Happy New Year everyone!
Here we are, the start of a new year... My intentions are to try to finish this fic by the middle of this year... whether that works out or not remains to be seen but I have worked out the rest of the plot and am in the process of planning out the rest of the chapters. The chapters keep getting longer too... This one is over 7400 words - the longest one yet!
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The Power Stone
Wednesday 12th April 2017
Mid-flight
Natasha and Tony agreed to an arrangement with Quill and Gamora that they would reveal everything to the remaining members of the Avengers and the Guardians once they had collected the next two Stones. They'd rather tell them all at once rather than go through the same story twice. Though Quill was not keen on waiting longer than necessary, he acquiesced to Gamora who supported them in their decision to keep certain things secret for a little while longer.
They weren't sure how Gamora convinced Quill to support her in her decision, only that they'd disappeared for a while and then when they'd returned Quill had been grudgingly accepting of their stance, realising it would be more beneficial if the same story was not repeated twice.
It would take them a few more days to reach Xandar. They didn't want to rush but neither did they want to be away from Earth for too long.
Tony kept mostly to himself, spending a lot of time with Pepper in the back of the Benatar whilst the others were with the Guardians. Everything that was happening to him scared him. He wanted to spend as much time with Pepper as possible in case the end of his journey wasn't the one he was hoping for.
He wanted to settle down and be with her and have Morgan, watch his little girl grow up in a safe world, knowing that there was no risk of her daddy ever leaving her. But now he couldn't help worry about the idea she may not even exist and the only thoughts he'd have of her were the memories he had made when she had existed.
"Tony?"
He glanced up and found Steve standing there.
Tony's fingers curled into Pepper's hair. She was resting on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as she dozed.
"What is it?"
Steve lowered his voice. "It doesn't have to be now… but… can I talk to you?"
"Sure." Tony gently moved Pepper off his chest. "I can come now."
"Are you sure?" Steve's eyes widened as he watched Tony gently manoeuvre Pepper into a more comfortable position on the bunk they had been given. "You two looked quite comfy there."
Tony smiled gently. "Yeah, we were, but you wouldn't be asking to talk to me unless you really needed to." He glanced back at Pepper who had rolled onto her side; aware Tony had left her but was still in a doze. "I'll be back, sweetheart." He closed the door behind him. "Not too many places for us to speak quietly on this ship without being overheard though…"
Steve grimaced. "I know. I asked Gamora if there is a place I could talk to you in private without being overheard. She offered me her quarters."
Tony accepted that. It seemed reasonable and Gamora appeared honourable enough that she'd respect their privacy and ensure they were not interrupted or overheard.
Her quarters were small and lacked decoration. There were a few stray pictures of her and Quill scattering the walls. There was a single bunk and a desk to sit at and a few pairs of changes of clothes that hung on the opposite wall on hangers. It was simplistic but liveable.
Tony sat down on the bunk. "What is it?"
"I know about Morgan," stated Steve simply.
Tony hadn't been expecting that revelation. His eyes darkened only briefly, wondering how Steve could have come by such information only to realise it had come from Natasha. "She shouldn't have told you."
"Nat told me not to say anything to you," stated Steve, lowering his gaze.
"They why have you? Why betray her trust?" pushed Tony, curious as to what Steve's motivations were.
Steve bit his lower lip and looked around the room before replying. "Because I wanted you to know I will do anything to ensure you get your family back. That you get to live the life you lost."
Tony sat up straighter. Steve knew more than he was letting on. He swallowed. "You know we died, don't you?"
"Yes."
"And the idea of people coming back from the dead doesn't freak you out?" Tony pressed, leaning forward, testing Steve's morals.
"I slept for seventy years," shrugged Steve. "I'm in space, with aliens. I think people coming back from the dead could be classed as relatively normal now."
Tony leaned back, shuffling up a bit so he could cross his legs on the bed.
"What was she like?"
Tony had a feeling he was asking about Morgan. "My daughter?" Memories flooded his brain of his little girl, of the last hug he had given her before he had left for the Compound, of the last smile and her wave at him as he drove away from the cabin...
Steve nodded. "Yeah." He walked over to the bunk and sat next to Tony.
Tony turned to face him, one cheek resting against the wall. "Do you want kids, Cap?"
Hesitation crossed Steve's face. "Maybe I once did… But…"
"What?"
