Chapter 2

Tony Stark was given a new life through Star Gate Command in the new reality. He understood even if they allowed him to use the mirror to return to his own reality he would still not be able to return to his former life as there was a time difference of twenty years. The best he could hope for was to warn his younger self of future events and his younger self was likely not going to listen.

He gave a list of names of his family and friends to see if they even existed in the new reality. He wasn't sure who he would find and in a way hoped he would find someone he knew in the alternate universe other than Thor who sounded very different from the Thor he knew.

Tony felt very alone and yet his new friends were welcoming and understanding. He decided the best course of action would be to put his old life behind him, knowing he would never see Pepper and their daughter again and move forward in this new world. The Star Gate intrigued him and gave him something new to focus his energy on. He also found Sam reminded him of Pepper Potts in many ways and he enjoyed working with her.

He stood in green battle dress in Sam's lab looking at the shell that was once his suit in a lump on the table. He gave a heavy sigh for he knew it was beyond repair and he lacked any notes or manufacturing facility to make a new one. He would be starting from scratch and at the behest of the government.

Sam walked into the lab with two cups of coffee. She smiled at her new found friend, "I brought you a cup too, Tony." She handed him the hot mug.

"Oh, thanks Sam." he replied. He took a sip and made a face. "Let me guess, army coffee."

"Standard coffee." she agreed wondering what was wrong.

He was use to having the finest coffee in the world and hardly every drank what the military provided unless there was nothing else. He made a face, "GI Joe coffee."

"Oh, so you have GI Joe in your world too." she figured. "How about Major Matt Mason?"

"Who?" he asked unsure.

"It was a doll I had as a kid." she informed.

He confessed, "I never had a GI Joe doll." He placed the cup down and looked upon his suit. "This is going to be a lot of work."

"It is." she agreed. "You got me." she assured him.

"I appreciate the help." he admitted.

At the door came a voice. Dr. Janet Frasier, the base Chief Medical Officer had came to Sam's lab with test results. She looked inside to see what they were working on. "Oh good! You are working on the suit." she stated relieved.

Tony cocked an eyebrow for the doctor sounded a bit worried.

Sam nodded, "We're starting to dissemble it."

"I got the results from the DNA test." Janet informed. "Don't let Tony around any Ancient artifacts. He has the gene too. He can activate things."

Sam looked a bit surprised.

Tony asked, "What gene?"

Janet explained, "It's the Ancient gene. Colonel O'Neill has it too. It's very rare. This gene allows you to activate technology left behind by the makers of the Gate."

"Really?" he asked. A sly grin crept across his face. "So…what can I do with it?"

Sam informed, "Turn things on that we don't want to be turned on. You have to be very careful around any artifacts, Tony." She let out a small sigh, "As if keeping the Colonel out of trouble wasn't enough…"

"I just lost my wife and daughter and a number of good friends. I'm not looking for trouble." he told her.

She soothed, "I know you are not." Sam then turned her attention to Janet, "Have you told General Hammond yet?"

"On my way." she gave a firm nod. She looked to Tony, "Colonel O'Neill lost his son, his wife left him and he lost his best friend. Maybe you can talk him a bit, Mr. Stark. I'm sure he understands what you are going through."

"I didn't know that." he admitted.

Sam added, "Daniel lost his wife to the Goa'uld. Teal'c gave up everything to help us. We understand what its like to lose your whole world, Tony. If you want to talk, just talk. All of us have lost something. Janet's adopted daughter lost her whole planet. You are not alone."

He admitted, "I feel alone."

She gently touched his arm, "You are not alone." She looked upon the task before them, "Let's get to work on this suit."

Janet waved, "See you two at lunch." She stepped out and continued on her way to see General Hammond.

Meanwhile - Avenger's Reality - 1999

Thor had stayed on Earth after the war against Thanos had ended. He gave up his throne and wished to forget the past. He wanted to speak to his old team, the team he lost. The only way to accomplish that task would be to return to the past one more time and lay low. He arrived in 1999 and sought out Steve Rogers who had stayed in the past to be with Peggy Carter.

Thor stood at the door step, he had cut his hair short once more and wore civilian clothing of jeans and a denim jacket with a red t-shirt. His hammer long gone along with his home. He ran the door bell and waited.

Steve answered the door, he looked a bit older, had graying hair but was still healthy and spry. He couldn't believe it! "Thor!" he gasped.

Thor asked, "Can we talk?"

"Sure," he opened the door to his old friend. He led him inside and offered, "You want some coffee?"

"Beer would be good." he requested. He gazed around the home and found it was presently decorated and many antiques were about. He followed Steve into the kitchen and found Peggy sitting at the table as they were enjoying their lunch. He gave a smile and a nod, "Mrs. Rogers."

She gasped, "You're…Thor." She was dressed casual in tan slacks with a blue sweater. She had dyed her hair brown recently to cover the gray.

"He's here for a visit." Steve told her and reached for a beer for his old friend.

Thor sat down at the table and retrieved the beer. He popped the top and looked at Steve, "Something is just not sitting right with me about those stones."

He asked, "What's bothering you, Thor?"

"You cannot erase matter." he stated. "It's impossible. You can destroy but not erase. I think we got it wrong. I found a book that belonged to my father's father, Bor. He spoke of the power of the stones. He said the Infinity Stones can move matter to other worlds."

Steve asked, "Other worlds?"

"Other realms…realities…" he tried to explain.

Peggy asked, "Multi universe?"

Steve wondered, "What's that?"

She explained, "In theory multiple versions of earth can all exist at once. They can be very different or exactly the same." She reminded him, "That's what Sam's presentation was on."

Thor asked, "Who is Sam?" He wondered perhaps they could use the man's help.

Peggy beamed, "She's our niece. Samantha Carter. She just got promoted to Major in the Air Force. I've been trying to get her into SHIELD but she's afraid she will look favored and she determined to do things on her own. She's so stubborn!" She motioned towards her husband, "She knows uncle Steve is Captain American but doesn't want anyone to know she's his niece. Sammy has a few PhD's and is a physics genius." she bragged.

Steve agreed, "She is! They got her working in Area 51 on top secret stuff not even I can get access too. She's very busy."

Thor leaned over the table, "I think Tony and Thanos went to another universe. I don't think either are dead."

Steve gasped, "You think Tony was sent to another version of our universe and is with Thanos?"

"And alone," he nodded.

Peggy winced, "I don't see how we can help him if he's in another reality? We would have no way to going there."

Thor stated, "There is! My father had a mirror sent to Earth before he died. It's hidden in one of your museums. The mirror was made by an ancient race of beings. I don't know much about them but I do know the mirror can open doors to other universes. We can find Tony and help him."

Steve stated, "But Thanos won't come to Earth for twenty years. How do we find Tony?"

Thor explained, "The Infinity Stones are far more powerful than the mirrors. Odin's mirror connects one mirror to another and do not affect time. But, in the manuscript of Bor, he spoke of the stones having an affect on time and space. What would be the equivalent to twenty years on your planet. The stones could have sent Tony to another realm twenty years in the past. It would have destroyed the stones doing so. Thus, Tony would be trapped there and so will Thanos. We did not stop Thanos. We merely made him a problem in another version of our world."

Steve looked to Peggy for input.

She figured, "That's not fair to the other reality or to Tony Stark to be stuck there with Thanos." She spoke to Thor, "SHIELD can find the mirror that Odin hid. We can help you."

Steve looked to Thor, "I'm going with you."

He agreed, "I knew you would."

Peggy spoke up, "I'm coming too." She insisted, "You will need help."