Intergalactic

The first thing that came to mind was that there was something heavy on top of him, that’s what happens when a building collapsed on you of course. The second thing was that his friends and family were also trapped under the rubble, he knew Steve was close but how much weight could the super soldier take on top of him. How much could his kids take, he didn’t know where they were, only that Steve had told him that they were somewhere in the compound waiting for punishment for breaking the rules and following them. He was grounding them until they were forty for even showing up, it was the only thing he could think because the thought of losing them after all of this was just too much to handle. 

He couldn’t help but panic at the thought of losing his kids, his breaths were labored as he thought about them being crushed under all of the rubble. Then he thought of Steve and whether he would have survived something like that and he could feel something inside of him break a little. He couldn’t lose all of them, not like this, especially not knowing what the hell had happened. He started hyperventilating, he couldn’t help but panic because after all they’ve been through for this to happen. It took him a moment to get his breathing under control, he couldn’t afford to lose his mind at the moment. He needed to assess the situation and figure out what happened. The last thing he remembered was Carol yelling something over the com line to Steve. 

Digging himself out of the rubble, the first thing he saw was a dark cloud of dust, the entire area was a charred mess around them. Not far from where he was standing, he could see the red white and blue of Steve’s shield, which meant that his husband was nearby. Picking up the shield he went looking for Steve, while looking around for the others. 

“What’s happening Fri?” he asked as he walked forward. 

“A ship has entered the upper atmosphere, I’ve sent a distress call to our allies' boss, but it seems as though it came through the Quantum machine in the compound,” she said and he wondered maybe if his reservations about Nebula earlier weren’t unfounded. He saw Steve nearby half buried in rubble, he was breathing, which was a relief for Tony. One found everyone else to go. 

“Where’s Carol?” he asked as he started digging Steve out. 

“I currently don’t have her whereabouts, my systems for the compound are down Boss,” she said and he could feel his heart breaking. He found Steve but without FRIDAY, finding everyone else is going to take a little work. 

“Get all the coms online and working, even the ones in the kids’ suits, start waking them up,” he said as he finally got everything off of Steve. “Alert me when they’re up okay.” 

“Yes Boss,” she said as he kneeled down next to Steve. 

It was one thing to be reminded of that vision he had from Wanda all those years ago, but to see Steve in the rubble like this, it was bringing back some awful memories. “Steve,” he called out as he retracted the glove before reaching out to check Steve’s pulse, sighing when he felt the steady beat of the man’s heart. “Come on buddy, time to wake up.” 

There was a groan, one Tony was familiar with, as Steve looked up at him, Tony was so happy to see the pair of bright blue eyes looking back at him. “That’s my man,” he said happiness in his voice. He stood up still holding the shield in his hand. “You lose this again and I’m giving it to Morgan.” 

“Funny,” Steve said groaning as he got up. “What happened? Are the kids okay, Carol was yelling earlier.” 

“If I had to guess, we messed with time, and it decided to mess with us,” he said as he started checking Steve for injuries. “As for the kids, I haven’t heard anything yet, FRIDAY is working on getting in contact with everyone.” 

“Are you okay,” Steve said placing his hands on Tony’s face. “Anything wrong with you?” 

“I’m alright, the suit took most of the force of a building falling on top of me, I was more worried about you, and everyone else.” 

“We’ll find them Tony,” Steve said to him with a smile. “We found each other once, it’ll happen again.” 

“Boss, Thanos is here,” Friday said over the com and Tony could feel his heart stop, time really was messing with them and it had brought a blast from the past with it. 

They looked at each other, and Tony knew that of all the things that could have happened this was not what they were expecting. “What did Carol say to you before we finished with the glove?” Tony asked trying to piece everything together. 

“She suspected that Nebula wasn’t our Nebula,” Steve answered, “You’re not thinking...” 

