A/N: This chapter is a bit longer than the first; it has been re-written in an effort to make it flow better than it originally did. I hope you all enjoy it and thanks for reading!


Chapter Two

Loki watched as Stark walked around the bar and reclined back on the couch. He decided to remain where he was at the bar. Opting to ignore some of the comments, Loki sighed briefly. "I am not surprised at Thor's antics, though I am surprised and somewhat impressed that you would assume that I was indeed alive and well. And while the big oaf has yet to see through my doubles, that party trick was not how I faked my death," the god replied, matching Tony's gaze. "I've gotten stronger in ways you cannot even perceive, Stark," he said proudly.

"Well, I do have to admit, it's one hell of a party trick. Actually, I sorta copied it, just you know, with 'Midguardian technology' and not your fancy magic... which by the way, I'd love to know how that stuff works," he said, setting his drink down.

Loki chuckled slightly and relaxed just a bit. He hadn't realized how uptight he had been upon his arrival. "Someone of your intelligence may be able to comprehend the science behind magic; they're one in the same, really. You mortals are not equipped to handle the finer points of my craft however."

Shrugging, Tony replied. "Maybe, maybe not. According to our history, or rather our myths and legends, you know like that Norse stuff and the like- that all turned out to be true. Earth has had quite a few powerful wizards, mages, warlocks...whatever the hell you wanna call them."

"I am well aware of Earth's history, having been here to witness several events myself," Loki stated matter-of-factly.

Tony looked down at the table and noticed his Stark Tablet sitting on it. He picked it up and began to fiddle with it before he sat it back down, gently shoving it in Loki's direction. "Take a look at what I just pulled up, you may actually be proud of that." Kicking back and relaxing again, he waited for Loki to pick up the device. "My plans just seem to be a bit more tangible than your hocus pocus stuff."

Loki got up and walked over to where Stark was sitting on the couch and picked up the tablet, flipping through the screens with swipes of his finger. They showed various diagrams of his different suits, prototypes and all. Loki noticed that Stark had enough designs for a small army. "Impressive, Stark, I will give you that," he mused, taking a seat in a chair nearby the couch Stark was on.

Tony sat forward a bit, smiling. "Thanks Prancer. I have a feeling that when you say 'impressive', you really mean it, since, well, you know...god versus puny mortal and all that jazz..." He gestured with his hands as he spoke. "If magic and technology are, as you said, really one in the same, is that what was up with the whole 'performance issues' thing?" Tony held his hands up in mock-surrender in preparation for negative behavior on Loki's behalf. "Just asking out of curiosity Prancer, please don't throw me out of my window again."

Loki chuckled, shaking his head slightly as he recalled the little spell he had placed upon the mortal a few years back. "I have no desire to throw you out the window again, Stark, I assure you. And as for those 'performance issues,'" he chuckled again, a slight gleam dancing across his eyes, "Are you still having issues with that?"

Tony had lifted what was left of his drink to his mouth in order to finish it, but instead did something he hadn't done since his first taste of the stuff- he choked on it. "What?! You did that to me?! Why would you do that?! Do you know how many hook-ups and relationships you ruined for me because of your twisted game?! You are a real bastard, you know that? And here I was actually starting to like you..." Tony muttered something under his breath about rather being thrown out of a window now than dealing with that little spell.

Loki raised an eyebrow and actually laughed. "I may or may not have been behind that little stunt, yes..." he said, still chuckling, leaning forward in his chair.

"That's not cool man, messing with a guys mojo like that. It cost me my relationship with Pepper. That was retaliation for the performance issues quip I made before you defenestrated me?" Tony put his head in his hands, "Well, that explains why the hell I kept thinking about you. Damn, this sucks."

The God of Mischief gave Tony quite the look when he heard that the man had kept thinking about him. "I left that much of an impression on you, Stark?" he asked earnestly. "I don't know if I should be honored or repulsed," he said with another smirk.

Tony couldn't help but grin right back. "Don't take it that way, Bambi. I meant since you now know that I have no game, and now that I know it was because of you, well, I had a lot more time on my hands to tinker with things. You know, like how to take down full-tilt divas like yourself that try to take over my tower, and let's not forget about destroying half of New York City. By the way, I really, really don't like it when people take or touch my things. So yeah, I've been a bit busy no thanks to you."

"So sue me, Stark," Loki said coyly, a smirk plastered on his face. He sat back in his chair and crossed his legs as he picked up his glass of scotch and finished the rest of it. "May I have another?"

Getting up and collecting both tumblers, Tony replied with a simple 'yeah.' He turned and walked backwards for a moment as he spoke. "You know what, don't tempt me, I very well could sue you. I do have a great team of lawyers, after all."

"And I'm a god, Stark," he called out over his shoulder at the mortal. He relaxed a bit more and waited for the man to return with his drink. If Stark had wanted to do something to him, he would have by now, Loki knew that much. He was still alert, but not nearly as on-edge. Besides, this time was different; this time, he was in control and had more magic than he had during his last encounter with Stark. This time was going much better.

