Disclaimer: I do not own Any of this…Save the plot…
Content Warnings: Mild violence
A/n: I would like to say that this is my sister's story but she is no longer able to write so I am going to finish it for her. I am thankful for any reviews, etc.
-CD
Cold Fire
Chapter one - Cold Metal
A soft breeze ruffled the hair of Tony Stark as he walked out of his shiny new car. As usual, he was visiting a bar. Pepper's warning, 'Alcohol is not a food' Slipped his mind as he went in. He sat at the bar, immediately ordering some of the strongest brew on the menu.
"Hey, sweet thing." Tony said as he spun once on his bar stool.
He winked at the bartender lady, who blushed and leaned over the counter as she handed him his alcohol, clearly showing him her ample bosom. He was used to this. His title of playboy and billionaire constantly put before him and his personality. Tony himself knew what most thought of him but ignored it.
He drank deeply, letting worries and thought be drowned in the unhealthy treat that was alcohol. His friends had been ignoring him, one by one. It's not like they ever trusted him fully in the first place, but it hurt all the same. Steve and Pepper were the only ones still talking to him. Sometimes Bruce came by the lab too.
Most days flashed by for Tony, in the lab, at a bar, at more bars, and lounging about. He was constantly reminded to eat, sleep, do something productive, even to be happy. He snorted and ordered another drink.
Later, when he stumbled to his car, he caught a flash of something falling into new York's central park. Whatever it was, he was drawn to investigate.
He frowned, hazed mind confused, before setting off. When he arrived, there was something. A live something, no, Someone, laying in a crumpled and smoking heap on the grass. Tony stumbled over,
"Hey you, get off the ground…s'not for sleeping." He slured.
A pair of green eyes and black raven hair greeted him as the someone sat up and glared.
Loki.
It had been only half a year since his shenanigans had been ended. Stark sobered some, striking a defensive position and frowning. Crap. He didn't have his suit.
"What are you doing on Earth?"
More curiosity than warning filled Tony's voice. At least this made his day somewhat interesting. Maybe the avengers could assemble and he could see their…lovely faces. Loki just stood, and Tony pressed a button on his phone that would alert Jarvis to send an alarm to SHIELD and the avengers. Better safe then sorry. Loki stared again, gaze distant and annoyed,
He spoke with the same arrogance, "I see you've alerted your friends."
His voice sounded tired, and hoarse. What had they been doing to him? Loki Whoever's-son looked terrible. Skinny, disheveled, and sickly. Did Thor already know Loki was back on Earth? Tony pondered this, curiosity getting the better of him. He would probably regret not running later. Tony back up a step when Loki stepped forward.
Noises could be heard in the distance. A helicopter, yelling. A siren was going off somewhere in the city, dogs barking, and loud music elsewhere.
"What else could I do with you here. Have a dance party?" Tony said without thinking.
Tony snorted. Loki started looking angry. Great. Tony just remembered that he didn't have a suit. That made him vulnerable. Tony made a note to start carrying it around again, not that he didn't, but it was in his car. Not a great idea to annoy the God of Mischief at the moment…
"Tony!" A voice said in the distance. Too far.
Tony heard his friend, Steve, pounding out footsteps towards here. The steps sounded slow to Tony ho was having a sort-of stare off with the god.
"Here! With Lo-!" His voice was cut off abruptly.
Iron man's eyes widened as a cold metal thing slid into his stomach. Then he gasped. A dagger. Loki had just stabbed him. Right below his reactor.
Tony coughed, a heavy feeling traveling up his limbs, "Ass…hole.."
Tony choked that out, coughing. Loki smiled ferally and disappeared. Tony clutched the dagger hilt trying to take it out, eyes darting around. Steve ran, shield in hand right to where Tony was and caught Tony as he started slipping from conciousness.
"No need to panic, but I think I'm dying." He said faintly.
Pain heightened his senses for a second, all the noises loud in his ears before he collapsed in Captain America's arms. Yep. He definitely regretted the decision not to run.
Two Days Later
Tony opened his eyes slowly, pain coursing through his body. His first thought was, Woah I had way too much to drink. But the pain in his head was of no match to the one right below his reactor.
"Ugh..What happened? Barfight?" Tony said with a confused tone.
He turned his head to see an intravenous bag (IV) dripping through a tube and into his arm. Iron Man didn't think that hangovers and bar fights were reason enough for a drip. He tried sitting up, rewarded with a sharp twist of pain.
Steve shot up from where he had been doxing in a chair and came to his friends' side. His worried eyes were gleaming with something suspiciously like tears.
"Geez, Tony. Give a man a heart attack." Steve said.
Tony raised a brow, a confused look coming into his eyes. The man didn't know why steve was so worried.
Tony sighed, "Oh come on, it's not like I'm going to die from a hangover."
Steve got the same confused look as Tony, before shock dawned in his eyes, and understanding.
"Although I doubt a little headache would kill you. A dagger below the sternum will. But you can die from alcoholism." Steve said with a matter-of-fact tone of voice.
Tony's startled Doe-like look almost made Steve laugh, but he fought down the urge. As the hospitalized man threw off his blankets, he let out a gasp and slumped back on his bed. Bandages were wrapped under his reactor, and some overlapped it, making him look and feel stupid. As if the pain wasn't bad enough.
"Remind me to remember what happened, Steve. Maybe you can tell me yourself." Tony raised a brow again.
Steve groaned and ran a hand through his hair.
"We though maybe you could tell us." His voice was strained.
"If I knew I wouldn't be asking. And I guess we means Eyepatch and you?" Tony said, amused.
He snorted, imagining the look on Fury's face when he got the call that He had been stabbed. Steve nodded and looked serious.
Steve's voice was serious too, "C'mon Tony, it's no joke!"
The man shrugged, eyeing the two-day old beard his friend had grown and the wrinkled state his clothes are in.
"What? Did you sit by my side the whole time?" Tony opted for changing the subject.
Steve nodded.
"We really though we were going to lose you. You're 'I think I'm dying' comment didn't help one bit." Subject unsuccessfully changed.
Tony barked out a rough laugh that turned into a coughing fit.
"I said that?" He couldn't stop his cough-laugh fit.
Captain America nodded again. Iron man snorted with laughter,
"I'm way too funny for my own good" Then Tony looked serious. "Guess I need to find out who did this."
Steve nodded and said. "By the time I got to you, all I saw was a flash. The person was gone by then."
Tony sighed, annoyed. He couldn't ask Jarvis to pop up footage because it wasn't in The Avengers Tower. But he could check footage from a traffic light nearby or maybe a streetlight or something.
"Sir, Director Fury is approaching." A guard peeked in and said.
Tony heard the guard and sighed. Just waking up and already having to deal with Fury. He couldn't think straight, much less have a partly-decent laugh from making Fury angry. In that moment when he thought of making Fury angry, he thought back to his wound and remembered. He yelled out,
"Loki!"
