The familiar guilt that had caused Tony to want to sign the Accords hit him like a freight train. He was going back to where Ultron started. The death and destruction that would ensure over the next week or so was all his fault. Yes, every time they had to fight, there was collateral damage. It was part of the job. You couldn't save everyone. All the other times were different. They were fighting something else. Something that perhaps had been created because of them, but something else all the same.
He was responsible for Ultron. He had made Ultron because he had let his fear control him. On the flipside, look what happened. They hadn't been ready and they had lost. Yet that hadn't been because they hadn't had Ultron to defend Earth. They had lost because they hadn't worked as a team. They had lost because Steve hadn't told him the truth about his parents. They had lost because he hadn't accepted the olive branch. Yet, how could he have?
Tony pushed the thoughts back to the dark crevices of his mind. Now was not the time to be sentimental or contemplate life choices. They had a mission, the most important mission of their lives. If they failed... He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to calm his insides as he came out of the Quantum Realm.
He glanced at Bruce as his gigantic hand engulfed his entire shoulder. Whatever he was going to say was lost as the alarm sounded. JARVIS wasn't going to let them just waltz in and take the scepter without alarming the Avengers.
"Okay, you get the stone while I try to stall them." Not waiting for Bruce to answer, he took off towards the Commons, hoping to intercept them. He got his wish. Please let things work.
"Is this the imposter JARVIS?" Cap asked. He had the shield ready to throw, Nat and Hill had their guns trained on him, Clint had an arrow ready and Thor held Mjolnir threateningly. His past-self was already in suit. Only because he had had a little warning this time.
"Yes, Captain."
"Who are you?"
"I'm Tony Stark, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist."
"If I had not seen my brother die right before my eyes, I would believe this to be a prank of his."
"It's a good effort, but your timing could use some work, seeing as the real Tony Stark is right here." The helmet slid up from the Ironman suit, leaving Tony staring at his younger self.
"When we were eight, Mom took us to Lake Tahoe. When we got to our cabin, we tried to make a Zipline. It was the 16th time going down it when the rope finally frayed and gave out. We broke our left Radius."
"You really think I'd be impressed that you pulled hospital records? You really want to be me, -" Past-self was cut off as JARVIS said, rather urgently,
"Sirs, it would appear that the other Hulk is trying to unlock the door where the scepter is housed."
"Hill, watch him."
"Yes Captain."
"Wait wait wait, look, we're from the future." The five Avengers didn't even glance at him. He'd have to use something only would know. Which were mainly things he didn't want shared.
"I used to be terrified of frogs because as a child I would have this recurring nightmare that I was stuck in a bog, being dragged down by frogs and then they would try to go down my throat to lay their eggs in my organs." He shouted after them. Please stop. You don't understand! If they failed... Tony took a deep breath, hoping they couldn't hear his thudding heart. Past-self slowed to a stop, the others soon following suit.
"How do you know that?" Past-self demanded. Tony rose his hands in a placating gesture.
"I already told you, I'm from the future. We failed. Big time. Okay, so just let us take the stone, it'll be back before you can blink." Please believe me. Thor opened his mouth, likely to argue. He knew more about these stones then any of them. He wasn't going to let a stranger take them without a fight. Still, whatever he was going to say was cut off by JARVIS.
"Sirs, it would appear that the other Hulk now has the scepter." Slowly lowering his hands, Tony punched in the coordinates, entering the Quantum Realm.
A/N: I did not think this through. So I had to improvise because there's no way that JARVIS wouldn't alert anyone.
