.ೃ࿔*:･𝐱𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐢. with you i serve, with you i fall down

𝐒𝐔𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐋𝐘, 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐁𝐘 𝐎𝐍𝐄, 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐒' 𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐘 began to disintegrate into the air like dust in the wind. Their monstrous forms, once looming and menacing, crumbled into nothing. Ingrid forced herself up, wincing as every muscle screamed in protest. She propped herself up just enough to sit, eyes wide as she scanned the battlefield. The chaos was over, yet a deafening silence filled the void.

Her gaze shifted to Thanos, who sat on a rock, his massive frame eerily still. His once proud, unyielding posture seemed to sag. He blinked slowly, his eyes fixed on the ground as if he, too, was absorbing the magnitude of what had just happened. His shoulders trembled, then began to dissolve, the ash lifting off like a whisper on the breeze.

As his body crumbled away, Thanos bowed his head. For just a moment, Ingrid thought she saw something in his eyes—sorrow, perhaps, or maybe the faintest hint of regret. But before she could think on it further, his form fully disintegrated, the ashes carried away by the wind. The last trace of him vanished.

Tony staggered forward, the gauntlet no longer sparking but his body bearing the cost. His right arm hung limp, fatally injured, the charred remnants of the gauntlet fused to his skin. He stumbled, his legs buckling beneath him as he leaned heavily against a slab of broken concrete. With his left hand, he tried to steady himself, but the strength was fading. He collapsed against the debris, sliding down to sit on the ground.

Ingrid’s heart lurched as she saw Tony fall. Despite the agony coursing through her own body, she pushed herself up, sheer willpower driving her forward. Pain exploded through her limbs, but she ignored it, her mind focused on one thing: reaching him. She ran across the battlefield, falling to her knees in front of him with a harsh thud.

For a moment, she could only stare. His face— half of it —was blackened, the skin charred and cracked, his right arm a ruin of flesh and metal. The sight twisted something deep in her chest, guilt clawing at her insides. She had been right there, fighting beside him, but she hadn’t been able to protect him. The weight of that failure settled heavily on her.

Her hand hovered above him, trembling. She didn’t know where to touch him, didn’t know how to comfort him without causing more pain. She wanted so desperately to help, to take away the agony she could see etched into every line of his face. But what could she do? Where could she even begin?

Finally, her hand settled gently on his uninjured shoulder, the only place she felt she wouldn’t hurt him. The warmth of her touch, one that she knew could reach him through his metal suit, was the only thing she had left to offer.

“Tony…” Her voice cracked, and she hated how weak she sounded. The tears spilled before she could stop them, her chest heaving with the weight of everything left unsaid. She tried to speak again, but the words wouldn’t come, her throat choked by emotion. Her eyes, now red and swollen from crying, met his.

"I forgive you."

The words came out as a whisper, but they carried the weight of all the anger, the resentment, and the bitterness that had been festering between them for so long. Her lips trembled into a tight smile, but it was broken, barely holding together. She forced herself to say it again, louder this time.

“I forgive you, Tony."

Tony managed a weak smile, his lips trembling as blood seeped out, painting them in deep red. Ingrid’s heart twisted at the sight, but she forced herself to smile back at him, mirroring his small, broken expression. Her own pain was a dull ache compared to the raw agony she saw etched into every line of Tony’s face.

Rhodey flew in moments later, his landing heavy with the knowledge that something was wrong. His armor clanged as he approached, the usual confidence in his stride replaced by a hesitance Ingrid had never seen before. She stepped aside, giving him room to kneel next to Tony. His gaze fell, his strong, stoic exterior shattering as he knelt down. He bowed his head, his body slumping under the weight of the moment. He knew. They all did. There was no saving Tony now.

Ingrid barely registered Peter’s voice at first, a familiar sound laced with a pain so deep that it cut through the chaos around them. "Mr. Stark?" His voice wavered, and Ingrid’s chest tightened. She couldn’t look at him. Not yet.

Slowly, she turned her head, her tear-filled eyes meeting Peter’s as he ran toward them. He looked so terrified, the weight of everything they had lost evident in his wide, red-rimmed eyes. She didn’t have the heart to say the words out loud, so she shook her head, just once, hoping it was enough.

