#MCU Inspired

[klutzymaiden123]

I just wrote such a great confession scene, I’m so mad at how far away it is.

[bunisher]

frank castle, grief, corruption, choice, and the mess that is the punisher season 2

been having some thoughts, and in my opinion, the worst part about the punisher season 2 is that season 1 ends with this:

“You know as long as I was at war, I didn’t really think about what when it was over. I think that might the hardest part. The silence. The silence when the gunfire ends. How do you live in that? I guess that’s what you try to figure out, huh? That’s what you guys are doin’. You’re working on it. I respect that. I just… um… But when you’re gonna look at yourself, truly look in the mirror, you gotta—yeah, you gotta admit who you are, but not just to yourself, you gotta admit to everybody else. First time in long as I can remember, I don’t have a war to fight. I guess, if I’m gonna be honest, I just… I’m scared.”

….. and then they do absolutely nothing with it in season 2.

no, seriously, they do absolutely nothing with frank castle and his fear of sitting with the fact that he is alone, a widow, a childless father, with a new name and an entire life ahead of him. and i’m going to rant about it.

we leave S1 in group therapy. we pick up across the country, in michigan, in S2. he hooks up with a woman named beth while wearing his wedding ring on a chain next to his heart and getting ridden, playing house with her kid the next morning, and we as an audience are led to believe that frank castle, a man who daredevil rightly clocked a year ago as being unable to grieve, is able to do this with having no little to no difficult feelings. how much time has passed? not even two years. and then, while he is sitting at the bar, he finds another war to fight. as the season progresses he just decides after saying the above that this is who he is and who he has always been. he kills his ex best friend who could’ve helped him prevent everything and ships off the teenage girl he spent an entire season bonding with. he loses his one remaining friend and in the end, we see him tell madani that he’s already busy with his own stuff, and during none of that besides his talk with maria’s headstone does he reflect, despite them being his motivation for everything in S1.

except… he was thinking about after, and how he didn’t know how to have after. he was looking at himself in the mirror and fully admitting his fear to everyone. so what happened? frank was doing everything except trying to sitting in the grief, sit in the shit, and the silence. even him traveling is him doing something to distract himself, an act of avoidance, but it only serves as a plot device so that something else happens to him and he has to react. he’s just in the wrong place at the right time. the role of the punisher is again thrust upon him.

let me explain why i really feel this is due to the inability to write grief and why TPS2’s bad story and writing is a side effect of it. in every “superhero” movie in the mcu, death is simply a motivator for something, and they do it again in punisher season 2 after leaving us with the uncomfortableness that is the reality that vengeance will not solve grief. but instead of sitting with it, we have another death that desensitizes us as the audience once again and is used as a plot device. that’s literally how his and amy’s dynamic is introduced. he just reacts to everything around him, and yeah he could choose to not help, but he doesn’t. and as much as i love some gratuitous violence with punisher, damn would it have been to good to not just having something happening in his vicinity that causes him to react. to instead see the conscious choice of frank actively choosing to use his grief as something to continue his war until that’s all that he is, until it’s not even about his grief anymore.

his family’s death in the comics is framed as a tragedy even that just happens, and frank’s decision is to ignore the process of grieving, not go to the cops, and take matters into his own hands. by the time we meet frank in his first appearance, he isn’t even named. he is only known as punisher. the nmcu changes his origin into something that he has direct ties to, and similar but completely different to the comics, he ultimately, probably, could not have prevented their deaths because he didn’t have power or knowledge. it was him vs not only his former second family of the marines, but also the cia and elected officials such as reyes. yet, frank is the one who feels guilty and responsible, as if he could’ve prevented it, and we see this though his nightmares that people hate. to him, by just existing and his family choosing to love him, he feels he killed them. this is his own issue. he feels guilty for surviving when they did not, and chooses to stay alive in order to seek his revenge. this is the choice that leads him to cross paths with daredevil.

however, the context of the series in punisher season 1 also tries to go against the fact that it is not his fault and say that it actually is his fault, because frank is an unreliable narrator, and despite him being under the impression that what he was doing was completely legal and approved, he was somehow in the wrong and deserved to be punished for what an entire squad of people participated in. he even asked if it was and was lied to. and since he couldn’t have been behind the video because he was who pulled the trigger, the entire season drives into him taking accountability for what he perceives as his fault for his family’s deaths, and then because it wasn’t actually his fault, the government rewards him out of both fear and apology. and then what? we have no clue other than madani quitting and joining the cia with a chip on her shoulder because the report was changed so they could be protected. however, she still chooses to work for this system and uses her power in order to try and recruit frank, which he rejects because he does not want to do the pointing and shooting for someone else under orders like he did in operation cerberus and in war.

this is part of the problem. they don’t go into that and then proceed to refuse to go into grief or talk about who frank is besides that. the fatal flaw i believe mcu makes is that when they go with the idea of corruption, they also then proceed to place the issue onto individual characters. with DD S2&S3, we see that the ones who need to be put in prison are the ones enforcing it and getting away with crimes. schoonover is the blacksmith, reyes tried to kill frank in order to cover up her mistake, fisk uses the law to his advantage by manipulating people and holding leverage, by using his money as power. in TP S1 it is agent orange, who is revealed to be a part of the cia and comes from old money dating back to the first colonies in the usa, and he was funding cerberus with drugs, slipping right under homesec’s nose and when threatened with exposure, attempting to kill everyone to maintain his power. and while this theme of money and corruption is a good one, they fail to acknowledge that other characters like fisk or rawlins exist, and we as an audience have no idea about them simply because they’re not tied to our protagonists. just like reyes or the fbi agents or rawlins are tied to them, they are also characters that existed prior, and there are characters similar to them that exist after with no ties to them, or very loose ones that are still corrupt.

going back further, we see this with roxxon corp in daredevil S1. the old man with cancer who is fighting against the NDA who was being sued by the company because he shared information with his oncologist, and foggy is the one who suggests, “well he broke the contractual agreement.” matt on the other hand states that it isn’t okay, that maybe what the law says isn’t always right, that maybe they’re not fighting for the right side. but again there is this idea that it’s an individual problem instead of a systemic issue, and while they hold up a glaring light to it, ultimately the writers don’t really go into it. matt and foggy leave their old firm and then later matt and elektra fight the hand, killing the leaders, more individual characters.

and they do the same thing in TP, but worse because of how S2 is written as a follow-up. they ignore the corruption and ignore the grief. it would’ve been interesting to see a punisher who chooses to eliminate corruption like what was done to him in his fashion, aka, with a lot of murder. it would’ve been an interesting story for the first episode to show a frank castle who acknowledges his grief, acknowledges the silence, and basically says without saying that he can’t do that, that he’s making the choice to actively seek things out because he can’t handle the silence, because he is terrified of it. this would allow us as an audience get to see the lack of justification to others, that it’s wrong, that he is unleashing a war, but he justifies it because he nothing else to live for, and believes what he is doing is right since nobody else will and he has nothing else to lose. and it is, above all else, his choice to fight a war for innocent people that the law does not help.

we see in daredevil s2 that there are people who he effects (the boy who cries about his dad in the courtroom) and that not only does frank care about the impact he leaves to innocents, he does care about the lives of them as well. we see this TPS2 when he thinks he’s killed children, when he prioritizes saving the teen couple over killing billy at the carousel. these are morals that define what he does and serve as motivation for who his targets are, and they should be important. frank is a character in the comics that only maintains rapport with heroes because he cares about innocent people. he does not kill without reason. that’s how he maintains his status as an antihero. otherwise he wouldn’t be allowed to do what he does, he would be locked away by shield or the avengers or killed.

we see in certain issues that he goes after corrupt cops, politicians, high up enemies that think they’re safe because of money and power. nmcu tries to do this and then ends the series by killing gang members at the end of s2 after a whole story about corruption that couldn’t be solved any other way besides murder that was hidden by the govt. he started off killing the irish gang members and then ended with killing…? yeah. it only to put him back to where he started in s2 of daredevil. that’s right.

