I'm hoping that you all paid attention to the last chapter because this one picks off right where that one left off. Also, I hope you all were paying attention to details because some things that have been referenced in that past are now super important. Also, yes, I have taken some liberties with the Soul Stone. This isn't the comics and we don't know a whole lot about the MCU stone. So there. Well… either way, ENJOY!

Also a warning for gore. There's a fair bit in the next 2 chapters.


"Oh, Peter. You're ok. It's alright Bambino." Soothed Tony as he hugged his son, the two of them sat together on the ground.

Now that the battle was over, Peter's adrenaline was plummeting and shock was beginning to take over. It worried Tony. He just wanted his son to be alright and seeing his son crying and shaking in his arms just broke Tony's heart.

To make matters worse, Tony was still bleeding out from the stab wound. It was slow, but he was still bleeding and Tony was starting to feel light headed. Tony just held Peter close and felt his son begin to relax a bit. Having his father close and the warmth and love surrounding him helped Peter begin to feel a bit better. And, now that Tony knew that his son was uninjured and beginning to calm down he could focus just a bit on some more pressing issues.

Strange was the first to realize that there was something seriously wrong with Tony. His face was stark white and he had a cold sweat. It made Strange's doctor sensibilities flare up. He was on his feet in no time and fussing over Tony. Peter hovered close to Tony's good side while Strange got to work on checking Tony over.

All the fussing got everyone else's attention, and soon enough, Tony was being fussed over by everyone else. Drax and Nebula weren't really doing much. They just stood off to the side. Quill was quick to run back to his ship so that he could look for medical supplies. Unfortunately, the ship was completely destroyed and all the medical supplies were scattered. That just left Strange and Loki actually being able to work.

Tony was trying so hard not to black out from pain and to not get stuck in a flashback from Afghanistan. It was hard. The pain of Strange cleaning the wound with magic was almost unbearable. It took everything Tony had in him not to scream. That was when Mantis came in. She held onto Tony's free hand and used her powers to lull Tony into a more peaceful state. Not one that would cause him to fall asleep, but one that lessened the pain and stopped Tony from thrashing around. Loki was the last to step in. He sacrificed some of his own healing magic to help Tony replenish some of his lost blood and to seal the wound.

It wasn't a permanent fix and would only last a few days, but it was better then the nanites Tony was using before. The Cloak of Levitation helped to support Tony so that he could sit up a bit and talk to the others.

"Well, this sucks." Was the first thing Tony said once he got his bearings.

"I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but this fight is far from over." Spoke Strange as he finished using magic to clean the blood off his hands.

"Yeah Strange, what the hell. You said we needed to keep me alive to save the universe and to keep Thanos from getting the stones yet YOU gave him one! What the hell was that about?!" shouted Tony before he winced from the pain in his side.

"I did what I needed too to keep us on the track to winning this. This fight isn't over yet and we still need you alive to win." Countered Strange as he looked back at Tony.

"Why do you need me alive. What's so important that you need me?" asked Tony as he leaned down a bit to pull Peter back into a hug.

"Tony…" Strange hesitated a second before looking Tony straight in the eyes. "You have the last Infinity Stone. The Soul Stone."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE THE SOUL STONE?!" shouted Tony before he devolved into a coughing fit.

"That would make sense." Spoke up Loki. "I couldn't touch you with the Mind Stone back in New York and the only way to hold off an Infinity Stone is with another stone."

"Wait, so you mean to tell us that this dude here has had the Soul Stone this entire time! We could have used that!" remarked Quill as he waved his hands around wildly.

"I didn't even know I had it." Whispered Tony as he looked down at his hands. "Is this what you saw Strange?"

"It is. This is how we win. It's all on you"

"I don't know anything about the stone. How am I supposed to use it when I don't know anything about it?"

"I happen to know a few things." Interjected Loki as he took a seat on the ground next to Peter and Tony.

"You know things Mr. Loki?" asked Peter from his place tucked in his Dad's arms.

"I know many things, but I'm assuming you are referring to the Soul Stone." Peter nodded and Quill just looked up.

"Is that what you told Gamora and me back on the ship?"

"But of course," Loki smirked but began explaining to the rest of the group.

