A/N: Now we get into some Avengers movie AU stuff. And a few plot twists, mwuahahaha.

I don't own The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, Thor, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head.


A decidedly younger, and arc reactor free, Tony Stark stared at the screen of his tablet, face set in a frown. Once the first incorrect code had been entered on the gate to his mansion JARVIS had alerted him. Suddenly the alert disappeared and Tony got curious. Now he was just plain confused. He was looking at himself, at least at someone who looked like him, and somehow had the same fingerprint and DNA as him.

"JARVIS? How long has he been there?" The older Tony, and some teenager, was down in his lab looking for something.

"It has been over an hour sir," the AI responded.

"Has he compromised any of the systems? Changed anything?" Tony asked as he idly twirled in his chair.

"No, sir," JARVIS responded. "If he had needed to, he has used all correct passcodes. It appears that he is in need of help and does not intend to stay." Tony hummed as he watched. Dragging his finger across the bottom of the screen the image started to rewind, watching the security images from the start.

After the paper had fallen from his hands it didn't take the other Tony too long to bounce up from the couch and the teen followed him quickly. They had made their down to the lab and Tony quickly punched in a code and walked right over to the monitors on the desk, by his Hot Rod frame. Tony fast forwarded and stopped when he saw the two men suddenly clap their hands over their ears. The other Tony reached back and felt for something on his neck, before he pulled away, nodding a couple times.

"JARVIS? What happened there?"

"I was asked to set off a serious of waves to disrupt a device that was implanted on his person," JARVIS explained easily. "He seemed quite insistent and I thought it would cause no harm." Tony hummed as he nodded. There was some more typing on the computer as the two men talked. He could tell that they were both looking upset about something, and he was making notes to install some mics in his lab next security update. He wanted to hear what was going on.

"Sir," JARVIS interrupted his musings. "It seems that he is attempting to create a second account with one the banking institutions." Tony raised an eyebrow and leaned back, holding the tablet up a little.

"Alright, let it go through for now. I want to see where he's going with this." Tony tapped his chin a little as he watched the rest of the recording. "We can always reverse it if this is just an elaborate ruse to get my money." If the AI was able, he probably would have nodded his agreement.

He fast forwarded through the recordings, reaching the real time transmission and paused. The other Tony had wrapped the teen in his arms tightly, one hand wrapped securely around his shoulder, the other resting on the back of his head as the boy held onto Tony tightly. His doppelganger seemed to single out the camera and looked into it.

Tony's breath caught in his chest as he stared at the man. It was clearly him, he could see it in the eyes. "Let him do whatever he wants," Tony said quietly as he watched. "Erase all traces of this man from the cameras, hide the transfer from the accountants, let him take however much he needs."

"If I may ask, sir, why?" JARVIS questioned, but completed his creator's wishes.

"I'm not exactly sure," Tony answered. "I just have a feeling."


It was weird, Tony decided, having been in his own mansion, but seeing that things were in fact different. He had had to remember all his own passwords and codes, and hope that he wouldn't get locked out of the system by JARVIS.

Tony threw a couple of things into a bag and glanced at the row of cars. He'd fly them to an airport and let JARVIS worry about getting the car back to the garage. Happy could probably arrange to pick it up, it wouldn't be the first time that a car had ended up somewhere he couldn't remember. He finally picked a car and opened the door, throwing the bag in the back of the car.

Naiden walked around it slowly, putting a hand out hesitantly and running his fingers along the surface. Tony watched him for a second. "JARVIS? I need you to do something for me," Tony spoke quietly. "You can't tell me any of this, the other me. Nothing of what you haven't already told him." Tony turned back to look around the lab. "You can't tell him anything about the scans that I know you took, you can't tell him where we're going, nothing."

"May I inquire as to the reason?" The AI questioned, and Tony was glad to see that Naiden no longer jumped whenever JARVIS spoke.

"There's going to be a day, in four years, where something is going to happen," Tony walked back over tot he computer and started typing in some things. "I'm going to program the date in. I need you to not inform anyone, don't raise any alarms, alright?" He was aware of Naiden watching him and glanced over. He could see under the lights of the lab that Naiden looked filthy. Tony probably looked the same.

"Come on kid," Tony motioned to Naiden. "Let's get cleaned up before we go anywhere. There's this amazing thing called a shower, you're gonna love it." The teen blinked but nodded and followed tony out of the lab.

"Everything is so weird, and different, but," Naiden looked at the water wall at the top of the steps, "still beautiful."

