Whispers to the Moon

by White Wolf Fan Fiction

This is an Avengers Omega-Verse Collection of Ficlets and will contain multiple pairings including: Stony, Thorki, Clint/Bruce, Natasha/Pepper, possible oc pairings, and possibly pseudo/brotp Clintasha. Ficlet information will be inside, but I warn you now: there are oc's in this and one oc in particular that is featured more-so than not as the main character. (Marked as complete.)

1. Happiness

White Wolf Fan Fiction Presents:

~Whispers to the Moon~

An Avengers Collection

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Title: Whispers to the Moon

Pairings: Steve/Tony; Thor/Loki; Natasha/Pepper; Bruce/Clint; Logan/Remy from X-Men; and possible oc pairings later with Lionel or Mark or Freya and other oc's (Lionel and Drake confirmed).

Disclaimer: I own Lionel, my ex-friend owns Mark though I have permission to use him, and my best friend Amber owns Freya though I may or may not have created her for her. I don't own the Avengers or Ultron, nor do I own Remy and Logan from X-Men. I do own the base idea for the collection of fics/ficlets/drabbles.

A/N: These are not really in any particular order, they're just written randomly and as I come up with things to write for the words I'm given. None of these will probably be related to another and if they are, I might mention so in the summary.

A/N 2: Disregard that first A/N... because as it turns out, these kind of are written in order, I've noticed. Because uh... I'm kind of going along with the seasons, heh... oops?

-0-

Words: 18,929

Rating: T+

Warnings: Yaoi (Boy Love), Yuri (Girl Love), minor angst, major hurt/comfort, tooth-aching fluff, minor humor, mentions of past death and minor hints to torture.

Summary: Lionel had never experienced true happiness before, in the span of his short life. From the second he was created to every year that followed, he had been alone and broken. And though he's still broken, it becomes a little more bearable as he finds and meets the wolves he's come to depend on and call his family.

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He'd felt anger, fear, loss, hopelessness, confusion, triumph, emotions he couldn't even name and emotions he refused to name. He'd felt everything… except for happiness. And he wondered for a long time what it felt like and if he would ever experience it; he even wondered if it was even worth it. And the moment he finally experiences it, finally experiences true happiness, he decides that the answer is yes. It was worth every second of every minute of his twenty years spent alone and lost. And yeah, he was still broken, but he can overlook that, if only just to keep what he felt truly close to his heart and experience it for the rest of his life.

-0-

When Lionel had been a young pup, he'd been all alone in the world; he had been small, broken, abandoned, alone… he'd had to fight tooth and nail for food and warmth and never had been able to win. So he'd stayed alone, unable to fend for himself, to feed himself and keep himself warm; and for years he was slowly dying. Because no one had wanted him. seeing and knowing of how broken he was: born and created in a lab run by a mad scientist who had been killed years later by his very creation. Lionel had never killed again after that; he had never used his powers, his strength or his ability to shift and take the form of another creature at his will, for anything else.

So he had to adapt for his survival: he began to use the shadows to his advantage, concealing his black and white striped fur and his small form. He stole, at first for survival, any coin and food he could find, before eventually he had adapted well enough that he stole things for fun; little things, of course, though, but he thrived on the thrill it gave him, making him feel like he was stronger than everyone else.

But the shadows could only hide so much from others: his eyes, for example, as red as blood stood out and many, mostly humans, shied away from him in fear or distrust and anger or disgust. And he hated it. Hated how it made him feel like he didn't belong, like he was worthless and nothing but a disgusting vermin. It made him feel… like he was a demon.

So he ran. He ran from his home, away from the town he'd been born in and he ran for years until he was found, somehow, by an organization called Shield. Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate, they had said. Even to this day, he didn't know what that meant, but he found out what they did: they took care of people like him, with special abilities and they controlled them and made sure no harm came from them or to them. And they 'caged' him, and forced him to use his abilities for things he didn't want to do, to capture other wolves and even humans like him, other Supers and Mutants.

The only difference this time to when he last felt he had been caged, he couldn't kill the one who controlled him. He couldn't kill Fury because he had promised himself he wouldn't kill again, even if he didn't even remember anything but the anger and the fear and the hurt when he had killed his creator.

So he stayed and did what he was told, but he refused to be completely tamed and he did the only thing he could do, when he wasn't watched in the rare moments he could sneak away and it would only be him. He ran and ran for miles around the city, knowing he could never leave, but that never stopped him even as he got to the old forest that surrounded the city and he continued to run even as he'd unconsciously shifted into his true form. His small, sleek, black and white form running through the woods without abandon, as silent as a mouse.

That was the first night he had met Freya Calhoun, the most beautiful wolf he'd ever laid his eyes upon, and when he saw her, he was struck speechless by her sleek form and soft aura. She saw him before he saw her, and yet, she had not attacked him, not like other wolves had before, because of the way he smelled. Instead, she was curious about him, though she spoke not a word the first time and when he had regained his senses, he left as quick as he'd come, back to Shield and back to Fury.

The second time he'd seen her, was several days after their first encounter and near a river this time, and she still took his breath away. He stood there dumbly for several moments before letting out a small noise in shock and embarrassment when she spoke, her voice just as beautiful as the rest of her, "Are you going to stand there staring at me all night, or are you going to come and say hi this time without running away?" she chuckled and he opened and closed his mouth several times before he ducked his head, ears lowered in further embarrassment and shame.

"I… I'm sorry…" he murmured, looking down and away before looking back up. "I… I've never seen such a beautiful wolf like… like you…" he added and this time it was her turn to be embarrassed as she turned away, her tail twitching nervously.

"Thank you," she answered easily enough though and shifted over in an offering for a drink, even though there was plenty of space along the river bed for him to drink from.

They had met again and again for several nights and Lionel had found out then that he'd not only found a beautiful wolf who had treated him so normal, but he also found a sister, who would protect him and comfort him without a second thought given any longer.

He'd stayed for at Shield for several months before he had finally met one Natasha Romanov, and a young omega like him that he'd not caught the name of. He'd found out they both worked for Shield directly as assassins for hire and as agents who diligently did their jobs without question. And he despised them for it, but it had been hard to hate them when they had finally been the only ones to treat him like he belonged at Shield, like he wasn't some monster. But that was before the 'incident' that changed Lionel's life there at Shield; before he discovered that Fury had been running experiments on wolves and humans like him and Natasha and the man had been in on it the whole time.

Natasha had tried to stop him from leaving, but not even she had been aware of his ability to shift.

But that was also the day he discovered Clint for who he really was: a lonely omega that hated his line of work and what they had been doing to wolves and humans like Lionel. That was when he found out that Clint had been like him so long ago, before Shield destroyed any super ability he had and left him with only his sharp-shooter skills and his training as an assassin.

"Lionel stop!" Natasha shouted at him as he ran, and sure he was fast, but she was faster than him, and an Alpha was always faster than a broken omega like him. "Lionel!" But she didn't know about his ability to shift into any creature he wanted, and he finally broke his promise and did just that. He shifted into a mouse, as small as can be, and he hid from her, using the smelly flowers that no wolf ever liked as cover until she gave up with an angry and frustrated cry and stalked away.

Climbing the from bush silently, after several moments of trying to calm his racing heart, he darted for the tree-line once more, determined to finally leave Shield for good. But it never was that easy, was it?

He ran for minutes on end before he had caught a familiar scent and he squeaked in fright when a wolf darted from the trees, small and scarred with golden brown fur. Lionel shifted again until he was also in his wolf form, so he could maybe try and fend the wolf off, but the wolf seemed to have not even noticed him, pale blue eyes clouded with tears and that in itself had Lionel rendered frozen.

"Y-you're… you're that… that shield agent…" he whispered to himself, but managed to startle the wolf enough that he himself had darted again into bushes in fright when the wolf had turned sharply to him with a startled, frightened growl, fur bristling.

The wolf had stopped though when he saw Lionel and his eyes widened, a look of recognition crossing his face when he too recognised Lionel's scent. "...t-the mutant…" he mumbled and backed away a step. "W-what are you doing out here? Are you here to fetch me? To bring me back!?" the agent spat, fear and anger clouding his scent now and Lionel flinched, eyes closed tight when he thought the agent was going to attack him.

"N-no!" and that was just it. That was the moment Lionel realized what exactly the agent was doing out here, on his own without his partner. "Y-you're running away…" he gasped out and looked back at the agent with wide eyes, partly filled with awe.

"Y-yes…" the agent admitted, because he somehow knew that he could trust the mutant; knew that the mutant wasn't going to harm him because they were in the same boat. "I… I'm running the same reason you are." he whispered and Lionel growled.

"Why now!? After years of knowing that Fury was doing that, why run away now!?"

"Because I was one of the wolves he experimented on!" the wolf snapped back, blue eyes narrowed dangerously and Lionel whimpered, belly crouched to the ground with his eyes closed tight and his ears lowered to his head. "Because I…" the agent lowered his voice this time and sighed, padding just a bit closer to Lionel, though he didn't dare try and comfort him, "I… I was a wolf just like you… with abilities of my own before Fury came along and took them away from me." he finished and for the first time, Lionel truly understood, as he blinked his crimson eyes open to look uncertainly up at the agent.

He'd made his decision then and he slowly got up, inching closer until he could nuzzle against the other's cheek and neck, offering comfort and to show just how sorry he was. He never expected for this to happen, never thought that the agent had been just like him, but he was glad he finally knew.

-0-

Lionel had found Freya after he'd made the decision to run from their home with Clint, and he told her what happened and introduced her to Clint. The two had gotten along well enough and Freya had treated them both like her brothers and she agreed with Lionel's plan. She went with them, vowing to protect them both from any further harm or danger.

-0-

Lionel was twenty when the three had found Loki and Thor and Lionel had thought he'd officially seen it all when he found out that both were not only gods, but also wolves likes them.

Lionel watched with narrowed crimson eyes as a bird skipped around the forest ground, pecking at the grass, and his tail twitched slightly as he took a careful and silent step forward. He finally made a move to pounce, aiming at the bird and he delighted when the bird got spooked and took off, but he was soon caught off guard when another wolf jumped at him, tackling him to the ground with a dark snarl, green eyes narrowed and swirling with distrust, anger, and fear.

The younger wolf yelped in fear and pain, crimson eyes wide, as he looked up at the other, pinned to the ground as he was, ears laid back and tail curled up in between his legs. Though they were about the same size, lithe and small and sleek, and both with black fur as dark as night, Lionel felt smaller than the other with hor the other wolf's fur bristled and how he stood sharply over him.

"What are you doing here!?" the wolf hissed and Lionel whimpered, shrinking back before deciding to try and look tougher than he felt.

"I'm hunting, what does it look like I was doing?" he huffed, nose twitching when the other wolf's growl got darker.

"You are trespassing." he hissed and Lionel's eyes narrowed, ears twitching in annoyance at the lie.

"No I'm not! This is free territory! You don't claim it… and… you don't smell like any pack." he spat out, pushing at the other wolf but he had failed to try and escape, without using his strength to push him off completely. "What's your problem anyway!? You don't just attack wolves out of the blue like that!" he barked and the wolf snarled back, snapping at the air just beside his neck, causing Lionel to freeze up completely, eyes wide.

