So I know I promised a quick update before, but it seems that my brain took a holiday and went off to live with the wolves for a bit. Luckily it came back and brought a new chapter with it~ :D
Days pass with little events, a cold front has swept through a large portion of Europe and Wales got buried in snow, a pretty strange occurrence for mid-April but they can't do anything about it. Weather is one of the few things that the Avengers can't battle short of sending Thor in to cause a thunder storm but the Thunderer has flat out refused every time someone suggests he go find his brother. Fury was, well, furious, but even his yelling hadn't swayed the god in his decision.
As much as they want to blame him no one can. Thor won't go into the details of his discussion with Loki so the team only has the bare basics, but it's enough that they won't be surprised if the mad god of mischief rips the Eiffel Tower out of the ground and proceeds to beat down Paris with it. As it is though, aside from the strange weather that they only suspect him of being responsible for, they've seen neither hide nor hair of Loki.
After an extremely uncomfortable meeting with the director of SHIELD Bruce has been recalled from New Mexico, though he's yet to arrive, and the Avenger's are on constant alert for so much as a kid skinning their knee, just incase that's how Loki's quest for revenge is going to start. Natasha and Clint are nearly inseparable, when they're not training they watch for signs that anything is amiss in the world. Tony doesn't think the tv has played anything but the news since they got back from the HYDRA base.
Tony doesn't know where Steve and Thor have shut themselves up at, and really it doesn't matter much to the billionaire who has settled into his workshop and diligently makes his modifications to the suit. He doesn't know when they'll have to face off against Loki, but now he knows they can't hold back when they do. A hysterical part of him has no idea how to even go about combating an honest to god god, because now he's seen what happens when Loki gets serious, and Tony isn't sure all the technology in the world could help him if he needed it. That doesn't stop him from trying though.
He's been down here for hours, tinkering and toying with the designs of the MK IX when a wave of cold air washes over the back of his neck and Tony doesn't even try to repress the shudder it draws from him. The hair on the back of his neck is standing up and he swears he's being watched but stubbornly refuses to turn, if he can't see it then it's not there right? Too bad his mouth didn't get that memo.
"You know you can use the door, right? Or are doors below your godly status?" He snarks without looking up, spinning the three dimensional schematics around to pry at them, if only to keep his fingers busy for a few minutes.
Loki doesn't reply as he leans over Tony, his fist is closed around that scrap of metal they'd seen when they invaded HYDRA, but the little light has stopped blinking now. This close Tony can see it clearly for what it is, a collar woven of materials he can't place by sight alone and despite its twisted form he can see the remains of runes carved intricately along the surface.
"You will tell me what this is." The trickster breathes in his ear and everything in Tony Stark is screaming to run. Even Loki's breath is cold as it washes over his cheek.
"Collar. Used a lot in bondage." He says simply and is rewarded with a cuff to the back of the head. Apparently the god isn't in the mood for his smart-ass remarks. He knows what he wants, details, schematics, everything he can potentially find out about the twisted scrap that's laying on top of the table. "Magic collar, for really kinky bondage. Erections that last way longer than four hours." Tony offers instead and the Loki gives him a withering look.
"Of the mortals I have encountered you are the one I can entrust with this task." His voice is liquid honey in Tony's ear as strong fingers curl over his shoulders, holding him in his seat as the god's lips just brush the shell of Tony's ear. Even through his shirt Loki's hands are cold and he's shivering again, but now it's for an entirely different reason as the god's breath fans over his ear and down his neck. "Your knowledge of Midgardian science will provide me with aid. Work quickly, Anthony Stark. I will return at dawn." He promises and releases him.
When Tony turns the workshop is empty. If not for the collar still sitting on the table he would have thought it a bizarre dream. He knows he shouldn't, that he should sound the alarm and alert the others that Loki has invaded them again and worse, that he's charged them with a task. Instead Tony begins analyzing the collar, because he wants to know what it does just as bad as the god who'd left with him. He assumes from the runes, and the material that proves to be of an unknown origin that it had been used to cage Loki, contain his magic and make him malleable to his captors desires.
Once he realizes that Tony doesn't dare hand it over to SHIELD and it might very well be their undoing, but it's not like it can be replicated anyway. The metal is something not found on earth and none of the Avenger's save Thor know anything about magic, and the Thunderer would be the first to admit he's not much a sorcerer. Under normal circumstances Tony wouldn't have hesitated to put it on Fury's hands after a thorough analysis of the collar, but Loki has broken free of it's influence once and he's not too keen on the idea of getting on the god's shit list right now.
The night comes and goes in a blur of number and schematics and true to his word, when the sun begins to peek over the horizon Loki is in Tony's chair, hands folded primly in his lap and legs crossed at the knee as he watches the engineer expectantly.
"What do you have for me, Anthony Stark?" The god demands softly and Tony longs desperately for a drink as he perches on his own work table and scrubs a hand over his tired eyes.
"Not much." He admits, turning the twisted mass over in his hands and shrugging. "At least not much that you probably don't know. The metal isn't anything from earth and I don't know magic." Tony informs him but Loki doesn't move from his chosen seat.
"And the rest?" He asks, a brow arching delicately and Tony knows he's been caught. He'd hoped that Loki hadn't taken notice of the circuits running the length, most of them broken and fractured now with the abuse it had suffered.
Swallowing hard Tony makes himself comfortable, looking over the god for a moment and noting for the first time that Loki looks as tired as Tony feels. He's pale and drawn, dark circles staining the flesh beneath those vibrant green eyes watching him expectantly. "Best I can figure, a perimeter, if you'd gone outside a certain area while it was active it probably would have either released a charge to subdue you or explode." Tony finally says and pretends he doesn't see the ways Loki's lips thin and his gaze flickers from the inventor's face to the device in his hands.
When a pale hand extends to take it back Tony doesn't even hesitate to return it. He knows it would be foolish to try and keep it, and is once again reminded to stay off Loki's list of People Who Need To Be Murdered. "Is that the best you can offer me?"
"Besides a glass of scotch and silk sheets?" Tony responds, mouth on automatic and the look he gets from the god is stony and irritated. It's then that he remembers what Thor had told them earlier, about what Loki had been abducted for and he realizes that he probably shouldn't be making even vaguely flirty remarks at him and Tony's been making snarky sex jokes all night.
"I'd guess it's Doom's work. Magic and technology, that's kind of his thing, right?" Tony finally says, he's not going to apologize, hell he's sure that the words 'I'm sorry' don't exist in Tony' Stark's vocabulary. "I don't know where he got the material though."
"I'm already aware of where it was acquired and who gave them the knowledge for the enchantments." Loki revealed, steepling his fingers and looking over them at Tony critically. "Thor informed you of the purpose I was taken." It's not a question and Tony only nods once. The god of mischief scoffs quietly and for the first time he averts his gaze from the mortal. "I should have known better than to inform him."
"Did any of them actually..." Tony trails off, unsure of how to put his question. What was the tactful way to ask if someone had actually raped a god. From the small smirk that crosses Loki's lips at his obvious discomfort the god knows exactly what he's trying to ask but he's not going to answer until Tony gets the whole question out. "Should we start planning a baby shower? I bet Thor would be ecstatic to be an uncle." Tony asks instead and the grin falls from Loki's lips.
"No." He said simply. "Two were successful in making an attempt. The third disrupted the collar in his attempts to hold me down." Loki replied and disappeared in a furl of black and green smoke that smelled of frost and ice.
Tony stared blankly at were the god had been. At least now he had it straight from the horses mouth. Speaking of horses, he was going to need to brush up on his Norse mythology apparently.