17th October 2023

"We're gonna be okay."

Pepper's voice was fading in his ears. Her face was diminishing in his vision as blackness crawled at the edges of his eyes. He felt so weak, so in pain… His whole body was feeling numb. His heart was slowing and he found it difficult to keep on taking the small breaths he could. He'd made sure everyone was safe…

He'd won.

His breathing was slowing.

All he could see now was Pepper's smile as he turned his head to the side weakly, allowing gravity to take his body.

"You can rest now." He barely heard her voice.

His vision vanished and he ceased seeing Pepper's face in his mind's eye as he felt himself fade into blackness.

Tony rolled over and yawned as consciousness slowly began to drag him out of the realm of sleep. As he opened his eyes, he found himself in familiar surroundings. He was in a room, his bedroom, lying in his bed in the Compound that had just recently been destroyed by Thanos…

That name resonated with him.

Thanos.

He'd been fighting him, hadn't he?

Or had he dreamed it?

It all felt so real.

Memories flashed in his mind's eye as Tony sat up in bed, pushing the covers off and looking down at his right arm. His arm was fine. There was no evidence of injury. He'd felt his arm burning, the bones crumbling to dust in his arm as he held the power of the Infinity Stones as they coursed through his body. No dream could make him feel that type of sensation…

Pepper's face flashed in his mind.

"We're gonna be okay. You can rest now."

Those words had felt so real, so final…

Her face fading from his mind… He'd died. He was sure of it.

Then where was he?

Was he in heaven?

Surely Tony Stark wouldn't be sent to heaven?

Tony slowly got out of bed and walked across to the en-suite bathroom, glanced in the mirror and stumbled back in shock.

Forcing himself to look again, he reached up and touched the right side of his face, turning his head this way and that, looking for the signs of aging and for the scars he felt for sure should be there, yet he looked exactly how he had in 2016. He had small tufts of grey hair at the sides.

He remembered Pepper kneeling in front of him, struggling to keep smiling as she uttered the last words he'd ever hear. That couldn't have been a dream.

"Where am I?" he whispered, touching his face once again, afraid the illusion would break.

Moving out of the bathroom, Tony walked across to the other side of the room, opening the curtains and looked out. The Compound was bustling with activity as employees of both Stark Industries and the Avengers went about their working day. It was a sunny day with the sun beating down upon the land.

Stumbling back, Tony felt the beginnings of a panic attack. He could feel his heart pumping faster in his chest. If he could feel his heart beating he had to be alive, right? Surely?

Stay cool, Stark. Clearly, something happened when you used the stones.

He knew it had happened. The memories felt too real. He could recall Morgan, his daughter, giving him a long hug before he had departed for the Compound. He remembered holding her as a baby. If it had been a dream, everything he remembered wouldn't feel so real and he'd have had to sleep for years to be able to fit it all in…

"Oh god, Morgan! Is she-?"

He needed to find out where he was. Did Morgan even exist?

How could he find out?

Tony pressed his hand to his chest, just to make sure his heart was beating.

It was.

"Are you alright, boss? I detect your heart beat rising suggesting you are succumbing to a panic attack."

Tony jumped, stumbling back against the wall, his back sliding down it. His A.I was here. He knew he should be dead. He'd died. He'd felt it. But he was here… It felt real. Was it real? It had to be…

"I shouldn't be here…" he muttered, casting his gaze around him. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. He needed to know where he was. Judging by his appearance he had to be in the past…

"Friday?" he managed.

"Yes, boss," the A.I responded.

"What is today's date?"

"The thirtieth of April 2016."

30th April 2016

Tony didn't react straight away to the date. He swallowed, his mouth feeling dry. "Friday, can you repeat the date?" He'd heard correctly, right?

"The thirtieth of April 2016. Are you feeling alright, boss?"