"I said this to you once before," admitted Steve. "The guy who wanted all of that went under the ice. The woman I loved is gone. I can't get that back. But I have a life here now. Something to live and fight for, so people can go home and be with their loved ones. I couldn't abandon them if I had a chance to go back either… Not after everything we've been through." He shifted in his position. "Tony, you had a family and you gave it up to save the universe. I once accused you of not being capable of making such a sacrifice. I was wrong. You did and you lost everything you ever wanted. I'm not going to let that happen."
Tony smiled sadly. "There is no guarantee I will get what I want, Steve. Morgan may just remain a memory of a life I once led."
Steve reached out and patted Tony's shoulder. "She won't. She'll live, Tony. She'll have you as a father. I know it."
Tony chuckled. "It's nice you have optimism about Morgan."
Steve turned to fully face Tony. "So, tell me about her. What was the future daughter of Tony Stark like?"
And Tony told him everything.
"Sorry."
Tony turned to Natasha. She was waiting just outside the room he had left Pepper in. "What are you sorry for?"
"For telling Steve about…" She trailed off.
He knew what she meant. "It's okay. I think Steve is meant to know. It felt… right to be talking to him about her… It keeps her memory alive."
Natasha chuckled. "I'm glad you're not too mad."
"Something tells me Steve has a role to play. It's just a feeling but what is it? I wish I knew…"
"I think if we know too much we risk it not happening," replied Natasha. She uncrossed her arms. "Tony… there is one other thing…"
"Vormir?" he guessed, his voice low. He'd been thinking about it too.
"What are we going to do?"
Tony sighed. "I think we ignore it for now and face it when the time comes. At the moment we don't know if we will be able to get there yet, do we? We lack the co-ordinates… No point in worrying about it until we have them."
She nodded, agreeing with his sentiment. "Focus on the Power Stone first."
"That's all we can do," he quipped. "We cannot afford to be distracted thinking about the future." He turned back towards the door but then spoke quietly. "We will be arriving at Xandar soon. And we will need a plan because I don't think well be able to retrieve the Power Stone as easily as we hope. We've had an easy run of it so far. We can't be this lucky."
"No," she agreed. "But we'll be ready for whatever comes our way."
Tony hoped she was right.
Saturday 15th April 2017
Xandar
They arrived at Xandar a few days later and were given permission to dock at the Nova Corps Headquarters where the Power Stone was being kept inside its Orb and was stored and protected by the Xandarian military force.
Irani Rael, the commander of the Nova Corps, had agreed to meet with them, though Quill had not specified exactly why they needed to talk with her, only that it was a matter of urgency. Considering the Guardians had saved Xandar once before, they were able to get in to see her relatively quickly.
They were escorted by Rhomann Dey into her office which overlooked the vast city. As they walked to her office through the large winding corridors, Rhomann explained to the Earth-bound Avengers the history of Xandar.
"I'm surprised your Guardian friends did not explain the vastness of the Nova Empire to you?" Rhomann Dey explained.
"We thought that would be a job for you since you are so knowledgeable my good friend!" Quill said. Only he and Gamora were accompanying the Avengers into the city.
"They might not want to know…" Rhomann pointed out.
"We do," said Pepper. "It's interesting to see how other cultures live and work."
"Quill said you are from Terra. Surprising to see you out here. Your world isn't in contact with other civilisations yet."
"But we've had interest from others," explained Steve. "We haven't been left alone. There are people from Earth who were taken like Quill was."
"Surely we need to start making our mark on the universe?" added Tony.
"I heard Terra already did. We know all about the attack Thanos made on your planet a few years back. Some metal man came through a portal and blew his army up," countered Rhomann.
Tony held up a hand. "Yeah, that metal man was me in my suit."
"Really?" Rhomann paused in his walk to scrutinise Tony. "That was you? The metal suit guy?"
Tony grinned, tapping his chest piece so the armour grew around his body. "I invented this suit. Upgraded it since the battle. It is a lot more durable now."
"Wow," breathed Rhomann. "You took down Thanos' army with a single missile."
I also took him down with a snap of my fingers too, mused Tony. "I don't think the same trick would work twice." He was sure Thanos would have made countermeasures for any such repeat attack. He tapped the Arc Reactor again and the suit nanonites retreated back into its housing unit. "So, fill us in about the Nova Empire then. I run a business – err, I mean, Pepper, here," he cast a sheepish glance back at her, "runs a business back on Earth. If we ever have the opportunity to work together I'm sure we could come to some arrangement which would benefit us both."
