Chapter Text
His world has shattered apart. Captain America lied about his parent’s death. Steve Roger’s covered up a Hydra assassination plot. Steve Rogers lied to him. He blinks and he can see that shield swinging down towards his neck. He blinks and feels it impacting his chest.
Steve Rogers tried to kill him. The adrenaline is wearing off, and the cold is starting to set in. Tony realizes, that not only did Steve Rogers try to kill him, but the man might still succeed.
As his rage dissipates, and the cold sets in it becomes clear that he needs to move. He takes a deep breath to center himself, and his chest spasms with pain, leaving him gasping for air, as his chest is on fire. He needs to get the weight off his chest, he needs to breathe.
He reaches for the chest plate, trying to pull it off. The release is warped, and there’s not enough power to force the suit open. He can’t breathe. He can’t breathe. He claws at the release, and manages to grab onto a piece of metal. He pulls, and it comes loose in his hand.
He takes it and wedges it underneath the release, forcing it open. The chest plate releases, and he scrambles out of the suit. His chest is screaming in pain, as he breathes in taking stock of his body. He’s bleeding, heavily, he has at least a few broken ribs, his arm is broken, and his entire body is covered in various cuts and contusions.
In an ideal scenario he would have stayed in the suit, as it was helping to stop him from bleeding out, but with no help coming he had no choice but to try and call for help.
“Fri-“ His voice rattles as he tries to speak, there’s no response from the suit, the arc reactor sits in front of him, dark and he’s becoming increasingly aware that his odd’s of survival are not looking good.
“No.” He grumbles, refusing to die in this abandoned Hydra base. He pulls the helmet towards himself, prying pieces apart to access the communications system. He ignores his own shaking hands, ignores the blood he can feel running down his chest, ignores the taste of blood in his mouth.
He's going to die here.
He blinks, and his vision blurs, as he cuts into the wires in front of him. He blinks, and an eternity passes. He blinks, and the world spins.
He’s going to die here.
His ears are ringing, and he can’t get his eyes to focus. It’s becoming clear that even if he does manage to call for help, he’s not going to make it to a hospital.
He hears a small pop, and a fizzling sound, as the room is bathed in green light. A quick glance around the room reveals a towering Loki dressed in full battle regalia, standing just across the room. Tony takes a moment to look at the supposedly dead god, and comes to the conclusion that this is not his problem.
He breathes out, and turns back to the wires in front of him, ignoring the way that his vision whites out whenever he moves his head.
“Ahem.” Loki pointedly clears his throat and Tony glance at him out of the corner of his eye. Even that is enough to make his head spin, and for a moment he’s worried he’s going to pass out, the darkness threatening to consume him. He focuses back on the task at hand, and attempts to connect the wires in front of him.
“Hello?” Loki says, annoyance clear in his tone. It’s not the first time Tony’s ignored an annoyed hallucination. He stays focused on calling for help, and suddenly there’s a hand on his shoulder.
“Wha?” He isn’t sure how the hallucination is grabbing him. Loki jerks him around, and pain spikes through him his head spinning. “Fuck.” He grunts, and the world disappears.
- - -
Tony wakes up in a familiar room, one he hadn’t expected to see again. He can’t remember leaving Siberia, can’t even remember calling for help, and although his body aches, the pain he felt feels like a distant memory.
“So, this is the afterlife then?” He muses, nudging his coffee table with his toe. “I thought it would be less mundane.” Truthfully, he had doubted it’s existence, but last thing he remembered he was dying .
“Boss, you aren’t dead.” Friday corrects him. “It is currently 7:32 Am, the weather outside is a balmy 83 degrees.” Tony nods absently, and looks around the room for a sign of how exactly he got here.
“How did I get here?” He asks, mostly to avoid the other questions plaguing him. He wants to know why. Why did Steve leave him? Why did Steve lie? Why? Why?
“That was my doing?” Loki says, pulling Tony out of his thoughts, as he whirls towards the sound of the voice. Not a hallucination then.
“I don’t get it.” Tony looks the self-proclaimed god over. “Why save me? What’s your plan here?” Loki smirks, and Tony rolls his eyes. Loki’s clearly trying to play some kind of game, he brought Tony back here, healed him, he’s after something. “Listen, whatever game you want to play, I’m too old for it. Tell me what you want, or get out.”
“Is that any way to speak to someone you owe a debt to?” Loki asks, and he’s every bit a prince, looking down at Tony. Well, Tony has had it up to his ears with assholes who think they’re better than him.
“Listen up Prancer, I’m only going to say this once.” Tony spits out, pointing at the man. “I don’t owe you shit. You want to save my life? That’s on you.” He steps towards the Norse god of chaos, and pokes him. “You want to heal me? That’s your problem. I didn’t ask for your help, and I don’t owe you shit.”
“You were a moment from death’s door.” Loki shoots back, and Tony rolls his eyes. “I saved your life. If I hadn’t been there, you would have died at your teammates hands.”
“So what?” Tony hisses, glaring at Loki. He’s in no mood to play mind games with the god of lies. “I’d be dead without you? Fine. What do you want?” He’s not going to sit here and dance around things, he’s not playing games. He’s had enough games for a lifetime.
“Your thanks wouldn’t be a bad place to start.” Loki smirks, and that’s it. Tony stalks to the elevator, and presses the button.
“We’re done.” He declares, and the smirk falls from Loki’s face. “Get out.” Tony watches the man open his mouth to protest, but he is done suffering people who think that he owes them something. “I told you to tell me what you want or leave. You seem to have made your choice.” He gestures to the elevator again, and Loki sighs.
“Why must I want something?” He asks, stepping towards Tony. “Can I not do a good deed out of the goodness of my heart?” His face is the picture of innocence.
