Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers or any recognisable characters. I do lay claim to my original characters.

Warnings: violence, mention of mpreg, drama, some description of gore and death, minor character death.

Pairings: Tony/Steve/Bruce/Thor/T'Challa/Natasha/Clint, Pepper/Happy/OOC, Rhodey/Sam

Notes: This took a lot longer than I planned to have this posted. It seems a lot has happened since I posted 'Tony's Pride' and I haven't had the time I wanted to work on it. But it is finally here! I hope I've answered all the questions left unanswered by the first part of the series, however feel free to let me know if I missed something.

Furthermore, most of these chapters read a bit like independent stories but there is obvious overlay so I've decided to post them as one story instead of their own separate entities.

Once again, hand-wavey science, OOC, I completely destroyed canon so don't expect really anything to do with the movies.

I hope you enjoy!

The Conclusion of Wanda Maximoff

Warning: If you really like Wanda, skip this chapter.

"Was that a pink bunny?" Tony asked his best friend. They were sprawled across lawn chairs in the backyard, sipping the colourful cocktails Clint had been brewing all afternoon.

The sky above Malibu was bathed in brilliant light spread across a blanket of storm clouds. The display depicted a myriad of colours and forms, much to the delight of everyone watching the spectacle.

"It totally was," Rhodey chuckled. He sipped his lime-green concoction, "This is good, what did Clint call it?"

"I have no idea, he's been practising all week and I'm pretty sure he invented about a dozen new drinks," Tony peered into the glass at his neon blue cocktail, "Do you think this will make my teeth glow in the dark?"

"Probably," Rhodey shrugged, "So, Clint makes awesome drinks for special occasions, Thor lights up the night sky with multicoloured animals, what did the others get you for your anniversary?"

"Steve's making dinner, Natasha took me to a spa and we got awesome massages, Bruce made this little love-heart made of something you can only see under a microscope, and T'Challa arranged for all of you to come and surprise me," Tony grinned, "My mates spoil me."

"What did you get them?"

Tony bit his lip. "To be honest, until this morning I didn't think we would be celebrating our anniversary. I mean, we've had so many stops and starts, especially recently. They've only been back in my life for about two weeks." 13 days, nine hours and a handful of minutes but who was counting? He still felt bad for not getting his mates a gift.

"Well, you forgave them, let them back into your life and the pups' lives," Rhodey mused, "I think that's a pretty good anniversary gift."

"See, that's what they said, but I still feel bad so I came up with something I've been toying with for a few days," Tony admitted.

"Really? What?"

"I'm going to open up the master bedroom," Tony mumbled.

Rhodey laughed, a hearty belly-laugh and smacked Tony on the shoulder, "You are such a sap. They're going to be tripping over themselves in gratitude."

"You don't think it's too…self-serving?"

Rhodey gave him a look Tony was well familiar with. A mixture of exasperation and fondness. "You're letting your mates back in after they hurt you so badly. They grovelled, you indulged them, now you can get to the kissing and making up stage."

Tony hummed, feeling better about his plans for later, and let the silence wash over them, the only break came when the flashes above them were accompanied by rumbles of thunder.

Tony watched Rhodey's face in the inconsistent flashes of lightning. His expression was placid, calm even, but there was tension in his shoulders.

"Honey-bear, I can tell you're not just admiring the lightning my handsome space-prince decided to create as an anniversary present," Tony drawled, "What's on your mind?"

Rhodey rubbed the back of his neck. "Remember the Omega I've been seeing?"

"Sam something, right?" at Rhodey's nod, Tony asked, "What about him?"

"He's here."

Tony jumped up with a squeal and started bounding back to the house. He heard Rhodey protesting behind him and the loud thump of Thor coming back down to Earth, but he paid neither any mind. He raced inside and skidded into the kitchen where the rest of his mates were busy making dinner.

He scanned the crowd until he came across an unfamiliar face conversing with Pepper. "Hey, are you Sam?"

The newcomer, a tall muscular African American with muscles to match Steve's and a yummy complexion to match T'Challa's, turned to Tony with a hesitant smile.

Aww, pretty and shy.

"I'm Tony, you're dating my brother so it's my job to give you the shovel talk." Tony put his hands on his hips and stared up – damn it, why was everyone taller than him? – at his fellow Omega.

Sam didn't appear offended, he looked pleased. He held out his hand, "Hi, I'm Sam Wilson and yes, I'm dating James."

Tony shook the man's hand even as the name sent a ping of recognition through him. Wilson…Wilson…Wilson… Who was Sam Wilson?

