Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“And I am Iron Man.”

A snap. 

Then pain. 

Tony had expected the pain, knew the moment he came up with this plan that it was the end for him. But he knew it was the only way to keep Thanos from doing further damage. It was the only way to save his kids. 

He fell to the ground, Rhodey helping prop him up. He wanted to thank his oldest friend but the words wouldn’t come. He was too far gone. It wouldn’t be much longer now. 
Suddenly, the Spiderling was there. His Platypus was there. And finally, Pepper. His wife. The mother of one of his children. 

Almost his whole family. Happy had luckily avoided the disaster that was the battlefield, staying at the cabin making sure Morgan was safe. And Harley. 
He’d been snapped away too. Tony had checked once he’d recovered from his weeks on the ship. Both of his sons gone. 

But, in a way, they’d live on. Morgan grew up on stories of her brothers. Some nights it was Spider-Man. Other nights it was Peter. And still others it was Harley. As long as Tony lived, they lived on. 

And now they were there. Really, truly alive. 

Underoos was there now. Tony had only gotten a quick reunion with the child he’d mourned for five years. But Peter would have plenty of years ahead of him now. Tony wished he could be there to see the day that this brilliant kid from Queens became the best of all of them. 

Or the day he met Harley. It had never quite worked out schedule-wise, plus there was the whole Tony denying his feelings thing. 

Pepper was there too. Telling him he could rest. That they would be okay. Peter echoed it. Rhodey gave him a reassuring nod. 

Tony was so tired. His kids were alive and safe. He’d done it. He’d changed the universe to save his kids.

 
His vision was fading and so were the sounds of the battlefield. It was over. 

Tony Stark had earned his rest. 

~~~

It was hot. 

That was Tony’s first observation. The second was that there was a weight on his chest that made it hard to breathe. 

Wait.

He was breathing. 

Opening his eyes, he was met with a clear blue sky. There were minimal clouds. And sand. A lot of sand. 

What. The. Hell. 

Looking around, he was in the desert and if he wasn’t mistaken, the remains of the first Iron Man suit lay in the sand around him. 

Protect us, Anthony. Protect your family. Stop the Titan. They will help you. 

A small chorus of voices sounded and Tony looked around for the source, but there was none. What did it mean? Stop the Titan? He’d stopped Thanos. Watched him disappear into nothing more than dust. It was the literal last thing he did. 

But, if he was back here, it meant he was at the literal beginning. Thanos was out there. Loki, the Ten Rings, Killian, Vanko, Secretary Ross. 

Everything he’d spent the last fifteen years doing was gone. 

His family was gone. Pepper was his PA in this time. Sure, they’d been flirting a bit before he went on this extended vacation but they wouldn’t get serious for another six months. A far cry from his wife of five years and mother of his child. Harley and Peter were around, neither were the boys he knew. And Morgan, his princess, the one thing that probably managed to keep him alive long enough to save her brothers, she’d never been born. 

“WHY!” Tony finally stood, eyes at the sky. “Why did you send me here! I was done! He was gone! They were safe!!” 

He drops to his knees, narrowly avoiding random pieces of his first attempt at his infamous suit. 

“The cost. It was too high. The damage is too great. The universe was too badly fractured. You proved you were able to protect them and us. Save the universe before it cracks again.”

Tony paused. “I can stop it?”

“You can. Good luck, Anthony. The Universe needs you to be their Champion.” 

For some reason, Tony knew he would not get an answer if he asked another question. Getting up, he looked around. Best he can remember from this, he wandered East.

So, that’s what he’ll do now. And use the time he’s in the desert to figure out what the hell he’s going to do. Sleeping for a week honestly felt like a great idea. Between inventing time travel, the time heist, having to deal with emotions related to Howard, getting Peter back, the final battle, dying, and suddenly ending up 16 years in the past it would be a well-earned one. 

But first, he had to get home. And for the life of him, he couldn’t remember how long he’d been here. It was a bit. He’d been sunburnt when Rhodey found him. 

So he wandered the desert. It gave him far too much time in his own thoughts. But finally, FINALLY, he heard the sound of a helicopter. And it came into sight, still at a distance but that didn’t stop Tony from already waving his arms, grinning wider than he had in years. The bird got closer and closer and started to land. Just like he had before, he fell to his knees in relief. 

The first person out was Rhodey. His Honey Bear, Platypus, is one of the very few people to put up with his bullshit for any length of time. 

Tony wasn’t sure if it was a laugh or a sob that was stuck in his throat as he watched his best friend run across the desert towards him. There were no braces, not tell-tale whine that had destroyed Honey Bear’s stealth mode. Rhodey was running towards him under his own power. 

In theory, Tony wanted to run and meet him. But, he wasn’t sure if his own legs worked at the moment. Whether it was the shock of landing back in this year, the possible case of heatstroke or just seeing Rhodey RUN. Actually, RUN… Whatever the case was, Tony was fairly certain he was completely incapable of movement at that moment. 

And then there he was. Just like last time, his friend was quick to wrap him in an embrace. Unlike last time, Tony wasn’t sure if he wanted it to end. While the idea of this whole bizarre situation being real was terrifying, having his best friend by his side like always soothed the metaphorical ache. It made the literal ache in his chest seem less extreme if only for a moment. 

“How was the funvee?” His friend choked out. His eyes are tearier than Tony remembers them being. “Next time, you ride with me, okay?” 

Tony nodded. 

His friend pulled away slightly and seemed to look Tony over. “Tones. How are we here?”

Chapter Text

“Tones, how are we here?” 

The words echoed in Tony’s head as his friend all but dragged him into the waiting chopper. Honestly, Tony wasn’t entirely sure if he could feel his legs. And his head was spinning at the implication. 

Maybe he was overthinking things. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d done something like that. Maybe he just misremembered what his friend said that day. It had been 15 years so he was allowed to not remember the exact wording of conversations. 

That had to be it. Because there was no way that he was lucky enough to have his best friend on… whatever this was with him. 

Tony ducked into the helicopter and took the headphones Honey Bear offered him. He fastened his seatbelt, needing a little help from Rhodey because he’d forgotten how he’d thrown his shoulder on that landing. Honestly, considering that fall, if that’s the worst that happened, he’s pretty lucky. He’s been through worse. 

Well, maybe not at this point in the timeline. 

The copter took off and if Tony remembers, they’ve got a few-hour flight ahead of them to a base in Germany. 

A hand on his knee causes him to jump slightly and he turns to see Rhodey staring at him. But it’s not the concern he was expecting. Or relief at their reunion. There’s shock. Confusion. 

Tony pauses and looks his friend in the eyes and feels his own widen. Rhodey’s eyes are old. They’re oddly reminiscent of the conversation they’d had the week before all the Time Heist stuff began. It had been a fun afternoon, Rhodey playing with his niece, checking on Tony, staying for dinner. It was one of the last bits of quiet he’d had before his world got turned upside down and he found himself in 2008 of all places. 

Not trusting his voice, he mimes the international symbol for needing a pen. It takes a minute before that and a small notepad make their way into his hands. Tony stares at his best friend for a moment before writing a question that could change everything. 

What year do you remember?

He hands the pen and pad over to Rhodey, wondering had they met earlier in life if they would have been the type to do this in class. Rhodey reads it over and pauses. 

He looks at Tony and Tony meets his gaze. If he’s right about his current hypothesis, his Platypus needs to see whatever he needs to. Rhodey’s eyes widen and he quickly scribbles something before handing back the pad. 

2023 - You died. 

Tony starts to laugh, tears out the page, and sticks it in his pocket. Rhodey shakes his head at his friend, a fond smile, albeit a bit teary. 

He leaned back in his seat, balancing the pad on his knee. Rhodey was back with him. He had his Honey Bear, his Platypus. And his legs worked. 

Suddenly, Tony found some energy. He could stop it all. Help his friend keep his legs, avoid so so many of the failures he’d had over the years, maybe figure out how to meet Harley and Peter early. 

The next month, really until he had everything sorted with Stane, was crucial. It laid the foundation for everything else. And then there was SHIELD. Or Hydra. The same thing at this point. Sure, Fury, Hill, and Coulsen were on the right side but two of those he had no faith in, and the third wasn’t much better. 

He needed new armor. The sooner the better. Pepper may have a small point about his dependence on the suits but with how insane the situation currently was, he didn’t think she would object. 

If she remembered. 

Honestly, he’d cross that bridge when he came to it. But in his gut, he suspected she did. What he needed was to get somewhere where he could properly freak out that wasn’t a moving helicopter. 

Tony sat in the room Rhodey had brought him to and Tony sat on the bed and leaned against the wall. For the first time in a long time, he oddly felt older than his body. Well, minus the electromagnet in his chest which had him tasting coconut - something he’d grown to hate - and unable to take a truly deep breath. 

Perhaps reaching out to Helen Cho needed to move up on his to-do list. Between knowing a cardiothoracic surgeon who would do the necessary surgery and her cradle technology, recovery would go a lot smoother than it had before and possibly leave less scarring. Though, if he was honest, the scar on his chest hadn’t bothered him in later years as people had thought. It served as a reminder of Yinsen’s words in that cave all those years ago (yet just hours ago from where he stood at the moment). 

Luckily Rhodey had given him the tablet he’d come overseas with so Tony could make a semblance of a to-do list along with sketching rough ideas for the next Iron Man suit. Plus, figure out a game plan because Stane was still in a position of power in his company and he wouldn’t let that stand. 

The next few days were crucial, maybe that’s why the stones decided to land him there. Here lay the foundation for not only his journey as a hero but for how the world saw Iron Man, for how they saw him, even how SI would fare in the years to come. And the world had no idea what was coming. 

Tony forced himself to breathe as deeply as he could and get his heart rate out of control. Thanos was out there. Had he started to collect the stones? From the monologue he’d gotten on Titan, Tony knew the idea had already taken root in his head and had been there for quite some time. But had he started to act on it? 

The door to the room opened, breaking Tony out of his thoughts and he grinned when Rhodey walked in. Tony was fairly certain he would never grow tired of using the phrase Rhodey walked ever again. 
His friend carried the trays and set them on the small table that sat near the room. Grabbing a chair, he pulled it over and sat down, facing Tony who was still sitting on the small bed. 

“Can anyone hear us?” Tony looked around the room, not quite ready for the upcoming conversation but at the same time ready to burst if he didn’t get some of it off his chest. 

“No. Now, would you like to tell me how the hell we’re back in 2008?”

In a rare moment of just needing to be sure everything was real, Tony launched out of the bed. Rhodey stood, surprised and Tony grabbed his best friend and hugged him. He wasn’t sure who was more surprised by the action, himself or his best friend. While Morgan and Peter had made him more open to the idea of hugs, he still wasn’t a huge fan of personal affection, unless it came from the aforementioned kid or Harley in a rare moment where he was feeling “soft.” 

“You’re walking, Platypus.” Tony felt the tears he’d been holding for hours start to fall. “You’re walking on your own.” 

The arms around him tightened for a second before Tony broke the hug. His friend was real. He was there. He remembered. Tony wasn’t alone in this. 

“I’m walking.” His friend laughed, taking his seat. Tony grabbed the other chair and a french fry which smelled heavenly. “I think that’s more shocking than being 15 years in the past. But how is this possible. You were dead. And now you’re not and we’re here and…” 

Tony shrugged with his good shoulder, wincing slightly at the soreness on the other. “I think it was the stones. Though for the life of me, I don’t know why.” 

Realizing that he had too much pent-up energy - which didn’t make sense he should be exhausted but instead, he felt the need to pace and began to do so. “I died.” 

“I was there.” Rhodey’s voice was quiet, a familiar tone that even this time’s Tony would have recognized. 

“I died. You were safe, Pepper was safe. Peter, Morgan, and Harley were safe. And so was Happy.” He turned to face his best friend. “I did what every parent said they would do if need be and I earned my rest. But, maybe the stones sensed my regrets. I wouldn’t see the boys graduate high school. Wouldn’t see Morgan in school at all. Wouldn’t be there for their milestones… but it was okay. They were safe. And Thanos was gone.”

“But now we can stop him before he snaps.” His friend’s tone was firmer. “And you don’t have to die.” 

Tony turned away, pacing towards the table, stealing another french fry from the plate, using it for the stalling technique both of them knew it was. “What if they don’t remember? What if Pepper doesn’t. Honey Bear, she’s my PA right now and I’m sitting here with memories of our lives together and our kid and the adopted strays we’ve picked up along the way, and what if she doesn’t remember.” 
“Then she doesn’t and you have to figure it out. But why would I remember?” 

Tony paused, turning back to his friend. “Because I thought of you. You, her, Happy, the kids. My family. You guys were my last thoughts.” 

“Tones…” 

He held a hand up. “I knew you’d keep an eye on them. I knew Pepper would be okay. I knew what I was doing when I snapped. But, I guess the Stones decided that wasn’t enough.”

“We can stop it all from happening.” 

Tony nodded. “I’ve thought the same thing. Once we get back to the States and figure out who all remembers, we can make a plan. Right now, I’m more focused on the next 48 hours…” 

The two shifted over to the table, Tony grabbing the tablet so he could show his friend his notes and they could make plans. Stark Industries was mentioned, so was Rhodey’s job in the Air Force. Stane and the events of the previous time. Pepper’s role in things. The upcoming press conference and board meeting. Ideas for non-weapons military contracts. 

It had been a while since he’d gotten to sit down with his best friend over dinner and just talk. Yes, the weight of the world was on their shoulders but Tony noticed it didn’t feel quite as heavy as it once had. 

Chapter Text

Tony had officially added another item to his to-do list. He was going to work on developing quinjets ASAP. He’d gotten spoiled to how they moved faster than traditional aircraft. From a business standpoint, he wondered if he could find a way to use some of the technology commercially and speed up air travel as a whole. It was something he hadn’t spent a lot of time thinking about last time around but the idea had some merit. 

The flight from the Airbase in Germany to Los Angeles would take roughly 12 hours. Though technically with the number of time zones he was crossing only about three hours would actually pass. 

Sleep wasn’t an option. Especially not in a military plane. He was lucky if he could catch a few hours on one of his private jets but was aware he’d be lucky to catch much more than an hour. But that left him time to make plans. 

Younger him was an idiot with how he handled shutting down weapons production. Stark Industries was done making weapons, that much was true. But, he needed to do it in a way that wouldn’t have Obie take control and power the way he did, even if Tony took it back rather promptly and dramatically. 

But this time, he would do it more calculated and less brashly. Years of playing politics with politicians who thought they were on his level had taught him many things. And now was the time to put those lessons into place. 

He looked over to where Rhodey was sitting and his friend was currently reading a book. As if he sensed he was being watched, his friend looked up and grinned at him. 

Tony grinned back, comfortable with showing a small amount of emotion on the mostly empty plane. He shifted positions, trying to get more comfortable and winced slightly. He’d completely forgotten how he’d throw his shoulder out when he’d landed in the desert. He’d work through it, maybe in a healthier way than he had last time. 

He’d drawn up rough schematics for the new Mach 2 that he would work on more in his lab.

Tony dropped his pen as something struck him. The sound of it clanging to the floor of the plane caught Rhodey’s attention. He quickly got up, came over, and picked up the pen. 

“Tones?”

“Jarvis…” Tony closed his eyes as an overwhelming wave of emotion crashed over him. Jarvis was still there. Or back. Or whatever you wanted to call it. While he’d grown to appreciate his second digital child, losing Jarvis had been an ache that had never quite gone away. 

And now it didn’t have to. 

“Tones, I need you to breathe with me.” Rhodey had once again adopted a tone as if he was talking to an injured animal. “That’s it. In for four, you know how to do this.” 

Tony listened.

“Hold for seven. Now out for eight.” 

They repeated the cycle a few more times until Tony felt a bit more in control. His breathing evened out and he opened his eyes again to find his friend right in front of him. “Thanks, Platypus.” 

Tony leaned back in the seat, letting the tablet rest on his lap, the recently reacquired pen sitting in its spot on the side. Honestly, considering how his last few days had been, the fact that this was his first panic attack was rather impressive. “Hey Honey Bear?” 

“Yeah, Tony?” 

Tony grinned. “You walked over here, didn’t you.” 

That earned him a laugh. “I did. Now get some rest. Something tells me you won’t do a lot of that over the next few days and we land in about four hours.” 

The tablet was taken from his hands, something only Rhodey and Pepper - and on one occasion Peter - could do. A pillow and blanket were thrown his way and he settled across the row of seats and attempted some rest. 

Tony wondered exactly how irrational it would be for him to tell Rhodey to tell the plane to go anywhere but California. That he wasn’t ready to face the reality that perhaps Pepper didn’t remember. That he wasn’t ready to be back in the same zip code as Stane much less the same building or room. 

He’d gotten out. Sure, his ending hadn’t been completely happy. Harley and Peter had been among the ones dusted and they left a hole in his heart. But he’d started to figure out how to be content. How to tell Morgan stories about her big brothers without crying through them. Like the time Peter had scared the shit out of Happy because the latter didn’t know that occasionally the former napped on the ceiling. 

But he had to face it. He had to channel the battle-worn tired hero who wished for nothing more than for his family to be safe and happy. And they weren’t. Stane was out there. Thanos was out there. Hydra. 

“Tones?” 

Rhodey broke him out of his thoughts and he turned to his friend. “Yeah?” 

“You ready?” 

“No, but let’s do this anyway.” 

Rhodey nodded to someone and the backdoor began to open. Unlike last time, he refused the wheelchair. He chose to stand tall with his friend. It was bad enough that he was wearing the sling. 

The gate lowered and there she was. Tony was well aware that he sounded Hallmark worthy when he said that she was easily the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Younger him had truly been an idiot. Shoot, present him was still an idiot at times. Sure, they’d had their fair share of problems, but they’d made it work. 

And now he may have to start all over. 

Rhodey coaxed him forward and he made the walk down the ramp. Like the previous time, the stretcher was wheeled away. Unlike the last time, he was letting Rhodey help him down. While his legs were working better than they had in the desert yesterday, he was shaky out of pure nerves. 

But finally. FINALLY, he made it. Like last time, Pepper's eyes were red with tears. 

“Tears for your long-lost boss?” He smiled, resisting the urge to wipe away the tears that escaped her eyes with his thumb. 

“Tears of joy and perhaps relief. Maybe someday I’ll stop doubting your ability to do the utterly impossible.” 

Could a human brain blue screen? It was a question Tony had pondered now and then. Considering half of his found family were bots and AIs he wondered if humans shared that trait. 

He could now say they did because he was fairly certain that that was what just happened. 

“Pep?”

She smiled and finally, he found the courage to meet her eyes. Like Rhodey’s, they were older than they should be. 

She remembered. 

Pepper remembered. 

Closing the space between them, she got in his face. “Don’t you dare do something like that again. I don’t think I could survive seeing it twice. Am I clear?” 

He nods, not trusting his own voice. “I had to do it, Pep. I had to keep the kids safe. I had to keep you safe.” 

She smiled pulling him into a hug. “And I love you for it. Now, let’s get out of here.” 

He turns to Happy who’s staring at him with more emotion than his friend tended to show. “Hey, Hap.” 

“Boss.” 

Tony winces. “You too?”

He nods. 

“Let’s take this discussion where there are fewer chances to be overheard.” Rhodey finally interjects. 

That spurned them moving in the direction of the car. Happy opened the rear driver door for Tony while the others headed for the other side. Normally, Tony would protest that he could get his own door, but considering the arm closest to the door was in a sling, it was a concession he was willing to make. Happy settled in front of him, Rhodey in the passenger seat which led Pepper to sit next to him. 

Happy pulled away from the base. “Where to, Boss?” 

“Home. Though, I won’t complain if we repeat the cheeseburger-related stop.” 

That earned him a laugh and it broke some of the tension that had been building in the car. 

“Pepper.” 

She turned her business face on. 

“I know that we need to fix things because let's be honest, I haven’t been CEO in 15 years and I don’t know what I’m doing. But, I think it’s the best call that we don’t drop that bombshell until after Stane is taken care of.” 

“Honestly, that’s the best option. Trying to hand over the job while he still has any power might weaken our position.” 

Tony nods. “The next few weeks are crucial. We’re laying the foundation for how we handle this. I… Younger me was an idiot.” 

“You had no way of knowing.” Rhodey turned. “We all lived those years and learned a lot.”

“So what’s the play, Tony.” Happy looked at him in the rearview mirror. 

“Platypus, I need you to call your supervisors. Arrange a meeting with them first thing tomorrow morning. With Hydra corrupting SHIELD as they have, I don’t trust them. Granted, I didn’t trust them after they cleaned house.”

Rhodey nodded. “Do I say what it’s about?”

“Mention a debriefing of what happened. They wanted that last time and I wasn’t super cooperative. This time it’s different. We all got sent back. I have a sinking suspicion there’s more.” 

Conversation screeched to a halt as Happy pulled up to Burger King. Tony could smell burgers at this point and his stomach let out a growl. 

Order in hand, Tony opened one and took a few bites, savoring the taste. “Where was I?”

“More time travelers. Who?” 

“If we’re going off who I was thinking of, Peter and Harley. I thought of Morgan too. Have a pipe dream theory that we won’t be able to test for another couple of weeks.” 

Peppers hand went to her stomach as if she’d read his mind. “You don’t think.” 

“Honey, we’re fifteen years in the past. I’ve given up on anything being impossible anymore. I time-traveled, fought aliens, and blew the world’s mind with the tech I created. Nothing’s impossible.” 

He took a few more bites of his burger, finishing the first one. 

“Second. Pepper, darling, love of my life. I need you to call for a Board Meeting tomorrow, say 1 pm. And then schedule a press conference for 4. I know you know who to invite. Also, call Graham and tell him I need the Take Over The World Suit. He’ll know what you mean.” 

Pepper nodded. 

“Happy, starting tomorrow, or maybe the day after, let’s see how the day shakes out, you’re in charge of checking through our security protocols. I don’t trust anyone else with that.” 

Happy nodded, once again giving Tony a rare show of emotion. 

“We’ll make more plans when we’re in the house and secure. J will be able to ensure that much. After we chat, I’m giving him a nice code update. I don’t have to hide how advanced I am in my own home.” 

He dared Fury to hack his boy again. Jarvis would be with him through it all this time. Ultron would never happen. 

They fell into a comfortable silence. Pepper was on her Blackberry, they really needed to get a jump start on Starkphones. Tony wasn’t sketching up that idea at all. He needed something that blew the market out of the water but they were able to build now. He’d find a balance, a rare show of restraint. 

It was weird driving in Malibu. He hadn’t been back in years and was starting to regret that. Maybe he should have rebuilt his home and used it as the sanctuary, instead of forcing himself to stay where the ghosts of failed friendship lived. Granted, New York provided proximity to Peter. He’d figure it out. 

It didn’t take long but eventually, Tony recognized that they were near the drive to enter his mansion. What did surprise him however was the fact that there was a car next to the gate and a woman leaning against it. 

Happy slowed the car down and the woman turned. Tony felt his eyes go wide. 

“Boss, isn’t that May Parker?” 

Chapter Text

“Boss, isn’t that May Parker?” 

Tony felt his heart skip a beat at Happy’s word. He looked through the dashboard and saw that the woman who was approaching their car was in fact, May Parker. She looked slightly younger than he remembered. It had been five years since he’d seen her. It was one mercy the universe had given him, not having to face May and tell her about what happened on that forsaken planet. 

Tony shook his head, clearing his thoughts. His hand shook and it took him a couple of tries before he was able to open the door and get out. 

“May? What are you..? Do you…?” His brain was having trouble forming a complete sentence, much less his mouth. 

She nodded but before she could say anything, the back door of the car opened and a small boy shot out of the car towards Tony. 

Tony kneeled down, tears already falling down his face. Peter looked so little. Oh, he was only six at this time, his parents had only been dead a couple of years at this point. He was so little! 

“Dad!” 

Tony’s heart stuttered at the title he’d never heard from the boy he considered to be his son. 

“Dad!” Peter flung himself at Tony who wasted no time throwing his arm around the small boy. His hair smelled like apples. It was something Tony had begun to associate with him after their movie nights and lab days and times working close together. 

“Peter.” He shifted, his back now against the car as he held the boy close. “Mio figlio. Mio prezioso figlio. Oh grazie a Dio. Sei qui. Sei qui adesso. Sei al sicuro. Sei al sicuro con me.”

The boy was sobbing, Tony was as well. “Dad. You’re alive. I…” 

“Shh, I’ve got you, Bambino.” 

“You died.” 

Tony held him tighter. “I did. And I’d do it again to keep you safe. I missed you. So much. I hope you know that I’m not letting you out of my sight any time soon. You’re stuck with me.” 

He ruffled the boy’s hair and laughed at the indignant squawk. “Mr. Stark!” 

“I’m Mr. Stark now? Wasn’t I Dad a second ago?” The boy shifted so that he could better see Tony and Tony got a good look at the young face. “Oh Roo, you’re so little. You really are just out of your Underoos now, aren’t you.” 

“Still not a baby.” He pouted. 

Tony brushed a stray curl out of his face. “Of course not.” 

“I lost you.” 

“I’m here now.” 

“But I’m six. Not sixteen. And I don’t understand. You’re here, Ben’s here, but you were both gone. You left me.” 

The crying started again and Tony pulled him close. He was vaguely aware the others had gathered and were talking, giving the pair space. “Roo. Pete. You know, I was absolutely horrible at saying this before. But I love you. You’re my kid. And when you left me, a part of me died that day. And I know I left you. But I did it to keep you safe. And now we’re here. And Ben is here. And May, Happy, and Rhodey.”

Everyone but Morgan. 

The boy held tight, sobs shaking his body. “Dad, don’t leave me.” 

“I’m here, Bambino. And this time we’ll stop him so neither of us has to die. And then you’ll be stuck with me until you’re sick of me.” Tony knew they had a lot to do today. But he also knew he needed this as much as Peter. “Now, how about you introduce me to your Uncle and then we’ll head inside.” Tony grinned at the thought that popped in his head. “I’ve got someone I want you to meet.” 

The crying had slowed down and Peter looked up at Tony, giving him another chance to see his face again. He couldn’t get over how young he was. But the eyes were undeniably Peter. “I never thought I’d get to do this.” 

“Do what?” 

“Introduce you two.” Peter grinned and finally got up. He held out his hand and pulled Tony up though Tony had to use the momentum to get up the rest of the way because it didn’t work as easily as it did due to the difference in their heights. Standing up, he once again felt like his heart was bursting at how tiny Peter was. He grinned. 

“Ready to introduce us?” 

Peter took his hand and led him over to where the rest had gathered together. He ran up to the man that Tony had only seen in pictures and a couple of home movies. “Uncle Ben!” 

He let go of Tony’s hands and held his hands in the universal sign of “pick me up” that little kids seemed to master. His uncle was more than happy to oblige. 

“What’s up, Buddy?” 

“I wanted you to meet Tony! Ben, this is Tony Stark. Dad, this is my Uncle Ben.” 

Tony held out his hand and Ben shook it. Tony wasn’t sure if he was used to holding Peter or if Peter was sticking to him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. You raised one hell of a kid.”

“Thank you, though I have to say, he was a good kid to start with. I’m still wrapping my head around this, to be honest. Now, how did this Dad thing come about.” 

Peter blushed slightly, burrowing into Ben’s side. Tony was fairly certain he heard Pepper quietly coo off to the side. “Well, after you… and then I became… and then I met Tony. And at first, we were only mentor and mentee and then it kind of blew up in our faces.” 

Tony snorted at that vast understatement. 

“And so we hung out more. He taught me to drive and made sure my musical education was to his standards, and we watched movies and worked in his lab. And the more we hung, the more he was like a dad.” 

“I object to that statement.” 

“You had his report card on the fridge,” Pepper interjected.

“You had Friday programmed with 56 protocols related to Peter,” Rhodey added. 

“They’re not wrong, Boss.” 

“The amount of betrayal from my found family wounds me.” Tony’s grin ruined any impact that statement might have had. “And if you would be a slightly less reckless Spiderbaby then maybe I wouldn’t have to.”

“Not a baby.” 

“You’re a lot closer now.” 

“Dad!” 

Tony had to admit that he would never grow tired of having the kid call him Dad. It was something he had only dreamed of in those five years. That he’d admitted how he felt, that Peter had been around to be a big brother for Morgan. During Pepper’s pregnancy, he’d had a dream where he’d bought Peter a World’s Best Big Brother shirt. He’d woken up absolutely heartbroken he couldn’t.

“Yes, Roo?” 

“Roo?” Ben looked confused. 

“Short for Underoos. Which is basically what his first Spider-Man suit looked like.” Tony grinned at the glare. “It was this awful outfit made out of a sweatsuit with these awful goggles. Luckily I swooped in and gave him a proper suit.” 

“And illegally took him to Germany,” May muttered, but loud enough so Ben could hear. 

Tony turned around. “First, I thought you already yelled at me properly for that one. And so did Pepper and Rhodey. Secondly, I think pushing the very boundaries of physics to bring him back negates the stupidity of that move.” 

“It wasn’t just for me. You wanted to bring everyone back.” 

“Keep telling yourself that, kid.” Happy muttered. Peter looked particularly flustered at that. 

“Let’s take this inside,” Pepper interjected. 

Tony nodded, hesitant to let Peter out of his sight even for the short ride to the house from the end of the driveway. But Pepper was right. Also, he wanted to get somewhere he knew they weren’t overheard. They’d said too much in the open as it was. 

Peter must have felt the same way because he reached out towards Tony. Taking the boy in his arms, he once again marvelled at how small he was. On the other hand, now Tony could see him grow up. He could experience some of those years he’d missed the last time around. 

The boy settled easily on his help and rested his head on Tony’s shoulder. “You know what?” 

“What, Pete?” 

Tony got into the rental car the Parker’s had brought so he could direct them up the driveway. 

“The ocean is right there. I can hear it and smell it.” 

“You’ll be able to see it in a second. Maybe later we can do down to the beach.”

“We were going to in the summer. You mentioned something about finally taking a proper vacation.” 

Tony smiled at the memory. Of a lab day mere weeks before everything went to hell where he talked about taking Peter to California so he could see the beach. He’d looked at beach houses and resorts for their visits. 

And now he had his original house back. And Peter was tiny. 

He had most of his family. He’d have to get Jarvis to look into Harley and see if he showed any signs of remembering. 

#

They pulled up to the front of the house and Tony got out and looked at the house he hadn’t properly seen in over a decade. A wave of nostalgia threatened to pull him over but a hand in his helped him to stay in the present. 

He turned to see Pepper taking his hand and smiling at him warmly. On his other side, Peter slept soundly, his quiet snores and warmth a soothing balm to Tony’s frayed nerves. Happy and Rhodey were there. May and Ben too. While he didn’t know Ben at all, outside of stories that the other two Parkers had shared, he was willing to let him into their odd family. He meant the world to Peter so that made him important to Tony. 

Reaching down, he picked up Peter and settled him on his hip. Peter quickly did a koala imitation before falling back to sleep. His body gave off a bit more heat than Tony expected, and now that his initial euphoria at having Peter back had worn off slightly he noticed. 

“He’s still not back to 100 percent, is he?” 

May shook her head. “No, but we’re through the worst of it if I remember right. He will probably be as good as new tomorrow. Kids bounce back and he’s even younger this time.” 

Tony got out of the car, one hand weaving its way through Peter’s curls as the other braced him. It took a second for Tony to realize that it was an easier task than it should be as Peter was sticking to him. Now whether it was intentional, accidental, or him coming back into his powers, Tony couldn’t even begin to guess. 

But it was easily one of the cutest things he’d seen in a long time. Peter nuzzled into Tony’s shoulder and Tony adjusted him slightly so that he wasn’t leaning on the arc reactor. 

He stepped through the door and into a house he hadn’t seen in over a decade. Looking around, he found himself standing in the great room. To his right were the windows that gave a view of the ocean that he’d long since missed. 

“Welcome home, Sir.” Jarvis’ voice rang through the speakers and Tony couldn’t help the tears that sprung to his eyes. “I am glad you returned home safe.” 

“Hey, J. I missed you.” Tony almost had to choke out the words as his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. He made it over to the couch and managed to sit with some grace before his legs gave out. Shifting Peter more onto his lap, the boy didn’t hesitate to snuggle in close despite the arc reactor on Tony’s chest. 

“I am sensing unidentified individuals in the house.” 

“They are friends, don’t worry J. You’ll be seeing more of them. May and Ben Parker, may I introduce you to JARVIS.” 

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Parker,” Jarvis answered dutifully. To anyone else, it sounded normal, but Tony could pick up on the slight hesitation, the hint of confusion in his digital kid’s voice. He knew he would have to tell the AI what was going on sooner rather than later. 

He turned to see May and Ben looking a bit confused, Ben more so as May had been around the Compound and met Friday a few times. “And this little guy is Peter. But, I’m sure he’ll want a proper introduction after his nap.” 

“Tony, do you want me to take him?” May grinned at the sight of the two. 

Even if Tony wanted her to, which he most certainly did not, he was fairly certain she wouldn’t be able to. “Kid’s kinda attached at the moment. But it’s okay. I missed him.” 

Pepper stepped back over. “I’ve set up the press conference for tomorrow. Happy is being sent the names of the media representatives present to check. Obidiah mentioned wanting to stop by.” 

Tony froze before tightening his grip on Peter. The small boy shifted slightly in his grasp and Tony could feel his slow sleeping breaths. At the moment, it might have been the only thing keeping him from completely spiraling at the idea of Peter and Obadiah being in the same city. Especially considering how tiny the Spiderling currently was. 

Pepper slid on the couch next to him and put her hand on his back. “Tony, he won’t hurt any of us. We know what he’s capable of and what he’s doing.” 

Rhodey walked in from where he’d taken a call in Tony’s office. “There’s a panel willing to meet with you tomorrow at 9 am. They appreciate you being willing to meet with them so quickly after your return to the States.” 

Tony nodded. “We know what’s waiting at the Endgame and now we have a second chance to fix it. The next few weeks might set the stage for everything that follows.” 

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Ben spoke up. “ I got May’s version of what’s going on, but can you explain from your end?” 

Running his hand through Peter’s curls and smelling that familiar apple scent was perhaps the only thing that kept the almost overwhelming sense of dread from swallowing him whole. “It all started around now. I came back from Afghanistan and… I was a mess. Barely functioning, now dealing with my PTSD from months of captivity and… dying but not realizing it yet.” 

Pepper turned. “Tony?” 

“Relax, I’ve ordered everything I need to make Starkanium. I’ll only be on this for a couple of weeks at most and I can make it that long without feeling the effects.” 

“What is she talking about?” May came and sat on his other side. 

“Last time around, I almost died of heavy metal poisoning. It was ironic, that the thing keeping me alive was also killing me.” 

“What?” 

He turned to Ben who had taken an armchair. Happy had grabbed a chair from the office and Rhodey took the other one. It took a minute but Tony realized that the stones had given him everyone he trusted completely. And while Ben didn’t remember, he knew what it meant to Pete to have him back and he was glad for this second chance. Harley wasn’t here either. Maybe he should figure a way to check on the kid without tipping his hand in case the kid didn’t know who he was. 

“I… I can show you later. Can’t without risking waking Roo at the moment. But, I’ve got an electromagnet being powered by a miniaturized arc reactor embedded in my chest. It’s keeping shrapnel from ripping through my vital organs and killing me.” 

Both Ben and May paled at the blunt description. “Did you have it when we met?” 

Tony shook his head. “I had it removed last time after the Mandarin fiasco. It will take a few years for them to be able to at this point. Surgeons studied my scans for years before they felt comfortable attempting it.” He paused, looking where he remembered a camera being. “J, I promise I’ll explain everything to you later.” 

“I look forward to it, Sir.” 

Tony smiled. “After the events of escaping captivity, I fell into my paranoia and made the first Iron Man suit. A few months from now, Obidiah will attempt to overthrow me by filing an injunction against me to shut me out of my own company. He’ll also try and kill me again, not realize that it won’t work the second time. After those events, Iron Man is revealed to the public and I became the first public superhero since World War 2.” 

“Thank you for that, by the way.” May gave him a glare that from experience he knew held no major bite. “Both of your egos became Peter’s hero after that. You were a superhero because of your brains. We had to sit through so many press conferences, pick up journals that we only half understood but he devoured.” 

Tony grinned. “This kid. He’s going to change the world and maybe if I pull this off, I’ll be around to see it.” 

Even if it came to it though, he would happily die again if it meant the kid was safe. 

“So you met Peter because of his powers?” Ben’s face cleared told the room that he was still coming to terms with all of this. 

Tony nodded. “He flagged one of my algorithms. When I discovered he was a kid and I was… in a pinch at the time… I went and recruited him for a mission. After that, we had a rough start but then…” 

“You became his father figure. You know he called you Dad a couple of times to me.” 

“And me.” Happy chimed in. 

“And I found myself co-parenting a Spiderling,” Tony smiled at the sleeping kid in his lap. “I never sought to take your place, or Richard’s.” 

“I can’t speak for that Ben since he lived with Peter longer than me. But I’d like to think I’d be happy Pete found someone that could fill the void. I’m just not sure how I fit into all of this now.” 

May turned, taking his hand. “He loves you, and sure it will take some adjusting for us to get used to having you around again and for you to get used to how we’ve changed, but he’ll be thrilled to have you back.” 

“I second that, Ben. We never met before, but you shaped him into the young man he became. We’ll figure it out. May and I did.” 

“There was lots of yelling.” She grinned. 

“Honestly, Ben, you’re a good man. That woman’s temper is one a handful of things I fear on this planet.” Tony chuckled. “Speaking of, when did the kid eat last?” 

“On the plane. He claimed he wasn’t hungry when we landed and yesterday he threw up most anything we tried to give him.” 

Tony nodded. “Hey Happy? Do you remember that place about twenty minutes from here? That Deli with the best soup and sandwiches?” 

Happy leaned back in his chair for a moment before recognition crossed his face. “Mellow Road?” 

“That’s the one!” Tony grinned. His memory came in handy on occasion. Other times it was a curse when he had to filter through things. “Would you mind going and picking up an order from there? Pete could probably use something light and he needs to eat soon. That Spider metabolism will probably start kicking in soon.” 

Happy nodded, stood, and headed for the garage. As he left, he turned to the others. “Honey Bear, do you remember where your room is here?”

Rhodey nodded. 

“There’s plenty of guest rooms upstairs for you three as well. And since you’re here for the week, that gives me time to try and remember the formulas for Peter’s medications.” 

“His?” 

“Peter can’t take normal pain killers, fever reducers, and cold/flu medication because his fast metabolism burns through them too fast for them to help. We made a batch of custom meds for him but in a pinch, he could also use Cap’s old stuff but it wasn’t as effective. I think once Peter grew into his powers more, his metabolism would outshine Cap’s which is insane to think about.” 

Tony stood. “Let’s get you settled. We’ve got a lot to work on.” 

He led them upstairs and showed them to guestrooms not far from Tony’s bedroom. He wanted Peter close but he figured if he was close to Peter’s room, Peter might hear his heartbeat through the walls if a nightmare struck. 

“Thank you, Tony.” May gave him a side hug, careful not to jostle Peter. 

“Of course, May. You two are family.” Tony smiled. “Ben, it’s an honor to meet you. These two have told me a lot about you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too.” 

“Happy should be back in about an hour with food. Feel free to settle in. You’re welcome to anything here in the upper levels. Though, I can’t remember what shape I left the lab in so maybe steer clear of that in the interim.” 

Leaving them there, he went down a few doors to his bedroom and walked inside. It was just as he remembered and he smiled at the familiar view of the ocean that he’d taken for granted in the past. Even after being stuck in that cave for three months, he’d still taken this for granted. But he wouldn’t anymore. Even if he did relocate back to New York, which considering that was Peter’s home that option seemed likely, he would keep this house so that he could retreat here. 

Kicking off his shoes, he sat on the bed and allowed himself a few minutes to relax and enjoy the snuggles the sleeping Spiderling provided. “I’m sure you have some questions, J.” 

“I have plenty, Sir. What year did you travel from?” 

“2023.” 

“And Master Peter?” 

“Is not my biological son. But in every other way that matters…” He ran his hands through the curls again, not tiring of the feeling of having Peter here, safe, not dust. “A lot happened, J. A lot in hindsight I could have stopped. I should have stopped. But I didn’t and then I had the chance to fix it. Even if it meant my death.” 

“If you did, Sir, how did you arrive here?”

“There are six stones, Infinity Stones. I think they sent me and everyone else back.” 

“Why?” 

“The cost was too great.” And Tony told Jarvis the story. About almost dying a few months from then, about Aliens attacking New York, about the Mandarian and Harley.” 

“Search for him, would you, J? I just want to know that he’s okay.” 

“Of course, Sir.” 

He talked about some of the things he knew from first hand experience and some things he only found out later in the game that he’d wished he’d known. Tony told Jarvis about Ultron and his own death and Vision’s birth. He talked about Wanda and her brother. He wondered if there was a way to save her parents. At a minimum, he wondered if he could save her brother. 

He talked about how everything fell apart. About the Sokovia Accords, about Germany, about Lagos, about Siberia. The betrayal, the healing, the and boy that thawed through a heart that he’d thought had frozen beyond repair in the Siberian wilderness. He smiled down at Peter as he told Jarvis about this amazing kid who had a moral code and was better than all of them. He just had some growing up to do. A lot more now in his current state. 

He told him about meeting Doctor Strange, about Titan, about coming home and finding out about Morgan. He talked about the five years where he’d walked away from it all and how he’d walked right back into it for the chance to save Peter. The final battle was hard to recount, possibly because as far as he was concerned it was only a couple of days ago to him. And he talked about snapping and how those closest to him were on his mind as everything faded and then he woke up in this time and was given the task to fix it. 

“How do you plan to do that?” 

“Carefully, especially over the next few weeks.” 

“I will be happy to assist however I can.”

Tony nodded. “Thank you, J.” 

Peter stirred against his chest and let out a small groan.

“Coming back to the land of the living there, Roo?”

“No. M sleeping.” He curled up tighter. 

“Happy will be back with food soon, you don’t want to miss that.” Tony rubbed his back.

“Want to stay here, with you.” 

“What if I want food?” Tony grinned as Peter finally sat up, unsticking himself from Tony. 

“Where are we?” 

“My room.”

“Woah, look at the ocean, Dad!” He scrambled off of Tony’s lap and to the window. 

“It’s an impressive view.” Tony came over and knelt beside him. 

“You’ve got the arc reactor.” Peter turned and put his hand on top of it. “Are we really…?”

“In the past?” 

The small boy nodded. 

“We are. I’m sorry you got dragged into this.” 

“I’m not. I’m with you.”

Tony smiled. This kid. This precious kid. “I’m glad you’re here. There’s someone I want you to meet.” 

“Who?” 

Grinning, Tony looked up. “J, say hi.” 

“Hello, Young Master Peter. I am Jarvis.” 

Peter’s face was completely worth it. “Jarvis? Like your first AI?” 

“One and the same.” 

His eyes went huge. “It’s super nice to meet you, Mr. Jarvis. I’ve read a lot about you in Dad’s files.” 

“It’s nice to meet you too. The honorific in front of my name is unnecessary though. You may call me Jarvis.”

Peter made a face but nodded. “Dad! He’s so cool! Can we look at his coding? Is it like Karen’s?” 

“Karen’s coding came from a lot of trial and error J had to put up with over the years. So there are some similarities. But she was created to do different things than J here so there are some differences too. We can look at those sometime soon.”

“Sir, Mr. Hogan has arrived back with food.” 

Peter’s stomach took that as its cue to grumble and Tony grinned. “Sounds like it’s time to eat.” 

Tony stood, realizing how much younger he felt. Granted, he was almost 15 years younger than he’d been two days earlier. He held out his hand and Peter took it and the pair made their way downstairs to where Happy was sitting things out on the table. 

“Happy!” The kid let go of Tony’s hand and took off towards Happy. 

“Hey, kiddo.” Happy grinned. “You really are a kid these days, aren’t you.” 

That earned him a small pout which Tony had to work hard to hide his fond smile. “You remember?” 

Happy nodded. “Oh yes. Including that you prefer Broccoli Cheddar soup to Chicken Noodle when you’re under the weather.”

“Thanks, Happy!” 

“Jarvis? Could you let everyone know lunch is ready?” 

“Of course, Mr. Hogan.” 

Happy turned to Tony. “I’m going to have to get used to it being him that answers.” 

“Tell me about it. I missed him though. I might bring Friday and Jocasta online at some point. Maybe they can run the Tower and Compound respectively and free up Jarvis to keep me in line.” 

“That might be best, Sir. After all, that is a rather full-time job even with my processing power.” 

Peter chuckled and Tony grinned. He’d missed the subtle way Jarvis’ sass came out. 

Rhodey and Pepper quickly joined them. May and Ben were not far behind and they all found seats at the dining table that Tony realized he had almost never used. He either sat on a stool at the counter in the kitchen or he ate in his lab downstairs or on the couch watching TV. And even rarer was how full the table was. Peter was to his right, his aunt and uncle taking up the rest of that side with Pepper to his left, Rhodey next to her, and Happy sitting across from Ben. Food was passed around and everyone was quiet for a bit while they ate. 

It didn’t take long for Peter to be on his second bowl of soup confirming Tony’s suspicions that his super metabolism was already starting to kick in. “This is really good, thanks Happy.” 

“Of course, Kid.” 

“So what happens now?” 

Everyone at the table turned to him and he blushed slightly at the attention. 

“What do you mean, Roo?” 

“We’re back here. You’re Iron Man and only we know.” 

“If we get technical, I’m not Iron Man yet. I haven’t made the second suit yet and taken it out for a spin.”

“Is that what you’re calling that? A spin? I had to save your…. save you from getting taken out by a plane and you’re calling it a spin?” 

“Semantics, Honey Bear.” Tony grinned at his best friend. “This time, I plan to avoid that if possible. But, I plan on making the Mark 2 again and making some different moves this time around.” 

“Can I help?” 

“In the lab? Because even having your powers now, you’re not going out into the field until you’re at least 14 like last time.” That earned him a huff that Tony chose to ignore. “But you can help me in the lab. We also need to look into your medications in case something happens. 

“And maybe restore a car like we were going to in the summer?” 

Tony grinned at the memory of discussing that with Peter on one of their last lab days before everything went wrong. “We can. But that will probably have to wait until Summer. You’ve only got a week before you’ve got to back to New York.” 

Peter’s smile faded. “You’re staying here?” 

“For now. I’ve got to, Bambino. There’s a lot at stake here and I’ve got to make sure we start off right. But as soon as I can, I’ll start looking at places in New York so I can be nearby, okay? And I’m only a call away.” 

Peter nodded. “Can we go to the beach?”

It took every ounce of Tony’s self-control not to wince at the mention of a place that had both water and sand. He wasn’t fond of either if he was honest but he would find a way to deal with them both if it meant Peter had a blast. 

“I’m sure that’s doable. But maybe not today since you’re not at 100 percent.” 

Peter nodded before digging into his soup.

Chapter Text

A couple of hours later, Peter was content to work on a Lego set that Happy had picked up. The lunch fare that had decorated the table earlier was now gone in favor of papers, maps, and crude drawings. 

Rhodey stood at one end, Happy at another, and everyone else had found a place to settle. 

“Tomorrow is the focal point.” Tony looked at the group. “There’s the meeting with the military, the meeting with the board, and the Press Conference. Younger me forgot to do two of the three there. I think that should make taking care of Obadiah easier. It will also help improve my public image out of the gate which might come in handy down the road.” 

“What do you mean by that?” 

“Last time, Tony rather abruptly shut down the weapons division of Stark Industries without a plan in place or notifying anyone. It caused a lot of problems that we spent far too much valuable time cleaning up.” Pepper looked at documents that Jarvis had pulled from the SI servers. 

“Pepper, I know I need to remain in the position for a few months to ease everything over after Stane, but I desperately need your input. It’s been ages since I’ve acted as CEO for more than a few weeks here and there.”

She nodded. 

“Honey Bear, I think if we work on some prototypes for defensive equipment and possibly pitch some enhanced communication devices, that might help us avoid a frosty reception with the military down the road?” 

“You could not do it worse than you did last time, Tones.” The man looked at him, his grin erasing any of the bite the statement had. “I can also work on my end with people I know to make sure that there’s less hostility this time around. The fact that you’re going to explain your reasoning and you’re not cutting all ties will help.” 

Tony nodded, for not the first time, relieved he had a backup for all of this. 

“Happy, we’ve got a head start on this because of last time. But I need you to start working on cleaning the house. Tomorrow, we start making steps towards being the Stark Industries of the years that never were. I want us moving faster, smarter, and more innovative than we did before.” 

Tony paused the matter that had been bugging him incessantly finally winning out. “I’ve been wondering if I was too hasty in the past. But I can’t shake the idea that it’s the right thing to do.” 

“What’s that?” Pepper asked. 

“Should I halt weapons production? There are regulations, loopholes that Obie has found but it shouldn’t be that easy to smuggle weapons like he does. But what if I could make something that could help us win against Thanos.” Tony rubbed the spot where the gauntlet had sat on his had not so long ago (yet in some ways terribly far away. He turned from the group, and walked over to the windows, and stared out at the ocean, trying to slow his breathing.  “What if we lose again and it’s on me because I shut down a potentially valuable resource?” 

The group looked at him like he’d grown a second head. But it was Rhodey that finally spoke up. “Tones. I’ll admit, when you did this last time, I was angry for a long time at your impulsive decision. But, I came to realize it was the right one. But at the end of the day, we have to face facts. Even with our advanced knowledge, the world might not catch up in time to face what Thanos brings.”

“He’s right.” Happy spoke up. “I think your plan to bring together more advanced people and create a new, better Avengers Initiative is the right way to go here.” 

“Tony,” Pepper took his hand, her voice gentle yet firm in a way he was far too familiar with. “Don’t second guess yourself about this. There are a lot of ways to do good here. And I know that this decision was one you never regretted. Please don’t start now.” 

There were not enough hours in the day for Tony to properly express how much he loved Pepper. How much he didn’t deserve her. How thankful he was that she loved him back. How she knew just how to talk him out of a potential spiral. 

“To be honest, it was stopping your weapons division that started to turn the tides with the public,” May spoke up. “It was the first obvious sign that you had changed. And the way you diverted those resources to other projects that made such a difference, don’t take that away from the world.” 

Tony looked at the group, a peace settling over him as the doubts seemed to fade. He really didn’t want to make weapons again and to have others verify that he didn’t have to go down that path made him feel good. He was tired of that being his legacy and he certainly didn’t want it to be Peter’s, Harley’s, and Morgan’s. 

“What can we do, Tony?” Ben asked. He seemed unsure as if lost and unsure of his role in this found family. 

“Raise Peter. It may not seem like a lot but he represents the future. My legacy, the Avengers. He was already poised to be better than any of us. And now? With extra time? I can’t wait to see what he does. You’re family, May. The Stones brought you all back for a reason. If nothing else, it was to give me support so that I could do what needs to be done.” Tony smiled at the couple. 

“And me?” Peter abandoned the Legos in favor of latching on to Tony’s right leg. 

“You, just be you. The world needs more people like Peter Parker. And how about you give me fewer grey hairs while you’re at it.” 

Peter laughed, it was higher pitched than Tony was used to but he found it was still somewhat similar and oddly soothing. “And when I’m older?” 

“We’ll talk. May and I both know we can’t stop you. But, if you still decide then you want Spider-Man to make an appearance, we’ll be installing ALL the safety protocols in advance. But that’s years down the road.” He picked Peter up. “For now, you get to be a kid. And once I move to New York, we’ll do our lab days again.” 

“Awesome.” He rested his head on Tony’s shoulder. 

“Happy, we may fly out to New York with them next week. I want to look over the apartment and make sure it’s secure. I’m not confident I can avoid people from finding out about Peter eventually and when it happens, I want him safe.”

“Of course, Boss.” 

“May, we’re going to have another discussion about you working at the Tower when it exists.” 

“The answer won’t change, Tony. I love my job.” 

“You can love this job too. Plus you’d be at the tower. Shoot, Ben I can get you a job too if you’d like. “ 

“Let’s table that discussion for later, Tony. “ May winced. 

Out of the blue, Rhodey swore and Tony turned. “What’s going on, Honey Bear?” 

“The Vice President. His ties to AIM. The whole Mandarin thing could be avoided.” 

“How?” Tony liked the idea of avoiding that whole fiasco but at the same time, it did give him a back door into meeting Harley if he didn’t come up with a better way by then. “It’s not like we can go to Ellis and tell him his VP is corrupt and we know cause we’re from the future. We’d need proof and I’m not sure where to start looking for that.” 

“Servers? Hack his phone?” 

“Fruit from the poisonous tree.” Happy interjected. “We have to find a way of obtaining the information legally, or it’ll be thrown out of court. Then, we make an enemy of the White House and that will bite us in the ass when it comes time for the Accords.” 

“I’d really prefer that not blow up in our face any more than it already has.” Pepper looked up from where she was reading SI files. “Also, as your CEO, I’d like to point out that it would also knock us in the stocks and potentially undo a lot of the goodwill you’re trying to get here by starting out on the right foot.” 

Tony nodded, agreeing with her. “We need the goodwill when the fallout happens with SHIELD.” 

“What we need to do is distance ourselves from the Avengers Initiative and SHIELD from the get-go.” Happy crossed his arms. “At the end of the day, the shortfalls of that project were part of what led to Thanos winning. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes barely pulled it together to save the day.” 

Tony winced but conceded that Happy had a point. 

“Perhaps, we could find a way to partner the Iron Man and War Machine projects with the United Nations and the US Military.” Rhodey held some documents, if Tony remembered correctly they were a collection of the highlights from the Accords. “We could get in on the ground level of any future accords and make sure that it works to protect both the enhanced and civilians alike.” 

“Basically, we’d be based out of the US but countries could request our assistance if they needed them?” Tony sat down and leaned back in his chair. “It could work and we’d avoid situations like Lagos if we did.” 

“What happened in Lagos?” Ben asked. 

Tony hesitated, regardless of it being almost a decade ago, that period still stung more than he cared to admit. “Rogers took some of our newer recruits on a mission to track down an Arms Dealer in Lagos. One of the newer recruits lost control of her powers and people ended up dead. Things spiraled from there and honestly, the only good thing that came out of that entire mess was meeting Peter.” 

The group turned and saw the boy happily playing with Legos again. When things calmed down, Tony wanted to see how much of Peter was six and how much was still the teenager. He had his powers, memories, and knowledge but at times he did very much act like the kid he was again. Neuroscience wasn’t his specialty but he might spend some time reading some articles about the process the brain goes through when someone hits puberty to get a feel for what might be going on in Peter’s head. 

One thing Tony had to admit is that he was itching to go into his lab and tinker. He’d missed that lab and to have a chance to be back in it was something he was excited to take full advantage of. 

“Jarvis, keep an eye on SI shares. If any come up for sale, grab them. I want a firmer majority if possible. We’re going to clean house starting at the top. Also, go ahead and look into selling any shares in Apple and Microsoft I may have.” 

That earned him some looks. From most of the room, it was confusion. But Peter looked excited. He grinned. “We’re going to present some ideas tomorrow about the future of Stark Industries. Carrot and Stick. I think it’s time we broke into the tech field a few years earlier this time.” 

“We’re going to make phones?” Peter asked. 

“And tablets, and computers. It’s time we get your coding up to snuff. Rhodey, we need to look into non-offensive gear for the military. I wouldn’t mind keeping some of those contracts. Perhaps if we go into the meeting prepared tomorrow, it might go better.” 

He turned to Ben and May. “Tomorrow is a full day. I can hire someone to drive you around, or you have your car or you are welcome to hang around here.” Peter opened his mouth but Tony put a hand up. “Until I take care of Stane, you’re not stepping foot in a SI building, am I clear?” 

Peter nodded. 

Tony smiled. “After that’s taken care of, I’m open to a bring my kid to work day.” 

