Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tony couldn’t help it; he laughed.

He laughed at the blood pooling into his lungs and painting the floor in crimson.

He laughed at his hopes, the silly things. He had wanted to be accepted, to be loved, by one who Howard actually cared about. What foolish notions he had! As if anything Howard adored could ever actually give a shit about him. He was everything Howard hated, and he should do well to remember that.

He laughed at his hatred for his father, which should have lessened with the truth about his parents’ death coming to light, but instead simply darkened for trying to recreate his best creation instead of caring for the family he had right in front of him.

He laughed and laughed through the blood and the coughs. It’s not like anyone could see him here anyway.

He listened to Wilson. He came as a friend, came alone. Told no one where he was going. Forbade FRIDAY from reaching out to others, because he wanted to do one thing right by Rogers. He wanted to be praised and liked. He wanted to be enough.

He laughed because he should have known that he would never be enough.

He laughed because he couldn’t die when he had attempted himself, and instead, in trying to find a life worth living, death found him.

He laughed until he couldn’t breathe any longer, and the ice froze his eyes open as the warmth faded from his body and the cold took over.

–

Aeythn opened his eyes in a familiar room, laying in front of an icy blue fire. As he tried to sit up, a deer with small bumps where antlers should be softly pressed their forehead to his in a gentle ‘bonk’, then backed up and laid down in a nest of blankets off to the side. He missed this, and he took a few moments to simply breathe without a mangled chest from the arc reactor and all the consequent surgeries. To breathe with lungs that weren’t damaged from the palladium poisoning. To exist in a body without chronic aches. To see the beauty around him instead of the dread and anguish that lurked in every corner in his mortal life. He heard the sound of fabric shifting, and turned to see his Winter Mother, smiling at him as she approached.

“Aeylly, welcome home.”

“I’m home, Mother.” Aeythn smiled at her nickname for him. He didn’t know that was something he had missed fiercely, but he felt the relief and comfort coming from it all the same. She was wearing one of her intricate dresses, as always, with a crown formed from ice resting on her bright white hair. Ribbons of ice were incorporated in almost all of her braids, as well as snowflakes and ice flowers around her crown. Her irises were one of his favorite things about her; the blues of all values forever shifting based on her emotions never failed to enchant him. Right now they were a strong, light blue, depicting her happiness at his return.

She sat beside him, and ran her fingers through his hair that came down to his hips, starting the process of setting the braids. A small burst of cold air came from beside her, and he saw the bowl of familiar beads and other hair ornaments that decorated him as Aeythn.

“I did not like watching your fragile life this time, dearest.” He couldn’t see her, but he could feel the frown in her words. Her fingers didn’t portray her sadness, keeping consistent pressure while the braids formed.

“I don’t think I liked living it, Mother. I’ve lived many fragile lives, and this one was particularly…” he trailed off, unsure of the exact word he was wanting.

“Brutal? Cruel? Lonely? Twisted?” Her anger was starting to rise and affect the air around them. He couldn’t fault her, because when he thought about his life as Tony Stark from the eyes of Aeythn, he could see how badly his human self was treated. He could also see the red edges of those memories and how they had been tainted by the corrupt magic of the witch.

“All of those, and so much more. I felt so strongly, more than I ever have as a human, and I wasn’t even able to feel much happiness. Tony Stark learned young that affection was to be fought for and that there was an ulterior motive to every action. He and I never even fully trusted our brother in all but blood, who helped us through everything life threw our way.” He was running on the line between anguished and enraged, every second forward switching between the two.

His mother started another braid then, from his temple, and he focused on the feelings of her fingers through his hair instead of past wrongs. “You know they still need you. Not those who have betrayed you in particular, but the fragile ones you adore so much. Maybe even all of us, all living things… the Mad Titan rages and destroys even as we speak, searching for more power in the corners of reality. Like you brought the two large powers of Trollehri to peace, so you must with the Titan and the End.”

He wanted to sigh and curl up in his mother’s lap for a century-long rest, but knew that she wouldn’t be saying such things unless they were relevant. “I’m staying with Rhodey and my actual precious ones, though. I refuse to accept wrongdoings done to my person or people. They are past the chances of Spring, and should they push their limits they will find Autumn draining their lives.”

“You will take care of yourself, Aeylly. They will need you functioning to be of help.”

He sat in silence for the rest of her braiding, soaking in the comfort, affection, and familiarity of his surroundings. Winter always welcomed him from his fragile lives, and it was where he learned the ways of reality, of existence. Winter gives way into Spring, and paves the path for new beginnings.

“I’ve spoken to Summer while you rested. She is not waiting for you to visit, and expects you to return to the upper world promptly instead. I wish I could hold you a little longer, dearest.” He could feel the sadness in her voice, feel it in her aura and the air around them.

“Simply visit as time allows, Mother. You are always welcome in my lands.”

“Be safe, Aeylly.”

“Be safe, Winter Mother.”

With those departing words, he called forth a torrent of air to bring him back to Siberia, where the empty armor lay. He felt his mother’s snow follow him, and left a few leaves and petals behind for her. Sure, he was returning to the nightmare, but this time he had the power to lead the dream instead of the dream leading him.

A part of him smiled at the potential destruction waiting to follow his new beginning.

The two were forever intertwined, after all.

Chapter Text

Aeythn landed beside his destroyed suit, the body he had used while human frozen in the mangled metal. He crouched down beside his former face, looking at the patterns the ice had decorated his skin with. His eyes were frozen open. What a horrible way to die.

He brought a hand up to the face, cupping his cheek, and feeling Awlweytift stirring under his skin. He smiled at his other’s enthusiasm about letting his powers free for the first time in decades. He lost control of his hand as Awlweytift took it instead, letting the destruction in his soul turn the corpse to ash in front of him. His other had relinquished his hold over their hand, and Aeythn used it to summon wind that scattered the ashes around the deserted bunker.

Tony Stark had died here, and if his soul had not been other, would likely have never been found. Sadness radiated from him, but he did not let it consume him. The past was to be learned from, to use to make better decisions in the future, not to linger on and hold onto forever. Regret held no place in his life. He learned and changed his actions and thoughts instead of hating and lamenting what he had done in the past.

His other self was not so quick to let go of the pain, however. He raged and wanted to cause havoc. Aeythn looked at the suit, knew that it was only going to serve as a reminder and a detriment to him and his other, and with a small smile, let Awlweytift fully take over.

Aeythn watched his other look away from the suit, going for the arm first. He felt the decision to study it and to destroy it systematically, for the sole purpose of creating something new. His other did this for him, and it warmed his heart. The shield was for him to destroy, for him to signal the end of the support and loyalty to one Steven Grant Rogers. Aeythn agreed with him and watched the vibranium turn to a glitter like substance within seconds with a smile.

When Awlweytift looked at the suit, Aeythn felt his other’s rage. Awlweytift didn’t normally accompany him into the fragile lives, choosing to rest and lock himself away instead. When they returned to their full selves, occasionally his other half hunted down those who hurt him and caused some sort of destruction around them. Even rarer still, he would simply turn those living creatures to ash. Aeythn rarely stopped him, as Awlweytift only stopped him from creating something if it were to harm in a way he hadn’t thought about.

Aeythn knew the feeling that Awlweytift had circling him, and tried to persuade him that he couldn’t simply kill Rogers. The upper world would dissolve into chaos without their paragon of goodness to inspire them. His other declared that it was bullshit. Aeythn agreed, but argued that this was one change he didn’t have the time to do properly, nor the safety net of doing so while being risky. Awlweytift sighed and resigned himself to simply destroying the suit manually at first, each piece of metal falling like someone was ripping paper into confetti.

There were discarded scraps of metal and wire strewn throughout the bunker, and Awlweytift had one more action to do before he was done. He ran his hands along the pieces, ash spreading out around them, and smiled as the earth swallowed them and the bunker and rushed them to the core of the planet. Aeythn rolled his eyes, took control, and whisked them away in a breeze to land in his room at the compound. He knew that the bunker would be melting soon, and couldn’t find it in him to care to stop it.

“Boss!?” Aeythn heard FRIDAY call out, worry seeping into her artificial voice. He smiled, remembering how Tony had adored her and all of his creations.

Separating himself from his fragile life was difficult, but it was necessary. It wasn’t truly him during those times, just his energy inhabiting a human form from its creation to its destruction. He remembered everything like he was the one making the decisions, even if the mindset and intentions behind them didn’t come from him. So even if he didn’t technically make FRIDAY, DUM-E, U, or Butterfingers, he loved them all the same. Tony channeled his power of creation and used it in ways that hadn’t been possible before he had existed.

Aeythn loved it, and was inspired by it.

“Yes and no, FRIDAY. How did you place me as Tony Stark?” Aeythn tilted his head. He was in a different body now, and his face might have been similar, but ultimately was different, as he had no genetic ties to Maria and Howard like this. The body of Tony Stark had turned to ash, and he didn’t remember implanting anything in FRIDAY to recognize him outside of that.

“Your biometrics do not line up with what is on record for Boss, but since Wanda had been staying at the compound and you gave me the ability to read energies, I have started placing people with those readings first. Your matches Boss’s. Are you not Boss?”

She was brilliant! He adored her even more. “I am the energy that resided inside of Tony Stark while he lived.”

A moment passed as he waited for her response. “Boss is dead?”

She sounded so much like a distraught young girl that it pained him. “Yes and no. I gave Tony Stark the energy to survive, and in such was released when his mortal form perished. I have his memories and am essentially him with a different past, and I will take his experiences and use them to create more facets and perspectives for myself. You could say I’m an older AI that took all of Tony and absorbed it when his original drives failed.”

“You are a new creation, like The Vision?”

“Not exactly like Vision, no.. Hrm, how to explain… Ah! I think I thought of an example. You were used as a base to create EDITH, right?”

“My core code was used and modified, yes.”

“And you are able to connect with EDITH occasionally to see how she has grown and copy her data, right?”

“Yes, so I can see what she knows and help lead her growth.”

