NATASHA SPOKE WITH their new guest for over an hour. Afterward, she wanted to talk with Y/N. They stood on their porch that overlooked the backyard.
There, Harry was standing around rather awkwardly. He was watching Nikolai and Maggie by their basketball hoop playing. The ball rolled to him and he picked it up, smiling as he handed it back to the little boy.
"He could only name a few people." Natasha spoke as they looked at them.
Y/N leaned against the balustrade. "Who?"
"First there's Norman, who was his father. He says he died a couple of years ago. Then some girl named Mary Jane. Went to high school with him."
Y/N nodded as he listened. Natasha continued.
"Then it got weird...once he mentioned the third."
"Shoot."
Natasha looked at him. "He said Peter. Peter Parker."
Y/N looked away from the backyard and at his wife. He raised a brow.
"Peter Parker?" He asked. "We thinking the same one?"
"Just to be sure I showed him a picture...but he said it wasn't him. Harry also said Peter went to high school with him."
Y/N let a sigh and rubbed his neck. "Weird. So there's some other guy named Peter Parker out there? From a long time ago maybe?"
"I don't know." She replied. "I looked up his supposed father, Norman Osborn..."
"Is he dead?" Y/N asked, still having the hypothesis that Harry was an out-of-time super soldier like him.
"No." She replied. "He's a tech tycoon that's out of state at the moment. I was still researching him before I came to you."
"Does the internet say he has a son?"
Natasha shrugged and pulled out her phone. With a few searches, she pulled up a picture of Norman Osborn and his family. In a photo, it showed him with his son...a teenager.
"Harry Osborn?" Y/N asked as he looked at the photo. "What the hell? How does this make any sense?"
"There's already a Harry?" Natasha also asked and looked out at the man in their backyard. "Then who the hell is this guy?"
Suddenly, there was a flurry of sparks nearby. It also caught the attention of the kids and Harry. In moments, Doctor Stephen Strange stepped out of it and onto their yard. He looked around before finally spotting Y/N on his porch.
"Uh...Strange?" He asked in confusion.
"Carter." He greeted him and then looked at Natasha. "Romanoff-Carter."
"Wow. First time someone's actually gotten it right." The redhead muttered.
Nikolai spotted the sorcerer and immediately ran to him, dropping the ball in the process. Ever since Strange, Wong, and the sorcerers protected him during the battle against Thanos he's had a fascination with them.
"Stephen!" He called out.
The sorcerer looked at the boy and smiled. "Oh, man. You've grown a lot."
"Mom says I need to drink lots of milk!"
"And that's good. It contains protein, calcium, potassium, zinc, vitamin A and D. All beneficial for growth in small children." He explained.
Nikolai did not understand a single word he said. Strange kept smiling at him as Maggie went up to them.
"Hey, Stephen." She greeted.
"Margaret. You doing good in school?"
"I would think so."
"It's always best to know so than to think so." He replied.
"Ugh. You sound like my dad."
Strange chuckled before glancing at Harry in the distance. He felt a weird aura with him and looked at Y/N.
"I'm glad you stopped by." He told the sorcerer. "I could've set something up if—"
"I'm here because your help has been requested. By Peter."
"Really?" He replied as he stepped off the porch.
"Yes. Something...um...happened earlier today that caused some problems. It's pretty complicated."
"Try me."
Stephen sighed. "Parker interrupted a spell I was doing that would force the world to forget he was Spider-Man. It caused some people from other universes to come into ours. Did you hear about that fight he had on Alexander Hamilton Bridge?"
"Yeah."
"Well, he was fighting one of those people. I ended up bringing in two of them but I know I'm missing a few more. Peter is in charge of rounding the rest of them up as I think of some way to send them back."
"Wow..." Y/N took in the explanation. "So there's a multiverse?"
Strange remembered Peter in awe of the same revelation. The man nodded.
"Yeah, yeah, there is...whatever." He replied. "Peter requested your help last minute after I brought in his friends."
Y/N nodded. "He wants me to help him find those other guys?"
"Pretty much."
As they conversed, Y/N looked back at Harry. He was starting to get the realization that his theory was likely wrong...and that he wasn't out of time...but from another universe.