With a jolt it came to him and he took an involuntary step back, almost lurching because his muscles had obeyed a command his brain hadn't sent. It was his flight reflex kicking in as he remembered where he had heard that name.

"Sam Wilson, as in, Falcon?" his voice sounded odd. Strangled. He could hear a faint roaring in his ears almost drowning out the sounds of his Alphas all moving in closer.

"Yes." Sam looked wary, his hesitant smile gone as his eyes darted from Tony to the Alphas surrounding him.

"As in the same man who went with the Avengers to take down a Hydra base and instead came back with that twisted little…witch?" Tony's voice was strangled. Where was the air?

Sam's eyes widened, mouth dropped open – to talk? – but Tony didn't stick around. He turned and fled past his Alphas and up to his room. He still slept alone in the room across from the nursery. The Alphas all slept in their own rooms or bunked together. For now, the master bedroom was still sealed.

Behind the door to his bedroom, he flittered around in the luxurious open space that suddenly seemed much more cramped. He paced between his bed and the bathroom to the dresser and the window then all over again.

Sam Wilson.

Why had he never put two and two together. He'd heard from Steve that Falcon was a military man, Rhodey was too. Because of their shared proximity to the Avengers, it was likely that they would meet. Rhodey was dating a Sam, but that was a common name. There were tons of people named Sam.

Maybe he hadn't wanted to see the connection.

Tony exhaled shakily and ran fingers through his hair, digging into his scalp. The pain grounded him for a moment, let him pause. He closed his eyes.

Why was he really upset?

Because the wounds left by Maximoff's attack were still very raw and open. It had been only two weeks since that day in the laundry room where they'd all hugged it out. The lawsuit was officially dropped, Maximoff was in Dr Strange's custody, they were all together and happy, their eight-month-old pups were flourishing under all the attention…it was all perfect.

But meeting Sam Wilson and remembering that he had been there when Maximoff got her claws into Tony's Alphas was something he hadn't been prepared for. He'd been kidding himself, it seemed. He was far from okay.

"Tony?" Steve's voice made him flinch, but he called out to let the Alpha come in.

He found himself sitting on his bed, hands clasped together tightly as he stared down at his feet. Steve rumbled soothingly and curled around his back. The noise settled something in him but also made him start shaking.

"We still don't know what she did. What she planned to do," Tony whispered, voice wet and shaky with tears.

Steve trembled for a moment then tightened around Tony. "I know. But we'll find out and face it together."

They sat in silence for a time. Tony listened to his Alpha's breathing and reminded himself this was real and strong and good. Then there was another knock at the door. Pepper entered, took in the scene, then moved to crouch by Tony's feet, taking his hands in her own smaller ones. She rubbed the knuckles and tensed wrists until he relaxed enough to let her pry the hands apart. She held them in a warm, firm grip, kissed each palm then looked into his face. He met her eyes.

"I spoke to Dr Strange before coming here and I was waiting until tomorrow to tell you," she murmured, "He's going to perform Maximoff's interrogation. You don't ever have to see or hear from her yourself. He'll relay everything he hears. If that's what you want."

Tony nodded robotically that he understood. She continued to peer at him and he realised she was waiting for him to tell her what he planned to do. He wanted nothing to do with Maximoff, but somehow…he had to hear everything from her. He couldn't do it through a third person.

"When?"

"Tomorrow."

"I need…"

Pepper studied his face. Nodded once. "Okay, I'll ask Strange to wait until we're there before beginning."

"What? There's no way I'm letting you face that…creature again!" Steve burst out, his grip on Tony tightening.

"She won't know I'm there. Strange will make sure of it," Tony murmured, "I need to hear it in person. I need…to know."

Steve growled, low and angry but didn't leave. He buried his face in Tony's neck and licked where the bond mark would go. Something else that needed to be sorted out soon.

"Okay, before you two get carried away, dinner is ready and tomorrow is hours from now. You have plenty of time to think of how you're going to handle this during the long flight to New York." Pepper stood and held out her hand to Tony. Steve loosened his grip and stood as well.

"I'm not hungry," Tony whined a little, feeling unsettled with eating at the same table as Falcon.

"Yes, you are. Now, I know you're embarrassed you ran like a chicken but it's time to be a big boy and come downstairs," Pepper waved her hand again and Tony finally took it.

"I didn't run like a chicken," he muttered as he descended the stairs.

"No, more like an ostrich. Head buried in the sand kind of thing," Pepper retorted over her shoulder before breezing away and leaving Tony without the chance for a comeback.

*** Page Break ***

Dinner wasn't as awkward as Tony thought it might be. He sat at the opposite end to Wilson and couldn't even see the man past Steve's bulk. It meant that Rhodey was also mostly out of sight but when Tony caught his best friend's eye, the other man smiled and winked. He understood.

