Introducing...Tony and Bruce! I love my scientists and engineers. :) Thanks everyone for the great reception of this story, and please continue to review! You've been a great audience so far!

Anthony Edward Stark had always loved cars. He could afford them, for one thing, and very nice ones, at that. Very fast ones. He loved driving them (the more quickly, the better)-the speed, the rush, the feel of being one with the machine...really, it wasn't that much different from how he felt inside his suit. But he also loved how cars worked. He was an engineer-it came with the territory. He was constantly taking his cars apart and putting them back together, much to Pepper's dismay ("Tony! Do you know how much that's worth?!"), seeing what made each of them different, the little things that influenced their performance, why one car was faster than another, or handled better around corners, or braked faster. So of course when he finally got his hands on an Alfa Romeo convertible 8C Spider (for far more than the original $299,000 asking price back in '09, but it wasn't like the price was something he cared about), of course the first thing he did was lie on his back beneath it and mess with it.

He supposed it had something of a relaxing and meditative effect on him. Whatever. He told himself he just liked doing it. He had just helped save Manhattan and probably the rest of the world from a deranged Norse god and his alien army only a few days ago, and it wasn't like he needed to go to work to earn a living. So he could do what he wanted, and what he wanted was to spend hours beneath his new baby, Black Sabbath blaring from his workshop's computer system.

"Okay, I've heard that Alfas are loved by car enthusiasts because something's always going wrong that they have to fix, but already? I mean, you just got the thing home! You've barely driven it anywhere."

Tony had sort of fallen into a tinkering-induced trance as the hours ticked by, which was why he jumped at the sound of Bruce Banner's voice right next to him. He whacked his forehead on the underside of the car.

"Ow!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Bruce backed up to give Tony room to roll his flat scooter out from underneath the Alfa. "You had the music up loud, and I know you don't like people adjusting the volume..."

"It's okay." Tony reached out a hand to signal the doctor to stop apologizing. He put his other hand up to his forehead to tenderly palpate the lump that was already forming there. "That's gonna leave a bruise," he muttered reflectively.

Bruce winced apologetically. "I just came to see if you wanted some coffee. I'm getting JARVIS to make a pot. You've been down here for hours."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I'm not being a very good host, leaving you all alone, am I?" Tony grinned. He knew very well that Bruce was perfectly fine with being left alone for hours, and not only because he was used to it. The nuclear physicist had spent the past week galavanting around Stark Tower, discovering its nearly endless arsenal of equipment and laboratory space and its incredibly advanced Artificial Intelligence system. A few days prior, Tony had walked in on him having a conversation with JARVIS, and the look of excitement on Bruce's face as he discussed the inter-workings of the AI's programming with the AI itself had been entertaining, to say the least.

Still, Tony felt a little bad that he had left his friend on his own for so long. While he had, admittedly, brought Banner back to the tower with him after the battle for his own entertainment-with Pepper always working, Tony tended to get bored with only JARVIS for company-, part of it had been for Bruce's sake, as well. He had been on his own for a very long time, running and hiding because of the destruction the Hulk-or "The Other Guy", as Bruce called him-had wreaked. Tony thought it was high time he had a friend. Tony had the space, that much was undeniable, so he had invited him to stay for as long as he wanted. Tony secretly hoped that would be a long time. He had to say, despite the lingering danger of a giant green rage monster smashing his already crippled tower, he was very much enjoying the company of the good doctor.

Bruce grinned at him. "I'd say you're doing okay. Tower's still standing, anyway."

Tony chuckled at the veiled Hulk-joke, and Bruce joined in once he saw that Tony was, indeed, amused. Tony considered Bruce's increased ability to joke about his inner monster to be a sign that he was growing more comfortable and at peace with its constant presence. The Bruce Banner he had met for the first time on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s helicarrier not so long ago would never have made a joke like that, or at the very least not without several layers of sarcasm attached to it.

