FANDOM IS FAMILY [Multi Fandom One Shots]

Part Of The Journey Is The End (Marvel)

Word Count: 1286 words
Tony and Nat find themselves watching over their loved ones; kinda sad?; Major Spoilers

Tony felt the light brush his skin, warming it. There was a slight breeze and somewhere nearby he could hear birds chirping. He felt a hole in his chest, like someone had ripped out his heart, his feelings, something was missing. It made him feel lighter, he could just drift off into nothingness. The feeling was completely foreign to him.

"Tony?"

Natasha?

Tony slowly opened his eyes, blinking to adjust them to the light. The red head was standing over him, her bright hair outlined by the light that surrounded them on all sides.

"Nat?"

"Hey, Tons."

"Aren't you dead?"

She let out a chuckle, "Aren't you dead too?"

"Is this hell? It's a lot nicer than I thought it'd be."

"Very funny, Tony. But no. This place is... Well, I don't know where or what this place is."

"It's the afterlife, dimwits," a gentle voice spoke. It was soothing, even when it called them dimwits.

Tony turned his head. Standing a few feet away was a humanoid figure that had definitely not been there when he woke up. It was outlined against the white light that surround the three of them. The figure had no distinct features as far as Tony could tell.

"Who are you?" Tony asked as he stood up, well it wasn't really standing up. It was more like willing himself up into the same position as the figure and Natasha. As far as he could tell there was no up or down, ceiling or floor, in this place.

"I am mother universe." The calm voice may have been from the small figure, but it seemed to surround them from all sides. As the being's voice washed over him Tony felt... calm, completely at peace.

"So, your like God or something?" Nat questioned, one eyebrow raised.

"Or something." The figure answered, "Some may call me God, but I just am just another being. I simply watch your life's. Your Pain, Your Joy, Your Sorrow, Your Love. I don't think of myself as 'God', but my job may be similar to that of what your human species consider to be "God's" responsibilities."

Tony didn't really understand, but that was okay. It didn't really mater. Nothing really mattered.

"So, are we dead?" Tony asked.

"I don't like that term, dead. You humans think of it as and end, a discontinuation. Death is simply physical. Your soul always lives on. Your death frees you. You are no longer tied to the physical world, but are now free to go where you please, you have no limits." Mother Universe explained.

"Can we see the people we left behind?" Tony was curious, could he see his daughter, his sons, Pepper?

"Yes. I must warn you though, there is no way to contact them in this form, you may see them, you can watch over them, but you are unable to talk with them. In times of great danger I have seen souls reach across the vial and affect the 'living' world, but this is a vary rare occurrence."

"How? How do we see them?" Tony was desperate, he wanted - no - needed to see them.

"It is simple. Imagine them. Where did you have the most connection with them? Picture it. Close your eyes."

Tony did as instructed.

"I love you 3000."

"Mr. Stark, can you hear me? It's Peter. We won, Mr.Stark. We won, Mr. Stark. We won. You did it, sir, you did it. I'm sorry, Tony."

"Tony, look at me. We're going to be okay. We're okay, you can rest now."

Tony felt a pull in the pit of his gut. Where he felt empty before now felt like it had been filled with liquid warmth. In his mind's eye he could see planets, stars, nebulas, light, and colors stream by him, he could see earth growing closer and closer. Then nothing. It all want dark. And then it wasn't. He was standing outside his and Pepper's lake home. A group of familiar people stood dressed in all black. He willed himself closer and felt himself glide to the front of the crowd. Everyone was there. He caught sight of the flowers in the water.

'Proof that Tony Stark has a heart'

Oh

"They love you," an unfamiliar voice spoke besides him.

He looked to the side. A man stood there. He had white hair and wrinkled skin. He wore a simple sweeter with khakis and had sunglasses over his eyes. He reminded Tony of a grandfather. Tony felt like he could hug the man and feel safe in his arms.

Tony raised an eyebrow. Who was this man, and how could he see him?

"I'm dead too."

"Who are you? And why are you at my funeral?" Tony was genuinely curious.

"My name's Stan Lee. Don't worry about why I'm here, the readers know."

The readers? Who? What? Tony thought to himself. But his curiosity seemed to die. No, he at peace. There were no more questions. Everything was all right. It was all okay now.

He studied everyone there at his funeral, his little makeshift family. There was Pepper and Morgan, his beautiful girls. And behind them, Roddey, Happy, Steve, Peter (Tony felt a particularly painful pull in his chest), May, Thor, Hulk/Bruce, Stephan, Wong, Scott, Hope, Hank, Janet, Nebula, Quill, Rocket, Groot, Mantis, Drax, T'challa, Okoye, Shuri, Clint and his family, Wanda, Bucky, Sam, and... Was that Harley? The kid had messy hair and red rimmed eyes. Tony had checked up on him from time to time over the years, but hadn't talked to the kid in a long, long, time. He'd grown up, he looked to be about Peter's age. Behind Harley was Thaddeus Ross and Maria Hill. Standing on the steps of Tony's cabin was Carol Danvers and behind her Nick Furry. They were all here for his death. He truly couldn't believe it.

A flash of movement caught his attention. There was a group of people standing further away amongst the trees. Was that? No. But it was. Nat, some green skinned chick, Vision (I know the Comics stated he didn't have a soul, but he dose, fight me), Pietro, and (was that really?) Loki were all standing, watching solemnly.

"You did well," Stan Lee spoke, "it's time for me and you to rest now. We get to sit back and watch this world, the one we both formed."

Tony looked at the grandfather figure once again, why did he seem so familiar?

"Who are you? Why do I feel like I should know you?" He asked.

The man didn't answer, instead he just smiled.

~~~

Tony, Nat, Pietro, and Vision watched Clint and Wanda talk. Tony watched Happy comfort Morgan. He almost laughed when she said she wanted burgers. She really had taken after him. He didn't yet know if that was a good or bad thing. Tony watched as Steve left to return the infinity stones. He couldn't help the pang of anger when Steve didn't reappear. How could he leave Bucky here, stuck out of his time? But than he saw Bucky's small smile. Of course he knew what Steve was going to do, he'd been in love with the man since the 1940's. Tony watched old Steve hand down his shield to Sam. He watched Thor hand down new Asgard to Valkyrie.

There was so much more he watched. And slowly, over several long years, the others joined him and Nat. The Avengers died, one by one. And somehow, despite being dead, they managed to watch over the earth. They still avenged it. New generations became the heroes Earth needed, and the old generations watched over them. Everything was okay, they could rest now.