章 92: Father Daughter Vacation, Finally!
Two days later, Earth- 199999
Paris
"I'm so freaking out!" Peter cried out as he paced back and forth in my room.
"Dude calm down," Ned tried to reassure his friend, "tell me the plan again, step by step."
"Ah-right. Step one," Peter took out a black glass necklace, "give her the necklace."
"No, that's step five."
"Right! Right. Step one, ask Michelle out to the Eiffel tower. Step two, find a way to the top of the tower without people seeing us. Step three...ah, what's step three again?"
"Tell her how you feel!" Hope chimed in as her tiny legs kicked under the chair she sat on.
"Right, tell her how you feel, I mean, how I feel. Thanks Hope," Peter smiled as the little girl gave him a thumbs up.
"Step four, hope she feels the same and then step five, give her the necklace," Peter held it up, looking at us with a nervous look, "well?"
"Dude, it's perfect," Ned gave him a thumb's up.
"I want one too!" Hope smiled.
"Your missing one important step," I spoke up.
Peter looked horrified, "what's that?!"
"Step 4.5, what you're going to say when she asks if you're Spider-man," I smirked, leaning back, watching the panic settled in.
"W-what?!" Peter's eyes widened.
"I mean, come on, it's obviously she thinks you're Spider-man," I sighed, "I'm guessing she's been observing you for a while now, probably figured it out."
"W-what? Are you serious?!"
I shrugged, "it's a possibility. Which means you still have to have a response if she does ask."
"I-I ...you mean if she figured out who I am?" Peter asked softly.
I nodded, "yeah...it's bound to happen. I mean...people who are close to you, who know you, they will always find out. By accidently or otherwise."
"Like May," Ned pointed out, "or me."
"Exactly," I replied, "listen Peter, you have a choice, don't think you don't. You can either tell her, or don't. But ask yourself this, do you trust her?"
Peter looked at us and then the glass necklace in his hand, "I...I do. I trust her to keep my secret."
I smiled and shrugged, "not what I meant, but that's good enough," I patted his shoulder and walked to Hope, helping her get down from her seat, "good luck Peter, I hope you get her."
"Y-you aren't coming along?" Peter asked, "I could use the support. I mean Ned's there but you could help me too. You have done something like this before right?"
I blinked, "yeah...but honestly I can't. I have an appointment with a doctor and I can't miss. But don't worry, you'll do fine."
"How can you possibly know that?"
I smiled, opening the door to le tHope through. I turned around and said, "because I know she likes you too. And not just because you're Spider-man," and then shut the door to his grinning face.
In a little cafe a few roads away from the Eiffel Tower was where I found myself waiting. We had reached here last night, Peter's trip was reaching the final leg of its journey, like planned, and he was all wrapped up in his own head about finding a way to confess to MJ about his true feelings.
Hope sat next to me on the table outside the cafe, scribbling away in the notebook I got her with her 24 crayon pack.
I sipped my cup of espresso and smiled at my baby girl. She was so carefree, doodling away on her sheet of paper, drawing a picture of her and I standing before the Eiffel tower which we had visited an hour ago.
I thought back to the past few days, Hope has honestly been handling all of this so well. For a child her age, be it her actual age or mental age, spending four days in a world you have never seen before meeting people you don't know could be a tough pill to swallow.
I was just so glad she wasn't messed up in the head. Last thing I need is Jean burning me alive for mentally scarring our daughter.
I felt a sudden rush of magic in the air. I closed my eyes and sensed a portal closing behind the cafe. I turned, just in time to see Strange walk around the shop's corner, his clothes shimmering as a glamour of a suit was placed over his blue master robes.
"Did you wait long?" Strange asked, a firm nod given in greeting.
"It's alright, got to spend time with my Princess after all," I replied, reaching up and ruffling her hair, "Princess? Did you see who's here?"
Hope looked up, her eyes vacant as her drawing had all her attention, "hi Mr. Strange," she greeted, before going right back to her drawing.
Strange smiled, sitting down across from us, "she seems to be busy."
I chuckled, "that she is...so, why did you contact me to meet? Did you..." I glanced at Hope with worry. I then turned to Strange, trying to discern a single iota of proof on his face that would reassure me that everything would be alright, something small, some reason to believe my daughter would be alright.
