Solutus

Rated: T

Author's Notes (1): This is a sequel to the Avengers fanfiction, "Libertas." I would recommend reading through it before starting on this fanfiction. There will be parts that tie in with Iron Man 3 and Thor 2, but it is not canon with those two movies.

000

After the final defeat of the Chitauri on Asgard, there was a much needed time of recovery. Asgard had not faced a direct invasion of such force in many centuries; many of the realm's citizens could not help having such a distinct feeling of paranoia and insecurity.

Odin's palace remained a safe haven for the Asgardians until the wreckage of battle could be cleared. The Chitauri remains were brutally pulverized before being tossed into the void, while the fallen Asgardians were collected, placed into ritual boats, and sent off in the highest esteem.

It was an awe inspiring sight00 a large fleed of burning ships gliding across the dark waters, crossing the great waterfall, and finally being raised up to join the veins of Yigisil. It was a sight that Thor shared with his mother and father in reverence, and one that Loki could only watch from his tower.

The one time Trickster-God had continued to slumber throughout most of the initial restoration. With his soul tied to the Casket of Ancient Winters, his body took a great deal of time to restore itself. The healers were hardly surprised. After all, he should have died. It was only natural that his recovery would take unnaturally long.

When he did finally awaken, he was shocked by his icy state, and then shocked by his comfortable captivity.

He stumbled out of bed, tangled in his sheets, and made his way to the water basin on the other side of the room. Loki dipped his hands in the water to splash some on his face. After submerging them twice, the basin started to ice over, freezing the water within. Loki blinked in confusion, then looked up at the mirror ahead of him.

His Jotunn body simply looked foreign to him, even as he glanced down at himself. Loki raised a hand to the mirror, setting his open palm on the reflective glass. Small crystal shapes formed on the surface until it covered the entire glass. He held it there for a few moments more, and the entire piece shattered to the ground. He stumbled back, awkwardly trying to use his heavy legs.

From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of something floating by his window. It was a soft, glowing light. Forcing himself to stand tall again, he stiffly and slowly walked to the window to see hundreds—thousands—of glowing shapes littering the sky.

It was like watching fireflies during the summer months.

Counteracting the soft blue light in the deep blue skies were warm yellow lights in the dark waters. Loki knew immediately that they were stone ships, sending off the dead Asgardians.

How long had he been asleep? How had he survived the energy of the Casket? Why hadn't he returned to his Asgardian form that he knew and so loved? Was it because of some punishment from the All-Father?

He collapsed on the window bench, slouching forward, his head hung low. He felt tired, mentally at least. Physically, he couldn't recall a time he had felt better. He felt like he could run to Midgard and back, though he doubted that would be a good idea, since there were mortals who still wished him dead despite any of his valiant efforts, he was sure.

Looking at his blue, marked hands, Loki quickly sat up again. "Could it be?" He tried to summon his royal garb onto himself, like he had done so many times in the past when he had still had his powers. Nothing appeared. He raised his hand and tried to call forth a dagger, created from nothingness. Again, nothing.

He may have been Jotunn, and he may have had his birth abilities, but he did not have any of his learned tricks.

Loki slouched forward again before turning to watch the end of the funeral procession.

Another two days passed him by until Loki found himself pacing around his room in agitation. He had still not seen another rperson since the battle for Asgard. Food was left for him while he slept, and despite his attempts to catch whoever brought it, they would not come unless he was asleep.

He finally passed his pacing and leaned over his basin of water, placing his hands on either side of the carved depth. The longer he remained, the cooler the dark stone became, until it started to chill the water within. Loki stared back at his blue reflection as it started to be overcome by icicles.

"Rr-ahh!" His low growl turned into a shout as he used his returned Jotun strength to rip the water basin from its secure pedestal, and send it crashing to the ground.

It cracked almost perfectly in half and continued to slide a few feet before hitting the wall with a thud.

He was glad he had shattered his mirror on his first night awake. He could not handle the image of his own reflection staring back at him. He hated how uncomfortably warm he felt, even being barely clothed. He hated being unable to touch anything wet or fragile without freezing it. Most of all, he hated having nothing else to do but memorize the raised, white markings that littered his arms and chest.

