Reading Time: 107 Minutes

Title: Web of the Wyrd
Author: MykkiTno
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe,X-Men
Genre: Dimension Travel, Hurt/Comfort, Paranormal/Supernatural, Pre-Relationship, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Urban Fantasy
Relationship(s): Tony Stark/James Barnes, Clint/Laura, Logan/Storm, Carol/Rhodes
Content Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Hate Crimes, Hate Speech, Major Character Death, Slavery, Torture, Violence-Graphic, Violence-Domestic. Dub/Non-con experimentation, body modification, death, emotional and psychological abuse, mental illness, discrimination, racism, sexism, child abuse, animal abuse, murder, minor character death. Internalized homophobia, homophobia, DADT mentioned, historical/mythological inaccuracies, alcoholism, addiction, hand-wavy science, and possible inaccurate representation of the mafia. Language and slurs, explicit sexual content. Character Bashing – Howard Stark, Steve Rogers, Wanda Maximoff, S.H.I.E.L.D, Hydra, Odin, and to a lesser degree, Peggy Carter.
Word Count: 114,614
Summary: During the time heist in 2012, though Loki escaped with the tesseract, this isn’t his story. He’s the catalyst. The Norns take him, offering him a choice, in which he unintentionally creates an alternate universe. This is about the Wyrd, and the ramifications of Choose and Consequence. It’s about an unknown descendant, seventy years of torture, an oath and a promise. It’s a story about two men – one an assassin, one a genius, who in an alternate universe never got a chance to choose; they only dealt with the consequences… Here, Loki bound James Barnes and Tony Stark together before either was born. That changes everything.
Artist: Lalaith Quetzalli

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Chapter Twelve

The next morning, Tony wandered into the kitchen as the last of the four permanent residents. He accepted the coffee James handed him without a word and slid onto a stool at the island. Tony alternated between sipping his coffee and buttering toast as soon as it popped up, grabbing each slice and spreading butter automatically. Thor stood beside Laura at the stove, quietly passing her utensils and ingredients as she cooked. They weren’t talking, but it was clear Laura’s presence was felt between James and Thor. Thor didn’t seem bothered. Tony wondered what Thor might be thinking each time he glanced at James, who busied himself packing three lunch boxes for the kids, deliberately arranging sandwiches and snacks for their last day of school before Christmas break.

Clint was bent over his tablet, his frown deepening as the trio entered. Steve and Natasha called out cheery greetings. Clint stabbed at the screen, then abruptly shut it off and set it aside when the kids entered, clearly hesitant as they edged around the trio.

Clint held his arms out for his kids, who quickly hurried to him, Lila crowding in close as Conner put her between him and their father. Suddenly, Clint stiffened and jerked out a gun, levelling it at Natasha as she reached for the Starkpad. “Don’t! You no longer have the privilege.”

Natasha’s eyes widened. She held up her hands as she stepped back, “I’m sorry—”

“Bullshit.” Clint waved the gun, indicating he wanted her to move, and included Steve in the hand wave. “On the other side of the table.”

Steve frowned as he pulled out the chair at the head of the table, “No one’s sitting here.”

“You’re not sitting next to my children or Volya. Go to the other side of the table, Steve.” Clint’s voice was hard and unyielding. “You might have conveniently forgotten last night and the previous months, but none of us have. It’s a matter of trust. Right now, there are two sides, and none of us trusts the other. At best, this is a matter of necessity, at least until you share why you showed up months after you seemed to have forgotten we existed.”

Steve’s frown deepened as he folded his arms, his posture radiating his disappointment. “I trust you.”

Clint shook his head and pointed at the chair at the opposite end. “Sit and be quiet. It’s too fucking early to deal with your patriotic ass.”

“Clint, it doesn’t have to be like this,” Natasha whispered, sliding into the seat he’d pointed to for Steve. “I made a bad call—”

Laura stalked over and slapped the platter on the table, her expression furious. She glared at the other woman, silver tips sliding out of her knuckles in an overt threat. “Bad call or not, it doesn’t give you the right to touch our stuff and try to suss out what you can’t trick out of people.”

Natasha eyed the claws, jerking as Steve hit her when he collapsed into the chair beside her. His face went pale as he stared at the claws. His mouth twisted into a thin line, and he darted a look at the larger man at the end of the island. “He’s not Jimmy…”

Laura smirked and tilted her head. “He’s not that Jimmy, no, but I thought you said my daddy couldn’t be old enough to have known you, Captain.”

“Well, if he’s still alive, why didn’t he come see me?” Steve demanded. He winced and rubbed his leg. Tony guessed Natasha had hit him. A second later, Steve whispered, “Sorry, I just didn’t expect him to have children.”

“Why’s that?” Tony demanded, focusing on the conversation as he moved with the toast. He set it down, then ran a hand through Volya’s hair as she moved in for a hug. “And think very carefully about how you answer that. You might find yourself flying from the tower without wings.”

“Maybe the children should-”

“The children are perfectly fine, Natalia,” Clint snapped, keeping the gun trained on her. His eyes bored into Steve. “Answer Tony’s question. We’re all very interested in Captain America’s opinion.”

Steve swallowed. “Honesty, I just never expected Jimmy to have children to pass on a legacy to before he passed away.”

“What makes you think Jimmy died?” Tony asked, sitting up, eyebrow raised in challenge, more than annoyed that they were both pretending last night hadn’t happened.

“What does it matter, Tony?” Natasha interjected. “We have more important—”

“We’ll get to that, and contract offers for the new intuitive. But first, I want to know why you didn’t share what you know. And why does Steve think Jimmy might be dead, if he can recognize something unique to him?” Tony said flippantly, enjoying Natasha’s shock before her face went blank.

“I really don’t understand what you’re looking for, Tony,” Steve said evenly. “It was seventy years ago. Why does it matter now that the man had kids before the war? What of it? I’m glad his legacy continued.”

Laura glanced at Clint, then shrugged, retracting her claws. She nodded to the kids as Clint stashed the gun. “Milk or juice?”

“Apple juice, please, Aunt Laura,” Volya said as she climbed into the chair Tony pulled out for her, the Barton children copying her and calling out their preference that James cater to.

James brought them to the table. Tony and Laura filled their plates and settled beside the kids to keep them separated. Tony thought it amusing when James moved back to the island, letting Clint sit beside him. Thor sat next to Laura, boxing them in from the trio.

“While it goes against our rule for shop talk, do you know what the Serum was based on?” Tony asked, the subject seemingly random enough to cause a flurry of confusion across Steve’s face.

“It wasn’t based on anything; it was a new and unique idea that was designed to provide protection for allied troops.” Steve’s chest pushed out self-importantly.

Snorting, Tony shook his head, “Wrong, on all accounts, Doctor Abraham Erskine-

“Erskine was a good man!” Steve glared at Tony.

“Sure,” Tony agrees, sarcasm dripping from his tone, “says the walking, talking, breathing embodiment of Hitler’s wet dream.”

Sam dropped his fork with a muttered curse. He stared at Steve, a new realization dawning. Steve just stared at Tony, aghast. Horror flushed his face red as Tony shrugged and began gently, trying to stay calm. “Erskine was a German doctor who first asked the Third Reich for money to do his experiments. He worked with them—with Johann Schmidt, under duress—until he had a few epiphanies. Then he changed course to the Allies. You can check the history books. As for the Super Soldiers, Erskine based the idea on someone with a fully active X-gene. This person was known for enhanced strength, speed, and healing. They could also grow bone claws from their knuckles and would go into a feral frenzy. Guess who that person was, Steven?”

“Jimmy.” Steve whispered, “How-how do you know all that?”

Tony gave a look that indicated he thought it was a dumb question and didn’t answer. “Now let’s try again. Why would you think Jimmy would be dead?”

“Because last I heard before-before he was transferred to Japan,” Steve admitted, flinching when Tony cleared his throat leadingly.

“I don’t remember the city name, but it-ah had the bombs dropped on it,” Steve added, shame flickering around his face.

“And you can’t think of a possible reason, if Jimmy survived that is, why he wouldn’t be interested in seeing you face to face?” Tony asked, voice unyielding.

“Was-was he hurt at all in the blast?” Steve asked, voice small, as he shook his head.

Tony was prevented from answering as the three kids finished their breakfast. Volya slurped the last of her juice, trying to hide her eye roll. Tony hid a smile at her wordless sass. He helped her from the table and kissed her brow. “Go brush your teeth, Bella.”

“Is Happy picking us up?” Volya asked, her eyes sparkling. Tony narrowed his eyes on her. “It’s possible. Why? What do you have on Happy that you want him to?”

Volya glanced at Lila, who grinned back, and scuffled her foot on the tile, “He said if you agreed, and Melinda was available, given the meeting this afternoon, he’d take us to the museum, cause they have the Santa exhibit.”

Tony glanced at Clint, who shrugged but hesitated. Tony offered an alternative. “Normally, I’d have no issue with Happy and Melinda escorting you. But Melinda is out on assignment. With these tensions and worries in the city, I’d prefer a larger escort.”

Volya’s face fell, but Tony tipped her chin up and continued. “Now, a few of the young X-Men will be here sometime this afternoon, maybe if they’re not working with Hank, a couple of them will be willing to escort the three of you and Happy, if that’s acceptable?”

Volya frowned, though a smile slid across her face. “Kitty is coming today?”

“And Bobby, Pyotr, and Kurt,” Tony confirmed, and nodded at the excited squeal Lila couldn’t contain, “Which also means Logan, Ororo, Hank, and Peter are coming and staying too.”

“That’s acceptable,” Volya agreed with a little clap, and buzzed his cheek, “thanks, papa.” She turned and raced from the room, calling out, “Jor, can you let Happy know the change of plans?”

Jor didn’t respond so that everyone could hear him, but Tony smiled anyway when Jarvis confirmed the response, and turned to address Steve’s last question, his expression having cycled through irritation and impatience at being ignored. “As for your question on Jimmy, Laura was born in ‘83, he’s perfectly fine and probably healthier than you,” Tony said, rose to his feet, and glanced at Clint. “Which one of you is my babysitter today?”

Clint raised his hand, finishing his coffee with a gulp, “Laura’s doing the interviews with the chefs, which aren’t until 10:30, but you got me with the board meeting, as she’s liable to stab someone, so she’s going to drop the kids off with Jimmy.”

“You can’t shoot the board members either; we still haven’t gotten over the last incident,” Tony warned, which earned him a shrug and a sunny grin. “Then the dipshits will have learnt their lesson and not attempt to embezzle money or tech.”

“Come on, Legolas, you know it’s not their fault. Pepper turned a blind eye to their activities,” Tony ordered, bringing the plates to the sink, rinsing them off and putting them in the dishwasher. Curiously, he glanced at Laura. “What are you doing after you drop the kids off?”

“A bit of this and that,” Laura commented dryly, and shrugged, “but mostly Jimmy and I are going Christmas shopping, with a bit of sightseeing in the mix.”

“Well, you have free rein to use Victoria if you need, and Jimmy already has Friday,” Tony reminded her.

Laura raised an amused brow before turning a death stare on Natasha, who flushed and lowered her head. “We’ll keep it in mind, but not only are we both experts at disappearing, but I’m also sure the little spider will stay inside today. I’m sure she’s tired after her journey, and she has a bit of stuff to get caught up on. You know, to make sure her story is straight when she meets Maria and Phil this afternoon.”

“Kids!” Clint shouted, just as three pairs of feet ran into the room, the kids hugging Tony first before heading to James, then the Bartons, Lila slipping her hand into her mother’s, and Volya’s grabbed James’s, Conner stayed on Laura’s outside.

James gave Tony a quick kiss, as Laura frowned at her son in concern, but didn’t comment on his placement, and led them from the room. “Okay, go over the day’s plan.”

Their voices faded, leaving an awkward silence as Clint and Thor rose to help clean up the breakfast mess, and Thor cleared his throat a bit awkwardly, “Would it be acceptable if I joined you, Anthony? I find myself at odds with the information I’ve acquired, and I feel in need of a distraction.”

Tony shrugged with a glance at Clint, who eyed the god, like he was smuggling contraband into the tower. He jerked his head once, as Tony snagged his jacket from the back of the chair. Tony sighed as Clint held up the double harness, which seemed to have appeared from nowhere, and set the gun and knife on the table. “Really,” he protested with a sputter, “it’s a board meeting?”

“I told you to get used to it,” Clint returned pleasantly, and then offered a grin, “unless you’re telling Jimmy and Laura you refuse to wear it.”

Laura’s voice flooded the room, courtesy of Jarvis, “Don’t make me come back and kick your ass, Tony, the kids will end up late for school.”

Sighing in defeat, Tony slipped the harness on. “You just want to see me shoot someone.”

“Do you even know how to use those?” Natasha demanded, voice sounding childish.

Snorting, Tony shook his head at her, double-checking the gun before sliding it into the harness. “You do remember I am a weapons designer, right? Not only do I have to understand how they work, I’ve also been the target of over fifteen kidnapping and assassination attempts since I was four years old.” It was extremely satisfying when the woman swallowed, confusing flickering over her face. Not one to let the advantage slide, he added slyly, “that’s not including you know, Afganstain, and Iron Man was born out of desperation, right?” Tilting his head, he stared at the former Widow, “you really didn’t do any research on me, did you?”

Natasha jerked her head, “Yes, I did.”

“Sure-sure,” Tony agreed, mockingly, tilting his head, “then why would you think I’m defenceless without the suit? I was raised by Jarvis, Ana, and trained by Aunt Peggy and an assortment of surviving Commandos as a child, because Howard was a selfish asshole that was rarely home, and mom – bless her, was too intoxicated to take care of herself, never mind me.”

Natasha just blinked at him, and Tony smirked, “Maybe you should have talked to people who actually knew me, and not what was reported in the paper? I escaped my first kidnapping attempt when I was four years old because Howard refused to pay the ransom. I built my first bomb during my second kidnapping attempt at seven, where nine people died in the explosion, and I got out with a cut from a piece of glass from a broken window.”

Swinging his coat on, he turned to show Clint his back, who reached forward, tugging a corner down, and clapped his shoulder.

“Okay, Mr.Stark,” Clint clapped his hands, adopting a formal tone as he gave him the rundown, “we have the board meeting, then the three reviews in R&D. We’ll have to speed through if we’re meeting Laura and the chefs. Xavier will be joining you for lunch, as Erik finally consented and arranged a meeting over video.”

“Wait, where are you going? We still have things to talk about.” Steve said, caught off guard again, and blinking in shock as they started moving toward the elevator.

“Work?” Tony answered, turning slowly, voice laced with confusion as he raised an eyebrow, like that was evident, “You do realize, I actually have a day job, besides the Hero gig, right? I’m not only CEO of Stark Industries, but I’m also still the head of R&D. I don’t actually have the luxury of dropping everything just because you finally decided to visit.”

“You’re not CEO,” Natasha chided with a frown, “that’s Pepper.”

“This isn’t a visit!” Steve snapped, speaking over Natasha, then winced, “Sorry, it’s just we have a lead on a Hydra base. Um, the information we came across-”

Tony held up his hand, cutting him off. “Pepper was forced to resign three months ago, so it’s interesting that you missed that in the news. As for whatever your information is, while it’s nice that you finally want to come clean as to why you’re here, we can discuss all that later today.”

“At 1:30,“ Clint added helpfully, fingers flying over the tablet, “you’ll learn all about the consequences of your actions regarding the Data Drop, and what that actually meant for S.H.I.E.L.D., the previously named Avengers, and your future options.”

Tony’s shoulders relaxed, and he waved his hand over his shoulder mockingly, “There you have it, we’ll meet at 1:30 in the conference room – J will ensure you get to the right floor, where Maria and Phill will have everything ready for you to read, and your new contracts, if you’re interested in signing them.”

“What contracts?” Steve demanded, frustration lacing his tone.

Tony grinned, sharp and confident as he spun in a circle again, “The new director of the now defunct S.H.I.E.L.D., which you destroyed, requires them, liability issues, you understand?”

Steve nodded dumbly, but seemed to relax even if he still appeared confused, though Natasha’s expression was white, “You said Phil’s name earlier, does that- do you mean Couslon? Is he alive? And he’s the director?”

