𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑 𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒𝐄 ➳ 𝙥𝙟𝙤 // 𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨

xviii

Tony released the tense breath he was holding as he snapped the briefcase with the Tesseract shut. He and Steve had time-traveled to Camp Lehigh in 1970, where Tony had gone to get the Tesseract and Steve had gone to get more Pym Particles. Now that the Tesseract was secure, Tony's hopes were soaring.

Then he froze, hearing footsteps behind him.

A familiar voice met Tony's ears. "Hey, I'm looking for Dr. Zola, have you seen him?" 

Tony turned around, flustered, coming face to face with... his own father. They were the same age, though Howard looked much more laid-back than his current self and not as stuck up as usual.

"No," Tony stumbled over his words. "Haven't seen a soul."

Howard raised an eyebrow at him suspiciously. "I know you?

Thinking quickly, Tony generated a badge in his pocket out of nano-technology, the many perks of living in the 21st century. He held it up to show Howard. 

"No, sir, just visiting from MIT," Tony lied.

Howard relaxed. "That so? Got a name?"

"Howard..." Tony started. What the fuck did I say that for?

"Easy to remember," Howard chuckled.

Tony thought of a last name. "Potts."

"I'm Howard Stark." The real Howard held out his hand for Tony to shake. "You seem a little green around the gills, Potts. Need some air?"

Tony grimaced a little on the inside. "That'd be swell."

Tony walked with Howard out the door, almost leaving when Howard stopped.

"Need the briefcase?" Howard asked. Tony almost hugged him but suppressed his relief, going back and picking it up.

It was his ticket back to the world he once knew.

— — — time skippy skip — — — 

Howard and Tony stepped onto an elevator, the metal doors sliding to a close behind them.

"Sauerkraut and a bouquet," Tony gestured to the items in Howard's hands. "Big night planned?"

Howard chuckled. "My wife's expecting. And too much time at the office."

Tony paused, doing some math in his head. Tony was currently in his mother's stomach, and Howard hadn't had the joy of having a disappointment of a son yet. 

"Congratulations," Tony replied.

"Thanks," Howard smiled.

"How far along  is she?" Tony asked, trying to get a better understanding of what time of the year it was.

"Gee, I suppose..." Howard stretched his arms out about half a foot. "this far. She's at the point where she can't stand the sound of my chewing. Guess I'll be eating in the pantry again."

Tony sighed. "I have a little girl," he murmured.

Howard hummed. "A girl would be nice. Less chance she'd turn out exactly like me."

Tony frowned. "Would that be so bad?"

Howard forced a laugh. "Let's just say that the greater good hasn't always outweighed my own self interest."

THE SANCTUARY 2, 2014

Bad Nebula punched Good Nebula in the face as Good Nebula tumbled to the ground, groaning. Bad Nebula ripped off the time-space GPS, Nebula's only chance of getting home.

Now that was gone.

Gamora entered the room, amused by the scene.

Nebula's face softened, seeing the face of her dead sister.

"You could stop this," Nebula croaked. "You know you want to."

Gamora tried not to let anything show on her face.

"Did you see what happens in the future? Thanos finds the Soul Stone."

Gamora held her breath, not wanting to believe her sister's future self.

Nebula's eyes darkened. "You wanna know how he does that? Do you wanna know what he does to you?"

"Enough!" Bad Nebula snarled, slapping Nebula across the face. She held up a jagged knife to her alter-ego's chin.

"You disgust me," she hissed. "But that doesn't mean you're useless."

Bad Nebula pried off the orange panel on Nebula's head, grinning.

She had a plan.

VORMIR 2014

Clint, Nico, and the Red Skull stood beneath an arch of stone overlooking a jagged cliff, showing no signs of what waited below. The area was empty, the ground dusty and uneven. Other than that, Nico wasn't quite sure where they were going to find the Soul Stone.

"What you seek lies infront of you. As does what you fear," the Red Skull said ominously.

"The fuck does that mean?" Nico snapped. He'd had enough of this intergalactic bullshit. 

"The stone is down there?" Clint frowned, ignoring Nico.

"For one of you. For the other..." the Red Skull smiled at them both grimly. "The Stone demands a sacrifice. In order to take it, you must leave behind that which you love."

The Skull pointed his bony finger down at the darkness beyond the cliff.

"A soul for a soul."

Nico and Clint stood there, stunned. 

"What the fuck?" Nico whispered under his breath.

"Maybe he's full of shit," Clint growled.

Clint and Nico walked a few steps away from the Red Skull, out of his earshot.

"I don't think so," Nico murmured. His eyes darted between the cliff and the chasm below. 

"Why, because he knew your daddy's name?" Clint scoffed.

"Few do." The son of Hades fiddled with the skull ring on his finger. "Thanos left here with the stone, but without his daughter. You really think that's a coincidence?"

The silence was loud, and both demigods could feel the uncomfortable air around them, settling over them like a suffocating mist.

"Whatever it takes," Nico breathed.

"Whatever it takes," Clint agreed.

They stared at each other, different thoughts spiraling in both of their heads.

Only one would make it back with the stone.

The other would be lost forever.

And the two had already made up their minds.