The time at the hollowed moon had been hellish.
This though… This was absolute torture. The days as the trio traveled through space seemed to last an eternity.
Worst of all, there wasn't a moments rest. Tony wished he could sleep, but he couldn't.
He tried to eat, but everything tasted mushy and awful.
His body was shaking and his mind kept turning to earth, only offering him the most horrible scenarios possible.
That they would arrive and there would just be… no earth. Barren wasteland, no people.
He kept imagining himself asking for Pepper and be told she was gone… And that scenario seemed so real that it broke Tony's heart.
He could hear the shouts accusing him, asking Tony why he couldn't have saved them. He was supposed to be a hero! An Avenger and he…
Tony squinted his eyes shut, trying to keep back the tears. But it didn't help.
Loki wasn't much better, he had found himself a corner and barely even left it. Just sat there with closed eyes. Sometimes clutching his hands until they turned white.
Nebula was steering the ship, and she had never been a talk to begin with.
Tony wished he could spend this time to design beautiful new limps for Nebula, but every time he tried he started to shake, he got distracted and the days stretched on for-ever and ever as Tony's thoughts became more and more dark.
Peters last words still ringing in his mind… The knowledge that Thor was dead for sure. Who else?! Who had made it and who… Tony squinted his eyes.
"We are nearing your solar system." Nebula announced and Tony's eyes opened wide. "We need to prepare our radio signal. Tony." she asked.
Tony was shaking, barely did he manage stand up without falling down as he staggered towards the panel.
It made sense, you had to give signals when coming from outside, otherwise how were people to know this wasn't an enemy ship.
"Press this button here." Nebula pointed. "Then the recording will start, we will put it on a loop until someone replies. Just press the button again when you are done."
Tony was shaking, he felt a pair of eyes on his back and turned his head to see Loki looking up at him then he turned back as he swallowed. Shaking as he finally pressing the button.
"He… Hello." Tony stammered. "This is… This is Tony Stark speaking. I repeat this is Tony Stark! I left the earths atmosphere doing an alien invasion. I am now returning home. Repeat, this is not an enemy spacecraft this is Tony Stark!" his eyes watered. "Please, answer the message when possible. This… This is Tony Stark." his voice broke. "Tony Stark." he swallowed. "Returning home." and he pressed the button.
Nebula nodded and started to press buttons that would put the voice message in a loop.
And then, there was nothing again. Just the sound of the flying spaceship, it was unbearable. Tony glanced at Loki, wondering if the demi god would object to company.
Finally Tony just decided to try his luck and sat down beside of Loki…. Loki didn't object. So that was practically an invitation.
Then Tony glanced down, pulling up his legs as he chewed his lips…
Every second felt so long, every minute and hour as they flew. And all these horrible scenarios just kept coming. "Loki…" Tony swallowed. "What if no one replies, what if no one is there?"
"That seems rather unlikely." Loki replied.
"But what if?" Tony asked.
"Again, I highly doubt it." Loki said then closed his eyes.
Tony shivered. "There… There might be Asgardians."
Loki nodded. "Maybe…. And Maybe not." he wrapped his arms around himself. "And if there is, they have all the rights in the world to despise me." he whispered.
Tony looked at the demi god who looked just as terrified as Tony felt.
Then suddenly a crackling voice sounded from the panel.
"Calling Tony Stark, Hello. Calling Tony Stark."
Tony's eyes widened as the male voice sounded distant and crackling.
"This is Chief communicator Casper Smith of Nasa. Tony Stark do you copy. Do you copy?"
Tony couldn't believe it, his entire world froze and then he sprinted towards the panel, nearly falling down several times as he pressed the answer button. "YES!" he cried tears falling down his face. "This is Tony Stark! Repeat, this is Tony Stark!"
"MISTER STARK!" Sounded the voice while Nebula twisted buttons to get a better reception. "Oh my god! It's for real."
Tony was almost breaking down from pure tears. "Yeah… Tony Stark coming home. Tony Stark is coming home." he openly cried.
"We will arrive at earth in two hours and twenty-three minutes." Nebula informed.
"Mister Stark, who was the person who just spoke?" The Nasa chief asked.
"Her name is Nebula, she's this alien cyborg. Not to worry, she is friendly!" Tony informed. "We are three people on this ship! Me, Nebula and.." he halted then went back. "An Asgardian, by the name Rudolfo."
"Three people. You, one of unknown alien origin and an Asgardian." The Nasa officer repeated. "Will you confirm."
