Five Long Years

In a large garage in San Francisco was a small mini-van with a Quantum Tunnel. A large rat crawled around the controls. Some buttons were pressed. The machine blurred. The insides started spinning. They scattered away. Blast!

"Ow!" Two men were shot out through the back doors onto a large pile of clothes and sacks.

"Get your butt out my face!" cried one voice.

"Sorry," the guy in the red suit rolled off and helped his partner up. Scott and George deactivated their masks. When they stared around, they were shocked to find themselves surrounded by metal bars and piles of junk. But they were alone.

"Hope?" Scott called out.

"Alison?!" George became overwhelmed with worry.

"Hank?"

"Mum! Scott what is going on?" George panicked, pale like a ghost.

"George, this is no time to panic," Scott tried to sooth him.

"'No time to panic?' We're in a garage! And my parents and the girls aren't here,"

Scott tried to find a solution. "Look! A camera!" he pointed upwards. "We'll get out of here and then we're gonna go find them. Hey!" he cried up to the screen.

"Wait! Not with the suits on," George alerted.

"Oh yeah. Oh yeah. You're right," Scott found some spare clothes and he and George quickly dressed then they found two large pieces of cardboard and wrote down: 'Help!'. They screamed out the message at the camera and instantly a security guard came a opened the metal gates.

"Oh, thank you," breathed Scott in relief.

"How did you guys get into here?" the guard demanded.

"'How did we get in here'? How did our van get in here?" questioned George. "We've been inside it,"

"For five years?"

The mens' eyes enlarged; they had to find out what was going on. But more importantly, they had to find their loved ones.

Peter struggled to activate the engines. He couldn't fly away. But there was power to send an S.O.S signal. 'Can anyone hear me?' My coordinates are….

Bang!

He pressed another emergency message button. But he was suddenly electrocuted from behind. He fell to the floor, all strength leaving his body. His eyes half-closed. He saw a purple-suited being with dark evil eyes marching over "What do we have here?". That was the only thing he heard before he blacked out.

'Tell me where 89P13 is,'

Peter was held captive in a giant room of white-suited men and ugly mutated soldiers. 'I'll never tell you. You couldn't even use me to get to him. He hates me.'

'You'll provide use for us'.

Peter was strapped to a chair without clothes on, rings of cold metal around his wrists, ankles, waist and neck.

'I think I'll keep this'. The man who was interrogating him before held up his golden watch.

Machines blurred. Tools were used. Peter's screams echoed through the hallways.

'I love you more than anything' Gamora's heartfelt words were the last words he would ever hear from her.

'It doesn't have to be so painful if you tell me what I want to know!' squealed the man ordering his torture.

'I'll die first. He'll be somewhere far away. I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to'.

'Then you subject yourself to more pain,'.

'Just go!" ordered Tina. 'You've ruined everything! We're never gonna see our loved ones again! Because of you!'

'Don't 'guys' us. You all know he's responsible for all of this happening and you're still holding pity for him,' Rocket snapped. 'Now get out of here!'

Lights in a dark room loomed over him.

'Put him in a cell. He'll serve more purpose for us'.

Electricity crackled. Metal was inserted under his skin, every finger, every toe, every bone.

"Ahh! No!"

Peter woke up, breathing heavily. His room, lighter and more comforting was silent. The bed he laid on wasn't cold metal. It was a warm mattress and blanket. His hand traced to his wrist which had no watch. He turned his head seeing the very few objects he had left from his past including Gamora's sword. He wiped his eyes and slowly stood off his bed. He walked to the window and pressed a button. The electric curtains raised and down below he saw men in black carrying out various tasks.

He walked to the mirror, pulled off his nightshirt and turned his back to the mirror. He twisted his head and saw the long spine of cold blue metal morphing out of his skin. The reflection of the cold substance under his skin made him quiver and he turned away at once, inhaling deeply. He looked at his arms, his veins laced under the skin with metal. He walked over to a large bowl full of water and rubbed his face in the lush cool liquid. He wiped his chest and abdomen, laced with scars and dissection marks.

