Cosmic is Forever
Summary:Set after may have fooled Galactus and left before the Devourer could do anything,but was that the end?If so, then why is there a gold man the Universe is celebrating and the Cabal hunting?
Tony knew that things were not the same. He was not the same, not anymore, anyway.
Ever since the whole Galactus spectacle he felt himself drawing away from everyone and they didn't seem to notice. He stopped calling Sam into the lab, stopped giving Hulk and Thor things to see if they were really the new alloy that he could cover the Tower's walls in so that they don't bring the building down. Stopped waiting for Natasha to come back from SHIELD missions with a ready glass of vodka to calm her nerves down so she could stop being Black Widow and become Natasha Romanov, the Avenger. He stopped pestering Clint for using his arc reactor to pop popcorn and even stopped complaining to Fury when the man bothered to call. Heck, he even stopped giving Cap his reinforced punching bags. He simply left several dozen outside the lab every day and the good Captain would take them without knocking on Tony's door.
They never noticed when he no longer came to team dinners on Tuesdays or skipped the Friday move nights. They all just assumed he was busy and no one even bothered to see if he was okay. He guessed that he deserved it after the stunt he had pulled with Galactus but surely they would have stopped with the cold treatment the second day? Sure, each and every one of them knew how to hold a grudge, but never against each other. That's what made them such a good team...
Then again, maybe he wasn't the best judge in that category. He had never been one to play well with others, a side effect of never having friends until he was dying and met Yinsen in that horrible cave. He had only then realized that all those he considered friends were actually work associates and they had no choice but to put up with his crap. Then the Avengers happened and for a while, it all worked before they separated and went their own ways. Cap's supposed death is what brought them together and he had no doubt that if Steve died, everyone would leave again and the only friends he will have will once again be JARVIS and his bots. Not that he minded, but he had gotten so used to having a Tower full of people that he would be lonely if they left.
The handsome billionaire sighed as he put down the blowtorch he had been using. He rubbed his forehead, feeling the fatigue after five days of no sleep. This was also a first in a long time. Usually Sam or, more often, Cap would have come down to the lab and forced him out by day three if not sooner, but no one had come. Then again, they might not have noticed. He looked as if he had been sleeping regularly, maybe even more than he usually did, when in fact he had not slept a wink since the whole Herald situation. The closest to a break that he had gotten was sitting in the subatomic dimension with Ant-Man when Falcon's mom had been visiting. Surprisingly enough, Scott had noticed just how ragged he was while his own team was none the wiser. He and the other scientist had stayed in contact since, becoming a bit more than fellow heroes. It was nice having a human friend every once in a while and his ants, who he insisted on naming, were a hell of a blast when he was their size or they his.
Tony looked around his lab and sighed once again. ''JARVIS, shut down all projects for the time being. I'm going to get something to eat.''
''Very good, Sir.'' The AI sounded relieved and Tony rolled his eyes. He knew that JARVIS had wanted to get him out of the lab for the past five days but had refrained from making to many comments because he knew that if Tony got annoyed, he would mute him and then the AI wouldn't be able to call for help if the genius fainted, like that one time that they will never mention. ''Should I order something or will you be making your own lunch?''
''I've got it, J.'' Tony waved it off as he passed his bots and petted them all before going to the elevator which instantly took him to the penthouse. He grinned when he passed a floor where Hawkeye must have been waiting for the lift because he heard the man screaming ''Oh, come on!'' from the other side. He knew he was J's priority on his good day, when he slept and ate regularly, but on days like this, JARVIS would become vindictive and ignore the team completely for not noticing that Tony was not taking care of himself. Not even Steve, who usually came to get Tony to eat or sleep, would be excluded from such treatment. It was nice knowing that he had such support, even if it was from a being designed to be like that.
When he got to the floor which held the kitchen, Tony was surprised to find it empty. Usually someone was up here, especially in this room, since they had a super soldier with a faster than normal metabolism, a gamma reactor and a Norse god who was used to greater quantities of food. He wasn't complaining, though, as he really didn't feel like being around anyone.
He was changing and he knew why, but his team wouldn't understand. It wasn't something he could stop and with each day he could feel the change settling in deeper into his very being. Maybe Thor would be understanding, but Natasha was bound to tell Fury and Steve is going to be a good soldier and support the Director of SHIELD's decision when he decides Tony is too dangerous and that they should lock him up somewhere like they did with Radioactive Man from the Russian superhero team, the Winter Guard. Yeah, he knew about that. SHIELD can pretend all it wants that he can't hack them, but the truth is that he knows more about SHIELD than SHIELD knows about itself.