Dr. Banner, your coffee is ready, the robotic voice of JARVIS announced, and a second later a pot of steaming black roast, along with two ceramic mugs, creamer, packets of sugar, and spoons, appeared on the workbench next to Bruce, courtesy of a mechanical transportation system Tony had designed and built to work as a delivery system in conjunction with the AI.

Even though Tony had not answered him on whether or not he wanted coffee, Bruce poured a mug and held it out to him. Tony accepted it.

"Thanks." It was a black coffee kind of day, so he drank it without further alteration.

Bruce waved away his thanks, indicating that he had done no work in procuring the drink. "It's kind of creepy how it knew I came down here. I was up in the lab when I asked it to make me the coffee." He emptied a creamer into his mug and stirred its contents with a spoon before taking a sip.

Tony chuckled softly. "Yeah, it is kinda unnerving, I guess, having something following you everywhere."

"I'm used to it." Bruce half-smiled and took another drink.

"Me too, I guess." Tony hated to admit it to himself, but in the days since the battle, observing Bruce finally beginning to come to terms with the Hulk had brought forth in his mind the things he lived with every day. Although it was perhaps easier for him to push away the memories of Afghanistan-the explosion, his captivity, his fear, Yinsen's death-than it was for Bruce to push away the ever-lingering presence of the Hulk, there were some days when said memories were harder to keep at bay than others. He was undeniably happy for Bruce-Tony had totally called it, by the way, when he had said that Bruce just might enjoy finding out what the Hulk had saved his life for-but watching his new friend deal with his personal demons had made Tony uncomfortably aware of his inability to conquer his own.

So yeah, it was a black coffee kind of day.

Bruce raised an eyebrow in a slightly concerned, somewhat curious manner, but he did not address the comment. He wasn't the prying type, and Tony was secretly glad. He decided it was time to distract himself while simultaneously spending time with his houseguest, and he changed the subject.

"How do you feel about movie night? We could go old-school. I have all of the original Star Trek series on DVD. You look like a Trekkie."

Bruce laughed. "I have to say I do appreciate a good Star Trek viewing session. It's been awhile since I've actually sat down to watch any TV. Horrible satellite reception in Calcutta."

"Great! I'll bring the drinks down from the top floor, JARVIS can make popcorn, I think I've got some Twizzlers and Raisinets somewhere..." Tony's rambling plans were suddenly interrupted by the monotonous, emotionless voice of JARVIS.

Sir, you have visitors at the front door. Shall I admit them to the front room?

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Come on, JARVIS, you know that depends on who it is."

The visitors appear to be Thor and Loki, sir.

Tony's eyes went wide, and when he looked at Bruce, he saw that his face held a similar expression. He swallowed down his pounding heart (gotta keep an eye on Bruce) and asked,

"You sure, JARVIS?"

My facial recognition software yields a seventy-eight percent match for Thor and a seventy-five percent match for Loki, and cross-referencing yields an eighty-nine percent match for both.

"Yeah, okay, I get the picture," muttered Tony distractedly, his mind working five miles a minute.

"Isn't Loki supposed to be facing justice on Asgard?" After the initial shock, Bruce the scientist was obviously thinking just as quickly as Tony, checking his facts and trying to piece together the puzzle.

Tony nodded. "That was the plan, as far as I was told. But if he's with Thor..."

"We can't put all our faith in that fact. He could still be a threat."

"Oh, I know." Tony chuckled harshly. "Trust me, I know."

Sir, should I admit the visitors?

"No, I'm on my way down."

"We're on our way down," corrected Bruce, obviously wanting Tony to know that he had his back, whatever this encounter might bring. "But maybe you should suit up first?"

Tony pulled his suit-in-a-bracelet out of his pocket and snapped it onto his wrist. "I don't want to seem threatening. But I'll be ready." He held up his arm. "You should be, too."

Bruce grinned ironically. "I'm always ready."

