The feedback is so supportive guys, thanks so much :)

WARNING: In this chapter (I won't spoil what) there is some torture, may be graphic but I did my best to balance description and vulgarity so it didn't seem too gruesome but in my opinion I cringed at writing this last part (no rape don't worry, nothing sexually abusive)

music muses are basically the same only theres also an Another One Bites The Dust/Back In Black/Led Zepplin mashup that I can't stop listening to…

Italicized stuff is Loki mind-speaking (can I copyright that word? :P)

Disclaimer: you know what goes here...


"Someone please tell me we have a location!" Fury called impatiently across the helicarrier deck.

Hill looked up from another's workstation and shook her head, Fury waved her over to the bridge.

Steve was just walking in with Banner attempting to explain the prevalence of drone technology in the military. Natasha followed closely behind them.

Clint was already at the conference table with his newly engineered arrow looking very displeased. "I hope your here to explain to me why everyone is incapable of designing a proper arrow tip." Clint mumbled.

Natasha took a seat beside him noting Fury and Hill's tired expressions. "It isn't deploying it's nerve gas properly?" She asked knowingly.

Clint nodded and rested his head on his cheek mournfully. "At this rate I have better luck pinning them to walls like flies…unless S.H.I.E.L.D gives me leeway to just eliminate the overly dangerous targets." This comment was clearly steered towards Fury who had, months ago, allowed Thor to take Loki and the Tesseract back to Asguard without any sort of punishment. In the archer's eyes it was betrayal. He had been manipulated and the man responsible was given a free pass before he could even blink. Then there was Tony who practically decked him in the face later that day when he openly brought up his concerns.

All that behind the agent, he was still slightly grumpy from another mission gone haywire due to lousy tech, something the stuck up billionaire could have easily fixed had he chosen to just simply sign on with the Avengers. But NO, he was too proud and too bitter at them to even speak to them most of the time.

Fury motioned for everyone to sit and he himself leaned on the table and breathed a heavy sigh.

Hill resembled him due to her darkened circles under her eyes…

"So they deploy a drone anytime, anywhere? What if there's a storm? Is the technology advanced enough to just fly through it?" Steve asked under his breath.

Bruce shook his head, "Later…" He directed his attention to the eyepatch.

"I called you all here on such short notice because we have a very peculiar situation…" Fury rubbed his eyes and showed everyone the screen blueprints of the latest Stark weaponry. "I should start from the beginning. This is the "Jericho Missile", a cluster weapon capable of segregating into 16 missiles after adjusting to targets with a renowned and recently invented repulsorlift technology. It has an impressive blast radius and an even more impressive price. It's Stark's latest weapon. About 134 hours ago it was demonstrated at the Arial Military Base in Afghanistan." Fury explained.

"So who has it now?" Bruce asked.

Fury smiled weakly, "Do you want the good news or the bad news?"

Steve glanced to Hill, "Good news…"

Fury nodded and pushed himself up from the table. "Good news is that no unstable forces have been able to get ahold of this weapon yet. Bad news is that they've gotten ahold of something much more valuable… 133 hours ago Tony Stark was riding back to the airport in an escort that was gunned down by a terrorist cell known as the Ten Rings. They have sent out a dozen audio and video feeds to an unknown source demanding a large sum of money and this weapon. We know that the source has denied the terms…this intel, gathered alongside what our satellites have spotted as a massive arms collection will only pressure them into labouring Mr. Stark to build them a new weapon…one possibly more powerful and dangerous than this Jericho Missile."

Everyone was speechless, Hill flicked past the images on screen of the suspected deposits of Stark Industries weaponry. "Someone in Stark Industries has been feeding this terrorist cell for sometime, the capacity of their strongholds is undetermined and their weapons we have been able to identify are all Stark's…"

"You're suggesting that Tony was dealing under the table?" Bruce frowned.

"We are looking into that possibility but nevertheless it is costing him. We have no location and so far the only traceable evidence has led us to a remote warehouse in Northern Korea. But we have to backtrack the signals to the source in America, we know someone is responsible for their attainment of the weapons and we need to know who. Then interrogate them and gather everything about the Ten Rings we know until we can determine possible locations for their base of operations." Hill explained.

Steve squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head lightly, "Hold on, you mean Tony's been held captive for at least five days and you're only telling us this now?"

Natasha glande yo Fury with a stern expression. She understood the need for secrets and withholding information, hell, she'd lived through it most of her life but this was a different matter entirely. Tony may not be an Avenger but he was one of the smartest men on the planet, with the firepower they claimed the Ten Rings had, Tony would be able to create them whatever they wanted, dissect information Tony could have. Everyone knew Tony bugged S.H.I.E.L.D from the moment they had harassed him one too many times to join up. If the Ten Rings got ahold of that intel it could burn everything around them…

"We knew it was best to stand back and see who they were trying to contact, if we intercepted the deal then we would have very little intel about who this dealer inside of Stark Industries is." Fury defended.

"What do you know about this person?" Clint asked.

