Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

Chapter Twenty-One: Sacrifices

Plan A

There wasn’t enough time.

That was the only thing Tony could think as he’s staring up at the looming figure of the last Titan.

Thanos lived up to the hype; he was a behemoth. A thick purple thug who stood as tall as a building. He’d swatted Spiderman as though he was nothing more than an irritating bug; taken him to the ground with one massive hand…it had taken the unibeam to push Thanos back enough for Tony to see how the kid was doing and even then Thanos had come at him too quickly – one blow had compromised the armour.

Thank God for Quill and the Guardians who were doing their best to distract Thanos; Tony could finally check on an unmoving Peter.

“I’m sorry.” Peter gasped out.

Tony shook his head. “There’s nothing to be sorry for, Peter.”

There just wasn’t enough time. Not enough time on the planet to find the soul stone which was why the Guardians were there; not enough time for Strange, Spidey and Tony to find a way back to Earth.

Peter pressed something into his hand. “It’s…I really…all I wanted was to be like you.”

Tony could feel the power in the gem Peter had given him. It burns in his hand. “You’re already better than me.”

Peter almost smiled but his eyes are already blown and unfocused; his breath stuttering. “Will you…will you stay…”

“I’m here, Peter.” Tony said, ignoring the sounds of the battle around him, of the others keeping Thanos occupied.

“I’m scared.” Peter said.

“Just look at me, Peter.” Tony said.

Peter couldn’t though that was clear. His eyes flickered shut and Tony rested one hand on Peter’s chest, feeling the barely-there breaths stutter and stop.

We can bring him back. All we need is one sacrifice, a soul bound to us for all time. The stone whispered in his mind.

Tony grasped it tightly as he suddenly became aware of clapping behind him which froze him in place. He belatedly he realised he couldn’t hear the battle any more.

“He fought well.” Thanos intoned. “An interesting specimen. Had he lived he may even have survived my purge.”

“Don’t you intend to kill us all?” Tony said keeping his back to Thanos.

“When I am done, half of humanity will live. Perfectly balanced.” Thanos said.

Tony shook his head. “And who determines that balance?” He turned, keeping the stone hidden in his hand even though it burned. “You?”

“I am a Titan. I have lived a millennia and seen the best and worst of humanity. The celestials left them to rot and killed all who would stop the rise of the vermin.” Thanos said. “You do not even believe you deserve to live. I will balance the universe and I will have the stone you hold.”

“What stone?” Tony prevaricated.

“Do not play with me, metal man.”

“You want the stone; come and get it.” Tony quipped, holding the stone tightly.

Thanos smiled. “I hope they remember you and how easily you were defeated at my hand.”

One true sacrifice, the stone whispered again.

Accepted, Tony thought rapidly; bring Peter Parker back and take me. It was an easy choice. Peter was the hope of the future. Tony had dodged death more times than he deserved – Afghanistan, palladium poisoning, Sokovia, Siberia…

Thanos leaped for Tony and the last thing he saw was Thanos’s fist coming towards him…

Plan Z

The Guardians arrive with Thor on a Tuesday. The approach of their ship sets off the early warning systems but it’s easy enough for Thor to validate who he is and they’re sent straight to the tower. Tony is just grateful he’d accounted for the weight of a space ship on the roof when he’d laid the foundations and designed the structure.

Tony finds the next few hours difficult. He’s glad he has some acting ability because faking surprise at the sight of a talking raccoon and tree is harder than he thought it would be.

Thor is a mess. His tale is worse this time. Loki has given his life to save Thor; Thor has given his life to save his people but likely in vain, but the outcome is that Thanos already has one of the stones; the space stone.

“Bugger.” Tony murmurs under his breath garnering a look from Gamora who Tony is pretty certain has super-hearing.

They’re gathered in the communal living area of the tower with the rest of the Avengers, Charles, Coulson and Stephen.

“Thanos will make his way here once he has retrieved the other infinity stones.” Thor tells them. “He knows that you are in possession of the mind stone.”

Vision inclines his head.

“Do you know where the others are?” asks Coulson.

“The Nova Corp have the power stone.” Quill responds. “We sent them a warning but we haven’t heard back from them.”

“A being called the Collector has the Aether – the reality stone.” Thor adds. “We aim to go there next.”

“The location of the mind stone is known,” Coulson looks at Vision briefly, “what about the other two?”

“The time stone has been in the care of the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj.” Stephen admits freely. “It’s safely hidden.”

“So we have two of these stones on Earth.” Steve shakes his head. “Not to be insensitive here, Vision, but if we were to send the stones elsewhere, would that prevent Thanos from coming?”

Oh.

Wow.

Tony has never thought of that as a solution.

Thor studies Steve for a long moment. “Perhaps…”

“You would only delay the inevitable.”  Gamora cuts in. “For as long as I have known him, Thanos has sought to kill half of humanity. Once he has the gauntlet he can do it with a snap of his fingers.”

“OK, so we’re going to have to fight him.” Steve states rubbing his chin.

“But not necessarily on Earth,” Tony says, “taking the stones somewhere else is a good idea.”

Stephen’s eyebrows quirk upwards as he looks pointedly at Tony.

“If those with the stones agree.” Tony smoothly adds.

Stephen opens his mouth but Vision speaks before he can.

“I am willing to remove myself from the Earth.” He looks towards Steve. “It is a sound strategy.”

“Agreed.” Stephen says.

The Guardians exchange a look and Quill clears his throat.

“Uh, not that this isn’t an excellent plan because I’m sure it is here, but…that’s to say…”

“What planet do you wish to sacrifice in the place of yours?” Drax asks bluntly.

Steve blanches and immediately gives them the patented ‘Captain America is insulted’ look.

Bucky slaps a hand against Steve’s arm – given it’s the metal arm, Tony isn’t surprised when Steve winces. “It’s a fair question, Steve. If we’re not fighting here than where?”

Steve ran a hand through his hair. “I hadn’t thought about that.”

Tony’s mind flits to the wasteland of Titan. “Isn’t there any planet which is just deserted, no longer inhabited?”

Stephen looks at him and his eyes widen. “Titan.”

