One Moment into Thousands
I don't own Marvel. Or the MCU. But if I did. This scene would have been in the film
Tony felt the gauntlet surge with power as the infinity stones fell into place. Instantly, the power of infinity was far more than he could bare. It filled his arm in microseconds, crawled up his neck making it difficult to breath. It took all his not insubstantial brain and will power to focus that energy into the gauntlet and back into the stones. It was all he could do to control his own fear.
No mortal could wield such power and expect to survive. Not even a genius philanthropist. And he was about to leave his wife and daughter.
He smirked as Thanos went to snap his fingers. He eagerly awaited the look of disappointment on the grape bastard's face, when time all together stopped in front of him. The battle froze in place. In front of him, shattering like a mirror Doctor Strange ghosted through broken reality.
Tony blinked. "This is the second time you've interrupted me from something important."
Behind the smug stoicism of the doctor's eyes, Tony saw sadness, the same knowing grief he'd seen a moment ago when the doc had all but read his mind and had given him the signal that confirmed Tony's sinking suspicions. He looked at Strange and then the other Strange still fighting to contain a flood. "Don't tell me you have a twin doc."
"Time can be a funny thing, Tony. I'm the Stephen Strange you met five years ago, I'm currently running through all the possibilities of the upcoming battle, the ones we can win."
"14,000,605," Tony repeated, those last moments on Titan had been indelibly imprinted on his brain. "And the one that works."
The other man swallowed before saying, "Yes."
Tony looked at the gauntlet, saw that the blue lines of energy were as frozen as the rest of the battle. Or not frozen, he realized once he really looked, just slowed down as though each second was stretched, mired. "How are you doing this?"
"A trick I stole from an old friend," Strange said. "The Ancient One was dying and she had one more lesson to impart to me."
"Is that why you're here, to teach me?" Tony snapped.
"No, Tony," Strange said. He paused for a moment before blowing out a long breath. "It didn't take me 14 million variations to get to this moment. In comparison, I saw it early. 516, I believe. But I had already fought side by side with you and the Avengers for 412 of those variations. And I was unhappy with the outcome."
"Didn't know you cared," Tony quipped.
Strange ignored him. "In another universe, in a different time, you and I would be good friends. I saw that. Where somehow, we both survived Thanos and the decimation. Where we worked together to protect the world from the threats of space, time and dimensions. But even that broke down. Because the Avengers, the world, the universe couldn't move on. Not the way Thanos wanted us to and so his End Game would have been a universe reborn in his image."
"He didn't always destroy the stones?" Tony gasped.
Strange shook his head. "No. Sometimes to stop a mad man you must give him what he wants. Thanos was content with his victory, others I've known will spend an eternity of torment in the dark dimension."
"This is great and all, doc. But is there a point?"
"I kept looking despite receiving my answer. 14 million more. I wanted time to work to my will, but it showed me once again that it wasn't about me. In one of those different realities, Morgan calls me Uncle Wizard and I spent half the rest of my life trying to get her to call me Stephen."
Tony drew his own sluggish breath. He couldn't imagine it, his baby girl on the wizard's knee or eating juice pops past her bedtime. Yet in Strange's eyes he could see that glimmer of love for his daughter. "I…I don't have to be around for that to be true, doc."
"No, Tony, I'm sorry. This isn't on you. I'm trying to explain I was being selfish. Because the more I looked, the more I watched everyone; you, the rest of the Avengers, the possibility of us becoming a family. I wanted us all to survive. Ultimately though, the only one that worked was when I gave the time stone to Thanos at the exact moment your life was in danger. You needed to survive to get to this point. And I am so sorry, Tony."
His mind was too tired, his heart too drained to come up with an appropriate quip. So, he just nodded, his mouth held tight against a sob.
"And I've come to offer you a gift," Strange continued unexpectedly. "To see as I've seen, that they'll be okay. Morgan, Pepper, the Avengers. That you're sacrifice won't be in vain."
"Did you seriously just say 'seen as I've seen'?" Tony asked.
"Are you seriously going to turn me down?"
"No, doc. Come on, magic me up."
Strange rolled his eyes. "Close your eyes."
As soon as he did, he was hit with images. Morgan growing up into a beautiful woman, with his brain and Pepper's sensibility. Defending the world in a way that he never could. The pride alone was enough to burst his heart. Pepper continued to run Stark Industries, working herself ragged, but repeated his words every time she went to sleep. 'When I go to sleep, I'll be thinking of you, only you.' Rhodey was there for the both of them, holding Pepper when she cried, teaching Morgan to ride a bike and nursing a secret crush on Carol Danvers. His mind let out a laugh as he watched Happy hit on Peter's hot aunt and wasn't rejected. He watched Peter be better than him, maybe better than them all.
Then the world shifted as Steve returned to not exactly his time, but a time where he could be with Aunt Peg and not thoroughly screw with the timeline. He changed his name and took a note out of underoos book. He started wearing a mask and took care of his neighborhood. No longer an Avenger, or an agent of shield, but a man who still stands his ground against those who would take advantage of the weak. He grows old and passes on the shield within a month of Tony's death.
Thor traveled with the Guardians of the Galaxy, picking fights and rescuing planets. He found his purpose and thank Jarvis got rid of the hair and the beard. Clint found forgiveness and raised his children. He fought the bad guys with Wanda. His youngest Nathaniel eventually working with Morgan to protect the world.
Bruce mourned Natasha, took selfies with grinning kids, taught others how to control their anger and was at peace.
He watched it all in his mind, stretching one moment into thousands. And he realized the fear that had gripped his heart and had been almost as overwhelming as the Infinity Stones on his gauntlet had gone away. He'd found his own peace with the situation.
He opened his eyes to find Strange's head tilted to one side as though listening. "What's up?"
"You're calling me," Strange said.
"I can be very needy," Tony responded with a smirk. "Hey doc, what about you?"
The Sorcerer Supreme shrugged. "As I said, this isn't about me."
"You'll take care of it? You'll take care of them?" Tony needed to be sure there would be someone he trusted to save the world.
Strange nodded. "I will."
"Good."
And just like that, Strange was gone and the incredible pain was back, and the cacophony of battle filled his ears. The weight of the universe. He could bear it. "I…am…Iron Man."