Bruce awoke in to clouds below him. He was flying though the sky at impossible speeds. He tried to move his body but could not move an inch.

He was about to let the Hulk take over, when the voice of JARVIS suddenly appeared.

"Good morning, Dr. Banner. Good to see you awake."

"JARVIS, what is going on, where am I?"

"You are in the Ironman suit Mark VI. Sir activated escape protocol number 47. You are to remain on route around the Earth until it is deemed safe to return."

"Wait, what?! What do you mean, 'deemed safe to return?' What's happening?" Bruce flinched as the HUD screen came to life.

"My sensor's showed that the tower was breached by hostile forces. All of the present Avengers were rendered unconscious by an airborne substance. According to my emergency programming, each registered member in the tower is to be sent out of the tower in an Ironman suit in an emergency evacuation. Each suit is sent in a different direction so as to avoid capture."

"Why would we need to be sent away? Take me back, JARVIS."

"I cannot override the escape trajectory. The hostile entities still remain in the tower. It is in your best interest to await further orders. Not only that, but the agent used to render you unconscious is still in your system. The suit's GPS indicates that you are nearing Antarctica, Dr. Banner. ETA to New York is 5 hours at your current velocity. That is enough time for the effects to completely wear off."

"JARVIS, I'd rather not break Tony's suit. Take me back. Now."

"I'm afraid I do not have the necessary permissions. It is a safety measure in case I was to be compromised in the event my mainframe is taken by the assailants."

"Then where's Tony? Where's Steve, Clint, everybody?"

"Sir is currently on route to Hawaii. Captain Rogers is nearing Nepal. Mr. Barton is right over Paris. Ms. Romanov is directly opposite of you, nearing the Arctic circle. And Thor Odinson is over the Midwest. You are the first to regain consciousness."

"Can you get us all back to the Tower? What about all of the people in New York?"

"I cannot return you to the Tower until everyone is awake, it is safe to return, or the override is given. As far as I can tell, the insurgents have not left the tower. Local police reports are normal, so it can be assumed that they are not interested in the citizenry."

Bruce looked out at the frozen wasteland and let out a sigh. "What do we do now?"

"I can stream a film for you while you wait. Sir has programmed the suits with Netflix."

"It would probably be better if you streamed what's going on in the tower instead."

"All security cameras have been disabled; however, I can show you the thermal scans of the Tower."

Suddenly the HUD changed from the live feed of the world around him to a 3D blueprint of the Tower. Five red dots were gathered around the top floor of the tower while a few more, they were too close together to count, were in the labs.

"Can you figure out what they are messing with, JARVIS?"

"I'm afraid this is the best I can do, Dr. Banner, all other sensors are offline."

Bruce frowned. "Then we'll have to figure this out when we get there. Is anyone else awake yet?"

"No, they are stil- one moment; it appears that Mr. Odinson is beginning to awaken... Oh my, please excuse me." With that the AI seemed to vanish, returning Bruce to the scene below him.

Oddly enough, Bruce could hear the distant sound of Thor arguing with JARVIS over the sound system. Thor must have somehow activated the radio in what sounded like his struggle to get free.

'Thor, sir, please remain still.' JARVIS replied to Thor's struggling.

"Release me from this metal prison machine!"

"Thor, you need to listen to JARVIS for a second."

"Sir the Hulk Buster cannot withstand anymore strain! I must insist you calm down."

"I say thee nay Machine!"

Suddenly the radio was filled with the sounds of breaking metal and static, then silence.

"...JARVIS? What just happened?"

"Thor has escaped and is currently hurtling towards the Earth at an alarming speed."

"Can we get over to him? Is he conscious?"

"I do not know. My sensors no longer detect him."

"Where was his suit located?"

"Last known location: Las Vegas"

Bruce let out an exasperated groan. "I'm going after him."

"I would advise against it. You were separated to avoid joint capture."

"I wish them luck trying to get him, Bruce muttered. "JARVIS, let me go. I'll head over there and contact the others when I find Thor."

"The best I can manage with the protocols still in place is Sir's Malibu lab. It is a designated safe zone. You will be released there.'

"How long will that take?"

" ETA: 3 hours if we increase to maximum velocity. Though since you are unaccustomed to flight I would not recommend it."

"Do it. Just get us there."

"Very well. Please refrain from vomiting. I cannot remove bile from the helmet mid-flight."

"Bile should be your least concern."

Suddenly the repulsors in the boots and gloves began to store up power, and before Bruce could react, his stomach dropped and the world became a blur around him.

"Dr. Banner we have arrived at the Malibu mansion. Will begin extraction process shortly."

Bruce was awoken by JARVIS' voice. He nearly snapped his neck from whiplash turning around the South Pole and must have lost consciousness over South America.

"Great. What's everyone else's status?" Bruce asked as he landed on the catwalk.

"They are still asleep. Captian Rogers was hit with the strongest dose. Some gas may still be in the suit. Ms. Romanov and Mr. Barton are still fast asleep."

