A/N: Okay so I'm back... obviously…umm yea. On to chapter 4. Enjoy!
Chapter Four
Giovanni couldn't breathe.
Aliens were invading New York. His mother was in New York.
He stared blankly at the television screen praying he wouldn't see the older man and yet…there was Iron Man fighting back to back with Captain America and the Hulk.
"Oh my God." Azelia whispered beside him, horrified. "What is he doing?"
The Stark heir didn't respond his cyan eyes glued to the sleek form of his mother flying around on the screen. One of the aliens delivered a particularly nasty hit to the suit knocking his mother into a building and his breath hitched. His fiancée flinched and whimpered, bringing her hands to her mouth.
The suit recovered instantly and rejoined the fray and they tried not to think on it.
"We're live from Manhattan, New York, where the city is currently under attack. These creatures seem to be emerging from a large wormhole situated directly above Stark tower and are reportedly controlled by the demi-god, Loki. The attack has been going on for nearly an hour and there seems to be no end to the chaos."
A reporter commented on the screen and they watched as the fighters separated and went their own way to fight the invaders. The camera switched to show a large, caped blond man beating the creatures with a gigantic war hammer.
Giovanni's heart began to beat faster than he thought faster and his breath seemed to be stuck in his throat when the camera changed once more to show his mother flying towards Stark Tower…with a nuke on his back.
"Oh my god! NO!" Azelia whimpered hiding her face in her fiancée's shoulder, tears falling onto his light blue t-shirt.
Memories of his time with his mother flew through his mind at the speed of sound and tears welled in Giovanni's eyes.
There was no one in the world he loved more than his mother. The man was his world, the only person in the world that knew him and loved him unconditionally.
He was his teacher. His protector. His Confident. His Best friend.
No, he couldn't handle this and yet...
With each passing second his carrier flew closer and closer to the large black wormhole over the tower and Vanni's heart began to stammer, darkness gathering at the corner of his vision. The second the slim gold and carmine form disappeared into the black hole, the darkness encompassed him completely and he slipped into unconsciousness.
Tony was exhausted. A week had passed since the invasion and between press conferences, debriefs, team meetings, relief efforts, and clean up he'd barely had a moment to sleep let alone do anything else. He was also being swamped with projects from both SI and the SHIELD, all of which sat on the desk as he did everything else.
At the moment he sat in yet another meeting between Fury and the Avengers listening as Rogers gave them a rundown of things that needed to be done. Surprisingly, with all the money, time, and equipment Tony had contributed to clean up they had discovered that it didn't really take as long as they had believed it would. In fact this was officially the last day of clean up meaning that he would finally be able to take care of the most important thing; checking on his son.
He just knew Giovanni had seen the news reports if the numerous calls he were receiving from the child were anything to go by yet with everything going on he hadn't really had any time to reassure him beyond a quick text and a message through Jarvis. The young man was bound to be both worried out of his mind and furious.
His phone rang in his pocket and he started violently. Cursing the reaction and ignoring the curious glances sent to him by the other people in the room, he answered it not bothering to look at the caller ID.
"Hello?"
"Are you out of your fucking mind?!"
Tony flinched at the anger in his former lover's voice, knowing older man's anger was stemming more from fear than actual anger. Other than his children, he knew that Rhodey was one of the only people left in the world and knowing that he had worried the man broke his heart.
"Rhodey, I-"
"No, Tony. You've done a lot of crazy shit that I can overlook but this? Tony you flew a nuke into space despite knowing that there was very little chance you'd survive! What the hell?!"
"There was no other choice, Rhodey! If that thing had blown Manhattan would've been completely wiped off the map. I'm sorry for giving a damn!"
The other man sighed sadly and it was times like this that gave Tony hope that maybe one day, one day the older man would come to love him again. There was always this…affection he had in his voice when Tony put someone else's safety before his own and it was so eerily reminiscent of the love they had shared that it left his heart aching.
"Tony, I'm not going to tell you what you did was wrong, because it wasn't, but dammit, brat! You need to be careful! I-I don't want to lose you."
The billionaire's breath caught almost unnoticed by anyone else in the room but he shoved down the hope that tried to take hold of his heart.
"I…I'll call you later, Rhodey." He monotoned, ending the call before the other man could say another word. Once he was done he turned to the other avengers and Fury with a brittle smile.
"On with the meeting."
Natasha and Bruce sent him concerned looks but he ignored them focusing all of his energy on not breaking down. Not yet.
