Power, pain and the sheer will of being Anthony fucking Stark kept his mind on the goal. The goal of righting all the wrongs, the goal of stopping this mad man-no Titan in front of him. He could feel it in the next moments he could do whatever he wanted.
He could raise mountains, drain oceans, end world hunger. He could rewrite reality. He could make this madness stop…. All with a snap.
Tony looked over to his ultimate nemesis.
"I am inevitable." The Titan said as he snapped his fingers. Then nothing happened. As the Titan looked at his hand in confusion Tony raised his.
The power reaching its zenith, every fiber of his armor and being filled with what could only be described as the universe…or infinity.
He knew what he had to do. He had to do it for everyone. This time he could not just cut the rope. He was going to lay down so the rest could keep going. Most importantly he had to do it for his family, not the avengers. His real family, for Pepper, Morgan, Happy, Rhodey and the kid.
"And I'm Iron Man."
With those words, his mind made up and his heart at peace Tony Iron Man Stark snapped his fingers. Then silence.
His entire life practically flashed in slow motion before his very eyes. All the triumphs and all the falls. He could vaguely hear and see Pepper. "We'll be OK Tony."
All he could think about was he would never see his greatest creation again, he would never get to tell her he loved her 3000.
"Rest Tony."
With those words, Iron Man closed his eyes.
Tony Stark opened his eyes, with a jump.
His eyes gazed around the room, everything was white. Even the air seemed white. His mind wondered how that could be possible, then his gaze shifted towards the only other person in this room.
Always one for a quip or a snarky remark Tony spoke.
"So, who are you supposed to be? I always pictured you as Morgan Freeman."
The other being smiled.
"Morgan was always one of my favorites, you know."
His voice was old, filled with whimsical delight and wisdom that could only come with time and experience.
He was an elderly man with thin white hair that was combed backwards. Glasses and a moustache. Wrinkles adorned his face as his smile grew.
"As are you Iron man." he continued. "You are also one of my favorites. I watched you after you made the first suit. You were different from the others you know."
"You are one of the few that are closest to the original. Ha! Now that would be a meeting for the ages! The original and the Iron man.
The way he said Iron man was filled with power and reverence.
"Hey wrinkles, two questions." Tony said with his eyes narrowed. "First, your not making any sense, who are you? God? Second, what do you mean by the original?"
"Is this some Matrix shit?"
"Am I Neo?"
The being chucked.
"Ah, Anthony. There are many answers to those questions. In a sense you are Neo, as to what I mean by original there is a long explanation for that. And as to who I am, I am the One above all."
"Is that supposed to mean something to me? One above what?"
"I created all Iron man, the universe, the multiverse, heaven, hell, Death, the phoenix, the celestials, the gods. All of it was me."
As Tony stared at this...this God. He knew that the One Above All was telling the truth.
"Still picturing Morgan Freeman, but for some reason I feel like this look works for you. Feels very creatorish."
The one above all smiled.
"There are many reasons why I choose this look, Anthony. But that is a conversation for another time."
The one above all's smile turned a bit melancholy as he said that.
"You saved a universe Iron Man. An act of self sacrifice which you would not have done a decade prior. You've grown so much Tony and at the same time you haven't grown at all."
"It is one of the most enjoyable things about you Tony."
"And for those reasons and because you have paid a price very few would. I am sending you back."
Tony's eyes widened and his heart rate quicken.
"I get to go back to Pepper and Morgan?" The hope in his voice was palpable.
"Yes and no. I will be sending you back in time. Not the time travel that you have attempted, you after all are not me." The smile on his face turned a bit prideful.
"What about Morgan?"
"Should you fall in love and marry Pepper Potts, Morgan will be born again. It will be her soul again."
And with that sentence Anthony fucking Stark made up his mind. He would win, he would save them all, and he would like, because he is Iron Man.
The room was practically glowing with the will and hope of Iron Man.
"When are you sending me back to?"
"The moment you became a man of Iron."
"And Tony, I will be sending you a personal challenge to shake things up. You will know it was me." With that sentence the One Above All snapped his fingers.
And Tony Stark opened his eyes with a familiar pain in his chest.