"Hey dad, can I ask you a question?" Peter asked as he walked into the dimly lit living room. His father was reading and the only source of light was the small lamp on the end table. On his dad's lap, slept his other father, who had a copy of the New York Times covering his face. The papers was moving slowly up and down with the rhythm of his breathing, signaling he was fast asleep.
His green eyes shot up from the book as he looked at his restless son. Bruises and cuts were still apparent, and the overall healing process was going much slower than usual, which worried Loki. There were dark bags under his son's eyes, despite his messy hair showing he was attempting some form of sleep. "What is it Peter?" Loki asked as he officially closed his book shut and set it on the end table.
"It's Harry." Peter mumbled softly. Saying his name still hurt. Every time he said it or thought it, the band aid holding his heart together slowly peeled off, shattering it again. "I want to know if he can be saved." He tried to continue, but his voice cracked near the end, not being able to take the pain. The anguish of losing his best friend. The one person he loved more than anyone. He just couldn't take it. But he needed to know. He had to talk to his dad. Besides who would know better about the fragile -state of a fully formed super-villain than a former one.
"Sit down Peter." Loki scooted further into the couch, doing his best to not wake Tony, so his son could sit next to him. As soon as Peter sat down, his head immediately rested on his father's shoulder.
"It's just-" Peter spoke quietly, not wanting to wake his father. The one he assumed would have more choice words to say about his former boyfriend, Harry Osborn. The son of a rival company. The boy that Tony knew too well. Harry was a younger version of himself, and Tony didn't want his son to be in that kind of relationship. "You used to be a super-villain. You killed countless people. Destroyed New York. Tried to exterminate an alien race. Steal the throne from Uncle Thor. And yet, you ended up with father. You are not who you used to be. You don't try to rule the world anymore. You're a great dad. You have gone to all my science fairs, encouraged me in almost every activity I have taken on. You didn't reject my dream of becoming a photographer instead of learning the ins and outs of Stark Industries. But most of all, you didn't ground me when you found out I was following in father's superhero footsteps and became Spider Man. So-" Peter continued, not wanting to hurt his dad's feelings. He knew his dad's past was a touchy one and never really asked about it before, not now was different. Harry's life was on the line. And if that meant learning the cold hard truth about his dad's past, then he would ask. "Do you think I can save Harry? That he can go back to being himself. The guy I love. That he won't be the Goblin anymore." Peter used air quotes around the term goblin because he didn't think Harry looked like one at all. Sure his hair looked like Justin Timberlake's from the 90's and he defiantly needed to see a dentist, but that's still didn't deter him from loving Harry any less.
"Honestly Peter, the road that led me to who I am today; it was not an easy one to walk. I was, for a lack of a better word, a monster. I had become what I so desperately wanted to destroy. I knew Ragnarok was coming. That Asgard would be destroyed. So I used every means in my power to make sure I would be reborn again in death. Made it so my name would never be in Hela's book." Loki started, still talking in a hushed voice, so the sleeping Tony would have no clue about the conversation going on right in front of him. "I loved you father, but my desire for power was too great. It consumed me. Made me force him away. So, I wanted to be positive that in the next life; when I was reborn, the chaos I caused, the crimes I committed. They were forgotten. That I would not remember being Loki Laufeyson. And it was so. I was reborn on Earth as a teenager living in France. I was a blissful fool, but my memories came back and I was Loki again. And with the return of my memories, also came the love of your father. But I knew in this life it could be different. I was a new Loki. A reborn Loki. Thor did his best to convince everyone that as well. While I was still Loki, I was not who I used to be. Your father was hesitant, and not fond of my childish form. But I knew I had to prove to him. Show him I was going to be a different person. Granted, I may not have gone about it in the best of ways."
"What happened?" Peter asked as his head popped up. He was curious. What could his dad possibly have done while in the form of a young teenager. The slight rise in Peter's curious voice caused Tony to stir. He was slowly starting to wake up from the unexpected noise. Loki began petting Tony's head, trying to coax him back to sleep, but it was for not; Tony was awake.
"What's going on?" Tony asked with a yawn.
"I am briefing Peter here on how I became a reformed being." Loki spoke in a matter of fact tone.
"Have you gotten to the part where we almost had sex while you were trapped in your teenage body?"
"No. No. No." Peter shot up from the couch shaking his head as a way to banish the quickly forming images of his dad's extracurricular activities. "I do not need to envision that. I don't even want to picture you guys having sex now, let alone while dad was trapped in a sixteen year old body."
Tony smiled and laughed. "He was eighteen actually. And I did say almost. Not that we did."
"Continuing." Loki spoke darkly as a sign for Tony to shut up. "I did find a way to age myself more quickly. To have a more appropriate appearance so your father and I could be seen together. But I still had to prove that I was changed. That I was not going to try to rule the world again or destroy it. So I started to do some work for the All-Mothers. And here we are today."
