Welcome back avid readers! Once again THANKYOU for alerting and adding this to your favorites... it makes my heart go all warm and fuzzy.
This chapter was a little hard to write, as I call these chapters. *takes a breath * " The chapters that are hard but necessary before the awesome-ness that will follow" *inhales*
Steve didn't see Loki around over the next few days, for obvious reasons. There was this tension in the air that seemed to cloud over every time he had been present in the room, regardless of Thor's reassurances. Conversations seemed to stop around his presence and there had been more than one instance where the stone was required to coerce Loki to remain hidden on Fury's checkup calls. The team (those being in the know) had all agreed to keep Fury out of the loop at least for now, - as Tony had put it, 'lest he be Fury-ous'. Steve had refused to take part in holding the stone, he just couldn't bring himself to do it, and Loki had not caused any problems since he arrived to warrant any use. He had been thinking things over in the few days, and he had many questions about the usage behind the stone.
"Hey, Thor …" Steve looked up from his cereal one morning. Thor was cleaning Mjölnir with pride. Tony and Bruce were finishing up on their science 'stuff'. Steve never understood a thing when he asked what they were doing, and after awhile he stopped asking.
"Yes, Steve Rogers?"
"Just call me Steve," he reminded Thor again, pushing his bowl away and folding his arms over the table. "Can your brother …" Steve was careful with the wording. "...Can he use the stone for himself?"
Thor put Mjölnir down carefully. He didn't want to damage Stark's fortress as much as he already had in previous arrivals.
"Be at peace, Steve. He will not harm you."
"But can he use the stone?" Steve pressed. Thor's brow knitted into a deep concern, and Steve had decided it was Thor's 'concentration face'.
"There is only one way he can use the stone, and it is certainly not to command the bracelets off."
"What use?"
"You will witness it when the time is near," Thor responded in a puzzling nature.
"One more question before I stop pestering you." Steve smiled politely.
"I would rather quell your doubts now than have them continue to brew," Thor reassured in a princely manner, and Steve nodded.
"Why doesn't Loki just hide the stone?"
"Such a thing is impossible. The binding contract between the stone and bracelets prevent such matters." Thor stated firmly. Steve was about to say something positive when JARVIS interrupted.
-Sirs, Director Fury is requesting the audience of the Avengers. -
"Tell him we are on our way." Steve stood up.
The meeting had gone smoothly; Thor had managed to keep quiet about his brother, which saved Tony, Steve, and Bruce a whole lot of stress... especially Bruce. After they were briefed on their new mission - reconnaissance on a suspected Hyrda base, something that would only take a few days at most - Thor rushed out to leave.
"Whoa, Pachi, slow down." Tony quickened his pace.
"Stark I must return to -" Thor leaned in to whisper - "my brother."
"We are in no rush; we don't have to leave for another few hours."
"I have to leave my brother in your Midgardian fortress, alone, while I uphold my duty to this realm. Proper commands must be set in place to keep him safe, do you not understand?"
Tony's mind clicked into place as he had turned it off during the meeting to spare himself the explosion of boredom he would face. Oh…. the guy who tried to take over the world will be alone in my tower, he thought.
"Things will be fine." Tony waved his hand, brushing off Thor's concern. "In the meantime, I have a gift for you."
Thor leaned back with a puzzled look on his face as Tony brought out a necklace. It looked sturdy with a silver shine along the chain. In the middle of the chain was fashioned a silver sphere, in which the container remained empty.
"What is it?" Thor studied it confused
"A fashionable keepsake to hold your emerald stone. It gets a little annoying having to watch you constantly reach down your pants to grab it." Thor tested the object out as he fitted the stone within the sphere and put it around his neck. He was impressed, while the chain around his neck was exposed; the stone remained just underneath the tunic of his body plate, concealing it.
"Thank you my friend!" Thor hit Tony on the back happily but unbeknownst to the god Tony cringed. Yep, that's gonna leave a definite hand-shaped bruise in the morning, he thought as he stumbled forward.
"What's this? A gift between lovers?" Clint arrived, studying the situation, while Tony just scoffed.
"You're just jealous, Legolas."
"Hardly."
"That was too quick a reply. Look Clint, I know you love me, but …" Tony put his fist up to his mouth to act sorrowful and patted Hawkeye's shoulder... "I just don't swing that way."
"You're an ass, you know that?" Clint swatted Tony's hand and walked down the hallway. Tony sighed, relieved. Apocalypse avoided.
"Oh, Stark, I forgot." Clint turned around. "I've left some of my special arrowheads in the storage space of your tower; I'll be hitching a ride with you to get them." Tony's heart sped up, while Thor's dropped.
"Why!?" They both yelled. Clint stepped back a little.
"I need them for the mission." The archer looked at them suspiciously. "What's wrong with Stark Tower, Tony? Is it something I should tell Fury?" Clint walked up to Tony. He suspected something, and had every right to. Tony was beginning to grind his teeth. Clint was an okay guy, but damn did he invade his macho sometimes.
"Everything's peachy."
"Good. Tell me when you leave, Thor." Clint nodded in the god's direction before leaving. It wasn't until he knew they were alone did Thor speak up.
"I think Agent Barton suspects ill intentions are afoot."
Tony facepalmed.
Entering into the basement of Stark Tower was nerve-wracking. If JARVIS made any attempt to update the status of his other Asgardian guest, he knew all hell would break loose with the archer. Tony quickly got out of his Ferrari, pushed Thor towards the elevator, and whispered in his ear:
"Do whatever you have to do with your brother, while I deal with Barton. I'd rather avoid a confrontation."
Thor nodded as the elevator doors closed.
"C'mon Stark, I ain't got all day!"
"Brother?" Thor asked as he moved around the floor.
"If you insist on calling me that, I will never beckon to your calls," a voice rang out. Thor closed his eyes and brought his hand to his heart. Thanks to Stark, access to the Stone was now much easier.
"Come here now, Loki."
A noise of annoyance echoed through the room as Loki appeared around a doorway. He timed his movements slow to test out how the definition of 'now' could be stretched out. Apparently not that long, as his bracelets began to act up.
"I am here now, brother." Loki spat the last words out. Thor kept his hand on the stone.
"The Avengers have received another quest. You are to remain in friend Stark's fortress. You will not escape and you will not damage anything you lay your hands on inside the fortress."
Loki began to bow his head as the weight of each command was forced on him. Normally he could live through one command. To enforce so many in one time frame began to tax on his body.
"And what of my magic?" Loki whispered hatefully.
"I'll allow it. You will need self-defense if an occasion arises." Thor put his hands on his brother's shoulders. He wished he could stay, but he could not abandon his duty, and he trusted the safety of Stark's fortress.
"I must depart now."
"Fool, at least leave that hateful object in with me." Loki grabbed onto Thor's cape worryingly.
"You know nothing will change the situation."
"I'm not that daft. Should you lose the stone in battle, your commands will confine me to this fortress for all eternity."
"Very well," Thor agreed, and set it by a table close by. Loki hid his grin as the Asgardian left. The stone was now unprotected. He had to restrain his excitement. His excitement grew with every heart beat until he looked out of the vast windows that covered his floor. The roaring engine from the man of iron lit up the windows in a flash of red fire. Loki walked up to the window and laid his hand on the warm surface, casting a glance at the departing Avengers and his god-forsaken brother. For a few days at least, he was free, and ready to plot his escape. After all, Thor never did command he couldn't think about it. Just the action itself was stripped from him.
In his mind, he had all the time in the world.
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pretty sure that's a no brainer
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