in my opinion, it falls flat because the whole thing ignores not only the source material (did y’all know amy is mentally disabled and her dad is a cop in the comics?) but also ignores what they did prior. all in order to lead to an underwhelming ending that could’ve left him in the same place as he was in season 1 if he had chose to keep going with his war. all of this is only part of the reason why the entirety of s2 doesn’t feel the same as s1. and it might be part of the reason frank sometimes hardly even feels like who we meet in that pawn shop in s2 of daredevil at times (ie: many people have pointed out him leaving That Guy in S2 was ooc and them going there was fairly pointless filler). we don’t have any character development or growth, and instead of him choosing to continue his cycle, he is more of a passive character besides his choice to go after people following the inciting incident. things happen and he reacts. he does not have an impact on the city at large or really outside of the people who are tied directly to him, situationally or by others. he does not become the lone wolf that he is foreshadowed to be after leaving micro and his family, he takes in amy for the entirety of the season, accepts curtis’ help despite it being reluctantly, and the only way his downward spiral is viewed is as someone who he has always been. he’s justified in his hunt for billy because it’s personal and frank’s mistake is seen as him leaving him alive, so again there’s this angle of guilt and the inability to grieve, but nothing is done. he unceremoniously kills billy and then everything is wrapped up. amy leaves, curtis leaves, frank is alone, and then he becomes all of the things we are supposed to think of him as off screen just so he can be brought back in DDBA.

so why even end that way in S1? why even have S2? idk. all i know is, i started S2 and stopped. i read up on it and know pretty much everything that happens, but it didn’t interest me then and doesn’t now. i worry a bit for how these topics are going to be written moving forward, and honestly i won’t even get into daredevil’s writing issues with grief, but i expect to see some form of loss in DDBA that’s brushed off either at the very end (like with elektra and father lantom) or at the beginning of the show so that there can be some action. because to prove my point, mcu was originally going to lead the show with foggy being killed off, pretending that karen doesn’t exist, and—what?

so, yeah. frank’s choice? that’s only a title of a song. corruption using money? it only matters in these instances and is not a problem in any other context. the law? the definition of good and moral and works for everyone. justice? will always prevail because everyone is equal under the law despite the amount of times we have seen otherwise. death? oh, it has to mean something and/or be a plot device for the protagonist. grief? doesn’t exist and can’t be shown on screen because it’s too real. i think mcu’s problem with this stuff is glaringly obvious in the storyline of punisher S2 despite the good set up of S1. i think it’s hinted towards in daredevil, not super bad in the defenders, but is pretty obvious if you look at mcu collectively. if you don’t believe me, here’s a video essay on catharsis and grief in regards to nwh that inspired this post. go give it some love if u can. it only has 3k views plus a couple hundred likes, but it is wonderfully made and helped put into words some things i wasn’t able to before.

[yes-i-am-happyaspie]

Just recently finished (re)reading suprior Iron Man Infamous and... i just really love it. So I decided to draw SIM!Tony, but make him MCU-ish.

According to the comics, the SIM armor is symbiote infused, has a chrome finish, and lights up in ways that please him. 😂😂

[happyunbday2u]

Hope: You speak all of our money on THIS!?!

Scott putting tiny raincoats on ants: They live outside they need this!

[jammie3132]

Fandom: Glee Pairing: Blaine Anderson & Sebastian Smythe Chapter Title: Back to November Chapter Summary: Blaine has no idea what’s going on and everyone keeps telling him it would be better if his memories returned organically. What happens if he never remembers? What happens if he does remember, but not what people want to hear? Chapter Note: I'm not making any more notes about chapters. This is taking a big turn. Think of the previous 6 chapters as set-up. And since this is like a separate fic, I eliminated my "only MCU canon before Endgame" rule. I will not tag which show/movie but still...spoilers. Warnings: Deaths (not by Snap) of canon Glee characters are hinted at but not confirmed 

REPOST 2/20/24: I accidently posted the rough draft 🤬

Hello, Blaine. My name is Sebastian. It’s nice to meet you.

He stared at the beautiful man…Sebastian. Something about him felt so familiar. It made him feel safe. “The little girl called me Daddy.”

“Yeah, I wish that didn’t happen.”

“Why?”

Sebastian chuckled and leaned into the door frame. He seemed to drop his guard (slightly) so he did the same. “I’m going to go make sure the kids’ lessons are ready.”

“I thought you said they were going to Kindergarten?”

“That’s what we call it…no, sorry. We were told, at least in the beginning, to let you try to regain your memories slowly, naturally.”

“Regain my memories?” Yes, he'd realized he had almost no memories from before he awoke, but how did Sebastian and whoever gave him that bullshit advice know he didn't?

“Tea or coffee?”

“Tea or coffee?” Was this a test? What if he said the wrong thing? Would it mean he’d have to wait even longer for someone to tell him what the fuck was going on? “Uh…I feel like I should say coffee, but I’d really like a cup of tea, Earl Grey with a little sugar and, this might sound strange, a splash of cinnamon.”

Something he said brought the beautiful smile back to Sebastian’s beautiful face. He must have answered correctly. “It doesn’t sound strange. One Earl Grey with a little sugar and a splash of cinnamon coming right up.”

Once he was alone, he got out of bed to survey his surroundings. The first thing he saw was a pair of glasses on the nightstand. He put them on and yes, these were definitely his.

The room was nice but plain. It felt more like an unoccupied dorm room than a bedroom in a home. White walls, hardwood floors and beige area rugs. No wall art, tchotchkes, or framed photos. The bedding didn’t have patterns, just grey sheets and a dark blue comforter with red trim. There was a full-length mirror in the corner, so he went to take a look. He was older than he anticipated. His hair was ridiculously curly and he was in need of a shave. The dark blue pajama pants he was wearing were unremarkable, but his t-shirt had Dalton printed across the front.

The shirt was the only thing that brought out any sort of recognition. Whatever Dalton turned out to be was irrelevant. To him, Dalton meant home.

Next to tackle was the dresser, but when he opened the top drawer, everything else came to a stop. There was only one item there. The only item since he woke up this morning that he recognized without an ounce of doubt.

The lightsaber Tony Stark made for him.

He climbed back into bed but sat up against the headboard, clutching his find. It was an anchor within the chaos of his situation. This Tony Stark guy was obviously important to him. So, why could he remember the lightsaber but not the man who made it for him?

He closed his eyes and tried to settle his mind.

“I’ve told you a thousand times, you can’t overthink everything.”

The voice embraced him with love, bringing out his first genuine smile of the day. “But I can sure try.”

Two gasps, one his own, had him opening his eyes. The sight of the person in the doorway confused him even more than why he gasped at what was said. “I know you…but I don’t know how.”

The woman plastered on a smile and set up the breakfast tray she’d been carrying. “It’s ok, Sweetie. Sebastian told me you wanted tea. I thought you might want some toast as well. There’s some…”

“Honey butter.” The woman's smile changed to resemble Sebastian’s when he answered the tea question.

Another test passed?

She sat beside him and gently brushed back his hair. It was if she’d been doing it for years. “Are you my mother?”

“Not biologically but over the past 6 years you and I have adopted each other as family. About 4 years ago you started calling me Mom. Maybe that’s what you’re remembering.”

“Maybe, but I don’t think I can do that, call you Mom, right now.”

The woman smiled again, easing their tension even further. “I understand, Sweetie. My name is Carole.”

(A younger) Carole stood next to a man in a baseball cap. The man reached out for a handshake. “Call me Burt, Kid. Kurt talks about you so much…”

“Dad! You said you wouldn’t embarrass me!”

Kurt? His first impression was one of fondness but then he was hit with feelings of animosity. No, animosity wasn’t enough. He might not remember this Kurt guy, but he really, really hated him. The memory troubled him so much he backed away to the other side of the bed, bringing his lightsaber, his only anchor to reality, with him. “How have we accepted each other as family when I hate your son?”

Carole chalked his statement up to his memories coming back in bits and pieces. At least they seemed to be coming back. That was progress. “You remembered Finn?”

“Kurt”

“Oh, that makes a lot more sense. Kurt isn’t my son. He was my stepson.”

He scooted back to his original spot, willing to once again try trusting the woman with the kind smile. “Was?”

“I was married to Kurt’s father until he died 6 years ago in a plane crash. Kurt disappeared at the same time, and we all thought he'd died as well. About a year and a half ago Kurt showed up out of nowhere. When he found out how my life moved forward, he said he would never forgive me. I haven’t heard from him since.”

“Was it because of me? Does he hate me, because I really, really hate him…although I don’t know why.”

“My relationship with you wasn’t the problem. He hated, probably still hates, the man I married and his son.”

“His son?”

“That would be me” Sebastian said from the end of the bed. Next to him was a distinguished-looking gentleman. Both men's eyes were darting back and forth between Carole and the lightsaber. She subtly shook her head as a signal to let it go for the time being.

He pretended he didn’t notice.