"I don't know too much about the stone, just stories I've heard on my travels when I was younger. Legend has it that the Soul Stone binds itself to one who it considers having a pure soul. Only those it deems worthy may wield the stone's power."

"Well, I can name at least a hundred people who would disagree with that "pure soul" crap." Murmured Tony as he looked down at his hands. This all seemed ridiculous to him.

"So… what are the powers of the Soul Stone?" asked Quill as he and the other Guardians took a seat as well.

"Nobody knows. All that I know now is that we should keep Stark safe long enough for us to get that gauntlet from Thanos so that he may use the stones and stop this madness."

Tony looked at everyone sitting there with him on the red ground of Titan. He hated how this whole situation seemed to ride on him figuring out this stone. He didn't need more death and destruction on his conscience if he didn't figure this all out.

"Have I mentioned that I hate all of this. I think that's important to note." Spoke Tony. Everyone else nodded. They all hated this and were ready for all the fighting to end.

MTHS

"What happened?! Where's Thanos!?" shouted Gamora as she emerged from her hiding spot in the woods.

Thor looked up from where he stood. His axe rested bloodied on the ground. It had fallen from Thanos' chest when the Titan made a portal and escaped through it. Horrible, ugly sobs could be heard from just behind him. Wanda was curled protectively over Vision's body. Everyone else was slowly getting up from where they had fallen. When Thanos had used the Time Stone to take the Mind Stone from Vision, everyone else had been freed and healed from the damage they had taken earlier.

"He's gone." Spoke Thor as he turned to address the group.

"He is not the only one who is gone." Interjected T'Challa as Okoye helped him to his feet. "I have just gotten word from M'Baku back on the field. All of the invading forces have been turned to dust. There is nothing left."

Everyone looked surprised. Thanos had ended their fight her in Wakanda for them, but there was still so much left to fight for.

"We need to find Tony and Peter. We need Tony to help end this fight and I need to find my son." Spoke Steve as a stray tear fell from his eye. The sincerity made everyone else's heartbreak.

"I agree, this fight is far from over and we need Tony's help. He knows this Thanos guy pretty well from his visions. He's our best chance." Added Clint once he had joined the group.

"Does anyone have any ideas on where to start though?" Asked Rhodey, who, like Steve, was more than eager to get his family back.

Everyone just sort of stood around thinking for a minute. Nobody really knew where that doughnut ship was heading when it left Earth's atmosphere and neither Rocket nor Groot had heard anything about the fate of the rest of their team. Nobody spoke, they just looked at each other in different states of shock and confusion. Until Gamora stepped forward.

"We need to go to Titan."

"What's on Titan?" asked Thor.

"Titan is where Nebula and the others are. It was Thanos' home planet. They should still be there. If we hurry we can all meet up and figure out a plan." Explained Gamora

"Do you think Tony could be there?" asked Steve, his voice full of hope.

"There's a chance. He was after stones so why not bring them to an area where he thinks he has the upper hand."

"Then it is decided. We must head to Titan." Declared Thor. "Once everyone is prepared I'll take us there."

So, everyone got to work. They called Shuri down to take a quick look at Rhodey and Bruce's armour. Everything seemed to be in working order so she let them go. Everyone else was patching up a few wounds. T'Challa was talking with Okoye and M'Baku, making sure that the fallen warriors were taken care of. He decided that Okoye would stay in Wakanda to help protect the throne, while T'Challa left with the rest of the group. Steve, even with his mind going crazy with worry and grief, walked over to the still sobbing Wanda to see how she was doing.

"I'm so sorry Wanda." Whispered Steve as he knelt down next to her.

"He was your family too." Sniffled Wanda as she tried desperately to stop crying.

"That doesn't make your pain any less valid."

"I know… It's just…" Wanda gestured around and Steve pulled her into a hug, offering what little comfort he could in the face of death and destruction.

"Wanda… are you feeling up to coming with the rest of us. Nobody will blame you if you stay behind." Asked Steve as he looked over at the fallen body of Vision. A few tears prickled in his eyes but Steve didn't let them fall.

"I'm coming. I need to avenge Vision. Thanos will pay for what he's done." Spat Wanda through her tears. Steve nodded and helped her up before the two walked towards where to rest of the group was standing.

With a promise from Okoye to place Vision's body somewhere safe, everyone else huddled closer to Thor and got ready to depart. With a flash of rainbow light, Thor summoned the Bifrost and they all took off on their way to Titan.

