So sorry for the delay. But check it out: another long chapter!

If that isn't enough of an apology, I'll start working on the next one. I'm actually looking forward to a few parts on the way.


-Chapter 8-

"Tony, what the hell?" Pepper was justifiably angry as she stalked over to the counter. Tony pointedly stared at his computer screen.

"You're denying protection?" He blinked owlishly at that. He'd assumed this was a why-didn't-you-call-me-yourself visit.

"I don't need it," he told her. "I have Jarvis, remember? Jarvis, remind her."

"While you certainly have me, sir, it is perhaps best to remember that I may not be able to stop potential attacks." Tony scowled. Jarvis seemed to be taking Pepper's side more than his lately. Maybe he'd lost him in the break-up. Or, perhaps more likely, he was being illogical.

"I still don't need protection," he finally said, voice a bad attempt at soothing. "I'm an Avenger, remember?"

"You're not wearing the suit every hour of every day." He opened his mouth, and she quickly snapped, "You're not wearing it anywhere but to SHIELD-approved fights, Tony. No board meetings."

"I'm avoiding those anyway," Tony answered carelessly, turning his chair so he could face her. "And I'm being extra cautious."

"Your 'extra cautious' is an average person's mid-life crisis."

"Well, it's still progress, isn't it? Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

"Do you." Definitely unconvinced, and for good reason. Tony wasn't exactly swayed, either. But he didn't like the idea of having people trail him, SHIELD agents or not.

"I'll figure it out along the way, Pep, you know that." Her features softened imperceptibly, and he wondered when he'd last called her that. "Promise."

"If you get killed, don't expect my eulogy to put you in a good light."

"I'd fire you if it were anything less than scandalous." He stood, shrugging on the jacket he'd left on the counter. "But, until then, I've got a meeting with the gang to get to before that party. Try not shaking off your new stalkers too quickly, huh?"

"Meeting? Is something wrong?"

"Not devastatingly, at the moment. But Loki tried bringing me to the dark side." Her eyes widened slightly.

"Loki? You talked to him?"

"He showed up last night. Or this morning. Either way, he's interested in converting me. Makes a guy feel special."

"Jesus, Tony, he was here?"

"Well, on the next floor up. Showed up when I was getting my beauty sleep."

"Are you okay?" There was genuine concern on her face, and, for some reason, it made him feel uneasy.

"No, I'm dying." She rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious, Tony. I've got six people following me everywhere because he might be trying to hurt me, and you've got no one, and he was here-"

"Pep." He frowned at her. "I'm fine. He wasn't using me as a punching bag. We just had a few drinks." Her eyes widened almost comically. Just like that, the hook was his home again.

"Drinks? You had drinks with him?"

"I've got a schedule to keep," he told her dismissively (definitely not retreating, here). "I'll see you later, right? You got the papers? I signed them. You saw that I signed them?" She sighed breezily.

"Yes, I saw you signed them. Thank you, Tony. And just- be careful, alright?" He grinned as he left the lab, his PA at his heels.

"When am I ever not careful?"


"So, if Stark called this meeting, why is he late?" Clint questioned, looking bored. Tony rolled his eyes as he entered.

"Because I'm also running a company. A really successful one. Since I'm in charge of this meeting, it'll probably run much smoother."

"I wasn't aware Ms. Potts would be assisting." Natasha commented dryly. Steve frowned at the engineer as he sat down.

"What's going on? Is everything alright?"

"Peachy. Let's wait for Nicky, though. I think he'll probably have a few questions, and I don't feel like repeating my answers. I've got a busy schedule. Thor here?"

"Didn't you notice the thunder on your flight in? He's been moody." Clint stated. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Well, can we get him in here? I think he'll be interested in the subject matter."

"That being?" Natasha pressed.

"His dear deranged brother, of course." Tony answered, and Clint instantly stiffened at his side. Right. Sore spot. Justifiable sore spot. Ramble to ease the tension."Can we grab him? I'm pretty excited to get this over with. And when was the last time I was so interested in a non-literal debriefing?"

"I'll get him, and tell Fury this is actually serious." Natasha said, standing. Her eyes flickered to Clint, who gave a subtle nod. She took the signal he was apparently sending, and immediately left. Tony glanced at Clint, but the archer gave no indication that he was going nuts. He wouldn't, really, as both he and Natasha were pros as masking emotions.

