For those of you that celebrate, Merry Christmas. For those of you that don't, Happy Friday. For those of you that are hiding in the bathroom to read this while family clamor at the door, calling you out for dinner or party games, you can get through this. We all survived 2020, so one day filled with family is totally achievable without committing murder.

Chapter Fifteen

Peter wasn't in pain anymore, but he was still scared.

The Stones were worried, too and that scared him even more.

He could see it in their faces as they sat around the table, each pair of eyes tight and lips pressed into thin lines.

"What do I do?" he asked, breaking the tense silence. "What is she—Ego—going to do?"

Power shrugged and ran a hand over his mouth, but he bore none of his usual confidence and ease. "We don't know for sure, kid. All we know is that she wants us."

"And she cannot have us," Mind said. "She must not, Peter. The destruction would be absolute. Thanos was nothing compared to what she's capable of if she merges with another and becomes Nemesis."

Peter flinched. Thanos was the worst threat he'd ever known, but it made sense that Nemesis was worse. Thanos had been a Titan with a plan to use the Stones; Ego was the Stones' creator and knew even more of what they were capable of than him.

Being used like that was what the Stones had feared, why they had chosen him. They'd been used to cause pain before, to hurt, and they wanted to do good. That was what Peter was supposed to do with them. He'd tried; he'd brought Natasha, Vision, and Gamora back with them; he'd offered to save May and Ben. He'd used them for himself, too, and in a way, he'd saved Loki with their power.

That was not why he'd been gifted with them, though, that was not all they were to be used for. He was also a protector—as T'Challa had said. He could have had no idea this was what Peter would need to protect them from, but this was what he had been destined for.

"How do I stop her?" he asked. "Where am I even, the real me?"

"You're in the med bay of the compound," Soul said. "You are seriously injured. That is not something we can assist you with as it's your body that needs to heal. We're doing all we can already, which is what's keeping you alive. The rest is up to you."

Peter nodded. "I can do that—super-powered healing and all. I just need… How bad is it?"

"Multiple fractures, including your spine, internal injuries, a brain injury which would render a normal person totally dependent on machines to live without hope of recovery," Time said. "But you will heal."

Peter exhaled a gust of relief. As he'd listened to his injuries being listed, he'd been chilled with horror, not understanding what he could possibly do to protect anyone in that state. He was going to heal, though. He didn't know how long it would take—he'd never been close to this badly injured before, but as soon as he was, he would get out and fight.

"Okay, when I've healed, how do I fight?" he asked. "How do I kill Ego?"

Space and Reality shared a look laden with meaning and Space said, "You cannot kill her. All you can do is trap her again."

"No! The Stones can be destroyed. Tony said Thanos destroyed you once. They had to go through time to retrieve you to undo the snap."

"He destroyed the gems," Mind said. "We ourselves were not destroyed. We cannot be destroyed like that. It would take…"

"Take what?" Peter asked. "Come on! You've got to tell me. How can I fight if I don't know? She beat me bloody before. You said yourself I'd be ruined if not for the fact I've got you and my healing."

"Nothing that is possible now," Reality said. "That opportunity has come and gone."

"Then what do I do?" Peter asked desperately. "How do I trap her?"

"You train and learn," Power said.

"I thought I had."

Time shook his head. "No, you traveled and explored, learned what we're capable of for you and the people you love. You didn't use us for battle, warfare, and that's what is coming."

"You can learn, though," Space said. "We will teach you, take you where you need to go to do it."

"Like another planet?" Peter asked.

"Not a planet," he replied. "A place in time and the Multiverse in which life is not moving forwards for anyone or anything else—not even Ego. You will need a long time to learn to fight, and you're going to be alone with us. You cannot go home for visits this time, you can't see the people you love, but you will be doing what you need to do."

"How long will I be gone?" Peter asked.

"Forever. An hour. Both at the same time."

Peter closed his eyes, and a tear trickled down his cheek.

He had handled all the pain, fear, and horror of what had happened so far without tears, but now, faced with the idea of what he was going to have to do, he was grieving. How long was forever? How would he cope without them for that long? What would he be when he returned?

