"It's idiotic, it'll never work." Tony says dismissively.
"Hang on, Tony. It's not fair to dismiss the idea entirely." Bruce says, still in his male form. He is sitting on the lounge seat next to Scott Lang, who looks like she hasn't slept in days.
"No, he's probably right." Scott interrupts Bruce. "I really don't know anything about this, and manipulating time is a stupid idea. It's probably not even possible."
"Oh, it's possible." Tony tells them. "It just doesn't work like that, at all."
Scott and Bruce both tilt their heads in confusion.
"What do you mean, it doesn't work like that?" Scott asks.
"I have to admit," Bruce interjects, "I'm somewhat confused too."
"If you are correct Ms. Lang, what you have discovered is definitely a way to manipulate time energy," He locks eyes with Scott, "but not time itself."
Scott continues to look at Tony for a few long seconds before asking, "What?" Bruce also still looks confused.
"Ok, let me put it simply." Tony says. "Time is energy, like everything else. This energy surrounds and makes up everything. It's coursing through us, right now. Imagine you're in the ocean, but the water can pass through you. Almost like you're a net."
"Or a sponge?" Scott asks.
"No, not like a sponge!" Tony grumbles back. He thinks about it for a second. "Maybe a little like a sponge. Anyway, what you have discovered is a way to collect that water like energy. You can manipulate what you've collected, yes, but you'd only be able to use it to affect whatever you expose the energy to, or draw the energy from."
Scott Lang's face looks so confused she may even have a headache.
"I don't get it." Bruce says.
Tony sighs heavily and thinks about what he is trying to say. "Ok, let's go back to the sponge." Tony says. "If you pour time on it, the sponge will expand. Meaning, age faster. If you reduce the flow, it will absorb less, and time will go slower. Lastly, if you stop pouring, time will eventually stop moving through it, because there is nothing new to absorb."
"So, that's what happened in the quantum realm." Scott says, somewhat understanding. "I was frozen in time."
"In a manner of speaking, yes." Tony tells her. "After the time surrounding you had equalized, you went back to normal."
"Is it possible, if I were to, let's say squeeze time out of myself, I could go backwards in time?" Scott asks. Bruce nods his head curiously.
"No, you'd just turn into a baby." Tony says.
Scott's face turns to shock. "This doesn't make any sense!" She starts massaging her temples as if she has a migraine.
"It's like I said," Tony tells her. "You would only be able to manipulate the energy, not time itself.
"I am also completely lost, Tony." Bruce says, throwing himself back into the lounge seat.
"So, There is no way of using this discovery to go back in time?" Scott asks, feeling a little emotionally frustrated.
"No," Tony responds, "It's impossible. As long as you are within the confines of time, you can neither go backwards nor forwards, you can just change the speed at which you yourself travel."
Scott turns away trying to think about what she just heard. She mumbles to herself for a moment before looking back up. "I'm still not getting it."
Tony rolls his eyes and gasps loudly. He looks at Bruce for support.
"I'm still as lost as she is." Bruce says.
Tony grabs the bridge of his nose and tries to concentrate on making things simpler. "Ok, how about this?" He says, "You're sitting in an infinitely massive river. If you swim forward, from your perspective everyone looks like they're moving slower. If you swim backwards, everyone looks like they're going faster. Lastly, no matter how fast you swim you will never swim faster than the water flows."
"Can't I just get out of the river?" Scott asks.
"Hypothetically," Tony answers, "but it would take immeasurable amounts of energy or untold eons. Even if you did escape, you'd just be frozen in time once you're out. You would need to somehow bring time with you in order to keep... moving."
Tony looks to the side, suddenly realizing something.
"So we can't get out of the river and we can't swim upstream." Bruce says.
"No, but if you ride a bubble..." Tony turns away from them, now distracted, and rushes to his computer panel.
"A bubble?" Scott asks, still confused.
"You said you were frozen in time for twenty-four hours after absorbing all the energy around you?" Tony asks, while frantically pushing icons on his screen.
"Yes..." Scott answers, "I'm not sure if that's what really happened..."