"Okay. Could you please notify me when they are awake?"

"Of course, Sir." JARVIS managed to speak before the helmet was pulled off of Bruce's head. Bruce walked into the building as soon as it was unlocked by JARVIS.

"Any news on Thor?"

"I cannot detect him. I lost him near the city center, so he is likely there."

"Anyway can I get a lift over there that doesn't involve such... confided spaces?"

"Sir keeps the keys to his cars in the garage. If you would like I could arrange a private helicopter or jet to take you to Las Vegas."

"I'd rather not have to involve anyone else in this if I can..." Bruce muttered as he mulled over his options. "...On the other hand, I'd rather not have to deal with Tony whining over someone touching his car. It'll be faster to get the ride than to drive too. Can you arrange a flight over to Las Vegas?"

"Right away, Sir. If you would like, I could send over Sir's remote model with auto pilot, for your privacy. Sir likes to use it when he does not want anyone making small talk."

"That's...um. That works. Thanks."

The city of Las Vegas nearly peed their pants in excitement when they saw the Stark Logo descend onto their fair city. When Tony Stark came to play the city made enough money to build itself twice over from girls and drink alone. He was known to treat a whole casino to drinks and games of chance.

When the doors opened and out stepped a small, nervous, not Tony Stark, they were obviously a little bit disappointed. But the press was already there, so why waste the opportunity?

"Sir, sir? Who are you and why are you in Stark's helicopter?"

"Sir, excuse me!? How are you connected with Mr. Stark?"

"Is Stark coming later?"

Bruce felt himself shrink back at the sudden rush of people. He started to wring his hands together and focused on his breathing. Finally, he looked up and started to push through the crowd. "No comment... gotta go... Sorry!" Bruce pushed forward and ran from the crowd, the crowd following behind him. He took a few turns through an alley and lost the group, crouching behind a trash bin.

Bruce gripped his heaving chest and panted out uneven breaths. He focused on regaining his composure before finally slumping against the side of the trash bin. He smiled sadly at the previous events. "Haven't had to do that in a while, Banner," he muttered to himself.

When he felt that the coast was clear. Bruce got up and walked out of the alleyway, making sure to keep his head lowered. "I should head to the city council office and ask around if anybody saw a seven-foot tall god. What is my life?"

Once out of sight, the helicopter sealed itself up and took off somewhere, likely sparing itself from the crowding photographers. Bruce managed to get onto the streets when suddenly an image from the TV's in an electronics store caught his eye.

Thor was in clear view sitting behind a blackjack table. A large stein of beer in one hand and a brunet on the other arm, Thor was seen silently shouting in celebration. The headline read: "God of Vegas".

Bruce stopped dead in his tracks at the sight. "You have got to be kidding me." Bruce groaned and took his glasses off, pinching the bridge of his nose. He dusted off his lenses and looked back at the screen to find out what casino Thor was in. Bruce turned on his heel and walked towards the strip.

"Dr. Banner, you are safe, I was beginning to worry." Thor said as he gave Bruce a strong pat on the shoulder and led him into his large suite. "This, ca-sea-no they call it, has been very generous to me. They have given me everything I could need, and have been quite entertaining, though I must admit; I do not understand their games."

"It didn't come to your mind that you should have headed back to New York?" Bruce asked with a dull snap to his voice.

"Aye, it did. I informed the owner of this place of my intention and he assured me that he would contact New York as soon as possible. He has provided me with his entertainment in the mean time, as he informed me that it could take a while."

"Wait... you couldn't call Mjolnir?

"I can and I have." Thor said, holding out his hand. Mjolnir quickly floated into Thor's grasp. "However when I arrived here, Stark's ethereal servant called me on the telephone and told me you were on your way and to remain where I was. The owner also agreed that it would be best to remain here."

"Okay, that's good... I'm sorry; I'm just trying to figure out what the whole situation is."

"Aye. 'Tis a confusing event." Thor turned to look out of the window out at the city. "I believe all we can do is wait."

"Right... you're right... Bruce mumbled and leaned against the corner wall. "By the way, Thor, what exactly have you been doing since you got here?"

Thor chuckled to himself. "Lots of things. The owner told me to enjoy myself with as much food and drink as I desired. He also let me play the games here, and I think I have won a few times. There was a lot of shouting and everyone looked excited. A good portion of the time there was some groans, but I think I won the day in the end." Thor spun Mjolnir by its handle a few times as he walked around the room. "At first he was angry with me because I had destroyed the spinning entrance to the building, but once I told him I needed to contact Stark he was most kind."

"Something tells me all of that is coming with a huge price tag."

Thor sighed, "I do not doubt that, my friend. Similar situations happen on my travels through the Nine. Being the son of Odin, hosts would often grant me my fill then petition the bill to my father. I fear in this case it will be friend Stark who will be hounded for payment." Thor chuckled to himself and looked to towards the bedroom. "Though I have anticipated such a thing. I brought a secret weapon, as Barton would say."

