Work Text:
Seven words will haunt Anthony Stark to his grave.
“Mr. Stark, I don’t feel so good,” Peter gasped, as he stumbled towards Tony, fear gleaming in both hero’s eyes. As if the day hadn’t been harrowing enough, the kid completely tore his heart out and stomped on it.
The first to go were the strange but friendly so called Guardians. First the peppy bug girl, crumpling into thin air. Then the extremely literal blue guy, calling out to his leader before falling into ash. Finally, Quill, the peppy leader followed his team into nothingness, after finally realizing what was happening to him.
“Aw shit…”
Strange followed soon afterwards, making Tony’s heart break a little more. He and the doctor had an unlikely alliance, and although they butted heads, the man had saved his life and that was enough in Tony’s book. Strange’s last words as he disintegrated chilled Tony to the bone.
“It was the only way…”
And the kid. The god damned kid that clung to him like Tony was his last lifeline, as if Tony could protect him. But he couldn’t. Tony couldn’t do a damned thing as the kid shook in his arms and pleaded with Tony to keep him safe, that it hurts, that he doesn’t want to go. And then Peter, the brave kid that he is (was), apologized. The kid apologized.
“I’m sorry…”
And now Tony sat in the same spot that he had with the kid hours before, left alone to wallow in his own self pity. The blue friend of the Guardians had left at some point, not that he really noticed. No, all Tony could think about was what he could have done differently. How he could’ve saved them. The Guardians, who just wanted to find their friend. Strange, who just wanted to protect the stone (which he gave up to save Tony). Saved the kid. Peter, who had just wanted to help. Peter who was just on a school bus going on a field trip. The kid who had so much more to give. Tony couldn’t even bare to think about those who probably died on Earth (Steve who he hadn’t made amends with, Bruce who he had just seen again for the first time in years, Pepper, his beautiful, beautiful Pepper). As he looked around the barren desert of a planet, Tony thought back on Strange’s last words and contemplated.
Why him?