Odin stormed up the stairs to Loki's room.

"Get back downstairs right now! Your mother's in tears, no thanks to your cheek,"

Loki turned around to face him. "I believe it had more to do with your rudeness than my cheek." He replied in a cool and even tone. Odin went bright red.

"Now you listen to me, boy, I took you in when you were a child, out of the goodness of my heart, and this is how you repay me? By rebelling against me and being an ungrateful brat?" Odin fumed. Loki snorted.

"Come on, Odin, play another record. Don't bullshit me with that "goodness of my heart" stuff,"

"Watch your language boy!" Odin snarled, and slapped Loki across the face. Loki glared at him, his green orbs gleaming with anger.

"You are not my Father, Odin. I know the real reason you took me in, not what you told the media,"

Odin was furious. "You are a worthless, good for nothing little shit. It would be better for everyone if you were dead. We don't want you here, we never did. Pack your bags; we're leaving in half an hour. I want scum like you out of my house,"

Loki stiffened. "Mother wouldn't let you kick me out of the house before our farewell party,"

Odin smirked. "Your Mother doesn't know a lot of things. But she knows, she always knew, how worthless you are. Now pack!" He marched off, leaving Loki alone in his room.

He stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door shut, before leaning over the basin and crying. No one came to make sure he was okay; he'd mastered the art of crying silently. And lying. He didn't let on, but every word that Odin said broke his heart. All he ever wanted was his approval. But he wasn't good enough. He would never be good enough. That's why he agreed to join the new S.H.I.E.L.D College, training intelligent young adults to become spies. But it wasn't going to be enough. Not this time. Not even the thought of getting out of the hellhole he used to call home was. He opened up the cabinet and pulled out his smallest razor. He took the cap off and took a deep breath. He pressed the razor against his left wrist, below the old scars. It felt good. Like he was punishing himself for being everything Odin called him. As if all his sins would come out in his blood. Using this razor, he maneuvered it around his wrist so that when it scarred, it would leave one, tiny, word marked on the skin.

Worthless.

He ran his wrist under cold water until the blood had stopped leaking out of his skin and pulled his sleeves down over it and the older scars. He ran back to his room and packed his suitcases Frigga had bought him especially for college. He dragged his bags into the car and waited

"Promise me you'll bother in class this year, Tony?" Maria looked into her son's warm brown eyes.

"Yes, mum," Tony rolled his eyes.

"Remember to pack everything. Your father and I are just going down to the store to grab some food for the drive. Remember your running gear!"

"Mum!" Although Tony was 18, his mum babied him. This didn't make him any less mature though. At only 18, he was accepted into the advanced physics, chemistry and weapons development classes at the new S.H.I.E.L.D College in New York. He was a genius, and he knew it. Although he acted like he didn't care about school, he was actually really excited about starting college. The only problem was, his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Pepper, did not get in. She was going to NYU though, so she wouldn't be too far away, plus she was allowed to come over on weekends, and she was coming over to S.H.I.E.L.D College that night to visit. Tony watched as his parents pulled out of the drive and then sighed as he looked at all the things he still had to cram into his suitcase.

Tony was putting the last few things into his suitcase when he heard the phone ring.

"Hello?"

"Is this Tony Stark?" It was a man, who sounded worried.

"Yes, why?"

"I'm Doctor Lane, from the hospital,"

"What's wrong?" He asked anxiously.

"It's your parents,"

No. Not Maria.

"I'm sorry, Tony, They were in a crash. The paramedics did everything they could, but it was too late. "We need you at the hospital to fill in some paperwork, legal guardianship, that sort of thing…" Tony couldn't make sense of the words.

"Mr. Stark… are you there?" He hung up and stared at the phone, shocked. It couldn't be. Not now, they were both too young. Tony wasn't too upset about his dad, he hardly knew him. But his mother, the only person that ever loved him, was dead. Maria, the kindest, most loving and caring person he knew was gone. Forever.