Chapter 6:

After his last encounter with the Avengers Skurge had returned to Asgard only to find himself at the end of verbal lashings and mockery from Amora. She was furious but she was even more enraged when Skurge confessed he had been tricked by Loki and then betrayed. It was common knowledge that making a deal with the God of mischief was not only a bad idea but an idea that would either get you killed or imprisoned.

Skurge had described the crystal Loki had shown him but Amora remained ignorant to what the crystal was and what it was for. She would have gone to Karnilla but the news of Karnilla wanting both Skurge and herself in Karnilla's dungeons did not encourage such a task. Eventually through shady dealings and threats Amora discovered that the one crystal that Loki possessed was in fact just one from a set of four.

After that discovery she snuck into Karnilla's palace, no easy task but it was done, to retrieve the chest. She had formed a plan to get back at Loki. At the time it was thought that Thor was the one who had asked to borrow the crystal but in reality it had been Loki. Loki the shape shifting, scheming trickster son of a dog.

So far Amora had partially placed together Loki's latest scheme. He used Karnilla to gain access to one of the crystals under the guise of Thor, in doing so he had placed Skurge and herself in Karnilla's sight. Amora figured it was to persuade the queen into lending a crystal and in return paying a debt. A bounty. Loki then used Skurge as bait as he moved silently in the shadows until he was close enough to strike his brother down.

As much as she hated to admit it she had to come to terms with the fact that his scheme was good. She was sure he would eventually turn Hela's sight on Karnilla in order to gain a favor from her. The more she thought about it the more she became enraged. Used up like a puppet and then discarded on a dirt road at the mercy of the elements. She had not even been aware she was used in a plot until recently.

"If that dog thinks he can use me for one of his schemes he is mistaken!" Amora hissed as she raised an arm high above her head and several inches from her body. Her fingertips began to glow purple and she slowly lowered her arm causing a rip in front of her. So few were able to travel that way but today she was not going to travel, no, she was going to make sure that Karnilla's wrath was brought down upon Loki. Skurge handed her the golden chest that contained the last three crystals. She smiled as she laid eyes on them slowly opening the chest. She grabbed all three crystals and chucked them through the rip in front of her, a rip that led to Midgard.

She began to laugh as she closed the rip and after closing it she turned to Skurge and handed him the chest and said, "Now, let us pay a visit to our dear queen and do leave your ax. We will be surrendering to the queen after all."

Amora walked on and Skurge looked confused. He felt uneasy walking into enemy territory unarmed and unprotected but part of him was sure Amora's rage fueled plan was going to work. He still obeyed but every fiber of his being suggested what they were about to get involved with was a bad idea.

As if on cue Karnilla's guards circled Amora and Skurge and without so much as hesitating Amora quietly said, "I wish to speak to the queen."

"And what is there to discus?" A booming female voice erupted from beyond the group of guards. The circle parted and the Norn queen made her way towards Amora. Rage washed over her face as she placed her eyes on the duo.

"It is a matter of great importance, my queen. I believe it is best discussed in private."

"You will speak now, witch, lest I order my guards to tear you into oblivion." Karnilla's voice boomed loudly and Skurge tensed but Amora remained calm. She could use Karnilla's anger to her advantage. After carefully choosing her words she bowed her head in submission and presented to the queen a golden chest. The same golden chest Karnilla kept the Hel Crystals in. The queen literally gasped in horror at the sight of the empty chest that was being held by Amora.

"My queen I fear you and I have been used as pawns for the trickster's latest scheme."

The queen was filled with rage and concern. She clenched both of her fists and gritted her teeth but eventually calmed down. She was at the mercy of Amora and her plan and figured she would need her and Skurge to get the crystals back to her.

"Guards, lower your weapons."

Eventually the cast was removed from Loki's hand and while the hand was back to normal it would stiffen a little bit but it was nothing he could not handle. The shoulder, however, was still recovering. He stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, his wet hair dangling in front of him and slightly past his shoulders. He looked at the slightly bruised shoulder and closed his eyes; he knew it was by sheer luck he had not been decapitated by Skurge's ax. He often visited that day in his dreams and the mere thought of what his actual intentions were that day made him feel like vomiting.