The topics were light and the food amazing. Tony found himself loosening up and smiling, even laughing. He noticed that his drinks were quickly changed to non-alcoholic, but he didn't mention it. His old habit of drinking his emotions away wasn't one he wanted to revisit.

After the guests were gone and the pups settled in for the night, Tony lingered in the hallway, wishing his mates good night. Any thought of opening the master bedroom and partaking in that most carnal of pleasures had fled down the drain with the thought of what tomorrow would bring.

He tossed and turned all night. Some time in the early hours he abandoned his bed and wandered into the nursery, curling up in one of the rocking chairs. Around the time dawn was lighting the sky, Steve strolled in, looking tired. Without a word he picked Tony up then took his place, keeping Tony on his lap as they rocked gently.

Tony closed his aching eyes but couldn't stop his mind returning to the day's activities. His stomach was in knots and a cold sweat had broken out on his brow.

"You won't be alone," Steve whispered. "We're all coming with you. Pepper and Rhodey will be over soon to watch the pups while we fly to New York."

Tony shuddered and felt a weight roll off his shoulders, a heavy thought he hadn't known he was carrying. "You don't have to."

"She messed with all of us. We all need to hear it." The voice was soft and firm but trembled just a little. Steve was just as scared as Tony.

"We're finally going to find out what happened during the month she was in the tower," Tony gulped, "Are you ready for that?"

"I don't know."

They lapsed into silence until the pups started fussing for their breakfast. The familiar routine helped ease some of the anxiety building in Tony's chest.

Time was flying just to spite him, it seemed. Almost too soon, the morning tasks were complete, Pepper had taken over the house and the plane was touching down at a New York airport. Tony slipped on his sunglasses and descended from the plane between Thor and T'Challa.

Conversation was stilted as they all piled into the black van that would take them to Dr Strange. The sorcerer would then take them to wherever he was holding Maximoff.

"We will face this together," Thor murmured as they pulled up to an old stone building, "As we should have the first time."

"I, for one, am glad you were on Asgard," Clint remarked, trying for his usual levity, "Can you imagine what she could have made the God of Thunder and Lightning do?"

Tony shivered at the mere thought. It was terrifying to think she'd had the Avengers in the palm of her hand for a month but the thought she could have controlled a being from another galaxy, one as powerful – both literally and politically – as Thor, was mind-numbingly scary.

"Glad you could join us," drawled a deep voice as Dr Strange appeared before them, clad in his full Sorcerer Supreme regalia, "This way."

He led them all inside and then up a staircase into a room with two pillars in the middle. He did something with a ring he wore, and the world tilted at an angle. Tony wanted to run but found his feet…sinking…into…the…floor?!

He gave a yelp as the floor swallowed him up but before he could even blink they were standing on solid ground once more, in a black and white room. The walls appeared round, and the floor looked to be made of mist. There was no ceiling, the walls just curved, like they were in a giant bubble. Tony looked closer and saw the colours of the walls swirling together, constantly colliding and twisting around each other but never mixing.

"This is a prison of sorts, to hold people with certain abilities. Not for the long term, unfortunately, but until we can decide what to do with her, Maximoff is safe and controlled here." Strange stalked forward and Tony followed because he didn't want to get lost in the bubble. Also, he was genuinely afraid the floor might try to swallow him again. Stupid magic.

"Does this prison have a name?" Natasha asked, voice hard. She didn't like being out of control and this was so far beyond her comfort zone it wasn't funny. Hearing the anxiety in his Alpha's voice made the knot in Tony's gut clench, his nerves jolted with adrenaline and he wished even more that he could run. He reached out and took her hand, relieved when Natasha let him.

"Not really." Strange didn't pause as he led them to a wall of the bubble. He touched it and the surface rippled like water. Tony tensed as the marbled wall cleared to reveal another bubble, inside of which sat Wanda Maximoff. Dressed in an all-white jumpsuit, she relaxed on a chair made from the same substance as the walls. She wore glowing cuffs on her wrists, ankles and neck as well as a metal band wrapped around her head. What looked like burning symbols had been carved into its harsh surface. They pulsed gently but Tony had a niggle of awareness that there was nothing docile or calm about those brands.

"Are you ready?" Strange turned to the group and arched a brow, waiting.

Tony looked to his Alphas, all grim and determined. They stared back at him, letting him decide. Reluctantly, Tony turned back to Strange and nodded. He suspected he was stinking up the place with his distressed Omega pheromones but when he gave a subtle sniff he couldn't detect anything. Not even his Alpha's scents. He swallowed thickly at the loss of their scent but forced himself not to whimper. They all moved closer though, as if sensing his unease.

