Hello!

I know it's been a while since I have posted in this fic but I recieved a prompt for my We Forgot Peter Series that fell nicely into this universe I created. This prompt was from Taekwonono on Ao3 - I was wondering if you can make a oneshot about the battle itself and that since everyone forgot and no one was really paying attention to Peter, he ends up snapping before anyone does, before Tony even gets anywhere near Thanos. This will cause everything from thanos's army to disappear allowing everyone to congratulate each other until Tony notices that he can't find Peter and ends up finding him leaning against the rocks with the gantlet (idk how to spell it) in his hands.

I'm not currently taking prompts for either story/series but I will say that there will be probably more added to this in the future :)

I hope you all enjoy and apologies for any mistakes.

A Snap of the Fingers

The battlefield was a mess.

There are creatures and superheros scattered across the remains of the demolished Compound gripped in battles, fighting for their lives. Lights of magic scatter across the air like fireworks, drowned out by the alien shrieks as they rush at the Avengers. The Avenger's don't back down though, running just as fast, shouting battle cries that carry the promise of payback for what they took.

Tony can barely hear himself think over the noise and thunder beat of his heart, working on instinct as he fought of alien after alien. He felt a moment of relief when he saw Pepper in the Rescue suit. She joined him in fight, back-to-back, as they blasted one alien after another. They were no match for their weapons. They collapsed on the ground in puddles of blood and vacant eyes. Yet they still kept coming; like a dog with its bone, they refused to give up.

But so did Tony. He moved with determination; his aims targeted for maximum damage. He took out the aliens from above, flying in and around Sam, Rhodey and Hope. At point he veered off to stop colliding with a flying horse, something he put at the back of his mind for later.

This was the final battle. Tony could feel it, as could everyone. This would determine who was the strongest and Tony was not about to lose.

An alien caught Pepper off guard, and she slammed to the ground with a painful thud.

Tony saw red and physically snarled through his teeth. He blasted the alien away in a spray of blood before falling over Pepper, firing every weapon he had as she collected herself.

"Pepper!" Tony yelled, blasting an alien straight in the teeth.

"I'm okay," came Pepper's breathy reply over the coms. "Tony, I'm okay."

"Thank god," Tony said.

"Boss, alien approaching fast on your right," FRIDAY said.

Tony spun, lifting up his hands to fire –

The alien body started to fall, disintegrating into ash before his very eyes. Tony kept his hands up, not believing what he saw.

"Tony?" Pepper's voice filled his ear as he looked wildly around the field.

All around them, the aliens they had been fighting were starting to fall.

Just like on Titan, one by one Tony watched them float away into nothing. The battlefield grew emptier and emptier until all that was left was Thanos. The titan sat on a rock, surrounded by Thor and Steve, their weapons still raised and ready to strike. Thanos looked across the field, eyes locking with Tony. The titan smiled, a cruel twist of his lips before he too faded into nothing.

At first, nobody moved.

"Did we win?" Pepper breathed, her face plate retracting.

Tony retracted his own mask, blinking and breathing harshly. Had they done it? Had they really defeated Thanos?

"I think we did," Tony swallowed, hardly daring to say the words in case he jinked them all.

Around them, people started to shake out of their shock and were moving to one another. Taking Pepper's hand (his grip maybe too tight but he was not letting his wife go), Tony dragged her across the field towards Thor and Steve who were embraced in a hug.

"Tony," Steve said, face alight with happiness beneath the grime he was covered in. It was happiness that Tony hadn't seen in over five years.

"Steve," Tony nodded and the two embraced.

"We did it," Thor cheered loudly, thrusting his axe into the air. It crackled with power, seemingly reflecting Thor's overwhelming joy.

Sam and Bucky approached, Steve pulling them both into a hug when they were close enough. Clint slapped Tony on the shoulder as he approached with Wanda who was using her magic to support Bruce as he ambled over. Scott gave a joyful shout, pulling the closest person (Sam who tried to push the ever-changing sized man off him) while T'Challa shook hands with Bucky and Steve.