"There's going to be a lot to learn," Tony told him, heading to the closest bathroom. "It'll probably be a little overwhelming at first, but that's why I'm here." Tony didn't comment that he was sure that even he would have a bit of a struggled readjusting to normal life. "I taught you how to read English, and then French and Italian. That right there is actually more than most people know." He walked into the bathroom and grabbed a towel, throwing it over the bar of the stall. He reached in and turned the water on, setting the temperature.

Naiden leaned in past Tony and watched the water falling from the shower head. "It moves on it's own?" Tony bit back a little bit of a sad smile.

Tony grabbed a couple bottles and a bar of soap and set them on the shelf under the shower head. "This one is shampoo, and it goes in your hair, like the soap from the cell," Tony pointed at a blue bottle. "This one is a body wash, and then some soap. This stuff is a whole lot nicer, trust me." Naiden nodded a couple times, looking at the bottles. "Alright, take your time, and I'll go get some clothes to change into. If you need help or have any questions, just ask for me. JARVIS will let me know."

"Immediately, sir," JARVIS agreed. Tony ruffled Naiden hair slightly before leaving the room. He headed up to what was his bedroom and looked through the closet, grabbing some of the older clothes. Now that he thought about it he had wondered where these clothes had disappeared to.

"Time travel," Tony muttered as he grabbed some jeans and a couple shirts for himself. "Never mess with time."

He opened the door slowly to the bathroom and saw some steam rolling around the ceiling as he dropped the clothes on the counter. He bit his lip a little and left again, going to his own bathroom. Dropping his own clothes on the counter he turned the water on and shut the bathroom door. Stripping down quickly he threw the dirty clothes off to the side, intending to burn the clothes when he was done.

Stepping under the water he let out a sigh and closed his eyes. The water felt like velvet on his skin. Tony hadn't been aware of just how much he missed the feeling, fresh water running across his skin. he quickly set to work of washing his hair and his body, scrubbing a little longer until he was sure that the water was running clear again.

Tony gripped onto the handle on the shower door as he let the water just run over him. He remembered when he had promised Naiden to get him out of that cell. He had made the same promise to Loki He shut his eyes tightly, knuckles turning white from his grip. Loki should have been there with them, he should have been with Tony, chuckling into his neck because Tony was taking too long in the water.

Tony opened his eyes as the water started to turn cold. Loki wasn't there, and Tony would have to wait four years until he could do anything.

Tony shut the water off and grabbed his towel, going through the still familiar motions of getting dressed. As he slipped a t-shirt on the door opened and Naiden stuck his head in. "Tony?"

Tony looked up and grabbed the extra clothes, and dirty clothes. "Yeah." He walked over to the teen, his hair slicked back and looking much better. Naiden held up his own dirty clothes and Tony grabbed them, balling them up with the others. "Did you like it?"

Naiden nodded quickly, a smile on his face, as Tony dropped the dirty clothes into a trash chute. "You used one of those all the time?" Tony nodded as he took the extra clothes for Naiden. "It's a different feeling than the tub we had."

"Everything is gonna get better," Tony said, pulling the boy closer by his shoulders. "I promise." Naiden nodded once. Tony closed his eyes again then opened them and directed them back down to the workshop. "We're gonna go to an airport, I'll explain what one is on the way there, and that'll take us to where we'll live for a little bit, kay?"

"Because we can't stay here," Naiden confirmed. "Because of the difference in time, right?"

"Yeah," Tony nodded. He packed the clothes in the bag already in the car. Turning around he looked around the workshop. Tony had already spent 15 years away from his home, his workshop, what was another four years? "Don't mess with time travel, Naiden, it'll come back to bite you in the ass."


Sixteen months later Tony wondered why he had thought that England had been the best place to move. It rained a lot. Tony didn't like rain. Pulling out his key quickly he unlocked the door to the little house he was resting and stepped inside, shaking the rain off of his umbrella and jacket outside. He placed a bag on the kitchen counter and saw Naiden sitting on the couch, a couple of books open on the coffee table.

Tony always had a link with JARVIS, for emergencies, and had created some papers and identities for him and Naiden. According to anyone concerned, except for the press, Naiden had been adopted by Anthony Stark three years ago, and was now attending school in Portsmouth, England, living with his Uncle, Edward Stark.

Tony loathed the name, but it had managed to keep his identity relatively secret. Letting his hair grow out and shaving his facial hair off had helped, too. He was getting mistaken for Robert Downey Jr instead of Tony Stark. 'Damn Sherlock Holmes movie,' Tony thought.

