- When I first decided to try the idea of having Peter in a multi-relationship for this story, I said it'd be done in a subtle and realistic way. Looking back though, I wasn't able to keep my word on that. Instead...the writing was done in a very simplistic fashion that was admittedly cringing to read at times. I'm sorry for not being able to deliver on what I originally intended. Tried as I did, there were a lot of moments where I just wasn't able to write out my ideas properly and had to look for an alternative.
- This doesn't mean I'm cutting the story short. I have no intention of leaving it unfinished...though you may have to accept my mediocre method of writing out a tale like this.
There won't be another update until at least after the holidays are over. Enjoy.
…
Waking up in the early hours of the evening, Natasha rubbed away the sleep out of her eyes. It had been a long time since she slept this well. Being on the run from the U.S. government hadn't exactly been a vacation...she and the other rogue Avengers were sometimes forced to make do without some of the everyday luxuries that they'd taken for granted. Stifling a yawn, the Black Widow turned around and smiled when she saw Peter still snoozing beside her.
She ran her fingers through his soft brown hair. The young Spider had changed a bit during his time away from Earth. His attitude grew to be not only a little more mature but also ruthless in a fight. She had watched him closely in the battle of Wakanda. Peter's habit of taunting the enemy with jokes and quips was still present but when he attacked, it was executed with more force and effiency than before.
It wasn't enough for him to simply knock them out. Spider-Man now made certain to inflict at least one serious injury on the enemy so they wouldn't be able to keep fighting. The Black Widow doubted Spidey was going to start killing the crooks he ran into on his patrols...but it wasn't a stretch to think he'd hurt them so badly that they'd be in too much pain to be able to commit crime.
Natasha wondered just who it was that helped Peter refine his fighting moves. Maria had probably kept training with him and Wanda but it was possible Lady Sif and some of the Asgardians helped out too. Speaking of the Asgardians, the Black Widow recalled it would be sometime today that Thor and Hela returned. She hoped the two were able to locate their people...establishing a home for them all here on Earth was not going to be an easy task but they would do everything in their power to help them.
"Hmm..." The young Spider mumbled, slowly stirring awake. "Good morning, Nat."
Natasha gave Peter a quick kiss. "Morning. Seems like we're in for a rainy day."
Spidey looked out the window and saw dark clouds covering the sky. From the looks of things, there was going to be a heavy downpour today. He laid back down and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Guess so. It's a perfect day to stay in bed."
"No arguments here." Natasha murmured, enjoying the warmth of Peter's body. "Thor and Hela are coming back later today."
"I remember. I hope they were able to find the other Asgardians...especially Hilde and her kids."
"Who?"
"An Asgardian family that Heimdall and I saved from Hela's zombies." He explained. "Wanda, Maria, and I became good friends with Hilde and her two daughters."
Peter began to tell her a little bit about them and some of the other Asgardian friends that they made during their journey home. Natasha listened with interest, laughing softly whenever he brought up a funny moment. Hearing about how this Volstagg got scolded by his wife for getting drunk was particularly amusing.
"Something tells me that wasn't the first time she chewed him out."
Peter chuckled. "No but it doesn't happen often. They're usually sweet with each other most of the time."
Goose suddenly climbed on to the bed from out of nowhere, surprising the two Spiders. The Flerken meowed in greeting before she sat down in the middle of their blankets.
"Where did you come from?" Spidey asked, petting her head. "We locked the door yesterday, right?"
The Black Widow nodded. "We did...but I'm guessing Goose just squeezed her way in from beneath the door."
As Natasha scratched the cat behind her ears, Carol's voice suddenly echoed from out in the hall. "Goose, where are you? It's time to eat!"
"She's in here, Carol." Peter said loudly. "We'll bring her out."
Reluctant as they were to leave their warm bed, the two Spiders knew they had to get dressed and meet up with the others. Peter and Natasha got out of bed and put on a new change of clothes. Goose climbed up to her new favourite spot...specifically on top of Peter's head before they left his room.
…
"Not again." Carol muttered, seeing Goose lazing about on top of Spidey's head. "Sorry if she woke you up by accident."
