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It was obviously a bad idea, James knew it was a bad idea from the start, really he did it's just no one seemed to have listened to his concerns one bit, he almost feels bad but he can't be bothered to as it seems he has also been dragged down with the rest of them into the time spiral. How and why did this start again?
2 hours ago
James stretched his arms and lets out a yawn, the team had just finished a mission yesterday and many of them were still exhausted from the week long mission, some of them were sleeping and had turned on the noise canceling in their room and insisted on using sound proof headphones to sleep, and honestly James couldn't blame them he would've done the same if he didn't have things to do still He has paperwork, mission report and also reading over the team assignments from the mission from last month that he hadn't been able to get to reading at all, he sighs and turns to head back into Tony's floor since he was the only one to have access to it and where it was Tony's it meant having peace and quiet since no one had dared touch anything of Tony's in the compound, including but not exclusive to his floor his lab and office. Before James could head for the elevator he spots a group (Sam,Scott,Bruce & Buck) messing with something that looks right out of Bruce's lab, he stands still for a moment before heading for the group. He stands behind the group as he watch Scott and Bruce fiddle with something on the table most likely for the machine beside it, it was a small steel box with red and blue scraps he has no idea what it was not what they're doing “Uh, what are you all doing?” He asked from behind seemingly startling everyone in the process as all heads snapped to him, before everyone instantly relaxed seeing it was only him “Hey Rhodes, we were just..you know messing with stuff” Sam said with a sly tone, James looks to Buck who shrugs and looks at the two fiddling with something, James shakes his head and looks at what the two are doing, Bruce placed down his tool and looks up seeing Rhodey “ah, Rhodes, joining us in our test of new travel?” Bruce asked, before James could reply Scott chimes in “Time travel that is!” He yells out before going to work James sighs “Time travel, really Bruce?” He said looking at the man “Hey you can never know what happens with it” Bruce says in his defense “yea, that's the point, you don't know the future, also last time we had time travel it didn't go over well in anyway possible” James pointed out, Sam puts a hand on his shoulder “He don't worry, we're being as careful as possible, nothing could possibly go wrong” Sam said with a toothy grin that sort of reminds him of Tony's James shakes his head and crosses his hands at his chest as he watches the group fiddle as he watches from behind, he warns them and if anything happens it's on them, he warns them. He sighs, if something was gonna happen he wasn't about to stay around and watch it happen, before he could walk back the last thing he heard was a small snap and the words ‘uh oh’ being uttered before everything goes black and he woke up near a small pond with the others scattered around him, why did this always happen? _______ Rhodes sighed as everyone gathered them self and sits under the tall tree that drew shade from the sun, they got teleported here just a few hours ago and it had started rain for a while after and the only shelter they had were under trees since they had absolutely not an idea of where they were at all, seriously it looked like some random forest and they somehow just got sent to a random place to rot and this isn't in any way time travel Rhodes shifted as Bruce made himself comfortable beside him as the droplets of water from rain started to fall onto them, his shoulder sagging as he seemed to realize something “you wanna share something with the class Bruce?” Rhodes asked, eyeing him as eyes turned to them “I think I know where we are” he said looking around the place where they've been for two hours now “do you know?” Sam said lifting an eyebrow “Yea, I think we're in the forest near the lake house” Bruce said standing up, “The lake house?” Bucky said standing after him “yea, this looked familiar and I'm just now remembering why it looks so familiar” Bruce said as the others stand up “I know my way around these tree c’mon the cabin is this way” Bruce said walking off to the south, while everyone reluctantly followed him knowing this may just be their only way out. The trees went on for a long distance as they followed Bruce, beginning to be uncertain of the direction they're heading, they followed as the sun started to set “are you sure this is the way Bruce?” Scott asks hesitantly, Bruce sighs and nods his head as they go on, Bucky looks around at the three that almost all look the same like they're stuck in some sort of time loop forest corn maze “Bruce are you sure this is the way?” Sam asked this time, Bruce looks back at him “yes this is the way, I never forget my way around” Bruce said as he continues to walk “It feels like we're going in circles” Buck comments looking around one more time, Bruce sighs and leaves it alone for the time being The sun was almost set when they finally spotted the lake house, the lights were on and there was a welcoming presence. “Okay so we got teleported, but if it's time travel won't we need to explain why we're here?” Scott pointed out to the group “Something tells me we won't need to do that at all” Bruce said stopping in his steps as they slowly approached the house “what makes you say that?” Sam asked looking at him confused “Because I'm a genius Sam and this isn't the first time people show up in my forest and ended up at my doorstep” a familiar voice sounded out, the group freeze at the voice, Rhodey felt his heart pounding while blood rushed to his ears and a lump beginning to form in his throat Bruce turns to see none other then Tony fucking Stark standing in all his whole being perched on the railing of his patio as he watches everyone freeze at the sound of his voice “Well? Are you gonna come in or are you gonna stay out here and freeze?” He said with questioning tone, Bruce breaks out of his shock state “uh, yea just give them a moment to process, we'll