Hello Lovely Reader,

This is a sequel to my story Moments. It can be read alone but you can go and read the first one shot if you prefer. Enjoy!

It wasn't fifteen minutes after she disappeared that Death reappeared again. Tony was stuck on Krypton, no, Titan, that was what the blue lady called it. To Tony, it felt like he barely had time to stand up and wipe the dust-Peter-off of his attire before Death was there. This time she stalked him from further away, clinging to the shadows of rocks in the distance. Tony pointedly ignored her as he followed the blue figure in front of him. Nebula, that was her name.

Tony's feet brought him into a ship, it was a marvel that he knew Peter would have had a hay day with. However, Tony couldn't help but notice that Death's presence got much heavier the second his foot touched the inside of the ship. He prevented himself from flinching, from tensing at the meaning of that. No, he wouldn't even consider the meaning behind it. Tony continued to ignore her even as her shadow grew thicker with each passing day he and Nebula were stuck in space. By the time they had been drifting through space for two weeks, Tony was practically choking on the shroud that was Death. Still, he didn't acknowledge her.

It wasn't until she felt like a weighted blanket over his shoulders, pulling him down, did he consider that he should make peace with his ending. With that realization, he sat down with his helmet and left Pepper a message. God, he hoped she survived Thanos' craziness. Each breath became more and more of a struggle. His eyes slid shut as he felt her arms wrap around him in a hug, giving him warmth and comfort. Even as his consciousness faded away, he recognized the sudden cold that came with her disappearance, despite the sudden blinding light.

The entire ship shook violently as the nuclear lady brought them into Earth's orbit. Tony clutched the arms of his seat with white knuckles. He tried not to think of who might, or might not be, left on earth. When they landed, Nebula helped him out of his seat and walked him to the back of the ship. She slammed her fist against a button on the wall and the hatch opened. Painfully slow, he and Nebula walked down the ship's steps. The first face that greeted him was Steve's. Tony couldn't stop the tears from welling up in his eyes. Fuck, even with their differences Tony was so happy to see the Star-Spangled Man alive. Tony was barely able to get two sentences out before Pepper rushed up to him, pulling him into a hug. The amount of relief he felt seeing her was monumental compared to when he saw Steve. Thank God she was still there.

Tony didn't realize until much later that death might have had a good reason for disappearing when she did. In hindsight, it was common sense; Thanos was planning on wiping out half of the population to 'save' all life. It would make sense that Death was busy collecting half of the population of the universe. Still, that did not stop the shock of seeing Earth so empty.

Ironman didn't get the honor to going to face off with Thanos, but he saw death follow the team onto the very ship he arrived on. His stomach filled with dread as her shadow clung to them. When they got back Tony learned that she followed the for him. The death of the giant purple grape didn't make up for the devastation that came with the fact they could never get back all those they had lost.

5 Years Later

Tony doesn't see death for another five years. It was honestly a relief when she disappeared and didn't come back. Instead, Tony got to see a whole lot of life. Sure, it hurt like hell waking up every morning when he woke up knowing that he had failed the kid, Peter. Plus, the world was still recovering, he frankly didn't think that it would ever be the same again. But, and it was a big but, he and Pepper had the most beautiful baby girl he had ever laid eyes on. Not that he cared for the little gremlins before, but

this one was his. She was undoubtedly, irrevocably, his. She was his silver lining.

So, when Natasha, Scott, and Steve showed up on his doorstep with death surrounding them in a shroud like an oversized blanket, he refused. He tried to banish their visit from his mind, tried to ignore the slowly growing hope building up in his chest. Then he saw that photo of Peter and himself and inspiration struck.

"SHIT!"

"Shit!" a small voice echoed.

For the first time in five years he felt actual hope, he saw a way to get everyone back, to get Peter back.

The ten of them stood in a circle, listening to Steve give one of his rallying speeches. Tony loathed to admit, this time it was really good, even if he only half paid attention to it. No, Tony really couldn't put his focus on Steve when Death was standing right between Natasha and Clint. Her form was as black as the night. She had never seemed so solid before, Tony was almost 100% certain that this would be the last time he saw one of them.

When they returned from the past, as they stumbled upon the platform, there was one less shadow being cast than before. Clint stood with tears in his eyes. He was right. For once, Tony hated being right with a burning passion.

"Clint, where's Nat?" Banner asked, and the words echoed ominously in Tony's ears. Clint didn't answer the man, his eyes brimming with tears, avoiding any direct eye contact.

Later that day, five men were sitting on a dock, staring out at the lake. Having already accepted he wasn't going to see her again, Tony was the first to ask, "Did she have any family?"

"Yeah," Steve responded, "Us." Tears streaked the blonde's face, his eyes showed how old he really was.

Thor exploded, but no amount of yelling or kicking, or any type of tantrum could bring back Natasha. They would make sure that Nat's sacrifice was worth it. Tony would make sure her sacrifice was worth it if it was the last thing he did.

