Chương 2173: 41
Chapter 41: Time Travel Is Definitely a Bad Idea?Notes:
Sup, angst is here to stay.
And yes this is kinda early....I don't know, I felt like posting and figured why not? It's only like twelve hours early. In other news I think this fic is going to end up around 57 chapters. Fingers crossed that number doesn't change as I finish drafting the last few chapters. (I re-watched Infinity War for this fic...jesus christ that movie is worse than I remember.)
Chapter Text
May Parker's heart ached as they sat around the table. She was grateful Darcy was home instead of crashing in her apartment at the tower. Daisy's empty chair was starkly apparent. It loomed over them as they ate. The food tasted of nothing to May, and it likely tasted the same to the others based on Peter's listless poking and Darcy's glazed expression as she stared at the table. The usual happy chatter was gone.
She just repetitively took bites of her food. The call to tell her work that she'd be taking the week off had been one of the easiest decisions of her life. "I called the school, you don't have to go tomorrow."
"Huh?" Peter looked up from his plate seeming to blink back ever so slightly.
May hated seeing him like this again. It was somehow worse that he wasn't angry, just...empty this time. "I called the school, you don't have to go."
"I...thanks." He resettled into staring listlessly at his food and poking at it with his fork.
She wanted to scream that it was unfair, to cry, to do something. But nothing would make this better till Daisy came back. And May refused to believe anything different even if her heart ached with the possibility she wouldn't. The injustice of it though. She'd had to watch as her nephew, who was as good as her son, lose his parents, as they'd both lost Ben. And she… she couldn't make it better. So she had to believe Daisy was coming back.
She took another bite of the flavorless dinner. Because there was nothing to say.
"May I be excused?" Peter's voice was soft.
May nearly startled at that. They'd never been a family to require permission to get up and leave after a meal. "Of course."
He got up and dumped his uneaten food into the trash before putting his plate in the sink.
And May...she got up and caught him gently as he moved to walk past them. She held him to her. "She'll come back to us. I promise." A part of her believed what she said, and a part scoffed at it as idealism. But he needed to believe it more than she did. "We're going to get through this."
Peter nodded against her shoulder. "I know." His voice cracked slightly.
She hugged him tighter.
May held a cup of tea cradled in her hands. She needed to check and see her kids, that they were safe and in bed before she went to sleep herself. Padding up the stairs she paused as she heard something from Daisy's room. With a slight frown she pushed open the door. "Wanda."
"Ms Parker?" Wanda brushed at her face. "Sorry, I shouldn't be here."
"Oh honey." May stepped into the room, carefully avoiding the circuit board on the floor, and sat down next to Wanda on the bed. She reached out resting a hand on the girl's back. "You're always welcome here. And I know Daisy would never mind you using her room."
Wanda nodded, her eyes misty. "Sorry. I know...she's coming back. I can feel Hunter and that alien's certainty of it. But it doesn't help."
May felt tension uncoiling at Wanda's words. She trusted the girl, if Wanda said Daisy would be back, she'd be back. Thank god. She would have laughed normally at the startled look on Wanda's face as she clearly got an impression of her thoughts. "I'm not as used to all this as the rest of you." She shrugged, it was just how it was. "Should I be expecting your brother tonight as well?"
"Probably." Wanda admitted. Her eyes turned to the floor, red whisps escaping between her clenched fists. "I hate this! I can't do anything, I went to Asgard! But Thor isn't even there right now! And Odin would only promise to send an available warrior when he could spare them. Which is useless! We went to another world and what do we have to show for it? Nothing. Pietro and I are always trying to do something and then we never do anything helpful. We just make it worse."
"That's not true at all." May shifted so she was hugging the girl. "Come on, let's get some tea and call that brother of yours. You can tell me all about Asgard."
Wanda made a sound in the back of her throat. "It's stupid but I was excited to tell her I got that job at the coffee shop. And finals for my classes are next week."
"That's wonderful!" It really was. May tightened her hold on the girl. She saw the same history of loss written on Peter's face written on this girl's. She waited till Wanda was looking at her. "I know my niece loves you. And she's not the only one. You're a part of this family. I expect to see you studying for finals at the kitchen table. Understood?"