And then, the man did the unbelievable: he smiled.
"I found something," Strange reached into his coat jacket and took out a time that had been shrunken down to many sizes smaller, "it's not much, but it is a start."
I took the booklet and immediately it expanded to the size of my head weighing nearly twenty pounds and thicker than a New York milkshake.
I open it up eagerly to a bookmarked page, tagged with a red ribbon. I look it over quickly and discern the meaning of the chapter immediately.
It was about a creature, a legendary demon from another dimension that arose from the ashes of destroyed souls. It had grown into a full grown adult three days after it's birth, killed it's first man three hours after that, killed it's own mother two months after that and destroyed a universe on its fifth year alive.
I looked over the book at Strange and raised an eyebrow, "I hope you aren't implying my little girl is a demon."
"Hardly," Strange smiled, "I already checked...but, the demon's story does have relevance. I was studying it's growth, it's the only thing that even came close to what's happening with Hope."
"I see, and what did you find?"
"Intent," Strange stated, "the demon's growth was spurred on by it's intent of self preservation fueled by its own magic."
"How so?"
"You see the demon was born to a holy woman, it's father cursing her with his spawn as an act of vengeance for her casting him away. The demon's spawn was born and ever since it took its first breath it was fighting for its life. It's mother tried to kill it, drowning, hanging, burning, nothing worked. The demon only grew stronger. I believe something similar is happening with Hope, it's the only explanation."
I groaned, "but she's not in any form of duress, I know, I can feel her emotions. She's never had to deal with anything more than a bad stomach now and then from too much food. She's not..." in danger...but she was...
Strange raised an eyebrow, "you thought of something."
I nodded, "before Hope was born, her mother, Jean, was being hunted down. Inside of her was this entity, a powerful entity. Have you heard...have you heard of the Phoenix force?"
Strange's cup nearly feel out of his hand. "T-The Phoenix Force?" Strange's eyes went to Hope and then me, "y-your daughter is a child of the Phoenix? You knocked up the Phoenix?!"
"Please be quiet, I'm drawing," Hope called out without looking up from her colouring book.
Strange looked surprised at my baby's sass before sighing, rubbing his temple hard, "well that certainly complicate things. How did you even...the Phoenix is one of the single greatest sources of psionic and comic powers in the universe. How exactly did you manage to-" he stopped his rant, glancing at Hope, "-seduce it?"
I smiled, "it has a name you know. And for the record, I didn't seduce her, she kind of seduced me. It was before she became a host, she actually...gave her life trying to save mine and in the process unlocked her connection to the Phoenix. Now having a host it took off, what I didn't know at the time however was that she was pregnant.
"It took me almost a year to find her and get her back, during which time the Phoenix was constantly being attacked by people who wanted to do it harm."
"They were actually able to hurt it?" Strange asked in disbelief.
"She was pregnant, remember?" I motioned of Hope, "the host's pregnancy made the Phoenix weaker, so to speak, allowing her to be captured. My friends eventually rescued her and I made sure those people won't try that again, but...I ended up missing my own daughter's birth...anyway, you were right, Hope did have a lot of duress in the beginning of her life, are you saying that's what caused her to age so quickly?"
Strange was silent, clearly still taking in the revelation I had dropped on his lap like it was nothing. He was silent for a long time before sighing and nodding, "I think I need to do some more research. Now that I know she's a child of such a powerful cosmic entity I may have another lead to follow...is there anything else you wish to tell me?"
"Here," I took out a pendrive, "this has all the notes I remember putting down on Hope's genetic structure and treatment programs. I made sure to leave nothing out and included anything I thought would be important. A warning though, the genetic sequences you're about to see inside is not...well, logical. It's a chimera of several DNA strands and will be quite difficult to understand."
"Whose DNA is it?" Strange asked, taking the pendrive.
"Mine."
Strange nodded, "I see, I'll be careful with this then...tell me how did you prepare for this?"
"Bought the pendrive and spent a few hours on Peter's laptop on the train from Prague," I shrugged.
"Oh, so I take it things are going well?" Strange asked with a smile, the pen drive vanishing into his pen pocket.
"He's a good kid," I shrugged, "a little naive and innocent when it comes to being a hero but if I'm honest so was I. He'll learn."
"Or you could teach him," Strange suggested.
