Chapter 193 - The Great Reconciliation of Shield and Iron Century

"I've never believed in fate. I believe that my destiny is in my own hands," Tony Stark glanced at Loki, calmly stating.

"On this point, Tony and I share the same view," Steve Rogers said. "Tony started as a mere mortal, but with his intelligence and genius, he stood shoulder to shoulder with gods, becoming the protagonist of Earth and even this universe. Isn't that changing his fate as a mortal?"

"Captain, it seems we have some understanding," Tony Stark asked Steve Rogers, "So, you won't be the last one at my funeral, will you?"

"If you ask me now, my answer is that I won't necessarily be the last one," Steve Rogers replied. "But that's a future funeral, it hasn't happened yet. Who knows if there will be unexpected circumstances on that day? Maybe something unexpected will cause me to be absent."

"Yeah, with questions like this, there's no way to reason it out, right?" Bruce Banner said. "We don't even know if we'll hit traffic on the way to work tomorrow morning. How can we predict who will be the last to arrive at a funeral a few years from now?"

"It seems we can only rely on our gut feeling and pick one randomly," Tony Stark looked at the four options and finally settled on B. "I didn't expect the Winter Soldier to show up."

Seeing this name, Tony Stark's heart was filled with complex emotions. When he first found out that his parents were killed by this person, all he wanted was to avenge his parents by killing him.

But after half a year, he had started to calm down. He realized that Steve Rogers was right. Bucky Barnes had been controlled by mind manipulation, and the killings were not of his own volition. Strictly speaking, Bucky was also a victim.

However, principles aside, people had emotions, and absolute rationality was impossible. It was his parents who were killed, so how could Tony Stark easily forgive Bucky Barnes' actions? Forgiving Bucky Barnes would be equivalent to betraying his parents.

But if he killed Bucky Barnes, it would strain his relationship with Steve Rogers. Considering the looming threat of Thanos' sword, it wasn't a wise choice.

Sometimes, he felt that Bucky was innocent, and killing him like this would be unjust.

Should he forgive Bucky Barnes or not? Tony Stark was deeply conflicted.

"So, did my future self reconcile with Bucky Barnes? Otherwise, why would he attend my funeral?" Seeing Bucky Barnes at his funeral, Tony Stark seemed to understand the choice his future self had made.

Unreasonably, he felt a sense of relief in his heart.

"Tony, I know you don't want to hear it, but I still want to say it: Bucky is my best friend, and you are too," Steve Rogers stepped forward, facing Tony Stark and looking into his eyes, "Don't make me choose between the two of you. I don't want to lose either."

"Sounds like something a player would say to two girls he's been deceiving," Loki marveled, "You two really know how to play."

"Loki, shut up," Thor yelled, "Stop causing trouble! Otherwise, I'll have someone play that video!"

"Captain, I can spare Bucky, but I have a condition," Tony Stark took a deep breath and finally spoke.

"What condition?" Steve Rogers said with elation, "As long as you spare Bucky, I'll agree to anything."

"The mastermind behind my parents' death is Hydra. I want you to help me eliminate Hydra!" Tony Stark said each word deliberately, "Root them out completely, leave none behind!"

"Rest assured, Tony. I will definitely eliminate Hydra," Steve Rogers guaranteed.

"Not just Captain, Hydra is our common enemy. We won't stand idly by either," Natasha Romanoff said.

"That's right, Tony. You've never been alone in this fight, so don't bear it all on your shoulders," Nick Fury's voice turned cold. "We were focused on the Battle of New York before, but now that it's over, it's time to completely eradicate this serpent."

"Fury, do you have a list of all Hydra operatives?" Stephen Strange asked.

"Not yet, but don't worry, we have Wanda," Nick Fury said. "Wanda can enter their minds. None of them will escape."

"Don't worry, everyone. Not a single one will be overlooked," Wanda Maximoff said.

"Alright, after this round of answering questions, we'll start working on eradicating them," Nick Fury explained the plan briefly, "Wanda will start secretly and gather the list. Once the list is complete, we'll all strike together with full force to eliminate them!"

"Alright, Fury, let's do it that way," Tony Stark said in a solemn tone.

"This question, it's about the Guardians of the Galaxy again," Pietro Maximoff, who had been standing quietly by Wanda Maximoff's side, spoke up, "I wonder who they are."