"I'd watch you tone with me… you'll leave immediately or I'll-"

"Loki." the black wolf above Lionel stopped at the sound of the new voice and Lionel whimpered, hearing the authoritative tone and the scent of a strong Alpha had invaded his senses to completely, he trembled. "Leave our guest be."

"But Thor-" Loki, the black wolf, snapped his head over to where a large, beautiful golden-white wolf stood, piercing ocean blue eyes looking at the older black wolf. He backed off though and growled slightly in annoyance and frustration when he jumped away, sulking by one of the trees in the clearing.

Lionel rolled over onto his belly, but stayed on the ground, ears lowered as he gulped, wide fearful eyes looking back and forth between the two and from the strong scent he caught from the both, he realised then that they were mates. Soulbound mates, which surprised Lionel more than he wanted to admit. Because soulbound mates were rare, especially in this day and age.

"Please forgive my brother's rude behavior, you have every right to hunt and stay here as we do," the Alpha smiled and Lionel couldn't help but relax, and he didn't even bat an eyelash at hearing that Thor and Loki were brothers. Loki spoke again though, growling once more at Lionel and Thor.

"No! What if he's one of them!?" he snapped, green eyes narrowed but still filled with so much fear. Thor's gaze softened and he shook his head, padding softly over to Loki and he nuzzled the other's neck, calming him.

"Loki, my love, for such an intelligent creature, you are not very smart." he chuckled good naturedly and Loki glowered at Thor, but stayed quiet when Thor spoke again. "Tell me, does this wolf smell of Asgardian blood?" Loki shook his head and opened his mouth to protest but Thor beat him to it. "And does this wolf smell of our enemies? No." he answered himself before Loki could and looked to Lionel then. "This wolf smells of nothing but fear, and loss, and the forest around us. Now-"

The three stopped immediately when they heard a harsh bark from the tree-line and Lionel yelped when he watched in horror as Thor was tackled by Freya, her brown fur a sharp contrast to Thor's golden and large form. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?" she snarled, teeth bared, fur bristled, and eyes narrowed and Lionel registered that Loki was about to spring forward and attack and he made to intervene until Clint showed up, breathless and eyes wide.

"Lionel!" Clint barked, dashing over to him and tackling him to the ground, nuzzling him, causing everyone to pause and stare at them. "We were so worried about you! You were gone all morning and we couldn't find you and-" he suddenly stopped as if realising who they were with and he stared at Thor, Freya, and Loki, tense. "Who are they? Did they hurt you?!" he suddenly asked and Lionel shook his head sharply when Clint turned to look back down at him.

"N-no! O-of course not…! Freya, p-please get off of Thor b-before Loki tears you away from him himself…?" he pleaded, crimson eyes wide and he frowned at her when she refused, still baring her teeth at Thor.

"I assure you miss, I have not harmed your omega. My mate had only a little misunderstanding with him," Thor reassured her and she huffed, glancing at Loki, whose fur was still bristling. Thor shot a pointed look at his brother and Loki frowned, stepping back as he ducked his head, ears lowered as he looked distrusting at the others.

"I had… mistaken him… for someone else." he begrudgingly said and Freya seemed to relax just a little before jumping off and padding back over to Lionel and Clint, where Clint was still nuzzling Lionel to show his distress.

"Don't you dare ever do that again Leo… you worried us sick with that little stunt." she scolded him and he frowned, guilty.

"I'm sorry… but I just… I wanted to go out for a run and I guess I got a little lost and then I got distracted by a bird…" he blushed at this and Clint snickered at him, even as he he still nuzzled his packmate. Freya let out an exasperated, but fond sigh, shaking her head before glancing back at Loki and Thor and she spoke up, smiling back at Clint and Lionel.

"Come on then Leo, let's get back to the den-"

"Den?" Loki snorted, suddenly looking unsure and Lionel turned back towards them, but he couldn't get in a word as Freya was ushering Clint up and off of him and finally leading them away from the two. "She doesn't mean the old hunter's den by the river, does she?"

That was all Lionel heard before they were out of earshot and he didn't know what Loki had been talking about or what Thor's response was.

-0-

What Loki had said had plagued Lionel's mind since the moment they left the two strange wolves, but Freya and Clint had soon distracted him well enough that he hadn't thought about them or what Loki had said until one day he'd caught a strange scent by the river when he went to get a drink. Shifting into his wolf form, Lionel went to scout out the scent, curious and confused, wondering if the scent belonged to another wolf. But the scent didn't smell like any wolf he'd ever met.

What Lionel found instead was a horrifying sight of hunters, wolf hunters, so close to their den with crossbows and guns and knives and clothing made of iron, leather and fur. They had caught sight of him before he had even a chance to run and caught by surprise, an arrow had lodged into his hind leg as he let out a loud howl in pain. Laughter filled his ears as he turned to run, whining every time he put pressure on his injured leg but he couldn't get caught, and he couldn't run to Freya and Clint in fear that they'd be hurt too.

He couldn't shift either, the pain too great, so his only chance of survival was to run and hope to lose them as he did. He tripped and stumbled over several rocks and logs, twigs snapping at his fur and bristles from bushes tearing at his fur that he barely managed to realize just how close the hunters were until a bullet hit him this time and he was thrown back onto the ground by the force, a sharp cry leaving him.

He had thought that the bullet meant the hunters were close enough that they could kill him, and they probably were, but his worry of death was soon drowned out by a startled yell coming from one of the hunters and a loud crash from a tree falling to the ground.

Opening his eyes, Lionel found himself unable to look away in shock, awe, and fear when he saw Loki and Thor, or who he thought was them, in human forms. Loki was blasting magic at two of the hunters while creating illusions to distract a third and he had the most murderous expression on his face that Lionel had ever seen before on another, aside from Freya. Thor was wielding a giant hammer that had been the cause of the tree crashing to the ground when he struck one man so hard that he had broke the tree in half. And suddenly lightning was pulled forth from the sky as Thor directed it towards the only female hunter of the group and she had screamed out before crashing to the ground, her weapons dropping immediately with a clang.

Several hunters ran from them while others had finally collapsed under Loki and Thor's attacks.

When they had all gone away, Thor had immediately went to pick the injured wolf up and Lionel whimpered, flinching away, but he hushed under Thor's quiet murmurs and the use of the Alpha's dominant tone.

The omega had fallen asleep easily, though he wondered how when he was in so much pain, and when he had woken up, he was in a small broken cottage of sorts, in a worn out bed with a wet washcloth on his forehead and bandages around his leg and his sides. At some point in the night he'd shifted into his human form and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Determining that he was too confused and too tired to get up and scout the place out, he was about to go back to sleep before a familiar scent washed around him and he opened his eyes again, turning his head only slightly to blink sleepy crimson eyes at Loki, who was human still. He noted the other's disheveled appearance and the bowl of fish stew in his hands and he offered a weak smile.

"L-Loki…?" he questioned, needing to be sure, and Loki only nodded, walking over to the younger wolf and he sighed, sitting on the bed and handing the bowl to Lionel after the other had managed to sit up. "T-thank you…"

"Food is nothing to thank me for, Lionel, was it?" Loki said, but didn't bother to let Lionel answer aside from a small nod as Lionel ate the stew gratefully. "I owe you an apology for acting the way I had." he added and Lionel paused frowning, shoulders slumping a little.

"Y-you don't have to… I understand… A-and besides… you saved me." he said with a shy smile. "That's more than enough of an apology to me." Loki only made a small noise in answer, looking away before perking up as if remembering something.

"My brother has gone to find your packmates. He will be here shortly and-"

"Loki…" Lionel interrupted him, frowning now and Loki tensed at the other's tone of voice. "You and Thor…" he looked down now, ears lowered as he looked back at the bowl of soup. "What… what are you guys?"

"We're the same thing you are, Lionel, wolves." Loki lied smoothly and Lionel bristled, glaring pathetically at Loki now.

"I saw you create illusions of yourself and shoot ice from your hands. Thor… he summoned lightning to his hammer and he made a tree fall by hitting a guy into it. Mortals can't do that. Not even ones as strong as me." he huffed out, crossing his arms and Loki frowned, looking slightly irritated before suddenly looking resigned.

"I suggest you forget what you saw, Lionel, and wait for your pack to come for you."

-0-

Lionel had barely even left the room to finally explore when he heard the front door open and he was suddenly tackled to the ground by a hysterical Clint and a very worried Freya. "Lionel! Oh my god, Lionel! What the hell happened!? W-we found blood and shit Lionel, they hurt you! Don't you ever do that again!" Freya growled at him, tears brimming in her eyes and Lionel felt even more guilty than ever.

"I-I'm sorry… I…" he choked out, swallowing a whimper when Clint only cried against his chest.

"Your packmate is safe now, Freya and Clint. We have driven off the hunters and you will not be bothered by them any longer." Thor said, his voice loud though he was smiling brightly at them, proud to be witnessing such a bond between the three wolves.

"You… you saved him…?" Clint murmured, eyes wide as he looked at Thor and then Loki, when the dark haired wolf came into the room, looking uncertain and uncomfortable. Immediately, when Loki confirmed this, Clint launched himself at the two, hugging them and nuzzling them as he cried out his thanks and praise. "Thank you!"

It was then that Lionel realized just what he was feeling; hurt and confused, yes, and guilty certainly… but there was warmth, when he witnessed Clint looking at Thor like he was the most perfect thing in the world. And maybe he was? Because Thor was an Alpha and he had saved Lionel from hunters when his packmates weren't there because he was stubborn idiot. And when he saw Loki smile just a little at the sight, he couldn't help what he blurted out.

"Be our Alpha." he said and the entire room froze; Lionel's own eyes were wide, same with Loki's and Freya's. Clint looked absolutely delighted at the idea of finally have an Alpha but Thor, Thor looked so uncertain, that Lionel was fearful for a moment. And then he spoke.

"I am flattered, Lionel. But I am not the Alpha you want to have leading your pack." he whispered, soft and firm, and Lionel deflated, especially at the absolutely crushed look on Clint's face. "However, Loki and I… we will be delighted to join you on your travels, as packmates, if you so wish. If… if Loki… so wishes." he added and then turned to Loki and Lionel was holding his breath as he turned his pleading but defeated gaze to Loki.

He was able to breathe again, finally, with that one soft spoken word: "Okay." And everything seemed perfect again.

-0-

It was months until Lionel and his small pack of misfits had finally met Bruce. The beta had been in trouble with a couple of hunters and lawmen, when Clint and Thor had caught wind of them. Clint had been torn between retrieving his packmates while Thor had gone ahead and rushed in without thinking. Eventually, Clint had made up his mind and went back to get the other three to help, knowing that Thor probably couldn't take on even lawmen by himself.

The field was absolute chaos by the time that Lionel and the others had arrived and no one had given it a second thought to shift into their wolf forms and help save the poor brown and green beta wolf that looked like he was on his last limb. Lionel had jumped head first at the main hunter, teeth bared and claws poised to dig into the flesh of the human. Freya and Clint had gone and helped out the rogue wolf, fending off of the stray lawmen and two hunters that thought they were the weakest of the bunch. A mistake on their part when Clint nearly tore one of the hunter's' arm off getting the weapons away from her.

