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It was happening.
Thanos stood there. Right in front of them.
This was happening right now.
There they stood as a large group of heroes, the guardians of some big wide galaxy, the Avengers new and old and a few extras that claimed to have reformed to the ways of good. Whatever that meant.
Tony was sure this wouldn't end well. Thanos had appeared right in front of them a few feet away, decked in the whole gold knight armour. And now he was pointing at them with that golden gauntlet that was the cause of this whole mess. It was the reason why they stood in Wakanda surrounded by the rotting stench of flesh and death. Smouldering corpses lay on the ground and Tony was doing everything he could to not be sick.
"Defenders of this world. What makes you think I will let you stop me?"
Steve spoke up beside him and clenched his fists. "You don't know us. You don't know what we're capable off."
Thanos did an odd thing. He smiled and looked at their youngest, Spider-Man. "You are young. Enlighten me as to how you plan to fight."
To Tony's left, Peter stepped forward and frowned, unmasked. Absently, Tony noted there was soot covering his face and he was holding his right foot weirdly. "We won't let you do this. You won't get the stones. We won't let you, and if that means I have to fight with all I have then I will."
No Peter stop! God please!
It wasn't on Peter to give up his life to fight. In fact it wasn't on any of these people to risk it all. Tony looked to the people around him. They were torn and battered and bruised but standing firm. But it was only a matter of time. Someone was gonna get hurt beyond the point of saving and if Tony had to put his money on someone, it would be Vision.
Already two of the infinity stones were seated in the gauntlet, space and reality and Strange had assured everyone that the eye of Agamotto was safely hidden from Thanos and couldn't be detected unless he used the soul stone and reality stone. So they had some time to find the soul stone before Thanos did according to Strange, Loki and Thor. But that left one and the mind stone was right there for Thanos to see. This would turn bloody quickly.
Thanos took a step forward, sunlight bouncing off his armour and Drax scraped his sword against the ground in warning. Really, was that gonna help? Maybe the guardians knew something the rest of them didn't. Who knew? Gamora did seem to know a lot when she spoke to him about infinity stones and Thanos' plan.
"You speak as if you have seen war. This is incorrect however, as I know your Captain and his ally are the only ones to have seen war. They are soldiers are they not?"
For some reason, Tony got the impression that Thanos was asking him directly. But Tony just glanced at Steve briefly, afraid he'd charge at the mention of him and Bucky. But no, Steve was controlled. He wasn't gonna fly off the handle this time.
"I won't repeat what happened. Siberia shouldn't have happened because I should've been honest. And more than anything I shouldn't have left you."
"It's okay. I get that but we need to focus on Thanos now. We can discuss this after he's been dealt with."
"No Tony. I need you to know that I'm sorry and I won't let it ever happen again. And I won't lie to you ever again."
"Steve. You're really close."
"I love you Tony. I'm sorry I didn't stand by your side then but from now on I will. And I will never react without thinking again. Forgive me. I'll fight today so that we can have a future. Together."
Looking at him now, Tony could see he was clearly in control, blue eyes wide and focussed but jaw and muscles tense. He sensed it too. He knew something was gonna go down and he was ready.
Steve glanced at Bucky who was standing next to T'Challa and nodded, taking a deep breath. "It's true, we are soldiers. We have known war."
The purple Titan waved his free hand and his voice boomed across the field. "Then you know that some wars cannot be won. That there is always a sacrifice. A...price to pay."
Tony shivered but lifted his gauntlets when Thanos turned his gaze to him. He wasn't wearing his helmet because he'd wanted to see the galactic killer himself. He'd needed to know what he was up against but now that he was looking at him, he silently wished to himself that he'd kept his helmet on.
"The only price that will be paid is your exile. Leave this planet before there is nothing left of you." The air went heavy with static and humidity as Thor stepped closer to Tony from behind. Thor had changed. He wasn't as tolerant anymore and that may have had something to do with Asgard falling and his sight being effectively halved. From what Loki had said, it sounded like Thor was turning out to be like his father but fairer. Tony would've loved to have seen Thor dish out some of that asgardian justice right now.
