Chapter 1
Percy had been hoping to see Neo and ask him to spar since he woke-up, but he hadn't seen the other camper yet. Luke had spotted Percy waiting around after his last practice session and walked over. Annabeth seeing her crush headed over to the Son of Poseidon also went to join the boy.
"Hey, Perce, what's up?" Luke asked when he got close enough to not have to yell. He smiled at Annabeth when she joined them.
"Huh," Percy said turning to the Son of Hermes, "Oh, hey Luke. Have you seen Neo?"
Luke shook his head, "Not since he left this morning. I did get a message after lunch that he would be gone for the rest of the day. Why?"
"Nothing really, I was just going to ask him to spar with me," the younger boy admitted with a shrug.
Luke knew he had some spare time, but when Luke was about to ask Percy if he wanted to spar together he was interrupted.
"You should be careful Percy," Annabeth cautioned, "Neo's dangerous."
Luke felt insulted by Annabeth's comment on his brother's behalf. "What's that supposed to mean?" he bit out the question angrily.
Annabeth flinched at Luke's tone and quickly realized what she had just said in front of Neo's brother. "I'm just saying that he may be a Son of Hermes, but he's also a Son of Hecate. She's a powerful goddess, a Titan, and she's dangerous. Not to mention he was claimed by Thor. I may not know him very well, but that makes Neo dangerous. He has Thor's strength, Hermes' cunning, and Hecate's magic."
Luke's jaw was stiff and his eyes burned with anger as he glared at the girl he thought was 'smart', apparently she lost a few brain cells on her last quest. "You're right, Annabeth, you don't know Neo. It doesn't always matter who someone's Father or Mother is, everyone makes their own decisions. You should know by now that demigods might get their powers from their godly parent but they are the ones who choose how to use them. Neo may be the Son of Hecate and Thor but he has never hurt anyone who didn't attack him first and he only fought back in self-defense. I'm sick of the way everyone here is treating him, and sometimes I wish he would just knockout the people who keep talking behind his back. Especially since everyone here owes him their lives, or have you forgotten the fact that he saved this Camp from a War of the gods, and does the fact that he saved me mean nothing to you?"
"Of course I'm happy that you're safe Luke. If I had realized what was going on I would have tried to help you long before Neo even came to Camp." Annabeth said, using her last statement as a flimsy excuse to get back on Luke's good side, but he wasn't accepting it.
"Yeah, but you didn't. In fact, you never noticed a thing. Neo was the first one to figure out something was wrong. That just shows that he's smarter than the people here. Maybe that's why you're so afraid of what he could do, because he's obviously better than the rest of us. I'm proud to have a brother like him, and I know that the other Sons of Hermes don't feel the same. But if I had to choose who I would go into battle with and die beside, I would choose him every time because he's obviously braver than most. He didn't wait around for a quest, when he saw something was wrong he left to fix it. He found the real Master Bolt and stopped Kronos from getting it. Then he saved you, Percy and Grover from the Lotus eater's trap. And the way I hear it it's thanks to Neo and his friends that Percy's Mom is safe and you were able to make it back to Olympus on time. Is this the kind of gratitude you give your rescuer? I'm not a Son of Apollo but even I can see your future's not looking too good right now, because when people find out that this is the thanks they get for saving you, most of them won't even try next time. But do you know what the worst thing is? I may not know Neo all that well but I do know, even with the way campers are acting towards him right now, Neo wouldn't hesitate to save everyone again because he's a hero and that's what heroes do." Luke had gotten into Annabeth's face and watched as his stinging words started to make the younger girl cry.
Annabeth felt a mix of emotions but her pride reared its ugly head and the terrible humiliation she felt at Luke's words made her strike out at him.
Luke grabbed Annabeth's hand as it came up to slap his face. They stared at each other as Annabeth tried to wrench her wrist out of his grasp. He watched as she clenched her jaw and her grey eyes turned steely. It was clear that she wouldn't listen to him and right now he really didn't want to bother with her. When Luke let go Annabeth ran away.
Watching as Luke's shoulders sagged and he let out a world weary sigh, Percy knew the other demigod was upset with the Daughter of Athena, but he also knew that everything Luke said was true and Annabeth would have to acknowledge the truth sooner or later.
"Uh, I'm just going to head back to my cabin, see you later Luke," he started to walk away but Luke spoke and Percy turned to him.
"Hey, Percy?" Luke questioned.
"Yeah," Percy replied.
"How do you feel about paying Neo a surprise visit?"
The Son of Poseidon's brow furrowed in confusion, "What do you mean?"
Luke let out another sigh, "To be honest?" he pause to think, "Things are getting a little too stale around here for me. I just want to get out of here for a while, so I'm inviting you along on a trip that may be dangerous, because what isn't dangerous in the lives of demigods, but it will definitely be better than hanging around here for summer vacation."
Percy looked at Luke's face as a mischievous smirk appeared. The offer actually sounded good and Percy quickly made up his mind, "Sure, but if Chiron catches us, I'm telling him it was all your idea."
"What about your fuzzy friend, Grover?"
"He's having too much fun right now and I don't want to put him through another life threatening experiences so soon." Percy said thinking about the poor Satyr who had been hanging around the daughters of Aphrodite lately.
Luke snickered he had seen the Satyr hanging out with the girls too. "Yeah sure, come on; let's go talk to Remus and Sirius."
They traveled up to the big house and met up with Neo's Uncles. When Luke told the two wizards about wanting to join Neo wherever he was, they agreed that they too felt like taking a break from the camp. They brought this up to Chiron who had returned and he decided that he would let them go. "I am a teacher, but sometimes it is the World that a student must learn from," he had told them, and then made them pack all of their weapons and swear to be careful. They had all of the things they packed ready and where walking out of the stone arch to Camp when they came across Loki and his sons. They had all met in the last three days and Sirius and Loki had made quick friends with both of them sharing a love for pranks. In the end Loki was able to convince them to wait until the next morning and they would all leave early after Remus packed up Neo's tent to take to him.
Loki went to sleep that night with a grin on his lips. The god of Chaos couldn't wait to get out of there; he may love the quiet times where he got to read but even with his trips to spy on Amora he was getting restless. He may not be exactly like his brother but Loki always enjoyed a good trip, especially when it had the promise of being interesting and Neo suddenly finding a reason to stay on the other side of the continent sounded very interesting.
*Break*
The morning after arriving in Malibu, Neo woke up early like usual. After taking a shower and getting ready for the day, he headed to the kitchen and passed by Tony's room on the way. He peeked in to check on the billionaire and found him asleep. Neo couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face as he kept walking down the hall.
Neo hadn't thought that Tony's house had been a mess the first time he saw it, but when he noticed how much cleaner the living room and kitchen were that morning he was surprised. The living room looked like it was brand new and every surface in the kitchen sparkled. His jaw went slack and his mouth started to water as he looked at the amazing picture perfect food that sat on the kitchen table and smelled the aromatic bouquet of tantalizing scents that drifted off of the steaming food. Perfectly cooked eggs, sausage, crepes, omelets, French and stuffed toasts, pancakes and other food that were perfectly seasoned and topped with fruits and handmade syrup weighed down Tony's kitchen table.
Elric walked around the marble island in the middle of the room and brought Neo a cup of tea. His perfectly pressed suit was as impeccable as always. "Young Master, I did not know what you would prefer for breakfast so I asked the A.I. Jarvis for recipes that would include the ingredients already in the kitchen. Please, tell me if there is anything else I could get you."
Neo glance back at the five star foods, "No everything looks amazing, but I don't know if we can eat it all."
"I'm definitely keeping you around now," Tony's voice came from the kitchen door, "With food like that I may have an excuse to stop working and eat." The billionaire shuffled tiredly into the kitchen, and taking a strawberry off of the top of a plate of pancakes Tony popping it in his mouth.
The young god laughed and joked, "That sounds like high praise Elric."
The Spirit nodded politely, "Thank you Mr. Stark. Would you prefer coffee or tea this morning, and how do you take it?"
"Triple shot espresso, black," Tony said absentmindedly as he chose what he would eat for breakfast. He finally decided on a traditional California breakfast of fruit and a veggie omelet, and sat down to eat.
Watching as Tony latched onto the cup full of black liquid, Neo just shook his head and teased the slowly waking billionaire, "You poor man, yanks like you can't function without coffee, but with the way it looks it can't be good for you."
"No, it's not but what else can I do?" Tony mumbled and gave his coffee a contemplative look.
"Hmm…" Neo pretended to search his pockets as he summoned a vial of Pepper-Up from his locket. "Ah-hah! Here, try this it should get you going before you know it."
It seemed that Tony wasn't in a mood to question it, and in an uncharacteristic act he accepted the vial pulled the stopper and drank it quickly. Just as the taste of cinnamon touched his tongue, Tony was surprised that he was already starting to feel more alert.
Tony was fully awake when the doorbell gave a buzz and Jarvis announced that a group was waiting at the door. He made the usual assumption when he heard it was a group, "Reporters? I thought I told you not to allow them up the driveway, Jarvis."
"Yes sir, you did, but these men said they are Mr. Thorson's family," the A.I.'s mechanical voice sounded slightly insulted by what Tony said.
Neo perked up, "Who is it, Jarvis?"
"I was told that Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin and Mr. Odinson are here with your cousins, a brother and a friend you made at camp. Should I allow them in, sir?" The robot questioned his creator.
"Uh, I'm not sure…" Neo started to say.
"Sure, Jarvis let's meet them."
Neo just ran, he couldn't think of anything but making sure the people at the door were exactly who they said they were, for Tony's sake more than his own. His magic preceded him and started to search for the energies of the people outside. When Neo felt the familiar magic of Sirius, Remus and Loki, and his senses took in the presence of the godly and beastly, Neo relaxed. It was his family standing outside.
Neo may have been happy to see them but he didn't immediately open the door when he got to it, after all this is Sirius and Loki we're talking about.
"Jarvis do you have any hologram technology that you can use to project someone's image?" Neo whispered.
Jarvis proved his knowledge of human responses when he quietly replied, "All of the equipment for a projection is in the workshop, Mr. Thorson. I cannot project an image in this hallway."