The distinguished-looking gentleman ended the awkwardness with his introduction. “And I’m the new husband, Sebastian’s dad, Xavier Smythe.”

Did he say… “Smythe? Your name is Xavier Smythe?”

“Yes. Do you remember me?”

His focus moved from father to son. What he found had him trying to catch his breath. The man from earlier was gone. The person at the end of the bed was a beautiful 16-year-old boy, dressed in a perfectly pressed school uniform.

And when she knows what She wants from her time And when she wakes up And makes up her mind

”Sebastian Smythe.” ”Are you a Freshman?”

Once a Warbler, always a Warbler. Right? He remembered November 8th, 2011 and November 8th, 2012…as well as every moment they shared in between. He remembered November 9th, 2012…waking up, realizing he’d been in love with Sebastian the entire time and minutes later Kurt telling him he was dead. He remembered every second of pain between that moment and November 8th, 2024…the day he traveled back in time. Everything hadn't returned, only his memories of Sebastian and the aftermath of the accident. It didn't matter. His beautiful boy, now beautiful man, was less than 10 feet in front of him.

“Bas”

Sebastian ran from the room. He was devastated but didn't want the others to know. "Guess I failed that test."

Xavier looked to Carole who told him Go, I’ve got this one. Once he was gone, Carole grabbed hold of his hand not grasping his lightsaber. “I’m so sorry, Sweetie. This must be so confusing. But when I came in and told you to stop overthinking…”

“I said But I can sure try. I don’t know why I said that.”

“Because that’s how my Blaine would always answer. That’s how Sebastian’s Blaine would always answer.”

Her Blaine? Sebastian’s Blaine?

He didn’t know what Carole was trying to say but he didn’t care. Something didn’t feel right. He pushed her away and went as far as he could while remaining in the same room “Get out.”

“Sweetie…”

“I’m not your Sweetie. I want to talk to Bas.”

Carole stood and sighed, a signal of surrender. All the goodwill she'd attempted to build was gone. “I’ll tell Seb, but don’t get your hopes up. There’s a change of clothes in the bathroom if you want a shower.” After she pointed out the proper door, she picked up the long-forgotten breakfast tray. “Please stay here for the time being.”

“You can’t keep me prisoner.”

“I…we’re not trying to. However, there are two small children in the house and all they know is something is going on with someone they love. They’re scared enough.”

With everything that happened between the time the children left his room, he’d forgotten them (couldn’t blame the memory loss for that one). “I’ll stay here…for now.”

“That’s all I ask.”

The shower helped. He didn’t want to say it made him feel like himself again because he didn’t know who the hell he was. More specifically, who these people expected him to be. Carole must have returned while he was in the shower because a new breakfast tray of tea and toast was neatly set up on the table next to the window. Although, this time she'd included some eggs and bacon. He appreciated the gesture. As he sat down to eat, he looked outside (why hadn’t he thought of that sooner?). He didn’t need a rush of memories to know he was at Dalton. But this Dalton wasn’t either of his Daltons.

There was more than one Dalton? Why would he believe that? The only Dalton he remembered was the one where he met Sebastian. He was too hungry to obsess about it now, so he turned his attention back to his breakfast. The food was so good, and he was so mentally fried, he didn’t hear someone enter the room.

”You don’t have face hair anymore. You always have face hair.”

”I shaved.”

“Oh, ok. I got this for you, Uncle Blaine.” Sammy, the little boy…not the dog he still had no answers about, was holding a quart of Stark Raving Mad ice cream. “It always makes you feel better.”

He cocked his eyebrow and tried not to smile. “Makes me feel better, huh? Is there a reason I need two spoons to eat it?” The little boy’s face fell, and his heart shattered into a thousand pieces. “Come here.” Sammy ran into his open arms and quickly settled on his lap. “Thank you, I ate my breakfast but I’m still hungry.”

“Grammy Carole says you’re always hungry” Sammy told him between shoveling spoons full of ice cream into his face. “Uncle Seb said you don’t remember us because you bumped your head. Is he right? You promised you’d never lie to me, but I guess you don’t member that.”

WTF? Blaine shifted the boy in his lap. First, the kid was heavier than he looked. His leg was falling asleep. And second, why had Sebastian told Sammy about his memory loss when Carole basically begged him to stay away from the kid and his sister? “Your Uncle Seb told you I bumped my head and lost my memories?”

“No” the boy admitted “I heard him tell Grampy X. He also said you were the other Blaine now, not his B. I don't know what that means.” That bit of information took him from frustrated to completely horrified. How could Sebastian be so reckless to say this where one of the kids could overhear him? His Bas was an impulsive brat (hello, eye surgery) but the things he did stemmed from being a child (teenagers, no matter what they believe, are children). This Sebastian was a late 20-something year old parent. He should know better!

The ice cream was gone (he might've gotten in 3 bites) and Sammy was beginning to doze off. It gave him an idea. “You heard right, I don’t have my memory and my head still kind of hurts. I was going to take a nap. Do you want to join me?"

Sammy wrapped his arms around Blaine’s neck, making it easier to be carried. Once they were settled, the boy began to wiggle and brought something up from underneath the sheet. “Where did you get this cool lightsaber…or you don’t remember?”

How could he have forgotten his lightsaber? Was he losing new memories every time he remembered something from the past? It wasn’t the time for panic…yet. “I found it in a drawer. Someone named Tony made it for me. I don’t remember him, but I know he loved me and always made me feel safe.”

“Like you love me and said you would do anything to keep me safe...when you remembered me.”

“Hey” He lifted the little boy’s chin, so he had to look at him. “I don’t care if I never remember anything else. I will always remember to make sure you and Susie are safe.”

Any tension in Sammy’s body melted as he snuggled even closer. “Uncle Blaine, I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For getting scared and thinking the bad space monster would take me away again because you forgot to keep me safe.”

“Take you away?”

“Pepper brought you to Dalton to recover in peace. No one’s looking for Iron Man in bum-fuck Ohio.”

It wasn’t the time for questions. Tony had been through hell. And even though it had been a month, his brain was still dealing with the reality of Infinity Stones and how an alien got ahold of them, snapped his fingers and turned half of all living beings in the universe to dust.

Oh no, no, no. Sammy had been Snapped by Thanos. Blaine rolled to his side and hugged him as tightly as possible. “Never be sorry for being scared. Let’s talk about that…” He didn’t have to finish. The little boy was already sound asleep, clutching the lightsaber. 

“What the hell were you thinking?”

*Blaine continued to love and be loved by Sammy...the hyperactive puppy* Me? You gave me the lightsaber and the rest of the technology I needed to do it!”

Tony walked around the basement of the Dalton he built, inspecting the time portal Blaine, Brittany and Bruce (technically Brittany and Bruce) built out of the material he sent. “I trusted Banner. He should've called off the whole thing knowing those substitute PYM Particles were compromised! And Barton?! I thought you were the little brother he never wanted. He and his whole fake SHIELD family loved you!”

“They do…did, whatever. And Bruce told me…ok, he tried. I still don’t get all the timey-whimey shit.”

“Which you should've before you TIME TRAVELED with defective particles! I understand not going back to Hank Pym for help. The guy has a Stark hate-boner so big I’m amazed he fathered a child.”

“Like yours for Steve Rogers?”

“Hold on…fine, point for the Bow-tied Wonder. But seriously, Banner let you use the damaged particles without seeing what Britt or that Princess in Wakanda could come up with? What about Strange? He was keeper of the Time Stone for fuck sake!”

“Then why didn’t the Avengers include them in the Time Heist?”

“Dr. Weirdo, Princess Kitty-Kat and our lovable but ditzy genius were dust at the time.”

“Don’t say it like that. It took forever for Britt to realize constantly singing Dust in the Wind wasn’t appropriate, especially in front of others who were Blipped.”

“Yet another reason I love that girl. And before you say Wong, we also thought he was dust…Snapped. We were wrong but not our fault. He’d snuck back to the Mystical Monastery of the Mountains and gone off-grid. Oh, and …THANOS DESTROYED THE STONES. Since we didn’t have any extra laying in a drawer somewhere, I, the most brilliant man who ever lived, had to solve time travel.”

“Yeah, I’d forgotten most of that. Not because of the memory loss, I think, but because it made my head hurt to listen to you and Bruce, or Bruce and Britt, talk about it.”

“Again…you didn’t understand and yet decided it was a good idea to TIME TRAVEL! I should tell MIT to take back your degree.”

“You’re dead.”

“Heroically departed, yet here I am…Iron Man.”

“Seriously?”