"I'm expensive, Stark," Clint told him crossly, noticing his heavy gaze. Tony grinned.

"I'm rich." Clint's easy smile returned, as he seemed to sense that Tony wasn't going to interrogate him. As if. Tony was no match for an emotional conversation.

"You still can't afford me."

"You should compromise more in business. Just letting you know. From a tycoon to a, what? Low-income marksman?"

"I get paid better than you'd think," Clint returned. "Your 'donations' foot half my paycheck."

"So I'm technically your boss. I think I deserve a discount." Clint tapped his head to the side, considering.

"Still not rich enough." Tony scowled good-naturedly, snapping his fingers as if he'd been foiled.

"You drive a hard bargain."

"I can drive something har-"

"Barton." Their heads snapped up at Steve's interruption. The soldier's face was beet red, and his hands were fists on the table. "You're at work." He stressed. "You have to behave professionally." Clint snorted as Tony smiled.

"We're just teasing, sweetheart. If this were real, you would have been included." Steve, if possible, looked even more embarrassed.

"Even so," he muttered. "Don't you have a girlfriend, anyway?"

"Girlfriend?" Tony repeated, pulse speeding up involuntarily. He was definitely getting better about Pepper, but hearing Steve talk about it as if their relationship had never ended was a little disorientating. "Not for a while, big guy. I thought you were trying to catch up with current events?" Steve now looked more irritated than uncomfortable, but Clint's face had lost all amusement.

"You guys broke up?" Tony shrugged.

"I'm not one for commitment. She was fine with it. I think being my girlfriend made it harder to yell at me anyway." All lies, obviously, but he said it with a straight face and a calm voice.

"So you're available." Clint dealt with emotion the same way Tony did: by talking about literally anything else in the world.

"You're too expensive." Tony dismissed him with a grin, and Steve seemed relieved. Natasha chose that moment to enter, and Clint's attention was immediately drawn in. Fury and Thor followed after her, their expressions equally sour.

"Loki." Fury stated it as an opening line, and Tony nodded.

"He stopped by my place last night." The response was immediate- every face was devoid of disinterest, every eye sharp. Clint was a statue beside him, the only sign that he was alive the revenge-minded gleam in his eyes. "He woke me up."

"Did he try to attack you?" Steve demanded, all annoyance forgotten in the face of a potential threat. Tony shook his head, leaning back from the piercing gazes.

"No, no, nothing like that. He was trying to compromise me." His eyes flickered meaningfully to Fury. "Again."

"Again?" Natasha's eyes were narrow.

"If it's relevant, you'll be informed." Fury promised her, though his sights were still on Tony.

"If it's relevant-?" Steve started, but Fury silenced him with a brief glare. He nodded slightly at Tony.

"He tried rationalizing the attack on Manhattan. Then he tried saying that he'd make the world better if he were in charge. It was pretty straight-forward villain fodder, with the intimidation on low. He's trying to get me on his side."

"I do not understand." Thor stated, brows furrowed. Tony had nearly forgotten the god, and his gaze flickered to the large blond man.

"Don't understand what?"

"Why he has such interest in allying himself with you."

"Genius, money, connections." Tony told him frankly, remembering his comment from the earlier conversation. "Those three can be pretty attractive in a slave." Except Loki wasn't offering servitude. If he were to be trusted, he was claiming Tony could have a place at the top. The very, very top. King of the world. It had a pretty ring to it, but Tony wasn't that morally damned.

Not yet, anyway.

"He cares not for money." Thor mumbled thoughtfully. He looked as he had the last time Tony had seen him: wrapped up in some impossible equation he couldn't even vocalize.

"Well, he cares some for power," Tony informed him, resting his elbows on the table. "And if he had me, he'd have some of that. But I think it's mainly because I'm in your rag-tag team of misfits. He seems like the kinda kid that would steal a barbie if he didn't like the person who'd had it." He glanced at his phone. "And then flush the thing down the toilet. Listen, I've got some stuff planned today. I hadn't expected to have to call this meeting. Just keeping you all informed like a good little team player." Steve frowned, brow creasing.

"I don't think it's a good idea to leave."

"Trust me, I agree. I have to go to some gala. It's a sooth-the-board-members type of party, though, so I'll be out in a few hours. I can come back if you need me." Fury nodded.

