How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful Chapter 12: A Father's Love, 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 12: A Father's Love

The outcome of the trial had been obvious from the get-go. From the witness testimonies to the evidence – video-proof of Loki's blue, mind-controlled eyes, compared to the green he had now, in comparison to Barton's mind-controlled blue back then. Murdock was also surprisingly good, considering he seemed to spend more energy on fighting ninjas than dealing with his cases (Tony had questions about the ninjas, but all Murdock kept saying was that 'he had it handled', whatever that meant). Thor continuously swore that his brother was on the path of redemption and that the good influences of the Avengers would surely send him onto that way.

Tony was a bit doubtful about that, but he was definitely not going to kick the big puppy while he was down already – having lost his planet, his father, his eye, his hair and his hammer. Honestly, Tony kind of wanted to wrap the big guy up in a blanket and give him a hot chocolate. Instead, he gave Thor a new eye and a new hammer, with a little help from Princess Shuri.

"This is most generous of you", whispered Thor, voice unusually low and soft.

He looked around in wonder, adjusting to the new eye. Obviously, Tony had given it some upgrades to allow Thor a screen-vision like Tony had inside his suit, if he wished to. Scanning, recording, night-vision. Just some things that might come in handy. Thor turned his hand in awe, looking at it.

"It seems to have connected well", noted Jane pleased. "Helen did great."

"Truly. I will visit Lady Helen with flowers and chocolate to thank her in person", agreed Thor.

Helen had come back for one surgery to connect the eye with the right nerves. The Avengers had happily done some babysitting. Darcy had posted a lot of adorable pictures of little Amadeus Cho riding on Vision's shoulders and staring in awe at pixie-sized Hope, making her look like a fairy godmother. In the end, all had gone rather well apparently.

"Now, don't overdo it, you're still supposed to recover from surgery", warned Shuri.

"You can't hand him a new toy and tell him not to play with it", laughed Darcy teasingly.

"The hammer works as a catalyst for electricity, so it should be able to channel your powers", started Tony, taking the eager-eyed look Thor was throwing at the new hammer as his cue.

"It's made from Vibranium to hold your Asgardian magic", added Shuri, amused by Thor's eagerness. "Here's a wrist-band that's connected to the hammer. I hear you're fond of your old hammer returning to you; press this button and the hammer will return to you."

"Wonderful!", exclaimed Thor excitedly, running careful fingers along his new hammer. "She is truly a beauty. And I thank you for this amazing gift, my friends."

Tony smiled. He had missed this, a lot. Him making tech for the old team had become something expected. With the new team, it was all more regulated. Actual orders, officially filed, Stark Industries being paid for it. Mainly because he was so tired of just being expected to upgrade everything and provide all of the tech, on top of working for Stark Industries and being an Avenger. This bright-eyed, genuine gratitude on Thor's face though, Tony had missed that. Missed making something for someone and them appreciating it.

"Now, if you'd excuse me. Our... newest house-guest arrives today and I'd love to welcome him in person", stated Tony and straightened his tie. "You want to come too, Air Bud?"

Thor frowned confused and tilted his head as he heard Darcy laugh. At Jane's head-shake, he got up to follow Tony out. Today, Loki was being handed over to the Avengers' custody. The council, understandably, didn't trust Loki, but since these were unheard of circumstances – an alien on trial, yet having been mind-controlled by another alien – this was what they had agreed upon. Carol Danvers was the most fit person on this planet to keep Loki in line.

"Father! Father, I am so glad to see you again!"

Of course was Hela faster than any of the adults. The agents who had brought Loki here stepped aside startled as a teenager suddenly tackled Loki in a hug. Loki wrapped his arms around his daughter and whirled her around once. Tony tilted his head curiously as he watched them. The look on Loki's face was the most genuine expression Tony had seen on it so far. For a moment, Tony was just left staring in stunned silence. Loki looked good with a real smile on his lips.

/break\

Loki walked the room with sharp eyes, one arm behind his back, the other trailing a curious finger along the wall as he inspected every nook and cranny. It was spacious, compared to the ship at least. In green and golden colors and something told Loki that this was not a coincident.