~~~

Tony had always been an insomniac. For as long as he remembered, he preferred to work on things in the odd hours of the morning instead of sleeping. And it wasn’t like he made up for it by sleeping in. 

No, Tony Stark didn’t sleep. The fact itself was an open secret that people commented on. But after Afghanistan, it had gotten worse with the addition of PTSD and nightmares. And he’d never gotten help, sure there was that ill attempt to talk to Bruce which he should have known was an awful idea. 

That was something he might need to fix this time. Except, he didn’t know if he could find a therapist he could talk to. Certainly not one he could tell the whole truth to. Perhaps he could talk about experiences as they came up in the timeline and mix the old and new. 

At the moment, it was two in the morning and he had to be up in five hours to get ready for a meeting with the higher-ups in the military. And if he was honest, he had no desire to sleep and face the nightmares that he knew would come. Last night, he’d crashed out of exhaustion, both from the day and the day that never was. But tonight, he didn’t have that bone-weary exhaustion to deal with. 

He sat in his lab, not really doing anything productive. He’d messed with the plans for an updated arc reactor a bit, had made a note to get the model out of his office as soon as he could without Obie being suspicious. 

“Dad?” 

He turned to see Peter at the door. Sleep seemed to cling to his face, and he seemed nervous. It looked different, more innocent at this age when he hadn’t quite lost all of his baby fat and the years hadn’t been quite as harsh to him yet. When Peter saw that he’d gotten Tony’s attention, he smiled, a small one. 

“Let him in, J.” 

The door clicked open and Peter came in, wide-eyed even though he’d been in the room a few hours ago. DUM-E came over, excited beeps sounding as he greeted his little brother. Peter happily patted him. 

“What are you doing up, Roo?” 

“Couldn’t sleep.” He held his arms like he wanted to be picked up and Tony obliged. Peter snuggled into his chest like he had at naptime and hummed happily. “Is it weird?” 

“What?” Tony started playing with his curls.

“I’m a kid. You’re used to big me.” 

“I love any version of you, Spiderling.” 

“But I can’t help. I’m too little.” 

Tony looked down at the kid in his lap. “You help by being you. I didn’t create time travel and save half the universe for Spider-Man. I saved it for Peter Parker.” 

“You saved it because it was the right thing to do.” 

Tony sighed. “I said no, originally.” 

Peter shifted and looked up. “What?” 

“I told Cap and Nat, no. I had done my best to grieve you and move on. I had Pepper and Morgan and I kept your memory alive by telling her stories about the Amazing Spider-Man. You know she was you for Halloween, twice.” 

Peter blushed and Tony grinned. “What changed?” 

“I saw a chance to get you back. A chance to tell you how I feel. A chance to hug you, teach you, a chance to give the world back something so precious it didn’t realize it lost.” 

Peter snuggled back into his chest, seeming to know where to go to not aggravate his wound. “Does it hurt?” 

“It does.” 

“Will you get rid of it again?” 

“Probably. But not for a bit. Now, it’s back to bed for Spiderlings.” 

“You need sleep too.” Peter pouted. 

Tony scooped him up, resting him on his hip. “I’m not sure that’s a good thing.” 

“Maybe…” 

Tony exited the lab as Jarvis dimmed the lights and took the elevator. He was still working on getting used to the reduced lung capacity that the reactor gave along with the heaviness in his chest. 

“Maybe what?” 

“Maybe I could sleep with you. You chase away my nightmares and I can chase away your’s.” 

This kid. This precious kid was far too good to be so trusting of someone like Tony. 

“That sounds like a wonderful idea.” 

The elevator let them off and Tony made his way down the hallway to his bedroom. Already, Pepper was sleeping and Tony sat Peter down on the bed. “Give me a minute, Roo.” 

Quickly changing into sweats, he came over and crawled into bed. “Middle or side.” 

“Side. That way you’re in a Pepper and me sandwich.” 

“That’s one of the best ideas I’ve heard, Peter.” Pepper rolled over, placing an arm around Tony. “We’ll protect him while he sleeps.” 

“I can do that.” Petter climbed under the covers and snuggled close. Tony grinned. 

He ran his hand through Peter’s curls, something he would never grow tired of and something he was fairly certain would start annoying the kid again far too soon. It didn’t take long for his breathing to even out and for the kid to fall asleep. Satisfied Peter was sleeping, Tony finally closed his eyes. 

Sure, they might not be able to completely keep the nightmares at bay. But his family had reminded him that they were there and that was enough to give him the courage to sleep.

Chapter Text

There was a reason that Tony had started his patented look of concert and graphic tees under blazers. And that reason was that he hated dressing up. He loved the idea of being able to shrug the jacket off and go right into the lab should inspiration strike. 

Right now, with the arc reactor in his chest, it was even more of a chore. He had to put on extra layers to hide the glow it gave off. And he’d even put on cufflinks. 

He was sitting in a car with Rhodey next to him as Happy drove them to the local Air Force base. According to Rhodey, upper brass from other branches had flown in for the meeting. 

No pressure then. 

Happy pulled up and parked the car, getting out and letting Tony and Rhodey out. Rhodey led the way and Happy flanked Tony reminding everyone that he was not someone to mess with. No one messed with Tony Stark when Happy Hogan was around. 

They made their way into the building and Rhodey earned salutes as he walked. Tony took a minute to properly appreciate the amount of respect his friend had when he walked down the hall. Here, he wasn’t Tony Stark’s sidekick. If anything, Tony Stark was Colonel Rhodes’ friend and Tony had to admit he loved it. 

He also noticed how his friend stood taller and straighter as he walked through the halls. It had been a while since he’d come on a base with Rhodey. By the end of things, he did most of his contact with the military by video chats. But hopefully, the moves he made this time around would foster a closer relationship. 

Because Thanos was coming and this time they would be ready. Though Tony wasn’t entirely sure what that looked like if he was honest. But he’d seen what didn’t work. 

They arrived at a room and Rhodey held the door for him and Tony walked through. He found himself at the head of a table with 20 people of different ranks. He heard the door close behind him and Rhodey took a seat leaving an empty one next to him for Tony. 

Taking a seat, he looked around the room, vaguely recognizing some and letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding when he saw the distinct lack of Thaddeus Ross in the room. “Thank you for agreeing to this meeting on such short notice.” 

“We’d like to thank you for meeting with us. We understand if you need more time to recover after your ordeal.”

Tony held a hand up. “I’d rather get this over with if you don’t mind. We have a lot to talk about.” 

An assistant came by and sat down with a cup of coffee. “Thank you.” 

“Of course, Dr. Stark.”

Tony took a sip of that, ignoring the fact that he’d already had three cups at the house before coming. He also ignored the looks his friend was given. “Before I tell you what happened, I do have a request.” 

“And that is?” A woman eyed him from about three-fourths of the way down the table. 

“I was wondering if I would be able to get the contact information for the families of the soldiers who died protecting me. I’d like to offer my condolences to the family.” And possibly pay off funerals, college funds of any siblings, or on the off chance one of them had kids… 

“I’m sure we can arrange that.” The woman’s stare was softer. 

Tony took a sip of his coffee, this time as a stalling technique. He felt a hand on his arm and turned to see his best friend watching him. Rhodey gave him an encouraging nod and with a deep breath, he began. 

“They were killed with my weapons. Guns and missiles I designed to keep them safe. There’s a leak, I’m fairly certain it’s on my end but I did want you to know in case you want to investigate on your own. I’ll be shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries, effective this afternoon.” 

That caused a stir.

“I can’t allow our men and women to be killed by the weapons created to defend them anymore. We will continue to make nonoffensive gear and keep our contracts on that end.”

That calmed a lot of people down but the tension was still high. Tony leaned back in the chair and began to talk about what happened. He talked about Yinsen, something he’d not done the last time around. This time, he’d make sure the man was remembered by more than just him. He told them about his refusal to make the Jericho. About the double-cross where he’d used their equipment to make the suit for his escape. 

“You made a flying suit and escaped.” 

“Essentially.” He grinned. “I may have been held hostage for three months but I didn’t lose my flair for the dramatics.” 

That earned him chuckles across the room. 

Questions turned more to his captors. Tony told them everything he knew, some of which he hadn’t learned until later in the original timeline. And then he circled back to what might be two of the biggest changes he’d made yet. 

“When they took me, they fired a missile at me. It had my name on it.” Tony’s hand went to his chest, feeling the familiar but not feeling of the arc reactor. “It exploded and shrapnel entered my body. There is still some in there, Yinsen got out what he could.” 

“How are you alive?” Someone nearby spoke up.

“Yinsen and I created a solution to the issue. With all due respect, I’m not overly eager to share the details at this time.”

Heads around the room nodded in understanding. 

“I want to make a new version of that suit. There are more of my weapons out there and I’m the best choice to take them out. As an olive branch to the military, I’m willing to make a second for Colonel Rhodes to use with the Air Force. It would remain my property though and only he could use it.” 

Tony was honest, he not only wanted Rhodey to fight alongside him as War Machine but he also needed his best friend at his side for the days ahead. 

“I had the idea of creating a committee. We can have representatives from all five branches of the military represented. Missions and follow-ups can be conducted by them. I want accountability. A clear lack of it is what got me in this situation in the first place. I also want to work with the military. Out of respect for what you do and.” Tony paused, taking a sip of his coffee. “And honestly to make amends for the damage my lack of attention caused. I can never replace the lives that were taken by my weapons but I can do my best to make sure that number flatlined.” 

“Dr. Stark, on behalf of the panel, I’d like to welcome you back to the States. We’d also like to thank you for your candor today and wish you a speedy recovery. We look forward to working with you on this proposal and on any equipment you are willing to develop for us.” 

“I’m sure we will get into the specifics in a couple of weeks,” Rhodey spoke up for the first time. “On behalf of myself and his team, we are encouraging Tony to rest for a few weeks and recover from his time in Afghanistan.” 

“I can rest in the lab, Honey Bear.” 

Rhodey scoffed. “Is that our idea of resting. No. I mean in bed, I will accept the couch. Shoot, fresh air may do you good so the lounge on your back patio is also acceptable. But not the lab.” 

“But Platypus!” 

There were some chuckles from the group. 

“No buts, Tony. After today, you’re resting for at least the rest of the week.” 

Tony went to fight but then realized what Rhodey was doing. He was giving Tony an out of the public eye for the week so he could spend time with Peter before he went back to New York. Putting his hands up in mock surrender, he sighed. “Fine. You win. But I get to pick the movies.” 

“Colonel Rhodes, we would like to station you with Dr. Stark to make sure he does get that rest. Also, we want to be in the loop on the investigation at Stark Industries. You’ll be our point person of contact for Dr. Stark and his team in that matter.” 

“Of course.” The only reason Tony caught the smile that that statement caused was because of the sheer number of years he’d known the man. 

“Is there anything else, Dr. Stark?” 

“Not at this time. I’m meeting with my Board of Directors next and then holding a press conference after that. I’ll be announcing the shutdown then so if you could keep it quiet on your end until then, I’d appreciate it.” 

“Of course. Thank you again for your candor. Please reach out if the US military can assist. We’ll forward that contact information to your assistant.” 

Tony nodded. “I’d appreciate it.” 

The meeting adjourned and Tony downed the rest of the coffee as people began standing up and filing out. The room emptied quickly and Tony finally stood. Perhaps it was the fifteen years between the events he’d talked about and the present that made it easier to talk about than he expected. But at the same time, it was hard. Sure, he’d walked through a lot of that tragedy in therapy but still. 

He turned to Rhodey. “So, the military says you’re stuck with me.” 

His best friend laughed, put his arm around his shoulder, and led him out of the room. 

#

A couple of hours later he found himself in the Los Angeles Stark Industries Headquarters. It was a bit surreal to be back here considering he’d stayed in New York almost full time by the time the snaps happened. He walked through the lobby with Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy flanking him. 

Walking down the halls and through bullpens, he was surprised at how many people stopped and said hello. A couple of women got a little emotional when he walked by and told him how happy they were to see that he was okay. 

He made sure to stop and talk to everyone who said something, even if it was just a quick second. Perhaps by the end of things, he’d gotten too much in his head and didn’t stop to chat with employees like he used to. 

“There he is!” 

It took every ounce of his upbringing in the public eye as well as his tolerance for bullshit to not react when he heard the voice of Obadiah Stane for the first time in 15 years. Taking a breath, he plastered a playboy smile on his face and turned to face his godfather. 

“Obie!” He accepted the hug though it made his skin crawl. It wouldn’t due to tip his hand too early. 

“Welcome back, Tony.” Obie’s grin was about as real as Tony’s. And not for the first time, he wondered how he’d missed it. 

“Thank you. And thank you for taking care of things around here while I was… detained.” 

“Of course, of course, my boy. We’re a team. Now, I’m curious about this meeting you called.” 

Tony grinned. “You’re the one telling me I need to step up and take responsibility. I’m touching base with the Board after being away. I have some things I’d like to discuss as well as see how our numbers are.” 

Obie joined him as he continued to walk to the boardroom but he was shoved to the outside of Tony’s group. None of his three friends would break formation to allow room for the Betrayer and Tony fought to keep the smug smirk off of his face. They finally arrived at the board room. Rhodey paused outside the door, planning to stand guard as Happy began their places to clean house. Pepper joined him inside, her role as his PA granting her access to the meeting without arousing suspicion far too early. 

The room was full when he arrived, Pepper took a seat behind her, something that grated Tony’s nerve. After she had spent years earning her spot at any table she sat at, it was hard to see her back in a world that saw her as a mere PA. She was so much more than that. In all reality, she’d been much more than that the first time around but he was too thickheaded to acknowledge it.

He took his place at the head of the table and a hush settled over the board room. “Thank you all for coming together on such short notice. I didn’t want to waste time before I met with you all after I returned.” 

James Meyers, one that had stayed with Tony’s company until he was Snapped away, smiled. “Can I just say, Dr. Stark, that on behalf of the board we’re glad to see that you’ve returned to us safe and sound.” 

The rest of the board, Obie included, clapped in agreement with that statement. Tony allowed a small smile to grow on his face. 

“Thank you. I would like to thank Obie and all of you for keeping things running in my absence. I haven’t had a chance to carefully review the numbers of the last quarter but from what I glanced at, things went well.” 

He leaned back in the chair. “Being stuck in that cave gave me a lot of time to think about our future. The circumstances that stuck me in that cave gave me a lot to think about on top of it.” 

Looking around, he saw he had all eyes on him. “I saw those soldiers killed by weapons that were built to protect them. I was hit by a missile that quite literally had my name on it. I was taken to a headquarters where they had stockpiles of our weapons on them. And I realized at some point, something had gone wrong. Perhaps I was too hands-off before. Perhaps we didn’t have enough accountability. That’s why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons division of Stark Industries pending an investigation that is already in progress.”

Several board members rose to the feet to debate but Tony held up a hand. “I spoke with the military this morning, I had a closed-door classified session. I told them my plans and they were more than understanding of the situation. We are going to continue to provide them with nonoffensive gear.”

“The military has agreed to this?” Someone spoke up from the other end of the table. Tony looked up and saw that it was Louis Bailey who in later years was someone Tony considered to be one of the more tolerably members. 

“They did.” He nodded. “I approached them for their feedback. Now, with the extra production space, I did have some ideas. For those who aren’t interested, we of course will offer you a nice severance package. For the rest, the future is coming and I hope you’re ready for it.” Tony leaned forward in his chair ready to wow them. 

#

Tony sat in his office, looking at the model of the Stark Expo that was sitting there. The press conference was due to start in just a few minutes and he was decompressing here before going out there. Or rather, he was dwelling on the years that never were, the original version of this moment. How dumb he was. But at the same time, how honest he was. 

He had never said goodbye to his parents. Not really. Their last conversation had been a fight and they’d left and never come back. In a morbid sense, he’d come to terms with Sgt. Barnes’ role in his parent’s death. 

But he still had questions. Had his dad ever regretted what he did? The weapons he made, the blood on his hands. Or was he every inch the man from the newsreels, from Tony’s memories. Why had his dad gone through all the trouble of leaving these clues for Tony? Why not tell him?

Tony knew the answer. His teenaged self wouldn’t have understood or appreciated it. He wasn’t ready for it. But now, staring at this map, a piece of the future Tony needed, he wondered what his dad would think. He wondered why he cared. And he hated that he wondered if Howard would make the same call that he made. Would he die to save Tony?

Honestly, Tony wasn’t sure. 

He’d have to make sure that Peter never felt like that. That he never doubted how much Tony cared for him. Harley too, once they met. And Morgan, if she ever existed again. Tony had to believe that she would. Otherwise, he might go insane. 

“Tony?” 

He turned to see Pepper standing just inside the door. 

“Hey, Pep.” 

She came over and looked at the model. “They’re about ready for you, out there.” 

“I…” Tony sighed. “I’m glad you’re here. Watch out for Coulson, I won’t be surprised if he shows up.” 

“I’ll bar him the appointment he’ll ask for.” 

“Actually, no. Book it. I want Dad’s stuff that they’re holding on to. Gives me an excuse without having to approach them for it myself.” While Tony was fairly certain he could do Starkanium from memory but having that information would speed the process along. Plus, it should have come to him anyways. 

Pepper nodded. “Will that be all, Mr. Stark?” 

Tony grinned at the line. “That will be all, Miss Potts.” 

He paused. “We need to fix that.” 

She gave him a look. “Let’s get things calmed down first, and then we will. Peter can be there, this time.” 

“He can. He can be the ring bearer or the flower boy.” 

Pepper laughed. “Oh, he’d have a ball.” 