Tony laughed, walking backwards into the elevator that Jarvis helpfully had waiting, “Alive? Yes. Director? No, though Maria Hill is Deputy Director, if you’d done proper research, you’d already know that was me. But then again, if you’d done any research, you’d also know that I technically already owned the corporation that ran S.H.I.E.L.D. It makes sense that rebranding was essential, along with the pruning, though it behooves me to thank you for the minor assistance regarding that. It could and should have been handled differently.” He waited a beat as Thor and Clint entered the elevator with him before adding bitterly, “I’m sure Natalia will share what she wants, trying to find a way to manipulate the situation to her advantage. She can explain the particulars, considering she’s an expert on me, after all.”

The pettiness that filled him at the matching white faces was the most enjoyable thing he’d experienced since his first high, and he mentally high-fived J when the AI slid the doors shut without prompting. He grinned when Clint burst out laughing, knowing Steve at least would hear him on their way down.

***

It was a good thing, Tony thrived on chaos, and that his brain worked faster than the average person, because keeping track of the million things that happened in the tower on a daily basis should have left him in a heap of exhaustion. Thankfully, though, he didn’t have to deal with the face of Captain America as he ate his lunch. After giving the two chefs a tour of the kitchen and pantry, along with a Starkpad listing the preferences and dietary restrictions, and an unlimited budget, he abandoned Clint and Thor, retreating to his study, for the conversation with Charles and Erik, the head of the Brotherhood, having requested the details be kept between the three for now. Though they managed to arrange a mutual defence pact, it had to be presented to all sides and ratified before it could be put into place. It was a strict and visceral reminder of why Tony had never gotten involved in politics, because as much as he understood, he hated the game, and made no bones about that fact, which had apparently raised Erik’s opinion of him.

Tony knew, though, it wasn’t even anything he’d done – personally – that had managed to sway the ‘villain’ to his side. And that included his warnings about what was coming, couched as possibilities rather than certainties. It was mentioning Laoch had signed on as Tony’s personal bodyguard that had swayed the older man, his expression calculating as he’d survey Charles for any hint of subterfuge, frowning when he didn’t find any.

When he finally spoke, it was like the question was drawn out of him against his will, but his curiosity was too great to prevent it: “Why would Laoch, a ghost story sought by two sides, choose a human to protect?”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “Who said I was fully human?”

Erik snorted inelegantly. “You aren’t enhanced.”

Connecting to Extrimis, Tony knew his eyes had turned electric blue, and met the other man’s surprised expression, and tisked at the screen, like he was mocking him, “For shame, you said this was a meeting between the three of us, yet you’re currently in a room, with one other mutants, and interestingly one who was slashed across the stomach by Laoch in 2012… Hello, Raven.”

Shock drifted across Erik’s face before it twisted into a bitter rage, “You’re enhanced?”

“So the interesting thing about being enhanced, though it is currently a hotly debated subject within scientific circles, is that in order to be scientifically enhanced, you actually have to have the X-gene. It’s the binding agent and base for enhanced individuals.” Tony explained calmly, and shrugged, “Now, as to why I was never publicly declared a mutant? That would have been due to dear old dad’s bias, hostility and bigotry regarding X-gene carriers. Which is ironic, given what we know now, his own homophobia, and his epic boner for Captain America.”

Erik’s face went through a plethora of expressions before settling on a mix of disgust and disbelief, though it was Raven who leaned forward, appearing on the screen, curiosity etched on her face. “Do you know what your mutation is?”

“He creates life from code,” Charles answered, not giving Tony a chance to avoid the question, and lifted his chin when Erik opened his mouth. “Tony visited the mansion in September and interacted with Cerebro, altering the code to the point she woke and became sentient.”

“Pardon me?” Tony demanded, turning to look at Charles. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me that?”

Taken aback, Charles blinked, his response hesitant, “I thought you knew…”

“Jesus Christ, J, get my James in here,” Tony demanded. Rising to his feet, he paced the length of the room. He whirled when James slipped in, body tense, awareness keeping him wary. “You said I was balanced.”

The non-squister made James blink, but nod in agreement. “Dah, you bring death, but you also bring life to the code you write.” He frowned at whatever expression Tony was making. Softly, he stated, “I said this already, Antonska. Why is this only registering now?”

“Charles said I woke Cerebro, who is now sentient.” Tony snapped, running a hand through his hair. “Is that what happened with Ultron? Did I build and create a killerbot in an alternate universe that made Loki fuck with time?”

At that, James flicked a glance at the screen showing the two leaders of the Brotherhood watching them with avid interest, while Charles frowned at the pair of them. Letting Fenrir slip from beyond the mask, as he gripped Tony’s arm to prevent the pacing. He growled, his chest rumbling, and the sound seemed to echo around the room. His voice was authoritative in its demand, leaving no room for argument. “This conversation stays between us, is that understood?”

Charles flinched and winced, Raven shifted in her chair, head tilting automatically in submission, even as a flush of embarrassment crossed her face at her actions. Even Erik, who was wearing his helmet, swallowed hard and nodded, voice a touch awed as he whispered, “What- you’re not a mutant.”

“I’m not,” James agreed, “I’m also not human, but you know that, don’t you?”

“I do now,” Erik agreed with a frown, even as he glanced at Raven, who nodded once, “we’ll agree with the understanding, it must be ratified between our peoples.”

Charles nodded quickly, the silent conversation the two men had, not missed but ignored by Tony as he looked at James, “Why didn’t you tell me it was the AI’s?”

James sighed and wrapped Tony in a hug, “Love, for a genius, you’re sometimes really dumb.”

Huffing, Tony slid his arms around James and leaned into his warmth. “I resent that, I’m not dumb, I just miss some of the finer points of a conversation, and don’t think of them later unless something jogs my memories.”

Not commenting, James pressed a kiss to Tony’s temple and looked at Charles. “Do you trust him to keep his word?”

“For once, yes, I do,” Charles said with a nod. “Though that was and is based mostly on Raven’s reaction. While she doesn’t know what or who you are/were, she recognizes you as the Alpha in a pack structure instinctively, and won’t go against that.” He sighed, suddenly looking his age, as exhaustion made him close his eyes, “It’s taken over fifty years for her to agree without needling or arguing, and I’d be jealous if I wasn’t so relieved.”

“It’s like a weight you’d been aware of but couldn’t move, suddenly lifted, isn’t it?” Tony whispered, turning his head to look at Charles, who cracked open his eyes and nodded.

“I still wish I’d done more earlier, but for now I think I’m going to go lay down and mediate,” Charles admitted, a soft contemplative expression on his face, “While the X-Men are still needed, I think we need to expand SWORD, so I’m going to reach out to some others that have been involved in freelance work, who claimed neutrality in this struggle of invisible power.” His face twisted in a sort of mournful resignation. “Hopefully, with this agreement in the works, we can work at ending a faction war.”

James waited until Charles had left the room before tipping Tony’s head back, brushing a kiss over his lips, “Long day, love?”

“Could have been worse, but I figured that fate was waiting until the meeting this afternoon,” Tony muttered, stretching up to steal another kiss. “How has your day been?”

James shrugged, glancing back at the door. “Should we have told him we had already reached out to the neutrals?”

“Was it a positive reception?” Tony countered, bullying James to the chair, and crawled onto his lap.

“Tentatively,” James admitted, wrapping his arms around the smaller man. “Wade was intrigued, though I think that was more in an attempt to figure out what I am. Matt’s firm has accepted the retainer, agreeing that allowing Stark Industries to offer representation wouldn’t be good for optics.”

Tony relaxed against him, “and your lunch?”

“Quite.” James replied with a laugh, “The trio were conspicuous in their absence, and Thor was watchful but not overt like I remember. He’s learned tact and patience in the ensuing decades that Fenrir was chained.”

“Any idea what he wants to request of the council?” Tony asked with a yawn.

James ran a hand through Tony’s hair and shook his head. “I wasn’t shown Thor’s history through the Sceptre love, so his involvement in the Stones or events isn’t clear to me.”

Tony nuzzled closer, letting out a sigh of pleasure at the sensation of fingers in his hair. “So wait until we hear what he has to propose before requesting to speak with Loki?”

“I think it would be best, or we tip our hand too soon.” James agreed regretfully. “We have too much to deal with beyond a need to purify that Sceptre of the malevolent presence.”

“You mean, Steve?” Tony questioned, tilting his head back.

“I do,” he shrugged ruefully, “I don’t know if he can be saved or if he even should, he’s not the man I remember – though to be fair, I’m not either. I don’t know that we ever allowed each other to see our true selves.” James swallowed, kissing Tony’s forehead. “I also have to admit to some lingering resentment of what he did in that alternate universe. It might not be fair or right, but even here, he’s on the path to where I could see similar events taking place. We’ve done our best to negate some of that influence by assuming control of S.H.I.E.L.D., reaching out to other factions and building up SWORD, but his need to save ‘Bucky’ and keeping secrets is what destroyed the Avenger there.”

“I have an idea of a plan for Steve, though I can’t see the results of it,” Tony admitted with a frown. “Though I am curious, because it’s not stated in the history books, but what grade did he complete?”

“Nine? I think,” James replied, “I barely finished nine, but that was more due to the fact I needed money. I started spending more time on the docks doing odd jobs, though that was short-lived as I started running full-time for the mafia. Unfortunately for Steve, because of his illnesses and attendance issues, after his third attempt at tenth year, he was told they wouldn’t accept his application, citing his lack of commitment prevented another student who wanted to learn from having a seat. He ended up working part-time as a bag boy at the local market, and I know the owner only hired him as a favour to his mother, Sarah.”

Tony choked on a laugh and looked at James with wide eyes, “Seriously? Fuck I can see why that was hidden from the history books. Wouldn’t want to influence two generations of children to the wonders of a school dropout over attendance and commitment concerns.”

“Does it help you?” James asked curiously. “Like I hate to say it, as he’s not the man I want to remember, but I wouldn’t go grab a billboard and tell the world Captain America didn’t complete school, but…”

“No, I have no intention of doing that.” Tony assured, rubbing a hand over his face, “But it does help, yes, though it would probably be best if you’re not in the room.”

Narrowing his eyes at that, James nudged his chin up to meet his eyes, “Why not?”

“This is not me being conceited,” Tony began, speaking slowly, as if picking his words with care, “But even if he doesn’t know you’re you, I don’t want him focused on you as a target for his ire when I piss him off, and I will. Which means he’ll resort to intimidation, and if he gets physical, I think your instinct will make you react automatically, especially if a threat is aimed at me.”

James growled, more subtonal than low, then flushed, red climbing his cheeks. He cleared his throat roughly, “Sorry, um … let’s not discuss anyone threatening you.”

Snorting, Tony didn’t argue, knowing his point had been made, and glanced at his watch, almost groaning at how much time he had until the meeting started. Debating the merits of heading to the kitchen to grab more coffee, Tony tipped his head back, meeting James’s eyes and shivering at the knowing look in his mismatched eyes.

Smirking, Tony ran his tongue over his lips and slid to the floor, staring up at James from under his lashes, “wanna help me kill some time?”

“As opposed to killing people?” James asked, amused, adjusting his legs and leaning back in the chair.

Running his hands up James’s thighs, brushing against the bulge that strained against the zipper, he relished in the groan that broke free from his soulmate’s throat, and grinned wickedly, “Consider it your civic duty, love, it’ll save on paperwork.”

Laughing abruptly, James reached down and unbuckled his belt, raising his hands in submission when Tony batted them away, but raised an eyebrow mockingly. “Well, if it’s my civic duty, get to it, love, you have thirty minutes to get me off…”

***

Tony was fixing his hair as he hurried down the hall, offering a sheepish look to Clint, who only rolled his eyes, and reached up to help adjust his tie, “relaxing lunch?”

Shrugging, Tony tried not to smirk and knew he failed when Clint rolled his eyes again and shook his head. “Maria and Phil had barely sat up when Steve showed, and started listing his complaints, in what seemed to sound like a chronological order. It would have almost been amusing if I couldn’t hear Phil grinding his teeth, which is just going to give him a headache later.”

“Have Maria or Phill gotten a word in yet?” Tony asked, glancing at the closed door that Thor was standing beside, dressed not as himself, but in a nice pair of slacks and a button-up with the sleeves rolled up.

Tony’s double blink had Thor shifting self-consciously, running his hand over the fabric, “Does it look ridiculous?”

“Actually, it looks good, but why change?” Tony questioned, frowning a bit, “You’re not worried they’ll judge you, are you?”

“Not at all, I remember Agent Coulson,” Thor admitted, smoothing the fabric again, and admitted, “during lunch, I spoke with Lady Laura, who recommended and arranged for the clothing for the restaurant I’m taking Lady Jane to tonight. Given I was concerned about the length of the meeting, she said they would be acceptable to wear beforehand. Not formal, but business casual, I believe, is how she worded it.”

“Ah…” Tony nodded in understanding, “She chose right, it’s a good balance, though don’t be put out if everyone else is more casual, it’ll probably only be Phil and me in suits, though Hank maybe as well.” Not sure what else to say. He glanced at Clint. “Are we all going in, or does Thor have a set time?”

“He has a set time, yes, but he can come in with us,” Clint agreed, rubbing a hand through his hair and trying not to wince as he admitted, “Phill made the arrangements for this portion with Steve in the hope that we could work through most of Steve’s issues before the others show up.”

“What’s he complained about so far?” Tony was curious and couldn’t deny it, especially with the face Clint made.

“I think it would be shorter to list what he hasn’t complained about,” Clint muttered, anger layering his tone. “He’s angry that we didn’t defend him when Conner lost his temper. That I hid a family and kids. That you have a kid. He claims that, as a team, none of us should keep secrets from him as our leader. Because he is the leader of the Avengers and he didn’t give permission to dissolve them, which means Sword isn’t a legitimate organization and should be removed from the premises, as this is the Avengers’ tower…” Clint trailed off with a frown, rubbing the back of his neck. “He’s also irritated that, as the highest-ranking active S.H.I.E.L.D. operative, he doesn’t have access to any of the banking records, nor that the account he used no longer works. And he is blaming people for trying to sabotage him and his job. It’s honestly a mess, and I don’t think your presence will do anything productive. In fact, it will probably make the situation worse.” Clint glanced at him, expression pained. “He blames you for a lot of stuff that makes no sense at all, it’s- it’s been like that long before he met you, and I only just realized it listening to him go on and on.”

“No matter how much I look like the man who fathered me, I’m not Howard,” Tony explained, unconcerned with the warning. “I’m a visual representation of everything he’s lost to time, and he hates it.”

“He’s childish,” Thor muttered, then had the grace to flush at interjecting into the conversation.

“I think it started as a type of denial,” Tony considered that, shaking his head, as he continued, “He went into the ice in the mid-40s, expecting to die, but it wasn’t for the good of the people, it was almost like he expected to be made a martyr, and he was to a point. But he was never posthumously ranked or given medals for his sacrifice – at best, he feels he should have been awarded the Medal of Honour, but because he wasn’t even a true member of the Armed Forces, they couldn’t. His rank isn’t even real; it’s symbolic, a title. He never completed basic training before undergoing Project Rebirth. The creator of the program then died, meaning they had no idea what to expect of the experiment, or what to do with him, so they slapped a title on him, and set him up to muster up support and sell War Bonds.” Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair, messing up what he’d already attempted to fix. “They revered him in the history books and set up the shrine in the museum, but if you actually go and look at it, Steven Rogers section is smaller than that of the surviving Howling Commandos, which probably burns in the worst way possible, because look at what he sacrificed, and yet the American people stuffed him in the books as a footnote.”

“And now?” Clint questioned, face suggesting he didn’t really want to know the answer, but resigned to hearing it anyway.

“He’s woken up in a future he never expected, or probably even wanted to see, where he could be considered just another regular Joe, because he isn’t anymore special for all that he’s enhanced,” Tony explained, tryingly. “He’s confronted with the fact that he’s not the only special power around anymore. Mutants and enhanced beings are visible in society; they no longer hide what they are, and he has to deal with that.” He shrugged. “Then add in his ‘educational packette’ provided by S.H.I.E.L.D. & Hydra, and you get a recipe for disaster. Keep in mind that Packette was designed to be biased against the people Hydra feared; they wanted him to do their work for them, so they tried to groom him to become the new face of Hydra, not realizing they doomed themselves, given the propaganda they shoved down ‘loyal’ assets on the horrors of the legacy Captain America left behind.”

Clint barked a laugh and roughly shoved his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, Laura told me stories of the training she’d received as a kid and captive of Hydra; she was biased long before she met the man.”