MTHS

Back on Titan, the sun hung high in the sky and the ground was beginning to stain everyone's clothes red. Tony was still seated on the ground with Peter at his side. Loki and Strange were close by, keeping a watchful eye on Tony and making sure he didn't move around too much unless it was absolutely necessary. The Guardians were scrounging around for their belongings in the wreckage of their ship. Actually, the mood on Titan was pretty gloomy. Nobody knew how to get back to Earth and most of them were nursing wounds.

So, with nothing better to do, they just sat there and talked. Peter got into a conversation with Loki about his magic. Normally Tony would object to his kid talking to a once villain, but he was exhausted and in pain. He had more important things to worry about. So, Tony sat there, covered in dirt and blood and contemplated his life. He just wanted to go back home. He wanted to be with his family. He wanted Peter to be safe and back at school. He wanted Carter to tell him about his day. He wanted to cuddle up with his husband and just let his worries wash away like the dirt on his hands. He just wanted to feel safe again. Tony was very very deep in thought when he was pulled out of his head by a flash of rainbow light in the distance.

"What the HELL was that?!" shouted Quill as he drew his blaster and aimed it at the spot over the hill.

"Wait! Quill! Don't attack! That's the Bifrost! That's Thor!" shouted Tony as he saw figures appear on the horizon.

The glint of a shield was the first thing that Tony and Peter saw and Peter shot up a few webs to let the newcomers know where they were. The second the figures rounded over the hill, Steve went running. It took a matter of seconds before the little family was reunited in a hug. Steve was kissing Peter's head and Tony was clinging onto his husband for dear life. All three of them were crying.

"I thought I'd lost you two." Whispered Steve. His lifted his head up and ran a hand through Tony's hair.

"You nearly did. I'm so sorry Honey." Replied Tony in a similar pained whisper. Steve's eyes widened and he pulled both Tony and Peter in closer. None of them were paying attention to the others around them.

"What happened Darlin'? You're hurt! What happened?" asked Steve as he looked over his husband.

"Stabbed through the side with my own tech." Tony let out a weak cough. "Loki and Strange fixed what they could… but I still have to fight, so…"

Steve just responded by leaning down and giving Tony a kiss. Peter curled up closer to his parents and closed his eyes in comfort. Meanwhile, Quill and Gamora were having a reunion while Nebula explained why she didn't tell Quill that Gamora was alive. But Tony and Steve weren't paying attention to that. They were just happy that the other was alive.

"Carter?" Asked Tony once Steve pulled back a bit from their embrace.

"He fine. He's safe. The compound was untouched." Tony nodded and sighed in relief.

Everyone else was talking and introducing themselves to each other while the Starks had their little reunion. Thor had to explain to the rest of the Avengers that Loki was fine to be around. It was Quill who decided to break the little family's bubble and introduce himself.

"The name's Star-Lord, Legendary Outlaw."

"Captain America." Replied Steve as he took Quill's hand and gave it a firm shake.

"Wait…you're THE Steve Rogers! The real Captain America! I had comic books about you as a kid! You're a legend!" fanboyed Quill as he looked back at Steve with awe.

"It's Stark actually. We got married back in October." Smirked Steve. He always had fun on correcting people on his last name since he'd gotten married.

"Wait a second… You two are…?" Quill gestured between Tony and Steve and the pair just smiled.

"What has happened here?" asked Thor as he interrupted everyone's introductions.

"We fought Thanos." Came Loki's reply. The new arrivals eye's widened.

"You… fought Thanos?" came Steve's shocked reply as he looked back at his husband.

"We started off fighting him together in an attempt to get the gauntlet off." Explained Tony, "But then Quill lost his cool and we got blown all over the place. Strange here started fighting the bastard one on one. I didn't see a lot of it. I was a bit… preoccupied."

"Didn't Titan used to have a moon?" asked Thor as he looked at Tony and Loki. Tony just let out a small chuckle and looked up.

"Thanos threw it at me. It broke, I didn't. Well… I broke a few ribs but that's beside the point."

"Tony, where you preoccupied… because of the moon?" queried Steve. Tony just smiled sheepishly and continued his explanation.

