This can be read alone, but it will make MUCH more sense if you read "His Weak Spot" first.
PROLOGUE: Only You Can Help
It had been five years since the day Peter was made to feel weak at Queen's National Bank. Five years since he felt the white hot pain of not one but two gunshot wounds. Five years since he learned that the enemy loves to make their victim feel powerless. He learned that violence used to make the enemy feel powerful comes in many forms... with harsh and humiliating words, with painful blows from hands and feet, with damaging weapons, or even with physical advances or sexual abuse. Regardless of the method used, the enemy always wants power. Peter knew this now. At 21 years old, Peter felt like he had learned so much about the villains he faced, big and small. And it always seemed to come back to power and control.
Peter and the others that disappeared couldn't remember the first outcome in the battle with Thanos. Tony had opened up to Peter about most of it, and he told Peter about how he and Steve Rogers used time travel, with the help of Ant-Man and Captain Marvel, to go back and undo the damage that Thanos had done. Tony often had a haunted look in his eyes when he told Peter the story, and he was never really able to explain the part about Peter fading away. That little bit of information came from Nebula, one of the aliens that had been present on Titan when it happened. She, like Tony and other Avengers left behind, remembered the previous timeline and had no qualms about giving Peter the full details. It made him sad to think about how horrifying it must have been for Mr. Stark to watch someone close to him disappear right before his eyes.
Peter supposed this was probably the reason why Tony sacrificed so much to set things right. It was supposed to be Carol Danvers who used the new Infinity Gauntlet to get back those who were lost and reset the timeline. However, Thanos had managed to get the upper hand with Captain Marvel, and Tony used the gauntlet himself. Many of his nanobots were fried as they rallied to protect him and repair any damage, but it hadn't been enough. Tony's left arm was destroyed after wielding the gauntlet. Dr. Cho had tried to repair the damage, but it was just too much. In the end, Tony created a new arm for himself. The arm was almost advanced enough to be as realistic as one of Vision's arms. As a matter of fact, few people were even aware that Tony had a synthetic arm at all. In many ways, Mr. Stark was fully capable of maintaining his Iron Man persona; however, Pepper Potts had other plans for him.
After the battle with Thanos, Tony Stark finally took a step back and put himself in the "Avengers Reserve" as he liked to call it. He remained a part of the team, but he chose to engineer and support the team more behind-the-scenes. This allowed him to focus on another role in his life, and he became both a husband to Pepper and a father to their child. Not even a year after Thanos' defeat, Peter became a "big brother" to Morgan Stanlee Stark, an adorable little boy who was the spitting image of his father. Peter was thrilled. He always knew, from personal experience, that Tony Stark had a fatherly side to him. It was just exciting to see Tony get the opportunity to be a father to someone who wasn't already a teenager. He spoiled Morgan and took the little boy with him everywhere, patiently helping the little guy learn new things about every place they visited.
Yes... life had changed a lot in five years. The fear and weakness Peter had felt in that bank were now a distant memory replaced by memories of newer challenges that had shaped Peter into an incredible superhero and a valuable member of the New Avengers. Captain Marvel was now at the helm, and Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner joined Tony in the "Reserves," assisting Carol Danvers with mission strategies and intelligence. Bucky, Sam, Natasha, and Clint were valuable assets in the Avenger's Intelligence Squad. They gathered the difficult intel that no one else could retrieve. It seemed that most of the Avengers that were spared in the first fight against Thanos were content to take on less active roles these days (except for Bucky Barnes). Barnes didn't have any interest in an active role since he had enough activity from years as a brain-washed hydra assassin. Vision and Wanda remained active alongside of Ant-Man, The Wasp, and Spider-Man. Thor and Black Panther took on leadership roles alongside of Captain Marvel, and the Guardians and Dr. Strange also made an appearance whenever they were needed.
So much had happened in five years, and people stopped paying attention to the young man named Peter Parker who had been held hostage at the bank. No one worried about the Stark Intern. Peter Parker didn't seem like someone worth remembering or thinking about. Therefore, Spider-Man's identity was protected. The newly ratified Accords did not require the heroes to disclose their identities, so Peter was able to protect May and his friends from his enemies.
When Spider-Man wasn't needed, Peter Parker was just another student at MIT. As a matter of fact, Tony made sure that Peter was able to focus on his studies as much as possible. The brilliant young man couldn't make a living as Spider-Man (or so he was told), so Tony wanted him to have something else that he could use to make a life for himself.
When it came to the team, the Avengers only called Spider-Man in when it was absolutely necessary. The Avengers wanted to help reduce and discourage any evil or corruption all together. The dream was for the Avengers to help build a better and safer world. The problem with dreams is that they were... just dreams. A beautiful idea that is kept just out of reach... something that would likely never be a reality. However, the Avengers sought to be ready for anything that might come their way. Any villain, big or small, needed to beware of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
There were also plenty of things that did not change in these five years. Any guess as to what stays the same? No matter how much time goes by, there are still those who are power-hungry. There are still selfish beings seeking only to elevate themselves and have control over others; people who wish to strike down the helpless. Most villains these days wished to avoid the Mighty Avengers and fly under their radar. These selfish, power-seeking criminals also believed the Avengers would be too busy to pay attention to their schemes anyway. They targeted the average civilian and kept law enforcement agencies as busy as ever.
And so, it was for this reason that Captain Steve Jenkins of the NYPD returned to Avenger's Tower five years to the day that Peter Parker was struck down at Queen's National Bank.