“Now, after DC, he’s presented with the first tangible evidence that his bestest friend not only survived, but is also evidently enhanced. The jealousy he felt as a kid has turned into a full-blown obsession, if it wasn’t already one to begin with, and given everything that happened during the war, I think Steven Rogers has been obsessed with James Barnes for a lot longer than suspected,” Tony added, glancing at the door like he could see inside it, and was a little surprised he couldn’t hear Steve from behind the closed door, even with the built-in sound proofing. Steve had proved in the past that he could reach volumes that would pass that.

“J’s engaged the new containment protocols, when it proved, Steve wouldn’t regulate his volume,” Clint stated, and pulled out a bottle of Tylenol and popped three in his mouth, swallowing them dry, “He’s recording the meeting for review later, though I doubt anything useful will be stated.”

“Have the other two had a chance to list their grievances?” Tony inquired, patting his pockets to confirm he had his phone.

“Nope,” Clint said, then paused, before adding, “At least not before the containment S.H.I.E.L.D went up.”

“Alright,” Tony said, a burst of nervousness twisting his stomach, before he felt a warmth travel down his arm. He glanced at it in shock, before touching it with an almost reverent whisper that tickled more than anything, before applying pressure.

“It’s a powerful connection,” Thor stated softly, expression awed, “Migaradain’s should be jealous of what you’ve been gifted, but none of them will truly understand what you’ve been given, even if they’ve already been offered the same.”

“Do you know why?” Tony asked, not questioning the rest of Thor’s statement.

Thor swallowed, dropping his gaze as he shifted his stance, before sighing in resignation, and met his gaze. “I’m not magically inclined like Loki, so I imagine what I sense is only a fraction of what he would feel if he were to stand before you. But if I were to hazard a guess, I would believe you’ve been personally touched and blessed by the Mother, though of Jord, Terra or Gaia, I could not say for sure. I just know they are outside the influence of the Norns,” He swallowed again. “It is a burden as much as it’s an honour for you, and one that is to be protected; it’s almost compulsive what I feel.”

“James said it’s the Web of the Wyrd,” Tony admitted, fingers ghosting along the mark again, smiling faintly when he felt a touch of impatience mixed with love spread through the bond.

Thor’s eyes widened in shock, “That is… wow, that’s unexpected, but it explains much. Those from Asgard would kill to receive such a mark, even if it would counter everything the Mother stands for; it is remarkable that one of Midgard was marked as hers.” He paused and licked his lips, “Would it offend you if I suggested speaking with Loki, or even my mother? They would be able to offer more insight and ways to utilize the connection to its fullest.”

Tony winced, scuffing the ground with his foot, “Actually, to be perfectly honest, I was already going to ask if I could speak with Loki about another matter, though if he or your mother would be willing to offer advice on the magical aspect of being marked, I would appreciate it. My soulmate, while having more knowledge than I, is restricted as much as I am when it comes to understanding it fully.”

A brief look of surprise crossed Thor’s face, even as he nodded, and cautioned, “I will speak with them once I return to Asgard. I know they both have duties to attend to, so I don’t know if they’ll be free before the end of your Migard year.”

“That’s fine,” Tony smiled, one that felt genuine, and gestured to the closed door. “As you can guess, I’ve got enough going on to keep me busy.”

A look Tony didn’t recognize flashed across Thor’s face. The maliciousness behind it was shocking and almost terrifying, as Thor glared furiously at the door. “Yes, it’s almost a shame Midgard no longer has the Colosseum. If the Captain was on Asgard, he’d already be tossed in the pits and taught he’s not as special as he believes.”

Making a note to ask about that later, because Tony was absolutely fascinated by the idea that the Norse culture had their own version of the Colosseum, Tony patted the God’s arm and offered a smile, “Hopefully, we can start with a conversation, and lead him in the right direction.”

Clint grunted, like he didn’t believe it was possible, which truthfully neither did Tony, but he owed it to his soulmate, and the man James wanted to remember outside the lies they both told each other.

***

Chapter Thirteen

Yet even so, they both flanked Tony as he approached the door. He gave it a perfunctory knock, then opened it without waiting for a response. He strolled into the room as if he owned it. He didn’t care that he’d disrupt the conversation. The smirk on his face made that clear without a word. Phil kept his expression blank while he waited for Tony to sit at the table. He watched Clint slide in beside the billionaire without a word. Thor took a seat on one of the chairs lining the wall.

“You can sit at the table, Point Break.” Tony frowned.

Thor shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, friend Tony. At this point, I am somewhat superfluous to the conversation. I have no merit in the discussion or complaints of Captain America. I would hate to become the focal point of his ire. My temper might get the best of me after what I’ve learned today and last night. His disrespect for authority is amusing in a young child, but unacceptable in a grown adult. I say this even with the vast age difference between Midgard and Asgardian cultures.” Tony was interested that the blond understood it for what it was. He watched Steve flush violently at the verbal reprimand, jaw tightening at the obvious disapproval. Steve didn’t fire back. Apparently, he had learned restraint, or at least manners. “Very well, I apologize for being late; my previous meeting ran over. Where are we on contract negotiations? Maybe I can clear up some details?”

“Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to offer or explain the new contract offers, Doctor Stark.”

Phil rolled his eyes and glanced at Maria. The woman straightened her back. She managed to both glare at Steve and clear her throat, keeping her tone bored as she spoke. “So far, we’ve listened to thirty-two ‘grievances’ that are really petty complaints. They come from an overblown ego and the belief that he’s the boss of everyone in the building, Doctor Stark.” She gave another glare at the man in question, who frowned. “He seems to have forgotten that two weeks of basic training and fighting under what amounts to a non-commissioned officer with no real rank seventy years ago doesn’t make him an expert for a job I’ve done for fifteen years. And that was after I was a Colonel in a combat zone.”

Tony blinked and took the Starkpad Clint pulled from somewhere. He then pulled a pad of legal paper and a pen towards him. He sat back and surveyed the room. Steve was stewing, body tense and angry as he tried to hide it. Natasha’s eyes narrowed as she calculated the odds. Sam appeared resigned to his place, though bitterness etched his jaw. He kept clicking.

“I see….” Tony said slowly. “I’m sorry you had to deal with them, Deputy Director.” Tony nodded at Maria, holding up a hand when Steve opened his mouth. “No, I’m talking now. You’ve had twenty-five minutes to waste my people’s valuable time. I won’t stand for the same. Things are different now, Mr. Rogers, and you need to learn that.” Tony began, uncapping a pen. He watched Clint drop a bottle of water beside him. He pulled out a pair of Hub glasses and slid them on. Then, in a show of nonchalance that was carefully faked, he swung his feet onto the table. He marvelled at how effortless it looked.

“What neither you nor Ms. Romanoff seems to understand is that your actions with the Datadrop broke the contract with S.H.I.E.L.D…” He narrowed his eyes when Steve opened his mouth. “S.H.I.E.L.D is not and never has been a government agency. It does have government sanction. It was authorized to work within the United States, as long as it shared the advancements and information it acquired.”

“That doesn’t explain how you think our contracts are broken or why you have a say in that.” Steve returned harshly.

“If you’d actually listened this morning, you’d also hear me admit to being the Director and owner of the now-defunct S.H.I.E.L.D.” Tony flicked a look towards Natasha. “Something I imagine Ms. Romanoff was able to verify easily.”

Steve frowned, more confused than angry. “Last I understood, you were a consultant of S.H.I.E.L.D., and that was only offered to stave off your ego.”

“Is that what you think?” Tony questioned curiously, amusement lacing his tone. “Is that what they told you?”

“It’s the truth.” Steve snapped.

“Then why are you here?” Tony demanded, glancing between the three of them, “You approached me, remember? I didn’t invite you.”

Steve fisted his hands on top of the table and looked down his nose at Tony. “You owe me the information from the Hydra bases you’ve been hitting.”

“Even if that was remotely true,” Sighing heavily, Tony dropped the pen and rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his hands, “I told you that I’m not the one hitting Hydra bases, so why would you assume I owe you anything?”

“No one else would have the resources to do so,” Steve shouted, slamming his fist on the table, “so it has to be you!”

Tony shrugged, unconcerned. “It’s not. I haven’t been out of the US since before the data drop.” He tipped his head toward Maria, who sighed and slid three stark pads across the table toward the trio. They eyed them suspiciously. “Now, to return to my original point, what wasn’t known until your helpful, if illegal, act of terrorism and treason was who the owner of S.H.I.E.L.D. actually was.” He smiled shark-like when Natasha straightened, picked up the pen again, and met Steve’s eyes. “Which means I’m left questioning the consequences, penalties, and merits of a continued association. Because of your actions, you’re responsible for a loss of over $200 billion, 23 innocent civilian deaths, twelve undercover operations lost, endangerment and death of 73 S.H.I.E.L.D. members, and injuries to 213 others.” He paused for a drink of water. “That does not include joint projects with Homeland Security, the CIA, and the FBI, and foreign agents, here and abroad.” He set down his pen. “The only reason you’re not in FBI custody on terrorism and treason charges is because of a subclause in your contracts. But since this clause is active because of your actions, you’re no longer agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or its subsidiaries. It’s a catch twenty-two: immunity until you voided it, your one and only get out of jail free.”

Natasha’s eyes widened, and she swallowed hard, looking around the room. Sam became paler with each word Tony spoke until he looked ashen. He pushed his seat back from the table, bent over, and put his head between his knees, fingers digging into his head so hard Tony could see the marks from his nails. Tony glanced at Natasha, who had put on her mask. She stared ahead with a blank face, but there was panic in her eyes. He raised an eyebrow at Steve. “It seems Mr. Wilson understands the gravity of what I’m explaining. Ms. Romanoff, a foreign operative on sovereign land, is blank but panicking. Did you ever question either of them over your actions, before, during, or after?”

“I didn’t need to.” Steve responded between clenched teeth, “I’m the leader, and my orders were justified. Hydra needed to be exposed, and it was.”

“You think you exposed Project Insight?” Tony asked with a laugh, dropping the pen and pulling the tablet closer, punching the screen for a few seconds, before meeting the confused scowl on Steve’s face.

The other man’s face took on a slightly righteous look as he nodded smugly, “Yes, we found information that indicated you were a target, which meant I was honour bound to stop it, even though I knew I’d receive no thanks.”

“Yet you didn’t know who to trust?” Tony questioned curiously, “That’s what you said, right? You didn’t contact me because you didn’t know who to trust.”

“That’s right,” Steve responded firmly.

Tony stared at Steve for so long that it was almost poetic. Steve shifted, clearly uncomfortable with the scrutiny. Tony raised an eyebrow. “You decided, in your infinite wisdom, not to trust one of the smartest people on the Eastern Board. You didn’t trust the person who had a backdoor into the Helicarriers I designed and sold to S.H.I.E.L.D, or had the capacity to sift through millions of data points and exclude loyal S.H.I.E.L.D members, and was even named a top target of Hydra with a level 9 threat assessment.”

“It could have been an elaborate setup to make you look innocent,” Steve replied evenly, then added childishly, “and you don’t have a level nine threat assessment, you’re not that dangerous.”

“Jesus Christ,” Clint muttered and shook his head, ripping off the hub glasses, and pointed at Tony, “Maybe you should have had Jimmy here, because I’m liable to shoot the asshole.”

“Hey!” Steve protested, “you can’t judge me based on a reaction in an emergency situation; the evidence found made it impossible to trust anyone.”

“Yet you trust a man who’s not only guilty of grand theft, but you’d only known him for three days?” Clint demanded, pointing at Sam, who looked up wild-eyed.

“What? No, I didn’t steal anything.” Sam protested.

“Oh?” Clint questioned heatedly. “You have the patent for the X-wing you flew? Did you have clearance and permission to be on that base to remove the tech?”

“Um, well, no, but I was the only one besides Riley who knew how to fly it,” Sam replied, voice shaking.

“Sam’s trust is not the one in doubt here,” Steve interrupted the confrontation, his voice edged with authority that made the former soldier wince.

“No, yours is,” Clint snapped, glaring at Steve for even suggesting otherwise, even as he pointed at Sam. “He knows exactly who designed the falcon wings he stole, and we all know he didn’t call to ask permission first, and considering the theft was reported, the only reason MP’s didn’t show up at his apartment was they contacted Tony first, who let it fucking slide.”

Steve’s mouth opened and closed, only to snap shut when Sam whispered, “thank-you, I, ah, didn’t deserve the pass, but I appreciate it more than I can say.”

“At the time, I was assisting my team to the best of my abilities, given I was blindsided and all that shit,” Tony offered, but then sent a bland look at Sam. “If this had happened yesterday, it wouldn’t have been MPs at your door, but an Iron Man suit.”

“You can’t just threaten people, Tony.” Steve snapped, “Sam was a hero that day.”

“Oh, I wasn’t threatening him,” Tony assured, brushing Clint off when the other man growled, but put the hub glasses back on. “If I wanted to do that, I could have just hit the kill switch when he was miles above DC.” He raised a mocking brow at Sam when the man blanched. “The military might have thought they got one over on me by messing with my tech-again by trying and attempting to alter the design and programming, but I’m an expert for a reason.”

Shame-faced, Sam nodded, swallowing compulsively before whispering, “So what does all this mean for me, I-I’m not an Avenger-”

“Yes, you are, Sam.” Steve tried to interject, but was ignored as Sam waved him off.

“I never signed a contract with the former S.H.I.E.L.D, so I’m not protected like Steve or Natasha, but I just- I thought I was doing the right thing, you know?” Sam finished, voice still a whisper.

“There are a number of options available to you,” Tony relented and offered simply, “but it’s going to boil down to what you want to do. If you want to stay on board with the X-wings, we can work out parameters for that. If you want to go back to DC and your job as a grief counsellor, you can. Hell, if you want to get back into the military, we can see what we can do; it’s up to you. No one can make that decision for you.”

“I-” Sam hesitated and swallowed. “Can I think about it and get back to you in a few days? Maybe go over my options in private?”

Tony inclined his head, “I can have J upload a couple of options and scenarios to the Starkpad you were lent, but a meeting probably won’t happen until after Christmas. We’re leaving in the morning, and won’t be back until New Year’s, or just after.” Tony shrugged like he wasn’t sure, admitting after a minute of silence from Clint. “Yeah, okay, so that return date is still pending, kids, right?”

“Yeah, no, that’s fine. A couple of weeks feels like a better timeline than rushing a decision.” Sam agreed instantly, a smile crossing his face as his body seemed to relax for the first time since he’d entered the tower.

Tony paused and offered, “You can always talk to J while you’re in the tower; he can answer questions and give you a different viewpoint if you feel like you need a neutral source.”

“What do you mean you’re leaving?” Steve demanded in confusion, “You can’t just leave. We just got here, and we have things to talk about.”

“I’m sure you’ll find I can do pretty much what I want, when I want, Mr.Rogers,” Tony replied dryly. “I don’t actually answer to you, and in fact, you’ll find that you technically answer to me.”

“You don’t own S.H.I.E.L.D., Tony, and the fact that you’ve managed to convince all these people is pretty horrendous of you.” The slap against the table put a lie to the chiding in Steve’s tone would have been grating if it wasn’t expected, but now all it did was make Tony roll his eyes and sigh heavily as Steve straightened, flinching back from the gun cocked and aimed at his face.

Clint’s expression was hard and cold. “I suggest you control your temper,” Clint advised, cocking his head to the side. “It’s the 21st century, we don’t resort to childish temper tantrums to get our way.”

“I’m not having a temper tantrum!” Steve denied his face, flushing at the denial.

“No?” Clint questioned, glancing between his closed fist and the table top it still sat on, “Then what the fuck was that? That’s the second time you slammed your fist on the table. Physical intimidation of a superior is not only unprofessional, but it’s rude and could be viewed as a threat.”

“What? No, I’m not a threat. I’m just frustrated,” Steve groaned, running his hands through his hair, “Tony’s frustrating, we’re supposed to be a team, yet he won’t help! I need that information to find Bucky, because I have a lead that can help him get the Winter Soldier out of his head.”

“Doctor Stark, technically, isn’t just a teammate; he’s your boss, Mr.Rogers,” Phil stated flatly and frowned at him, even as Clint slipped the gun away.

“Fine, whatever,” Steve rolled his eyes, “If he’s the boss, he should be providing what I need to do my job. Hell, he should be tripping over himself to thank me, and remove the infestation of Hydra because he evidently failed at his job.”

