A/N: Time frame wise, this is set 8 years after Burning Curve, for reference. :)
So updates might be a little slow as I deal with some big personal stuff. If you're interested you can read about it at my Tumblr. megaranoelle . tumblr . com
I don't own The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.
Loki blinked his eyes rapidly, color and trees coming back into view, the ringing in his ears starting to wear off. He didn't remember what happened to cause him to be on his back on the ground after breaking the vial. He turned slightly and moved to push himself up before hissing in pain, the pain striking up his arm from his hand, making him stumble back down flat on the ground.
He took a deep breath and moved, cautiously using his other arm, before lifting his hand to look at it. Loki's face scrunched in displeasure when he the back of his hand was red with irritation. The look dropped of his face when he turned his hand and saw that the skin had actually been eaten away by what could have been an acid. He could actually start to see some of the bones of his hand and swallowed thickly.
Looking over he saw Adir lying on his back on the ground and started to push himself to his feet, trying not to move his hand and most of his arm. Loki put his foot out and hooked it around the strap of his bag that had been behind a tree and pulled it over to his slowly and quietly. He pulled it up and slung it over his shoulder, after pulling out another vial of the toxic spell. Tempting fate, Loki slowly started to edge over to Adir. The man was still breathing, but he seemed as unconscious as Loki had recently been.
Loki tried not to smirk when he saw the clothes and the skin had been destroyed on Adir's chest. He could see blood, and muscle and flesh. He knew that Adir wasn't dead, but the spell had worked much better than he thought it could. He hadn't anticipated injuring himself, but he was able to injure Adir, something the Creator had claimed could never happen. Apparently he wasn't as Immortal as he claimed to be.
Moving after a second of staring, Loki knew that it was time to get out. he need to move on to a different tear in the void, he needed to take care of his hand and plan. This was a step that he hadn't seen, but it helped. As Loki worked a spell in his hand to move on he allowed himself a small thought of hope. Perhaps he could prove to Adir that he wasn't one to be messed with, and they could come to some kind of agreement to let Loki go home, and neither one would every think of each other again.
He snorted softly as he disappeared. Like Loki would let Adir live.
The residue of Loki's spell as he disappeared from the Void swept over Adir, causing him to start to stir. He groaned and opened his eyes, assessing what had happened. Growling softly he slowly sat up, frowning when he felt pain. Adir glanced down and saw the wound to his chest and raised his eyebrows.
"Well, well, little sorcerer, it seems you have surprised us all." He pushed himself up, running a hand slowly across his chest, starting to heal his body. "It seems that I shall have to step up our game. I'm happy that neither one of us is above playing dirty, though."
"What are you doing up so late?" Tony asked his youngest son as he walked into the living room. Sander was folded up in the large armchairs, a couple of books open on the arm and a notebook in his lap.
"Finishing some early homework," Sander said through a yawn. He glanced at the clock. 2:17am. "It's not that late."
"Maybe not for college kids," Tony snorted a little as he sat down on the couch, bring his feet up so his back was leaning against the arm of the couch. The TV was on, volume low, and Sander was writing by the light of the TV and the lamp behind his chair.
"And apparently for pregnant people," Sander added. "Baby girl kicking again?"
"She's very restless tonight," Tony nodded. "I wish she would settle down, just for another two days, then she can kick all she wants in her crib."
"And then you still won't be able to sleep because you'll be changing diapers and making bottles." Sander stretched his arms above his head then closed his books and pushed them onto the coffee table.
"You'll be helping, little boy," Tony pointed at him as he yawned a little. He put a hand on his stomach and tipped his head back to rest on the couch. "I'm gonna try and take a nap." He heard Sander say something but had already tuned out all sound, hoping to catch a couple of hours of sleep.
Loki was sitting at a table, hand submerged into a bowl of water, softly cursing in pain. There were a couple of dirty, wet, cloths sitting on the table beside him, and a long piece of leather laid out with some kind of salve on it. Tony frowned a little when he saw him and turned around in a circle, trying to figure out where he was. It seemed he was in a small two room house, nothing he had ever seen before.
Tony raised an eyebrow when he found he was able to move without the general heaviness he had become used to. Looking down he saw that he was no longer pregnant, but back to his normal size. "Must be a wish fulfillment dream," Tony muttered.
