Tony wanted to laugh but he's not sure how that would turn out. He's pretty sure he was in shock. And grief. Yeah, that's a huge part of his thought process. Dorctor Strange- that asshole- traded the stone for Tony's life. For Tony's life. What had he even done for that guy? Just argued with him. Heck, he hadn't even called Steve when the guy told him to.
He closesd his eyes for a moment.
That asshole. He said he wouldn't give the stone in exchange for- that brat- Peter (who he got killed. Didn't he have a best friend? And an aunt? Are they dead too, because of his massive failure?) or him. He was counting on that. Even if they failed, the good old doctor would have thought of something to escape with the stone while they distracted Thanos.
"Mr. Stark, I don't want to go."
His breath caught in his throat. He remembered the way Peter was almost crying (begging, because he was Peter's hero; in his eyes, he could do anything), they way he tried to hold his own body together with only his will. The moment he realized that he was only making it worse for Tony by begging him to save him when they damn well knew that Tony could do nothing.
Peter- that stupid brat- tried to easy his pain before he pretty much vaporized into nothing. He wanted to feel the same pain, he wanted to go too but he knew the second they turned into ash that he wouldn't. Thanos was an asshole but he kept his side of the bargain.
"You spare his life, in exchange for the stone."
He should have turned them around, back to Earth. The Avengers would have united against Thanos. Vision had a stone and so did Strange. Even if it was 2 vs 4, Thanos was just one man. Thor was still alive and coming with a vengeance, they still had Wanda, super powered psychic that she was. But-
He froze. If he could do something that super powered, that meant Thanos had all the stones. Vision was dead. That meant Wanda was dead. That also made it highly likely that Steve was dead. And if he died, then James 'Bucky' Barnes was most certainly dead.
He felt no relief in that thought. How could he, when he was saying that Steve had to be dead too? He wouldn't mind him alive as long as Steve was too. But he wouldn't exactly have a choice here would he?
He felt the hysterical laughter bubble up but he suppressed it down. Was Pepper dead too? It's not like anyone had a chance to make a deal like Doctor Strange did with him. Was he the only one alive?
He shut that thought process down.
They couldn't beat Thanos anymore. No amount of firepower would bring him down when he could twist reality by making a goddamn fist. Not when he could just vaporize people with a thought. He went up against Thor and he out-powered a god.
….he could build robots. A robot army-
His head fell and his fingers clenched around the ash.
Was there even a need?
He had to avenge his comrades. He was an avenger.
But he wouldn't kill anymore, right? He got all the stones; he already killed half the universe.
But they could get them back. The time stone can turn back time, give back life.
They don't know for sure. Could it turn ash into human?
He breathed.
He was stranded on the Titan planet. His ward was dead. The group they found in space was dead. Doctor Strange was dead too.
He let out a bitter hysterical laugh.
He really hoped he didn't reach Earth to find everyone dead there too.
He stood up, he needed to find that ship.
.
.
.
.
"Mr. Stark, I always wanted to meet you."
"Mr. Stark, can I have a cool suit like yours?"
"Mr. Stark-"
"Mr. Stark-"
"Mr. Stark-"
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.
.
.
.
"Mr. Stark, does this mean I'm an avenger too?"
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.
.
"You're an avenger, kid."