Brief note. This work is not canon compliant with anything past Thor the Dark World.

Family Reunions

Later, Tony would blame Steve.

Given all the world-saving the Avengers did together, one would have thought that Tony would be in life-threatening danger every other day. That was both true, and not. The good captain made it his business to keep an eye on each and every member of his team—and for some reason, he'd decided to make Tony a priority.

It probably had a lot to do with the fact that Tony was in theory the only Avenger who didn't have some sort of superpower or super badass spy skills. He was, for lack of a better word, breakable, and while the armor protected him, it couldn't do everything.

Steve was no scientist, but he wasn't stupid either, so he gave Tony the puppy-dog eyed look until Tony relented and tried being more careful. In truth, he didn't even realize he was doing it, not until it had been a good year until he'd last died.

JARVIS must have figured it out, the little shit, but for the better part of Tony's life, JARVIS had been the only one privy to his secret and he'd never liked the arrangement Tony had with the parental unit. Not that Tony could blame him. JARVIS might intellectually understand that Tony would be fine even if he died, but he still had to witness it, still had to wonder if this was the time Tony wouldn't wake up.

Before Loki, Tony might have been able to ignore it. Yes, JARVIS was always quieter and more subdued after one of Tony's episodes, but he did understand. Loki didn't like it at all, and he looked at Tony with those Bambi eyes and Tony was lost.

So okay, maybe it wasn't Cap's fault after all, but anyway... Moving on.

It was perhaps fitting that when Tony died it was because of something completely dumb. He'd been coming home from a meeting with the SI board and already had a tablet out, looking over some specs for the suit. (Naturally the idea had come to him during the meeting, because he had to do something or his brain would atrophy just at the proximity with those people.) Anyway, he wasn't looking at where he was going and somehow he tripped.

At the time, he didn't really realize what was happening. The only thing he knew was that he stepped wrong, flailed back—and then nothing.

JARVIS would later show him the video feed and Tony would gape, because how stupid was it for a superhero to die because of tripping on a fucking dog's ball?

In all honesty, Steve had told Clint not to leave Lucky's toys lying around, that someone would end up tripping over them and hurting themselves. But apparently, Clint had ignored it, because Tony did, in fact, trip. In a freak turn of events straight out of Final Destination, he fell back, hit the bar, and promptly broke his neck.

The chances of something like that happening were slim to none, but hey, Tony would take it—since as ways to die, it was relatively painless. Of course, the Avengers didn't know that.

Tony woke up to the sound of Steve's dumbstruck voice. Well, he didn't actually wake up. For the moment, he was stuck in that limbo that always seemed to happen right before his mom came to sweep him away.

Steve was, of course, completely unaware. "This isn't happening. This isn't happening. He can't be..."

"Steve, we have to call it in," Natasha was saying, and was it Tony's impression or was her voice shaking slightly?

"No!" Steve shouted. "He's not dead."

"This is all my fault," Clint whispered. "All my fault."

Thor and Loki chose that exact moment to make their appearance. "My friends," Thor boomed. "What is amiss?"

"Tony... He's... He's dead."

"Dead," Loki repeated. "Oh, for crying out loud."

Loki stalked to Tony's side and knelt next to him. His hands gripped Tony's head and suddenly, Tony could breathe and see again. He blinked and looked up at Loki. "Thanks, Reindeer. Appreciate it."

Loki gave him a wounded look. "You promised me."

Tony scratched his head awkwardly. "Sorry, Lo. I tripped."

"It's true, Master Loki. It was an accident. Agent Barton left his pet's toy in the middle of the corridor."

JARVIS's voice was like flint when he said Clint's name, and oh, JARVIS was mad. Loki's nostrils flared, sparks of green flaring around his fingertips.

He'd have probably done something regrettable, but the other Avengers were crowding around Tony. Steve was still pale and his eyes were very wide as he scanned Tony from head to toe. "Tony? What... This is some sort of dream, isn't it?"