"If you were able to make another bubble in time, but bring time with you..." Tony is now mumbling to himself. He presses something on his screen and it projects an image that looks like a twisted rubber band.
"What's that, Tony?" Bruce asks.
"A Mobius strip." Tony answers. "Back when my father worked with Ms. Lang's mentor, he discovered hints that time overlapped. He hypothesized that this was the only way that such a thing would be possible."
"Isn't that like one of those never ending loopy things?" Scott asks.
Tony turns toward Scott, a little surprised that she knows. "That's right." He looks back toward the image. "Shortly after his discovery both of their paths diverged. They each wanted to pursue different theories of physics. Quantum vs string."
"String theory?" Scott asks.
"Right." Tony says. "Dr. Pym left, taking his data on Quantum studies and pym particles with him, and my father shelved his discovery in favor of aiding the war. They could never compare notes."
"Hank Pym worked with your father?" Scott seems surprised.
"Closely..." Tony responds. "Based on string theory, time would be a singular never ending stream..." Tony is mumbling to himself now, "but if both theories are true, then you could hypothetically create a mobius strip..." Tony stops tapping, goes wide eyed, and takes a step back. "Shit!"
"Shit?" Bruce asks.
"What's going on?" Scott asks.
"Sorry!" Tony says, realizing his brain is now miles ahead of their conversation. He taps the screen again zooming in. "FRIDAY, can you compare the sequence of this loop to my father's notes?"
"Analyzing." FRIDAY says. After a few seconds it states, "Pattern discovered." A bunch of numbers and dates begin to appear along the loop and continue to encircle it."
Tony takes another step back. "Shit!" He says again.
***Not much further away in the same state***
"It feels so good to get out of that apartment." Peter says as she pulls out a seat for Aunt May. They sit down by a large window at a coffee shop in lower Manhattan. They are both wearing disguises. Peter has a fake fringe in her hair, with streamers coming out the side. She is also wearing a low cut top, with a multicolored dominantly pink cardigan. There is a heart printed on the left side. She also has a pair of black skinny jeans with high water ankles that show off her white flats.
Aunt May has a bump-it in her hair, black horn rimmed sunglasses, a sparkly black top, black leather jacket and tight black denim.
"It feels good to get away from those stupid drones." May responds. "I don't know how you can do it, swinging around with those things everywhere."
"They're not so bad." Peter admits. "I can use them for anchor points when I need to get around a tough spot."
"I hope they don't spot us here." May looks around, worried.
"They shouldn't." Peter tells her. "I might have tied them all up before we arrived."
"Good idea." May says. "Did MJ say what she was going to be wearing?"
"I don't know," Peter says, "but she said we can't miss her."
They both look around the cafe, but it is clear she has not arrived.
"I don't know how we're going to spot her, if she is wearing a disguise." Aunt May says.
"Well," Peter answers, "MJ believes the best disguise is one where you're not even hiding at allll..." Peter drags the last word out as something catches her eyes outside.
Aunt May turns and a few meters away they see a very familiar face. Michell Jones is wearing ripped jeans, with a matching crop top denim Jacket. She also has a white low cut V-neck t-shirt with Spider-Man's face printed on the front. A light gloss of shimmery pink lipstick highlights her lips, and to complete the unexpected look, she has straightened her hair and dyed it a very vibrant red. Both Aunt May and Peter look on in awe with their mouths hanging open.
MJ is half sitting on an old beat up Daily Bugle newspaper machine. It is clear she had been waiting for them to spot her. She waves her fingers playfully before standing up and heading toward the coffee shop entrance.
Peter stumbles as she tries to get up and rush to the door. It chimes as Michelle Jones walks in. "MJ.." Peter says, still somewhat flabbergasted by what she is seeing.
"Hi, Pete." MJ answers.
"You look.." Peter looks her up and down. Hundreds of words race through her head. She settles on, "Beautiful."
"Is that the only thing you notice?" MJ asks skeptically.
"No, I just." Peter gets nervous, thinking she said something wrong. "You look so different."
"I'm just kidding, Pete." MJ says. She moves in closer, placing her hands on Peter's arms and kisses her cheek.
