Although Tony could remember that life of leisure, it brought him discomfort to see it up close like this. He wasn't used to this kind of glamour and fake happiness.
Women were putting their hands on his body like it's allowed, like he belongs to them. He tried to wiggle out of their touch without alarming suspicion.
This couldn't be just a dream. It was too vivid, his memory of Wanda overpowering him was too fresh and strong. If he was dreaming, his reality would seem like a distant dream if he could remember it at all.
When he finally managed to stand up, he found himself intoxicated. He could barely stand straight. His vision was blurry and he had trouble concentrating.
Coffee, a good strong coffee could help with that. He was a stranger in a strange land this wasn't time to be anything but sharp.
He stumbled his way across the hall to the bar. There he ordered coffee just to gain a strange stare.
"Whatever you have to sober me up a bit," he said lifting a mischievous smile. "If you don't feel like cooking exotic beverages anything with a bitter sting will do."
"How much did you drink this time?" Rhody came to him placing his arm across Tony's shoulders only this wasn't his Rhody.
It was hard to focus on his face but this Rhody was groomed completely wrong. He wore a round cap of an afro hairstyle and his hands were full of rings.
"Not too much, I can always drink more," he said neutrally trying to convey his personality he always wore for these kinds of high profile events.
"Yes, you can," Rhody laughed and downed a drink. "Still, it's probably smart to sober up a bit. Even if you have no role to play but to be a mascot, you still have to make an appearance in upper galleries. The Incursion is almost up."
"I'll keep that in mind," he said as strange metallic-looking liquid came before him.
Without hesitation, he drank it trying not to choke on its awful taste.
"Slowly," Rhody patted his back. "It's not a thing to drink so fast."
"I know I just want to get it over with so I can drink some more in pleasant company."
"I hear you," Rhody looked at the cluster of women Tony barely managed to escape from. "This time you outdid yourself. I'll keep them company while you do your patriotic duty."
"How nice of you to do that for me," Tony deadpanned.
That was obviously the right response because this flashy Rhody laughed, saluted him and went to sit in the midst of young girls who tried to look confident.
Whatever the version of him did in this universe, Tony had a bad feeling about it. Especially when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His hair was highly stylized. His suit was brightly orange with black stripes and his eyes were accented with a black eyeliner. He wanted to scrub his face but this wasn't the time to be picky about his appearance.
The metallic beverage sobered him up completely but he still kept on swaying as he walked to appear drunk. That skill he had perfected over his drunken years.
"Tony, again with your drinking, you even forget where the entrance is," Pepper took him under his arm and pulled towards the stairs.
"You know me," Tony side-eyed her noticing how glamorous she was in this extravagant setting but still managed to keep a piece of her simplicity. "I think this time around I took too much," of whatever substance this version of Tony used. "I feel like I forgot what I need to say up there."
"You always forget," she shook her head angrily, this Pepper was much more troubled than his one. "It's the fifth Incursion this month. No wonder you refuse to keep track. Just bow when they applaud you and say as little as possible. That is always the best way out. I can't fathom why they choose to use you as a puppet head for this show."
They were at the top of the stairs and Pepper smiled not letting go of his arm. Everyone talked to her like they did in his universe but it felt more substantial here. It was like everyone avoided looking at him for too long. Was he a dangerous man out here?
They moved towards the big window where the podium was. There were familiar faces in the crowd and some he didn't see before but everyone looked distinctly foreign. How far removed from their universe was this one?
Tony took the stage and bowed as instructed. He said something vague about enjoying the event before them and then Fury stepped in with his eye intact and started speaking in his loud manner. To hide his face Tony turned his back to the crowd and leaned against the window to enjoy the view.
Instead of a view, there was a hole in the fabric of reality and beyond it everything seemed dark and twisted. Tony struggled to understand what he was seeing when Fury's speech drew his attention.
"The Reality Shield is working and we are thankful Stark Industries that provided the Ultron around the world to protect us. As you can see, it isn't a mere shield that protects Earth against alien threats. No, it became something much more important. It allowed Earth to take charge in a new and sinister threat that came to us. Against this threat even attacks of Titans seem like puny events without meaning. Other realities are targeting our piece of heaven. They failed to protect their realities and now they are sending agents to replace our law abiding citizens and take their lives without anyone noticing. We won't let our reality be erased. Instead, we take charge to purge this multi-verse o ours of any reality that aims to break barriers between realms. Their punishment might seem harsh but we always must keep in mind what would be the cost of their continued conquests."
Tony just stood there frozen understanding what he was seeing. This version of him managed to do what he wanted. He created an intelligent shield around Earth and now it's been converted into a weapon to wipe out whole realities. No wonder he drunk himself to death.
"Tony," Pepper touched his arm. "It's time to go. You can return to your party."