"We still don't know who they are, but since they came to attend Tony's funeral, the Guardians of the Galaxy are our friends," Stephen Strange paused for a moment and then thought of something, "Could there be new enemies?"

"Stephen, why would you say that?" Steve Rogers asked.

"The Guardians of the Galaxy couldn't have just known Tony for no reason. They must have fought together, just like us," Stephen Strange slowly said, "But during the battle against Thanos, we never saw the Guardians of the Galaxy. So, I can't help but speculate if they joined forces with us against some other enemy."

"Stephen, your speculation is quite unsettling," T'Challa felt uneasy after hearing this, "Thanos and Dormammu weren't enough? Now there might be new enemies?"

"I'm just guessing," Stephen Strange replied, "There's no evidence to support my theory."

"I think we might have seen the Guardians of the Galaxy before..." Bruce Banner suddenly said.

"Seen them?" Clint Barton asked, "When? Where?"

"Remember that talking raccoon?" Bruce Banner helped everyone recall, "There's a future where Thor and the others travel on a ship to decapitate Thanos, and that ship belongs to that raccoon. Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy... First, they would need a means of interstellar travel, right? That raccoon has such a means of travel. So, I'm wondering if that raccoon could be a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy?"

"And there's that blue-skinned robot-like girl. She seems to be with the raccoon, too. She should also be a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy!" Bruce Banner reminded, and as soon as he mentioned it, Tony Stark immediately thought of Nebula.

"If they are indeed the Guardians of the Galaxy, then that's good news," Stephen Strange said, "We joined forces against Thanos and haven't encountered any new enemies."

"Yeah, it's good news," Tony Stark made his choice, "It seems the Guardians of the Galaxy are the farthest from us, so I'll choose them. I'll go with option D!"

"Answer incorrect! Deduct one year of lifespan!"

Getting the answer wrong wasn't unexpected. After all, it was all guesswork to begin with. Getting it right would have been lucky, and being wrong wasn't worth regretting.

"Look at this, people from outer space managed to arrive early, but some of you managed to be the last ones. Don't you feel ashamed?" Tony Stark joked about his own death.

This time, the video was quite special. It began with soothing music even before anyone appeared.

With the music playing, a Quinjet soared through the sky and landed beside a white house.

The door opened, and a little girl walked out, looking into the distance with a smile on her face.

Clint Barton descended from the Quinjet, and the little girl and a young boy rushed over, throwing themselves into Clint Barton's arms, the three of them embracing tightly.

The scenes changed. In a school, presumably during recess, the school building was filled with students, bustling like ants.

And among the crowd, Peter Parker, the little Spider-Man, stood there. He turned his head to look in a certain direction, a smile forming on his lips.

In that direction, his good friend Ned stood. The two of them walked towards each other and shared a bear hug amidst the crowd, even though Ned was a big guy of over two hundred pounds, he cried like a child.

The scenes continued, showing Scott Lang with Hope and their daughter, Wakanda's Black Panther with his sister...

Inside the answering space, the group watched these scenes unfold. Many of them felt their noses tingling, seeing how happy and joyful those people were. It was truly a beautiful world, a world of happiness that everyone saw, but Tony Stark couldn't see.

That world without war, that happiness shared by everyone, was what Tony Stark had exchanged his life for.

Amidst these scenes of joy and happiness, Tony Stark's voice echoed.

"Everyone wants a happy ending, don't they?"

"But life is unpredictable."

"Perhaps this ending will be a happy one."

"I hope you're celebrating when you watch this playback."

"I hope that our family can reunite, and I hope that we can restore this planet to a somewhat normal version."

"If all these things really exist."

"Wow, the world is truly amazing, the universe is truly amazing."

"If you had told me ten years ago that we wouldn't be alone and that things would be this lively, I wouldn't have been surprised."

"But who could have imagined?"

"The epic forces of darkness and light take turns on the stage, whether good or bad, this is the reality that Morgan will grow up with."

"So, I think it's best to record this message, in case I die young, even though death always comes too early."

"The time travel we're attempting tomorrow is really uncertain whether we'll survive."

"But being a hero is like this, isn't it? The end is also part of the journey."