"Well, to continue, Strange started fighting and got blown back and knocked out and I wasn't about to let Peter get too involved so I jumped in." Tony took in a deep breath before he continued. "Thanos knew me too and we started fighting and… things got bad. I managed to get in a hit that cut his face… but it wasn't enough. I still got stabbed and we lost the Time Stone. I wasn't enough. I… I just wasn't enough." By the end, Tony was whispering and a few tears had fallen from his eyes.

"No Baby, no." cooed Steve. "This wasn't your fault. Thanos made his own decision and you tried your best. I'm just glad you're alive Darlin'."

"What happened with you guys?" spoke up Peter from his place next to his parents.

So, everyone got to explaining what happened. Sam explained what had happened in Scotland while Rhodey explained what had gone down back at the compound with the UN. Thor went on to explain his little adventure to Nivadellir while Hope and T'Challa told them all about the battle that had taken place in Wakanda. When they got to the end, the part where Thanos had arrived, everyone got suspiciously quiet and Wanda's hands started to flicker with red. Tony furrowed his eyebrows and looked back at the rest of the group from his place on the ground. Everyone was there. Everyone except Vision.

"Guys… where's Vision?" asked Tony. Nobody could look him in the eyes.

"I'm serious guys, where's Vision. Guys…" Tony's voice trailed off as he looked at everybody. He knew in his soul that he was about to receive some bad news, but he wanted to hold out hope for just a little bit longer.

"He's dead. Thanos got him." Came Clint's sombre reply.

"Great this is just great. My grandson is dead and now that purple bastard has 5 of the stones!" shouted Tony as his eyes filled with tears. He just felt so angry over this whole situation.

"We need to find that last one. Anybody have any ideas" asked Scott as he looked over the group. Tony just lowered his eyes to the ground but still spoke up.

"Apparently I have it. Strange says it's part of me. That I've had it my whole life or at least for a very long time. Apparently, I'm worthy."

Everyone who wasn't there for Strange's original explanation stared at Tony. The fact that someone they knew, someone who was family, had that elusive stone. It was unbelievable. Steve just held Tony closer and buried his face him his husband's neck.

"Look, guys, I know this is surprising. Hell, I'm as surprised as you are. But Thanos is going to come back to get my stone so we need a plan." Argued Tony before he devolved into a bit of a coughing fit that sent Strange and Loki checking the genius over again.

While Tony was being checked over, Steve looked over at Peter. His son was sitting in the dirt and observing the whole situation. This was no fight for a child. Peter shouldn't have even been here in the first place. He should have been on that field trip and laughing with his friends, not stuck on a planet just having fought a genocidal maniac! Peter needed to be back home.

"Hey, Thor." Thor looked over at Steve and nodded. "Can you send Peter back to the compound?"

"Of course I can. I'd be happy to."

"Send Groot back with him." Added Rocket as he pushed the tree forward.

"I am Groot!"

"I don't care if you fought with us like 20 minutes ago. This is the big fight and you're not staying!"

"Wait! Dad, Pops! You can't send me back! I need to help. I HAVE to help!" complained Peter as he looked between his parents with pleading eyes.

"Peter, you're going home and that's final. We need you to go back to the compound and protect the others. Protect your brother." Stressed Steve as he rested a hand on Peter's shoulder. Peter just nodded but didn't move.

"If we don't come back in two weeks ask FRIDAY what to do, alright Petey Pie. And you let Carter know that his Daddy and Papa love him." Added Tony as he brushed his hand through Peter's hair. Peter fell into his parents and started heading up.

"I love you Dad. I love you Pops." Cried the teen as his parents held him close and showered him with love.

With one last hug from his parents, Peter walked over to where Groot was. The teens gave a final wave as the light of the Bifrost enveloped them and they were sent back to the compound. With the kids gone, only the battle-hardened adults remained on the desolate planet. Slowly, everyone started to take a seat on the ground. They were all exhausted from their earlier fights and having a moment to rest would make all the difference in the coming fight.

"So… does anyone have any ideas on what the fuck we should do next?" asked Sam after a few moments of awkward silence.

Sam's question was met with more silence. Nobody really knew what to do. Well, they knew that they had to get the gauntlet off of Thanos and give it to Tony, but nobody really knew how to do that. Thanos had five of the stones. He was more or less unstoppable.

