• Published 26th May 2018
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Infinity Era - JDPrime22



Avengers: Infinity War / Avengers: Endgame crossover. The culmination has arrived. The Mad Titan has waited so long for this moment. Long live the Infinity Era.

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Chapter 198 – A New Beginning

198

Weeks Later

Earth

Queens, New York City

5:50 p.m.

Virginia “Pepper” Stark stood against the melting horizon, arms crossed as she gazed beyond the towering tree lines and the futuristic Unisphere. Joining the spherical landmark representing the Earth, a second structure was built in the short weeks that followed the Blip—as people were calling it. That second structure represented none other than planet Equus, joining the Unisphere in a shared orbit. Forever locked together in comradery, in friendship, for the future to come.

Flushing Meadows Corona Park was filled with a rejuvenated and growing populace. All around her, Pepper could see families spending their afternoons having picnics, playing games, or observing the monument to the sister worlds. As if they needed to see some artist’s representation, considering Equus herself was scheduled to pass directly New York later that night. Pepper almost smiled at the thought, turning to that horizon and seeing Equus beginning to peek over it. What was once an object of uncertain terror had transformed into an awe-inspiring spectacle of majesty and wonderment. So many people had their telescopes out and directed towards the upcoming path of the planet, the unhinged excitement of men and women, young and old, and families alike starting to grow warm to Pepper.

A deep and saddened sigh exited Pepper’s lungs, her eyes falling to the grass. The strengthening light of the sun against her skin gave her that will to lift her gaze forward, beyond the Unispheres and to the distant skyline. Where Manhattan and all the skyscrapers touched the sky and elicited a growing smile of ease from Stark. Her visits to Queens were always welcoming, especially finishing every visit with a trip to the park, where she always received a beautiful snapshot of what was once her home.

Hearing the growing footsteps behind her, Pepper turned to first see Happy Hogan waiting for her by their private jet, holding onto Morgan’s hand while bystanders gawked to the jet resting amongst the field of grass. Filling those approaching footsteps was the young man Pepper had recently become acquainted with, and found herself growing particularly attached to. She could understand exactly why Tony saw so much in him.

Probably because she saw so much of Tony in Peter Parker.

Running up to her side, Peter Benjamin Parker took a moment to catch his breath. Together, the two of them stood side by side, gazing onto that same horizon, where the snippets of Manhattan were visible to the naked eye. Peter’s breath slowed, that calming smile finally finding its way onto his lips. He could understand why Pepper always decided to stop in Flushing Meadows every time she and Happy dropped by Queens. It was one heck of a sight.

Smiling to Pepper, Peter said, “Happy wanted me to tell you that they’re ready to ship off. Morgan was getting a little tired, too. I’m sure she wants to see her mom.”

Pepper nodded appreciatively at that, never breaking her eyes away from the distant city. She breathed in well, sighed even better. “Just finishing up here.”

Peter bit his lower lip.

“You know, I wanna thank you again…” he began, earning Pepper’s eyes. He bravely rose his to meet hers, offering that grateful grin. “For… everything. The Stark Relief Foundation really did come in clutch for Aunt May and I. Oh, and thank you also for paying for my vacation.”

“Take it as a token of our appreciation for your contributions to the Avengers.”

“Yeah… about that,” Peter said, voice trailing off to the sunset. Despite that, he never turned away from Mrs. Stark. She looked nowhere else but onto him. “If you guys need me for anything, you still have my number, right?”

Pepper nodded. “We have all the Avengers’ numbers, even yours.”

He pursed his lips at that, eyes finally falling to his feet. He nodded thankfully to that. “This vacation might be exactly what I need,” he said, yet there was still that lingering presence of growing apprehension hanging over him like a storm cloud. Pepper noticed it instantly, turning her curious and worrisome eyes and resting them against the sullen Peter Parker.

The Spider-Man sighed, still managing a short and strong smile on his end. “Though I might need… to take a break from avenging and just focus on being that friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”

Though it probably wasn’t exactly how Tony wanted him to turn out—he practically gave Parker every opportunity to become a greater figure to the larger world—it was an admirable choice, one that Peter was sure Tony would have accepted nonetheless. Just like he accepted it once before. The time for the Avengers had come to end. Heroes had gone their separate ways and the worlds were at peace. Even then, Peter knew for certain that if the world needed them, if either world needed them, the Avengers wouldn’t hesitate to assemble once again. Spider-Man wouldn’t hesitate.

Pepper, like her late husband, seemed pleased to Peter’s mature choice of words. She smiled sweetly to him, murmuring gently, “You always start off with something small.”

It was small. It was the idea of a hometown hero that somehow spoke greater volumes to Pepper than Spider-Man the Avenger ever could. Because it was something so pure. So exciting. Something that had limitless possibilities for what he could become, for where he could go, and the legacy Peter Parker could leave behind. She had no doubt Spider-Man would become something greater. Maybe someday, but not that day. That day, he would start small.

And he would make something spectacular.

Before long, their short conversation came to an end. They shared one last smile with one another before Peter turned around and walked away. In that moment of minimal clarity and silence, Pepper gazed back to the falling sun and rested. She breathed in deep and breathed in well, finding that much-needed peace within herself after what seemed like a lifetime spent without Tony. It wasn’t easy. Nothing ever was. But Pepper persevered. With her family continuing to stand by her side, Pepper had no need to fear for what tomorrow held. She wasn’t afraid.

“Oh, and before I forget…”

Twisting her neck back, Pepper could see Parker freeze in place, slowly spinning around and holding out his finger to her. His mouth fell open like he was prepared to say something, but he caught his tongue. He caught his words and held onto them a second longer, just a second more to mull over his thoughts in order to ask clearly and carefully.

“I was swinging by the other day and saw the old Avengers Tower. You know, Tony’s old Stark Tower? That big, awesome—?”

“I know, Peter,” Pepper interrupted him, nodding once. She did not seem as concerned as Parker was, not knowing his thoughts, hardly knowing what he saw. Everything was handled and there was no need to hold onto the past. “It’s already bought out and everything.”

Yet it was his next question that caused her smile to fall. It was that next question that lingered in the air, rested between them with hardly a response on her end. It was that next question that made her ponder just who, in fact, decided to buy out their tower at the last minute.

“Sooo… who were those guys that put that ugly ‘4’ on your old building?”

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