Never Let Me Go
Rhodey watched with hope when he saw Toni run to him
But when he looked at her, really looked at her, he saw that her face was cut with wounds that were still bleeding and she was clutching her side like she got stabbed and she was wearing armour that was literally sticking to her skin as if it was a layer of clothing.
He only managed to see the panicked look on her face before she collapsed against his chest, heavily breathing.
Rhodey immediately went into older brother mode and grasped onto her soldiers to help her breathe but she pushed his hands off.
"You can't be here!" she hissed in panic as she kept looking around in fear.
Rhodey's brother mode only intensified.
Who the hell hurt his sister?
He tried to gather her back in his arms but Toni was shaking her head and using her hands to shove him back, "You need to get out of here Rhodey. Now. If he finds you here, he'll kill you. And I can't lose you. Please. You need to leave."
Natasha spoke up, already plotting the murder of the person who made even Toni Stark literally shake in fear, "Who's going to kill us?"
The red-head watched as Toni froze before turning her head to look at her in horror.
This made the assassin use all of her years of training to stop the flinch she felt coming from that look.
Not once had Toni ever looked at her in such horror.
In fear.
Never.
Not even when she had come home from a mission and covered in blood, and all Toni did was look at her before asking if she wanted a bath or a shower.
That look unnerved Natasha and she didn't like it.
"Why are you here, Romanoff? And what the hell happened to your hair? You dyed it blonde after-"
Toni cut herself off.
The panicked look melted away to form a look of self depreciating that Natasha was very familiar with.
A look that she's caused plenty of times, a traitorous voice whispered in her head.
Toni let out a scoff before looking at Rhodey's legs? and letting out a humourless laugh.
"God, I'm such an idiot." Toni muttered to herself as she placed a hand to her face, "He has the reality stone. He can make whatever sick hell he wants for me."
Reality stone?
Both Rhodey and Natasha exchanged confused yet concerned glances and then went to comfort Toni but Vision stepped forward.
"Miss Stark? I am unaware of what has occurred to you..."
White silence filled Toni's head as she looked at Vision who was talking.
Vision who was alive.
A sob came out of her throat before she could stop it the longer she stared at him.
Her boy.
Vision.
Toni stepped forward to him and let a hand rest on his cheek.
Vision shared an alarmed look with the rest of the team but his gaze softened when he looked down to find her looking up at him with tears streaming down her face.
Tony let out another sob at seeing the familiar glow of the mind stone before letting her head fall onto his chest, "I'm sorry. I couldn't save you, Vision. I'm the worst creator ever. I couldn't protect you. I couldn't protect Peter. I can't protect anyone. Rogers was right. I should stop pretending to be a hero."
Vision's hands came to rest on Toni's shoulder to push her back once his scan had completed and asked, "Miss Stark, I do believe the year is not what you remember."
Toni sniffed, wiping her tears with her hand, "What do you mean? It's 2018, Vision."
Silence.
Silence filled the entire airport at the bomb that Toni had dropped.
No-one could believe what Toni was insinuating.
Vision stared down at the version of Toni Stark and smiled sympathetically, or how he had seen on the television how humans smile at a person before breaking bad news, "It's 2016, Ma'am."
Toni looked at Vision with wide eyes before shaking her head, "That's impossible, Vision. And even if I wanted that to happen, Stephen gave away the time stone."
"Toni," Rhodey's voice came from behind her.
He was still staring at her with puffy eyes and the dust was still on his suit.
His War Machine Suit.
The same suit he fell in.
In 2016.
At, Toni turned around now aware of her surroundings and the blinding light of the sun, the airport her team and Rogers team fought at.
What the fuck?
She turned to her team (Rhodey, Vision, Romanoff, T'Challa)and then used the voice she used only towards the paparazzi when they wouldn't quieten down, "I'm going to ask this once and you will give me a truthful answer."
She wasn't asking.
This was an order.
And from the way T'Challa stood up straighter, he knew that.
"What year is it?" A hint of desperation crept into her tone but she didn't stop her steely gaze on her team.
