Stony: Save Your Life

... to forever...

In the conference room at the avengers base
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"So," Bruce led tony to his chair, "you're the missing puzzle piece. Tell us what happened." Tony looked around the room, "who are these people." Bucky spoke up, "to get him all acquainted with you... when I say your name stand up." The room went quiet and one by one everyone was listed. Tony said, "5 and a half years ago the children of Thanos came after the infinity stones here on earth. I had just found Bruce and the sorcerer supreme when we heard the noise. The sorcerer, Dr. Strange, was taken so I went after him with Spider-Man." When we arrived at this planet the kid and I met with the guardians of the galaxy. We fought Thanos and nearly won but something happened. I'm guessing that's when Thanos ended up on earth," tony took a deep breath, "I sat on a desolate planet and watched as everyone around me died when Thanos wiped out half of everything in existence. The kid died in my arms begging me to save him. I thought I was going to die too but I didn't. Nebula, the woman I came with, she had a ship and she came back to earth with me to see about figuring out everything."

"You're all dismissed," said Bucky. He then turned to Bruce, "we have a plan. Stark we need your engineering expertise to figure out how to power the machine we built." Tony nodded then the two left to the lab.

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Later that night
Hours later
After working in lab
Tony and Steve's room at the base
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Tony was standing in front of the bedroom door when Friday spoke, "boss, you ok?" Tony took a deep breath, "I'm scared." Friday continued, "Do you want me to open the door?" Tony shook his head, "well maybe. I'm just scared. I don't deserve him. I never did and when I went into hiding I never thought I'd see him again and now here he is. Dead. I can't. I don't," tony was cut off by Friday opening the door, "here boss. Let me know if you want me to call pepper." Tony nodded then slowly walked in. He then shut the door and looked around. When he saw a picture on the night stand he walked over and saw it was a picture of the night he proposed to Steve. Tony clutched onto it then walked over to the bed and crawled in. "Steve, I'm sorry. I never wanted any of this to happen. I wanted to get married to you. I wanted to stand with you when we made our vows. I love you and now I'll never get to tell you.

Tony fell asleep holding that picture.

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The next morning
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Knocking woke up tony. "Boss, falcon is at the door," said Friday. "Ugh," tony wanted to stay in his dream. At least there he could be happy with the man he loved.

The doors to the room open as Tony stood up from the bed. Sam spoke, "stark," even he was a little angry at tony, "Bruce wants you at the lab asap." Tony nodded, "any news on the power source?" Sam nodded, "yes. The plan is in play. Now follow me." Tony, still holding the picture, followed Sam to a locker room and got changed them to the lab to see the gate active. Bucky walked up to tony. Tony said, "a time machine!?" Bucky nodded, "to send you back to collect the stones before Thanos ever does. The suit will protect you and allow you to blend in. It's been adapted with Friday's AI. Fix this Stark so no one else has to die." Tony nodded then extended his right hand, "James, for what it's worth..." Bucky shook Tony's hand, "you're still an asshole but ya." Tony laughed, "fair enough." Bruce walked up, "you're going back to 2020. The start of all of this. You're going to talk with fury, and find Steve. Get him to help persuade the other you to not sign the accords. Not till the stones have been found. You succeed in getting the stones then you'll be the only one to remember." Bruce looked to Bucky as Bucky took his hand, "and maybe. Help us find each other again." Tony nodded, "I will. Good luck." Bucky turned to tony, "same to you stark. Now go. We can't hold this for much longer."

Tony ran through the gate and when he stepped out it was December 29, 2019. "6am. He should be on a run about now," tony thought to himself and low and behold Steve had just run past him knocking tony to the ground. Steve stopped, not seeing Tony's face, "sorry sir. I'm so sorry." Tony, once on his feet looked up and watched as Steve smiled, "tony?" Tony nodded then Steve continued, "you're tony, but you're not my tony." Tony nodded again as he fought all urges to kiss the man before him. They weren't engaged yet. That wouldn't happen till after the disappearance. "Tony why are you here?" Asked Steve. "Quite perceptive. I," tony looked around, "perhaps somewhere more private?" Steve nodded, "come on. I know a place." Tony followed Steve to the tower and to the roof to wait for a Quinn jet to come and retrieve them.

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Tri-carrier
Briefing room
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Tony was looking down at New York when Steve walked in with Fury. "This better be good Stark!" Said Fury. Tony turned around and caught fury off guard. Steve spoke, "it's him. He knows things only tony would know. This isn't some clone, or cyborg whose-a-whats-it. It's him." Before Fury could ask his next question tony began to speak, "I am from the future. A one where a tyrant from another world wiped out half of the universe." Fury spoke, "what happened to the avengers, to shield?" Tony continued, "events to come include Steve fighting Hydra and in doing so shield and Hydra are exposed to the world. About 2 years later the avengers get word into the whereabouts of lokis scepter, I build the iron legion, a doom bot named Ultron try's to end the world in sokovia. Steve leads a team to a location near wakanda and ends up in the middle of a Hydra bombing and is blamed for it. Accords," Tony turned to Steve, "have me cancel the student conferences at MIT. Take me away somewhere. Do something cause if I go there the accords will be then end of us." Fury spoke, "what else?" Tony handed Fury a map and 2 locations on it for earth, "there are infinity stones. That's what Thanos called them. One will be placed into an artificial intelligence named Vision. Let him keep it and the other is being given to a man named doctor strange in 1 year. They are in good hands. Leave them there. Have the doctor when he finds the stone to meet with vision," tony handed a chip to Fury and to Steve, "when he awakens place this in his brain. It will," tony started to fade out, "it will s-show the way," the glitching got worse, "I l-love you st-eve. Forever and al-l-ways." Steve rushed to tony but before he could grab him tony vanished leave his final words as 'it's not forever." Little did Steve know what he meant till his tony would go missing and the race for time would truly begin.

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Authors Note:

Hi guys. This is M. I just wanted to let y'all know A is sick and is thinking she won't be able to have the next chapter up for 2 weeks. This next chapter will conclude the story and incorporate a wedding scene. Thanks to all for sticking around and for the person who requested more... I hope you've enjoyed.

~M