"Yeah, it's confirmed." Tony replied. "And Nebula is always spot on, we'll arrive at the time she said, so under two and a half hours."
"Do you know where you will land?" The commissioner asked.
"We'll aim for my land, Stark Farms at Malibu, it should be empty yeah?" Tony asked.
"That I cannot confirm yet, but I will as quick as I can." The Nasa officer replied. Then his voice sounded from longer away. "Someone call Stark Enterprise, see if the land is empty for a space craft landing." Then the voice returned. "Stark are you with us?" he asked.
"You're calling Stark Enterprise." Tony gasped. "Is Pepper there? Did Pepper make it?" he asked desperately. "Please, Pepper Potts! Ask about Pepper Potts!"
"The CEO of Stark Enterprise?" The communications instructor asked. "Yes, she's fine. At least she was last evening when she was on television. She should be fine now as well."
Tony silenced, absolute silenced.
"Now I remember." The communication officer spoke. "She's your fiance, isn't that correct?"
Tony swallowed and he sniffed.
"I'll try to get in contact with her." The officer promised. "We are going to maintain radio contact if that's all right by you."
Tony nodded, first then he remembered the officer couldn't see him. "Yeah… Yeah that's." he swallowed. "Pepper, she's…" he gasped.
"I have a question." Loki now stood beside Tony, his voice sounding hoarse, barely even recognizable.
"And this is?" The Nasa officer asked.
"The Asgardian." Loki informed. "When… When I last saw my people. We were on a refuge ship, headed for earth. We were attacked." he swallowed. "Do you know if… If anyone made it to earth?" he asked. "Are… are there Any Asgardians on earth?" he asked.
"The refuge vessel, yes." Was the reply and Lokis eyes widened. "I believe they all settled in Norway. Build a city, called New Asgard."
Loki stood still, absolute still. Then a tear rolled from his eye and down his face. "Thank you." he whispered. "Thank you." he spoke in a broken voice, falling to his knees. Then he covered his face with his hand.
Tony swallowed as he placed a hand on Lokis shoulder, tears falling down his own face.
"Mister Stark." It suddenly sounded from the radio. "We have gotten through to Stark Enterprise, we are going to patch this one through."
Tony swallowed as a scratching sound sounded and then a female voice.
"Tony?"
"Pepper…" Tony gasped. "Oh my god… PEPPER!" he cried.
"Oh my god. Tony." Sounded the reply in a broken voice. "Tony… I thought you were. I thought you were." she sniffed.
"I know, and I'm so… so very very sorry." Tony sniffed. "I missed you so much, you don't know how much! I just wanted to see you. But I was so scared you weren't there! Oh my god Pepper."
"You're such a stupid asshole." Pepper sniffed. "Do you know what I… What we." she swallowed. "Just make it back safely okay?" she asked. "You were going to land at your own lands right? In Malibu? I.. I'll try to be there. I need to go right now to make it in time."
"Thank you." Tony swallowed. "I just… I want to hold you. You know?" he asked. "I just."
"I know Tony." Pepper sniffed. "I am so sorry, I need to go. I need to get to a private jet!"
"Yeah." Tony swallowed. "I just… Pepper I… I love you. And if you will ever let me, I want to spend the rest of my life making everything up to you. Every single day. That's all I want, you hear me right?" he asked. "I love you and I…"
"Tony." sounded the soft reply. "It's okay." Pepper said in a broken voice. "Just make it back, we'll figure it out then okay?" she asked.
"Yeah." Tony sniffed.
"I love you to." Pepper said. "I'll see you soon." and she hung up.
Tears were rolling down Tony's eyes as he looked at Nebula whom looked back at him with an emotionless face and then… Tony leaned over and hugged Nebula tight. "Thank you.." he whispered. "Both of you thank you. Nebula I am going to make you the best limps you ever had! Loki I… I don't know what you want, but what-ever you want it's yours."
"A place to stay might be nice." Loki admitted. "That is, depending on what the Asgardians." he quieted.
"It'll work out." Tony assured letting go of Nebula. "I'll tell them, what you've been through. They have to listen."
Loki shook his head. "What happened between me and Asgard has none to do with you. I shall face them myself. See if they will still accept me as Prince or no. And then I shall respect their wishes. It is the least I owe them."
"It's going to be okay." Tony assured. "I just… For ones I actually feel like it will." he swallowed.
Loki shook his head but dried away a tear. "We'll see." he finally said.