Tony numbly got to his feet, casting his gaze around. "I'm fine," he answered, not wanting to raise suspicions. He'd clearly died. He remembered it. It was too visual in his head for it to have been just a dream. So that meant… somehow… and he didn't know how, he'd ended up in the past, specifically just before…

Something gnawed at him. What was so specific about this date that he'd woken up here? What had he been doing in April 2016? Rubbing his eyes, Tony groaned. "This is a mess."

He couldn't tell anyone about this; they'd believe him crazy. But why had he been sent here? Was this a form of hell where he had to relive everything?

"But then…" he muttered quietly, "if I was being forced to live through everything again, why would I have control of my own body?" If this was some sort of punishment for his sins Tony doubted he'd have any control of his body. The fact that he did, suggested that his theory he was in some special sort of hell was clearly wrong, which he was rather glad about.

Glancing around the room, Tony noticed a few leaflets on the dresser and moved to study them, finding them all leaflets on MIT. And then he remembered. A few days from now he would be attending MIT, where he would use newly developed technology from his Research and Development team at Stark Industries, to trial run a potential new device which could aid the recovery of hundreds of people during therapy.

It was an event Tony and Pepper were due at… Wait.

"Shit," Tony swore, already realising right now he and Pepper were on a break. He couldn't simply return to Pepper. Currently, their relationship was dead in the water.

Morgan…

His daughter's face swam into his mind's eye. Morgan was the one thing he loved more than Pepper. And right now her very existence was under threat. She might not ever be born, or if she was, she wouldn't be his Morgan. The Morgan he knew was gone forever.

September sixteenth, 2018. 11:20pm.

Tony started.

"What?"

September sixteenth 2018. 11:20pm.

It wasn't even a whisper. The words just appeared in his head, ingraining themselves into his mind.

It worked out. Morgan had been born in June 2019. Why had the date, and presumably the time of Morgan's conception, suddenly appeared in his head as if he had always known it? He remembered they'd married shortly before that date.

I'd built the cabin before we married. It was my wedding gift to Pepper.

They'd decided to live their lives in the new world they had found themselves in following the Snap. They couldn't put their lives on hold anymore. Pepper had reduced her duties at Stark Industries so she could enjoy married life with Tony as much as possible. They'd started trying for a child soon after their wedding… Morgan had come along quite quickly, surprising them both as they had expected problems due to their respective ages.

But Pepper had fallen for Morgan quite quickly.

Now Tony was in a time where he and Pepper were on a break.

I want my little girl.

September sixteenth, 2018. 11:20pm.

The words reverberated throughout his brain again. He tried to ignore them.

But why had he been sent back here? What was he supposed to do? What was his purpose in being here?

Fix things.

The words appeared in his brain, not knowing where they had come from.

"Ok," he said aloud, "can whoever is putting stuff in my head, please stop doing that?"

All was silent. It was unnerving.

This day was getting odder and odder.

First, he'd died, then the next he was waking up in 2016, seven years before he died.

Tony took in deep breaths.

Think, Stark, think!

"The day I was at MIT was the day of what?" Tony wracked his memory. There was something significant about being sent back to this specific point. Something he could change, if it was the way to fix things.

"Friday, has there been any intelligence reports delivered recently which the Avengers are acting upon?" The quicker way to find an answer was to ask his A.I. Friday was installed within the Compound. She'd be able to determine if they were preparing for a mission or not.

"Intel has been received regarding a possible attack to steal a weapon in Lagos, Nigeria. The suspects include a one, Brock Rumlow, an international terrorist currently wanted across the world for several known attacks," explained Friday. "Would you like me to send you the full intel, boss?"

Tony shook his head. "No." He now knew what he could stop, or rather change.

It was the disaster in Lagos which had accelerated the Accords. Tony could potentially prevent the disaster from unfolding, allowing innocent lives that were originally lost to live.

"I'm not even supposed to be here…" he muttered quietly. He was trying to remember where he should have been. "Friday, when did I get here?"

"Last night, boss. You arrived after everyone had gone to bed. However, you have agreed to hold a speech at M.I.T on the third of May."

"Right…" Tony chewed his bottom lip, thinking. "Do we have a date when Rogers will act on the intel on Rumlow?"