As Bruce snapped his fingers, Tony could see death coming back to life. No matter how ironic it sounded, he didn't know how else to describe it. Her form pulsed and grew darker the longer Banner kept the gauntlet on. As quickly as she came, she disappeared, and Tony dared himself to hope that they were done, that they succeeded. That fragile hope fell as quickly as the building did.

It wasn't until they were in the thick of battle that Tony really noticed her again, or rather the lack of her. Cap was standing up against the giant purple space grape by himself. Tony was barely holding onto consciousness, Friday was yelling at him, and it was becoming very clear that they were outnumbered. Death should be there, Tony was sure they were about to die, Steve first, then him, then Thor. Instead, a bunch of orange circles opened up the heavens and familiar faces started pouring out.

It wasn't until a large space brute tried to take him out, did Tony get to see Peter. He almost cried in relief when the kid helped pull him into a standing position, his mouth moving fifty miles a minute.

"Holy cow! You would not believe what's been going on. Do you remember when we were in space? And I got all dusty? And I must have passed out-" Tony stared at the kid in disbelief, "-because I woke up and you were gone. But Doctor Strange was there, right? And he was like… 'It's been five years. Come on, they need us.' And then he stared doing yellow sparkly things-" Peter gestured wildly circles in front of him, "-that thing he does all the time."

Tony slowly walked towards the kid, "He did? Oh, no." Tony pulled him into a hug.

"What are you doing?" Peter asked. It was one of the tightest, most protective hugs Tony had ever given, which was saying something having had Morgan. "Oh." Peter sighed and hugged him back just as warmly. Tony was on the verge of tears as Peter said, "Oh, this is nice."

This is what he worked so hard for, this is what Natasha sacrificed herself for, he was going to show he cared. He patted the boy on his back and hugged him a bit tighter.

Tony advanced on Doctor Strange, "Hey. You said one out of 14 million, we win, yeah?" He dutifully ignored Death standing behind Strange like a shadow. "Tell me this is it."

"If I tell you what happens-" Strange responded shaking his head, "-it won't happen."

Tony shook in his suit, barely containing his feelings of rage and hopelessness. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "You better be right," he panted.

It wasn't until later in the battle that Tony saw the chance to end it all. Death had been following the gauntlet like a moth follows a flame. He saw her wrapped around it like an omen.

Thanos stood tall and victorious, Death swirled around him like an angry tornado. Tony could see what would happen if he succeeded, there would be so much more death than the last snap. Death herself was furious with the Mad Titan. Tony lunged forward and grappled at Thanos' hand, vying for control. With a few well-placed punches he was thrown clear away from the purple being.

Thanos posed as if to gloat at his win, "I am inevitable."

Tony shook in pain; he was so tired. Tired of fighting, tired of losing, tired of it all. The space grape smirked and snapped his fingers.

Nothing happened.

Tony almost laughed at the ridiculous expression on the Titan's face. Even on his knees, Tony was in control. Tony was victorious. He ignored the pain, he ignored how tightly death was surrounding him, suffocating him. He knew that what he was about to do would be the death of him. It would be worth it.

Tony could feel Death's morbid anticipation. He could feel her grief for the end of her greatest chase, the most fun she had in a lifetime.

"I. Am. Iron Man." And he snapped his fingers. The pain and power of the stones was unlike anything else he had ever experienced. It cut through his armor like it was soft butter and burned his flesh, yet he couldn't help but smile.

As every bit of Thanos' army turned to ashes and dissipated into the air, Death flitted around, taking the souls hungrily; distracting herself as if to give Tony some time.

Tony leaned himself against some rubble and exhaled loudly in relief. They had won. He could rest now; he could finally stop. Every time he put on the armor had led up to this moment.

"Hey!" Pete called out shakily. "Mr. Stark, can you hear me?" He fell to his knees in front of Tony, but he didn't have the energy to look at the kid. His reason for all of this. "It's Peter!" he held Tony, "Hey," he whispered. "We won, Mr. Stark," he said tearfully, "We won, Mr. Stark." His voice cracked with emotion. "We won! You did it, sir, you did it." Tony didn't need Peter to tell him that, he knew, but he also knew the kid needed to say it. Peter started sobbing, "I'm sorry, Tony."

Tony wished he had the energy, the control, to give the kid a hug and tell him everything was okay. But then Pete was gone, and Pepper was there. "Hey Pep," he said breathlessly to his wife. She requested his vital from Friday but he didn't listen to the AI.

"Tony, look at me," she whispered. He blearily turned his head to look at her, "We're gonna be okay. You can rest now." He didn't have the energy to argue, he was so tired. He just couldn't do it anymore, so he listened to her, then stared directly at Death hovering behind her shoulder, as if giving her permission to do her job.

Death embraced him warmly, as though he were a lost child. Tony let out one last breath and let the one constant in his life to lead him away.