I don't think I've ever been so passionate in writing fic before. This story is my baby and I hope you all enjoy it, it's gonna be a long one
Chapter 1
Confianya
Confianya was in full swing Saturday nights and early Sunday mornings, pre sunrise. It was a place for the rich and famous to get lost in and let go for a while, that was the idea anyway, that was the pull. It was early, 1am, and Tony sat on a luxurious white couch with a girl on his arm, bored and lonesome while she played with his ear, whispering things. The drink in his hand had barely been touched. Tony's life moved slowly now that Pepper worked more but was around less, the Avengers were split until further notice, and Stark Industries had all its hands in separate pots and waiting on the paperwork for it. All he had had in the last three weeks were his shop and his money.
The music pulsed through the crowd in front of him pulling a heavy base drop. It was the kind of music that was supposed to make people want to fuck to and if he was being honest with himself, he was into the beat; he just couldn't come up with a reason to care. He caught a flicker then, something was familiar in that crowd, someone he knew. Tony blinked with interest, more alert then he'd been before. Locks of long dark hair, pale skin, he found who he was looking for then and he narrowed his eyes in disbelief. Loki was in the crowd, moving between laughing women who were drinking enough to be throwing their arms around each other, and men walking past with drinks and smirks, and couples moving to the music and hanging off of each other. All of those people were in danger; this whole building was in danger. Who knew what Loki was planning or how he came to be there, the last time Tony had seen him he was muzzled and chained and on his way back to another world. Why would the god choose to show himself at a shit-storm like Confianya? Why in the midst of an Avenger? Loki met his eyes with a sly smile and then he was lost in the crowd, leaving Tony to search again, eyes roaming countless faces like a faithful hound dog while his insides began to tense. Loki had known Tony was there, he'd been waiting to be discovered, that was obvious now. The god reemerged, watching Tony knowingly. He walked among the potential casualties, sliding a hand around the waist of a pretty looking girl, using her as leverage to push past her through the crowd. The melody boomed and sent a chill down Tony's spine; Loki was heading for the exit.
He was up and following him within seconds, leaving the drink and the girl at his side in surprise.
The door gave way to an alley where Loki was waiting, his hands in the pockets of his coat. He looked calm.
"Anthony Stark."
Tony took a breath. He was wearing a bullet proof vest beneath his suit and had access to JARVIS if he needed it, but other than the Taser in his pocket he had no weapons, he wasn't Iron Man right now, which meant in his eyes that he was as good as dead.
"Reindeer Games. Although you look more like a Bambi without the helmet on," Tony stated matter-of-factly while he slid his hands into his own pockets, copycatting Loki as best he could. Loki was staring at the moon.
"Do you have your suit with you?"
"I'm unarmed."
Loki made a quick nod, keeping his eyes on the sky.
"So what brings you to Malibu, thriving nightlife?"
Loki was caught in a look of wonder when he tore his gaze away to meet Tony's hard eyes. Something about him was less menacing than their first meeting but that didn't mean much. Tony figured the god had more time now that he didn't have an army of monsters to control. The fate of the world wasn't about to be up handed, he could take his time, no rush to kill.
"What are the questions you really want to ask me? I'm here now, I am an open book."
Tony tapped his foot nervously as he looked down but not away from the god, not liking the knowledge he seemed to have picked up of urban phrases. If all of the cards were out then they're out. "Why aren't you home, why aren't you in space jail, do you play with your food before you eat it? I have more but…we can start with those," Tony stopped for a moment, wondering if any sort of green light would come at him. He nodded toward the exit door, "Are those people in there safe?"
"They're safe," Loki answered, "Anthony-"
"Tony, please, or Mr. Stark."
Loki's mouth turned up into a small half smile. "Tony, we have prisons like yours in Asgard but my father is more colorful than that. He has imagination." The words that came from Loki's mouth were as hollow as Tony believed Loki's heart to be. "I suppose playing with my food has brought me to the predicament I am in now."
Tony furrowed his brow, marveling at both Loki's words and his manner. "You know what I like about you, Loki?" He paused just long enough to earn a side glance under some killer eyelashes before continuing and wondering if Loki had actually expected a real compliment. "I can talk to you. These other villains, they just scream and move around a lot, you can hardly have a good conversation with them, they're all over the place. This is…," He waved to the brick wall and the quiet night sky above them, "this is nice."
Loki huffed, seemingly agitated by Tony's last remarks. "It was a mistake coming to you tonight, Mr. Stark? Shall I go?"