Things were fine between him and Thor and he was finally able to speak to his brother as they did when young. No jealousy, no hatred, no bitterness between them, just a bond that had endured through the worst and prevailed in the end. He was grateful for it and in turn did realize he had a lot to make up for. He also made peace with the fact that he would have to return to Asgard to complete his sentence. Loki actually promised Thor he would do so but Thor insisted he first recover and then he would return to Asgard with him to make it easier on him and Thor promised to visit every day.

As he stared at his reflection he passed his hand over his bare injured shoulder and wished for it to never recover. He found living, even if as a captive, in the mansion comforting. Jan was the first to approach him like a person and not as a guard and in turn that made Hank do the same. In two weeks he had gained a portion of their trust. A portion mostly due to the fact that he still had the metallic device attached to the back of his neck and he behaved rather well. However, Clint still shot him hostile looks and refused to speak to him in a civilized manner. He was fine with that because if he was to be truthful with himself he had to admit he wronged him and he figured nothing he ever did would make Clint even slightly forgive him.

A knock on the bathroom door startled his train of thought and a friendly voice from the other side said, "Loki, you in there?" It was Jan.

"Yes."

"Hey, listen, everyone is gone off to kick someone's butt but before they left Tony asked me to let you know that if you want you can come on upstairs."

In the two weeks that Loki had been there he had never once been asked to join them in the upper levels. He figured he was just going to spend the entire time locked away in the basement but this surely made his face light up. If Loki had been a puppy his tail would have been wagging at an insanely fast pace right that minute. He did not hesitate to agree to join her in the upper levels.

"Great! When you're dressed just punch in the code '553' on the pad and press the star and it'll open the door. Once in the elevator just press the 3 and I'll be waiting in the living room. We can watch some bad horror movies and eat some ice cream and pizza and I can brush your hair!" The sincerity in her voice made him blush. His idea of fun was reading a book in a quiet place accompanied by a glass of wine but he actually longed for some friendly company and it was not such a terrible idea to try new things.

"I will join you in a few minutes."

"Awesome! The pizzas should be here at any minute. Don't take too long!"

The room went quiet again as Jan rushed off to the elevator. Loki could not help but smile at the very thought that someone other than Thor actually wanted to spend some time with him and was actually glad to do so out of their own volition. It was a rare event indeed. It was also sort of heartbreaking, he had to be honest with himself and admit he did not have any friends in Asgard. Those he referred to as "friends" were more like acquaintances he met through Thor and never felt any sort of connection to them. He sighed deeply as he pushed back tears and blinked quickly.

The elevator doors opened and Loki stepped out. He found himself staring at a huge room. The carpet on the floor was beige; the walls were white as was the roof. There was a giant television at the end of the room adorning the wall. In front of it was a long sofa that could easily sit four people, several other little cushioned seats and two bean bags on the floor. He approached the sofa slowly, a bit shy as he kept his shoulders stiff and his arms to the side.

As he neared the sofa a hand patted him on the back and Jan walked past him with two boxes of pizza. She set the boxes down on the table in front of the sofa and smiled up at Loki and signaled him to walk around the sofa and to have a seat. Jan stood up and walked towards the kitchen as soon as Loki sat down. He in turn watched where she was heading to and heard a mess of cluttering noises and a slight Midgardian swear.

When Jan returned it was with two tubs of ice cream, two litters of soda and a huge bowl of pop corn. She set everything down and giggled at Loki's puzzled look. She also looked at the shirt he was wearing and pressed a hand over her mouth as she tried to withhold some more laughter. The shirt he was wearing was one of Thor's old hand-me-downs and on Loki's small frame it looked like the shirt had once belonged to a giant.

"That reminds me," Jan said as she slightly tugged on the shirt's collar, "Thor and Steve went out and got you some clothing that will actually fit. It's not fancy, just some plain t-shirts, jeans and such. At least it won't be Thor's oversized clothing."

Loki looked down at the shirt and smiled. He was more than okay with what he was wearing and if he was to be honest it helped him sleep at night wearing clothes that had Thor's scent on them. Still the gesture was appreciated and he slightly nodded. He could still keep Thor's clothes to sleep.