Gamora straightens and looks even more dangerous if that is possible. “What do you know of Titan?”

It says something about Stephen that he doesn’t look cowed in the face of Gamora’s almost palpable anger.

“It’s theoretically where the ancient texts assume the soul stone resides.” Stephen lies.

Well, not so much lies as exaggerates. It’s always been their plan for Stephen to claim ancient magical books as the source for knowing where the soul stone is; unsurprisingly Tony and Charles both agree that it is more believable than a time-travelling human.

“Thanos is a Titan, right?” Steve says. “Is that why the idea disturbs you because it’s his home planet?”

Gamora nods slowly. “Titan is considered…sacred. All of those under Thanos would never dare to venture there.”

Both Sam and Bucky are looking at Steve with resignation.

Steve looks back at him. “What?”

“Don’t ‘what’ me, Stevie; you know exactly ‘what.’” Bucky wags a metal finger at his best friend.

“No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do.” Sam says, crossing his arms. “And I’m going to ask you to think again because people who shoot at you, tend to shoot at me.”

Tony’s lips twitch because seeing Steve get reamed by Bucky never gets old, especially when Sam and Bucky double team him.

“Nobody’s shooting at anybody.” Steve protests.

“I could shoot you.” Rocket offers.

“NO!” All the Guardians respond as the raccoon pulls a gun out of seemingly nowhere.

Tony turns away and stuffs a hand in his mouth to stop himself from laughing.

“Perhaps we could all return to the topic.” Coulson suggests dryly. “Captain Rogers, you were about to suggest Titan as the destination to which to lure Thanos?”

“Woah!” Quill springs up again waving his hands wildly. “Didn’t Gamora just explain why nobody goes there?”

Steve smiles. “I’ve never been good at keeping out of places people tell me not to go.”

Tony almost chokes on his drink because if Steve hasn’t managed to sum up his entire personality in that one sentence Tony isn’t a genius. He waves off any concern as the group turns to look at him. He glances around the room and takes in the determined faces of each Avenger; of each Guardian; of each of their allies. He knows somehow they’re on the right track; that this is what is meant to happen.

“OK,” Tony says, “we’re going to Titan. Let’s plan this out.”

Chapter Twenty-Two: Lives Lived and Lost

Plan A

“Mister Stark!”

There was something tapping the side of his face.

Tony groaned and tried to waft the irritation aside.

“HE’S AWAKE!”

Tony bolted upright and groaned again. “What hit me?”

“Thanos.” Peter replied.

Peter.

Tony stared at him for a long moment, simply drinking in the sight of Peter alive and well. His head ached and he groaned again as he pulled himself in a sitting position. “How long was I out?” Hadn’t he offered his own soul for Peter’s? Why was he alive?

“A while.” Peter said.

Tony lifted a hand and winced sharply at the sight of it. It was badly burned but it wasn’t hurting.

“You held the soul stone.” Strange drew his attention. He looked exhausted; his face scratched and bloody. “These stones are not meant to be held by mortal men.”

“I held it too.” Peter argued.

“You’re wearing the Iron Spider and if you’d look your glove is singed.” Strange countered. He nodded at Tony. “If your suit had been operational when you’d first touched it you would have been fine too. As it is, I think you may have residual elements in your blood from the arc reactor. Perhaps that allowed you to hold it in your bare hand for as long as you did.”

“It doesn’t hurt.” Tony remarked.

Strange waggled his fingers. So, a spell was preventing him from feeling the pain.

“Can you do something about the headache?” asked Tony.

Strange waggled his fingers again but Tony’s headache disappeared so he wasn’t going to complain about magic even if he wanted to so much he had to press his lips together to stop the words getting out.

Tony levered himself up off the ground. “I assume Thanos has the soul stone.” He froze at the sight of Quill a few steps away. The Starlord was kneeling on the ground, holding the body of Gamora to him and sobbing. Nebula stood beside him, guarding him and her dead sister.

“Thanos sacrificed Gamora to the soul stone and left Nabula alive because she was not the daughter he loved.” Strange said quietly.

It explained why Nebula looked furious. Tony breathed in deeply and turned away to give Quill a moment of privacy. His eyes fell instead on Thor standing over another two bodies, a teary raccoon and tree beside him; it was Drax and Mantis.

Tony sighed deeply. The battle they’d fought had been brutal and they’d clearly taken losses. He shivered as he considered Peter might have been just as lost as the other dead. He still didn’t understand why he was alive but he wasn’t going to question it.

“We need to get back to Earth.” Tony said.

“It will take us some time to get to Earth in the ship.” Thor said walking up to join them. Rocket and Groot were making their way over to Quill.

“We may not need a ship,” Strange suddenly said, “I can feel the sorcerers from Kamar-Taj reaching out to me spiritually. I can use that to get us back.”

“We’re coming too.” Quill said, surprising them as he strode towards them. His face was set in angry lines. “He took our people. He pays for that.”

“Damn right he pays.” Rocket produced a massive gun and armed it.

“I am Groot.” The tree said, looking like an angry teenager.

Nebula simply planted herself beside them.

Tony motioned to the moody teenager on his left – the one he had almost lost. “Suit on.” He ordered and suited up himself. There were a couple of dents in the armour; some sparking glitches but it worked. His time-out had obviously allowed the nanobots to repair things.

Strange nodded. He took a step and positioned himself, legs apart; arms stretched out in front of him with one hand raised with two fingers pointing upwards and the other making his typical circular motion.

The portal opened.

It was war on the other side.

Creatures going toe-to-toe with the Avengers and Wakandans; Falcon flew past taking out some of the creatures with gunfire, his flank covered by War Machine; the Hulk roared somewhere out of sight; Antman had gone giant and Tony saw swarms of insects taking down an alien; there was a glimpse of a blonde ninja Black Widow fighting back to back with a very unfrozen Bucky Barnes against a strange looking couple with spears.

“GO!” Strange ordered.

Plan Z

Tony makes his way up to the tower roof. The sky is thundering, lightening zig-zagging across the sky.

It’s not raining.

Not yet.

Thor stands on the edge of the roof. He hasn’t changed out of the armour but he looks smaller somehow with his hair shorn, bereft of his cape and hammer. The shadowy shape of the space ship which had delivered Thor and his friends stretched almost to where he is perched.

