The world was not left in ruin. Quite the opposite, in fact. Once the world fell to its knees, the people of Earth expected everything else to crumble with it. Yet, it all stood as tall as it ever did, if not taller. Everything seemed to be new and improved, made of the most cutting edge technology, but it was merely a glossy cover for the disintegration that occurred within.
At the top of the mountain stood Tony Stark, as all of his miraculous and fabulous inventions cloaked the Earth in a coat of paint to hide the cries of despair and oppression the stirred just beneath. The planet was placed firmly under Tony's finely polished boot and the only other being that appreciated it bore the name of Loki.
Ever since his brother, Thor, had taken a shine to the planet, Loki had plotted to take it for his own, but once he was about to put his plan into action, he found there was no need to. A powerful genius and billionaire, Tony Stark, began to do his job for him, and he did it exceedingly well. Month by month, Tony used his money and power to slowly take over and, before anyone really noticed, he held the whole world in the palm of his hand. He owned the most powerful of people as pawns and, with his Iron Man suit, none dared to challenge him. He built a regime that filled Loki with awe and admiration. He had never spoken to Tony before, but he knew he wanted to and, if he could manage it, he wanted a share of his power.
Stark Tower stood as the tall, gleaming center of Stark City, once known as New York City. One of its sides was concave and made to look like a wall of windows. It seemed to sparkle under the sun, blinding outsiders of the true villainy that was kept safely within. The streets that Loki walked through were bare as everyone had holed up inside their homes for safety, only leaving when they absolutely had to. The area remained eerily silent, giving him only the sound of his own boots crunching the dirt and gravel on the pavement to keep him sane.
He looked up at the massive building, thinking how he could never get lost because it was built to be seen from any point in the city. It was a show of arrogance that Loki both appreciated and loathed. It reminded him of how his brother used to be before his life-changing trip to Earth. He knew Thor would be there in that moment, fighting for Earth, if he hadn't learned that his precious Jane Foster had died during Tony's planetary takeover. That, to Loki, was another point in his favor.
Once he stood in range of the Tower, he made himself invisible to avoid detection from any guards he might encounter, and there were many. Two stood outside the glass doors and two just within. They littered the main lobby where there was even a receptionist and an expansive waiting area with a flat screen TV that only seemed to play passive aggressive videos of Tony, reminding them of his many laws. Just behind the receptionist was a massive Stark Industries logo, just in case the large letters spelling Stark on the building didn't tell visitors whose building it was.
From there, Loki slipped into the elevator and rode it to the top floor. The doors opened to an empty rectangular room with a single door that had Tony Stark's name on a golden plaque. Loki almost laughed at the care he took in reminding people who was in charge. However, Loki refused to be intimidated by his shows of authority and flung open the door. Loki felt almost unsurprised to find Tony sitting behind a desk, with his feet on it, snoring lightly. Loki wasn't sure whether to frown or laugh as he removed his magical cloak and looked around.
It appeared to be a perfectly normal office with nothing more than a desk, a chair, a few filing cabinets, and various framed pictures of himself around the room. He noticed as he slowly and quietly approached the desk that the wall to his right was entirely windows, pouring in light from the outside.
Loki paused a few feet away and opened his mouth to speak when the other man beat him to it.
"I was wondering how long it would take you to get here," Tony said, opening one eye, then the other.
Loki felt a strong sense of surprise, his silver tongue at a loss for words.
Tony smiled, dropping his feet to the floor before standing up. "You can't possibly think I didn't know you were here. As soon as you stepped within ten feet of my Tower, JARVIS told me that you were here."
"So then why let me get this far?" Loki asked, eyeing the man in the expensive suit with a bright blue light glowing through his white dress shirt.
"Because I was curious," he replied, walking around the desk until he stood in front of it, facing Loki. "You're not human, so what are you?"
Loki paused, frowning slightly. "Asgardian."
Tony nodded, as if it were a common term. "I figured as much."
Loki's frown deepened.
"Another one of you was here a few months ago, messing around in New Mexico."
"My brother," Loki replied with a scowl.
Tony pushed himself up so that he was sitting on his desk, crumpling a few papers in the process. "Not friends, I see."
"Not in the slightest."
Tony nodded again and grabbed a handful of something in his pocket before popping one in his mouth.
"You don't show respect for anyone, do you?" Loki asked, clenching his hands into fists.
"Why, are you here to demand my respect? 'Cause, honey, not with that hair, you ain't," he said, miming the way Loki's hair curled outward at his shoulders before eating another of the treats he kept with him.