"The intelligence suggests the date of attack will be the same day as your M.I.T speech, boss."

He'd have to postpone the M.I.T speech. He had to be in Lagos, otherwise what was the point in sending him back to this point in time if he wasn't going to be there to prevent a wider catastrophe?

"Friday, send my apologies to the Director of M.I.T that due to unfortunate circumstances I will have to delay my appearance for a few weeks but notify them I will be contributing a large donation to the faculty and the students."

"Yes, boss."

That was one thing dealt with.

The next was to get himself involved with the Lagos mission.

And, technically, I'm not even part of the Avenger's rota anymore. And I need to fix things with Pepper.

Tony showered first, taking the time to inspect his body, noticing the scars he'd received during his fight on Titan did not mar this body. It's because that hasn't happened yet, idiot! Tony kept glancing at his right arm. This arm had held all six Infinity Stones, had wielded them to ensure Thanos' ultimate destruction, and yet it looked fine.

A part of him was still trying to comprehend the situation he had fallen into, how he could go about altering things so they did not follow the same path. Was he in an alternate timeline or was he in the timeline he'd died in? Tony didn't know, yet he had the feeling the rules of time travel did not apply in this case. Why be sent back if he was just going to create an alternate reality with his actions?

"But I also know where all the Infinity Stones now are," he muttered. "I could collect them before Thanos does…" It was a thought he'd have to wait to consider. First, his biggest priority was ensuring the team didn't split. The Avengers needed to be whole if they were going to counter Thanos.

Tony dressed in a suit and went for a walk around the Compound. It was business as usual as Stark Industries also had a few floors to themselves for research and development. In fact, once Tony and Pepper had got back together, Pepper had moved the majority of her work to this base so she could spend more time with Tony as he negotiated the Accords and worked in tandem with the one hundred and seventeen countries that had supported them. But right now, Pepper was on the other side of America, working out of Malibu.

It was part of a way for them to maintain their distance from one another as they took a break.

Tony swallowed, remembering how hard he had taken their break-up the first time. He wanted to fix things with her now but Pepper needed the space. She needed to see he was trying to reign in his compulsiveness to be Iron Man. The Accords had helped with that… and what Steve had done to Tony in Siberia had brought her back…

Steve.

The Winter Soldier. Zemo.

"Shit." It wasn't just the Accords Tony had to consider this time around. It was the wider problem that had split the Avengers further.

The framing of the Winter Soldier.

The death of Wakanda's King.

He stopped in his walk around the Compound, moved to the window and pulled out his phone. "Friday," he instructed quietly, "can you begin a world-wide search for Bucky Barnes?" He already knew where he was but he needed the evidence if he was going to exonerate Bucky from suspicion if, in the event, Tony was unable to prevent Zemo from attacking the signing of the Accords. "Tag him, and record his every movement. And begin a secondary search for a man of Sokovian birth called Helmut Zemo. Tag him too and let me know if he drops off your radar."

"Yes, boss," she replied.

"And," as if it was an afterthought, "find and locate Stephen Strange. Again, keep tabs on him."

He needed to know where Strange was. He didn't want to be surprised like last time.

He knew I was going to die. That's why he spared me. That realisation had struck Tony on the battlefield when he had seen the wizard raise his finger towards him.

Just one way to win, and it had all hinged upon Tony's willingness to sacrifice his own life.

But did he see this? Did he know I'd be sent back?

It didn't matter if Strange had known, only that Tony had acted when no one else could.

If it meant Morgan surviving without me, I'd do it again.

God, he wanted to see her again, but right now, she didn't exist. It was impossible to see her. All he had was the memories he'd made of her in the last four years of his life.

He made his way towards the conference room where he hoped to find the Avengers in a planning session for their mission to Lagos. Tony smiled and acknowledged everyone he passed, noting that they seemed pleased to see him.

Feeling a bit of nerves bundled in his stomach, Tony pressed open the door of the conference room and walked inside.

