A/N: Just for a bit of information, Endgame did happen, it just ended differently, so no one died cause I say so, same for infinity war. Also, somehow the public know what happened in Endgame for story reasons, they just don't know the hero's identity's if they didn't before.
The snap happened however, but only for a year instead, so Morgan doesn't exist cause I say so, she'll be born eventually but for the time being Pepper and Tony didn't have a child during the snap ok, Idk when I'll add Morgan, but I will\_(*-*)_/
Enjoy =)
Disclaimer: Unfortunately Marvel doesn't belong to me =(
Peter was never a morning person. He was a night owl all the way, but unfortunately school didn't care. He had to wake up at an unholy hour each morning, just to get to school and listen to the teacher drone on about stuff Peter could teach in his sleep.
It was a normal Thursday, Peter and Ned had been geeking out over Ned's new Lego set, MJ had added a few drawings to her people in crisis book (honestly half were just of Peter walking around like a zombie-which is what the boy would have said he felt like if you asked him.)
The end of the day was nearing, just one lesson to go, and Peter had to muffle a groan at his luck. His last lesson (it was the same for Ned and MJ) was drama. The school had decided that they wanted to include some subjects other than math, science, history and English, so to popular demand, Drama, Art and Music was added to the possible options.
Peter and Ned had only chosen to take drama as it was expected of everyone to take at least 1 of the new subjects, and trust me when I say that both boys had tried the other's first. The Art room was still suffering from the colourful explosion (really Parker?(no one knows he's Tony's kid alright?)) and the music students still found they had ringing going on in their ears from time to time, (thanks a lot Ned.)
Due to this, both boys had been shoved at the drama office where they reluctantly signed up, neither one particularly enthusiastic about it. (MJ had signed up for Art and chose to do Drama as well simply because why not?)
Anyway, Peter found himself despairing at the fact he would have to sit through a whole lesson of *le gasp* drama (I personally love drama but I just can't see it being Peter's cup of tea.)
Shuffling in, shoulders hunched, next to an equally anxious Ned, both following behind MJ, who was gladly striding ahead. Once they were all seated and the last of the students had arrived, the teacher Miss Author (Not very creative but the author doesn't want to put their own name on here so your dealing with it) stood up and walked over to the stage before introducing them to the lesson.
Blocking her out, Peter sat back in his chair and allowed his mind to wonder, completely ignoring everything that was going on, meaning he missed when Miss Author told them all that they would be putting on a play and all were expected to be a part of it somehow.
Ned, seeing his friend dazing off into the distance, shook his friends arm to snap him out of his daze. Shaking his head, Peter looked at his friend quizzically before the shorter of the two motioned towards the teacher and mumbling something under his breath that not even Peter's super hearing could pick up.
Rolling his eyes, Peter grumbled before paying a bit (read: miniscule) more attention to the teacher. As he listened however, his eyes grew wider and wider with dread. This was not good.
"You will be performing a re-enactment of both the first and second battle against Thanos, and all money raised will go to a charity helping those recovering from the blip that are still struggling."
There was a polite round of applause along with some excited (and some dreading) whispers about the theme of the performance.
Peter could feel his stomach being tied into knot upon knot upon knot. This was not good. Maybe he could get away with helping backstage? Alas those hopes and dreams were crushed almost immediately.
"As I said before, you must all be involved, on stage, I don't mean in the background doing all the scenery and electronics, you will all be acting at some point in this show."
Damn it.
"Casting, I will watch you all over the next few lessons, you can tell me your preferred character to play, and I will take that into account, but since most of you are new to drama and performance, roles will be cast based on who I think you seem most like."
Welp. He was screwed.
The following few weeks passed quickly, till the performance had completely left Peter's mind, that is until he walked into drama to be greeted by excited chattering through out the students.
He grabbed a seat by Ned and sat down before asking what was going on. "Miss Author has decided what roles everyone is going to play." The Filipino boy whispered. Peter's eyebrows furrowed in confusion before his eyes widened with realization. "Fuck-"
"I have stuck up the cast list over by the left side of the stage." Everyone looked over and sure enough, a bright piece of yellow paper shone on the wall, bold letters spelling out cast, big enough for the students at the very back of the room to still be able to make out what was written.