Rhomann cleared his throat. "Xandar is the capital of the Nova Empire. It is home to Xandarians many other species across the Andromeda Galaxy. It has a population of twelve billion. As you can see there are three suns in the system, all positioned at different points and distances giving the planet a rather unique eco-system. Longer days, shorter years. The Nova Corps itself is an intergalactic military and police force who patrols the Nova Empire. This is led by the Nova Prime who is Irani Rael, our commander. You'll be meeting her shortly. The Nova Empire expands over a good portion of the galaxy. We all work together to ensure peace continues across all manner of peoples. We are in a position of peace for now due to the treaty signed by both Xandar and the Kree, though the treaty is fraught with difficulties. For the first time in a long while we are able to live in harmony, though rebel factions of the Kree refuse to obey the new laws."
"Do the Kree government assist you with the threats?" asked Steve.
Rhomann sighed, his shoulders dropping. "I'm afraid not."
"Doesn't sound like much of a treaty," murmured Wanda to Steve.
"We have to make do with what was offered to us," explained Rhomann. "Whilst the treaty doesn't always work, it has its advantages. A lot of the Nova Corps have more of a chance of being at home with their families than hardly being there. We're not needed out on the frontier anymore, fighting an ever ending battle against the Kree."
"I suppose there is a silver lining to everything," noted Tony carefully. He hoped this would be one civilisation they would save. He knew from before Thanos had succeeded in wiping out the Xandarians for his quest for the Power Stone. This time, Tony was taking it from its place before he could even turn his attention towards it.
They emerged into a large, round office, where an older woman, with white hair curled up at the back, sat gracefully in the seat at her desk. She smiled warmly at her guests as they approached her. She stood from her chair, walked around the desk and extended a hand towards Quill and Gamora and then to Tony and the others.
"Let me welcome you to the Nova Empire. I am Irani Rael, commander of the Nova Corps. The communication we received is highly unusual in nature. We opened up this slot for you, Peter Quill and Gamora because of your previous deeds in saving Xandar before."
Gamora smiled warmly. "We are grateful you could accommodate us at such short notice. We are not here to warn you of an impending threat. We wish to retrieve something which we gave into your keeping a few years ago."
Irani Rael's expression changed instantly. She knew what they were requesting and they could already see what her answer would be. "The stone?"
Gamora nodded. "Yes. It's not safe here."
"It is securely protected," Rael stated matter-of-factly. "No one has any hope of breaking in and taking it."
"Thanos could," Tony warned. He had after all decimated Xandar for daring to hold the Infinity Stone from him. "He's going to come for the Stone and you will not succeed in holding him back."
Thanos' name caused Rael to step back, a brief expression of shock appearing on her features before she composed herself.
"He wouldn't dare."
"He would and he will," said Gamora. "He wants to gather all the Infinity Stones together. The one in your vault is one of them. I was sent to retrieve it for him when I defected and decided to hide it from him, to stop him from achieving his goal. The only reason he hasn't struck yet is that he is waiting. He is still gathering his forces. He is not yet at full strength but he soon will launch his crusade to find them all and complete his life's work."
Tony watched Irani Rael's expression. "We take the Stone away today, we will eliminate the threat of Thanos coming here to retrieve it. Your people will be safe and your Empire will not be destroyed by the hand of one man."
"We will be able to stand against him," Rael was adamant about that. "The Stone is much safer here. It will stay. If that is what you wish to speak to me about, then our meeting is over." She cast her gaze over them all. "I'm sorry, but I am not risking a power of that magnitude to fall into the wrong hands by releasing it from its prison. I cannot take the risk."
Tony was not surprised by her decision. He'd been expecting some difficulty in obtaining the Power Stone. But if she was denying them the option of giving it to them, they'd have to find a way to take it, which meant breaking the law, and potentially ruining the Guardian's rep with Xandar. He shrugged. "Fine. Don't say we didn't warn you when Thanos is on your doorstep and he doesn't spare any of you."
It was harsh but a necessary criticism.
Tony led the way out.
"What do we do now?" asked Steve as they mingled back at the Benatar.
Tony leaned back against the bulkhead. "We wait. We plan. And we steal." It wasn't ideal yet it was the only option they had now they had been denied the Power Stone.
"She won't negotiate on this," added Quill. "The Xandarians are prideful. They think they are in the best position to protect it from any threat."
"They do have a point when they have some of the best security on the planet," said Gamora. "But Thanos would be able to get past them."
"What do we do?" asked Pepper quietly.
"Sneak in and steal it," said Rocket, speaking up from the pilot's chair over the intercom. As soon as they've arrived and settled back in, he'd taken the Benatar back up and out into open space. "Your only option."
"If we do that, we lose all goodwill we have with Xandar," said Gamora.
