How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful Chapter 10: The Trial of Loki Friggason (Part 1), an avengers fanfic

Avengers || FrostIron || How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful || FrostIron || Avengers

Title: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful – New and Improved Avengers

Fandom: Marvel | Avengers

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Marvel Comics for the creation of some of the most awesome heroes ever. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: m/m, not Infinity War compliant, team as family, team building, fluff, PTSD, hurt/comfort, past child abuse, explicit intercourse, anal, oral, m/f, f/f

Main Pairing: Loki/Tony

Side Pairings: Valkyrie/Sif, Bruce/Jane, Rhodey/Carol, Happy/Pepper, T'Challa/Ororo

Junior Avengers: Peter Parker | Spider-Man, Shuri, Hela Lokisdottir, Miles Morales | Kid Arachnid, Edward 'Ned' Leeds, Harley Keener

Allies: Stephen Strange | Doctor Strange, T'Challa | Black Panther, Ororo Munroe | Storm, Okoye, Heimdall, Virginia 'Pepper' Potts, Happy Hogan, James 'Bucky' Barnes, Scott Lang | Ant-Man

Summary: Post Civil War, Tony has to build a new team of Avengers. Aside from new recruits, there are also two well-known Avengers that return to Earth – with a ship full of refugees. New and more functional Avengers rise from the ashes of the old and new alliances, new friendships and even new relationships are formed. Though the biggest wild-card proves to be Loki, not entirely unexpected.

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

New and Improved Avengers

Chapter 10: The Trial of Loki Friggason (Part 1)

T'Challa closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, a pleased smile on his lips. Serene. Peaceful.

"You're truly enjoying that the princess ain't here."

A nearly mischievous smile found its way onto T'Challa's lips as he opened his eyes and very deliberately unfolded his newspaper. "Look at me, James. I am reading the newspaper, with no snarky comments about ancient, outdated media that unnecessarily kills trees. I can just... enjoy the news, the way I want during breakfast. And no one ate my strawberries."

James chuckled lowly and shook his head. "You're not... worried? She's a genius, but she is... she is still a kid? In a different country."

"Shuri will be fine", chuckled T'Challa. "She can take care of herself and she is with... a friend I trust. So for the time being, I can simply enjoy my newspa-"

T'Challa grunted as the newspaper was suddenly ripped out of his hands by James. The other man carefully smoothed it down with his one hand and looking at the front page that had been facing him until only moments before. T'Challa frowned to see what had caught James' attention. Ah.

The Avengers: Long-Awaited Reunion

Today's headline of the New York Times. T'Challa smirked amused and leaned back. He knew what James must be thinking at the headline alone. He had tried to stay out of the news as much as possible, mostly living in his hut in the valley, tending to his goats. Once a week, every Sunday, he would join the royal family at breakfast before going to his appointment with the modified BARF program. It was working wonders in shutting down the Winter Soldier programming, after Shuri had built on the foundation that Stark had handed to her. Slowly, over the past months, the Winter Soldier ceased to exist. But who remained was not Bucky anymore either, not after everything he had gone through. A few weeks in, he had requested to be called James, trying to find his own, new path. T'Challa respected that. He respected the man a lot. The two men had formed a tentative friendship over those past months of James Barnes living in Wakanda.

"Bruce Banner and Thor Odinson", muttered James lowly, voice a bit confused.

"Yes. They were founding members of the Avengers", supplied T'Challa, unsure just how much James really knew about them prior to what had been dubbed the Civil War. "They disappeared a while back and apparently were off-planet the whole time."

"Mh. I just thought-", started James, not finishing his sentence.

He shook his head before returning the newspaper to T'Challa. The king closed it again to actually look at the front-page (he always started with the cultural section). The photo beneath the headline was of Carol Danvers and Thor Odinson shaking hands, Tony and Rhodey on either side of Captain Danvers, while Bruce Banner and a dark-haired woman T'Challa had never seen before flanked Thor. The description labeled her as Lady Sif. Interesting. T'Challa had heard of her.

"Are you worried for Mister Rogers and his people?", inquired T'Challa curiously.

"I dunno", shrugged James with a frown. "Stevie'll be alright. I just can't shake what they said when they were still here. That they'd return to being Avengers once Stark'll see reason."

"That won't happen", hummed T'Challa, wondering how indeed the Exvengers were taking this.