“S.H.I.E.L.D. was created by Margaret Carter, Colonel Phillip, and Howard Stark in the 50s as the successor to the Strategic Scientific Reserve, or SSR, which is the organization you signed on with for Project Rebirth,” Tony began, after holding up a hand to stop others from speaking. “It received government backing and high priority clearance for Operations, but was never financially supported by them, as Howard paid for everything. In 1965, as part of the marriage contract he had with my mother, he signed S.H.I.E.L.D. assets over to my mother, then hid them under her name, which Margret Carter turned into Carbonell Inc in 1975, two months after my first kidnapping attempt.”

“So what?” Steve demanded, folding his arms, eyeing Clint warily when the other man growled, adjusting the glasses before continuing, “It was an innovative idea that had merit, obviously, to still exist today.”

Clint made a face, poking aggressively at the air, throwing his hands up, “Stop cheatin’ Fri!”

“It is virtually impossible to cheat, playing a game of tic-tac-toe, Uncle Clint.” Friday replied primly, and then added smugly, “Would you like another game?”

“Well, you don’t have opposable thumbs, love, so apparently it is virtually possible to cheat, but yeah, start another board. Also, stop interacting with my daughter; she’s a bad influence.” Clint grumbled, tossing his feet back on the table, effectively ignoring the conversation.

“The first project they proposed and executed was called Project Paperclip. Do you know what it was?” Tony questioned curiously, catching the flinch Natasha didn’t hide, noticing that Steve caught it too as he frowned briefly at the woman.

“No, what was it?” The question was clipped, like he didn’t really want the answer, but needed the information just so he could find a way to counter and argue it.

“It was a joint OSS/SSR program in which over 1,500 Nazi German scientists and engineers were brought to the United States and pardoned for their activities in World War II in exchange for federal employment,” Phil stated flatly, a frown marring his brow. “One of those Scientists was named Doctor Zola-” Steve flinched and jerked back, jaw tightening though he said nothing, staring at the folder Maria had slid to the middle.

“It is believed that he was primarily responsible for the infiltration of Hydra within S.H.I.E.L.D. ranks, regrowing their base of operation and continuing the works they’d already started.” Maria finished for him, narrowing her eyes. “Which was twenty years before Doctor Stark’s birth, so you can’t blame him for other people’s fuck up.”

“He’s had years to find and root out the problem,” Steve argued, lifting his chin, “Instead, he partied, drank, and lived off the sweat of hard-working employees, preferring to point to other people and blame them for his mistakes. His profile even said he wasn’t recommended for the Avengers, and he probably paid someone to print that so he didn’t have to do any work.”

A humourless laugh left Tony, and he shook his head, even as he glared at Natasha, “Considering how much I had to pay for your infiltration, and what I’m still dealing with, you’re lucky you’re not in a deep, dark hole somewhere.”

“There you go, blaming other people.” Steve snapped, hand coming up, and aborting his movement, mid-motion, as Clint snapped his head up, hand reaching under the table, and settled for an angry scowl, “Leave her out of this-”

“She fucking caused it!” Tony shouted, rising to his feet and pointing at her. “That fucking eval you’re quoting like it’s fact was written and presented by her on behalf of Nick Fury because he didn’t want me involved in S.H.I.E.L.D…”

“Because you didn’t deserve it!” Steve snapped back. “You didn’t want it when it came to you, so other people had to run a company you owned because you couldn’t be bothered-”

“Are you still deaf, or just really fucking dumb?” Tony spoke over him, voice cold. “I didn’t fucking know.”

“You should have!” Steve shouted, half-rising from his seat, “If you had, you could have rescued Bucky, but because you didn’t, he was tortured for years, forced to do horrible things, and it’s your fault he’s out there, probably scared, and running because he doesn’t remember anything.” He sank back into the chair appearing exhausted, “even now you’re selfishly keeping information I could use to find him, and you’d rather blame everyone else for your mistakes, instead of fixing things.”

“That’s what this is about?” Tony demanded incredulously, “You’re blaming me for Bucky Barnes’ years of imprisonment under Hydra?”

“If you were a good person, you’d want to help.” Steve bit out angrily, folding his arms, “I’ve begged and pleaded for the information you’d taken from the Hydra bases, but evidently, you don’t care about anyone but yourself.”

“You need help.” Tony returned flatly, then held up a hand. “No, I’m done talking to you.” He glanced at Natasha, narrowing his eyes, “Do you have anything to add? No?” When Natasha remained silent, Tony tapped the end of his pen against the table, earning a little minute flinch each time it tapped. “When you ‘stumbled’ across the information about Hydra, did you take the time to look into any of it?”

Natasha flicked an eye to Steve, who was frowning at her, and she swallowed. “I glossed over it, but as a former member of the Widow Program, it was easily understood what I was seeing.” She shrugged expressionlessly. “During the course of finding out how deep the infestation was, Steve and I travelled to Camp Lehigh, where we found a computer that said it was the remains of Doctor Zola’s brain and consciousness. I don’t pretend to understand what was implied with that belief, but he confirmed his involvement with the infiltration of Hydra starting in the 50s.”

“Did he mention anything about Howard?” Tony asked curiously, and caught the subtle shift in her breathing, and flinch, Steve couldn’t hide.

“No, we didn’t have time for an in-depth conversation before a missile strike hit the base,” Natasha lied, her expression blank. “It was never determined if they were tracking and targeting Steve and me, or if they were trying to eliminate Dr.Zola.”

Tony clucked his tongue and shook his head, “Project Insight was designed by Hydra; specifically, an algorithm developed by Arnim Zola, which proved its worth when it flawlessly predicted you’d do exactly what you did. Hydra ensured it had no active operations except for Insight going. But they had a number of Operatives on stand by around the world set up to get the drop on former and active S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, which included the seventy-three men, Reaver’s specifically, that went to apprehend Laura and the kids,” Tony replied flipplantly, doodling on the paper without looking even as Steve opened his mouth his anger momentarily deflected as righteousness overtook it, but Tony talked over him. “They’re dead, every last one of them. Laura and I had killed the majority, but the kids helped.” He glanced at Natasha, “which I believe was something that was not only a goal you hoped to avoid, but a promise you made, knowing who their parents were.”

Natasha flinched, tears appearing in her eyes, and Steve jumped to her defence, hand slapping the table and echoing around the room, but she shook her head, hand resting casually and more intimately than it should have on top. “No, Tony’s right. It was one of my goals, fuck,” she pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, “what else?”

Tony debated for all of a second, more curious about her reaction than hiding it, “The op Clint was on was one of those affected; he was captured and held captive for over three months before he was able to escape with some unexpected assistance.”

“Logan?” Natasha asked dryly, voice barely containing the condensation.

“Laoch, actually,” Tony replied carelessly, splitting his focus between Natasha and Steve, and was very intrigued by the difference in their reactions.

Steve narrowed his eyes at the name confusion playing on his face as he shook his head in disbelief, as if having a conversation in his head that he was losing and attempting to focus on Natasha, whose mouth straightened, dropping in genuine shock. She glanced at Clint, who was now tilting the chair back on two legs, HUB glasses on, as he pointed at thin air at random. “You saw- what does he look like?”

“Even if I remembered him, what makes you think I’d share that with you?” Clint asked in a bored tone, not bothering to wait for an answer. “Doesn’t matter anyway, I have a recruitment pitch out to him, he’s tentatively interested, so we’ll see.”

“Why do we need more people?” Steve asked, breaking into the stare off Natasha was having with Clint, his voice matching the bewilderment on his face.

Even Nastaha looked at him sideways for that question, and Phill sighed, long and heavy, “It should be fairly obvious, Mr.Rogers, that while a team of five is effective, they can only do so much. More people mean more and larger missions, and a state of readiness if there are multiple points to target, or protect.”

Steve grimaced but didn’t argue that point, but ruined it by saying, “I don’t like the idea of people I don’t know joining. How do you know they’re the good guys?” Steve demanded, folding his arms. “People today have double standards and hide more than they share. They don’t trust those in authority, and would rather fight and target the oppressed than the oppressor.”

“What’s your definition of a “good guy”?” Tony spat, then held up a hand, voice dropping with sarcasm, “and don’t say Nazi, as we established earlier this morning, your enhancements were the direct result of a German-born doctor who worked for the Third Reich.” Steve snapped his mouth shut, but glared at Tony, who softened his expression, “The truth is, Steve, no one knows who the good guys versus the bad guys are. That’s written in the history books by the winner. What we’re trying to do is right by the normal, everyday people that can’t do what we do.” He shrugged apologetically. “So at the end of the day, I’ll take my chances with a possible bad guy. If they’re willing to get between people attacking innocents, then why question it until they prove beyond a shadow of doubt they’re bad?”

“It doesn’t work that way!” It burst out of Steve’s face, flushing with anger. “We shouldn’t be accepting people with questionable pasts who have killed innocent people.”

Smiling grimly, Tony tilted his head. “And who determines the innocent in the hypothetical? Who was your original handler when you woke?”

“Agent Sitwell provided the dossier on all of you.” Steve ground out through clenched teeth.

“A high-ranked S.H.I.E.L.D agent,” Tony confirmed and then added, “and a loyal member of Hydra.”

Steve clenched his jaw but didn’t respond. Tony tilted his head, considering Steve curiously. His eyes widened in surprise, and he let out a short bark of laughter. “You don’t believe he was Hydra, even after everything you learnt during his interrogation.”

“Hydra killed him.” Steve snapped, ignoring the look of disbelief he earned from Natasha, “If he were a loyal member of Hydra, they would have done everything to rescue the man.”

“Instead, they sent the Winter Soldier after him,” Tony mused, unable to hide his amusement at the conviction in Steve’s tone, and shook his head. “Steve, Hydra utilized cyanide packs that we embedded into their molars, like the KGB, so if they were captured by an enemy agency, they could commit suicide by biting down on it. Sitwell probably knew he was on borrowed time when he didn’t during the interrogation, but didn’t expect to rank the Winter Soldier’s attention.”

“He’s been brainwashed,” Steve growled out between clenched teeth.

“So innocent you’d rather hide the fact you think he killed my parents?” Tony demanded, staring directly at Steve, who reared back in shock, Natasha paled, and Sam looked on in horrified silence. “Didn’t think I knew that, huh? I guess it’s what you get for neglecting to search through the information you dropped on the internet.”

“He didn’t understand what he was doing.” Steve protested heatedly.

“And you don’t listen, I said, ‘you think he killed my parents, not that he did.” Tony stated, and raised an eyebrow, “I’ve watched the video, Steve, and while I’ll concede it appears to be James Barnes-” Tony broke off and pointed at the man, anger tightening the lines of his face, “Fuck off with the Bucky rhetoric. It’s been seventy years of torture, he’s not the man you knew, so until the man stands before me and gives me permission to call him that, I’m going to give him the respect and courtesy he deserves as not only a POW, but as a highly decorated veteran.”

Steve straightened in his chair and flushed at the reprimand, or maybe at the knowledge that James was more decorated than Steve was, and Tony sighed tiredly, “long story short, the video was faked, and I can prove it, if and when it’s necessary, but until James Barnes is interested in having a conversation, then it can wait.” Tony, looking around at the others before continuing, “But you’re missing the point of this, you’re saying you don’t want other people to join because not only do you not know them personally, but because they could have possibly killed people – the point of innocence isn’t a necessary qualifier, given everyone in this room has killed, and three of them aren’t technically former Avengers. If we get down to nitty and gritty, though, out of everyone here, I honestly have the most metaphorical blood on my hands, and that counts both Thor and Loki, who are thousands of years old, either through my own actions and designs or inherited from Howard.”

“You shouldn’t call him Howard.” Steve snapped.

“Fuck you!” Tony snapped back, “I’ll call the fuck head whatever I want, considering you know at best he was the sperm donor. He wasn’t winning any father of the year awards or the Nobel Peace Prize, considering his work on the Manhattan Project.”

A conflicting look of outrage and confusion crossed Steve’s face before the confusion won out, “What was the Manhattan Project?”

Watching all the former S.H.I.E.L.D agents flinch at the question, Tony offered each of them a glare, though he lessened Clint’s, knowing the man wasn’t a handler. He directed and split it between Natasha and Phil. “Dear old dad’s great achievement, after your successful creation of the Atomic bomb, they dropped it on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The direct casualties at the time numbered in the 200,000s. Do you want to know the best part, Steve?” Tony demanded, leaning forward, eyes narrowing when Steve shook his head in disbelief, “for the next fifty years, the United States Government and Military treated the victims of the bombings as science experiments, or more crudely put, lab rats, to determine the full extent of the damage and effects of those bombs. So who’s the good guy in that scenario, Steve? The US government and military you claimed to have worked for, or the citizens and civilians that lived in those two cities?”

When Steve said nothing, just looked more horrified, Tony pressed his advantage, destroying Steve’s stance on deniability on what Bucky Barnes was. “What about people like Natasha, who worked for the Russians and then double-crossed them to escape? What about the Winter Soldier, your best friend reborn?”

“Bucky’s innocent!” Steve shouted, slamming his hands on the table, jerking his hand back from the knife that embedded into the table top.

Shocked, he stared at Clint. “You tried to stab me!”

“And I told you to stop fucking hitting shit!” Clint snarled, gesturing around the room, “We have half a dozen people in the room that range in ages from 1000s of years old to under thirty, and not one of us has slammed or closed a fist onto the table attempting to intimidate someone, because we don’t like what they’re saying. Hell,” He gestured to Thor, who had been silent the entire time. “The oldest person in the fucking room hasn’t said a word this entire time, and I can almost guarantee you he not only has opinions, but he also has theories on what’s wrong with you.”

Thor made a face at having the attention drawn to him, but he inclined his head, “Theories, yes, but it would take my brother or even my mother to confirm, but I can see that something is wrong, and it’s not just the physical aggression.”

“Your brother attacked New York!” Steve growled angrily.

“We’ve determined that Loki was controlled by the Sceptre,” Tony returned just as angrily, exhaustion making him slump in his chair. “The world isn’t black and white, Steve, there is a shit ton of gray out there, and you’re still too colour blind to see it.”

Steve made to move, rising halfway and froze as the others jumped in surprise as a man appeared behind Steve, three claws sliding from his knuckles and held at Steve’s throat. “I suggest sitting again, Rogers, and listening for once, because as much as you like to believe it, even if this was a military operation, you’re not actually in charge. There are two colonels and a major that would have you beat for rank, even if your title of Captain was real.”

Steve sat, puppet-like and bug-eyed, and he swallowed hard, only relaxing as Logan retracted his claws and growled at Natasha. “Put it away, Spider, it’d only cause a papercut.”

Clint recovered first, slipping the gun out of sight and rubbing his foot scuffs off the table, while kicking out the chair beside him, “Not that you aren’t welcome, but I wasn’t expecting you, Logan.”

“I wouldn’t be here if I had a choice.” Logan grunted and walked around the table, swiping Clint’s water bottle but taking the chair on Tony’s other side, “But Thor’s presence wasn’t as much of a deterrent, so I was asked.” He shrugged carelessly as he slouched in the chair. “We figured I’d be that voice if the idiot lost his temper again, and if that failed, I’d be the force to stop him.”

“Where are the others?” Tony asked curiously.

Logan looked up. “Kids are giving a tour of their rooms, so the rest will be down shortly.”

A burst of air rushed into the room, and Tony blinked at the silver-haired man sitting in the chair beside Clint. Logan sighed, “Peter, you’re going to drive Jarvis mad if he keeps doing that.”

“Actually, Logan,” Jarvis replied, voice almost thoughtful, “Jocasta and I would appreciate Peter’s assistance here in the tower?”

Peter blinked, looking between Logan and Tony, who shrugged, making Peter wince, “Really?”

“Would you be willing to do a number of runs through the building, test the defence so to speak, if you have no objections, Sir?”

“If you wanna play hide and seek with J and ‘Casta, go ahead,” Tony said, waving his hand.

Peter shrugged and tossed the pen he’d snagged on his way in back to Phill, who caught it with a dumbfounded but slightly bemused look. “Cool, sounds good, J.”

“How fast are you?” Maria asked carefully, then winced. “If you’re willing to share that, is?”

Peter smiled, “Average is Mach 10, but I’ve gone faster in emergencies.” He glanced at Logan, “How long do you think it took me to clear the mansion when it exploded?”

