A/N: It's been a long time since I've posted anything on this site. I'll probably start up some one-shots, so if you have a request let me know (just no gender-bending or romance, please). I'm working on a novel, so that takes priority, but I need a small break from it sometimes. That's why I've decided to take to fanfiction again. My writing style has changed from a few years ago (it's also harder to write a fanfic than it is to write a novel for some reason).

Anyway, this is an AU where the Avengers defeated Thanos on Titan, so Endgame didn't happen. I realized the other Avengers wouldn't technically know Spider-Man was an Avenger unless he or Tony told them. That's where this idea came from, even though it's more related to Mjolnir. In case the title won't fit, this fic is "3 Times Spider-Man Couldn't Lift Mjolnir, and the One Time Peter Could."

Also, the Peter Parker in this fic is a mix of Tom Holland's character and the one from the PS4 video game.

3 Times Spider-Man Couldn't Lift Mjolnir, And the One Time Peter Could

The Bet

Being an Avenger wasn't exactly what Peter thought it would be like. Sure, he expected the battles and training, but hanging out with them in his free time was something he'd have to get used to. Since the return from Titan after defeating Thanos, Peter believed he'd get a call when the Avengers were needed somewhere.

An incoming call alert appeared while he was patrolling outside of Queens before overriding the AI in his suit. Tony Stark's voice came through. "Hey, kid, where are you?"

"Patrolling," Spider-Man said. He web-zipped to a nearby building ledge. The evening traffic of New York blared below, and ambulance sirens shrilled a few blocks away. "Why? Is everything okay? Do we have a mission?"

"If you want to consider me inviting you to dinner with the rest of us, then sure it's a mission," Tony said. "Just get here, kid. The others want to hang out with Peter Parker for a change. It's time we done your Avenger initiation anyway."

Spider-Man's eyebrow raised. "Initiation?"

"Are you going to repeat everything I say again?" Tony's voice took on an annoyed tone, even though Spider-Man sensed the man was putting on a show. "Just get here. I know you're not busy right now."

A wince crossed his face. "I thought we agreed you wouldn't use the suit to spy on me?"

"It's more like a baby monitor," Tony said. "You've made Rhodey sick with all those flips of yours, by the way. I didn't think that would happen, but it's an amusing revelation. Come on, jump off the building and head this way."

"Fine." Tensing the muscles in his legs, Spider-Man back-flipped off the building and dove toward the busy street. At the last moment, he shot a web onto a building and swung a few feet over moving vehicles. Kicking forward, he launched himself into the air and flipped several times before shooting another web. Seeing a water tower ahead, Spider-Man grinned and swung toward it. Using both web-shooters, two lines of web stuck to the brace as he pulled himself forward. He shot between the steel beams feet-first, twisting his body as he went before free-falling toward the street on the other side of the building. Eventually, he crawled through one of the Tower windows and took off the suit.

Dressed in casual clothes, Peter walked out of the guest bedroom and into the main living area. Pepper greeted him in the kitchen before shoving a water into his hand.

"Hey, Peter," Pepper said before wrapping him in a hug. "It's so good to see you again!"

Peter returned the hug. "You, too, Mrs. Stark."

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Pepper?"

Peter smiled while rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry." He opened the water bottle and took a drink while turning toward the rest of the team.

The other Avengers sat around the common area pointing at the television. Laughter broke out among them at a clip from the Spider-Man suit Peter thought Ned deleted permanently. He coughed as water went down the wrong way, trying to clear his throat while waving his arms at the screen. "Mr. Stark! Those were deleted!"

"From the Spider suit, sure, but I saved every one of them," Tony said. "FRIDAY, show them Peter's impersonation of Thor."

"Yes, sir."

"No! FRIDAY, don't!"

Peter wanted to crawl in a hole when the video played, leaving the others red-faced from laughter. The alcohol in their hands seemed to make everything worse.

"Play the one where the pigeon attacked him," Clint said. "That one's my favorite."

Peter's jaw dropped. "How many of these have you guys seen already?"

"All of them," they replied simultaneously.