/break\

Steve stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the news. This couldn't possibly be real. He scrambled for the remote control to turn up the volume, startling Clint, who was sharpening his arrows, and Sam, reading his book in the other corner of the room. Their apartment was small and shabby, but it did its purpose. Two bedrooms, one that Natasha and Wanda shared and one that Steve, Sam and Clint shared, a small living room with a kitchenette and a bathroom. They had been here the longest so far; a month. Natasha frowned and poked her head in at the sudden loudness of the news.

"-After nearly two years of missing, Doctor Bruce Banner and Thor Odinson finally return to Earth to reunite with the Avengers in a heartwarming scene."

The news cut to Bruce hugging Tony while laughing, followed by Thor just picking Tony up and whirling him around. That however was not what had Steve that shocked. What truly shocked him was the news-loop at the bottom of the TV – Trial of Loki Friggason to start this afternoon – Avengers in support of reformed villain – Matt Murdock to defend Loki.

"Tony... Tony is supporting Loki?", whispered Steve in disbelieve.

"You really surprised?", snorted Wanda coldly.

"Wonder how Thor and Banner are going to take it when they learn the truth", grunted Clint.

"Looks like they replaced us all too", noted Natasha, eyebrows raised.

A woman labeled as Captain Carol Danvers, subtitled with Leader of the Avengers, was speaking to the public on-screen, with Tony and Rhodey standing on either side of her while in the background, other people helped the newly arrived Asgardians out of the ship.

"Sharon", whispered Steve stunned as he spotted the blonde among the group.

"Loki?", muttered Sam and shook his head. "I wonder what they're thinking."

/break\

"What were they thinking?", whispered Bruce, running his fingers through his hair.

He was perhaps a hue green as he stared at the screen. Thor and Sif sat with him, Hilde had decided to for now stay with their people, 'just in case' (it figured that she herself could not yet just trust strangers). The three of them were however not the only ones in the room. Tony, Rhodey, Vision, Jane and Darcy were with them. Two blondes who had introduced themselves as Sharon Carter and Carol Danvers had left earlier to go and take care of Loki. Another one, a brunette, Hope van Dyne, had claimed to 'take care of the children' before ushering a group of teenagers away, including Hela.

"One hundred and seventeen nations?", asked Bruce softly, looking up at Tony.

"I know it doesn't look good, because it's Ross and fuck Ross, but-", started Tony hastily.

"A hundred and seventeen nations", confirmed Rhodey with a serious frown, nodding.

Telling them was one thing, one overwhelming and unrealistic sounding thing. The Avengers had an outfall. Wanda had... gotten to join the Avengers? For some reason? And she had endangered people in South Africa? The UN banded together, wanting protection from the Avengers. The Sokovia Accords. Tony had handed them each a copy, with a quip how it would be light evening reading. Of course was Bruce going to read them to form his own opinion on them, but generally? That one hundred and seventeen nations had come to this agreement, partially out of fear of the Avengers? After Sokovia, Bruce... understood it. Wanda had set the Hulk out on innocent people, Bruce and Tony had built a highly dangerous robot that nearly completely destroyed Sokovia. The Avengers, in all their good intentions, were still a threat. No one knew that better than Bruce Banner, because he had always seen himself alone already as a high-risk danger.

To hear that Steve had discarded the Accords without as much as a second glance. That, in the middle of it all, some lunatic wanted personal revenge on the Avengers and was framing Bucky Barnes for a terrorist attack, prompting Steve to of course side with his old friend and causing a rift between the Avengers? And it all peaked in a fight in Germany, for which they had just watched the footage of the surveillance camera. Tony, Rhodey, Vision, Natasha, a kid named Spider-Man and a guy in a cat-suit against Steve, Clint, Sam, Wanda, a size-changing guy and Bucky Barnes.

"To turn your weapons against your brothers and sisters in arm is shameful", grunted Thor.

"It was never supposed to be a fight", sighed Tony, sounding very tired. "We were supposed to talk it out. They were supposed to see reason."

"And all of this over these Accords?", asked Thor displeased. "What do they mean?"

"Someone to oversee us", replied Rhodey. "So we can't just charge into whatever foreign country we want, wreaking havoc along the way. Not without the country's consent. We are still free to act in the US. But there is a committee that now reviews our actions. When civilians get hurt, when cities are destroyed, we are held responsible."

"Like... every other normal soldier too?", offered Sif confused. "The concept of an overseeing force is not foreign, is it? War crimes and reckless behavior ought to be reviewed. Is that not common practice on Midgard...?"

"It is", grunted Rhodey and shook his head. "And you'd think soldier-boy would understand that. You can't just deliberately endanger civilians, like Maximoff had done, and not expect any kind of repercussions. But he thought that the Avengers should be their own judges and jury."

