Tony Stark really hates these kinds of nights.
There are places to be, drinks and girls to be had, and things to buy, yet Fury is making him stay in yet again to go to another Avengers meeting. Tony sighs, and sits down at his desk in his workshop. He knows at any moment he'll get a notice to come to the meeting, but he figures he might as well find his peace while he can. He opens a beer and sits back, wishing he had the technology to stop time laying somewhere in Jarvis' programming.
Sure enough, not but two minutes later, Steve's voice comes in over the intercom system of the Avengers tower.
"Can everyone please report to the conference room in five, we have some important things to discuss", Steve's authoritative voice rings over the room.
He doesn't want to go and face the inevitable fight with capsicle, but he also hates being the one left out of everything. He hoists himself up with a large exhale, and runs his fingers through his dark brown hair. His AC DC shirt is at least a day old and he has stubble as always. Not that he cares, Tony Stark operates above that level.
Tony strides out from the doors, and begins to walk to the conference room. He soon merges with Natasha in the hallway.
"Hey, Tash! Know what any of this crap is about now?"
Natasha glances over, her full lips moving from a hard line to a half smile. "All I heard was that it's not something to be taken lightly", she says. "I know this isn't where you want to be, Tony, but try to behave yourself this time, okay?"
Tony rolls his eyes, but he knows that Natasha is probably right. Everyone seemed a little strung out lately from the frequency they were getting called out to save the world lately. "All right, but if Steve gets into all that "support your team members" stuff, I am out."
The conference room is huge and holds a huge clear round table at the center, at which Steve, Clint, Thor and Bruce are already seated. Tony slides into a seat next to Bruce and takes out his cell phone.
"Hey big guy. Ready for another night of principal Cap's cooperation seminar?" He looks over to see if Bruce is chuckling at his joke, but is worried to find him looking down solemnly at his folded hands. "Bruce? You all right?"
Bruce looks up, the same concerned expression on his face. He opens his mouth to explain, but Steve's sudden voice cuts him off.
"Okay. Are we all accounted for? Natasha? Clint? Tony? Bruce? Thor?
Tony looks over and suddenly realizes that Thor is sitting at the edge of his chair, Mjolnir in hand. He looks not as much agitated as he does worried, and this makes Tony all the more curious about the true nature of their meeting.
"All right, let's get started. So, as most of you know, this is a very important meeting. We have, once again, captured Loki."
Oh, so this was the deal. The guy was old news, he had been in their glass cell before. Tony felt his mind wandering to all the partying he was missing.
"There is a slightly… er… diffirent circumstance this time", Steve said. "It appears that Loki is at only a fraction of his original power, according to measurements by Bruce.
"Care to enlighten us a little on what put him there?" Clint piped in.
"Yes, Clint. He was in battle. With Thanos. And he appears to have lost, badly.", Steve says.
At this, Tony cans see that Thor is visibly upset, twisting Mjolnir in his two massive hands. Despite all the wrong and harm Loki has done to him, he is still worried for the safety of his brother. It's actually kind of endearing, Tony thinks.
His attention is snapped back to Steve as he produces on the table's screen a live video feed of Loki's cell.
Loki is there, ever the proud god, standing tiredly in the cell. He paces around and around, looking like he hasn't slept in a hundred years.
At this Thor stood up.
"Must you imprison him this way? He needs a proper room! Where is Fury, I must speak with him."
Steve looks around nervously. "Fury isn't… he isn't here, Thor. I don't want to risk something like that.
Tony looks back at the screen. Loki is nodding off in the middle of the floor. He doesn't look like he could stab anyone at his current state.
"I'll do it, guys", Tony finds himself saying. "I'll like take him some food or something.
He is glad to see Thor's face visibly lighten. "Oh, a thousand thanks to you Tony. I will appreciate this action.
Tony is just glad Thor doesn't look like a little lost puppy anymore. "Well, that's it then, right Steve?"
Steve looks relieved that there was no actual fighting at this particular meeting of the Avenegers. "Sure, Tony. Meeting adjourned!"
Tony spins around to leave, when he feels Steve's hand on his shoulder. "Tony. Be careful."
Normally he would make some joke about Steve being his mother, but Tony realizes that this is genuine concern.
"It's okay cap. I got this."