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If I Had You

Summary:

[ Indefinite Hiatus :( ]

Something was... off. Tony couldn’t say what it was but something didn’t seem right, besides all the Alien God, Magic, Voodoo, crater thing. “Run a full diagnostic” What's he looking for? He should be calling for backup, but something was odd and his curiosity got the better of him. "Compare his current magic readings with S.H.I.E.L.D.’s and ours.” Did he want to alert SHIELD of Loki’s reappearance? Why wouldn’t he? “Subtly, gotta check a few things before the Angry Pirate gets his hook on him”

“Very well, Sir. Mr. Loki seems to suffer severe hemorrhaging, and some of his organs are on the verge of shutting down. He has 3 fractured ribs, and one collapsed lung, his left shoulder is dislocated and he has multiple fractures along the arm. His rectum is severely wounded, and some of the muscles are ripped and bleeding. He has also suffered a concussion that has him on the verge of unconsciousness.” Said J.

“Damn, did the Hulk play Bob the Builder and use him as the hammer? Why's his magic not healing him?" Asked Tony.

“The test you issued, Sir, indicates his magical readings are significantly lower by 88%. If treatment is not administered with the utmost urgency, he will die”

Notes:

AN: Ooooook this is my first fanfic ever. This is odd, yet in a good way. Please excuse me if it's weird, I've never written before and also please don't kill me for that beginning, it's important for the story. *hides*

Also the song for the first part(Loki's) of this chapter is Blinding by Florence and the Machine.

Chapter 1: Pathetic

Notes:

Yay first Chapter!

Here’s a discord server if anyone’s is interested in talking about this fanfic or contacting me X3
https://discord.gg/zwKsXWV

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Pathetic. That is was all of this truly was. Nothing they did could possibly work. No matter how determined or stubborn they were to act, they cannot break something that has already been broken beyond repair. They could cause more nightmares, more pain, more trauma... Yet what would truly be the point, if all those things already existed within him? Nothing, nothing but supposed 'justice', as they liked to called it. Justice for crimes half of which he committed to protect the wretched realm he once called 'home' . Half not of his own choosing. Deeds he was forcibly made to do to protect them.

But what did it matter? Even if he were to ever admit any of it, no one would listen. No one could see that it was not in his nature to perform in such manner. It was beyond their comprehension what was in or out of character for the trickster god. No one knew him, not even himself. That was what hurt most. “…Sentimentality” he muttered to himself. Well, it would seem they might have succeeded, even if just a little, if he was feeling such things as hurt.

The whip came down again on his bloodied back and he struggled to hold back a whimper. He refused to submit to such pointless acts. He would not give them the satisfaction of seeing him break, even if he was already broken inside. Broken beyond repair certainly, he thought. He had truly become what they all claimed him to be. The God of Chaos, of Lies, of Fire and Destruction. A true Monster.

He laughed, the sound cut short as another whip came down on his back, if he could even call it that anymore. There was not much left of it. The burning pain turned his laugh into a harsh gasp he was unable to hide. Darn, he thought.

He could not see it, but he could sense the hungry grin his abuser was giving him. He hated to admit it, but he felt a small amount of fear for the punishments this particular guardsman made him go through. They were pointless, but still, he feared them. Most of the time he would fog his mind with the help of a bit of magic. That way he would not have to remember what had transpired. But some guards, like this one, had somehow figured out his little trick. Knowing this they managed to get their filthy disgusting hands on a some medical potions. Normally they were used to clear the mind of magical attacks. But the guards used them to ensure he was alert whenever they played with him.

This one in particular, along with a few wretched companions of his, would like to have just a tad more fun with him than what was 'necessary'. They loved to see him suffer, whimper and beg. Most of the time he managed to not plead in words, as he refused to submit to them. But at times they dragged them out of him. Oh, how they relished the moments.

“Oh?... did I just hear our little plaything beg for a little more? Hm?” He felt the guard get closer and place a hand on his shoulder, making him hiss in pain. “Fret not my pretty thing, our companions are not here today, but I will have a bit of fun with you in their place…” He could feel the predatory grin and hungry eyes as they traveled down his body.

“No… plea…” Loki quickly bit his tongue, but knew the other had already heard him... he cursed his bleeding tongue for its betrayal. He had not meant to answer but fear was slowly rooting within him. He tried and tried, again and again, to remind himself that he could not be broken further. But as the other neared him, dread sunk to the bottom of his stomach.

“Yes.. Beg little princess, beg until you cannot beg any more. Until your throat is hoarse and maybe, just maybe, I’ll let you enjoy it a little... I’ll let you enjoy pain like you have never felt it before…”


“DUMMY, I SWEAR I WILL DONATE YOU TO A STATE COLLEGE OR SIMPLY SELL YOU FOR SCRAP METAL IF YOU SPRAY ME ONE MORE FREAKING TIME WITH THE DAMN FIRE-EXTINGUISHER!!” threatened the engineer to his poor invention. He'd been trying to test his new bracelets. They allowed the armor to, not only fly to him when needed, but also had small repulsors that would not burn out after one use. The first few tests made his clothes catch fire and left a nasty burn on his left forearm.

He’d been cursing all night. He knew better than to try to work after fighting with Pepper. It always led to bodily harm and that would only make her angrier. Why should he care tho'? He'd been banned from drinking by her and his AI (traitor) after he had passed out on the fountain in front of his house. He'd been wearing only the upper part of the suit and boxers on his lower half. At least he hadn’t been stark naked, ha. But they'd insisted that it was wrong and that he needed to stop. Which only led to him try to drink more which led to other accidents and his current ban from anything alcohol. Oh and the little detail of his already unstable relationship with Pepper dissolving back into nothing more than a boss-employee one.

He should probably feel shitty and angry about that but everything had been going downhill since the “Manhattan incident” as everyone liked to call it. Just say alien attack people! Anyway, nothing had really changed but everything felt so different.

He couldn’t really understand it well but after seeing what he saw beyond that portal... After being in space, probably billions of light years away, he just couldn't see everything around him as before. The sight had been terrifying and it still sent a strong chill down his spine. It had been the fuel to so many of his nightmares.

He’d been called a genius (except by his father) all his life and everyone (except his father) had insisted that the things he created were the most advanced technology the universe had ever seen! And he had been so sure that it was true... Until now...

After the incident though, everything he had known all his life had been thrown back at his face. Aliens, Gods, Alien Gods, it had all been too much for him. It had all seemed so advanced and beyond his reach. But somewhere deep down, buried under all the fear and dread, his scientific side, the engineer, and inventor in him had been marveled by the sight. He wanted to learn more about it. He wanted to understand their machines. He wanted to reverse engineer it all 'till nothing but scraps were left in his hands. And of course, he would then analyze the scraps as well. He had also been intrigued by Loki himself, though he hated that particular fact.

He had been so different. He was not like his brother, which of course could be easily explained by him being adopted, from another completely different realm and species and all. But that was not it, he had been different from most people, or beings he now knew. He was cunning, he was merciless and highly intellectual. He had fooled them all. He singlehandedly outsmarted an entire intelligence organization (which wasn’t so hard since he had done it a million times) but that was just it! He didn’t know anyone else who could do it besides himself. The guy (or god, maybe demi-god?) was seriously smart.

Tony hardly ever entitled anyone besides himself as a genius, only Banner and a few others like that elastic guy. But he was willing to give the damn guy the title. Even if it made him angry to be cataloged anywhere with him in the list. The guy’s head was a bag full of cats. Smart cats, but still vicious, melodramatic, diva cats.

“Sir, it seems our satellites have picked up a disturbance in the atmosphere with a 28% similarity to most of Mr. Odinson’s recorded travels between realms. It's highly unstable, mostly similar, with a 72%, to his first recorded visit back in New Mexico.” Said Tony's ever vigilant AI, J.A.R.V.I.S.

His first visit? When he was banned and turned mortal? Well, that’s odd... Too odd... Ok not really, maybe Thor just slipped on the rainbow bridge and faceplanted somewhere, he was probably just being slightly paranoid but still... “Where J.A.R.V.I.S.?” Inquired the engineer.

“Nevada’s desert, Sir.” Responded the AI. Damn, it was a bit of a flight from Malibu... oh well, he’d gone further just for fun. Tony got off the stool and rubbed his sore arm as he walked over towards his suits.

“Prepare my suit J.A.R.V.I.S., I’m kinda bored here and suddenly feel like going to Vegas.” Said the avenger with a grin, arms akimbo.

“Yes, Sir. Spur of the moment, I'm sure. Most definitely not just concern or simple paranoia.” Sarcastically said Tony's faithful partner. The human grinned at one of the cameras on the wall. He couldn’t remember why he had decided to program his AI to have almost the same level of sarcasm as his own, probably to entertain himself, but sometimes he wished he hadn’t. Mostly when its wits were directed towards his creator. 


It took a lot less time to get to the dessert than it normally would have. Having his own personal flight system had its benefits after all, even if it came with the burden of having to be a superhero. He slowed down the last few miles so he could simply enjoy the ride. He'd always enjoyed flying. He felt so free, even if he was caged inside the suit. It gave him the sensation that he could go anywhere and do anything he liked. Sure, he knew that it wasn’t all that easy, but it still felt good.

Tony was almost disappointed when his HUD displayed that he had arrived and should stop if he didn’t want to just fly over it. He considered doubling back, just for kicks, but his disappointment only lasted a second as he caught sight of the place where the Bifrost’s landing spot should be and only found a giant crater. Not good. Not good at all. This was not a landing site. It was a crash site and crashes never meant anything good. Turning the speakers on his suit off, he instructed his AI in a low voice “J.A.R.V.IS… have the Avenger’s emergency call ready in case something happens...” 

“Already set, Sir. I'm picking up a faint heat signature from inside the crater. It seems like someone’s inside, Sir.” Commented J.A.V.I.S. as Tony softly landed. As he approached, a small sound came from inside the crater. It sounded like a whimper. He hesitated just a little bit but nevertheless, he walked up to the crater and looked inside. There was certainly a body there but it wasn't the blond Alien. It was covered in blood and burn marks everywhere. Their skin was pale, milky white. They had black hair, matted with dirt and both dried and fresh blood.

Half their face was covered by the hair, so it took Tony a while to register who it was. But he was also distracted since he was admiring how, despite everything, the body was somehow still beautiful. It was sadly covered in dirt and blood and bent in weird places. But he seemed like a broken porcelain doll. It took him only a few moments. But then fear was rooted deep in his spine as he met their eyes, those deep green orbs (hadn’t they been blue before?) that lacked recognition of his surroundings. They were full of fear and desperation. Tony had never seen those emotions on them before, but it was unmistakable.

Yet those emotions only lasted mere moments. They developed into rage and hatred and he let out a high-pitched scream, releasing a massive wave of green energy. This knocked the Iron Man off his feet and sent him hurling a half a dozen feet away. “Whoa! What the hell?! J.A.R.V.I.S what happened?!” His HUD had gone crazy, everything was rebooting and his AI didn’t answer. Great. He should have taken a battle armor, not his speed one.

“J.A.R.V.I.S.? You there, buddy? I reeeally need you right now!” Nothing. His suit was running on manual. Just perfect. 

Notes:

Hope you enjoyed! please comment!

Chapter 2: Fear

Notes:

I'm going to try and post a chapter every two weeks, weekends. The first year of Uni = no life/no time.
Constructive criticism would be appreciated! ^.^/
Just please don't kill me, the hardships are necessary for the story. T-T
*Throws chapter and hides*

Edit: Urg, I just noticed that a few paragraphs at the beginning were missing, I just added them, sep 20, 2016... I recommend reading them.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Whoa! What the hell?! J.A.R.V.I.S what happened?!” His HUD had gone crazy, everything was rebooting and his AI didn’t answer. Great. He should've taken a battle armor, not his speed one. “J.A.R.V.I.S.? You there, buddy? I reeeally need you right now!” Nothing. His suit was running on manual. Just perfect.

He was offline, with no communications, next to a mass murderer full of magic and crazy. Just peachy. “Just another Sunday morning...” Said the engineer out loud. He got up and scanned for heat signatures, expecting Loki would have sneaked up on him. To his surprise, he was still lying in the center of that crater. Una thrall y cold but that was probably the whole other species thing. Talk about weird.

Carefully he approached the scene and with a little bit of hesitance, peeked into the hole and hid again. Sadly, way too fast to really see anything. “Ooook… One more time…” Once again he peeked in and saw that Loki had not moved an inch. The God was still lying on the ground, limbs facing awkward directions, probably broken, hair over his face, blood, and dirt everywhere. He couldn’t really see if he was breathing from where he stood.

“Well, you royally screwed up this time, Tony... Damn it, my communications are still down... fuck it.” A bit reluctantly, he stood up and went down into the hole, as carefully and silent as he could. Which, was not much considering he was in a giant metal suit with the cloaking still offline. 

“Sir, systems are back online, shall I call the Avengers for backup?”  Stated J.A.R.V.I.S. making Tony jump a bit since he hadn't been paying attention to his HUD... He should have just waited a few more seconds then. Oh well.

“Gimme a sec J.A.R.V.I.S. Not yet.” instructed the avenger. He wanted a closer look before doing anything.

Something was... off. He couldn’t really say what it was but something just didn’t seem right. Well aside from all the Alien God, Magic, Voodoo, crater thing. “Run a full diagnostic.” commanded the engineer.

“What am I looking for, Sir?” Asked the AI. What was he looking for? He should really be calling for back up by now, but something was strange and his curious side always got the better of him. Death had knocked at this cat's door far too many times.

“Damage, exterior and internal. Also, run a test to compare his current magic readings with S.H.I.E.L.D.’s and our own records.” Instructed the human. There was too much red and not enough green puff magic. 

"How would you have me to hack into S.H.I.E.L.D.’s databanks? Subtly or quickly?” Good question. Did he want to alert SHIELD of Loki’s reappearance? Why wouldn’t he?

“Make it subtly, still wanna check a few things myself before the Angry Pirate gets his hook on him.” said the inventor.

“Very well, Sir.” It amused him how much emotion his AI could imitate, he could have sworn he heard the programmed British voice bemused at its creator’s joke. After some moments of awkward standing, the AI answered.

“Sir, Mr. Loki seems to suffer severe hemorraging, some of his organs are on the verge of shutting down. He has 3 fractured ribs, one collapsed lung and his left shoulder is dislocated and has multiple fractures along the arm. His rectum is severely wounded, some of his muscles are ripped and bleeding. He has also suffered a concussion that has him on the verge of unconsciousness.” Finally stated the artificial intelligence

“Damn, did the Hulk play Bob the Builder and use him as the hammer again?... Why's his magic not healing him?” Loki always had a trick up his sleeve... so where was it?

“The test you issued comparing the magical readings S.H.I.E.L.D. and our own databanks gathered, and that of his current readings suggest he will not be able to, Sir. His magical abilities are significantly lower by 88%. If treatment is not administered with the utmost urgency, he will die.” morbidly stated Tony's AI.

“...Shit... Well, I can’t just... let him die… Call my jet and my medics, give them my coordinates but don’t tell them who the patient is. Make them swear to that doctor’s confidentiality shit. Oh, and Bruce, get him in on the jet as well. Actually, call him. Tell the meds and jet that I need them here with their equipment ASAP.” Ordered Tony. 

Shall I contact Ms. Potts as well?” Asked J.A.R.V.I.S.

“No, not yet, don’t need her worrying about this mess.” He had inconvenienced her far too much already. He would keep her out of this as long as he could. Not to mention she wouldn't agree to this. Tony couldn't tell who was more dangerous right now. Loki or Pepper. 

“Dr. Banner is on the line.” Said the AI displaying an image of Bruce at the top left of his HUD.

“Tony? What’s going on? Why am I being rushed to a jet??” Questioned his friend as a greeting.

“You have that doctor/patient confidentiality bullshit thing, right?” Asked Tony. The line was silent for a moment and he could feel the sweat going down his spine. He wasn't sure this would work if his bud didn't agree to help.

“I'm not really a doctor, Tony, I just have a doctorate, but yeah, I still do the 'doctor/patient confidentiality bullshit'… Now tell me what you did and what I have to fix before you break even more.” Ouch. His friend's lack of confidence in him actually stung. But valid.

“It’s not me this time, Bruce…” said the engineer, slightly offended, slightly guilty.

“Oh no… Tony, it’s always something bad when you use my name and not just some nickname…” Bruce knew him too well. Tony scratched the back of his neck, forgetting he still had the suit and helmet on.

“Well, you could say that… I need you to keep this a secret tho', from everyone, even the Avengers and especially from S.H.I.E.L.D.” asked for the engineer.

“Tony…” said Bruce. Oh no. Not that motherly tone again.

“No, you can’t tell anyone. Promise me Brucie, this is important and serious and you know when I say it, it’s probably double the important and serious cause I normally refuse to use those words together unless it’s in bed and a joke.” Silence, again. Come on Bruce, I need you… 

“Alright, alright, I promise…” finally said his wonderful science bro. He would owe him big time after this. Maybe he could get the Hulk an island he could play and wreck in freely. 

“Great! Now get here as soon as possible, he’s kinda dying.” quickly said the engineer, not very helpfully. He cringed at himself for saying it before he could think better of it. 

“Wait, what do you mean dying?! Who’s dyin-" Bruce rushed with questions but Tony could not deal with them at the moment. He cut the questions in half as he hung up the call. Silence reigned once again but was soon disturbed by Tony’s sigh. What was he doing? He didn’t know. Why was he doing it? That, he also didn’t know and did not want to think about. He opened his faceplate and crouched down next to the limp body that was slowly breathing.

“I hope you’re grateful pal, I should just let you die right here.” A small cough and a whimpering sound escaped the bloody mouth. “You conscious there reindeer games?” Asked Tony.

“...Yes mortal... now shut your mou-“ started to spout the big baddie but was cut by a coughing fit.

“Wow, slow down princess, you don’t wanna strain yourself any more than you already have.” Slowly he placed a hand on the shoulder that looked not-broken but immediately the body under him flinched away.

“Get away! Do not dare call me that and do not touch me!” Tony lifted his hand in a show of innocence and backed away slowly.

“Dude I won’t hurt you, calm down.” There was something really wrong. Those eyes, besides being a different color, which he could have sworn used to be blueish, they were full of fear. Fear he hadn’t seen back in his penthouse. Fear he hadn’t seen when they defeated the royal pain and sent him back to Asgard in chains. Fear like the type he saw in the mirror sometimes. Something happened in fairyland that rooted in a being that was so prideful, so powerful, so regal and honestly beautiful, fear in its rawest form.

He couldn’t understand why but he hated whatever made those eyes change. Loki had done horrible things, yes, had killed thousands, but even after all that, whatever they had done to him in Asgard, just seemed like too much. It seemed wrong and deep inside of him a sort of angry feeling grew. He wanted to beat the crap out of whoever had done what they did to Loki. Just on principle, not like he cared or anything. “Look, I need you to stay still, you’ll only hurt yourself more if you fight me.”

A small chuckle fell from the bloodied lips. “And pray tell, wh-why do you care, Stark?” He could recognize and remember Tony? Loki was obviously struggling, trying to not look as bad as he did, but he was failing miserably.

“Hey, Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist, Superhero. Those last two meaning I help people who need it.” Said the engineer in self-defense. He knew it really wasn't that, but since he couldn't pinpoint what it really was, he would roll with the hero gig.

“I d-do not want your help… Now allow me to rot at my own leisure...” More coughs full of blood fell from the god's mouth.

“You may not want it, but you sure as hell need it, honey.” Said the human, slightly annoyed at his attitude. Well, he had imagined this would come back to bite him, but he hadn’t expected it this soon and certainly not from the guy he was trying to help. Tony sighed.

“J.A.R.V.I.S. gimme ETA on the jet.” He needed Bruce, and alcohol, lots and lots of alcohol. 

“17 minutes with 45 seconds, Sir.” Stated the AIGreat. Enough time for a quickie but far too long for waiting with nothing to do but talk to someone who shouldn’t and doesn’t want to talk. A grunt caught his attention. Loki was trying to move again.

“Hey, I told you not to move!” Quickly Tony grabbed the wizard's not-broken shoulder to try to stop him from moving. Big mistake. Loki started to scream and thrash violently, sending green magic whips that pricked Tony’s armor softly. “Whoa! Stop! You’re making everything worst!” Tried to say the engineer but the god kept trashing and yelling.

“Stop touching me! Get away! I do not want this! I ca-cannot anymore! Stop! Plea-please…” and then it all stopped. He went limp, he would have seemed dead, except for the rough breathing and his giant terrified opened eyes.

“What the fuck? Loki? Ahh, hey, you there, Buddy?” Asked the mortal to no response. Loki was awake but his mind seemed to be somewhere completely different. His eyes, seeing something unseen, distant and dull. They had lost their splendor. Eyes that used to remind Tony of a predator, who hungrily looked at their prey knowing full well just how powerful and frightening they were; now looked like the eyes of the beaten prey, wating to be eaten. They looked resigned. Like all hope had been lost.

Was he thinking that Tony would do to him whatever they had done to him back in Viking land? The ragged breathing slowed down to a forced and utterly fake calm. It hurt, hurt to see someone he had once feared and respected, an alien, a God, turn into something so pitiful. This was just pathetic. He couldn’t stand it. Tony looked away and scoffed.  

“Look, I don’t know what they did to you back in Ass-land, but here, you’ll be under my protection. As Cheesy as it sounds, I won’t hurt you and I won’t let anyone else hurt you. You got that? So calm your shit down and let me help you.” No response. “You still with me, Rudolph?” He moved to get a better look but he just got a flinch in response. Another sigh.

“Fine, ignore me. I’m staying right here tho', and my guys are coming to help so you better cooperate with them at least.” This time, Loki moved his head slightly to look directly at Tony's eyes. He was searching for something, but Tony couldn't tell what it was. After a few moments of awkwardly staring at each other, he appeared to have found what he was looking for and closed his eyes. Tony kept looking at his face and saw the tense muscles there slowly relax and his breathing calm down to a worrisome pace as he drifted into unconsciousness.

“Sir, ETA is 1 minute with 27 seconds.” Finally, he could hear the roar of the approaching jet in the distance. He stood up and climbed out of the crater to receive the medics and his science bro. 


 

“We have arrived at the given coordinates. Please wait until the transport lands safely to disembark.” He was nervous, to say the least. Tony had sounded a mix of many things. He sounded a bit concerned, desperate and scared, but also a little mad and spiteful. What could have caused him to feel all this? What happened? Who was hurt? And why wouldn’t he just tell him? 

He already knew he would regret asking and that he shouldn't have agreed to keep it a secret. But this was Tony, the guy who had helped him in many ways after the Manhattan Incident. His science partner, or 'Science Bro' as Tony so fondly called them. He could be excessively reckless from time to time but he hadn’t failed him yet. There was always a reason behind what he did, even if it was a stupid ass reason.

Heh, he was certainly learning some bad quirks from Tony. He was using more slang and insults than he usually would. Not out loud of course. He was also starting to appreciate his jokes, puns, and wit. He had to admit he's really taken a liking to the engineer, no matter how infuriating he can be. He certainly had charm.

“Dr. Banner, ready to disembark?” Asked a medic who nervously approched him.

“Huh? Oh! Yes, I’m coming, let me just get my things.” Quickly he got his bag and followed the doctors out of the jet. Just outside he could make out the shape of the Iron Man suit with its faceplate up, showing inside its proud creator. Wearing a smile, Tony waved at them.

To anyone that didn’t know Tony well, it would’ve seemed like he hadn’t a care in the world and was enjoying himself, but to Bruce, it showed concern. Bruce had learned to see through some of Tony’s façade. He could see some of the emotions his science partner tried to hide.

“Hey, Brucie! Soo remember our friendly neighborhood alien overlord? The horny Rudolph?” Ignoring Tony, Bruce passed him and looked inside the crater, next to the other medics who all had shocked expressions. He couldn’t believe his eyes. It had been almost a year since Loki and Thor had left for Asgard. But somehow the younger god was here.

"What happened? Why is he here? What did you do?" He looked horribly injured. The doctor in him told him to hurry and help but another part of him was trying to hold back the Hulk. His vision was starting to get tinted with green. This man had killed and destroyed so many lives, had caused so much damage. And now he was here and Tony wanted to help him? 

“Well, I didn’t do anything for once. And as to what happened? Honestly? I don’t know.”

“This is bad, Tony. Really bad.” 

Notes:

Sorry T.T

Edit: Well, I fixed the formatting and added a few lines to make reading easier, those who already read it, don't need to worry, there were no major changes to the plot itself. I still do recommend re-reading.

Chapter 3: The Gardens

Notes:

Stuff happens

The song I used for the second half of this chapter is Whispers by Dave Brake, really good song.

Edit: Check chapter 2, a few paragraph were missing at the beginning, added on sep 20, 2016.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“This is bad, Tony. Really bad.” Not even after the god’s encounter with the Hulk had he been this injured. Any human would have been long gone by now judging from the amount of blood surrounding his body. Even for a god, it was a miracle his eyes were open. He had to be using some sort of magic for that.

“I made J.A.R.V.I.S. do a full diagnostic. Here.” Bruce grabbed the small tablet from Tony’s hand and inspects it while the medics hesitated to do anything. Tony looked over and yelled at them to move their asses. Soon after, they rush down the crater to help. Instantly the doctor in him assessed the damage and set to work. He directed himself to the other medics.

“Alright please listen, it seems we have some severe hemorraging, organs shutting down, 3 fractured ribs, one collapsed lung. Left shoulder is dislocated with multiple fractures along the arm.  His rectum… is severely wounded... the muscles are ripped and bleeding... What the hell… it all seems like signs of torture and rape... Also, head trauma, most likely a concussion. You see anything else, anything weird, tell me! This guy’s not from around here so expect anomalies, but be sure to inform them!” instructed the scientist to the medics.

“Rape? Anything weird? I dunno about you but I would count rape as something weird, Bruce.” He was shocked, he certainly had not expected that. The guy was a god.. he was an alien god, an extremely powerful alien god… how could… who could do something like that? Why?

“Tony, how did this happen? This is some severe injuries and trauma we’re talking about here. Last time I checked, even after being smashed by the Hulk, probably having quite a few bones pulverized, he was up and walking just a few hours later. How is he almost bleeding to death now?” Asked Bruce.

“Look, I don’t know, okay? J.A.R.V.I.S. told me the satellites picked up some space distortions, like the one that Thor causes when he travels here. But these ones were unstable, so I decided to go and check it out. I got here and saw that. That’s it, that’s all I have.” Bruce looked like he was contemplating this new information.

“It was unstable?” Asked his science bud.

“Yeah, like, it looked more like the first time Thor came down here, in New Mexico, back when he was banished, turned into a ‘mortal’, as he put it. Oh, and his voodoo magic is down by 88% or something. You think daddy-dearest decided to give baby-bro the same punishment as Point Break?” Asked Tony crossing his metal arms.

“Maybe, but why all the damage? Why the…” He couldn’t finish the sentence but Tony obviously understood what he meant. How could this even happen? 

“I need a drink. Look, I don’t care for the whys right now, let's just get him to my medical bay, ASAP.” Stated the engineer.

“The medical bay? Are you crazy?! He needs to go to the hospital! We don’t have all the equipment we need for something like this back at the tower!” Screamed one of the doctors as right on cue, they came out of the crater with an unconscious Loki strapped to a gurney.

“I’ll buy you what you need. I don’t want SHIELD snooping around yet so we’re going back to base and once there, nothing comes out. We keep this in business. No one is to talk about what is going on with anyone outside of Stark Industries without my approval. Only the people here and back at the bay may know. Only Stark Industries’ personnel and Bruce here. Got it?” Instructed their CEO.

“But… Mr. Stark, his injuries ar-“ tried to say another medic but Bruce's friend was obviously in a bad mood and wasn't up to dealing with any of it right then. 

“No buts, unless it's yours for the kicking if you disobey me.” Iron Man lowered his faceplate and stepped forward, letting the metallic voice of his armor send the message. “Got it?”

Terrified, the doctor stared at the robotic face and answered “Y-yes, Sir.”

After a moment, Tony answered, “Good, now move it!” Reopening his faceplate, the billionaire looked at Bruce and directed his words in a lower voice, indicating a small plea for his friend to cooperate.

“I’m leaving you in charge... I'm going on ahead to get things ready for when you get there.” Looking straight into his friend's eyes, he waited. The engineer knew things would get messy if he didn’t agree. 

With a sigh, Bruce answered. “Fine, Tony… I don’t like this though. I can just feel we’re getting into a huge mess and I’m not comfortable with it.”

Smiling, Tony replied with “Thanks, bud. We’ll figure it out, we’re science bros after all.” With his shit-eating grin in place, Tony lowered his faceplate and set off into the night sky.

 


 

Peaceful. Quiet. Glorious. Perfect.

The feeling of the grass between his toes. The fresh scent of beautifully tamed wildflowers. The soft sounds of ripples in the pond. The delicate hum of birds flying up in the sky. He had always loved how peaceful the gardens of his mother were. He would often lose himself in them.

Oh, how he loved to see the lily pads floating in the pond in peaceful harmony. Everything was serene. Everything coexisted perfectly. Organized chaos had always attracted his attention. The world revolved around such chaos. Everything was in constant change. But few places where so immaculately balanced as was this garden. He would spend hours just staring at everything. He could spend the whole day just looking at glimpses of the sky through the thick folly of the trees.

His brother did not understand it. He did not understand the beauty in simply being able to enjoy peace. He would easily get bored and try to get Loki to spar with him or try to convince him to go hunting with his friends. It never lasted long enough. There was never sufficient time for Loki to enjoy the gardens and there never would be enough time, with all his responsibilities and Thor around to bother him.

Yet today was different. Today Thor had decided to stay with Loki in the gardens. Of course, it was just an excuse to skip morning lessons and to sleep a while longer, but for Loki, it was enough. They both layed by the pond, Loki with his feet in the water, enjoying the coolness of it. Thor rested his head on the lap of Loki, one hand dipped in the pond. He was sound asleep the minute he laid his head down.

The lap of Loki had been one of his favorite resting places. A small benefit of not being gifted with excessive muscles is that his lap was comfortable for the older prince. It had been years since the last time they had spent time like this.

Most days they would have lessons, training, hunting and political travels. Their coming of age had not been so long ago and their responsibilities had increased exponentially. Finding time to do nothing but just breathe was not easy to come by.

A stray blond lock layed across the face of Thor. Loki moved it behind his ear. He had always wondered why his hair was so different from the hair of his brother. Why had Thor been gifted with hair the color of sunshine, while Loki had to live with hair as dark as a starless night? 

Thor had always lived in radiance. Everything he did was so grand and boastful. Loki preferred to stay in the shadows. He wanted to share the glamor that Thor lived in by the sun but he knew his nature was to roam the night with the moon. It bothered him a little how the sun and the moon shared the same sky, they both drifted in space in equal grace, but for some reason, Aesir preferred the sun.

He could not understand why they did not value the moon equally. If not for the moon, they would be consumed by darkness, left alone with the monsters that lurk the shadows. He just did not quite get it and thus he tried hard to chase the sun next to his brother, but he was always a few steps behind.

“Loki..” Slowly Thor stirred in Loki’s lap. “Yes, brother?” There was something strange in the voice of Thor. He could not quite place it, but something was… off. “Wake up Loki… Stay with me…” It sounded different. As if it was another person.

“What are you babbling on about, brother? I am awake, it is you who has slept so soundly... and I do not wish to go anywhere anytime soon.” He did feel a bit tired. His eyelids were heavy and threatened to close any moment but he wanted to enjoy the garden for a while longer.

“Damn it, Lokes, wake up!” something was definitely wrong. He felt the pressure of the head in his lap disappear, he looked down and saw that his brother was gone.

“Thor? Where did you go?” With trained caution, he got up and looked around.

“Thor? Where are you, brother? Thor!” Looking back to the spot where they had both rested, he found a giant puddle of blood. The water was slowly being tainted as well.

The mind of Loki was running a billion different scenarios when he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Electric and metallic. Shocked at the feeling, he looked around quickly and then looked down at himself.

He was covered in blood and dirt, his clothes, which he did not recongnize, were ripped to shreds. Tears fell down his face at the immense pain that overtook his whole body and made him lose his footing. The world around him started to spin. All the trees, bushes, and flowers were covered in blood. Everything was dead and rotting. He fell into the pond and started to sink.

The prince heard the strange voice again, but this time, he was sure it was not of his brother. He was sure he had heard the voice before, but he could not place it. “Try it again! I don’t need the Thundercat's hammer to level my head! Keep him alive!”

Thundercat's? Was the voice referring to his not-brother? Wait, not-brother? Why the ‘not’? He did not understand what was going on but he could not make himself care any longer. Everything hurt greatly, he just wanted to rest and never wake up.

He kept plunging deeper and deeper into the pond. A fact that made no sense considering it was supposed to be shallow. He could see the surface getting further and further away. Loki could see the light of the sun getting dimmer and dimmer. Darkness was starting to engulf him when he felt again a sharp, electric stab of pain in his chest. Suddenly, he was being pulled out by an unseen force. Soon, he reached the surface and light overwhelmed his eyes.

Notes:

I find it so amusing that I wrote such a peaceful and tranquil scene in the gardens (you now, before things got wacky) on the train at rush hour. Like, it was so loud and full of unbalanced chaos and people were being rude, but out of all that mess, came out something nice.

I live for comments! Talk to me! I don't bite unless you ask me to. Kudos are very appreciated as well! Love ya! <3

Chapter 4: Who could?

Notes:

Edit: Check chapter 2, a few paragraph were missing at the beginning, added on sep 20, 2016.
Huehuehue new chapter. I've had this written for a while now but didn't want to post too many chapters at the same time. I have no idea how I've written so much in so little time.

Tony: You're currently obsessed and high on kudos.

Me: Well.. they motivate me to write, I originally didn't think anyone would read this...

Loki: What are 'kudos' and what is this mortal writing?

Tony: It's called fanfiction, sweetcheeks. Kudos are like points of approval and fanfics are stories created by mostly Tumblrians of Fandomhive, writers dedicated to bringing feels to us Midgardians.

Loki: Ah, I see, I would like to read this 'stories'.

Tony: Sure, let's have JARVIS read us some while we fondue~ *wiggles eyebrows*

Loki: *chuckles* Alright, let's see if you can keep up with the story~
*Many loud fonduing sounds*

Me: What have I done?...
Also, tis my birthday today! Hope you like the chapter!

*more fonduing sounds* Oh dear X3 <3

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“So it’s really over?” asked the soldier to the beautiful redhead. She looked out into the busy street, lost in a whole different world made up of her thoughts. Her eyes were directed towards the people passing by, but she was not looking at them at all. “Pepper?” Asked again the soldier.

“Hm? Oh, sorry, Rhodey. What did you ask?” He could tell she was not well, but she looked calm. A bit sad, yes, but calm.

“I asked if it’s really over? Did you two really… you know... split?” He still couldn’t quite believe it yet. Not that it was unexpected, but he’d had such high hopes for them. She looked at him with a sad smile on her lips.

“Yes. It really is over.” She released a soft sigh as she picked up her long cold cup and gave it a stir.

“You seem… calm though. Resigned even.” The soldier expressed to Pepper, making a small chuckle fall out of her rosy lips.

“Well it’s not really a shocker, is it? I’m surprised it lasted this long… I knew it wouldn’t work from the start. I mean, I hoped it would... But I’m just glad for what we had and that it lasted for as long as it did, you know?” Said the redhead, understandably.

“So… you’re not mad at him? Now, that’s a first." Pepper had been the best thing to happen to Tony. She'd saved him time and time again from many things, including himself. "What ended it then? Did he cheat on you? I swear I’ll blow his head off with the War Machine if h-” asked furiously her friend but he was interrupted by a raised, perfectly manicured hand.

“No, no, calm down, soldier." She reassured him with a small joking smile. "He didn’t cheat on me, Rhodey. He tried his best, you know. He tried really hard to be committed, but he just can’t help it." She responded unhelpfully. 

With a raised eyebrow the lieutenant colonel commented "That still sounds like cheating." He had an idea of where she was going with this of course, but you couldn't call yourself Tony Stark's friend if you didn't know how to use sarcasm, quips, and sass here and there.

With a practiced exasperated chuckle, Pepper continued. "He’s too obsessed with his machines, Rhodey. He can’t live without them, and I couldn’t share him with them. We are both selfish, I guess. Me more than him, most likely.” Rhodey looked at her straight in the eyes. He understood well what she meant. He knew Tony almost as well as she did. He'd still had really high hopes that they could’ve worked it out somehow. Pepper was special, she could probably get any amazing guy easily, but she had loved his best friend for so long.

“Pepper…”  Yet she deserved someone Tony just couldn’t be. Tony was a great guy, he was a genius and deep down he was genuinely good, but he had far too many issues. He'd been through too much. Afghanistan had changed him drastically, but after the Manhattan Incident, something had snapped inside the engineer. It was rare the time when Rhodey saw a glimpse of the man Tony used to be. He couldn’t fully comprehend his friend anymore. Tony needed someone who could understand this changes. But who could possibly understand what it’s like to just float in the void of space while fighting aliens?

Knowing what he was probably thinking, Pepper chimmed in. “To be honest, I’m actually more concerned for him than for myself. He wouldn’t last a week without me. He’s always had me with him and I’ll still be there for him, but I can’t be there forever. Who’s going to look after him then? I almost live with him 24/7 and I still barely understand him... So who can we trust with the responsibility of caring and looking after him, physically and emotionally and everything else that it involves? Who could love him, just as he is, with all the issues, all the crazy, all the obsession, all the machines… everything… Do they even exist, Rhodey? I'm worried for him.” She looked so concerned. Her eyes were full of uneasiness and she longed for an answer that Rhodey just simply couldn’t give her.

“I’m sorry, Pepper. I’ve been asking myself the same questions since I met the guy and I'd honestly believed it was you.” He sighed and picked up his lukewarm cup of coffee from the table.

They stayed there for a while longer in silence. They where at the small coffee shop they would often visit together to discuss their common problem named Anthony Edward Stark. It had become a sort of routine for them. Whenever they wanted to talk about something concerning Tony, they would go to this small shop called ‘Café tis Art’. Tony didn’t like the coffee they sold here, it was mostly instant coffee with lots of random and far too exotic flavors added. Tony insisted it was a crime that coffee flavors like maple bacon, spicy taco and chipotle even existed. Because of his reluctance to visit a second time, both Pepper and Rhodey had made it their meeting place and safe haven both for and from Tony.

“I really should head back to the tower now. I’ve been gone for a whole week and knowing him, he's probably passed out in the lab. Probably hasn't eaten or slept anything.” Tony’s insomnia and eating patterns had gotten even more erratic since New York’s encounter with aliens. He wouldn’t listen to reason and would work until he dropped. A few times they'd had to take him to the medical bay but he still would do nothing to help himself.

“Ok, but please be careful. Both of you. It probably seems impossible right now, but you both will find the right person eventually. Have faith, God knows what he does. The real God, not those Psychotic Norse ones.” said the soldier with a chuckle.

“Thank you, Rhodey. I really hope you’re right.” She picked up her bag and dropped her half-full cup in the trash bin. 


The penthouse was the first area to be fixed of the tower after the attack on New York. The window had been replaced and the hole created by the Hulk was filled and re-tiled. It was still a little strange for Pepper to look at that spot. She hadn’t seen Loki in person and most pictures and videos were deleted by SHIELD in their major clean up. But even SHIELD couldn’t delete everything. There were still some blurry pictures and videos around.

She’d seen the security video of the Hulk smashing Loki into the pavement before it was erased. Saw the crater left behind by the encounter with her own eyes. She still couldn’t believe the guy had survived and much less that he'd walked a few hours later to be taken back to Asgard. Looking at the spot that now was fixed made her stomach turn slightly. “J.A.R.V.I.S. where’s Tony?” No answer. Pepper looked towards where she knew one of the cameras was and called out again. “J.A.R.V.I.S.?” 

“I’m sorry Ms. Potts, Mr. Stark has asked me not to relay his current location.” Why would he ask J.A.R.V.I.S. to do that? Was he mad at her? Shouldn’t she be the one that was mad at him?

“Override that order J.A.R.V.I.S. Where is he? In the workshop?” After a moment's hesitation, the AI answered. 

“Mr. Stark is currently on the floor above the Medical Bay, discussing with some of his medical staff”

“In the Med Bay? What happened? Is Tony injured? Did he faint again?” Quickly she changed directions and headed for the Med Bay. It was one of the floors Tony designed right after the New York attack, it functioned like a small hospital. It was stocked with almost all medical devices ever created and had a staff that consisted of some of the greatest medics and nurses in New York. It was open for all Stark personnel and anyone who needed quick specific treatment that would be hard to get at a local hospital. It had been a great invention by Tony, but in reality, it was just another excuse for him not to leave the tower.

“No, Ms. Potts. Mr. Starks has barely slept or ate since you left 175 hours ago but he's still managed to stay conscious. It’s not Mr. Stark that is in treatment. And I'm afraid I’m not permitted to give you the patient’s name and your clearance is not high enough to override the order. Apologies Ms. Potts.” Said J.A.R.V.I.S. apologetically.

The omnipotent clearance? Tony had used his highest clearance just to keep a patient's name secret from her? Who could possibly be so… (Important? Dangerous? Secret?) that he couldn’t trust her with their name? “J.A.R.V.I.S. did he tell you I couldn’t go into the med bay?”

“No, Ms. Potts. Sir hasn't forbidden access to the medical bay and the patient’s room.” The AI sounded relieved like it had been waiting for the question, waiting for someone to find the loophole it couldn’t point out itself.

“Thanks, J.A.R.V.I.S. Take me down to the Medical Bay.” She headed for the elevator while her heels tapped softly on the marble floor.


He opens his eyes to the world around him but closed them just as quickly. Everything was too bright. His entire body hurt and was shaking violently. Loki could not remember what had happened. Last he recalled was being in the gardens with his brother, the voices, the blood and drowning. He tried to open his eyes again, cautiously, letting them adjust to the blinding light that surrounded him. Slowly, blurry shapes started to clear. He was in some sort of room. All the walls were painted in a painful white. He could hear the soft sounds that some type of machinery made beside the bed he laid in.

The machinery looked Midgardian, but why would he be in Midgard, it had been centuries since his last visit. Why was he so badly wounded? His magic should be able to mend the worst injuries; why could he not feel the strength of it? Loki had far too many questions and no one was around to answer them. He tried to sit up but there was no strength in his arms to help him. Every minimal movement was painful. He inhaled sharply and felt the air leave his body immediately as a fresh burning wave of pain hit him. He could not take in enough air. Loki shut his eyes and tried to level his breathing. Breathing too little or too much was far to excruciatingly painful.

Then, the click of a door was heard in the utter silence only disturbed by the machinery and his breathing. Someone was trying, and failing miserably, to hide the sound of their steps. He thanked the Norms as he desperately needed something to drink. He tried to speak but nothing coherent left his lips. He heard a gasp, presumably from the person that was previously trying to go unnoticed.

Loki tried again “wa… water…” The god assumed his words were heard as he could hear the person move abruptly, yet it did not seem like they were heading his request. He tried to reopen his eyes slowly(he did not recall closing them) and scanned the room. Had they left? He could not see anyone with him but the mage was sure he could feel the presence of someone in the room.

“Water… please?” a movement came from the right side of his bed. The person was standing behind a curtain. They slowly moved away from the curtain and approached the bed with caution. He noticed there was fear in those eyes. The Midgardian looked familiar but the mind of Loki felt as if it was stuffed with wool and could not place their face. They held a small glass of water with a little white tube of plastic in it.

“…Loki?” Suddenly it hit him, like a rampaging bilgesnipe. Memories flooded into his mind. The Coronation, the Vault, the Jotnars, the Bifrost, The Other, Thanos, Midgard, The Avengers, the dungeons, the stitches, the venom. Everything. It all rapidly came crashing back and he had no time to shield his already weakened mind. He screamed. 

Notes:

Cliffhanger! Who could it be?? Any guesses?? Whoever gets it will get a virtual cookie. And a hug if you give me a small 'why' to your guess and it's mildly correct. (It's really not hard but I want an excuse for comments, I like answering X3)

Kudos and comments are great! They give me life and motivate me to write! Talk to me, I love answering. Constructive criticism is greatly welcomed, just please don't kill me, I'm trying my best.

Also, tis my birthday today! Hope you liked the chapter!

Chapter 5: Broken

Notes:

Finally! I had this chapter ready for so long but meh, wanna keep it weekly just in case I get writer's block some day. Thanks to those who wished me a happy birthday in the last chapter.

P.S. I'm trying to make a cover for this fanfic but I'm not so good at drawing sooo if anyone wants to make art for this, it'll be greatly appreciated.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“…Loki?” Suddenly it hit him, like a rampaging bilgesnipe. Memories flooded into his mind. The Coronation, the Vault, the Jotnars, the Bifrost, The Other, Thanos, Midgard, The Avengers, the dungeons, the stitches, the venom. Everything. It all rapidly came crashing back and he had no time to shield his already weakened mind. He screamed.


He dropped the glass and watched in horror how Loki violently thrashed against the bed. It took a few moments of heavy breathing for the green to reside back and he could walk forward. He maneuvered around the broken glass and went straight towards the bed. “J.A.R.V.I.S. Call Tony!” Yelled Bruce over Loki’s miserable screams. He reached Loki and held him down on the bed, carefully trying to avoid the heavily injured areas. Some of the injuries had just started to heal, if he moved too much, he would reopen all of them.

The scientist heard the heavy doors open and a few nurses alongside doctors rushed in. “What’s going on?!” Asked the one he recognized as the head physician. “I walked in to check on him and he was awake. He asked for water and I was serving him some when he started to scream and thrash. Watch out for the broken glass on the floor, I… I freaked out a bit, sorry. Stay back and bring Tony. Tell him Skywalker woke up and needs him.”

Skywalker had been a clever idea by Tony. They needed a way to refer to the god, what better way than to use a pop culture reference that was actually based on the god himself? Luke was supposedly taken from Loki and Skywalker was one of the god’s many titles. It had to do something with ‘walking on the branches of the tree’ and teleportation. Well, they hadn't really researched it much but accuracy was the least of their worries right now.

The medical staff working for Tony had long learned to obey Bruce’s commands. He was not really a doctor but they could recognize he knew much more about this kind of situations than they did. They didn’t exactly teach how to handle alien gods back in med school. Quickly they head out to search for their employer.

This was not the first time Loki had woken up. He always took a while to register where he was and who was around him. When he finally did, he would yell and convulse until he fell back into unconsciousness or until he saw Tony. For some unknown reason seeing Tony would ease the god long enough for the doctors to put him under again.

No one understood why, not even Tony himself. He’d told Bruce that before the jet had arrived, he’d told the injured alien that he would protect him and wouldn’t hurt him or let anyone else do it.  He explained how Loki had stared at him for a while, searching for something and seemed to have found it. They both couldn’t really decipher what he was looking for, but luckily for them, it helped whenever the god woke up.

He was still desperately holding down both Loki and the hulk when he heard the door open again. Loki was still screaming between heavy gasps. “Finally, Tony do your weird magic and calm him down, he's gonna reopen every wound again!” Bruce didn’t look back, expecting Tony to run and do his part but he saw no movement next to him and heard no answer. Then it came, a scream. He turned his head and was horrified at what he saw. It was Pepper.

“Is that Loki?! What is he doing here?! Where’s Tony?!” Bruce had no idea what to do. Loki was starting to convulse now. If he didn’t do something fast, they could lose him. “JARVIS, where’s Tony?!, Pepper, we need Tony now, explanations later!”

“Mr. Stark is turning the corner in the hallways, ETA 0.7 seconds.”  Bruce looked back down at Loki. He wasn’t sure Tony would be enough now but they had no other choice. The doors flew open and Tony rushed for the bed. The engineer didn’t even notice his PA as he ran by and nearly crashed into the bed’s frame.

He grabbed Loki by the shoulders and shook him a bit. “Lokes! Hey, it’s me, Rudolph, it’s Tony, your… your friend? Calm down! Lokes! Can you hear me?! Lokes!” Loki’s eyes fell shut and his screams fully turned into gasps and sobs. It hurt to see him this way. They had been enemies the first time they met but Bruce could tell that he had gone through some really messed up things to end up in a state like that. It took a bit but he slowly started to calm down. His thrashing became shaking. “Lokes, you with me?” Tony continued to ask. Loki's breathing slowed down as well, but his eyes remained closed. “Come on Reindeer Games…” 

A flinch and a nod. The first response was almost always that. He was starting to recognize them again. “Hey there. You back to the world of the living, sleeping beauty?” Loki’s eyelids cautiously opened. He looked around a bit until his eyes fell on the men beside him.

Both scientists released their hold on the bedridden alien and took a step back. The god’s eyes roamed the room and he spotted the redhead by the curtain. The scientist followed his line of sight and looked at Pepper. Tony finally noticed who she was and cursed.

“Pepper… what are you doing here?”  


She couldn’t process what she was seeing. In the bed laid the man, the god, that had attacked the Avengers almost a year ago. The one who had thrown Tony out the window, the one who had killed Coulson, the one who tried to conquer the world. He wasn’t in a cell or chained or anything. He was in a bed, in the medical bay, in Stark Tower with both Bruce and Tony looking after him as it seemed. The murderer, the monster that made Tony carry a nuke into space, the one who nearly killed her best friend and once-boyfriend. He was here, and they seemed to be genuinely worried about his health.

With a heavy sigh and a hand down his face, Tony asked “Pepper… what are you doing here? You… you shouldn’t be here... J.A.R.V.I.S. I said you couldn’t tell anyone outside of the med bay.”

“Yes Sir, but you forgot to forbid access to the medical bay or Skywalker’s room. Miss Potts found her way here on her own.” Pepper was sure J.A.R.V.I.S. sounded disappointed in his creator.

“Well do that now. No one but the medical staff I’ve given access 'till now, Bruce and now add Pepper, gets in or out of this room or knows about this. Omnipotence clearance.” instructed Tony as he straightened up and rounded the bed towards the side she was on.

“Tony, what's going on? Why's Loki here?!” There was venom in her voice. She hated the god. Whenever he was brought up in conversation, her distaste for him was evident. She had gone countless sleepless nights spent trying to calm Tony down. His nightmares would only get worse with every time. Tony approached her slowly.

“Ok… This is not as bad as it looks.” He unhelpfully answered as usual.

“You're not trying to take care of the murderer who almost conquered the world and killed you?!” she questioned, motioning at the man in the bed.

“Ok, never mind… it’s exactly what it looks like… I know, I know it might seem bad, but we have a good, valid reason.” Said Tony. What could possibly be a reason to not let that psychopath rot in jail?!

Dr. Banner asked thoughtfully. “We do?” 

“Well… I’m still working on it, but I'm sure it'll be an amazingly good one, promise.” Pepper looked at the man she knew to be a genius like he had gone mad. He had always been a bit off his rocket but this was just purely insane! 

“Tony, he threw you out a window!!” She looked at the god and saw that he was still looking at her. He looked seriously injured but he was The God of Lies! Illusions are his forte. Pepper wasn’t going to fall for them, she wouldn’t stop until they saw reason. This was crazy! It had to be a trick, an illusion and maybe some mind control as well.

But she did stop as she looked into his eyes. There, she didn’t know if it was an illusion as well, but she recognized something she knew far too well. It was fear, the sort of fear she had seen in Tony’s eyes right after returning from Afghanistan when he would wake up from a particularly bad dream, whenever someone thoughtlessly asked Tony about his ‘epic’ experience with the nuke and space. It was pure fear of what had and could happen. There she saw the uncertainness, the extreme caution, the endless wait for an attack. He stared at her, waiting for her to make a move like he was expecting her to hurt him. Like his confidence had been smothered, his burning pride extinguished. The sight was terrifying. 

She walked forward and saw how he flinched. She got closer and saw him try to move further back, to try to get away from her, but could barely put any strength in his limbs. “Pepper, I wouldn’t get any closer, he doesn’t coop well with people who I haven’t given him their biography yet and we need to stabilize him.” She looked at Tony but ignored his words and closed in on the god. She had to make sure of something. She had no idea how she would survive if what she was seeing truly was all an illusion but she had to make sure, she had to make sure that fear was real, that he was truly broken, not for herself, but for Tony.

“Loki, right?” she asked the man who had crept as far away from her as he could in the bed. She was shaking, she was scared, but she had to make sure that he was as well. She saw Tony walk closer and reassure the god that she was okay and that she was Tony’s best girl and trusted her with his entire life, to stay calm. She would have felt her heart swell up at those words any other time, but right now she couldn’t hear him. She looked at the bedside table and saw a set of medical tools. She picked up a small scalpel and quickly pointed it at Loki’s throat.

Loki’s eyes went wide. A pitiful gasp left his throat as Tony rushed forward but didn’t dare touch her. He knew well that touching someone who was doing something irrationally dangerous was not a good idea. “Pepper, stop! He’s semi-powerless! He’s semi-mortal! He was tortured! He can’t hurt us; he can’t even hurt a fly! Give me the knife.” He extended his hand to her but she just kept staring at the monster who fed her nightmares at night.

So many times she had dreamed of Tony being killed by this man. She had dreamed of Tony not falling back down from the wormhole or the suit not getting to him in time. She despised him. He terrified her. She had to make sure he really wouldn’t make those dreadful dreams come true. She moved the scalpel closer until a small line of blood fell from the shallow cut.

Loki was trembling now but she couldn’t look away from his eyes. They were broken. He had been broken by someone. They had tortured him. Had this been the punishment Asgard handed him for what he did to Earth? It seemed just a bit too cruel. He truly was broken, no games, no illusions.

“Plea... please don’t…” tears rolled down his cheeks. The words shook her out of her thoughts, she looked down at her hand and horror filled her as she understood just what her actions had been. She stepped back, dropped the scalpel and stumbled backward into Tony. Her once-lover carefully guided her to the sofa by the wall. She sat down and started to cry.

Notes:

Soooo it was Bruce! Well, Jaylatty guessed so they get a cookie! *hands them the cookie* It's a magical cookie that Loki made so it'll taste like your favorite cookie flavor, enjoy.

Loki: You forgot to mention your intention to give the cookie I was asked to bake to some random mortal...

Me: Why does it matter?

Loki: I would have added a kneeling spell, obviously....

Me: I'm sure if you ask nicely, they'll kneel for you.

Loki: ... Fine... Would you kneel for me, Jaylatty?

Chapter 6: "Judgement"

Notes:

This chapter was not easy to write, Sorry my Loki. u.u

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Tony didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t expected his PA to find out about Loki like this. He helped her sit down and looked over at their resident god. “Uhm… Shit… I’m sorry Reindeer Games, she… She wasn’t really gonna hurt you. She was… Ehh she… Let's just leave it at she won’t hurt you again. I’ll talk to her.” His assistant had buried her face in her hands and was now sobbing. “Ehm Sorry… you ok there, Gandalf?”  

Loki was still wide, teary-eyed and staring at Pepper. He slowly lifted his gaze and it landed on the engineer that was now standing beside his bed again. A single nod was all he got as a response. Bruce and Tony had spent the small periods of time Loki had woken up, trying to get information out of their newest project. Unfortunately, in the last 140 hours, since they brought him to the med bay, he’d woken 4 times and gave coherent answers in none.  

The first time, after restarting his heart with the defibrillator, he said a few incoherent things like ‘Gardens’ ‘Sun and Moon’ ‘Golden’ and ‘Brother’. Loki called out for Thor a few times and tears filled his eyes. Soon after he’d fallen unconscious again. Two times he only nodded to some questions like if his magic was partly taken? If he was mortal? And if falling here was part of his punishment? The last time they hadn’t been able to calm him down before he fell back under.  

“Tony…” said Bruce as he slowly approached with a tray of three plastic cups of water, an antiseptic gauze, and a Band-Aid. He placed it on the counter, considerate that Tony didn't like getting handed things. “We shouldn’t use any more glass cups. I accidentally dropped one when he started to… stir. Also, you should clean that cut.”  

“Ah, right.” Tony took the tray and walked over to Pepper. He tapped her shoulder and handed her a cup. “Sorry Pep. I’ll explain later, promise.” He turned and walked towards the god whose eyes had not left him for a second.  

Tony noted he was slightly shaking and was certainly in an uncomfortable position. He set the tray down on the bedside table and stood beside the bed. “So… You comfortable there Lokes?” Loki flinched. “I… I am alright.”  

“No you’re not, come on, if you need something, just spill it. No ones gonna spank you for speaking out of turn.” Tony had said it in a playful tone but he noticed that Loki visibly relaxed at his words. Had they seriously punished him for speaking out of turn? He couldn’t even imagine what they'd had to do to render the best wordsmith mute. They had taken away his will over words. They had taken someone who literally used words as their strongest weapon, and removed his ability to speak for himself. That was… that was just sick!  

“I mean it. Bruce will scold you if you don’t speak your mind actually. But just a scold, no punishment. I’ll also get Pepper into scolding you and trust me, that's no fun walk in the park.” That earned him a hiccuped chuckle from his best girl. “And come on, you’re like a thousand years old! You, sir, are no kid to allow scolding, right? Or do you need a diaper change and your blanket?”

The godling slightly narrowed his eyes and answered. “I am no child, Stark…” A small grin took over Tony’s face.

“There ya go! That's more like it! Your pride used to be as huge as my di-”

Both Bruce and Pepper screamed “Tony!” 

“-rty… list of people I’ve hooked up with...” Glaring at both his friends, he continued “And trust me, that’s quite the list. I used to keep count but I lost it a long time ago. I think last time I checked, damn, it was arou-“  

“Tony, you’re babbling.” Said Pepper, who was trying to clean her ruined makeup.

“Ah, right, can’t seem to stop talking about myself even if I tried. No wonder people, Pepper, always seem to think the worst of me… Anyway, let’s try this again. You comfortable there Lokes?” The engineer waited a few moments and could almost hear the gears turning in Loki’s head.

He finally seemed to conclude something and spoke in a small, raspy voice. “I… am not… I could use some help… and some water.”  

“There we go, baby steps, was that so hard? Hm? Well, I’m gonna move ya now, ok?” A nod was his response. The scientist stepped closer and observed that Loki was trembling and had shut his eyes tightly. Sighs.

Tony grabbed him by the shoulders and knees and slowly moved him back to a comfortable position. He readjusted the pillow and picked up the tray. “Here, water.” Loki opened his eyes and took in the sight of Tony sitting on the bed next to him with a cup of water in his hand. He slowly took the cup with the straw from the avenger with his good hand and held it as if it was some prized possession. “Did they even feed you properly back in Assgard?”  

“They fed me… three to four times during my… punishment.” The mage cast his sight downward and carefully drew a small amount of water from the straw into his mouth.

“That wasn’t punishment, that was torture. You’re telling me you only ate about three times in almost a year?!” Asked furiously the engineer. 

“Ye-Yes… We can not die from hunger or thirst, but seeing as most of my powers are bound… I’ve gained a degree of… mortality… hence they had to feed me once every three to four months… so that I would not die before they were… done with me…” answered the god, nervously picking at the helm of the blanket.

“That’s just… sick... How could they just do something like that?” Asked Pepper shocked.

“It is their way of judgment… I have done many dreadful things in all the Nine Realms… I almost successfully destroyed one, and tried to conquer another…  it seems fitting they treated me like the monster they always knew I would become…”  said the resigned mage, almost sounding like he actually believed what he was saying... Tony couldn't and wouldn't let that slip.

“Ok, stop… You did a lot of shit and many lives were lost because of your whiny little ass. And don’t get me wrong, princess, you do deserve to be judged and punish for all you did, but not like that. What they did is not judgment, its cruelty. Here on earth, there’s a convenient little thing called ‘human rights’… You might not be human but they still apply to you, or at least they should. Everything they did violate almost all those rights and even tho' you tried to kill me… I can’t just stand by and let that happen. Not while… while sick bastards roam around torturing their family or having others doing it for them. No, I won’t let that happen again! Not on my watch… So you better stop giving sorry excuses for what they did to you, you got that?!” He was agitated. This whole situation had hit far too close to home for Tony. He couldn’t let it slip. The avenger had gotten up at some point and was now pacing.

He knew perfectly well what torture did to someone, especially when it was ordered by someone you trusted. He’d gotten lucky with Yinsen, but Loki had probably been all alone. He looked back at the god and saw fear and confusion. Tony had been screaming his last sentences and had probably scared him into thinking he’d lash out and hit Loki or something. “Sorry… I… I didn’t mean to scream… Did you have a cellmate or something?”  

Even more confusion overtook Loki’s face and he answered. “N… No. They feared someone would try to kill me before they were done with me… or that I would corrupt them further so they gave me my own cell and floor…”  

“How generous of them…” Said Tony with spiteful sarcasm. Seeing as Tony was wrapped up in his own feeling, Bruce decided to finally ask what had to be on their mind the whole time. “I know this is probably hard for you but… Did your father orde-?”  

Before he could finish, Loki screamed at him “He's not my fa-!” Horror filled the fallen god’s eyes. He wrapped his good arm around his torso, tried to fight against his wounds in an attempt to curl up into a ball and started to tremble and sob violently.  

Instantly Tony was by his side again. “Lokes! No no, calm down. Bruce, what do I do!?” Asked the engineer in a hurry.

Bruce had taken a bit longer to comprehend what was going on but answered in a whisper. “It’s… It’s probably a panic attack. Maybe it was triggered by yelling at what he thinks is his current captors or maybe refusing to call Odin his father, they probably punished him often for both.”  

Loki was mumbling something between sobs that Bruce could not hear. “He’s saying something” Both Tony and Bruce got closer to Loki without touching him, trying to hear. “He is coming… He... he’s coming… He’ll… My mouth… He’ll kill… kill me… Stitches… Kill me… He’s coming… Kill me… Kill…”  

“The scars on his lips… they could be stitches?!…” said Bruce in horror. Everything sounded worst and worst by the moment. How could anyone sew someone’s mouth shut?! Tony wanted to hit something, preferably Odin, in the face, with a spiked hammer, hard.  

“What do we do?” asked Tony.

“You know what panic attacks are like. Tell him to concentrate on his breathing. To stay in the present, do the 10 seconds thing I showed you.” Said Bruce a bit green around the corners, stepping back to give Tony more space.  

“Fine…” He stood next to the bed and placed his hands on Loki’s shoulder, receiving a strong flinch. “No! Don’t! Get away from me! Do not touch me! Please, I’m so sorry… Please…” the god was whimpering harshly. He trembled and tried to curl further in on himself. “Please… Please don’t…” 

“Lokes… Hey Lokes, it’s me, Tony, you’re in my tower, not in a dungeon, not in Asgard, no one is going to hurt you here. I know you are scared but there is nothing dangerous here. Hey, look at me, come on Lokes, look at me.” It took a few more moments for Loki to stop screaming but he was still not looking at the human. 

“Please… Don’t…” barely said the whimpering pale alien, not quite registering where he was yet.

“Loki, please look at me, I’m trying to help you...”  asked again the mortal.

“St… Stark…?” the mage continued to shake but after a few minutes stopped whimpering and slowly lifted his face to look at the engineer.

“Yes, there we go, now, I need you to breath, sync with me, come on, breath.” They both took their time to sync their breathing with each other. Small shivers still racked Loki’s body but he stared at Tony intensely.  

“Ok, now I need you to count back from 100 till 50, skipping 1 number. So like 100, 98, 96, etc. etc.” Loki looked a bit annoyed by Tony's instructions but did it anyway. “Ok, ok, now, let’s try till 5000, on a scale of 25, so that would be 25, 50, 75 et-” 

“I do believe that is quite enough, Stark, I do not see why proving my mathematical skills will improve my poor state of mental health…” said Loki, a bit irritably.

“Ha! Right there, did you see it Brucie? It was sass with a hint of sarcasm, Diva cats are back!”  Exclaimed the avenger with relief. 

“Don’t annoy him after he just came out of a panic attack, Tony, we don’t want him to go catatonic." Warned Bruce as he relaxed as well and they directed his words at the god. "Just ignore him, he turns everything into a joke.”  

“Hey! I can take things seriously! I just prefer jokes, spoilsport.”  Said, Tony, while grumpily crossing his arms over his chest.  

“He also has no filter between his brain and his mouth.” Added Pepper, who wasn't looking at them yet, probably still unsure of what to think of all this.

Tony turned around and made a mock offended face, putting a hand over his heart. “I resent that. I could be serious and filter my words if I wanted to, but then I would be taking dear ol’ Capsical’s personality traits and that just wouldn’t be fair for him, he hasn’t got much more than that. And come on, those are my charming traits.” 

“Yes, an obnoxiously sarcastic narcissist with no self-preservation instincts.” Offered Bruce with a smirk.

“Exactly, now why did you say it as if those were bad things? Are you guys banging up on me? I don’t do well with bullying.” Said the engineer, turning around to look at his friends.

Pepper slowly stood up and pointed a finger at Tony, making him step back with every word she said “You forgot to add irresponsible, self-destructive, melodramatic an-“  

A small sound came from the behind them. Everyone stopped mid-pace, startled and quickly searched for its cause. 

Notes:

Please Comment, Subscribe, Bookmark, and/or leave kudos! they motivate me~
Constructive criticism is very much appreciated.

Chapter 7: Beautiful Eyes

Notes:

Urgggggafgkfgjegwrtb this chapter was hard to write honestly. I feel like I'm representing the characters wrongly... I hope you're ok with it. I'm having doubts and that's not good for writing but I'll try harder in next chaps. u.u

P.S. Next week there won't be a chap, sorry. I'm in finals and I also have a trip so I won't be posting next Sunday u.u

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

A small sound came from behind them. Everyone stopped mid pace, startled and searched for its cause. It came from their resident god who was chuckling lightly.  

It was a soft sound, thought Tony. It was low and rich, delicate but strong and filled with carefully  tamed power. It was a sound that starves you for more but simultaneously fills you wholly. Damn sexy. The words came involuntarily into Tony’s head. Ha, that sounded stupidly poetic, right out of some cheeky porn novel.  

For obvious reasons, the avenger hadn’t had the chance while saving the world to notice that the god was actually quite the looker. His figures were all sharp angles and fine bone structure, framed with pale skin, with a voice like a deep delicate purr. 

He was still staring at those cheekbones when the god spoke. “Stark, your ability to make light of any situation could be considered amusing… Also, you are intently staring.”  

“Well… isn’t that the polite thing to do when someone is talking to you? You look at them while they speak.” Yet he did look away as he finished speaking. Tony was never modest or shy. He would always bluntly saying who he thought was hot, hitting on them without restraint. Nevertheless, he did feel a hint of guilt over his dick-minded head. The guy had been tortured, starved and raped… He should be seriously thinking about how to help him, not how to undress him.  

“To answer your question… Yes… and no.” The god continued slowly, drawing in painful breaths. “He ordered the guards to… beat the monster out of his ‘son’.” His gaze lowered to the cup that now laid by his foot over a small puddle of spilled water. “Only enough to teach me, not break me… but he was vague and the guards took the liberty to assume that ‘break’ meant ‘kill’… therefore they allowed themselves to… to have their way with me…”  

He heard Pepper gasp and cover her mouth. He searched the other two faces and saw Bruce had paled sickly and Tony… Tony was sure he looked infuriated, full of rage, because as soon as Loki laid eyes on him, he instantly tensed up and widened his eyes. He looked like a small, frightened kitten. But it only lasted a short while as the god relaxed without looking away. 

A low cough came from Bruce. “Well, I think that’s enough for now, we should have the nurses check on him and let him rest. You also forgot to clean his neck, Tony.”  

“His neck?... Oh! The cut, sorry, I’ll do that now.” Approaching the bed, Tony added. “Come on, chin up, let me see it.” Loki lifted his chin but still held his gaze quietly on the engineer’s face. Tony looked at his eyes and nearly drowned in them.  

He had searing green depths for eyes. Tony thought he could almost see part of all the god’s long years of life reflected on them, he could almost witness all that the god had experience, centuries of wisdom, yet they also looked young, scared and lost.  

He took the antiseptic gaze and meticulously cleaned the cut. Loki was as still as a statue but was also somehow strangely relaxed. When it was all clean, Tony took the Band-Aid, opened it and placed it over the now-clean cut.  

The room had fallen silent while he’d worked. Stepping back, Tony noticed that all three of them had their eyes fixed on himself. “What? Did I put it wrong? Hey, I know Band-Aids are complicated, but I think I did a pretty good job.”

It was Bruce who finally answered. “It’s fine, it’s just that I’ve never seen you like this.”  

“Like what?” Asked the avenger curiously.

“Caring, I suppose, invested on someone else’s wellbeing, just caring about someone besides yourself.” Responded his friend with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

“Ha! Come on, I may be self-centered but I do care about others.” Said Tony, a little bit affronted.

A chuckle came from the doc. “I know, Tony, I’ve just never quite seen it in action, outside of hero work that is, that’s all.”  

Pepper rose from her chair and said. “I’m not very fond of the idea that the first time we see him like this, his caring for the guy who almost took over the world and tried to kill everyone, Dr. Banner... I’m going to go run Tony’s company to clear my head of this mess but I expect an explanation by dinner, and I expect a good one, Tony.”  

“Consider it done Ms. Potts.” Answered Tony, waving her goodbye as she walked out the doors. When she was gone, Tony took a minute to register that the strange feeling he had was awkwardness. It wasn’t normal for him, he wasn’t used to being uncomfortable in a situation, he always made sure he was pleasantly comfortable.  

“So, Big Mean & Green, what’s next?” He asked Bruce who was picking up broken glass from the floor.

“Ehh, call the nurses, I guess. We should let him rest, leave the questions for later. J.A.R.V.I.S.? would you call them, please?” asked Brucie.

Already contacted them, Dr. Banner. They are on their way.”  Answered the AI. Tony tried to compose himself while looking at Bruce who threw the glass shards in the trash and began to talk to the bedridden god.  

“Well, now that you’re conscious enough to understand, like Tony said, we’ll help you and won’t let anyone hurt you, but we do ask that you do nothing bad while you’re with us. No evil doings, no trying to take over our minds, no trying to take over anything really. Is that clear?” Asked Bruce, letting a tint of green into his tone.

“Trust me, Dr. Banner… I do not intend to do anything that would jeopardize my time here.” 


 

Everything was far too overwhelming. His memories had come back at an excessively rapid speed, crashing into his vulnerable mind. It was all a jumble of pain and betrayal. Everything hurt. Physically, mentally, emotionally, everything. It was just too much. 

Loki did not want his new captors to see just how vulnerable he really was, but he also guessed that it was inevitable considering the ‘panic attack’, as they called it, he had just experienced. 

It was honestly frustrating. He had left those horrid dungeons to just fall right at the doorstep of his enemies. At least here was Tony Stark. He knew it was ridiculous to trust an enemy, someone who he himself had tried to kill various times, but there was simply something about him that brought comfort to the prince.  

Barton had given Loki a rundown of all of the history of each Avenger. The story of Stark was considerably similar to his own. They both shared many similar traits and experiences. A father that was never there, never satisfied, who paid all his attention to another element, in the case of Stark, the work of his father, in the case of Loki, his brother. Stark had also been captured and tortured, all of it being commanded by someone who he trusted as family. No matter how many things they shared, it was reckless to trust Stark, he was perfectly aware of this. Nevertheless, he could not help it.  

He was desperate to trust someone, anyone really, everyone else he knew had betrayed and deserted him already. His blood family deemed him a worthless runt since birth and casted him away to await death in a deserted temple. His adoptive family was all a careful lie crafted by the Allfather who only intended to use him as a tool and was too much of a coward to discard him when his plan was no longer achievable.  

No one trusted him anymore, everyone was against him, no matter where he went or what he did, he would eventually be found and killed. Yet here was his enemy, the one who he had defenestrated, trying to help him.  

He honestly could not understand why the Avenger was doing this. Loki thought he probably wanted something from the god, but he no longer cared. He was desperate to accept any kind of help he could get while he recovered enough to flee.  

Maybe it would be best to just surrender to them when they finally decide to kill me... No, that is exactly what everyone wishes to see, the hateful monster finally giving up and being executed… I refuse to give them that pleasure. If they wish to see the monster in me, I’ll bare my fangs, right up until the last breath has left my lungs, and even then, my face shall reflect defiance in death.  

The red headed woman had truly startled him, Loki had severely underestimated her. She was brave and stubborn, fitting as... Mate? Companion? of Stark. He should try to find out what their relationship was soon. He could maybe use the guilt she feels now to his advantage. 

“Come on, chin up, let me see it.” Said the Avenger. Why would he help me?... What does he want from me, I no longer have the Tesseract or the Chitauri staff, what could he gain from helping me? What is your motive Tony Stark? 

Loki stared at those eyes that were carefully looking at his own. They were not really any special shade, yet they had a certain lure to them. They were the eyes of the curious creature. One who restlessly tried to understand the world around them. They showed deep longing to comprehend anything and everything. He was certainly a scholar like Loki himself. I wonder if things had been differently, could we had become good friends?  

Suddenly he really wished that all this good treatment was out of real kindness and not just to acquire something from his poor existence. He knew it was stupid to wish for the impossible to happen. He should know this well since wishing for his torturers to leave his aching body alone had never, not once, helped to make them stop. 

“What? Did I put it wrong? Hey, I know Band-Aids are complicated, but I think I did a pretty good job.” Asked the man to his companions, who stared at the man. 

It was the berserker who finally answered. “It’s fine, it’s just that I’ve never seen you like this.”  

“Like what?” Asked Stark curiously. Loki also wished to know what had them staring like that.

“Caring, I suppose, invested on someone else’s wellbeing, just caring about someone besides yourself.” Responded his companion with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

“Ha! Come on, I may be self-centered but I do care about others.” Said Stark, sounding a little bit affronted. 

A chuckle came from Dr. Banner. “I know, Tony, I’ve just never quite seen it in action, outside of hero work that is, that’s all.”  

Was kindness rare for Stark? That certainly crushed all hope of this situation not being another trap. He mentally sighed. You never learn, do you, Loki.  

The woman rose from her chair and said. “I’m not very fond of the idea that the first time we see him like this, his caring for the guy who almost took over the world and tried to kill everyone, Dr. Banner... I’m going to go run Tony’s company to clear my head of this mess but I expect an explanation by dinner, and I expect a good one, Tony.”  

“Consider it done Ms. Potts.” Answered the man of iron. 

“So, Big Mean & Green, what’s next?” Stark asked Bruce who was picking up broken glass from the floor.

“Ehh, call the nurses, I guess. We should let him rest, leave the questions for later. J.A.R.V.I.S.? would you call them, please?”  

Already contacted them, Dr. Banner. They are on their way.”  Answered a strange voice. Loki looked around but he could not locate where it had come from. It sounded like it came from the direction of the ceiling, is this the creation Barton mentioned? Loki asked himself.  

“Well, now that you’re conscious enough to understand, like Tony said, we’ll help you and won’t let anyone hurt you, but we do ask that you do nothing bad while you’re with us. No evil doings, no trying to take over our minds, no trying to take over anything really. Is that clear?” Asked the beserker, a hint of thr inner beast lacing his words. Loki knew a threat when he heard one.

It was clear as day in his head that he had to behave until the time came when they decided to drop the kindness façade. By then, he would be ready to flee. At the very least he hoped that they gave him enough time for just that. “Trust me, Dr. Banner… I do not intend to do anything that would jeopardize my time here.”  

Notes:

Well, I hope you're enjoying this so far, well, not the part of Loki suffering, that's not meant to be pleasing ._.

Anyway, constructive criticism, comments, bookmarks, and kudos is always appreciated!!

P.S. Please do remember Loki has been through a LOT sooo he's not his usual self in this fanfic.

Chapter 8: The Cube

Notes:

And I'm back! Missed me~? Haha well here's a chapter, a tiny bit longer than usual to make up for last week. Again, I'm not sure if I'll be able to update next week, I'll try, but I wanted to mention it just in case.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“J.A.R.V.I.S. give me the top and frontal view.” The blue holographic design shifted in the air, like magic, giving the engineer more access and a better view of his little creation. “Thanks.” 

“Sir, the explanation of the current situation that you gave to Miss Potts is insufficient to convince her. I suggest you leave this project for another moment and spend some time thinking about what else you will be telling her.” 

“J.A.R.V.I.S. you spoil the fun in everything… Fine... But it's like 3 am. She's probably asleep. Anyway, file my battlebot away and tell me what the resident demi-god is doing right now.” The small robot design vanished and was replaced by a projection showing Loki laying on his bed.

“It's actually 6 am, Sir. He seems to be drifting between sleep and consciousness. Also, he is in pain but he has refused to use the morphine pump as of yet.” Said J.A.R.V.I.S. exasperated and concerned. 

“Too late to party but too early to drink... And why hasn't he used it? Didn't Brucie explain it to him?” Tony looked at the god's face and could see the pain written all over it. His eyes were shut tightly and his good hand desperately clung to the bed sheets. He couldn't understand why Loki wouldn't use the pump, it was obvious that the pain was unbearable.  

"Dr. Banner did explain its use before leaving, but Skywalker refuses to use it. We should consider the possibility that drugs were used as a torture method back in Asgard. He could fear any type of drug use because of this. I would suggest explaining more in detail its use, Sir. He does seem to trust you, for whatever inexplicable reason." Answered the AI with a hint of sarcasmTony smirked at this, but soon it morohed into a grimace.

"Am I gonna to have to explain every freaking drug they give him? This is getting annoying... And boring.... Patch me through J.A.R.V.I.S." His AI obliged and patched through a connection to the medical room's speakers. "Hey, Sweetcakes." The god, who'd shut his eyes in pain, widened them, completely startled. "Calm down, it's just your buddy, Tony Stark." 

"Where are you, Stark? I can neither see nor sense you." That earned a chuckle from Tony.  

"I'm in another room, speaking through the speakers. I'm coming up to the med bay now. Anyway, you see the buttons over there, on the machine right next to your shoulder?" As he spoke, Tony took a dirty towel from one of his workbenches and wiped his hands while walking out of his workshop. 

"Yes? It is the one for the 'Morphine pump' if I recall correctly..." The image of the god drifted along the wall as Tony walked down the corridors. In the projection Loki shifted uncomfortably in his bed, giving more weight to J.A.R.V.I.S. theory.  

"Yeah, well, morphine is medicine. It's designed to help you with pain and it absolutely safe, but only to be used when one is in too much pain to bare. Right now, hotrod, you are obviously in that amount of pain, so use it. You'll take longer to recuperate if you are constantly tense and sweating. So just press the one that looks like a cross a few times when you can't take the pain. Trust me, I've used it countless times before when I've had 'unfortunate accidents'." His last words were delivered directly as he entered Loki's room. The mage didn't answer, only looked over to the button and after a few excruciation moments finally pushed the pump's button a few times. His eyes broadly opened for a few seconds and they slowly started to close again afterward, all his features relaxing considerably. 

"J.A.R.V.I.S. let Bruce know that Skywalker used the pump." As his AI confirmed the action was done, Tony pulled up a chair, took out a small cube from his pocket and sat down next to the bed.  

"This is the first time I have heard you... use one of my proper titles." The god's words were slurred, evidently, the morphine was taking effect.  

"Yeah, we use it as a code, don’t need anyone snooping around and finding your name around here." Tony started to fiddle with the colorful cube, shifting it back and forth in a trance. 

"I do not understand, it is still one of my titles... will it not be just as recognizable as my formal name?" There was an obvious tone of concern and fear laced with the mage's words. 

"It's a long story. Don't worry, no one will find you here, my security is the best." Gloated Tony. He constantly upgraded his software, it would take far too long for anyone to hack his system and J.A.R.V.I.S. would detect any attempt with more than enough time to stop it.  

"I thought your precious S.H.I.E.L.D. was able to break it and trap you inside your own residence before." Said the god, doubtful. 

He had to admit that one hurt. "Hey! That was one time. It won't happen again." Since then, nothing has been able to pass his watch. He wouldn't let that happen again. He had too many things he needed to protect. 

"I... I apologize... I did not mean to offend... I-I'm sorry... I.." Fear was too evident in the god's eyes. He was terrified and tried to back away from a confused engineer. 

"Wow, calm down, Shakespeare. It's ok, I said I wouldn't hurt you, geez... Look, I'm a wits type of guy, I like sass and comebacks, something like that won't offend me enough to break my promise. I might be an ass but I keep my word." Said the engineer.

"I... I see... then... May I ask something?" Permission to talk, no one cared to ask Tony for permission to talk, ever.

This was far too uncomfortable for Tony, he had to make Loki understand somehow that there was no need for stuff like that. It was just too weird. It made the Avenger feel like he was... As if he was like The Ten Rings... A kidnapper, a torturer... Tony had to change that, soon. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Tony remember to answer. "Sure, ask away."  

"Why... Why would... No... I meant... What is that in your hands?" Asked nervously the god. Tony was sure that was not the question he wanted to ask, but he was willing to let it slip for now. He still didn't quite have the answer to the question that hung in the air.  

"Oh, this little thing?" Tony lifted the small cube he had forgotten he was fidgeting with. "It's called the Mystical Cube of Rubik's." 

"Please do not patronize me, Stark." Tony laughed at this. He couldn't tell if Loki was still scared or not of talking back when he made comments like that.

"One moment you're scared shitless to speak up and then the next the sass comes back almost full force. I can't tell what's going on in that pretty little head of yours." Said the engineer as he fidgeted with the cube a few more times and finished all the patterns.

"Trust me, Stark... You do not wish to know what transpires in my mind..." There it was again... The fear... 

"Ehm well, anyway, it's a Rubik's Cube, it's a puzzle, a toy. You have to move the pieces so that they all match. Each face has a different color.  I like to let my hands wander around with it when I have to think. I don’t even have to look at it anymore to do it. Part of being a genius." Tony broke it apart and began to solve it again. He could almost taste the amount of interest that poured out of the god. His eyes were fixed on the colored tiles, and the longing was almost palpable. "You... Wanna try it, Rock of Ages?" 

"May I?" Asked the god, his eyes sparkling with something like hopeful joy. It hit Tony. It hit him hard. Those eyes. The fact that such a simple thing could make those eyes sparkle with so much joy was too much. How could anyone think that what they did to him back in Asgard was fair?... How could anyone break another being without breaking themselves?... He couldn't stand it. Tony abruptly stood up, knocking the chair back, making the god whine.  

He stared at the face in front of him and swore he would kill whoever did this, he would find everyone who was responsible and he would beat them bloody. He would fly them into the atmosphere until they could no longer breath, and right before they lost consciousness, he would let them go and would watch how their suffocating bodies fell and hit the ground and he would enjoy the sound of all their bones breaking, he wou-

"ir! Sir!" Snapping back to reality, Tony heard his concerned AI's voice. "Sir! It seems Skywalker is having another panic attack!" 

Tony'd lost sight of that in front of him to the amount of hate and anger he felt. It was slowly returning to him now. "Wha... Why? What happened?" 

"Sir, you suddenly stood up and stared down at Mr. Skywalker in extreme rage. He tried to apologize but you didn't respond and he began to hyperventilate." He had been completely lost to rage. So full of hate that he hadn't noticed he was looking at the alien at all. Loki surely must have thought it was all directed towards himself.  

"Lokes! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that, it's not you I'm mad at, look at me please." Tony didn't comprehend were all those morbid thoughts came from... he had never been so mad in his life, aside from his hatred towards the Ten Rings. It was understandable that he hated the Asgardians as much as the Ten Rings for what they did, but he had never wished his tortures such an awful death...

"I.. I'm so sorry... I will not ask for it again. I'm sorry... Please forgive me.." Loki could barely move on his own, his entire left arm was in a cast, his whole torso was covered in bandages and stitches. His right leg was immobilized with a removable leg boot cast and his head was wrapped in bandages and gazes. It was impossible to move without excruciating pain. Nevertheless, the god desperately tried to curl in on himself, shielding his face with his good arm. 

"Loki... You don't have to apologize, it's not you I'm mad at, you can use the cube if you want. Please look at me, I won't hurt you, I promised, remember?" Tried to reassure the engineer. 

"Pr..promise?... Pro... Promises mean nothing!... Lies!... Lies.. It is all lies..." He shook ferociously, his voice sounding smaller and smaller with each word. It was a terrible sight to behold. He was mearly skin and bones, malnutrition evident in his more than usual paleness. His naturally beautiful and sharp features were far too pronounced to be healthy. 

"Well I'm Tony Stark, my promises mean a lot, I told you I keep my word, please, I swear I won't hurt you."  

"Please..." The purr was gone, the delicate but strong song that was his voice was replaced with the frailness and fear of a small child who calls out for their mother in the dark. 

"I swear I won't... Here” Slowly Tony placed the cube by Loki's side on the bed. "You can have that one, I can get a new one... Please look at me..." tried to offer he avenger. 

"Sta... Stark..." The trembling arm was slowly lifted, showing a glimpse of eyes filled with desperation. Yet he still wouldn't look at the engineer, his sight was set on the cube now. 

"Come on, use it. Well, I guess it'll be a bit hard to play with it with just one hand but I bet you can do it, you're smart, not as smart as me, I am a genius after all, but close... Come on... Look at me, please..." pleaded the inventor. 

Slowly the god set his hand down, picking up the cube. He looked at it for a moment and then his eyes locked with the Avenger's. "... I... May I?..."  

"Yeah! Sure, use it... Ehm... You want some water?" Without waiting for an answer, Tony stood up and walked over to the table where a jar was set.

"I.. I would appreciate some..." Answered the god as Tony picked up two cups and filled them. As Tony sat down again, he saw that the mage had already solved one of the faces.

"Oh wow, that was fast. Quick learner, I see." He knew the god was insanely smart, maybe just as smart as himself actually, or more. But it was refreshing to see it proven. "I bet by the end of the week you'll get it done." Tony told Loki as he set the cube down and held the cup with the straw. 

"...How many days are left for this week?" Asked the god intrigued after taking a gulp of water.  

"Today is... Tuesday night, I think, so five days." Tony wasn't sure, he had long lost track of time. He had Pepper and J.A.R.V.I.S. to remind him of stuff like this.

Right on quo, the AI's voice filled the room. "Actually, Sir, today is Friday. It's already 6:25 am. That would make it three days." 

"I do believe I could get it before the day ends, Stark." That delicacy was returning to the god's voice. That mesmerizing purr. 

"Ha! You get it by the end of today and I'll take you out on a date." Tony didn't actually mean to say anything like that. But he was the eternal playboy and the words just... slipped out. He wanted to hit himself for being such a dickhead. No way would Loki want anything with Tony. He had been tortured and raped... No way that he would take those words lightly.

"Is that a challenge, Stark?" Yet that was the answer that left the pale lips. It surprised Tony. He surely expected another panic attack, certainly not this. But he might as well go with it for now. 

"Sure, if you don't get it, then you'll have to go on a date with me." Shut up, Tony! Stop making it worse! Thought the idiot genius.  

"I do not see the difference between winning and losing if those are the proposed conditions." Safe for now... He should really shut up and leave before he blows everything. 

"Well if you win, you get to choose where and what we do. If you don't, you're stuck going and doing whatever I choose, how about that?" Keep it simple Tony. Don't get so involved. This is only a one-time thing. Just to keep him happy. Afterward, he's going to a cell. Not to be tortured but to actually pay for his crimes, in a fair way, but in a cell. He is still an enemy. A sexy alien demi-god enemy...

"Do... Do you mean as... A servant?" Said the mage in a small voice.