"Remind me to talk to Tony about that later. I'm going to use my own projector, just don't tell Tony, okay?"
Neo didn't wait for a response before he had reached into his pocket to fake touching a device while he cast an illusion. Then he walked to the door and the image followed. He opened the door and stepped to the side while the copy staid in front of the opening. As the door swung open Fenrir and a large black dog jumped at the image and fell right through it and onto the floor.
Fenrir turned when he heard someone laugh. A second Neo stood to the side and the first one seemed to disappear. The wolf god pouted, "That's not cool, you shouldn't trick people like that."
Neo smiled, "Yes, because jumping on people is so much nicer." He walked up to the two and flicked them both on the forehead, "Bad boys, no jumping," he teased in a tone reserved for reprimanding a misbehaving pet.
Of course Fenrir and Sirius didn't listen and they sprung up from the ground and latched onto Neo. The young god rolled his eyes and looked over at the rest of his family.
"Tony said to come on in," Neo told them.
Loki walked in like the royal prince he was. Remus smiled and gave Neo a pat on the shoulder before reaching down and dragging Sirius into the house, the dog animagus began to whine. Luke greeted him as he followed the others. Jormungandr was standing next to Percy and they both seemed to hesitate at the door.
"Well, come on you two," Neo smiled at them and they both smiled back.
"Thanks," Percy spoke as he entered.
Jormungandr pursed his lips before his tongue came out to wet them, and his ice-blue eyes scanned the interior, "It smells like too much coffee and stale sex. I feel like I'm going to suffocate by just walking in there."
"It doesn't surprise me," Neo stated with a laugh, "but you can just sniff something that smells better when the scent gets to be too much."
Jormungandr gave a predatory grin as he quickly stepped forward, and buried his nose in Neo's hair while he wrapped both arms around Neo in a constrictive hug. The serpent god had to work his arms in between the younger god and his brother. Fenrir growled when his cuddling was interrupted by his older brother, and tightened his grip around Neo as he clung to the others side.
Jormungandr inhaled deeply, "Hmm, I guess that could work," he said as he let go of Neo, which finally allowed the younger god to breath, and grabbed both younger gods and lifted them over his shoulder. "Come on you two," he said repeating Neo's earlier words.
Neo couldn't help it, he was laughing all the way down the hall and into the large kitchen. It was good to finally have a family he could have fun with even if they were a bit strange, but what family wasn't?
Introductions had already begun and it was Jormungandr and Fenrir's turn to be introduced. Neo and Fenrir where put down on their feet before Jormungandr spoke, "I'm Jo and this is my brother Dolf. Sorry if he pees on the carpet, we're still working on house training him."
"Hey!" Fenrir shouted as he glared daggers at his older brother and continued to hug Neo. Fenrir then leaned over and whispered to Neo, "I am so rolling over on him in the middle of the night."
Tony and his guests had a chat over breakfast which was quickly finished by the group.
"So what are you all doing here?" Tony questioned.
"Yeah, I thought you were planning on meeting me in New York." Neo said trying to clue everyone in on the cover story, "Did you have to take another plane from New York after you arrived?"
"No it was mostly spur of the moment so we decided to call in a favor from my friend in New York. We arrived this morning." Loki replied with a growing smirk, "But I see why you stayed in Malibu. I know how much you like the West Coast."
Neo narrowed his eyes at his Uncle, though he had to blink when hair fell into his eyes. Neo had recently noticed that his hair was growing longer and he was planning on mentioning it to Luke so his demigod brother could help him cut it. His hair wasn't the only thing growing lately. Neo had thought that he was getting taller and when he compared himself with Jormungandr he could see that he was right. He also realized that he didn't look like a teenager anymore, as he looked at his face in the mirror that morning he could have passed for mid-twenties.
Before he left the kitchen Tony had invited everyone to stay as long as they wanted, then he left for his workshop. That day after breakfast Neo took the time to show them around the house. Elric fell into a routine of acting like the world's greatest butler, while everyone else went about their own schedules. Loki still left after Lunch and was gone for almost four hours before he came back. Jormungandr, Fenrir, Luke, Percy, Remus and Sirius all decided to drag Neo down to the beach and Elric followed after his master. When Loki came back he joined them, and everyone enjoyed the sunny day and salty sea air. The serpent god and the young Son of Poseidon had a diving contest. Luke and Neo spent time with them out in the water. Fenrir had fun running through the surf. He would dig up hermit crabs then let them go before searched out another one. The poor wolf god let out a surprised yelp as he went to pull out a hermit crab but discovered it was a lobster. After that Fenrir left the shore and joined the others in the water. Remus stayed on shore and kept a close eye on everyone with Elric doing the same. Sirius had swam with everyone until he had gotten tired, then he walked back onto the shore and collapsed onto Remus' lap. Sirius fell asleep as the other wizard ran his fingers through his fur. They all played until the sun started to go down and their stomachs began to grumble.
Sirius was walking next to Neo who looked down with a curious look, "Why are you a dog?"
"Since it would only be for today, Sirius decided it would be more fun as a dog," Remus replied.
Neo looked at the shape-shifter, "Who said it would only be for today?"
Remus blinked, "We thought you would be returning to camp this evening. You said that you would just stay the night."
"I never said that, besides I've got a gut feeling that something is about to happen. I think Tony's in danger and I promised Death that I would keep him alive, so until the coast is clear, I'm staying." Neo looked down at the black dog, "I wonder if Tony will like having a dog in the house? Looks like you'll have to get used to eating off the floor again, Padfoot."
Neo had to hide his smirk when the wizard in dog form started to whine. Remus chuckled and Sirius gave him a betrayed look.
Remus just shook his head, "Don't be so dramatic, Padfoot, it will be fine." When Sirius hung his head Remus pat his back in comfort.
"So what do you want us to do, Bro?" Luke asked.
"Stay, I'm not too sure what will happen but I could probably use the help later," Neo responded.
"What kind of feeling are you getting?" Jo questioned.
"I feel like there's a traitor hiding behind a curtain but I haven't been able to figure out whom. I'm just now starting to meet the people around Tony. It has to be someone close though, because the man only has close friends and he's always cautious about everyone else. I don't think it would be easy for a stranger or rival to fool Tony. I'm going to have to ask him some questions but he won't talk to the government, so it may be hard to get him to talk to me."
"No it won't," Percy said. Everyone glanced at him and his cheeks became a little pink as he explained what he meant, "You're someone that's really easy to talk to. It won't be hard for him to talk to you, because you don't judge people and you can usually relate. Or…at least that's how it is when I talk to you."
Luke saved Percy from the curious looks by swinging his arm around the younger boy and saying, "Percy's totally right, Bro. You're pretty easy to talk to, so you'll have no problem."
"Thanks," Neo smiled back at them.
They quickly made dinner after everyone had taken a shower. Thankfully Remus didn't have to give the "dog" a shower, because Sirius was able to change back into his human form and they both left the bathroom when they were done. Dinner was good, and Tony came up to join them when Neo threatened to carry him up the stairs again. The billionaire didn't complain though, the food was good and he enjoyed the company in his house.
The next day, everyone had stuck to the same schedule as the first. Neo was able to convince Tony to come with them to the beach for an hour after breakfast, but then the genius returned to his workshop until dinner. Pepper came by that evening. She only came to see how Tony was doing, but when she saw everyone she tried to throw them out thinking Tony was having a party that he shouldn't be having while he recuperated. Neo quickly explained everything to the irate secretary and took a minute to sit and talk to her while she watched the fallout from the press conference on TV. When Pepper received a call from Tony asking for help Neo walked with her down to the workshop. They entered and Tony asked Pepper to replace the device in his chest.
Neo watched as the woman left then turned to Tony, "She doesn't realize how much you trust her, does she?"
Tony just shrugged as he got off of the table, "I keep thinking "one of these days" she'll figure it out, but no, not yet."
"I know how hard it can be to trust people sometimes. She's lucky you chose her, even if she can't tell how you really feel about her," Neo said patting Dummy when he wheeled up.
"Pepper doesn't want to be with someone like me."
"Well, she just hasn't realized that you're not that person anymore. It's just a matter of her seeing the man you've become. She does care about you, but it's up to her to figure out how much," Neo explained. "Remember Tony, this is your turning point. You've change and you can feel it. From now on, the only one who can make decisions in your life is you. It's not about your parents, it's not about what other people expect from you, it's about what you expect from yourself. What kind of man do you want to be? It doesn't matter who the public wants, or the kind of man Pepper would want. You're capable of great things all on your own and if everyone else can't see it then that's there lose. Why do you fight? What drove you to come back? Why did you decide to stop making weapons? Every day I see you figure out the answers to those questions little by little, and the man I see you becoming is stronger than everyone wants him to be because they want to keep manipulating you. He's surer of himself and doesn't need others to tell him what to do. And when you find that man inside of you, you'll realize he has a heart of iron that loves strongly and can weather anything."
"Some people wouldn't put that much confidence in me," the other man said morosely.
"And I say you don't give yourself enough credit," Neo looked straight into Tony's eyes and watched the genius' reaction to his next words, "It's time to stop listening to other people who care more about themselves or the interests of others, than what's best for you. The only people, whose opinions truly matter, are the people you chose to listen to. So who do you chose, the people who you call friends or the people who think they know you without ever meeting the real you?"
"You make it sound so easy and in hindsight I guess it is, but what I chose isn't going to make a difference. There are still people out there that will say and do whatever they want with my name. I can't just stop the presses and expect everyone to stop talking about me. Once you're this famous, everyone wants a piece of you."
"What you want will always matter more! No one has a right to use you, and you can stop them." Neo said vehemently. "Jarvis!" he barked looking at the computers to his right.
"Yes, sir?" The A.I.'s usual greeting seemed a little more curious than normal.