Bang! Bang! He jumped in fright.

"Dad! Are you awake?" called a voice.

Quickly Peter pulled back on his night top and simply said, "Come in,"

His bedroom doors opened and a young silver-coloured girl of about thirteen with long black hair, pointy eyes and a long tail with a black end entered the room. She was barefoot and she wore a black vest with black pants with a silver pendant around her neck. Her eyes were as bright as stars.

"Sylva. You gave me a fright there. You sleep okay?"

"More like, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm okay," he lied rubbing his eyes.

"You know you can talk to me, Dad,"

"It's alright darling," he assured, walking over to pour some water for them. "You don't need to worry about me,"

"I should worry about you. It's been three years, Dad. And every morning you're like this. And I hate it,"

Peter pursed his lips and closed his eyes. He couldn't make the images of tools and torture go away at all. "It was only two years behind bars. And I'm grateful that over those two years, I was with you,".

Sylva could tell very clearly that it was not only physical pain that had haunted his thoughts.

"Dad, you can't keep blaming yourself. I don't blame you at all. Uncle Tobey and Leok don't blame you. Aunt Scylla doesn't blame you. So don't you keep blaming yourself," she implored.

"It's not that," Peter sniffled wiping his nose. "Whatever path the wizard foretold would lead to victory, I couldn't bear it if I lost you or anyone else. I've lost so many loved ones…and the last thing I ever want is for anything to happen to you,"

Sylva, shedding tears herself, wrapped arms around her father, the man who had cared for her for five long years. And he hugged her back tightly. "You're never gonna lose me, Dad. Never ever,". Peter swore he would never again lose another loved one after so much pain he had been through, both physically and mentally.

Down below in the street was a man in a black tight vest and navy pants with a silver belt and a cylinder device attached to the side. He had dark hair and bristles growing over his face. Like Peter, he had metal in his blood veins but much more was moulded out of his skin. He saw him and Sylva hugging at the window and he smiled.

"How's Uncle Peter?" approached the voice of a boy. The man turned to see a young teen, about Sylva's age but blue with a blue tail instead of silver. He had black hair in braids but yellow eyes and pointier ears. He wore no top but he wore short black pants with a black strap over his shoulder and a silver band around his wrist.

"He's doing alright. Your cousin and I heard him outside his rooms and I sent her inside to him,"

"Another nightmare?"

Tobey's eyes dropped and he nodded. "He's going through exactly what I did for years. Until I found you. It'll take him time,"

"Dad, can't we just do something to make his dreams go away?"

"We've kept him safe for years Leok," his father assured. "We've given him the comfort he was denied by people who shouldn't have pushed him away. And as long as we love him, he'll never feel alone,"

"He still feels guilty for Thanos's victory,"

"He played a part in his victory because he just found out that mad man had killed someone so dear to him. And Rocket, in particular, refused to acknowledge that," the way he spoke, the boy's father held resentment a reprehensive tone in his voice. "He told us so himself after we brought him and Sylva here that the wizard guy who gave Thanos the time stone said there was only one path in the future of which he would be defeated. And we have spent three years awaiting for that sign,"

"He really wishes a sign would come now,"

"What will happen will happen at its own pace and we have to be patient for it. He'll always have us to hang on to. We are family after all and we always hold each other's backs," Tobey pulled his son into a hug and rubbed his back. Some lieutenants approached them and leading them was a badger tall as Rocket with metal hands and feet and a metal tail like a rat. She climbed up onto a metal barrel.

"What have you got Scylla?" Tobias, more commonly known as Tobey or Tobes asked.

"Perhaps the solution we have been waiting for," the badger answered after a short moment, making the father and son eye each other with frozen eyes. They heard the clanging of metal and looked above to see Peter and Sylva, both dressed up properly walking down to them. But when they caught sight of their dumbfounded faces, they stopped pacing down the steps. And Peter could tell by the wide look in Tobey's eyes that something urgent had come up. He wondered if this was the sign that would lead to the path which would guarantee the resurrection of the lives lost in the Snap.

