Thanks to all those reviewed again: Akera,xxyangxx2006, Fio682, LOKI IS KING.

Also a thanks to those who read and alerted/favorite this story.

Special thanks to Fuchsia Grasshopper, my co-writer.

Disclaimer: I own my OC and nothing else.


Silence. They were all sitting stupefied in the jet home with no occurring sounds other than the occasional repositioning of one's self on their seat. Loki's eyes felt tight, and they were begging to close from lack of sleep. They had spent in awful amount of the night on those docks, and he despised the smell of fish, and even worse, the putrid East River. He strictly told himself to avoid those waters at all cost in the future. He'd rather bathe in fire than touch a toe in the depths of that foul stench.

Meanwhile, the silence was enduring and he had his suspicions for the reason. Their dapper foe in purple had caused quite the stir with his words. Skrulls could infiltrate any unsuspecting person, and for once, Earth's mightiest heroes were included in that roster. It must have felt very human for them, dealing with such an existential ordeal. Loki was also curious though, and he wondered if he or Thor were also vulnerable. He assumed they were untouchable, seeing as they were not of Midgard, but then, the Skrulls could go to any world and do the very same invasion, so perhaps he was just as normal as all the others. Not Arabella though; apparently she was the untouchable. Well, not exactly, but from the look on her face, she seemed in no immediate concern for the situation; then again, she always had the same placid look on her face so it was difficult to perceive. Once or twice she caught him boring at her and would thus send a tight look to which he only smirked in return. Her chin was still painted with leftover blood, and her hair was so wild that it looked like she had just crawled out of the earth. Beauty in light of imperfection he supposed.

The jet settled down nicely in the underground cavern, thanks to Barton's flying. Loki thought he was the superior pilot over Romanoff; her woman tendencies tended to make her flight plan scattered, whereas he had hardly felt any turbulence with the Hawks flying skills. The hatch opened and they left in single file, down into the musty cave. He briefly wondered how far under the city this place was, and how Stark was able to attain it in privacy. He was filled with quite the mystery all in his own that one.

They got into the elevator all at once, and the cables must have been working extra hard with all of the increased weight. Stark's titanium suit alone probably weighed in at the same size as three grown men. Loki thought it would be much humor to see him fall through the floor of the lift, so long as he was the only one to take the tumble; well, maybe Thor too. The doors pulled open after what seemed like enumerable minutes trapped in there with those people. They came back to the penthouse floors; only someone was already waiting for them there. A woman was sitting on the pristine sofa with a piece of technology in hand. Her hair was strawberry blonde, and she had a lean face with sun spots kissing all over her pale skin. Her attire was professional; a tight grey pencil skirt with a white button-up blouse. She looked up expectantly at Stark, "Ah Pepper, you're back early!" He cried in anxious excitement.

Everyone else was tense just like he was, and Loki was struck befuddled until Banner whispered, "Oh no. She's back already?" They all spared nervous looks Loki's way, and it suddenly clicked. He wondered how he hadn't see it before, and cursed his slow wit. Being on Midgard was dulling his brain.

"Let me guess, she doesn't know I am staying here indefinitely?" He said with attitude.

"Nope, and it ain't going to be easy to explain." Steve said gravely.

"That's why we'll let Tony do it." Clint said with a beaming grin, "It's fun watching other's suffer."

They all entered after Tony, keeping silent while he talked at great speeds to cover his guilt, "WH-why are you back so soon?!" He said forcibly.

The woman quirked her brows, "What, you didn't miss me?" Tony swallowed hard and she laughed at his look, "I'm kidding! The meeting went fine, in fact, I think Stark Industries may be gaining a new partner soon, and our stock increased. I've got all the numbers waiting to show you." She chirped as she left a chaste kiss on his stained cheek, "Did you all go out tonight?" She wondered while looking at his armor in question.

"Sort of. Just a small Earth problem…another possible invasion and all that." He trailed off.

"Should I be worried?" She said while wrapping her arms around his neck, looking deep into his eyes as he coughed modestly, "No, I've got it covered."