"Was that why you sent me to him? Because you wanted me to be his mentor?" I asked with a hum.
"Yes…."
"Why?"
"Because he needs a mentor. He had Stark but lost him...I can't help think everyday of how lonely the kid feels...I thought it was only right that I offer some sort of guide for him."
"You know, you could do it yourself."
"I'm not the mentor type. I would be a horrible mentor."
I smiled, "Strange, do I need to remind you who taught me magic?"
After that cup with Strange we went our separate ways. Strange promised to contact me as soon as he could with an update, though he warned me it would be a difficult task.
With that done Hope and I spent the rest of the day in Paris seeing the City of Love. I had to drag her away from her drawings at first, girls tend to get caught up in her own world much like her old man, but after seeing a few sights Hope fell in love.
We ate food off of carts, everyone smiled at Hope's utter joy of tasting creepers for the first time. I swear I saw her feet lift off the ground the first time she bit into it.
The city was her next fascination. Every building and alleyway looked like a work of art, making Hope want to run through the streets to see it all. At one point I took her on my shoulders and we flew around the Paris skyline, under a glamour of course.
We even did a bit of shopping, finally getting her something to wear other than the UMF suit. While is was hygienic and sanitary and honestly saved a lot of money on by different designs, there was something about the novelty of physical clothes that just couldn't compare.
I got Hope an entire wardrobe full of clothes, got myself a nice french style suit and coat, and also a few items for the girls back in our home dimension. Seriously, when they find out we went to Paris and didn't buy them anything I would be hanged.
We stored it all away in my bag of storage, which was quickly becoming my most valuable resource, and then made our way to the Louvre.
Hope immediately took a liking to the oil paintings put up, I managed to get a guide book and so every time she showed an interest in any painting I would tell her what it was about and why people loved it.
"Daddy! This one looks so funny!" Hope giggled at the painting of Saint John the Baptist, "what is he pointing at?"
"The sky?" I guessed, "you know, he looks like he's telling a joke. Maybe...oh, I know, he's saying the only thing bigger than you are the clouds in the sky."
Hope looked, her eyes leveled up, "that's not very funny daddy."
I blinked, "...okay..." Hope turned and started giggling at the painting again before moving on to another. I think that was the first time my little girl ever not laughed at one of my jokes. Oh my god...I need to earn back that respect before she losses that too!
"She is adorable," a feminine voice called out.
I turned and standing next to me was a very pretty and familiar blond woman. She wore a sleeveless turtleneck under a brown aviator leather jacket. Her jeans clung to her shapely behind, she looked very much like the version of her from my world, minus the long hair. She had cut it short, frankly, I didn't like it.
She smiled, the kind I didn't need super sense to know it had a hidden meaning behind it. I've seen that smile before on Carol's face, it meant whoever she was smiling at had one chance not to piss her off. Sadly for this version of Carol Danvers I've had that smile leveled at me so many times it's basically lost all meaning.
"Thank you, her mother and I are very proud," I replied with a grin, ignoring her veiled threat.
"I see, are you and her mother still together?"
"Very much so," I replied, "now, are you going to tell me what you want or are we just going to exchange compliments about my daughter? Because frankly I would prefer the latter."
"Alright, fine, enough B.S., who are you?" Carol turned to me with narrowed eyes.
"Ben Riely," I smiled, "and you are?"
"You know who I am Ben...or should I say Thor?" Carol narrowed her eyes.
I blinked, how did she...oh. They figured it out. I wonder how...probably lose security camera or something I didn't check. I smiled, turning to watch Hope, "tell me, is Talos good?"
"He's fine."
"Physically maybe, but his pride must have taken a nosedive," I grinned, "I mean, not only was he played for like a fool my Mysterio, but then again by another human who had a disguise who even tricked a natural born shapeshifter like him. I mean, his ego must have had an axe taken to it when he found out."
Carol raised an eyebrow, "he didn't like it...yelled a little but he'll be fine...you act as if you know him."
"Hm..."
"Do you?"
"Hm..."
"I suggest you start answering some questions Ben before I make you," I snorted at the threat, Carol didn't like that. Her eyes glowed yellow, "and trust me, I can make you."
"How?" I asked, "by torturing me? Because you're not the type to resort to torture. Nore are you the type to kill people without reason. So how exactly are you going to make me Ms. Danvers?"