"I think I found one of them already." Y/N remarked, garnering an eye brow raise from Stephen.
Y/N and Harry were brought to the Sanctum. The former had his leather case that contained the shield. They followed Strange down a set of stairs to what he said was the Undercroft. Once they entered the room, Y/N saw the three teenagers looking over a computer.
"All right, Parker. I got your guy." Strange called out. "I'm not going to lie. Having Stars here sure makes my job a whole lot easier."
Peter looked back and smiled at the sight of his friend. Y/N did so as well and they walked up to the trio. Peter had his suit on but was inside out which gave it a black-and-gold look.
"Y/N." Peter greeted and clasped his hand. "I—I'm sorry to ask you about this on such short notice. It's just that this whole thing—"
"Don't worry about it, man." Y/N reassured him. "I'm always here for you."
Peter smiled once more. Stephen started to bid farewell to them.
"All right, you all get to work." He looked at Harry. "You. Just...don't touch or mess anything up."
The young man nodded. Strange was thinking of locking him up in a cell as he did to the Lizard and Doctor Octavius, but Y/N convinced him that he wasn't a threat. The sorcerer agreed since he hasn't expressed any ill intent like the others.
He left them. Peter began to introduce his friends to Y/N, who he hasn't gotten to know yet.
"Ned, MJ, this is Y/N. You know—"
"Captain America!" Ned interjected and shook his hand. "It's an honor, sir."
Y/N chuckled. "Nice to meet you, Ned. I heard you're a good guy in the chair, is that correct?"
"Oh, man. That's right! Peter would be toast without me."
Peter arched a brow at his best friend. MJ then greeted the Captain next.
"Hi, I'm Michelle Jones. But my friends call me MJ. I'm Peter's girlfriend."
"Yeah, he's told me about you." He replied with a smile. "Be honest, how's it like being the girlfriend of a guy like Spider-Man?"
"Oh, don't get me started."
Peter looked at her too. "Hey!"
As they conversed, Harry was listening. The mention of Peter, MJ, and Spider-Man started to weirdly make his head hurt. He rubbed his face and quietly groaned, which caught the attention of Y/N.
"Uh...this is Harry." Y/N began to introduce him. "I stumbled upon him in the city...and I think he might be one of the folks you're looking for."
"Really?" Peter asked.
Harry was caught up on the explanation earlier by Y/N and Strange. Although hard to believe at first, he did start to think the world he was in wasn't his.
"You said your name was Peter? Peter Parker?" Harry asked.
The boy nodded. Harry glanced at Y/N before looking back at Peter.
"I know someone with that same name. He's also Spider-Man. But he doesn't look like you."
Peter took in the explanation. It was the same thing Doctor Octavius said.
"Same with you." Harry pointed at MJ. "There's an MJ I know...but different."
As he spoke, Harry looked over at the crypt the other multiversal beings were held. One caught his eye and he suddenly walked away.
Y/N and Peter followed him. Ned leaned over toward MJ. "Doesn't that guy look vaguely similar to the guy in The Interview movie?"
Harry walked into the crypt. Inside the magical cells had the Lizard, Doctor Octavius, Sandman, and Electro.
"These are the rest?" Y/N asked Peter.
"Yeah. Strange got the lizard guy. I brought in Octavius, the guy with the arms, and I just brought in that electric dude and sand dude."
Y/N took it all in. "Wow."
Suddenly, Peter got a call and went aside. Harry kept looking around until he neared one of the cells.
"Otto?" He called out.
The eight-armed scientist looked back at the young man. He was also perplexed.
"Harry Osborn?"
Y/N walked up to Harry. "You know him?"
"He is a renowned scientist. Worked on some project that can create sustainable energy for the world."
"Which I would've done if Spider-Man hadn't stopped me." Otto added.
Harry turned around and spoke to Y/N quietly, also moving aside.
"But he died over a year ago. How...?"
Y/N looked at Otto, who had gone back to simply looking down in silence.
"It's just weird, to put it simply. Our situation." He replied.
They turned around and Y/N noticed Peter wasn't with them anymore. He went up to the teenagers at their computers.
"Where did Pete go?"
"His aunt called and said that she might have one of those multiversal dudes at the shelter." Ned replied.
