❝ WHEN HEROES COLLIDE ❞
( KEEPERS OF THE STONES )
vi. the battle of new york (the sequel)
chapter six

(yes I made this, yes it's canon to me)

◌ ◌ ◌

AVENGERS TOWER IN NEW YORK, TWO YEARS AGO

Vero's laugh was inappropriately timed and cold, bitter almost as he waved his hand around a moment before dropping it to the table sitting in front of him. The other Avengers glanced over at him, having just read the Sokovia Accords, and being told that they were to be monitored by the government didn't sit well with most of them.

" You're actually insane if you think I'm agreeing to any of this. " The fifteen year old Stark insisted, shooting a humorless grin at his father, who only stared back him from his chair. " We're not. . You're not, right? "

Tony kept quiet, arms crossed over his chest as Vero let out an exasperated sigh, turning to look at the others. They were all at least twice his age, but for the most part, they respected him as much as they would if he was an adult.

" We can't sign this, I don't know how many of you actually read all two hundred forty three pages, but I did. " The dark haired teen stated firmly, eyes glancing over them; Natasha, Wanda, Vision, and Steve sat around he table with him, Rhodey and Sam stood behind the chair Steve was sat in, and Tony was leaned back on a couch beside Sloane, who's hand was outstretched, covering his hand on his leg.

" They'll be in control of us. They can tell us what to do, who to hurt, who to ignore. We'll be like their personal soldiers. " Vero declared, shooting the last bit of his sentence towards Steve, who held a look on his face that read as deep in thought.

" How come the kid gets it but you don't? " Sam questioned rhetorically, scowling at Rhodey beside him.

" Vero, you saw the footage. Secretary Ross is right, we've caused a lot of damage over the years- " Rhodey tried to point out, only for the young boy to cut him off irritably.

" Yeah, and with that damage, we saved lives. We saved the damn world a few times! " Vero persisted, only calming down when he heard Steve mutter "language" under his breath. " They can't blame us for not saving everyone, that's impossible. It's just their way of trying to make us look like the bad guys.

" Like I said, our power invites challenge, and with it follows danger and catastrophe. " Vision spoke, repeating a shorter version of his earlier argument.

" Our power is what keeps this planet together! " Vero shouted, and, while some of the Avengers visibly flinched, they could see that the young boy was distressed and was getting riled up, " New York would be infested with Chitauri, but it's not, because of us. Sokovia should be destroyed, but it's not, because of us. The entire world could've been ruined in a heartbeat at any given point until now, but it wasn't, because of us! "

" Kid, I get what you're saying, " Steve assured him, leaning forward in his seat, as Vero noticed his hand had turned into a fist against the table, " and I agree with you. If we sign this, they dictate where we go, and where we don't go. What happens when they give us a mission that involves something none of want to talk about? "

" Tony, " Natasha called after a beat passed without any objections, causing said man to lift his head, barely, to show his response, " you have been uncharacteristically non-verbal. "

" That's because he's already made up his mind. " Steve stated, making Tony cough out a laugh before rising to his feet, Sloane's hand dropping from his.

" Boy, you know me so well, " He muttered sarcastically, moving towards the small, crisp looking kitchen, snatching a mug from the counter and digging around in he sink for a minute before saying, " Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache. "

" That's it, Cap, it's just pain. Discomfort. " Tony continued, all eyes of the Avengers settled on him as she glanced back at them, the plain look on his face not matching the tone of his voice, " Who's been putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang? "

He set his phone down on the counter, tapping it to bring up a holographic picture of a young, dark skinned man. Vero shifted in his seat uncomfortably, watching his father turn around to face them, heat collecting in his face from his outburst, fingers aching from being clenched into a fist.

" Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way. " Tony commented, his tone almost deadly serious as his eyes darted between the Avengers, " He's a great kid. Computing engineering degree, 3.6 GPA, had a floor level gig at Intel planned for the fall.

" But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul before he parked it behind a desk. " Tony continued, and the Avengers could see where Vero got his ramblings from; all eyes were still glued to him as he placed his mug on the island, his dark brown eyes drifting between them. " See the world. Maybe be of service. "

The others knew where this was going, but still, they stayed quiet, listening intently. Sloane had turned her body so that she was facing Tony as he spoke, knees hugged to her chest as he didn't miss a beat with his speech.

" Charlie didn't want to go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. " Tony admitted, shrugging slightly, adding in little hints of sharp sarcasm, " He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. No, he decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor.

" Guess where? " Tony didn't even give the others a chance to breathe before he instantly answered himself, face hardened, " Sokovia. "

With this information, the Avengers all reacted a bit differently. Wanda's eyes fell, and, if anyone had paid close enough attention, they would see that she was staring at her own hands, feeling as though that boy's blood was on them. Sam shifted his weight slightly, not knowing exactly what to do, and Rhodey just cast his gaze towards the floor. Steve continued to stare right at Tony, and both Natasha and Vision found their eyes darting around before landing back on the man. Sloane had dropped her legs, allowing her feet to fall to the floor silently, and Vero's pale blue eyes were welled with unspilt tears.

" He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. We won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass. " Tony harshly stated, his words cold and angry, his eyebrows drawn together into a glare before he took a small sip from his mug before slamming it back down, walking around the island towards the Avengers, waiting for a response.