"What choice do we have?" asked Tony. "We're backed into a corner."
"Or, you know," said Rocket again over the intercom, "you could look at the scanners and see what is hovering outside the system."
Curious by his words, the others made their way to the cockpit, crowding together in the small space.
Rocket magnified the scanner screens, showing a small blip that was just visible on the edge of the scanner. "Picked this up not too long ago. It's out of range of the Xandar sensors but not from ours. Just tiny pin-pricks of a system ticking over."
"What does it mean?" Steve queried.
Gamora turned to face the others. If her colour could turn paler it would have done. "It means the Black Order is already here."
They returned to Xandar, this time landing in one of the public spaceports instead of going through the Nova Corps. They doubted they would be believed if they called to say they'd detected one of Thanos' ships in the system. It didn't mean he was there himself however.
"Tony?" Natasha whispered quietly as the conversed in the corner as the others made plans to potentially prevent the Black Order from attacking the Nova Corps and retrieving the Power Stone. "This didn't happen before."
"For all, we know it could have done," noted Tony. "We know it was the first Stone he collected."
"But the attack on Thor's ship will not happen until next year. Bruce told us when he returned he'd only had the Power Stone a week before attacking the Asgardians," explained Natasha. "So why is he starting now?"
Tony swallowed, not wanting to think about the idea Thanos had caught onto what they were doing and was beginning his quest earlier than they intended. "Maybe he had several failed attempts before Thanos came himself. The ship picked up on the edge of the system isn't Thanos' capital one. Not the one he arrived in when he attacked Earth after we brought everyone back."
"I wasn't there for that," replied Natasha. She'd already been dead at that time.
Tony winced. "Sorry."
"Don't worry." She waved a hand. "Maybe he tried several times to get the Power Stone. He didn't succeed straight away because he didn't come himself."
Tony nodded, realisation hitting him. "So he's sent the Black Order, his children, to try to retrieve it for him. If this happened before, the Nova Corps were able to repel them and keep the Stone safe."
"Which would fit with their assertion it is safer with them," added Natasha, musing thoughtfully.
"But we need to turn this situation to our advantage," grudged Tony. "If they are attacking the Nova Corps, we stand a chance of getting in unnoticed and taking the Power Stone ourselves."
They glanced back at the others who were pouring over maps and plans of the Nova Corps base and their Vault, making plans as to how they could get in.
"We will have to help defend their headquarters," said Tony. "The others will."
"And you?" Natasha guessed.
"If I stay away and try to make my way to the Vault I could stand a chance of getting in without being noticed and absorb the Stone before any of the Black Order gets anywhere near it," planned Tony.
"You don't want anyone with you?" she prised.
Tony shook his head, his fingers resting on his Arc Reactor. "No. I think it would be better if it is just me trying to make my way in. That way if I am caught I can take the blame. The rest of you would be heralded as heroes whereas I would be a thief."
Natasha chuckled. "I don't think the voices would take too kindly to you getting yourself imprisoned."
"In this case, I think they'll help me out. This is what we have to do, Nat, get the Stones. This is the opportunity we need to take it without anyone noticing." Tony winced. "I'd rather not be away from the fight, but I need to absorb the Stone. If I don't…"
"I know…" whispered Natasha. Everything was riding on this. The future they were trying to prevent all depending on Tony's ability to get the Power Stone without being noticed.
"The Black Order's attack is a silver lining in that it gives me the perfect opportunity to take the low ground and sneak away whilst the rest of you mount a defence." Tony's lips twitched at the side.
Natasha pursed her lips. "We better hope this works. We only have one chance."
Tony couldn't help but agree.
Monday 17th April 2017
Surprisingly the Black Order didn't attack for a further two days. The assumption was that they were scouting out the territory before mounting an assault on the Nova Corps citadel. It made sense, especially since they had used stealth to enter the system and land on Xandar with a smaller craft. Unfortunately, despite the fact the Guardians had managed to hack into the manifests of the various spaceports around the planet, they hadn't been able to trace the ship the Black Order had arrived on.
They just had to sit and wait for the attack to begin which meant constant monitoring and continual rotation so everyone was well rested for the time when the attack would take place.
It was late at night that the Black Order attacked, setting off an explosion on the other side of the city, resulting in the majority of the Nova Corps to head in that direction, leaving the citadel lesser protected.
Whilst Steve led the Guardians in to help the Nova Corps at the incident, Tony and Natasha, alongside Pepper and Wanda, waited by the citadel, their eyes focused for any movement that would indicate the arrival of the Black Order. They were each positioned at strategic points, ever watchful, ready to act at the first sign of trouble.
