Thanos had had little impact on that part of the galaxy at the time of his new death. Tony couldn't help but wonder about the ripple effects of his actions. Tony had made a lot of changes. Had his involvement shifted the wheels of fate, altering the destinies of countless beings across the stars in a bad way? Some changes would only become apparent way down the line. That was the question that was always on his thoughts. He could not really explain it, but deep within his soul, something or someone was telling him that everything would be alright. He felt at peace.
The universe was a vast and intricate tapestry, woven together by forces Tony was not pretending to fully understand. It was healing itself now that its main thread was dead. Every single being could feel it in their souls, a weight they didn't know they were carrying removed from their shoulders.
The next person on his list would be Barton. One more moral dilemma. Tony could wipe Clint from life at any point of his timeline. That wasn't the problem. No, the true dilemma lay in the aftermath, in the ripple effects that would reverberate through the lives of those left behind.
After the Civil War, Laura had become tired of her husband and his strange order of priorities, her faith in him shaken but not broken. Tony understood all too well the toll that the super hero life had on relationships and why Laura had decided to stay with her husband for the good of her family.
And then there were the children, innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire of their parents' battles. They were probably more traumatised than what they were letting on. It was a pain he knew all too well. Howard had not been a good dad, far from it. Tony couldn't help but wonder if perhaps removing the defective parent from the equation might ultimately be the kindest course of action.
After all, no child should have to spend a lifetime questioning their worth, wondering why they weren't enough to mend the broken pieces of their family.
During the normal timeline, in the middle of the chaos that surrounded the Ultron incident, Clint had decided to reveal the secret existence of his family. It was a risky move. Laura, pregnant with their third child at the time, had been thrown in the heart of the conflict. The Avengers could only hope that Ultron would not follow them there. The archer had been severely injured about the same time.
For Tony, the situation presented a moral dilemma. One one hand, allowing Ultron to come into existence could mean the end of countless lives. Of course, Clint's injury would give the genius the perfect excuse to end his life. On the other hand, if Clint was there anymore, the children would be spared the deception of witnessing their father abandon them.
But Tony could not allow Ultron to be created.
He was in quite a pickle, so to speak. The timeline had already been altered. With Pietro Maximoff's absence from the equation, Barton would never be in the Sokovian forest, wounded and easy to kill.
Quite frankly, the whole situation was quite infuriating. Tony couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration coursing through his veins. Clint was and always will be a pain in the ass. His reckless behaviour and cavalier attitude had often grated on Tony's nerves, leaving him questioning the archer's value to the team. Who needed an archer against threats like Thanos?
Laura could do far better than a man who would spend his time away from her, leaving her with all the responsibilities. She remained a rock of strength and support despite everything, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
Were the children always meant to exist, regardless of the identity of their father? It was an idea that deserved to be looked into.
The circus tent appeared worn out, the once vibrant colours washed away by the sun and rains of many previous seasons. Rusty cages surrounded the perimeter, each containing a variety of animals awaiting their fleeting moment of freedom under the spotlight. Tony couldn't help but feel sympathy for the captive creatures. He wondered also if the circus was actually making any kind of money. The prospect of spending the evening there did not seem really tempting.