And when they all replied the same, 2016, Toni let out a laugh of relief.
"Two years," she exclaimed breathlessly, "I have two years to fix it."
But first things first.
When Toni turned to T'Challa to ask him to leave to Siberia so he could capture Zemo, a voice called behind her.
"Mama?"
Every inch of her froze.
She whipped around so fast her neck might have snapped but she didn't care.
Standing in broad daylight, wearing the Iron Spider suit she created for him, was her son- Peter.
Peter who was standing there.
Peter who was looking at her.
Peter who dusted in her arms.
Peter, who's last words to her was 'I'm sorry mom."
Mom.
Toni walked to her kid as if in a trance.
When she reached to him and placed a hand on his cheek, more tears streamed down her face as she realised he wasn't a hallucination.
"Mom?" Peter asked confused as he stared at his mom- Toni Stark- who was trembling and crying - crying- while she stared back at him.
"You know how I got dusty and then I went and then I woke up and I was here at the airport and then I saw you and then-" His nervous rambling got cut off.
Peter was cut off by Toni-his mom- hugging him.
"Never," Toni's hoarse voice came, "Never apologise to me again. Not for a situation like that,"
Peter shook his head and came out of the hug, despite wanting to stay in it, "But mom, I didn't want it to be on you," At her expression, he elaborated, "You said if I died, it would feel like it was on you. That's why I said sorry. Because I died."
Toni shook her head, "Let's never repeat that event again. Let's just say you fell asleep with the dust and you just woke up now. Ok?"
Peter nodded his head and Toni kissed her kid's head before standing up straight and declaring, "It's 2016, kid."
"What?!" Peter exclaimed back before looking around and seeing the exact same scene that happened nearly 2 years ago, "Oh,"
Toni chuckled before wincing at her wounded side that finally made itself known.
Peter turned back to face his mom at hearing the wince, and then saw her gripping her side, "Mom! Oh, no. He stabbed you! Like really bad. We need to get you a doctor. Is Dr Strange here as well?"
Toni froze at hearing Stephen's name before a smile graced her face and she smacked a kiss on Peter's head, "Honey, you're a genius."
"I am?" Peter's confused face was adorable.
Toni nodded and elaborated, "We're in the past. We shouldn't be here. And the one with answers, since he's like the stone keeper or whatever, is.."
Toni beamed when Peter snapped his fingers in realisation and finished her thoughts, "Is Dr Strange. So we have to disrupt the timeline." Peter's demeanour dampened, "But what if something bad happens to us."
"Well, then that 'something bad' will have to deal with my Nano Blades and a stabby robot alien."
Peter wanted to ask who the stabby robot alien was when his mom called for the person who was standing in defence mode at the Team Cap seeing as they hadn't interacted with the human.
"Stark," Nebula nodded her head in greetings, "Starkson," she nodded her head to Peter who blushed at the acknowledgment of being known as Toni Stark's son.
Toni cooed at the sight and kissed his cheek before turning to Nebula, "Keep him in your sight at all times."
When she nodded, Toni smiled softer and told her, "Don't worry, once I'm done disrupting the timeline, I'm adopting you as well."
While Nebula looked as if she just blue-screened, Toni took a shuddering breath before walking over to Roger's side.
"My mother's name was Maria." She began, already knowing what she had to do to disrupt the timeline.
Rogers stiffened at the phrase as she expected and his eyes widened, probably at her appearance but Toni hasn't seen Rogers in 2 years and she needed answers.
"Her maiden name was Carbonell before she got married to Ho- to dad. She's where I got my Italian heritage from."
The rest of Team Cap (Lang, Maximoff, Wilson, Barton and Barnes) were staring in confusion.
"She made a company to overcome all the sexist bastards in her time who thought she was nothing more than a pretty face and trophy wife to the Stark name."
Rogers swallowed but didn't get the chance to speak.
"She taught me piano, she taught me how to have fun when dad wanted me to work all the time. She taught me my Italian heritage and that I had family back in Italy. But I think she'd be disappointed in me, Rogers. Do you know why?"
