"So I died in this universe?"
Tony's voice was quieter than before as they stood in the woods not far from the cabin, the sounds of the forest surrounding them while the house remained visible through the trees.
Luke glanced toward a tree split apart by lightning sometime in the past. "Well, Tony, did you really think being a superhero always ends well?"
Tony didn't answer immediately.
"You should know better than most people. There have already been situations where you nearly died." Luke's tone remained calm.
"Fate doesn't always favor heroes. It doesn't always favor good people either. Sometimes people simply pay the price for the choices they make."
Tony looked down for a moment. The words weren't wrong. Afghanistan. New York. Countless battles. He had always known there would eventually be a day when luck ran out.
"So you're saying I could end up like that too?"
"Yes." There was no point sugarcoating it, and Tony appreciated that much.
"However, you don't need to worry about facing something on that scale while I'm around. But that's not why I brought you here."
"Then why?"
"Because I want you to understand something." Luke folded his arms.
"No matter how prepared you are. No matter how powerful you become. If you stop being careful, you die."
America stood nearby listening. After several minutes of what sounded suspiciously like a life lesson, she couldn't help herself. "Ummm... I feel like I'm sitting through a class."
Luke gave her a stern look. "Do you think life is a joke?"
America instantly went quiet. The look alone told her he wasn't joking.
"The point I'm making applies to you too. You've spent your whole life running. You've survived because you're lucky, adaptable, and stubborn. Eventually luck runs out."
America looked away. She didn't like hearing it. Mostly because she knew it was true.
"No matter how prepared you are, death is always one mistake away."
The forest went quiet. Even America had nothing to say.
Eventually Tony broke the silence. "So can you do anything about the Tony of this universe?"
Luke looked toward the house. Pepper was there. Morgan was there. They had spent a year without him. Despite everything, Tony couldn't help feeling bad for them.
"I can."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Luke casually snapped his fingers. Space rippled beside them and a second Tony Stark appeared, stumbling slightly before catching his balance.
His expression was completely confused. The last thing he remembered was the battlefield, the Infinity Stones, the snap. Then nothing. Now he was standing in the middle of a forest.
"What the hell?" He looked around. Then he saw Luke. Then another Tony. Then America. His confusion increased dramatically.
Luke pointed at him. "Welcome back to your new life."
The second Tony stared at Luke, then at his alternate self, then back at Luke. "Why is there another me?"
Luke immediately stepped back. "Nope." He pointed toward the original Tony. "Explain."
Then toward the resurrected one.
"And you, listen." He folded his arms.
"I'm not in the mood." For once he had absolutely no intention of explaining the situation himself. That problem belonged entirely to Tony Stark.
After that, Tony spent several minutes explaining the situation to his variant. At first Variant Tony thought it was an elaborate joke. Then a hallucination.
Then he considered the possibility he was still dead and this was some strange afterlife. Eventually, after enough explanations and several demonstrations from Luke, he accepted reality. Or at least accepted that reality had stopped making sense.
"So let me get this straight," Variant Tony said, rubbing his forehead. "You're me from another universe."
"Yes."
"And Luke brought you here."
"Yes."
"And he also brought me back from the dead."
"Yes."
Variant Tony slowly looked toward Luke. He had spent years working alongside gods, aliens, artificial intelligence, and time travel. Yet Luke somehow still managed to break his understanding of reality.
He let out a breath. "Thanks, I guess." It wasn't particularly eloquent — he genuinely didn't know how you were supposed to thank someone for returning your life.
Luke waved the gratitude away. "Yeah, no need. Bringing you back isn't exactly difficult."
Variant Tony wasn't sure if that statement was reassuring or terrifying.
"But remember one thing from now on." Both Tonys looked at him. He pointed at Variant Tony.
"Be careful."
Then at the other.
"Actually, that applies to both of you." His expression turned slightly exasperated.
"You two share the same annoying habit." Both Tonys already knew where this was going. "You both think sacrificing yourselves is a reasonable solution."
Neither argued. Which was answer enough.
Luke sighed. "See? That's exactly what I'm talking about."
"In my defense, half the universe was at stake," Variant Tony said.
"In my defense," Tony added, "it's usually something important."
Luke stared at both of them. The fact that they sounded completely serious only made it worse.
"Normal people don't use those sentences as defenses."
Both Tonys exchanged a glance, then looked back at him. Neither appeared convinced.
Luke knew this conversation was hopeless. "Forget it." Then he looked directly at Variant Tony.
"I brought back Tony Stark, not Iron Man. Make sure you remember that."
His tone was calm but firm.
"Because if I come back one day and find you dead again because you decided to sacrifice yourself for something, I'll bring you back." Variant Tony wasn't sure if that was supposed to be comforting.
"But the second time will be horrendous."
Both Tonys stared at him.
"I'm serious."
For a few moments nobody spoke. Then Luke looked toward the house where Pepper and Morgan were. "I hate irresponsible fathers."
His voice wasn't loud. It was simply matter-of-fact.
"Your daughter already spent a year without you. She doesn't need to spend another one."
*****
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