A Bigger Brain

"I am not gonna ask you again Danny. Where were you?"

"Cheryl. I was just chilling out. Can't a younger brother get a break?"

"Then how do you explain this?" Cheryl lifted up his mask which he snatched instantly.

"Just a costume,"

"The costume of this?" Cheryl pressed a button on a remote. The TV turned on revealing footage of Daniel in his costume.

"I made that mask,"

"Enough with the lies!" she snapped. "Do you have any idea how worried you have made grandma and grandpa? They've already suffered from everything that's happened over the past five. Do you want to make them suffer more by worrying them so much?"

Daniel sighed, pressing his head into his hands. Their dog whined and licked his face earning a stroke. "I'm sorry Cheryl. I just…ever since Spider-Man vanished…along with mum and dad, so much chaos has happened in our city,"

"And you think that's an excuse to sneak and out…"

"Help people and stop criminals. Yes. If Spider-Man isn't here to stop the bad guys before they get away with it, then someone has to. I just wanted to help out. You know my whole life I've been insecure and searching for something that makes me but…I think this is my thing. But I shouldn't have kept you in the dark of all people. Anyways, it's a distract from…mum and dad," he started crying prompting his sister to pull him into a side hug.

"I know," she sniffled. "I miss them too.

George sat in front of the lake mourning for his family. Scott came walking up to him. "Come on Georgie. Get up,"

"He's not gonna help us,"

"There's someone else who can help us,"

George twisted his head. "Who?" he demanded sceptically.

George did not like the fact that they were now talking to Bruce Banner in his Hulk form. "Come on," he mumbled with food in his mouth. "Try some of that,".

George had something and it tasted so good he started devouring more food. "I'm sorry. I'm just so hungry,"

"This is crazy," said Scott.

"I know. It's been crazy these last five years," said Hulk.

"Not by that,"

"I know what you mean. I'm wearing shirts now," Hulk gestured to his clothes. "We all lost. Banner lost Hulk. Hulk lost Banner. And then, we all lost,"

"No one blames you, Bruce," Natasha tried to reconcile.

"For years I've been treating the Hulk like he's some kind of disease, something to get rid of. But then I started looking at him as the cure. Eighteen months in the gamma lab. I put the brains and the brawn together… and now look at me,"

"Never thought I say this but…you're good-looking," remarked George.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Best of both worlds," some children came over and Banner was eager for a photo shoot with Scott. "All Hulk!" he chanted. "Don't behave badly,"

"Bruce," George tried to draw him back to the conversation. "Bruce?"

"Cause your mum will know,"

"Can we get back to bring half the universe back please?" George hissed impatiently.

"Right. Sorry by bad. I'm sorry to say this but time travel is out of my expertise,"

"Well look at you now," Natasha gestured.

"Please Mr Banner," begged George. "Scott and I never got the chance to see our loved ones again when we were stuck in the Quantum Realm. And now it's so agonising that we never even got a chance to say goodbye to them. The time heist is our only chance. So please…will you help us or not?"

Banner took a moment to think. Then he stood up. "When do we get started?"

Hornil Aythublix the space fox was chilling out with Leok and Sylva over drinks. "Don't worry laddie and lassie. Tobes will get through to Pete. If he had done it before, he could do it again,"

"I really wish he'd stop blaming himself," Sylva wished. Hornil looked upset. "You alright buddy?"

"I'm fine. I'm just thinking about what it will be like. To have everyone back, everyone I lost,"

"You'll be more than fine," Leok comforted. He ticked his fur and the space fox ticked him back till they got into a playful fight making the girls laugh.

And look who we have coming towards us," Scylla stood up and the other two stood up to see the two brothers walking towards them, lifting Sylva's heart.

"Are you okay Dad?"

"I'm ready," Peter said. His voice wasn't broken anymore. He was holding himself together. "We're gonna find that light stone. And we're gonna undo all of this. But the question is getting the other stones back will be a real challenge,"

"Tobias!" called Erzi. Erzi came rushing towards holding out a tablet. "I've got something! It's the Avengers!"

The brother peered closer at the screen. They saw Natasha, Steve, Hulk and two unrecognisable men. "Who are those guys?" Leok pointed to the screen.

Two holograms of Scott and George appeared. "Their names are Scott Lang and George Pym. They're on the list of the victims of the Snap,"

"Then how can they still be alive?" breathed Peter.

