PP POV
She sat in the lab as she put the final touches on the uniform (she had given Scott his already so they can do tests, and she already put hers on) and the watches as Tony, Bruce and Rocket made a giant time machine as Thor walked in, she could also hear Clint and Natasha arriving.
This was her life now.
"Hey Pipe!" Tony yelled as she walked out the lab equipment in hand, "How we doing?"
"Just finished." Piper said as Scott walked in already in uniform. "You?"
"Good." Bruce answered. "Ready to test this out. You ready Scott?"
"Yeah! No."
"Scott, calm down." Piper encouraged.
"Sorry. We've got enough for one round trip, each. That's it. No do-overs. Plus, One test run." He looked down. "All right. I'm not ready for this".
"I'll do it." Piper offered.
"No." They looked over to Clint who leaned on the door frame. "I'll go."
"See!" Scott said gesturing to him as Piper gave his outfit.
Once he was dressed Bruce started to explain the process.
"Now you're gonna feel a little discombobulated from the chronoshift." Bruce explained. "Don't worry about it."
"Wait a second," Rhodey interrupted. "Let me ask you something. If we can do this, you know, go back in time? why don't we just find baby Thanos, you know? And..." He moved his hands in miming motion of stabbing and then slitting a throat.
"First of all," Bruce started. "That's horrible-"
"It's Thanos." Rhodey protested.
"-And secondly, time doesn't work that way. Changing the past doesn't change the future."
"Look, we go back, we get the stones before Thanos gets them... Thanos doesn't have the stones. Problem solved." Rhodey reasoned.
"Bingo." Clint pointed to Rhodey.
"That's not how it works." Bruce said exasperated.
"Well, that's what I heard." Clint said.
"What? By who? Who told you that?"
"Star Trek, Terminator, TimeCop, Time After Time-"
"- Quantum Leap." Scott added as Piper rolled her eyes. It was like hearing Peter and Ned argue again.
"- A Wrinkle in Time," Rhodey added, the three men took turns listing other time travel movies.
"-Somewhere in Time"
"-Hot Tub Time Machine-"
"-Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Basically, any movie that deals with time travel."
"Die Hard?" Scott shouted. "No, it's not..."
"I don't know why everyone believes that, but that isn't true. Think about it: If you travel to the past, that past becomes your future. And your former present becomes the past. Which can't now be changed by your new future."
"What?" Scott asked.
"It's the multiverse theory basically." Piper explained patiently. "Any change you make won't affect this time line but makes a whole new one."
"Exactly!" Bruce said happily.
"You ready?" Rocket said as Clint activated his helmet.
"Sure."
"Alright." Bruce said. "You'll only be gone for a minute or two and then we're bringing you back. Alright?"
"Sure."
"Going in 3...2..1."
They stared at the empty spot.
"It worked?" Piper asked hopefully.
"Let's find out." Bruce pressed a few buttons. "Bringing him back in 3-2-1."
Clint stumbled forward as he held onto a baseball glove, tears in his eyes. "It works." He said as he tossed the glove to Tony who was walking in.
Piper smiled to herself. This will actually work!
"Okay so the 'how' works." Steve noted as they gathered in the conference room. "Now we gotta figure out the 'when' and 'where'. Almost everyone in this room has had an encounter with at least one of the six Infinity Stones."
"Well," Tony added. "Substitute the word 'encounter' for damn near killed by one of the six Infinity Stones."
"I haven't." Piper pointed out.
"I don't even know what the hell you're all talking about." Scott said exasperated.
"Regardless, we only have enough Pym Particles for one round trip each, and these stones have been in a lot of different places throughout history."
"Our history." Tony narrowed. "So, not a lot of convenient spots to just drop in.
"Which means we have to pick our targets." Steve said.
"Correct." Tony agreed. "So. Let's start with the Aether. Thor, what do you know?"
They turned to see Thor propped in a chair with sunglasses on his eyes. Completely unresponsive.
"Is he asleep?" Piper asked walking closer.
"I think he's dead." Rhodey said slightly disgusted.
