No Resurrections This Time (So Where Do We Go From Here?)
"Does it hurt?" The childish question had escaped Harry's lips before he could stop it.
"Dying? Not at all," said Sirius. "Quicker and easier than falling asleep."
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter, and the Deathly Hallow
Peter woke up with the taste of ashes in his mouth. Cars were beeping... wait a minute... cars?
He sat upright and saw that he was back. Back in New York which was impossible because he was on that planet, Titan with Mr. Stark.
Oh god, he realized. Mr. Stark is still there!
"Pete?" The sixteen-year-old tensed at the voice. He hadn't heard that voice in a long, long time. One that plagued his dreams ever since the untimely death that left him and his Aunt May reeling from. Uncle Ben looked very much alive as if he hadn't been dead for the past five years, smiling at him. "You ready to keep going?"
Going?
Going where he wanted to ask but he was scared to know. So, he nodded and walked beside his Uncle. Until he noticed what he was wearing and where they were headed. Peter knew exactly where they were going, he didn't want to go there but his feet seemed to be on autopilot, headed down that same direction. He wanted to scream out to his Uncle, to stop him going down this path, his inevitable fate.
A person, a scuffle, a gunshot and he was back to the day he lost his Uncle. Peter Parker was back to the day his Uncle Ben died years ago. Tears streamed down his face before he felt his eyes going black, his body jerking back like someone forcefully yanking him by the collar.
"Pete?"
It was repeating all over again, like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. Except instead of that plot, Peter Parker's time-loop is the death of his Uncle, over and over and over.
It kept going until he finally tried to break out of the loop. He had to break out somehow-someway. Peter did. Instead of following Uncle Ben, he walked back. Uncle Ben called out his name, asking him where he was going.
You are not my Uncle. He's been dead for years. Peter wanted to yell, instead, he kept walking trying to break out his supposed prison. He found an exit, a wrinkle in this place and slipped, falling and falling until he realized where he was. It was snowy, cold and his whole body felt wet. He had no idea where he was but he knew it wasn't where he was, that's for sure. Peter got up, wiping the wet, snow off of him and walked into the woods.
Where am I? He thought to himself as he walked farther into the woods.
He heard a train and gunshots. Explosions sounded and screams echoed around him, sending his Spidey-senses on high alert.
Peter quickly walked faster only to be yanked again. For a moment, he thought he was going to be sucked back into the nightmarish-New York place with Uncle Ben. He couldn't stomach being there reliving that day, he couldn't. Instead, he was met with the dark brown eyes of a tall man. His outfit was all black and familiar. Peter realized it was the same guy who fought on Mr. Stark's side in the Berlin Airport battle against Captain America. By the looks of it, Cat-Man seemed to realize who he was, sort of. They didn't exactly pass names during that fight.
Next to the Cat-Man was a teenager, maybe a couple of years older than him. "Brother, I see him!" She whispered to him. He nodded before introducing himself in a whispery voice. His name was T'Challa and the woman next to him was Shuri, his younger sister.
"Peter Parker," He pointed to himself. T'Challa smiled, patting his shoulder. "How did you escape the loop thing?" He asked.
"How did you?" The older man asked as Shuri muttered something in what Peter assumed was their native language. "I found a crack and I ended up here. Where are we?"
"Do you know about the death of Bucky Barnes?" Shuri asked. She sounded anxious as she looked out over the windy snow to a cliff on the mountain.
"Yeah, the guy who died during World War II fighting Nazis on a mountain with Captain America... Why?" He asked.
Shuri looked at him seriously. "Because we're here on the day Bucky Barnes died. The day he became the Winter Soldier, captured by Hydra."
It sent a chill down his spine as he realized where exactly they were. They were at the time Bucky Barnes died, the exact area if Peter's High School World History was right. They waited until the gunfire erupted and moved quickly, T'Challa running ahead to scope out any threat while Shuri held Peter's hand as if not wanting him to go run towards the fight. He really didn't, so kept close to Shuri.