"They were trapped in this subatomic universe called the Quantum Realm,"

Tobias was flabbergasted. "Five years in a subatomic universe?"

"Somehow they've claimed that it didn't feel like five years. But that's not what I have to tell you guys. They're planning a time heist,"

"Hang on. They're planning to go back in time to get the stones," Peter realised. "Then that's it! That's it. We take the Light Stone to them and then click and bamm! Everyone comes back! Prophecy fulfilled!"

Relief flooded everyone's hearts. "Well, come on then!" encouraged Sylva. "Let's go get that Light Stone!"

"Gather the men!" ordered the overjoyed Tobey. "We trace the maps we found and we locate the stone!"

"On it captain!" saluted Erzi.

"Hornil. Prepare our best ships!"

"Ay ay! Captain!" Hornil did fist bumps with the teens before jogging off.

"You see Pete!" the brother patted his shoulder. "What happened was meant to happen and now we can bring the Guardians and everyone back. You'll never have to feel guilty ever again," they affectionately touched foreheads and in a flash Peter's guilt that he had carried for years evaporated.

"Maybe you could bring your lady love back," encouraged Leok. "And Dad, you can bring everyone you lost before back as well," Peter patted Tobey's back ignoring the unresponsive pose he was putting on.

"We all can!" Sylva squeezed her dad in a big hug which he slowly returned, a slight hint of relief morphing on his face. "Come on! Let's get ready!" she excitedly pulled his hand and they went off to gather their supplies.

The ecstatic Leok faced his face but instead of happiness, he saw anxiety and worry. "What is it, dad?"

"We…can't bring anyone back from the dead. We can't change the past,"

Leok was crestfallen to hear him say such words.

At the Avengers facility, Scott, George, Hulk, Natasha and Steve were preparing for the first trial.

"Are you sure you don't want me to do this?" George asked Scott as he helped him fasten his special suit.

"It's better if I do this. I'm more used to it than you. This is gonna be risky. And I'd rather it be me than you,". George pursed his lips. Scott was a dear, dear friend to him. He couldn't bear to lose anyone else. "Hey," Scott patted his arm. "We'll get through this,"

"I don't know how you're still full of hope Scott…but however you're doing it…I'll never be able to like you," George made his way to the control consul to stand beside Hulk. "Test drill number one. Let's fire it up buddy,"

Scott opened the van's back doors and George pressed a bun to activate the tunnel. "Everything ready?"

"I turned on the emergency generator," Steve hurried to them. "And breakers are on set,"

"Good, because if we blow the grid…" Hulk was interrupted.

"Just don't," snapped George gently. "Just don't,"

"I am right here you know," reminded Scott, uncomfortable with the Hulk's choice of words.

"He's kidding," chuckled Natasha. "Right?"

"Guys. This isn't a joke," hissed George. "We're talking about time travel here. And my friend here. So we better get this right,"

"We will," Hulk failed to sound reassuring; still he gave the thumbs up to Scott. "We're good,"

Scott stood in front of the machine, putting on his helmet. He gave a thumbs up to George to give him encouragement.

"Scott, we're gonna send you back a week, let you walk around for an hour and then you come back," Hulk instructed. "Then we'll bring you back in ten seconds. Got it?"

"Yep. Sounds easy,"

"Don't overestimate," warned George. "You got this buddy,"

"Then let's go," Scott shrunk and whoosh. He disappeared into the tunnel.

"Count down now! Ten! Nine! Eight!" As George counted down, Hulk prepared to bring Scot back. "Three! Two! One! NOW!"

Whoosh. Scott came back out of the tunnel. But he didn't look like himself.

"What? What is going?" freaked out the teen in the suit.

"What is that?" asked Natasha.

"Who is that?" wondered Steve.

"Scott? Is that you?" George was beginning to freak out. "Oh my…"

"Yes. It's me!"

"Turn him back!" George screamed into Hulk's face.

"Okay. Okay," Hulk pressed another button and young Scott was sucked in. He came out again.

"Ow my back!" cried a cranky man.

"You've aged him!" shouted George in Hulk's face again.

"Would you stop shouting like that?" Hulk tried again to bring regular Scott back but when the suit came back inside it was an infant.

"It's a baby," Steve remarked.

"It's Scott!"