"I've heard of the American laws that protect freedom of speech, but I also know that there are laws protecting celebrates and public icons from slander. I would like you to search all of the media feeds circulating the internet and television. Search for any information that has been falsified, or released into the public without proper consent. I know that a company like Stark Industries has a P.R. group and many Lawyers kept on retainer. I want everything you find sent to those Lawyers, and notify them that action should be taken immediately. The rampant lies that are being spread about Tony Stark and his company will be stopped. And every media news reporter who has been printing false information will be sued for libel. Be sure to inform everyone whose job it is to monitor S. I.'s public relations, and its team of Lawyers, that the lack of action so far will no longer be tolerated.
"Oh and on a final note, please be sure to inform all staff that since the previous share holders are no longer in charge of the Board, the company will be undergoing a revision process by Mr. Stark and his current share holders. Inform them that every division of Stark Industries will be looked into thoroughly and the company will be looking into every employee's performance, those who are not doing their jobs in a satisfactory manner will be let go before the beginning of next year. The company is heading in a new direction, and its employees should be prepared for that change. Anyone who is not doing their job or has a problem with the changes that are made will be asked to leave."
"I'm pretty sure you can't do that," Tony shot back with a smile; he was finding this situation amusing and a little touching.
"Recently I have become a share holder in a certain company, and I have an interest in the way that company is being run and its image that is being portrayed in the media. As C.E.O. of that company, isn't it your job to make me happy?" Neo said with a teasing smirk.
Tony laughed, "Weren't you just saying that I shouldn't let people boss me around?"
Neo gave a puzzled look, "I'm not doing this for me."
Tony paused for a moment and just looked at the young man in front of him, into those eyes that still haunted his dreams. A stranger, who he had met only two days ago, was showing more concern for his wellbeing than people he had known for years, "Do what he says Jarvis."
Jarvis replied quickly, "I have already started, sir. Estimated time of completion is ten hours. It will take most of that time to filter through both the internet and television. Stark Industries P.R. group and lawyers have already been contacted and I have begun to send copies of my results to them. An all staff email on upcoming performance reviews and changes has been sent out."
"Ten hours, are you running slow there, Jarvis?"
"No sir, I was merely calculating for human error and estimated work time," Jarvis sounded a little arrogant but you can't blame an A.I., who is used to working with a genius, for thinking other humans are slow.
"Well we can't expect everyone to be as awesome as me, right?" Tony laughed and winked at Neo.
The god turned around but stopped before he headed up the stairs. Neo had realized that Tony wasn't following him. When the billionaire reached for a tool he pulled back his hand with a stinging read mark on the back. Neo stood next to Tony with a stern look on his face.
"The only instrument that you will be picking up for now is the utensil you will need to eat with. It's time for dinner."
"Yes, mom," Tony joked.
Neo shoved his hands into his pockets and that was when he found something he had forgotten about. He pulled out the little figure of the metal suit that he had made in the desert. Neo decided he would sit it on Tony's desk as a surprise for him to find later. Unfortunately Neo would never realize what a mistake that was.
Dinner was very good, thanks to the skills of Elric and Neo who refused to let the butler cook that much food by himself. Neo had caught Elric giving him a curious look every once and awhile but the young god decided not to mention it. Since they first met Neo had gotten along with Elric. The servant's posh butler routine was interesting. Neo was surprised how Elric seems to have worked as a servant long enough for it to be natural. That didn't mean the Spirit had no sense of humor or fun. Elric had accidently, or not, gotten some of the gravy for dinner on Neo's nose so the younger retaliated by flicking the spoon he was using to stir the cake batter at Elric getting chocolate cake mix on his apron. It was a small food fight that Elric won as he held Neo to his chest and grabbed the spoon from him before he used it to cover Neo's cheeks. They smiled at each other, but before they got back to work Elric used his ungloved hand to swipe some of the batter off of Neo's face and then licked his finger clean. The young god went bright red as he looked back at what he was doing.
Everything was fine that evening until Obadiah came to talk to Tony. The bald man still made Neo's figurative hackles rise, and given the way the others watched Tony's old friend Neo wasn't the only one getting bad vibes. Obadiah thankfully didn't stay, but through their relief of having the man gone, no one noticed that he had walked out with something that wasn't his.
*Break*
Obadiah had been growing more and more furious lately. First, the assassination he had planned had gone wrong thanks to a bunch of terrorists who thought they could extort money from him. That problem had already been settled though. The Ten Rings had been eliminated thanks to a massive explosion that had killed everyone in their camp, which included all of the heads of the organization who were there to meet that day, so no one would know of his involvement in the kidnapping. Second, Tony comes back to the United States and stops production of Stark weapons which is the cash cow of Stark Industries. Third, some unknown party buys up every piece of S. I. stock that was not being held by Tony or Obadiah himself.
Of course, Obadiah had known that a bunch of ignorant extremists were no match for Tony's genius. That's why he had told them to kill the inventor. Then Tony mustered more resolve than Obadiah ever gave him credit for and managed to escape. Obadiah was curious how the boy had escaped. It seemed that Tony was still useful because whatever he had invented to get him out of the terrorist's camp might be very profitable when it was perfected. Obadiah had spent a lot of money to send people out in the desert and search for anything that would have helped Tony escape, because Tony hadn't brought anything back with him. The worst part was Tony must have had some forethought because the cave that he was working in had been set on fire and blown up. It wasn't clear if it was an accident or intentional but nothing had been found and Obadiah figured he would never find out, or he would have to wait for Tony to unveil his latest creation. But then he found something interesting just sitting on Tony's bench. It was made out of glass which was odd because the billionaire never kept ornaments on his desk. When the older man looked closer, he saw a scaled down model of a suit of armor, but this one was less medieval and had Tony's craftsmanship all over it. The flamethrower mounted on the arm was the most interesting piece. Obadiah had been in the business long enough to spot a weapon and this one was coming out of the arm of this little figure. Out of curiosity mostly, the old man had taken the object.
Returning to his research facility, Obadiah had told the researchers to analyze the figure, and he soon found out that it was his greatest discovery. The head researcher scanned the glass and found that it was surprisingly detailed and they could speculate the engineering necessary to create this model then enlarge it to make it a high-tech armored suit. Now Obadiah had the means to create his own weaponized metal suit and soon he wouldn't need Tony any more.
After Tony was out of the picture Obadiah would have to take care of that annoying pest who thought they could buy out the rest of the share holders. His plans to remove that particular annoyance where moved up from eventually, to soon, when he received an email. It stated that Tony and the current share holders would be evaluating the company in preparation to make changes, in order to shift focus and insure Stark Industries was no longer a weapons manufacturer. The fact that he had not been consulted on this did not escape Obadiah's notice. It seemed that Tony was starting to take initiative in the company, but he was making the mistake of not consulting him. This was something Obadiah would be sure to rectify in the near future. One good thing came out of this, he didn't have to listen to the Board members at the upcoming meeting but he still couldn't get into contact with the new member.
*Break*
Tony had requested that he be allowed to spend the day in his workshop after he got back from a visit to his friend in the Air Force. Neo had agreed that he should be allowed some time to himself and promised he would only show up when it was time to eat. The genius billionaire had moved from the design stages to fabrication, first the electronics and wiring, then systems checks and modifications. Tony spent all morning tinkering with the power relays and was moving on to the flight tests. That was when Neo walked in and almost had a heart attack. Tony had started up the repulsers but they had too much lift and he went flying toward the concrete ceiling. Thankfully Neo's godly reflexes gave him enough time for his magic to reach out and cushion the concrete and slow Tony's momentum to keep him from bashing his skull in. The air between the man and ceiling had also become denser protecting Tony.
Neo breathed a sigh when his new friend sat up. He rolled his eyes and sat the salad wraps and coffee he had brought on a work bench.
"Well that certainly was impressive. Tell me, are you inventing new ways of committing suicide? I have to admit it is different from making weapons but not by much," Neo said.
"No, I'm trying to make something that can save lives. So I would appreciate it if you sounded a little less sarcastic at this point in time," Tony said rubbing his chest. The impact may have been lessened but it had still hurt. "I'm just working out the kinks."
"Hmm, what is it with genius' and needing adult supervision," Neo mumbled as he remembered the times Hermione had done some very brilliant but extremely dangerous things. "And I would appreciate not being afraid that my new friend was going to die in a work related accident. That was incredibly dangerous. I'd feel more comfortable if you had someone else watching your back." Neo pointed out the small robot holding a slightly less than full fire extinguisher.
Tony gave a charming smile, "You don't have to make up reasons to hang out with me. I know I'm irresistible, just ask everyone who's gotten to spend "quality time" with me before."
"Yes I'm sure they would have loads to say on the subject, but was it really quality time? I think you would have to know someone pretty well to have any quality involved in the time you spend together. It's not what you do that makes being together special, it's who you're with. Don't sell yourself short Tony, because you are worth getting to know," Neo's eyes took on a faraway look as he thought about the few short relationships that had mattered, and how that blossoming love was taken away by the useless ideals of others. What say did other people have in his choice of who he loved? What right does anyone have to say that two people should not, or could not, love each other? The ignorance of people, who believe they can make decisions for others because they "think" they have a right to project their ideas onto another, will never cease to anger him.
Neo cleared his throat, "Sorry, I got side tracked. I brought you some lunch."
"Oh, aren't you sweet but I didn't get you anything."
The smile that they shared was comfortable.
Suddenly a thought, more like a gut feeling, popped into Tony's head, "Listen, I have something I need to tell you. Do you have a minute?"
Neo was surprised but nodded, "Sure, what is it?"
"I don't know why I'm telling you this, I just get this feeling that you'll understand. I don't know how you figured out what you already did, but I want you to know you're right. I'm not the same guy I was two weeks ago, and it's a big change. And every time I talk to you, you remind me of someone I met. He told me not to waste my life. Lately I've been sitting and thinking about those words and I'm not really sure that he was talking to the right person. He said I was getting a second chance at changing my legacy, "The last act of defiance from the great Tony Stark". I want to make sure that the Zero Accountability of this system changes, but I don't know where to start when I think about fixing the things I've done. Then you say something that completely changes my view and I feel more confident, like I'm one step closer to becoming this great man that he wanted me to be and the man that you see in me. When I get that feeling, the only thing that worries me is that I'll wind up doing something stupid like I usually do and then you'll just be disappointed in me like everyone else. I, uh-hum…" Tony had to stop talking for a moment.