"Ohh..." Aunt May says, standing behind Peter. Peter moves out of the way and MJ waves.
"Hi, Aunt May." Michelle says.
"MJ, you look stunning." May says with a smile, looking her up and down. Her eyes settle on the Spider-Man shirt. "I see you're a fan of Spider-Man."
"Yeah," MJ steps around Peter while still holding her hand, "he is pretty cool, with his swinging, and his hero-ing." She kisses Peter's hand.
"Should I be jealous?" Peter asks, playfully. MJ and Peter laugh while May smiles.
"Should we order something?" Aunt May asks. "I have menus." She flashes a couple of menus that were sitting on the table. "Come let's sit."
Peter pulls a seat out for MJ and May hands her one of the menus, she also tries to hand one to Peter, but she is still staring at MJ. It does not go unnoticed. MJ locks eyes with her and smiles. "You really like it, don't you? The hair?"
"It looks amazing." Peter answers.
"Thank you." MJ replies. "I wasn't too sure, at first."
"We should probably order something." Aunt May taps Peter's arm with the menu to get her attention. Peter turns to grab it and studies the cover. "Did you have trouble getting here?" Aunt May asks as she looks over her menu."
"No, Peter and I came here on our first date..."
MJ keeps talking but Peter is suddenly having a hard time paying attention. Her ears begin to ring and the hairs on her arm unexpectedly stand up. She turns toward the window and throws herself backwards, grabbing both MJ's and Aunt May's sleeves. She pulls hard, draggin them both toward the ground with her, just as the cafe's window explodes. All three shut their eyes as glass goes flying overhead. Peter opens her eyes just enough to spot a Punch Newport motor-bike flying overhead. It has a sticker on the side that says, "Pizza Time."
Glass rains down all around them as they cover their heads. Peter can hear people screaming outside. When the glass stops falling, Peter sits up to look for the source of the trouble.
An odd man in a long black trench coat and what looks like a red mask is standing in the street. "I'm looking for Spider-Man." The man says.
Peter is surprised to see the mask move fluidly. 'Is that actually his face?' She wonders. Realizing she has to get this man away from MJ and May, Peter leaps up and out of the cafe tapping the spider icon concealed in her clothes. In a matter of seconds the armor has covered her body only leaving the hair clip with streamers exposed.
"Hey buddy," Peter taunts, "I don't know what you have against New York Pizza, but you might be on the losing side of that argument."
"I'm assuming you're the one I seek." The man says.
"No sir, the complaint department isn't located here." Peter fires a stream of webs at the man. Just as the web is about to wrap around him, the man reaches around and manages to grab hold of it. "You're fast!" Peter says, surprised.
The man pulls the web hard and yanks Spider-Man off her feet, who isn't expecting it. He swings her around roughly slamming her into the side of the coffee shop.
Despite hitting a brick wall, Peter is unhurt due to the suit. She manages to land on her feet. "You're retty fast, too." She says, mostly to herself. "Gonna need more web." She leaps up again, firing balls of web toward her target, which he once again easily dodges. Peter is legitimately surprised.
"Hey, you're pretty quick." Peter admits loudly. "That costume must not get any friction." She taunts.
"This is no guise." The man replies, pulling out a gun. He fires a couple of glowing blue rounds, which Peter dodges just as easily. She hears MJ and May scream inside the coffee shop.
"Whoa!" Peter exclaims "Karen, what kind of gun is that?" She asks her suit's AI. She shoots a few more webs to distract the man.
It does not take the suit long to analyze as it displays information for Peter to see. Karen reads it aloud. "It is a Hydra Pistol modeled after the German P08 Luger from the second World War. It has the potential to vaporize the average human with one shot. Only one of these weapons is known to have ever been made."
"So, don't get hit. Got it." Peter tells the suit. "Hey buddy." Peter leaps to the side. "That's a nice toy you've got there. Did you get it at the Halloween shop?"
"My name is not Buddy!" The man says shooting toward Peter three more times.
"How much ammo does that thing have?" She asks.
"Indeterminate." Karen answers.