"As a baby! Now you've shrunken!" shouted George. "Okay. That does. I'm taking over," he shoved in front of Hulk and started pressing more buttons. "Natasha, when I say kill the power, kill the power,"

Hulk tried to regain control. "Would you just let me…?"

"No. I'm letting you do anymore damage to him!" George quickly pressed a button and pulled a lever. "Now!" Natasha pulled a lever on the power generator. Baby Scott went zooming back in and then the machine whirred and whoosh!

Normal Scott was back with them. "Somebody peed my pants,"

"Oh, thank god," breathed Natasha in relief.

"I don't know whether it was old me, baby me…or me-me,"

George sighed in relief. "Time Travel!" cheered Hulk. George just growled and glared at him. "What? It's a win-win!"

"No, it's not a win-win! This was all hopeless!"

"George, come on," Steve tried to calm him down.

"No! Scott turned into a teen! Then an old man! Then a baby! We're busted! It's not gonna work!" George tried to walk off again but Scott grabbed his arm.

"Come on buddy. We can't give up like this. We have to keep trying,"

"He's right," Steve said. "We all lost people we loved. And this…this is our only chance. If we don't keep trying…."

George closed his eyes. "If we're gonna get this to work, we're gonna need more science guys and we don't have anyone else other than 'Big Green Brain' here,". He waved his hand at Hulk who was a little insulted. Steve glanced at Nat; they nodded together. The two buddies were confused. "What?"

"We know someone who might," said Steve. "And it's not just him, we're gonna need. We're gonna need everyone,"

"What do you mean uncle can't bring Gamora back?" Leok argued with his dad as he kept watching the camera. "Dad, are you even listening?"

Tobey stopped what was doing and sighed. "I want Pete to be happy with his love more than anything. But even if we could go into the past with the Avengers time machine, there's no guarantee Gamora can be brought back. Messing with time would be catastrophic. And I know that once the Avengers get those stones, they'll need to transport them back to where they came from to save time. The last thing I ever want to hurt him,"

"Then how are you gonna tell him?" his disappointed son asked.

Tobes leaned against a balcony railing and sighed. "I don't know," he stared into the distance seeing beautiful galaxies and stars. "Every day I always wish I could my mother, all my friends back. Every day I wish I could the past and the seven of us including Rocket and Scylla would still be together. But sometimes…when you try to change the past, you lose what you have in the present,"

Leok leaned as well, beginning to recognise his words. "I can see now why you'd say that,"

"I know it will hurt Peter a lot. But he has to know,"

Sylva was still getting ready, tying her hair up in a braid. She touched her silver pendant, the only living thing left of her birth family, massacured by Thanos when she was a child. She gathered her little silver laser-gun, pulled on some boots and gloves and attached a com behind her ear. When she walked into her dad's room to collect, she saw him ready. Dressed in leather black, his quadblasters attached to his hoisters…but the way he stared out of the window filled her with worry. "You okay, dad?"

"Mm?" he turned. "Oh yeah. I'm fine,"

"You don't look fine. If you're feeling guilty again…"

"It's not that, dear,"

"Then what is it?" the response was a pair of pursed lips and staring out of the window again. "Dad, please tell me,"

"I…I don't think it's possible to bring Gamora back,"

Sylva wouldn't have it. "Come on. You're talking crazy. If the Avengers can create this device to go back in time and get the stones, you can go back in time and save Gamora from being killed,"

"If I do that, I'll be undoing everything that happened, everything that led to this…" by the way he spoke, Sylva realised at once that that would mean Gamora wouldn't die, he wouldn't lose his temper, he wouldn't have been blamed by the Guardians, he never would have left them in despair, he never would have captured and she wouldn't… "I want Gamora back more than anything. But how do I sacrifice everything I have now? With Tobes, Leok, Scylla…you? I'd be losing you all and I don't want that,"

"How can you know that for sure?"

"I don't want to risk that chance,"

"No. I'm not giving up. We're going to get you your girl back. I'll risk my life if I have to,"

"And do you think I could live with myself if messing with time means losing you?"

Sylva became tearfully emotional. Her father pulled her into a warm hug and stroked her head. How could he get Gamora back if there was a risk of history being changed? "It's not fair. Tobey could bring his mother and friends back. That won't really affect history,"

"Sometimes there are thing you can't change,"

Tobias overheard everything from behind the door. He closed his eyes and chose to leave them be for a moment. He had been struggling to find a way to tell his brother only to just overhear that he too was quite doubtful about bring anyone back from the dead. And it crushed his heart even more to feel that his brother felt the same way too.

