While the Avengers were conducting Operation: Resurrect Tony Stark, Peter Parker was sitting in the cafeteria at Midtown High. Captain America had sent him a message informing him of Tony's resurrection, and Peter couldn't stop smiling. He wanted nothing more than for Tony to be alive. Now he sat with his best friend, Ned, and explained everything.

"I tried to apologize to MJ, but she wouldn't listen," Peter said ruefully. He had to apologize because they had teamed up for a project, but Peter hadn't contributed anything. He was busy being Spider-Man, helping with the resurrection plot, and fighting an elemental creature alongside his new friend Quentin Beck—Mysterio. MJ did all the work herself.

"And then I got a text from Captain America..."

Ned's eyes widened with excitement. "Woah! Captain America has your number?"

"Duh. I'm an Avenger." Peter went on, his voice full of enthusiasm. "So I went to the compound, and Thor was there, ready to resurrect Tony!"

"Did he?" Ned asked, leaning forward.

Peter's expression turned solemn. "No, but this lady Maria Hill—apparently she works with Nick Fury or something—came up with a plan. I'm not sure what it was, but it worked. Mr. Stark is alive right now!"

Ned shrieked, his voice echoing through the cafeteria. "He's alive?!" The students around them turned to stare, piqued by his outburst.

Peter put his hand over Ned's mouth to silence him. "Shh! No one's supposed to know yet. Captain wants to keep it quiet."

"He's Tony Stark! Everyone will find out!"

"They will, but it's not our choice. It's up to Mr. Stark to let the world know he's alive." Peter broke into a broad smile. "God, I'm so happy."

His happiness faded as Flash and Brad approached his table. Flash growled, "Oh, Brad. Look who it is. The fraud."

Peter's irritation was obvious as he glared at them. "What do you want?"

Ned, who was similarly irritated, chimed in. "Yeah, do you guys have to be dicks all the time?"

Brad scowled at Ned and then turned his attention back to Peter. "We just want to know why you lied to us."

"To everyone," Flash said, his tone accusing.

"I didn't lie about anything."

"Spider-Man never came to my party. Why is that?" Brad asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. He was talking about the party he'd thrown after Ned revealed that Peter knew Spider-Man. Peter had no choice but to prove it. He'd gone to the party and then left to get dressed, but he'd ended up skipping the whole party because he had to stop a crime. Now he looked like a liar.

Peter shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Duty called."

"Or you're a fraud."

Flash snickered, his eyes filled with hatred. "He's definitely a fraud."

Peter's patience was wearing thin, and he clenched his hands under the table. "Think what you want. I don't really care."

"Oh, are your feelings hurt?" Brad taunted.

MJ approached the boys. "That's enough, guys."

Flash's reply was, "C'mon, MJ. We're just having fun."

"I said stop."

Brad's demeanor changed to one of jealousy as he looked at MJ and Peter. "What, you and Peter are close now?"

"We were," MJ said, her voice cool. Then she gave Peter an angry look. "But not anymore."

Peter frowned, his eyes pleading. "MJ, I can explain."

"Don't bother. I'm over it."

Peter jumped out of his seat, desperation in his voice. "You're not. Give me a chance to make things right."

"She said she's over it!" Brad shouted, pushing Peter back down. Peter stood up again, determination etched into his features.

Ned stood up too. "Stop it, man!"

"Or what?"

"Or you'll feel Peter's wrath!" Ned warned. "He's strong!"

Flash burst out laughing. "Peter couldn't hurt a fly if he wanted to."

Peter's eyes narrowed, his voice deep and threatening. "Would you like to test that theory?"

Flash swallowed hard, surprise flickering across his face at Peter's boldness. MJ was quick to jump in. "This is unnecessary. Just leave each other alone."

Brad said, "Yes, ma'am."

MJ turned to Peter. "And as for you, Peter, how about you leave me alone too?" she spat before walking away. Brad and Flash followed her, leaving Peter frozen in place with his jaw dropped. He gritted his teeth and sank back into his seat, displeasure on his face.

Ned put his hand on Peter's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay."

"It's not. I really like her." Peter gave him a sour look, his eyes full of worry. "How am I going to get her now?"

Ned thought about it. "Well...she still likes Spider-Man."

Peter shook his head. "I'm giving him a break."

"Why?!"

"Because I don't want her to love Spider-Man. I want her to love me."

"She will, Peter."

Peter had a skeptical look on his face. "How do you know that?"

"Because what's not to love about you?"

Peter's face lit up with a smile. This was the reason Ned was his closest friend. "Thank you. I needed to hear that."