Bruce raised an eyebrow and looked up at him. "And what is this 'secret weapon'?"

Thor made a motion with his hand for Bruce to follow him. In the bedroom Bruce found the god of mischief handcuffed to the bedpost flipping TV changes with a flick of the wrist between educational television and cartoons.

Bruce slumped over. "I... are you... really?" Bruce turned to look at Thor.

"Never go gambling without the god of chaos" Loki smirked turning to look at the pair. "Good evening, Dr. Banner. I hope you are well."

"Peachy," Bruce retorted and looked back at Thor. "I thought he was receiving 'Asgardian punishment.'"

"I am, but you know." Loki held up his hand as best he could forming air quotes. "Brotherly bonding time."

"Father believes that if he spends some controlled time with mortals that he will come to see their worth. Right, brother?"

"Of course, Thor." Loki said it like it was rehearsed.

"Does anyone know that he's here?" Bruce asked Thor.

"No, they do not. Heimdall brought him here directly from the balcony."

"Thor is using me to pull one over on the gambling hall." Loki explained. "We did the same thing across the realms in our youth. It teaches them not to abuse our ranks."

"Right... sure. I'm going to get back in touch with JARVIS, see if the others are around yet."

Bruce left the bedroom and went into the main living area, pulling out his STARK phone and putting it up to his ear. "JARVIS, any word on the others yet?"

"No, Sir. They are still unconscious. However I have received a few calls from SHEILD requesting information about the current situation. Apparently they are not happy about Thor."

"They probably know more about this than I do," Bruce frowned. "I'd rather not talk to them. Please just keep me posted." Bruce returned to the bedroom and saw that Thor had sat down in a chair next to his brother. "Thor, can we talk in private about why we're here?"

"If you want to talk about the assault on your tower I will have you know that I am well aware." Loki interrupted as he flicked his wrist again, pulling a chair forward and knocking Bruce into it. "When I arrived Thor asked me to look into the tower. But scrying has its limits. I was able to see that there were people there, but not what they were doing."

Bruce balanced himself in the chair and glared at Loki. "And what is your interest in this?"

"I get to waste the Man if Iron's earnings and lounge in one of Midgard's palaces, treated as a prisoner yes, but as a king among the people. I never pass up the chance to knock someone off of their pedestal."

"You are a really charming person, aren't you?" Bruce sighed and rubbed his temples. "I can't believe I'm asking you this, but did you see what the people looked like?"

Loki smiled. "Yes I did."

Bruce felt one of his eyes twitch. "And they were who exactly?"

"His tongue is still on the matter." Thor grumbled. "He demands Midgard's comforts before he reveals any secrets."

"I am only trying to ensure that my skills are repaid at the proper price." Loki responded, leaning back against the feather bed with a smile.

"Of course you think you deserve to be repaid after all that you've done." Bruce crossed his arms and shifted in his seat.

"I do deserve to be repaid!" Loki snapped back. "I have spent countless mortal lives studying magic. If any dullard with a deck a cards and a bag of runes could do it I would not have wasted my time!"

Bruce leaned forward and looked him in the eyes. "You do know that people are usually put to death for killing other people here, right? You're lucky that you are still living your countless lives."

Loki smirked and leaned in to meet Bruce. "I would love to see them try to kill me. They have taken my head from my shoulders and yet I still stand before you. I have no place in death. I can never truly die."

"Maybe it isn't other people that could kill you."

Thor stood up and pushed the two away from each other. "Enough! This will solve nothing." He turned to glare at Loki. "Remember your place brother, you are still under punishment. And you, Dr. Banner." Thor gave a careful glance at Bruce. "Remember you are a guest in this Inn under a friend's name. It is unbecoming for you to damage his reputation with your other self."

It was then that Bruce noticed a slight glow of green in the mirror on the other side of the room behind Loki.

Bruce did a double-take at the mirror and stood up from the chair. He walked towards the mirror and turned to look back at Loki. "What are you really doing here?"

Loki smiled mischievously. "Merely having fun. You should as well, since you are here."

Bruce looked back at Thor. "He's doing something, Thor. Send him back."

"I am doing nothing nefarious, Dr. Banner. Perhaps you are merely mistaken?"

"Thor, there was a flash of green light in the mirror. He shouldn't even be here in the first place. You need to send him back."

"Paranoid, Dr. Banner? You know, I'm not the only monster clad in Green."

"Thor. Send him back."

"I have done nothing wrong to be sent back for. Besides, how else will you reach New York without my help?"

"Unless you are actually going to be helpful, be quiet." Bruce snapped at Loki. "We can get back to New York without you." Bruce turned back to Thor. "Thor, this is serious. Please just send him back."

Thor looked down at the ground dejectedly. "I cannot. Heimdall will not reclaim him for at least a day. As per my father's command, he is to remain on Midgard. I could not send him away if I wished."