The only one came from his son, who abruptly stood to his feet, taking one long stride towards his father before spitting out through gritted teeth a few broken words that were supplied with his cracking voice, " That's not fair. "

" Yeah, I'm sure that's what Charles' mother thought when she heard that my son was still alive, but hers wasn't. " Tony retorted rather bluntly, not wanting his feelings for Vero to sway his stand.

For once, Vero Jarvis Stark was speechless.

" If we can't accept limitations, if we're boundary-less. . . " Tony trailed off, looking past Vero's now tear-streaked face, pushing away the pang of pain in his chest to watch the Avengers, " We're no better than the bad guys. "

Vero had been biting his bottom lip so hard that it nearly burst the skin, and he didn't even bother to try stopping the tears running down his face as he took the moment of pure silence to leave, and he wasn't leaving without a regretful, smart ass thing to say.

" Screw you. " Were the last words he snapped, venomously, before storming out of the conference room, most likely to his reserved room in the tower; both Sloane and Steve moved to follow after him, but Sam held out a palm to them both, and also, to Tony.

" I've got it, let me talk to him. " He insisted, and then, as he left the room, Tony cleared his throats and looked to the remaining Avengers expectantly.

" Anyone else? "

◌ ◌ ◌

NEW YORK, PRESENT DAY

" Before the dawn of the universe, there was nothing. Then, boom. " Wong narrated, moving his hands around gracefully, an image of the Big Bang creating the universe bursting in front of them; as his fingers danced in the air, six glowing gems came from the spark, circling together, " The Big Bang sent six elemental crystals hurtling across the virgin universe, and, with them, six celestial beings that named themselves the Keepers. They were the first humanoids to live, having survived off of the power of their respective Stone. "

" These Infinity Stones control an essential aspect of existence. " Wong explained, and the group that stood around him in the Sanctum (Tony, Strange, Bruce, and Selena) watched the magical demonstration in front of them.

" Space. " Strange declared as the blue Stone lit up, the others following suit; red, purple, orange, yellow. " Reality, Power, Soul, Mind. . . "

The sixth crystal had disappeared, and the others directed their eyes to Strange as he began twisting his hands, the Eye of Agamotto around his neck opening up, revealing the green Time Stone, as well as bringing Lucina to the material world.

" And Time. " He concluded, glancing briefly over at Lucina, the others staring at the dark haired woman, the bright jade-colored light dying out from her chest, causing her to pull her tunic tighter, attempting to hide the fading glow.

" The six Keepers, possessing all the power granted from the Stones, were the first beings to live as we do. " Lucina took over, glancing over at Tony and Bruce, who were the only two that she assumed did not know this information. " They died, many years ago, protecting the Stones and the universe. Their bodies disintegrated into star dust, but their souls found new ones to embody. The new reincarnations of the Keepers are here, all six on Earth now. I, as you already saw, am the Time Keeper. Selena is the Soul Keeper. "

The Latina woman gestured towards Selena, who immediately shrunk at the sudden turn of attention. She gripped her dying arm with her glove-clad hand, Lucina could see that she was slightly trembling, and gave her a reassuring smile.

" Tell me his name again. " Tony ordered, and Bruce took a few steps toward him, wringing his hands together, a worried look on his face; he was scared.

" Thanos. " Bruce supplied, his voice meek, nothing like you'd expect the Hulk to sound like, " He's a plague, Tony. He invades planets, he takes what he wants, he wipes out half the population. "

" His most recent victim being Xandar. " Lucina chimed in with the fact that Bruce had told them when he had finally calmed down, just before telling them that they needed to call Tony in the first place.

" He sent Loki. The attack on New York, that was him. " Bruce persisted, his words becoming more and more alarmed as he moved towards Tony, stressing how dangerous Thanos is.

" This is it. " Tony whispered, briefly looking to the ground before darting between Strange, Wong, the two Keepers, and Bruce. " What's our timeline? "

" No telling, he's got the Power and Space Stones, that already makes him the strongest creature in the universe, if he gets his hands on all six Stones, Tony - " Bruce's nervous speech is interrupted by Doctor Strange, standing near Lucina, who has a rather confused look on her face.

" He could destroy life on a scale hither to undreamt of. "

" Did you seriously just say 'hither to undreamt of'? " Tony questioned Strange's words, holding onto an ancient-looking base as he stretched his leg, only for the latter to scowl at him.

" Are you seriously leaning on the Cauldron of the Cosmos? " He retorted, the cloak slapping Tony's wrist off the important piece of history, earning a surprised glare from the billionaire.

" I'm going to allow that. " Tony stated, eyeing Strange up and down for a moment, and, during the short pause there was in the room, Lucina stepped forward to retrieve their attention.

" That's not true. " Was all she said, and, without further elaboration, the puzzled stares she got were well expected. " Even with all six Infinity Stones, Thanos won't be the strongest creature in the universe. "

" Please, continue. " Strange urged after a second of pure silence when Lucina noticed all pairs of eyes locked on hers; the woman glanced over at the Supreme Sorcerer, an unsure look on her face before he nodded to her solemnly.