All Piper could think of was an old video see saw online as she watched him snore softly.
She slapped his face, causing him to jump, as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You alright?"
"What happened?" Thor asked confused as Rocket laughed.
"You were about to tell us about the Aether..." Piper said gently.
"Where to start?" Thor said as he stood up and walked to the floating screen where the images were as Piper sat to take notes. "Umm... The Aether, first, is not a stone. Someone's called it a stone before. Ahem... It's more of a... an angry sludge, sort of thing. So... Someone's gonna need to amend that, and stop saying that."
She looked at her notepad. 'Aether= evil alien, sludge'
"Here's an interesting story, though." Thor rambled. "About the Aether. My grandfather, many years ago, had to hide the stone from the Dark Elves. Scary beings."
She then wrote next to her previous notes, 'Hidden in space rock by Thor's grandpa'
"So Jane..." An image of Doctor Foster appeared on screen. "Oh, there she is. That's Jane... She's... an old flame of mine. She... she stuck her hand inside a rock this one time... and then the Aether stuck itself inside her. And, she became very, very sick. And very sexy."
She glanced over to Tony. He looked equally as weirded out by Thor's... Rambling.
"So I had to take her to Asgard, which is where I'm from. And we had to try and fix her. We were dating at the time, you see. I got to introduce her to my Mother... who's dead, and umm... Oh, you know. Jane and I aren't even dating anymore, so... These things happen though, you know."
She wrote in her notes as he rambled about life. 'Thor not over Jane. Needs a date.' She glanced at him again. 'And a shower.'
"Eggs? Breakfast?" Steve offered.
"No. I'd like a Bloody Mary."
"Next?"
"Right." Rocket jumped onto the table. "Quill said he stole the Power Stone from Morag."
"Is that a person?" Scott asked.
"Morag's a planet. Quill was a person."
She crossed out the first part and wrote 'Power on Morag w/ Quill'
"Like a planet?" Scott asked excitedly. "Like in outer space?"
"Oh, look. It's like a little puppy, all happy and everything. Do you wanna go to space? You wanna go to space, puppy? I'll take you to space."
"Behave Rocket." Piper chided.
'Do not put Rocket w/ Scott.'
"Which one's Quill?" Rhodey asked curiously.
"The idiot that attacked Thanos before we could get the glove off." Tony supplied. Piper's pencil snapped in half as she registered his words.
Quill was the reason they lost, or part of the reason at least.
"You're not going to kill him." Tony said as Piper looked up innocently.
"No promises." She smiled wickedly as she picked up a new pencil.
Nebula stood next. "Thanos found the Soul Stone on Vormir.
"What is Vormir?" Natasha, who was also taking notes, asked.
"A dominion of death, at the very center of Celestial existence."
On her notes she wrote 'Soul on Vormir = Scariest environment imaginable'
"It's where... Thanos murdered my sister."
Based on what Nebula and Rocket have said, Gamora would be hard to kill. Whatever was there had to be dangerous.
"Noted." Piper said as she wrote. 'Go to Vormir'
"And we all know Loki had the tesseract- Space stone and mind stone in New York." Piper noted.
"That time stone guy.." Natasha said.
"Doctor Strange." Tony clarified.
"Yeah, what kind of doctor was he?"
"Neuro-stuff meets rabbit from a hat." Tony said boredly.
"Nice place in the village, though." Bruce added.
"Yeah. Sullivan Street."
"Hmm... Bleecker."
"Wait, he lived in New York?" Natasha caught.
"No. He lived in Toronto."
"Yeah, not Bleecker. It's Sullivan."
"Guys." Piper said. "if you pick the right year, there are three stones in New York."
They all looked to her.
"Son of a bitch," Tony realized. "2012."
/
As the others were still getting ready, Piper went to the garage, where the transport was, to call Harry.
"Hey babe." Harry greeted.
"Babe?" Piper echoed.
"No?" She could hear his smile.
"No."
"What's up?"
Piper bit her lip as she began to pace. "I'm with the Avengers upstate. We're bringing them back."
