~Broken Family~

Back to the Future

After two and a half hours, Harley and Gwen pulled up to the cabin behind Steve's car. Peering past the windshield, Harley could see the backs of Steve and Nat's heads arguing with Tony, and another man who he guessed was Scott.

He jumped out of the car, grabbed his crutch, and hurried after Gwen, who sprinted up the steps to give Tony a hug.

"I got my second chance right there, Cap," Tony said, pointing to Harley as he dragged his leg up the steps and pulled Tony into a hug. "Can't roll the dice on it."

Harley looked between them in confusion. "Wait, what's going on? Scott, how--how did you---"

"He wasn't Snapped," Tony answered roughly before Scott could even open his mouth. "Cosmic fluke, got stuck in the quantum realm and how he's comin' back here with a wild theory about time travelling."

Gwen's eyebrows achieved orbit and she crossed her arms across her chest. "Time travelling? As in, we could go back in time and save everybody? My parents? Peter and Mor---"

"No!" Tony nearly shouted harshly, making everyone jump. He cleared his throat and adjusted the collar on his shirt. "No. Look, undoing the Snap was one thing, but the Stones are gone now. Making a rescue plan based on Back to the Future... That's just downright stupid."

Harley couldn't believe what he was hearing. Using the railing to lean on, he hopped after Tony as he marched down the porch.

"Tony," he whispered, putting his other hand on his shoulder and forcing him to turn around. "What are you doing?! Scott just came back from the dead with a potential way to save not just them, but everyone, and you're---"

"What if it doesn't work?" Tony interrupted, putting his hands on his hips. "I can't give myself that much hope to bring my kids back only to be let down like that..."

"One of your kids is here right now," Harley challenged. "And he's telling you to stop dragging your two good feet and help out his brother and sister, who he's been missing every single day for the past five years. I'm sorry, Tony, but your hair is too gray for you to tell me that you're not still stressed about it. Pete and Maguna need you to do this for them, Tony. It's a chance. The first actual chance we've had at this. And you're telling me you don't want to because you don't want to get your hopes up?!"

They had a staring contest for about ten seconds before Tony finally relented with an eye roll.

"Alright. Let's go get my kids back."

***

It took ages, but they finally gathered the whole team back together, even Clay and a hormonal, moody Ellie. Everyone was a little wary about Scott's crazy plan: to go back in time and gather up all the Infinity Stones.

"So, what team will Gwen and I be going with?" Harley asked. "I mean, I assume we're going together. Oh, could we be on a team with Clay and Ellie?!"

Tony sighed as he looked over the "time machine" with a Hulk who had a Bruce brain.

"You and Gwen aren't going," he said passingly, as if it weren't a big deal.

"What?!" Harley cried. "Tony, I want to help! I want to get Peter back and I---"

Tony clapped a hand on his shoulder. "I know, buddy. Believe me. It's not that I don't trust you, it's that I don't trust myself. I don't know what I would do if I lost you. Plus, we barely have enough to even let Albrecht come. Can you just...stay here and look over everything with Ellie? There's no way we're letting her travel, obviously."

Ellie scoffed from a few feet away. "Nobody's letting me do anything."

Clay took her hands in hers and kissed them. The twenty-one year-old was now near the height and buff-level of Steve, and he'd grown an extremely thin beard, which Harley jealously called stubble but which Gwen had been obsessed with for some strange reason.

Maybe I should grow a beard. If I can.

 "That's right," Clay said to his wife. "I know it's horrible to sit and do nothing, but we have to keep you and Junior safe."

They shared a kiss and Clay lovingly pressed a hand against Ellie's swollen belly before he stepped over to Gwen and Harley.

"We'll watch out for her," Gwen promised, reaching her arms out for a hug. "Promise."

"Thanks," Clay whispered. "I'm--I'm actually really scared for her. I know the baby isn't due for eight more weeks, but I can't help but worry."

"Hey, no need to worry." Gwen gave his shoulder a punch, making him wince. He turned to Harley.

"Wow," Harley mused. "Look at us. Look at how far you've come. A revengeful henchmen for HYDRA-turned errand-boy for the Avengers."

Clay laughed, clasping Harley's hand and slapping him on the back. "I know. I've come a long way. So've you."

Harley offered his hand for one last go of their secret handshake. "See you soon."

Clay finished the handshake with a smirk and joined Clint and Nat where they stood.

Steve raised a fist in the air. "Let's go kick some alien booty!"

Rocket's tail stood on end and his paws flew to his head. "WE AIN'T FIGHTIN' ALIENS, YOU IDIOT! We're going back in time to grab some shiny space rocks!"

***

"Five years ago," Tony announced as they marched up to the time travelling platform, Harley, Gwen, and Ellie watching with anticipation, "we lost to that dumb Thanos. We didn't just lose a battle, we lost friends, family, and ourselves. But you know what? Today we've got a chance to make everything right. We've got a chance to win. So go get the stones and bring 'em back here so we can bring everyone else back. Remember to look out for each other, this'll be the fight of our lives. Good luck."

As Gwen and Harley pushed buttons and pulled levers, the teams were sucked into the quantam realm.

And everything was suddenly very quiet and empty.

"Okay," Harley breathed, tensing. "We have to pull the return lever in three, two, one..."

With a flash, everyone reappeared, almost as if they had just been invisible for a few seconds. They all seemed dazed, swaying on their feet and looking around in confusion as their helmets receded.

"Booya!" Steve cheered. For some reason, he was dressed in a WWII army uniform. Sentiment, maybe?

"Did we get 'em all?" Tony gasped.

Rhodey hefted the power stone ball, the thing that had given Peter his second wacko powers, and grinned. "Are you telling me this actually worked?!"

With a clang that made everyone flinch, Clint suddenly fell to his knees.