Neo just stepped closer and wrapped the other man in a hug. Speaking quietly into Tony's ear Neo said, "You'll never disappoint me Tony. I know it sounds ridiculous but you won't. I only expect you to be you. Whatever you do, whoever you become, I know that you will always be Tony Stark and you will do what you think it right. Even if we choose different sides one day and have to call each other "enemy", I will know that you chose the side you believed is right and you will do what you're heart tells you to do. That doesn't mean I won't try to beat some sense into that thick skull of yours when that time comes," they both chuckled, "but you won't disappoint me, not as long as you make your own decisions and don't act like a puppet. As long as you are in charge of your own actions I will respect your choices. You could shoot me in the heart, and I still wouldn't be disappointed. I might feel betrayed but not disappointed. Because everything you just said reassures me that I know the man inside of you, and he is a great man."
"But how do I become that man?" Tony asked as he leaned into the supportive embrace.
"You just have to remember what you told me. You're building things to save lives. Saving lives means you stand up for and defend the weak, you stop everyone who would harm the innocent and do evil, and you stand by those who would stand by you," Neo loosened his grip and leaned back to look into Tony's eyes, "I know you can do that…I will always believe in you." After a second Neo decided to change the subject, "Now I've decided to help you or at least make sure you don't kill yourself. So what's next, and how can I help?"
They spent the next week working on Tony's new invention and quickly became best friends as they worked together. Neo marveled at Tony's genius and loved when the man explained things to him. He loved working with his hands and getting a crash course on engineering. And Tony was fascinated that the younger man was absorbing the information like a sponge even though he claimed he would never be as smart as Tony. Another thing Tony came to admire about the young man was how he actually enjoyed listening to Tony talk. When Tony was younger people were intimidated by how intelligent he was at such a young age, and now people are more interested in how much money he has than how smart he is. With Neo it was easier to talk to him because he didn't just sit around and watch he would try to help, but he never tried to tell Tony what he should do. And sometimes he would offer advice that was very useful, like when Neo suggested they move Tony's cars after he noticed that it would be bad to leave them so close to the testing area, something Tony had overlooked. Later when Tony's flight test would have brought him down on one of his favorite cars he decided to repay Neo by getting him one, just as soon as he found out the others favorite color. After all what is a gift without a few personal touches?
The night after the first test flight, Tony wanted to transfer Jarvis to the internal systems in the suit, so Neo sat in the living room reading. Neo had taken time to keep up with his training, and everyone had been using a warded training area on Tony's property. Of course training wasn't the only thing he was keeping up with. Neo had been reading some of the books Hecate had given him. But he wasn't just reading them; Neo was trying to find something that would explain the changes that had been occurring lately. The first thing he noticed was that his hair was growing long, dark brown almost black locks had grown out and where touching his shoulders. The second thing that made a significant difference was his height, he was only a little taller but it was noticeable. Then he started seeing the rapid growth that he was going through in his training. His magic had grown in leaps and bounds, his speed was incredible both on the ground and in the sky, and he was stronger than he ever dreamed of and it was easier to spar with Jormungandr.
As he walked into the room, Loki saw his young nephew studiously reading a magic book and his curiosity drove him to ask a question, "What troubles you this night? Or I believe the saying goes, "penny for your thoughts" but that makes it sound so cheap."
"I just feel like I'm growing too fast, is it normal for a god to age?" Neo wondered aloud.
"I told you before, gods age like humans at first but once they reach their prime they age much slower and years seem like days. Though that is usually the truth, in your case I admit that I'm not quite sure what is happening. I have noticed a change lately, and I believe it is due to the power you hold and the circumstances of your birth. Your power is still growing and quickly. Also remember that after the ritual to create your body Hecate cast a spell to age you so you would be strong enough to inherit your true power. It appears to be an effect of the spell, which leads me to believe that your body is trying to reach it's pentacle of perfection so it does not cause a strain on you as your powers grow. After I first saw the change I noticed that it is gradual and natural, I am sure that it will stop once you have fully developed into a body that is perfect and capable of containing your power. Most Asgardians and Olympians reach their prime when they reach the appearance of a mid-twenty to thirty year old. So it shouldn't take much longer now." Loki gave his shoulder a brief squeeze, "You will be a full-fledged god in no time."
"I'm not so sure that it is the spell that is still affecting me. I can feel the power that is flowing through me better than I ever did before, and I'm sure that there is no other magic but mine. Something is telling me that this is different somehow and it's not magic," Neo said hoping Loki would understand his confusion.
"Then perhaps it is something greater than magic?"
"But what is greater than magic?" Neo asked incredulously.
"Fate. It is one of the most powerful forces in the Universe, and it moves us all. Fate is the great Balance, because it decides when things must come to pass. That is not to say that we have no say in our fate. On the contrary, we are masters of our own fates and, for good or bad, we are allowed to make our own choices, choices that we will have to live with. Fate is simply the series of events that happen in life, those that must come to pass and those that can be changed if we act at the right time. Nothing is set in stone until it has happened, and sometimes it can still be changed," Loki sat back and quietly thought about his next words, "Perhaps it is Fate pushing you in the right direction, giving you the strength to make the best choices, and gifting you with what you will need to overcome the obstacles in your path. Perhaps…Life and Death were not the only ones who decided to grant you the power to change things in this Universe. Maybe Fate has chosen you as its Champion as well. And if that is the case, I wish you luck because you are going to need it," Loki smiled sympathetically, "And if Fate has chosen you, you can be sure that everything that has happened so far is only the tip of the iceberg" he finished ominously.
With his last comment putting Neo slightly on edge the older god left the room in silence. Neo huffed and slumped forward resting his head in his hands, "Why is it that almost every time I ask for answers I just find myself with more questions than I had before?" he muttered quietly.
A prickle at the edge of his senses alerted Neo to someone else in the room. He heard a noise close and in front of him, so he quickly moved his hands and looked ahead. Kneeling on the floor at his feet was Elric.
The Spirit raised his right hand and placed it over his heart as he made a solemn pledge, "I am your servant, and yours to command. I am and will always be your Guardian, and will stand by you forever, until my end. I pledge my body and soul to your service. I am your instrument, and through me your will shall be done. I vow to serve you with the utmost valor, to remain loyal to you always, to keep faith in you, and to never lie to you. I will fight for you and the welfare of all whom you hold dear. My honor and glory are yours. I promise to persevere to the end in anything and everything that you command of me. I will uphold all of the virtues and ideals you hold sacred. This I vow."
Neo was shocked and would have said something about his words being unnecessary, but something inside of him was telling him that what Elric had just said was more than a simple statement. "I accept your vow," and the words had barely left his mouth, when suddenly a strong energy started to gather in the room. It was shorting out the lamp that Neo had been using to read, and it cast strange shadows as it flashed on and off. The energy slowly manifested a circle around the two, and form in the air as a brilliant sunny glow. Neo's Sight activated with a simple thought, but as his vision changed Neo grew confused because he wasn't looking at a force of magic, it was something else.
As Elric made the pledge his spirit, which was the energy Neo felt, had expanded and was now engraved with the words of his vow. Not only did his spirit take on the vow but everything that Elric silently included, which gave deeper meaning to his words. The power of Elric's vow weaved unbreakable chains that bound his soul to his promises. Golden chains that seemed to be formed out of light came from his chest (the core of Elric's soul) and a collar that had formed around the Guardian's throat, both chains connected together into one. The end of the chain hovered in front of the young god.
Neo didn't understand what was supposed to happen next so he looked at the words of power and saw that they formed a contract. Then, it was like he instinctively knew what was happening. Death had said that Elric was a Guardian spirit who had fought with living partners who gave him the power to manifest on the mortal plan by sharing their energy. She said that Elric didn't need that bond to become caporal anymore. So the Guardian Spirit was willingly binding himself to Neo, and he had used the word forever.
"Forever is a long time," Neo said and then swallowed thickly as he looked into the golden eyes, the very soul, of his Guardian. "Are you sure?"
"I am," Elric stated simply.
Neo hesitated for a moment before he reached out and gently grasped the gold chain. It wound around his hand and at that instant Neo could feel a link between Elric and himself. With the vow made and accepted the light died down, and then Elric's soul retreated back into his form.
Neo looked down at his hand and noticed that if he tried hard enough he could still see the bond but his eyes grew strained trying to maintain the power he had tapped into, 'It must be the Soul Gaze Death told me about.' He pushed the power back down and his sight returned to normal. That's when all of the thoughts that had been held at bay by his shock suddenly sprung to mind, he had questions and he knew who was going to answer them.
Neo looked Elric in the eyes and his brow furrowed in confusion, "Why me? Why so suddenly?"
Elric took Neo's hand gently into his and raised it to his soft lips and pressed a feather light kiss to the god's knuckles to show his subservience before he spoke, "My Master, I have been a Guardian far longer than anything else in my long existence and it is all I know now. I have had many Masters and I have out lived them all. For some time now I have had a desire, and even as I told myself that it would always be a dream, I have longed to have a Master who would not leave me behind. I came to wish that such a Master would be the greatest of them all, someone I could give my loyalty to and never regret it. I have had both good and terrible Masters, but in the short time that I have known you I realized that I never had one as great as you. As a god you will live a long time, and even if you were to die, gods will always be reborn. But you are no mere god, you are the Master of Death, and like Death you are an eternal being. After the end of my Universe I thought that it was my duty to pledge myself to the service of Death, but she told me to wait and my true master would come. I heard what your Uncle said. Things will not be easy, but I will always stand by you. I felt that now was the right time to form a contract because I know now that you are the Master I seek. My choices lead me to my fate as a Guardian, but Fate itself was merciful enough to grant me this chance. It is my destiny to be by your side, and I am doubly blessed because you are not just my Master but my True Master. My dream came true. In all of the Universes across time and space, this is the only one where you exist as a god and the Master of Death. And my wish came true when I found out not only are you a being of great power but you are a great man." Elric's eyes had gone misty as his happiness started to become too much to hold in any longer.