" The Keepers were able to manipulate their respective Stones in their past lives, and, together, they become the Gauntlet themselves, in a way. " Lucina explained, subconsciously placing a hand over the Time Stone embedded into her chest, feeling the sharp crystal through her thick robe. " If the six reborn Keepers are all still alive, we don't even need the Stones. It takes a lot of focus, and each Keeper must be willing to die for it, but we can fuse, and become the Infinity Guard.

" Of course, I've never tried it before, but I've had dreams. . . visions, if you will, of my past self taking part in the ritual. " Lucina continued, swallowing hard as her fingers fiddled with the smooth ends of her sleeves. " The Infinity Guard can kill Thanos, and just about anything else that threatens it. "

" Good to know, but, considering we only have two of the Keepers right now, that's kind of. . . well, pointless. " Tony concluded dismissively, glancing back at Strange, " If Thanos needs those six, why don't we just stick this one down the garbage disposal? "

" Not gonna happen, asshole. " Lucina fired back instantly, crossing her arms protectively over her chest, a glare etched into her soft features.

Tony looked somewhat taken back at her sudden response, but Strange shook his head lightly in agreement, " No can do. She's right. "

" We swore an oath to protect the Time Stone and Lucina with our lives. " Wong insisted, and Tony, again, had another smart remark.

" And I swore off dairy, then Ben and Jerry's named a flavor after me so, " Tony shrugged, and Strange rolled his eyes before muttering under his breath, " Stark Raving Hazel Nut. "

" It's not bad. " Tony retorted, then Strange came back with, " It's a bit chalky. "

Lucina felt as though she was speaking with children about the possible end of the world.

" Hulk-a Hulk-a Burning Fudge is our favorite. " Wong pointed out, making Bruce look at him with an incredulous expression on his face as he asked, " That's a thing? "

" Speak for yourself, Selena and I's favorite happens to be the Asgardian Banana Split. " Lucina commented, raising a finger to stop Wong; she glanced between Bruce and Tony before adding, " It comes in Thor's Golden Vanilla and Loki's Brownie Chocolate. Second best to Black Cherry Widow. "

" Whatever, point is. " Tony pressed, the dry look on his face fading as he turned away from Lucina, " things change. "

" Our oath to protect the Time Stone cannot change. " Strange insisted, standing face to face with Tony, being a good, solid few inches taller than him, " And this Stone may be our best chance against Thanos. "

" Yeah, so, conversely, it may be his best change against us. " Tony shot back, and Lucina, getting just as irritated as Strange was with the man, but worse at hiding it, took a step towards him, waving a hand around gesturally.

" I'm sorry, us? The only reason we contacted you was because Dr. Banner said you would help us. " Lucina told him, a glare in her face burning right into Tony's eyes as he watched her approach him, standing just as close as he and Strange had been, only she was the significantly shorter one this time. " And, no offense, but all you've done so far is be a pain in the ass and waste our time. "

" Sorry, sweetheart, but I'd think it'd be best if you went back into the necklace, the adults are talking. " Tony responded, his tone heavy with sarcasm.

" Just because I don't look as old as you doesn't mean I'm not mature enough to have an opinion on this. " Lucina snapped back, glare hardening and fists clenching at her sides.

" As much as I'd prefer to keep her safe in the Eye of Agamotto, she has an important job in how this plays out. " Strange pointed out, stepping slightly in between the two, trying to defuse the situation while calming Lucina.

" And, what is your job, exactly, aside from making balloon animals? " Tony questioned, raising an eyebrow at Strange; maybe if he hadn't matched his own level of sarcasm and unneeded, smart alec comebacks, Strange would've been impressed.

" Protecting your reality, douchebag. " Strange answered with a smug grin on his face.

" Alright, come on, guys, let's table this discussion. " Bruce interrupted their inevitable banter of testosterone, making everyone turn to him. " The fact is that we have these Stones, we know where they are. Vision is somewhere out there with the Mind Stone, we have to find him now. "

" Yeah, that's the thing, " Tony mumbled, and Bruce's eyes widened slightly as he asked, " What'd you mean? "

" About two weeks ago, Vision turned off his transponder. He's offline. " Tony declared, and Bruce demanded with a loud " What? ".

" Tony, you lost another superbot? " Bruce questioned stressfully, sounding like a parent scolding a child.

" I didn't lose him! He's more than that, he's evolving. " Tony persisted, walking past them, to the other side of the room.

" Who could find Vision, then? " Strange asked, and they all heard Tony sigh deeply before answering almost reluctantly.

" Probably Steve Rogers. " Tony said, running a hand over his face as Strange muttered " oh, great " as the former glanced back at the others over his shoulder, " Maybe. But. . "

" Call him. " Bruce insisted, speaking as if it was obvious, giving Tony a confused look when he replied with, " It's not that easy. "

Lucina, having been so stuck in their conversation, had forgotten about Selena, who had been slinking in the shadows around the room, hoping to stay out of the center of attention, preferring to keep quiet rather than voice her opinion. The tan-skinned woman strolled over to her silently until she was standing beside her, gripping her gloved hand in her own, causing the speechless woman to glance up at her. Not seeing Lucina looking back at her, she redirected her gaze to Tony and Bruce, who were now discussing the status of the Avengers.

" We haven't caught up in a spell, the Avengers broke up. We're toast. " Tony stated, and Bruce looked more confused than he had the entire time he had spent in the Sanctum.