Scott and George had managed to drive their minivan out of the garage and into the streets and what a befuddling sight it was. Houses were cracked. Streets were filled with litter. And hardly anyone in sight.

"What happened here?" George asked.

"I don't know but it must have happened so quickly," said Scott. "It felt like hours in there,"

"I've tried contacting the others but not anyone is receiving any of my calls,"

"We need to find out what's going on," Scott drove the minivan further to the outskirts of the city and to their shock, they saw a large site of tall stones engraved with names. "What is this?". They stepped slowly out of their vehicles and walked amongst the stones seeing two large words engraved at the top of each stone.

" 'The Vanished'" Scott read slowly. He scan-read the dozens of names. "All these people?"

"That can't be possible," George suddenly stopped walking.

"George," Scott walked back to him. George feebly raised a finger. Scott followed his line of vision and he gasped when he saw his name's letters engraved one stone. He became pale with fright. That meant Cassie thought he was dead.

"I don't think we were in the Quantum Realm for hours, Scott," said George grimly.

"Well then how long were we in there for?" Scott wondered.

"Scottie?" spoke a sudden voice. The duo twisted their heads and they saw Luis standing there pale like he had seen a ghost. "Is that you? Wait a second. You're a ghost,"

"No. Luis, it's me," said Scott. "I'm not a ghost,"

"Scottie! You're alive! YOU'RE ALIVE!" Luis's excited squeals made everyone who was visiting stare at them with shock and he lifted Scott into the air.

"Okay, Luis. You can put me down," Scott patted his back, he was put down and they shared a joyful hug. "It's good to see you,"

"And you too Georgie boy," Luis gave George a very uncomfortable hug.

"Luis, what's going on?" wheezed George. "Where is everyone?"

"What do you mean where's everyone? Where were you guys? If you're not dead…"

"No. We were never dead. Luis, we were trapped in the Quantum Realm," Scott explained making Luis eye him in shock. "The others were supposed to bring us back but we got stuck inside. And then we found ourselves inside the garage. What happened? How long were we gone for?"

Luis held a glum face. "Five years,"

The boys were shocked. How could they have been in there for half a decade? "No. No. No. No. No," Scott shook his head as he felt his brain spinning in circles.

"That can't be true," George refused to believe it. "How could we have been gone that long?"

"I don't know but after you guys went into the Quantum Realm, people started vanishing,"

" 'Vanishing'?" breathed Scott, managing to gain control of his freak-out. "What do you mean 'vanishing'?"

"I saw it myself. Numbers of people, turning to ash. Blowing out into the wind. Like they didn't even exist,"

"Dave and Kurt?" Scott asked.

Luis hung his head. "Vanished right before my eyes,"

Scott stumbled back and faced a memorial stone. George was shocked too. "But what about my family?" he demanded shaking Luis by the shoulders. "Where are they? Where's Ali?"

"Where's Hope?" Scott turned again to Luis.

Luis hung his head. "After Kurt and Dave…I went to get you guys and…" he drifted off. The men felt the air leaving their lungs.

"No," breathed Scott, horrified that Hope was gone. "It can't be…"

"No," George's eyes became laced with tears. He has lost his entire family and the girl he loved. "It can't be…"

Scott turned away again, his eyes falling into his hands. Luis tried to say something to the heartbroken former navy soldier but he shouted out: "No...no…no. No!" he turned away, beginning to cry.

"Georgie, it's gonna be okay," he tried to comfort him.

George exploded. "How is it gonna be okay? My family is gone! Ali is gone! They vanished without a trace! And we were trapped for five years in that tunnel!"

"I'm sorry," Luis tried to comfort him but George in tears shot off.

"George," Scott tried to reach for him but he dashed out of sight, to mourn alone. He slumped to the ground; heartbroken he had lost the people he loved. Luis placed his hand on his shoulder to comfort him. But then his best friend shot up remembering someone, "Cassie! Is she….". If she was dead too…

"She's alive," Luis promised. "Her name isn't on there,"

"Look after George," Scott shot off at once, dashing as quickly as he could to the van.