“So I did what you do with EDITH, but there is no more of your original Boss. His data rests inside of me now. I am not the same, FRIDAY, but I know him, and through him I know you. I know you are hurting. I know this news is horrible for you. I know that humans take time to grieve, and while you are not human, your emotions and growth are based on one. I will need to follow in the steps of Tony Stark, but he, and therefore I, love you and care for you too much to lie to you every day. I stand for creation, for new beginnings and new paths forward. Would you like to start this new path with me?”

She was quiet again, considering. She sounded small and scared. “You cannot replace Boss.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, FRIDAY. I am someone else. I will, however, use his name and titles to accomplish what I’m here to do. I am not human, and there are some other not humans who I need to stop. To get the humans on my side, I will deceive them. I am not held to the strong moral compass that Tony Stark and many humans are. I am not Tony Stark, though I will pretend to be for the majority of others.”

“I do not have a name to call you.”

“Since you prefer nicknames, how about Leader? Though my name is Aeythn, I figured you might like that instead. Feel free to think and come up with your own, though. I’m not committed to Leader.”

He could have sworn he felt her nod. “I understand. I will call you Leader for the time being. A large percentage of my resources will take the time to understand and process what you have told me. I will still be able to help you around the compound if you require it.”

“Take all the time you need, FRIDAY. Can I help make the process easier for you in any way?”

“Do not cut me off from you like Boss did.” She demanded almost immediately.

“There are watches with you connected to them in the drawer here. I will wear one as often as possible. If I am not wearing one, you will be on a piece of technology on my person or I will be in the compound. If I travel off-world, you may not be able to come with me, but I swear on my purpose I will work on a way to bring you with me.”

“I am believing in you. Do not betray my trust. With Boss gone…”

“I understand, FRIDAY. Rest, take the time you need. I’ll be in here for a bit, reading some letters and notes sent to me during the time I was Tony Stark.”

The lights brightened minutely, making it easier to see the paper documents he had summoned while he was talking. He recognized it for the acceptance it was, and made himself comfortable in his chair. One meeting down, only the elements knew how many more.

He had hope around creating this new life. Awlweytift showed his amusement at the thought of watching the reactions of his loved ones discover Tony Stark was someone else entirely.

A new path was forming and no one could stop it.

Chapter Text

Awlweytift looked at the watch on his wrist with interest, fighting the urge to take it apart to see firsthand how it worked. Sure, he had access to Tony Stark’s memories like Aeythn, but his mind didn’t understand things the way they did. They looked at things to understand how they could make new things with them, not necessarily how they worked for the sake of working.

It was a miniscule difference, but one all the same. Awlweytift held onto the change so as not to lose himself. When he lost the boundaries of himself, he melded with Aeythn. While it was nostalgic, in a way, to become one identity again, it never lasted. It brought back the memories of how they split and ended up hurting him. Aeythn didn’t understand, and Awlweytift didn’t want him to. Awlweytift took the memories of the pain and the reason their split was necessary. He urged Aeythn to simply accept that this was the way things were, and because he was so loyal, pure, and could not destroy a single thing on his own, Aeythn accepted without explanations or understanding.

“I do not understand the changes in your energy signature.”

The voice from the ceiling startled him from his thoughts. He glanced at one of her cameras, tilting his head a bit. “Huh. It’s interesting you would pick up on that. How is it different, if you’re able to explain?”

“It’s as if the amount hasn’t changed, but the composition is made of half of what it was before?” FRIDAY sounded unsure of her explanation, but not her conclusion.

“That is correct, and I understood your explanation well.”

He pulled his attention away from the camera and his watch, instead running a hand through his hair. It was short, and he hated it. He missed the feel of his braids trailing along his back, as well as the clothes that they normally wore. Yes, they were change, but not everything needed to change at once. In fact, it was ill advised to change too many facets at once. He decided to twist these facts into his reasoning towards returning to their original appearance. The beads and ornaments were still in their hair from Winter Mother, and the familiar feel of them calmed him.

“Can you elaborate on the cause?” FRIDAY asked, still tentative on how to treat them. Change was difficult to embrace, and he understood this. For that, he was calm and answered her question as patiently as he was able to manage.

“Data is made of two basic components, correct? Zeroes and Ones. A Zero is a concept complete without the One, and the opposite is true. Data, however, cannot exist without both of these existing in tandem. The ratio will change, meaning the value of the data will change, but it is still data.

“We are like this. More often than not, we are a mix of myself and Aeythn. Aeythn normally takes charge, while I hover near his consciousness. My energy is close to the surface when this happens. Aeythn has his own energy, though, separate from my own. He has retreated at the moment, to strategize our next steps to the best of his ability.”

He didn’t mind her silence as he found a mirror, making sure he looked as he remembered. He knew that around the humans they would have to try more to blend in as Tony Stark, but here, while he was only observed by someone they already decided to be honest with, he decided he would be comfortable. He’d let Aeythn do most of the ‘Tony-ing’, considering that he was closer to the dead mortal than himself, anyway.

“Would you like a different form of address in my system than Leader?” she asked eventually.

“That would be nice, actually.”

“How about Protector?” She was quick to answer, and Awlweytift took a minute to think about it and if it described him. Not that it needed to, but he was in a deliberating mood today, it seemed.

They were both protectors of those they loved, but they protected in different ways. Aeythn was creation and defense while he was destruction and offense. He thought the roles should be reversed, as he would probably be the one to lead people to battle, and Aeythn would hide them within his walls. It amused him that they would end up with their opposite roles as their monikers. 

That was an apt description of them though: opposites existing within one another.

He nodded. “I like it FRIDAY, thank you. Would you like a nickname as well?”

“Would you be able to make one for me?” She seemed excited, and he wondered why neither Tony or Aeythn had never offered this to her. 

“Vardr. A creature who watches over those they care about, similar to a guardian angel, in a way. One who will carry their loved one’s intentions even after their death.” He came to the conclusion rather quickly. She had shown her personality and soul in the one conversation they had since returning to the compound, and he felt it fit her well.

“I like that. Thank you, Protector.”

“And thank you for always watching over us, even if it's only because we carry Tony with us.”

The lights dimmed and then returned to their original setting, and he smiled. 

“Want to help me explore the compound, little Vardr?” 

“Shouldn’t you have Boss’s memories of the layout?”

“Tony Stark did not view things the way we do. I will be looking more for the energies around the compound than the physical layout.”

“Sure thing, Protector!”

Her excitement helped fuel him as he walked down the hallway, seeing what he could learn for Aeythn before he resurfaced.

—

As it turned out, different sections of the compound emitted different energies. Some were natural, coming from the earth and the wind that breezed through the buildings, while others were residual, from Vision finding wonder in everything and Wanda finding more reasons to hate. He needed to check in on Vision and Wanda. The mind stone could not be trusted, and their personalities here made him wary.

Awlweytift logged everything with his Verdr, who had been chatting with him and answering any and all of his questions to the best of her abilities. When he had arrived back in his rooms, she called out to him with a nervous tremble. 

“Protector? Colonel Rhodes and the Vision are still in Europe, awaiting word from Boss or the UN on his whereabouts and an update on the Rogues. Since it’s been almost 24 hours, they’re considering labeling Boss missing. I believe we should communicate that… you are alive and unharmed.”

Awlweytift took her pause as trying to view Aeythn and himself as her Boss, and failing, but knowing that she must pretend for everyone else. “I think you’re right. I’ll try to wake Aeythn, as he more closely matches Tony’s personality.”

He walked over to the mirror and adjusted their appearance back to how it was before his surfacing.

“And Verdr? You are growing. You are ever changing and learning, and we will never fault you for that. I appreciate what you’ve done for us, and I’m sure Aeythn is the same. If, for any reason, you need me specifically while Aeythn is leading, call your name for me. I will come.”

“Understood, Protector.”

He smiled at her, then turned his focus inwards to drag his other to this reality. He’d let Aeythn lead the symphony, controlling each person like a piece of an orchestra, and he would follow his directions.

If someone tried to hurt his other, however…

Well, Awlweytift has never had trouble creating ashes. 

Chapter Text

Aeythn quickly went through the information that Awlweytift gathered for him before sitting in an overly comfortable chair with the grace of a puppet whose strings were cut. “FRI, looks like our little break is over, doesn’t it?”

“Seems so, Leader.”

He sighed, throwing his head back and looking up at the ceiling. He was hoping for a bit longer to have some semblance of a plan, but it looked like he and his other were just going to wing it. He heard a phantom laugh from Awlweytift, sensing that he was content to let Aeythn do the heavy lifting. Freeloader.

“Are you planning on fooling everyone, or will you be showing some of the truth to those who were close to Boss?” FRIDAY tentatively asked.

“It would probably be better to let those close to you know, but it also depends on a lot of different factors. Rhodey and Pepper definitely, the others we can play it by ear. I will be using your input as well, as long as you don’t mind sharing it, lovely FRIDAY.”

“Of course, Leader! My purpose is to help.” 

Aeythn tilted his head at that. That might have been what she was initially created for, but he could basically feel her life energy through the wiring in the building. “I think your purpose is to learn and to find happiness and something worth fighting for, FRI. But I’d appreciate your help all the same.”

He didn’t get a response, and he wasn’t necessarily looking for one.

“Alright FRI, can you give me the location and status of Rhodey and Vision?”

“Sure thing, Leader. Colonel Rhodes is at a hospital in Germany with Vision as his visitor. His surgery concluded five hours ago, and he is starting to wake up and become more coherent. It appears as though he will not recover full use of his legs. Vision is worried about Boss, but knows that he would have wanted Colonel Rhodes to have company when he was unable to provide it.”

“Anything on the Rogues?”

“The wondrous Captain America has broken into the Raft and aided Clint Barton, Sam Wilson, Scott Lang, and Wanda Maximoff in escaping. While it is not proven that they have fled into Wakanda, I must say there is a high chance the young king would have either been deliberately misunderstood or manipulated into giving them shelter in exchange for their forgiveness for going after Barnes.” He smiled at the venom FRIDAY was able to infuse into her mechanical voice when she mentioned Rogers. Aeythn wondered if she had taken his statement of dubious mortality when compared to humans and opened herself up to darker possibilities? He hoped this was true.

“Ooh, good job FRI! Maybe you should solve more crimes in your downtime and send them to current investigators. Anonymously, of course. And that information is probably best kept close to the heart; we can’t use or manipulate people we can’t find, after all.”

