Next Avengers: Secret of the Spider

Part 14

Kier slowly awoke, taking his head out from under his wing. Reptil was asleep next to him on a crate and his father was gone. Naturally. He was great at running away. He turned back into himself and stretched, blinking away the bits of sleep still sticking to his eyes. His dream still pricked at his mind, forcing to process it. His dreams usually meant something, but he couldn't understand this one. The symbol of a red, many pointed star against gold kept flashing in his brain, as well as blue swirling energy. What could it mean? He shook his head rapidly, his dream falling away with the blackbird feathers once stuck in his hair. He'd figure it out eventually. He felt a different pang at the back of his mind, a life force. Peter, he thought. He looked over at Reptil and kicked his foot.
"Hey," he hissed. "Lizard." Reptil grunted and kicked back at him, but missed.
"Shutup," he mumbled, turning over.
"Reptil!" Kier said out loud, jumping on his friend. "Peter's alive!"
"Who's Peter?" Reptil asked, sitting up.
"Spider-Man, you dolt!" Kier laughed, backing up. "Come on, we've got to get to the biodome!"
"Oh!" Reptil said, sitting up, suddenly alert. "THAT Peter!"
"Yes, that Peter!" Kier says, turning into a blackbird and flapping out of the warehouse. "Now come ON!" Reptil laughed and turned into a pterodactyl, flying after him.

"When can I be done?" James asked, looking up at the metal plate resting on his feet.
"Soon," Pym replied from on top of it.
"Yeah," Penny said, watching him play a video game. "Soon." James sighed, resisting the urge to put his hand down and help support the other that was holding all of the weight. He let his head drop, the world becoming upside down again.
"What are you guys doing to James?" Azari snapped, walking up.
"Torturing me," James said.
"Training him," Penny and Pym said simultaneously. Azari rolled his eyes and jumps, knocking the metal over as well as Penny, James and Pym.
"Thank you," James gasped, sitting up and rubbing his arm.
"No problem," Azari replied, helping him up.
"Ugggg," Pym groaned, sitting up and rubbing his head. "That was mean."
"Yeah," Penny agreed.
"How long did you even have him there?" Azari asked.
"A couple hours," Pym replied. Penny glared at him. "What?"
"Come here, you two," Azari said. They stood up and walked off with him, sending a glare at James. He shook his head and looked at his arm, which hurt like crazy. Torin flew up, landing beside James.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
"Yeah," he replied, smiling at her. "I'm just gonna be really sore." She smiled back and lightly kissed him on the cheek before flying off. He blushed bright red and waited a couple seconds before touching his cheek. He smiled and shook his head, walking towards his room.