There he saw the train and noticed the fighting. In the blur of it, Peter noticed a man, a blue blur falling all the way down from the mountain off the train that was speeding away. All of them stopped as they saw Bucky Barnes falling to his "death".
They found him a few feet after making sure they wouldn't be seen by the Nazis, his eyes cracked a bit open as T'Challa and Peter quickly got to him before Hydra did. Bucky Barnes, with his hair short, in a uniform from another time looked haunted yet happy to see some familiar faces that made sense. T'Challa quickly got the other man up, holding him by his arm, slung over his shoulder as they walked away. It still wasn't making any sense to Peter, how they were all here, why they were reliving these days, that's for sure. He noticed how Bucky seemed to melt when Shuri touched his face, his arm that was metal last time he saw it, was turning slowly into metal.
The effect of the place must be wearing off once they snap out, Peter thought to himself.
They walked farther away from the fight that took place decades ago and onto another plane of existence, away from this.
Bucky Barnes was shaking as his short hair matted to his forehead. It grew out slowly as they escaped the windy mountainsides. T'Challa made quick introductions before explaining that they had to move on quickly. To Peter, the way Bucky had his hair reminded him of Jesus.
If Jesus fought Nazis in World War II, got brainwashed and had a super cool metal arm. He wanted to ask Bucky about the arm but held his questions back until they found a safe place to rest if they could find one that is.
They had no idea where they were, the last thing they remembered was the fight. The atmosphere changed, from the cold bitter snow to a defining explosion and dust. It nearly knocked all of them off their feet as they saw aliens flying above them, and green-skinned people screaming in terror as they fled.
Standing in the center of the chaos was a large person.
"Thanos," Peter said out loud. He pointed at the person before someone, yelled at them. It was a little girl, she looked tiny, with purple, hair and a look at seemed too old for a little child like her.
"Where did you guys come from?" She asked. She seemed unfazed by the explosions as they rocked the area or the screams. "You guys... are trapped here?" It dawned on her and instantly felt sorrow. She looked around.
"Come on, I think I know how to leave, don't know where it will lead us but it's someplace." She said, grabbing Peter's hand she pulled him towards the places with a speed of force. The other adults quickly followed her steps as they made it to a small looking hut. She quickly opened it and without looking back at the loud roars, she plunged herself into the unknown with Peter in tow. Bucky T'Challa and Shuri followed after.
They once again landed in an unknown area, Peter was getting tired of it.
Continuing the trekked path, the little girl introduced herself. "My name is Gamora."
Peter instantly recognized the name. "Your Star-Lord's partner! We met the Guardians on Titan. I'm Peter Parker." He said. Gamora smiled.
Bucky, T'Challa, and Shuri made their respective introductions to Gamora. "Do you have any idea where we are Gamora?" Shuri asked.
"Soul-realm, I-I tried to stop him. It's my fault you all are here, I'm sorry." She was trying (and failing) to stop herself from crying, Peter patted her shoulder lightly.
"It's not your fault Gamora." He said to the little girl. "Thanos, he'll be defeated. I know he will."
"How are you so sure?"
Peter smiled at her as they continued to walk. "Because the Avengers will avenge us, it's what they do."
Peter's ears perked as he heard a song playing from the distance, first with a guitar riff and then a gravely sounding voice. As they walked closer, Peter gripped Gamora hand as they continued walking.
We passed upon the stair
We spoke of was and when
Although I wasn't there
He said I was his friend
Which came as a surprise
He sensed something and instantly used his web on a person. A woman's voice yelped and a man with wings held his guns to Peter's face.
"Sam, no! It's us!" Bucky's voice yelled at the man called Sam-the same man that Peter fought at the Berlin Airport. Hopefully, he could let bygones be bygones like Bucky did. Sam seemed to have realized who the people were because he lowered his weapons and helped rip the spider web fluid from the woman's feet that Peter shot.
"Here Hill, let me help," Sam said, giving her a hand to help her up. Maria Hill looked at the people from Gamora to King T'Challa. "Maria Hill, Agent of SHIELD. This is-"
Sam waved his hand with a half-hearted grin on his face. "They already know who I am."