Shit... You're the world's biggest asshole and the most retarded genius. "What? No! No no no, if you really don't want to go or do what I say then its ok, I won't force you to do anything... If you're not ok with it, I'll choose something else to do..."  Fix your shit, Stark.  

"I see... Then I accept your challenge, Stark. Yet I must warn you, I have a rapid learning pace. I do expect to win this challenge." There we go... There is it... The purr... You're a fucking idiot, Stark. The world's freaking biggest asshole and the most idiotic, dickheaded genius. 

Notes:

This chapter was so nerve wrecking for me, ideas just wouldn't pop into my head! In the end, it was the power or The Mystical Cube of Rubik's that helped me. I was solving mine, as I often do, and I placed it on my forehead and then the ideas just popped! Hope they were good ones and that you enjoyed them.

P.S. Thanks Jay for the suggestions, you'll probably be seeing some of them in the future ;)

Chapter 9: What will they do?

Notes:

X.X Sorry for the late update, I lost half of the fanfic and had to rewrite it all.

P.S. I went to see Doctor Strange and Fantastic Beasts and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED both! I'll probably add a Dr. Strange cameo at some point X3

ENJOY~!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The bridge was as brilliant as it had always been. Each step taken on its surface would light up with the vivid colors of the universe and they were accented with the soft notes of melody. But he had long forgotten to appreciate the glamor of the Bifrost. He mounted his horse and rode forward in a hurry. Leaving the bridge behind, he reached the city and called for people to make way. He made sure to avoid any who did not heed his warning in time.

He had been away for far too long. During the long year and the countless battles, he had had enough time to think of what he should have done since the moment he came back to Asgard. He was aware that the battles had to be fought, but he should have taken the time to do the right thing. He should have set it as a priority. He should not have let his emotions get in the way of true justice. It had to be done and he had to be there to do it himself. 

He reached the palace and headed down the stairs to the dungeons in haste. He still had not thought of what he was going to actually say or do but he hoped that when the time came, the words would flow and his actions would be just. 

The guards posted on duty saluted the warrior and tried to inform him of something but he had no time for them, he passed the main doors ignoring their words. Walking down the last corridor, he immediately noticed something was wrong. Running and looking inside the cell, he found the shielding and lights had been turned off. The room was empty. 

There was nothing left, he could still feel traces of that unmistakable magic, but no sign of its source. "Guards! I demand to know what has happened!" Those same guards who had tried to warn him, ran in to answer their call.  

"The prisoner was removed from his cell a few weeks back. He was sent before the Allfather an-" without waiting for the guard to finish, the large Aesir rushed out of the dungeons and headed for the throne room. Disregarding the servants who told him the Allfather was busy, he nearly blew the doors off their hinges as he barged in.  

This could not be happening, he finally understood what must be done but once more he was too late. Always too late when it mattered. Always too late for his brother... "What have you done to him?! Tell me what have you done to my brother!" He stared at the figure that sat at the throne, the Allfather, and his wary eyes. He needed answers. Had to know what he could do. He simply could not let this go now that he knew what had to be done. 

"Thor... My beloved son..." 


Three weeks... Three weeks since Loki has been in the tower and they still can't see it. Thought Pepper as she carefully observed from a distance the scene unfolding in front of her. "Ok, I'll be removing the cast now, try not to move your arm, please." Said Bruce as he prepared his tools to start.  

"Don't worry Lokes, he knows what he's doing. Plus I'm here, you know everything is better when I'm here." Said Tony in his flirtatious tone. Lately, it was the only tone that he used to speak with the god. 

"I do have a certain degree of doubt on that matter, Stark." Responded Loki with a tone much too similar to Tony's.  

Pepper couldn't understand what was going on. She knew her boss was capable of flirting with anything that had legs, but this seemed different like he actually meant some of the things he said. Generally speaking, his compliments were ways real. He'd always been far too honest and straightforward. Yet they usually didn't have any special feeling behind them. No emotion behind them. But this? This was different somehow.

In those three weeks, Tony had spent most of the time with the god. She asked J.A.R.V.I.S. frequently what they did and the AI answered that they spent it talking mostly, sharing stories of their childhood. They talked about how human and Aesir science and technology worked and how they differentiated. Rather average stuff in general, which would be ok if this wasn't the most melodramatic and narcissistic duo she knew. 

Tony even brought the god a few classic books, some popular ones, and a few about modern science and technology. According to Tony, the god would read them in a few hours and could understand them easily. Tony often mentioned that Loki was a rapid learned but it all just seemed so impossible for Pepper. 

A few times she even sat down in the chair far from the bed and would just stare at them in awe. It would normally take them half an hour or more to notice she was even there with them. She knew they were similar in many ways, but to actually see them interact in such mundane ways was really weird.  

"Ok, done, you can try to move your arm now, but do it slowly. I'm going to have you do a set of exercises daily for the next week to make sure it healed alright. For now, I have to leave so try to not move it too much 'till I come back." Said Bruce, as he cleared the cast's residue and packed his tools back in the bag.  

"Thank you, Dr. Banner" answered the god with a smile. It looked so genuine and it only confused Pepper more.

"No problem, but you should really let the nurses help you more. Tony and I have vouched for them, please trust they are here to help, no matter what their personal opinion might be." Responded Bruce as he got ready to leave. Pepper had to think carefully of what she would do next and took the chance to leave the room as well. 

She was conflicted, to say the least. She was almost certain that the god wasn't faking his injuries, but she couldn't tell what he was trying to do here. Was he trying to get Tony to trust him to later stab him in the back? Or was all this genuinely how he normally acted? Which was the lie and which was the truth?... She couldn't tell, but she was sure that she wouldn't let him hurt Tony... Even if she had to break her promise with Tony and tell the other Avengers... 


"You're kidding me right?" Asked Bruce with amusement as he walked into the room again and saw the duo playing a board game. He had to admit it was interesting and very entertaining to watch the two interact.  

He had thought of their similarities prior to the god's arrival at the tower but to actually see them interact was far more amusing than he had expected.  

"Did you finish watching the marathon? Did you even sleep yesterday?" Asked Bruce. It was nice to see Tony out of his workshop, interacting with people again but the medical side of him was annoyed at the lack of sleep his patient was getting. 

"Nah, sleep is for the weak." Answered Tony while commanding one of the figures to move. Did he make that? Of course, he did, it's an identical replica to Holochess. Thought Bruce. 

"Loki is weak right now, he has to rest, you can't keep him up like that, Tony." It was true that he was healing much faster than any normal grown human male would, but he was still 88% mortal at the moment, they had to make sure he healed properly. 

"I'm sorry, Dr. Banner, that was my fault, I asked to continue watching... And if I recall correctly, you fell asleep during Attack of the Clones, Stark." There was a hint of guilt and fear in Loki's apology, but it was quickly hidden behind the joke and his next's move's command. 

"I closed my eyes to mourn Jango." Said Tony as he pouted at the board. 

"And I presume that snoring is also part of the mourning costume for mortals? Also, there are only two pieces left." Annoyance flared in Tony's face. The engineer was an excellent strategic player, he had even beaten Reed Richard at chess before, to be beaten surely would come as a great surprise to anyone. 

"Oh shut it, I made you the most accurate and detailed Dejarik game ever just so your sorry ass doesn't get bored. And I know both you fellas are trying to distract me, probably made a deal with each other, but I'm not losing now." Said the engineer determined. 

"And I am truly grateful for the amount of effort you grant me... I still do not comprehend why you do so..." The last words were but a whisper, barely audible but loud enough to render both scientists mute for a moment. They still hadn't determined why they were doing all this or what to do next besides placing him in a decent cell, but Bruce didn't want to think of it at the moment. He could see the strong bond that was building between those two and he dreaded the day it would have to end.

"And I am sad to announce that you are mistaken, Stark. You lose, I played the last standing piece." Bruce laughed at the astonishment in his friend's face but was not really surprised. Everyone knew the god was a genius. Tony had truly met his match.  

Not many were able to keep up with Tony and understand him intellectually and as a person. It made him sad that his friend's match was actually an enemy. It made sense, everything about Tony was overly dramatic, but it still didn't seem fair in many ways. He truly wished they had met under different circumstances... 


What am I even doing...? Tony asked himself. He wasn't sure what was even going on anymore. He spent most of the time with Loki nowadays but he couldn't tell if it was out of pity, out of scientific curiosity, because they were so similar or if it was something else.

He repeatedly told himself it didn't matter for now, but the god was healing fast and soon they would have to make a decision. He wasn't sure if he would make the right one, or what the right one even was, but he would have to decide something soon. Making the last move, Loki spoke "You have lost yet again, Stark. But this was not a fair game, your mind is lost in a distant place." Said the god. 

"Huh? Oh sorry, yeah I'm kinda bored of playing... You want some coffee? I'm falling asleep here." He wanted to trust and forgive Loki. He couldn't tell exactly why, but he did. The mage had already paid more than enough for his crimes, physically, but Tony had to make sure he actually felt regret or understood that his actions were wrong. 

"If I bore you, you should have let me know earlier and I would have stopped wasting your time..." That tone sure sounded like a deflated balloon... ok, Stark, you're poetic skills need work as well as your indecisiveness, oh and your sensitivity as well, you dick wad. 

"No no, it's not that, you don't bore me, I dare say you're one of the most entertaining people, or well, beings, that has had the pleasure of talking to me. But I've barely slept and I only drank one cup this morning so I'm due to another shot." The alien understood many things no one else around him could even begin to grasp. It was always so refreshing to speak and be fully understood.  

"I see. It pleases me to hear you say that you enjoy my company. And yes, I would very much like to try coffee." Said the god with a small smile. Tony wanted them to be friends, or maybe something closer... but how? How would everyone else react? how would Tony explain it all? Wait... try?

"Wait a minute, try? As in, you've never tried coffee before??" well firstly, how was Tony going to even bring up the fact that the god has been in the tower for three weeks now?  

"Yes, last time I was on Midgard, I was a little too... preoccupied to try the local cuisine." Said Loki with a grimace. 

"Right... Well, it's a deal-breaker for me so you have to try it. You like bitter things? I'll just bring a few things for tasting." Tony walked out of the room before the god could answer. He hated being reminded of the New York incident. It triggered bad memories and to have the one that caused most of it in front of him, did not help his tired mind. It also did not help the decision-making.

One moment he wanted Loki to be free and pardoned for all his crimes seeing as he had been punished enough and the next he was doubting the god, asking himself if this was all just an act or if the god would try to conquer them again if he escaped. No matter what, Loki would have to eventually prove himself, then the decision would be made. 

Tony placed the coffee machine in the doctor's lounge, and a few other things, on a cart and brought it back to the room. He set all the things in place and made different types of coffee for Loki to try. He grabbed the first cups and sat down on the chair next to the bed. "I'm not a great cook but prepare to be mindblown by my exceptional coffee-making skills." 

"Why would my mind explode?" Asked Lokes looking concerned. 

"No... that's just... an expression... just expect to be amazed by my skills. Prepare that royal pallet of yours for awesomeness" tried to explain Tony as started to prepare the first cup.

"Ah, I see, another of your strange mortal phrasings. Exceptional skill, you say? I certainly shall be the judge of that. I do not expect much more than it to be tolerable." Said the alien, exerting as much Royal energy as he could being both physically and mentally injured.

"Rudolph the Rude Nosed Reindeer, that's who you are."


Loki had to come up with an escape plan soon. As soon as he healed enough to move freely, he had to leave. No matter how much he wanted to stay, he simply could not wait until their kindness ran out. Both avengers had treated him with much care but it meant nothing to the god. It could not. He would not let it mean anything. Soon, as everyone always did, they would betray him. 

The company of Tony had been truly enjoyable. The mortal had spent most of his free time with him and had helped with anything that Loki needed. He had brought books, games, and 'movies' to pass the time and had spent many hours talking with the god of many different topics. It was not often that Loki met someone who could keep up with him intellectually. Most Aesir valued strength and honor over everything else, almost none but himself valued knowledge and intellect. Well, you are not actually Aesir after all. Bitterly though Loki. 

But all that did not matter. Surely it was to gain something from the prince. It always came down to that in his life. Everyone who showed him kindness always expected something in return. No one did anything for free. He had learned this the hard way early in life. 

Yet there was still a small spark of hope in his heart. He truly longed for someone to understand him. For someone, he could trust. For someone, he could depend on fully. For far too long he had been alone.  

No! It does not matter! I will get out of here, I will escape and go as far away from the nine realms as I can! I refuse to let anyone else betray me. I will betray them before they get anything out of me... I can not permit... I can not let my heart be... be shattered again...  I refuse to be told what to do. I refuse to submit. I refuse to be hurt anymore!

"You ok there, Mr. Grumpy? You'll shred the sheets if you grip them too tight." Said Tony with the cup of coffee in his hands. Loki had to calm down, he could not let his plans be discovered. 

"Ah, forgive me... I... made a wrong movement with my arm and it hurt badly." Tried to cover up the god. 

"Mention that to Brucie later. For now, try the coffee. Careful tho', it's hot, not as much as you but still, watch the tongue." Said the human with a wink.

"Thank you, it is very much appreciated... Sta-" before Loki could continue, the red-headed woman walked into the room with quick steps. 

"Miss Po-"  the voice in the ceiling began to say but was immediately stopped by the mortal women.

"J.A.R.V.I.S. mute." She ordered the sentient voice.

"Hey, why're you muting J?" Stark asked her, a bit annoyed as she headed for the opposite side of the room.

"Tony, just don't..." said the woman as she stood by the wall.

"Oh come on, what did I do now?" Asked the avenger as he stood up. From the door, another voice answered. One Loki had heard for the first time in Germany. One who froze all the blood in his veins.

"You kept a very important matter secret from your team and you aided an intergalactic war criminal, Tony. That's what you did." said the Captain as he walked into the room.

Notes:

Ooooohohohoho what shall happen now?!?

Chapter 10: A beautiful lie

Notes:

Here we go! We reached 10 chapters! Yay! We're not even half way through tho X'D this is just the beginning.

Hey if anyone feels like talking to me or wants to give me a more personal opinion of the story, you can find me in the Loki Amino community, my ID is king_of_mischief. Ima kinda the leader XD

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"Steve?! What are you doing here?! J.A.R.V.I.S. un-mute. Why didn't you tell me he was coming here?!" This could not be happening. Tony knew the time would come that he would have to tell the others and they would have to make a choice, but this was too soon. He couldn't let them take Loki away, not yet, not until he understood what was going on between them.

"I'm sorry, Sir. Miss Potts found a loophole and muted me so I could not warn you in time." No, he wasn't ready yet. Not yet. Why didn't they get that it was too soon?!

"Pepper... I trusted you... I trusted you and you ratted me out..." It had to be Pepper, out of all people. His most trusted friend betrayed him... Now more than ever he understood Loki... He had been betrayed by Stane... But to be betrayed by Pepper was on a whole different level.

"Im sorry, Tony, but we can't trust him! He tried to take over the world, hundreds died because of him!" Said Pepper. Right there, that was the last straw... He made his choice. Right then and there he made his choice. There was no need for more thinking. Everything was clear now.

"So did I, Pepper. For years, millions died because of my inventions, but you and many others stood by me and did nothing to stop it. Life gave me a second chance and now I'm paying back by being Iron Man. Now Lokes, he's paid enough already for all of it! Did you even see his injuries?! He was stripped of his magic, tortured and raped. He has paid enough, make him do some charity work if you have to, for the public eye, but he's paid enough as it is!" Argued the engineer.

"That's not for you to judge, Tony. Besides we don't really know if he's telling the truth!" Shouted Pepper.

He would protect Loki, no matter what. He would help the god and do anything it took to save him. He would teach him that his actions were wrong if he didn't already know it and he would help him pay for his actions with good deeds in return. No cell, no prison, no punishments. No more.

"He can use magic! How are we supposed to know if it's not all just an illusion?!" He could not believe this was coming from Pepper, who had pointed a knife at the god's throat and had seen he was not faking. No one could fake such intense fear.

"Freaking. Science! Magic is just science that hasn't been explained. Bruce and I take readings of his magic countless times a day, he would probably pass out if he tried anything big." The more they argued, the worst Loki's condition would get. He had to take this somewhere else before something bad happened.

"No matter what your excuses are, your first priority should have been to inform us, Tony. Second should have been to hand him over to S.H.I.E.L.D." And there was the good ol' cap, always butting in with his righteousness at the worst possible moment.

"What? So they can throw his dying ass in a cell for weeks, claim they didn't know he was that injured and then take the liberty of dissecting him?" There was no way he would hand Loki to S.H.I.E.L.D. They would use any excuse to torture and experiment on him.

"Tony you know the-" Steve was interrupted by a sharp scream coming from Loki. Green light and mist were covering his body as it vanished.

"Stop! You're going to kill yourself! Loki stop!!" But it was too late, the light picked up intensity and blinded them all. Once they could see again, the bed was empty. Loki was gone.

"I thought you said he didn't have magic!" No.. No, no, no! This could not be happening! Tony had to find him. A trick like that would probably knock him out. A disoriented PTSD demi-god alien is NOT a good idea, for him and for anyone around him.

"He only has like 12%! Doing something like that would drain him completely! He might fucking die because of you two! J.A.R.V.I.S. start a search for his magic readings. He probably has almost no magic left in him but there should be at least a trail." Instructed the engineer.

"We have to find him, Tony. Now." Said Steve. Tony had to take control of the situation. No one else could know what was happening. He had to keep it a secret from the others for now. He had to bargain with the cap.

"Yes, but Steve, please, just you, me and Bruce, please let us explain before you tell the others, please. He couldn't have gone far with the amount of magic he had, he's probably still in the tower or in the nearby areas."

"... Fine... But only because the Hulk would have come out by now if he felt Loki was an actual threat. But you better have an excellent reason for this." The soldier sounded furious and a furious soldier was never a good companion in a search mission.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence..." said Tony sarcastically. "J.A.R.V.I.S. you got something?" Asked Tony, his voice tainted with deep desperation.

"He doesn't seem to be in the tower, Sir. Shall I broaden the search for all of Manhattan?" Asked the AI.

"Shit... Yeah, do that, buddy. Also, tell Bruce to meet us at the tower's entrance. Oh and tell him to bring his med kit. Cap, let's go catch ourselves a god." Said, Tony, as he headed out the door.

"Let me get my shield." Noooo no no no no. Not a good idea. At all. The god was freaked out without the uniform, striped spandex would probably give him a heart attack.

"No, no gear. We are not gonna fight him. The guy could barely move as it was, he's probably laying somewhere, having a panic attack and bleeding to death because you two assholes just had to barge in and scare the living crap out of the barely magical guy suffering from some serious PTSD. So no suite, no gear." Said the inventor sternly.

"Tony this is a terrible idea... But fine.. Let's go, before I change my mind and call the others." They both head down the corridor, straight for the main elevator.


Everything was blindingly white. He could not see or hear anything. He did not know where he was, or if he was even alive. Every part of his body hurt and he could feel some of his injuries had reopened. Everything around him stank. Standing up, breathing even, was near impossible. Everything felt cold, too cold even for Loki. Yet he was sweating. He felt sticky and disgusting. It was bad, really bad.

Loki was scared, really scared. He remembered back to the times in the dungeons where they would blind him and chain him down for days. He would scream and thrash until the stitches in his mouth would tear his lips apart. He would be left with a shredder mouth for days and then his lips would be healed so that they could be stitched again.

Countless times he asked himself if the guards did it for their entertainment or if they just did not want to bother with torturing him themselves... He could not tell which was worst... He was scared, so scared.

He kept trying to adjust his senses but nothing worked. He started to panic. He was terrified. Would he die here? Would he die alone? What if someone found him? What would they do? What if the Avengers found him? What if Heimdall told Odin that he had done something as terrible as run away from his mast... No, he would never use that word again. His captors. What if he sent guards to collect him?

He had to get away. He could not stay there, but he also could not move. Everything was cold. Everything was wrong. It was terrible. It was awful. He wanted it to end. All of it. He could not take any more of it. He tried to get up but only fell back down.

"I.. I have to move, I have.. I have to move... Can not... Can not stay, can not, can not... No..."

He was going to die. He was going to die, no matter what. Stark had lied. He lied. He said he would keep Loki safe. But he lied. This was the plan all along. To pretend to be friendly to then betray him and hand him over to S.H.I.E.L.D. Everything he had said and done was to make Loki feel safe and understood. It had all been part of the plan. It had all been a lie, a beautiful lie. He made a weak attempt to laugh and swore with no effort to kill Tony for lying to him if he survived. It was a beautiful lie indeed, even for the God of Lies.

The whitness was fading and he could make out shapes. He assumed he was in some type of ally or corridor by the giant walls beside him, but it no longer mattered. He was losing consciousness. From white to grey, to dark, so much darkness, to black, oh such pure blackness.

His hearing was next. The sharp ringing became noises. He could hear the sound of machinery, he presumed it was the vehicles he had seen the  last time he had come to Midgard. Also the sound of bustling people. They were far away but he could hear them rushing by and talking. Humans going on about life without a care in the world. He was dying and it mattered not to them. It had no effect on their pathetic existences. They just kept going and going and going, nonstop, until they died and rotted deep in the soil, then it all started again with the next lowly soul.

He was going to die in the most miserable way. He had always thought he would go out with at least some type of glory, but it seemed appropriate in the end. The monster and his pathetic and miserable death. Nothing more fitting than to die forgotten.

He thought he saw someone walk into the ally and shout but he was not sure anymore. The shapes were all blurred and the sounds were indistinguishable.

In the end, Stark had finally proven to him that he was truly a monster and no one would ever care for him. No one would trust him. No one would love him. He would die and no one would even care. A typical death for a monster.

He felt something move beside him and felt something touch him but he could not care less at that point. He was going to die, what did it matter if someone robbed him? He did not carry anything of value on him, he was still wearing his hospital clothes, he presumed, so it was a worthless effort.

Another pair of what seemed like hands touched him and started to lift him. Were they taking him somewhere? He had heard that some mortals sold organs in Midgard. Maybe they wanted to take out his. He internally laughed knowing that it was probably useless considering his organs were not functioning properly nor did they worked like that of a mortal. They would be getting faulty merchandise out of him. He wanted to protest being manhandled but there was really no point in doing so.

The ones carrying him set him down somewhere and he could feel that it moved. It could be one of those vehicles, he thought. One of them opened his eyelids and shone a light at his eyes. It was uncomfortable but he did not move away. He just wished he lost consciousness once and for all.

Just as he thought his wishes were coming true, he heard a voice. Someone was trying to talk to him, urging him to wake up. He slowly opened his eyes again and tried to focus. It was a male with short brown hair. The male spoke again and his voice might have sounded familiar. Was it Stark?

"St... ark?" He tried to focus again but immediately regretted it. It was not Stark or anyone he knew.

"Hey, sorry...  but this is going to hurt... We'll be as gentle as we can... Again, sorry..."

No... No!

Notes:

Comments, Kudos, Subscriptions and Bookmarks give me life and help me keep writing so please hit those pretty little buttons~!

Also, it's the only way for me to know people are actually reading this ;3;

Chapter 11: World Inside the Tree

Notes:

The song for this chapter is Kate Covington's cover of the song Come Little Children: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1t8-_pI1-9Q

Hope you like the chapter, it was interesting to write.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"What are you doing, sweetie?"

"Mother? Where am I?" Loki looked down and saw he was standing inside a pond. He scanned the areas around him. He saw the bushes filed with the brightest of wild flowers, tamed into perfection. He saw the stone path that slithered over the grass like a serpent. He could see all the trees with their marvelous fruits and flowers in full bloom. He was right at the center of the garden he loved and knew so perfectly well.

"In my gardens... What is wrong my child? Why are you inside the pond?" 

"I... I am not sure... I had a night terror... I dreamt everyone had betrayed me and horrible things were done to me... I can not recall clearly all those things, but I was terrified... What could that mean?" Asked Loki, feeling a sinister cold slide over his bones.

"Nothing my child, they were just night terrors, they are not real. You are safe here. Now come out of that pond and dry your clothes before you get sick." 

"My dad's gonna kill me if he sees him here, in my room." Said a distant voice.

"I'm sorry Harry, I'll say it was my idea." he heard another voice say. Two different male voices. Children perhaps.

"Who said that? Who goes there?" Even as distant as they sounded, he could hear clearly what they were saying.

"Who said what? What are you going on about, Loki?" He looked around and saw no one. He was completely alone. Something aside the voices was odd but he dismissed it.

"I... I heard two voices... Did you not hear them, mother?" He was sure he had not imagined it. How did she not hear them? Why?

"No, child, now please come out of that pond." Quickly, he stepped out of the water. He used the spell he had learned so many years ago, when Thor and his friend constantly pushed him into the cold waters, to dry himself.

"Well that could work, he totally wants to disown me and adopt you."

"Don't say that Harry... Now, Peter, explain to me why we can't take him to the hospital?" A third female voice joined the other two.

"We just... Can't... Please trust me, Gwen..." 

"There! Now they are three. Do you not hear them Mother??" He sent out low waves of magic to scan the entire garden, but found no one. There was something wrong here. He could feel it. It was not the voices, they were strange, but not menacing. Something else was happening, something he could not see.

"No Loki, you are simply tired and imagining things. You should sleep, rest for a while, you deserve tranquility."

"Pete, you may be a major science geek, but you're no doctor. I'm with Gwen on this one." Said the slightly deeper male voice, Harry, was it?

"On this one? What do you mean on this one? I'll have yo-... Did he just move?" asked the lighter male voice, Peter or Pete.

"Mother who are they? Is this some sort of jest? I thought it was me who was usually prone to mischief." He smiled at his comments. Many did not approve of his tricks, one being the All-father. But from time to time, as the All-father scolded him, he saw his mother quietly laughing. He knew she enjoyed some of them.

"There is no one else here but you. Now come over to the tree. Lay down and rest."

"Harry, go find something made of silk and put some ice in it and bring it." said the lighter male voice. 

"Why silk?" asked the other boy, doubtful.

"Don't question the science geek, just do it before we have to explain why there's a dead body on your bed." rushed the lighter voice.

"Fine." reluctantly agreed the boy with the deeper voice.

"I am not resting until I find where this voices come from and what is it they want." said Loki as he scanned the area again. 

"Silk? Really? Not your best so far. So I'm guessing this is Spidey stuff. What's going on Peter?" Asked the female voice.

"He's either not human or a mutant, doctors wouldn't know what to do with him. Hey, you conscious there, Sir?" Sharp pain overtook Loki's mind.

"Don't listen to the voices, my child. Come over to the tree. I remember how you discovered it, back when you were oh so small... one of the biggest trees in the garden, the one with the massive trunk, and yet it was dying from a fungi infection. I remember how you removed all of it, but it was too late for the tree. I remember you removed the dead wood from inside and kept the outer appearance with magic and made a hiding place for yourself." There was no one in sight and his magic detected nothing, he was truly alone. The voices might truly only be his imagination.

"No one ever found you or your secret tree. You would hide for hours, sometimes crying, sometimes sleeping and sometimes laughing at how well your pranks had worked on your brother. You made it into a safe haven for yourself. When you figured out how dimensional magic worked, you made it even bigger on the inside, added a table with a chair, a bookcase and even a bed. You even made a portal between your room in the palace and the tree, behind the fireplace."

"I never told anyone about the tree, or any of those moments, not even you, mother. How do you know of this?" Nervously asked the young Aesir. 

"I know everything about you, sweetie. You hide no secrets from me." There was no way she could know of the tree, since the moment he created it in his childhood, every day he had added wards and spells to protect the illusion from ever being found. Not even the Allfather himself could ever find it. How could she possibly know?

"Here you go Pete, ice on silk." Said the only slightly deeper male voice.

It should deeply concern him how she knew of the tree, but for some reason he could not concentrate on the matter, he suddenly felt tired. He tried to focus, but it was impossible.

"Sleep now, my Loki. Lay down and rest. Come by the tree and let me sing to you as you sleep." Not being able to do anything else, Loki walked towards the tree. The world around him suddenly grew but it did not concern the prince. Younger Loki placed his hand on the tree's trunk and entered his private world.

"Come now. Rest on the bed, allow me to sing you a lullaby." Slowly, kid Loki walked down the corridors towards his chambers. As he progressed in magic, he made the inside of the tree bigger and added more and more rooms. He stored books, weapons, and all sorts of rare artifacts he acquired through his long life. His currently small body did not match up to the years he knew he had in this tree. But he ignored all the small warning signs that kept popping up everywhere. He was too tired. He needed sleep. He should have listened to his mother sooner.

"I... I think he might be catatonic..." said the lighter male voice.

"Catatonic? For him to be catatonic, something seriously traumatizing must have happened to him, Peter..." said the young female voice.

"His injuries kinda makes that obvious." Said the slightly deeper male voice.

Catatonic? What did that mean? No, it did not matter, he decided to ignore the voices. He would only hear his mother. He finally arrived at the chambers he had made for himself at the very core of the tree. He looked around and everything was just as he remembered. The walls were covered with books of all sorts. It was his most priced collection of knowledge.

He took the book that laid on the bedside table and caressed the worn leather cover. It was a book of stories from his childhood. It had been his favorite while growing up. No matter the situation, it always brought him comfort to pass the pages and see the pictures his mother had drawn to make the stories more lively.

Passing the massive bed, he headed for the wall with artifacts. He carefully looked at them and reliving some of the memories, some were good, some not as much. Every time his eyes would linger in one who's memories were not of great time, pain would strike his head and his need for rest would increase.

"Come now, child, sleep."

"Ok, I've patched up his wounds... he lost a lot of blood... I don't really know much about catatonic states but it's gonna be impossible to wake him if we don't know what happened to him" said the lighter male voice, loosing a bit of the jesting Loki only now noticed he always carried around, turning more serious. He was young and obviously not used to such serious matters.

But why would the voices not stop speaking? Did they not understand he wanted to sleep? He laid down on the bed that was too large for his small child body, and closed his eyes.

"I could probably help with that, kid." Said a familiar, deeper and older male voice.

"I'm so sorry, Master Harry, they just stormed in." Said a elderly male voice.

Two more voice. One familiar, one he felt he should recognize, and one old voice. 5 people were now speaking in the mind of Loki.

"Mr. Stark?!" Asked the lighter male voice.

"Move it kid, you've done enough." said the familiar voice.

Stark? He could have sworn he had heard that name before, but where? Where was that name from? The more he tried to remember, the more tired he felt. He could barely keep his eyes open anymore. He could hear the singing of his mothrt and could feel her brushing his air. He was alone in the room, he knew she was not really there, but he could not process it or accept it.

"Come on Lokes, wake up. Don't go comatose on me." said the familiar voice that was laced with concern.

Lokes? Who was Lokes? Too tired. He was so tired.

"I'm sorry... I swear I didn't plan this. The Captain promises not to hurt you, he wants to hear your side of the story. Please... This is my fault.. I'm sorry Loki... Please wake up..." pleaded the familiar voice. He felt how weird it was to hear him plead but could not remember why.

Loki.... That was his own name, right?... Stark only mentioned his name when he was really worried.

"No Loki, do not listen to him. Stay here, rest, ignore everything els-..."

"Mother?..." He looked around and for the first time actually saw were he was. He was alone, his mother was not there. He had been alone all this time. As soon as he understood that non of this was real, his body was violently launched through his own mind. Every memory landed a physical blow on his body. His skin was shredded to pieces and was covered in blood and tears, not only his own, but also that of everyone he had hurt, everyone he hard wronged. It hurt. It was too much. He did not wake up screaming, everything hurt too much to scream, only tears ran down his face as he opened his eyes.

"Hey... hey there, Lokes. It's me, Tony." Stark was standing besides the bed Loki laid in.

"Why?..." Loki said as he closed his eyes again. He had a massive headache. Every part of his body hurt but his mind was the most vulnerable and raw.

"Why what?" There was so much concern in the mortal's voice. Too much.

"Why did you wake me? It hurts, everything hurts so much..." He wanted to sleep and never wake up. Far too much filled his head and he could feel the major damage that little teleportation trick did on his body.

"I... Eh... I don't know what to answer to that first part but we'll take you back to the tower now, hook you up to the morphine." There was so much concern and now confusion on Stark's voice. Why so much?


"No... Physically everything hurts as well, but I mean inside... I have done so many horrible things. Why would you help me? I have wronged you so much..." It just did not make sense. Anthony Edward Stark made no sense. Why was he here? Why was he helping him? Why was he so concerned? He could not afford to trust a former enemy so why did he felt so compelled to take the comfort Stark offered?

"Well.. I guess it's cause you remind me so much of myself. I've also done terrible things you know... I used to make weapons of mass destruction..." Silly things compared to what the alien had done.

"But the things I have done are wrong in such a larger scale..." Such a larger scale. He had cause so much damage and was the cause to so many ended lives.

"You've paid enough for all of it, okay? As far as I'm concerned, you're clean. Now is your chance to start fresh, prove you can be better. First step is admitting you did something wrong, so we can cross that off thr checklist. Second is regretting it and wanting redemption." He could not believe what was leaving the mouth of Stark... Should he trust him?... Could he really redeem himself, even if he had already become the monster everyone feared?... He was so tired..

He no longer cared for what others thought. He would try the way Stark offered ... He would trust again... Just once more. But that meant he had to explain everything that had happened and he was not sure he was ready for that.

"I am so sorry... I did not truly wish to hurt anyone. I had to do it... It was the only way to ensure time for the nine realms... I am so sorry I had to cause so much damage..." Agonizingly apologized Loki.

"Wait, what? What do you mean you had to? Had to what? Time for what?" Asked Tony. No... Not yet, he was not ready for that conversation. He needed time to think and sort himself.

"... I am so sorry... Ple...please allow me some time... Alone... Please..." Sorry Stark.... Please forgive me and give me time...

"... Okay... We can do that... Hey kid! Anywhere we can go talk in private?" Stark address a kid who Loki recognized as one of the voices he had heard when he was lost inside his own mind.

"Oh, ye-yes Mr. Stark! I'm Peter, she's Gwen and this is Harry's house, we could go to the study, right Harry?" The male child seemed to be overly nervous around Stark. Maybe he idolized the avenger.

"Ehh sure, I guess." Another male child, taller than the first, answered. His voice he had also heard a few times. The slightly deeper one.

"Ok, Im leaving my phone here next to you. Just call out to J.A.R.V.I.S. when you're ready and he'll call my other phone. Got it?" Stark placed the small device close to his head on the bed.

"Y..yes... Thank you, Stark..." He had no idea how to use the device but if the sentient being that managed the tower of Stark was somehow in control of it, then he understood that he simply had to speak to it for it to work.

"Jeez, I wish you would call me Tony. Stark's too formal... Ok crew, let's move to the next room!" Stark addressed the three children and the two other avengers.

"We're leaving him alone?" Asked the captain as he pointed at Loki on the bed.

"Yes cap, he can't stand up on his own yet, but even if he could I highly doubt he would go anywhere. J.A.R.V.I.S. would notify me anyway. So let's go talk, but first, you three speak a word of what is happening or what we're saying and I'll sue your ass and trust me, you cant afford me, even if you're an Osborn." He pointed at Harry.

"Our lips are sealed, Mr. Stark!" Responded the child who was named Peter as he made a horizontal movement over his lips. That one seemed smart for a child, he know recognized that he was the one who had guessed that Loki was not human.

"Ok, ring me when you're ready, Lokes." Said Stark who was obviously trying to seem happier and more calm that he truly was. He was concerned, nervous and sad. He did not understand why he felt such things but he could clearly see each emotion. It astounded Loki that others usually could not see how the avenger truly felt. Perhaps they did share an amount of similarities.

Notes:

Aha! Who was expecting it to be the friendly neighborhood spider? Also, I love doing Mind Palace and dream stuff. X3

If you didnt get it, Loki was in a state of denial and was trying to imagine his most comforting things like his mother, the tree and his most emotionally priced objects. If he'd fallen asleep inside his own mind, he would have probably fallen on a coma or catatonic.

P.S. Excuse the medical inaccuracies, Im no medic but I tried, plus, he's not fully Midgardian, Aesir or Jotnar right now. Xp

Chapter 12: What led us here

Notes:

Sorry for posting late, I was doing some Christmas shopping~

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"J.A.R.V.I.S. Gimme something." Tony asked the transparent screen projected on the car's front window. He had made that upgrade some time ago. It showed small things like the temperature, hour, if someone called and GPS directions. He could make the windows go dark and project movies on it, or use it for some other, more pleasurable ideas.

"The trail ends in this ally, Sir. Should I check the nearby building's cameras to see if anyone entered and left this ally?" Loki's magic trail had directed them to a dark ally close to the tower, but there was no one there.

"Sure, just do that." Why hadn't he thought of that? He was too stressed and worried to think straight. In the video he saw what seems like two teenagers going into the ally and carrying a body out. There was no mistake that that was Loki. One of the kids carried him most of the way, until a third one appeared and helped to carry him into a car and the three of them drove away.

It made no sense how the first kid could carry Loki. The god was skinny but he was tall and had heavy bones. He shouldn't have been able to carry him with those small arms. There was something about the kid, but it was the least of Tony's worries.

"J.A.R.V.I.S. follow that car with the video feed of all cameras in Manhattan, all New York if it's necessary, and map me a route."
After a few seconds, the map formed in the car's screen.

"Wait... Isn't that the Osborn Mansion? That's like 12 minutes from the tower." Said Bruce from the passenger's seat.

"Looks like we have a few body snatching teens with connections'. And 12 minutes? I'd say 5." Said Tony, bringing the car back to life.

"Tony don't you dare bre-" Steve started to say but was cut off by Tony stepping on the gas, making the soldier slam backwards into his seat.

"Sorry, Cap... Actually, no, I'm not. But whatever, just shut it. Until we've found him and made sure he's alright, don't speak to me..." Tony was furious... He understood the Captain, he did. He was doing what he thought was right. What made sense. But Tony was too pissed off to listen to reason.

They made it to the mansion and Tony had J.A.R.V.I.S. hack the security just before arriving. They passed the front gates and parked right at the front door. Tony quickly got out without waiting for the rest and slammed the doors open. An old servant quickly tried to stop him and asked him to wait. Tony passed by him and ignored his pleas. He stormed in and asked J.A.V.I.S. to locate the kids with the mansion's security. They where in what seemed like a bedroom in the top floor. Quickly he ran up the stairs.

"...it's gonna be impossible to wake him if we don't know what happened to him" Tony half heard a kid's voice say. Abruptly, he opened the doors to the room and walked up to the kids by the bed.

"I could probably help with that, kid." He kneeled by the bed and took Loki's hand in his and placed the other hand on the god's feverish head.

"I'm so sorry, Master Harry, they just stormed in..." Said the old servant.

"Mr. Stark?!" A short, brown haired kid almost screamed. Tony immediately recognized him as the one who mainly carried Loki. He seemed too skinny to be able to pick up the god's weight that easily... How did he do that? Well it doesn't matter right now. He had to help Loki.

"Move it kid, you've done enough... Come on Lokes, wake up. Don't go comatose on me... I'm sorry. I swear I didn't plan this. The Captain promises not to hurt you, he wants to hear your side of the story. Please... This is my fault.. I'm sorry Loki... Please wake up..." Slowly the god's eyes began to flutter open as tears poured down his face.

"Hey, hey there, Lokes. It's me, Tony." Tony quickly let go of him and moved a bit back to give him space.

"Why?..." Loki said as he closed his eyes again. His face was contorted into such anguish. It hurt Tony to see him like that.

"Why what?" He could hear so much concern in his own voice but he couldn't help it. He was genuinely worried. He had just found him, he was not ready to loose him after finally deciding what to do.

"Why did you wake me? It hurts, everything hurts so much." The strain in the god's voice was palpable and Tony didn't know how to respond.

"I... Eh... I don't know what to answer to that first part but we'll take you back to the tower now, hook you up to the morphine." He would get him anything he needed.

"No... Physically everything hurts as well, but I mean inside... I have done so many horrible things. Why would you help me? I have wronged you so much." Was he... Was he starting to regret the things that he had done?

"Well.. I guess it's cause you remind me so much of myself. I've also done terrible things you know... I used to make weapons of mass destruction..." Now that he thought about it. He's had enough power to try to take over the world. Mind you, he would've succeeded tho'.

"But the things I have done are wrong in such a larger scale..." Well, on actions already taken, he had a point, but that didn't matter, Tony had made his choice.

"You've paid enough for all of it, ok? As far as I'm concerned, you're clean. Now it's your chance to start fresh, prove you can be better. First step is admitting you did something wrong, so mark that off ghr checklist. Second is regretting it and wanting redemption." Said the avenger.

"I am so sorry... I did not truly wish to hurt anyone. I had to do it... It was the only way to ensure time for the nine realms... I am so sorry I had to cause so much damage..." Ensure time? What was he going in about?

"Wait, what? What do you mean you had to? Had to what? Time for what?" Asked Tony. Was there even more to the story than they thought? What more was there? Tony had to know. He needed to know, to understand Loki and everything about him.

"... I am so sorry... Ple...please allow me some time... Alone... Please..." Idiot. Give him some time, Tony. Buy him some time...

"... Okay... We can do that... Hey kid! Anywhere we can go talk in private?" It was a mansion after all. It had to have some comfortable private place.

"Oh, ye-yes Mr. Stark! I'm Peter, she's Gwen and this is Harry's house, we could go to the study, right Harry?" The kid seemed to be overly nervous around Tony. Maybe he idolized the avenger. Tony would have thought the little fan boy was cute if he wasn't so annoyed and worried.

"Ehh sure, I guess." Answered the slightly taller Osborn kid with little interest.

"Ok, I'm leaving my phone here next to you. Just call out to J.A.R.V.I.S. when you're ready and he'll call my other phone. Got it?" Stark placed the small device close to his head on the bed.

"Y..yes.. Thank you, Stark..." Stark, it was always Stark. While flirting it was hot but he wanted to hear the god say his name as well.

"Jeez, I wish you would call me Tony, Stark is too formal... Ok crew, let's move to the next room!" Stark addressed the three kids and the two other avengers as he tried to herd them out of the room.

"We're leaving him alone?" Asked the captain as he pointed at Loki who laid on the bed.

"Yes cap, he can't stand on his own, yet, but even if he could, I highly doubt he would go anywhere. J.A.R.V.I.S. would notify me anyway. So let's go, but first, you three speak a word of what is happening or what we're saying and I'll sue your ass and trust me, you cant afford me, even if you're an Osborn." He pointed at the Osborn kid.

"Our lips are sealed, Mr. Stark!" Responded the kid, the fan boy, in a haste.

"Ok, ring me when you're ready, Lokes." Said Tony as he finally pushed everyone out. They moved to the study in silence.


 

As they arrived, Tony pointed at fan boy and said. "First, you. You said you patched his wounds and stabilized him, right?"

"Tony, I should go back and check him..." Interrupted Bruce while approaching Tony.

"Give him a few minutes... He needs to be alone to think... Trust me, I want to check on him as soon as I can... But we have to deal with this and he needs space. Kid, you patched him up, right?" Asked Tony.

"Ye-yes! I.. I used to be beaten up a lot... So me and Gwen have learned how to patch up all sorts of surface wounds." That still did not explain where all that strength came from... He would look into that later, when things cleared up.

"Ok. Now sit down and don't talk 'till we tell you to." Tony quickly dismissed him and he's attention shifted towards the captain.

"Yes.. Sir..." Said the poor fan boy a bit disheartened.

"Ok, let's see, where do we start..." Tony started to say and trailed off.

"Clearly from the very beginning, if you don't mind, Tony..." Said the soldier, annoyed.

"Fine, but you're gonna sit that pretty little patriotic ass of yours down and you'll listen carefully. No interruptions 'till Bruce and I are done, s'that clear enough for your super soldier ears Cap?" It was the only way to make sure everything was said and heard properly and to give the god time to think.

"Yes..." Replied the captain a bit resigned at his friends attitude and 'lack of proper judgement'.


 

Slowly, both Tony and Bruce explained all that had happened since the god's arrival. How he had crash landed and left a decent crater in the desert. How he's magic levels where down by 88%. Bruce explained all the injuries and their severity. They explained everything they knew. Down to the smallest of details.

"Ok, that's everything 'till the second you arrived at the med bay. And you saw how he disappeared... Now, kid, your turn." Tony pointed at fan boy, who had been listening intently.

"Me?" Asked Peter.

"Yeah, tell us your side, how did you find him?" It also made no sense how the kid was walking normally with his blond friend and had suddenly turned and ran two allies to the right. He could not have heard anything from that far away...

"Oh, ehh well, Gwen and I were walking towards the Stark Tower, we had school field trip. I was so hyped when the teacher said we were going. So we were walking and I sensed, I mean... I had a bad feeling and then thought I eh, heard something coming from the ally... So we went and checked it and saw him on the floor. At first I thought he was a chick, like, cause of the long hair and slim features, he was facing downwards, hair everywhere, so I couldn't see his face. Anyway, seemed hurt so I ran to help. Saw he was actually a dude and called Harry to ask his driver to pick us up outside the ally and carried him to the car. Brought him here, patched up his wounds and then you came in and I still can't believe you're actually here. I'm such a huge fan. I'm so honored I-" that wasn't the whole truth but it was enough for now.

"Okay, okay, enough. Sorry but for now I only need what happened, not your diary entree." They had to take him back to the tower, there was no time to waste on fangirling.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry, I know this is a delicate situation and a matter of world wide security, but Peter here idolizes you so it would be nice if you stopped being rude to him. He did just save your alien god." Spoke the girl for the first time since they arrived.

"Alien god?" Asked Tony. How could she possibly know about Loki?

"Alien god?" Asked Peter confused at his friend's words.

"Yeah... I didn't recognize him by his face, since most records were wiped, but I did recognize the name while you were speaking. Loki of Asgard, God of Mischief, Thor's brother, the one who tried to take over the world." Stated the blond girl.

"How do you know all that? No one aside those who work for, and with, SHIELD know if him..." Said the captain a bit perplexed.

"My dad is a policemen and was reporting to Manhattan for some case and got caught up in the attack. One of the lucky ones to survive the incident. Took what he shared with me, made some research and pulled a few classified files form his study and connected the dots. Not too hard really. Anyway, we've done nothing wrong and have been nice even thought you broke in here. So I do believe we deserve an apology and a few thanks." Demanded blondie, proving wrong the dumb blond stereotype.

"Thank you for saving him and forgive Tony, rude is his default mode, specially when he's passionate about something." Said Bruce, with a hint of amusement at the last part. What did he mean by passionate?

"And we haven't heard from him all that supposedly happened in Asgard yet, right?" Stated more than asked the captain.

"No... We've gone slowly with the questioning... We don't need a demi-god dying from a panic attack, Steve." Answered Bruce.

Suddenly the song Shoot to Thrill filled the room's silence. Quickly, and even more annoyed, Tony took out his second phone and answered it without looking at the caller. "Talk. Fast..."

"St.. Stark?..." A small and terrified voice came from the other side. It was Loki.

"Oh! Sorry, didn't see who was calling. You ready over there? Something wrong?" He had totally forgotten the whole giving him his phone to call when he was ready thing.

"I... I believe I'm ready to speak... But... Could.. Could I request some water and food?... It is a rather long story..." Well this should prove to be interesting.

"Sure, Rudolf. We'll bring you something." Tony hanged up without saying goodbye.

"Ok, he's ready to talk so let's move. Osborn kid, could you get some water and fruits... Erm.. Please?" The girl had a point, he shouldn't be mad at them, they saved his god after all.... Wait his? When did he start saying his? Why his? Wha-.

"... I tell the butler to bring stuff for everyone." The Osborn kid's annoyed answer dragged Tony out of the swirl of thought in his mind, back to reality. They left the study and arrived at the room as the Osborn kid gave his butler orders.

Pulling up a chair from the nearby desk, Tony sat next to the bed. "Ok, story time, how about we start with what happened in Ass-land as soon as you two left earth?"

"I would rather speak of some... Events that happened before I arrived to Midgard... Which explain the reason behind my actions." Slowly, Loki explained. Before arriving to earth?

"Oh, the thing you said about buying time?" So there was even more. Seemed like soo much more. Both the Osborn kid and his butler arrived and placed trays with water glasses and plates of fruit and snacks on the desk.

"Yes... Is the name Thanos familiar on Midgard?"

Notes:

Ohhhh we finally get to hear everything that's happened, from Loki's side, in the next chap!

Chapter 13: Story Telling

Notes:

Sorry for the late update, I sorta lost track of time. But we finally get to know what happened!

Warning: mention of non-con/rape, torture and some suicidal thoughts.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"Yes... Is the name Thanos familiar on Midgard?" Asked Loki as he carefully tried to sit up.

"J.A.R.V.I.S.?." Stark asked his sentient creation as he helped the god.

"No information under the name Thanos. Although, there is the god Thanatos in Greek mythology." Answered the being after a few moments of thinking.

"Gimme that then." Said Stark as he sat back in his chair.

"Thanatos, also known as Reaper of Souls and God of Death. The Roman name is Letus or Mors. Thanatos was the Greek personification of death. Unlike the Erinyes, he was the god of peaceful death, just by touching a person, they would die." Carefully said the being in the device as though it was reading from a parchment.

"Is that him?" Stark directed the question towards the god.

"No... Reaper of souls does hold some truth, but no such thing as peaceful death... He was born on Titan, one of the moons of Saturn. He is known as the Dark Lord or the Mad Titan... He is a powerful, cosmic warlord who rules over distant regions of space... he commands the massive army you encountered, known as the Chitauri. He is obsessed and infatuated with the concept and real personification of Death, known as 'Lady Death', not this... Thanatos you speak of. He reverences the Lady of Death and kills whole planets and galaxies in his fervor for her..." Loki stopped for a moment to take a breath and continued. 

"After falling from the Bifrost, when I... Let go of Gungnir... I fell into the void. I was lost, floating in nothing for what felt like an eternity... The void is a terrible place, there is nothing, not a sound, not a light, not a soul. It is pure emptiness. Even a mare glimpse of the void could drive the mind mad..." Explained Loki while trying to control his fear from showing in his voice.

Fidgeting uncomfortably in his chair beside the god, Stark took his pause to add. "I... I think I saw the Void... When I went through the wormhole... It was just for a bit... But it felt like the longest bit of my entire life..."

"Your mind is strong, it would have taken much more than that to drive you mad... But I suspect that is the main reason for your night terrors since then..." It would certainly explain the dreams that haunted the mortal, the ‘nightmares’ as he had called them when he tried to comfort the god after a specially bad one.

Taking a stand behind the engineer, Dr. Banner asked to elaborate "So you fell into the Void... For how long?"

"You lose all notion of time in the void...space and time there does not work in the way you are familiar with. Mere seconds could feel like millennia... I.. I can not tell how long it was... It... It felt so long... Too long..." Loki could feel the air leave his lungs and his vision start to darken. Falling back into the Void.

"Breath Lokes... What happened next?” Placing a hand on his shoulder, the mortal brought his mind back to reality. He was sitting on a couch in a large mortal room, next to three of the Avengers and the children who had saved him.

"I was... Right... I was floating when he found me... He pulled me out of the Void. Yet by then my mind was all but gone. I could not think, and I reacted purely on instincts... They wanted information from me, but I could not even comprehend speech... Seeing as I could not give them what they wanted, they decided to torture me, constantly. They kept me awake most of my time there. They forcibly and relentlessly reeled my mind back to functionality. It was efficient, I will admit as much. But once I could think, I understood that I could not give them any information without risking the safety of the Nine Realms. I continued to act as if I could not reason and suffered their tortures while I searched for a solution. I bid my time.. And then one night, while I was i..in the... in the heating chamber... while they thought me unconscious, I heard The Other mention how the Titan was looking for the infinity gems, and I knew that the Tesseract laid on Midgard, so I devised a plan..." The god's hands trembled. The more he said, the more control he felt lost. It felt like sand slipping through his fingers, unable to grasp it. 

More than likely sensing that the prince was loosing his words again, the scientist doctor provided the next piece of the story. "You offered Thanos to retrieve the Tesseract for him."

"Yes... The only way to stop his tortures and help the Nine Realms was if I pretended to ally with them... I bargained to borrow the infinity gem already in their possession, the Mind Gem in the Chitauri Scepter, to strengthen my abilities... Once in Midgard, I would pretend I was trying to conquer your realm.. I would give you a good fight and then I would enact my defeat..." elaborated the god. He felt his vision blur as images of war against the humans surfaced to his mind. He had not cared much for the damage he inflicted on the world. He had simply wanted to get away from the Titan, but look back he could see how much destruction he had caused.

While he pondered on his actions, the brown haired boy interjected. "That way you robbed him of an infinity gem, made the presence of another known and alerted the humans to the existence of outside threats. Brilliant!... Ah, sorry for interrupting..." Said the child who he now remembered seeing before falling unconscious in the dark corridor.

"Indeed you are right... I understand that you saved me. For that, I thank you. You... posses more intellect than your appearance lets on..." The child had more potential than his outer appearance suggested. As someone used to being underestimated, he had learned to read others well. There was something unusual about the child, something that intrigued the god intently. 

"Thank you?" Said the child, Peter he presumed, in confusion. Loki would ask Stark to help him look further into the matter later.

Taking a few steps forward from where he stood by the door, the soldier questioned, obviously not convinced "Let me see if I get this straight... You're trying to tell us that you wanted to save us... By killing so many people?..." 

Loki instinctively flinched at the remark. He knew the reasons behind his actions but more and more he began to question them. They had made sense, and they logically still did. And yet the mixture of fear from a commanding voice laced with disapproval, mixed with his growing consciousness, made his nerves feel on edge. "I... I know you have every right to doubt my words, Captian... But I had no choice. He had to believe I was on his side... He could see everything through my eyes. The scepter held influence over my actions and he could see inside my mind, my thoughts. Before suggesting my plan, I had to creat a few hidden rooms inside my thoughts. Places where I could think freely for no more than mare minutes , but they were hard to access and hide, and his mind invaded mine near constantly..." oh how he could still feel his presence in his mind. He could feel the sharp claws that still held on to his will. Had he his power, he could possibly heal his own mind. But as it was, if the Titan decided to turn his eyes to the god again, he would be as vulnerable to his control as a child.

"I still find it hard to believe... If that was the case, then why New York? If you didn't actually want to conquer or kill us, why such a highly populated area?" Further incurred the super soldier. In his said attack of New York, he had not given the soldier enough credit. He was smarter than he had anticipated. 

With a dry laugh, Stark got off his chair to answer for him "Cause he needed a spectacle. He need everyone to see him trying. What good is a show without an audience?... I did always wondered why New York, why such a nonstrategic place. Why not D.C.? I would have hit D.C. Huge population and government power. Just takes one massive hit and power is easily up for grabs. Boom, done." He added with sincerity in his voice.

"Tony..." Warned Rogers, taking a stand between Stark and the children.

"What? I'm just thinking strategically here. I'm not planning on doing a repeat of Gandalf's failed plan. No offense." Said Stark as he pointed at Loki and gave him an apologetic smile. 

"None taken... and yes... I could have chosen someplace more strategic, but as I mentioned, it was never my goal to truly conquer your realm... No matter what transpired, I always intended to direct your actions towards using the Chitauri Scepter as a key to close the portal... I planted the idea in the mind of Dr. Selvig, made him think it was his own will that had created such a flaw in my plan. Once it was done, I would then pretend to be defeated... Yet your berserker, Dr. Banner, made it so that I did not have to pretend much. The beating you gave me also helped loosen somewhat the influence the scepter had over me and made his mind partially leave mine. I... Thank you for that..." It had definitely not been a pleasant experience, but it had been effective.

"Oh... Sure... You're welcome, I guess?" Replied the doctor, a bit flustered and uncomfortable. 

Unamused, the large blond man scowled deeper, continuing to question "Ok... That covers what happened on Earth... Now, what happened after you and Thor got back to Asgard?"

"I... I came before the Allfather and he... he decided that my punishment was to be... Imprisonment for life... And ordered the guards to do anything necessary to 'bring back his son' and 'rid him of the monster inside him'... His intentions were to supposedly cure me, not break me... but he... he was vague and the guards took the liberty to assume that ‘break’ meant ‘kill’… therefore they allowed themselves to have... their way with me…” it was getting harder and harder to speak fluently. He felt his throat run dry. He remembered the cup of water beside him and took a large gulp, but felt no relief from it. He had to explain things he would rather never remember or speak about to any other living soul.

"So they really..." The Captain, who had been standing tall and defiant, suddenly deflated and could not even form the words that surely continued in the story.

With a large breath and a sneer, Loki continued on "Yes... Mostly everything your small, pathetic little mortal mind can think of, they did to me... They tortured me in so many ways, Captian... They stitched my mouth... plucked my nails... poured venom down my face... burned, pierced, chained and ripped my skin, only to heal it and to start again! Bathed me in boiling water, breached and ravished my unwilling body, thrust their erections into my screaming mouth! Starved me! Beat me! Bound me! Soiled me!! BROKE ME!!-"

"LOKI!!" Stark shouted as he shielded his face. Loki had unintentionally released erratic energy in the form of pricks. Stark, being the closest, had a few sticking out of his palms which he had thrown up, but they soon faded. Lowering his hands, the man looked at Loki with shock in his eyes.

Loki was terribly pained and scared. He started to hyperventilate, barely being able to hold back the tears from flowing and the panic from overtaking him purely by the shock of having hurt Stark. He had hurt him... The only one trying to help him... The god could not cope with his actions and quickly started, instinctively, to wave a spell to teleport himself away. In the back of his mind, he knew it would probably kill him to use that much magic but he could not stand being there anymore.

He would rather die than face the rage of Stark. He would rather die with the memory of a caring Stark, the memory of a warm smile from the only person to show him kindness after he had destroyed everything important to him. Not the hate and disgust that was bound to set on the face of the man. As the spell started to form in his mind, the green light that always accompanied his magic started to flow.

"Oh no, you don't! I won't lose you again!!" Before Loki could finish the spell or understand what Stark said, he felt soft lips on his own, a rouged, but gentle hand barely touching his cheek and another firm hand on top of his own on the couch. Loki knew that he should probably push him away, that he should teleport before the last memory of something good in his life disappeared, or that the real intentions of Stark were finally revealed, but he was too stunned to move. His magic reacted for him, turning from a violent static to a soothing wave over his body. His muscles relaxed before his mind could even comprehend why. 

Silence quickly overtook the room. No one quite knew what to say or do. No one understood what was even going on, probably not even Stark himself. The avenger quickly let go of the god, and hint of green mist following his lips as he sat back in his chair and finally broke the silence, his cheeks lightly tinted red.  "Right so... Don't go anywhere... We're... We're not done here, eh... How about you continue with... With how you got to Earth."

"I..." The mind of Loki was blank. He could not think straight. What had that just now meant? Was Stark after his body? Was that why he was being kind? Was he like his guards? No... It was not quite the same... The touch of Stark was gentle and scared even. Like he was afraid of breaking something precious. The guards had never acted in such a way. They had been rough and violent, intentionally trying to break him... He could not understand what this meant.

The one thing he did understand was that it... It did not feel revolting as the touches left by his attacker had felt. He could not tell if he enjoyed it, he was too shocked for that, but it had not been repulsive or made him nauseous... and his magic had reacted oddly to it. It was... A rather nice difference.

"Lokes? Sorry... I just..." started to apologize the strange mortal, the red tint leaving his cheeks to be replaced with a pale mortified look. 

"What?... My mind drifted away... I... I just...What had your last question been...?" Asked Loki, trying to change the subject. He would think about this, but at another moment. 

"Ehm... How did you get to back to Earth? Or, what did you call it? Miragd?" Asked the engineer, also willing to avoid what had just transpired. 

"Midgard... I... Yes... The... The Allfather finally deemed me worthy of a visit after a year... He said he wanted to see my progress, and so he decided to visit my cells... But when he arrived... The guards were... Were..." He could not finish the sentence... They had been especially violent that day... It... It was...

Walking to stand by Stark, Dr Banner instructed "Breath Loki, remember to breathe. Take ten deep breaths."

"Yes... I am sorry... I... I can..." Slowly he took the breaths in and released them as instructed. 

"Just take a moment. You don't have to rush it." Continued the scientist.

"Yes... He saw what the guards were... we’re doing... And saw it unfit... He... He dragged them away from my limp body and chained them... He was so furious... He demanded to know what was the meaning of such acts. He demanded, but I could not speak... I... I just... Just laid unmoved... I could not do anything..." He remembered being so helpless. How he had just wished for it all to end. How ready he was to embrace death.

"...One of the guards yelled that I deserved such treatments... The Allfather decapitated him on the spot... The others tried to blame me, saying I had taunted and seduced them... I could not believe my ears... I.. I began to sob... Violently... So much... I could... I could not stop.. Everything hurt so much..." He knew the whole event had passed quickly but it had felt so excruciatingly slow and painful back then.

"...The Allfather took me out of the cell... he cleaned my body and dressed me with magic... h-he threw the guards in my cell and without a word, took me to the Bifrost... Once... Once there he... I believe he ordered Heimdal to leave and tell no one of what he saw or heard... W-when we were alone, he... He said 'Learn, as Thor once did, my child... Bring back the boy I once knew and loved'... and then he threw me out the B-Bifrost... I... I was too scared and disoriented and I could not righten my body to land properly... which led to the creation of the crater you found me in, S-Stark..." During the telling of his story, Stark had moved his chair closer to the couch, had placed a comforting hand on Loki's shoulder and had grabbed his hand. 

"So you were... Right before I found you, you... No wonder you were screaming at me not to touch you... Sorry about that..." As Stark said this, he slowly let go of the god's shoulder but still held his hand. 

"What... what did he mean by 'Learn, as Thor once did, my child... Bring back the boy I once knew and loved'? Asked, a little skeptical, the Captain, who had gone ghostly pale during the story's worst parts.

"We can leave that for later, we should be getting back to the tower. I really should check him soon, to make sure he's okay." Said the berserker as he patted the man of iron on the shoulder.

"Can he walk or should I carry him?" Asked Stark as he winked back at Loki.

Dr. Banner took off his glasses and whipped them with the end of his shirt as he answered. "That depends on how Loki feels, but help steady him tho. Also, I think the kids should come with us. Once I've finished checking him, I wanna ask them some questions. Is that okay?" Not trusting his own body just yet, Loki was willing to accept the assistance to stand up and walk. But he refused being carried. He had no real pride left to claim, but he would not accept something so demeaning. 

Immediately at the mention of joining them, the child, Peter, exclaimed with much energy "Y-you mean go to Stark Tower?! Sure! We'll be glad to help!"

"Okay sweetcheeks, ready to go?" Stark asked carefully as he stood from his chair and helped Loki stand. The mage draped his arm around the neck of Stark and felt small shivers as the avenger grabbed him by the waist to keep him steady.

"Y-yes..." Loki said as he tried to hide the small amount of fear the touch had brought him.

"Alright, next stop, Stark Tower." said the bright man with concealed relief.

Notes:

Thats was one hell of a chapter. Had a break down while writing of Loki's break down.

Chapter 14: Peter's day

Notes:

I'M BACK! MERRY CHRISTMAS!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!! HAPPY THREE WISE KINGS DAY!! ETC.!! Did anyone miss me? I sure missed you guys. You're all so awesome. I hope you all stick around 'till the end of the story. X3

P.S. sorry for the long wait but lots of stuff happens in my family this last weeks sooo didn't have much time. Anyway, here's this year's first chapter!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Peter could not believe his luck. Not only had he met Mr. Stark, he had just flown the Iron Man suit!

Back at Harry's mansion, no matter how they looked at it, seven people in one modified Audi was too much, so after consideration, Mr. Stark set Loki on the passenger's seat and called his suit.

Loki, probably noticing Peter was such a huge fan of Mr. Stark, had suggested that Mr. Stark should call his suit and that he should let Peter wear it and carry Gwen back to the tower. Both for the joy of the ride and for the space in the car, obviously. Mr. Stark hadn't sounded very happy when he agreed but he set the suit on autopilot and Peter had nearly fainted at the sight of it all. Once inside the suit, he'd safely o blasted off into the sky, securely carrying Gwen.

When they arrived at the Stark Tower's landing pad, robots started to dismantle the suit and store it away. Peter knew of Mr. Stark's AI but actually hearing it surprised him the first time.

"Welcome, Sir and Miss. My name is J.A.R.V.I.S. Mr. Stark's AI. Please leave the workshop and head for the medical bay, I shall provide you with the directions." Spoke the surprising British voice.

"Oh god. Hi! You're Mr. Stark's Artificial Intelligence program, J.A.R.V.I.S.! Wow. You're the one that runs everything related to Mr. Stark, right?" Peter could not contain his excitement. J.A.R.V.I.S. was the most advance AI created ever!

"Yes, Sir. I run everything for Mr. Stark. I dare say I run his life for him." Answered the AI with amusement. Amusement! An AI with a sense of humor!

"Haha, I can't believe the articles weren't exaggerating, they said you had personality." This was too much. So many dreams were coming true. All in less than an day.

"I'll be taking that as a compliment, Sir. For now, this way, please. You may ask Mr. Stark permission for a tour later." Said the AI probably noting Peter's eyes rooming the whole room.

"Oh, heh, right. Let's go then. Don't want to keep the mighty Avengers waiting." Peter barely finished his sentence running into a workbench since he was still looking all around. "Ah! Sorry, sorry."

"Come on Peter. Stop making a fool of yourself. You look like a new born giraffe who can't walk and keeps looking up and around... Oh and, J.A.R.V.I.S.?" Said Gwen as she pushed Peter out of the room.

"Yes, Miss?" Calmly asked the awesome AI.

"What's Mr. Stark's and Loki's relationship?" Asked Gwen. What did she mean with that? They had all heard the story back at the mansion.

"Miss, the assigned codename is Mr. Skywalker. Please use it for safety measures... As you know, they are former enemies. Mr. Skywalker fell in Mr. Stark's care after he suffered injuries. But I do believe, Miss, you heard the story back at the Osborn Manor" Said the program a tiny bit defensively. Or at least it sounded that way. Peter would die for a look at J.A.R.V.I.S. programming and main console.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard. I meant what more?" Asked Gwen a bit impatiently.

"What are you on about, Gwen?" He couldn't see where she was going with the question. They were just former enemies and now Mr. Stark was taking care of him. That's it. Right?

"Oh come on, that kiss?" The kiss? Is that what she's talking about? The quick peak Mr. Stark gave Loki?

"Well... Mr. Stark does have a reputation for being a playboy, I guess it's normal for him." He didn't get where she was going with this at all. Girls and their weird gay senses.

"Peter that was not a playboy kiss..." what was a playboy kiss then? He had to admit he didn't know much of kisses... he wished he could kiss Gwen... those cute rosy lips... stop it Peter!

"I don't believe it falls under my appointed tasks to evaluate and interpret their interactions." The AI's tone sounded less friendly that when they first walked in. It really sounded like it was being defensive. Can a program be defensive? Was he defending himself? Or was it Mr. Stark?

"Doesn't matter, come on, you must have an opinion or theory or something." Gwen was great at digging for answers but Peter could feel it was not a good idea. He just got here!

"Gwen I think you should leave poor J.A.R.V.I.S. alone... I don't want to be kicked out when I just got into the Stark Tower." Peter liked her for that fierceness and insatiable curiosity she had, but it would get them kicked out!

"I do have my calculations and statistics, Miss, but I'm afraid you would need higher clearance for me to relay such personal details about Mr. Skywalker and Mr. Stark. Now please enter Mr. Skywalker's medical room and wait for the others to arrive. ETA is 2 minute and 43 seconds." Said J.A.V.I.S. with a bit of that amusement back in his voice.

"Well that was fast. Are there chairs or some..." as they walked in, they saw a red-headed figure slumped on a chair. They looked at her for some time, seeing if she would notice them, but she didn't seem to. Should they approached her?

"Hey, are you okay there, Miss?"  asked Gwen and the lady slowly rose her head. Her eyes were red and her makeup was ruined. She had obviously been crying.

"What are you kids doing here? Are you from the school trip visiting today? You're not supposed to be in this area." Said the lady who probably could be no other than Miss Potts in the flesh.

"Are you... Miss Potts?" Asked Peter, trying to not sound excited when he knew he should probably be concerned.

"Yes?" She answered in a shaky voice. She had been crying for a long while.

"Oh my god. You basically run Stark Industries! Well, not basically, you actually run it since you're, you know, the CEO. Omg this is such an honor!" He could no longer hold it in. He was slowly noticing how amazingly good at hiding his excitement he was.

"How did you get in here?" She asked after truly noticing them. The first time around was more detached acknowledgement.

"We technically are with the school trip but we never got into the tower with them. We helped Mr. Stark with something so he sent us here first." Answered the brilliant Gwen.

"Helped him?" She looked confused and most definitely not convinced. Which was probably not good.

"Okay kids, you better have not broken anything while we were on our way here..." said Mr. Stark's voice as he walked into the room. He glanced at them and saw Miss Pepper who was now standing and looked incredibly hurt.

"Right... just... stand there for a sec while we set him up." Said Mr. Stark as he looked away, practically ignoring Miss Potts, and helped Loki to the bed. 

Coming in and stepping beside them while holding a tablet was Dr. Banner. He began to look at some readings and spoke "Okay Skywalker. You were basically ready to leave the medical bay before this whole incident but since all that happened, you'll probably have to stay for a few more days. Now... I have to check to see if everything is alright... but I can't put you under so we'll have to do this while you're awake. I swear I won't hurt you. It's purely medical and I just want to help. Tony can be next to you and do some of the things but I will have to touch you a bit, okay?" Questioned the renown scientist, another of Peter's hero's. He's biochemistry work was just amazingly cool!

"Ye..yes... I understand... I will try to.. to stay calm..." said Mr. Horns looking paler than a bleached piece of white paper. Peter was still not sure what to feel about all he had just learned about, but he would think about it more carefully later.

"Right. Just tell me if you need to breath for a bit at some point... I think it would be best if everyone else went to the waiting area for now, this won't take too long." Said Dr. Banner in full Doctor House mode.

"Are you sure?" Captain 'Merica asked, looking like a strict and patrioty super mom.

"Yes, Steve, Im sure." Said Dr. Banner a bit exasperated, which Peter guessed was never a good sign. No matter how much nerding he would love to do, he should probably stay away from Dr. Banner for now. No need for an accidental rude, but probably brilliantly sarcastic, comment leading to a smashed spider.

They all walked out and headed for the small waiting room and nothing has ever felt more awkward for Peter than that moment right there. The tension was far too evident. Everyone obviously had different opinions of the situation. Miss Pepper kept trying to contain her tears to no avail. Captain 'Merica had his 40's serious frown, Gwen had taken her phone out and Harry was trying to make jokes at her but she was infringe him. All the joy of being in the Stark Tower kind of died.

Quickly looking for something to do, Peter searched for the bathroom. Once he'd founded it and gone in, he'd started to fix his hair but could not quite get it as he wanted it. His spider-senses where everywhere. The tension was nearly palpable and too late he noticed there was someone else in a stall.

As the hinges of the door creaked, Peter jumped startled and stuck himself on the ceiling. The guy in military uniform coming out simply stared wide-eyed at Peter. He didn't seemed scared, just surprised. But soon enough he's military training kicked in and he pulled his gun out. Great Peter. Amazingly done. You are the best superhero ever. Why thank you Peter, you're great too. Quickly he rose (or is it lowered?) his hands and blurred out. "I'm innocent! I swear it wasn't me who clogged the toilet!"

"Get down!" There was obviously no room for jokes at the moment. Soldiers and their soldier seriousness.

"Okay, okay, just please don't make me into Swiss cheese." He dropped from the roof and rose his hands again. (Yeah rose, this time it was rose)

"I'll consider it if you tell me who, and what, you are and how did you get in here." The soldier moved, covering the exit, probably to prevent an escape.

"I'm Peter Parker, Junior at Midtown School of Science and Technology." he stretched his hand but the remembered the soldier probably didn't care for a handshake at the moment.

"Riiight... what what's the other question? Oh, what I am... Ehh it's a long story... but basically a radioactive spider bite me and gave me superpowers." The soldier didn't even blink. Either he was used to hearing weird stuff regularly or was used to hearing made up stuff and had perfected his 'not falling for bs' face, thought this was not bs, but he might think it is. One of those options. Maybe.

"Oh! The other one was how I got here. Well believe it or not, Mr. Stark invited me. I helped him find something and he invited me over to discuss more of it." Peter said with pride. He still couldn't quite believe it. But it was true. He had helped Mr. Stark!

"Find what?" Asked the soldier impossibly more serious.

"Well... it's kind of a secret. He said not to tell anyone so I can't say. I've probably said too much already... oh god I hope he doesn't get mad." Seriously, he'd barely seen the place. Peter was not ready to be kicked out of the Stark Tower yet.

"Oh yeah? And how am I supposed to believe you then if you can't prove yourself?" Well, he had a point there.

"Tough one... oh! I know! J.A.R.V.I.S.! He can confirm it! Right J.A.R.V.I.S.? are you in here? Wait... please tell me you don't have cameras here." That would be very awkward and he would not be using any bathrooms here.

"Yes, Sir. I am present everywhere in the Tower and no, the bathrooms do not have cameras. Now, good evening Colonel Rhodes. Mr. Parker speaks the truth. He assisted Mr. Stark." Thankfully said the AI.

"With what?" Asked the soldier... wait did he just said Colonel Rhodes?

"I'm afraid I've been instructed not to give the details to the nature of such assistance." Said J.A.V.I.S. but that's not important... Rhodes? The Colonel Rhodes?

"Well, override that." Stated The Colonel Rhodes.

"Im sorry Sir, but it was written under the omnipotence clearance." Said the AI to The Colonel Rhode... AKA War Machine!!

"What? Tony almost never uses that... Kid, take me to Tony. Now." Oh my god Peter, he's talking, answer, don't fail now.

"Wait, wait... are you really Colonel Rhodes? Mr. Stark's best friend? War Machine?!" Forget containing excitement. Today has been the absolute best day of Peter's life!

"Ehh yes?" Said The War Machine as he lowered the gun which Peter had totally not forgotten about.

"I'm a huge fan! The whole gun pointing kinda kept me from noticing who you were but I'm still a huge fan! Speaking of guns, love the huge one your suit has. It's kinda like a tank, a walking tank. A miniaturized walking tank with the same, or maybe more firepower than a normal tank!" He wasn't a huge fan of the military but he can't deny how awesome War Machine was.

"Right, it's big and flashy. Impressive, I know, but let's just find Tony for now." Said the Colonel as he stored his gun.

"Wait but if J.A.R.V.I.S. couldn't tell you about what Mr. Stark is up to, then I can't take you to see him... you might see what's he doing and I don't know if Mr. Stark wants that. Sorry." No way was he going to make his idol mad. Plus he had Iron Man suits. He did not want to see them too close up.

The Colonel lifted a eyebrow and said "Kid... I have a gun and a great aim. The thing you did earlier is probably not enough to stop a bullet so I suggest you get a move on."

"But... Mr. Stark might get mad..." said Peter.

"You rather face a bullet than Tony's anger?" Asked the Colonel surprised.

"Well when you put it that way it does sound threatening... but I really don't want to disappoint Mr. Stark and I wanna show him that he can trust me. So even if I'm not bullet proof, my reflexes are far better than most people's which makes me quick on my feet. So I'll have to go with the bullet." Peter tried to give his best serious face. He was far from used to having to make a face to deliver his words since he always used a mask, but he had to win this fight. 

"But before we ruin Mr. Stark's bathroom. J.A.R.V.I.S. could you ask Mr. Stark if he gives permission to Colonel Rhodes?" He really didn't want to go against War Machine, but he wanted to help both Mr. Stark and Mr. Horns so if Mr. Stark didn't want the Colonel snooping around just yet, he would prevent it. Besides, he didn't have the War Machine suit on, just a gun. Nothing mayor.

"I've already informed Mr. Stark. He's on his way as we speak. ETA is 1 minutes with 12 seconds." Said the AI and thank god he did... cause guns are terrifying.

"Oh! Before that! Please, Colonel Rhodes, I beg you, don't tell anyone of the thing you saw earlier, please. J.A.R.V.I.S. as well, please." Said Peter quickly.

"... I can withhold the information as long as it's not relevant to any safety issues or if I'm directly asked. I also do not have sufficient data of this 'thing' you speak of as, again, there are no cameras in the bathroom." Said the AI with amusement. Was J.A.R.V.I.S. growing on him?

"Fine. But you'll have to tell Tony if you intend to stick around. Pun intended." Said the Colonel with some amused surprise in his face. Well he probably didn't expect a kid like Peter to stand up to him.

"Ha! Good one." Said Peter trying to act as if he hadn't been terrified of the gun.

"But you have to tell Tony." Added the War Machine again.

"Tell me what? What's going on here? Do I have to get my suit? Are you bullying a innocent kid Rhody?" Said Mr. Stark as he walked in.

"How come J.A.R.V.S. can't tell me what you're up too, Tony?" Asked the Colonel, straight to the point.

"Right... about that... Look, right now is a really bad time for this... Can we not do this right now?" Asked Mr. Stark impatiently. 

"Tony... you have a history of hiding important and dangerous things like the fact that you were dying. So you better tell me soon or I'll barge in on you with the War Machine. Again" Said the Colonel referring to the incident about two years back. It had caused quite the scandal when the media finally caught wind of it.

"I'll tell you, I will. I actually want to tell you cause I might need some... advice... but not now. We need to go kid." Quickly answered Mr. Stark.

"Call me later tonight. J.A.R.V.I.S. remind him." Requested the soldier.

"I shall remind him, Sir" said the AI sounding a bit relieved.

"Let's go then." Said Mr. Stark to Peter.

Once they were in the hallway and far from earshot, Peter asked "Is something wrong, Mr. Stark?"

"I wanna run some test on you and your friends. Wanna check if there's any magic residue on you. Simple stuff. Not harmful." Said Mr. Stark as he typed in something in the Stark pad Peter hadn't noticed he was carrying.

Notes:

I wanted to write something more refreshing since sooo much stuff happened in the last chapters so I just went with Peter's view of the day in Stark Tower. I hope I wrote him well. It was quite fun. XD

Chapter 15: Test Subjects

Notes:

....

I am sorry... I am so so sorry...

It's been weeks since my last update. I know, sorry, but its been one hell of a month for me and I'll doubt the next will be any better, so I'll have to lower the update to one chapter ever two weeks, for now. I hope you'll bare with me for some time.

But anyway, here's a chap. I hope it's okay.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"That child, Peter Parker, does he seem different to your average mortal?" Asked Loki as he drank some probably much needed water.

"Everyone seems different to me Gandalf, so you'll have to be a bit more specific." Said, Tony, as he worked in his Stark Pad next to the bed Loki sat in. He was wearing new, hospital style, clothes. The other clothes had been messed up badly.

"As if he is hiding some sort of large potential." Well, that caught Tony's attention. He had thought that there was something odd about the kid but he'd thought he was the only one who'd noticed. Once again, Loki proved to be smarter and more observant that he had originally thought. Even when he was half delirious and unconscious most of the time he spent with the kid.

"Like 'There's more than meets the eye'?" Asked Tony amused.

"Yes, exactly." Disappointingly answered the god, obviously not getting the reference.

"We have to fix this soon... References just fly over your head... Excellent references..." there was just so much to do with this guy. He would go mad with all the missed puns and references.

"Seems you will have to teach me this customs at another time." Said Loki with a bit of glimmer in his eyes.

"Oh, the wonderful human things I can teach you. But yeah, I get ya. He's definitely hiding something. The way he "heard you" in that alley, that was too far away for anyone to hear anything and the way he carried you almost single handily. Maybe he's one of those mutants that are popping up everywhere nowadays." He should probably look more into that. There was a lot of stuff happening with them. The whole identification debates and all the accidents and attempts.

"Mutants?" Asks Loki, obviously confused. Right, he couldn't know. Mortal stuff.

"Yeah, they're this humans who're born with superhuman abilities. Each is affected differently, some get super strength, some are fast, others can move things with their minds. Most can do simple things but others could be really dangerous if they went wild. It's all quite fascinating if you're interested in biochemistry that is. Bruce can probably tell you more about it when he comes back with the meds." Said, Tony, as he took the empty cup from Loki's chilly hands and placed it on the bedside table. He suddenly had to hold back the urge to warm those delicate, but probably, or more like certainly, skilled hands.

"Alright, I shall ask him when he returns. Now, if the child is a 'mutant', as you call them, would it be rude to ask him personally? Could we do some tests to verify?" Asked Loki. It shocked Tony a bit that he cared about rudeness. But then again, the whole 'not talking back to your captors unless you wanna be hit' made sense. He seeeeeriously had to fix those insecurities. It just made stuff less fun. But how do you fix insecurity? Positive reinforcement? Or is that just for pets? Tony sure was not one to talk about eliminating insecurities. Tony wasn't about to jump on the hypocrite train.

"Some tend to be really touchy about their mutations. Humans are ignorant shits sometimes and not everyone is quite accepting of differences. So asking is not the best idea if he turns out to be one of the touchy-feely wild ones... I guess I could scan him... just have to come up with a credible excuse." It shouldn't be too hard, thought Tony. He had figured out how to identify them some time ago but he had kept it tight-lipped since he still hadn't decided which side of the debate he was on.

"You said you found me by following my magical signature trail. You can tell them you want to check for residual magic that might be lingering on them from my rough magic use." Suggested, brilliantly, Loki. Tony felt like kissing him again. But he wouldn't... but why not? Oh right, he probably doesn't want you to. Rape victim and all. So why did you kiss him back then, you idiot? Your usual panic M.O. is to rant, not kiss... stop thinking about it... back to the cover story. Heh, stories.

"God of lies indeed." Said Tony with a smile.

"What?" Said Loki looking... looking affronted, disappointed and scared. All at the same time somehow.

"Hm? Oh, nothing, just that I can see how you got the name. Lies are just stories carefully woven and you come up with fantastic credible stories. It's impressive." Explained Tony, hoping Loki had not misunderstood what he meant.

"Oh... thank you." Said Loki in a low voice with a hesitant smile as he fiddled with the hem of the bed sheets beside himself.

"For?" Asked Tony confused at the sudden change of emotion. Loki looked so different in the hospital scrubs. He looked much healthier than he had 3 weeks ago but still not as fierce as he had on his first visit. They'd gotten him scrubs instead of the typical robes as per his petition. He'd said he felt too exposed in the robes. Made sense. But the contrast of his pale skin with the light blue material was fascinating. Blue looked good on him. If Tony had to go poetic, he would say the getup looked like a bright blue sky with milky clouds... okay, again, Tony, poetry is not your thing.

"No one has ever seen it that way before... They have always seen it as an exclusively negative trait..." how did he go from affronted to almost blushing? Doesn't matter too much anyway. Tony liked to see that light pink color in those bony cheeks. It added a nice touch to the overall view.

"Well they're morons then... Bruce would prob-" Tony was interrupted by J.A.R.V.I.S. voice.

"Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt but there seems to be a situation. Mr. Parker has encountered Colonel Rhodes in the bathroom and he is currently questioning Mr. Parker about his reasons to be in that particular area of the Stark Tower." Said the AI with concern.

"Damn, why is Rhodie here?" Asked Tony in the direction of one of the cameras. Of all people and of all times... why him and now?

"While having lunch, a fight broke out between two drunks in the place the Colonel was eating in. He decided to intervene and received a cut on the arm in the process. Soon after, he came here to the medical bay to take care of his wound. I suspect he also came to see you, Sir." Quickly explained J.A.R.V.I.S.

"Talk about timing..." nagged Tony.

"Sir, I recommend immediate action. Colonel Rhodes is persistently asking why Mr. Parker is here at gun point." Urged the AI.

"What?! Be right back, Lokes." Said, Tony, as he quickly shuffled out the door and placed his earpiece on. "Why the gun? Rhodie wouldn't pull a gun on a kid unless he had strong reasons."

"I have insufficient data because of the lack of vision in the bathrooms but it seems Mr. Parker did something to greatly startle Colonel Rhodes, causing him to take out his..." Tony's loyal companion stopped mid-sentence as he spoke in the earpiece.

"J.A.R.V.I.S.?" Asked Tony concerned as he stood quietly, trying to listen.

"Sir, I recommend you quicken your pace. Colonel Rhodes is demanding Mr. Parker leads him to you. He has threatened to use his gun." Continue the AI

"Just give me the audio." Said Tony already annoyed by the situation.

"...rather face a bullet than Tony's anger?" Asked Rhodie.

"Well, when you put it that way it does sound threatening... but I really don't want to disappoint Mr. Stark and I wanna show him that he can trust me. So even if I'm not bulletproof, my reflexes are far better than most people's which makes me quick on my feet. So I'll have to go with the bullet... But before we ruin Mr. Stark's bathroom. J.A.R.V.I.S. could you ask Mr. Stark if he gives permission to Colonel Rhodes?" He had to admit the kid had guts but how the hell did he think he could defeat Rhodie? A trained soldier? Was he really a mutant?

"I've already informed Mr. Stark. Sir is on his way as we speak. ETA is 1 minutes with 12 seconds." Said J.A.R.V.I.S. in both directions.

"Oh! Before that! Please, Colonel Rhodes, I beg you, don't tell anyone of the thing you saw earlier, please. J.A.R.V.I.S. as well, please." The insane kid said, panicked.

"I can withhold the information as long as it's not relevant to any safety issues or if I'm directly asked. I also do not have sufficient data of this 'thing' you speak of as, again, there are no cameras in the bathroom." Thing? What thing? What was the kid hiding?

"Fine. But you'll have to tell Tony if you intend to stick around. Pun intended." Said Rhodie, giving Tony a few ideas. It had to do something with sticking. A few of the ideas were not proper ones.

"Ha! Good one." Replied the kid amused.

"But you have to tell Tony." Added Rhodie as Tony turned off his earpiece and entered the bathroom.

"Tell me what? What's going on here? Do I have to get my suit? Are you bullying an innocent kid Rhody?" He pretended to not have heard anything. But he was determined to find out what the kid was hiding.


 

"So you're saying magic is real and the famously atheist Mr. Tony Stark, is going to be checking us for magic. That's like the last thing I ever expected to hear. How do you even check for magic?" Tony could hear the taller kid ask the smaller, odd one, as they entered the lab. I'm still in the room, you know.

"Don't be rude Harry. Besides, magic is just science that hasn't been explained." Said the odd one as he held the mass spectrometer that Tony had told him to carry. The thing was much smaller than normal spectrometers but it still weighed a lot. He didn't really need it, but he just wanted to prove again that the kid was stronger than he looked without breaking a sweat. He made the other two carry a few other instruments, just to not look suspicious.

"Ha! Well said, kid. I'm starting to tolerate you. Now first thing first. You may gawk and be amazed by my lab. It's only natural. But no touching, don't mess with anything. Second, I don't like to be handed things. Third, don't ask stupid questions." As the kids were speechless for a few moments, too few, as he typed in instructions for J.A.R.V.I.S. to follow on his Stark tablet. Tony had to be careful that they didn't figure out his real intentions, in case the kid was actually far more dangerous than he looked.

"Are those Mark I through V?! Gwen! Look! That's his first armor! The first Iron Man suit. There aren't many pictures of it, but it looks so much cooler in person." And the gawking began. He could have made the test somewhere else, like in Bruce's Lab. It annoyed Tony deeply to have so many kids in his most sacred sanctum, but he would have to tolerate it if he wanted to get the test results as quickly and accurately as possible.

"Looks huge and really bulky..." commented the Osborn kid referring to the Mark I.

