Just My Imagination
Author's Note: Guys, I am so sorry it took me this long to update this story. It's almost been exactly 2 years. I blame life. Imma reply to some reviews, and then we'll get right into chapter 2.
Joe: Thanks, Joe! I haven't read the Percy Jackson books, but I have seen the first film. I know, I know, shame on me. From what I know, people love the books.
El-lector327: Thank you! I know it must've been disappointing to find my fanfic, and then waiting for the long overdue update. I'm here to fix that now.
Cain Fitzgerald: Thanks a bunch! I try to make my writing feel as natural as possible, but I also want to have fun with it. And yes, I always make sure to put BGM's to set the tone of the scene.
Guest 1: Thanks! Could Peter be worthy? Guess we'll find out! As for Hulk, I'm looking at various forms of media for inspiration. Not only for him, specifically, but the whole cast.
Guest 2: Thank you! Hopefully, you're still reading.
Guest 3: You will finally find out what happens next!
Guest 4: If Spidey is worthy… then I have no idea what'll happen. *Troll face*
Guest 5: What's next for Natasha and Peter? Find out now!
Guest 6: The next chapter is finally here!
Matthorserider40: Well, you're in luck, because on the same day you posted your review, this is when I'm updating the story!
Okay, I think that's all the reviews. Feel free to leave a review for this chapter, and I'll reply to it in the next chapter. Anyway, let's get this party started!
Intro Music: Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Theme
Chapter 2: Who's Worthy?
BGM: Average White Band – Pick Up The Pieces (Author's Note: If you've seen Iron Man 2, you know what this song is, lol)
It was gametime in the Helicarrier, which specifically meant it was time to see who could lift Thor's legendary hammer, the Mjölnir. The entire Avengers team were all sitting together, as Thor was walking around the room with a smug look on his face. "I can't wait to tell all of you that you're not worthy." he said, placing his hammer on a table.
"And I can't wait to see how distraught you're gonna look after I pick it up." Tony declared, getting into his Iron Man suit and would make his way toward the hammer. Grabbing the handle, he would try his absolute hardest to lift the hammer, but it would prove to be futile. If it wasn't for his Iron Man mask covering his face, all the Avengers could have seen how much he was straining.
In the background, all Thor could do was laugh. "I'm looking really distraught right now, Stark." he told him, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
After a while, Tony gave up. "As long as somebody else is worthy enough to pick it up, then that's enough for me."
"Let me have a shot at it!" Clint exclaimed, having supreme confidence in himself. Unfortunately, when he grabbed the handle and tried to lift the hammer, his confidence went away very quickly. He gritted his teeth, as veins started to appear on his forehead due to how hard he was trying. Though, reality would set in, and Clint would stop trying. "Jesus, how are you able to lift this thing?!" spoke Clint, looking directly at Thor.
Thor gave a troll-like shrug in return, saying, "Because I am worthy." His smirk was as big as ever.
"Okay people, step aside. It's time for a real challenger." Bruce proclaimed, rubbing his hands together and soon grabbed the handle. However, he was met with the same results Tony and Clint had.
"Don't feel too bad, Banner. Maybe you'd have a shot if we made you angry." It was quite obvious Thor was enjoying this troll fest. One by one, everybody was failing miserably. There were only three people left at this point. Natasha, Steve, and Peter.
Natasha would make her way toward the hammer, sighing. "Let's get this over with." She would then grab the handle, but she wouldn't strain herself since she already knew what the outcome would be. "Oh no, I can't lift it. What will I do with my life now?" she joked. This whole thing was stupid to her, but admittedly, it was kinda fun.
"Come on, Cap. Please, I'm begging you to lift this thing so we can all proceed to laugh at Thor." Tony told him, as Steve got closer to the hammer.
"Well," Steve began, "I can't make any promises, but I'll try." Afterwards, Steve grabbed the handle, and… for a moment, it's like the hammer wiggled a little bit. Thor's troll face immediately changed into an 'oh crap' face. Could somebody other than him be worthy?
Thor's 'oh crap' face eventually turned into relief, though, seeing as Steve wasn't able to actually lift the hammer.
Or could he?
Was he holding back simply because he didn't want to embarrass Thor?