be in” Bruce said with a light tone, other Tony nods and turns around as he walked away as Rhodey watch him walk away, almost as if he was losing him again because he wouldn't move for fuck sake Rhodey shakes himself out the shock as he sees the other still seemingly frozen “I'm going inside” he said turning for the front door “wha- wait Rhodes-” before Bruce could say anything further Rhodey heads inside and leaves the other outside, he kicks off his shoes and walks inside, he looks to his left and right expecting to see photos of Tony and Pepper only for said expected photos to be replaced with him and Tony and a little boy and a teenage girl, he stood in front of a portrait that looks brand-new, with the same teenager and little kid with the two of them, he cradled the boy in his arms while Tony had an arm around the teen He doesn't realize he was staring until he hears footsteps and a shadow falls in front of him, he turns and sees Tony who's also looking at the portrait “we took the photo last week when the two started their new school year” he said looking at the photo “so, different universe?” Rhodey said to him, he only hummed “Where’s Pepper in all of this?” He asked, Tony shrugs leading the way to the couch “She somewhere with Happy with an adorable Baby girl she named Morgan” Tony said simply sitting down on the couch, he patted the cushion beside him and Rhodey sat down. The two sat in comfortable silence as the group outside rustled like leaves “How are you here?” Rhodey asked, breaking the silence, Tony hummed “I mean, you also went through Thanos right?” he asked looking up at the other version of his best friend, Tony chuckled slightly “straight to the point huh? Well yes we did get attacked by the purple space grape again, and honestly I almost didn't make it, I still snapped but the power was shared between me and Carol, doesn't mean I didn't get out unharmed, but the damages I'd say wasn't the worst that could happen” Tony said with a shrug leaning back into the couch “Sure I have some chronic pains and had to get my arm amputated but I'm still around” He said crossing his arms to his chest “you have a prosthetic” Rhodey states just now realizing that Tony wasn't wearing a repulsor glove but instead an arm prosthetic “Yea, it's a prosthetic” he said stretching his arm out as the prosthetic moved accordingly “made it myself even, I had some help but I can't ask for anything better” he said with a proud grin “yea?” Rhodey said looking at the man, he chuckled and replied “yeah” he nodded “you help a lot with the movement programing, the kid helped a lot with making the design and building it” he said voice filled with comfort and pride, whoever he was talking about it must be someone important to this Tony “Did I? I guess that's why it's so great” Rhodey said examining the hand, Tony and Rhodey felt just how much he missed his best friend grin and smiles, how he missed his laugh, how much he missed hearing him, and just how much he missed him Rhodey examines the hand and spots something on the man's other hand. It was a wedding band, “Who are you married to?” He blurts out confused, Tony hummed looking at him “Oh, yea I'm still married despite what the public thinks, I'm married to the love of my life. Great doesn't even cut it, he's amazing in every way I can think of, he's one of a kind” he said talking fondly of a man, Rhodey felt like the world was spinning, he felt sick almost, he understands why it felt so wrong for his best friend to be with another man, because if he was to be with man he thought the man would at the very least be him. He really thought that, maybe, maybe in another universe they were together, but maybe this wasn't their universe, maybe it's the next one His stomach churned as he listened to Tony ramble on about a man he doesn't know about and he wonders if there was a universe where he and him were together, maybe it was possible in another universe, he really wished it was their universe though. He really did wish it was their universe. He heard the door click open as the others stumbled in with another man behind them who he could only assume is Tony's husband since he stands up and walk over to him as the other got to the couch, he couldn't even look at them, he can't bear the thought of Tony kissing a man that wasn't him nevertheless seeing him do it, Rhodey scoots over slightly when Bruce sits down next to him, He hears the footsteps coming up behind him and he braces himself to hear the name of the man, he looks down as his feet as he hears conversation. He doesn't look up until he feels some sit beside him only to feel like he was staring into a mirror, the person sitting beside him was himself but looks slightly younger What the fuck?. He hears a sigh and looks over to see Tony in the middle sitting on the coffee table, Rhodey's eyes narrowed and he looked around at everyone who seems as confused as him “Everyone, meet my husband, Rhodey” Tony said with a fond sigh as his head turned to the man that sat beside him, Rhodes head turned to his mirror self and he felt his eyes go wide, he gives a little waves as everyone turned to Rhodes who could do nothing but stare at Tony He hears a chuckle from besides him and his head snaps his other selves, who sat there with a genuine grin living his dreams, he felt a pang of jealousy of the man beside him who gets to live his dreams while he had to let go of the man he loved like no other years ago after he passed. He really hated it. He despises how he knew he could've had this deep down and yet he never did bring the courage to do so “You all probably already know me, so yea I'll cut to the chase. We have two a 6 year old boy and a 14 year old girl, they're names are Samuel and Lesley” he said with a proud smile, everyone looks at each other and nodded “You can stay here for the time being while we find out why you were sent here” Tony explained as he helps his husband up and wrapped his hand around the man's waist, the two looked really happy. It was odd looking at them both. So happy and alive despite the fact that they both went through the same things he and Tony went through, and yet he survived here. How come they get their happy ending while he was lost on his own? It wasn't fair.