"More than once," Rhodey added. "Seriously, though, how do you do all those acrobatics without hurling?"

Peter groaned. "Why are you guys even watching these? It's embarrassing."

"We've been trying to see if you could be stronger than Steve," Bruce said. "You're still only sixteen, but you're on par with him right now."

"You may be stronger than me now," Steve admitted.

"Basically, we're making a bet. It'll take a few years to see who wins, though." Tony took a drink, then pointed at Thor. "I wouldn't be surprised if he surpasses light socket there."

Thor laughed, then turned to Peter. "Man of Spiders has yet to try lifting Mjolnir!" He rose to his feet and gestured for the teen to come closer. "Give it a shot!"

Peter raised his hands up and backpedaled away from him. "I'm fine. I already know I won't be able to lift it."

"It's part of your initiation into the Avengers, kid," Tony said. "Go ahead."

"Yeah, we all done it," Clint said.

Natasha shrugged. "The boys tried, anyway."

With all eyes on him, Peter sighed and stepped forward. Mjolnir sat on the coffee table a few feet away from Thor. Peter's hand wrapped around the handle and his body tensed as he pulled. The hammer refused to budge. "Nope, not happening," Peter said as he released the weapon and took a step back.

Tony shrugged. "Maybe not now. Give it about three years, and I believe you will."

"You want to make that a bet, Stark?" Clint asked.

"Think you have the funds to pay up when it happens, Katniss? Alright, fine. I bet Pete can lift that hunk of metal in three years, tops."

As bets flew around the room, Peter went to help Pepper in the kitchen. She sighed at the team's antics. "They're excited to have you on the team, at least."

"Yeah," Peter said. "But is it okay for Mr. Stark to bet one something like that? There's no way I can lift Mjolnir."

Pepper smiled. "It'll okay as long as he wins the bet."

The Battle

Since becoming Spider-Man, Peter picked up on little tricks to get him through sticky situations. His personal favorite was using the environment to his advantage, which included using his webs to throw objects at his enemies. Want a group of thugs broken up? Throw a metal trash lid at them. Someone wants to shoot you? Rip the gun from their hands or sling a piece of furniture at them. Throwing things at enemies became almost second nature to Spider-Man especially in the middle of battle.

When Hydra attacked a local chemical plant with the intent on releasing a biological weapon into the atmosphere, the Avengers moved to stop them. The chemical plant was Spider-Man's personal playground as he zipped through the equipment and launched himself off railings and into Hydra agents. Senses on high alert, he dodged the bullets and fists aimed at him before flying into the air again to target another group. The other Avengers fought alongside each other from the ground while Spider-Man picked off enemies mostly from the air. His web connected with a Hydra agent and pulled the man into the air, his fist catching the man's jaw before releasing the web. The man fell a few feet into a group of his comrades, knocking them down.

"Sweet!" Peter mocked. "I got a strike!"

Clint barked a laugh. "If only you could do that on bowling night without putting a hole through the—"

Spider-Man reacted before he could think when an object flew near him. His wrist instinctively flexed, and he pressed the button on his web-shooters. A second later, his arm popped as he was dragged to the side before he could cut the line with a muttered curse.

"Kid, what did you think would happen there? Hang back, and let us finish this up," Tony said.

Spider-Man glared at Mjolnir as it returned to Thor. "It's a habit."

"Man of Spiders, you know you cannot handle Mjolnir," Thor called out as he batted away a group with the weapon.

With a hiss, Spider-Man cradled his shoulder. "Yeah, I got the message. Loud and clear."

He retreated to the railings on the higher levels and picked off agents one-by-one when he could manage. By the time it was all over, his shoulder burned and screamed with every movement.

Natasha leaned toward Clint and whispered in his ear. "I think we're going to lose that bet."

"I know we're going to," Clint said. "Is it too late to change sides?"

Peter ignored them, biting his tongue when Bruce popped the dislocated shoulder back into place.

Birthday Surprises

Clint found the youngest Avenger in the training room learning self-defense techniques from Natasha. He watched for a few minutes as Natasha slammed Peter onto the mat several times and gave tips until Peter was able to defend against the attack.