The world may never know.
"Good effort, Cap. Good effort." Thor told Steve, continuing his trolling. However, Steve didn't seem too bothered by it.
"Dang, I really gave it my all too." Steve casually said, having a smirk on his face.
BGM: The Amazing Spider-Man – Ben's Death by James Horner
Well, now there was only one person left.
Peter Parker, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
"Come on, Pete! You can do it!" Tony cheered, knowing Peter was his only hope to make Thor suffer. Eventually, the rest of the Avengers, not including Thor, began to repeatedly say Peter's name as a chant. It got so ridiculous to where you'd think they were all in high school beating the lunch table.
Peter was getting his mind ready for this moment. He cracked his knuckles, and proceeded to take a deep breath. "Feast your eyes, Thor. You won't be the only one who's worthy after this!" Making his declaration, Peter exaggeratedly grabbed the handle, but… as soon as he did, something felt off. His whole body started to go through an intense feeling, and to be clear, it didn't feel pleasant whatsoever. Due to this development, Peter couldn't actually try to lift the hammer like everyone else.
Instead, the unpleasant feeling soon turned into unwanted, vivid memories.
"Such a disappointment… PARKER!"
"You're gonna kill me like you killed my father?"
"If only I could cause you the pain that you've caused me."
"Revenge is like a poison… it can take you over, and before you know it… it can turn us into something ugly."
These quotes eventually turned into multiple quotes, serving as some form of PTSD for Peter. Everything was hitting him all at once. The people he's lost, all his biggest regrets, everything. In mere moments, it's like an electric shock attacked Peter's body, causing him to let go of Thor's hammer and fall backwards. His breathing became irregular, he was sweating like crazy, and he was in major pain.
All the Avengers became wide eyed at this development, with all of them wasting no time to rush to Peter's side. "Peter! Peter!" Natasha yelled, kneeling by him and seeing his irregular breathing.
"Does your hammer have side effects or something?!" Bruce asked Thor, seeing the electric shock that made Peter go down.
"Not to my knowledge!" Thor replied, but now, he wasn't so sure. He couldn't help but to feel guilty at this point.
"Call Fury and get the medical team over here ASAP!" Cap commanded, as Clint would speed off to do just that.
"I'm on it!" Clint shouted, never breaking his stride.
As time passed, Peter's condition visibly started to worsen. "Help is on the way, Pete! Just stick with us!" Tony told him, hoping that Peter could still hear them.
However, Peter's irregular breathing started to reach highly dangerous levels. He couldn't say anything even if he tried.
Natasha would grab Peter's hand, trying her best to calm him down, but this entire situation made it extremely difficult for anybody to be calm. "I'm here, Peter! Stay with me, stay with me!"
Her words and Tony's words started to fall on deaf ears. Everything around Peter was starting to move in slow motion and become blurry. His rapid breathing would slow down, but now, it looked like Peter wasn't breathing at all.
His eyes would close, being surrounded by a seemingly endless darkness. Shouts from the Avengers could be heard by everyone except Peter himself.
Then, during this moment, another voice would enter Peter's mind, and it was the voice of a man who he continues to look up to. The voice of a man that inspires him to keep going every single day.
"Peter? I know things have been difficult lately and I'm sorry about that. I think I know what you're feeling."
"Ever since you were a little boy, you've been living with so many unresolved things. Well, take it from an old man. Those things send us down a road... they make us who we are. And if anyone's destined for greatness, it's you, son."
"You owe the world your gifts. You just have to figure out how to use them and know that wherever they take you, we'll always be here. So, come on home, Peter. You're my hero... and I love you!"
BGM Ends
Medical Room
It's been a couple of hours since Peter's attempt at wielding Thor's hammer. It's safe to say he's not doing that again anytime soon. The monitor showed that Peter's vitals were now stable. Given how unstable they were initially, this was a great sign. Eventually, Peter started to awaken, his eyes fluttering as he tried to analyze where he was. He knew he was lying in a bed, but currently, that's all he knew.
Once he became more aware of his surroundings, Peter's palm met with his head. Whatever he went through, he felt like he just got hit by a truck.
"Nice of you to join us in the world of the living, Mr. Parker."