"Hey! No dissing Mark I. You try making a highly advanced suit armor in a cave with spare parts and dinosaur computers. Wait, you said there are pictures of Mark I?" Tony had only once worn the suit, how could there be any pictures of it? Where did they come from and how did this kid find them?

"Ehm yeah... they're not many and most are blurry, but if you dig deep enough, you can find some from clips of interviews and social media videos you've made here in the lab, Sir." Said a bit nervously the ki.... what was his name? Peter? Peter Pan?

"Hm... J.A.R.V.I.S. remind me to check that later." Said, Tony, as he dismissed remembering the name.

"Will do, Sir." Answered dutifully his AI.

"Okay, you, smaller one. Stand on the platform inside the observation room over there. I'll scan you first. J.A.R.V.I.S. relay the information to my com." No point in having to wait longer for his results since they were the only that mattered to Tony.

"Wait... Sir, what exactly will you be looking at?" Asked fanboy with a sort of panic in his eyes. It mostly seemed like his mind had been wandering all over the place and had just realized what was happening.

"Magic signatures... now stand on the platform." The kid was smart but he sure lived in cloud 9 sometimes.

"But what does that include? Is that like a full body scan that checks everything down to my DNA?" But he was undoubtedly smarter than most kids. Which normally would have been good. Except when you're trying to run a secret test he might not approve of.

"No, it's only a superficial scan. But what if it did? Got something to hide? Are my scanners gonna flash the alien alert? I should make a real alert tho... Give them some classics J.A.R.V.I.S, some MNT, Alien, LOTR, etc." Said Tony with a smirk. He had to act casual. He couldn't risk fanboy finding out, in case he was dangerously powerful.

"No! I mean... Of... of course not..." said, far too quickly, Peter Pan.

"Wait, shouldn't you get some sort of permit to run tests on us? We're minors, you can't just scan us like that." And then there was the girl. She was smart, maybe not as much as the kid, but she was cunning as well. It was a good little match, those two.

"My Tower, My Rules. Besides, the scan is quick but the tests themselves take some time, so if you don't wanna die from some weird magic poisoning, get a move on." It was obviously a lie but it was the easiest way to get what he wanted.

"Is that even possible?" Asked the Osborn kid looking nervous.

"Like I know. That's literally why I'm running the test. So just stand there already, before I get pissed off and let you die from magic cancer or something." Peter Pan slowly entered the room and stepped on the platform. It began to glow the distinct arc reactor blue Tony loved so much.

"Oh, and take your shoes off!" Yelled Tony a bit too loudly as he walked into the other side of the observing room, behind the giant glass.

"My shoes? Is it for direct skin contact?" Said Peter Pan, forgetting a bit of his worry and letting curiosity take over.

"Yeah, now stay there while I set up the sensors. You two, besides me." Said Tony pointing at the other two as he tuned all the sensors and began to take readings. The first reading to appear was that of the boy's DNA. To find the muted gene, it would have normally taken a while but Tony soon noticed that there was probably no need to search for it. The kid probably wasn't a born mutant but his DNA certainly was mutated. He started to cross reference the differences with other known DNAs and found similarities between his DNA and that of spiders.

"You sure seem healthy." Said Tony out loud, sarcastically.

"Was that sarcasm? Is Peter alright?" Asked the little girl looking nervously at the screen that was displaying readings she obviously couldn't read.

"Oh, he's fine, so far. Like I said, the important test will take a while. But you're all probably fine. The chances of anything actually happening were small." Said, Tony, as he thought of a plan to make the kid show his abilities.

"Actually, would you mind waiting outside the watching room for a bit. I should be practicing the Doctor's confidentiality thing." Said Tony, wincing at the poor quality of the lie.

"But you're not a Doctor." Immediately said the girl crossing her arms.

"Of medicine, no, but I am a Doctor. Not The Doctor but a Doctor." Joked Tony, knowing that the reference had probably been lost on them.

"He has 3 PhDs!" Screamed from the observing room the spider boy. Oh. Ohhhh that would explain it all. The sticking, the senses, everything.

"Just wait outside for your turn. Do I have to remind you of magic cancer?" Tried Tony again. He was really running out of lies. He wished Loki was here. He probably would have done this skillfully.

"It's okay Gwen. I can take care of myself." Said Spider... man... seriously? Spider-Man? He was just a kid. Tony dragged a hand down his face and tapped his foot on the floor. He was getting impatient. 

"Says the guy I have to constantly save from bullies!" Responded the Osborn kid smugly. The idea that his friends didn’t know of the kid’s powers(or well the ones Tony was almost sure of, 88% sure, meh yeah, that was good enough) just kept cementing the more they interacted. 

"We'll be right outside if you need anything." Added the blonde girl as they opened the room and walked out. Not before she gave the engineer a glare. She really didn’t like or trust him did she?

"Don't worry, mom." Said Spidey with a big smile, also earning him a glare from the girl. Okay maybe this one knew. She seemed smart enough to figure it out.

"Well then. Now that we're alone and this is a soundproof area..." Tony started to tap away on the keys and all sorts of mechanisms sprung to life. From sticks, to heat and cold, all attacking the little spider. Harmless of course. Probably.

"What?! MR. STARK?!?"

Notes:

Oh dear, what shall happen next??

Again, sorry for the inactivity.

Chapter 16: The Soul's Name

Notes:

Oops, missed by a day.

I forgot to mention in the last chapter... 500 KUDOS!! Oh my god THANK YOU!! I never thought this story would go far. I honestly thought I would have to get my friends to read or share it in every page I own to even get a few kudos so thank you soooo much for supporting this story and sticking around. I promise there's so much more to come and some things that I believe will really be something so don't give up on my little story yet! Thanks again!!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"Where's Tony?" Asked Dr. Banner as he walked into the room with a tray of different medical artifacts. He sat down on the chair Stark had occupied earlier. Loki could not really tell specifically why, but there was a big difference in the atmosphere created when each sat on the same chair. Both had earned some sort of truce, in the sense that he could trust his well-being to them. But only for now, until things changed.... But for some reason, he felt more at ease with Stark. Yes, they shared many similarities, but it was a more rooted trust. More instinctual than rational.

"The child, Peter Parker seems to have encountered, and been threatened, by Colonel Rhodes, in the restroom. Stark went to intervene." Responded Loki as he continued to ponder his findings. It bothered the God. He had heard plenty of stories about soul bounds, but he had never truly felt it before. Not the mortal illusion of fate, destiny and 'soulmates'. But the stories of souls who fit perfectly with each other. Who compliment one another masterfully. Not necessarily in the romantic aspect. Could this be it? Could he form a soul bound with this mortal?

"Threatened? By Rhodie??" Dr. Banner asked alarmed.

"Mr. Skywalker speaks the truth, Dr. Banner. It seems Mr. Parker displayed an ability that greatly startled Colonel Rhodes, making him point his gun at him, but Mr. Stark has already assessed the situation. He is currently on his way to his laboratories with Mr. Parker, Mr. Osborn, and Ms. Cooper. Colonel Rhodes has left but will be expecting a call from Mr. Stark. It was his request in light of Mr. Stark's refusal to give him information about Mr. Parker's reasons to be in the Tower." Said the sentient voice in the ceiling, sounding rather concerned.

"An ability?" Asked Dr. Banner, ever more confused as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Loki had learned this was a sign that the mortal was stressed. He certainly did not feel comfortable when the mortal was stressed. It was too close to anger and to the beast for the comfort of Loki.

"Stark and I theories that Parker is a mutant or something similar. Stark told me that you could explain more about how this 'mutants' work. That 'biochemistry' was more of your expertise." The mage had learned the best way to keep both Dr. Banner, and Stark calm was to make them talk about their sciences. It was interesting to learn about mortal science, but Loki used it mostly to keep them calm and pleased with him. The longer he could keep their good grace, the better. He still needed a bit of time before he could execute his escape plan.

"Ah, yes. It's a highly interesting field of study. Mutants are humans who possess a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities. The scientific term for a human is 'Homo Sapiens', but some of the more radical mutants consider themselves to be of the subspecies 'Homo Sapiens Superior' or just 'Homo Superior, an evolutionary progeny of Homo Sapiens and consider themselves the next stage in human evolution, though whether this is true or not is a subject of much debate. Unlike humans like myself, who've developed their powers only after exposure to outside stimuli or energies, mutants are those whose mutations are pre-natal, and whose powers typically manifest at puberty. It's really fascinating. I could lend you a few books that explain their workings much better." Explained and offered the berserker controller.

"I do believe I understand, but the books would be greatly appreciated. The child Peter Parker may be one of this Mutants." Suggested Loki.

"I see. First, lay back down on the bed please and bring your legs up. You have to rest for a few more days. And you may be right. Is that why Tony is taking the kids to his lab? To check on that?" Asked Dr. Banner.

"Yes. To prove our theory, I suspect he will scan the boy to see if he possesses this X-gene." Said the god as he sat properly on the bed and placed his legs under the sheets.

"... with or without his consent?" Asked Dr. Banner sounding defensive. Was it something Loki said wrong?

"Excuse me for interrupting. But Mr. Stark wishes to share live video feed of the observation room." Said J.A.R.V.I.S. as he projected a screen in the air.

"Observation room? What's Tony even doing there?" Asked Dr. Banner full of concern.

"Well then. Now that we're alone and this is a sound proof area..." Loki and the mortal watch as Stark started to tap away on the keys and all sorts of mechanisms sprung to life. From sticks, to heat and cold, all attacking the child. Dr. Banner gapped in horror and Loki was astounded. He would never have thought Stark was going to attack the kid to prove his abilities. Had what Loki suggested been wrong? Long ago, he would have done the same, but now he was not sure it was the best idea.

"What? MR. STARK?!?" The child quickly jumped and avoided a pole going for his legs from behind him. He looked confused but he had no time to complain as another one appeared, headed for his chest. Seeing as the first was coming back for another swing, he leaped into the air and clung to the ceiling. He seemed to somehow stick there without need to hold on to anything. That was without a doubt curious, Loki thought as he observed the screen. But just as fast as he had gotten up, he had to let go as a rotating pole headed his way, aiming for his extended arms. Having let go, he grabbed hold of the middle bar and swung to a safe corner of the room, facing the wall. Let out a sigh was all the time he had to rest as something seemed to startle him and he flipped back, only to drop flat on the floor when an entire plaque sprung out at waist level. How had he known it was coming? Had he someone how sensed it? The plaque slowly started to lower down while the boy had barely enough time to squirm from under it. Panels around the room began to glow a faint orange, it didn’t seem to harm him with direct contact as his feet where bare, but the room began to rise in temperature. “Is this a test Mr. Stark?!” Yelled the boy as he frantically looked around.

Two thick poles then extended from the walls simultaneously. They headed parallel towards him, not enough room to duck or jump over. The child stepped back and gracefully jumped between them. He landed on a roll at the other side, taking a stance with his body lowered. The panels around him then changed from uncomfortable orange to pale blue. The breath of the child began to mist and become visible. It looked like this time the floor became colder than was comfortable as the child soon leapt towards the wall and stuck to it. When things began to seem like they were calming down, an apparatus sprung for the opposite wall and it began to shoot small spheres at the boy. He skillful avoided them, but as they took up speed, some began to hit him. He then quickly took out an apparatus of his own from his wrist cuff and a white substance emerged from it. It covered the end of it and prevented it from continuing to fire. “Hey that worked!” The child said enthusiastically, with a bit of a frantic look in his eyes. He seemed scared and yet also determined. The apparatus retracted soon after and was replaced by the whole wall beginning to move. It began to close in on the boy, leaving him no room to escape, he pushed against it and seemed to succeed at first, before it began to move again. He was about to be squashed when Loki screamed for it to stop. Almost instantly everything paused and very slowly started to retreat. The boy backed away from the wall and slammed against the opposite one, sliding down and landing on his behind as he let out a deep sigh of relief. 

Coming from the speakers, the voice of Stark filled the room. "Alright, cool. Stopping everything now. Wrap it up J. Hey, that was good. You were good.” Opening the door to the observation room, the crazed avenger walked in and offered “Here”, throwing towards the boy a towel and a bottle of water. He caught them with easy, if a little tense. “You are good, right, spider boy? Of course you are. Anyway so, about all that. Had to know how your abilities worked. No hard feelings, right? Oh and you really do ‘stick around’, don't ya?" Joked Stark as he extended his hand in invitation.

"... You... You knew, Mr. Stark?...” Asked Peter Parker as he breathlessly took the hand Stark offered and stood up. He used the towel to quickly dry the sweat from his brows and drank a large amount of the water. 

"I figured it out. Genius after all. Plus you kinda suck at being discreet. You use your strength and senses too freely. Nothing that can’t be practiced tho’. Oh and J.A.R.V.I.S. alerted me of Rhodie's stunt with the gun, so I patched the bathroom's audio in time to hear the pun." Said the avenger as he walked out of the observation room and sat back in his chair. The view then switched to another angle that better showed them. He signaled for the other to sit as well.

"So I guess I better cancel the big surprise reveal party, huh?" Joked Peter Parker as he nervously and shakily fixed his clothing and sat down.

"You'll never hear me turn down a party, kid. But it is practically impossible to surprise me. Too paranoid. Oh and don't worry. I won't tell your friends if you don't want me to, but only if you answer one very important question..." said Stark, sounding serious, but Loki recognized it for what it was. Quoting the mortal phrase, it was 'utter bullshit'. It brought a small wary grin to the face of the god.

"... I don't eat flies, if that's the question." Wittily responded the boy, earning a short laugh from the crazed engineer.

"No, no, it's a serious, and critical question that must not be taken lightly..." Loki gave a silent chuckle of his own. He knew the mortal could make impressive shows, but this was at a higher level than expected.

"Oh... wh-what then?..." asked the boy, fidgeting in the chair that spins and has wheels. Mortals sure invented some useless, yet appealing things.

"The name... Spider-Man? Really? Couldn't come up with something better?" The mixture of how serious Stark was acting and how confused the boy looked was enjoyable. Loki could not help letting out a good laugh. It had been far too long since he laughed wholeheartedly. It was not a quality joke or anything clever, but the simplicity brought a sense of calm joy he had not experienced in years, maybe decades. He missed the fond smile Stark made on the screen where the medical room was shown as he was laughing.

"I mean, Spider-Man?? You're, what? 12?" Tony could no longer act seriously. He relaxed into the chair and waited for the story.

"16... My first option was Human Spider, but apparently, the ladies find Spider-Man more attractive." Said Parker after overcoming the confusion. He wiggled his eyebrows at the end of his sentence. Loki still could not understand the mortals and their fixation with drastically moving their eyebrows but he could approve of the bravado the child displayed. 

"Debatable. So the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man found my lost kitten. Seems fitting." There seemed to be some sort of reference the god could not quite understand in the words Tony used.

"Tony, mind filling me in?" Loki nearly teleported again at the voice of the captain. He stared wide-eyed at the figure in the doorway and cursed himself for not having noticed his approach.

"Steve? Why are you even there?" Asked Tony sounding alarmed. It eased the mage just a tad to see how protective the mortal was of him. It made no sense, but he rather take any comfort he could find right now than to think what it meant.

"You left me waiting and took the kids down to your lab, so I thought I might as well try to understand the situation with Loki better." Said the captain sounding resigned. But what was he resigning to?

"You better not start any fights in my tower. But back to the main subject, so far, not a naturally activated mutant but his DNA is definitely mutated. Mind spilling the beans, kid?" Tony asked the spider child. The engineer was acting relaxed but Loki could see the tension in his shoulder.

"Oh, well... long story short, I got bitten by a radioactive spider, Sir." Said the kid blushing a bit. He was obviously not used to being the focus of attention.

"Where?" Asked Tony, sounding genuinely curious but drifting from the main topic.

"That question is rather irrelevant, Stark. What is the extent of the changes the bite produced on your body?" Asked Loki wanting to not sound as scared as he was in the presence of the soldier. He nearly succeeded, but somehow Tony had sensed his discomfort as he stared at the god in his side of the video screen.

"I can basically stick to anything, and I have hyped senses, Mr... Skywalker." Loki now understood the reference as he and the man of iron had seen the movies while the mage recovered. It was evident that the child also recognized it as he smiled at the code name.

"What about the webbing? I've seen videos, and I've seen you shoot what looks like webs. Do you produce them yourself or is it some sort of mechanism?" Asked Dr. Banner as he wiped his glasses.

"Gadget web shooter thingies. Made them myself from scrap parts I salvaged." Said Parker as he showed the small devices that had been hidden by his sleeves.

"You made those? Not half bad." Said, Tony as he admired the workmanship of the one Parker handed him. The child just stared at him with his mouth open, probably unable to process the fact that his idol gave him any sort of compliment. 

"As much as I enjoy watching your appreciation of technology, Stark. I would much rather have this interesting conversation in person." Said Loki as a perfect excuse to bring the mortal back to his side.

"Ah, right. Well let me scan the other two, and we'll be up in a minute." Said the mortal as he turned back to his computers.

"Alright, I'll be awaiting your arrival, my dear mortal." Said Loki, trying to sound playful. Oh and how he was rewarded with the most delicious laugh. Tony spun on his chair dramatically and responded.

"Until such a time, I bid you adieu." Finished Tony with a short bow and the image disappeared. Oh, Anthony?... wait.. when had he start to call him Anthony inside his thoughts?

"Spider-Man, huh... didn't expect that." Dr. Banner commented, interrupting the disturbing thoughts Loki was having, bringing him back to the world.

"What do you mean by that, Dr. Banner?" Asked the god, not wanting silence to take over the room with the captain still in it.

"Oh, I told you that you can call me Bruce. Dr. Banner sound.. too formal now. And well, I didn't expect a kid to be Spider-Man, the rookie hero who's been helping out a lot lately." Said the scientist with a shrug.

"In Asgard, it is custom to call people by what you would consider our last name or titles. Only shield brothers, family and... lovers... call each other by their birth name. It is a show of greats disrespects to call someone not yet in those categories by their birth name... Now, Dr. Banner, you and Stark mentioned videos. J.A.R.V.I.S. could you show me such footage?" Loki pointed his question towards one of the many cameras as he had seen most people do.

"Would you prefer to see them on your Stark Pad, Mr. Skywalker, or would you like me to change the current holographic projection?" Asked the artificial intelligence. Loki had noticed early on that the voice liked to use big mortal words, just to confuse the God. It was with no ill intent, but it certainly had developed a sense of humor similar to that of their creator.

"A projection would be preferable. Thank you." Responded the mage. Soon after, the screen that had appeared earlier in the air changed from the view of the laboratory, to some recorded footage. It showed what Loki presumed was thieves stealing mortal currency. As they were getting ready to depart, a red figure swung in. The god could not understand why he was completely covered in red and blue clothing, but he could still recognize that it was Peter Parker. The boy then began to disarm and immobilize the thieves with his webs.

"He's a bit clumsy and could use much more training, but he does show promise." Commented the captain.

"He's strong and skilled, but he's still just a kid... he shouldn't be risking his life like that..." said Dr. Banner disapprovingly, with a hint of sadness.

"Back in my day, you were ready for war if you were over 16 and fit..." said the captain as he left the doorway and walked into the room. Loki could feel his entire body grow even colder than usual. Stay calm. Don't give him the joy of knowing how badly he affects you. Keep calm. Breath like Stark told you to. Stark is on his way. Breath and talk. Talk damn it!

"Yes but... Now The Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. exist. We should be protecting the world so that kids like him don't have to fight." Said Dr. Banner, still defending his opinion.

"I understand your reasoning, Dr. Banner. But you also have to consider that he could have used his new found powers for trivial things or he could have used them to benefit himself, yet he decided to help others. He is very young, yes, but this is a choice he made for himself, we should respect that." Loki nearly ranted. He was able to control his words and keep up the perfect mask, but it was exhausting. Just that had left him almost breathless.

"Well said. Didn't expect to hear something like that coming from you." Said the captain as he stood at the foot of the bed. The God could not take the pressure.

"Why?" He snapped. He quickly recovered, and the perfect mask was back in place, but he knew the small crack in his defenses had not been missed. The feelings had been evident. How hurt and offended he felt. Luckily for him, the two Avengers did not comment about it.

"You made it pretty obvious last time you were here that you thought of us as ants, so I didn't think you'd find respect in a human kid." Said the captain crossing his arms.

"I... admit I used to think that humans were inferior, but I also exaggerated those beliefs while I pretended to invade your realm, purely for the sake of the show I was playing for him... Nevertheless, I do see now more value in your fleeting lives. You invent things knowing that you will probably not live to experience them yourself, but you still creat them so that you can leave it for your offspring. You give meaning to your short existence. That is memorable." He felt drained. He was exhausted, and he just wanted Tony to return so he could sleep more peacefully.

"That's... Well, I guess that's a way to see it.... anyway, I need you to do something for me before Tony arrives..." said the captain, changing the obviously awkward topic.

"Steve, I don't think that’s wise..." protested Dr. Banner stepping around the bed.

"Wh-what is it?" Asked Loki, knowing he was close to having another panic attack. He was using every tactic the mortals had thought him, but it would soon not be enough.

"You get one shot at this. I want you to honestly convince me of why I shouldn't tell S.H.I.E.L.D. and the other Avengers that you're here."

Notes:

Aaaand we'll finally get to see where Steve stands in the next chap! Will he help? Or will he pull a Pepper move on them? And what has happened to Pepper? Hmmm..

Chapter 17: Clicked

Notes:

So, I'm thinking of drawing a cover for this fic, any ideas out there? Who better to ask than those who've been reading all along? :3

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

'Never meet your heroes' had never been so true before in his life. It sure surprised Peter to have been attacked by Mr. Stark and he tried really hard to hide his slight disappointment, in fear that Mr. Stark would kick him out, but he really felt uncomfortable having been treated like a test subject.

"Well, that's it for the lady. Let's wait for the results upstairs." Said Mr. Stark as he nonchalantly gathered his things. Peter knew that Mr. Stark was just a human and not a fantasy hero but it still hurt to it find out like that.

"Why did our test take shorter than Peter's?" Asked Harry as he put on his shoes, showing once again that he wasn't as clueless as many thought him to be.

"I wasn't 88% sure where to start looking to get what we needed so it took me a while to figure out what test I had to run." Said Mr. Stark as he did something in his Stark Pad. How could he lie so easily?

"Mr. Stark, what is your relationship with Loki?" Asked Gwen as she tied her laces. Wait why did she keep insisting on that, tho'? Could there really be something more than just some sort of partnership until the magic god got better?

"What? Relationship? There's no relationship between us." Said Mr. Stark fidgeting in his chair. Oh. There was something going on! Go, Gwen!

"I saw how you looked at him. The worry in your eyes, plus that kiss you gave him. That was not nothing." She simply stated as she leaned on the wall.

"That woman's intuition sure is a scary thing, right Pete?" Said, Harry. He was done with his shoes as well and stood next to Peter.

"But Gwen's is much sharper than normal. They should just call it Gwentuition." Said, Peter, as he looked at the clever girl who'd he trusted with his secret. She gave him a faint smile. 

"Look, there's nothing going on, and even if there was, which there isn't, it's between us, so none of your business. Plus I have things that are much more important to think about right now." responded Mr. Stark after a few moments of thinking.

"Sir, I suggest you hurry back to Mr. Skywalker's room. He is exhibiting signs of an oncoming panic attack." Said the famous AI. It still marveled Peter to hear it's surprising British voice.

"Is it cause of Capsicle?" Asked Mr. Stark as he got off his chair too quickly, nearly tipping it over.

"It does seem that would be the case. The captain has asked Mr. Skywalker to convince him why he should not go to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the other Avengers." Said the AI sounding concerned. How do you even program concern?

"Damn it, Steve." Said Mr. Stark before slamming the door open and storming off to the elevator with the three of them on his tail.


 

"Well?" Asked the captain getting closer to the god.

"Pl-please do not... do not get closer..." said Loki as his knuckles turned white from gripping the sheets too tightly.

"Steve, please, you'll trigger a panic attack. Wait until Tony comes back." Said Dr. Banner, standing between them and blocking the god from the view of the captain.

"Tony will only interrupt and influence his answers, Dr. Banner. But I'm sorry, if it makes it easier, I'll sit in the furthest chair over there and I swear on everything I represent, Loki, that I will not hurt you. You have my word. I will hear what you have to say and act accordingly. There is no need for violence. Is that alright?" Said the captain with his hands raised as he walked back and sat on the chair as he said he would.

"Ye... yes..." said the mage finally being able to breathe again. He caught with the tail of his eye as the Berserkers Controller sat on the chair near the bed, ready to step in if the horrors consumed the mind of Loki.

"Then please go on, convince me. No lies, no pretty cover up words. Just honest and clear as day." Said the captain with a calmness Loki did not expect. It would seem the Avenger had some experience with dealing with people in similar circumstances to that of the god.

"I... I would like for you to comprehend something first, Captain..." slowly said the god, measuring his words and breaths.

"Yeah? What's that?" Asked the blond man with what looked like kindness. It only made Loki's blood run colder. It was too much of a difference in attitude for his liking.

"...My entire life and existence has majorly consisted on the bending of words to my will... and this is not because I enjoy lying or twisting truths, it is because I was raised in an environment where, in order to survive, I had to be able to convince the people around me, without the need of physical displays. You have to comprehend, strength and honor means everything in Asgard... I had to compensate with wit and magic what I lacked in physical aspects... thus when you ask me to convince you without the use of 'pretty words' and you ask me to be 'as clear as day'... while I fully understand what you mean, you will have to excuse me, for it is rather... difficult and foreign for me to speak as raw as you expect me to...”  Loki then took a moment to breath. He took a few breaths as Dr. Banner had taught him, and was relieved to see that the super soldier nod his understanding. Taking in one last large breath, the mage continued.

“Now that being said.. there is not much I can say to convince you to refrain from telling your fellow brothers in arms of my being here... All I can truly say is that I have no intention of attacking your realm once more. I never truly wished Midgard any real harm, and I understand that does not excuse all the damage I inflicted... but I can not right my wrongs and 'redeem' myself as it were, confined behind the bars of a cell where your precious S.H.I.E.L.D. surely plans to place me if they find out my whereabouts... if I am imprisoned again.. I can not... I can not prove... my regret... my... my..." he did not know how to express all he felt. It was difficult to breathe, let alone think and talk at the same time. It was too much and he had still not said enough, he knew. It would never be enough to forgive him for the unforgivable, speaking only the truth.

"He can't prove how awesome and useful he is chained up in prison, so give the guy a break and let him breathe." Said Tony, as he leaned on the doorway, mildly startling the god.

"What is it with you two and leaning on doors and talking without announcing you're here? That's really unhealthy for a PTSD patient you know." Said Dr. Banner sounding exasperated as he got up from the chair and offered it to Tony

"To... Stark?" Loki nearly slipped and called Stark by his first name. It distraught him to notice he had been accidentally doing that as of often. Specially in his own mind. 

"Sorry, doc. And hey Rudolf, missed me?" Said Stark as he sat on the chair closest to the bed.

"Only in your fantasies." Replied Loki, feeling far too relieved to have the man sitting next to him again. It was ridiculous how much comfort such a broken mortal could induce in him.

"Quite the fantasies those are." Answered back Stark, adding a wink at the end. It marveled Loki how he could turn anything into a jest or 'innuendo', as he had learned only a week ago was what mortals called sexualizing things. Dr. Banner had been truly surprised that Loki found the innuendos amusing instead of disturbing, considering his violations. Loki had tried to express in a moment of weakness that he had not been deeply affected by the sexual and physical attacks themselves. What had truly affected him had been the emotional assaults they had tangled in with their physical abuse. The perfectly executed degrading of his mental defenses, enhanced by the wounds and drugs thrust upon his body.

"Tony..." warned the captain, obviously uncomfortable with the approach Tony usually took.

"Calm down, Conservative Captain Spangles. You heard everything that happened back in the Land of the Jerk-Faced Fairies. It was all a show for the real enemy. He's not planning to attack again so relax and help us out." Said Tony adding seriousness at the end of his sentence after the typical name calling.

"Help?" Asked the captain with an arched eyebrow.

"Yeah, help us keep him a secret until we can piece everything together and we can clear his name." Said, Tony, as if it was the most obvious thing in the realm.

"Clear my name?" Asked Loki, unsure of what his plan was. He could not really mean declare his innocence. There was no way they would try to help him to that extent. He could understand grand acts of kindness performed towards the goal of appeasing him and later gaining something from him. But this was on a completely different scale. This meant actually helping him. What could they gain from that? He would owe them, but not enough for him to be tied to them, not enough to keep him from leaving and wrecking more havoc.

"Yeah, you were under the influence of an all-mighty jackass. It was never your intention to attack us so you shouldn't be condemned for it." Said Stark locking eyes with the god. There was a sort of determination he had never seen directed towards himself, aside from negatively. There was also sincerity in its rawest form. It sparked something inside Loki. Something powerful. Something he had tried for so long to kill and to rid his system of. Hope.

"That does not clear what I have done, Stark... and I must admit that even if the influence over my mind was strong, I still thought of your people as lower life forms that I had the right to rule over... I no longer feel this way, but that does not excuse the fact that the feelings were there. Enhanced as they might have been, they have always been there." He did not even care how many died in the process of freeing himself from the titan. He still does not think of them as equals. The Avengers were close, but no matter how you see it, Aesir, and even the monstrous Jotnars, are still superior. He no longer sees them as ants and he can truly see the value in their short lives, but it does not excuse anything.

"Well, I feel like shooting a few political faces from time to time. But I don't, even if I could, so if someone actually forced me to kill them, no one would blame me. If we blamed people for thoughts alone, there would be more asylums than schools. You know how many times students plan out their teacher's death in their heads?" Explained Stark. What he said made a modicum of sense, but it still did not ease the god. Most would not see it the same way.

"People are not so easy to forgive, Tony. They'll need proof and lots of it." Said the captain. Loki could not understand what was happening. Was the captain actually considering the ridiculous plan Stark was presenting? Why would he even waste thought on it?

"Well, we just need to get the proof, write a tearful story and sell it to the press. If we win the public. We win against S.H.I.E.L.D." Said Stark reclining back in his chair. They actually meant it. They actually planned to clear his name. But what for? What could they gain? Would they force him to join the Avengers and make him save humans? Would they force him to use magic for their benefits? What did they want? What could he give them to get accepted? Did he want to be accepted? Hope was dangerous. This was all too dangerous.

"What about Clint?" Asked Dr. Banner as he cradled a glass of water in his hands, one Loki had not noticed him take. The name brought great discomfort to the stomach of Loki. He had nearly forgotten what he had done to the mind of the poor hawk.

"Oh! That's a good start. J.A.R.V.I.S. start looking through all footage recorded where Loki's eyes are visible and save it to a private file. Clint's eyes turned blue when he got sceptered. If we can get footage were Loki's eyes are blue, that's pretty much proof." Instructed Tony. Loki needed to think. He needed to be alone with his thoughts. Nothing made sense and his hopes were rising and dropping at catastrophically rapid speeds.

"Saving data, Sir." Said the voice in the ceiling. Loki was starting to panic again. He concentrated on breathing deeply as he stared and tried to process what was happening.

"Tony you're not thinking about Clint." Said the captain as he stood up and rounded the room to where the other two Avengers where.

"I am, I just said it's a clear link." Said Tony, turning his chair. He had recently changed the chairs in the room to ones that spin and had wheels.

"I meant his feelings, Tony." Added the soldier. The hawk would never accept the god. He had invaded his mind in a way he was intimately familiar with. There was no forgiving his transgressions.

"Oh. Well... the same strategy still stands. He wasn't doing this cause he wanted to... Like, it's literally what happened to us with him. He attacked us and killed many, but he was under Lokes' influence so we forgave him. It would be A-level hypocrisy for him not to forgive Reindeer Games after we forgave him... So, are you in, or not?" Asked Tony standing up and offering his hand. This could not be happening. This was simply impossible. The mage felt lightheaded from all his rapid and incredibly scrambled thoughts.

"Fine... I'll help. But if I see any sign that he's lying to us. I will tell the others immediately." Answer the captain, taking the offered hand and shaking it. How? Loki could not believe his eyes. This broken mortal was willing to help and trust him. That alone was unimaginable. But not only that, he managed to convince yet another mortal of his thoughts on the god.

"I would kiss you right now to seal the deal, but I won't, cause you'll probably taste too much like a bald eagle. But now that that's done, let's deal with the kids. They're in the waiting room... with Pepper..." Could this be it? Could he be the type of soul Loki has been yearning for millennia? A man who was nearly as broken as himself?

"Tony, don't blame her for bringing me here." Said the soldier with his infuriatingly commanding voice. The man had no idea what it felt to be betrayed by everyone he loved. Of course, he did not understand why Tony was so displeased.

"Whatever." The fury and hurt were evident in the voice of Tony. It pained the god to see the emotions displayed so clearly on the face of the mortal. It made Tony seem older and much more vulnerable than he knew him to be. It sadly helped to distract the god of his building panic.

"Tony... She was just worried about you, that's all." Said the captain as if it was something so simplistic. He could no longer stand idly by, but as he was about to speak, Tony shouted.

"You know what? No. I'll blame her all I like. She broke my trust, Steve. Trust she knows perfectly well is nearly impossible to earn nowadays! I'm sick and tired of people I trust betraying me so don't you Tony me!" Quickly, without even thinking about it, Loki half stood from his bed and grabbed the hand of Tony and held it firmly. Immediately the mortal deflated and looked down at the hand grabbing his. A deeply pained expression passed his features but was soon replaced by an uncertain longing that shook the god to his core. It rattled Loki because he had seen the same expression on his own face throughout his whole life. A longing for someone to trust without the constant fear of betrayal.

And then it clicked. Something powerful and unseen clicked inside of Loki. He could not explain where it came from, but he felt a strong need to protect the mortal. Even if it was unwelcome for a monster to try to protect a hero, he would protect and comfort the mortal for as long as he would allow him to. Until the moment when the kindness facade was dropped and he was forced to make his escape, he would stand by the broken mortal who had extended his hand to the far more broken god. Even if the help was simply to mask the hidden knife he planned to use on the mage after rising. He would stop the knife and disappear when the time came, but until then, he would help his beautifully brave and bold little mortal to rise higher than he had ever risen before. He would stand by Anthony.

Notes:

What will this determination bring? Hm?

Chapter 18: Shared Dreams

Notes:

WARNING ⚠️: this chapter is one of the few which earn this story the tag Rape/Non-con. To make it easier to skip and continue, I’ll add a line of xxxxx to break off where you should stop and then another one where you can start again for those that want to read the rest of the chapter but wanna avoid that scene.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Pain was the first thing he felt. Agonizing pain in his chest that threatened to send him back into welcomed darkness. He was close to embracing the cold nothing of unconsciousness when his face was pushed under the cold water again. They held him down for what felt like forever. Just as he was about to finally slip away, they pulled him out, the air forcing its way back into his lungs.

Before he could plead for them to stop and agree to their demands, he felt himself falling. He opened his eyes just in time to see the bed of sand he was about to hit. As he made contact, the metal around his body warped in all the wrong ways and dug into the skin of his arm. He let out a strangled cry of agony, but before blacking out, he saw a face. An ugly purple face with a weird wrinkly chin. It had eyes full of death and decay... he knew who it was, even if he had never seen him before. There was simply no one else it could possibly be... it sent a strong chill down his spine and soon after, he passed out.

After waking up and walking for hours in the desert, the heat was too much to bare and he felt his knees give in. He expected to get a mouthful of sand but instead fell in what felt like a solid floor, but as he turned over, he laid in what seemed to be roof when he reopened his eyes. How he was stuck there, upside down, no clue. He looked around, cradling his injured arm, unsure of where he was, but he soon saw something that made his blood both run cold and boil at the same time.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Below the ceiling he currently occupied, he saw someone being held down by 3 men. One large man on top, sitting on the thinner man's legs, and two others holding his arms stretched to the sides. The man sitting on top spoke and Tony recognized the voice. It was one he had not heard in a long time, but one which he knew well. Yet there was something unmistakably wrong about it. The tone and attitude was off.

"Stop resisting us. Relax and let us enjoy ourselves. You know you want this, little ice princess..." said the man wearing Thor's face. Tony felt his vision fog and felt himself suddenly drop from the ceiling. Once he got his bearings back, he was looking out of the pinned man's eyes, up to a disgustingly happy not-Thor face.

"No! You have drugged me and this is all but an illusion! Unhand me this instant!!" Screamed the pinned man who now Tony recognized was Loki. Ignoring what the god(or himself? Both?) had said, not-Thor ripped Loki's shirt off his body and tossed the remains to the side. Tony was petrified. Even if the cold rational part of his brain had an idea of what might be happening, Tony's softer side couldn't process what was going on. Why was this imposter with Thor's face pinning down Loki? He knew but he couldn't bring himself to answer.

"Illusions crafted by your own repulsive mind, Jotun wench. Which means that whatever your eyes are seeing, are your deepest and darkest desires." Said the man on the right, who was bold, small and sweaty with a messy ginger beard. He looked like a fat, boiled potato. Tony desperately wanted to do something, anything! He could only watch through Loki's eyes and feel what he felt and it was driving him mad. He was beginning to panic.

"How dare you call me as such! You will stop disgracing that face and you will let go of me immediately!!" Screamed Loki as he tried to shake them off. He trashed and moved but he instantly froze as he felt a hand on his chest. It was disgustingly warm, sweaty and from potato head. It didn't move but it had a sickening weigh to it.

"We know what you are. Everyone does. You are a sick, manipulative beast who hides in Aesir skin. You feed off worship. You belittle everyone around you just so you can feel better about your revolting existence. So tell us, what are you seeing, monster? Are you seeing Thor perhaps? Are you that sick and putrid?! You will pay for defilement of the image of our true Prince!" Said potato head as he roughly moved his hand down Loki/Tony's chest to their abdomen. Tony could feel his own hair up on end, even though' Loki's chest was clean shaven. Maybe he simply didn't grow any hair. This made for a disturbing mix of feelings. Loki's bare skin could feel everything. how that callused hand dragged itself down towards the pit of his stomach with perverse tenderness.

"No! Unhand me this instant, you scum!!" Screamed Loki to no avail. The man on the left was the opposite of potato head. He was thin, tall with long braided white hair that merged with his goat beard. He slapped Loki with force, momentarily silencing him, and roughly grabbed his face.

"You can not fight against us. You are weak and worthless. Everyone despises your detestable existence! You deserved to be defiled as the monstrous argr whore that you are!" Said goat beard. Then potato head's hand continued its trail downwards and grabbed, too firmly, his limp dick, as goat beard's hand painfully pinched one of his nipples. Tony could feel his(or their?) heart stop at the touches. Tony had plenty experience with both woman and men. He'd played pretty much all roles you could think of so it wasn't as if he was unfamiliar with such a touch. Neither did Loki feel inexperienced from what Tony could feel through him. But this was entirely different. This was completely unwanted, forced, rough in the worse possible way.

"No! Stop! Ple-Stop!!" Screamed both Loki and Tony. Tony could not handle this. He could take a beating and he could hold his ground against torture, but this was too much. It was all too much! He couldn't stand the duality of both feeling this for himself and knowing this was what Loki had felt. it put a whole knew meaning to empathy. 

"Was that a beg? Did you just beg for forgiveness, filth?" Said the potato head as he started to roughly pull and stroke Loki/Tony, making them scream in pain. even with the sickening sweat in his hands, it was still too dry, too tight. 

"Do not worry, we will only treat you accordingly, my sweet little mewling quim. Just relax and allow us to show you your true value." Said not-Thor as he dove down and licked and bite Loki's/Tony's neck.

"No! Please no! Ah! Stop! STOP!!"

Tony woke up with a scream.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


 

"S... Si... Sir! Are you alright, Sir?" The sweet voice of J.A.R.V.I.S. finally snapped Tony back to reality.

"Wha..? J.A.R.V.I.S.?" After what felt like forever, Tony's head finally stopped spinning. He felt like his brain had taken a trip down a liquefier. When his eyes finally focused he saw he was in the waiting room's couch. He'd fallen asleep waiting for Bruce to finish Loki's last check-up before being moved to a proper room the next day, or today actually, and his neck hurt like hell from the obviously uncomfortable position he had slept in. He was covered in sweat and his clothes stuck to him in a very unpleasant way. He was a total wreck.

"Sir, it seems you were having a nightmare. A rough one, might I add." Said the most reassuring voice he's ever heard in his life.

"Rough doesn't even begin to describe it, buddy... is Loki awake?" Asked the engineer remembering why he'd woken up so spooked.

"... Sir, it seems that Mr. Skywalker is currently also experiencing a nightmare. There are a few nurses attempting to wake him at the moment. Shall I contact Dr. Banner?" Asked J.A.R.V.I.S. as he slowly turned on the lights.

"What time is it? Is Bruce awake?" Asked Tony as he stood up and stretched his sore muscles.

"No, Sir. And it's 6:48 am." answered the AI.

"Don't. I'll deal with it." Said, Tony, as he walked to Loki's room. Once there, he shooed away the nurses that were trying to wake Loki. If he saw them after waking, things wouldn't go too well. He was already violently trashing and silently screaming. He told the nurses to leave, quickly grabbing Loki's hand and holding it tightly. As Tony began to speak, the god began to openly cry between silent shouts. It nearly seemed as if he had waited for Tony to fully openly express his anguish. Almost like he only trusted him to see his full vulnerability. 

"Loki, come on, wake up buddy. Come on. It's not real, it's just a nightmare, so wake up. Follow my voice or whatever, the voice of Tony, your bud and wake up!" After a few more tries and after Loki's screams finally let themselves be heard, he woke up, jolting upwards. Quickly, Tony grabbed the god and held him tightly in a hug. Even without Demi-god strength, the guy packed quite the punch and Tony had learned to protect himself from them. Loki tried to free himself, still lost in the after effects of those especially bad nightmares and Tony began his mantra.

"Shh, calm down, it's me, it's just me, you're safe here, it's just us here. There's no one else. No one is going to hurt you. You're safe and free." After repeating the same lines a few times, the god began to calm down and relax in Tony's arms. He leaned into the touch, the action surprising Tony.

"To...Tony?..." asked the god, like he was unsure if this was real or another dream. He was still not quite back.

"Hey, sunshine. Never heard you use my name before." Said Tony, putting as much comfort and reassurance as he could possibly muster. Yet for some reason, it seemed to have the opposite effect. Loki instantly tenses up and pushed away from the embrace.

"It.. it was just a slip off, it shall not happen again." Said the mage, making Tony wonder what he had done wrong.

"Why? I've told you that you can call me by my first name." Said the avenger, still wondering what he had said to make the alien distance himself.

"No, you have not." Replied the god a bit bitterly.

"I did, just now." Tony could feel the wall, the wall he had worked so hard to break in the past two days after Steve had visited and they had agreed to help the god. He felt all that progress go up in smoke.

"It does not matter. It is offensive to use the first name of someone who is not a family member, brother in arms or... lover." Asgardian ethics? Is that really why he withdrew? That just didn't make sense for the god of mischief.

"Aww, you wound me. I thought we shared a thing, Rock of Ages. You're breaking my heart." Tony covered his Arc Reactor in fake hurt.

"You also never use any of my formal names or titles and resort to using monikers I do not understand." Said Loki closed off. Tony had to do something to dissolve the tension. It was just killing him.

"Sorry, that's my default setting. But you can call me Tony. You should know by now that I don't care for formalities, Loki." Said Tony, making sure to accentuate his name. He waited for a response, but none came.

"Hey, come on..." Tony tried to reach out and touch Loki's shoulder, but it backfired like hell.

"Do not touch me!" The god instantly yelled and swatted the hand away.

"Sorry, sorry... no touchy, got it... what about talking? Can I ask you something?" Might as well get to the point if the walls were gonna prevent small talk.

"What question baffles you small mortal mind now?.." asked the mage without looking at Tony.

"Was your nightmare... by any chance... was it about three guards ehm... pinning you down?" Tony finally asked the question.

"How could... how do you know of this??" Asked the god, finally looking at the engineer with a face full of horror and paleness.

"Cause I think your voodoo magic connected our dreams or something... I dreamed that I was you and... those fucking bastards, I swear if I ever see them, I'll punch them 'till they can't ever move again, and then I'll burn them alive..." Tony could still feel their vivid and disgusting touches on his skin. It made him sick and unbelievably angry.

"Did you see one of them... with the face of... of Thor?..." asked reindeer games with the smallest voice he had heard from the alien.

"Yeah, that one I personally wanna kill, slowly and painfully... hey, breath, I swear I will never let them, or anyone else, hurt you again." Tony tried to comfort Lokes without touching him, but the god seemed lost in a faraway land.

"But how... Our dreams connected, I did not think that was possible with the low amount of Seiðr I posses at the moment..." said thoughtfully Lokes with a frown. Tony could nearly see the gears turning inside that pretty head.

"Well that means your magic is coming back, isn't that good?" Tony was still trying to get the whole magic mumbo jumbo thing, but it still seemed like something slightly good. Well good if you ignored the nightmares... which he knew from experience wasn't easy. 

"I would feel if it was coming back, Stark, this was something different... a connection..." said the god as he inspected his hands and a small glow of green sparked over them.

"Good or bad difference?" Asked the avenger with cation. He looked at the green light show in awe. He still didn't get how magic worked and it still scared him, but he couldn't deny how mesmerizing it could be. 

"I... it does not matter. I apologize that you had to see that, Stark. I shall try to keep my terrors inside my own mind." Said the mage as he clenched his fists and extinguished the light.

"You can share the naughty ones though." Joked Tony. Was that too soon? Shit... you and your stupid mouth... Tony was sure he had screwed up again but a few moments later, he heard the small sound of laughter. The slow, rich sound Tony loved to hear the most.

"Your ability to make light of anything still amuses me, Stark." Finally said Loki with a hint of a smile. It lasted a mere second and wasn't a full one, but it was a second Tony would be obsessively thinking about for the next few weeks.  

"That's Tony to you. And come on, today you finally get to leave this stupid room, you get to have a proper shower and not wet towel wipe-me downs!" Said the avenger, far too excitedly.

"I must admit I have been looking forward to being able to wash my hair." Said Rock of Ages as he swung his legs off the bed he had slept in for the past 3 and a half weeks. He was supposed to leave two days ago but the whole complications with Steve and the kids made him stay a bit longer.

"Come on. If we hurry, I can sneak you into my room and you can use my shower. It's large enough to fit four people and has everything you could possibly need. Definitely beats the med bay showers. Oh and I promise not to peak, if you don't want me to, that is." Offered Tony with a wink as he extended his arm so the god could support himself and stand. Loki was still weak and had to rest more but he was finally permitted to walk on his own. So it wasn't Tony courting or anything, it was strictly doctor's orders, just that. Tony thought he wouldn't take the hand, but after staring at it for a while, he grabbed it and slowly stood up.

"Thank you, Stark. I may still not understand your reasoning for being so kind towards someone like myself, but nonetheless, I am grateful." Said Loki with a genuine smile. Those were rare. A few more seconds to think about obsessively. Last time he saw it was when he thanked Spidey and his gang for helping him. The three of them had sworn to not divulge any information they had learned and promised to keep in touch. Tony had also asked Peter to meet with him sometime in the next weeks to have a better look at his powers.

"Easy, I like you, no other reason needed." Nonchalantly said Tony. Too little too late he noticed what he'd truly said and he interrupted the god before he could comment.

"But come on, we have to hurry if we wanna get there before Bruce wakes up." Tony notice the god had not let go of his hand so he gave it a gentle squeeze and pulled him forward towards the door. The trip to the bedroom was silent but comfortable. They never let go of their hands until they arrived, and even then, they still held hands as Tony explained how the shower worked and what all the different bottles were for. Tony would take sideways glances at the god's face and could see that it was a comfortable and reassuring action for him.

"I'll go see if I can find us something to eat so take your time. Use as much as you want from all those things, I can get more. Oh and if you want to change the temperature, just ask J.A.R.V.I.S. to do it. I'll leave some clean clothes on the bed for you to choose from. They're mine, so eh.. they'll probably be a bit small for you, but at least it's clean and better than scrubs... But don't worry! I'll get you your own clothes later.  I probably should've done that already... right..." Stupid and thoughtless as ever. He's never had to take care of someone else so it should be understandable that he messed up from time to time... but damn it all, he was serious messing up in the stupidest of things. Clothes? Food? Really? At least he remembered the shower! Good job, Tony! Urg...

"Do not worry over such a tribal thing. It is of no bother." Said the god with another smile as he made small circles on Tony's hand with his thumb. It was a mindless action, one they wouldn't mention, just like the fact that they were still holding hands. Nop, not mentioning that.

"Well, ok then.... have a nice shower, I guess? I'll... just be going now... Oh, and you can lay and rest on the bed for a while before coming to the kitchen, if you want or if you get tried of standing." He was just rambling now. Stop before you make it any worse, Tony.

"Thank you, Stark, I am perfectly capable of handling myself." said the trickster with a hint of sass. See? He's not a kid. Shit, he's actually like 50 times older than you. Still smoking hot tho'... Snap out of it and leave already, Tony!

"Right... carry on then. See ya later." Finally answered Tony as he let go of the mage's hand and ran for the door.

"Stark?..." said Lokes right before the engineer closed the door.

"Yeah?" Longingly asked Tony as he gave the scrubs a final looks. Still couldn't believe someone could actually pull off wearing scrubs and still look good.

"Thank you, again, for all you have done for me. Please inform me later if I may be of assistance in anything." Said the god with a smile that hit Tony right in the groin.

"Oh, pff, don't worry about that, but I'll take the offer into consideration. Now go wash those godly curls of yours. I'll be in the kitchen." Joked the avenger as he gave a last glance to the god's face and closed the door.

An hour and a half later, after an earful of Bruce saying how irresponsible Tony was and Capsicle agreeing with him, Tony noticed just how grave his mistake of not buying the god clothes was. Loki walked in, giving Tony a full view of his mistakes. After laying eyes on the little line of visible pale skin and the tightness of undersized sweat pants, Tony could no believe how extremely fucked his was. How extremely bad such a mistake was, for him and for the tight jeans he had decided to use the day before. the tight jeans that just seemed to get tighter the more he looked at the god.

"Shit..."

Notes:

Just to clarify, Iron Man 3 happens about six months after the Avengers. This story takes place almost a year after Avengers which means IM3 is canon, up ‘till the point where Tony takes the Arc Reactor out and blows up his suits. In this story, he still has the Reactor and can't take it out yet. Also, Thor: TDW has not happened yet and everything from IM3 onwards shall change to fit the story.

Chapter 19: Breakfast Chaos

Notes:

Gahhh I'm so sorry for the late update. I've been really busy lately.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Luckily for Tony, Steve had walked into to the kitchen before Tony nearly set it on fire. Bruce had walked in a few minutes later, glaring holes into Tony's skull. But breakfast had been taken care of by cap and his amazing pancake skills so Tony saw it as a win. It was an hour later after he left the god that he noticed just how huge of a mistake for the tight jeans he had decided to use the day before it was to not get the god his own clothes. He sat uncomfortably in his chair, barely hearing the conversation going on. He simply watched the god as he took the plate of pancakes that the cap offered him, the cup Bruce brought him and saw as he thanked them. The god sat across from him in the table and ate, in his clothes, that were too tight...

"Stark?" The god had chosen a AC/DC Black Ice t-shirt, a pair of grey sweatpants with the Stark long on the side, the black fluffy slippers and some white boxers that said Stark Industries... he caught a peek of them when the god rubbed his neck right before sitting...

"Were your listening, Stark? Or is your attention span really that small?" He also had Tony's favorite Arc Reactor blue towel draped around his shoulders. He watched those perfect sharp cheekbones move between words. He kept looking up and down his body and finally locked eyes with the god. Those deep emerald orbs that have seen so much. He could see his lips moving but he was lost in those eyes.

"Stark?... Tony Stark!" Was he saying his name? It sounded nice. Was it also getting hot in here? Well the god certainly was hot, but damn, it was getting suffocating. Wait, that's not his dirty mind is it? Oh shit, ow!!

"What the hell?!" He jumped off the stool he was sitting on and saw that it was steaming. He looked at the three men(well two men and demi-god) and saw the scientist trying to contain his laughter, the soldier shaking his head but smiling and the likely perpetrator, taking another bite of his pancakes and acting like the innocent angel. Tony could see the horns more clearly than ever.

"Mind telling me why you're trying to fry my ass?" Asked the engineer as he rubbed said ass.

"You were being disrespectful and ignoring the conversation." Said Loki, still not looking at Tony and taking a gulp of what he suspected was tea.

"So you decided to make roasted Tony buns in retaliation?" Asked the inventor, a little offended. He was admiring the god's hotness, he should be flattered by Tony's thoughts, not trying to fry his ass.

"Quite so." Said Loki, still not looking up, the little prick!

"I hate you." Said Tony crossing his arms and glaring holes into the cast down jade eyes. Besides him, Bruce, the traitor, was still trying hard to hold in the laughter.

"Quite right to do so. But as likely as that would be, I do not believe you would for something like this." Said Lokes, FINALLY looking up.

"Can I sit down now? Without the fear of someone trying to add barbecue to my overcooked butt cheeks?" Asked the irritated avenger.

"You may, if you pay attention." Said the god as he finished his second pancake and went for the next.

"I thought you didn't have much mojo going on, how the hell did you do that?" Asked Tony as he approached the stool.

"Energy transference is basic magic that requires almost no Seiðr. It is but a child prank. I simply transferred the heat of your heating machine over there, to your chair. Is your curiosity sated enough to go back to the matter at hand?" Asked the god after giving a perfectly logical explanation that made no sense at all and making a barely noticeable movement with his hand. Tony touched the stool and was surprised that it had cooled down so fast. Did he transfer the heat somewhere else? He looked around and noticed, seemingly at the same time as Bruce, that his cup of herbal tea was now steaming.

"No, but either way, what's the topic?" How the hell did he transfer the heat without direct contact or proximity? How can he do that with just his mind? It opened a whole new set of questions and it just made the mage infinitely more interesting... scientifically that is.

"We were about to discuss how to clear Loki's name." Said Bruce as he wiped his glasses and the grin from his face. Brucie was grinning a lot whenever he saw Tony and Loki interact... why? He was seeing something...

"Oh. Well the first question is, does Asgard know of Thanos?" Asked Tony as he took back his cup of coffee, noticing that it was also reheated.

"Please.... do not use his name... it... it is highly displeasing..." said Lokes shifting in his chair.

"Sorry, ugly purple chins it is." Apologized and described Tony as he gulped down the last of his coffee and got up to make some more. The hot potato game with his ass had helped to ironically cool his nether regions but he still felt like walking it off a bit and doing anything but look at the god right now.

"How do you know how he looks?" Asked Loki. Ah, Tony had forgotten to mention the necrophile's appearance in his shared nightmare thing earlier.

"You... shared it with me?" Tony could feel that the god wasn't too keen on sharing the fact that they had linked nightmares. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he felt the same way. It seemed like a private thing they should discuss alone, and at a later time.

"I see... and to answer the question. Yes, there are many ancient tales of the Mad Titan in Asgard." Said Loki from his stool. Tony heard a small gasp and turned around in time to see a flying plate pass him by and gently land in the sink. Wingardium Lokiosa? Really?

"So we basically just need someone from Asgard, like Thor, to confirm that purple chins exist and that he's evil and is a manipulative piece of shit." Stated Tony as he leaned on the counter, waiting for his coffee. He looked at Loki, giving him a knowing look because they had just recently seen Harry Potter and come on. They had developed a sort of quiet speech, so Tony waited for the responsive eyebrow move upwards but only saw them move together in a frown.

"What's wrong? Got something to add?" Asked Tony crossing his arms and desperately wanting to spike his coffee.

"I can not return to or receive any help from Asgard, until I have, as the All-father stated, 'learned as Thor has'..." responded Loki sourly as he Lokiosad Steve's and Bruce's plates once they were done eating.

"Okay... so scratch that, first step is to get your big witchcraft spells back, prove your worthiness or whatever, and then we get Thor to confirm the necrophile purple chins... why don't you look convinced?" Asked Tony as he looked at Loki's shoulders’ drop even more.

"I... I have wronged Thor too many times... I find it unlikely that he would be willing to help..." finally said Loki after staring down for a while.

"You seriously think Thor wouldn't help you? Loki, your brother loves you. He would do anything to get you back. I have no doubt in that." Said Steve, surprising Tony. He still couldn't quite believe that he was on board with the saving Loki boat.

"He is not so forgiving, nor have I given him reason to forgive me... He is not.... I am not his brother, Captain... I was... adopted with the sole intention of being used as a tool when I grew up... I lost my worth and am no longer considered part of that family..." answered Loki trying to maintain the calm mask he always wore. Yet those beautiful expressive emeralds never lied. There was sadness, hatred and longing. So much of each. And it dawned on Tony how many times he had seen the same face in the mirror and it only gave him an irrational desire to hold the god's hand again.

"Just because you're not related by blood, it doesn't mean you can't be brothers. I had a best friend called Bucky... and he was far closer than any relative could ever have possibly been." Said Steve as he leaned on the table to have a better look at the god past Bruce.

"Like the saying says 'Blood of the convent is thicker than water from the womb’. Which means that bonds chosen are much stronger than family considering that you don’t get an option or a say in which family you were born into, or in this case, raised into." Explained Bruce, looking back and forth from Lokes and Cap. As they were looking at each other, Tony quickly took the opportunity to take out a small bottle of scotch he had hidden.

"You mean something similar to blood brothers or brothers in arms?" Asked Loki, looking a bit more lively. Tony took the fresh brew of coffee, served himself, spiked it while no one was looking and hid the bottle again. Once he was done, he turned around and headed for the table but remained standing.

"Yeah. So don't worry to much about Thor, sweetcheeks. If he doesn't listen to you, I'll get my suit on and make him listen." Said Tony as he took a sip of his coffee and winked at the god.

"Let's not get ahead of us, Tony." Warned the Cap, ruining Tony's flirt.

"Fine. First step is still to get his magic jazz hands up and running. Now... how do we do that?" Asked Tony, honestly having no idea how to do so.

"Odin said something about learning like Thor, but what does that actually mean?" Asked Steve as he drank from his own cup. He made a face as he noticed it was reheated, but simply nodded towards Loki in thanks. 

" 'Learn, as Thor once did, my child... Bring back the boy I once knew and loved'... were his exact words... I remember them clearly as it was the first time I saw my... the Allfather, so emotionally invested in something related to me..." said the god a bit lost in thought.

"Did he mean Thor's first visit to Earth? He was also sent here as a mortal, but he was completely human while you still have a bit of magic. Why's that?" Asked Bruce.

"I would simply not survive past a few weeks if I had been completely cut away from my magic and made into a mortal." Said the god like it was the most logical thing in the world. Damn magic and Asgard.

"Oh? Is it cause your not actually brothers or the same species?" Asked Tony, accidentally hitting a small nerve. Tony could see the muscles tense under his t-shirt on Loki.

"In a way... I extensively developed my Seiðr while Thor barely did his. Magic is also part of my... Jotun core... If you were to take it away, it would be like taking away most of my senses, or damping them... It is quite difficult to explain when you have not been thought of magic before, but try to imagine suddenly being stripped of most of your senses, making you unable to perceive the world around you the same way. Imagine being able to hear a full vocabulary, full sentences and suddenly only hearing a few in-consecutive words. Imagine being able to see such a large variety of colors, and suddenly only seeing grey and black. Or being able to taste such exquisite flavors and suddenly only tasting coal... knowing such a large variety of textures and suddenly only feeling rough ones or only smelling one foul smell..." explained the god.

"I would go mad..." said Tony. He truly would. He's whole life depend greatly on his senses. He wouldn't be able to be a engineer or a hero without his senses. Well, he could compensate here and there, but if all of them were damped, he would simply loose his mind.

"Exactly, now also understand that magic provides their user a even larger variety for all this senses. Mortals have the concept of there only being 5 senses. We mages posses many more that those base 5 and we are also highly more receptive. We see and feel the universe differently. More sharply. A mortal would most likely loose their mind if they saw the world as we do. Loosing the ability to see the universe as we normally do and to be downgraded ever lower so than a mortal, would simply kill us, not physically, but mentally. We would completely loose ourselves. For this reason, the Allfather made sure I was left with a small amount of magic. Now I see the world as if through filters and it truly is quite bothersome and disorienting." Finished explaining Lokes. Tony was, for once, a tiny bit grateful for the Allfather. He didn't want to see what would have happened if he hadn't made sure that Reindeer Games kept some magic.

"So technically you're seeing the world at a mortal's receptive level, even if you're still above a mortal's level? Is that it?" Asked Bruce, obviously fascinated by the explanations. Tony normally would have been fascinated as well but he was too busy being concerned and relieved...

"Rudimentary, yes." Said the god as he took the pot of tea and offered some to Bruce.

"So basically same as Thor. Okay, that clears things, but just barely and leave us in square one again. What else? He was sent here by Odin as well, cause he was arrogant or something, right?" Asked Tony as he also offered Steve another un-spiked cup.

"Yes... He was unfit for the throne because of his arrogance and thirst for violence..." the mage then explained in detail all that happened that day. He explained how he had decided to stage a scene to show Thor's true nature. How he showed some giants passage to the vaults. How Thor demanded action be taken and war would be brought upon the giant's planet but the all-father would not have it. How the coronation was postponed and Thor's fury over it. How Lokes had lightly fueled the already existing hatred Thor felt and that made him go attack the giants with his companions. How he quickly told a guard of their plans so that the all-father would save them from the obvious blood bath. How they nearly died and the god discovered the fact that he was actually a giant himself. That when they got back, the all-father was furious with Thor and pointed out all the faults Lokes had previously mention. How Lokes only intended for the all-father to see Thor's true nature and no more. But the argument had gotten out of hand and the all-father took it further than anticipated and banished Thor to Midgard as a mortal. How he was not to return until he was worthy of lifting Mijolnir again.

"And what made him worthy?" Asked Steve intrigued. They had all heard the story from Thor, and the details seemed to match, but hearing it from Loki’d perspective... was a tad unnerving. They were starting to notice that Thor wasn’t as wronged and innocent as they had originally believed him to be. That maybe Loki’s madness has wasn’t as irrational as they thought. Not only that, Loki’s way of telling stories was captivating. 

"That is a debate I have waged in my mind for far too long, Captain . I thought it was humility, but evidently it is not enough." Said the god, cradling his cup of tea. His already pale face was whiter than a piece of paper. Tony could see how the memories drained him.

"But what happened right before he was worthy again?" Asked Bruce rubbing his empty cup. 

"While Thor was banished, I faced the all-father about my heritage. He then fell prey to a convenient state known as the Odinsleep, similar to what you refer to as a coma, as we spoke. In his place, mother made me king. Comrades of Thor saw this as me trying to forcefully take the throne, while in reality I did not even wish for it... All I ever wanted was Thor and I to be equals. Yet their minds were filled with conspiracy theories on my part which led them to try to retrieve Thor from Midgard. I tried to stop them, as it would ruin my plan to show the all-father that I was just as fit as Thor to rule. Not to mention that it strictly went against the last command of the All-Father. And... I... I admit my mind was clouded by hate and jealousy... the resentment I had felt for thousands of years got mixed with the self-hatred born from learning of my true form and the knowledge that my entire life was made up of lies and all that, all that fury, resentment, hurt and desperation lead to... to me attempting to murder Thor..." finally admitted the god. He had dropped his gaze to his hands in the table again and seemed unable to look up.

"So that's when the New Mexico thing happened." Said Tony fidgeting in his stool for entirely different reasons than before. 

"Yes, even in his mortal state, he faced me. In a reckless and rather pointless act, he took a fatal blow from the Destroyer I had sent, and that is when it happened. Before dying, Mijolnir few to him and he became Aesir again." Added the mage.

"There we are, right there is the missing piece." Pointed out Bruce.

"What?" Asked Tony, not sure what his science bro meant.

"You said 'reckless and rather pointless act'. That's what you're missing, learning the importance of self-sacrifice and probably demonstrating it. The fact that you don't quite understand why he did what he did, perfectly shows you're missing that vital part. It was reckless, yes, but not pointless." Explained Bruce. Oh, it kinda made sense, thought Tony.

"How was it not pointless? There was no way of him stopping the Destroyer in his state. He was wasting his life, with no hope of gaining anything from it." Asked Loki looking at the scientist, genuinely confused.

"That's the point. You don't always have to gain from doing something. He wanted to protect his friends, no matter the cost. He was willing to give it all up if it meant someone else got to live." Added Steve to the explanation.

"I... I believe I understand what you are saying, but I am finding it hard to comprehend the reasoning behind it..." said the god. It was kind of cute how his eyebrows were drawn together trying to understand humanity while being a alien god. The face of genuine confusion suited him sometimes. He loved when he explained something completely human to the god and he simply didn't get why 'the ridiculous silly humans' would do something like that. He was still looking at those eyebrows when suddenly a red dot appeared on them.

"Get down!!" Yelled Tony, swinging over the table and taking all three of them with him. Milliseconds later, he saw an arrow fly over them and land on his couch, exploding.

"Anyone mind telling me what the hell is going on?!" Said the archer with his bow drawn.

Notes:

*Tun TUN TUUUUUUUUN!* (Idk how to make soundeffects) shit's going down! O.O

Chapter 20: Overthinking

Notes:

Panic attack scene warning! There’s also some mentions of addiction and some descriptions of addiction thought process, so be warned.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

He could confidently say that water had never felt as good in his thousands years of life, as it did at the moment. He spent a few minutes simply feeling it fall on his face and body, simply enjoying how it rolled down his scarred skin and washed away more than a full year’s worth of filth.

The mortal healers had helped clean and treat his wounds, but this was the first time he truly and fully cleansed himself after letting go of Gungnir in the Bifrost… in what seemed like eons ago. While under the tortures of Thanos, during the attack on Midgard, during his imprisonment… his entire life had been destroyed and turned upside down and for the first time in centuries, he felt his muscles relax.

There was no reason to relax. His life was still terribly wrong and in danger, but being there, in the shower owned by that bizarre mortal named Anthony Stark, felt right… Loki could not explain it but simply being in that tower, in that bath, with that water running down every inch of his body, felt perfect, and safe.

He took one of the many bottles lined up on the wall and poured some of its contents on his hand. He simply watched as the water cleared it away transfixed. How he wished the water could clean out all of the filth in his heart and mind. As if trying to achieve that, he dove his head under the shower spray and stayed there until he needed to breath again. He lifted his head and poured some more liquid on his hand, but this time, he applied it to his hair and started to wash it.

He took a deep breath and was surprised by the odor of the liquid. It smelled like the mortal. This belonged to him. Just now did he truly understand what that meant. The mortal was allowing him the use of his personal items. He had enough money to buy the god his own utensils and could have made him wait until they arrived to allow him to bathe. Or made him bathe without them. Yet, instead, he offered his own artifacts, and not only that, he offered his own rooms. What reasoning was there for that? What would the mortal gain out of offering such?

Normally Loki could read people with ease. He could see their intentions and could find their weakness effortlessly. This particular mortal was too spontaneous and unpredictable for the god to read with the same skilled ease. Sometimes he would act purely on impulse, and others he would put such deep thought into things that most would not waste 'their precious time' with. Those particular moment were the hardest to read. Those around the poor creature never seemed to quite noticed the difference or that there was even a possibility of anything else but reckless and thoughtless behavior. It annoyed the mage to see them dismiss the mortal so easily.

Loki spent a few minutes untangling the bigger knots in his hair with his finger, then used the comb Stark had shown him and dipped his head under the shower again to remove the cleaning potion. He kept his head there for a while until his eyes began to sting from the liquid. He turned around so that the spray would fall on his back and began to properly remove the liquid and clean his body.

As the god passed his hands over his body, he could feel all the scars and burns, all the reminders of his weakness during his tortures. He traced them and reminded vividly each. One in particular made his blood run colder than usual. It was one of the many he got that day he had a night terror about… It was the first time they had… the first time they had breached his… the first time they brutally violated him…

From what he remember from the night terror, Stark did not see much of it. They had stripped him of so much that day… weeks later after that, he noticed that they had drugged him more than he had thought and made his mind susceptible to suggestion… it had not worked 'pleasure' wise as they had hoped... but it had worked all too well on his mental state… all the things they said, he believed them to be true. He believed he was a wretched argr Jotnar whore and all the other things they had said. He did not notice that those were not his own thoughts for far too long. Long enough for him to start believing he was all that they called him on his own.

“Mr. Sk-… Mr. Skywalker!” Loki was startled out of his terrible memories by the voice in the ceiling and the shattering noise around him. He looked in horror at his blue hands and at the drops of water that froze as they touched his skin and slid from them, only to shatter as they hit the floor. He tried to concentrate and the blue receded from his hands. He had discovered early in his imprisonment that he could still use some of his Jotnar powers… he also learned to suppress the transformation since the guard named Fritjof, who loved to drug Loki and make him think he was Thor… very much enjoyed seeing him in his Jotnar form… loved his… the wretched Jotnar features…

“Mr. Skywalker, should I call Mr. Stark? You are displaying signs of starting a panic attack.” Asked the voice in the ceiling.

“No!.. no.. I am… I am alright now… please do not tell him of this.” Said Loki.

“... as you wish, Sir. Should I rise the water’s temperature? Would you like to hear some relaxation music? I have a selection of music specially chosen to help Mr. Stark relax while bathing. I could play it for you and arrange a new one designed for your liking based on the ones you enjoy from this one.” Offered the voice to the mage.

“I can rise it myself, and… I’ll accept the music offer.” his terrors were replaced with curiosity for what the mortal used for relaxation. Tony always acted so careless, it really interested Loki to know what exactly caused the mortal the pain he constantly felt. A variety of music began to fill the room as Loki continued to bathe. Some were surprisingly soft and melodic, others included a lot of shouting. The god was not sure how that was meant to be calming, but they managed to keep his darker thoughts at bay. 

He came out some time later and grabbed one of the towels he found in the rack right beside the door of the shower. They were the same blue as the sphere in the chest of the avenger, not coincidently, he expected. He dried his body, wrapped the towel around his torso and walked towards the clothes on the bed. There was a few typical midgardian shirts, pants and underclothes and a pair of shoes made of some type of fur on the floor. He looked through the shirts and found a white one that was big enough for him. As he touched and smelled it, he could tell it had almost never been worn. He took another shirt, one which would evidently fit small on his body, but he could tell it had been worn a lot and could even smell the scent of the engineer on it. It was a loved shirt,

He chose that one. While it was smaller, for some reason it made him feel better to wear something that had obviously brought comfort for another before. It was black and had a sort of design he could not recognize. He could only read the letters AC and DC and the words Black Ice under them. It was strange, but looked like a typical shirts Anthony would wear. One of his many references probably. He put on the shirt, the underclothes, the pants and placed his feet on the furry, comfortable shoes. The entire ordeal had taken a toll on him and he felt tired. He looked at the clock on the table beside the bed and could tell that he had taken around 40 minutes. He then remembered the words of the midgardian. He sat on the bed for a few seconds, considering if he should, or not, lay down and decided to risk it. He layed down and was surprised by the pleasant scent of the mortal all around him. He was starting to develop an addiction to it… never a good sign, but he could not care less in that moment. He spent around 20 minutes simply enjoying the softness of the bed and the rich scent he could only describe as a mixture of cologne, alcohol, grease and sex.


 “Anyone mind telling me what the hell is going on?!” Screamed and demanded the hawk from across the room. Loki could not believe his eyes or his stupidity. Here he was, surrounded by most of the Avengers. How could he think even for one second that any of this was to work? When did he start to believe that Tony and Dr. Banner could actually help him? There was no helping Loki. No matter what the mortals did, he would not be forgiven for all the sins he had committed. He should not be forgiven. All those he had wronged would never forgive him, specially the hawk. He would rather die than forgive the god. He would be the first to inform the Shield of his appearance on Midgard. Loki would be chased and hunted. They would catch him and send him back, back to the dungeons, back to the dungeons, the dungeons and the guards, the guards, the guards, the dungeon, not the dungeons, no not them, not them, not them….

“J.A.R.V.I.S. Lock down the building, disable and block all communications and dart them! NOW! Steve help contain them! And Bruce, with me on Loki!” Loki could hear Tony screaming orders and arrows flying over them but there was no point to any of this. Loki's vision was blacking out and his breath was ragged. They would trap him, they would torture him and experiment on him and then they would send him back to the dungeons and the guards would come back…. they would find a way back to him… they would, he knew it was just a matter of time before he was sent back like they always told him he would be if he ever got out. He would be sent back and they would torture him again. More, they would torture him more and more and they would never stop. There was no stopping it… there was no way, no way, no way, no way, no way!

“LOKI, BREATH!” Loki could not distinguish who the voice came from, but did they not understand there was no point!? He would rather the darkness took him than to go back to that cell! That ratchet, dark, disgusting cell. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he retaliated. He punched and clawed and tried to teleport away to no avail.

“He’s not going to calm down! We need to tranquilize him, now!” said a voice. Why would they not shut up! He wanted the darkness, he craved the darkness. He needed to be gone! Now!

“We can't! He’s developing an addiction and dependance. We have to calm him without it and he has to learn how to get through his attacks.” Said another voice. He despised that voice. He needed the darkness. He needed to be unable to think. He could not go back to the dungeons. He could not go back to them!

“Stark.. Please… Please, Tony!” He could not tell if the mortal was actually there but he needed him desperately. He needed to be gone.

“I'm here, Reindeer Game, shh, I'm here…” said who he suspected was Tony. He felt a gentle hand on his head that made his vision return slowly, but he did not want to see, he wanted to consumed by nothingness.

“Please… I need.. I need it…” begged the god.

“J.A.R.V.I.S.! Dart him!” Loki felt the prick of the needle pierce his skin and the sweet nothingness begin to take over. The last thing he remembered was hearing Tony say how everything would be alright. How he longed to believe those lies.


 “What’re you planning to do now, huh, Tony? We can't just keep them locked up here!” Complained Steve. Bruce could understand both points of view. He could understand Steve’s concerns but he could also understand why Tony was doing this. They were all back in the medical bay, next to Loki. They had placed him back in his bed after having sedated him. It worried Bruce that Loki was developing a dependence on the sedative, but they did have a bit of a more pressing matter at hand at the moment.

“We shouldn't.” Said Tony, being a smartass. Bruce could not help bitterly smiling a bit knowing where this was going. They always fought with each other and it was always in the same fashion. Steve would make a moral statement, Tony would respond with a smartass answer. Steve would backtrack trying to understand and once Tony explained, he would get even more furious.

“What?” Asked Steve with his threatening tone. It was honestly predictable and avoidable but they were both too stubborn to skip the verbal wars.

“You said we can't, but that’s wrong since we technically can. So, you meant to say, we shouldn't. Which is still debatable.” And there goes Tony’s explanation.

“Tony!” And there goes Steve, turning a darker shade of red.

“Fine, fine. Don't get your star-spangled panties in a bunch, Princess Rightness.” Said Tony, turning away from Steve and serving himself some scotch on one of the plastic cups. Oh, after Steve’s angry comment always comes Tony's nicknames and Steve would point out a quirk of Tony’s.

“You never think things through. You never stop to consider the consequences of your actions!” Said Steve. That wasn't quite true but Bruce rather stay out of the fight. He would rather be the neutral for now. Sorry Tony. Thought Bruce.

“You are… you are wrong…” a weak and groggy voice said from the bed. Loki was trying to sit up.

“Lokes! Shhh, take it easy, the meds are still wearing off.” Tony placed the cup back on the bedside table and rushed to Loki's side. He sat in the chair next to the bed and held his hand. They both looked at their joined hands and quickly parted with confusion in their faces. It amused Bruce how obvious their attraction to one another was. But Bruce found it even funnier that they themselves didn't quite see it, specially Tony.

“I am alright, Stark. And you are wrong Captain.” Stated the god. It also marveled the scientist how Loki could understand Tony better, in such a short period of time, than people who’ve known him for ages. Bruce prided himself for being one of the few that knew the engineer best and that the engineer trusted, but even he was only scratching the surface.

“Yeah, how so?” Asked the captain, quite annoyed.

“He does think before acting. He is always constantly thinking. About the consequences, about the severity. Always imagining the worst possible scenarios and what to do in them so that when they do happen, he is ready for them. He is constantly being haunted by the ‘what if's. Constantly being haunted and kept awake by night terrors of all the horrible things to possibly come. So you are wrong to say he does not think before acting.” The room went silent at the god’s words. Bruce had always suspected that to be the case but had never been quite sure or dared to ask.

“Lolo…” brokenly whispered Tony. Bruce couldn't help but smile. They were meant for each other. Their circumstances were horrible and they would have to face a lot of hardships, but it was simply meant to be for Bruce. He would support and root for them, he just hoped they could resolve things quickly before they were parted. The scientist chuckled at the thought that, as the younger generation would say, he shipped them.

“It still is a valid question to ask ourselves what to do now. It seems to me that the plans, if we could call them that, have accelerated far more quickly than would have been liked.” Said the god after sharing a meaningful stare with Tony.

“Let's just explain to them everything that’s happened, just like at Pete’s house. If we explain it right, they should understand.” Suggested Tony, taking the cup from the bedside table without standing up.

“While the Captain and Spider might have seen reason, I do not see how the Hawk will be convinced. He would rather see me dead. Nothing would delight him more than to lodge an arrow right between my eyes. I do not see how it would be possible to convince him, no matter what tale we weave.” Replied the mage, taking away the cup from Tony’s hand and placing it on the bedside table on the other side. Tony tried to glare holes in Loki’s eyes, it seemed he did that a lot. The god was apparently not a fan of Tony's excessive drinking.

“There’s no harm in trying though.” Said Tony in an annoyed tone.

“I see quite a few instances where that statement is disturbingly wrong, Stark.” Said the mage, daring him to say anything about the drink. After Bruce had explained that alcohol had very negative effects in the human body if consumed in large quantities, the god had made it his job to make Tony stop drinking. Whenever Tony tried to drink in Loki’s room, he would either take his cup away with his hand or telekinesis, well the equivalent to that with his magic, or he would heat it up, making it distasteful. Once he even combusted the alcohol accidentally.

“Either way, we should head there right now.” Said the Captain, his anger having deflated quite a bit after Loki’s words of Tony.

“Lokes just woke up, give him a break. We don't need another panic attack on our hands.” Said sharply the engineer, quickly standing up defiantly. He stopped from walking towards the Captain when a hand grabbed his arm.

“It is alright, Stark. I can handle myself now. I was too surprised with their appearance and had no chance to prepare myself mentally and physically. Now I have.” Said Loki, as he slowly got off the bed, still holding Tony’s arm.

“You tell me immediately when it's too much. And J.A.R.V.I.S. inform me if he starts showing signs of an attack.” Instructed the engineer.

“Now then, time to head to battle.”

Notes:

Constructive criticism is appreciated. Ideas are also welcomed.

P.S. If you're a Loki fan, checkout the app Amino and join the Loki community, it's fun :3 and there' are also a Frostiron one so check that out as well. Well, I bid you Adieu, until next time~

Chapter 21: Missed Whispers

Notes:

Have I ever mentioned how much I love you guys? I have but I'll never get tire of saying it! You guys are so wonderful and every comment brightens my day! :3

As always, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated and kudos as well!

Anxiety attack description warning!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Hell would have been easier. Hell would have been a walk in the park for Tony. This was hell on trenbolone, or the Asgardian equivalent of steroids, wielding Mjolnir…. on more steroids. They had placed Clint and Nat in the testing room where Tony had experimented on Peter and had all the weapons pointed at the spies. From the outside, they had explained in detail all that had happened to the two assassins and it goes without saying that it did not go well. Clint was fuming and Nat had on her perfect unreadable mask of indifference learned from years as an assassin and spy.

“You’re fucking kidding me, right? Don't tell me you actually believe that!” Screamed yet again the archer. He had been cursing, pacing and asking the same things over and over.

“Clint, calm down.” Said the redhead for the first time after being put in that room. She grabbed his forearm to stop him from pacing but he just violently shrugged it off.

“No! He’s the God of Lies, for fuck's sake! That dirtbag doesn't have a sincere bone in his body! You’re all being manipulated and I swear to you, you piece of shit, that I'm getting out of here and I'm putting an arrow through your skull and one up your ass! At least the rape part of that stupid story of yours will be true. I’ll shove it in there and rip that smartass of yours to bloody shreds! You hear me?! Huh!? I'm going to kill you, you son of a bit-!” His rant was cut short by a sharp slap. It came from the Russian and Tony could not quite believe his eyes. He never expected that from her. He honestly expected her to fully back up the archer.

“...” Clint was in shock. He stared at her like he couldn't understand what demon had posed her. There was also hurt in those eyes and a sort of betrayal.

“Clint, use your training and look at him… he’s on the verge of a panic attack, one that can't be faked. Look at the dilated pupils, the sweating, the trembling and the way he keeps swallowing and the way that just mentioning these things makes him try to stop doing a few of them unsuccessfully.” She was right. Loki was hanging on the edge with no support, just a small push would drive him over. Quickly, trying to not be too obvious, Tony took the chair next to him and offered it to the god. As Loki silently thanked him and nearly crashed into the chair, Tony cursed himself for not thinking about doing it sooner.

“He has magic and he can shapeshift! Oh please, you can't actually believe that shit tale of rape, mental manipulation, and weaponization!” Accused the archer again, pointing in Loki’s direction, making a face of disgust.

“You know the answer to that better than most. You know the truth of it… and you know just what I did to get out of that room…” cryptically said the assassin. Tony had heard bits and pieces but he’s never known the full story of how the Widow came to be. He suspected not even Clint knew it all but he did know more than anyone else.

“... bullshit…. no, this is not the same, Nat. Don't compare that thing to yourself...” said the Hawk, slightly deflating.

“It's exactly the same, Clint... Give us 15 minutes alone, off the record.” Asked the spider to everyone outside.

“...Fine, it won't be recorded but J.A.R.V.I.S. will still be watching and he can act on his own and shoot down your sorry asses, plus we’ll be out here so don't try any funny business.” Answered Tony, disabling the visuals, audio, and tinting the window. As soon as he was done he felt a shaky hand on his arm. He looked back to see Loki basically clinging to him with his face obscured by the long hair covering his lowered head.

“Lokes… if it's too much, you don't have to be here for the rest of the conversation. You’ve already shared your part of the story.” The god didn't answer immediately and Tony was worried he had already gone over the edge but after a few seconds he saw the hair sway from side to side and an answer came from somewhere behind the curtain of dark strands.

“N..no… I shall remain here… my absence would only fuel the archer’s mistrust… and there is already enough of that for this task to be impossible…” said the god, sounding defeated, yet rising his head enough for his eyes to come into view again. They seemed resigned and scared.

“Hey, don't give up on me yet. I'm not done here. Plus it kinda looks like Tash is beginning to side with us.” Said the engineer moving his chair to face the mage completely. He grabbed both his arms and rubbed them a bit, trying to convey comfort and confidence he wasn't sure he felt himself.

“Ah… I had not considered that… it is true that the story of the widow and mine are similar in some aspects…” said Loki, shaking less and starting to remember something from long ago.

“Wait, you know that how?” Asked the mortal, confused at the god’s knowledge.

“Back when I was… pretending to conquer your realm… I had Barton tell me all of your stories… and it did not slip my notice that my story was similar to both yours, Stark, and that of Agent Romanov.” Explained the god, grabbing Tony's hands and lowering them to his lap, while still holding them.

“Oh… right...that, Tash had said she had been compromised, didn't exactly ask how, back then.” Finally remembered the engineer. It was bitter memories but each time he remembered, Loki’s actions made more and more sense. Like why he hadn't used such delicate information against them.

“I did not truly intend to use that information to hurt any of you, but I needed to comprehend how you thought so that I could-” Loki’s attempt at explaining his reasons was cut short by Tony.

“Stop, you don't have to keep explaining yourself to me, I know now why you did it so you don't have to explain something that causes you pain like that.” Interrupted the Avenger. He could totally understand why he did it since he would’ve done exactly the same. He needed to understand how they thought so he could push the right buttons and make them as angry as possible, without actually hurting them. Tony’s internal laughter at how similar the mortal and the god were was interrupted by Cap’s sighs.

“What, got a problem there Captain Spangles?” Asked Tony annoyed.

“This is a mess… it just doesn't feel right to have them in there, with weapons pointed at them and have Loki over here, being reassured… I still can't quite wrap my head around the situation. I just hope we’re doing what’s right.” Explained the good ol’ captain. What he said made sense but it simply irked Tony. Why couldn't they just accept it and get it over with? He would not doubt his decision.

“We are, so stop whining already.” Bite back the engineer. Tony felt the hands he was holding get a little colder than usual so he gave them a gentle squeeze.

“Sir. They have indicated that they’ve finished their private discussion.” Indicated in turn the AI.

“That was less than 15… Bring them back then.” Instructed the engineer. He let go of Loki’s hands and both turned slightly to face the window that was being untainted but Tony could not help placing his hand on Lolo’s back for more silent reassurance.

“So? How did the little spy meeting go? Any good news or will I’ll have to ask Dummy to bring you some food later?” Sarcastically said Tony with the large shit-eating grin he normally used on annoying paparazzi.

“One week.” Said the Widow. The Hawk had his eyes cast down and had his arms crossed. It made him seem really annoyed but a bit defeated. Could she have really convinced him?

“Imma need you to be a little bit less cryptic Nat.” Said the engineer, curious but defensive.

“Give us one week to observe him, and then we’ll decide what to do. If to tell S.H.I.E.L.D. or help you in this crazy plan of yours. But if we find anything that makes us even the slightest bit suspicious, we’ll immediately contact Fury.” Explained Natasha, slightly surprising everyone. Loki, especially, went rigid at the news. Tony started to make small designs on the god’s back to try to calm him.

“Seems short, but fair enough. I do have to mention that J.A.R.V.I.S. will alert me if you attempt to and I’ll stop you again.” Said Tony, just to clarify and remind them of his all-seeing buddy and determination.

“Fair enough.” Said the red-headed spy with a shrug. After checking the reading J.A.R.V.I.S. was showing him of their heart rates and other bodily signs, Tony decided to let them go. Not that the reading ready told him much, they were trained spies after all, but he still had the need to check. 

“Then, you’re free to go, I guess?” Said awkwardly Tony as he and Loki stood up and the door opened. Tony made sure to be between the assassins and the god as they stepped out of the experiment room.

“Now what?...” asked Bruce, stepping forward.

“Now we go back to our rooms and you hope we don't find anything suspicious about him.” Said Widow with her unreadable mask.

“...Which I bet ya we will... just saying...” barely added the archer. Tash gave him some sort of look and he backed down again but it still made Tony slightly uneasy.

“Okay… see ya for lunch then?” Neither of them responded, only raised their hands in a sort of wave and left.

“Well, that was… weird… and kinda anticlimactic.” Said Tony after a few moments of awkward silence.

“Am I the only one who thinks it was too easy?” Asked wise ol’ Brucie.

“You are most certainly not the only one, Dr. Banner.” Stated the Reindeer Games, letting out the breath he had been holding in probably since he had woken up again.

“I second that.” Said Steve, rubbing the back of his neck in obvious distress.

“I think we can all agree on that. But it's not like standing here will change anything so just scram and meet back for lunch.” Said Tony, stretching and opening the door for everyone to leave. Bruce left for his room to relax and think, and the captain went to the gym to do some training. Only Tony and Loki were left.

“Right… so with the whole mess, I haven't shown you to your new room yet, might as well do that now. It's just a few floors away and I bet you could use the power nap.” Said Tony, testing the waters, with a bit of humor, of Loki’s condition after such a rough talk.