The workshop was on the first floor, so they didn't even need to take the elevator to reach the front entrance, which was actually an elaborate set of mahogany double doors. Tony wished that they had been further away to begin with so that he would have had more time to think. They really did need a plan. But this was Thor, who had fought with them only a few days ago-had committed himself to the same cause they had. He had done it mainly to get his brother back, yeah, but Tony knew that the god of thunder was also committed to protecting Earth. And he was their friend.

Maybe Loki had taken over his brain, like he'd done to Barton. Sure, his power wasn't connected with the Tesseract anymore, but Thor had said his brother was a master of sorcery-who knew what he was capable of?

Tony was just beginning to rethink his decision not to suit up when he suddenly found himself standing at his front door. On the other side of that door were two of the most powerful beings in the entire universe, and at least one of them did not like Tony. At all.

But Tony did owe him a drink, and so with a quick glance behind him at Bruce to make sure he was ready, he opened the door.

It was indeed Thor standing on his doorstep, though the god had forgone his usual Asgardian battle attire and red cape for jeans and a dark red long-sleeved T-shirt that was thin and tight enough to still show off his bulging muscles. Behind the imposing figure of the thunderer stood Loki, also in street clothes-albeit, slightly less casual ones. He didn't have nearly the same threatening, confident presence about him as he'd had only a few days ago, Tony noted. He looked almost ill, or at the very least like he hadn't been sleeping well-his cheeks were flushed, and his dull eyes had dark circles beneath them. Whatever punishment King Daddy had doled out had obviously not played nicely with Loki. What was really surprising, though, was that the god of mischief actually seemed to cower a little bit behind his brother when Tony caught his eye, but that fierce glare, full of hatred and disgust, was very familiar. At least he hadn't lost his sense of spite.

The instant Tony opened the door, Thor threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"My brother cannot hurt you; please do not harm him. He has had his powers extracted-he is mortal, like you."

Aha. So that was why Loki suddenly seemed to be seeking shelter behind Thor. While magic-less Tony had a suit that could send the now-mortal god flying half a mile down the street, Loki had no way of defending himself. Tony shrugged his shoulders and gestured to indicate his un-suited body.

"I wasn't planning on hurting anybody. When JARVIS said you were here I figured whatever the reason was for it, it was going to eventually turn into a team project."

Thor looked a little bit surprised, but he nodded. "It might, eventually. I...I suppose I have some explaining to do."

That was undeniable. "Well...yeah. For one thing, how did you get here? I thought your dad couldn't keep you on Earth for very long because your rainbow bridge got broken. Right?" But then Tony remembered his manners. "It sounds like it could get to be quite a story. You should come in. You too, Prancer." He grinned at Loki, knowing he probably wouldn't catch the reference but not really caring. Loki looked mildly annoyed but also a little bit surprised. Mainly he just looked tired.

"Thank you, Stark. You are very kind," said Thor gratefully.

"Aww, that's sweet, Big Guy. But I think mainly Bruce and I are just looking for some more people to join in on movie night. We're watching Star Trek." Tony stepped aside to let his guests pass through the doorway, revealing Bruce, who had been standing quietly behind him the whole time. At the sight of the doctor, Loki gasped, and his eyes grew enormous. Tony had never seen him look afraid before-uncertain, yes, but never afraid. And this wasn't just fear-it was terror, worry for his very existence. But then Tony thought about Loki's last encounter with Bruce Banner-or more specifically, the other form of Bruce Banner-and realized that he probably had good reason to be terrified. Said encounter had resulted in a Loki-shaped crater in the floor of Stark Tower. Tony needed to get on that remodeling, actually.

Bruce noted his reaction as well, and he held out his hands in a gesture signifying that he came in peace. He spoke slowly, quietly, and calmly, as was his manner, as though he was trying to coax a frightened dog to come to him.

"Hey, it's okay. I won't hurt you. I know the Other Guy did, and I'm really sorry about that. But he doesn't come out too much anymore, and I know you're not going to give him reason to come out. So you're safe. I promise."