Jan settled all the food, if it could be called food, and walked over to the television and the Blu-Ray player and inserted a disk. Loki watched carefully and memorized all Jan was doing for future reference. As soon as she was finished she placed the giant bowl of pop corn between herself and Loki, grabbed one of the ice cream tubs and handed it and a big spoon to Loki and she grabbed the other one. As soon as she was comfortable and saw that Loki was relaxed she hit the button and the movie began.

They must have watched at least four films by the time the front door opened and the rest of the Avengers walked through it. Thor had a look of victory written all over his face, Steve just sighed contently, Clint silently walked in while rubbing his right elbow, Bruce walked in with a sheepish look on his face and Tony walked in with a look that said he was about ready to kick someone. Tony glared at Bruce and held up two fingers as he said, "This is the second time I tell you to reconsider throwing trucks at villains. This is also the second time you decide that throwing a truck is a good idea and this is also the second time said truck landed on me. I swear to God there will not be a third time." Tony walked on to remove his scratched armor while Clint and Thor chuckled and Bruce whimpered.

"My friends, what is the use of exchanging hostile words? We were victorious! Let us now find a comforting spot and relax for the evening." Thor said as he walked over to the elevator at the end of the room followed by Hank, Steve, Clint and Bruce.

"How can you always be so cheerful? It's like a mental disease!" Tony ragged on as he walked away to get the armor off of him. The rest of the team would head down to get cleaned and patched up but since Tony was always inside his suit he never had a single speck of dirt on him so it was only a matter of just removing the suit. The others would take a while and remembering what he had told Jan before leaving he decided to take Thor's words to heart and head to the giant living room in the third floor to see if Loki had taken the offer.

After watching four films Loki had come to the realization that if there was indeed a raving lunatic bursting in through the front door all the lunatic would have to do in order to capture and maim all the residents of the mansion would be to simply walk very slowly, at least according to the films. He did get to a point where he predicted who was going to die next, why and who the real killer was. It was dull, most made no sense at all, all were easy to decipher and it was the most fun he had had in a very long time. Every minute was enjoyable. He looked forward to finding out the plot before Jan could, relished the minute Jan would scream and get pop corn all over the sofa and carpet due to a fright, the exaggerated scenes of gore, blood and entrails and how Jan would feel sick at the sight of it.

Loki looked down at the now empty tub of ice cream, the almost empty pizza boxes and the pop corn bowl that was surprisingly still half way finished. He looked to his left and saw the empty soda bottle. He had actually finished an ice cream tub, ate some pizza, pecked at some pop corn and drank an entire liter of soda. He suddenly felt like Thor at the sound of the dinner bell. He did not care, he actually got it into his head that today he was just going to enjoy himself even if he made a pig of himself and diluted his brain activity over some trashy horror films. He could see why mortals were always so attracted to the television. This was definitely an evening he wished to repeat.

"Head to the kitchen and get some more soda while I put on another movie. Thor said you love to read and study so I think the guy in this film will definitely be to your liking." Jan said as she stood up and a mess of pop corn fell off her lap.

The corner of Loki's mouth stretched up in glee. He got up from the sofa and went in the direction Jan had gone to retrieve two more liters of soda. He actually felt comfortable enough to walk about freely and to actually go into the kitchen and ransack the place for food. When he returned with the items he bent over and placed the sodas on the table but let out a sharp wince. Jan heard Loki whimpering and rushed over to him to see what was wrong.

"Hey, are you okay?" A genuine look of concern washed over her face. He only saw that kind of concern on Thor's face and on his mother's face. He turned his gaze away from Jan when he realized he was just staring at her and calmly said as he slowly moved his left shoulder, "I am fine. My shoulder just pained me for a second but it is fine now."

"Oh, nonsense. Come on, sit on the floor and I'll massage the shoulder. Hank taught me, and believe me, with all the injuries we get around here it has been a pretty good talent to have."

"Uh, no, that's quite all right. No need to concern yourself."

"Tsk, don't be such a baby." Jan said as she rolled her eyes and walked towards Loki. She grabbed him by the arm, the uninjured one, and pulled on it until he sat on the carpet with a steady thud. As he hit the floor he stiffened and his eyes went wide in shock. Jan sat behind him on the sofa and cracked her fingers as she said, "Now relax. Might hurt just a teensy bit but I promise your shoulder will be a lot better. Trust me."

