Chapter Text
The bell rings, signaling the end of another school week. Peter’s up and out of his chair as quickly as possible, putting as much distance between him and Flash as he can. He meets up with Ned in the hallway. His friend looks apologetic, and starts talking as soon as Peter reaches him.
“My mom just texted me and apparently we’re going to Washington for the weekend which means we can’t build the 20th Anniversary Lego:Star Wars Snowspeeder . I’m so sorry! I know we’ve been trying to do this for a month now but my parents never tell me our plans until it’s too late!”
“Woah, Ned, it’s fine!” They stop at their lockers, where Peter puts his Chemistry textbook into his bag, “I can just go to the compound this weekend and we can build the Snowspeeder next weekend. It’s only got three hundred pieces, right, so by then I might be able to get that new TIE Fighter and we can build that too. Plus, we get next Friday off, we we can hang out even more.”
His friend calms down and they walk toward the exit, talking about homework and making plans for next weekend. They part ways with their handshake and a wave, Peter heading to an alley so he can change into his suit and swing home. He calls Mr. Stark and asks if he can come to the compound tonight and stay for the weekend. Mr. Stark says that as long as May’s okay with it, he can absolutely come over.
He doesn’t think it’ll take much convincing for Aunt May to let him stay at the Avengers compound, seeing as he was originally going to stay over with Ned anyway. Unsurprisingly, when he asks over dinner, she says it’s a wonderful idea. She’s probably just glad that he won’t be able to get into dangerous Spider-Man related situations since he won’t be in the city. He doesn’t tell her about all the times that he’s almost (accidentally) exploded his lab. And yes, it’s his lab. Mr. Stark gave him one after he started coming around the compound more often.
Peter is just starting to dig into dessert, store bought cherry pie, when everything in their apartment starts shaking. His Spidey sense tell him to duck as a series of kitchen knives fly in the direction of his bedroom. The lights start to flicker and thunder rumbles in the distance. Aunt May stares at him with wide, scared eyes.
There’s a strange blue light emanating from Peter’s bedroom, the door only half open. As he moves toward it, his Spidey sense doesn’t tell him there isn’t any danger, so he moves closer. May follows slightly behind when he doesn’t tell her not to. He pushes the door open and what the hell is that ? May voices the thought for him.
In the middle of the room is a big, blue, glowing thing. Maybe a portal of some sort, though it doesn’t look like anything Dr. Strange could make. Whatever it is, it’s completely trashing his bedroom. Papers and posters are being blown around, and the hamper of dirty laundry has been overturned, the clothes within it being thrown about the room.
Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the thing just disappears. Of course, not until it spits out a boy .
The boy is wearing an oversized grey suit. He looks to be about Peter’s own age of seventeen.
He looks around the room with a confused scowl before his eyes finally land on Peter and his Aunt. The boy sighs, “Shit.”
…
Peter takes the boy—“My name’s Five.”—to the compound. He’s not supposed to bring other people (with the exceptions of Ned, MJ, and May), but when the boy starts pacing and muttering about alternate universes, Peter decides Tony Stark and Bruce Banner are his best bet, and if need be, they can contact Dr. Strange.
He tells the Five as much, to which he’s hit with a question he’s never been asked before, “Who are they?”
It takes some sorting out and talking as Happy drives them to the compound, but eventually they piece together that Five is from an alternate Universe where the Avengers don’t exist. A universe that Five needs to get to quickly, because he needs to stop the apocalypse, which is apparently supposed to happen in two weeks. Five explains that it probably won’t happen in this universe (he starts writing calculations all over the car, much to Happy’s disapproval), which Peter is thankful for. Peter explains who the Avengers are to a somewhat skeptical Five, who only starts to believe him when he shows him articles written about the Avengers and videos of them fighting aliens.
Peter gets a little distracted watching Five. The other boy is watching a video of the Avengers fighting robots in Sokovia, and Peter can’t help but find the little pinch of Five’s eyebrows sort of adorable. Peter doesn’t forget how he felt when Five was writing things all over the car. Five is an adorable genius. What’s not to like?
Soon enough, they’re at the compound. The step into the elevator, where Friday greets Peter and “Peter’s Guest.” Happy doesn’t follow them.
Friday takes them to Tony’s lab, where they find Tony, asleep, and surrounded by holograms with a bunch of Avengers’ suit updates.
“This is Iron Man?” Five asks. Peter can’t tell if he’s unimpressed or just asking.
“Yeah. He probably hasn’t slept in two days,” Peter makes his way over to the man, thinks for a moment, then flicks him in the head. “Mr. Stark?”
Mr. Stark grumbles, arm reaching out to flick Peter back. Peter jumps out of the way, laughing. Slowly, Mr. Stark raises his head. He rubs a hand down his cheek, which leaves a big grease stain down the side of his face.
“Didn’t think you were coming ‘til seven,” Mr. Stark says.
“We’re late, Mr. Stark,” Peter grins, “It’s seven-thirty.”
“Oh,” then his eyes widen, “Wait, we? ”
“Right! Mr. Stark, this is Five. Five, meet Mr. Stark,” he gestures between the two, then explains, “Five fell out of his universe and into my bedroom earlier and now he needs to get back so he can stop the apocalypse.”
Mr. Stark doesn’t say anything for a moment. He eyes Five, who is scrutinizing the lab intently. Finally, Mr. Stark swipes his hand through the air and the holograms disappear.
“Okay,” he says to Five, “Can you tell me what happened?”
It takes a while, but by the end of the story, Peter really wants to hug Five. Apparently, Five can travel through space and time because he has superpowers. The boy had accidentally travelled into the future when he was thirteen, only to discover that everyone on earth had died. He was hired by something called the Commission, who would help him get back to his time if he worked for them for five years. He managed to figure it out on his own four years after his accidental travel into the future. Or so he thought. He’d managed to go back in time, and stay the same age that he was (17) instead of reverting to his thirteen year old body again, but he’d also ended up in a different universe.
“And you have no idea how to get back?” Mr. Stark asks.
“No,” Five says, “But I’m sure I could figure it out.”
“We can help!” Peter jumps excitedly.
“I-” Five cocks his head, “Thanks.”