At the tallest tower in New York, Tony was having dinner with Pepper and Morgan. He had a smile on his face, watching them, feeling truly happy. It was definitely better than parties, alcohol, and women. His little one was now over a year old, and Pepper was feeding her while Morgan playfully moved her legs back and forth.
"Remember, tomorrow I'll be flying to DC to switch all our buildings to renewable energy," Pepper said, looking at Tony as she fed Morgan.
Morgan occasionally squeezed the spoon with her mouth, making Pepper laugh as she tried to retrieve it.
"I guess it'll just be Morgan and me here," Tony said, laughing as he looked at his daughter, who also giggled at his words.
"Don't you sneak off to Damian's house so Sophia can take care of Morgan while you and Damian do who knows what," Pepper warned Tony.
"Don't make it sound weird," Tony said, chuckling.
"Sir, something's happened," Jarvis informed Tony.
"Tell me," Tony said, frowning at the tone of Jarvis's voice.
"Our satellites have detected suspicious activity at SHIELD," Jarvis said, projecting a holographic screen in front of Tony, showing Natasha's fight with Loki.
"The Tesseract," Tony murmured, furrowing his brow.
"SHIELD seems to be on high alert, and I detected Agent Coulson heading this way," Jarvis added.
Tony had deployed many satellites in space to enhance his detection system, a product of first-time father paranoia.
"Hm," Tony hummed, rubbing his chin as he looked at Pepper and Morgan.
Pepper frowned with concern as she watched Tony, wondering what they were going to do.
''Let's wait for Coulson to arrive and see what information he gives us," Tony said after thinking about it.
Pepper nodded as they continued their meal. Morgan watched them curiously, unaware of what was happening.
Coulson arrived at the Stark Tower, about to ring the bell and hoping Tony was in a good mood to let him in for a chat. To his surprise, the door opened before he could press the bell.
"Mr. Stark is expecting you," Jarvis informed Coulson.
Coulson was a little perplexed but entered the building promptly, taking the elevator. The elevator ascended slowly until it reached the top floor and opened. Looking around, Coulson saw Tony, Pepper, and their daughter sitting at the table. Coulson offered his usual smile before approaching the little family.
"Mr. Stark, I'm afraid we have an emergency at SHIELD. I need you to see this as soon as possible," Coulson said, handing a tablet to Tony.
Pepper reached out and took it before Tony could say anything, passing it to him.
Tony opened his mouth to protest but ultimately settled for a disgruntled expression as he sighed.
"I'll give Morgan a bath. Check what you have there," Pepper said, smiling, before getting up and taking Morgan in her arms.
"Alright... let's see what your boss got himself into this time," Tony said, unfolding the tablet and reviewing the images.
Tony quickly sifted through all the information on the tablet, astonished to see Thor and Loki, who, according to the data, were gods.
He couldn't help but recall the conversation he had with Fury several years ago.
"Mr. Stark, it's time for the Avengers to assemble," Coulson said seriously.
"How corny," Tony scoffed before getting to his feet.
"Jarvis, prepare the Mark IX and keep a module on me. We're going into full combat mode until further notice," Tony instructed before pulling out his phone and dialing the only person he could trust with his family at that moment.
"Hello," Tony greeted as the call was answered.
"Can you come pick up Pepper and Morgan? Let them stay at your place," Tony requested, scratching his forehead.
Suddenly, Damian appeared beside Tony, startling Coulson, who instinctively touched his chest before exhaling.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of your wife and daughter. Go fight," Damian said, patting Tony's shoulder and looking at him with sympathy as if he wouldn't see him again.
"Screw you, I'm not going to war," Tony grumbled, slapping Damian's hand away.
"Hm? What are you talking about?" Damian asked, feigning innocence.
"I'll see you at the Helicarrier," Tony said to Coulson before walking towards a wall.
Coulson nodded towards Damian as a farewell before leaving the building.
Damian approached Tony, who had placed his hand on the wall, causing it to open. Tony spread his arms before the wall moved towards him, enclosing him in the suit.
Damian watched as Tony turned to him, allowing him to admire the suit.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"Is it new?" Damian asked, smiling.
"Yes, the Mark IX. It's much more advanced than the previous ones, and this one is specifically designed for combat," Tony said, proudly.
"I can see that. It looks much sturdier than your first suit," Damian noted, nodding. The armor seemed more powerful, but Damian had his doubts about its agility.
"Alright, see you," Tony said, flying off in his suit.
Damian shrugged before settling into one of Tony's armchairs, glancing at his phone.
After a while, Pepper emerged with Morgan in one arm and a rolling suitcase in the other.
"I'm ready," Pepper said, looking at Damian.
Damian got to his feet and smiled before approaching her, teleporting them both to his house.
"Will Tony be okay?" Pepper asked when they arrived at Damian's home.
"Well, he hasn't gone to fight just yet. But considering his armor, I think he should be fine," Damian said, looking at Pepper and trying to reassure her.
"You can't just tell me 'yes'?" Pepper asked, biting her lip.
"Trust Tony. Besides, I'll keep an eye out for him too," Damian said, smiling at her.
At that moment, Sophia appeared, smiling as she approached Pepper and greeted her.
"How are you, Pepper?" Sophia asked, giving her a light hug before turning to smile at Morgan.
"Stressed with this situation. I'll be bothering you for a few days," Pepper sighed.
"That's fine. I'm glad to have you here. Come on, I'll show you to your room so you can unpack," Sophia said, taking Pepper's suitcase and leading the way.
"Is there going to be a fight?" Carol asked, arriving next to Damian, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Maybe," Damian said, chuckling as he hugged Carol.
....