" When you get your character, I want you to come down and grab a script off me." The woman said whilst pointing to a stack of papers that was clearly the scripts.
As everyone around him moved to see which hero (or Villain in some cases) they got, Peter found he couldn't move. He did not want to see what role he had received, for he knew that out of all the roles he could possibly get, he knew his Parker luck would act up. He couldn't get Spidey; he might just give himself away.
Ned noticed his friends panic and gave him a small smile before practically dragging Peter out of his seat and over to the board, knowing that there was nothing the boy could do about the roles now.
At this point, most people had received their parts, and were either celebrating or giving the stink eye to the person who got the role they wanted.
Peter looked at the sheet, gulping as his eyes slowly travelled down, down, down.
Cast - Roles:
Sally Avril - Wanda
Betty Brant - Carol Danvers
Abe Brown - Steve Rogers
Scott Call - Ant-Man/Scott Lang
Marcus Duke - Thor
Ethan Hale - Loki
Michelle Jones - Black Widow
Ned Leeds - Bruce Banner
Cindy Moon - Gamora
Miles Morales - Bucky Barnes/White Wolf
Arthur Norris - Star-Lord/Peter Quill
Lydia O'Brian - Hope Pym/The Wasp
Harry Osborn - Tony Stark/Iron Man
Christopher Owens - King T'Challa/Black Panther
Peter Parker - Spider-Man
Joseph Priar - Doctor Strange
Theo Reacken - The Falcon/Sam Wilson
Evie Salter - Nebula
Flash Thompson - Clint Barton/Hawkeye
George Walsh - Thanos
Oscar Williams - War Machine/Colonel James Rhodes
Well, he was screwed.
"Hey miss! How come Puny Parker- I mean Peter gets to play Spider-Man, surely I would be more suited to the role, I mean I am Spider-Man's biggest fan, and clearly better looking."
The teacher looked over at Peter with a knowing smirk and Peter could have sworn his heart stopped in that minute, there's no way some drama teacher could know his closest kept (and only well kept) secret, could they?
"Well Mr. Thompson, I'm sure you'll find that my choice in roles was very accurate and fair. Plus, I don't believe the real Spider-Man would go around bullying other students simply because he can. Now why don't you take a seat?"
The boy in question looked at a loss, before shrinking in on himself and sitting with his friends, glaring at Peter whenever the boy looked his way.
A thought struck Peter and he raised his hand. "How come no-ones been cast as Drax?" Miss Author looked at his questioningly, along with everyone else, "Who?"
"Drax the Destroyer? One of the guardians of the galaxy?"
"I'm sorry Peter, but I have no clue who you are talking about." She said this before continuing to the rest of the class, "However Peter is right in that a few heroes have been missed out, as some aren't as well known and then there isn't enough of you for all the avengers and honorary avengers to be included."
There were a few mutters amongst the room as people went back to discussing their roles with their friends. Ned was bouncing up and down in his chair so much that Peter worried that the chair might just collapse, and Michelle was adding yet another one of peter's 'face of doom' to her sketch book because why not? It's MJ.
Peter had to admit, the scripts were scarily accurate towards everything that took place. To this day he still had no idea how the general population knew what happened during the battle against Thanos, and all Peter could do was be glad that his identity hadn't been revealed.
For weeks they practiced, not that peter really needed to practice considering he had lived through what they were performing. Whilst practicing however, Peter always made sure that he didn't get carried away with it due to emotions he had attached with the memories, not wanting to relive them.
During rehearsals there were many tears, laughs and the cast grew closer together, even Flash wasn't bullying Peter as much, not that the secret hero had any belief that this behavior would continue.
Seeing MJ and even Ned enjoying it, Peter decided to give it his all. Happy had taken to winging up the seat divider in the car again due to Peter's reciting his lines all the time, and Tony had walked in on peter multiple times in front of a mirror trying to work out how he had said certain phrase.
