Broodmare

Note: There is literally no easy way to bring Tony up to speed. And I don’t know how to write properly. So I’m going to do wide sweeping strokes of the conversation.

Take note of the chapter title.

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This is not fine.

“My mom… he killed me mom…”

“Stane.. You have to tell them it was Obadiah …”

“They know Mr. Stark. When you’re friend tried to honor your will…”

“Rhodey… Not my Rhodes…”

“He went after him and his companion Virginia…”

“Noooooooooooo.”

“But they smart and cunning. Using the blueprints that you entrusted him with… he was able to out maneuver Mr. Stane. Unfortunately, Stane did not survive.”

“He killed my parents Winter… he sold me out… he killed my parents..”

“He. Killed. My. Mother.”

This is not fine.

“Tony… you are having a panic attack.”

“He killed my mother…”

“He killed my mother…”

“He killed my mother…”

This is not fine.

“Do something… he’s…”

“Is that a sedative… please tell me that’s a sedative. I need a sedative…”

As the needle sunk into his neck he grabbed feebly at Winters shoulder.

“He killed my… mother…”

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Winter carried him back to their bedroom and situated him on the bed again the angular pillow and pulled the blanket up to his chest.

He turned to T’Challa after closing the door as quietly as he could and demanded. “Is he dead?”

“Yes.”

“No, is he really dead?”

T’Challa looked at him with great confusion.

“Look, I don’t know who I am. But from what we’ve been able to gleen from the shards of memory that occasionally surface… I should be dead. Very dead. I need your word. On your Honor. On your KINGDOM; that this Obadiah Stane is dead. That someone saw him cremated, and sealed his ashes in an impenetrable vault 100 metres under the sea.”

“He is dead. James Rhodes and Virginia Potts saw to what little was left of him being cremated and buried under a tree they planted in the memory Maria and Tony Stark.”

Winter deflated at his words. “Good. Good.” He rolled his shoulder and shook his head. “Kinda wish I could kill him again, but I’ll accept this.”

T’Challa was paying attention, but his mind could not let go of his ‘I should be very dead’ proclamation.

Winter looked conflicted, as though he wished to stay with Tony, but also wanted to go the pups. T’Challa knew that he couldn’t comprehend that sort of yearning. Not yet, as he had yet to sire an heir. The pull was strong though; that much he knew.

“May I make a suggestion?”

“Sure.”

“Let me sit with Tony so that you can go and corral the pups. I’ll make sure he doesn’t fall off his pillow and pull up the relevant information that he is undoubtedly going to want to see when he awakens.”

Winter nodded. “Yeah, he hates not having all the details.”

“I have but one request. Amadeus. I would like to speak to him. He is worried about his mother and I wish to show him just how safe she truly is.”

Though internally conflicted Winter nodded. “He’ll be up in a second.” He hesitated. “Be gentle with them.” He whispered softly. “It's been awhile since they've had hope. I can't… I can't let them down, not now.”

T'challa nodded. “They both are in need of good news. I hope to give them as much as I can.”

Satisfied, Winter departed. Soon Shuri and Amadeus were coming up the stairs talking intently.

“Ah… you wanted to see me?” Amadeus asked softly.

“Yes, but first,” he turned to Shuri. “Would you mind bringing the laptops and tablets from my office. I believe your knowledge will come in handy.”

Shuri quirked an eyebrow but said nothing. “Of course. It should only take a second or two.”

“Thank you, sister.” As she left he turned to Amadeus. “Come, we have much to discuss.” He gestured towards the door and followed behind him.

Amadeus came up short when he saw Tony. “What happen-- Is he okay?”

“Sssh. He is merely sleeping.” He put his hand on his shoulder to keep him from going to the bed.

“Let. Go.” He seethed, a familiar baritone deepening his voice.

“There is no need to get angry, young Banner. He truly is sleeping.”

Amadeus turned to him, his eyes flashing green. “What happened?” He demanded.