Y/N nodded. The boy stopped typing and looked back at the soldier.
"So...do you have a suit too?" He asked.
The man chuckled, lowering his collar and showing it beneath his clothes.
"It's thin enough to wear beneath my clothes but still offers pretty good protection. Thank the Wakandans." He explained.
Ned pointed at the case. "And that's the...?"
"Yeah." Y/N opened it and took out the shield.
"Wow." Ned got up from his seat. "Can I hold it?"
"Sure. I let Lang and his friend use it once so might as well."
He handed it to Ned, who was caught off guard by how light it was. MJ crossed her arms and looked at it in intrigue.
Harry looked at it as well and had questions. "And what is that for? What are you supposed to be?"
"Captain America." Y/N simply replied, but the multiversal being was still confused.
"Like the dude from the World War 2 comics?"
"He's in your world too?" Y/N asked.
"Just in the propaganda comics from back then. Not in real life. At least I don't think so."
"He was real here. He...he was my father."
Harry took in the information. The way he spoke about him in the past tense told him he wasn't around anymore and it reminded him of his own father.
"How long ago did he pass?" Harry asked.
Y/N sighed. "Almost a year."
A glare started to suddenly form on Harry's face.
"Was he taken from you?"
The man's expression caught Y/N by surprise. Nonetheless, he answered his question...with the half-truth the rest of the world was told.
"He died in battle...and that was last we saw of him."
Harry still had that glare, but it softened after a moment. The man looked down.
"I'm sorry to hear that."
Ned was still with the shield. From the crypt, Octavius was eavesdropping and had a look at the shield and the suit under Y/N's clothes.
"What is this?" He called out. "Are we celebrating the Fourth of July?"
• • •
NATASHA WAS IN the living room on her laptop. Her children were in the kitchen nearby as Maggie was making herself and Nikolai a snack.
The mother was still trying to look up more about Osborn. Before they left, Y/N mentioned him being from another universe...which was another can of worms in itself...but the little information they got on their Norman kept her intrigued.
He was a tech tycoon and was once employed under Justin Hammer's company. Natasha scoffed upon remembering her situation with him years ago, then chuckled recalling how she slammed his face against a table.
With Hammer still in prison, Norman took over and became what he was now. But that was just it. He didn't even change Hammer Industries' name nor did any new developments come out of the company. It was as if he was just a face with money and influence...and she wondered how he was using it.
She looked some more and then stumbled upon a picture taken years ago with Norman Osborn and Thaddeus Ross, which piqued her interest. At the time, Ross was a General and now that he is currently Vice President to President Darren Ritson, she wonders if they still are connected.
Before she can dig some more her phone rang. Natasha noticed the unknown number upon looking at her screen.
"Hello?" She answered.
"Сестра (Sister)." The familiar voice of the blonde replied.
"Yelena?" She sat up. "How—how are you?"
It caught her by surprise initially. The blonde has yet to personally see her and the family again since last year and this was the first time she's called in months. Natasha wasn't mad but instead happy to hear from her again.
"I'm doing well." Yelena answered. "I'm actually...in Ohio at the moment."
Natasha smiled. "Reliving the memories?"
"You could say that. I stopped by Cleveland yesterday. It reminded me of that one time Papa took us to see that baseball team...what were they called...? Indians?"
"Guardians now. The name before was politically incorrect." She replied. "I follow the sports news because of Y/N."
She didn't respond initially after her statement. The silence made Natasha feel weird and she ended up changing the subject.
"So...how long are you staying in Ohio?"
"Don't know. I'm...I'm actually stationed here for an op. Who know's how long that'll take?"
The redhead knew about the jobs her sister was taking. She didn't know from who she was taking them from nor who her superiors were, but didn't dwell on it. She respected Yelena's decisions and trusted her in what she strived to do.
"You..." Natasha paused. "You ever plan on coming to visit?"
She heard Yelena inhale on the other end. There were another couple of seconds of silence before she responded.
"Just know that those kids are...one of the brightest parts of my life. They brought so much joy to me and—"
The blonde suddenly stopped. Natasha softly exhaled, knowing that her sister was going to mention Pietro. The thought of him hurt her too.