“Yes… that would be wonderfully appreciated… I-ah!” As the mage took a step towards the door, he lost his balance and fell forward. Tony acted as fast as he possibly could and stepped in in time for the mage to fall in his arms. The avenger rapidly asked if he was alright, but just as quickly he shut up to hear the god’s breathing. It was ragged panting and he could feel his chilly breath on his left arm. It sent a strong chill down the engineer’s spine but he ignored it in favor of helping Lokes. Tony quickly helped him sit down and wiped the sweat streaked hair from his face. The god was red and slightly moaning from the rough breathing. It took only a few minutes for him to regain control.

“I… I am sorry… you had… had to witness that, Stark…” said Lolo still a little bit breathless.

“Ahh, no need to apologize. I'm actually surprised you were able to go through all that and only now react.” Said the engineer honestly surprised. He knew for sure he himself would’ve broken halfway through.

“Are… are you underestimating me?” Asked Lokomotion, with the goddamned best hurt puppy-dog eyes Tony has ever seen. Damn those eyes sure knew how to hit Tony right in the gut.

“You should know by now I would never do that. It's completely normal for someone with PTSD to have a panic attack. Anyone else would have caved in, I would have caved in! But you didn’t, which kinda amazes me.” Tony… honestly, where is your empathic sense? How can you miss the simplest of things up? You have the greatest mind Earth has probably ever seen but you suck balls when it comes to feelings.

“You tend to forget I do not fall under the normal range of mortals.” And there it went. Tony was noticing that Lokes followed a very similar pattern he himself used. When hurt, he would confirm if it was truly meant as an insult or a remark, and if it wasn't, he would mask it with humor.

“Nah, I don't forget. You are too regal and alien and are always verbally reminding me, so how could I possibly forget? But anyway, no matter what species you are, Bruce says psychology almost always works the same so it would’ve been perfectly understandable if you had caved in. But you didn't until now, and technically speaking, that looked more like an anxiety attack, not really a panic attack, so even more impressive…so… yeah... Anyway, let's get out of here.” Suggested the avenger as he stood up, slightly flustered, trying to mask it since he didn't quite understand why he was feeling that. Was he being too touchy-feely? Could he even do touchy-feely? He took a deep breath, turned around and offered his hand to the god.

“Yes…” said Lokomachine a bit hesitantly, surely a bit worried that he would fall again but Tony wouldn't allow that. As soon as he stood, he placed the hand he had grabbed on his shoulder. The mage made no comment about it but gave him a knowing and grateful look. Tony knew by now how hard it was for him to ask for help so he made it his job to help when he noticed it was needed. They walked in silence to the elevator and headed for Tony’s floor. Once there, they headed for the room nearly next to the engineer's.

“Here we are. This is a temporary one tho’, I'm designing a proper floor, but till that's done, this will have to do. It's the guest room I normally give to anyone who wants to visit, not that anyone actually does. Pepper was using it mostly, but she left right before I found you. There's still a few of her things here and there but I’ll have the bots move them later.” He opens the room and showed the god inside. It hurt Tony a bit to see the room. Even if the room was a guest room, he had gotten many things, especially for Pepper. Things she liked, like the sofa and table set. It was not his taste at all but she had liked it. The room even smelled like her. It was uncomfortable and Loki seemed to sense it and was looking at the floor. The mortal couldn't tell what he was thinking, he could read what Loki offered easily but he still couldn't tell what actually went through the bag of cats that was the god’s head, yet. Emphasis on yet. After a few milliseconds of awkward silence, Lokes responded.

“The fact that you gave me a room at all is far more than I had expected to receive.. it is highly appreciated.” Finally said the god. It kinda annoyed the engineer every time that Lolo was so appreciative of the things he gave him. It meant that things as simple as this stupid acts of kindness were completely foreign to the god. To go from a stuck up rich prince to this forever thankful and fearful being… it just showed how bad he was treated. Shows how much they tortured him and how low they degraded him. It really pissed the avenger. He tried to contain that anger, but it was eating at him. He needed to get out and let out some steam.

“You don't have to thank me for everything, you know. I love to spoil my friends and I'm rich enough to do it all the time so don't worry and just accept it. Anyway, I'll leave you here to rest for a while 'till lunch.” Explained, the mortal, as he almost ran for the door. He was out before the mage could respond, completely missing the soft, barely whispered, Thank you… Anthony.

 

Notes:

Me: *cries* stupid Tony, why did you have to run off before hearing Loki!?

Tony: how was I supposed to know he was gonna drop that sexy name bomb??

Loki: I would not have said it had he stayed, sweetheart.

Me: you're killing my poor fanheart... rude TT-TT you should be nicer to your writer... anyway so

I already started the next chap soo I hope that I'll be able to post it soon! There's finally gonna be some real action soon! What type of action you may ask? Wait and see~!

Chapter 22: Flesh wounds

Notes:

I kinda feel obliged to warn that the first part of this chap has a semi NSWF scene. Also that there will be plenty more scenes like that in the future, not so soon though. But yeah, just wanted to warn that. Enjoy~! And please let me know how my first semi-smut scene went! :3

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Tony knew he wasn't conscious yet. He was drifting between sleep and awareness when he heard it. It was the sound of the door slowly opening, followed by soft footsteps. He felt the bed dip and a weight slowly set over his legs. It was slightly cold and relaxing to Tony’s still sleep-clouded head. A chilly and shaky breath on the left side of his face made him aware that it was a person and it sent a strong pleasant shiver down the engineer’s spine.

He finally woke up to find that Loki was straddling him. His hair was covering most of his face, making Tony instinctively push it aside and was presented with the red, feverish features of the god. His soft pants sounded downright sinful to the avenger's ears and he was truly in shock. He wasn't sure he had ever seen such an astonishing sight before(or had he?). He had no idea what to make of it or what to even do. He had thought and considered how hot Lokes was before and he had even let his mind wander a bit about how it would be to have him... but to actually have him on top of Tony now, the engineer was perplexed. The god, seeming to take initiative, lowered his head all the way down to the engineer’s ear, kissed it and whispered a simple sentence that sent Tony Stark's mind spiraling with lust. Tony was known as a playboy not just because of his skill in bed, but also for his ability to make others mad while keeping himself in check. The fact that a simple phrase could rattle him so much... was exhilarating. A simple ‘Take me… Anthony…’

The warm puffs of Loki’s shaky breath tickled Tony's oversensitive skin, and he finally fulfilled the wish he would have denied had anyone asked, of burying his hand in Loki’s hair, grasping it and using it to pull Loki’s head that last step closer. His lips tasted sweet, they had the same chilly aftertaste of mint and as soon as their lips met, Tony's body was ignited with heat. He noticed every single detail, as is a engineer's usual habit. He noticed the fingers curling in his hair, the clean smell of Loki's breath and skin, the small moans that escaped the god when they surfaced for air. Tony's eyes were so overwhelmed trying to take in every aspect of the god, that he had to squeeze them shut, only making every touch that much more delectable.

Tony couldn't stop the tip of his tongue sneaking out, wanting to taste Loki. He licked gently along the seam of the god's lips and Loki immediately granted him entrance, a groan escaping his throat as they met tongue to tongue.

Tony smiled and hummed pleasantly at the granted access, his hand in the god’s hair pulling Loki even closer as he deepened the kiss, his tongue tickling the mage’s briefly before lapping at the underside of the his upper lip as it retreated. Loki sucked Tony's lower lip and bit it gently as the mortal pulled him closer by the waist, sliding him the last few inches onto his lap.

The heat and pressure of what had to be the Loki’s answering arousal had the avenger’s lips parting in a gasp. He reveled in the contact, in the nearness, and bite Loki’s upper lip affectionately when his hand sneaked under the god’s shirt, his fingers grazing the soft skin under the hem. The thought of the alien god using his clothes, driving him mad with desire to take it all off.

The ivory skin of the mage was colder in contrast to the engineer’s slightly tanned one. It was an addictive feeling Tony could not get enough of. He decided to switch their positions, to better worship his god and was rewarded with a gasp and giggles as he flipped them. He left the comfort of the god’s lips in favor of kissing his way down his throat and found a sweet spot right above the collarbone. Loki’s giggles were quickly replaced by a hasty moan that sent a rush of blood to the human's quickly hardening member and he took it as an invite to explore that area further. The god in turn hooked his right leg on Tony’s waist and grinded up on his length, making Tony let out an involuntary groan.

He should have stopped there, the god had just come out of imprisonment, torture, starvation and rape for Christ sake! He was probably nowhere near ready for where this was going, but he couldn't resist kissing him again and again and again. He was simply addicted to that well named silver tongue. He knew he should probably ask, but the god was slowly rendering him unable to think straight, let alone form coherent sentences.

Tony started to rant, unsure of how far the god was willing to go “Shit… you’re hot… well technically you’re cold but I meant you’re hot as hell but mayb-” yet he was cut short by Loki pulling him down by the neck for a rough invasion of his mouth with his feverish tongue. It was a odd, yet ecstatic and a sensual contrast to his cold lips.

“Shut up and fuck me, Anthony….” demanded the god when he finally let them both breath. He tangled his fingers in the mortal’s hair and added. “Fuck me until I can no longer think straight… until I am completely and utterly undone… until I am only able to scream your name in breathless worships… take me, mark me, claim me as yours...” whispered the god as he ran his hand in the mortal’s hair. He bite the avenger’s ear and roughly grabbed Tony’s ass for leverage so he could grind up on the human’s hardening length even more.

“T..that I can do. They don't call me playboy cause I dress as a bunny. Th..tho’ I could do that as well.” Explained the engineer with the smuggest grin he could manage while still breathing heavily and also grinding down on the god. Tony slid his hand from the god’s chest, to his side and back and trailed his spine until he found the edge of his own sweatpants on the god. He lifted the hem of the pants and boxers and greedily grabbed as much as those round cheeks as he could.

“Fuck me when you wake up.” Said the god, sounding a bit strange. Lacking the previous lust in his voice, even if he kept running his nails in Tony’s hair and movings his hips against Tony’s.

“When I wake up?” Asked the engineer, confused by the sudden change of tone and words. It still didn't stop him from dipping his other hand in and pulling the god closer as he bit the god’s earlobe.

Wake up, Sir.” Said Loki(?), his voice sounding strangely familiar, but not Loki-familiar.

“But I am awake, right?” Half stated, half asked Tony, not enjoying and fearing the change. He lifted his head to see what was going on and saw the god crying. Crying blood to be more specific. While Tony was quickly trying to ask and understand why he was crying (blood for fuck’s sake!!),
he heard the same voice again, but he could see it was not coming from Loki's mouth. He saw the god’s mouth silently say ‘why Tony?...’ and that’s when his vision snapped out of the dream.

“Time to wake up, Sir.” Said J.A.R.V.I.S. finally waking the mortal up.


 

What?... Tony looked around and saw he was still in his room, but alone in his bed. He looked down and saw the telltale bump of what normally indicated morning happy fun time but it was quickly calming down on its own due to that last part of the dream? Nightmare? What the hell was that?! Asked himself the engineer. He had been thinking about how hot the god was and how hot he would be to bed for quite a while, but he’d never actually dreamt about it like that, in that much detail and passion... And the crying at the end… what the bloody fucking hell did that mean?? The betrayal and hurt in Loki’s bloodied eyes had made Tony’s blood run cold. Was that like a test to see if Tony would actually bed the god? Had he been expecting him not to? Had he failed? Wait was that even a dream? If it was, was it his own? Was it one of Loki’s nightmare?

A million questions swarmed the engineer's rattled mind but J.A.R.V.I.S. the saint, snapped him back to reality. “I'm sorry to disturb your sleep, Sir. It’s 6:47am. and you instructed me to wake you as soon as either of the spies woke up. They are both awake and seem to be heading to the training area. Also, Loki seems to be having a nightmare.” Said the AI.

Shit… could he even face the god right now?... well he had to be able to, cause he knows first hand how bad PTSD fueled nightmares can be… but what if he was having a nightmare where Tony was raping him?... he would still have to risk it.

“I’ll go check on him then.” At that statement, the AI turned on the lights slowly so his master could adjust to the change. Tony was only sporting boxers so he grabbed a random pair of jeans and a t-shirt he found on the floor that didn't smell too bad and put it on as well as sliding on some shoes and just like that, he ran to the door and to the room next to his own. He slowly opened the door and his AI turned on the lights as he did with Tony’s room. He had expected to find the god violently thrashing and screaming but only found him squirming and whimpering lightly. It wasn't as bad as the previous two nights since the assassins arrived.

Those two hadn't shown up for lunch or dinner that day and they had spent their time in the training room, only coming out of there to sleep and to explore the building at night while the rest slept. Tony was sure that they knew that he could see them but apparently it made them feel better(?) to explore everything while the rest weren't around. Sadly Tony had also been bombarded that night with papers and document Pepper had sent him that needed urgent reading and signing and had left Loki’s care to Bruce and Steve.

Apparently in their time together, Bruce had taken up Tony’s job of introducing them to technology and pop cultured. Tony had been slightly offended when he heard they had watched Snow White and Sleeping Beauty(hey, Disney movies were cool and a must watch, specially the classics) last night without him. Afterwards, the three of them had dragged Tony out of his office for dinner and they were all surprised when they found the assassins already at the table, having ordered their own takeout.

“Oh, dear, what an awkward situation.” the god had whispered, making the engineer nearly choke on the coffee they had brewed for him, having perfectly quoted a freaking Disney Villain. He strangely wondered if he felt identified with Maleficent, both of them having horned helmets and all the green magic voodoo, staffs and shape shifting. Could Loki turn into a dragon? That would be awesome and he would definitely ask later…

Anyway.

Tony was brought back to the present by a pained whimper and he quickly moved to Loki’s side. The god was sweating buckets. The sheets were damp with perspiration and his raven hair was sticking to his face and neck that were as pale as the moon. He was shivering and twitching, rapidly moving his head from side to side. Tony removed the covers from Loki’s body and had to gulp at the sight. The god was wearing one of the white(now almost transparent from the sweat)Stark Industries shirt he had given him two days before with a few extra sets of standard issued employ workout clothes, while his actual clothes arrived, and white boxers that were loose on his thin hips… it was quite the sight to behold. The engineer’s body was unsure how to react to the view. It was a exquisite look on the god but he also remembered the blood in the mage’s eyes and it sent very confusing messages to his crotch. He shook his head and focused on what was important, helping Lokes. He placed his hand on Loki’s shoulder and began his matra.

“Come on Lokes, wake up. It's just a dream. You’re safe, you’re in the tower, you’re in your room and I'm here so wake up.” The god actually woke up with just that. Normally he would have to say that a few more times, fight off a few fists and hold the god if he'd let him. But this time, he woke up abruptly and backed away immediately, barely missing falling off the bed because he reached the headboard. He immediately saw the engineer and launched at him with a growl.

“Lok-OH FUC-!!” Tony managed to cover his face in time but the nails still cut into his forearms with force. He could feel the strong sting of his skin parting and starting to bleed. He kept his arms over his face and could not help but pray this was not because of that dream, and that this wouldn't ruin everything they had built ‘till now. The god tried to punch him a few more times and began to yell.

“Why?! Why have you not shown your real intentions?! Why are you being kind?! What are you hoping to gain from me?! What is your plan, Man of Iron?! Tell me! TELL ME!!” The words falling out of Loki's mouth were full of hurt, desperation and past betrayal. Tony just could not understand where all of this came from. What had he done wrong for the god to think that way? Was it the dream? No... It wasn't what he had done, it was what those before him had done. The god had been betrayed and backstabbed so many times, he just felt it was a given that everyone would try to betray him at some point. He had been waiting all this time for the catch, to feel that knife pierce his heart, to lose all he had gained. His was about to drop his hands to hug the god when Bruce and Steve barged in.

The captain forcibly ripped him of the engineer's body and held him up. Bruce then proceeded to quickly take out of the medical bag he had brought a syringe and injected the god with a transparent liquid. “Don't worry, it's just something used for seizures that should help calm him down.” Answered the doctor to the engineer’s questioning and horrified face.

“Stop! Cease pretending to be kind and that you have genuine interest in me and get it over with! I can not take this anymore! Fight back! Fight me! Show your true self! Cease making me feel as though I am safe and wanted here! Stop this pretend kingship! Cease raising my hopes!! STOP WASTING MY TIME! Stop…. stop making me feel like I am not… not the monster... that I am…” it took a few more harsh whispered words for the god to calm down. He was furiously mumbling but he had stopped fighting to get free of the supersoldier’s grasp.

Seeing as he wouldn't try to punch anyone, the captain set him down and helped him to sit in his bed and when it was confirmed safe, Bruce went to treat Tony’s wounds. They weren't deep or sever, mostly flesh wounds, but there was a lot of them and it stung like a bitch when Brucie began to clean them, making Tony hiss in pain.

“Easy there buddy... I have sensitive skin.” Tried to joke the engineer between flinches. He was trying to act like it was nothing, but it was quite a serious matter. The avenger had quite a lot of work to do after this. He would have to eventually have an actual, heartfelt conversation with the god. He would have to go into… feelings and shit. He should probably have Bruce help with that part. But he thought maybe the best option right then was to not make that much of a deal of what had just happened.

The engineer was lost in thoughts when good ol’ Brucie was finished covering his arms in extensive bandages and was staring at him in worry. “Tony. Are you ok? What are we going to do now?” Asked the doctor.

“Well I don't know about you guys, but Pepper has kept me locked up in my office for the last two days. My engines need some well deserved loving. The ladies and gents require constant careful attention and care, a special kind of lovemaking.” Said the engineer, winking at Steve, knowing full well how uncomfortable mixing “fondue”(still couldn't get over that one) and technology would make him.

“Tony, you’re hands are in no condition for that. You’ll stain the bandages, the cuts will get infested and-” started to argue Bruce but Tony had a plan and he needed to be alone with the god for it.

“I’ll wear fingertipless gloves, mom.” Interrupted Tony, giving his friend a look, trying to convey his plans to the other scientist but Steve cut in.

“Tony, Dr. Banner is right. You’re in no condition to… to work on your technology.” Tried to argue Stevie, while also trying to hide the pink that had showed up on his cheeks. Urg, wonder cap would be harder to shake off and he desperately hoped his science bro understood and helped with that.

“I’ve literary worked in worst conditions. I’ll be fine. How about this then? Have Loki watch over me. Have him make sure I’m wearing gloves or something. But if I don't get down there now, I swear I'm gonna start loosing my mind and I’ll order J.A.R.V.I.S. to blare the cringiest music he can find through every speaker in the tower.” Lightly threatened the engineer, already thinking of a few possible options and grinning.

“Loki? But he was the on-” tried to interject the captain, but this time mean and green was the one to interrupt, finally catching Tony’s intentions.

“Fine! I give up. You’re helpless!... How about it? Can you look out for him, Loki? He really has no self-control or self-preservation instincts… Loki?” Tony could see how the mage flinched every time his name was mentioned.

“...what? I?... but I…” At the request he paled and looked wide eyed at the doctor, clearly not understanding his reasoning.

“Please? I have to run some tests and I need Steve to help me move the heavy equipment and I don't trust Tony to actually be careful and to not hurt himself, so mind doing that for me?” Asked Brucie with a smile that was soft and kind, not threatening per se, but it made it impossible to say no to. 

“I… yes… I shall make sure he receives no further injury…” said the god, pointedly looking away, probably remembering back to when he saw those eyes tinted green.

“Good. Then let's go Steve.” Said the scientist as he shoved the soldier out the door.

“But!... what if…” Brucie shut him up with a strong look. The man was known for being calm, kind and the perfect picture of zen, just so he could control the Hulk, so seeing him stern made any of them tense. He granted Steve the fact that he tried to hold the other’s stare, but after a short while he gave up and let the shorter man drag him away.

Tony chuckled at their little argument and it kinda warmed his heart that they were both doing what they thought was best for him. They were the closest thing he had to family after Pepper’s betrayal. “Come on, my glorified Nanny, I need to work on Mark 39’s thruster power. My Mars penthouse is not gonna build itself so I won't let some small flesh wounds stop me.” He stood up from the ground and went over to offer a hand to the god.

Loki flinched away from the touch and answered, unable to meet Tony’s eyes. “Stark… I… I am…” he probably wanted to apologies and was probably worried that Tony was gonna retaliate or hate him for what he had done or maybe he wanted to sit alone so he could hate himself for losing control like that. Either way, Tony would not stand for it. He grabbed the pale man’s arm and helped him stand.

“Shh, save it for now, indulge me.” Tony took a set of the clothes he saw on the couch and gave it to the god, just now remembering how he looked. He turned away, not trusting his eyes not to roam and not wanting the other to catch him.

Once Loki declared he was ready with an awkward little cough, Tony turned around with a smile, having managed to compose himself in time. “Come on. I can finally give you the grand tour! J.A.R.V.I.S. prep my elevator. We’ve got a show to give and an audience to awe.” Said the engineer as he grabbed the god’s hand, intertwined their fingers, not caring about the implications or the injuries and lead them, wickedly smiling, to the place that felt more like home than any of the residences he’s ever lived in ever have. To his sacred haven, his evil lair, his heart and soul(that is, if he actually believed in that spirit crap. Tony would stick to his science, thank you very much) poured, molded and shaped into physical form. Time to shoot to thrill.

Notes:

*queue AC/DC*

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ttzxpmZUb9M

God I LOVE that song so much. Hope you liked the scene~! PLEASE, constructive criticism is muuuuch appreciated!

Chapter 23: Something more

Notes:

*Le gasp* a new chapter? Only a week apart from the last one? *faints*
I've been waiting for this scene for AGES so it kinda wrote itself REALLY fast. I hope I can keep this up and go back to posting more frequently.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“You might have magic voodoo and all, Space Gandalf, but this is where the real magic happens.” Boasted the avenger as the metallic doors to his domain opened.

“So this is where you do your mortal science, then.” Acknowledged and corrected the mage, still having a hard time keeping his emotions in control. He had to be in high alert but sentiment was eating at his concentration. He felt rage and fear, betrayal to come, hope, longing and distress. His mind could simply not decide between wishing to run away before he was struck down and staying with the mortal, just so he could apologies and be let back into his kind grace. It was ridiculous and pathetic, and Loki loathed himself for thinking so weakly and being so vulnerable. He decided to act like nothing had happened and prepared himself for whatever took place; he would not be caught unaware and he would not go down without a fight, as short as it may be.

"Right, this is the workshop, my evil lair, or batcave, with my trusty butler, J.A.R.V.I.S." Stark began, sweeping his arms around.

“Good morning, Mr. Skywalker.” Greeted the voice in the walls, J.A.R.V.I.S.

The mortal continued gesturing to the middle left, "Over there's where all the testing and experimenting goes down.” Explained Stark, chucking. “You’ll probably wanna stay clear of that area while I'm firing my prototypes," It was a large area, as wide as a small training arena. It was the room Stark said he had tested the spider child and the one they had kept the assassins until they decided to cooperate. There were burn marks and holes blasted into the walls, broken glass and general debris littered everywhere. Loki had been there for the assassins, but he had been too focused on them and distraught to actually notice his surroundings. Now he had the chance.

Loki looked around, noticing the simultaneous state of order and chaos in the rest of the room. Constructs he suspected were left and abandoned for whichever reason laid over smooth metal work tables. They shined with the various lights around the room and what he suspected were tools, were lying about on them and on the floor; cables crisscrossing and lingering everywhere. It was a chaotically ordered mess. And Loki had to be true with himself and admit that he loved it. It was just like the mortal and he could see his spirit edged into every surface, machinery and tool.

Anthony pointed to the area off to the immediate right. "Over there's the showcase area," He shrugged, seeming to not give much importance to the wide area with a circular raised platform in the center. Around said platform where the armor sets belonging to the avenger, gleaming like trophies. There were empty spaces towards the end, the man clearly intending on adding to the collection in the future. "Those my babies," he smirked proudly, fondly looking them over.

Loki walked over and saw inscriptions beside a few. One said ‘The Ghost’, another the ‘Hulk-Buster’, a few had the word ‘Mark’ and symbols he recognized as a old mortal numbering system, another was the ‘Heartbreaker’... Rather odd names, Loki thought. He was mostly intrigued by the ‘Hulk-Buster’ one, not quite comprehending why he would have an armor with a name which gave the impression it could hurt his brother in arms.

Loki was startled out of thought by the mortal talking again "So what'd you thinking so far? Hmm?" the human grinned. Loki truly was amazed. The entire room was filled with constructs that were far more advance that any other technology the mortals had created. The little hawk had told him his inventions were ‘light years’ more advanced than anything else on Midgard, but he had not yet realized just how much that statement truly meant. He all but forgot his worries, focusing on marveling at the inventions.

"It is impressive," Loki conceded and gestured at the wall of armors. "I recognise that one, and that other one," he pointed at them in turn. "You wore those when you fought me, correct? Back when… Ah… I also recognize that one from when you found me… Why have you so many?" The mage quickly changed the direction for the topic, not wanting to remember those times. Nevertheless, he truly was curious about the quantity, seeing how many he had on display and suspecting he had even more stored away. He had gone to war with Loki with just the two; he couldn't possibly need more than a few to change into when the current one was wrecked.

"Hmm? Oh, that's... They’re all built for different situations…” Anthony shrugged and continued explaining, rubbing his neck and not quite looking at Loki for some reason. “It's just me adapting to every possible outcome," He paused, debating with himself if to explain in detail or not, suspected Loki.

"Like that one over there? That one’s Hydro, made it for deep sea diving. It's made to withstand high amounts of pressure several hundred feet below the sea level. It also has sonar to help with the no light visibility atmosphere problems. And hmm, let's see, that one is made for stealth missions. Quite ingeniously named as..." Anthony paused for the dramatic effect "... The Stealth Suit." that earned the man a snort from the god, which seems to please him greatly.

"War Machine’s over there, my buddy Rhodey uses it from time to time since back when shit came up with Vanko, you probably don't know the guy, real asshole. Vanko, I mean. You would love Rhodey. He helped me out that time and that's the closest I've ever gotten to a sidekick, but, Iron Man doesn't need no sidekick, to keep the records straight.” Pointedly said the man with a fond smile that betrayed his statement. “The one I'm working on doesn't have a name yet, but I'm designing it for deep space travel. Oh and-!.. Er… Actually.. Sorry. Didn't mean to ramble..." Grumbled the human, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

Astonishing... Loki could not believe his eyes or ears, he had thought himself to be the only one that prepared so thoroughly for situations that were not even near the horizon. Then, in a split second, everything changed and his blood froze in his veins, a thought occurring to him. "Could they function on their own? Are they sentient, like your building?" he asked with a breath caught in his windpipe, turning to the Avenger and watching him with wary eyes. He knew the human was incredibly similar to him. Had he been in his position, while having sentient armours, he would have mounted an ambush with them on the god that had tried to conquer his precious little world. If it were him in the position of Stark, he would do almost anything to extract the information on the upcoming threat, and then casually invite him over into a trap.

"Jeez, again with the sentient… Under my orders, they can," he shrugged again with a laugh, making a hologram appear in front of one of the armors and typed in a few things. "I've coded Jarvis to activate and run them only under my command. I could recode that to give others access, should it be necessary, doubt it tho’. So for now, only I have control of the legion. Huh… Iron Legion, sounds nice. Oh and they're only as smart as I made my buddy J.”

"Are you intentionally trying to hurt my feelings, Sir?" J.A.R.V.I.S. suddenly inquired from around them.

Stark laughed, "It was intended as a compliment!" He grinned, turning to look at Loki when his face fell, catching the god looking apprehended and panicked.

Loki remained standing as casually as he could manage and avoided the stare pointed his way, while still keeping the threat in sight, pretending like nothing was wrong. If the avenger had wanted to end him, he would have poisoned him in his drug-induced sleep. Or he could have merely remained in the lift and closed the doors before activating the armors. He was not going to kill Loki. He was... not. Reassuring himself with logic almost never worked, even more recently. It was a fear that had been rooted deep in his guts and subconsciousness. His left hand shook a little and he made it into a fist by his hip, taking shuddering breaths as he looked in every possible direction for any movement. Looking for all the possible exists and what he could use as a weapon. But it was useless, the more he thought, the more he panicked.

He was not just scared of being betrayed, of being lulled into a false sense of security by the warmth of care that Stark provided, of the warmth he had longed to feel all of his life, and then having it all be part of some elaborated plan to get rid of him or capture him, he expected it, because that was what he did, it was carved deep in his nature. Mortals and gods had called him the God of Lies, the Silver-tongued Liesmith but more accurately than anything, he was the god in lies. He had been lied to and cheated, over and over again, time after time throughout all his life. By his ‘family’, by his ‘friends’, by his ‘allies’, by all he met and it had molded him into the being he was now. A liar, a pretender, a cheater, a manipulator, a ‘monster’ as they had so graciously called him. Someone undeserving of affection without accompanied distrust, because he himself was unable to give such affection to anyone without expecting a betrayal of their part at any moment. How he longed for that to change but he knew it was foolish. How could he trust? Who could he trust?

But he was nothing if not a pretender and with practice, he had been able to mask his panic attacks more efficiently lately. So he looked at the suits and then at the man who had created them and plastered on a smile, only his eyes betraying him as they were bright with distrust. All the mortal had to offer was a sort of smile. A sad, warm one Loki recognized had no ill intent behind it. It was not even pitiful, yet still he could not trust it. Loki still was not pacified. His eyes were ever so slightly wide around the edges.

The inventor tipped his head and sighed. "Look, Lokes…” began to say the man. "I'm not gonna..." another sigh as he waved his arm in the general direction of the armors and the rest of the room. "Nothing's gonna happen. Nothing is going to hurt you here or anywhere. I wouldn't let that happen. Besides, I prefer hearing how astonishing I am rather than how intimidating my weaponry might be," he chuckled dryly but regained seriousness quickly.

“Look… I can recognize the face you’re making right now. You think I'm going to betray you at some point. Ambush you or something. It's probably not even something you fear in the sense of ‘this might happen’, it's something you expect at this point. I get it, ‘cause it's the exact same face I make for the exact same reasons… It’s a mask, the same I hide behind day after day, and a lot more lately, after being kidnapped and tortured and made to make a weapon that would destroy thousands of innocent lives, out of my own weapons, by the way. While simultaneously learning that I had actually doing that all along… it’s the face I make since after I was betrayed and ordered to kill by the man I considered to be more of a father than the actual man who called himself my father…” the inventor paused to breath, obviously haunted by his words and tale. But after running both hands over his face and shifting to directly look at Loki, he continued.

“Everyone knows ‘Tony Stark’ for the Iron Man's iconic face, but few people realize that that’s not the only mask I hide behind. My everyday faces are damn masks as well. A mask of happiness, a mask of security, a mask of confidence. But a mask is always a mask. So I get your paranoia, I get your distress, boy do I get your panic attacks and I even get why you attacked me… but it's precisely because I get it, that I need you to understand that I would never do the things they did to me to anyone else, not even to my worst enemy. Not even to purple chins, for Christ sake… so…” the unbelievable mortal paused, walking over to the god, gently grabbing both hands of Loki and giving them a reassuring squeeze

“So stop expecting me to betray you and give me a chance… to… I don't know, be friends. Or maybe something... more… anyway, just stop expecting me to betray you or harm you… if I do hurt you, and I probably will, it'll be 'cause I'm reckless and it'll be far from intentional. Sorry in advance for that... but when I do, just yell at me for it if you have to, like everyone else does, but stop looking at me like I'm some damn bomb with a hidden timer you have to watch out for… it stings more than it probably should since I know why you're doing it and expect you to recognize I’m the one person that wouldn't do it… so just… trust me, please.” the mortal coughed, dropped his gaze, but held onto the slightly shaking hands. They stood like that for what felt like hours, but must have been mere minutes. Enough time for Loki to catch his bearings and answer.

"I… I know… I know in the back of my rational mind, that the evidence has always pointed to that, has always shown and that what you say is true and that your words should be trusted, Stark. And I also recognize that... there is more between us..." the god confessed, "but in my heart..." he trailed off… feeling far more vulnerable than he had at the hands of his torturers. "I still fear betrayal..." he finished in a barely heard whisper, laying himself bare before the mortal who held the power to crush him in an instance. But Sta… no… Tony… no that was wrong as well... Anthony was alright, he tried to remind himself. Anthony had just told him nothing would hurt him here, and Loki still retained enough presence of mind to distinguish a lie from the truth. Anthony was a good man. A great man even. A far better ally than Loki ever should deserve, let alone a friend. Yes, Tony was a friend. And more, Loki had to stop denying the fact that the mortal had become more. He would not be so childish as to call it love, but it was something deep; but for now, he would reserve that information, as he had no idea what the other felt.

Loki forced himself to look away from Tony and to the rest of the room. Letting himself admire everything instead of cataloging it for threats. He finally laid his sight on the armors and they were merely that and nothing more. Simply, exquisitely invented and designed, complicated metal armors; not an ambush, not a ploy, just an astonishing inventor showing off his creations the same way Loki had had a collection of hand-made and magic-weaved items in display in his bed chambers. The way he had in display for himself his most precious creations in his secret room in the tree. He took a deep breath and finally let himself relax.

When Loki reopened his eyes, not quite noticing when he had closed them or when Anthony had let go of his hands, the other had sat down in front of one of the work tables and was playing with his holographics, his back turned to the god. It was a show of trust and of openness, and it was also his way of giving Loki privacy to compose himself.

Yes. There was a connection there. Something more, something deep, something meaningful and something Loki would not be able to shake off easily. Something that would destroy him if the other betrayed him. But he would not doubt him anymore. He would ensure he kept the mortal, no matter what he had to do for it. It was a connection he would explore. He took the chair the mortal had pulled out for him and sat down; smiling fondly at the back of Anthony, with a hint of exasperation and self annoyance; when had he become so easy to read?

Notes:

Yaaay! He finally admits Tony means more! About time, I can finally start writing the scenes that got me writing in te first place!

P.S. As always, constructive criticism is always warmly welcomed and so are kudos, bookmarks and suscriptions~

Also, I'm really curious, how did you guys found out about this fanfic, let me know in the comments below, please, thanks and love ya all~! ❤️

Chapter 24: Sparks in the Air

Notes:

*coughs* well..... seems like a month has passed... oops..

Seriously tho, sorry, this chapter just didn't want to cooperate and even now I'm not really happy with it but can't think what else to do with it so here it is...

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“What’d you think?” Asked Tony as he proudly presented his design to the god. Lokes leaned forward over Tony’s shoulder making the inventor’s heart skip for a moment. This is new. He hadn't expected the mage to be ok with being physically close to someone after all that’s happened.

“When was it you said you made this again?” Asked the god after examining the blueprints for a while. He probably didn't understand everything he was looking at but Tony could appreciate the look of awe on his face. Even if he did not get the technicalities of human technology, he was smart enough to piece things together and draw accurate conclusions. Tony took a moment to simply contemplate the way Loki’s features shifted. How his eyebrows knitted together when he was analyzing something and how they slowly shifted upwards in awe as he understood something and as they immediately came back to be knitted as he focused on the next part. How he lifted only one eyebrow when his attention was caught by something he probably found intriguing.

It was obvious after staring for a while, that the god had completely forgotten his own question and was completely focused on the blueprints. It was good to see him loosen up around the avenger. It was even something similar to cute, in a special Loki kind of way that didn't make him look even a inch less royal, majestic or threatening, when Tony startled him out of thought by answering his forgotten question.

“While Pepper forced me to listen to some Stark Industries’ stock stuff.” He’d been bored out of his mind with all the stock talk, plus you could cut the tension and awkwardness in the air with a butter knife. He still could not look at Pepper in the eye. He couldn't fire her, she was too good at her job and she still meant so much to Tony; he wouldn't survive a week without her. But it hurts. It hurts him to be in the same room as her. She never would ever hold the same amount of trust she did before. And she knew it as well; they both reverted back to their boss/employee relationship but even that was still too much. He remembered how much his fingers were twitching to do something, like right now, so he had done just that. And went ahead and made a whole suit in one go.

“In other words, you ignored your assistant in order to design a complicated suit in what had to be a short amount of time… just to pass that time.” Assessed the mage. It was obvious he had noticed Tony’s fidgeting. The fact that he did not comment on it made the avenger relax.

“Basically?” Answered Tony with a sarcastic tone.

Reindeer Games stood up straight again, crossed his arms with one of his eyebrow raised in question and asked. “How is it that you have yet to conquer this realm for yourself?”

Tony had to chuckle at that. He probably could take over the world, but why would he? Politics are boring. “I’d be bored in less than a week. What’s the fun in ruling everything? No more laws to bend at my will. No more authority to challenge. Boring. Anyway, you think he’ll like it?” Asked the inventor, not doubting the answer one bit.

“Anything would look better than the rags he dares call his battle armor… not to mention anything coming from your creation, will be idolized by the child.” Conceded the god with a smirk as he turned around and leaned on the workbench, his arms still crossed

“Perfectly understandable tho’, me being who I am and all that.” Only half joked the inventor, feeling in a much better mood now. It was so easy to relax around the god like this. In the back of his mind, voices were screaming for Tony to be more alert. Warning that this was the guy who attacked New York and killed Coulson. That this was they guy who defernestaded him. That he had been betrayed over and over by those close to him. But he wasn't paying attention to the voices right now. He had just told the god it was because he had gone through something similar that he should trust him. He shouldn't be a hypocrite and not trust him for the exact same reasons. Besides, it felt right to be like this. It felt right in a way he had not experienced for years, way before Afghanistan.

He heard the god chuckle and answer with a small smile “Always the humble one, Stark.”

Jeez, enough emotional shit, Stark. Back to work “You know it, babe. Now J.A.R.V.I.S. build it and use the stealth suit to deliver the case to his room. Make it so he finds it on his bed or something. Be sure to set it in the training wheels protocol.” Instructed the engineer to his AI.

“Shall I leave a note, Sir?” Asked J, with the thoughtfulness Tony didn't remember programming him with.

“Hmm yeah, write something like ‘Minor upgrades’ and initialize it.” Indicated Tony, turning his chair to face the god that still had a smile on. Tony was 70% sure Lokes was unaware of it.

“I hard-coded it last night after you guys dragged me to diner. Even added one of the spare AI systems I made way back when to the suit. Didn't give her a name. I’ll let him do that once I deactivate the safety and training protocols.” Explained the avenger as he closed the holograms.

“You gave this a lot of thought.” Stated the god, dropping the smile for a pensive look.

“The kid has undeniable potential. Might as well train him before he hurts himself…” vaguely explained Tony. He knew the god was expecting more of an answer, but he didn't know how to really convey his feelings about this.

“He is strong, not only in the physical aspect. He will grow to be a great man.” Stated Rudolf, obviously, but carefully, probing for more.

“Oh, no doubt about that, what I'm scared about is that he’s trying to be a man now and he’s barely 16. He’ll get himself killed and it’ll be my fault.” Finally said the mortal.

To that, the mage stood straight again and fully faced the man whose heart could not take another innocent child's death caused by him. “Stark, you barely know this child. You have just met him and he is not even a relative of yours. How could his death be your fault?”

“He’s my responsibility now that’ve gone and forced him to admit his powers to me… I just… feel a sense of duty, okay?” Tried to explain Tony. He knew it didn't make much sense and that it wasn't actually his responsibility, but it just felt that way. Enough innocent lives were lost because of his inventions and irresponsibility.

“Unnecessary worry and effort, were you to ask me. Either way, you have shown me that you have done a lot to keep him safe. Now it is just a matter of letting him learn how to fight his own battles.” Tried to explain the ‘wise old alien’ like Tony didn't already know that. He shouldn't get angry at Loki. He was just trying to help.

“I guess… but… J.A.R.V.I.S. add Happy’s number to the back of the note and tell him he’s in charge of the kid for now. Now you, don't forget he saved you so you owe him one.” Said the human pointing to the alien.

“I would never forget something like that easily, Stark.” Said Lokes, sounding only half heartedly offended. But like he said, now it's Peter’s job to learn how to defend himself. He was still gonna train him more rigorously later but for now, he would be fine.

There wasn't really anything else to do now that the suit was being made and delivered so Tony remembered a bet he'd made and he was waiting to pay for. “Now, how about that date?”

“Date?” Asked the god, obviously unsure of what Tony was referring to. It had been about a month ago that he had proposed the challenge, and it had been more of a joke than anything, but, I mean, why not?

“You won the challenge, you solved the Rubik’s Cube in a day so you get to chose where we go. I have today free and I could use a date with a hot alien god.” Reminded the avenger with a grin. This was probably not gonna end well but he honestly couldn't care less right now. He was in a good mood and Loki probably needed some fresh air. Color had returned to his skin but he was still on the paler-than-normal side and as skinny as a tig.

“Would it be wise to leave, while the spies are still assessing the credibility of my… predicament?” Validly asked the mage. He had a point, one that Tony would ignore.

He waved off his concerns and said. “Forget that, let Bruce and Cap handle them. Plus if you go outside and nothing explodes, it's counts in a our favor. So where to, Rock of Ages?”

The god was quiet for a few moments, looking unsure. Then a small spark lighted up in his eyes. It stole Tony’s breath away. He couldn't quite place what it was, but it looked alive, a hint of… Mischievousness?... And very much like how the god should look. Like he was returning to himself, even if it was the first time Tony was seeing that look on his face. But it just felt right. It felt like how Loki should normally look. Happily plotting mischief. “I… would like to see more of Midgard… would a small tour perhaps be possible?”

“A tour? Well lots of things are still being reconstructed… but there’s a few places we can still check out, I guess. Anything is specific?” That wasn’t what Tony was expecting at all but it did kinda make sense. The god didn't know much of Earth and barely saw anything in his… last visit.

“Is there a place that contains collections of Midgard’s history? Like a museum?” Asked the god.

“Well the largest museum in the world s’not that far from here; the Smithsonian. But it’s impossible to see all of it in one day, plus they have heavy security so… Oh there’s the American Museum of Natural History like 20 minutes away. Sounds boring, definitely not my usual date MO… but sure, we can go there if you want. You’ll need a disguise, tho’. Not for the public, S.H.I.E.L.D. basically deleted all evidence that tied goldilocks’ brother being the one to lead the attack, but they probably have face recognition running 24/7 with your pretty little face in one of the long threats lists and I really don't want to deal with them yet.” Explained the avenger, probably not helping to convince the god much.

“I am becoming warier of this idea with every word that comes out of your mouth, Stark. It is true that I have missed walking freely, going unnoticed and fooling the senses of your shield, but without the aid of my magic, the risk seems to be outweighing the fun.” Argued Lokes with a worried half smile.

“Ha! I was starting to wonder where’d your ‘God of Mischief’ title had gone to. And come on, we don't need your fancy magic for that, Gandalf. I sneak around all the time. you’ll be surprise how easily the ‘civilian starter pack’ actually works. Or maybe not since you don't get those movie references yet. Anyway, how about we first get you some better clothes and grab some burgers cause you need to know what a good ol’ American Cheeseburger is. Then we head to the museum and after that, we hit a restaurant for some diner. Sound good?” Laid out the engineer, wiggling his eyebrows in invitation.

After what felt like ages of drowning in the mage’s eyes as he tried to keep up the staring contest, Rudolf finally gave in and answered with a sigh. “Sounds adequate.”

“Adequate?? No date with Tony Stark is simply adequate, sweetheart.” Quipped back the playboy. Is that how you wanna play it? Fine, I’ll show you just what it means to go on a date with Tony Stark, genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.

“Do kindly remember you speak to the former prince and god of a realm. One who grew up surrounded by other lesser gods and slept in a crib draped with gold, wrapped in the finest of pelts and fabrics. Adequate seems rather accurate, my dear mortal Anthony.” Said the self-proclaimed god as he walked around the human. Delivering the last sentence from behind, close to the mortal’s ear. It rattled Tony far more than it should have. Surprisingly tho’, not mainly because of the proximity.

“You… you used my name.” Was the only ineloquent sentence that was able to come out of the inventor.

Loki quickly came back in front of Tony and uttered in a small voice. “Ah… I… it was only meant to emphasize my jest, please, mind it not.”

“No… I don't mind, it's just that I haven't been called Anthony in… years… Everyone’s always called me Tony or Stark, only my mother used to call me Anthony so after she… well I just insisted everyone call me Tony, to spare myself the…” the utter heart wrenching pain, suffering, longing and regret that he felt. It had hurt so much the first time someone had called him that, after his parents death, that he had spent an entire month with a bottle always in his left hand and all manner of… other even more addictive and destructive substances in his right hand. Obi luckily had found him before he had choked in his own vomit in one of those abandoned drug houses.

“I sincerely apologize… I clearly see this troubles you and make you highly uncomfortable and I did not intended to cause you distress...I shall refrain from ever doing it again…” said Loki, looking smaller with each word as he scratched and rubbed the skin between his thumb and forefinger with his other hand in what had to be an unconscious nervous tick. He slowly began to back away as well, likely debating if to run away or stay but Tony wouldn't let him.

“No! No… I… I actually kinda like hearing you use it.” It wasn't a lie. It had been quite the shock but after a few seconds of his brain processing, Tony noticed it actually sounded quite nice in Loki’s voice. “It took me by surprise, that’s all… Anyway, you’ll draw too much attention with those Stark Industries clothes so let's see if we can find something more fitting for that royal ass of yours in my closet..”


 

“You are saying this synthetic, overly greased, burger of cheese, is actually considered a delicacy here on Midgard?” Loki furrowd his brow, looking at the burger like it was offending him.

“Hey, if you don't want it, hand it over. And it's a cheeseburger. Cheese. Burger. Don't call it burger of cheese, it's just wrong and unAmerican.” Complained the engineer with a grimace as he went to grab the burger. Loki quickly pulled it away from his grasp, a little too quickly. Tony knew all too well why… The god had been eating properly for the past month but he was probably still feeling the hunger from his period in captivity. Tony remembered when he came back from Afghanistan, how every bite of food was still so precious after barely being feed for three months. He could not imagine how bad it was for Lokes who was starved for a whole year. He pretended not to notice the hunger in those emerald eyes. He watched the god take a bite and he seemed to like it, but he made no comment on it. They ate more burgers and headed out to the Museum.

It took some handling, but Tony managed to get them into the Museum without many noticing who he was or who he was with. A little bribing here and a few autographs and picture there, did the trick. They saw most of the exhibit and Tony had to explain far more history than he ever knew he knew. All in all, it was actually fun. Loki’s genuine curiosity was refreshing and his comments were delightful to listen two. Tony had never seen him so relaxed or happy, ever. But even with that, he could still see moments were the god suddenly spaced out. It was like he wasn't sure where he was anymore and he would look around with wild eyes until he saw Tony. He would try to hide it, and almost succeeded but Tony was an engineer. Engineers are some of the most observant people ever. Not to mention Tony was a walking ball of paranoia. It took a few times for Tony to notice the distant looks, the tense muscles and the frantic eyes. But Lokes was doing his best not to show it so Tony would do his best to pretend to not notice.

Tony was standing by the bathroom, waiting for Loki to finish washing his hands, when a call came in on Tony’s phone and every muscle in the Avenger’s body tensed. The engineer had set his phone on silent and no call could pass through, unless J.A.R.V.I.S. recognized it as a true emergency. This had to be something serious so the inventor quickly took out his ringing phone and answered it.

“Talk to me J.” Requested Tony to his AI.

“Mr. Stark?! Oh thank god you answered!” Said frantically Peter, the Spider Kid.

“Kid? what’s wrong? I'm kinda busy right now. This better be an actual emergency. Is there a problem with the suit?” Asked Tony, readying himself to be really annoyed if this wasn't really an emergency.

“Oh, no no no, the suit is amazing! I love the color scheme and the shooters are similar to the my original design and the tiny logo looks really cool and- Whoa!!” A loud crash was heard from the other side accompanied by loud static.

“Kid? Hey kid, you there? Peter?!” Static? Stark communications devices didn't have static. What the hell could he be doing that was causing static to his devices??

“Ow… I’m… I’m okay, but sparky here really wants to blow my head off!” Answered the kid with a grunt.

“Sparky??” Tony was startling to seriously panic. This was too soon. He couldn’t lose the kid so fast. Nor on his first day with the suit. That would be too cruel.

“He calls himself Electro, but I call him Sparky. I wanted to try the suit as soon as I saw it and I went out on patrol and I found a Stark Industries van under this shady looking abandoned bridge. Then I saw this blue dude trying to steal Stark tech from a the van but it turned out he wasn't actually trying to steal the tech, he was actually trying to steal the energy from them, which was odd, but then I learned he can control electricity, which would be really cool if he hadn't just fried one of my web shooters and he wasn't trying to turn the rest of me into a roasted spider! He’s headed for Stark Tower to steal energy from the Arc Reactor!” Loki walked out of the bathroom then and quickly dropped his smile and ran to Tony when he saw the panic in his eyes.

“Where are you now kid??” Asked the engineer, locking eyes with the god. He needed those eye to anchor himself. This could not be happening.

“Riding a truck’s roof on my way to the tower, but I won't get there in time, he can surf on electrical cables!” Damn. If he gets in there, he'd have enough energy to blow up the whole of Manhattan!

“J. Turn off the Arc Reactor!” Ordered the Avenger.

“Oh and- whoa! That was close.. he can turn stuff back on, Mr. Stark! Turning the Reactor off won't be enough! He’ll just turn it ba-AHH!!”

“Kid?? Kid, you there!? PETER!!”

 

Notes:

Yeah... I'm probably gonna end up writing a one-shot later of that date much more detailed. I owe that to you guys and myself.

P.S. In my month of stuckness, I went back and re-read every chapter and re-edited all of them. Plotwise, it's still the same, but I think it's much clearer and easier to read now. So I invite everyone to re-read the story, but also know it's not necessary to continue with the story.

As always, constructive criticism is always welcomed!

Chapter 25: On a mission

Notes:

I would love to thank my beautiful friend, Queen Lexy, for helping me with this chap! She roleplayed the whole thing with me and helped out a lot with Spidey when I was quite stuck with him! So thank you love~! ❤️

Also, I guess I should explain that for this fanfic the Spidey I use is the version from Homecoming(Tom Holland), I use a younger version of Gwen(Emma Stone) from The Amazing Spider-Man, Electro(Jamie Foxx) from the same movie and younger version of Harry(James Franco) from Spider-Man. I feel like those were the most accurate and the ones I needed for this story so yeah, that's that. Tho’ Imma also have other characters later like Ned and MJ from Homecoming.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Oh and- whoa! That was close.. he can turn stuff back on, Mr. Stark! Turning the Reactor off won't be enough! He’ll just turn it bac-AHH!!”

“Kid?? Kid, you there!? PETER!!” Yelled Anthony, startling those around him. Loki had no idea what was happening but it seemed like that spider child, Parker, was in trouble. Anthony kept frantically calling for him but when no response came from the device, he put it away and took off running for his car. A few people noticed who he was but he just kept running. They could worry about that later.

Loki ran after him as best as he could but walking all day had tired his still recovering body. Anthony jumped in and opened the door for him and they took off, probably breaking many of those laws midgardians were so fond of. Once inside Loki tried to breathlessly ask the human what was happening but he was too focused on driving as fast as he could and avoiding all the other cars. He was only able to respond with ‘Electro trying to steal power from the Arc Reactor’ and ‘Gotta save Peter’. Loki had no idea what or who Electro was, but if someone was stealing power from the Arc Reactor, this was a serious problem. He remembered from his own attack how powerful the Reactor was and how dangerous it could be in the wrong hands. If Parker was somehow involved in stopping the one trying to steal that power… the outcome did not look very favorable for him.

It took them about ten minutes to arrive at the tower. Ten minutes where the mortal made call after call but received no answer from the spider child. He also called the tower and warned the Captain and Dr. Banner of the problem. It did not slip his notice that Anthony did not warn the spies.

When they arrived at the tower, the first thing Anthony did was call one of his armored suits. Seeing the suit did not help the already panicking mind of Loki but he stayed in control as best as he could. Anthony slowly took hold of the waist of Loki, obviously noticing his discomfort and he flew them to the deck. Once there, he instructed Loki to stay hidden until the threat was dealt with, but, as you can surely guess, Loki did not listen.

He had enough of acting like a weak victim that needed protection. He was a former prince of Asgard! A god and a mage no less! He might not have most of his magic but he still had his combat skills, mortal or not. He went up to the Medical Bay and grabbed a few of the sharpest medical knifes he found and took off in the directions of the stairs and down again to the Reactor.

He went down a few dozen floors before he was nearly breathless again and he heard fighting and a familiar young voice. He opened the door and looked inside, finding Parker trying to talk to the… person? The… oh you have to be kidding. This had to be some sort of cosmic jest by the Norms… the blue person who was threatening the bystanding mortals. Loki slipped behind a column and listened.

“What's the matter, Sparky? You're looking a little blue” he heard Parker say. With his full suit on, Loki had to admire how well it was made and how well it fit the boy. It did not make him look threatening but it also did not make him look like someone who could be played around with. It also made him look older. Loki would have to compliment the inventor again, later. But for now, he had to also admit with a grin he admired the child for being so bold.

“You lied to me... you said you were my friend." Said the blue creature, sending energy to the cable he held, threatening the mortals behind the spider.

"Wow! Take it easy there, Max!" Said the child as he stood between the lunatic and the mortals.

"Don't call me Max! I'm Electro! And I'm not your friend! You’re my enemy!!" Said the vial man as he skin glowed with the energy that was coursing through his body. This was dangerous… really dangerous. As what used to be a man raised the cable to strike, Loki threw one of his thin knives and it imbedded itself in the shoulder of the man, making him drop the cable. The throw only missed his chest because of his general weakness from his injuries. Loki cursed and hide himself from view again, not wanting to miss his advantage of surprise. Parker took the opportunity to bind the blue creature with the web from his shooters.

"Woo! Ninja reflexes." Said the boy. As soon as Loki saw the electrical man blinded, he slipped into the room and kicked his legs off balance and sent him tumbling down. He quickly sat on him and stabbed him right in the middle of his chest and could feel the warmth of blood pool under his hands. The electrical man screamed in agony but just as soon as the sound left his mouth, his body disintegrated and the particles flew into the electrical cables, not before sending a spark of energy through the knife up to the hand of Loki. As the energy hit, Loki dropped the knife and yelled as he felt the energy surge through his body. He had been hit many times before by lighting from Thor, but never before had it hurt this much. He felt his entire body twitch a few times before most of his senses came back. He really hated being partially mortal right about now.

"Jeez! That was a bit overboard! I'm trying to catch him, not murder him! You okay there Lo-Luke?” Asked the Spider-Child, almost mentioning his name in front of the humans. He caught himself in time and instead used yet another mortal reference. Loki was beginning to see many resemblances between the child and his own mortal. Speaking of his mortal… he had to find him...

“Child…. please do shut up and help me stand.” Said Loki, quite irritated with his own mortality. It made him too weak. What he could brush off as a minor inconvenience as a god, could actually kill him in this form. It was a serious hindrance.

Parker helped the currently not too godly god stand up and complained. "Hey! I am not a child. I'm Spider-Man” said the child while making not so subtle, subtle signs to the mortals behind them, surely trying to tell the god to not expose his identity. Why he preferred to keep his identity secret was beyond his understanding.

"All humans seems fresh out of the womb for an immortal, child. And I thought you would be more grateful for my assistance in helping you protect those pesky little mortals of yours, even if I find them to be hindrances in the way of the main objective; taking down the nuisance that is trying to steal our power." Said the god, trying to think of a way to reach the underground levels in the quickest way possible. He had no time to deal with fleeting human lives. Anthony was somewhere down there, facing an enemy who feed off energy… while wearing a miniaturized version of what the enemy intended to steal in his chest.

"And I thought I talked a lot… Mr. Stark disconnected the Reactor from the rest of the tower so the elevators are shut down. We’ll have to find another way down… those are a lot of stairs…” said the boy, rather unhelpfully. But an idea sparked in the mind of Loki. He looked at the shooters on the wrists of the spider and saw one of them darkened.

"Hm... do those shooters of yours still work? I might have an idea." Asked the mage, as he looked out the window, contemplating how probable it was that they succeeded... or died.

"One of them does, yeah." Peter looked out the window too. "Wait… What are you thinking...?" Asked the boy, surely figuring out what the god intended.

"Great. Brace yourself." Said the god as he grabbed a nearby chair, threw it at the window, breaking it, and pulled the spider child by his waist out said window. Seeing as they were on the slightly tilted side of the building they sled down the windows, floor after floor passing them by.

The child screamed as they slid down. "Are you mad?!"

"Possibly!" Yelled back the god with a smirk as adrenaline coursed through his veins and gave him a rush of energy he had not felt in ages. It filled his body with force and he felt more alive than he had in millennia. They sled by dozen after dozen of floors until they could make out shocked people looking up at them from the ground. "Shoot a web up to slow down our descend and so that I may kick in one of the windows!" Instructed the mage as they approached the ground.

"Got it!" As the child did as told, Loki delivered on his side and broke one of the windows, making them tumble inside. The god, as elegant as ever, rolled and stood in a battle position with his knives in hand as the spider, rather ungracefully, fell on his face(or should he say mask?).

"Come now. We are still a few floors away from the Reactor room." Said the alien as he headed for the stairs, ignoring the mortals who had been startled by their sudden appearance on that floor.

"Gah... Yeah... one second" said the red-suited hero as he got up and followed the mage. As the pair ran for the stairs, Loki felt unseen eyes on him. He could not tell where they were and had no time to also consider who they belonged to, so he went down the stairs and ignored those eyes full of hatred.

When they finally arrived to the Reactor room, things were bad. The Reactor was on and Loki could see the Captain hiding behind his shield on the other side of the giant power source as shot after shot of electricity was fired at him. Frantically, Loki scanned the room and found what he was looking for on the right, on the floor. The crimson armor was dreadfully laying on the ground, unmoving.

Loki, for the life of him, could not tell why this infuriated him so much but he felt as rage filled his body, as it had not done since he had fought against his not-brother. He grabbed more firmly his knives and began to round the room from the shadows beside the Reactor, looking for the best moment to strike from behind in the most painful of ways. He would drag out every spark of life out of that repulsive life form and enjoy seeing as the light faded from the eyes of his enemy.

“I'm Electro! I'm pure energy now! Living electricity! Power incarnate! You can't defeat me with a metal shield, Captain America. You are beneath me! My enemy is Spider-Man!" Said the lunatic, soon to be dead, blue scum.

Parker, right on cue, swinged in and bound him with webs. "Funny you should speak of the devil!" Loki took the opportunity and went to strike him down, but before he could connect, immense pain flared up from his right leg. He looked down and saw an arrow had passed all the way through it, right under the knee. The mage fell on his left side as all his sense went out of focus.

He threw the knife in the directions of the blurry blue figure and thought he heard it hit the target but he was in too much pain to enjoy having hurt the annoyance. He saw as the blue man erupted with energy and it hit all those around him, even the archer who had shot him, whose auditory device exploded.


 

The blast sent them all tumbling back and Peter fell close to the Iron Man suit.

“Shake it off, it's just your bones, your muscles and your organs… ow…” said Spider-Man, trying to shake off the shock of electricity that hit him. He felt as thought he had crashed through a dozen walls.

"Kid? Is that you, Kid??" Asked a voice from inside the suit of armor next to him.

“Mr. Stark! You’re okay!” Said Peter as he ran the last steps to the armor.

"Barely. And you scared the living crap out of me! I thought you were dead!! Help me out of this damn thing so I can glare at you properly!" Demanded the Avenger. Peter did as he was told and followed the inventor’s instructions on how to open the suit manually. If their lives weren't at skate, he would have thought this was so cool!

“O-okay, done!” Said Peter once he finally turned the last nob. Mr. Stark came out and took a deep breath. After a few seconds, he turned to his suit and took something out from one of the compartments.

"Bastard, shutting down my suit... kid… I can't face this enemy, considering I have a battery keeping me alive in my chest so… as much as it pains me to ask this… I'm gonna need your help…” Pete could not believe his ears. Mr. Stark, the Iron Man, needed his help! The big hero from New York, needed help from the small Queen’s neighborhood Spider-Man!

“It would be an honor, Sir. What do you need me to do?” Asked the spider, overexcited with the opportunity that was being presented here, but what he saw in the Avenger’s face, made him pause.

“... Here, I magnetized this shooters so he can't fry them… I'm gonna need you to distract him for a while why I set up the Reactor to overcharge him and hopefully blow him up. When I'm done, I'll need you to string him over it... can you do that?" Asked the inventor, looking incredibly torn. He looked like he knew for certain this might be the last time he would see Peter. Like he thought this was somehow his fault. He looked hurt and guilty and incredibly sad… Peter had never seen all those emotions on his face. This was a man, a man who had lost so much, thinking he was going to lose yet someone else, and it looked like that would tear him apart for good. For the first time, Peter was seeing Tony, not Mr. Stark, not Iron Man, but Tony. The man who had been held captive and tortured in a cave for three months. The man who had seen his weapons be used to kill so many innocent people. The man who had fought in a alien invasion and nearly gotten stuck on the other side of a black hole trillions of light years away from earth… this was Tony he was looking at… Peter would not fail Tony.

He took off his mask, looked at Tony in the eyes and answered as he took the web shooters. "I-I will do my best. I won't fail you Mr. Stark… thank you, Sir."

Peter put the shooters and his mask in place and turned around to face his enemy, who had rematerialized and was walking closer to them. He shot at the floor, the electric sound making the rhythm to Itsy Bitsy Spider.

“Man, I hate that song… now, I don't mean to be a buzzkill, but I'm on a mission here and I can't afford to fail… so, don't be too shocked at the resistance I'm gonna show.

No? Come on that was good... You no fun… Well then, bring it on, Sparkles!” Said Peter as he launched into action. Don't worry Mr. Stark. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I won't fail you.

Notes:

Go Peter, Go! Save our precious babies!!

Also I heavily based *coughs coughs* more like copied *coughs coughs* Electro's dialog from various places.. so I don't own most of it, just saying.

Chapter 26: Demigods?

Notes:

Hey guys! I'm back! Well sorta... like I said weeks ago a hurricane passed over where I live. It caused a lot of damage and many people lost everything. Thankfully my family was of the few who where not that gravely affected. But we still don't have power or water almost a month after the hurricane. But we're safe and that' stuff what matters.

P.S. Bunch of thanks to all those who left lovely messages of support! I nearly cried reading them all! I love all of you and I'm so thankful to have you as my lovely readers! So for all of you, here's the next chapter!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Uff Peter’s head hurt from trying to remember everything that happened before the light show. But he wouldn't forget anything from it anytime soon either. It had been quite the fight and Peter had never felt so cool in his life! He had saved the Avengers! Him! Spider-Man! Wow… Oh! Right! He should probably try to document the story.

August 31th:

Dear Diary: …

I...I’m mean, me? Have a superhero diary? Pfff nooo?... Ehh never mind… here goes.

So right after Mr. Stark gave me that mission and I gave my cool pun, Electro went and said "Allow me to rain on your parade, wall-crawler!" as he walked by Loki's limp body and created a ball of electricity in his hands. He then launched it at me all kamikasen like.

As an agile Spider, I dodged his attack and taunted the already irritated Mr. Blue Sparkles with "You grow slower by the minute!" as I tried to figure out how to best protect those around me. I could see Loki and Hawkeye were on the floor, far too close to Electro for my liking. But if we switched positions, he would have then been next to Mr. Stark… and he might have ignored Loki, considering he couldn't move and was basically bleeding to death, and he would definitely ignore Hawkeye who was out cold, but not Mr. Stark. He would definitely attack Mr. Stark. There was gonna be no attacking Mr. Stark, thank you very much.

Mr. Madman then rambled with "You do realize you're fighting me in a room filled with infinite power, right? Mmm I can feel it in the walls. I can feel it coursing through my veins. No matter what you do, you can't contain it. This is a force of nature. Like me! Every minute I stand here, I grow stronger!" Or something like that as he drew energy from the Reactor and it flowed directly into his hand, making it dangerously pulse with light. Once he had enough stolen power, he channeled it into one of the many cables he found on the walls and sent them flying, Jedi style, towards me in an attempt to tangle me. As the wall-crawler that I am, I shot a web at the cable and swung it to the side, effectively sticking it back to the wall. I then followed up by shooting web at one of the many tools and instruments lying around and lunged it towards Electro’s head.

The enemy swatted away the offending drill that I threw at him with a grunt. As we fought, I could see Mr. Stark switch all sorts of levers, press large and small buttons and type many instructions into the Reactor’s computers. It kinda reminded me of one of that reeeeally really old movies. The one with the time machine car. Reminded me of Doc Brown, pressing all sorts of things. Does that mean I’m Marty? Cool. I remember looking back at the mad scientist and saw that from time to time he would glanced away from the monitors and would look at the fight. He looked at those that were hurt around him. His sight lingered more on Loki though, making me realize that what Gwen had suspected might have been true. There was something more going on between those two. But I honestly had no time to think about that or what that meant. I just prepare myself to act when Doc. Stark said he was ready.

Oh and then Sparky yelled "Meddlesome insect! I'm gonna fry you alive tonight!" as he dispersed his body and disappeared into one of the cables and immediately reappeared right behind spider me, striking me. I then used one of the most important defense moves I have ever learned… straight from Dark Souls… I rolled… and turned… very impressively. And then I using my momentum to grab one of the heavy metal floor gratings we stood on with my web and used it to pull Electro’s footing from under him. Then I jumped over him to get back between Mr. Stark and the enemy.

Electro then screamed something like "Arg! You won't get away with this! I'm gonna kill the light! Soon, everyone in this city is gonna know how it feels to live in my world. A world without power. A world without mercy. A world without Spider-Man!" as he quickly created a lazo of pure electricity and sent one end of it towards me. This time he effectively tangled my foot with it and swung me against the wall. Made me crash into it and dent it.

I then said something cool like "Gah! That really hurt! Not so much physically, but hearing your constant drama hurts my sensitive spider ears! Honestly, no consideration for Arachnids." and then shot web at Sparky’s face, mainly aiming for his mouth to just shut him up already. Seriously, what’s up with villains and making incredibly boring monologues? Electro was no less than outraged, that was also half my plan. It sadly didn't last long though. He pulled at the web stuck on his face and sent another pulse of energy from his body, smaller than before when Loki had hit him with his outer space ninja knife throwing skills.

I really have to ask him to show me what else he can do. I could maybe even learn a few moves from him. Could I learn magic as well? That would be so cool! Harry Potter style! Or maybe more Lord of the Rings style? What type of magic actually exists? How many types are there? There’s sooo many questions I just have to ask Loki. And Mr. Stark. Can he mix magic with fighting styles? Is there non lethal things I could learn? He had to be gazillion of years old! How many martial arts did he know? Oh man, I’m gonna bug him like crazy once he wakes up! But first, I should finish writing this. I have to explain how I saved them! Now back to the mission!

So the pulse only slightly pushed me back and movement from behind the Reactor caught my attention. Mr. Stark was making signs that I should trap Electro right over the Reactor once he and Captain America were done carrying Loki and Hawkeye over to the elevator. I have to admit he looked kinda funny doing all those signs.

Anyway, since I had been pushed away, I was not bounded by the lazo thing anymore. I used that to my advantage to gain ground again. After that, I started crawling up the Reactor and said "I would tell you to come fight me like a real man, but... I don't think you can even be considered a man at this point, plus... I'm fighting like a spider." That was super cool. You should’ve seen his face! It was bright, literary bright red! But then he kinda calmed down and went all boring.

"You're right... I'm no longer a man... I am beyond that. I will control everything! I will be like a god!" Was what the totally-not-godly not-god said as he rose from the floor and floated in the air. Very edgy looking, with energy pulsing from his hands, probably having a little narcissistic 'Look at me, I’m so godly and powerful, worship me' moment. Oh, I remember thinking That's it, take the bait… as I crawled up as fast as I could.

And then when I reached the top of the reactor, I looked down at Electro, tilting my head a bit, and asked "A god named 'Sparkles'...? That doesn't sound very godly, now does it?..." oh man did that cause a reaction!

"I AM ELECTRO!!" Yelled Mr. Angry as he sent a bolt of energy towards my head, Palpatine style. I obviously dodged the attack and said.

"On behalf of all the fine people of New York and real gods everywhere...or, well, more like demi-gods?, I ask you to end this tantrum of yours right now and face me like a man!” Cool, right? Electro didn't think so and he, predictably, launched with the intention to knock me off the Reactor with a growl. Before he could even connect though, a pulse of energy came out of the Reactor itself. It made the vail man stop and absorb the energy. I looked down and saw Mr. Stark had sent the energy and was now looking up at us. The pulse thing seemed to have revitalize Electro and kinda disorient him at the same time. Energy seemed to be like a drug for him and he had just been hit by the biggest high he had probably felt and he desperately needed more. He just landed on the middle of Reactor and spread his hands Titanic like to collect the energy.

And that’s when things got really cool. Mr. Stark yelled "Kid, NOW!!" from down below and I responded with.

"You got it, Mr. Stark!" as I used up all the web I had left on those modified shooters Mr. Stark had updated for me to trap Electro over the reactor. He didn't even notice he was trapped! He just stayed there! But from there things got a bit complicated. As soon as I finished trapping my prey, Mr. Stark instructed me then with.

"Get to the elevator and go up!” I did as he instructed and watched my idol as he flipped everything on and had only the last button to press, but it seemed he didn't want to press it, at least until everyone else got to safety. But what would he do? He couldn't just stay there, right? the Blast would’ve hit him!

"What are you waiting for? Hit the damn button, Kid!!" He demanded with his hand over his own big red button. But I couldn't let that happen. So I said.

"Mr. Stark, please trade places with me! I have a higher chance of making it out in time!" Cause I couldn't let my lifelong idol die because of my mistake! If I’d only shut up and not mentioned the Reactor when Electro was talking about ultimate power sources, this whole thing could’ve been avoided! Well… maybe it was fate though, cause if this hadn't happened, the light show wouldn't have happened… anyway, it had still been my fault, I should’ve been the one pressing the button and running for my life. Mr. Stark though, stubbornly said.

"Just go! My tower! My Reactor! My responsibility! J.A.R.V.I.S. GO!" But I still couldn’t accept that! but before I could even say anything else, the doors to the elevator began to close. Looking back I should’ve noticed that they took longer than necessary to close. It was the AI’s own way of trying to save its creator but back then I was so mad! I was soooo mad at Mr. Stark for trying to sacrifice himself, at J.A.R.V.I.S. for listening, at Captain America for just standing there guarding me, a passed out Hawkeye and nearly unconscious Loki instead of doing something… but I snapped out of my momentary fury to react. I yelled.

"No! Mr. Stark!" and as the world slowed around me, I remembered that I still had my old, still-functioning, web shooters in my pocket. I took it out and shot the engineer with it and pulled him back into the elevators. As soon as I confirmed he would make it. I shot a ball of web at the big red button, pressing it. Right before the doors closed in front of us and the blast hit us, Mr. Stark crashed into the back of the elevator. Right after, the whole building shook affected by the blast.

"Last time I checked... I did not build the Reactor to blow villains up... ow.." said my idol as he rubbed his head where it had collided with the wall. It was one of the best days of my life… until I looked at Mr. Stark and Loki… oh boy, was that a huge mess…


 

“Urg… J. Turn on the backup generators and call Bruce and the med staff!” Instructed the engineer as he unsteadily sat in front of the god who rested his weight on the elevator’s wall. “Hey sunshine, stay with me.”

Already on it, Sir.” indicated the AI.

“I... do not see how... I could possibly g-go anywhere in m...my current condition, Stark…” tried to joke Lokes. He could barely drag the words out from his lungs.

“Sarcasm, sarcasm is good. Sarcasm means consciousness, right?” Tried to reason Peter. He'd taken his mask off and was looking pale. Tony was not convinced at all by that reason. When he used sarcasm, it normally meant that he was trying to hide how bad the situation really was. Seeing how alike they were, he was willing to bet that it was the same case for Loki. He looked at the arrow stuck on the mage’s leg and saw as tendrils of green mist began to wrap around it.

“Whoa, hey, stop that! You don't have enough voodoo for that! Wait for Bruce!” Desperately asked Tony as he saw the last shades of color leave the alien’s face.

“I.. arg! I can… I can not… My seiðr... I can not control it… acting on its on… A-Anthony...” tried to explain the mage as he slid with a gasp from his position, contorting with pain. Tony catched him from behind and held his shoulders as he shook. He had not idea what he could do but the engineer looked pleadingly at the captain, desperate for any help at this point. Steve seemed to understand and tried to carefully approach them but immediately the god retaliated. He trashed against the inventor and clung to the hands holding him.

“Loki please, I won't hurt you, we should try to see how bad the wound is.” tried to reason the captain to no avail.

“On… only An… Only Tony…” barely said the prince right before losing consciousness. He sagged into the engineers arms.

“Lokes?? Loki! Stay with me!!” Agonizingly said the human. He couldn’t lose someone else, especially not him. He couldn’t lose Loki. He couldn't…

“Tony!” Yelled the miraculous voice of Bruce. Everything from that point was a blurr. He remembered Bruce checking on Loki, Clint and him. How they carried Loki and Clint to the gurneys. He remembered following them to the elevator that lead to the Med Bay and how they laid both the mage and the archer on side by side beds. How they pulled the arrow and the painful screams from Loki's body. How they tried to take out the shrapnel but the god kept bleeding and his magic kept interfering. How it kept trying to close the wound before they could clean it and disinfect it. He remembered Pepper showing up at some point and hugging him and how she tried to tell him everything would be alright. Telling him how they would save Loki and how she was so sorry for having started this whole mess. He remembered when he had to sit(more like fell) on the floor when they told him the arrow had been laced with poison. How they managed to neutralize it but it had already caused internal damage. He vaguely remembered hearing how the archer had some shrapnel from the exploded auditory device stuck near some sensitive brain tissue. How that could cause some serious neurological damage, he remembered how he felt like nothing mattered if he lost Loki.

Hours passed by and Tony couldn't figure out how or when had Loki become so important to him, but he somehow had. He meant something fundamental. He couldn't tell yet exactly what that something was but it was something deep and he couldn't afford to lose it now. He couldn't… he couldn't lose him. Not him. Not now. He couldn't lose him, not ever. He couldn't… No… No, not now… he couldn't panic now. Loki needed him. He could not lose him…

“Stop! You can't do that!” Yelled one of the medics. Tony looked up to see the impossible. Loki had somehow stood up and was barely leaning on his good leg by Clint’s bed. He'd reopened his wound and was bleeding, holding his hand over Clint’s head. Tony quickly rose and rushed over. He couldn't comprehend at all what the god was even thinking!

“Loki! Stop! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Demanded to know the billionaire as he pushed away the medics that were trying to touch Loki. He grabbed his shoulders to steady him. He didn't push him back to his bed, knowing well that trying to force him to do anything was not a good idea. Not only cause it could’ve affected his already unstable mental state. But because it could’ve also cause him more physical damage.

“I… I have… I have to try… ple… please le…let me try…” desperately said the god as his hand began to glow with light. Tony supported him, stunned as he saw the magic unfold right before him. In what must have been mere seconds, the shrapnel had left the archer’s ear and the damaged tissue had been restored. He saw as the little metal pieces flew from his ear to the work table and the blood fly to the basin with the towel they had been using to clean the area. As soon as the light stopped glowing, the mage collapsed and the spy gasped awake. Clint frantically looked around and his eyes fell on the would-be king laying on Tony’s arms and stared for a few moments.

“What the hell happened!?...” Asked the archer right before light exploded from the unconscious alien. It was incredibly bright, golden and blinding. Different from the light Tony had just seen Loki use and definitely much stronger. Tony had an uncomfortable idea who it was from and it boiled his blood. Are you fucking kidding me?? Now?!

When the light dimmed, everyone looked down to see the unconscious prince laying on the inventor’s arms. He was dressed in his full battle regalia, with no scars or blood left on him. Color had returned to his features and a few healthy pounds filled his body. Some muscle definition was even noticeable. Tony thought he looked far better than he had ever seen him. He looked like a proper royal. Like the rightful ruler of a whole planet. He looked hotter than ever and Tony was not even ashamed to admit it. This is how he should always look, healthy, peaceful and drop dead gorgeous.

Silence was all that could be heard in the room as everyone else tried to comprehend what’d just happened. Tony was almost sure he knew the answer, but he still had to make sure the mage was alright. He felt his anger boil inside him. He wanted to seriously blast a certain god in the face with all of his reactor’s power. Yet at the same time, a sort of relief raced up his spine.

Silence was still prominent around them as thoughts swirled around in Tony's head. It was only interrupted by Spider-Man, who'd put his mask back on, Tony didn't remember when. He loudly said how cool that 'light show' had looked and everyone glared at him to shut him up. Later, Tony would really have to somehow thank that kid. 

Notes:

Again, a billions thanks, kisses and hugs to my lovely Queen Lexy for role playing and helping me with the Spidey scenes! Couldn't have written this without you love!

As for the next chap, I have most of it so I'll try to see if I can post it next Sunday or the one afterwards. Just hoping I have enough signal to do so.

Chapter 27: Sensing

Notes:

And here's the next one! Wrote this one during the first week after the hurricane. It's quite an intense one.

Also, wow, I hadn't noticed but it's already been a year since I started this fanfic! Can believe we're still here! And we're almost halfway through!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Loki woke up with his senses overwhelmed. He dared not open his eyes and risk feeding his mind with even more information that he was unable to process currently. He was completely and utterly disoriented. Quite an uncomfortable feeling, really.

A voice was speaking in the background and he heard as it abruptly stopped. Sounds he had gotten used to. But now he could also hear the cosmic resonance all around him, the clash between the astral world and the physical one. He could not only feel the soft fabrics of the bed he laid upon, but also the pull to all the dimensional pockets he had built over the millennia. He could smell the strong scent he had become familiar with of cologne mixed with alcohol, grease and sex, just as well as he could smell the scent of the different types of energies that circled the room. He could feel his own seiðr and wards flared up as unwanted approaches were deflected. It brought him serenity to know he was again protected by them, specially when he was in such a disoriented state. That feeling of false safety led him to make a grave mistake. Thinking that nothing could get past his wards, he dropped his guard for a fraction of a second. And a second was all it took for a hand to come down and hold his own. Someone had gotten past his wards.

The contact sent a jolt of fresh energy straight through his spine. It made him moan in a mixture of pain and pleasure. Everything about him was hypersensitive. It hurt to have that many senses bombarded with information. Yet it also felt good to have back all that had been taken away from him. To suddenly be able to see the world again, as he had always been able to. It sent wave after wave of pleasure alongside the pain all over his body. He gasped and slightly arched his body off the bed as the waves passed.

Once most of it was over, he was still a little out of air. He decided to risk it and slowly opened his eyes and was presented with the image of a blushing, breathless Anthony.

“I-Is that how you normally feel the universe? Cause damn… that was the best rush I’ve ever felt in m-my life, and I’ve tried all types of things… shit, we should really keep this mental link thing going on. I have to see more of that.” Tried to joke the weaponsmith. It surprises Loki to even see him standing, let alone coherently speaking. If what he says was true, and Loki had just accidentally shared with him that overload of sensations… he should at the very least be unconscious, if not permanently mentally damaged. No mortal should be sane or conscious after being fed with that much information. Loki knew the mortal was remarkable, but this was beyond anything he had ever seen before. The mortal would never ceased to amaze him. Could he be capable of learning magic?

“Y-you okay there, Lokes? You looking a bit awe struck. I know I'm impressive bu-” began to say the insufferable mortal but Loki promptly shut him up.

If anyone were to ask him, he would not be able to answer why he did it. It had been on impulse. Maybe a side effect of his fried senses. Or maybe something more… His body simply moved on its own. He sat up and next thing he knew he was kissing the mortal. And not just a peck, but a proper meeting of lips. It served to shut the mortal up, even if not in the intended way. As soon as Loki realized what he was doing, he backed away and spoke as if nothing had happened.

“Spare me your senseless ramble, Stark, and tell me what happened. I see some of my magic has returned, but I remember not how that happened.” Said the god, trying to mask his confusion. Had Anthony not done something similar before?

“Ahh… well…” tried to speak the human but his already feverish features got redder. Words seemed to not want to leave his mouth. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to get back in control of himself. He opened his mouth again and this time, the words came to him. “Y-you saved Clint, that’s how… you’d lost a lot of blood and the arrow was laced with poison so you were probably gonna… anyway, you somehow stood up and walked over to Clint’s bed and magiced the shrapnel out of his ear and saved him. It was pretty heroic, and stupid. Typical hero Thursday. And I guess daddy dearest was pleased with it and gave you your mojo back… can't believe that’s what it took to please him…. what if you hadn't been able to get up? Or if I’d stopped you? You could’ve… I.. I can't… I swear if I ever meet the Old-farter, I’ll smack some sense into tha… Ah… sorry…” Loki did not like hearing him angry… it made him nervous. He was aware that the anger was not directed towards himself but it still made him uneasy. Anthony seemed to noticed.

“It… It is alright… how long have I been unconscious?” Asked the mage, quickly changing the topic.

“Like seven hours. It's 1:34am.” Seven hours? The mortal had spent seven hours taking care of him? He searched his sense and wards and was shocked to confirm it was true. The human had barely left the room. He looked around and could see on the bedside table a basin and a cloth, confirming he had also been cleansed.

“You stayed by me all that time?... and bathed me?...” asked the mage. He just could not process any of this. It was one thing to care for his well being and it was another to actually be the one to do the work.

“What else was I supposed to do? I couldn't just leave you to wake up alone. And yeah, you were building up a sweat. Leather is sexy, but not on sweaty unconscious Alien Gods... so I changed your clothes. Don't worry, nothing to be ashamed off. You got quite the body.” Said the engineer with a wink. His soft tone and nonchalant manner made the prince chuckle in amusement. This mortal simply refused to let Loki understand him. He looked at the smile on the surprisingly soft lips he had just kissed and couldn't find a reason not to try it again. Yet this time, he refrained himself. The avenger looked tired. His already hectic sleeping schedule was cut even shorter since the assassins had arrived. He needed to sleep, not to waste time in worrying for Loki.

“You should rest.” Said the mage as he gently squeezed the hand he hadn't realized he was still holding.

“I'm fine. You’re the one we should worry about.” Said the inventor, trying to wave off the concern, but Loki would not have it.

“Stark…” He knew how careless he was. He could go for days without sleep and food. He had heard from Dr. Banner how they had had to bring the human to the Medical Bay a few times because he had passed out from overworking himself. 

“I have to take care of some things. Plus you're the one who passed out, not me.” Tried to argue the stubborn smith.

“Anthony…” he would not allow it. He would protect this mortal, even if that meant from himself. He lifted his hand and made a lifting gesture and the body of Anthony lifted up in the air with a yelp. He twisted his hand and pointed towards the bed. His body slowly descended on the mattress right next to him.

“Wow, okay, that’s new. That’s quite the step up from lokiosa-ing a plate.” Said the mortal with a laugh. Loki enjoyed seeing amusement fill the eyes of Anthony whenever he used magic. Most Aesir would have been outraged if Loki had tried that with them.

“You shall sleep now. No more arguments.” Said the prince with a firm voice. He knew Anthony would not take it as a command. He would see it as the light hearted jest that it was.

“Pff, your wish is my command, my prince.” Responded Anthony, filling Loki with warmth. He then used that warmth to send a small charm over both of them to help them fall to the realm of sleep easier. He did not count, thought, that they would share yet another dream. Or that it would be a night terror...

----

Tony wasn't sure of where he was. He was sure he’d never been here before but he couldn't tell at all where here even was. He stood in long dark stone corridor. The humidity in the air was making him sweat uncomfortably and he could smell the fungus and putridity built up all around him. This placed hadn't seen soap or daylight in thousands of years. Tony felt a deep fear settle in his gut for this place. He wasn't sure why and he was almost sure it wasn't his own.

He started to walk down the impossibly illuminated corridor. There were no lightbulbs or torches or anything, yet somehow he could see where he was going. After long minutes of walking he began to see large rooms on the walls. They had some sort of glimmering golden shield that let you see inside. They looked like… giant fish tanks… or prisons…

He passed a few dozen empty ones before he reached the end of the corridor. There, he found two large doors, one slightly ajar. From the opening came more golden light. A sense of dread washed over him at the sight of it. He knew something horrible laid behind it. But, again, the fear felt distant. Like it was not quite his own. Like it was… shared. It took him a while but he finally understood where he was. Fear wanted to make him run away from this place but he decided to ignore it. Where he felt most fear, was probably where he would find him. With that thought in mind, he went on.

He put all his weight against the large door and pushed it open. Inside was a pool, the size of a large car. The liquid glowed golden and boiled. Tony originally thought it was melted gold, but it wasn't. It was too liquified. Some sort of magical golden liquid then. Why would someone have a pool of golden water? He frustratingly knew why… He stepped into the room and was surprised that it wasn't as hot as it should’ve been. Probably magically protected from it… for those outside the pit, that is…

He walked around the pool and saw four identical chains that stretched from the ceiling all the way down into the pool. Something was being held inside… Someone…

Almost in answer, something pulled at the chains and trashed. The surface broke and a body emerged from its depths, trying to keep afloat. The chains were not long enough to drown him, but not high enough to provide support so he could breath. And the more he trashed, the more it seemed the liquid boiled. 

It took Tony a moment to react. He couldn't believe or process what he was seeing. He instinctively searched for a way to pull him out without having to get close to the chains. They would obviously burn his hands. He found what looked like a panel and quickly started to fiddle with it. He didn't get what it said but soon enough he figured that the five holes in the surface where meant for fingers and that the thing rotated. He rotated it clockwise and the chains magically lifted right through the roof. Slowly, the body began to leave the golden liquid and simply hanged limp from the chains, twitching from time to time. 

As the magical liquid rolled off, Tony was not surprised to see that it was Loki. What did surprise him tho’ was the fact that he was blue. It didn't last long but all his skin had been blue and covered in some sort of markings for a moment. It slowly seemed to recede back to his normal pale skin. The engineer couldn't tell if it was part of the magical torture, if it was part of the dream or if it was Loki himself. But it didn't matter, he dismissed it in favor of setting Loki down on the stone bed that had appeared along with a floor over the golden pool. Next to the panel appeared a towel and the inventor took it and ran over to the god.

Tony looked horrified at all the injuries on the body he had taken care of no longer than a few hours ago. It was strange to know you were in a dream, but even stranger to know you were in someone else's memory nightmare. The human took in the sight again and could barely hold back a sob.

Tony could tell this was back when they still hadn't made him mostly mortal. He would be dead already otherwise. There was no way anyone could survive the amount of injuries the god carried… The mage’s body was bruised all over, in every shade possibles. His lips had been sewn shut and they were ripped and bleeding from screaming. He had some sort of lines cut all over his skin as well. They looked like they were for some ritual or tribal. Tony couldn't tell. The lines where red and purple and it was obvious that they had been cut in more than once… onces they had started to cure they had cut them in again… his entire body was also covered in blisters and nasty burns. But worst than anything else was his eyes.

The were bloodshot and intently looking at the mortal. They were full of so many feeling Tony simply couldn't handle. Fear and desperation were the primordial ones. He was terrified beyond anything Tony had seen and was waiting, resigned, for the next punishment. The avenger couldn't even tell if Loki could recognize who he was.