Silence. "Bringing them back?" Harry echoed. "The ones who disappeared?"
"Yes."
"H-H-How is that possible? I thought you said the stones were destroyed?"
"They are, but we kinda figured out time travel and can bring the stones back. Temporarily at least."
"And this will bring everyone back?"
"Yes." Piper smiled to herself. "You'll get to meet Peter and May."
"You'll meet my Dad." Harry said numbly. Piper bit her lip. Harry did mention the two of them had a strained relationship. The way she imagined Tony and Howard's were.
"Harry." She said gently but firmly. "Your Dad would be proud of what you've accomplished these past five years. And if not? You could always piss him off by coming over to the Stark Side." She said the last part in a mock Darth Vader voice. "We have cookies."
Harry laughed. "I may actually consider that. So you figured out time travel?"
"Well Tony did, but..."
"Just be careful okay."
"I will." Piper promised.
"Promise you'll come back?"
"Always." She didn't know what would happen on Vormir.
"I love you."
Piper held in her gasp. Neither of them had said it yet. But he had to know. "I love you too."
With that she hung up sighing as she looked down at her phone.
"You don't have to do this." She looked over to Clint. "We could manage this without you."
Piper forced a smile. "Please. You, me and Scott were the only ones not involved in a battle with Thanos the first time around. Obviously they need us."
Clint snorted. "Maybe." Clint stepped closer. "You know in all the time I knew him, before the Accords, Tony didn't mention having a daughter."
"I'm not his daughter." Piper corrected. "Biologically speaking. I didn't meet Tony until just before the airport fight. He recruited Spider- Man to web y'all up. He wanted as little pain as possible. My twin brother, Peter and I shared the mantle of Spider- Man, at the time. Tony of course figured it out. I would've been at the fight too, but I got sick.
"After that, Peter and Tony agreed to call Spider- Man- ing an internship with Stark Industries. Over time, Tony started coming around more. Actually mentoring us. And then he was practically family. Peter and I would actually spend some nights up here. watching movies and hanging out. And then Thanos came and ruined everything." She looked at Clint, whose gaze held a mixture of awe and understanding. "My Aunt disappeared during the Decimation, so Tony and Pepper took me in since I was only 16." She paused. "16..." She laughed to herself. "I'm five years older than my twin brother."
Clint placed a hand on her shoulder. "The important thing is he's coming back."
"And your kids." Piper agreed. "From what Natasha's told me, I think I'll like them. Were any of them archers like you?"
Clint smiled sadly. "Lila. I was teaching her when it happened."
"We're getting them back." Piper reaffirmed as the others walked into the room.
"All right." Steve began. "We have a plan. Six stones, three teams, one shot. Five years ago, we lost. All of us. We lost friends... We lost family...We lost a part of ourselves."
She could still remember her, May and Peter in their apartment. Her hand strayed to the ring on her necklace.
"Today, we have a chance to take it all back. You know your teams, you know your missions. Get the stones, get them back. One round trip each. No mistakes. No do-overs."
One shot. That's all they need.
"Most of us are going somewhere we know. But it doesn't mean we should know what to expect. Be careful. Look out for each other. This is the fight of our lives. And we're gonna win. Whatever it takes. Good luck."
"He's pretty good at that." Rocket noted as they gathered into their teams.
"Right?" Scott agreed.
"You promise to bring that back in one piece, right?" Rocket asked as Clint pocketed a tiny version of Rocket's ship.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay." Clint said. "I'll do my best."
"As promises go, that was pretty lame."
Natasha smiled reassuringly and excitedly. "See you in a minute."
She pushed on her watch, looking in awe as she traveled through a blue tunnel. She wondered if this was what people on psychedelic trips saw.
Finally she was spit out on a planet with a purple hue. And nothing alive was there except for them.
"Well this is creepy." Piper noted as they regrew Rocket's ship and got the mini ship out for Rhodey and Nebula. Nebula was putting in coordinates as Piper looked around.
What happened here? She could make out ruins in the distance. Meaning there had to have been a civilization here before.