Natasha looked between Tony and Loki suspiciously, and Tony could tell she was already coming up with weird theories, probably something along the line of Tony being a Skrull or something equally as ridiculous. Clint was just quiet. Tony was grateful Bruce wasn't around, because a visit from the Hulk was the last think this scene needed.

Thor didn't look surprised, but then, Thor was nowhere near as dumb as most people assumed. A lot of his lack of understanding came from culture shock, but once Loki had moved in and joined them in their Avenging, he'd started to be far more comfortable and adapted to everything far better.

As far as Tony knew, Loki hadn't told him the truth, but the two of them were alien deities. They'd seen a fair amount of weird shit, so Tony being unable to die probably didn't even rank top ten in his weird meter.

Tony only realized he'd completely forgotten to answer Steve's question when Steve let out a wounded noise. He shook off his shock and looked back at Cap. "Yeah, no. Not a dream, Cap, sorry. But if it makes you feel better, I am alive, and I'm still me—not an alien or whatever the hell Nat is thinking."

"Tony, I took your pulse," Natasha said. "You were very dead."

"Well, yes," Tony said. "That happens. Sometimes."

Everybody stared at him. Tony rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me this is a surprise to SHIELD, because I know for a fact that it's not."

"It was considered for a while that you might have some sort of latent superpower, perhaps the X-gene," Natasha admitted. "It just didn't make sense that you'd survive so many injuries—Afghanistan, Stane, Vanko. But upon examination of your DNA, it was pretty much decided that you were just extremely lucky."

"It's a little more complicated than that, but luck had nothing to do with it. I'd say I was going to tell you, but well... I really wasn't."

"Tony... " Steve said brokenly. "Why?"

Loki didn't give Tony the chance to reply. He cut off the conversation when he herded Tony to the bar. He waved a hand, and a drink appeared in front of Tony. "Go on. You need it."

Tony obediently drank. It was just coffee, exactly the way Tony liked it. Most people assumed that Tony took his coffee black, and as a rule, that was true, mostly because he couldn't be bothered with the additions when he needed it as science-fuel. But when he drank it for pleasure, he liked a few dashes of cream, sugar, ever cinnamon.

He wasn't even sure what Loki put into it half the time, but he enjoyed and appreciated the results. He knew that Loki was frustrated with the fact that Odin still refused to give Tony an Apple, and their work on the Extremis virus hadn't paid off as much as they'd have liked. But Loki also knew that Tony was always cold after one of his episodes, so it was no wonder that he'd chosen to give him this.

He felt much better once he'd drained half the mug. It was just as well, because by then, he had to face his most immediate problem.

The thing about his mother was that when she appeared nothing in particular happened. She was quiet, sliding out from the shadows like a whisper, like smoke.

The Avengers didn't even realize she was there until she spoke. "Darling. I missed you so."

Thor pivoted on his heel, his hand going to Mjolnir. He hadn't sensed her approach, even if she was mere inches away from him. Loki was the only one who'd seen her, but that was because he was facing that way.

Of course, Tony could always feel his mother, although he could count the times she'd come here on the fingers of one hand. Usually, his mother pulled his mind into her realm instead of visiting herself, but apparently, she'd decided to do something different this time around. She was probably angry with him. Great.

"I've been trying this new thing," he said. "Self-preservation."

She tsked as she glided past Thor, Clint and Natasha and came to his side. She was as beautiful as ever, and it occurred to Tony that he could see why Thanos had fallen in love with her.

Today, she was wearing a black dress that shimmered whenever she moved. Her pale curls framed her cheeks in waves of white gold. She had a choker of black pearls encrusted with vibranium around her neck. Tony had given that to her, he remembered. They suited her pale complexion and her ice-blue eyes.

"You look good," he said honestly.

"Thank you, Anthony." She cupped his cheek, and her fingers were cool, but comforting. Tony wondered what it said about him that most of the people he cared about had cold hands. "I really have missed you."

This time, she didn't wait for a reply, and instead, she turned toward Loki. "Godling."