Steve, Natasha, Sam, and Wanda sat around a table filled with maps and diagrams and photos, discussing how best to stop Rumlow's attack. They all looked up as he entered. Surprise flickered across Steve's face and Natasha's eyes widened. Wanda looked indifferent and Sam raised his eyebrows.

"What? Didn't know I was in town?"

"It's good to see you, Tony, but as you can see we –" began Steve.

Tony cut him off. "I'm here to help."

"You have an M.I.T speech scheduled," said Natasha quietly.

Tony turned his attention towards her, noting the suspicions in her eyes. "I didn't know you had a personal interest in my schedule. Do you keep tabs on me, Agent Romanoff?"

Her lips twitched but she didn't reply, just kept watching him which he found a little unnerving.

"Do you want to join the Avengers again?" asked Steve, casting his gaze around the table.

"I never really was an Avenger… Just a consultant. Friday clued me in on the intelligence you received and I thought you might want an extra hand?" He wasn't going to push his way into the mission. If Steve didn't want him there then he wouldn't be part of the mission but it wouldn't stop him from going to Lagos and preventing the catastrophe that was sure to come if he wasn't there.

"To be honest…" Steve hesitated, "… it would be great to have you with us, but I think the Iron Man armour would stand out."

Tony had expected this. He could easily develop the nano-technology. He knew how to do it. "I have some new tech which only needs to be deployed into a suit when it is needed. I can be undercover as much as the rest of you."

Steve nodded. "If that's the case then… great, take a seat. We're still going over the bare basics of the mission."

Pulling out a chair next to Sam, Tony sat.

He didn't fail to notice Nat's continuing glances at him or the suspicious frown she wore whenever they made eye contact. Tony shook off the feeling and got to work.

"Have we accounted for Rumlow wearing a suicide vest and attempting to take out as many of us as possible?" asked Tony. They'd planned most of the mission. Wanda and Nat would be undercover in the main square, watching for any suspicious activity. Sam would be on a roof whilst Tony and Steve would be in opposite buildings and watching the street from above.

"He's not gonna be wearing one, Tony," answered Steve. "Rumlow wants to cause as much destruction as possible. Killing himself is against his character."

"If he was to detonate in the middle of a crowd…" Tony pointed out. "Mass casualties. Can we take the risk?"

"Stark has a point," pointed out Sam. "We cannot blindly assume he won't wear a suicide vest. What if he does and innocent people are killed in the blast? We need to plan for this eventuality. We cannot sweep it to the side."

Steve frowned, leaning forward. "If he does wear one, he will look to cause maximum damage to the market. We'll need to prevent him from making it that far."

Tony folded his arms across his chest. "Then we need to keep this to inside the building he is targeting and neutralise him before he can escape. I think it is better off I am stationed inside the building they are targeting."

"What if he's not going to hit the Institute for Infectious Diseases?" asked Natasha. Tony had already raised the point of Rumlow's possible target was the Institute rather than the local police station located close by. "There are several targets he could be after. This could all be a ploy to lure us there."

"It isn't. The intel is solid, you said it yourself," noted Tony.

"The intel only states he's after a weapon," said Wanda. "There is no solid proof of what building he is going for."

"I know it's going to be the Institute for Infectious Diseases." Tony knew he was bold in saying this. "He's after a weapon. The worst weapon Rumlow could go after is a biological one which would cause maximum damage if unleashed upon the general public. His only logical target is the Institute."

Steve still looked unconvinced. "In other countries, he's been in, he's attacked the local police stations and there is one close to the Institute. He could easily steal weapons from there."

"I think Tony is right," said Natasha suddenly. "Logic dictates he'll be after the biological weapon. He already has enough weapons, why add more of the same when you can obtain something different and far more destructive? If Tony is wrong, there is no harm in him being inside the Institute, is there? He can still join whatever skirmish we get into if Rumlow's target isn't the Institute."

Steve acknowledged Natasha's point. "Ok, Tony, change your starting position to inside the Institute but stay on comms. If we need you, we'll call you."