"Before we can do that, you need to heal," Mind said.

"What if Ego comes for them while I'm stuck in the hospital?" Peter asked. "I can't protect them like this."

"You won't need to protect them further than you already have," he said. "And you can add your protection to the ones that haven't been gifted from your bed, even in this state. And Ego won't come to you like this. She now knows she cannot kill you, and she cannot take us from you by force. She needs a new plan of attack. That will not come overnight. Also, she needs a new vessel. She is disembodied now, unable to act. She needs a body to put her plans into motion—when she takes that body, merges herself with a human or alien, they will combine and become Nemesis—they are who you will need to fight."

"Understand, Peter, that Ego does not measure time in the way you do, the way you will until we go away for you to train," Reality said. "She has been in the Ultraverse since shortly after the dawn of time when we trapped her, and that felt like a heartbeat and eternity to her at the same time. Until she has regrouped and planned, she is not a threat."

Peter wasn't sure he believed her, though none of them had ever lied before. There was something about this he didn't trust, something hidden from him. Mind had aborted his words when he was telling Peter how he could kill Ego, and Peter believed that was something he needed to know.

He did not push, though. He had time to ask, forever once he was healed and away with them. His head was already too full of everything else that had happened, of his remaining trauma and fear was pressing him to take a break.

"Do I get to wake up soon?" he asked.

"We cannot measure the time of your healing," Time said. "All we know is what we have heard the doctors saying about your condition. You are in a deep coma now, though, so I do not imagine it will be soon."

Peter groaned. "I can't leave them like this. They need to know what happened. I can't have them just sitting there, waiting for me to wake up. If the doctors are telling them what you heard, that the damage is that bad, they need to know the truth."

He couldn't leave the people he loved wondering if he'd ever heal, wake up even, when he knew better.

"We cannot speak through you," Mind said. "Not with the equipment they are using to sustain you. But you can perhaps connect with them and speak for yourself. You have before."

"When I was in the hospital in Wakanda?" he asked. "When I spoke to Tony in his head?"

"That, or you can find him resting and speak to him then. He was drawn into your dream of death because you connected. You can draw him to you again. You're holding back right now, protecting him; loosen the reins and touch him."

Peter nodded, took a breath, and reached out for the touch of Tony resting, familiar and loved, longed for, finding it close to him, and he spoke, calling to him, "Tony… I'm here."

Tony pressed a kiss to Peter's cheek, stroked the hair on his forehead, and said, "Pete, I've got to go check in with your sister for a while. Bucky and Rhodey are here, Steve, too, so you're not alone." He traced a finger over the shadows under his eyes. "You're going to be okay."

He dragged his eyes from his son and plodded from the room. Two sides of him were at war; the part of him that loved Peter wanted to stay, but the perfectly equal part that loved Morgan knew he needed to go to her.

The corridors seemed long, and his footsteps heavy, until he reached the door to his apartment. He stopped, took a breath, then opened the door and called, "Maguna,"

He expected running footsteps—he'd been away from her for hours, and she had to be waiting for him—but only Pepper appeared, dressed in a nightshirt but wide awake.

She pressed a finger to her lips and whispered, "She's sleeping."

Tony glanced at his watch and realized it was the early hours of the morning. He'd lost track of time.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't realize."

Pepper shook her head and strode towards him. She cupped his cheek in her warm hands and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "It's okay," she said. "I understand. Friday's been giving me updates."

"He's bad, Pep," he said. "He's really bad."

"I know, but you know what he's capable of."

Tony nodded. "I do. He's going to live. But they don't know what kind of life. They need to do a PET scan to see how his brain is functioning, if it is. We might just be seeing the Stones on the EEG they've done, but they can't do the scan yet. He's not stable enough to be moved."

"Give it time," she said.

"How is Morgan?" he asked.