All around, cheers went out as they celebrated. They had won. They had done the impossible. After everything, Thanos had lost.

"How did you do it?" Steve asked, making Tony turn.

"What?" Tony blinked.

"Thanos, the stones, how did you do it?" Steve asked, eyes trailing over Tony's armour that still clung to his skin.

"I could ask you the same question," Tony nodded at Steve who was filthy but had no burn marks like Bruce had received. "Something a little extra in that bottle you failed to mention?"

Steve frowned. "Tony, it wasn't me."

"Well, it wasn't me," Tony huffed. He paused. "You didn't touch the stones?"

"No," Steve shook his head.

"Then who did?" Tony demanded. He looked around the group that was gathered, eyes flicking quickly over each and every person. His heart thundered in his chest he spun around, searching the field.

A lump formed in his throat as he saw a familiar red cloak across the field, Carol standing guard, her face pinched with worry.

"Tony?" Pepper's hand touched his shoulder, but he barely felt it.

"No," Tony whispered, heart dropping in his chest and he could feel the blood draining from his cheeks.

Without a word he was blasting into the air, flying across the distance between him and Strange, landing heavily on the ground. No, it couldn't be. He did not wait five years for his kid to return only to have been lost and forgotten about in the battle. He did not invent time travel for him to lose his kid all over again.

But as he stumbled towards Strange, his armour falling away, he saw Peter's too pale face staring blanky ahead. Burn marks stretched up his neck, his arm a blackened mess, laying limply in his lap.

"Peter!" Tony dropped to his knees beside Strange.

There was flicker in Peter's eyes as he looked to Tony, a slow breath rising his chest slightly. Strange was carefully peeling away the broken, crumpled glove, the stones no longer glowing. He passed it to Carol who tucked it under her arm, her lips pressed together as she watched on.

"Hey, Pete," Tony cooed softly, hands hovering, not knowing where to touch.

The fact that Strange wasn't pushing him away was telling and Tony swallowed down the bile that threatened to fill his mouth.

"'ony," Peter croaked out in a barely-there whisper.

"Shhh, it's okay, Underoos," Tony said, hand coming to cup his un-injured cheek. His thumb smoothed over the cheekbone. "I've got you now buddy."

Peter whimpered, trying to say something but he could barely move his lips.

"It's okay," Tony soothed, fighting back his tears. "You're going to be okay. I'm here and I've got you. You're safe now."

Peter head lolled; eyes flickering shut. His chest fell and Tony's breath hitched as it did not rise again.

He felt Pepper's hand squeezing his shoulder tightly, anchoring him to her as grief rose steadily inside him. No, he couldn't not lose his kid again. Not a second time.

"Tony," Rhodey murmured behind him.

"No," Tony growled through clenched teeth. He shoved his glasses onto his face, scratching the bridge of his nose as he did. "No, not again. FRIDAY, scan him."

"Scanning Boss," came FRIDAY's voice. "Karen is informing me that Peter's heart is still beating."

Strange looked up sharply. "What?"

"His heart rate it too slow but still beating," FRIDAY said. "Karen informs me he will not last much longer."

Before Tony can bark at Strange to do something, to save his kid, the Wizard's hands were already moving. Magic encased Peter's form, yellow sparking symbols encasing his body and forming a barrier around him.

"It's a magical coma," Strange explained before Tony could ask. "It will keep his heart beating while he heals. We need to get him to a hospital. Wong!"

A portal opened behind them, the sterile halls of a hospital a stark contrast to the filthy carnage that surrounded them. Shouts could be heard through the portal and Strange was getting to his feet.

"You can lift him," Strange said.

Tony wasted no time. He scooped Peter into his arms, cradling him close to his chest. He couldn't feel the magic around Peter, but it lingered, the symbols never fading around him.

"Go," Pepper said when Tony caught his eye.

"We'll take it from here," Rhodey nodded.

"This way," Strange said, striding purposefully into the portal.

Tony followed, his grip on Peter painfully tight, tucked as close to his chest as possible, as he stepped through the portal and prayed to every god he could think of that Peter made it through. He would not lose his kid again.

Happy reading :)