"Thanks, Mr. Barton," Peter said. "I think I get it now."

"It's Clint. Mr. Barton was my father," he said. "I need to ask a favor of you, though."

Peter's eyes widened as he wiped away the sweat on his brow. "Sure, what is it?"

"My kid's birthday is tomorrow. We're having a party, but I overheard some brats making fun of him for saying he met Spider-Man."

"He has, though," Peter said. "I just saw him at the New Year's party."

"Yep," Clint said and crossed his arms. "As much as I hate to admit it, Spider-Man is his favorite superhero. Think you could swing by?"

Peter nodded. "It won't be a problem, Mr.—" He paused when the man glared at him. "Clint. Yeah, no problem at all."

"We're all going to be there, so you won't feel like a fish out of water. Or a spider out of web, or whatever you want to call it." Clint clasped his hand against the eighteen-year-old's shoulder. "Thanks, Command Strip."

"Don't get your feathers in a bunch," Peter said. "I can't help I'm your son's favorite."

The two threw light-hearted insults at each other as they went to the common area.

When the day came, Peter made sure his web cartridges were full before following the rest of the team into the Barton family home. Clint's wife hurried about the kitchen but greeted them immediately. Party favors covered the house and streamers hung from the ceiling. A banner hung over one of the doorways with "Happy Birthday" in big red letters. It took Peter a moment to realize the house was decorated in Spider-Man's color scheme.

Tony nudged his shoulder. "Remind me to take lots of pictures. We're going to torment Barton with this."

Peter grinned. "For how long?"

"Oh, he's never going to hear the end of this." Tony gestured toward the windows at the kids jumping out of parked cars. "Mingle a bit, get the alibi ready, then get suited up."

"Yes, sir."

While the adults talked, Peter made his way around the house mingling with the other guests. After thirty minutes, he pretended to get a call from Aunt May and held the phone up to his ear as he walked to Tony.

"Yeah, Aunt May," Peter said. "I'll be there as soon as I can." He paused a moment. "It's okay, I'll pick some up on the way. Larb you. Bye." He tapped on the phone screen and pocketed the device. "Sorry, Mr. Stark, but I have to go. Aunt May needs me home."

"You're fine, kid," Tony said. "Make sure you wish Nathaniel a happy birthday before you go."

Peter darted through the small crowd, searching for the younger Barton child. Eventually, he found them outside at a swing set and he caught the sound of mocking voices.

"You don't really know Spider-Man," one boy teased. "You're lying."

Nathaniel crossed his arms. "Yes, I do know Spider-Man!"

"Oh, really? I thought you said he'd be here at the party. I don't see him."

"He'll be here!"

Peter frowned. He couldn't stand bullies. Dealing with Flash was enough, but seeing a child struggling to hold back tears made a hot anger rise in his gut. Clint stepped next to him.

"We didn't want to invite the kid, but Nathaniel said he had to invite everyone in his class, or it wouldn't be fair."

Peter smiled. "He's a good kid."

"Yeah, he is," Clint said. "As a father, I want to make sure he never gets hurt, but there's not a lot I can do in situations like this. We've went to the boy's parents and the school just separates them."

Peter caught the regret lacing the man's voice. "You're a great dad, Clint. The Avengers are family to me. Dysfunctional, sure, but a family. Some kids are just brats. Thankfully, this is a situation I can fix. You care if I get webs on anything? They dissolve in two hours, but I brought the dissolvent with me if it's needed."

"If you can make my kid happy, then you can TP the whole house with webs for all I care," Clint said. "Thank you."

Peter nodded, then searched for a place to change into the Spider-Man suit. Opting for the old shed connected to the barn, he checked to make sure he was alone before changing into the suit and hiding his civilian clothes. Rolling his shoulders, he walked out of the shed before aiming a well-placed web onto the house's chimney. Using his momentum, he flew forward and jumped from the chimney before zipping to the top of the large swing set.

"Hey, Nathaniel," Spider-Man said. "Sorry I'm late. Happy birthday!"