"Alright," piped up Loki, "Let's start with the obvious and work from there. Stark is still too injured to fight and we can't let Thanos near him anyway. If Thanos kills him and gets the Soul Stone, we've lost."

"So we should hide him?" asked Bucky. The rest of the group shared a nod.

"But where? This whole place is decimated and Thanos has five stones!" piped in Gamora.

"If we keep Thanos' attention on us, maybe he won't notice?" pondered Scott. Hope just shrugged.

"That could work, but we'd need to be careful."

"Should we even hide him alone? What if he gets ambushed? The guy's injured. He can't fight off Thanos." Asked Rocket as he pointed a finger back at Tony.

"If the wound is stable it shouldn't be too bad. The sooner this fight is over the sooner we can all get medical attention." Replied Bruce as he ran a critical eye over Tony.

"I absolutely love the fact that you're all talking about me like I'm not even here. Let's continue with that, shall we?" snarked Tony as he interrupted the conversation.

"Tony Darlin', we didn't mean too. We're just worried. Hell, I'm worried." Soothed Steve as he curled closer to Tony. Tony just lowered his gaze. He was scared sure, but he wanted some sort of say in what was to come.

"So, what do we do? I just hide somewhere while the rest of you risk your lives! That doesn't seem fair."

"We need a plan of attack. We can fight all we want but that gauntlet has to come off for us to win." Spoke up Strange. He had been meditation again in an effort to come up with some ideas.

"If I can get close, I could put him to sleep again. If we all pull on the gauntlet this time, it will work better." Spoke up Mantis, who, for the most part, had remained silent through all of the commotion.

From there, the Avengers and Guardians began drawing up a loose battle plan. Steve would help Tony over to hide behind a thick outcropping of rocks and debris. Tony would stay there until they got the gauntlet off as he worked to get the Soul Stone out of his body. Meanwhile, T'Challa and Thor would command the battle until Steve returned. Other than Nebula and Gamora, Steve had some of the most information about Thanos due to what Tony had relayed to him. They would work to try and get Mantis close enough to get Thanos under again. And once the gauntlet was off, it would be game over for Thanos.

So with that all decided, it was time to get into their places. They didn't know how long they had until Thanos arrived back on Titan and they needed to make the most of it.

"Wait, Tones!" called out Rhodey just as Steve was helping Tony up.

"What's up Honey bear?" asked Tony. He tried to keep his voice light in an attempt not to let on how scared he really was.

"You get that stone out, alright. And you'd better not die in the process."

"Same goes for you Platypus."

Tony took a moment to give Rhodey and hug, and Rhodey gave Steve a pat on the arm. They were family, and family doesn't let each other die. All too soon, Rhodey was flying off to get into position. Steve held Tony close and helped him hobble over to the hiding spot they had chosen. Steve cleared a bit of debris out of the way so that Tony had a place to sit down.

Just as Steve and Tony had gotten into position, a cloudy blue-grey portal opened up right where the rest of the Avengers and Guardians were. The Mad Titan stepped out and surveyed the area. He was face to face with everyone who he'd fought that day. He smirked and let out a quiet chuckle as he looked at those who stood to oppose him. His eyes settled on Gamora, his favourite daughter. His eyes widened in shock. He killed her! She should be dead at the bottom of a chasm on Vormir as penance for lying to him about the whereabouts of the Soul Stone.

"My Gamora… I thought that I killed you."

"You killed an illusion. But now, you're the one who's going to die."

Thanos looked around the broken remains of his planet once more. Out of all the foes who stood now to oppose him, there was one who was lacking.

"Where is Stark?" asked the Titan, all too calm in his delivery. Tony and Steve winced from their hiding spot. Tony needed to stay hidden until they got the gauntlet. It was the only way they even had a chance of winning.

"He died of his wounds." Came Loki's reply. Thanos just smiled. He'd didn't buy the lie for even a second.

"I know that you've hidden him. Let's see how long he stays hiding when he sees his friends start to die."

And with that declaration, all havoc was let loose. There was screaming and people shouting commands and Tony felt utterly helpless. He looked over at Steve and the two shared a look, both knowing exactly what had to be done.

"Tony. Anthony. I love you so much. Just remember that, ok. No matter what happens…"

"Remember I love you." Finished Tony. Steve launched himself at Tony and captured his husband's lips in a passionate kiss. If this was going to be the last kiss they ever shared, then it was going to be one filled with all the love they could muster.

