The world around Tony went silent. The color drained away.

This was it.

This was how Tony Stark's story ended.

He watched numbly as Thanos walked him back slowly, as if putting a wounded animal to rest. The monster's hand rested upon his head in a twisted show of sympathy, and Tony watched himself seize up in shock and pain the entire way.

"You have my respect, Stark." Thanos spoke softly, soothingly. "When I'm done, half of humanity will still be alive." Then, Thanos was leaving him and taking aim with his gaunlet. Overkill for a human who was minutes from death--perhaps his way of showing that respect to send his enemy off with the sum of his might.

Tony didn't want to watch. He didn't want to see what came next. He knew. There was no other way this would end, yet he couldn't look away.