Peter stood still as she pulled the Flerken off. "It's okay. I was already awake when Goose came into my room."
The cat glared at her owner for a bit before she made a beeline for her food dish. Jessica wandered in not long after, rubbing her sleepy eyes. A yawn escaped her lips as she dropped herself onto the couch and laid down.
"Good morning, Ms. Jones." Natasha greeted.
"Hey." The private eye mumbled. "Please just call me Jessica. I'm not old enough yet to be Ms. Jones."
Bruce came in a few minutes later with a data pad in his hands. After greeting everyone with a polite nod, the gamma specialist walked over to Carol and used the data pad to pull up a set of coordinates.
"We finally managed to find a satellite that recorded Tony's last known location last night. The thermal cameras were able to pick up a unique heat signature from the enemy ship." He said, showing her the thermal data.
Carol used the computer on her wrist to scan the data. It took a couple of minutes but her wrist computer was able to identify what type of ship it was from the heat signature and plotted out an estimated flight path.
"Okay...I'll head out tomorrow morning to go find him."
"I'll go tell Pepper. She'll be relieved to know we finally have a plan to find Tony." The Black Widow said before she left to call the CEO of Stark industries.
Bruce quickly thanked Captain Marvel and turned around to rejoin Rocket in his lab. Carol sat down next to Jessica on the couch as she continued to review the data.
The private eye sleepily watched the cosmic power heroine work with her wrist computer. "You think you'll be able to find Stark out there?"
"I believe so. The universe is a big place though...It might take a couple of weeks of searching before I'm able to return."
"We understand. Be careful up there." Peter said. He was sitting on the floor, playing with Goose.
Carol smiled. "Don't worry, I'll do my best to find him quickly and come home."
Something suddenly landed outside with a loud boom, alarming everyone in the room. Captain Marvel and the lone Defender thought some unknown enemy had arrived...but when the young Spider just stood up with a grin, they quickly grew confused.
"Relax. We're not under attack. That's probably just Thor and Hela. Right, Friday?"
The A.I.'s smooth Irish voice chimed in from above. "That is correct. They and a few others have landed just outside in the back field."
Spidey went out to greet them and the others followed him. Just like Friday said, the two Asgardian siblings had returned...and standing behind them were Jane and Darcy. While the astrophysicist smiled warmly at Peter, her intern ran forward to give him a hug.
"You're okay." She whispered, tearing up a bit. "So many people in town just turned into dust from out of nowhere...I-I thought you did too."
Peter held her close. "No, I'm here. Thank goodness nothing happened to you and Jane."
Darcy cradled his face with both of her hands...as if to make certain this wasn't some sort of dream. Peter leaned in and gently touched his forehead against Darcy's to let her know this was real. A single tear ran down the intern's face as she finally smiled back. Darcy wiped away some of her tears before she stepped to the side for her boss.
The astrophysicist embraced Spider-Man, relieved to see him in one piece. "Thor told us about the big battle you guys fought in Wakanda. I'm glad you're alright."
"Likewise. You and Darcy are a sight for sore eyes."
Jane smiled once more before she and her intern went to introduce themselves to Carol and Jessica. Peter turned to face the two Asgardian siblings...Hela looked to be alright but Thor seemed a little tired. Spidey got the feeling that the God of Thunder was more exhausted emotionally rather than physically. He and Captain had taken their loss against Thanos the hardest.
"Welcome back, guys. Were you able to find the other Asgardians?"
Peter nearly sighed out of relief when Hela nodded in response. "We have. We located them flying just past Saturn but..."
Her voice trailed off but he knew what she was referring to. "Thanos?"
"My people were unfortunately affected by Thanos's misuse of the Infinity Stones too." Thor stated quietly. "Only half survived being erased from existence."
Spidey clenched his fists...as if losing their home wasn't enough, now the Asgardians were reduced to half their number. Fenris seemed to have sensed his frustrations because she came over and nuzzled her nose against his hand. Peter smirked at the Asgardian Wolf and petted her on the head.
"I'm sorry, Thor. When will they get here?"