Ned nodded, his voice full of confidence. "You'll get the girl. You're the only one that has a chance."

Peter really hoped that was true.

Later that day, Tony Stark was in the conference room with Bruce, Clint, Scott, Sam, Steve, Barnes, Wanda, Rhodey and Thor. They were the only ones who knew he was still alive, along with Peter, Hill, Coulson, and his agents.

Tony looked around and admired the new Avengers compound. Thanos' devastation of their former facility had forced them to move to this new base in Manhattan, a precaution Tony had taken during the five-year snap.

Tony had wanted them to return to their roots, while also being closer to the city in case something big broke out. However, there were some downsides. If an enemy invaded Manhattan, there would be a lot of casualties. The Avengers would also have no privacy, but that wasn't on Tony's mind at the time. Half the population was gone, and he didn't think they'd ever return.

The compound was small but wide. There was even enough room to build a small hangar. So, five years later, thanks to Tony, the Avengers had a new home that he was lucky enough to witness.

He shifted his focus from his surroundings to his team. They all stared at him, still in shock that he was alive and well. "Okay, how long are you going to stare at me like you're the hunters and I'm the prey?"

Everyone quickly looked away. Rhodey leaned forward, his voice full of emotion. "You don't know how happy I am to have you back."

Tony touched his shoulder and smiled. "I missed you too, buddy."

Bruce asked hesitantly, "Are you sure you're okay? Do you have the urge to...scribble?"

"I feel good as new. It's almost like I never died."

Scott's eyes widened in horror. "Zombie."

Tony tilted his head at him. "What?"

"You're a zombie!" Scott panicked, pointing at Tony. "I knew it! I warned you guys!"

Wanda rolled her eyes and used her powers to throw a book at Scott, who stood up angrily. "Sit down, Scott!" Bruce demanded.

Scott pointed at Wanda, his face flushed with anger. "She's pissing me off!"

"How about you stop being an idiot?" Wanda shot back.

Scott pointed at himself in disbelief. "I'm an idiot?"

Clint replied with a shrug. "You kinda are."

Scott's jaw dropped. He glared at Wanda and Clint. "You know what? Screw the both of you."

Bruce massaged his head in annoyance. "Jesus Christ."

Tony didn't understand why Scott and Wanda seemed to despise each other. Obviously he had missed a lot. "Is this what I've come back to?"

"Trust me, you ain't seen nothing yet," Sam said under his breath.

Tony stood up. "Then I need some scotch."

Bruce acted quickly. "Absolutely not."

"Why not, green guy?"

"You've been drinking a lot since you came back to life. We don't need you dying of alcohol poisoning."

Tony shrugged carelessly. "I guess you'll have to revive me again."

Steve spoke in a stern voice. "Tony."

Tony threw up his hands in defeat and sat back down. "Alright, fine." He looked around the room. "Since we're talking about coming back to life, who's the smartass who came up with that idea?" Tony interrupted Steve just as he was about to speak. "Never mind, I don't want to know."

Clint glared at Tony. "I didn't hear a single thank you come out of your mouth."

Tony's expression became defensive. "I didn't know I asked to be resurrected? I didn't expect you all to miss me so much."

Rhodey stepped in. "Of course we did, Tony. You held the group together."

Bruce nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we were a mess without you."

"How much of a mess are we talking about? As big as Bruce or as small as Scott's brain?"

Scott looked insulted. "Hey! I don't appreciate the 'stupid' jokes! I'm part of the reason you're talking right now!"

Wanda snapped at him. "You've done nothing but be a nuisance."

Scott was insulted again. "I came up with the plan to have Thor resurrect Tony!"

"Yeah," Thor lamented, wallowing in his own self-pity, "but it didn't work."

Tony jerked his chin at Thor. "What's wrong with him?"

"He thinks he failed...again," Rhodey explained.

"I am a failure!" Thor snapped, his voice full of anger. "Did I revive him?! No!"

Tony looked around, realizing that someone important was missing. "Where's the Widow? Did you revive her too?"

Bruce let out a somber sigh. "Not possible."

"Damn. She was a good person. Even if she was a pain in the ass."

Clint smiled faintly. "She was a pain in all our asses."

The room fell silent as Coulson entered. The original five Avengers stared at him, feeling betrayed.

Sam broke the tense silence. "So you're the guy who came back to life, huh?"

Coulson nodded. "I am. I was present at the Battle of New York, but was murdered by Loki. I guess you could say my death inspired the formation of the Avengers." He then turned to the original five, hoping to clear the air. "Tony, Steve, Bruce, Thor, Clint, may I speak with you privately?"

