Island in the Sun
"Ms. Potts is not amused, Sir." Jarvis said in his dulcet tone.
"I made my appearance and even did a speech. You have to admit, J, that's a lot for me." Tony stared at the HUD screen, endless blue below him as he flew over the ocean.
"Saddeningly true."
"I'm sure she'll be thanking me tomorrow when she sees that our stocks went up." Besides, there hadn't been anyone interesting at the expo and Tony doubted that anyone had expected him to stay there long.
Tony spent hours flying with nothing but the ocean to accompany him. He had turned off all his outside communication (save Jarvis, since the suit wasn't the same without him) and focused on the exhilaration of intricate flight patterns, free falling, going as high as he could before the suit started malfunctioning.
It was nearly midnight when he decided to turn around and head to Malibu.
"Sir, my sensors are picking up unusual electro-magnetic readings concentrated due west of your current position." Jarvis warned. The HUD lit up as Tony turned towards the anomaly. His display told him that whatever it was that had caught the AI's attention was a large sphere, half way submerged.
Tony couldn't see anything in the moonless night. He slowed down as warnings of an imminent impact flashed on screen. He was hovering ten feet out and still could not see anything.
"Recommendations?" Tony asked, looking at the readings. He was uncertain what the energy would do to his suit.
"Keeping your distance is likely prudent. Would you like me to call Ms. Potts to send out a research team?" Tony backed off a bit from the invisible sphere.
"No, I think I'll investigate it myself."
"Sir, previous flight records indicate that you have passed over this location twice before and there had been no anomaly present."
"Interesting." Tony backed further away to a safe distance before sending two of his shoulder rockets at the dome. They exploded on impact.
"No change, Sir." Jarvis reported. Tony shot off two bigger rockets. "Physical attacks of this caliber seem to be ineffective."
"I guess it's time to move onto the big guns." Two repulsor blasts streaked through the dark sky before hitting the dome. They seemed to sizzle outwards as the hit the invisible object, fading out.
"The area of impact was destroyed, but the surrounding area quickly melded to the empty spot."
The sphere clearly had some sort of programming to it.
Tony launched a small drone no larger than the palm of his hand. Jarvis understood the engineer's mind and piloted the small aircraft to just above the spot Tony had previously hit. Wordlessly he fired two more blasts at once and the drone slipped through the temporary hole.
A new image in the corner of his HUD lit up showing him a live feed of what the drone was seeing.
At first there was only the dark ocean below, before an island suddenly came into the picture, jutting up out of the blackness. It took ten minutes for the drone to circle it completely. The shores seemed uninhabited and untouched. The tropical foliage was sparse yet hardy.
"The inside of the anomaly is ten degrees warmer than the external temperature." Jarvis said, a hint of interesting in his artificial voice. "Shall I begin a grid search?"
"Yeah, and if there's any plant life that does not match with anything in your databanks collect a sample."
"Of course, Sir."
Tony started blaring music as he hovered outside of the dome, watching Jarvis' careful perusal. It was slow going and even blasting music did not alleviate Tony's boredom. Despite the weird force field the island was bland, not even having pretty birds that Tony could watch and analyze their aerodynamics.
Tony checked his own energy readings. He still had enough to make it back to his house in Malibu three times over.
The image on his HUD switched to infrared view, an orange spot standing out against the light blue landscape. Jarvis diverted his grid search to investigate the contrast. The spot started to take shape as the drone flew closer. It was the first animal Jarvis had found on the island. It was some sort of dog or wolf, only slightly larger than the average house cat.
Jarvis turned off the infrared view and Tony gasped.
It was a wolf, yes definitely a wolf, but that was not the surprising part. The small animal was laid out on its side and each of its limbs were stabbed through with sharpened rods of various width.
"Jesus." Tony whispered to himself. "How is it still alive?" Even the wolf's muzzle was pinned to the ground.
"Unknown, Sir. It is, for lack of a better term, whining though. Clearly in pain. This drone is equipped with three small missiles. Would you like me to put it out of its misery?" Jarvis offered, concern making his voice waver with uncertainty.
The small wolf seemed to sense the drone, its wide eyes landing upon the hovering object. It struggled before quickly stilling, pain evident in its features.
"No buddy, I can't just put him down. Someone did this to the little fella. It was probably the same person who created this strange force field." Tony stared at the wolf pup a moment longer. "Calculate how much energy from my unibeam would be necessary to create a large enough rift for me to get through and continue your grid search. I want to know if I need to call PETA." Complex math problems appeared in the upper right corner of the HUD, flashing in quick succession. "For the exit equation adjust for fifteen extra pounds of weight." He revised and one of the equations changed slightly.
"Unibeam calibrated, Sir. For best results a distance of 3.2 feet from the sphere is recommended."
"You're the best, J." Tony took up his position, briefly considering sending a message to Pepper 'just in case' before quickly dismissing the idea. Jarvis had his back after all.
Tony powered up his unibeam to Jarvis' specifications. After firing it off he immediately burst forward, trusting his AI's calculations. He was met with no resistance as he flew inside, the only noticeable difference being a slight hitch up of his external thermostat.
He flew at full speed towards the dot on his 3D map, landing softly beside the poor animal, causing it to flinch. Tony flipped open his visor and immediately recoiled. The whole area was thick with the scent of death.
On closer inspection Tony could see that not only was the pup's muzzle pinned, but there was a separate rod stabbed straight through its tongue. Someone was truly a sick son of a bitch.
When he moved a gauntlet covered hand towards the creature it let out a whimper.
"Shh, it's alright. I'm here to help you." Tony crooned, not knowing what else to do. The animal's steely grey eyes were wide and pupils were barely visible. The pup continued whimpering. "This is going to hurt, but it's the only way to get you free." Tony took in a steadying breath as he touched the first rod. The wolf closed its eyes tightly, quieting down.
He pulled it out of the wolf's snout, the accompanying yelp of pain made Tony's heart race and his anger for whoever did this rise. He set the rod aside and tried to steady himself while preparing to remove the remaining twelve rods.
Each extraction was accompanied by the sick sound of metal sliding through flesh and a yelp, followed by a clink as Tony added a rod to the growing pile. When there were only two left, both puncturing the skin between Achilles tendon and bones of the ankle the wolf tried getting up. Tony spoke soft words to it while pressing him back down and rubbing the spot behind the wolf's ear. It calmed down slightly, but was still shivering.
"Scan complete, Sir. There are not other living beings on this island."
"Alright, J. Order up whatever is needed to help this little guy and set up an emergency appointment for a vet." Tony removed the second to last rod and the pup was thankfully silent. "Also, set the drone down somewhere safe. I want to know if this island is on the move or if the force field around it changes once we're gone."
"Yes, Sir."
After removing the last rod the wolf pup tried standing on shaking legs.
"Hold on little fella." Tony urged it to lay back down before he stepped out of his suit, taking off his tuxedo shirt from underneath. The suit formed back around him. He wrapped the wolf pup up securely and could already see it bleeding through the white shirt. Tony glanced around the area before deciding to take the rods as well to see if he could lift any finger prints off them so that he could catch the SOB who did this.
He carefully rose off the ground and was relieved when the small animal did not panic. Tony had Jarvis monitoring the animal's vitals. Its heart rate was disturbingly low, but its temperature was healthy despite likely having some sort of infection.
