Chapter Text
Peters POV
The battle was hard. It’s loud and chaotic in a way Peter has never experienced before. Explosions going off in every direction, people he doesn’t know yelling orders and trying to help, and worst of all, Tony nowhere in sight when he steps onto the marsh that once held the compound. He doesn’t know much of what was happening, other than one second, he was on an alien planet feeling the worst pain imaginable, and the next, Dr Strange was telling him 5 years had passed and he needed to help.
He tries to ignore the pain that lingers from whatever the purple guy had done to them and gets up to help. He holds his breath when it gets hard, but he keeps punching, keeps swinging and keeps going with all he has in him, determined to help and find out what happened when it is all finally over. Obviously, the middle of a battlefield isn’t the best place for introductions, much less asking if anyone else is struggling to breathe through the pain. So, Peter keeps going. He keeps fighting and when he spots Tony, he keeps a smile on his face, knowing he can’t distract the man in such a situation.
He carries on fighting, taking hits here and there. He fights alongside heroes he has looked up to since he was a kid, some he has met, others he hasn’t. Peter plays his part in keeping the gauntlet away from Thanos and then carries right on swinging. Hit after hit, he takes them. If they had gotten this far, surely, they had to win. He’s not entirely sure what happened on Titan, but he could tell that this was their shot to really win.
The battle is hard, but nothing is worse than watching the man he sees as a mentor snap his fingers and resign himself to death just to save the universe he’s fought so hard to bring back to life.
When Peter runs to his side, he gets to say only a few words before he is pushed back. He doesn’t fight when Pepper pulls him away to say goodbye to the man she loves, he simply steps away and turns his back. Peter had already watched one father figure die, known another to have, he doesn’t need to witness the third leaving too. He turns his back and holds his breath, feeling not only physical pain but emotional crack him in half once more. It’s only when he sees the sparks lighting in mid-air in front of him that he starts to breathe again. Dr Strange steps out.
“If you want him to have any hope of making it, we need to get him to Wakanda. Right now.” It is said in such a no-nonces tone that Peter just steps out of his way and watches as those still standing rush to help move Mr Stark through the portal, tiny looks of hope breaking out on their faces. Peter watches as Tony is carried to what he hopes is his salvation as he fells a sense of numbness washing over him. He joins them in helping to move the man still encased in an incredibly heavy suit of armour. The portal stays open behind them to let anyone else still lagging behind through to what Peter presumes is Wakanda.
It opens into what looked like an A&E department, with doctors and nurses rushing around to help the wounded. Tony is set on a bed waiting right in front of them and wheeled off with no hesitation, Dr Strange and Pepper rushing alongside him. Those who had helped carry Tony through and others stand looking after him, now with no purpose to occupy their mind.
“What do we do now?” Only when he speaks does Peter realise he’s standing next to a very rough-looking Steve Rodgers.
“We tend to the wounded, and hope.” Bucky Barnes replies standing next to him, raising a hand to pat his shoulder. None of them had moved from where they had stopped after placing down Tony, still staring after when he had been taken.
Someone Peter doesn’t recognise walks up to them and starts pointing them to different doctors to be seen to. He knows they said something to him, but he doesn’t move. He stays, staring after where they had taken his mentor, trying to remember how to breathe.
“Do you know who this kid is?” The stranger asks Steve who is also still standing next to him.
“I’d guess by the suit, it’s Spiderman…” But Steve trails off when he finally looks down and registers what they had called him – a kid.
“Peter?” Rhodey appears out of nowhere, stepping into his line of sight, War Machine armour nowhere in sight. “Peter, can you hear me?” He can’t respond.
Peter is sure something else is said – whether to him or someone else he doesn’t know – but at this point, his ears have started ringing and his sight goes blurry. Something is waved in front of his face, but his eyes stay fixed in the same direction, now blocked by Rhodey. The numbness that had flooded him before suddenly vanishes and he can’t breathe. He doesn’t know if it’s because of an actual injury or because he doesn’t know if Mr Stark will live or not, but he doesn’t have a chance to figure it out.
The battle was hard. But loosing Mr Stark would be harder. This is Peter's last thought before the ground is suddenly rushing up to meet him.
Rhodey reacts the fastest, catching him before he can hit the floor.
“Who is this kid, Rhodey?” Steve asks from where he is still standing. Rhodey doesn’t answer straight away. Once he’s helped lift Peter's limp body onto a bed, he finally looks to Steve.
“That kid – That kid is the reason we're all standing here.” He doesn’t take his eyes off Peter, knowing that’s what Tony would want.
“What do you mean?” It takes a moment for Rhodey to remember that Steve hadn’t been around when Peter was still here.
“That’s Peter – Spiderman – Tony’s son.” He knows Steve is confused, but he doesn’t have time to answer his questions as the doctors start to move Peter away. Rhodey quickly follows after them.