He turned away from the model, shaking back his melancholy feelings and straightening his shoulders. Walking out of the room, he was once again flanked by Happy and Rhodey. His team, his family, his people. He felt invincible knowing they were by his side and on this journey with him. 

Now to get through this conference and get back to Peter and the safety of his home. 

The group made their way up and Tony made his way on stage with Rhodey. The press clamored as they shouted out questions, some of which Tony could understand, none of which he was ready to answer. 

Walking up to the podium, he looked at the group who quickly settled down. “Glad you see you all haven’t changed in my absence.” 

That earned him some chuckles. 

“I had a lot of time to think while I was trapped in that cave. About my dad, about the company, about what it is that I’ve spent my life doing. I have a lot of questions I’d love to ask Howard. Did he have doubts? Did he question it? Or was he every inch the man we remember from the newsreels.”

“What happened over there?” The question came again from the same reporter.

“I watched brave men and women killed by the weapons that I made to protect them. I underwent heart surgery in a cave without proper painkillers and anesthetic.” 

That earned him gasps and shocked faces. 

“There was a man, he was the one to save my life and help me to escape. He died in that effort. His name was Ho Yinsen. I know you’re going to write a lot about what I say today, please make sure you mention him. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.”

“Tony, you mentioned you had a lot of time to think after what happened. What does that mean for the future of Stark Industries?” 

Leaning forward, he looked right at Christine Everhart. “I’m shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries pending a complete investigation into how my weapons ended up in the hands of terrorists.”

Like last time, this caused the room to erupt into chaos. Unlike last time, Obadiah wasn’t there to stop the conference. Tony held up his hands and the room quieted. “I’ve already spoken to both the military and my Board of Directors on this matter. We have products we will be announcing as we begin to unveil the new era for Stark Industries. If I were someone with stock, I would think twice about selling.” Tony grinned. “That is if you’re interested in the future.” 

“The future of what?” A reporter shouted out. 

“Everything.” Tony grinned. “So questions?” 

He fully expected the chaos that unfolded. And he loved it. 

It took another 30 minutes for him to get out of that room and if Tony was honest, he was exhausted. Physically, his body was still recovering from its time in the cave. Mentally and psychologically, he was still processing that final battle against Thanos, dying, and coming back to this time. 

There were times where all he wanted to do was curl up at home with his family and his kid in his lap and pretend the fate of the Universe wasn’t on their shoulders. 

He wanted to grab something from his office, mainly a certain ghost drive that might end up in the hands of the FBI very soon. Heading that way, he noticed only Rhodey and Pepper flanking him.

“I think that went a lot better this time.” 

“It couldn’t have gone much worse.” Rhodey rolled his eyes. 

“I resent that.” 

“You resemble that. Last time was an utter disaster.”

“It was, Tony. What’s the plan from here?” 

“We get the evidence we need now, avoid that confrontation. We’ll need to start making plans for Vanko and the palladium issue. I think we should still run the Stark Expo in 2010. There’s a lot of potentials there to catch innovators we might have missed the first time around.” 

“Fair enough. I’m also looking to see which of our investments from before already exist. See if we can get in even earlier this time around.”

Tony loved this woman. Deeply. And he did not deserve her but was thankful every day she loved him. “Get Jarvis to help you with that.” 

They arrived at the hallway by his office and found Happy standing by the door. “Boss, you have a visitor inside.” 

Normally, this wouldn’t be a huge deal but the look on Happy’s face made Tony nervous and he pushed open the door and headed inside.

Chapter Text

At first, he missed that there was anyone in the office because it appeared empty. But then he noticed that his chair was turned to face the window. 

“Hello?” 

The chair turned sideways and a boy who was around Peter’s age spilled out of it. “Mechanic?” 

“Harley?” Tony ran across the room and kneeled down next to the boy. “What on Earth are you doing here? How did you get here? You’re like six.” 

“Almost seven. If we get technical, I was an adult before you did whatever this is.” His defiant look definitely lost some of its edge considering he still had some of his baby fat and was missing a tooth.

Tony scooped the kid up in a hug. “I missed you.” 

“What happened?” The kid seemed to soak in the attention, not something he did often when he was older. Tony got in a more comfortable position, taking Harley over to the couch and sitting them both down but not letting the boy go. “I… we were gone. For five years I think I heard. And then suddenly everything went all weird and then I was here. Well, in Rose Hill. Back in our old house and I was a baby again and the paper said it’s 2008.” 

“So what, you managed to Home Alone 2 yourself here?” 

“Basically.”

“Does your mom know you’re here? I’m not getting accused of kidnapping again because you decided to come to hide with me after a fight.” 

“Kinda? She thinks I ran away. But then you can find me and she’ll be so grateful.” The kid grinned. “It’ll take me a couple more days of traveling to get here, of course.”

“Harley.” Tony laughed at how different is two boys were from each other even though they were only months apart in age. “What am I going to do with you?” 

“Be my sorta-kinda dad again?” The kid grinned, made all the cuter by that missing tooth. 

“Of course, Bambino. You finally get to meet your brother.”

“The Spider kid? The one I was supposed to meet this summer?” 

Tony nodded. “The very same. He’s here too.” 

“From the future?” 

“Yup. Got the whole family together now. Well, except your sister but I’m hoping we’ll see her again someday.” 

“Sister?”

Tony smiled enjoying this odd moment where Harley let him hold him. The kid wasn’t super affectionate as he got older, a stark contrast to Peter who sometimes impersonated a Koloa. “Pepper and I finally got married and had a girl, Morgan.” 

“During the five years?” 

“Yup.”

“Took you long enough.” 

“Hush. You know me.”

“Emotionally constipated with commitment issues?” 

“You know, big words like that out of a mouth that small are really adorable.” Tony grinned, earning himself a glare from the kid. “Ready to head to my place? We’ll have to figure out how to make sure I don’t get charged with kidnapping you and maybe watch a movie.” 

Harley hopped down but let Tony take his hand. Heading for the office door, he grinned. Opening it, he came out. Pepper was standing there but grinned when she saw who was with Tony. “Harley?”

“Hey Pepper. I hear you finally got him to the altar.” 

“I did. When we do it again, I can’t wait for you to be there.” 

Harley grinned. “I look forward to it. Someone has to help make sure he doesn’t chicken out again.”

“Potato!” 

“Mechanic!” 

Happy led them out of a back entrance, mostly hiding Harley from employees and more importantly, Stane. Getting in the car, the group settled in for the drive back to the mansion. 

“It’s so warm! And the ocean is like right there! New York was cool, but look at the palm trees!” Harley’s face was pressed against the windows, taking in the sights around him. 

“I’m probably moving back to New York in the next year or so. It’s closer to you and Peter.” He turned to Pepper. “We need a cover story for this. Unlike Peter, his mom doesn’t remember it seems. And, I don’t want to not be in his life this time around.” 

“You’re my dad. More than my dad ever was. She’ll have to get over it.” Harley didn’t look at them. 

“We’ll figure it out.” Pepper looked at the pair. “But Harley, we can’t keep your mom in the dark about where you’re at. It’s not fair to her.” 

“But she’ll make you send me home. And then ground me till I’m the age I’m supposed to be again.” 

“Next time, how about you call instead of sneaking on a plane and flying across the country.” Tony was well aware that he might have just invited the kid to pull a stunt like this in the future. He was also aware that the kid would do it anyway so at least he had somewhere to land when he decided Rose Hill was too small for him. Unfortunately, having already lived through that once, it would happen a lot faster this time. 

Tony laid on the couch back at the mansion a couple of hours later wondering how he got to be this lucky. On either side of him lay a boy and both had fallen asleep as the movie played on the screen in front of him. He had an arm around both and both were clinging to him. He’d dreamed about this for years after the first snap. Seeing both of them, what it would be like for them to meet, having them meet Morgan. 

His hand found its way into Peter’s hair as it seemed to be doing a lot since his return to the past and he worked his way through the curls. Peter gave out a content hum in his sleep and Tony grinned as he seemed to snuggle deeper into Tony’s side. 

His boys. 

Both of them, together. Sure, Harley’s situation was a bit of a mess and he had to figure out how to return the kid without getting cut out of his life. Or explaining to his mother how the kid made it all the way to California and why Tony Stark wasn’t in a hurry to send him back. But they’d figure it out. 

They always did. 

Pepper came and took a seat in an armchair nearby and smiled at the sight. “You waited a long time for this.”

He nodded. “I have. Both of them, together. And they’re so young. I get an extra four years with Harley and even more with Peter. I missed so much and then they missed so much. If we have Morgan somewhere down the road, they’ll be there for it. They’ll get to meet her and I’ll have all my kids.” 

A tear slipped down his cheek and Pepper came over and wiped it away. “I’m glad the stones gave you this. I know it’s hard, it’s different. But, you’re not alone.”

“You’ve got us. And for the record, I’m not answering to anything except Uncle Rhodey.” His best friend came in, finding a seat. 

“I drove the kid around, I get Uncle dibs first.” Happy called from the kitchen. “May will back me up on this.” 

“Where is May?” Tony hadn’t seen either of the Parker adults in a bit. 

“I sent her and Ben out to have a date night. From May’s perspective, it’s been a bit since they had time for just the two of them and I thought it was needed.” Pepper smiled, moving to the arm of the couch by where Peter lay, brushing a stray curl out of his face. Her hand briefly brushed Tony’s as it worked through Peter’s hair, the kid would never admit it but he loved it. 

Maybe he would at this age. Maybe they both would. Tony was entering their lives at a much different time than he had before. They were younger, there was history though not one they could really explain to outsiders. They'd claimed him and he’d claimed them. He was fairly certain the two would claim each other as well. While there were lots of differences, they were a lot alike too. 

He knew both of his boys lived lonely lives, Harley, much more so than Peter. Maybe this year, he’d have a head start and could sweet-talk Rose into letting Harley stay with him during the school years and go to Midtown. It would push him a lot more than Rose Hill did. 

“Sir, there’s a phone call from Rose Keener.” 

“Transfer it to my cellphone, J.” Tony’s eyebrow raised as he pulled out his phone and answered it. “Hello?”

“Please tell me he’s with you.” 

“Rose?”

“Tony. I don’t know what’s going on, but Harley’s missing, and I have a feeling he’s coming to you.” 

“Relax, Rose. He’s using my lap as a pillow right now. I was trying to figure out a way to explain this…”

“Because you thought I didn’t remember?” 

Tony’s shoulder’s dropped in relief. “To be fair, it’s a fair assumption.” 

“What happened” 

“Long story short. World ended. I saved it, got sent back in time and the entities that did so decided to send my whole family back too and that includes you and the kids and another kid and one of his guardians.” 

He heard the sigh of relief on the other end. “It took me a long time to figure out that he might have gone west to find you.” 

“It’s not the first time he’s done a runner and come to me.” Tony grinned at the boy in question. “I’ll bring him home at the end of the week. It’s Spring Break if memory serves and he usually spends them with me anyways. I’ve got his adopted brother here too and they were supposed to meet but then…” 

“Are you okay?” 

He smiled. “I’m working on it. Not going to lie, I’m glad for the support system. Can’t imagine being in this situation alone. Having the boys here, seeing them okay after everything that happened…” 

Harley stirred. “Mechanic, you’re too loud.” 

“Your mom remembers, Potato.” 

The kid shot up, the sudden movement waking Peter who let out a small whine. Tony played with his hair and he settled down but Harley didn’t. 

“What?” 

He put the phone on speaker. “You’re on speaker and he can hear you.”

“You know you’re grounded, right?” 

“Mo-om!” 

“You’re not 16 anymore, Harley. You’re six. You can’t run across the country to Tony without telling me. You really shouldn’t be doing it at all until you’re in your teenage years ago and then we all know I won’t be able to stop you.”

“I… I needed to see him.” Harley almost whimpered and Tony pulled him close. 

“Shhh, I’m here. It’s okay. We’ll sort this all out. It’s…”

“It’s a weird situation.”

Tony snorted. “Weird’s one word for it.”

“Tony offered to let you stay for the week.”

Harley perked up. “Can I? Please, Mom!” 

There was a pause. “I shouldn’t reward your behavior. Half the town is looking for you, you know. I’m just glad I finally thought to call Tony.” 

“I’m really sorry. I’d say I won’t do something stupid like that again, but we all know that’s a lie.” 

Tony chuckled. “When I drop him off, we can talk about things, Rose.”

“So, I need to go buy the market out of coffee is what you’re saying.” 

Pepper snorted at that. 

“Don’t either of you start.” 

Harley was laughing too and Tony ruffled his hair, earning an indignant squawk which was more adorable coming from the six-year-old version of the kid than it had been from the teenaged one. 

“Call me every night, okay Harley?” 

“Yes, Mom.”

“Thank you, Tony.”

“Of course. Thanks for letting him stay for a few days. After the week I’ve had, I could use his company.”

“I knew you loved me.” Harley turned with a grin. 

“Hush you.”

“Bye Harley.”

“Bye, mom!” 

“Bye Rose.” Tony hung up the call and let out another sigh. He had not seen that coming. Honestly, he wondered if it was for a similar reason to why May remembered. Peter and Harley were a part of Tony’s support system but they also needed their support systems for adjusting to this new time, their new ages, and how things would be different this time around. 

But Tony also needed May and Rose. He’d been co-parenting the two teenagers for years and they had become part of his family. Abby too, Harley’s little sister.

Harley settled in next to him. “She knows.” 

“She does.” 

“So I can see you.” 

“Not if you do stupid stuff like this often. She’ll ground you so long you’ll be a teen again before I get to see you.” 

“Fair.” 

“You two are so loud. I’m sleeping.” Peter groaned. 

“It’s time to get up, I think we need to go see what we can cook up in the kitchen. Happy, Rhodey, are you two staying for supper or heading home.” 

The pair looked at each other. “We’re staying.” 

Rhodey grinned. “I may have moved into the guest room for the duration of this assignment so you’re stuck with me. Besides, I have two nephews to spoil.”

Both boys blushed at that. 

Tony waved them in the kitchen and started making supper. The grownups helped him cook but Harley seemed to be more entertained at making a game out of finding different things for Peter to stick to. Peter was having a ball alongside him as the items got more ridiculous. 

After a simple dinner of chicken and pasta, yes Tony had gotten better in the kitchen but he was by no means an expert, he noticed both boys starting to droop. They were both still on East Coast time so it was a bit later and they’re so little. 

“Alright, I think it’s time for bed. Harley, you can officially occupy the last bedroom I have, and let’s all be glad I’m a billionaire who has a mansion to fit us all in without it feeling cramped.” 

The two boys groaned but Tony led them upstairs. Harley had a backpack with some items in it but Tony had a feeling they’d have to make a clothing run at some point for a couple of things. 

Somehow the two ended up in Peter’s room so Tony could tell them a story. “There once was a princess whose big brother had died before she was born. Unbeknownst to all the realm, the brothers weren’t dead, just merely… gone. The King loved his little princess but missed the two princes.”

“Mechanic, we may look six, but we’re not actually six.” 

“I liked it.” Peter grinned. “You’re talking about Morgan.” 

“Your little sister. She was Pepper’s kid, even though she looked like me. But she took after you too a bit. Courage, that adventurous spirit you both have, the ability to get into everything. I told her stories about you two all the time, to make sure she knew about her brothers who weren’t there. And now I tell you stories about her. Maybe we’ll see her again, she’ll exist in a slightly different time.” 

“Because you won’t be a chicken and ask Miss Potts sooner?” Harley’s innocent face contradicted the sass in the statement in a way that was typical Harley Keener and warned Tony’s heart.

“He’s not wrong, Dad. I mean it took me surprising you to get that proposal?” 

“What?” 

Peter grinned. “I turned him down for a spot on the Avengers.” 

“Why would you do something so stupid!” 

“I thought we were settling down.” Tony eyed the two boys. 

Both settled into his sides. 

“I thought I wanted it, but I was barely 15 at the time and I wasn’t ready for that. I wanted to stay low to the ground. But then Dad inducted me the day everything fell apart.” 

Both grew silent, remembering the doomed flight to Titan.

“So, how did you saying no finally help Mechanic here to grow a pair and ask Pepper?” 

“I told him no after he already filled a room with the press for a conference to announce me as the newest Avenger. With no announcement, he improvised.” 

“You proposed at that press conference? I thought that was just for show. We need to discuss your methods here.” 

“She said yes.”

“Eventually.” Peter grinned. 

“I’m trying to remember why I wanted you two to meet.”

“Because you love us.” Harley’s voice was starting to develop a sleepy haze. 

“That I do.” Tony shut his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the two boys on either side of him. 

It was late when May and Ben returned from their night out. From May’s perspective, it had been years since she’d had a night out with Ben. From his, it had been a few months, not since Peter had moved in. They hadn’t been comfortable leaving Peter quite yet. 

“Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Parker. I hope your evening was enjoyable.” Jarvis’ voice rang out. May smiled, used to Stark’s AI’s even if she wasn’t used to this particular version. May swore that Friday sometimes was the responsible adult in the room when Peter and Tony got involved in a project. 

“It was, Jarvis. Thank you. Is Peter asleep or did he wait up?” 

“He and Sir are upstairs sleeping.” 

“Thank you.” May nodded to the kitchen. “Let me go check on him, for my own peace of mind, and then maybe we can watch a movie before bed?” 

Ben nodded. “I’d like that.” 

May headed upstairs, a silly smile on her face. It was hard at times to have Ben here at her side. He was her Ben but at the same time, he wasn’t. He was missing almost a decade of experience. But he was alive and she wanted to figure out how to bridge the gap between where she’d been in their marriage when they died and where Ben was now. 

He didn’t completely understand. At least not yet. He didn’t understand being the guardian of a hero, the waiting up, the worry. He didn’t understand the relationship she had with a certain genius billionaire as they navigated co-parenting an enhanced teenager. Ben didn’t get the wine nights where Pepper came and they drank wine and watched old movies and grumbled about stupid genius heroes who did stupid things. 

Shaking her head, she made her way up to the room Tony had given Peter. She saw the door was still open and peeked in. Laying in the bed in a pile were Tony, Harley, and Peter. Tony had his arms wrapped around both boys. Peter was curled up against him, a hand placed over the glowing arc reactor on Tony’s chest. Harley was curled up as well. 

All three were sleeping soundly and May sincerely hoped that they would help keep each other’s nightmares away. That was an area where May couldn’t help as Tony could and she was so grateful that someone could be there for Peter when it got to be too much. 

A figure moved in the hallway and she turned to see Pepper walk up. “Have you seen Tony since you got back? I’ve been looking for him.” 

May nodded inside the bedroom and Pepper stuck her head in and smiled. “I’m glad he has them. And I’m glad you and Rose remember so that you know how important they are to each other.”

“The trick is explaining it to Ben. He’s trying, he really is, but it’s hard.”

“If we can help, let me know.” 

“Thanks, Pepper. “ May hugged her friend. “I just wish there was more Ben and I could do.” 

They walked down the hall and away from the open door so that they wouldn’t wake the sleeping boys. 

“You’re doing a lot by being here. By bringing Peter straight here when you realized what had happened. After Berlin, especially after Siberia, Tony didn’t have a lot of people he called family. But, he considers you family. Trust me, he’d spoil you guys rotten if you’d let him. When we get the Tower built in New York, he’s already planning a floor for you guys.” 

“I told him no when he asked last week at brunch.”

Pepper laughed. “He sulked all week over that. Did you know that Peter had a room at the lake house we lived in after we got married? And there was a guest room for people like you and Rhodey.”

“But I wasn’t there.” 

“You weren’t.” Pepper paused at the top of the stairs. “But still, he told Morgan stories about her Aunt May. One of the two women Iron Man feared.” 

May laughed as they made their way down the stairs. “We should get shirts made.” 

Pepper laughed. “He’d hate it.” 

“That makes it better.” 

“It would be payback for some of the things he’s bought over the years. Like the giant stuff rabbit. Ironically he gave that to me the day he got this house blown up.” 

“Oh, I remember Peter telling me about that. I also remember not being able to tear Peter away from the TV. He was hysterical when he thought Tony was dead. He had me take him to church and light a candle for him. He’d be mortified if I told Tony.” 

They walked into the kitchen where Ben was making tea. “Thanks for the recommendation for dinner, Miss Potts.” 

“Ben, it’s Pepper. It was my pleasure.”

“Peter alright, May?” 

“Sound asleep.” She grinned at Pepper. 

“There’s still water in the kettle if you’d like some tea, Pepper.” Ben handed May a mug which she took with a smile. 

“Thank you, Ben. I’m going to duck in the office and do some paperwork before bed. Make yourselves at home, here.”

With that, she headed into the living room where her husband was waiting to watch a movie with her. There were lots of things about this time travel chaos that she didn’t understand. But as she settled into the couch and felt Ben’s arm fall around her and she snuggled into his side, she couldn’t help but feel grateful.

Chapter Text

There had been a time where Tony had loved the beach. It was partially why he’d built the Malibu mansion in its location. He loved to sit out on his deck and watch the waves, sit coffee, and enjoy a bit of ocean air before burying himself into his workshop. 

He had a private beach, one that he hadn’t touched since Afghanistan. Even before, he hadn’t used it a lot. But after being trapped in that cave, after the waterboarding, after the sand of the desert, the beach had lost its appeal. 

When Morgan was about three, Tony had decided it was time to face his fears head-on and so he decided that they would go to the beach. At first, he hated it. He’d hated the feeling of sand on his feet, the feeling of water. 

But Morgan had loved it. And she’d wanted to share it with her dad. And she was too young to understand things like anxiety, panic attacks, and PTSD. Perhaps Tony wanted to shelter her from a world where bad things happened for as long as he could. It might have been for the best considering he died before she even entered Kindergarten… 

So he braved the ocean. He’d made a sandcastle. He’d even let her bury him in the sand and had only had one small panic attack during that. 

During that long weekend, he’d made some good memories that involved things that had a lot of bad attached to them. That wasn’t to say that his fear was gone and that suddenly he wanted to move from their house on the lake to a beach home again (though he had considered rebuilding the Malibu mansion). 

The sun was rising and he found himself out on the deck sipping a cup of coffee and just enjoying the ocean. It was quiet, not many people were awake yet, and it was peaceful. 

He’d gotten spoiled to peace during the years between snaps. Just like he’d gotten used to the crushing weight left behind by his boys vanishing in the snap. Part of him felt robbed of that peace. But when he’d woken up in between the two boys, he’d never felt more complete. He wished for Morgan, wished for the chance to introduce her to her little brothers. And maybe he’d get that chance again. He’d gotten all of the other people that had been on his heart, on his mind as the world faded to black. 

The door opened and he looked up to see Rhodey and Happy make their way out, mugs of coffee in their hands. 

“Morning, guys.”

“Boss.”

“Tones.”

The two sat down on either side of him and for a few minutes, it was quiet as the three just enjoyed each other’s company. 

“I’m sorry.” Tony broke the silence. “For dragging you guys into this mess. For dragging everyone back into a world that doesn’t know it’s still sleeping and that the universe is so much bigger and terrifying than we can imagine.” 

“I’m not.” Rhodey looked over. “I’m not sorry at all that I’m here. That I can stand by your side again as we fix this. That I can make sure you’re there to see all three of your kids grow up.” 

“He’s right. I… I don’t run around in a suit like you two. But Rhodey can have Iron Man’s back and I can have Tony Stark’s.” 

Tony smiled at the two men. “I… I don’t even know where to start. We take care of Obie quietly this time. And then what? We make friends with Dr. Foster and maybe meet Thor when he’s on Earth the first time? Warn him about Loki? There’s Cap.” 

“That’s going to be tricky.” Happy winced. 

“Might give away things if I walk up to him and punch him in the face.” 

“I’m going to have to hold off the Spiderling. He got a hold of the footage from Siberia not too long before everything fell apart.” Tony leaned back.

2018

Tony sat in his workshop, waiting on the Kid to get back from grabbing a snack. While the field trip was taking longer than he expected, he assumed the kid got distracted by talking to one of his friends. 

“Boss, Peter is in emotional distress.”

Shooting out of his chair, Tony took off and followed Friday’s blinking lights to wherever and whatever it was that got Peter in this state. 

To his surprise, Friday led him to his study. Peter had only been in here a handful of times as Tony tended to use it when the kid wasn’t around and he couldn’t avoid the massive amounts of paperwork or the more business side of SI. 

Looking around, he didn’t immediately see the kid but he knew that if Friday led him here, the kid was nearby. 

“Roo? You around?” 

Tony took a couple more steps in and caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Looking up, he saw Peter in the corner of the room, his eyes wide with panic. 

“Pete, can you come down?” Tony turned to better face the boy. “What happened?” 

The kid’s heart rate and breathing were too fast. 

“Kid, I need you to breathe with me, okay?” Tony wished he could figure a way to talk the kid down off the ceiling. “Let’s breathe together, okay?” 

They breathed for a few minutes, Peter’s heart rate calming down. After a bit, he climbed down from the ceiling and promptly ran into Tony’s arms. “Hey, what’s going on, Spiderling?” 

“I… I didn’t mean to.”

“Didn’t mean to what?” 

Peter held on tighter, burying his head into the crook of Tony’s neck. He could feel the warm tears fall. “I… Ned texted me about an assignment due on Friday. I have it on the cloud and you said I could use the computer if I needed to.” 

“I’m not following.” Tony led the kid to the small couch he kept in there. 

“I logged in but couldn’t remember what I saved the file as. So I typed a few keywords to try and find it and I found some footage and it started playing.”

Tony felt a chill run down his spine. Considering the number of missions he’d run as Iron Man, even a few things as Tony Stark, this initial statement did nothing to narrow down the plethora of potentially bad things that were in his archives. There was no telling which one it was. Though to have the kid this upset, 

“I saw what happened in Siberia. He… he was your friend. Your teammate. And he left you. He left you there to die.” 

Of all the things that Peter could have found, that was perhaps the one he wished that the kid would never see. “But I didn’t. I’m right here, Pete.” 

“But what if you hadn’t. Then we wouldn’t… I wouldn’t. How could he?!” Tears came harder. 

“He was protecting his friend.” 

“His friend murdered your parents.” 

Tony let out a sigh. “Hydra killed my parents. Sgt. Barnes just had the unfortunate position of being the weapon they used.” 

It had taken a long time for Tony to make peace with that. To realize that he was at least partially responsible for what happened in that cave. He had thrown the first punch. Unfortunately, it seems as if Peter didn’t see that, or didn’t understand the complex layers that led to the point in that cave. 

No, this innocent kid had been dragged into that mess by Tony. It was to date the biggest regret of Tony’s life and he had quite a few there. He should have left the kid in Queens fighting the good fight and looking out for the little guy. 

But at the same time, he couldn’t completely bring himself to regret it. Because of his mistake, he met Peter. He met this dorky little kid from Queens who managed to do what many thought was impossible: He made his way into Tony Stark’s heart. 

Now, almost two years later, he’s sitting there with the kid in his arms trying to console him. It’s a long way from the incident with the car door. 

“Shhhh. Spiderling. It’s okay. I’m here. I’m safe. You’re here. We’re both safe.” 

They sat there on that couch for a while. Tony’s hand found its way into Peter’s curls as it so often did. When it did, Peter let out a little sigh and Tony found himself with an armful of limp Spiderling. Tony would manage to emotionally adopt a child whose love language was touched when up until that point he managed to avoid it as much as possible. 

But when a certain teenaged hero made his way into Tony’s heart and life, he caused the man to change. And some would say it was for the better. And some would say he’d gone soft. Personally, he agreed with the former.

“What do you say we order Chinese from that little place in town?” While the compound didn’t have the options that the city had, there was this surprisingly good mom-and-pop Chinese place in the small town about ten miles from the compound. Tony wondered if the business they got from the compound was part of the reason they stayed open. After all, ten miles one way was a long way to bring a delivery. 

“Can we get egg rolls and dumplings?” Peter looked up, his brown eyes still shining with unshed tears. Tony wiped away one that fell.  

“Absolutely. Gotta feed that spider belly or your aunt will yell at me again. And neither of us want that.” 

“I don’t know… if I’m not in trouble, I don’t necessarily mind.” Peter’s grin was sheepish and still hesitant as he calmed down from the panic attack.

“You wound me. My own protègè, ready to throw me under the bus.” Tony grinned at the kid as he prepared to order food. He was sure the discussion wasn’t over, but for now, food might make it better. 

2008

Tony shook his head as if shaking away the memory. “But the Cap we’ll meet isn’t the one I fought. Isn’t the one who betrayed me.” 

“You don’t think they’ll come back. The others?”

Tony shook his head. “I don’t foresee anyone else coming back unless the Stones decide there’s someone else. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t need anyone else.” 

“Actually, I was thinking about that.” Happy spoke up and Tony turned to him. “Over the years, we would get letters now and then. Remember Charles Xavier and his school?” 

“I gave them tech to make sure the school was taken care of.” 

“What if we approach them first? They could be potential allies.”

“They have as much at stake at this,” Rhodey added as he leaned forward, his relaxed posture now eager at the idea of help. 

“More. There’s a potential we could make sure that whatever version of the Accords that pops up, helps them. Make sure they have rights. It doesn’t limit them, it protects them.” 

“You want the Accords?” Happy’s voice was not as shocked as it was resigned. Tony didn’t blame him. After the mess that had been the Accords last time, there was a part of him that didn’t want to touch it with a ten-foot pole. But there was a part of him that knew they would happen again and if they could get in earlier, they could make a bigger difference. 

It was more than him this time. It was his son. 

“I want a form of them. I still believe we need accountability. I still believe that people should feel safe when we come to save the day. But what if we come in from the ground level? What if, after I reveal I’m Iron Man to the world, I work with the military, the United Nations. I could get in before Ross does and cut his power down.” Tony stood up, his coffee forgotten. He walked the length of the deck. Even with his family here, this task, the job the Stones had given him, seemed completely overwhelming. 

There were so many moving parts. So, many things he couldn’t control. What about the domino effect. What about the others? His so-called team and family. Sure there were some he remembered fondly. Like Bruce. Despite his absence, Tony missed his friend.

He needed his friend, but he also needed his friend's alter ego. Not many things could stand up against that alien army like the Hulk. He sat back down with a sigh. “I can’t stop what happens to Bruce, but we can find him the second he surfaces.”

The idea of having the Science Bros in the lab again was something that Tony would love. To have Harley and Peter in there as two generations worked on solving issues and making discoveries sounded like the coolest way to spend a day. He’d missed Bruce for those two years; they’d caught up in the five years after, though, and occasionally Bruce could be found in Tony’s garage when he wasn’t corralled by Morgan wanting to play with her Uncle Bruce. 

“I don’t think we need to rush into anything. Stane is the most pressing issue. Thor won’t be here until 2010. Cap won’t be found until a few months before New York.” Rhodey’s tact yet delicate way of mentioning two things he really didn’t want to talk about managed to not trigger Tony’s anxiety. 

“There’s still Hydra. They’re embedded in Shield who’s about to come knocking on your door. Coulson was at the press conference yesterday.” Happy of course would be aware of everyone who was in the building yesterday even though it technically wasn’t officially his job yet. It’s why Happy was one of the few people he trusted with his life. 

“We need to make sure those idiots don’t dump that info on the web for the world to find. Luckily, I contained some of it, but a lot of good people lost their lives because of Cap’s move.” 

It was still something that annoyed him to this day, something that he was never quite able to shake off. He wondered if Cap leaving him out of the loop was the first crack in their relationship. Actually, he wondered if it went back to their first meeting. Tension was high and that battle brought them together, but…

There was bad blood there. Tony was nothing like Howard and Steve had trouble reconciling his time jump. And Tony hated how he never could measure up to Steve in his father’s eyes. 

Even with years of therapy, Tony still hadn’t worked through his feelings towards his former family and teammates.  It was even more complicated because, for all of the others, none of the emotional baggage Tony carried even existed. He knew the second he announced that he was in fact Iron Man, Nick Fury would attempt to break in again and tell him about his super-secret boy band. 

Did he want to join?

Iron Man - yes

Tony Stark - not recommended

It was still something that haunted him to this day. 

“Dad?” 

He turned to see Peter standing by the back door and Tony held out his arms and was quickly rewarded with an armful of Spiderling. Tony kissed the top of the boy's head. “Good morning, Roo. Sleep well?” 

Peter nodded, snuggling close as if he were considering going back to sleep. Tony saw both of his brothers looking at the kid and smiling. Within minutes, his breathing evened out again and the kid was fast asleep. Tony ran his hand through the kid's curls, carefully detangling the sleep-ruffled mess. 

“I… this is one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever been given. I missed him. And now he’s here and he calls me Dad.” Tony smiled at the kid. 

“Took him long enough.” Happy muttered.

“You still owe me twenty bucks, Happy.” 

Money exchanged hands and Tony looked between the pair. “Dare I ask?” 

“We had a bet going as to how long it would take the kid to start calling you Dad. I said he would do it within a year. Rhodey said it would take a world-ending crisis and one of you almost dying.”

“I would say I cannot believe you two would bet on something like that but I’ve known you both for most of my life so I can.” Tony chuckled. 

“There he is.” May walked out on the deck, a cup of coffee in hand. “I checked in and he wasn’t there. Need to be topped off, Tony?” 

“I would love that. I was going to get up and grab it but I was claimed.” 

May smiled. “You thought he was bad as a teenager, he’s going to be worse now. He loves to cuddle.” 

She headed back inside and came out a couple of minutes later with a fresh cup of coffee that Tony happily accepted with his free hand. 

“What are we going to do?” The sigh that escaped May as she sat betrayed her age, the years that never were. 

“About?” 

“This whole situation? You’re living here and we’re back in New York. This week will be easier but school is going to be a nightmare for him.” 

Tony winced at the idea of both boys having to complete school yet again. “I’m going to look for a place in New York until the Tower is done. J, remind me to get started on that now instead of later.” 

“Of course, Sir.” 

“But it may take me a few weeks. We can stimulate his education there. Maybe let him take some classes he couldn’t fit in last time around. By the time he’s back in high school, we could do dual enrollment and he might have an associates by the time he graduates high school.”

It was something he had planned on suggesting for both boys in the previous timeline. Neither was properly challenged in school. He may have to have a conversation with Rose sooner rather than later about Harley. Maybe bringing him to New York could help him keep both boys sane as they got a second chance at most of their childhoods.

“You’ve given this a lot of thought.” 

“I was already thinking of suggesting it for the next school year, honestly. Kid doesn’t want to leave his friends.” 

“He’s already met Ned by this point, he won’t leave him again.”

“That friendship may be tricky.” 

May gave him a hard look. “Peter won’t let Ned go.”

“We’ll figure it out, then.” Tony nodded. He couldn’t stop everything that would come their way but he would do everything he could for both of his boys. He’d save the universe and make sure his stayed intact this time around. 

Chapter Text

To say that walking through the Los Angeles Headquarters of Stark Industries and seeing fashion that to her went out of style 15 years ago was surreal was a vast understatement. But as Pepper made her way towards Tony’s office, it had a sense of home. It was where she started as CEO. It was where she hid around the time of the Civil War when she and Tony were taking a break. It was where she fell in love with Tony Stark. It was even where she earned the nickname Pepper. 

The man in question was back at home. She wouldn’t be surprised if Mark 2 started to make an appearance because she knew that he was going to spend a good chunk of the day in the lab with his boys. 

And he deserved it. Tony was a man who wanted to give everyone he loved the world and yet didn’t realize that he too deserved it. He deserved to have his boys around him and she hoped that someday, their daughter could be added to that mix. It was still far too early to tell. It seemed ridiculous honestly. But so did superheroes, aliens, plots for intergalactic genocide, and time travel once upon a time. Since the impossible had proved to indeed be possible so many times in the past, she couldn’t help but hope she’d get this one wish. 

The Stones had given so much but she couldn’t help but feel selfish and wish for one more thing. 

“Morning Rosita.” She nodded to Tony’s secretary who helped her keep the man in line.

“Morning, Pepper. Is he coming in today?” 

“No. Colonel Rhodes and I have put him on rest mode for a few days to recover.”

The middle-aged woman nodded. “He needs to. I’m so glad he’s back. I don’t know what he has planned, but I want you both to know, I’m here and I’m not leaving.”

Pepper smiled. “Thank you.”

“Let me know if you need anything. You working out of his office today?” 

“Might as well.” It wasn’t entirely uncommon for Tony to not appear in the office and for Pepper to occupy the table or the desk itself. That’s why the initial transition hadn’t been horrible for her. She’d felt at home in the office. 

Stepping in, she admired the view outside the window for a second. She had barely been in here in years, not since she got engaged. Her main focus today was to see where Stark Industries was. She knew where it could go, but she was also aware that the damage ran deep. 

Happy was around somewhere, doing sweeps as best he could while staying off of Stane’s radar. Having him in the building made her feel less uneasy about being just down the hall from Stane. 