To his credit, Loki stood his ground, not flinching in the slightest as her fierce eyes fell on him. "Mistress."

"You're trying to keep my son from me."

"Can you blame me?"

A long pause followed, and Tony's mother finally said, "No, I suppose I cannot."

Tony sighed. He hated this awkwardness, but it couldn't be helped. With Loki's history with Tony's parents, Tony was surprised Loki had even given Tony the time of day, let alone tried a relationship with him.

And then there were the Avengers. Tony was acutely aware of all of them still watching the exchange in frozen silence. Granted, he'd always suspected this would happen sooner or later. His mother had been there for him for as long as he could remember—in her own way, at least. Since the Avengers in general and Loki in specific were now a part of his life, they were always going to meet.

"Well, anyway, welcome to my humble abode and all that. These are my friends. Captain Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton and Thor."

"I believe I am familiar with the good captain," his mother said, turning toward Steve. "The others have successfully managed to elude my grasp."

Tony gave his mother an exasperated look. "Mom..."

"My apologies, dear. Come now, finish your introductions."

Tony did, although right now, he was more inclined to drag Loki into his bedroom and sleep for a week. "Guys, this is my mother, Mistress Death."

His friends stared at him. Tony resigned himself to a very difficult conversation later.

And to think, it was all because of Clint's dog.

Few people knew that Loki had, in fact, killed Tony Stark during the battle of New York. He hadn't realized it at the time, but then, his mind had been a blur, still hazy from Thanos's torture and the hold of the Mind Gem.

He vaguely remembered throwing Anthony out the window and then him flying back up and blasting him with the repulsor. What he did not know at the time was that, in his fall, Anthony had hit some kind of ledge. The impact had been impossible to survive—and yet, by the time the armor had caught him, he'd once more been alive. But for the first part of the battle, JARVIS had been the one piloting the armor. Anthony had still been unconscious, recovering from his injury.

He had healed, and none but JARVIS knew, well, and Loki, since Anthony had told him. This was Anthony's gift and his curse. He could not die, due to the simple matter of being Mistress Death's child.

That Death would even have a child was in itself a paradox, an oxymoron. Child birth was the epitome of life, everything Mistress Death was not. Loki supposed this was why she had given Anthony to a mortal couple to raise, but it still didn't make much sense.

All that aside, once Loki had joined the Avengers in what was Odin's attempt to thank him for watching Asgard while he slept, he had been completely unable to resist the Midgardian. Anthony was everything Loki had been looking in a partner, clever, witty, handsome, willing to stand up to Loki and tell him when he was being stupid. They simply fit.

Sometimes, Loki wondered if Mistress Death had known it all along, and had done everything she had on purpose. She was an entity with potentially limitless powers, after all. Loki would not be surprised if she knew the future.

Whatever the case, the end result was quite an unpleasant family reunion. But in truth, Loki wasn't that uncomfortable. Ironically, it stemmed from seeing the Avengers' obvious shock. He was still the God of Chaos and Mischief and he experienced a dose of schadenfreude whenever something like this happened.

Anthony was an impeccable host, but nothing could change that he'd just introduced a cosmic entity as his mother.

He guided Mistress Death into the living room, and Loki decided to help along and herded the others after them. Thor came with him, having been trained long ago to listen to Loki when it came to matters of diplomacy. The Captain and the archer had to be dragged into it by the Widow.

"How's Dad?" Anthony was asking Mistress Death as Loki and the others came in.

"Still as stubborn as ever." She sighed. "He's convinced he needs to win Midgard for you."

Anthony rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I don't need him to win Earth for me. If I wanted it, I could take it myself."

"I know that, dear." His mother patted his hand. "But you know how he is. He has certain ways to show affection, and I did sort of spring the news on him."

Anthony snorted. "That's one way of putting it."

"In his defense, Anthony, children are very important for Titans. And he did not realize who you were until the godling had already thrown you out the window," Mistress Death said.

"He never should have sent Loki here to begin with," Anthony said bluntly. "In fact, none of that should have happened. You know I'm right, Mom. He's out of control."