This was said by no one other than Nick Fury.
Peter groaned, still holding his head and began to turn to Fury. "What happened to me?"
"Well," Fury started, "While you and the other Avengers were trying to see who could lift Thor's hammer, you somehow effectively managed to give everyone on the Helicarrier a heart attack." he explained, his eyes never wavering off Peter.
Once Peter heard the explanation, his mind started to connect the dots for himself. Now he remembers what happened to him before he became unconscious. The flashbacks, how his body felt, everything.
At first, Peter wasn't sure how to respond to Fury, but eventually, he came up with this. "Sorry I scared everyone. It wasn't my intention."
"I'm sure it wasn't," Fury said. "But I do think it would be best if you received some time away from the team after this whole fiasco."
Peter didn't like this idea one bit. "Come on, Fury, I-"
"That is an order, Mr. Parker." Fury declared, not wanting to hear what Peter had to say. "I was informed that you went through a nightmare even before this current incident. Until you can get your mind right, you're not allowed to be with the team."
Well, Fury was right in one regard. Peter's mind definitely wasn't right. Peter himself knows this, but now, it's looking like it's catching up with him. He didn't say anything else to Fury, knowing it would prove to be useless.
BGM: Kingdom Hearts Soundtrack – Dearly Beloved (Original Version)
Fury would then turn his back to Peter. "We'll drop you off in New York momentarily." Ending on that note, he left the room, leaving Peter by himself.
Although, he wouldn't be by himself for long.
Once word got around that Peter would be okay, the Avengers made it their mission to check up on him. The first one to enter the room was Natasha, running into the room at full speed. Peter's eyes widened at this, saying, "Nat, I'm-"
He didn't even get to finish, because Natasha immediately hugged him, never wanting to let go. For a moment, Peter was frozen, but he would hug her back.
"I was going to say I'm okay." Peter managed to say, and for a minute, he could've sworn he felt a tear from Natasha drop on his body.
"Please don't scare me like that ever again." Natasha told him seriously. Usually, Peter might throw a joke in there to lighten the mood, but he could tell saying a joke wouldn't be the right thing to do in this moment. Natasha felt like she almost lost Peter, which would've only added to the large amount of traumatic events she's gone through in her life.
Trying to find the right words to say, Peter would say this.
"I'm sorry, Nat."
Their hug would soon end, and the rest of the Avengers would show up to see how Peter was doing. Thor in particular was very apologetic. "Peter, I had no idea that was going to happen. I'm-"
Thor would be cut off by Peter.
"It's not your fault, man. Like you said, you had no idea." Peter assured him. Deep in his mind, Peter thinks this whole situation happened due to his mental state. Thor's hammer may have had something to do with it, but if Peter wasn't already feeling a certain way, this whole thing may have never happened.
"Whatever the heck happened back there, just know you're not allowed to touch Thor's hammer again." Tony spoke, his tone signaling he was trying to lighten up the mood and showed a small smile.
"I concur. We need to find a new game to play." Clint stated, wanting to forget this whole thing ever happened.
"Did Fury already tell you what was happening?" Bruce asked Peter, to which the spider-powered hero would give a confirming nod in return.
A sigh would follow afterwards, as Peter would say, "Yeah, I'm off the team until I can get myself together." He was definitely unenthusiastic about this fact.
Steve would place a hand on Peter's shoulder. "If you need anything, we're here for you, Pete. That's a promise." he told him, wanting to make sure Peter knew he had support.
Peter smiled, feeling thankful that his team would help him every step of the way. To tell the truth, they were more than just a team at this point. They were family.
"Thanks, guys. Your support means the world to me."
New York City
After everyone said their goodbyes, Peter made it to his apartment. When he was about to open the door, he was greeted by his landlord.
"Rent!"
Peter groaned. He was trying his best to avoid his landlord, Mr. Ditkovich, at all costs. It's not because he doesn't like him or anything like that. Truth be told, they're actually pretty cool with each other. Though, Mr. Ditkovich never fails to bring up rent, which Peter was usually late on, or there's other times where he simply doesn't have it.