Tony had to maneuver the pup off to the side when he shot the unibeam again to escape the dome. He could sense the wolf tense up, but it did not struggle in his grasp which Tony was thankful for. He didn't want the poor thing to sustain anymore injuries.
The flight to the veterinarian was extremely awkward. Tony had to fly backwards in the shape of an acute angle to keep the small animal from being hit by the cold air.
When he arrived Happy was already there, standing outside his car with a garment bag hung over his arm. Tony motioned for him to follow him inside the building. There were already two vets with a small gurney waiting for them. Tony gently set down the pup whose eyes were half lidded and looked like it couldn't close its jaw. He was wheezing slightly.
After changing into new clothes Tony and Happy sat in silence. He messed with his phone, looking up facts on wolves and playing tetris at its highest level. An hour in a man in scrubs came out from the back area of the building. Tony immediately tensed up.
"The wolf you brought in is doing remarkably well considering its injuries. His left tibia is broken. We've reset it, but it will be in a cast for a couple of months. There's some paperwork you need to fill out. The wolf will have to stay overnight for us to monitor for any changes in his health. When he is stable he will either have to go to a wildlife sanctuary or with you if you have an exotic pet license. We also need to know how he was injured." The half hidden suspicious glare the man gave Tony made it clear that he was uncertain if Tony was the one who hurt the small animal.
"Happy, get Pep on the phone. I want that license by tomorrow morning." The bodyguard/driver nodded as he pulled out his phone and walked out of the building. Tony turned back towards the veterinarian. "I was out on patrol last night and found the little guy pinned to the ground with rods going straight through him. I have them in my car if you need to see them. If you do you need to wear gloves so that you don't smudge any finger prints. I plan on finding who ever did that and seeing that they meet Johnny Law." The vet nodded slowly.
"That won't be necessary. We've already patched him up. I hope you find who did this." He handed Tony a small stack of paperwork. "When you're done filling this out you can come and see the wolf if you want to. He's under sedation right now."
Tony quickly jotted down his address and contact information. He paused over the blank spot reserved for the patience's name. He tapped the spot with the pen before writing down : Little Fella.
It wasn't the best name, but no one ever accused Tony at being good at naming things. (Dum-E, U, and Butterfingers sterling examples at his poor naming skills.)
The rest was just miscellaneous information.
He returned the paperwork to the woman behind the counter. She led him to the back. The large room was lined with cages filled with cats, dogs, and the occasional ferret and rabbit.
The wolf pup, or Little Fella, well Little Fella was too long of a name- Fella was laid out on one of the tables, hooked up to an IV drip. He was missing most of his hair excluding on his face and tail. White bandages contrasted greatly with his grey skin. His back left leg was in a bright neon green cast. He was wearing the 'cone of shame'. Tony frowned when he saw the muzzle on Fella's snout.
"His lower jaw was out of its socket. The muzzle can be removed tomorrow once we know his jaw is not going to pop back out." A vet who was cleaning up the bloody gauze and tools said, reading Tony's expression.
"Is it alright if I pet him?" Tony asked, staring at the small, helpless creature.
"So long as you wash your hands first." The vet gestured towards a sink. Tony nodded and went to it. "We haven't been able to identify his exact species yet. We're thinking he is a dog and wolf hybrid. He's extremely malnourished and dehydrated. It's a good thing you brought him in when you did." Tony was for once silent as he lathered his hands (years of working with greasy machines taught him how to wash his hands cleaner than a surgeon's).The vet moved to a different part of the long room when he saw he'd be getting no response.
Tony felt his heartstrings being tugged as he looked down at the small animal covered in bandages.
"Hey Fella." Tony whispered, gently patting the wolf's head. The black fur was surprisingly soft. "I know you're hurting right now, but you're going to get better." He ran a thumb against the pup's forehead then behind his ear, scratching the spot that usually dogs loved having petted. Fella leaned into the touch and Tony grinned sadly. "Everything is going to be smooth sailing from here. You'll see. You'll have full run of my house, well excluding the lab. That place is too dangerous for a little guy like you. And then, once you're as good as new you can leave if you want to, meet a nice lady wolf and have some baby wolves." Fella's eyes cracked open and in the good lighting Tony could see that his steely grey eyes were actually a soft jade color. "The folks here will take good care of you while I'm gone." Tony wasn't certain, but he thought he saw a brief flicker of fear in the wolf's eyes. "Don't worry. I'll be back tomorrow morning. No one is going to hurt you. All you need to do now is rest and get better. I'll be back before you even know it." With one last scratch behind the ear Tony said goodbye and left.
Happy was waiting outside for him. He tossed the keys to Tony who caught them easily.
"Ms. Potts wants you to call her right away." Happy said, prompting Tony to groan.
"Jarvis, call up Pepper for me." Tony said after turning on the car.
"Calling now." The phone didn't even get past is first ring.
"Tony, you cannot own a wolf." Pepper said firmly. Tony groaned again, slumping in the driver's seat slightly.
"Technically he's a wolf-dog hybrid."
"I don't care if it's a chihuahua pug hybrid. You can barely take care of yourself, let alone another living being."
"But, Pep, he needs me and I already promised him he could stay. You don't want to make a liar out of me, do you?"
"Don't play that game with me, Tony. We both know you should leave this to the professionals. You're already busy with board meetings and your inventions. You don't have time for a pet."
"He's not going to be my pet. He's… he's my responsibility. Besides, I hate board meetings. I don't even pay attention during those things. The only reason I ever know what's going on is because of your weekly reports. Board meeting are definitely more your thing." A brilliant idea occurred to Tony. "Virginia Potts you are 100% better at administrative duties than I am. You should be CEO of Stark Industries." There was a stunned silence on the other end of the line. Tony glanced to his side and could see that Happy was surprised, yet he nodded in support of Tony's idea.
"Tony… you can't just…" Pepper began, trying to talk him out of another one of his random ideas.
"Yeah, no, I definitely can. That's the great part of being CEO. I'm sure the board will support my decision. Stock prices may dip at first, but once I make a shiny speech extolling your virtues they'll shoot back up. Come on, Pep, you were practically born to run a multi-billion dollar company. Besides, they pay is good and you won't have to babysit me anymore." Tony tried to convince her. She didn't respond for a long minute.
"If I'm not looking out for you, who will?" She asked and Tony silently celebrated at having shirked yet another responsibility.
"Jarvis of course, and you can always hire me a new PA. It will be your final duty as my former personal assistant turned CEO. Come on, Pep. You know this is a good idea. Even Happy is nodding encouragingly. You'll definitely make Forbes' top 100 most influential women."
"Tony…"
"Please, Pep. You'd be so good at it and you could buy all the shoes you could ever want with your starting bonus." He pleaded.
"Are you really trying to bribe me?" She let out a huff of a laugh.
"Only if it's working. So is it working?" He pouted, even though she couldn't see him.
"Fine. I'll draw up the paperwork. Just- just be careful. That wolf is still a wild animal even if it has a bit of dog blood in it."
"I will be the epitome of careful." Tony promised and Pepper scoffed.
"Will that be all Mr. Stark?"
"That will be all, Ms. Potts."
By the following morning Tony's house was puppy proof and fully stocked. Outside of his home a wolf proof fence was being erected, bordering his large estate. Pepper had procured him his exotic animal's license and had sent a message to the board of directors about her new position.
