Facing your own legacy

Something old, something new (Unedited)

Thank you to ChinaLadieBug (Spidey) for inspiring this entire chapter!

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Thor threw a scroll down then tripped on another. He had just about had it with all of this. He had been in Asgard for days and still he felt as though he had discovered nothing new. Thor really did feel like he was about to throw a tantrum. Throw a few things around and maybe just take a break and cool off, but then he stopped. What would that truly accomplish now?

Thor oddly found himself considering what Loki would do. Thor sat up a bit straiter. It wasn't a bad approach. Loki would have most likely viewed it from an angle no one else would see at first, something maybe the everyday person wouldn't understand or miss at first glance. Thor had been going over different relics made by people, but, what if it was both a relic and a being. It was a new approach, made sense. Immortal's seemed to acquire great pleasure in tampering with mortal affairs. In fact, this narrowed the search down immensely. All Thor had to do now was pin-point the exact relic that seemed to match the energy signature based on ability. Thor wanted to thank Loki, then remembered that he couldn't.

Thor shook himself and got back to work.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"We tell Thor everything we know about that damned thing and then, Poof! He's gone! Funny, Thor really doesn't seem like the type," Tony complained to Bruce and Pepper simultaneously.

"I'm sure Thor is trying to help, maybe it sounded familiar to something he learned about on Asgard," Bruce suggested.

"Then wouldn't he be back by now?" Tony countered. Bruce didn't say anything at first. He trusted Thor, actually he trusted all the Avenger's and trust wasn't something he was regularly accustomed to. He knew Tony felt the same way although he would never admit it. Bruce theorized that Tony was almost trying to push the blame off of himself with the hiding the whole thing in the first place. Almost like a child.

Bruce thought's were interrupted by a sharp, though quiet, intake of breath from behind him. Bruce turned around to see Pepper a bit scrunched up. Tony didn't seem to notice.

"Pepper, are you alright?" Bruce asked concerned. Pepper nodded.

"I think it's just Braxton hicks. I'm fine, really. I thinks it's just the baby's way of saying it's getting ready," she mused as she ran her hand slowly over her abdomen. Bruce studied Pepper for a minute.

"How long and how often?" He asked.

"What?" Pepper asked back. It was then that Tony started to pay attention. His scotch glass froze half way to his lips.

"The pains," Bruce clarified, "how long do they last and how often do they come?"

"Um," Pepper mumbled as she had to think for a moment, "it's kind of random how long they last, but they've been going on and off for maybe the last hour or so," she answered finally. Neither of the Stark's missed Bruce beginning to wring his hands nervously.

"How many contractions have you had in said hour?" Tony nearly choked. Contractions? Yikes, did Bruce think this was the real deal?

"Maybe...seven?" Bruce subtly gulped. He knew what was about to ensue.

"Um, Pepper, more than, uh, five contractions in an hour is a tell-tail sign of labour," Bruce said calmly as possible to try and lessen the blow, but with no avail. Pepper gasped and he hands went right to her stomach, Tony spewed his scotch and dropped the glass.