In Manhattan, New York, mobsters were burgling in a store. With less security around the city, they could get away with whatever they wanted. But when they exited the store, they saw a figure swathed in a black costume with lines with blue and green edges and a hood. He has a cape cut in two that he uses as wings to glide. On the chest part of the costume, there was a symbol resembling a red dragon and attached to his belt there was a set of all types of gadgets. But his mask in particular resembled Manhattan's deceased hero: Spider-Man.

"Drop the items you've stolen!" he commanded.

"Think we're gonna take orders from a masked teen?" mocked the leader causing his cronies to laugh in agreement.

The masked vigilante grabbed two metal sticks from his belt and zing! the turned into two metal staff rods. "That's Dragon-Winder you're talking to. Now I suggest you drop those items...before you get a good whooping,"

"As you wish," the mobsters pulled out their guns. Bang! Bang! The guy in the mask rolled out of the way then he threw one of his rods, striking one in the head and knocking him out. He then activated one of his gloves and it became a gauntlet like Iron Man. Blast! He blasted another one against a window breaking it much to his discomfort.

The leader decided to attack him hand in hand. He tried to punch him but the vigilante blocked him with his staff before kicking him in the chest and doing a flying taekwondo kick, knocking him out. He smirked with satisfaction. He tied them up against a lamppost just as the echo of people's sirens filled the streets. He piled the items together in one place. Then using the sticky layers on his gloves, he climbed up the buildings and looked down spotting the policeman arresting the mobsters. When they looked up at saw him, they were stunned. He saluted them. Then disappeared into the blue.

Scott drove as fast as he could to Cassie's house. The moment he arrived on the street, he frantically knocked on the door and the door opened revealing a beautiful teen with long brown hair. Her eyes become wet. "Dad?"

"It's me, Peanut," Scott was overjoyed. Cassie threw her arms around him. "It's alright. I'm here," He cupped her cheeks. "You're big,"

"I don't understand,"

"Cassie, who is it?" the voice of her mother echoed. Maggie and Jim opened the door and they were appalled to see Scott alive.

"Hey guys," Scott said.

"Come inside," Jim insisted. "What happened to you?"

"We thought you were dead," Maggie side-hugged her shocked daughter.

"It's a long story," Scott explained. "Can I please have something to eat? I'm so hungry,"

"Of course. Sit down," Jim led him to the front room. He and Maggie went to the kitchen leaving Cassie to sit with her dad.

"Dad, I don't understand. Why were you gone for five years? We thought you were dead,"

Scott didn't even know where to start.

In the rebuilt Knowwhere full of refugees, Tina sat in her quarters alone at her desk. Her fingers tracing her mother's necklace. She pressed a hologram device and an image of Mantis appeared; the moving image performing his cool bug dance moves and she chuckled a little.

Ding! Ding! A device beamed.

Tina rolled her eyes; she pressed a button. A small Valkyrie appeared.

"Tina come on," Valkyrie hissed. "Your brother has disappeared for five years. Don't you at least care enough to find out what happened to him? Una and I have searched and scoured the galaxy while you..."

"Why would I?"

"He's your brother! That's supposed to be important!"

"We are done talking about him! I don't give a damm about him anymore!" Tina reached for a button.

"Before you so rudely shut me off, let me tell you this!" Valkyrie interrupted. "After I lost my Valkyrie sisters, I spent years neglecting my home world, my people and it did more harm than good. So, don't you keep neglecting your brother! Because if you do, I promise you, you will regret it for the rest of your life,"

"Are you done?" she asked impatiently.

"Expect another call from me tomorrow,"

"Why won't you just leave me and my team alone?"

"Because he made me and Una promise to watch over you,"

"Well don't. Because I don't need it," she shut her off and left her room. She walked numbly down the stairs, her thoughts still on Mantis and she saw Rocket and Orlins.

"Valkyrie again?" Rocket asked. She didn't need to answer.

"Typical," said Orlins. Around his neck was a special collar that allowed him to speak. Rocket had been working on it before the snap came and it had broken his heart that Meredith wasn't alive for him to give her one.