Neo didn't say a word as he pulled his hand away from the Spirit. A flash of pain crossed the Spirit's face as he began to think that he had been rejected, but Elric's emotions where soothed as the young god reached out and pulled the Spirit to his feet to get a better look at his eyes. Neo spoke, "You didn't have to promise all of that. I would have been happy with just having you as my friend. But I understand that this is who you are, so if it makes you more comfortable you can keep doing what you do, I just want you to try acting a little less like my servant. I don't want you to feel strange though, so baby steps. Like talking to me more, and don't stand in the background so much, okay? Oh, and in this day and age people don't believe in servants so you might want to call me something besides master, but that's just a suggestion. It will take some time to adjust but I'm sure it won't be hard."
Elric understood and he was very happy, "I will try. Please excuse me, M…Sir," the way Elric had said "sir", left Neo wondering how long it would take the Spirit to become less awkward in addressing him as something other than "Master".
"See you later," he said but the other man was already gone. Neo chuckled as a grin spread across his face. But he almost choked a second later, because THAT was when he remembered that he was in a house where the walls literally had eyes, ears and could talk. 'Isn't that a triple threat?'
Neo looked up to the camera mounted on the wall, "Jarvis? Is there any chance that you happened to miss all of that?"
"No, my camera and microphone have been functioning correctly all day, but since I cannot understand or explain what happened, I am willing to allow you the chance to do so before I feel the need to inform Mr. Stark." The A.I.'s voice sounded stern and Neo could tell that Jarvis would do exactly as he said if he didn't start talking.
It was still taking time for Neo to understand it so he just said the first thing that came to mind, "I don't really know how to explain magic to a computer, even one as smart as you."
"I was able to gather that you, your Uncle, and Mr. Graves believe in the illogical idea of magic. However that fact does not explain the energy fluctuation in the room or the electric field that suddenly formed. Could you please explain that?"
"If I tell you I will be putting my life and the lives of my family in danger. If you will agree to delete the video and audio from before Loki came in to until I am done explaining I will tell you. Deal?" Neo thought it was silly making a deal with a computer, but Jarvis has always acted more like a human and Neo trusted him.
"If I am certain that the information poses no threat to Mr. Stark I will do what you ask," the computer agreed and Neo breathed a sigh of relief.
Then he explained the fact that a world full of fantastic creatures and people who were able to manipulate the energy around them existed right there on Earth and no one knew about it. Jarvis took the time to validate this by searching out any anomalies in Geography and public records in places that where heavily populated by the wizards and he was able to see the strange peculiarities. When Neo started to talk about the fact that he was a god the A.I. demanded a blood test, but Neo said he could prove it with a less invasive test and told the A.I. to scan his muscle and bone density. Jarvis had to reluctantly agree that Neo was not completely human, and because Neo had told him the truth (as Jarvis was carefully monitoring Neo using programs designed to detect lies) Jarvis deleted the footage and blamed it on Neo for shorting out the circuit in the room. Later when asked about the missing video file, Jarvis would tell Tony that he had fixed the problem with Neo's help but couldn't recover the footage.
With that finally over Neo started to wonder what Tony was still doing in his lab. He seriously had to have a talk with a certain genius about the fact a human being cannot function none stop, or he could just glare at Tony and drag the man out of the lab every once and awhile. Neo was sure that the genius was smart enough to interpret the meaning behind that.
Neo reached the bottom of the stairs and saw Tony in the workshop. He quickly became worried as he saw the fierce look in Tony's eyes. It was usually a good thing for a person to take action when they came across a challenge, but when it comes to Tony it could turn out horrible.
Tony spotted Neo out of the corner of his eye, and the idea that had been forming since he saw the news suddenly developed a little more. The billionaire flashed Neo a grin which put the young god on alert.
"Whatever it is, if it involves danger you need to tell me now, so I can be ready before we leave," Neo said quickly.
Tony blinked as his eyebrows made a valiant effort to jump into his hairline, "Wow, I actually wasn't expecting you to agree, at least not until I wore you down with my amazing persuasion skills. You just went up a notch on the "Tony Stark Scale of Cool", which means right now you and Pepper are tied, but that's because Pep will always be number one."
Neo laughed, "Okay, seriously, what's going on?"
"How do you feel about suits, dancing, drinking and possibly having people stare at you because you're my date?" The words rushed out of Tony's mouth.
Even though he was sure he heard Tony correctly Neo still had to ask, "What?!"
"You're so eloquent," Tony teased making Neo roll his eyes, "Apparently I'm throwing a party and wasn't invited. So how do you feel about accompanying me to my third annual benefit for the Firefighter's Family Fund at the Disney Concert Hall?"
Neo thought about it then shrugged his shoulders, "Why not? But I'm not going as your date. If Pepper doesn't get mad, she will laugh herself to death after the news blows-up with scandalous articles about your PTSD turning you gay, or some bollocks idea of the like."
"Alright, but don't come to me when you realize that you're passing up the chance of a lifetime," Tony quipped.
"I'm sure I will find some way to live with it." They both laughed, "Just give me ten minutes and I'll be ready. You said suit, right?"
"Yeah, I'll meet you at the door in ten minutes."
Thanks to his magic, which he didn't have to keep secret from Jarvis anymore, Neo was ready in less than five minutes. He mentioned that he was going out and everyone decided to come along. When he realized that it would be a full car he told Jarvis to call for the limo.
Tony and everyone else stood at the door dressed in their best when Neo arrived. Tony was handsome and looked as comfortable in his suite as he did in his grease covered shirts. Loki seemed to be the most elegantly dressed with his green silk tie and designer clothes. Remus looked like an upper class British citizen. Even though his shirt was not fully buttoned it gave him a ruggedly handsome look, and the bronze tie he loosely wore brought out the color of his amber eyes. Fenrir looked similar to Remus, but he had gone without a tie. Jormungandr looked good in a white vest over an ice blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and white dress pants. Percy and Luke went with the traditional black and white clothes, but they had styled their hair up for the occasion.
The group started to leave as soon as they saw Neo, knowing that he would catch up.
"Hey, man," Percy said as Neo came closer to him, at exactly ten minutes after he had talked to Tony. The Son of Poseidon saw Neo in his emerald green shirt that made his eyes seem brighter with a black silk tie hanging from his neck and black pants. But the new god was wearing his usual leather jacket and everyone, besides Tony, knew he was ready for anything just like he always was.
Neo looked at the fidgeting demigod, "Hey. You know, I think you looked more comfortable the first time we played capture the flag than you do right now. You need to relax, Percy. It's not like some monster is going to suddenly show-up and chew your face off." Neo couldn't help but grin evilly as the younger boy paled. He pat Percy on the shoulder as everyone started to head toward the car, "Look, even if some big bad does show up, you have my family and I looking out for you."
Percy was able to breathe again, and he bumped shoulders with Neo as he walked next to him. "Thanks, I've just never done anything like this before. People don't really invite the dyslexic kid with ADHD to some up-scale party, so I really never got the chance to wear something like this."
Neo brought Percy closer as he wrapped his arm around the younger boy's shoulders, "Well you look gorgeous, mate! So stop fidgeting, put your chin up, give us a smile and you'll knock'em all dead."
Percy just laughed; he was feeling better by the second. It was like Neo had the ability to make everything easier. Percy felt calmer, surer, and happier every time Neo was around. Neo always managed to say the right thing. He was smart, helpful, polite and strong, but he could also be mischievous and sarcastic. When Percy looked up at the other boy, he noticed Neo smiling at him. Percy's cheeks started to feel warm and his heart suddenly skipped a bet.
Neo was the last to get into the car, but he heard a noise behind him before he started to slide in. He looked and saw Sirius standing there in his dog form whining pitifully. The wizard's "puppy eyes" where cranked-up to ten and his tail was drooping, but Neo could see that his fur was just cleaned. Neo shook his head at the display, "Come on, Padfoot, no one's going to make you stay here."
The dog happily jumped in and Neo got in after, then leaned over and closed the door. Inside the limo there was a fun atmosphere created by the excitement of Fenrir and Percy, which was tempered by the sarcasm and calmness of everyone else in the car.
They quickly arrived at the fundraiser, but it seemed that Tony was completely unexpected. The billionaire quickly walked past the guests lingering outside, and even brushed off Obadiah. As they walked inside the group broke up, but Neo and Percy stayed close to Tony.
Agent Coulson was a familiar face and Neo thought it was funny how the poor man was more easily brushed off by Tony than Pepper.
Neo decided to speak up, "You know he was ignoring you right?" His statement made the older man turn to him. "Your name is Coulson? You were talking to Pepper the other day."
"You know me but I don't think I ever got your name…" Coulson questioned in return.
"My name is Neo Thorson, and this is my friend Percy Jackson."
"Phil Coulson," they shook hands as they introduced themselves. "Pardon me asking, Mr. Jackson, but aren't you a little young for this kind of party."
"Easy Phil, with questions like that you sound like a concerned parent," Neo joked. "Besides, Percy's not here for the free drinks; we're here by invitation. I met Tony while I was in town for business and he was nice enough to let me stay with him for awhile. America's great and the private beach that Tony has is brilliant. So when he chose to show up at the last minute he invited us to tag along," Neo looked closer at the Agent's face, "Hm, why do you look so surprised?"
Surprised was an understatement, Agent Coulson was doing his version of a freak out. No one had reported that Tony had visitors and the man has been under surveillance since he returned to the States. He would have the agent responsible on assignment in the Artic; this kind of error was unacceptable.
Of course, it wasn't really the agents fault. The wards that Neo had set up around the property before he had even passed the gate made sure that outsiders never saw any magic being performed. This also meant that anyone on the property who had magic wasn't visible or audible from outside. It was also the anti-spying magic that stopped the microphones they tried to plant from working, thought the techs at S.H.I.E.L.D. had said it was due to Tony's high-tech equipment messing with the frequency.
Thanks to Neo's ADHD and paranoia he had noticed the people following Tony since they started tailing the billionaire's vehicle after the press conference, and it was a relief to finally find out who it was, "Well I hope you have a good night, Phil. I have a feeling I'll be seeing you around."
