Watching Spider-Man:FFH

Prt 3

Last time on The Trials and Tribulations of Spider-Man, the People's Hero:

Tony swallowed. Pepper had said they were from 2018. That was only six years away. Six short years, and yet Pepper and Rhodey looked like they'd been through unspeakable horrors.

What had happened in the six years between his time and theirs?

Before he could dwell on it for much longer, though, Peter sighed heavily, a sigh weighed down by loss, and answered: "Because, Rhodey, I'm from 2024."

Now on The Trials and Tribulations of Spider-Man, the People's Hero:

The room immediately descended into silence.

Tony straightened at once, his brain shrieking at him in confusion. I'm from 2024, Peter had said and meant it. But how? How could Peter be from the year 2024, when he was already dead in Pepper and Rhodey's 2018?

None of this made any sense. And yet, from the vulnerable look on Peter's face, Tony knew it had to be true.

"That's not – that's not possible," Pepper stammered. Tony had never heard her so much as falter before. She had always been so headstrong, so composed and infallible. "Tony saw you. He saw you die."

Tony felt sick to his stomach. According to Pepper, he would be there at the time of Peter's death. He would witness an innocent kid's death. God, how was he supposed to react to that?

Peter's face flooded with sorrow. "I know," he whispered, voice choked. "I know. I died in 2018—I was dead until – "

He paused, swallowed down the rest of his sentence, and corrected, "I was dead for a long time. Sorry, I don't know if I should tell you how long."

"Pepper," Happy chimed in, serious and grave, "I know it sounds unbelievable, but it's true. Peter's alive in 2024. I don't think I'm allowed to tell you how it happened—because despite his intention in saying it, Fury was right to claim that time should not be messed with—but just know that he will come back." He paused, sparing the other two teenagers a fleeting glance. "They'll all come back."

Tony fought off a wave of nausea. All? Had Peter's friends died, too?

"Okay, no," Clint jumped in. "I was coming around to the idea of time travel, but resurrection? There's no way. That's not a real thing."

"We're standing in a room with two Norse gods, a man who can turn into a green giant, and people from the future," Natasha pointed out dryly. "Who can really say what's possible anymore?"

"Yeah, but all of those can be explained!" Clint exclaimed. "But resurrection? Resurrection is a child's fantasy, Nat, you know that! We all know that! Come on, Stark, back me up. You're a man of science, aren't you?"

"I don't know what I know anymore," Tony muttered to himself. "Because Peter's obviously standing right there, and Pepper and Rhodey both look like they've seen a ghost."

"Listen, I know it sounds unreal, Mr. Barton, but trust me, there's a lot about the future that sounds unreal. There's a lot you wouldn't believe." Peter shared a quick, commiserating look with Happy. "I've learned to just roll with it. So maybe we can all just, I don't know,"—he shrugged helplessly—"table the discussion of what's possible or not until after we've found out what we're all doing here?"

His female friend snorted. "Wow, I can't believe you of all people are acting as the voice of reason," she grinned at him, eyebrows waggling pointedly.

He rolled his eyes at her, but couldn't help the returning smile that climbed up his face. "Oh, come on! I can be reasonable!" he protested.

It was Happy's turn to chuckle. "Yeah, right," he snickered. His teasing was rewarded by Peter sticking his tongue out at him and punching him playfully on the shoulder.