Loki and Thor had teamed up against most of the lawmen that were after the wolf for a reason none of them knew, and Lionel had went to join them after making the lead hunter flee the scene, followed by a few more. Eventually it was only down to the lawmen and the wolves until Lionel and Loki had teamed up to take down the largest of the men, the one wielding the heavy stun gun and the large crossbow and rifle. Loki had gotten hit with the stun gun, but Lionel could barely voice his worry and fear at seeing his packmate go down before the rest of the men had fled, worse for wear than the wolves.

Thor and Lionel had gone over to Lionel almost immediately while Freya and Clint had stuck with the other wolf. Loki had been find after several minutes, though after they all shifted back, Thor had to help Loki back towards their temporary campsite. Freya and Clint had helped back the strange wolf and they had taken care of him until he had been able to shift back, without hurting himself.

"Thank you…" the wolf, Bruce, as Lionel had found out, said softly, taking the bowl of hot soup in his hands gratefully as Freya changed his bandages carefully. "How long have I been out?" he asked, taking a bite of the soup and Lionel sighed, his gaze shifting over to where Clint was, passed out in his wolf form.

"Over sixteen hours," he answered and Bruce had shifted his gaze, solemnly and guiltily over to Clint as well.

"Is he going to be okay?" Lionel smiled then when Bruce nodded to Clint and he nodded back, sitting on one of the broken down chairs Thor and Loki had found a while back. He adjusted his weight accordingly and easily so he didn't break it and spoke up, soft and sure.

"He's fine. Clint's stubborn, but sleep finally won out." he chuckled and tilted his head, ears twitching. He vaguely noted Bruce's gaze fixing back on him, and more specifically his ears, but he continued on as if he hadn't noticed, "He was really worried, you know. He stayed by your side the entire time you were out. Refused to eat unless Freya dragged his ass away to get him some. Loki had threatened him a few hours earlier to go and get some rest or he'd turn Clint's fur pink." he giggled at the memory of that and even Bruce's lips twitched a bit into a small smile.

It was quiet for a moment before Bruce's expression became vaguely haunted and very serious. "Your ears… who did that to you?" he asked, sounding very unsure, but determined nonetheless and Lionel stiffened up, ears lowered as he turned his head down.

"I… I was… it…" he stumbled over his words and shifted uneasily before sighing. "I-I was born inside a … a-a lab… c-created by… by a scientist mad beyond compare." he whispered and offered no further explanation. Couldn't have even if he wanted to, when Loki showed up wanting both him and Freya for something.

Freya fixed a look of sympathy and pain on Lionel before she nodded and pat Bruce on the shoulder. Then she led Lionel out, following Loki, and Lionel couldn't have been more glad for the distraction.

-0-

The moment that Bruce and Clint had become mates had surprised no one but Clint and Bruce themselves. But Lionel had never been happier for his packmate and his friend.

-0-

Lionel had met Logan and Remy on a stray scouting mission, when he'd been looking for any possible danger where they had taken up camp, with Loki. Though it had been clear to Lionel when they met that the two were rogue wolves and would always be; or at least Logan was and Remy was just happy to follow him wherever they went.

"Why?" Lionel asked, frowning in confusion at the larger, much larger brown wolf before him, who was currently nuzzled against a very tired smaller brown wolf.

"We aren't meant for the pack life, kid," Logan said, looking up at the black wolf with a gentle smile. "I appreciate your concern though, for both Remy and I, but it's not needed."

"B-but… but we're wolves, Logan… we're meant to be with pack. That's how we survive, how we live…" Lionel whimpered, edging closer to the two, on his belly, tilting his head in that one effective puppy look that not even Loki or Freya could resist for too long. Logan just laughed, quietly of course, and offered a smirk as he tilted his own head.

"Yes, I know, but Remy and I… well, we've had our fair share of packlife. It ain't for us, Leo and won't be," he said and Lionel deflated. After a few seconds though, Lionel sighed and nodded in understanding.

"Okay… I understand. Just… promise me you know that you will always have a home with my pack." Logan smiled, genuinely and truly grateful and he nodded, nuzzling Lionel's cheek in appreciation.

"Thanks, kid."

-0-

When Lionel had found Tony and Steve, he had thought for sure that they were all going to die. Because Tony had gotten into some deep trouble and Steve had been trying so hard to protect his mate and only love when Lionel had found them. And of course they came out on top, they always did, but not without a few wounds first.

"Lionel wait!" Freya shouted at him, chasing after the younger wolf when he had taken off through the forest, eyes wide with panic when he had smelt the blood and the fear so tangible in the air. He also smelt something so familiar that it had been so hard to forget even after all these years.

"T-Tony!" Lionel couldn't help but shout jumping into the fray the moment that a large golden white wolf had been attacked by the largest black Alpha wolf that Lionel had ever seen and Tony… Lionel had felt sick when he saw Tony's small form, bruised and broken. "Tony!" Lionel shouted again, skidding to a halt beside the fallen wolf before barely dodging out of the way when a large wolf tried attacking him.

"This omega is ours. Fuck off!" the wolf, a darker blonde than the Alpha protecting Tony, spat, fangs bared and Lionel growled, baring his own fangs. He was filled to the brim with anger, seeing this and he attacked without abandon, crashing into the Alpha and sinking his claws and fangs into the others flesh, tearing hard even as the Alpha roared and tried bucking him off.

"Tony is not yours!" he snarled, though his voice was muffled and he heard a sharp cry before being thrown against a tree. Getting up shakily, he jumped over to where Tony still lay and realized very quickly that he and the other wolf were no match to the five Alphas surrounding them. "Go away!" Lionel barked and he yelped in fear when the golden Alpha from earlier snapped at him, teeth making an audible sound as they bit at nothing but air and the Alpha laughed at Lionel's obvious fear.

"You're not getting to Tony as long as I'm alive…!" the Alpha fighting for Tony had snarled and snapped back at the golden wolf that taunted him and a grey wolf smirked viciously.

"I think that can be arranged quite easily-" she was cut off sharply when Clint had barreled into her and Lionel couldn't help but think, finally.

"Where the hell have you guys been!?" Lionel growled, pleased though by this turn of events as they quickly got the upper hand in the fight.

"Excuse us if we lost you minutes after you darted away to only heaven knows where," Freya growled back at him and Lionel couldn't even summon an ounce of guilt, not when Tony was still hurt and they were getting hurt too.

By the time only one Alpha remained, the rest either dead or gone from cowardice, Lionel was bleeding heavily, Loki and Clint were panting, Bruce was out for the count, Thor and Freya were both bleeding and exhausted, and the golden Alpha by their side was still standing tall as ever, though it was obvious he was just a bit fatigued as well. The Alpha remaining snarled at them, fur bristling, determined to get his paws on Tony, but Lionel wasn't going to let that happen if he had a say in it, and before the golden Alpha could attack back, Lionel had struck first, tearing into the brown wolf before them all so fast none of them had even known what had happened until the brown wolf was lying dead under his blood soaked paws.

And even Lionel was horrified to what he had done, but it was worth it. To keep Tony alive, it was worth it.

-0-

"Thank you," the golden Alpha had smiled so bright at Lionel and his packmates, after they all returned to their campsite to rest and heal, though it was strained with fatigue and a bit of pain.

Lionel smiled back and ducked his head, ears lowered as he watched his pack then go about doing their own thing. His injuries were the least of his worries, lodged in the back of his mind as he focused on getting his packmates better. Especially to see Tony through the rough injuries he had received before the wolves had taken him out. "It… it was n-nothing… Tony needed my help… that's… that's all…" he said and shuffled on his paws as the other shook his head.

"No, I'm serious. Thank you, if you hadn't shown up when you did, Tony and I would've been done for-" then the Alpha paused and he frowned, suddenly confused and Lionel stiffened up, eyes downcast now. "How… how do you know who Tony is?"

Deflating a little, Lionel padded over to where Tony was lying and he sighed, looking a bit defeated and disheartened. "Tony… Tony and I… we… he…" groaning, he paused to take a moment to think about how best to explain how he knew who Tony was. Because truth is, "Tony was the first person, wolf or not, to truly give a damn about me…"

That was all it took to break the dam and he told the wolf everything. From being born in a cruel place, in a lab as nothing but an experiment, to killing his creator, to being forced to live on the streets as a kid with nothing to defend himself with or take care of himself with and no one to care for him. And then to how he met Tony, the one person who had taken him in and took care of him for a while. Tony knew about his shifter abilities, about his horrible past and his regret of killing the Doctor but also his relief of being free from him.

"But he… he left one day… without an explanation and I… I thought…" Lionel choked on his tears, eyes closed tightly as he nuzzled into Tony's side, so glad to have found him again, but so heartbroken that Tony had even left in the first place.

"...I never forgot you." Tony mumbled, coffee eyes blinking open and he groaned, startling Lionel so bad he yelped and jumped, eyes wide.

"T-Tony…?!" Lionel gasped and then whimpered when Tony made a small noise in pain. "D-don't move… y-you're hurt-"

"I never forgot you… Lionel…" Tony ignored him and spoke again, eyes open once more as he looked at the younger black wolf. "And I… I-I went back… to try and find you… but you were gone when I did…" he sounded so guilty and heartbroken that Lionel did cry, as he curled against Tony, nuzzling against the other omega without abandon.

Neither had noticed when the golden Alpha had left, nor did they notice when exactly they had fallen asleep, curled against each other as close as they could be without worsening either of their injuries any further.

-0-

When everyone had rested up enough and were healed well enough they could move around and be confident in their abilities, Tony and Steve, as the Alpha had introduced himself when Tony and Lionel finally woke up, had to leave, but Lionel wouldn't have that.

"Stay with us." Lionel pleaded, staring at Tony and Steve with determined, but pleading red eyes.

"Lionel we can't…" Tony murmured, eyes looking so sad and pitiful and Lionel whimpered in response.

"Why?" Thor asked the question, genuinely confused and Steve frowned when Tony looked down and away.

"Tony, babe…" he started but Tony's head snapped up and he glared at the only other Alpha in the camp.

"No, Steve." Tony growled out, taking a step back, but there was fear in his eyes. "I won't do it. I… I won't put them in harm's way because of me."

Steve frowned but said nothing in return, though he would've if Lionel hadn't spoken up then, hands clenched. "Anthony Edward Stark you haven't changed a damn bit!" he snapped, anger and hurt in his gaze and Tony froze, eyes wide. Everyone did, having never heard that tone before from the sweet little omega. "Y-you're a selfish, moronic, prick and you always will be!" he closed his eyes tightly, ears lowered and he trembled, but backed away when Tony tried taking a step towards him, opening his mouth to speak but he cut him off sharply. "When will you get it through your thick head that you're not indestructible!? You're mortal! You can't do things like this! You can't be selfish and stay away from those that you need because you can't… because you don't want to…" he choked on his words here, tears streaking down his face and he turned away, only to freeze when Tony snapped back at him.