Neo and Percy walked away, and it looked like they had chosen the best time. Four guests were moving across the floor toward Tony, and the look on their faces said they weren't looking to have a polite conversation with the inventor. Neo quickened his pace and reached Tony at the same time as one of the men he saw. The man reached out for Tony and grabbed his shoulder. As Tony started to turn toward him, the man aimed a left hook to the genius' face. Neo caught it in time and pushed the man away from Tony then placed himself between his new friend and his aggressors.
"Get out of my way!" the guest yelled. His loud exclamation caused the guests around them to back away.
"Sir, you and your friends should leave before you get yourselves into trouble," Neo told him. "Because you'll have to go through me to get to Mr. Stark."
"Do you know who I am? You can't stop me; this is between me and Stark." The man looked around Neo to see Tony, "You have the balls to show your face here Stark! I have been a board member of Stark Enterprises for 30 years, and suddenly you decide that a Weapons Company is just supposed to stop making weapons? Then some upstart comes along and talks my guy into selling all of my shares in the company. I don't know how you did it, but I'm sure that this is all some cockamamie scheme you thought up, did they cut of your balls while you were in the desert, or are you finally showing everyone just how pathetic you really are?"
Neo didn't think twice, he stepped closer, "One more word, and I'll have you arrested, here and now."
The man obviously thought Neo wouldn't be a problem and tried to push him out of the way. As soon as he felt a hand grab his shoulder Neo moved, he flipped the man onto his back in the blink of an eye. The air rushed out of the other mans lungs when he hit the floor and at the same time the whole room held its breath.
"Listen Myers, I own Stark Enterprises so the company is what I say it is. And it's not my fault if you jumped ship like a rat, that's your problem. Frankly I don't care what you decided to do, because the truth is that Stark Enterprises doesn't need people like you. And I'm personally going to work on cleaning out the trash, soon." Tony's words where said in his usual calm and superior tone.
One of the men who showed up with Myers decided that it was his turn to add his pointless two cents. "Shut up, Stark! You never cared about the company before. I guarantee this is just some self-righteous faze, and when you realized that you don't want to take the responsibility of running your own company you'll dump it on someone else."
"I think that's quite enough, gentleman," Loki said from the left of the two standing men.
"Yeah, nobody likes a buzz kill." Luke called from the opposite side. He gave his dangerously charming smile and the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
"I agree, you should leave." The voice of Jormungandr came from behind the two men.
When they turned around Jormungandr stood with his younger brother who commented also, "You three should get lost. If you run now, you might make it out of here undamaged, but your egos won't be so lucky," Fenrir let out a small laugh.
A growl came from beside Neo as Remus and Sirius walked up, the latter with his hackles raised. "I believe my friends are right, please leave," The wolf-shifter said.
Sirius was enough to finally get through to the men that it was not going to end well if they didn't leave, now.
"It looks like you got some new bodyguards Stark," the last man said, "but will they be able to protect you when worse people show up? Do you think your new muscle will be able to stop all of the people gunning for you? You have too many enemies for that Stark. Maybe you should have thought about who you're real friends are, before you made so many enemies." The man's comment didn't go unnoticed by the gods in the room. "Come on Mastovich, give me a hand," the speaker gestured to the downed man, and the two standing men helped their friend off of the floor before they left.
When the three men were gone Tony spoke to the men he had gotten to know recently, and who continually surprised him. "You didn't have to do that guys, I can take a hit when it comes to dealing with my problems."
Loki just gave Tony a look that said "you are an imbecile", before he finally said, "Are you saying that you don't appreciate our help? That's not very grateful of you." Then Loki smirked, which showed that he was joking as he added, "Or maybe you're just more trouble than you're worth."
Pepper who Tony had been talking to laughed, "You have no idea," she joked and just like that the party seemed to continue.
Every one of the guests went back to having a good time and the group separated again. This time Neo was left on the dance floor with Agent Coulson. Phil had moved to help Tony but when he saw that he didn't need to he just observed. It was a surprise to him that the group of men seemed to be closer to Stark than he thought.
Neo turned to see Coulson still there. The new god just raised one eyebrow. Phil just smiled and walked back to the buffet table. Neo rolled his eyes as a smile spread across his face. It didn't take long before Neo and the others saw Tony heading for the door. They all left quickly after the genius and got in behind Tony when Happy pulled the limo up to the curb. They may not have been there long but it was still good to get out of the house.
*Inside-with Coulson*
Phil had been assigned to Stark ever since he was kidnapped, and he was almost ready to kidnap the man himself. It was obviously the only way someone could get Tony Stark's attention and he would be recommending it to Fury as a first option. He knew that Neo, one of the guests Stark had brought with him was right; Stark hadn't listened to a word Phil had said. Phil was the agent sent to debrief Tony, but as he watched Tony leave the Fundraiser he decided to call it a night. Phil was walking to the door when he bumped into a beautiful blonde who had been walking in the opposite direction.
"I'm so sorry Mrs..." he apologized.
"Miss Vanguard, actually," the woman said politely, "And I'm sure you didn't mean it," the woman's black eyes shone in the light as a small blush blossomed on her smiling face.
"Phil Coulson, please excuse me," Phil said as he turned to leave.
"Oh! You're leaving already?" she asked disappointingly.
"Yes, I had a little business to take care of but it looks like I missed my chance."
"I see, it seems your evening isn't going very well and I'm sorry to hear that, but," the woman bit her lip in hesitation as her blush darkened, "Perhaps you wouldn't mind dancing with me before you go? Of course if you would rather not, I'll understand."
Phil would have normally refused, but Tony already had an agent tailing him meaning Phil would have just headed back to his hotel anyway. So instead of his normal refusal he said, "It would be my pleasure, Ms. Vanguard."
They carried on a polite conversation while dancing and three songs later Phil had taken his dance partner over to the refreshment table.
"Thank you for such a lovely dance, Phil." the blonde said as she kissed Phil on the cheek. "It is good to know men like you still exist."
"And what kind of man would I be?" he asked with a smile. Phil realized that his mood had changed after he met her and it had put him in good spirits.
"One of the best. You are a man who is kind, honorable and noble. Men like you make the world a better place, and they often die young. But I have a feeling you will be around for awhile," she gave a secretive look and pat him on the arm.
Phil thought he heard her murmur something that sounded like, "Especially if I have anything to say about it", but he dismissed it. Even though Phil Coulson was an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., he tried to restrain his paranoia. He couldn't let his focus drift into thoughts that would distract him.
She looked up at the clock placed on the wall behind the bar. "Oh goodness, it looks like I should be going. It was lovely meeting you, Phil. I hope you have a good evening." She gave him a beautiful smile as she gracefully left.
Phil glanced at the clock and noticed that he had stayed an extra hour. He quickly left as well. Fortunately if he didn't hit any traffic he would get back to his hotel in time to get at least six hours of sleep.
In the shadows two figures stood watching the agent leave.
When the man was gone the white-haired figure spoke, "I take it you like him?"
The blonde turned to face her companion. "He is a good man, 'one of the best', in fact. He will make a good ally, Dear."
"Yes," Death agreed, lust filled eyes pinning Death's companion. "You are as gorgeous as a woman as you are a man, Zach, and it's hard to keep my hands to myself. Why don't we spend the rest of our time together, somewhere more private?"
"Only if that means you will be the 'man' tonight," Life teased and pulled Death into soft arms, as the white-haired entities form changed into something more masculine.
"Whatever you want," Death responded with a deep chuckle as both figures faded into the shadows.
*Tony's House*
Neo reached the bottom of the stairs and saw Tony in the workshop. He scoffed when he saw the billionaire genius asleep on his workbench. Neo walked over and saw how hunched Tony looked so he chose to move the man up to his bedroom. It was a success until Neo went to carefully drop Tony on the bed and lost his balance as the bed sank under their weight. The younger successfully stopped himself from banging heads with Tony's and possibly giving the sleeping man a concussion. But it seemed that the slip was fortunate because Neo was close enough to hear Tony whisper a name in his sleep.
Neo stood up with a smile, "Good night, Tony," he said. Neo walked back to his room in silence and fell asleep soon after getting in bed.
"Neo," Tony said again as he rolled over in his sleep.
*Next Morning*
The demigods and wizards had gone to bed late but when Loki, Neo and Jormungandr had heard Tony leave in his suit they had stayed awake. This also meant that they were awake to hear Tony come in and watch as Pepper walked through the door a minute later. Neo decided to give them some privacy, soon Colonel Rhodes showed up, almost catching Neo practicing the spells Loki was teaching him. When the last of their family and Percy had woken up, everyone went down to the beach again. They stayed out later than normal and didn't come back until sunset.
It was very unfortunate that they didn't come back sooner. Neo arrived to see Tony leaving in his suit again but something was different. They saw Rhodes leaving and got him to tell them what was wrong.
"Where is the Arc Reactor building?" Remus asked.
"It's next to the main factory. Why?" the dark skinned man asked.
Remus looked at Neo at the same time everyone else seemed to. Neo nodded, "Crowd control is our first priority, and we need to get everyone out of the area as quickly as possible. Colonel, you're going to need to call in reinforcements and tell them to meet you at Starks Arc Reactor building, now. I'll make sure that everyone inside the Reactor building gets out safe."
Neo used a search spell to find Obadiah, and when he did he grabbed a hold of Luke and Percy, "I found them," he said before using his teleporting ability to travel to the Arc Reactor. The three gods and two wizards showed up soon after and they group disillusioned themselves so that no one would remember their faces. Neo headed inside as the others got to work warning people that there was a problem at the factory and it was dangerous. A barrier keeping people and vehicles out of the area, and some mind magic that help convince citizens to leave, had the area cleared out faster than everyone would have thought and covered several blocks.
Neo quickly found Pepper and the Agents in the lowest lab as they watched the Iron Monger suit power up. Agent Coulson was leading Pepper out, while Obadiah had lurched forward to attack the other agents. Neo quickly used his power to pull the agents out of the way, "Get up stairs! Go on," he yelled. The men looked at him, "Now," Obadiah had moved closer to one of the agents ready to crush him, but before he could Neo grabbed the man and shoved him up the stairs and the others followed behind. They met the red head and head agent outside.