Nathaniel's wide-eyes filled with excitement. "You came! Dad said you were going to!"

Spider-Man flipped over, letting his body dangle upside down. "You kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the world. Well, who are your friends?"

Nathaniel introduced him to his friends, including the one that had been picking on the kid earlier. Spider-Man hung out with the children, answering their questions and doing random parkour tricks that earned some awestruck stares from the kids and parents. A few webs stuck to the swing, some trees, and the ground, but he made a mental note to clean everything later if it hadn't dissolved. He caught a glance of Clint and Laura in the crowd, smiling as they watched Nathaniel laugh with the other children.

"Can you use Thor's hammer like Thor and Captain America can?" one of the kids asked.

Spider-Man laughed. "I can't. I've tried. Let's just say the hammer won last time."

"I want to see you try!" Nathaniel beamed at the superhero. "I believe you'll be able to one day."

Clint laughed. "Hey, Thor, come over here!"

Spider-Man sighed, not seeing a way out of it. He muttered into the comms, "Clint, you suck."

"This is payback for 'ruffling my feathers,' and I'm not passing it up."

Thor grinned, understanding the game that was going on and held out the hammer. "Try again, Man of Spiders. As the people here say, 'third time is the charm.'"

Spider-Man jumped from the swing set and landed a few feet in front of Thor. "If I dislocate my shoulder again, I'm blaming you and Clint."

Thor laughed. "You're expecting it this time. You'll be okay." He held out his right arm, the hammer sitting innocently in his hand as if it didn't wound him last time.

Spider-Man's fingers wrapped around the handle, and he steeled himself before Thor let the weapon fall. Mjolnir hit the ground and the handle sat tauntingly in the air as Spider-Man tried to lift it, his muscles straining against the suit. He imagined it moving but couldn't tell a difference. It felt like he was trying to move the Earth itself.

With a huff, Spider-Man released the handle and stood straight. "Nope, third time isn't the charm in this case."

One Reason

"Mr. Stark, I'm twenty-three," Peter said. "I'm pretty sure I can handle a toddler for a few hours."

"Have you met Morgan? She's the epitome of trouble."

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Honey, I'm sure they'll both be fine. Peter will take care of her, and it's only a few hours."

Tony glanced at his wife for a few moments before yielding. "Fine, but if something happens—"

"You'll be the first to know," Peter said. "Seriously, Mr. Stark, go enjoy your date. We'll be fine here."

"You have the emergency bracelet on you?"

"Yes, and the web-shooters," Peter said. "The rest of the team should be back soon, too."

After a few more minutes of interrogating, Tony finally relented and pulled Morgan into a hug. "Be good for Peter, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy."

Pepper took Morgan away from Tony and kissed the girl on the cheek. "Have fun with your brother. We'll be back soon."

"Okay, Mommy," Morgan said as she ran to Peter. "Can we play Legos?"

Peter picked her up. "We sure can."

Pepper stopped just before the elevator. "By the way, Peter. Will you tell Thor to move that hammer of his out of the middle of the floor when he gets back? Someone's going to trip over it."

"Sure thing, Mrs. Stark," Peter said before Morgan dragged him away to find the Legos.

Pepper sighed before stepping into the elevator. Tony shifted his weight from one foot to another, glancing at his watch every few seconds. "I don't know, Pep. Maybe we should have dinner here at the Tower today."

"Tony, if we don't do this now, it'll make it harder later," Pepper said. "Morgan's with the best person she could be. Peter would do anything for her. You know that."

"That worries me, too," Tony admitted. "The fights for the kid and villains in general have been a lot more violent since he's gotten older. Martin Li nearly killed him a month ago, then Octavius. How many more people have it out for him, and do they know his identity? Is Morgan in more danger than we know?"

Pepper frowned. "So, you're blaming Peter?"

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. "God, no. You're absolutely right. Pete would do anything for Morgan, but I don't want to put him in a position like that."

"You're worried about how far he'd actually go to protect her," Pepper said.

"Spider-Man may have a no-kill policy," Tony said. "But we know that can change instantly. Do you think he'd go that far? Get blood on his hands to save our daughter?"