With a decisive nod, Strange turned and walked through the wall, appearing in the other bubble. Maximoff's head jerked when he arrived then her lip curled up in an ugly sneer. It was a glimpse of what Tony remembered from the night everything had come to a head, and it made him feel sick.

"Your name is Wanda Maximoff?" Strange began. He stood to the side, letting Tony and his Alphas see Maximoff though it was clear she could not see them. She glared at Strange.

"Yes." She hissed, sounding like it had been wrenched from her.

"But that wasn't always your name was it?"

"No."

"What was your other name?"

"Scarlet Witch."

Tony shivered at the pride in her tone.

"Who named you?"

"Hydra, my masters. They named me. They raised me."

"After your parents died."

"After they were murdered!"

An ugly venomous look ripped across the young woman's face and suddenly she looked akin to a demon. She tried to stand but something kept her still.

"He killed them! Took my parents and my brother from me! He murdered them?"

"Who did?"

"Tony Stark!"

Tony whimpered and took a step back. There was such hate in those two words. He'd never heard his name uttered in such a tone. Like she would gladly dangle his corpse before the world then set him on fire to prove a point.

Steve wrapped his arms around Tony from behind but allowed him to remain facing forward. He clutched tighter onto Natasha's hand.

"How did Tony Stark kill your parents?"

Maximoff's eyes lit with an unholy gleam. Not pleasure, but pain so intense it had driven her mad. "He bombed my village, my home. I sat for days with the corpses of my family lying shattered around me. An unexploded bomb landed two feet from me and it was all I could see. Stark Industries."

"When was this?"

Tony's mind went blank when she rattled off a date. A date that coincided with his own spiral into drink and sex. Before the Avengers, before Iron Man. Back when Obie was in charge. Dealing under the table to anyone who could afford it.

Obadiah Stane, even from the grave you're ruining me life.

"Many people used Stark Industries weapons back then," Strange commented, "How can you be sure it was Mr Stark?"

"I don't care," Maximoff made a noise like an angry cat. "It was his bomb. His bombs killed my family, took my life away."

"So, you decided to seek revenge."

Maximoff's smile turned predatory and there was no need for words.

"Did you find Hydra or did Hydra find you?"

Maximoff shrugged, "I don't know or care. They created me. Turned me from a weak little girl into something strong and powerful. Something that could destroy Stark."

Strange hummed. "But you're not a blunt weapon. You're like a poison, you had to give your powers time to work."

Maximoff preened. "I trained. I practised. I learnt how to get into someone's head, how to make them hurt, how to make them obey."

Tony felt Clint shiver at her choice of words and his free hand found the archer's tightly clenched fist, soothing the rough fingers into relaxing then gripping onto his own.

"Was it your idea or Hydra's for you to go to that base?"

"Mine. They were too focused on retrieving their asset," the scorn in her voice was evident. "I was tired of waiting."

Steve made a noise at the word 'asset' and it didn't take a genius to figure out why. Asset was the name the Winter Soldier's handlers had used. The Asset aka the Winter Soldier, aka James "Bucky" Barnes.

It suddenly occurred to Tony that Steve might not know about Barnes' capture by SHIELD. Fury had wanted to keep it under wraps, so he probably hadn't told the other Avengers, what with the whole brainwashing mess going on at the time. It was probably something he needed to bring up later.

Zoning back into the conversation, Tony heard Maximoff brag about how easy it had been to fool the Avengers. He heard his Alphas shuffle and grumble but kept his gaze on Maximoff.

"What was your plan?"

"I wanted him to lose everything before I killed him," her smile was sickly as she peered up at Strange. "I'll settle for just killing him now."

"So, you brainwashed Mr Stark's courting Alphas, turning them against him, then pushing him out of the Tower. You then influenced them to fight for custody of their pups."

Maximoff shrugged, "I was going to make sure they won, then have them kill the pups."

Shocked whimpers and moans came from behind Tony as he stared in horror at the monster before him. She would have murdered his pups. Just thinking of how long they'd been exposed to her made him shiver. Had she done something to the pups?

Strange must have thought the same thing because he asked that very question.

Maximoff wrinkled her nose, "They're ugly, smelly things, why would I have anything to do with them?"

Strange inclined his head so he must believe her. Tony relaxed a little.

"While you were in the Tower, what did you do?"

She smirked, "That would be telling, sweetheart."

Strange waited. Maximoff's smirk slipped and instead she frowned. She started panting, clenched her fists. She shook. "What did you do to me?"