"The survivors will arrive on Earth in a month's time. We shall have to establish a place of settlement for them before then."
Hela awkwardly patted Thor on the back. "We'll handle that another time, brother. For now, you should let yourself rest from our journey."
Thor nodded in silence and hefted Stormbreaker onto his shoulder as he headed inside. Jane saw her ex-boyfriend leave and politely excused herself from her conversation with Carol before she followed him.
"...He's taking this hard."
The Goddess of Death sighed in agreement. "That's putting it lightly but I can understand how my brother feels. Had we stepped in to kill Thanos earlier, perhaps this wouldn't have happened."
Peter placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, none of us blame you guys. The two of you were busy helping the Wakandans fight off that bastard's alien army."
"...Thank you." Hela said with a small smile.
Jessica and Darcy were the next to go back inside while Captain Marvel walked up to them.
"Is that Thor guy alright? He seems really down."
"My brother is fine physically. It's the pain in his heart that's afflicting him."
Carol wasn't sure what to say to that. "I see...and you are?"
"This is Hela." Peter introduced. "She's the Asgardian Goddess of Death and Thor's older sister."
Hela extended her hand. "How do you do?"
Captain Marvel grasped her hand and shook it firmly. "It's a pleasure. I'm Carol."
Spider-Man led the way back inside the compound so they could talk in a more comfortable setting. The trio ran into Goose on the way. Everyone stopped in their tracks and curiously watched as Fenris and Goose approached one another. It was dead quiet for a moment. No one was sure about what would happen between the two animals. Not even Hela knew what her wolf's next move was going to be. As for Captain Marvel...she just hoped her cat wasn't going to try to eat Fenris.
Goose and Fenris continued to stare each other down as though they were in a stand-off. At first, they really believed the two creatures were either going to fight or chase each other...but neither of those scenarios happened. The Flerken just meowed to greet the Asgardian wolf instead before both pets wandered off together in the opposite direction.
"Um...is anyone else glad they didn't try to fight each other?" Spider-Man asked.
The Goddess of Death chuckled. "You aren't alone in that sentiment. It would've been a pain to explain the mess that might've been made had Fenris and that cat actually fought."
"I'm just glad Goose didn't eat your wolf."
Hela and Peter looked at Captain Marvel strangely, wondering what she meant by that. Carol realized neither of them knew her cat was really an alien Flerken and proceeded to explain what kind of creature Goose really was.
…
Later that evening...
Carol took a sip of her tea as she stared out the window. Her eyes were admiring the night sky...which was littered with unusually bright stars tonight. The cosmic powered heroine had always enjoyed star-gazing even as a child. It was a pastime that helped to sort out her thoughts and relax. She would be leaving early in the morning tomorrow to search for Stark. His wife, Pepper, had thanked her endlessly when she and Natasha explained their plan to find him.
Many things have changed since she was last here on Earth. The technology, clothing, and culture of the people was vastly different than what she remembered. There was no regret or confusion on her part though...Carol didn't really care about not knowing how to use the latest cellphone or what the latest style was. What mattered to her the most was the best friend she had left behind two decades ago.
It did feel a little odd, to have Maria Rambeau and her daughter as the only people she deeply cared about on Earth. Fury was a friend too but the Rambeaus were her family...something the superheroine had lacked during her childhood. Carol didn't know if her own parents or brothers were still alive at this point. She wasn't feeling too driven to go look for them though. Was it a bit callous of her to dismiss them so easily? Perhaps but it was difficult to love a family that didn't show any for her.
Maria and Monica though...Carol had always wanted to visit them again but she got too caught up in her duties as a intergalactic heroine over the years. Whenever it seemed like she'd finally have time, another planet would be in jeopardy either due to a natural disaster or because of some dumb evil alien warlord's attempts to conquer them. Only now did she choose to come back home but her best friend and surrogate niece were gone.
'Some best friend I turned out to be.' She chastised herself mentally. 'I'm so sorry, Maria. I should've been there to keep you and Monica safe.'
"...You okay, Carol?"