"I'll send some agents after you. If Loki is targ-"

"Hell no. I said 'no' to protection, remember?" Tony reminded him, straightening his suit as he stood.

"That was before Loki showed up to try and-"

"Bring me to the dark side of the force? Yes. It was. But I'm still on Kenobi's side, so consider yourself lucky and consider me independent. If I die or turn evil by eight tonight, you can say 'I told you so'." He began to move toward the door, but stalled as he felt a hand on his forearm.

"Stark." Clint. Looking way more serious than usual.

"Yeah?"

"Make me your plus one." Tony frowned, then glanced over at the other Avengers. He didn't really want to mix business with, well, other business. He wanted to forget, for the evening, that he had a god trying to kill him. Or trying to manipulate him. But of all the Avengers, Clint was the one he'd prefer to cover him. Other than Bruce, obviously, but the doctor wasn't a fan of social events that required a lot of fake smiling. He wasn't even in town, anyway.

"I'm flattered, but I haven't got the cash." The grip tightened.

"I'll go pro bono."

"I'm sure you're a pro at bo-"

"Stark." Tony breathed through his teeth. Clint was bearable, and, wounded pride aside, it would be best to have a trained agent around if Loki decided to attack a civilian-heavy party. He scowled inwardly at the fact that he needed protection, but still gave a slight nod.

"You'll be dining with the big boys, so get yourself a decent suit. Get to the tower in an hour or I'll be going stag."


"How about her?"

"Yep."

"Really?"

"Yeah. She tried staying after. It was awkward. Pepper threw her out." Clint appraised the woman at the other end of the room shrewdly.

"Her ears are different sizes."

"Would that be a deal-breaker, Barton?" Clint sent him an amused glance, but didn't even bother answering the question. Instead, he took a small sip of his non-alcoholic martini. Despite Tony's insistent teasing, he continued to remain painfully professional. Well, other than the conversation. "I guess you're busy with Natasha, anyway."

"Busy with Natasha."

"Are you playing coy? You don't pull it off." Clint scowled, and dug his nose deeper into the cocktail glass.

"It's not 'coy' if I'm genuinely unaware of what you're talking about."

"See, that? That's not coy at all. That's pathetic." Clint glared over the rim of his glass.

"You're aware the bulge in my pants isn't just for attracting your sloppy seconds."

"If you shot me, Fury would probably yell at you. And I know personally that that's very boring. And he brings you into a room devoid of signal. So, no, I don't think you're going to use that bulge for anything other than half-hearted flirts that you don't actually want to succeed because you've got a Russian to rush home to." Tony brought his scotch to his lips, wondering what more it would take to get Clint to drop the mission and grab a drink. It'd be more enjoyable if he weren't the only one with a buzz.

And what was the likelihood that Loki was going to show his face again so soon?

He certainly wasn't looking forward to their next meeting. He'd spent his morning unable to even drink himself into a stupor. Every shadow had either been a ghost or a god, and he'd eventually locked himself in his lab. He took one break- to schedule a meeting he didn't want to go to- and hadn't stopped again until Pepper had barged in.

"We're not a thing."

"You've definitely got a thing for her."

"There's no thing." Tony smirked at him.

"Sure thing."

"What about you and Pepper?" Shit.

"What?"

"You're so eager to dissect my so-called love life. What happened there? Because I know the version you told was highly edited."

"Not highly."

"I felt like I was watching Fox News."

"Topical. I like it."

"Avoiding my question, I see."

"Not avoiding. Ignoring. Because you're obviously drunk off your non-alcoholic martini and unaware of what you're talking about. Speaking of obliviousness, do you know Nat is into you, too? Is ignoring the attraction, like, a spy thing?"

"I don't see much of her." Clint admitted, honest and straight-forward for once. Tony turned, raising an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? Every time I see you guys, you're attached at the holster."

"We stay at opposite ends of the compound. We tend to get missions at inconveniently opposite times. I haven't seen her for more than five minutes since the last Avengers thing."

"Why don't you just bunk together? You could be roomies." Clint gave him a look that suggested that that was a dumb question.

"We're private people."

"Ask Fury to make you guys neighbors, then." Clint shrugged.

"It doesn't matter." Tony snorted. He'd never understand romance. If someone were interested, why didn't they just flat-out say it? There seemed to be this weird dance. Clint was obviously into Natasha, and the feelings were just as obviously reciprocated. Why didn't he just say something?