No Tony did not cry when he heard one particular phrase, absolutely not.
Finally the day of the Performance arrived. The theatre was filled to capacity with the loving family and friends of the students.
In costume, with his mask in hand (how did the costume look identical to his real suit?!) Peter looked out at the gathered audience. His gaze landed on his father who was sat right at the front next to his whole family, all in really terrible disguises though they seemed to work? Well no one seemed to recognize the earth's mightiest heroes in any case.
Taking a deep breath, Peter realized that this was it. His doom was inevitable. Stepping away from the curtain he made his way over to the right wings where his friends were waiting. He put his mask on as the lighting dimmed down, the audience stopped their chattering, the music started up, and the curtains swung open.
The sweat was sticky on Peter's neck, the bright lights were trained on he, Joseph and Harry as they re-enacted the scene on the giant space donut, followed by the brilliant masterpiece of the whole "Why is Gamora?" argument. How they did it without a Drax? They used a puppet as Rocket with his gun yelling at the top of his lungs, which Peter still found quite funny.
That certainly managed to receive a few laughs from the audience.
Eventually, it was time. His throat was dry and he couldn't keep the tears out of his eyes or the emotion out of his voice as he and Harry performed the scene that still lent to Peter's nightmares.
"Mr. Stark? I don't feel so good."
Falling into Harrys arms-pain pain pain
"I don't know what's happening"
Holding onto him tightly-I can't go, they need me
"I don't want to go, please I don't want to go."
Grasping onto Harry as if he were a lifeline-Feeling his body tearing apart and reknitting itself again and again
Falling to the floor, leaning against the backdrop-Lying against the debris, looking into his father figures eyes, knowing he's going to blame himself
Meeting Tony and then Harry's eyes before uttering 2 words
"I'm sorry"
"I'm Sorry."
The curtain closes and the lights dim as Peter falls to the side and Harry collapses beside him.
Tony watched the performance and felt as if he were reliving it all over again.
He watched as those around him turned to dust before turning and seeing Peter stumbling towards him, looking at his hands in confusion and fear.
"Mr. Stark? I don't feel so good."
He could feel his whole world crashing in that moment, his heart freezing in terror at the reality that is taking place before him. He holds Peter and he fades, watches the fear, defiance and finally acceptance cross the face of the boy he has come to think of as a son.
"I'm Sorry."
Those heart braking words as his whole world stops and Peter finally vanishes all together, dust and ash weaving through the air.
The play eventually finishes, with the final battle between the avengers and Thanos, with the iconic line, "And I...Am...Ironman." Which Harry delivered perfectly. The final scene being in a hospital room, with all the cast standing around Harry as they laugh and celebrate their victory, before the curtain slides to a close and the audience erupts into cheers, though none louder than the disguised heroes.
Not a single person had a dry eye after the play, and families scooped their children into tight hugs afterwards as many of them had lost someone to the snap, so no one could blame them.
As Peter left the changing room he was surrounded by his family, and they all were involved in an emotional hug as comfort to each of them. Tony smiled gently at Peter who reciprocated before having his hair ruffled up by Sam, claiming it was "All Peter's fault!" That someone had decided to cut onions a little to close to his eyes.
Aunt May pulled Peter into a tight hug and kissed him on the forehead, telling him how proud she was of him and what a brilliant actor he had been, to Peter's embarrassment and Sam, Bucky and Clint's utter glee.
That night, once back home Tony wouldn't let Peter out of his sight, and if anyone noticed, they didn't mention it, each knowing that Tony needed to reassure himself that Peter was here, and wasn't going anywhere.
A/N: Hey guys. I'm sorry this is so late, I just completely blanked on what to write, then came up with this but kept lacking the energy to write it. I eventually got it finished, and I'm not very proud of it but meh. I also have covid so the next update might take a little while, so sorry about that.
But please feel free to leave suggestions of what could happen next, I've been given and idea though I don't know how I'm going to write it, so any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thank you and hope you enjoyed!