Chapter Four
"What's the problem?" Happy asked, turning to face the red, white, and blue-clad figure.
"Furys on a call in the conference room and we aren't sure if we should answer it or not," Scott said, absently sipping on a Capri-Sun. He looked sort of dazed and kept tripping over everything. Happy leaned towards Steve and dropped his voice.
"Did someone spike Scott's Capri-Sun?" Happy said, throwing a query glance towards Scott.
Thor walked up to the two of them, flask in hand, "He was stressed." He states and takes a quick swig of whatever Asgardian alcohol was in it.
Happy was about to reveal the situation to the whole team, but before he could, Shuri yelled.
"Happy! Did you find Peter?"
Everyone's attention turned to him. He panicked for a second, but took a deep breath and laid it out.
"No, we didn't find him yet." He paused and looked directly at Shuri, trying to reassure her, "But we did find who took him."
Peter slowly pushed open his bedroom door. His eyes swept over the dark apartment. There were boxes everywhere and everything was covered in dust. Where's May? Peter asked himself. He tried to think of where she could be, but the pain in his arm was making it hard to focus. He made his way to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. As he moved to open the door, Peter sees himself in the mirror for the first time since coming back. He could barely recognize himself.
His hair was snarled and stiff. His face had a layer of dirt that covered every inch of his skin, down to where his suit ended at the base of his neck. He reached up with his good arm to touch the dark circles under his eyes. Suddenly he felt as if he hadn't showered in months, and he certainly didn't feel like he'd saved the universe.
Peter found some painkillers and carefully read the label before taking any. Then turned on the shower.
When he got out of the shower, he wiped away the steam on the mirror. Now that the bandage was gone, he could see the real damage the snap had caused. Almost half of his face was covered in long scars that stretched up from his shoulder and didn't quite reach his nose. The same scars decorated across his chest from his shoulder. His arm was unbelievably thin, quite literally skin and bone. He tried to move his fingers or bend his elbow, anything to reassure himself he wasn't completely useless now. Nothing. When this blows over, he tells himself, I'll fix this. He looked himself in the eyes, I am not done helping people.
He found some of his clothes in a box labeled "Peter" after he'd scrounged up enough bandage to rewrap his entire arm. There were quite a few with the same label. Everything he owned was packed away. Other boxes had May's things, but it looked like there were about three times as many boxes of Peter's.
Now that the pain in his arm was finally subsiding, though he still couldn't move it, Peter realized he was starving. He tried to remember the last time he'd eaten.
Mr. Strange said we'd been gone for five years. Have I really not eaten in five years? He rummaged through a couple of boxes labeled "Kitchen" and found a can of chili. He decided that's the best he could do at the moment.
With his stomach full and his pain somewhat bearable, Peter laid down with his head propped up and closed his eyes, he tried to assess the situation.
Everyone's back from the snap. We defeated Thanos' army and have all the stones. I was kidnapped by an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D and… and there's a bounty or a ransom of some sort. Twenty Million dollars. For me? Who in their right mind would pay that much money for… me?
His thoughts were cut off by the sound of keys jingling at the front door. He jumped and clung to the ceiling, biting his tongue to keep from screaming out in pain. The door opened. He craned his neck to see the person who entered the apartment.
"May!" Peter exclaimed as half jumped and half fell off of the ceiling. May stood in the doorway, unable to speak. Peter righted himself and looked expectantly at her. She looked older. Five years, Peter's mind echoed. "May?" He said, taking a step forward.
"Peter?" She breathed, like he was the last person she'd expect to see here. He tried to answer but May wrapped him in a hug before he could get the words out. "You're real." She whispered and squeezed him tighter. "You're really real."
Peter hugged her back, wishing he never had to leave May's arms. After a minute or so, she put him at arm's length.
"I thought you were dead! You left for a field trip and the next thing I know they're carving your name into stone with the rest of the Vanished! They told everyone you weren't coming back, they kept telling us 'They're gone. You have to move on, there's nothing you can do.' and I tried not to listen, I tried, but you were gone for five years, Peter!"
"I know, May, I know. I'm so sorry."
