Marvel: Blood in the Water

Jared's POV

As Aunt May left the room, I stood and walked toward the window. The world outside bustled with life, people chatting and laughing as they went about their daily routines, blissfully unaware of the dark future looming ahead.

If someone had told me that such a reality could exist, I wouldn't have believed it. Even now, it felt as if I were trapped in a dream. Yet the memories of Jared Parker were becoming increasingly vivid, and I felt as though I had truly lived his life. I had experienced the anguish of losing his parents and the resolve he made never to show weakness again.

In my previous life, I hadn't had younger siblings, but how challenging could they be? While I contemplated how to navigate this new existence and blend in as the original Jared, I heard the door close in the hallway.

"Aunt May... I'm home."

"Oh good! I just told Jared you would be coming."

"How is he, by the way? I don't remember him ever being this sick."

"Why don't you ask him yourself? He's in his room."

I heard the hallway floor creak, followed by a knock on the door. "You alive?"

If only he knew his brother was really gone, I thought, quickly sitting back on the bed. "Yeah... come in."

The door opened, and Peter walked in. I wasn't surprised to see a younger Tom Holland stepping through. Yes, I knew his real name—he was famous enough.

"You really are short," I blurted out as he approached the bed.

"What?" he replied, looking up from his phone before stuffing it into his pocket and dropping his backpack onto the floor.

He regarded me with a hint of awkwardness. Did he recognize me? But then I remembered that the brothers hadn't spent much time together in recent years.

"Don't listen to anything Aunt May says. My fever is already gone, and I feel just fine," I said, trying to get straight to the point. Peter nodded and replied, "Aunt May's chicken soup will have you back on your feet in no time." He hesitated for a moment before adding, "Jared, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"Sure, what is it?" I asked, my mind racing with possibilities. Is he starting to feel funny in certain places at this age? Is he that much of a nerd? Just then, Aunt May called from the kitchen.

"Get in here, both of you. The soup's ready!"

Peter glanced at me and said, "It's actually nothing important. Let's go." We both left the room and entered the kitchen. On the way, I caught sight of a few old photos of Peter and me with Aunt May, and one of my parents cradling Peter as a baby.

As I stepped into the kitchen, I saw a small dining table set in the middle and a TV mounted on the wall. Aunt May turned around, holding two bowls of soup.

"Peter, turn on the TV. I didn't have time to catch the news this afternoon," she instructed. Peter switched on the TV and began flipping through channels as he took a seat at one of the chairs.

My hunger overshadowed my curiosity about this world, so I focused all my attention on the steaming bowl of chicken soup in front of me. As I began to eat, a news report caught my ear.

"After the death of Ivan Vanko, the FBI has turned its attention to Justin Hammer and Hammer Industries. While some opposition to Tony Stark's heroism persists due to the technology he possesses, the support for Iron Man is immense."

I glanced up at the TV, watching Justin Hammer evade cameras and reporters alongside his legal team. On the opposite side of the screen, a photo of Tony Stark in his Iron Man suit flashed.

"He is so handsome," Aunt May said, gazing dreamily at Tony Stark's image, while Peter chimed in, "That suit looks so cool!"

I looked at them, both captivated by the same man, then returned my focus to the soup. It was delicious—Peter hadn't lied when he said the soup would restore my health.

But then a realization hit me: Ivan Vanko was dead. That meant the Iron Man 2 plot was over. I lived in Queens, and oh no... the next major event in the MCU timeline was the Avengers. This meant the Chitauri army would invade New York.

I turned to Aunt May and asked, "Aunt May, how far is Stark Tower from here?"

Both she and Peter turned to me with curious expressions.

"I think it's maybe close to an hour away. But why do you want to go there?" Aunt May asked.

"Nothing much. I just wanted to see what this genius is building," I replied casually.

"Jared, I don't think it would be useful to go there now. From what I've read in recent posts on Reddit, the tower is far from being ready, and it will take at least eight months for Tony Stark to move in," Peter said excitedly. I didn't want to hear more of his nerdy musings, so I simply nodded with a smile, which was enough to satisfy him.

This meant some of the Chitauri army could arrive sooner than expected, and since I existed in this world, the chances of MCU events changing were high. Every breath I took in this universe could lead to alterations, and due to the butterfly effect, even small changes could have monumental consequences.

Holy shit... am I a nerd too? I thought, but I decided to stop overthinking and actually do something.

I finished my soup and announced, "Aunt May, I'm going out for a while. I'll be back by dinner." I returned to my room, changed into more comfortable clothes, and grabbed my ancient iPhone 4s.

As I left the house, I decided to explore the neighborhood and familiarize myself with the area. I passed several people who recognized me, and as their faces flashed in my mind, Jared's opinions about them quickly followed.

There's not much to see here. Didn't Aunt May mention going to the beach? Maybe I should check it out. Using the Maps app, I found my way to the beach.

Upon arriving, I saw families enjoying picnics while teenagers played volleyball nearby. I scanned their faces, but none stood out as Jared's acquaintances. The hot weather prompted me to dip my legs in the water. I rolled up my pants and made my way toward the shoreline, watching as children splashed joyfully with their parents.

Ignoring the laughter around me, I stepped into the water and immediately felt something strange beneath my feet. I pulled back, wondering if I had stepped on something, but the bottom was clear.

I ventured back in, but the sensation returned. This time, it felt soothing rather than alarming. I took a few more steps until the water reached my knees.

Just as I was about to enjoy the calming sensation again, I noticed a wave approaching. It wasn't large, but it would be enough to soak my pants, and walking home in wet clothes would be embarrassing.

"Come on, can't you go around without disturbing the water?" I muttered, preparing to step back. But before I could, the wave split and flowed around me, leaving the water surrounding me undisturbed.

I couldn't help but touch the water around my feet, marveling at how stable it felt—as if I stood in a swimming pool that hadn't moved for minutes.

Holy shit, I screamed in my mind.

**

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