The elevator door opened, and Pepper debated on going back up to her family. "We'll always worry about our kids, Tony, but that doesn't mean we have to stay with them 24/7. Do you trust Peter?"

"Yes," Tony said without hesitation.

"Then Morgan will be fine," Pepper said. "Peter's a grown man now, Tony. Whatever comes his way, he'll deal with it however he sees fit, but he won't let Morgan get hurt. If something happens, we'll deal with the aftermath."

The couple stepped out of the elevator and got in the car idling outside the main doors. Happy drove them to the nearest restaurant but didn't try to break the silence that fell across the cab. Pepper noticed Tony checking his phone constantly, surprised he wasn't asking FRIDAY to livestream the two building structures with Legos. When they made it to the restaurant and ordered, Pepper's nerves calmed down some. By the time dessert rolled around, FRIDAY's voice echoed into Tony's ear, gaining Pepper's attention.

Tony's eyes widened, and he rose to his feet. "Honey, we have to go now." He reached for Pepper's hand and pulled her to her feet while speaking into the earpiece. "Happy, we gotta go. Now!"

Happy met them outside. "I got the same alert."

"Tony, what's going on?" Pepper asked, her eyes wide as she watched her husband access FRIDAY's live stream camera. She leaned toward him for a closer look, then covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh, my God, Tony."

"Happy, keep Pepper safe. I'm going on ahead." Tony pushed a button and allowed the nano-suit to cover him, then called his team. "Steve, you and the team go to the Tower right now! It's Pete and Morgan."

Pepper watched her husband fly into the air, heading straight for Stark Industries. She pulled FRIDAY's feed up on her own phone and watched the livestream in horror. Heart pounding, she barely noticed Happy's hand on her shoulder before they climbed into the car and pulled away from the curb. Sickened by the footage, Pepper put the phone down and looked away, unable to watch anymore.

Blood streamed into Peter's eyes from the cut on his forehead, and he tried to blink it away. "Is this how criminals turn in a job application, Tombstone? I gotta say, you've failed the introductory interview." Peter fired two lines of web on the ground next to the shady businessman, then launched forward. "Didn't you know you have to start from the ground, then go up?"

Peter's feet collided with Tombstone's chest, but the man barely reeled backward. Peter propelled off the man and landed on the floor before darting toward him. His right fist cut through the air, only to be stopped by the brute. Instinct drove Peter to use his left hand, and the same thing happened. Tombstone's grip tightened, and the loud snap of his gadgets echoed over the small fires inside the building.

Tombstone turned and slammed Peter into the floor with enough force to crack the tile. A huff of air escaped the young man's lungs. Tombstone smirked. "The little quips and gadgets are a dead giveaway, Spider-Man. Are you running a babysitting service for Stark now?" He stepped onto Peter's torso and pushed his weight onto him. "What'll happen if—"

A group of assembled Legos broke apart as they hit Tombstone's head. Morgan glared at the criminal and pointed at him. "You're a meanie!"

Tombstone laughed. "Feisty kid. She'd sell for a high price." He stomped on Peter, reveling in the crack of ribs and grunt of pain that followed before kicking him away and stalking toward Morgan. "I thought it would be harder to get to a kid like you, but this is almost too easy."

Peter pushed himself onto his hands and knees with a groan. Blood streamed from his mouth as he spoke. "Don't you dare lay a hand on her. I'll kill you."

Tombstone looked over his shoulder with a wicked grin. "Spider-Man's nothing without his suit or gadgets. On second thought, this kid's blood may be even more valuable. Less fight that way."

Red filled Peter's vision as he saw Tombstone reaching toward Morgan. Dragging his feet underneath him, Peter lunged forward. Years of fighting kicked in, and he grabbed the object closest to him. Just like the trash lids and sewer covers he'd thrown on the street for years Peter threw Mjolnir as if he'd trained with it his entire life. Electricity passed through the weapon to his fingers, but the blue arcs didn't shock him. Mjolnir crashed into Tombstone's side, sending him careening to the ground several feet away from Morgan. Mjolnir flew back into Peter's hand a second later.