"Don't you dare apologize!" Her eyes were red and her voice was shaking. She searched his face for a moment, then ran her thumb over the scars on Peter's face. "My God, Peter. What's happened to you?"
He shrugged and looked down at the floor, "It's a long story."
Tony had tied Rodney to an office chair in the middle of a conference room. One of their last. Tony was leaning on the doorway, simply watching. Stephen came up behind him.
"So you just… found this guy… in the woods?" He asked skeptically.
"I'm not crazy," Tony said, turning to face him. "Well, I don't think so, anyway. He was tied to a tree with webs, and unless spiders usually tie random guys to trees, he got to Peter." He turned back to Rodney. "Jokes on him though. Peter beat his ass and interrogated him before he took off."
"How do you know Peter interrogated him?"
"Cayson told me. What, you think I'm new at this, Strange?"
"Cayson? You know this guy?"
"He, uh, we met a long time ago. When S.H.I.E.L.D. owned everything. I'll fill you in later."
Strange eyed him suspiciously but didn't pry. Instead he turned and started down the hall, nodding to Happy as he headed to Tony. Another interrogation was about to take place.
Tony had tied Rodney to an office chair in the middle of a conference room. One of their last. Tony was leaning on the doorway, simply watching. Stephen came up behind him.
"So you just… found this guy… in the woods?" He asked skeptically.
"I'm not crazy," Tony said, turning to face him. "Well, I don't think so, anyway. He was tied to a tree with webs, and unless spiders usually tie random guys to trees, he got to Peter." He turned back to Rodney. "Jokes on him though. Peter beat his ass and interrogated him before he took off."
"How do you know Peter interrogated him?"
"Cayson told me. What, you think I'm new at this, Strange?"
"Cayson? You know this guy?"
"He, uh, we met a long time ago. When S.H.I.E.L.D. owned everything. I'll fill you in later."
Strange eyed him suspiciously but didn't pry. Instead he turned and started down the hall, nodding to Happy as he headed to Tony. Another interrogation was about to take place.
"And now I'm here." Peter finished the recap of the last few days as fast and as simple as he could. All that was on his mind was Ned and MJ. Peter's story left May pale-faced and horrified. She started to ask a question, or dozens judging by her expression, but Peter cut her off.
"Wait, wait, wait. Before you say anything…" He searched her eyes. "Where's Ned and MJ?"
She hesitated a moment, recalling the last week. "Uh, Ned came by four days ago. Around the time when everyone came back. He was looking for you. I- I didn't know what to tell him…"
He's fine, Peter reassured himself.
"What about MJ?" He asked carefully, fearful of May's answer. "Have you seen or heard from her?"
May hesitated again, "I- I don't know," Peter's hope faltered. "Ned left in such a hurry, and I didn't have the chance to talk to him, he didn't even come inside…" She trailed off, gazing at the floor. She looked back up at Peter, tears in her eyes. "He was so scared, Peter. The fear in his eyes, the thought that he had lost you…" She couldn't finish the sentence.
Peter had so many thoughts and emotions ricocheting around his skull he couldn't bring himself to speak. One thought, however, was becoming more and more prominent with every passing moment: I have to find my friends.
Ned had spent every waking moment since he came back looking for Peter. He knew Peter was a superhero and could take care of himself, but when your best friend since diapers goes missing, you tend to worry.
The last thing he remembered before the snap was turning on the 11:00 News replaying the "flying alien donut invading downtown New York" footage after his mom had left for groceries, then it went black. A second later, he woke up on his mom's old couch, right where he'd been a moment before. Except, he was surrounded by strangers. A family, it looked like, a young couple with a kid who looked about five years old. Boy, was that awkward.
"Uhhh…" He looked around at people he had never met in his apartment. Well, what used to be his apartment. The decor was completely different, rooster themed, that was weirder to Ned than the fact that it was day, and the walls were painted a blinding shade of red. He chuckled nervously and raised his hand to wave. "Hi?" he tried. The woman dropped the glass mixing bowl she was holding.
