The tent entrance opened again. Captain America entered. His expression showed relief when he saw Tony awake.
"Tony. Good to see you conscious."
"Steve. Good to be conscious." Tony tried to sit up. Pain flared. He winced.
"Don't move too fast." Steve moved closer. "Strange said you need at least another day before you're fully healed."
"I'll be fine. My healing factor is working overtime." Tony settled back against the pillows. "What's the situation? Casualties? Damage assessment?"
"Strange used the Time Stone. Brought back everyone who died in the final battle. Within a five-mile radius of Cairo. Twelve-hour window." Steve's voice was heavy. "But the global casualties remain. 2.1 billion dead over the five months Apocalypse was active. We couldn't reverse that without risking bringing him back."
Tony nodded. He'd expected as much. "That was the right call. Limited restoration. Save who we can without undoing the victory."
"It still hurts." Steve said quietly. "Knowing we can't save everyone."
"It always does." Tony agreed. "But we saved Earth. That has to count for something."
"It does. You saved Earth. You specifically. By yourself." Steve's expression was serious. "What you did out there. That armor. Those abilities. Tony, you fought at a level we've never seen before. You beat a god-tier threat single-handedly."
"Not single-handedly." Tony corrected. "Everyone played their part. The resonators. The power array. The dimensional severance. The telepathic network. All of it was necessary. I just delivered the final blow."
"A final blow that required power akin to Infinity Stone and....your new found abilities." Steve said. "Tony, you've become something unprecedented. I dare say you are now Earth's greatest defender. But that kind of power. It comes with responsibility. And risk."
Tony understood what Steve was really asking. "You want to know if I'm going to become a threat."
"I want to know if you're okay. If the power you've gained has changed who you are." Steve's voice was gentle. "Because the Tony Stark I know wouldn't have sacrificed his advantage for one person. He would have calculated the odds and made the hard choice."
"That Tony Stark didn't have someone he loved." Tony glanced at Pepper. "Didn't have a child on the way. Didn't understand what it meant to have something more important than winning."
Steve smiled slightly. "Then you're still you. That's good. That's really good."
"But I'm not telling you everything." Tony said bluntly. "Some things need to stay private."
"I understand." Steve nodded. "Just promise me that if something goes wrong, if anything you face becomes too much, you'll ask for help."
"I promise."
Steve turned to leave. Then paused. "By the way. You're officially the Iron Man now. Social media won't let Ultron stick. They want Iron Man."
"Yeah, I heard." Tony sighed. "Guess I'm stuck with it."
"Could be worse." Steve grinned. "Could have been Iron Dude."
He left. Pepper laughed quietly. "He's right. Iron Man is better than Iron Dude."
"Not a high bar." Tony muttered.
Over the next few hours, various heroes visited. Black Widow. Hawkeye. Falcon. Daredevil. Iron Fist. Shang-Chi. All of them expressing relief he was alive. All of them thanking him for the victory.
Captain Peggy Carter visited. Her expression was professional but her eyes showed emotion. "Well done, Stark. You've proven yourself as Earth's primary defender. That's quite an accomplishment."
"Just doing my job." Tony replied.
"Your job originally was being a genius billionaire. Saving the world is a bonus." Peggy smiled. "But seriously. Well done."
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