“That our Nebula got taken before they all returned and what came back was the version of her that was still trying to please her father,” Tony said wanting to scream, they had all been grieving to notice. “Life just takes and takes and takes, and just when we’re getting something good it decides to fuck with us all the same.” 

“For now, let’s take care of the Thanos problem, we’ll figure out the rest as we go,” Steve said before touching the side of Tony’s face. “Don’t die on me today.” 

“I can’t,” Tony said kissing Steve’s hand. “I have three kids to ground, and a husband to climb like a tree when this is all done.” 

Steve smiled at him, and it was all it took to give him a little confidence, he knew that he was trying to lighten up the mood even though everyone they knew was currently buried under the compound. The glove lost somewhere in there as well, and as long as Thanos didn’t have it, then they were going to fight to keep it from him. They both turned and walked towards where Thor was currently standing, the rubble not stopping him from looking at a figure not far in the distance. Even from where he was Tony knew that the bastard was smug as shit, he saw his plan worked, that in their time he had succeeded.  

“What’s he been doing?” Tony asked as they stood next to Thor. 

“Absolutely nothing,” Thor said, and Tony knew full well that Thor was ready to get his revenge on the Titan.  

“Where are the stones?” Steve asked as they watched Thanos sit down and look around at the destruction he’s caused.  

“Somewhere under all this. All I know is he doesn't have them, and he won’t get them either if I have a say in this,” Tony told them, he wasn’t going to let Thanos destroy their lives again. 

“So, we keep it that way, we need a plan,” Steve already in captain mode and while Tony was happy about it, he knew it was a fool's errand. 

“You know it’s a trap, right?” Thor said and Tony was sure of it too, but they needed to try. 

“Yeah, and I don’t much care for it, but we need to give the others some time to dig themselves out,” he told the god who nodded at him. 

“Good, just as long as we are all in agreement,” Thor said as the lighting engulfed him illuminating the area around them. Out of the rubble came Thor’s axe Stormbreaker, and Mjölnir, Thor now clad in full armor. “Let’s kill him properly this time.” 

There was something about walking over the rubble of something you built that made this whole thing a little too real. Tony had all but crawled out of Afghanistan fifteen years before, he was a different man, he became a husband and a father, he had saved the world countless times. But seeing their one failure sitting there in front of him, just brought forth a million feelings, and so many losses. He couldn’t stand to think of it happening all over again. 

“You could not live with your own failure. And where did that bring you? Back to me,” Thanos started, and of course the fucker was going to monologue, he was a villain, but it just pissed Tony off to have to hear him say anything at all. “I thought by eliminating half of life, the other half would thrive. But you’ve shown me that’s impossible. And as long as there are those that remember what was, there will always be those that are unable to accept what can be. They will resist.” 

“Yep, we’re all kinds of stubborn,” Tony said and Steve looked at him with a smirk. 

“I'm thankful. Because now, I know what I must do,” Thanos says as he stands up in front of them. “I will shred this universe down to its last atom,” he put on that god forsaken helmet and Tony just wanted to find a way to rip it off his head and shove it up the titan’s ass. “And then...With the stones you've collected for me, create a new one. Teeming with life, but knows not what it has lost but only what it has been given. A grateful universe.” 

“Born out of blood,” Steve said his shield raised.  

“They'll never know it. Because you won't be alive to tell them,” Thanos answered and honestly that was going to be the reason why Tony shoved a boot up his ass.  

Tony was the first to take flight, Thor not far behind, they both wanted blood, now more than ever, they had lost too much, even now years after the decimation they were still losing those they cared for, all because they wanted to bring everyone back. The hits weren’t going through, he wasn’t sure how much they were going to have to work for it, but they needed to keep it going. Just the thought that somewhere was that stupid Chitari army, Thanos’ attack dogs, all of it, and everyone they cared about, all of their lives were on the line. 

An idea formed as Thor was thrown back, “Okay, Thor, I need you to hit me with everything you’ve got.” 

