For

Narrator's POV

"The hell happened to this planet?" Quill asked holding up a yellow glowing gadget. "It's eight degrees off it's axis. The gravitational pull is all over the place." He said, walking around.

"Yeah, we got one advantage. He's coming to us." Tony said, looking at Quill.

Meanwhile Peter stood behind him, watching Mantis enjoy the absence of gravity in the planet.

"We'll use it. All right, I have a plan." Tony turned to Peter and Mantis. Quill followed him. "Or at least the beginnings of one."

Quill looked over at Mantis, but quickly looked away as Tony turned to him. Peter continued to watch Mantis. "It's pretty simple. We draw him in, pin him down, get what we need. Definitely don't wanna dance with this guy. We just want the gauntlet." Tony looked to his left. "Are you yawning?" He asked Drax, who was indeed yawing. Mantis watched Drax yawned. "In the middle of this, while I'm breaking it down? Huh? Did you hear what I said?"

Drax looked at Mantis, then back at Tony. "I stopped listening after you said, "We need a plan"."

Tony turned to Quill and pointed at Drax. "Okay, Mr. Clean is on his own page."

"See, "not winging it" isn't really what they do." Quill said.

"Uh..." Peter turned to Quill and pointed at Drax and Mantis. "What exactly is it that they do?"

"Kick names, take ass." Mantis said.

"Yeah, that's right." Drax nodded.

Tony stared at them with disappointment. He was quiet for a couple of minutes. He was so done. His eyes slowly fell to the ground. He sighed. "All right, just get over here, please." He looked over at Quill. "Mr. Lord, can you get your folks to circle up?"

Quill tossed his head. "Mr. Lord." Star-Lord is fine." He said. He nodded at Mantis and Drax. They joined the group.

"We gotta coalesce. 'Cause if all we come at him is with plucky attitude..."

"Dude, don't call us plucky." Quill shook his head. "We don't know what it means." Tony looked at him, offended. "All right, we're optimistic, yes. I like your plan. Expect it sucks, so let me do the plan...and that way it might be really good."

"Tell him about the dance-off to save the universe." Drax said. Everyone looked at Quill.

"What dance-off?" Tony asked.

Quill stammered. "It's nothing."

"Like in Footloose, the movie?" Peter asked.

"Exactly like Footloose." Quill spoke. He was just blown away by the fact someone else finally knew what things he was into. Peter looked at his dad, then back at Quill. "Is it still the greatest movie in history?" He asked.

"It never was." Peter answered. Quill squinted his eyes at Peter.

"Don't encourage this, all right?" Tony turned to Peter, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Okay." Peter said.

"We're getting no help from Flash Gordon here." Tony said, standing in front of Peter now.

"Flash Gordon?" Quill asked. Tony turned to him. "By the way, that's a compliment. Don't forget, I'm half human. So that 50% of me that's stupid..." Tony gave him a small nod. "That's 100% you." Quill pointed at Tony and Peter.

"Your math is blowing my mind." Tony said.

"Excuse me." Mantis spoke suddenly, interrupting the conversation between Tony and Quill. Everyone turned to her. She turned the opposite direction of everyone. "But does your friend often do that?" She asked, looking at Stephen.

Tony looked at his husband. "Strange, we all right?"

Stephen was levitating, shifting his head in all directions very quickly. The Time Stone was glowing green. He groaned. Tony walked over to him. Suddenly Stephen's eyes sprung open. He gasped, falling toward the ground. Tony caught him. He panted in his husband's grasp.

"You're back. You're all right." Tony said, he was worried for his husband.

"Hi." Stephen continued panting.

"Hey, what was that?" Peter was also very worried for his dad.

Stephen turned to him. "I went forward in time to view alternate futures." He explained, panting for breath between every word. "To see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict."

"How many did you see?" Quill asked, concerned. Everyone was concerned now.

"Fourteen million six hundred and five." Stephen said, looking up at him.

Tony looked at his husband. "How many did we win?" He asked.

Stephen looked at him. There was fear in his eyes. Tony knew that look. Stephen was quiet for a moment. He took in a deep breath while looking into Tony's eyes. "One." He said.

///0///0

"Tony." Stephen said, following Tony.

Tony had excused himself from the group and walked away, into a deep crater in the planet. Stephen followed him.

"Tony." Stephen said again. "Tony, stop." He reached for Tony. "Listen to me." He placed a hand on his husband's shoulder.

"Let go of me Stephen." Tony pulled away from Stephen. He turned to him.

"Tony." Stephen said.

"You lied to me." Tony said, tears of anger pooled in his eyes. "You knew all of the upcoming events that are going to happen, and you still lied to me."

"Tony I-"

"Now, I don't know what's going to happen to you or Peter or anyone else. You knew." He approached Stephen. "You knew." He poked his finger at Stephen's chest.

"Yes, I lied." Stephen admitted. "I only did it to protect you from hurting."

"That's what you always say, but instead, you end up hurting me more." Tony swung at Stephen. He hit him right in the mouth. Tony's eyes filled with fear as he realized what he had just done.

Stephen grunted and put a hand to his mouth. He pulled it away and inspected it for blood. There was blood. "Tony..." He said.

"Stephen..." Tony went over to him. He placed his hand on his husband's cheek. "I-I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me. I-I just... I didn't- I wasn't..."

"Hey, hey." Stephen put a hand over Tony's. Tony looked up a him. "It's okay. It's okay." He gave him a soft smile. Tears began to run down Stephen's cheek. Tony's face grew sad, very sad. Tears poured out of his eyes. "It's all right." Stephen whispered with a voice of silk.

"No, it's not." Tony sobbed.

Stephen pulled him close for an embrace. He placed his chin on Tony's head. "I know, but it is what it is." He whispered.

Tony sobbed quietly in his chest. "Stephen..." Stephen was listening. "I'm sacred." He said, shakily.

Stephen rubbed his back gently. "I know. Me too."