Loki slightly groaned under his breath and tensed up severely but as much as he wanted to object he knew it would be futile. Jan stretched her arms out and gently placed both hands on Loki's left shoulder. Loki jumped and Jan could swear she heard a slight almost inaudible whimper escape Loki. Jan frowned and slightly slapped Loki on his head and in an almost parental tone said, "I told you to relax. I'm not going to hurt you."

Loki lowered his head a little but immediately relaxed lest he be struck again; he took no offense to it. Jan meant well and Loki had to admit he was very stubborn. He also found it amusing that a mortal would actually have enough sass to take such a tone with a being like him. He slightly smiled and lowered the tension in his shoulders. Jan placed her hands on him again and smiled as she concentrated. This was going to take a while and not because his shoulder was injured, he had knots everywhere but with time she was sure she could help him out with that.

The sensation was indescribable and as his tensed shoulder relaxed he felt a warm sensation creep up from the pit of his stomach to his cheeks. It was as if a fire had been lit inside his stomach and its warmth was slowly dancing from his stomach to his cheeks. After a few minutes Loki felt himself go and actually closed his eyes and a subtle moan escaped his throat. He never wanted it to end.

The elevator bell rang and the rest of the team walked in. Tony smiled when he saw Loki had decided to join the group in the upper levels; he turned his gaze to Hank who playfully shook his head at the current sight. He knew he had taught Jan well but the broken collarbone was a sensitive area and any wrongly placed hand could cause an injury. But the look on Loki's completely relaxed face said she was not injuring him so he let her continue.

Tony walked ahead of the group and as soon as he was near the sofa he leaned down to pick up a piece of pizza and as he stood up he stretched out a hand and tousled Loki's hair as he said, "Hey, sport, how do you feel today?" He then sat down next to Jan as he kept staring at Loki waiting for an answer.

Loki had frozen in horror and immediately tensed up when he realized the rest of the group had arrived. He felt like a small child who had just been caught outside of his room when he had been ordered to stay in his room until his parents saw fit to let him roam freely. Jan noticed the tension not to mention his messy hair courtesy of Tony.

"Tony, I brushed his hair earlier! Now look what you did."

"I can't help it! He's fun to bother." Tony shot back in a giggling tone as he took a bite out of his piece of pizza and put both feet on the table.

"And you!" Jan leaned down as she slapped the back of Loki's head once more, "Relax, you were invited to spend some time with us. It's fine. Have some more soda and pop corn."

Loki obeyed and reached for a handful of pop corn. Hank walked by and sat on Jan's other side, Steve took the last spot on the sofa and Bruce pushed one of the cushioned chairs next to the sofa. Clint had stopped in the kitchen momentarily and came out with a cold bottle of beer and a very agitated look on his face.

"I can't believe this son of a bitch is up here mingling with us as if he was one of us. What the fuck is Tony thinking? What the fuck are any of them thinking?" Clint thought as he quietly moved past the group. He quietly grabbed one of the beanbags and pulled it away from the group. As he sat on the beanbag he let out an exaggerated sigh and continued to drink from the bottle in his hand.

Loki noticed the behavior, in fact, they all did but they chose to ignore it. Loki could not ignore it. He felt ashamed to have brought so much pressure into Tony's house and even more when seeing he was driving a wedge between his brother's friends. Jan continued to massage his shoulder and it somehow distracted him as he saw Thor walk up to him and sat next to him.

"Hello, my brother. How does your hand and shoulder feel?"

Loki nodded happily and a strange glow lit his face as soon as he laid eyes on Thor. Bruce had looked to see Loki's reaction to seeing Thor and noticed his face light up. Bruce smiled as he placed his eyes on Steve and Tony who in turn smiled. Not even the god of lies could fake such a reaction.

Eventually the group fell into silence as they watched the movie. They had all seen it multiple times but it was a good movie and Loki had never seen "Silence of the Lambs" so it was easy to endure it once again.