Happy was driving them to the veterinarian office in one of the more nondescript cars. As expected, the paparazzi had somehow caught wind of the soon to be newest addition to his household of one (four counting Jarvis, Dum-E, U, and Butterfingers).
Luckily he had brought a pet carrier to hide his pup when they left.
The paparazzi asked all sorts of stupid questions which Tony easily ignored. After paying off the hefty price for care rendered Tony and Happy were escorted to the back.
"Hey Little Fella." The wolf's ears perked up and he looked around. "Told you I'd be back." His tail started wagging, making Tony grin. Fella's snout was muzzle free, but he still had his cone of shame, along with his bandages and cast. "You look a million times better."
"Yes, Fella's recovery rate is remarkable. He's already almost as active as a puppy his age should be. He still needs to be on a liquid diet for the next week though since his stomach is not accustomed to solids.
"Super." He patted Fella on the head and the small animal gave out a strange mix between a chirp and a bark, clearly pleased. "All we need to do is get you home. I'd carry you to the car, but there's all sorts of annoying people outside who will bombard us with photos. It's probably best you go into the carrier, until at least we're out of the parking lot." Tony wasn't sure why he was explaining himself to the wolf, but it felt like the right thing to do. Fella's tail slowed down its wagging. "I know. No one likes feeling like they're boxed up, but it's only for a few minutes and for your safety." The pup let out a huff as Tony ushered him into the crate. "Safe and sound." He patted the carrier to assure himself of that fact.
Thankfully the paparazzi moved out of their way fairly quickly and did not try to take too many pictures. As promised, once they were out of the parking lot Tony opened the crate up and helped Fella out. Just like any canine he insisted on staring out the window. Unfortunately his legs were still weak and his cast did not help with his balance, so Tony had to hold him up by his chest while Happy drove.
Happy crooned at the animal, but he ignored him opting instead to take in the blurred scenery.
When they arrived Tony gave Happy the rest of the day off.
"I guess I should give ya a tour of Casa De Stark." Tony scratched Fella behind his ears as he spoke, still securely carrying him. "This is the main floor. Probably where you'll be spending most of your time before your leg's healed up enough for you to tackle the stairs." The pup glanced around, smelling the area as Tony walked. "This is my bedroom. No one's really allowed in here other than Pep and any of my lady friends." Fella started wiggling in his arms so Tony sat him down. The pup scampered around awkwardly, darting under the bed. A second later he came back out, pulling a crumpled shirt with him. "Hey now, that's one of my favorite shirts." Tony tugged on the shirt and was surprised when Fella let it go without a fight. The pup looked at him with large pleading eyes. Tony looked away, mumbling under his breath about the 'sanctity of AC/DC' and trying to ignore those big jade orbs of innocents. He glanced down at the pup than away quickly, feeling his resolve weaken. "Fine. You can keep the stupid t-shirt. I'm sure I can order a new one. But that's the only one you get. I don't want you ruining my exquisite wardrobe." He picked Fella back up while handing him the shirt. He clamped down on it immediately and wagged his tail. "I can already tell you're going to be spoiled rotten."
After the tour and telling Fella in no uncertain terms that he was not allowed into the lab because it was too dangerous. The little guy looked tuckered out. Tony fed him the weird drink the veterinarian had recommended before setting him down on one of the dog beds in the living room.
Tony sat on one of the leather arm chairs a cup of scotch in one hand and a tablet in the other. Every few minutes he'd glance at Fella making sure he was still there and in one piece. The pup had somehow burrowed itself into the bed, using Tony's shirt as a blanket.
It was an adorable scene, not that Tony would ever admit that out loud.
Eventually he got antsy and headed down to his workshop to burn off some of his energy.
Right after sunset Jarvis (thank his digital soul) alerted Tony to the fact that he needed to feed Fella. He ambled upstairs and figured it wouldn't be too bad of an idea for him to grab some grub as well.
Fella was sleeping as hard as a rock, not even hearing Tony when he flipped on the TV, tuning to the science channel. After a few bites of his meal Tony went over to Fella.
"Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey." He said softly while jostling the small animal. Jade eyes peeked open. Tony put the bottle up to his snout and he automatically began drinking from it. Satisfied Tony left him to it and went back to his own meal.
It's strangely peaceful. Tony usually didn't like watching TV or sitting still for more than five minutes, but the droning of the scientist on TV talking about things Tony already knew coupled with the soft noises Fella was making was nice.
This was nice.
Tony had always lived alone, or at the very least lived alone in one wing of a mansion, which was pretty much alone considering a wing of the mansion in upstate New York was bigger than the average house. Even as a baby he had lived alone save for his butler Jarvis, but he only showed up when Jarvis heard him cry through the baby monitor.
Into childhood he only saw others at school and when he snuck into his father's lab. Adolescents granted him more freedom and he snuck girls his age into the mansion, but they always had to go before it was too dark outside leaving Tony, who was even an insomniac back then, alone.
When he went to MIT he had his own apartment (read: apartment building) and he threw parties to combat the silence.
When his parents died and Tony went back to the mansion it felt the same as always and that fact had terrified him so much he decided to never spend another moment there.
He was fortunate when he found Pepper working for one of his board members. When he saw how scarily competent she was he snapped her up to become his PA.
Idly, Tony remembered begging his parents to let him get a pet and being denied repeatedly. He wondered if he wouldn't have been so blind to what his weapons were doing to the world if he hadn't spent most of his life alone.
Tony saw Fella yawn widely and realized he was staring at the small animal. Tony shook his head, knowing that such ruminating would get him nowhere. He grabbed the empty bottle and his plate, putting them in the dishwasher before heading back to his lab.
(minilinbreak)
One week in and it becomes a bit of a routine. Tony would fix a bottle for Fella and a plate of food for himself twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.
Fella was surprisingly tame and was quick to understand that outside was the only acceptable place for him to do his business. The pup seemed to enjoy watching the science channel with him so Tony usually just left it on when he went to his lab or out. Fella still had not relinquished Tony's shirt back to its proper owner, but Tony didn't really mind. The wolf-dog hybrid didn't tear it apart which was saying something considering Fella liked his chew toys, one of which being Tony's arm.
It was some weird form of affection, Tony supposed, when they were watching TV together Fella would sit beside him and lightly chew Tony's wrist, never breaking the skin, just slobbering all over him.
After a week and a half from when Tony had first brought him home Tony found Fella on the couch chewing off his cast. (The cone of shame had come off three days prior). By the time Tony reached him Fella had torn off the whole neon green plaster.
"You are such a trouble maker." Tony said while brushing the plaster off the couch. "You still have at least another month in that cast." Fella made a weird almost grumbling noise. "Don't get smart with me, young man." Fella huffed. "Come on, let me give you an x-ray. If it doesn't look too bad I won't make you get another one." Tony lifted the pup up and noticed that Fella had gained a bit of weight, healthy weight. Tony could no longer see his ribs jutting out. "This is the only time you're allowed in my lab. Is that understood, mister?" Fella didn't respond and Tony moved him to one arm so he could type in the security code. "Alright. I need you to stay still or the image will come out all blurry and useless."