"I love you all very much. Okay?" She finished.
Natasha started to remember when Clint used to distance himself from her and Y/N right after Thanos won. She wanted her to know that there was a place for her still.
"You are loved too, Сестра (sister)." She replied. "I want you to know that also."
There was another moment of silence. Finally, Yelena bid farewell.
"Bye Natasha."
There wasn't even a chance for her to say goodbye back. The call ended and it left the older sister with the dial tone. Natasha put the phone down and inhaled deeply.
She started to tear up. The thought of her sister in pain and despondent made her sad as well. Natasha wished she could just see Yelena and embrace her...offer her the comfort she needed.
Nikolai came into the living room with the sandwich Maggie made him. The boy noticed her mother crying.
"Why are you sad, mommy?" He asked.
She wiped away the wetness from her cheek and turned toward the boy. "Sorry, baby. It's nothing. I'm fine."
"Do you want a hug?"
Natasha smiled. "Please."
She moved the laptop aside and let the boy climb onto the sofa with her. The redhead hugged her son and ran her fingers through his hair.
Maggie was standing by the door of the kitchen seeing the interaction. She understood that her mother was likely emotional because of the phone call. She went up to Natasha and leaned over the backrest of the sofa to hug her from behind.
"Everything all right?" She asked.
Natasha nodded. "Now it is."
Maggie smiled and parted. Natasha held onto her arm before she can leave, then looked at both her children.
"You know that your aunt Yelena loves you two, right? She always thinks about you."
Her daughter immediately agreed. She understood that she was distant because of Pietro's death. Nikolai didn't as much and still wondered when she'd see them again.
"Hopefully we can see her on Thanksgiving. Or maybe even Christmas." The boy said.
Natasha rubbed the top of her head. "I hope so too."
• • •
MJ AND NED were looking through their various social media apps to look for evidence of more rogue multiversal beings. Y/N was not as well-versed with it as the usual mid-30s-aged man today.
"What's the point of this?" He asked as he looked through his own phone, having downloaded TikTok at Ned's request.
"We gotta keep looking for the flying elf Peter told us about." MJ replied.
"No, I mean the point of this?" He mentioned the app itself. "Just short videos of life hacks and movie theories."
"The attention span of today's generation is very minute, so the constant scrolling of new content keeps them on the app." MJ explained.
Y/N simply nodded. He scrolled through some more posts, even seeing a clip of Scott Lang's recent podcast episode with Agent Jimmy Woo, who used to be his parole officer. He even saw one of a teenager talking about the Avengers.
"Smash or Pass?" He questioned. "What is that? Is it some Hulk thing?"
Ned looked up from his phone. "Oh...uh...well—"
"He just said he'd smash Black Widow." Y/N added, mentioning his wife. "Is that a good thing?"
"...sure? I guess it depends."
Harry was nearby witnessing the whole ordeal. The man crossed his arms.
"Is MySpace still a thing here?" He asked.
"Oh, that died a long time ago." MJ replied.
"Bummer. I actually had a lot of followers." He rubbed the back of his neck and pointed at the fridge nearby. "Is there something I can drink?"
He went over toward the fridge. Ned called out to try and stop him since he looked in there before, but Harry ignored him.
Y/N, MJ, and Ned kept looking through their phones. Suddenly, they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. They looked back and saw Peter, now with his clean red-and-black spider suit, and another older man wearing a green coat.
"Um, guys?" He walked up to them and started to introduce the stranger. "This is...uh...Mister Osborn."
"It's Doctor." The man corrected.
"Right..." Peter replied. "Doctor Osborn." He pointed at the others. "These are my friends, Ned, Y/N, and MJ."
"Mary Jane?" He asked the girl.
"It's Michelle Jones, actually."
He nodded. "Fascinating."
Peter looked over at the other man who had just looked through the fridge and was walking back.
"Oh, and that...uh...what was your name again?"
The young man walked up to them and finally eyed the stranger. The older man stared back and they shared the same shocked expression. The rest looked at them in confusion.
"Harry?" The man stood still and called out to him.
He stood quiet for a moment, still in shock at the sight of him...his dad. The man he thought was dead.
Norman Osborn.
"Father?"