Rogers shook his head, flinching at being called 'Rogers.'
"Mama taught me how to recognise liars and snakes in my life so I wouldn't be hurt."
"Toni-"
"How is this relevant?" Maximoff spoke up.
Toni turned her head so she faced her, "She was locked away Rogers?" Her words were to Rogers but she didn't take her eyes off of Maximoff.
"If I wanted her to be locked away, I would've put chains on her hands. I would've put monitors on her ankles. I would've locked her in a cell and fed her what criminals ate in prison. I never would've let Vision near her."
"That's har-"
Toni still didn't take her eyes off of Wanda, "Hmm? That's harsh, I bet you're going to say. Well, guess what. She didn't fucking have that life, Rogers! She was safe away from a world that cried out for her blood and execution. She had free roam around the Compound which is what 300 acres of land. She had food. She made food with Vision. She watched TV. She got clothes. She had her own personal room. There were at least 6 floors at the Compound. She had Vision with her. What part of that screams locked away in prison?"
Wanda went teary eyed and mumbled something prompting Tony to tell her to speak up.
"I can't control people's fears."
Toni had to close her eyes in exhaustion at the stupidity of the statement.
"I'm going to you later and I'm going to remind you about your powers since you've forgotten."
Toni turned to Clint and practically hissed, "You better grovel the minute you go home Clint. No letter. No mail. Not even a fucking phone call. You just left your wife and kids. Why? Because Captain America called saying what exactly? Hmm? Tell me. What did the Great Captain America say that had you dropping the plans you made with your kids and running here?"
At Clint's look to Wanda, Toni scoffed, "Unbelievable. Well, if you haven't got it now from my words, Wanda was safe and protected and not in a prison, Clint. No matter what Rogers said. So you better work on the apology you're going to say to Laura and your kids."
Toni went to Lang and narrowed her eyes, "That suit is still Pym Technologies. And you need to go do some grovelling of your own to Hope Van Dyne and Hank Pym. They're going to be pissed at you. And I don't even want to know what Rogers said to you. It's obvious you're a fanboy."
Toni had conflicted opinions on Wilson.
On one hand, he was a great leader and person.
But on the other, "Wilson, the minute you take off your 'Captain America is perfect and nothing he does is wrong' glasses, come talk to me. And you can explain why you thought collapsing a fucking bridge was a good idea!"
"You were my friend Steve." Toni sighed, "Am I not human in your eyes? Do you honestly think that I didn't deserve the truth?"
"Toni I wanted to-"
"Don't bullshit me Rogers," Toni bit out, memories of Siberia and the words she just used giving her heavy Deja Vu, "You and Romanoff have known for two years, two years Steve, and you never once told me. Instead you used my money, the Quinjet I built, and the Avenger credit cards I gave you to go around the world and find your precious Bucky."
Sam cut in, "What did Steve and Natasha know?"
Toni actually was surprised.
"Not even your right hand man knows Rogers?"
"Toni," A pained expression came from the man but Toni just shook her head.
"I actually believed that Wilson knew. Guess you don't even trust the teammates that you brought, Rogers."
Toni turned to Sam and replied, "Oh, those two knew who the murderer of my parents were. And never told me. Instead they used my resources to find him."
Sam gaped in realisation when the pieces clicked together and turned to Steve in horror, "Steve. Tell me she's wrong. Tell me right now."
Rogers didn't even look at Sam only at Toni, "Bucky's my friend."
"So was I," Toni replied and wasn't that Deja Vu at its finest.
"I was your friend and hers," she turned around pointing at Romanoff who was being glared at by Rhodey, "And that meant nothing to you Rogers. If you came clean the minute you found out, I would have been angry. Yes. I would have been. I mean for the past 25 years, since I was 12, I've been blaming my father for being drunken asshole and killing my mother. When in reality, he begged for his wife to not be killed. That was his last wish. For his wife -my mother- to be spared. And he said this while he was being bashed in the face with a metal arm. And then that same metal arm strangled my mother to death until her neck snapped."
