M.J. sat at the seat in front of the control panel now almost like a guard dog to a home. Something had already happened one to the thing, and she wasn't about to let anything else go wrong. Somehow, by sheer will, she would not allow another malfunction to happen. She knew in her head that this was absolutely an unrealistic outlook, and she probably had no real control over the thing at all, but thinking this way helped keep her spirits up.
It had been a couple hours since she'd repaired the panel and got the portal running again and, other than a quick trip to the bathroom immediately afterwards, M.J. hadn't even left her seat. Happy and Eleanor had resumed their positions alongside her as well, with minimal conversation taking place. So far, everything had held up, but it was hard for her and the others not to almost collectively hold their breath as they waited.
M.J. heard what sounded like a phone notification, but she ignored it because she knew it wasn't hers. However, what she couldn't ignore was Happy getting her attention.
"Guys," he said, his hand shaking frantically as he gestured their direction, "or, ladies, sorry, look at this."
Happy held up his phone, and M.J. peered at the screen to see that it was a breaking news story about the machines that had set themselves up across the world. More specifically, it was recently confirmed that all of them shut down about a half hour ago, allowing the military to finally destroy them.
"Wait," Eleanor said, her voice sounding truly hopeful for the first time since Kate and the others had left, "you think that means that..."
She was interrupted by a sound coming from the direction of the portal. M.J. and the others turned around to see that Kate had come through.
"Kate!" Eleanor said, emerging from her seat and running to her daughter, throwing her arms around her. Kate reciprocated her mother's loving gesture as some of the others started coming through as well: first Amadeus, then Riri, followed by Eli.
But no Peter.
"Where's...?" M.J. couldn't finish the question.
"He's coming," Kate said. "He insisted on us going through first, and I think Sam needed a moment."
Sure enough, Sam came through within seconds of Kate's answer, followed by Peter.
Punching the button to close the portal, M.J. got up from her seat, running towards Peter and slamming into him, squeezing him as tightly as she could. As Peter wrapped his taught arms around her, she closed her eyes, soaking in the moment and the reality that they were together again. She could tell by the firm but tender embrace he held her in that he felt just as relieved, and grateful, as she did.
Finally, even though she didn't want to, M.J. released him from her hold, if only to allow Happy (who she knew was behind her) to get in a hug as well. As much as she loved Peter, she knew Happy cared deeply about him too, almost as if he were his own son. He'd always been very respectful of her and of her and Peter's relationship too, so she was happy (wow, did she really just make that pun, even on accident?) to allow him and Peter a moment as well. She watched as the two threw their arms around each other in a tight embrace, patting each other on the back a few times each.
"You did it," Happy said once they separated.
"No," Peter corrected, turning to his teammates. "We did it."
"Yeah we did!" Riri shouted enthusiastically. M.J. had to admit that, even though she didn't know the girl very well, it was relieving to see her in a much happier state, given how distant and lost she seemed when they'd first met. She got the sense that this was how she usually was.
"The news is reporting that all the dome-generating machines were down and have been handled by the military," Happy said.
"Great," M.J. said dryly, "nothing like giving our armed forces a bunch of alien super weapons to play around with." After everything that had happened with S.H.I.E.L.D./Hydra back during her and Peter's middle and high school years, her trust in government-based military installations wasn't exactly very high.
"Whatever happens, we'll just have to be ready," Peter responded.
"Wait," Amadeus spoke up, "does that mean that we're, like, a real team now; official Avengers and everything?"
Even though he still had his mask on, M.J. could tell Peter was smiling underneath it.
"Let's take some time to enjoy this first," he said. "I think we've all earned at least a little time to rest before we jump back into anything, especially you Sa..."
Peter swung his head around, looking back and forth.
"Wait, has anyone seen Sam?"
After stumbling through the halls, Sam found his way into a quaint little room. He'd been happy to see his teammates reunited with their loved ones, but at the same time, his own situation made it very bittersweet overall, so he'd quietly walked off while they were talking. Now, alone in the room, he removed his helmet, setting it on the floor in front of him, sitting down himself.
He wanted to say something, but the words were harder to get out than he'd expected.
"I did it, dad," he finally said. "I did like you wanted. I know we couldn't save Xandar, but I managed to keep Earth safe. I even met some nice people who helped me out along the way, and it was a good thing too, because I'm not sure I could've done it by myself."
At this point, he started to get choked up, and tears were rapidly flooding his eyes.