"Either a low ranking hacker or a high ranking greedy individual, we've eliminated the other countries but ours, it is a representative from the Malibu Stark Factory." Hill stated, she zoomed in on a picture that showed the computer codes that lead them to the direct factory site.

"Is there any chance that the Ten Rings are working with a villain?" Clint asked lowly.

"Loki is currently still in Asguardian prison, in fact we sent out a distress signal to Thor who immediately gave us information about Loki's current sentence, even some nice pictures." He displayed Loki in a green and battered tunic looking madly at the wall, another still showed him screaming and the last was him sleeping.

Clint rolled his eyes at the evidence that contradicted his theory. "What about Van Doom, Dr. Octavius or-"

"Dormant for the moment but definitely not directly involved. Our main focus is the warehouse in North Korea and infiltrating Stark Industries in Malibu. We've tried to talk to Pepper but she's swamped with the corporate status at the moment." Agent Maria Hill debriefed.

"I've been introduced into Stark Industries already." Natasha volunteered.

"Yes, we're sending you and a handful of others into the facility in three hours. The rest of you are going on route to the warehouse. This is a stealth mission, Banner you are just to stand back in case we are discovered but that is a last resort. Are we understood?" Fury asked.

Everyone nodded and Fury released them, they went rushing to their stations in preparation for the mission to come. Steve couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu as he prepared himself to go on a manhunt for a lost comrade… In a sense Tony was one, his father was partly responsible for his current state which wasn't horrific…he had the means to make a change and he appreciated it even thought the cost was dear. He brushed aside thoughts of her and suited up. This was going to be a long day.


It took concentration to be able to hear Loki speaking to him but it was worth it. Even through the gruelling meals and constant chaos of the caves Tony mustered up his strength for the solitude they gave him, when he could listen to the calming words. He had tried to speak back, Loki reassured him it was not possible…actually Loki was able to seek through his eyes, ears, taste, smell, touch but the thoughts came back to the god of mischief scrambled and illogical to him so for now Tony had to settle with believing Loki understood.

This day was a warm day, and the plants of the realm had all but dried up from it's intensity. The Helios, the enriching power of the star pulsated without falter, the heart of this galaxy as you would call it.

Tony almost felt the warmth from the story Loki was telling him, he used to think mythology was boring, turns out Loki could make anything sound interesting. That or he was just having a hell of a time in captivity…

Loki's senses flickered in Tony's mind. A flash of a golden cell, it looked stripped of something, Loki showed Tony what it had looked like before he had laid waste to it and Tony felt himself chuckle. He immediately regretted it as the sore cavity in his chest tightened painfully around the electromagnet. He gasped and went still trying to ease the pain and for a moment he felt Loki do the same.

I don't know what type of wound that is… And I have seen many.

"Great…" Tony muttered to himself.

From the corner of the cave Yensin frowned, "What?"

Tony jumped a little at the realization that he wasn't alone. "Oh uh, just living the good life over here…" He recovered swiftly.

"These caves will turn you to things that are not what they seem. Don't lose yourself to the hallucinations, Tony." Yensin warned.

Tony rubbed his eyes, truly he didn't want to think about illusions, he was afraid that if he analyzed the realistically-seeming connection to Loki it would disappear as his faith in it did. That voice was the only thing keeping him from failure… He couldn't give up on it just yet…even if it was a little crazy this was a god he was connected to.

Loki seemed to sigh because the relaxation the god tried to give himself cascaded through Tony and he smiled at the gesture. It was reassurance, Loki was probably avoiding the same doubt he was…that alone told him this was real.


Loki jumped as the golden doors swung open roughly and quickly. Soldiers marched through with anger in their breath and they opened the cell, grabbing him by the hair and forcing him into restraints. They shoved him and Tony felt the fear in Loki's mind before the connection waned and faltered.

They brought him to a darkened room, a chair with him secured at the wrists, chest, ankles and each finger spread out with tiny needles that prevented the magicka from coming to Loki's aid.

"Are you allied with anyone?" The growling voice asked.

Loki strained to recognize it but failed. He narrowed his green eyes and grinned slightly. "Who are you?"

"Someone who would like to know who you've been working with…after the void where did you take refuge? What made the Chitauri fall into ranks behind the likes of a half-breed?" The taunt was evident and if Loki could he would have clenched his fingers into fists to avoid losing his temper.

"Suddenly you fall silent, silver-tongue turn to lead?" He chuckled.

Loki narrowed his eyes, "So you know Volstagg…"

"Why the Tesseract? You could have turned the armies of the Chitauri upon Asguard and raided the vaults of more direct power…"

Loki rolled his eyes, "Please, there's nothing in the vaults I currently need."

"Speaking of that…where's the casket of Winters? It mysteriously went missing after you disgraced Asguard with your betrayal."

Loki scoffed, "You mean when Queen Frigga appointed me next in line for the throne?"

"Twist the truth to suit your lies…it's your nature."

"Who. Are. You?" Loki gritted his teeth.

"I will give you one chance to answer my earlier question….who helped you amass the armies of the Chitauri?"