Everyone behind him cleared their throats in interruption, "I think you mean, we've got it covered." Natasha scoffed. Pepper gazed around Tony's shoulder, and her face fell immediately. She let go of Tony suddenly as if he was a hot temperature and maneuvered around him to stand before the group. Her sharp, angular face was like the cunning of a bird, and she looked at Loki with more hate than fear, "What is he doing here?!" Her voice was sturdy, no trace of being frantic or otherwise a nervous wreck like most women would have been. She was fed up when no one dared answer, "Tony, what is he doing here?"

"Oh that!" Tony cried falsely and Loki raised a begrudging brow when being referred to as 'that', "He's uh, paying his punishment here with Thor."

"Oh sucker, he dragged you into it." Clint sniggered to Thor, who now looked mortified, "Now see here, Loki would otherwise be paying for his crimes, but we were short on help. We do not have the situation clearly covered Ms. Potts." Thor reasoned while he gave a dark glare to Tony.

Pepper spun on her heel so fast, and Loki hoped that poor Stark's suit was fireproof to deflect the more than blazing look he was on the receiving end of, "He's staying here?" She pointed a narrow finger with a glossy tip nail back at Loki, "After what he did to…to Phil." The strength was seeped from her voice and her apple cheeks were flushed red in melancholy and shame for her open emotions.

"Pepper I…let me explain this, I know it looks bad." Stark started, but she rushed past him into a room down the hall, with him following after as fast as his suit could carry him.

The room felt arid with conflict, and Loki found it hard to swallow. Almost no one was able to make him see guilt, but the way she had looked at him; it kept playing over on repeat in his head, and he was scowling further with abhorrence. He was disgusted at himself for letting that mortal make him feel this way. Agent Coulson had been just another casualty at the time, and perhaps a dear friend to these Avengers, but he had never weighted the causality of it all. His cause to kill Coulson had been simply to escape, but the effects had lasted longer than he foresaw.

"I am inapt for this situation." Arabella said in a soft tone behind him. For once, there was no malice coming of her in droves, "It would be another difficult thing for him to explain me, besides, dawn approaches soon."

"You could always stay here in your room." Banner suggested again.

"Even if I wanted to; tonight would not be ideal for anyone present." She reasoned, "I will return tomorrow night, unless you see it unfit. Call me if such a travesty should arise."

"We don't have your number, and I doubt you're listed in the book." Clint half joked, though everyone was a little grim now, especially when the frequent shout could be heard through the paper thin walls in the other room. Arabella swiped some of the blood leftover on her skin, and drew Barton's arm towards here. He wanted to pull away; obviously skeptical of what she was about to do, but her strength kept him in a deadlock. She etched numbers onto his forearm then disappeared in bullet sped to the elevator. They were all able to catch a brief glimpse of her before the doors closed tight. Loki swore he saw a smile playing on her lips, but thought on it no more.

"Er- can someone get me a pad and a pen please. I don't know whose HYDRA blood this is." Clint said, looking queasy. Natasha went in to the kitchen, being the first to move while the other's seemed paralysed where they stood. "We look strange standing here." Barton said as if reading Loki's thoughts.

"You should switch back to human clothes too; looking more normal may help." Steve offered to Loki, while he sent a scathing look at the Captain, "Just trying to help." He mumbled, before making his way to the sofas. Against his better judgment, Loki went with the suggestion, and was back into the outfit he had been purchased earlier that day. That felt like years ago now, with all that had happened.

As Natasha went back over to Barton with paper and a writing utensil, the bedroom door down the hall slammed opened ruthlessly against the wall. Out came Pepper first, stampeding out with her jacket in the crook of one arm, and a suitcase being pulled by the other, "I'm going to a hotel. In the morning, I'm taking a flight out to stay with my mother."

Tony was following after her, now out of his armor. He was chasing her frantically, trying to convince her, but she had more than likely trounced him in the argument, "Pepper wait-" He said while outstretching a hand to her.

"I don't want to hear it Tony! So long as he is here at Stark Tower, I won't be." She entered the elevator, having some difficulty with heaving her luggage into the lift. Tony made to help, but the sharp look in her eye made him stagger back; or maybe it was the look of fresh tears that were threatening to spill, "I'll call you once I'm at my mothers." It was a sad sight to watch the doors fold closed before Tony as he stood there, looking lost. His back was hunched in rejection, and he had a bothered look about him. Everyone was watching him nervously which was the wrong thing to do because it ignited his anger, "What are you all staring at!" He growled hostilely before trudging back to the same room, and slamming the door once again.