"I think you might have left out a few detail there." Tony said as he sat up from his husband's lap. "Like when you almost stole Wiccan's powers for yourself. That his magic was what aged you so quickly. Your partnership with the evil alien space parasite, Mother. And I'm positive, that you forgot to mention you ex, Leah. And let's not forget the time that you freed Surtur…But just small details...Right?" Tony waved them off sarcastically as he looked to his son reassuringly.
"What I am trying to say Peter is that I only changed because I wanted to. Because I wanted to be a better man for your father. Be the person he knew I was, not the villain that everyone else saw me as."
"So what are you saying? Can I or can't I save Harry." Peter asked, still not totally sure what these completely vague stories about his father had to do with whether or not he could save Harry.
"No."
"Yes."
Tony and Loki spoke at the same time answering their son's question, but both said an answer the other was not expecting.
"Really?" Tony asked almost taking offence to Loki's blatant no. "The reason you are the man I married. The person I fell in love with all over again. The reason you went from blowing up 6th street to soccer dad, was because of me. Because I saw something in you that no one else did. I never treated you like a villain. I understood you, and you me. And despite our blockbuster movie romance, you don't think our son can do the same. To pull the person he loves out of the darkness and back into the light?"
Peter was astounded. The last thing he ever expected was for his dad to defend his relationship with Harry. The same dad he constantly told him Harry was trouble. Not good enough. Would be a bad influence. He was flabbergasted.
"The difference is, I wanted to change. I truly wanted it. But with the life I was living. All the crimes I had committed. I knew it couldn't happen. I could never truly have you unless I wiped my slate clean, so I did."
"And you both wonder why I have never asked you for advice the past twenty years." Peter muttered seeing that both of his fathers were paying no mind to him. That they were about to have one of their usual "debates". "Not to mention, I'm still amazed you have stayed married for this long. Twenty-five years, more like Twenty-five weeks." Still no response from them. "Great talk guys. Thanks for listening. I'll be in my room." He muttered, leaving, knowing it would be a good five minutes still his dad's would notice he was gone.
"And what about your hypocrisy?" Loki continued, not letting Tony interrupt him. "You have told me countless times that you disliked Peter's friendship with Harry. That he was too much like you in your youth. A trust fund baby who only cared about uncomplicated one night stands and partying-"
"And it's true. You know I only change because I was taken captive and my on weapons were used against me. If that never happened, I would still be that guy. While Harry Osborn was a pretentious hipster with taste in clothing I will never understand, he's never been in anything as deep as I have, to ever warrant such change. That's why I never wanted Peter around him. To get as close as they have. But it's too late. Our son is in love. And with a newly formed super-villain no less. So obviously it must run in the family. I fell in love with you and despite all the shit I got for it, I never gave up hope that everyone else would see the you I saw. And guess what, now they do." Tony sighed as he leaned back on the couch. "Peter is just as stubborn as me. He knows what and who he wants and won't let go until it's his. If he wants Harry Osborn, he will fight for him, newly pointy ears and all. So I might as well support my son, since he is following a path similar to my own. To ours." Tony rose from the couch and he eyes began darting around the room as he realized Peter was no longer there. "Now seeing as how our son has vanished, I'm going to his room, to give him my opinion. The one that actually matters seeing as how I have actually been in his shoes."
"Fine." Loki said in a huff grabbing his book off the end table and began fake reading until Tony left the room.
"Peter, I'm coming in." Tony said as he knocked on the door. He could hear the gears in Peter's self-made lock move so he could be granted entrance.
"Four minutes and thirty two point five eight seconds." Peter said as he casually looked at his watch. "That's a new record." He was laying on his bed and went back to fiddling at one of his web blasters, paying no more mind to his father.
"I'm not here to fight you Peter. Just talk. You're twenty. Can make your own choices. So, I won't say I was right about Harry Osborn being-"
"But you are saying you're right. That he was no good all along." Peter said, still refusing to look at his father. "I love Harry. I don't care that he hates me now. Wants me dead. I still love him, and know the guy I fell in love with is still there. It has to be the spider venom. It's somehow skewing his mind. If he just waited. Listened to me..." Peter could feel the lump in his throat get bigger and tighter as he spoke about Harry to his father. "I could have cured him dad. I could have said yes. We could have ran tests on my blood to see if it could be transformed into an antidote for him-"
Tony sat down on the foot of Peter's bed and placed a hand on his son's leg. "You did the right thing refusing him. Who knows what effects your blood could have had on him. You wanted to be patient, make sure you were doing what was best for Harry, but he couldn't wait. You can't blame yourself for his selfishness."
"Did you mean what you said out there?" Peter asked when the ache in his heart lessened and sense returned to him. "That I can save Harry. Like you did with dad."
"Listen, I know I have not been dad of the year...or any year for that matter. I know I'm harder on you than Loki. You have so much potential. And well, when I say I believe you can save Harry, I mean it. As much as I don't care for the guy, we Starks don't give up. It's not in our nature. But if you are going to save Harry, you have to do it as Peter, not Spider Man." Tony patted Peter on the leg one more time before getting up from the bed and heading to the door.