Bruce rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Thor, you don't believe anything I'm saying right now, do you?"

"I do, Dr. Banner, I do. But I also believe my brother. His magic is limited now. He cannot do much away from the Tessaract or another source or magic. He is only trying to rile your other self to make mischief. It is all a game to him. Illusions and tricks. Nothing more."

Bruce looked away, his shoulders slumping slightly but still tense. "What do you want in exchange for the information, Loki?"

Loki smiled in victory. "Why, just a good old-fashioned night of debauchery, my friend!"

"You want a night in Las Vegas," Bruce said flatly. "Rather savage of you, isn't it?"

"Oh?" Loki sighed. "And here I am trying to keep you from walking right into a trap."

"I'm not falling for whatever you're talking about."

"I am trying to keep you from falling, believe it or not." Loki paused. "Or perhaps, you would let your petty grudges against me blind you?"

"I don't really care about those things anymore," Bruce said pointedly. "What I care about are the innocent people who can get hurt because of your games."

"All I ask, is but one night where you lower your guard and enjoy yourself. Just one night."

"No."

"Don't be difficult Banner." Loki rolled his eyes.

"We're not going to just step aside and let you hurt anybody you please. Thor?" Bruce glanced back at Thor. "...Thor?"

But Thor was nowhere to be found.

Bruce turned to every corner of the room. When he looked everywhere, he turned to look back at Loki.

Loki looked confusingly at Bruce, like he did not understand what he was doing.

"Listen," Bruce ground out in-between his teeth. "You are not going to get what you want. Stop this now."

"Stop what?"

"Don't lie to me!" Bruce yelled as he slammed his arms down next to Loki.

Loki did not move, but continued to smile. "My dear doctor. Would you even believe me if I was telling the truth?" Suddenly the chain's binding Loki snapped and he stood up and begun to pace around Bruce. "You believe me to be a liar, so a liar I am. If you believed me to be a god, I would be that too. You believe yourself to be a monster, and well, look what you become."

Bruce looked down to see his hands gleam with a tinge of green and his arms beginning to gain muscle. He raised his growing hands to his head and tried to calm down.

"You see." Loki continued. "You believe me to be a liar, and so I am. You believe you are a monster, and so you are. That is the essence of magic, after all. Asserting your will over the universe; and your will is a powerful thing." Suddenly Bruce fell to the ground, the pain of the slow transformation becoming overwhelming. "But my will is also powerful. And it will not be swayed."

Loki leaned in close to Bruce's ear. "All I ask is for you to relax, and play my game for merely a single day. That is all."

Bruce let out a groan and rocked into himself, the green tinge of his skin rising to his neck. "Stop it... just stop."

"Agree to my terms, monster, and it will."

Bruce could hear the sound of fabric tearing and he let out another grunt. "I..." He let out a yell. "I agree."

Loki smiled. "A wise choice."

Suddenly his skin returned to normal. The strain to keep the Hulk at bay lessened and eventually subsided. Bruce managed to stand up and straightened his glasses.

Bruce could not get himself to look him directly in the eyes. "What do you want to do?"

"Oh, play a few games, have a few drinks." Loki smoothed out a wrinkle in the bed sheets. "Perhaps entertain a few whores? If one strikes your liking."

"Let's just... let's just get going." Bruce turned and headed out of the bedroom.

Loki smiled. "Yes. We have wasted enough time haven't we? Come." Suddenly a light surrounded the pair. "We should be going." Loki suddenly said in Thor's voice, in Thor's form. "Come, friend Stark."

"Friend Stark?" Bruce asked but suddenly shot a hand to his throat at the sound of his voice. Looking in the mirror, he was met with the form of Tony Stark.

Bruce's hands grabbed at the foreign face and yanked hard at it. The pain of when he did so confirmed that he was now Tony Stark. "I..."

"Come along Stark. The gambling hall waits!" Loki/Thor cried from down the hall.

Suddenly an image of Loki appeared behind Bruce and he could feel cold, strong hands grip tightly around his throat. "You would not perhaps be an oath breaker, would you?"

Bruce twitched under the grasp and pulled away, walking towards to false Thor smiling in front of him.

"There's a good Stark." Loki laughed in Thor's voice and grabbed Bruce's foreign shoulder. "Tonight we have some fun!"

As they entered the elevator, Bruce looked dejectedly at their reflection in the doors. "Thor was never here, was he?"

"No he was not." Loki/Thor replied and pushed the button to the casino floor.

Bruce looked at his haphazard appearance in the mirror, the illusion of Tony having worn off. His curly hair was sticking up in all sorts of different places, his eyes had dark rings around them, and he smelt like cheap perfume and alcohol. He looked over at Loki, who was lying on the couch next to the window. The sky had started to change with the bright colors from the rising sun. Loki was watching television, most likely watching the news to find if any of his antics made it on to the morning talk shows.