"That collar on your head inspires you to tell the truth," Strange replied calmly, "You've heard the expression 'the truth will set you free'. Well, this marvellous device quite literally embodies that philosophy."

Maximoff shrieked and struggled. Red mist curled and writhed on her skin. Tony took another step back, remembering that red mist from the night his Alpha's had hurt him. However, it didn't seem nearly so threatening when it couldn't seem to reach more than an inch past her skin. It bubbled and fizzed on her flesh then retreated like a surly beast.

With one last shudder, Maximoff went limp. Her eyes dazed, she started reciting everything she had done while in the tower. In a monotone voice she delivered a lengthy recount of what she'd done each day. Tony listened as she described working her magic on his Alphas, slowly corrupting them into believing Tony was a bad choice. Strange had been accurate in his assessment. She was a poison, a slow moving, undetectable venom.

Not once did she mention persuading any of the Avengers into her bed. It wasn't only Tony who slumped with relief at the revelation. Maximoff admitted to having the Avengers buy her things and put accounts into her name.

"Note to self, call the bank when we get home," Tony muttered, surprised by how raspy his voice sounded.

"I bet Pepper's already fixed it," Natasha murmured.

Tony smiled a little.

"So, while you were there, you never physically or sexually hurt the occupants of the tower?"

"Sex is for you lower evolved creatures," Maximoff replied loftily, "I am above such urges."

"More like, no one would be willing to touch that much crazy with a ten-foot pole," Clint grumbled. No one scolded him for his words.

"So, you became Scarlet Witch to hurt Tony Stark, am I correct?"

Tony was a little surprised by the sudden switch in topic.

"I was always Scarlet Witch."

"Birth records indicate you were born Wanda Maximoff." From nowhere, Strange produced a document which he laid in front of her on a table that manifested from the mist-floor.

This place is seriously trippy.

Maximoff frowned, for the first time looking confused. "I am Scarlet Witch."

"But you were born Wanda Maximoff. You had a mother, a father and a twin brother, Pietro. Do you remember Pietro?"

Nodding, Maximoff frowned at the paper before her but said nothing.

"The name Scarlet Witch was given to you by your handlers within Hydra. After you were successfully integrated with the power they possessed, they gave you a name, so you could ditch your old life. But you never could. You always returned to your obsessive hatred of Tony Stark."

"I am Scarlet Witch," the woman looked more like a girl now, "I am Wanda Maximoff."

"You are both and neither. You are corrupted by the immoral and frankly hideous experiments performed on you."

Maximoff shook her head but Strange continued, "Do you remember how your brother died?"

"Pietro died with our parents."

"No."

Maximoff's eyes snapped up at that one word and glowed red, violent red. "You lie." An unnatural hiss and growl tumbled from her throat.

"You and Pietro both joined Hydra. He volunteered for the experiments alongside you. Do you remember the name they gave him?"

"No!" Wanda started struggling again, dark veins bulged on her arms as she threw herself against the restraints. "No, no, no, no, no, no!"

Her cries of denial devolved into tears, great racking sobs that stole her breath and shook her slender body. The dark veins bulged and grew on her arms, snaking their way up to her face.

Between one howled denial and the next she shrieked one word, "Quicksilver!" then she screamed so loudly Tony wondered how Strange was unbothered by the noise.

Maximoff slowly slumped over to the side. Her red hair covered her face but couldn't hide her bare arms still bulging with dark red veins, unnaturally large and pulsing with a red that was not blood.

"You killed him Wanda Maximoff." Strange delivered in a calm tone, "You lost control, killing him by accident. It wasn't the first time you hurt him, but it was the last. After that, your handlers deemed you too hazardous and tried to execute you. They failed. You killed them all and went on the run. Somewhere over that journey your mind warped the events until you believed a new truth. You re-joined a Hydra contingent, using your power to convince them you were meant to be there. Then when the opportunity presented itself to hurt Mr Stark, you took it. Bringing us to the present."

Maximoff didn't move. Strange stepped forward and carefully moved her back into an upright position.

Tony lurched back at the sight of her face. The red veins had crawled up her neck and swarmed over her cheeks like giant cracks in the dirt. Blood dripped from her ears, her eyes and her nose. When she was upright, she spat at Strange and blood dribbled down her chin, darkening her pristine white outfit.

She looked like a mess, an inhuman experiment gone wrong. There was nothing intimidating about her snarling, bleeding figure, her loose limbs and drooping body. She was a being held together by madness and twisted magic. There was no saving a being already gone.

Strange turned and faced the Avengers, inclining his head as if asking a question.

Tony shook his head, licked his lips, "I think we're done here."

