Iron & Shield // Stony

years & stones

I sat eating my cheeseburger. The place I was in was like some kind of a historical palace with a huge garden which had a pond. Natasha who seemed too lonely to do anything else decided to accompany me in my tour of the palace.

We were sitting beside the pond, staring aimlessly.
"Nat, it's been six freaking years.. isn't it?", I said gulping my burger.
"Yep.", She said dreamily - much unlike herself.
"Morgan must be eleven by now.. and Peter would be twenty one. And according to my calculations, I would have been 59. Damn.. that's old.", I said wondering.
"How would Bruce be? And Steve?", Nat said as I turned towards her.
"First things first, who did you actually love? Because it is so freaking confusing! First it was Barton, then Steve and then Bruce and then I don't know who!", I said finally venting out my frustration as she finally laughed.
"Oh Tony! I give up. ", She said as I ate the last bit of my cheeseburger.

"You look younger, Mr. Stark.", The Queen said from behind us.
"Thanks. No wonder girls still fall for me.", I stated proudly as I stood up.
"Not in here. Anyways, I've got to explain things to you.", She said as I stood up irritably.
"How about letting me be? I mean I deserve a break! I had to die saving the universe and now after dying also, my only work is to save the universe! I still could not go to Hawaii for my holiday with Pep.", Suddenly a lump formed on my throat.

How would she be?
By now she too must have been a woman in her late fifties. I could still hear her last words to me ringing in my ear,
"You can rest now.."
It was actually ironical that she always knew I was gonna get myself killed one day and initially she didn't want to be a part of it, but at the end. It had been her name that I had whispered before die.

Because it was her, always her.

"Those who dwell on the past do not progress, Anthony.", The Queen said, her voice sounding sympathetic.
As if she could somehow see through me. Or maybe she really could - ghosts are transparent you see.

"First, ghosts are not transparent and second, you are not even a ghost. Follow me without further trouble.", Saying so she turned and walked back towards the palace.
"What the heck?!", I said as I followed her, while Nat followed me enjoying my disgust at the whole situation.
We walked into the palace like things. There was a golden throne across the large hall with seats for high signatories most probably.

It looked similar to Thor's palace as he had described.

"He is Anthony Edward Stark.", The Queen said. She had been speaking to another lady who looked at me with deep interest.
"Do I actually look young?", I asked Nat who whispered back,
"You look like Tony Stark from 2008. That's how this place works. It makes you approximately ten to eleven years younger.", She said and nodded. This is when I finally realised that she too looked younger.

Damn it, Tony. You have stopped noticing women also now.

"Valorous m'rning, 'tis a most wondrous pleasure to meeteth thee ", She said as I stared at her in shock.
"How about speaking in English?", I asked as the Queen sighed.
"Thou shalt leave.", She said and then turned towards me.
"She said that it was a great pleasure to meet you.", She stated in a matter - of - factly tone.
"And I have a quest for you.", She said looking at me like I was her servant of something.

"Alright, now let me get this clear. You, the Queen of God knows where are sending me, the Saviour of the Universe, the Messiah of People, the Iron Man - on a quest?", I asked with a raised brow.
She expression did not change.

"Anthony, I recommend you to maintain respect in your voice as you speak since I'm not very kind."
"And I recommend to get me something to eat because one cheeseburger for a man who hasn't eaten for the last six years is just too much.", I stated sarcastically.
It seemed like her eyes did flare but she managed to control her temper.
"Of course.", She stated and then continued,
"But after you hear your quest."

"Go on.", I stated in a bored voice as she snapped her fingers and like some three dimensional projection the image of a white stone appeared in between us.
"This is the will stone.", She stated.
"I know there were six infinity stones and I snapped them myself to save the world. So I'm sure you are in some misconceptions.", I stated with the I just know everything smile.

The queen shut her eyes and then opened it giving me a disgusted look.
She clapped her hands and a servant appeared.
"Get him some more cheeseburgers before I lose my temper and he loses his soul."