T’Challa sighed, taking a seat at the table. “I had the misfortune of having to be the one to inform him of his mother’s passing.”

“Oh…” he gulped, pulling arm away from T’Challa to walk around the bed and adjust the Tony’s comforter and pillow. He crawled over to him and kissed his forehead.

“Sorry about that.” He said once he returned to the table.

“I’m quite impressed.”

“That I lost my temper?”

“That you were able to suppress the transformation so easily.”

Amadeus shrugged. “It’s the gauntlets.” He raised his wrists to show off the gleaming silver wristlets.

T’Challa choked on a gasp. “Which you still have? How can that be? You should have grown out of them.” He exclaimed softly as he reached out to examine the gauntlets.

Amadeus lit up like a christmas tree. “It’s all Tony. We had to work in secret, but he didn’t want any accidents. So he’d fiddle with it while I slept. Wasn’t ideal, but it worked!”

“Interesting.”

Shuri opened the door and brought in everything requested. “Thank you sister. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind…”

“As though you truly believed I would leave?” She queried softly as she took the seat on the other side of Amadeus.

“Amadeus. We are not here to alarm you. We merely want to prove to you that your mother is in no danger.” Amadeus tensed up at the mention of his mother.

“Please, Amadeus. Let us show you the proof.”

“Okay.. but..you have to con--” His voice trailed off as Shuri opened a laptop and pressed play. There, in living color, were his parents in a lab side by side. “This-- This only proves that you are spying on them.” He said softly, but his eyes remained glued to the screen. He hadn’t seen his parents in almost six years. Seeing them alive and together was more than he ever hoped for.

“Do you see the patches on their sleeves?” Shuri pointed to the their lab coats on the screen. He squinted but he knew that patch. An eagle on a shield with an eagle and the letters S.H.I.E.L.D across the bottom.

“That… that just means that the Ross caught em…” he whispered shakily.

Shuri squeezed his arm and got his attention. “Ross is no longer a threat. S.H.I.E.L.D. discovered that he was behind everything that happened and more. He was relieved of his duties and of his freedom about a year after you went missing.

Amadeus put his face in his hands and let out a small sob. “They’re safe?” He whimpered pitifully.

“More than safe.” T’Challa pushed his laptop in front of him and pressed play.

Amadeus gasped when he saw Hulk; big and green as ever fighting in the streets somewhere… but he wasn’t fighting alone. There was a man in red, white, and blue slinging a shield beside him. A women in a black body suit was body slamming a bad guy against a mangled car nearby.

On the other laptop screen was something straight out of a movie. A man in black and purple jumped off a building as it collapsed and the Hulk caught him mid air and set him down with ease. The blond man patted Hulk’s shoulder before jogging away. Then there was a huge man with long blonde hair, wearing a cape, holding a hammer in his hand and fighting side by side by the Hulk. He looked back at the first laptop and saw his mother approaching the Hulk… and he let out a strangled sound. Hulk knelt down on one knee and his mother got on her tippy toes to kiss his cheek.

“Who… who are they?” He asked, his voice trembling.

“They… they are the Avengers.”

Amadeus made a high pitched keening noise slapping his hands over his mouth.

“An Avenger…” He whimpered. “They made Hulk… they made my dad an Avenger?”

“Yes.” T’Challa answered softly, as he rubbed the younger boys back.

Movement across the room caught his attention and he looked up to see Tony rubbing his eyes and looking around the room.

“Deus? Something wrong?” He asked softly.

“No, Sukbu. Nothing is wrong. Look!! Look!! My dad is an AVENGER!” He grabbed one of the tablets, flew across the room, and bounced on the bed till he was in front of Tony and shoved the tablet forward. “Look Sukbu. That’s my dad! The giant green one! He’s an AVENGER! He’s not a criminal anymore! He’s a HERO!”

Tony was looking at the tablet intently. “I see you get your temper from your dad’s side of the family.”

Amadeus laugh, put the tablet off to the side and flung his arms around Tony’s neck. “My parent’s are safe. He’s safe! My dad’s safe! My mom’s safe!He’s a hero, Sukbu! He’s an Avenger!”

