Hey, everyone. Wow, I didn't think so many people would be interested in this story, but with all the positive feedback I got I decided to make this a multi-chapter story. I already have a chapter 3 started too and I couldn't wait to get this posted. Hopefully Chapter 3 will be up this weekend, I will try my hardest to get it done by then.
"Finally," Tony muttered as he exited the medbay. After his outburst and the shock of Tony STARK having a kid wore off, the team- or more specifically Bruce and Rhodey-seemed to notice the wound in Tony's side still slightly oozing blood. After much protesting and denying- and a threat of being held down to the bed by Rhodey, Tony finally allowed Bruce to look him over and stitch and bandage his stab wound. The whole process seemed unnecessary to Tony, who would have much rather started planning a way to take Thanos down now that he finally had the team's cooperation. Healing could wait until he had Peter safely in his arms again. Tony closed his eyes as pain flared briefly at the thought before he was shoving it down, to the place where he shoved all his pain so he didn't have to deal with it, let it instead turn to determination and fuel his work.
Even though Tony complained about the 'patch-up' he really was starting to feel better. The haze that surrounded his mind had resided, not completely, he was still understandably shaken from the whole experience, but it was much better now that his blood was actually staying inside his body. It had still taken a ridiculous amount of time in Tony's opinion until he was finally able to leave with some stern warnings from Bruce to take it easy and not to tear his stitches. He had mentally scoffed at that. The first thing he did when he got out was grab his StarkPad and go to the living room where he knew most of the Avengers were, courtesy of FRIDAY. When he finally made it there he flopped carelessly to the sofa… and immediately had to hold a cry of pain as his side felt like it was on fire. Right. He got stabbed. Then stitched up. He probably shouldn't throw himself down on things, even if those things were a ridiculously plush sofa. When he had gathered his breath again he looked up at the Avengers, though mainly Thor.
"Right, what can you tell me about the Infinity Stones?" Tony threw up a hologram and clapped his hands. "I think that these little rocks hold the answer to our problem"
Three days later, Pepper walked into Tony's lab to see him working on something. He was moving things around in a hologram and writing things down. She sighed. "Have you even tried to get some sleep at all?" He didn't even turn around, just briefly glanced her way, but in that glance, she caught her answer. She sighed again. "I'll sleep when this mess is sorted" he replied bluntly.
"Then it's a good thing I brought you this coffee then, something tells me you're going to need it," Pepper said resignedly, knowing there was nothing that she could do or say to change his mind when he was like this. Tony finally turned to face her fully, gratefulness on full display on his face as he took the still hot mug from her, "Thank you". Pepper just nodded. She walked past him and to the hologram. "What are you working on?" she asked, not understanding much if anything of what was there. Tony's eyes lit up, just a little but it was enough to light a spark of hope in her. Tony hadn't smiled since he came back to earth, hadn't been himself, and she knew he wouldn't be himself until he had brought back the other half of the universe and defeated Thanos, even if he worked himself to death to get there. His eyes lighting up even the most minuscule amount showed her that he wasn't completely gone to the world and that there was hope for the universe, no matter how small.
"I think I figured out the stones. I just need to tell the others. FRIDAY, tell the Avengers to meet in the conference room" Tony gulped down his coffee before putting the mug down and wrapping his arms around Pepper. This wasn't the first time he had hugged her since he came back. That first night he had broken down in her arms. Crying he had told her what happened, from saving a wizard to a teen who simply didn't listen to instructions, aliens and fights, and thrown moons, of hope and how it vanished. Of brief allies disappearing and a kid who had begged not to go, fading to ash in his arms. She had comforted him to the best of her abilities, but she knew, only a certain curly haired kid with a penchant for getting into trouble could heal this latest wound to Tony's heart, just as he had been slowly healing the others. They had cried together for the loss of the child that was theirs in all ways that were important.
Pepper was drawn back to the present as Tony pressed his lips softly to hers, conveying a message in the way only lovers with the greatest of connections can do. She read his gratitude to her, his determination to set things right and his pain. When they broke apart she gave him a small smile and he squeezed her a tad tighter.
Tony walked into the conference room without his usual flourish, he was past pretending he was okay, but he still had a job to do. All the Avengers here there. Natasha had also called in Clint and Scott who were thankfully whole and not a pile of dust and they were sitting with them too. He must have missed their arrival. He nodded in greeting, he didn't have the energy to greet them properly. They nodded back, the sides for the 'civil war' were useless now that they had problems bigger than the UN to deal with. Much bigger. Ones where they will need each other.
"Why did you have us come here man of iron?" Thor asked from his seat at the table. "I think I have figured out how the stones work" Tony began and ignored some of the team's surprised faces. "I put together the information I gathered as well as what I could deduce from our encounters." Tony pulled up a hologram showing what looked to be an 8 shape with 6 points which were marked with coloured circles. "All the stones seem to be connected. The Soul stone is powered by the user's mastery of reality and can preserve the soul to allow for life after death. The Reality stone is powered by the user's mastery of Time and can allow a person access to the multiverse. The Time stone is powered by the mastery of space and can allow the user to travel through time. The space stone is powered by the mastery of power and can allow teleportation through space. The Power Stone is powered by the mastery of mind and can make a person more physically powerful. The Mind stone is powered by the mastery of soul and can grant telepathy or intelligence. And so, we have come a full circle. On their own, the stones provide great power. But when combined, they form a circuit- a positive feedback loop granting the user infinite power" the avengers blinked at Tony as he finished, their faces showing a range of emotions, from confusion to understanding, fear to awe to shock. "So, you're saying that with these interconnected stones, this Thanos guy literally controls… everything?!" Clint says incredulously
"Kind of, yeah" Tony shrugged
"How the hell are we supposed to even find him, let alone defeat him?!" Scott asks a worried look making its way to his face.
For the first time in days, Tony smiled.
Author's Note
I hope you enjoyed that. Sneek Peek on Chapter 3:
"Boss," FRIDAY's voice rang through the room. "May Parker is here to see you."
So, May is coming into the next chapter. What do you think her reaction will be? What do you think she wants? What will she do?
Until next time