Tony's voice was full of attitude. "Why? So you can keep lying to us? We mourned you for nothing!"

"Please, just give me a chance to explain."

Rhodey stood up. "We'll let you talk." He looked at the rest of the Avengers. "Let's go." They all followed his lead and walked out of the room.

As they left, Coulson noticed that there were only five originals in front of him. "Where's Natasha?"

"She's dead, as we thought you were, but obviously that wasn't the case," Clint replied.

Coulson's expression was apologetic. "I'm sorry for keeping this a secret."

Tony shouted. "I really thought you were gone!"

Steve spoke. "Calm down, Tony. We just got you back."

"No, screw that!" Tony objected, pointing furiously at Coulson. "You don't understand; after you died, I wanted to kill Loki for what he did to you. We did this Avengers thing for you. Because it was your dream! And now you're telling me you've been alive for years, but never told us?"

Coulson looked down, his voice barely above a whisper. "Loki...is he...?"

Thor crossed his arms and spoke with a hint of melancholy. "He died. I know you are overjoyed."

Coulson grimaced and shook his head. "I'm not. I'm very sorry for your loss."

Tony's face flushed with anger. "Are you dismissing what I said?!"

Steve slammed his palms down on the table and spoke forcefully. "Tony! Calm down before you die again!"

Tony glared at him. "Why should I? We've been lied to for years! And you're sitting there perfectly calm!"

"I'm just as angry as you are, maybe more so." He looked at Coulson with a hard expression. "You had trading cards of me. You obviously admired me."

"I still do, Steve."

"So why did you keep this from me? I don't understand."

"Because..." Coulson paused, searching for the right words. "It was SHIELD protocol, and besides, it would've caused a regression."

"How?" Steve pressed.

"When you started, you didn't cooperate with each other. You thought you weren't meant to be together and considered breaking up the team. So Fury used my death to motivate you to fight the Chitauri invasion," Coulson admitted.

They gave him the deadliest look he had ever seen. They were furious, especially Thor. "We were a pawn in your game?"

Coulson apologized. "I'm sorry. But you've matured considerably since then. You've made friends—people like yourself. And you work well as a team. My death gave you the push you needed."

Steve stared at the table, his manner the calmest of the group. "Honestly, I don't know if I should be happy to see you, or angry that you kept this from us."

Tony was quick to say, "I choose the latter. He and Fury used us to create their super secret boy band fantasy."

Coulson's voice grew serious. "You have every right to be upset. I'm more concerned about your mental health. GH-325 has serious side effects."

"What the hell is GH-325?"

Clint answered for Coulson. "Pretty much alien blood."

Tony was startled. "Excuse me? You injected me with alien blood?"

Coulson replied, "I was injected with that alien blood as well, Tony. It's what brought me back to life after being dead for days. After I was injected, I developed the urge to scribble symbols, which got worse over time. The only way to stop it was to find out what they meant."

Thor's voice was reassuring. "If you figured it out, then Stark has nothing to worry about."

"That's what Maria thinks, but we're not sure."

"Well, I'm fine. But if I get the urge to scribble, I definitely won't be coming to you for help." Tony patted Coulson's shoulder as he walked by.

Coulson sighed. "I understand your anger, Stark. You feel blindsided, but you'll get over it."

"Maybe, but it won't be anytime soon."

"That's fair." Coulson looked at the others with a hopeful look. "What about you four? Do you think you'll ever be able to forgive me?"

"I don't know," Thor replied honestly.

Clint said, "I'm not as angry with you as I am with Fury. He was the brains behind this, but he didn't tell us anything. Forget the motivation; we deserve to know!"

Steve nodded in agreement. "Clint is right. Fury and Hill are equally guilty."

"Then we all agree. Hill, Fury, and Coulson get the silent treatment until we feel like playing nice," Tony announced. He looked at Coulson and shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, Phil."

"What are you? Ten?" Clint spat.

"No, I'm not ten! I'm angry, that's what I am!"

Coulson's phone started to beep. He had to dismiss himself. "Well, I've explained everything to you, so it's up to you what you do with that knowledge. I have to go; something came up with my agents. If you change your mind and want to chat, contact Hill or Fury. They'll know where to find me."

As he left, Thor scoffed. "When we want to chat? Unbelievable."

"Does anyone else feel mindfucked?" Clint asked, rubbing his temples.

Tony shook his head. "No, I don't, otherwise I'd be worried. I don't want that side effect to kick in."

Clint rolled his eyes as Steve spoke, hoping to keep everyone calm. "We just had a huge bomb dropped on us. Let's go back to the others and try to enjoy the rest of the day."

