Chapter 2 – Confrontation

'Thought you said this would be simple?' Clint's voice comes through the comms. 'And I quote Cap: "It'll be simple. Find Thanos, take him by surprise, get the stones and bring everyone back." This is not simple, Cap. We need to have a conversation about what the word "simple" means.'

Tony sniggers. 'He's got you there, Cap,' he says as he blasts a couple more enemies with his repulsors. Landing near Steve he powers up the reactor in his chest, sending a blast towards the soldier that the blond reflects with the shield, clearing the enemies around him.

They'd landed on this planet, Thanos' retirement plan as it had been lovingly referred to, the original six Avengers, with Rhodey, Carol, Rocket and Nebula alongside them, and faced Thanos. The gauntlet he'd used to harness the power of the stones was fused to his arm and he'd been about to use it once more: to destroy the stones and any hope they had of reversing his snap. Unfortunately there had also been the remnants of his army with him.

The others had engaged the army, while he, Steve and Thor had faced Thanos, hoping to get the gauntlet from him. It hadn't gone so well. Hence why he and Steve are now in the middle of fighting the army with the others.

'We really do need to stop taking on entire armies when it's just us,' he points out, taking to the skies once again. 'Anyone seen Thor?'

'Been kind of busy looking at a load of uglies,' Natasha responds.

'Hey! Mr Stark!'

Tony nearly falls out of the air. 'No way. Kid?!' He spots a very familiar form below him and lands in front of the teenager. 'Where'd you come from?'

'Well we all appeared back on Titan and then Doctor Strange started doing his fizzy magic thing and said we had to get back to Earth and get everyone else because you guys would be up here and need some help. So we went back to Wakanda, which by the way is incredible and I really want to go back there when we've finished here, and got everyone else and now we're here to help you guys fight Thanos and there are a lot of bad guys here by the way. So what- oh,' Peter stops his rambling as Tony pulls him into a tight hug, 'this is nice.'

'Steve you seeing what I'm seeing?' Natasha asks.

'Yeah, Nat, I am,' Steve laughs.

'On your left, Cap,' Sam says through their newly linked comms, and comes flying over Tony and Peter's heads.

'We better get back to the fight, Stark,' Strange says, landing next to him, 'Thor will need our help after snapping us back.'

'Where is he?' Tony asks as Steve joins them, tightening the straps on his shield.

'He should be where you left Thanos,' Strange says, 'we shall join the others, you and the Captain should go and find him.'

'This all part of your "one chance" scenario?' Tony asks.

'So far,' Strange nods.

'Good luck, Mr Stark,' Peter says, 'hi again Captain Rogers sir.'

'Uh, hi kid?' Steve blinks over at Tony as the two run off. 'Is he always like that?'

Tony laughs, the first real laugh since all this started. 'Yeah, yeah he is.'

'Ready to go save Thor?'

'Need a lift?' Tony grabs hold of Steve, lifting both of them into the air and heading towards the hut where they'd left Thanos.

'Tony your comms off?' Steve asks.

'They are now. Why?'

'Just…I love you.'

'I love you too, soldier. Now let's go kick some Titan ass.'

'Tony! Thor's down.'

'Shit!'

Steve's right. Thor's down on the floor, Mjolnir resting out of reach as he struggles to hold the sword Thanos is pressing towards his chest away from him. His left arm has the gauntlet, which has fused to his arm, and is laying useless at his side.

Tony sets Steve down then flies towards Thanos. 'Hey! Ugly!' Thanos turns and knocks him to the side, sending him spiralling as he attempts to right himself. 'Dammit,' he curses as he loads up his repuslors. 'Get off my friend you overgrown action toy.'

Then Mjolnir comes flying into the back of the Titan's head, knocking him off balance.

Then it goes flying back the way it came and into Steve's outstretched hand.

'I knew it!' Thor laughs from where he still lies on the ground.

'Wow,' Tony breathes, 'now that is something I didn't think I'd be seeing today.' He goes to Thor's side. 'How you doing big guy?'

'I think,' the god of thunder replies, 'I may have one more snap left in me.'

'What you planning?' Tony asks. 'Tell me how much time you need.'

'As long as you can give me. If this works I can wipe out our enemies and return Asgard.'

'Go for it Point Break. We'll give you all the time we can.'

As Thanos knocks Steve flying sideways Tony lands on his back, sending out the nanites to form a mask covering the Titan's eyes. 'Ever heard of a game called Blindman's Bluff?'