" Broke up? Like-like a band? Like the Beatles? " He asked, shaking his head slightly; Lucina felt a pang of nostalgia in her chest at his words.

" Oh, wow. That hurt. I'm not even as old as you, and that hurt. " She muttered, not really expecting anyone to hear her; if they did, they ignored her, except for Strange, who broke his serious expression to shoot her a ghost of a grin.

" Cap and I fell out, hard. Haven't seen him, Nat, Maximoff. . Vero, in years. " Tony told him, and Lucina was slightly shocked to hear the hint of regret and sadness in his voice; she briefly let her curiosity wander, wondering who those names belonged to, what memories were attached to them. " We're not on speaking terms. "

" Tony, Thor's gone. " Bruce started off softly, looking his old friend in the eyes, both pairs having seen equal amounts of destruction caused by their own hands, and both were hiding monuments of pain and mistakes behind those irises. They understood each other. " Thanos is coming, it doesn't matter who you're talking to or not. "

Tony let his eyes drift on Bruce's face for a moment before barely nodding, turning away and pulling out a small flip phone. Of course, Captain America, still living in the 40s, would use a flip phone instead of modern technology.

Just as he went to press the call button, he froze in his place. None of them dared to speak, because as soon as the thought to question Tony popped into their heads, they heard exactly what had made him stop. There was a distant whirring noise, like that of a machine, and the objects in the room seemed to be trembling. Tony turned around slowly, phone still in hand as his eyes locked into Strange, more specifically, his hair.

" Say, Doc, you wouldn't happen to be moving your hair, would ya? " He suggested, and Strange's gray eyes seemed to analyze everything in the room, looking for an explanation.

" Not at the moment, no. " He replied plainly, watching the few loose strands laying atop his head dancing in the breeze that seemed to be coming from the giant, Hulk-sized hole in the ceiling.

The six of them gathered together, close enough to state up at the gaping hole. The blue sky was bright and lively, but they saw the wing of a chopper fly past quickly. The noise was getting louder, and they dropped their gazes, in unison, towards the front doors, waiting for someone to take the first step.

Tony was the one to do so, taking several steps toward the stained-glass double doors, stealing a look back at the group of extraordinary people behind him before yanking the door open. He rushed down the stairs, and the others soon followed him outside. The wind was rough, bustling past them, blowing through their hair and clothes.

The citizens and tourists of New York were sprinting the other way, running into each other and tripping, moving so fast that their legs couldn't catch up with the rest of their bodies.

" Are you okay? " Lucina heard Tony ask a woman that had fell up ahead, noticing that she was just screaming hysterically, using Tony to stand and then taking off in an unsteady sprint again,

" What the hell are they so afraid of? " Lucina questioned, having a feeling that Thanos wouldn't show up with only two of the Stones, not yet. He couldn't know about Vision already.

" I don't know, but something tells me we're about to find out. " Selena's voice hummed in her ear, almost inaudible over the shouts of panic and roaring wind; the Asian woman was sticking close to Lucina, holding a firm grip on the sleeves of her jacket to ensure that no passing pedestrians touched her skin on accident. She didn't need to add any more fuel to the fire.

" Hey, " Tony called to the group behind him, gesturing towards a car that had just wrecked right into a streetlight, " someone help him! "

" We got it! Go! " Bruce shouted back, waving him off as he and Wong went to the driver's side door; Tony slid on a pair of glasses, speaking to someone (or something) named F.R.I.D.A.Y.

" Hey, you might want to put that Time Stone in your back pocket, Doc! " Tony suggested before continuing down the street, just as Strange conjured the orange rings of magic he held.

" Might want to use it! " Strange called in response as they rounded the corner, seeing the winds become stronger, carrying small objects in its path as it shoved people aside.

" Holy shit. " Lucina breathed as the four ran out into the quickly abandoned street, now becoming aware of the cause of the noise and disruption; a giant, silver, metal ring-shaped spaceship that was so tall it seemed to touch the sky.

" F.R.I.D.A.Y. evac anyone south of 43rd Street, notify any first responders. " Tony ordered his A.I., just as Lucina found herself near Strange; they exchanged similar looks before the taller of the two nodded as a signal.

They both raised their palms, the circular rings of mystical magic linking around their wrists, the only difference being their color. Lucina's was the same light shade of green as the Time Stone, and Strange's was the usual Kamar-Taj orange. Together, though, the two blended together almost perfectly to create a dark gold color before being pushed towards the ship. No one was paying much attention to them at all, except for Selena, who always liked to see Lucina showcase her abilities, since that was the only time she could see her eye. Living in the Eye of Agamotto for quite a bit of time had altered her slightly, causing very little damage internally, but what did change was shown through her right eye; the pupil had been split right down the middle, half a warm brown, the other a vibrant green.

And, the sudden glow in her special eye vanished as quickly as it had came, fading when she and Strange dropped their arms in sync. The ring had stopped spinning, but not a second later, not allowing them to even dream of thinking that it was that easy, a light blue beam shot out from its front, onto the messy street ahead of them. Bruce and Wong had rejoined them when they were sure that the citizens of New York had been evacuated from the area, and now, the six of them stood again.

From the beam, two creatures appeared. The first was lanky in build, with long limbs and fingers, and he was missing an essential piece of the facial structure. Next to him, a monster of a man (or monster of a monster) stood, taller than the Hulk if ii had measured, an ugly snarl on his face.