Captain Marvel looked away from the window and turned around. Peter was standing behind her...carrying Goose on his head again. Despite her mood, she couldn't help but laugh softly at the duo. Why her pet Flerken loved to laze about on top of Spidey's head was beyond her but seeing it happen was always funny.
"Yeah, I know." He said, grabbing a nicrowave burrito from out of the fridge. "Goose seems to think I'm her personal pillow or something."
"Maybe your hair is really soft. That's why she likes it up there."
"Perhaps. You didn't answer me earlier though...are you alright?"
"I'm fine." She reassured. "Just thinking of a few old friends. What brings you here? Where's Natasha?"
Peter waited for his burrito to be heated before he placed it on a small plate and moved to sit down beside her. "She's talking with Darcy and Pepper in the break room. My stomach got hungry while I was working on my suit. Thought I'd come here to have a little snack."
Carol shook her head out of amusement before her eyes drifted back out the window. The young Spider ate in silence, not wanting to interrupt her while she was thinking. He glanced up at the stars she was looking at...they were especially pretty tonight. Goose leapt off of Peter's head and climbed onto her owner's lap.
"...You miss Maria and Monica too, don't you?" Captain Marvel whispered, scratching Goose behind the ears.
The Flerken let out a sad meow as she laid her head down. Peter heard what Carol said to her pet but didn't ask anything about it. It wasn't any of his business unless she wished to share it with him. He did wonder who this Maria and Monica was though.
Carol knew he overheard her and decided there was no harm in telling him about them."Maria was my best friend. Monica was her daughter...I used to call her Lieutenant Trouble."
"That's a cool name. I'm guessing Monica was a real troublemaker."
Her lips curved into a smirk. The memories of all the mayhem Monica caused back then played out in her mind. "When she was younger? Oh yeah, definitely. Maria always scolded her at least once a day for doing something dumb."
"Are they still here or did the Infinity Stones get them too?" Peter asked albeit with some hesitation.
"No, they're gone."
"Oh...what about your family?"
Much to his surprise, Carol actually scoffed. "You mean my parents? I don't know...but they probably won't like the idea of me coming to look for them anyways."
"Why?"
"Let's just say my parents considered me to be the black sheep of the family when I was growing up."
Spidey didn't like the sound of that. "Did they mistreat you?"
"No, nothing like that. There was no abuse of any kind from them." She clarified. "My folks just never supported me much. They always paid more attention to my brothers. We pretty much cut ties after I joined the Air Force."
Peter couldn't imagine himself growing up in such a way. Though he was only their nephew, Ben and May treated him like their son and they were always supportive of his goals as a kid. It was little wonder why Carol had no desire to go looking for her own family...her parents only ever saw her as an annoyance at best.
"Well, I'd say you've done pretty well for yourself. You were a good aunt to your best friend's daughter, became an excellent test pilot for the Air Force and now you're a badass superheroine." He said with a mischievous smile.
Captain Marvel laughed as she threw her arm around Spider-Man's shoulder. "Thanks, Peter Parker. You're not so bad yourself...do you still remember the promise we made to each other a few months ago?"
"Of course. Once you came back to Earth, we would watch the Star Wars prequels since you never saw them."
"Well, how about we start with the first episode of the prequels now?" She suggested. It would be a good way to relax before she left to bring Stark home tomorrow. "After we kick Thanos's ass and bring everyone back, we'll watch the rest to celebrate."
The young Spider liked the idea. Some refreshments would be nice too...even though he just finished eating a burrito, his stomach still felt a bit empty.
"Sound good to me. I'll get the movie set up while you make us some snacks."
"You got it. I'll prepare us a junk food buffet...hope you're cool with that."
Peter just shrugged. "That's fine. I'm a junk food junkie anyways."
Carol gave a thumbs up in approval of his statement before she headed to the kitchen, ready to make some of her favourite snacks for them both to enjoy.
...
- That last bit about Peter and Carol liking junk food is a homage to one of their interactions in the comics. Don't know about the rest of you but I actually liked the Phantom Menace. The dialogue may have been a little cheesy but it had an okay story to it. The action sequences were awesome though. Obi-Wan is my favourite character and all of his lightsaber duels are exciting to watch.
- I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.