Then he's being pushed out the door with threats of calling the police. Out in the hallway he stood facing the door, which was slammed in his face, wondering what the hell just happened? That feeling didn't last long, however, Ned got his priorities straight. His first instinct was, obviously, to find Peter, so he made his way to May's apartment around the block. On the way, he realized that he didn't even know where Peter was, or if he was alive.
The last time they'd seen each other, Peter was climbing out of the bus on their field trip to MoMA, doing super cool superhero things. Not everybody can say that their best friend fights aliens alongside Iron-Man and hangs out with the Avengers. That's probably where he is, Ned tried to reassure himself, having a celebration party after kicking some alien ass. He smiled at the thought, but also felt a pang of something else. Jealousy? No, he was happy for Peter, at least that's what he told himself.
Ned's worry grew with every step he took, mulling over every possibility and worst-case-scenario. He began to think of what Peter would do in this situation. He would tell me to stop worrying so much and focus on what needs to be done… Ned shook his head, No, he'd find MJ, first. He tried not to be hurt by that fact, it was the smart decision. May's first, just to make sure, then MJ if Peter's not there.
He'd been looking for almost a month now. Well, five days, but it felt like a month to Ned.
He and MJ had been looking non stop. Putting up posters and such, but nobody seemed to care. Granted Peter wasn't the only person missing since the 'Blip.' The city was littered with the pictures of people young and old.
Ned found it concerning how MJ didn't seem to care either. She had told him she had feelings for Peter a couple months before, during school, and he'd been the middle man ever since. Neither of them knew, however, Ned had promised them both not to tell the other.
Now MJ couldn't care less, or she simply was hiding her worry under her cool façade. Ned thought the latter was most likely.
"Oi, Nederlander," MJ catches Ned's attention with an old 80's movie reference. The Three Amigos, he thinks it is.
"Uh, y- yeah?" He stutters, and mirrors her raised eyebrows.
"You look like you're regretting all your life choices over there." Ned glances at the clock on the wall behind MJ's T.V. He'd been sitting on MJ's couch for fifteen minutes apparently, though it felt like seconds.
"Sorry, I'm just worried about Peter."
"Why? He's a goddamn superhero, Ned. He's got superpowers. I bet he's peachy."
"Mj, how are you not the least bit concerned?"
She shrugged. "Who says I'm not?" She walked into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Ned sighed and went to grab the T.V. remote when a quick tap at the door made him jump.
He stood up and trudged to the door, expecting another family looking for a loved one or handing out flyers. He opened the door and his jaw dropped.
There was Peter, leaning against the doorframe, dressed in his Midtown High sweatshirt and grey sweatpants.
"Peter!" He exclaimed, rushing to rap Peter in a hug.
"Ow. Uh, Ned? Nice to see you too, but, uh, ow," Ned loosened his hug and stepped away, a smile plastered on his face.
"Oh! Oh, sorry, battle wounds, right," Ned helped him walk to the couch and sit down. "We've been looking everywhere for you!" Ned started the instant they sat down.
Peter chuckled. "You sound like Aunt May,"
"Well, I have!" Peter smiled and shifted his body, grimacing when he moved his right arm. "Hey," Peter looked up at Ned and he could see the pain in his friend's eyes. That's when he noticed the scars. "What happened?" Ned struggled to keep the panic out of his voice.
"Funny story..." Peter trailed off, his eyes locked on something behind Ned, relief flooded his face.
"Peter…" Mj said, wide eyed. She smiled softly and Peter stood, facing her. He took a step forward but Mj was already there. She wrapped him in a hug and closed her eyes, looking happier than Ned had ever seen her. Peter hugged her back after a moment, surprised by her gesture.
Peter told them of his adventure as he'd done with May. He concluded and left them with similar reactions. They had no questions other than, "Who set the bounty?"
A/N: I'm sorry (again) for the long wait. I've been busy with school and stuff like that, including other stories. If you're reading this and happen to be a Supernatural fan, you might want to have a look at my other story, The Devoured. I'll be working hard to continue Peter Snaps, I know that must seem like an empty promise by now, but I assure you, at least half of Chapter Five will be out in a month. In the words of Chuck Shurley (aka: God) "Writing is hard," He couldn't be more right.