"Blind mortals..." Loki mumbled to himself as he made his fifth round though the entertainment news stations.

"What do you mean by that?" Bruce asked as he got out of his chair and started the coffee maker.

"Your mortal news reports are too focused on our mundane exploits." Loki scoffed and turned his hand so that the television turned off. "I am certain that there are more important things happening in this realm they can speak on."

Bruce could agree with him there, although Loki did not need to know that. He let himself give a short hum in response as he poured the coffee grounds into the filter and moved to the sink to fill the pitcher with water.

"So, Dr. Banner, did you enjoy yourself?"

Bruce poured the coffee into two mugs and brought one over to Loki. "Yeah, sure." Loki took the mug without a second glance and Bruce sat down with his, twiddling the cup around in his hand "When did you say we were going back to New York?"

"Other matters first. I must ensure that you maintained your end of the bargain." Loki leaned in close and forced Bruce to look deeply into Loki's eyes. "Did you relax and enjoy yourself?"

"I said yes, didn't I?" Bruce frowned at the close proximity and sat back straight in his chair.

Loki sighed. "Not a straight answer, but it should do." Loki stood up and put a hand on the mirror on the other side of the room. Suddenly the surface began to ripple like water and the image quickly changed to the tower, only the image was blurry and out of focus. "As promised, here is what I was able to scry in your tower. As I mentioned yesterday, there is not much to see."

Bruce stood up and looked into the mirror. His eyes widened and he turned back to Loki. "I thought you said we had a deal? What is this?"

"Patience," Loki held up a hand. "People will appear soon." And true to his word, a blurry figure moved in front of the image. Though it was hard to tell it looked a bit like Director Fury and Maria Hill.

"SHIELD? Are they there to investigate what happened?" Bruce frowned when the figures started moving their lips but no sound could be heard. He turned to Loki. "Send me back."

Loki looked down and smiled. "As you wish, Dr. Banner." He raised his hands slowly and a green and gold light surrounded the pair. Bruce became light headed as the air was pulled from his lungs and his stomach dropped as he felt a rush of energy pulse through him. Suddenly the air returned and Bruce stumbled onto the couch in Tony's lab.

Bruce leaned back into the couch and panted, catching his breath as well as he could. He felt his heart pound in a swift momentum as he gripped his hand on his constricting chest. His vision started to swim and he squeezed his eyes shut, green light taking up the darkness. Bruce let out a groan and he breathed deeply, the green fading as his heart slowed.

Bruce let his arm drop down to his lap as he breathed out one final deep breath. "Careful, Doctor," Loki said from beside him, Bruce jumping a foot off of the couch as he had to catch his breath again. "You wouldn't want all of your work to go to waste, would you?"

When he caught his breath, Bruce looked down at Loki's sitting figure. "You do realize that there are cameras in all of the rooms in this building, right?"

Loki laughed once. "It is amusing that you believe your mortal trinkets concern me."

"Just be careful who sees you," Bruce muttered and turned away, walking towards the stairwell on the main floor of the residential part of the tower.

"Bruce!" Tony shouted, meeting him on the stairs. "There you are. You have been missing for two days! Where were you?"

"What are you talking about? You should know. It was your program that sent us all out of the tower when it came under attack."

"What? Bruce you were here and then bam! You were gone. Steve called Fury to see if SHEILD could find you."

"Consider our deal fulfilled, Stark." Loki said softly, walking up behind Bruce. "Your friend had a good time in your name, as you requested."

"This was too much Loki," Tony yelled back. "I just wanted you to distract Bruce for a few hours, not kidnap him for two days!"

Loki merely shrugged.

"Wait, what?" Bruce turned between the two. "You... you had me think that you all were under attack to get me to go out?"

"You thought we were under attack?" Tony glared at Loki. "What did you do?"

"I merely made a plausible situation where he would be alone."

Bruce looked at the two incredulously, his lips curled up in a smile as if he wanted to believe this was all a joke. "I can't..." Bruce turned away and put his hands on top of his head. He turned back at the two plotters. "Why would you do that?"

"Look Bruce, you have been stressed lately." Tony tried to explain. "Well you are always stressed, but I just wanted to do something nice for you. I had managed to save Loki from a Doombot attack a few weeks ago and called in a favor. I thought he would just attack the city so you could punch him for a few hours and I would have a surprise party for you. I turned the whole top floor into a spa-thing, super relaxing. But instead, he up and kidnapped you. I knew I should not have trusted this magical bastard to simply harass a few pigeons."

Bruce stood there in silence. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. "I just...Why would you ask Loki of all people?! Why couldn't you just be direct with me?"

"I was trying to make you happy. I figured Hulk could go a few rounds with someone who could take it, and once he smashed enough you could relax here. He was not supposed to go off script!"

"I will not be treated like a rag-doll to be thrown about on a whim! I got the job done didn't I?" Loki retorted. "He admitted under oath that he enjoyed himself. We are even Stark!"