"But you're still gone," Sam continued through a sob, wiping his eyes. "Our family...all of Xandar...I'm the only one left. In a sense it was easy to carry on while I had a mission to complete; when I had something to focus on, but now..."
He broke.
"But how am I supposed to keep going now?"
Covering his face with his hands, Sam allowed the tears to flow freely now, his sobs heavy. He didn't know long he just sat there like that, but after a little bit, he felt a gentle hand rest on his left shoulder. He glanced up to see Peter, now with his mask off, looking at him. Even through the water that was still inhibiting his vision, Sam could see that it wasn't a look of pity, but of sympathy, even understanding. Another hand soon rested on his other shoulder, and he looked to find Kate now on his other side. The two offered no words, but slowly wrapped him in a tight embrace from their respective sides.
He would've thought this would've made him more closed off to expressing his messy emotions, but instead, Sam was surprised to find that he now cried and sobbed more freely than before as two of his new allies held him tight. He soon felt that he was being held even more tightly, presumably as his other new teammates joined in as well. As he poured out his soul, letting out all the grief that he'd forced back for the sake of the mission, they stayed with him, no one saying a word or making a noise, just covering him with sympathy and solidarity.
After a while, the team finally went their separate ways for the time being. For Eli, this meant it was time to go home, where a long overdue conversation would inevitably be waiting for him.
Kate and her mother had been kind enough to offer him a ride back in their family helicopter. He'd felt bad for intruding on their time together, considering what they had all just been through, but Kate had been insistent, so he'd relented. It had proved to be a pleasant ride though; he and Kate talked frequently throughout, and even Kate's mom joined in on the conversation often.
He'd had them drop him off in an open field a bit outside of his neighborhood, saying his thanks and goodbyes before heading off. As he trekked along the sidewalk, he pondered what he should say. There were several ways his grandfather could react, so he felt he needed to be prepared for any of them. It wasn't dark yet, so there was pretty much no chance he was asleep. Granted, even if it was nighttime, there would still be a fifty-fifty chance of that at best.
Finally, Eli came to his house. He got out his key to unlock the door, popping open the screen one first. It turned out that he didn't have to wait long to see his grandfather, who was already sitting on the couch facing the door's direction. Closing the door behind him, Eli dropped his bag, walking over and sitting on the seat opposite his grandfather, a table sitting in between them.
At first, neither party could find the words to say.
"I actually turned on the TV," Eli's grandfather finally said. "I saw something about alien machines invading, setting up domes in cities like some kind of bad sci-fi movie, before they finally shut down. I'm guessing you had something to do with that?"
Eli nodded.
"I couldn't just stay here anymore when I knew I could help."
Eli's grandfather drew in a deep breath of air through his nose, letting it out all at once as he nodded to himself, clearly pondering something.
"So, what happens now?" he asked.
Eli looked down, rubbing his hands together nervously. He was only now realizing that he hadn't even planned what he would say if they got this far in the conversation, having expected the initial part to be worse.
"I don't really know, honestly," he finally answered. "The only thing I do know is that I want to keep doing this, and I won't be alone when I do."
"So, what, you're going to go parade around in some spandex costume for the rest of your life?" his grandfather questioned. There was a tinge of scorning to it, but surprisingly, a genuine curiosity as well.
"I try not to think of it like that, but yeah, I guess," Eli replied.
"You know," his grandfather said after a pause, "there was a time when I thought I might do something similar. When I first got the abilities that I still have on some level even now, I wondered how I could use them. Then I rescued the lives of all those boys that were trapped behind enemy lines, all those people that everyone else forgot about, I thought, 'this is it.' As we walked back through the woods and the mountains back to camp, I genuinely believed that, even once I got out of the armed forces, this is what I would do forever. But what happened next...it reminded me that the world will never truly let folks like us have too much of the limelight. You might have it easier at first, because you'll have a group of people by your side, but it won't last, son."
Surprisingly, Eli's response came quicker than he'd expected it would.
"You might be right," he said, "but I realize now that I can't let what other people tell, think of, or even expect of me change what I feel that I'm supposed to do. The next time when I suit up, especially if I suit up how I want to, there might be a reaction, but I can't let that dictate whether I go out there or not."
Eli's grandfather offered an inquisitive look.
"What do you mean suit up how you want to?" the man asked.
Eli got up and ran upstairs, finding the sketch paper that he'd used to draw up his ideal suit a while back. Coming back down, he resumed his seat, tossing the paper pad on the table, revealing a Captain America style suit, albeit with no real headpiece and some other minor changes here and there.
"Son," Eli's grandfather replied, closing his eyes.