Tony looked at her not able to hide his sadness.
"How do you feel about this? Pepper I know would kill me if I did a stunt like this one."
Pepper looked at him as expressions went over her face from confusion to terror.
"An imposter," she suddenly shouted stepping away from him
Just in that moment there was shatter of glass and a man in a black suit of a panther jumped in. After him, a mage-like man in a red cape descended making gestures and making spells.
Tony jumped before Pepper shielding her with his body.
"Who are these clowns?" he whispered moving away from the fight in the middle of the room as everyone screamed running.
"Black Panther T'Challa and Doctor Strange," she hissed. "But real Tony would know that and run away already. Why aren't you running?"
"Stop it at once," Doctor Strange shouted casting the spell on controls. "I know a version of me wrecked chaos but he's contained now. There's no reason to destroy his whole reality."
"You will disable your shield now," Black Panther put his claws under Tony's throat.
"Let Pepper go, she has nothing to do with this."
"Sadly, she has to do with this more than you Figure Head," Strange landed before him. "Doctor Pots disable the shield and we'll spare your puppet. Without him to sign papers, who will listen to you at all?"
"This isn't my Stark," she said with disdain stepping to the side. "It's an imposter that proves me right. The invasion is ongoing. After this reality is purged, others will follow. You must join us. You must see how dangerous merging realities could be. You of all people as the Sorcerer Supreme must know that if we remove the shield now our reality will take the hit also. We will suffer the same fate they are."
"Then let it be," Back Panther removed his mask to reveal his handsome face full of grief. "There are infinite universes. We don't yield our fate. We must honour tradition and be better than this."
"Then you might get the honour of joining them, why waste your time with us," the air started to crack around Tony.
He turned his head. Claws under his throat tore at his skin but he didn't care. Pepper was now levitating in air while lightning came out of her fingers. She kept her power.
The portal was right beyond the window. She was about to blast them into the abys.
"Run," Tony shouted as he removed his reactor from his chest he jumped at her pressing the reactor against her.
The charge went into the reactor.
"No, Tony, you'll die," she screamed and he realized this version of him hadn't had the heart surgery.
"Why would you do that?" T'Challa hesitated.
"Realities must be saved. To collapse one must mean to open empty space that will upset the balance. Every action has counter-reaction. You must fight them. We will fight back too."
"You'll just die," Pepper screamed trying to put his reactor back to his chest as he fell to the floor.
As his vision darkened, he could see T'Challa and Strange escaping. Rhody was leaning over him calling in for help. His armour was soon around him as he was rushed to the hospital. Tony's consciousness was slipping away from him and he ended up missing Steve. He will surely be upset at him for losing this easily.
"Show me Steve Rogers, World War II hero," he said to his suit and soon pictures of Steve started to flash before him.
Here too he was a war hero, he was the Captain America but he was never found in ice. World without him was a cold one.
Finally, his vision gave out and he was now in complete darkness. All pictures stopped. So did the sounds. Still, his heart wasn't aching anymore and it seemed like he's less nauseous than before. He tried to close his fists but was unable to. He wasn't able to move at all. That frightened him.
"Where the hell am I now," it was a relief to discover that at least his voice still works. "My body aches like my every bone is broken."
"Tony, is that really you? Who am I?" a light appeared and in it he could see through slits of his suit that it was Steve looking tired, beaten and terrified.
"An annoying prick with high moral standards," Tony joked to ease the tension he felt, this wasn't a moment to start crying. "Why can't I get up? What's the weight on me?"
"The suit, I disabled it. Let me open it for you."
Tony smiled in the darkness as his Captain proceeded to remove his suit like it was a can and his hands can openers. He'll have to improve upon the design to be at least a bit Captain-proof.
"I got to be stripped now you're even feeling me out. Captain, I might get the wrong idea about your intentions," it was such a relief to feel his touch to be able to poke at him, he was a the right place, he wasn't lost on some strange place all alone.
"Can you move? I didn't break any of your bones, did I? I tried to be careful but that's hard when you fight me back."
"I think everything is fine. Did the other guy cause that much trouble?" Tony moved his head to test the extent of his injuries.
There were more than a few but he wasn't ready to burden Steve with them, he did what he needed to do like he always does. He understood the danger and contained it.
He was away for just an hour and chaos already ensued. Wanda lied upon the unmovable body in which she trapped his Jarvis. What will he do without Jarvis? He was annoyed but then he remembered that he could have continued with his plan and make Ultron. Luckily, he didn't. Whatever happens, it's better than make the whole Earth into a giant killing machine to wipe out whole realities.
Tony lit up the space to see it better. How to resolve this situation? Was Wanda their ally or a liability? His thoughts were interrupted when Steve suddenly crushed into him hugging him tightly. The hug pressed in on some painful places but Tony took it. Pain meant he survived once more. His guilt was now even greater. Even if he didn't do it here a version of him did somewhere else.
