Snap Back to the Past AKA the Infinity Stones Decide to Adopt Tony Stark Chapter Ten: Pompeii MMXXIII 

Story Summary: The Infinity Stones decide that they don’t appreciate being snapped to destruction and that it isn’t time for their favorite human to rest quite yet. An unlikely group of six is sent back in time to fix the universe before Thanos gets a chance to break it.

Note: This is chapter ten, but you should start with the prologue! Make sure you start with Snap Back to the Past AKA the Infinity Stones Adopt Tony Stark Prologue: The Infinity Stones Adopt Tony Stark. Happy Reading!

Chapter Summary:

But if you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?
And if you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like you’ve been here before?

Notes: OK, buckle up kids, because this one integrates something that I have been planning for a while, and is slightly different from what I promised at the end of last chapter… but I hope that it is worth it.

Chapter Ten: Pompeii MMXXIII

Carol was not sure where to land when she approached Earth again. She had left Earth in 1995 and returned for the first time again in 2018. As she cloaked herself to prohibit earth satellites from detecting her, she realized that really, there was only one place to go. Somewhere that she should have long since visited. 

After carefully landing her craft in the yard, Carol exited the craft and walked carefully up the steps before knocking at a familiar door. There was no one in the yard, so she just had to hope they were home. 

The door swung open, and Carol was faced with Monica Rambeau for the first time in fifteen years. She smiled hesitantly.

“It’s good to see you, Lieutenant Trouble.”

Monica gave her a measuring look. “It’s been fifteen years. I’m Dr. Rambeau now.”

“Right, sorry. Can I come in?” Carol had missed so much already, but she knew it would have been even worse to meet Monica after the snap had been reversed, after Maria had died.

Monica paused for a moment before breaking into a small smile. “Of course. It’s uh, it’s good to see you, Auntie Carol.” 

Before thinking better of it, she pulled Carol into a hug. They broke apart after a few moments, and Monica gestured for Carol to come inside. “Mom is at work. I’m just staying here for a bit, I, uh, already defended and everything, basically done with the degree, but I don’t plan on staying in Texas long-term so I came back here until it’s time to walk.” Monica settled down on the couch, and gestured for Carol to join her.

“So you’re a doctor now?” Carol asked. She knew that Monica was talking about her PhD, but she was not supposed to know that yet.

“Doctor of Philosophy. Not medicine. I studied Physics and Astronomy.” Monica replied. They could both sense the awkwardness at hand.

“You always did love the stars.” Carol replied fondly.

“It’s where you went. Higher, further, faster, right?” Monica shrugged.

“Listen, Monica, I— I’m sorry. I never got to say it before, but I’m sorry for staying away for so long. My memories… I don’t have all of them back yet. I remember loving you and Maria, I remember being family but, I’m different now. And I didn’t ever want to disappoint—” Monica cut her off by pulling her into a hug.

“The only thing that disappointed me, was how long it took you to come home.”

An uncharacteristic tear fell down Carol’s cheek as she lent into the hug. They stayed like that for a long time, neither of them really feeling like letting go, until they heard the door opening.

“Monica! I’m back. I stopped by your grandparents on the way home, mama sent me home with some good oxtails that she found on sale— Carol?” Maria stared in shock as she saw Carol on the couch with Monica. 

“Hey Maria. It’s been a long time.”

—

Getting used to having Friday around as a kid was… a lot. She was definitely unlike any human eight-year-old than any of them had ever encountered. While her memories as an AI were slightly fuzzy— there was no way for them to not be when she was now in a human body— she was still often the smartest person in the room. Furthermore, given that she had lived on the internet for most of her life, and been privy to a lot more information about Tony’s lifestyle than a typical eight-year-old would about her father, she didn’t exactly need the same level of censorship that they would have with a typical child. 

Friday had observed humans all of her life. She had watched over and protected boss— that was her function. A large part of her was upset that she had been given a human body that was so close to the number of years she had been active rather than what her mental processors would have preferred, that is to say a more adult body. There were also lots of childish emotions that she was subject to as a human rather than an AI, and she dreaded going though puberty, which she knew was ahead of her. 

Still, one of the largest benefits to now being human was the magic that she seemed to now be able to harness. Loki and Stephen were both excellent teachers, and of course Boss was there too. She knew that, while he was happy to be her dad, he also missed Morgan. Friday was not jealous, exactly. She knew that Boss loved her, and thought of her as his child. But she also realized that he missed Morgan more than anyone else in the Iron Fam knew. 