Thor grunted and used both the hammer and the axe to bring down his lighting on Tony’s suit, using the suit’s back panels he absored the blast and sent it right at Thanos. The blast was huge, but he wasn’t sure if it was big enough to take Thanos down. Just as he thinks it’s working, he sees Mjölnir fly by, the distraction had been enough for Tony’s fire power to faulter, enough for Thanos to grab him and use him as a shield against the hammer and it hit him and sent him flying. 

“Boss, wake up,” FRIDAY called but the pain was enough to knock him out. 

Steve watches as Tony’s sent flying, his heart can’t take watching Tony die, he’s not sure if he could survive losing Tony after everything. Using his shield, he charges at Thanos but is immediately pushed back, he tries again but the Titan all but throws him across the field.  

“Dad,” he hears Miles’ voice over the com line. “Anything we can do to help, we’re almost out.” 

“Just find the stones,” he grunts out, happy to hear his kids are safe. “They’re in a glove, but I don’t know where it landed.” 

“I will help them,” Vision’s voice rang out loud and clear. “I have kept your children safe, now it is time for me to help as well.” 

“Vision, keep an eye on them, we’ll give you all some time,” Steve said as he slowly stood up.  

“We’re on it,” Kamala said her voice cheery, especially when they’re faced with the end of the world. It was all he needed to get up and keep fighting. 

He remembered once, a long time ago, what feels like another lifetime ago, when they were all standing in the Tower’s living area, when they had all joked about being able to lift Thor’s hammer. He denied feeling the power flow through his hands all of those years ago, even now after everything he’s put them all through, he doesn’t think himself worthy, but if it would save them all he would try. There was something about Mjölnir, it called out to those who were worthy of wielding it, it was pure power, and even when he denied it, he could feel it’s call. He saw as Thanos was fighting Thor, as Thor’s own weapon was used against him. Steve reached for that part of himself that he had denied so much, he reached out for Mjölnir and saw the hammer floating up before it flew towards him.  

Thor was looking at the hammer the whole time, not paying attention to the axe that would have severed his hand. “I knew it,” Thor calls out with a smile on his face, as Steve sends the hammer flying at Thanos, before it hits the Titan on the head. Thor was smiling at him, as the hammer came flying back, the power greater than anything Steve’s ever held, but if it saves his friend, if it saves them all, he was going to use it. Thanos had gotten up and kicked Thor back to the ground before charging at Steve, so Steve thinks about what he could do. 

There had been a moment back before the battle of New York, where Thor had hit the shield with the hammer, it had become a move that they had prefected over the years, but doing it alone was going to be a feat. Steve threw the hammer only calling it back when Thanos was close enough and had it hit the shield with all the power it could, sending a shockwave towards the Titan, throwing him backwards. As he watched the mad man stand up, Steve called on Thor’s power, taking a running start as he felt the power of the lightning hit him, but he used it to hit Thanos in the face with everything he could, knocking him back. 

He knew it wasn’t enough, he knew that he was just buying them all some time, because as strong as Steve was, he wasn’t stronger than Thanos.  

“Together,” he heard Tony whisper, which distracted him for a moment, but it was all he needed to keep going even as Thanos’ double sword smashed down on the shield severing it in half and sending him flying across what had once been their home, and into the ground. 

Tony was alive, the kids were alive, and they were all fighting, this was no time to give up, even though he could feel his hands shaking, even though his body felt like Morgan’s favorite pudding, he needed to keep trying. Digging the shield to the ground he stood up, taking the leather strap of the shield and tightening it, it reminded him of the first shield he had back in his USO days.  

“In all my years of conquest...violence...slaughter... It was never personal,” Thanos said as Steve looked up at him. “But I'll tell you now... what I'm about to do to your stubborn, annoying little planet... I'm gonna enjoy it. Very, very much.” 