Fella did as he was told. Tony could tell he was tense though. Tony petted him a few times, holding back a chuckle at the patches of peach fuzz from where his fur had been cut. All his wounds were healed and Tony was just waiting for the useless stitches to fall out as the vet said they would.
The x-ray showed that Fella's left tibia was healed.
"You are one resilient son of a gun." Tony mumbled while picking Fella up. The wolf licked Tony's face. "Gross. Daddy needs to get to work so go back upstairs and play." Tony sat Fella outside of his lab, patting him on the head once before closing the door and going back to work.
Tony could feel pleading, jade eyes on him. He turned up the music hoping it would drown out the feeling, but soon the music was accompanied by the most sorrow filled, heart breaking howling. It made Tony's pulse quicken and throat clench painfully. He ignored Fella for a total of three minutes before giving in.
"Spoiled rotten." He mumbled under his breath as Fella trotted in, tail wagging.
Tony felt like the stability and steady meals should make him feel healthier, but for the last few days he'd been feeling nauseous and overheated.
Tony continued working on the hologram schematics for a new suit, but could feel himself swaying (or was the world swaying). Maybe this was some sort of weird alcohol withdrawal? He hadn't gotten drunk in the two months since Fella started living under his roof.
He clutched onto the side of the table.
"Jarvis," His voice sounded washed out. From the corner of his eye he saw Dum-E and Fella stop chasing each other, looking over at him. Dum-E was quick to respond, wheeling over a chair which Tony promptly fell into. "Scan me and the reactor." Tony looked at the hologram he had just been working on, but it was blurry. There was a flicker of light as Jarvis scanned him.
A cold pressure on his knee drew his attention downwards. Fella was resting his chin on Tony's leg, ears pulled flat against his head. Tony hadn't noticed he had grown large enough to comfortably do that. He was almost as big as an average wolf now.
"The arc reactor's readings are average. Your heart rate is slightly accelerated and you have a temperature of 101 degrees Fahrenheit." Tony could feel the heat clawing at him. The only thing keeping him grounded was the Fella's cold touch on his leg. With shaking hands he pulled off his shirt, trying to escape the heat. There was another flicker of light, making Tony cringe. Fella whimpered.
"Shh, it's okay. I'm fine." Tony slurred out.
"Sir, there appears to be faint lines emanating from around the reactor." The AI's voice was filled with concern.
"I don't see anything, J." Tony mumbled. Fella stood on his hind legs looking closer too.
"My sensors can only barely see them." There was definitely a hint of panic in Jarvis' voice. "I should have seen it earlier. Had I been-"
"Calm down. I'm sure it's nothing." Tony touched the area around the reactor and it did feel warmer. "Do we have equipment to do a tox-screen?"
"Yes, Sir."
Dum-E wheeled Tony's chair over to an underused corner of the lab. In a daze Tony drew a vial of his own blood and put it in the small spinning machine.
Fella nudged at his leg. He was carrying a water bottle in his jaw. Tony took it from him whispering his thanks.
"You are way too smart, do you know that?" Tony uncapped the bottle and downed half of it in one go. "I always surround myself with remarkable people." He petted Fella behind his ear. "You've met Pepper and Rhodey. Hardest working folks I know. Of course you wouldn't be an exception." Tony let his eyes fall shut. "I can tell you're listening when I'm discussing mechanics with Jarvis, how you pay attention to those documentaries I leave on for you." There was a beep and Tony forced himself to open his eyes. The readings showed a high level of an unknown element that Tony knew quite well: Palladium. He let out a stuttered sigh. "I can fix this. I'm Tony Stark. If anyone can fix this, it's me."
Tony raked a hand through his hair reading a whole new set of results. It had been a whole week since he found out about the Palladium poison coursing through his veins and he still hadn't come up with a permanent solution.
"Sir, Ms. Potts will be arriving in five minutes with your new PA." Jarvis announced.
"Hopefully they will be better than the last two. Male or female?" He asked while putting down the results and standing. After the initial shock he had become more acclimated with the burning and had made concoction out of all sorts of weird herbs recommended by Jarvis. It helped dull the burn, but didn't stop the progress of the poison.
"Female. One Natalie Rushman." A picture of a beautiful red headed woman popped up on screen. Underneath her image was a list of assorted facts or more accurately 'resume fillers'.
"She's a pretty one."
"Must I read you Stark Industry's policies on sexual harassment?"
"Hey, I haven't hired her yet. I'm allowed to look." He said under his breath while heading upstairs.
Fella was sitting on the couch watching a TV show about wormholes. He scooted over and Tony plopped down beside him.
"Pep is coming over with her possible replacement." Tony said while rubbing the spot on Fella's head that always made him lean into the touch.
When he hears two pairs of heels clicking against the marble floor Tony turned off the TV and stood to greet the two women.
"Ms. Potts." Tony nodded, overly formal.
"Mr. Stark." Pepper said in turn. "This is Ms. Rushman. She's already been vetted by SI and has my seal of approval."
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Stark." Ms. Rushman stepped forward, hand extended. Tony shook her hand, trying to get a read on her. Fella looked over the back of the couch at her and she didn't so much as flinch.
"So… tell me everything about you. I won't have a stranger working in close proximity with me and my tech." Tony said, gesturing for her to sit down across from the couch Fella was on. Pepper let out a silent sigh, having already expected this. Ms. Rushman sat down smoothly and Pepper left to grab coffee for everyone.
"I'm Natalie Rushman. I was born in-" She was cut off by a strange grumbling that was not quite a growl, but not a bark either. Her eyes flickered to Fella who was staring at her intently, his hackles raised slightly. "I was born in Ohio-" Fella grumbled again and looked up at Tony. The engineer patted the wolf once before standing.
"Thank you for your time, Ms. Rushman, but your services won't be necessary." He held out his arm, gesturing to the door. She stood abruptly.
"But, I didn't even-"
"I'm sorry Ms. Rushman, but you are not getting the job as my PA." He explained, sticking to civility. Pepper came rushing in, having heard the other woman's raised voice.
"Tony! This is the third one! You can't just keep shooting them down." Pepper said, putting on her why can't you be an adult face.
"Sorry Pep, but if Fella thinks she's untrustworthy than she's not coming anywhere near us or my technology." He patted Fella on the head as if to prove a point.
"You can't just let your pet decide who can and can't work for you." Pepper scolded him and Ms. Rushman looked confused, almost too confused now that Tony was already suspicious of her.
"First off: Fella's not my pet. He can leave whenever he wants. We're bros and he's family. Second off: Fella is an excellent judge of character. Remember he took to you the second you came in even though I wasn't home? And he practically tackled Rhodey to the ground in happiness when they first met. If he thinks this Rushman character is iffy I'm inclined to not give her the job." He eyed said woman, trying to pull apart any façade she may be hiding behind. Pepper turned towards the other woman while sighing.
"I'm sorry Natalie, but Mr. Stark has the final say in this matter. Consider this your official last day of working at Stark Industries. You will be generously compensated for this abrupt dismissal." Pepper said, the pique of professionalism. The other red head gaped for a moment before nodding and leaving. "Uck, and we still have a thirty minute drive back to civilization. That won't be awkward in the least." Pepper caught a stray lock of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. "There's some paperwork on the counter for you. I'll have someone drop by in a couple days to pick it up." She glanced towards the front door.