Tony goes to stand next to him, not bothered about the height or the danger of falling. He guesses that says something about him.

“It has become a habit,” Thor says eventually, “for you to comfort me here in my time of grief.”

Tony hums and looks up at the light show as a loud roar of fury echoes through the sky.

“God of Thunder.” Thor says mockingly. “What God am I?”

Tony sticks his hands in his pockets and stares out. “Not even Gods are perfect.”

“And I less so than most.” Thor shakes his head. “My father is dead.”

Tony stays silent.

“I once spoke with you of our mothers,” Thor says, “and I understand now the ache you feel. I miss her every day. I missed her most at the moment of my father’s passing.” His jaw tightens; his lips press together. “She conjured Loki’s Asgardian form in Hela’s image. Only she had the magic to do so. Not my father.” He huffed a breath. “I would ask her why. Was he a way to remember a child she had lost? Did she do it to punish my father for locking Hela away, for him driving her daughter insane with his never-ending conquests? She did Loki a disservice either way as I fear my father hated and feared him every time he looked at him.” He sighs. “I have so many questions and no one left to give me answers.”

“I wish my parents and I had talked more.” Tony confides. “I think everyone when they lose their parents has questions they never asked, time they didn’t spend which they wish they had.” He shook his head. “I loved my father and I hated him. He was…he was never interested; never involved. But he leaves a video telling me I was his greatest creation.” He sighs. “It’s not easy being the son of a great man, harder still to be the son of a king I bet.”

“I thought it would be easy to be king.” Thor admits. “Arrogance and youth. My time on Earth may have tempered me but even so, I failed as a king.” He laughs, an ugly sound of recrimination. “I failed to prevent Hela from taking Asgard; I brought about Ragnarok and destroyed Asgard. I could not stop the Titan from killing my people. I only hope those I asked Korg and the Valkyrie to save may have escaped; that those who were already away from Asgard will survive.”

Tony clasps Thor’s shoulder. “You did what you could to save your people, Thor.”

“My brother did more.” Thor says. “He was a better king than I. For years he sat on the throne in my father’s likeness and he ruled well.” He sighs heavily again. “I rule for less than a few hours and our realm is gone, our people either dead or scattered and the Titan has the space stone.”

Tony stays silent this time knowing Thor won’t believe any words of comfort he may offer.

“My brother…” Thor swallows hard. “I thought perhaps…perhaps we could be reconciled. He stayed at the end of the battle. It meant something.”

“He’s died before.” Tony offers. “Doesn’t seem to stick.”

“He gave up the space stone to save me and Thanos killed him. He deserved a better fate.” Thor blinks as the thunder rolls away angrily up above. “He deserves to be avenged.”

Tony squeezes his shoulder. “Then we’ll avenge him.”

Thor turns to look at him. “Even after all he did to this world?”

“We’ll avenge him because he was your brother and you loved him.” Tony says. “Because you’re our friend and maybe, maybe we can’t take the place of the family you’ve lost but we can be your family too.”

Thor bows his head.

It’s a long while before he lifts it and breathes in deeply.

“Come on inside.” Tony says and Thor follows him in.

The Guardians are nowhere in sight, and somehow the newer members of the Avengers are all elsewhere as Tony leads Thor into the communal living space. Steve, Natasha and Clint are there and they get to their feet to offer their own hugs and comfort to their Asgardian friend.

There’s just Bruce missing and Tony hopes that Bruce will survive and make it home the way he’d done a timeline ago.

Clint passes Thor a glass of whiskey.

Tony accepts his with a nod of thanks. He raises his glass. “To Asgard.”

“Asgard.” They murmur.

Thor tosses his drink back in one go.

Clint simply refills his glass. “To family.”

Another refill. Outside the lightning crackles across the thunderous sky.

“To absent friends.” Natasha toasts.

“May they always make it back to us.” Steve adds.

Clint refills their glasses and they turn to Thor, almost surrounding him, sheltering him.

“To those we have lost and will never find again.” Thor says thickly.

And outside it begins to rain.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Time for the Titan

Plan A

Tony took a deep breath and fired his repulsors. Spiderman ran beside him and they split as they hit Earth…

They had to find Thanos.

“STEVE!” Tony spotted his old teammate sprawled unconscious on the ground almost immediately. He dropped to the ground and fought off a couple of scavengers before he retracted enough of the suit to check on Steve’s condition.

There was no pulse; his head rested at a strange angle.

There was no time for anything more than a moment’s grief; a regret…

He suited back up.

Steve was dead which meant Thanos had gone through him to get to Vision.

“Boss, Thor is down. Thanos used the gauntlet to kill him and the remaining Guardians.” FRIDAY informed him urgently.

“Where’s Vision?” asked Tony as he dipped in to help one of the Wakandans before darting back into the sky.

“A mile sixty degrees ahead, Boss.” FRIDAY responded. “He and Scarlet Witch are fighting against multiple assailants.”

Tony flew over Black Panther who had engaged Thanos; it was like a monster cat playing with…a much smaller cat.

Tony landed next to Vision and Wanda. “Get down!”

Vision snagged Wanda and took her into a crouch as Tony activated his lasers and destroyed the creatures circling them.

“That was well done.” Vision said, almost breathlessly.

“Yes,” agreed Wanda not even trying to hide how out of breath she was, “well done.”

“THE PANTHER IS DEAD!” There was a cry which swept through the armies.

Tony placed himself between Vision and Thanos as the behemoth moved towards them; Wanda did the same.

“I fear we are out of time.” Vision said looking at Wanda.

Her face almost collapsed with grief.

Tony leapt for Thanos.

If Thanos was surprised to see Tony he gave no sign of it, instead he swatted Tony’s immediate attack away with a large hand and Tony went flying.

He landed badly in the undergrowth beside a body which he realised was Antman.

He looked back and saw Wanda and Vision teaming up against the Titan. But Thanos used the gauntlet to absorb Vision’s rays and with one hand he sent Wanda flying backwards.

Tony tried to move but his suit was compromised; he struggled to get upright.

