At Clint's farm, he joyfully reunited with his family. At Peter's school, Peter and Ned met in the hallway. They shared a handshake before giving each other a heartfelt hug. In San Francisco, Scott watched fireworks with Cassie and Hope. In Wakanda, T'Challa, Shuri and Ramonda oversaw the celebrations from their balcony.
Tony voiced over, "Everybody wants a happy ending, right? But it doesn't always roll that way. Maybe this time. I'm hoping if you play this back, it's in celebration. I hope families are reunited, I hope we can get it back, and something like a normal version of the planet has been restored. If there was ever such a thing. God, what a world. Universe, now. If you told me ten years ago that we weren't alone, let alone, you know, to this extent, I mean, I wouldn't have been surprised. But come on, you know? The epic forces of darkness and light that have come into play. And, for better or worse, that's the reality Morgan's gonna have to find a way to grow up in."
STARK HOUSEHOLD
Pepper, Morgan, Happy and Rhodey watched Tony's holographic message being projected from his Iron Man helmet. Tony was sitting while recording the message.
Tony continued. "So I though I'd probably better record a little greeting... In the case of an untimely death on my part. I mean, not that, death at any time isn't untimely. This time travel thing that we're gonna try and pull off tomorrow, it's - It's got me scratching my head about the survivability of it all. That's the thing. Then again, that's the hero gig. Part of the journey is the end." Tony suddenly got up and walked towards his camera. "What am I even trippin' for? Everything's gonna work out exactly the way it's supposed to." He leaned down and smiled as he looked straight at Morgan. "I love you 3,000."
The message ended and the hologram cut out.
OUTSIDE THE COTTAGE
Pepper carried a wreath out of the house to an audience waiting outside for the intimate funeral. She laid the wreath on the lake. On top of the wreath was Tony's first Arc Reactor which Pepper had framed with the words 'Proof That Tony Stark Has a Heart' back in 2008. Pepper, Morgan, Happy and Rhodey were joined by Steve, Peter, May, Thor, Bruce, Doctor Strange, Wong, Scott, Hope, Janet, Hank, Quill, Nebula, Rocket, Teenage Groot, Drax, Mantis, T'Challa, Okoye, Shuri, Clint and his family, Wanda, Bucky, Nessa, Sam, Harley, Secretary Ross, Hill, Carol and Fury, who silently watched the wreath float away.
---
Clint, Nessa and Wanda stood by the riverside.
"You know, I wish there was a way - that I could let her know," Clint said. "That we won." He looked over to Wanda. "We did it."
"She knows - They both do," Wanda told him.
Clint gave her a side hug and Wanda reciprocated.
Nessa stared out across the water as silent tears fell down her cheeks.
---
"How you doing, Squirt?" Happy asked.
"Good," Morgan replied.
"You good? Okay. You hungry?"
"Mm. Hm."
"What do you want?"
"Cheeseburgers."
"You know your dad liked cheeseburgers? I'm gonna get you all the cheeseburgers you want."
"Okay."
NEW ASGARD
"So, when can we expect you back?" Valkyrie asked.
"Um - about that-" Thor trailed.
"Thor. Your people need a king."
"No, they already have one."
YOU ARE READING
Once Upon a December
AcciónThe Soldier fell for the young woman he'd been assigned to train, despite being told not to. Love blossomed between the two and they were soon married. And then, a child. But the two were forced into a dance of remembering and forgetting by their su...