"Thunderer. I already bested you in combat. Consider yourself lucky that I spared you for the sake of the tesseract. Which I have the halfling to thank. He is as subservient as always. A loyal pet." Thanos laughed and lifted his ring finger as Loki dropped his head in shame and shook. Loki's hair was a tangled mess and he was bleeding from his side. Tony would do something about that as soon as he could.
Thor lifted up the sword Gamora had given to him and sparked the air around him. "Speak not of my brother. He should never have been forced by your hand. Neither for the Chitauri or the tesseract. You are vile and should leave before we finish you."
There was murmur of agreement throughout the superheroes but Thanos ignored it and stepped forward again. This time, everyone lifted their weapons. But Thanos was unphased. He took another step.
"My daughters. You both understand what it is I need. Will you not step aside and allow me pass?"
Gamora and Nebula looked at each other, a silent discussion occurring within seconds before Gamora answered. "You will not find what you seek here. We will not allow you to harm our team members to get it. Leave."
Gamoras voice was sharp as the knives Natasha carried around but her voice didn't completely hide the fear, the concern or the pain, which made sense. This wasn't some other evil villain who was playing games. This was a mad man out to destroy even himself. How could a person stop someone who craved death and their own destruction so surely? This was literally the stuff of Tony's nightmares.
Thanos took more steps, striking fear into Tony's heart. His ears buzzed and his newly placed arc reactor whirred loudly. The world closed in on this figure that was getting closer.
"You disappoint me Gamora. I believed you would understand to some extent, I raised you well or, so I had believed. Now you stand here with your sister next to the fallen self-acclaimed heroes you claim to be in a team with."
"You were a cruel father. We would never accept what you're doing here!"
"And yet you bring me one of the stones so simply? Did you not think you would risk too much by bringing him here?"
Even within his armour, he could sense Steve, Nat, Sam, T'Challa and Wanda holding their breath nearby. They knew it was coming and they had to be prepared to protect Vision before the unthinkable happened. Just the start to Tony's never ending nightmare. Apparently Ultron had nothing on Thanos.
He didn't think. He ignored the dizziness and spacey feeling of Thanos encroaching on their blockade and stormed over to stand in front of Vision and Wanda and block them from Thanos' view. The others seemed to follow him and they all spread around Vision within seconds.
The titan gazed at them silently, seeming to wait for them to finish moving before smiling again. This time there were teeth visible and Tony shivered again.
"You are all so blind. Foolish humans and creatures that I will wipe out soon enough. You would do well to spend the rest of you life-span, however short, with your loved ones before I complete the course."
Tony glanced at Steve who was once again beside him and gave a tight smile to answer Steve's own. After all this was over they would spend as much time as they liked together. He was absolutely ready to explore that possibility of love with Steve and by the looks of it, so was he.
The time for superheroing was coming to an end for them but that didn't mean it had to be the end of them. They had a life out there somewhere just waiting for them and something told Tony he was gonna explore it one day. Hopefully that day would come soon. He would be free and so would Steve. So would everyone.
Enough was enough. Ironman stepped forward, huge Vibranium enforced canon repulsers ready to blast a big purple splodge into the sky. " Back off giant purple. We've dealt with plenty and you're not so different. Tell you what, you keep away from my family and I keep away from yours, capiche?"
The air felt so heavy for a moment because Thanos clenched his gauntleted fist and glared before suddenly releasing his hand and looking at Gamora again and laughing deeply. The ground shook gently under their feet.
"You didn't tell them Gamora? Nebula? Neither of you considered this?"
Rocket seemed to lose what was left of his patience and clocked his gun. "You need to shut up now! I'm getting sick of hearing your garbage!"
"Gamora? Nebula? Or surely the damaged but esteemed doctor who is knowledgable in the mystic arts? Surely he knows? What of the god of thunder and the god of lies? Surely you are more aware than this? Did no item or text prepare you?"
"What is it you speak of!? Stop toying with us!" Drax roared but Thanos shook his head.
Tony quickly looked back at Strange, Thor and Loki but they all looked blank. Their eyes widened suddenly however and instantly Tony felt a presence loom over him. His mind froze and slowly he turned to see Thanos towering over him, gauntlet pointed straight at his face. Distantly he thought he heard Steve scream and Natasha and Rhodey yell his name.
