Prologue: A Great Power Comes With A Great Responsibility
A few days after Stark's funeral and the Guardians were ready to go back to space, most of them still healing from the battle, others unable to see further than what was right in front of them. They honored Stark, yes. They say their goodbyes to Steve Rogers, yes but they got the chance to fully say goodbye to Vision before he was taken away and they couldn't even give a proper burial to Natasha Romanoff and Gamora.
This was supposed to be one of those missions where heroes never die and they lost so much in too little time and what seemed a victory was a loss.
Thanos won by destroying their hearts.
Peter Quill put his bag on the bed he shared with Gamora just days, or it was years? before and took a deep breath when he sat down and grabbed her pillow that still, after all this time, smelled like her shampoo. He closed his eyes, hugging it tight to try and stop the tears from falling from his eyes.
He couldn't believe everyone he loved ended up dead. First his mother, then his dad, and now Gamora. Peter was probably the worst companion in the universe right now and it scared him that after losing so much, he could become a danger to the rest of the members of their team.
But there was something that broke him beyond that and it's the fact that Gamora never got to enjoy her life. She had them for a time and he was sure she loved him but she barely had time to bond with Nebula and Nebula…
Peter never thought that he would see her cry but when he saw a tear run down her face and leave the room, he knew how much she was hurting and he felt even worse for not being able to do anything to help Gamora before.
What an amazing boyfriend he was…
Peter feel another wave of tears coming down his eyes and he tried his best to keep them at bay but they fell anyways when he look at the chair near their bed and saw the clothes she was wearing, right before they left for Knowhere and she changed.
He felt his soul being ripped away as he walked towards the chair and grabbed her shirt, hugging it close to him. It didn't feel real, that she was gone and this was all he had left of her, just clothes and perfume on their bed he will lose someday.
"I can't do this without, 'Mora… you were the stronger one." whispered Peter, closing his eyes. "I don't want a life without you."
Peter closed his eyes, sobbing and thinking about what he was supposed to do now when a knock at the door broke through his grief. He didn't want to look up but when he heard steps coming towards him, he was forced to look up and face the intruder.
"Leave me alone." said Peter.
"I need to talk to you, Quill."
Peter looked at Doctor Stephen Strange, looking at him in his black suit, fresh from the funeral. His eyes showed sympathy and at the same time, sadness, and Peter remembered that like all of the Avengers, they were mourning four members lost while the Guardians mourned Gamora.
Peter sighed, trying to calm down, and closed his eyes for a moment, just imagining Gamora was there with him, encouraging him to get up and talk to Strange, if only because they went to war together, like friends.
Or whatever the whole surviving group was now.
"Sure. What is it?" asked Peter, walking towards the bed with Gamora's shirt still in his hands and sitting down on the bed.
"I… I need to ask you something." said Strange.
Peter looked at him, confused. They just won a war, can't someone leave him five minutes so he can cry over the loss of the woman he loved? He contained himself from screaming at Strange, after all, he had the Time Stone, after everything and he knew… he knew more than anyone about the future, past, and everything in between.
Peter guessed if he had to ask him something it was better to hear what he had to say.
"What's the question?"
"As I said before, I've seen 14,000,605 future and only one victory." said Strange, looking down. "But it can't be this one."
For a long moment, Peter just looked at Strange as if he just talked in a language he couldn't understand because, this couldn't be real, could it? It was evident this was the right future since they won but Strange seemed completely serious and a sick idea started to form in Peter's mind.
The idea is that Gamora's death was for nothing. That all the deaths were for nothing. He feel sick and he thought that maybe, all this was not enough.
Strange must have felt his discomfort because he quickly explained his words.
"What I mean is that in the future I saw, there were no consequences at this level, at least, none of our friends died…" said Strange, looking down. "Even Tony… I… something went wrong, Quill, and now the whole multiverse is in danger."
"What?"
What the hell was the multiverse? Peter had no idea of what Strange was talking about but barely understood something was wrong and that the dead should not be dead.
"The Time Stone showed me this future and it's no good, Quill. People are lost, some lose control of their powers, others lose loved ones, Earth and the Universe are attacked and without the Avengers we lost and Gamora we… we can't face it." said Strange.
"What do you mean?" said Peter, still confused.
"I mean we need to get them back. Our Avengers need to defend the planet and Gamora… she is the key to your team, is she not? She keeps you all focused and she is a great fighter, without her, they lost someone to look up to and you lost your soulmate." said Strange.
Peter couldn't fight that. Without Gamora the team didn't look exactly like a team. Groot needed his mother figure even as a teenager, Kraglin needed someone to help him in the kitchen, even if both of them can't cook to save their lives and Peter always had to step and save the day with Drax, Rocket needed someone to tell him how things are without sugar coating anything, Drax needed his partner in training and someone who can relate to the loss of his wife and daughter, Mantis needed someone she was starting to see as a close friend, Nebula needed her sister, even if she never admitted it.