"So, hypothetically, you'd be into living near her as long as no one questioned why you got to see more of each other." Clint gave him an odd look.

"That's a really weird hypothetical, Stark. And I told you: it doesn't matter. Forget it."

"Nope," Tony wagged a finger at him, sloshing the drink in his other hand accidentally. "I'm a problem-solver. You've presented me with a problem. I'm solving it."

"How do you intend to do that?" The archer asked patronizingly, eyes scanning the room. Every few minutes, he'd re-analyze. Searching for a threat that wasn't likely to come.

"Duh. By inviting the Avengers- all of them, even Steve- to live in my humble abode. I'm sure Fury will practically order Natasha to go. I mean, when's the last time he got the opportunity to have such close access to my tech?" Clint actually looked surprised. Considering he tended to cover such spontaneous emotions, Tony considered the expression a win.

"You want us to live with you."

"What can I say- you may have the arrows, but I'm the cupid of the group." Clint snorted.

"You're such a bullshitter."

"Absolutely. But this is the genuine article, a sincere offer. I've had the misfortune to sleep on those cots you lot call mattresses. Trust me: this will be as good for your spines as it will be for your crush."

"Assuming I believe this is real-"

"It is."

"-what exactly do you have to gain from this?"

"Other than the knowledge you'll be getting some and Steve will be surrounded by tech he doesn't understand?" Tony took a small sip from his drink, eyes flickering to the side. "I don't know if you've noticed, but Loki has been pretty stalker-ish lately. I'm not up for Fury's idea of protection, but I wouldn't deny a gang of superheroes at my beck and call." Clint raised an eyebrow.

"You're worried."

"Cautious. I don't do 'worried'." He took another sip- this one larger to swallow every last drop, and then nodded at the bartender for another. "But my pants would be on fire if I said Loki's sudden weirdness were the core of this little offer. I've actually been setting up rooms- well, floors actually- for a while now." Clint was doing that scanning thing again.

"You've been thinking about this for a while?"

"Months. Pepper thought it was stupid, but she doesn't have as much of a say anymore."

"She move out?"

"Yeah. Renovations really picked up after that." And he wouldn't really say he were lonely, but he might admit that he missed a bit of human interaction. Pepper had always been someone he could talk to. She was smart enough that their conversations could hold his interest. Hell, the closest thing he'd had to their talks since their break-up was-

Well, shit, ignore that train of thought.

"Your lack of interest in making the first move with Agent Romanov seemed like the perfect entrance. So what do you say? Wanna make Fury's day and say you convinced me?" Clint tapped his head to the side.

"You're rich."

"I'm certainly not poor."

"What kinda rooms are we looking at?" Tony grinned, and immediately jumped into exploring every facet of the rooms. From the giant televisions, to the gym, to the fully-stocked ("Well, it'll be fully stocked once you move in") kitchens, to the archery range. He and Clint were so engaged that the assassin forgot to scan the room.

As a result, neither man noticed the guest until she spoke.

"Mr. Stark?" Tony jolted slightly, and twisted to look at the newcomer.

"Oh, hello," he greeted with a broad smile (much faker than the one he'd been wearing seconds before, but who really cared?). "It's lovely to see you again."

"Have we met?" She asked him with a small smile. He chuckled.

"Guess not. Sorry. You looked familiar." It was a lie, technically. He just hadn't wanted to insult an old one-night-stand. But now that he had a good look at her, there was something déjà vu-y about those features. Something distant, but it certainly rang a bell.

It seemed to do the same to Clint, because his eyes were narrowed and his shoulders squared.

"I wanted to know if you'd like to dance." She elaborated at the silence. Tony grinned again (a bit more real this time, because there was something about her, a puzzle he hadn't quite worked out, and he did love puzzles), and made to move forward. A hand immediately slapped against his chest, effectively stopping him mid-step. Tony glanced at him quizzically.

"Did you want one first, sweetheart?"

"What's your name?" Clint demanded, suddenly in no mood for humor. His palm remained flat against Tony's chest, just below the reactor. It wasn't painful by any stretch of the imagination, but it was firm enough that Tony didn't move against it.

"Aria." She answered, face contorting into something akin to confusion. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothings wrong- Aria, right? Cool name." Tony gave Clint a pointed look, but the archer still seemed suspicious.