It wasn't long after that Tony showed up and a fight between the two metal suits began. Soon after, the magic users dropped a small part of the barrier to let in the tanks when they showed up. The fight was terrible but it was over before anyone knew it.
Everything seemed to blur after that. Neo made sure that everyone involved had made it out safely. The soldiers were mostly fine but some had been injured. Those who had gotten hurt where quickly taken care of and would be fine later.
Neo watched as reporters inched closer to the scene. He glanced at Elric, who had assisted in evacuating the area before the battle, before he said, "Death said that I have some kind of "Guard", right?"
"Yes," the Spirit replied promptly.
"How many do you think it would take for crowd control, and to clean this place up?"
Elric quickly understood what his master was saying, "If you wish, I can call enough of them here to maintain a perimeter and start to clear the area of damaged debris."
"Alright, but I don't just want it cleaned up and thrown away. I want it gone; that means that no one will be able to get their hands on any "souvenirs". You will make sure that everything is accounted for, and then collect all of the research and equipment in the lab. And for the future, because I have a record of getting into trouble, "clean up" will be part of the standard procedure. You will be in charge of making sure that no one, and I mean absolutely no one, but us touches anything that might be dangerous or could be used against us. Here take this," Neo said as he handed Elric a conjured replica of Happy's security badge with the white haired man's picture on it.
"Right away, sir," the Spirit said while accepting the card before he turned and walked away. Neo wondered how he was going to contact Eternia from there, but he never got the answer. Soon after Elric left Neo, black unmarked vehicles showed up. Almost 50 men and women got out of the vehicles and got to work securing the area. The soldiers tried to stop them, but Elric used the badge Neo had given him stating they were Stark Enterprises personal security and damage crew. No one questioned their being there afterward, due to the efficient way they worked. They worked almost too fast to see what they were doing. As they walked around, those that came close to Neo all gave polite bows and a greeting.
The SHIELD agents were curious who the people that had shown up where, because of course they weren't SHIELD agents; most of the women wore maid uniforms and the men wore three piece suits that were perfectly pressed. The uniforms made it obvious to spot those that were dressed in non-western clothes, like the women wearing kimonos.
There wasn't much of a chance to observe because everyone was asked to leave the area. Then large screens were set up to keep bystanders from seeing what was going on. Once they were safely out of prying eyes the Spirits used their abilities or powers to have the work done in an hour. The screens would be staying up for three days after though, even with the work done.
*Break*
It felt like only a second passed between the end of the fight and the time they made it back to Tony's house. Rhodes came back to the house to check on Tony and fell asleep on the couch watching TV. Pepper had decided to go home before she started work the next morning.
Tony had gone to take the armor off awhile ago, and Neo finally decided to go down and see what was taking so long. This was when Neo found Tony and Rhodes trying to pry off one of the arms to the suit with a crowbar.
Neo quickly walked over and took the crowbar out of the military man's hand, "Oh yes, that's very American; "this looks like a problem, let me find a big stick". Do you want to take Tony's eye out with a piece of metal, or did that thought not occur to you as a possible hazard?"
"Hey, I'm not the one who said we should use the crowbar," Rhodes defended and then pointed at Tony, "It was all the genius' idea."
"Yes, and I would appreciate it if you gave it back to the man trying to get me out of this suit," Tony seemed to pout as he tried to tug off the offending piece of armor.
Neo shook his head and sat the metal tool the farthest from Tony as possible.
"It's late Colonel. Why don't you go upstairs and get some sleep? I can get Tony out of the suit."
"You know what? I think that's a good idea," the colonel looks at his friend, "You know I care about you Tony, but I'm too tired and afraid that I might hurt you if I keep trying to help. See you in the morning, man."
"Hey, that's so uncool. If you leave, I am confiscating your "bro card", Rhodey!" It was a futile effort, since the other man had already left. Tony gave a huff when he realized his friend was gone. He looked to the only other person in the room, but he saw something strange in Neo's eyes. Tony had noticed the shadows before, the kind that give away the pains of a person's past to the people who can tell what they are. The younger man seemed to be struggling with something; like a person trying to decide if what they were about to say was worth the trouble of being known.
Tony realized he had been spot on when Neo spoke, "I need to tell you something. You really scared me out there Tony, but the worst thing about it is I know that I could have avoided that fear by telling you something I should have told you before. I feel like a coward now. I would have helped you if you needed it, but I was also worried about what would happen if other people found out my secret. Because it's not just my secret, it's my families' secret and a secret that has been kept by people around the world from everyone else. There is so much more to this world than you know, and I really don't know where to start or how to make you believe me."
Tony just shrugged, "Well usually things start at the beginning, because that's where they begin."
Rolling his eyes and laughing Neo continued, "Yeah, I guess they do," Neo went on to explain his history to Tony, starting at the supposed death of his parents and including his childhood with the Dursleys which is a part he usually left out. Neo did leave out the fact that he had a different name before. He kept talking, giving descriptions of his adventures one after the other, and he only paused for breathes. Neo let Tony know that his parents were alive and they had decided not to live together, but he neglected to tell Tony who they were. Then he went silent as he finished his story four hours later. In fact everything was silent and Tony was deathly still.
"Prove it," the genius suddenly said. Neo looked at him in confusion. "It all sounds too fantastic. I mean if you turned that story into a book series, you would sell copies around the world; but it would be sold in the fiction section because it's really hard to believe. Don't get me wrong I trust you, but I'm having a hard time with this. If you tell me that a secret group of people figured out how to harness ambient energy with some kind of device, that reads brainwaves and then processes those thoughts into commands, to change the environment; I might believe you more than just saying you can do magic."
Neo raised an eyebrow, then after a second of thinking he reached over to grab Tony's armored arm, and with his bare hands he tore the damaged metal apart. The now free man didn't look impressed however.
"I've seen that before. I mean it might have been done by people who looked a lot stronger than you…"
"Way to hurt a guy," Neo interrupted.
"Science has been trying to make a super-human serum for ages, and we succeeded once, but then the scientist who discovered it was killed. You might have been unknowingly exposed to it."
Neo was puzzled, because Tony's arguments were actually sound. How did someone actually prove that magic was real and couldn't be explained by science? Neo decided to try something.
"Scientific theory can explain time travel and alternate dimensions, so taking you to meet Death is out; and like you said a wand could be considered a device that channels thoughts into reality by harnessing energy in different ways. But there are some things that cannot be explained by science. You would say that a man could not turn into a dog, right?"
"Of course," Tony agreed, but he had a feeling Neo was about to prove him wrong.
"Jarvis, I know Padfoot, so you must have footage of him turning into a human, right?" Neo asked the artificial butler.
A clip popped up on one of the nearest screens showing Sirius changing back into a human so he could grab a late night snack.
Acting like the stubborn man he was Tony chose to question what he saw, "Did you use C.G.I. on that, Jarvis?"
"No sir, the video is completely original. I also have another clip of the same man coming out of Mr. Lupin's room, before hearing you coming up the stairs and changing into a dog. Would you like to see it?"
"I knew there was something weird about that dog," Tony admitted.
Neo chuckled, "Actually, I think he's more natural as a dog. So do you believe me now?"
"If you give me a minute I could probably come up with a reason for it, but I'm too tired to figure out how to explain it being an illusion that you can touch. But I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."
"That's so generous of you," Neo smirk, "but just to make sure you believe me. How's this?" Neo knew that science can't explain the creation of something from nothing, so he raised his hand and conjured up a grapefruit sized red rubber ball that he bounced on the floor and then tossed to Tony who caught it out of reflex.
Tony almost dropped it in surprise as the weight of the solid mass in his hands registered in his brain. He still squeezed it; just to make sure it wasn't a slight of hand trick, and the ball could be squished into a smaller size. It gave a little but was mostly solid and could not have been easily concealed.
Tony nodded, "That works. How does no one know about this?"
"People do know. I'm assuming you mean people who don't have magic, right?" A nod from Tony made him continue, "I'm sure that the only reason the Wizarding World has been successful in staying secret is because people in the mundane government are "in the know", actually I wouldn't be surprised if governments around the world where helping keep wizards and witches a secret."
"So why didn't you tell me sooner? I guess it can't be a big secret if so many people know."
"There are laws forbidding any witch or wizard from revealing magic to a non-magical person. The Wizarding World calls them "muggles", but I don't like the sound of it so much anymore. In the War, the people I fought against made it sound so terrible; I swore I would never say it again. I know that we have these laws, so I don't know why the Aurors haven't shown up yet. Just don't tell anybody else, unless it's absolutely necessary, alright?"
"Yeah, I just think that it's kind of strange that people are keeping it so secret. I don't think that it would be such a big deal to at least take responsibility for what they did, instead of covering it up. Come on, can you honestly tell me that you haven't thought about telling everyone that you're a hero and saved the world from a psycho Magician? You're acting way too humble about this."
"Honestly? No," Neo looked at Tony with a steely gaze, "Only an insecure, self-serving, idiot would have to tell people he's a hero. It's dangerous enough having to fight all of the bad guys. Why would I put the people I love in danger from the rest of the world by revealing my secret to terrorists and the like? Public means public, everyone will know who and what I am. What if the non-magical "bad guys" suddenly decide to target me for one reason or another? When they find out I will never surrender; what's going to stop them from targeting my family and friends? And if they succeed in killing me or worse, who's going to protect the people I love from them? Who's going to protect Sirius and Remus?" Neo looked away, and when he looked at Tony again there was even more fire in them, "Who's going to protect you? Aren't you supposed to be a genius? I shouldn't have to tell you this. I keep my powers and identity a secret for many reasons, not just to protect myself. And I'll tell that to anyone else who asks me that question. I won't be responsible for setting a precedent that will cause people like me and you, who need to keep our identity a secret, to be forced into revealing their identity because I know how dangerous it is."