"Confused. We've not told her what's happened, obviously, but she's noticed something's wrong. I told her you were in the lab, getting Peter's birthday present ready, but she's not used to your old up-all-night ways, so she's questioning it. And she's asking for Peter." She smiled slightly. "She does that every day, though, so it's nothing new to worry about."

"I don't want her to know," Tony said. "She'd want to see him, and she can't see him like this. It's so much worse than when he was at the Tool Shed, just locked away inside himself. He's a mess of tubes, bandages, wires, and machines now, barely clinging to life. It'd terrify her."

"I agree," she said, and there was a hint of relief in her eyes. "We can tell her his trip is extended for… well, however long it takes."

Tony nodded his agreement. He would deal with his daughter demanding to see her brother, complaining when it didn't happen, because that was better than seeing her suffer the horror he felt when he looked at his son in that hospital bed.

"I'm going to see her," he said. "I won't wake her. I just need a minute with her." To see the life and wellbeing in one of his children.

"Will you come to bed after?" she asked.

Tony started to shake his head, and then he saw the pain in her eyes. She needed him, too. Though she didn't have that same bond with Peter as he did, she loved him by extension, and she'd dealt with the same fear as the rest of them all day. As much as Tony needed to see his daughter, hold her while she slept, Pepper needed him, too.

"I'll be there soon," he said.

He would hold her until she slept, and then he would go back to Peter.

Pepper kissed him again and then slipped into their bedroom. He heard the sound of her getting into bed, then he went to Morgan's room and eased open the door.

Morgan was sleeping curled on her side, Spider-Albert tucked under her chin. Her hair was fanned around her head, a lock curled over her cheek. He crossed the room, sat on the edge of the bed, and stroked it back behind her ear.

Her lips parted with a soft breath, and for a moment, he worried he'd woken her, but she settled again with a sleepy snuffle.

Tony looked down at her, love burgeoning in his chest, and whispered, "Peter loves you, Morgan, almost as much as I do. He's going to be okay because we need him to be. He'll do that for us."

The words felt true, like a promise, and his lips curled with an unconscious smile.

Peter would be okay because he was the person that did what they needed him to do. He had allowed himself to be tortured and brainwashed because to fight back was to risk Morgan's life. He would know she needed him again now, that they all did, and that was why he would fight until he was well again.

The threat of Nemesis hovered on the edge of his mind, but it was distant and vague. Perhaps it should be more prominent, but Peter overpowered it. He was what mattered now, his recovery. When he was well, they would deal with Nemesis together. They were strong together, the Avengers and their allies. They'd beaten Thanos and his army, so they would defeat this new threat. With Peter's strength and that of the Stones behind them, there was nothing they couldn't do.

Tony knew he should go to Pepper, allow her to rest, but he couldn't bring himself to leave Morgan yet. He couldn't hold his son, be close enough to feel his warmth and smell his shampoo, but he could have that with Morgan.

He rounded the bed and climbed in behind her, easing his arms around her. She snuffled again and rolled over, her hand settling over his heart as he rolled onto his back, and her head pillowing on his chest. He kissed her hair and said, "I love you, Morgan. I love you so much."

He closed his eyes and just allowed himself to rest a moment. He didn't mean to fall asleep, but as soon as he sensed the new presence and heard the voice, he knew he had.

"Tony… I'm here…"

His eyes snapped open, and he saw Peter sitting on the edge of the bed beside him. "Peter!" he gasped, rising and almost dislodging Morgan before dropping back and cradling her head.

"It's okay," Peter said. "She won't wake. This is all…"

"In my head?" Tony asked. "Figured. Is it real, though? Is this Stones stuff, or is it just a dream?"

"It's real," Peter said, smiling and reaching a hand towards him. "We're connecting."

Tony caught his hand and squeezed it hard. It felt real, warm and firm, and he exhaled a breath of relief. "If you're talking to me, it means you can, right?" he asked eagerly. "You're okay? The damage isn't as bad as they think?"

"I am not sure how bad it is right now," Peter admitted. "But I'm able to talk to the Stones and connect with you, so I'm still here. They say it will heal, all of it."