Thanos didn’t know the true stubbornness of Steve Rogers, he was the same guy who continuously tried to get into the army, the guy who relentlessly went after Hydra, the guy who woke up displaced out of time, and still fought with everything he had. He had something to fight for now too, he had his family to fight for, his husband, his kids. 

“You don’t know stubborn,” Steve said looking at Thanos, his face covered in dirt and grime. “You haven’t seen stubborn.” 

With a smirk on his face, Thanos calls forth an army larger than the one Steve had seen in Wakanda five years before. He wants to run at him, if it meant protecting the ones he loved, he’d take down the world.  

“Need some help there,” Riri said as she landed next to him in her Iron Heart suit, the same colors as Tony’s Iron Man suit, with a little hint of his daughter. 

“We’re here to help,” Kamala said as she landed next to her sister, placing Lila, who was now wearing a purple outfit Steve’s never seen before, next to her America running up to them like she’s ready for a fight, just as Miles swings up and lands next to him giving him a pat on the shoulder.  

“It’s a family business,” Miles said with a shrug, Vision landing next to Miles, his powers fully operational, which meant that Shuri had been able to finish, with time to spare, this time around. 

“You’re still grounded young man,” Tony said as he landed next to them all, pulling back the helmet and looking over at Steve with a wink. Steve couldn’t help but feel relived at the sight of them, they were all safe. 

All of a sudden, he could hear a slight crackling in his ear, “Cap, you hear me?” Sam said, his voice as clear as it had been five years ago. It worked, they brought them back, Tony looked over at him with a smile on his face. “Cap, it's Sam. Can you hear me?”  

“It worked,” Tony said, just as Sam said “On your left.” 

He couldn’t help but laugh at the same words he had uttered to Sam the first time he had met the man. Just as the words had finished bright golden portals appeared around them, they had been a few just a moment ago and now he saw as Okoye, stepped through with the Black Panther next to her, Shuri smiling as she ran forward from another portal, which looked like it had come from somewhere in the buried compound. Shuri threw herself at her brother but got a knowing look from Okoye for leaving Wakanda without telling her. A moment later, Sam’s Falcon armor flys over them just as dozens of other portals appear around them.  

Out of one of the portals, Doctor Strange steps forward, and from the looks of it those who had perished on Titan five years before stood next to him. Steve couldn’t help but smile when Spiderman landed next to Kamala, while his son stood stunned as he saw the Iron Spider armor that Tony had told him about.  

“Dad, I want one like that,” Miles said to Tony. 

The armies from Zandar, and the Ravengers came from one of the portals, Duranna and her father heading one of the groups. More and more people he hadn’t known would show up suddenly appeared, Valkyrie flying out on a Pegasus, along with Sif and the rest of Asgard’s warriors. The Wakandan army walking through, he could see Bucky looking at him, a sad look on the man’s face, which meant that Natasha hadn’t come back. Steve wasn’t sure how Bucky knew, but he would have to ask later about it. Next to Buck was Groot, who had landed next to Rocket, just as Wanda walked out, stunned to see Vision standing there next to them. 

He remembered Tony saying that she was going to need someone to come home to, and now she had that and didn’t know how. But Tony would explain, as soon as they dealt with the fight ahead. The Wasp stood next to Ant-man taking Scott’s hand, they had survived one fight, now that they had their family back, they would need to survive this one. With a surprise landing, Pepper stood next to Tony with a smile. 

“What you didn’t think that I knew about the suit, your daughter is a blabbermouth,” she said to Steve and Tony. 

“Is that everyone?” Doctor Strange said as a tired looking Wong stood next to him. 

“What, you wanted more?” Wong said exasperated. 

Before Strange could answer, Hulk, and War Machine took their places, as Carol landed next to Rhodes. This was their family, these were the people they had fought so hard to bring back, and he wasn’t going to let Thanos take them away, not again.  

With a quick kiss to Tony, he took a deep breath, “Don’t die,” he said before turning to Thanos’s army, “AVENGERS,” he called out as everyone took their place, calling out to Mjölnir as he yelled out. “ASSEMBLE.” 