Hornil approached him. "Ship is ready captain,"

"I have another task for you,"

"Anything,"

"You will send a message to the Avengers. But make it untraceable," he said. "So, no one can track us here. And make sure it says no mention of Peter,"

"You have my word captain," he saluted again.

He knelt before him. "Everything you have done for the Nameless Order will always be appreciated,"

"Well…" he chuckled nervously. "I owe you 'thanks' Tobias,". After receiving a deep thanking smile from his captain, he walked off again. When Tobey stood up, the door opened and Peter and Sylva ready with their weapons and bags were stunned to see him right in front of the doorway.

"Tobes, you gave us a fright there," said Pete. He saw an uncertain look. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine," he fibbed. "I've ordered Hornil to send a message to the Avengers about the Light Stone. An untraceable one,"

"Good," praised Peter, proud of his brother. "It won't be long before the Avengers contact…" his throat blocked the names. "You know who about their plan,"

"No one will know of your whereabouts. By my order," Tobes swore. "But once we get the Light Stone, do you want to come to Earth with me to deliver it?"

Peter pursed his lips. "Let's just get going," he started walking off, not sure how to answer the question. "The sooner we find it the better,". Exchanging shoulder shrugs his family followed behind him. On a platform on their floating base were four giant ships. All the freedom fighters were dressed in black suits, carrying laser guns and their primary weapon: laser-sabres. They also wore some silver armour and special hoods.

"Cap…." Hornil armed with giant guns and laser bombs and wearing a blue vest. "Message has been sent and it is untraceable,"

"Perfect," Tobey said proudly. "Thank you,"

Peter and his family boarded the main ship with Scylla. The two brothers sat in the front seats, their children sat behind them and Scylla was on a top seat with a 360 window. "All engines ready, cap!" reported Erzi through a call. He was on another ship with Hornil and some others.

"Harvie!" Tobey called through another com. "You're in charge till we get back!"

"Got it cap. I'll await anything on the radar if the message is responded,"

The ships activated and they began hovering into space.

"Setting coordinates," Scylla called through the coms. Holographic screams appeared and the children were typing into them on tablets.

"Dad, Uncle….this map takes us to the far reaches of the galaxy," Leok said. "It's quite a journey we're making,"

His words only gave Peter determination. "Then then it's worth taking,"

Tobey smiled proudly at him. And so Sylva. "Nameless Order!" the captain announced. "Let's go get that Stone!"

"Let's put music on!" encouraged Sylva. "Makes the time go by faster!"

Peter pulled out his Zune, another item from his past he had managed to save. He clicked it onto some speakers. "You wanna pick bro?"

He declined. "You pick,"

Peter scrolled down and found the perfect one. "Ahh. That one," he pressed and rock music played and the family began singing to it. Since Peter had joined the Nameless Order three years ago, he had introduced everyone to music and he loved to dance. Sylva remember how in their cells before that time, he would hum to comfort her. Tobey felt tense at first for music was a reminder of his dark childhood but at the same time, enjoying music with his loved ones sparked his interested.

Whoosh! The four ships shot across the far reaches of the space on their quest to find the Light Stone and help the Avengers restore half the Universe back to life.

That's another chapter done. What did you all think? So Peter and his family are on their way to get the Light Stone? Where will their journey take them? We'll have to wait and see. Dear Jarikedhek7D. I would love to use your dragon character in this story and later on. He will appear in various points in time to help the Avengers. See you all later. And please send reviews and let me know what you all thought. Will have the next chapter up next week?

And to answer your question, Bailey, in an alternate story of Avatar, Atu and the twins are going to run away after Lo'ak's frinedship with Tsu'tey is discovered, because they feel no matter how hard they try, they'll never be good enough for their dads and they can't bear to be seperated from their friends. Also there was an idea you sent about Jake arguing with Ronal and Soxato and he supposedly agrees with them that the twins will never be the one of the people. It upsets the twins so much that they duck underwater but what they don't realise is that Jake is saying that in the eyes of Ronal and Soxato, they'll never be one of the people but to him, they are who they are in their own ways. I hope that answers your question. Do you think Tsireya should come with them?