Beside them, levitating just an inch above the ground, restrained by what seemed like twisted metal, was Vero, Sloane, and Helena.

Tony immediately began walking towards them, an incredibly shocked expression on his face as he did so, having not seen his son, face to face, in two years. The others cautiously followed in step, but they stopped when Tony did, after realizing that he couldn't do anything for his son until he figured out who these people were.

" Hear me, and rejoice. " Ebony Maw began his speech, the same one he used for every planet, " You are about to die at the hands of the Children of Thanos. Be thankful that your meaningless lives will now contribute to- "

" I'm sorry, Earth is closed today! " Tony cut him off, trying to keep his focus on the noseless creature and not Sloane or Vero being held hostage, " You better pack it up and get out of here. "

The creature beside Maw, Black Dwarf, growls lowly, and it's then when Lucina notices that he's wearing warriors armor and is carrying a weapon not unlike a giant pickaxe.

" Stonekeeper, " Maw called, and Strange raised an eyebrow at him, " does this chattering animal speak for you? "

" Certainly not, I speak for myself. " Strange dismissed, touching his fists together before bringing up two shields of magic, " You are trespassing in this city and on this planet. "

" I was not speaking to you, " Ebony Maw corrected, his airy voice sounded like what Lucina's assumed a snake's would sound like; he extended one of his unnaturally long fingers, pointing at said woman, " I was speaking to her. "

" Sorry, dude, getting a second opinion isn't going to change anything. " Lucina shot him down, raising her hands once again into a battle stance, the Time Stone glowing from her chest. " None of us are dying today, I can't say the same about you, though. "

" It means get lost, Squidward! " Tony piped up, always adding his two cents.

" He exhausts me. " Maw told Black Dwarf quietly, who responded with words that weren't English, and then ordered, " Bring me the Stones. "

" You want to tell us who the three musketeers over there are? " Lucina questioned, side eyeing Tony, having noticed his attention drifting towards them the entire time. " If not, that sounds like collateral damage to me. "

" It's my kid, and my. . well, hopefully, soon-to-be fiancée. " Tony briefly spoke, glancing over at Lucina before adding, " And, in case that isn't enough for you, he happens to be a Keeper. "

" Well then, we better save the world, because I'd love to go to Tony Stark's wedding. " She insisted, a slight smirk on her face.

From beside Black Dwarf and Ebony Maw, Vero, Helena, and Sloane had all regained consciousness by now, and were trying to formulate a possibly successful plan without endangering themselves or the other heroes across the street.

As Black Dwarf began trudging towards Tony and his newfound allies, Vero's eyes were busy watching Ebony Maw, who seemed far more interested in obtaining whichever Stones those people possessed than trying to keep an eye on his current prisoners. In result, his telekinetic hold on the trio was weakened, just enough to give Vero an idea.

He leaned forward slightly to tell the two women his plan, trying to speak as unnoticeably as he could, " If they distract Randall over here for just a second, I think it'll break his telekinetic bond with these damn restraints, and we can escape. Well, escape, then turn right back around to help Dad. "

The two women shared slightly confused expressions, but not because of the plan. Because of the nickname. Vero had known they wouldn't understand the second it slipped out of his mouth.

" It's-its a Monsters Inc reference, you wouldn't get it. " He groaned quietly, mainly muttering the next bit to himself, " Peter would've gotten it, considering he's probably actually watched that stupid movie- "

" Banner, you want a piece? " The elder Stark pressed from the other side of the street as Black Dwarf started to drag his pickaxe through the pavement.

" No, not really, but when do I ever get what I want? " Bruce asked rhetorically, and Tony nodded in agreement, " That's right. "

" It's been a while, good to have you, buddy. " Tony commented as Bruce clenched his fists, the veins in his neck pulsing visibly; his skin began to turn green, but quickly dissipated.

" I just. . . need to. . . concentrate. " Bruce gritted out through grunts, but it was obvious he wasn't getting anywhere; meanwhile, Black Dwarf, even though he was moving as slow as a turtle, he was still approaching.

" Where's your guy? " Tony demanded, earning a few weary looks from Lucina, Strange, Wong, and Selena as Bruce made no progress.

" I-I don't know. We've kind of been having a thing. " He briefly explained, and Tony gave him an incredulous look, pointing at Black Dwarf just as he swung his pickaxe into a nearby car. " There's no time to be having a thing right now, that's a thing. "

Black Dwarf let out a ferocious roar; Lucina felt Selena grip her tunic, and instinctively looked to Strange, who was watching Banner and Tony with a "come on already" expression.

" Dude, you're embarrassing me in front of the wizards. " Tony muttered aside to Bruce, who apologized many times, but the former just clapped a hand on his shoulder, " It's okay, sit this one out. Wong, watch him, please. "

" Looks like your Hulk's broken. " Lucina concluded, moving so that she was standing in between Strange and Stark; Selena peered over at Bruce and Wong before advising in a quiet voice, " You should probably get that checked out. "

Tony activated his nanotech, walking towards Black Dwarf as his suit built itself on to his body, much like Vero's, only they had both created their own version of the nanobots. The others stood on guard, but Tony did not ask for help as the creature brought his pickaxe down towards him with a hefty swing, rather raising his arm and unleashing a shield. Black Dwarf slammed a fist into it, but Tony pushed it up, sending him stumbling back a bit, only for Iron Man to send a punch at him, parts of his suit detaching to become separate launchers that geared up all together. A bright blue stream of energy burst from them, throwing Black Dwarf all the way down the street, narrowly missing Ebony Maw and the three Keepers just as the telekinetic moved two fingers to the side.