Steve gently pulled away and brought his hand up to cup Tony's cheek. They looked back at each other for a second before Steve began crawling through the wreckage. He needed to get away from Tony so that when he leapt out to attack, he wouldn't give away his location.

With a scream of rage, Steve jumped into the fight and was lucky enough to hit Thanos' in the shin with his shield. He got right into leader mode and instantly took command over the battlefield. The whole situation was chaotic. Thanos was deflecting all of Strange, Loki, and Wanda's spells and enchantments with one hand, while the other threw punches and large rocks.

Rocket was the first to fall victim to Thanos. He was crushed under one of the rocks that was getting thrown about. His death spurred the remaining Guardians into more aggressive actions. Drax rushed towards Thanos with a deep, booming, war cry. His blades were drawn and ready to strike Thanos the second he got close. He didn't even come close. Thanos used the Power Stone to stab the warrior through the heart with a fallen piece of metal.

"How the hell do I do this?" cried Tony. His voice barely coming above a whisper. He was frustrated with himself. He was frustrated over the situation at hand. He was frustrated with life.

Tony could hear the screams and shouts coming from the field and his heart sunk. He heard a cry that most definitely came from Rhodey. Tony worried for a moment, thinking that his brother was dead. He was corrected a second later when he heard the sound of repulsor blasts and Rhodey calling someone a bitch. The only fighting that Tony could actually see was Scott. The man had turned himself into a 63 story version of himself and was attempting to kick the Titan around with moderate success.

"Alright Tony, focus. Focus so you can get the stone out and end this."

Back on the field, things weren't going to great. Hope and Natasha were acting as a shield in an attempt to let Mantis in to get Thanos sleeping again. It wasn't working. Bucky had long since run out of ammunition and was using whatever he could find as a weapon. Clint was starting to run low on arrows and Thor was getting exhausted. His lightning wasn't going much anymore and he couldn't get close enough to use Stormbreaker when Thanos was blasting them all with the stones. "T'Challa was struggling to stay in the game. He couldn't even get a scratch on the Titan and it was leaving his frustrated.

There was a bright flash of light and a horrible scream of pain as Strange took the full force of the Mind Stone. The Sorcerer landed on the ground with a thump, his head steaming and his chest devoid of all movement. Quill, sick and tired of all the death, was firing blast after blast only to take a fist to the face knocking him back. A sickening crunch could be heard as his right femur snapped in half.

Sam decided that he needed to get closer in order to land a hit. He had a few bullets hit Thanos in the arm before he was knocked down. Sam went tumbling down, and with an echoing crack, smashed his head against a long since crumbled building. The blood oozed out and made everyone, including Thanos, feel sick at the sight.

With a teammate down, Bruce had finally managed to convince the Hulk of the gravity of the situation. The sound of metal tearing reverberated across the landscape as Hulk broke free of the armour Bruce had been wearing. The Mad Titan soon found himself facing off against the Hulk once more.

Tony was still sitting on his knees behind the wall where Steve had left him. He could still hear his husband yelling commands at those where were still alive. That was the only solace that Tony had. That his husband and brother were still alive and his kids were safe back in Earth. Tony remained sitting as he heard Thor yelling. He didn't want to think about what was happening on the other side of the wall. Tony closed his eyes and tried to focus on drawing the Soul Stone out. He still had no idea how to do that. Tony was a man of science and there was nothing scientific about this. He tried to find some sort of focus, but it was nearly impossible with all the yelling going on. Well, Tony Stark normally does six impossible things before breakfast. He wasn't going to let this stop him.

So, Tony kept his eyes closed and tried to focus on his breathing like he was meditating. He sat there and breathed. Slowly he began to tune out all the noise and focus on just his body. What confused Tony was that nothing felt different or out of the ordinary. Well, nothing other than the pain of the stab wound and his regular background pain from the arc reactor. So Tony continued to search his body for that little something different that could possibly be the stone. He didn't get much, just little flashes of what could be the future. Tony wasn't too sure. It was hard to tell what he was seeing half the time with his powers. He just saw more blood and heard screaming and felt that horrible pain once again in his left arm. But he also felt peace. He felt almost tranquil. Like he could finally rest.