"I'm sorry, Aria, but Mr. Stark is busy." He practically growled.

"Um, I'm really not. We can discuss your living arrangements later." He plucked the hand off of his shirt. Clint allowed him to do so, though he seemed to be fighting off the urge to just knock Tony out and drag him away."So, do you waltz? I personally don't." Aria smiled at him, green eyes shining with amusement.

As she and Tony stepped into the crowd, she sent a glance over her bare shoulder. Clint continued to glare from the bar, finger tapping against his thigh. He was aching for a bow (he'd only been allowed a gun for Stark Duty; arrows at dinner parties tended to warrant unwanted attention).


"If we haven't met, mind my asking why? The guest list tends to stay pretty much the same for these things, and I doubt I'd miss you."

"Are you suspicious as well?" She asked, her tone light. He grinned down at her (she was actually a few centimeters shorter than him- a welcome change. He was not a tall man).

"Is there something I'm supposed to be suspicious of?"

"I don't usually go to these types of parties," she answered (his first question). "They're more trouble than they're worth." Her eyes flickered to him. "Usually."

"I know it," he told her, the honesty bogged down by the fake grin. "This hasn't been something I've looked forward to for a while. I'm more into saving the world, these days."

"Ah, yes." That smile was back, easy and beautiful and so fucking familiar. "I saw you on the news the other day. You almost died."

"That tends to happen."

"How much longer do you think you'll survive?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Well, that was ominous." Her brows crinkled.

"Was that too forward?"

"I appreciate bluntness," he assured her, though he had already mentally cataloged her as 'crazy'. He wouldn't be calling her back.

"Then the answer?" Stubborn, but he could appreciate that, too.

"I dunno. I'm crossing my fingers for at least another few months. I've been looking forward to the Hobbit since I was three."

"The Hobbit."

"If you haven't heard of the Hobbit, you're from another planet. Please tell me you're not an alien."

"Do you really want me to lie?" She teased, and he chuckled.

"You should read the book before you see it." As if any of the girls at these things read. Although this one- Aria- really did seem different. He wasn't sure whether it were a good different or a bad different, to be honest, weird danger-kink aside.

"I'll trust your taste. What's it about?"

"Dwarves." It slipped from his tongue easily, and he felt a cold jolt twist up his spine as he recalled the meeting from just fifteen hours earlier.

"Dwarves?" She seemed equally unnerved. His weird response must have shown.

"Sorry, it's nothing. But, yeah, dwarves. And hobbits, obviously."

"I've never heard of a hobbit."

"That's because you haven't read the book. Get on that. How long is this song?"

"Are you so eager to depart?" What was up with her diction?

"Nah. Unless you're already ready to leave this party? If you're not enjoying it, I mean, no use in us sticking around." Her eyebrows rose.

"I had been under the impression that you would be harder to court." Court?

"Nope. Pretty easy. So?" A flicker of a smile ran across her face, something that sang of inside jokes and amusement.

"After you." Tony's grin grew slightly, even as something like guilt churned in his stomach. Aria was the first person he'd sleep with since Pep. It was a victory mixed with something bittersweet that tasted of defeat. He'd wanted something serious, for once. He wanted someone with whom he could converse, someone who would understand. Aria was obviously interested in little more than sex (and he really wasn't complaining, because she just as obviously spent her time in Crazy-ville), and represented a descent back into schmoozing that he'd hoped not to return to after Afghanistan.

"I'm pretty sure girls go first," he answered, leading the way anyway. She was smiling again, that kooky grin that said she was hiding something. It probably would have disconcerted him if there weren't attractive dimples lighting up as a result.

"Tony." He spun, brows furrowing as he recognized Clint.

"Dude, don't cockblock."

"We have to go. Fury called us."

"Can it wait-" He glanced back at Aria. "-fifteen minutes?" Clint made a face of exaggerated disgust.

"More quantity than quality then, huh? And no, it can't. Say goodbye to your little girlfriend. Hogan is waiting outside." Tony scowled, but nodded dutifully. He turned to Aria, who looked equally put-out.

"Sorry, but duty calls. I'll try not to die." She smiled slightly.

"Thank you. I look forward to our next meeting." Right. That was likely.

"Ditto. See ya." He trailed after Clint, who routinely glanced back to make sure he wasn't straying. Other than a grab for the tray of champagne, he was a good follower.