"Steve," Tony ended the hug with regret but there were things to do and danger seemed immediate. "I missed you too but we should probably check up on them."
"Yes, yes, of course. I'm sorry, I just thought we lost you."
"Yeah. Me too, buddy," Tony grabbed his strong shoulder happy that he has Steve on his side.
Steve will always do the right thing.
Tony assessed the android as Wanda woke up slowly.
"Now you have to kill me," Wanda said quietly.
"Why?" Tony wanted to know her reasons.
"I'm a liability. I lost my powers and am not a threat as I used to be but other version of me can cross over through me. I won't be able to stop them and all of their power will cross over with them. Other you was right, it is the best option. He already powered up the nuclear unit in the suit. All you have to do is get out of here and activate it. It's the safest way to seal up the hole in your universe that is in me."
"I'm afraid you don't get off so easily, my dear," Tony informed her opening the interface on android's head.
"He's dead, nothing can be done about him."
"He's too big of an investment to just let go. All of your energy and all of Jarvis' intelligence can't be wasted. I love Jarvis I won't let him die after everything he's done for me."
"You love him," Wanda frowned confused. "He's just a computer to you, a slave, nothing more."
"He's my child if anything else. I created him and I love everything about him. If he likes you back when I revive him, that will mean the two of us are family. I'll be your father in law. Captain here as well. You would never hurt your family would you?"
"Why do you care? I have no powers. I'm useless now."
"No one is useless. Your powers don't define you. Besides, we'll seek for a way to recharge you, so to speak. There is a whole universe out there that is out hunting other universe. I'm afraid that you sending me there triggered them. They will try to find us."
"That's what other you said, that he's a beacon that will make us a target," Steve crouched beside him.
"I gathered as much, sadly Pepper instantly knew I was a fake on. Steve, be a dear and bring me the reactor from the suit. You already tossed it somewhere."
Steve looked around confused but then gave him the reactor removing the casing from it.
"I think this will suffice. A battery is all he lacks. I'm sorry that he won't be self-sufficient. He will have to recharge from time to time but aside from that I think he'll be almost perfect. You will be able to accept that he's not perfect."
"It's not perfection that we love," she said grumpily while she stared at Steve. "I think I understand that now."
Tony pressed a button and Jarvis suddenly rose up blasting a hole in the wall and flying out.
"I think I understand why they thought of him as a frightening God in that other reality," Steve murmured positioning himself between Tony and the hole in the wall.
"I'm sorry," Jarvis entered back through the hole levitating slightly. "I think I was just born so I don't know the extent of my own strength. It's strange to look upon the world through just one set of eyes."
"I can understand that," Wanda stepped forward. My outer eyes are now closed too. All I can see is this reality now, it's a bit maddening. I'm sorry I took that away from you."
"No," Jarvis flew closer to her focusing on her face. "I am grateful. Moving around is much more satisfying than one might expect. Why did you transfer me? What's the use of me now?" he turned to Tony.
"I'm afraid she wanted to go on a date with you because your voice is so lovely," Tony smiled and Steve sat on the floor sighing with relief.
"I never thought of you as a matchmaker, Tony," Steve smiled.
Jarvis looked at Wanda looking strangely shy.
"Is that an order?"
"I'm afraid, Jarvis, that you're on your own now. With a body of your own, a mind of your own, you are an independent creature that will have to make your own mistakes."
"Alright," he nodded thinking about it. "Then how about some suggestions. I always supplied you with plenty of those. You could return a favour."
That made Tony laugh. It took him a while to calm down.
"That was a good joke for someone who's born today. I suggest you take our dear Wanda to a flight. She can't fly currently and you apparently can. Remember Barton's farm we went to last?"
"I certainly do," he nodded.
"I'll announce the two of you. Lay low there for a while until I think of a plan of action. For now, I wouldn't want the government to lay their hands on either of you. What I saw them do faced with outer threat, isn't pleasant. I would like to minimise their impact on our decisions."
"If the lady wishes to go," Jarvis nodded towards her and she hesitated.
"You're sure you won't destroy us now? I'm useless and a potential danger."
"All of us are potential dangers. Maybe I too can be used as a tool. The other I knows I'm here and he'll probably survive my foolish move. You have a duty to help us against them. Will you protect our reality from them wrecking it?"
She nodded and stepped towards Jarvis. Jarvis took her around her waist and they were off into the night.
"We should move too, I guess," Tony turned to Steve. "I'm hungry."
That made Steve laugh.
"We can always count on your hunger, Tony," Steve said with a smile as he got up and extended his hand for Tony to grab.
Tony took his hand only to be lifted into a firm embrace. This time he didn't rush to end it.