Booting up the computer, she logged in with Tony’s access to get a view. Unsurprisingly, the stock price had plummeted but it wasn’t as bad as it had been originally. It seemed as if a lot of people were taking a “wait and see” approach this time around. 

They’d be glad they did. 

Their non-offense lines were going strong and they’d already done a small step into medical technology to assist the military. She sent emails to Helen Cho and Maya Hansen to see if they wanted to collaborate or bring their projects there. Cho would most likely join, Maya was a wild card so she worded that email with care. Tony was heading down to the tech department sometime this week to introduce them to the laptops, tablets, and phones that she’d grown used to. 

And of course, there was their green energy push.

Speaking of, she needed to bid on the land where the Tower would someday stand and make sure to get that process started. She also needed to look at temporary office space to start moving SI there since it would be almost four years before it was ready. And then she needed to look at townhomes and penthouses so they had a place in the same time zone as the boys. 

Somewhere in there, she needed to give herself a chance to breathe, mourn the lost years, celebrate this new chance, and figure out how to best protect Tony when things didn’t go perfectly. Because the fact was, things would go wrong. He couldn’t save everyone. And he put the weight of all of it on his shoulders and carried it. She wondered sometimes if that’s why he couldn’t walk away from the armor. It helped him carry the weight. 

“How’s our boy doing today, Pepper?” 

If it weren’t for her decade-plus of experience schooling her expression in boardrooms and conference rooms the world over, Pepper was fairly certain she would have shown how her heart totally and completely stopped at the sound of Obadiah Stane’s voice. 

The man had been dead for fifteen years. She remembered the funeral, the farce that it was. A shell for a man who had committed deads such as his. 

She looked up and he sat there, leaning against the frame of the doorway. “He’s doing alright. I think he was going to spend some time in the lab at home today. He talked about coming by later this week for a bit to talk with R&D.”

Stane was exactly the same, which made an odd amount of sense considering he had died only a few weeks from now in the years that never were. But it was unsettling to Pepper in a way she hadn’t expected. She’d seen him, obviously. But the last time it had just been the two of them had been the day before Tony had uttered that infamous sentence. 

The day this all truly started. 

“I still can’t believe he’s back.” 

Pepper was sure he was so shocked. She was aware of the video that sat on the ghost drive, appearing as if it hadn’t been touched. The copy that sat at the mansion, waiting for Tony to decide how to deal with it. 

“I’m glad he is. Did you come in here for the crossword?” She held up the paper, remembering the end of their last conversation. 

“I did. Tony usually lets me have it when he’s done.”

“I’m sure he won’t mind.” Pepper smiled. 

“I’m glad he’s back.” Obadiah took the paper and headed out. “Any chance you can tell me what he’s up to?” 

“He’ll tell you when he’s ready. You know how it is when you rush him.” 

Obadiah deflated slightly. “Tell him not to take too long.” 

“I will.” 

The man left the office and left her alone to her thoughts and her racing heart. She’d gotten spoiled to the AIs in the building in the later years so that no one could sneak up on her like that, especially someone she didn’t want to face. 

#

One of the biggest obstacles that Rhodey and Tony had to overcome those first few weeks at MIT was the fact that Tony believed anyone who bothered with him was only in it for his money. It took weeks of random dinners (that Rhodey paid for out of his allowance), homework sessions, tinkering, and possibly exploding one lab before they began to bond. 

And for years to follow, Rhodey would be careful not to appear as if he was taking advantage of Tony’s money. But, he also let Tony spend it on him because as anyone who became close to Tony knew, it was one of the ways he showed affection. 

One of his favorite things to enjoy had always been Tony’s private beach. He loved to jog along the edge of the surf as the sun rose. It was an expanse of space and just him. 

What made this better was he was moving on his own power and without the braces that Tony had made for him. His legs worked, that accident hadn’t happened at this point in time. And if he had his way, it would never happen again. So much of this could be avoided this time around. 

Hindsight really was 20/20. 

He’d be a better friend. Not let SHIELD or the Avengers hurt Tony like they had last time. Last time, he’d been so hurt at how Tony seemed to shut him out in a sense. This time, they would walk through this hand in hand. 

Rhodey could help with the military. One of his biggest concerns was making sure that Justin Hammer didn’t get the foothold he did. Honestly, there were plenty of weapons manufacturers. Sure, Tony had been the best and no one came especially close. But with his stuff off the market, the others made advancements and quickly. 

And Justin Hammer quickly proved that he’d do whatever it took to appear to be the best. And incompetent was too kind a word for him. If Rhodey could help solve the Justin Hammer problem before it blew up the way it did, it would help keep people’s trust in Tony. Between that incident and the leaked footage of that disastrous birthday party, he’d taken a hit that day that he didn’t need again. 

Getting assigned to help protect Tony during this initial transition was something that he wished he’d thought to fight for the last time around. Perhaps things would have gone differently. That final fight against Stane would have taken less of a toll. 

There was AIM and Killian to worry about. That was down the road. Ross was a more immediate threat, perhaps he could offer to lend a hand in the Hulk and Abomination investigation when it happened and see if he could point out some things that would make Ross look rather unfavorable. 

Pepper and Happy had Stark Industries. And like Happy said earlier, it was his job to have Iron Man’s back. He had his family, he had his legs, and nothing would stop him from making sure that his brother in all but blood had the happy ending he deserved. 

The rain started to fall and Rhodey quickly turned around and headed back for the mansion. 

#

Being little was weird. 

He had memories of almost being his dad’s height. Of being older. But now, he was a little kid again. Thankfully, he had his powers still which meant he didn’t have the allergies and asthma and the thick glasses. 

Instead, he could sit by the windows of his dad’s mansion and stare as the rain fell. He could see the drops hitting the ocean, creating minuscule splashes s they fell. Even though the windows, he could hear the sound of the waves crashing on the cliff below, the rain falling on the water. 

Behind him, he could hear the sound of Dexter’s Laboratory playing. Harley was watching it and for a bit, he’d been to. But then, the ocean drew him in. It was soothing, relaxing, fairly constant which left him a chance to sort out his thoughts. 

He’d died. 

He’d died on an alien planet. Every cell had fallen apart and it had been agony. He’d left Dad alone. 

And then he’d woken up like he’d been napping and his dramatic death scene was a nightmare. But it wasn’t. The real nightmare was that five years had passed and the battle that followed. The real nightmare was the sound of the man he’d seen as a father’s heart stop. 

Which led to another waking-up experience.

#

Three Days Ago

Peter shot up in his bed, breathing heavily. Looking around, he found himself in his bedroom in the apartment in Queens. But, things were off. The layout was different, there were toys on the floor, and… it felt less lived-in than he was used to. 

Were those his sheets with the planets on them? He’d gotten rid of those when they came out with Iron Man ones that he’d thankfully replaced before Mr. Stark ever found out they existed and so far May had kept quiet on that. 

But, moral of the story, he hadn’t had these sheets in a decade. 

He also felt miserable. Sicker than he’d felt… since the spider bite. Everything ached and he curled up in those sheets with a whimper. But the whimper sounded off, higher than it should have been. 

The door to his room opened suddenly and he felt himself scooped up and suddenly surrounded by familiar perfume. “Peter.” 

“May. I… I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t feel so good.” He snuggled in closer. 

He felt a cool hand on his forehead. “You’ve got a fever going.”

“Do we need to call the pediatrician?” A male voice came from the doorway. But it wasn’t possible. 

“Ben?”

“Not feeling so hot, sport?” 

“Ben?!” He turned to May who had tears in her eyes. Not caring how he felt, he scrambled out of her arms, almost fell off the bed, and took off for Ben, flinging himself at his uncle who caught him and picked him up. Peter nestled in and felt his heartbeat as he leaned against his chest. 

It was beating.

Ben was alive. 

He clung to his uncle, noticing that his vision wasn’t quite right, his hearing wasn’t there, and he wasn’t sticky.

But he didn’t care at the moment. His uncle was there. 

“Shhhh, Sport it’s okay.” 

He felt himself lowering as Ben sat on the bed next to May. 

“May? I… I don’t understand.” Peter didn’t want to wake up from this dream. Ben even smelled right, the body wash he’d used filling Peter’s dulled senses.

“It’s 2008, Peter.”

He looked at her squinting until she grabbed his glasses. It felt weird, wearing them after not having them for two years. 

“It… can’t be.” 

But he knew deep down it was. His voice was too high. He was too small, his powers were gone. And Ben was here. 

He felt a hand on his back, rubbing soothing circles. “I… I’m still processing it too, baby.”

#

There were a lot of thoughts running in his head. And he wasn’t sure what to do with them all. Which made the rain and the ocean soothing. He didn’t have to think about them so he could try and sort through the other stuff. 

“What’s going on, Roo?” 

A familiar heartbeat and a familiar smell settled next to him before scooping him up and placing him on their lap. He looked away from the ocean to his… to his dad. He’d finally done what he’d wanted to do for weeks and called Mr. Stark Dad and he didn’t want to go back. 

He snuggled into his father’s chest, mindful of the arc reactor. “Just thinking. Haven’t really stopped since the bus to MOMA.” 

“A lot has happened.”

They sat in silence for a bit, both lost in their words. “You know, Pete. It’s interesting.” 

“What?” 

“Talking to you, like this. Up here.” He tapped Peter’s head. “Is a brain that much older than the exterior suggests. You’re a kid but also a teenager, biologically and psychologically, a lot is going on.” 

Peter nodded. “It’s weird. But you’re here.”

“I am. You’re stuck with me.” 

Peter sighed. 

“What’s wrong, Bambino?”

“I… I can’t help you like the others. Like May, and Happy, and Pepper, and Rhodey, and Ben. I’m too little.” 

A hand found its way into his curls like it had multiple times since they’d been reunited. Peter loved the feeling, he’d always liked his hair played with. “You’re helping plenty. You, and your brother.”

“Old age has made you sappy, Mechanic.” 

“Hush, Keener, and come over and join the hug.” 

Peter smiled as Harley came over and the three formed a group hug. “Hey, Dad?” 

“Yeah?” 

“I had an idea?” He looked up at his dad. “So, I know you said no Spider-Man until I’m older.” 

“Not negotiable.” 

Peter nodded. “I know. But, could we work on the webbing? Remember how we talked about making a version to use for wound triage in the field?” 

“You want to work on that?”

“It would give us an excuse to have a lab day like we used to. Plus, I’ve never gotten to hang in the lab with Harley.” 

“He’s right. You kept us to yourself. Bout time we met. The world had to end and we had to go all Quantum Leap for it to happen.” 

Peter laughed. “Maybe we could do that since it’s raining and we can’t go to the beach.” 

“We could. I also have another project that I could use your help with.” 

Chapter Text

Tony had either made the best or worst decision of his life. At the moment, he wasn’t sure which way this day was going to go. 

He was sitting in the back seat between two boys who were talking a mile a minute. Rhodey and Happy were in the front seat while the others were in a car behind him. 

How he’d managed to agree to sit behind two children who were on their way to Disneyland was beyond him. 

What he did for his kids. 

At the same time, he was just as excited as they were. Morgan had loved going to Disneyland and he’d found out that the boys hadn’t been to a theme park like that. 

And what better way to spend a day of Spring Break when in California? 

This week was for resting, for recharging his batteries, for recovering from what he’d endured. To the world, he’d been in that cave this time a week ago. To him, he’d died mere days ago. Peter and Harley had been dead mere days ago. So, if he drove himself insane while riding rides at Disneyland to keep his kids happy, it was time well spent. 

In a couple of years, they’d have to head to Universal Orlando when Hogsmeade opened. He knew Peter would drool over that. 

But for now, the boys were waving two different guidebooks at each other and comparing their lists of rides they needed to go on, treats they wanted to eat, characters they wanted to attempt to encounter, and more. 

Finally, they started seeing signs for the resort, and then they entered the property. Tony hadn’t believed it was possible but the two boys had gotten even more excited. It took a bit for them to navigate the parking structure despite being guided by Cast Members, and a few minutes more for them to find Ben, May, and Pepper.

Finally, they got to the tram and rode it to the entrance of the park. Tickets secured and a guide acquired, Tony got the crew through the gate when Peter and Harley stopped cold. 

Standing not too far from the entryway Mickey and Minnie stood happily greeting guests and taking pictures. At the moment, Harley and Peter were acting more their external age instead of their mental age because both boys had the same shocked expression. 

They then looked at each other and grabbed Tony’s hands pulling him towards the infamous mice. 

“Come on, Dad!” 

“Get a move on, Mechanic!” 

Tony looked at the other adults who were following behind shrugged his shoulders and let himself get pulled to the line of kids with their parents. They waited, the boys continuing their discussion, Ben taking pictures with a camera Tony recognized from the future, and everyone talking. Luckily, outside of business circles, Tony’s fame wasn’t as big as it would be after he uttered the words “I am Iron Man” so he hoped that he could stay incognito. He was in a casual outfit, a baseball cap, and sunglasses. While he couldn’t (and wouldn’t) hide the signature goatee, he hoped people would overlook it so he could enjoy this day with his boys. 

The tour guide made their way to the front. Harley needed no more invitation than that and bounded over and gave both a hug. Peter’s shy side came out and Tony gave him a gentle shove towards them and Peter went over. His hug was softer and he wore a big grin. 

The people inside the suits did a wonderful job of being excited for the pair of boys and after a second, Ben and Tony got shots of the boys alone and together with the infamous couple. 

“Dad! You’ve got to take one too!”

“Everyone get in!” 

Ben handed his camera to one of the handlers and everyone got in and arranged themselves together. After a quick photo, they let the next person have their turn. They officially made their way onto Main Street USA and could easily see Sleeping Beauty Castle ahead. 

The boys were bouncing, talking to each other, themselves, Tony, and the other adults, and not always making sense. But their excitement was infectious and the group made their way to Tomorrowland. 

By one inch, Peter (the shortest of the two boys to his disgruntlement) was tall enough to ride Space Mountain. The boys let out a triumphant cheer and everyone found themselves heading for the front of the queue. The boys commented on the way it was decorated, enjoying every bit of the experience. Pepper, out of an abundance of caution, decided to find a seat nearby and wait for them. 

Soon enough, the group was splitting up and getting in positions for the roller coaster. It would take three cars to get their entire group on the ride. Tony rode with the boys, taking the back seat in the front car while they rock paper scissors from the front seat. Peter won and triumphantly sat down with Harley not far behind. 

A few minutes later, the boys were giggling and begging to ride again. This time, May and Ben decided to join Pepper as the five went and the guide helped them back.

Harley was in the front seat and after the second time, Tony talked the boys into other rides. Stitch was out and about and the boys got pictures with the infamous alien. They made quick work of the rest of Tomorrowland before circling the park. While it was fairly crowded, Tony had paid for a tour guide to make sure the boys got to do everything they wanted.

And then some if he had his way.

And they ate it up. Tony watched Peter especially as he ran around the park acting more like the age he appeared than the age he was inside. He was fully aware that the kid was taking advantage of that fact and Tony was loving every second of it. 

When he’d met Peter, back in the so-called Civil War, the kid had already been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Very rarely, would even Tony get to see him as light and carefree as he was as he ran around Tom Sawyer’s island, climbing things and playing. 

Tony didn’t bother to hide the sappy grin that he knew was on his face. Pepper came beside him, putting her arm around him. “This is what we’re working towards. More days like this.” 

“This might be one of my favorite days.” He watched his two kids run around playing Pirates. 

“Mine too.” May came up to his other side, Ben was off getting pictures of the boys from a different angle. Tony had realized that the familiar camera was Ben’s and it was something Peter enjoyed using after the man’s death. Perhaps it was a way he kept Ben close. “It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen Peter just be a kid.” 

“He has a second chance. And this time, I want him to hold on to it as long as possible.” Tony smiled. 

#

Tony was bone-dead tired. He’d been dragged from one end of Magic Kingdom to the other and back again. They’d had snacks, Peter’s metabolism had certainly picked up in the last few days, and the adults were carrying around trinkets. 

At this point, the only item left on their plate was the fireworks show and they’d found the best spot and were settling in for the show. Harley was standing next to him, but Peter had ended up in his arms. 

“Thanks for bringing us, Dad.” 

“Of course, Bambino. Did you have fun?”

“It was the best.” 

The lights dimmed and the music started. Julie Andrews came on and talked before the voice of a young girl sang. 

Star Light, Star Bright 

First Star I see tonight

I wish I may

I wish I might

Have the wish, I wish tonight

We’ll make a wish 

And do what Dreamers do

And all our Wishes will come true. 

As the show continued, he looked at both of his boys who were completely mesmerized by the spectacular show.

The term Dreamer had been used in regards to him. Visionary was more common. But sitting on the porch, overlooking the lake, or even at Disney World a couple of years ago, he’d dreamed of a day where he could share a moment like this with Peter and Harley again. 

He’d made a wish and the Stones had made it come true. And he was so grateful. He had a chance to make it right, to fix everything that had gone wrong. 

There was the chance to watch his boys grow up. To make sure that he was there for his friends in ways he wasn’t before. 

Sure, there were insane times ahead. But as the music shifted to feature the attractions they’d ridden throughout the day, Tony could let the tension slip away. 

For now, he had his family. There were fireworks. 

Maybe it was time to do what dreamers do. After all, several of his wishes had come true. 

#

In the original timeline, it had taken Tony a few weeks to build the Mark 2 suit. There’d been a lot of trial and error as he worked to tweak a design he’d made from scraps in a cave. But, he’d done it bit by bit with dozens upon dozens of tests to make sure the pieces worked the way they were supposed to. 

This time, he didn’t have to go through all that trial and error. He knew the basic functions of the Iron Man suit by hand. 

And this time, he wasn’t hiding it from everyone. ]

“It’s the suit.” 

“Roo, you’ve worked on the suit before.” 

“But not the Mark 2 and not in your original lab.” 

“Even though I didn't get to see this, I met you the day you got it blown up.” 

He looked at the two boys who were looking at the specs on a holo screen. A gauntlet and boot sat on a nearby table where Tony was tweaking the design when sleep evaded him. All in all, he was much further along than he had been at this point. 

“So what are you going to add to it? Your later suits could do so many things.” Peter’s eyes were wide.

“I once again humbly submit my earlier suggestion: stealth mode.” 

“Like the SHIELD helicarriers! That would be so cool, Dad!” 

That launched the two boys into a mile-a-minute discussion which bled over to a second holo table where they had a second set of specs up. Tony was content to let the pair sit back and talk through ideas. It would help him gauge where they were at and how he could challenge them. 

With only two days left in their Spring Break, Tony was trying to come up with ideas for the boys when he couldn’t be close. Harley would end up with a kid-friendly setup as he had before in the shed. The trick here would be finding things Harley hadn’t learned while getting him to brush up on stuff he already knew. 

Peter on the other hand was a sponge. He was as academic as he was hands-on, unlike Harley and Tony. Sometimes just throwing him books and articles and journals would be enough but he wanted to throw some fun projects his way. 

But for now, with the clouds heavy over the mansion tempting a second rainy day (you know what they say about April showers) this week, he could bring the boys downstairs and let them tinker. 

“The biggest problem will be the thrusters. The helicarriers use engines and turbines so those are easier to mask.” Peter pointed at one of the gauntlets on the screen.

“The biggest place it’s visible is right at the hands and feet, so we need to figure a way to either cut down on the light without decreasing Mechanic’s energy output or come up with something to compensate.” 

The two continued to bicker and brainstorm, bouncing off each other the way he and Rhodey did in college. Maybe he should coax his friend into the lab more often this time around. People forgot that War Machine went to MIT too and graduated with honors as well. 

He just got dwarfed in the light of Tony Stark. Which is something Tony should make sure happens less and less. His friend should have been there in the Battle of New York. He should have included him more. 

He should have protected him in Germany. 

While the child geniuses continued to bicker, Tony went back to the original holo screen and began adjusting things he had planned. Some hidden weaponry, more allowances for potential damage, and backups for him inside. 

Siberia couldn’t happen again. 

He wanted it to look sleeker than the original Mark 2 but not so mind-blowing that it was a stretch for someone like him to create. Though then again, he was going to blow minds with his tech. 

Tony almost felt sorry for Microsoft and Apple for what was to come. The problem was, they’d become so stagnant and would remain so even in the face of Stark Industries taking the world by storm. When had they last done anything innovative and changed up their technology? 

When had they come to a point where they relied on brand loyalty. 

Right now, there were two names on the market: Android and Apple. Tony was months away from adding a third, Stark. 

And they’d take the world by storm. He needed to consult R&D about making sure they had laptops that worked for gamers and coders as there were already plenty of MMOs out there (he’d sat through enough of Peter’s ramblings to know about some of them) and game developers were only going to go up from there. 

He’d add creating the beginnings of the operating system to his list after the boys went home. It gives him something to do when he can't wander into another room and seek comfort from them. 

Making sure he added an allowance for flairs and for the EMP grenades he’d created, hoping to unsettle some of Hydra’s tech. He’d start small, but with Nebula’s help, he’d gotten some energy readings off of alien tech and he hoped that by the time it came to face Thanos, that might be another tool in his arsenal. He hadn’t quite cracked it in the years between snaps.

But he’d also been missing his favorite lab assistants. Who had added notepads to their holo screen project and were drawing diagrams and bickering some more. It was a sight to see. 

“Sir?” 

Tony grinned at the sound of Jarvis’ voice. If there was something that came in third to having his boys back, it was having Jarvis back. He’d yet to grow tired of talking to his old friend, sometimes coming down to the lab after the rest of the house’s occupants were asleep just to chat. 

“Yeah, J?”

“Miss Potts has asked me to tell you and the boys that supper is almost ready and that you should wash up before drastic measures are taken.”

“You two heard Jarvis. Time to pack it up.” Tony grinned at the groans from the boys. “We’ll come back down before I take you two home. Don’t worry.” 

#

It was the last day before Harley and Peter would head home and Tony had wanted to make it perfect. The weather had behaved and now they were on his private beach where they’d spent the day. 

Rhodey and Happy had brought the grill down and were working on a feast for dinner. Ben stood nearby, beer in hand arguing with them. While it had taken most of the week, Ben was doing his best to fit in as the only one in their group who didn’t remember the years that never were. And they were making sure he felt accepted. 

May and Pepper were lounging in chairs nearby, an umbrella providing them with shade as they read different books and talked. That was a team-up that still terrified him to this day. 

Down by the water, the boys were running around in the waves. Sometimes they were swimming, sometimes they were playing tag, and (if the multiple sand structures were anything to go by), building castles. At the moment, they seemed content to just run in the waves. 

Tony watched the scene, feeling a lot lighter than he’d expect for a location with a few of his triggers. But as long as he focused on who he was with, he was able to shove some of that down. 

He was sipping on a root beer, even in a glass bottle that seemed to thrill the kids so much, make them feel adult. He was trying to calm his nerves. Not from the setting like everyone around him thought. But because of what was in the pocket of his swim trunks. 

Pepper’s ring. 

He’d already bought it in this timeline, on a whim knowing he was in love with her but too full of self-loathing to pop the question. Or ask her on a date even. It would take the noble and surprising deed of a Spiderling to finally get this ring delivered to the woman it belonged to. 

But that was one thing that would change. 

He was asking her now. Tonight. 

The sun was setting. It was so cliche to be on a beach but after springing the question on her at a press conference, he wanted something simpler and quieter. 

“Penny for your thoughts?” He turned to see Pepper walking towards him, smiling. “You seemed to be lost in them more than usual.” 

“I…” Could he do this? He’d done it before. Married, kids, the whole thing. He’d even retired but it hadn’t exactly stuck. 

“Tony, what is it?” 

“All of this. It’s so big. And we’re all here. The boys, Ben and May, Happy and Rhodey, you and me. It’s so familiar and so different.” 

“That’s true.”

“And there’s one major difference between then and now, that I want to fix as soon as possible.” 

Pepper turned to him. “What’s that?” 

Deciding to take the plunge, he grabbed the box out of his pocket and went down on one knee. “Marry me. Again. I can’t promise I’ll manage to retire again. I can’t promise that I won’t be a self-sacrificial idiot. But I can promise you that I’m a better version of myself when you’re by my side. It took me far too long last time around to ask you this question and I want to make up for the lost time by asking you again now. Virginia Pepper Potts, would you marry me?” 

“Yes. Absolutely, yes.” She smiled at him, tears in her eyes. 

He got up and slipped the familiar ring back onto her finger where it belonged. And then he swung her into his arms and kissed her. 

Not too far away, the sound of cheering broke out and as he broke the kiss, he barely caught the sight of two tornados running towards them before he had a kid latched onto both legs. 

Tony shook his head and coaxed them off as they made their way over to the grill where congratulations were exchanged. Both boys talked a mile a minute about being able to be at the wedding this time. Pepper asked May to be her Matron of Honor which earned her a tearful nod. 

There was a lot to do, but at this moment, Tony was perhaps the happiest man alive. 

Chapter Text

Tony had gotten permission from a farmer to land his private jet in one of the lesser-used fields on the outskirts of Rose Hill, Tennessee. Stepping out, he was almost overwhelmed by a wave of nostalgia. For him, it had been over five years since he’d visited the town. 

Probably closer to seven. 

Harley had taken to coming to see him in New York wanting to escape the small town he lived in and have a chance to play in Tony’s lab. And Tony couldn’t begrudge him that opportunity. 

“Harley!”

Across the field by the road stood Rose Keener. A toddler stood beside her, Abigail. 

“Mom!” The six-year-old took off as fast as his small legs could carry him and he found himself in his mom’s arms. 

Tony watched the scene as he moved at a more sedate pace. “Good to see you again, Rose. Sorry for dragging you into my mess.” 

“Tony Stark. What exactly did you do?” She turned from Harley to face the man. While Rose Keener didn’t intimidate him quite like May Parker (and Pepper) did, they had had their fair share of arguments and understandings over the year. 

“In my defense, I didn’t actually do it this time. Six cosmic stones decided we needed a little reset.”

Her face paled. “How bad was it?” 

“We lost. Badly. Even when we won, the damage was too great. The cost too high.” He turned and waved over some of the people who were waiting by the jet. “I want you to meet some people. 

It took a second for the Parkers and Pepper to join them. “You remember Pepper.” 

“Miss Potts-”

“Rose, it’s Pepper. You let my fiance emotionally adopt your kid. And now you’ve joined us on this time travel adventure.” 

“Pepper.” Rose smiled. 

“And this is May, Ben, and Peter Parker.” He nodded to each Parker. “Peter was the kid I mentioned I wanted Harley to meet over the summer. As predicted, they get along like a house on fire.” 

Peter waved shyly from the spot he’d hidden at just behind Tony’s leg. “Nice to meet you.” 

“You too, Peter. And you as well Mr. and Mrs. Parker.”

“Please, it’s May and Ben.” May held her hand out and Rose shook it. “I’m always up for another person to join Pepper and I ganging up against our idiot geniuses.” 

“Hey!” Tony and Peter both turned to May. Tony held in a snort at the attempt Peter’s face was making towards indignant but really it came out as more of a kicked puppy. 

“I’ll always welcome tips on how to deal with idiot geniuses.” Rose smiled. 

“Mom!” Harley glared at her. 

Tony laughed and then reached into his briefcase and pulled out a phone. “Congratulations on owning one of the first-ever Stark Phones. I’ll be relaunching the line in a few months but so far just the time team has one.”

“Tony, I can’t accept.” 

“You can, Rose. If nothing else, it helps us all keep in touch. Also, Pepper and I need to sit down with you, May, and Ben to discuss the boy’s schooling. We’re going to have to get… creative with their curriculum.”

Rose eyed Harley. “Maybe New York would be best.” 

“It’s an option we’ll consider when the time comes.” Tony nodded, aware that it would probably be the best option. New York had a lot more options for gifted kids. “Now Harley, no running off again. Not till you’re in double digits at least.” 

Harley pouted. “You’ll come to visit?” 

“I will.” Tony knelt down beside the boy. “You’re stuck with me, kid.” 

“I can live with that.” Harley ran into his arms and hugged him tightly. “Take care of yourself, Mechanic.”

“You too, Potato.”

“Bye, Pete!” 

“Later, Keener! I’ll get Aunt May to text your mom when I make progress on my part of the plans.” 

“Sounds good. Maybe we can talk the grownups into an email account for this.” 

“We’ll see.” All six adults answered.

#

Having been born and raised in New York, Tony had to admit he’d loved coming back to live there full time. Sure, this time he was going to not get his Malibu mansion blown to pieces but there were just so many things that New York had that nowhere else did. 

As they pulled into the familiar private airstrip, Tony couldn’t help but grin at the familiar skyline in the distance. As they deplaned, Tony looked around. “I loved spending the week in Malibu, but New York has felt more like home lately.” 

“It’ll always be home for me.” Peter came up beside him. “Even if I can’t protect her quite yet.”

“You’ve got some growing to do, Spiderling. Don’t worry, when you’re old enough, I won’t stop you. But for now, how about you embrace being a kid again. Build legos, watch Star Wars, play in the Park.” 

“I’m not a kid.” 

“You are, more so than you were before. Don’t rush growing up, Roo.” Tony ruffled his hair. “Let’s get you back to your apartment.” 

They loaded into the SUV that was awaiting them, barely fitting their whole crew. Happy was behind the wheel and began making the familiar drive to the Parker’s apartment.

Tony ended up with Peter next to him, the kid yet again disgruntled at the fact that he had to ride in a booster seat due to his height. 

Traffic was the norm for New York City so they crawled their way to Queens. The skyline seemed off without the Tower there.

“Pep, how are we coming on getting the land for the tower?” 

“I put the proposal in on Thursday, they said it could be a month before we get the word, considering it’s us, it’ll probably be sooner. I remember who we used last time and will get the process started faster. It’ll still be a couple of years before it’s ready.” 

“We’ll find a place in the meantime.” Tony waved it off. “I want to be back here full time before Pete starts school in the fall. Have Stane dealt with and be ready to go.” 

They continued chatting as they made their way towards the apartment. They passed Midtown High and Peter perked up with her saw Delmar’s. “I could go for a sandwich.”

May groaned. “Great, you went into the bottomless pit phase early.” 

Happy pulled over, already sensing the fact that Tony was about to give in and get the kid a sandwich. Tony loved how Happy knew both Peter and Tony well enough to know little things like that without Tony having to state them.

Grabbing a baseball cap and sunglasses, Tony and the others got out of the SUV and headed inside the grocer/deli. 

“Peter! I didn’t see you at all this week!” Mr. Delmar looked up. “You’re regular?” 

“Smooshed down real flat?” Peter grinned. 

Delmar rolled his eyes and Tony chuckled. “For you, of course. And how about the rest of you?” 

The group took turns order, the Parkers, Tony, and Happy more sure than Rhodey and Pepper. Finally, everyone had sandwiches and piled back in the car, Peter happily digging into his sandwich with a lot of enthusiasm. While his appetite wasn’t quite to where it was when he was 16, it was a lot larger than the average kid his age. They’d have to figure out his optimum caloric intake for this age. It was something they were still developing for the teenaged version but at least Tony knew where to start. 

Finally, they pulled up to the apartment building and the group made their way inside. As usual, the elevator was broken. Tony made a note to either get it fixed by talking to the landlord or buying the building and fixing it himself. He wasn’t picky about which route he went but he wasn’t climbing all these stairs as often as he had before. 

He wasn’t getting younger. 

Well… not any younger than he’d already gotten. 

They exited the stairwell on the correct floor when Peter let out a shout and took off down the hall. “Ned!” 

“Peter! Where have you been?” 

Tony got his first look at the younger version of Peter’s best friend and grinned. Honestly, he hadn’t changed a whole lot as he grew. 

The two met and hugged. “I called and you didn’t answer and you weren’t here all week. I’ve…” 

He turned and saw who was in the hallway. “Holy… is that?”

Tony waved. 

Ned’s mother stood nearby. “I’m so sorry, May. I’m not sure what’s gotten into him this week. He’s been bouncing off the walls wanting to talk to Peter.” 

“It’s alright, Delores. I’ll keep an eye on him and let them catch up. We’ll bring him home after dinner?” 

“You’re a lifesaver. I’ve got to get to work. Behave, Edward.” 

“Mom!” 

May chuckled. “Let’s head inside and Peter can tell you about our impromptu trip.” 

“I’m going to run out and get the pictures developed.” Ben sat his bag down and pulled out the camera and darted out. 

“That man and that camera. If we had the space, he’d develop them himself here.” 

Tony made a note to make sure to include a space for Ben in the tower so that the man could pick up that hobby if he wanted. 

“You won’t believe what happened.”

“You won’t believe my week!” 

Tony wasn’t sure how they were going to explain everything.

“I think I win, dude. You’re going to think I’m crazy, I think I’m crazy.” 

Tony got an odd feeling in his stomach. There was no way… “Ned, it’s Ned right?” 

The kid nodded. 

“I’m going to ask a crazy question that might lead into your crazy story.” 

Peter looked at him, the blessedly oblivious child not catching on to what was happening. “Ned, what year was it last week?” 

“That’s the thing! One minute, it was 2018 and the next it was 2023.”

“You remember?” Peter’s eyes got wide and he turned to his best friend. “You remember?”

“Dude!”

“Dude!” 

“Dude!” 

“Dude!” 

“Dude!” 

“Dude!” 

They performed their handshake, the complicated one Tony had seen a handful of times before hugging again. Tony grinned at the sight, happy that Peter’s friend remembered. The kid was incredibly social and had a small circle and it seemed as if most of that circle was in the know.

“So what happened? How are we here? Why are we here? What’s going on? Are you going to be Iron Man, Mr. Stark?” 

“One question at a time, Mr. Leeds.” Tony laughed, settling himself on the couch.

“So, remember that spaceship we saw on the way to MOMA?” Peter sat down on the floor, his friend next to him as the adults found seats elsewhere.

Ned nodded.

“So I ran into Mr. Stark in a park near Greenwich Village fighting aliens!”

“Like actual aliens?!” 

Peter nodded. “One looked like Squidward. And there were Wizards too. And Dr. Banner.” 

“You met Bruce Banner?” 

“Not really, kinda saw him in passing.” 

“So cool.” 

“So, we ended up in space, on another planet. Dad made me a cool Iron Spider suit.” Peter leaned against Tony’s leg. It wasn’t something that was uncommon in the last week as Peter seemed to seek attention from him at every opportunity. 

“Hold on, did you just call Iron Man, Dad?” 

Tony chuckled. “I’m not Iron Man yet.” 

“Yet is the keyword, Mr. Stark.” The kid turned to him. 

“Call me Tony, Ned.” 

Ned turned to Peter. “I’m on a first-name basis with Iron Man. This is the greatest day of my life. And you didn’t answer my question.” 

Peter shrugged. “We talked when we went to California.” 

“Ummm, I distinctly remember more tears and hugs and less talking.” 

“Daaaaad, you’re embarrassing.” 

Tony’s hand found its way into Peter’s curls. “It’s my job, Bambino.” 

“So you went to space.” 

“And we met this alien called Thanos. He was collecting these six rocks to get rid of half the universe. And we lost. That’s why we are missing five years.” 

“So what happened?”

“The world grieved, it moved on. Well, it tried to.” Tony’s hands moved a little faster. “And then, we found a way to fix it. But something went wrong and there was a big battle. And I died with the Stones in my hand. And then I was back here.” 

“And so were the rest of us. Apparently, you came too.”

“Why?” 

Tony shrugged. “The cost was too high it seems. We’re doing it again.” 

“Wicked. So what, it’s like Prisoner of Azkaban except it’s a lot more than three hours.” 

“Exactly.” 

Tony leaned forward. “Ned, you are now part of a rather exclusive club.” 

“I don’t understand why. I’m not special. I’m not a hero.” 

“You’re my guy in the chair!” Peter nudged his best friend. “You’re important to me.” 

“The Stones decided we need you, Ned. Welcome to Team Iron Man.” 

#

There was something about New York City waking up on a Monday morning and embracing the workweek. For Tony, it felt like he woke up in a world that was sleepwalking. At this point, people didn’t believe in magic, heroes, aliens, or anything that seemed to make up his life for the last fifteen years.

But as he left the hotel room, leaving Pepper to work on SI stuff remotely, people seemed to overlook him. It was something he preferred about New York over California. At least, until he gave that infamous press conference, he did blend in with the rest of the New York Elite. At this point, he was little more than another successful businessman. 

He made his way over to Bleecker Street to a place he went once before. While he knew that Dr. Stephen Strange was currently at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital about to go into surgery, he was still hoping to perhaps find some answers. 

It wasn’t hard to find the building in question. The day he’d first visited this place was one he’d never forget. Walking up the stairs, he knocked on the door and it opened. 

Walking in, he looked around the foyer. “Hello?” 

“A man out of time. I was wondering when I’d see you.” 