Once he was alone within the safe confines of his bedroom in Stark tower, only then he would allow himself to shatter.
Until then he had to be strong.
"'Vanni."
Relief flooded Giovanni as he was graced with the sound of his mother's voice for the first time in over two and a half weeks. Since the day of the Manhattan invasion he'd been trying to get in touch with the submissive, however barring texts and messages from Jarvis they hadn't really had time to talk and it had been driving him insane. Not only had it been the longest he'd ever gone without speaking to the man it also made it harder for him to gauge just how this invasion had affected him in terms of his battles against depression and nightmares.
"Mom. Gods, are you alright? How are things going? Jarvis said you haven't been eating and that you're having trouble sleeping."
A tired laugh left the billionaire and despite himself the younger genius smiled.
"I am fine, il mio piccolo. Just exhausted. With the relief efforts and everything else going on there hasn't been a lot of time for me to rest… or call you. I'm so sorry for leaving you to worry."
Giovanni sighed, his heart softening at those words.
"It's alright, mom. I know it's not your fault. I just wish you could be a hero without all the death defying stunts."
"I'm not a hero, child. I never have been nor will I ever be. I risk my life to save people to absolve myself of the guilt I feel for the red in ledger not because I'm a good person."
A frown crossed the younger's features at the self-deprecation in his mother's tone somehow knowing that stupid SHIELD place and their faulty analysis of his mother's character had something to do with it.
"Do I need to come to New York and have Azelia smack some sense into you?"
"'Vanni-"
"No, don't 'Vanni me, mom. I've told you this countless times and somehow you never believe me! You're the least selfish person I know and I'm so sick of hearing you and everyone else put you down! I'm so sick of telling you something you should already know! For fuck's sake, mom you just flew a nuke into space to save the lives of thousands of people with no thought to the fact that you would be leaving behind your family! Hell if what Jarvis is telling me is true you've even offered to house those idiotic heroes in your tower just to save them from having to stay in those barracks. Stop selling yourself short!" He yelled and a stunned silence hung heavy between them.
Finally after what seemed like hours his mother broke it with a shaky breath.
"O-Okay. " He whispered softly then he repeated it in a steadier voice. "Okay. I'm sorry."
"Me too."
A giggle left the older, followed by a yawn. "It's alright, honey. I've always encouraged you to speak your mind."
Giovanni chuckled quietly glancing up as Azelia entered the room and placing a finger to his lips.
"Go rest. Mom. I'll call you tomorrow."
"But I-"
"Go to sleep, Mom. " He repeated firmly and an exasperated sound left the submissive.
"Fine. Goodnight. I love you."
"I love you too. Sleep well."
"You too."
Hanging up the phone the college student turned to his fiancée.
"First break were going to New York."
She smirked at him.
"I know. I've already bought the tickets."
Queen Frigga sighed sadly as she stared down at the small babe sleeping restlessly in her arms. Loki had been beyond healing, his mind shattered by the mad titan and she'd been forced to cast one of the oldest spells in history. The spell had erased every memory Loki had and deaged him to just a few weeks old making it so that he could grow up once more, the right way. Now all she had to do was send him to the home she'd chosen for him, the Queen of Midgard and Gaia's chosen himself.
Heart breaking with each passing moment, she swaddled the babe in an emerald green blanket and placed him in a beautifully woven basket. Then she placed a letter in the basket beside him and ran a slender hand through his soft hair.
"My precious child," she whispered. "I love you and your brother more than life itself. Unfortunately, Asgard is not the place for you. You do not deserve to grow up in a place where all you will face is ostracism and pain. You deserve love and happiness and I know you will get it with this man…and maybe, just maybe you can save him from the darkness haunting his soul."
Loki gave a quiet coo in his sleep and she sniffled. Then, before she could lose her courage, she disappeared baby in tow. She reappeared in a large spacious pent house and she immediately noticed the beauty lying fast asleep on one of the nearby sofas. Short, messy curls framed a peaceful face, full lips parted with every small breath and there in the center of the vixen's chest was an iridescent blue device that lit up the room with its intensity.
Midgard's Queen.
Gaia's chosen champion.
Queen Frigga smiled and placed her precious bundle beside the couch, noting how the once restless child in it was now calm.
Yes, this was the perfect place for her son.
Kissing Loki's head lightly she moved over to the sleeping queen and brushed a strand of hair from his head.
"Take care of our child."
She whispered vanishing as silently as she appeared.
TBC…