“No.” Tony declares, having had enough of men claiming to be good. He points to the elevator door again.
“Fine,” Loki sighs, defeated. “I do have a favor to ask of you.” Tony waits, and with a wave of Loki’s hand a sparking green portal opens beside him, and a young girl steps through, a snake around her shoulders and a wolf at her side.
“Visitors?” Tony asks.
“This is my daughter Hela.” He gestures to the girl, half her body is scarred, and she stares up at him, a dare in her eyes. For some reason, she reminds him of Pepper. “This is my son Fenrir.” He gestures to the wolf. “And my youngest, Jörmungandr.”
“Ah,” Tony nods. Loki has children, and they are in his living room. Of course. First his friend tries to kill him, and then a former enemy shows up with his kids in tow.
“Hello Sir Anthony.” Hela greets, she sounds respectful, but he can see the wariness in her gaze. The snakes head bobs beside her.
“Hello Princess Hela, it’s an honor to meet you.” Tony says, inclining his head. Her eyes go wide, and he can see a hint of a smile. “And you as well young princes.” He nods to the wolf, and the snake.
“Thank you for your hospitality.” Hela says, and Tony crouches down beside her.
“Of course, it’s nice to meet you three.” He smiles softly. “Can I get you anything to eat, it is almost dinner time.” She nods before Loki can say anything.
“Perfect, this way rug rats, let’s see what’s in the kitchen.” He leads the group through the living room, and between one step and the next Jor shifts from a serpent to a human looking toddler.
“I am not a rat.” Jor declares, and Tony turns to the boy. “I am a serpent.” He holds back a laugh at how annoyed the boy looks, as his brother shifts.
“And I am a wolf.” Fen declares, scooping his younger brother into his arms.
“Well, what do wolves and serpents like to eat?” He asks, throwing open the pantry. It’s depressingly empty.
“We’ve never had Midgardian food, what do you recommend?” Hela asks, the leader of their little group.
“Fri, order some pizza for our guests, get some variety, we’ll see what the kids like.” Tony decides.
“Calling Romero’s, food should be here in thirty minutes Boss.” Friday charms, and the children all look around the room. “Can I say it’s an honor to meet you princess Hela, Prince Fenrir, and Prince Jörmungandr.”
“Who are you?” Fenrir asks, with a sparkle of curiosity in his eyes. Loki gestures to the door, and Tony follows him, leaving Friday to entertain the kids while they wait for pizza to arrive. Hela notices them leaving.
“Father, where are you going?” She asks, quietly as her brothers question Friday.
“Jenta mi, can you watch over your brother’s, Anthony and I need to speak.” Loki requests, and he’s soft. This isn’t the man who invaded the planet, this is a dad. From the looks of it, he’s a good dad.
“Of course.” She nods, taking her task incredibly serious. “I will keep them safe.”
“Thank you,” Loki says, and the door shuts behind them. Tony drops onto the couch.
“Your kids seem kind.” Tony says, and there’s a fond smile on Loki’s face. “So, you saved me to be your babysitter? You scoop me out of Siberia, just to ask me to watch the kids?”
“Not exactly.” Loki hedges, and a ball of magic forms in his hand as he paces the room. “Odin has convinced himself that my children are monsters.” He tosses the ball from hand to hand as he walks. “He wants to take them from me. Imprison them. Kill them.”
“And what can I do about that?” Tony asks. He’s just fought his own teammates, and lost, and now Loki wanted him to fight Asgard.
“If a man of power and status from another realm were to adopt my children, then there is little Odin can do to take them.” Loki explains. “My children, he can do with as he wishes.” Loki says, scorn clear in his voice. “But the children of Anthony Stark, Avenger of Midgard, them he couldn’t touch.”
“Why me? Why not Rogers or one of the others?” Tony asks, and in an instant it’s not Loki standing in front of him, but Captain America himself.
“Truth, Justice, and the American way.” Loki says, brandishing the shield. “I’m Captain America, and I believe in doing what’s right.” He morphs back, rolling his eyes. “As if, I wouldn’t trust that man with a fish, let alone my children.”
“The most trusted man in America?” Tony scoffs.
“So, you don’t regret trusting him?” Loki asks, and Tony flinches. “If I asked him, he would tell Thor the first chance he got. I won’t risk my children like that.”
“Then why trust me?” That’s the part Tony can’t figure out. “I’m not exactly known for being responsible. Have you been watching me Prancer? Did you like what you saw?” He’s bitter, angry, hurting.
“I did.” Loki says, and his voice is soaked in honesty. “We aren’t so different, you and I. Even if you won’t accept me, you will protect them.” He gestures towards the kitchen. “And I suspect that you won’t stop me from seeing them, at least, as long as I don’t harm your world.”
“You trust me? That’s a first.” Tony grumbles. Did you know? His own teammates didn’t trust him with the truth.
“As for responsibility.” Loki ignores him, tossing the orb of magic into the air. “Hela is plenty responsible for the five of us, and I will be here.” Tony knows that he’s going to agree.
“So, I adopt your kids,” Tony says. “Protect them from your dad.”
“He’s not my father.” Loki growls, and Tony knows he’s hit a nerve. “I know that I’m asking you for a lot, you do this for me, and your life debt will be repaid.”
“I don’t accept that I owe you any debt.” Tony says, and Loki goes deathly still. He’s trying not to look afraid, but he is. “However, I will protect your kids, although I have no idea what the process for legally adopting alien kids is going to look like.”
“I will not be in your debt for this.” Loki hisses, and Tony smiles.
“No, you won’t.” He agrees. “I am not doing this for you. I’m doing it for them. There is no debt owed. Do we have an agreement?”
“Yes.” Loki nods. “Although there is someone, I must tell you about. If my children are to live on your planet, I will do all I can to protect it.”
“I’m listening.”