Tony had expected Bruce to try to establish good will between himself and Loki, despite what the miscreant god had done-it was just his way. He didn't like having bad blood with anyone, and Tony figured that at least part of that had to do with his constant need to manage his anger levels. But he really hadn't expected him to be this good at the whole comforting thing. He should have guessed he would be, Tony supposed-after all, before being recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. to fight with the Avengers, Bruce had been working as a doctor in Calcutta, where he must have developed a good bedside manner.

Loki swallowed and took a small step backward, worried eyes still locked on Bruce as if he feared he might morph into the giant green monster at any moment. Thor turned around and gently touched his brother's arm.

"Loki," he spoke softly, mimicking Bruce's tone, although it sounded much less natural coming from him. "It is all right. Dr. Banner is a friend."

Loki's eyes suddenly left Bruce and flicked down to the hand on his arm. He scowled acerbically and jerked away from Thor's touch, then swept past him and Tony and stalked into the tower, skirting widely around Bruce. Tony raised an eyebrow and shrugged. He couldn't help but note how worried and saddened Thor looked, and it struck him that he had probably just been sucked into one of the most complicated family feuds in history. Like he hadn't been before.

He found Loki examining a painting hanging on the wall, one Pepper had picked out. Tony had observed her particular fondness for it, so he had made sure to display it prominently in the entry hall. He was sure she appreciated that act-she smiled whenever she walked by it. It was an up-close portrait of a peregrine falcon (Pepper loved birds), diving just above a forest-you could see the tops of the trees at the bottom of the painting. It was very realistic, Tony had always thought. It captured the lines just right, and the details were impeccable. He should really find out who had painted it. The knowledge might impress Pepper, at least.

Loki stood with his back up against the wall opposite the piece of art. As he approached the trickster, Tony realized that he wasn't just standing next to the wall-he was leaning on it. Up close and without the glare from the sun, Tony could see the beads of sweat on Loki's forehead and on the dark circles beneath his red-rimmed eyes. He really doesn't look good. Was he sick (could gods even get sick?), or just really mentally messed up? He wanted to ask what was wrong-Tony liked to pry, and he certainly didn't want Loki passing out or puking on the furniture or anything-but something told him that drawing attention to any weakness of Loki's probably wasn't the smartest idea. And even though Thor had assured him Loki no longer possessed the ability to do magic, he figured he should still tread carefully around him.

"You like birds?" he chose to ask instead.

Loki immediately turned his gaze away from the painting to study him, hostility written all over his face, but apparently he could find no bad intentions on Tony's part (probably because there were none). He turned to look back at the painting before answering.

"I like birds of prey. I admire their beauty and their efficiency."

His tone was one of reflection, and Tony didn't really know how to respond. Luckily, Bruce and Thor had caught up to them by that point, so Tony led the way to the lounge.

Thor found the elevator fascinating. He made a little noise of excitement when the floor started to move upward beneath him, a reaction to which Loki rolled his eyes. Tony made a mental note that, if this this turned into an extended stay, he needed to give the thunder god a room on one of the top floors so he could play with his new toy.

Stark Tower's lounge was spacious and comfortable, with soft couches and deep, cushiony chairs. Tony motioned for his guests to sit down. Loki immediately sank into a chair, and Tony thought he seemed to sag into it in exhaustion. Thor, looking a bit irritated but not surprised at the fact that his brother had chosen a seat that did not allow Thor to sit directly beside him, selected a place on the end of a couch next to Loki's chair. Bruce sat on the other side of the room, clearly wanting to stay as far away from Loki as possible to avoid upsetting him.

"Okay, who wants what?" Tony asked casually, sidling over to the large refrigerator in the kitchenette next to the bar. "I've got...a wide assortment. Food, drinks, you name it, I can probably produce some derivative of it."