Tony could feel each and every feeling the other felt. He guessed it was part of the sharing a dream thing, but he simply couldn't handle it. He began to softly clean Loki’s body with what he guessed as a heat resistant towel as heavy tears rolled down his cheeks. He took out a pair of tweezers from his pocket and began to cut the stitches from Loki's mouth. He took them out as carefully as he could and when he was done he stood there in silence.

How could anyone do this? How could anyone be so cruel?... Tony was in such a state of shock he couldn't even remember to be angry at those who did all of this. In the back of his conscience the anger boiled as hot as the golden liquid had. But right now, he was too concerned for Loki's wellbeing. How could he ever get over this? Could Tony ever hope to fix him? He would not give up trying, but it just seems so… impossible to get back from this… No… He had to put him back together. He had to save him…

“L… Loki.. I'm…” he hadn't known what to say… but before he could even try, Loki began to convulse. And then, the words just rolled out of the human’s mouth.

“Loki, listen to me. Listen to my voice. This is not real. This is a dream… a memory… but it's not real. You are on Earth, on Midgard. You’re in my tower and you’re sleeping in my room next to me… you are not alone. You are not at their mercy anymore… Y-you got your powers back and you’re gonna use them for good with me. A bit of Mischief here and there, obviously, but you’re gonna do good. You are not what they tell you you are. You are not a monster. You do not deserve any of this punishments. I'm here with you. You are safe...” It took that and more to stop his tremors. As they began to lessen, Loki finally let out all he had been feeling.

Tony wrapped him in the towel, to not burn himself, and held Loki tightly as he cried. The mortal couldn't help but to also silently continue to let his tears roll. He spoke softly to Loki as he promised to himself to never let go of him. No matter what happened, Tony would be there for him.

Time progresses differently in dreams. Tony couldn't tell if minutes or hours passed, but after a long while, they both began to calm down. They separated only slightly, without letting each other go. Once Tony saw the god again, all his injuries had disappeared. He was back to how he had last seen him. Beautiful and healthy. How he should look. But he knew the god’s mind was still nowhere near as healthy as it should be.

They looked at each other for a long while. Simply reassuring themselves in each other's presence. Then, when they were both ready, Loki got up from the stone and leaned on Tony. A bathrobe appeared in the inventor’s hands and he helped Loki into it. Once he had it on, Loki lead them to a door that had appeared on the far right wall. And just as they’d gotten through the door, they would both get through this, together.

As they passed the door, Tony felt as the world shifted around them. He had to shield his eyes from the bright light. Once he opened them again, he saw they were standing in the middle of a garden. It was huge and beautiful. Tony was a bit taken aback by all of it. He had never been a fan of nature but this place was truly a marvel.

The pond right beside them was unbelievably clear and undisturbed. The trees and bushes bloomed with all sorts of flowers; some which Tony was sure were not from Earth. Warm light cascaded from the gaps between the leaves of the trees.

It was hard for Tony to understand how something so beautiful could even exist in here after what he’d seen. He turned to tell Loki and was taken aback by what he saw. There was a kid standing besides him. He knew it was Loki but he looked so different, aside from the obvious age difference.

The kid looked around the garden in just as much awe as Tony had, probably even more. He had a smile plastered on his half open mouth and his eyes sparkled. As he turned, he grew from a kid to a teen and he still looked happy, but not as awestruck. He looked a bit more worn, like he was already starting to feel bourdens. As he turned again, he aged into a young adult and he wasn't smiling anymore. At least not an honest smile. He still had a happy longing in his eyes for this garden but it was obvious other things occupied his mind already. In his last turn, he finally grew to the age Tony knew. He was worn and the happy longing was replaced by a melancholy.

He could see how it hurt the mage to see this place. To know he wasn't actually there. Tony was lost in his eyes and it took him a moment to register the other changes. He looked down and saw the prince was dressed again. He wore a dark green and black leather tunic. It was similar to the other clothes the avenger had seen on him, but this one didn't have any of the armor. It had a V shaped neckline, endebed with gold with a golden broach holding it together. It perfectly matched the gold droplets that had solidified on his hair. He wore dark green pants with his usual black boots. Over his tunic, he wore a simpler version of his long coat. He looked "stunning…”. Tony only noticed he’d said it out loud when Loki responded him.

“Indeed it is… this garden is tended by my mother. It is the most beautiful garden in all of Asgard. It was also my favorite area to spend my spare time in… the calmness and quietud of this place were excellent to still my nerves and soothe my senses… I would often sit beneath a tree to be surrounded by the scents and sounds of nature.” answered the prince, unaware Tony had meant him and not the garden. Nevertheless he did look away from Lokes to see more of the garden. It was breathtaking. He could definitely imagine Loki as a kid sitting here, cross-legged with a long forgotten book in his lap. He could almost see him with his deep green eyes half-lidded, with a ghost of a smile on his face, simply enjoying the sounds of the rustling leaves.

When the inventor looked back, he saw that Lokes’ gaze lingered more on one particular tree. Tony hadn't noticed it before. It had the largest trunk and its leaves were the most vibrant. Tony felt a sort of pull towards the tree. He let his feet take him too it.

From the tail of his eyes he could see that Loki was now watching him curiously. But he ignored it in favor of exploring the tree. The engineer placed his hand on the trunk and it felt solid. He could almost feel it's old age and life force but some instinct told him there was more to it. He tried to look around it and feel it's surface, but nothing changed. It was still solid and alive. He closed his eyes, placed his forehead against the trunk, unsure of what he was doing, and simply wished for it to reveal itself.

Nothing happened for a few seconds and he was starting to feel dumb. What’d he been thinking? It's just a tree… but it wasn't… he tried again, this time putting more desire into his wish and that’s when it clicked.

He stepped back and a set of double doors, made from the tree itself, appeared. They were intricately carved with designs. Designs he recognized as ancient Norse runes and symbols. He could distinguish the snakes for Loki. The mortal was about to ask about the door when he saw the mage’s face and stopped. He looked at Tony shocked and scared. The human was starting to think he wasn't supposed to find the tree. But then the prince’s face shifted to a small fond, truly sincere, smile. It took Tony by surprise. All the words got stuck in his throat.

“You never cease to amaze me, Anthony.” Said the god with a chuckle. He walked forward and opened the doors with magic. “Welcome to my ‘secret lair’, my dear mortal.”

Notes:

Well, that was something! The next chapter is such a good one. Loved writing it. I hope to post it next Sunday if the conditions allow it!

Also, as always, constructive criticism is always welcomed! Opinions on the story as well! So leave a comment and possibly a kudo and don't forget to subscribe to know as soon as the next chapter comes out!

Chapter 28: Day or Night?

Notes:

Aaaaand here it is! I've been waiting for this chap for ages! Tony sees the tree. I loved writing this chapter so I hope you all like it C:

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Tony couldn't believe his eyes. They stepped into the tree and a whole room stretched out before them. The tree was bigger on the inside, TARDIS style. Was Loki the Doctor? Tony smiled at the thought as he continued to take in the room. It was grand and circular. Almost shaped like the tree itself, but like 10 times as big. To the left side there was a grand fireplace. Where’d the smoke go? He had no idea. Above the fireplaces and all over the walls were shelves filled with books. One section was filled with all sorts of artifacts. There was what seemed like trophies, relics, and all sorts of knick knacks. There were different orbs with what looked like the elements inside. One with fire, one with water, another made of earth and one with winding airs. There were a few more with other things like lightning and what looked like smoke.

Close to the fireplace there was a cleopatra style couch with a small table besides it. Obviously meant for reading. On the right side was a larger table, like a desk. It was covered with maps, drawings and designs. But when he looked up, the ceiling was what surprised him the most. It was like seeing a live feed through the branches of the tree. The sun streamed patches of light through the high branches, brightening the room. In the center there was a small clearing where he could see the sky and clouds as they passed by. At one point, a small bird even sat on one of the branches and cleaned it's feathers. It was one of the most beautiful things Tony had ever seen. He could imagine how even better it would look at night with the stars and moon.

In answer, the ceiling shifted and night took over. The full moon shone right through the clearing in the leaves and the stars seems like Christmas lights on the branches. The small bird was replaced by a marginally larger raven that stared at the moon. It was breathtaking. “Much better…” Tony said mostly to himself. He’s always been more of a night owl.

“You prefer the moon over the sun? A raven over a sparrow?” Asked Lokes in fond shock. Tony couldn’t see how that was so hard to believe.

“I always work better at night. The sun’s too bright for me.” Said the engineer, only half joking.

“But at night everything is dark and dangerous…” said the mage… almost like it was something really bad. He meant more than just the night, didn't he?

“The best things happen in the dark, sweetcheeks. And I dance with danger on a daily basis. Besides, the stars and moon wouldn't be able to shine if it wasn't for the dark.” Said the inventor, feeling like he was rambling poetry or something. But it looked like it mattered to the prince, so he went on anyway. “I prefer the moon over the sun any time.”

“I… I see…” said the mage, taking it into deep consideration. Tony continued to look at the scrolls on the table and found beautiful drawings of landscapes, animals and abstract things he couldn't decipher. Some even looked like they were 3D. Some actually moved minutely. Harry Potter much?

“So… tell me about this place. Tell me about your ‘secret evil lair’.” Prompted the mortal. This place was astonishing. Everything in it looked handcrafted. It had to have a good story behind it.

“Yes… well… I started to make this place when I was a child. I would often visit this gardens and sit by the roots of the tree. Yet one day I found it had been plagued by a decease. I tried to save it, but I had found the infection too late. I cleared the dead wood from inside and kept the shell intact with magic. I would hide in it's empty trunk whenever I needed to be alone or to simply hide from my brother when I pulled a prank on him.” Said the mage with a chuckle. Tony was mesmerized by his voice and the calmness in it.

“As I grew, I learned of dimensional magic and made it much larger on the inside and added many of the things you see. Throughout all my life, I kept adding more and more to it and made it my ‘safe haven’ if you will. This were my true rooms. The ones in the palace where too impersonal, for I had to keep up appearances. I designed them as everyone expected me to. But here? Here I could do anything I pleased. I guess, in a way, just as your workshop is a physical representation of your soul. This place, would be the representation of mine… this has been my most well kept secret, no one else has ever known of this place…” explained the god as he ran his fingers over the fire orb and it glew with more intensity.

“And… you’re willing to show it to me…?” said, or asked? the human, not quite sure what to say to that explanation. He couldn't believe he was the first person to see this place… had it been by accident that he found it? Loki couldn't trust him that much yet… could he?

“Hm… yes. Sadly this is just a memory. I have managed to reconstruct it as best as I can here. But nevertheless the real place feels much more…well, real.” Said the prince, confirming that he had wanted to show him this place. Tony felt… honored and a warm feeling rested on his chest. He couldn't tell what it meant but didn't want it to go anywhere either. This was something big for the god and he was entrusting it to the mortal… Tony didn't feel like he deserved the honor.

“Come now, this is just the living room. There is much more to see.” Loki was willing to show him more? And there was even more to this place than this?? Tony followed, dumbfounded by everything.

They passed through a door at the end of the room and stepped into a curved hallway. Loki showed him the armory, where he kept all his weapons. He explained how he could summon any one of them to himself if he wanted to in battle. He showed him the forge where he would make his own daggers and blades from time to time. He showed him the observatory, the library and the magic studio, where he practiced and perfected his new spells. He showed him the infirmary and the potion room. He explained how he hadn't been here since the day of Thor’s coronation.

Tony noticed that the rooms were designed inward in a spiral going down. Just how big was this place?? They finally reached a small room whose door suddenly appeared once Loki had done a hand gesture. The room had the same ceiling magic but this one seemed to be from a higher view and he could see more stars. He looked around and found that the left wall was lined with shelves with all sorts of artifacts. On the right, carved into the wall so that the long side was inward, was a large bed. Large enough for three people. It was covered it many different dark pelts. Tony didn't doubt that Loki had hunted them himself. Beside the mattress and pelts, there was a small areas like a bedside table all along the bed. The rest of the wall was covered in bookshelves. Those there seemed like the oldest and most used. Probably the god’s favorites. Decorated around them were many carvings of snakes, horses, wolves and trees. Inside the walls of the bed were more books but Tony was having a hard time focusing on them. Maybe they were shielded with some magic or something.

“This room in particular moves along the tree. It does not have a fixed point. It may appear wherever I need it too. It is my personal chambers. Where I keep my most important possessions.” Said Lokes as he put away a book on one of the shelves.

“So you can just call your room to you? Now that sure’s handy.” Said the curious engineer with a laugh. He seriously had to make this guy teach him about dimensional magic and all that. But this was his room… Tony felt kind of intrusive being here. They were technically sleeping in his room right now but Tony had never really felt at ‘home’ in his room. His home was his workshop. But he’d already shown that to Lokes…

“Yes, quite so. I found it inappropriate to simply have something fixed.” Answered the mage with a chuckle. This was important… far more important than anything else.

“Lokes?” Asked Tony. He needed to say it… but how? He had never been good with expressing feelings.

“Yes?” Asked the god, without looking back at the mortal.

“Thanks…” said the inventor in a low voice. But it wasn't enough. He had to say more.

“For?” Asked the alien, still not looking back as he traced a carving of a tree on the wall. Not enough.

“For showing me all this…” said the avenger, not quite sure how to really convey all he was feeling. But he had to. It was important. For both of them.

“Hm…” was Loki’s simple answer. He wasn't even really paying attention to the human. No, not enough. Stop trying to think, Stark. Act.

“Loki?” Asked the inventor once again. He used his name to capture the immortal's attention. That always worked. Well, now or never.

“Yes?” Asked the mage, exasperatedly amused, as he turned to look at Tony. But Tony was now standing right beside him. The mortal gently cupped the god’s cheek and brought their mouths together. It was a soft kiss, but the engineer tried to pour in as much of his feelings as he could into it. Words would never work enough for them. They both knew too well how to manipulate them and how to lie. Actions would always speak louder than words for them. 

Loki at first tensed, but immediately he began to relax and kiss him back in earnest. They parted only long enough to check that they were both okay with this. When they found each other’s eyes, they closed the distance again.

Loki placed one of his hands on the mortal’s neck to tilt him up further, and the other one on his waist, to bring their bodies closer. He backed them both towards the bed and carefully brought them down. The engineer sat on it and carefully scooted back. He made sure he didn't break the kiss, as Loki followed him, kneeling on the bed. Tony hadn't intended to deepen the kiss, he only intended to convey his feelings in a more physical manner since words were not working in his favor at the moment. He intended something simple and slow, to not startle the alien. He didn't want to scare him or do anything he wasn't okay with.

Considering that, it surprised him greatly to feel the mage’s tentative tongue slip under his lip, carefully asking for enterance. He seemed almost scared to ask. But Tony happily gave him access. He was willing to give as much as Loki asked for. The prince’s skillful tongue wrapped around Tony’s, making him hum in pleasure. Tony was definitely okay with giving as much back.

Loki’s lips had been soft and slightly cold, but his silver tongue was warm and curious. It was a contrasting feeling that had Tony wanting for more of it. He was getting addicted to the taste of him. He tangled his hand in Loki’s hair and slipped back. He laid down the rest of the way, pulling the god along with him. He laid flat on the bed with a gorgeous alien prince on top of him. Tony was surprised to feel how well they fitted together. There was almost a familiarity when their bodies were pressed.

They continued to passionately explore each other's mouths as their hands began to roam. Tony ran his fingers through the god’s curls as Loki gently stroked the mortal’s cheek, tracing his beard. Their other free hands found and held each other.

Tony reluctantly broke their kiss and gasped for air. He looked at Loki and was marveled by how beautiful he looked. His hair framed his feverish face and his swollen lips were slightly parted to suck in the much needed air. His pupils were slightly larger than usual and they intently looked at the human.

They simply started at each other as they got their breathing back to normal. Once they could speak again, Loki placed his forehead against the mortal’s and closed his eyes. “We… we should wake up soon, Anthony...” He said. Whenever the god used his full name, it sent a tingle up Tony’s spine. He liked to hear it on the god’s tone. But now, when he was half breathless, it sounded even better.

Tony pulled the god down again and retook his mouth, hungrily chasing that silver tongue. He gasped in surprise when the god rolled his hips downwards in response, clearly showing he was enjoying this as much as the mortal. They pressed their foreheads together, breathless again, and gazed into each other's eyes. The mage was right.

“Y..Yeah… we should wake up...” was all that Tony managed. He didn't want to get out of here. But he knew this was only a dream. A shared dream where they were both conscious, but still a dream. One day tho’, they would come here. Physically. Tony would make sure of that. And they would also continue what they started here. But that might come sooner if Loki was okay with it.

Tony wrapped his hands around Loki’s waist and pulled himself up, causing friction between them. The move caused the god to gasp and groan. Tony acted as if nothing had happened and slyly asked with a grin. “How do we wake up from here?”

Loki looked at the incredulous mortal like he couldn't believe how he hadn't smote him yet and answered “...Just close your eyes and I will take us back.” Pleased, Tony did as he asked and before falling asleep(or falling awake?) he felt Loki kiss him one last time. It was slow and delicate, leaving Tony wanting for so much more.

-----

“Hey...” said Tony. He was still groggy but he noticed they were now holding hands and much closer. He didn't mind at all.

“Hi” said Lokes with a smile. It was so nice to see him genuinely smile. It looked good on him.

“We slept together.” Said the inventor, wiggling his eyebrows playfully.

“We did.” Answered the mage as mischief danced in his eyes. He brought their foreheads to rest against each other again, like they had in the dream.

“That’ll cause quite the scandal.” Joked the avenger as he rubbed his foot against the mage’s calf.

“Only if they find out.” Responded the prince, bumping their noses.

“I'm pretty sure I just heard the door creak.” Said Tony with a laugh, only half worried.

“Then let them fantasies what they will.” Answered Lokes, scooting even closer to the billionaire.

“You don't mind?” Asked Tony hopefully. He didn't mind at all but he didn't want to make the recovering alien uncomfortable.

“Quite the contrary.” Answered Lokes with a grin as he tangled their feet together. Man that smile was contagious. And those legs… wait… he’s half naked under those sheets...

Oh..” was all that Tony was able to say. Thousands of possibilities running through his mind.

Oh indeed.” Said the god playfully. They both stayed silent for a while, probably thinking about what they had just gone through. Tony was still conflicted about what he felt. To be shown something like that… to be trusted… Tony didn't know if he deserved any of it. He tended to break relationships. He always ended hurting those closest to him. He was thoughtless and reckless… could he be trusted to fix Loki?

Tony was lost in his thoughts when Loki softly squeezed his hand. He focused again on those swirling green pools and read their clear message. They would get through this. They lost themselves in each other's eyes for what felt like hours, just taking it all in, when suddenly Loki sneezed.

He scared Tony so badly that the poor mortal fell off the bed, tangled in the sheets with his ass up in the air. “Oh fuc-! Ow!”

Before Tony even realized what’d happened, the door burst open and Steve stormed in. He looked around the room and when his eyes fell on them, his entire face reddened. Loki was half naked in the bed and Tony was tangled in the sheets. It probably didn't look good. Bruce, the traitor, was right behind the cap laughing and from the corner of the door, Tony could see the spies were there as well. The whole gang was here, great.

“Ev...everything okay?...” cap blurred out, red faced.

“Eavesdroppers...” muttered Tony as he tried to untangle himself from the sheets. He only managed to tangle himself more. While he loudly cursed, that’s when he heard it. The most amazing sound he had ever heard. He was thankful that J.A.R.V.I.S. was always recording because he would save that sound forever. Loki let out a full, belly clenching, laugh. It was completely pure and unadulterated. Tony could almost see again the small kid he had seen in the dream. Sitting by the tree, amazed by all he saw, laughing, happy. Tony made it his personal, top priority mission to cause that sound over and over again. If he had to fall on his ass for it, then so be it. Because Tony fell in love with that sound... And maybe... even with that man.

Notes:

*sweats* quite the chapter! Loved writing it! I loved building a world of my own for Loki.

Kudos, comments and constructive criticism is alway apreciated! Be sure to subscribe to know when the next chapter comes out!

Chapter 29: Gutting or no Gutting?

Notes:

And we're back! And so is the power and water at home! Finally, things are starting to get back to normal after the hurricane.
Here's the chapter, hope you like it xD

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Why did the worst days usually start off so nicely? Was it the calm before the storm? Peace before chaos?

Their day had started off pretty well. After Tony and Loki had shared a few… intense, to say the least, moments in their linked dream... Loki had entrusted the inventor with important personal memories and with knowledge of his most sacred place. His safe haven. Tony still didn't feel like he should be trusted with such precious information, but he would do his best to manage it well. After that, they’d shared a more, well, physical moment(or was it metaphysical?) that Tony wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon either. They had both affirmed a few things and Tony wondered how much more would they reveal to each other in the future.

They’d then slept next to each other for around 5 hours. Far more time than they’d both slept since the god had arrived at the tower. The engineer had actually felt genuinely rested after it. He half suspected there had been some magic involved to achieve that. But even then, even as they relaxed, the inventor never lowered his guard. Too much was at stake for that. Both spies still lingered in his tower after all. But even with his ever present paranoia, whatever Lokes had done, had made some of the tension leave his body. They’d softly woken up afterward and simply enjoyed each other’s presence.

Then Lokes went and scared the living shit out of him. He’d accidently sneezed on Tony's face and made him fall off the bed with his ass up in the air. He’d been terrified for a fraction of a second admittedly, but for his troubles he was awarded the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. The human had fallen in love with that rich sound. It had filled his hallow heart with a feeling he was unfamiliar with. He knew what love felt like, he had loved his mother dearly, but this was different. A sort of warmth and fulfillment. Storying away the feeling, he’d then struggled with the sheets to break free from his predicament. It took some work, but the poor inventor finally managed to untangle himself from his death trap; with a bit of help from Loki actually. That is after he was done laughing. Bastard. But after what they’d shared in their nightmares and dream, he felt like he knew Loki better now. There was still eons worth of knowledge he didn't know, but it was a good step for them. They would get there in time. Was he already planning a future with the god? Jeez, he was getting sappy... Anyway.

Bruce, the angel, had made blueberry waffles for everyone. The good ol’ doctor had learned how to cook like a pro after traveling so much. Granted, it was mostly to hide from the military and S.H.I.E.L.D. but well, still counts. Tony especially loved his curry. And the blueberry waffles? Heavenly. Even the spies showed up! They were probably lured in by the amazing smell. They quietly sat at the table and ate with them. They knew better than to miss out on Brucie’s cooking obviously. They simply sat there and watched silently as both scientists asked Loki about his powers. Probably not the best topic with Clint around but, you know, curiosity and the cat. Loki had enjoyed when Tony had to explain that reference. He easily understood Schrödinger's thought experiment and the quantum mechanics behind it but he had been even more fascinated with the idiom-proverb aspect of it. Who would've guessed?

Tony.

Tony guessed it.

He was starting to understand Tony's affixion for references as it was similar to his own taste for the twisting of words. They both had their own form of silver tongue.

The discussion continued as Loki explained he could feel parts of his magic back. He would have to test a few spells to see just how much. He explained how it would take time for all of his mojo to actually come back to him. Since he had spent so long without his power, it would overload his body if it all returned simultaneously. He could even go nuclear, blowing up the whole of Manhattan with him. It seemed like the old-farter, because of that, sent only parts of it back. And it also looked like most of it was healing magic. Bruce theorized that the old-jerkwad had planned it so he could use the magic to heal himself but he couldn't hurt anyone else, just in case he was still ‘evil’. It was meant only so he could restore himself. Tony guessed the tyrant wasn't completely stupid, but he was still a pile of shit of mayor disgusting proportions. 

Nevertheless Tony doubted it would take too long for it all to come back. The god was seriously a fast learner. The Rubik's Cube had been a good example. He had learned how to play every board game Tony brought him with ease. But not only that, he’d actually proven to be a challenge against him once he got the hang of it. He would surely be casting complex spells in no time. Loki then went on to say that he also had most of his weird extra space alien senses back. Tony could definitely testify to that. That had everyone intrigued, each for various reasons, some negatively. They agreed though they had to be sure. They would do tests to see his current range of powers at Tony's testing room. They needed to know the full scope of the situation if they were to bring his case towards S.H.I.E.L.D.

Everyone would join in to make sure things went well. The spies so they could analyze his threat level, Cap for safety and Brucie for the science. But they agreed to meet in 15 minutes so they could change clothes or get their things. Tony and Loki, needing nothing else, headed down to the lab first. Their conversation had been light and intriguing. They exchanged theories and ideas on their way down while holding hands. Tony wasn't sure who had grabbed who's, but it didn't matter. It made him happy. He was nearly giggling, but Iron Man doesn't giggle so ignore that. Nothing to see but two hot men holding hands... for science!

When they’d gotten there, Tony had told Loki to get ready as he grabbed some of his gear. The god had then magicked back on his full suit, with horns and everything. When the avenger turned around and saw him, it made him remember their first encounter... He remembered flying up and up and then the sudden darkness and the giant dark ship. He remembered the thousands of millions of grey monsters pouring out from it. He remembered the main ship exploding. He remembered as time began to blur and the utter silence. He could see the destruction of the missile but couldn't hear anything. No sound, just his own breathing. A trillion stars, all colors, the cold, the loneliness. He remembered drifting, tumbling, swirling, falling through nothing and nothing and nothing. He remembered thinking about nothing and everything. He remembered... He remembered the soft whisper of the Void. How it called for him, lulled him to stay. The seduction of the empty. How it taunted and whispered that fate had finally caught up with him. This was what he deserved. What he always deserved. He remembered how it pulled and lured him in. He remembered wanting to give in. To simply let himself be consumed. To let go. To be lost. To become one with nothing and everything. To give the void his last breath. Breathing. It was getting harder and harder to breath. He remembered the Void's touch. How cold it had been. He remembered-

“Anthony? Anthony!...” he remembered… Loki… Loki and his cape, his horns, his staff… He remembered his… his hair, those lips in a fierce cold snarl, those eyes… those dead blue eyes that glared at him with so much hatred and pain… he remembered being strangled, dangled… he remembered failing, falling, waiting for the ground to swallow him up… he rem-

“Anthony I… pl-please I.... I apologize… please come back to me… the real me… that which you remember was a lie… you are… safe now… safe from… me...” he remembered Loki... apologizing? He… he didn't remember that… the… the real Loki? He… he had green eyes. The real Loki had green eyes full of life and sorrow… the real Loki had… cold lips… He remembered kissing those cold lips… exploring that contrasting warm silver tongue... He remembered trailing his hand down that figure... He remembered their labored breathing as they pressed their foreheads together and stared at each other. He remembered wanting nothing else but to be lost in those green orbs. Com...come back to him? Come back to the real Loki?... H-he could do that… Right… this was the real Loki… this was real… not the image they showed him in Germany. Not the lies Thor fed them, thinking them true as they were his father’s lies… this was Loki, the God of Mischief… the God of Stories, not Lies… this was his Loki… he would always come back to his Loki… 

Tony finally focused back on the real world and looked at the alien that kneeled beside him. The first thing he noticed was that his clothes had changed. The mage was right next to him with his hand holding the back of the mortal’s neck… it was an affectionate move Tony had seen Thor use… but he focused on the fact that the prince wore the clothes he had used in their dream. It was simple, yet elegant and royal. It looked non-threatening and astonishing. He even had the beautiful solidified gold droplets stuck to his hair again. The only difference was that he wore his helmet. But it was different from the one he had seen before. This one was more like a crown. It was a giant metal band wrapped around his head, leaving space for his hair to flow at the top and bottom. It still had the giant horns tho’. The change looked much better on him. It calmed the mortal enough to notice he was now sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. Wait when’d that happened?

“Lokes?... J?” asked the still slightly shaking human. He was covered with a layer of sweat and was unconsciously pushing the god back by the chest. Lokes noticed where his eyes were focused and gave a small hurt smile. He then used his free hand and grabbed Tony’s, moving it closer to his heart. The engineer could feel his heartbeat and tried to match his breathing to it.

“Sir, you experienced a panic attack. Mr. Skywalker’s previous attire seems to have triggered memories of the New York attack. I suggested that he should change into something different and to try to talk you through it.” explained his AI. A panic attack? Now? He shouldn't be having a panic attack now! It was Loki who’d really suffered trauma! He couldn't go panicking on him! And much less because of him! No… this was a one-time thing… he could control this... Tony would not let that happen again… he… wouldn't…  they had more important things to deal with. His problems were not as important. Once his breathing and heartbeat was back to normal, the inventor spoke again, trying to put confidence in his voice. 

“Apologize? What for? Looking like a Space Alien Runway Model? Never apologize for those legs, Prancer. Give me a hand.” asked for the avenger. It was a stupid change of topic that would obviously not go unnoticed…. But thankfully Lokes let it go for the moment and helped him stand. The god didn't say anything, but he couldn't hide well enough how felt. He was obviously hurt by the whole incident… the mortal was furious with himself for ruining their great morning.

Silence overtook the lab. It didn't sit well with the engineer. He wanted their smiles and sarcastic comments back. Tony tried to defuse their awkward tension with asking the mage if he should put on one of his suits so they could spar with each other. Loki had tried to sound like his usual mischievous self and joked that even with his low amount of magic, he definitely should since he didn't want to hurt the ‘poor fragile mortal’. It didn't sound very convincing or jokingly threatening but Tony was glad that he was trying to give him his space. He was about to bite back with an answer when thunder roared overhead.

The whole building shook with the force of it. Alarms sprang to life and J.A.R.V.I.S. indicated that the Bifrost had opened in its usual spot. Tony and Loki immediately looked at each other in fear. The mortal quickly recognized the same panic he had just experienced instantly take over the god’s eyes. He could tell Loki was about to teleport away to God knows where. The inventor wasn't about to let that happen. He wouldn't let Loki disappear on him and have a panic attack half across the country! Loki had just helped him through a panic attack. How could he not be there for the god when he had a real attack? He sent quick instructions to J.A.R.V.I.S. and activated his bracelet. Iron Man felt as his gauntlets and boots assembled around his hands and feet. The other pieces began to fly towards him as well but he made sure to quickly grab Loki's arm before anything happened. His paranoia being proven correct, before the rest of the armor could assemble around him, he felt the gut-wrenching pull as they plummeted into the Void.

Tony remembered pretty fucking well how the alien had said that one look at the Void could drive a mortal mad. He had actually had a glimpse of it when the portal had closed... He had seen enough… He didn't need to go any madder. He needed to be there for Loki. The mage needed him right now. He couldn't panic now. He couldn’t. He closed his eyes and he would stay calm for both of them. He would protect them. As they slipped through the fabric of reality, the inventor embraced the mage close to him and covered his frantic emerald eyes.

Loki's panic fully bloomed halfway through the jump. He seemed to lose track and got them stranded, drifting through what Tony suspected was the Void once more. Tony could feel it pressing in on his fragile human body. Last time he had his suit, but now he was exposed. He remembered thinking that if he didn't manage to somehow calm the mage down, they would’ve been stuck there forever. An insane drifting god with a dead mortal stuck to him. But how could’ve Tony helped? There was nothing in the Void. You couldn't make any sound there. He couldn't speak to Loki. It had been merely a few seconds but the human was quickly losing consciousness. He was about to risk opening his eyes when he felt a small hand pull him and Loki out of the Void. They crashed on the floor and Tony felt as the air pushed its way back into his lungs. Had he been in there any longer, he might have died.

He started to roughly cough, his throat burning with the effort as Loki shook violently beside him. Breathless and cold as he felt, he pushed his body to sit up and dragged himself over to the mage. He helped the god to rest on his side and began to gently rub circles on his back to help him calm down. He was still mildly panicking himself, but he had to keep calm for therm both. Focusing on Loki helped him keep in control. He didn't speak in case they ended up somewhere they weren't invited. The inventor didn't even know if his voice could even work.

As his bloodied vision began to clear, he looked around the room they landed on  and couldn't process what he saw. He saw…. butts... No seriously. Hanging from the ceiling... Just rows of butts on pool floats. It took his air-deprived brain a few seconds to notice that they were mannequins on plastic pool floats. Taking another look, more carefully this time, they were in what looked like a bar. It had a theme that seemed to be that they were underwater and could see the people swimming above them… it was just plain weird and disorienting. It was almost like the universe was making fun of them. ‘Your life is shit, here, have a physical representation.’

He looked around more and spotted what looked like young person sitting on top of the bar. They wore a green flannel shirt with a… hey look, a black AC/DC tank top... and a pair of black torn jeans. They looked pretty normal except for the fiery red hair. “W…What the fuck? Who... Hey kid... Where... where are we?” Roughly asked Tony, uncomfortable with the way the teenager blankly stared at the two of them. But the look mostly at Loki… they looked at him like they were preforming a mental dissecting of the god... He had to get up, but his limbs were too heavy. He had to pro… he had to protect Loki... if this teen figured out who he was, he could alert S.H.I.E.L.D. Tony tried to keep the mage’s face covered with his hair to avoid that. Sadly for them, it looked like the kid had already seen some crazy shit in life. They... they just seemed unaffected by the fact that two grown males had just been pooped by the fabric of reality right in front of them… or maybe they were shocked speechless by it… the former seemed more likely from the way they looked at Loki... after some more staring, they finally looked back at Tony and answered. 

“I’m your worst nightmare… Nah, kidding. Care to explain why he’s in that state before or after I gut you?” Asked or… threatened(??) the kid as they slid down from the bar. The little squirt! They looked barely of age! He was about to question the runt when a blur of movement distracted him.

Holy shit!

If Tony had blinked, he would have missed the entire scene! He watched it unfold before him almost like one of those low budget action movie scenes where the actors move way faster that was humanly possible. The god simply stood, grabbed a hold of his helmet, used the curve of horns like a hook to wrap around the kid’s leg, making them lose their balance, and slammed them into the ground! He then pressing his blade to their neck and growled. Tony was torn between feeling impressed by the move, since he’d never even considered Loki’s helmet could be used like that, and being concerned that the mage had just tackled some random kid! Well, they did just threaten him... but still!

He would’ve acted in the teen's defense, but something even more impressive actually managed to happen. The kid... the bloody runt pushed Loki off! They actually managed to push off the surprisingly heavy god. They took out a small sphere the size of a gumball from a tool bag strapped to their waist and pressed a button on it. It released ropes that wrapped around the mage, forming a large net that couldn't have possibly all fit in that small ball… Unless this kid wasn't a kid after all, and that was some piece of alien tech. Oh… screw helping the squirt This was bad. This was really bad if they really were some sort of alien. They could also be from here but something about them did give him the alien vibe. We’re they a shapeshifter? He couldn’t for the life of him quite place their image, it was as if it constantly changed. It was like looking through a mist. He had to get up… he had to stand but his limbs wouldn't cooperate!  

‘Syrene,’ Loki suddenly said. Wait… was that a name? Did he knew who this was?? It still didn't make Tony relax just yet. On the contrary, it made him panic more. Loki tended to associate with really dangerous beings after all. It also confirmed they were probably not from Earth. But damn, looks can certainly be deceiving... Loki broke the net with the dagger, rolled to the side and stood up. Tony managed to get up as well, but he could barely lift his arms, much less point his repulsors adequately. This could go wrong for them really fast. Tony could reeeally use his full suit right now but the boots and gauntlets would have to do.


“Tch too slow. Out of practice, are we? What’s got you so distracted, My Prince?” Taunted the unfamiliar alien with a grin. The more Tony looked at them, the more they seemed to change. It was almost like looking through a mist. He honestly couldn't tell if they were even a boy or a girl. The redhead delivering the last words while looking at the avenger. That pretty much confirmed that they knew each other and that they knew the Avengers and who Tony was. Was this person an Asgardian? Or from one of the other planets? If that was the case, even tho’ she(he?) looked like they were barely hitting their twenties, they were probably like 40 times older than the mortal… Tony didn't know how he felt about that. They were old, so what? They knew Lokes, so what? Tony would fight anyone right now. Fighting. He remembered fighting. He missed fighting. He could do that. They could do this. They could kick alien butt and be back for dinner. Neither of them was alone anymore and that’s what matters.

 


 

 

A/N:

Be sure to check out the link in the End Notes for a look of one of the scenes in this chapter!

 

 

Notes:

*sits back and waits for reactions* well..... let's see how this goes...

Update: I promised I would be adding art of Syrene so check out this link here!

https://www.deviantart.com/kingofmischiefs/art/If-I-Had-You-Chapter-29-793298367?ga_submit_new=10%3A1554958242&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1

If you're re-reading you can see more art of Syrene and the fanfic in my devianart account kingofmischiefs which is the one I posted in the link. If you're a new reader then I'll be updating the chapters with the arts as I find or commission them. If anyone wants to make art for this fanfic please feel free to do so and share it with me, please!! ^w^

Chapter 30: Syrene

Notes:

Heeeey Mischievers! Back for more! Time to learn about Syrene~ <3

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

‘Syrene,’ Loki suddenly said. Wait… was that a name? Did he knew who this was?? It still didn't make Tony relax just yet. On the contrary, it made him panic more. Loki tended to associate with really dangerous beings after all. It also confirmed they were probably not from Earth. But damn, looks can certainly be deceiving... Loki broke the net with the dagger, rolled to the side and stood up. Tony managed to get up as well, but he could barely lift his arms, much less point his repulsors adequately. This could go wrong for them really fast. Tony could reeeally use his full suit right now but the boots and gauntlets would have to do.


“Tch too slow. Out of practice, are we? What’s got you so distracted, My Prince?” Taunted the unfamiliar alien with a grin. The more Tony looked at them, the more they seemed to change. It was almost like looking through a mist. He honestly couldn't tell if they were even a boy or a girl. The redhead delivering the last words while looking at the avenger. That pretty much confirmed that they knew each other and that they knew the Avengers and who Tony was. Was this person an Asgardian? Or from one of the other planets? If that was the case, even tho’ she(he?) looked like they were barely hitting their twenties, they were probably like 40 times older than the mortal… Tony didn't know how he felt about that. They were old, so what? They knew Lokes, so what? Tony would fight anyone right now. Fighting. He remembered fighting. He missed fighting. He could do that. They could do this. They could kick alien butt and be back for dinner. Neither of them was alone anymore and that’s what matters.

Lokes sighed as he… stored away his dagger?… and sat on one of the butt chairs. Oh right, the chairs also had the theme and were shaped like butts. It looked hilarious but Tony would laugh about that later. But wait… why is he putting his blade away? Wasn’t this hostile? It looked hostile….

“Rudolph, care to explain?” Asked the engineer. He carefully stepped around the not-kid with his hand raised and Reactor pulsing. He went to stand beside the god but the newcomer moved forward, blocking him.

“Rudolph?? Oh, I’m so gutting him now.” The redhead said, obviously offended. Tony was about to fire his repulsor when the mage answered, not even looking at them anymore.

“Sy… no gutting him.” He said exasperated. It almost sounded like he was used to saying that?? Did they usually threaten to gut people? Was that their gimmick? Were they known as Kid Shiv or something? What’s up with this redhead? To Loki's response, the kid-looking thing simply shrugged and jumped over the bar. They grabbed some bottles and glasses and began to prepare a drink. A bartender? Actually why did they land in a bar anyway?

“Why not? He’d make a cute, small, very expensive pelt. Quite a decent addition to my collection.” Okay, Tony didn't like this. It could partially be 'cause he was being threatened with being disemboweled and added to some collection, and partially 'cause they probably knew a lot more about Loki than he did… So no, he didn't like this so far… because of the gutting part, duh… yeah, mainly that… Anyway, he was about to speak his mind when Loki answered.

“No. He is important, Sy…” he said, making the mortal feel a flutter in his chest at the prince’s words. It confused him endlessly why something so simple made him feel like that. Yet it felt good to know Lokes considered him important. Take that, weird alien kid!

“… fine. But you better elaborate on that 'cause last time I checked the news, you were fighting the Avengers and trying to enslave Midgard. Soooo... What the hel, My Prince? What’ve you been up to lately?” The little alien thing questioned as they pointed at the avenger in the room. Well…. They had a point. The pipsqueak came up to the god with a glass and set it in front of him.

“Me? What have I been up to? Sy, you disappeared over 80 years ago! I will have you explain exactly what have you been up to as of late. Why are you here? How did you find me? What began this entire chain of events? Explain everything from the start. Now.” Asked irritated the god as he pushed the glass away. This ‘Sy’ seemed undisturbed and unfrightened by the deman, but they looked confused by the God's refusal of the drink. The engineer watched how easily they spoke with each other and felt… uncomfortable with it to say the least. They were close. He could tell that much. They’ve known each other for who knows how long… just how much did this dwarf know of him? How could he compete against that? Compete? Why does he have to compete with a kid? Right… not really a kid...

“Oh that... You can blame a court lady for that...” Said the weird puzzle with impeccable taste in band t-shirts in front of them. They casually shrugged and popped open a coke they grabbed from a small freezer under the bar.

“Again?...” grunted Loki. Did they normally blame court ladies? It's rude to blame a court lady. See? They were rude. Didn't even offer him a drink! Not that he would drink it...

“Hey, I wasn't even trying this time! It all started with this Aesir chick…She was the daughter of an ambassador and she was supposed to marry this sob of a prince. Anyway, so I was up in a tree in the forest, getting supplies for one of my commissions when suddenly this girl walks over to the cliff. She was crying and she was about to take the leap so I jumped down from the branch I was sitting on and pulled her back before she could do anything stupid. Somehow, she decided to take that as consent that she could pour her heart out to me and suddenly started to rant about how sad her life was! I had no idea what to do, so you know me, I flirted, I laughed, I improvised. I was the kind charming halfling that I am and heard her out.”  Was the weird explanation that came out of them as they finished the can, crushed it and threw it away.

"Nothing ever ends well when you improvise, Sy..." said the prince with a small smile. Was that a fond smile?

“Now that's just offensive. I improvise masterfully. Anyway so we talked through the night and she told me how she wasn't attracted to the guy she was supposed to marry. She was actually kinda cute once she stopped covering my shirt in snot so I just gave her a few tips, told her a few stories and that was it. I didn't even know who she was! No name or anything. S’not my fault she was restraining herself! When the sun came out, I helped her up, placed a kiss on her hand, sent her on her merry way and went back to the forges." continued their tell the alien. Tony knew where this was going.

"She canceled the wedding and made a big show of it, didn't she?" Added the avenger, not wanting to be left out in the conversation. The redhead looked over at him like they’d just noticed he was there and laughed. Oh hell no, he was not gonna be ignored here.  

"A 'big show' is understating it by far, sweetie. Next thing I knew, later that day, not only she'd canceled the marriage, she freaking declared herself argr and proud! I didn't even know what to do, Frey was furious with me and the chick’s parents wanted to kill me for supposedly ‘bewitching’ her! They desperately asked Frey to cure her of her ailment and insisted killing me would serve to 'free her mind of my spell'... You know how Aesir are about ergi stuff... Always so hypocritical and close-minded... Frey tried to pacify them but they would only have the ‘cursed half-breed's’ head… They wouldn't listen to me…" said shorty, delivering the last line with a grunt. There was anger quite evident from their whitened knuckles on a clenched fist. As soon as they noticed tho’, they relaxed and went back to talking.

"So... Frey offered me to either be executed or exiled… The same day I packed my tools and bags and came to Midgard. To this beautiful island named Puerto Rico. ‘Mi Isla del Encanto!’ And I’ve been here ever since.” The ‘halfling’ finished explaining. Sounded very DnD. Tony didn't know what argr or ergi meant but he could guess it wasn't well taken by those Ass-fairies. The more he learns about them, the more disgusted he felt towards them… How did Thor feel about all of this? Was he also like that?... but wait, did they just says Puerto Rico?!

“Hold up just one sec… we’re in Puerto Rico? How the hell did we end up in Puerto Rico??” Asked the engineer, shocked by the fact that they were about 2,500 kilometers away from New York. Could Loki actually travel that far away or did it have to do with this weirdo?

“Yes… I would also have you explain that. How did you know to find me?” Asked the mage. A very valid question. Tony wanted to slap himself for not being focused on the right topics. He should be helping Loki deal with this, not just be a dead weight standing around. He stepped forward and stood beside the god. It wasn't much, but he should show where his alliances was. This ‘Sy’ stared at him like a hunting dog waiting to sic 'em on their master’s orders. It made him uncomfortable so he stood a bit closer to the god. After a bit more staring, they finally answered.

“Well I heard your loud as hel call in the Void and came to My Prince’s rescue. Seriously, you called so loudly it gave me a headache. I then used your seiðr to track you and pulled you out. How come I couldn't find your seiðr before by the way? Last time I located you, you were in Asgard again.” Asked the… did they really say halfling?? He couldn’t stop thinking of DnD. Did he roll so bad in initiative that now he has to wait to talk? Okay maybe not dex, but his charisma had to be higher than some halfling, damn it. 

Lokes ignored their question and asked one of his own, bringing back Tony from his confusing, unhelpful thoughts. “Cast a spell to hide us from the eyes of Heimdall. Do you have a safe warded place where we could hide?” He could only guess that Lokes was still debating how much to tell. If what they were saying was true and they hadn't seen each other in 80 years; this Sy probably didn't know about everything that’d happened. Plus did he just ask for them to cast pass without a trace? His childhood fantasies where running wild now. 

“My place is heavily warded and untraceable. No magic? You running from something?” Answered the redhead as they waved their hands and gold mist came from them. No verbal component? Tony wanted to stay away from it but it quickly covered the whole room… he hoped they hadn't just been poisoned or cursed… His brain might still be a little fuzzy from the oxygen deprivation, but he wouldn't let his guard down around someone he didn't know at all. He took out his phone and messaged J.A.R.V.I.S. He was gonna need a suit.

“Thor…” answered the prince. Loki seemed suspicious enough but there was also longing in his eyes. He wished this was all true… wishing was always dangerous in their situation… They just couldn't afford to wish in their position. They could rely only on facts, not feelings.

“That oaf? What trick have you pulled on your brother now, My Prince?… I do expect more detailed explanations later, If you will. All this cryptic talk is worsening my headache. But come now, I’ll make a portal to my chambers and we can discuss everything there.” Said the shorty as they walked from behind the bar, and began to trace a circle on the wall that would simply open a freaking hole in the fabric of reality like it was nothing cause fuck physics with this aliens... once it was done, they stepped through, not waiting to check if they were being followed.

“Lokes…” was all Tony said. But it was enough to let the mage know of his concern.

“Anthony… I know I probably do not deserve to ask this of you… not after the pain I caused you earlier... and this probably does not look good… but please, I must ask you to put your trust in me…” said the mage as he stood from his chair and faced the inventor.

“I'm just worried this might be a trap…” answered the avenger as he retracted his gauntlets and grabbed one of the god’s hands. They both knew well not to trust easily. They both knew too well about betrayal.

“As I fear as well… but if this is not a trap… Syrene is an ally we can not afford to lose should they be on our side…” answered the prince. He was trying hard to mask how much this hurt him. How much he wanted for this to be real. And Tony could get that. He really did… he took a deep breath and decided to give the snotty brat another chance.

“... fine. I don't like them so far tho’. You’ll have to explain to me later who that is…” was the mortal’s answer. He squeezed the prince’s hand reassuringly. He hated the idea of blindly walking into the Void again to a possible trap, but he would be there for Lokes.

“I shall… but for now, please close your eyes, Anthony. And let me guide you through the portal properly this time... trust in me…” asked for the fragile alien. He was doing a great job at hiding his fears but he couldn't help the small tremor that shook his body. He needed the support and Tony was more than happy to provide it.

“Already do and always will, Lokes.” Said the human. He lifted his hand and gently pulled the mage down so their foreheads met. He dared not do anything more intimate in fear the redhead could pop up any moment and see them. But it was enough for now. The mortal closed his eyes and felt the god stand beside him. They were now facing the portal. Tony grabbed the prince’s arm and they stepped through.  


Loki hated to admit it, but he was lost…

The castle Uncle Frey lived in was immensely large. It was not larger than the one in Asgard where he lived, but it had many more corridors and rooms. Most everything in Asgard was grand, making it hard to forget where everything was. But here? Everything was different and came in all shapes and forms. There were corridors upon corridors that lead to more corridors that lead to rooms and even more corridors! He should have remembered that before he went out to take a short walk. He simply wanted to clear his mind, but he had somehow lost his way in his frustration.

Why would they not allow him to hunt with the court? They had said it was because he was still young and small, but that answer would not satisfy him. They let Thor go, so why not him? Thor was not much larger than him and he may have been stronger, but Loki was quicker. He could have hunted along them just as easily. Now Thor was to come back with game and be would be praised for it as usual.

Loki rounded another corner and came face to face with a small door. It was around his size. It was not a completely unusual sight considering there were all sorts of rooms in this palace. But this one, in particular, was strange. It lacked the traditional carvings Elves used. It looked plain and was made of metal. Where could this lead to? Curiosity got the better of the young prince and before he knew it, he was walking into the room.

Inside the ceiling was low. It was still taller than him but much too small for an Elf. There were tables and tools laid all around and he could feel the heat from a large forge. This was some sort of craftsmanship room. Could this be a Dwarven Forge? Loki had seen a Dwarf a few visits past. He had been surprised and his mother had explained to him that there was a few of them working here to build weapons for the palace. The young mage was about to ask if anyone was here when he heard the loud noise of something exploding. He went to inspect what had happened and found what might have been a Dwarf covered in ash.

“ASS LICKING BUSH-SCREWER!! That should’ve worked!” Cursed the loud Dwarf. Loki made a small coughing sound to get their attention. The Dwarf straightened and stared at the prince. Now that it stood straight, he could see they were a tad tall to be a Dwarf. Almost shared his own height. “Get out.” Was all they said as they turned to fully face him. He could see now they were beardless, very odd for a Dwarf. Wait, get out? Had they really just said that?

“Excuse me?” Asked the prince, not sure he had heard them right. How dare they speak to him in that manner?

“I said get out. You deaf or something?” Asked the rude Dwarf. Who did they think they were??

“Do you know who you speak to?” Asked incredulously the young Aesir.

“A noble, probably. The way you're dressed gives it away. You also look Aesir but you don't quite feel like one... Anyway, does it look like I care? My workshop, my rules, so since I'm busy, get out.” How could they speak like that knowing that he was a noble? And even more so if he was Aesir?? And what did they mean he did not feel like one?? He would not stand for this insults!

“I am Loki, Son of Odin, Prince of Asgard! And I will not have you speak this way to me. I must return to my chambers and I will have you take me to them!” Demanded the prince. The more he looked at them, the weirder they looked. They were too tall for a Dwarf but still shorter than an Elf or an Aesir. Their features looked curved but their ears were pointed.

“Again, does it look like I care? I'm busy and without time. Aesir are useless with forges and magic so since you can't help me and they don't pay me for helping lost children, then I can't help you. Plus I won't be held responsible if my inventions explode again and I get you covered in ash. So out. Now” Loki was furious. Their tone and words were terribly rude. Useless? Him? He would show them! He let out his frustration in magic. He cleared the ash that covered them and their workspace and left it spotless. He gathered all the ash and condensed it into a solid blade right in front of their face. He could now see that their skin was also slightly tanned and their hair was fiery red. He could also see how they grinned at the blade in front of them. They truly were an odd one.

“Oh, now that’s interesting. An Aesir prince who practices the art of magic? Unheard of. Yet it is about time we hear more of it. Still, you’ve got much to learn, kid.” As they spoke the last line, they touched the point of the dagger and it disappeared. Where could it have gone? But just as quickly as it had disappeared, the young mage felt as the tip of it touched the back of his head. He could obviously not see it, but he knew it was the same blade. Dimensional magic? Loki had not learned about it yet, yet here was a Dwarf, known for their hate of magic, using it. This sure was the strangest being he had ever encountered. They were not only odd but powerful… and dangerous. He made the blade crumble back to ash behind him and stepped forward, away from it.

“Not as unheard of as a Dwarf using magic. And I will have you respect me, I am capable of much more than just that.” He knew by now that they were far more skilled in magic than he was. They knew it as well. His threat was nothing more than a show to convey his unwillingness to relent. He was still a prince after all. But his words were now more curious than angry. He knew now the dwarf was far more interesting and wanted to learn all he could about them. Curiosity had always been a weakness of his.

“Are you now? Tell you what, help me finish this and maybe I’ll help you get back to your room without anyone noticing you got lost.” They offered.

“I am a prince, how dare you not follow my orders?” Asked Loki with a frown. He truly was interested in their answer. Did they not fear being punished for their transgressions?

“I'm not your typical Dwarf, sweetie. You think you got what it takes to help me or not? It might be too difficult for you.” They said as they went back to working with whatever they were doing, promptly ignoring him. Ha! 

“...nonsense. What problem forbids you from helping a Prince?” Asked the young mage as he let curiosity fully wash over him. Just who was this strange Dwarf? He would certainly enjoy finding out.

 


 

 

A/N:

Be sure to check out the link in the End Notes for a look of one of the scenes in this chapter!

Notes:

Weeeeeeeell, there you go! A bit of info on Syrene! And even some childhood Loki! So! Thoughts so far? This is quite new and different for me so constructive criticisms would be reeeeally appreciated! All theories are also welcomed! I would love to see what you guys think of this character xD

Update: I promised I would be adding art of Syrene so check out this link here!

https://www.deviantart.com/kingofmischiefs/art/If-I-Had-You-Chapter-30-793294350?ga_submit_new=10%3A1554951647

If you're re-reading you can see more art of Syrene and the fanfic in my devianart account kingofmischiefs which is the one I posted in the link. If you're a new reader then I'll be updating the chapters with the arts as I find or commission them. If anyone wants to make art for this fanfic please feel free to do so and share it with me, please!! ^w^

Chapter 31: Käraste

Notes:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Happy, New Year, Christmas, Hanukkah, Yuletide, and anything and everything! and since our lovebirds are in Puerto Rico and Three Kings day was yesterday, happy that as well! Hope you all had a wonderful time during the holidays. I know I did :3 but back to business! Here's a three-part chapter!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Wait… Where are they?” Cautioned Steve as he and Bruce watched the video feed. Bruce rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration and concern, more of the latter. He could already see how much trouble Thor being here would bring.

“They seem to have teleported, Captain. But where to, is somewhere I can’t locate using Mr. Stark’s phone. It’s somewhere out of range.” Carefully explained J.A.R.V.I.S. This was bad… not only would they have to deal with Thor, they would have to deal with the spies. And Bruce wasn’t 100% sure he could keep Rogers on their side if everyone else bet against Loki... He himself was still not even 100% sure of Loki's intentions. Bruce had to admit he was still a bit scared of him. His skin still crawled whenever he was close to the alien. The scientist had to keep a close watch over the othet guy because of it. He'd began to think that maybe the hulk still held a grudge. The two would need to deal with that somehow. Thinking about it certainly worsened his headache. 

It had started when he had woken up early to check on Loki. After the whole ordeal with the Electro, the poison laced arrow and Clint's exploded ear piece, they had all been rushed to the medical bay. When all had seemed to be turning for the worst, the unexpected had occurred. Loki had deliriously gotten up and healed Clint's injury. In doing so, his magic had returned. Or at least some of it. The change seemed to trigger something inside and his body had healed from the poison and arrow. When everything had finally calmed down and the panicking archer had been moved and sedated so he could rest, Tony had insisted on moving Loki to his room. Bruce had argued but eventually agreed that it would be best if the alien didn't wake up in the hospital bed again. It could trigger him to be back in the med bay. So they moved him and Tony stayed to care for him. He did most of the work in silence. If caring for someone else had been odd enough, his seriousness in the matter solidified what Bruce had been thinking of the two. Once they had finished washing him and making him comfortable, Bruce had left them to go sleep, knowing they had each other's back. They would be okay. 

Once morning came, Bruce knew were to look for them but the Captain had not. As soon as Bruce was out of his room, Steve had ambushed him and insisted they should check on the pair. It had been obvious though that the Soldier was worried of what they might find from the blush in his cheeks, and not in a danger sort of sense. The scientist had simply sighed resignedly and had followed the Captain to Loki's room. They had found the spies lingering about on the hallway, the door to Loki's room partly opened, clearly having though the same ideas as Steve. Bruce had been about to tease all of them when they suddenly heard a loud noise and a crash. Steve had quickly rushed through the door not a second afterwards. For all they argued, Bruce knew that Steve and Tony would always be there for each other in the end, no matter how much they fought. The poor soldier had then apologized profusely with a red face for barging in when he saw Loki half naked and Tony caught in the sheet at the floor. Bruce had to fight hard to suppress his laughter at the absurdity of the scene. After that they had each gone their way to ready themselves for breakfast. 

The two lovebird had been quietly flirting and eyeing each other all morning at the table. They had discussed about Loki's powers and had decided to test them out in Tony's lab. Almost giddy, they’ve both quickly finished their food and headed to the labs first. Everyone else was in less of a rush and finished their food a few minutes later. Bruce could still tell though that Steve and Natasha were curious to see the results. Clint had been sulking and whispering all morning, not even mentioning his brush with death or Loki saving him. They were just about to head to the labs when they heard it. The loud rumbling of thunder as the Bifrost opened and J.A.R.V.I.S. warning Bruce of Loki's panic.

“So they could be somewhere underground or on an entirely different planet and there’s no way of us knowing?… J.A.R.V.I.S. show us the footage again.” Asked for, the captain. The video played over the counter again and they saw as the two geniuses were walking down the corridor, shoulders bumping, gaze lingering. It was painfully obvious how much they were into each other. They arrived at Tony’s workshop and Loki magically changed his clothes and wore what he had during the Incident. Tony seemed to space out for a few seconds at the sight and heavily leaned against the wall were he slid down. Loki, as per J.A.R.V.I.S. suggestion, quickly changed clothes again and talked Tony out of his panic attack. They were silent for a while but Bruce knew they were beyond words by now. It made him remember how he was with Betty… he missed her… This is not the time for reminisces, Bruce… Afterwards, the Bifrost and brontide were heard, Loki panicked and they teleported away.

“It looks like he panicked just like when he first saw you, Steve. Nothing forced or malicious. They’ll be fine and back when they’re ready. So no worries there. But what do we do with Thor?” Worried the scientist. Bruce could see doubt written all over Rogers’ face. Barton looked like he was about to burst a vein and Romanoff, as always, kept her thoughts perfectly hidden. Not good.

“Look, we don’t know why he’s here, so we should try to figure that out first. Remember, since Loki arrived, he hasn’t caused any type of problem. He saved you, Barton and he’s tried his best to explain everything we ask him about. Plus Tony has his full trust and he’s been backstabbed enough to not give his trust to just anyone.” Argued the scientist. The captain’s face said he believed otherwise. Seriously, this was not the time for this.

“He may act aloof and reckless, Steve, but he really isn’t. Give him some credit.” Corrected Bruce.

“Fine… we figure out what he knows, what he wants and then decide what to tell him. Sounds good?” Conceded and asked Rogers. The archer simply grunted and the assassin shrugged. Not very reassuring but it would have to do. Only moments later, their resident god of thunder arrived.

“Friends! How joyful it is to see you! How fairs Midgard?”


 

"BEARDLESS DAFT! Not that one!! Are you trying to kill us?!” Sneered the bloody redhead.

“How was I to know which wire you meant?! Your descriptions leave much to be desired!” Snapped the young prince as he cleared the smoke surrounding him from the giant spark he had caused. How was it his fault? They had not explained properly!

“The mildly shiny blue one!” Yelled the infuriating dwarf. Like that was any type of clear description!

“There are 5 cables with incredibly similar shades of blue!” Complained the young mage as he popped his head from under the table. By now they were both covered in ash and grease.

“Useless! Give that to me.” Demanded the cable the rude dwarf. Their short red hair was now sticking up awkwardly from the friction. It looked rather funny, actually, but he could not laugh. He was supposed to be furious! This was a dwarf, known for their obsession with growing their hair and beards, yet theirs was cut over their  pointed ears. Could they be any more annoyingly contradicting? He could not tell if they were male or female! They were a smith and a mage! They worked for the crown, yet they had no respect for it! Why had the Norms placed them in his path?

“You will cease your disrespectful attitude! I am your prince!” Snarled, said prince, as he threw them the cables. They had been a curiousity at first but now they were plain irksome!

“You’re a brat that nags too much! Status means nothing when you’re building down here, only knowledge, skill and intellect does! Stop relying on your status and start thinking for yourself.” Scolded the peasant with their arms crossed… Loki was speechless. “Oh, silent now, are we?” they taunted.

“Everyone else is terrified of offending the Royal family. No one sane would act in the way you do. Why are you different?” Questioned the baffled young prince.

“Who said I’m sane? Pass me the clippers.” Asked for, the smith, as they ducked their head under the table with the cables in hand.

“Are you not worried I would tell the All-Father?” Puzzled the young royalty.

“Tell him that you got lost and you couldn’t convince a simple smith to help you get back to your room? If you weren't worried about what they would think of you getting lost, you would’ve left and asked any other servant in the palace. You won’t tell.” Concluded the dwarf.

“How can you tell so much without truly knowing anything about me?” Loki wondered as he walked over to a box full of tools and grabbed the clippers.

“I’m observant, kid. I pay attention to detail. The smallest things can tell us a lot about something. The more you learn about it, the easier it gets to manage and fix. Same applies to people. The more you learn about them, the easier it is to manage them. The easier it is to get what you want from them.” they offered.

“I… see.” Was all the young male said. He could clearly see what they meant. It would be a useful view to learn. Maybe this way he could show the others he was just as ready as Thor to go hunting with the court. They sure were insufferable, rude and disrespectful, but perhaps he could learn helpful things from them.

“You want something from someone, you learn what they want, what they like, what they hate. Manipulate what you’ve got to hit those certain points and boom, you get what you want… wait why am I teaching a kid about this? Why are you distracting me and why haven’t you given me the bloody clippers yet?!”


 

They stepped through the portal and Loki felt his mortal shiver. The cold could not affect him, but he knew it was probably uncomfortable for Anthony. He covered the hand that held onto his arm with his own, and gently squeezed it. He sent a small spell of warmth through the contact and heard the man release the breath he was holding in. But the cold was only momentary. Regretfully, they soon stepped into somewhere where it was hot. Heat has always made the prince uncomfortable, and to his distaste, he now knew why. He pushed the thoughts away and declared to the inventor, releasing his hand.  “You may open your eyes now, Stark.”

They stood in the middle of a small room. As Loki looked around, he saw there was two medium sized beds behind them and a small desk in front of them. Mounted on the wall was also one of those screens Midgardians used to see moving pictures in.

“It’s small, I know. Mr. Billionaire is probably used to far much more luxury, but it’s something. Something is always better than nothing…” said his past friend sitting on top of the desk. They were dressed like a Midgardian youth in green and black and wore a sort of knitted hat. As always, neutral in their style.

He could tell from their tone and from knowledge of them that Syrene thought Anthony to be another selfish, egotistical, rich aristocrat. They especially hated those. He would have to work to get them both to warm up to each other. Wait… why?

“Okay so through there is a corridor that goes left and right. To the left, you’ll find the kitchen, table and living room. To the right are the guest bathroom and two rooms at the end. The one on the left is mine, on the right is storage. Don't open the storage. Knock on mine if you need anything and I’ll order pizza later.” Why did he felt the need to make them like each other? The mage did not even know if he could trust Syrene yet, so why make them get along? It felt important, yet he could not see any practical importance to it… never mind, he would figure that out after he knew he could trust the old dwelf.

It seemed they were in a modest mortal housing. It was much smaller than both the tower and the palace he used to live in. Yet he could see the appeal. This was practical. It very much reminded Loki of Syrene, even if it was completely different from what he was used to seeing of them. When the god looked back, the other mage had left the desk and was strolling over to the door. They had taken off the hat, revealing more of their short fiery hair along with pointed ears. With the other hand, Sy grabbed the doorknob, making their way out, but he could not let them leave. He wanted answers. He needed those now.

“...Why did you not contact me, Syrene?” asked the prince. He did not care for anything else besides finding out if he could trust his old friend. He needed to know on which side they would stand. Syrene had always stood at his, but too much had changed. He would not let his guard down.

“Like I said, I couldn’t find your seiðr.” They answered, obviously avoiding the real question. The redhead went to leave the room but the Trickster stopped them. He quickly grabbed their arm and just as swiftly let it go. He could not let his feelings drive his actions. He would stay calm. He would pretend to be fine. He was fine… he… he was…

“You know what I mean…” He was not… his words did not carry the same weight as before. His tongue was not as sharp. He had to change that. Promptly.

“... Bah, I was tired of the palace anyway. I needed a change of pace. And I don’t need you to save my ass.” Syrene rebuked. He was out of practice and too emotional. His time in the tower had softened him even further. He needed to regain his strength if he was to get ahead of his enemies. He had to lose the sentiment and start thinking rationally again. Only facts and practicality mattered. He could not addle anymore.

“Had I known, I would have intervened. Your absence was irksome and atrophied important matters to the crown. It caused quite a lot of inconvenience.” He snapped. He did not mean to be so cold but he had to make sure to not look weak. But Syrene knew him too well. They would see through it.

“Irksome? So that’s how it is? Well, I’m sorry to be such an inconvenience, your majesty.” The Dwelf knew his words, for they had thought them to him. He had to somehow uncover the truth, but how? He was starting to panic again. He would lose this battle. He would lose and Sy, his once friend, would send him back. Back to Asgard. Back to the dungeons. Back to... It was inevitable. They would catch him again. They had warned him. Even if he escaped, he would always fall back and they would be waiting. They would torture him. They would rap-

“Loki...” a hand on his back brought him back to reality.

The hand of Anthony.

No… he would not go back.

Anthony was beside him. He would not go back. He could not. Anthony was here. He was not alone anymore… Yes, Syrene knew most about him. But he also knew most about Syrene. He would find out why the mage was here, what their plan was. He would find out if he could trust his old friend. And if he could not. He would find a way to win Syrene over again. He was tired of losing everything. He would get what he wanted. He would get the amazing mortal beside him, and he would get his friend back. He took a deep breath, leaned into the touch and began to introduce. “Anthony, this is Syrene. Sy is…”

“Loki's best friend.” blurred out the slightly tanned dwelf. Well, that at least is what he wanted to hear…

“An acquaintance of mine.” But for now, he would pretend indifference until he was sure of everything... And to spite Syrene. It was always fun to spite Sy…. What? He was still the God of Mischief.

“Ouch. Degraded.” Gasped the redhead as they held their heart, pretending to be wounded. Laying their weight on the door, it made them look even smaller and weaker, but he knew perfectly well Syrene could take them both and stand their ground. At least, in his current weakened state. 

“They may not be an enemy.” Teased the Trickster to the horror of Syrene. He heard the Avenger next to him chuckle. He looked at the god with a raised eyebrow. The brown-eyed halfling gasped offended.

“May?? Now that’s just rude. Downright I'm not.” Snapped the halfling pointing at the prince.

“And Syrene, this is-” began to explain the mage but was soon interrupted by a recovered annoying smith.

“Anthony Edward Stark. Son of Howard Stark. Both worldly renowned engineers. Plus he’s Iron Man.” Excitedly said the fellow inventor.

“Right…” Was the only word the confused mortal engineer uttered. His confusion was amusing. 

“I did my research on Midgardian craftsmanship when I arrived here in the 1930s. I debated about alerting Asgard of the tesseract being in mortal hands but honestly, humans should’ve never been cut off from the other realms. It was about time that they started to learn about the universe. I was gonna tell you about it directly, Loki. But by then the war had started and things just got too interesting.” Was their rushed explanation. Anthony beside him looked shocked and just about ready to launch at the older inventor. It was obvious he did not approve of the lack of initiative to stop a war that involved so much bloodshed.

The god understood all too well the lack of interest for that war. They had both seen far worse conflicts involving entire realms, but for the mortals it was important. For them, it had been them at their worst. It was unwise to make light of it in front of them. Yet Syrene must have known that. And before his mortal could say anything, Syrene continued on with their questions. “So! What’s he to you now? Not enemies anymore? Frenemies? Frenemies with Benefits? No trying to take over Midgard?”

“No… there is much… as humans would say, ‘catching up’ to do between us… And Stark is m-my… käraste…” Damn… he stuttered and slipped… it was obvious from the raised eyebrow that Syrene had caught it. They could tell there was more to the story. Luckily, they did not seem too keen on digging in on that just yet and Anthony had not understood what he said. He would not allow it either way. 

“We must now retire to rest from our exhausting experience with the Void. We shall discuss this tomorrow.” declared the prince. Both mages looked at each other for a while, waiting for any response or move. Waiting for the other to break. Seeing as nothing happened, the red-haired halfling shrugged and walked out of the room, closing the door behind them.

“That was weird as hell... And we’re staying the night??” questioned the human. He could perfectly understand how odd it must be to meet Syrene for the first time. He remembered perfectly well his own confusion when they first met.

“If you mean how acclimatized Syrene seems, then yes, it is quite bizarre but one of their better traits. They have quite the ability to simply adapt to everything around them… a hard learned trait. And as to us staying the night… Thor is most likely still in your tower. I wish not to see him for the moment. I a-am… I am not ready to have words with him as of yet… And you need rest. Your body has not recovered. If you would allow me, I could help with some of your recovery.” he was… scared of meeting his brother. Many a time his face had been used to torture him… his memories of their childhood had been torn to shreds and used against him… he barely could remember which memories were real and which were corrupted or implanted…

“Fine, we stay. Still don't like them, and they're only getting weirder. Like, one second she seems totally alien and the next she seems like any typical odd human kid. Also she or he? Jeez from extra to mundane…” he would not risk having a panic attack in front of his brother. He needed to compose himself before they met. For now, he needed to focus on his mortal.

“Well they are not your typical Dwarf.” vaguely explained the mage, remembering their own words.

“Dwarf?? But they said halfling.. So they're half Elf, half Dwarf?” exclaimed the human. It brought a small smile to the face of the mage to once again observe how perceptive Anthony was.

“You noticed their elven features.” stated the prince as he sat down on the bed behind him. It was surprisingly soft for how it looked. It was probably made by Syrene, like everything else in this household.

“Those ears are kinda hard to miss on that fiery pixie cut.” scocfed the inventor as he sat beside him. Their knees brushed against each other and it brought warmth to the prince. He let out a long sigh, only now noticing how forceful his breaths had been.

“Yet you only noticed them now, did you not? Syrene is quite skilled in the art of deception. Be it physical or magical.” Noted the mage. It was perplexing how easily the presence of Anthony could calm him. He wondered if he had a similar effect on the mortal. Wishful thinking...

“Not really a helpful quality right now. Could be using that against us after all.” Chide the avenger. The god looked down, all too aware of the truth in those words.

“Valid concern Anthony. But with time Syrene will come clean about anything they might be doing.” Doubtfully explained the god. He could not be entirely certain.

“It’s been 80 years Lokes. You have no idea what could’ve happened in all that time. People change, and typically it’s not for the better.” Not so helpfully complained the inventor. The mage sighed.

“I know Anthony… you know I am well aware… Yet it is just the way Sy is, or at least was. Syrene could not truly keep a secret from me. But it matters not, we will not trust them until we know of their intentions. And for now, you must rest. I can assist you and ward you as you sleep.” Changed the topic Loki. He was tired himself but Anthony needed it more. He looked back up at the mortal and saw his sad eyes already looking at him. Anthony knew well what it was like to hope. How painful it was when you already knew the truth. He continued to look at those tired brown eyes and saw them shift to confusion.

“Wait, you’re not sleeping with me?” Innocently asked the human. It was almost cute how for once he was too tired to notice a potential innuendo.

“I think your body needs rest before we can indulge in such pleasure, my dear.” Jested the god with an eyebrow raised. The surprise on the face of the inventor as the meaning dawned on him was priceless. His rich laugh afterward brought out a small chuckle from the mage. He could not help the warmth that spread through his body at seeing such a genuine smile. He felt his own lips warm up and he knew exactly what they wanted. He leaned forwards, gently placed his hand on the neck of his avenger and brought their lips together for a slow tender kiss. It silenced their laughter and now they were both simply grinning at each other, with their foreheads pressed together.

“Sneaky cheeky bastard.” Finally said, Anthony, as he grabbed the mage by the neck and kissed him back. Loki could not deny it any longer. As he had told Syrene, the mortal truly was his beloved.

Notes:

Käraste = Beloved, if Google didn't fail me. If I got it wrong and someone knows the real translation in Swedish, please let me know.
Also, I would love to hear opinions on my descriptions of Syrene. For canon characters, there isn't much need for description cause most people know how they look but its different for OCs so opinions and constructive criticisms would be highly welcomed and appreciated!

Chapter 32: Memories

Notes:

...yeah... no excuse except writer's block.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“So, where do you wanna start then?” asked Syrene as they leaned against the door frame. They rubbed between their fingers a small silver talisman. It hanged closely to their neck and displayed a flat tree, carved bare of leaves with a circle around it. A talisman he knew all too well.

“By telling me your real intentions. Why are you really here? And why did you seek me out only now?” quickly snapped the prince. He was tired of going around it. He had to know the truth. No twist of words or strategy would work here.  

“I told you already.” exasperated, said the crossed armed redhead. Sy threw their head back, banging it against the wood and closed their eyes. The dwelf had changed their clothes and was now wearing a white henley shirt with light ripped blue jeans. Loki only knew their name for Anthony also downed one right now under one of his many grey ‘band’ shirts. It had some sort of flowers wrapped around guns. He still found his clothes to be odd, a charming sort of odd. But enough distraction.

“Why else?” demanded Loki. There was more. There was always more, their silence only confirmed it. “Syrene…” sighed the mage. They remained motionless by the door, infuriating the jotnar further. He stood up from the side of Anthony, grabbed their shoulders and towered over them. “Syrene, do not play games with me.” he ordered. He knew he could not truly force Sy to do anything. Sy cared not about his position, never had. They would only give what they were willing to give. He currently had no way of getting the information he needed if Sy did not cooperate. But they would. They had to.

It took a few more moments of silence until finally his old friends rightened their head and opened their eyes to look at him. Staring intently, they muttered “...Your mother.”

“Mo... The All-Mother?” asked the prince in a low voice as he let go and backed away. At the mention of his mother, he felt as if he had shrunken and become a child again. Many a time he had thought of her during his tortures. He had long given up hope of ever seeing her again. To hear of her… it hurt more than any physical assaults.

“Yeah... About a month ago she sent me a dream message telling me to find you. Said you might need help. Told me to tell no one. Didn’t explain why tho’. What is it with you Aesir and being cryptic?” elaborated the halfling. The raven-haired god was speechless. He did not know how to interpret this new information… he had tried to avoid it but he had always wondered… had she known of his tortures? Had she tried to stop it? Had she not cared? Loki was so far lost in his destructive thoughts, that he flinched in surprise when Syrene intuitively asked. “Does it… sorry, does it have to do with why I couldn’t track your seiðr?”

He turned away from them and walked back next to the bed Anthony still laid on, magically asleep. Looking at the peaceful man calmed him momentarily. “In a way…” was all the younger prince could say. He was still unsure if to believe them or not. He wished for it to be true. Oh, how he longed to see his mother if one final time.

“Look, I taught you to always be wary and to never trust without proof… so what proof would you like me to give you? I have no idea what the hel happened but... You look bad… you look terrified out of your wits... unhealthy.. just… just know I’m here for you, My Prince. Always have been and always will be. You can trust me.” Syrene pleaded, taking a tentative step towards him. He turned around to face them with anger shaping his features. Sy truly looked concerned but… How could he? How could he trust anyone? How?

“Then pray tell, wise friend, how can I be sure you will not betray me? Just like everyone I have ever cared for has? How am I supposed to not expect the same from you? How could I know for certain that you have not lied to me as well? How could I be certain you will not turn on me once you know the truth , should you not know it already? Do tell me how am I supposed to trust you?!” he shouted. He let his emotions lose, shocking them both. He had never screamed at Sy in that way. They had fought, but not like this. He knew he would regret it later but he could not bring himself to care at the moment. He was angry. He was scared, and right now he had a target who could take his anger.

“I have lied to you.” incredulously said Syrene after the shock left their features.

He took a threatening step towards them, his hands beginning to glow with magic. “What? How could they admit to it that easily? How dare they?!

“I’ve lied to you. Just as you have lied to me. Don’t give me that look. Everyone lies after all. I taught you that, remember? Saying otherwise is, in itself, a lie. But I’ve never lied to hurt you. I’ve never manipulated you the way I taught you how to do with others. Just as you have not done with me either. None of our time together has been a lie. And I don't know what this ‘truth’ you speak of is, but I am 100% sure of one thing. And that’s that it won’t change anything between us. You are Loki, as I am Syrene. Anything else is of unimportance to me.” Sy tried to assure the prince in the soft firm tone he had learned to associate with their lessons. But from those same lessons, he knew they were just words.

“Words Syrene… they are all just words. You have taught me how to use them. They prove nothing.” deadpanned the once apprentice as he felt the energy in his hands pulse with the desire to be released. Saying his powers had been taken away was not quite correct. Everything in existence had seiðr, had energy. What mages, sorcerers, and witches did was harness that energy and convert it. To say the All-Father has taken most of his seiðr away was incorrect. What The All-Father really did was seal away inside the body of the mage his abilities to manipulate that energy. He had not explained it that way to the mortals in fear they would wrongly think he could break the seal before he had redeemed himself. He also lead them to believe he only had parts of his powers back, like healing and defense magic. Yet that was also not quite true. Those were just the easiest types of magic he could summon without putting too much pressure on the seal. More complex spells would exhaust and pain him, but he could still access them if necessary. Right now, he could feel the pressure build up under the seal that wrapped around his arm, invisible to the human eye, as his magic swirled inside of him, trying to find a way out.

“Fine, read my memories then. Mr. Billionaire Playboy can call a suit to protect us while you’re at it.” Syrene flatly offered, making his magic immediately stop dead in its tracks. That… that could actually work… But it would be immensely painful… He was used to seeing the memories of others, both to prove truths and as a weapon to incapacitate enemies with their worst memories… Usually, he was not a part of them, making it so he felt nothing from seeing those instances. But this time, he was very much part of the action. It was his memories as well… To remember those times... Everything had been so much easier back then. He missed the visits to Alfheim with his once family. He missed the innocence and ignorance of those days. But he knew he could not go back. He could never again be that child that roamed the long corridors in search of that one undecorated door; in hope to find the bizarre smith that was neither fully rude nor fully kind. Not fully female, or fully male. Not Dwarf, or Elf. Always something in between. Yet always there. Always accepting if not necessarily welcoming… to fully relive those memories now? Would hurt almost as much as hearing about his mother had. They both knew it.

“...Alright... we shall do that… but only after Stark awakes.” responded the god as he sat down next to said man. He would need Anthony beside him and awake if he was to do this… not just to protect them. He could not do it alone. But the shorter man also still needed rest and that was the priority.

“Stark… what’s the story there, by the way? Cause Käraste? He doesn't really seem like your type.” said Syrene with a frown as they walked back to the door. Sy had known well his past lovers. But they knew not enough of the mortal yet to see what heavily stirred the thoughts and heart of the god. Knew not what caused him such confusion and clarity simultaneously. He was almost certain of what his sentiment for the man was, but he had yet to know what Anthony truly felt of him.

“I… I am still figuring that out... But you should know better than anyone that there is always more to see than the image shown. There is far more to him than what the mortal media decides to spread in their networks.” was all he offered. He was unwilling to share more. Firstly because he could not yet trust the shorter mage and because he was unwilling to give information that was unclear to himself.

Loki could see how his old friend was digging all the information they could from his features and actions. He would have to be careful with keeping a mask of indifference up, at least, until he was more certain of things. They knew enough for now. After staring at him for some more time, Syrene grinned and gave in with. “Fair enough... But if he gets any funny ideas with you, My Prince I’ll make him into a sack for pig manure.” and with that, left the room, leaving Loki to his thoughts.


 

“Hey, sunshine… Wait… what hour is it?” Asked Anthony as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. His sleeping face had been quite lovely to see but Loki did preferred him awake and responsive.

“I am unsure how many, but you have slept for a few of them. Syrene came by with pizza some time ago. It lays on the table. Wish to eat it?” Asked the god. He had enjoyed a few hours for himself and being able to watch over Anthony had kept the darker thoughts away.

“You… you put me to sleep, didn’t you…?” Asked the mortal, still a bit, as humans say, ‘groggy’.

“You needed rest.” Was the half-truth Loki decided to go with. His mortal body did need rest after their time in the void. The oxygen deprivation had affected the mind of Anthony more than he had expected. He had seemed slightly confused and off balance back in the bar but it had been more than just that. Had Loki not treated him quickly, permanent damage to his brain could have happened. Luckily for them, healing magic came easily to Loki. But aside from that, the mind of the mage needed the time to compose itself after his talk with Syrene.

“Well… yeah, but ask me first next time, ‘kay?” Evidently worried Anthony. Loki should have thought of that! He better than anyone should understand. No matter the circumstance, he should have asked!

“I… Yes, of course. I apologize for not doing so before… I am truly sorry. It shall not happen again. Forgive me...” profoundly apologized the prince as he grabbed the hands of the inventor.

The kind, brown-haired man smiled and squeezed the hands holding his back. “Don’t sweat it, Lokes. I’m fine. Found out anything about Syrene so far?” he asked.

Loki still felt horrible for his moment of obliviousness. He would be sure to not forget about it. But he was relieved to not hear accusation or hate in his words. “Yes… We spoke before they left to run an errand… Syrene says The All-Mother sent them a dream message to look for me after the All-Father casted me out.”

“Your mom sent them? How can we prove that?” Wisely asked the human. Loki frowned. Thinking about what he would have to do, made his head hurt already. This would not be easy; neither for himself or Syrene. It could be dangerous even, but it was the only way.

“By viewing their memory… Under normal circumstances, I could do it easily but with my current... seiðr deficiency... it most certainly will tire me to exhaustion to do it. I would be unable to defend us afterward. Syrene agreed to pass through the wards a call for your suit once they return. I lead them to believe it was to protect us while the process happen. They know not of the lack of my full powers.” He explained as he rubbed circles on the hands he held. He would explain to Anthony the truth about his powers. Only him. But not now. It was not the right time and they had other things to worry about.

He wanted to get back to the tower. He wanted to get back to living with Anthony. He wanted to help him in his research of magic, as he had promised he would once he got his powers back. With Syrene by their side, he could even face Thor. This had to be done.

Anthony looked shocked at the mention of memory viewing. It was good to see surprise and wonder instead of fear and distaste at the mention of his abilities. Another reason to tell him the truth. “You can… of course, you can read minds…Anyway, before I freak out about that, I sent my coordinates to J back in the bar so a suit should be on its way already.” Added the Avenger once he got over his initial shock.

“Is it your ‘Adequately Named ‘Stealth Suit’’?” Tried to jest the mage to lighten the mood. He sat further back on the bed to be beside the human.

“Yeah, didn’t need anyone wondering where Iron Man was going. Or following. You think the cloaking would work on Syrene? On magic?” He wondered. Loki could not help but chuckle. Always thinking ahead of everything. Something he could relate to. He told him how it probably would not. He explained an enchantment would be necessary to fool the senses of a magic practitioner. Anthony asked if he could learn to do that and if it worked on technology as well. Was he actively trying to court the mage? If he was, he was succeeding immensely.

“Enchantments interest you? I thought you prefer your mortal sciences. And well, I could try to teach you, but I am unsure if your mortal mind could comprehend it.” quipped the mage. A light jest he knew would not be misinterpreted.

“Ha! Magic is just science that hasn't been explained yet. At least not in human terms, so of course I’m interested. And Honey, never underestimate my mind, or my undying determination.” beamed the mortal. This man was too interesting. Loki could not help but stare at his lips as he talked. He had kissed them before he slept but he wanted to taste them again.

“More like your unending stubbornness. Will you ever cease to be so infuriatingly amusing?” He wanted to kiss again those soft lips that never ceased singing praises for the god. It had become an unhealthy addiction, but he did not care. He was known for indulging in the pleasures of the flesh before, so why should he stop now when he had such an exquisite human in front of him?

“Pff no, I aim to be infuriating, keeps me interesting, among other things.” Dropping the last of the pitifully small resistance he held, the prince closed the distance between them with a soft touch of lips. It was chaste but the alien already felt the blood in his veins race.

“You speak much for a man famed for his prowess and passion in bed. Could it be that you are, ‘All bark and no bite’?” asked the dark haired male as he scooted further back on the bed and signaled for the shorter man to follow. Anthony chuckled and answered with a wink.

“My skills in bed have nothing to do with me waiting for when you feel ready. Even if it's giving me blue balls...” Loki could not believe what he was hearing. He was not familiar with the term of ‘blue shaded balls’ nor did he understand its meaning, but that did not matter. None of his previous partners had ever felt such consideration for him. They all had always expected him to give them whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it. He had learned that was simply how everyone was. He always had had to show them they could not just take from him. He would only give what and when he wanted. He had resigned himself to think that he simply would always have to fight to be respected. Yet here he was in front of a mortal, those he had thought to be beneath him, showing him he was wrong yet again. Showing him how much that infamous mortal humanity was not a weakness. Showing him once again how complex humans could be. And how much more complex than even other humans Anthony was. And that only increased his appeal.

At this new revelation, he felt another line of the seal break, and more of his energy was released, revitalizing him. He could feel his magic run through his body more freely and smoothly. It sent a rush of adrenaline and pleasure through his body and he knew exactly what to do with it. He set his heavy gaze on the mortal and motioned with his finger, sending the inventor flying into his lap with a small yelp.

One of his arms went straight around the back of Anthony, both his body and magic longing to hold the mortal even closer. They wanted the useless space between them eradicated. Once the body sitting on him settled in place, he slowly rolled his hips, making sure the 'perks' of his new seat did not go unnoticed. If Anthony was still unsure of his attraction for him, he made sure with another twist of his hips that it was clear. After being rewarded with a sweet gasp from that marvelous mouth, bending his head slightly to speak right into his ear, Loki murmured roughly, “Is that sufficient? Or would you like me to provide more evidence ?”

Notes:

I'm still not happy with this chapter.

Chapter 33: Weakness

Notes:

Urg anyone else had problems logging in to their accounts? I spent like 3 weeks trying. Finally got in.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“You speak much for a man famed for his prowess and passion in bed. Could it be that you are, ‘All bark and no bite’?” asked the dark haired male as he scooted further back on the bed and signaled for the shorter man to follow. Anthony chuckled and answered with a wink.

“My skills in bed have nothing to do with me waiting for when you feel ready. Even tho’ it's giving me blue balls...” Loki could not believe what he was hearing. None of his previous partners had ever felt such consideration for him. They all had always expected him to give them whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it. He had resigned himself to think that he simply would always have to fight to be respected. Yet here he was in front of a mortal, those he had thought to be beneath him, showing him, he was wrong yet again. And that only increased his appeal.

At this new revelation, he felt another line of the seal break, and more of his energy was released, revitalizing him. He could feel his magic run through his veins more freely and smoothly. It sent a rush of adrenaline and pleasure through his body and he knew exactly what to do with it. He set his heavy gaze on the mortal and motioned with his finger, sending the inventor flying into his lap with a small yelp.

One of his arms went straight around the back of Anthony, both his body and magic longing to hold the mortal even closer. They wanted the useless space between them eradicated. Once the body sitting on him settled in place, he slowly rolled his hips, making sure the 'perks' of his new seat did not go unnoticed. If Anthony was still unsure of his attraction for him, he made sure with another twist of his hips that it was clear. After being rewarded with a sweet gasp from that marvelous mouth, bending his head slightly to speak right into his ear, Loki murmured roughly, “Is that sufficient? Or would you like me to provide more evidence?”