Tony was suited up fully, waiting for the signal to move in.
"Tony, I see two figures slinking in at a side entrance. They've just killed four guards." Pepper's voice came over his com-unit. "They've forced their way into the building."
"Just what I wanted to hear," said Tony. "Ok, plan A is a go. Distract them and I'll sneak past to get to the Vault before they do. As soon as I have the Stone, I'll let you know and we will flee. If we time this right, we may be able to blame the Stone's loss on the Order themselves and divert attention from us."
"They've silenced the alarms," confirmed Wanda. "I'm going in."
"Be careful." Tony didn't want anyone to get hurt. "Pepper, be safe." He hated the thought that she was out there in the suit he had made for her. If she had to be involved, he'd rather she was close to him. He could at least protect her better this way, even if he was sneaking in himself. "Let me know when I'm good to go."
He stayed quiet on the comms. Steve would be able to contact him from his mission if anything was going remiss. The idea was to keep communication free from each separate team until Tony gave the confirmation he had obtained the Stone.
He had to wait for his cue, wait for Natasha to give him the all-clear. He had to not be observed getting through otherwise it would all be for nothing. If he could get to the Vault and obtain the Power Stone without being seen… The possibilities of things going wrong were high and yet Tony had hoped they might work out the way they wanted them to.
Engaged his thrusters, Tony flew up to the top of the Nova Corp Headquarters, away from the office where Irani Rael's office. He was sure she would be monitoring the situation from there. He needed to avoid her sensors though he was sure they wouldn't be able to get in and out undetected, not now the alarms had been silenced. They'd briefly gone off for a few seconds before silencing.
He leaned down, looking over the top at the pavement below, at the side entrance he intended to use as soon as he was given the go-ahead. This entrance was on the other side of the building, further away from the Vault but it should give him a free run to get through as quickly as possible. Hovering down a bit further, Tony settled on the ledge closest to the entrance, listening intently. Any guards that had been there before had been pulled inside to deal with the intruders.
He could hear shouts and screams in the distance and sirens going off as the other half of the Black Order descended upon the city. He hoped the others were alright.
"Tony?"
"Wanda?" Tony had been expecting Natasha to give him the all-clear.
"We're engaged with them. You have your chance!" She abruptly cut the connection, clearly a sign that they were fighting to hold them back to give Tony the time he needed.
Tony engaged his thrusters, flew down and fired at the closed door. He'd already assessed the possibility of his weaponry being able to blast it open and he'd been pleased to see that the multitude of weapons he had at his disposal was capable of getting through.
He didn't pause in his flight to check, only followed his sensors to where the Vault was. It was located deeper within the Citadel, underneath the basement, in one of the most secure places on the planet. Even those protections hadn't stopped Thanos before, nor would it prevent Tony from making it past either. He was meant to have the Stone.
Landing on his feet, Tony redacted the nanonites from his face. He was close as he could be without having to work his way through the defences. He stood in front of a round, metallic door. There was a panel to the side consisting of nine numbers. Should he just break the panel or try to hack his way in? He couldn't break it as doing so might stop the circuits from working. He'd have to try to hack in.
Instructing the nanonites to pull back, Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device Quill had given him as they'd left. Quill had emphasised he was only allowing Tony to borrow this, not keep it. He wouldn't really have a use for an alien hacker device anyway. He was sure his own suit would be able to get into the Vault but he supposed blowing them up was the more destructive way than trying to sneak in.
Placing the rectangle-shaped device beside the panel, Tony took the two short wires from the device and pressed them on the sensors of the panel. Numbers began to scroll across the screen, followed by an array of letters which one could select if they pressed the correct number on the panel which corresponded with that letter. The system was complicated but one Tony was used to.
Twenty seconds felt like forever before the device flashed up numbers and letters, a link of sixteen connected together, forming the passcode to open the door.
B57GIZX1Q08LK2RF
Swiftly inputting the code, Tony stepped back as the door opened. Grinning, he flew through, flying down the next two corridors at speed before coming to a halt at another digital code lock. Employing the same technique worked again, only this time, when the door opened, it opened onto an old fashioned staircase.
He supposed they wanted to make it harder to exit the Vault rather than provide a direct lift to it. Smart thinking and would make his escape a lot more difficult. It was surprising though that a technologically advanced civilisation would simply have a stair-case going down to the Vault though. He wasn't going to argue the semantics of it; he just needed to make do with what he could.