*** Page Break ***

Tony chewed on his favourite cookie while sipping a mug of delicious coffee and realised they both tasted like ash on his tongue. He numbly set them both down and stared into the dark liquid in the antique-looking cup.

After Maximoff's breakdown, Strange returned the Avengers to the real world. Outside the bubble prison, the air was cool on Tony's sweaty skin, but he felt chilled as he wrapped his arms around himself. Was this shock?

Strange settled them into a cosy little dining nook and supplied them with their favourite treats. Tony wasn't the only one picking at their food. Steve hadn't touched his pie, Thor hadn't chugged his mead, even Natasha hadn't done more than sip her favourite vodka. After what they had just seen, food wasn't really their top priority.

"So, did Hydra mess her up or was she already messed up by losing her parents?" Natasha asked, the first person to speak.

The question was directed to Strange who lingered in the corner. The sorcerer shrugged, "Impossible to tell. Her mind is so full of loops and holes that I doubt even she knows."

"She may have always been a little disturbed," Bruce commented, turning his tea cup around and around in his hands, "She just needed a catalyst."

"And that catalyst was me," Tony muttered.

"No, not you," Steve protested.

Tony shook his head, "It was my weapons. I let them out of my sight, let them be used in such a way. I was responsible for all that. The Merchant of Death."

"Stane did that," Natasha reminded him, tone cool and sharp, "You didn't know and had no reason not to trust him. He was your godfather, more of a father than Howard ever was."

"I still designed those weapons, created them," Tony murmured, "Obie had nothing to do with that."

"No. It's true. You made those weapons," Clint leant forward, "But you didn't sell them to every crime lord in the world. You made them for the military because of your best friend."

Tony swallowed thickly and forced a sip of coffee down his throat. It burned but not because of the temperature of the beverage.

"Obadiah Stane was the one responsible for all of those things," Steve insisted, "It was just your name on the box."

"The name everyone came to hate because of it," Tony sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. "I was too drunk, too high or not around to take responsibility for where my products ended up."

"If you had been, you would have been killed," Natasha stated bluntly, "Stane kept you under his thumb and every time you thought about slipping out from under it, he distracted you. If you had opposed him when you were younger, he would have viewed you as a threat and arranged an accident."

Tony shivered, thinking about his parent's murder. Had Hydra orchestrated that or had Obie? He wasn't sure he wanted to know. "He still did in the end," Tony pointed out, "Not an accident exactly but a plot to remove me."

"Yes, but you were ready for it. Whether you believe it or not, you were more prepared for the obstacles you faced that day than you would have been even a year earlier." Natasha's calm, confident gaze made something warm and fuzzy curl up in his chest.

"Regardless of what you have done," T'Challa spoke up for the first time, "You are a different man, a better man. You are righting wrongs and accepting consequences. You are a braver man than most."

"But they still hate me," Tony murmured, ashamed at how much he cared in that moment. He didn't usually let it bother him, how much the public seemed to despise him sometimes. But right then he felt raw and exposed, vulnerable.

"They need someone to hate," Thor commented softly, "They fear your brilliance, your light, and they hate you for outshining them all."

Tony whined and reached for his Asgardian Alpha. The big blonde picked him up and cradled him close. He gave a watery chuckle, "You certainly have a way with words."

*** Page Break ***

They returned home that day and sought refuge in the house. Tony, for one, was mentally exhausted by witnessing Maximoff's interrogation.

"I didn't do anything but watch, and I'm still ready to sleep until next week," Clint complained around a yawn. They were all settled in the living room, some nameless comedy droning from the TV in the background. Pepper had offered to stay but Steve had been the one to politely refuse, saying they needed some Pride time.

"I keep thinking about all she could have done to the pups," Natasha murmured. She lay stretched out on the couch, on her back with her head in Bruce's lap. The vulnerable position was as disconcerting as her tone, almost defeated. "We let her in, a danger to our Pride, and we are so lucky she didn't have the forethought to do a lot worse. With us under her thrall, she could have ordered us to hurt the pups, send them away. Anything."

Tony swallowed the bile in his throat and curled more into Thor's side. The blonde Alpha rumbled and stroked his hair.

"How did we not see it?" Steve whispered hoarsely.

"How did JARVIS not see it?" Clint asked, straightening from his spot on the back of the couch. "Why didn't JARVIS alert someone to what was going on?"

"J?" Tony asked.

'I apologise most vehemently that I was not able to protect you, Sir. The behaviour displayed by yourself and your companions changed so subtly that my processors could not determine the true cause. I assumed they were merely changes brought on by your changed circumstances. Stress makes humans behave erratically.'

Tony sighed, "It's okay, J. No one's infallible, apparently not even advanced AIs."