Recovering quickly, Tombstone glared at Peter. "I thought Spider-Man didn't kill. Had it been anyone other than me, they'd be dead now."

Peter stepped forward, placing his body between the kid he saw as his sister and the criminal he loathed. His voice seeped with hatred. "You're not dealing with Spider-Man right now." Peter walked forward, holding the hammer to the side as electricity danced around it. "One reason. Give me one reason why I shouldn't—"

Arms wrapped around the lower part of his legs. Peter stopped, then looked down at Morgan. The small kid looked at him with tears in her eyes. "He's a meanie. You're not."

The statement struck Peter in the gut, and the hammer fell from his hand, cracking the tile floor. Tombstone took the opportunity and lunged forward. Alarm bells ran in Peter's head, and he pushed Morgan to the side but was too late to avoid the blow. Peter slid across the floor but climbed to his feet again. Darkness blurred around the edge of his vision, and he couldn't move in time. Tombstone grabbed his shirt collar, then slammed him into the ground repeatedly with bellows of rage. When it stopped, Peter grabbed the man's wrist in a tight grip. Blood streamed from his eyes, nose, and mouth and pooled underneath his wounded body, but he refused to let go.

A whir caught his attention a moment before an energy beam struck Tombstone. Peter grinned as Iron Man flew through the hole in the side of the building from the first attack. Thor joined a few seconds later, willing Mjolnir return to him.

"Kid," Tony's said robotically through the suit. "Let go. We got it from here."

Peter couldn't fight unconsciousness any longer.

He woke up to an annoying beeping sound piercing through his skull. The dim lights in the room still burned his eyes and his small groan made someone shuffle in a chair next to him.

"Pete?" Tony's voice overwhelmed the beeping. "You awake, kid?"

"Morgan?" Peter spoke through the oxygen mask clasped to his face.

The warmth of Tony's palm on his forearm soothed him slightly. "She's safe. You done great. Not a scratch on her."

Peter's nerves settled. "Good." He slipped back into the darkness.

A few days later, Peter was able to stay awake for longer periods of time as he recovered from the broken ribs and internal bleeding. Had it not been for his powers, Peter knew he'd be dead. When Peter asked what happened to Tombstone, anger darkened everyone's face before telling him the criminal was sent to the Raft where he belonged. Seeing the bruised knuckles on several of the team made Peter wish he hadn't passed out at the end. Morgan curled next to him on the bed, careful to not jostle his wounds even while asleep.

"She's amazing," Peter told Pepper and Tony. "In the end, she ended up saving me in a way."

"How?"

Peter raised an eyebrow. "You guys don't know?" When he looked around the room, the others looked confused, too. "She stopped me from killing Tombstone."

"Your web-shooters were crushed," Natasha said.

"He was kicking your ass," Clint remarked.

Tony grabbed a tablet. "FRIDAY, run the footage of Peter's fight with Tombstone, and project it onto the main screen."

"Yes, sir."

The video played. Peter winced as he watched Tombstone pummel him into the floor. Shame filled his chest when he saw himself attack the criminal with Mjolnir, and Morgan coming to his rescue moments later. He looked away from the screen, turning his attention to the sleeping child next to him.

"Spider-Man doesn't kill, so neither should Peter Parker. I was pissed and needed someone to remind me that." He ran a hand through Morgan's hair, but she didn't stir. "She didn't need to see me like that. I'm sorry."

Tony stared at him. "What? No, kid, you don't have anything to be sorry for."

Pepper nodded. "You nearly died protecting our girl. We can never thank you enough."

"There's times where we have to do what's needed," Steve said. "In battles, we have to make split second decisions. At the end of the day, you stuck to what you believe in while protecting those you love. That's what matters."

Tony groaned. "You did just cost me a hundred dollars, though, kid."

"Technically, we all lost the bet," Natasha said. "We all bet on whether or not Spider-Man would be able to lift Mjolnir. Not Peter."

"Yeah," Tony teased. "You've grown up a lot since being attacked by pigeons."

"It happened one time, Tony," Peter scowled. "One. Time."