Normally, I'd send this off to my friend who's my unofficial beta, but due to popular demand (2 reviews!) I'm posting this straight away. If there's any mistakes, I'm sorry. Congratulations to TeaAndCrumpetsIfYouPlease for guessing exactly what would happen! And you were right with Harry Potter comment too, even though I never thought of that. Thanks again for the people who been reviewing and reading. Enjoy this slightly rushed chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, they all belong to Marvel. Only the plot line and content is my own.
"Stand up and put your hands behind your head! Don't move."
S.H.I.E.L.D agents were surrounding both Tony and Loki, their guns trained on the God, who slowly stood up and did as they said.
"Would someone like to explain what the fuck is going on?" Tony demanded, glaring at the agents.
"You're harbouring a known criminal. We need to take him back to base where we'll be holding him captive," came a voice that Tony recognised as Maria Hill.
"No way," he said firmly.
"Step aside, Stark," Fury ordered, stepping out from the shadows.
"Not a chance. Loki's not doing any harm."
"He slips through our fingers like he's coated in butter. We need to take him whilst we've got him," Fury said impatiently.
"No. If he was trying to attempt world domination again or something, I'd let you take him, but he's not, so get out of my house."
"Stark, I'm not in the mood for you," Fury sighed. "Either you let us take him, or we..."
"Or what? You'll shoot me?" Tony laughed dryly.
In a split second, Natasha had drawn a tranquillizer gun and shot him in the back of the neck.
"Or we'll do that," Fury said to the unconscious man. "Take him," he added, gesturing to Loki, who allowed handcuffs to be clipped over his wrists and followed the agents out of the house.
"Oh my God, what happened?" Tony asked groggily, gazing up into the anxious (but blurry) face of Steve. "I feel like I've got the most horrendous hangover known to mankind."
Steve chuckled. "No. Natasha shot you with a tranquillizer gun. When you collapsed, you hit your head pretty hard."
"Sorry Tony, but it had to be done," Natasha apologised, and he caught sight of her face too.
"Why?"
"You were trying to stop S.H.I.E.L.D from taking Loki," Steve explained.
"Shit! Did they take him?" his memory catching up with him, and he sat up, ignoring the sudden rush of blood to his head.
"Of course they did. But why did you try and stop them?" Steve questioned.
"Because there was no need to take him! He wasn't doing anything. I thought if he trusted me a bit more, maybe he wouldn't cause as much trouble once he got his magic back."
Tony stood up, grabbing a jacket.
"Where are you going?" Natasha asked, placing a hand on his arm.
"I'm going to get my God back," he answered.
"Fury, let him go," Tony ordered, walking into the control room where a bunch of agents where watching a small screen with the footage of Loki in the same cell he was always kept in.
Fury turned around slowly to face Tony. "No. He needs to be kept here."
"No he doesn't. He's not here to hurt people. He's here because he's sick."
"I doubt it. I think he's just feeding crap to you to get close to you," Fury replied stubbornly.
"At least let me see him," Tony said.
"I'd rather you didn't."
"If you don't let me see him, I'll force my way in."
"Fine."
"Hey Reindeer Games," Tony said, walking in.
Loki said nothing, just looked up at him. Tony felt quite sorry for him. He was even paler than earlier, and had bags under his eyes.
"Sorry about S.H.I.E.L.D. They're just being stubborn assholes."
"Why are you here?" Loki asked bluntly.
"To get you back in my house," Tony replied, equally as blunt.
He just looked sideways at Tony, confusion etched into his face. "Why? You hate me."
"I don't hate you. I might not like you, but I don't hate you. I don't think you should be in here anyway. You trusted me enough to ask for my help. I figured I should actually help you," Tony shrugged.
"I don't trust you," Loki hissed.
"Keep telling yourself that," he replied nonchalantly. "Do you want to stay here or come with me?"
"I'd rather come with you, to be honest," Loki admitted.
"Right then," Tony said, standing up.
"Where are you going now?" he asked.
"To have another chat with dear Nick," Tony replied grimly.
"He's coming with me."
"No, he's not. We've been through this."
"Listen, you self centered ass hole, Loki is coming back with me, and if I have to break him out, I will," Tony snarled, his hand closing suddenly over Fury's windpipes, shoving him against the wall.
"Fine, fine," Fury choked, fingers scrabbling at Tony's hand.
"Thank you," he said, letting go. "I'd rather it didn't come to that, but it was the only way."
"You're coming back with me now," Tony said, as the doors to Loki's cell slid open again.
"I am?" he looked surprised, but stood up all the same.
"Yep. Fury gave in. Don't make me regret this."
Loki followed Tony back up to the control room where Fury was waiting with a large, metal bracelet in his hand.
"What's that?" Tony asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's a tracking device. This way, we know Loki's not doing anything wrong, and if he takes it off, he'll find himself back in here," Fury explained, holding his hand out for Loki's wrist.
They left after the device was attached, Loki examining it as they went.
"Thank you, Stark," he said. "I'm pleasantly surprised you decided to assist."
"No problem," Tony replied, slightly proud of himself for doing something good for once, even though it was for an evil super-villain.
"We're home!" Tony called out, walking through the door, Loki trailing behind him.
"What's he doing here?" Clint spat, glaring at Loki.
"He has a name. And Loki's back where he needs to be right now."
"Thank you, Tony Stark. I appreciate what you have done for my brother," Thor boomed.
"I see you got your God back," Natasha smirked, causing a look of confusion to pass over Loki's face.
"Shut up, Natasha. If no one minds, I'd like to go down to my workshop. In fact, I don't care if you mind, I'm doing it anyway, and possibly staying in there for several days. I don't want to see any of you, except Bruce, and that's only if I need him," Tony said briskly, walking away, leaving everyone in stunned silence.