"Thank God," Tony said, voice heavy with relief. "Pete, I was so scared."

"So was I. I don't know how long it will take, but I will be okay. And they say we have time before she comes."

"Nemesis?" Tony asked. "What happened?"

A shadow of pain crossed Peter's face. "Ego beat me. I found Kaecilius, they were Nemesis, combined, and we fought. I didn't realize at first, I thought it was just him, but Ego showed herself and the Stones freaked out. She was using his body as a host—as one side of Nemesis. Ego is the power—Nemesis is the threat. When she left him, he died. She…" He rubbed a hand over his chest. "She—her power—crushed me."

"That's what the doctors thought had happened, that you'd been crushed," Tony said. "The injuries were… extreme."

"Trust me, I know—I felt them."

Tony winced.

"I need to protect you all," Peter said. "I'm not sure what good it'll do against her, but if she uses another vessel to come as Nemesis, I might be able to help. Can you get everyone in my room—the people I haven't already helped, Pepper and Morgan for sure."

Tony's lips quirked into a smile. "Baby Monitor Protocol time?"

Peter nodded. "Yeah, but…" His brow furrowed. "Morgan. She can't see me like this, but I have to do it." He squeezed his eyes closed and pressed his fingers to the corners of his eyes. "I need her closer than this; I can't reach this far. Can you get her to the med bay for something else? I don't know… like a physical?"

"I can," Tony said. "But, Pete, you've got to save your strength to heal. You don't need to be throwing your power at us right now."

"I need to do it, Tony. I don't know how long I'll be stuck like this, trapped in a bed, unconscious, and I have to protect you. I can do it. You have to let me. Please, I—"

Tony squeezed his hand hard, and Peter broke off, panting for breath.

"Easy, kid," he said. "We can do it. I'll bring Morgan in the morning. She's due a height and weight check, so I'll tell her that's what we're doing."

"And don't let her see me," Peter said desperately. "Please, I don't want her to see me like this."

Tony squeezed his hand again and said, "I promise. To Morgan, you're going to be on vacation until you're completely back on your feet."

Peter sagged, his relief obvious. "There's stuff I've got to do when I am back on my feet, somewhere I need to go—"

"Not again!" Tony said before he could help himself. "I'm sorry, Pete, but you can't take off again."

Peter smiled sadly. "They explained it. I'll be gone an hour for you, that's all. I've got to go somewhere separate from time and reality to train. I have to be strong and trained to face Nemesis. I know the Stones, how to use them, but I don't know how to fight with them, and I need to learn."

The way he said it, the heaviness in his tone, close to fear, made Tony sure there was more he wasn't saying. "What's wrong?" he asked. "What's the problem with learning?"

Peter pasted on a smile and said, "Nothing but that it'll be boring. I won't be traveling through space and trying interesting foods again. I can handle it, though, and it's necessary."

Tony was still unsure, unhappy, but Peter said, "I should let you get some real rest."

"Can you stay?" Tony asked, a hint of pleading in his voice. "Is it hurting you to be here?"

Peter shook his head. "No. I'm fine, just tired."

Tony released his hand, rolled onto his back again, and patted the spot beside him. "Then come get some rest with us."

Peter smiled and rounded the bed, climbing in beside Tony. He adjusted himself so he was resting his cheek on Tony's chest, then reached his free hand over him to hold Morgan. He closed his eyes, and his face became peaceful.

Tony knew this was a dream, not real, but for the first time, he was lying with both his children in his arms, and he was happy. Things were bad in the real world for Peter, he was desperately ill and weak, and there was a threat, but he wasn't going to think of that when he could feel his solid warmth beside him.

He was just going to hold the children he loved and enjoy the time he had with them.

So… Peter has something of a plan. This is the last full chapter of this story, just an epilogue to come, and then we'll be in Story V. Unlike Hold on a Second Longer, Story V won't be about the recovery the way you might expect. I have a big plot planned for it, which I can't explain without spoiling things. I think you'll really enjoy it, though. I am certainly enjoying writing it.

Until next time…

Jadey xxx