Thor grunted and shook his head. He was a warrior and him and Sif and the Warriors Three had always lived by a code, yet still, when things went wrong, the Asgardian high council oversaw it. The same went for the Valkyries prior to their disbandment. They could not just march into another world and do whatever they pleased, risking treaties with said other worlds. While he had never given it much thought how the Avengers operated in detail, he had always assumed such an oversight was somewhere in place and that Tony and Steve, as the leaders, reported to some higher authority to deem their actions justified. Grunting, Thor got up and walked over to Tony.

"It all went horribly wrong somewhere and I tried to fix it-", started Tony to apologize.

Thor rested a heavy hand on Tony's shoulder before pulling him into a hug. "My friend, there is no need to apologize. We, the Avengers, are the defenders of the people and we must listen to what the people want. I am sorry that... our team has fallen apart while we were away and I would have much liked to aid you in this battle."

Suddenly, months of tension seemed to melt from Tony as he returned Thor's hug. A part of him had somehow feared that Thor and Bruce would be angry with him, blame him for everything – like Clint had done. Because it was easier to blame Tony than to acknowledge that they had chosen to break the law and had been rightfully arrested for said breaking of the law.

"What happened after the incident in Germany?", asked Bruce, eyes soft.

"Well, while they were in custody, I... found out that it was only a set-up. I left to help Steve and then... everything went wrong. Steve broke the others out of prison and they had been on the run since then", replied Tony awkwardly, shrugging.

"Everything went wrong is not a very detailed report", pointed Sif out, eyebrows raised. "How could anything possibly have gone wrong from thereon? You had the information to clear this... Sargent Barnes' name and came to aid your fellow warrior?"

"Tony doesn't talk about that", offered Rhodey. "Whatever it was, it ended with me getting a call from T'Challa – dude in the cat-suit – about Tony being severely injured in Siberia."

"Is that why...", started Bruce, reaching a tentative hand out toward the arc-reactor.

"Yeah", nodded Tony before shrugging. "That's that."

"That is most definitely not that", grunted Thor with a frown. "What transpired? Was there an attack? Did the man who set you up overwhelm you and Steve?"

"Tony, please. This is all a lot to take in, but we want the whole story", pleaded Bruce.

Rhodey gritted his teeth, eyebrows drawn close as he watched Tony. Tony hadn't even told him, or anyone for that matter, what had happened in Siberia. But Rhodey would never forget the sheer panic he had felt when Vision had returned with Tony, battered and bruised and barely alive.

"They're right, Tones. You should totally share with the group", agreed Darcy cautiously.

Tony took a shaky breath, looking at those of his team that were present. Rhodey had pressed the issue a lot – Pepper had pressed the issue even more, she had looked ready to hunt down Captain America and shove his shield up his ass personally, which was why Tony never spoke of it. There was no point in further antagonizing the symbol of America, was there?

"Tony", whispered Jane gently, resting a hand on his shoulder and looking at him with those eyes.

Those very caring, 'you have friends, please trust us' eyes. Tony still couldn't believe that he had made such friends, that he had managed to build such a team. Heaving a sigh, Tony ran his fingers through his hair and leaning against the backrest of the couch.

"So... Zemo had a tape. Of the Winter Soldier. Killing... my mother and my father", started Tony, voice quiet. "And I lost it. I saw them die, right in front of me. And Steve knew. He has known for years, but he never told me. He should have told me. Had he told me two years ago, when he found out, I could have digested. I could have come to terms with it. But in that moment, I was just... blinded by rage. And we fought, me and them. Highlights include, but are not limited to, me blasting Barnes' arm off and Steve ramming his shield into the arc-reactor."

Tony jumped when something hit the wall. The look on Rhodey's face after throwing the nearest lamp was one of murderous intend. He had never told them what had happened for a reason.

"So it was his shield", snarled Rhodey angrily. "The dent in the armor, the broken reactor, the reason you needed the arc-reactor planted in again. That was the glorious symbol of peace, yeah?"

"Rhodey, please", sighed Tony and shook his head. "There's no point in getting angry about it. It's in the past. Steve made his choice. He chose Barnes over everything."

"Where are they now, Tony?", asked Bruce with a frown.

"Barnes is in Wakanda, getting fixed up", replied Tony. "I know he didn't... He was brainwashed. What he had done in the name of Hydra were not his own actions. They're working on fully deprogramming him and, you know, therapy and all that jazz."

"The others, Tony", pressed Bruce a bit unimpressed.

"Who knows", shrugged Tony. "Ran off, in hiding somewhere. Hope said that the guy who goes from super tiny to giant size made a deal, got house-arrest for the next two years. The others? The actual Avengers? They would face serious charges if caught, but no one knows where they are."