"Poptarts?" asked Thor hopefully. Obviously he had been waiting a long time for the opportunity to indulge in the sugar-filled pastries since his first trip to Earth.

"Uh, yeah, here you go." Tony produced a box of Wildberry Poptarts from one of the cabinets and set them on the counter. "Poptarts for Point Break, how about the rest of you?"

"I just had coffee, I'm good to go," said Bruce with a small smile.

"Negative for Doctor Doom. What about you, Loki?" Tony figured the best way to approach the incredible awkwardness of Loki's presence among them was to treat him like the rest of his guests, but perhaps a bit more carefully. "I guess I still owe you that drink. Offer still stands, if you want it. Or you can take a raincheck again. All the same to me." He pretended to busy himself searching the refrigerator for something while he waited for Loki's response, not wanting to make him uncomfortable.

There was silence from the chair.

"Hey, look, I'm not gonna poison it or anything. I'm not that kinda guy. You're my guest and I'm offering you a drink. Or some food. Or both, if you want. That's all there is to it. Really." He did wait for Loki's response this time, and after several seconds he was rewarded with the quiet voice saying,

"I'll have a glass of water, please."

So apparently the second prince of Asgard possessed some manners, or at least he did when he wasn't trying to take over the world. Funny what you can learn about people when they randomly show up, newly mortal, on your doorstep.

"Coming right up. Nothing to eat? I've got some relatively healthy somethings around here, if you're not into two-hundred calorie pastries like the Thunderous Wonder over there." Tony pointed to Thor, who had already demolished two Poptarts and was working on his third. He saw Loki smirk at the nickname and mentally congratulated himself. As much as he'd hated Old Loki, seeing how unsettled he'd been when he had been standing outside on the doorstep had bothered Tony. Here was a piece of the Loki he knew.

Loki looked momentarily like he was going to refuse, but then he caught Thor's eye. Thor raised an eyebrow in an almost threatening manner. Loki thought for another few seconds before asking, hesitantly,

"Do you have...apples?"

"Um, maybe downstairs somewhere. I've got applesauce here in the fridge, though. The unsweetened kind, good for hangovers." He chuckled, and he saw Bruce grin.

"That will suffice." The response was upright and princely, and Tony had to stifle a laugh. He took down a ceramic coffee mug and filled it up with applesauce from the jar and stuck a spoon in it. Then he brought it and a glass of water over and handed them to Loki before going to sit on the couch next to Bruce. Loki murmured a polite but emotionless "thank you", as though he were only thanking Tony because he felt obligated to do so. Whatever. Tony didn't let that kind of stuff bother him. What did bother him a little was the way Loki attacked the glass of water, drinking it almost desperately, like he hadn't drank in a day. He wanted to tell him to slow down, not to make himself sick. Still, he thought better not to mention it-damaging Loki's pride in any way seemed like a bad idea right now.

"Okay, Thunder Boy, what's the story?"

Thor swallowed the final bite of his fourth Poptart and sighed softly. "Our father wishes to show Midgard that Asgard wants nothing but peace with its people, and he has ordered Loki and I to assist with the repairs to your city."

Tony would have thought Thor would be excited about this-after all, he seemed quite fond of their little planet, and his regretful speech on the helicarrier about courting war in his youth made Tony think that he would love to participate in any kind of peace effort, especially if it would mean helping to remove the tarnish from his brother's name. But Thor sounded slightly frustrated, and decidedly tired. There had to be more to this than he was letting on, and Tony had a pretty good guess as to what-or rather, who-the problem pertained.

Thor was continuing. "I truly am sorry to barge in on you like this and just expect your hospitality, but we really had no idea where else we could go."

"No," Tony shook his head at Thor's apology. "Coming here was a great idea. I've got the space, and not even you, Thor, can eat me out of house and home." They both chuckled. "Of course you can stay. As long as Baby Bad doesn't try anything, of course."

Loki glowered at him but did not say anything. Huh. Not even a smart-aleck remark or a return insult? Something was definitely off.