The new quiet that had taken over the room was an infectious disease and you could hear a pin drop at the precise moment, "Maybe we should have gone to stay with Arabella, instead of her leaving us." Bruce said, trying to spare Stark's feelings no doubt.

"Yeah, she was the smart one, leaving when she did." Clint agreed while Natasha was busy sketching the number down on the notepad. She was gripping his arm tight, but her partner did not seem to mind, in fact Loki noticed something odd with the look in the Hawks eye; it was something passed admiration for one's fellow partner. He thought this interesting, for when he had enquired about their relationship from Romanoff, she had stated firmly that it was platonic. Her fellow archer didn't seem to want things to necessarily stay that way. Something for Loki to play with later, but for now he was left feeling…responsible.

"It is my fault being here." He said rather cross in admitting it to them. He wasn't even sure why he was telling them, but he had no one else, so he supposed they would do to settle his problems.

"Nay Loki, the fault is also mine for bringing you here in the first place." Thor jumped on the opportunity to once again defend him. He would have rolled his eyes, but even that seemed like a wasted effort right now.

The doctor also had something to share, "But we needed help; we still do, and sending him away now would only hurt our cause for the greater good. I say we sleep on it for tonight and-possibly for half the day tomorrow since the time is late. Tony will come around and I'm sure he'll find the best way to explain it to Pepper."

Sounds of complete agreement resonated through the room and one by one, they started going to their own private quarters. Not Loki though, and for once he was glad that Thor did not force him to follow since they shared the same floor. He stood watching the lights of the city, and how the ember glow over the horizon signaled a new day forthcoming. The city had never died though, and the traffic stilled looked the same since he last looked upon it. Colored cars were boxes on wheels, emitting trumpet sounds and poisonous fumes. He despised and loved the hustle of New York. It was similar to Asgard in ways, looking much more on a grander scale than most Midgard cities, in what he had been educated in at any rate. It wasn't Asgard though; the sun wasn't warm and hugging, and the air wasn't sweet like the first taste of an apple. This was mealy and cold to him. The towers build with grey steel and glass was but anything to brag about and left little to be fantasized.

"Not planning on taking over the world again I hope?" A sarcastic voice said behind him. He wasn't startled; actually, this was his reason for residing in the room still.

"If I did, would you try and stop me?" He mocked back with a grin, not turning his head to face his acquaintance.

"It sure would make my life easier." He heard the clinking of glasses and the uncorking of a bottle, "Drink?"

"Please do, and on ice if you wouldn't mind."

"Can't you just conjure some yourself, or have I heard the rumors wrong?" Tony stepped down beside him by the window, handing him the drink while Loki nodded once in thanks, "Clever you are. I haven't met one with words that could nearly match my own skills." He complimented.

Stark shrugged, "It's been known to happen. So are you going to grace my question with an answer?"

"Not in your lifetime." Loki said shortly.

"Can't kill a man for trying."

"Are you not here to blame me for the loss of your female companion?" Loki was tired of beating around the bush. Normally a chat about nothing was his calling for he could talk for hours without really saying anything of importance, but he wanted to know Stark's emotions, for they were much more fascinating to behold.

His upper lip twitched and he sloshed the contents of his drink around for a moment, "Nope, I don't really hold grudges. Besides, what do you think this is for?" He said before taking another greedy gulp of the alcohol.

"Well I was not certain, for you drink to any occasion that calls for such a thing." Loki answered smartly in triumph for he thought he had won, but Stark was quick to rebuke, "And you always accept the offer of one too." He finished his drink, putting the glass down at the bar again, "I'd get some sleep now If I were you. The Skrulls aren't resting just because we are." With that final word, Stark trumped back down the hall and disappeared behind the closed door. The same screeching music that Loki had heard in the car earlier came blasting out of the room again, and he was near to flinching from it. Downing the last of the bitter substance, he settled the glass back down in its proper place and finally decided it was his turn to earn some well-deserved sleep.


So more about Loki trying to fit in again. I think it is fun putting in Loki and Tony scenes to talk, and it felt like a good way to end the chapter. I will try to pick up a little more on the romance now, but not too much because I kind of have plans for a sequel in the future if this all goes well. I don't really like to beg for reviews, but any advice or input would be great!

This is opticon217 signing off.