"Oh that's just perfect coming from a fucking hypocrite like yourself Lionel! When have you ever not tried to-"

Lionel whirled around and bared his fangs, eyes dark now and tail lashing back and forth, "At least I don't shy away from my pack! I know I can protect them and they can protect me! I know that I can get them into danger but I'll do everything in my power to stop that from happening and even if it does I'll do everything I can to protect them because they're my family! Family protects you and you protect them! When are you going to learn that!?"

He ran off before any of them had a chance to react.

-0-

It was hours before Lionel had finally been found, though it had been by the last person he thought would come after him. Tony himself.

"W-what do you want…?" Lionel growled weakly, wiping away tears that had not stopped flowing since he ran from the fight. For a moment Tony only just stood there, frowning at Lionel before the younger omega couldn't take it anymore and he growled again, "Well?" he spat and Tony finally sighed.

"I came to say goodbye," Tony murmured and Lionel snapped his head up, eyes wide before they narrowed and he huffed.

"Well good riddance!" he barked, gripping tightly at the grass beneath his hands. "I-I never wanted you here in the first place!"

Tony flinched at that, but Lionel felt so much more hurt, so much more angry that Tony could ever hope to feel right now. "Lionel, you don't understand…!"

"Understand!? I understand perfectly!" he spat, chest heaving as he tried to calm his heavy angry breaths and his rapid beating heart. "You want to leave? Fine! Go ahead! Leave us! Leave me! Again!" he snarled and Tony's breath hitched, eyes wide as he stared at Lionel in sudden realization.

"Lionel… Leo… I tried to find you…" he strained and Lionel scoffed, eyes downcast now.

"Why did you even leave in the first place…?" he whispered pathetically, his grip on the grass becoming slack now as he his shoulders slumped.

Tony was silent, for minutes on end until he finally sat down next to Lionel and he sighed, looking down at the grass as he plucked at the blades beneath his fingers. "I left… because I had to…" he whispered back, deciding that it was now or never. And he hated that he knew the option of never led him to never seeing Lionel again. "My… my parents died… and my godfather Obadiah, you remember him?" Lionel nodded silently, stricken by the news that Tony's parents had died without his knowledge. "He… he made us leave the city because he thought that I wouldn't be able to handle it. And he would've been right, if I didn't have anyone to comfort me, Leo…"

"I-I'm sorry… I-I didn't know…" Lionel whimpered, clinging to Tony's arm as he rested his head against the other's shoulder.

"It's okay… Obadiah pulled me away before I could tell you. And it was almost a year, but I promise you… I had tried to come back and look for you, but you were long gone by then. And I'm sorry that I left, I am… but Leo… I-I can't stay this time…"

"Why not!?" Lionel cried out, red eyes looking up, wide and pleading at Tony, filled with new tears. "Why can't you stay!? We're pack…!" he whimpered again, clutching tighter at Tony's shirt. "Y-you're my pack… I-I can't lose you… n-not again…" he choked out and Tony's breath caught once more as he stared at the other wolf with wide eyes, feeling so emotionally hurt that he didn't know what to do.

So he did the only thing he knew how and he reached up, out of habit, and pet Lionel's head. it wasn't long before Lionel shifted into his wolf form and he curled up beside Tony, exhausted and hurt, with his paws and head resting on the other's lap.

"Please…?" Lionel whispered and Tony didn't speak for several heartbeats before he nodded, hesitantly and slowly.

"Okay… I'll stay…" he whispered in promise and before he knew it, Lionel was out like a light within the next several minutes.

-0-

When Lionel and Tony had returned after several hours, their packmates had greeted them with worry and fleeting anger, especially Clint, Freya, Loki, and Steve. But when Lionel had told them the good news, and he and Tony shared a small smile, everyone had been ecstatic, until Thor pointed out something that made Lionel realize just exactly how much he meant to his packmates.

"As happy as I am to have you both within our pack, Steven and Anthony, I must point out that we now have two Alpha's in this pack and only one can be Pack Alpha." Thor pointed out unhelpfully and Lionel frowned, looking back and forth between Thor and Steve before realizing just what he was saying.

"Y-you want Steve to be our Alpha?" he whispered breathlessly and if he hadn't already been in love with the idea from hearing so many good things about him from Tony, he would've thought Thor to be ridiculous.

"I think that's an awesome idea! Don't you babe?" Tony smirked, nudging Steve in the side with a wink and Steve blinked at them before shaking his head with a gentle smile, a blush dusting his cheeks.

"As flattering as that is, I don't think it would be right challenging you for position of Pack Alpha when you are already-" he paused then when he suddenly realized something and even more so when Thor chuckled.

"I was not talking about me, my friend." Thor confirmed what had already passed through his mind and he turned then to Lionel when the poor omega only sent them both looks of confusion.

"I don't understand? You're our Pack Alpha, shouldn't you challenge Steve?" the black wolf asked, tilting his head a little as he regarded them both. Thor chuckled and shook his head, stepping forward as he rested a hand on Lionel's shoulder, and the omega cooed at the little contact.

"I am not our Pack Alpha, Lionel," Thor said and the Lionel stiffened up, crimson eyes frozen in shock as they stared into Thor's own ocean blue.

"W-what do you mean…?" he questioned, trembling slightly, thinking the worst, but Loki was the one, quick to intervene and reassure him that what he was thinking was wrong.

"My brother is not Pack Alpha, Lionel, but don't get him wrong because he is still apart of this pack." And then Loki paused and waited for Lionel to look at him and he stated, perfectly easy and very firm, as he held the younger wolf's gaze, "We are still apart of this pack. Of your pack."

Lionel's eyes widened then and his breath hitched, as he took a single step back, tail twitching as he looked around at his fellow packmates, disbelief and startled, frightened confusion shining bright within them. Freya, Clint, and Bruce offered him a smile, Thor nodded at him reassuringly, Loki nodded with a fond and loving smile, and when he looked at Tony, he saw naught but a smirk and a gleeful glint in the other omega's coffee colored orbs. "It's as you said, Lionel. We're all apart of your pack. I'm apart of your pack… and that means what it always has been. You're out Alpha, despite that you're an omega. You're our Pack Almega? Omalpha?" Suddenly Lionel choked on his laughter, crimson eyes sparkling brightly at Tony and soon as his fellow packmates when they all joined with a chuckle or a bit of laughter.

"You've always been there to protect us and keep us safe, even though half the time you're the one getting your ass into trouble," Freya teased and Clint grinned cheekily with Lionel smiled sheepishly at them both before he suddenly turned serious, though a small grateful smile played at his lips as he walked over to Lionel.

"This pack wouldn't be here without you Leo… because despite what you think, you were the one that started this, that got us all together. If it it weren't for you, I would've been on my own for years, running from Shield. Freya would still be Natasha's lapdog. Loki and Thor would still be… be running from whoever they're running from on their own. And Tony and Steve? Now they have a pack too, and it's all thanks to you. So yeah, you're our Alpha… but that doesn't mean you won't always be our little omega too." Clint nuzzled his cheek and neck after pulling Lionel into a tight hug and both omega's relished in the contact.

"So what will it be, Alpha?" Freya murmured when Lionel pulled away from Clint and Lionel suddenly looked so unsure before he looked to Thor and Loki, who both nodded in encouragement, and then to Tony, who gave him a wink and a thumbs up with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face Lionel had ever seen. But when he finally turned to Steve, he set his eyes in determination upon the golden Alpha and he regarded the other, recalling everything Tony had heard about him and everything he had seen in just the previous day.

"This is my pack," Lionel started slowly and Steve smiled knowingly at him, before the smile fell when Lionel spoke again, "but I'm not an Alpha. This pack, our pack… deserves so much better. Someone who will take care of them better than a broken omega like me can," before anyone could protest, Lionel stepped forward towards Steve, standing up straight and tall, even though he was still a good foot smaller than Steve. "You're the Alpha that this pack needs, but I understand pack customs better than one would think."

Steve regarded him for a moment, seriously, before he smirked, tilting his chin up as he looked down at the smaller wolf, pale blue eyes suddenly glinting with something Lionel couldn't identify. "Very well then. I will accept your challenge, Alpha, and I will honor this fight." he agreed and suddenly, before anyone could blink, Lionel had shifted into a wolf and leaped at the man who had only a fraction of a second to shift before dodging as well.

Their pack stood back, all witnessing in slight horror at the fight, not sure how to take the show of dominance. Especially between a small omega, like Lionel, and a true Alpha, like Steve. Tony bit his lip as he watched Lionel give it his all, using his strength to nearly match Steve's own, and Clint cried out when Steve threw Lionel against a tree. Freya and Loki were on the edge of their metaphorical seats as they watched Lionel get back up and strike hard and fast, as the two wolves tumbled and rolled as they growled and snapped at each other.

Neither seemed willing to back down, but it was obvious that Lionel's previous wounds had finally caught up to him and before long, Steve had Lionel pinned to the ground, fangs bared as he used his full weight to press the wolf down and keep him pinned. Lionel snarled back before Steve had snapped his jaws forward, clamping down, not hard enough to break skin, but hard enough to assert his dominance. To get Lionel to submit.

If Lionel had been an Alpha, he would've been able to resist, but as an omega at heart, it took not even a minute before he had finally gone limp, baring his neck for his new Alpha, in a show of submission.

When Steven had felt this, he let go after a few heartbeats and lifted his head back, tilting it up before releasing a loud, long howl that told of his triumphant victory.

Lionel kept his head tilted, breathing labored, but he couldn't help the whimper when Steve bent down to lick at his neck, nuzzling it. "Thank you…" Steve whispered and Lionel had no idea what he meant for a moment, until he suddenly caught the sight of Tony's face, beaming and bright and so full of pride and love and adoration that he knew what Steve was thanking him for.

"You were always meant to be our True Alpha…" Lionel whispered back, nuzzling Steve's cheek before getting up after Steve had backed off of him. They shifted back, both of them, and Lionel offered a tired smile at their new Alpha, before gladly accepting the praise and touch from his fellow packmates.

-0-

Lionel was the only one not surprised, aside from Steve, when Tony had mentioned something about him having a mansion, secluded and remote and secret, hidden in a place not far from where they had been. And Tony had offered it as their home to his new pack, and everyone had been beyond grateful to finally have a place of rest, a place they could call home without having to worry about getting caught and tortured, or worse.

-0-

It had taken a few months, but they had all settled finally, and everyone was happy to be with their packmates. That was when Mark had found them and almost immediately, the hotheaded beta had set an imbalance within the pack that nearly had even Steve bristling.

Lionel stared at the strange golden, red wolf with wariness and uncertainty. He'd never seen anything like the other, with fur that looked like fire, but also looked scorched in several places, and he almost wondered if the other wolf had gotten himself into trouble with fire at any point in his past.

When he'd asked if the other was okay, he'd earned nothing but a growl as the wolf dragged himself over to the river to drink. "Go away, shifter, and leave me to rot in peace…" the wolf snarled when Lionel didn't move and Lionel flinched back, ears lowered when somehow, the other wolf knew what he was.