They all agreed and headed for the lounge where the other Avengers were waiting for the meeting to end. Sam sensed their unhappiness and raised an eyebrow. "You guys don't look so good. Did everything go well?"

Clint sat down on the couch, his voice tired. "Just one bombshell after another, Sam."

"Aren't you happy that Coulson's alive?" Rhodey asked, looking confused. "He's a nice guy."

"It's not that we're not happy to see him. The problem is that he, Fury, and Hill kept it from us just to keep us motivated."

"Motivation for what?" Scott asked.

"To be the Avengers, basically!"

"In other words, we were used," Bruce concluded bitterly.

"Damn," Sam exclaimed, shaking his head.

Steve cleared his throat, hoping to get everyone's attention. "Hey, uh, I don't want to ruin the mood any more than it already is, but we need to discuss what happens next."

Wanda crossed her arms. "Nothing. Stark's back."

"Yes, but are we going to let the people know or hide him forever?"

"I'm not going to hide here forever. I have a company to run and a family to get back to." Tony's eyes widened with realization. "Oh my God. Pepper!"

He started for the door, but Steve grabbed his arm. "Where are you going?!"

"To see Pepper!"

Rhodey interjected. "You can't go over there unexpectedly, Tony. You'll scare her to death."

"I can't stay here either!"

"Let me at least warn her. I'll call her and then we can go over there."

Tony nodded reluctantly. "Alright."

Rhodey left the room and Tony sat down, looking around at the group. "So while we're waiting, what did I miss?"

He saw that everyone had a worried look on their faces. They seemed to have something to say, but chose not to.

"Uh-" Steve started, but was cut off as Peter ran into the compound, holding Tony tightly.

"Mr. Stark, I missed you so much!"

Tony struggled to breathe. "Okay, K-kid, you're going to make me die again."

Peter hastily let go. "Sorry!"

"How was school?" Tony asked, trying to catch his breath.

"It was fine. And hi, guys," Peter waved to the others.

"Hey kid," Sam said with a smile.

Tony examined the group. "Can you give Peter and me a minute? I need to talk to him."

"Yeah, of course," Wanda replied as she left the room with the other Avengers.

Tony gestured to a chair. "Sit down, Peter."

Peter sat down with a broad grin. Tony raised his eyebrow. "Why are you smiling?"

"Just glad you're back."

Tony pointed at his mouth. "Yeah, well, do I look happy?"

"No, but when do you ever? You always have a resting bitch face."

Tony chastised him. "Don't say that again. Especially not to a woman."

"Got it."

Tony leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Where are the glasses, Peter?" he inquired, referring to EDITH. EDITH gave Peter access to Stark Industries' global satellite network, along with an arsenal of missiles and drones. Tony wasn't sure if he'd die during the battle against Thanos, but in case he did, he knew he wanted Peter to continue his legacy. But now, Peter didn't have EDITH anymore, and he wasn't happy.

Peter swallowed and his smile faded. "That's what this is about..."

Tony's voice was harsh. "Yes! I told Happy to give you those glasses. How could you give them away?"

"The glasses weren't meant for me," Peter told him. "I didn't know what to do with all the power I had."

"Doing nothing is doing something," Tony reminded him, exhaling deeply. "God, Peter. If EDITH falls into the wrong hands, we could be looking at another disaster."

"Don't worry, Mr. Stark. I gave it to someone I trust. He's more worthy than I am."

"Who is 'he'?"

"His name is Mysterio."

Tony snorted, the disbelief clear in his tone. "You gave my glasses to someone named Mysterio? You better be joking, kid."

Peter shook his head. "He saves the world just like we do."

"So he's an Avenger."

"No, he said he likes to work alone."

"Of course he does," Tony said under his breath. He leaned forward and spoke earnestly. "Listen, I need you to get my glasses back from that 'Mysterious.'"

"Mysterio," Peter corrected.

"Mysterious. Get the damn glasses back, Peter!"

"He's trustworthy, I promise. EDITH is in good hands."

Then Rhodey entered the room, his voice breaking the tension. "Pepper's ready."

Peter's ears perked up. "Pepper? You're going to see her?"

Tony stood and nodded. "I am, kid."

"Can I come? I want to see Morgan again."

"Wait, you met Morgan?"

"Yup. She called me Spiderboy."

Tony grinned with pride in his eyes. "That's my girl. Anyway, you're not coming."

"Why?!"

"You're going to sit here and think about your actions. EDITH is in a stranger's hands," Tony said.

"He's trustworthy, I promise!"

"You better hope so, or it's your ass," Tony said. He then left the room with Rhodey, leaving Peter wondering if he had made the right decision.