" Where did that come from?! " Bruce exclaimed, and Tony turned around towards them, and Lucina could practically feel him grin proudly underneath the mask.

" It's nanotech, you like it? It's a little something I- " Unfortunately, they didn't get to hear his story because Maw lifted a finger, forcing the ground up from under Iron Man, sending him into the air.

" That's one way to shut him up. " Lucina muttered, but turned to Selena just as Doctor Strange spoke some words to Bruce before sending him through a portal; the Latina gripped her wrists, making her look at her, before saying, " Selena, I need you to sneak over to those three people, you have to get them out- "

" No, I can't, Lucina- " Selena has already begu to shut the idea down, which Lucina hated; she always acted as though she could do no good and would rather let something bad happen than try.

" You can, Selena. Listen, " She said, flinching as Strange and a newly returned Stark threw a car Maw's way, only for him to easily slice it in half. " those people are very important, and if they die, or worse, we could be in very big trouble. You got it? "

Selena let these words sink in, and then nodded in confirmation. Lucina smiled reassuringly, and turned back around just in time to hear Tony say, " We need to get that Stone out of here, now. "

Lucina was sure that he must've momentarily forgot about Selena, but when she glanced around to point that out, she noticed that the dark haired woman was already gone.

" She stays with me. " Strange ensured, and Tony's eyes darted in between him and Lucina before agreeing, " Exactly. Bye. "

With that, Tony shot up into the sky, Maw raising parts of the street to try and stop him, only for his partner to throw what looked like a hammer on a chain at him; Iron Man went flying across the air, landing in a nearby park, and with him went Black Dwarf. Across the street, Vero was trying to worm his way out of the Maw's loosening grip on the restraints, only for a pair of gloved hands to begin pulling at the sheets of metal.

He nearly screamed in surprise, but the wide eyed look on Selena face told him to keep quiet, so he did, all the way until she had gotten him free. Together, while the others kept Maw busy, they freed Sloane, and then Helena. They didn't exchange names, they weren't trying to get caught now, but Vero figured he should tell them where he was flying off to.

" I'm going to go help my dad- " then, realizing that neither Helena or Selena would know who that was, he added, " Iron Man. I'm going to find Iron Man. "

And, just like his father, never one for meaningful exits, he activated his own suit and flew off in the direction that Tony had gone, leaving the others to aid Strange, Wong, and Lucina against Maw.

" Dad! " Vero shouted as he zoomed through the trees, swing Black Dwarf raise his pickaxe over the mentioned man's head; his heart was racing just as quickly as the mechanics in his suit were, so fast that he didn't even register the little red blob flying through the air as Spider-Man.

" Hey, man. " His voice came muffled through the mask as he held his forearms against the pickaxe, glancing back at Tony. " What's up, Mr. Stark? "

" Kid, " Tony acknowledged, " Where'd you come from? "

" A field trip-ah! " Peter yelled as Black Dwarf picked him up, carelessly tossing him behind himself, towards a nice, expensive-looking fountain.

Peter closed his eyes tightly, bracing for an impact that never came. When he opened them again, he turned his head to see Vero's face revealed from the silver iron suit, pale blue eyes looking down at him with a wide-eyed expression.

" Vero! H-Hey, hi! " Peter exclaimed, only now registering that the younger Stark (or Wilson, which was what he had known him as for the first few months of them being friends) was carrying him bridal style; noticing this, he scrambled to find his feet on the ground quickly before clearing his throat. " Uh, what're you doing here? "

" Same as you. " Vero answered in a 'duh' tone, landing on the ground, glancing over at his classmate, " Hey, was Ms. Ortiz mad that I skipped first period again? "

" No, " Peter insisted, and the two of them momentarily forgot about the fight going on just a few feet away from them. " I covered for you, told her that you were helping Mr. Dona grade papers. "

" So you told her I'm a teacher's pet? " Vero questioned, earning a baffled, wide eyed look from the shorter teenage crime fighter who began spluttering out fragments of sentences, scrambling for an excuse, but the boy in the silver suit cracked a smile as he said, " I'm joking, Pete. "

Peter sighed in relief, and Vero began to run, trying to gain speed before lifting into the air, calling back to him, " She probably didn't believe you anyways! "

" What?! Why?! " He exclaimed, his voice cracking slightly as he, too, bounded over to Black Dwarf, attempting to aid Tony; Black Dwarf caught him midair as he leaped, and then tossed him to the other side.

" You're an awful liar, Parker! " Vero concluded, firing blasts of energy at Black Dwarf as Peter webbed a car that said creature had thrown at him, swinging it back down on it.

On the other end of the fight, Strange, Wong, and Lucina were battling Ebony Maw, while Selena was nowhere to be found. Maw lifted a hand, dozens of pieces of rubble rising with it, shaving themselves down until they were as sharp as daggers. He sent them towards the trio, but it was easily deflected as Strange created a portal for them to fly into, and Wong did the same, only the shrapnel flew back at Maw through his.