"-and I know you were all over the news, even though uncle Thor and the others tried to keep it from me. They didn't want to worry me, which was really sweet, but also a bit annoying. Just because I look like an Earth teenager does not mean I actually am one. They do seem to forget an Asgardian's life-span and the fact that I am a queen."

Loki smiled bemused and tilted his head. "And you are greatly enjoying that, are you not?"

"I lo—ove it", yelped Hela delighted, falling back on the bed and staring up at the ceiling. "It's... I was never a teenager with teenage friends and a 'you have to be home by ten!' kind of deadline thingy? Which they do! It was fun. When Peter, Miles and Ned came to pick me and Shuri up three days ago, Tony looked at them all seriously and told them to have us back at ten or the boys would be in trouble. I think he was joking, but the looks on the boys' faces were priceless."

"Tony...", echoed Loki wondrously.

"He told me to call him Tony", replied Hela thoughtfully. "He has been very kind to me, father. Letting me stay in his home, having his son show me around and protect me. I know that's what they're doing, even though I do not need protection. Darcy has taken me clothes-shopping to make sure I fit in better. It was a lot of fun! Human fashion is... interesting."

Loki raised one eyebrow as he looked at his daughter in the purple flower-patterned dress. Her hair was in a thick braid, decorated with flowers and on her wrist she had a curious bracelet, black pearls. From what Loki had seen, this was a communications device of sorts – the mischievous one had made it. Loki liked her. She was far more brilliant than the average humans and she seemed to care deeply for Hela. (Of course had Loki spied on what was happening here in the past week of Loki's imprisonment; there had not been much else to do and he had to make sure his daughter would be safe and not used to blackmail Loki.)

"You wish to stay here?", asked Loki with a frown, looking around.

"Please, father", nodded Hela tentatively. "I know you... probably wanted to just leave again, as soon as the opportunity arises, but... I like it here. I like these people. I made friends. I want to try to go to this... high school that they speak of. It sounds like a lot of fun."

The frown on Loki's face deepened at that. His plan had indeed been to leave with Hela as soon as possible. Live somewhere in hiding with a little glamour, cause a bit of mischief every now and again. Though now... And he had to admit, Thor had grown on him lately too, surprisingly so.

"I suppose, we could stay a while", offered Loki. "It could be... interesting, to get an insight into these Avengers. Very well, let us stay here. But if any human insults or harms you in any way, I-"

"-Will do nothing because you are on probation and you've been imprisoned before and you are not going to do that to me again, father", interrupted Hela with a cheerful smile and a sharp note.

Loki raised one eyebrow in amusement at that. Truly, she was his daughter.

/break\

Thor was laughing loudly as he threw his new hammer – Donar. He was currently sparring with the mighty captain. Captain Carol Danvers. She had impressive powers. And she seemed to be having as much fun in this sparring match as Thor.

There had been a lot to get caught up on in the past nearly week since they had arrived on Earth. The split of the Avengers was truly a lot to take in. Him and Bruce watched all the footage and read all of the news – and were also reading the Accords. Thor knew he himself had done wrong in the past, had acted irrationally, but his punishment – his banishment to Earth back then – had truly taught him a lesson. There were lines not to be crossed and there needed to be a punishment. It was what had shaped Thor into a protector, into an Avenger. And he had somehow expected there to be regulations for the Avengers too. That there hadn't been any...?

Sif was mainly taking responsibility over the Asgardians for now, even though Thor visited them daily. But for now, his focus had to be to get acclimated to Earth again; to learn what had happened while he had been gone. He was the link between the Asgardians and Earth, so he had to be up to speed on everything. They needed allies here and the Avengers were those allies.

Thor was more than proud to see Jane and Darcy among the Avengers and he had been pleased to meet Carol, Hope and Sharon for the first time, as well as Hela's young friends. This seemed to be a very good team – and Hela had found a good team of her own.

"A deserved victory, captain", laughed Thor as he found himself pinned.

"You still gotta get used to the new eye. Your aim is off one outta five times", noted Carol, before cracking a smile. "Love the powers though. And your grip on your new hammer is impressive."

"You are quite impressive yourself, captain", replied Thor as Carol helped him up.

"Wo—oah there, soldier, watch out!", yelped Hope not far away from them. "Time for a break."