"How do you know my name?" Carol hissed.
"I know a lot about you Carol Danvers," I replied, "I also know..that we aren't enemies. Tell me, what exactly are my crimes?"
Carol was silent, "you impersonated a god."
"Which isn't a crime."
"Identity theft is a serious crime. Millions of people suffer from it every year."
"Are you quoting Dwight?" I asked, very impressed at the casual meme knowledge.
"Who?" Carol asked, confused.
"You know...The Office? Popular TV sit-com...based on a British TV show of the same name...wildly popular...no?"
"No," she flatly replied, "I'm going to ask you again. Why?"
I sighed, "to find out why an alien was impersonating the world's greatest secret agent," I replied swiftly back, "kettle, meet pot."
"I didn't come to debate ethics with you. I came to give you a chance," she motioned to the doors to the art exhibit where several men and women in black clothes were there waiting, "we have this place surrounded. Come quietly and no one gets hurt."
"Hm, yeah, sorry, have to pass on that," I waved off her threat, "lots to do and very little time. Hope-" I turned, just in time to see two female agents standing behind Hope as she started at a statue of an angel. They looked at me and then to my daughter, the threat hanging in the air.
I turned back to Carol, "tell me...do you really think it's a good idea to threaten someone with their own child?"
"It's not how I would like to do things, but it's the only way to bring you in safely," Carol replied, her eyes narrowed, "we don't know how dangerous you are so-"
"-That's why they sent you."
Carol nodded, "that's why they sent me."
"And here I was thinking you came because Talos went crying to you like a child, and you big mama bear stepped up to teach the mean old man who bullied her cub a lesson."
"Funny, you do stand up?"
"I'm a pretty stand up guy."
"I highly doubt that."
"Hm...so, either I come with you quitely, or..."
"Or I make you. We just have a few questions, after which you can be on your way."
"One question."
"What's that?"
"My daughter."
"Safe, the best care SHIELD has to offer."
"Hm… tempting, but I'll raise you one better. I'll come with you, no problem, but Hope doesn't get out of my sight."
"No," Carol glared, "you will not hide behind a child."
"Listen, Captain Crazy," cue glare that could make warlords cry, "you do not tell me what I can and cannot do with my child. And, one more than, my daughter, is the only reason we aren't doing this the fun way, she's not here for me to hide behind, she's here to act like a buffer for you. So, if you'll excuse me," I turned my back to her and walked over to my daughter.
"Hold it right there sir," one of the agents surrounding my daughter held up a hand in warning, the other reaching for their firearm, "we can't alone you-"
"-Princess!" I called out, ignoring the agent who began to look frustrated, "hey, what'cha looking at?"
"This weird one," Hope replied, starting at a painting and tilting her head to the side to try and look at the kaleidoscopic painting from a different angel, "it just looks like a bunch of lines on paper."
"Yeah, that's called modern art sweetie, it's something you can do," I took her free hand in mine, "so, you want to look at something else? Or you want to go back to the hotel?"
"I want to see more!" Hope cried out, grinning, "this book says that there is this really beautiful painting of some woman that a million-billion people see!"
"A million-billion? Well now we have to see her huh?" I smirked, "come on, let's find this pretty lady. Hey, who knows, it might be a picture of your mom."
"That would make sense," Hope nodded, agreeing with the simple statement of her mother's beauty that any loving child would do.
The clicking of heels rang out on the marble floors as Carol came forward, the agents behind her, "we don't have time to waste, we are leaving, now."
Hope turned and her eyes widened in recognition, "aunty Carol!"
Hope rushed forward, but I scooped her into my arms at the last moment, holding her against my chest, "Hope honey, that's not your aunty."
Hope and Carol blinked, both confused but for different reasons. "But she looks...she's not?" Hope asked, blinking as she recognized the face and voice from memory. Carol didn't visit home as much, but when she did she spent at least an hour playing with Hope.
"But...she looks just like her..." Hope trailed off, looking at Carol with worry and longing for the playmate her memory told her she had. Carol looked at Hope, you could almost see the sense of sorrow and confusion mix with the many questions running through her head.
"Hope, remember our talk about twins?" I asked.
And like a rubber band she snapped back to her senses, "oh yeah! Okay, I get it," Hope looked at the paintings, "can we find the painting now?"