"You know what?" Bruce said sharply in a low voice, causing the two to look at him. Bruce looked at the two. "I didn't enjoy it. Not. At. All. For one thing," he turned to Loki, "why the Hell would going to Las Vegas keep me calm and happy? As for you," he turned to Tony, "Do you think I like have the Other Guy take over? Did you think it would make me feel better if I were to turn into a monster and risk killing people? Did you really think I would feel better about myself after that?!"

Tony was at a loss for words. "I'm sorry Bruce. I just wanted to help you let off some steam." Tony paused for a bit. "I'll go tell Fury you're here. I'll tell him you fell into a pocket dimension or something and just got back. I talk enough science and he'll loose interest. So long as you're back, I doubt he'll care."

And Tony ran back up the steps and vanished through the doorway.

Bruce's expression dropped and hid into his default mask and he went to his chair by his table and sat down, letting out a sigh.

Loki stood silently in the corner of the room, hands behind his back, staring at Bruce.

"Oath breaker" Loki growled once Bruce turned to glare at him.

Bruce let out a dry laugh. "What are you going to do, kill me? Go ahead and try."

Loki let out a frustrated breath. "And they call me dishonest. Even I cannot beak an oath without sever consequences. I'm still bound by oath to fulfill Stark's wish."

"You really believed me? I thought you were the 'God of Lies'. So much for your so-called intellect," Bruce muttered.

"It's not that I believe you, but Stark. The oath is for you to be pleased to his satisfaction. Otherwise I would have to work until I made you happy, and that could be ages."

"It would make me happy if you disappeared."

Bruce turned around when he did not receive a snarky remark.

Loki just shook his head. "If it was that simple I would be lounging in Vanaheim right now. No, I must be a part of your joy. I must do something, in Stark's name."

"Why? What are the consequences?"

Loki breathed in deep and was silent for a while. He looked as though he was sifting through the threads of the universe with his mind. He let out his breath slowly. "I would rather not fail, let's put it that way. Stark saved the life of a god, and that is a debt not easily repaid. Breaking an oath with that much worth could be unpredictable."

Bruce sighed and turned back to his desk, kneading his face with his palms. There were a few minutes of silence as Loki watched Bruce deal with his thoughts. Finally, Bruce stopped and stood from his chair.

"I need to apologize to Tony. I know he meant well, I just..." Bruce let out another sigh and started walking back towards the door.

"If it makes you feel better." Loki suddenly said, making Bruce turn back and look at him. "You could not have hurt anyone the past few days. I had taken you to a pocket dimension of my own design. No one there was real."

Bruce paused and turned to Loki. "You... why would you do that for me?"

"Mostly to fulfill Stark's request to get you out of the way for a while." Loki sighed. "Honestly you were not supposed to awaken. I had to make up a world that would make since. Your psyche made up most of it. I just made it real. I have more control over a false world. Vegas was your choice by the way. Your mind assumed Thor would awaken next, and you had to chase him. I had to modify the world so that no one else would interrupt."

"It's just... kind of surprising," Bruce responded. "I mean, you could have still repaid his debt without making up a new dimension. You could have done something to me after I said that I had a good time, but you didn't."

"Do you think something like that is difficult for me? Creating a world from your imagination is no small task but not impossible. What would I do to you? I was hoping you're lie would be enough for Stark. He needed to hear you were happy, not I."

"It's not that. I was surprised that you did all of that without adding a twist to it," Bruce replied. "I'm going to go see him," he said as he walked out of the door.

"Tricks come later, Dr. Banner." Bruce heard Loki's voice laugh in his ear. He turned around to where Loki was, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Bruce frowned when he realized he was alone, but continued up the stairs to find Tony. Hopefully he was still talking to Fury and he'd be able to find him.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Tony was alone mixing himself a drink, or more, pouring a whole bottle of whiskey into a glass and adding one of his stress umbrellas he threw in whenever Fury finished yelling at him. He plopped himself on the couch and Bruce joined him.

"Look," Tony began. "I'm sorry this whole thing got out of hand. I just wanted to give you something nice, you know? Help you out somehow. And not just giving you a place to stay, trust me, I have more room and money than I know what to do with."

Bruce sat tensely beside Tony on the couch and twiddled his thumbs, his eyes looking at his hands. "Tony, I'm... I'm sorry that I treated you like that. I know that you were trying to help me, and I really appreciate it. I mean... for everything that you've done for me. It's just, I was scared that you all were hurt and it made me mad when I heard that you trusted Loki of all people to do something like this for you. I just..." Bruce sighed and looked over at Tony. "I just want you to be more direct with me. I don't think I can handle something like that happening again."

"I'm sorry. It's just you know; having a god in your pocket. Owing you a favor. I knew it would take a miracle to make you happy. So why not get one?"

Bruce smiled at Tony. "So, couldn't get him to owe you a favor when it came to having to talk to Fury?"

"One wish per Genie I'm afraid. I had already made my wish."