“What the hell,” Sam called out, there was no answer as everyone else charged forward towards the hoard rushing towards them. 

“Fight first, answers later,” Steve said as he fought through the hoard. 

Honestly, he couldn’t remember when was the last time he had been in this much pain, but watching Steve fight was good enough to keep going. They had almost everyone back, Natasha was still missing and it hurt to think about it. Tony hadn’t missed that look on Barnes’s face, but he didn’t have time to dwell on that while an army of aliens were trying to kill them. That big ugly guy from five years ago caught him by surprise, punching him to the ground. 

“Gods that hurts,” he said before watching Giant-Man kicking him away before rushing towards more of Thanos’s army. 

He needed a moment, he needed to breathe, he wasn’t sure where the gauntlet was in all of this fighting, and he really didn’t have time to stop while a war waged on around them. Before he could take another step forward a very family suit landed not far from him, before Peter’s face appeared in front of him. 

“Hey! Holy cow. You will not believe what's been going on. Do you remember when we were in space? And I got all dusty? I must've passed out, 'cause I woke up, and you were gone,” Peter said but Tony couldn’t help but look at him in awe, even after all of these years the kid could babble on without any other thought. “But Doctor Strange was there, right? He was like, "It's been five years. Come on, they need us!" And then he started doing the yellow sparkly thing that he does all the time...” 

Tony couldn’t help but hug the teenager, he knew May would be happy to see him more than anyone else. “What are you doing?” Peter said as tony gave him a kiss on the head, the same kind he gives to all of his kids before bed time” “...This is nice.” 

Before Tony could say anything else, Miles landed next to them, pulling back his mask and looking at Peter, “I like the suit man,” Miles said with a smile. 

“I like yours too,” Peter said before his eyes widened. “Oh my god you’re like me,” he said and Miles just smiled. 

“We’re Spider Bros,” Miles said which made Tony laugh, since it played on his and Bruce’s science bros joke. 

Before the two could bond even more a few of those attack dogs came at them, reminding them of the battle was still happening. Tony sees Clint before he hears him, the gauntlet in his hand as a few of the Chitari fighters were after him. 

“Cap, what do you want me to do with this damn thing?” Clint said, saved only by his own daughter’s arrows flying by him. 

“Get those stones as far away as possible!” Steve called out, and as much as he wanted to get them away, he wasn’t sure it was safe to do so. 

“No!” Shuri called out. “Remember what Doctor Banner said, We need to get them back where they came from.” 

“No way to get them back,” Tony said as they fought the Chitari around them, he saw their Nebula not far from them, he knew it was her because of the way she fought, and the glint of her blades as he saw her arm, half of which was destroyed, he really was going to talk to her about maintenance, he didn’t have vibranium growing out of trees.  “Thanos destroyed the quantum tunnel.” 

“Hold on!,” he heard Scott call out. “That wasn’t our only time machine.” 

“Anyone see an ugly, brown van up there?” Steve asked and Tony laughed, it really was an ugly thing. 

“Yes! But you're not gonna like where it's parked,” Valkyrie said from above them. 

“Scott, how long you need to get that thing working?” Tony asked, hoping it wouldn’t take too long. 

“Maybe ten minutes,” Scott answered. “Maybe less with some help.” 

“You always have help,” Hope answered. 

“Get it started,” Steve called out. “We’ll get the stones to you.” 

“We're on it, Cap,” Hope said as her and Scott rushed off towards where Valkyrie pointed out the van. 

Tony watched as he took out another couple of fighters, with a little help from Pepper, then he saw Strange and he wondered if this was it, if this was what he had been talking about all those years ago. 

“Hey. You said one out of 14 million, we win, yeah?” he asked wanting something to hope for. “Tell me this is it.” 