The following morning, Loki awoke to feel a familiar humming sensation radiationg from his left leg and snaking upwards. He flipped over, off of his stomach, and sat up quickly in his bed. Though he had expect to have finally caught his food bringers in action, he was not expecting to see the Queen of Asgard snooping in his room.

"Moth—Frigga," he said sudently, correcting himself mid-word.

She was looking down at the smached basin with some humor before turning to face him. Though she was trying hard to be stoic, a slight smile cracked her façade. "If I had not known better, I would have thought that Thor had been here."

Loki blinked at her before trying his best to hurry and sand. Frigga shook her head and waved him back down.

"I'm sure you have many questions, my darling. I have come just so we might have a chat, uninterrupted," she said and stepped to the side, sitting down on the cushioned window seat. As Loki looked at her more and more, his heart sank. He recognized the glimmer of magic around her as the sunlight warped and reflected just a bit. She was not really in the room at all. He supposed she wouldn't dare risk it, with his current state. "Shall I begin, or shall you?"

After a few moments of silence, Frigga finally sighed.

"Alright then, tell me what happened on Mid—"

"Why am I here?" Loki interrupted suddenly. His brows furrowed as he hunched over, resting his forearms on his knees. He wrung his hands together uncomfortably, looking away from his adoptive mother.

He couldn't see it, but there was a sort of sympathetic smile on the Queen's features. "You're here because you were barely clinging onto life when we found you. We needed to keep you monitored as you healed and strengthened, which seems to have happened much faster than we could have hoped."

"Hope," Loki said dismally, "that seems unlikely; hope that I would die perhaps, but hope that I recover?" He shook his head and kept his gaze downward.

"Who would not hope that such a selfless warrior would return to us?" Frigga asked, tilting her head ot the side in curiousity.

Loki gave a harsh laugh, "I cannot image there would be even a single person who would ever describe me as selfless."

"Did you intend to live then? Did you know what the Casket of Ancient Winters would do to you when you chose it as your weapon while in a mortal form?"

There was silence again while Loki did little more than shrug. "Perhaps I did."

The Queen could not help but sigh loudly. "Why is it, Loki, you have an insatiable desire for attention until the moment you truly deserve it? Then, suddenly, you would prefer for everyone to think you nothing more than a schemer?"

Loki was completely taken aback by his mother, and as he looked at her, his expression told her so.

"I've never doubted that you could be great, that you could be a man that the people loved. Because you have never believed in yourself, you have always tried too hard to force yourself onto others."

There was nothing he could say, or at least, nothing he wanted to say. This was a conversation he simply did not want to have. Especially not with Frigga, Queen of Asgard.

"So what is to become of me?" He asked, changing the subject. "Am I to remain in this tower as a prisoner? Or shall I be moved to the dungeons now that I am suitably healed?"

His mother sighed and stood, understanding that their conversation would go no further. "The All-Father has yet to decide. Thor believes that you have fully redeemed yourself. Since Heimdall was unable to turn his gaze upon you, Thor's word is the only word we have. Though Heimdall did have some interesting things to report: based upon the mortal heroes' new opinions of you." As her manifested form started to shimmer and disappear, Frigga added one last thing, "I believe Thor. It does seem that you have changed, and not just skin color."

""

"Are you kidding me? I said Calla and Star Burst lilies! Not Mini Callas and Star Burst lilies!"

Pepper Potts stood in the center of the large event hall of the newly repaired stArk tower. Her flowers for her bouquet and centerpieces had just arrived, barely on time, and incorrectly. There were caterers working furiously to prepare the room for the reception, but were having a hard time doing so with a micromanaging Stark employee/bridezilla in their way.

"Miss Potts," the flustered floral assistant said, hastily flipping through the paperwork she had brought with her, just in case. "This is the contract I have, it is signed by you." The young woman with short black hair quickly handed over the three page agreement.