"Actually, he told me that technically he didn't fulfill your wish," Bruce said. "He said that your wish was to make me happy and I wasn't happy."

Tony sighed, "Well that's not good. I wonder how that will turn out. I might get a new favor. Though knowing how confusing magic is, he might still be working on that same oath. He's probably going to try again."

"I'll make sure to keep my guard up. If everything is okay now, I think I'm going to go to sleep," He said as he got off the couch and stretched his arms.

"Wait, Bruce?" Tony leaned over the back of the couch as Bruce walked away. "Loki took you to Vegas? How did that go?"

Bruce turned around and gave him a sheepish smile. "If he was lying and we really weren't in a pocket dimension, you might want to check the news." Bruce turned and started to walk away again.

Bruce saw Tony scramble to turn on the television, but Bruce did not see what he did and he went to bed.

Bruce woke up at around 2 in the morning with a dry throat. When he felt himself come back to his senses, he got up and wandered outside of his room and headed towards the kitchen. He paused and stayed behind the wall when he heard a voice.

"If he's back, shouldn't we do something about him now?" Bruce recognized the voice as Steve's.

"Can't we just give him a little while longer?" It was Tony.

"It's been long enough," Clint intervened. "We've been dealing with this for long enough."

"Sounds like fun, Doctor." Loki whispered behind Bruce. "I wonder who they are talking about?"

Bruce whipped his head back towards Loki and opened his mouth to speak when he heard the conversation continue.

"Tony, they're right," Natasha said. "We can't be compromised here."

"We have to face the facts, Tony," Steve said sternly. "Bruce is a monster."

Bruce felt his heart drop to his stomach.

"Ooo, well that's a surprise." Loki commented.

"I must agree, friend Stark," Thor said as quietly as he could with his booming voice. "He is a foe that should not be trifled with."

"Look, I get it!" Tony said. "I know he's dangerous. I don't want him around just as much as you all do. All I'm saying is that he might be suspicious after the whole tower getting attacked and nobody really talking about it thing."

"I know that mission to get him taken by surprise failed," Steve said. "But we're running out of options. We have to do this as fast as we can. We have to get that...freak out of here."

"I know. I'm already on it," Tony said.

Bruce couldn't take anymore. He slowly backed into his room and closed the door, staring at the room around him in silence.

"Well, that was interesting." Loki smirked pacing around Bruce. "I don't think you were supposed to hear that."

Bruce continued to stare in silence, letting the words sink in.

"It sounds like your teammates are not too fond of your...other half?" Loki paused. "I'm sure they like you just fine, but I don't think they like you when you are angry."

"You're trying to trick me," Bruce whispered, his voice cracking from the soft tone in his voice.

"And how will that help me free myself from my oath to Stark? I'm certain feelings of betrayal are no way to bring you joy."

"This isn't... this isn't real. Why else are you here?" Bruce asked him, his voice starting to rise. He paused and his voice softened again. "This isn't real."

"Reality, fantasy, honestly what difference does it make?" Loki stood behind Bruce and put his hands on his shoulders. "If this is but a dream then this is how you feel your friends see you. If it is reality you know that's how they see you. Tell me, which is worse? To suspect that you are hated or to know?"

Bruce stood in silence, not even twitching at Loki's touch. They stood there for several moments until Bruce finally moved out of his grasp and walked quickly towards his closet, grabbing a bag and throwing it on his bed. He pulled a couple of pairs of clothes from the closet and threw them on top of the already half-packed bag.

"Now where do you think you are going to go?" Bruce stopped packing. "Where can you honestly hide from the mighty Avengers? From SHIELD? From Midgard's military?"

"I'm going back to the places...the places where I could help save lives instead of take them... the places where people wanted to have me there." Bruce started his packing again and zipped the bag up.

"So to be an overqualified Doctor in a hovel in a forsaken pit of Midgard? Yes, that will be useful. And then when they find you, and they will find you, you endanger the poor village kind enough to take you in. Very good, monster. A very good plan."

Bruce stopped and looked at him with a glare. "And what do you think is better? That I just give myself up? Sure, I won't risk anyone else's lives. Sure, I could 'take one for the team' and give myself to the military. I mean, after all, it's not like I want to be alive anyway." Bruce said as he walked towards Loki and put his face inches from his. "You know what will happen if I give myself up? They're going to take my blood, my DNA, my very being, and they're going to make more of me. They're going to take those people that I would try to save and experiment it on them. Those people will either die a torturous death or turn into something like me. Do you really want to deal with more people like me, Loki?"

Loki did not respond to that question but instead moved closer to Bruce. "What if you could go where they would - where they could - never find you? Not even will all of the resources in the world? Where you could help people. Where no one would be hurt. Would that make you happy?"

"That's an impossible dream," he said with a sarcastic laugh.