"Sure honey, let's,' I ignore Carol's questioning glance and carried Hope over to the wing where the Mona Lisa was being kept.
The agents and Carol followed us, but they kept silent, on Carol's orders. We spent ten minutes just looking at the painting, I told Hope everything I remembered about it, and after she got bored of all the pictures in the museum, Hope finally agreed to go back to the hotel for a nap.
By the time my feet hit the outside of the Lurve Hope was asleep in my arms. I turned to Carol, who had been quite all along, "I'll be right back."
Carol looked confused, but before she could say anything I formed a portal with my borrowed sling ring and stepped through, closing it before Carol could follow me through.
I walked through the New York Sanctum and found Wong in the kitchen. With his help I had Hope tucked into one of the beds of the building before opening a portal back to the Lurve, promising Wong I would be back before Hope woke up for dinner.
As soon as I stepped back on french soil Carol spotted me. I closed the portal behind me as she ran to my side, "how did you do that?!"
I didn't reply, I simply ask in response, "so, where's the real Fury?"
They drove me to the middle of Paris, a run down neighborhood with buildings built after the second world war. I got out and they lead me into a seemingly abandoned building with darkened shades and high walls that were twenty feet tall.
Inside however the older stone aesthetic was replaced by a modern metal design. I could feel the buzz of the electricity behind the walls around me, wires running through them. I looked around, hearing over a dozen heartbeats inside.
I was lead into a plain white room that was poorly illuminated with a table and two opposing chairs.
"Sit," Carol order as she closed the door behind her, locking the two of us inside, alone.
I pushed back the chair with my foot and sat down. I then turned to the wall on my far left, which I could tell was actually a one way mirror disguised to look like a plain wall.
Behind it were several brain patterns and heartbeats coming out from the other side. One in particular was familiar, "hello Talos, Fury. How wonderful to see you again."
Carol was surprised, she looked at to the glass before her ear piece buzzed. Carol nodded and sat down opposite to me, "Who are you?"
"I'm Spider-man," I replied easily.
Carol raised an eyebrow, "you're a little too tall to be Spider-man."
"I know. And between you and me, I think I'm more handsome than Peter," I wink, "though I have to say he has this cute puppy dog look going for him which will be pretty hard to beat out in the future."
SLAM!
"Enough games!" Carol cried out, slamming her fist into the table, denting it so deep it sank into the ground, "who are you? Why did you impersonate Thor and what do you know about the Skrulls?!"
I rolled my eyes, looked to Fury, who's location I could easily guess, and replied, "My name is Peter Benjamin Parker. I'm from another dimension where when I was fifteen I became Spider-man. A few months later the Chitari invaded and I helped the Avengers stop them and Loki. That however was nearly six years ago and right now I am here, in this world, trapped. If you don't believe me, ask Strange. Don't worry, this time he'll pick up."
I put both of my feet on my table and leaned back in my chair, "until you do, I'll be right here..."
Carol got up and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Now I could have tried and read the minds of the people in the room next to this one, try and figure out what they were planning. But honestly, I didn't give a damn at this point.
Just let Strange sort this mess out.
I kicked my legs up and leaned back on the chair, thinking back to my conversation with Strange this morning. Hope's growth has precedence now, it happened before somewhere in the Multiverse and maybe the underlying reason is the same.
Hope was an Ember, a child of the Phoenix and a human, and a chimera of a human at that. My kid was going to be one hell of a power house when she grows up, I just know it. My only problem is I can't figure out why her growth is being affected so rapidly. Maybe it was subconscious? Or maybe whatever embers of the Phoenix force she had in her was forcing this change.
I was so engrossed in my thoughts I didn't notice the time pass as the door to the interrogation room opened again, this time Carol, Fury and Talos walked inside.
I scanned their surface thoughts, they were confused, surprised and a little annoyed. And also the Fury in front of me was the real one, not a skrull in disguise.
I looked at them and raised an eyebrow, "am I still being detained?"
"Why are you here?" Fury asked first, his one good eye on me.
"Didn't Strange explain?"
"He said it was an accident."
"So you believe him when he said I was from another world but not about why I ended up here?"
"I trust his technical expertise, but not his judgement of character," Fury replied.