Chapter Text

The woman who stood at the top of the stairs oddly fit the brief description Tony had gotten from Strange as they’d flown towards Titan. The woman wore yellow/orange robes and walked down the stairs with confidence and grace that helped to betray her true age. 

“If what I’ve been told is true, I’m speaking to the Sorcerer Supreme?”

“You are.” She nodded. “Tony Stark, a man out of time. I felt your team’s arrival last week and wondered when you’d come and visit.”

Tony hesitated. “There’s… there’s a lot you and I need to discuss. Plus, I was hoping something in your possession might provide me with insight into the situation I find myself in.” 

She nodded, arriving at the bottom of the stairs, holding out her hand. He shook it. “Perhaps we can begin our discussions over tea and then I believe what you seek lies at  Kamar-Taj.”

“From what I was told, it does.”

“Follow me, Mr. Stark.” 

“Call me Tony.” 

She nodded. “Follow me, Tony. The study would make a good place for our talk. The current Master of this Sanctum is allowing us the space.” 

Tony followed her up the stairs and down a hallway and into a large study. One wall had a fireplace, two windows flanking it. The other three walls were filled with books from floor to ceiling with the exception of the door they came in. 

There were chairs in front of the fire, a tea set already set up. The Ancient One indicated a seat and Tony took it, allowing her to pour the tea and offer him a cup before making her own and taking a seat. 

“Your’s is a unique situation, Tony. To the best of my knowledge, and it’s rather extensive, nothing like this has occurred.” 

“What do you know of the events that occurred last week?” 

“I know one of the Masters, Wong.” 

“Good man, saved my ass once.” 

The Ancient One smiled. “He alerted me that an artifact was behaving oddly and I came to see. It was the Eye of Agamotto and more importantly what’s held within.” 

“The Time Stone. One of six Infinity Stones.” Tony realized that trying to evade her questions wouldn’t do any favors. And honestly, she was one of the few people that might provide him with answers. Or at least access to a Stone. He knew he heard them speak before. 

“Yes. Have you seen others?” 

While Tony wanted to shoot straight with her, admitting how bad it got was something that was still hard. Especially having to reflect on what it cost him. But, this was a potential ally, the predecessor to another. “I held all six and snapped away the biggest threat this universe has ever faced.” 

“Surely you didn’t survive that.” 

Tony took a sip of tea, a stalling technique. “I did not. But, instead of finding out what’s next, I found myself here. You say the Eye reacted?” 

“It did. It glowed green for several minutes before settling down. I inspected the relic, as did a few other Masters and none of us saw anything out of place.” 

Tony leaned back in the chair and took another sip. “Do you have a theory as to what happened? I’d be interested in your unique perspective.” 

“I believe that something happened in the future you’re from. And the Stones decided that it couldn’t stand and sent you back to this point. Why now, I can’t guess without knowing the nature of the threat.” 

“It all starts here. In fact, a couple of months from now. But I have already begun to make changes to this timeline. I plan to make more before the first major piece falls into place in June.”

“June?” 

Tony stared out the window for a second. “I was under the impression that you could see into the future to an extent.” 

“I can. That doesn’t mean I see everything.” 

That was a fair point and Tony had to concede it. “I’m sure you’re aware of the Avengers and their potential to exist in the future.” 

“That has shifted dramatically in the last week. Along with events a few years from now in New York. It seems as if changes may be happening.” 

“They are.” Tony took another sip of tea, before shaking his head. “It’s like the world is asleep right now and has no idea. I was like that once. But the things I’ve seen…” 

“You carry a heavy burden and the Stones have given you a seemingly impossible task.” 

“I… I think that’s why it was more than me that was sent back. To lighten the load.” 

“Considering one of the stones governs over the fabric of the mind, perhaps its contribution to this task was ensuring your mental wellbeing.”

“Possibly. Time, Space, Reality, and Soul are obvious here and I think I see Power’s hand somewhere too.” 

“The Stones see things we cannot. While we have guarded one for millennia, we cannot begin to grasp its power. Use it for some spell work but beyond that its power is immense. You wielding the stones for any amount of time is no small feat, Tony Stark.” 

Tony got up, topping off his cup, and offered to do the same for the Ancient One. Honestly, he’d expected more talking in circles. “ I did what I had to for the continued survival of the universe.”

“Tell me about the threat so that I may present it to my council. While I am the head, I still must seek their counsel on this matter.” 

“There’s a being, from a planet called Titan. It’s dying or perhaps it’s already dead. Honestly, I think it’s the latter judging by the state of it in ten years.” 

“How did it die?” 

Tony remembered the vision Thanos had given them of the planet at its height and the state it had been in when they’d fought him. “Lack of resources.” 

“A horrible tragedy. But how does this Titan become a threat.” 

“Thanos.” Tony couldn’t help the shiver that came at the mere mention of the name. His tea splashed up, threatening to spill over the edge of the cup. 

“His name upsets you.”

“It would upset you if you saw his plans.” 

“Which are.” 

“Removing half the universe with the snap of his fingers.” Tony snapped for emphasis, ironically with the hand, he’d done a similar snap just the week before. “Gone. It left gaping holes everywhere. Perhaps another fourth of the population died as a result of the snap.”

He looked over to see the Ancient One looking rather unsettled, an expression he didn’t expect from her. “He gathered the Stones and did this?” 

Tony nodded. “And then we got them back, you actually helped from what I’ve been told.”

“Fascinating.” The Ancient One seemed to stare into the distance for a minute. “You and your team’s presence pose an interesting problem, Tony.” 

“How so?” 

“Time in this universe is rather strict. It has a set path and there are those out there who seek to keep it running a certain way. One has to wonder if the Time Stone and its counterparts can override their opinion and deem a new option.” 

“It said the cost was too high.” Tony closed his eyes. “The damage was too great. The universe was too badly fractured. You proved you were able to protect them and us. Save the universe before it cracks again.”

“They spoke to you?” 

“A couple of times. I’ll admit, at the moment I wasn’t in the best headspace. I’d…” Tony sighed. “I’d just held all six Infinity Stones in my hand and the pain from that act.” 

“Would be incomprehensible.” 

“Words can’t describe.” Tony leaned back into his chair, staring into the fire. “But what can you do at that moment? You have the chance to stop it. Save the world. Save your family, your children. That’s my job as a father. To make the world better for them.” 

“What is it you need from me, Tony Stark? Ally of the Infinity Stones, Conqueror of Thanos and his army. Savior of the Universe.” She stood, staring at him, and in that moment Tony felt the age and weight of the woman and her position.

“Aid. This battle cannot be won unless Earth and her forces are united.” Tony wondered what that meant in regards to him and his former teammates. Future teammates. Tenses were a bit annoying at the moment. 

“We will increase our apprenticing and our training to be prepared to face the threat ahead. You have my pledge during my tenure that I will come to your aid. While I cannot promise for my successor, I will make sure he has the information he needs to make an informed decision.” 

Tony nodded. “And your counsel. You offer a unique perspective that we are sorely lacking.”

“Done. Shall we adjourn to Kamar-Taj? We can travel there and back in time for you to pick your son up from school.”

“I’d like that.” Tony smiled at the idea of doing something as mundane as picking Peter up from school. He’d missed it so much during the five years between snaps. It was something he’d never take for granted again.

He finished his tea and stood up as the Ancient One performed the familiar hand motions and created a portal. Tony stepped through, wondering when in his life something like this had become normal. 

 Maybe around the time aliens flew down into New York City through a portal? That seemed to be about right. His view of the world made a lot more sense before that moment. 

Immediately, Tony could tell he was somewhere different. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt as the temperature seemed to rise quickly. 

“Welcome to Kamar-Taj, Tony Stark.” 

Wong had talked about this place a few times when they’d met up during the five years but Tony had never come. It seemed sad to visit a place like this while it was half empty. At the moment, a couple dozen apprentices were working in the courtyard, a handful of Masters walking around perfecting form and technique. 

Some stopped, others wavered as the Ancient One and Tony Stark walked side by side through these ancient and hallowed grounds. It wasn’t often that Tony felt like an outsider but he had to admit that he did a bit in this situation. 

“Continue on with your lessons. Mr. Stark and I are here on an errand of great importance.” The Ancient One continued walking and Tony followed her. 

That seemed to coax most of the people in the courtyard back to their task but he could still feel lingering stares on him as they made their way inside. 

“My apologies for making you a bit of a spectacle. I know you have to hate it after all these years. But they needed to see you, see that I have allowed you in this space. It will be important in the days to come.” 

While Tony did feel a bit like an outsider still, he did understand where she was coming from. Any of this would be a lot to wrap your head around if you didn’t get a heads up, he was more than aware from personal experience. “I’d rather put up with uncomfortable feelings and win this fight than the alternative.” 

She nodded and led him down another passage and into a library. Sitting at a desk was Wong. Tony decided to beat the Ancient One to this introduction. “Master Wong, the Ancient One told me you were one of the witnesses to the phenomenon last week?” 

The man looked up, completely confused as to why Tony Stark was in his library. Instead of answering Tony’s question, he turned to the Ancient One. “You brought an outsider into my library?” 

“He provided insight into what happened with the Eye and now is hoping we can return the favor. You will be seeing more of him in the years to come, Master Wong.” 

“What could a weapons dealer know about the Mystic Arts?”

Tony grinned. “Former Weapons Dealer, thank you. I quit that business last week.” 

“And what business are you in now?” Wong pierced him with a glare. 

“The saving of the Universe which is why I’m here. Technology, clean energy, medical supplies, and perhaps transportation as far as the Board of Directors and world are concerned. Something’s coming, Wong.” 

Wong stared him down for a minute and Tony let him before the man finally backed down and seemed a bit shaken. “What can you tell us about what happened?” 

“What do you know about the Stone inside the Eye?” 

“It’s one of six. The only one on Earth.” 

“Slightly incorrect. There are two here. It’s no small wonder we haven’t been invaded yet. The greater universe seems to be unaware or not suicidal enough to attempt a run for them.” Tony grinned, sliding back into his flippant sarcasm that he was aware wasn’t the best armor but did in fact help him deal with being outside his comfort zone.

“Where is the other?” Both sorcerers turned to face him as Wong asked the question. 

“A SHIELD facility at the moment. They have no idea what it is. The Space Stone is locked inside a containment case. Now, I heard Time is here?” 

“This way, Tony.” The Ancient One led him to another part of the library and Wong followed behind. 

“How do you know about the stones?” 

“I’m from the future. You saved my ass once. The Universe was decimated, we kind of fixed it. Apparently, that fix was not good enough.”

“I…”

“Trust me, it takes a minute to register. It’s been a week for me and sometimes I half expect to wake up and find it’s all a dream.” Tony eyed all the tomes, amazed at the sheer scope. It drastically dwarfed the library in New York.`` 

They arrived in a hidden chamber after going down some stairs and there sitting on a stone table was the Eye of Agamotto. As he entered the room, it glowed green slightly. 

You’ve come, Stone Bearer.

“I have. I was hoping to seek your insight.” Tony answered aloud as the two sorcerers stared at the scene. 

“Does it speak to you?” The Ancient One seemed shocked. 

Of course, I do. I speak to those who I need to. Tony Stark has come with questions and I will do what I can to answer them.

Judging by the flinches from the other two occupants of the room, Tony realized that the others had heard that. 

Approach and grab hold of me, Tony Stark. It’s time we talked. 

Tony approached the Eye. “Can one of you open it?” 

The Ancient One approached and with some hand movements, opened the devices leaving the glowing green stone in full view. Tony took a deep breath, reached out his hand, and took hold of the stone. 

As he did, everything turned green. 

THIS SCENE INCLUDES MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR NO WAY HOME. PLEASE SKIP TO THE NEXT BREAK IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE. 

“Tony Stark.” 

Tony turned and saw Stephen Strange standing a few feet away. “You’re not actually Strange, are you?” 

The man shook his head. “I took this form as he was my last Keeper before Thanos and the one who helped me to cross paths with you.” 

“Time then?” 

A nod. “You have questions.”

A statement, not a question, and Tony couldn’t help but scoff. “You think? I feel like if I do anything, I’m going to combust the timeline. My friends, my family are here and confused. They were safe, it was going to be okay.” 

“It was not going to be okay.” Time waved his hand and green energy came out of it and images began to appear. 

A shot of an old man handing the shield to Steve. “What happened to him?” 

“When returning the stones to their places in time, he decided to stay back and live the life he thought he should have.” Time’s face held barely veiled contempt. “In his quest to keep time on its proper path, he decided to make his own choices. Sam Wilson took up the shield after some issues.”

Tony saw images of… was that Sharon Carter? Working with Barnes and Wilson? But also against them? 

“So, there were some bumps in the road. Pepper, Morgan, Rhodey, Happy, Harley, and Peter were safe.” 

“About Peter.” 

Another scene popped up, this one of run-down bar and Quinten Beck-

“Wait, didn’t I fire his ass after he tried to throw a fit about BARF and imply that it could be used in ways that are against what I stood for?” 

“You did. And he bided his time and sought revenge in the form of your heir.” Time answered, nodding to the scene where Beck celebrated with his associates, other former and apparently disgruntled Stark Industry employees. He held the EDITH glasses, the ones Tony had made for Peter. 

“No.” 

There were images of the fight, the showdown between Peter and Beck where Peter won. And then there was more…

“This is breaking news.” J. Jonah Jameson appeared and instantly sent Tony’s blood to boiling. “We come to you with revelations about last week’s attack in London. An anonymous source provided this video. It shows Quentin Beck, aka Mysterio, moments before his death. A warning, you may find this video disturbing.”

“Why do I think I’m going to find this disturbing for other reasons than the ones he implies.” Tony let out a sigh as he watched Beck frame Spider-Man for the drones, for the attack on London, and for his death. And of course, the idiot that was Jameson bought it hook line and sinker. To be honest, Jameson would be anything that painted Spidey in a negative light. 

“But that’s not all, folks. Here’s the real blockbuster. Brace yourselves. Spider-Man’s real Spider-Man’s real name is Spider-Man’s name is Peter Parker.”

Tony took a step back as he saw the crowd turn on Peter before the image failed. “No. No. I worked too hard, too long. I made sure it was buried deep. He was supposed to be okay. Be safe. Be supported. He had May and Happy.” 

A spell went wrong. Villains spilled in from other universes. Peter was hated, and didn't get into MIT despite the rather large donation that Tony had made sure was in his will to ensure the kid got into the school of his dreams. 

“With great power comes great responsibility.” May Parker spoke the lines before she fell to the ground and after a minute died, Peter sobbing over her body. Tony couldn’t believe it. 

A fight. Three Spider-Men. Tony would try and process that later. And then Peter chose to have the whole world forget who he was so that he could save it. 

“Why?” 

“The world was unstable. The Stones were gone, the TVA destroyed. Chaos magic had been unleashed. A threat loomed on the horizon that no one saw coming. How could they when they barely understood what they had unleashed.”

“Is this… is this the cost, the one that was too great?” 

Time looked at him, sympathy on his face which annoyed Tony. Tony didn’t want or need his sympathy. He wanted his kid. But he needed answers first. 

“The world needs the Stones to help maintain the balance. The TVA, while unnecessary, served a purpose.” 

“TVA?” 

“Time Variance Authority. They’re not completely relevant at the moment. I have muzzled them and their Sacred Timeline. It is my right as the overseer of this Universe’s timeline.”

Alright then. 

Tony watched the scenes of various people he knew, some he cared about, all were suffering in the fights ahead. “What can we do? Stop the snap? Destroy Thanos early?” 

“You must stop the snap. Defend me and Space and any others that come your way. Save lives that could have been.”

“The Avengers? Do they need to assemble.” 

“That’s up to you. Who is on the roster, how close you are to them? I understand that you and Steve Rogers have arguably insurmountable differences.” 

Tony snorted, turning away from Time, from the images. “That’s a word for it. I went and I died to save the universe. To save a team that abandoned me. To save my family. And then he what? Claims he earned his rest and swans off into the sunset completely disrupting the timeline? Where was the TVA there?” 

“They chose to ignore it.”

“I died.” Tony whirled around and faced time, he could feel the anger rolling off of him. “I died. I gave up my chance at my happy ending and took responsibility. And once again, he ran away from it and HE’S the one who gets the happy ending?” 

Tony needed a minute. An honest minute before he lost his temper. “And then they all abandoned my kid. Left him to that fate. Offered no support to May?” He scoffed. “Daredevil who never met the kid helped him but not the Avengers who he fought alongside?” 

“You can fix it. Give Peter, give yourself that happy ending. You even get more time with him while he’s young.” 

“Is that why we came back so far? To let me watch my kids grow?” 

Time smiled. “It is a reason. Another you discussed with my former keeper. It all starts here. You’re making progress. Having your family has helped. Before, you carried too much alone, Tony Stark. Let them help.” 

“What happens now?” 

“Now you live, change what you need. Seek allies. New York must happen again. My brother comes to Earth. You could stop the eruption of chaos magic if you get him first.” 

“Can we stop it?” 

Time paused. “Time is not a fixed thing, Tony. It bends and flows as you make choices. Even the TVA cannot stop things that happen despite their beliefs to the contrary. I believe you have a great chance of success. But, don’t spend all of your time preparing for war as you did before. Enjoy the time. Your family. Your children. Both those here and the one not here.” 

Tony nodded. 

“And we will not harm you as we would others. You’ve already paid the cost, now you are protected from us. It is one of the gifts we gave you. If you need to speak again, you may come and find me. But trust your instincts. We trust you. Now go. I believe you have a son to pick up from school.” 

And with that, Tony found himself back in the sanctum. 

Happy eyed Tony in the rearview mirror as they waited outside Peter’s elementary school. He was aware that he was tense, the visions of Beck still dancing in his head. Already, the idiot. And William too, he was in Malibu now, worked for him. Tony would need to proceed carefully there. 

Could one make someone pay for something they technically haven’t done yet? Was that fair? Did Tony care about fairness? His son was hurt and he was an Avenger. 

The bell rang and Tony let out a breath he’d been holding. 

“You okay, Boss?” 

“Long day, Hap. Lots to think about. I gained some allies today.” 

Happy nodded. “If you need to talk, I can listen.” 

“At the moment no. I think seeing Peter is just what I need.” 

Speaking of, the kid in question took off down the stairs and towards the car. Opening the door, his grin grew as he saw Tony. “Dad!” 

The kid launched himself at Tony and Happy got out of the car and shut the door. 

“Hey, Roo.” Tony held the kid close, the smell of his apple shampoo calming him down. “How was school, Bambino?”

“Weird. It’s so easy.” Peter made a face. “But Ned and I played at recess and talked and we had lunch together and since he knows it’s a bit easier. How was your day?” 

“Interesting. I met Strange’s predecessor today. We talked. She’s going to offer her aid.” 

“Really? More magic?”

Tony groaned, still loath to acknowledge the existence of the M-word despite the evidence of its existence. “Yes.” 

“Cool.” Peter settled into his seat and buckled up before leaning into Tony’s side. “Dad, I’m glad you’re here. Like. Now. You know? I get more time with you and I’m calling you dad.” 

“Which I love.” Tony ran his hands into the curls, feeling the tension of what he saw earlier melting away. 

“So, when I was bored I sketched out plans for a bot. My brobots need more friends and I need to work on my coding.” 

Tony laughed. “I’ll have to look at your plans.” 

Chapter Text

When he’d been laying in a hospital bed after the events in Siberia, Tony had had a lot of time where he was left alone to his thoughts. Rhodey was still in Germany, it would take weeks before they were willing to move him. He and Pepper were still on a break at that point and he’d brushed off Peter. 

In those moments, he’d been surrounded by what could have been, regrets, the idea that hindsight was 20/20. He had lots of ideas of things he could have done differently. 

One of those had been not following up on a lead he’d been given some time after New York. He’d been approached by someone about a school for gifted children. He’d meant to follow up and check it out. 

The fact that hindsight was 20/20 was a benefit here, one he was taking full advantage of as he drove through Westchester County, New York on his way to Xavier’s School for Gifted Children. In the SUV he had plenty of tech to offer as a peace offering as he was coming here unannounced. 

It was a risk. Mutants largely stuck to themselves, in fact, it had taken Jarvis days to find this place. But as he pulled up to the gate and buzzed the bell, he hoped this gamble was worth it. 

“This is a private campus.” 

“I’m aware. I apologize for not making an appointment but I need to speak to Dr. Charles Xavier.”

“Dr. Xavier is a very busy man.” 

“Can you tell him that Dr. Tony Stark is here to speak with him regarding a matter of intergalactic importance?” 

There was a pause, Tony wondered if they wouldn’t believe him. It had been a bit since he had dropped his Doctorate into a conversation. People tended to forget he had one. 

Finally, the voice returned. “Dr. Xavier will see you. Please drive up to the main building.” 

Tony let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding as the gate opened. He drove his way down the drive and soon saw the grounds of the school. There were students throughout the grounds, taking advantage of the weather. Some were reading, the younger ones playing. Still, others were working on their abilities. There were in a place where they were free and could be accepted. 

It was beautiful. And it was something to consider when approaching the Accords for a second time. These kids, and the adults like them around the world, deserved to be accepted. Maybe they could find ways to do just that. After all, enhanced and mutates were starting to be accepted (before it all imploded thanks to Ultron) so there was hope it could happen. 

He pulled up to the front of the school and stepped out of the car. A man, large, blue, and hairy came out the door. “Dr. Stark?” 

“Yes.” Tony circled the car. 

“Dr. Hank McCoy.” The man held out his hand and Tony shook it without hesitation, an action he could see surprised the man. “You’re taking things rather well.” 

“Trust me, Dr. McCoy, if you’d seen half the things I had, this wouldn’t remotely phase you either.” 

Dr. McCoy laughed. “I’m officially intrigued. Is that part of whatever it is that drove you to drive up here unannounced?” 

“Sorry about that. I’ve got a limited window to stay in New York without raising eyebrows and this needs to be discussed sooner rather than later.” 

“He’s ready to see you.” 

“How many students do you have?” 

“We have 50 enrolled at present. Sometimes it’s more, sometimes it's less. Some mutants decided to stay where they are while others come here to develop their gifts and be accepted.”

Tony tucked that away. “I’ve got around twenty laptops in the SUV for you all. I wasn’t sure how many to bring but I figured it would be a good start.” 

Dr. McCoy paused. “Why?” 

“Part of the explanation, I’m afraid.”

“One I’m fascinated to hear.” A voice came from inside an office. Dr. McCoy paused at the door and waved him in. “Dr. Stark.” 

“Tony’s fine, Dr. Xavier. Thank you for seeing me unannounced like this. I understand you have a school to run among other things.” 

“If you’re Tony, I’m Charles. Could I interest you in some tea, coffee perhaps?” 

“Coffee would be wonderful.” 

It took a few minutes for them to get settled and Tony wasn’t sure how to start. “Sorry if this seems intrusive, but I was told that you are a telepath? Perhaps the most powerful one on the planet?” 

“I am.” Charles nodded. “But at the moment, I’m not looking into your head, if that’s what has you concerned.”

“But, you could and determine that what is there is true and not made up?” 

“I could.”

Tony let out a breath. “See here’s the thing, that might be the easiest way to start this conversation, but… I’ve had some bad experiences with people in my head so the idea of it makes me a bit cautious.”

“I’ll let you direct me where you want me if that would help.” Charles wheeled around the desk. “It’s completely up to you. We can have this discussion like this if you want.”

“It’s easier to show you.” Tony nodded. “I’ll try and give you the highlights and then answer questions you have.” 

Charles nodded and closed his eyes. 

Show me what you need to.

Tony closed his eyes and pushed him images of the Iron Man suit, of the press conference he’d have in a few months, of the Expo, of the Battle of New York, what he saw in the wormhole. He showed him the aftermath, the fall of Shield, Ultron, the Accords, The Civil War, Spider-Man, the first round with Thanos, the devastating loss, the final battle, and his appearance back here. 

Both men leaned back in their respective chairs, catching their breaths. Tony seems to snap out of it first, after all it is a fair bit less for him to process. 

“Can I tell you a story, Tony?” Charles finally spoke up. 

“Of course.” 

“The year was 1973 and there was a lot happening. The war with Vietnam had just ended, the anti-mutant sentiment was on the rise, and I was in the middle of a personal crisis. But a man came back with a similar tale to yours.” 

“He traveled in time?” 

Charles nodded. “I got a glimpse of that future. Of a future me. Of what could have been. It was a nightmare, horrific. But thanks to his journey, we were able to stop that future from occurring. He alone carries the weight of that journey as I only saw a glimpse.”

“Would he be open to talking with me? It might be interesting to share stories for our various dystopian.” Tony had mixed feelings of there being other people who had shared experiences. How bad had that future been? What was so bad that happened? How do you live with what never happened?

“I can discuss it with him and let you know.” Charles paused, taking a sip of his tea. “I’m assuming you came to ask for the aid of the X-Men. I see we weren’t involved in your original timeline.” 

“Yes and no.” Tony looked out the open window, a good view of kids playing soccer on the field. “I came for you, for them, for my kid. The Spider Kid.” 

“Is he a mutant?” 

“Mutate? Born human, had his DNA altered by a radioactive spider.”

“How much was his DNA altered?” 

“He’s two percent spider. Gives him some interesting abilities. Perhaps I can bring him on a visit. He’d love to meet you and maybe being around kids who are unique might be good for him.”

“He remembers?” 

Tony nodded. “He does. There’s a lot of pain there. He saw me die. I saw him die. But that makes what we have that much more special.” 

Charles nodded. “How did you come back?” 

Tony pulled out his phone, sat it on the table between them, and pulled up the holographic display he’d prepared for this question. “When the Big Bang happened, six stones came into existence. Each stone has dominion and can manipulate a part of reality. There’s power, mind, soul, time, space, and reality.” 

“Fascinating.” Charles leaned forward, the eager gleam that Tony knew all too well in his eyes. 

“A man named Thanos, from a planet called Titan went on a quest to find and claim all six stones.”

“To what end?” 

“To snap half the universe out of existence to make more resources for those who survived.” Tony took a long sip of his coffee, the images of people turning to dust being one that would forever haunt his nightmares.

“As you showed me. That kind of loss would be devastating.” 

“The stones agree with you, Doc. Hence why there’s a reset. One I plan to take full advantage of. There’s something here that can benefit you and your kind as well.” 

“And that is?” 

“The Sokovia Accords. I want to bring them up again. Possibly not until New York happens, when people see how we can help but before we cause so much damage.”

“And how does that help us?” 

“Have a seat at the table. When discussions begin, Mutants can be at the table along with Mutates. I have a representative in mind for that group. Along with accountability, we can use the document to ensure that your people have rights.” 

Charles seemed to consider this. “There’s another faction I would need to reach out to. Would you be open to having this discussion again?” 

“If I need to. 

“These kids could finish growing up in a world where they’re protected outside of my school.” 

Tony nodded. “They deserve it just as much as any other kid. So does mine. I’ll be protecting him with this too.” 

“I cannot commit to something without discussing it with the others.” Charles seemed to be in thought at the implications of Tony’s earlier statement. “Join me for a quick tour while you’re here?” 

“I’d be honored.” 

Charles wheeled himself out and Tony fell into step beside him. “I opened the school in 1965. Since then attendance has been up and down. There was a period towards the end of Vietnam when we were closed for a bit. As I said, I was dealing with things, and sadly not very well.”

“If anyone gets unhealthy coping mechanisms, it’s me.” Tony thought back to the way he’d dealt with a lot of his past trauma. If he was honest, that was a good explanation for the majority of his partying decade. 

“I imagine so.” Charles led him to an elevator. They passed some kids who eyed the pair. The Headmaster made sure to pause and greet each one, asking them questions about their schoolwork. “Now, the part of your discussion that we haven’t talked about here is downstairs.” 

The elevator slid down and Tony couldn’t help but grin at an underground hideout that he didn’t have to smoke out. 

“As a rule, the X-Men primarily get involved where the issues would cause a cessation of peace between ourselves and humans. Or if the situation involves other mutants. Your situation qualifies on multiple levels. 

The elevator doors opened and Tony found himself in a hallway. “Now to our left is a room that houses a device that I’m sure the mechanic side of you will drool over.”

The pair made their way to a door that sat at the end of the room. Charles opened a door and entered. “This is Cerebro. With this, I can use my abilities to track anyone on the planet and amplify my abilities.”

“For example, I could be in Malibu and you here and you could read my mind?” Tony was torn. On one hand, the idea that a device that could read anybody’s mind on the planet just sat in the basement of a school was terrifying.

But Charles had been right when he said that the mechanic side of him was drooling at the idea of tech being able to accomplish a feat.

“You could. I very sparingly use it.”

“It’s powered by electricity?” 

Charles nodded. 

“You made this?” 

“With assistance from Hank. He’s a rather handy engineer in his own right.” 

Tony ran a hand through his hair as Charles wheeled to the side to let Tony examine the tech. There had been this amazing resource sitting here the whole time. And he wasn’t talking about Cerebro. He was talking about Charles and Hank and whoever else was the X-Men. Jarvis and he couldn’t get a solid answer on that. 

There was a whole community that had been affected by what occurred during the so-called Civil War and Tony had turned a blind eye to them. 

Did that make him no better than Cap? 

He examined the machine, curious as to how it works. “You can find anyone? Could I trouble you for a demonstration?” 

Charles nodded, putting on a helmet device and adjusting some of the knobs before pushing some buttons. The walls of the room lit up with a picture of the globe and lights. In some places, it was highly concentrated and in others, it was looser. 

“Wow.” 

“Indeed. Who am I looking for?” 

“Well, I’ve been accused of being a helicopter parent, so let’s look for one of the kids. Peter Parker.” 

“The Spider Child?” 

“One and the same.” 

At least he knew that Peter would get a kick out of this when he told him about the tech. Peter would probably drool at the idea, both of Charles Xavier himself and of this device. 

“New York City?” 

“Yes.” 

“I found him. He’s in school. It’s recess it seems.” Charles’ commentary held a fond tone. 

“He’s probably hanging with his best friend, Ned. They just found out that they both remember everything that happened.” 

“Indeed. At the moment, the two seem to be discussing Droney?” 

Tony laughed. “It was a drone I snuck into Peter’s suit to help him with surveillance.” 

“Ah. Well, the two are conspiring to make one for you. They feel you’ll finish your suit soon and don’t want you going without backup.” 

“And since I’ve banned Peter from being that backup til he hits puberty…” 

“Sorry for intruding, young Peter. I’m a friend. My name is Charles, I’m with your dad?” 

“Tell him I said hi, Roo.” 

Charles relayed the message and chuckled. “He would like me to tell you not to call him that in front of cool people who can read his mind.” 

Tony laughed. “My apologies.”

Charles shook his head. “How did you know I was there, Peter?” 

There was a pause. 

“Your sense?” 

“His Spidey sense! I didn’t even think about that being a factor. Oddly, it never came up. At least before I died.” 

The scene where Peter got hit by a train flashed through his mind. Another trauma that his death caused. Another thing that absolutely would not happen this time around. 

“Tony.” 

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts as he focused back into the present instead of a timeline that never would be to find that the device had been turned off and Charles was watching him.

“Are you okay?” 

“Something that will never happen. Sometimes even I forget just what that kid is capable of. He’s the future, Charles.”

“I see that. You’ll have to bring him up or perhaps we can meet next time I’m in the city. In the meantime, shall we continue our tour?” 

The two left the room and headed past the elevator and into a whole wing. There was a gym, a lab, and a giant hangar. A jet sat parked in it and Tony whistled. “Good to know who the competition is.” 

Charles chuckled. “I’m sure Hank will love the competition.”

“Absolutely.” 

Tony turned to see the blue man he’d met earlier come into the hanger. “I have to hand it to you, if you ever want to leave here, come talk to me if you want a job.” 

Hank laughed. “I’m good here. Charles and I have been through a lot together.” 

“Fair enough.” Tony looked at the jet. “One of the biggest disadvantages is that I have to invent everything again. And I can’t just go to where I was because I can only plausibly blow minds but so much.” 

“What are you saying?” Hank turned to the man.

“He’s like Logan, though slightly different circumstances.”

“From what I’ve heard about his experience, we both saw versions of the world basically ending.” Tony was rather impressed at how flippant he sounded about the whole thing that technically had only been just over a week ago as far as he was concerned.

“You’re kidding me. So had we met before?” Hank was curious.

“Unfortunately no. Past me was an idiot who didn’t realize all the resources he had. Hindsight is 20/20 though. And when you’ve been sent back 15 years, you’ve got a ton of it.” 

“Wow. Can I ask what happened?” 

Tony stuck his hands in his pockets not dissimilar to how President Bartlet did in The West Wing. “Half the universe gone- like that.” 

He snapped. Something he hadn’t done a lot of in the last five years. He hadn’t even been present when the snap happened. That was on Earth and he’d been stranded on that forsaken dead planet. 

“Tony.” 

Tony took a few deep breaths. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” Charles’ voice was quieter, softer.

It took a few more breaths for Tony to calm down and to fully shake Titan out of his mind. 

“Logan does that sometimes too,” Hank murmured. “Why can’t the future ever be good?” 

“He fixed his?” Tony looked at the pair. 

Instead of answering, Charles pulled out a phone, pressed a few buttons, and brought it to his ear. “Can you come down to the hanger? There’s someone that needs to meet you.” 

The idea that there was someone else out there, from a different future.

“The way he traveled back was different from yours. He was sent back by a mutant and then woke in the new timeline.” 

“So he didn’t have to live the in-between years again.” 

“Correct.” 

It was a few minutes and another cup of coffee later before a man who had several inches on Tony walked in. He was dressed in a way that felt both in touch with the current era but had a feeling of being from another time. 

“You asked me to come down, Professor?” The man spoke with a slight Canadian accent. “I’m assuming it has something to do with why Tony Stark is here. I’m Logan, by the way. I knew your dad back in the day. Met him in World War 2.” 

Tony stared at the man who looked to be around his age. “How old are you?” 

“138 give or take a year.” The man grinned and held out his hand which Tony shook. “Nice to meet you, Stark.” 

“Tony.”

The man nodded. “What’s going on? I thought you were out of the game after your press conference last week.” 

“I’ve been told you and I have something in common.” 

“That is?” 

Tony looked at the man, seeing the guarded look in his eyes as they studied each other. “We both saw the world almost end.” 

Logan’s eyes grew wide. “You’re from the future?” 

“A future. Not yours. And not the same method either.” 

“How did you get back?” 

“Infinity Stones. Six rocks who help govern forces in the universe. They decided I needed a do-over. I hear you got sent back as a warning.” 

“More or less.” The man looked away. “So there’s another future where everything goes to shit.” 

“Oh yeah.” 

“What happened?” 

“Half the universe got wiped out.” 

That got Logan’s attention and for a second he seemed to be thinking that over. The other two mutants also seemed to be weighing the room. “How can I help stop it?” 

“There’s not a lot to be done now. I’m in a bit of a holding pattern for a few years until something happens in 2012. The best I can do is assemble allies and be ready.” 

“What’s coming?” Charles turned to Stark. “Is that New York?” 

Tony nodded and then turned to the non-telepaths in the room. “An alien army is going to come through a portal that will be opened by an Asgardian right over New York City.”

“Asgardian? You’re talking Norse Mythology.” Hank looked like he wasn’t sure what to think.

“They’re real. Loki is a piece of work and Thor has a small obsession with pop tarts.” Tony wondered if there was anything he could do to help ease some of the pain that Thor felt losing his people.

He couldn’t fix everything. And he was fairly certain he couldn’t stop that from happening but maybe he could warn Thor? Help him find a way to save more of his people? Could his mom be spared?

That was a can of worms he couldn’t open at the moment. 

“They’re real.” Hank laughed. 

“Beyond that, Charles and I have already talked about something that will affect you all but not for a few more years.” Tony looked at the trio. “I had heard of your existence but ignored it in the previous timeline. For that, I’m sorry.” 

“What’s in the past cannot be undone. But you’ve been given a chance to fix your mistakes, something that one doesn’t get often.” Charles smiled. “The fact that you came to us now perhaps means that we will get the recognition we’ve been avoiding but perhaps need.”

The group looked at each other, and while they didn’t know everything that had happened- Tony felt like his load had lightened, knowing there were yet more allies. 

Chapter Text

If Pepper asked, Tony would never admit he was sulking down in his workshop. On one hand, he loved being back in this workshop versus either of his labs in New York. There was something about this place where he’d done some of his best work. That had been one of the hardest things about losing the house. 

And Jarvis was here. His old friend was in touch with his wants and needs as he remembered. There was part of him that missed Friday, the part that acknowledged that some of her base code was sitting somewhere in his server. But he didn’t know what purpose she would serve if he ever brought her online. She was too special to delegate to something. Maybe he’d think of something someday. But while some of him missed the plucky Irish accented AI, a lot of him had missed Jarvis more. 