Instead of hovering down the stairs, Tony took them one at a time, careful to be as quiet as possible. He could have retracted the suit back into the Arc Reactor however doing so would leave him defenceless. His sensors told him there weren't any heat signatures below him but he couldn't take the risk. Just because they radiated no heat, didn't mean something couldn't be alive. There were so many varied species out in the universe that a lack of heat signature could not be used to blindly assume there were no guards.
He had just reached the bottom of the stairs when Pepper's voice came over his communicator.
"Tony! One got away. He's on his way to your location! We're trying to contain the other one!"
Tony acknowledged the message. Damn it. He wondered which Black Order member it was who he would end up facing. There was no way Tony would be able to retrieve the Power Stone and escape before the child of Thanos arrived.
"Better not be Squidward," he mused out loud as he made his way down a dimly lit corridor towards another door which had three keypads, two aligning it and one slightly higher up. "Damn it, them and their keypads." He quickly pulled out the device again, aligning the wires on the sensors before setting the device in motion.
All he needed was a minute to get the door open. Each lock would take twenty seconds. Sixty seconds was enough time for them to catch up to him.
"Reinforcements have arrived for the Nova Corps!" Natasha reported. "They're going to electrify the doors. It might buy you some time!"
"Thanks," Tony replied, inputting the first set of passwords. "I'm at the Vault now. Just trying to get through their security!"
"Be careful," Natasha advised.
Tony hastily repositioned the wires on the second sensor to the right of the door. He could hear thumping and shots getting closer to him, meaning that the Black Order member was being accosted by others as they tried to make their way to the Vault. If they could just hold him back…
The second password was keyed in. Using his thrusters to get himself next to the last one located above the door, Tony positioned the wires again, setting the device in motion. The password came slightly quicker than twenty seconds and he hurriedly put in the code.
Moving back, the door opened into a smallish, dimly lit room where, in the centre, on a podium, sat what Tony first presumed was a microwave (because it looked like one) but was clearly a heavily secured safe where inside he could see the Orb which contained the Power Stone.
Slinking towards it, Tony raised his hand. He had to throw caution away.
He blasted the safe with a repulsor blast and the glass cracked and broke away. Alarms went off in the Vault but Tony didn't care. He reached for the Orb, pulling it closer to him. Did he have time to absorb the stone?
Do it.
The voice echoed in his head. He could already feel his chest tingling, feeling a bit warm from the proximity of the Power Stone.
Just twist it open.
Using the strength of his two Gauntlets on each hand, Tony twisted the Orb at the crevice going through the middle, breaking it open. The Power Stone floated in front of him. The nanonites retreated up to his right arm and he reached out to take it –
"Give that to me!"
Tony whirled and saw Squidward behind him, reaching out towards the broken open Orb.
Without any further hesitation, Tony grasped the Infinity Stone in his bare hand.
He screamed.
Intense pain ran up his arm and his body was jerking uncontrollably. His chest was so hot, and through lidded eyes, he could see flashes of light as sparks jumped out from his palm. His right arm burned. And then he felt the Stone sinking into his skin, the pain running through his whole body before his legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground.
Breathing was hard. The last time he had felt so much pain was when he'd used the Infinity Stones themselves. There he had held it together before snapping his fingers and he suspected out of all the Stones, the Power Stone was the one which had caused irreversible damage to his body. His heart was pumping fast in his chest and he groaned as a booted foot rolled him over onto his back. He couldn't move. The power to the suit was dead. The nanonites were not responding to his thought processes.
Slimy, slippery fingers grasped his chin and held his face tight.
"What did you do, human? Where is the Stone?"
Tony laughed. He couldn't help it. There was no way Thanos was going to get the Stone now. "I don't have it."
"You had it!"
"Yeah, I did, but then it realised you were here and it magically disappeared!" retorted Tony, opening his eyes to see Squidward look down upon him angrily. He felt weak, dizzy even as if absorbing the Power Stone had completely drained him of all his strength.
"If you will not tell me then I will take you to someone who can force you."
Shit.
The last thing Tony needed right now was to fall into the hands of Thanos. But his suit was not responding. The absorption of the Power Stone seemed to have short-circuited the Arc Reactor and his suit was dead. Unable to retract the nanonites, he had become a prisoner inside his own suit.
He felt himself being levitated into the air.
No. No! This can't be happening!
He couldn't move in his suit. And he tried, kept on trying regardless of the lack of movement.
A cold hand touched his cheek and he tried to pull away. But he still felt weak.
"Whatever you did with the Stone, we will pry it from your mind with ease."