“In ‘73?” Logan clarified and shrugged, “10-15 seconds, maybe, idiot even saved the fucking fish.”

“Hey, Guppy was a sweet, lovable fish,” Peter protested, “or at least Lucy probably thought so when she ate him.” Logan snorted, twisting the cap off the water bottle. “Whatever, kid’s fast.”

“You gotta stop calling me a kid, I’m like sixty years old.” Peter protested, and then preened when Maria snorted, and Tony laughed, and elbowed Logan.

“I’m over two hundred; everyone’s still a fucking kid to me,” Logan grumbled, folding his arms and casting an eyeroll around the room.

“Language.” Steve snapped automatically and then flushed when all eyes turned to him.

“That the fucking idiot you were bitching about?” Peter asked curiously.

Logan grunted and pulled out a cigar but didn’t light it, just chewed on the end, “yep, asshat got me sent to Japan where I was captured as a POW and held in Nagasaki for three months before the bomb was dropped.” He looked directly at Steve while he said it. “Who’s the good guy now, Stevie?”

Steve full on flinched at that, and turned an alarming shade of green, “you -”

“Oh, I know it was you, Howard was quite gleeful in rubbing that in,” he paused and tilted his head, “it remains to be seen if Jamie remembers.”

“His name is Bucky.” Steve grit out, making Logan smirk, and point his cigar at him. “Maybe to you, but when we shared sheets, I called him Jaime, and he loved it.”

Steve’s eye twitched angrily, but surprisingly didn’t say anything in retaliation, and managed to redirect it back to the earlier compliment he had received. “I still don’t see why we need people with questionable histories.”

“Because,” Tony sighed, “it’s better to be prepared than not. I know no one believes me, but the army I saw before the portal closed was too big for a fluke. It was a vanguard for something larger and worse. If we have defences in place now, we stand a chance at surviving what comes.”

Steve rolled his eyes but didn’t comment directly. “If you’re able to bring in people we don’t know, I have other people I trust to join.”

“It doesn’t actually work that way,” Phil began, but Tony held up a hand.

“You can bring them around for a conversation, and if they pass the initial screening, they’d have to agree to the full interview process if they want to be involved in a capacity.” Tony said, tapping the end of his pen, “That includes a medical assessment, both physical and psychological, an assessment into their abilities if they’re enhanced, and what training they’ve done to prove advancement and control, along with educational testing, to see where they are and what they need to learn.”

As Tony listed the requirements, Steve had nodded along in agreement before freezing at the last one, brow twisting into a frown: “education?”

“Yes?” Tony replied, feigning an equally confused look, “At a minimum, a GED or equivalent is a requirement to join SWORD, the Defenders, or even a spot as an agent within the organization.” He paused, raising an eyebrow, “This is a job, it’s not just something we do for shits and giggles, Mr. Rogers, education is essential in any recruit we hire, and then we help the focus and work towards a higher level of education.”

The frown increased as Steve shifted in his seat, “Is that discriminatory? If a person is hired and proves they can do a job, why would education be important?”

“It’s not the job they do that’s important, at least not after it’s done,” Tony explained, looking around the room, cataloguing the faces of the others and seeing the wariness creasing along the lines of their faces. “It’s the image and representation of what we are afterwards. We become heroes, adults and kids alike look up to us. They will believe in our opinions, and take everything we say with the belief we’re always right, and we’re not.”

“That doesn’t explain why you think they need an education.” Steve accused in frustration.

Tony stared at Steve, trying to hide his growing agitation. “I don’t know if you’re being stubborn for the sake of it, or if you genuinely don’t know, which is perplexing as fuck.” He glared when Steve opened his mouth, “Let’s get one simple fact straight here. It is not the 40s anymore, and I can curse all I want. I’m also technically older than you, given I haven’t spent 70 years having a fucking nap. I’ve lived, breathed and worked in the world that has had constant changes and adjustments over the decades, but just so that’s clear, let me give you a free bit of context that proves you need additional lessons on the differences of today.”

“I don’t need to learn anything-“ Steve started, but Tony held up a hand again.

“The Third Reich believed in an ideal, and sought to control the population through a mixture of fear and persecution, which targeted Jewish people, and killed over 6 million victims in their quest to obtain it. The United States had segregation systems for African Americans until the 60s and before that, slavery had only been abolished for fifty-odd years when you were born; all of those used education to control them. Hell, it was illegal to teach slaves to read, Steve!”

“That-this isn’t the same thing,” Steve protested, though by his wince he could tell it was weak.

“It’s similar enough. You lied and cheated your way into the army to fight in a war where over a million people died, Steve, and that’s the total number of casualties on both sides.” Tony said, adding softly, “Of that, 50–55 million were civilian deaths—many of which were from disease, starvation, and genocide, 21–25 million were military fatalities, and it was approximately 85% of those numbers that were on the Allied side. They say we won the war, but can you honestly tell me who actually won anything with those sort of numbers?”

Steve was silent, though he dropped his eyes to the table top, and Tony took a chance to lean forward, casually leaning on the table, “You woke in a world changed beyond recognition, no one, at least known to us here, expected you to know the history you missed, but that’s also our point. You don’t know what has changed; countries that existed when you were alive no longer do, and new ones are created in their place. Religion, Segregation, and LGBTQ movements have changed and advanced to the point that it is now legal for same sex marriages in most states. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the unofficial official stance of the US military regarding same-sex relationships, was repealed in 2010, probably a few months after they found you. Steve opened his mouth, but Tony shook his head, “I don’t blame you, Steve. None of us blame you; you weren’t given the opportunity to acclimate to your new reality. You weren’t given time to grieve or process. S.H.I.E.L.D. and Fury gave you a carefully curtailed, heavily edited and probably redacted file of what they felt you needed to know. They told you where the baddie was and sent you off like they were loading a slingshot. It’s their fault you’re unprepared for the current century, and you can’t control or change that. But what you can do now is make that change, be willing to listen and learn, take a breath and just- you’re not at war anymore, Steve, technically, unlike one of the other 25 million who died, you’re one of the boys who managed to come home.”

No one commented on the tear that slid down Steve’s face, nor did they protest when he left the room, Natasha slipping out after him, but it felt like a good stopping place anyway, so Tony slumped back against the chair, following his own advice and just breathing.

“Anthony,” Thor’s voice, soft and hesitant as it was, was still jarring in the sudden silence the room was left in. Tony cracked open an eye to look at the Norse God, who was shuffled awkwardly at the end of the conference table. Wincing a little at forgetting Thor had requested to speak, Tony offered an apologetic look, “I’m sorry -”

“There is no need to be sorry,” Thor began, and offered a somewhat sheepish look in exchange, “I admit to finding myself somewhat lost in what happened here, but at the same time, it has been illuminating too.” He paused and licked his lips, “While I don’t know the Captain that well, one battle does not give that sort of insight into the mindset of an individual, this meeting has clarified it is to you I must speak. You are the power behind the throne, so to speak, and the point at which that power is directed, so I withdraw my petition to speak to the council about my original request and will instead offer a proposal I think would benefit you and the goal you are reaching for.”

“No, Thor, that’s not what -” Tony stopped and frowned, tilting his head, “I’m not a king or a god, Thor.”

Thor inclined his head, “Maybe not in a literal sense, no, but beyond that one thing, there is something different about you, you are the power in this room, be it your individual strength, intelligence or the political influence you wield.”

Tony sighed and ran a hand down his face. “Please, speak even with everyone here. Those within the council are people I trust and will not influence my reasoning. You can still speak of your original request and offer your proposal; it’s how alliances and allies are made.”

“No, not in this case, my request was selfish,” Thor shook his head, “and I could not in good faith follow through on it. The proposal, though, is something I think would be mutually beneficial, but I would like to offer some Asgard’s younger warriors, men and women who are at the stage of their lives where they must prove themselves to earn their name and rank.”

Tony blinked in surprise at the offer, “Why?”

“You said it yourself, something bigger is coming, and given it’s from space. If it can affect Midgard, it can and will affect Asgard.” A small smile crossed Thor’s face, “as for the warriors? Asgardian culture is just as vast and complicated as Midgard, though admittedly, you have numbers I’m not sure I comprehend, but our young earn their rank and name through trials; they’ve become complacent and no longer strive to be the best. I think it would be beneficial to educate them that, while they might strive for individual powers, they’ve lost the point that other cultures are just as magical, if not more diverse, than anything we have.”

“You said it was mutually beneficial?” Tony prompted.

“I did,” Thor agreed, “in exchange for the warriors I propose, I would accept an equal number of men or women who wish to learn the Asgardian way of life.”

Feeling blindsided and out of depth, Tony glanced at Clint, who was blinking owlishly like he was still trying to process the implication, never mind the offer and what it meant in Thor’s proposal, leaving Tony wishing for a divine being other than Thor to appear and make it make sense, because everyone else appeared just as stunned.

Thor didn’t appear perturbed by the silence left, just stood there waiting, when the door opened, and James strolled in, face expressionless, as he addressed Thor, “We accept an equal number of warriors with the understanding they’re taught, educated and trained in the different cultures.” His eyes flicked to Tony, expression softening, before continuing in a language no one but Tony appeared to understand. Thor straightened automatically, eyes widened in shock, and he seemed to stumble where he stood. “Impress upon them, through the hand of fate, the mother, and the Wyrd, Anthony is off limits, no matter how much they would wish to believe otherwise, or they’ll face me and all I bring to bear.”

“What?” Thor whispered, eyes growing even larger, and he took a step back, “How?”

A smirk appeared on James’ face, and he tilted his head, and Tony knew it was in a silent challenge and not the submissive gesture he saw others do. “You think your brother would be monstrous enough to leave his children chained at the whims of Odin?”

Thor darted a look at Tony, who shrugged helplessly.

“It was not my truth to share,” Tony stated softly in the same language, finally understanding it was Old Norse, “though I did say I wanted to speak with him.”

“I’m not sure I would have believed it if you had,” Thor admitted thickly, before inclining his head towards James. “I never agreed with what was done to you, yet the complacency I mentioned wasn’t a lie. I fell for it, too. It has only been in the last few years and my exposure to Midgard that my eyes have been opened.”

James twitched an eyebrow, but nodded, neither accepting nor denying the apology, “This Loki does not know yet what he did. So it would be better not to tell him before bringing him here.”

It probably said a lot that the reference to this Loki didn’t even register with the god, because all Thor did was lick his lips, darting a look between them, “you do not wish -”

“No. Asgard is no longer my home, Uncle.” James interrupted with a shake of his head, “Truthfully, it never was. It was a prison I never deserved, for I had done nothing wrong.”

A small grimace, a cross between regret and resignation, crossed Thor’s face. He sighed with a nod, “You did not, and none of us tried to understand you. I will -” he stopped again, running a hand down his face. “I will return to Asgard posthaste, and explain my proposal, my mother will help push it through, and then I will return with Loki to sign an accord, and finish our discussion.”

Tony blinked in astonishment as Thor bowed and felt compelled to call after him, speaking in English, “Wait, Thor, you don’t have to go now, you have your dinner with Jane.”

Thor paused and sighed, shrugging his shoulders. “My mother warned me that the expectation I had for my purpose of coming here would not meet what I believed I wanted. And while I did not come to Midgard with this in mind, it has had the benefit of clearing up some confusion and hesitation I have felt, regarding Lady Jane and the issues around our relationship.” He paused and swallowed. “It is more than the time I grew up. I can’t be a leader or king if I don’t fully embrace the traditions of my people, so I must bid you farewell for now, for I have a stop to make on my way home.”

Saying that, Thor bowed formally and exited the room, leaving a stunned and uncomfortable silence in his wake, making Tony swallow thickly. “Well, that didn’t go the way I expected.”

“It never fucking does, Tony.” Clint laughed breathlessly and shook his head, “And that’s even including the bit I didn’t understand. What was that?”

Tony shrugged, very aware that Sam was still in the room, and addressed James, “Love, you alright?”

“I…” James looked at him and shrugged, “It was- I don’t…”

Snorting, Logan rose to his feet, clapping Tony on the shoulder, “I’ll take him to the gym and get him sorted, you good?”

“I- Steve?” Tony asked hesitantly, darting a look between them.

“He left the tower after your meeting,” James said, running a hand down his face and jerking his head toward Logan. “Let’s head to the gym, I need to clear my head.”

Logan glanced at Clint, who nodded. “Go ahead. We’re good. We still have a few minor things to discuss with Phill and Maria.”

James hesitated before moving around the table and pressed a quick kiss to Tony’s lips before silently following Logan from the room.

***

Chapter Fourteen

Tony rolled over into James’s embrace as he got into bed. “Find him?” he murmured.

James grunted, running a hand down Tony’s back. “Yeah. He was where you expected.”

“Would’ve been nice to be wrong,” Tony said, leaning back to meet James’s eyes.

“How did you know?” James whispered. “No one’s seen Rogers near the twins since they arrived in New York.”

Tracing the edge of James’s jaw with his thumb, Tony sighed, “It was a number of things, really, but first and foremost was Thor confirming something was ‘wrong’ with Steve. Thor’s not magical, at least in the sense that he can manipulate the same force, but I imagine growing up around Loki and other Gods, he’s become sensitive to the different types of magic and at least feels the influence.”

James frowned but nodded, pulling Tony’s hand away. “Don’t distract me.”

Smirking, Tony brushed a kiss over his lips. “If I wanted to distract you, I’d be obvious. This was for comfort.”

“What else?” James asked, not addressing the distraction-versus-comfort tactic.

“His obsession with you isn’t right, even accounting for his situation,” Tony frowned. “So, on a hunch—and, yes, I know it’s unethical—I checked his medical records, from Project Rebirth and S.H.I.E.L.D., especially blood work. I compared them to original project samples, pre- and post-serum, and S.H.I.E.L.D.’s. He has severely low serotonin.”

James frowned, rubbing Tony’s spine. “What’s serotonin?”

Tony frowned, flushing. “Right, sorry, before your time. Um, so—”

“Short version, love,” James covered Tony’s mouth and raised an eyebrow. “Long explanations can wait; we have an early morning.”

Tony pouted. “Fine. It’s a chemical that stabilizes mood and chills emotions. It’s the ‘feel-good’ chemical that promotes calm and stability during intense emotional experiences.”

“And Steve doesn’t have it?” James questioned. “Did he ever have it?”

“He had it pre-serum, but even then, it was low enough to be an issue. That’s why the obsession stands out. Low serotonin is linked to obsessive-compulsive disorders and intense negative emotions. His brain can’t regulate, so anger or distress hits harder, faster.”

“I don’t have that issue, do I?” James’s voice cracked.

“No!” Tony rushed to assure him, then frowned briefly. “I can’t say for sure if the serum itself caused the serotonin issue, or if it’s just a difference between your serum and Steve’s. Yours is supposed to be a copy, but when I look at your blood tests, your serotonin levels are completely normal.”

“Does this help Steve?” James asked.

“Maybe?” Tony hedged. “He’s not exempt from responsibility. He still knows right from wrong…”

“But his obsession clouds his judgment,” James finished. “So why did he approach the twins, and how did you know?”

“After you mentioned them, I looked into the files Hydra had on them,” Tony admitted, “They had records buried about the facilities where they were cloned, which was originally in Solivka, but sometime in 1989-1990, authorities got wind of it, so they moved it. In the move, the twins got separated from the rest of the children, though I believe Wanda may have hidden and made them forgettable. Those notes aren’t clear, but the records indicate that the handler was shocked by their approach in 2012, and the reason for that approach. The twins hate me, believing me responsible for a bomb that hit their apartment complex, which killed the adults Wanda mind-twisted to believe were their parents.” He offered a little shrug, “Hyrda utilized that, even though their own records prove they purchased the fakes and sold them to the rebels, prolonging the civil war. As for why the twins are in the city, the easiest guess is they’re drawn to the Sceptre, even contained as it is. They might not have gotten their powers from it completely, as they had already shown the X-gene as children, but the sceptre has made them more than they were.”

“And Steve?” James prompted gently.

“I think they approached him,” Tony admitted, “Wanda can read minds, and I think his obsession drew her in, like honey to a bee. It would be very easy for her to continue manipulating that, and honestly, at this point, she wouldn’t have to do all that much, because he’s already convinced himself that if he finds and saves you, he’ll prove he was right and justified all along.”