Pepper flipped through it before haphazardly slapping it on the table. "Oh god, you're right, I'm so sorry. I don't know why I did that… I guess I just wasn't thinking—"

"Well, you did have a lot going on at the time," interjected Bruce Banner. Pepper turned around and immediately fell into his open arms. "Oh, it's going to be okay Pepper. You need to just relax, and let everyone else take care of this. They all know what they're doing, you've hired the best. You should be enjoying today."

"I just want everything to be perfect," said the redheaded woman, trying her hardest not to sob, "there's been so much in our way, I just want this to be what I've—we've—dreamed about!"

The scientist gently patted her shoulder. "It will be, really. Besides, I don't know if Tony ever actually pictured a wedding. He will be thrilled with what you've planned. Now, you need to go finish getting ready. You're due on the platform in an hour."

Pepper nodded and pulled away, breathing deeply to regain her composure. "You're right, of course you're right. As long as Tony isn't at the alter in that damned suit, I will be happy. Thank you, Bruce, you've been such a great best man." She sniffled slightly before turning and heading for the hall door.

The floral assistant looked at Bruce in confusion. "She doesn't want the groom in a suit?"

"The Iron Man suit," he said and smiled, "he threatened to wear it if she wouldn't allow extra security for the wedding." Checking the injection cuff at his wrist, he gave another smile and a nod to the woman. "Well, one down, one to go. We'll see how the bride's groom is fairing."

When Banner walked into the entertainment room Tony was using as his hangout while Pepper took their penthouse apartment, his employer and friend lowered the television volume. There was press coverage all over the entrance to stArk tower, interviewing guests and they were pulling up to the building. Of course, the Stark wedding was the hottest buzz in the country. The billionaire playboy philanthropist had been living up the philanthropist aspect and dropping the playboy part. This was as close as the United States could get to a royal wedding.

"Starting into the bar early? Not surprised," Bruce said and dropped into the leather couch.

Tony took a sip of his drink before looking down at it curiously, "believe it or not, it's just Coke. No rum. Figured Pepper deserved a sober groom waiting at the end of the aisle. How is she? I'm just itching to look on the security cameras…"

"She's fine," Banner replied, waiving his hand, "just being Pepper. She'll be ready on time, and you know it. I recognized some of the catering staff, so S.H.I.E.L.D. did send a few extra people in for added security. You can't really expect trouble, right? The entire city is grateful to you, and watching your back."

"Yeah, well, some of them are watching my back so closely, they're burning holes into it. There will always be another enemy to fight." Looking at his drink again, Tony sighed and downed the entire glass, as if drinking it faster would turn it into booze.

Pepper reached up and pat he rhair as the elevator doors opened to her penthouse suite. Natasha was waiting inside to help her finish he rmakeup and get into her dress. The two women had been with a hairdresser earlier in the morning, and Pepper was thankful for the meticulous care that that been taken. Even through her little fit with the caterers and the floral assistant, her up-do held strong.

It thankfully seemed that Natasha's was holding strong as well—even considering the fact she was currently flipping over the tan couch, wrestling a caterer to the ground. "What is going on?!" pepper cried out, immediately pressing her back against the wall to stay out of the way.

The Black Widow barely noticed the other woman's arrival as she pinned the would-be assassin to the ground and repeatedly slammed her fist into his face. When she was satisfied that he was sufficiently injured and unconscious, Natasha let out an exhale and stood back. She wiped blood off of her hand with the silk bathrobe she was wearing.

Natasha grabbed her cell phone from the glass tabletop, which she narrowly avoided hitting during the ordeal, and pulled up a number on speed dial. "We need clean up in the penthouse. Bring only usuals." She turned to Pepper and gave a half smile, "no need to worry. Everything is taken care of."

Pepper's jaw remained agape as she stared at the scene in front of her. There was a broken bottle of champagne, over turned chairs, and knocked over lamps. She raised her hands, waving them around in hysteria. "What—!"

With a sigh and a glance around the room, Natahsa placed her hands on her hips and shrugged. "Well, it appears that this man infiltrated the catering staff in attempt to gain access to the suite. Whether he was hoping to get to you or to Tony, I can't be sure. He came with a bottle of champagne, so I have my suspicions."

They stared at each other for a few moments. Finally, Pepper nodded and slowly walked towards the vanity that was set up for her.