“You should not have fought me.” Thanos rumbled as he held Vision by the throat and plucked the stone from his head.

Vision shuddered and fell to the ground, dead.

“NO!” Wanda screamed…and the world went red.

Tony sought cover as her magic wrecked the undergrowth; tearing up trees and plants, setting the dusty earth ablaze.

Above them something hit the helicarrier and it exploded in a fiery blast…

Thanos laughed and turned the gauntlet on her; she was hit with a purple blast and disintegrated in front of his eyes.

Tony felt a rush of rage and he stood despite the faulty suit and…he was immediately surrounded by creatures.

“Bring the survivors to me!” Thanos thundered.

The air was hot; fires blazed all around them as Tony was pushed into a clearing with Natasha, Barnes, a scared Peter and Strange. He felt cold, shocked. He couldn’t believe that the others hadn’t survived.

Rhodey.

Grief swamped Tony for a long moment. He shook himself as a group of Wakandans were brought alongside them, a couple of the Dora Milaje and warriors in different tribal dress.

“You fought well but you have failed.” Thanos intoned. “The fight is over.”

“Uh, you’re still missing some bling there, big guy.” Tony pointed out.

Thanos smiled.

There was a sudden patch of darkness beside him and the alien who had tortured Strange stepped out of it.

“He tried to hide it in a mirror dimension, Father,” the alien said in a silky smooth voice that invited the listener to succumb to its literal charm, “but I was able to retrieve it.”

And the alien opened the box he held to reveal the time stone…

Plan Z

Titan is as dusty and devastated as Tony remembered it. He looks up at the shining moon above him remembering how Thanos had simply pulled it out of the sky with the power of the gauntlet. Somehow the physics had meant it wasn’t the same world-ending event lobbing a moon at Earth would be but there had been a hell of a lot of destruction.

Tony shivers.

Steve claps a hand over Tony’s armoured shoulder. “Alright there, Tony?”

“Just…taking it in.” Tony covers.

Steve nods though, letting go of Tony. “It’s a lot.” He breathes in deeply and shakes his head. “I never thought I’d walk on another planet one day. It’s always been more Bucky’s thing.”

“How mad is he?” asks Tony idly. Bucky had apparently lost the coin toss on which of them would stay behind and protect Earth just in case Thanos or the Black Order attacked there anyway.

“Eh,” Steve shrugs, “he’ll get over it.”

“No, he won’t.” Natasha says dryly as she moves to stand next to them.

Clint follows her and stands next to Tony. “This is insane.”

“Monsters and magic.” Natasha murmurs.

The two spies exchange a long look.

Thor hefts his newly forged axe which crackles with his lightning as he flies over and drops to stand beside them. “We are ready, my friends.”

Steve gives a huff of laughter.

Tony glances over at him questioningly.

Steve makes a circular gesture around their group. “We’re just missing Banner otherwise…”

“The original Avengers.” Tony realises. He smiles, remembering how Bruce had come through for them back then. “Bruce will make it.”

They are all smiling as Vision joins them.

“May I ask what amuses you?” Vision looks at them clearly perplexed.

“Reminiscing.” Steve says. “We’re all the original group apart from you and Strange.”

“Ah.” Vision cocks his head. “JARVIS was with you, was he not on your first mission together?”

“Yes,” Tony says, trying not to get choked up at the memory, “he was.”

“Then perhaps I may stand for him here.” Vision says.

Tony nods, unable to speak, and Vision inclines his head.

Stephen levitates in. “We’re ready.”

Quill coughs awkwardly behind them. “Are you sure you don’t want us to stay?”

Tony remembers the bodies on the yellow ground a timeline ago and shakes his head. “We’ll be fine.”

Quill stares at them disbelievingly. “Just for the record I think this is a bad plan. You’re kinda putting all our eggs in one basket here.”

“I do not see any eggs.” Drax rumbles.

Quill just sighs.

“I agree with Peter.” Gamora says.

“You do?”

“I do.”

They both exchange a heated look.

“You sent the message to the Nova Corp?” asks Steve, cutting through the tension.

Gamora nods. “They’d spotted Thanos’ advance and were taking measures. They’ll make sure he gets the message.”

“Then you’d better get going.” Steve confirms firmly.

Quill nods. “OK, but look – we’re going to just, you know, hang around in this system for a bit. Just in case.”

Thor clasps Quill’s shoulder. “You have a good team, Quill.”

Quill nods. “So do you. Don’t get killed.”

A short time later, the space ship leaves and the Avengers are left on the dusty surface alone. Steve finishes stacking their supplies of food and water – they really don’t know how long Thanos will take to get to them – and straightens.

“Clint, Natasha; we’ll stay with the supplies. The rest of you; let’s see if we can find that soul stone.” Steve orders.

It’s two hours of searching before Tony stumbles over it in a large structure close to where the ring had crashed in the previous timeline. He picks it up and…

A portal opens above the planet and something hurtles through…

Tony quickly stores the stone in a side pocket in the armour and flies to provide the others with back-up. He’s only half-surprised to find a naked Bruce Banner being helped to his feet.

“Bruce!”

“Hi, Tony!” Bruce is too busy zipping up pants to hug him but he gives him an apologetic smile.

“Thanks for dropping in on us.” Tony says gleefully.

Bruce sighs but his eyes twinkle before they sober rapidly. “Thanos is on his way. Hulk managed to get ahead of the portal thanks to Loki.”

Thor immediately brightens. “Loki lives?”

Bruce shakes his head. “I’m sorry, Thor. He gave me a…a thing back when Thanos attacked the Asgardian ship. He said I would know when to use it and it would take me to Tony. I’ve been locked up on Thanos’ ship since Thor was, uh, not killed by Thanos?”

“Why to Tony?” asks Natasha.

Bruce shrugs. “I don’t know.”

Beside them, a darkness starts to form and they immediately take up defensive positions.

“Time to suit up.” Steve says.

Stephen levitates, his gloved hands begin to circle, casting spells of protection and shields.

Vision rises into the air and waits.

Bruce smiles and in a rolling motion becomes the Hulk who roars defiantly.

Natasha takes out her batons and holds them ready.

Clint nocks an arrow and stands beside her.

