Hi again! This chapter is about some more of Tony's thoughts on Thanos and some team bonding moments while in transit to The Shi'ar.
Please enjoy!
As the team were continuing on to The Shi'ar Empire in The Guardians ship, Tony began to think some more about Thanos and the whole situation as the next jump point was still hours away.
To Tony it had been a rough three weeks. Bruce had finally come back from who knows where, which was great. But of course his return also brought news of Thanos. The curse inside his head for six years ever since Loki's invasion of New York, which made it strange Loki was apparently good now, but Tony was more or less okay with that as he was more focused on the one who sent him all those years ago. Though he didn't expect the whole sister thing, but given everything that happened with her and the rest of Thor's family with their dad being the source of their problems, it hit pretty close to home. But he put aside his issues with his dad for now and began to think about everything that had happened to him these last few weeks.
Right after Bruce's return, Squidward and that big dude came in and snatched that annoying Strange guy up and forced him to follow them into space. Of course Peter coming along for the ride is something he didn't anticipate, but he was very helpful throughout the journey, and it was just another reminder he would do whatever it takes to bring him back. The same went for Flash Gordon and his crew. Then he went back trying to get to earth with Nebula, who was actually pretty cool once you got to know her he thought and was actually looking forward to telling her his Bern New Year's party story about Maya, Killian and how he created his first demons, before the new Captain showed up and saved them. So she was another one of Fury's secrets it would seem, but at least she turned out to be a good secret from Fury for once. Tony just smirked at that looking at her direction as she was looking at something on the control panel in her pilot's chair.
And he had managed to patch things up with the old Captain too, which he was very happy and relieved about. He hated their stupid war and everything that happened afterwards. The Avengers were a home and family like Steve had told Carol when she felt unwelcomed at first, and he broke them apart over those awful Accords Ross had come up with. Ross by the way really had no business having the position he did given everything he had done to Bruce and creating that monster out of Blonsky. If things went their way, he would have a talk with Ellis about firing Ross. After all, Ellis owed him one for helping to save his life from Killian's propaganda video.
He also regretted pushing Nat away during that stupid war. She had always been there for the team including him back when there was no team and he was going through some terrible times, but even though she was just a spy at the time sent by Fury no less, she still had helped him through it. Tony then just smiled with regret looking at both Steve and Natasha, promising himself he wouldn't make the same mistakes he had did last time with them. That's why he had to stop Thanos and undo his horrific act. It still didn't make any sense Thanos knew his name. But during their fight he knew it and was the one he tried to kill the most during the Titan battle. Though Thanos had been almost invincible as he had feared, he was the only one to draw a drop of blood from him.
"If you can make God bleed, people will cease to believe in him." Vanko had told him, trying to scare him of course, but maybe that insane guy was on to something? He sure hoped so. Despite losing so many on the team after Thanos' culling, Tony did notice they still had some pretty heavy hitters on the ship. Pointbreak stood out as one of them. The new Captain for sure. And Bruce too, if he would Hulk out again. Tony would help him on it for sure. So maybe Thanos was just as vulnerable as he was? Tony guess he would find out sooner or later. He just didn't know if he preferred if it was the former or the latter right now.
"You okay, man?" Rhodey asked his best friend concerned.
"Yeah, sure." Tony said not very convincible at all. They had been through a lot together. Rhodey was the one who saved him from the desert after he fought his way out of that cave and became Iron Man. The one who stole his Mark II suit and became War Machine. The one who helped him defeat Killian and saved the president. He didn't want to lose his best friend after everything that had happened.
"You don't sound like it." Rhodey shot back.
"I guess you know me so well, huh?" Tony asked sarcastically.
"I do. I've known you my whole life, Tony. We're going to fix this and kill that thing." Rhodey said confidently.
"I know we will, it's just you remember after New York and how I thought my journey was over after Killian and nearly losing Pepper, right? Well, obviously that didn't happen after Ultron and that stupid war between us, and I gotta make things right once and for all." Tony said determinedly.
"You're too hard on yourself, Tony. Our war was my fault too. I should have told you the truth about your parents. Bucky is like family to me, but that doesn't mean I should have neglected the rest of my family." Steve said full of regret looking at Tony and the rest of the ship.
"I did get house arrest for two years because of that war. Laura was so mad at me." Clint said with a bitter smile on his face.
"Me too! Hope and Hank wouldn't speak to me during that time expect near the end because apparently I had some entanglement with Janet when I went to The Quantum Realm the first time." Scott said remembering that crazy adventure a few weeks ago to save Janet.
"Hank as in Hank Pym?" Tony asked, knowing he had heard that name before.
"That's the one! When he first recruited me to help stop crazy guy he had a falling out with, I wanted to go to you guys, but he didn't trust you because he said you would steal his ideas like your dad did." Scott explained, hoping Tony wouldn't get mad at him as he seemed like a nice guy.
"Heh, I don't do that kind of stuff. And it sounds like I'm not the only one that issues with Howard. What's this "entanglement" about with Janet? I thought she was dead? Died in a plane crash or something?" Tony asked both confused and curious.
"Nah, that's just something Hank made up to Hope, she actually sacrificed herself to stop some missile launched at D.C thirty some years ago and it took her into The Quantum Realm. She was thought dead, but when Hank recruited me to be the new Ant-Man I got into a fight with that crazy guy and the only way to stop him was to do what she did and dive down to The Quantum Realm. I got out pretty quickly, but she left some message in my head detailing where she was before I left and two years later, Hank and Hope and I were able to get her out." Scott explained.
"That's great, Scott. She sounds really heroic. She reminds me of Steve with the whole sacrifice thing and coming back a long time after." Tony said to Steve who appreciated the compliment.
"Thanks, Tony. I must admit it, I was very upset after getting out of the ice and would have gladly gone back before that at first, but that was before I met you, Natasha, Thor, Bruce, and Clint. And the more heroes I met afterwards, I realized maybe I was destined to go in the ice and wake up to find my family." Steve said smiling at all the adventures he has had with them.
"So you wouldn't go back to the past anymore, Steve?" Natasha asked, almost concerned he would leave if he could.
"No, Nat. Not at all. Besides, you and I taking down Pierce and Hyrda a few years ago and saving Bucky together fully convinced me my place is here." Steve said with a smile to a relieved Natasha. "The Avengers are a home and family. Doesn't matter how long you've been here, as soon as you join and prove yourself a hero, then I'll have your back until the end of the line." Steve said smiling while looking at Carol who smiled back much more confidently this time as the rest of the team no longer harbored any distrust for her.
"That's why he's the leader!" Thor said jokingly, but was serious at what he meant.
"You're funny, Pointbreak." Tony said rolling his eyes.
"Yes, well it's true! By the way thank you all for accepting my brother after everything that had happened. I assure you this time he won't be like how he was before, though I am skeptical of Hela, but I suppose I can give her this second chance. Buri knows how many of those I've given Loki." Thor said remembering his past fights with his brother.
"That sounds good, Thor! I actually kinda like your sister." Rocket said impressed by Hela's violent attitude.
"Of course you do, Rabbit." Thor said rolling his eyes.
"Look I'm not a rabb….well what do you know! Receiving a message from an old friend on Xandar. Asking if we can help out the survivors after that crap sack attacked it." Rocket said angry about that. "Captain Lady, Xandar isn't too far from here, so that's let's punch in the coordinates and see what ole Rhomann Dey is up to." Rocket said he and Carol flew the ship towards Xandar to see what they could do to help.
Hope you all liked that one! And they are going back Xandar!