Peter’s face crumpled, his body shaking as he fell to his knees beside Tony. "Hey—Mr. Stark?" His voice was thick, the words catching in his throat as he desperately tried to hold it together. "Can you hear me? It's Peter. Hey…" His voice cracked, trembling with emotion. "We won, Mr. Stark. We won." His voice grew more frantic with each repetition, as if saying it more would make Tony stay. "You did it, sir. You did it…"

But Tony said nothing. His eyes were half-open, staring but not really seeing. Peter leaned closer, his voice breaking as tears spilled down his cheeks. "I'm sorry—Tony—"

Ingrid felt her heart splinter at the sound of Peter's sobs, the helplessness in his voice tearing through her like a knife. She wanted to do something— anything —but there was nothing anyone could do. Tony’s fate was sealed.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ingrid saw Pepper approaching, her steps slow and measured, though her face told a different story.

Ingrid placed a trembling hand on Peter’s shoulder. "Come on," she whispered, her voice barely audible. Peter shook his head, not wanting to leave, but Ingrid gently pulled him back. "Let them have a moment," she said, her voice breaking on the last word.

Peter reluctantly let her lead him away, his shoulders shaking as he fought to contain the sobs wracking his body. Ingrid pulled him into a weak hug, her arms around him as tightly as she could manage. It wasn’t enough. Nothing she could do would be enough. She rubbed his back, her fingers tracing slow circles as his tears soaked into her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Pete," she whispered, her voice cracking. But even as she said it, she knew it wasn't enough. There were no words for this kind of grief.

Pepper knelt in front of Tony, her movements slow and deliberate, like she was trying to memorize every second, every breath. She reached for his hand, squeezing it gently as she looked into his eyes. Despite the tears brimming in her own, she smiled— soft, warm, full of love. "Hey," she whispered, her voice breaking the silence between them.

Tony’s lips moved, barely a whisper escaping. "Hey, Pep," he croaked, his voice faint and weak, but it was there, just enough to break both of their hearts.

Pepper gently placed her hand on Tony’s Arc Reactor. It flickered, weak but still fighting, just like Tony. He barely had the strength, but he managed to lift his hand and rest it over hers. His touch was feather-light, his hand trembling as he struggled to hold on.

Pepper swallowed the lump in her throat as she took in the full extent of his injuries. The armor, the technology, none of it had been enough this time. He had given everything, and there was nothing left to give.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y.?" Pepper asked, her voice tight but steady. She needed to hear it, even though she already knew.

The AI’s voice was soft, almost reluctant. "Life functions critical."

Tony’s lips quirked into a weak, bittersweet smile, his eyes filled with unshed tears. They both knew. They had known from the moment he used the gauntlet, but now the reality was settling in. This was it. His time was running out.

"Tony." Pepper’s voice softened as she leaned closer, her free hand brushing gently against his cheek. "Look at me." Her words were firm but filled with love, her tone urging him to focus, to really see her one last time. She smiled at him, her eyes shining with tears she refused to let fall. "We’re gonna be okay," she whispered, her voice steady even though her heart was breaking. "You can rest now."

Tony blinked slowly, his gaze lingering on her face. There was a brief flicker of relief, a peace that washed over him as he gave her a small, almost imperceptible nod.

The Arc Reactor in his chest flickered weakly, the glow fading until, after a few heartbeats, it went out for good. His hand slid off hers slowly, hitting the ground with a dull thud. The sound echoed in the silence, final and irrevocable.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. The world seemed to pause, as if even time itself had stopped to acknowledge what had just happened. Pepper’s hand trembled as she kept it over his now lifeless chest, her breath hitching. She leaned in close, her lips brushing against his cold cheek as she pressed a long, lingering kiss there. She stayed there for a moment, as though holding on to the last piece of him she could, before pulling back.

Her face twisted with anguish, her body shaking with the force of the grief that tore through her. She didn’t try to stop the tears now, letting them flow freely as she clutched his lifeless hand, no longer caring who was watching.

And then, as if in reverence, Steve stepped forward. He lowered himself to one knee, his head bowed in silent respect. For a moment, he didn’t move, just knelt there, acknowledging Tony’s ultimate sacrifice.

Each of them followed, lowering themselves in honor of Tony, their collective grief and respect filling the space where words couldn’t. And for a moment, there was nothing but the sound of their silent tears, and the void Tony Stark had left behind.