"You expect me to do what!?" she said venomously.
"You heard me Agent," he replied sternly. "If that's how we'll get this finished faster, then I have to give in to this. These are your orders do you understand?"
The battle had only just begun. And they knew where the Tesseract was. Stark flew in his suit outside the quinjet and they raced towards Stark tower before anything could happen. Tony Stark made it there first and found the god of mischief lying in wait for him it seemed. As his technology removed the suit from him as he walked into the tower, he watched the god walk inside as well.
"Please tell me you're here to appeal to my humanity," Loki stated, his words dripping with sarcasm.
"Actually, I'm here to threaten you," Tony said as he made his way to the bar. "Would you like a drink?"
"Stalling won't change anything," Loki stated, shifting the scepter he carried to his other hand.
"No, no… threatening," Tony clarified, making his way to the bar. "No drink you sure?" He asked, motioning to the alcohol. "I'm having one."
Loki narrowed his eyes for a moment and then moved to the window to observe everything. "The Chitauri are coming," He stated flatly. "Nothing will change that." Turning around from the window he looked at Tony and inquired, "What have I to fear?"
"The Avengers," Tony replied nonchalantly as he began to pour himself a drink. "It's what we call ourselves, sort of like a team. 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' type thing."
Loki smirked and stated, "Yes, I've met them."
Tony shrugged his shoulders and gave a smile. "Yeah, takes us a while to get any traction, I'll give you that one. But let's do a head count here: your brother the demi-god; a super soldier, a living legend who kind of lives up to the legend; a man with breath-taking anger management issues; a couple of master assassins, and YOU, big fella, you've managed to piss off every single one of them."
"That was the plan," Loki stated coyly.
"Not a great plan," Tony replied, making his way around the bar towards Loki. "When they come, and they WILL, they'll come for you."
"I have an army," Loki said simply. It was then that Tony had an idea. "We have a Black Widow."
Loki was intrigued. "That I know, she is very interesting," He said with a smirk.
"So, you like her? What would you say if we could set up a deal?" The genius asked.
"I'm listening," the god stated with a devilish smirk on his lips. This could be interesting.
"You give up the Tesseract, call off this war, you can have what you want. If you want Widow… you'll have her," Stark stated looking the god in the eyes.
"You think you have that ability to do this?" Loki asked, circling the philanthropist. "You think you have the authority to do so? The position? Oh no, I think you're just trying to get what you want."
"Let me put in a call and it'll be done. We'll settle this easily. No war, no destruction, just a deal."
"Fine," Loki said, stopping his circling. Tony nodded and headed to put in the call to Fury. This was going to make a couple people mad. But he got the war to stop… hopefully.
oOo
"So you're telling me, you'll stop this war if you get one of my top agents?" Fury asked looking at the god from across the conference room table. Tony, Fury, Loki, and Agent Hill sat around the table to settle this ordeal. Loki smirked and gave a slight nod. "Yes. I am. You give me her, all of this will be gone," Loki stated, leaning back in the chair.
"No way in hell," Fury said glaring at the god. "Then I shall let my army loose on the Earth," Loki stated through steepled fingers. Fury narrowed his eye and glared at the immortal. "What would you need of her for?"
"I have my reasons," Loki returned simply. "Do we have a deal or not Director Fury? You can give me your agent, or you can let the world be conquered because you will not trade one of your agents."
"She's the best we have and I don't see why the hell I should give her to you?"
"Is the fate of your world not enough incentive Director?" Loki asked darkly, leaning forward and placing his hands flat on the table. "I would think you in your position would do whatever is necessary to save the planet. Even if it means trading your best agent to your enemy. You never know where things may go."
Fury pondered the statements and glared. "Fine. Give us two days to get the paperwork through and to ease her into it," He stated.
"No. I take her tonight. She will be mine with, or without your paperwork," Loki demanded. "Fine," Fury said shortly. "You'll have her tonight."
"Perfect," The god said, relaxing back into the chair with a smirk on his face. "I'll imagine there's something you'd like me to sign, since you Midgardian's have the terrible habit of signing papers that are important."
Fury narrowed his eye and pushed a paper to Loki. "That we do but it's better than the blood pact you all must make," He stated coldly. Loki gave a sarcastic grin and looked over everything. He might not like it, but he would make sure that everything they had agreed upon was there in the papers before him. "Then it seems we are in agreement as to the terms of this trade. I shall not lead an army against Earth and I get the Black Widow," the god stated, looking at everyone in the room in turn. Fury gave a curt nod while Maria stayed stoic and Tony sat in his chair, sipping his drink and observing.
Loki signed his name to the bottom of the paper, as did Fury, Agent Hill, and Tony. The two parties each had a witness, and with nothing more, the deal was made. "I shall take her tonight from this tower," Loki said as he stood from the chair. Fury sighed and stood up. "Fine. We'll let her know. Is she bringing anything?"
"It will not be necessary. I may be making these terms without her knowledge thus making it seem as I will not care, but she will be well taken care of in my possession."
"She's not a possession," Fury said. "She's a human being."
"Yet you yourself traded her and offered her up as an item to be traded," Loki replied quickly and harshly. "Do not think yourself more virtuous and righteous Director Fury. In this instance, you're as terrible as I am. But this would not have happened… without the Man of Iron. He is the one who suggested this from the beginning." He motioned to the inventor and smiled. "Without him, you would be at war. But with him, you've lost your greatest asset. How troubling for you and your agency. I will be back this evening," He said with a smirk. And with nothing more passing between the people present, Loki used his magic and vanished from the room.
"Sir, I have the feeling that we could have won with war… without trading Agent Romanoff," agent Hill stated quietly.
"Somehow I think you're wrong," Fury said looking at the place where the god had stood. "She's not going to take this well. She'll be the last to know. Get the others and we'll inform them. Leave her to herself Agent Hill."
"Yes sir," Maria said before she walked out of the room. Fury looked over at Tony and sighed. "I don't know whether to hit you or praise you," he said dryly.
"I saved the world. You can get more agents," Tony pointed out.
"But none of them will be willing or have the training to do what she does. And now she's in the hands of our enemy. She'll be doing what he tells her to. And she might come after us."
"Then we'll figure out what to do when that happens," Tony stated looking around the room.
"If we have to, then we'll do whatever's necessary if that comes around," Fury stated as he looked out the window. This would be the hardest thing he'd have to do in his career.