She dodged Rhodey and gave him a curious look. The colonel just glared. Not at her though. Tilting her head, Hope followed his line of sight to see Thor laughing loudly and wrapping a friendly arm around Carol's shoulders. Rhodey was grumbling to himself as he took a long drink from his bottle. Hope grinned amused as she watched Thor and Carol head back inside to toast to their strength.

"Are you... jealous of Thor?", asked Hope and sat down next to Rhodey.

"What?", grunted Rhodey, making a face. "What's there to be jealous of? Big hunk of alien beef who can fly and has lightning powers. Pf. Nothing special. Certainly not the chiseled abs."

Hope laughed and shook her head. "Oh, you are so jealous, Rhodes."

The look on Rhodey's face resembled a pout, making Hope laugh even more. "He's a god. And you weren't on a team with him before, Hope. I remember the parties we had at the tower, me and my stories never lived up to the grand tales of the Asgardian prince. Everyone fawned over him, because he's Thor. Even when it's not about his good looks and adventures, you've spent the past week with the guy too. He's a genuinely nice and generous dude."

Hope paused and raised both her eyebrows before resting a hand on Rhodey's. "So are you. You're a hero and a good guy. Not to mention, you and Carol have a bond, a past. You have been fighting side by side for years. Pretty boy swooping in isn't gonna change that, James."

For a moment, Rhodey paused before offering her a smile. "Thanks, Hope."

"You'll just have to finally man up and tell her how you feel", continued Hope, a judgmental look on her face. "Carol's a great gal. She's strong, confident, gorgeous and thanks to joining the Avengers, she's on the radar of the whole world by now. Thor might not have swooped her off her feet in one go, but Carol's amazing and she's single and she won't stay single forever. Don't be that guy, James Rhodes. The guy who pines from the sidelines until his chance passed and who'll then spend the rest of his life contemplating the what-ifs. That's not worth it."

At that, all Rhodey could do was gape at her. Offering him a last smile, Hope got up to leave the gym and maybe join Thor and Carol for that beer. Now that sounded good.

/break\

Bruce sighed and put down his glasses to rub his eyes. The Accords were a heavy read; a large document that was also very impactful. But those who wanted to join the Avengers needed to sign them. Even though Bruce was not fully sure if he wanted to rejoin the Avengers. He was kind of... tired. So very, very tired of fighting. Tony had made him a counter proposal at that; to be a stand-by Avenger. They had two of those, apparently. Spider-Man and Black Panther. Between them and the Wasp, Bruce felt like animal-themes were really popular these days. They were not official Avengers, but if-need-be Avengers. If the world ended, they'd be there. But regular, smaller-scale missions? That was what the main roster of the Avengers dealt with. An incident like the New York invasion would call upon them, but something like say taking out Hydra-bases was handled by the main Avengers. Bruce kind of liked that idea. He had been something like that for a while anyway. Only if need be, but nowadays the Avengers had more members, stronger members than before.

"Time for a tea-break", mused Bruce as he looked into his empty mug.

Putting the Accords aside, Bruce got out of his bed to head to the communal kitchen. He had a kitchenette in his own suite, but if there was one thing he had learned during their journey to Earth, it was to socialize. Confined space shared for too long. He had constantly been around Thor, Sif, Heimdall, Hilde, Loki and others. And somehow, he had grown oddly fond of it.

Jane Foster greeted him in the kitchen. "Also a night-owl, Doctor Banner?"

"I was so sucked into reading, I forgot the time", admitted Bruce. "What about you?"

"We seem to be chasing our first real lead on how to fix the Bifrost and it's... so hard to stop working on it", sighed Jane and ran her hands through her hair. "Ever since Heimdall arrived and could give us input, things have been moving considerably faster."

Bruce hummed in acknowledgment and went about brewing his tea before sitting down next to Jane. The view from the kitchen was absolutely amazing. Central Park. It figured that Tony would always only get the best of the best; that was just who Tony Stark was.

"It's part of the deal, isn't it? Why the government allowed the Asgardians to land and stay."

"Of course it is", sighed Jane. "You did not think they'd do this out of the goodness of their hearts? The technological gain from accepting alien refugees here was what pushed them over in the end."

"And you're okay with that?", questioned Bruce with a frown.