And Peter… God, Peter was nothing without Gamora.
He looked at Strange, with hope shining in his green eyes. If there was a chance to bring Gamora back, he was going to do it, no matter what.
"What… what do I need to do?" asked Peter.
"Is… I am allowed to send you back in time. You will go into the body of the Peter Quill of the past and relive the battle from the same day you found Thor." said Strange. "I'm sorry I can't take you before but I am using Thor's connection to you guys because I got later…"
"Then Thanos takes Gamora. I got it." said Peter, nodding. "And you want me to go there and… and do what, find the stones?"
"I want you to destroy them. I know you have genetic DNA from a Celestial so if I do this, there is a big chance you don't die before you managed to destroy them all." explained Strange.
"But… the light died with Ego. I can't…" started Peter.
"You still have that DNA but you are right." said Strange, getting serious as he walks towards Peter.
Strange wasn't known for his acts of kindness but this time it was different, what he was asking was something he hated to ask but Peter was the only one strong enough, and while Strange would love to take his place and take away everyone's pain, he couldn't. Only Peter Quill could do that due to his DNA.
"Peter… I can bond you to the Time Stone through that DNA. It will hold you and carry you to destroy the rest of the stones as they are all connected. You don't need a preferred order, just make sure you destroy them all…" said Strange, with a sigh. "But there is a catch…"
"What is it?" asked Peter.
"As the stones are connected, every time you destroy one of them… well, part of you will be destroyed too, and once you destroy all of them…" said Strange.
"Then I… I will die?"
Peter didn't like that either, his team has suffered a lot, Gamora has suffered a lot. He didn't want her to go through the same as he was going through now because she loved him, they all love him.
You are a dude. He is a man.
Who are you kiddin' Quill? You are one sandwich away from fat.
Peter closed his eyes. He didn't have time for insecurities now but he couldn't stop the thoughts. He felt like an idiot, he knew they cared to some extent, at least, Groot, Mantis, and Gamora did but… Groot had Rocket and Gamora, Mantis has everyone, especially Drax and Gamora…
Drax was right. He was not enough for her. He will never be.
They would hurt but they could survive. They could survive where he was weak.
"It's ok." said Peter, looking down. "I'm willing to take the risk."
"Are you sure?"
Strange seemed surprised and a little conflicted and Peter couldn't blame him. He was not the most heroic of the bunch and he was too weak. Thanos would never see him coming and if you put it in perspective, it was perfect.
"Yes, my team, they are strong, you know? They can survive without me and… and this is bigger than that, right? Kind of a heroic thing? That's what I do." said Peter, smiling.
"This is more than heroic, Peter, not many heroes have the guts to give up their life for the greater good." said Strange.
"The people we lost… they were heroes and heroines willing to do whatever it take to stop Thanos. Hell, Romanoff threw her life away for that… she should be a legend." whispered Peter, looking down. "I can't imagine the courage that took for them to do what they did, knowing the end and if I… if I can bring them back then… then I will do it because the universe needs people like them."
The Universe doesn't need a half-Celestial with no powers. It needs them. The Guardians of the Galaxy and the Avengers.
Strange put a hand on Peter's should and gave him a soft smile. This choice wasn't easy but he was willing and Strange felt a surge of sympathy for the man in front of him, someone who knew the end but wanted to do this anyways.
If that wasn't a hero…
"Ok… I will prepare the stone and come back when it's ready." said Strange.
Peter nodded and Strange got up, ready to leave when Peter grabbed his wrist, and without moving, both men stood in silence for a few seconds.
"Can I say goodbye?" whispered Peter.
"You can write a note and bring it with you, Peter." said Strange, softly. "But make sure no one can find it before you do what you need to do. I don't know your team but I know the Avengers and they will try to stop you and look for another and… it won't work. It never worked."
"I promise, they won't find out."
Peter let go of Strange and while wanted to stay and tell the man to forget about this, he knew he couldn't, the whole Multiverse depended on it and Strange couldn't sacrifice that for a man. He couldn't…
It didn't make anything easier.
Strange walked towards the door and looked over his shoulder to the man he just asked to sacrifice himself for the good of the future. He wanted to find another way. He wish he could but the future was clear and Strange, again, was left with nothing but carrying the burden of sending another to his death.
He hated himself.
Peter sighed and grabbed his Zune, turning the music on while took a piece of paper and started to write a letter as Strange left the room, closing the door and making sure no one bothered him. Peter let out a long breath, trying to control his emotions as he started to write down.