"What do you mean? Why should the good guys have to hide? If we knew the people behind the mask, it would make them responsible for what they do. If someone with the power to save people does the job but leaves others to clean up the mess, that's negligence. I've seen the news Britain was affected by the War, but I don't see the Wizards out their fixing what happened."
"The War was concentrated in the Wizarding World for a reason. The people I fought with did their best to make sure that the mundane people were not hurt. We gave up our last sanctuary as host to the final and worst battle of the war, so that non-magical people would be safe. With the things that happened there, the Wizarding World's last beacon of hope will never be the same. There was too much destruction and black magic for Hogwarts to ever be the same again, but people are still trying to do what they can. And even more are working to repair the damage done in the Mundane World. If you also cared to realize, you would have noticed that the reconstruction is coming along significantly faster than it usually would, almost like magic."
"Yeah, and now that I know, I can also see that every one of those witches and wizards is happy to let people keep thinking that it was a bunch of terrorists that did it. At least if people knew the truth, they wouldn't be so scared of someone that isn't coming back."
"Voldemort was a terrorist, and who said the threat was gone? There were too many people willing to fight for his cause, for me to delude myself into naively thinking that there won't be some other Dark Wizard or Witch who will come along and decide to pick a fight. The Magical World did everything it could, for as long as possible, to keep the mundane mortals safe. No amount of magic could protect everyone, all of the time. It would be even worse if the rest of the world did know about magical people and thought that they could "take responsibility" like you're saying, because for some that translates into "solve our problems". Do you really think it would be better if people knew that there were others who could fix something with a single word, save lives with a simple concoction, or kill with one spell? You've heard the stories about what people did when they believed in magic. They used to burn poor widowed women at the stake for a man's infidelity; because he decided to blame his transgression on magic instead of admitting that he was the one responsible to the rest of his village. The people who were executed in the Middle Ages or during the Witch Trials weren't even magical. Every magical child knows a spell to protect them from flames. But the fear of magic, of a power that only a select few were chosen to wield, was stirred up by those people who were jealous that they didn't have such a gift. But you say you want people to take responsibility? It's not about responsibility to people in power it's about diverting the blame onto someone else, even when it's no one's fault. What do you think will happen if no one is able to stop an attack or save people from a major disaster? What if the public wants to hold magical people responsible because they weren't there? If that happens there will be groups and factions begging for blood. This whole World will be turned into a powder keg and the match that sets it off will be men and women with political power in the world who are looking for an excuse to get rid of someone that opposes them, while making themselves look good. It will cause a global war and no one will be safe from the death and destruction. If you want to be responsible use your genius to make the world a better place, but hang up your pride before you destroy more lives than you could ever save."
"At least I would try to save them!" Tony stood up and exclaimed his words in Neo's face.
"So would I! Don't think for a second that I would willingly leave anyone in danger if I could save them. What I'm telling you is to think ahead. What has the public ever done for you, that makes you even consider trusting them? You constantly prove that revealing your secrets and what makes you different to the public is dangerous. People continue to misjudge you. I heard what the people around you say about you, and I know you hear them to. They are supposed to know you and they couldn't be more wrong about the man you are."
"I was that man once, and what they say is true. You know that. It's the reason I'm trying to make things better," Tony argued.
"They called you a selfish coward, but I know the truth. I know that a selfish person wouldn't have tried to rescue the prisoner being held captive with him. I know that a coward wouldn't have made an unorthodox suit of armor, that he built in captivity, to escape; and he certainly wouldn't have used said suit to become a hero who saved lives by shutting down a terrorist organization and fighting a powerful enemy to save his friends. You deserve credit for that Tony, but do you think everyone is going to see it that way? How many people in the military, do you think, are hoping to get their hands on the "robots" that just tore-up the Stark Enterprises factory? When someone draws the conclusion that you obviously made it, people will start demanding it. They are probably going to fight you for the schematics to your suit because it's a weapon that they don't have and is more powerful than the ones they do. Like children being told that they can't have the new toy because the store that makes it is going out of business, they will demand it unreasonably and think that they can brow beat you into giving it to them anyway. That suit is a part of you, you decided to start this, and I know that you won't stop now. No one in the government is going to believe you if you tell them they can't have it, because they can't control you. It will get dangerous Tony, and you might think that you can handle that kind of pressure, but can you live with yourself when someone threatens Pepper, Happy, or Rhodey? People need to be responsible, but is it worth the terrible things it will cause later? I'm not telling you what to do; I'm just hoping that you'll consider what I'm saying. No one can make your decisions but you, so what you do about it is your call," Neo paused, "I just want you to be safe," He whispered.
It took a few minutes for Tony to respond, "You're the only person I can remember ever saying that to me, and I've got to say I'm a little upset that this is the first time I'm hearing it."
"I know that I'm stating the obvious, I just want you to make sure you think through things first…" Neo started but Tony interrupted him.
"That's not what I was talking about. I just realized that for the first time since my parents died, someone said they actually wanted me to be safe. That's not to say I don't realize people feel that way, it has been implied, but I haven't actually heard them say it." Tony gulped down a lump that had suddenly formed in his throat, "Never mind. So, what brought you down here?"
"Oh right! I need to tell you that we're leaving tomorrow, my family and I. Remember I was planning on going home with my Uncle and Cousins when they leave. I should have said it earlier but it kept slipping my mind whenever you were around."
Tony smirked, "I know, I can be distracting."
"Terribly," Neo agreed in good humor, "But, I have to go to Asgard to save another planet or two, you know, just the usual stuff; it's all in a day's work for us, right?"
"Right, so when are you leaving?"
"In a few hours, I'll spend a day back in New York, and then I'm off to another planet."
"This isn't goodbye, you'll be back," Tony said with confidence, "You already admitted I was distracting, but I also know I'm irresistibly attractive, devastatingly charming and…already completely in love with you."
"Wha…" Neo started to question if he heard the other man correctly, when suddenly Tony had leaned forward and kissed him.
Neo's eyes had become impossibly wide. Tony had pressed his lips to Neo's in a chaste kiss but the passion in that one kiss was mind boggling, and as he felt the warmth radiating from Tony's body, Neo slowly let his eyes close and kissed back. Both of their hearts skipped a beat and an electric spark went through them, as something warm and vibrant settled into their hearts. The complete feeling that Neo experienced in that one kiss caused a tear of joy to fall down his cheek. Neo could feel it in his heart and his very soul, Tony was his soul mate.
They were both out of breath when they separated, and they had matching joyful smiles. In that moment, Tony and Neo silently thought that the other was the most gorgeous thing they had seen in their lives.
The second that Neo got his breath back he spoke, "That was a little unexpected, I guess we'll just have to add spontaneous to the list. Where did that come from?"
Tony let out a breathy chuckle, "I really don't know. I only met you two weeks ago, but I feel like I loved you even before that. I had started having dreams about your amazing eyes and voice before I met you, and then you suddenly show up out of the blue. I don't really believe in fate, but the day I came close to believing, was the day I met you."
In the silence that came after that, it was easy to hear Luke yell out his brother's name.
"I told them to call when they were ready to go. It looks like it's time," Neo closed his eyes and leaned down to rest his head on Tony's shoulder, "And now I don't feel like leaving."
"I'm sure I could convince you to stay." Tony said with a sly grin.
Neo raised his head and took a step back, "And I'm sure you could, but I can't."
"Then you just have to come back soon, because you know how much I hate waiting. After all, I still have question, and you still have a lot of explaining to do."
"Right," the young god agreed with a laugh, "but now it looks like you're stuck with me when I do come back, so how about one more for the road."
Neo leaned in for one last kiss and it was not as chaste as the first, but it was full of love.
*Break*
The next day, after saying goodbye to his new friends and boyfriend, Tony went to a press conference much like the one he was going to when he first met Neo. Completely out of character, Tony actually thought twice when he got the sudden urge to tell the truth. As the idea popped into his head he instantly remembered the small argument he had with Neo the night before. Tony knew that the other man was right, if he tried to become a hero after telling people the truth it would do more harm than good, so Tony announced that thanks to his genius and a bodyguard dressed in a combat suit (affectionately named Iron Man by the press) the attack on Stark Enterprises was stopped. He also announced that because of the damage done to the factory, even though it was being rebuilt (technically it was already rebuild, thanks to the Spirits that served Neo), he would be building a new building in New York that ran completely on clean energy. The estimated construction date was still two years away at the most and when asked why he chose New York Tony smiled and said, "Someone suggested it."
That night Tony was coming home and was surprised when he met the apparent Director of SHIELD, Nick Fury. The man may have left quickly but Tony had a feeling that that was not the last time he would see him.
Nick Fury did not make house calls on a regular basis, but Tony Stark had actually surprised him today. Fury had been ready for Stark to pull something stupid to reveal the truth, but instead Stark had stuck with the cover story. The Director decided to pay the genius a visit to see if there was something else to Stark. It was confusing when he met the man and Tony Stark acted exactly the way he had thought he would. Tony Stark hadn't had a change in character; so what had made him decide to cooperate for once?
*Break*
The group made it back to the outskirts of Camp Half-Blood in the blink of an eye. Since Thor's coronation was scheduled for early the next day, the group would be staying there in Neo's tent for the night. Everyone except for Luke, Percy, Remus and Sirius who would be staying at camp (due to the minor fact that only gods are allowed in Asgard unless it's a special circumstance) took the rest of the day to prepare.
Loki had been teaching Neo about Asgard, and the young god was ready for the trip. After he was ready to go, Neo decided to see Chiron for a talk; he found the centaur in the Arena and they talked as Neo trained. They caught up on what had happened, and Chiron was impressed with Tony Stark's machine. By the time Neo left it was dinner.
Loki, Jormungandr, Fenrir, Sirius, Remus, Hermes and Luke were gathered around the kitchen table when he walked in, and as he shared good food with his family Neo felt excited about the next day. Loki had made plans to leave early and arrive as the final preparations for the coronation and after party were being made. They would slip in unnoticed in the confusion.
Even with his excitement, Neo was able to go to sleep easily. Fenrir had curled-up into Neo's side and was quietly snoring while Jormungandr lay on his other side. None of the sleeping gods knew the excitement that would come in the next few days.