'I wish you were not correct, Sir. In the future I will endeavour to monitor any changes closely and intervene when necessary'.

"It might be a good thing you didn't notice, J," Bruce commented, "If you'd raised the alarm before Tony was out of the building, Maximoff might have decided to accelerate her plans. She could have convinced us to hurt Tony or the pups, even each other."

Tony shivered to think he hadn't been safe even surrounded by his Alphas. "Now I'm glad you all ignored me for four weeks." He yawned and stretched, allowing levity to lighten the words. But when he looked up he realised it had fallen flat.

"I don't think I apologised for that," Steve murmured, "Leaving you alone."

"You did," Tony disagreed hastily, "You all said sorry so many times I lost count. And I'm a genius, I'm good with numbers. The way I see it, you've apologised, I've accepted, we can move on."

"But have you really?" Clint's eyes were unusually sombre as he stared at Tony. "Have you forgiven us?"

Tony blinked in surprise because hadn't he just said that?

"It can't be that easy," Bruce agreed, looking crestfallen. He rubbed his brow like he had a headache, "I mean, we showed up here two weeks ago to grovel and, in a few days, you said you forgave us."

Tony groaned, straightening up from Thor's side. "Why are we rehashing this?"

"Because I think there's still some things we need to work on," Steve remarked grimly.

"What makes you say that?" Tony huffed.

"How about where you chose to sit?"

Tony looked to the Alphas on either side of him. Thor and T'Challa. He frowned at Steve. "So, every time I don't sit with one of you, it's because I secretly haven't forgiven you and am holding some sort of grudge. Do you know how exhausting that sounds?"

Steve looked mulish and Tony rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Capsicle, we're okay. Are we as good as we were, no, not yet, but we'll get there."

"What about Sam?" Natasha piped up without moving from staring up at the ceiling.

"Sam?"

"Wilson. The guy you had a panic attack over just yesterday."

Tony groaned. "Fine. So, I'm not over it. None of us are. We'll work on it, right?"

Silence reigned, and Tony gave another dramatic sigh, "Come on. Do you want me to hold you responsible for the rest of our lives? Keeping score? Maybe bring this up next time we have a fight? Alright, I'm petty enough that I might but we all have things in our past, mistakes we wished we could undo. Mine are quite literally published in most magazines. Are you going to bring that up every time we fight?"

"We did though, didn't we?" Natasha murmured. Her calm voice somehow taking the wind out of Tony's sails. "We brought up your past when we rejected you. Are you telling me you've moved past that?"

How did she know that?

Tony couldn't remember going into details about that final experience. In fact, he'd made a point not to. Had Strange said something? Maybe Pepper? Or were they remembering? The thought wasn't as comforting as he thought it should be.

Before Tony could respond – though to be honest he wasn't sure what to say that wouldn't end up circling right back – the phone rang.

It was Dr Strange, informing them that Maximoff had died just a short while ago.

"She was never stable," he murmured, sounding tired and shaken, "Whatever they did to her, to create the monster she became, it was always volatile, according to her moods. The power may have corrupted her, or vice versa. But it was slowly killing her since the first procedure. Every time her power flared, it destroyed something more in her, until it was really only her power keeping her body going."

Tony thought back to the wrecked face of Wanda Maximoff. He shuddered and wondered if those veins had been filled with her tainted magic. No matter how much the girl had hurt him, he hadn't wanted her to die like that. By the sound of Strange's voice it hadn't been a pretty ending.

"She's really dead?" Steve rasped.

"Very. Her magic imploded. There's not much left of her body."

Tony blanched as his imagination conjured up that horrifying image. "Thanks for the nightmares, Doc."

"Apologies."

"She's not suffering anymore," Thor remarked, "A being that twisted and remorseless cannot achieve redemption in the living world. I imagine she is being reunited with her family in whatever afterlife the Cosmos has granted her."

Tony tried not to think about the haunted edge to Thor's eyes. He remembered a pale, twisted face with glowing blue eyes surrounded by shadows. A grim, gaunt smile. A body moving like a puppet on a string. Thor's brother might not have been as twisted as Maximoff, but it was certainly right up there.

He glanced at Clint and saw a pained expression on his face. The archer would never forget that face either.

Tony didn't ask whether the interrogation they had witnessed had been the cause of Maximoff's death. Some things were better left alone.

*** Page Break ***

Three days after their interrupted anniversary party and the encounter with Maximoff, Tony once more found himself standing outside the room to the master bedroom. He hadn't been in there since he'd moved in and put a bookcase in front of the door. He'd had plans of somehow secretly setting up a Pride bed, especially now they were officially engaged. But his Alphas had been particularly clingy, and one was always hanging around.