"Sure," shrugged Tony. His main priority was to ensure Rumlow didn't leave the building with the biological weapon. If he succeeded he'd save countless of lives. And he'd spare Wanda the indignation of being put on house arrest for her unintentional mistake. If it did come to it and Wanda still did make a mistake which injured and killed people, Tony would talk to her directly, instead of sending Vision as a messenger.

Steve poured over the maps. "Can anyone think of anything else?"

"We need to notify the Nigerian government about this intelligence," advised Tony. "Otherwise we will be entering a country illegally."

"That hasn't mattered before," declared Steve. "We're the Avengers. We are helping people. The more people who know of this intelligence the easier it is for someone to betray us. We cannot trust any government to let us do our jobs properly."

Tony sighed. Of course, Steve would see it that way. "Things change. The Sokovia incident has caused ramifications throughout the political world. People are demanding for something to be done to keep us in check."

"What are you saying?" enquired Wanda hesitantly.

Tony sighed. It was better to have this conversation now rather than later. He should have warned them before about the Accords but he'd assumed Steve would have kept up to date with all the developments of the world. He hadn't expected Steve, or any other member of the team to know nothing about the Accords when Tony had brought Ross to them to discuss the implementation of them.

"I'm saying we cannot simply go to another country without permission and act within their borders without notifying the correct people. There is legislation being drawn up which will affect how we work as a team. We will have to answer to a panel of people if things go wrong, submit reports of our missions, work with the panel if places do not wish for our help. The Accords are good and bad. They'll be coming in regardless of what you think, Steve. It's better to work with them than to become a fugitive and being unable to help people without becoming a hunted man yourself."

"Tony has a point, Steve," agreed Natasha, leaning across the desk. "It's worth notifying the Nigerian Government. If something doesn't go to plan –" she glanced at Tony, "we've covered ourselves, right?"

Tony nodded emphatically. "Any fallout will not be so bad because we will have had permission to be there."

"What if they say no? I'm not going to let some official dictate how I go about saving the world."

"Wow, Steve, wow." Tony had forgotten how Steve could be stubborn. "Look, I know you find it hard to trust the government after Hydra infiltrated SHIELD but do not make yourself a criminal. How can you help people if you are constantly on the run? We need to stay a team and if that means taking the bad with the good, then we should. The Accords will become law, whether you like it or not."

"Tony, you're respected. Can you make the call?" Natasha eyed him directly.

"Sure." Tony figured he would be the best one to do so. Steve didn't have the diplomacy skills Tony had learned over the years.

Wanda frowned. "But why would they listen to Stark? He's not respected… He's hated."

Tony wanted to laugh. "I'm not hated. I may have been for a while after Ultron, especially after the first few months, but I've shown I am willing to atone for my mistakes. 75% of the relief aid for Sokovia comes from my own pocket. It's because of Sokovia and what happened there is why I am willing to work with the governments on the Accords. They should have the right to refuse our help, especially when it isn't world-ending scenarios." He narrowed his eyes, scrutinising Wanda. "Don't forget I've kept your part in Ultron quiet." He placed his hands together and cast his eyes around the room. "Look, the Accords are something we can discuss after Lagos, but I do believe it would be in our best interest to inform the Nigerian government of the threat. And, they may give us extra help to capture Rumlow."

"More people the better, Steve," intoned Nat as Steve reluctantly nodded.

Tony smiled at her.

For the next two days and nights, Tony worked hard to replicate his nano-technology. He hadn't invented it until the beginning of 2018, just before Thanos arrived, but there was no reason why he couldn't establish the suit now. He'd already started the bare basics of it.

He needed a portable device to carry around with, one that could be easily hidden and activated at a moment's notice.

With the new Arc Reactor ready, Tony attached it to his chest, with little nanonites clinging to his skin to hold it in place. They didn't hurt, he barely felt it.

Smiling steadily, he slipped out of his lab. He needed to prepare for the mission.