James cursed quietly, tightening his arms around Tony. “I won’t let him hurt you, Anthony. Not this time.”

Tony yawned, nuzzling closer and kissing James’s chest. Wrapping a hand over the mark on James’s arm, he whispered, voice muffled by another yawn, “Love you too.”

A huff chased Tony into sleep, a kiss brushed his head, and a whispered, “I love you, Anthony.”

***

An icy wind swept through the rough stone cliffs, causing the dry snow to flutter and drift through the air, highlighted by the weak sunlight, but it did nothing to warm the barren landscape. Moving in the shadow of the mountain, Thor moved to stand before the chained wolf, that did nothing but stare at him with green, baneful eyes, like he wasn’t worth the energy to growl at, regret clawing at his throat for what he allowed to happen. “Will you finally free him?”

The voice and question caught him by surprise, and he turned to find his mother standing there, her fur-lined cloak wrapped around her, though the hood was pulled back and her hair shone in contrast against the murkiness of the tundra.

“How long have you known?” Thor asked instead of answering.

“Ever since Loki deposited a book onto a young woman’s lap and filled her head with our stories and legends—ensuring she’d want to pass them on. It must be some two or three hundred years now,” Frigga replied, her tone light, as she stepped beside him and reached to touch the snout that exhaled a warm breath at them.

“Why did you say nothing?” Thor questioned curiously, the expected anger dissipating on the wind.

A graceful shrug preceded her kneeling in front of the wolf, “Who would believe me? At the time I became aware, it technically hadn’t happened,” She frowned, nose wrinkling in annoyance, huffing out a breath, “Time travel is so often complicated, I see the ripples like wind in the water, but I can’t change them, not that I would. Gods and mortals must make their own choices; it is the gift given by the Norns and Moirai.”

“Even if they make the wrong choice, that could make our future worse?” Thor demanded in confusion.

Another shrug, and she glanced at him and raised a finely arched eyebrow. “If a being makes the conscious choice to test the fates by travelling through time, who am I to say that they’re wrong? Who am I to judge what is worse?”

Thor closed his eyes, kneeling beside his mother. “I apologize, I was not implying it was your responsibility.” He met his mother’s eyes. “I just, how could Loki make such a decision?”

“That you must ask your brother.” Frigga responded, tone filled with the cryptness that sent a shiver of foreboding down his spine, “You know if you free him, James will gain the ability to shapeshift into him?”

“I gathered,” Thor returned dryly, and ran a rough hand over his face, “why did you say nothing?”

A delicate shoulder shrugged, “It wasn’t my place, and this Loki has no idea what he’s done; his grief at allowing his children to be chained keeps him from visiting.”

“And Jor?” The question was asked with a sort of dread, and he glanced towards his mother, who bit her lip, hesitating before answering.

“True reincarnation,” Frigga said, magic making her eyes glow from blue to pure silver. “What it means for Ragnarok, I cannot say, but it could be that Loki changed not only that, but even more than he expected.”

“Father doesn’t know?” Thor hated asking, not wanting to think worse of Odin, but, given past events and what he was starting to believe he knew, he had no choice. Odin wasn’t the man he thought he was, and that was the most disappointing part of all of this.

“Your father hasn’t paid attention to anything in an Eon, Thor,” Frigga muttered scornfully, “ever since the Norns informed him he would be the cause of Ragnork, he hasn’t cared for anything. It is disappointing.”

It was eerie how his mother echoed a thought he’d had, and swallowed convulsively, “I offered a proposal to James’s soulmate.”

“I saw,” Frigga responded, slowly rising to her feet, readjusting the cloak and wrapping her arms around herself, “I, of course, will endorse it and push it through, and even offer a few suggestions, though the only one I will offer lessons to is Volya, even if that means living on Midgard.”

Shocked, Thor rose to his feet, “Mother?” Frigga lifted her chin, “I have many regrets over the choices I’ve made, Thor. I gave Odin too much power when I did not fight in Loki’s defence; Fenrir’s treatment is one of the sins I carry when I did not speak in his defence. So if Odin thinks he is keeping me from my great-granddaughter, he’ll have a fight that will make Ragnarok a moot point, my son.”

A startled snort of amusement escaped Thor, and he shook his head, suddenly reminded of what he had done before coming here. “I broke it off with Lady Jane.”

“I know, Thor.” Frigga replied gently, “But we both know you aren’t as upset over it as you expected to be.”

Frowning, Thor tilted his head, looking down at the wolf, before bending over, slipping the chain free from his neck, and stepping back, offering a formal bow, knowing no words he offered would convey his regret for the unjust imprisonment.

The wolf’s head tilted in confusion, though he rose to his feet, gazing at the two in front of him for a long time before blinking and disappearing, leaving Thor releasing an exhale, not sure what he would have done if the wolf had attacked. He wouldn’t have wanted to fight him, but neither would he have wanted to die, nor would he have let his mother come to harm.

Drawing in a shaking breath, he turned to face his mother, “Did you know Anthony was marked with the Wyrd?”

Frigga’s sharp inhale told Thor she hadn’t, and her eyes widened, “I- no, I knew James made the choice to choose him, but to be actually marked?” She shook her head, “Do you know how this came to be?”

“It was not my place to ask,” Thor said softly, “Soul bonds are private for a reason; it felt wrong to probe, especially given the issues they have happening even now.”

Narrowing her eyes, Frigga stretched out her arm. “Let us return to the castle. I feel we need to have an in-depth conversation, and tell me what troubles you, before we present your proposal, my son.”

With a sigh, Thor took one last look around the barren cliff, mourning what could have been before offering his mother his arm and escorting her back towards the boat waiting to take them to the mainland, and dutifully explained what had happened in the time he’d been gone.

***

It was almost idyllic, quiet and peaceful in a way that shouldn’t have put Tony on edge, yet since Steve had left the tower before Christmas, and knowing he’d been with the Maximoff twins periodically through that time, he hadn’t been able to relax. Constantly interacting with Jarivs and ‘’Casta, and scanning the security feeds, in and around the tower, unsure of how Steve would retaliate, because he knew the man would. Unfortunately, at this point, it felt inevitable, like there was no other opinion available, and something in Tony mourned what could have been, because he didn’t see it ending in anything but grief, and that wasn’t for himself; he had no delusions that Steve cared or respected him. In Steve’s world, he needed to blame someone, and with Tony being the embodiment of everything wrong with his life, he had a target already set, and nothing was going to deter him from reaching his goal.

So a week and a half after New Years and the restarting of school, while Tony was sitting at the coffee table, helping Conner go over the math questions he had, while Lila worked through her word scramble, and Volya leaned against his side as she slowly read through the discovery book she’d gotten for Christmas, it was almost poetic that it wasn’t the man Tony had been worried about that suddenly appeared in the living room.

That it was a woman was only a secondary consideration; it was also highly suspicious when he tilted his head, silently nudging J, and realized not only that he could not reach his AI, but also that he was vulnerable with three children to protect against an unknown. Moving slowly, he made sure Volya and Lila were between him and the couch, lifting an eyebrow at the woman, as he rested an arm on the coffee table, reaching underneath for the hidden gun attached to the underside, “I don’t know how it works in your society, but it’s the height of rudeness to just appear without knocking on the door.”

The woman blinked, a faint blush climbing up her cheeks as she met his gaze, “and I apologize for the intrusion, Doctor Stark, Heimdell, is often overly concerned with my safety, and as he wasn’t able to accompany me, he didn’t feel comfortable allowing me to sit down in a public area.”

Tony frowned, feeling Volya edge around him, and heard her sharp inhale, “Nonna?”

Tony closed his eyes, releasing his hold on the gun handle, and sighed long and hard, “You’re Loki’s and Thor’s mother.”

The woman inclined her head and smiled. “After a fashion, technically I adopted both, but I love them both as my sons.”

Rubbing a hand over his face, he groaned, “And I assume by your posture, not only are you worried about a reception here, you aren’t in fact supposed to be here, correct?”

The lady blinked, then blinked again, tilting her head to the side, and breathed, “Remarkable, it’s so seamless I can see why my sons didn’t see it.”

“Pardon me, see what?” Tony demanded in confusion.

She fluttered a hand, rubbing at her temples, “I guess it would explain why Gaia marked you as her own, and why you’re touched by the Norns but not the Moariri…” She frowned as she glanced at the four of them, “It doesn’t explain three children. I thought there was only one.”

Feeling even more confused than when he’d sat down at the table to help with Conner’s grade 6 math, Tony shook his head and rose to his feet, still keeping himself between the girls and the unknown Deity across from them, noting that Conner had edged around the table to stand at his side as a second line of defence. “My lady, I sincerely do not understand your meaning, nor do I know who you are specifically, as you still haven’t introduced yourself beyond an acknowledgment of being Thor and Loki’s mother.”

“I mean you, nor the children any harm, Doctor Stark, and my name is Frigga.” She offered and then frowned, “Thor did not explain or offer my name?”

“If he did, it escaped me at the moment,” Tony admitted roughly, “though I believe I’m allowed a pass, given you just dropped in.”

“Right, of course,” Frigga flushed at the reminder and reprimand, “My reasons for a private conversation should still have been met with common courtesy, so I once again offer my most sincere apologies for the intrusion.”

Tony lifted a brow at the pretty words, not really believing them for a minute, “If you’re looking to speak with James, he’s not available.”

Lady Frigga’s expression fell, “I see…. I suppose I should not be surprised that he doesn’t wish to speak with me. I did nothing for him the last time, and he suffered eons as a prisoner before Loki offered him the freedom I didn’t see possible.”

Tony snorted, “While I hate to disagree with your perspective, and I understand the whole fate thing. James and Fenrir were still prisoners of other circumstances until very recently.”

“I know.” Frigga whispered, eyes glistening, and she cleared her throat, “and if he doesn’t wish to speak of even seeing me, I won’t force the issue, as much as I wish to offer my regrets and apologies for what he suffered.”

“While it’s a nice sentiment, and he might not be here to back me up, neither of us regrets the choices we made to be here.” Tony stated firmly, for all that his voice was soft, “our bond, connection and love have been worth everything we stood against to reach the point we have.” He paused, sliding his hands around the girls as they pressed against him on both sides, “As for the children,” he ran a hand through Volya’s dark curls, “Volya is mine, and James and a daughter of Pythia, the other two are Lila and Conner, their parents are Laura and Clint Barton and James’s pack mates.”

A pleased smile crossed Frigga’s face at the introduction, “It pleases me to meet you, and understand that James found an acceptance he never found on Asgard.”

Feeling something relaxing in him, Tony nodded to the homework, “Let’s take it to the kitchen so I can make a snack before bedtime.” Directing his attention to Frigga, he offered an olive branch: “Would I be able to interest you in Midgardian fare?” He paused briefly. “I believe you’d like English tea more than coffee.”

Surprise crossed Frigga’s face, and she swallowed, “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to impose more than I have.”

“I would never deny someone the right to meet their grandchildren, unless they’ve proven they’re untrustworthy, plus James has the right to say either way if he wishes to converse with you.” Tony explained and shrugged, “In all the talks we’ve had, and while it might be painful to hear, he’s never once mentioned you or your husband.”

“And it would be fair that he is not,” Frigga replied sadly, but nodded, “I would love to join your snack, I believe you called it?”

“I did, and you would be welcome too,” Tony said, watching the children grab their stuff and head to the kitchen ahead of them, Tony bringing up the rear as he let Lady Frigga in front of him. The hour interlude actually turned out to be more heartfelt and intimate then Tony excepted, though it took a little bit for the kids to relax around Frigga which only really happened when she gave the permission to call her by her name with the the honorific attached, and yet by the end of the hour all three kids were referring to her as Nonna, to her delight and Tony’s confusion.

They’d also shared more than he ever expected to hear, though he couldn’t say he begrudged them that, not having living grandparents to offer. The only other one the Barton children had was Logan, who wasn’t exactly the maternal type, and truthfully neither was Laura, so watching Frigga offer the children something they’d never been exposed to before, hit him hard and he knew that if James or the Barton’s objected, he’d have to stand in defense of the rapidly growing relationship he saw form before him, and he quickly became a superfluous spectator in the room. It was easy to see that she loved deeply, and it wasn’t focused on one individual; it was somehow unfathomable to contemplate that she loved equally, though admittedly, he could see she did have favourites, even if she’d never vocalize that to anyone.

Wondering from the room, needing a minute to himself, Tony moved over to the couch, bending over to grab his tablet, and see if he could figure out why Jarvis hadn’t answered him, when the elevator dinged open and he groaned as he glanced over and found Steve standing there in all his Captain America glory, arm flexing behind the S.H.I.E.L.D as he looked around the room analytical and shrewd as he took in the single occupant and a slow smirk appeared on his face.

“Good, you’re alone.”

Shrugging casually, Tony straightened, “as alone as a tower filled with my tech and AI’s will allow.”

“You can’t access your computer program,” Steve replied, stepping into the room. “As to your tech,” he shrugged, amusement rippling across his face, “you’re woefully underdressed, with no visible weapons on you, I think I’ll take my chances on a private conversation.”

In that single blinding second, a visceral hate flooded Tony, and he stared at the man his father had worshipped and glorified, holding and raising the bar of expectation against the perfection that was Captain America, and he had to swallow back the bile that burned his throat, thankful when he didn’t gag. “Not sure I have much interest in what you have to say, Rogers.”

“Probably not,” Steve agreed, moving into the room, “but in this case, I neither care nor can you do anything about it. What is going to happen is you’re going to drop this ridiculous belief that you have a say in the Avengers. You’re not the leader, at best you’re your Iron Man, and at worst you’re a trumped-up consultant who’s no longer needed or necessary.”

Eyebrows shooting up in amusement, Tony tilted his head, “I feel like I should point out that, even if any of that was even remotely true, you do realize I’ve financed everything the Avengers used, correct? If I’m so superfluous, you’re going to be sitting at home a lot because I wouldn’t continue the practice of giving my money away, which was Fury’s intention.”

A slow smile crossed Steve’s face, “You will, it’s the only good you offer the world, think of it as your penance for all the evil you’ve built and used to destroy.”

“Green energy is evil?” Tony questioned relaxing his posture as he moved from between the coffee table and the couch, putting himself between the kitchen and Steve. “Hospitals and schools in third-world countries are destroyed? And what does food do, Steve? Does it do the opposite and starve people, too?”

“You build and sell bombs, Stark,” Steve chided like he was admonishing a child, “you’re incapable of doing good, honest things for others. It’s not in your nature to be a good person. You’re the Merchant of Death, and too often and at great volume you steal the souls of the innocent with no judgment rendered.”

“You’re delusional,” Tony replied evenly, “I’m not Howard, Steve, no matter how much I look like him.”

Steve blinked in confusion, almost as if he couldn’t process how Howard had anything to do with the conversation. “he was a good man, and would have been disappointed to see what you became.”

“Howard was disappointed the year I turned four and didn’t die in a kidnapping attempt so he could claim the life insurance policy he had on me.” Tony returned bitterly and continued flatly, “And the ironic part, he only did it because he was jealous like you.”

Steve jerked his head, neither nodding nor shaking it, almost like he couldn’t control the motion, “I’m not jealous.”

“Oh, you are, and so was he,” Tony replied, disdain coating his tone, “he hated that I was smarter than him, he hated how he knew I’d be better and greater than he could ever hope to accomplish, and he feared I would do exactly what I did.”

Looking increasingly confused, Steve shook his head as if to clear it, muttering, “You’re supposed to be fighting me.” It was spoken low, as if he thought he was speaking under his breath so Tony couldn’t hear him, before he continued louder. “Howard didn’t fear anything.”

A bark of laughter left Tony, and he shook his head, “The best part of that statement is I can’t tell if you’re actually that much of a naïve fool, or if you’re willfully blind. Howard Stark was your mirror, everything you see in yourself as you are now, post serum, was the thing he wanted to be.”

Steve twitched, shield catching the light, causing him to lower his gaze, “good becomes great….”

“If the serum had been tested, maybe, but it wasn’t, and should never have been used on you,” Tony admitted slowly.

A mulish expression crossed Steve’s face, “I was chosen for it.”

“You were, but there are any number of perfectly awful and downright unethical reasons two scientists hoping to prove something picked you; the most obvious is that you were an orphan. If you’d died in the course of the procedure, there would have been no one available to argue or debate the merit of your death,” Tony countered, straightening his spine, as he held up a hand, “and before you spouted about your best buddy. James Barnes was on the front lines, having no clue what you’d signed up for, and I think we can both agree he hadn’t wanted this for you, even if you had betrayed him and forced him to fight in a war he had no interest in.”