"H-how-"

"I can smell it on you… you smell how I did… years ago…" the wolf muttered, flicking his tail dismissively and Lionel gasped, eyes wide as he took in what exactly that had meant.

"You… you used to be-"

"Yes, now leave me alone or I'll make you leave!" the wolf snapped back at the black shifter and Lionel frowned, ears lowered once more.

"No." Lionel huffed out, standing firm though his tail trembled a little when the wolf shot him a vicious glare, teeth bared in a snarl. "Y-you're hurt… and exhausted… a-and probably hungry. I have a place… m-my pack has a place. You-"

"I don't need no pathetic mutt telling me what I need or don't need. I'm fine. And I sure as hell don't need a pack of wolves like you on my back every second of every minute of my life." the wolf rolled his eyes when Lionel whimpered. "Get lost."

-0-

Lionel never left; well, he left but he stayed on the sidelines, always watching the other wolf, waiting for the right moment. It came not long after their first meeting when he saw the wolf collapsed outside the small border that Steve, Bruce, and Thor had set up after a few days of moving in with Steve and Tony.

When the wolf had collapsed, Lionel had shifted, without thinking, into a bear and had brought him back to the mansion, much to the annoyance and strange confusion and curiosity of some of his packmates.

"Who is… that?" Freya asked, frowning at Lionel when the black wolf, now just a simple wolf again, since some of his packmates still didn't know he could shift into different animals, brought the other wolf inside the mansion. Steve had helped him out the second that Lionel came inside and helped set the golden, red wolf on the couch in the main living room.

"I… I don't know…" Lionel admitted, frowning under the gaze of his packmates, and even the stern yet concerned one thrown at him by Steve, after he'd shifted back into his human form.

"Lionel," Steve started and Lionel quickly amended before anyone else could get any ideas or chide him for what a stupid idea this was.

"I met him a week ago!" he blurted out, anxious and worried about the other wolf. "He was all alone and he came to the river and he looked hurt and hungry but he wouldn't accept my help or my offer to come stay here and he told me to go away and leave him alone. Obviously I didn't leave him alone because that wouldn't be right and he'd been hurt by something or someone and I-"

"Lionel, deep breaths…" Loki spoke up, a hand on his shoulder and Lionel jumped a little because when had Loki gotten so close? But he listened and took a deep breath, smiling weakly back at the other black wolf when Loki offered a smile to him in return. "We know there was a reason you brought him here, and I can take a guess that this wolf was likely already passed out when you decided to take him here. It seems to me that he would not go willingly awake, if what you had said was true."

Lionel nodded like this and turned pleading eyes to Steve, "I found him collapsed outside the border… he needs our help. Please Alpha…?" Lionel begged, ears lowered and Steve sighed, nodding his head.

"Alright, he can stay. But the moment he wakes up, I wish to be alerted imme-"

"Certainly, Master Steve, I will take care of that for you." the entire pack, aside from Freya, Bruce, and Tony jumped, when they heard the disembodied voice of Tony's A.I. And even Steve was apparently still not used to hearing Jarvis speak up at the most seemingly odd and random times, "I have been monitoring the man's vitals and will notify you of any sudden changes and/or if he wakes."

"Thank you, Jarvis," Tony spoke up, snickering lightly to himself. It never got old to see his packmates reactions to his creation and he loved the adorable little expressions of confusion and slight anxiety from his mate, Thor, Loki, Clint, and from Lionel.

"...yes, thank you." Steve cleared his throat and nodded to the others before disappearing down the hall.

-0-

When the wolf had woke up, Mark, he said his name was, the entire pack had been on edge because of how he reacted. Mark had not been happy when he had discovered that he was in a foreign home and he was furious to learn that Lionel had not in fact left him alone like he had asked. But after Jarvis and Bruce had both spoken up about how the man was equal parts exhausted, hurt, and hungry, Mark had reluctantly agreed to stay.

That hadn't meant that he hadn't caused hell upon the ones who had claimed the home as their territory, however.

And Tony and Clint especially had not been very happy about that.

-0-

"Son of a bitch!" Tony finally snapped when he had seen Mark, as stupid as it may have seemed, using his favorite coffee mug for tea no less. It only drove him further over the edge when he saw that arrogant, barely innocent smirk gracing the tired wolf's lips. "That's my mug!" he snarled, hands clenched to his sides.

It was helping much that he'd dealt with Mark constantly flirting with the Alpha, his mate, from the moment that he had gotten there and he was boiling with anger and jealousy. Because Steve was oblivious to all things related to flirting and romance when it didn't involve Tony, sure, but Tony sure as hell was not.

"I don't see your name on it." Mark puffed out and Tony's eye twitched, a low growl forming in his throat.

"You ass, you shouldn't have to! My scent is all over it!" It also wasn't helping that Steve had personally made that mug for him, a few months after they had completed their mating bond. Tony didn't give it a moment's pause when he saw something like anger and guarded fear flash across Mark's blue eyes at the mention of the word scent.

"Is it?" Mark sneered sarcastically and made to look at the mug and sniff at it, "Oh sorry, my bad." And then he just left, after roughly putting the mug and the tea in the sink and Tony had paid him no mind as he ran to check and see if the mug was okay before giving it a thorough washout of both the tea and Mark's DNA.

Lionel, having been a witness to the scene, frowned and sighed, before following after Mark, just to make sure he wasn't going to get into trouble.

-0-

Mark had stayed for all of two weeks before Jarvis deemed him okay to be on his own and the pack, aside from Steve, Bruce, and Lionel, couldn't have been happier. But Lionel wasn't ready to let him leave, especially after having spent the last two weeks observing Mark and noticing one very important detail that made him realize he really didn't want Mark to leave and go out on his own anymore.

"Mark…" Lionel whispered, confronting the wolf as gentle as he could after discovering what he did, but he still noted the slight jump in the other's form at having heard him speak.

"What do you want?" Mark grumbled, eying the other wolf with wariness and unease.

"To… to talk." Lionel sighed and walked over to the other, sitting by the river and he looked up, wondering how best to breach the obviously sensitive topic.

"Well, I'm waiting."

"You… when did you lose… you ability to smell things?" Lionel finally asked and Mark stiffened up before growling a little.

"I can still smell things!" he snarled and Lionel frowned at him, obviously knowing that was a lie. "I told you a while back that I could smell you were a shifter! Isn't that proof enough?" Shaking his head, Lionel shifted uneasily on his paws, looking down.

"I know… I know you were lying now. Because my scent isn't any different than my packmates. They told me so. And that only means that you knew from heart that I was a shifter because you were once one, nothing more, nothing less. And… and now that I know, you can't leave." the black wolf said stubbornly and Mark snarled at him, recovering from his shock and slight awe before jumping at him, tackling the surprised wolf to the ground.

"I don't need your help! I don't need any of your guys' help! I'm fine on my own! With or without my sense of smell…!" he barked viciously and Lionel trembled, but he held the other's furious gaze with his own stubborn and determined one.

"Do you know the reason why you collapsed outside of our territory?" Lionel asked and Mark paused, though he didn't move an inch. "Because you can't use your sense of smell to hunt, or smell borders and you get hurt because of that. You collapsed because you got too hungry to hunt for yourself when all of the prey is quiet and you can't smell them. You collapsed because the reason you got too hurt is because you couldn't smell your attackers coming and that meant a serious disadvantage to you in any area you are."

"That… I don't-"

"And one day, you're going to be on your own, too weak to hunt for yourself anymore and you'll be an easy target to other wolves that are in the territory you entered by mistake because you can't smell borders. Or you'll be easy prey to hunters because they're as silent as mice and you won't be able to see, hear, or smell them coming." His words were harsh, but his tone was calm and quiet, understanding.

Mark was frozen above him, sapphire eyes glinting with something unidentifiable, but Lionel knew then that he won. Because no wolf truly ever wanted to be alone and no wolf ever wanted to be so weak and defenseless that they'll be easy pickings for other predators, especially not hunters.

-0-

So Lionel took Mark back to the house and after a few days of clearing things up with his packmates, Lionel was delighted to find that Mark was now officially a pack member. Mark had apologized to Tony, and especially when he learned that Steve had been his mate for a very long time. He'd only thought that Tony had just been pining after their Alpha and they weren't actually together.

Tony had, of course after threatening Mark viciously in that flippant way of his, forgiven him and things around the mansion had become a little bit easier.

-0-

It was months before things had become chaos again, after everyone settled back down with their newest packmate. And Lionel had only wished that he had seen it coming, because of course nothing was ever so perfect that his past wouldn't ever come back to bite him in the ass.

Lionel was twenty one when Pepper and Natasha had come to their territory.

-0-

"Lionel…?" How his name was said wasn't what made him freeze up, nor the voice that said it, no. It was the scent that filled his nostrils a mere ten seconds before that had him bristling and frozen to his spot on the forest ground. Turning sharply, wide crimson eyes stared at the familiar red haired wolf before him. He backed away sharply then, ears lowered and tail between his legs as he suddenly remembered everything that had happened during his time with Shield. "Wait… no I-"

"G-go away…!" Lionel barked, shaking his head furiously. "You can't touch me here! I have a pack and if… if you do anything to me they'll-"

"My mate is hurt!" Natasha cut him off, hazel eyes clear and pleading and filled with so much regret and hurt that it made Lionel literally stumble over himself, eyes once more incredibly wide.

"Y-your mate…? Y-you have a… a mate…?" he whispered in question and suddenly he heard a small whimper near where they were and he froze before watching in shock when Natasha shifted and ran in the direction. Lionel followed immediately despite his fears of the assassin and the agency she worked with.

It had taken no more than a minute before they reached a small den where Natasha disappeared into, and Lionel paused, slowing his steps. Suddenly that fear and overwhelming uncertainty flooded back and he couldn't help but worry if this was a trap. They were outside the border now and Natasha could hurt him and claim that she didn't know he belonged to a pack since they weren't inside his territory anymore. She could claim that she thought he was a rogue wolf except for the fact that he and Clint knew-

Another whimper broke him from his thoughts and he thought not another second more before making his way inside and he gasped when he saw the pretty strawberry colored wolf that was lying against the far wall of the den, breathing heavily and covered in shallow cuts, her fur matted to her skin with sweat and blood.

He watched the wolf interact with Natasha and his heart warmed with the knowledge that there was so much love and trust in the other wolf's eyes. Did she know, though? About Natasha's involvement with Shield and what they did with wolves like them?

Shaking his head he turned his full attention towards the strawberry wolf and he edged closer, noting how she seemed wary of him, but she made no move or sound when he got closer. "What happened…?" he whispered and Natasha whimpered when the other wolf whined and let her head fall against the den floor.

"Shield-" Natasha started and Lionel bristled, jumping away, glaring at the two wolves now. "Lionel, no, please-"

"I knew it! I fucking knew it! This is all a trap, isn't it!?" he barked out, tail quivering and ears lowered and the other wolf whined.

"No!" Natasha shouted immediately, her own ears lowered. "It's not… I swear, Lionel… Pepper and I… we no longer have anything to do with Shield or Fury. We left left them… the moment that they hurt her. They hurt my mate…" she deflated and suddenly Lionel knew and he understood.