“How about*overdramatic superhero voice* I am...Dream Master and Gate Keeper to all your memories, so don’t piss me off?”

“I hate you.”

“You love me. And hey! What about Wanda? She’s a witch with super-sized magic courtesy of the mind stone. Did any of you supposedly brilliant idiots think of seeing what she could do to help?”

“Uh…after you left…”

“Heroically departed.”

“After you left, Wanda tried to get Vision’s body from the government to give him a funeral.”

“I don’t know if I’m more offended by the fact the government had Vision’s body and I didn’t know, or Elphaba wanted to put billions of dollars worth of Vibranium…”

“No, Wanda wanted to say goodbye with a funeral for the man?...person?...cybernetic being she loved. When she couldn’t get him back, she went a little Coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs.”

“How little?”

“Mind fucked an entire town, a small town, in New Jersey into believing they were characters in old sitcoms. Manifested a new Vision and a couple of kids. After the government caught on and all hell broke loose, she freed everyone, essentially killing her imaginary family. Last anyone saw of her, she flew off, no airplane necessary, to parts unknown with something called The Book of the Damned.”

For the first time ever, Tony Stark was speechless.

*Lengthy amount of (Dream) Time later* “And you questioned why I wanted Britt kept away from all that shit!?!”

“I didn’t question, per se…”

“Liar…and why didn’t Legolas do anything about the Wicked Witch of New Jersey?”

“Wanda told Clint, and Laura, she was going back to Sokovia to help with rebuilding what the Avengers and Ultron…”

“No need to elaborate. I was there…no comments.”

“So...that’s why they didn’t question her going no contact. It’s not their fault the government was stupid and for some reason didn’t bringing in the man who convinced Wanda to turn her back on Ultron, gave his son her dead brother’s name and freed her from your house arrest.”

"I said no comments!”

“I didn’t say a word about how you were responsible for Ultron, but if the title Avengers Dictator fits…”

“My bad. And while I want answers, you dream-summoned me to help you understand what the hell is happening in your pudding brain. That doesn’t mean I’ll stop yelling about the fact you never should have TIME TRAVELED with faulty particles in the first place! I’m gone for one itty-bitty year…”

*Blaine rose from where he’d been sitting the entire time and Sammy (the dog) ran off* “Tony…” “Ok, ok, I’ll drop it for now but be prepared to be chastised in future dreams.”

“I would expect nothing less from you.”

*Seconds later (because…Dream Time). Tony is now surrounded by all the computers he’d sent to Dalton over the years* “I figured out how badly you all fucked this up without me.”

“Can we postpone the I Told You Sos as well as the yelling?“

“You take the fun out of everything.”*Blaine answered by giving him a middle finger* “See? Was that so difficult?”

*Blaine answered with double middle fingers* “What did you find?”

“The faulty particles sent you to 2011 instead of 2012. Like with Rogers and his trip to finally get laid…”

“Oh, he’d already been laid.”

“...by Peggy Carter. And I’m still angry with you for not sharing your Stucky theories while I was around to use them to my advantage…in a fun way, at least a fun for me way. I would never use information like that against someone, especially after what happened to your platonic apocalypse partner.”

“My what?”

“That Dave guy?”

“Who?”

“Ok, your memory has improved to Swiss Cheese, but one thing at a time. Like I was saying, you went back to 2011 instead of 2012 and physically became that Blaine Anderson. During the Time Heist, we just had to avoid the Battle of New York Avengers.”

“That’s what I expected, hoped, would happen to me. Did you figure out why I physically became 2011 me?”

“No clue.”

“So, you can’t fix it?”

“To send you back to your original timeline? Not a chance. You wanted to be here, so…ta-da!”

“Not helpful.”

“If you want helpful, I can tell you when you are. It’s November 8th, 2024.”

“The day I left?”

“Makes sense. From what I understand, the Centurian lived decades with no memories of his 70 year side trip. Those memories took over when his two timelines intersected. He did eventually wind up with both sets of memories. My highly educated guess is you’ll eventually do the same.”

“I don’t have eventually. Right now, I have a scared little boy to take care of.”

“Yeah, Sammy. Do you realize you haven’t mentioned Sebastian once since you sought my wisdom? When I was alive you wouldn’t shut up about the guy.”

“Fuck you”

“You didn’t get the big Rom-Com reunion you wanted?”

“Not even close.”

“Did you ever consider the fact that for Sebastian, his Blaine essentially died when you woke up this morning? And you? While you saved Sebastian, Bas died November 8th, 2012. Is that something you’re prepared to accept? And what about Sam?”

“Sammy…”

“Not Sammy…Sam.”

I, I will be king And you, you will be queen Though nothing will drive them away We can be Heroes, just for one day We can be us, just for one day

I, I can remember (I remember) Standing, by the wall (by the wall) And the guns shot above our heads (Over our heads) And we kissed, As though nothing could fall (Nothing could fall)

And the shame was on the other side Oh we can beat them, for ever and ever Then we could be Heroes, Just for one day

“Last night there was a major accident on the highway. A big-rig blew a tire causing the truck to flip over. It smashed into several cars before landing on two. Blaine, Sam was in one of those cars…and, and Sebastian was in the other. They didn’t make it. I’m so sorry.”

"Sammy, the little boy…obviously not the dog, is Sam’s son, isn’t he?"

"Yes"

"But Sam…if I saved him, where is he? Why isn’t he with his son?”

“I can’t tell you what happened. That’s Blaine 2.0 territory. However, when you wake up, you can have some more of Bow’s memories. I can do that much."

“Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me. This is your dream.”

*Next thing Blaine knew he was hugging the man he considered his father. In this Dream State he could actually feel Tony’s arms around him* “I miss you so much.”

“Of course, you do. I’m awesome.” *Tony tightened his hold* “I love you, Blaine Anderson.”

“I love you too, Tony Stark.”

“Good, because I want you to do something for me.”

“Of course, you do. What?”

“Go back to your music.”

“But…”

“What was the first thing you thought of when you remembered Sam? *Blaine tries to move away but Tony won’t let him* “You remembered the two of you singing Heroes. It was good…really good. Not hard rock enough to be my theme song, but I would’ve put it on the list.”

“How do you know that?”

“I’m Dream Master and Gate Keeper to all your memories, Dumb Ass. Now, about you going back to music…”

“Tony…”

“If I didn’t burden you with hiding Brittany…”

“She wasn’t a burden.”

“Then hiding all my extra toys in the basement at Dalton…”

“That was a burden, a little one. But only when you came to Ohio and (air quotes) played science with my home. It would take days to get Saturday back to working correctly after you left.”

“I always thought if I didn’t uproot your life, you would’ve eventually found your way back to music. You were too good not to.”

“Tony…”

“Bow, just this one time, don’t overthink this and promise me you’ll try.”

*Sigh* “For you? I promise to try.”

Blaine felt movement next to him. It was enough to end his dream but not enough for him to move out of the comfort cocoon he was wrapped in. That was until he heard…

Come on, Big Guy. Time to go.

“Says who?” Blaine asked a startled Sebastian.

“Sammy shouldn’t be here.”

“And you shouldn’t have talked to your father about me without making sure you were alone.” He didn’t regret what he said, but maybe he didn’t have to say it like that.

“He overheard Dad and I…?” Sebastian didn’t need a verbal response. He’d seen that expression thousands of times. “Do you know how much he heard?”

“Enough to come to the conclusion my forgetting him meant the bad space monster was going to take him away again.” He motioned for not-his-Bas to go around to the other side of the bed and join them. Sebastian took the hint and laid down next to the sleeping boy, brushing his hair aside much like Carole had done with him earlier.

It finally dawned on him how much the other man loved this boy and had just been trying to protect him. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Sebastian asked, surprised by the apology.

“That I failed your test. That I’m not who you wanted me to be.”

If Sebastian was surprised before, he was now in full-on shock. “How do you know?”

“You didn’t hide it very well. That, and while I was sleeping, I came to a couple of realizations, like how you lost your husband.” He held up his left hand to show him rubbing the underside of his ring finger with his thumb. “I can’t stop doing this. It’s a muscle memory I have no control over. Susie said something about having a Daddy and a Papa, but this…” he held up his hand again “this is a habit developed over a long period of time.”

“B’s ring belonged to my grandfather. It was always a little big but with everything going on the past few years, getting it resized wasn’t happening. When we finally found someone to do it, B said no, the ring’s perfect the way it is. And you didn’t fail. We knew this would happen. I just hoped…”

Huh? We knew? “How? How the fuck…” Sebastian glared at him until he realized “Oh sh…cra…darn? Guess I need to learn to watch my language.”