"Under my supervision and without his powers, there is very little Loki can do by way of harm," said Thor, softly and almost regretfully. Tony whole-heartedly wished he hadn't brought up the subject. That he had just left it all to chance. He changed the subject.

"So, if your rainbow bridge got broken, how come the two of you were able to come down and stay for an indefinite period of time?"

Thor's eyes flicked briefly to Loki's before responding. "There is...a different spell that the Allfather has discovered that will allow us to stay on Midgard for as long as it takes to complete our task. It is not a comfortable experience to endure, but it will prove very useful until the Bifrost is repaired."

Tony nodded as though he understood. Spells, magic...it was all a bit outside of his domain as an engineer. Science versus the supernatural-a conflict for the ages. Suddenly, he heard Bruce's voice, quiet but concerned.

"Hang on. What if S.H.I.E.L.D. gets wind of the fact Loki is here? Wouldn't they come for him?"

Another flame of fear leapt in Loki's eyes, but Tony shook his head calmingly.

"I don't think they will. Nick Fury definitely isn't watching us right now. Unless someone recognized you two on your way to the tower, it's doubtful he's even aware you're not still in Asgard. And just in case you did set off some deja vu, we'll just hang out here for a couple of days. Lay low, plan, that sort of thing. Nothing says we have to jump in this minute, right?"

Thor shook his head. "No, I don't suppose so."

That matter put to rest, there was an awkward silence. No one was really certain where to take the conversation next. After about half a minute, Loki got fed up with the elephant in the room-his own presence-and sighed exasperatedly.

"All right, I know that to get anywhere you are going to have to talk about me, and I would rather not be here for it, if it is all the same to you." He set aside his cup of applesauce-he hadn't exactly licked it clean, but the majority of the sweet mush was gone-and unsteadily got to his feet, grasping the arm of the chair for support.

"Right. Uh, I'll take you to your room. I've got one at the end of a hallway with a green theme. You'll love it." Tony grinned and rose as well. "I'll be right back, boys. Play nicely." Bruce snorted softly.

They took the elevator up to the seventy-ninth floor, and the doors opened to reveal a hallway containing guest suites. Loki silently trailed behind Tony, seeming to continue losing ground with every few steps. Tony slowed his own pace in response. When they reached the end of the hall, Tony opened the door to the bedroom and motioned inside with a flourish.

"Ta-da! It might not be up to a prince's standards, but it's much more comfortable than the Holiday Inn, I can assure you. King-sized bed, shower and jacuzzi in the attached bathroom...it's got it all. I can find you some books if you'd like. I know I have something around here that's not engineering-related..."

"That will not be necessary at the moment. I plan to retire to bed immediately." Loki's response was clipped and matter-of-fact.

"Okay. Well, there should be some PJs in the bottom drawer of the nightstand. I think they'll fit you. Other than that, you should be good to go. You'll be okay in here?" It was his way of asking both if he could get anything else for Loki and if he really felt like he was going to pass out at any moment, which was how he looked to Tony.

"I shall be fine, thank you," responded Loki curtly, and nodded to Tony.

"Well, okay then. 'Night." He got no response, so Tony shut the door without further comment and headed back to the lounge. This was all so weird.

Thor and Bruce were still sitting where he had left them. Bruce appeared to be attempting to describe how an elevator worked, and Thor was looking like he wished he hadn't asked. Tony to the rescue.

"Got Baby Bad down for his nap. Or at least I think so. He said he would. Hey Big Guy, I don't know if you've noticed, but your little brother doesn't look so good, don't you think?"

Thor sighed and scrubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands. Stressed out was not a look that suited the mighty and powerful god of thunder, thought Tony.