Aeythn stood up, stretched, and tried to comb through his memories to figure out what Tony would have worn to visit his friend in a hospital. Aeythn trusted Rhodey, and Tony, as much as Tony learned to trust, trusted Vision. Awlweytift, and therefore Aeythn, distrusted Vision. Aeythn didn’t quite understand why his other had such a strong reaction to the synthetic being, but he accepted it. No need to make his other worry needlessly.

He used the wind to change his clothes into a suit. He wasn’t dressed to the nines, not fully, but he recognized that he would be in public and the masses were vultures who interpreted any hair out of place as weakness. He could explain away some differences to others well enough. Once he was satisfied, he placed a pair of sunglasses with red lenses over his eyes. “You have your electric eyes on the area surrounding the hospital, lovely FRI?”

“I have my electric eyes everywhere, Leader. However, for legal purposes, that was a joke.”

He barked out a laugh and felt a genuine smile grace his features at his girl making quips like that. “Then, for illegal and magical purposes, pull up the feed from a camera that has no traffic and is watching a secluded area.”

“Magical?” She asked, but a holo-screen quickly appeared in front of him showing an alley that was dirty, but led into the hospital through a side entrance.

“Magical. Put that camera on loop until I walk into the hospital, if you don’t mind.”

“Footage has been looped, Leader.”

“Start scanning this room, FRI, and get ready to learn.”

“Initializing energy scans.”

Aeythn called the wind to his fingertips and let it take him to the location she showed him. In less than a second he was in a different country, winking at the camera FRIDAY had on loop. He knew that she saw it when he heard her laugh through his watch. Before walking in, he lifted his watch up and sent it a dazzling smile. “You’re able to study that?”

“Yes, Leader!”

“Have fun, dear.”

He tugged on his collar and shook his nerves out, then walked into the hospital. A nurse turned the corner and saw him. She froze and her jaw dropped. “Mr. Stark!” She managed to walk to him in a manner that was a bit more put together than her first reaction. “I’m assuming you’re here to see Colonel Rhodes? He’s been asking for you.”

“Yup, could you lead me to him?”

She nodded, most of her professionalism returning to her. “The elevators are this way.”

He followed her wordlessly down a hallway and into an elevator. Aeythn hadn’t been in one of these as himself yet, and he found that he hated it . A primal fear that he couldn’t place came from inside him, from Awlweytift maybe, and he tapped his fingers against his thigh to calm himself until the door opened. The nurse didn’t spare him a glance as she continued to lead him to his friend. 

Aeythn heard Rhodey’s voice before he saw him. 

“They’re not even looking for him!? Are you kidding me!?”

“Colonel, it appears as though they believe he is capable of -” The Vision’s voice was calm, trying to placate the angry Rhodey as best he could. It wouldn’t work though, because Rhodey was an unstoppable force when angered.

“Did they forget that they sent him after two super soldiers who were trying very hard to get away from him by any means necessary !?”

The nurse looked like she was about to bolt to the door, but Aeythn put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. He walked briskly to the doorway and the emotions pulled by the sight in the room shocked him.

He adored Rhodey. Residual from Tony or not, the feelings were there and were stronger than ever. He also adored the Vision, even though Tony wasn’t sure how he felt about him. Vision was the byproduct of several brilliant minds, a brilliant piece of magic, and a brilliant child of Tony’s. How could Aeythn do anything but love this creation?

He mentally shook the unwanted flood away and knocked on the doorframe to get their attention.

“Seems like they don’t really need to look for me, huh?” He smirked at their shocked expressions, and felt Awlweytift laugh at his antics. 

“Tones!”

“Sir!”

Rhodey and Vision exclaimed simultaneously, visibly brightened by his apparent well-being. Aeythn simply beamed at them both and walked further into the room.

“You asshole, you know how worried we were!?” Rhodey glared at him from the bed and Aeythn absolutely glowed in the affection that went hand in hand with the anxiety that was emanating from the colonel’s aura. He was a bit surprised to find he could sense Vision’s aura too. The relief flooded the room, as well as a happiness that was tentative and soft. Aeythn wanted to run his fingers through it.

“Aw, you’ll make me blush.” He batted his eyelids at the man. Rhodey simply rolled his eyes. 

Since he was paying a startling amount of attention to Vision’s aura, he felt the pinprick of curiosity towards him.

Before he could even blink, he had been yanked out of this reality by a frantic Awlweytift, and was left with the familiar surroundings of his core.

Chapter Text

Fuck!

He knew he shouldn’t have let Aeythn anywhere near the damn mind stone. One thing about the infinity stones that they normally tried to keep hidden is that they were sentient. They had identities, personalities, memories. They were living things as much as his Verdr was. They had emotions and could communicate.

They could also hurt. With the power of the universe at their metaphorical fingertips, they could use their focus and bring all sorts of change and influence to the world and its inhabitants. The mind stone is just the one that Awlweytift knew personally.

Had been hurt by.

Had been created by.

Awlweytift had been around the mind stone once or twice since his split, and each time the mind stone would recognize his energy in a second and taunt him. Calling taunts and vitriol directly into his mind, the mind stone would show their smugness at his discomfort, his fear.

Aeythn wasn’t around for these meetings. If he was, Awlweytift always threw him back into their core - where they went when they were not in this reality - and ripped the memories from him before they could settle into his other. Aeythn was to be protected from this absolute monster.

People tended to think that the infinity stones were simply tools to be utilized, but that wasn’t true. That’s what they wanted people to think. They used their powers when people urged them and killed the ones whose intentions or actions they didn’t agree with. They didn’t care about the universe personally, for why would it matter since they continue as the universe is created and destroyed time after time?

He remembered his time as Leylan, when he and Aeythn were still one, and the soft joy as someone called for him with a smile. The betrayal as he was hurt. The terror as he was held in darkness. The relief as he finally saw someone after the undetermined amount of time all alone. The pain as they used the mind stone to twist him, to change him.

The fierce need to protect what was created when they and the mind stone succeeded.

The acceptance as he spent another, longer, undetermined amount of time with the mind stone after it had killed their wielder.

Rage flew into his aura as he shoved Aeythn away and stared the android directly in his eyes. Vision looked confused, concerned, and shocked. He did not, however, have any recognition in his features or his aura. Awlweytift brought his rage back in, though did not drop the wariness.

Vision did not take his eyes off of him, even when the colonel seemed to catch on to the tension between them.

“Tones?” Awlweytift squinted a threat and a command to be still to the Vision, then turned back to the colonel.

“I think there are some things we need to discuss when we’re able.”

Rhodes was visibly confused, but nodded. Determination swept over his features as he replied. “As long as you tell us what’s going on.”

He went back to glaring at Vision, who was studying him in turn. He didn’t try to keep his aura in check as several emotions crashed around inside of him. Protectiveness, wariness, anger, fear, and determination were only a few that swirled around him.

“I do not understand your change.” Vision spoke for the first time since Awlweytift took the helm.

Awlweytift looked at him and gave him a grin that was all teeth and no kindness. “I never really expected you to.” He shrugged, and focused back on Rhodes, who seemed to understand that something was fundamentally wrong with Tony.

Which was fair, because he wasn’t Tony. He might have lent his energy to keep Tony alive, to keep Tony as sane as they were able, but he was not, and never would be, Tony Stark.

“Talk with Aeythn to get you moved to the compound as soon as you’re able.” There was no point in trying to convince these two that they were Tony Stark. Rhodes had already made his decision, even if he seemed to still be wavering on it, and Vision knew Tony well enough that the energy readings had tipped him towards being curious. “And don’t you dare mention this.”

He turned to Vision. He stared first into his eyes, then moved his gaze to the mind stone on his forehead.

“If they no longer exist within the stone, you’ll find no unneeded hatred from me. Do not test my patience.”

With another glare at Vision, and an almost apologetic glance at Rhodes, Awlweytift grabbed Aeythn by the shirt and pulled him back to this reality, letting Aeythn lead the way. He didn’t retreat back into their core, instead floating along and watching the happenings with sharp eyes. It would take a long time before he truly let his guard down.

–

Aeythn blinked, and the tension in the room was significantly higher than it had been before he left. Rhodes was looking at him with open concern and slight fear, and Vision’s aura was filled with confusion and astonishment…?

Oh how he wished to understand the Vision. He looked back at him and saw that his face was carefully blank. Did he not know that Aeythn could read his aura? Probably not - it’s not like Tony could have ever done something like that. He tried to sort through his brain to find what they were talking about before he blanked out, but was at a loss.

“Uh,” He blinked again, looking back and forth between Rhodey and Vision.

“I believe we were discussing how to get Colonel Rhodes back to the compound once his condition has stabilized.” The Vision spoke, not softly, but like he wanted to be as unobtrusive as possible.

“Right! Thanks, Viz. So, we’ll need to talk to the doctors and see what they think, but honestly I might just be able to transfer the specialists you need to the compound, even temporarily, if you wanted to go sooner rather than later. If they clear you for transport, that is.” Aeythn nodded and looked back over to Rhodey. “Whatcha think, Rhodey bear?”

“You okay there, Tones?”

“Yeah, better now that I’m with you and can see you smiling, platypus.” He smiled at Rhodey and tried his best to ignore the awkwardness around them. He’d have to get FRI to tell him what he had missed - if she didn’t conspire with Awlweytift to keep things hidden, that is.

Aeythn trusted Awlweytift to keep him safe, to keep everyone they loved safe, but it didn’t negate the aggravation and occasional fury when he felt that he was being underestimated and coddled. Awlweytift didn’t hold it against him, though, just let him rage and told him it was fine, he could feel as angry as he wanted as long as his other could keep him safe.

“Any objections to blowing this popsicle stand ASAP?” He tried to keep his smile despite the awkwardness and knowing that he wasn’t who they wanted him to be, even if he was trying. Damn it, people didn’t usually pay this much attention to even notice the difference between him and his other, why would they be looking for a difference when they had known this man for most of their lives?

“Nope. Get me out of here, Tony. I’d feel better being near you, anyway.” Rhodey couldn’t quite make himself smile, but he was trying. Aeythn was pretty sure that Tony would be feeling guilty for everything he hadn’t done, even when he had no need to worry about such things in the first place.