-0-

He didn't tell his pack, not yet, but he did go back to get Bruce, knowing that Bruce could help Pepper.

"What happened to her?" Bruce asked a few minutes after he'd started doing a little check up on Pepper and Natasha sighed, sitting up against the back wall with Pepper's head in her lap.

"We've been running from Shield for four months now, after having left when I found out that Fury and a few of his goons had hurt my mate when I had refused to do an assignment that many before me had failed." she looked at Lionel then and the wolf's ears lowered to his head when he understood what that assignment was. Hunting him and Clint both down and bringing them back to Shield. "A few days ago, we were discovered by a hunter nicknamed Ultron and he found us. We managed to evade him for a while until suddenly he was right on top of us and he managed to hurt Pepper and I really bad before I chased him away."

"Where are you injuries, if I may ask?" Bruce questioned, doing a quick once over to survey Natasha and she squirmed uncomfortably.

"Shield had given me the ability to heal faster than most. Any injury I sustained went away in a matter of minutes or even just a few hours." she explained and Lionel huffed, bristling slightly when he recalled what Clint had said a while back.

"They gave you powers… and took Clint's away…" he growled out and she flinched.

"They… they gave me one of his abilities… Lionel…" she murmured regretfully and Lionel snarled at her.

"One of his abilities!?" he snapped and she shrunk away. He only quieted his voice when Pepper whimpered again and Bruce shot him a stern look. "Is that why he was so afraid of you? So angry at you? Because Shield took his powers away and gave one of them, probably his most important one, to a bitch of an assassin like you!?"

"She… she's not a bitch…" Pepper mumbled and Lionel froze, eyes wide. "She… she never wanted his powers… but Fury refused to take them back. Said that it was better that way, that Natasha was more important than Clint was. That she and a few other agents deserved them more than he did."

"W-what…?" Lionel's heart broke at that and he frowned, looking back at Natasha. "What is she saying, Natasha?"

"Lionel, I loved Clint like he was my own brother, but after Fury took away his powers and gave one of them to me… well, Clint never looked at me the same." she whispered and Lionel sighed, deflating a little.

"Does Clint know?"

"No." Natasha suddenly bit out, eyes narrowed. "He couldn't have known. Fury would've killed him the second that he tried to-" she cut herself off and Lionel shuttered at the mental images. "I'd rather him be mad at me than have him be killed on my account because of what Fury did."

"Then what about the program!?" Lionel suddenly snapped, ears lowered once more. "Why did you stick around if Fury was taking away powers and abilities from wolves and humans like us?"

"Because had I tried to go against him or had I tried to leave, Pepper wouldn't be here with me." Natasha snapped back and Lionel fell silent, not knowing what else to say.

-0-

Knowing the real reason why Natasha had done what she did, Lionel had decided that after a few weeks, it was finally time for her and Clint to make up.

-0-

"Clint… Clint, please, you have to trust me…" Natasha pleaded and Clint growled at her, eyes watery and teeth bared. His ears were lowered against his head, his fur was bristling, and his tail was tucked beneath his legs as he stood between Lionel and Natasha.

"Why the hell should I!?" he snapped, "After all that you've done, all that Shield had done to me… to other wolves like us…!? You have the nerve to ask me to trust you… to forgive you!?"

"Clint… stop…" Lionel murmured, taking a few steps forward and he nuzzled his packmates fur, but even Clint was wary of him.

"Why did you bring me here Leo!? To her!? She works for Shield!" he bit out and Natasha stepped forward but Lionel shook his head at her, despite wanting her to explain. Clint wouldn't listen to her though and he will barely listen to Lionel given the circumstances, but Lionel was willing to try.

"She's not with Shield anymore…" he started and Clint stared at him in disbelief.

"You trust what she has to say!?" he barked and Lionel shook his head, because no, he didn't trust Natasha. Not yet anyway.

"I trust her mate… who Bruce and I had found hurt and almost broken because of a hunter hired by Shield to hunt down and kill Natasha and Pepper after they left when Natasha refused to take on the mission that was to hunt you and I down and bring us back to Shield." he said and Clint's breath caught in his throat, eyes wide as he stared at him before finally turning back to Natasha.

"Is… is that true…?" he asked, voice broken now and Natasha looked down and away, nodding her head.

"You're like my little brother Clint… I loved you… there wasn't any way I was going to hurt you and I tried to leave too, but I couldn't leave without Pepper." she trembled then and Clint took a single step forward, shifting into a human with uncertainty shining in his eyes. "I'm sorry… I… I'm so sorry…" she whispered and Lionel watched as Clint hugged her, tight, and they both cried.

-0-

Pepper and Natasha had joined their pack, weeks later and everything was as happy as could be. As it turned out, Tony and Pepper knew each other and though Tony had questioned why Pepper was a wolf, since she apparently used to be human, they became the best of friends again in no time. And everyone warmed up to the two, especially Pepper since Natasha was still as scary as hell, but Lionel still couldn't get one thing out of his head: Ultron, the ultimate wolf hunter that Shield had hired.

Because he knew who Ultron was, despite never having met the man before. Every wolf knew who Ultron was because no wolf ever survived an encounter by him, and if they did, as Pepper and Natasha had done, then Ultron would be back for them.

-0-

It was three months after Natasha and Pepper had settled in that Lionel was able to confirm his haunting thoughts. He knew that Ultron knew where they lived now, because of where he had attacked the two she-wolves and he knew that nothing was going to stop Ultron from killing them all now that Natasha and Pepper were part of their pack.

Lionel had caught the foreign scent first when he was patrolling the border on his own. He'd been on edge for months now and he wasn't sure if he was glad or distraught that his suspicions were proved correct when he found what he did. All along the border of their territory were dead animals, which meant that Ultron was either not just a hunter, but a wolf as well, or he had wolves with him.

He'd told Steve right away what he found and Steve had gone back to the border with him to survey what Lionel had seen.

For the next few days, Steve hadn't allowed anyone to go anywhere alone and for the next few days, Ultron had built up their guard until Lionel had noticed one day, that the pack was relaxed, as if the threat was over with.

But it wasn't, and he knew it wasn't. So he did the only thing he thought to do: he went out on his own to find Ultron and put a stop to whatever threat the hunter posed to his pack. And maybe his old Alpha tendencies never left him, or maybe he was still just as stupid and stubborn as he'd always been, but Lionel was never one to lie down or roll over and wait for the danger to come to them and destroy them.

He'll find Ultron and he'll protect his family, because that's what he's always done. Omega or not.

-0-

Lionel followed the scent until he came upon a camp a few miles from their border and he stiffened up when he saw Ultron, the man described in hundreds of wolf tales, and a few other hunters and wolves gathered with him. Suddenly he wasn't so sure if what he was about to do was any smart, well, of course it wasn't smart, but he had to do it. To protect his pack.

The small black wolf let out a sharp, loud howl before he suddenly pounced on the group, attacking Ultron outright. Ultron didn't give him another chance before he was thrown back onto the ground and guns and crossbows were suddenly aimed at him.

"Well, well, a little wolf has come to join our little gathering?" the deep voice purred and Lionel shivered as he got up, a little shaky with fear. "And an omega no less. What do you think you're going to do to me? Hm? A pathetic little wolf like you?"

"I'm going to tear you limb from limb to protect my family…" Lionel hissed and for a brief moment, he saw a little smirk light up Ultron's face and that confirmed his suspicions about the other being a wolf. It took no longer than a second before Lionel was suddenly lunging for Ultron once more, teeth bared and claws poised for the strike.

But Ultron was already so many steps ahead of him. "Ah ah, little wolf. If you kill me now… well, you'll never know where your little packmates are…" he purred and just like that, Lionel froze and stumbled over his own paws as fear coursed through him. "Yes, that's right. We already have two of your precious so-called family and I won't hesitate to kill either of them if you make even the slightest wrong move."

-0-

"Where is Lionel?" Freya questioned, yawning as she came into the kitchen to get herself some coffee. She hadn't seen Lionel at all since last night, but she wasn't too worried since the wolf slept in the oddest places sometimes.

"Never mind him, has anyone seen Loki or Tony? I've been meaning to talk to them about a slight upgrade to the mansion…" Clint hummed, looking around with a small frown and Freya narrowed her eyes.

"They're gone too?" she questioned just as Steve came in, looking a little worried.

"Hey Cap," Clint smiled before frowning when he caught the worried expression. "What's up?"

"Tony isn't with you guys, is he?" he asked, soft and unsure and when Freya and Clint shook their heads, Steve cursed to himself. "He wasn't in bed this morning when I woke up and he's not in his lab. Thor has asked where Loki is as well, since the wolf isn't with his mate or in the library."

"I can't find Lionel either," Freya admitted slightly to herself, trembling a little now and they all jumped a little when Natasha spoke up.

"They're… missing…?" she asked, frowning, with her eyes shining in worry and then suddenly they widened. "Ultron!"

"N-now wait a second Nat…!" Clint tried to calm her down when she started to shake with fear and anger. "M-maybe they just went out to patrol the borders?"

"This is Tony we're talking about. Tony doesn't patrol the borders without Steve. And Lionel hasn't patrolled them since he saw what he did a few days ago…" Freya said, frowning now and she looked to Steve, who had not said a word since Natasha had come in. "Alpha…?" she whispered and he snapped to attention, eyes hardened.

"Freya, Clint, Natasha, patrol the borders and notify me immediately of any changes. I'm going to find Thor and follow their scent to see if we can't track them down. Bruce and Mark will stay here and watch over the house and Pepper if anyone decides to attack while we're gone." he said, his tone of voice changing dramatically and his packmates all nodded, understanding the orders before moving out, each shifting into a wolf and prepared for the worst.

-0-

Lionel knew right there he was outnumbered, so he had done the only thing he could have then and there. He ran, with every intention of leading the hunters away from his pack and finding Loki and Tony. Because as scary as it was to admit it, he relied on Tony and Loki like he relied on Freya and Clint. They were his brothers… his family… and he wasn't about to let some hunters get away with even laying so much as a finger on them.

So he turned and ran and dodged the bolts and bullets sent his way easily as he leapt over logs and avoided twigs and bushes more efficiently than he had all those years ago, even months ago when running from Shield.

And the hunters, Ultron, did exactly what he wanted them to do. They followed him.

-0-

The second that he smelt smoke and ashes, he knew then where he was going: to the old factory, abandoned, outside of the town that Tony's mansion was placed outside of. It was years old, having not been in use for years after the fateful accident that closed it down and nearly all had forgotten about it, but not Lionel, nor had Ultron it seemed.

He'd only gotten as far as the outline of the factory's territory before he had gotten caught, a wolf barreling into him and he furiously threw her off of him, scrambling up and he jumped out of the forest and into the large clearing before turning sharply, to face the hunters and to face Ultron once more. Only before they appeared, he let loose another howl; this one, long, loud, and desperate, before he lunged for the kill.

He would hold out. He would wait. Because he knew if everything went wrong, if all his plans failed him… his Alpha… and his family… would come save him.