"What am I messing around for? Everything will turn out as planned." Tony Stark stood up, gazing affectionately at his daughter. A smile appeared on his lips. "I love you three thousand times."

Tony Stark had passed away. This Tony Stark wasn't a real person, but a prerecorded video projected from his helmet.

After the heroes watched this video, the funeral began. Pepper Potts held flowers, one hand held Morgan, and they pushed a small floral boat into the water.

On the boat was placed an Arc Reactor, with the words "Stark Has a Warm Heart" written on it. This Arc Reactor was the one that Tony Stark had discarded initially, then retrieved by Pepper Potts and returned to him. It was this "warm heart" that had given Tony Stark a second chance at life.

Then, the camera switched to the lakeside, where a crowd of heroes had gathered for the funeral.

At the forefront were, without a doubt, Tony Stark's wife, Pepper Potts, and their daughter, Morgan. Behind them stood Happy and James Rhodes, two close friends.

Captain America, Steve Rogers, followed closely behind, and then came Spider-Man, Peter Parker, and the alluring Aunt May. Thor with his long beard, the Hulk with his arm in a sling, Bruce Banner, and the solemn Stephen Strange...

It was a gathering of superheroes, whether familiar or unfamiliar, almost all were present.

As expected, the Guardians of the Galaxy appeared. Apart from the two members that had been speculated before, there were a few unfamiliar faces.

But what caught Tony Stark's attention the most was the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes. He was wearing a jacket and stood between Wanda Maximoff and Sam Wilson.

Lastly, the "highlight" was Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers. She stood at the back of the crowd, silently gazing ahead.

Then, Nick Fury, with his hands in his pockets, walked slowly over and stood behind Carol Danvers.

The space dimmed, and the video ended there.

"Fury, it's you after all!" Tony Stark turned to Nick Fury and said, "Even aliens arrived earlier than you. Don't you feel sorry for me?"

"Maybe I was already here, just taking a breather on the side," Nick Fury shrugged. "The video only played for a short segment."

"Well, your reasons are quite valid, I forgive you," Tony Stark said. "This video is truly an unprecedented gathering of heroes. Almost all the heroes made an appearance."

"No, one person is missing," Clint Barton said.

"Do you have to say it?" Pietro Maximoff said helplessly.

"Yes, I have to say it, to keep you on your toes," Phil Coulson laughed. He turned to Pietro Maximoff and said, "If you hadn't been shot, you would definitely be part of this hero gathering."

"What I wanted to say is Natasha," Clint Barton said, "Why isn't Natasha here?"

"Pietro is absent because he sacrificed himself, so Natasha..." Bruce Banner's words were left unfinished, but everyone understood the meaning.

"Have I sacrificed myself too?" Natasha Romanoff didn't seem too surprised. After all, with an enemy as powerful as Thanos, it would be abnormal not to have casualties. "I just don't know how it happened."

"Maybe Natasha had something that kept her busy. There's no evidence to indicate that she sacrificed herself," Nick Fury said.

"Everyone, don't worry. Even if Natasha did sacrifice herself in this future, this outcome can definitely be rewritten," Stephen Strange said. "The current Natasha is much stronger than before."

"And I think if there was truly a sacrifice, the answer space will eventually play it out," Clint Barton said. "It can be rewritten."

"Some unfamiliar faces appeared," Wanda Maximoff saw Pietro Maximoff looking embarrassed and changed the subject. "The ones standing with the raccoon and the 'blue-skinned' person should be the other members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, right?"

"Probably. I looked closely, and their team members are really strange, one with red patterns all over the skin, one with tendrils on the forehead, and there's even a tree!" Stephen Strange said.

"But one of them looks exactly like a human, don't know if they are human or alien," Steve Rogers said.

"The most noteworthy one is the white-haired woman next to Hank Pym," Nick Fury said. "We thought she was dead, but she also appeared."

"Who is she?" Scott Lang asked. "I'm standing next to her, I should know."

"She's Janet Van Dyne, Hank Pym's wife, the original Wasp," Nick Fury said excitedly. "Tell Hank Pym this news, it should make up for that set of armor. This is much better for him than the conditions I originally promised."

"That little girl, the one named Morgan, is Tony's daughter, right?" Steve Rogers said. "Tony, congratulations, you have such a lovely daughter."