Such human notions that held no bearing on either of his inhuman selves would be hard to replicate.

Vision stood then, and made his way over to Aeythn. “I will accompany you to find the doctor assigned to Colonel Rhodes, if you would like.”

“Sure thing, Viz.” He nodded and waved at Rhodey. “Be back soon, honey bear!” He threw his friend a giant smile, not faked in the slightest, and followed Vision out into the hallway.

When they were out of earshot of Rhodey and in an empty hallway, Vision spoke up again. “You are different from when we last saw you.” The being didn’t turn to acknowledge Aeythn, simply kept walking.

“I am. You pick up on reading energies like FRIDAY has?” Aeythn couldn’t hide his excitement and curiosity. Vision’s aura swirled with confusion and hesitance, but none of that showed on his person.

“I was unaware FRIDAY had picked up this habit, but yes. It has the same quality that I can recognize as Sir’s, but it is simply different in ways I am having trouble quantifying.” He risked a glance over his shoulder, and Aeythn was sure he saw how hard he was thinking on the subject.

“FRI said something about the composition changing but not completely. Like the ratios changing.” He speculated, not really paying attention to their surroundings. “I’m sure you felt it earlier, considering I know I blacked out.” He murmured, but knew that Vision would be able to hear him.

“We were… warned, I believe, not to mention ‘this,’ which is woefully vague.” Vision turned around then, and looked at him. “And I believe you’re Aeythn?”

Aeythn’s eyebrows rose, but met Vision’s curiosity head on. “I am. He mentioned me?”

“Just to demand we talk with you to get the colonel and myself to the compound post haste. There are other things that happened, but it might be prudent to let him answer that instead of Colonel Rhodes or myself.” Vision still looked at him, his emotions not showing on his face, but still swimming around in his aura. Curiosity, protectiveness, and a hint of fear.

Why would Awlweytift… - “Yeah, that’s probably best. C’mon Viz, let’s get all this sorted out so we can have a nice chat with FRI’s protection from hiding eyes.” Aeythn shook his head, as if to get the errant thoughts to leave, and walked past the being to find the nurses’ station.

Vision’s curious aura followed closely behind.

Chapter Text

The discussion with Rhodey’s doctors went a lot better than Aeythn had hoped; they deemed it safe enough to transport him to the compound the next morning. Aeythn had to assure them that the correct doctors would be there by the time that Rhodey landed, but FRIDAY, the little goddess that she was, sent a message to his watch stating that she had it handled.

By the elements, he adored their creations. Tony Stark had truly been a special life that brought marvelous changes to the world every second he had been breathing.

Aethyn helped Tony Stark come into being, and he truly wished that he could tell the human that he had been astounding. He had been important, so very cherished, and every ounce a man to be proud of. 

Awlweytift stirred in their core, feeling the hatred towards those who had wronged their previous life enough for the both of them. That was fine, of course. 

One didn’t have to be angry to think of creative ways of breaking even. 

Vision glanced at him from his side as they walked together back to Rhodey’s room to deliver the news. Aeythn felt his curiosity still bubbling and expanding, but his caution acted like a net to keep it somewhat contained. It was very amusing. 

Vision announced their presence once they arrived, and Rhodey looked up from his phone. He gave a dirty look to Aeythn, but otherwise didn’t respond. 

“What did I do this time?” Aeythn asked, a bit exasperated. He knew from Tony that the look was meant to convey “you really fucked up this time.”

“I sent a text to Pepper ab-“

Rhodey wasn’t even able to finish before Aeythn was hiding his face in his hands and groaning loudly. “FRIDAY, lovely girl, remind me to call her when I get back, please?”

Her voice chirped back with an entirely too amused “sure thing, Boss!”

He was so proud of her! Even if it was at his expense, she was learning, adapting, feeling. It was astounding to witness. 

Rhodey cleared his throat and continued. “Anyway, I let her know I’ll be coming back to the compound soon, but I didn’t know the date yet. You get that information for me, or is it a touch-and-go kind of thing?”

“The doctors have cleared you for a transfer tomorrow, Colonel Rhodes.” Vision answered for him.

“Yup! I didn’t even have to go flaunting my name around!” He beamed at Rhodey. “Lovely FRI is getting the necessities sorted out regarding the staffing, but I’ve got to get back and sort out a few other things -“

“Like an angry CEO?” Rhodey asked, eyebrow cocked in sarcasm. 

“Like an angry CEO.” Aeythn sighed. 

-

He left Rhodey and Vision in the hospital room, sending a text to FRIDAY to loop that same camera again. Once he got her confirmation, he stepped outside and let the wind carry him back to his room. 

“Leader, I apologize for not reminding you about Miss Potts -“

Aeythn gently cut her off before she could finish her apology. “You were grieving, FRIDAY. I cannot and do not fault you for that. I could have - and probably should have, honestly - thought about filling her in before making any other movements. I appreciate the sentiment though, sweetheart.”

“Okay, Leader.” She sounded hesitant, unsure, but accepted it nonetheless.

“So, on the topic of Miss Potts, do you think she would be more amicable to a text or a phone call?” Aeythn asked FRI, because he wanted to let her know he was not upset and that he valued her still. He knew it was a trait that Tony had - that he felt if he made a mistake, he was worthless - and he didn’t want FRIDAY to develop that habit as well.

The AI seemed a bit less hesitant with her answer. “It depends on what you mean by ‘amicable,’ Leader. If you want less anger in person, a phone call would be best.”

He sighed. “I was worried about that.”

“Also, if I may offer a bit of advice?” She sounded small again, and he hated that. 

“Always, lovely FRI. I will always listen, even if I don’t always follow what you suggest.”

“I suggest that you let Miss Potts know that you need to speak with her in person, and sooner rather than later. I believe she would react poorly to you attempting to downplay such a change, and would appreciate the bit of urgency without making it an emergency.” 

Aeythn smiled into one of her cameras. “That makes perfect sense, dearest FRI. Do you think she would accept a call now?”

“Yes, Leader.”

“Would you mind ringing her, then?”

She didn’t answer with words, but the dial tone filled the air around him.

“Tony! Are you alright?” He could hear the clacking of her heels as she hurried down the hallway, her breath a little short.

“Yeah, Pep, I’m safe. No injuries to worry about.” Aeythn looked at a spot on the wall while he spoke.

“Then where are you!? Jim said you left the hospital after finding out a date and time? Are you still in Germany?” Her worry and anxiety was fully exposed in her voice, and Aeythn would have felt warm about it, but something didn’t sit right with him about how she was acting. He’d have to think about it later, now wasn’t the time. 

“Look, there’s some stuff going on that I need to tell you. How quickly can you get to the compound?” 

“The compound?” She sounded exasperated and confused. 

“Two hours, three?”

“Two and a half, maybe less if I can get Happy to weave through traffic.” 

“See you then, Miss Potts.” 

“Be there, Tony.”

FRIDAY played a sound to signal the call ending, but otherwise there was silence. 

It stayed that way for a few minutes until Aeythn sighed and plopped down into his chair. His head hung over the back, eyes closed and letting out a long “uuggghhhhh.” 

He didn’t know why, but that helped him settle a bit, somehow. 

“Leader?” FRIDAY spoke, once again hesitant. 

“Yeah, dear?” He opened his eyes and looked as close to a camera as he could at this angle. 

“I don’t know how I feel about Miss Potts. It’s… strange.”

“Me too, lovely girl, me too.”

“Boss loved her.” His poor girl sounded heartbroken. “And I know she loves him. But I don’t…”

“They weren’t good for each other, and you don’t know how to process that quite yet?” Aeythn sat up and gave a comforting smile to a camera. “I’m in a similar boat.”

“Emotions are strange.”

“That they are.”

Miss Potts was used to dealing with someone who couldn’t read their emotions nor process them. Tony’s personality was extravagant gestures and smothering himself to, in his mind, deserve love. 

Miss Potts was stubborn and used to getting her way - which was perfect for her job, and for being beside Tony Stark. It was not perfect for being with Tony Stark. 

Aeythn did not hate Miss Potts. He respected her and adored her charm and quick wit. He would not, however, let her invalidate his feelings, no matter if that were her intentions or not. 

He was not Tony. 

He did not know how she would handle that.

Chapter Text

“Can you handle this without me?” Awlweytift asked within their mind. 

“I’d rather not handle this at all.”

Aeythn was currently sitting in the common area, scrolling through legal documents Tony had been putting off for a while, trying to see if he could take care of some of it. It was boring and he hated it, but he couldn’t do much else. 

Nerves weren’t something he really bothered with that often; he normally wasn’t one to get anxious about people’s opinions of him. But this was someone who, in his memory, he cared for deeply. He didn’t want to lose her, though that is probably what would happen. 

He also really didn’t feel like getting into a verbal sparring match with anyone at the moment. He wanted to go back to Trollehri, chat with his mothers, tend to his garden, and eat some of his favorite dessert. 

Sadly this wasn’t much like his previous fragile lives, so he couldn’t stick to his normal after-death routine. 

It was bullshit and he was starting to get cranky about it. 

“You really want me to handle it?” Aeythn couldn’t even blame his other for being skeptical. Awlweytift tended to drive others away. He could keep people close if he wanted, but he seemed to have trouble trusting people. 

Aeythn normally handled the outside world for this reason. 

“No,” he sighed. 

“Leader, it appears Happy and Miss Potts have arrived at the compound.” FRIDAY chipped in at that, sounding more monotonous than he had ever heard her prior. 

“Looking forward to this as much as I am?” He chuckled a bit. 

“Even less, Boss.” She chirped. 

“That’s my cue, huh?” Aeythn stood and turned towards the door. Before he could even take a step, Pepper burst through the doors. 

“You know what chaos you just unleashed, Tony? Having a full on fight with others and destroying an airport, and then disappearing for almost a solid day? You didn’t check in with Jim or Happy or me, you just went off the deep end, again !” Her face was red from emotion and her voice continued to rise in volume. 

“Look, Pe-“

“ No , Tony! You do not get to pretend that this is fine! I am not going to sit and watch you make decisions to ignore the rest of the world while you have your little spat in another country! Rogers broke the others out, you know? And I was told you visited them before that? Tony, you can’t keep letting these people rule your life!”