"The technology will happen, sooner or later, anyway. And if it happens faster now, with the help of the Asgardians, we will be able to use it to defend our planet. I'm not disillusioned, Doctor Banner. I know it will fall into the wrong hands and be used for the wrong purposes, but... what isn't?", inquired Jane, looking Bruce dead in the eye. "Every great invention mankind has ever made has been turned against it. That is human nature. You make a knife to cut food and it will end in the rib-cage of a person instead. But the fact that bad people will use technology against others should not stop us from further evolving as a species. And if this deal guarantees the safety of three-hundred innocent Asgardians, defenseless, children too, then... I can't find it in myself to disagree with it."

The look on her face was so genuine and open that it startled Bruce for a moment. He knew she was right. Anything that was meant to be useful would somehow be used as a weapon by people and that truly should not stop progress. And Bruce knew that the Bifrost had far more harmless but infinitely useful and defensive purposes. Bruce had seen it, during the destruction of Asgard, that a quick escape could mean life for many innocent and defenseless individuals.

"If you do not mind, I would like to join you in the lab tomorrow. ...Later today."

"That would be wonderful, Doctor Banner", smiled Jane brightly.

"Please, call me Bruce. There's no need to be so formal. We are... living together, after all."

"That we are", chuckled Jane and tilted her head, holding a hand out. "Jane, then."

"It will be my pleasure working with you, Jane", stated Bruce as he shook the offered hand.

"Likewise, Bruce. I'm looking forward to it."

/break\

From the balcony just outside the kitchen, one could overlook not just the large park beyond but also the backyard of the the mansion. Said backyard was where Hela was currently playing with her friends. A game they called 'soccer'. Shuri and Hela against Miles and Peter, while Ned played the referee. Loki had memorized their names. Shuri, the princess from some isolated but highly advanced country. Peter, the son of Tony Stark with super-strength and other quirks. The Ned boy seemed to be just a regular human, apparently. But Miles? Humans with superpowers had a certain aura to themselves, though it spiked differently for different powers. Miles' had a very similar gleam to that of Peter. Loki made a mental note to bring it to his daughter's attention, though he did not doubt that she had realized it herself already. The issue was: No one else seemed to. That the others were aware of Peter's extraordinaire abilities was something Hela had already told him.

"Dad Loki, now that was something I never expected to see."

Loki didn't bother turning around as Stark walked up to him. It figured that sooner or later, he would be cornered by Stark. This was his home, after all. And from everyone living here, Stark and Thor's female companions were the only ones who had personal history with Loki.

"Congratulations on your release", stated Stark and put a glass down in front of Loki. "I think I owe you a drink and I am a man of my word."

"It's rather early for drinking, is it not?", wondered Loki.

Various members of the Avengers had gathered inside for breakfast, which was the main reason Loki had fled onto the balcony. If Thor alone was hard to endure in the mornings, Thor and the blonde captain arm-wrestling while two different brunette women cheered them on was absolutely not a thing Loki could endure without a... Ah. A drink. Chuckling to himself, he took the glass.

"I figured you might need it, after everything", offered Tony.

"Why did you do this? Take her in", asked Loki lowly. "Your enemy's child. You had no obligation to be welcoming toward her neither when she arrived with the message, nor during my trial."

"She's a kid", was all Stark said.

"That is not much of an answer, Stark", grunted Loki dissatisfied.

"She's an innocent kid. Children are not to be blamed for whatever their parents did wrong", elaborated Tony, his eyes down on the five teenagers too. "That's... not a burden she should have to carry and whatever my opinion on you, she loves you. Truly loves you. Whatever you might have done to humans and others, you surely must be quite the good dad for her. She looks up to you and loves you, she didn't deserve to suffer alone while waiting for you. The least I could do was make it comfortable for her and make sure she will be alright."

"You truly think that?", mused Loki. "That we are not to be blamed for our parents' mistakes?"

"This about your misplaced anger toward Thor?", inquired Tony curiously. "The big guy's never done anything but love you, yet you really hated him. Not so sure... about the now. But you used to truly hate him. Not exactly for anything he had done but for what his father had done, mh?"

"Do not analyze me, Stark", warned Loki. "Two can play that game. Do not think I am not aware of your history. I spent time on this planet before the invasion on New York and I gathered intel on those who could pose potential threats to me. That included you, the Merchant of Death. The heir to a great family of weapon-makers. A man riddled with guilt for exactly that."