"You honestly believe that there is not a place for you in the universe?" Loki shook his head. "Have more faith in me, Dr. Banner. If one does not exist. I'll make one." He swung Bruce away from his bag and put an arm around his shoulder. "A world, just for you, filled with people who love you, who you can help and heal. Who could not be harmed by your other half?"

"You're lying to me again, aren't you?"

"My dear, Doctor. I just took you there the other day." Loki waved his hand and the mirror began replaying their exploits in the not-Vegas. "A world of your own creation. Filled with people you cannot harm. A world made just for you."

"That would... that would make me happy."

"Swear to me," Loki breathed," in Stark's name, that this will bring you joy."

Bruce looked away, completely baffled that he was doing this. "I swear, in the name of Tony Stark, this will make me happy."

"Then it will be done."

And suddenly Bruce felt a surge of power gather in the pit of his stomach.

"By the power of the Nine Realms, I, Loki, son of Laufey, son of Odin, do here by grant your desire in the name of he who saved a god." Loki breathed out a slow laugh. "Be at peace, monster."

And with that, everything went dark, and Bruce slept.

Tony twisted and turned in front of his bedroom mirror as he got dressed. He frowned at his reflection as he buttoned up the red dress shirt that showed not only the top of his arc reactor but another unfortunate mark.

Loki's mark, to be exact. The damned thing had shown up over his heart right after he saved the god's life. It was a natural color, almost like a light scar or burn, but it was large, annoying, and embarrassing. It took him twice as long to get dressed in the morning because he had to find a shirt that would not accidentally show it off.

"Why did I ever help that idiot?" Tony sighed as he took yet another shirt off to try just one more.

"Human empathy has always been a flaw in my opinion."

Tony glanced over his shoulder to see Loki sitting calmly on his bed in the reflection of the mirror. Upon turning around however, no one was there.

"Nice to see you too Loki." Tony scoffed as he scrambled to find the next shirt to try.

"I see you still bear my mark."

"Yeah, I still have your hickey. Thanks for nothing yesterday. JARVIS told me Bruce left for some conference in India last night. He'll be gone for weeks."

"The results were unfortunate I'll admit." Loki sighed.

"Look," Tony pulled another shirt over his shoulders and looked back into the mirror and talked to Loki's reflection. "Can this thing just be over now? It didn't work, so can't I just return the product?"

"If I made the rules you would not have been given the mark in the first place." Loki looked like he was about to be sick. "Being indebted to a mortal, ah, by the Norns! It is humiliating. No, I must repay my debt. One way or another."

Tony buttoned up the shirt and looked at his reflection, moving his torso side-to-side. He grimaced and pulled his crisply-ironed collar down. He let out a sigh and leaned against the sink. "So, oh Genie of the Lamp, can I just wish for anything and make you go away?"

Loki closed his eyes and mused over the idea. "It is possible to change the details of the request. In essence you wished for happiness and peace, I suppose it can be granted onto someone else." Mirror Loki put a cold hand over the mark making Tony jump when he felt it. "Or I suppose the alternative is that I be bound to you for the rest of eternity."

Tony's eyes widened at the contact, but he covered the fear with a quick mask of indifference. He shrugged off his hand and went to his closet to find a tie. "No offense, but I can't even commit on a breakfast cereal. If I could wish that you would be imprisoned for the rest of your life, I would."

Mirror Loki shook his head. "Life with you would be a prison, Stark."

"Even a short mortal life."

Tony rolled his eyes and walked back to the mirror, tying his tie into his collar. "So, if its gotta be for wishing someone else happiness, I guess I have to be selfless." He frowned and looked at his reflection incredulously. "That's not really my public reputation, is it?"

"Worry not, the secret is safe with me." Loki breathed hard. "If it ever got out that I was saved by a mortal halfwit like you I would lose respect across the realms."

Tony felt his mouth turn up in a smirk. "If you want, I can send you to charm school too. That might help with your own image."

"As amusing as that would be, Stark, I doubt you want to set me loose on a unsuspecting gang of children. I can assure you no one but me would be happy that the school would suddenly be home to a few thousand salamanders, and the student body suddenly light a few thousand students."

"There's that charm again," Tony muttered as he straightened his tie. "So, I want to get rid of you, you want to get rid of me, and Bruce is going to be gone for weeks, so let's get this done." Tony went back towards his closet and looked for a jacket. "If I were to think of the next guy that would need some cheering up, I guess it'd be ol' Captain Rogers. The guy's got to have a stick shoved far enough up his ass; he could use some loosening up."

"Very well, by the power of the Nine Realms, I, Loki, son of Laufey, son of Odin, do here by vow to grant your desire in the name of he who saved a god." Loki ended his promise with a mocking bow before beginning to fade.

"Do you have to give that speech every time?" Tony had been rolling his eyes since Loki started.

"Now, Stark, where is your sense of showmanship." Loki laughed right before he vanished completely, leaving Tony alone.

"Well that can either be a good thing or a really bad thing," Tony sighed as he walked out of the room and slammed the door.