“If I tell you what happens, it won't happen,” Strange answered and Tony wanted to throttle the man. They had lost everything, it had taken so long to get to this point, when all the man had had to do was turn back time five years ago, or find a way to send them to Wakanda where Steve had been fighting. 

“You better be right,” he said frustrated with the other man. “I’m not going to lose my family twice,” he rushed off towards the next battle, watching as everyone fought for their lives 

He watched as everyone fought, keeping an eye on whoever needed help, there were so many people fighting with them, so many more lives at stake, he couldn’t figure out what it was going to take to end the fight for good.  

“Uh, is anyone else seeing this?” he heard Pepper’s voice, only to turn and see Peter being overwhelmed. 

“I got this. I got this! Okay, I don't got this,” Peter was chanting before calling out “Help! Somebody, help!” 

“Hey, Queens. Heads up,” Steve called, and then Tony saw Thor’s hammer flying across the sky, picking Peter up on the way, right before Pepper caught him. 

“Hang on. I got you, kid,” she said before dropping him on Valkyrie's Pegasus. 

Tony was too distracted to notice what was happening until Sam called out, “What the hell is this?” 

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., what are they firing at?” Tony called out as he watched more ships appear. 

“Multiple ships just entered the upper atmosphere,” FRIDAY said as they watched them slowly come down. 

Before any of them could react to what could have been a world ending attack, Carol flew up and took them down one by one, Tony could hear Rhodey whistling out at his girlfriend, he was proud of his girl and he wasn’t afraid to show it. Tony was glad that his friend had found her after all of these years, even happier that they had found each other. Tony worked to make sure the debris didn’t hit anyone, even with the fighting, something like that falling on them would still take them out. 

“Airforce, we need an assist here,” Steve called out, bringing Tony’s attention back to Peter, but before he could do anything, he saw Carol take the gauntlet from him and with the help of all of the women, as she rushes forward to get the thing to where Scott was, the van fired up and ready. Tony works his way towards where they’re fighting, trying to find a way to help Carol, but Thanos got to her, and as powerful as she was, she the gauntlet was hindering what she could do. He was looking over to where everyone else was trying to figure out if anyone was close enough to stop it, but then he saw Strange, as he raised up one finger at no one else but Tony and he knew that this was it, this was the moment Strange had been talking about. 

Tony had seen what that thing had done to Hulk’s arm, he’s heard from Steve about what it had done to Thanos’s arm five years before. If he did this he knew that he wasn’t going to survive, there was no coming back from this, if had had more time he would have been able to make his suit control the power of the stones, but they hadn’t thought this would have happened. 

“Shit,” he said reminding himself of the family he had, the little girl who was about to lose her father. 

“Tony,” Steve called out worried, but Tony didn’t listen, he couldn’t, he watched as Thanos took the glove from Carol headbutting her, fighting her until he had the glove. 

Rushing forward he grabbed the Titan’s hand, he had one shot at this, he had to save his family, he had to protect them because he couldn’t lose them again. “I’m sorry Steve,” he said as he pulled the stones off of the glove, just as Thanos pushed him away. 

“Tony,” Steve called out. 

“I am... inevitable,” Thanos said as he snapped his fingers, but nothing happened, the Titan shocked as he watched the stones light up in Tony’s hands. 

He could see Steve standing there staring at him, it was a short moment, but in that moment, Tony could see the look of loss in his eyes when he realizes what Tony was going to do. “I love you,” Tony whispered as he felt the power rushing through him. 

“And I...am...... Iron Man,” he said before snapping his fingers. 

He didn’t ask for anyone to be dusted, he didn’t ask for anything other than more time with his loved ones, and a second chance, he wanted Natasha to have her second chance, he wanted Peter and his friends to grow up normal, he wanted his kids to have never lost their families, and he just wanted Steve to be there with him for the rest of their lives, happy and healthy. Just as the power took over, and the pain set in, he could feel as the blinding light took him, and settled over him. This was his end, and there was nothing to stop it.