"It is the punishment to which the Allfather sentenced him. He put Loki to sleep for twenty-four hours and forced him to endure a nightmare from the point of view of every person he hurt or killed on Midgard, as well as the families of those that he killed, including those that died as an indirect result of his actions. That was a week ago. He's barely spoken since then, and he did not come out of his chamber until Father called us before the throne earlier today. That," he pointed to the cup of applesauce, "is the most he has eaten all week. He does not sleep well-he does not mention it, but I can tell how terribly the nightmares plague him every time he tries to rest. He is making himself ill, but he staunchly refuses to allow me to help him in any way. I fear for him-if he does not start taking care of himself..." Thor trailed off, shaking his head. "The truth is, I do not even think he can do anything to help with the repairs until he recovers. But at this rate, I do not know..." He sighed and swallowed hard. "But I cannot help him find peace with himself if he will not talk to me. I am helpless to aid him until he lets me in."

Wow. And Tony had thought his nightmares were bad. He felt guilty for Yinsen's death, sure, as well as for those of others killed by the weapons he used to manufacture, but none of it had happened with ill intent. Loki had delighted in causing those people pain, and then he'd had to live every single experience? Talk about your guilt trips! Yeah, he'd screwed up, but this sounded more like torture than punishment. And Tony knew all too well that mental tortures could be the worst kind.

"Yikes." Was all he could muster. For once in his life, he was damned near speechless. Apparently Thor's speech had had the opposite effect on the normally quiet and reserved Bruce Banner.

"What the hell was your dad thinking? You don't fix crazy with more crazy! It's a wonder Loki's still coherent. Hell, it's a wonder he's still alive!"

Thor glared at him for the insult to his father and what might have been interpreted as an obtuse one to his brother, but he did not sustain the expression. He did not seem to have the energy nor the will to do so. Tony reached out to pat Bruce's arm a couple of times.

"Hey, easy buddy. Getting angry's not gonna fix it."

Bruce took a couple of deep breaths before speaking, his voice returning to its usual calmness. "I'm okay."

Thor sighed. "You are right, Banner. My father said that Loki should consider himself fortunate that his punishment would also afford him the opportunity to learn from his mistakes. Perhaps he was thinking he could...what is it you Midgardians say? Strike two birds with one pebble?"

"Close enough," said Tony with a half-grin.

"My father is a good, wise king," Thor continued. "All I can think is that he believes Loki will heal in time. I wish I shared his confidence."

"Whether time will help him or not, it's that he's trying to deal with this alone is where it's all gonna go wrong," said Tony, before he realized what he was saying about himself. He had been doing the very same thing for quite awhile now. He had opened up to Pepper about some of it, but the really deep-seated stuff remained stewing within the depths of his heart. He wasn't really good at baring his soul-not at all like Thor, who pretty much wore his heart permanently sewn to his sleeve, or Cap, whose level of emotion was directly proportional to his level of fierceness. Gotta be careful there, Tony. Can't go wrecking your emotional concealment just because some broken-down little god comes in and reminds you of...well, you. Jesus, that was a terrifying thought.

Thor clasped his hands in front of him and looked down at them. "I have tried to reach out to him, to help him. Believe me, how I have tried. But he hates me. Really hates me. And he has every right to do so, I suppose. I was always too blind and vain to notice how much of our father's love was directed toward me growing up, and how little toward my brother. I just...I wonder if things would have turned out differently if our father had told Loki what he was from the beginning. If it all would have eventually become to much to bear and he would have broken the way he did when he was finally told, or if he would have just kept bottling it all up inside like he did for so many years."

Bruce studied Thor curiously. "What do you mean 'what he was'? I know you said he was adopted."