“We have a curse jar. You don’t put money in because money doesn’t have any real value right now. The jar has pieces of paper with monthly jobs no one wants to do on them. B usually takes out 10 at the beginning of the month so he can space things out.”

He chuckled quietly, not wanting to wake up Sammy. Obviously, he and the other Blaine would have similarities since they were technically the same person. He never considered his swearing habit would be one of them. “He, your B, has or had…”

“A potty mouth? Yes, but it did get better after Susie’s first word was fuck.”

That was all it took for him to lose it. Whatever came out was somewhere between a laugh and a sob, the problem was it was loud. Sammy smiled waking to see the men he called Uncle on either side of him, until seconds later when sheer panic overtook the boy.

On the other side of the room, sparks had appeared out of nowhere. Fortunately, he remembered what this meant, but how to explain it to a traumatized child was a different story. “Sebastian, how did everyone Tha…the bad space monster took away come back?” he asked, hoping it was at least close to the version he knew. “The Sammy version.”

“Um…Avengers broke the space monster’s curse and everyone just reappeared. No one knows how.”

“What did the Avengers do next?”

“Uh…a big battle with the space monster. They think they’re going to lose when a bunch of people joined them…”

“Awesome! Sammy, I know people who were there when the Avengers fought the space monster. Everyone who joined them? They got there through a magic portal just like that one. Only heroes can go through them.” He tousled the less-scared little boy’s hair before getting out of bed and putting himself between Sebastian and Sammy, and whoever (or whatever) stepped out of the portal.

Not that he was going to stop a magical being or anything, but it felt like the right thing to do.

Any doubt was quashed when their visitor arrived. “Wong? What are you doing here? Wait, how did you get here? The Sorcerer Supreme is a master of time. Yes, I time traveled here but Sebastian and Sammy didn’t. Oh my God! Are we in an alternate universe?” He’s so excited his voice kept getting higher and faster. “I think I finally understand some that timey-whimey shit…stuff Tony, Bruce and Brittany yapped on and on about.”

“Brittany? You said you didn’t know my Mommy.”

He turned so fast he almost knocked himself over. “Brittany is your mommy?” For some reason what Sammy said both made perfect sense and blew his mind. Sadly, this had to wait. “Wong?”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but you’re not even close. I thought you were some sort of genius like Stark since he sent you to MIT and then kept all his Iron Man stuff in your basement.”

“You went to MIT?”

He motioned to Sebastian he’d answer the question later. Maybe he should get the others to leave. No, a little late for that. “Wong, just tell me.”

“When I first met you, your Temporal Aura was off, more like wrong, but I was a little busy. Do you know why?”

“Testing me?"

"Yes"

Considering the man could turn him into a frog, he determined it wasn't time for snark. Sammy didn't need to see that. "The first time I met you, you and Pepper brought Morgan to me before the battle at the Avengers Compound.”

“Ok, just checking, you never know with time travel. At Stark’s funeral I pointed your Aura out to Strange and he agreed with me. You were on the wrong timeline.”

“The what now?”

“The wrong timeline. People don’t stay on the wrong timeline. Those things get taken care of.”

“Taken care of?” Well, that didn’t sound good.

“Let’s just say there are more beings affecting time than those possessing an Infinity Time Stone. Lasting almost 30 years in the wrong timeline only to return to the correct one without assistance from any form of timekeeper doesn’t happen…until you. It’s fascinating.”

“Fantastic isn’t the word I would use.” This conversation was getting more confusing (and terrifying) by the minute. “So, what does all of this mean? And please no timey/whimey or magicity/smagickity explanations?”

“It means I need to have a discussion with Strange but I can’t find him. He’s off universe. It’s so frustrating.” Wong waved his arms and another portal began to open. “Maybe you can help. What’s the name of Stark’s other lost boy?”

“Huh? Oh, you mean Spider-Man?”

“I know that. What’s his real name? His identity?”

“I don’t know. He wanted it to remain secret, unlike his mentor.”

“Someone must know.”

“Pepper?”

“None of Team Iron Man. Maybe this has something to do with why I can’t find Strange. Do me a favor…no more time jumping until I get this figured out.”

“I won’t know how.” 

Once he was sure Wong was gone, he turned back around. Sammy was bouncing with excitement. Sebastian…have you ever heard the expression If looks could kill? Neither was a good thing. Like his other self, he should probably get a head start on the curse jar because…FUCK!!!!!

[unnnamedidiot]

More tiny stank bc i love the he

[starry-bi-sky]

Broke: danny runs away from bruce wayne because he reminds him of Vlad (bad, overused, fundamentally misunderstands Bruce’s character as a whole for a shit joke)

Woke: bruce wayne doesnt remind danny of vlad masters, but of his best friend sam manson

black hair? check ✅

jewish? check ✅

richer than god? check ✅

gothic? well, mister wayne isnt himself but he lives in the most gothic city on earth so quasi-check ✅

loudly and proudly an activist for various rights including environmental and womens' rights? check ✅

im tired of the "oh danny runs away from bruce because he's rich and reminds him of vlad" give me a danny who actually likes bruce because he reminds him of his awesome kickass best friend who is also stupidly rich

like i’ve been told about the whole “oh fruit loop joke” before and i still think its a cheap, shallow joke if i’ve ever heard one that flanderizes Bruce’s character to an impressive degree. Vlad and Bruce are only comparable in the same sense that they’re both rich and Bruce adopts kids — but he isn’t doing it because of the “adoption addiction” joke, he’s doing it because he sees himself in the kids he adopts and he wants to give them better than he did. Vlad wants Danny as his son to spite Jack, they are not remotely comparable beyond that.

Like, beyond that too i highly doubt vlad masters gives his employees benefits like bruce wayne does. who canonically hires reformed villains and has various branches of medical, industrial, technology, etc in his company in order to help the people of gotham. does Vlad Masters run charities, soup kitchens, etc?? is Vlad contributing to the community? No, no he isnt.

[wolfpup026]

For you. For all of us.

Close-ups and a process gif:

[threadofnorns]

Loki: Thanos knew I’d be just the one for this job ;)

Thanos, 20 minutes ago: bring me our most suicidal employee

[klutzymaiden123]

Helga: “Arnold’s known this entire time about my feelings for him. He knows, he just doesn’t feel anything back.”

Lila:

[fotibrit]

Peter Parker is strong. Very strong. Everyone knows this, most of all Tony, who has to consider the kids strength in order to design Peter’s suits.

But knowing that someone is strong is very different from experiencing it. Tony thought he had seen first hand how strong Peter is, but he was wrong. He had only seen part of it.

The first time Tony realized just how terrifyingly strong Peter is, was when the Avengers found Aunt Mays body in the rubble after a battle. It took 4 Avengers to hold Peter back from the scene, as his screams turned from “i have to save her” to “i want to join her”

[callforspiderboy]

The life I gave up|| Natasha Romanoff × Fem reader

Summary:You and Natasha have a troubled break-up after her decision to go on a risky mission, after 3 years it's the first time she's seen you.

Warnings: Angst, flashbacks, all dialog takes place in the past, this writing was inspired by midnight rain-Taylor Swift.

(Marvel masterlist)

Sometimes we get exactly what we want, exactly what we choose, but we are still haunted. Natasha was sure of that as she stared at you in the corridor of the Shield agency. The doubt of what you were doing here flashed before her.

She probably looked at you too long, because now you look at her with kind, albeit resentful, eyes. She desperately wanted to look away, but she felt paralyzed. Two years, several kisses, multiple fights, passed in her eyes.

Fights, the reason this is the first time she's seen you in three years. Liar, her mind pointed out. The real reason this was the first time you'd seen each other in three years was the shield.

"You can't go, Natasha," you shout as you stand up, the redhead doesn't say anything, you know it won't change her decision. "It's a suicide mission, you know that" You cried close to Natasha's face, who only looked down, avoiding your eyes, your tears, your pain.

You weren't completely wrong about that mission, although Natasha didn't die as you were sure she would, that mission killed your relationship. Lie, her mind pointed out, Natasha's decision to go on that mission killed your relationship.

"I love you," you said, sitting on her with the biggest smile she'd ever seen. "I really love you." How can someone's eyes shine so brightly? Natasha wondered as she looked into yours. "Marry me" You wrapped your arms around her neck waiting for an answer, even though you both already knew what it would be "Yes, my love" you kissed her without waiting another second, the best kiss, Natasha thought.