Loki remained silent but held on his face an amused expression. It was quickly lost, two large hands reached from the darkness, one with a rusty, dull blade in one hand. With three swift strikes they had sliced off the middle finger on his right hand. Loki screamed, the hand without the blade picked up the detached finger and held it to Loki's face.

"You have nine more chances to tell me who." The voice sneered.

Loki bit his lip, "I cannot tell you."

The man cut above the knuckle of Loki's left hand middle finger and another scream of agony was drawn from the trickster.

"Uttering his name will awaken him to this place." Loki choked out.

The man hesitated but held the knife to Loki's right hand again. "I'll take my chances."

Loki was beginning to feel light-headed from the loss of blood. "It isn't just your chances."

Their impatience was mostly through as they stabbed the knife through Loki's right hand.

"Thanos." Loki growled.

The atmosphere in the room seemed to grow thick with stale smell. The torches were lit and the man's face was visible. Scarred and rough, he looked like a smother of sorts, or a butcher. He unlatched the restraints and three men forced Loki abruptly down a hall for what left like miles of stairs.

They brought him to the throne room obviously unannounced because the Allfather was speaking with Thor.

The soldiers forced Loki to his knees, no doubt Thor's face paled and his eyes lowered to the bleeding stumps on Loki's hands.

"He has beckoned the titan upon Asguard." The scarred-faced man announced.

Odin's eye widened and turned to steel, "You called out which titan?"

Loki glared back, "I did not call out, I was told to name who-"

"WHICH TITAN!?" Odin boomed.

"Thanos." Loki repeated.

The name was like a slap in the face to Odin, he, even in old age rushed to Loki and directed the guards to another room. Thor followed hastily asking what Odin was going to do. The Allfather silenced his only son and from a drawer pulled out a needle and thread, "Hold him."

Thor stared blankly at Odin.

"Must I repeat myself?"

Thor slowly took Loki's head in his hands, the guards secured Loki to the floor and Odin motioned for Thor to push Loki's jaw closed tight.

Loki glared at Odin as he lowered the needle closer and closer to his lips.

Thor's hands were trembling and the needle pierced the corner of his bottom lip.

Loki wailed as the thread burned, it was cold and hot all at once, it seemed to tighten as he tried to scream, Thor's eyes watered but he refused to cry. Loki on the other hand had tears streaming down his face as Odin continued at a painfully slow pace, sealing the trickster's lips. The final piercing of the needle followed by a rough tug of the thread, Thor kept his hands on Loki's head, wanting to stoke it reassuringly but he had not the faith to do so.

Odin shook his head at him and threw the needle to the floor. "You shall not utter his name to condemn us all to your fate. Perhaps in time you will understand the gift of silence." With that he turned and left, Thor followed Loki to his cell and Loki fell to the floor in a ball holding his tendered lips; blood, warm and tickling his chin as it dripped from the wounds. In his mouth the iron taste of it filled him until he was forced to swallow it down or choke. He flared his nostrils to steady his erratic breathing and Thor watched shamed outside of the cell as the soldiers left the criminal to his punishment.

"You must understand that his name would endanger us all…" Thor reasoned.

Loki coughed and a sob passed his stitched lips, Thor truly believed he would happily draw the mad titan to Asguard, where precious Frigga slept? Even to some degree Thor was valued in his mind. As Thor left, Loki contemplated reconnecting with Tony. He did not want him to feel the pain he felt but he was so alone, he just needed him so badly…

Loki focused far away and eventually he felt the reassuring sensation that Tony was listening.


Tony was being told to build the Jericho missile again when the pain hit him. It was almost blinding, his lips were on fire and his hands felt sliced into. His panic had set the terrorists off and they had thrown him back into his room with the promise of torment if he did not comply by morning.

"Loki…." Tony whispered.

I don't want to hurt you…I am sorry.

Tony held his lips and grimaced, he could feel Loki's tears streaming warm down his face just as the blood rolled off of his jaw.

I am going to get out…I am going to come back.

The words sounded pained, as if Loki barely believed it would happen. Tony sighed, "You can't lie to me…"

Yensin looked over at the genius who was sitting in the corner of the cave stroking his own cheek and whispering nothings.

"I'm sure they're looking for you Stark, but in these caves….they will never find you." Yensin sighed, he was sitting on Tony's "bed" now trying to catch the man's attention with little success. He had that far away look in his eyes.

I'm sorry…I just wanted to feel you with me…I don't think I can do this much longer.

Tony frowned, alarmed by the change in tone. "We've got to try."

Yensin nodded, "Yes, out there you saw your legacy, your life's work. You cannot let that rest in the hands of those murderers."

You've always been a remarkable mind, Tony. I know you can escape…you just need to use what they offer against them. I'll be right here… If you want to try then I will do everything I can.

Tony nodded, "I know what I need to do."


a little E.T moment lol did you notice?

please review I love feedback and right now what I think could be me on fire could be you guys cringing and saying "why did this story spiral downward?"

*glowing finger* I'll….be….right…. (points to boob) ….here