Sadly not everyone was calm. Clint kept shooting dirty looks at the group and especially at Loki. How he wanted to get up and place a swift well placed kick to his injured shoulder and just keep bombarding him with punches and kicks till he was bruised and bloody and Clint had his fill. He was not buying this new version of Loki. Not at all. He kept waiting for the minute Loki would eventually turn on them and kill each of them in their sleep. It was ridiculous.

"So Hank, how do you like your girl massaging another man?" Clint shot as he stared at the bottom of his seventh empty beer bottle.

That remark got a puzzled reaction from Hank but Tony and Steve leaned forward to look at Clint. Both sported a very serious scolding look. Jan decided to ignore Clint and continued to massage Loki's shoulder. Thor rolled his eyes, a trait he picked up from Jan and Hank. Bruce slowly planted his face in his palm. Loki sighed and closed his eyes as he felt tears begin to build. It was Asgard all over again. It seemed everywhere he went he caused misery.

"Hmph!" Was all Clint said but Tony and Steve were already angry.

"Why don't you just go to bed? Those seven beers are making you say stupid shit. You should sleep that off. Now!" Jan's tone was sharp and crude, a rare sight and one reserved for those who deserved no better from her or anyone else.

Clint uttered curses under his breath and rose in haste to go to his room. Tony and Steve were at his heels to have a talk with him. Loki had begun to breathe heavily and he could no longer hold his tears back as thin streams fled his eyes. Bruce noticed the tears and as he gently placed a hand on Loki's shoulder he shrugged it off and quickly stood up and walked to the bathroom on the other side of the living room. The remaining members of the group chased him but as soon as they got to the bathroom Loki had locked the door.

He stood against the door and lowered his gaze and he slowly dropped to sit on the floor while hiding his face between his knees and violently pulling on his hair. He pulled hard enough to actually rip some hair right out of his scalp and as he tossed it aside he placed his right lower arm into his mouth and bit down hard enough to tear flesh and draw blood. He remained still as he quietly wept while the others kept knocking on the door.

Before Clint could shut his door and lock it Tony and Steve barged in but before Clint could protest Tony began to talk.

"What the fuck is the matter with you? Do you have any idea how sensitive this situation is?" Tony barked furiously as he kept a steady gaze on Clint who returned the gaze.

"Do you? Because we all know it's such a good idea to let that maniac in here. Give him the chance to murder us all in our sleep!"

"Oh, gosh, yes, I totally forgot how easily one can do that with a shattered hand and a broken collarbone! Clint, this isn't a permanent thing! As soon as he's recovered we'll toss him back to Odin or Zeus or whoever the fuck it is that makes the rules up in Asgard."

"Yeah, why are we doing that again? It's not like we owe that son of a bitch anything!"

"Because his shattered hand was my fault!" Tony screamed as he placed a hand over his chest. "It was sheer dumb luck he wasn't killed and I may be a lot of things but a killer is not one of them. I was not going to murder an unarmed man! You were there that day in Vegas, you saw what I saw. Thor was at his mercy and he could have killed him, oh, yes, he could have but he didn't!"

There was suddenly a cold silence in the room. Tony and Clint were still staring down at each other and Steve just looked at the two of them. He had been given very specific details about what had happened in Vegas but not having been an actual witness had made the details all the harder to belief. He was certain now that the events were as real as they were strange.

"You also saw how he pushed Thor out of the way as that ax came down on them. He actually risked his life to protect his brother's and in turn got an ax buried into his shoulder. Those x-rays didn't lie. You saw his hand and you saw his shoulder." Tony's tone lowered now to a calm scold and his eyes were less intense.

"You also have noticed his state of mind during his stay here." Steve finally budged in, "He easily breaks down and let's not forget that stunt he pulled with the knife to his hand and the pills. You can't fake that."

"Don't bring that up. Do me a favor, don't bring that up." Clint said as he waved his hands in protest.

"Ah, sensitive subject?" Tony snapped as he folded his arms over his chest.

"As the matter of fact, yes. While that did surprise me and shocked me I still don't trust him, and yes, I am still angry about what he did. Tony, if he really repents for all he did that's great, more power to him. It doesn't mean I have to like him or trust him."

"Yeah, but you don't have to be such an asshole about it!" Tony quickly replied and Steve nodded in agreement.