"I will not allow you to feel any pain just yet. You must breath."
A wave of something passed through him and he blinked slowly into the palm of the infinity gauntlet. An orange glow lit his skin and danced at the corners of his vision. Sounds became a distant memory and sensations became dulled. Even his heart seemed to slow down a bit.
Voices bounced around him and distantly he thought he heard the Hulk's roar.
"What the hell have you done to him!? Tony!? Tony listen to me, I'm here, I'm coming-"
"Let him go, please, please, t-take me instead! Mr. Stark look at us, please get away from him! Mr. Stark please!"
"Tones! God please don't, just don't hurt him, let him go please-"
"Father, stop I'm begging you!"
"Let him be! Ironman break out of his spell!"
"Someone grab him, we have to do something!"
Everything was so...quiet. He was so so light and the world was distant and small and the universe was huge and endless. He needed to be part of that universe. The orange glow was bright on his skin. He felt his armour power off from the energy surrounding him and there was now some sort of clear forcefield separating him and Thanos from the others. The flash of claws and lasers and swords reached his sight so he realised his team was trying to break it. Why did they need to-
"Because you are the one I have come for." In front of him, Thanos smiled and looked past his shoulder, speaking clearly.
"You all believed I was here for the mind stone in the android. That time will come soon but I require the soul stone now and this being is the one I want."
Thanos lifted his other hand to gently brush Tony's hair away from his face. The gesture was kind, almost gentle as if one was being careful not to cause damage.
"Yes, indeed you are the one. I see it in your heart. You were not gifted with the family you desired so you forged your own like the engineer you are. Much like you forged your make-shift heart and much like you created the perfect environment for the soul stone to manifest itself. The soul stone does not present itself like other stones. It is unique and varied in that it harbours the being that it finds worthy. A being who is unique and has endured much and has remained true to their heart and has accomplished much. "
"I don't understand." He said softly. That couldn't be him. He was no where near good enough.
"You are the soul stone. You and the stone are one. It is embedded in every fibre of your being. Of course this means that in order to have the stone I must end the life of the bearer. Life for death is one of the prices to pay. She will be most pleased to receive you. You will be a suitable gift."
"Life for death..." Tony hummed quietly and heard Steve cry out from outside the clear forcefield.
He turned and stared blankly at the tears rolling down Steve's cheeks and into his beard as he banged the vibranium shield into the forcefield again and again. There was a bleak look of horror in his eyes and he was begging for Thanos to let Tony go. And it wasn't just him too, it was every single one of them fighting for him, Thor, Loki, Clint and Nat using weapons, Vision shooting a beam from his forehead, Wanda and Strange using every ounce of magic, the Hulk and Giant-man waging war on the barrier, the Guardians of the galaxy firing everything they had-
Tony's breath caught when he saw Rhodey and Peter attacking the forcefield and crying their eyes out. His name was screamed over and over and finally Peter locked his gaze onto him and stopped moving, just letting his face scrunch up and letting the tears stream down his face.
It reminded Tony of a child losing their parent.
"Mr. Stark, please don't let him do this to you! Don't leave us-!"
Tony blinked. He tried to answer but he could barely move so he just smiled softly. He wanted to tell Peter it would be okay. Was that why they were all worried? He wanted them all to know it was okay. He believed in every single one of them and what they could do. He really did believe...
He was so lightheaded, he needed to lie down and close his eyes. But wasn't he on a battlefield? He was pretty sure Thanos was stood in front of him waving the infinity gauntlet over him, again and again, sending waves of energy through his body. Tony felt his legs crumple under him and the world swam and gravity pulled. He fell to Thanos' feet on his knees and felt a hand fall into his hair.
"They call you Ironman. What is your true name human?"
"Tony...Tony Stark." He whispered and he felt himself being guided to the floor by the titan.
Once he was flat on the ground, the Titan stood above him and nodded, lifting his gauntlet up and aimed letting its power build up in preparation to flow.
"Tony Stark. I hope they remember you."