Plan A
There wasn't enough time.
That was the only thing Tony could think as he's staring up at the looming figure of the last Titan.
Thanos lived up to the hype; he was a behemoth. A thick purple thug who stood as tall as a building. He'd swatted Spiderman as though he was nothing more than an irritating bug; taken him to the ground with one massive hand…it had taken the unibeam to push Thanos back enough for Tony to see how the kid was doing and even then Thanos had come at him too quickly – one blow had compromised the armour.
Thank God for Quill and the Guardians who were doing their best to distract Thanos; Tony could finally check on an unmoving Peter.
"I'm sorry." Peter gasped out.
Tony shook his head. "There's nothing to be sorry for, Peter."
There just wasn't enough time. Not enough time on the planet to find the soul stone which was why the Guardians were there; not enough time for Strange, Spidey and Tony to find a way back to Earth.
Peter pressed something into his hand. "It's…I really…all I wanted was to be like you."
Tony could feel the power in the gem Peter had given him. It burns in his hand. "You're already better than me."
Peter almost smiled but his eyes are already blown and unfocused; his breath stuttering. "Will you…will you stay…"
"I'm here, Peter." Tony said, ignoring the sounds of the battle around him, of the others keeping Thanos occupied.
"I'm scared." Peter said.
"Just look at me, Peter." Tony said.
Peter couldn't though that was clear. His eyes flickered shut and Tony rested one hand on Peter's chest, feeling the barely-there breaths stutter and stop.
We can bring him back. All we need is one sacrifice, a soul bound to us for all time. The stone whispered in his mind.
Tony grasped it tightly as he suddenly became aware of clapping behind him which froze him in place. He belatedly he realised he couldn't hear the battle any more.
"He fought well." Thanos intoned. "An interesting specimen. Had he lived he may even have survived my purge."
"Don't you intend to kill us all?" Tony said keeping his back to Thanos.
"When I am done, half of humanity will live. Perfectly balanced." Thanos said.
Tony shook his head. "And who determines that balance?" He turned, keeping the stone hidden in his hand even though it burned. "You?"
"I am a Titan. I have lived a millennia and seen the best and worst of humanity. The celestials left them to rot and killed all who would stop the rise of the vermin." Thanos said. "You do not even believe you deserve to live. I will balance the universe and I will have the stone you hold."
"What stone?" Tony prevaricated.
"Do not play with me, metal man."
"You want the stone; come and get it." Tony quipped, holding the stone tightly.
Thanos smiled. "I hope they remember you and how easily you were defeated at my hand."
One true sacrifice, the stone whispered again.
Accepted, Tony thought rapidly; bring Peter Parker back and take me. It was an easy choice. Peter was the hope of the future. Tony had dodged death more times than he deserved – Afghanistan, palladium poisoning, Sokovia, Siberia…
Thanos leaped for Tony and the last thing he saw was Thanos's fist coming towards him…
Plan Z
The Guardians arrive with Thor on a Tuesday. The approach of their ship sets off the early warning systems but it's easy enough for Thor to validate who he is and they're sent straight to the tower. Tony is just grateful he'd accounted for the weight of a space ship on the roof when he'd laid the foundations and designed the structure.
Tony finds the next few hours difficult. He's glad he has some acting ability because faking surprise at the sight of a talking raccoon and tree is harder than he thought it would be.
Thor is a mess. His tale is worse this time. Loki has given his life to save Thor; Thor has given his life to save his people but likely in vain, but the outcome is that Thanos already has one of the stones; the space stone.
"Bugger." Tony murmurs under his breath garnering a look from Gamora who Tony is pretty certain has super-hearing.
They're gathered in the communal living area of the tower with the rest of the Avengers, Charles, Coulson and Stephen.
"Thanos will make his way here once he has retrieved the other infinity stones." Thor tells them. "He knows that you are in possession of the mind stone."
Vision inclines his head.
"Do you know where the others are?" asks Coulson.
"The Nova Corp have the power stone." Quill responds. "We sent them a warning but we haven't heard back from them."