BGM: Spider-Man 2002 Soundtrack – Backyard Connection
Not wanting to face Mr. Ditkovich about the rent, Peter opened his door and closed it quickly once he entered his one-bedroom apartment. That task wasn't easy in itself, seeing as there's always something wrong with his door. Being broke in New York City is not fun, to put it lightly.
Peter sighed to himself, now deciding to sit on his bed and think about everything that's happened to him recently. Life as Peter Parker and Spider-Man was never easy. The last thing he wants to go through is some form of PTSD, but alas, he's going through it. Parker Luck? It's gotta be Parker Luck.
He thought he would have the rest of the day to himself, but suddenly, he would hear a knock on his door. "Who is it?" Peter asked.
"It's me." the voice said. More specifically, the voice belonged to Natasha. Peter would get up and open the door, being somewhat surprised to see her.
"Honestly, I thought you'd be with the team." Peter told Natasha, as she entered his apartment.
Natasha would shrug, seeing Peter close the door. "They can operate fine on their own, but I don't know if I can say the same about you currently." she explained, having a look of concern. "I'm worried about you, Peter."
Peter frowned a bit. "All I need is some rest, that's all. Then everything will be back to normal."
"I think this goes beyond just getting more rest." Natasha pointed out. "I almost lost you today, and I don't want to go through that again."
"Nat, I assure you, I'm not dying anytime soon." Peter replied. "That whole thing with Thor's hammer was a freak accident."
Natasha folded her arms while hearing Peter speak. "Was it a freak accident, or is there something else you're not telling me or the team?"
"What do you mean?" responded Peter, trying to act dumb, but Natasha wasn't having it.
"You're going through more things than what you're letting on, and if you never talk about your problems, it'll eventually kill you." Natasha's tone was clearly serious. "So, once again, this is why I'm here, because I care about you. I only wish you trusted me enough to talk about your issues."
Peter shook his head in disagreement. "Come on, Nat. You know I trust you."
"Then talk to me." Natasha told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "For some reason, you have this mindset where you think you have to deal with your problems all on your own when you have people who want to help you. I want to help you. You don't have to go through this alone, Pete."
Peter was clearly thinking about what Natasha was saying to him. Even if he has been on the Avengers for a decent amount of time now, he still has a habit of trying to handle his most personal issues by himself. He's been doing it for so long that it's unknowingly, or knowingly, become second nature to him.
Is it healthy? Nope, not in the slightest.
But he's been doing it this way. In his worst times, he's used to being alone, but Natasha isn't letting him do it this way. Not this time.
BGM: Sonic Forces OST – Theme of Infinite
Knowing there was no way out of this one, Peter eventually reached the conclusion that he was going to tell Natasha what he's been going through. He was about to open his mouth, but then… something didn't feel right.
His Spider-Sense started tingling like crazy, signaling that there was danger nearby. Still, this so-called danger wasn't in the apartment, which could only mean…
"GET DOWN!" Peter yelled, grabbing Natasha as they both hit the floor. A massive explosion would happen outside, which destroyed half of Peter's apartment. After the initial explosion, there were more explosions that followed, making the entire complex officially sound like a warzone.
What in the world could have caused this?
With the explosions soon stopping, clouds of smoke would cover the area. "Nat, are you okay?" Peter asked.
"I'm fine," she confirmed. "But what the heck caused those explosions?"
Peter looked at the clouds of smoke, now deciding to stand up.
"There's only one way to find out."
END OF CHAPTER 2: WHO'S WORTHY?
BGM: Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes End Credits Theme
Peter: Can I ever have a peaceful life?!
Natasha: Judging by those explosions, I guess not.
Tony: I didn't cause the explosions guys, I swear.
Fury: The fact you even have to explain it's not you concerns me.
Next time on Just My Imagination!
Past Issues
Steve: Peter, on your left!
Author's Note: Chapter 2 is DONE. After nearly two years, I can't believe it. I promise y'all the next update won't take as long as this one did. Not the longest chapter, but I think a good amount of stuff happened in it, and of course, I leave you guys on a cliffhanger of some sorts. Can't wait to expand on it in the next chapter.
Anyway, if you guys like what you read, leave a FOLLOW AND A FAVORITE! Don't forget to READ AND REVIEW! See ya guys next time!