Ironman's Pain
Tony's POV:
I lay there in the cold, dark depths of the Hydra base in Siberia. Left here, stranded and powerless, by Steve - no, Rogers. He chose to protect the man responsible for my parents' murder and the deaths of thousands, over his own friend. Well, I guess we weren't friends.
Rogers and I never got along, not from our first meeting to even after the Battle of New York. He thought he knew me so well, relying on information provided by SHIELD, a terrorist organization. Can you believe he trusted Hydra more... well, actually, it makes sense. He trusted Wanda Maximoff's viewpoint on me, even though my actions were no different from what my father, Howard - I mean, his best friend - did. He didn't even try to get to know me. But why would he? I was just a textbook narcissist and self-destructive. I wasn't even considered a true Avenger, just a consultant. Iron Man, yes, but Tony Stark, not recommended. No matter what I did, how many times I risked my life to save those assholes or protect the Earth, I was still just a consultant, expected to be grateful to hang around with them. Who's the narcissist now? They even made Rhodey an Avenger, and he agreed with Natasha. Pepper even said it in front of Coulson when I reiterated the report that I knew. She didn't believe in me. And they wondered why I never told them things. The last time I tried, they accused me of stroking my ego. If I had told them about Ultron, they would have accused me of trying to replace the Avengers out of ego. I know they would.
If Rogers, Romanoff, or Wilson weren't narcissists like they claim, they would have called me during the Siberian incident. Thousands wouldn't have died. US secrets wouldn't have been leaked. Zemo wouldn't have had the opportunity to tear the Avengers apart. The fall of the Avengers was their fault. The death of thousands was their fault.
But anyway, it's been three hours since my suit lost power. Three hours since I've been stranded here, three hours since I found out the truth about my parents' deaths. Three hours since Rogers tried to silence me, three hours since he fatally injured me and left me to die from natural causes, freezing to death as he said. The shield lies next to me, not because Rogers left it, but because of a powerful magnet I launched with the last of my strength. My lungs are filled with blood. I should be dead, but something miraculous is keeping me alive. Every breath I take is a struggle, but my lungs refuse to collapse completely. How am I still alive? I don't understand. I should have died three minutes after Rogers left, not still be alive after three hours.
I was certain that Friday sent an emergency alert as soon as the suit lost power, but who would answer it? Rhodey? He started to change after joining the Avengers, always finding ways to make me feel like a lesser consultant while he was an Avenger, the thing he thinks I wanted to be. Pepper and I are on a break, and our last conversation didn't end well. That leaves Vision. He likes me, but he likes Wanda more. Most likely, I'm dead. Is this how it ends? Alone, cold, and in pain in Siberia. Does the universe hate me that much?
Oh god, my AIs, my mechanical children. Do they even comprehend the concept of death? They know what happened in Afghanistan; they've been taught that lesson. Tony fears that Dum-E, U, Butterfingers, and even Friday would hope for me to return forever. Unless someone turns them off, something I don't even want to think about. I won't be there to make them understand. Parenting was never my strong suit. Like father, like son. Just like Howard, I'm about to die at the hands of a super soldier. Actually, two of them. Well, I did something better for once. What is this? Suddenly, a yellow light envelops my body. Am I hallucinating?
"Vision?" I say aloud, hoping for a response. But there is none. Could this be Jarvis? What if it's all just a hallucination? People are known to hallucinate when losing blood. Please, don't let it be a hallucination. Don't be that cruel, I silently beg.
"Relax, sir. Everything will be okay. I have returned. Nobody will hurt you anymore. I will protect you and destroy anyone who dares to harm you. That is a promise," a familiar voice says, dark and determined. I smile, realizing it's Jarvis. Whether it's the AI or the human counterpart, they always had the power to make me feel that way, with just their mere presence. I start to feel drowsy and blackout.
When I wake up, I find myself in a dark room. Great, I must have passed out near Jarvis. I look around, but I don't see him. Worry creeps in. Did I get kidnapped? And if so, what did they do to Jarvis?