"I know what you're going to say," Eli said, "I've heard it a hundred times before, but I'm not going to let it hold me back anymore."
"But why?" his grandfather asked. "Why do you want to do this?"
"Because when the snap happened, the world lost almost all of its heroes," Eli replied. "There already weren't many that looked like us, and now even they are gone. I can give that back to them; I can show the kids who grow up in neighborhoods and situations like this everywhere that they can be whatever they want to be."
Eli's grandfather looked down, his expression despondent.
"It's not in spite of what they did to you all those years ago that I'm doing this, grandpa," Eli said, drawing the man's focus again. "It's because of it. Knowing how terribly you were treated, how the world was made to forget you while Steve Rogers was honored, it only reminds me even more how important what I'm doing is. My friends and I have a chance to show just the smallest example of what America, of what the world could look like if we were all truly united for one cause. I can't pass something like that up."
His grandfather sighed.
"You know this won't be easy," he said.
"I know," Eli replied, "and I don't expect you to agree with or condone it..."
"I don't," his grandfather interrupted, "but I also know I can't stop you anymore. You're your own man now; you have to make your own choices."
Eli nodded; that was honestly a better resolution to the conversation than he'd expected. Both men then stood up from their seats, and Eli grabbed his bag, starting to head for his room to put everything in it away for now.
"Elijah," his grandfather said, getting his attention. The man then walked over to him, finally adding: "just so you know, I'll be rooting for you to prove me wrong out there."
He then offered his hand for Eli to shake, which he did, both men gripping firmly as they shook.
"Thank you," Eli said before turning and heading upstairs to his room.
"So, how'd you like it?" Happy asked.
"Well," Sam began, "it's been a long, long time since I ate pizza at all, so my judge of taste might not be worth much, but this was pretty good."
Peter observed as Happy pumped his fist joyfully at Sam's response. The two of them had offered for the latter to stay with them indefinitely, at least until he got some things figured out. Sam was already looking better, eating what was perhaps his first full meal since arriving on earth (which explained why he might've set a land speed record for devouring a whole pizza), so he seemed a little more alive than before, when he was surviving on IV fluids and random snacks.
The three guys were sitting at the table in the apartment, and M.J. was there as well, having hardly left Peter's side since he'd reemerged from the portal. He had to admit that, while he hated what she went through every time he went off to save the day, he liked how clingy she got whenever he returned from such an adventure. By now, the sun was finally setting on what had been a long, long day.
"Well, I'm really tired, so I think I might try and lay down if that's okay," Sam said.
"Yeah, absolutely," Peter replied. Even with a now full stomach, it made sense that the guy was still very tired. Plus, he might also need some time to himself; Peter knew full well what that was like.
Sam got up from the table, starting to turn but pausing, eventually facing Peter again.
"Listen, Peter, I...I just want to thank you," he said, "not just for the place to stay, but for everything. I don't know how good of company I'll be for a while, but I want you to know that I really do appreciate it."
Peter offered a light nod.
"No problem."
As Sam walked out of earshot, Happy spoke up.
"Poor kid. Also, am I the only one who thinks it's weird to see him in normal clothes now, and not in his alien military get up?"
Peter couldn't help but let out a slight snort.
"Yeah, it is a little strange, for sure," he replied.
The three of them hung out for about another hour, before Happy politely excused himself.
"Well, I don't know about you kids, but I think I've had about enough for one day," he said, getting up from the table. Peter got up as well, trying to give the man as big a bear hug as he was receiving.
"Proud of you kid," Happy said once they separated. He then moved over and gave M.J. a hug, which, after a bit of initial surprise, she reciprocated.
"You too," he added.
"Thanks, Happy," she said. "I appreciate that."
Once Happy was out of the room, Peter turned to M.J.
"So, what do you want to do now?"
M.J. shrugged in response.
"I don't really care."
By that, Peter knew she meant that she didn't really care, as long as they were together. He opted to get up and put in one of her favorite crime dramas that he kept on hand, and the two of them curled up on the couch together, Peter wrapping his arms around M.J. and her leaning her head against his shoulder. He didn't really pay much attention to the movie once it was playing, soaking in the scent of his girlfriend's hair and occasionally kissing the back of her head.
"M.J," he said, "I just want to say..."
"Shhhhhh," she said softly, "please, just for tonight, can we just have this?"
Peter pulled her even closer, and she sank into him even more.
"Sure."
Hope you all are still enjoying!
Continuing to pray for you all; stay safe and healthy!
"Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in him." Proverbs 30:5