"Ok." Peter says, leaping to the side as more shots fly by. She fires a few more balls of web toward her opponent rapidly. He leaps out of the way, but not quick enough. One catches his foot. Despite his speed, he does not fall. Before he can turn fully toward Spider-Man a ball of web hits his hand concealing the pistol. He pulls hard at it with his free hand but cannot seem to release himself.
Peter leaps in close, and the man pulls back as if ready to punch. Peter stays out of range. "Whoa there, big guy." She tells him. "Let's just take it easy." The man hesitates, waiting for Peter to make a move. "What's going on?" She asks.
"I am Red-Skull, and I have been hired to take your life." The man says.
"Red Skull?" Peter asks, confused. "The German?"
"Peter," Karen chimes in, "facial recognition would imply he is telling the truth. Johann Schmit is also the only known owner of that gun."
"Shouldn't he be dead?" Peter asks.
"I have been kept alive by the power of the soul stone." Red Skull interrupts. "For only its power can end life and stop death." Red Skull pulls out one of the soul stone shards and shows it to Peter.
Peter frowns at the unexpected reveal. "You're very chatty for a hitman." Peter tells him. "How did you even get that?"
"It matters not what I tell you." Red Skull says pocketing the stone. "As long as I complete my mission."
Peter hears what sounds like energy building up in Red Skull's hand and a second later the webbing explodes as the Hydra Pistol fires. Peter shoots a ball of webbing toward her opponent's feet, and she is immediately smacked away by Red Skull's now free hand.
Peter lands on the ground and turns just in time to see Red Skull blast away the webbing restraining his foot. He then turns the pistol toward Spider-Man. There is a momentary beep just before the newest ball of webbing below Red Skull explodes.
In an instant Red Skull is completely entangled in webbing. Peter rushes in, webs the pistol once more and forcibly twists his arm around so that the barrel is pointing at Red Skull's face.
"Web grenade. You like it?" Peter asks, as if her opponent wanted to know what just happened. "I wouldn't try that again. It probably won't end as well as the last time."
Red Skull sneers at Spider-Man, but doesn't say anything.
"Not so talkative now, I guess?" Peter says while she tries to get a closer look at his face. Streamers from her hair clip swing in both of their faces and it seems to really annoy Red Skull.
"Help!" Someone shouts.
Surprised by the interruption, Peter turns to see a group of people not far away. She weighs her options and decides it should be safe to leave her opponent alone.
Peter rushes to the crowd and sees both MJ and Aunt May already there. "What's going on?"
"Spider-Man!" MJ calls, gesturing for her to come over.
"She's still bleeding!" A woman says in a panic. Peter pushes through to see a child, no more than ten, laying on the ground and pale.
"What happened?" Peter asks. "Was it the glass?" She refers to the coffee shop.
"That monster!" The woman looks toward Red Skull, while applying pressure to the child's wound. Aunt May is nearby ripping up fabric. "He stabbed her! He just stabbed her for no reason."
"Why would he do that?" Peter asks.
"It happened before he attacked the coffee shop." MJ says.
'This doesn't make sense.' Peter thinks.
"She's lost a lot of blood." May says, looking up toward Peter. "You have to get help."
"Karen, where's the nearest EMS?" Peter asks.
"There is a clinic six blocks away. It'll never make it in time." Karen responds.
"We have to do something!" Peter is starting to panic. "Is there anything you can do?"
"I can try sealing the wound." The suit says, "but without immediate medical treatment, she will not make it."
"Mom..." The girl mutters softly looking up toward the woman. Her eyes begin to glass over and she seems to lose consciousness.
"Baby?" The woman says, "No... Noo!" She picks up the girl and starts shaking her.
"No, no, no! This is not happening!" Peter starts to panic.
"Peter," Karen says softly, "She's not going to make it."
"We have to do something!" Peter shouts, grabbing the top of her head. Her hands get entangled in the hair clip. It causes her to remember Red Skull and what he had just said. She turns around and takes a look at him. "I can probably get it."