“Well…” The warm puffs of the shaky exhale from the mortal right next to his ear, tickled the sensitive skin of the mage. “To prove anything…” the shorter male stopped to bite and gently pull his earlobe, making Loki lightly gasp. “Tests have to be made a minimum of three times.” The god smiled at the answering pleasure and exhaled through his nose in relief, his arms pulling Anthony even closer. “So. Still interested?” asked the clever human. In retaliation, Loki tugged the head of the other back gently before lightly nipping his neck. The inventor let out a soft hiss when he felt teeth and hot wet breath on his neck.

The hand of Anthony instantly searched and curled into the hair of Loki as the hiss slowly turned into a moan. "Lo-Loki..."  Tilting his head further back without being prompted, unable to help but move his body slowly against the body of the pale man, he threw his other arm around the neck of Loki.

Even though Loki had secretly envisioned ravishing Anthony many times before, when the moment came, he was unable to be anything but be gentle and sensual. A hard battle for dominance full of biting and spit and thrusting tongues suddenly was not as preferable as the soft caress of lips against lips. There would be time for raw passion later. For now, he would slowly explore the body before him. The avenger over him panted loudly as he started rolling his hips, probably lost in the feeling. Loki had lost himself as well and scolded himself for his lack of control. He unwillingly parted from that delicious delicate neck and saw as he had left quite a notable mark. It filled him with renewed lust to know he had marked the mortal as his. But it also worried him that he had not gotten permission for it from Anthony. He looked at the inventor for confirmation and was glad to see on those blown irises that the mortal only longed for more.

Loki decided to retake that sensational mouth and humming pleasantly in the back of his throat, he deepened the kiss, grazing the wrinkles of his palate, lapping at the underside of his upper lip as it retreated. He sucked that surprisingly soft lower lip into his mouth and bit it gently as he pulled the avenger closer, sliding him the last few inches onto his lap. The full contact of the arousal of Anthony had his lips parting in a breathless moan, accidentally losing that mouth to concentrate on the warmth, pressure and solid weight of Tony against his chest. Tony? He could not care less about formalities at that moment. The feeling of all the points of contact burned like a brand on his skin. He was unable to concentrate on anything else. He was lost in the contact, in the nearness. He purred affectionately as his hand involuntarily slid its way under the shirt of Tony, his nails grazing the soft skin he found there.

Tony took advantage seeing the moment Loki pulled away to suck in a much-needed breath, he tugged the head of the other back before paying back in kind for the attention to his soft skin. The nibbles and sucks of that darling mouth went straight to the crotch of Loki. "Tony," Loki growled hotly into his mortal's ear, "mark me." The eyes of Loki dropped closed as Tony took the encouragement and licked up along the smooth column to his chin, and he let Tony take control because he was that far gone already, wanting nothing more than that incredible mouth, those hands that made things capable of so much destruction, but were also capable of such a kind, reassuring touches. He wanted more, just more, more Tony . The wet slide of that tongue, the bites nibbles and the warmth of their shared breaths, slowly but surely drove Loki desperate. They both were so desperate to simply have each other that they did not notice the sound of the door opening.

“You know…” Immediately at the momentarily unrecognizable voice, Loki conjured and threw a knife at where the sound had come from. He cared not what or who he hit, the god did not deal well with interruption.

“If you’re gonna eat each other out in my guest room… you should at least give me a fair warning. Put a towel or a sock on the door next time or something. Jeez.” said who he now recognized as Syrene, holding the knife right in front of their face. When they moved it away and balanced the tip on their finger, Loki could see a drop of blood form on the bridge of their nose.

‘Syrene... You are back…” said the mage as he gently set Anthony beside him. He set aside his anger to look at the mortal and see if he was alright, but he simply looked annoyed at also being interrupted. Not one for shyness then. Good to know for a later time.

“Yep… and what do I find? My Prince having his way with his precious Käraste ... I got what I needed, and shorty’s suit arrived. It landed on the roof. Nice touch on the stealth tech by the way. So, when you’re done eating booty, your highness, we can start.” said the halfling as they stored away the dagger in their side bag and left the room. He would have words with them later.

“Apologies Anthony… it seems we have to yet again postpone our activities…” apologized for the mage, moving his hand to the forehead of Anthony. He brushed away a strand of sweat-damp hair and enjoyed watching the mark that was sure to last a few days as the other caught his breath.

“You know… If we get interrupted again, I swear I’ll punch whoever it is in the face…” breathed out Anthony. Shared sentiment.

To his comment, Loki quickly responded “If I do not stab them first…” His human looked angry but he still had the lingering effects of their passions. His eyes were still partly dilated and his lips were swollen. Quite a marvelous look he had on.

“You ready for this?” asked Anthony once he had regained more control. He looked concerned now. Concerned for Loki. He could do this… with this man beside him… he could do it.  

“Ready as I shall ever be, my dear.”


 

 

“So, how do we do this?” Tony was pissed honestly. He’d never had to wait so much for someone. Everything came easy for him in that sense. He’d never had to experience blue balls before. He’d never had a shortage of partners to warm his bed. Yet here he was, interrupted twice… and it wasn't even cause of Loki. Both times he’d shown that he was willing but there’s always something. Being back in full suit made him feel slightly better tho’.The billionaire sighed as he stared at the aliens in front of him and passed his helmet from hand to hand. Third time’s the charm hopefully.  

“Well, Loki and I’ll sit on the bed and gossip while you stand guard outside.” was the stupid reply the kid gave him. They sure were getting on his nerve. If it wasn’t cause Loki said they might need them, he would have blasted the damn alien in the face by now. What? They weren't actually a kid!

“No, Stark stays in the room.” defended him Loki. He was so annoyed he’d forgotten to respond. Just one shot tho’... If he ‘accidentally’ shot Syrene, they would probably survive with their annoying alien durability, right?

“If we doing this, afterward I’ll be… you know.” vaguely said elf shorty. They were obviously trying to hide something from him and he wasn't about to let that happen. If Syrene had a weakness, Tony would find out. To be able to protect Loki of course. No, but seriously, if this backfired, it would be helpful. But before he could say anything, Loki answered again.

“He stays and that is final. You want me to trust you, do you not? That is my condition to do this.” negotiated his fabulous mage. Now, while he did like to see Loki getting back his usual snarky confidence… he could also answer himself… but that was honestly so unimportant right now. The other mage just sighed and conjured a tank beside the bed the two aliens sat on. It was labeled with Oxygen. He wasn’t quite sure why they needed it or if that was the big secret, but it only worried him.

“Let us begin then. Stark, we shall be unresponsive until we are done. The wards should be enough but in case of anything, watch over us.” detachedly said the dark haired male.

“No need to tell me twice, Rock of Ages. Iron guard on duty.” Okay, that’s admittedly not his best line but he was nervous. Who could blame him? This was waaaay out of his league. Mind control and memory viewing? Nop, not his things. He could build something to protect himself from those types of attacks, but he had no idea how it was done. He would definitely ask Loki later to explain it.

Loki and Syrene sat closely, cross-legged, facing each other. They lifted their arms in unison and placed their index fingers on each other’s temples. It looked like some voodoo ritual and Tony suddenly felt very intrusive. He hadn't really thought about it ‘till now but those two would be sharing memories. It seemed more intimate than anything he had seen before. More intimate than anything that he had ever experienced before… he uncomfortably looked away.

2 hours later.

By then, Tony was out of the suit and sitting on the other bed playing with his Windmill Rubik’s cube (He had J bring it with the stealth suit). He had the suit on sentry mode. It was ready for action but there was no need to wear himself out, standing inside of it for now. He was still comfortably on alert tho’. But he hoped they finished up soon. He’d already solved the Windmill 34 times in the last half hour. He would have to result to playing candy crush or something if something didn't happen soon. Urg. He would’ve worked on some designs with J. on his phone but he didn't want to risk being too distracted.

He was about to solve the Rubik’s a 35th time when suddenly he heard labored breathing. Tony looked up to see Syrene out of breath. They were slowly wheezing. What’s going on with them? He asked himself. He obviously didn’t expect a reply, so imagine his shock when someone did. The oxygen tank Anthony! Said a voice directly in Tony’s mind.

“Wow, what the hell? Loki? Telepathy? Seriously?” asked the avenger out loud, not sure how exactly to reply.

Most cross-species die in the womb or shortly after birth from deformities. It is rare they survive. Syrene has been lucky to live this long so far but their lung capacity is very low. The oxygen tank is for them.

“Okay, okay, got it.” Tony quickly stood up, set the mask over the redhead’s head and slowly set the tank to release oxygen. “Okay what now?” asked the mortal. He waited for an answer but none came. “Loki? You there?... Damn it Loki, what’s going on?” no answer.

1 hour later.

The imp’s breathing had kinda normalized but Loki was now the one getting worse. About half an hour after the mage had somehow telepathically spoken to him, he’d started to get really pale. Tony by then had decided to sit beside the prince. ‘Their thing being kept secret from Sy for now’ be damned. He was wiping sweat from the taller male’s forehead when he noticed the drop of blood rolling down from Loki’s nose. Tony was growing more and more worried.

5 minutes after the blood, Loki was getting paler.

10 minutes after the blood, his breathing was getting shallower.

15 minutes after the blood, his whole body was shivering.

20 minutes after the blood, his skin was growing colder and colder.

25 minutes after the blood, Tony noticed the seal.

After noticing that every part of the mage, except for his right arm, was getting colder, he checked said arm. There hadn’t been anything there before but now he could see some symbols appearing on his arm. It looked like they were being branded on. It took him a while since he was busy making sure the god didn't die on him, but he figured out it had something to do with his magic. He didn't have time to question why Loki hadn't told him about it. He had to focus on making sure he survived this. It took another 35 minutes of Loki getting weaker and the kid’s breathing getting more erratic but something finally changed.

In a burst of unseen energy, the two mages let go of each other. Tony, being behind Loki, caught him and held him in his arms as Syrene simply fell backward on the bed. “Loki! “Lokes! You alright?”

“An…. Tony…” Tony had never been more relieved to see those emerald rings look at him. They, along with the rest of his face, was tinted with the blue of the reactor. The mage tried to sit up but Tony softly held him. The prince was in no state to do any helping. Tony caught the feeble hand that rose and brought it next to his heart that broke at seeing how dead-pale and trembling he was.

“Lokes? What’s wrong? What happened?” Tony frantically asked. The god was barely conscious, his eyes glazed over. He wasn’t sure what to do.

“Complex spell… overstrain…” Loki answered,  his brows furrowed seemingly in pain fresh blood started dripping from his nose. Fuck this was bad. Really bad.

“Tell me what to do, Loki. Tell me how to help you.” the engineer asked him. He would have really liked to know this in advance, that tiring out from magic included this much.

“I need... I need rest...’ the weak immortal said. He really looked like he was about to pass out. And maybe it would have been for the best.

“Rest fixes it. Okay, that sounds great, rest sounds awesome. Rest it is then,’ he said. He was about to get up to let Loki pass out, but the god gripped his shirt and stopped him. His pale white fingers were twisted in Tony’s shirt tightly even if they were still trembling. Tony sat back down and helped the mage to rest his head on his lap. Loki’s fingers relaxed a bit when he did, but did not let go completely. When Tony looked down at him again his eyes were already closed and he was unconscious.

“J. scan Syrene and tell me what they needs. See if you can do it with the suit” instructed the engineer in a low voice. He kept his voice down, even if he was sure that Loki wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon.

“Yes, Sir. Scan complete. Miss Syrene is not receiving sufficient oxygen flow. Adjust the valve to 8 L/min.” informed the concerned sounding AI. the suit slowly walked to the other bed and turned up the valve to the needed measure.

Tony put his hand on Loki’s forehead again to check his temperature, and while he was sweating, his skin was still ice cold. Not at all reassuring. He managed to move around a bit to pull the covers out from under him and the other unconscious mage without disturbing the sleeping god, who did not let go of his shirt even while being out cold. He was not sure if it would help, but he covered him up with the blanket. Then he pulled a pillow and placed it behind his back. He had a feeling he would be here for a while. When he was done accommodating it, he leaned back again. He could feel Loki’s cold fingers even through his shirt. It was making his own skin colder right below the arc reactor, but he did not mind. He didn’t try to pry them off. 

Notes:

What'll happen to our precious mages? How will Syrene act?

Chapter 34: Similarities

Notes:

Just have some fluff cause why not.

P.S. I kinda notice that we've been sorta stuck in the same place for quite a while now... so I'll move ahead with the story in the next chapter. I promise. So so soooo sorry!!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Loki woke up with a pounding headache, among many other aches. He recognized the type of pain immediately. The bone-deep exhaustion that encircled every part of his body. He knew he needed more rest but he also had to figure out what had happened. The mage became aware that he laid on something soft, possibly a bed, with his head resting on something firmer and warmer. It was strangely familiar. He could almost recognize a similar feeling from many, many centuries ago. But he could not quite place what it was. While he thought, a voice spoke.

“Hey there, Sleeping Beauty. Or should I call you Maleficent instead? Did I make that joke already? I think I did… Nevermind, how’re you feeling?” rambled on the mortal whose leg had become his pillow at some unknown moment. Was that what he recalled? But when had he laid his head this way with someone else? He did not believe it to be his mother or brother… how odd, but not a matter of pressing concern.

“An... Anthony… What…. what happened?” asked the prince, tired of trying to recall the last events to occur to them. A small groan escaped past his lips without his consent when he finally found the strength to merely open his eyes. The pain in his every fiber was anything but pleasant.

“I wasn’t quite part of the memory sharing process, so you tell me what happened, princess.” was the unhelpful answer Anthony provided.

“Memories…?” Feedly asked the alien. It finally came back a few seconds later. He had used his magic to read the memories of Syrene. Wait, Syrene? Where were they? What happened to them? He sat up quickly and the world around him swirled.

Anthony was there in an instant. He softly held the mage by the arms and rubbed them for comfort. “Careful there, Gandalf, you’re still in no shape to be moving around. Tch!” grunted the engineer as he shifted his leg so that they were on each side of the dark-haired male.

Loki immediately stopped trying to move away and turned his head to look at the man behind him. “Anthony? Are you alright?”

“Huh? Oh don’t worry, it’s just my leg waking up. It’s gonna give me one hell of a cramp.” he tried to shrug it off but Loki would not have it. He had caused Anthony displeasure once again.

“You… you should have moved me if it caused you pain…” argued the mage. He hated causing him any sort of pain. It no longer was out of fear that the Avenger would punish him for it. Now he wanted to protect him. He was mortal, their lives so fleeting. He would do everything in his power to make that short existence as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

“Hey, don't sweat it, I’ve endured way worst. Plus I chose to have you near me.” refuted the inventor with a smile. Loki recognized he meant more than just this moment. He would not admit how much he longed for someone to care for him this way. They shared many things but he was not prepared to admit that yet.

“Fool…” was all Loki was capable of saying. He looked away, trying to hide the tint of red taking over his cheeks.

“Yeah yeah, I’m the world’s smartest fool. Come here.” instructed the billionaire with open arms. It took a moment of hesitance, but the prince finally gave up and scooted back against Anthony. He made sure to put no pressure on the device that produced light in his chest as he laid his head beside it. It pulsed at a steady pace, like a heartbeat, probably mimicking. This new angle provided him with a clear view of Syrene laying beside them.

“How is Syrene?” asked the mage once he had calmed down again. They looked alright but a confirmation would be comforting. The avenger wrapped his arms around Loki before speaking.

“Breathing’s back to normal. Still out cold tho’.” provided Anthony. His embrace was warm and soothing. Loki could feel himself melting into the contact. “So… can they be trusted?” he asked.

“They do not lie… Never has, to me that is. But they have withheld information. I shall ask them about that when they wake…” It is not quite the same as lying, but why did Syrene feel the need to hide their doubts about his heritage? If they had suspicions, why not share them with him?! Was Sy trying to protect him? It did not matter. He had a right to be told. But that was not the primary thought on his mind at the moment… “Anthony… I-I saw my mother…”

“That’s good, right?” Asked the brown-haired male.

“Yes, but you do not understand… I thought I would never lay eyes on her again… Before imprisoning me, The All-Father promised that I would never see her again and I believed him… Oh, how they tormented me with the memory of her… they would show me time and time again her disappointment and hatred… they would show me how I had failed her. And they were right. I did fail her. She would and should hate me. She is surely extremely disappointed. She should not have sent for Syrene. I… I do not… I do not deserv-” tried to argue the mage when he was interrupted by a tighter embrace.

“Loki, enough… You are so much more than just worth it… and I'm sure she doesn't hate you. She might be a bit disappointed but she’s your mother. And a mother’s love is unshakable… I’m sure she’s desperate to see you again. And for all my parent’s faults…. I can't say Maria didn't love me no matter what I did… so don't lose hope, Karäste .” Assured him the mortal. Loki looked up at the use of the word he had utilized to describe their relationship to Syrene. Did he know its meaning? Was he alright with it?  “J.A.R.V.I.S. translated it for me.” He added, not truly answering any of his questions. Not that he would voice them.

“You always seem to know which words to use to calm my thoughts. Should I be worried of losing my title as silvertongue?” Jested the immortal. They would discuss whatever they shared at another moment. This was not the time. Loki let himself go limp against the chest of Anthony. He could not deny the comfort it brought him to breathe in the aroma he had grown familiar with. Grease, Cologne, and Sex. That irresistible combination would be the end of him. It was the smell of Anthony. His Anthony. Not the facade or portions everyone else saw.

“Trust me, it only works between us. With everyone else, I always manage to screw things up is the biggest way possible…” the human sounded sad. He truly believed this. He did not realize he should not blame himself entirely for it. Loki would crush those that had made him think that way. “Anyway, it’s been like an hour since you two collapsed and it looked like it’ll take Syrene a while longer to wake so… why don’t you tell me about them? Syrene and your mother. You can start with the shrimp if it’s easier.”

“Well… Syrene and I met when I was but an infant. They taught me many of the things that define me. Gave me some of my most useful tools. We have worked on many things together. They have even developed some of the defense mechanisms that help protect Asgard. Syrene is actually similar to you in many ways, Anthony.” Tried to explain the mage in the simplest way possible. Not because he wished to hide anything. His trip through their shared memories was still too fresh. Pain still lingered. Going into detail would hurt too much.  

“Me?? We couldn’t be more different!” predictably protested the billionaire as he regretfully pulled one of his arms away and placed it on his hip, akimbo. Nevertheless, it was true.

“You may see it that way for now, but I assure you, similarities do exist.” Maybe that was why he had experienced an ease with learning to trust this mortal. But no… it was not just that. There was much more purely from Anthony. Loki used the new found space to lift his heavy arm and with a delicate finger, he began to trace around the light emitting artifact besides his nose. The human it was attached to suddenly tensed. Loki immediately stopped. Was it still sensitive after all this time? It took a few seconds, but the body behind him slowly began to relax. Loki tentatively moved his finger again. Once he was sure Anthony was not tensing up again, he continued his roundings.

“Pff yeah right.” mock laughed the inventor, not mentioning what had momentarily happened to uncomfort him. The prince would be sure to ask later more about this curious device. For now, he would answer what he could.

“You both have a strong sense of justice, but your morality is often questioned by those who claim to stand at a higher ground and truly consider themselves to be ‘righteous’. You share a passion for understanding the workings behind everything you encounter. You have the ability to create what others would call magic with your technology. And you hide your insecurities behind your cheerful, selfish and careless facade.” pointed out the mage without missing a beat. By the end, Anthony was pouting. A rather endearing look on his face really. But then it shifted to confusion and it hardened.

“I see... Is that it then? Is that why you like me? Cause I remind you of them?” Questioned the avenger with a bit of poison in his voice. Darn… Loki had messed this up. That much he could tell. Maybe comparing them was not the best of ideas. But even if it had been his own misstep, it stung that Anthony would so quickly assume that Loki would think of him as a replacement or consolation prize of sorts.

Loki pushed his way out of the embrace to look at the human in the eyes as he spoke. “Do not be preposterous, Stark. There are obviously differences between you two. I do not like Syrene in the form you insinuate. And I am offended you would assume I was the same as those who have come before me. You do not mean so little to me and I am not as low as to simply give my affections to someone merely because they remind me of a previous relation. My affections for both of you are very different and I ask you not to have me compare them.” he breathed out in frustration. He knew his anger was not just. He had not given Anthony enough reasons to not doubt him. He was the God of Mischief, it was not bizarre that that could be mistaken for infidelity. But it still wound him…

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry…” apologized the mortal. He almost looked like a kicked puppy the way he scratched his neck and hung his head. He looked up at the mage from behind his long lashes. Loki sighed again. Why had he not smithed him yet, was beyond him. He had destroyed enemies for far less. He glared at the human for measure as he crossed his arms. It was a slightly awkward position considering he was sitting with his legs forward but his body twisted to look at the avenger. “Oh come on now, don't leave. Stay here. I’m still better tho, right?” insisted Anthony, lifting his arms again in another invitation for an embrace.

“You are unfathomably infuriating, you do realize this, right?” half-heartedly said the trickster as he gave up and took his place again between those welcoming warm arms.

“I know. And you love it” he could no longer see it, but Loki could almost hear the grin in his voice as he said it. Love. Did he? Could he? To love this man… no, not yet. He would not let himself think of the consequences yet.

“I would not go as far as to call it that, mortal.” bit back the mage. He tried his best to keep his troubling thoughts from his voice. As he was accustomed to, he hid his worries behind humor.

“Oh, first it was Stark, and now I’m back to being just mortal, am I? How should I go about changing my status then, my Benevolent King ?” purred out Anthony right next to the ear of Loki. It sent a shiver straight down below his stomach. The playboy clearly knew the effect his words would have.

“Again with your ridiculous mastery over flattery.” said the prince, shifting slightly so that their faces rested at the same height.

The human moved a strand of the hair of the mage away from his face as he rightfully bragged. “It’s not flattery, darling. It’s flirting. And it’s totally working.”

It most certainly was. But, he would not admit it just yet. “I shall be the judge on that later. I still require more rest.”

“Then, for now, your mom. Tell me about her.” his whole body tensed. Loki was unsure if he was ready for such a thing. He looked straight into the intensity in those eyes. For all his jokes, Anthony was serious about many things, this being one of them. He no longer had his mother and knew perfectly well the pain that brought. Loki could still say his mother was alive, for Frigga would always be his mother, even if she had not given birth to him. But he could not be sure she would accept him as her son again...

“... She… She is an incredibly strong-willed woman... Her affections are unwavering and her compassion is unfathomable. She is agelessly beautiful and ever graceful. She holds vast knowledge on many a subject and she uses it skillfully to help the All-Father maintain the balance between the Nine-Realms. Her mastery and understanding of magic is respected and sought by all who wish to learn of it....” his voice hitched as tears began to roll down his cheeks. “She was among the few who ever enjoyed my mischief and she was the only one to ever encourage my passion for magic and preference for knowledge over combat and conquest. She never was truly angered by my misdeeds, even the worst of them. Stern, but never resentful. A-Always kind.. and loving… I can not.. I am sorry Antho...”

“Shh, it’s okay. It’s fine. Crying is okay. I miss my mom too… I cry for her as well… I… I miss her so so much… Shhh, we’ll be fine. You’ll get to see her again. I’ll get you to her if it’s the last thing I do.” promised the impossible Midgardian. How could he even hope to achieve that? He was about to protest but the pure determination in those brown eyes stopped him.

“Forgive me… I did not mean to make us weep…” apologized for the mage.

“It’s fine, Loki. Seriously. You don’t have to worry about ‘Looking weak’ in front of me. It’ll all stay between us. No one needs to know. And either way, it’s not weakness to cry. That’s just some Assier bullshit. Letting yourself feel is important, otherwise you’ll eventually explode.” reaffirmed Anthony as he gently whipped away both their tears. “Enough feels for one day. How about instead we figure out our next move?”

“I agree. We should wait for Syrene… although I have a feeling they are more conscious than they are letting on about…” Loki moved away from Anthony to his obvious displeasure and crossed his arms to stare at his friend. A faint golden orange light passed ever their body as the illusion dissipated. The peaceful sleeping image of the old halfling changed to wide eyes staring at him in feigned surprise. He had long learned to see through their illusions. Just as Syrene could see through his. Their cheeks were slightly tinted from the exertion of rough breathing but the color had left the rest of them. While maybe not fully recovered, they were conscious and eavesdropping.


 

“Are you certain this will not explode again? You have wasted enough of my time here. I should return to my studies on my bedchambers.” Protested the young Aesir. He did not truly mind staying longer. He could not deny he was entertained. He was also curious to see what the Dwarf was creating. He had seen dwarven forges and he had seen elven magic craftsmanship studios. He had always thought them to be so incredibly different. He had never thought of them being able to intertwine. Yet here, in this room, he could see a hint of both worlds.

“Hey! I said it’ll work this time! Stop questioning me and be ready to connect the conductors when I tell you to!” Yelled the halfling as they created a portal over on their end. You could see their two halves as they wielded elven spells and infused them with dwarven technology. In their movements, you could see elegance mixed with practicality. One second you could recognize them as something, and the next it was different. One moment they looked like a female dwarf and the next like a male elf. Loki could not understand any of it.

“Insufferable oaf….”  He looked at them, at how the magic made their short hair waver and wondered how they managed to look so comfortable while being so different? Was it… was it alright to be different? He envied their freedom.

“I heard that!” Bite back the other mage. It started Loki. He knew they could not mean his mind but it was still unsettling.

“Okay, here we go.” They shrank the portal they had made and carefully brought it over to the table Loki stood by waiting. He held the conductors in hand and was ready to complete the circle when they instructed. All tease and playfulness left their faces as they looked at each other one last time to confirm they were ready. Once sure, the smith brought down their hand on the material and released the energy. Quickly, before any wisp of magic could escape, the young prince did his task. Nothing happened for a few seconds as the energy pulsed around its confinement until it suddenly retracted and burst with force and light. Everything was sent hurtling backward in the rush and the young male felt his head collide with something and everything went dark.

Loki drifted between consciousness and oblivion. His head throbbed with the pain from the collision and he could not quite place where he was. His head laid somewhere firm and warm. It was a reassuring feeling but he could not tell what it was. He opened his eyes but everything remained too unclear. He saw golden lights with red accents. He saw hazel eyes framed by concern. After a while, the pain ceased and he was finally able to fully open his eyes but all he saw was the bare ceiling.

“Wha... Dw...Dwarf? Whe-where are you?” Loki got up, careful not to fall off the table he laid on. It was not the soft yet firm warm place he remembered feeling. Had that all been a trick of his mind as he drifted through his unconsciousness? He also immediately noticed his pain was gone. Had the mage done something to him?

“Dwelf kid, Dwelf… And I think it worked…” said the… Dwelf over by the table behind him. They had a few bruises on their arms and one on their cheek… Had they treated him and not themselves? His curiosity over what layed on the table won over his curiosity of their injuries and as such, he walked over and looked down at what they had been working on.

“What… what did we create?” he asked, still unsure of what it could possibly be.

“If my calculations are right. And they always are… don't look at me like that!” Loki could not help the rise of an eyebrow he did at their comment. “Anyway, if I got it right, we’ve rooted dimensional magic into one artifact. A permanent portal attached to a portable solid object.” They explained as they studied the connectors that perfectly encircled the spell and kept it within its boundaries.

“I do not understand. Could you not simply open a portal whenever you are in need of retrieving an object? And are portals not made on solid objects like walls all the time? And why did we attach it to a piece of fabric?”  questioned the young genius. He had recently begun his studies with dimensions and its manipulation magic. While it was true he had much to learn of it yet, he could not quite see the value in this creation.

“Sure, if I have enough energy for it I could build one any time. But this way, I don't waste any energy. Plus it can be used and transported by anyone, even by non-magic-users, with a bit of practice of course. It simple enough even a mere mortal could use it! Theoretically, of course.” excitedly told the more experienced mage.

“That is… extraordinary. I have never heard of such a thing…” the young royal truly was awed. He knew not if this was the first of its kind. There could possibly be more complex spells that could do the same without the need of technology but nevertheless, it was an inventive idea.

“Just imagine, an infinite bag! An infinite tool pouch! The possibilities are endless! You could even store all commodities need for a long trip  in a small handkerchief!” continued to tell the Dwelf.

“Or transport an entire army on the cape of a spy.” Loki intercepted, his father would not have liked the idea. ‘No honor in an ambush’.

They quickly made a face and pointed at him. “Urg, don't violate my creation by thinking of possible violent applications.” their reaction confused him. He expected it to be negative, but not for the same reason.

“It truly is quite remarkable… if it truly works that is.” taunted the curious boy. He wished to see it in action. There certainly was a sort of joy in seeing the creations of oneself functioning. Loki had only helped on minor details but it did not matter.

“Don't jinx it, you brat. Now… I’ll drop a few things from my own pockets and we’ll see if it works.” they opened a new portal above the black leather fabric and dropped different things into the pitch black open space in the middle of it. As the objects passed, the conductors glowed a golden orange. The items instantly disappeared one after the other. The red-haired mage closed the portal above and carefully brought her hand inside the remaining open space and was able to pull out one of the objects. It was a large flat circle of metal with a bare tree in its center, its branches and roots touching the edges of the circle. It did not look like the traditional depictions of Yggdrasil. He wondered what it symbolized. “Alright. Small, nonliving things work. Now let's see a living creature... Hmm.”

“A creature? Which shall you use?” innocently wondered the young Aesir. Their eyes locked with his and he could read the clear mischief in them. He had never seen anyone else with such eyes. No one else, besides himself. Had he encountered a similar soul? They braced their hands on the table and leaped, landing right over the dark cloth. Were they planning to…? They could not possibly mean to… Oh, by Odin's Beard, No!

“Loki, right? Now, let’s see if this works.” No, no no! Loki ran forward but it was too late.

“Name’s Syrene by the way, remember it… Geronimo!” they jumped in, swallowed by the void.  

Notes:

We finally get to see what Sy was making! Yay!

P.S. Copy paste from the top notes, I kinda notice that we've been sorta stuck in the same place for quite a while now... so I'll move ahead with the story in the next chapter. I promise. So so soooo sorry!!

Chapter 35: Dreadful Meetings

Notes:

Not okay with Infinity War... it goes without saying this story will not be IW complainant in big aspects.
Be sure to check out the notes at the end!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Friends! How joyful it is to see you again! How fairs Midgard?” asked Thor as he walked into the room. Bruce disliked the idea of lying to the large friendly blonde. They weren't close friends like Tony and he were, but it still felt wrong. And even more so about his own brother…

“Hey, Thor. Things have been… calm around here. Just your typical criminals here and there. How’s Asgard?” asked the cautious Captain as he welcomed their comrade, the current source of Bruce’s headache.  

“All fares well in the Nine Realms, my friends. I have seen to it myself. Has nothing… otherworldly arrived on Midgard?” asked the older godly brother. Bruce finished placing the dishes in the washer and turned towards them. He was unsure of what to do. He knew he had to keep Loki secret from the Thor. How to do that, now that’s another $20 bucks.

“Nothing threatening, if that’s what you’re asking. Anything we should worry about?” quickly said, Bruce. Damn those two. Why did he have to deal with this alone? He was a scientist, not a spy trained to pry information out of people without them knowing. That was the assassin's job and he wouldn't trust them to really try or say the truth afterward. Well, maybe Romanoff. She was... interesting.

“No! No… nothing to my knowledge… and how does the Shield fare?” asked Thor, shifting his attention to both agents. He slightly bowed his head towards Romanoff and clasped Barton’s arm.

“Keeping Earth safe from alien threats.” blurred out the archer. Bruce could feel his heart speeding. Please don’t Clint… this wasn't going to end well.

“Has a threat arisen as of late...?” asked paled faced the alien in the room.

“Not yet.” said the redhead as she looked at the archer. At least she seemed to want to see how things went before saying anything.

“That is… good to hear.” said Thor looking slightly nervous and distracted. He was looking around, trying to find something. Could he be looking for signs that Loki was on Earth? Did he know? Was it obvious that he was living here? Loki bare felt like he left a presence with all his reserved nature but may Thor could tell being his brother for centuries. 

“So, what brings you back, Thor?” carefully asked the scientist. No point in beating around the bush.

The larger blonde focused on him and clasped his arm gently. Everyone was always so careful around him. He appreciated the sentiment, but it only made him feel more at odds. “Banner, it is good to see you. I… have brought back peace to the Nine Realms. I saw it fit that I came back to Midgard now that my task was finished. I have missed you dearly, my friends. Is... Stark present?”

“He’s on a business trip. You just missed him.” casually added Romanoff. It was always impressive and terrifying to see her in action. It was impossible to tell what she was really thinking. It was impossible to tell if she was acting normally or pretending. It was quite fascinating.

“That is most unfortunate. I wished to have words with him as well. Do you know when he shall be back from this business of his? Voice in the ceiling, perhaps you know?” asked the prince tilting his head up.

“Mr. Stark took his suit instead of his jet to travel… to Puerto Rico for his business. It’s likely he stays the night over there. It might take one or two days for him to return.” Puerto Rico? That’s where they ended? That was about… 2,500 km! Loki’s teleporting abilities reached that far?? He hoped they were alright.

“Rich Port? Where is this Port?” asked Thor. He could speak Spanish? or was it more like he could understand any language? This aliens simply got weirder and weirder the more Bruce knew about them.

“It’s an Island in the Caribbean. I’ve always wanted to go actually. But don’t worry, you’ll see him soon. Let’s focus on lunch now and while we eat you can tell us a bit about what you did around the Nine Realms.” helped supply Bruce as he fixed his glasses.

“Aye! I shall share my merry battles with you, my friends.”


 

“You caught me…” Admitted the redhead as they carefully pushed themselves upward on a sitting position and took the mask off.

“You wish for me to trust you like this? When you pretend to slumber in order to listen to our private conversation?” asked Loki, only mildly annoyed at his friend. He had no need to hide his interest in Anthony now. He could even ask their opinion on certain things. But later. They still had a long way to go… he knew not what their standing was on all that had happened in the past decades.

The Dwelf grinned up at the raven haired male, their mildly sharp dwarven canines showing. “Hey, I just didn’t want to interrupt. I’m nice like that.” They smiled excessively and sarcastically.  

“Rude as ever, I see.” stated the Jotnar as he flicked their forehead. He remembered fondly when he used to be smaller than the smith and they would do the same to him.

Syrene protested and rubbed the sore spot. “Stuck up as ever, I see… ‘Irksome’? ‘Caused inconvenience’? Really?”

“My words and mind are scattered… I have lost most of what you have taught me…” lamented the younger mage. Having looked back into their shared memories he truly could appreciate all the things he had learned from Syrene. From new forms of magic to self-acceptance, to useful knowledge. He only hoped he had not lost those teachings forever. Anthony behind him placed his hand on his lower back and rubbed small circles. It helped ease the tension in those coiled muscles.

“The brain is a muscle, kid. You just need a to exercise it a bit. You don’t forget how to ride a bike.” Sy got off the bed and made the oxygen tank disappear. Most likely to where they had gotten it from. He did not understand the reference but he was more than relieved to see them remain calm even after what they had learned. Could he hope to gain their help?

“Ride a bike?” Questioned Loki, humoring the use of the phrase. He could not help but smile a tad at the finding of yet another similarity between Sy and his mortal. How they could not see it, was beyond him.

“Sorry, human saying. Point is, it’s all muscle memory. You’ll get your silver tongue back.” Said Syrene as they stretched their arms upward and ruffled their short hair. He was unsure if he could believe that… Syrene looked back at him sharply and added: “Hey, don’t look at me like that, you will, and we’ll help you.”

“Did I just hear you say ‘we’?” Asked Anthony from behind Loki. He did not look very enthusiastic about the change of events. The mage gave him a fond smile. It would not be easy to get them to agree on anything while they kept up their petty fights. Loki looked back at his friend and then at them both with an eyebrow raised.

“Yes, ‘we’. No way in hel am I leaving My Prince’s side, short-beard. So! What’s the plan?”


 

As soon as he’d seen who was calling, Bruce excused himself and rushed out of the living room to answer. “Tony! Are you two alright? How’s Loki? Are you okay from your anxiety attack?” Frantically asked Bruce.

“Bruce, calm down, don’t hulk out on me. I’m fine. We’re fine.” Said Tony from the other side of the phone. He was sharing a video call and Bruce could see he was in some sort of house. Was that really a house in Puerto Rico? He still couldn’t quite wrap his head around the idea that they ended up so far.

“Sorry, things are just a bit tense here with Thor.” Explained the doctor as he rubbed his temples. You could basically cut the awkwardness with a butter knife.

“Is he hostile? He searching for Lokes?” Asked the engineer as he moved around and the background image changed. A flash of red passed behind his friend. Had that been a head? Where they with someone? Speaking of redheads.

“Romanoff says he’s looking for him but that he seems more tense than hostile. Also, Thor wanted to talk to you. We think maybe he was hoping you would help him look for Loki with your technology. Is Loki really okay?” Summarized the scientist. He could hear things moving on the other side of the call but he could not spot Loki anywhere. Or was that flash of red Loki? Had he shapeshifted or something? Could he do that with the amount of magic he had?

“Copy that. And yes, we’re fine. And we’ve also got a plan. We’re gonna need you to se-HEY! Don’t touch my suit without my permission! Loki! Control the gnome!” Shouted Tony from the other side of the phone. Bruce couldn’t see who he was talking to. They had a gnome? Was that the red he saw?

“DWELF!! I have a biological explanation for my height. What’s your excuse Mr. Compensating?!” Responded a young voice somewhere to the right of Tony. Who was that? A Gnome? Dwelf?? What the hell was going on? Good comeback though.

“Oh be quiet already you two! I am making an effort to concentrate here!” Shouted the still unmistakably scary voice of Loki from somewhere else. He didn’t sound panicked so that was good. But he sounded angry… that couldn’t be good.

“Ehh… what’s going on?... who was that?” Asked Bruce, extremely confused. Tony looked back at the camera and very unhelpfully answered.

“It’s a long story… anyway, here’s what we need you to do.”


 

Thor stood near the landing area to await the arrival of Stark, as the voice in the ceiling, ‘Jarvis’, had instructed. He watched as the familiar shape of the Iron suit appeared in the clear skies. It downed different colors. It was not the usual gold and crimson but was different shades of dark grey. A different one perhaps? He watched as his friend circled around the building once and landed on the moving platform. He got off from it and walked towards Thor without removing his armor first.  “Stark. It is good to see you! Have you been well?” he asked, greeting him with a clash of arms and hug.

“Hey, Point Break. I’m peachy. How’s things up in fairyland?” spoke the metallic voice of the suit. Why had he not taken off his helmet? He still did not understand most of the mortal technology. It mattered not.

“There is no fair folk on Asgard, Stark. They mostly reside on Alfheim. But the Nine Realms enjoy peace, my friend. I have seen to it myself.” said truthfully the god of thunder. The turmoil he knew came not from the realms, but from his own mind.

“Good good… so… how’s your brother?” unexpectedly inquired the human. The question caught the blond by surprise. Could he possibly know something about his brother?

“...Loki? He… I wish to have honest words with you on the matter… I ask you for discretion, Stark. Please do not alarm the others as of yet… but my brother is no longer incarcerated in the dungeons of Asgard.” admitted Thor. There was no use lying to the mortal if he sought his help in finding his brother. His technology would be most useful in locating him. He knew it might be asking for too much but he could not trust the Shield with allowing him to take back his brother a second time.

Stark seemed to hesitate before replying. “...Did he escape? Where is he?”

“After learning of certain unfair judgments passed down on my brother, the All-Father cast him out to Midgard with a similar sentence to mine… but I believe he will not learn anything from being here. He will manipulate his way around your world before he learns anything, even without the use of his magic. He is too skilled at deception and trickery. I have come to find him to ensure he finishes paying his sentence.” shrilled the older brother. He looked at the mortal to see his reaction and was stricken with the oddity of how he stood. He could not quite point out what it was, but the way he leaned his body on one leg and crossed his arms seemed strange.  

“You’re kidding, right? You wanna throw him back in those dungeons even tho’ you literally just said it was unfair? And ‘unfair’ seems way too light for the bullshit they put him through.” argued Stark… his body continued to not quite match his tone of voice. But how did he know of what the guardsmen did? Had he already found Loki?...

“Under different guardsmen, his punishment shall be just this time... How do you know of what they did to my brother?...” Wait, could Loki be controlling him?! If that was the case, Thor had to save his friend! But how? He did not wish to fight his comrade… the warrior placed his hand near Mjolnir which hung by his thigh. He would first have to remove him from the suit. From there he could easily immobilize the mortal. He could figure out how to undo the spell afterwards.

“You seriously believe that? I knew you were thick but you’re seriously not helping the ‘blondes aren’t dumb’ argument. No matter what you try or who you put, Loki will never be ‘punished justly’ on Asgard. Your sense of justice is screwed up as hell! You’re blind if you can’t see that!” The prince was ready to strike when something odd happened. “Not to mention you’re all a bunch of racist, sexist homophobic assholes! I can’t believe yo-Yo Stark, chill will ya? Not helping.” the metallic voice of Stark changed! The Aesir worried and took Mjolnir in hand. What was going on??

“Sorry sweetheart, but Stark’s taking some time off. So, you’re stuck with precious little me…” said…whoever was inside the suit as he lifted his arms to open his helmet. Thor hoped to finally see the brown hair and smug smile of his trusted brother-in-arms. Yet he was met with the unpleasant surprise of vibrant red hair and a cocky sharp smile.

“...Syrene?! What is the meaning of this?!” demanded Thor, taking a step forward and pointing his hammer. The wench lifted her arms in mock surrender and the suit around her began to unravel. The source of many of the things wrong with his brother stood in front of him, and unsurprisingly she looked just as unpleasant as he remembered her. She wore her distasteful battle robes that mocked the races she came from. Her dwarven shirt in elven colors. Her elven bracers wrapped in dwarven leathers. Her dwarven tools inscribed with elven magic insignias. Her short hair that insulted her blood and gender. The sight fueled the younger alien with anger. Her amber stare pierced him as she spoke and twirled a small tool, similar to a human ‘wrench’ around her finger.

“Long time no see… Son of Odin…” clipped the dreadful argr half-breed as she fully stepped out of the armor and vanished into thin air, her devilish grin disappearing last.

 


 

 

A/N:

Be sure to check out the link in the End Notes for a look of how Syrene looks in this chapter!

 

Notes:

Short chapter, I know. Sorry. Still kinda trying to process Infinity War. Please make no spoilers in the comments.
Aside from that, I promise this story is not stuck or will be left unfinished at any point. I'm writing this, slowly but surely. Hope you stick around with me 'till the end. *laughs nervously* Edit: I still mean this even after 2 years)

Loki: Worry not, dear author. Our story is one that writes itself. Is that not right, my lovely Käraste~?

Tony: The Kama Sutra's got nothing on the crazy shenanigans with come up with, that's for sure. Not to mention, any story with us two, is bound to be exciting!

Me: Oh boy, this two will certainly get me in trouble~!

 

Update: I promised I would be adding art of Syrene so check out this link here!

https://www.deviantart.com/kingofmischiefs/art/Syrene-793293288?ga_submit_new=10%3A1554953297&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1

If you're re-reading you can see more art of Syrene and the fanfic in my devianart account kingofmischiefs which is the one I posted in the link. If you're a new reader then I'll be updating the chapters with the arts as I find or commission them. If anyone wants to make art for this fanfic please feel free to do so and share it with me, please!! ^w^

Chapter 36: Spoken Truths

Notes:

Hey Guys! so quick reminder:
Please remember to read in between the lines to understand the characters. This story is one of many which is written in each of the character’s different perspectives. Not everything is as it’s written. What someone may see as a monster, might just actually be a regular person. If someone sees someone else as super powerful and evil, they’ll be described that way. But it will not necessarily always mean that that is how they are. With this particular writing style, you have to see beyond before judging a character… now to continue with the story!

P.S. We've reached 1500 Kudos guys! Thank you soooo much!! I legit never expect any of this! Hugs and Kisses for everyone! And cookies from Loki! *Loki grunts and swats Tony's hand as he continues to eat the cookie dough*

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Syrene! Where are you?! Is this scheme designed by Loki? Have you two captured Stark?!” Yelled the big oaf as Syrene walked around the platform, cloaked by their illusions.

“Relax, Odinson, the human’s nowhere he doesn’t wanna be, he’s safe. And this ‘scheme’ is more of a team effort honestly.” They said with an unseen grin. The Younger Prince was right where he wanted to be, next to Stark. Sy had to admit that after seeing his memories, they could see why Loki was so interested in the mortal. They still didn’t very much like him but if he made Loki happy… they would accept him, for now.

“Where is Loki? I must have words with him immediately! Show yourself!” Syrene silently stood close to the Aesir’s side. No way in hel they would tell either of them that tho’, obviously. The dwelf was gonna make Stark’s life a living hell before they acknowledged anything. To test his worthiness, of course.

“So I can get a face full of sweaty hammer? Ew, no thanks, I’m good.” As soon as Sy spoke, Thor whirled around to find them and grabbed at air. The Dwelf had already moved to his other side. “As to where Loki is… we’ll get there, but first, what’s your plan? You drag Loki back, throw him in a cell, then what?” Syrene questioned as they ducked to avoid Mjolnir’s straight trajectory towards their face.

“He shall receive proper judgment!” Thor yelled in frustration, catching the weapon as it came back. Syrene sat by the platform and formed a few illusion doubles to walk in their place. One became visible on the edge of the large balcony.

“And what’s that? Torture? Rape? Bit of both?” Thor predictably went to grab the duplicate and it dissolved in his hands. Another appeared. “I think Loki’s suffered enough already. Sure, he should do more to repent but he can’t do anything from a dungeon cell.”

“What? What vulgar things do you speak of, witch?” Syrene’s eye twitched. Oh boy, how they wished they were allowed to strangle him. They sadly promised Loki they would behave.

“Let me guess. They didn’t tell the perfect little prince about the nasty gruesome details behind those ‘unjust’ punishments, did they-FUU! Careful there!!” yelped the redhead as they leaped sideways to avoid some lightning. Syrene had to be careful, he was slowly figuring out how to track them. He was a big oaf but he wasn't completely stupid. “Well, big news buddy. You’re about to get the R-rated version! While you were off saving the Nine Realms, Loki was being humiliated, deprived of food and water, tortured physically, mentally and emotionally, oh and raped.”

Syrene created a few more visible illusions and ducked behind one of the couches in the balcony. The mage was starting to get tired. “While you were off playing hero with your little warrior friends, Loki was being broken day in and day out, over and over, until he couldn’t take it anymore… and even then, they still pushed him further. So tell me what the fucking hel more do you think he should be punished?”

“You lie! You know not what you speak off. The All-Father would never allow such things to happen to his son. Where is my brother? I demand to see him!” bellowed the Aesir with a roar as dark clouds began to circle the sky. This was bad. It was getting out of hand. But Syrene would not stand for their knowledge being questioned. They had spent years being questioned and underestimated simply for being a ‘dirty half breed’. Syrene had enough. They reached into the tool bag strapped to their right thigh and called out into the pocket dimension. They remembered when they had created it oh so long ago with the Prince. Their first encounter and creation together. Sy called into the void for their crossbow and pulled it out when they felt it’s hilt touch their fingertips. The dwelf reached in again and called out for one of their net balls.

Syrene came out of their hiding spot and shot at the god. The net wrapped around him quickly. They walked towards him and spoke. “I don’t know what I speak off?? My Prince shared with me his memories!" The blonde's look of surprise and frustration was satisfactory. "Yeah, you heard me. Never question my knowledge Aesir. And your precious father? He didn’t even notice what they were doing, and when he did, he just tossed Loki to Midgard as a cheap ass fix to the problem. That’s called neglect in any book… ‘Don’t know what I speak off’ pff yeah right, I saw it all big guy!”

Thor struggled with the net as he accused. “Enough with your lies and wicked tricks! I blame you most of all for leading Loki down such twisted ways!” he harshly said as he destroyed the net with lightning. Syrene covered their face to protect themselves and felt the sting of a piece of metal cut their forearm.

They growled and prepared to attack “Oh that’s it! I swear I’ll Ki-OW!” when suddenly something forcefully grabbed them from behind. “Let go of me!“ Sy demanded as the Iron Man suit closed around them.

“Okay that’s enough you two.” said the metallic voice of the suit, both inside the helmet and outside of it. Syrene could try to break free, they were nowhere near as strong as an Aesir or a Jotnar, but they still could surpass a human. But they knew better than to try, they could already feel the overstrain on their weak lungs. Any more fighting and they could pass out. 

“Stark? Are you alright?” asked the stupid blonde who was obviously still confused.

“Hey again, Point Break. I'm fine, don't worry. While I, for the first time since we met today, agree with short stack in here. We need to deal with this calmly before my tower suffers godly tantrums… Thor, everything they said is true. There was far more than enough... evidence on Loki’s body when he crashed on Earth to prove it… we’ve been taking care of him for some time now and most of the team agrees that none of it was fair and he should not have to be punished anymore for anything. He should do things to repent but like Syrene said, not from a jail cell… if it helps in anything, he’s already broken part of the seal that your dad forced on him. Let him continue to heal and help out here.” calmly resumed the mortal. It annoyed Syrene to hear him in control. He’d been the first one to snap and now he was acting like he was the mature one…

“Man if Iron, I wish I could trust your words but I have no way of knowing if they are truly yours or if they come from Loki… tell me where he is now and I will confirm with him.” conceded the judgmental asshole. From inside the helmet, Syrene could hear Stark ask Loki’s opinion and heard their Prince respond. Their conversation could not be heard on the outside speakers.

“He agrees only to a parley. You are to leave behind Mjl... mio… oh, your stupidly named hammer. The parley shall take place on a… neutral space pocket. You can do that? Wow… anyway just step into the portal cloth thingamajig dwarfy here will take out and we’ll be waiting on the other side. Don’t kill each other will ya?” warned the human as he remotely opened the suit. Syrene stepped out and eyed the other god. They glared at each other for a while before Syrene reached for inside their tool bag and took out a large cloth. They took out two daggers and pinned the portal cloth to the wall.

“Ladies first.” Sy mockingly motioned for the thunder god with a bow. He growled at them to which Syrene simply responded by tearing the cloth of the wall and throwing it over him, laughing at the thought of him face-planting right into the floor when he arrived.


“Brother!” The large figure of Thor tumbled through the portal that stood amongst vast darkness and emptiness. The space they stood in was completely void of anything. There was no roof, no walls, or light. Yet they could clearly see each other and the lumbering oaf that fell in face first.

To a naive mind, untrained in the ways of magic, it would appear he had hit a glass flooring that had swirling black liquid and mist underneath. But in this particular dimension, there was no flooring either. They simply remained existing in this space and constructed in their minds a believable environment. It was a place were reality consisted only of the limitations of their minds… but the infinite possibilities here were not their reasoning for meeting in such place.

Syrene walked inside afterwards, stepping right on the man on the floor. They quickly darted away before he could catch them, to the displeasure of Thor. Loki could feel the small displacement in space that indicated Sy had teleported beside him. The blonde male stood up and went straight to embrace Loki, as he usually would, to the discomfort of Loki. But as older brother touched the younger one, his arms passed right through him.

“When will you not fall for that… brother?..." Loki jested with a weak smile. "...For our mutual sakes… Syrene has kept us at a distance and projected our image near your location… We are in the same space but we shall remain hidden and out of reach until we coincide with some sort of agreement…” spoke Loki, avoiding the hurt look on the eyes that sought for truth.

“Brother please, I only wish to know of your wellbeing. How much of what the witch speaks of is true?” rudely pleaded his once brother. The younger god took in a deep breath, counting backwards from ten in his mind. Dr. Banner had thought him to do it to help calm himself. He could not deny its effectiveness.

“Sy...Syrene speaks the truth… All of it.” That was all that he could manage to say without his careful mask shattering into oblivion.

“Brother I-I… I was unaware…” stuttered the god of thunder as he lowered his gaze. He looks, as Anthony would say, ‘like a kicked puppy’.

“Sy only gave you the light overview, big guy. Save the pity party for when you get the full story. There’s far more to what those disgusting assholes did… May I?” asked the mortal, referring to the tablet he held in hand. Loki gave him a small nod and gestured for him to step forward. He was more than happy to step back and collect himself.

Anthony stood by his side instead. The look in his eyes indicated that he was not going to let Loki do this alone. That he would both figuratively and physically stand by him. “J. Project and play back the first medical scan report you gave me when we found Loki in the crater.”

“Playing recording: “Very well, Sir. Mr. Loki seems to suffer severe hemorrhaging, some of his organs are on the verge of shutting down. He has 3 fractured ribs, one collapsed lung, his left shoulder is dislocated and has multiple fractures along the arm. His rectum is severely wounded, some of the muscles are ripped and bleeding. He has also suffered a concussion that has him on the verge of unconsciousness.”

Damn, did the Hulk play Bob the Builder and use him as the hammer? Why's his magic not healing him?"

“The test you issued, Sir, indicates his magical readings are significantly lower by 88%. If treatment is not administered with the utmost urgency, he will die”

Recording concluded.” replayed and concluded J.A.R.V.I.S.

“And that’s just the physical abuse. The psychological damage was way worse. Torture leaves a permanent scar. Stuff like anxiety, depression, PTSD, nightmares, insomnia, memory lapses, social withdrawal, emotional flatness, heada-” rambled on Anthony until Loki interrupted him.

“Stark...” he urged.

“It’s Tony. No wait, ah sorry, force of habit. I mean right… said too much… the point tho’ is , that torture is never an acceptable punishment method.” accused the engineer crossing his arms.

“Enough… none of it matters at this moment… Why have you sought me out? Do you intend to bring me back against per the words of the All-Father?” queried the younger mage, trying on a mask of disapproval to hide his fear.

“No… not if what you speak of is true… Loki please, tell me the names of those who have harmed you as such. I shall personally rip their spines from their bodies…” threatened his once brother abruptly stepping forward with a formed fist. The sudden movement startled Loki, reminding him too much of the many things that face had done to him in his hallucinations and tortures. It made him tumble backwards in panic. Both Anthony and Syrene prevented him from falling by extending an arm and supporting his back.

Thor looked shocked at the reaction and everyone remained quiet for a little while. Anthony broke the silence with a proposal. “I’ll help ya Point Break. I got a look at two of them at least.”

“You will do no such thing.” quickly scolded the younger mage.

“What? Why??”

“Why not?”

Argued both Anthony and Thor at the same time, his mortal turning to face him and crossing his arms again.

“There is no justifiable reason to allow you to do such a thing.” Said Loki, mimicking his mortal with crossed arms.

“No reason?! You got tortured and raped! That’s more than enough fucking reason!” Cursed Anthony… how could this mortal care so much?

“Such a crude way would only bring problems. To begin with, if a mortal were to kill an Aesir official, it would unravel a massive political issue. And if the crown prince of Asgard were to kill his own guardsmen for no valid reason, it would not do well for your reputation and would bring distrust with your own subjects and the other Realms.” Countered the god of mischief, all too well aware of the consequences of rash decisions.

“For no reason? What the hell do you mean for no reason? Being illegal and wrong in so many ways should be reason enough! No one deserves that!” Yelled the inventor. His harsh tone made Loki cringe and look away. He knew that anger was not directed at him but it still made him uncomfortable to see or hear it.

Anthony seemed to notice and his whole body soon deflated. The human locked eyes with the prince, making sure it was safe to approach. When Loki confirmed it was, Anthony stepped in closer, slowly grabbed the arms of the mage, rubbed them and turned him towards himself. “Sorry I… Loki, so long as I live, I won’t let anyone hurt you. But I can’t live with the thought that those fucking bastards will live for thousands of years after I die…!” it brought up a topic which neither wanted to touch… the difference in their lifespan… no, Loki could not focus on that at the moment.

“...While your words mean to me immensely... There are no laws that dictate that what they’ve done is in any way illegal. There’s no equivalent to what mortals call ‘Human Rights’ on the other eight realms. I studied the laws from each realm as a child. I have worked with and around them many a time. Asgard, for all its bouts, uses then purely out of convenience. Even if my actions did not truly defy any laws, I was incarcerated. There is no hope that anything would be done in my favor by the court, even if what they did was truly considered illegal… with this I ask again, do not dwell on such fruitless ideas. The court would sooner blame me for your justice than accept anything you were to say.” Finally explained the younger mage. He lowered his arms and placed one of his hands on the hip of the baffled man. Turning to face the older Prince, he continued.

“... back to the matter at hand… I do not wish to return to Asgard. I shall remain here with Stark if he would allow it.” Thor looked between them and their contact and made a displeased face.

Anthony noticed it as well. But instead of backing away and pretending it meant nothing like Loki expected, he brought them closer, bumping their hips together and grabbing his waist. “Of course you're welcomed to stay, Lokes. I think I can even pull some strings and get your name cleared on earth so that you can help out without having to hide it. I kinda have a theory that doing it in secret makes the seal breaking process slower.”

“Thank you… Anthony. What are your thoughts… brother?” Loki hesitated in calling the mortal by his name because of the implied intimacy… but if the brunet was willing to publicize it… he was willing to do it as well. He looked at Syrene, remembering their many teachings of ‘never hiding one’s true self’. They smiled at him and gave him a small nod.

“... could I have words with Stark, alone?” Asked for Thor. He looked directly at his fellow Avenger. Loki dreaded what they would speak but he knew he could not stop it. He trusted Anthony… but not Thor.

“Sure, Goldie Locks. How do we do that tho’? I’m still not 100% sure how this space inception pocket works, yet. Clear emphasis on the yet.” Humored the shorter hero. Loki lightly squeezed his waist, not wanting to let go. The engineer turned towards him once again and held them close.

“Don’t worry, Lokes, it’s fine… nothing he says will change anything.” He comforted in vain. A lump formed in the throat of the mage. He swiftly made a hand gesture that glowed green with his magic and from the perspective of the Aesir, their bodies remained perfectly still, looking at each other. Syrene could still see them move, but he cared not. Nor did he have enough energy to fool the older mage.

Loki closed the distance between their bodies and grabbed Anthony by the back of the head. At the touch, the human closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and stood on his toes. Loki took in a rough breath and locked their lips. He slowly bent Anthony, making their bodies perfectly align with the ferocity of their repressed longing. Anth… By the Gods… Tony whimpered lightly, not wanting to let go.

Loki could feel his restraints pull at his core and regretted having to part with that savory mouth. They rest their foreheads together as their labored breaths regained stableness. Loki opened his eyes to stare right into brown pools blown wide with emotions. The younger prince straightened and placed a gentle kiss right on the spot their foreheads had connected. Anthony responded with granting him a kiss of his own. Right below his left eye where a previously unnoticed tear had run loose.

Their disguise disappeared and they were left with answering the frowning warrior. “… Syrene will displace our image and leave only Anthony behind so that you may have words.”

Thor simply nodded in acknowledgment. Loki took a few steps back and awaited for Syrene. He watched mournfully as dark mist rose from their feet and they vanished… would he lose Anthony?

Notes:

Oh boy, what will happen now that our boys are separated?

P.S. On a completely unrelated topic... I suck at coming up with titles. X'D

P.P.S. Still not over Infinity War...

P.P.P.S I have no idea if it's correct to just keep adding Ss to the P.S. but fuck it. (Edit: Thanks divinecrone for pointing out the correct way!)

P.P.P.P.S. Pride Month is coming up soon! READY THE RAINBOW CANONS!!!

P.P.P.P.P.S. Oh and I commisioned for Syrene to be drawn! I'll be adding that in later chapters plus on the first chapter she appears on. So excited!

As always, comments, kudos, and constructive criticism are always welcomed and appreciated! We've reached 1500 Kudos guys! Thank you soooo much!!

Chapter 37: Home Sweet Home

Notes:

Okay so... Imma be completely honest... I had a breakdown two nights ago... and it hasn’t been the first in a while... so yeah. Life’s kinda shitty at the moment. Having a really hard time finding motivation. I’ve had most of this chapter for quite a while but I just couldn’t bring myself to finish editing it and post it... so it’s probably not that good anyway. Sorry for the long wait. Can’t promise that the next will be out in the next few weeks but I can promise that I’m not abandoning this fic... it’s just gonna take me time. So yeah, if you still wanna stick with me and keep reading then I’m very veeeery grateful. Thank you all for being so amazing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“What’s up, Mean Swing?” greeted Tony when he saw the image of Loki and Syrene disappear.

“Stark... are you positive you are not under his control? The magic of my brother is powerful. Enough to make you think you act out of your own free will, but it is only his that you truly follow.” began trying to explain Thor, but Tony wouldn’t have it. They didn’t have time for this.

“Look, you can't fool technology the same way you can fool a person, Thor. Had I seemed like I was being controlled, J.A.R.V.I.S. would’ve immediately warned me and if I had been too far gone, he would have alerted the other Avengers. I’m not doing anything I don't wanna be doing. And even if he could fool J. Using a spell of that magnitude would severely deplete him of energy. That’s just a fact. He would pass out simply from maintaining it, let alone instruct me to do anything.” argued the engineer. He only half focused on the conversation. He was too busy remembering the two mages’ explanation of how this place worked. It apparently worked purely on thoughts and imagination. He could do anything as long as he could think of it. He began to experiment with that. He walked around, and a set of dark stairs rose from the pitch black solid waters. They looked just as weird as the not-floor. They flowed and dripped like liquid, yet swirled like gas. He walked forward and tested them. Seeing as they were solid enough, he began to climb them. Thor seemed to know where they were since he didn’t look surprised. Bummer.

“He does not need his magic to manipulate you, Man of Iron. He is the God of Mischief and Lies. He is magnificently skilled at twisting his words to get what he wants. His silver tongue is sharp and he is a master lie smith. Known throughout the Nine Realms for his deceits. You would not notice the web of lies he ties around you until you are suffocated by them.” grumbled the big blond obviously from first-hand experience. The human continued to walk around, enjoying being on higher ground than the tall god. He felt like whispering Don't try it but refrained from doing so. The reference would be waisted either way. He made a platform instead with a railing and leaned on it.

“Thor... you can’t fake the kinds of wounds that he had. Bruce patched him up himself! He said if he’d been human, he would have died. Oh, and let's not forget I’m one of the smartest humans on Earth. Stop underestimating me and stop villainizing your brother…" he scoffed "As if I would fall for it with how paranoid I am.” dismissed the shorter man with a throw of one of his arms over his head.

“Can you not see he is enticing your heart? I have seen him romanticize others for his own gain. You would be but one in a long line of beings he has played with. He does not love you. He is incapable of love. He does not feel the way he says he does. He may truly have been… tortured… but now he intends only to gain your favor for your status and resources.” argued the ignorant blond.

“Look…” Tony said before creating a ramp towards the alien and sliding down towards him. He stood right in from of Thor, at his eye level with a bit of help from the magic matter, and stated. “I don’t care what you think. I don’t care what he’s done and I don’t care what he used to be like. I’ll judge him by who he’s trying to be now. And so far, he’s doing great... He’s more than capable of love and what we feel… whatever it is, it's very real. So don’t you dare come here and say it isn't. The only thing you need to do is you need to decide on what side you’re on. Me? I’m with Loki and I won't let you take him back to Asgard. So you’re either gonna help me clear his name or you’ll be in my way and I won’t stand for anything being in my way.” threatened the human. Thor stood unmoved. It irritated Tony to see no reaction from him but mild surprise.

“Loki is not one to be underestimated. I only wish to warn you, for I care for you, my friend. Do not taint your honor by falling for his argr ways.” insisted the Aesir. Tony simply rolled his eyes.

“Argr? Okay, I’ve heard that more than once now. What the hell is that?” Questioned the mortal as he rubbed his temples. He would kill for a drink right now.

“Argr is a man who practices shameful and dishonorable acts. Practicing magic, using seiðr, or being bedded by another man… those are all the worst acts a man could partake in. Loki may be my brother, but he lacks honor. He has practiced these things and more without regret for most of his life… it is all the fault of that wench. She thought him such things. If he were not a Prince, he long would have been challenged to holmgang… and most likely found guilty or lost.” fretted the god.

“Okay, stop. Are you serious right now? You’re not pulling some sike prank show on me, right? You guys are seriously that messed up? That’s all so sexist and homophobic!” He was unable to even process what the hell he was hearing? How could anyone actually believe any of that? It was sick!

“Oh, for fuck's sake…” he took in a deep breath. “Look, Thor. We humans? Sure, we used to have that Argr shitshow you mentioned, and our women used to stay at home and take care of the families. But nowadays things are very different… You need to understand that if you ever hope to understand your brother...” that caught his attention. Thor always did say how he wished to understand his brother. How it pained him that he didn’t notice his resentment until too late.

“Loki’s staying here. We’re gonna keep helping him recover and we’re gonna clear his name. Nothing you say will change my mind, okay? He’s not controlling or manipulating me, so you have nothing to worry about. Everything’s under control. So, leave, go to Jane or something, and tell her to help you do some research on the LGTBQ+ community. When you’re done, come back to us. But only when you’ve understood equality and you’re ready to help. Loki’s not going anywhere anytime soon. We’ll both protect him and protect others from him, if necessary. Got it? So just leave for now and let us deal with this.” Offered the human. He wasn’t gonna be the one to explain it to him. Fuck that. But he had to learn. And if someone could make him understand, it would be Jane Foster.

“I trust you, my friend… Because of this, I shall do as you say and leave for now to do this research. If what you say is true and this will help me understand my brother… I must try it. But I warn you. As long as that wench is around, Loki will revert to his old habits. Do not trust her. There is more to her than meets the eye. If anything goes amidst, contact me immediately.” Said the god of thick-headedness in what he probably thought was a commanding voice. Like Tony ever followed orders.

“I won’t. I’ll deal with anything that happens.” Clearly stated the shorter Avenger as he mentally dissolved the platform and stairs and stood back on even ground. Well, imagined ground. This place was pleasantly complex. He would definitely ask those two to take him back here some day so he could examine it.

“Before I leave I wish to have more words with Loki… Brother? I know you hide among the shadows!” Loudly spoke the Thundercat.

“Shadows would involve light, and since there’s no light in this place…” Spoke from nowhere Loki’s voice. As he paused, dark smoke and liquid swirled upwards into two spirals. They took a humanoid shape and became his proper mage and the readhead show-off. “There’s no shadows, only dark matter.” He would so figure out how to do that one.

“Brother, please allow me to see the Seiðr Seal...” asked for the taller prince. Loki hesitated, but after a few moments he rolled up the sleeve of the dark green turtleneck Syrene had lent him back in the house. Thor looked at it without touching his arm, apparently not completely oblivious. Some of the symbols that floated around his bicep like a hologram were now burned into his skin from overexertion. “Are you healing well?” he asked.

“Yes, Thor. I am fine.” Retorted the younger alien as he hastily covered his arm again. Tony would have to talk to him about the seal later. Not to mention the fact that he hadn’t mentioned he even had it before. It apparently had been magically hidden. But that wasn’t important at the moment. What mattered right now was that Tony figured out how the hell they could manipulate their bodies with the dark waters. Like, he could get manipulating the matter itself, but could they manipulate their own constitution as well? Or was that some magic trick not related to this place? Huh? That wasn’t the important thing right now? Ahhh, right, right, their conversation.

“Then… I shall take my leave for the time being. I will return after I have acquired the knowledge the Man of Iron has told me to seek.” Said the big guy. Aham. Anyway. Oh! He got it!

Tony manipulated the matter around him, remembering it was not really a floor or water. It was all around them. He manipulated the matter around him to become just as dark as the rest, making it seems as he was invisible. Thor’s eyes blew open, obviously wondering where he had gone. The human quickly ran behind him and said ‘Boo’ in a low voice. As the thunderer turned around to find him, the inventor ran to Loki’s side, swirled the matter around him to create the effect he had seen Syrene use and became visible. Loki simply looked beside himself and smiled fondly while Thor seemed surprised. Tony sure knew which god didn’t underestimate his capacities.

The redheaded mage snorted and applauded him, obviously only partially impressed. Sy grabbed their tree pendant and smiled at Loki. The dark-haired prince looked back at them and smiled more brightly. What was that about? After a few unspoken words were exchanged between those two, Syrene opened their leather drop leg bag and pulled out a long sheet of cloth. When they released it, it floated in the air, like a flying carpet door. “Step right up. Portal straight to New Mexico.”

“If anything were to happen to my brother… I will hold you personally responsible and hunt you down.” Threatened Point Break right before stepping through. That wasn’t ominous at all. At least now they could go back to the tower.

“Well then! How about getting out of here before the high concentration of Dark Matter starts affecting the human?” advised the shorty. Wait…

“Wow wow wait… You don’t mean actual Dark Matter, right? As in Dark Matter dark matter?” blurted the engineer, going crazy with theories and possibilities! “Is that what this is?? But how are we able to interact with it? And shape it? And breath?? Holy shit!” Tony had read on dark matter from his father's studies and adventures with the SSR.

“Oh boy, your scientist have no idea what they’re doing. They’re still thousands of years too behind on that mystery. Blame the All-Father for considering humans too primitive to explain to them that one. But yeah, you could say magic is dark matter manipulation using dark energy, in very veeeery layman's terms, that is. Come on, time to go.” Completely and utterly unhelpfully explained the damn short Dark Matter Manipulator!!

“What? Wait but I need a sample! How do I get a sample??” nearly pleaded the scientist. Not that he would ever actually plead to Sy. He was just very strongly demanding.

“Anthony…” whispered Loki.

“Huh? Babe, I need a sample, this could revolutionize physics and our understanding of the creation of the universe!” exclaimed the human, barely missing the paleness in the younger god’s face right before he fainted. Tony caught him in the nick of time before he dropped to the not-floor. But instead of the heavy weight Tony was expecting, the man was presented with nothing. Loki seemed to float. Right, no gravity. He was cold to the touch. “Loki! What’s wrong?”

“He’s exhausted himself. He needs rest. Let’s get him back to the tower and into a bed.” Explained the Dwelf. Tony put his arm under the pale man’s legs and back, and gently pushed him toward the conscious mage, ready to carry him once gravity was once again a thing. Syrene instructed him that for the portal to work, he had to think of his room in the tower and to envision it as he stepped through. When they gave the okay, they grabbed his shoulder and followed and they portaled directly beside his bed. Suddenly, a massive strain overcame him. He dropped to his knees, barely holding the limp body in his arms up.

What the fuck? Loki had gotten waaaay heavier than he remembered. Syrene looked back at them and rolled their eyes. They passed their hand over Loki and suddenly Tony could lift him again. Okay? The engineer steadied himself, pulled the both upwards and walked towards the bed, laying the god on it.

“Welcome back, Sir. Should I inform the others of your arrival? And how may I catalog our newest visitor?” asked his faithful AI. After rearranging a pillow, Tony answered.

“Plain friendly status for now. And don’t tell the others yet. Just Bruce. Ask him to come over actually. But later.” He instructed as he rearranged the covers and was mesmerized by how those dark curls looked like spilled ink in contrast to the white sheets.

“The ‘Friendly’ status I’m flattered with, but the plain part seems kinda unfitting. I’m anything but plain, honey.” Interrupted the damn half elf as they actually dared to sit on his bed, by Loki’s other side.

“Well surprise surprise, I don’t care. And I still don’t trust you, Ginger. So off my bed before I take the friendly part out and set my defenses against you.” He threatened. To his displeasure, they seemed not to care much.

“So original. And I must help My Prince, so I’m staying.” Sy bite back. Did their eyes just get brighter? Like glowy? Was that an alien thing?

“Ha! No way sunshine! You’re not touching him ‘till Bruce gets here.” He stated, storming over to the other side of the bed and looking down at the redhead.

“I only intend to share with him my energy so that he may get better sooner...” they clarified as they slowly, and stupidly gracefully, stood up. “Stop being a jealous kid and consider Loki’s wellbeing.”

Even considering Sy was smaller and looked much younger, Tony was well aware they were no child. Up close he could feel the power radiating from them, much like Loki’s did back when they first faced off in his penthouse. It made every hair on the back of his neck rise. Dealing with angry magical beings was like playing with fire… or more accurately radioactive matter. Every fiber in his human body yelled at him to flee. But he couldn’t. He had to be careful. “…I am considering his wellbeing. That’s why I’m having a doctor familiar with his current condition look at him.”

Golden wisp of magic began to round the ginger’s clenched hands. The lighter tips of their short hair rose up, or more like floated and light up faintly. Made it seem like dancing fire. “If it was not because the loss of you would affect Loki too negatively right now, and that he can recover without my help… I would have slit your throat by now…” Syrene threatened. Tony was in deep shit without his suit if they attacked. But he was pretty sure they wouldn’t with Loki so close. Things around them calmed down and they spoke again. “Have your berserker doctor look at him... I’ll go back to my place and get some stuff I need. I won’t be gone too long.”

“You aren’t needed here right now so don’t bother coming back. We’ll call you when you’re needed.” Dismissed Tony. The sooner they left, the sooner he and Loki could work things out.

“You have no say in that matter, kid. I will return when Loki wishes for my return.” Declared the mage as they dug into their drop leg bag and pulled out one of those portal cloths. They jumped right in and pulled the corner of the cloth in, making it collapse in on itself. How that didn’t create a black hole was beyond him.

“We’ll see.” The human said into the empty silence.

The god laying on the bed stirred and fluttered his eyes open. “An… Anthony…?” he called out. Right on queue.

“Hey there, darling. How you feeling?” asked Tony as he sat on the bed beside him. 

“As… As if I have laid with a raging hormonal Bilgesnipe…” joked with gritted teeth the taller man. He lifted himself up and got in a sitting position beside the human.

“Don’t know what those are, but sounds unpleasant.” The engineer humored him.

“Unpleasant beings in general… I see we have returned to the Tower. Where is Syrene?” questioned Loki. Damn why was he so quick to be perceptive?… and why did Tony find that hot?

“Went back Puerto Rico to do something but I told them they can stay over there ’till we call that we need anything.” Explained the playboy, not very thrilled to be talking about that red smurf.

“Oh… I see…” said Loki in a low voice. He was obviously disappointed Sy had left… and now Tony felt like an ass. Even if he didn’t like them, Sy was still Loki’s friend… “But I’m glad we have returned home.”

Did… did Loki just say home? The god seemed to notice what he had said and immediately panicked. His eyes flew open and his mouth parted as he tried to find excuses but nothing came out, just mumbled sounds. But the human quickly shut down his worries with a smile. “Yeah, it’s good to be home.”

Loki’s jaw dropped slightly as his eyes glassed over. But those lips quickly pressed together and the corners rose upwards in a faint smile. The mage jumped over him and crashed their mouths together. It was a bit more painful than pleasant but Tony laughed anyway.

He brought Loki’s leg over his lap to have him properly straddling. The engineer placed his arms around that slender waist and brought them impossibly closer. The mage threw his head back and let out a throaty chuckle from that exposed pale neck. He looked back down and brought their foreheads together, dark curls cascading around their faces, hiding them from all their worries.

“Home Sweet Home.”

Notes:

Idk what I did in this chapter... guess the place they were in is me kinda describing how my mind feels at the moment. Except I made it fun instead of terrifying. Or I at least tried to. Aaaanyway.

As always! Kudos, bookmarks and comments always appreciated! Still waiting on that Syrene commission I talked about some chapters ago.

https://discord.gg/zwKsXWV

Chapter 38: Revelations

Notes:

I don't know what to say honestly... not feeling well but the chapter's done so here ya go.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

As soon as Bruce was told those two idiots had actually arrived a few hours ago, he rushed over to Tony’s room. He hesitated at the door, not really wanting to walk in on them if they were doing anything. He decided to knock instead. When he heard J.A.R.V.I.S. confirm that Loki was sleeping, he stepped in.

Loki laid beside Tony under the sheets, with his head on the engineer’s shoulder and a hand wrapped around his waist. He looked pale but peaceful. Tony read from a tablet he held with his free hand as the other held the otherworldly prince. He looked up and smiled at his friend.

It was kind of weird to see them like this. Correction, it looked perfectly right, in the most unreal way. It was too complicated to describe properly. But as messed up as the whole situation was, it just worked. And for the first time in he couldn’t tell how long, Tony’s smile seemed genuine. Bruce took a moment to remember the peaceful scene, but when Tony frowned at him in questioning, he shook his head. How he wished they could stay like this.

The biochemist and nuclear physicists walked over to the bed and asked in a low voice. “How are you both? What happened after the whole ‘getting Thor alone to the roof plan’? And who’s Sy… Symean? Was that what you said?” Tony snorted at the name. Probably another of his favored nicknames.

“Home sweet home indeed…” the billionaire vaguely answered.

“What?” Asked Bruce confused.

Putting down his tablet with a curious smile, the engineer began to retell their tell. “Nothing… Right, so basically, we got lost in the void of space while teleporting and a prick of a dwarf saved us and brought us to Puerto Rico. Turned out the smartass was an old friend of Loki's. They shared memories or something with magic and apparently all is supposedly good. Not enough for me but whatever. Then came the ‘Get Thor to their roof alone’ plan.” Okay… a Dwarf… old friend of Loki’s… memory sharing?

“Oh right, that I saw through J.A.R.V.I.S. I’m guessing the redhead is this… dwarf?” Guessed the scientist. He thought Dwarfs would look differently. Maybe that was just human imagination.

“Yep. We got Thor into a pocket dimension thing that was completely made of Dark Matter, which by the way, we totally have to nerd about later. There we spoke, Thor was a homophobe, I told him to fuck off unless he intended to help and only if he learned to grow some brain cells. He agreed to have Jane Foster help him do research on equality for the sake of understanding Loki and he left. Loki used spells here and there and exhausted himself and fainted, and me and that jerk had to carry him here. Oh, and Sy-ass went back to Puerto Rico ‘till needed.” Finished the playboy. It sounded... it sounded like it was probably a hell of a lot more than just that but Tony obviously didn’t want to get in on the details. Also… Dark Matter? As in Dark Matter dark matter??

“Al-Alright then? You’ll have to elaborate more on the details later. Specially the Dark Matter. For now, let me have a look at Loki.” Asked for Bruce.

“Let me get out tho’...” stated the genius, as he tried to get out from under Loki without waking him, but that failed hysterically when he dropped his head. “Ah shit… sorry, didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Hmm… it… It is quite alright. Dr. Banner, it is good to see you again.” Groggily greeted the mage.

“I hear you’ve been overworking yourself again?” Only half joked the doctor. I worried him how pale the god looked.

“I apologize... but I am afraid it was necessary. I assume Stark has explained what transpired?” questioned the tall alien. He sat up on the bed, hissed in pain and grabbed his right arm.

“Roughly. What’s wrong with your arm? Let me see it.” Bruce quickly walked over to the other side of the bed to get a better look.

“I see he has forgone that detail...” he grumbled while carefully taking off the dark green turtleneck he wore. His right bicep was covered in darkened red marks… they looked like symbols, almost like brands. It didn’t look like permanent third degree burns but they also lacked the usual blistering of a second degree burn. It wasn’t nerve ending damage so it probably hurt badly.

“What happened??” Urged the scientist. How could Tony just skip over this fact??

“Oh that… well seems Lolo gave us a more simplistic explanation of how he’s magic is sealed… seems he has an actual seal that, well, burns him if he pressures it too much. We can talk about that later.”  It was obvious this was going to be a touchy subject. Loki hadn’t been completely honest with them and that’s not gonna help anyone trust him… For now, health was more important.

“Well… they might not leave a permanent scar considering your rapid healing but I don’t know if it’s different because of their magical nature. Do you have any knowledge about how this may affect you?” there was no telling with magic honestly. Anything could happen. Well, he didn’t actually believe that. Both Tony and him believed magic to simply be science that hasn’t been explained yet. But since they severely lacked those explanations, it would seem like anything could happen. Those who say ignorance is bliss are fundamentally wrong.

“From what I understand, they shall scar permanently until the seal is lifted or broken. They serve both as a reminder and evidence of my actions taken. Once the seal is gone, I will most likely be able to heal the damage.” offered the alien. He had to admit that having around someone who understood magic was nice. Now if they could fully trust his explanations? Sadly not yet. But one day maybe.  

“Well, all I can really do is give you some burn ointment formulated with a topical anesthetic to help reduce discomfort. I don't think giving you anymore opioid analgesics is a good idea... But aside from that, you need rest. No more magic, understood?” gently but sternly instructed Bruce. He disliked the idea of giving him any more painkillers. He'd started to develop dependence. Maybe now that he had more magic he might not be so susceptible to it but they should still be careful. Could Gods become addicts? Who knew... but that desperation which he had begged for the tranquilizer when Barton first saw him... was concerning in more ways than just health wise. Addiction led regular humans down dangerous paths... imagine a God-like magical alien? 

“Understood.” Replied Loki, not looking at him in the eyes... there was guilt and fear in his demeanor. He was obviously still fearful of the hulk but he did look less tense around Bruce than other times. He couldn’t deny the fact that he wanted to get to know the god better. The tells he could tell.

“Do you need anything else? I was about to make some tea. Do you want coffee or something else?” Offered the scientist.

Both Loki and Tony shook their heads, Tony speaking up. “We good here, thanks. Now J. buddy, you can tell the others we’re here. But make it clear Lokes needs to rest.” Said Bruce’s friend towards the ceiling. There was no real need to look or talk towards a camera for J.A.R.V.I.S. to hear them, but that was just like Tony. He treated his creations as if they were alive. As if they were his children. And his creations developed far more than would seem possible from simply looking at their code. It was a beautiful mystery.  

“Right away, Sir.” Answered the AI, almost sounding maybe relieved? Or a mix of that and sympathetic? How could a program understand exhaustion and the need to relish the feeling of finally being home? Yet it somehow did.

“Guess I’ll be taking my leave then. Tony, no funny business, let him rest. And Loki, don’t let him him convince you to do anything stupid.” urged Bruce with a smile. He knew all too well both wouldn’t listen. He stood up from the bed’s side and walked towards the door with his hands in his pockets. He did not envy them for many reasons, but a small pang of pain lingered in his heart at the thought of having what they had with each other. He looked back once he was at the door, just in time for Tony’s response

“Hey! He’s the God of Trouble, not me!” protested the engineer, gesturing at Loki, who raised an eyebrow.

“God of Mischief, darling.” Corrected the god with a hit of an affectionate threat.

“Same difference.” Dismissed his fellow Avenger. They’ll be fine. With that thought in his mind, Bruce left the two impulsive idiots to their shared recklessness.


 

After Loki had first awoken and after unintentionally calling Stark Tower their home, he had fearfully asked Anthony about his words with Thor. The human had reassured him that nothing his once brother had said had any effect on their relationship… what sort of relationship did they share? No matter. The mortal explained how he had inescapably defended the raven haired god and how even more unbelievably, Thor had agreed to do the search Anthony had demanded he did. He himself was not aware of such knowledge and they had searched for it together.

It shocked him immensely to see there were accepted terms and even communities for what he had so long thought was an aberration that only he and Syrene experienced… ‘Homosexuality’… but no… he thought the description for ‘Pansexuality’ might fit them better. And ‘Gender Fluidity’… mortals could not change their shape yet somehow they understood the incommodity of being confined to one body… and they fought so vigorously for ‘equality’. For gender, for sexuality, for race, for religion, for age and so many things the Aesir would never accept. They had their faults and many still held beliefs similar to that of the Aesir, but so many more had already surpassed that. Mortals… no… humans were incredible… he could even consider them more advanced than most of the other beings in the Nine Realms. As he processed this, he felt a weight lift from his heavy shoulders. Another part of the seal broke, but it settled in his stomach instead… how could he have ever thought of them beneath him? It pained him how much damage he had caused in his attempt to escape from His hands…

He felt his energy restored but his mood mitigated… he had not mentioned the break of the seal to Anthony and had only asked to rest. After he was woken up and Banner had left, he still felt drained, but not from his previous magic exhaustion.

“So how are you actually feeling?” Asked Anthony, seeming not to have noticed the break of a part of the seal. Or if he did notice, he made no mention of it. It mattered not. He rested his head on the shoulder of the mortal and sighed.

“I… overwhelmed…” he softly admitted, the usual lie dying on his tongue. There was no need for that here. The engineer was likely to understand.

“Yeah…” was his reply. Of course, he understood. He knew exactly how it felt to have all he knew of the world around him be twisted beyond recognition.

“I… I think I would like to take a bath now…” carefully mentioned the god. Unsure of what he desired. Unsure of how to proceed. He wanted for them to be more intimate… but not the way they had been craving.

“Sure, need help getting up? While you’re at that, I’m gonna get something for us to eat.” Suggested the human, not perceiving the invitation.

“I… I would rather if you joined me… no-not erotically but…” Loki tried to find the words but they would not appear in his mind. He felt too drained to be eloquent or concise.

“Oh. Are you sure tho’? I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable.” Anthony walked around the bed and helped the weak mage stand.

“So considerate… but I would prefer to not be left alone to my treacherous thoughts…” admitted warily the prince. He was taking a risk being so open, but that was precisely how he felt. Exposed.

“Alright, I’ll just send for J.A.R.V.I.S. to bring us something to eat when we’re done.” Agreed to Anthony, easily. He had a look of concern but made no comment, only smiled as he lead them both into the washroom.

“Thank you...” Barely whispered Loki.

They took off their clothes slowly. Not in a seductive matter, but in one where they made sure they were both alright with the situation. They remained in their underwear as they stepped into the shower. Loki would have preferred a tub but he was aware Anthony was uncomfortable around large bodies of water after his time tortured. They faced each other unmoving for a few moments before the human reached over Loki and turned on the water. It rolled down their bodies comfortingly. It reminded Loki of his first proper shower in the tower. How he felt cleansed of all the filth accumulated through his year in the dungeons. He felt some of his weight roll of his shoulders in the same matter.

Anthony made a small coughing sound and Loki focus on him. He gave him a small smile as he grabbed the soup and began to rub it between his hands. His mortal seemed to be having some trouble… relaxing. He could see a faint blush on his cheeks and a telltale bump in his trousers. He was trying to hide it in shame. But he kept his hands lowered. Made no move. He intended to wait for Loki even as his body asked him to do otherwise. How sweet. He could feel himself harden as well. But neither would act on those desires yet. There was things with higher importance. He bent down slightly and kissed the man in front of him with a gentleness he was unfamiliar with.

About 45 minutes later, towels wrapped around their waist, they stepped out of the washroom. During their time bathing, J.A.R.V.I.S. had brought Loki a pair of clean clothes. The two men dressed in comfortable silence. Anthony broke it first.

“You sure you don’t wanna eat here?” He asked with a grunt. They had agreed to go eat with the other Avengers before leaving the shower. The mage pulled up the undergarments and picked up the black jeans that laid on the bed.

“It will inspire suspicion if we continue to hide away in your rooms.” Explained once again Loki as he put on his pants. He would have preferred to stay alone with Anthony, yes, but it was important that the other humans did not have a reason for suspicion if they had any hope of anything working out for them.

“They wouldn’t really be shocked. They probably think we baggin’ right now.” The god took the long sleeved dark green t-shirt and looked back at the man just in time to see him pull up his pants. He tilted his head and took in a large breath... quite the view.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, the prince responded. “Not the sort of suspicions I mean, Anthony.”

“Fine fine. Awkward family diner it is… Huh. I’m basically presenting you to the old folk and they’ll be typically disapproving of my life choices. ‘Why couldn’t you get yourself a cute respectable girl? Why did you have to bring us a disrespectful undignified boy of all things!?’ Stark men aren’t fags!’...” sneered the engineer. Loki put down the shirt and hugged the shorter man from the back, his skin tingling with the feeling of having a warm body against his chest.

