Chapter Text
Cold... Why was it so cold?
Hadn't he done everything in his might to escape this coldness? A coldness so familiar, it felt like an ancient part of him he had tried so hard to forget about.
Why? He thought he had finally managed to escape its grip a long time ago. Why did it always seem to catch up to him, caressing him like an old friend he hadn't seen nor heard of in decades?
It almost felt like the coldness was embracing him. The feeling radiating from said embrace made him shudder in discomfort. He had always yearned for warmth - almost his entire life.
Yet all he ever got was coldness.
He knew, deep down, that the coldness was a part of him. The dark lingering truth he vehemently tried to ignore in favor of becoming something less, something fragile...
Something that was actually allowed to yearn for warmth.
So he became less, became fragile.
Tried to forget who or rather what he really was...
But it seemed not enough.
Had it been really too much to ask for? To want something for his own?
Was it so blasphemous to yearn for something he couldn't have?
Is this the reason why he ended up here?
Laying in this godforsaken wasteland, betrayed by the ones he had once called his friends?
Was that the reason why he got his chest smashed in?
Bleeding out in a lonely wasteland.
He had closed his eyes a while ago. Not because he felt tired. He should, actually.
The blood loss was at a critical level. Nothing could save him now anyway. Everything that was left to do, was to let go.
But that wasn't easy given how desperately his daughter had begged him to stay awake until she eventually faded to silence.
It would be okay. She would get over him someday, he tried to lie to himself - knowing very well that she wouldn't.
Far away, in the depths of his mind, he could hear 'them' chuckle.
Amused about his demise.
They had told him more than once that he was the foolish one among them.
He had never bothered to listen to them, but now it nagged at him.
They never seemed to understand him, even If he tried to explain himself. He mused 'they' never even tried to do so in the first place, so why should he bother now?
The word 'foolish' echoed through his mind like a cacophony, followed by even louder chuckles.
Was he really the foolish one among 'them'?
No... Maybe? He didn't even know anymore.
Wasn't it just that 'they' couldn't understand?
After all; Comprehending certain emotions wasn't an easy task. To understand what yearning for something really meant... To want something more than your own life.
To abandon everything just to catch a little glimpse of what you desire.
Even If it meant destroying yourself in the progress?
Ah.
Saying it like that... He really sounded a little bit foolish, didn't he?
"... So I was the fool after all."
Tony huffed out.
The coldness seeped into his body, embracing him like a long-lost lover.
Maybe this wasn't too bad after all.
He had grown tired of this life anyways.
There was so much hurt so much loss and so much more betrayal...
Wouldn't it be better for him to just close his eyes and let it all just go?
Well, there wasn't much he held onto nowadays anyways.
"... Can't believe... They had it right from the start."
He whispered under his raspy breath.
Again.
There was a chuckle again.
But not from them. They didn't sound like that.
The amusement was amiss in this small, almost inaudible chuckle.
It almost seemed forced to him, as if the one causing the sound had to maintain a certain role he was not eager to play.
Opening his eyes slowly, he recognized an all too familiar silhouette standing before him.
"... Come to see me die?"
He asked. A smile creeps over his almost frozen face. /p>
"That was the plan, Stark."
Loki smirked down at him.
Well, this was... Unexpected to say it mildly.
Maybe even more unexpected than the fact that one of his closest friends had betrayed him.
"... How do I come to such an honor, Lokes? I'm sure you have something better to do than watching a pathetic mortal- or however, you so often call me- die.
I mean - Supervillain stuff and all that. Always had the feeling you had a lot of stuff going on and no time on your hand."
Tony joked halfheartedly, he wasn't really into it nowadays (guess why).
If Loki was angered by the nickname, he didn't show it.
Odd, Tony thought.
Normally the god would have punched Tony through a wall for his irreverence toward him.
He had actually hoped he would do so, that would certainly quicken stuff up.
Instead, Loki just stood there for a moment, staring down at him like he was some sort of ugly furniture showcased at some high-class store that was not only ugly as hell,
but also rather overpriced given how awful it looked.
It took a while before the god eventually spoke again.
"... Pathetic."
Was all he said, or rather mumbled under his breath, keeping his gaze at Tony without looking away for even a second.
"Don't tell me you came all the way out here to insult a dying man, Lokes."
Tony smiled, even though it didn't really reach his eyes.
Why had the god to appear now, of all times?
He just wanted to close his eyes and feel the familiar coldness cradle him to endless sleep.
Sleep was good. It felt like death but without the commitment...
At least the 'others' had told him so.
He had never made a habit of sleeping at least not like they did but now it seemed kinda appealing to him.
"... Pathetic."
Loki said again, this time a lot louder, startling Tony a little.
Tony wondered briefly why the god sounded so angry and looked like he was about to yell at him.