"Have you seen our stock price lately?" Tony asked, distracting Pepper from her silent musings.
"Of course. I wouldn't be a good CEO if I didn't know where we stand."
"You're doing a great job, Pep. Better than I ever could." Tony was glad he had already given her the position, just in case he didn't find a cure to the poison coursing through his veins at least he knew Stark Industries was in safe (and competent) hands.
"Thanks, Tony. That means a lot to me." She gave him one of her sincere look at you being an adult smiles. "Are you doing alright? You haven't been going out the way you used to. I'd figure you'd be hitting the town every night now that you are no longer CEO."
"I'm fine." Tony waved dismissively, trying to brush aside the worry evident on Pepper's face. "I've just been tinkering with a few new ideas and Fella has been keeping me company." Pepper pursed her lips, but nodded.
"Alright, well don't forget to fill out that paper work. I'll try to find a new PA for you by next week."
"You're the best, Pep."
"I know. Bye Tony, Jarvis, Fella." She waved while walking out.
Tony sat back down beside Fella.
"I really hate lying to her." Tony admitted to the wolf. "But I can't tell her I'm dying. I wouldn't be able to stand it if she looked at me like I'm doomed. Or if she cried. There's always something especially terrible about seeing someone you love cry because of you." Fella whimpered slightly. "Don't worry, buddy. I'll figure something out."
(minilinbreak)
Tony woke up in a cold sweat, clutching his chest.
"Fuck." It hurt like he was being burned from the inside out. He felt like the reaper was sitting on his chest digging his bony fingers in.
Tony scraped at his bedside table, grabbing his blood-tox gauge. He pinpricked his finger and the small device beeped.
67% blood toxicity.
78% would be fatal.
A month left at most… a month and it was already this painful.
Tony pulled himself out of bed, reaching for a decanter of scotch. He drank directly from it. He doubted that a little alcohol would really do much harm compared to the level of Palladium already in his blood.
There was a scraping noise at his door. The wolf made a concerned noise.
Tony opened the door and Fella looked at him questioningly.
"Let's… let's go get something to eat." Tony said in lieu of comforting words. Fella was almost up to Tony's hips and he wasn't sure exactly how big he'd get. Luckily he had enough money to feed himself and a whole pack of wolves, if need be.
He grabbed three steaks from the fridge and put two in a dish for Fella before cooking up the other for himself. As the engineer ate Fella kept nudging against him. Finally he set aside his meal and laid a calming hand on Fella's head.
"I rewrote my will yesterday." He said between sips of scotch. "There's no need for you to worry." Tony raised the decanter up, looking at the amber liquid in the dim light. It sloshed from side to side. "You don't have-" Tony cleared his throat, slurring more than he realized. "You don't have to worry."
Somehow the decanter slipped out of his hand, shattering on the marbled floor.
Tony's vision was swimming and his whole body was throbbing painfully.
"Steak'n s'otch- is naw a bad las' meal." He could barely understand what he was saying and he knew he should be scared, but he wasn't.
Tony's breathing was labored and he wasn't sure if he was about to vomit or pass out.
He should have thrown a party, gone out with a bang- yet he always thought he'd die either while under someone or falling over his balcony in a drunken stupor.
In the back of his mind he could hear Jarvis calling for him, but his head was a buzzing mess with black spots eating away at his brain.
An unearthly noise broke through his stupor. It sounded like the shredding of metal combined with a tornado.
And then there were voices, rising and falling. Their words were indecipherable, yet the emotions were clear: confusion, panic, anger, and relief.
It didn't make sense to Tony, but then again the idea of death never did make sense to him.
A surge of coldness washed over him, like someone had thrown a bucket of water over him. It was both soothing and painful. The angry burning that seemed to emit from his chest dulled.
Tony tried to pry his eyes open, but he couldn't.
"It's alright." A childlike voice said, sounding like they were on the verge of tears. "You're going to be okay. Just sleep for now."
He wanted to protest, to know why a kid was in his house and why Jarvis had let him in, but found that sleep was dragging him under.
When Tony woke up the first thing he did was turn onto his side and vomit black sludge.
"Geez, you're always so messy." A voice teased. Tony squeezed his eyes shut, willing them to stay focused so he could see who was talking. When he opened his eyes back up the vomit on the floor was gone.
He was 100% certain he had vomited, but it wasn't there anymore.
Tony groaned while sitting up. He felt sore all over, like he had gone on a work-out binge for so long that he passed out and was only now just woke up.
"Here, drink some water." A glass of water was shoved in front of him and guzzled the whole thing down without hesitation.
When he could finally focus Tony saw a little boy, no older than eight years sitting on his coffee table in Tony's old AC/DC t-shirt and weird leather pants.
"Am I in an alcohol induced coma and this is some weird dream that I won't remember once I come to?"
"Hm, 'fraid not." The little boy laughed heartily, but the red rings around his eyes made it clear that he had been crying recently. Tony looked harder at the kid as he swung his legs back and forth, feet bare, jade green eyes, pitch black hair, scars on his face and hands…
"Fella?" Tony asked, slightly more convinced that this was just a dream. The kid abruptly stopped swinging his legs and looked down at the oversized shirt he was wearing.
"I thought it would take you longer to figure out it's me." Fella sniffled and wiped his nose with his arm, leaving a line of snot. "You- you said you were going to be okay- that you'd find a cure." The little boy's voice started to waver and he started breathing in stuttered gasps. "You- you- said-" each word was broken by a hiccup or sob, "you- said- it. You promised- but then- you were dying- and- and-" Fella broke down crying his eyes out in the way that only little kids ever could.
Tony wasn't good with children, but even he knew what to do in this sort of situation. He lifted the kid up and set him in his lap, hugging him carefully. Fella only cried harder, grabbing onto Tony's shirt.
Even if this was a weird dream or limbo the engineer was not going to let a little kid suffer in it.
"It's alright. I'm right here." Tony crooned, rubbing Fella's back soothingly, not bothered by the snot and tears that were getting all over his shirt.
"You promised- you said that you could fix it." Fella's voice was muffled against Tony's chest.
"I know. I'm sorry. I really thought I could, but I guess I was wrong." Tony could feel his throat getting tight and his eyes starting to sting. "Pep is going to be so mad at me when she gets the phone call from Jarvis." Tony hugged Fella a bit tighter. "Don't worry though. I already bought a nice house in Canada surrounded by the wilderness for you. Pepper is going to take good care of you." Fella gripped tighter onto Tony's shirt.
"I don't want her to take care of me. I want you to take care of me." His sobbing was heartbreaking and Tony was glad he had never had any kids of his own to morn him now that he was dead.
"I'm sorry."Tony kissed the top of his head. "So what happens now? I never really thought there'd be an afterlife." Because surely this wasn't life. If it was he'd be in the hospital hooked up to machines, Fella would still be a wolf, and he wouldn't be feeling this good.
Fella punched Tony's chest with surprising strength.
"You big stupid! You're not dead!" Fella shouted at him, still crying. Tony looked at the kid for a stunned moment, before glancing at one of Jarvis' sensors.
"J, is this true? Am I still alive?" The AI didn't answer and the small bud of hope that had started blooming in Tony's chest was crushed.