Maw raised a sheet of metal in defense, shielding himself from most of the sharp pieces, but one of them caught the side of his face, causing him to exclaim in surprise. This angered him greatly, as he flicked his fingers, snapping the fire hydrant off the street, knocking into Wong, sending him flying backwards.

Strange immediately retaliated, roping his magical whip around Maw, yanking it hard. In retrospect, it wasn't a great idea, because it only pulled Maw into him. It also shoved Lucina off her feet due to her close proximity. She felt the wind knocked out of her as she rolled a few feet on the rough pavement before stopping, turning over on her front, pressing her palms down. She tried to catch her breath as she rose to her hands and knees, but felt a sharp, sudden pain searing in her chest.

Out of her peripheral vision, she could see the heavy green glow of the Time Stone in her chest, and it gave her an extra boost to stand straight. She turned around to see Maw drawing his hand back from the Eye of Agamotto, which was burning a bright gold, like it had just been set on fire. Strange was stuck against the wall of a tall building, bricks constricted him.

" It's a simple spell but quite unbreakable. " Strange spoke, a smug look on his face as his glance transferred from Lucina to Maw.

" Then I'll take it off your corpse. " Maw threatened eerily, and Lucina pulled her hands apart, discs of energy growing between them as she interrupted, " Trying to take it from mine will be so much more fun, though. "

" Fine, it'll be of no bother to kill you, too. " He insisted, and turned his attention towards her; instantly, he lifted a discarded bike with his mind, sending it her way, and she destroyed it in response, just as it came near her.

Strange had managed to break himself from the bricks, falling not-so-gracefully onto a truck parked on the road below. Maw twitched a finger, causing a scrap piece of a vehicle to rise, twisting and shaping into something like a sword, aiming it towards her. The orange rings around Lucina's forearms turned a green in a split second, and her reflexes allowed her to freeze Maw in time, and, just soon enough; her eyes drifted down to the metal, the tip (very sharp, she might add) barely scraping the scarred skin underneath the Stone.

Lucina met Strange's eyes, the tension of holding the time around Maw weighing on her rather quickly; the stress showed in her face, and Strange hurried to her side, pulling the metal from the air, tossing it aside.

" I can't hold it for long, " She told him, her right eye's split iris burning strongly, but starting to flicker; Strange held a hand over her shoulder, not actually touching her, but rather ghosting above it, not wanting to disturb her already-shaky concentration. " what do we do? "

" We- " Before he could even get a word out, Maw's hand jerked almost unnoticeably, but enough to break Lucina's hold, sending her sideways, crashing into Strange, the two of them falling to the ground.

" Your attempt was. . . valiant. Pathetic, but valiant. " Maw commented as the two rushed to scramble to their feet, activating their powers, only for steel wires to burst from the ground, twisting about their wrists, rising quickly to wrap around the rest of their bodies, yanking them together, back to back.

" Strange. " Lucina choked out as the wires simultaneously tightened around them, making it hard to breathe; said man couldn't see her face, but he imagined the strained look in her eyes as the blood rushed to both of their heads.

" Don't worry, I made an oath to protect you. " He reminded her, but it also served as a warning to Maw, " I won't let anything happen to you or the Stone. "

" Famous last words. " Maw stated, and Strange only glared at him before the wire closed around his threat as well, making his next words strangled, " You make. . removing. . a dead man's spell. . troublesome. "

" You'll only wish you were dead. " Maw promised, and closed his fist, causing the steel wires to stop all air from flowing into either of their lungs, the duo almost immediately passing out; he moved them onto a piece of pavement, lifting it into the air.

Just as he had thought he was successful, the cloak jerked forward, pulling the two of them off the flying pavement, loosening the wires only enough to allow the Eye of Agamotto to open, retracting Lucina and the Time Stone itself. The woman began to fade, leaving behind a faint green glow in her place before becoming secure once again in the Eye.

Selena finally revealed herself as Maw screamed, " No! " and began soaring after them. The dark haired girl managed to work up enough bravery in her time of hiding, in her moments of cowardice, to chase after them. She quickly climbed up a nearby building, moving like an insect up a wall as she made it to the roof. Following Maw deeper into the city, she ran along the rooftops to keep up with him.

In the park across the street, where Sloane had recently joined the fight against Black Dwarf, Strange flew past them, Maw hot on his tail. Tony diverted his attention briefly to look that way before shouting, " Kid, that's the wizard! Get on it! "

" On it! " Peter and Vero responded in unison, the former shooting out a web to a nearby bridge, flinging himself into the air, the latter gearing up the blasters in his feet, launching into the air.

" Peter, not you, Vero! " Tony shouted, but Vero only answered unapologetically with, " Oops, too late now! "

This left Tony and Sloane to fight Black Dwarf on their own, which was already a struggle. The two were tag-teaming the creature, but Sloane's hand-to-hand combat skills didn't really help against a monster several times taller and bigger than her. A small, silver stick the size of a toothpick was produced from a small compartment in her gun, and she extended it, making it long enough to fit in both her hands before pressing down on a notch in it, activating the electricity coursing through it.