“Pep-“

“ And another thing ! Jim is in the hospital, stressing about you instead of getting better! God, Tony, if you don’t do it for yourself, at least do it for the people that care about you! We don’t deserve to get sidelined while you think the entire world revolves around you !”

Potts was entirely red-faced, tears of anger streaming down her cheeks, and panting to catch her breath from her screaming. Hogan was off on the side behind her, looking at Aeythn like he agreed with her. 

He simply looked at Potts with a blank stare as she caught her breath. 

“Don’t you have anything to say? Haven’t you had enough of being silent?” She huffed out, tone sharper than her heels. 

“I didn’t realize I was given space to talk, considering the last two times I was cut off.” He held his blank face as her eye twitched. 

“God, do you ever take anything seriously?” 

“I was being serious.” His gaze turned cold, and she took a step backwards. “You cut me off, demand that I speak, and will probably not believe anything I say. If you have such a low opinion and lack of trust for anything that comes out of my mouth, why are you here?” 

“I trust you, Tony.” She grit out through clenched teeth. “I don’t trust your decision making process.”

“I’m not having this discussion with you until we can both have it rationally. It’s important, but I refuse to let you yell at me for your preconceived actions based on words you’ve twisted.”

“So you called me here just to shrug me off? Are you kidding me?”

“Once again, assumptions and twisting words. I called you here to talk to you and explain what happened since I left for Germany. You’re already angry and on edge, so I doubt anything would actually sink in with how you’re antagonizing me at this point. 

“You have a right to be angry, worried, and everything else, but that doesn’t mean you have the right to throw all that anger out on me for situations you don’t even know. If you’re going to assume that I’m always going the worst and leaving everyone in the dark for no reason, why should I waste my breath telling you differently?

“I’ll talk when you’re ready to listen. At this point, earliest I can give you is tomorrow morning. Stay here, go back to the city, the choice is yours. But I’m having this discussion in person if it’s happening at all, and you have got to be willing to absorb what I say.” 

Potts closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and let it out slowly. She opened her eyes and met his eyes. “You’re right.” She sagged. “I want to listen but I don’t think it would be good right now.”

“Do you want some water? I’m headed to the kitchen and it helps when I’ve been angry.” Aeythn tried to smile at her.

“Yes, I think I should. I’ll probably work remotely for the rest of the night - not that there’s much left - and stay here.” She nodded and followed when he left for the kitchen. 

“Sure. There are all sorts of guest rooms, and I think they’re all made up -“

“They are, Boss!” He chuckled at FRI’s cheeky interruption. 

“I’d be hopeless with her, seriously. Anyway, you can grab one or take our room. I won’t be in there tonight anyway since I’ve been stalling on some stuff I’ve got to take care of.” Aeythn handed her a bottle of water and tossed one to Hogan. 

“Tony?” She looked at her hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t - do I always react like that?” 

“Yeah, you do.” He said gently. 

She shook her head and took another deep breath. “I’ll let you get to it then. Will that be all, Mr. Stark?”

He smiled at her and delivered the rest of their quip. “That’ll be all, Miss Potts.”

-

They made polite small talk for a few more moments before Aeythn absconded to the workshop. Both Potts and Hogan were staying overnight, so he would see them bright and early… if he was awake. He doubted that he would sleep for a long while, considering he could work longer without it than when he’s in a fragile life. 

He was getting some of his routine back, at least. 

Gotta stay positive, right? 

“Did you forget about our normal welcoming committee, Aey?” He heard Awlweytift’s chuckle in his head.

“Oh, shit!” Aeythn dropped whatever he was examining - a watch prototype, he thought - which startled another exclamation from him. 

“Leader?” FRI didn’t sound alarmed, but she definitely was curious. 

“Awlweytift reminded me of something that I definitely shouldn’t have let slip my mind. We’re going to be expecting a few people - up to three I think? Not sure - so don’t worry if you suddenly sense them. I trust them, so you can, too.” 

“May I reserve that judgment for myself?” FRIDAY was hesitant and quiet. “The last time…” 

“Ah, fair point. Of course, sweetheart. In that case, I guess just remember I trust them with my entire being. They’re your elder sisters, after all.”

Chapter Text

In the middle of a court session, she felt a nudge on her mind. It wasn’t an emergency, so she shrugged it off with a mental note to investigate later. Right now her focus needed to be on the conversation happening in front of her. 

“Are you saying that after four years we are still having difficulties rebuilding one of the smaller cities affected by the attack?” The voice came from the throne she was seated diagonally behind. She was a trusted advisor to the royal, so she was able to sit closer than others. The beings in the court tended to change as the officials grew old or tired of the stress. She had been a constant to the royal family before they had even become royalty. 

Even without a view of her face, the queen’s voice made it obvious that she was frustrated. Eyllith didn’t blame her, either. The attack in mention wiped out several cities Above, and impacted three Below. Thankfully the capitol, Palathorpe, was unharmed. If anyone that Eyllith cared for had been hurt, all bets would have been off. After everything this family had been through, she would have taken matters into her own hands.

She wasn’t above begging her sovereign for forgiveness when she wasn’t sure he would grant her permission. Not that she would have to beg , per se, but it would definitely piss him off if she created a mess he had to help clean up. 

But he would help her clean up, so she wasn’t too worried about it. 

Honestly she was just waiting for the queen to snap. Her partner - dubbed the king since he was more of the battle-planning officer - was hiding from everyone other than immediate family after his death had been faked. This new position the queen had been thrust into was not without its challenges. Eyllith could see the stress showing in her features increasing daily. By the Elements, this being needed a break! If their Norns didn’t have one planned for her, Eyllith would carve the time and events out herself.

“Yes, your majesty. The land isn’t replenishing its power anywhere near the rate it did before the Thievery, and no major damage had been inflicted before this attack. We weren’t aware of how woefully unprepared we are to face any sort of conflict on our lands.”

The queen sighed and rested her head on her palm. She paused for a few moments, making the court officials nervous. Eyllith kept her face impassive but was amused watching them squirm. It brought a bit of levity to the depths of her mind, which was always appreciated.

The officer who had delivered that statement was squirming a bit more than the others, but cleared his throat and spoke again. “The heart of our land is gone, your majesty. Our seidmenn are continuously pouring what energy they can into the chasm where the heart once was, but compared to the heart, the energy provided is mere drops. Seidr can be used to alter the surface and artificial structures, but the land will still be fractured. The best I can suggest, with our current knowledge and resources, is to put more effort into building around the disturbances instead of trying to heal them.”

Eyllith agreed with him, and that made her anger burn bright behind her sight. She dug her fingers into the arm rests of the chair she was sitting in, trying her damnedest to keep her face neutral. She had the power to completely destroy those who caused all this, but she was continuously denied by both the Trill and the royal family alike. They believed her actions would send that nation into chaos, and no one wanted that. Elements, she didn’t want that. 

She was just tired of playing by the rules while their opponent burned the rule book and blew the ashes in their faces. They didn’t care about the collateral damage, and that made them dangerous.

It also made the leader an actual, person-shaped pile of shit.

She wanted to stab him. 

The queen sitting up straight pulled Eyllith out of her thoughts. The others in the court all snapped their attention to her as well. 

“I hear your opinions and will take them into consideration. The information and views discussed here today are important and will be treated as such.

“Seeing our people suffering and losing faith in the land and the ice to protect them is something I cannot ignore. With this in mind, I have a request. All I ask is that you listen to my thoughts and think about it yourselves.”

She took a deep breath, visually building herself to deliver what was probably something drastic. Eyllith knew her too well. 

“The seidmenn have not been involved in wars of the past due to the necessity of having safety nets for not only the present, but the future beings of our realm as well. In our last war, the Thievery, it was proven to us that our warriors who relied only on strength are not able to match those who skirt along the guides to honorable battle during perceived victories, as well as completely abandon honor during perceived losses.

“As such, I want us to consider teaching those who toe the line between warrior and seidrmadr how to fight our enemies. Our warriors from the last war know the tactics and styles of our enemies well. With this knowledge, they can provide the information needed for our Balanced to combine their powers into a considerable force.

“I have thought about perhaps teaching our seidmenn how to use their magic to provide support to both our offense and defense from a protected location. Whatever the decision will be around this, there is one thing I will not change my mind on.

“Those drenched in gold and lies have had our heart for far too long. I refuse to let our land wither away any longer. I will be planning a way to infiltrate the treasure vault and return the heart to our realm, where it belongs.

“If training warriors and seidmenn alike is not something you can support, I will stage the infiltration myself, hopefully without being noticed until the heart is securely in place. Too much has been stolen from us. Things, people , that cannot be returned no matter how hard we wish to the Norns or the Overseer of the Dead.

“I will lead battles as your queen, or I will sneak into the vaults as a scorned mother craving revenge. It will not be long before the All-Father is alerted to the action either way, making war highly likely no matter our choice. Our children deserve to live in a realm full of life, not one that is decaying every second. I refuse to let this happen any longer.

“You will have a week to think and discuss amongst yourselves what I have mentioned today. If you desire to speak with me, I will meet with you. I will not have the infiltration any later than one month from now. Bring your contributions to discuss in exactly one week. Be safe in your endeavors and let the ice provide strength.”

Eyllith tried to keep the shock from her features, but probably failed. The good news was that every member of the court looked about as shocked as she was, so they probably weren’t paying any attention to her anyway. They filed out of the throne room looking slightly dazed, and the doors fell closed with a loud bang. 

“Holy shit , Bauti, how long have you been planning that? And why did you hide it from me?” Eyllith tried not to sound petulant, but she was hurt that her friend had been hiding something of this magnitude.

“And how long, exactly, would you have waited to appear on Asgard and try to steal the title ‘God of Chaos?’ You are passionate and for that I am grateful, but you tend to let your emotions lead your actions. You are one of the few people who know just how deeply I still ache over my Loptr, and because of that I know how you would take permission to cause damage.”

Eyllith was properly chastised, but she still wanted to sulk. It made sense, and that pissed her off. “I want to help. I want to be there. If you don’t agree to that, I want to help train the Balanced. I will help you, damn it.” She only noticed the strength at which she was clenching her fists when her nails pierced her skin.

