Disclaimer: The Avengers is owned by Marvel Entertainment and I am just borrowing the characters.

Author's Note: This was previously just posted to AO3 and I hadn't realised I didn't also have it over here.

Please note this has non-linear story-telling.

It was written before Black Panther and Infinity War were aired so assumed how that film would go and therefore isn't entirely canon compliant.

Pairings: Pepper/Tony, Vision/Wanda, Scott/Hope, Thor/Jane, mention of other canon pairings

Warnings: Canon level violence, some existing canon deaths will still take place. Civil War Team Iron Man - as this is told from Tony's POV. Time travel.

From Plan A to Plan Z

"Take me back to the beginning."

The world is dying around him.

Tony's hand is clasped tightly around the time stone which is burning through the armour…

And there is so much pain.

Too much pain.

He closes his eyes and screams…

…he opens his eyes to a wide blue sky,

gasping for breath,

hand clawing at –

His shirt.

Shirt.

And normal body armour already pierced through with shrapnel.

Blood against his fingertips.

He gives a soundless hysterical laugh.

He's back at the beginning.

Plan A

Tony picked up the letter from Steve – no; Rogers. He should call him Rogers.

He read it again.

He knew the letter was well-meant, (Rogers was always well-meant), but it was not well-executed between the underlying message of 'I still think I'm right about the Accords and you're wrong,' and the almost-maybe-probably-genuine regret of not telling Tony the truth about his parents' death, (and Tony was cynical enough to believe that had more to do with Tony going after Barnes than the hurt caused to Tony by Steve's betrayal). His fingers tightened and crumpled the paper. His gaze landed on the accompanying cell phone and he grimaced.

Steve-Rogers was an idiot, Tony thought tiredly, or he was performing one hell of a trust fall in hoping Tony wouldn't actually use the phone to track where Steve and his Bucky had disappeared to in the wake of Siberia (as though he didn't already know since T'Challa had checked on him before flying away). Faith in individuals, his ass.

"Boss, General Ross has been holding for five minutes." FRIDAY informed him cheerily.

Tony sighed and glanced at the flashing light on the office phone. He smoothed the letter out, folded it and crammed it back into the envelope. He glared at the ancient black cell phone.

He hated the idea that there would be a time when he would need to call Rogers, but the fact was it was entirely possible. The threat he'd seen on the other side of the portal hadn't gone away. Thor had gone exploring for what was going on with the – what had he called them? – the infinity gems? Sure, there'd been an occasional return of the Asgardian to Earth to update them on his lack of progress (and possibly that was because his visits were booty calls with Jane before they split, if Tony was any judge), but Thor was certain something was going on with the infinity stones.

Yeah.

It was all too entirely possible the world would need Rogers and the others who'd followed him (and who the super-soldier was presumably breaking out of the RAFT right that moment). And Tony was absolutely certain that in that nebulous future apocalypse when Tony called him, Rogers would be smiling his smugly smug smile with all his perfect teeth because he'd take it as justification that he was right and Tony was wrong.

Only Tony didn't believe he was all that wrong for believing the Avengers needed to be accountable (Rhodey had been on his side; Vision had been on his side), not when over a hundred countries demanded it. Tony fully believed they needed to answer for their decisions and actions so people could see that they were owning their mistakes and would resolve to do better – and it wasn't just his own guilt prompting him to think that although he conceded it was part of it.

Of course, the Accords weren't perfect and Rogers was right; they were open to abuse as unfortunately Ross had clearly demonstrated. If the General's position as Secretary of State had been the reason he'd been the one to present the Accords to the US based Avengers, he'd somehow just stepped in as the de facto liaison between the UN, the Joint Counter-Terrorism Unit and the Avengers in the confusion following the bombing. That had been a mistake.

Tony had thoroughly checked since returning from Siberia and there was nothing in the Accords which gave Ross specifically any power or jurisdiction over any superhero who had signed up to the Accords. Ross had just stepped into a power vacuum and people had let him. He'd made a power play for the Avengers just like the Senate had made a power play for the Iron Man suit under the guise of oversight. And maybe Tony should have checked on all of that prior to the meet-up at the airport, but if wishes were horses…

Which didn't mean that Rogers and his merry band of fugitives were off the hook. If Ross had proven Rogers's point about agendas not their own, Rogers had proven Ross's point about acting without legality and due care. Rogers and the others were criminally responsible for the damage they had wrought in the name of protecting Barnes and trying to stop Zemo. Their imprisonment in the RAFT though – that was Ross overstepping his position again (and Rogers was right that some locks shouldn't be replaced).

The upshot was that between Ross proving Rogers's point that the Accords could be abused, and Steve proving Ross's point that the Avengers could cause a lot of damage if left to run unchecked, Tony was caught in the middle. But maybe it was time for Tony to build a metaphorical suit of armour and escape…

Another glance at the phone confirmed Ross was still holding. Tony was impressed; he'd figured Ross would have hung up already. He flicked the button on the phone. "Mister Secretary. You still there?"