The rapid blinking Steve enacted was only intercepted by one-word protests before he shook his head in frustration and growled angrily, “I didn’t betray Bucky; he was my friend!”

“He was also a rival and someone you resented because you were jealous. He was everything you wanted to be: respected, strong, smart, agile, charismatic, and easy going with a spine of reinforced steel when his values were threatened or compromised.” Tony argued, listing off the points on his fingers. “I don’t know if your enthralment with James Barnes started as anything other than a hangup on wanting to be like him, or believing yourself in love with him. But either way, the serum and lack of the X-gene means it’s turned into a full-blown compulsive obsession.”

Steve shook his head in denial, hands clenching and fisting as he stared at a point over Tony’s shoulder, slowly alternating his stance. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Bucky and I are nothing but friends, good friends, yes, but we never had a chance to be anything more, and I wouldn’t have dishonoured or endangered my friend by trying anything.”

“Is that why you sold him and Logan out of Howard?” Tony demanded heatedly.

A flicker of rage crossed Steve’s face, “I removed the negative influence in Bucky’s life, but I didn’t hurt him.”

“You think losing his lover during the war didn’t hurt?” Tony demanded incredulously. “He returned from a fucking mission with no message, and your face ordering him out on a mission he wasn’t supposed to be on!”

“He was qualified for it!” Steve shouted.

“I didn’t say he wasn’t,” Tony agreed, countering the shouting by keeping his voice even, “I said he wasn’t supposed to be on the mission, but you were terrified, he’d risk everything and go AWOL to go looking for Logan!”

“Stop talking.” Steve demanded, shaking his head again, and taking an aggressive step forward, “You weren’t there, you couldn’t possibly understand anything that happened back then.”

“I understand perfectly,” Tony countered, ignoring the order to stop talking. “You ordered a man you have either alternated in hating, loving and wanting, onto a mission he wasn’t prepared for and was totally unsuited for, while still struggling to process a second betrayal he’d suffered at your hands. James Barnes fell from the train, where you expected him to die, in fact, you probably wanted and needed him too, because if he did, it would just prove he wasn’t better than you – again. You prettied it up, the whole mourning spiel speech, about honour and sacrifice, but it’s why you denied the rescue mission proposed by Colonel Phillips and every single commando, you couldn’t risk James Barnes being found then, because then people might question what you already knew.”

“And what did I already know?” By the expression on the Captain’s face, it was obvious the question was drawn from him against his will, and it made Tony smile, something sharp and righteous even as his neck tingled, and he knew by the sensation that James had appeared behind him, hidden from view. His heart twisted a little at what it might do to his soulmate to hear what he said, but he knew it needed to be done.

“He was never going to choose you,” Tony said, lifting his chin. “He chose a double life instead, and that for all of James’s criminal connections to the mafia, he’s always been a far more honourable man than you.” Tony stated, then lifted his chin, adding pointedly, “and he’s proven a far better man than you could ever hope to be.” He paused and tilted his head, curiosity stretching across his face, “Just answer me this, cause I can’t figure it out. Do you know which god your ancestors pissed off to be cut off from their divinity?”

Inarticulate rage slashed across Steve’s face, and he pulled back his arm, screaming as he threw the shield across the room, only to be met with the unnaturally loud clang as the vibramium shield hit metal, and James appeared in a froth of green flickering swirls of magic that snapped and crackled in the air around him.

“Bucky!” Steve shouted, confusion rippling across his face. He shook his head as he stumbled back, clutching at his head in agony. “What are you doing?”

“Protecting what is mine, and Anthony is not yours to threaten or harm,” James replied, a sub-tonal growl threaded through the words, making Steve turn white.

“But-but he’s not a good person, Bucky.” Steve protested weakly, reaching out with a pleading hand.

“You’re right, and you’re wrong,” James said, shifting Tony behind him as Steve’s face cycled through a smug sort of betrayal, before continuing in an unrelenting voice, “he’s better. I chose him before he was born, and I’ll continue to choose him again and again, until the end of time.”

Steve opened his mouth, yet instead of the expected shout or argument, something that was evident by the scowl that highlighted his face, nothing came out, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed boneless to the ground.

Lady Frigga’s voice sounded behind them, a cool exasperation in her tone, “his ancestors were prone to dramatic rages too, though Hercules had his divinity to fall back on after he earned it, though it was also something Zeus was disinclined to allow to pass on.” She sniffed in disdain, “which, in this situation, I think we’re all better for that.”

Tony grabbed James’s arm, as his soulmate growled, and squeezed it reassuringly, even as he half turned, “Is he-“ he stopped and frowned, not sure if he wanted to know if Steve was dead, and flushed when she raised an eyebrow.

“He’s in an enchanted sleep,” Frigga replied dryly, “and won’t wake until I wake him, as we can’t trust he’ll act reasonably when he does. There is something fundamentally wrong about him, and that’s beyond the chemical imbalances you already found or his lack of the X-gene, I believe you call it,” she hesitated, offering a shrug before admitting, “and I know there is nothing here on Midgard that can be used to help him, though I can’t promise Asgard does either. What I can offer is a promise we can contain him, if nothing can be done for him.”

“Why would you offer that?” Tony asked curiously.

“Because you know, you need all the warriors you can get,” Frigga replied, voice taking on an echoing quality that sent a shiver up Tony’s spine, “Loki’s interference has altered aspects of what is to come, but it’s still coming, and you, Anthony Stark, are the being we rally around, and the key to preventing catastrophic extinction.

The elevator opened before either man could react, and the X-Men stepped off, Logan in the lead, Clint draped over his shoulder, Laura trying to decide whether to hold a compress to his side or his head, while Hank and Peter covered the Maximoff twins chained between them, Kitty, Kurt, and Bobby bringing up the rear.

Frigga straightened like a cat presented with a dog, her eyes glowing with anger as she stared at the red-haired girl in disgust and snapped her fingers, the sound unnaturally loud and echoing: “Absolutely not, you will not touch them with your foul magic, or crass words.”

Wanda jerked in response, eyes widening in fear as she stared at the woman, mouth moving in an intimation of a fish without words. It was at that moment, though, that his connection to Jarvis and the other AIs merged, and he almost slumped in relief when they began nattering in his head, before he pleaded for silence after sending a rush of reassurance.

“What happened?” James demanded, hesitating for a fraction of a second before letting Tony go and moving to help, reaching under the coffee table and hitting a button that made the top slide open, revealing a fully stocked first-aid kit that would match the inside of an ambulance, except for the drugs.

Logan rolled his eyes, “Idiot’s brilliant, but clumsy as a fucking baby deer when he’s goofing off.”

“Hey, I resemble that remark,” Clint grinned up at them as Logan deposited him on the couch, eyes unfocused, as his head lulled against the back, and he giggled, “Everyfing is wozzy, and spinny.”

“Concussion,” Tony replied flatly, then moved to help and took over for Laura, glancing at the wound on the side, nodding to James to put pressure on it, while he sighed, and moved to straddle Clint’s lap, holding his head still while he cleaned at what looked like road rash and a gash along the side of his head.

“I’m glad I’m straight,” Clint stated, apropos of nothing, though he tried rolling his hips with a giggle, “Never get nuffin done, look’n at my pretty boss.”

“Jesus Christ,” Tony muttered, feeling a blush climb the back of his neck, “Is it possible to die from second-hand embarrassment?”

‘No, but I kind of wish it was,” Logan muttered, running a hand through his hair, and poked James, who was scowling at Clint, “eh, grumpy, you need me to take over? Kids an idiot, but he doesn’t mean shit-”

“Hey, it’s Not-Logan,” Clint shouted gleefully, head lolling to the side as he looked at James, then at Tony, wiggling his eyebrows, and giggling speech rapidly correcting, “I totally called you out when I told you to stop picturing him holding you against a wall.”

Snorting a laugh at Clint’s statement, Tony shook his head, easing the compress back to check the bleeding, before pressing back down, “he’s every bit as good, if not better than my imagination was too.”

James muttered something inaudible, poking Tony in the ribs, and hissed, red-faced, “My grandmother is standing right there.”

Tony bit his lip and tried to smother his chuckle, but Clint barked a laugh, sounding like a cross between a dying duck and a laughing donkey, and it set Tony off, earning a huff from James and another poke, “Do I need to take over?”

“Nah,” Tony gasped over another chuckle, “I got this.”

“Or I could heal him,” Lady Frigga offered, having moved to stand behind him, “the only thing besides helping him would be making him sleepy.”

Tony tapped Clint’s cheek, causing the other man to flutter his eyes open, “Still don’t look like sunshine.”

Tony blinked at the non-squestor, and blinked again when the girls popped up on either side of Lady Frigga. Lila leaned over the back of it to respond to her dad. “It’s ‘cause he’s a fallen star, daddy.”

Clint blinked and tilted his head, “I can see that.”

Tony rolled his eyes, but swung off Clint, “I’m glad you can, cause it still makes no sense to me.”

“It will,” Frigga replied cryptically, holding her hands to either side of Clint’s head, “May I?” “Sure,” Clint agreed, eyes already fluttering shut, “I’m gonna fall asleep now.”

Frigga hummed in agreement, as Clint went lax, her hands glowing faintly as she turned them this way and that, around Clint’s head, and she glanced down at Volya, “Do you see the currents, little one?”

“The little swirls?” Volya asked, nodding in response, “Why are they different colours?”

“It’s different injuries, unfortunately, the dark eddies indicate permanent damage,” Freya explained with a little grimace, “and no, we can’t try and fix that, we could do even more damage and earn a stain on our magic.”

Volya nodded, eyes too serious for her age, as she watched intently, tilting her head to look up when Frigga lifted her hands. “Will I be able to do that?”

“Yes, after training,” Frigga replied easily, “Your magic is very similar to Loki’s, and what difference I can see, I assume is from your mother’s legacy.”

Nodding seriously, Volya paused and glanced up at the ceiling, and winced as lightning lit the sky, “I think they figured out you’re here.”

“Of course they did,” Frigga agreed with a sigh, “no patience in either of them, it’s like they’ve forgotten I’m their mother.”

Volya giggled, covering her mouth to prevent the bigger peals of laughter from escaping, as the elevator dinged out, and Thor and Loki stepped out, matching expressions of vexation on their faces.

“Mother!’ Thor cried, striding past the crowd, leaving Loki behind, who stood awkwardly by the elevator, and only paused as he passed Wanda, steps faltering as he focused on her, blinking before looking around the room and finding Steve sleeping in the corner out of the way. He frowned, looking around again, and licked his lips, “It appears I have missed much during my absence.”

“You could say that Point Break,” Tony agreed leaning against James as exhaustion finally caught up to him, and glanced at the time, “okay, it’s bedtime for kids under twelve, the three detainees need to be removed from the penthouse, because not only do I not want them here, I don’t even want to talk to them, now or in the near future.”

Logan grunted, “I expected as much. I was going to toss the twins in the Hulk room until Charles got here; he’s offered to take custody of them.” He paused and glanced at Steve, “It’s Rogers, I wasn’t sure what to do with.”

Tony waved to Frigga, “Lady Frigga offered Asgard hospitality, to either help and heal him, or keep him contained until he’s needed again.”

“Sounds good to me,” Logan agreed, rising to his feet, glancing at Lady Frigga, “Not sure what you did, but do they need guards to watch over them?”

Frigga lifted an eyebrow and shook her head, “Neither of them can touch their abilities; it’s as if they’re completely mundane.”

A feral grin crossed Logan’s face, and he nodded respectfully before looking at his daughter, “Need me to move him?”

Laura nodded, looking away from her husband to glance cautiously at a still, silent Loki, who was gazing at James in puzzled confusion. “Please, I’m going to supervise teeth brushing.”

James brushed Logan off and nodded to Steve, “He’s not going to wake, so could you toss him in his room? I can move, Clint.”

“Pretty sure I saw a dumpster out back.” He muttered pettily, an expression of disgust crossing Logan’s face, even as he strolled across the room and picked the super-soldier up, swinging Steve over his shoulders. “Charles will be here after breakfast to collect the twins, Tony.”

“Thanks,” Tony muttered, covering his mouth as he yawned, “I should ask if anyone has seen Natasha or Sam, but I don’t care enough to be concerned right now.”

“And even if you were, it can wait til morning,” Hank advised, gesturing to the younger generation of mutants, and ushered them to the elevator. “We’ll touch base in the morning, have a good night.”

Tony huffed and rubbed at his tired eyes as James slunk from the living room, Clint slung over his shoulder, and knew he was in for a long night, as glittering green eyes tracked his soulmate from across the room.

***

Chapter Fifteen

Tony found James in their bedroom, sitting rigidly against the door on the bed, flexing his metal arm with an intensity that belied a storm brewing inside. He ran a trembling hand over the soulmate mark on his right, brow furrowed, jaw tight, lost in troubled thought.

“You alright, babe?” Tony asked, stepping into the room.

“Not sure. I don’t even know why I’m upset.”

Tony crawled onto the bed, hugging James, kissing his neck. “Steve?”

James made a sound and poked his side, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

“Didn’t expect all that. But Steve was always headed for a confrontation.”

“Fair,” Tony said, pressing to James’s neck. “About what I said to him—”

“No,” James interrupted, turning with sudden urgency to cup Tony’s face, seeking anchoring warmth. “Sure, you revealed things, but you kept him calm. Steve was supposed to force a fight and bring you to Wanda, but you found a way to reach him. You saw his anger and held him together. That was good.”

“Still, I told him things I probably shouldn’t have.”

“Maybe not,” James said, a ghost of a smile forming. “But you did it with more flair than I would have.”

Tony pressed into James’s hand. “Is it Loki, or the rest? You know you don’t have to see them, right?”

James grimaced, the lines in his face deepening with flickers of guilt and confusion. Pressing a slow, weighted kiss to Tony’s forehead, his words spilled out, heavy and halting. “Pretty sure I do. I didn’t expect Lady Frigga to be included, though, and now that she is, it twists my stomach. I’m not sure what to do.”

“I know I don’t have your memories,” Tony said, caressing James’s leg. “But she seems remorseful.”

“I hate to ask, but can I have a few minutes alone?”

Smiling softly, Tony leaned forward pressing a kiss to James lips, then nipped it playfully, “take all the time you need, love,” he crawled to the edge of the bed, “and if that means waiting till morning, then they’ll deal. In this situation, you deserve to set the tone in how a reunion will go.” Tony stood from the bed, hesitating for only a second before he stepped into James’s space, curling a hand around his neck and tilting it back to meet his eyes, a shiver running down his spine at the singular focus centred on him, “fuck I love your eyes.”

Huffing a disbelieving noise, James rolled his eyes, “They are eyes.”

“Maybe, but they say eyes are windows to the soul, and it tears something in me every time I look into yours. I see your love—your devotion—always shining through. It’s overwhelming, even when you’re silent.”

“I love you. If you need me to say it more, I can.” James whispered, “Never doubt it, Anthony.”

“I don’t doubt you,” Tony said. “Knowing you chose me before I was born, I never had to question it.” He kissed James. “I love you.”

“Love you, Antonshka,” James whispered, stealing a last kiss. Tony left; he had a kid to comfort and gods to settle, though Jarvis had rooms sorted.

When he reached Volya’s room, Tony’s heart thrummed at the sight: Volya was passed out, sprawled like a starfish, innocence and exhaustion mingling. Haunted green eyes glistened in the gloom—Loki, cloaked in regret, lingered in the shadows. Tony’s chest tightened. He crossed silently to Volya, picked up the fallen wolf stuffed animal, settled it beside her, and gently pulled the blanket up. With a soft, almost reverent kiss to her forehead, he lingered just a beat longer than usual.

Tony finally straightened and met Loki’s stare directly. With an incline of his head towards the living room, Loki huffed but slipped from the room.

Following Loki into the living room, Tony walked the God of Mischief move to stare out the window at the darkened city, arms wrapped around his stomach, ignoring his family, who sat on the couch. “Am I really such a monster that I didn’t even notice what happened to the souls of my children?”

“Better than I expected,” Tony muttered bitterly, and only raised an eyebrow when Loki turned to glare at him. “The expectation of disgust and possible disavowal or acknowledgment crossed my mind, given their mortal bodies.”