Tony sat beside Peter's bedside, resting his chin on his thumbs, the rest of his fingers laced together over his mouth. Malnourished and dehydrated, Peter looked like he had just escaped a concentration camp. Well, seeing as what Ultron did to the world, he probably escaped something pretty close. A whoosh of feathers made him jump, and he looked behind him. Sure enough, Kier and Reptil materialized behind him.
"What are you two doing here?" he asked, standing protectively in front of Peter. Reptil nodded.
"So he is alive," he mumbled.
"Of course he is," Tony snapped. "Now get out before I call my armor."
"Let me heal him," Kier burst out suddenly. Tony blinked a couple times in surprise.
"What?" he asked.
"Let me heal him," Kier repeated, slightly slower. "Look, I know rebuilding Ultron was my idea, but-"
"I know what happened," Tony snapped back. "I was there. You know it."
"I didn't mean for anything to happen!" Kier yelled, clenching his fists. "I swear. It became self-aware and broke free of my control. I couldn't stop it." He looks away, eyes watering. "I'm iust trying to make amends." Tony sighed, crossing his arms.
"You're lucky I'm desperate," he says, standing to the side. Kier stepped forwards and took Peter's hand in his, closing his eyes and letting his tears drop on it. Instead of just sliding off, they seeped into his hand and flowed through his veins as green light, spreading throughout his body and healing it.
"I'm sorry," Kier whispered before slowly pulling his hand away, the green light dimming as he did so into nothing. Tony and Reptil gasped as Peter's eyes opened, Kier turning invisible.
"Peter!" Tony yelled, running to his side. "You're okay!"
"Um..." Peter mumbled, sitting up. "Yeah. I think so. What exactly happened?"
"Ultron," Tony replied.
"Oh yeah," Peter grunted, rubbing his eye with the heel of his hand. "That stupid thing. Is it dead?"
"Yep," Tony said with a smile. "It's long gone." Peter smiled.
"That's good," he said, turning so his legs were over the side of the bed. "Did anyone else survive?"
"Yes," Tony replies. "The kids." Peter's smile turned into a wide grin.
"The next Avengers," he said with a nod.
"Plus one more," Tony said with a smile. "Cmon, I'll show you." He offers his arm to Peter, who takes it and slowly stands up, not wanting to underestimate his tired muscles. But he had been healed by Kier. Together the two friends walked outside through the lab, heading out into the sun.
"Hey, Penny!" Tony called. "Come here a sec!"
"Penny?" Peter mumbled, a glimmer of hope igniting in his soul. Penny jumped over through the trees, dropping down and freezing in place. Then Peter's eyes welled up and he started walking to her, and she ran the rest of the distance between them, closing the gap that had been open for far too long between them. They embraced, tears flowing freely from both of their eyes now.
"I missed you, daddy," Penny murmured, burying her head into his shoulder.
"I missed you more," he replies, holding her close. Kier paused right before he was about to slip into the forest, staring back at them. He hurt. Jealousy and envy throbbed in his chest in time to his heartbeat like a mighty drum.
"Cmon," Reptil hissed, pulling him. He forced himself to look away, running into the woods with his friend.

Tony watched happily and slightly uncomfortably from the sidelines as Penny and Peter were reunited. The moment didn't last long, though, for a heavy boom shook the earth below them. Everyone was alert, Penny and Peter standing and ready.
"What was that?" Peter asked, looking over at Tony. Tony shrugged.
"I dunno," he replied, speed-walking towards the source. A yell rang out through the treetops and Tony started running. Someone was either hurt or scared, and neither of those was good. Peter and Penny followed, but in the trees. They burst into the clearing, the rest of the kids already there, but with Hawkeye missing. A tree had fallen nearby a huge crater, both of which the kids were observing. They all looked up when Tony, Peter and Penny came in, and all started talking at once.
"Okay!" Tony yelled, quieting them all down. "One at a time, please. James?"
"I didn't see anything," James said. "But Hawkeye's caught somewhere under the tree and there's a person down there in the crater, who I also think knocked the tree over."
"Got it," Tony replied. "Pym, go find Hawkeye. Torin, Spidey and Penny, you help." Peter snorted.
"I haven't been called that in a long time," he said, following the kids.
"Is that..." Azari started.
"Spiderman? Yes. Now, James, Azari, you and I are going to go into the crater and look at what the heck did this," Tony said. The boys nodded, James making a shield big enough to protect all of them and going in first, walking up to the edge and looking in. When he was sure nothing would move, he began working his way down the smooth side of the crater, Azari and Tony following close behind. As they got closer, they could make out the form of a man.
"Know who that is?" James asked Tony. He shook his head.
"If I do, they're too dirty to tell," he replied. They kept going until they reached the bottom, at which point they had a better view. The man was unconscious, his black hair bloodied and muddy. A cracked helmet lay nearby, blue with a red star on the front. He was wearing dirty, broken armor that was the same color of blue with gold accents, and he was clutching a melted, broken robot head that seemed oddly familiar.
"Oh my God," Tony breathed.
"Oh, you do know him," Azari said.
"Y-yeah," Tony replied, stunned. "But I never expected to ever, you know, SEE him again."
"Who is he?" James asked. "And can I put my shield down?"

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Sorry for not writing anything! Hope this chapter leaves room for interpretation :) Got any ideas who the mystery man is? Or what he's holding? Comment below! I'd love to hear from you!
Love,
Becca