As Piper was occupied, Rhodey turned to Clint and Natasha. "Look I know things are going to be hard enough as is. But whatever happens out there, make sure Piper gets back. It'll destroy Tony if he loses her too."
"Losing a child would destroy any parent." Clint agreed.
"Ready for take off." Nebula said walking out.
"Be safe." Piper said with a smile as she hopped into the ship.
"You guys watch each other's six!" Rhodey called out as the doors closed. Clint and Natasha went to the front seats, while Piper got right behind them.
She sat looking out the window as the ship took off. Watching as stars filled up the sky.
'If you look up there' She told Morgan, who looked into the telescope, as they and Harry laid on the blanket outside of the lake house. 'You'll find Sirius, the dog star.'
Harry leaned to her and whispered. 'The best stars are in your eyes.'
Piper snorted. 'That's cheesy even for you.'
"We're a long way from Budapest." Clint said as Natasha laughed.
Piper leaned forward curiosity getting the best of her. "What happened in Budapest?"
/
TS POV
"-All right, Cap." Tony said as he looked through his glasses into the elevator. "I got our scepter in the elevator just passing the 80th floor."
"On it." Steve said. "Head to the lobby."
"Alright." Tony stepped back letting his suit form around him before stepping off the building. "I'll see you there."
Tony quickly found an alley and changed into a tactic SHIELD uniform. Making sure to cover his recognizable face.
"Hello?" He heard a childish voice call out as he stepped out of the alley. He could see Morgan in his mind's eye. "Hello?!"
"Hey sweetie." He said kneeling in front of the little girl with wild and messy brown hair, her face covered in dirt from everything that happened. "What's wrong?"
"I-I got separated from my family." She hiccuped wrapping her arms around herself. "Can you help me?"
"Of course." He promised. He'd have to make this quick though. He held out a hand to her which she cautiously took. Tony led her over to where a group of officers were. "Sir," He called out. "Can you help this girl find her family? I'm needed inside."
One of the officers nodded stepping forward. "Of course." He then took the girls hand. "Come on sweetheart, let's find your family."
Tony smiled to himself before turning to walk away.
"My names Jefferson." He heard the officer say. "What's yours?"
"Piper." The girl said softly. "Piper Parker."
Tony's head snapped back to the girl. Piper never told him she was in the city during the Battle of New York.
"Tony, you in position?" Scott's voice rang in his ear.
"Almost there." Tony answered as he walked in. He'd talk to Piper later. Now he had to give himself a heart attack.
/
PP POV
After a riveting story and long ride, they arrived on Vormir. There was no sign of life anywhere. Just sand, mountains and rivers.
"Okay." Piper said as they walked. "How is it these planets are simultaneously beautiful and creepy?"
"Have to agree." Clint said as they got closer to a mountain. "Under different circumstances, this would be totally awesome."
Once they were at the base of the mountain, Piper jumped up before sticking to a random spot several feet above them. She looked down at them with a small smirk. "Come on guys, we can't be wasting time."
Natasha groaned as she and Clint slowly started climbing. "I bet the raccoon didn't have to climb a mountain."
"He's not a raccoon!" Piper called out as she continued climbing up the side like a spider.
"Whatever, he eats garbage." Natasha said as Clint chuckled.
Piper stopped sitting at the top. When she looked down, she saw they were only half way up. Piper blew hair our of her face before shooting web at both of them and pulled them up.
"WOW!" Clint yelled grabbing onto the web as if it were a life line.
"Did I scare you?" Piper teased as she helped them onto the top.
"No." Clint grumbled as he tried to pull off the web. "A little help?"
"Sure." Piper said as she looked for her web dissolvent. "Just let me..." She made sure to leave it, just in case she had to do something Tony would call stupid. "Crap."
"Fine." Clint muttered as he moved his sword and cut off the web. "Please tell me this stuff isn't coming out of you."
"Why does everyone think that?" Piper asked annoyed. "If it came out of me, it'd come out of my-."