Dear Gamora…
Peter shook his head as the first tear fell on the paper but he continued writing. He had to. She deserved a goodbye from him. She deserved to know how loved she is and how important she is to him. His family deserved to know, hell, even Nebula deserved to know he appreciated her help.
Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes
But it's the only thing that I know
When it gets hard, you know it can get hard sometimes
It is the only thing that makes us feel alive
We keep this love in a photograph
We made these memories for ourselves
Where our eyes are never closing
Hearts are never broken
And time's forever frozen, still
The music of the Zune was so on point Peter wanted to chuckle. He wrote down everything he felt as he tried to come up with enough words then, he proceed to leave his belongings to the team, knowing what he wanted to give everybody and finally, he put what he felt like a good goodbye.
So you can keep me
Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans
Holding me closer 'til our eyes meet
You won't ever be alone, wait for me to come home
Peter looked at the letter, leaving the Zune beside it with the song he was hearing, and sighed, folding the letter, grabbing a photograph of the whole team, one Kraglin managed to do while Nebula was here, and putting both things in his pocket before he walked back to the bed and lay down, waiting for Strange to come back and his last adventure to start. He hugged Gamora's pillow, close to his chest and inhaled her fragrance as he closed his eyes. He will leave the note somewhere on the other timeline. His last words.
Loving can heal, loving can mend your soul
And it's the only thing that I know, know
I swear it will get easier
Remember that with every piece of ya
Hmm, and it's the only thing we take with us when we die
Hmm, we keep this love in a photograph
We made these memories for ourselves
Where our eyes are never closing
Hearts were never broken
And time's forever frozen, still
Peter cried on Gamora's pillow because the lyrics were so right it hurt. This is all they will have left, a photograph of the team, a letter, and a goodbye.
So you can keep me
Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans
Holding me closer 'til our eyes meet
You won't ever be alone
And if you hurt me
That's okay, baby, only words bleed
Inside these pages, you just hold me
And I won't ever let you go
Wait for me to come home
Wait for me to come home
Wait for me to come home
Wait for me to come home
"TH"
Two hours later, Strange came back with the Stone ready. Peter was ready too, his long red jacket, his blasters, his Zune, everything was in place. Strange smiled at him before presenting him with something Peter learned, it was a USB Driver.
"I had to ask Pepper Potts for it." said Strange.
Peter was about to ask how when he saw a figure behind strange and he saw the blonde woman walk towards him and hug him. She wasn't crying, not anymore, but she was looking at him as if Peter was something he didn't feel he deserved to be.
"Thank you for doing this…" whispered Pepper. "I know what is going to cost you and… and I don't have words…"
"I'm doing what it's best for everyone." said Peter, smiling down at her. "He is a good man and deserves a good life, all of them do."
Pepper nodded and grabbed Peter's hands on her own, looking at him as they both hold the USB Driver Strange gave him.
"FRIDAY is Tony's best invention and sometimes his best friend. It saved him from a lot of situations." said Pepper. "I added an armor that I think will suit you and a few upgrades to your blasters. You can get access to them with this."
Pepper opened the bag she was carrying and Peter looked surprised at the gauntlet she had in her hands. It was the same Tony used to defeat Thanos and now… now he had it.
"This helped us once. I made a few repairs with Peter Parker for you, it will help overcharge the stones so you can destroy them. Parker… he wanted to be here but I didn't let him. It was enough with us crying all over the place." said Pepper, now showing a few tears in her eyes. "You will need to find an explanation for it, though."
"Don't worry about it. I'll think of something." said Peter, chuckling.
"Connect the USB to the gauntlet and you will be able to create the equipment, like a 3D printer." explained Pepper. "We also added Parker's spider web to your blasters. It may be useful."
"Yeah…" said Peter. "Thank you."
Pepper nodded, giving Peter one last hug and a kiss on the cheek when they noticed another shadow by the door, this time, Peter recognized Wanda Maximoff. She didn't say anything. She didn't need to. She merely nodded and Peter returned the nod, knowing she was thanking him for what he knew it was his duty.
Once everything was said and done, Peter looked at Strange and nodded, ready to go. It was the time. It was his time. Strange walked to stand beside him and looked at him for a moment before calling the Time Stone, opening the portal for Peter to go.
"Your mind will take over the body of your past self and the boy of this time will disappear, since you are traveling to another timeline and it's the safest way, it will prevent any timeline change or any break in the time tissue." said Strange.
"I understand…" said Peter, looking at the portal. "I'm ready."
Strange nodded and signaled to Peter to walk into the portal, Peter nodded and with one last look. He walked towards the portal, disappearing inside as the portal closed behind him and he felt himself disappearing, melting into his other self, sleeping beside the love of his life.
Peter smiled as he disappeared because this time, everything will be alright.