"Jarvis can't hear you." Fella said while wiping his nose with his arm again. Tony grabbed the tissue box that was on the coffee table, noticing there was a whole pile of used tissues on the ground. He helped Fella clean up his face, tossing the two new dirty ones into the pile.
"Why can't Jarvis hear me?" He asked calmly.
"Because- because-" Fella started crying all over again.
"Come on. Let's get you some water and calmed down." He carefully lifted Fella up and the little boy clung to him. Despite feeling sore he hadn't felt this good since before he found out he was dying. Tony set Fella on the counter and grabbed him a glass of water. "Just take a few sips of water and breathe deeply." Tony could vaguely remember Pepper telling him the same thing on one of his particularly bad night where he had binge drank half the liquor cabinet. She'd almost called an ambulance for him that night. Funny thing is he couldn't remember why he had felt the need to get that far gone.
Fella took a sip of water and coughed. Tony lightly patted his back. The little boy began wringing the end of the oversized AC/DC shirt, but seemed to be calming down.
"It looked like you were dying." Fella took in a slow breath. "You can't die. You're not allowed to." Stray tears ran down his red face, but his voice was steady. "I didn't know what to do. I don't know any healing magic, so I called on my father." Fella gulped at the lump in his throat. "We hadn't seen each other in a really long time and I wasn't even sure if he was still alive. He tried to take me away, but I told him I couldn't leave you behind and that you were dying and that I needed his help." Fella's lower lip started quivering. "He said it was too dangerous here, but I couldn't let you die. I told him you saved me so he had to save you. I am uncertain of what spell he did, but he said it would keep anyone from knowing we are here or entering the house and then he pulled some of the poison out and said he'd be back tomorrow-er, today I mean and for us not to leave."
Tony leaned against the fridge, still not certain if this was really happening. He pinched himself- and ow, yes he could definitely feel that. So maybe he really was alive.
And did Fella mention something about magic?
"Uhm, who did you say your father was?" Tony asked, a million different questions flying through his head.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Fella hopped off the counter and bowed regally. "I am Fenrir Lokison."
Little Fella… Fenrir Lokison. Well at least Tony guesse his initials right, even if they were in the wrong order.
"So that would make you Loki's kid?" The name vaguely sounded familiar, but he didn't know why. "Wait, was he the one that hurt you? If he is I'll get my Iron Man suit and make sure he gets his." Tony could feel his blood pressure rising along with anger.
"No, father never hurt me…" Fella- Fenrir seemed to deflate. "It was grandfather. I- I don't know why he did it. It hurt so much and I was there for so long." Fenrir covered his face with his hands, crying all over again. Tony scooped him up into his arms, holding the sobbing child.
"Hey, it's alright. You're safe here. I'm Iron Man. No one is going to hurt you. They'll have to go through me first." Fenrir was holding onto Tony tightly, burying his face in Tony's shoulder.
What kind of sick piece of shit would do that to a kid?
He had to be the sweetest wolf- err, the sweetest kid on the planet.
"What did I do wrong? I was always good. I never got in trouble." Fenrir started shaking in Tony's arms.
"There's nothing you could have ever done that warrants such harsh treatment. You're just a kid. He's the one who was wrong. No one deserves to be hurt like that." Tony crooned to him.
"I don't understand- I don't understand-" Fenrir's words were mangled by sobs.
"Some people are just sick. No one will ever be able to understand why they did what they did. He'll never be able to hurt you again." Tony walked them back to the couch, pulled a blanket around Fenrir.
He continued to cry for what felt like forever as Tony whispered reassurances to him. Eventually the little boy fell asleep. Tony wrapped him snuggly in the blanket and laid him out on the couch. He checked his cell phone and even though he had perfect reception any calls he attempted were immediately ended. He went down to his lab and his bots beeped at him questioningly. Tony could tell they were distressed since they couldn't talk to Jarvis. Tony gave them the abridged version, actually starting to believe that there might be 'magic' afoot considering there was no one who could hack Jarvis so thoroughly in an instant. They calmed down , but Tony could tell they were still stressed.
Tony grabbed one of his Iron Man gauntlets just in case this Loki character was not as innocent as his son thought he was.
He checked his blood toxicity level and it was at a startlingly low 4%.
After eating some food he sat by Fenrir on the couch. The little boy was curled up the same way he always was when sleep as a … wolf. The way he sighed unconsciously and rubbed his face against the pillow was all so strangely familiar to Tony. It was all things Fella did, but now Fella was Fenrir and human, or at least human like.
He was now even more grateful that he had stumbled upon that strange island.
Tony turned on the TV on mute, knowing he wouldn't be able to concentrate on it, yet needing something to pull him away from the strangeness that was his life.
Three documentaries later Tony heard a strange popping noise come from the kitchen. He slipped his gauntlet on and moved quietly towards the room.
When he turned the corner a man in a long leather coat and strange armor was standing there, staring mesmerized at a photo of Tony and Fenrir as a wolf. It had been a wonderful day, before Tony knew he was dying and after Fenrir was all healed up, physically at least. The weather had been perfect and it was one of Pepper's rare days off. She had come over and suggested a picnic. They had gone to the shaded part of the yard and Fenrir was running all over. They had lost track of him for a while, but the whole area was enclosed so they weren't worried.
Tony had fallen asleep while Pepper lounged against a tree, reading a book. He was woken up by Pepper's startled shriek. In Fenrir's jaw had been a freshly killed rabbit. He dropped it in front of Tony who only laughed and petted the wolf behind his ear.
After Pepper got over her shock she laughed and petted him too. Tony had congratulated him and Pepper suggested they take a photo together. Fenrir had snatched the rabbit back up and Tony slung his arm over the wolf before Pepper snapped the photo.
The other man, Loki, reached out to touch the photo, but then quickly withdrew his hand.
"You want to tell me why I found Fenrir skewered through thirteen times to the ground." The man whipped around as Tony spoke, a knife appearing in his hand, before his stance relaxed. Tony had his gauntlet aimed at the other man, but he seemed unaffected by it.
Tony could definitely tell they were related with the same black hair and pale skin.
"The sick deeds of a misguided man." There was a strange accent to Loki's voice that Tony didn't recognize.
"And you just let him do that to your son?"
Poison green eyes narrowed at Tony.
"I fought the guards when they tried to take them and ended up with my guts on the ground. When I woke up he was gone." Loki's voice was emotionless, but Tony could see pain hidden behind his façade. "Was he really skewered through?"
"Yeah, thirteen times, but he looked like a puppy back then." The bright green of his eyes became glassy. "You said 'them'. Who else was there?"
"His mother and two siblings. She got away with our oldest, but our sons weren't so lucky. Once I was strong enough to move I found her. Her wounds were worse than my own. She was only alive because our daughter is such an adapt healer, but she was only barely hanging on. I tried taking them to a safe place, but his mother died on the trip. When I tracked down the guards who had been there they were sworn on pain of death not to breathe a word of what happened. I questioned them… thoroughly. They told me nothing." Loki scowled fresh hatred in his eyes. "Had I known what they did to Fenrir I would have made the questioning last much longer. How long have you known my son was no ordinary wolf?"
"I had an inkling when his broken leg healed up so quickly. If you mean when I found out he was actually a little kid that happened last night." Tony finally lowered his gauntlet. "What are your intentions for Fenrir?"