"Dad." Peter said, stopping his father before he could leave. "I know you have been hard on me all these years because you just want what's best. I mean, I graduated with a masters in bioengineering at 17 and yet all I really want to do when I'm not being Spider Man, is take pictures. Be a photographer. Not exactly living up to my potential in a sense. And I know you never approved of me and Harry. But, saying you aren't dad of the year material. That's not completely accurate. You show promise like eight, maybe nine percent of the time."
"Just promise me you'll be careful. What you are about to do; it won't be easy. And most of the world, they won't understand. But if you can bring your Harry back, then it's worth all the pain." Tony was about to open the door, but instead just held the doorknob tightly. "But just remember during all of this. While I was Iron Man some time ago. Been in your same shoes. Understand why you feel the need to do this. I'm still your father. And I don't want to lose my son. So be sure that Harry is the one. That he is worth the pain that will inevitably come."
"He is dad. He is." Peter stated simply before his dad left him alone to his tinkering.
As soon as Tony had vanished up the stairs and Loki could no longer hear the stomping of feet, he set his book back on the end table and rose from the couch. He knew he didn't have long, five, maybe ten minutes, but it needed to be done. With a flick of the wrist, he vanished from his house and appeared in the dank cell of the Ravencraft Institute for the Superpowered Criminally Insane.
"Loki Laufeyson." Harry spoke darkly as he saw the god's reflection in his mirror. "I must say, you were the last person I expected visiting me here. And you even dressed up." He noted the Asgardian battle armor that Loki was wearing. Something most people these recent days have only seen in pictures. For Loki traded in his leather and horns for designer suits and scarves when he settled down with Tony. "How nice of you."
"I must say Harry." Loki spoke, standing tall, the anger and darkness that was sedated slowly began awakening every second he stood in his former clothing. "I'm disappointed in you."
"Because I proved Director Stark right?" He asked coyly still not turning around from his cracked dirty mirror.
"My husband's opinions on you matters little." Loki waved them off as he began pacing around the dank cell. "What disappoints me Harry was your pitiable attempt of murdering my son."
Harry laughed and a cynical smirk danced on his lips. He almost turned around, to face Loki head on, but held himself back from doing so. "And why is that?"
Loki's own smile also grew, his old habits coming back easier than he ever thought they would. "You forgot to take something into account if you didn't succeed." Loki's staff appeared in his hand and he held it to the back of Harry's neck. It felt cool to the touch, but as he grasped it tighter, he felt his long forgotten friend warming up. "Me."
"Like you could do it." Harry challenged, showing no signs of fear from the god's threats. "How long has it been since you killed? Took another life? You are weak now. Nothing. I am the new era. A new breed. And I will succeed where you failed."
Loki dug the tip of his staff in tighter to Harry's neck, drawing some blood. "You forget. I am over two thousand years old and that's including my rebirth. Thirty years. Thirty mortal years. They are nothing. A bat of an eye. Do you really think that my nature has changed so drastically since then? That two mere mortals could change me so?"
"Then do it." Harry taunted, his smirk still not fading. "Kill me. It's not like the guards will know what happened. You are covering up this little visit with your magic. Your perfect trophy husband streak won't be broken."
"I would enjoy nothing more." Loki said feigning sadness, "But for Peter's sake, I must keep you alive. He does still love you after all. Wants to…What was the exact word he used again? Save. He wants to save you."
Harry could feel the shift coming, the anger boiling within. The voice in the back of his head that taunted him. Told him how worthless he was. That Peter never loved him. That Peter lied to him about being Spider Man for four years. But most of all, if Peter loved him as much as he claimed he would have given him his blood when the signs of Retroviral Hypodysplasia started. Harry finally turned around, showing Loki his other form, the Goblin. "I don't need to be saved. I don't need Peter anymore. All I want is him dead."
Loki dropped his staff and it vanished into thin air. "Tell me you don't love my son. That his foolish attempts to save you will be for naught." Loki commanded as he took a few steps towards the Goblin.
"Why do you care?" He asked, the spite in his voice rung in the cell.
"Because as much as I try to convince myself I'm changed. That I'm not the man I used to be. That Anthony made me good, I know that's not true. The moment Anthony dies, I will return to my former ways. Darkness can never be banished. Good can never come from evil. As much as Anthony claims, you were like him, you were always more like me. Which was why Peter was drawn to you and still is. That's why I need this. That's why I am here now. To ask you this one little question." Loki paused as he got down on his knees; so to look at Harry straight in the eyes." So tell me. Goblin. Do you still love my son or not?"
"I will always love Peter." The Goblin seethed. "Which is why I need to kill him."
At this answer, Loki's smile turned crooked, for Harry's answer was exactly what he needed to hear.
A/N:
Well, this was just a random scene that popped in my head while driving to school today, so I decided to write it out. I hope you enjoyed it.
I defiantly could see myself expanding on this someday, but only if there is enough of an audience for it. So if you are interested and want to hear more, let me know.
I apologize for the spelling and grammar errors. It was just one of those thing where i couldn't get the scene out of my head until I wrote it out.