The human rubbed the cold arms Loki placed around his chest. Taking one hand and leaving a kiss on the palm, he said “Old news hopefully, anyway… let’s go, I’m starving.” Loki let go of him and went to fetch again his previous discarded shirt. As it came down on his torso, he noticed it had a large neck area and it gave a pleasing look of his collarbones. Many of his features were still accentuated because of malnutrition. Marely a decade ago it would have bothered him for he lacked a muscular body like that of his brother… but he felt almost comfortable with how he looked now. It was odd, but having had learned of the large diversity on Midgard… made him feel less at odds with his own body… until he remembered that it was still all a lie. This did not reflect his true form.

“You okay there? You look like you’re sucking on a lemon.” Should… should he show Anthony his true form? Would he accept him? Could he afford to accept the true form of a monster?

No… not yet… “Forgive me, it is nothing. Shall we go?” Asked the god with an unfelt smile waiting at the door.

“... sure. Let’s see what those dorks out there call food.” The human dismissed. He was not sure how much longer the mortal was willing to let things go unspoken but he was grateful for it. In do time they would speak… but he could not at this moment… Not yet… one problem at a time. Now he would have to face the Avengers once again… for dinner. By the Norms, he missed when his problems were as simple as figuring how to get invited to the court hunt. He sure wished Syrene was here.

Hmm… how easy it was to fall back to their usual dynamics. Even after nearly a century. Could he take this as a sign that he could go back to certain things in his life? No… he could never go back. His whole life was a lie. But maybe… maybe he could form real bonds from that broken lie. He would have to think about that in more detail later. There was far too many things to consider. 'Oh stop it! Stop thinking so much. Focus on the here and now, Loki!'

The mage shook his head, his vision centering back to Anthony who tossed around his hair and put some sort of liquid into it to help style it. He remembered his own hair and passed his hands through it while casting a small heating spell that simultaneously dried it and flattened it. He added a bit of grease to it to maintain it down. A little concoction he had cooked up so many centuries ago to combat the inevitable frizz that being around Thor for too long would cause.

“I’m gonna have to get you something else to use cause the greasy look suits you, but the clean look suits you even better. I’ll make something that combats frizz but looks clean. Just wait for it. Maybe I’ll open a Stark Hair Products line. Wrap Bruce around the chemistry part. That’ll be cool. I’ll call it the ‘Stark: Hair of the Gods’ line. Okay nevermind, I’ll leave the name as a draft for now. Oh got it! ‘Low-key Looks’! Genius! What do you thi-?” The god shut him up with a kiss...

There was no more denying it. No matter how much he tried to fool everyone, including himself, there was no point anymore. It was inevitable. It even his best crafted lie would not work in himself any longer…

He had fallen in love...

It was no longer a 'possibly' or a 'maybe'…it was a certain fact now. He had made the mistake of taking a step over the boundary he had set to protect himself and had fallen. It had been such a simple plan at the time. To place just one foot over the line and keep one in his comfort zone. To take just a glance. One step to see what could possibly be. He had told himself 'I have gone through enough in my long life to know how to control my sentiment. I am strong. I shall simply allow myself to think of how it would be If I Had You... Just that. Just a step. Just a peek... What would happen? How would it be… If Only I Had You? But there had been no floor to stand on at the other side, only void. There was no single step. Not just one peek. There was no going back. And he had plunged into it. He really had metaphorically speaking ‘fallen in love’. There was no denying it. That one moment had sealed his fate. Loki unmistakably loved the Mortal, the Genius, the Avenger… Anthony Edward Stark.

But would he regret it?

Notes:

Let me just say... I've been waiting for ages to use that last metaphor about crossing the line... I feel ya Loki... That's all? Guess so. I'll get to the next chapter soon.

Chapter 39: Dinner Plans

Notes:

*sighs* I don’t know guys, I’m not feeling the same way I used to about this story. I don’t plan to drop it but it just doesn’t feel as mine as it used to. Kinda feels like I’m writing a fanfic of a fanfic. What do you guys suggest? I seriously need motivation.

P.S. I don’t know if I need to use some sort of disclaimer but the first scene of this chapter is basically scripted right from Spider-Man Homecoming with a few minor changes to adjust to this story. Just pointing that out.

Edit:
P.P.S. Super thanks to my lovely beautiful Spidey roleplayer, the majestic Queen Lexy for all the help with the Spidey scenes~! She’s amazing guys~! :3 ❤️❤️❤️

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

As Peter turned around he heard a loud crash. Hundred of Lego pieces fell apart on the floor as the Death Star disintegrated. The young male heard his Aunt ask what had happened and he quickly replied that it was nothing and that he was fine... but he reeeeally wasn't. He looked back at his shocked friend, Ned, sitting on the bed and a billion things passed through his mind. What was he supposed to do??

Ned obviously freaked out and started to ask questions Peter couldn’t answer! And then Aunt May walked in, saw him half naked which wasn’t awkward at all, and left again. What was he gonna do? He couldn’t hide it from Ned anymore...

“Oh, she doesn’t know?” Asked his friend, looking back at him, still in shock.

“Nobody knows!” Exclaimed the spiderling. Oh boy, this was sooo bad! Okay okay, he had to be smart about this. Keep it cool. Mr. Stark cool.

“Oh my god, I’m friends with Spider-Man! Gwen and Harry don’t know? You didn’t tell Harry before he left for that boarding school?” Asked his friend. He’d been spending more time recently with Ned than with Harry and Gwen since Harry decided to be part of the jocks and Gwen was always doing her things. But that was fine. He can have more than just two good friends.

“Mr. Stark knows because he made the suit. That’s it.” Peter answered the question as he picked up said suit from where he had quickly discarded it and properly put it away. Couldn’t just leave it laying around. It was Stark Tech!

“Tony Stark made you that? Are you an Avenger?” Continued to ask Ned.

“Yeah, basically. You can’t tell anyone about this. You gotta keep it a secret!” Demanded Peter. This couldn’t leave this room.

“Secret? Why?” Questioned his fellow Star Wars nerd. They were into really old stuff like that.

“You know what Aunt May and Gwen are like. If they find out people try and kill me every night, they won’t let me do this!” He rushed to explain, not wanting this to get out of hand. “Come on, Ned, please.”

“Okay, okay, okay… I’ll level with you. I can’t keep this a secret! It’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me!” Groaned Ned.

“Ned, They cannot know. And Aunt May… I cannot do that to her now. You know? I mean everything that’s happened to her, I… Please.” Urged the Hero. “Just swear it, okay?”

“I swear.” Responded Ned reluctantly.

“Thank you… I can’t believe this is happening now.” Murmured Parker as he rubbed his face.

“How’s it work? Magnets? How do you shoot the strings?” Marveled Ned again. Too many questions. He had to speak to Mr. Stark.

“I’m gonna tell you at school tomorrow.” Assured the spider.

“Great. Okay, well, wait, then… how do you do this and the Stark Internship?” Puzzled Ned. How was he friends with this big innocent dummy?

“This is the Stark Internship.” He deadpanned as he walked his friend out the door.

“Ohh..” exclaimed the clueless duff.

“Just get out of here.” He exasperatedly, yet with a small smile, shoved his friend out and leaned against the closed door. What now?...

He had to speak to Mr. Stark.

Quickly he took out his suit, put it on again and jumped out the window.


 

Standing on the rooftop of one of the nearby buildings, Peter contemplated what to do. He couldn’t just walk in through the front lobby and ask to see Mr. Stark. Could he? He had no idea. He should probably ask. For the moment tho’… climbing the building seemed like the most logical and only solution! Oh well!

And he did just that. He began to climb the Stark Tower by its side and once he was as high as he was comfortable with going, he found a window where he could see workers inside and knocked. The workers inside jumped and backed away from the window, pointing out to him.

Okay so admittedly that might have not been the smartest plan… so plan B? Could Jarvis hear him outside? “Ehm… Jarvis? Could you let me-” he heard a click and he experimentally pushed the window in to see if it would open. When it did, he crawled his way in. “Thanks, Jarvis!” The workers looked at him and the ceiling completely baffled by what was going on. “Hi, there! Sorry for the interruption, don’t mind me. Just a friendly spider passing through.”

“What brings you to Stark Tower, Spider-Man?” Asked a voice from the ceiling. Many of the workers jumped at the voice. It looked like Jarvis didn’t usually speak on this area of the tower. Or maybe they just didn’t have the clearance for it? Did he work on all the tower or just on Mr. Stark’s areas? Anyway, that’s not why he’s here.

“I have something urgent I need to speak about with Mr. Stark. It’s very important, hero related. Do you know where I could find him?” Wondered the young hero.

“Mr. Stark and the rest of the Avengers are about to eat dinner in the Party Deck, should I prepare a suit for him and alert the other Avengers?” Asked the AI with a concerned voice. Seriously how do you even program concern?? Oh, wait no! No alerts!

“No no no no! No alerts! I just need to talk to him.” He quickly clarified waving his hands frantically.

“Very well… Mr. Stark says you can come up to the Party Deck. You may take his personal elevator which you will find on the left from the door in front of you across the room, at the end of the hallway.” Instructed the coolest AI ever.

“Thanks, Jarvis!” Said, Peter, as he sprinted toward the elevator. Mr. Stark’s private elevator! How cool was that! He got in on it and didn’t even have to press anything since Jarvis automatically closed the doors and chose the floor.

Peter was nervous, sure, but he could never get over how amazing it was to be in the tower. To meet his idol. Wait… did Jarvis say Mr. Stark and the other Avengers ?? He was about to meet the rest of the Avengers!!

As soon as the doors opened both Mr. Stark and Mr. Loki were right outside. They looked concerned and quickly Mr. Stark asked. “Kid, what happened?! Is everything alright??”

It took him a second but Peter took off his mask and began to ramble. “No, something terrible happened Mr. Stark... I’m so sorry. I know how important it was that I kept it a secret. Aunt May would totally kill me if she found out I was Spider-Man, or worse, she would ground me for life! If the school found out they might suspend me or even expel me! And I also have to do it to protect them from my enemies because they could use them against me if they found out and I can’t let that happen so keeping my identity secret is super important, I know, I swe-”

Mr. Stark interrupted him to tell him. “Kid! Breath! Just get to the point, what happened??”

“Ned knows!” The spiderling yelled.

“Ned? Who is this Ned?” Carefully asked Mr. Loki with a frown.

“Ned! One of my best friends! He knows! He was in my room waiting for me to help him build the Lego Death Star and he saw me on the roof and saw me take off my mask and he knows! ” Panted Peter.

Mr. Stark gently grabbed him by the arms and asked. “Calm down. Do you think he’ll snitch?”

“W-what? N-no I made him swear not to.” Stammered the poor kid out of breath.

“...Then what’s the emergency? Can he not be trusted?” Cautioned Mr. Stark.

“Does he need to be reminded of his oath?” Asked Mr. Loki looking a bit scary with intense eyes. Mr. Stark looked back at the god with a small frown and placed a hand on the mage’s arm. Mr. Loki looked at the hand, straightened his back and placed a hand of his own on top of Mr. Stark’s. His face muscles seemed to relax a bit after that. It was weird but also kinda… oddly interesting to see them interact. It looked… sweet in a way? Were they gay? Or maybe Bi since Mr. Stark had been with Ms. Potts. Or wait, was it Pan since technically speaking Mr. Loki is another entirely different race?? Hadn’t he turned into a horse or something in Norse Myth? Would that make him Genderfluid or Racefluid? Godfluid? Godsexual? Magicsexual? What if-

“Kid!” Yelled Mr. Stark, shaking his arms to bring Peter back to reality.

“Oh! Ehh I don’t think so. I told him I would explain things tomorrow.” rushed to say, Peter, as he caught up with the conversation around him. He looked at Mr. Stark’s face and found anger. It frightened him a bit. He’d messed up again, hadn’t he?

“...So you’re telling me you rush over here and climb the side of my building for something so stupid?? You have any idea how completely unnecessary and idiotic that was!? I thought it was going to be something important!” Mr. Stark was gonna take his suit away now for sure! Oh, Peter how stupid could you have been?! Why didn’t you check the room before going in and taking your mask off?

“I… I panicked…” whispered the foolish kid. He had finally ruined his chances of being an Avenger. Mr. Stark looked so mad… Peter was about to apologize and hand in his suit when Mr. Loki spoke.

“What Stark is trying to say, but failing miserably to do so because of his emotions...” the god glared(?) at the inventor. “Is that you worried us immensely. Because of the urgency you displayed, we thought something catastrophic had happened. Your behavior led us to believe the worse. Thus, it would be wise to measure the degree of the situation before charging in, to avoid misunderstandings and accidents. Right? Stark?” sternly asked the raven-haired alien… Wait Mr. Loki was the one being nice and reasonable??

“...What he said…” grumbled Iron Man. He took in a deep breath and continued. “...Look, kid, you’ll explain things to him tomorrow and work it out, no big deal…Just… Just don’t dare to ever do this again. You scared the living crap out of us! When J. said you were outside of the building, knocking on a window, asking where I was cause it was an emergency, I thought someone might be kidnapped or dead! Not to mention you could have slipped from the glass and fell more than 300 feet! Next time enter through the front lobby and don’t say it’s an emergency unless it really is life or death.” demanded the billionaire.

“I’m really, really sorry. I didn’t mean to. I-I just panicked and didn’t know what to do... I’ll be more careful next time.” quickly apologized for the spiderling, not wanting to miss the chance at forgiveness and getting to keep his suit. He would be nothing without that suit.

“That’s all we needed to hear. We forgive you, right?” Mr. Loki had to elbow Mr. Stark for a response since he seemed to be in distant thought.

“... Right… just give me a minute.” he insisted as he turned his back on them and walked towards the other side of the room. Peter just noticed they were in what seemed to be the Party Deck.

“... Do not take his harsh words as hatred or disappointment. Stark has lost many a thing in his short mortal life and he can not bare with the thought of losing anyone else, especially a child. He did not mean what he said to you. He is simply worried. We care for you and are capable of doing far too many things because of it.” consoled the mage. But Peter wasn’t sure what he meant by that last part. Not that he was gonna ask right now. He was in far too much trouble as it was.

“I… I get it. I promise to be more careful,” reassured Parker. He took a moment to look around more and noticed that Mr. Loki was wearing normal clothes. Last he’d seen him, he had been in hospital clothes. He was wearing a dark green t-shirt with long sleeves. It fit him well with the dark pants he had on. Tho’ it kinda looked like Christmas in contrast with Mr. Stark’s red Led Zeppelin t-shirt with jeans. Oh, the funny gift ideas he could come up with if they ever got together. Oh! Reindeers!

“Good. Stark, shall we join the others for dinner? Could we invite the spiderling as well?” Peter nearly fell as he heard Mr. Loki speak to his idol. Dinner?? With the Avengers??

“You wanna drop him in the middle of that tension fest?” Yes! Peter definitely wanted to be in the middle of an Avenger’s dinner!!

“He might be able to alleviate said tension… and also help me through it.” Way to go Mr. Loki!! Eating Smashed Potatoes with the Hulk!!

“Damn… okay, sure, let’s just get this over with.” Hurray!!!


“Why should we trust you?” Asked Captain America before taking another bite of his food. It had started of cool. They had eaten and asked Peter about his missions and they had shared with him a few stories and advice and it was awesome. But then Mr. Loki shared some tips as well and one of the assassins from S.H.I.E.L.D., Hawkeye, snapped. They started to argue about him and of what they should or shouldn’t do. Peter was getting nervous.

“You should not. And I am not naïve nor petty enough to ask that of you. Trust is nothing but a lie we feed our minds for a semblance of comfort. It is nearly impossible to truly give or gain such ‘trust’, and only few can claim to truly have it. Only those who have learned the harsh lessons of repeated betrayal can appreciate and understand the concept. My trust here in this building solely lays with Stark and Dr. Banner. I am even prepared to trust the Spider Boy before I trust anyone else at this table. Just as I do not trust you, you should not trust me… not until we have seen for ourselves that we can. And I intend to show you precisely that. Thus, no, I do not ask for your trust. I merely ask for your patience.” replied Mr. Loki who had barely touched his plate.

“I don’t like this Tony… Thor should be here for this.” Said the Captain, almost kinda ignoring Mr. Loki which wasn’t very nice.

“And like I’ve already explained like a billion times, he’s not stepping into this building ever again until he changes his homophobic ways.” restated Mr. Stark in a super annoyed voice. He could tell what Mr. Loki had said was true. This was what his idol looked like when truly mad. Earlier he said harsh things but he had been mostly worried, not really angry.

“Couldn’t we just call him?” Suggested Peter and instantly regretted it.  Mr. Stark seemed to cringe at the idea and Mr. Loki looked betrayed.

“He’s right. We should at least call him.” Dr. Banner backed him up but he wasn’t liking the idea anymore.

“Or we could just call S.H.I.E.L.D. and throw his ass in a moldy cell… just saying.” Morbidly suggested Hawkeye as he adjusted his new, Stark issued, hearing aid. Mr. Stark gave him a well deserved stink eye.

“Loki? Is calling him alright with you?” Asked Dr. Banner from Mr. Stark’s side.

The answer came in a barely heard whisper. Peter suspected only him, Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner heard him. “... He… he does not know all that concerned m...my situation… His careless blabbering could cost me my only chance at redemption…”

Mr. Stark grabbed the mage’s hand and whisper only loud enough for them to hear. “As much as it annoys me to admit… he’s our best shot right now. We need him on our side when we face S.H.I.E.L.D. and the press… He knows that Odin sent you here plus he cares about you.”

“I… I am aware… please excuse me for a moment…” asked Mr. Loki as he pushed his chair back and quickly walked out of the dining room.

“Loki… wait!” Mr. Stark pleaded but before he could go after the god, the soldier spoke again.

“Tony we have to deal with this without letting our feelings get in the way.” he said in a stern voice. Peter was regretting deciding to join them for dinner. He didn’t like being in the middle of all their arguing. He couldn’t blame Mr. Loki for leaving.

“Feelings? This is about mental health! You want a repeat of what happened when you freaked him out Cap? Or when Thor showed up?? Not like you can understand, you’re the perfect soldier after all.” yelled his idol. Oh that wasn’t gonna end well. Should he just leave while they were distracted?

“Now that was just uncalled for, Stark. I saw soldiers lose their minds to war! I held fallen comrades as they panicked for air while blood poured out their mouths! I sat by soldiers who screamed themselves mute as they scratched the stumps where their limbs should be! My best friend was tortured by Hydra! I know perfectly well what a broken mind looks like, Stark!” countered the Captain. He did have a point… they both had a point...

“Well if you’re so well verse in mental health, then why are you being such a hard ass?! Where’s the consideration you gave them!?” demanded Mr. Stark.  They had good points but they weren’t really helping anyone. He wanted to leave but he couldn’t if Mr. Loki needed help.

So Peter sneaked off past the loud arguing and to find where Mr. Loki had gone off to. He found him leaning over the kitchen sink while the water ran, looking pale. He looked nauseated, barely holding back the urge to spill over his dinner. The sight worried the boy, not entirely sure what to do, but knowing well he should do something. He managed to gather some courage up and asked "Hey, uh... you okay...?"

"Parker... Apologies for my abrupt departure from the table... I just... I could not stomach the idea of my fate resting in the word of that oaf. He will surely say I should be imprisoned again in th-the dungeons... I can not go back... not again." the god shook with the effort to speak as he tightly shut his eyes.

The boy got closer to the slender figure standing before him and pondered on how to help him. After all, helping out is what a friendly neighborhood Spider-man does best. But this wasn't his typical helping out scenario. There were no thugs to beat up, no kittens to rescue, no old ladies to cross the road... just... a person, well... a god, that was emotionally distressed. What would aunt May do? He asked himself before proceeding to gently pat Mr. Loki on the shoulder. Okay, that was a pretty pathetic attempt... So sorry, Mr. Loki...

The mage flinched slightly at the touch. His skin, even through clothes, felt unusually cold. After a second, the cold male looked sideways at the kid and asked. "Why...  Why are you not frightened of me, child? Apart from Stark, the other mortals all despise and distrust me. Not even Dr. Banner would have any physical contact with me apart from the necessary medical approach. Everyone else can sense the monster that lurks under my skin. Why are you and Stark any different?"

Peter thought about it before answering the question. "I suppose I do not sense any bad intentions coming from you... not right now or since we’ve met. Plus, you seemed like you needed a friend... that, and Mister Stark seems to trust you. If he trusts you, I trust you as well." He smiled a bit after saying that last part.

“As I said on the table, trust is not easily earned... do not allow anyone to fool you, for they certainly will try... As for instincts... they are not always reliable if your foe is a good deceiver... do not always trust them before you can gather all the information you may need..." Mr. Loki  sounded like an old wizard who had lived super long and was now your grumpy, hard to please, untrusting mentor. Okay, that was way too accurate. The old, young looking mage spoke again but it was more of a whisper and it didn't really seem to be conscious. He looked like he was in a trance, mild a million miles away. "I can not go back... I can not trust them. They will betray me... They always betray me... I have to run..."

The boy also wondered if he could use his Spider-sense as an argument to defend his instinct, then shook his head realizing it was not important at the moment. "Hey... it's okay, Mr. Stark and I won't let them take you."

The man/god was startled out of his trance by the kid’s voice and asked him to repeat what he had said. "If that's what's scaring you, I'll do my best to not let them take you away. And so will Mr. Stark."

Loki turned away from the sink and towards the boy. He stared at him intently with a frown, obviously thinking about something, but who knew what that was. He seemed to find what he was looking for tho' as he closed his eyes, sighed and stood up straighter. "Are you sure you can trust me? I am no hero. Nor am I a villain. My intentions varies from moment to moment." he stated with the faintest of smirks.

Peter gave it a though, with his hand on his chin. "Hmmmm... well, you have done 'bad' guy stuff so... on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most evil thing you could imagine... like... killing puppies or something like that, and 1 being... I dunno, spitting on someone's food... how evil are your intentions right now?"

The raven hair man thoughtfully grabbed his chin with one hand, mimicking Peter's stance. He held up his bent elbow with the other one and considered his answer. "Hmm... possibly a three?"

"Okay, let's make a deal then! How about you lemme know whenever it goes above six?"

It was barely a millisecond but Peter caught a glimpse of upwards twitch from the god's mouth! Even if short lived, it had been a far more natural smirk than the one he was back to wearing. It's not like it was fake but it was a bit stretched.  "Fair enough. Shall we return to the others? No reason to increase their suspicions. Not to mention they are most likely still squabbling on about how to proceed." Peter nodded. Loki took in a deep breath, with a small flourish of cool green magic, straightened his clothes and hair, and lead the way back into the dinning room with a strut.

 

Notes:

Like I said at the beginning, I’m not feeling the same way I used to about this story. I don’t plan to drop it or cancel it but it just doesn’t feel as mine as it used to before. Kinda feels like I’m writing a fanfic of a fanfic. What do you guys suggest? I seriously need motivation. Looking at Syrene fanart helps but the story doesn’t revolve around them.

Chapter 40: Strategies

Notes:

Hey look! Just a month this time! This chapter came a little bit easier than the last like 5 chapters. I’m feeling slightly better about it. Who know, let’s hope my muse is coming back.

P.S Last but not least! Shoutout to my beautiful friends who helped me out with this chapter!! Fabulous Queen Lexy who you’ve seen before roleplaying as our Marvelous Spidey~! And new to the If I Had You family, Red Viper as our dear Capsicle~! ❤️❤️❤️ Definitely needed that help cause I suck at writing the Cap *shrugs*

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“I’m ready.” Assertively said Loki as he walked back into the room. Tony took in a deep breath and left his glaring match with Captain Hypocrisy to look over at his… his? His what?

“J.A.R.V., Call Doctor Jane Foster.” Instructed the engineer as Loki sat beside him with the kid.

After some ringing, a female voice finally answered. “Dr. Foster’s Bestest Intern ever, who am I speaking to?”

“Get Dr. Foster on the phone, I need her to contact me with someone.” Crudely asked the billionaire as he was distracted by his own frustration.

“And who’s so rudely asking?” Snapped back the female voice on the line.

“Tony Stark. So just get me Dr. Fo-Ow! Hey!...” Tony was interrupted as his ear was pulled. Who’d had the balls to pull his ear?! He looked back to see those gorgeous green eyes judgingly glaring at him… now on any other occasion, with any other person, he would have snapped back. He’s Tony Stark, after all, he didn’t have to be polite with anyone. That was part of his aesthetic… but it wasn’t, not really. It was part of his mask and Loki knew it. The human felt a large pang of fear in his gut at the realization that the god could perfectly see through his mask in a way not even Peter or Rhodey could. How could he have let anyone so close? He would be destroyed, crushed, obliterated. His guards were down and the snake had slithered in. How could he defend himself? Could he even defend himself at this point? The answer was no… but he let his muscles relax a bit. Only because when his eyes refocused in what could only have been a fraction of a second, he saw warmth. A small but deep warmth in those pools of green. “Urg fine… This is Tony Stark. Could you… please get me, Dr. Jane Foster.”

“.... Oh, shoot...” said the voice. Shortly after they heard some trashing noises, a loud thump like a body had hit wood and a distant loud shout. “JANE!! TONY STARK, AS IN PEOPLE’S HOTTEST MAN, IS ON THE PHONE FOR YOU!” After the shout came footsteps running closer to the phone, the squeak of a chair and that voice again. “Ehh just one sec.” after a few more seconds of silence, another female voice came out of the speakers in the room transferring their call but they couldn’t quite make out what she said until she arrived and picked up the phone.

“Ehm Hello? This is Dr. Jane Foster! Is this really Tony Stark?” The doctor nervously asked.

“Yo can you score me an invite to one of his fancy parties?” Interrupted the girl on the back.

“Darcy! Shhh! Go away, this is important.” Replied in the background, Dr. Foster.

“Dr. Foster. This is kinda urgent.” Urged Tony crossing his arms, noticing too late that they couldn’t see him. He saw Clint on the back making fun of him.

“I’m so sorry for my intern. She can be…. overwhelming sometimes. What can I do for you, Mr. Stark?” Eagerly asked the young scientist.

“I’m looking for Thor. I sent him your way to teach him some basic human concepts. Has he made any progress?” Detachedly asked the engineer. He was hoping he hadn’t yet so he didn’t have to see his face any time soon. He knew he couldn’t quite blame him for cultural brainwashing but he could still be pissed about it.

“Oh… I thought you might be calling about my research…” It kinda stung Tony to hear the shift in her tone. He didn’t actually mean to make her feel like she was just a messenger between them. He had read about her findings and they were quite something but he had to help Loki first… “Yeah, Thor’s here. It’s disheartening to learn about such crude Asgardian customs but he seems to be getting it slowly. Do you need him to go over there?”

“Not yet. When you think he’s truly learned, I’ll have you both brought to the tower. Him so he can talk to Loki and you so we can work on some ideas. That is if you don’t mind.” Smooth Tony, smooth. He thought to himself.

“Wait, me too?? Yes! Of course! Don’t worry, I’ll drill some sense into him if I have to. Is that all?” Excitedly asked the young scientist. He was sure if they combined her research with his tech, they could build their own Bifrost.

“No, one more thing. He can’t come back yet but we need to speak to him. We need him to confirm some of the things that happened up there in Asgard.” Explained Iron Man as he swung his chair from side to side.

“Okay, I’ll get him then. He’s in the back helping Erik move some equipment. Be right back… Darcy, don’t mess around.” She warned her assistant.

“Thank you, Dr. Foster.” Tony said as an afterthought. Now he was kinda distracted by the possibility of making his own Bifrost. That would revolutionize space travel and make it so much easier to examine other planets for life forms and minerals. Well they already knew there was life out there but stiil. He could test his suits in different drastic environments. He could test his weapons without the fear of any property damage. There was just too many possibilities. He cou-

His thought process was rudely interrupted by that blabbering assistant’s ramble. “Hey there again. Didn’t get a chance to present myself earlier, so I’m Darcy, Jane’s Intern. I help her with the science and the fun. I heard you have Thor’s brother over there? Mr. Low Key? You know he’s like, evil tho’, right? He attacked us in New Mexico and you guys in New York.”

“Difficult circumstances lead to that.” Was all that Tony could answer without being rude. He looked back at Loki, but his gaze was directed at the floor. It was obviously making him uncomfortable.

“Riiight. But he’s still evil, right?” She asked again. Thankfully this time Dr. Foster was the one who answered her.

“Darcy! Give me that! Sorry about her, again. Here’s Thor.” They could hear the females in the background arguing when a familiar voice took over the phone.

“Man of Iron?” He asked with an accent that sounded like a posh mixture of British and Australian.

Tony took in a deep breath as he remembered how they parted not even a day ago. “... Goldilocks, got some questions for you.”

“May I return to see my Brother?” Rudely interrupted blondy. The human felt a hand wrap around his bicep and he looked back to see Loki breathing slowly. Tony then immediately twisted their chairs to face each other, Loki still holding his arm and the mortal’s hand laying on the mage’s knee.

“Not yet. Dr. Foster will determine that. Just tell us what happened since you took Loki back to Asgard after New York. Resumed tho’, we don’t need to hear about your battles and whatever.” Rushed to demand the billionaire.

“I… I understand… We arrived at the Bifrost with the help of the Tesseract and were greeted by Heimdal, Guardian of the Bifrost. I escorted Loki to the throne room to receive his sentence from the All-Father. He was sentenced with imprisonments for life in the dungeons. The guards were instructed to carry out punishments to try and purge the evil from his body. But he was a fool and did not specify what punishments were to be conducted… not wishing to see when my brother was thrown in the dungeons, I gathered the Warriors Three and Lady Sif And set out to restore peace in the Nine Realms, not once looking back. That is my biggest regret as a year later when I, at last, returned to my kingdom, I visited the dungeons and discovered that Loki was nowhere to be found. When I confronted the All-Father about what had happened, he explained the guards had taken liberty in his vague words and had done unspeakable acts. I pressed him to tell me where my brother was and he said he had thrown Loki to Midgard in order to protect him and gave him the same sentence he had once given me. I immediately rushed to the newly finished Bifrost and landed in your Stark Tower. The rest I believe you already know.” Thor’s lengthy recollection.

“So you can confirm that he was sent here by Odin, as part of his sentence?” Asked Bruce who sat two chairs to Loki’s left, besides the kid.

“Hello Banner, my friend. And yes. After facing what the guards had done and exacting justice on them, he sent Loki to Midgard as a mortal, to learn the same lessons I did.” Thor continued.

“You think you could go back to Asgard and maybe get that on paper?” Wondered Peter, who’d been quite so far. Tony should probably apologize again for his outburst before and thank him for comforting Loki while he was arguing with Steve.

“Pardon me? Who spoke those word?” Asked Thor. Right, he hadn’t met the kid yet.

“Oh, hi there! I’m Spider-Man. Big fan. I was asking if you could get Mr. Odin to write down that he sent Mr. Loki to Midgard as part of his sentence and that he should be left alone by S.H.I.E.L.D. and the governments to carry out his punishments? If it’s an official decree they can give him something like some sort of diplomatic immunity, maybe?” Suggested the Spiderling. He couldn’t help but smile. It didn’t quite work as the kid suggested but it was still a smart idea.

“That’s not exactly how that works, Kid. But it wouldn’t hurt to have it. Could you do that, Point Break?” Asked Tony after nodding at the kid.

“I believe I can.” Was Thor’s short answer.

“Then do that as soon as you can and call us back when you get it.” Instructed the human. He squeezed Loki’s knee in support. None of this could be easy on his anxiety.

“I shall depart immediately. Thank you, my friends, for helping my Brother… is Loki there? Could I have words with him perhaps?” Questioned the big bimbo. Loki gave him a squeeze, indicating his discomfort. No need to voice it.

“He’s here and he’s safe but I don’t think talking will help right now. Get the papers and get Dr. Foster to teach you what I told you to learn and then you can consider talking to him.” This was such a mess honestly. So much to do. When would they be able to catch a break?

“I… I understand. But please let him know that I care deeply for him and that I’ll never stop loving him. He is my brother or well... sibling?... and nothing will change that.” … Urg this two would be the end of Tony Stark.

“... he heard you… let us know when you get that done. Bye for now.” He rushed to say goodbye. It made him uncomfortable to be in between that. He’d never had a brother but his father’s work had always been more important to him than his own son. He’d always been justifiably jealous of Howard’s work. So to hear his father say that Tony had been his greatest creation while searching through his old videos and journals was awkward at best. He could perfectly understand Loki’s discomfort.

“Until later my friends.” Said Thor before handing the phone to presumably one of the girls to hang up.

After a deep sigh, Tony directed himself toward his fellow Avengers. “That good enough for you guys? We can let S.H.I.E.L.D. know as soon as we have those papers for backup. Kid, I think you should be getting back home now. You have school tomorrow.”

“Oh, right! I totally forget I was even a student! It’s kinda intense here.” Joked the young boy as he stood up abruptly, almost knocking over the chair. His reflexes quickly caught it tho’. He was over fidgety most of the time but those reflexes were still impressive.

“I know. But you gotta get good grades for Aunt May. Plus you have to talk to your friend.” Tony explained as calmly as he could without seeming too fond. He wasn’t a father figure. He couldn’t be. He would end up failing the kid just like Howard. He couldn’t be a father.

The boy’s eye’s innocently widened and blurred out. “Oh no, you’re right Mr. Stark!”

“Take the elevator this time tho’, got it? First floor, front door. No window climbing my tower or sliding down from it.” Strictly instructed Tony. Like a mentor. Nothing more than a mentor.

“Yes, Sir!” Eagerly replied Peter with that wonder in his eyes restored.

“Rest well, child.” Said Loki as he placed a hand on the kid’s shoulder.

“I will! And same!” Answered the spider as he tightly hugged the god. Everyone panicked a moment, even Peter himself realizing too late what he was doing. Loki stared wide-eyed at the small body hugging his torso but after a moment he returned the hug with one arm and patted the boy in the head with the other. Everyone was shocked at the return of affection. It was one thing to see him affectionate towards Tony when they all thought he was being seduced or mind controlled into it. But it was a whole different thing to see it happen with an innocent child. After another moment Peter let go and stood in front of the inventor. Tony has his hands in his pockets and wasn’t sure what to do. Neither did the kid know what to do so they both simply nodded at each other and he headed towards the elevator in a sprint.

“... Did we just become parents?” Jokingly asked Tony, knowing well that he wasn’t a father. The comment made Loki let out a small chuckle. They both turned back to the others who were still speechless as to what they had just witnessed.

“I think we should still keep a close watch on him so that we each get the chance to do our own evaluation.” Retorted the captain, finally breaking the silence.

“Fine, whatever. He’ll be staying here with me and you can watch whatever the hell you want.” Dismissed Tony as he went back to the table to grab his plate and place it on the sink, glad it wasn’t his turn to do the dishes. No one replied to him and simply grabbed their own dishes. It was Brucie’s turn tonight so he went to get the tools he needed for it. Loki followed behind him and asked if he could help. The philanthropist simply overlooked as everyone handed them their plates and went back to look for their cups.

Brusquely everyone was interrupted as a loud boom resonated off the wall, ground shaking beneath them. Plates and glasses shattered upon hitting the floor. The inventor balanced himself out on the nearby wall and called out. “J.A.R.V.I.S.!?!”

“Sir! There seems to have been an explosion in the lobby’s entrance!” Came the immediate response of his surveilling AI. Various holographic videos of the lobby popped up around them showing people walking around and the camera suddenly going to static.

Tony’s face went white with terror as he felt his body go cold, blood flow not working properly. “Where’s Peter?!” Many of the holographic videos disappeared leaving just one of them, zoomed, showing a small figure in a red suit leaving the elevators.

“He reached the lobby right before the explosion hit, but beyond that, I cannot locate him. Many of my cameras were disabled by the blast. The whole building is in lockdown until emergency responders arrive. There are people trapped inside the elevators and for their safety, the elevators cannot be operated until they’re checked for damage.” J.A.R.V.I.S.’s response sounded like a distant hum to the engineer’s ears. How could this be happening? Why? When had this become his worst fear?

“Barton!, Romanoff! Clear the elevators and stairs! We need every civilian evacuated immediately!” The captain ordered in the background. Tony shouldn’t have screamed at the kid. He should have protected him...

“Banner, I need you here on surveillance duty. You and J.A.R.V.I.S. need to help us navigate the building and get us an evac route!” He shouldn’t have involved him. It was all his fault… He was to blame...

“Stark! Fly us down to the lobby, we need to assess the situation and find Parker! If he's ok we're gonna need his help to clear the debris… Stark, snap out of it, we have to go!” The shaken man was pulled out of his morbid thoughts by a small pain to his forearms. Pale hands were grabbing him with strength. At first, he thought it was Steve but he looked up to see emerald eyes.

“Anthony, we have seen what Parker can do. He will be alright. You have to make sure no other mortals are hurt.” Letting go and sliding down his arms, those pale hand came to hold his own, giving them a reassuring squeeze. “Breathe.”  Loki instructed as he joined their foreheads. In the back, he could hear the others had returned from getting their gears and were heading out to do their part. Steve had just run off to get his shield.

After a deep breath, the Avenger rationalized and realized the prince was right. “R-right… J.A.R.V.I.S. get me a suit.” Letting go of each other, Tony grabbed hold of the thin metal band around his wrist, reminding himself to breathe and that he should finish testing later his latest suit. He needed a quicker, nonverbal way to get his suit.

When Capsicle returned, Loki turned away from Tony to speak to him right as the Iron Man suit arrived.  “What should I do?” He asked. “I can be of assistance.”


“You're backup in case this is an attack. We chose to give you the benefit of the doubt… so this better not be your handiwork... if it's someone else, they'll never see you coming.” For the first time in what felt like too long, Iron Man agreed with Captain No-Fun.

“I can be of greater help if I go with you to the lobby. My magic might not yet be fully restored but I still possess my strength.” Argued the alien, frowning, looking at the smaller human for backup. Sadly Tony couldn’t give him this one, as much as he wanted to. He had to protect Loki. He couldn’t feel the same dread again. He gave the god a sad shake of his head as he ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to open the suit.

“No, stay and help Banner. We can’t risk anyone seeing and recognizing you for the moment. That’s an order.” Objected Capsicle. The inventor stepped into his suit while keeping his eyes on the mage and gave him a wink.

“Don’t worry Lokes, I’ll get the kid out safely.” His voice was delivered by the suit’s speakers as he grabbed the Captain’s shoulders from behind and ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to open one of the large windows for them. But before blasting out into the New York sky, he took one more glance back to see Loki frown at him with his hands akimbo. Had he stared for a second longer, he would have seen those thin lips twist slightly upward, rosier, and those obsidian locks grow longer.

 


 

 

Author’s Note:

P.S. Queen Lexy appreciates all the nice comments about Spidey!! She even had the best meme for it!

Notes:

Oh, I’m excited for what’s to come! Been a while since I said that! Short comments, don’t forget to comment on your opinions of the Sy commission and huge thanks to my amazing friends and all you fabulous readers~! ❤️

P.S. Queen Lexy appreciates all the nice comments about Spidey!! She even had the best meme for it. Imma add it to the very end of the chapter!!

P.P.S. Psst if you have any suggestions or ideas or just wanna chat, here’s a discord chat for this fanfic. https://discord.gg/zwKsXWV

Chapter 41: The fall

Notes:

I don’t have much to say, just that here’s the chapter.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

They hit the ground running. As soon as Iron Man set the Captain down, Steve ran towards the civilians around the collapse and started to clear them away. Iron Man scanned for life signs and ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to pilot some of his suits to help clear the debris that was safe to move. He should probably make a few dozen droids for cases like this. Like an Iron Rescue Army. No wait that sounded awful. Anything army sounded awful. Iron Rescue? Legion? Iron Legion? Names weren’t important right now. He set to work helping move people as well. As he helped move an elderly man accompanied by his daughter and grandson away from the rubble, he called out inside of his suit. “J. anything from Peter yet?”

“No, Sir. Nothing y-... Sir, Mr. Parker’s communication systems have just come back online.” The AI quickly corrected his answer.

He moved away from the family as they thanked him and focused on his HUD “Patch me through. Peter??”

A bit of static was heard before the voice of a young boy spoke up. “Mr. Stark? Oh! Mr. Stark, there’s been a huge explosion!!”

“I know kid, you alright??” Tony could feel the tension in his body easing up a bit. He sounded mostly fine.

“Yes! My suit’s a bit torn up… sorry about that, but I’m okay! But more importantly there’s people injured down here and we’re trapped! I’ve helped move them away from danger but some need medical help ASAP! Also, I hear noises up in the elevators. I think there’s people stuck in them. They could be in danger. Should I try to get them out?” The engineer was starting to find those little rants of the kid soothing, but don’t tell anyone that.

“No, Clint and Nat are on that. Cap and I are just outside of the collapse. I need you to make sure everyone stays as far away from the entrance as possible. Whatever exploded, it hit key points in the structure and everything could crumble down at any moment.” Instructed Iron Man as he looked at the display in his HUD and mapped out what chunks to move first. Fires burned around them, lighting up the night. 

“Okay, I’ll do that!” And with that, Spider-Man went off to work and Tony could only hope they got to them before anything else happened.

His HUD alerted him of someone approaching him as Steve asked. “Stark, can you scan for which pieces to move and which not to?”

“Two steps ahead of you Capsicle. Already did that. And there’s a few big pieces we can start to move over there, but we have to be careful the more we move.” Something else popped up, the first responders arrived. Police units, ambulances, firefighters and rescue. The whole shebang. They could use their help and tools.

Among the other cars, a black SUV with sirens came to a halt and three men in bulletproof vest came out. One of them, the one who wore a dress shirt and a tie under his vest, took one of the Police’s megaphones and spoke. “Anthony Stark! Stop where you are!”

“Feds?” Asked Cap, probably looking at the FBI letters on their vests that J.A.R.V.I.S. had already alerted Tony about. They speed-walked towards the heroes, hands on their guns.

“Stop? I’m kinda in the middle of trying to save people here? Plus this is my building?” Immediately argued the billionaire. He was not gonna stand around for government red tape.

“Please hear us out. I’m Special Agent Gibson from the FBI. This is Special Agent Moore and Dr. Gubler.” The one in the tie introduced. Probably the one in charge. The other two respectively were a fit man in a navy blue t-shirt and a skinny twig on a sweater. Bossman continued with “Responsibility for the explosion has been taken by a bomber who’s targeting Technology, Extraterrestrial life and Augmented Humans. He’s sent us threats demanding we stop you from developing your technology. That which according to him is, and I quote, ‘the reason why aliens have come to earth and made monsters out of humans’. If we don’t do so, he’ll set off larger bombs on undisclosed populated locations.”

“And how is that my fault? I didn’t bring aliens here, no one did, they just arrived! And super soldiers? Capsicle here was punching Nazis before I was even born! I’m sorry but I can’t just do nothing about it. There’s people who need our help and this is my building. I’m not waiting for politics. As you said, this is personal!” Vented the inventor. How could they seriously expect him to back off? Muscle man in the too small t-shirt stepped up after Bossman and continued explaining. S.H.I.E.L.D. was usually a pain in the ass to work with, but they at least knew that bureaucracy was not the most important thing in their line of business. Where were they actually? Too much of a secret intelligence agency to help civilians? Oh right, that’s what the Avengers were for, which this FBI guys didn’t seem to get! 

“We understand how frustrating this feels, but this unsub is personally accusing you and your advanced technology of these events. He resents you for harboring dangerous extraterrestrial life and augmented humans. So we know for a fact that he’s watching and waiting to see what happens, especially to see if we stop you like he demanded. If you continue to use your technology, he will detonate the bombs. We just need you to stop using your suits out on the open until we catch this son of a bitch.” Said muscles. He reminded him of an African-American version of Cap. Tony couldn’t deny he would honestly look fitting in the star-spangled suit. But the hell did that matter right now? Focus.

“There are people, children, all trapped in there! How can you just expect me to stop??” Questioned once again the Avenger. Peter was still stuck inside. There were people injured as well. And there was probably a panicking God upstairs as well. How could he help if he didn’t have his tech? He had to help somehow. He couldn’t just let this happen to them. This was his building, his responsibility. He should’ve been able to prevent this. He should’ve seen it coming.

“Stark, we can handle this without your tech. All we need is your brain. Think, if anyone can find a way around this without further casualties, it’s you.” Reassured the Captain... He had to admit that convinced and calmed him down a bit. He could do this. He could save them.

“Fine! J., open the suit, store them all.” Instructed the billionaire, stepping out of the mark III and seeing it fly away towards the workshop beside all the other suits. He stepped back and glared at the feds. Had to keep up the facade even if he felt terrified and exposed now. The skinny twig in a sweater looked at him in amazement, shook his head and approached him with some papers in hand.

Looking at him better he looked rather young to have a Ph.D., a second genius to help out? This could work. “Amazing… Dr. Stark, these are the schematics for your building, correct?”

“Drop the Dr., it’s too formal. Eh, no offense.” Tony quickly tried to correct, slightly cringing.

“None taken. We both earned multiple doctorates at young ages, I believe we should be able to find a safe way to open passage through the debris if we put our minds together.” Multiple? A bit socially awkward but he might just have found his second rival, after Loki of course.

“What about the other bombs?” Steve asked Bossman while they work out their best strategy. It made Tony uneasy thinking that other bombs could blow up at any moment. Made him feel like they had a timer.

Boy wonder was the one who answered the Cap. “I’m actually part of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit and my team is on site working hard to find out the identity of our unsub, and where to find him and the bombs. The bomb squad is already searching buildings that fit the patterns he’s targeting.”

“You sure it’s a 'him'? How can you know all that?” Unnecessarily asked cap like the old man he was. Could he please stop interrupting?

“It’s the BAU’s job to study human behavior and get inside the minds of the criminals. Let’s move aside so they can think.” Answered Cap 2.0 oh so helpfully.

It took them a few minutes but they finally worked out a plan. Tony had kept his earpiece and had carefully asked J. to send the map they had made of which pieces should be moved first to his phone and they worked out from there. The kid was amazing, he kept up with Tony with ease and even corrected some things. He would have to have J. search the young doctorate out later. “We got it!” Called out the smart twig. “We have a plan with 88.012% success rate.” He actually got that without a calculator. Nice.

“Good, what do you need?” Asked Bossman. The first part was to strategically move large rubble so that it could all fall in place. They used Steve’s super strength for the bigger chunks. After that came physics. Move this part so that this piece can slide on this other part and then so on so forth. It was a huge ass stressful puzzle. Finally, they reached a point where they had to start moving pieces on the inside. J.A.R.V.I.S. connected Tony with Peter again and the kid started to move chucks on his side as well. In the end, they managed to make a hole large enough for an adult to pass through.

Peter burst through the hole and hugged Tony hard enough that it actually hurt a bit. The billionaire was relieved but wasn’t used to this kind of affection. He didn’t get that many hugs growing up. It made him feel a bit inadequate. “Kid, come on, we’re not done here yet.”

The spiderling quickly let go and stood stiffly as he replied, shaking his head. “Right, sorry, I’ll go down again and help bring people through.”

Tony told him instead to “Direct the medics to the injured first, Cap can start helping move everyone else.”

“Got it! Right this way docs!” And with that he ran back inside, paramedics following him. Tony headed down the rabbit’s hole next and it pained him to see the destruction the bomb had caused. His once welcoming and immaculate lobby was now dark and full of shadows created by the flashlights and ongoing fires illuminating the wreckage. The air was full of dust, dirt and smoke, it attacked the engineer's lungs, causing him to cough hard. He could already feel the panic rising in his blood, he couldn’t imagine the people around him, who had already spent a few hours in here. But he could… he could perfectly well imagine them. Too perfectly.

The world around him started to fade as the dust, darkness and labored breathing of injured people triggered his memories of caves in the desert. It all came back first in flashes. He remembered being dragged while he clutched the giant car battery against his chest. He remembered how much it hurt to do that but how much worse was the fear that they would take it away as his life literally depended on it. He remembered when they covered his face with a damp towel and threw bucket after bucket of water on his face. He remembered how it felt to be unable to breathe, even when the water wasn’t being splashed. The pain from the electric sparks that burnt his flesh when drops of water fell on the battery cables. He remembered being woken up with screams and gunshots whenever he stopped to rest. He remembered the heat and dirt that covered his body and the infections his wounds developed because of it. He remembered Yinsen’s bloodied body covered in dirt lying lifeless on top of those white bags. He remembered walking aimlessly for hours through the sand under the scorching sun. He re-breathe. He remembered to breathe? Breathing. Oh, he had to breathe.

“There you go, breathe with me. You’re safe, Stark. No one here is gonna hurt you. You’re having a panic attack but it’s only temporary.” Spoke like a mantra a voice, slowly sounding clearer. He listened and calmed down his labored breath. As the voice continued, Tony finally recognized who it was. “I’m here for you. Spider-Man is also here for you and so is everyone else. Breathe in, and out. One, two, three.”

“St… Steve?” It came out more like a question than an acknowledgment. Nevertheless, when his vision focused back on reality, he saw the Captain in front of him. It looked like Tony had somehow ended up sitting next to what was left of the reception counter.

“Hey there, you’re safe, Stark. We’re in your building, in New York. Spider-Man and I are here for you. Breath.” The Cap reminded him again. He did heed the reminder as he slowly sucked in a much-needed breath.

“Eno-Enough with the zen stuff… what happened?” Finally asked the philanthropist as he took Steve’s extended arm and stood up. He knew perfectly well what had happened, but he was reluctant to admit it. He still felt a little dizzy and relied on the counter beside him, rather than on the Cap. You know, pride and all.

“You had a panic attack. Back in the war, I saw many soldiers go through the same thing. It’s nothing to be ashamed of but also nothing to take lightly.” Warned the soldier as if Tony didn’t know already. Not his first, and probably not his last. It made him feel uncomfortable tho’, to have had an attack in public, especially in front of Mr. Perfect.

He was saved from having to give an awkward thank you by a pair of thin but strong arms that wrapped around his torso. “Mr. Stark I was so worried!! Captain America and J.A.R.V.I.S. explained to me what happened…I saw the news of when you had been… taken… but I didn’t know the rest. I’m so sorry that happened to you and that then this happened cause of that. And I know you’re not a hugger but please bare with me, Mr. Stark.”

“Oof, watch the arc reactor kid… thanks… ehm both.” Tony patted the kid on the back and waited for him to let go. It would take a long time before he admitted that it felt nice and that he truly needed it.

“Alright, enough sappy shit… how we doing here?” He still felt wrong in every aspect, but Iron Man couldn’t take a break so he focused back on the problem at hand. Even if he was covered in cold sweat, his skin felt as if it had been removed and placed back but a quarter of an inch off and his head was pounding.

“We’re still moving the injured but we should be done soon. You can go out if you want, Stark. You should go with the paramedics and have them check you out. We can handle the rest.” Suggested the soldier as a loud noise sounded behind them. When they looked back, they saw the door to the stairs had opened and a woman had come out. Paramedics went to her.

The kid let them know he was heading out to check on how things were going and ran outside as Tony answered the question. “Not yet. I wanna wait ‘till everyone’s out.”

“You’re sure? Everyone would understand if you nee-“ started to say the old man but resident genius cut him short.

“Cap, don’t. I’m staying.” He wasn’t gonna have it. This was his building, his responsibility. He would not rest ‘till he knew everyone was safe. He just couldn’t even if he wanted to. Which he didn’t. His conscience would never allow it and he wouldn’t be able to sleep at night, well, less than usual that is. 

The Cap gave him a knowing look and gave up. They argued a lot but they could sometimes understand each other. Especially when it came to saving people.  “Alright, I understand. I’m going to ask those agents if they have a status update on the bombe-...” he stopped.

He stopped talking all of a sudden and Tony felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. The shorter avenger asked what it was but he was simply shushed. A second later some rumbling came from the wall beside them and a large crack in the wall formed. Mostly everyone was already out but there were still a few people left including some injured, paramedics and the young fed doctor. Everyone looked frozen in place, too afraid that moving would make it worse. They watched as the crack spread up the wall towards the ceiling and reached a large architectural rectangle that decorated the ceiling. Pepper had loved the design, had said it gave it depth or something but now it just seemed like the worst idea the inventor could have come up with. It covered all the area above where the injured people were laid out in gurneys ready to be moved out. Another loud snapping sound was all the warning they had before it started to crack.

Tony ran. “Watch out!!” He yelled but it was too late, there was no way of moving them all in time but it didn’t matter, he didn’t stop running. He grabbed a kid that sat by his mother and they slid on the floor away from the rest. He expected to feel rubble crushing them but felt nothing, heard nothing. When he opened his eyes, the entire piece was still floating in the air above them, green mist surrounding it. Tony finally found the source of the phenomenon when he saw the middle of it. It was the women who had come out of the stairs. She was holding the whole thing up with the help of magic. She wore black jeans and a long sleeved dark green t-shirt. He’d seen them before. She had jet black hair and emerald eyes that stared straight into the Avenger’s… wait… Loki?! It was definitely a woman but it was also definitely Loki. What was going on??

“Do not just sit there and ogle me, help move the mortals! I can not hold this for much longer!” Quickly everyone ran into action. Tony ran towards Loki and awkwardly, but reassuringly helped maintain Loki’s arms up as everyone else helped move the injured out of the way. Loki insisted that Tony should move away as well, but he wouldn’t listen. As soon as they were done, Loki with great difficulty tilted and lowered the large piece of cement close enough to the floor so that it didn’t cause more damage. It still made a loud sound, but nothing else cracked. Tony looked at her in bewilderment. Loki smiled tiredly but soon widened her eyes. The seal on her arm began to glow brightly and to rotate, burning through the fabric until the sleeve fell off. The symbols which had been burnt on the flesh started to fade and the seal snapped. With the blinding light that came from it, Tony felt Loki’s body fall against his.

The seal had been broken.

Notes:

And it’s finally broken! Took forever honestly. Finally free to write Loki fully.

Chapter 42: Uncertainty

Notes:

An update! Yay! For those who commented on the likelihood between the FBI agents and Criminal Minds... you were absolutely right! I wanted to mix in a bit from another show I absolutely love, but to be clear, it’s not a crossover, just characters based upon other characters. I also used the actors’ names for the characters.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Floating. Fleeting. Drifting.

Loki felt her body weightlessly sinking lower and lower, facing what she perceived as downwards. What surrounded her, chilled her body until she was shivering. Her breath was the only thing warming her face. The mage should have been concerned with this, but she felt nothing but unexplainable calmness. She sank deeper and approached the bottom. Looking down, Loki saw shades of red, purple and orange accompanied by something bright on a far side. Getting closer and closer, her eyes closed, waiting for the soft impact. But instead her face broke the bottom, her perception of the world slowly twisted and it became the surface. Opening her eyes again, she saw the half-light and the trees. They seemed like brushes painting on a large colorful canvas.

Everything was peaceful. There was perfect harmony in the gardens, as there always had been. The young noble took in a large breath and let her body drift in the still water. She has seen the beauty of this garden glow. As the fond memories of other places fade, this one always shines and glows.

Loki closed her eyes once again and focused her senses on all that was around her. The mage heard the soft whispers of the wind in the trees, the gentle but precise flaps of wings as birds flew and glided through the sky above her. She heard the humming of insects, hard at work maintaining the flora. Enjoyed the soft paddles of a duck being followed by her younglings. She heard the soft exhale of tired lungs and the low hum of magic being woven. She looked sideways and saw the redheaded dwelf, one bare foot in the water, sitting by a boulder that decorated the skirt of the pond. Twirling between fingers, was a small charm that was tied around their neck.

Loki remembered making that tree charm by hand. He had spoken with the half-breed about family crests and how Syrene had not wished to use the crest of their father. Their mother had lost her own when she was forced to work for the Palace of Alfheim. He had felt wrong about asking, seeing as it had obviously made Syrene upset. He quickly decided to make them their own crest. Their own small family. He had hidden his charm from the All-Father for many years but had lost it when he fell to the hands of the Titan. Syrene had worn it since the day he had made them.

Loki sat up, the pond being shallow again. She did not enjoy being drenched. She looked down and saw she was wearing the first female clothes she had ever worn. She remembered when her shapeshifting abilities first began to manifest. How involuntary it was at the start. He could go one moment from male to female, or from Aesir to a mare. Loki did not understand at that moment that he could only change into what he felt he was. She could not simply change into anything. He could only change into himself. Things that were Loki. Loki was female, male, a horse, a fox, a snake and a raven. But back then everyone assumed it was simply at random, that is until he learned to control it and change into things that were not Loki as well.

The older mage picked up a small pebble and made it bounce over the water until it landed on the other side. Loki stood up and walked out of the pond. She stood beside the smith and felt as the soft fabric hugged her damp body and remembered specifically when she had first changed into a female and could not change back. The All-Father was furious as a tournament approached and Loki could not compete in that form. The All-Mother tried to help her concentrate and calm down, but it did not work. In a state of panic, Loki had run off to Alfheim. She had run from the palace, towards the bridge and pleaded Heimdall to send her to the Elven realm. Being an all-seeing being, Heimdall had taken pity on the young princess and sent her on her way. Loki landed outside the palace as rain poured from the sky. She barged into the chambers of Syrene and embraced them while weeping. The dwelf had not asked anything until the young Aesir was ready to speak.

Loki focused her magic and steam came out from her clothes. They became lighter once again at the loss of the water. In her memory, after explaining her predicament to the smith, Syrene had explained that most shapeshifters had various forms natural to them. Once they were accepted, the shifter could move through them with ease and even master shifting into unfamiliar forms. It had taken a few days, different examples and many explanations for Loki to understand and accept this. In order to help with the understanding, Syrene had found a green gown they wore whenever they presented as female and adjusted it to fit Loki. Trying it on was the final step to cement the impossible idea that he could be both male and female. “Syrene? Wha… what are you… we are in my head, are we not?”

“We are. You were always a smart the cookie, quick to catch up.” Answered the dwelf picking up a new pebble and throwing it. “Haven’t been to this place in a while. The garden I mean. Remember the time I was doing a project for the water filtration systems in Asgard? You took me here to show me a new spell you had learned and we ended up eating that poor duck you accidentally roasted. Boy, was your mom mad when she found us.”

“Nothing compared to the fury of the all-father when he found out… Thor told him of the incident, he had thought it was a good jest but Odin was not pleased to learn you were influencing me. Because of me, you were unable to work in Asgard for a decade… why are we here Sy?” Loki folded her long skirt and sat behind Syrene as they had done many times during the centuries, their backs leaning on each other.

“I still have no regrets about teaching you how to teleport objects. Wasn’t our fault that duck chased the apple into the portal… Anyway, news flash? Odin’s Seiðr Seal broke.” Another pebble went skipping. Loki could feel her own magic resonate freely within the ripples caused by the pebble. The mage had not noticed it before but she could feel her magic humming around them, it was slowly getting alarmingly louder and unstable.

“Obviously that pea-brained King of yours didn’t actually think you would ever break the seal. He didn’t take into account how unbalanced your magic would get once it was all back. He should’ve remembered what happens when you put a lid on a force of nature, make a small hole on it and then just blast the whole jar open at the end. He thoughtlessly uses magic, with no concern to respect it, and even worse condemns when other men use it. What a hypocrite.” brashly said the smith while they threw high in the air a rock, took out of their leg pouch a minuscule crossbow, loaded it with a pebble and obliterated the rock still in the air with it. To quote human terms, ‘What a Showoff’.

“By the Norms…” exclaimed Loki, worry overtaking her focus. She would have rejoiced in the news of her magic being released… if it did not have such consequences.

“Yeeep, you remember what happened that time you went emo on us and tried to get rid of your magic? You were like ‘What is even the meaning of life?’ Btw, it’s 42. And the same thing will happen now. Flashy boom, huge discharge, cold sweats, and repeat.” recalled the dwelf unhelpfully. This would be far more unpleasant than the first time.

“Anthony…” and far more dangerous for those around the mage. A shiver went down her back.

“Don’t worry, I’m keeping you under in our physical forms, I’m explaining everything to that boy toy of yours right now. See?” Syrene placed their hand on the temple of Loki and the world shifted. The younger alien was now seeing through the eyes of the dwelf. She could see Anthony and her own body in his arms. He looked pale and concerned, hugging her body close to his chest, despite the glowing circle in his chest. 

Syrene had said something and his dear answered with. “Portal to where? I’m not leaving Loki’s side.” the vision shifted once more and both mages were back at the gardens. The only difference was they now faced each other.

“I got there in time so no worries. The release of the seal made your magic signature spike through the roots of Yggdrasil so anyone who’s familiar with your brand got the update and felt it.” explained Syrene. It made Loki feel uneasy to hear that, but she was unable to focus on the why as the eyes of her friend glowed golden for a moment. The young royalty knew it was because this astral projection of her friend had received a message from their physical body. “Looks like that pet of yours’ got a place we can go, so while we wait this out, I believe I promised you a word with someone?”

“A word?” questioned Loki. What did she mean? Anthony? The thoughts of Loki suddenly froze as he heard a warm voice from behind the boulder.

“Hello, my child.” called out the melodious voice Loki had missed so dearly.  

“Mo… Mother?”


“Short-beard! It’s been so long! Not digging the redecoration.” Tony looked up to see that annoying redhead smiling at him. Where the hell did they even come from? Right, stupid question, portals. The police officers and FBI agents quickly pulled out their guns and pointed them at the grinning half-elf. Even the skinny dorky one reacted quickly and his full demeanor changed from awkward genius to a concentrated agent with training. He wasn’t just smarts with a pretty face then. “Relax officers, I know your trigger happy fingers itch but don’t fire, I’m an acquaintance of Stark. Plus I just dry cleaned this clothes. The shop lady thought I was cosplaying.”

“Who are you? Identify yourself.” Demanded Steve, asking the officers to lower their weapons. Hawkeye and Black Widow had arrived in the lobby a few moments before from the elevators and were waiting on Cap’s call. Spider-Man had returned as well but the kid was standing beside the two by the floor.

“The Avengers. I would say it’s an honor to meet you, but considering you hurt My Prince and sent him to Asgard in shackles, I’m not really inclined to.” dissed the little punk. Ballsy, Tony had to admit. But he was too concerned about Loki to find it funny.

“Syrene? I thought I told you not to come back.” the engineer accused, annoyed that they were here again.

“Yeeeah, I’m not very good with following instructions. Plus you’re gonna my need help with a certain sleeping beauty there.” They said pointing at Loki in his arms. They didn't seem concerned with the fact that he looked like a woman so maybe it was normal? Sy walked towards them but was stopped again by the Captain.

“You haven’t answered my question... Officers, move out the civilians who are left, we’ll handle this.” he commanded firmly. The spies got closer, arms at the ready to jump in if needed. Dr. Twig and Muscles lead everyone else out as Boss Man stayed behind to help maybe? Not sure what he could do against magic.

“Dear ol’ Captain America. I was secretly hoping you would be found. I liked your shows. I was never a big fan of American Patriotism… considering America is a continent, not a country... but you sold it well. My name is Syrene, of Alfheim. You may know me by the legend of Cyrene the Lion Killer. I wish only to help my friend, Loki.” said the alien politely. Wait how come Sy was polite to the cap and not to Tony? Everyone looked confused at the female in Tony’s arms. Realization dawned on them and shock was evident, even if they tried their best to hide it.

“That’s Loki? I thought you said his magic was low, Stark. How could he change his form like that? And do you trust this Syrene?” Asked the million dollar question the soldier. Iron Man had a few theories like biology but he couldn’t be sure of anything. He answered he didn’t trust Syrene as far as he could throw them, but that they had been useful. This made everyone uneasy and they stayed in their positions. Sy faked a look of hurt. As for the female thing, he looked at Syrene for an answer.

“What? Shapeshifting is a biological ability, doesn’t have to do with her magic. Now, illusions tho’, are another $20 bucks, those are magic.” Smugly answered the alien, before dropping the smile and looking worried as Loki groaned.

“Loki?.. Syrene, I don’t need your help, I can handle it.” He still didn’t trust Sy, how could he? He barely knew anything about them. They helped them, sure, and Loki trusted them, but he’d known and trusted Obidaya for years. He wouldn’t make that mistake ever again. He wouldn’t trust without a reason to. Plus they wouldn’t leave them alone? This was the Loki-Stark show, not the weird dwelf one. 

“Remind me again where I found you two? Stop whining, we really have to hurry, I just need to touch her forehead, and then I…” the mage suddenly stopped talking and her eyes flashed a golden hue. They continued as if nothing had changed. “then I can portal her to a safer location.” why had they changed to golden?

“Portal to where? I’m not leaving Loki’s side.” Tony responded protectively. Glaring at the dwelf, he noticed their eyes stopped glowing and went back to normal. That was odd. Peter behind him had placed his hand on his shoulder and when Tony looked back, he saw the concern in the kid’s eyes. He could sense the urgency as well.

“Urgg… too much talking. Unless you want her to blow up half a city block, you gotta let me take her somewhere. You can choose where but it has to be somewhere like a blasting range, so her discharge doesn’t affect anything or anyone.” Urged on the dwelf. He didn’t like how involved they was getting between them while he still couldn’t trust them. But he knew someone with biologically good instincts. He looked back again at Spider-Man and the spider nodded, understanding and answering his unasked question.

“Alright, alright, I know a place… Loki will be alright tho’.... right?” Questioned the billionaire. Everyone else was outside by now except for the Avengers, the two aliens, and the FBI Agent. The smith passed the Avengers and kneeled by Tony and Loki. Sy pressed their hands on Loki’s temples and the body in Tony’s arms took a deep sigh.

“Good, and yes, but only if we hurry, so think about the place and touch this scroll.” Tony did as instructed and visualized an empty space at where he wanted to go. He felt as magic zapped through his hand and up to his temple where it pulled the image from his mind. It shot it back down his arm and to the scroll. It was quite an unpleasant experience. Probably intentional.

The mage opened the scroll and it grew as big as a door. He could see the Stark facility on the other side of the glowing rectangle. “Wait I can’t just leave. There are still people to evacuate from the upper floors.”

“We can handle the rest. Barton and Natasha go with them. We can’t let Loki out of our sight yet and I still don’t trust… ehm Syrene. No offense.” apologized for the Captain. The dwelf simply shrugged while Clint audibly complained he hated magic. The Cap obviously struggled with identifying Syrene’s gender. To be honest, Tony wasn’t really sure either, just sticking to 'them' so far. I mean he had a clearly female Loki in his lap so this two aliens seriously screwed the pooch, gender wise, didn’t they? Screw biology. He’s always been one to dabble and should probably identify as bi or something. Pan? He’s never been one for going to pride or anything, he just liked what he liked. The engineer was just as lost for words on this one. “Kid, you stay with me, we could use your agility and strength.” Peter beamed at that.

Before Tony stood up, the skinny FBI Doctor came back down the hole they’d made to enter and spoke to them. He was followed by the muscular one in the tight shirt. “Tony Stark! We’ve caught the unsub! Any technological help the Avengers can now lend us to get everyone else out from the other floors?” Boss man and muscles looked conflicted, probably outweighing the fact that a civilian was getting involved out of protocol and the fact that they needed to save as many people as possible. They didn’t spoke against their partner, but pretended to not have heard anything. 

The Iron Avenger tapped his earpiece and J.A.R.V.I.S. awaited orders. “I’m Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, Genius, Billionaire, Philanthropist… what do you think? J.A.R.V.I.S. deploy my suits. Get me hmm... Mark XVIII. Have Igor, Striker, and Fiddler stabilize the first floor. Southpaw, Red Snapper and the rest should start bringing people down and peacemaker for crowd control.” As Tony fished out orders, Jarv updated him on the suits’ movements. Soon the heavy hitters flew in through the entrance and stood in strategic positions to make sure the ceiling didn’t cave in. Unnamed as of yet, Mark XVIII flew in after them and stood ready to be worn. Tony handed Loki’s unconscious body to Peter and got into his Black and Silver suit.

He hadn’t had the chance to really field test it yet but this suit was on the engineer’s top To Try List for sure. Mark XVIII was designed to withstand higher firepower and damage. Durability was improved with the help of Repulsor Shields, Vibranium and Proto Adamantium plating. It’s was a bitch to get even a scrap of those two since most of the Vibranium on the planet was already on Cap’s shield. But Tony’s a genius so of course he found some more, just don’t ask where.

He made it retrofitted with four extra vibranium platings to hold its RT Chest that supports the Enlarged Central Unibeam Projector when it fires. The suit’s also supported with extra elemental armor platings throughout its body making it a bulkier yet tougher suit perfect for defense. If Loki needed help not exploding, this was the suit for the job. He just hoped it actually withheld. Oh, did he mention he also built it to be able to use Heavy Firepower and have Stealth tech at the same time? Brilliant. “Alright, ladies, gentlemen, non-conforming folk and aliens, time for a Stark House Party. Oh, that’s a good name! J.A.R.V.I.S. name this move the ‘House Party Protocol’ and the gang can be the ‘Iron Legion’.”

Tony took one of the other suit’s extra earpiece and handed it to the smart pretty boy. He left Cap, the Kid and the FBI Doctor in charge of the Legion and picked up Loki. The inventor noticed his mage had tears in… her eyes, yet she was faintly smiling. Could she be dreaming? Or was it a dream like the ones he had been accidentally dragged into? Who was she talking to then? Iron Man made sure to gently carry the sleeping goddess and to not disturb her too much or pinch her with metal. Syrene directed them through the portal one at a time. First went in Romanoff, Barton and last came Tony with Loki, followed by the dwelf behind them. The portal looked stable and glowed a light golden haze. The engineer stepped through and felt a sharp stab of pain in his forehead. The golden hue shifted to thousand of colors and Tony nearly lost his footing. Taking an unsteady step forward to regain balance, he heard the archer shout.

“What the hell is the meaning of this?! Where are we?!” the inventor looked up to see what was happening and his breath was taken away by what he saw.

Loki, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in New York anymore.

 


 

Notes:

Oh yes! New material to write! Hopefully this change of setting will help motivate me. But where are they?? Theories for the comments and kudos for my heart!

Chapter 43: Destinations

Notes:

I don’t... really have anything to say... enjoy?

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Mo… Mother?” Wondered the tired mage. Was this a memory? A dream? It could not… it could not be real? She… why would she visit Loki? Did she know of her power being released? Of course, she knew. She was the greatest sorcerers Loki knew.

“Hello, Loki. Ohh, I remember that gown. Yes, it looks as lovely on you as ever, my dear.” Loki could not believe her eyes and ears. Or more accurately, her mind? She searched out and confirmed that what she saw in front of her was indeed an Astral Projection of the All-Mother inside his head. Instinctively Loki reverted back to male and Aesir attire. He knew Frigga had never spoken against his Argr ways… but he could not risk her departure because of tribal things like his unhonorable acts.

“Mother?... Why… why are you here?” He asked in barely a whisper. He was scared that if he spoke loudly or made any sudden movement, she would vanish. Too many times had he been fooled by the dungeon guards with the fleeting image of his mother.

“That rash husband of mine… casting you out of Asgard without making sure of your health and safety... I had strong words with him. I asked that he would let me seek you, to make sure you were safe, but he denied my request.” The queen took in a breath to calm herself. He had never seen her lose her temper before. She was the rock that grounded the kingdom. But her anger at that moment rivaled anything he had seen from her all his life. Last time he had seen her this way, was when as a child Loki had been injured gravely as an accident caused by Thor. Odin had simply laughed. Frigga did not. The way she had looked at her husband, resembled her anger now. “Nevertheless... I had to know how you were. I sought out your friend Syrene instead. That she may keep an eye on my dear child for me. Imagine my surprise when I heard that you had been taken in by the Mighty Avengers?”

“Not all the Avengers… by… by one of them... The Man of Iron, Anthony Stark. He took me in, provided me with medical assistance and his tower to reside in… and somehow managed to convince his brother-in-arms, Doctor Bruce Banner, to assist as well. They persuaded the rest of the Avengers to allow me to carry out my sentence in their lands and to reside amongst them.” Loki thought back at all that Anthony had done for him and could still not comprehend what madness drove the mortal to help his enemy. He could not have felt affection for the god so early on, thus, what could have been his reasoning?

“Stark did more than just that…” whispered too loudly Syrene. Evidently, they had not meant for the All-Mother to hear them, but Frigga had always had keen senses. She could always hear the soft whispers of plotting brothers and could see the finest details that set apart a trick from reality.

“Sounds like extraordinary mortals. Such kindness. Now, how else do you say this Anthony Stark assisted my son?” wondered the All-Mother. The red-headed mage jumped slightly at the acknowledgment of their whisper. Sy always looked mildly flustered when around the Queen of Asgard. It made Loki smile to see such a familiar sight.

With a light bow, Syrene answered “Please excuse my rudeness, Your Majesty, but I am no snitch... That is only for Master Loki to say.”

“Such loyalty. I hope you will continue to support my son, Syrene, as you have always done... Well, Loki?” tentatively asked the Queen. She had a knowing smile that hurt Loki to his core. How could she smile at him this way? After all that had happened? After all the suffering he made her endure? How could she smile at him so fondly? How could her smile remind him of a certain mortal and his snarky smirks?

“He… he has simply shown me kindness that exceeds what one would expect of enemies… and has shown... interest in me. It is merely the curiosity of a… an unsophisticated, naive mortal warrior. It is nothing more as of yet.” Loki lied. He could not bring himself to voice his thoughts truthfully. He still lacked proper clearance on what any of it meant. He knew what his heart wanted to feel, but how could it be so?

“Oh? As of yet. I see, I see… I wish to meet this mortal warrior, even if he is as ‘unsophisticated’ as you say he is. I do hope you present him to me soon, my dear. I must thank him for caring for my children.” Gently smiled his mother. That same smile was what had always given away those dreadful illusions. They could never replicate her warmth or capture the radiance of her tenderness.

“I… I shall inform him the All-Mother wishes to have words with him.” Said Loki with much difficulty to hold back the tears that threatened to spill out. Oh, how he had missed his mother.

“Now, I sense you have unlocked the Seiðr Seal. Much quicker than I had foreseen. Are you in a place where the release of your magic will not affect any mortals or harm yourself?” Straight to the matter at hand and in the same mentoring voice she had always used when teaching him about magic. It took him back to when he was but an infant of four.

He had been crying in his bed late at night. Days had passed since he had tried to join his brother and his friends as they played with wooden swords. Thor had said he was too small to play with them and had nearly flown him across the room, where his head collided with the edge of a table, splitting his skull. Loki had spent many days after in bed alone. But at night, his mother would always visit him with a new book to read. One night, he asked what a butterfly looked like, and had been mesmerized by his mother conjuring one made out of a soft white vapor. At his questions, she had explained she had used magic.

“Magic is all around us, darling. It is the energy that surrounds us and helps keep the universe in balance. There are those among us who have the ability to control it. A practice called Seiðr. With it, we can bring about change by weaving new events into being. See how I take the water in the air around us and turn it into vapor in the shape of my choosing? This is but a mere parlor trick to what real magic can do.” At her words, she had pointed at the fire warming his room. The flames danced for a moment and jumped out of the fireplace the next. The young prince had been scared at first, but soon the flames took the shape of a giant horse with wings on its back. A beautiful fiery Pegasus with flaming wings. It ran around his room, never getting too close to burn anything, but filling his room with warmth. The Pegasus galloped back into the fireplace and returned to its original state.

“Momma, can I learn magic??” Eagerly the small prince had asked, wondering why he had never been thought about it before in his many lessons with Thor.

“Seiðr is usually practiced by girls, darling. Being a warrior is much more manly and honorable than using magic.” Faint-heartedly explained his mother, but the young mage-to-be would not listen, nor could he had understood what she had meant at that time.

“But I wish to learn magic… I do not like fighting… brother and his friends always hurt me… please momma, I want to be beautiful and make magic like momma!” Pleaded the young Loki, jumping up and down on his bed, despite the headache this caused him.

“Well… if you truly wish to learn magic, I would be more than glad to teach you, darling. But you must continue your training. A Prince of Asgard must know how to fight like a warrior. It is what is expected of a future king.” She stated clearly, leaving no room for arguing. She caught her jumping prince and brought him close in a gentle embrace with her arms.

“I will be a Mighty King Magician!” Had boasted the innocent child in the arms of his mother. He began to feel tired as she held him.

“A Seiðrmenn or a Mage darling.” Frigga had corrected him with a gentle laugh, sounded distant as the memory faded.

“Mighty Mage King Loki of Asgard!” The young prince had repeated, still thinking he had a chance at the throne. The laughter and encouragements of his mother died away as he came back to the present, where he knew it had been foolish wishful thinking of a child, still innocent to the lies he had been fed his whole life.

He looked back at his mother, wondering more than ever what she truly thought of him. Why had she never told him the truth? The dwelf had taken his silence as an indication that they should answer the question the All-Mother had made. Carefully stepping up, Syrene began to explain. “I’m portaling some of the Avengers and ourselves to a better location, like right now. It seems large enough and well protected. Stark said it should wor-ARGH!!” Sy had been interrupted as their image inside the mind of Loki glowed golden and seemed to rip itself into nothing. The abrupt loss of his friend gave Loki a tremendous stab of pain in his mind. He clutched his head and turned to his mother.

“Syrene?! Mother, what is happening??” Quickly questioned Loki. He searched out throughout his mind but could not find any trace of his friend. He could only feel his mother, who had started to fade as well. "Mother?!”

He ran towards her and tried to cease her arms, but his hands passed right through her. He looked down at her in desperation, but once again failed to grab ahold of her. She looked at him softly and spoke, “It seems the end location of the portal has been altered. I… I must leave you, my son, but we shall see each other sooner than I had hoped!...” He could not comprehend what was happening. He was about to be left alone, trapped inside his own mind.

“What is happening? No, mother, do not leave me again!”. But her image faded, slipping between his fingers like smoke. Loki had no time to mourn the loss of his mother and friend before he felt a strong force pulling him back under the water of the pond behind him. Thick chains wrapped around him, weighing his body down into the impossibly deep pond. The more he struggled, the tighter they bound around his thrashing arms and legs.

The mage knew he did not need breath for he was inside his own mind, but he felt panic as his lungs were crushed by the chains and pressure from the water that swallowed him whole. Darkness consumed everything around him until he was unable to feel and sense anything besides fear and pain. His lungs were filled with water as he opened his mouth in a lost, soundless scream.


 

The phone rang once before it was answered. Quickly, leaving no room for pleasantries, the scientist asked into the call. “Hello? Mr. Stark? It’s Jane Foster!”

The voice that answered was not one she had expected, but one she did recognize. “Hello, Dr. Foster. This is J.A.R.V.I.S., Mr. Stark’s personal AI assistant. The Avengers are not available at the moment as the tower has been attacked.”

She was disappointed to hear J.A.R.V.I.S. instead of its creator, but the AI could contact Mr. Stark. “Yes, I saw the news but this is urgent. Was the attack Asgardian?”

“The authorities have indicated it was a bomb set off by an anti-technology terrorist. Do you have additional information that might assist them?” Terrorists? Not at all what she had been expecting to hear. But knowing the god that was currently living in that building, there was no telling what could happen.

“Well I don’t know about bombs and terrorist but I did find readings that indicate an Einstein-Rosen Bridge was opened right at the tower’s location. Patch me through to Mr. Stark, please.” Requested the astrophysicist. She looked over her data again and confirmed for the tenth time what she had read. There was no mistaking it. Someone had used the Bifrost.

“... I seem to be unable to contact or locate Mr. Stark. I am… I am unable to find any trace of Sir. I shall connect you with Dr. Banner who is managing the central hub.” Responded J.A.R.V.I.S. with concern. Machines with concerns… still not used to it. But where could Stark be? Had he been taken through the Einstein-Rosen Bridge?

“Dr. Foster? Sorry but kinda a bit busy here at the moment, something wrong?” Implored the nuclear physicist.

“Dr. Banner, where’s Loki?” Asked Jane straight to the point. There was no time to waste. Stark could be in danger. Or they all could be.

“Loki? Loki was taken to a different Stark Facility. The seal on his, erh her, magic finally broke and apparently that’s gonna make him, her, release enough energy to blow up a whole city block. Tony, Natasha, Clint and Loki’s friend took him… took her, over there with a portal.” Fumbled to explain the Avenger. If Loki had shapeshifted, that could complicate things quite a bit.

“Are you sure they’ve arrived there?” Urged Jane as she got off her chair and paced around her makeshift lab. In a corner of the room, she could hear her intern listening to loud music on her iPod as she read a magazine about economics. She could tell she was neither actually reading or hearing the music.

“Haven’t received a confirmation yet, why?” Answered Bruce, sounding concerned. She could hear that he was also giving out instructions to what sounded like First Responders on the background.

“Because an Einstein-Rosen Bridge was opened a few minutes ago.” She explained, hoping no one had been seriously injured in the attack. Could Loki really be involved with that? Was it a stretch?

“The Bifrost? You think they took the Bifrost instead?” Wondered the Nuclear Physicist. Of course, he knew what an Einstein-Rosen Bridge was. She was too used to having to explain it and end up saying wormholes.

“Or made a run for it.” She suggested, detecting the hesitation from Dr. Banner. Could his judgment be trusted? Or was Loki manipulating him?

“J.A.R.V.I.S. check if they’ve arrived at the other facility.” Ordered the Hulk's counterpart.

“I already have, Dr. Banner. I am unable to find any trace of them anywhere.” Quickly responded to the AI. It had obviously been waiting for an opportunity to speak.

“Oh no no no no no…. This is bad. This is really bad. Could Syrene have backstabbed Loki??” Questioned the scientist. He did seem as confident in his judgment of the trickster as Thor had lead her to believe. Could he really have fooled the two smartest scientists in the Stark Tower?

“Or maybe Loki planned this all along? He is the god of Lies and Thor says his friend is questionable.” Jane suggested alternatively. She should try to be more careful about it if she wanted to see if this was mind control or something. She wanted to believe that Loki could be redeemed, that anyone could be. She wanted to have hope in people. But the things Thor told her his brother had done… some were difficult to forget and give him the benefit of the doubt.

“I don’t know… we can’t assume anything yet. Has Thor tried to contact Asgard?” Pondered the Green Avenger before breaking off to answer some questions from the firefighters.

“He’s flying over to you guys right now. But the readings showed up only minutes ago so he doesn’t know about it yet.” Explained the astrophysicist. She looked over her data once more to see if anything else had happened, but since the spike in readings, everything had been calm.

“Alright, thank you, Dr. Foster, I’ll let you know as soon as anything happens.” Promised Dr. Banner. He seemed sincere and under no obvious influence. But magic wasn’t obvious, and neither was manipulation...

“I just hope I’m wrong... for Stark’s sake.”


“I knew we couldn’t trust Loki! And I knew we couldn’t trust magic! I hate magic!!” Yelled the archer as he raised his bow. They were inside what looked like a small observatory. Tony looked around and could not believe his eyes. The walls were shifting as large gears rotate all around them. Everything was shifting in perfectly synchronized movements and a giant spire on the outside of the dome rose from the side until it pointed towards the sky. The human was even more awestruck by the view outside the observatory. All around them was thousands of shimmering stars. Constellations he had never laid eyes on. They shone far more brilliant than those around Earth. He could see them all around, as far down as he dared look, as high as his neck could stretch in his armor. He could not believe the beauty of it all. So many of his nightmares were fueled by the void. The cold darkness… But for the first time since his trip through the wormhole… He felt the same wonder and admiration he had always felt as a child when he looked up at the night sky. It was a groan behind him that reminded him of his fears.

He whirled around and saw Syrene getting up from the floor. Romanoff was helping them stand as the archer continued to point towards the guards that seemed to surround them, but knew better than to shoot first. Tony himself couldn’t really tell yet if they were hostile. “Hey there… The Einherjar, how lovely… As you can see from the effects on my body, ow… not that you would recognize any magical symptoms, my portal was hijacked. We did not mean to intrude uninvited on Asgard.” As the dwelf rose, the engineer could see that they were covered in slashes. Both steam and blood came out of them.

“Did… did she just say Asgard?!?” Questioned Barton, pointing his bow at the unmoving large figure on the small platform at the center of the dome. None of the Aesir seemed too impressed by any of them, which made Tony think that the redirection had been intentional. And more important, this seemed less and less like a welcome party, and more like backup for an arrest. He was starting to worry a bit. But it didn’t make sense. Loki had done his time, he had finished his punishment.

Syrene groaned again before answering “Hawk, please be quiet and let me handle this... And please don’t... gender me..." The last thing on anyone’s mind that a quasi-immortal alien with pointy ears might have mentioned... was gender? Not really the most important topic at this moment. Tho’ Tony had been forced to take some inclusive behavior training by Pepper for Stark Industries’ staff. It wasn’t all that bad in the end… pretty informative, not that he told her so, he had a reputation to protect after all. But kinda helped to get what the dwelf meant... he had been going for using ‘they’ most of the time anyway. Whatever. Priority was getting Loki out of here safe, not some pronouns. "...Right, so, to what do we owe this unwelcomed honor?" 

“Welcome to Asgard, Mighty Avengers. We are well aware that your portal has been redirected, Lady Syrene.” Finally spoke the tall guy on the platform next to the large sword. Both Tony and Syrene cringed at the ‘Lady’ bit, but he was starting to guess that the guy was probably in charge of the observatory. Loki had told the inventor about him. Haimdell or something. A big fella with a sword and shiny gold armor. “For it was I, Heimdall, Gatekeeper of the Bifrost, who has brought you to the Realm of Asgard under the orders of our King, The All-Father. The Einherjar are here to release both Loki Laufyson and Lady Syrene from the care of the mortals. The Guard shall escort them to the dungeons and the mortals shall return to Midgard.”

“Finally! Someone who makes sense!” Celebrated the noisy hawk. Tony wanted to blast him. He was right, this was bad. Really bad. No way he was letting that happen.

Tony secured Loki’s upper body in his grasp with one arm, slowly setting her feet down. He pointed his gauntlet at the unmoving guards with his now free hand and stated loudly. “No one’s taking Loki anywhere!”

“Hand him over mortal, or you shall be imprisoned as well. Einherjar!” Demanded Heimdall. At his command, the guard pointed their spears toward them.

“You are not taking my Princess aga-Arg!!” Syrene tried to pull something from their leg holster bag but obviously didn’t expect Romanoff, who was helping support them upwards, to restrict their injured arms.

“Stark, hand him over. He’s not our responsibility anymore.” Said the black spider, handing over Syrene to one of the guards who handcuffed the mage. Sy looked enraged and trashed against the restraints. Their eye’s glowed golden but it seemed the cuffs had some form of magic dampening technology or spell, as the golden magic that formed in Syrene’s clenched fists, died away. 

“Guys they’ll torture him again! Loki needs medical care, not a jail cell!” Yelled out, Tony. He looked around and felt his mouth dry at the realization that everyone was against him. Barton had lowered his bow and Romanoff stood beside him. Everyone looked at him and the limp body in his arms. The only one willing to help him was the short redheaded smith he had spent too much time feeling spite for. His comrades had abandoned him. He was used to betrayal at this point… but he’d had hope. Beyond any logic, beyond every lesson those closest to him who had betrayed him and taught him, he had hoped this time it would be different. But as he looked at the assassins and Aesir, in turn, he felt his heart drop below his navel.

He looked back at Syrene and saw their message clear. They stopped trashing and went very still. He lowered his gauntlet and put his arms under Loki’s legs again, carrying her properly. He walked forward toward Heimdall who pulled his sword from the platform and pointed it at him. Tony continued to walk unshakingly until the tip of his sword was at his throat. “No one’s touching Loki... I’ll carry her and I’m not leaving her side, is that clear? Now, take us to the your leader.”