Of course did Tony know exactly where they were. Rogers had given him that stupid ancient phone with only one number saved. Like Tony couldn't track down a damn phone-number to its location. Sometimes, Tony wondered why he never rattled them out, got them arrested. But the bigger part of him still very vividly had nightmares of Clint, looking him dead in the eyes and after all those years as a team, flat-out claiming that he couldn't be trusted and would stab them in the back. Like he had personally put them into their cells and they had no control over their own unlawful actions. Not again. Tony was not going to be the one to put them behind bars. They would be caught, eventually. The witch was far too outstanding to stay hidden for long, Steve Rogers was one of the best-known faces of the world. At one point, they wouldn't be able to hide anymore, but Tony didn't want anything to do with that. He had his Avengers, here. He had good to do.

"Now, if you'd excuse me, I'll get some rest before meeting up with the trickster prince tomorrow. Darcy, will you be a dear and show them their rooms? Thank you."

/break\

Bruce frowned wondrously as he looked around the living room. It was somehow far more personal than the tower had ever been. There was a patchwork blanket thrown over one of the couches, a physics magazine and a pair of fuzzy slippers with J embroidered on them right in front of it. On the table on the other side of the couch stood an obnoxiously pink mug still half-filled with chocolate and marshmallows and opposite the mug was what looked like tenth grade homework spread out on it. The interior-design was far less standard rich people, as the tower had been, and more personal touches. Especially all the posters on the wall. Not just framed movie posters of the original Star Wars trilogy and the first Ghostbusters. No, those were cheap posters, out of some teen magazine – posters of the Avengers. They hung on the wall in a neat line-up, but put there with pins like actual teens had put them up. Each a single-person full-page poster, with the respective Avenger posing in front of a generic background and the Avenger's name splashed in some hip or stylish font. Iron Man, War Machine, Vision, Captain Marvel, The Wasp, Agent 13 – and one of Doctor Foster and Darcy Lewis posing together with bright smiles. That was the current line-up of the Avengers. Bruce had been introduced to all those people, outside of their costumes though. Carol Danvers, Hope van Dyne and Sharon Carter, the new power-houses of the Avengers.

"I made those", declared Darcy with pride as she suddenly popped up behind Bruce, startling him. "I mean, I didn't shoot them, but they were my idea. We need more merchandise of the Avengers."

"Because we need the money?", asked Bruce, one eyebrow raised.

"Well, no. We're government funded and paid. All money made with the merchandise actually goes into charity funds, helping the people who suffer losses at the hands of villains. Like, say, a Doombot smashing an apartment building? Insurance only covers so much. Our charity funds help them even more", elaborated Darcy with a smile. "No, it's all because... the Avengers have to be the good guys. The people can't be afraid of their heroes. Which... they were, after the footage of that fight in Germany hit the news."

"The Avengers are doing a lot of good, far beyond just saving the world", added Jane as she entered the room and approached them. "Hello, Doctor Banner. I'm the head of the science division of the Avengers Initiative. And as such, I would absolutely fail if I wasn't trying to recruit you."

"R... Recruit me?", echoed Bruce doubtfully.

"Well, whether or not the Hulk will rejoin the Avengers, that's up to you and Carol and Rhodey, but the brilliant mind of Bruce Banner? I do need that on my team", stated Jane with a cheeky smile.

Bruce paused for a moment before he smiled. "For now, I'd like to settle in, but... I'll give it a thought. What... exactly is this... science division?"

"You and Tony did incredible work together, but Ultron is something that happened and the world saw it and was afraid. So sciencing among the Avengers happens in an official setting now. The science division. New projects are first run by me, as the head, and then greenlit. We need to make sure nothing goes incredibly wrong", explained Jane. "It's just me, Tony, Hope, P... Spider-Man and Princess Shuri right now. Doctor Helen Cho occasionally calls in, but she is actually on maternal leave these days, if you were wondering. It's a boy, Amadeus."

Bruce grunted at that, eyebrows raised. "A kid? I gotta... congratulate her, when I get to it."

"Well, I just wanted to say hello, personally, outside of the whole group-setting. It's a pleasure to be working with you. Think on my offer and get back to me with a yes", stated Jane.

She really was how Thor had described her. It made Bruce smile amused.