Normally, Captain Jenkins only came to the tower when invited. Tony liked to share new toys with law enforcement agencies these days, and Captain Jenkins was often a liaison between the NYPD and the Avengers. But it was still unheard of for the captain to show up unexpectedly. Therefore, Tony was surprised when FRIDAY informed him of the police captain's arrival. Peter was home from MIT on spring break, and he was taking the day to catch up with Tony, Pepper, and little Morgan.
Peter was helping Morgan put together some Legos when he heard the AI say, "Sir, Captain Steve Jenkins is in the lobby requesting an urgent meeting."
Even five years later, Peter was very aware of the day, and the name of the captain sent chills down his spine as he recalled feeling helpless inside of the bank. Peter looked in Tony's direction, and he could tell that the older man was experiencing some of the same flashbacks. For a moment, Peter wondered if the captain was bringing news that one of the men who hurt him had escaped... but then shook his head at the thought. He had come a long way since that day, and those men and their names no longer held any real fear for Spider-Man. If those men were smart, they would stay far away from Spider-Man.
"Cap'n Steve!" Morgan squealed with excitement, thinking FRIDAY was referring to Captain America.
"No, buddy," Tony told his son, "This is a different Captain Steve. This one, believe it or not, is younger than Grandpa Spangles!"
Peter stood up to make his way over to Tony's side. At 21, Peter was now at his full height with broader shoulders. The once nerdy teenager was now fully grown into a handsome man, who turned the heads of many a passerby. He now looked to be very much the part of a formidable hero.
Tony's heart swelled at the sight of his "sons." He felt grateful to have both boys in his life. He thought it was bad enough five years ago when he NEARLY lost Peter. However, literally watching Peter turn to dust months later was infinitely worse. "Ha! Infinitely!" Tony thought, ruefully, "Damn those infinity stones!"
Peter was again beginning to see signs of that haunted look in the eyes of his father-figure. Before he could ask him anything or comment about it, Steve Jenkins was stepping off of the elevator to meet them.
Morgan and the two superheroes in the room looked up at the police captain. The smiles Peter and Tony had on their faces to greet the man instantly faded when they took in the older man's appearance. Steve Jenkins looked more than a little disheveled, and the dark circles under his eyes were tell-tale signs of a lack of sleep.
"Dat man doesn't look younger than Gandpa Spangles!" Morgan scolded his father, feeling certain he was being teased.
Captain Jenkins' gaze fell to the little boy on the floor who was surrounded by Legos. No doubt the little boy with dark brown curls and brown eyes reminded him of his own grandson when he was younger.
Tony walked over and scooped his young son into his arms, a slight whirl coming from his artificial left arm. "Looks can be deceiving, mini me. Grandpa Spangles is ancient! Captain Steve here was even named after Grandpa Spangles, which PROVES that Spangles was born first!" Tony tried to explain.
"Huh?" Morgan questioned, squishing his brows together in confusion.
Peter was only half listening to the exchange between Tony and Morgan. He was too busy studying the police captain. The man definitely looked like he was in desperate need of rest, and Peter could hear the man's heart beating wildly in his chest. He also didn't miss the sad look that crossed his features at the sight of Morgan. A look that seemed uncharacteristic on the face of a man known for his love of children, especially kids who reminded him of his grandson, Anthony. "Are... are you okay, sir?'" Peter finally asked, trying to get the police captain's attention.
Jenkins just stared at Morgan and Tony. Morgan wrapped his small hand tightly in Tony's shirt, carefully scrutinizing the police captain from the safety of his father's arms. Tony finally took in the entirety of Jenkins' appearance. "Jenkins... you alright? Man, you look like you've been through fuc..." he stopped and looked at Morgan, "... freaking heck!" It wouldn't have been the first time that he cursed in front of Morgan, but Pepper would kill him if Morgan started running around using THAT particular word... again.
Jenkins still seemed frozen, gazing at Morgan and appearing... lost.
"Ahem..." Tony said. "Earth to Jenkins... you in there, Captain Blue Blood?"
When there was still no response, Peter pressed on, "Captain Jenkins... what brings you here?" Peter had a sinking feeling in his stomach. Somehow he knew. "Sir... is your family alright?"
The captain finally looked away from Morgan and let his gaze fall on Peter's face. His eyes were brimming with tears as he spoke, "No... they took him." He turned his gaze back to Tony and his son.
Morgan clutched his father's shirt even tighter as Tony gripped the boy a little tighter by some fatherly instinct to keep his own boy safe. "Took who?" Tony asked. "What's going on, Jenkins?"
Steve Jenkins let a tear fall down his cheek as he turned his gaze to Iron Man, "They took my grandson, Stark. They took Anthony..." He looked back and forth between the heroes, "...and I desperately need your help. You're the only ones who can help me."
Tony gripped Morgan even tighter as he looked over at Peter. A silent exchange went between them. Five years ago, Steve Jenkins helped get Peter Parker to safety. Five years later, Peter Parker was ready to return the favor.
God help anyone who stood in Spider-Man's way now. Spider-Man used his power for good, and the bad guys didn't stand a chance.
A/N: Who took Anthony Jenkins? Just how is it that Captain Jenkins believes that our favorite heroes can help him? Stay tuned to find out! And be prepared to meet a BAMF Spider-Man who doesn't like it when innocent kids are put in danger!