-0-

They had heard the howl, of course they had. But they had also smelt the blood the second they crossed the border of their territory, following Lionel's scent to the hunter's camp. Steve bristled at the thought of his pack being captured, but he dared not think as such yet, and only gave Thor a sharp nod before darting back through the forest, following the scent and the black wolf's trail to the old factory.

"If they hurt them…" he growled out, unable to even finish the thought, anger boiling through his entire being and he went just that little bit faster.

-0-

Lionel held out for several minutes, dodging nearly every bullet and crossbolt aimed at him and he attacked anyone in his reach, the hunters backing him against the factory and close enough that the smell of smoke and ash nearly made him want to gag.

"You won't get away with this Ultron!" Lionel stalled, snarling at the largest of them all and Ultron smirked, only causing Lionel to bristle once more, "My Alpha will be here any second and when he does-"

"Your Alpha… Do you mean Steven Grant Rogers? The alleged super soldier and one famous Captain America before he went missing, six months after he was found in the ice?" Lionel froze then and he knew that was an immediate mistake when he was suddenly thrown back. "Or do you mean Thor? The supposed 'God of Thunder' who is mates with his own brother, Loki Laufeyson… the almighty God of tricks and illusions? Or perhaps Natasha? The she-wolf who betrayed you all those months ago when you found out just exactly what Shield and Fury had been doing to all those poor wolves and humans with superpowers…" Ultron grinned wickedly and kicked Lionel again before the wolf could scramble away, delighting in the sound of pain ripped from him when he collided against the rusted metal walls of the factory. "Yes, pup, I know all about your pathetic little pack, about your… so-called family. I know about every last one of them: the silly little grave-teller, Freya; poor Clint who had his powers taken from him and given to others; or Doctor Banner whom used to be human and a lab rat of his own experimentations; Anthony, your precious little genius who has been on the run from so many people, and even Shield, because of you; Mark, who had been such a good little wolf before he lost everything, including his sense of smell, when his powers were taken from him; and dear little Pepper… who used to be such a proud human before she was bitten by the very woman she had taken as a mate."

Lionel snarled at Ultron when he got up, ears laid back and tail flicking back and forth dangerously. "So what!? You know about my family and all their secrets? Who cares? It doesn't change the fact that when they get here… they're going to kick… your…" he gritted the words out, snapping the last word with his voice dripping in venom, "...ass!"

"Perhaps… perhaps not. But you won't be there to see the end. Because you see, Lionel… I know everything about you too. And the second that this is put into your blood system… you won't be with your family any longer, not even in their final dying moments." Ultron laughed, tossing a vial of bright neon blue liquid in the air and Lionel, none of them, barely had a chance to react before Ultron was suddenly being tackled to the ground, the vial thrown from his hands and landing unharmed feet away from him, by Steve.

"Alpha!" And Lionel couldn't have been happier to see neither him nor Thor at that moment. And just like that, the fight had picked up. Every hunter in that clearing was suddenly pitched against Thor and Lionel as Steve tore viciously at Ultron's armor and what skin was visible.

Throwing Steve off of him suddenly, Ultron snarled back at the Alpha, grabbing his knives. "Well well well, if it isn't the soldier out of time… come to rescue your precious mate, have you?" he smirked viciously when Steve spat at him, snarling at the hunter in anger and fury.

"You son of a bitch!" Steve howled, loud and low and dark, before he launched at Ultron with everything he had.

-0-

Freya, Clint, and Natasha couldn't have run fast enough, after they had heard the first howl. And their fear and anger and worry had only spiked when they heard their Alpha.

-0-

Lionel yelped when he was struck with a knife before suddenly another wolf was tearing at him, as they rolled in the grass, tearing at each other with their claws and teeth. He barely even had time to register what was happening to his Alpha, or to Thor. He almost didn't realize that Clint, Freya, and Natasha had joined them until the wolf that had been digging into his belly was suddenly dragged off of him by Freya, her eyes narrowed and dark and her teeth bared in a vicious snarl.

He didn't even have time for a quick thank you before hunters were shooting at them again and they both dodged out of the way. Freya took off after another wolf who had aimed to attacked Clint and Lionel had darted away before aiming right for a few of the hunters that were supplying most of the ranged damage to his pack.

He ignored the hiss and sting of bullets grazing him and even the stray crossbolt that managed to dig into his skin before he had taken one hunter out of commission, but where one hunter fell, two had seemingly taken his place. But Lionel was determined to keep most of the damage done away from his packmates and he continued his strike, attacking hunter after hunter.

"Lionel!" Freya shouted at him and he yelped, thrown back from the distraction and he was suddenly cornered back against the factory once more.

"Is… is that all you got!?" Lionel barked, ears lowered and he was poised to attack at any given moment, though his fear spiked when he saw several guns aimed at him from the hunters surrounding him. He knew then that if nothing was done, then it would not be poison that would kill Lionel, it would be nothing more simple than this. And he hated that with a passion, but he couldn't keep up the attack, not with so many hunters surrounding him then.

He had not even been given the chance to blink before suddenly a black blur had dropped down in front of him, between him and the hunters and a bright flurry of red and gold fire had surrounded them both as piercing screams of agony filled the air.

When the fire cleared, several hunters were either on the ground, fire still flickering from their bodies or were running away, weapons dropped as they clutched at their chests, arms, or heads. And Lionel shook as he looked up, crimson eyes wide when he saw exactly who saved him. "Y-you… you saved me…" he whispered and the man only looked back at him, eyes colored blue, red, green, and gold glinting with something hidden before the stranger suddenly darted away, wind, and water, and earth, and firebending to his will as he fought hunters and wolves alike to save the wolves that were at such a huge disadvantage.

It was only then that Lionel noticed Clint and Natasha were gone and he realized they had used the fight as a distraction to sneak inside the factory and retrieve Tony and Loki from wherever they were being held.

"You insolent fool!" Ultron shouted at the stranger, who was now standing between a beaten down Steve and the hunter, fire building up from his hands and consuming his arms as his eyes flashed dangerously red. "You would protect a pack that is not your own!?"

"I would protect innocent wolves from monsters like you…" the stranger growled and Lionel watched in fear as Ultron jumped back, crossbow ready.

"Then you will die because of your foolish naivety," the hunter snarled and everything happened so fast that Lionel almost didn't even register the moment he had gotten to his feet, shouting in fear and shock when he saw a bolt being released and he acted without thinking. He lunged at Ultron, tackling the hunter to the ground and they rolled about several times before suddenly Lionel had felt nothing but sharp pain blooming from his neck and he roared out in tattered agony before being thrown off of the hunter and against the ground. "You have brought this upon yourself… shifter…" Ultron hissed, standing up and glaring at the wolf that writhed and whimpered in pain because of the poison that had been injected into his veins.

"Lionel!" Steve howled out, standing up shakily before he suddenly turned on Ultron, eyes blazing and he roared. "No!"

Lionel opened his eyes the moment that sound seemed to white out for him, time seemingly slowing down and he watched in horror as more hunters came into the area. As Thor, Freya, and the stranger were outnumbered even with Thor's strength and the stranger's magic. As Steve was thrown back against a tree, the tree shattering in two and as Ultron grinned viciously at the Alpha.

"You have forced me to play a card I had no intention of playing tonight… but it looks like it's your lucky day, soldier." Ultron growled out, stepping back slowly and suddenly he began to shift. From human into something Lionel feared more than anything now; from human into a monstrous wolf that was larger than anything he'd ever seen before. "It's time I taught you a lesson and it'll be one you never forget!"

"No!" Lionel shouted as he watched Steve get tossed around like ragdoll but he never backed down and Lionel trembled, struggling to get up. "Alpha!"

"Steven!" Tony shouted, followed by a sharp cry as hunters had surrounded the newly freed wolves before they could even do anything. And before Lionel had even known what he was doing, he was back up on his feet and he felt something boil beneath his veins and for a split second he couldn't have been happier to know that Fury hadn't known animal venom never killed him.

It only seemed to make him angrier.

-0-

The second that Steve hit the ground and didn't get up, was the second that Ultron was knocked back to the ground, the small wolf surprisingly strong in his blatant anger, but Ultron was stronger. And he proved that by throwing Lionel off of him and the giant grey wolf snarled at the other, disbelief coloring his tone. "You're supposed to be dead!" he snapped and Lionel growled, low and dark, crimson eyes blazing as he glared at Ultron, anger the only thing making itself known.

"There's one thing I forgot to mention to Fury…" the name was spat out as Lionel took a sharp step back, allowing himself room for what he was about to do without any thought, "I'm immune… to animal venom!"

Ultron watched with wide eyes as Lionel suddenly shifted, from wolf into dragon but his fear was replaced by anger soon after when the shifter roared at him, and he lunged at the other, using his strength to barrel into him and knock him back against the factory once more. "I will enjoy killing you…!" Ultron snarled, tearing his teeth into Lionel's neck and the dragon roared out.

Lionel grabbed at Ultron's form and growled as he threw the wolf off of him and back into the fragile factory walls and he heard, just a second before Ultron get up exactly how fragile the walls were. He didn't have to be a genius like Tony to know that Ultron heard it too and he barely took a step back before Ultron was attacking him again and it was a battle of strength and stubbornness before finally Ultron won out, driving the dragon into the walls and collapsing into them.

Lionel heard, rather than saw, the destruction spur some of his packmates into action as they fought off some of the hunters holding them captive, but he paid no mind to them now as Ultron tore into his armored skin, snarling and snapping at him as Lionel snapped and snarled back. He had half a mind to use his fire, but in an old factory, that was never a good idea and so he stuck with his claws, teeth, and his strength to match Ultron blow for blow, hurting the wolf back when he hurt the shifter.

"You think… that you're the strongest of us all…" Lionel snarled, after having torn Ultron from himself and thrown him back against one of the broken silos in the factory, "but you are nothing but a coward… hiding behind your strength and your size to win battles you have no right of winning!"

"I am a hunter feared by all and respected by thousands! You are just a pathetic little wolf who wasn't even born from another! You were created! By a scientist you killed!" Ultron snapped and Lionel flinched before realizing his mistake a second too late as Ultron barreled into him and they crashed against several pipes and silos, gas filling the air around them and Lionel coughed harshly, eyes closed tight as he stumbled around.

Ultron attacked him from seemingly all sides and Lionel collapsed against the ground, with one particularly hard attack before he threw Ultron off of him against the pipes once more. "This can only end one way…" Lionel snarled, forked tongue flicking out and he was threatening Ultron with something he wasn't sure he could survive himself. "And it is not with you coming out alive…"

Ultron growled and backed away, grey fur darkened with ash that had clung to his fur during the fight. "What will you do?" Ultron taunted, eyes narrowed, teeth bared and Lionel would've thought he wasn't bothered by the gas if not for the way his nose twitched and his eyes watered. "Burn the place down with your… fire…? You're a weakling Lionel! A coward! You have not the guts to do that! You'll kill yourself if you do and you couldn't bare to sacrifice yourself even to save the others."