They'd be leaving in a few hours.

It was an overnight flight to Nigeria. The team had gained permission from the Nigerian government to carry out their mission in Lagos, providing they liaised with the military which Tony was very happy to oblige by, despite Steve's continued concerns. As Steve was in charge of the mission, it was his duty to co-ordinate with the Nigerian military team which was being sent to join them.

As the Quin-Jet began its descent into Nigerian airspace, Tony couldn't help but glance at Natasha, who sat in the pilot's seat. He hadn't had a chance to really study her since everything was happening so fast. Tony had needed to integrate himself into the Lagos mission and he hadn't had much time to do it. He'd thrown himself into his new situation.

Now he had a bit of relative quiet he couldn't help but keep glancing towards Natasha. The last words he'd ever heard from Nat were: "See you in a minute". Those had turned out to be the last words she would ever say to the team before her death. Before her act of self-sacrifice to ensure they gained the soul stone.

But if gaining the soul stone requires losing someone you love, how can I obtain it without doing so?

He shook his head. The dilemma of Vormir would have to be solved some other time. But he would make sure Nat's fate would be changed.

Sadness welled up, tightening his chest. He hadn't been shocked to see Nat when he'd gone to their planning session because he'd already known she was still alive in this time. It had been hard to see her, knowing of the fate which awaited her. A few years ago no one would have thought Natasha would sacrifice her life, but then, Tony mused, no one would have believed it possible for him either. Steve had once made it clear to him; Tony would never do something so heroic. Hours later he had proved Steve wrong.

Truthfully, Tony had been lying down on the wire for years now. So many times he had stared death in the face and had survived. Only this time death had caught up with him and somehow he'd miraculously been sent back to 2016 with vague instructions to 'fix it', whatever that meant!

I'll change it. I'll change it so Nat does not have to die. It was a vow he intended to keep.

Right now, he needed to focus on ensuring the damage to Lagos did not occur again. As long as he played his part Wanda shouldn't have any need to contain a suicide bomb.

They landed at a military base and were then driven into Lagos where they discussed their plan with the military chiefs before they moved to their predetermined positions. Tony was escorted into the Institute where he then helped to remove the biological weapon, preventing Rumlow from getting his hands on it in the first place. Any other materials that could be used to create a biological weapon were also removed to reduce the risk of any being stolen.

Tony crouched low on the third floor, hidden behind the wall of the next room, eyes ready to track anyone who entered the room. He wasn't wearing his suit yet, he didn't need to.

"Any movement?" Tony asked into his earpiece. He wasn't sure on the timings of the attack. They just knew he would strike at some point today.

"Nothing I can see," replied Steve. "Everywhere looks quiet. Nat, Wanda and Sam are all in position."

"Good." Momentarily he switched off his comm-channel, twisting his watch, which was made of nano-tech, to Friday's frequency. She was monitoring the Lagos situation herself in a remote-controlled Iron Man suit, patrolling from the air, hidden by the clouds moving above the city. "What do you see, Friday?"

"Nothing suspicious, boss. Everyone is in place."

"I'll have to keep you on silent but as soon as you detect something abnormal, alert me. I'll see the red light on my watch."

"Yes, boss," Friday acknowledged.

Tuning back to the team's frequency he overheard Wanda say: "You guys know I can move things with my mind, right?"

"Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature," Nat replied.

"Anybody ever tell you, you're a little paranoid?" Sam interjected.

"Not to my face, why? Did you hear something?" Nat was quick on the response.

"Eyes on target, folks. Best lead we've had on Rumlow in six months and I don't wanna lose him."

Sam snorted. "If he sees us coming, that won't be a problem. He kinda hates us."

From Tony's research, he knew Rumlow had a personal vendetta against Steve and the others. He was also intent on causing as much damage as possible in his previous attacks, probably in the hope of drawing the Avengers out into a confrontation.

The comms went silent until Steve's voice came over again.

"Sam, see that garbage truck? Tag it."