Everyone was silent but Toni still wasn't done.
Not yet.
"If I never found out, would have I ever told me? Or when you found Bucky, would you invite him into my home and watch as I house him, feed him, give him clothes?"
Roger's guilty look was all the clarification she needed.
"You're a fucking bastard Rogers."
Was all the warning Steve got before a bruised fist knocked him to the ground.
Toni winced and held her hand but a part of her was heavily pleased with the blood that came out of Roger's nose.
"Toni Stark?" A familiar voice called from behind her and Toni let out a laugh as she turned around and there he was.
Stephen Strange.
With the same look in his eyes as Nebula and Peter had.
The ones that knew too much and had seen too much.
"Stephen," she breathed before rushing to her witch doctor.
"Oh my god," let out Toni, throwing her arms around Stephen's neck and pulling him down into kissing him heatedly, like she'd barely been holding herself back from doing it before on Titan.
It was nothing like that kiss before.
There was no anger or tension from the argument they had on the ship.
The kiss they shared reminded her that she was safe and Stephen was her haven.
When she finally let him go, Toni looked at his darker eyes and swollen lips and smirked internally at gaining such a reaction.
His smile got even softer when he found Toni looked at him but it immediately disappeared into a look of shock when Toni raised a palm and slapped him across the face.
Hard.
"What was that for?" demanded Strange, indignant.
"I had to make sure... but you're real," breathed Toni, putting two hands on his shoulders. "Holy shit, you're real. You are here, you're real and alive. You also turned into dust and you kissed my palm-"
Stephen had started mollifying again at the touch and then Toni slapped him across the face again. Harder than before.
"Fuck!" swore the taller man, taking a step backward. "Why did you slap me again?!"
Now the only feeling left in Toni was irritation.
And anger.
A lot of anger.
"You lied to me! Twice! What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"I'm sorry," Was Stephen's reply making Toni stop.
And now her anger was gone.
Fuck.
"Just because I kissed you doesn't mean we're back together or anything." Toni added and blushed at seeing the man smirk.
"Which kiss? The one on the ship or this one?"
Huh?
Was dark spots meant to appear in her vision.
"The one you're going to give me to wake up," Toni slurred slightly as her world began to tip over, "Because I'm going to pull a sleeping beauty right now."
And then the last thing she felt before her world went dark was two strong arms wrapped around her and the smell she had thought gone forever, the scent of sandalwood and shaving cream.
God.
Stephen hasn't changed at all, has he?
A.N.
I've noticed that a lot of people were confused by my last chapter so I'm going to explain.
In the previous chapter, 2016 Toni had disappeared turned to dust.
And then we have go to her future, where the timeline wasn't disrupted and she didn't turn to dust.
Thanos snaps there.
The guardians plus Peter Parker and Stephen turn to ash.
Then Nebula and Toni are taken to 2016.
Why?
We'll find out.
And for this chapter
Toni is panicking, thinking she's in 2018 and Rhodey's on Titan
Then she sees red head Nat and realises that Thanos might have never left and she could be trapped in a vision cuz of the reality stone Thanos has
Vision is the one to make her think she's dead
Because she doesn't think Thanos is going to be gentle in taking out the mind stone from visions' head
Then Vision is like: we back in the past
Toni: WOOOOOOOOO, 2ND CHANCE
Mother-Son reunion
Disrupt Timeline = Tell Rogers that she knows what he knows earlier instead of re-enacting Siberia again.
Stephen here.
WOOOO
Kiss.
Slap.
Affection.
Another Slap.
Anger.
Then Pass out.
The people who have their memories are:
Toni Stark
Nebula
Peter Parker
Vision -the mind stone
Gamora -the soul stone
and Stephen Strange -the time stone.
I might add Loki.
No I will.
Yh
Loki also has his memories -the tesseract.
Peter Quill and the Power Stone?
Ask me any questions if your still confused.
HYPOCRISY
SAY IT WITH ME
STEVE ROGERS IS A FUCKING HYPOCRITE