"Should I… call Tony?" Natasha asked, but received a shake of the head.

"Of course not. If he sees this mess, he will try to call off the wedding, saying it's too unsafe. I have put way too much time into this to see it go down the drain. S.H.I.E.L.D. will be coming to clean up the mess, I hope?"

Natasha nodded in response before heading to the vanity as well to help Pepper finish off her makeup. Pepper had been very different since her return from the Chitauri. She seemed dead set on moving past the violence in her life, to the point where she simply ignored it if it happened. Tensions between her and Tony had been running high, but Natasha was not one to pry into her friends' private lives.

Instead, she silently picked up the angled brush sitting out and dipped it into the open palate of eye shadow.

As the guests took their seats to wait for the ceremony to being, there was a sudden surge of wind. Women ducked their heads and held their skirts to them, while men hurried to save any flying programs. It looked for a moment that a storm would rage up in the heart of the city.

It did not. Rather, there was a boom and a flash, and an Asgardian appeared at the back of the chair arrangements.

Thor looked around at the flustered wedding guests in confusion. "Ah, my apologies. I feared I was late." The guests watched in a mix of terror and awe as the regal man walked the length of the aisle, his charcoal colored ceremonial robes draping around him. Steve Rodgers and Jane Foster were waving him down so that he could see where he was to take a seat.

Before moving down towards the right side, Thor was met by Tony. "Good of you to come, big guy," Stark said with a smile, extending his hand for a firm shake. Thor nodded and took it.

"Good of you to invite me, and Jane as well," he replied.

"Well, we're all one big S.H.I.E.L.D. family anyhow," Tony said with a laugh. He stepped back and returned to his place near the alter.

As Thor filed in, he was thankful that they were in the front row. His broad body may not have fit through any of the other aisles. He was also supplied with a little extra space on either side of him, so he did not smack his shoulder with the Captain's. Jane disregarded the extra space and slid her chair as close as she could, looking up at him with a smile.

The actual wedding ceremony was lovely, and went on with no even so much as a stumble.

Pepper looked beautiful in her sheath dress and up-do, as did Natasha in her matching, teal dress. Tony said his well refined vows from what could have been his first (and possibly last) sober, serious speech. There was no joking, no sarcasm, no alcohol influence as his poured his soul into his vows to Pepper in front of every guest and photographer, and gave her one final surprise.

"Pepper Potts, you have saved my life on so many occasions. I would not be standing here, I would not be in this world today, if not for you," he said to her before turning to Bruce. He took one moment to start to unbutton his shirt, which confused the bride to no end, and took a box from his best man. At first, she believed it to be a joke, and she felt a bit of fury rise up inside of her. The box was certainly not a ring box. She took the box and opened it as he exposed his chest to her.

She started crying almost instantly.

"You are my world Pepper, and you truly hold my heart in your hands."

Tony showed his bride the bandages wrapped around his chest from the surgery performed almost a month prior, when Pepper had been in Paris wedding dress shopping. In the box was the arc reactor that he had used to power his Iron Man suits.

After letting it sink in for a moment, Tony took the box back and switched it out for her wedding band. "Pepper, do you take me to be your husband?"

With tears still streaming down her face, the red head woman nodded and smiled, "I d-do.". He placed the ring on her finger, quite happily. The priest picked up with the rest of the ceremony, since Pepper could hardly get a word out without it catching in her throat. Tony said his own 'I Do,' and they had their first kiss as husband and wife, while the guests all happily clasped.

It was only his fellow Avengers who understood the meaning of the gift that Tony gave her.

000

Author's Notes (2): I want to thank everyone who sent me such kind words from Libertas. It was really your dedication and loyalty that caused me to dream up this sequel. As before, while I have an over arching plot, chapters are not exactly planned before I write them. I do not necessarily know what the next chapter will hold before it is on paper. Additionally, while I do skim through before posting, there is only one version of each chapter—which is both the first and final cut. Please forgive any spelling and/or grammatical errors. If spell check does not catch it, then I may miss it as well.

Please let me know what you think! Your opinion is very important to me!

A.F