"Yes, I suppose you are proud of your people reading skills," I sighed, rolling me eyes, "so, how are we doing this? 20 questions or a monologue?"
"How did you come to our world and can others do the same."
I rolled my eyes, "twenty questions it is. I came here by accident, a rift opened up in my daughter's bedroom and we were sucked through it. I don't know if other can be brought here the same way but I do know that there are many, many methods of dimensional travel. Hell, I personally know three."
"What are they?"
"One is the rift I mentioned. The other is a machine a man from my world made and the third is the Reality stone. Not many people know this but with enough juice the Infinity stone can actually open up portals to other worlds."
Fury looked to Carol, both showing concern. "Is there anything else we should know?" Carol asked.
I raised an eyebrow, "are you asking is something dangerous can come out and attack your world?"
Talos nodded, "it's not just their world in danger, it's all our worlds."
I sighed, leaning back, turning to the skrull, "yes."
"What are they?"
"To many to count," I reply, "far too many. If something does come for you though...I hear you have quite a team to help you fight them."
"Strange tells us you are also part of a team back on your...home," Fury prompted.
I nodded, "timeline is different here. I was born sooner, became Spider-man sooner, so I was just in time to help the Avengers stop the Chitari, making me a part of the original team in my world..."
"I see..." Fury looked ot Talos, "and that stunt you pulled with our friend here wasn't appreciated. I doubt Thor would find it funny as well."
I waved off the threat, "Thor is used to being impersonated. Your forgetting I know the guy personally."
"Your world is not ours."
"We have many differences, sure, but more than enough similarities," I grinned, turning to Carol, "for example the Carol of my world would never get a haircut that horrible."
Carol blinked, "I'm sorry?"
"You look like a soccer mom Carol," I replied flatly, "honestly, after the last time you cut your hair on Prozia 4 I thought you decided never to cut it again."
Carol's eyes went wide, "how did you-did...in your world are we-"
"-Friends? Yes we are," I smile, "that's why Hope called you aunty, because you really are her aunt."
Carol took her step back, clearly not able to process the idea fully. Fury noticed this and stepped in, "and what about you and me? Because don't think I didn't notice you tense up the moment I stepped in."
I grew annoyed, had I dropped my gaurd? Damn, I must have if he noticed. I honestly forgot how amazing Fury was at reading people. After spending nearly two years in space you tend to look down on smaller details.
I sighed, "we don't get along, that's true."
"Why may I ask?"
"Because when I was 16 you sent my girlfriend after HYDRA," I stated, much to the Fury's confusion. I continued, "HYDRA sent someone after me, the Winter Soldier," recognition, "so you know him. Good. Anyway, he did something to almost get me killed and you took that time to convince my girlfriend to go after HYDRA for revenge."
"I would never-"
"Her father was an infiltration expert, you know the only way you could get him to target and bring down HYDRA bases for you was by sending Felicia after them. So you sent a seventeen year old after HYDRA armed with only her father's expertise."
Silence. Carol turned to Fury, "is it true?"
"I have never done anything like that in my life!" Fury cried out.
"But you would, if push came to shove," I replied smoothly, standing up, walking around the table. Carol immediately stepped between Fury and myself, I stopped right before her, my gaze locked with Fury, "I don't blame you Fury, I really don't. It was the smart thing to do. But you lied to me, broke my trust, used the woman I loved and sent her into a shit show and you expect me to just smile and nod along? I know you aren't the same man, but trust me, I know Nick Fury, and you just don't change, no matter what world you exist in."
I turned it Carol, "I'm going now. If you need to ask me more questions you'll know where I am," I turned dot Talos, "if I find out you and your people are taking advantage of Fury and Carol's compassion I will end whatever it is you are planning. Secret invasion of the body snatchers or whatever else you have planned, I promise, I will stop you, do you understand?"
"We don't mean war with your people," Talos quickly added, "I have nothing but respect for Fury and Carol."
"But you aren't your people," I replied, "you cannot speak for all of them with certainty."
"If you know me, then you know I trust them with my life," Carol spoke up, "they don't mean us harm."
I turned from Talos to Carol, "did you know...that this is the only universe which I know off where the skrulls aren't invading Earth? Maybe it is an anomaly in the multiverse, maybe...but honestly, if Fury taught me one thing, it's never to trust anyone."