Thor begins to crackle with lightning.

Tony shifts; his faceplate down and his hands up with the repulsors charging.

Steve lifts his shield.

And Thanos walks out of the darkness and onto the surface of the planet, a wave of creatures following him.

Chapter Twenty-Four: To Fight the Battles

Plan A

Tony slapped his hand against his head and turned to glare at Strange. “Seriously?”

Strange just looked back at him impassively.

Thanos laughed. “The mighty Avengers.” He mocked. “You have failed.”

Tony tried not to feel disheartened but it was difficult. Peter inched closer to him and Tony resisted the urge to push him protectively behind him. They were surrounded. He just hoped Thanos would keep Peter alive.

Thanos reached for the box. His gauntlet was just missing the one shiny stone encased within it.

Tony watched as Thanos plucked it from the box almost delicately…

Strange took a step back…

…and Thanos dropped the stone into place.

It plinked.

Once.

Twice.

“DOWN!” Strange shouted and…

Tony turned and shielded Peter with his entire body as he dragged him to the floor.

The world exploded into heat and force.

Tony lifted his head and coughed.

Ash fell around them but they were protected by a glowing orange magical shield.

His eyes caught Strange’s. “Bomb?”

“Wong’s idea.” Strange said defensively.

Tony shook his head and tried to clear the ringing as he took stock. Bucky and Natasha were slowly getting to their feet across the clearing.

The creatures around them were dead.

The Wakandans started to rise to their feet, holding and supporting each other.

Thanos was missing.

But there was a gasping form on the ground close to where he’d been; Strange’s torturer. The alien shot Strange with a hateful glare. “How?”

Strange tapped the side of his head. “I let you see what you wanted to see.”

The alien growled and raised his hand only to get a spear through his head a second later. The Dora Milaje who had thrown it simply walked over and plucked it from the dead alien.

“I think I might throw up.” Peter commented quietly and Tony was hard pressed not to agree with the sentiment out loud.

“We need to…” Natasha began.

A dark shape had the Wakandans parting hurriedly and Tony froze at the sight of the Black Panther. He could have sworn…

The headpiece retracted and revealed T’Challa’s sister. She looked impossibly young.

“Your Majesty.” Tony said formally.

Shuri nodded. “Wakanda was chosen by your Captain America as we had never had a successful invasion. My brother agreed to this and in his name we will not allow this to be the invasion which defeats us. We retreat and we regroup. We will win.”

Her speech had the result of rallying the Wakandans and they shouted their defiance, raising their weapons high and…

Tony nodded. “At your service, Your Pantherness.”

Shuri turned and…

Darkness began to form in the middle of the clearing…

“MOVE!” Shuri ordered.

“Strange,” Tony said, “get the hell out of here!”

Strange shook his head. “He won’t get the time stone.”

Thanos appeared and immediately the gauntlet activated a wave of purple rushing out to destroy anything in its path.

Tony willed the suit to work and managed to fly up, grabbing Peter on his way while the power stone took out anything below them.  He was barely aware of Strange levitating everyone else into the air.

Thanos bellowed with rage at being denied. He sent out a wild pulse of red energy and reality warped around them…

Tony held onto Peter and could feel Peter clutching onto him as they rocked against the waves of energy and power…

Strange fought back; orange magic catching the red, slamming into the purple, and pushing it back…

Portals began opening around them…the sorcerors of Kamar-Taj, guardians of the Eye of Agamotto for centuries, responding to the call of the Sorcerer Supreme…

Plan Z

“Let’s do this!” Steve shouts…

And it’s chaos.

Vision and Stephen focus on Thanos; their two infinity stones pitched against his three. But Thanos’ stones don’t work on them – they’re protected with their suits hooked up to a mini-arc reactor – they all are.

Tony doesn’t get to watch because the rest of them begin to tackle the alien creatures.

It’s carnage.

Tony weaves in and out of the fights – he knocks off a set trying to overwhelm Hulk;

he pivots and dive bombs into Steve’s position, they fight back to back before they use Tony’s repulsors against the shield to knock out the aliens;

he rescues Clint fighting off two with only his bow and perches him up high where he can make better shots;

he drops in to help Natasha and she uses Tony to launch herself into a group of aliens taking them down and out…

There’s too many of them.

They’re getting overwhelmed by sheer numbers and then…

Starlord appears shooting laser blasts left and right, rushing through the aliens on his hover boots and sending them flying…

Rocket is firing guns from atop a set of crates, lobbing bombs into the midst of the creatures – explosions fill the air…

Drax gives a war cry and barrels in with swords…

Mantis sets her hand on the ground and a wave of aliens fall to her sleep command…

Gamora is there with her sister, fighting back to back, taking no prisoners…

Groot uses his vines to strangle and hold…and…is he on his phone?!

The tide turns…

“NOW, THOR!” Steve yells.

And Thor shifts – the lightning which he’d aimed at the alien creatures, snapping back to Thanos…

Thanos is engulfed and he’s taken down to his knees…

Stephen changes the surface under Thanos to concrete keeping him locked in place…

Hulk is on him in a second, beating Thanos’ face with his fists, keeping his attention as Vision aims his stone’s beam at Thanos’ head, freezing his mind and…

Thor whirls around and brings his axe down on Thanos’ arm…

The infinity gauntlet drops to the ground and bounces free of Thanos’ hand, coming to rest by Tony.

Thanos gives an almighty cry and breaks free – his body lurching upwards, his intact arm knocking Vision away and into Stephen…tumbling them towards Tony…

He plucks Hulk from the ground and throws him…

Steve begins his run towards the Titan…Natasha and Clint beside him…the Guardians just behind them, racing towards them to help, to fight…

And Tony slams down onto the planet and snatches up the gauntlet…

Vision grabs one of Tony’s shoulders…Stephen grabs the other…

And Time stands still.

Chapter Twenty-Five: A Beginning and End

The End of Plan A

Tony was frankly amazed that his suit was still operational. He flew Peter away from the epicentre with Thanos and the battling mages. He dropped him down to join Shuri who was clearly commanding her warriors into a retreat towards a set of waterfalls a mile ahead. It made sense she’d choose ground she knew; which had meaning for the Wakandans.