“Sir?” 

Tony looked up from the flight stabilizer that he was tweaking, the gauntlet almost finished. If he kept this pace, he might have a full suit in the next couple of weeks. But, at the same, he had been doing his best to have a better work-life balance than he did in the previous timeline. 

Plus, he was deciding if it was worth darting back across the country to see at least one of his kids when the weekend hit. Pepper was trying to talk him out of the idea mainly because she didn’t want to draw attention to either too early. Both knew it was a matter of time before the press caught wind of Tony’s emotional adoption of two kids. But, at this point as far as they were concerned, he was still too close to his partying days for them to have any sort of understanding. 

 Not that they did anyways. Especially at the present time. He was aware that the press alternated between curiosity and mocking his press conference from almost two weeks ago. There was speculation as to why he’d suddenly flown to New York over the weekend and stayed for several days, often dropping off the map in a largely monitored city. 

Honestly, this was one of the first times he’d managed to find himself alone since the desert. He’d had Rhodey or Pepper, or Happy, or one of the kids, or the Time Stone even around almost all the time. Normally, he’d find that a bit suffocating. Honestly, he did a bit but at the same time having them around soothed an irritated part of his soul that hadn’t quite finished mending itself in the last five years. 

“Sir?” 

Tony shook his head and looked away from the gauntlet. “Yeah, J?” 

“Miss Potts says to tell you that dinner will be ready in 20 minutes.” 

“Thanks, J.” Tony smiled, stepped away from the gauntlet. “Double check my math on the flight stabilizer, J. I think I remembered everything but doesn’t hurt to check.” 

“Of course.” There was a pause as if there was something Jarvis wanted to say but wasn’t. 

“What’s up, J?” Tony sat in his desk chair, ready to log his progress for the day. 

“I find myself feeling inadequate, a feeling I’m not used to.”

“How so?” That hesitation in the AI’s voice got Tony to stop. 

“I was designed to assist you and keep you safe. But now, it feels as if I’m unable to fulfill my primary directive as you have knowledge of threats I cannot begin to be aware of. The rest of your family doesn’t have that limitation.” 

Tony put a hand on a monitor, a symbolic gesture more than anything since Jarvis didn’t have a physical form. “J, you… just having you here does a lot. Your little sister did an excellent job but she didn’t have the experience you and I have. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have knowledge of what’s to come, in fact, it may be to our benefit.” 

There was a pause. “How so, Sir?” 

To anyone that wasn’t Tony, he was sure the sound of hope in the AI’s voice would have seemed odd. But these AIs were a passion project of his and he was proud of how advanced they seemed. 

Most people forgot that J was the basis of his dissertation for his Doctorate in Computer Engineering. Granted, back then he’d been a lot less advanced but still beyond anything in the field of AIs at the time. It wasn’t surprising that people forgot considering they forgot he had Doctorates half the time. 

But back to his digital son. 

“A fresh set of eyes. I might be too busy looking five, ten even the full fifteen years into the future and miss something here in the present. You’ll help keep me grounded. There has to be a balance, I need to make changes, and we already have. But we can’t make too many obvious changes.” 

“I think I see.” 

Tony smiled. “You’ve always given me good advice, J. You’re probably my closest confidant. I need you for what’s ahead as much as I need the rest of our Time Team.”

Some people might say something about one of his closest friends being an AI that he created but at the end of the day, J had always been that way. It might be part of the reason he leaned into the rest of his family more (as he also pushed them away but in his defense, he wasn’t always sure what to do with his feelings) when he lost him in the whole Ultron fiasco.

“Of course, Sir. Well, as your eye in the present I have a question about a pressing issue.” 

“And that is?” 

“Stane? How are you going to handle that this time around?” 

That gave Tony pause. Honestly, it wasn’t like Tony had forgotten that his first “big bad” (a term Peter had given Stane one day that Tony had found endlessly amusing) was still out and about. It was odd seeing him. Ignoring the fact that the man was actively stabbing him in the back for a second, from Tony’s point of view, the man had been dead for 15 years. Seeing him alive again was hard. He’d worked through a lot of his emotions.

But, he’d always wished there’d been a way to end that altercation with Stane living so he could face justice. So the word could get out that the real Merchant of Death was Obadiah Stane and not Tony Stark. 

Or was it? In some ways, wasn’t Tony just as guilty? He’d been oblivious, too trusting, naive in a way he’d forever regret. Even this reset couldn’t erase the damage his inaction had caused. 

“Sir?” 

Tony looked where he knew a camera was. “Dig into the SI servers. Find everything beyond the documents we got last week. Unlike last time, he will face justice for his actions, for the lives that were lost due to his greed. The world will know of his crimes and he’ll be more than a footnote in my career as Iron Man.”

“Understood, Sir. I will make sure that I use the utmost discretion.” 

“It’s on a ghost drive, J. All of it. Look for any of them in the system.” 

“Of course, Sir.” 

Tony smiled, letting his old friend’s voice wash over him. “And J?” 

“Yes?” 

“I’m glad you’re here.” 

“Always, Sir.” 

If there was one thing that Tony hated, it was the fact that in multiple ways he was cleaning up his father’s mess and would be for years to come. Obadiah was a backstabbing traitor that his father partnered with. His father decided to build his legacy on weapons that his business partner decided to deal under the table. 

He couldn’t forget that technically the second big bad he’d ever faced was born out of his father's harsh and rash rejections. 

Oh, and the plethora of issues that his father has caused that would probably always wreak havoc on his mental health. The ones that caused him to push Peter away and the ones that filled him with guilt when his son in all but blood dissolved into ash. 

And now, his father had done something that would make his next task very difficult. 

He was driving a rented car through the streets of San Diego towards where Hank Pym was holed up with the experiments trying to find his wife. To be honest, Tony wasn’t entirely sure what exactly had gone down between him and his father. But, the man’s brain and research, and plans were valuable to the upcoming plan. 

Finding himself in the warehouse district of the city, he parked. Tapping his earpiece, he let out a sigh. “J, are you with me?” 

“Always, Sir.” 

“This might be rough.” He knocked on the door of the warehouse. 

A minute later, he heard movement on the other side and the door flew open. Standing in front of him was Hank Pym. The man’s eyes went wide before narrowing in rage and the door slammed. 

“Dr. Pym. I need your help.” 

“Tough luck.”

Tony sighed. “Dr. Pym, I have no idea what happened between you and my father. But when I say the fate of the universe itself might be in your hand at this moment, I’m not exaggerating.”

There was a pause and the door opened. “You have two minutes.” 

“Dr. Pym. There’s something coming. Something that with you and your research, we might be able to stop. You won’t believe me if I tell you what it is and how I know about it.” 

“Try me.” The man crossed his arms. “After what your father did, I have a policy to never trust a Stark.” 

“What did my father do?” 

“He stole from me! In 1970. And then buried me and my career and my research in an attempt to save his own ass.” 

“Wait.” Tony couldn’t help the chuckle. “April 7, 1970?”

Hank’s eyes narrowed. “How did you know?” 

“That answer might require more than two minutes.” Tony realized he would have to put far more cards on the table than he had intended. “And to be honest, I’m not sure you’ll believe me.” 

“Try me.” 

Tony looked around the makeshift lab, for not the first time, regretting his father’s tendencies to be rash when his tempered flared. Granted, Tony was more than aware than at times, he did the same thing. There were times he wore the badge and title of Avenger with pride because vengeance, when you’d been hurt, felt so good. 

Honestly, it was another reason why Peter was better than he’d ever been, no matter what the kid claimed. 

“I know what happened to Janet.” He decided to lay that chip on the table, it had been one he’d intended to before the meeting was done. 

Hank visibly paled at the declaration. “How could you possibly know anything about that?” 

“In ten years, a being called Thanos will snap his fingers and use what’s known as the Infinity Stones to wipe out half the universe. Unbeknownst to all of us, Scott Lang didn’t disappear, he simply was stuck in the Quantum Realm when you and Hope vanished.” 

“Half the universe?” Hank leaned against a counter. 

“With the snap of his fingers.” 

“You realize how crazy it sounds. You’re implying…”

“That I’m from the future. Not a lot of people know that. But after almost forty years, you deserve to know what happened in 1970. In my defense, I didn’t realize it until just now.”

“What happened? How did you get here?” 

“Five years passed, I retired. Married the love of my life. Had a daughter. Tried to move on after losing my sons in the snap.”

“I’m so sorry.” Hank’s face was the softest Tony had ever seen that. “I can’t imagine losing Hope like that.”

“Luckily for you, you both were among the vanished. I’m glad you didn’t have to feel that pain. With one exception, I was told you wouldn’t have suffered.” 

“Small mercies in the face of missing half the universe.” 

Tony nodded. “Something happened, to be honest, I never fully got the details, and Scott Lang got out.” 

“How did Scott come to gain access to my tech?”

“Unfortunately, I’m not sure. I only met the man a couple of times and none of them were exactly times for catching up.” 

Hank conceded the lack of answer, an action that surprised Tony. “How does this play into what happened in 1970. I have to admit, I find your story intriguing.” 

“Scott came to my facility in New York.” 

“The New Yorker finally went back to where he belonged?” 

Tony laughed. “Guilty. I love California, but I’ll be making that move sooner than I did last time. New York is home for me. One of my kids is from there.” 

“Finish your story.” 

“To him, it had only been hours whereas it was years for us outside the Quantum Realm. Steve Rogers-”

“He died.” 

“Long story. He’s in a state of suspended animation at the moment. He’ll be defrosted in a few years.” As far as Tony was concerned, Cap could stay frozen. While Tony was aware he had his uses. But he was not looking forward to meeting him. “Regardless. Cap and a SHIELD agent whose code name is Black Widow.” 

“I’ve heard of her.” 

“Came to visit me and present the idea that I could build off your research and possibly create time travel and give us a way to fix this. I told them no. I had found as close to a happy ending as I could. I couldn’t risk my daughter’s life. But then…”

“You realized you had a chance to get your sons back.” 

Tony nodded. “So I had to try. Peter’s a fan of your’s by the way. Read a bunch of your papers, I caught him reading your entomology dissertation once.”

“How old was he?” 

“16. He was researching a project and hoped it would help.”

“Considering being an entomologist?” Hank Pym seemed far too amused at the idea. 

“No, he’s an engineer and chemist through and through. It’s complicated and if we come out of this discussion on good terms, I might get your help and advice on that project.” 

“Continue your story. This Lang fellow gave you access to my research?” 

“And I figured out how to create a quantum tunnel.”

“You used my research to create a method of time travel?” At that moment, a lot of Hank’s years seemed to melt off his face at the implication. “I need to know more about that.” 

Tony grinned. “We went to 2012. Two of the stones were in New York City at the time. I plan to snag one on the same day this time around. But, one of the stones got away from us. I knew it was in that bunker in 1970 and I also knew that there were Pym Particles stored there. We’d need them to return home and to be able to travel and return the stones once we accomplished our mission.”

“So you traveled back further in time. Stole the last stone and my particles and set your father and me into a feud.” 

“In my defense, I didn’t connect those dots until today. I’m sorry that I stole your tech. But the fate of the universe and my sons was in the balance.” 

“You did it?” 

Tony nodded. “We fixed it. But things went wrong. There was a battle. We were losing. I took the stones from Thanos and snapped him and his army dead. And then I died.” 

“But how are you here?” 

“The stones. They are six in number.” Tony found a stray piece of paper and drew six circles, labeling them. “Time, Space, Soul, Power, Reality, and Mind. They govern an aspect of the universe and were created in the Big Bang.” 

“That had to be a lot of power.” 

“You wouldn’t believe what it felt like.” Tony winced at the memory of the pain of bearing the six stones. “I died from it. And then the Stones talked to me. Told me the cost was too great, they sent me back to fix it from where it all began.” 

“One.”

Tony gave the man a look. “One what?” 

“You said you were going to grab one of the two stones in New York that day. What of the other?” 

“I’ve already made contact with the keeper of the other. Until closer to the Endgame, it is safe with them.” 

Hank nodded. “My tech helped save the universe?” 

“It did. And with that, I have a proposition for you.” Tony picked up the briefcase he’d sat on the floor, opened it, and took out a folder. “Pym Technologies partners with Stark Industries as part of our new Initiatives. I’ve already seen that there’s a lot of potential for your research. Take your time reading over this contract. It’ll heal the damage my father did to your name and allow you the facilities you need.”

“And in return?” 

“Be open to working on projects to make sure half the universe doesn’t disappear? And if you’re willing, I have a personal project that might benefit from your expertise.”

“The one your son was looking into?” 

Tony nodded. “Norman Osborn.” 

“What did he manage to do?”

“Genetic experimentation. Of which my kid was an unwilling participant.”

Hank recoiled. “What happened?” 

“Bit by a radioactive spider. When we were all sent back, his powers came with him. He was reading your papers to see if he could get any insight into how his DNA might affect him as he finished going through puberty.” 

“How much of his DNA is Araneae?”

“Two percent.” 

“Fascinating.” 

Tony pulled out a second folder. “With the contract, I don’t mind if it leaks. But please, I’ve seen what happens if the world finds out about him and I can’t let that happen.” 

Hank nodded. “Of course, Dr. Stark. Give me time to review both of these. Perhaps when he’s on summer break, I can examine your son myself. See what Araneae tendencies he’s showing.” 

“He’d love it.” 

Chapter Text

Peter held tight to Ben’s hand as they made their way through the crowded street fair. All around them, carnival games were going and there was some amazing smelling food. But if Peter was perfectly honest, he didn’t care about any of that. 

He was too busy having fun doing something people only dreamed of doing. Today he was spending time with his uncle- when to him he’d been dead for years. Of course, there was the whole time reset thing. He might be younger but Peter wasn’t stupid. He’d dabbled in quantum physics from time to time (usually in a class like English or History where he was bored and needed to entertain himself). 

There were theories for sure. Apparently Tony even managed to crack the code using Pym tech. While the internet had taken a ten-year-sized step back from his perspective, he’d pulled up some of Dr. Pym’s papers and read up on what he had to date to see if he could figure out how his dad had done it. 

“What’s going through that curly head of yours, Pete?” 

Peter smiled at Ben. “Quantum physics.” 

Ben laughed. “Is that so?”

Peter nodded. “Just wrapping my head around everything. All of it. You. I’m glad we’re here.” 

To his surprise, Ben picked him up. There were times that Peter half forgot just how tiny he currently was. It was annoying. He couldn’t ride any of the cool rides anymore. But, it made him small enough for his dad or Ben to pick him up and part of him loved that. There were moments where he wanted to let himself act the age he was on the outside and let his family baby him. 

It felt good. Video chatting with his dad at night, playing with Ned. Having both Ben and May take care of him. 

“I’m sorry you had to go through all that.” 

Peter leaned down, resting his head on his Uncle’s shoulder, and breathed in his scent. It was quickly becoming as familiar and welcoming as May and his dad’s. “It’s… it’s not okay. But it’s okay now. You’re here. And things will be different this time.” 

He paused. “Do I smell kabobs?” 

Ben laughed and walked over and soon the pair were happily snacking. “I can’t pretend I understand what’s going on, Peter. This whole thing, it’s crazy.”

“You’re telling me.” 

“I see my six-year-old nephew and then sometimes I see the boy you’ve become and I’m so proud. You met Tony Stark.” 

“Technically I met him at the Expo first.”

Ben shook his head. “No, he saved your life because you decided to play the hero.” 

“And then I became one.” 

“Still not sure how I feel about it.” 

Peter finished his kabob and then leaned his head on Ben’s shoulder. “If bad things happen and I have the power to stop them and I don’t then they happen because of me. No one else should lose their Uncle Bens if I can stop it.” 

“Oh, kiddo.” Ben kissed the top of his head. “You’ve got such a big heart. But every bad thing that happens, isn’t your fault. Including whatever happened to me.”

Peter wiped his eyes on Ben’s shirt. No matter what anyone said, Peter blamed himself for what happened that night. But now Ben was here and he was alive and his dad was alive and he hadn’t been gone for five years. 

It was a second chance. It was an experience. 

One he was going to make the best of. He may be tiny now. But he could still tinker, invent, study, find ways to help his dad save the world from Thanos. Make sure his dad suffered as little pain as possible. And pick up the pieces if something happened. 

When Peter was six the first time around, it was just him, Ned, Ben, and May. Then Ben was gone and it was just him, Ned, and May. And then Tony came. And then there was Happy, Pepper and Rhodey. And now he had everyone and a brother too! 

It was one of the weirdest situations he’d ever seen but honestly, he hadn’t been this happy in a long time. 

Tony wondered if there were ever be a point where he felt less weirded out by the fact that he was technically fifteen years in the past. Fashion was different, people were younger, he was so different. 

But then there were things that were soothing. Like wandering through the halls of SI Los Angeles with employees greeting him happily. Had they always greeted him that way at this point? Had he just been that oblivious? Granted at this point in the timeline he was basically a recluse in the Malibu mansion letting Obie do whatever he wanted. 

Hindsight really was 20/20 there. 

“Good morning, Dr. Stark.” 

“Good to see you, Dr. Stark.” 

“Hope you’re having a good day, Dr. Stark.” 

Similar greetings followed him around as he made his way through the building to his office. Pepper was to his right, Rhodey to his left, Happy at his rear. Tony did his best to smile, return the greetings, and make small talk with what details he remembered of some of the employees. 

That reminded him, if memory served, one of the paralegals in Legal’s daughter was about to be diagnosed with cancer. He’d have to keep an eye out for it and see if he could pay for treatment or slide her a bonus. 

Today was fully about Stark Industries. For now, as far as the world was concerned, he was owner and CEO. Eventually, he’d hand it over to Pepper. Perhaps he could find a way to weave it and the engagement announcement together and prevent her from being openly roasted as she had been before. 

He’d been such an idiot as to how he handled it. Granted, he was aware that he couldn’t stop all of the negative press. And her track record would speak for her soon enough. 

“Good morning, Dr. Stark. Can I get you a coffee?” Rosita looked up from her desk. 

“I’d love that, thank you, Rosita.” Tony smiled at the woman who was still with Stark Industries in his time. She hadn’t been blipped but had lost most of her family and seemed to hold him and Pepper closer because of it. 

The woman smiled and got up heading for the small break room tucked into the middle of the executive floor. 

“Tony, you have a board meeting at 10. R&D wants to meet with you at 1 to go over the schematics you sent in. Depending on how your meetings go, we may want to schedule one with Marketing later this week to begin creating concepts for the campaign.”

He nodded. “Sit in on the board meeting with me, I want them to get used to you being there.” 

She opened the door to his office and waved him in. “Of course.”

Rhodey filed in behind them, Happy entering last. Both of them looked tense. “The FBI is coming in today to arrest Obadiah. It will be sometime this afternoon.”

It was coming. The closure that Tony had waited fifteen years for. 

“Boss, your job today is to appear busy. You can’t give away that you know what’s coming. People need to see you out and about running the company.” 

“Preferably with Pepper at your side which will make the later transition smoother.” Rhodey nodded to Pepper. 

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. “Your coffee, Dr. Stark.” 

“You know you can call me, Tony, Rosita.” He walked over and took the cup. 

“I couldn’t possibly, sir.” She grinned. “I’ve called ahead to your favorite deli and ordered your usual for lunch. It should be here after the board meeting. You need to get some meat back on your bones as you’re recovering.”

There was a faint glow on his chest, the arc reactor shining through his shirt. She eyed it.

“Thank you, Rosita.” Tony grinned at the woman. “What would I do without you?” 

“Between me and Pepper, we keep you on the straight and narrow.” 

Pepper laughed. “Isn’t that the truth.” 

Tony smiled and took his coffee and headed over to his desk. It almost felt foreign as it had become Pepper’s office and he’d taken a smaller one on the rare occasion that he was here. Perhaps that was something he should rectify. It was easier in the Tower as it was just downstairs from where he lived. 

The agenda for the meeting was sitting on top of the desk and he looked over it, reviewing the notes, making some of his own. He pulled up the schematics he’d drawn up on his tablet. Jarvis had helped him review them to make sure that while they were groundbreaking, they weren’t too mind-blowingly from the future. 

Jarvis’ new firewalls on the other hand…

He wanted a certain one-eyed pirate to try and break into that this time around!

Looking at the clock, he saw he had about fifteen minutes until the meeting but decided to head there early. He had a chance to make a difference in how he treated this company. And while board meetings would always be the bane of his existence, he felt as though he was on better terms with them. 

Plus, unlike last time, he had so many things to show them. While he may be in the past now, he was ready to lead the world into the future. 

Starting with a meeting he hoped wasn’t exceptionally mind-numbing. 

Tony was the first in the board room, a bit of shock even to him. He took his coffee cup, took a deep sip, and sat down. “J, can you upload some slides so I can give the board a preview before my R&D meeting?” 

“Of course, Sir.” 

As much as Tony would love to take credit for the invention of Bluetooth headphones, he could not. But he could claim that he did perfect them. He was currently wearing a prototype that he’d invented. It also helped that Jarvis had a constant link to the device so he always had his copilot along.

“Thanks, J.”

Tony leaned back in his chair and observed the seat. Four would be empty, he’d have to find people to appoint to the seats. Honestly, he was considering offering a seat to Hank if he agreed to the deal. The others…

There were possibilities. It opened outlets for new allies. 

Something to think on. 

One by one, the other members made their way in. Some stopped at the coffee bar in the back of the room and got a cup before finding a seat. 

Stane showed up, it took every ounce of Tony’s childhood grooming to not react in a way that would give up what was set to happen later that day. Instead, he smiled, stood up, and shook the hand of the man that betrayed him. 

“I’m excited to see what you’ve come up with, My Boy.” 

“I hope you’re ready for this.” Tony smiled before walking away to mingle with the other members. Most of the faction who made his life difficult left this time around without Obadiah to hold their hand during this period. It would make the Stark Industries side of the plan that much easier. 

He made his way to the head of the table after he made sure he talked to everyone. “Gentlemen.”

At that moment, Tony realized there were no women on his board and he needed to change that. Preferably before having Pepper take over. 

“Two weeks ago, I stood before you after making a decision that would change the way our company works. Congratulations on staying with me despite Wall Street encouraging you to keep your options open. I want to present to you what I’m working on and the direction we will take over the next couple of years. Over the next few months, I plan to reveal more and more.” 

The group sat paying attention to Tony. While he hated board meetings with a passion, he did relish at the chance to command the room, have all the attention on him. In this building, he was known, respected, and about to change the world. He was in his element. 

“J, slide one, please.” 

The slide featuring the first model of the StarkPhone appeared on the screen. “Let’s take a moment, to be honest with ourselves. Apple and Samsung have gone stale when it comes to phones. They’re relying on brand loyalty at this point. So, there’s room in the market for someone to break in. Welcome to the first product in our tech line. If you check your emails, you have my spec sheet. R&D will help me to solidify these details and of course, I’ll review the final product again.”

“What makes this different from other phones in the market?” A member halfway down the table asked. 

“The graphics card, I’ve taken a look at what’s on the market and designed one that beats what’s out there. We could dominate the market on that alone, especially with the rise of social media and YouTube. Battery life is superior as well.” 

Sometimes, being from the future was a fantastic thing. He didn’t have to do the research. He just made things he’d made before. 

“Eventually, I want to explore options at different price points but for the first round, we’ll start with the phone. I also wanted to focus on processing power to make sure that people can watch videos more efficiently on their phones. Trust me, that’s a game we want to be competitive in early.” 

The board nodded. From there, Tony walked them through the tablets, the Bluetooth headphones and earpieces, and computers. He was going for the nerds and the younger audience but trying to reach the older ones. 

He loved making tech. He loved green energy but there was something about the tech line that thrilled him. He’d solved the green energy problem- it was finding ways to reproduce it that became the challenge. This time around, he could move faster, smarter, and make it accessible faster. 

Pulling up his phone, he shot a text to Pepper asking how the progress on the Tower’s early steps was going. 

“In addition to our tech line, I’m going to look into the pending energy crisis but I need more time before I propose a plan for that. We are also going to launch a medical line. Our flagship product will be a line of medical prostheses and braces. While we are going to sell these on the commercial market, I want to visit donating some every year to veterans, especially ones who were harmed with our weapons.” 

Reminding people about the leak got some to squirm. 

“The investigation is still ongoing and as soon as I know the details, I will release them to you.” 

More nods. 

“These schematics are going to R&D and when we have a timeline, we’re approaching Marketing. With us going out of the military sector and more into the public sector, I plan on creating a lot more jobs in that department. I also plan on taking us from a national organization to an international one within the next five years.” 

That got people’s attention. 

“As I said, gentlemen, welcome to the future. Now, I’ve got exactly 37 minutes to inhale a sandwich, prepare my notes, and make it to the R&D building so with this, I’m going to bid you a good day.” 

And with an amount of gravitas that few besides him possessed, Tony strode out of the board room.

While the board room made him feel both itchy and at home, when it came to the R&D department he was in his element. Scientists ran around the building working on various projects. Their task for the last two weeks was to brainstorm ideas of what they wanted to see Stark Industries create. 

And they didn’t disappoint. What followed were hours upon hours of exchanging ideas. They took his tech ideas and ran with them. Some had ideas for the medical side. Skin grafts, burn treatment options, hearing aids maybe- finding a way to link both tech and medical. 

Eventually, he’d let Peter pitch his mediweb project he’d just been starting on when everything went to hell. The kid would love to work on a project at SI. And Tony'd be remiss to not have Harley finally play around with the retro-reflective panels and other camouflage tech to make different prosthetic designs.  

By hour two, there were six whiteboards out, various plans spread across each board, a list of ideas following them. 

With the tech, they wanted to explore the software side. Tony wanted to see where they got with an operating system before he butted in. He offered up suggestions for their version of Siri or Alexa. A name was to be determined. But there were few if any people on the planet that knew more about AIs than he did and he wasn’t about to let them dominate that market a second time. 

He was Tony Stark. His tech was better, stronger, and faster. 

Stronger… 

He walked over to the phone board and made a note about durability. “Buy up some of the competitor’s phones. I want to see how much or little it takes to break them. Figure out why. Figure out how we can mitigate that.” 

That earned him nods and it sent people on a round of frantic note-taking and spitballing ideas.  

Base apps, bonus apps, reaching out to existing developers. Tony tossed ideas around with the best of them and loved every second of it. For a bit, he wasn’t their boss, he was just another scientist dreaming up ideas. 

It was the first time in years he’d felt this energized by work, Avengers or SI related. He wanted more of this. He’d missed this. 

“Dr. Stark.” 

Tony looked up from where he sat pouring over schematics for the computer. Already this project had developed into at least three models with room for growth after the initial launch. 

“Yes?” 

“Did you mean it?” 

“I can promise you that I rarely say things I don’t mean.” Tony stared at the woman. “But what in particular?” 

“About the future. About doing things differently.” 

“Every word. I want suggestions from you guys. If there’s research you’re interested in, send in a proposal. If you know of groundbreaking research that may never see the light of day due to a lack of funding, I want to know about it. There are plenty of people who just need a hand to change the world and I’d love to have them do it under our umbrella.” 

Everyone had stopped working to listen.

“Yes, my name is on the building, but I can’t do it all. I need you guys. And I know, I completely changed your jobs and you didn’t sign in.” 

A man, really a boy - probably a college intern judging by how young he looked, raised his hand. “I’m in.” 

“Me too.” 

One by one, the entire room raised their hands to show their support to Tony’s ideas. Tony grinned, not his media smile but a genuine one. “Welcome to the future, guys.” 

“Sir, the FBI have entered the building.” J’s voice rang out.

“Keep me posted, J.” Tony nodded to the team. “It’s going to be a rough few months but when we reveal all of this when we start to change the world, it will open doors.” 

The group clapped. 

“Now, I apologize, I have to head back to the administration building. But I’m going to do my best to stop by more often.” 

He made his way out and Rhodey fell into step beside him. “You seem happier than you’ve been in a long time.”

“I feel alive. There’s so much less pressure right now. I know it’s a ticking time bomb but I’m riding the thrill as long as I can.” Tony grinned. “We can do so much good with the smaller picture while changing the bigger picture. New friends all around. The future is bright, Honey Bear. And I have all the people I love here to share with it.” 

He slung his arm around his best friend who shoved him off. The pair laughed as they made their way into the admin building. They made their way to Tony’s office where Pepper, Happy, and a couple of FBI agents waited. 

Tony stopped cold. “What’s going on?”

“Tony Stark?” One of the agents spoke.

Tony scoffed, honestly he couldn’t help it. “You know it’s me. What’s going on?” 

“We entered your company thirty minutes ago to serve a warrant to arrest Obadiah Stane. So far, we haven’t been able to locate him. Units dispatched to his home say he’s not there either. At this moment, Obadiah Stane is a fugitive of the law.” 

Chapter Text

This hadn’t happened last time. 

It would be another six weeks before Stane would make his move. Tony was sure of it. It was after his birthday and it was only the middle of April. That’s why the plan of having the FBI come today was so perfect. Tony could stop him weeks before he made a move. Stop the shipment to Gulmira. 

“J?”

“Sir?” 

“Keep an eye on Gulmira. Any activity. Particularly any involving weapons with my name on it and you let me know.” 

“Of course sir. I will begin monitoring army communications.” 

“Thanks, J.” Tony leaned back in his chair, downing the last of his cup of coffee which forced him to get up and get more. His chest ached, in all the craziness, he hadn’t had time to fix the reactor beyond fixing a more stabile version. 

He had a few more weeks before he would start showing signs of palladium poisoning but he was hoping to have that problem solved long before he dealt with Obie. 

“J, check-in with Happy. Get him to check the perimeter again. Keep me posted.” Tony leaned back in his chair, giving in to his paranoia more than he had in a long time. 

This hadn’t happened last time. 

What had changed? 

Was it something he did? 

Or was it the fact that if you change time, it fights back? Should he go to New York? Should he talk with Time? See if he’s already screwed up their second chance. He couldn’t have. He hadn’t really started making moves beyond reaching out to some potential allies. 

Shaking away the thoughts, he turned to the Mark 2 that sat assembled on its old platform. Instead of the clanky machine to get it on, he’d taken aspects from a later model that allowed him to walk into it. While he sacrificed a lot of his functionality in order to not blow minds, the ease of entering and exiting the suit in this form made it easier. 

He had standards. 

But appearance-wise, it looked a lot like the previous Mark 2. And it had the same capabilities. He’d add and tweak as time went on, as he arrived at missions where he could use something. It was a way to take advantage of hindsight. 

“Mr. Hogan says that the property is secure. Miss Potts would like to remind you to eat in the next hour before she uses her override to lock you out of the lab.” 

Tony rolled his eyes. “Fine. fine. Keep me posted on what the FBI is up to.” 

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust them, it was that Obie was his problem and no one but him knew just what he was capable of. But, things were different. 

There was nothing he could do, he was stuck waiting, something he hated. With nothing better to do, he decided to head upstairs and get food. “J, you have the Conn.” 

“Of course, Sir.” 

One of Tony’s favorite things about being in the past was having his Malibu mansion back. Every day he spent here, he wondered why he never bothered to rebuild it. So much of what made him who he was, could be found here. Sure, he was moving back to New York, but knowing this was here, made it worth it.

He walked up the stairs and came out in the main room, taking a second to appreciate the view of the Pacific Ocean. 

“Good. Rhodey and I made dinner.” Pepper smiled from where she stood in the kitchen. “I was going to make good on my threat and make sure you ate.”

“Trust me, Pep, I’ve learned to never call your bluffs.” Tony sat down, letting Pepper dote on him a bit. 

“The board called for an emergency meeting at 8. So when you’re done, wash up and we need to head out.”

“I’m not sure I can handle two board meetings in a day. On the upside, I might be able to edge Obie out before I go and kick his ass.” Tony smiled as Rhodey and Happy joined him and Pepper at the table. They’d gotten out of the habit of eating family meals together and he’d missed it. 

“Until he’s found, Tony is not to be left alone in public.” Happy eyed them all. “We are not allowing a repeat of last time.” 

“Speaking of, J please lock down the upgraded rector plans along with the notes on Badassium.”

“Of course, Sir.” 

Tony nodded. “My plan is to get Stane voted out. Let’s back him in a corner.” 

“Should we consider planting some security near the boys? We kept their presence hush hush but Stane might have found a way into the flight manifest.” 

“I’ll organize some people, but it will take a few hours to get someone stationed near them. Rather be safe than sorry. They’ll be able to be incognito.” Happy nodded, pulling out his phone and sending a text. 

Dinner was rushed but at the same time, it felt nice and relaxed. Perhaps it was the company, the food (Pepper was a mean cook when she had time to be in the kitchen), or just the calm before the inevitable storm. 

After he finished, he headed up to his room to put on his oldest and most reliable armor, a Tom Ford suit. He’d worn it for many deals both in the past and in the future that never was. There was something soothing about the familiar cut of the suit. He grabbed a Rolex, Italian leather shoes (his mother would rise from the grave and haunt him if he didn’t), and a tie. Grabbing one of his favorite pairs of glasses, he checked his hair and smirked at how ready he appeared for battle. 

Long before he’d been Iron Man, before aliens, before Avengers, before infinity stones, he’d been a businessman. Maybe this time around, he’d remind people just how good he was at it. 

Unlike the meeting that had been 9 hours earlier, this meeting was a lot tenser as the members quietly made their way in. Tony kept his seat at the head of the table, suspiciously quiet and not greeting the others. The seat to his seat was conspicuously occupied by Pepper who had also donned a suit and looked determined. 

Tony texted Jarvis to prepare the ransom video as well as the Bills of Lading documenting a bunch of the illegal double-dealing shipments. 

The clock struck eight, Tony took a long sip of his coffee and stood up. 

“Gentlemen, thank you for coming back in. It’s not often we meet twice in one day and I wish this were under better circumstances. This afternoon, the Federal Bureau of Investigation entered Stark Industries to serve an arrest warrant for Obadiah Stane. J, can you put a copy of that warrant on the screen for us?”

It showed up, listing out their search. 

“The DA will not fully disclose what charges they are seeking. But evidence that has come to light today will also bring Stark Industries to bring civil charges against Stane. I will present the evidence and then I will be calling for a vote to terminate Obadiah Stane and remove him from the Board of Directors. Jarvis, please play the video, make sure you include the translation.” 

“Of course, Sir.” 

“Gentlemen, I’m going to step out of the office while this plays. Jarvis will let me know when it’s done.” 

He walked out of the board room. It had been fifteen years, yes. And he’d heard about how Stane had killed Raza. His biggest regret was that Tony hadn’t done it himself. But, Tony had been doing a lot of work on his mental health since Morgan was born, shoot even before that around the time he and Peter got close. Tony knew he needed to create boundaries. And hearing that voice, seeing the shot of him sitting in that chair was not good for his mental well-being. 

“You okay, Tones?” 

He looked up to see Rhodey leaning against the nearby desk, the receptionist who usually manned it long gone for the night. 

“Yeah… just can’t watch that video again. It’s odd. In some ways, it seems ages ago but just the idea of seeing that cave again…” 

Tony shivered. He hadn’t meant to, but it came back to him in a rush. The shocks, the waterboarding, the beatings, the dampness, and the cold that seemed to sink into his bones. 

Slowly but surely, he heard Jarvis in his ear, reading off his morning lists of information. It was followed by odd science facts, stock market highlights, and other mundane facts. Jarvis kept talking and talking as Tony fought to catch his breath. Meanwhile, he felt Rhodey’s arm on his shoulder. 

After another minute, he looked to his best friend. “Sorry…. I…” 

“Don’t apologize. I can’t begin to imagine what happened there. You’ve been to hell and back, Tones. But you’re not alone in this, okay?”

Tony nodded. “I’ve got to get back in there. Can you go to the front and tell the waiting press that I’m going to be doing a conference in an hour? I’m sure word will spread to the others not here. Normally I’d get Pepper to do it, but I need her to be seen and noticed in there. “

Rhodey nodded. “I’ve got it.”

“Thanks, Honey Bear.” Tony smiled at his friend before squaring his shoulder and heading back into the boardroom as the lights came back on. He took a quick look at the members’ faces and saw that a lot of them had gone pale. They looked at him, eyeing him as if he’d disappear. 

It was a rare occasion for Tony to feel self-conscious, actually, he hadn’t been completely aware that he could feel that anymore. But he felt as close as he could to it at that moment as they stared at him. 

“As you saw, Stane paid them to kill me. When they found out it was my head the hit called for, they tried to up their price. Stane was cheap so here I am. Jarvis, more evidence and send this to their email files. Keep in mind the documents you are about to view are confidential pending the results of both the federal case and our civil litigation. Pepper, when this meeting ends, can you call our attorney and ask him to join us for a meeting at 10:30?” 