"I need to take him to safety. Once my father knows he is no longer trapped he will send out people to hunt him down." Loki glanced towards the living room then back to Tony. "Has… has he been happy?" He said hesitantly, the first actual show of emotions other than anger.
"I think so. We hang out a lot. Had I known he was a kid I would have had him in school instead of just watching the science channel and rambling as I worked. I told him early on that he could leave whenever he wanted to, but he stayed. He has his own room and an unnatural attachment to one of my t-shirts."
"Yes, I tried to give him proper clothing, but he was insistent on wearing that garment." He looked over Tony's shoulder again. "I wish to see him."
"By all means. He fell asleep on the couch." Tony gestured towards the living room, not trusting the man to be at his back. Loki moved quickly and Tony followed, slightly annoyed by the man's longer legs.
Loki scanned the room quickly before approaching his son. He went to his knees in front of the sleeping boy. He tentatively reached out, brushing a lock of Fenrir's hair back, revealing more of the sleeping child's face. Loki gasped almost silently and the look in his eyes was of disbelief and love.
Tony felt some of his worry subside. There was no faking a look like that.
Fenrir sensed Loki, nuzzling against his hand. Tears streamed down Loki's face silently.
"I thought I'd never see him again." Loki whispered, no longer hiding his emotions. "I thought he was dead, but if he's alive- If they did this to him, what did they do to his brother? What if he's somewhere out there too, skewered? What if he's scared and alone?" Loki leaned forward, kissing Fenrir on the forehead, being sure not to wake him. Loki stood up abruptly, walking over to Tony. "You have my thanks… You have my eternal gratitude, yet I do not know your name."
"Sorry, I guess I'm a terrible host when I'm worried about someone I consider my family." Loki quirked an eyebrow at that. "I'm Tony Stark, an engineer and inventor." Tony held out his hand and Loki grabbed his forearm in a variation of a handshake.
"Loki of Asgard, God of Fire." Tony quirked his own eyebrow at that. "Fenrir was quite insistent that I help you with your problem. I was surprised to see that device in your chest along with the mechanical voice from the ceiling. I was unaware that this realm had advanced to such levels."
"Yeah, no that's all me. Speaking of which what did you do to my AI? He's pretty important to me."
"Just a few concealment spells. They are one of my specialties." Loki waved his hand I an almost dismissive manner.
"Sir?" Jarvis called out. "There seems there was some sort of malfunction in my software. I've been offline for 27 hours and 43 minutes. Scanning now. Please check my coding when your guests leave. Also, Fella is not on the premise. Suggested course of action?"
"Uhm, continue scanning, re-designate Little Fella as Fenrir on my private server. Long story short: Fenrir is not a wolf and he's sleeping right now on the couch. This is Loki of Asgard his dad."
"Actually Fenrir's natural form is that of a wolf, but he is half Aesir, half elf. The fact that he shifted to that form shows how much he cares for you." Loki smiled sadly. "The device in your chest, it is poisoning you."
"I know, but it's keeping me alive too."
"You've done me a great service by saving my son. Would you consider me saving your life as a fair trade?"
"Well I didn't really save him for any sort of reward. It was just the right thing to do, you know?" Tony glanced over at the sleeping child, trying to push away the image of him as a pup pinned to the ground.
"I know, you would not have been giving him shelter and care if that was not the case. I do not let debts go unpaid though. If saving your life is not sufficient than I have other means of payment."
Tony tapped his arc reactor, briefly considering asking Loki if he could somehow deliver world peace, but figuring that would be too great of a task even for a magic man like him.
"How do you propose to fix me? I have shrapnel in my chest and this gizmo is the only thing keeping them out of my heart."
"May I?"Loki gestured towards the reactor. Tony hesitated before nodding. The god's hand glowed green as he touched the reactor and Tony really hoped Jarvis was taking scans because Tony's mind was going a mile a minute trying to figure out how Loki was doing that. Loki's hand drifted to over Tony's heart. "Strange." Loki took a step backwards. "The shards and your glowing device both have your signature upon them, though the shards have it at a much lower degree."
"My signature?"
"Yes, when one creates something they usually leave behind a signature." That sounded like BS to Tony, but at this point he was gathering data. He'd draw conclusions on validity later.
"Yeah, that makes sense. I designed the weapon that the shrapnel came from while I made this reactor by hand. It's all a long, stupid story."
"I see." Loki stared at the reactor a moment longer. "The damage you have is more extensive than I had originally assumed, rather impressive for a mortal actually, but I should be able to repair you. I have many a year's practice seamlessly removing metal from flesh and I have a catch all solution for the rest of the damage, though I cannot regrow bones and flesh."
A chance to get rid of the shrapnel… Tony had been looking for a solution for so long, countless surgeons from all over the world, yet none could help him, but now there was a possible solution.
"How do you plan on getting the shrapnel out?"
"With a displacement spell coupled with a healing spell. I have preformed it on myself and my brother many times. There is no need for you to fret. I only wish to repay you and help the man who my son is so fond of."
"Wasn't fretting, just trying to get the full picture. How do you plan on fixing all my other damage?"
Loki held his hands horizontal, palms facing each other. A golden apple appeared between them.
"Idunn's apple. It has several healing properties. You will only need a sliver for this purpose, but I will gift you the whole apple as repayment for taking such good care of Fenrir. If you decide to eat the whole thing your natural life span shall be extended two centuries and your strength and capacity to heal will be much greater. Even just a sliver will increase these factors for you." Tony's mind started racing all over again, wanting to test the strange, golden fruit to see its exact properties. "Do you accept these gifts?"
"Yeah, let's go to my lab. It has equipment so I can make sure you didn't miss any pieces." Tony started heading in that direction, but Loki didn't immediately follow. He was looking at his son, concerned. "Jarvis, make sure the house is on lockdown. Fenrir is our top priority. If anyone comes within five miles of here I want to know immediately."
"Of course, Sir."
"He'll be fine. He's safe here." Tony said and Loki's eyes snapped to his own, looking for any signs of deception. The god nodded slowly after a moment's hesitation.
It felt surprisingly awkward bringing someone besides Pepper or Fenrir into his lab. Loki gave everything an appraising look, pausing briefly at the Iron Man suits.
"This will be easier if you're sitting down. You'll feel a coldness in your chest then a brief pain." Tony sat in a chair and Loki circled behind him, placing a hand on his chest. "Are you prepared?"
"About as prepared as I can be. Go for it." Loki's hand glowed green again and it felt just like he described it would, though the pain was not as bad as Tony had been expecting. When Loki pulled his hand away there were a dozen shards of varying lengths in his palm. He set them on one of the workbenches. Tony made a mental note to get them framed or something.
Wordlessly he went to his x-ray generator. When the black and white image showed up he was amazed to see the shrapnel was gone.
"Wow, Loki. I could spend hours trying to pull apart how you just did that." Tony deleted the image. He only hesitated for half a second to remove his reactor. The pain of going to cardiac arrest did not start up so Tony relaxed minutely. "Apple?"
Loki pulled out a small dagger from the folds of his coat and cut a thin wedge from the apple. Tony ate it. The wedge had a strange effervescent feel to it, combined with a sweet tanginess that reminded him of sweet and sour chicken.
"It shall take a few days to feel its full affects. Idunn's apples are much sought after. You must keep this one safe and hidden or run the risk of Aesir warriors hunting you down to put you through challenges to see if you are worthy."