'I grow weary of your constant chattering. Next time I shall ensure the entire human race is wiped out,' Thanos grumbles, ripping the nanites from his face and throwing Tony off. Just as Steve hits him with an uppercut from Mjolnir.

'I feel like I should have some comment ready about your new hammer, but I'm a little busy right now.'

Steve laughs. 'There'll be plenty of time for that later.'

'Guys? You seeing this?' Clint asks through the comms. They turn to see Thanos' army disappearing just as their friends had a few days before.

'He's done it,' Tony breathes, looking over to Thor. The god is curled in on himself, his left arm lying on the ground next to him. 'Thor!'

'We got him Tony,' Natasha says, appearing next to the god. 'You two handle Thanos.'

'I got him,' Carol says, landing next to them and channeling her power at the Titan.

'Need a hand, Captain?' Steve says, sending lightning from Mjolnir to join her power. Tony stands next to him, charging his chest reactor to add to the power. It's too much for the Titan to fight off, and he goes soaring backwards to land in a crumpled heap at the foot of a wall.

'Who wants to do the honours?' Tony growls as the rest of the team joins them.

'Let Nebula and Gamora,' Thor groans from his place next to Natasha. 'They should be the ones to end it.'

Nebula walks forwards, a green skinned woman next to her who Tony supposes is the infamous Gamora.

'So,' Thanos groans, 'it is my daughters that will be the end of me?'

'Do you want to do it?' Nebula ignores the Titan and asks Gamora.

'We should do it together,' is the reply, as Gamora takes out her sword.

'Very well,' Thanos says. 'So you take my children from me, I shall take yours from you.'

Tony feels that everything goes in slow motion as he sees Thanos lift his hand, the concealed knife now in plain view, and he sends it flying towards Peter, whose face is no longer covered by the mask of his suit.

'Peter!' he doesn't think, he just moves in front of the teenager, the knife piercing through his armour and he feels it sink deep into his stomach.

'Tony!'

'Mr Stark!'

'No!'

There's lots of shouting, lots of noise as he hits the ground. He rolls, the movement making the knife dig deeper into his stomach, pulling it across to rip more muscle. He thinks he hears a grunt and the sound of something hitting the ground, but he's face down in the dirt.

Then there's hands on him, rolling him onto his back. His head is being held by someone and there's more shouting. His stomach is on fire and it gets worse when he coughs.

'Steve?' where's Steve. If this is going to be it for him he wants to see his soldier.

'I'm here, Tony, I'm here. Just hang on, alright? Strange is going to try and help, and we're getting a portal ready, T'Challa's sent for Shuri, she'll be able to help you. Just hang on a little longer alright?'

'Where's Peter?'

'Mr Stark?' he can hear the tears in the teenager's voice, then his brown head is in his vision. 'Mr Stark why did you do that?'

'Just remember to keep your mask up alright?' he says instead, smiling as much as he can as another cough wracks his body. 'Can't be losing you now we just got you back.'

'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Please Mr Stark, just hang on. Don't go. Please.'

'You'll be alright, kid,' he reassures him, finding it more and more difficult to focus on individuals. 'This is a good team, they'll have your back.'

'Tony, stay with me!'

'There's that Captain voice,' Tony chuckles. 'You trying to give me orders again?'

'Hoping you might actually follow one for once,' Steve says, and Tony manages to focus enough to see tears in those blue eyes.

'I'll do my best.'

'Don't make me break my promise, Tony,' Steve pleads, 'I told you we'd get everyone back. That includes you, Tony.' Steve lowers his head close to Tony's, resting their foreheads together, so all he can see is Steve. 'We got a life to start remember? Don't leave me now, love, please.'

'Come here, soldier,' he whispers, beginning to lose his vision, 'hold on to me. Keep me with you.'

'Tony!' is the last thing he hears, seemingly through water, as his vision blacks out.

A/N: All I can say is: I'm sorry and I love you all.

Love always,

L x

As always here's you sneak peek (again I'm sorry and I love you):

Steve fumbles with the tie at his neck, his fingers shaking with thoughts on what he's about to do. 'Dammit!' he curses as the material once again slips through his fingers.

'Come here,' Sam sighs, coming to stand in front of him wearing a matching black suit, 'honestly, Cap, I thought you'd done this millions of times.'

'Yeah,' Steve admits, 'but Tony would always change it anyway.' His voice catches a little on the inventor's name.