"This isn't the time for your foolishness, Stark! Get your butt here now! The fugitives have only…"

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline." Tony said cheerfully. "Under the Accords, section six, sub-section eight, we're all required to have a review hearing…"

The dial tone sounded loudly in the small office.

"…in front of the currently non-existent UN panel before we can resume activity as Avengers."

Tony smirked and flicked the button to hang up his end. His eyes caught on Rogers's phone and letter. There might be a time when the world would need Captain America and he'd have to make that call, but not right that minute. Right that minute, it was time for Tony to do what Tony did best…

Be Tony Stark.

Plan Z

Tony thinks waking up for a second time with his body mutilated is only slightly less horrifying than the first time.

He hurts everywhere and his mind whirls.

He can't believe he's travelled back in time. Stephen Strange's last resort made a reality. He remembers asking Strange why they couldn't just use the time stone to fix things during one of their early conversations and there had been a reply which had something to do with breaking the universe's natural laws? Tony shakes his head, a fragment of their conversation drifting back to him…

"OK. I get it. Bad idea." Tony smirked at Strange. "So. Plan B?"

Strange grinned but there was a serious glint in his eyes. "How about we make it plan Z?"

"Last resort, huh?" Tony shrugged. "Yeah, why not? Let's go with that."

He also remembers the rest of the discussion which had revolved around time travel theory, multiverses, dimensions, quantum mechanics and magic. Strange was – is? – brilliant and Tony had enjoyed the debate. He has to remember key events, Tony thinks foggily through the pain and the last of the haze of whatever they'd used to finally knock him out. He has to remember key events and timings and…he passes out again.

Yinsen is waiting for him when he wakes up. "We met once at a conference. You probably don't remember me…"

"Yinsen. Bern." Tony replies as he struggles upright. "I was an ass."

Surprise flits through Yinsen's eyes.

Tony calculates he can't afford to change a lot of the timeline if he's to make their war with Thanos either unlikely to happen or a hell of a lot more successful than their last attempt to defeat him. Too many changes will irrevocably alter future events to the point where Tony won't have the advantage of foreknowledge.

So, he refuses to build Ten Ring the weapons they want again.

He gets waterboarded again.

He reminds himself with every tortured breath of air that he'll live through this; that he'll make it home.

He stands in front of the cache of his weapons, lies and agrees to build the Jericho, his pain-wracked body almost overwhelmed with the déjà vu.

The first priority is replacing the car battery with the miniaturised arc reactor. It takes less time to pull together since Tony isn't just theorising but working with practical knowledge. But there's a limit to how much he can do building it in a cave – he definitely can't get around the palladium but he comforts himself that its only until he gets home and can recreate the vibranium core. The arc reactor is different though; improved.

His relationship with Yinsen is also different. It seems warmer somehow. Yinsen is more than just the pushy voice in his ear reminding Tony of the blood on his hands and how responsible Tony is for it all. They talk more, although cautiously, too aware of the cameras watching them.

When they talk of family Tony still tells Yinsen he has none – he's not going to give Ten Rings any leverage (but he thinks about Pepper, Rhodey and Happy, about JARVIS and his bots – the small family he has built). He thinks Yinsen gets it though. Yinsen talks of his wife and his daughter but never reveals they are gone and Tony cannot bring himself to press the other man into telling him the truth that they're dead.

Tony thinks he can save Yinsen this time.

He desperately wants to save him because Yinsen deserves to be saved. Two suits are undoable - he knows from the first time that constructing even one suit had taken almost too much time. They do have to pretend to be making a Jericho after all. But he constructs a shield first; makes sure the suit can take the weight of two men. He makes it clear to Yinsen that he's expecting both of them to get out of their captivity alive.

It doesn't work.

The escape almost goes beat for beat the same; their captors become suspicious just a smidgeon too soon as the suit powers up; Yinsen runs ahead to buy Tony time – and he doesn't take the shield, leaves it behind – and…

"Go home to your family, Stark." Yinsen smiles up at him; his body is riddled with bullets, blood pooling into the ground below him. "I am going home to mine."

Tony hears the echo of Yinsen's voice in his memory; "Don't waste your life…"

He lays waste to the Ten Rings and the weapons, his weapons, remembered pain mixing with a newer grief because he knows Yinsen even better now.

The suit is better designed. It steers better than before as he rockets into the sky and brings himself down. It's a rough landing and Tony's reminded again of how lucky he has been – is – that he doesn't end up with a broken back like Rhodey did – will – won't, won't, won't.

He gathers as much of the suit as he can (he won't make it easy for Obie this time), and drags it behind him.

Step by step across the sand.

Step.

By.

Step.

The helicopter finds him and Rhodey runs – runs! – to him and Tony is on his knees and hugging Rhodey and crying and – he's going to do better this time.

He swears it.

He has family to protect.