Peter introduced himself along with Gamora, getting a reaction from both adults that could have been hilarious to Peter if the situation and atmosphere weren't grim.
I spoke into his eyes
I thought you died alone
A long long time ago
They followed the music to see a tall looking man with a black coat and what looked like an eyepatch on his face. Standing in front of him was a blonde woman with glowing fists glaring at him with hate.
"Listen to me-"
"Nick?" Maria's voice sounded distressed as she looked at her mentor. Nick turned around and Peter felt his eyeballs almost bulge out of his skull at the realization that the man standing a few meters in front of them was Nick Fury.
The song continued to blare around the room full of old looking documents, the ceiling had a hole in it and Peter saw bodies around. He didn't want to know what happened here. Instinctively, both Bucky and T'Challa pushed Peter, Gamora, and Shuri behind them, in case things went south.
Oh no, not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
The song felt too loud in Peter's ears muffling Nick Fury's words to Maria. The blonde woman with glowing fists looked at Fury with cold determination before the man looked at her.
"You are not Starforce lady, you're not Carol," He said in a rather cold tone before quickly pulling his gun and shooting the woman with glowing hands. Peter quickly covered Gamora so she wouldn't see what happened while Shuri did the same, all he could hear was the gunshot and thud on the floor.
I laughed and shook his hand
And made my way back home
I searched for form and land
For years and years I roamed
I gazed a gazeless stare
We walked a million hills
I must have died alone
A long, long time ago
The song kept playing loudly as Shuri made Peter and Gamora move forward. He looked at the catastrophe, the woman with glowing hands laying on the floor bleeding blue blood, instead of red. Peter wondered who she could be to Nick Fury, considering this must not have happened in real life for the old director of SHIELD. But Peter wasn't going to ask the old spy that unless he'd like to be on the receiving end of his glare, so he kept his mouth shut and continued walking.
The song continued playing as they walked away from the woman bleeding to death. He would later realize that he recognized the voice as Kurt Cobain's voice, Peter wondered what song was that from. Must have been before the lead singer of Nirvana passed away, Peter thought.
Who knows?
Not me
I never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
An elevator door was what lead them to another plane of existence, Peter was getting sick and tired.
How long have they walked?
How long were they even here to begin with?
Will they ever go home?
The last part left Peter feeling terrified. He wanted to go home, back to New York, back to his friends and especially to his Aunt May.
Aunt May who was probably freaking out, because that's what she did, that's what she's been doing ever since Uncle Ben died. She would be freaking out, her anxiety through the roof because Peter wasn't on the bus, Peter isn't picking up his phone, Peter was probably dead.
Peter was probably dead.
Peter is dead.
Peter is dead.
Peter is dead.
Peter is dead.
The words kept repeating in his ears just as loudly as that song that was playing just not too long ago. He could hear white noise take over, his eyes growing spots in his vision as he realized that he must have died.
Someone, he didn't know who maybe it was Sam, maybe Fury, or T'Challa or-
"Jesus?" The sixteen-year-old boy said as 'Jesus' helped him sit down somewhere. It felt like a bench but it seemed too cold and a bit rocky, they must be somewhere else now, as he sat down.
He could hear someone snort with laughter. He didn't know who though.
"I ain't Jesus kid," Bucky responded. "Pretty sure the Messiah didn't have a metal arm."
Peter nodded mutely, not knowing what to say. He was freaking out, not knowing how his aunt was holding up-if she was even alive, to begin with. He hoped she survived, but a selfish part of him wanted her to be in this weird realm, just so he could have at least some familiarity that wasn't death.
"Peter, it's going to be okay," Bucky told him. "We'll get out of here, you'll see kid."
He nodded at Bucky's calm and steady reassurance, noticing that all the adults held that quick, calm but rigid reassurance in their eyes. He was glad that the adults were here with him, or Peter was sure he would have broken down first.
"You know, the way you were talking sounded very Jesus-like," Peter told the old soldier. Bucky merely cracked a grin at the teen as they walked with the group once more as their scenery changed to a cliff. Waves crashed below them.