Pepper nodded and then a dozen or so documents showed up showing where shipments had gone all over the Middle East. Tony talked through each one, talking about the firepower, relaying some of his own personal experiences. At one point, he held his left hand with his right in order to hide that it was shaking. 

Even still, there was a point where he had to pause turn away from the board and take a few deep breaths to regain his composure. Gaining most of it back, he turned to the board members. 

“I would like to formally call for a vote to terminate Obadiah Stane’s employment and remove him from his seat on the Board of Directors.” 

“I second the call to vote.” A member from halfway down the table raised his hand. 

“I third the call.” This one came from the other side of the table. 

Tony nodded, confident that he would get this vote and equally confident in how it would go. It was something he’d wished repeatedly he’d gotten the chance to do last time around which made this that much sweeter. “All in favor?” 

It was unanimous.

“With a unanimous vote, the motion carries. We have five seats to fill. Suggestions for the seats will be taken at our meeting in two weeks and we will vote on them in a month. If you would all like to join me, I’m going to host a press conference and do my best to keep our stock from tanking in the morning because of his greed.” Tony paused. “If you guys could help me find a place for his staff, I would prefer they not lose their jobs because of his decisions.” 

The board nodded and Tony strode out. Pepper came to his right, Rhodey joined in at his left and he heard footsteps behind him. 

“The entire board is joining you, Sir,” Jarvis answered the question he hadn’t voiced yet. “It appears as if they’re making a unified front and standing by you.” 

Tony grinned, eyeing Pepper as she spoke with their Head Counsel. While there were traces of it in where the Avengers got their name, people often misjudged how ruthless and vengeful Tony could be. 

It wasn’t like he’d been one of the top weapons manufacturers and sellers for over a decade before he stopped… oh wait. 

Stane had been the catalyst that sent his life into the future that never was. Now he was back here and could make the most of it. 

They made their way to the ground level, between the group of them they took all four elevators. As they all disembarked, they headed for the press room and made their way in. A hush fell over the room. 

Tony ignored the hush, continuing his walk. Happy came and walked in front of him, effectively having him guarded on all sides. It felt nice, in a way he’d rarely admit. It was often that he allowed himself to be guarded and protected. Usually, he was dead set on being the one who did it for others. 

He made his way to the stage, the room still so quiet you could hear his footsteps echoing along with those around him. As everyone joined him on stage, Tony made his way to the podium. The room was full, dozens of outlets there. He could see TV cameras lined up all around.

“Early this afternoon, the FBI came to serve a warrant to arrest Obadiah Stane. For reasons unknown, Stane has decided to flee justice and is currently at large. While we are currently unsure, it is wise to assume he is armed and dangerous and any sightings should be reported to law enforcement immediately.” Tony eyed the crowd. “A few minutes ago, the Board of Directors and I met and in a unanimous vote, we terminated Stane’s employment and removed him from the board.”

“Dr. Stark?” 

Tony eyed the reporter, who couldn’t have been older than his mid-30s. With a nod, he gave permission for the question. 

“When you shut down your weapons division a few weeks ago, you mentioned plans would be announced soon to share what Stark Industries would be doing. Will Stane’s arrest and the ensuing manhunt delay your plans?” 

Tony shook his head. “The board met today and has reviewed my plans for the future. We still plan on announcing them soon. I can tell you that I had a very productive afternoon with our research and development division where we made significant progress in the right direction. We appreciate our stockholders for their patience and I can assure you it will be rewarded soon.” 

“Will Stark Industries be pursuing civil litigation against Stane?” 

“Yes. In fact, I will be meeting with our council after this to discuss it.” Tony looked around, over half the hands were raised. But there was one face in particular that caught his eyes. “Christine.” 

Christine Everhart nodded. “With the removal of Stane from his seat, that means that five seats are now available. To date, the Board of Directors has been solely men. Are you planning on rectifying that in the days to come?” 

Tony knew she’d give him a good question and he smiled, glad this thought had occurred to him today. “When I took over this company, I had so many changes I wanted to make. But Stane convinced me it was best not to rock the boat immediately. So I allowed the status quo to change. That ended today. Yes. I plan on visiting adding diversity to the board. I want to ensure that there is accountability in our future. I want more transparency with the public. When I addressed you a few weeks ago, I told you that I was taking Stark Industries into the future. I meant every word of it. That includes addressing the lack of diversity on the boards of major companies. Now, I can’t do anything about other boards, but I can about my own. We will be reviewing potential candidates over the next month and when we are prepared to release that list, I’m sure I’ll find myself back here again.”

Though social media was just starting to be a thing and he hoped that that would limit how often he had to do these. Peter had been on his case about being more active on social media and perhaps this time around Tony would listen to the kid and do it. Maybe he could stick Harley and Peter on helping him with it since they seemed to be proficient in it. 

He looked around, seeing who he’d call on next when a person standing in the back of the room caused him to feel like he’d had his breath knocked out of him. Standing in the back of the room casually observing proceedings was Special Agent Phil Coulson of SHIELD. A man who had died and kick-started the Avengers. 

And then had been brought back to life and none of the original roster had been told. That had been one hell of a shock to discover when he’d been hacking SHIELD’s files one day. 

As many problems as he had with SHIELD and how he was never going to work with them as he had before, Coulson’s death was one thing he was going to change. He didn’t want that on his conscience for the second time. 

“Jason, you’re will the Wall Street Journal these days, right?” Tony broke his own stupor and called on another reporter. 

“My sources in the Los Angeles FBI field office said that the Federal Prosecutors will be seeking Treason charges against Stane. Are you able to verify this?” 

Tony rocked back on his heels slightly. Honestly, he’d always wondered what all they could have made stick if Stane hadn’t died on that rooftop. He was excited to finally get that answer. “At this time, I cannot comment on an investigation. To be perfectly honest, I am not aware of what pending charges they have against Stane. I can assure both law enforcement and the public that Stark Industries plans to fully cooperate with their investigation and hope that we can bring Stane to justice. Thank you for this time, if there are any updates, we will make sure to get them out.”

Tony left the stage and headed out of the room, his own protective shield forming again not letting a certain federal agent through. Tony could feel Coulson’s eyes on him as he walked past but it didn’t take much for him to ignore them and continue walking. Heading for the elevators, Tony and his group made their way back to the executive floors. 

“Pep, got PR to go ahead and secure all of our Twitter handles. Should be fairly easy considering it’s just taking off.” 

She nodded, sending a text. “Richardson is in your office.” 

Tony nodded, walking toward his office and stopping when he saw Rosita at her desk. “Rosita, you don’t need to stay.” 

“I will leave when this is done. Right now, I can act as a gatekeeper while you navigate this mess.” She smiled, turning to her computer. 

Tony made a note to give the woman a raise and make sure her retirement package was more than enough to get her through her golden years when she was ready even as he grinned at her. “If you insist.” 

“I do. Robert Richardson is in your office. The cafeteria is staying open a bit later and I’ve taken the liberty of ordering a carafe of coffee and some snacks to be delivered.” 

Tony said goodnight to the board and headed into the office. It was going to be a long night. 

It was nearing four in the morning before Tony stumbled into the Malibu mansion. They’d spent hours upon hours pouring over evidence, the video, pausing for Tony’s small panic attack, and then going over the paperwork that his Lead Council was going to file in a matter of hours. If the US government got the treason charge to stick, they’d be taking his life. Tony planned on taking everything else. 

At this point, he wanted little more than to go to bed and get a couple of hours of shut-eye before facing the world and this mess again. 

“May Parker is on the line for you, sir.” 

“Patch her through.” Tony tried and shake off his exhaustion. “Morning, May.”

“Tony?” Her voice sounded panicked and that was more than effective at waking him up. 

“May, what’s wrong?” 

“It’s Peter. He wasn’t in his room this morning. His window was broken and his bed was empty.”

“I hate to interrupt, but I’ve got Rose Keener on the other line.” 

Panic attempted to swallow Tony whole and for a second, he couldn’t feel his legs. “Rose, please tell me this isn’t to call and ask if Harley wandered back here.” 

“I was hoping it was that simple.” 

He’d forgotten how painful panic attacks were with the arc reactor. He’d forgotten that sometimes he couldn’t quite catch his breath and it would make him see spots. 

Kind of like he was doing now. 

“Tones!” He felt Rhodey’s reassuring grip as he worked to steady himself. He heard the click-click of Pepper’s heels as she came to his other side. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“It’s Peter and Harley.” Tony managed to wheeze out. “They’re gone. I think… I think Stane took them.” 

And as he uttered those words, the edges of his vision darkened before the blackness swallowed him whole. 

Chapter Text

Tony woke slowly, not sure where he was or what time it was. Things seemed fuzzy. Had he taken a nap with Morgan? He would never admit it, but he sometimes would lay down with her in the afternoons and then claim that he was doing it “for her.” 

Pepper knew the truth but for once decided to not call him on it. She was probably more grateful than anything that he was actually sleeping. 

He was laying down, but the bed didn’t feel like Morgan’s which led to his confusion. 

“Tony?” 

That was Pepper, he must have slept later than he thought because she didn’t always catch him. 

He opened his eyes, finding himself in the Malibu mansion and like a tidal wave, the events of earlier crashed down around him. Sitting up, he was hit by a wave of dizziness before he felt a pair of hands steady him. 

“Take a few breaths, Tony.” 

He turned to see Pepper lounging beside him. 

“The boys?” 

“Rhodey and Happy are on it. We’ll find them.” 

Getting out of bed, he realized he’d been wearing the same clothes for over 24 hours and went to change. “Can you ask Honey Bear to call the council together? I think it’s time for my first mission.”

There was a pause in the bedroom as he grabbed clothes that would be more comfortable while in the suit instead of looking professional. He could keep a suit handy, just in case, it was needed.

“Of course. What can I do?” 

“Hold the fort here. I want you to either stay here at the mansion or at SI.” He came out, eyeing the fiery redhead ready to protest him all but benching her. “It’s not that I think you’re not capable. The world at one point knew you were more capable than me and trust me that’s on my list to prove again.” 

Coming over, he wrapped his arms around her, his hands resting on her stomach as he kissed her cheek. “But, remember that discussion we had in the limo? The one we’ve been ignoring ever since? The one we don’t want to talk about and I know I’m ignoring?” 

She nodded. 

“What if we’re right? What if we have the whole family? I can’t take a chance that we just don’t know for sure yet. I won’t risk her. Or you.. So, you need to stay here, stay safe, and be ready to help me put out the fires a second time. 

That earned him a groan and a chuckle. “At least this time, I know how to put out your fires.”

“I’m sure I’ll come up with something to keep you on your toes. Wouldn’t want to bore you, Mrs.Stark.” 

She turned, facing him now, and kissed him quickly and sweetly. “You are anything but boring. Now, go get our boys back.”

Our boys. 

Honestly, over the years that never were, Tony found more and more reasons to fall in love with Pepper. The way she took his company and the world by storm. The way she seemed to get what he needed or wanted sometimes before he’d figured it out. The way she took whatever hell he accidentally (or sometimes on purpose when his more impulsive tendencies got the better of him) let loose upon the world and smoothed it over. The way she thanked Harley the first time they met. Accepted Peter. Giving him Morgan. 

And now, taking this utter insanity he landed her in and rolling with it. Accepting the fact that she would have to relive fifteen years of her life and taking his family like it was hers. 

Calling the two kids he’d all but adopted and calling them her own. 

Giving her one last kiss, he put on a blazer and headed for the garage. “J, tell Happy to keep an eye on Pepper for the duration of this crisis. I don’t trust anyone else with her safety right now.” 

“Of course, Sir.” 

“No one except our Time Team is allowed in and out of here until this is resolved.” 

“I will make sure it happens.” 

Tony nodded, grabbing a banana and a cup of coffee from the kitchen before making is way down to the garage. After a small greeting to the robotic children, he hopped in a car and set it for the Air Force Base. 

Last time, the world had met Iron Man in Gulmira as he cleaned out the place where Yinsen called home. He knew that there was a good chance he hadn’t caught that last shipment in time and would have to repeat that mission along with others that had stashes of his weapons. But he was ready for it, honestly, the idea of dealing with third-rate terrorists was significantly tamer after dealing with an insane genocidal titan. 

He drove out of the garage, down the driveway, and onto the road. AC/DC blasted through his speakers but he only half heard it as he ran through the schematics of the finished suit sitting in his workshop. 

“J, run a final round of diagnostics, please.” 

“Of course, Sir.” 

As soon as he got the go-ahead, who was he kidding- probably before, he was going to put on the suit for the first time in this timeline and save his kids. 

Whatever it took. 

Rhodey was waiting as he pulled into the base. In his dress blues, he looked every inch the professional soldier that he was. And honestly, Tony needed that professionalism, that hardened edge, that reassurance that he had people in his camp to help him keep his own hardened facade up. 

There was still a part of him that wanted to panic. Wanted to give in to the attack that seemed just below the surface. But he couldn’t, not at this time. He’d wasted enough time when he’d passed out earlier. And now he was out and about and doing something. 

“Any word?” 

“J is looking, Happy and Pepper are too.” Tony fell into step beside his best friend as they made their way. “If this goes south, I want you to help protect Pepper. I haven’t made your suit yet, I thought I had a few more weeks before he acted.” 

“Who’s going to have your six?” 

“I’ve got a few ideas. I’ve made some friends in the last few weeks. But, if Pepper and I are right about something, she’s the priority.” 

Rhodey stared at him for a minute before the meaning of the statement sunk in. “Of course.” 

They entered the same conference room and already the room was mostly filled. He recognized most of the faces from his last meeting here and made a note to learn the rest of their names so that he could learn more about the people he planned to work with. 

“Good afternoon, Dr. Stark.” 

“Afternoon, everyone.” Tony took his seat, everyone else following suit. “Yesterday, the FBI served a warrant at our offices in Los Angeles to arrest Obadiah Stane. Early this morning, I received word that… two people close to me are now missing. I believe the events to be connected.”

“Who’s missing?” One of the Generals across the table asked. It was an honest question but it still pained Tony to answer because it meant that many more people knew about his connection to his boys and he worried that this time he wouldn't be able to keep them out of the public eye as he had before. 

What would that mean for Spider-Man in a few years? 

If push came to shove, they’d cross that bridge when they came to it. 

“J, would you mind grabbing a picture and throwing it up on their screen?” 

It took a second but a picture of Tony with Peter and Harley from a few weeks ago appeared on the screen. They were on the beach and all three were intently attempting (and eventually failing) to build a Jedi Temple out of the sand. 

“Harley Keener and Peter Parker. Both are age six. Harley is older by about six months.”

“Are they yours?” 

Tony knew that that question would follow him and the boys for the rest of their lives and he hated that his past self had opened the door for that question to be a perfectly reasonable one. 

“By blood, no. But in every way that truly matters, yes. I’m in the process of becoming a secondary guardian for Harley and I’m listed in the Parker’s will as the appointed guardian of Peter should anything happen to him.”

That pronouncement seemed to startle the group for a minute and an awkward silence settled in the room. 

“What is it you ask of us, Dr. Stark? We’re not sure how we can help in this matter.” 

Tony leaned back in his chair, thinking of meeting with groups similar yet completely different from the one before him. Where he’d spent hours upon hours trying to fix the Accords. Make them better for Peter. 

Make them better for a team that ditched him when things got rough. But that he’d been willing to put aside his feelings for because the world desperately needed them for what was ahead. 

And in the end, it hadn’t been enough. 

Shaking aside his melancholy, Tony looked to the panel. “When I appeared before you almost a month ago, I mentioned wanting to work with you all and build a second suit and use it to help protect people and destroy the weapons that terrorists had gotten their hands on. In the time since I’ve built a suit and it is ready for action. Today, I appear before you to ask permission to use that suit if it becomes necessary to rescue my sons and to stop Stane. He’s made it clear that he will do whatever it takes to keep his power, up to and including treason.”

The room stirred at the mention of that major charge, the one everyone was seeing as a real possibility before this was over. 

“I know this isn’t how I imagined testing out the suit and showing its capabilities, but unfortunately this is the circumstances where I first believe it has become necessary. I have also started to prepare a list of locations I’ve been able to trace my weapons to.” 

“If you and Colonel Rhodes wouldn’t mind stepping into the hall and allowing us to discuss this, we will give you our decision in a few moments.” 

Tony nodded and headed out of the room. He was fairly certain they’d allow him this, and if they refused, he was probably going to go behind their backs and do it anyways. He knew all too well what Stane was capable of. 

But there was something that was bothering him. If Stane was making his move, it meant he’d recovered the plans for the Mark 1 he’d left in the cave. That meant Raza was dead which, while allowing Tony to sleep easier at night, it did leave one less potential witness to Stane’s treason and they needed at least two for a treason charge to stick. 

But how was he powering the suit? Tony had an upgraded version of the Palladium reactor which means the original was in his lab. There was no way for Obadiah to gain access to it. 

So somehow, he had another idea to power the suit. Perhaps Beck and the same crew from last time were helping him and came up with a temporary fix? Nothing would be as good as the reactors but in a pinch, there were backup options. 

Shooting a text to Jarvis, he turned to his best friend. “We’re going to find them, right?” 

“Of course. Peter just finally started calling you Dad and I think Harley’s Mechanic is basically his way of saying the same thing. We’ll get them back and stop Stane.” 

Tony nodded and started to pace. “What if we can’t change things. Even the few changes I’ve made already have caused a serious ripple. What if Thanos is right and it’s all inevitable? What if time can’t be fixed?” 

“If time couldn’t be fixed, the Stones wouldn’t have sent us back.” His friend’s voice was soft, gentle as if talking to a spooked animal. Which was an odd but not unfair comparison to his current state of mind.

“Right.”

“Tony, relax. The weight of this doesn’t fully rest on your shoulders. We’re a team and we will take care of them together.” 

Tony nodded and continued his pacing, checking his phone for non-existent updates. “How upset would people be if I upgraded Jarvis to a hair. Personally, I’d love to upgrade his surveillance capabilities. Oh, and make a note, I’m personally going and installing the alarm systems for both Harley and Peter’s families. And it will be state of the art. Shoot, it’ll probably be handmade. They can be the test houses and then if it goes well, I can sell that too. The board will love that.” 

“Tony, you’re rambling.” Now his friend’s tone had turned humorous. 

Before Tony could retort, the door opened. “They’re ready for you both.” 

Nodding, the pair walked in and took their seats. The faces of the group before him gave nothing away. 

“Dr. Stark.” One of them stood. “We have reviewed your proposal for this first Iron Man mission and have agreed that we will greenlight it. We ask that when you apprehend Obadiah Stane that you do your best to leave him alive so that justice for the families whose sons and daughters he stole will be served.”

That was an easy request for him to agree to. For years after it had happened, he’d regretted that Stane had had an easy death instead of having to face the repercussions of his actions. 

“Of course.” Tony reached into the briefcase he’d grabbed in his lab and pulled out some folders. “As I mentioned earlier, I have more information about future missions. If you’d like to review these, we can discuss them. Given the preference, I’d rather clear Gulmira first.” 

“What’s important there?” 

Tony leaned forward, the last words of his friend echoing in his mind as they had so often for fifteen years. 

“Yinsen, the man who helped me escape but gave his life to do so, was from Gulmira. I would like to partially repay my debt to him by cleaning up the village he was from.” 

There were looks of understanding around the table and in some ways, Tony found himself relating to the people around this table better than his so-called team from the years that never were. Like him, they were battled hardened worn-out soldiers. 

“We will consider all options and should none be seen as a higher priority for America and her interests, we will look at scheduling Operation Yinsen after you conclude this mission. Thank you for your time today, Dr. Stark, we hope you find your sons soon.” 

“Thank you, everyone.” He stood and strode from the room, his best friend falling into step beside him. 

While he would have done it anyway, he felt better knowing he had the backing of people outside his circle. 

Now there was absolutely nothing between him and Obadiah Stane. 

Once upon a time, and by that Tony meant ten to fifteen years ago, he loved taking the Iron Man suit out for joyrides. IT had been so free to fly among the clouds and do maneuvers that should be impossible. Sometimes, Rhodey would join him and they’d play a weird version of tag or just race for the fun of it. 

And in later years, he’d done some of that, more with Rhodey than by himself. 

The Accords happened and suddenly it felt like the world was looking at him with mistrust. That the suit was less a symbol of freedom and more a reminder of his failures. 

He’d looked up Charlie Spencer and made sure that his college was paid for. Tony would do everything he could to make sure that that mother was not in a place where she could ambush him because she wouldn’t lose her son if he could help it. 

Until he got around to finishing his plans for the Quinjets, the suit was the fastest way to New York. Rose and Abby were already making their way there so that everyone was in one place in case news came. 

Using Stark Industries private jet would get Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy to New York in about five hours. With the Iron Man suit, he could easily cut that time in half. It was the first time that this version of Jarvis had helped to fly it, beyond a couple of small test flights (he avoided discovering the icing issue and almost crashing into a street) they’d done over the last couple of weeks. 

For now, Tony just got to enjoy being in the sky. It was something he thought maybe he should have done more of. It felt so freeing, despite knowing what was ahead. Maybe being freed from his paranoia and knowing he was in fact right that there was something so dark and deep coming, he could finally appreciate this freedom again. 

It was him and the skies, J took care to alert him if flights were getting near and he’d slide away to make sure that he wasn’t seen. 

Eventually, he’d tell the world he was Iron Man again. Sure, he’d entertained a debate on having a secret identity but if he wanted transparency, he couldn’t hide who he was. 

At the moment, he was somewhere over Kansas. The flight calculator predicted he had at least another ninety minutes before he could begin deciding where to land. 

While he waited, and while he flew, he took the time to go over everything he had on Obadiah Stane. Maybe there was something he’d missed both this time and the last. Maybe there was an obvious answer to where he was and where he’d taken his sons.

Maybe he’d figure out how Stane found out about them. Tony had been careful, knowing that Stane wanted to stab him in the back. If Stane knew who they were and knew who they were to Tony that put them in that much danger in Stane’s quest for complete and total control of Stark Industries. 

If he knew about one of the things Tony had discussed with his Head Counsel last night…

For now, he knew at least that was safe from the prying ears of the public. It wouldn’t be for so long once he finalized it. 

This suit was simpler than the ones he’d grown used to. Perhaps he’d find a way to maintain some of that while providing upgrades he desperately missed. The problem was, some of the technology didn't exist yet. He had to invent things so he could invent things. It was a roundabout process that would take him years to catch up on. 

It would keep him busy and to Pepper’s relief out of trouble.

How he loved flying. It had been years since he’d just flown for hours at a time like this. Normally he’d take a jet and then fly a short distance and during battle. But he’d retired the suits after the first snap and after realizing that they couldn’t fix it. And then in the final battle…

There had been no joy there. Except perhaps the hug he’d gotten from Peter. That moment when he was reunited with his son and everything that had happened until that point and everything that would follow would be worth it. 

And it was. He carried no regrets. 

He’d rewritten the laws of physics to get his son back. He’d wielded the most powerful force in the universe in order to make the world safe for his kids. 

Stane really had no idea who he was messing with. 

Tony had rented the Presidential Suite in the Four Seasons to serve as a headquarters of sorts during this crisis. Thankfully, said suite had a balcony and he landed on that and made his way in, placing the suit against a wall as he stepped out of it. 

As soon as he was free of the suite, May Parker rushed over and gave him a hug. “Any news?” 

“Nothing yet. Stane used one of our EMPs to knock out cameras in the blocks around your apartment at the time of the abduction. Without knowing who was involved and what car they drove, we have no way of knowing where he went with Peter.” 

“And Rose Hill is a dead end because we barely know what a security camera is there.” Rose Keener spoke up, getting her own hug as May stepped away. 

“Unfortunately, yes. I may chip the boys after this. They don’t have to know.” 

The group laughed though they were aware that Tony was only kind of kidding. 

“Sir?” Jarvis’ voice rang out in Tony’s headset. “I have some information regarding the names you gave me.” 

“Quentin Beck, William Riva, Victoria Snow, Gutes Guteerman, Janice Lincoln all did not show up for work today. Unfortunately, as you were not able to give me the last name for this Doug, I cannot see if he is with this group.” 

“Obie got his band together, it seems.” 

“Indeed sir.”

“Follow that lead. Trace their movements. Perhaps if we can find them we can find the boys.” 

“Of course, Sir?” 

“Jarvis has a lead?” 

Tony looked over to where May, Ben, and Rose were waiting expectantly.

“When I met with the current Sorcerer Supreme, she allowed me access to the Time Stone. For now, it is safest with her and is necessary to destroy a later threat. But the Stone and I had a chat and it showed me some things. It showed me a potential future, one that would have occurred if they hadn’t intervened and done a reset as they did.”

Tony took a few steps, turning his back to the people in the room as he saw Peter’s fight, his identity revealed. May’s death.

“It wasn’t pretty. Especially for Peter.” 

He heard May gasp. 

“There was a group of people who had a vendetta against me. With me dead, they went… they went for Peter. May knows it was no secret that Iron Man and Spider-Man were friends. That I knew who was behind the mask.” 

“I don’t blame you for what happened.” 

Tony turned to May. “Even if it led to your death and Peter alone?” 

Her face paled until it was as white as a sheet and she wavered slightly until Ben put his arms around her, steadying her. 

“The group that started all of that, are together now. Some of them were together at this point in the original timeline. They’re helping Stane.” 

“Sir, there’s a news broadcast that I think you’ll want to see.” 

Tony grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. Instead of a news broadcast, there was a screen indicating that there was an upcoming message for Tony Stark and a countdown timer that had a couple more minutes on it. 

As the timer ran out, the screen faded to black before Obadiah Stane appeared standing in front of it. It was obvious he was underground somewhere.

“J, try and hack in and trace that broadcast. Go full Skynet if you need to to do it.” 

“On it, Sir.” 

“Tony! My boy! I hope you’re watching this! You know, you nearly got me with that surprise FBI bust. But you forget that over the years between working for your father and then for you, I’ve made connections in high places. I got tipped off at the last minute and snuck away.” 

Stane took a seat in a nearby armchair. “When I ordered the hit on you, I thought I was killing the golden goose. But to my surprise, there were two goslings waiting in the wings.:” 

The camera split, showing Stane and showing Peter and Harley. Tony vaguely recognized the sound of people reacting around him. But he was too busy drinking in the sight of the two and memorizing every detail. 

They were hooked up to wires it seemed, both were asleep. There were bruises, especially on Peter. Tony wondered if the kid woke up and attempted to fight back and they managed to subdue him. Or threaten Harley’s safety to get him to comply. 

“Imagine my surprise when I learned that not only does Tony Stark have a heart after all but he has two sons. Now the world knows too.” 

The screen went back to just Stane. 

“Now here’s how this is going to play out. You’re going to get all the charges against me dropped, give me a rather nice retirement package, and I’m going to go spend the rest of my days in an island nation that has no extradition treaty with the US. You have twenty-four hours to meet my demands.” 

And the screen went black and suddenly cut into regular programming. 

Tony sat in a news studio two hours after the initial broadcast and he was seeing red. Stane knew his demands were a nonstarter from the start. 

And Tony was not inclined to give in even if they were an option. 

He sat in a suit, looking pristine as he tended to for appearances like this. Around him, the newsroom was buzzing. On Twitter, he was trending. 

#tonystarkhasaheart

It would be amusing if he wasn’t so enraged. 

“Dr. Stark?” 

He snapped out of his thoughts and turned to the PA nearby. “Yes?” 

“We’re about ready for you.” 

Nodding, he got up and followed her into the main part of the studio and took a seat on one of the couches. 

“Dr. Stark, thank you for coming on with such short notice. I hope that your boys are safe.” 

“Thank you.” 

The show came back from a commercial and Tony sat patiently as they introduced him. “Dr. Stark, thank you for agreeing to talk with us.”

“Thank you for having me.” 

“A video dropped a couple of hours ago, revealing that not only do you have two sons but that Obadiah Stane has taken them hostage.”

“Yes.” Tony paused, despite Pepper advising him on how to handle this. Keeping them a secret was no longer an option. Their best bet was to control the narrative and to make sure that people knew that Peter and Harley fell under his protection. Detering was their best bet. “Their names are Peter and Harley. And while they’re not mine biologically, they’re mine in every way that matters. I’d wanted to keep our relationship a secret until they were a bit older, hide them from the press so they could have a normal childhood. Stane took that from them.” 

The “you took that from them” remained unsaid but he could tell that the full weight of it sat with the two hosts and he hoped other members of the press got the memo that he was pissed. 

“In case he’s watching, is there anything you’d like to say to Obadiah Stane?” 

Tony was fairly certain that they expected him to plead for the safety of his boys, to ask Stane to keep them safe. To be the cowed father worried about his children. 

Unfortunately for Stane, he’d messed with an Avenger and now he’d have to deal with the consequences. 

He turned, looked at the camera dead in the lens, and glared. “We both know this is between you and me. So let’s talk. You sent me information and I’ve sent back a set of coordinates. Meet me there. Six tonight.” 

Chapter Text

Once upon a time, meaning it was around 1972, Howard Stark bought a stretch of land in upstate New York. The wide-open fields soon housed a warehouse. In the late 1980s, Obadiah Stane would store relics from the New York offices as he moved the headquarters to Malibu, California. 

In years that had once happened but now no longer existed, the land set empty. Eventually, Tony would tear down the old warehouse and build a new large compound to house the Avengers, their training, and anything they could need. 

And then one day, he’d die in the rubble that had once been that compound. 

Tony would have thought that the utter lack of landmarks from the years that never were would throw him off and make him unable to figure out what had been where. 

But he remembered. 

Walking around the field, the warehouse (one day would be where the hanger would sit) sat, already having been emptied out and distributed to other places. He wanted to build the Compound sooner rather than later. But he could tell you where the gym sat, where he’d spent hours upon hours working with Rhodey and supporting him through physical therapy. 

Where the lab sat where Peter and he worked on projects, played, and bonded. The press room outside of which Peter made a very responsible decision. Where the time machine had stood. About a hundred yards away was where he’d hugged Peter, the teenage version, for the last time. 

But at the moment, he was where he’d died. The place he’d stood, snapped, and then where he laid to breathe his last before waking up here. 

If you asked most people who were trying to figure out where Tony had sent Obadiah for a showdown, they’d assume he was up to some elaborate pre-battle planning session. What they wouldn’t expect is for Tony to be laying on the ground, staring at the sky and picturing another battle that took place here. 

Or that he was remembering his own death. 

“Tones?” 

He turned his head to see Rhodey standing a few feet away. “I died here.”

“I know.” His friend sat down beside him. Overhead, the sound of a jet caught Tony’s attention and he saw the jet that belonged to the X-Men landing not too far from the warehouse. 

Tony wondered what they were doing there. Considering he was only a couple of hours from Xavier’s school, he wanted him to have a head’s up of the potential battle. Not that Tony planned on it getting so far. 

But he hadn’t planned on Germany going as far as it did. 

“I was thinking of turning this into our base of operations for Thanos-related things. A place where we can meet with potential allies, train together, and gather resources and information. This place was meant to stand for so much.”

“It did.” 

“And it can again.” 

There was a faint whirl of wheels as Xavier’s chair made its way towards them. 

“Welcome to what once was, well in a timeline that no longer exists, Avengers Compound.” Tony sat up, turning towards the sound to find Hank McCoy and Logan with Xavier. “You guys didn’t have to come.” 

“We weren’t leaving you to fight this alone, especially since you picked a place so close to our base.”

Tony waved to the area around him. “I died here. The final battle, the one we won but still lost far too much, was here.”

That earned some quiet for a moment as everyone looked around. Tony checked his watch and got up, shaking himself out of his thoughts. Maybe putting this battle in a place with so many ghosts to haunt him had been a mistake. 

Too late now. 

“I’ve got a suit in the warehouse, I have a feeling he’ll come loaded. While I want to end this as peacefully as possible, I doubt I’ll get that chance.” 

They made their way to the warehouse. Inside sat the suit and Tony ran one last check of it. This would be the suit’s first real test in this timeline. It was the first big chance people had of seeing it. While they were in an out-of-the-way area, he knew that the fight would gain notice on the radar soon enough. 

“You made that?” Hank walked over to the suit, examining it. “That’s amazing.” 

“Wait until I invent technology that will let me catch up to where I was before. That’s going to blow your mind.” Tony smiled, patting the armor affectionately. “You have no idea how frustrating it is to be shoved fifteen years into the past when technologically you were already about a decade ahead of the rest of the world.”

“I don’t.” Hank chuckled. 

Rhodey’s phone rang and he picked it up. “Colonel Rhodes.” 

He talked for a minute, concern growing on his face. “Tones, an unidentified aircraft is heading this way.” 

Tony looked at the armor, realizing that it was time. “I’ve got this. Tell the council to standby for their first real look at Iron Man.”

Stepping into the suit felt like coming home in an odd sort of way. No matter how hard Tony had tried, he’d missed the suits. He’d even managed retirement for the better part of five years but the itch was there and now he had a chance to scratch it. 

As he stepped into the suit, the HUD came alive and J ran his final checks. “All systems are functioning optimally, Sir.” 

“Good job, J. Rhodey, are you on the radio?” 

“We are. Passing out headsets to everyone and we’ll be good to go. A signal is about two minutes out. Dr. Xavier and I will hang back and handle coordinating the assault.” 

“Hank and I will be your seconds.” Logan smiled, the grin sightly feral as his claws emerged from beneath his knuckles, the silver gleaming against the sunlight that peeked through the windows of the warehouse. 

Tony nodded. “We’ll probably have company in the form of law enforcement and press before this is all over. This will bring you into the spotlight.” 

“It’s time, Dr. Stark,” Charles spoke up. 

“It’s Tony, Professor.” 

“Then it’s Charles. But it’s time we stepped out of the shadows. Yes, you didn’t think of us when you assembled a team to deal with Thanos but we could have also stepped up and offered our services. Far too long we’ve stuck to dealing with our own affairs but now it’s time we step up and protect our planet alongside others.” 

“Hear hear!” Hank pumped a fist up. 

Tony could hear the sound of thrusters now and walked out of the barn only to see a suit that was eerily similar to the Iron Monger suit he’d faced all those years ago (yet technically a few weeks from now - time travel still hurt his brain even after a month). 

The suit landed and the helmet flipped up to reveal Obadiah Stane. “You almost had me. Luckily, I still have friends who tipped me off.” 

“It’s over Stane. There isn’t anywhere you can hide.” 

“That’s where you’re wrong, my boy. There are plenty of countries without extradition treaties to the US. Once I kick your ass and kill your boys, I can fly this suit to one of them and live comfortably off the funds I have stored in an offshore account.”

Tony paused. “J, see if you can track those down. That’s probably his blood money. I’ve got a list of charities a mile long that we might use it for.” 

“Of course, Sir.” 

Turning his attention back to Stane, he flipped his own helmet up. “Nice rip off.” 

“You sloppily left the plans in Afghanistan. I liberated them from the idiots there and had some of our engineers help fix it.” 

“How’d you solve the energy problem?” 

Obadiah grinned. “I blackmailed the oldest boy with the health of the youngest. It’s amazing what they’ll do to defend each other. Both are quite the little engineers.” 

Tony felt his blood boil at the idea of his sons being forced to work for Obadiah. “J, focus on the reactor in the suit. Chances are, there’s a failsafe to turn it off or something. Harley’s a creative little sneak when he wants to be.” 

“Of course, Sir.” 

“Where are they?” Tony glared at the man. “Last chance. Give me back my boys and I’ll talk to the Feds about taking the treason charges off the table.” 

“Or, you can deposit half a billion dollars into an account to add to my retirement fund since you so rudely seized my retirement package. Once I’m in a country without an extradition treaty, I’ll send you the coordinates of the boys.” 

“You’re not going anywhere.” Tony let the helmet close around him. 

Stane’s closed too. “I’d like to see you stop me. My suit is bigger and better than yours.” 

“Oh, I highly doubt that.” 

Stane took to the air and Tony followed him. The pair played an odd game of chicken and tag mixed together for a bit. Sure enough, Tony noticed a couple of press helicopters start to come their way. He just hoped that they wouldn’t be stupid enough to come too close and get themselves in a jam. 

But then again, they were members of the press and they weren’t known for making the smartest decisions in the face of getting their story so he was aware that it would be his mess soon enough. 

Obadiah’s suit opened a hatch in the back and a machine gun came out the back. If it had been anyone else trying to dodge, they may have struggled but flying in these suits was second nature to Tony by this point so he dodged with ease. 

“Platypus, can we reverse track him on the radar? See where he came from? Anyone except me would have to have a place to store this, and he once again wasn’t conservative with his design.” 

“I can take a look on my end, get some people working on it too.”

“J, I know I’m stretching you a bit thin…”

“Of course not, Sir. It has been quite a while since I’ve had the chance to stretch my processing power like this. I enjoy the challenge.” 