Just as Tony thought he was getting somewhere with this Soul Stone searching, the air was pierced by a blood-curdling scream. Tony's eyes flashed open just in time to see the body of Wanda land right next to him. Tony's hand flew to his mouth as tears started to fall from his eyes. Her once beautiful face was almost unrecognizable. The poor girl had taken the full force of all five stones and it showed.

Tony cried. There were no two ways around it. Tony cried. All this death was just too much for him. It hurt him right down to the core. His chest hurt and he felt something come loose inside of him. Tony didn't pay much attention to that. He needed that Stone out of his body and fast. He needed it out now!

Now.

Now!

NOW!

And just like that, the Soul Stone sat in the palm of his hand. The stone itself had a few cracks in it. Most likely from Tony's own broke old soul. But Tony didn't have time to ponder that fact. He didn't even have time to think about the science of this situation. That didn't matter. What mattered now was getting the gauntlet off of Thanos now that they were all running on borrowed time. So, Tony sucked in a deep breath, pushed himself up, and walked out of his hiding spot and into the line of fire.

"HEY DOUCHE FACE!"

Thanos looked over from where he was looking and stared Tony right in the eyes. In that moment, all the fighting came to a standstill. This absolutely wasn't part of the plan. Tony was supposed to stay hidden and protect the stone! Nobody knew what to do. Steve started to walk over to his husband but found that he couldn't. It was like something was holding him back.

"It's nice of you to join us Stark." Came Thanos' deep voice. "Look around you. All this death and pain could have been avoided if you had just given me the stone."

"You know that I have it?"

"I didn't. But you just confirmed my suspicions." Tony swore under his breath.

"Well… you're not getting it." Tony snapped back.

"Now Stark, you know that's not true. I will get that stone and everyone here will cease to exist. You'll be here, all alone. Just like you always have been." Thanos sneered but Tony held strong.

"Here's where you're wrong Thanos. I'm not alone." Tony took a second, just a second to look around before he saw an opening.

"NOW!"

On his command, Gamora and Nebula took advantage of Thanos being distracted and pounced. Gamora was quick to stab Thanos in the neck while Nebula worked the gauntlet off. Thanos was too distracted by the dagger being pushed further into his neck to do much more than struggle. With Thanos struggling, it made Nebula's job even harder. So, in a last ditch effort to keep Thanos still, Nebula pulled out one of her own knives and stuck it in Thanos' heart. The Titan let out a scream and instantly retaliated and pulled the knife from his chest, stabbing Nebula in the process. But Nebula wasn't done fighting.

Using the last of her strength, she managed to get the gauntlet off of Thanos' hand. With her dying breath, Nebula threw the gauntlet as hard as she could in Tony's direction. Everyone waited and held their breath as the gauntlet soared through the air. Gamora continued to push her knife deeper into Thanos' neck to make sure that he stayed down, but even she was nervous. As the gauntlet got closer, Tony launched himself forward with outstretched arms. He caught the gauntlet and instantly slid it onto his left arm. It was almost comically large on him and sat from his mid-bicep down. But Tony didn't care about that. He opened his right hand and allowed the Soul Stone to attach itself to the space open on the gauntlet. Tony gritted his teeth as he felt tremendous energy surge through him. He wanted to scream but didn't allow himself. Once the energy calmed down, Tony took a second to looked at his hand. Right then, right at that moment, Tony was the most powerful being in the universe. And he was going to use that power to protect the ones he loved.

"My turn." Smirked Tony as he snapped his fingers with the now completed gauntlet.

The world went white as energy crackled through the air and Tony was thrown back with the force of it.


So, what do y'all think about the Avengers Endgame trailer? For the record, I'm a crying mess over it. My poor baby is stuck in space, literally starving and running out of O2. Captain Marvel better rescue him and give him a hug and some food. He needs it so badly. Also, they'd better give us the reunions we deserve. Stony need to makeup, Tony needs to get back to Pepper and Rhodey, and Tony needs a god damn nap.

In story news, I hope that at least a few of you caught my Hitchhikers Guild to the Galaxy reference. I thought it was funny. Well, that's all I really have to say about this chapter. Sorry for another cliffhanger, but it's way too fun watching y'all freakout. So, until next time- Shadows