"It'll take a lot more than that for me to actually believe he's somehow changed. Redemption is a long and hard road and he has barely scratched the surface. If Thor wants to blindly believe him, fine. If the rest of you want to treat him as a pet, fine. But if he wants to get on my good side he needs to actually proof he wants to stop this villain bullshit. In the mean time I'll stop acting like an ass but don't expect me to get friendly with him or be his friend."

"That's all we're asking." Steve said in a calm tone. Tony was going to say something else but he was interrupted by an electronic voice, "Sir, I'm afraid there's an incident occurring in the living room's bathroom."

"What is it, Jarvis?" Tony barked as his concentration was being broken. He was not nearly done giving Clint a piece of his mind and he was not going to leave until he had his say, even if Clint had agreed to adjust his attitude.

"I also advice you get some medical supply."

Tony and Steve both looked at each other in fright and rushed back outside to see what the commotion was about and in doing so forgot to stop for some supplies as Jarvis had suggested. Tony, Steve and Clint rushed back to the living room and saw the rest of the group huddled near the bathroom door. Tony made his way through the group and saw Thor sitting in the floor holding Loki in his arms; Loki was sprawled across the floor. He looked like a murder victim and had just been discovered by a family member. Tony looked at his face and he looked almost comatose.

Jan was next to Thor and was comforting him. Tony thought it was funny since the one who needed the comfort was clearly Loki but when he looked up he saw Thor with a similar look on his face, like he tried as hard as he could to mend a broken object but every time he taped the object together it would fall and break with even the swiftest movement.

He turned to Steve and asked him to get some disinfecting cream and some bandages as he pointed at Loki's arm. Steve nodded and quickly went for the requested materials. Tony prayed the poor fool knew what a tube of disinfecting cream looked like as he often had trouble still adjusting to modern life.

After cleaning his wounds and calming his quiet sobbing Loki was escorted to one of the guest rooms. Tony was glad Clint had retrieved to his room well before Loki was dragged out of the bathroom because he was sure he would have made a scene and protested Loki being in the upper levels and not being locked away in the basement.

He was given a room right next to Thor's and in front of Steve's. Tony figured he would feel more comfortable with being near his brother and near someone who was not dead-set of beheading him. As they said their good nights Jan walked up to Tony and whispered in his ear a troubling yet cryptic concern, "Check under his shirt."

Tony looked at Jan puzzled and she returned a serious gaze at him. He knew who she was speaking of and was hoping it was just something minor but a creeping feeling jerked at his spine. He turned to Loki and saw Bruce patting him on the head and saying his good night. Thor did the same and as he spoke Loki looked up at him and smiled. It was a sad smile and one he knew he faked but there was still a hint of sincerity in it and it actually made Tony's stomach churn.

As soon as the door closed behind him Tony turned to make sure everyone had left and as soon as he confirmed it he walked up to the bed and sat down next to Loki. The two men idly watched the carpeted floor. The silence was in part serene but Tony was plagued by uneasy thoughts and Jan's words.

The man next to Tony opened his mouth as if to say something but no sound snuck past his lips. Tony then took the opportunity and grabbed Loki's shirt and lifted it slightly to which Loki protested in quiet words as he grabbed Tony by the wrist and pulled the hand away. Tony grabbed Loki's hand and held it back as he continued to lift the shirt.

A quiet gasp escaped his lips as he saw scratches and cuts all over his back and sides. Loki merely closed his eyes in a sorry attempt to hold back tears and ignore what was happening. Tony lowered the shirt slowly and turned his gaze back on the carpet.

"Why?"

"Have you ever felt an intense anger boiling within you? A sort of anger that you knew if you did not unleash it would ultimately fester and rot you from within?"

"Yes." Tony said in a quiet tone being reminded of his drinking and the times he almost succumbed to alcohol poisoning because no matter how much he drank none of the alcohol was strong enough to erase the actual problem. It could only numb it for a short time.

Loki sighed as he continued, "For a short period of time I tried as hard as I could to suppress it. It was…taxing to say the least but that anger begged and pleaded to get out. Now looking back I believe I was letting that anger out in the worst possible way and expulsed it on the wrong people."

