"Impersonate… myself?"
Tony stared at Scott Lang like the idea had just walked in wearing his face and asked for coffee.
Around them, the others exchanged glances. It sounded insane.
Which, in their line of work, meant it might actually work.
Tony hesitated. This wasn't a harmless trick. If he got caught, the consequences wouldn't just be bad. They'd be catastrophic.
"Well?" Scott pressed, practically vibrating with anticipation.
Tony exhaled slowly. "...I'll try."
Scott grinned. "That's the spirit. Look, theoretically, there are three Infinity Stones in New York right now. If this works, you grab the Space Stone and the Mind Stone. We'll handle the Time Stone with Doctor Strange."
Out in deep space, silence had reclaimed the battlefield.
Fragments of Chitauri warships drifted like shattered glass, forming a glowing web of wreckage around Noah Vale. Hundreds of destroyed vessels, all reduced to debris in minutes.
He scanned the area one last time.
Nothing alive.
Satisfied, he angled downward and shot back toward Earth.
He landed lightly in front of Tony and the others, as if he'd just stepped out for fresh air instead of dismantling an alien armada.
"Shame," Noah said. "Didn't run into Thanos. Would've saved us some trouble."
Tony gave him a long look. Most beings in the universe spent their lives hoping they'd never cross paths with Thanos.
This guy was disappointed he missed him.
Noah snapped his fingers.
The world shifted.
In an instant, they were back inside the White House.
"When people start developing abilities on a global scale," Noah said casually, "you'll want to invest heavily in aerospace. Earth's… a bit small."
It sounded like a suggestion.
It wasn't.
Then he vanished again.
The kind of casual statement that would quietly redirect the future of an entire planet.
Back in New York, the battlefield had gone eerily quiet.
With Noah gone, Ebony Maw and a handful of scientists remained behind, overseeing the aftermath.
Then—
Tony Stark walked in.
Again.
Ebony Maw frowned slightly, holding the scepter tipped with the Mind Stone. "Master… you've returned?"
Tony didn't miss a beat. "Yeah, turns out Noah forgot to collect the Stones. I'm here to pick them up."
Outwardly annoyed.
Internally, very relieved.
No alarms. No suspicion.
He stepped forward, trying not to overthink how surreal this was. In his world, Ebony Maw had been an enemy. Here, the alien stood obediently, addressing him like a loyal servant.
Even stranger, Maw was holding the Mind Stone… while clearly under its influence.
And the Space Stone?
Just sitting there, practically unattended.
Noah's version of "security" was… generous.
"As you wish," Ebony Maw said, bowing slightly.
With a subtle motion of the scepter, the portal collapsed. As it closed, the Space Stone revealed itself, hovering briefly before being secured in a case and handed over.
Tony took it quickly. Too quickly.
"Right. I'll take the scepter too," he added, extending his hand.
Now holding both Stones, he felt a flicker of disbelief.
That was it?
Just like that?
Two Infinity Stones, handed over without a fight.
"Ebony Maw," a voice suddenly cut in, "I forgot to mention—make sure the Stones are delivered to—"
A hologram flickered to life mid-sentence.
Tony Stark.
The real one.
Both versions froze.
The air thickened instantly.
The holographic Tony blinked, eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.
"…Mystique?" he said, tilting his head. "Really? You're doing me now? What, trying to get closer to Noah after striking out the normal way?"
Ebony Maw reacted instantly. "Master! This impostor just took the Stones!"
Stone slabs ripped free from the ground, launching toward the fake Tony under Maw's telekinetic control.
Too slow.
The future Tony's suit snapped into place in a blur of nanotech, energy building in his chest.
A beam of blue light erupted outward, vaporizing the incoming debris.
Then he moved.
The Mind Stone scepter struck Ebony Maw square in the chest again.
Control reasserted.
New master.
Tony exhaled sharply. "Okay… not ideal, but I'm not dead."
Close enough to a win.
He didn't hesitate. His thumb pressed against the device on his wrist, preparing to jump back to his own timeline.
The suit shifted, red and white plating locking into place as the temporal gateway began to form.
Then—
"Planning to run?"
The holographic Tony's voice was calm now. Flat.
Cold.
Future Tony paused, hand hovering over the activation control.
"What, threatening me?" he shot back, turning to face himself.
"Not a threat," the other Tony replied evenly. "Advice."
He stepped closer, projection stabilizing.
"You should think about your family."
The words landed heavier than any weapon.
"I haven't reported this to Noah yet," he continued. "That means there's still a way to fix this."
A beat.
"But if he finds out someone stole from him… that's when this turns into a real problem."
Inside the White House, the real Tony stood in a corridor, arms folded as he spoke through the projection.
Nearby, Wilson Fisk remained inside a development chamber, undergoing ability activation.
Rodriguez approached, noticing Tony's expression. "You look like something's off."
Tony didn't look away from the projection. "Just a thief who picked the wrong house. I'm giving him a chance to do the smart thing before I escalate."
Back in New York, the standoff held.
Tony's projection spoke again, voice steady.
"Whatever your reason for taking the Stones, put them down. Walk away. Otherwise, the second you leave that building, I report this."
He let that sink in.
"And then you better hope Noah finds you quickly. Because every second you waste… things get worse for everyone connected to you."
Future Tony's jaw tightened.
"I'm borrowing them," he said. "I'll return them."
"Yeah, that's not how this works," the other Tony replied. "You don't skip the process just because it's convenient. That's how the world falls apart."
A pause.
"If you've got a problem, you bring it to me. If it makes sense, I might even help."
Ebony Maw, now obedient once more, nodded along. "The master speaks wisely. Offending Noah Vale… is not advisable."
Silence stretched between two identical men.
One holding the universe's most dangerous objects.
The other holding something arguably worse.
Leverage.