Wanda stared and then lunged, burying her face into May's shoulder, a sob barely audible as she shook against her.
Gently rubbing her back, May sighed. This family was made up of people who'd lost too much. It wasn't how she'd expected her family to grow. But it was how it had. And she wasn't letting this rip any of them away from each other. She'd just have to bring up the air mattress and put it in Daisy's room for Pietro. It would seem she needed to keep all of the kids close for a while.
////
Darcy flopped onto Peter's bed. "I'm staying here tonight."
"Huh?" Peter jerked away from his laptop where he'd been staring at an empty word document.
She pushed the giant stuffed spider off the bed. "I'm sleeping here, you can't make me get out."
"Oh….ok." Peter just sort of blinked at her. But then he fell serious. "Are we really going to get her back?"
Darcy gave a sharp nod. "Even if I have to rip a hole in the fabric of reality to drag her vibrating ass back home."
"Ok." He sucked in a breath and then seemed to settle somewhat. "What can I do to help?"
She propped herself up on her elbows. "You're going to need to protect the city. I know Daisy has been running everything, keeping the training wheels on. But I don't think you can keep them."
"But I could help with the time travel!" Peter protested.
Darcy shook her head. "Kid I've got a doctorate and short of building the tech it's not like I can do it. This is a Jane and Erik issue, maybe some Tony. But you're not ready for that yet. But New York needs you. Hell Yuri is going to need you. You guys just took down the mafia, that's… you need to be Spiderman."
"I...fine. I can do that." He nodded decisively, his face unnaturally serious. "What do we tell people about Daisy? I mean they're going to notice Quake just isn't around."
Darcy sat up all the way. Fuck. "If anyone asks she's helping SHIELD. Director Mace will back us. He won't want to admit some of his top agents got kidnapped. Kyle's already keeping his mouth shut, we just have to make sure he knows to keep it shut till we get our sister back."
"So are we getting the air mattress out for you?" He looked at the twin sized bed and then at her pointedly. But it was good, both of them were looking less like zombies.
She couldn't help it, she yawned. "Naw, we can squish. It'll be just like when you got clawed."
"Uh...that's kinda weird?" He seemed to see something on her face though. "Just no complaining if I elbow you in the kidney or anything."
Darcy huffed, her eyelids feeling heavy. "No promises. I just...not letting you out of my sight for a while."
"Yeah that...that sounds good." Peter rubbed at his nose.
It was...Darcy was relieved not to have to have this fight. She doubted she'd have been able to sleep without knowing he was safe and there. Because her family was...she'd always been distant with her mom. Too independent, too young, too smart to be codeled. Marching to the beat of her own drum before most people stopped just repeating their parents. That plus her mom working her ass off as a single parent and a distance had formed. She loved her mom, even loved Brad in an abstract sort of way. But this family here was...it felt different. Vital. She didn't know what she'd do if she lost them and that scared her.
"Thanks." She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.
Darcy woke up to an elbow in the gut, drool in her hair, and a bruise on her shin from getting kicked. It was comforting. She closed her eyes and just...enjoyed the feeling of not wanting to keel over from exhaustion. There was a snore next to her head. Darcy rolled her eyes, and then shoved Peter out of bed.
He let out a yelp as he hit the floor. "Wha!?"
"Up and adam baby bro." Darcy climbed out of the bed. She ruffled his hair, ignoring the indignant squawk.
Darcy trudged downstairs. She needed coffee stat. As she reached the kitchen she only paused briefly at the sight of Pietro leaning against the counter sipping at a mug of coffee. It made sense if she gave it two seconds of thought. "Morning."
"You're beautiful as always." He blurred and then she was holding a mug of coffee and he was back to where he'd started.
Breathing in deeply she sighed in contentment. Opening the fridge she grabbed her sugary creamer no one else liked and dumped it in. She took a healthy sip of coffee and groaned in relief. Thank Thor for coffee.
Darcy's eyes opened and focused on the speedy idiot also in the kitchen. "So, what do you want?" She raised a brow pointedly.