"Actually, Tony Stark, or should I say Hephaestus, we didn't harm you. Do not worry, I will not hurt you, nor will they," a man's voice says. Instantly, I feel a sense of respect, as if this man deserves to be revered like a god. It's strange because I didn't feel this way in the presence of Thor or Loki, who are said to be gods. But this man, he exudes power, and I can't help but feel it. I look around and see the Tesseract, the Mind Stone, and four others.
"Am... am I dead?" I ask, my voice trembling.
"No, you are not. We are here to help you," he replies.
"Help me with what?" I inquire.
"First, introductions are in order. I am the One Above All, also known as Stan Lee. I am the true creator of this multiverse. Do not worry, just remain calm," he says, and instantly, I believe him, even though it's the most outlandish claim.
"I am Tony Stark, Iron Man," I say, feeling a bit more confident and calm after his words. It's as if he erased my worries, but who is he?
"You will now remember your past. It has something to do with why you are still alive, even though, logically speaking, you should be dead," he says, snapping his fingers. My past memories flood back to me.
"Forgive my insolence, Lord One Above All. I did not remember you. I thank you for the second chance at life and for my new body. What is it that you require?" I ask.
"Just be yourself, Tony Stark. You have earned my respect. I have come to restore your memories and powers, which I have done. But I also have a warning about a threat," he explains.
"Does it have something to do with the Stones?" I ask, recalling their significance.
"Yes, it does. As for the new threat, he is known as Thanos, the Mad Titan. No, he isn't Cronus from Greek mythology. He is a Titan, an Eternal, a powerful race. His goal is to collect the six Stones and wipe out half the population of every known inhabitable world in the universe," he reveals.
"And what does this have to do with me?" I inquire, feeling a sense of unease.
"As Tony Stark, you are the greatest hero in this universe, whether you believe it or not. Even if people betray you repeatedly, you still risk your life for the world and the universe, and for that, I am grateful. As Hephaestus, you played a pivotal role in the victory of the Olympians. You created their weapons, which kept them alive. Despite the mistreatment you endured, you showed nothing but kindness and passion. You are pure. Your combined personalities counteract each other's flaws. You are kind but not too kind, arrogant but not egotistical. You are at your most perfect form now. You are handsome, yet you know what it's like to be called ugly. You can walk, yet you understand what it's like to be disabled," he explains.
I couldn't disagree. I feel as though all my flaws, from both Tony Stark and Hephaestus, have been countered by the other.
"I have one more thing to say. In your past, there is someone who suffered when you left. Someone you wouldn't expect, but who did. I can't force you to love her, but I ask that you give her a chance. Let me show you her life after you departed," he offers, and with a snap of his fingers, I see Aphrodite. The one person I thought would be relieved to be free from me, yet she misses me. She refused Ares and even betrayed Olympus. I couldn't believe it. She seeks forgiveness. It hurts to see her like this, even after all she did. At one point, we genuinely loved each other, a thousand years ago, before Ares. Do we still love each other? She went years without cheating and even came to this meeting, which would have been humiliating for her since I left for my honor. Perhaps I should give her a chance to earn back what we had.
"Thank you for showing me this," I say, feeling a mix of emotions.
"It's no problem, my chosen one, my Infinity Warrior, my child. You have been given Extremis, the perfected version you created with Jarvis. That's right, Jarvis has been reactivated. Back to Extremis, it will not only help you defeat Thanos, but also grant you the power and respect you rightfully deserve in Olympus. It will boost your divine firepower, strength, durability, and much more to the point where even the entirety of Olympus couldn't stand against you. There will be more gifts for you," he announces. I hesitate, as I was always proud of not being enhanced, but if I need it to save the universe and keep Dite and Pete safe, I will do it.
Dite and Pete? Where did that come from? I wonder.
"Anyway, it's time for you to wake up," he declares, and with that, I start to regain consciousness.