"I expected more of you," Loki said, his voice rising almost to the level of shouting. "You conquered this planet with the swiftness of a mighty and merciless warrior. I expected someone less… foolish. You don't deserve the power you've taken if you use it this way."
Tony's relaxed demeanor quickly changed as Loki spoke, hardening with anger. "Do you think you're going to take what's mine from me?" he asked, his voice colder than the surface of Jotunheim. "Because I certainly have a thing or two to say about that."
Loki raised his eyebrows in surprise before a smirk spread across his face. "This is the ruler of worlds I traveled so far to meet."
Tony stood from the desk and approached Loki like a predator to prey. "I think I'm the last person you want to meet right now. I was amused, at first, but you've already lost your new toy shine. I suggest you leave before I kill you and launch your body back to Asgard."
Loki stepped back as Tony stalked forward. He felt a shiver of something up his spine and it both comforted and unsettled him. He sensed something kindred in Tony's icy, dark eyes as a spark of conflict and another emotion crackled between them. Loki let Tony back him up against the door as he examined his rage-consumed features.
"You're just not any fun anymore," Tony growled, looking like he was prepared to rip the door off of its hinges just to get Loki out of his office.
Loki smiled, holding his ground. "No, but I could be."
Tony dropped his guard for a moment out of confusion and Loki seized the opportunity. He grabbed Tony's lapels and swiftly changed positions, slamming Tony hard against the door. Tony didn't have a chance to retaliate before Loki's lips met his, hungry and desperate as they crashed together as hard as a ship to an iceberg. He could feel Tony's chest heaving for breath under his as Loki's hands snaked down to Tony's wrists. In one motion, he pinned Tony's arms above his head, speaking a few words under his breath between kisses. When he had finished, he pulled away and let go of Tony's wrists, though they still remained pinned to the door, above his head.
Tony, feeling light-headed and disoriented, looked up to see his arms being held by glowing green bands. He tried to pull himself free but he couldn't budge an inch. He twisted, turned, and thrashed to no avail. Weakened and tired, he looked at Loki with something resembling defeat.
"What is this stuff?"
"Magic," Loki explained, taking Tony's seat atop his desk to admire his work.
"Tch. Magic doesn't exist," he said as he felt whatever held him to the door hum against his flesh.
"Continue to tell yourself that as you hang there for the rest of your mortal existence," Loki replied, crossing his arms. "I'm sure it will be sufficient comfort as you slowly starve to death."
Tony shook the door, trying to pry himself free again, when he finally slumped forward in resign. His arms started to burn from being held up so long and all of the struggle he put them through. "So… Magic, huh?"
Loki smirked. "I think it could be useful asset to you."
Tony scanned over Loki, a frown of consideration drawing lines on his face. "Well, you're tall, menacing, got hair worthy of a Pantene commercial. Not a bad kisser either," he said with a wink.
It required all of Loki's restraint not to roll his eyes.
"I can definitely see the potential in a partnership. But only if you let me go," Tony said, his voice frosting over toward the end.
Loki tried to read him, to see if he was being truthful, but Tony Stark gave nothing away. He would just have to take him at his word. With a simple snap of his fingers, the bands of magic disappeared and Tony's arms fell to his sides. Tony rolled his shoulders, trying to work out the pain that throbbed there, and rubbed his red and sore wrists.
He smiled at Loki as he walked toward a file cabinet in the corner of his room. Rather than opening a drawer, he popped the whole front open like a normal door, disappearing behind it so that Loki couldn't see him. Loki heard a distinct click and a whir that gained in volume before he was hit was a force not unlike his brother's hammer, smashing him into the wall behind the desk. He gasped for breath as a couple of frames fell and smashed around him.
His vision was blurry for a good second or two and, when it returned, he saw Tony standing over him with a red and gold metal glove secured onto his right hand. Tony crouched down so that the two were face-to-face and grabbed ahold of Loki's chest plate.
"Do not fuck with me again," he hissed. "I don't appreciate it." Before Loki could respond, Tony had pulled him to his feet. "If you're going to be my first mate on this ship we call Earth, that's my one and only rule. Do you understand?"
Loki stared into Tony's eyes and the malicious intent that stirred there turned Loki's stomach into knots. "I do."
Tony smiled, wrapping an arm around Loki's waist. He guided him over to the wall of windows, staring down at the city that the shining Tower loomed over. "I think our partnership will be a beautiful one. Don't you?"