Maybe it would have been better if she had said no, if she hadn't given you hope that she would be yours, she would be Natasha, not Black Widow, not any other identity, just Natasha.

"Natasha, if you go I don't want you to come back, this won't be our home, our garden, our wedding, this will be nothing" You said firmly hoping that Natasha would give up, but she didn't "Look at me, Natasha" It was cruel how she denied her feelings at that moment "Please, Natasha, look at me" The now low and broken tone of her voice made her look at you, your eyes were shining, now with tears, there was no smile, there were no kisses and soon there would be nothing.

You smiled at her in the corridor, not the big smile that was reserved for her, just a gentle smile. It reminded Natasha of where she was, staring at you in a corridor of the shield. She smiled back and you entered one of the many rooms in that corridor.

Secret identities, risky missions, fights and loneliness, that was the life she had chosen. Perfect family, holidays, children and a beautiful garden, that was the life Natasha had given up. You were the one Natasha had given up.

[definitly-not-harley-keener]

Peter (both vigilante and burnt out college student) Parker: I’m gonna be an academic weapon. I will pull through.

Peter: I have been academically violated. I am an academic victim.

[jammie3132]

Fandom: Glee Pairing: Blaine Anderson & Sebastian Smythe Chapter Title: Back to November Chapter Summary:  It's been 12 years since he met Sebastian. 11 years since he lost Sebastian and Sam. 10 hours since Tony Stark appeared in a hologram telling him there's a way to fix it.

It would change everything he's ever known...no relationships with Tony, Brittany, Dave, Xavier or Clint. He doesn't even know if the Sebastian and Sam he'd wind up with were the Sebastian and Sam he dreamed of.

Screw it...he wants them back!

10 Days of Seblaine 2023 Day 10: I Want You Back Only 3 Days late! 🎉🎉🎉

Note: Endgame is over. Be prepared for sciency-timey-whimey/canon-schmanon/I made this crap up explanations.

November 9th, 2023

It's been 12 years since he met Sebastian. 11 years since he lost Sebastian and Sam. 10 hours since Tony Stark appeared in a hologram beaming out of a lightsaber telling him there was a way to get them back.

But that was for another time. Today was about Tony.

You were never my Dirty Little Secret. I didn’t build Dalton to replace my workspace at the house in Malibu. You were never a replacement for Peter. You might have never said anything, but I knew. Of course, I knew because…say it with me…I’m a genius. But I’m also an idiot. Forgive me?

Before I go, I want to share this one last piece of my vast wisdom…I love you, Blaine Anderson. It’s time for you to love yourself.

“What do you think, Sammy? Is it time for me to love myself?” The dog rolled over so Blaine could rub his tummy. “Yeah, I know you love me. I love you too.”

Blaine tried to push aside Tony’s complete message until later, but it was impossible. Prior to watching the hologram, he’d only been told the cliff note version of how the Snap became the Blip. It involved time travel and shrinking to the size of Ant Man. Except for Natasha (obviously), they’d thought it had gone well. No one anticipated Nebula being swapped out for her past version, her letting Thanos through the time portal and…KABOOM!!

But now he had the full story...and a decision. Besides the lightsaber, Tony left him everything required to go back to save Sebastian and Sam, as well as some (emphatic) advice. Before he makes a rash decision, fully understand the possible ramifications.

He wouldn’t be there to prevent Brittany’s genius being discovered. Dave and Sebastian’s friendship could be affected, a friendship that helped Dave recover after his suicide attempt. Xavier might never realize what a truly amazing person his son was. Sammy would die without his early round-the-clock care. Lots of the animals he brought to Dalton would’ve died.

Tony and Clint wouldn’t have him during the five worst years of their lives.

Thomas Anderson, the man who put him on a Nazi hit list, would be free to find new ways to make his life hell.

And there was no guarantee the Sebastian and Sam he'd wind up with were the Sebastian and Sam he’d dreamed of for over a decade.

He closed his eyes to quiet his mind. He had no idea what to do. In his past life, the one before half the world disappeared, he’d look for signs. Like the one that day in Miss Pillsbury’s office that told him to trust Dave. Like the one that told him to protect Brittany no matter what. Like the one that would never let him cut off his relationship with Tony no matter how mad he was.

Like the one currently telling him to read Sebastian’s letter.

He moved Sammy and ran to the wall safe. His hands were shaking so badly he had to ask Saturday to open it for him. Then, as usual, he began to overthink. After all these years of not being ready, why now?

What could have Sebastian written all those years ago that would help with his decision?

The only way to know for sure was to read the damn thing.

It wasn’t the grand proclamation of love he assumed when Dave told him why Sebastian wrote him the letter, it was so much better. This was the Sebastian he remembered.

Killer,

When you’re ready, come get me.

Sebastian

ONE MONTH LATER

Blaine’s first attempt talking with Professor Hulk…Bruce, was a disaster. The Scientist/Superhero never had to turn all the science mumbo-jumbo speak into what Blaine understands speak. Tony had always been there to translate. Which meant, even though he didn’t want her involved, he’d never be able to make a final decision without Brittany.

Bruce volunteered to come to Dalton. He was one of the few people who knew what was hiding in the basement. But he was the only person who knew what was in Tony’s final shipment.

“But they say Do not open. That includes you, Anderson” Brittany pointed out as she and Blaine helped the injured Avenger open the boxes.

“And if Tony didn’t give Blaine the lightsaber, we wouldn’t be opening them. Tony wanted backups of the technology we used in the Time Heist. He didn’t trust the government, meaning Ross…if he returned, wouldn’t confiscate it when they found out what we did. And of course, Tony Stark was right. They did.”

Department of Damage Control not only confiscated the pad built to send Steve back to return the stones, they declared the battle site off-limits.

Blaine let a snort/chuckle due to the picture in his head. “Of course, Tony was right. God, he’d be insufferable and pissed at the same time.”

Bruce was no longer paying attention. He was focused on the content of the boxes. “Ah, here they are. Blaine, would you pick up that small box?”

“Sure.” The only small box he saw was covered in some kind of cooling container. “This one?”

“Yes. What’s the temperature?”

“4 degrees Celsius.”

“Perfect. I need you to open the box very carefully. One of the downsides of my transformation is the inability to pick up small objects without crushing them.” Blaine opened the box and found several small vials full of a red fluid. “Good, none of them broke. Put them in the refrigeration unit and we can talk.”

The three of them sat on the floor and Bruce began to fill in holes. What they’d found was PYM Particles. PYM Particles were necessary to get to the Quantum Realm. That started Bruce and Brittany down a sciency-timey-whimey rabbit hole, so Blaine went to fix lunch.

When he returned, the rest of the final boxes were unpacked, Bruce explaining each item to Brittany. There was some sort of space suit and a bunch of laptops and other computer related items. The supply shipments he’d received in the past couple months were materials needed to build a portal and control panel. The boxes delivered right before Thanos attacked the Avengers Compound were what was necessary to make it all work. Unknowingly, Tony got them to Blaine at the last possible minute.

After lunch (which cost half his monthly food budget for the eight people currently living at Dalton) Bruce left with the promise to be available if Blaine decided to go back. He told the giant, green scientist no matter what, his final decision wouldn’t be until after the new year.

He’d promised Brittany a big, over-the-top Christmas at Dalton.

January 14, 2024

Blaine tried not to think of Bruce’s unexpected video call as a sign, but he was failing. Today would have been Sebastian’s 29th birthday.

“Is this stuff Britt will need to translate for me? You didn’t say she had to be here.”

“No, but it is a little complicated. Just ask questions if you’re confused.”

“Ok, what’s up?”

“I know you saw Steve at Tony’s memorial but there’s a reason we’ve kept what happened to him a bit of a mystery.”

“He’s not living on the moon?”

“No, the truth is actually even more unbelievable. After the service, Steve took the stones back like I promised the 2012 Sorcerer Supreme. He just didn’t come back….”

“He disappeared?”

“No, he went back to WWII and then had a life with Peggy Carter.”

“That’s not possible.”

“I assure you...”

Blaine folded his arms and leaned back into the couch as Sammy sat up to attention. “I don’t care. No way.”

Bruce tried to channel his inner Tony Stark to…yeah, that wasn’t going to work. “Why?”

“Because no way in hell would Steve Rodgers go live a happily ever after with Peggy Carter without saving Bucky Barnes from becoming the Winter Soldier first. He’d never sacrifice one of the loves of his life for the other.”

“Um…what?”