I walked away, stepping out the door. I made my way out the building and let the cool Paris air hit my skin and fill my lungs. I stuck my hands in my pockets and sighed. After all this time...I still can't move on from what Fury did.
I felt like a child having a grudge against a man for so long. But the truth was Felicia was the first person I loved, she also gave me a reason to live my own life and not just Peter Parker's. She was my anchor and he played a part in taking her away. Maybe someday it won't matter, even now it's a fading memory, after all I had more important things to do.
It was night time, the whole day had gone by in a flash. I looked to the corner of the skyline and saw the Eiffel tower off in the distance. Peter was probably confessing to Michelle right now. I smiled, maybe I should go and take a peak.
But before I could fly over the door behind me opened once again as Carol walked out. She had her hands in her pockets and she looked me over.
"How close were we?" She asked.
"If that's your way of asking me if we were dating then no, we didn't go out," I smiled.
"Pity," Carol snorted, walking up to me, "you're pretty easy on the eyes Ben...Peter?"
I smiled, "call me Peter."
"Right...so… you're really the same kid?" Carol asked, referring to this world's Peter.
I nodded, "there are differences. For example I'm far more ruthless."
"How so?"
"I was trained by SHIELD," I replied. Carol looked surprised, confused even before it hit her.
"You were an agent of SHIELD?"
I shrugged, "for a time, before the Avengers became a thing. Then I kind of just became popular to be a covert agent ...hey, want to continue this later? I kind of have to be somewhere."
Carol shrugged, "I get it, you have a kid...which is weird because there is another version of you in the same city who's just a teenager."
I shrugged, "you haven't seen anything yet. Anyway, I'll be seeing you Carol," I opened a portal in front of me, "oh, one more thing: good luck."
"With what?" she asked.
I smiled, "everything," I stepped through the portal and closed it behind me. I walked through the New York Sanctum and found Hope's room.
My angel was sleep with not a care in the world, clutching the book she spent the entire day drawing in. I looked at them and if I was being honest...she was an amazing artist. She might have a real talent for it...maybe, if I'm lucky, her future profession won't be anything like what I do.
After making sure she was comfortable I walked out the library where I found Strange going through many tomes. He noticed me straight away and invited me in.
"So, found anything new?" I asked, sitting next to the fireplace, snapping my fingers to activate the runes hidden underneath the window sill.
Strange noticed my action, "I forgot you actually lived here at one point...no, nothing new. But I do have a possible lead which I'm following."
"How can I help?" I ask.
"This tome is about auras, see if it has anything useful," Strange sent a book through the air into my arms.
I nodded, "will do, thanks," I began reading, absorbed into my work until Strange spoke up once again.
"I need you to do something for me," Strange spoke up, not taking his eyes away from the book, "think of it as compensation for giving you free boarding."
"I can pay you if you want," I smiled.
"I don't want your stolen money."
"You were a doctor Strange, don't give me that holier than thou attitude. I've seen what you charge patients," I smirked, an action Strange replicated.
"Fine, but I still need that favour, it's...odd."
"Shoot."
"In a week's time there is going to be this… meeting of sorts, between the Avengers of this world," Strange sighed, rubbing his eyes, "I promised I would go, I want you to come with me."
I raised an eyebrow, "why?"
"Because I want you to tell them the threats you've faced and talk about what might one day come for us," Strange replied, "you've seen the multiverse and you and I both know certain events repeat itself in different worlds. I want you to be my proof."
"You've just fought a war Strange, is it really the best time-"
"-It is the only time to do this!" Strange snapped. He looked at me and realised his slip up. I stared at him until he finally sighed, "I...I used the time stone to see into the future before Thanos' snapped his fingers. I saw how we won and how we lost. And, most importantly I saw what comes after."
"What comes after?" I asked, my interest peaked.
"War, one bigger than before," Strange's hands were shaking, I same them gripping the edges of the book he had before him, "but I couldn't see anymore. I...I think I died in the future. And no matter what I did, I couldn't find a way past that point in time...more than fourteen million times and not one..."
"...When?"
"A few years...I think," Strange whispered, "I honestly don't know but I...I won't let my universe be slain again like it just was. This time we need to be ready, I'm hoping they will listen to me if you're there to serve as testimony."
I was silent for a moment before nodding, "okay...let's do it."
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