"It's a battering ram," said Tony. He'd read the reports, he knew what Sam would report back. "Loaded to the max."

"We don't know –" Steve began but was cut off.

"Stark's right, Steve. Max capacity," confirmed Sam.

"Go now! He's not hitting the police! It's the Institute!"

Tony wanted to make a smarmy remark that he had been right, but now wouldn't be the right time. "I'll suit up. If Rumlow makes it this far…" Tony trailed off as he heard a loud crash followed by gunshots as the assault on the Institute began.

"We need him alive, Stark!" Rogers ordered over the comms.

"You do not need to remind me!" hissed Tony as he activated his suit, pressing his fingers on the Arc Reactor magnetised to his chest. Nanonites ran down his entire body, forming red and gold armour, swirling and clicking into place, locking the suit together. The helmet shut down over Tony's face and the display appeared in front of him. He could have created the Mark 85 but had settled for the Mark 50 instead. He wouldn't need the advanced armour for a few years yet. And he'd rather not raise too many suspicions.

Windows smashed in the room next door to his and gas started to flow out from canisters that had been fired through. Tony was thankful they had evacuated the building, fewer injuries that way.

"Tony! Rumlow's inside!" Steve's voice came over the comm.

"Got it." Tony moved quickly out of the room, knowing Rumlow would be coming this way. They were not on his floor yet but he could detect people heading towards his level. He headed back towards the lab where Rumlow would head to. Ducking into the room and locking the door again behind him, Tony pivoted and hid beside a cupboard, hidden from view from anyone entering the lab.

He didn't have to wait long before someone punched the door down and walked into the lab wearing heavy black armour with a gas mask on and they marched towards the case where the bioweapon should be.

Tony stepped out from his hiding place, blocking Rumlow's exit as the man turned to face him as soon as he saw the case was empty.

"You shouldn't be here!"

Tony smirked from within the helmet. "Sometimes things do not go to how you plan them, do they? You're lucky I knew exactly what your target would be and could make the necessary arrangements to prevent you from stealing the biological weapon." Raising his right arm he pointed his Gauntlet at Rumlow. "Surrender."

Rumlow didn't respond verbally. He simply attacked.

Tony reacted swiftly, firing his repulsor at Rumlow who ducked, running straight towards him. Tony stepped to the side, reached out and grabbed Rumlow, commanding the nanonites to clasp onto the man's wrist, twisting his arm back behind him.

Rumlow attempted to turn back, nearly snapping his arm in the process, using his other arm, covered with another specialised gauntlet, to punch Tony in the chest.

Tony stood his ground. The Mark 50 was highly durable, not as strong as the Mark 85, but enough to deal with insignificant threats like the terrorist before him.

Rumlow tried again, struggling to free himself from the iron grip.

"I gave you an option. I suggest you take it," reiterated Tony. He knew Rumlow wore a suicide vest. If he was going to detonate it, inside this building would be better. All the explosive materials were gone. The only people injured would be the attackers. If Rumlow managed to escape…

"Never!" From Rumlow's free arm, a large knife slid out of their holdings and he swiped along Tony's mask, barely grazing the faceplate. And then he pulled, hard, snapping his own wrist as he pulled free from Tony's grip on his other arm. Rumlow stepped back, breathing hard. "He should have been here instead of you!"

He means Steve… Tony realised.

"If I can't escape then I can cause as much damage as possible!"

Tony spied the detonator button as Rumlow turned and ran, out of the lab and towards the nearest window.

"Shit!" Tony fired his thrusters and flew forward. "Steve! Incoming!"

Tony spread his arms and grabbed Rumlow around the waist as the man reached the window and leapt out of it, depressing the detonator at the same time. Instead of falling, Tony flew out into the open air as his whole body was encased in hot heat as something tore apart in front of him. He felt intense burning through the suit and then the nanonites were blasted away, exposing his flesh to the air, as heat swept over and through him. He was thrown back by the force of the blast, windows shattering behind him and he fell through the air until he hit the ground with a sickening thud.

