A/N: IM SORRY. I HAD TO.
Disclaimer: I don't own any Marvel characters...unfortunately
He knows it's the only way to save NYC. He has to do it. JARVIS suggests calling Pepper. He agrees. She doesn't pick up. His last thoughts are about her. About how much he loves her. About what an idiot he is. About why he's risking his life.
"I love Pepper Potts with all my heart." is his last thought. Then his eyes slowly close. And Tony Stark is no more.
The team watches in hope as Tony falls through the sky. The Hulk jumps and grabs him. He lands and sets him on the ground. Thor rips off his mask. Tony's eyes are closed. The arc reactor isn't glowing. They all look down sadly. The Hulk roars in anger. Tony's lifeless body lays on the ground. Steve speaks through the earpiece.
"Stark's gone," he says. They go up and take care of Loki. The bastard smirks when he sees who they're missing. Then Thor takes his brother.
Thor and Loki end up going back to Asgard with the Tesseract.
"Anthony Stark was a brave man. He risked his life to save New York City. He had struggles. We all do. But Tony rose above them and learned to win and have fun. Even if some people didn't approve. He didn't care what people thought of him. He was a great man. We're sad to see him go," Natasha speaks at the funeral. Pepper Potts is sitting on the front row bawling her eyes out. When Natasha is finished speaking she sits down next to Pepper and rubs her back and let's her cry on her shoulder. Steve gets up next to speak.
"I didn't know Tony Stark for very long. And what for little time I did know him, we always argued. He wanted to break the rules, I wanted to follow them. He was carefree, I wasn't used to people being like that and didn't approve of it. But did that stop Tony? No it didn't. He learned to work with the rest of us. He bravely sacrificed his life for ours. I'm proud to say that I served with a man as dedicated and loved and brave as Tony Stark," Steve speaks. Then Pepper gets up. She's still sobbing.
"I'm supposed to be speaking but this isn't going to be easy. I've known Tony for a long time," she sobs, "He gave me a job when everyone else thought I was useless. He believed in me when no one else did. Several years ago he was kidnapped. While he was in captivity for several months he created Iron Man. I, however, wept. Everyone believed him dead. When I heard he was found, I was beyond happy. When I saw him for the first time in months I realized something. I had fallen for him hard," she paused and let out another sob, "Then last year Tony almost died. His arc reactor was killing him. Only a genius like him could figure out how to create a new element and defeat a new enemy at the same time. I realized I was in love with him when he swept me off my feet. Literally. I was about to be blown to smithereens without realizing it. He swooped in and saved me. We landed on a roof. I realized what had happened to me. I was in love with him. But now he's gone. Never again will he walk through the doors of the office wanting to know where I hid his car keys. Never again will he beg me to bring him breakfast in bed. Never again will he fly through the air in his suit. Never again will I hear his voice. Never again will I kiss him. And I'll never get the chance to tell him I love him," she said. Then she was sobbing again. Even Natasha was trying to hold it together. Steve had let a few tears slip. Bruce was sitting silently letting tears fall. Clint eyes were moist but he never cried. He hadn't known Tony as well as the others had.
They buried his body in the cemetery next to his parents. On the headstone it said
"Anthony E. Stark also called Iron Man. He risked his life to save New York City. A smart man. A wonderful leader. A big influence. A brave man."
Pepper Potts stood in the empty Stark (now just A) Tower. She couldn't live here any more. Not with Tony's name plastered on the front. She sold the building. JARVIS had remained fairly silent over the past few days since Tony had been killed.
But now he spoke as Pepper stood and stared out the broken window of the top floor.
"He loved you Miss Potts. He tried to call as he went up. I do not think he realized that before he finally died he said out loud, 'I love Pepper Potts with all my heart.' He loved you very much," JARVIS told her.
"I loved him too. With all of my heart," she said. She sat down on the floor and wept. And wept. And wept.
Tony Stark, the man she loved, was gone.
A/N: I'm crying right now. I really shouldn't write these stories. They're so depressing and angsty. Review and let me know if you're crying like I am.