They found Stephen Strange in the wreckage of a car, shouting his head off to paramedics. As they got closer, they noticed a woman with glowing hands trying to help Strange. Peter was the first to get to him, pushing the paramedics back as he tried to untie the wizard with the woman's help.
"You're Stark's ward. "He said as he got up. Peter helped him get his balance right and walked to the group quickly before Strange was thrown back into the repeat of his nightmare. "Spider-Man?"
Peter nodded. "I'm not his ward, Doc." He corrected the older man. "He's my mentor."
The woman that helped Strange introduced herself as Wanda Maximoff. Peter recognized her from the battle (he wondered if they recognized him as well considering he was still wearing the iron suite that Mr. Stark game him) Wanda didn't mention it but gave him a smile that did not reach her eyes. The smiles they gave one another didn't reach their eyes anymore, Peter noticed as they continued to where he left his group of heroes.
Strange nodded his head before introducing himself to the group, along with Wanda, eyeing them. His eyes landed on Gamora, who was being held by Bucky on his shoulders. "Daughter of Thanos." He said out loud.
There was no hint of bitterness or malice towards Gamora, Strange merely stated it as is it was a fact from a game show, like Jeopardy.
Who is Thanos green-skinned adopted daughter?
Gamora, you sir are correct! That's 2,000 dollars to Doctor Stephen Strange!
"Yes," was all that Gamora mumbled before Strange was lead down the road with Peter followed by the growing group of weary heroes. When they finally escaped Stephen's odd reality, they found themselves in an eerily quiet New York City.
For a minute, Peter thought desperately that they made it home-that he made it home. But one look around told Peter that he was not home, not by a long shot that is. They seemed to be in a parallel version of his home.
Everything was frozen in place, with no one in sight that Peter was sure he could hear a pin drop. Still, they needed a place to rest and so they did just that, hoping to see other people that may have been brought here. Nick and Maria scooped out the areas along with Sam and T'Challa while Bucky and Strange being held up right by Wanda looked for any people that may have been with them during both battles of Titan and Wakanda.
"Over here!" Came a shout from the rooftop. Sam quickly flew over there while the others made their way there. After climbing the steps, they made it up to a rooftop where three people seem to be. An older man and woman, with snow white and greyish hair along with another woman, her hair was brown in a high ponytail.
Hank Pym, Janet van Dyne and Hope van Dyne. Another group that was cut down by the snap from Thanos' hand.
They figured out quickly that they all had one thing in common-Scott Lang, who was the Giant-Man from the battle at Berlin. Peter blurted out, "How did he do that? Turn big and small? Was it the suit?"
The question made the Pym-van Dyne family smile, and Dr. Hank Pym told him all about the mechanic and science behind it while they walked down the steps and into the quiet city.
Walking farther down, it seemed that the trio seemed to have found themselves here after escaping their personal nightmares. They stayed here. It seemed that this was a place that the Soul Realm, whatever it was made this place as an area untouched by anyone. It was dead because that's what it looked like. A ghost town is frozen in this mythical place of illusion and pain for each of them it seemed.
They found a rather large hotel, which Peter recognized as one of those high fancy ones uptown. Walking inside each took charge of a room. Peter suddenly really wanted a bed and a bath, they walked for such a long time, they had no idea how long they've been here. He wondered if Mr. Stark made it off that planet? Did he make it back to Earth safely? What were they doing now, if the Avengers even survived the action that Thanos did-
No, Peter didn't even want to think about that.
He had no idea how to know what could or would happen next but for now, what Peter Parker did know was that he wanted a bed.
They stayed in 'ghost-manhattan' as he called it. They had no idea of how many days it has been since they got here, Peter held out hope that it hadn't been that long since Titan but hope was scarce in this odd realm. Each day either Doctor Strange with his cool cape and Sam would fly over to search for any other people that made it here. They found a couple of people, that Peter recognized as the other Guardians, Drax, Mantis and what looked like a tiny version of Peter Quill. Gamora hugged Drax and Mantis before looking at Quill.
The young Star-Lord broke down, hugging Gamora just as fiercely as she was doing.