“Stay with Black Panther!” Tony ordered Peter briskly.

“Mister Stark!” protested Peter even as he landed gracefully below him.

“Stay safe.” Tony said gruffly and turned back.

He dived for Natasha next. She accepted the lift with her usual stoicism. She rolled as she dropped.

“Tony…” she called out but she seemed unable to say anything further, her eyes bright with pain. She took a deep breath as he hovered impatiently. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

Tony gave a mock salute and went back.

Barnes was next and Tony grabbed him out from under the claws of another alien creature. He didn’t protest as Tony picked him up, but he held on when Tony would have let go. “Steve?”

“Gone.” Tony answered.

Barnes’ face crumpled for a moment before it smoothed into hard determination. “Take me back to the fight.”

“No,” Tony said firmly, “they need you. Natasha, Peter, Shuri…they need someone with them.”

“You.”

“Steve trusted you.” Tony said without a hint of the bitterness he had once felt. “Do it for him.”

Barnes looked at him searchingly before he gave a nod and let go.

Tony didn’t wait to see him land he went back to the fight. He knew his suit was on its last flight; the nanobots could only do so much to repair it when it was down and he’d probably used up the last of the nanobots energy flying the others out.

It had been the right thing to do.

Too many of them had died already that day.

There were less sorcerers fighting Thanos than when he’d picked up Barnes. Tony dipped and dived and tried to keep the alien creatures from converging and overwhelming the sorcerers while they focused on Thanos…

But it was futile.

Thanos was too strong with the gauntlet and he countered everything the sorcerers threw at him…

A wave of red swarmed out, distorting reality again and took with it a dozen sorcerers…

Thanos turned towards Strange and sent a blast of purple towards him…

“STARK!” Strange yelled and thrust his hand out…

The Eye of Agamotto spun through the air towards Tony.

He reached out…

Fingertips reaching…

…and snagged it from mid-air before Thanos could grasp it.

Thanos roared his anger, his hands turning into fists and he drew one back with the clear intent to hit Tony…

He couldn’t take another hit.

His suit was already compromised.

There was no more time.

Use me, the time stone whispered. Use me to go back.

Could he? Could Tony go back…

Strange grinned but there was a serious glint in his eyes. “How about we make it plan Z?”

“Last resort, huh?” Tony shrugged. “Yeah, why not? Let’s go with that.”

Thanos was close…too close…his fist almost…

“Take me back to the beginning.” Tony said desperately.

Pain suffused him and stole his breath.

Tony’s hand clasped tightly around the time stone and he felt it burning again. A green glow surrounded him.

And there was so much pain.

Too much pain.

He closed his eyes and screamed…

The End of Plan Z

The world around them is frozen…

Thanos’ face is contorted with rage, his body in mid-attack, his aim to take out Tony clear…

Steve has his arm back, the shield ready to throw…

Clint has his arrows in flight, protecting Steve’s six; Natasha has arms outstretched and firing both amped up handguns beside him…

Tony’s barely holding onto the gauntlet as the stones rise from it…

Power

Reality

Space

He’s not sure when he took the stone out of the armour compartment but it’s there…Soul

And Stephen relinquishes Time.

Tony looks at Vision and shakes his head in denial but Vision simply smiles softly and lifts a hand to his forehead…the stone comes free spinning towards Tony as Vision falls away…

Mind

Something is burning.

Whispers across his mind and Tony agrees…

He closes his eyes…

Thanos is swept away into his own reality; locked away forever in a hell dimension where he can do no harm.

Something is burning. Steve’s hand slides into his.

The alien creatures are destroyed in a wave of purple…

Something is burning. Clint’s hand is on Tony’s shoulder. Natasha is holding onto Steve’s other arm.

And he can see across space, across time to Wakanda…to the battle that is raging there because Thanos had sent his Black Order to destroy the Earth anyway…to kill humanity…

Bucky and the Black Panther are battling the Black Order’s general…

Antman and the Wasp are taking down the goliath…

Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver and Falcon are dealing with the alien who’d once tortured Stephen…

And War Machine and Spiderman are fighting the female warrior…

Something is burning. The Hulk braces Tony’s back and Thor is at his front.

His Iron Legion are there…helping to fight the alien creatures with the Wakandans…the helicarriers circle in the sky providing air support… 

He grasps the souls of the four children Thanos had raised for war and sent to Earth; he releases them…he sends their souls to Thanos, forever trapped…but returns another soul to the world, replacing an infinity stone with a sun stone to give life again…

Tony smiles to see it.

Something is burning. The Guardians encircle them, reaching out to join their strength to the Avengers…

A nudge of Power and Space and the aliens are gone from the Earth…gone into the void beyond the universe…

Something is burning…no mortal man was meant to hold the stones.

Tony frees the stones…sends them into the corners of the universe to hide and be hidden…all except the time stone which he returns to Kamar-Taj, to the guardianship of the Sorcerer Supreme.

Tony is burning because no mortal man was meant to hold the infinity stones even one protected by the countering energy of an arc reactor.

Pain engulfs him.

The arc reactor flickers and dies.

Tony falls to the ground, welcoming the darkness.

Iron Man is down.

Beyond Plan Z

Tony is in Wakanda. He’s standing on Titan.

He’s faking sleep in a cave in Afghanistan. He’s watching Yinsen die a second time.

He’s dying watching black lines across his heart. He’s creating vibranium.

He’s falling away from space as the portal beneath him closes. He’s safe on Earth with the sky above him.

He’s watching Pepper fall. He’s watching Pepper sleep while Rhodey saves the world from Killian.

He’s sacrificing JARVIS. He’s watching JARVIS sacrifice himself.

He’s watching a video in a bunker in Siberia. He’s forgiving Bucky in a French market.

He’s testifying against Ross and talking with Fury on a roof. He’s seeing the SHRA defeated.

He’s telling Peter he wants him to be better. He’s holding Peter as he cries.

He’s calling Steve with Thor at his back. He’s grieving with Thor on the tower roof.

He’s preparing for war, going to war. He’s facing war again.

He’s going back to the beginning. He’s finally at the end…

Not your end, the stones all whisper.