Tony’s smile faltered, T’Challa wanted to go to do… something. But Tony shook his head and squeezed Amadeus’ tight. He kissed his shoulder and patted his back.

“That’s good, Deus. I’m glad that they are okay. Can I see them? I want to see him in action.”

Amadeus pulled away and lunged for the tablet. “I can’t wait for you too see, Sukbu.” He said, as he wiped his eyes. “I can’t wait for you to meet them.” He chattered as he settled himself in between Tony’s legs and leaned against chest.

T’Challa looked at Shuri and then again at the duo on the bed and he had to remind himself that Amadeus was 12. A very mature twelve, but Panther God’s, the boy was still twelve and parents were his sun and moon. To see him wiggling against Tony as he pointed out the Hulk in every frame reminded him of this.

“Who are the rest of these people?” Tony asked suddenly.

“The Avengers.”

Tony’s eyes went wide and his face went white. “The…” he cleared his throat. “The Avengers?”

T’Challa nodded and Tony sat up a little straighter. “Is there… can I?”

T’Challa knew what he meant and nodded. He walked over to the bed and waved his hand at the foot of the bed for a holographic display the size of a big screen television appeared. Both Tony and Amadeus jumped back a little.

“Coooool.” Amadeus whispered.

“Fascinating…” T’Challa could see the engineer in him shining through. There was felt a flutter in his stomach and he couldn’t help but swell with pride.

He cleared his throat and Shuri pressed a button on the tablet on the table.

“The Avengers…”

Amadeus gasped and covered his ears.

“Deus? What’s wrong?”

“I can’t know before them. It would be a secret. Family doesn’t keep secrets.” He turned to Tony. “Family doesn’t keep secrets.”

Tony smiled, touched beyond words, and pulled Amadeus into a hug from behind. “You’re right, they don’t. Do you want to go back downstairs?”

“Can I take a picture of my parents?” He asked expectantly, eyes alight with tears of joy.

Tony turned to T’Challa. “Do you have a..” Shuri interrupted him by placing a color 8x10 picture of his parents in the lab in his lap. Amadeus inhaled sharply.

The picture made it more real somehow. A simple picture of his parents working in a lab shoulder to shoulder completely oblivious to the picture being taken… it made it so much more real.

Tony leaned over his shoulder and pointed to something on the desk in the picture. In fact, there were several of them. Pictures, pictures of Amadeus throughout his young life.

“They didn’t forget me..” he whispered softly.

Tony wrapped his arms around his waist and squeezed him tight. “Amadeus Banner-Cho, you are not someone so easily forgotten. You’ve got to be at least the eighth smartest person in the world. But your parents, there is no way they could have forgotten you. Not in a million years.” He whispered behind his ear, placing a small kiss on his shoulder.

Amadeus spun around and hugged Tony again, squeezing him with all of his might. “Thank you, Sukbu. Thank you. Thank you.” He cried softly. Afterall, it was Tony that had help him hold onto the hope that his parents wouldn’t let him down.

Tony squeezed back before pulling away. “No go, go show the pups, I know you’re excited and they’ll be excited for you.”

“Yes, yes, this is totally awesome.” He rolled off the bed, walked over to T’Challa and hugged him. “Thank you, Sir. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” T’Challa smiled, returning the hug. Then he walked over to Shuri and hugged her as well. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” He whispered ardently.

“It was a pleasure to see your fears put to rest.” She whispered softly as she ruffled his hair.

Soon he disappeared out the door with a wave and giant smile. It did them all good to see his smile so bright and hopeful.

T’Challa turned back to Tony and let out of heavy sigh of relief. Tony for his part had his eyes closed and was leaning his head against the ornate headrest of the bed frame.