At least Gamora got to be reunited with her family, as she smiled through the tears. Drax gently picked her up as Mantis did the same for Quill while Groot just looked around. "I am Groot?" He asked in the form of a question.
Gamora translated that Groot was asking if they were dead.
They might as well be because they didn't feel dead but they weren't home that's for sure. So yes, technically speaking they were "dead" and had no way to go back home.
It has been days, weeks or possibly years being stuck in this glitzy ghost New York. They passed the time, making up games, telling stories of their adventures or just crying when no one was looking. Peter did that just fine sometimes in the dead of night.
They trained as well, Hope and Bucky sparred along with T'Challa and Sam. Dr. Strange and Wanda practiced magic, Peter liked seeing the swirls of colorful energy off both of their hands go against one another. Orange-gold and pure scarlet energies clashing with one another.
Sometimes, he and Peter Quill would chat about Earth, talk about music that has evolved over the years since he'd last been there. ("They named the band Nirvana?" The little boy would ask.)
Peter would train alongside the other heroes. Hope was a good teacher, helping him up to his game with hand to hand combat. While they trained he asked about her suite, The Wasp as she called it. "Maybe one day, when we get out of here I can show you it." She made it sound like a promise and Peter hoped he could see it.
Other times, he would train with Bucky, Sam, and T'Challa. Two against two as Hope oversaw it, calling out the other teams as distraction tactics. Peter just found it hilarious when Maria joined in, yelling at Sam. The man nearly tripped, almost getting decked in the face by T'Challa before sending a string of curses towards Maria who smiled smugly at him.
(Later, Shuri would start a betting pool with Janet to see if Maria and Sam would get together. Peter thinks it might come to a tie but he couldn't be sure.)
It was this normalcy that Peter liked. A distraction for them as they stayed in this dead New York while the universe continued without them.
"Have you ever watched Game of Thrones?" Peter asked the group one night. He liked to call them "The Party" like in Stranger Things but only to himself.
T'Challa was probably the only one who nodded. Shuri didn't like it that much but would watch from time to time but T'Challa loved it. He even managed to rope Bucky into watching the first couple episodes of Season One. Peter grinned like a maniac, he must have looked like it.
"Is it at the part with Joffery calling out Ned Stark?" He asked the King of Wakanda. T'Challa nodded. Bucky shook his head as a frown appeared over his face. "I still don't know why he asked for Ned's head after saying all that stuff." The older man said wincing as Shuri tugged at his hair.
"Stop moving White Wolf or I won't be able to braid it correctly." She said making Bucky reach out for her hand, taking it and kissing it gently before releasing it. It reminded Peter of his Aunt May and Uncle Ben when they would dance around the kitchen to old eighties pop music.
Peter explained it to Bucky only to be cut off by Sam groaning. "You watch Game of Thrones? What is that show even about? Isn't it about swords and princes?"
"It sounds like a game with Thrones," Strange said as he practiced his magic with Wanda, who was trying to mimic his hand movements. "Like a medieval version of musical chairs."
Peter's jaw dropped in disbelief shaking his head. "No way you guys! It's so much more." And that's how he and T'Challa recapped the first season in well eye-catching detail for the group of heroes.
Janet pipped up, "Well back to Bucky's question, why did Joffery kill Ned Stark?"
"Simple answer, Joffery is a little shit. He's a cruel ruler and had no idea of the consequences for killing Ned Stark." Peter said. Bucky nodded, understanding the reasoning behind the action of that episode. "Not only that but remember Cersei's words to Ned when he was going to unload her dirty secret, When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground. He did and he died basically."
"Well, what happened after Ned's death?" Quill askes, his eyes were wide. T'Challa and Peter looked at each other with the same thing on their faces, Why not? That's who they found themselves with a captured group's attention telling them the next few seasons of their favorite show.
While T'Challa was telling them about the second season, there was one quote from Lord Bolton in the later seasons that ran through Peter's head as he looked around the room at the group of people stuck here. His heart feeling like it dropped to the pit of his stomach as the words ran through his head.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention."
"Peter?"