"You came to me? For what?"
So maybe he shouldn't have taken the conversation so lightly. Less jokes, more tact Tony. Tact, he repeated in his head. The sudden change in Loki brought some of the fear back and he knew he shouldn't have let it ebb away in the first place, he could be blasted apart at any moment and it was up to Loki when and where. Plus he couldn't let him just fly away now without getting any answers or clues as to why he was here on Earth again, SHEILD would have his head. Loki made a noise of disgust and took a few steps backward.
"No wait, don't go!" Tony extended a hand out to Loki, "um, yeah I'm sorry, I'm nervous, so what, tell your story, what's up?" He finished by rubbing his head and hoping the Desperate Card he'd just pulled on Loki would work.
The god slowed his steps, bringing a hand out of his pockets to squeeze his arm as some sort of comfort. "I suppose I am here because of our conversations. I needed to find you because…perhaps you wouldn't try to end my life as quickly as the others would."
Tony nodded, though he understood little more than bits of Loki's statement. "That's why you chose a club, a place I wouldn't have access to my weapons."
"That is correct."
"And why should that matter? I mean, why are you looking for Avengers in the first place?"
"You are all I know here, you are most like me. The other creatures of Midgard have no place by my side…your Avengers are my enemies but we understand each other, in a way, do we not?"
Tony thought for a moment, giving Loki a hard look. "Why come here in the first place though, why not stay in your own world? I get you wanted to rule Earth but," he shrugged, "if you don't like the people why try to take over?"
"I'm not here to rule you, not now."
"Then why?"
Loki pursed his lips, looking more and more uncomfortable. "As I was saying, my father has interesting ways of dealing with problems. He could have locked me away, killed me, tortured me," Tony cringed at the comment, "but he prefers banishment for his sons."
Tony blanched, stepping closer to Loki without thinking about it. "So wait, he banished you to the planet you just tried to take over?"
"Yes, he sent my brother here as well and he was corrected. Father has done the same with me, only he's sent me here for the dogs, for you and your friends to take care of."
"Then…you're surrendering? You're going out without a fight? I mean I'm not trying to give you any ideas but picking us off one by one like this is a pretty smart idea. Cowardly, but it would get the job done."
"How strange of you to offer," Loki said with a snicker.
"Yeah well," Tony answered automatically and regretting every second afterward.
"Odin has taken my magic," Loki broke in, his demeanor quiet and sullen. "He is a powerful man and he is a restless one. He means to send me to you with nothing to defend myself. He didn't send me here to be corrected, he sent me here to die by Midgardian hands."
Both men were quiet for a moment, leaving Tony to study his enemy.
"Are you surrendering to the Avengers?"
"No."
"Then why did you come here tonight? What'd you find me for?"
"If I hid from you, you would find me eventually. Find me and kill me. Perhaps your SHEILD would have me captured and imprisoned. I could even venture to guess that they would use me for experimentation. I have no desire to hide among such shallow creatures Mr. Stark. The Avengers are the closest thing to an Asgardian that exists here. You and your friends are warriors. You have valor and power beyond anyone else in this realm. You protect and you live by codes. I admire that. As much as I sought to destroy your group before, you are all that I have now. You may kill me here, you may have me arrested and taken in. Those choices are yours."
Tony stood with a grave expression, taking in everything that Loki had said. "But you don't want either of those things to happen do you. I can't…I can't let you just walk away from me tonight, I gotta do something," Tony shook his head. "Will you come willingly into custody?"
Loki seemed to fold into himself as he looked away. "No," he said quietly.
Tony licked his lips and leaned up against the wall of the club. The music had changed into something more down tempo and beat driven. "I'm not going to believe a word you say, but what are you planning to do here on earth now that you're powerless?"
"Survive as best I can."
Tony nodded. "Get a job, listen to your boss, attend the crappy pool parties your friends throw."
Loki leered at Tony like he'd been threatened with fire but didn't say a word.
It was getting late and the early morning chill was building up around them. Tony dialed a number into his phone and connected with Confianya's owner. "Yeah just keep the tab for me would'ya? Thanks dear, you're swell. I had a good time, mm'bye." The phone was snapped shut and Tony took a few steps toward the seemingly broken god. "You want to get out of here?"
And so concludes Chapter one, feedback would be beneficial to me because I am INCREDIBLY new to the Avengers fandom. I prefer that the characters stay in character :S Thanks much!