Peter uses webbing to launch herself at Red Skull and manages to land on his shoulders easily. With her left hand she reaches down and pulls webbing and part of Red Skulls coat aside. "Please don't bite me." She says as she reaches into his coat with her right hand. Red Skull seems to cooperate without protest. Peter doesn't question her luck as she keeps searching.
Spider-Man wraps her fingers around something which seems to pulse with energy. She looks in her hand spotting the orange glow of the infinity stone shard. "Please let this work." She says leaping away. Despite taking only a moment, it feels like minutes as Peter makes her way back to the child. "Out of the way," she shouts at a growing crowd.
MJ helps clear the crowd as Peter moves in. "Let me see her." She says rushing up to the grieving mother. She is holding the stone in her fingers. "Please let this work." She prays as she presses it to the child's abdomen.
"What are you doing?" Aunt May asks.
Peter Parker is unsure if anyone else notices, but she can feel a tremendous amount of energy pulsing from the stone. It feels somewhat overwhelming, but she refuses to let go. The feeling seems to die down quickly and when it is finally done the girl's eyes begin to flutter. Peter relaxes her arms and falls back on her butt. "It worked! Oh my god it worked!"
"Peter, she seems to be fully healed." Karen says as the child begins interacting with her mother.
Before Peter can celebrate, her spider tingle goes off once again, this time much worse than before. She turns just in time to see an odd blue light appear out of nowhere. It grows in size to reveal a person standing inside it, like a doorway. It is a man wearing a deep blue tuxedo-like suit. He has a dark royal blue turtleneck under a shirt with a large jewel adorned on the neck.
"Peter, who is that?" MJ asks, equally confused.
"I don't now." Peter replies, motioning for her to get back.
The man looks at Spider-Man and his eyes begin to glow. He opens his mouth to reveal long sharp fangs. In an instant he flies at Peter quicker than she can comprehend. She thinks of leaping out of the way but realizes there is no way she can match his speed, so she covers her face.
Nothing happens.
Peter pulls her arms away to look at the strange man again. He seems to be entangled in something.
"I've got him!" Someone shouts. Peter turns to look at the voice.
"Don't let him touch you!" a female voice shouts as Peter locks eyes with someone in a Spider-Man Costume.
"What?" Peter asks, confused.
More spider webbing comes from behind the man, pulling him away. Peter turns toward the female voice she heard earlier. It's a woman wearing all black, with a white spider symbol on her bust.
"Get him away from her!" another voice shouts. Peter peaks around the man to see someone else dressed as Spider-Man also. "Did he manage to touch her?"
"I don't think so." A fourth voice shouts. It sounds like a young girl. Peter looks up to see another ball of energy form and a spider-looking robot crawls through. "I'm applying restraints." The girl says.
"We can't risk it." the female in all black says, "We have to take her with us."
"Roger!" the metal Spider says.
"I've got her." A fifth voice suddenly chimes in. Spider-Man and the four new arrivals are caught off guard by the arrival of one last new figure. Before Peter can grasp what is going on, a strange dark-complected woman dressed in all blue, appears before her.
"Who's that?" One of the Spider-Men asks.
"I don't know." another answers.
A portal opens up behind Peter and the woman is somehow able to push her through without touching her.
"Guys, that's not one of us!" The Spider Robot announces.
"Someone stop her!" The furthest Spider-Man shouts.
"Our hands are kind of full right now!" the Spider-Woman replies.
The strange woman in blue smirks and begins to walk toward the portal.
"Wait!" Red Skull shouts, barely audible. "What about our deal?"
The woman pauses for a moment and turns back. She seems to think about it for a moment before looking toward the portal. She reaches forward and seems to magically pull the infinity stone shard back through. With a flick of her hand, it flies toward Red Skull. As the stone gets close to him, the webbing restraining Red-Skull dissipates. Red Skull grabs the stone as it floats in the air, grinning wildly.
"I no longer have any need for you." The woman says. "You are now free to do as you please." She turns away and passes through the portal which closes behind her.
"Peter!" MJ calls out. Aunt May echos the same call, standing up in confusion.
"Guys," the Spider-Robot says, "I don't know who that was, but I think things just went from out of the frying pan and straight into a supernova."