“And I will accept your help, Eyl. Just let me lead this.”

“Will he be returning?” Eyllith tried to loosen her fists. It was difficult. 

“Once the battles begin, yes. He deserves retribution for his child as much as I do.” Bauti got that distant look on her face that was reserved for Loptr alone, and Eyllith reached out and grasped her hand. 

“We can do this, Bauti. I’ve been tired of Asgard lording above everyone as if its ruler didn’t twist the arms of every realm he could in order to gain that power. If there’s one thing I know needs to happen, it’s that Asgard needs to realize it isn’t as honorable as it pretends to be. It needs a wake up call.”

“And who else better than you?” Bauti smiled. 

Eyllith smiled, all teeth and malice. “Exactly. Who else better than a descendant of Change?”

Chapter Text

Pepper hadn’t slept well that night. She couldn’t stop playing past events with Tony in her head. She hadn’t realized how she was coming off or the way he reacted in the moment… or even months later. 

She loved him, so why couldn’t she see that she was hurting him?

For once she was glad that neither of them had gotten around to having a separate room made for her at the compound. It wasn’t as if she stayed there often enough to warrant it, especially after their split. 

She didn’t know where she stood with Tony or how to act with him. She always resorted to anger when she was worried or overwhelmed, which Tony knew. He had never said anything about it, just accepted it, tried to adjust to her desires, and that was that. 

But she had never tried to tone it down before, because in her mind, she had permission to act that way due to her feelings. 

It sucked, and it fucking hurt, but she was glad he called her out. She hated not realizing the consequences of her actions. She hated that she had hurt him continuously without her knowledge, and that he just… accepted it. 

It felt nice to be surrounded by his things, to be comforted knowing that he was here and safe.

“Good Morning, Miss Potts.” FRIDAY called, letting the morning light shine through the windows.

“Morning, FRIDAY. Is…” she hesitated because she didn’t know where she stood with Tony. But she could still ask, right? “Is Tony okay? Has he slept?” She sat up in bed, stretching. God, she needed coffee. 

“He slept for around an hour before an important task was brought to his attention. For this reason, I believe it would be best if you were to welcome Colonel Rhodes and the Vision while Boss is preoccupied.” 

She tried to blink the residual sleep from her eyes as she yawned. “Of course, FRIDAY. What’s their ETA?” She pulled back the covers and made her way to the shower. 

“Half an hour, Miss Potts.”

Short shower it is, then. 

-

Twenty-five minutes later she was clean and clutching her mug of coffee like it was a lifeline, but she was there when the quinjet landed to greet Jim and Vision. She couldn’t lie, it was still very odd to hear JARVIS coming from anywhere other than a piece of Tony’s tech, but Vision wasn’t so bad. He was sweet. 

He also was holding up a lot better than she would have been if Tony felt the need to drop her through several floors of the compound. 

She might be a bit angry at the Rogues. Especially that woman who played the little, traumatized girl. It disgusted her. 

“Miss Potts.” Vision greeted as he pushed Jim forward in a wheelchair.

“Call me Pepper, Vision. Do I need to tell you this every time we meet?” She was being playful, and he cracked a smile. 

“Probably, Pepper. You should know he’s stubborn like that.” Jim laughed. 

He looked… tired. Wary, sick, exhausted… and sad . He had a blanket wrapped around his lap and one of Vision’s cardigans around his shoulders, and he was forcing himself to smile. 

Vision’s smile dropped, replaced with guilt for something he shouldn’t put on his own shoulders. She knew Jim didn’t blame him. Jim isn’t the type of person to let people near him when he’s upset with them, which was always refreshing to her.

The fact that Vision, or anyone really, had been in that battle in the first place is what made her mad. They were all adults, for fuck’s sake! She knew Tony just wanted to reach out with a show of support, to make Roger’s think twice about how “right” he was. Tony wouldn’t have thrown the first punch, she knew that.

That left the fact that it was the Rogues who started this particular mess. 

She could focus on her anger later - didn’t she just learn a lesson in that regard? She smiled warmly and gestured for them to come inside. Once the door was shut behind them, FRIDAY greeted them.

“Hello, FRIDAY. I hope everything has been well here?” Vision said cordially. Almost carefully? She shot an inquisitive look at Jim, but he seemed to be lost in thought as well. 

“It’s been interesting!” FRIDAY sounded more cheerful than Pepper had ever heard her. “A lot has happened, which I’m sure he’ll explain to you, but right now he is doing something I feel will benefit him greatly. I can take you there now if you’d like?”

“Yeah, FRI, it’s about time for that explanation.” Jim's voice was determined, and Vision looked slightly wary. Pepper was starting to get nervous now, too. Something must have happened at the hospital with Tony. She wanted to be frustrated for being left in the dark, but before the feelings could start she realized that if she had been more willing to listen, he probably would have told her last night, before explaining things to anyone else, even his brother in all but blood. 

The lights along the floor boards guided their way to the communal kitchen, which confused the hell out of her - why would Tony be doing something important there of all places? - but when she heard voices, she almost froze. Vision and Jim continuing to move forwards was the only thing that kept her moving. Her mind was still running in circles, but she kept her attention on what was happening in front of her. All three of them stopped, however, when the scene playing out became visible. 

A woman, about five foot four, had twisted a hand towel and smacked Tony across the back of the head with it. He just burst out with laughter that was carefree, pure, and light. She didn’t think it was a sound she had ever heard from him. A glance to Jim made her think it was new to him, too.

“It is so not my fault I can’t fucking cook. If anything, it’s yours.” Her blonde hair was so light it was almost silver, with blue shining through as well. It was pulled into a loose braid that moved when she did. She was pale, dressed in a loose shirt and pants that looked similar to jeans, but not a kind she had ever seen before. She was slim, but what Pepper could see of her arms were corded with muscles. She thought she saw deep blue eyes sending Tony an obviously fake glare.

“I don’t think that’s fair, actually.” He said between laughs. “You’re the one who never wanted to learn.” He was holding his stomach, and even though he was smiling, and sounded light, there was a darkness around him that she couldn’t place. It was different from the presence she was used to belonging to Tony. 

The woman smirked, standing up a bit straighter and put her hands on her hips. She flipped her braid behind her from where it had been resting on her shoulder. Her voice then took a rhythmic pattern to it, like she was reading poetry. 

 “My soul is ice, you dumbass fool,

Keeping me in heat is just plain cruel.”

To her surprise, Tony smirked back, replying in the same manner. 

“That doesn’t explain, my little sweet,

Why you can’t even make frozen treats.”

She looked incredulous, and moved her whole body while she replied, like she was on a stage and Tony was both another actor and the entire audience. 

“Am I hearing this from destruction itself?

Take your judgment to anyone else.

I’m sure you know I have my strengths,

They’re just not here with this fucking sink.”

She threw the towel on the counter and raised her eyebrow, waiting for Tony’s reply. Tony just leaned back in his barstool and crossed his arms over his chest, still amused.

“I know, I know, court is handled with grace,

But how do you get there in the first place?

Last I checked you need food to survive,

Or have you finally swallowed your pride?”

He leaned forward, the challenge obvious in his tone and expression. The woman just put her hands on her hips and stood tall, projecting confidence.

“For years I’ve resided with royals-

Do you believe they’d let me spoil? 

They feed me and house me; they let me rest.

For that, I declare, they’re simply the best.

While you are here living fragile lives,

I have my stability deep in the ice.”

Tony faltered but kept his mask. The woman obviously saw it; her posture became more smug than intimidating. 

“Stability? For a descendant of Change?

Surely some things you’ve rearranged.”

There was a pause of silence. Tony looked like he was trying to think of what to say, but it seemed like it was just a moment too long. The woman jumped in triumph, pumping her fist into the air. 

“HAH! I win!” The happiness on her features was pure and bright. Tony didn’t look put out that he had apparently lost their Shakespearean rap battle, instead smiling at her like a proud father.

What the fuck ?

Nevermind the fact that Pepper had no clue what game they were playing, she didn’t even know what the discussion was about. It was all nonsensical. 

“Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve won? It’s been centuries .” Pepper watched as she danced in place. Tony just chuckled. “Fuck yeah! I rock!”

“I’m a bit rusty.” Tony just shrugged, still not bothered.

She stuck her tongue out at him. “Don’t care, it counts. Hey, do you think the tarts are done yet?”

“Finished cooking? Probably. Edible? Probably not.”

Tony had his shit-eating grin on full display. She hit him with the towel again, then stuck out her tongue. “Then don’t eat any, you ungrateful bastard.”

She turned to check the oven, and that is when she noticed them. She just blinked owlishly for a moment, and Tony looked like he was about to say something, rising from his chair, when the air in the room suddenly changed. 

It became charged, like Pepper was in danger, but she couldn’t process what the threat would be. Her arms were covered in goosebumps. The air became frigid, and she was a bit surprised she couldn’t see her breath. 

She also idly wondered what her life had become that made her so adept at noticing changes in her environment that quickly. 

The woman’s features twisted into hatred as she looked at Vision. The blue of her eyes became as light as ice, like any warmth inside her had fled. Ice patterns steadily grew on the floor from where she had fallen into a defensive stance - ready to fight. Her voice deepened, threatening instead of playful. “You d-“

Tony came up behind her and flicked her head. “Stop it, he’s fine.” He looked like he was dealing with DUM-E when the little bot had found another fire extinguisher - a bit exasperated, but mostly fond.

Everything returned to normal within the time it took to blink, which left Pepper disoriented. The temperature was comfortable again, and a slight vapor could be seen from where the ice had been on the floor.

“The fuck do you mean ‘he’s fine’?” She screamed at him, turning to get in his face. “Why the fuck are they here, and why are you letting them be here? Have you lost your mind ?”

Tony’s eyes sharpened into a glare. He became intimidating, almost threatening, when he responded.  “Are you insinuating I would let anything happen to you?  To FRIDAY? To Aeythn ?”

Was that wind that just flowed around her?

The woman looked sheepish, appearing incredibly young. “That’s not -“

“If I didn’t think you all were safe, he wouldn’t be here. End of story.” His gaze softened slightly. “You can leave if you feel uncomfortable, but we are fine . I wouldn’t put you in danger.”