"A being called the Collector has the Aether – the reality stone." Thor adds. "We aim to go there next."
"The location of the mind stone is known," Coulson looks at Vision briefly, "what about the other two?"
"The time stone has been in the care of the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj." Stephen admits freely. "It's safely hidden."
"So we have two of these stones on Earth." Steve shakes his head. "Not to be insensitive here, Vision, but if we were to send the stones elsewhere, would that prevent Thanos from coming?"
Oh.
Wow.
Tony has never thought of that as a solution.
Thor studies Steve for a long moment. "Perhaps…"
"You would only delay the inevitable." Gamora cuts in. "For as long as I have known him, Thanos has sought to kill half of humanity. Once he has the gauntlet he can do it with a snap of his fingers."
"OK, so we're going to have to fight him." Steve states rubbing his chin.
"But not necessarily on Earth," Tony says, "taking the stones somewhere else is a good idea."
Stephen's eyebrows quirk upwards as he looks pointedly at Tony.
"If those with the stones agree." Tony smoothly adds.
Stephen opens his mouth but Vision speaks before he can.
"I am willing to remove myself from the Earth." He looks towards Steve. "It is a sound strategy."
"Agreed." Stephen says.
The Guardians exchange a look and Quill clears his throat.
"Uh, not that this isn't an excellent plan because I'm sure it is here, but…that's to say…"
"What planet do you wish to sacrifice in the place of yours?" Drax asks bluntly.
Steve blanches and immediately gives them the patented 'Captain America is insulted' look.
Bucky slaps a hand against Steve's arm – given it's the metal arm, Tony isn't surprised when Steve winces. "It's a fair question, Steve. If we're not fighting here than where?"
Steve ran a hand through his hair. "I hadn't thought about that."
Tony's mind flits to the wasteland of Titan. "Isn't there any planet which is just deserted, no longer inhabited?"
Stephen looks at him and his eyes widen. "Titan."
Gamora straightens and looks even more dangerous if that is possible. "What do you know of Titan?"
It says something about Stephen that he doesn't look cowed in the face of Gamora's almost palpable anger.
"It's theoretically where the ancient texts assume the soul stone resides." Stephen lies.
Well, not so much lies as exaggerates. It's always been their plan for Stephen to claim ancient magical books as the source for knowing where the soul stone is; unsurprisingly Tony and Charles both agree that it is more believable than a time-travelling human.
"Thanos is a Titan, right?" Steve says. "Is that why the idea disturbs you because it's his home planet?"
Gamora nods slowly. "Titan is considered…sacred. All of those under Thanos would never dare to venture there."
Both Sam and Bucky are looking at Steve with resignation.
Steve looks back at him. "What?"
"Don't 'what' me, Stevie; you know exactly 'what.'" Bucky wags a metal finger at his best friend.
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do." Sam says, crossing his arms. "And I'm going to ask you to think again because people who shoot at you, tend to shoot at me."
Tony's lips twitch because seeing Steve get reamed by Bucky never gets old, especially when Sam and Bucky double team him.
"Nobody's shooting at anybody." Steve protests.
"I could shoot you." Rocket offers.
"NO!" All the Guardians respond as the raccoon pulls a gun out of seemingly nowhere.
Tony turns away and stuffs a hand in his mouth to stop himself from laughing.
"Perhaps we could all return to the topic." Coulson suggests dryly. "Captain Rogers, you were about to suggest Titan as the destination to which to lure Thanos?"
"Woah!" Quill springs up again waving his hands wildly. "Didn't Gamora just explain why nobody goes there?"
Steve smiles. "I've never been good at keeping out of places people tell me not to go."
Tony almost chokes on his drink because if Steve hasn't managed to sum up his entire personality in that one sentence Tony isn't a genius. He waves off any concern as the group turns to look at him. He glances around the room and takes in the determined faces of each Avenger; of each Guardian; of each of their allies. He knows somehow they're on the right track; that this is what is meant to happen.
"OK," Tony says, "we're going to Titan. Let's plan this out."