“The Avengers, well…not Clint, believe Steve Rogers, Captain fucking America, stormed a Hydra infested castle all by himself in World War II to rescue his childhood best friend?”

Now the supposed genius was even more confused. “Uh, yeah.”

“Left SHIELD, Peggy Carter’s legacy, immediately after discovering it was partially run by Nazis with flying battleships and millions of names on a kill list, including yours and mine, to find his army buddy?”

“Well…”

“Fought Iron Man in a Battle Royal, gave up his shield and destroyed the fucking Avengers to protect a poor tortured soul he knew 70 years ago?” Before Bruce could ask what the hell he was implying, Blaine added “I ship Stucky.”

"Ship?"

"Fan of the relation...ship, and I'm not talking not friendship."

Ok…oh…OH!! He and Tony always assumed Steve was a virgin. Maybe that only meant women. “Ok, that’s a lot to handle.”

“And he didn’t tell Peggy about Hydra being in SHIELD? Or stop the death of Tony’s parents? Or tell Thor what his brother was up to and stop the Invasion of NYC? Or…”

“Ok, ok, I get it. And if you could give me a minute to stop my mind from completely exploding, I might be able to explain, even the no rescuing Bucky part.”

Bruce took the fact the dog curled back down beside his owner as the sign Blaine was calm enough to continue.

“Steve didn’t come back through the portal after he returned the stones, but he did return. He was sitting on a bench 20 yards away, but he was old…over 100 years old, old and he had no idea what was going on.”

“What do you mean? Like dementia?”

“No, like no idea. Clues from his surroundings allowed him to fake his way through a conversation with Sam. Next thing Sam and I knew, Bucky had Steve on a plane to Wakanda. Evidently, he has a place there…” Blaine cocked an eyebrow and the thoroughly discombobulated man(?) paused when he realized why.

He had never seen Tony in Blaine before but now he’d swear he was his late friend’s long, lost younger brother.

“Ok, well, a few days ago, a Princess there, Shuri, she’s a lot like Brittany, she contacted me. Steve’s memory has returned, for the most part.”

“Great, I hope he and Bucky are happy. What does this have to do with me?”

“We had just enough PYM Particles for Steve to return all the stones and come back…or back to WWII. We only had those because Steve and Tony had to go back…”

“The 2012 Hulk got pissed about some stairs, 2023 Ant-man gave 2012 Tony a heart attack, and something about Alexander Pierce, America’s Ass and 2012 Loki disappearing with the 2012 Tesseract. Tony and Steve go to 1970 Camp Lehigh to get WWII Tesseract and raid Hank Pym’s lab.”

“I’m finally seeing the biggest difference between you and Peter. You get right to the point where he would have referenced Back to the Future or…”

“Bruce!” Blaine took a breath then put on a forced smile. “And the difference between you and Tony is he would have been done with this explanation by now.”

“Not if you told him what you thought about Steve and Bucky living together in Wakanda.”

For the first time since October 17th, Blaine laughed. Not snorted, chuckled or giggled. He laughed so hard it scared Sammy enough to run out of the room. “Maybe, maybe not. Clint came around but probably because his wife Laura is an even bigger Stucky shipper than I am. Now, if I promise to not mention Stucky again, you think you can promise to get…to…the…point?”

“Give me a minute.” Bruce tried to think of ways to streamline what he had left to tell Blaine. Maybe he should call Brittany. No, that girl was definitely a Stucky shipper. 

“As Tony and I worked on the gauntlet, I also worked on the plan to get the stones back to where we found them. Steve had already volunteered to do it after Clint told us about the weird guy with a red face on Vormir. Anyway, I was setting up a way to protect the PYM Particles. The increased amount necessary to complete the mission also increased the chances something might happen to one. We had exactly enough to get everything back. And then…”

“What?”

“I spilled a vial.”

Bruce’s comment when they found the box of PYM Particles made more sense. “So, you had to go back for more?” Blaine asked.

“No, I managed to save enough, Tony and I were able to break down the formula and make a replacement, plus the box currently in your basement. That’s the problem.”

“How?”

“The replacement particles were the last Steve used. I set it up myself. When he went back into the Quantum Realm the final time, he expected to come out when and where Bucky fell off the train. He’d save Bucky then make sure WWII Steve got out of the plane, with his shield and the Tesseract, before it crashed into the ice. WWII Steve would have his happily ever after with Peggy."

Blaine was finally beginning to understand. "Our Steve would then come back, give the shield to your Sam and go have his happily ever after on this timeline with Bucky. What happened?"

"I don't know for sure about the Bucky part..."

"Bruce..."

“Fine! Steve didn’t come out at the train accident. He came out on the plane. The thing was he wasn’t on the same timeline as WWII Steve, he was WWII Steve but with all his 2023 Steve memories. He managed to radio Peggy he found a way to get off the plane before it crashed and to send help. He spent almost 48 hours on the ice before they found him, but you know, Super Soldier serum. Unfortunately, by the time he was rescued all 2023 Steve memories were gone. He was WWII Steve again.”

“That would explain Bucky but not how he showed up in 2023 on the same day at the same time, plus 30 seconds.”

“He still doesn’t remember and Shuri’s convinced he won’t. The problem is she can’t tell if it’s a side effect of the replacement particles or that he’s 100 years old. Do you understand what this means for you?”

“Maybe? Something like since my particles are the replacements, if I used them, we have no idea what will happen.”

“Especially since we have the unknowns of Steve having the Super Soldier serum in his system and being considerably older than you. We do have another option. Hank Pym is back. We could ask him. However, the man has hated anyone named Stark for half a century.”

“No offense, but Tony Stark is the reason he and his family aren’t still stuck inside a fucking Hoover somewhere. He can get over himself.”

“And he might, until he found out Tony and I borrowed his formula. We could ask Scott and Hope to feel Hank out but there’s a risk.”

“More than me trying to go back in time with possibly defective, no offense, particles?”

“No…but, depending on Hank’s mood when he’s told what Tony and I did, there’s a good chance he’d turn us in to Ross and the DODC. Dalton would be raided, you and anyone living there would be taken into custody, and…”

“And Ross would get his hands on Brittany despite everything Tony and I did all those years to prevent that from happening. Bruce, I’m sorry for how I’ve behaved. I know you’re just trying to help. But I think I need to be alone right now.”

“I understand. And Blaine, I know I’m not Tony, but if you need me, don’t hesitate to call.”

February 3, 2024

Brittany planned a surprise party for his birthday. Her idea of surprise was it was on Saturday, two days before his actual birthday on Monday. The fact she was constantly on the phone making arrangements with him in the same room, ordered everything using Dalton’s accounts with local stores, and kicked him out of the Warblers Commons (living room!) so she could decorate didn’t make a difference. It was a surprise party, so he acted surprised.

God, he’d missed her so much during those 5 years.

Besides Dave, his newly returned father and Xavier, she invited former New Directions and Warblers. She also invited Pamela and Cooper. He’d only seen Pamela Anderson once since she Blipped back. In his mind, she wasn’t his mother anymore and hadn’t been for a long time. As much as he wanted to let go of his anger, he couldn’t forgive her role in the Christmas ambush all those years ago.

Cooper had a role as well, but it was not giving him a heads-up when he found out the ambush was happening. The brothers talked about it during Cooper’s stay at Dalton the first 6 months after the Snap and he eventually forgave him…but Blaine never forgot. This time there was no chance of reconciliation.

However, if he was going to do what Tony offered, he needed to say goodbye. Even if Cooper and Pamela didn’t know that’s what he was doing.

The next weekend was his real party with his real family. Dave, Xavier and Brittany (and Sammy) were there but so were Pepper, Morgan, Clint, Laura and the kids. They hadn’t been to Dalton yet and he was pretty sure Nate wasn’t leaving without a dog. Morgan was doing a pretty good job on Pepper too, but her focus was a fluffy white kitten.

Pepper was in Ohio for another reason as well. The return of half the world’s population of animals was more traumatic than when they disappeared. Dalton was full again in a matter of days but Blaine kept letting them come. They managed, and it was a great distraction for that other thing, but they had to have a better plan than the old one of Tony sending supplies every few weeks to disguise his shipments of Iron Man technology.

That’s where Stark Enterprise's CEO came in. There was an abandoned baby food factory not too far away. Pepper finished the purchase while she was in town. The two of them planned to convert it to a pet food factory. Dalton needed the supplies and locals needed the jobs. It was a boon for everyone.

It was also a way for him to take care of his animals if he decided to take Tony offer.

