The hunger was getting to him, dry throat being a constant in his mind, matted hair and sweat reminding him of his destruction. The wall behind him was cold but the pair of eye slits in front of him were even colder. The Iron Man mask that stared back at the man was glaring and unforgiving, half of the face mangled and disappearing, did that serve as a symbol? Was his face soon to look the same?
His fingers slowly caressed the crevice’s of the face of his legacy as his mind wondered. Mindlessly and almost methodically his fingers slid under the mask finding the button he was looking for, hesitating for a moment his hand hovered. Closing his eyes and allowing himself to try and release some pressure from the tense muscles in his shoulder he took a deep breath. Shortly after his eyes fluttered open “Now or never” he muttered to himself his fingers lightly pressing the desired button, leaning back onto the wall behind him reminding him of his consciousness.
“Is this thing on?” His voice tired and defeated. “Hey Dr. Strange” The name felt foreign and almost distasteful... wrong “Stephen” was what followed, a sharp intake of a shallow breath followed the name “I don’t- I don’t know why I’m recording this. I mean you’re as gone as I’m about to be… maybe some miracle will happen, you’ll do your voodoo magic and somehow watch this. Watch my final words… But let’s be realistic here, this will most likely only be for my own venting pleasure.”
The pause was solemn “Why me? Why sacrifice 50% of the world’s population for a man in a tin can Stephen? Strategy? Risk? Love?” The emotions came crawling up his throat as he struggled to swallow “I thought we decided-you decided that no matter what it came down to, protecting the stone was your top priority? What happened to priority?”
He could feel tears brimming in his eyes, fighting to fall and display more of the mess he had become “You were my priority Stephen. You and Peter. And what did I lose?" He felt an antagonizing rush course through his veins "I just wanted you safe. You and the rest of the god damn planet.” He revealed, feeling his heart clench, his head go heavy, and voice fade “Food and water ran out four days ago. Oxygen will run out tomorrow morning. That’ll be it. That’ll be Tony Stark's final blaze of glory…dying in the one place I fear most with the people I love the most nowhere to be found..... I love you..... I’ve always loved you…but I guess that’s it. That’s all I have to say and that’s all I have to do.” It was getting harder to breath, was that due to the lack of oxygen or the overwhelming squeeze he felt on his heart. “Part of the journey is the end…I just wish you were my end”