Natasha twisted her body, her legs wrapped around one of her attacker's neck, punching them on the head as she swung them down, flipping back away from them and sliding one leg underneath and tripping another attacker up.

Her earpiece crackled and Tony's voice came over the line: "Steve! Incoming!" That could mean only one thing. Rumlow was on his way…

There was an almighty crash overhead as Rumlow leaped out of the third-floor window but then Tony was there, grabbing hold of Rumlow as his body exploded spectacularly. Tony was thrown away from the force of the blast and she could see his suit melt in the devastating heat of the explosion, exposing the front of his body to the debris and flesh and blood of Rumlow's body and parts of the Institute as the windows around it shattered from the heat. The building shook and a part of the wall crumbled forward, landing in the foyer in front of her.

Tony was thrown back, his body falling before he hit the floor with a thud.

"Tony!" Natasha scrambled for her feet and rushed over to him. He was lying completely still, half of his suit torn away from the force of the blast and his face was slightly burned and bleeding. "Come on, Stark, don't do this to me! I still need you!" She felt for his pulse and was relieved to find a strong heartbeat at the base of his throat. Relief swept through her. Not all was lost. Though how Tony had got here…

No, she'd dwell on it later.

She hadn't expected him to turn up.

She'd been expecting someone else.

"Why do you… still need… me…? Agent… Romanoff?" coughed Tony as he opened his eyes slowly, coughing.

"No reason," she said. Now was not the time.

"Stark!" Steve was running over, as was Wanda and Sam. "Is he alright?"

Natasha nodded. "He is. He just got caught in Rumlow's suicide bomb," she smiled, relieved. "But he stopped it from becoming something worse. If Tony hadn't been inside the building when he attacked…"

"Rumlow could have escaped and caused a lot of damage in the marketplace," relented Steve. "You were right, Tony, about where he intended to hit."

Tony winced as he tried to sit up. "Yeah, well, maybe you'll listen to me more, now."

Natasha couldn't help but chuckle. "Come on, you've averted a wider catastrophe. You need medical."

Thankfully Tony had only suffered minor burns, his suit having taken the majority of the explosion as it was ripped from him in the blast. On the ride back to the Avengers Facility, Tony had spent the flight with a cold compress over parts of his face, arms and chest where the explosion had most affected, after running cold water over the areas first. He took some antibiotics to reduce infection and instructed Friday to order in a soothing cream which would help the skin heal faster. The damage was not too severe once he was cleaned up.

Once they arrived back at the facility, Tony asked Steve to write a report for him as he could use it with his negotiations regarding the Accords. He promised Steve they would sit down and discuss the positives and negatives of such a panel operating the Avengers, but first he needed to rest and heal from his injuries first.

Making his way slowly to his room, Tony sat on the edge of his bed, glancing around. He'd prevented a wider tragedy from occurring. The Wakandan Aid Relief workers hadn't died. He'd stopped Rumlow from ever reaching the marketplace and becoming a danger, and therefore ensured Wanda did not use her powers to throw Rumlow away. Though the original incident had been unfortunate, Tony had wanted to avoid that specific situation again, because it was partly the reason why the Accords had been pushed quicker through the processes to become law. Now, the Accords wouldn't be implemented as quickly, meaning T'Challa's father wouldn't die at the signing of the Accords.

Just one simple change had a butterfly effect.

One thing did nag at him, however: the enigma that was Natasha Romanoff.

He'd already suspected something off about her. She had seemed quite relieved he was still alive after the blast and some of the words she'd said to him, as he stirred from consciousness, resonated with him, and his suspicions had been raised further.

If I died and came back here, why not Nat too?

He heard movement from behind him as his door to his quarters opened and soft footsteps entered.

"Hello Tony," Natasha said.

Tony turned slowly to face her, taking in her soft red hair around her shoulders and her green eyes shining brightly, a gentle smile on her face.

He leaned back, a teasing smile at the corner of his lips. "Tell me, Agent Romanoff, how was Vormir?"