“I am so--”

“No, no… it’s fine. He was excited. He deserves to be excited. I’ll have my time to come to grips with everything. It.. it’s too fresh right now.. I need.” his voice cracked. “I need information. I need to know as much about these people as I can. I mean… I… I…” his voice trailed off as it quivered. “They are the Alpha’s to my pups. I want to know if they are good people. I just want to know… I just need to--” He put his head in his hands and dissolved into tears.

Shuri walked over to the bed, sat on the edge, and set a box of soft tissues in his lap.

“You needn’t take my word for it, but the Avengers are good people.” She let out a little huff of a laugh and added. “They are by no means perfect; but they are good people.”

“And they won’t take your pups from you.” T’Challa added softly. “As far as I am concerned your pups were born inside border of Wakanda. That makes them Wakandan by birth, which also makes you Wakandan by extension.”

Shuri cleared her throat as she rubbed Tony’s leg soothingly. T’Challa waved a hand in the dismissively. “I am king. My word is law.”

She merely rolled her eyes. “Do not worry, Mr. Stark. The Avengers are nothing compared to the might of the Black Panther and his Dora Milaje.”

T’Challa smirked as he turned away to gather the tablets with the Avengers profiles.

Tony took each one gingerly, fingers caressing the edge. It was a small glimpse of the engineer inside peaking it’s world weary head out in curiosity. But T’Challa did not mention it, as he didn’t want to Tony to curb his curiosity. After so long away from inventing things and designing new technology, it was good to see that that part of him hadn’t been entirely extinguished.

For what seemed like hours Tony poured over the profiles. Asking questions and peppering the siblings for little nuggets of personal information that wouldn’t be included in sterile professional biographies.

“Does she like kids?”

“Is he tall?”

“Is he smart?”

“Have you ever seen them around kids?”

“A bow and arrow? Seriously? Does he know that they are from the paleolithic era?”

“Never misses a shot, huh?”

“Do people call him Patch?”

“Is she as severe as she looks?”

“Ballerina… huh? Would explain his balance and grace.”

But he saved the one he wanted to read the most for last.

He looked at the tablet with great affection, caressing its edge as his eyes filled with tears.

“Rhodey…” he sniffled softly. “I.. I don’t want to know anything about business. He can tell me himself. I just want to know if he’s still a good man.” His chin trembled slightly.

T’Challa squeezed his knee reassuringly. “You will not be disappointed.”

Tony wiped his eyes and picked up the last tablet. His eyes watered and his chin trembled as he read the biography. Occasionally he would nod, smirk, or mutter to himself ‘Of course’ or ‘you son of a bitch’. But at a certain point he shook his head and turn the screen off. (Which was impressive to T’Challa as no one had told him how to do it.)

He nodded his head and pushed it away.

“Is there anything else you want to know?”

Tony shook his head and then nodded. “I do… I don’t know… not yet….” he stifled a pitiful laugh.

T’Challa smiled at that. “As you get them do not hesitate to ask. I have come to know the Avengers pretty well in the last couple of years. I do not claim to know everything about them, but I do know a thing or two about each of them.”

Tony swallowed hard and nodded. “Thanks,” he said in a small impish whisper.

T’Challa took a deep breath and asked. “Do you want me to make the call?”

The call.

His blood ran cold.

The call.

His face went grey and his jaw went slack.

The call.

It would change everything

The little bubble that had surrounded his family for so long would be popped. And as horrible as it sounded; he dreaded having to share his pups with other people. Yes, it was egotistical. Yes, it was bound to happen. Yes, it was selfish. But, for so long it was all he had. They were his touchstone, his lighthouse, his safety net.

When the entire world had gone mad and the pain was almost too much, they had been his anchor to the real world. And now… there would be other people and they would have other stories and … and…

There was a knock at the door and Winter poked his head through. “Hey, Ton-- What’s wrong?” He could hear his familiar soothing voice off in the distance as though it were a faint echo. “What happened? What the hell did you do to him!?”

The call.

Suddenly the voices were getting louder, there were hands on his arms pulling him up and then the hands trailed their way up to either side of his face. The palms of the hands cradled his face and the voice; that familiar comforting voice was closer now.