"This is probably the most worth celebrating thing in my life," Tony Stark thought of the adorable little girl in the video, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Tony, isn't this simple?" James Rhodes nudged Tony Stark, winking. "You're already married to Pepper now, just give it a little effort, and this will happen, right?"

"Not yet," Tony Stark shook his head. "Thanos hasn't been defeated yet. I don't want her to be born into a world facing such a huge threat."

"Shouldn't we discuss time travel?" Peter Parker raised his hand. "When Thanos was killed twice before, everyone denied the possibility of time travel, but now Mr. Stark specifically mentioned the term 'time travel.'"

"Since time travel was mentioned by Tony himself, then it can't be wrong. Our future did involve time travel," James Rhodes turned to Tony Stark. "So, Tony, did you get it wrong? The theory of 'Back to the Future' is correct. Going back to the past can indeed change the future!"

"Believe me, Rhodey, going back to the past won't change the future," Tony Stark said. "Our future did involve time travel, but it definitely won't be like what we previously speculated, going back to the past to kill Thanos."

"Yes, everyone, changing the past won't change the future," Bruce Banner also said. "Tony mentioned time travel for a different reason."

"Since changing the past can't change the future, then why travel to the past?" Scott Lang's tone was full of confusion.

"Perhaps it's not about traveling to the past, but traveling to the future?" Thor said. "To see how exactly Thanos was defeated?"

"That's not it. If it's about wanting to know the future, there's no need to travel to the future. Stephen can observe the future," Bruce Banner denied Thor's speculation. "Stephen was a student of the Ancient One and even handed over the Time Stone to her. The Ancient One can observe the future, so Stephen should be able to as well."

"Stephen a student of the Ancient One?" Scott Lang asked, "I know Stephen and the Ancient One are both top sorcerers, their relationship is good, but can you really say Stephen was a student of the Ancient One?"

"It's quite possible," Tony Stark said. "In that video where the Ancient One was killed, she once said to Stephen, 'When you first came to me.'"

"That's not important," Bruce Banner said. "Even if Stephen wasn't a student of the Ancient One, he has the Time Stone, he's a sorcerer. Observing the future is something he's more suited for than Tony. It shouldn't be Tony who goes. And if it's just observation, there shouldn't be any danger, right? Tony recorded that message the day before the time travel, showing that he already knew it was a very dangerous thing."

"Since it's not about traveling to the future, then it must be traveling to the past," Natasha Romanoff murmured. "Since changing the past can't change the future, then why travel to the past?"

[The fifth question begins. Please be prepared.]

[After Black Panther T'Challa was defeated and thrown off the cliff by Erik, which tribe saved him?]

[A Merchant Tribe]

[B Border Tribe]

[C River Tribe]

[D Jabari Tribe]

[Answer this question correctly to receive the ability 'Blink.' Answer incorrectly, and one year of your lifespan will be deducted.]

"Sure enough, T'Challa didn't die after being defeated by that Erik," Scott Lang said.

"T'Challa appeared at Tony's funeral, so how could he have died at that time?" Clint Barton said.

"Clint, by saying that, you're assuming that Erik infiltrated Wakanda before Tony snapped his fingers. How do you know it wasn't after that?" Scott Lang said. "There doesn't seem to be any clear clues indicating that, right?"

"You're right." Clint Barton thought for a moment, realizing that he had jumped to conclusions.

"We probably can't contribute much to this question," Tony Stark said. "We don't really know much about Wakanda. Among the four tribes in the options, we can say we know nothing."

"Exactly, T'Challa, it's up to you." Steve Rogers said.

"The most likely options would be the River Tribe and the Border Tribe. My fiancée Nakia is from the River Tribe," T'Challa said.

"So, it sounds like the answer should be the River Tribe?" Natasha Romanoff said.

"It's possible, but there's also the Border Tribe in the options," T'Challa added, "My good brother W'Kabi is from the Border Tribe."

"Oh, then definitely go with the Border Tribe." Phil Coulson and W'Kabi had crossed paths, and he had a strong impression of him. "He's a very capable individual."

"I'll vote for him too," Clint Barton said. "If it's him, he's definitely capable of saving T'Challa."

"That's right. While Nakia would definitely try her best to save me, she's a spy and doesn't have an army. But W'Kabi is different. His Border Tribe is an important part of the Wakandan military."

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