Shouldn't he rejoice instead? There was no reason for Loki to get angry at him.
Tony would be gone in a few minutes. Drifting off to something way more appealing than life. In hindsight, that would mean one enemy less for Loki to get rid of.
The god should be happy - not angry.
"... Stark." Loki started again, this time a lot calmer, almost sounding resigned as If he had thought something over and over again and came to the conclusion that he had to approach the situation differently.
"Of all the people I met you're by far the most-"
'You really became quite pathetic, don't you?'
One of the voices loudly interrupted, keeping Tony from listening to whatever Loki was about to say to him - probably insults If he had to make a guess.
'Can you blame him?'
Another sweet voice whispered in understanding.
'It's his own fault for seeking and yearning for more.'
A few others chimed in.
And how he wanted to punch them for mocking him now at all times.
All these years 'they' stayed silent and now 'they' had the guts to speak up.
To reprimand and mock him for what he believed was the right thing to do.
It wasn't his fault!
He hadn't wanted it to end like this!
He had given so much of himself to others, and had strived to become something bright and warm, something he yearned for since his cold existence came into being.
He had done everything to escape his own cold reality.
All he ever wanted was to feel more than he was allowed to feel.
Had this been so wrong?
Did 'they' really have to mock him for wanting something for himself?
Why?
Why wasn't he good enough?
He just wanted to make this world a better place for everyone.
Why did the people around him end up getting hurt?
He just wanted everyone to be happy.
Why had they betrayed him?
He had trusted them without a second thought.
Why had they lied to him?
He never lied to them.
Why had they left him?
He had thought of them as family.
Why had they tried to kill him?
He would have died for them.
Why... Why... WHY...? WHY...?!
And suddenly, there was another feeling, another source of warmth right in front of him.
All Tony had to do was reach out.
It wasn't the warmth he had always yearned for.
This warmth was not comfy, soft, or loving.
This warmth was like a raging flame, engulfing everything that stood in its way. A flame that wanted nothing more than to burn everything to ashes.
This warmth was anger.
Anger, he suddenly felt towards the ones who had so foolishly betrayed him - his world - everything he existed for.
They had no right to protect this world anymore - his world.
How dare they.
How dare they.
HOW DARE THEY!
'Ah... Took you a while. I was asking myself how much longer it would take for you to finally come back to your senses. I almost thought you had forgotten who you are.'
Another voice, rough and old, whispered encouragingly.
"... Ah, shut it. We both know you and the 'others' don't give a fuck."
Tony sneered with gritted teeth before turning his attention back to Loki.
The god looked at him in confusion, surely wondering to whom Tony was talking to. Eventually, the realization hit him that Tony hadn't really listened to him.
"Sorry, Lokes. Changed my mind. I'm not in the mood for a good long sleep anymore."
Tony grinned almost maliciously.
"After all, there are a few bills people will have to pay for crossing me."
And with that said, Tony closed his eyes. He took a deep breath in before letting it slowly out again.
Suddenly, without a warning, he raised to his feet a sudden wave of immeasurable magic engulfing him entirely.
It took only mere seconds for his countless wounds to close up, not even leaving a single scar behind.
Loki took a few steps back, totally taken aback.
The magic which surrounded Stark was ancient and way older than anything Loki had ever felt before.
It almost felt like every spark of magic Midgard possessed had suddenly gathered around Stark.
No.
Not gathered around Stark.
It was more like it came back to Stark, as If it had been scattered around the realm and had now found its way back to its master!
But that couldn't possibly -
"Ah... I haven't felt so alive in over six thousand years."
Tony wheezed. Opening his eyes slowly.
"It's not really pleasant to share your magical essence with the whole realm."
Loki looked at the man in horror, noticing immediately that the soft amber eyes of the mortal had changed into glistering golden ones.
His pupils were now an oblong shape with peaked ends, like a slit in the center of the eye. It reminded Loki oddly of a poisonous serpent. A serpent who radiated old, and powerful magic. Probably older than the nine realms itself...
And suddenly, Loki remembered a tale his mother had often told him as a kid.
A tale about nine great immortal beings, older than the realms themselves, who had decided on nothing more than a whim to each protect one of the nine realms;
Skaði- protector of Jǫtunheimr.
Surtr - protector of Múspellsheimr.
Angrboða - protector of Niflheimr.
Fáfnir - protector of Svartálfaheimr.
Sleipnir - protector of Ásgarðr .
Hræsvelgr- protector of Vanaheimr.
Mímir - protector of Álfheimr.
Níðhöggr - protector of Helheimr.
And...
No. This couldn't be!
"Stark... You... You are Jǫrmungandr- the Miðgarðr serpent!"
Loki gasped out in disbelief.
"Well, someone certainly did his homework."
Tony chuckled, his voice low and composed.