"Peter?!" Tony shot up in bed, beads of sweat lining his brow. His chest ached, and he tried, but failed to control his breathing. Frantic eyes searched all over the room for signs of danger.

Silence. All except for the soft snoring of the super soldier sleeping peacefully. But after Tony's sudden arousal, Steve began to wake up.

"Tony? Honey, are you ok?" Steve thought it was another nightmare, and rolled over to comfort him, but his hand met an empty spot in the bed. He blinked several times, just barely able to see Tony clearly storming out of the door.

Steve stretched his arms above his head, and slid gracefully out of the bed. He poked his head out into the hallway, seeing another bedroom door open...

Tony jerked the door open and flipped on the lights, scared to death.

"Peter?" His eyes landed on the lump in the bed moving, before a jerk threw the blankets off, and before he could register what was happening, Carol was standing inches from his face, eyes glowing bright.

Carol paused and stepped back, realizing in horror what she was about to do. She had no idea how long ago she drifted off, but like most nights, it was not a peaceful slumber.

"Tony?"

Her eyes dimmed as she cut them around the angry genius to see Steve standing cautiously in the doorway.

"Where is he?!" Tony stepped into Carol's personal bubble, and she instinctively stepped back, remaining perfectly still otherwise.

"Who?" She asked.

"Where. Is. My. Son?" Tears streamed down his face.

Carol took in her surroundings, seeing the Captain America poster and the action figures of the Avengers, and an arc reactor encased in a glass cube. She never paid much attention to the decor before, she was just thankful for a spare bed to sleep in. This was clearly a teenage boy's room...a son...supposedly...

"I'm so sorry." She whispered.

"Tony?" Steve walked around Tony to face him and make his presence known so as not to startle him.

"He was having another nightmare, Steve. Did you not hear him crying for me?" Tony's eyes pleaded for help, and Steve's heart broke at that moment.

He recalled many nights, especially at the beginning, when little Peter would cry and beg for one of them to come save him from the nightmares. He would hide under the covers, waiting to be scooped up into their arms. That was where they would always find him. Then the bad things would immediately go away.

"I'm so sorry, Tony. But I am right here with you. You're ok..." Steve looked around the room. He had not been in this room before, but could tell this was Peter's bedroom...

Peter...

"Peter?" Tony looked up at Steve. "He was so scared, Steve..." He buried his face into the soldier's chest. "He was begging me, he didn't want to go. He was hurting. He felt it..."

"Shhhhh...I know...I know..." Steve cried quietly as he rubbed his hand in slow circles on Tony's shaking back. His other hand massaged the dark messy hair as his own bare chest was dripping with tears.

"My poor boy...I miss him so much, Steve..."

"...I miss him too..." Steve choked out.

They did not even notice Carol sneak out. She felt horrible for causing such a scene. She found herself wondering the halls, and decided to go back up to the roof. Gaze at the stars. Feel the cool night air.

It would do her some good.

Out there, she was not so confined. She could breathe.

Not to her surprise, she saw Thor, who seemed to be praying.

"Father, forgive me, for I have failed you, and mother...and Loki. But I promise to avenge you all. I pray that you are all happy together feasting in Valhalla. Loki, if you can hear me..." He stopped, unable to finish, as he wiped a tear from his one good eye. "It's just so hard...being alone like this."

Carol immediately started to turn away, but snapped a twig and froze. Thor turned to see her.

"I'm so sorry..." She was always in the way. "I never wanted to bother you all..."

"Whatever do you mean?" Thor stood up and walked towards her. "You're a part of the team now." He smiled, but it never made it to his eyes.

"Tony had a nightmare and I apparently only made it worse." She threw her hands up and slammed them down to her side. "I am sick and tired of being the cause of other's pain!" She stopped for a moment, then looked to Thor, remembering how she not only made Tony's nightmare worse by just being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but she left and just did the exact same thing to Thor, who was in the middle of mourning his family.

"We are all cursed with those horrid dreams. But Tony, he has it out just as bad as you and I. He loved his son very much. Would do anything in the world for him." Thor looked off admirably. "He misses him terribly. Young Stark was a smart lad. Loki and I...we would have so much fun together. He was so smart and full of this desire to be just like his fathers. He was destined for greatness, even before he became a spider..." At Carol's confused look, he quickly explained. "Not in appearance, just in abilities."

"Sounds like a cool kid." Carol drifted, then frowned. "Thor, this has to stop. I have not been here that long, but we have to find Thanos."

Early that morning, before the sun even rose, Scott put on his suit and went to the lab. He wanted to try something.

Even after constantly telling himself and everyone else he would not go down into the quantum realm, he wanted to try to remember what all he saw. He could barely remember hearing Carol's voice, calling to him, and the feeling of her pulling him up to their reality, normal size. Looking around, he started going over the notes again, and what all Hank had discovered.

There were no mentions of the weird manatees. Curiosity wanted Scott to find out about those creepy crawlies eventually.

Suddenly, there was a rumbling in the background. He walked forward tentatively a couple of steps, then felt a flash of heat on his back.

He instantly shrank and ran.

"Do you hear something?" Steve asked Tony, who snapped out of his depressive state to listen in on...

BOOM!

Fire and the smell of gas engulfed the entire compound. Everyone was caught off guard.

Thor and Carol were thrown off the building and into the trees and bushes of the surrounding yard.

Clint and Natasha were crushed underneath the dresser and hammocks Clint insisted on having for his makeshift nooks attached to the ceiling.

Bruce, still not hulking out, moaned as he had just been able to fall asleep, only to be woken up but luckily flipped his mattress up and on top of him to protect him from the blast.

Are you still in there, Hulk? Did your instincts kick in finally?

He figured it was better than nothing.

The compound collapsed as the sudden explosion ended as soon as it began. Sparks shot out from wiring and Friday's voice could no longer be heard, as she was cut off trying to make sense of what just happened.

They were under attack.