Media: Marvel Cinematic Universe; Avengers: Infinity War

Timeline: 2018; post-film

Genres: Angst, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Superheroes

Summary: In the Soul World, Peter Parker can't take the fighting anymore, especially with his fragile teenager anxiety. After realizing what today is, he just snaps.

Notes: My friend irl wrote a story like this and I wanted to write my own version.
Update 5/11/19: Whelp, this is no longer even remotely canon.

Peter Parker sat on the hard ground with his knees pulled to his chest by his right arm. His left hand rested on the the rocky orange surface, his finger nails scraping at the sharp rock. Orange stretched as far as the eye could see. The other Avengers and heroes stood a few feet away arguing with each other.

It had taken Peter an eternity to find the others, but once he did, it didn't help the situation at all. The others were just as frustrated, tired and confused as him. At least he wasn't alone anymore.

"Calm yourself, Wilson," Dr. Strange scolded from where he was arguing with Falcon.

"We've been here for almost five months!" Sam declared angrily. "Our friends need us to stop Thanos. We need to get out of here and help them!"

Peter bit his lip as he remembered that Tony was still out there. Was he stuck on Titan with Nebula? Did he find a way off? Did Thanos kill him, too?

"How?" Peter Quill demanded. "We've tried everything!"

Wanda, whose eyes were droopy and with dark circles underneath them, glared at Quill. "Don't snap at us, Guardian. You're not the only one who has lost someone they loved."

Star-Lord faced Scarlett Witch, which was both brave and stupid, but that pretty much sums him up. "So you constantly remind us. This Vision you keep talking about was a robot! I'm sure his baby sister can bring him back," Quill snapped, gesturing to T'Challa. Wanda's dark eyes turned stormy as red magic sparked at her fingertips.

"I am Groot!" Groot warned in concern, placing a wooden hand on Wanda's gently, attempting to calm her down. The sparks disappeared, but the girl continued to glare dangerously at Quill.

"As long as everything goes according to the timeline where we win, Thanos will be defeated," Dr. Strange explained for the hundredth time. "That includes all of us dying from the Snap and being sent here."

"And how can we trust you?" Sam growled, including Wanda, Bucky, and Black Panther. "You're here with us because the Guardians and the kid knows you, but I only know the kid and we fought on opposite sides in the Civil War." Peter Parker flinched at his words.

Quill raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Civil War? That was over a hundred years ago."

Sam sighed wearily. "A more current Civil War. We'll explain later." Star-Lord nodded in satisfaction. 

"I won't pretend to understand all of this time travel stuff," Bucky began, "but if you've seen the future, can you tell us how to get out of here?"

Strange grimaced. "Yes, but we have to wait for the right moment or we'll loose."

"I think we've already lost," Wanda muttered under her breath.

Sam was about ready to blow up. "Why? Because we'll "ruin the one timeline where we win"? Our friends need us now! We can't just sit here and do nothing because of your say so!" He stepped so close, their faces were almost touching, both men breathing heavily and glaring.

Heated anger and frustration seemed to radiate off of everyone. Peter could feel it. Even though he doesn't normally sense emotions like Mantis, Spider-Man can sense danger.

Peter was hyperventilating. Too much yelling. So loud. Ten echoing voices multiplied to twenty in his skull. Spider-Man curled his fingers into fists, cutting the tips against the sharp rock and staining the orange with red. He pressed his hands against his ears, but it did little to block out the thundering roar of argument.

The boy was sick of the constant bickering. All day the heroes argued, only stopping to catch their breath or to sleep when the orange sky turned black with an orange tint. Orange, orange, orange. So much orange! The single color so bright, it hurt the his eyes. Peter was sick of the color. There was nothing here. No food or water, yet they didn't need any because they're dead. This is what Thanos calls mercy?

Peter finally snapped.

"STOP!!!" The noise of argument faded as they turned to the boy that sat apart from them. Peter scrambled to his feet, the orange light reflecting off of the suit that Mr. Stark had created for him. "Just stop," he continued more quietly, breathing heavily from hyperventilating. "Can there just be one day where you guys just don't fight? Where all of this yelling and bickering stops booming in my ears?" Guilt passed over all their faces and Peter's cheek flushed, embarrassed by his outburst. "Just... not today... not today."

"Why not today especially?" T'Challa asked gently.

Peter shook his head and let out a short laugh. "Why would you care? It's not important." He stared at the ground silently, hiding his red cheeks.

"Kid?" Peter glanced up at the familiar voice to find the man who shared his name looking at him sympathetically. "You're the youngest one here. We all care about you. More than you know."

Peter's brown eyes returned to staring at the ground. "It's my birthday," he mumbled. He glanced up to witness the surprise on everyone's face. "I turn seventeen today." He glanced away. "I told you it was stupid."

The heroes made eye contact with each other, all sharing the pity and protectiveness they felt for the young spider. The boy should be at home with his relatives and hanging out with his friends. Instead, Thanos thought he could save the universe by killing half of its population. Peter just had to be one of the unlucky half.

What could they say to him? How could they wish him a happy birthday in the situation he's in? Dang. Seventeen? Not even out of high school. This would be his senior year with graduation and college right around the corner. This kid had his whole life ahead of him, but instead he was stuck in a dimension of infinite orange nothingness. What a happy birthday.

"Man, that sucks, kid," Quill admitted quietly. "I'm sorry." Spider-Man just shrugged as a sob caught in his throat.

"I pity the Boy of Spiders," Drax announced. "We must stop fighting, even though there is not much else to do here."

"Agreed," Black Panther nodded, giving Peter a small smile. He reminded him so much of Shuri. In his heart, he prayed he would see her again.

Wanda's soft heart urged her to give the boy a hug, so she complied. Mantis' eyes grew big as tears pooled in them. She managed to blink them away.

"You're with us, kid," Bucky added. "We'll help each other get through this."

  Peter swallowed the lump that was choking him. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice cracking a bit from emotion.

For the rest of the day, the heroes all peacefully traded stories about their adventures. There was quiet laughter to replace the angry yelling. It was a nice change, and they did it for Peter.