Loki quickly turned from his seat the look at Tony and frowned. "You're not supposed to be here."
"Ouch, rejected in a dream, that hurts." Tony put a hand to his chest then looked around the small house, walking around the room they were in.
"You've never seen this place before, it was far before your time," Loki continued. "There would be no reason for you to show up here."
Loki took his hand out of the water and Tony made a face. "Holy shit, what the hell happened to your hand?" He walked over then blinked when he touched Loki's arm. The arm felt real and warm, and tingled just right with their connection. They both stared at each other for a second while the same thought flitted across their minds.
This was real.
"How-" Loki started and licked his lips. "It- You-"
"I just went to sleep and I found myself here." Tony caught sight of the leather and grabbed it, gently laying it down across Loki's damaged palm. "What happened?"
"I made a spell, and I wasn't sure what it would do." Loki grit his teeth and hissed softly as Tony wrapped the leather around his hand. "It didn't go over well, and it will most likely take several months of healing before I will be able to gain half the use of it again. I can happily say that I caused ore damage to Adir." Loki let his other hand run through Tony's hair. "I still don't understand how you're here."
"I'm not entirely convinced I am," Tony said, trying not to frown. "I mean, I went to sleep with a very anxious baby inside of me, and now I'm here, looking pretty normal." He secured the leather then looked at Loki, leaning slightly into his hand. "We're looking all over for you."
"I know," Loki said softly. "The time flow is different here, it moves slower here."
"Where is here? When I get back we can-" Loki stopped him by kissing him gently.
"It's the Void." Tony's eyes widened a little. "It's a little different, but I'm trying to work on a way out. Right now, I can travel into different areas, make it something from my past, but that's about it. Adir has been tracking me so I can't linger too long in one place." Loki turned and started to clean up the mess on the table with his good hand, Tony helping silently. "I've been working on some spells that might be able to help, and trying to probe how deep into the Void that I am. Slowly but surely I'm moving closer to answers out."
"Okay," Tony nodded a little. "This is information that I can use." Loki raised an eyebrow. "Well, yo don't honestly think I'm just sitting around doing nothing do you?"
"Actually, I expect that's what you're doing," Loki said and Tony blinked. "I know it's what I would be doing were that far along in the pregnancy again."
"Alright, let me rephrase, you don't honestly think I'm letting others sit around and do nothing?" Loki snorted softly and smiled.
"Don't get into trouble." Loki rubbed Tony's cheek a little with his good hand and kissed his forehead. "It won't do any good to have you trapped as well. It may take some time, but I'm making progress and I will get out."
"I know you will, I just," Tony let out a sigh. "The wait is killing me. I mean, I've become pretty attached to you, and not int he whole we're connected by powers way. It sucks living without you right now. Our unborn daughter apparently wants to be named after you."
"I heard," Loki admitted softly.
Tony blinked and was going to ask how he knew when Loki looked past Tony. He blinked then froze when he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders, pulling him back into a chest. "He's heard and seen a lot, actually." Tony tried not to react when he heard Adir's voice. "I was sure to let him know of all the times that he was needed and was unable to be there. I made sure that he knew he missed the birth of young Cyrus. That was his name wasn't it?"
"You'll have to forgive me for not saying hi," Tony bit out. "The last time we saw each other you tried to kill me, slowly, and in a completely unforgivable way."
"Yes, and now you are a Norn." Tony looked at Loki as Adir spoke, both feeling uneasy suddenly. "Shall I show you what I did to her?" Tony saw Loki's eyes widen seconds before he felt the sharp pain in his stomach. "I didn't quite gut her like that, but it was obviously that wasn't good enough to kill her the first time. I can at least learn from my mistake early on."
Tony swallowed and took a shallow breath as he glanced down, Adir's hand still gripping the dagger inside of him. He looked back up at Loki and saw him start to move towards him. Adir pulled the dagger out roughly and Tony let out a shout of pain.
"Dad!" Tony's eyes shot open, his hands on his round stomach, eyes filled with tears. "Dad, what's happening!" Tony could still feel the pain in his stomach.
"Get Alex," he managed to get out as another sharp pain ripple in his body. "Something's wrong. Very wrong."