Your duty to us is done, Soul whispers softly, the time of your sacrifice over.

Time brushes past him; the course has been corrected to the right path.

All is as it should be, they whisper.

And then there is silence and peace.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

Something is beeping.

Annoying beeps.

Tony’s eyes flicker and finally open slowly.

He’s in a room. Tiles above him. He carefully turns his head to find the noise which woke him. There is a machine beeping. It takes him a moment to gather his thoughts and put them in order.

He’s in a hospital.

“Tony.”

A hand squeezes his.

Pepper.

He turns his head again. She’s sat beside the bed, her hand clutching his. Her eyes are bright with tears.

Pepper presses a buzzer; she stands and cups his face, kisses his lips as her tears fall.

“Pep.” He croaks. His mouth is dry and tastes foul. He needs water.

She lets go but is back an instant later, spooning welcome ice chips into his mouth.

“Pep, which time, which timeline am I in?” asks Tony anxiously. But even as he says it he can feel the arc reactor in his chest, the never silent hum of its energy. “Pep.”

Pepper looks at him worriedly but they don’t get a moment to speak before they’re overrun with doctors and nurses, and Tony realises he’s in Wakanda. There’s a battery of tests and evaluations and Tony falls asleep again.

It’s another day before he learns that the others who’d gone to Titan, with the exception of Vision, had rooms of their own in the hospital although both Bruce and Steve had recovered within a day; Stephen within two. Natasha and Clint the next. The Guardians had woken within moments of each other and taken off the same day to Titan to see about their ship courtesy of a portal created by Stephen.

Psionic comas had been the diagnosis. There was general confusion about how they’d all ended up in Wakanda.

Tony’s the latecomer to the land of the living.

He’s as weak as a kitten.

His right hand is badly burned as though the injuries of a previous timeline have followed him home. It’s touch and go but they decide not to amputate; there’s the Cradle and pain.

It’s a week before he leaves the ICU, another month before he’s allowed home; back to New York, back to the tower.

“There’s some people here to see you.” Pepper says as she helps him into the elevator.

“Yeah,” Tony says, “let’s not do that.” He nuzzles into her neck and drops a kiss there.

She rolls her eyes at him. “Workshop, but stop on the communal floor to let me out FRIDAY.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Boss, huh?” asks Tony teasingly.

Pepper smiles and kisses him before she gets out and sends him on his way.

DUM-E greets him happily and Tony shrugs off his hoodie and settles into the sofa in the corner with a sigh. His fingers tap against the arc reactor. DUM-E brings him a letter and Tony opens it. It’s a get well card from the kids at Xavier’s.

“I’d thought you’d come down here.” Fury says, stepping out of the shadows.

“Really?” asks Tony, propping his card up on a side table.

Fury smiles at him. “You did good, Stark.”

Tony ignores the praise.

“Going to disappear again?” asks Tony, absently petting DUM-E.

“I’ll be around.” Fury says.

Clint knocks softly on the workshop door. Tony waves him in and isn’t too surprised when the rest of the Avengers tumble in after him.

There’s cake and some fizzy apple juice which they pop like champagne. Pepper slides a hand into his as they settle back on the sofa.

Not everyone is present; T’Challa had remained in Wakanda overseeing the recovery efforts in his country; Charles has apparently along with the card sent apologies; the X-Men are back at the school, recovering from their own injuries. Tony wonders if that’s where Vision is. Stephen isn’t there either which is a pity because Tony was hoping to speak with him because Tony has questions.

Fury raises his glass for a toast.

“There was an idea to bring together a group of remarkable people; to see if they could become something more. So, when the world needed them, they could fight the battles that the rest of the world never could.” He tipped his head towards each of them. “This last battle…the world has never needed you more and you rose to the challenge.” He lifts his glass a touch. “To the Avengers.”

They all join the toast but Tony isn’t surprised when Fury slides out in the cheerful chaos which follows.

Thor appears beside him and rests a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “I must take my leave. I have received word from the Valkyrie. I go to join my people.”

Tony gets up and they hug goodbye.

“Take care, Thor.”

Tony watches fondly as the God of Thunder is besieged on his way to the door with hugs of goodbye.

Bruce approaches next while the attention is on Thor.

“You leaving again?” asks Tony lightly.

Bruce shakes his head. “I hear there’s a lab with my name on it.”

“All yours, Big Guy.”

Bruce smiles crookedly and slips out of the room.

“I’m going to have to go.” Peter says, approaching awkwardly.

Tony nods; it’s a school night.

“It’s good to see you home, Mister Stark.” Peter says.

“We’ll work on your suit at the weekend.” Tony promises.

Peter brightens and scampers out.

Steve and Bucky are next.

“Thanks for looking after this punk.” Bucky ruffles Steve’s hair and Steve squirms away a bright smile on his face.

Steve pushes Bucky off, straightens and sobers enough so Tony knows his words are serious. “Good to have you home, Tony.”

“Good to be back.” Tony murmurs.

Sam falls in with the super soldiers as they get to the doorway, and he sketches a salute back to Tony who nods an acknowledgement.

Natasha and Clint appear beside him quietly as he refocuses and he smiles at them both. “You heading up to put the kids to bed?”

“Yeah,” Clint says, “Laura only gave me a pass for like an hour.” He clasps Tony’s shoulder and squeezes. “I’ll see you tomorrow – Pepper’s put me in charge of your physio.”

Tony shoots her a look but Pepper simply gazes back impassively.

It’s a good choice. Clint’s not a pushover but he’s supportive and importantly, a friend.

Natasha stoops to kiss his cheek. “Get yourself fit. We need Tony Stark out there.”

Tony smiles, remembering another assessment made a timeline ago. He watches the two former spies walk away talking about Nate’s latest toddler drama.

It leaves him alone with his small family; with Pepper, Rhodey, Happy and the bots. His heart aches again for JARVIS but he has FRIDAY, and she has a special place of her own.

“Well, I have to get going too.” Rhodey says brightly. “I have a date.”

“Anyone we know?” asks Tony, pleased for Rhodey.

“None of your business.” Rhodey retorts lightly.