Tony grinned. “I’m glad to hear it. Because I need you to help Rhodey if he needs it.”

“Of course, Sir. I can run facial recognition as they give me a narrowed down zone to look in and see if I can trace your wayward employees.” 

“Thanks, J.” Tony swerved to the right, dodging another round of bullets. He turned his attention back to the fight. “You know, you are severely outgunned, Obie.” 

“Good thing I brought back up.” 

“Tony!” Rhodey’s voice cut through on the coms. “You’ve got two more incoming!” 

Two dots popped up on his HUD and he looked to see two drones closing in on him. 

“Luckily for Tony, he also has backup.” Logan’s voice cut in on the coms. Tony saw him quickly scale a tree, grab a drone, and land on the ground. 

“Did I forget to mention, I made some new friends? Cause I did.” Tony grinned. Turning he fired a repulsor shot at Stane’s suit, sending him flying backward. 

“J, how are we looking?” 

“Power levels are holding at optimum levels. We have sustained minor damage to the suit as a result of bullets.” 

“Minor is alright.” Tony fired off a shot before taking off, Stane chasing after him.

“Sir, you are being targeted by Stane’s guidance system.” J’s voice rang out. “Evasive measures recommended.”

Tony leveled out, arguably making it easier for Stane to lock onto him. “Hold our position for a minute.” 

He paused, counting for a few seconds. “Flares, J.” 

The flaps released and the flares dispersed as the small missile came out of Stane’s suit, causing an explosion. Tony felt the heat off of it and got a slight pushback from it. 

“Smart move, Tony.” Stane taunted. 

“Honey Bear? Any luck?”

“Working on it.” 

“Well, I’m going to end this. J, put power in the thrusters if you wouldn’t mind. We’re going up.” 

“Rerouting power to the thrusters, Sir.” 

Tony launched upwards, the altimeter appearing on his HUD. It had been ages since he’d taken a joyride in a suit but he’d loved flying high, getting a view that no one else saw. 

He launched himself into the air. “J, the record is just over 22 thousand feet if memory serves. Make sure we document this.”

“Of course, Sir.” 

Ten thousand. 

Fifteen thousand. 

Twenty Thousand. 

Tony glanced over his shoulder and saw Stane and his suit close behind. Already there were signs of icing on it. 

He switched to broadcasting. “Hey Stane, quick question.” 

“What?” 

“What did you do to resolve the icing problem?”

“Icing problem?” 

Tony sailed past the record and paused. Stane’s suit was glitching, he could see the power flickering on and off before he began to fall.

“Yeah, it’s a problem.” Tony let him fall for a second before sailing after him. In theory, he should regain power a couple of hundred feet above the ground. 

He switched back to his coms. “J, let’s start coming up with a plan. He’s not dying on this fall.”

Stane free-fell and Tony followed behind. He’d been running too low on power to properly appreciate Stane falling the last time he’d done this. But this time, he was in control of the situation. 

And it was oddly satisfying to watch him be helpless for a minute. To feel an ounce of what Tony felt in that cave. Perhaps it was wrong of Tony. Perhaps it was vindictive. In a way, it felt like vengeance. 

They were just under five thousand feet. 

“Sir, Stane’s suit is showing signs of waking up. He should pull out of that in time.” 

They continued falling and sure enough, Stane seemed to get control. But as he started to move, he froze again and seemed to float about a dozen feet in the air.

“J… are you seeing this. Guys, are you seeing this?” 

“That might be the friend I mentioned a couple of weeks ago.” Charles’ voice rang over the speaker. 

A figure appeared, a metal helmet on his head. “I believe this is your’s, Mr. Stark.” 

Tony nodded. “Thank you for catching him. I was working on a containment plan, but that works better than any of my ideas. Would you mind holding him there for a minute while I crack the suit like an egg?” 

The man nodded. “When we’re done, Charles mentioned you have a proposal I’d want to hear. I’m Magneto.” 

“Tony.” He nodded again. “Give me just a second.”

Switching to his com with J. “J, can you hack into his suit’s systems and begin the ejection sequence?”

“Give me a moment, Sir.” 

“I’ve got my AI working to get the suit open. Once we get him out, Colonel Rhodes over there will take custody until law enforcement comes on the scene.” 

On the ground, Rhodey, Charles, Hank, and Logan were coming over.

“Eric.” Charles nodded. 

“Charles.” 

“Thank you for coming.” 

Magneto nodded. “Your message got my attention.” 

Tony wondered what the history was between these two because he could tell something happened. They kind of reminded him of him and Cap after Germany. 

Well after the snap.

“Sir, I’m into the system.” 

There was a hiss and the suit opened revealing Obadiah who looked shocked. Tony picked him up and carried him over to where Rhodey waited. Lowering him, Logan helped get him to the ground and held him as his hands were cuffed behind his back. 

Off in the distance, sirens could be heard. Tony looked and could see the lights they made as they made their way. 

Unless he wanted to reveal that he was Iron Man today, he needed to make himself scarce. “J, trace what you can of his flight path, I want to find the boys.” 

Switching over, he turned to Rhodey. “Honey Bear, I’m going to join the team looking for the boys. You’ve got this.” 

“Get them back, Tones.” 

With a nod, Tony flew off, following the route that Jarvis had highlighted. He had his boys to find.

Chapter Text

Tony flew in the suit, mixed feelings over his previous encounter with a man who had been his uncle, his mentor, his godfather. A man he spent fifteen years wondering why he did what he did. 

And wondering why he didn’t see it sooner. 

He’d never fully appreciated the idea of hindsight being 20/20 until he’d woken up that day in the Afghani desert. And now his questions of things he missed grew. Especially how he’d missed Stane grabbing his kids when he was well aware that the man had it out for me and had ordered at least one assassination attempt. 

The Time Stone certainly hadn’t helped his piece of mind. Quentin Beck was one of the people currently holding Peter hostage and while he wasn’t the man who completely and utterly ruined Peter’s life, Tony wasn’t sure he was above bashing in the face of a man for something he’d yet to do. 

He was fairly certain Pepper would frown on that… at least until he told her what he’d done in the future. 

“Spider-Man’s real– Spider-Man’s real name is– Spider-Man’s name is Peter Parker!”

He wanted to tear that man apart. At the very least he wanted to completely and utterly ruin his life for a deed he hadn’t done in this timeline. And not even God would be able to help Beck if anything happened to his sons. 

“J, if by some chance he gets out of this before Peter ever decides to reveal he’s enhanced, if that day comes, make sure we keep a careful eye on Beck.” 

“Of course, Sir. Speaking of, he was spotted near the River in Hoboken, New Jersey. I am tracking him through CCTV now and hope that he will lead us to the boys’ location.” 

“Tones?” Rhodey cut in. “I’ve got a source at the FBI who took the Hoboken lead and ran with it. It turns out, Stane owns a warehouse near the river. A development firm has been trying to get in contact with the owners as part of their revitalizing the waterfront efforts. I’m sending the coordinates to Jarvis now.” 

“I have them, Colonel Rhodes. Preparing a route there.”

“The council has called and has confirmed that you have the freedom to act within US airspace.” 

“Thanks, Honey Bear.” Tony saw the map pull up and saw he had twenty minutes. “Put Charles on the line for a second, would you?” 

There was a pause, and then Charles’ calm voice. “How can I help, Tony?” 

“I need you to tell me to have faith in the US Justice System and not ask you to help me take matters into my own hands.”

Seven years ago, Tony had fought with a man he’d considered a close friend about trusting the system and how they couldn’t take matters into their own hands. Then the world ended and Peter had turned to dust in his arms. And then he’d died and come back to a world where answers he’d searched so long for were within reach. 

But it was a complete invasion of Stane’s privacy to even ask Charles about it. Tony was quickly realizing that he had to practice what he preached and to trust that the system would help him get the answers he’d sought. 

“Tony…”

“I know. It’s completely irrational and I’m well aware that I’m not in a state to be rational which is slightly alarming considering how armed this multi-million dollar suit is.”

“Tony. It will be okay. You’ll get them back. I have faith. We’re boarding our jet and heading your way now. You won’t be alone for too long. But I can’t do what you asked.” 

“I know. I’ll meet you there. I’ll do recon on the area until you get close.” 

“We’ll see you soon, Tony.” 

Tony shut off the coms and flew in silence for a bit, sailing over the island of Manhattan. He took a few minute detour and flew through Queens, through Peter’s neighborhood, through streets where he’d flown with Peter while the kid was doing patrols. 

The press had loved the idea of it. It had been the most positive they’d been towards him since before…

Before he’d joined the Avengers. Well, maybe there was a time directly after the Battle of New York. Back when the world was so grateful that they’d been saved, so in shock over the reveal of the confirmation that life on other planets existed…

Once he’d allowed Stane to steer him into a world with zero accountability. And that crossed all areas of his life: professionally, personally, publically, privately. Then he’d gotten a wake-up call and more than his fair share of near-death experiences. 

He circled around, found the warehouse in question. “Alright, J. We’re running every scan this suit is capable of on that building. If they have security cameras, I want in and them out. Put them on a loop.” 

“Give me a second, Sir.” 

Tony flew circles. To the average person, they’d appear almost lazy. He was just high enough that most people would mistake him for a large drone. After all, this time wasn’t used to Iron Man flying randomly around the greater New York City area as they were in the future. 

Maybe that’s something he’d do more of. Joyrides. It was freeing, flying as he did in the suit. 

“Sir, I have located Peter inside the warehouse.” 

“Show me the feed, J.” 

On the screen, Peter appeared, hooked up to a variety of wires. There was an IV in his arm. He was asleep but attached to a heart monitor. The feed showed Tony that he was okay. His right eye was a sickly yellow-green color thanks to his speed healing. A blanket covered his legs. 

Had it been different circumstances, it would almost look like Tony was peeking into the kid’s hospital room. But the bars on the windows told a different story. 

“And Harley?” 

“He’s in the main room.” The screen split, showing Harley from behind. There were shackles on his ankles. A cot a few feet away. He was at a work table, hunched over something. A screen sat nearby, showing live footage of Peter. 

Tony's throat closed up as he asked “Do we have another angle, I want to see what he’s working on.”

“Yes, there’s another camera.”

The view switched, a drone sat on the table in front of Harley as he was taking it apart. Dozens of pieces lay there. Beck stood a few feet away, staring at a computer monitor. An arc reactor sat on the table, probably a backup for Stane’s suit, definitely made by Harley. 

Tony’s blood began to boil. It looked like they were threatening Harley with Peter. Logically, if you didn’t take Peter’s enhancements into account, that was the logical choice. It took no time for Harley to get as attached to Peter as he was to his own sister. And if they knocked Peter out to take him and then kept him sedated the whole time, they unknowingly kept the biggest threat to their plan as a non-issue.

He wondered how they’d worked around his metabolism. Or perhaps at this young age, it was closer to an adult and these idiots didn’t realize something was off. It was an avenue to study as he continued to work to recreate Peter’s meds. 

Yet another thing on his list he’d neglected because he thought he had more time. The kid was supposed to be a kid in Queens. Play with his best friend as the duo embraced the second round of childhood. 

“Tony?” 

“You close, Honey Bear?” 

“We’re landing about a half-mile away on the top of a parking garage.”

Tony saw the jet and rushed over to land nearby as the group deplaned and circled around. “According to J’s recon, there are a dozen mercenaries in there as well as many scientists.”

“I suspect the latter will surrender shortly after we take care of the former. “Charles nodded. 

“I’ve got a backup of their systems in case they try to dump things on their way out. That’s ready for whoever wins the jurisdictional fight.” He raised his helmet, looking at his new teammates. It felt odd, working together as a team for this fight. 

A fight where he’d been alone previously. 

A change. 

But a good one, perhaps.

“I think the Feds will considering four different states are involved.” 

“At least I’m not the direct subject of the investigation this time.” Tony shrugged. “You guys go in on the ground. I’ll provide support from the air and pick up any stragglers.”

Rhodey nodded. “The FBI are currently forming a perimeter around a three-block radius. We will make sure this happens as clean as possible.”

Magneto nodded. “But we are the ones entering.” 

That earned him another nod. “We are setting a standard here. For the first time in thirty years, enhanced individuals are openly participating in an operation that is very public. If you are not comfortable with this then I suggest you turn back now.” 

Magneto crossed his arms. “I’ve always wanted to do what’s best for our people. Far too long we’ve been relegated to the shadows and trying to hide who we are and our gifts. If Charles is right and this can help our cause then I would be a fool to not be a part of it.” 

Tony lowered his helmet. “Let’s move out. Once the building is secured, there will be nothing that stops me from getting to my boys. Rhodey, we will need a medic on standby. One that’s willing to sign an NDA. J, send a snapshot of the footage to his phone.” 

Rhodey pulled out his phone and looked, hissing when he saw his nephew on the bed. “I’m on it.” 

Tony took to the skies as the others moved out. Charles’ wheelchair moved pretty fast. Perhaps he had one specially made for missions. Maybe when all of this was over, he should sit down with his new allies and learn more about their pasts. 

Charles, Hank, and Logan were entering through the backdoor with Rhodey and Magneto in the front. Tony flew about a hundred feet in the air, looking at heat signatures in the one-story building.

Despite his deep need to be in there on the ground with the team, he was well aware that his self-control would give out when faced with the people who helped take and harm his children. 

Part of being a part of this new team was learning that he couldn’t, and perhaps shouldn’t, take everything on himself. He had to trust them. Even with something as important as Peter and Harley. 

Even with Rhodey being the only one to know just how far Tony was willing to go for his kids. 

“Logan, you’ve got a heat signature about five meters ahead of your around that corner. Rhodey, you’ve got one about seven.”

He watched the heat signatures react. “J, tag Harls' and Pete's positions in the building for me so I can see when someone comes close.” 

“Right away, Sir.” 

There were two new dots on his HUD and he observed them. “Charles, you’re about twenty meters from Peter. It looks like you take a right at the fork in the hallway and he’s the third door on the right.” 

“Of course.” 

“Magneto, you’re the closest to Harley. Logan, you’re almost there on the other side.” 

About half the mercenaries were taken out. Subdued and being extracted by Agents who were backup for the core team. The other half were between the team and the main room with most of the science staff inside there.

“I’ve got Peter, Tony. Though I hesitate to move him without a medic present.” Charles’ voice came over the coms and Tony let out a breath of relief. One son was safe. “He’s okay. Dreaming of working with you in the lab. He’s going to grow up to be a fine young man.” 

Tony smiled at the idea of Peter’s dreams being of lab days they had. “Thank you, Charles.” 

One by one, the hostile heat signatures were subdued. Once Tony was certain the building was secured, he landed near the back door and stepped out of the suit. 

Rushing down the hall, he made his way to the room Peter was in. Kneeling beside the bed, he ran his hands through the kid’s curls. “I’ve got you, Roo.” 

Placing a kiss on his forehead, he went to check on his other kid. Neither Magneto nor Logan had reported. A medic walked by him and to Peter. 

“Have you been told…” 

“I’ve signed an NDA. What is so important about your son?” 

“He’s enhanced. Including his metabolism. I’ve started running tests but it’s something I’m not willing to subject him to. He’ll burn off meds faster than normal so I have no idea how they compensated with the dosage.” 

The woman paused. “I won’t tell anyone.” 

Tony nodded and made a note to follow up if she did a good job keeping Peter safe here. They could always use more medical staff that were open to dealing with enhanced individuals. 

Charles’ students deserved people. 

Peter deserved people. 

“Tony, we need you in the main room.” 

Tony took off running and arrived to see Beck holding his other son at gunpoint. Harley was staring dead ahead, blue eyes wide as the metal pushed against his hair. “I’m going to ask you to put that gun down. Now.” 

“And you’re going to stop me,” Beck sneered at him, tightening his grip and making Harley wince.

“Tony. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to help.”

Tony looked at his kid who was shaking like a leaf. “There’s no apologies needed, kid. I’ve got you.”

“Do you, Stark?” The gun seemed to move closer. 

Suddenly, the gun flew out of his hands and landed on the ground, safety clicking on. Magento casually walked into the room. “He’s not alone, you know.” 

Rhodey walked up, cuffs in his hands but Tony held up his hands. “Honey Bear, I would like to handle this one, if you don’t mind.” 

Call him petty. But he wanted to be the one to cuff Beck. Not just for what he did in a timeline that no longer existed, but for everything that had happened today, to both his boys. Revenge or Vengeance? It was a delicate line that Tony walked sometimes and honestly he wasn’t sure what side of it he was on at the moment. 

But securing the cuffs to the hands of Quentin Beck was one of the most satisfying things he’d done in a long time. A swarm of agents walked into the room and began processing it and one came over and led Beck away. 

Before he could turn, he had a boy clinging to him. Bending down, he picked up Harley. “Hey, it's okay, I’ve got you, Patatino .” 

Harley clung to him, seeming to seek out physical affection in a way he’d never done before. But they’d never been in a situation like this before when they were as close. The kid usually was standoffish, a stark contrast to Peter sometimes imitating a koala- especially on movie nights. 

“Mechanic. They… I… I didn’t want to.” he sniffed, and Tony felt his heartbreak at how scared his eldest was. 

“I know. I know. It’s okay. We’re okay. You’re okay.” Tony held the boy close. “I’ve got you.” 

The boys were having nightmares. Tony wasn’t even sure how they were going to work things logistically with the boys being in two states yet neither wanting him to be more than a few feet away at any given point. 

They were hiding away in his Malibu mansion with the boys were doing their school work remotely. Any time Tony went to the Stark Industries offices, there was a swarm of paparazzi, press, and curious bystanders that had questions ranging from the condition of the boys (those he appreciated) to what exactly happened. 

At the moment, he was sitting in his office. Rhodey sat in a chair, Happy in another. 

“Remember all those years ago when I said I wanted to stop being a part of a system with no accountability?”

“Yeah, at that press conference. The one where I started to get grey hairs.” Happy crossed his arms. 

“To be fair, that was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. I did a lot of stupid things leading to that point.” 

“SHIELD’s been sniffing around. The council has stopped them for now. But I wouldn’t be surprised if a certain spider shows up.”

Tony scoffed. “If that spider thinks she’s getting near my spider she’s got another thing coming.” 

Both of the men nodded. 

“What’s your play, Tones?” Rhodey eyed his best friend. “Are you going to announce yourself as the first superhero since Captain America?” 

Leaning back in his chair, Tony winced. “I wish I was enough of a bigger person than yet another comparison of me to Steve Rogers didn’t annoy me as much as it did. But here I sit.”

“It’s okay to be mad at him.”

“Technically, he hasn’t done any of the things I’m mad at. The rest is more my issues with Howard than with Steve. And we need him.” 

Both men in front of him looked as if they were going to protest but Tony held up his hand. “We do. Thanos is coming and we need all hands on deck this time around. Now, I’m not going to be buddy-buddy with him but I could do without the so-called Civil War.” 

“So, work with them but not be an Avenger?” 

Getting up, Tony stared out the window. “The name itself was born out of loss. Though if you talk to Fury it was from the call sign of an old friend of his. But I told Loki that day in the Tower that if we couldn’t defend the Earth we would Avenge it. If anything that name fits. We lost. Even in victory we lost.”

“But this time we can win.” 

“We can stop it. Save everyone.”

Tony turned to his two friends. “There’s no other option. And whatever decision I make here, will lay the groundwork for what’s to come. Am I transparent again and paint a target on all of our backs? Or do I attempt to have a secret identity and know it will blow up in my face?”

“I think you should tell people again.” Happy spoke up. “Sure, it’s a security nightmare. And yes, it paints a target on our backs but you know that no one on your team, especially the ones of us from the future, will let that stop us.”

“I agree with Happy, Tones. But I’ll back your play either way.” 

Pepper walked into the room. “You’ve gotten at least a hundred missed calls from various members of the press asking for information about what happened. We can’t hold them off much longer. They’ll start sniffing around the boys soon enough.”

Tony froze at the idea of the press coming after the boys. It was bad enough the press Peter would have gotten in a timeline that never happened. But the world didn’t know about his connection to the boy. If they had, that would have made things so much worse. 

There was a lot that followed Tony. Mistakes he made, mistakes he’d yet to make in this timeline. There were expectations that were placed on him and had been since long before he could comprehend them. 

And he wouldn’t let that happen to his boys. 

“Pepper, call a press conference. They want something to talk about, I’ll give them something to talk about.” 

She eyed him for a second. “You’re coming clean.” 

“It’ll distract the press from the kids. We can introduce them properly at the gala next month.” 

She nodded. “I’ll have it ready in an hour.” 

“Thanks, Pep.” Tony smiled at his fiance as she walked out the door of the office.

There were two press conferences that Tony had always felt defined the man he’d become. There was the one he’d done for the second time a few weeks ago and there was the one that was about to begin in the room next door. 

At least this time, Pepper wasn’t putting makeup on him because he was beaten up from almost getting his ass handed to him by Stane. Coulsen wasn’t handing him cards full of lies that he was almost ready to feed to the world. 

But then he’d remembered what he’d said. 

Accountability. 

His weapons had been sold everywhere with no input from him. Because he’d let Stane do whatever he wanted so Tony could do whatever he wanted. There were times when he hated that about his past self. 

Then, almost a decade later, he chose accountability again. And it cost him a large chunk of the family he’d thought he’d found. And then, it cost him everything. His sons, half the universe, and then later his life. 

Tony stood by his decision to make sure that he held himself accountable and he knew that if nothing else, the public would do it. With social media on the rise and its influence in its infancy, the court of public opinion would keep a close eye on him. 

He needed to do this. 

He had to do this. 

His boys needed him to do this. 

If he could shelter them behind the influence of a gold titanium alloy suit so that they could have some semblance of a childhood, he would. things would never be the same after Stane brought them into the public eye. 

But the world would quickly learn what happened to those who decided to mess with those close to Iron Man. 

“Tony, they’re ready for you.” Rhodey stuck his head in the room. 

Nodding, Tony headed for the door. Happy stood on the other side and fell in front of him as they made their way to the stage. Around 100 members of the press took pictures as Tony made his way onto the stage. 

“Last week, Obadiah Stane kidnapped two boys who I consider to be like sons to me.” 

“Mr. Stark, there were reports of a Stark-made drone on the scene and assisting in the fight. I thought you mentioned in a previous conference that Stark Industries no longer made weapons.”

Tony looked at Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey. All three nodded. “Last time I stood before you, I talked about how I had fallen into a system with no accountability. How I wanted to make sure my legacy was different from what I saw when I was held captive.”

Leaning on the podium, he looked at the members of the press. “In a joint venture with the United States Armed Forces, I assisted in the mission to help rescue my sons. I guess what I’m trying to say is…” 

Tony took off his glasses and smiled at the crowd. “I am Iron Man.” 

Chapter Text

Occasionally, Tony put his own foot in his mouth and it bit him in the butt. Perhaps the press conference was one of those times. In an effort to get the spotlight off the boys, he’d thrown it on himself in a rather unorganized fashion. 

Honestly, he didn’t regret it. The heat was on him but less so than last time around. At least for now. 

He hadn’t been out in public a whole lot since that press conference. 

Shaking away thoughts, he opened his eyes, grinning at the two boys who were still sleeping on either side of him. Peter was curled up into his side, a hand over the arc reactor. Harley was on the other, his hand on top of Peter’s. 

The two boys hadn’t wanted to be far from him for too long. He’d been working on Stark Industries R&D from his workshop here. Both boys were finishing their school years remotely. The idea of how they’d approach the upcoming school year was a problem he didn’t want to tackle. 

His right hand wandered into Peter’s curls. The boy let out a soft sigh and nestled closer to Tony’s side. Tony grinned at the soft gentle action. 

For this moment, a lot of his world was right here. 

It truly was the perfect way to start his birthday. 

The door to the bedroom opened and Pepper stepped in. “Happy Birthday.” 

Tony smiled. “Thanks, Pep.” 

It was hard to believe it was his birthday. Instead of being over 50, he was back in his late 30s. Last time around, he’d spent this birthday in isolation beside his trip to the gala held in his honor but using his mother’s name. Harley and Peter weren’t in his life and he had no idea what was ahead of him. 

“I have a present for you.” She held up a photo. Tony realized it was a sonogram and sure enough he could make out the small shape of Morgan. 

His baby girl.

The missing piece of his family. 

“Everything okay?” 

Pepper nodded. “Hopefully in a few weeks, I’m past the worst of this morning sickness. But everything looks good. She’s developing as she should be. Though of course, it’s too early to say it’s a girl.” 

“But you’re confident.” 

Pepper sat on the bed, laying on the far side of Harley and putting her head on his shoulder. “In this timeline, I hadn’t been with anyone in a bit. Also, the timeline adds up. I’m about nine weeks along and that’s how long we’ve been back.” 

Harley shuffled, stretching slightly before opening his eyes. “Morning Mechanic. Morning Pepper.”

“Morning Patino.” 

Harley paused. “Happy Birthday.”

Tony placed a kiss on the boy's head. “Thank you.” 

Peter stirred “Sleeping, Harley. Quiet.” 

Tony chuckled. “Good morning, Roo.” 

He ran his hands through the boy's curls and Peter leaned into the touch. “Happy Birthday, Dad.” 

Tony would never grow tired of hearing those words from his son’s mouth. “Thank you, Bambino.” 

His boys. 

He put an arm around both and grinned. A year ago, they’d both been gone. Morgan had made him a card, he’d put it on his desk at the lake house. Five years ago, Peter had been over and surprised him with a digital photo book of photos he and Friday had taken. 

It was a present he’d clung to, especially in the early days after the snap. The ones where he didn’t know how he was going to get from one day to the next. 

The photo sat on his lap. His boys sat on either side. By his next birthday, he’d have all three kids. He couldn’t wait to see Harley and Peter act as big brothers. 

“There’s breakfast downstairs.” 

While the boys were younger than they’d been mere months (or years from Tony’s perspective) ago, food called to them like it always did and both scrambled off the bed and took off for the kitchen. Shaking his head affectionately, Tony got up and put his arm around Pepper and the pair made their way downstairs. 

It was so domestic and Tony loved it. Waking up on his birthday, eating breakfast with the woman he loved and the sons that were his in all but blood. It was something he’d never thought he’d have again. 

A breakfast spread sat out on the counter and the boys were clamoring to fill their plates. At the table, Rhodey and Happy already sat both got up and came over to greet Tony.

“Happy birthday, Boss.”

“Happy birthday, Tones.” 

“Thanks, guys.” He grabbed a cup and filled it with coffee taking a long sip. “Feels surreal. Celebrating here in Malibu. We haven’t done that in over ten years.” 

“Maybe this time, you can not tell your address to terrorists?” Harley looked up from where he’d put some food on the table. “Just a suggestion.” 

Tony grinned at the boy who was finally gaining back enough confidence to be a little shit again. For weeks he’d been a shell of himself as nightmares plagued him. In fact, that’s why he’d been in Tony’s bed. And wherever Harley went, Peter went. 

“May and Ben will be here later. Rose sends her regards but with Abby’s final week of preschool being this week, she wanted to try and keep her routine going.” 

Tony nodded. “We’re going to be disrupting it enough, especially if they potentially move to New York in the summer.” 

It was one of the many, many things the coming months brought him. Tony wondered if the next few days were the last quiet before another storm. Which would be followed by another and another and lead all the way to Thanos. 

But, he turned to see a large chunk of his family with him. The Stones had given him a gift by giving him this support system. All the people closest to him and some of the ones closest to them were here. 

“Charles and the others are coming tomorrow night, right?” Tony looked up to see Pepper on her tablet. Currently, it was one of a kind made just for her. Like him, she’d grown frustrated with the state of technology. 

It was something he would have to be careful about fixing. The world needed to be more advanced than it had been at the point of the snap but he needed to make sure he didn’t push too far too fast. The first round of tablets, phones, and computers was set to release next year which was a couple of years ahead of where he’d been before. He’d probably skip a few versions in the notes he sent the scientists. As long as they kept up, he could launch ahead. 

“Yes. So are the Pyms. Hank mentioned he’s excited to finally meet Peter and wonders if he could come by the house earlier in the day.” 

Peter looked up. “Why does he want to meet me?” 

“He’s an entomologist. I thought he could help us take a closer look at your powers than the two of us did. I want to get Bruce in on it as well as he’s one of the leading experts in genetic mutation - even this far back in the past.” 

That perked the Spiderling up. “You mean, Dr. Pym could help us find out more about what the bite did to my body?” 

Tony nodded. “You were still developing too so there’s a chance this time around you’ll be even stronger.” 

“That’s insane!” Harley chimed in, waving a fork full of pancakes for dramatic effect. Somehow, he managed to not get syrup all over it which Tony appreciated. “There was that video of you catching that bus. And that was before you had Mechanic’s suit.” 

Tony grinned, aware that Mechanic was basically Harley-speak for Dad. “Who knows. It’s something we can explore. Now, it’s my birthday so what are we doing today?” 

Both boys chimed in with suggestions and Tony looked between them and to Happy and Rhodey who also chimed in. Pepper settled into the seat next to him and Tony reveled in the domestic bliss. 

It was something he’d never take for granted. Hindsight truly was 20/20 and he would appreciate the knowledge even if carrying it could be a burden. 

Around him, the world may be crazy but with all of his family around him, he felt better about the situation than he had in far too long. 

Seeing Peter and Harley in matching junior-sized tuxedos was adorable. Both of them alternated between being disgruntled with the dressy attire and hamming it up at the attention the press and patrons alike were giving them. 

It was the first time he’d been out in public with the boys since they’d been kidnapped and their mini sunglasses were the only thing keeping them from going blind altogether. Cameras were flashing as they made their way into the concert hall where people were gathered. 

In the past, he’d hated events like this. To be honest, he still hated events like this. But there was something about having people he knew around. Ben and May were mingling with some of the Maria Stark Foundation guests. Tony was trying to talk at least one of them into taking a position there. He believed May could do a lot of good and if Ben wanted a job, Tony would find one for him. 

Happy could always use another member on his team and if it was someone who knew, or rather was aware of, the skeletons they kept hidden in the closet it would be a good fit. 

Stubborn Parkers. He’d win eventually. He’d been wearing May down as it was before the Snap so he had a head start. 

He’d encouraged people to bring their kids to the event, after all, it was his birthday party and he wanted to bring his two sons. To further the effort, there was a kid's area set up in one of the side rooms. He’d rented inflatable bounce houses, hired some entertainers, and made it kid-friendly. 

Even so, his two boys were close by his side as he began making the rounds. He greeted people, some of which he hadn’t seen in years in the previous timeline. He’d let events like this fall to the wayside in the aftermath of the Civil War. Perhaps he’d make sure to keep up a better balance between Tony Stark and Iron Man. 

Speaking of, Rhodey was leading around some of the committee members and introducing them. He hadn’t spoken to them beyond a debrief of the rescue mission in months and he needed to look into missions to take care of the Ten Rings this time around. 

“Charles!” Tony called over to the man who sat talking with people. He recognized some science journals and others as members of the State Legislature. Eventually, Tony needed to make sure that he helped mutants get the support he needed. 

He’d seen how much power his name carried and this time around he’d use that power more wisely. 

“Tony! And Peter and Harley too! It’s nice to see you both in better circumstances.” 

“You’re Professor Xavier! We talked that day on the playground!” Peter waved. 

“That we did.”

“I read some of your articles on the x gene and had some questions.” 

Charles grinned and Tony knew there was a fond one on his face as well. Thankfully with Charles in on the time travel secret, Peter didn’t have to hide his age or attempt to downplay or mask his intelligence. 

“I’d love to talk it over with you. Perhaps when you come back to New York, your dad can bring you to my school and we can talk. Harley, I hear you’re quite the engineer. I’ve got some people who are interested in talking to you as well.” 

Both boys’ faces lit up and Tony put a hand on their shoulders. “It sounds like a plan.” 

Taking Peter, especially to Xavier’s School was high on his list. It was one of the few places on the planet where Peter could completely cut loose and not have to worry about controlling his powers. Powers that might change or develop considering Peter is on a different side of puberty then he was during the initial bite. 

He wondered if it was worth trying to get in touch with Banner before they would naturally meet up or let things play out in a similar way as to how they did in the years that never were. 

“Thank you for the invite, Dr. Stark.” 

Tony looked over to see the Ancient One walk up, looking surprising in place yet out of place in a formal gown like the other guests. 

“I’m honored you’d come. I’d like to introduce you to someone.” He led her over to where Charles was talking with the boys. “Charles, I’d like to introduce you to the Ancient One, the current Sorcerer Supreme of Earth.” 

Charles offered his hand and she shook it. “Dr. Charles Xavier.” 

“The world’s leading scholar on mutants. I’ve read some of your papers and find them to be fascinating.” She turned. “And you are his sons. The ones for who your father was willing to break and change the laws of time for.” 

Both looked away bashfully and while Tony wanted to dispute her rather blunt statement, he knew he couldn’t. He had done exactly that but in his defense one of those times, he hadn’t done so intentionally. 

“Peter, Harley, this is the Sorcerer Supreme.” 

Both shook her hand, eyes wide. 

“Professor, I’d love to set up a time to talk more. As allies of Dr. Stark’s in the days ahead, I think it’s essential we coordinate more.”

“Of course.” 

Tony nodded as the pair continued to talk but he led the boys away. He saw Pepper across the room, her gown the same color as it had been in the previous timeline but a different cut reflecting her slightly changed style. 

She looked beautiful. 

They walked by Happy. “Keep an eye on these two, for a second, would you?” 

Happy looked over to where Pepper was standing and nodded with a grin on his face. “Got it.” 

Both boys wore similar grins to their faces and as Tony walked away he realized that he would have six extra eyes on him and Pepper than they’d had at this point in time. At least, they’d figured out a lot to get to this point.

Pepper was talking to some guests and Tony walked up. “May I steal Miss Potts for a dance?” 

The guests nodded and he held out his hand and she took it. Leading her to the dance floor, the pair began to slowly dance alongside other couples on the floor. “That color looks fantastic on you.” 

“I’m aware you’re partial to it considering a certain suit.” She grinned. “Remember the last time we did this?” 

“It feels like a lifetime ago.” And in some ways, it really had been. The world wasn’t aware of Iron Man and his role. To them, he was a wayward playboy who was recovering from a traumatic incident. Obadiah was in power still and Pepper was no more than his assistant.

“It does.” 

He spun her around, gently knowing she was carrying precious cargo. Someday all too soon they’d have to break that news and it would cause a nightmare with the press. At least when Morgan had been born in the other timeline, they were together properly. Technically, they were now but the world didn’t know. 

“I can’t help but think of how far we’ve come.” He grinned. “Even if it’s hard to see considering the circumstances. But how much we’ll be able to do with what we know.” 

“You’ve never been one to accept limits, Tony.” 

He grinned. “Why should I?” 

She returned his grin. “It’s one of my favorite things about you. It’s also one of the things that exasperate me the most.” 

That got him to chuckle. “It keeps you on your toes. Speaking of, I realized something on my way over to steal you away.” 

“What’s that.” 

He nodded over his shoulder to where he knew Peter and Harley were watching. “We’ve got plenty of extra eyes watching our every move.”

“I’m aware they’re not your sons by blood but they act too much like you for that not to worry me. I’m afraid at our first fight they’d Parent Trap us or something.” 

Both laughed at the idea that was perhaps a bit too plausible. 

“I’m glad you’re here with me, Pep. I couldn’t do this again without you.”

She smiled at him, leaning in closer. “As long as I’m able, I’ll be by your side, supporting you through this.” 

They kissed, it was sweet and slow. Tony was sure someone would catch a shot and it would end up on the cover of tabloids all over the world and trend on barely existing social media sites. 

But he didn’t care. 

There was so much that the world could never know. He hoped they’d never know some of the things he hadn’t been able to protect them from last time around. 

This time he’d do it. 

People often wished they had the chance to turn back time. But this time he really could. 

And he was going to make the most of it. 

Director Nicholas Fury of SHIELD eyed footage that had been taken over the course of the last two months and compared it to years of footage he’d had stored. While he’d never actively recruited the son of Howard Stark, he’d kept tabs on the son of one of SHIELD’s founders. 

Things didn’t add up since Stark returned from Afghanistan and now he wondered what he was missing that would cause such a change. 

The door to his office opened and one of his most loyal and dependable agents walked in. 

“You asked to see me?” 

“I have a new assignment for you.” He held out a folder and she took it, reading over it.

“Stark?” 

“Something changed. And I want to know if that change should be something I’m concerned about.” 

The redhead looked up at him. “You want me to infiltrate Stark Industries and try and get close to him? Security has beefed up since he got back.” 

“Which is why I’m sending you.” He handed her a second folder. “I want you to build a profile on him. Perhaps he should be considered for the Avengers Initiative.”