As they ducked into the car, Tony turned his drunken gaze to the archer.

"Okay, so what's Fury want?"

"He didn't call." Happy was already pulling off the curb, but Tony made a move towards the door anyway.

"This is kidnapping." He grumbled, when it became clear he wouldn't escape the confines of the limo. "This is a kidnapping, and I demand to call my lawyer."

"You were drunk and hitting on an unidentified chick. We couldn't get a facial recognition, Stark."

"She was hitting on me." Tony said with a scowl, crossing his arms.

"Have you ever seen her before?"

"No."

"And she didn't give any negative vibes off to you?" Tony didn't answer, too annoyed to answer truthfully. Because, yeah, she'd seemed insane. And familiar. But she'd also been incredibly hot. And his house was so empty. "Exactly. I'm thinking..." Clint trailed off, gaze drifting to the window.

"Barton?" Tony prodded, more curious than angry now. He could, technically, get a hot chick whenever he wanted one.

"I'm thinking it was Loki. She was probably being coerced somehow to get you." Tony shook his head.

"Thor said, without the tesser-"

"I said 'coerced', not mind-controlled. I had a few agents go to pick her up."

"A few agents?" Tony repeated, anger thumming irrationally in his chest. He was Iron Man. He shouldn't need people watching after him. He didn't need people watching after him. He could handle it. He'd been fine with Loki the night before, hadn't he? He was still alive. "I said 'no' to protection, Barton." Clint sent him an annoyed glance.

"Yeah, and then you almost ran off with a stranger."

"It's what I do."

"Then it's time to change up the game. Until we get Loki in custody, you're going to have to act with some semblance of logic, and accept SHIELD's protective services."

"Since when are you Mr. Maturity?"

"Since you decided to be Mr. Immaturity." Clint replied, before adding, "Okay, so since you upped the immaturity."

"Cute." Tony grunted, crossing his arms.

"It's for your own safety," Clint added after a moment, sensing Tony's sincere anger. There wasn't much that really wound the engineer up, but this was definitely doing the job.

"Oh, good. Glad you know what's best for me."

"Stark."

"What, I upset your delicate sensibilities?" Tony snapped, finally letting his eyes flicker onto the archer. Clint had gone still, eyes low.

"It's Loki, Tony." And, just like that, Tony deflated. And fuck, he was such an asshole. Too caught up with his own shit to realize what was happening to others (just like always, he was too self-obsessed).

"Right. Shit, Clint, sorry." But he wasn't going to let the sore spot dictate his life. "I'll be the epitome of responsibility. Call off the SHIELD drones you've sicced on me, though." Clint frowned at him, nodding a little.

"I'll see what I can do. I doubt Fury will be too understanding after this."

"I'll make him understand," Tony assured him, leaning back in the seat of his limo. He was still reasonably buzzed, and he didn't have to stay at the party. And he had an excuse he could get the Director of SHIELD to sign. Pepper couldn't fault him for following orders, could she? So, good outcome.

And he wasn't dead.

Although, if Loki wanted him dead, why'd he send some actress to 'seduce' him ('seduce' because there really wasn't much seducing required)? Maybe it would be a package deal. You get to rule the world, and have an incredibly attractive (though batshit insane) queen. If that were the case, Loki had probably spent too much time reading those gossip rags. Pepper used to rip pages from the worst and leave them in a pile on his desk. It was her way of saying, 'Can you believe the things they make up?', while getting the unfortunate question of, 'You didn't actually do any of this, right?' out there. He might be willing to shag anything, but he did have a set of (questionable) personal ethics.

"Yo, Stark, that offer still stand, or am I on the shit list?" It didn't take a genius to figure out what Clint was talking about, but Tony held onto his high IQ anyway.

"You've always been on the shit list, Barton. Pack your bags, and tell Fury Daddy Warbucks will front the bill for the moving vans."


Alright. Not much interaction between Tony and Loki here, and for that I apologize. This chapter was mainly setting stuff up. But I did finally get to throw in Loki as a shape-shifting stalker. I originally (way back when) wrote a chapter where Tony went to a bar to relax and met up with some crazy green-eyed lady. But it got too angsty, so I canned it. In other words, just glad to have Loki sneaking around.

Thanks to everyone that has sent reviews/favs/follows my way.