Tony was about to reply when Squidward went flying and Tony fell to the ground. Pepper was by his side in an instant as Wanda moved past, red waves of magic erupting from her fingers as she fought against Tony's captor.
"Come on," Pepper hissed. "You got it, right?"
Tony nodded. "I did. My suit is dead. I can barely move. The Stone must have short-circuited the Arc Reactor. It won't retract the nanonites. The joints have all fused together,"
"That complicates things," breathed Pepper. "You're too heavy for me to lift, even in this suit."
"Where's Nat?" Tony asked.
"She went to help Steve and the others. The other attacker fled back out into the city," explained Pepper. "She told us you needed help and that we were the better two to stay."
Tony cursed.
There was a scream and Wanda came flying back, her spine impacting against the wall. She got to her feet, wincing in pain.
"GIVE ME THE STONE!"
Squidward was back, his eyes shining menacingly as he attacked Wanda with ease, using his telepathic powers to send her flying across the room.
Yet Wanda wasn't giving up. "You will not have him!" Tendrils of red erupted from her fingertips and she threw him back again.
"Wanda! Tony can't move! His suit is dead!" Pepper shouted out.
Wanda barely acknowledged but she twisted her left hand and Tony felt himself levitating into the air again. "Take him. Get him away from here. I will hold the connection for as long as I can." Wanda stood firm against her attacker, her eyes shining slightly red as she allowed her power to course through her body.
Pepper grasped Tony's shoulders. "I can move you." Engaging her thrusters, she began to push Tony out of the Vault.
"We can't leave her!" hissed Tony, trying to move but was still unable to do so.
"We have to!" Pepper ignored Tony's protests. "She'll be fine. But you are completely defenceless whilst your suit is dead." The helmet retracted over her lovely face. "And I'm getting you out of here to safety, Tony."
He couldn't argue with her. He was now effectively useless in the fight. Wanda was powerful and determined enough to stop Squidward from chasing them but the fact she was still keeping him levitated showed how powerful she really was. He knew she was going to be exhausted after this.
"Can you put the call through?" asked Tony. "I've got the Stone. We can retreat. I'm sure the Black Order will retreat too… They know the Stone is gone."
"Did they see what you did?"
Tony wasn't sure. "No, but they know I have it. We need to get out of here before magic guy alerts the others." He was sure there would be complications to Squidward partially witnessing what he'd done but he couldn't change the outcome now.
All they had to do was try to stay one step ahead of Thanos, otherwise, they would fail.
Somewhere in Space
On-board the Benatar
"That didn't go well." Tony was now out of the suit, having had it cut off him since they were unable to repair the Arc Reactor without removing the suit first. He was in the process of resetting it and restoring as many of the nanonites as possible.
"We got what we came for," said Quill. "We retreated as soon as Pepper's call came through."
"And leaving the Nova Corps to deal with the rest of the Black Order," stated Tony. He didn't feel much like a hero leaving a population to deal with Thanos' children.
"They retreated as well," said Wanda, walking into the medbay. "The one who attacked you put the call through for the others to retreat as they had failed. I couldn't stop him from escaping either…" She looked regretful. "Tony… did they see?"
Tony winced. "Partially."
"That's bad."
"What's bad?" asked Steve. He was bruised and had several cuts on his face and arms having got on the wrong side of one of Gamora's adoptive brothers during the battle in the city. They'd smoothed some healing paste onto his skin to induce faster healing though Steve had been insistent his own cells didn't need the extra boost.
Tony shifted in his chair and glanced at Natasha, who was leaning against the wall, her arms folded across her chest. "They saw."
"Saw what?" Steve pressed. Out of the people currently present only Steve didn't know that Tony was absorbing the Stones.
"We're not destroying the Stones, Steve," admitted Tony quietly. "We're collecting them. I can… absorb them. A simple touch and they seem to merge with me."
Steve blinked. "Right. Is this something to do with –" He noticed Natasha shaking her head. He pointed towards Quill and Gamora. "They don't know?"
"Not yet," replied Natasha quietly.
"Yeah, and we would like to know what is going on!" Quill retorted angrily.
"Peter…" Gamora laid a hand on his shoulder. "We promised them we would wait."
"Until after they got the two Stones and now they have them!" Quill argued back. Gamora relented.
Tony shrugged. "It's fine. You might not believe it. Nat and I are from the future, a future where Thanos won. We're trying to stop it from happening." He wasn't going to explain to the Guardians they had ultimately won in that future at the cost of his and Natasha's lives. They didn't really need to know that. "Both Nat and I went to sleep one night and then woke up back in the past. We can't explain what happened or why, just got to adapt to the situation and work around it."