T'Challa found him later perched up on the window sill of his room, looking over the skyline of fake-New York. The teenager turned around to face T'Challa, surprised to see him in his room. He sat down next to him, even though it must be uncomfortable to sit like that but T'Challa didn't say anything about that just looked over the city like Peter was doing. He could tell that the young teen has been affected deeply just like the rest of them, being stuck here.
"Are you alright?" He asked Peter. He wanted to lie and say yes, but instead, he shook his head. What was the point in lying? Where would he go besides wandering around this empty city?
T'Challa's eyes softened as he looked at Peter. They said nothing to one another until T'Challa broke the silence.
"You missed Fury's story." He said. That seemed to pique Peter's interest as he looked at the king questioningly. T'Challa merely smiled at him, continuing, "He talked about the woman, the one he shot in his nightmare reality that this place did."
The woman with glowing hands and blue blood spilling on the floor-
"What about her?' He asked.
"Well," T'Challa said. "Apparently she was Fury's first Avenger. The Avenger, as he stated."
What? How?" Peter exclaimed drawing a chuckle from the older man. "He told us that Carol Danvers is a half Kree, half human warrior that crashed down to Earth after escaping the Skrulls. She found out that the Kree were lying to her about the war she had been fighting. That the Kree was the enemy and the Skrulls, all they wanted was a home, to escape from Kree rule. One thing leads to another and Fury found himself helping Captain Danvers. She was the inspiration for the Avengers."
All Peter could say was, "Wow."
T'Challa nodded his head in agreement with the young teen's reaction.
"Where is she now? Captain Danvers, I mean?" He asked.
"In space helping those Skrulls that came to Earth but that was almost a decade ago. Fury said that he sent an SOS through to her before he was turned to dust by the 'Snap'. He hopes that she made it to Earth and got out unscathed from the wipeout that Thanos did to the universe. Let us hope that we can go back home."
Peter nodded, they had to hope that this could be reversed. That where ever they were, as Gamora kept calling it, the Soul Realm, it could be reversed. They wanted to go back home, that's all they wanted now. To go back and hug their loved ones tight. He wanted to see Ned, Michelle, hell even Flash sounded good to see! Peter wanted to hug Aunt May, tell her that he's alright and Mr. Stark as well.
"I miss my aunt," He said, his voice strained as if trying not to cry. "I'm scared for her, what she might be thinking since the stupid Snap. I just want to go home."
"I miss my mother, as does my sister," T'Challa said. "We will see them again soon Peter. Have faith, that is what will keep us going each day."
Keep going, T'Challa's voice drummed in his head.
Instantly, he remembered a quote from early in the first season of Game of Thrones. It was a mantra that could be seen as ironic and uplifting to him at this very moment. Maybe it could be felt the exact same way towards T'Challa, who watched the series and must know the famous quote.
"What do we say to the God of Death?" He blurted out to T'Challa.
The man smirked as he answered his question. "Not today."
Not today or tomorrow or never for them. They were surviving their fate no matter how bleak it seemed to them. They were telling death to fuck off, they would survive and see their loved ones another day. No matter how long it would take, Peter was sure that everyone wanted to see another day, not the one here but out there. In their universe at least.
So what does Peter Parker say to death?
Not today, that's for sure.
NOTES: My take on what the people that are trapped in the Soul Stone are doing. Just with a sad-angsty twist. I got the title from the quote Thanos said to Loki after he killed him at the beginning of Infinity War (RIP Loki) "No resurrections this time"
Endgame is here, will be watching it soon but for now, (please no spoilers for me guys! Very much appreciate it! Will be watching it soon and my soon I mean next weekend) For now, I will be hunkering down with GoT and my writing.
Till then enjoy this fic, leave a comment down below. Don't own the quotes used in the beginning or in the story along with the song lyrics used in the story. Those belong to GoT, JK Rowling and Nirvana/David Bowie. Just to clarify if all of you may be confused, the song I used in the fic is called The Man Who Sold The World which was covered by Nirvana during their 1993 MTV Unplugged Performance which they sang that song.
You all know the drill! :3