But the person wanted to talk to the most was Clint. So, while everyone else watched Morgan, Nate, Lila and CB (a name agreed to when Blaine felt odd calling the Barton’s oldest child Cooper) ride the horses, the Birthday Boy and retired Archer grabbed a couple beers and went inside to have a chat.

“So, this is the infamous letter? Sebastian was a man of few words. I like him even more now.”

“You never met Bas.”

“But you loved him and Sam…in different ways, of course. You barely knew Nat and never met Vision, but you cried when Wanda and I told you stories about them.”

“I cry at Christmas commercials…at least I used to.”

“You made my point. Now, not that I’m not eternally grateful, but why are we in here instead of the barn? My wife is going to have a few words for us for leaving her alone with Nate and his pleas to go home with Sammy’s brother.”

“Thor is a great puppy.”

“He’s also around 6 months old. Do you remember when Sammy was 6 months old…5 years ago? That’s still so weird.”

“Think how I felt when I found out the golden retriever mother and litter of puppies brought in was Sammy’s family. Though it was amazing to watch the reunion. Sammy and his mom knew each other immediately. When you guys planned to bring everyone back, did you remember it meant animals too?”

“Not really but Scott says he figured out it worked because of the birds. I figured it out when I realized no one at the cell phone company ever got around to cancelling the accounts of people who Snapped.  Then Thanos bombed the compound into oblivion and the rest is history. Why are you asking?”

Blaine went to the wall safe, put Sebastian’s letter back in and brought out a box he put in front of Clint. “Open it.”

Clint began to laugh when he saw the contents. “Stark finally built you a lightsaber.”

“It’s not a lightsaber.”

Hey, Bow! Miss me?

“Oh shit!” Blaine sat silently while the former Avenger watched the hologram his late teammate left behind. When it finished the lightsaber went back into the safe and he went back to the couch to wait for Clint to say something.

It didn’t take as long as he thought it would. “That’s the shit Banner was so frantic to find? Still can’t believe it took less than an hour. But it was some sort of miracle we found everything safe in a pocket of the building untouched by the rubble. Then again, I probably fell 200 feet down, had barely even a scratch and the Infinity Stones lying next to me.”

“That explains one of the questions I had for Bruce, but no. Everything I need Tony had been shipping back here the entire time you guys were building what you needed for the Time Heist.”

“Stark was sending shit to you?”

“Saturday, open basement.”

Clint watched the bookcases separate and shook his head. That was such a Tony Stark move. Five minutes later he was shaking his head again but this time also swearing at the top of his lungs.

“Stark wanted everyone to sign…he fucking signed, those fucking Sokovia Accords, giving the government oversight over the Avengers and the entire time he was hiding shit here in your basement at Dalton to keep it away…FROM THE FUCKING GOVERNMENT?!!”

“Yes, but if you could put Ronan back in the box for the time being, I really need this to be about me for the next few minutes.”

“Low blow Anderson. Also, well played. Start talking.”

Blaine told him everything from the moment he watched the hologram the first time. All the changes the change in his timeline could make, the voice telling him to open Sebastian’s letter, Bruce’s visit, the unexpected call from Bruce telling him about what happened to Steve and how all his particles were the replacement particles, how they couldn’t ask Hank Pym for new ones because of the treat he would turn them into Ross and the DOCD.

After a recap of the Great Stucky Debate so Clint could get a clear picture of Bruce’s reactions, he only had one question. “When are you going?”

“I haven’t decided to do it.”

“Kid, you decided the minute Sebastian told you to come find him.”

"You're right, I did. I want him back."

November 8, 2024

There was never any other date. 13 years since he met Sebastian. 12 years since he lost Sebastian and Sam. 1 year since Tony Stark gave him way to get them back.

It was also enough time to, for lack of a better term, put his affairs in order.

The pet food factory was running and highly successful, not only by providing for animals but they created more jobs than anticipated.

Just in case, he signed the deed to Dalton over to both Dave and Xavier. Dave was going to run Dalton farm but Xavier was to rebuild the school. It was to be in the image of Dalton Blaine remembered, but open to anyone (boy or girl) in need of a place to stay. So many people, not just those who Blipped, were in constant transit looking for jobs. The New Dalton would be a boarding school where children would be not only educated but well cared for (in a zero-tolerance environment) while their parents found stability.

Brittany gave him no choice. Sammy was staying with her. She and Blaine bonded over their loss of the real Sammy and she needed a cuddle buddy to sleep with. Lord Tubbington wasn’t a cuddler.

How that damn cat was still alive was beyond comprehension.

When the time came, the only people he wanted there were Bruce and Clint. They all knew Clint was moral support, Bruce was in charge.

It took the scientist a couple visits to realize they were missing one of Tony’s GPS wrist bands. It took devouring Tony’s copious notes to figure out the lightsaber hilt replaced it. Blaine’s Quantum suit had a special pocket inside his right sleeve where it fit. The button above the red on was for going back and the one on the bottom was for coming home.

The date and time Blaine chose to return to was November 8, 2012, as he and Sam arrived at Dalton to convince then-Warbler Captain Clarington to help him get use of the Grand Staircase to serenade his self-absorbed ex. He’d get Sam alone, tell him he changed his mind and to go back to Lima for his date with Brittany. Leaving over 2 hours sooner meant Sam would avoid the accident…easy-peasy.

The problem was getting his Kurt Hummel-mind-controlled former self to remember the date, the significance behind it and find out why Sebastian was upset all before leaving Dalton. Then the idiot had to not only realize he was really in love with Sebastian but stop him from going to his weekly dinner with Dave. Once accomplished, he presses the home button and comes back to live with the timeline changes he made.

If his replacement particles weren’t so fucked up he wound up wrestling dinosaurs in a real-life Jurassic Park.

Blaine came out of his thoughts when he heard “You’re good to go.” Next thing he knew Bruce began counting backwards from 10, Clint gave him a thumbs up and he pressed the top button on his lightsaber.

It becomes a blur after that.

November 8, 201…

The blur ended and Blaine was in the hall of the former Dalton. He immediately noticed two problems…he was wearing a grey and white striped cardigan and could hear the beginning of Uptown Girl down the hall.

It wasn’t the day he lost Sebastian. It was the day he found him.

Fuck!

TBC

Notes:

Tried to tell you…sciency-timey-whimey/canon-schmanon/I made this crap up. Hopefully, I included enough back story to make it work for you. HOWEVER, true to form for me, I underestimated and one more chapter is necessary to finish.

I don’t care how smart those people were. Or that they had a Super Soldier, a Hulk, 2 men with suits to give them super strength, and a (out of shape) God on the team. With only those 5, 2 mere mortals, a Cyborg and an enhanced Racoon, it would have taken at least a couple months to build what they did. Plenty of time for Tony to send parts somewhere else for safekeeping. And how they all felt about the government by then (even Rhodey), I don’t believe any of the others would question his actions (even Steve).

The Christmas Ambush was in Character 3.

Some sort of miracle = plot armor. I’d like to thank Clint Barton for the example.

[sun-snatcher]

summ. You pull some strings to get the old punching bag from Fogwell’s down below the church. Matt is thankful. — ( A quick audio imagine blurb! )

“YOU FORGET I CAN SENSE when you're nervous."

In the dingy basement cellar of Clinton Church, Matt laughs as you busy yourself with handwrapping him.

The sound is sincere.

You're glad.

He hasn't laughed— or been himself since Father Lantom had dragged him to the foot of the church half-dead, and you suppose neither have you after a revelation as big as: I just discovered my best-friend of multiple years is the local city's vigilante.

But, he's laughing, now.

A phantom of it, sure, but a real one nonetheless. It's progress. It means you're doing something right.

"I'll be fine," he says. Above the both of you, the church choir begins a solemn hymn. "Thank you for this, really. I... I know I've, I've not been..."

The words escape him. He ducks his head and licks his lips.

( You get him, ofcourse. You always do. A decade old friendship does that: of filling in the blanks, reading each other's hearts. )

"I know," you nod, pressing a gentle hand to his cheek. He's got a stubble he ought to shave off by now. "I know, Matty."

He breathes you in, eyes closed as leans into your touch.

"You can stay and watch over me if you want. I promise I'll take it easy, yeah?”

“Yeah,” you smile. “Been watching over your dumbass since we were kids, anyway. S’nothin’ new.”

A scoff.

He swipes at the tip of your nose; you swat him with a laugh.

[the-real-peterparker]

surgery is just stabbing someone to life.