"Won't it rot like this?" Tony gestured to the gash on the apple's flesh.
"It's an apple that gives you immortality. Of course it won't rot." Loki scoffed silently and Tony held back a grin. He had a bit more personality than Tony was expecting. "I wish to take my son to safety now."
"I want him to be safe too, but if he doesn't consent to going with you we'll have to find other means." Loki didn't respond and they both found their way back to the living room.
"Fenrir," Loki whispered softly, touching the boy on his shoulder, "it's time to wake up."
"Five hotcakes and I'll wake up." Fenrir bargained, clutching his blanket more securely against him.
"No hotcakes for the unruly pup until he's up, up, up." Loki began tickling him and the little boy squealed and began laughing.
"Stop! Stop, I'm awake!" Jade green eyes opened and he was suddenly quiet. "Father?"
"Yes, I'm- I'm here." Loki's voice caught as he spoke. Fenrir scrambled to sit up, throwing himself into Loki's arms. "Why did you not call upon me sooner once you were free? I would have come to you immediately."
"I was scared. I- What if I called upon you and you did not answer. Last I saw of you, you were laid out on the grass, blood surrounding you. I didn't want to know you were dead." Fenrir said between sobs and Loki hugged the little boy tighter as he cried.
"You must never hide yourself from me again. I need to get you to safety before Odin knows you are missing. I can't lose you all over again. I won't let them hurt you again."
"Where's mother, Hela, and Jormungand? Jorie almost got away, but then they- those men they hit him over the head and he went limp- Father I tried to fight them, I used all the defensive spells you taught me, but I couldn't-"
"You were only a babe. You shouldn't have to protect yourself. That was my job and I failed you all." Loki kissed his cheek. "I couldn't protect any of you. Your mother escaped with Hela, but died shortly after. I took Hela to Niflheim. I do not know what happened to Jorie. I must take you to Niflheim, Fenrir, to stay with your sister. It is the only realm Odin cannot access."
"But… I don't want to leave Tony. I love him and he's hurt." Tony took that as his cue to enter the conversation.
"I love you too, buddy, but your safety is my chief concern. Your dad fixed me all up." Tony sat on the couch, facing Loki and Fenrir. "I don't want to see you leave, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you were in harm's way because of me." Fenrir did not look up from Loki's coat as Tony spoke, only playing with the many buckles and folds.
"But, if you love me why do you want me to leave?" Tony reached out and placed his hand on Fenrir's shoulder.
"I love you so much that I'm willing to let you go, so long as I know you'll be safe and looked after. Besides, don't you want to see your sister? I'm sure she misses you terribly."
"Does she miss me, father? I miss both of them. Especially when we used to race by the river and hope of the waterfall." Loki's hands clenched into fists, trying to hold back his emotions.
"She misses you so much. She'll be so happy to see you and you'll be surprised when you see the lovely young woman she has grown into. She wears proper dresses now and has stopped tossing mud as she used to." Loki sat Fenrir beside Tony on the couch. "You need to come with me, Fenrir. It is only a matter of time before Odin sees that you have escaped. You must be safe before that day comes."
"O… okay. I just don't want to leave Tony."
"I know you don't, but remember the lessons your mother used to teach you about the realms. Niflheim is no place for a human and he has a life here that he needs to live." Loki explained. Fenrir looked down at his lap and began wringing his t-shirt again.
"You should go with him, Fenrir. I'll miss you like crazy. It's for the best." Tony hugged him then looked to Loki. "Is there any way I can send some stuff with you. There's a ton of things I want to give him."
"A ton is too much, but I can travel with quite a bit."
"Super. Come on Fenrir. Let's go pick out some cool stuff to take with you." Tony held out his hand for the boy and Fenrir grabbed it with his significantly smaller one. "First things first, to the lab!" Tony said with false enthusiasm, yet it still made Fenrir giggle. Loki trailed behind them. "Let me see. What little gadgets and gizmos should I give to my favorite kid in the entire universe? Hmm… Ah! Definitely the little Iron Man figurine you loved to chase around." Tony grabbed the toy and remote control.
It took them an hour to gather a hefty little pile of knickknacks, books, a photograph, more of Tony's old t-shirts, and some of Fenrir's favorite toys for Loki to take with them.
When it was time for them to depart Tony was moping almost as much as Fenrir was. Tony was never good with saying goodbye, especially not when it felt this final.
"Wait, hold on- Let me take just one more photo." Tony scurried into the kitchen, looking for the camera Pepper left in one of the drawers. "Alright gather up you two- and I want a real smile from you young man, none of that pouting." Tony ushered them onto the couch and snapped a quick picture. Tony glanced at the image, satisfied with the result. Loki's arm was around Fenrir's shoulder and he was looking down at his son with love and bemusement. Fenrir was smiling shyly at the camera. "Perfect."
Tony lifted Fenrir in a big hug.
"I'm gonna miss you so much." Fenrir said.
"I'm going to miss you too." Tony took in a breath, pushing back his tears. He had to be strong. "You better be good for your father and sister." Fenrir chuckled.
"Father was very mischievous as a child. It wouldn't be fair if I wasn't a bit mischievous as well." It was Tony's turn to laugh and he could see a twinkle of humor in Loki's eyes.
"Alright, don't do anything I wouldn't."
"So blowing up stuff is okay?" Tony was grateful that Fenrir was being so lighthearted about this.
"Hey, those were controlled explosions. There's a difference." Tony pretended to scold him.
"You consider that explosion last week controlled?"
"I still have both my eyebrows. I count that as a win." There was an awkward silence and all humor drifted away. "I guess it's time for you to go."
"I guess…" Tony set down Fenrir next to his father.
"He will be safe." Loki assured him before Tony could idly threaten him.
"Good."
"Thank you once more for everything."
"Of course. It was my pleasure. Goodbye Fenrir, Loki." Loki held his hand out for Fenrir who placed his own hand there.
"Bye-bye Tony." Fenrir said, his lower lip jutted out as he tried not to cry. Tony waved once and with a flash of bright light and popping noise they were gone along with the pile of gifts for Fenrir.
Tony fell onto the couch, feeling exhausted. He looked at the small image on the camera, already missing Fenrir.
"J, am I really alive?"
"Yes, Sir and it seems that apple is already taking affect. Some of your crow's feet have disappeared and your heartbeat is much stronger."
"Nifty." Tony couldn't pull his eyes away from the photo. He didn't realize just how much he loved the kid until he knew he would be leaving. "Do you think I'll ever see them again?"
"I do not know, Sir. It was clear to me though that Loki truly loves his son."
"Yeah, I could see it too." Tony's eyes drifted to the taller man's image. "I guess we'll just have to trust that everything will turn out okay for them."
"Indeed."
Tony sighed.
"Well, moping's not going to get me anyway." Tony stood up quickly. "Call up some sexy people and order a ton of alcohol. I think it's time we celebrate the fact that I'm no longer on death's doorstep!"
"Of course, Sir. Would you also like me to invite the Victioria's Secret angels? They are in town for a runway show."
"Oh definitely invite them. Are those twin blonds still working for them?"
"Yes."
"Good, send them a special invitation. I plan to celebrate with them… repeatedly."
I thought a party was the only way to end it ;)
What do you think?