It doesn't matter. Unlike the Radioactive Man, he can't be contained, the thing coursing through his veins far too powerful. If they ever learned of it, he would be considered a danger to everyone and if he can't be contained, they will try destroying him. That's going to backfire fantastically and might as well destroy Earth and the whole galaxy instead.
He was still deep in thought while he was making raviolis. He didn't even hear when Cap entered the room so he almost jumped out of his skin when Steve placed a hand on his shoulder. He felt that thing inside him raising to the surface, reacting to his fright and readying itself for an opponent. He whirled around to face whoever it was and relaxed when he saw it was Steve, although he wasn't lone. Spiderman was with him and Tony forced himself to smother the power beating in him. He placed a hand over his arc reactor, and thus his heart, to show how they had surprised him.
''Jesus, Cap. Are you trying to kill me?''
Steve looked apologetic as soon as he saw that Tony was holding a hand over the reactor and he smiled sheepishly. ''Sorry, Tony. I didn't mean to startle you.''
Tony shook his head and turned back to his lunch before it burnt. ''It's okay, Cap. No harm done. How come no one informed me that we'll be having a guest over today?''
''Oh!'' Steve looked behind him at Spiderman, who was gushing at every piece of hand made technology Tony had placed in the kitchen. ''We discussed it yesterday. Spiderman's apartment building had gotten knocked down in the Fantastic Four's last fight against Doom and SHIELD is working on it while Spidey stays with us. If it's not a problem, I mean. We discussed it yesterday over dinner but you were in your lab. You must have quite a project if you're not leaving it for pizza night.''
Tony turned around with his finished raviolis, ready to serve them, only to almost drop them when an overexcited teenager dropped in front of him. He let out a very manly yelp and had to maneuver a bit with the pot, barely managing to save the food. Spiderman jumped in to try and help him and the two of them ended up on the floor, the pot raised high above their heads.
''Sorry, Mr Stark! I'm so sorry! I just got a bit overexcited since you are my favorite hero and all and I didn't mean-''
As if Tony's luck hadn't been bad enough he heard Sam and Clint come in, the archer complaining about JARVIS's new behavior. ''I mean, I understand that he has to listen to Tony, but Tony had told him time and again that he has to listen to us, too!'' The blond gesticulated wildly as they crossed the kitchen's threshold. ''I know that this isn't the first nor the last time that he'll act like this, what with Tony's self-destructive lifestyle, but can't he at least let me get in on the elevator?''
''Come on, it's not JARVIS's fault. He's designed that way. Tony is his first priority and all that.''
''You think it's because he's a program? Rookie, how long have you been in this Tower? You should know by now that JARVIS is self aware.'' Hawkeye couldn't believe this any more than Tony could. I mean, even Steve and Thor had accepted the fact that JARVIS is his own person!
''But he is a program, Hawkeye. He's just made to mimic free will.'' The automatic doors to the kitchen rushed closed and the ex SHIELD agent barely got out of the way. Falcon wasn't so lucky. ''Hey! What gives?''
''Told you!''
''Wow! So you really do have a true AI! How awesome is that!'' Spiderman yelled from his tangle of limbs with Tony and Iron Man groaned when he saw Hawkeye turn to look at them. '3... 2... 1'
Hawkeye joined them on the floor, laughing his head off so hard that tears were running down his face. He was pounding the ground with one fist while the other was holding his stomach as he cackled at Tony's misery. ''Stark! This is precious ahahahaha! How- haha- How do you get yourself in these- hah- situations all the - hahaha- time?''
Tony scowled. ''Just for that, you're not getting any of my raviolis.'' The archer immediately shut up, finally looking at the pot in Tony's hands.
''You cooked? And you weren't going to call me?''
Tony smirked as a smiling Steve helped him and Spidey up. The kid was looking him over worse than a mother hen, and that said since only Steve had ever mother hened the Avengers before. ''What can I say? I think you deserved it for all the popcorn you've popped in my arc reactor.''
''Oh, come on!''
Before anything else could be said, JARVIS announced the danger alert just before the Tower shook. ''Warning. Hyperion has just crashed into the side of the Tower and is trying to knock us over. Tower integrity by 20%.''
''At least my upgrades are working.'' Tony commented before gesturing towards the closest hidden closet in the wall. JARVIS opened it without any commands needed to be uttered and a brand new Iron Man armor rushed out towards Tony. As the red and gold armor assembled around him, Tony commend the other Avengers. ''Avenger Assemble!''