"He is trying, though. He has ceased his attempts to procure the Gems. Your conversation with him seems to have given him a lot to think about."

Loki blanched. "Wait... You talked to Thanos? When, Anthony?"

"Last time I died," Anthony replied. "Mom introduced us. I was... vocal in my displeasure."

"He does want to know you, Anthony. It is just... complicated."

"I have the worst luck with fathers," Anthony grumbled. Again, Loki suspected that wasn't a coincidence, and Mistress Death had chosen the Starks as Anthony's mortal parents with the full knowledge that they wouldn't be great at it. But Anthony probably knew that too. He was too smart to miss it.

"I'm willing to try," Anthony added, "but no more invasions. I mean it."

Mistress Death nodded. "I will remember and convey your message to him." Something shifted in the air, and she got up. "And now, I'm afraid I must go. I hope to find a way to see you soon. Godling, a word with you, before I go?"

Loki obediently followed Mistress Death out of the living room. He was afraid of her—of course he was. How could he not be? But he still didn't flinch away.

She didn't linger or hesitate over her words. "Godling, as you are aware, despite my son's parentage, he remains, for all accounts, mortal. He may not be able to die, but he is aging and while he does have the ability to heal, his wounds linger more and more every day. I blame this on my own powers that aren't very conducive to a healthy pregnancy, even with one such as Thanos."

Loki nodded. "I suspected as much."

"I do not wish for my son to perish," she offered. "It is not yet his time, and he has much to give. In fact, I wish for him to live on—until Ragnarok itself. Thus, I have a gift for you."

With a wave of her hand, Mistress Death produced a Golden Apple. Loki gaped. "But if he eats the Apple, you'll have more trouble seeing him."

"You needn't worry about that. I have made a deal with the All-Father. Our pact will be sealed the moment Anthony eats the Apple, and between the All-Father's powers and mine, we should be able to circumvent my previous limitations."

That actually sounded kind of... frightening. And Loki knew better than to believe she didn't have some sort of trick up her sleeve. "What deal are we talking about here?"

"The All-Father merely wished for me to return something I had taken from him." Mistress Death smiled. "Fair warning, though. Your mother is looking forward to arranging your wedding to Anthony."

Loki felt like he'd taken a blow to the solar plexus. "M-My mother?" he stammered.

"Yes. I will return her to the All-Father, once Anthony eats the Apple. But you must be the one to convince him to eat it. I fear that, at times, he doesn't trust me very much."

Loki didn't trust her either. Even so, he took the Apple. Having his mother back and having Anthony too—it was like a dream come true, and he couldn't refuse it, no matter what it meant.

"He will eat it. I will make sure of it."

"Excellent." Mistress Death's fair face shimmered into a skull, for only a brief moment. "We will see each other again, godling. Farewell."

"Farewell," Loki replied—but she was already gone.

Millennia later, Loki and Anthony stood side by side, leading the armies of the dead, the portents of Ragnarok. They kissed among fields of broken bodies and watched each other's backs.

Together, they were an unbeatable team. The warriors of Valhalla, even boosted with several teams of Avengers, didn't stand a chance.

Watching from the side, Mistress Death smiled. She had done well. Thanos had long ago become a pest, and she had disposed of him, but her beautiful son... Oh, he was perfect.

He had not even intended to turn into a tool of destruction. In the end, it had been betrayal that had changed him. But Mistress Death had always known that would happen.

Adding the godling to the mix had made all the difference in the world. Loki had stood by her son through thick and thin, even when everyone else had abandoned him, even until the end of days.

Yes, it had gone well.

Soon, the Tree would grow anew. Soon, the universe would shatter and reform. The Norns would restart their weave from the very beginning. She would have to make sure her son's thread remained twined with that of the godling. After all, there was no reason why they should have to be separated. They were a perfect match.

Obviously, the Thanos in this story is the one in comic canon, not the one in the MCU. And in case you're wondering, this story was born from the Secret Origins of Tony Stark comic storyline.