"So, I thought that next week we could drive up to London," Tony called out as he started to take some of the groceries out of the bag. "To celebrate you turning 16 and what not. That whole birthday thing we did last year." He leaned over to look into the living room when Naiden didn't answer him right away. His eyes were locked on the TV instead of his school work. Tony raised an eyebrow.

He sighed a little and walked out. "Hey, did you hear,... me?" Tony had turned to see what was distracting the teenager and felt a pain in his chest.

CEO OF STARK INDUSTRIES TONY STARK MISSING

Tony swallowed thickly and dropped into the chair next to the couch. He knew what day it was, of course he did. He had talked himself up for this, thought maybe he could just let it pass. He had already lived it once, right?

Tony glanced at the clock on the screen as the reporters talking about their breaking news. Right about now he would going through a crude surgery with a magnet and a car battery. And Yinsen.

Tony pushed himself up quickly and Naiden glanced over with wide eyes. "Next week, London yeah?" Tony carried on and headed back towards the kitchen. "I'll find a hat and some sunglasses to try and hold off the Holmes fans."

"Tony," Naiden pushed himself off the couch and padded out to the kitchen. "Is this supposed to happen?"

"Not really, I mean I never understood why people thought I looked like Robert Downey Jr," Tony shrugged. "I guess I can admit that he's a little funnier than I am, but I am much better looking then he is." He could feel the glare that the boy was sending him.

"You know what I'm talking about." Tony turned to look at Naiden as he gripped a can.

"Yeah, I do," Tony said quietly. "And yeah, it's supposed to happen, it'll always happen, and there's nothing that I could have done to stop it." He squeezed his eyes shut and took a breath before facing Naiden again. "Just a little different being on the other side this time."

Tony froze when Naiden suddenly threw his arms around Tony and pulled him into a hug. Tony slowly relaxed and pulled an arm around his shoulders. Tony took a breath and several moments later he pulled away, grabbing the rest of the groceries on the counter. "Give it three months, it'll be over in three months." Because lying to himself had become easier lately.


Three years after their arrival to Portsmouth Tony and Naiden were sitting on the couch, looking down. Naiden had a hand over his mouth as Tony rested his chin in his hand. "I didn't think-"

"Yeah," Tony nodded.

"And they all-"

"Yup," Tony answered quietly.

"You didn't plan for this did you?"

"Nope." The two of them were staring down at seven college brochures, all of which had excepted Naiden with full ride scholarships. "College is a whole new beast, even I can't prepare you for this."

Naiden bit at his lip, worrying it between his teeth. He had been raised for 14 years in a cell, knowing only an instinct to want to live, of two sets of parents wanting to keep him protected. Tony had nearly exhausted himself in the three years it had taken to help Naiden acclimate to the sudden culture shock. Naiden know what Tony was doing, how the time was eating at him, at the pain that Tony hid. Because Loki wasn't with them.

"You're going to move too, right?" Naiden looked up at Tony and he blinked, raising his eyebrows slightly. "I don't want you to be alone." The unspoken Again hung between them.

"We can talk about that once you pick a place," Tony gestured back to the letters. "It's only a year until I can come back."

"Just enough time for you stay through freshman year," Naiden pointed out and Tony smirked a little.

"I think I've been a bad influence on you," Tony muttered.


Tony and Naiden sat on the floor of the Italian summer home. The sun had disappeared form the sky and Tony could hear his own boots coming up the stairs. Naiden glanced over and took Tony's hand in his own. At 19 he was a little taller than Tony, but not by much, he kept his hair just above his ears, and kept a trimmed shadow look of dark facial hair.

Tony squeezed his hand when he heard the glass break and the charging of the Iron Man suit. How he had missed the suit, missed the chance to fly through the air whenever he need to take a minute to himself. He missed his workshop, his missed it all.

Soon there was silence, but the pair sat there still, Tony staring straight ahead. "You wouldn't have been able to get him," Naiden said quietly. "You only would have upset the time stream even more."

Tony had been watching the news more and he had caught the end of a breaking news report about something in New Mexico. They both remembered talking about New Mexico, and the Destroyer, and his brother Thor. It took everything Naiden had to keep Tony from flying straight to New Mexico instead of Italy. He almost didn't succeed.

"I know," Tony answered, barely audible. He took a breath and pushed himself up as the lights started to clicker back on, the skies revealing sun and wind again. "JARVIS?"

"It is good to have you back sir," the AI answered automatically and Tony bit back a strange sob that had crawled up the back of his throat. "A pleasure to greet you again, Mr Naiden."

"Long time no see, JARVIS," Naiden greeted quietly.