“Tony. Tony. Hey, Listen. Tony… Tony.” The voice was desperate. “What the hell did you say to him? So help me god…”

Winter… Winter… Winter would help him. Winter always helped. He would help until he found out who he really was. No, no, no, no. Don’t think about that. Winter would help him.

“Yes.” He heard himself say the word, but what he really wanted to scream was ‘NOOO! Just let us be. Let me and my family breath for five minutes. For the love of god, just let us be FREE!’

But he knew that that was selfish. It would hurt more the longer they waited. If he started having T’Challa put off making the call now, he knew he’d find a reason to keep putting it off. The longer the eventual was put off, the more T’Challa would look like he was betraying his fellow Avengers. He couldn’t do that. Amadeus needed to be with his parents. He needed to see Rhodey in person. He needed to be able to wrap his arms around his best friend hold him.

And the pups, they deserved to know their Alpha’s. Even if they wanted nothing to do with them; which would hurt him in ways he could not fathom. They need to at the very least know who their technical Alpha is. Yensen, and by extension, Winter were the only proper Alphas they’d ever known. Winter was a good Alpha. If he didn’t mind their patch work family, maybe he would stay… who was he kidding…

“Make the call..” he whispered over the racing thoughts. He opened his eyes and saw that Winter was holding him close, eyes looking at him with an intensity that was both familiar and calming at the same time.

With a slow breath he turned his face to rest against Winter’s chest and looked over at T’Challa; whose forehead was creased with concern. “How long? H-how long do I… we have before they are here… I want… I … we need time together, to prepare ourselves… I--”

“Twenty-four hours. I will tell them that it’s not urgent. I will inform the air traffic controller that the Avengers Quinjet is not allowed in our air space until 11 am if that is amenable.”

Weakly he nodded as he felt Winter pulling him up and setting him on his shaky legs. But he didn’t let go, Winter; like he had always been, was his rock and his safety net.

Twenty-four hours. He had 24 hours to prepare himself and his pups for the biggest and quite possibly most tumultuous moment in their entire short lives.

“Winter… help me please…” there was so much that could be read into that small plea. “My pups…” my heart, my mind, my sanity, my family. All things he had no right to ask of him. He was a free man now. He could do so much better than a broken Omega with a questionable future.

“I’ve got you.” I’ll get you for as long as you’ll let me. But he was free now, and there was a party of Alpha’s about to descend upon them. He was no one. A man with no name, no past, no future. What possibly could he offer to a beautiful intelligent Omega like Tony.

T’Challa hated himself for doing it. He hated himself for pressing the matter. He hated himself for not being able to be the one that calmed him down and centered him. He would do anything in the world to take it all back, but he knew that time was of the essence. As loyal as his people were, word would eventually get out that a white man with a mixed race family had found safe harbor in Wakanda; the most separatist country in the entire world. He hated everything about the situation… everything but the people it brought to them.

He watched, feeling a pang of jealousy as Winter led Tony out of the room. They only stopped for Shuri to offer Tony a cane.

The door clicked shut and T’Challa let his tense shoulders fall sharply. He didn’t fight his sisters embrace, but instead held on dearly.

“When this is over,” he vowed. “We will end anyone that attempts to harm them.”

“Agreed.” Shuri responded giving him one last squeeze before letting him go. “Go, make your call. Lunch is going to be served soon. The sooner the call is over the sooner you get to see their reaction to Supreme Pizza and spaghetti with some garlic bread. The doctors have cleared them for more than just softer blander foods. We’ve decided to give them a western treat. And you needn’t worry, everything is organic and fresh.”

T’Challa smiled chuckled. “Go sister. I need to make this call before I lose my nerve.”

Shuri chuckled too and cuffed his shoulder playfully. “You worry over much, brother. It will be okay. Just you wait and see.” She kissed his cheek and left the room.

The room was empty and T’Challa found himself looking out the window out into the distance and telling him. “No, this is definitely not okay.”