Tony walked behind the bar to grab another bottle of scotch. "Maybe, maybe not, but you can still be sued," he said, flashing his trademark cheeky Stark grin.

"I could lie my way out of it," he mused. "Silvertongue, you know..." He threw him one of his shark-like grins.

Tony couldn't help but grin as he took a sip of his drink from behind the bar. "You may have a silvertongue, but you haven't met my lawyers yet. There is a reason I can get out of any trouble that comes my way." The billionaire threw the god a wink and took yet another drink from his glass before speaking again. "So tell me, how many of those legends about you and Thor are true? They sound like there's several awesome stories there."

"There's too many stories to recount, but if you really want to know, I suggest you ask him. Though I'm positive that he'll never tell the legends like I would- Thor always paints himself in shrouds of glory while I always got cast to the shadows," Loki said, his tone getting slightly bitter as he continued to talk. He took a breath before continuing. "Alas, this last adventure was certainly our most 'brotherly' if you will," he continued, fixing one of the wrinkles in his tunic.

Looking around at anything and everything but the god, Tony decided to ignore the bitterness in Loki's voice. "Yeah, but I'm not asking Point Break, I'm asking you." He walked back over to the chair where Loki was seated and handed Loki a tumbler that was full to the brim with more scotch. "I've heard him tell stories, it's all, 'honor this, glory that', but it's not what really happened, it's embellished."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you, Stark," he grinned. "You and I are a lot alike." He raised his glass towards the man and smiled. "Cheers," he said, taking a drink.

Their conversation was interrupted as JARVIS began to speak. "Sir, a very angry Director Fury is on the line, " came the voice of the AI above them both. Tony wasted no time in responding.

"Ignore it Jarv. Follow the standard protocol."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Does Fury know I'm here?" he asked, a sense of urgency in his voice.

"No Mr. Laufeyson, Director Fury does not know you are here," came JARVIS' reply. "But I certainly could inform him of your presence; shall I?"

Tony couldn't help it, he started to snicker. "Good one Jarv, but no, do not tell Fury."

Loki's eyes widened a little when the AI offered to tell Fury of his presence, but Stark put an end to it immediately, much to his relief. "It's kind of hard to go after someone who's dead, I suppose," he said as he looked back at Stark.

Tony's tone turned serious as he spoke his next command to the AI, looking Loki in the eye as he did so. "Under no circumstance is S.H.I.E.L.D. allowed to know that Loki Laufeyson is here, understood?"

"Very well, Sir. Shall I order dinner for you instead? Miss Potts has made it quite clear that you are to eat."

"Yeah sure, order some of that shwarma stuff," he said before looking back at Loki. "Calm down Bambi. The big bad pirate isn't after you. In fact, he's pissed at me again. As usual, I should say," he said as he shrugged it off. Tony looked down into his drink and frowned, thinking of something before speaking again. "Honestly, there's something I've been thinking about a lot lately. You and I really are a lot alike; we just went down different paths."

"What did you do to piss him off this time, Stark?" Loki was genuinely curious, but he feigned his interest. He decided to ignore the last part of Stark's statement.

Tony's trademark grin was back. "Oh, I may have hacked S.H.I.E.L.D. again... that and I refused to fund some project or another. I don't like what he had planned for Brucie, either." He held up up a hand to quiet Loki's protest at the mention of Bruce Banner, though Loki knew him better as the Hulk. "I know you don't care for his alter-ego much, but Bruce? He's a good guy, he really is. Thing is, I don't agree with much of what S.H.I.E.L.D. does, yet they constantly want me to fund them, their weapons, tech, and everything else. They think that because I help them with Iron Man that they can just dictate what I can and cannot do. Nope. That's not how I play."

Loki couldn't help but chuckle. "You only play nice when it's convenient for you, is that it, Stark?"

"Pretty much," came the genius' reply.

Loki took another sip from his glass before setting it down on the table next to him and leaning forward toward Stark. "How exactly do you play, then?" he asked, a glint in his eye and a bit of an edge to his voice.

Tony matched the look effortlessly. "I usually play by my own rules. You have your baggage and so do I." Sitting forward a bit to set his own glass down, he continued. "I don't play fair that's for sure. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me and all that stuff," he stated, gesturing around as he spoke. "This," he said, gesturing once more to himself and Loki, "this right here is by my own rules, and why JARVIS hasn't turned you over to the bastards at S.H.I.E.L.D. It's because I simply don't want to- unless you toss me out of my window again, then all bets are off."

"A lot alike indeed," he mused happily, almost purring as he thought back to what the man had said earlier about their similarities. He held Stark's glaze for a lingering moment before reclining back into the chair. "I've already assured you Stark that I will not be throwing you out of your window again, so you can relax." He gave the billionaire a wink as he took another sip of his alcohol.

Without missing a beat, Tony jumped up off of the couch. "Can I get that in writing?"


A/N: Please review/comment/critique! Thanks for reading!