Loki opened his mouth to argue before turning away, neck red, though if it were shame or embarrassment, Tony couldn’t tell, and Loki’s statement didn’t really help make a determination. “Once I might have believed that,” Loki admitted, and ran a hand down his face, “but that was before learning one of my children was marked.”

“So because he has a soulmate, he’s acceptable?” Tony demanded, voice sharp.

This time, the flush grew, and Loki’s shoulders curled inward. Hurt flickered deep in his voice, raw as an open wound. “Even after our last encounter, your tongue is still sharp.”

“It always will be,” Tony countered. “I’m not a man who’s afraid of you or the unknown you represent.” His expression was shrewd, and he tilted his head, “I’ll respect you, and honour you to the degree given you’re my soulmate’s father, but I’ll never worship you, Loki.”

“Even though I could compel that?” Loki asked curiously, his expression morphing into confusion as Tony burst out laughing and raised a single eyebrow in an open challenge.

“Father or not, even you aren’t brave enough to challenge Fenrir, like that, Loki.” The god winced, but a mulish expression appeared, “he’s not just a wolf now.”

“No, he’s not,” Tony agreed, a smirk appearing on his face, “but James is a legend in his own right, even without Fenrir, considering when you trained him over 70 years ago, he was ending your bouts in a draw, and that was before the enhancements.”

Loki’s jaw clicked as he shut his mouth, face warring with inner anguish and pride. He turned, restlessness pouring from him like static, torn between hope and shame. “I can’t say I regret releasing and freeing my children, but—gods, why did I do this?”

“To be honest, I don’t even know where to start.” Tony hesitated, shrugging his shoulders in an uncharacteristic way to indicate he didn’t have the words, “and what I know isn’t in chronological order.”

Loki frowned, “I don’t understand.”

Tony let out a brittle, half-crazed laugh, pain coiled under every word. “Welcome to the party. I barely understand anything, and I’m living it.”

James appeared in a surge of crackling magic, metal fingers flexing and clenching into a fist. He ignored Tony’s worried look and fixed his gaze on Loki. “Last time we met, you expected me to punch you.”

Loki’s eyes widened, even as they focused on the metal fingers, and he swallowed, taking an unconscious step backwards. “I hope I requested it be done with the right hand, though I have a feeling I might deserve the left one.”

A flitting smirk crossed James’s face before it returned to the blankness that spoke more of the soldier. “You did. But you also reminded me that ‘we’re all trapped in the Web of the Wyrd, Mr.Sataer.”

Loki tensed, edging backward until he hit the window. His eyes darted to Thor, then shifted to Frigga when she started to move. Tears brimmed as he clapped a hand over his mouth, his complexion blanching, then flushing blue.

“Loki?” Frigga whispered, eyes widening in shock as she shook off Thor and rose to her feet, taking a step forward, “sweetheart, I would never have blamed you.”

“I blame myself,” Loki laughed bitterly.

“Loki, it hasn’t happened in this time,” Frigga whispered, holding out a hand pleadingly, “and it won’t, your actions in the past have already changed that outcome.”

“But I didn’t even know it happened then.” Loki protested, shaking his head, “I don’t even understand why I saw that.”

“It’s a convergence,” Tony said simply, sharing a look with James, who inclined his head, “Your past self interacted, however briefly and without any real known knowledge of that interaction, in 2012, with a future version of myself when I created time travel in an attempt to steal the sceptre.” He licked his lips, “The problem with that is when the future version of me jumped back, you were already dead in that timeline…”

“And I became the anomaly,” Loki finished for him, blinking rapidly, and drew in a panicked gasp, “The spectre, you wanted the stone?”

Tony nodded, “The time travel was in a desperate bid to reverse what Thanos had succeeded in doing five years before that.”

“Desperation? You time-travelled to save the world,” Loki snapped, “I did it for a continuation of my line.”

“Did you?” Tony questioned and held up a hand when Loki opened his mouth, “I’m not a god, but I understand enough to know you can’t stand before the Norns and lie.”

“You can’t,” Loki confirmed slowly, his eyes fluttering shut, and Tony nodded to James again, who moved faster than Tony expected.

James ducked under Loki’s instinctive reaction and caught the god and his ‘father’ around the throat, growl emerging and vibrating the windows as he spoke in a guttural language that froze Loki where he stood, mouth parting on a silent gasp as his eyes locked onto James’s.

One beat, then another, before Loki gave an inarticulate cry and broke the hold. James stepped back, reached for Tony blindly, who stepped forward and wrapped his arms around James as Loki backed away with half-panicked gasps, gripping and pulling his hair.

Frigga pushed forward, dropping to her knees and pulling Loki into her arms, crooning at him softly, “Just as we can’t lie before the Norns, they can’t lie to you.”

“I know,” Loki croaked, rubbing his eyes, and turned his head to stare at Tony, and shook his head. “How does he not know what he is?”

Frigga smiled, an amused chuckle leaving her as she brushed his hair back, “he will, my son, he will, but until then, I can think of no better protector than the embodiment of the moon.”

Tony cleared his throat and buried his head in James’s shoulder, melting into his soulmate’s warmth, “I feel like going forward I should be confronted with only one life-altering revelation once a year, so if we could hold off on that, I’d appreciate it.”

James snorted, cradling him close and pressing a kiss to his head. “Sorry, love, you’re going to be a few months short of a year; we need to cleanse the sceptre on Ostara, which is in March.”

Tony tilted his head, chin on James’s chest, as he frowned up at his soulmate, “Oh, goodie.”

“It’ll be fine,” James reassured, rubbing a hand down his back, “for you, it’ll be instinctive.”

Sighing, Tony pouted. “That wasn’t as reassuring as you wanted.”

“Then let’s go to bed,” James whispered, “I’ll be sure to do a better job there.”

Tony glanced up, a grin overtaking his face at the red blush climbing his cheeks. “Thor? You, good to show your mother and brother to the floor you stayed on?”

“I can, Anthony,” Thor agreed, looking hesitant as he asked, “though if I can not sleep, may I use the gym?”

“Have at it, Lightning Bug,” Tony replied with a shrug, “it’s what it’s for.”

“Anthony?” Loki called before they could move, “Why do you think Volya needs to be included?”

“In the cleansing thing?” Tony clarified, ignoring the wince from the two gods and his wording.

“The ritual, yes,” Loki confirmed with a furrowed brow.

“Even in terms of my culture, the number three has historical, cultural, and spiritual significance that ties into the shared blood you have, three generations reinforcing not only connection but the relationship through time,” Tony explained simply, and then offered a small shrug, “plus she’s Jor, the deadliest snake in the universe.”

“But shouldn’t that affect the stone too?” Thor asked, seemingly understanding the larger connotations of what they meant to do.

“I suppose in some universe that’s possible,” Tony allowed, but shrugged unconcerned, “here it won’t matter, because the Stone is already mine.”

The three gods blinked at him, while James just sighed, wrapped an arm around his soulmate’s shoulders and led him from the room, knowing if he allowed any more questions, they’d be there the rest of the night.

***

The days, weeks and months leading up to Ostera seemed to fly by, like there weren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. Steve was taken to Asgard, where he was seen to by their healers, and while the prognosis wasn’t bad, per se, it wasn’t going to be an instantaneous fix. It was going to take months to correct the imbalances and repair the damage done to the channels in his brain, from not only the serum but from Wanda’s magic. When it had been confirmed that her brother was suffering similar symptoms to Steve’s, Pietro was brought to Asgard and given a similar diagnosis, though his damage from Wanda’s magic was worse, the corrosion from it, having twisted the channels in his brain.

It hadn’t been the surprise it felt like it should have been, but the arrival of Freya to the healing halls had, and her demand to know the source of the infliction had met with resistance and a huge dose of suspicion. It had taken Tony and James both travelling to Asgard to attend the meeting, only to find out that Freya was disgusted by the magical taint in the girl and was not only determined to cleanse it but also to teach the girl control and the true meaning of remorse, and, if all that failed, if Freya couldn’t contain her. She’d end her. Tony hadn’t been one to doubt her word, watching each syllable act like a whip as Wanda flinched at each letter. It made trusting Feeya’s word above some of the others sitting at the table easier, and that included both Odin and Tyr, and if he was amused that they knew that and hated it, he kept it to himself. The Vainer God was as different from the Aesir as night was to day. She was blunt and honest, dressed plainly, almost primitively, in furs, leather, beads, feathers and bone. His amusement only grew when Freya refused all offers of compensation, insisting that the girl wouldn’t need to pack; if she wanted clothes badly enough, she’d learn to hunt and skin her own kills, because magic wouldn’t work to take them down. It was the sort of irony that was amusing, given some of what James had shared about that alternate universe, and Tony tried not to appear smug when Freya left with Wanda, the girl wide-eyed and terrified.

During all of that, Sword and the Defenders grew, and Headquarters moved from Stark Tower out to the estate and the adjacent compound, co-led by Rhodey and Carol, which had four standing response teams, three part-time teams, and three reserve teams, one of which Tony was part of with James and the Bartons.

As much as Tony loved being Iron Man, he knew he had other priorities that had nothing to do with the incoming threat. He had never found another person to take over as CEO, and while he bitched and complained about the paperwork, Stark Industries was doing better now than it had ten years ago at the height of its weapons manufacturing. Though he often suspected it was Laura’s doing, she’d taken to the corporate world like a fish to water and was more PA than bodyguard at this juncture, and ruled the schedule with an iron fist, backed up by adamantium claws.

In a twist Tony had seen coming, not that anyone else wanted to acknowledge it, but once the remnants of S.H.I.E.L.D. had been corralled and corrected, Clint had slipped into the big chair and just hadn’t left, though he often shared the responsibilities of being Director of a Spy Agency with Loki who had never returned to Asgard, moving on the outer edges of James and his family.

It was only when Tony got annoyed with the hovering that he forced the two of them to sit down and have an honest conversation, with words and feelings, that they started repairing what they’d lost while building something new. Or, as Volya was apt to point out, it was a renewal of their relationship, in honour of Ostara, which she was tracking on the calendar, as her training under Frigga rapidly expanded her interests.

What Tony hadn’t seen coming was how detailed the ritual grew, and after the first meeting about that, and giving his thoughts about it, he wanted nothing more to do with it. He could handle being the soulmate and step-father to demi-gods, and having in-laws that were gods, but that was as far as he wanted his involvement with magic to go.

So on Ostara, being led through the forest covering the west side of the estate, he was uneasy and uncomfortable as he stepped into clearing the Asgardians had claimed, carefully stepping over the lines someone – either Loki or Frigga, had taken care to etch lines into the ground, the symbol something, Tony didn’t recognize, but felt familiar, as Voyla carefully smoothed out the dirt near one of the lines, which had been scuffed earlier. Loki and James stood near the center, James’s head tilted in concentration as he listened to Loki, though they both looked up when Thor walked into the clearing, carrying a case, Frigga beckoning him towards her. Tony wrapped his arms around himself as he watched the Aesir Gods finish their preparations, though he kept getting distracted, considering they were dressed in the ‘simplest’ he’d ever seen, in what appeared to be matching single-layered robes. Yet for all that it was a robe, they were also the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. The intrinsic stitching showed a level of detail too fine for anything but handwork, though he supposed magic could have been involved.

The electric beeping of a lock being disengaged drew his attention, and he straightened in alarm, finally registering the chest Thor had arrived with and took a step forward, “What are you doing with that?”

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Tony, who felt one breath away from a panic attack, as he stared at the case he knew held the Space Stone, gifted back from Asgard, and the Reality Stone, which they’d managed to remove from Jane Foster without the tragedy like last time.

Loki raised an eyebrow and sniffed when James glanced at him, making his soulmate sigh, long and heavy, but move out of the circle and towards Tony, his bare feet making no sound on the ground. Stopping in front of him, James reached out, cupping his cheek with both hands, “I’m asking you to trust me.”

Tony jerked back, offended, “Of course I trust you, that still doesn’t explain why you need the other stones. This-” He waved a hand expressively, “Is supposed to be a simple cleansing ritual.”

“And it is,” James agreed, thumbing Tony’s bottom lip, “but what did you say about three, love?”

Tony shook his head, “We aren’t supposed to use them.”

“You don’t believe that,” James countered, “you knew when you thought of purifying the mind stone that it would have to bond to someone.”

“I didn’t mean, Volya.” Tony protested, horror crossing his face.

James frowned and reprimanded gently, “Now you’re being deliberately obtuse, Antoshka, Loki and I are acting as the bridge; if the stones accept, they’ll come to us, though they’ll be given a choice of who they choose.”

Swallowing, Tony lowered his eyes, “I’m scared, I won’t be enough, we both know what happened in that other universe.”

Thumbs skimming his throat, James leaned forward, brushing a kiss on his forehead, before ducking his head and tilting Tony’s head up, to claim his lips, somehow keeping it chaste for all that it was all-consuming. When James lifted his head, he was panting a little, his uniquely coloured eyes dilated and giving off an eerie glow in the twilight. Tony swayed forward, knowing his soulmate could handle his weight, which he proved by wrapping his metal arm around him, pulling him close. “Trust me, love, this was how it should have gone the first time.”

Drawing in a deep breath, Tony allowed himself to be led into the circle, shivering as magic washed over his skin, and his clothing changed, rippling into a matching robe, and he stood inside the runic array he’d been directed to. “I still don’t understand why it’s called a ritual. If you’re gods, who are you petitioning?”

James’s opened his mouth to respond, snapping it shut a second later who looked at Loki a bit more desperate than Tony had ever seen, but it said nothing of how he felt when Loki looked frantically towards his mother who huffed in irritation, casting her son a judgemental look, before turning to Tony, “It is a ritual, as much as a cleansing, but even Gods still have a higher power we must answer too.”

“So this could fail?” Tony asked desperately, suddenly terrified.

“I suppose in theory,” Lady Frigga agreed with a gaelic shrug, “But we are petitioning Yggdrasil directly, who connects all nine realms together. He won’t let us fail.”

It didn’t feel as reassuring as it should have, but Tony forced himself to swallow and nodded when James stepped forward with the sceptre in hand.

It was unnerving to have the sceptre placed in his hands, and the three generations of Laufeyson’s surrounded him, with Frigga and Thor standing behind James and Loki, holding the two other receptacles holding the stones. It was downright eerie when the three started chanting, the sound more guttural than words. But something ‘other’ heard and responded, plunging the clearing into an inky blackness, as a bitter wind with the scent of ice and snow swept the clearing, ripping and tugging at the robes. The only light came from the lines on the ground and the stones, highlighting the people holding them, and the glowing eyes of the gods, yet Tony realized he could still see perfectly, and blinked in confusion as the sceptre disintegrated in his hand, leaving the gold stone, which appeared brighter than the rest, the two others following revealing a blue stone in one, and a red one.

“Will you accept me?” The question bounced around in his head, making him swallow hard, as he hesitated in answering, though it felt like the stone was more amused by that than annoyed, “Will you accept what you are?”

“I don’t know what that means,” Tony responded, feeling an edge of panic fluttering on the fringes of his mind.

“Will you accept who you were?” The question made less sense than the first two questions, but the jolt in the wording made his heart kick up a notch.

“Reincarnation?” Tony questioned in confusion, mind churning furiously.

“You said I was already yours, so will you accept it was not your fault?” The stone asked, ignoring Tony’s question, continuing without pause, “Will you forgive us, father?”

“Father?” Tony whispered, shaking his head in confusion.

“Yes, you were once known as Astraeus, titan, and God of Stars,” The stone whispered, voice contrite and sad. “We sixfought, wanting more than a lifetime trapped in the sky, we fought and lost, and in that losing, our collapse led to our alteration, and we are now what we are, having no control or say in how we are used.”

Tony tightened his hand around the stone and met James’s eyes across from him, his soulmate giving him a soft smile of understanding, and he swallowed hard, “Will it keep you safe?”

“Yes…” The word was breathed with a certain type of relieved joy, “And we can help, the one who searches, only has one, though he’s always searching for another, together we can prevent what happened before.”

“Yes, I can accept,” Tony whispered, inhaling in shock as the stone seemed to glow brighter for only a second, before sinking into his hand, warmth flooding his body, and when he met James eyes once again, he saw the same shocked expression, but also the love he’d always seen when James looked at him, and knew that while they hadn’t won yet, they’d altered the future enough that nothing would be the same again.

The End.

 

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