Sure, Tony was boisterous, he was loud, energetic, and always on the go, trying to make things better, to prepare the world for what was coming. But there was a part of him that was broken in a way that Friday didn’t think could ever be fixed. He knew that sometimes when he stayed with her when she had nightmares, about Siberia, about Thanos, about all that they had lost, he was mourning too. She also knew that he sometimes looked for Morgan in her, though they were definitely different. 

Morgan had been younger, her hair and eyes brown, and with straight hair. Friday’s hair was auburn, perpetually curly, and her eyes a vibrant green. She had more than a few freckles, and her face shape was completely different. Where Morgan had taken after Pepper, Friday was much more like Tony. 

Tony who was not doing as well as he pretended. Who was overwhelmed by revelations, and holding on by the thinnest of threads. At this point Loki and Pepper were keeping the company afloat from an administrative standpoint, as Tony spent the majority of his days in the lab with Friday. Something was going to have to give, and soon.

—

“Sister! How goes your work?” Thor’s voice was as loud and boisterous as ever when Loki entered the cottage. She rubbed at her forehead in irritation.

“Inside voice  brother. Inside voice.”  

“Ah, sorry sister. It is only that you are gone for so long every day! I am starting to get… restless of staying here by myself. Though I have been very entertained by the Midgardian movies I have been watching as part of my education here! I think it would be most interesting to venture out into the world. It has already been two Midgardian weeks. Do you think I might be ready?” Thor looked hopeful and Loki sighed. She had trouble denying Thor most anything, which was an irritating weakness of hers that had gotten them into more trouble than not. She had often wondered which one of them was truly the older sibling. 

“Oh alright. I have been building an identity for you anyway.”

“Yes! Where shall we be going?” Thor knew that if he had truly wanted to, he could have already left the cottage behind. But he was also a strategist, when he put his mind to it, and this was a moment when he needed to trust that his sibling knew more about the terrain than he. Beyond that, he also knew that she was much more skilled at crafting disguises and that, if he was to live on Midgard he would need a good one. His education via the media had taught him that many Midgardians were wary of what they called “aliens” and were nothing if not judgmental of people from other cultures. 

“Well, we will be moving across the country, for a start. The occupation that I have found for myself is in the city of Los Angeles, and so I have arranged for you to become what they call a “personal trainer” which is to say that you will work with Midgardians who seek to improve their general fitness and skill with exercise. That is why I have been having you learn all of the different equipment in the home gym. I figure this is easier than having you try to attend a university. 

“That sounds like it would be very suitable for me, sister. I thank you for all of your help.” Thor nodded.

“Right,” Loki paused, still unsure about this new Thor who seemed much more in touch with his emotions than in the past. Then again, she had been finding him watching and actually reading a great deal of self-help and psychology books, and had caught him crying while watching Where the Heart Is  a few weeks ago.

“Well, pack up your essentials tonight and we will go to California in the morning. There are a few things that I will need to brief you on regarding my life on Midgard.”

Loki was not looking forward to telling Thor that he had a niece, as he would undoubtedly have more than a few questions, but needs must.

—

In an alleyway not too far from the New York Sanctum Sanctorum there was a flash, and suddenly three figures appeared who had not been there just moments before. They were wearing white and red suits that almost immediately retracted into nanobot casing that instead left them in nondescript clothing that was appropriate for 2010 fashion. Each of them had an equally nondescript backpack, which they made sure was secure after the trip before heading to thee nearby Sanctum. 

Just as one of them was about to knock on the door, it swept open of its own accord, a bald woman with yellow robes standing in front of them.

“Well, isn’t this a surprise? Do come in, make yourselves comfortable.”

They settled together on one of the couches, squished more tightly together than was potentially comfortable, but then again they were fairly protective of one another, with just cause. The Ancient One poured out generous amounts of tea for everyone.

“Would it surprise you to know that you are not the first time travelers I have had tea with recently?” she asked before taking a sip.

“Actually… that is exactly what we were counting on.”

End Note: I delayed on adding some tags until now so as to not give things away; I highly recommend that you read my story How am I gonna be an optimist about this? (If you close your eyes, it’s like nothing’s changed at all) which I am inserting into the series right before this one, as it might clear up a few things. That said, it will also be recapped a bit in the next chapter.