Odin sat on his throne in Asgard, watching Heimdall leave the hall. He took some time to ponder all the variables before deciding to take action.
"Summon Thor," Odin commanded one of the guards.
Odin closed his one eye as he thought about Loki. His plan to conquer Earth would only be the spark that ignited a great fire in the Nine Realms. So far, no one knew that the Bifrost had been destroyed, but once they witnessed the invasion on Earth and the clear absence of Asgard's army, they would begin to test them.
Feeling his body, he saw that 90 percent of his power was still bound. He couldn't help but sigh, feeling pathetic. Ever since he lost most of his power, he could only start speaking of peace.
Thor arrived at the throne room and knelt before his father, but Odin motioned for him to rise before he could say anything.
"Thor, as you know, your brother is alive. Right now, he is on Earth," Odin said, looking at Thor, who was taken aback.
"He has the Tesseract with him, and soon he will bring a great army to conquer Earth. With the Bifrost destroyed, I can only send you to stop his plans," Odin said, not giving Thor a chance to respond.
"Send me," Thor said seriously, feeling both excited and guilty. After all, he had promised Jane he would return, but he couldn't fulfill that promise.
"I hope you focus on stopping Loki," Odin said, looking wordlessly at Thor with his one eye.
"Of course," Thor affirmed.
Odin stood up and pointed his spear towards Thor. The spear charged with dark energy before shooting a beam into the void behind Thor, forming a dark portal.
"Enter," Odin said, feigning calmness.
Thor nodded before turning and stepping through the portal.
Odin immediately slumped back into his throne, breathing heavily as drowsiness overcame him. He supposed he would take a short nap for several days to recover.
Thor passed through the portal and appeared in outer space above Earth.
He couldn't help but feel confused. He had hoped his father would at least send him close to Loki.
Looking down at the continent below him, Thor began to descend as a fiery aura formed around him.
Thor slowed down and landed in the town where he had lived with Jane for a few days. He quickly changed his appearance, wearing normal clothes so as not to draw too much attention.
Walking through the familiar streets, he soon arrived at Jane's house. He rang the doorbell and waited nervously.
Thor could hear footsteps approaching the door and his heart raced.
Soon, a beautiful woman opened the door, looking at him in surprise.
Just as Thor was about to say something, the door was abruptly closed in his face, leaving him with his mouth agape.
Just as Thor was about to ring the doorbell again, the door swung open, revealing Jane with a cold expression.
"Come in. I'm eager to hear your explanation," Jane said, stepping aside.
Thor coughed awkwardly and walked to the couch as if treading on eggshells.
"Jane, it's good to see you. You look very beautiful," Thor said, trying to give her a smile.
He had asked his mother how to console Jane after his absence, and she had given him some advice.
Jane's expression didn't improve, and she raised an eyebrow at him.
"Damn, this isn't working," Thor muttered under his breath.
"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise," Thor said, tilting his head slightly.
"While I was fighting my brother, I destroyed the Bifrost. Asgard is completely isolated, and I was only able to come because there's an emergency with the help of my father," Thor said, looking sincerely at Jane.
"I really wanted to see you, but even though I'm a god, I can't teleport," Thor said, looking timidly at Jane.
"So what's this emergency that made your father send you?" Jane asked, convinced but still wanting to appear annoyed. She has been insulting Thor in her mind for over a year, an explanation that, while valid, is not enough to make her feel good.
"My brother Loki, the one who controlled the Destroyer a year ago, is on Earth and plans to bring a great army to conquer it," Thor said, looking at Jane seriously.
"In fact, I wanted to ask for your help in finding him," Thor said.
"Hmm, I understand," Jane said, nodding as she thought about it. She had no idea about any of this, so she figured she'd have to ask Damian.
"So you came to find me just because you need information," Jane said, nodding and looking at Thor with a smile.
"Wait a minute. No, no, I also wanted to see you. It was just a coincidence," Thor said, quickly denying it.
Jane looked at Thor as if she doubted his words, making Thor feel defenseless, not knowing how to convince her.
Jane felt amused inside; she was definitely going to tease him until she felt satisfied.
"Alright, I'll call Damian and ask him about it," Jane said, nodding while taking out her phone.
Jane quickly dialed Damian's number before waiting for him to answer.
"Hello," Jane said, smiling.
"Hello, darling. Have you had lunch?" Damian said from the other end of the line.
"Yes, I've already had lunch," Jane said, a little embarrassed that Damian was asking while Thor was watching her.
"I wanted to talk to you about something else. Thor came to my house and told me about a possible invasion," Jane said, quickly changing the subject before Damian could say anything else embarrassing.
"That is indeed a matter," Damian said over the phone.
"Let me think..." Damian murmured.
"Tell him to go to New York. SHIELD is also looking for Loki, so he can join them if he wants," Damian said.
"I'll inform someone to go get him."
"Why don't you take care of Loki?" Jane asked, confused.
"Because I don't want to," Damian said, smiling.
"..."
Jane looked at her phone wordlessly before pouting and hanging up.
"Is he your cousin? I was hoping he could help me find my brother," Thor said, looking at Jane to see what results she had.
"Yes, about that... there are already some people looking for your brother to stop him," Jane said, smiling.
"Do you know what? I'll take you. Come," Jane said, motioning for Thor to follow her before walking to the backyard and pulling out a small button from her pocket. She pressed it, causing a small ship to appear several meters above the ground, which began to descend until it reached the floor.
The ship was only meant for two people; Damian had given it to her in case she wanted to travel quickly.
"Let's go. Get in," Jane said, taking the driver's seat and looking at Thor.
Thor looked at the ship curiously before taking a seat in the other chair.
The ship closed its hatches before Jane began to pilot it with an excited smile.