"There's a lot to get done in a short amount of time," Tony said as he headed down towards the main floor. "We'll have to charter a plane, and then call Pepper, and won't that be fun trying to explain just a fraction of this to her-"

"Sir, if I may," JARVIS interrupted and Tony stopped and blinked. Right, JARVIS usually set this stuff up. "I still have the recordings from four years ago." Tony's head snapped up. "they have been saved on one of my separate hard drives."

"I could kiss you," Tony muttered and nodded. "Good, that'll help when she gets angry." Naiden just followed behind Tony as he rambled and walked through the house, grabbing all the things he would need, like his forgotten wallet and other personal objects. "The news will have to go out about you," he glanced at Naiden, and won't that just be a field day."

"You can pair it with your plans for the plans of the Arc Reactor, sir," JARVIS suggested and Tony nodded. "I have contacted your private jet sir, a driver shall arrive shortly."

"Thanks for reminding me how much I missed you JARVIS," Tony looked up and grinned, aiming it at a camera.

"You do seem rather stressed, and I believe that you have grayed a little more." Tony's expression dead panned and Naiden choked on a laugh.

Tony locked the house as they walked to the black town car that was waiting outside. Tony let Naiden slide in first before following him. "So it's going to be the-" Tony looked up when Naiden pulled on his sleeve. "Coulson?" Tony's eyebrows shot up. "I thought you were in New Mexico?"

"You were supposed to be in Malibu," the SHIELD Agent replied easily. "You had a meeting with Director Fury. But we didn't actually think you would remember after all this time."

"What?" Tony was confused. Sure, now that he had been reminded he remembered that after the battle with Vanko, (that he got to watch on TV this time) Fury had demanded a debriefing meeting.

"We've moved the meeting, we should be there in a few minutes," he smiled as the car started to move.

"And I was in such a good mood, too," Tony sighed and leaned back in the car. Naiden just looked between the two men, studying the agent that Tony had talked about, if just briefly.

"It's nice to meet you Naiden," Coulson offered a hand and the younger Stark shook it hesitantly.

"Same?" Naiden raised his own eyebrows. He didn't have much time to focus on it whent he car did in fact stop soon after and the door opened. He watched Tony get out and quickly followed before they could say otherwise.

The two walked into a room filled with large screens running news reports, including scenes of the Stark Expo and New Mexico, with a table and two chairs in the middle. "Has that homey touch to it," Naiden muttered as Tony put his hands in his pockets.

Tony walked up to the table and saw a couple of folders, and he tilted his head and stepped up and started to turn them towards him. He thought he saw the word Avengers before another hand was placed over the folder.

"I don't think I want you looking at that," Tony looked up to meet Nick Fury's gaze. "I don't think it pertains to you anymore." Naiden raised an eyebrow as he walked around watching the different screens. Was that New York? "Now this on the other hand, is Agent Romanoff's assessment of you. Read it."

Right, the not-Natalie Rushman. He took the folder and opened it. ""Personality overview. Mr Stark displays compulsive behaviour.' In my own defense," Tony stumbled on how to finish that, "that was last week. 'Prone to self-destructive tendencies,' I was dying," Tony looked up at the unyielding look of Fury. How often had he been dying lately? Too often. "I mean please, aren't we all? Textbook narcissism?" Naiden glanced over his shoulder. "Agreed."

Tony skimmed through the paper, over the other glowing words from the red head. "Okay, here it is," he pointed to the paper. ""Recruitment assessment for Avenger Initiative. Iron Man? Yes. ' You know, I'm gonna have to think about it." Tony leaned back in the chair.

"Read on." Fury prompted. Naiden turned and started to approach the two men.

"Tony Stark, not..." Tony trailed off and frowned as Naiden glanced over his shoulder.

"Not recommended?" The younger finished.

"That doesn't make any sense," Tony looked up. "How can you approve me but, not approve me? I got a new ticker," he tapped the arc reactor. He had to retrain himself on his own timeline. "I'm trying to do right by Pepper, not give her any more ulcers. I'm in a," he paused and Naiden noticed it, "stable-ish relationship." Naiden squeezed a hand on his shoulder.

"Which leads us to believe," Fury leaned forward a little, "that at this juncture we'd only like to use you as a consultant."

Tony raised an eyebrow then stood up, shaking his head. "You can't afford me." He then thought of the coming medal ceremony. "Then again, I'll waive my customary retainer in exchange for a small favour."

Fury raised an eyebrow. "I'll see what I can do." Tony smirked slightly and turned to leave, Naiden next to him. "How do you feel now that you've become accustomed to Earth, Naiden?" Both men stopped in mid step. Naiden's eyes were wide as Tony whipped his body back around.

