Chapter 1 2012: The Mission

2023 Tony's point of view

I landed in a room. The pipes had been like a water slide… but my clothes were dry. I heard the beep-beep-beep sound of the pipes spitting more people out…

"Where are we?"
"This location is classified. I can't tell you where it is, but I can tell you what year it is and why we are here"
"What year do you think it is?"
"I know it's 2012…"
"You mean we…"
"Time travelled? Yes"

"Why?"
"Because we need to prevent what just happened in 2023.

"The mission we are about to embark upon is incredibly dangerous but if we succeed it will be very rewarding."
"If?"
"The team from 2012 are a lot less willing to yield than you are. The three factions of their team cannot stand to be in the same room as each other."

"Oh"

"They are in dire need of a serious reality check."

"Yes, they are. We all are and this is it:- Thanos is coming and if he manages to do what he intends to, the universe is doomed."

"I will return momentarily." I heard someone clap their hands sharply, twice and the lights came on. We were in a large square anteroom. There were four floors above this one. The walls in the main room were an ochre colour. There was a repeating pattern of pictures of us were around the top border of the main room. On the floor above the walls had a Super Mario theme. The floor above that held walls that had a repeating pattern of photographs of WWE Superstars. The floor above that held photographs of some of the staff and students of Riddle Academy - a breakaway magical school which separated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and wizardry when that school's esteemed headmaster - Albus Dumbledore - went rogue.

The top floor had posters from broadway and west end musicals around the walls.

There was a big iron door to the far right of the room. In front of it was a metal detector. Two security guards stood by the door. Another two were handing out numbers. We were handed numbers on cards. I examined my card. The year was written at the top, underneath was my number. 0004-616.

"When we call your name and year, step forward and have your identification to hand. We will ask you some security questions, and then you will step through the scanner and into the main auditorium. Explanations will be given. Sit in numerical order and wait quietly"

"Anthony Stark, 2023"

I stepped forward, Social security card, Passport, Stark Industries badge and driving licence in hand.

"Mr Stark"
"Ms Roker"

"ID please"
"Yes ma'am, social security card, passport, driving licence and my Stark Industries' employee badge. Our forehead of Security - Harry Hogan is mega strict about badges - so I wear mine when I am in the office."

"Good, step into the scanner please."

"Yes ma'am"

I stepped into the scanner, it was like the ones at the airport.

I stepped through the scanner into a little booth

"Mr Stark"
"Metatron"

"Did you know that your parents are alive and have been living in Wakanda since the 'accident' they had in 1991?"
"No I did not"

"Did you know that it was Nicholas Joseph Fury who was responsible for the ambush on them and that although The Winter Soldier was also involved it was Fury who planned and executed the mission but he left your parents alive?"
"No I did not. Will I have a chance to speak to Fury?"
"Yes"
"Good. I have some very choice words for him and there's a very high chance that his nose will be visited by my old friend Madam Fist."

"I completely understand Mr Stark, you may enter the main auditorium."

"Thank you"

The process went on and on until we were all in the room. Pepper was sitting next to me her face resolute.

"I don't know what's coming but I know it's not going to be good." she said

"Honey, I'm sorry."
"Don't worry Tony, the minute you became Iron Man I realised what the consequences of loving you would be. It didn't change how I feel about you."
"I'm glad. I don't deserve you. I didn't even deserve you when you were my Personal Assistant. Whatever happens, know that I love you and that I always will and you and the girls are the reason I breathe."

"Tony, I don't deserve you either."
"You're a much better person than I am Pepper. I'm grateful that you're so diligent. I know now the reason we took a break when we did was because of me and my selfish inability to get my act together and sort my head out."
"You've been through a lot"

"So have you"
"You've seen a lot as Iron Man. The Battle of New York, the idea that you called me while you were taking that nuke into space and that I missed that call which could easily have been the very last time I ever spoke to you — that's the part that frightened me the most… and then the whole Killian situation… I needed to take a step back and figure out that I really did want to be with you."

I pulled Pepper into my arms, and she put her head on my shoulder. Meg sat to my right and Morgan to my left.

The four of us napped during the time that everyone was coming into the room.

To my surprise and horror at the end of the stream of incoming people, was a large, looming purple figure. He was dressed in gold armour, a purple shirt and grey pants. On his left hand was the Infinity Gauntlet

His 6 children were behind him.

"Proxima, Gamora, Nebula, to my right, Ebony Maw, Corvus Glaive, Cull Obsidian to my left" he barked

"WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE?" I yelled

"Tony calm down"
"NO!"
"Thanos is here for the same reason you are Stark, to learn what happened in timeline 017-616 and prevent history from repeating itself." said Metatron.

"He's going to learn what our weaknesses are and exploit them in the battle…"
"No, I won't."
"Yes you will"
"I'm a being of my word Stark. I won't exploit your weaknesses but I hope you learn from them"
"OK, we're going to go around the room and introduce ourselves… Thanos, why don't you start?"
"Very well"