"Welcome." They jumped taking out their weapons, to see a wraith like creature consumed in black smoke with a red face. "Natasha, daughter of Ivan. Clint, son of Edith. Piper, daughter of Richard."
Piper blinked at him, lowering her kindjals slightly. This man knew her? And who her father was? Most people assumed Tony was her biological father. And before that they thought Ben was. But she never forgot Richard. Every year she'd go to his grave on Father's Day and his birthday just to feel close to him. She ached to grab onto his ring around her neck.
"Who are you?" Natasha demanded.
"Consider me a guide." the wraith said. "To you, and to all who seek the Soul Stone."
"Oh good. You tell us where it is. Then we'll be on our way." Natasha said as they lowered their weapons.
"If only it were that easy." The figure spoke before he began to lead them.
She looked at the others. Was sounding creepy apart of the job description of stone keeper?
Finally they stopped in front of a cliff where two large stone pillars towered over them. Piper looked at the ground seeing a circle with a line trailing out of it toward the cliff's edge. This was a track, Piper realized.
/
NR POV
"What you seek lies in front of you... as does what you fear." The man said.
"The stone is down there?" Natasha asked as they looked over the ledge.
"For one of you. In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange. A soul, for a soul."
Piper jerked back, walking away from the edge.
Of course. Natasha realized as they walked from the edge, she sitting down on a nearby rock. This was why Nebula's sister was dead. Thanos killed his own daughter for the stone. And now one of them would share her fate.
"How's it going?" She heard Clint say. He leaned toward her and whispered in a quieter voice he said. "Maybe he's making this shit up."
"No I don't think so." Natasha said.
"Why cause he knows your Daddy's name?"
"I didn't." She pointed out.
"Thanos left here with the stone without his daughter." Piper reminded walking to them. "It's not a coincidence."
"Yeah." Clint conceded.
"Whatever it takes." Natasha reminded as she looked to Clint. They promised to make sure Piper got home.
"Whatever it takes." Clint agreed.
"Whatever it takes." Piper echoed.
Natasha stood. "If we don't get the stone, billions of people stay dead."
"Then I guess we know who it's gotta be." Clint said standing closer to her.
"I guess we do." They held hands. She owed Clint everything, a life of her own. Now it was her turn to return the favor.
Natasha looked in Clint's eyes and saw the same resolve she had.
"I'm starting to think, we mean different people here, Natasha."
"For the last five years I've been trying to do one thing: Get to right here." Natasha explained. "That's all it's been about. Bringing everybody back."
"Oh, don't you get all decent on me now."
"What, you think I wanna do it? I'm trying to save your life, you idiot." Natasha said.
"Yeah well, I don't want you to, because I..." His tone and eyes softened. "Natasha, you know what I've done. You know what I've become."
"I don't judge people on their worst mistakes."
"Maybe you should."
"You didn't."
"You're a pain in my ass, you know that?" They leaned their heads against each other, eyes closed. This was going to be the hardest thing she ever did.
As they separated, web stuck their arms to their sides. "You know that was really sweet." Piper said as they looked at her, a sinking feeling in her stomach. "It's adorable really."
"Piper." Natasha said as she struggled, reaching for the knife at her side."Think about this-"
"I have." Piper said. "I never did tell you growing up you were my favorite Avenger."
"Piper-" She cut Clint off.
"Almost everyone I have ever loved have died. It's my turn now." Piper laughed softly, tears pooling her eyes. "Y'all are going to love Peter."
Finally she grabbed onto her blade. "Piper don't do this."
"Just tell them okay?"
They sliced off their webs and ran toward her, as Piper shot webs at their watches.
"NO!" Natasha shouted as her helmet involuntarily clicked into place and sucked them back into the Quantum tunnel.
/
AN:
... I regret nothing.
Unfortunately, no reviews this week. Is that why I'm leaving this on a cliffhanger or am I just a little evil?
I'm honestly surprised I wasn't too busy to post this, so enjoy. I don't know the next time I will post so... Sorry.
As always please enjoy and review. Thank you.
Bye.