Fragments of the Past: A Marvel Story

005

Tony hadn't slept in days. To be fair, he was looking for his kids, but also... he'd been up for 4 days, he needed to sleep. His husband, Loki was getting worried now. He was having to force him to eat. 

But Tony was stuck thinking about his 2 twins, who must be so alone in the world.

Loki had never seen Tony like this before. He had always known that Tony would be a dedicated father, but this was beyond anything he had ever seen. Tony had been going nonstop since the day he found out about the twins. He had searched every inch of the city, put out flyers, and even hired a private investigator. But so far, he had come up empty-handed.

Loki was worried that Tony was going to make himself sick. He had to do something to get him to take care of himself. "Anthony, love..." he said gently, "I think you need to take a break. You've been up for days. You need to sleep, eat, and take care of yourself."

Tony shook his head stubbornly. "I can't, Loks. I can't rest until I find the kids. They're out there somewhere, and they need me."

"I understand that, Anthony," Loki said calmly. "But you're not doing them any good if you make yourself sick."

Tony let out a long sigh, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle in his bones. He knew that Loki was right, but he couldn't shake off the guilt that consumed him. He had failed his children, and he couldn't forgive himself until he found them.

Loki sensed his husband's despair, and he knew that he needed to do something to help him. He took Tony's hand in his own, and looked deeply into his eyes. "I know that you're doing everything you can, my love. But you can't do it alone. You need to let me help you."

Tony looked at him skeptically, unsure if he could trust anyone else with this monumental task. But he knew that he couldn't keep going like this. "What can you do, Loks?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Loki's lips curved into a small, reassuring smile. "I can be here for you. I can listen to you, hold you. I'll always be here for you, my love."Loki wrapped his arms around Tony, holding him close. 

"We'll find them, love," he whispered. "But you need to take care of yourself in the meantime. You won't be any good to them if you're sick or exhausted."

Tony nodded, his eyes closing as his body finally gave in to the exhaustion. Loki guided him to the couch and tucked a blanket around him before sitting down beside him.

As Tony slept, Loki reached for his phone, determined to do whatever he could to help find the missing twins. He knew how important this was to Tony, and he would do whatever it took to bring them home.

"...Loki?" answered the annoyed voice of Clint Barton. Clint and Loki hadn't really.... gotten along, ever since Loki sorta, maybe, accidentally- got mind controlled and tried to take over the entire planet and possessed Clint to betray his family. 

Loki swallowed. "I know you don't like me, but you care about Anthony in some way, I'm sure. And... right now, I need your help to help him. I need you too talk to Director Fury... and look for the Stark twins."

Clint sighed, but Loki could hear the concern in his voice. "Alright, give me the details. I'll see what I can do."

Loki breathed a small sigh of relief, grateful for any help he could get. He knew that finding the twins would be a difficult task, but he was determined to help Tony in any way he could. As he set his phone down, he reached out and took Tony's hand in his own, silently promising him that they would find their children, no matter what it took.

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Steve Rodgers sat quietly next to his best friend, Bucky Barnes. "Shh, shh, Buck it's going to be okay, I promise." Bucky rocked on his heels. This was the 3rd flashback this week. They were getting worse and worse... and Bucky was getting more and more scared.

Steve and Bucky had been best friends ever since they were young boys. They grew up together, always by each other's side. They enlisted in the army together, fought side by side in the war, and survived together. They were inseparable until one day when Bucky disappeared.

Steve had searched high and low for his best friend, but it was as if he had vanished off the face of the earth. And then one day, after years of searching, Steve finally found Bucky; or rather, what was left of him. Bucky had been captured by Hydra, tortured, and brainwashed. He was no longer the Bucky that Steve knew and loved.

Since his rescue and recovery, Bucky had been plagued by flashbacks of his time as a prisoner. They were getting more frequent, more intense, and more terrifying. Steve watched as his friend suffered, unable to do anything to help. All he could do was hold his friend and promise him that everything would be okay.

But Steve knew that it wasn't okay. He knew that Bucky would never truly be okay again. He knew that his best friend was forever changed by the traumatic experiences he had endured. All he could do was be there for him, and promise to never leave his side.

As they sat together, Steve held Bucky close, feeling his friend's body tremble with fear. He whispered words of comfort into his friend's ear, trying to calm him down. And slowly, Bucky's breathing slowed, his body relaxed, and he fell into a deep sleep.

Steve continued to hold him, watching over his friend as he slept, wishing that there was something more he could do to help. But for now, all he could do was be there for him when he needed him most, like a true best friend should be.

Just then, his phone rang. Steve frowned and picked it up. "Hello? This is Captain Rodgers." "Hey Steve...." the voice sounded strained and pained. "Natasha? Is everything okay?" 

"No... Steve... it's not. H.Y.D.R.A's back. And the avengers are in charge of taking them out."