“But how will I know she’s good enough for you if you won’t tell me who she is and…”

Rhodey kisses the top of his head. “’Night, Tony!”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Tony calls after him.

Happy gets to his feet. “Well, I have a date too so…I’ll see you tomorrow, Boss.”

Pepper and Tony watch him leave.

“Is this date called Happy’s TIVO?” asks Tony dryly.

Pepper chuckles and presses her face into his shoulder. They sit for a long moment just the two of them.

“You going to stay down here a while?” Pepper asks.

Tony nods.

Pepper kisses him softly. “Don’t let DUM-E put the cake in a smoothie.” She kisses him again and heads out.

She’s barely gone when Vision phases through the ceiling and almost gives Tony a heart attack, the bracelet gauntlet activating automatically.

Vision lands, his expression sheepish as Tony deactivates the gauntlet and orders DUM-E to relinquish the fire extinguisher. “Perhaps I should have used the door.”

Tony shrugs, ignoring his pounding heart. “It’s good to see you, Vision.”

“It is good to be seen.” Vision says. “I, uh, I wanted to talk with you but now that I’m here I don’t know what to say.”

“No need to thank me,” Tony offers brightly, “I’m just glad it worked.”

“No, that’s not…I mean, I am thankful but that’s not what I wanted to talk with you about.” Vision stumbles over his words and Tony flashes back to another timeline again and starts to laugh.

Vision stares back at him in consternation.

Tony gets himself together, reaches out and pats Vision on the arm. “Sorry, Vis. You were saying?”

“JARVIS left a message for you with me.” Vision says. “I believe now is the time to give it you.” He hands a slip of paper to Tony.

Tony takes it and tries to stop his hand from shaking. “JARVIS?”

“He understood that he had to sacrifice himself to create me and to also ensure events transpired as they should.”

Tony stares at him. “You knew?”

Vision inclines his head. “All that JARVIS knew.”

“Why didn’t you…”

“To maintain the advantage we had gained at his insistence.” Vision confirms. “It was…difficult.”

Tony nods. Difficult.

“If you’ll excuse me, I am expected elsewhere.” Vision says.

Tony nods. “Date?”

“Yes.” Vision says. “Miss Maximoff and I spent some time in Wakanda together. She has agreed to attend a film with me.”

Vision and Wanda. Perhaps they were always destined.

“Good for you, Vis.” Tony says.

Vision inclines his head once again and phases through the wall of the workshop.

Tony holds the paper tightly and slowly opens it up to read. It’s an IP address; a server. There’s a printed message: If you wish me to return, sir. And Tony’s hand crumples the paper for a moment as he raises it to his head and closes his eyes.

JARVIS.

He hasn’t lost him after all.

He blinks back his tears as he hears the sound of a portal forming in the air beside him. Stephen steps out but leaves the portal open.

Tony sets the paper down carefully on the worktable beside him. “Stephen.”

“Glad to see you back.” Stephen says. “How are you feeling?”

Tony shrugs. “I’m fine.”

Stephen’s raised eyebrow speaks to his scepticism but he doesn’t press Tony on it. “I just wanted to let you know I’ll be away for a while. Something’s come up with an old teacher of mine…a friend.”

Tony blinks but he nods. “Thanks for letting us know.” He stops Stephen as he makes to leave. “It was real, wasn’t it? The other timeline? It did happen.”

“It happened.” Stephen says. “But you’ll probably find that the memories become more indistinct as this time moves forward now. It’s overwritten like an old tape recording. You might hear echoes on the tape but there’s something else in its place now and it takes precedence.”

Tony sighs. That makes sense.

“What?” asks Stephen.

Tony shrugs awkwardly. “I just…I was confused when I woke up. I didn’t know which was real and I said something, in front of Pepper.”

“Ah.”

“I don’t want to lie to her.” Tony admits.

“Then don’t.” Stephen says. He throws something at Tony and Tony catches it awkwardly.

It’s a crystal.

“What’s this?” asks Tony bemused.

“A one-time use spell. Whatever you talk about when you hold the crystal will be safe from prying telepaths, sorcerers, etcetera.” Stephen says briskly.

“Thank you.” Tony’s gratitude is genuine.

“Do you remember where you sent the stones?” asks Stephen, clearly giving into his curiosity.

Tony shakes his head. “I only vaguely remember returning the time stone to Kamar-Taj.”

“For which I and my fellow sorcerers are grateful.” Stephen turns to head back into the Sanctum. He stops and turns back. “Don’t look for them, Tony.”

Tony waves off the suggestion, because he’s definitely not insane enough to go hunting for the stones. Although…

No.

Not insane enough.

The portal is gone as Tony carries the crystal tightly and makes his way to the elevator.

Pepper’s in the bedroom. She’s dressed for bed in an old t-shirt but is working on her laptop, open folders around her. She’s wearing the glasses she needs to wear but never admits to needing.

She looks beautiful.

She suddenly notices Tony standing in the doorway.

“Hey.” Pepper says, shoving the folders and laptop aside as Tony walks over to the bed and slipping her glasses off to place them on the bedside table. “I thought you’d be a while longer.”

Tony just shuffles into a position beside her and hugs her to him.

“Are you OK?” Pepper asks, smoothing his hair back as she pulls back from his hug and searches his eyes.

He kisses her lightly and rests his forehead on hers. He loves her so much.

“Tony?”

He hears the love for him in the way she speaks his name.

“I have something to tell you.” Tony says. “It’s…” he stumbles, unsure of his words, “it’s complicated and unbelievable and…”

Pepper inches back and presses a finger against his lips for a second; she holds his gaze until he quiets. She takes hold of his free hand and intertwines their fingers. “It’s OK. You know what they say about the best way to start.”

Tony wonders what she sees when she looks at him; if she sees the two lifetimes he’s led, the memories which haunt him, the love for her and the rest of their family which has sustained him, the hope he has of the future – because they have a future ahead of them now.

Unknown and un-travelled.

But before then…before they can take the first steps in that future, before he can bring JARVIS home, he needs to tell her, needs her to know the truth…

Tony smiles a little crookedly, tightening his hold on the crystal. He takes a deep breath and starts at the beginning.

fin.

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