Bullets || Peter Parker

Twenty

Honestly, Emil was confused.

"So you want to go back in time and take the sound stones, bring them back to this time and use them to bring everyone back?" He asked slowly. Scott Lang nodded enthusiastically.

"It sounds more crazy when you say it like that", Steve objected.

"Hey I get emails from a raccoon. Nothing's crazy", Natasha shrugged. Emil went and curled up in a armchair. He wriggled so that he was still facing the adults, knees up to his chest. He curled up in a ball of warmth as he watched the adults talk.

"Rocket is a entirely different matter", he pointed out. "This is mad space physics and magic".

Scott shrugged. "Yeah, the kid sort of has it right".

"Ever seen back to the future? Terminator? Any of the terminators? Scratch that, any movie that messes with time?" Emil asked. "Basically it's never that easy. There's always a huge drawback or we end up ruining the order of time and fucking up our universe". He tried to quell the rising, fluttering hope in his chest.

"Language", Steve chided. Emil stuck his tongue out at him. Steve turned back to Scott, ignoring Emil. "So you're talking about a time machine?" He asked.

"No of course not, not a time machine", Scott paused, trying to find the right words. "Yeah. A Time machine", he relented. "I know, it's crazy, it's crazy, but I can't stop thinking about it. There's got to be... some.. yea it's crazy".

"Scott", Natasha deadpanned. "At this point, nothing's crazy".

Scott sighed and stopped pacing. It was the first time he had been still since he'd entered the room. He stared at all three of them in defeat. "So", he huffed. "Who do we talk to about this?"

Steve and Natasha shared looks. "Tony is going to be so please", Emil commented. "It's not like either of you visit him unless you want something". His voice was slightly bitter. Natasha and Steve both had the grace to look slightly shamed. It was true. Neither of them had been to see Tony in months.

Steve sighed loudly. "We'll drop in in the morning".

The car pulled up on the dirt drive outside of the Stark house. It was a beautiful day and Emil could see Tony and Morgan through the windows as he got out. He was carrying Morgan on his hip, presumably to bring her in for lunch. Emil waved at them and Morgan waved back with a grin. He walked up to them and met them on the porch.

"Millie!" Morgan grinned. She tugged on his hoodie with her small hands. "Dad said that you went on a trip to space!" Her eyes darted to his new haircut and she brushed her hands over the shaved parts curiously. "Your hair looks silly.

"It does look rather silly doesn't it", he remarked. Tony was eyeing the haircut with a amused gaze.

Deck ding to change the subject, Emil turned to Morgan. "Guess what I brought back for you from space", he smiled at her. She clapped her hands in excitement. "Don't worry, Tony, it's perfectly safe, non radioactive, not poisonous or explosive", he reassured upon seeing Tony's face. The man glanced towards Steve and he got the message. Tony handed over Morgan and Emil balanced her on his hip.

"Come on", he said to her. "Let's help your mom with lunch then I can give you the souvenir".

"Okay", Morgan replied as Emil carried her inside. They met Pepper in the kitchen. She was setting up a tray of glasses, looking up as Emil came in.

"Hey Emil. It's nice to see you back", she greeted. "I saw you guys from the window. Could you take out some glasses of smoothie outside for the others?" Emil agreed and placed Morgan on the floor. He took the tray and returned back outside, placing it on the porch coffee table.

"Thanks Emil", Tony answered. It was clear that they had not gotten to the main topic of conversation yet. "How was space?"

"It was, well roomy", Emil replied. Tony snorted at the joke and began pouring the smoothie into glasses. Steve cleared his throat, intending to talk, and the air turned tense. Emil took the opportunity to duck back inside.

"Millie", Morgan called as she ran round to him. "What did you get me?"

Emil laughed at her impatience and turned her back towards the kitchen. "Let's go and help your mum, then you can get the present. You have to be patient". He steered her through the doors and Pepper gave Morgan a bowl to place on the dining table.

"Are you staying for lunch Emil?" She asked. "I have extra chicken soup if you want".

Emil beamed at her, feeling calm and relaxed. "Yes please ". He spent the next twenty minutes helping Pepper lay the dining table.

When Tony finally came inside, he was alone. In the background, Emil could hear the sound of the car pulling away. "Did you decline?" Emil asked as a Tony sat down at the table. The man looked at him for a moment, eyes suddenly guilty.

"Yes", Tony stated. Emil nodded and reached for the bread and butter. Tony sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Emil I'm sorry"-

"Don't be", Emil interrupted, feeling tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. He blinked them back hurriedly. "I understand why you made that choice. Peter is dead. My father, Ned, May, MJ, Shuri, T'Challa, they're all dead. It's about time I accept that. I mean, you heard Scott's theory. It's impossible". Emil gave a wet unhappy laugh and took a bite of his bread. Tony and Pepper did not reply, faces solemn.

Emil took pity on them and changed the subject. "Morgan, do you want your souvenir?" Morgan, who had been watching the conversation silently with big eyes, beamed and made grabby hands. Emil chuckled and put a hand into his pocket. "Hold out your hand".

Morgan held out her hand and Emil dropped a small star shaped rock into her hand. It was surprisingly light for its appearance, colour a bright electric blue just like Emil's eyes. Morgan clutched it in her hand, stone too big for her to fully enclose her fist around it. "Pretty", she squealed as she examine it. Emil laughed.

"It's a energy stone", he explained. "I picked it up somewhere in the fifth quadrant with Carol. The locals use it for light sources. Basically they absorb and store energy. It's a natural resource on their planet. This is a small one so it can only store a certain amount. Probably about as much as a two double A batteries. I charged it myself, which is why it's blue. It takes on the signature of its first energy source. In the dark, it will glow like a nightlight".

Morgan yelled excitedly. "It's warm! I must find the darkness!" They laughed as she jumped down from her seat and ran off in search of a dark space.

"At lest she finished her food", Pepper commented as Morgan disappeared upstairs. "Tony", she prompted. Tony, who had began muttering out loud in an effort to explain how the stones worked and how they could be used within society, jumped.

"That's a great gift. Thank you Emil", he answered.

Emil nodded and excused himself from the table, bowl of soup half eaten. There was a tension between him and Tony that he would much rather want to avoid. "I'll go a show her how it works before she returns pouting. Do you want any help clearing up?" Emil asked. Pepper shook her head and he turned upstairs.

He found Morgan hiding under her bed covers. They didn't provide enough darkness, the sunshine seeping through. She stuck her head out and pouted at him. "It won't work", she whined. Emil closed the door behind him and walked over to draw the curtains. When the room was sufficiently dark, Morgan let loose a squeak of delight.

The stone in her grip had began glowing. Dimly at first then building up until blue light shone on the ceiling. The light pulsed soothingly, little waves of it spanning the room. It was a pale blue colour like the sea and Morgan watched with big eyes.

"It's so pretty", she whispered. Emil sat down next to her on the bed, watching the little stone in her hands. He wondered if Peter would have liked the red one he'd brought back. If his face would have lit up the same way Morgan's did. The red stone sat like a weight in his pocket and he tucked his hand around it softly.

"Yeah", he agreed. "It is pretty".

Unedited