"What did you say?" Tony took a couple steps closer as Naiden slowly turned around.

"Four years of hiding, I'm impressed Stark," Fury continued, watching Stark as he got closer. "Something must have happened if you're suddenly able to keep from the public eye, for the most part, and hide a so called adoption from the press, and yourself, for so long."

Tony saw red. "You son a bitch!" Naiden jumped to attention and ran forward, grabbing Tony's arms as he launched himself at Fury. For his credit Fury hadn't moved. "You knew?! You've been watching me! You never told me?!"

"Were you not the one who told your butler to keep it all hidden from yourself?" Fury shot back.

"That's different! I couldn't know! You, you though," Tony pulled against Naiden, dragging his feet across the ground a little. "You knew," he hissed and narrowed his eyes. "And you let us stay there, you let me get set-up, you let me-" Tony's voice broke off, his body heaving with his heavy breaths.

"Tony, come on," Naiden said quietly. "Let's just go."

"You won't have to worry about informing Miss Potts," Fury told them. "I thought I'd save you that little headache, she knows as much as we know."

"Which seems to be a-god-damned-lot," Tony hissed, letting Naiden pull him back. Tony clenched his fists then pulled away from the younger man. "I better not see you again anytime soon." He spit out and turned with Naiden, leaving for good this time.


"Pleeeeeease, Pepper," Naiden begged as they stood around the big screen. "I'm almost 21."

"But you're not," she smirked, keeping her eyes on the energy readings, the glow of the screen, and Naiden's well placed magical torches, keeping the room lit.

The comm line crackled to life as Tony's voice came over. "You're good on this end. The rest is up to your two."

"You disconnected the transition lines? Are we off the grid?" She started moving things on the screen, setting things up.

"Stark Tower is about to become a beacon of self-sustaining clean energy." They could hear Tony's grin through the speakers.

"Not the least bit bashful, is he?" Pepper chuckled at the younger Stark.

"Wow," she glanced at the levels, finger poised over the execution button. "So maybe our reactor takes over and it actually works?"

"I assume. Light her up." Pepper pressed her finger to the button and they could hear the rumblings of the Arc Reactor powering up. There was a slight hum as lights and machines started to power on. Pepper and Naiden perked up, grinning.

"How does it look?" Pepper asked, wishing she could have Tony's view outside in the Iron Man suit.

"Like Christmas, but with more, Me." Naiden and Pepper shared a looked and an eye roll.

"Just get back here," Naiden told him. He reached over for one the flute glasses and then for the champagne, but Pepper pressed a bottle of sparkling cider in his hand. "Oh come on!"

"Not 21 yet," she pointed as Tony landed on the balcony outside. "Everything's looking stable," she smiled at Tony and handed him a glass. Tony grinned and wrapped an arm around their shoulders.

"It's so nice being us right now," Naiden rolled his eyes and rolled out from under the arm, trying to sneak the bottle of champagne from the table.

"Sir, Agent Coulson of SHIELD is on the line," JARVIS announced and Tony sighed a little and he pulled out his phone.

"You've reached the live model decoy of Tony Stark, please leave a message," Tony stared at the phone and Naiden tried not to laugh.

"This is urgent Stark," Coulson's voice came through the phone.

"Then leave it urgently."

"It can't wait," the elevator doors opened.

"Security breach," Tony muttered, shooting a glare at Pepper and Naiden.

"Phil," Pepper smiled and walked over to him. Tony and Naiden shared a shocked look.

"Um, his first name is Agent," Tony said as the two Starks followed.

"Miss Potts," Coulson smiled at Pepper then looked at Tony, glancing at Naiden. "We need you Stark."

"Ah, consulting hours are every other Thursday-" Tony started and took a step back when Coulson pushed a tablet towards him. "Ah, I got a thing-"

"Here," Pepper grabbed Naiden's drink before he could sip it, handed it to Coulson, took the tablet, then took Tony's drink putting the tablet in his hands.

"Hey!" Both Starks exclaimed, frowning. Tony sulked off to the desk with Pepper behind him, muttering some about Agents and Phils, grabbing another glass from the small table as he passed by. Naiden raised an eyebrow at Coulson and turned to follow them.

"Naiden," he stopped at the soft call of his name. "It's about Loki." Naiden straightened and looked back at the SHIELD Agent.

"This had better not be a joke," Naiden took a step closer. There was a shatter of glass and Naiden turned to see Tony staring at several screen and moving images.

Loki's picture in the center.