"Fair enough", hummed Tony humorlessly. "Guess we share the daddy-issues, huh?"

"Daddy-issues", echoed Loki and made a face.

"Yeah. You know, having an absent or negligent father and suffering the consequences of it", explained Tony, waving a hand dismissively. "Guess you learned from it and made sure your own kid never felt that way, mh?"

"The same can then be said about you too", countered Loki once more.

"Right. That misunderstanding", grunted Tony and made a face. "Peter? Not my kid. Not entirely sure where your daughter got that notion from, but Peter Parker is not my son."

There was a stretch of silence as Loki looked at Tony. He emptied his drink.

"And yet you hold a father's love for the boy", stated Loki casually, amusement in his eyes.

"He's a... He's a good kid and I'm looking out for him", grunted Tony defensively.

"Is that not what a father should do? Genuinely wondering, do not have much experience with those kind of things", drawled Loki, a certain mockery to his tone.

Tony grumbled, making Loki laugh a little. "Very well. I suppose I am trying to offer Petey something I did not have."

"Now that we are done with the pleasantries, enlighten me on the terms of my confinement."

Tony raised one eyebrow at that, though he found it mildly amusing too. "Direct. I like it. The mansion is under constant surveillance from FRIDAY. My AI. If you step outta line, do something fishy, try to escape – she will alert us. No teleporting possible in here; I had a wizard-friend come over and magic-proof the place. You might have met him, goes by the name Doctor Strange."

"That oaf", growled Loki displeased.

"That's the one", nodded Tony with a bright smile. "Now, no magic. No leaving. You are, however, free to walk around the mansion as it pleases you. Including the backyard. But if you go beyond the fence, well, you will regret it. You're literally living with Earth's mightiest, you know."

"Yes, yes, 'Hulk smash'", muttered Loki disinterested. "What about Hela?"

"Oh, she's not on house-arrest", replied Tony.

"No. She expressed interest in visiting a... high school", drawled Loki with disgust in his voice. "I'd much prefer she would not mingle with all these... mortal teenagers, yet here we are."

"Ah. Interesting. She didn't say so to me yet, but that could be arranged", nodded Tony. "And much preferred too. The other Asgardians are kind of expected to... start and integrate into our society."

"That sounds like quite the delight to watch", chuckled Loki mischievously.

"No", huffed Tony, waving both hands around. "No, this will go absolutely smoothly-"

"No, it won't", interrupted Loki dryly. "You have met Thor, yes? And Jane Foster can testify to his best buddies, the Warriors Three. Expect more of that."

Tony faltered a little and sighed. So far, they were teaching the Asgardians about human, and more specifically American, society and social norms to avoid the roughest of misunderstandings, yet Tony knew that literal aliens would not just be accepted and that any little misstep would be interpreted as a deliberate offense. Tony dreaded those future complications, but for now he very distinctively tried to concentrate on the now and the here. Which was, on a balcony with Loki. Not exactly a thing he would have ever expected either, to be quite frank.

"Whatever happened to the rest of your team?", inquired Loki after a moment. "You have gained new allies, as was to be expected. Yet there seem to be... key-members missing. They did not testify in my trial either – not in support but also not against me."

"The world's not as black and white as we'd all like it to be", replied Tony with a sigh. "The good guys are not always wearing their shining, silver armor. The bad guys, it turns out, are not always just the... horned evil-doers either."

Loki raised an intrigued eyebrow. Betrayal among the Avengers? Now that sounded very interesting and surely like something that might occupy his boring days of house-arrest until he found a way around his invisible warden – the Lady FRIDAY in the walls – and his very visible wardens – especially the Vision seemed to loom close by with threatening looks, curiously enough, though Loki had received warning looks from about every single one of the Avengers and a slap in the face from a highly irritated Jane Foster, which was earned, he supposed. Between the outfall of the Avengers and the peculiarity of Peter and Miles, Loki would be plenty busy.

Author's note: Thor gets a new hammer and a new eye because Thor deserves nice things! Also I love the idea of a Thor-Carol friendship, apparently! And Loki finally got to catch in on that drink Tony offered him in the first Avengers movie. Better late than never. Now, next chapter they're going to have to make some important decisions.