"J, what's the best place to go to for a Pride bed?"

JARVIS rattled off several American suppliers and even a few in France.

"Sounds like I need to do some research."

'Might I suggest, Sir, involving your intended mates in the final decision. It will be their bed as well, after all'.

"Good thinking, J. It might finally be the thing to shake them out of their funk."

He found his Alphas all curled up in the living room, some dozing, others watching something on the Discovery channel. Food wrappers and bowls littered most surfaces. Tony wrinkled his nose at the mess. Ever since Maximoff's death, his Alphas had all been in a slump. They'd even somehow roped T'Challa into the moping.

"Wow, and you guys are always complaining about me being a slob," Tony snarked as he edged around plates and leftovers to gingerly take the only seat available, by Steve's feet.

"Hey, Tony," Steve murmured. Mumbles of the same echoed from the rest of his Alphas.

Gee, I can feel the love.

"Okay, guys, seriously, what's with the moping?" Tony huffed.

Shrugs all around. Tony rolled his eyes. He shut the TV off and stood in front of it, gaining everyone's attention.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, mostly because I can't believe it has to be said," he took a deep breath, "I am not your mother. I should not have to clean up after you while you laze around feeling sorry for yourselves. It's a beautiful day outside, the pups need some sun so I'm going to set up a play area in the garden. I expect you all to clean up, get dressed, and meet me out there."

With that he turned on his heel and stormed upstairs. So much for discussing beds. He grabbed blankets and a few toys and carted them outside. As he passed the living room he heard movement but didn't glance in to see if his Alphas were cleaning or settling deeper into their depression.

He found a nice spot in the sun and set up some umbrellas for shade. A cool breeze tickled his nape and he shivered. He stretched and inhaled the warm air. It was indeed a lovely day.

As he turned to go back inside for the pups, he found his Alphas already trudging towards him. They weren't exactly looking their best but they were wearing clean clothes and the pups were appropriately dressed as well. He sighed at the image they painted. All his pups and their sires.

Well, all but one.

Pasting on a grin, Tony greeted them and set about arranging the pups on the blankets. The pups squealed and wriggled, wanting to explore. Tony let them, watching from beneath an umbrella as his babies rolled and crawled around. The Alphas perched near him, keeping an equally observant eye on the pups.

After sitting in relative silence for a time, Tony stretched and said, "So, what's been going through all of your heads?"

His Alphas all hesitated, looking guilty. It was Thor who responded with, "We apologise, Tony, we did not mean to act as we have. We have been discussing where we go from his point and…"

"We got depressed thinking you'd give up on us, take the pups and run," Clint mumbled. He plucked at the grass by his side, tearing it into little pieces then letting the breeze take them.

"I thought I was the insecure one," Tony sighed, rubbed his brow. "Look, we made mistakes. You forgave me for running off with the pups when Ross came knocking, right?"

"That's different," Steve protested.

"Of course, it's different. How many times are we going to be harassed by madmen intent on cloning a super soldier to do their bidding?" Tony snorted, "Furthermore, how many times are we going to be assaulted by an unstable magic wielder determined to hurt us?"

Silence. A few side glances.

"We got through it the first time, we can get through it this time too," Tony said, keeping an eye on Clint who seemed determined to avoid everyone's gaze. Thor looped an arm around the smaller Alpha and tugged him into his side. Clint shuddered and turned his head into Thor's chest, then gave a deep sigh and focused weary eyes on Tony.

"We're a team, more than that we are mates," Tony reminded them, meeting all of their eyes, "We've been through some tough times and we probably will again. Everyone does, or so I'm told. Now, a few weeks ago I said I was going to fight for our relationship, but I wont if you're all not going to try, because that's almost worse than doing nothing. So, what's it going to be?"

More silence. Tony looked away, tried to calm his heartbeat. He watched his girls all piling onto Storm who seemed to enjoy the attention.

"I love you, Tony," T'Challa spoke first, "I am with you, until our final sunrise."

"I too, am here until the end of time." Thor rumbled.

The other Alphas all uttered the same sentiment, promising to stay. As they spoke, Tony saw them each seem to become bolstered by their words. They sat up straighter, muscles relaxed, smiles began to form.

"You guys are such saps," Tony sniffed and rubbed his eyes, trying to pretend their heartfelt pledges hadn't touched on his inner gooey emotions. "Damn you all for making me talk squishy human emotions."

"We love you Tony." Okay, said in sync with a monotone, was just creepy. He frowned at their teasing faces but couldn't find it in himself to be mean. Things were looking up, at long last.