"You're right, in a way. Everyone feels that anger but some feel it even more and some can't seem to know how to deal with it. Sometimes the result can be something you didn't want in the first place." Tony paused as he gathered his thoughts, it was a sensitive subject and he needed to tread carefully. "Taking your anger out on others, especially people who care about you, is not the way to deal with it. But it doesn't make it any less wrong to take it out on yourself. In a sense it's actually slightly worse."

Loki continued to look down at the carpet. He abhorred sympathy and pity but in a way he longed for it. Had he been in another state of mind he would have sought out Clint, broken a bone or two, set the mansion on fire and would have left. He admitted that it would have all resulted in him feeling better to cause destruction but only for a short time. He would have realized his actions would have garnered the worst feelings from them because of his lack of control over his emotions and in turn would have felt awful because the few people who actually gave him a second chance and were, as he felt, being genuinely kind to him would have turned their backs on him. As a result it would have angered him further and he would cause further damage and again those he affected would harbor him ill will and hate.

It was a vicious cycle and Loki was aware of it, he was also aware of the fact that he was exhausted from being trapped and consumed by it. As furious as he was with his father for keeping his true identity a secret he could not bear the thought of his father hating him, as much as he hated how the general populace of Asgard regarded him as a weakling and mocked him in a cruel way he could not stand the thought of them turning their backs to him, as much as he, falsely, claimed to hate his brother for being overshadowed by him and never being as good or as shinning at everything as he was he had to admit that the worst case scenario would be for Thor to hate him. That and that alone would be something similar to death. Something he thanked the stars had not happened yet.

"I'm trying." Loki finally spoke up, still refusing to look Tony in the eyes. "Uh…I…this is the only way to stop myself from taking my anger out at others."

"It's certainly not the healthiest but I understand it. Whenever there is a problem I feel is too great for me or when the world just seems to be collapsing and closing in on me like a set of claws I drown in alcohol. It's most certainly the worst idea but it just stops everything from getting too close for comfort. Worst part of it all is that right before opening that first bottle I know what I am about to do is stupid."

Tony turned to look at Loki and actually smiled and in a playful gesture bumped his shoulder with Loki's. The man next to him did not get the real significance behind the gesture but he finally looked up at him and he saw his smile and in turn slightly lifted the corner of his mouth.

"I know you're trying. I'm not a psychologist and I don't know you the way Thor does but I can tell you've been trying to control your anger. If it was not clear before then tonight proved it. You would have turned Clint into shreds but you didn't. Sure you took out your frustration on your arm and your scalp but you didn't burn him into oblivion and deep down I know you were tempted to do it but you didn't. You should find some other way to let your anger out, in a constructive way, something passive. Promise?"

Loki turned his gaze away unsure of what to say, normally he would lie but he, for once, felt like he did not need to lie in order to feel safe. He sighed and closed his eyes as he found himself unable to lie but unable to concede to the request. "I can try but I cannot promise."

"The fact that you'll try is good enough for me. Besides…" Tony said as he once again lifted Loki's shirt to see the self-inflicted injuries. Part of him was horrified that anyone would reach that point but another part sympathized and wanted to calm him because no matter what Loki had done not even he should suffer in such a manner. "It would break Thor's heart if he saw this. Not to mention Jan and Steve and Bruce and Hank. Hell, even me, and as much as he's acting like an ass even Clint would flinch."

"I'll try." It was all Loki said in a low murmur but loud enough that Tony heard.

"Speaking of which, Steve and I spoke to Clint and he agreed to stop acting like a horse's ass. However, it doesn't mean you should allow anyone to bully you around like that. You weren't doing anything wrong. If he gets on your case again you punch him square in the face and kick him in the balls."

At last Loki actually laughed, lightly, but he laughed and in turn Tony felt a sense of relieve and laughed as well. "Well," Tony said as he stood up and tousled Loki's hair, "You should get some sleep. Good night, sport."

"I'm over two thousand years older than you. Why in the name of—"

"You're the only one in this house with the title of 'baby brother'." Tony smugly said as he opened the door to Loki's room and before shutting the door he peeked his head in and with a wide smile said, "Good night, tiger!"

Loki just laughed.