Thor sighed sadly. "Loki is not just adopted. He is a Jotun, a Frost Giant. A very long time ago, when I was a baby, the Jotuns attacked Midgard, with the intent of turning it into a frozen wasteland. My father led the Asgardian army to the aid of Midgard and defeated Laufey, the Jotun king. When the battle was over, Father found Laufey's son in the temple, abandoned to his death. Loki was an infant! They left him to die just because he was smaller than they would have liked..." Thor's fists clenched in anger. "The Jotun are an inherently evil race-they seek destruction, and deal harshly with one another as well as with other races. But not Loki. Never Loki." He swallowed hard and his voice dropped in volume, and though his gaze was fixed on the floor Tony could see tears streaming down his cheeks. "He was not always as you know him. He was kind and sweet, thoughtful, loving. He was always fond of his mischief and pranks, but he never played them with malice. And he did love me, once..." Thor's voice broke, and he buried his face in his hands.

Tony didn't really know what to do with this. He really, really wasn't good with this sort of thing. Neither he nor Bruce said anything for a few moments as they waited for the thunder god to collect himself.

"I am sorry," said Thor after several seconds, wiping the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand. "I know that you have no reason to believe me, and I would not blame you if you did not take what I say about my brother to be true. You can know only what you have seen, and Loki has only shown you this madness that has befallen him. You have every reason to think him evil, but I have seen that this is not who he truly is. He has...lost who he is somehow. I just wish I knew how to help him find himself again."

"Okay, first of all, this is not your fault. It sounds to me like you've done more to try and get through to Loki than most brothers ever would have. Second, if you say Loki wasn't always...the way he is now..." Tony could tell Bruce was trying hard to avoid making any comments having to do with bags and cats. "...then we believe you. I mean, no one can start out like that, right? Something usually happens to make them that way." What Bruce didn't say was what they were all thinking.

But is the damage undoable?

Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, but damned if Tony wasn't going to try. For Thor, if for nothing else. Whacked-up family and ridiculous appetite or not, Thor was his friend, and it was obvious just how much his brother's plight was hurting him. The mighty god of thunder looked anything but mighty at the moment, shiny streaks still staining his face where tears had fallen.

Besides, Tony was a risk-taker. Quitting the weapons business, leading the way in clean energy, building the suit (and constantly changing the suit), opening what he did of himself to Pepper (okay, he was still working on that particular risk)-and he was nothing if not stubborn. Loki was a challenge, but he was one Tony suddenly wanted to tackle.

"Well, it looks like Manhattan won't be the only thing we're repairing. Apparently we have a god to fix, too. Sounds like a plan."

Thor regarded him with surprise and skepticism, but it was the most hopeful he'd looked since he'd arrived.

"What exactly do you mean, Stark? As much as I appreciate the sentiment, I know that Loki does not trust you."

"I know. Feeling's mutual. He threw me out of a window. And I don't really know what I mean. I'm kinda hoping it will just work itself out. That's how I generally live my life, anyway. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. I haven't really figured out a better way yet...But anyway, I think that maybe being away from Asgard is a good start. You're dad's at the center of all of this, so maybe it will help Loki to be away from him. Literally, worlds away." He grinned at the thought. "We'll give him a little bit of time, start planning our repairs on the city, intervene a little but not too much, and just sort of play it by ear."

Bruce nodded, agreeing with what he was saying. Thor gazed earnestly at Tony.

"Thank you, Stark, from the bottom of my heart. I am incredibly grateful for your kindness and willingness to accept myself and my brother into your home, despite what he has done. And your offer to involve yourself in this awful mess my brother has fallen into is more than I could ever have asked for."

Tony shrugged. "It's nothing. Gotta keep things lively, right?" He winked at Bruce, who rolled his eyes. He knew the doctor wasn't really a fan of lively, and for good reason. But he seemed willing to play along. Tony remembered his angry reaction when Thor had described Loki's punishment, and he wondered if maybe Bruce's doctor-doctor (not gamma-ray-doctor) side was coming out a little bit. Tony thought that the opportunity to show compassion must be good for someone who seemed to innately possess so much of it but had been on his own for so much of his life. Maybe Loki wouldn't be the only one they'd be fixing.

He glanced at his watch. It was already eight pm-the time had flown.

"I say we start those repair plans in the morning. Tonight, it's TV dinners and Star Trek!"