Lionel took a few moments, silent, as he stood up shakily and he shook his head, his wings ruffling and tail flicking back and forth as he flicked his tongue out once more. "See… that's where you're wrong." he said, and took a single step forward when Ultron spluttered a sharp and dark protest.

"Y-you wouldn't dare!" his cries were drowned out by the sharp roar Lionel let out before suddenly, fire consumed the entire building faster than Ultron could run away.

-0-

The only warning any of them had before the building nearly exploded was the sound of Lionel's roar and they barely had any time to react before they were all thrown back by the force of the explosion that consumed the factory.

Time seemed to slow down for them all as they watched in horror. The hunters and wolves siding with Ultron that hadn't died or fled already, had ran the second they got up from the blast, leaving the others behind to deal with the scene before them.

"No!" Freya screamed, gearing to run inside the still flaming building, but Steve and Thor had to hold her back. Clint had broken down and clung to Natasha as Loki and Tony stared in horror, at the building, at the flames, and at the smoke.

"L-Lionel…" Tony choked out, tears flowing down his cheeks and he clenched his fists to his sides. "N-no… h-he can't be… he's not dead…!" Tony shouted suddenly, eyes closed tightly as he screamed and shouted at the fire, for Lionel.

After all this… Lionel couldn't be dead.

-0-

It had been hours before the building had been cleared to go into, by firemen and wolves with super abilities that were unique to situations like these. The entire pack had stayed outside the factory, near the edge of the forest: Bruce was holding Clint tightly as the omega cried; Loki was curled with Thor, refusing to even look at the factory; Tony was crying against Steve's chest, shaking terribly, his voice hoarse after several minutes of screaming for Lionel; Natasha held Pepper as the beta cried against her; and Mark held Freya tight to him, though she made not a sound, staring only at the factory with numbing silence, her eyes dull now as she seemingly stared through the smoke and ash.

The stranger only watched silently from the shadows, but he had been the first to notice when the firemen had discovered something that made them seem almost joyful

"We found something!"

"There's someone in here!"

"He's still alive!"

"Get EMT out here immediately!"

Though the stranger already figured this out, Clint was the first to truly hear all this, his head snapping up as he looked in the direction of the factory with wide eyes. Though they were filled with fear and hope, he wondered if the survivor was Ultron instead, but his fears were quelled immediately when the firemen had helped carry out a single small, ash colored wolf, limp in their arms.

"L-Lionel…" Clint choked out, clutching tightly to Bruce and the beta only breathed out a sigh of relief, when he saw the scene.

"Thank god…" Steve murmured softly and smiled down at his mate as Tony choked on his tears and his happiness. "He's okay… Lionel's okay…"

"It brings joy to my heart to see that our packmate has survived!" Thor boomed out and just like that, tension bled from their bodies as they laughed and cried. Freya uttered not a sound however, as she cried silent tears, watching as Lionel was dragged away to the hospital.

-0-

Three weeks. That's how long Lionel had been asleep, in the hospital, in Emergency, or ICU, or some other medical room or wing that none of his packmates cared to remember. He hadn't woken up since the firemen had found him, nor since the medical unit brought him there. He didn't even wake up during the countless of hours that the lawmen and the reporters had questioned his pack, asking them all questions that none cared to answer or couldn't answer.

'What happened?'

'Why were you all at the old factory?'

'What caused the fire?'

'You're all covered in blood and injuries, care to explain why?'

It was countless question after question, some repeats, and Tony had had enough of it all.

"My name is Anthony Edward Stark, son of Howard Stark and owner of Stark Industries and I'm here to tell you the truth. Because the truth is: my family was almost killed… by a psycho hunter hired by Shield and a man called Director Fury. Several of my pack were injured during this fight and one in particular is in care at the hospital." Tony bit out, closing his eyes tightly as he trembled, so as to not cry in front of the press. "He… he may die because of what that bastard, what that hunter Ultron… and his boss had done and if he does," his eyes opened them and they flashed yellow for one brief second. "I will hunt you down, Fury. And when I do, you better fear my arrival because I will torture you and tear you limb from limb for what you did to my family."

He turned to walk away, ignoring the flashes of cameras and the shouts and callbacks of the reporters that had gathered outside the hospital. Finally getting inside, he collapsed against Steve and cried, trembling and shaking terribly. "Shh, baby, it's alright…" Steve whispered, hugging the man tight to him as he sighed before kissing Tony's head.

"H-he's going to m-make it… r-right? He… he has to…" Tony whispered and Steve could only murmur encouragingly soft words to calm him mate down.

"Lionel… is one of the strongest omegas I know…" Steve whispered back and turned his head to look through the wide glass doors that led to the hallway that would take them to Lionel's room if they were allowed. "He'll make it…" he finished with a barely there breath, mostly to himself, but in a room full of wolves, there was no doubt his pack had heard him.

-0-

Fire. Smoke. Gas. Screams. Blood. That was what he saw, heard, and smelt. And it seemed to linger when he opened his eyes, bright white light flooding his vision and blinding him before he closed his eyes again, swallowing the scream he so badly wanted to let out. He trembled, the nightmare so vivid in his mind and his senses screamed for fresh air and for peace and quiet, but that awful smell of cleaning acids and terrible medicine lingered around him and that constant beeping pierced through his eardrums.

"You're awake," a soft voice reached him, through the beeping noise and he blinked his eyes open again, crimson flashing blue for a single moment before they cleared and his blurred gaze landed on a petite little doctor that was by his bedside. "That's good. We were getting worried you would not wake up." she smiled at him and he swallowed hard, trying to find his voice, but his throat and mouth were so dry, it hurt to make any noise. "Here, drink this, I'm sure it will help you." she added as she handed him a small cup of water and she helped him sit up to drink it.

Doing as told, he took the cup and drank it when he was upright, sighing softly when the cool water seemed to soothe his scorching throat and dry mouth. "Th-thanks…" he mumbled and she chuckled, nodding her head as she accepted the cup back and went to refill it, handing it back to him once she returned.

"Your vitals are stable, your injuries have mostly healed, aside from a few minor burns which is surprising all in itself. My sources say you were found only hours after a major fire broke out in the old factory, exploding the building, inside the factory. You must have a pretty high tolerance to fire or you somehow managed to find a way to escape the explosion from inside. You're friends were all worried about you-"

Lionel shot upright at that, eyes wide, before he suddenly hissed in pain and the doctor lady sighed, helping him back down with a bit of protest from the wolf. "N-no… you don't… don't understand… m-my pack…"

"Pack?" the doctor blinked before she suddenly smirked, hands on her hips. "Well I'll be. No wonder they were so adamant in refusing to let you be on your own. You've got quite the big pack, hun. And everyone of them out there genuinely cares about you, that's good." she chuckled and shook her head when he tried to speak up. "Don't worry sweetie, I'll let them in soon enough, but you've only just woken up. You need your rest-"

"I-I've been sleeping long enough…" Lionel muttered, ears lowered and he frowned at her, suddenly wanting to ask the one question that was plaguing his mind. "How… how long-"

"Three weeks." she answered solemnly. "Three weeks you've been asleep since the fire and two of those weeks we were trying so hard to keep you from the grasp of deaths hands. We weren't sure we had succeeded, well, until now, that is." she laid a hand on his shoulder and nodded her head. "Alright, I'll go get them. But they can't all stay here at once and you best tell them that they should all go home, get something to eat, clean up, and rest. Your pack isn't any good to you if they die of stupidity waiting for you to get out of here." she smirked and he only managed a weak chuckle, nodding his head and he watched her go, his stomach turning at the thought of seeing his pack.

How were they? Were they all here like she said? Even the stranger? How mad… was his Alpha at him? Even Freya, or Tony and Loki? What he did had been pretty stupid, but… how else would he have been able to end the fight? To kill Ultron he had to sacrifice himself and he had been all so willing to do that. Was still willing if it meant it would keep his pack safe.

"Y-you selfish, foolish bastard!" Loki hissed the second that he came into the room and Lionel flinched at the words and the venom in the others voice, but he said nothing back and only whimpered when Loki hugged him, tightly, before being joined by Clint, Freya, and Tony.

"Don't you dare do that to us again Lionel!" Freya glared through her tears at the guilty wolf. "Y-you don't just go into a factory and blow yourself up! Who the hell does that sort of thing!?"

"I-I did it to get rid of Ultron-!"

"Ultron isn't dead…" Lionel froze in his tracks then, eyes wide, when Freya snapped at him and he trembled.

"N-no… t-that isn't possible… h-he was there when I ignited the gas… h-he should be dead… nothing but ash…!" Lionel reasoned, before suddenly turning his wide eyes on Steve when he saw his Alpha. "A-Alpha… y-you have to believe me… h-he was there…"

"I believe you, Lionel…" Steve said, sighing softly as he made his way to the bed, sitting on the side as his omegas, and Freya, all curled around Lionel. "But Ultron… the hunter… he wasn't there when the firemen found, ash or otherwise. I don't know how, but somehow he managed to escape."

"B-but that means… h-he can still…"

"Now you listen here, Lionel," Tony said sharply, eyes flashing yellow and Lionel whimpered, "what you did was stupid and insane and you're never allowed to do that again, no matter the consequences! You told me once that I needed my pack, but what you don't seem to understand is that you're as much apart of this pack as anyone else and I need you too… and if you… if you die… because of your stupid, selfish actions…" Tony choked on his breath and Lionel couldn't help it as he hugged Tony tight to him, crying silently.

"I-I won't… I-I promise I-I won't…"

-0-

After several minutes of the pack all scolding him and crying over him, all so happy he was alive but so mad about what he did, Lionel, with the help of the doctor, had sent them all home to get cleaned up, to eat something other than hospital food, and to finally get some sort of peaceful rest now that he was fine and awake.

"You gave everyone quite the scare, Casanova." Lionel jerked his head up when he heard the voice and he smiled when he saw the stranger, leaning against the door, now closed to the outside world. "And I'm not sure if what you did was stupidly brave or bravely stupid. I'm betting on bravely stupid right now." he said with a smirk and Lionel blushed, looking down guiltily.

"What? Like what you did all those years ago to save me?" Lionel huffed and the stranger snorted, walking over to the bed.

"Ah yes, what does this make? The fifth…? time I've saved your ass?" he teased and Lionel stuck his tongue out at the other before looking up, about to counter until he saw the expression on the stranger's face. "Your pack weren't the only ones worried… Lionel…" he whispered, reaching out and cupping Lionel's cheek, wiping away a few stray tears.

"I know… I-I know… and I'm sorry…" Lionel choked out, closing his eyes tightly. "I'm sorry… Drake…"

-0-

Two weeks. Two more agonizing weeks until Lionel had been let out of the hospital and he was able to go home, back to his pack and their territory. And when he had gotten home, he couldn't have been happier, being doted upon by his pack and his Alpha.

Drake had disappeared again, but Lionel wasn't worried. Because sooner or later he would show up again, whether to save him from something else or just to check up on him. But he was finally happy and though he still worried about Shield, and about Fury and Ultron, he cared little about them because he had his pack. And as long as he had his pack, he had a family that he could protect with his life and that would protect him with theirs.