"No matter what I tell her and Una, they just won't leave us alone. They have their people to look after and we have our own," They made their way through the streets but Tina noticed something was on Orlins's mind. "What is it, buddy?"

"Tina, I know you resent…"

"No! We are not talking about you know who," Rocket shut him up.

"Look guys, it's been five years. Haven't we been mad at him long enough?"

Tina wouldn't answer. "Don't act like that Tina. I've known you for years. You're actually worried about him,"

"Just drop it," she fumed. "We've got more important things to focus on,". She and Rocket marched into the radio building leaving Orlins to sigh to himself. Quite recently he had begun to regret turning his back on Peter and now he was beginning to think that they couldn't resent him forever.

"What do you mean you were in the Quantum Realm for five years?" Cassie was paralysed. Her mother and stepfather were appalled as well but they were more concerned for Scott and his health. They fed him and gave him coffee but nothing could sooth his spirits. "How did you survive?"

"It didn't feel like five years," Scott explained, his voice slightly broken. "It felt like hours,"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Maggie asked.

Scott hung his head. "I'm not,". His voice was fully broken again. Jim and Maggie knew exactly who he was thinking about.

"I'm so sorry," Jim apologised.

"You should have seen George when Luis told us,". They shut their eyes with depression and remorse. Cassie patted his shoulder. "I just don't understand," he mourned. "How could this happen? How could me and George have been in the Quantum Realm for five years? It didn't even feel like…" He paused. His daughter and friends stared at him, a little stunned by his change of face colour. "If time passed slower in the Quantum Realm…" he rose up. "Then maybe…maybe…"

Cassie became worried for him. "Dad…"

"I've got to go," Scott left the living room much to their confusion.

"Dad, where are you going?"

"Scott, we insist you stay here and rest," his ex-wife insisted as they followed him to the front door.

"No. I have to go,"

"Go where?" Jim asked.

"To the Avengers," Scott said. He was filled with determination. "If there's anyone who can help me and George use this technology to find a way to bring anyone back, it's them. So we need to see them or who's ever left of them,"

"Dad, please don't go," Cassie begged, coming to tears.

"Easy peanut. Easy. I have to," her father said, regretting needing to leave so quickly. "I can't spend another moment just thinking about how heartbroken George is. This may be our only shot to undo everything,"

"What if I lost you again?" his daughter hugged him and he hugged her back.

"There. There," he patted her back. "I'll be back. For real this time,"

"Scott, are you sure?" Jim asked.

"Not really," his friend confessed. "But if there is a way to undo all this, then this Quantum technology is our only chance. And George and I can't do it alone,"

Maggie and Jim exchanged glances. Though they didn't want to let Scott leave so soon like this, they knew deep down how depressing and destructive it had become over the years with billions of people going from the world. "Do what you need to do," Maggie encouraged.

"But be careful," Jim warned. Scott nodded and gave his daughter one final hug.

"I love you, peanut,"

"I love you too Dad,"

Scott tearfully cupped her cheek and then walked into his van.

"Hey Scott…" Jim called. "Send our comfort to George. And tell him he's welcome to stay with us if...you know,"

Ant-Man nodded and got in the car determined more than ever to find a way to undo everything that had happened.

So five long years have passed. Blimey. And Peter is with an organisation of what seem to be like freedom-fighters. And some of them are his family. What do you all think? I bet you can all make loads of assumptions from what you guys have read so far. Please continue sending reviews and let me know what you all think. I hope you enjoyed my depiction of Dragon-Winder, Dredrekly490X. I look forward to using him later. As for your OC idea Chinhonyu21, I think it could come in very handy. I don't know if I'll be able to use it in this chapter as I've already got a basic idea of how it's gonna go but I'll have another think and would love to use it in a Shang Chi movie or something. Thank you very much. Once again, hope you all enjoyed this chapter and get ready for the next chapter next week.

P.S. Don't worry everyone I will start working on another How to Unite Two Worlds chapter immediately.

Ta ta for now.