"That is the most ridiculous explanation I have ever heard!" Quill threw his arms up in the air. "Come on, the real truth."
Wanda stepped forward, her eyes narrowing. "It's the truth."
Natasha uncrossed her arms. "Ever since we came back, Tony has been able to absorb the Stones. We don't know why. He has four. There are two left. Thanos cannot get a hold of any of them. But there is one that Gamora can take us to."
Quill look baffled. "Really?"
"I can," admitted Gamora.
"We need the Soul Stone," beseeched Natasha. "We know it is on Vormir but we do not have the galactic coordinates. If Thanos learns of what Tony is doing – and there is no doubt that he will now know – we have to get the Soul Stone. The only way for us to save this future is to collect them all. Without Soul, we will fail."
Gamora lowered her head, her hair falling about her shoulders. "Thanos will stop at nothing to get what he desires." She glanced at Tony. "He already knows you, Stark. You took out his army. He sees you as an enemy. One to watch."
"But will you help us?" asked Pepper quietly, moving into the conversation.
Gamora's hands hung loose at her side. A tiny nod of her chin was all the confirmation they needed. "I'll take you to Vormir."
Chitauri Space
Sanctuary II
"You failed me. All of you." Thanos swept his gaze across his children as they bowed before him, remiss in their failure to acquire the Power Stone
"We will accept any punishment you bestow upon us, father," decreed his daughter, Proxima.
He hadn't truly been expecting them to succeed yet Ebony Maw had been seconds away from retrieving it before he'd been stopped by a human: a human who had somehow taken the Stone and hidden it.
The image of the human hovered in the centre of the room. Maw had provided the image of the human from his own memory, allowing Thanos to scour his mind to see what exactly had happened.
A human had held the Power Stone and lived.
It wasn't the first time it had happened either. His daughter, Gamora, and her little gang had held the Power Stone too and prevented Ronan from using it to destroy Xandar. But this event, what Ebony Maw had witnessed was very different to the one Gamora had been involved in.
But this human intrigued him, what with his suit of armour and his uncanny ability to stand in Thanos' way and wreck his plans. No, it was time for him to act upon this threat.
"Tony Stark…" he murmured. He'd made sure to learn the identity of the human who had destroyed his army before. It seemed they were destined to face one another. But Thanos wasn't going to face him on Stark's terms. "He has become a problem. A problem I want to be solved." Thanos turned his gaze back to his four children. "Track him. Monitor him and keep your distance. They'll return to Earth soon."
"Do you wish for us to bring him to you?" Ebony Maw enquired, keeping his head bowed and his fingers pressed together.
"No. Not yet. He will die by my hand once he has told me where he has put the Power Stone. We have to be cautious. I want to learn more before Tony Stark is brought to me."
Thanos focused upon the visage of Tony, shimmering in the air in front of him. A slight smile tugged at his lips. "Stark is already mine. He just doesn't know it yet."
To be continued...
Please let me know what you think!
So, Thanos wasn't supposed to appear in this story just yet but his first appearance has been moved up to this chapter, just because it felt right to do so. Plus, he's got his eye on Tony which is the one thing Tony and Nat didn't want. Tony had no choice in absorbing the Power Stone when he did. It is now a race against time... Especially because Thanos is intent on getting hold of Tony... We don't want him to capture Tony, do we? *whistles innocently*
I do not think the Xandarians would easily give up the Power Stone. They believed they were powerful enough to keep it from anyone stealing it. Ultimately, in Infinity War they failed and Thanos took it first. Even though Thanos didn't take it until 2018, I could see him sending his children in a few attempts to steal it before getting fed up with their failures and going in himself. Unfortunately for Thanos in this case, Tony was already there.
The intensity of the Power Stone itself and how it disabled Tony. It's the most destructive Infinity Stone I think. Absorbing it caused Tony's Arc Reactor to short-circuit and his suit lose all power so he was effectively stuck in a suit he couldn't command.
And, I realised when writing this chapter that Tony never learned Ebony Maw's name. He just referred to him as Squidward, which is why in this chapter, as it is written in Tony's POV, that Maw is referred to as Squidward.
Quill and Gamora getting the time-travel explanation for Tony and Natasha - that conversation will be expanded on in a later chapter, as even Gamora recognises they are running out of time if they want to stop Thanos.
Next chapter: The Soul Stone. I'm saying nothing about this chapter. :D Will be posted next Sunday 12th January 2020.
Until then,
the-writer1988