" Uh, Mr. Stark, we're being beamed up! " Peter's voice came over their earpieces, just as Tony attacked Black Dwarf, only to be caught in an electrifying claw, crashing to the ground.

" H-h-hold on, k-k-kid. " Tony said through chattering teeth as the electricity pulsed within his suit.

" Let's see how you like it. " Sloane stated, stabbing the Vibranium staff into Black Dwarf's chest, just under where his ribcage should be; it shocked the creature, and, just in time, Wong and Bruce appeared, opening a portal.

Black Dwarf stumbled back into it, finding himself in a deserted wasteland. He attempted to jump back through when he realized what had happened, but Wong closed it quickly enough that only his wrist-up made it through.

" Not the craziest thing I've seen. . today. . " Sloane muttered, glancing up at both Bruce and Wong, nudging the detached hand with her foot before wincing, " Still, gross. "

" Wong, " Tony called, catching the trio's attention as he approached them, wrapping an arm around Sloane's waist, placing a gadget on her belt; he clicked the small, silver button in the center, and it produced a pitch black iron suit fitted perfectly to her body. " you're invited to my wedding. "

At that, Sloane's head snapped over to look at him with an incredulous look, eyes wide before the mask snapped over her face, and the two shot up into the sky.

" Wedding? " Sloane inquired, making Tony cringe when he realized what he had said, " Am I at least invited? "

" Well, wouldn't be much of a wedding without the bride. " He remarked, and while Sloane imagined a smirk on his face, he was actually nervous.

" Tony Stark, was that your way of proposing to me? "

" Maybe. What would you say, uh, if it was? "

" I'd say that you have awful timing, but sure. I guess. Yes. " She accepted, and this time she could practically feel Tony's grin radiating off of him.

As they grew closer to the ring, which was rising higher into the atmosphere, they noticed Peter and Vero climbing up the outside.

" Pete, you gotta let go, I'm gonna catch you. " Tony's voice came over the built in comm system; Vero jerked his head over to look at Peter as the latter exclaimed, " But you said save the wizard! I can't breathe. . . "

Just as he said that, he pulled off his mask, making Vero's expression turn to worry as he had transformed his own suit into one fit for non-Earth atmospheres beforehand, made from his own version of the technology.

" We're too high up, you're running out of oxygen. " Tony persisted, and, with Vero's eyes still on him, Peter nodded breathlessly before agreeing, " That makes sense. "

Having not heard the other end of the conversation, Vero thought Peter was losing consciousness with his random sentences, and as he began to release his hold on the ring, Vero reached out with a hand, quickly calling to him, " Pete, hey, wait, wait, Peter! "

As Vero yelled his name, the Spider-Man fell down to the center of the ring, only to be caught by a newer suit, the sleek shiny metal belonging to the one and only Tony Stark. The Iron Spider locked on to Peter's body, allowing him to breathe and grab onto the ring again.

" Happy trails, kid. " Tony bid farewell, he and Sloane both turned to watch the parachute shoot out from his suit, pulling the protesting teen away from the ring.

Tony and Sloane landed on the ring beside Vero, who seemed happily surprised to see them. Tony began drilling a hole into the exterior of the ship, using a laser shooting out from his palm to make the opening big enough for them all to fit through. When it came full circle, Tony kicked the loosened metal through, making his way to the other side, Sloane and Vero following him in.

Once they were inside, Tony turned and used the same laser (different abilities) to meld the pieces back together, like the hole had never been there. The three of them all removed their masks, taking in a see breath of air. It was different, though, crisper and thinner, cold.

As soon as they were able to gather themselves, Sloane gripped Tony arm lightly, pulling him towards her to say, " You know I love you, right? "

" Mmhm, " He hummed smugly, opening his mouth to add more, only for his eyes to stop on Vero, words seeming to catch in his throat; Sloane let go of his arm, also spotting Vero standing across from them, face flushed and pale eyes exhausted.

" Dad, I- " The teen Stark began to speak what would've been a halfhearted apology and a promise to "explain later", but his father stepped towards him, engulfing him in a long-awaited embrace.

" It was a lot quieter without you, brat. " Tony sarcastically said, and Vero hugged him back, a bit taken back from the welcoming attitude his father held, and grinned shamelessly as he agreed, " I missed you, too, old man. "

" Not to. . . be that person. . . " Sloane interrupted after a moment, clearing her threat rather loudly, glancing around at the inner workings of the ship; Vero and Tony parted as she spoke, looking her way as she finished her though, " but where's Helena? "

◌ ◌ ◌

note.

8000 words. Sorry not sorry because this is my favorite chapter so far.

I love Peter and Vero, I love Tony and his two sons, I love Tony and Sloane, I love Selena, I love Lucina and Strange, I love the dialogue, I love everything about this chapter.

also can we please just appreciate that BOTH Starks call Peter "Pete" and I didn't even realize

anyways I'll try not to make this 9000 words by shortening what I usually say! Thank you all for the reads, comments, and votes, and I just want to encourage you all to comment because not only do they make me want to write more, it let's me know you guys are intrigued!

If you have any feedback about this chapter, I'd love to hear it! What'd you like about it, what'd you dislike about it? A specific character, relationship, or scene caught your eye? Brotps? Otps? Ideas for prequels?

Any predictions or worries for the future chapters? Anything else you'd like to mention? I'm all ears!

until next time,