/break\

Thor sat with a frown, eating a poptart that Darcy had handed him to cheer him up. It had indeed been a lot to process and while it was a huge relief to be back on Earth and to have his people housed safely here, it was a shock to hear what had transpired between his team. He and Bruce had not once doubted that they would return to their old team. Darcy sat opposite him, drinking hot chocolate out of a very stark-pink mug. The Asgardian startled when all of a sudden, a young brunette boy popped up right in front of him, with large, sparkling eyes.

"Hello, Mister Thor, sir. Uh, your highness because you're a king now?", sputtered the kid.

Thor frowned curiously. What did this random child do at the Avengers Mansion?

"Uncle Thor! This is my friend Peter! He really wants to meet you and I told him he should just come!", declared Hela as she trailed after the brunette boy. "He is a... what did you call it, Shuri?"

"A fanboy", chuckled the girl walking next to Hela.

The other Avengers present, Rhodey and the new Captain leaning against the counter and drinking coffee, turned to watch them amused. Apparently, the presence of teenagers seemed to not surprise them? Though Thor was unsure who the young lady was.

"Peter!", exclaimed Thor enthusiastically and got up. "I have heard great things of you from my niece! Son of Tony, I am more than pleased to meet you!"

Rhodey made a choking sound as his coffee went down the wrong pipe. "W... What?"

"Peter Tonyson!", stated Thor proudly, resting a hand on Peter's head. "Hela has told me all of friend Tony's son! Though I do wonder why he has never mentioned the boy before."

Carol started laughing as she patted Rhodey on the back, who was still fighting with his coughing fit. Peter stared doe-eyed up at Thor, cheeks red in embarrassment before turning toward Hela.

"I... I'm not-", started Peter, just to be interrupted by a delighted Darcy.

"He is not public knowledge", declared Darcy with a grin and took a picture.

Thor just praised your SON. Something you wanna tell us?, texted Darcy in the Avengers group-chat for Tony to see later. This definitely needed to be used against him.

/break\

Tony stared blank-faced at his phone and Darcy's text. Really? Thor thought Peter was Tony's son? Tony stumbled a bit as that information sank in. He shook his head astonished.

"Everything alright, Tony? Do we need to get back to the mansion?", asked Sharon next to him.

"No. No, it's... you'll see for yourself later", grunted Tony and shook his head.

"I was surprised that you want to see him today. I figured you'd want to stay with Bruce and Thor for a while longer, maybe even... fully stay out of this thing", mused Sharon.

"Staying out of things has never been my thing, Shar", chuckled Tony dryly. "I need to talk to him."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Tony", sighed Sharon. "Murdock is handling the case. We should only get involved later, when... during the trial, when you have to testify – you, meaning the ones that were Avengers back when everything went down, that is."

"Of course. That makes sense. Yeah", nodded Tony slowly. "Again, not a thing I like doing."

"Making sense?", snorted Sharon and shook her head.

"Exactly", chimed Tony delighted. "No, Shar, I really... If we plan on pulling through with this, I need to see for myself. He needs to convince me that he can be trusted. I can't... I've made enough mistakes with whom to trust. The last mind-controlling witch the Avengers trusted turned out to not be the best decision and while Thor's word and Bruce's word are one thing..."

"He's been well-behaved, for what it's worth", offered Sharon softly. "He let himself be processed and brought to his cell, hasn't tried to escape just yet."

"Good. Good", nodded Tony slowly, wringing his hands. "That's... a start."

Sharon chuckled as she approached the guards in front of the heavy metal doors. After showing her badge and his badge and scanning their retinas, Sharon and Tony were let into the room. Tony and Sharon exchanged one last look before stepping inside. Sharon hung back, leaning against the wall and observing quietly. She had just come along to make sure nothing went wrong.

"Did you come to finally give me that drink you offered me last time?"

It took Tony a moment before he laughed and shook his head. "I tell you what, Rudolph. If you actually play nice with the other people and get cleared of all charges, drinks are on me."

Loki in a jumpsuit looked surreal. His hands were covered and chained together. Yet despite all that, he still looked regal as he leaned back on his chair, like a king. Tony smiled, one of his official press-smiles, as he sat down on the chair opposite Loki. The official trial was not to start for another three days, but everyone in the room knew this was where the trial of Loki Friggason truly started.

Author's note: Ten chapters in and Loki and Tony finally meet! Wow. This is easily the slowest slow-burn I have ever written. *laughs sheepishly* And yes, the chapter is "Part 1", because that was A LOT to digest for Thor and Bruce and we're gonna elaborate more on their reaction next chapter, as well as Loki's situation!

Now, one last thing. I spent some time thinking on the "Avengers 3.0" that Shuri wants, so I ended up drawing them - if you wanna check it out, it's on my DeviantArt (takara-phoenix)! ;)