"What makes you think I want anything?" His typical smirk was more subdued, but there was relief in the normality of it all.
She leaned against the opposite counter taking a swig of her caffeine. "Alright Road Runner, your sister still asleep?"
"Hmmm." He acknowledged. "She hasn't slept since it happened." Pietro fell serious. "You're going to have the kid keep protecting the streets, yes?"
Darcy eyed him. "Yes?"
"What can I do to help? I have firefighter classes to take. But when I'm not training I can help him out." And he clearly meant it.
Her shoulders slumped. "That would be great. I can get you hooked into the comms. You're mostly set up anyways."
"Good." He shifted slightly. "Wanda will help too when she can. But with classes and her new job." Shrugging he looked slightly helpless. "I'll have more time to help."
Darcy pushed off the counter. "Why?"
"Why? Because your family gave my sister a place to belong. That is a debt I cannot repay. Because our sisters are in love and that makes us family. Because I like you all and would do it just for the friendship I feel for your family. Because Daisy would kick my ass if she came back and knew I could have helped Peter and I did not. Pick which you want." Pietro's head cocked to one side. "Do you think so little of me that this surprises you?"
She stepped across the kitchen till she was in his space. "I didn't mean it like that. I know you're a good person. I wouldn't be fucking you occasionally if I didn't."
"Fair." He grinned.
A third voice cleared it's throat. "That's quite enough of that." Aunt May stepped in looking between them. "And there's a teenager with enhanced everything in the house. If you don't want him knowing I'd suggest keeping that in mind." She patted Darcy's shoulder as she moved to refill her own mug of coffee.
Darcy felt her cheeks flushing. Shit. Well that cat was out of the bag. "Right, we'll keep that in mind."
Aunt May looked at Pietro with something akin to pity. "Good luck with Tony."
Pietro actually winced. "That will be...a conversation that does not need to happen. Yes?" He looked at Darcy for help.
"I mean it's not like we're dating." She shrugged, it wasn't like she controlled Tony and the man probably hadn't slept at all last night, unless Pepper had tranqed him. Darcy frowned. "I'm going to have to tranq him today or we're going to have explosions in the lab."
Pietro seemed to realize she was being serious. "Your family is very odd."
"But we're all supes hot so it's all good." Darcy grinned. She grabbed the box of poptarts. "May, I'm probably going to spend the night at the tower tonight. We're outlining the time travel project and honestly knowing everyone we're probably going to end up in a science binge."
May stepped to her and kissed the side of her head. "There will be a plate of dinner for you in the fridge if you change your mind." She looked at Pietro. "And more than enough for you and your sister. I expect all three of you here at least four times a week."
"Yes ma'am." Pietro gave a lazy salute.
Darcy softened, she understood what May was doing and...it was important even if she had no doubt it'd be irritating in the future when she wanted to stay in the lab. But she wasn't going to let this turn her into Jane. No thank you. Science gremlin of the lab was not her future. Sister kidnapped by aliens and sent to the future or not. "I'll be here. Can't leave the kid thinking he can get away with anything can I?"
////
Steve stepped into Hill's office. "Do you have time to talk?"
"No, but unfortunately I think whatever you want to talk about I need to hear." Hill looked over her computer and gestured him in.
He shut the door behind him and awkwardly perched in the chair in front of her desk. Steve was almost positive she'd chosen the chair purely because of how uncomfortable it was. "I need to keep the media off Tony."
"The PR department can help if you want to cut ribbons, do interviews and kiss babies." Hill looked away from her computer. "That's not what you meant though."
Steve shook his head. "You said you had leads on Hydra in the government but that they weren't vulnerable enough yet. Send me after them. If we drag Hydra out of important positions it'll keep people focused on that." His eyes narrowed. "And it needs to be done."
"The political chaos of the Accords is just dying down. This could bring some of it back." Hill offered him the chance to change his mind. They both knew he wouldn't.
He leaned back in the chair. "Then ask Darcy. But I think she'll agree we need to step on some ant hills. I don't fully understand what the media department is doing. But I do know that Tony and everyone making a time travel device isn't something the media should find out about."
