Bullets || Peter Parker

Thirteen

When Emil awoke it was to the steady sound of beeping. Blearily he shifted and tried to open his eyes. The brightness made him wince and he groaned. Something clattered and there was a hand on his.

"Emil?" A voice asked.

"Uncle Steve?" His voice was raspy and he opened his eyes. The world was hazy. All mixing colours and dots. He blinked and tried again. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust.

Steve Rogers was sat in a plastic chair next to the bed. He looked worn and tired but he smiled happily as Emil looked at him. He had shaved off the beard he had the last time Emil had seen him and his blond hair was unusually messy. There were other things that Emil noticed. He was in normal clothes and was sitting relaxed next to his hospital bed.

There was a creak and Emil's eyes darted towards the other side of the room. This was not a hospital room. The rest of the room was furnished. One wall was made with glass which Emil could see the blue sky and green grass. In front of the window was two leather couches. On the couch facing him sat Tony Stark and Natasha. Upon seeing him awake, they rose from their seat and walked over.

"Hey kiddo", Stark greeted. "Budge up". Emil obediently moved his legs to the side and Tony perched on the end of his bed. Both him and Natasha had also changed. Natasha's hair had grown out and was kept in a red and blonde plait over her shoulder. There were more winkles around her eyes and her smile was worn. Tony had more grey hair in his beard but he seemed brighter somehow, despite the crows feet.

"What?" Emil asked hoarsely. He struggled to sit up. Natasha pressed a button and the bed bent him into a sitting position. Steve offered him a cup of water and Emil took it. As he drunk, he noticed that he had a iv stuck in the back of his hand. "What happened?"

"You were dying Barnes", Stark stated. "Actually you did die, several times in fact".

"We almost lost you", Steve added. Emil noticed that his eyes looked sad. "You had drained your energy levels, so much so that your body was shutting down. We couldn't give you too much at once, for risk of over loading you. So we had to let you recharge". He explained in a calm tone. But Emil knew that they weren't telling him something.

He turned to Tony who sighed. "We had to freeze you kid".

"What? Like Bucky? Like you?" The question was aimed at Steve. "For how long?" Emil could feel the panic rising in his chest.

Natasha sighed. "It's been four years Emil. Thanos won at the cost of half of the galaxy. He then destroyed the infinity stones", she stated bluntly.

Emil was at a lost for words. He floundered for a moment, mouth opening and closing like a fish. Eventually he turned to Steve. "Bucky? Shuri? T'challa? Aunt May? Ned? Who else died?" His voice was fierce, demanding answers but it broke on the last word. It wobbled as Emil fought the urge to cry.

Steve's face was so bitterly sad. He took a deep breath and looked Emil right in the eyes. "We lost all of them. Only Banner, rocket, Thor, Nebula, Barton and us survived. For Ned and May, they are also amoung the lost". Emil choked on a sob, cutting him off. Natasha sat on the bed next to him and pulled him into a hug. Emil cried quietly into her shoulder whilst Steve and Tony watched.

After a while, his tears dried out and he was left hiccuping gasps. "Four years?" He asked between breaths. "So am I twenty now?"

"No. You're still sixteen", Tony answered, voice softer than usual. "Legally, you disappeared along with everyone else. In the ice you didn't age. Actually about that. You've slowed down".

"What?" Emil asked again. His mind was still buzzing from the sudden onslaught of information and now he was repeating himself like a radio. "What do you mean I've slowed down?"

"Something went haywire with your system when we tried to reboot you", Stark answered. He patted Emil's knee through the blankets. "The draining and the reboot kickstarted your system. You absorbed more power than we've ever recorded, enough to power a nuclear reactor for a decade. Your new storage abilities have allowed the power to become part of your system, halting your body's decay process".

Emil placed his head in his hands. Now that he could see clearly, he noticed that his skin seemed to glow slightly. He had a blue aura like a glow in the dark star. It gave him an ethereal look, making his skin seem lighter but almost translucent. When he wriggled his fingers, light flickered across the bed sheets.

"I'm on fucking drugs", Emil snorted before bursting into tears again. Steve and Natasha looked unsure of what to do. Natasha awkwardly ran a hand through his hair, which had grown out slightly, stroking her fingers across his scalp. Emil lent into her touch as he sobbed. Steve handed him a box of tissues.

"Hey, come on kiddo", Tony reaches forwards and patted him on the back of the hand. Emil raised his eyes to meet his. "It's okay to be sad, just cry it all out". Emil sobbed louder.

When his eyes dried for a second time, he blew his nose and asked. "Peter's and May's stuff?"

"Their landlord sold their apartment but I had their things sent to your tower in New York. It's set up in one of the apartments there", Stark answered.

"Thanks".

There was a moment of silence, Natasha still running her hands through his hair. After a pause, Emil glanced at the three of them. "Is he nicer now or is it just me?" He gestured to Stark. Steve and Natasha laughed. Emil giggled wetly.

"That's what happens when you become a father", Steve chuckled.

"You have a kid?"

Stark smiled. "Yeah. Morgan. She's almost four and driving me and her mom up the wall". He pulled out his phone and showed Emil a picture of a grinning brown haired little girl. She had his eyes and grin.

"She's adorable", Emil smiled. "Peter will- would have loved her".

Stark's smile turned melancholy. "I know kid. I know".

Unedited

Five updates in one day? Wow I'm on a roll.
I am also on half term and have no life. The weather is also shit here.
Rainy Britain. Yay.
Hands up whose getting feels?
(*waves both hands in the air)