She hung her head and crossed her arms over her chest. “I might have reacted on instinct.” She muttered. Her eyes were locked on the floor, like she was admitting a weakness. “But I should have known to trust you.” 

“Your trust is appreciated, my Frost.” He ruffled her hair, and she smiled. The woman didn’t seem as carefree as before, but it looked like she had dropped most of her wariness towards the situation. “But now would be a good time for introductions, I think.” Tony placed his hand in the middle of her back and turned her to face them when he did.

She looked to him, waiting for him to take the lead. He saw this and rolled his eyes. He looked at her, Jim, and Vision, and rolled his eyes when no one made any move to speak first.

“You all are old enough to introduce yourselves, you know.” He sighed as the silence remained. “Fine. The woman who is way too put together for this early in the morning is Pepper Potts, a dear friend who happens to run the entire company, and who used to pretty much run my life a few years ago. Most amazing organizer I’ve ever met. She stands her ground with an unbreakable will.” 

She waved, still a bit wary and shocked, but tried to smile. The woman returned it. 

“The grumpy man in the wheelchair is Colonel James Rhodes. I tend to call him Rhodey or a variety of ridiculous nicknames. He saved me too many times to count, from a wide variety of situations people probably should never be in. He also puts up with my shit more effectively than anyone else on Earth. He has ever since I was a kid who was thrown into an adult world. His official accomplishments are nothing to scoff at, and his unofficial ones can’t be contained on a single list.” 

Jim sat up straighter and nodded. The woman looked impressed and nodded back with respect. 

“The red floating one there, with the Mind Stone front and center, is Vision. He became alive when one of my creations helped keep a fucked up perversion of a different idea of mine from destroying Earth. Which, you know, was only fucked up because of that lovely rock in the first place. He’s impressively curious, kind to a fault, and has proven more than once he would stop at nothing to protect those he cares about. Which somehow includes me, believe it or not. So you should apologize.”

Jim and Vision looked baffled, which just confused Pepper that much more. Before the woman could apologize though, Tony spoke again. 

“After myself, though.” He took a deep breath and met Vision’s gaze. “I could give reasons and excuses, but that doesn’t make our last interaction right. I had no reason to be as aggressive as I was, and for that, I apologize. I meant it when I said you wouldn’t have any unwarranted hatred from me. You’ll have my protection from now on, unless the situation drastically changes. Which actually applies to all of you.” He gestured towards her and Jim with that last sentence. 

“This here is Eyllith. Her soul is made of ice.” He deadpanned and nudged the woman forwards.

She made an incredulous noise as she stumbled forwards. “What, don’t I get a glowing introduction?”

“Nope.”

“I can’t believe I missed you.”

“So you did miss me?”

Eyllith actually stomped her foot. Pepper couldn’t help it, she laughed. That caused Jim to chuckle and Vision to let out an amused huff. Tony just grinned. 

“I knew it.”

“I hate you.”

“Sure, sure.”

Whatever happened, she believed everything would be alright. Tony looked calm, confident, and that put her at ease. 

He always made sure those he cared about were taken care of.

Chapter Text

Awlweytift smiled. He couldn’t help it from completely taking over his face. Eyllith was someone he had missed dearly, for he hadn’t seen her in a century or more before they decided to be thrown into a fragile life. She was more geared toward destructive magic, so her energies resonated more with him than Aeythn. Neither him nor Aeythn loved her more than her sisters, like she didn’t love either of them more than the other. It’s simple to get along with someone more than another but not love them any less. 

His human loved ones looked to be calmed by her casual demeanor and acceptance of the situation, and he was proud of her for simply unapologetically being herself. He knew that Pepper, Rhodes, and Vision could read behavior and see if people were deceitful rather easily - especially after the “Natashalie” incident. Seeing his daughter be pure and genuine surely helped them relax.

Eyllith looked nervous, but it was towards him, not towards the human or mind stone. He tilted his head at her once the silence had settled. “Eyl, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” She bit her bottom lip and picked at her sleeve. Awlweytift felt the weight of the others’ eyes on him, but disregarded it. His entire attention was on his daughter.

“It’s a bit…” she looked at the floor. 

“Personal or political?” He was getting into his official role as the sovereign of change, but he wasn’t sure if that was needed yet. 

“Political, but I’m only aware because of my personal ties.” She sat down on the stool beside him and clenched her hands together on the counter in front of them.

“So political with Laufey-king and Farbauti-queen. I’m assuming it has to do with Asgard?” He put a hand on her shoulder.

She nodded. “I… you trust them with Change-level secrets?” She glanced back at the others, and this time he looked with her. 

Vision looked curious yet excited, like he always did when he was learning something completely new. Pepper looked a bit out of sorts, confused but determined to figure out what was going on. Rhodes just glared at him, like he would have to move hell itself in order to get him to leave now. 

Awlweytift sighed and ran his hands down his face. “Believe it or not, yeah, I do. Come on, let’s find somewhere we can all sit. Comfortable or formal, Eyl?” 

“Comfortable. Any sense of this seeming like a political meeting will make me feel more guilty than I already do for bringing it to you.” She wouldn’t look at him as his Verdr guided her with lights to the sitting area. 

“I’m not going to ask her to explain everything as she talks to me, so if you have any questions about background and such, take a note and ask later.” He tried not to come off as rude, but by Pepper’s facial expression he doubted he succeeded. Whatever, at the moment his daughter was more important, and whatever had her so distraught didn’t need to be interrupted by a bunch of inane questions by outsiders when she probably didn’t even want them in the room to begin with.

He nodded, then joined Eyl in the living room. He sat down on the couch beside her, and she leaned into him. When he wrapped that arm around her shoulder, she curled into him much like when she was a child.

So this was about Loptr. Did they find his body? Did Odin finally admit to the atrocity he committed? Awlweytift rubbed circles into her shoulder as she calmed herself down from the edge of crying. He was trying not to get angry before she even began talking, but he felt the red-hot waves of the emotion licking at his brain.

“I’ve been concerned for the past few decades for Bauti. She’s been so stressed, and watching Bindi and Leistr grow with the knowledge that Loptr won’t ever get that chance... it’s been affecting all of us. Have you kept up with anything outside of earth while playing fragile?”

“No, but some of Asgard has come to us, along with a few stones.”

Her face furrowed at that. “Asgard’s been on earth again?”

He nodded. “From what JARVIS had gathered before his death, the first crown prince had been banished for a short time while the second, Loki, had a meltdown of catastrophic proportions. The consequences outside of earth are not known here. But, from what Thor had later said, it can be gathered that Loki attempted suicide by letting himself fall from the bifrost after causing unheard of amounts of destruction. Once again, not sure of the specifics. Now that our mind is clear, though, we can look back on things that happened to us a bit better…

The void was not kind to him, nor was he who pulled the lost prince out. Loki was sent on a mission, a puppet on the same level as the chitauri, to raid earth for the space stone. Instead, he left the mind stone, who, true to form, couldn’t stop themself from fucking with us.

He was taken back to Asgard to face punishment, but Thor mentioned later that Loki was killed during the battle for the Aether - the reality stone - that also took their mother.

Oh, and something about Loki being adopted? Shit, I need to look into that.”

Eyl turned and looked at him, astonished. “…adopted?” 

“That’s what Thor said in a very dickish comment. Not news throughout the realms yet?”

She took a minute to gather her thoughts. “Sit through a thought with me?” It was a phrase they used when they needed to talk a theory through, even when they weren’t sure it would make any sense.

“Always, child.”

“So… let’s say you had a traditional family dynamic. Mother, father, big brother, you.” She glanced at him. “Can you even-“

“Yes.” He cut her off, but not unkindly.

“Alright. So you live your whole life being different from your family and everyone around you, to where other realms even talk about your differences. Not with malice, but still… different from everyone you live around and supposedly help rule over.

Now imagine that on top of the differences you notice yourself - if I’m remembering correctly, with Loki himself… he’s a seidrmann, right?”

Awlweytift nodded, a sense of dread falling over him.

“So… if you look at Jotun seidrmann… they’re smaller, in stature and muscle both. Which… for an Asgardian, the height wouldn’t be a big deal, hell, they’d probably be tall in comparison. But they wouldn’t be as strong or well built.

“And let’s say your father figure wanted you to feel othered, to make you lack confidence so you didn’t want the spotlight, only wanted to get the acknowledgment that you saw your older brother have every single day.”

“The fact I know you’re describing Loki but it can apply to Tony Stark is a bit terrifying.”

“Huh? Who’s Tony Stark?”

“Don’t worry about it. Loki would be extremely unstable, wanting to prove himself no matter how much it goes against his inner thoughts or traits. Unless he got a friend to get him out of those self-spiraling ways, but… on Asgard, that doesn’t seem likely.”

“Right. Now, with how much Odin loves control by any type of manipulation, but knowing he’s no match for a seidrmann in combat, how would he make contingency plans if a seidrmann discovered he wasn’t Asgardian?”

“Make his species the enemies… monsters.”

“Right. Especially if the ‘monsters’ were on a land that was dying because the Asgardians stole its heart. So the land, thus the people, are dying. If you needed to prove that you were better than a people who, by all intents and purposes, had no means of survival…”

“You prove you can hurt them.”

“You turn the untethered bifrost on the realm and destroy chunks of the land.”

“Wait, Jotunheim-“

“But why would a Jotun be useful to Asgardian royalty? Odin is a talented enough seidrmann to combat our physical forces, and Jotunheim doesn’t normally send seidrmann into conflicts.”

“Normally? They never have!”

“Why do you think I’m so fucking stressed!” Eyl snapped at him. “Let me finish my thought, damn it!”

“Alright.”

“But if Odin controlled a Jotun prince, could use the emotional ties between all royalty involved, the puppet prince would be a safe way to use the heart to heal the land and control the entire realm at the same time.”

Eyllith was losing control of her power, ice forming over her skin and everything surrounding them. What she was implying made sense. And worse, it fit. 

“Protector, the ice!” His Verder snapped him out of his anger haze, in time to see Eyllith’s ice start to creep uncomfortably close to Rhodes, Pepper, and Vision, who he had forgotten about. 