"No. No it's not." Hill sighed. "Well then I suppose we better start with Hammer Industries. They received a life line of financing six months ago. We have reason to believe-"
"Are you going to tell Tony why we're leaving?" Natasha asked.
Steve nearly jumped out of his skin. "Nat! Don't do that."
"Just keeping you sharp Rogers." She slid into step besides him. "I called Vision, he'll watch Bucky at court for you while we drag the last remnants of Hydra out."
He nodded. "Thank you."
"Good to know even a fossil like you can get your head out of your ass." Her lips twitched.
Steve stopped and looked at her. "I don't care what differences Tony and I have. This is his daughter, of course I'm helping."
"Are we taking the Asgardian the twins dragged back with them?" Natasha asked, but her face said enough. It was more than enough to know she knew she'd been wrong, and her obvious subject change was as good as an apology from her.
He considered the question. "Well...Sif would certainly be attention grabbing."
"I'll let Hill know." Natasha looked viciously pleased at the chance to work with the lady Asgardian.
Steve had every intention of asking the woman for a spar himself. "Let's go make a splash."
////
Bucky carefully carried the tray of coffee into Astro lab. He purposely avoided Tony's line of sight as he passed out the ridiculously overpriced beverages. Lab work wasn't supposed to involve Stark. Yet here he was. At least there'd been no attempted murder? And he was only here for a few hours before he needed to feed the cats.
"The way I see it, the problem is we don't know which theory of time travel is correct and we can't know which theory is correct without testing it which is...problematic." Erik was frowning as he looked at the large empty white boards that had been wheeled in earlier. If he was wearing pants his words would have probably had more authority.
Dr Foster waved her hand. "We're talking about future time travel. That avoids most of the theoretical pitfalls."
"Janey has a point. We're not changing our own past." Darcy accepted and then clutched her coffee monstrocity like a lifeline.
Erik grumbled. "But it's our future we're changing."
Tony interrupted. "Look, it's a causal loop we're breaking." He pointed at the series of children's drawings taped to the wall. "Let's just invent this. Consequences be damned."
"Isn't that how we got Ultron?" Erik asked looking at Tony in sheer exasperation. Apparently the new antipsychotic drugs were helping there.
Bucky politely slipped out of the argument on the ethics of time travel. He had his own desk now. Also lots of papers to translate from scribbles to actual English. Why did modern people write like illiterate lunatics these days?
Bucky looked up as Ian slumped across his own desk across from him. This was...he was supposed to say something wasn't he? "Are you injured?" yes. That was normal. Probably. He missed the Hulk room where he just had to talk to cats.
"This is how they had to have felt before they invented the atom bomb." Ian raised his head slightly and then let it thunk against the table.
He wanted to swear, the intern wanted conversation. "Right…."
Ian just groaned as if Bucky had said something that could be agreed to. "And normally Darcy keeps them from getting carried away. But this time... she's helping with the world ending science. If our theory is wrong we could end up destroying reality itself! Though if we do that at least I can't be arrested. I'd have a break down if I went to jail."
"It's prison." Bucky wanted to take his words and shove them back down his throat. But it was too late the intern was looking at him. "Jail is where you go before your trial, prison is where you serve your time."
Ian gave the slightest of nods and then whined, his head hitting the desk again. "I can't do prison! And time travel is a terrible idea. We barely understand what we're doing with the portals."
Quite frankly it all sounded like science fiction gibberish to Bucky. And not having to worry about killing anyone or stopping the end of the world was part of the whole lab tech assistant gig. He wasn't even sure if this was hazing or exaggeration? And it wasn't like he was going to put one toe between Tony Stark and his missing daughter. No thank you. Self preservation instincts were coming back. "I'm...sorry?"
"Yeah." Ian sat up and then flopped backwards his spine bending as he slumped in the chair. "It's such an honor working for Dr Foster and Dr Selvig but...time travel...it belongs in Dr Who."
Bucky very carefully didn't mention he had no idea who Dr Who was. Also why would time travel belong inside of a human doctor? Did people hide terrible secrets to technology inside doctors now? No. Hydra would have had him kill and cut the man open. Maybe the intern was intoxicated?
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