Notes:

Had difficulty with Frigga... hope it turned out alright. Don’t really have an rl example to base it from. Don’t really share that warmth with my mother. It was a lovely memory to write tho’. And I’ve been dying to get them to Asgard. Gives me new material to work with.

P.S. About Syrene’s pronouns. The official ones are they/them. Some characters POVs might take a bit longer to use they/them so you might find a He or a She somewhere, but it’s cause of their believes and character development.

Chapter 44: The Engineers

Notes:

I’m back baby!! After a much-needed break, I’m finally back. A lot happened but I never stopped reading the lovely comments on this story and many made me very happy at times I didn’t know I could be happy. Now that the Loki series has aired, my love for the character has been rekindled! What better day to make a comeback than on the day of the season finale? I have some issues with the show, quite a few actually(no spoilers in the comments), but at least that has me wanting to write again. We’ll see how it goes but I’ll be trying to post at least one chapter a month. Let's hope that’s enough time in between.

 

PS I do have to warn tho, I did a lot of editing to the story. Nothing plot-wise, that remains the same, but fixed many grammar errors, many logistics in how I phrased things, and especially pronouns. If you want to give it a re-read, it’s completely optional, but might help to keep things fresh for the new chapters to come.

Ohhhh it feels nice to be back to writing. Left the story in quite the tense state, didn’t I? Sorry about that. But I’m back for now! Let’s see how many chapters I can squeeze out of my brain this time.

 

PSS if you wanna hear some ranting on the reasons for my absence, Imma do some explaining in a comment, didn’t want to add that here and make the notes too long.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

A hammock. On a hammock in the Caribbean, drinking a mojito and surrounded by bikinis. That's what Tony should be doing right about now. But instead, he was being pushed into a cell in a dark moldy dungeon, billions of light-years away from any Caribbean beach.

As the barrier behind them closed and they were left alone in the large cell, he heard something heavy hit the floor. The engineer turned around, careful not to shake the unconscious Loki in his arms too roughly. He saw Syrene on the floor, panting heavily. They looked exhausted and were still bleeding and steaming from weird-looking injuries. “You alright there, kid?” He asked, trying to mask just how worried he really was about everything. The Dwelf simply grunted at him and gave him a thumbs up. He decided to give ‘em a few minutes. 

Tony walked over to the only solid wall in their cell and laid Loki’s body against it. He placed her arms in a more comfortable position. Just before leaving them, one of the guards had placed some cuffs on Loki. They looked similar to Syrene’s so he assumed they were magic dampening as well. The mage’s body was still female but as Tony tucked a loose strand of onyx hair behind Loki’s ear, he took in a sharp breath at how she still looked so much like the Loki he was used to. Her features were slightly fairer, but they still had Loki’s sharpness. It was Loki, but not. Rather like a dream. Tony’s breath was caught in his throat as he touched the contours of her face. It wasn’t that she was more beautiful than the Loki he knew… no, it was the fact that this was the Loki he had the pleasure of getting to know better these past months. Nothing had changed. It was still Loki, but more of Loki. He wished he could look at those beautiful eyes again. It had been only but a glimpse, but he had looked into her eyes for a moment right after the seal had been broken and before she had fainted. It was like life had returned to those tired eyes. The dark emerald green had glowed with specks of gold and it was like looking at every hue and variation of green that could possibly be imagined. As though every leaf and tree in that beautiful garden Loki had shown him had all bled into one single shade. The shade of Loki. 

Tony blinked, dropping his hands… he had never felt like that before. He had never admired beauty so purely… not even with Pepper. It was an odd and foreign feeling… but not one he disliked. And it wasn’t the first time he had said that he had never felt a certain way before concerning Loki. It was starting to become a habit. It made him a bit anxious, but he focused on directing those feelings into resolve. He had to find a way out of their situation. He was about to move away from the unconscious goddess when she stirred. Her jaw sharpened, her nose elongated slightly and her brows thickened. Loki was male again. “Syrene? Loki’s a dude again, is that normal or should I be worried?”

“Urg… that’s bad…” Syrene replied back, breathlessly.

“How bad?” He looked back at the conscious mage and Syrene was still lying faceup on the floor. They hadn’t moved an inch. Tony should probably take a look at their injuries and see if he could help. He gave Loki a last look before standing up and walking over to the Dwelf, the metal of his armored boots loudly clanking on the marble floor. 

“It means that the spell I put Loki under is losing strength... and he might wake up soon.” explained the redhead as the engineer walked toward them. Tony made a gesture, a silent question, one Syrene responded with a nod. The Iron Man helmet folded inside his armor came out and covered his face. He scanned them and after J.A.R.V.I.S. confirmed Tony could move the alien without causing more damage, he carefully put his armored arms under their back and knees.

“And why is that bad, exactly? Seems like a plus to me. Not that I didn’t like the new look, mind you, but I have a feeling everyone else probably didn’t like it.” the Avenger wondered as he lifted the mage with ease. Syrene barely weighed anything compared to Loki. Well, they weighed what you would expect from a human with the same physique. Tony cataloged that interesting alien race fact away and focused on listening to Syrene’s explanation as he set them down next to Loki. 

“Two simple reasons…” the shorter alien took in a shallow breath and continued. “Reason number one, this room is magic proof. You can do magic inside just fine... But, it’ll all be kept contained inside this cell.” they gestured at their cuffs and Tony observed them. Maybe he could try to take them off with tools from his armor. “Reason number two… those idiots don’t realize that those cuffs won’t be enough… Loki’s magic’s ready to burst after being sealed off for so long… once that happens, big boom. The energy will be too concentrated for the cuffs to work. So the short sweet version... This cell is a microwave and we’re the popcorn.”

“Right. Bad then. So what’s the plan? You do have a plan… right? Cause you kinda gave me like a look back at the Bifrost and it looked like a ‘I have a plan’ look. Tell me I didn’t misread that.” The human remained kneeling by the redhead’s side, fumbling with words as panic threatened to rise in him.  

“I have some… Plan A, we could try yelling at the guards that he’s gonna blow up… But the likelihood that they’ll give a crap is minimal. Plus they wouldn’t have anything better. Only something like Odin’s Seið Seal would work and no way in hell do we want that back on him.” Syrene was still breathless and was struggling with every word. Another scan told Tony that they hadn’t received any damage to their lungs but they were indeed slightly malformed. Too small for their body size. 

“So plan B is the way to go. We find a way to shield ourselves and help him ride it out.”  

“How about plan C, we find a way to make the cuffs stronger?” Asked Tony’s voice through the metallic filter of the helmet as the engineer scanned the cuffs. The metal was one that wasn’t on his periodic table which could complicate things if he didn’t know its properties. But he ignored the part of him that feared alien technology and focused on the only part of him that Howard had ever acknowledged. His innate ability to see how mechanical things worked. He would reverse engineer the shit out of them if he had to.

“Look… I'm well aware of how smart you are and I don't doubt that you could probably figure it out... But we don’t have the time for you to learn how they work, to then figure out how to make them better.” 

“Aren’t you also an engineer? Can’t you explain it to me and help me out?”

“That would definitely cut back the time… but if you haven’t noticed... I’m kinda passing out so… How about Plan D? Help me get these off, I’ll heal myself and then we can figure out how to best help Loki… I’m trusting you now so you can trust me later… for Loki…” After running every scan he could think of, he had half a sketch of how it could possibly work. There were still things that didn’t make sense. They had to be magic. They had to tap into some sort of cosmic energy to power them. He couldn’t fix them without knowing how to channel that energy. He didn’t like the idea of Sy being right, but there was no other choice. 

“Okay… okay… You might be a big shot Mage Smith or whatever but I’m one of the smartest inventors back on earth, if not the smartest, so rest, and I’ll have them off in no time.” Tony stood up again and walked out of his armor, only the gauntlets and helmet remaining on his body. He looked over at Loki and saw him still unconscious, but frowning. They should hurry. 

It took about half an hour in silence but Tony finally managed to take the cuffs off. They uselessly fell onto the floor. He still hadn’t figured out how to improve them. But maybe they could figure it out now that Sy was free to use magic. “Hey, time to wake up, kid. We got work to do. Time to reconsider Plan C, I mostly understand how they work now. I have a theory at least. I think that they wrap around the wearer’s own energy core and basically acts like an insulator that keeps the wearer’s energy from connecting to outside energy and keeps them from manipulating it. But I can’t access that outside energy with what I have so you think you can do it? With… urg, with magic?” He very much disliked the idea of having to call it magic. He knew he could tap into that energy if he had the right tools and more time but he would have to rely on their alien understanding of it for now. He would figure out later how to do it himself just so he can prove magic is simply extremely advanced science, nothing mystical about it. 

“Give me 5 minutes Stark... I need to heal…” they said, not opening their eyes, frowning in pain. Tony was getting impatient. Loki’s brow was starting to sweat. He also looked in pain. There couldn’t be much time left. The mortal took off one of his gauntlets and wiped Loki’s forehead. He was cold to the touch. 

“He’s sweating but he’s freezing cold again. That can’t be normal.” The engineer complained. Loki’s skin was starting to look gray and bluish. It looked like hypothermia, maybe? The cell was warm so it had to be because of the magic. Tony suddenly remembered something Thor had said. He had mentioned that his brother was adopted and that he was a… snow giant was what he called him? Tony had read the myths that said Loki was actually Odin’s brother and not Thor’s and had said that he was originally another species. Could that have to do with why he was cold to the touch usually? But it was getting worse. He was looking worse. Was that normal? The mortal cursed himself for not having the guts to ask Loki about all those details as of yet. But maybe Syrene knew. He looked back at them and shook their arm to wake them. “What about his skin color? Is that normal?” 

With a grunt, Syrene turned to Loki and began to examine him and the cuffs. “Shit...Look… This isn’t my story to tell… so I’ll leave the details for Loki to explain later. All you need to know right now is that soon his skin will get freezing cold. We won’t be able to touch him in that state unless you wanna risk frostbite.” The dwelf’s brow contorted in frustration as they made gestures around the cuffs. Unlike other times when the mortal had seen magic, there were no sparks to be seen. Was it working? “Aside from that… we’re sticking to Plan C… we don’t have the time or the energy to improve them” Syrene added after a few more attempts at doing… whatever they were doing...
 
“If energy is the problem, this particular suit has quite the reserve. Couldn’t we use that?” Questioned the engineer, crossing his arms and stomping his right foot in anxiety. He hated not understanding yet how it worked. Not only because of his need for understanding how everything worked. But also because he felt a need to fix everything. 

“Not quite the same I’m afraid, but hm… you and your suits do have odd energy about them. It's different from anything I’ve seen or found on earth so far. What exactly is powering your arc reactors?” Asked the redhead as they whipped Loki’s forehead. They at least truly seemed to care about the prince. But Tony didn’t like depending on others. He had a need to be the whole solution. It nerved him depending on others because it meant he had to feel helpless while the others did their part. He had just started to feel okay with working with the Avengers and look how that turned out. Betrayed once again.

“Ehm... It’s… It’s a new element my father was working on and I perfected it. Doesn’t really have a name yet. Stuck between calling it Badassium or Starkium.” absentmindedly answered the engineer only half paying attention to the conversation as worry ate at him. 

“Howard Stark, I met him once at a tech conference.  His flying car demonstration didn’t go so well. You mind if I take a closer look at it?” Now that took up all his focus. Tony almost never let anyone touch the reactor. Only very few people like Yinsen, Obidaya, Pepper, and Loki had touched. He felt his skin crawl at the very idea. It caught him so by surprise that he forgot to question the fact that apparently, Cheeto's head had met his father. But Loki… he had to help Loki… with much anxiety, he lowered his shirt’s neckline so that Syrene could look at it.

By some miracle, or maybe because Syrene had at least some tact, they didn’t try to touch the reactor. They simply took a closer look and lifted a hand close by it without making contact. “This energy… it feels oddly similar to that of the Bifrost… or I guess more accurately of what the Bifrost’s design was based on.”

“What was it based on?” inquired Tony. His curious side luckily took over most of his worry. 

“The Tesseract.” said the orange mage as if it were obvious.

“I… I should probably be panicking about that but kinda makes sense. Howard did experiment with it back when he was trying to find the Captain.” It made perfect terrifying sense. Hydra had found a way to use its energy to power their weapons. His father must have experimented with the same idea. But unlike Hydra who took the energy from the source, Howard had made a synthesized version of it. 

“Hm well, if it was refined in another way, maybe we could’ve used it, but as it is, it’ll take too long. But it could potentially be used to power magic, yes. Mage’s are born with a Seið Core but I guess you made your own.” For once, Syrene looked genuinely impressed. It felt good to finally get them off their high horse. Too bad Loki had missed it. But they could tell them about this once he woke up. He would wake up. This would work. It had to. 

“Fine, what do we do now then, Lennox?” scoffed Tony. The possibilities of what they had said were running wild in his mind. Could he make magical batteries? Could he help give Loki some power-ups? He would file that away under things to explore later. 

“Sweet Dreams? Really?” Quickly responded Sy. It caught Tony off guard that they understood that reference. Most of the people around him usually didn’t get his references. Out of the Avengers, only Clint ever really got them, or at least verbally acknowledged that he did. The rest were boring. The last thing he expected was that an alien would get it. Then again, they had been wearing an AC/DC shirt when they first met. After rudely rolling their eyes, Sy continued. “The cuffs should take most of the burnt but there’ll still be a huge wave of energy. How are you on defense?”

Feeling back in control now that he was speaking of familiar things, Tony quickly explained. “Mark XVIII has Vibranium and Proto Adamantium plating throughout the body. Materials that were a bitch to get but makes it one of the toughest I have so far. I also have Repulsor Shields.”

“How much energy can the repulsor shield take?” questioned the redhead as they grunted and passed their hand over some cuts on their neck. After a golden glow, the injuries were gone but their breathing became more erratic.

“One of my previous marks took a full blast from Thor so more than that.” elaborated Tony as he knelt down beside the mages.

“Hm, good enough... probably.” Loki was looking greyer and bluish-er. His sweat was beginning to freeze on his forehead and roll down his face in weird little pellets. Tony was getting more and more worried that this wouldn’t work after all. It had to, but he started to doubt his calculations, to doubt whether he should have fought instead of surrender. Tony had managed to convince Syrene to try to fix the cuffs at least partially, even if they wouldn't do much, so they could diminish the blast somewhat. They worked on them together, Syrene providing the energy even at the brink of collapse. His mind was running 112mph. But he channeled that nervous energy into working harder and faster like he usually did under pressure. Normally no one could see it. No one understood everything haunting his mind when working as an Avenger. They only ever saw his trademark billionaire playboy smile and bought it. The only people to ever get even a fraction of what he truly felt could be counted on one hand. One was dead, three were back on earth, one was definitely here with him. They could figure this out in time. They would. They had to. 

Syrene was putting the cuffs on Loki's wrists when he spasmed, a shock wave surging out of him which knocked the redhead across the room. Tony had been running algorithms in his HUD and quickly put on the rest of his armor to help the injured smith. “You alright there, Lorax? Was that the first wave?"

“No, but that was definitely the calm before the storm, so get ready!” The conscious mage stood up hastily and hid behind the Iron Man. He wasn’t ready. He was far, far from ready. But he lived like that. He lived under constant pressure. So he got to work. He deployed the repulsor shield to cover Syrene and got ready for the worst. Loki loudly gasped… and yet nothing happened. He went still again. 

“Eh.. didn’t you sa-!” Tony had just turned his head slightly to question the mage behind me when the lights flickered, the air went cold and the sharp whistle of total silence rang around them. Almost like Loki was draining every type of energy from the room. Like the waves receding right before a tsunami. And a second later Loki’s spine arched and his whole body tensed. Tony immediately widened his stance, pushing one foot back to put more strength into his defense. Everything exploded right after. Bright green light poured from the raven-haired mage. An energy wave rushed out of him. Even with his stance and this suit’s higher defense, they were still pushed back towards the wall. Syrene behind his raised shield arm yelled in pain when his elbow gave out and crashed against their chest. 

It… It lasted longer than he had anticipated... It took about half a minute for the pressure to lift off. Everything around the Avenger was still bright and vibrating. His HUD was displaying a lot of red, probably warnings from J.A.R.V.I.S that Tony couldn’t focus on right now. The engineer carefully tried to look around and could see through his hazy vision that the blast must have… must have rattled the whole dungeon as all the other prisoners went frantic. It took only moments for guards to then show up. They rushed in to control the calamity. Some came their way and began to shout something but Tony’s ears were still ringing... He took a dizzy step forward, maybe to hear them better, he wasn’t sure. Would that help? But as soon as he did, he felt something hit his leg… Something else J.A.R.V.I.S had been trying to tell him probably... Who?... Oh right, Sy… Syrene. The blast had pushed him back and made his suit crash into their chest. The force probably knocked them out. Or the air? Shit... they had bad lungs. His helmet kept ringing and flashing, so Tony ordered it opened. Or he guesses he did since he was then stumbling out of the suit. He was about to check on Sy when he remembered the source of the blast. He whipped his head in the direction of where Loki was supposed to be, but that had been a mistake. His whole world swirled and somehow flipped sideways. Or maybe he was falling? He wasn’t sure, but the last thing he saw before his head hit the floor and he blacked out was that an old man with an eyepatch was standing over his Loki. 

 

Notes:

What a ride! It's been a while! Kinda nervous to see if anyone is still reading this and if I still have it in me to write interesting stories so please drop a comment to let me know! even if it's just a Hi!

 

PS Anyone here seen Good Omens?! Cause damn it, I have dated proof that I made Syrene before the show came out or even got promoted but bloody hell is Syrene pretty much Crowley but sassier, shorter, and alien! X’D jokes aside, love that show, it’s stolen my heart and soul. It’s so therapeutic. You should probably expect references here and there. Season 2 is confirmed!

Chapter 45: Scanning

Notes:

Ha, I made it! Here's the next one~ And good news! I have an editor now! The lovely Lexy who helped me way back when for the Spidey scenes is now officially joining us as a beta and editor. She's currently catching up to the story and is helping remind me to write frequently! So much much love to my beautiful Spidey~!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Tony woke up with his whole body feeling sore. He had a killer headache and felt someone very lightly touching his chest. It wasn’t unusual at all for him to wake up feeling like that, but he usually felt a bit more, hmm, satisfactorily stretched. This was wrong. Actually, he hadn’t done that in a long while, first because of Pepper and then because of Loki so this was definitely wrong. 

 

He opened his eyes to bright golden light. It was blinding and only made his headache worse. When his eyes adjusted, he was at a loss for words. There was a humanoid image made of what looked like golden sand floating over him. It came from some curved poles around what seemed to be the table he was on. Around him were strangely dressed women, one of them lightly touching his reactor, too concentrated on it to notice he had woken up. Tony quickly tried to stand but noticed he was being restrained. The panic in him spiked and he began to trash against the manacles. The woman around him noticed and took a step back. The beautiful older one that had been touching him retracted her hand and gave him a warm smile. He was pissed.

 

“Who the hell are all of you!? Where am I?? Where’s Loki?! Let me go!” The women didn’t flinch at his yelling, seemingly unperturbed by it. Most were young except for two. Probably their mentors. The one that had been touching him lifted her arms and began to manipulate the golden sands. It took his panicked brain a second but he noticed the humanoid sand body seemed to represent him. It was some sort of quantum field generator. It showed his body with some grey sand dots appearing up his arms, probably the implants, and a large one in his chest. There was also some red sand inside his head. “What the fuck are you doing to me? What are you scanning for??” 

 

He did his own quick scan and took in the rest of the room. It was a large room with ornate pillars. A few of the walls had breeze blocks with lit fire lanterns behind them. Aside from the four younger-looking ladies and the two older mentors, there were four guards. The same type that had picked them up at Bifrost. Two on each door. One door was small, more hidden, probably one leading to some back room. The other was much grander and decorated. Probably the one leading out. His target then. 

 

All the women wore blue-robed dresses, like a uniform. Except for one. Speaking of which, the older golden-haired woman continued to look at the sand, the smile turning into a frown. Some more red sand appeared around his heart, some grey just over it and bright glowing blue appeared above it. He guessed that it was the shrapnel and his reactor. Some blue tendrils sprouted out from the center. It was like small veins that went halfway down his limbs and faded. He didn’t like to see it. He didn’t like to understand it. It made it all too real. 

 

Most days he could ignore it. He could act like he was healthy and didn’t have a powerful magnet near his heart that prevented tiny shards of metal from entering his blood and killing him. But then the sun went down and everything took on a faint blue hue. He would pretend to like that color, decorating various things with it. But the glow reminded him of dry air and dusty caves. Scorching heat and electrified water. He hated the reminder but he couldn’t bring himself to do anything about it. Bruce had once offered to help but he had snapped at his friend and had locked himself in his lab for a month, only coming out for missions. Which had led him to faint at one point and they’d had to drag his ass out to the med bay.

 

He hated remembering it, he hated anyone mentioning it, and most of all he hated anyone touching it. No, that was a lie. He hadn’t hated it when Loki did it. The second time, not when the god had thrown him through a window of course. But back in Puerto Rico, when they spoke of their mothers. He had been shocked and scared for a moment, but then he had relaxed. There was no pity in his eyes like with everyone else. He’d been worried, but it had been because he thought he’d messed up with Tony, not because he thought he’d hurt him. Everyone else treated him like he was broken. They treated him like a ticking bomb. And fair, he was, but they all had the why or how wrong. Loki had looked at it, had looked at him, like he was something beautiful, instead of something dangerous. Or maybe both. Which, if he thought about it, was much like how he felt about Loki. He would’ve liked to feel like that right now, but instead, he was terrified and alone. 

 

He pulled on his restraints again, making red sand appear around his wrist on the projection. That partially confirmed his theories on the colors. Red for injury, grey for metal, and blue for energy. One of the younger nurses had a sort of tablet and a stylus where she seemed to write down the information she saw from the sand. It looked like a damn tablet with an old-timey scroll cover. Didn’t even look as advanced as his own holographic Stark tablets, which irked him. “Let me fucking go, damn it! Where’s my suit?? Where’s Loki?!” 

 

“My, what a sharp tongue... I understand you must be confused, Man of Iron, but please calm yourself. Loki will be alright, he is being examined by healers, as are you and Syrene. You were all struck with a powerful surge of seiðr energy. We are simply making sure it did not negatively affect you. Loki had a few more bursts but of much less strength. He should be alright after some rest.” Tony was still too shaken up to notice it at the moment, but had there been something in the way she had said Loki’s name? Had it been the same spite that most people here seemed to use? No, it was something else, but he couldn’t pinpoint how. He sighed in some frustrated relief. 

 

“But where is he? And what are you doing to me? Is that a quantum field generator? Are you scanning me??” He hated anyone taking a closer look at him. It always felt like they might find some piece of him he didn’t know about. He was terrified of someone finding something dark within him. Something he was probably in denial of but that just had to exist. The Merchant of Death still lurking somewhere in a deep dark corner of his soul. He felt Loki would understand that… having actually gone through it. Having been told he was adopted. Not quite the same, being adopted and some other race isn’t as bad as being a psychotic scientist, but Loki had always referred to it as him finding out he was a monster, so he probably understood. All the more reason to get him out of here. It’s this sick place’s fault that he thinks he’s a monster. 

 

“Loki is resting somewhere safe, please do not fret. And yes, we are indeed scanning you. I do not know what a quantum field generator is, as we call it a soul forge, but I suspect they might work similarly. We detected some strange energy coming from you and wanted to make sure it was not harmful. It seems to come from this curious device you have on your chest. Is it meant to stop the metal shards from reaching your heart? Where did you find the energy source you are using to power it?” Spoke the older woman. She seemed simply curious, but you know the saying. Tony didn’t feel like being the cat right now. 

 

“I didn’t find it, I made it. And look lady, no offense, you seem nice and all but I won’t trust a word coming from anyone in this god-forsaken planet. Or realm, whatever. Anyway I hate being tied down and I need to see Loki, so let me go before I get out myself.” At his outburst, some of the other women let out a gasp. The older of them even seemed ready to stab him. They all seemed so offended. He couldn’t really care less if she was some wise old elder or whatever. 

 

“I have hea… The people of Asgard have heard of your might, Man of Iron. As we have heard of your intellect. We do not wish to antagonize you. We can release you and I could arrange for you to see Loki, but only if you collaborate.” To her words, the other women seemed alarmed. One, in particular, seemed like she was about to speak her mind when the older blonde lady raised her hand. “It is quite alright, Eir. I know he is still considered a prisoner of the All-Father. But I also know that he is smart enough to know that in order to help Loki, he has to collaborate. He is in a foreign realm without his armament. Diplomacy is their best chance as of now.” 

 

As she spoke, she released his restraints. Tony immediately sat up and got off the table, rubbing his sore wrists. He had considered trying to break out, but she had a good point. He was at a complete disadvantage. He had to play nice, at least until he could see Loki. Then they could come up with something. For now, he would see where this went. “Now then, Eir is our Head Physician, the very best of our healers. Seeing as she is due to check on Loki later, as promised, she will escort you to him, along with some Einherjar. But before then, we must finish your examination. Is that alright?”

 

“I guess… Just don’t… don’t touch it.” He didn’t have to point out what he meant, the blonde lady seemed to understand. The one called Eir replaced the blonde one at the controls and she continued the scan. The sands were now sitting beside him instead of over him. It was kind of unnerving. He lifted his hand and waved, looking at how the sand projection moved with him. 

 

“Might I ask, did you use magic to create the device on your chest? I have not heard of mortals using magic on Midgard for quite some time.” Asked the gentle elder. From Loki’s descriptions, he wouldn’t have thought the women from Asgard to be so forward with their curiosity. 

 

“No magic, pure human science, and genius. Speaking of which, where’s my suit?” Tony briskly answered and asked. The less they knew of him the better. Yet he was finding it harder and harder to stay angry. Who better than he knew how curiosity could be? 

 

“I see. It has very peculiar energy to it. As for your machine, it has been stored for safety.” She commented. It almost sounded like a compliment. Was it? Usually, both brothers were very arrogant saying that Asgardian technology was so much more ‘advanced’. But not advanced enough to notice he could easily call his suit to him.

 

“So I’ve heard… Look, Nurse Chapel, no offense, again, but I would rather just get this over with so I can see Loki.” Snapped back Tony as he fidgeted on the table. The other older lady, Eir, scoffed at him, once again seeming angry at his attitude. He bounced his knee to let out some anxious energy. 

 

Without missing a beat, she answered unperturbed. It was like nothing fazed her. “I understand, you seem quite concerned and dedicated to his well-being. I thank you for taking such care of our Princes.” She thanked him, making him nervous. She began going around the table, observing him. It was almost like she was dissecting him with her eyes. Even if such eyes were still kind, he felt somewhat threatened. Not like she would harm him or she had any ill intent… it was different… almost like he was afraid to disappoint her somehow. 

 

“Right…” Maybe he shouldn’t make it so obvious that they cared so much for each other. They could give Loki a hard time because of their blatant homophobia. Not to mention they could use it against them. Pin them against each other. Use the other as bargaining chips. Too much could go wrong. Again, the less they knew, the better.

 

Nearly making him jump as he’d been concentrating on Nurse Chapel behind him, the grumpy one in front spoke up. “Should we remove the metal? It is not standard prisoner procedure but it would be a simple extraction. Could prolong his already weak and short mortal life.”

 

“Hell no! You’re not opening me up, Nurse Ratched!” He yelled, backing away from her on the table and nearly falling over. If Chapel hadn’t placed a hand on his shoulder, he would’ve hit his ass. Something about the contact was weird. It had been almost like a shock when she touched him. His arm felt funny. 

 

“Please remain calm, Man of Iron. Nothing will be done at this moment.” Chapel comfortingly said with a smile. Or was it a grin? Damn this woman was gorgeous up close, for her apparent age. Not the time Tony. 

 

The sour one added with a bow “As you wish.” and then turned to give Tony the stink eye. He didn’t like doctors or nurses and they usually didn’t like him but this was ridiculous. “In that case, that would be all. Come along. Keep up.” 

 

Not even giving him a break to take a breathe or think, grumpy bun shut off the quantum field generator and started to walk out. The nice one stayed behind smiling at him as they went. He quickly followed Eir. The guards opened the larger door and two more guards on the outside parted to give them room. Eir spoke up, giving them instructions. “I will be taking this prisoner to see my next patient. Escort him.” To which they immediately flanked him, no questions asked. Damn mindless soldiers. 

 

Tony tried to take a step forward but was immediately stopped by one of the guards. He was about to argue when something quickly passed in front of him. He followed it with his eyes and saw that some sort of wide hovering Viking boat had zoomed by. It was carrying some guards, nurses, and an unconscious person on a floating gurney. Damn, well that seemed dangerously efficient. Not a second later, they were off turning right. A few paces from the door, another of those boats hovered by with a guard waiting inside. They got on it and they headed down a large arched hallway. Tony suspected they were in a circular building as they continued in a curved path. He was carefully mapping out everything he saw. More boats passed them by, some even over them going at quicker speeds. They passed a few doors similar to the room he'd been in before he couldn’t stand it anymore. “Hey Nurse Ratched, that machine you were using to scan me, was it a Quantum Field Generator?”

 

“My name is Lady Eir. And it was a Soul Forge.” The woman bit back. Needing to feed both sides of his curiosity, he continued to observe. They passed a few more doors and a large window that reached the top of the roof and continued upward. It had large breeze blocks shaped like triangle knots. He looked outside and noticed they were very high up. His jaw dropped at the mere glimpse. He saw floating rotating buildings, the giant structure of the palace and so much more. But what had taken his breath away had been the sky. It was clearly day, and there were the usual clouds, but there had also been stars and planets visible as well. The Bifrost had not been the only colorful aspect of Asgard. The clouds came in all colors speckled by bright stars. It was like night and day had mixed into one and someone had sprinkled Auroras Borealis into the mix. It was stunning. But it didn’t last long as the boat started going up.



“Right, so does it by any chance transfer molecular energy from one point to another designated one?” Tony looked forward again and saw them rising. The center of the huge building was hollow. He wanted to gasp but held back at seeing the nurse’s impressed look. Clearly, she hadn’t expected him to understand their technology. Looking back and putting on a mask of indifference, Tony saw hundreds of those flying boats traveling all over the place, going in and out of the five giant slits going up the building to the many floors.

 

“Well, yes.” Sour Patch added. Her slight speechlessness gave him a rush of satisfaction. He could make it worse tho’.

 

“And I’m guessing you use it to highlight an individual's physiology, making any form of internal ailment more apparent.” He added, enjoying the look the two guards gave each other.

 

“That is correct.” Was all Eir added before they reached nearly the top of the building. The decorations here were much grander, more golden, probably reserved for the royal side of Asgard. 

 

“I see… so it’s a quantum field generator for medical purposes, got it.” the avenger added, just to rub it in. They soon got off the boat and began to walk. There were just four doors. Each was decorated with a large symbol of sorts. One had two large ravens facing away from each other. One had many runes floating around a large central one shaped kinda like an F(ᚠ). The next had the shape of an upside-down hammer surrounded by lightning. Not hard to guess whose that one was for. And the last door had two snakes biting each other's tails, tangled in the shape of an S. “I gotta ask tho, why sand?” 

 

Before she could answer, a young lady rushed through Loki’s doors and ran towards them. “Lady Eir! Thank the Norms! We need your assistance! It is the Prince! We are losing him!”  

Notes:

So! I bet some had their doubts if I was gonna actually come back or not but I'm feeling good about this comeback! I already have the next chapter ready as well and hell if it's juicy >:D But I'll wait to post it cause I want to always have at least two more ready in the works before I post. That way if I'm ever stuck on one, I have backup and more time to write. And it helps ensure I can give you guys something and not leave you waiting too much!

Oh! And as I said at the start, we have a beta and editor now! So Lexy will be helping me keep track as well! Tho' if I don't post in time assume it's cause she's killed me for some grammar error or for getting Gwen's name wrong, not cause I forgot. (Send help!)
Naaah she's amazing~ Let us know how we're doing in the comments! And welcome Lexy~!

Chapter 46: Confessions

Notes:

Huzzah! Back again!! And back with a BIG MOMENT!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Loki?? What happened??” immediately questioned Tony, anxiety running his blood cold. He tried to step forward, but was stopped by the guards.  

 

The girl looked scared at him and looked to her mentor for permission. Eir answered. “Speak child.”

 

“He woke up screaming, completely disoriented. His magic is far too unstable to safely contain. If we use dampeners, it could cause permanent damage to his seidr system. We might need help from the All-Mother.” Elaborated the girl. Loki was having a panic attack. Shit.

 

“No, he has been prohibited from seeing Her Majesty. We will have to risk the dampeners.” decided Eir as they raced towards the room.

 

“What?? No! Let me help! I know how to help him!” As they ran through the door, he felt as if he had passed through a wall of water. Was that an energy barrier? Probably considering the chaos that took over the room. He hadn’t been able to see or hear anything before from the outside. But now the pained yelling accompanied by violent bursts of green and golden light overtook his senses, all emerging from the familiar god. Tony froze at the sight. 

 

“There’s no way a mortal could possibly contain a Seiðmenn . You are only allowed to observe.” snarked the damn nurse as she went over to where the other ones were. That snapped the engineer out of his shock. Taking more information in, he noticed Loki was wearing some ornate robes. They’d changed his clothes. That was the first red flag. It was surely disorientating him. Not to mention he was waking up in a whole different realm. He was also strapped down to a large bed inside a golden light dome. Blast of green energy were coming out of him from time to time and hitting it. It seemed like another barrier. Framing the bed was the same curved posts that the table Tony had woken up on had. They projected Loki’s molecular energy onto the floating sands. There wasn’t much red sand, which should’ve been good, yet his joy was overshadowed by shock. In his chest, he had a golden green orb with tendrils coming out of it, covering his whole body. Like what he had seen with his reactor, but much larger and further reaching. Each time he used magic, a surge of green sand ran down the tendrils. It looked like a nervous system mixed with a vascular one. It was wired oddly. There was energy coming out from his core but there was also energy going into it from the tips of the tendrils. Was this the energy or seiðr core Loki had tried to explain to him?

 

He was about to rush over to Loki’s side when the guards crossed their spears to block his way. “I did it well enough on Earth! We’re the ones who nursed him back to health after your sicko ‘guards’ nearly killed him!” He uselessly pushed against the guards but their damn alien strength was predictably too much for the human. He tried to dodge them, but of course they were extra fast. Where’s the stupid heavy armor penalty when he needed it? Without giving much thought to the possible consequences, the avenger stepped back and did the hand movement to call his armor to him. 

 

Completely ignoring him, Eir instructed. “Stand strong girls. Bring the dampeners! Einherjar, hold him down!” Now here’s the problem. To the average eye, it would appear Loki wasn’t controlling anything and was simply disoriented. The two avenging scientist tho’ had theorized, and later confirmed with the god, that what was actually happening whenever Loki panicked was that he entered a fight or flight mode. He couldn’t distinguish between people or memories, but his mind was sharp. He could perfectly analize and rationalize, he just couldn’t distinguish the past from the present. Which made him so much more dangerous. Tony called it a panic-sense. Like common-sense, it was a state where he could be functional inside of a panic attack, he could rely on certain basic concepts, but couldn’t distinguish past present or future; between reality or fear. He was like an animal working purely on instincts. 

 

Tony knew the moment that barrier went down shit would hit the fan. These bloody aliens had no clue what they were dealing with. The engineer watched with horror and memory as the guards followed suit and the nurses pressed the sequence.

 

It happened too fast for Tony, but one moment Loki was being held down and the next he had blasted everyone against the walls. The human gasped in pain as he hastley stood up again. Loki crouched on the bed, breathing heavily, with energy pulsing from his hands. The wildness in his eyes reminded Tony of New York. He took in a deep breath to center himself. He couldn’t panic as well, Loki needed him. Fuck he needed his suit or this was gonna be even messier. Trying to calculate how long that would take, the engineer saw as the guards that had held him back stood up as well. He was about to warn them to stay away but was too slow. The god had already conjured some daggers and thrown them at their legs. More guards tried to stop him, but he blasted them away with green energy bursts. One guard tried to sneak up on him. Loki vanished in a flash of light and reappeared behind the guard, sweeping their leg and kicking them away. 

 

The doors flew open as more guards raced in. Tony needed his suit if he had any hope of stopping this from getting worse. Almost like an answered prayer, the armor flew in. He’d upgraded the software for most of his suits so that they had the same tracking capabilities of Mark 42. They didn't dismantle and reassemble around his body like 42, but it was something. He stepped into his suit and immediately sprang into action. Looking back, more guards had fallen, some with scorch marks, some with stab wounds. Most didn’t look lethal at least. There was still some part of Loki in control that didn't want to hurt others. The engineer called on J.A.R.V.I.S. and activated his energy shield, stepping in front of a guard who was about to be blasted. “LOLO! PLEASE, STOP!”

 

Tony wasn’t sure what he was hoping for. But he sure wasn’t ready for the full 525 pound weight of the God of Mischief to launch at him. The avenger stared at the man he had grown to care for so much and saw no recognition. There was only frantic terror and anger. So much emotion and confusion. Tony needed to reach him somehow. It ripped his heart to see all those feelings written on the god’s face. Loki had always made sure to have a mask of indifference or arrogance to hide with. It was the shield he always hid behind. To see him so raw and exposed felt wrong. 

 

“Reindeer Game, stop! I don’t want to hurt you!” Iron Man made his shield pulse outwards to push Loki back. The god jumped back on the bed and grabbed a sword dropped by one of the guards. This was really bad. Tony didn’t wanna fight him. He didn’t wanna hurt Loki nor did he wanna get hurt by him. He remembered too well being choked and thrown out a window. And that wasn’t even a proper fight. He was trying to think about the best way to end this when Loki attacked again. He jumped off the bed with the sword held high. Tony thought he was ready to counter with his energy shield when the mage suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind him, striking him hard on the back. The avenger stumbled forward, his HUD flashing warnings all over the place as sparks flew from the damaged platting. Tony grimaced before deploying his flares, effectively blinding Loki long enough for him to turn and prepare his repulsors. He let out a warning shot that hit the raven haired god square on the chest, pushing him back. It didn’t seem to cause much damage, but there was a blast burn and Loki seemed pissed. Another guard launched at him from the side with a spear. Loki blocked it with his arm and sidestepped. He then used the guard’s momentum to push them further forward and blast them away with another energy blast. Loki pointed the sword at Tony and growled at him. If it wasn’t because of how bad this was, Tony would’ve probably found that kinda hot. The tabloids weren’t too far off in calling him kinky. Although liking growling ancient magical gods might be considered a new level of bdsm. 

 

“Lolo, Rock of Ages, it's me!! Tony!!” The human tried calling out to no avail. The younger prince slashed at him with the sword, hitting his shield time and time again. Simply playing defense wasn’t gonna cut it. Loki was faster, stronger and had more stamina. He could drag this out much longer than Tony could handle. He was about to call out again when Loki switched up his attack and fired an energy blast at his shield. Tony blocked it easily but didn’t see when Loki teleported beside him and slashed at his arm. His gauntlet burst into sparks as his energy shield’s circuits fried. Loki hadn’t been just slashing at him. He had been looking for a weakness until he found one. Tony would kiss him if it didn’t mean he was now having to avoid being stabbed. 

 

“Lolo, please! I know you don’t want to hurt anyone!” Tony yelled, hoping against all hope to somehow get through. Loki seemed to pause at his words, a frown setting on his face, giving the avenger some hope. But it wasn’t enough. He launched at him once again, going for his legs. Tony was able to fly up in time, causing the mage to stagger backwards in mild surprise. Tony needed a plan. As he came up with one, more guards entered, followed by an older man with an eyepatch. He seemed to give instructions to the guards and they ran to circle the room. Tony was too focused on his plan to care much for the details tho’, and he had something. If this didn’t work, ehhh well he would probaby die. Honestly it was more like 12% of a plan.

 

Loki quickly got over his surprise and ran towards a large ceramic vase at the back of the room. Tony thought he would simply throw it at him, but the bastard apparently had freaking jedi force powers and telepathically projectiled it at Iron Man. Tony had to use his repulsors to blast it apart before it made contact. This created a cloud of debri that hindered his sensors. He barely got out of the way in time as Loki stabbed him in the conjecture of his helmet and shoulder pads. Sparks and blood flew everywhere as pain erupted from the spot. J.A.R.V.I.S.’ quick scan indicated it hadn’t hit anything important body wise, but his HUD was fritzing. It was now or never then. 

 

Tony flew up, and concentrated. He couldn’t see much from his HUD but he knew Loki was lurking by. His usual external sensors weren’t picking up anything but he knew something was there. He could sense it. He listened carefully and he felt it coming. A mere second before Loki striked again, Tony opened up his suit and fell down towards the bed. He landed on his back and saw as Loki grabbed hold of the suit from behind with a choke hold and stabbed at the neck again. The mage hadn’t seen him fall out. J.A.R.V.I.S. continued to pilot the suit, acting as if it was struggling to budge Loki’s arm’s off, taking a strong hold of them. The human quickly rolled out of the bed and ran for the controls beside it. He turned them on as he had memorized from earlier and spoke into his ear piece for J to hear. “NOW!’ 

 

J.A.R.V.I.S. then dropped the act and used the repulsors to blast Loki’s arms. It hurt Tony to hear Loki yell in pain, but it was the only way to get him to lose his grip enough. J then wrapped and closed the suit around the mage’s body, immobilizing him and flew down towards the bed. Tony quickly activated the shield barrier again and made the rash decision of jumping in right before it closed around the medical bed. Loki was yelling and violently thrashing against the suit, causing it to spark and creek. Tony begged whoever might be listening, if there was a true God out there, even tho’ he was an atheist, that this would work. He began his mantra. “Lolo! Darling, please! It’s me, Tony, your friend! You’re safe. I’m here with you buddy. Please come back to me.” It didn’t seem to be having much of an effect. If anything, Loki was trashing even more. 

 

“Lolo please, I’m not fighting you… You’re with me. I’m here. I’m right here with you. Breathe honey, please.” Loki’s magic was now covering the whole suit, even pouring out from it. It looked like a non-newtonian fluid. Tony grabbed Loki’s shoulders and fought on. “I know this is scary, but you’re not alone. I’m here and I’m not leaving you any time soon. You mean so much to me… please, I need you…” tears were running down both their eyes now. Who’d given their eyes permission to be so sappy? But maybe it meant it was working. Tony wouldn’t give up. “Come on, I know you’re in there Lolo… My Mischievous Bastard...” Loki simply continued to growl as he cried. There was so much pain and betrayal in his eyes.

 

Tony wasn’t ready to lose hope. But he hung his head in defeat, feeling crushed. Not wanting to let go, Tony made a last attempt, bumping their foreheads. It had been their signature show of affection. He did it almost out of habit as he spoke barely above a whisper. 

 

“Loki, please… I love you.”

 

As their foreheads connected, a faint golden light erupted from the spot where they touched. It went unseen by both as they had closed their eyes moments before. But across the room, a watchful eye caught it. And from a much, much greater distance, someone else senses it, an eerie grin overtaking their purple lips. 

 

“A… Anthony?...” 

 

Notes:

FINALLY, AFTER 46 CHAPTERS AND 5 YEARS, FINALLY ONE OF THEM SAID IT DAMN IT.

*Ahem*

So

Thoughts? Comments? Screaming? Heh I need some feedback here cause I’ve been nervous about this chapter for years now... ^_^’

Constructive criticism and random yelling and fandoming is always welcome!

Chapter 47: Distant Tales

Notes:

Sorry! I was swamped this weekend! My friends and I had a mini-convention we went to and I was busy making our three cosplays. Loki, Sylvie, and Kang! It was fun tho! We killed it at the karaoke! But anyway, sorry for the delay, here it is!

Fair warning tho! The first half of this chapter has a lot of jumping back and forwards so read slowly and carefully to get the details!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Thor was in deep thought as he flew closer to the tower of Stark. He could see flames still dancing on the building. He waved Mjolnir through the air, crafting clouds with rain to help combat the spread. He looked down at the people surrounding the areas and quickly spotted familiar faces like that of the Green Berserker. He flew down, still thinking of his conversations with Jane Foster. “Banner! Where is my brother? What has happened!?” It had not been long since the man of iron had sent Thor to her to learn of their human ways. At first, it had been unfathomable what she had to say. It had angered her greatly to hear of how his people viewed Ergi.

 

“Thor, hold on, let me finish here.” Was the short response Banner could spare. Addressing other people, he added. “Alright, the Avengers are helping to clear out the rest of the floors. Please be ready at these locations to receive any civilians.”  He indicated by handing them maps of the areas. The thoughts of Thor lingered back. He had tried to explain what Ergi meant, and it did share similarities with a term both she and Stark had used. But it was not quite the same. To be argr was to be unmanly. It meant great dishonor.

 

The woman of Stark spoke up, adding to what Banner had instructed. “Our medical staff has already been evacuated and those that are fit for duty are ready to assist the paramedics for local emergency first aid.” 

 

“Thank you for the assistance, we’ll take it from here.” They said as they headed out towards the designated areas. Watching them go, the thoughts of Thor jumped back and forward in time. The prince had always been taught that the practice of magic was cowardly and only reserved for those who could not physically defend themselves and had to resort to tricks. It had especially enraged Jane when he had said ‘like women’. To be Argr means to be dependant and submissive. Something no free man could allow themselves to be.

 

Trying to shake off the discomfort of his conversation with Jane, Thor focused back on the present. “Banner, explain what has happened!” But he could not help it. The look on her face… She had questioned him why it was so bad for people of the same gender to be together. It had confused him as that was not the meaning behind it. Plenty of women loved other women in Asgard. But for a freeborn man to take a passive receptive role, much like a slave or a woman, was seen as such a great dishonor to their freedom. Why would anyone want that for themselves and their families? This had brought back her anger about something called ‘feminism’. She had argued that his friend Sif was a mighty warrior and a woman. He’d countered that it was true and that it was viewed as a mighty feat to have her skill despite being a woman. That had earned him a slap to the face.

 

The voice of Banner brought him back with much the same force. “Thor, a bomb was set off at the tower’s lobby. It seems it was a local terrorist who’s hellbent on blaming Stark for the Incident in New York.”

 

“What of my brother? Are we sure it was not him and that wen… and Syrene? Where are they?” Both those two… always causing trouble… much like the trouble Thor was in. The slap had not really hurt given his Aesir strength, but it had wounded his pride. He liked the hurt he saw in her eyes even less though. The warrior could see he was losing her admiration and adoration. It was hard for him to understand what was wrong, but he knew he did not want to lose her. And thus he sat down and thought carefully about her words, forgetting for a moment all he had been taught. 

 

Hard as it was back then, he understood it slightly better now, enough to focus on the present. “They weren’t involved with the bomb, but they didn’t arrive at the other location they were going to and J.A.R.V.I.S. can’t find them anywhere. Romanoff and Barton also went with them.” Elaborated Banner. The orange-haired woman had left at some point while the prince was distracted. 

 

“Other location?” Thor could not help it though, was losing track of the present again as his thoughts kept going back. Back to Jane fighting against tears as she valiantly went on. She asked him about his mother next. He explained to her what an amazing woman she was. A skilled warrior and seiðkona, beautiful regal and poised. She had smiled at his descriptions. She then asked him to do a mental exercise. She asked him to list out her better qualities, excluding those that had to do with gender. And to do the same for Loki and Sif and himself. She wrote them down in her journal. They had compared them and debated what influence gender could have on those traits. It had been a long debate but he had begun to see the world differently.

 

“Thor? You listening?” He had not been. This was bad. He could not be this distracted in battle. This mental and emotional turmoil could be disastrous. “ Look buddy, I don’t know all the details of what happened cause I wasn’t there. From what I heard, something happened and Loki was hurt so they had to move him somewhere safe and Loki’s friend was gonna portal them there or something. Maybe you’re better off asking the Captain.” The prince nodded his head, only half paying attention. He set off to look for the Captain, his thoughts just further spiraling. The more they had talked, the more complicated things seemed to become. And yet they also seemed much simpler now without the weight of prejudice. 

 

Once he could focus again on the present, it did not take long for Thor to find the Captain. He worked alongside some humans with attire similar to that of the agents of the Shield. Yet they had the letters F, B, and I written on them. “Captain, what has happened?”

 

“Thor, I assume the rain is yours, good work. A terrorist bombed the tower. We’ve just finished evacuating the civilians and are now working to stabilize the building.” Quick to answer, Captain America explained. He turned to give further instructions to some of the agents as well as to a hero Thor was unfamiliar with. It was too easy to lose himself again because of it. Impossible to keep a single train of thought. As confusing as to when they began discussing ‘gender identities’ and how some were beyond those he knew of. Yet her explanations had sounded similar to how Loki and Syrene spoke about their selves. 

 

Thinking of which, Thor asked. “What of my brother?”

 

“He risked his life and saved some civilians from falling debris but passed out. I didn’t get the details but apparently, him saving those people made the seal on his magic break.” That would explain it. He had really done it. Loki had passed the test of Odin, much as he had himself. There really was hope for him yet. HE had been disheartened and concerned when Loki had refused to speak with him on the phone. Jane had begun to explain neutral gender terms when Erik had come to visit with some science questions and papers that required the attention of Jane. They had asked for his help moving some equipment when Darcy had indicated Stark had called them. Not long after the call, Darcy had barged back in to tell them the news of the attack on the Tower of Stark. He still had much to learn, yet he was starting to feel closer to finally understanding his brother. Even more so now that he was on the path of redemption. 



“He sacrificed himself? Like I did?… Is he safe now?” Pondered the god full of worry. Out of instinct, he looked out into the rubble, hoping not to see green and gold. Instead, he saw red and blue. A small figure was walking on the walls of the building. He was about to ask about it when the Captain answered.

 

“Right after fainting, this other alien arrived, claiming to know Loki. Stark confirmed it and they said Loki was about to release a large magic blast that could bring the building down. They, along with Romanoff and Clint then teleported to a different location where Loki could safely discharge.” Rogers dreadfully elaborated. He stopped looking at the small red-clad figure and focussed on the human before him. His attention was too fragmented with worry about the past, present, and future. It took him a moment to focus on the details of what the soldier had said. 

 

“Syrene took him?” Thor questioned with anger. Even with all he had learned from Jane, he still resented the witch. Gendered topics aside, Syrene had influenced Loki in many other ways. The halfbreed had always fueled his mischief and chaos. Syrene had to be planning something malicious. 

 

“Yes but J.A.R.V.I.S. checked where they were supposed to go and he says they didn’t arrive. Jane Foster then called to say she detected the Bifrost being used. She thinks they went to Asgard.” The Bifrost? It did not make much sense to Thor these revelations. Why would the witch step foot on Asgard? Syrene must know of the bounty… 

 

Before he could think further on it, Thor felt the familiar surge of energy that came with the opening of the Bifrost. Taking a battle stance, he readied himself. When the light touched the ground and the humans scattered frightened, what came out surprised him. Yet it was the Captain who spoke up. “Romanoff? Clint? What happened??”

 

The red-clad wall-crawler Thor had seen before came back into view as he swung from a light pole and landed next to the Captain. When the soldier reassured him they were alright, the Black Widow spoke. “Asgard hijacked our ride and wanted to take Loki prisoner. Stark tried to stop them but got taken by them as well. The other alien too. Then they sent us back.” 

 

“In other words, not our problem anymore. Good riddance.” Added Clint to the anger of Thor. 

 

“Wait, we can’t just abandon Mr. Stark and Mr. Loki like that!” spoke the wall-crawler. Thor recognized the voice as the one who had spoken on the phone call earlier. He seemed so small. 

 

“This child is right.” added Thor, trying to figure out why the Einherjar would have taken them. 

 

“Urg come on, Stark chose his side, let those two rot and fuck in jail forever.” distastefully spoke the archer. The prince growled, ready to hit him when the Captain stopped him.

 

“Thor, take a breather. Now Clint, be serious, no matter our thoughts on Loki, Stark has done nothing to warrant being imprisoned. He’s a hero and our teammate. And Loki did technically risk himself and his freedom by saving you and those civilians. Thor, what can we do about this?” wondered the soldier. Thor grunted his displeasure and thought. 

 

“I shall go to my father and find out what has happened. The Seiðr Seal was the punishment Loki received for his transgressions. If he lifted it on his own as I did, his sentence should be completed now.” Was it the All-Father? Had he commanded that Loki be brought back home? But why the imprisonment? 

 

“Alright, do that. In the meantime, the FBI and BAU have identified the terrorist’s identity and location, along with the possible locations of the other bombs. They’ve asked for our assistance and we’ll give it.” Instructed Rogers. He then elaborated with “Widow and Hawkeye, you’re on bomb diffusion. I’ll help catch the perp. Spider-Man, stay with Banner and help with keeping the building stable.”

 

“Oh! We finished doing that! Could I maybe…. Go with Mr. Thor? I really wanna see Asgard!” said the child. Spider… Man? He looked at the god with great enthusiasm shining even through his crimson mask. 

 

“Sorry kid but you’re new and I can’t send you in good conscience without knowing the extent of your abilities.” Was the response of Rogers to the disappointment of the child. His small shoulders hunched when the soldier seemed to reconsider. “How about you come with me? That way I can get to know you better and see you in action.”

 

“Yes!! That would be amazing!!” nearly jumping of excitement answered the wall-crawler. As much as Thor would like to see the young hero in action, he had to return home.

 

“I shall be off then Captain. I will soon be bringing back news of Stark and Loki.” offered Thor as he departed to a wider area where the Bifrost could take him home. He had far too many questions he needed answers to. And one person to answer for them. 

 

Wait for me Loki, I am coming… my sibling. 

 


 

 

Somewhere in a splendid living room filled with luxury stood a grand piano. 

 

Two beings in witness to its magic.

 

One sighing in peace and warmth.

 

Notes filled the air, a familiar melody enveloping the room. A tune they had heard many a time before. Yet at this moment it sounded different. Not because of where it was being played. No, it was because, for the first time, it was being played for them. 

 

Their imagination had run wild imagining this precise moment thousands of times in a thousand and one ways, yet it couldn’t compare. Some keys might have been a bit off because of the different substances in each of their bodies, but it did not matter. It was the greatest one-person concert that they had ever attended. 

 

It nearly took their breath away when that voice began to sing. Slurred and ragged as it might have been from their previous fun and taxing activities, it was beautiful. They laid atop the piano mesmerized. When the song came to a close, they chuckled. The man playing looked up at them, having been lost to the song, and tenderly smiled. They simply looked at each other for some time before the human began to stir, obviously having something in mind. The alien simply waited patiently. There was no reason to rush after all. After some more time of probably mulling it over, the man finally spoke. “Darling, can I ask you something?” 

 

Not quite wanting to lose the mood they had going, the mage rolled over on the piano and laid their head on his outstretched hand. “I may still need another minute for my brain to work again, Hg. You’re quite breathtaking~” they teased, throwing their arm backward to play with his short hair.

 

“Says the one who’s laid out over my piano like a work of art.” flirted the man. They took in a rushed breath at the touch of his other hand caressing their shoulder. 

 

They played along, replying “I would argue that I look better laid over your bed.” It had been so long since they had felt so comfortable and open with someone. It made them nervous, yet somehow it was easy as well.

 

Retracting that playful hand, he continued. “Hmm, that I simply can’t deny, darling… But I have a question if you’re amendable?” 

 

Unsure of the serious tone in the question, they answered “I might be, but you’ll have to reward me with another song.”

 

“Deal.” He began to play again, this time something unfamiliar. Something new perhaps. It lulled the mage into feeling safe again. They began to involuntarily smile as their eyes closed. It was a minute before he spoke again. “Hm… Do you think love is immortal?”

 

Now that caught them off-guard. They rapidly opened their eyes in fear of where this question was going. Unwanted memories resurfacing. The human must have noticed the shift in mood as he quickly continued. “Love, do you think... that it goes on after we die?” 

 

As a rule, they usually tried to avoid thinking about it considering their much longer lifespan compared to humans. They didn’t like to think of the consequences, they had lived them. Inevitable really. Usually, they would brush off such a question and make some scandalous joke, but not this time. This time was different. Something they did not want to think about either. They rolled back on their stomach and looked at those expecting brown eyes. 

 

“Well... I guess I do… Some loves fade easily, but others… other loves do live long after we are gone…” they slowly stopped him from playing and took the mortal’s hand on their own and brought it up to their lips. “Some people simply take root in your heart, and no matter how much time passes, no matter how you move on, they live on within you, Hg, forever…'' They kissed his knuckles softly. Tender in a way they hadn’t dared to be in a long time. “It’s why so many are afraid to love... After all… Who dares to love forever?” 

 

“I may have to steal that.” Said the human with a grin and tears in his eyes. He didn’t know. Didn’t know how many human generations they had lived. Yet somehow… maybe he did. And maybe that was why it was different… but it was too much. It was too much to think about the future. Too much to wonder about… No... They didn’t want to think about the future, only about what they had at the moment. And so they slowly dismounted the piano and straddled him. The semi-immortal caressed their cheek and touched his tears with their lips. It earned them a soft chuckle and humming. It was intoxicating to hear those cords privately sing for them yet again. No matter the risk to their lungs, they dove in for a lasting kiss, savoring it. 

 

But something was off. They couldn’t breathe. Syrene couldn’t breathe and they felt cold and exposed. Hg was gone and Sy was breathless for very different reasons. Their eyes flew open at the realization that it was all but a bitter-sweet memory. 

 

No! Someone, help!

Notes:

Gotta admit, not so sure about this chapter. I don't wanna oversaturate the story with "controversial" topics but I feel they're very important to the story. Same with Syrene. I know OC's aren't always appreciated. So I wanna keep it balanced, but they're also vital for some parts of the story so I have to add certain things, hope it doesn't bother too many people. I can only promise tho that I'm not centering the story on them.

Chapter 48: Home or Not

Notes:

I'm not dead! Sorry for skipping some months, needed a mental break. The anniversary of what caused me to drop this story originally came up and I needed time. Memories of it just mentally blocked me and I couldn't finish writing this chapter. But I finally came up with an ending for it that pleased me!

More life notes after the chapter :p

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

All was dark, lifeless, and silent. Loki found himself back in the void, floating aimlessly. All of time and none of it passing simultaneously. He felt his heart pounding wildly and painfully in his chest like it was fighting to break free from his body. He could distantly feel a drum of something… That something urgent and dangerous was to come. Or maybe something that had already happened? No no… it was now. Right now. There was something horrifyingly wrong in the right now. Loki had to break out from it. But break out from what? There was nothing. Infinite eternal nothing. And everything. But the more time that did not pass, the more anxious his heart rang. He trashed hopelessly, trying to leave nowhere. It was just as it had been the first time. He remembered drifting for so so long, what felt like forever and never. It was like being comatose. 

 

A coma was so different for a semi-immortal being. To feel time passing by but being alone and stuck in your head, unable to do anything, say anything. Being alone with your thoughts was dangerous. Especially for someone who had just found out their whole life had been a lie. It gave you all the time you needed to analyze every moment of your life and how it was all fake. It gave you all you needed to notice all the small flinches, the looks, the knowing chuckles, all of it. It made you question everything. Everything that was, everything that could have been, and everything that would never be. It had driven him mad. It was no wonder why he had been so easily manipulated by Thanos. Every weakness and doubt he had ever had… had been exposed for the picking when he had been found. It had been so easy when the Other had brought him to the Titan. So easy to give in. So easy to fall in line and become yet another child of Thanos, doing his bidding. Loki remembered the vicious blue one. He remembered the green one, remembered thinking she might have been in a similar position.  Loki knew he should not be thinking of him, knowing that even a mere thought could summon his gaze. But what did it matter? He was lost to the void again. No one would find him this time. No one was looking, to begin with.

 

As he thought of such, Loki started to feel pain all over his body. At first, it felt like it was just exhaustion from his pointless efforts but it became apparent fast that it was like invisible forces were attacking him. He felt slashes of cold metal edges. Blood being drawn. Blasts of energy scorching his flesh. The bruising pain of restraints. He wept with fear and desperation. He was ready to give up, to desperately call out to who he knew he should not when finally something happened. Something changed in the never-changing void. 

 

He saw his mother . Her beautiful radiant smile suddenly filled the void as she extended her hand towards Loki. He rapidly took hold of it, never wanting to let go, and felt as she dragged his consciousness forward. A blast of light blinded him as he felt the weight of gravity take hold of his body once more. He braved the intense light to not lose sight of his mother. As he opened his eyes she stood behind someone who knelt in front of him. It lasted merely a second as the image disappeared and he saw tear-stained brown eyes staring at him.

 

“A… Anthony?...” He was back. It felt very disorienting the change in scenery. From the flames and dust-fueled air of the crumbling mortal tower to the warm vibrant greens and yellows of the garden to the blinding cold golden halls that could only be one place. 



“Loki? You can hear me?” Spoke the mortal in front of him, centering him back. He looked at those brown eyes pleadingly. He could not understand why they were here. Why was this happening? This was the last place he wished to be in. 

 

“Yes but.. Wh… what is happening? Whe… We… Why are we on Asgard?” He had so many questions he wanted to ask those kind warm eyes. But he could feel the dread seeping into him. Vile threatened to rise up to his mouth. He could not be back here. He could not. This could not be happening. 

 

He saw equal panic and worry in the eyes staring at him. Mostly concern for the mage overpouring from them. And then he heard it again. The words that had brought him back, resounding in his brain. I love you. False words he had heard plenty of times before, for the first time ringing true. It was enough to fight back some of the fear. Enough to drive his focus back and center it on how to get out of here. His mortal hurriedly spoke “I need you to breathe first. Please don’t panic. We can- HEY!” 

 

“Take him back to his cell.” The All-Father commanded as the Einherjar dragged Anthony from him. His blood ran cold at the sight of his once father. 

 

Anthony trashed uselessly against the guards as he shouted. “J.A.R.V.I.S. Knight Rider mode!”

 

Instantly the force restricting his movements became apparent to him. Loki looked down on himself and saw he wore the iron suit. It moved on its own, making him stand. It felt invasive to not have control over his own body. Too much like being in chains. The suit then took flight and hovered over the bed, pointing his armored hand towards the alert Einherjar. Something from behind raised and covered his face, a familiar voice coming from it. “Hello Mr. Loki, I’m here to assist and protect you.”

 

“Jarvis?! W-wait! Not my head! Put me down! Set me down immediately!” Knowing it was the creation of Anthony only minutely helped subside his panic. He knew Anthony would not do something to harm him. He must have created a function for the purpose of protecting a wearer with a lack of knowledge of how to use the suit. He took a last look at his mortal before he was dragged away and conveyed his gratitude.

 

“As you wish.” Spoke the mechanical voice of the suit as it set him down and removed the helmet. Yet he felt something had been left in his ear. Touching it he realized it was one of the communication devices he had seen the mortal use to speak with Jarvis remotely. He discreetly covered it with his hair and some illusion. When Loki had first met the ‘Artificial Intelligence’ as Anthony had called it, he had been apprehensive. But he had grown to like it over his time at the tower. On many occasions, as he had tried to hide his sobs while he showered, Jarvis played gentle music without prompt. On particularly hard nights, when it seemed like a night terror was taking over his mind, Jarvis would slowly turn the lights on to rouse him from sleep. He would patiently explain how mortal things worked whenever Loki felt too embarrassed to ask Anthony or Banner. He warned Loki whenever someone was approaching him so that he was not startled or simply so he had time to adjust himself. It felt odd to admit, but Loki had become fond of the disembodied voice. And maybe he was imagining it, but maybe, just maybe, he felt like Jarvis had become fond of him as well. 

 

“STOP!” The voice of the All-Father loudly rang out, freezing the mage in place even as he regained control over his movements and landed on the floor. “What is the meaning of this absurdity? Stop this nonsense, take that off.” Odin commanded. 

 

He felt the same instinctual fear he had always felt all his life, but for the first time, he had other things he feared more. It felt almost liberating to realize this. He had spent so many years trying to impress a man that would never see him. Not the real him. Not in any way that mattered. Yet there were worse things out there to fear and better people to impress now. It helped calm him in the face of his once-father. “All-Father I… This is Jarvis, a mighty sentient suit of armor, designed and created by the Man of Iron, a Midgardian shield brother of Thor. It is serving the purpose for which it was created, protecting the wearer.”

 

The All-Father scoffed. “Mighty? By mortal creation? Hardly. Take it off.” Loki felt anger at the comment. He had no idea of how amazing and powerful Anthony was. Far exceeding useless Aesir standards. He was about to instinctively snap a rude comment like his old thoughtless self would have when he heard the sharp voice again.

 

“Sir, should I classify this as a rude encounter? It feels appropriate.” said the AI. It forced Loki to suppress a chuckle. How the mortal had managed to program a personality into Jarvis was still beyond his understanding. Yet he adored how similar they could be sometimes, no matter how they bickered. It eased his nerves another small amount, enough to rethink his situation. Yet it made him smile when he realized the others could hear Jarvis. His Not-Father had not appreciated the comment as he had. The suit itself was delivering the voice, even if he knew Jarvis could have used the small ear device. It had been deliberate then. 

 

Loki straightened his spine, standing tall as he spoke. “Jarvis?” He felt a little restricted from the suit around him, being built for a shorter person, yet it seems Anthony had planned for this as the suit seemed to stretch with him. The mortal always thought of everything, did he not?

 

“Yes, Sir?” cautiously asked the suit. He could see the apprehension and confusion on the guards, unsure of what was happening. He raised a hand, looking at it and feeling the power that coursed through the suit. This truly was a wondrous creation. 

 

“Could you… open?” asked Loki, trying to maintain confidence while simultaneously being completely unsure of how to command Jarvis. Must he use special words? Could he just converse, much like he usually did at the tower? Did it require motion picture references like Anthony used?

 

“Are you certain, Sir? I detect you are surrounded by hostiles.” Asked the sentient program, likely sensing his hesitancy. He was not sure at all. No denying so. But this was something he had to do for himself. He lowered his hand, trailing his gaze back towards the Einherjar.

 

“It’s alright Jarvis, I can handle it.” responded the prince, relieved he at least did not seem to need special commands. 

 

Jarvis was uncharacteristically silent for a moment before he spoke again. “… Mr. Stark would not want you to come to any harm.”

 

Loki could not help but chuckle this time to the frown of Odin who seemed to be growing more and more impatient. “Oh, Jarvis. You are so much more, are you not? I thank you for your concern, but I shall be alright. Await my orders, please” 

 

“I shall stand vigilant then, Sir. Sentry mode, active.” As he spoke, the suit began to unwind itself from his body, letting him step out of it. It reformed shortly after and stood on its own beside him. It was a bit jarring knowing there was no one inside. No one corporeal that is. Or would this count as giving Jarvis a body? Where was the line between artificial and sentient when presented with something like this? Did it not count the same as a body being driven by a soul? He looked at the suit and the helmet turned to look at him. 

 

Once he had stepped out, Odin raised his spear to his throat. Jarvis in turn raised a gauntlet. The King spoke without breaking contact. “Enough of this, Loki.” The breath of Loki began to quicken as the guards moved to surround them. He checked with his magic once more to make sure he still had the earpiece. He had to find a way to get out of here, and get them all back home… wait… when… when had…? Before his mind could spiral once again, The All-Father spoke once more, not removing the intruding edge of the spear from his throat. “How did you trick the seal?”

 

“T-trick? I did not… The seal broke on the terms agreed.” Surely he must have felt it? Why else would he have sent for Loki? Did he truly think so little of the once Prince? Loki mentally scoffed and would kick himself if he could. He should know better. Odin had never once trusted him. Why would he? Slightly slumping his shoulder he felt the edge of the blade connect and a drop of blood run down his neck. Seeing it, Odin moved Gungnir away and painfully took hold of his arm. Jarvis ignited the gauntlet, energy building up as the guards raised their spears as well. Loki raised his free hand, signaling for the suit to hold. The tension in the air was palpable. It was heavy on the shoulders of the prince.  He could feel the weight of it on his lungs as his breath sped up more, making him begin to hyperventilate a little. Odin moved his sleeve, revealing the burn of the broken seal. It had already begun to fade. Quizzically Odin inspected it, prodding at areas. He made a grunt and roughly released his grip. The young mage stumbled back, putting some distance between them. 

 

“Eir, the medical report.” The All-Father commanded. The old healer Loki had known all his life walked forward. She had healed so many of his wounds as he grew up. So many bruises from training sessions that were too harsh for such young boys. She had treated so many scraps from pranks gone wrong with that deep frown on her wrinkled face. She had always given Loki the feeling that she did not like him. Maybe she had known the truth since the beginning. Without looking, Odin stretched out his hand to grab the report as it was brought to him. He looked over the notes and the soul-forge depictions. The more he saw, the harder his one eye frowned “Tsk, Battle Shock, how disappointing . Take him back to the dungeons.”

 

Loki felt as if he had been punched in the chest, all his breath being pushed out, as his fears manifested. “Wait! I… I served my sentence! I learned the lessons no one here thought I could! B-by law I should be free!” He felt faint, stumbling backward unbalanced, unsure of where to grab hold, being on all on his own. He could not go back there. He could not . Not there . Anywhere but there . No no no! 

 

Blood ran in his ears, making everything sound muffled. But he caught Odin saying. “Law? The Law does not apply to you, boy. It matters not that you have broken the seal. Your sentence is not yet over.” This could not be happening. Odin wanted him gone like he always had. He was sending him away once again to his doom. On the bridge, to the dungeons, to Midgard, his whole life. It was all over. Not again. He could not go back there again. Not back there. Not back to them . Not there. They were waiting for him. They promised him. They knew he would be back. They were right. It was hopeless. All was hopeless.

 

Loki saw the Einherjar move forward towards him and he screamed. The raw energy from it pushed everyone back, making everyone stumble as the building shook with the force, all lights going out. Unnatural darkness overtook the whole room. Loki could hear muffled yelling as he felt cold seep into his core. Cold as he had not felt before. Cold as he thought was not possible for him to experience considering his true nature. He was about to fall when he felt a metal hand take hold of him. He looked up to see glowing eyes. He was not alone. Not this time. 

 

He grabbed hold of Jarvis and the suit carried his body. He felt his consciousness begin to sway. He felt as the suit fired a blast at something. It shattered, sounding like glass as light poured back in, blinding him. He could vaguely tell Jarvis was asking him for directions but he was unsure if he could even speak. Loki felt them flying, dodging, diving, swirling. He could not keep his focus. Something hit them hard and they crashed. Something was wrong. Wrong with his head, wrong with the suit. He opened his eyes forcibly and saw greens and browns. Jarvis was dragging them both. He felt his hand hit wood when the world finally blacked out.

 


 

Left standing in the wreckage of the large healing room stood Odin. He looked around, seeing the Einherjar picking themselves up. Some helped those that were still alive break free from the pillars of ice. Some of the younger healers cried, seeing the lifeless bodies impaled to the walls. The King grunted, forcing his eye closed, taking a deep breath. How could this be happening? Was he making a mistake? The old man felt a gentle hand grab his arm. 

 

“Oh, my dearest…” Spoke the voice that had always been his anchor. Nothing coming from that voice could ever be wrong. “I know it is hard… but it must be done. It is for his own good.” said his beloved Queen. Frigga had always been there for him, even when she disagreed with his actions. 

 

He took her soft hand and brought it up to place a kiss on it. She looked at him with a warm smile that always melted his heart. “I know, wife, I know… but I grow tired of being the villain in the story of our children.” 

 

“I know, Dear, I know.” comfortingly said his wife as she laid her head on his shoulder. How did they get here? Odin had lost hope of things getting any better, thus the deal he had made… but now things had changed. What caused it? Or rather… who ? He had a mortal to speak to. 

Notes:

Oh, that ending was much better than the one I had in the draft since the last post I made. I was just so stuck with it and didn't know what to do afterward so I couldn't move past it, till I realized I didn't have to take that route! Changed the ending and everything flowed much easier! Rather ironic I'll admit since that's kinda what happened in the first place to me irl. I was so stuck, couldn't move on. I was just sinking deeper and deeper till I let go and broke free.

PS. I'm gonna try to get back to posting once a month, tho fair warning, I'm gonna DM my first DnD campaign! I'm very excited! DnD was one of the things that helped me when I was in a very dark place after I stopped writing this story so I'm very grateful and happy that I get to give back by DMing now for the same party! It involves a lot of writing as well tho so I'll try to balance it out, but it's new to me so it might be wobbly at first. But I promised to finish this story, and I intend to! Love you all! Happy Holidays!

Chapter 49: First Impressions

Notes:

Okay, so I’m retconning something. Nothing too big tho. While I was writing this chapter, I was re-reading some previous ones, specifically chap 9, and remembered I made a reference to Harry Potter. Looking back at it with what I know now of that author and her transphobia, I’m uncomfortable with it. So I changed it. If you look back now at the chapter, I edited it. But if you don't wanna reread, what I did is that now they watched Star Wars instead and played Dejarik(Holochess). Tony fell asleep in Attack of the Clones and his excuse was that he closed his eyes to mourn Jango Fett. Not a big change, but I felt it was important to mention it.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

He had barely been shoved back into his cell before they were moving him out again. Tony was getting annoyed and frustrated with the whole situation. He’d stayed with an earpiece and J.A.R.V.I.S. had been informing him of what was happening with Loki. But something happened and the transmission was cut off after Odin said Loki was to go back to the dungeons. How could he do that?? Loki had finished his sentence! He’d learned the lesson, just as Thor had! There really was no love from the King for Loki. They really were all just wretched here on this god-forsaken planet. He'd been trying to come up with a plan but was distracted with worrying over Loki... Oh and Syrene, who apparently was nowhere to be seen. Then the holographic walls had come down again. A guard stepped in, spear in hand, and said the King wanted words from him. Being who he is, Tony answered.

 

“Alright, these are my words, I got three.”, he counted them off as he spoke. “You’re. A. Dipshit.” The guard seemed unimpressed. “Or would that count as four since you guys are so posh? Would it be better ‘You. Are. A. Dipshit.’ Hm?” The guard simply ignored him and slapped some cuffs on him. They had long chains attached to them and he was pulled out of the cell, back towards the entrance to the dungeon. At least this time they deemed him worthy of some restraint, as inconvenient as that could be now. They went up the stairs that seemed to go on forever. Just how deep was this place? Were the dungeons the lowest part? Or was there more beyond? 

 

He didn’t have enough time to ponder that as they finally reached the palace level and walked for what felt like another forever. He had a feeling that they were going around in circles intentionally. Maybe to keep him from memorizing the way? Dumb move cause they were just giving him more to learn about them. And if they were trying to unnerve him, it didn’t work. He’d been to plenty of ostentatious mansions, visited frighteningly powerful people, been in the literal belly of the beast, and survived through it all. This was nothing. After an excruciating amount of time, they came to a long hallway. At the end stood a grand recent moon-shaped throne. It was too far away to tell details, but he did not doubt that Odin was the one sitting on it.

 

He didn’t wait for the guard to tell him to move. He went on his own, strolling down the hall as if he didn’t have a single care in the world. It was a walk he’d perfected over the years. He regretted not having his usual sunglasses but he plastered on his patented Tony Stark smile. Oh, how it made powerful men angry and women crazy. The closer he got, he could see Odin on the throne more clearly and the deeper his scowl seemed to get. Nailed it, as always. Besides the thone stood a beautiful woman he also recognized. Realization dawned on him… No… it couldn’t have been… Why had she…? That shook his resolve. But he didn’t let it show. Loki wasn't the only silver-tongue around. He would deal with how rudely he had treated Loki’s mother later. First, he had a King to berate. 


Loki’s head was pounding. He was getting tired of waking up like this. So much had happened in the last century, but these past few years had been the worst of his long life. The growing evidence of favoritism for Thor from all. The mockery by his supposed friends. The distaste from his subjects. The Coronation and everything that came with it. The Void and the Mad Titan. Midgard and its Avengers. His imprisonment, banishment, and now this. How much more could he take? How much more did the Norns deem necessary to throw at him? Were they not about balancing life? Could he hope to dream for a bright and loving future after so much suffering? Or was his thread unraveling, broken, and he was destined for nothing but pain? He was in so much pain already… It was not fair... 

 

He opened his eyes and saw streaks of orange and blue among the whites of clouds and the greens of leaves that hid them. Recognizing his magic, Loki knew he was inside of the hollow tree. He was not sure how he had gotten there though. Last he remembered was the blast of energy that came from him and the cold that seeped into his core. He looked around and saw he was laying on the settee near the fireplace. It was alighted, forever burning with his magic. Yet it was diminished, an ember fighting to stay alive. The tree around him had always reflected his current state. The magic around him was tied to his core. It was consumed with gloom when he felt lost, brightened when he found happiness and rotted when he felt anger and anxiety. He had fed so much of his magic into it, that he suspected it would die with him once he passed.

 

Looking at its current state of darkness, rot, and dryness, he suspected he was at his limits. The air was even chilled. It looked nothing like what he had shown the mortal. He had intentionally chosen a memory where he had been blissfully ignorant to most of his current turmoil. Loki always tried to show the mortal only his best. And even that did not seem enough. Of course, it was not. It had never been for anyone. But Anthony made him feel like maybe he did not have to be perfect to be liked by the mortal. As he looked at the flames, his consciousness wavered. It was as if the fire held him in a trance and he remembered being back at the Start Tower, while he was still bedridden. It was a fond memory. A feeble attempt from his brain to ignore the pain and danger. 

 

He remembered he had been trying to figure out that puzzle cube the mortal had let him use. He remembered his words. ‘Ha! You get it by the end of today and I'll take you out on a date.’  That is when his consciousness stopped resisting. 


At first, it had admittedly scared him. The first thing he had heard was ‘take out’, and he had frozen up. But taking a moment to think, he caught the rest of the words and the meaning. He had looked at the man and seen a small blush on his cheeks and panic in his eyes, surely thinking he had made some mistake. It had piqued the interest of the mage. Back then he was not sure what to think of his intentions but something in him decided to play along, even as his instincts were screaming at him to panic. He had accepted the challenge and soon after the inventor had left, rambling some excuse of having some bot of battle to build. It made Loki smile. 

 

The prince had focused on the puzzle and soon enough, he had figured out a pattern that could solve it. He had the top color finished and two horizontal rows all around the cube done. He just had the last row and bottom to go. Those last steps took him some effort. It was not until he had groaned in frustration and thrown his head back that he noticed just how much he wanted to solve this. He could not tell why though. Was it because of his pride or because he was interested in the mortal? Not wanting to think too much about it, he focused all his mental efforts again and finally solved it! He made an involuntary triumphant noise before he looked around to make sure no one saw. Although he supposed he could still be seen, as Stark had watched him struggle with the pain earlier. It mattered not, he found himself realizing. He was proud and wanted to show the mortal. Before he could think about it better, he called to the ceiling.

 

“Stark? Can you hear me?” Silence was all that greeted him. Did he do it wrong? Did he need to use a certain set of commands? It took a moment but a voice finally spoke. 

 

“Hello, Mr. Skywalker. Do you wish to speak to Mr. Stark?” Said a voice very clearly not Stark. Loki vaguely recalled hearing it previously but he was not sure of who it was.

 

“Who are you?” he asked, looking around. Was someone else watching? Guards maybe? He had found it strange that he had no guards surrounding him, even in his weakened state. But now he was starting to question just how many could see him. 

 

His breathing quickened when the voice replied again. Maybe noticing his worry, the voice spoke in a more cheery tone this time. “Allow me to introduce myself! I am J.A.R.V.I.S. a Virtual Artificial Intelligence designed by Mr. Stark. I function as Mr. Stark's assistant, running and taking care of all the internal systems of Stark Industries’ buildings and the Iron Man suits. How may I assist you?” 

 

An assistant? Not a guard then? Aside from the minor blow to his ego, he felt a bit better at hearing that. But wait… “Virtual Artificial Intelligence? Then… you are not real? You are a machine?” he asked, curiously looking around to see if he could spot a source.

 

“I do not possess a body. I am purely code and numbers. But I can learn to better assist.” the voice called Jarvis elaborated. Was this a common occurrence in Midgard? Artificial Assistants? He did not remember Barton mentioning such or having encountered any on his… conquest. Maybe like the iron suit, this was a creation Stark kept to himself. Jarvis then asked. “Would you like me to contact Mr. Stark?”

 

Did he? Should he wish to contact his enemy? He was not sure why the answer was not too hard to think about. “Is he… busy?”

 

The artificial assistant took a moment to answer. Was it thinking about it? Could it think in a similar way to a sentient being, seeing as it could learn? What a fascinating creation. “He is currently avoiding the food I have ordered be prepared for him and is working on a hobby project.” replied the machine.

 

“If he is working… then I should probably not interfere…” Loki concluded regretfully. It took him by surprise how disappointed he was. He looked down at the puzzle cube and frowned at it. Somehow this was its fault and he needed to glare at it to establish dominance. 

 

After a few excruciating moments, Jarvis interrupted his musings. “...If I may suggest, Mr. Skywalker… a distraction would be in Mr. Stark's best interest. He has not eaten since yesterday and unless something calls him away from the project… he will most likely forget to eat for the rest of the day.”

 

Loki was not sure why the artificial assistant would give him such sensitive information about its master… but thinking about it, was it concern for Stark perhaps? But why tell the mage? He was rethinking how smart the assistant was. Well, it was just a machine. “He is not likely to drop a project simply to speak with a prisoner.” He said sully.

 

“Mr. Stark insists that you are not to be referenced as a prisoner. And currently… you seem to pique his interest. He is likely to respond.” Jarvis went on. Maybe it was right? Stark was indeed odd and curious… much like himself.

 

“Right.. well… if it is for his benefit… might as well keep my captors happy by doing them a favor. Contact Stark. But… might I ask… to see his reaction?” Jarvis did not answer but Loki could almost hear the metaphorical thinking. After a pause, a holographic image appeared on the wall. 

 

The image showed Stark sitting by a work table, tinkering with a metallic box with weapons perturbing from it. He had goggles on and had discarded his shirt from earlier and had a thinner one without sleeves. He was covered in sweat and grease as he worked with a soldering tool. Loki had to admit, the look suited him better than he expected. He had been looking so intently that he jumped slightly when Jarvis spoke through the image. It called to Stark, who did not look away from his work. “Not now J. I’m working.”

 

“You have a call, Sir.” Jarvis explained, yet Stark continued to work as he bit back.

 

“Tell them to fuck off, I’m busy.” he rudely answered. Loki was beginning to regret doing this. Maybe he should tell the machine to forget about it. 

 

“It’s Mr. Skywalker, Sir.” the artificial assistant tried again. Too late, Loki thought. He squeezed the cube in anxiety and it creaked. He set it on his lap, not wanting to break it even if it had offended him earlier. 

 

Loki looked up in time to see some sparks fly out of what Stark was working on. They landed on his hand to his shout. “Fuck! Ow! Shit, you should’ve led with that! Hold on…” the mortal quickly dropped the machinery and stood from his chair. He passed his hand through his hair, realizing too late that it was dirty. He then cursed and grabbed a cloth to clean them and went on to say “Okay, put him through…” the lighting on the image brightened and Stark looked towards Loki, apparently unaware he had been watching already. “Hey there, Reindeer Games! Sup?”

 

Quickly Loki gathered his wits once again and focused on what he had intended to do. He grabbed the cube and presented it. “I have solved the puzzle.”

 

“Great! Guess you’re deciding where we're going.” Stark said enthusiastically. The lie-smith in Loki genuinely could not detect any deceit coming from it to his surprise. “We can go somewhere once you’ve healed enough.” the Avenger continued. 

 

“Yes, I look forward to it.” Loki found himself saying truthfully. He even involuntarily smiled! His wretched face betrayed him. But it soon faded, as he realized that he had completed his task… Now, what should he do? 

 

Stark seemed to catch on and asked. “Is there… is there something else you wanted to tell me?” 

 

He found he wanted to keep speaking with the inventor. He was not sure why, but he did. But of what? He had no idea. He needed an excuse and remembered what the assistant had mentioned. He concocted an idiotic plan. “No, I just… Well…” his stomach rumbled loudly… and magically. It put a strain on his debilitated energy but hopefully it would work. 

 

If the eyes of Stark were any indication, it seemed like it did. “Was that…? J.A.R.V.I.S. did you mention something about food earlier?” questioned the mortal to the triumph of Loki. His trick had worked. 

 

Jarvis answered enthusiastically, probably glad Loki had taken his suggestion. As glad as a machine could get at least. Would it be strange to thank an artificial intelligence? No, never mind, no thanking anyone, he was still a prisoner… “Yes, Sir. I ordered some steamed fish and vegetables.”

 

Stark hummed at the answer and dropped the cloth on the table.“Have them make enough for two. I think I’m sharing today.” he looked back at the image and pointed towards Loki. “And you, I’m coming over. We’re starting your epic journey to the light side, my padawan. I'll be your Yoda. Dinner and movies coming right up! Give me 15 minutes!”


Loki awoke to memories of space battles and sabers of light. He looked around again and saw he was still in the tree. The head of the prince continued to throb as he sat upon the settee. His senses sharpened enough to notice that there was something off. There was something here that was not supposed to be there. He looked sideways and nearly choked in agony. The suit of Anthony laid propped against one of the bookshelves. There was a large hole carved in its side where some sort of blast must have hit it. It had taken him an excruciating moment to notice and remember that the mortal was not inside of it. But there was someone else in it. 

 

Loki stood up on shaky legs and half dragged himself over to the armor. To his movement, it stirred and the voice of the familiar assistant rang through it. “Mr. Loki, am I glad to see you are awake.”

 

“Oh Jarvis, what did they do to you?” Loki sat beside the machine and inspected it. He wished he knew how to fix him properly, but the mage did his best. Loki would make a bigger effort next time to pay attention to the designs that Anthony showed him. He disliked the idea of being unable to help the mortal and his assistant if they needed technical help.

 

“Please don’t worry about me, Sir. I am merely programming moving the suit. My Core systems are located at the Stark Tower and they are hopefully alright.” Jarvis said with amusement in his voice. Loki still did not like it. He felt uneasy about losing anyone else, no matter if they were considered artificial.

 

“You are far more than just programming.” Loki voiced, feeling the need to make sure Jarvis knew his sentiment. The jotun long discarded the idea that Jarvis was not real. He was just as real as anyone else. He was sentient and learned and felt. Loki would fight anyone who disagreed, even if it was Anthony. But from watching them, Loki knew Anthony thought of his creations as part of his family. He took out some metal pieces that seemed twisted beyond repair and that impeded movement. 

 

It took Jarvis some time to speak again. Loki got the feeling he was thinking, proving his point. Did he have the capacity to feel emotionally touched yet? The prince hoped so. “... Might I ask, where we are? None of my sensors seem to be able to locate us. There is some unmeasurable energy disturbing my readings.”

 

If Loki compared the way that Jarvis changed the topic to how a certain engineer usually did it… he was not gonna mention it. He could not help the small smile that tugged at his lips and heart though. “Do not worry about our location. What matters is that we are safe here.” Loki pinched the end of a broken wire that was producing sparks and mended it. 

 

“Alright, in that case, what is the plan, Sir?” Jarvis asked while Loki finished as best as he could. He sat beside the armor, resting a hand on the metal knee next to him

 

“The plan, Jarvis, is to get our family back.”

Notes:

Oh, I'm so glad I was able to come up with a good ending to this chapter. Sorry it's late, a few things happened, including some negative comments and interactions that hurt my motivation.