Disclaimer: I don't not un-own anything.

Summary: Humanity has been lost to the ravages of the apocalypse. Nothing is left, all the Avengers are dead. Until one of them is given a second chance, by a mysterious entity. But are they willing?

Chapter 8 : Just Tony

'-'

Pepper grabbed my chin, and dug her nails in. She whispered in my ear. "See you in the morning you worthless piece of shit."

I blacked out. Weather to pain, blood loss or heartbreak. I didn't care. My life was officially worthless.

'-'

When I woke up, I was in the same cell as the Avengers. Bruce had wrapped up my arm while I was asleep. A small part of me was grateful for his kindness. The rest of me was pissed at him for not letting me d- No. I won't go there. I have a mission to fulfill, and I promised myself, that I would never go there again. But, what's the point of saving a world, and keeping a promise, if I can no longer live in the world? Pepper is...was my everything. She was right, when she said it. I was a selfish asshole.

I didn't talk to anyone else in the cell. I didn't care. I don't know what the others thought about it. I didn't care.

I don't know why any part of me, no matter how small, still wanted to escape to see my boys and Jarvis. I don't know why that small part of me still felt an obligation to save the world. I don't know why that small part of me still wanted to save the others. I don't understand why that small fragment of my being still wanted to care. What's the point in caring if you have no one to care for.

In that moment, my masks came off, and my walls crumbled. The masks that'd I've used to hide myself with for years. Every single one.

First went the mask of narcissism. It was the largest, and most complete by far. It was the one I hid behind everyday. It was Stark. It was what I showed the tabloids. It was what I showed the press. Heck, I even showed it to the Avengers. As far as the world was concerned, it wasn't big enough for Tony Stark's ego. That was a lie. I knew it. Textbook Narcissism. It was all a lie.

Slowly my other masks fell off, until the only thing left, was Tony. Not Tony Stark, genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Underneath, was Me. Tony. Genius, fucked up, cowardly, inventor. Me, the narcissist who was too short sighted to keep a girl friend. Me, the asshole who pushed everyone, because he was too selfish and cowardly to risk bonding with everyone. Me, the one Howard ignored. Me, the one Obiediah left and betrayed. Me, the one even Pepper couldn't love. Me, the complete fuck-up.

As ironic was it was, I felt refreshed. It was the first time I'd been 100% me, since before the first time Howard yelled at me. It felt ironically good. It was refreshing and exhausting at the same time, to let out the tears I'd been holding back for years. The tears I held back when Howard and Maria hadn't shown up for my MIT graduation. The tears I didn't shed at their funeral. The tears I tried to forget when Yinsen died. The tears I never even thought about when Obiediah betrayed me. Every single betrayal, backstab, let down, and regret, were expressed through the tears that fell down my face.

Tears escaped my eyes, leaving a wet trail on my face. I sobbed, and bawled, and wailed and whimpered. I was a fuck up. I was worthless. I had no one to love me, because I was unloveable. I wasn't worth Pepper's love. I wasn't worth Bruce's care. I was worth nothing. I sobbed, and bawled, and wailed, and cried.

I didn't notice the others as they looked on with pity in their faces. I didn't notice their attempts to comfort me. Even if I had noticed, I wouldn't have cared. My life was worth nothing now.

'-'

Time had passed. I didn't know how much. I didn't care how much. I still felt worthless, but my thoughts had begun to feel numb. I couldn't think. I was emotionally exhausted. My heart was still throbbing, after Pepper expressed the anger she was holding back. My gut was still aching with guilt and regret. My throat was raw from my screaming, and my lungs were tired from my sobs. My eyes were tired from crying. I was tired. So tired. I don't know why I did it. I don't know what compelled me to open my eyes. I regretted it immediately. I was back in my lonely cell.

But that wasn't the worst part.

Not even close.

The worst thing...

The haunting thing...

The heart breaking thing...

Pepper was in the cell...

With a knife...and a malicious gleam in her eyes.