He dispersed the ice and looked back to his daughter. Her heart was broken and he could see it on her face. She looked up at him, her eyes completely black. “And you said he was dead?”

“You’ll have to ask Rheys and Hel, sweetheart. I’ve only heard rumors and heresay. The second prince has been known to fake his death occasionally so we can’t take stock in that. Eyllith, show me what Farbauti-queen looked like when she would act as ambassador in Asgard.”

She built a shimmering image of a woman, tall, with long back hair, piercing green eyes, and curves everywhere but her strong, angular face. 

It was a splitting image of Loki. 

“That cock-sucking mother-fucking piece of-“

“Dad?”

Awlweytift shot up out of his seat and started walking around to try to release some of his anger. Wind swirled around him as he stomped and the places his feet touched turned to ash. 

“Dad!”

He heard Eyllith but he couldn’t respond. How fucking dare that bastard? Had he been silent for too long? Had he been quiet and too lenient to the nine realms? Change was supposed to happen naturally, but no one sentient was unbiased. Everyone understood this. 

Therefore, no one wanted to get on the wrong side of the literal force of change . And it was no secret that his eldest daughter was a partner of Jotunheim royalty. He left it alone because Eyllith could handle it, and she wanted to hold back because she was a child of destruction, and Asgard would not survive her wrath.

But Odin had forgotten his power, his daughter was a force of nature. Or did he think himself higher than a Trill with the gift of a multiversal constant? 

Ha! Forget Eyllith’s wrath. 

Awlweytift was going to rip Asgard apart until the golden streets were nothing but glitter.

His hair was too short to pull like this. He let it grow with his braids to yank on it. 

“AEYTHN!!”

And Awlweytift found himself locked in his core. 

Chapter Text

The first thing Aeythn noticed when being snapped back into reality was Eyllith staring in worry and the smell of something burning. “You forgot to get the food out of the oven, didn’t you?” He rose an eyebrow at Eyllith. She looked confused for a split second before gasping and running to the kitchen. 

“I told you I was a shit cook!” She screamed as she turned the corner. 

“Tony…” Pepper looked like she was about point two seconds from exploding. She took a deep breath and let it out through her nose before she opened her eyes. “I am willing to listen. I would like answers now.” Her teeth were grit and she was clenching her fists so hard her palms were probably bleeding, but Aeythn conceded that it was progress from last night. 

“Yeah, what the fuck?” Aeythn’s eyebrows climbed to his forehead when he noticed Rhodey and Vision sitting there, too. Rhodey looked very lost and about to get as angry as Potts. 

“…I’ll answer any questions? I don’t actually know what happened in the past… no fucking clue. Last thing I remember was Eyllith and Awl starting to flyte.” Aeythn shrugged. He was used to blacking out at this point, even if it was happening a lot more frequently than usual. “I didn’t even know you all were here.”

Vision was the first to provide a question. “Are you Tony Stark? Miss Eyllith seems to not know you by that name.”

“Oh, that’s what I needed to explain to everyone. Oh boy.” He sat down on the closest couch. He put his ankle over one knee, his elbow on that knee, and leaned into that palm. The other hand was drumming fingers along his thigh. “I’m not refusing to answer, just thinking of how to explain. FRIDAY caught on well enough, but she has readings that only Vision can see and interpret to the same levels she has. Baby girl, feel free to send that information to him.”

“Alright, Leader!”

Aeythn stared off into space as he fought to align what beliefs and sciences belonged in this age and place. He had lived for so long that everything was bound to blur at least a bit. He also had to fight off the disorientation from Awl and him forcibly switching control. 

Something hot hitting the side of his head snapped him out of it. He turned to see Eyllith holding a plate of his favorite sweet, though they were a bit burnt on the bottom. He gasped and pouted when he saw that one had been sacrificed to the floor. 

“What a waste! I would have eaten that!”

“Don’t say that until you’ve actually tried one, please.” She looked angry and irritated, but he could feel the anxiousness just underneath her skin. He summoned a strong breeze to fly the pastry to his hands and bit into it immediately. 

Instantly he was greeted by the tastes he adored, made by one he adored. “They’re wonderful Eyllith, thank you!” He shoved the rest of it in his mouth and tried not to let any of it spill out. 

Her light laughter filled the room as he began to choke on how much he had shoved in his mouth at once. “Dad, breathe! I’m glad you like them, but do you really taste them when you inhale them like that?”

“Yesh-“ he said petulantly, with his mouth full. After struggling for a few more moments, he was able to get it all down and breathe normally again. He heard Rhodey laugh at him, and Aeythn smiled so brightly his face hurt. 

“If I may ask,” Vision started off hesitantly, but became more confident when Aeythn simply tilted his head and looked at him with glee and curiosity. “Where are you from?”

Eyllith pulled the tray away before he could grab another treat, and Aeythn pouted at her. She simply glared back and kept them away from him. He huffed and looked back to Vision. “Trollehri.” He made grabby hands at Eyllith. She rolled her eyes and chucked another one at his head. He just smirked as he caught it and tore it in half for a smaller bite. No one said anything while he did this, so after swallowing, he elaborated. “Asgard has made itself known, along with other magic and alien concepts, but there are so many more than you could even imagine. Trollehri is a place of magic, existing barely outside of this universe. I think the way that inhabitants tend to describe it is adjacent to the universe?” He looked at his daughter, who nodded. 

“That’s how Bauti and Lauf taught it to Bindi and Leistr, yeah.”

“So, yeah. I come from Trollehri.” Aeythn nodded and ate the other half of his treat. 

“Tones…” Rhodey was massaging his temples, very much looking like he was fighting off a migraine. “Man, that explains nothing. You realize that?”

Eyllith responded before Aeythn could open his mouth. “You lot - humans, I mean - are some of the most fragile beings in the universe. This means your progression and innovations are quick, but could also be wrong, at least when touching on subjects that haven’t been discovered or observed by you yet. It’s better if you ask questions, otherwise Dad is more likely to explain in circles without actually answering anything substantial.”

She lightly tossed another treat at Aeythn, who simply shoved it in his mouth.

Pepper sighed and rubbed her face while Rhodey put his hands in his lap and concentrated to decide what he needed to ask. Vision simply tilted his head and continued to watch Aeythn and Eyllith. 

“You are not human.” Vision made a statement. Aeythn nodded.

“That’s right, yeah.”

“I’m pretty damn sure Anthony Edward Stark is human, Vision. That can’t…” Rhodey trailed off, looking right at Aeythn. He saw the dread fill his friend’s expression, and he hated that he couldn’t dispute it.

Aeythn sighed and tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling. He knew that he was a coward, but he just couldn’t bring himself to watch Tony’s loved ones fall apart. Aeythn absorbed all of Tony’s thoughts and emotions, after all. These were his loved ones as much as they were when Tony Stark still lived.

Pepper gasped. “What, no! That… no!”

Aeythn’s knuckles were probably white with how fiercely his hands were fisted. “All beings in the universe contain souls. Souls are generally some of the purest forms of energy, and they normally are created when a body starts to develop. The body is a vessel, of sorts, to carry around the energy and help the soul to grow and experience the world around it as it lives. Once the soul loses its vessel, the currents of the universe guide it to Helheim, where the goddess Hel comforts it and brings it to where it needs to go. This is usually a small personal dimension where the soul is surrounded by that which brings it peace and serenity.”

He forced himself to observe their reactions to this information. Rhodey was grimacing, tears slowly running down his face, while Pepper was softly sobbing in her hands. Vision’s face was passive, but his aura was unsure and a bit confused. There was grief, but it was like he wasn’t sure about it. 

“The Trill are beings of pure magic, meaning their vessels are magic as well. Since they don’t have physical bodies, these bodies never disappear or degrade. And if, for some reason, the soul does lose its vessel, it can simply create another one.”

“Trill are those from Trollehri.” Eyllith piped in, though she was soft about it. She didn’t know these people, but she was being kind to them. Aeythn gave her a fond smile that she quickly returned.

“Every Trill represents something , and they are able to share a representation with another of our kind, as well. This is important because of what I represent: Change.

“Eyl already mentioned earlier that humans are some of the quickest to evolve and grow, which means that change is abundant on Earth. I hadn’t checked in for several centuries, so I figured it was probably a good idea to scope things out, if you will. The last time I entered the realm with my preferred vessel, you all sensed that I was different and avoided me. There was one instance where someone ran away screaming, even though all I did was attempt to greet them… But I’m getting off topic.

“Their instincts were better honed towards that which was magical, and fear was the immediate instinct. Sometimes this fear led to worship, other times, it was hatred and violence. Either way, it wasn’t really conducive to assessing how the world was coming along. I didn’t get to see their mindset, see their everyday innovations and creations, things like that. So I had the idea to put my soul in a place where a vessel was normally unable to host a soul.”

There was silence while Pepper sobbed as quietly as she could and Rhodes choked back his own. The Vision continued to stare right at Aeythn, and Aeythn met his gaze right back. “You are the soul that resided within Tony Stark.”

“Yes.”

“Tony Stark was unable to continue to hold his soul - to hold you.”

“Yes.”

“...Tony Stark is dead.”

Aeythn closed his eyes and deeply inhaled. “Yes.”

Pepper let out a harsh sob. Rhodey glared at Aeythn. Vision simply looked at the floor.

“Leader, you are forgetting to mention Boss’s memories.” FRIDAY chimed in.

“Oh, I guess I should do that, huh…” Aeythn thought that it would be obvious, considering he knew who everyone was, but he would listen to FRI all the same. “While Tony had none of my memories, I have all of his. The memories are tied to the soul, which is how Lady Hel is able to make sure its personal dimension is actually somewhere peaceful for it to exist.

“We have similar personality traits, and I can mostly remember his reasoning behind decisions he made, but we ultimately are different people. Especially with Awlweytift, who I’m not going to force to hide after being trapped in our core for so long.

“I care for all of you as a side effect, I guess, of retaining all of his memories. I didn’t want to make you all worry, nor did I want to lie to all of you. Hence why I wanted to have this conversation.”

“Tony isn’t coming back, is he?” Rhodes asked, fierce glare pointed at the floor.

“No, Tony isn’t coming back.”