"Pepper, Pepper you need to calm down, you're talking to fast." Bruce spoke trying to calm the flustered woman. He was just about to meet up with the others to go over plans for their next course of action, when Jarvis's voice had announced an incoming emergency call. Bruce guessed that was the reason Tony gifted them each with their own state of the art Stark phone, it seemed Jarvis was connected to them making it near impossible to ignore any calls from Tony. After most of the others had started blocking his calls, they were mainly drunken ramblings after all.
So far all he had been able to decipher from Peppers panicked rambling was a nose bleed, blue gunk, or a nose bleed that was blue gunk? He would have to try to get clarification on that, vomiting and seizure. He had already instructed her to put the god in the recovery position and place something soft under his head to prevent further injury.
Now he just need her to try to calm down, not being in the room with them and having no video feed made it hard to help. Especially when Pepper was almost hysterical.
"Just breath Pepper. I need you to calm down, okay, all you can really do now is keep an eye on his breathing and wait for the seizuring to stop." Bruce said calmly into the phone. Giving the woman a few moment to compose herself.
"Okay, now I need you to tell me again exactly what happened."
"Friend Bruce, the others have requested that I fetch you, as they wish to start the... Wait what has happened to who?" Thor spoke as he entered the room Bruce was currently occupying.
"Was that Thor?" Pepper sounded over the phone.
Thor stepped closer eyeing the phone. "Is that the Lady Pepper you are speaking with?"
"Thor I..." Bruce started only to have the god of thunder talk over the top of him.
"What happened to who? Has something befell my brother?" The blonde deity demanded.
"Loki is ill, Thor." Bruce informed his friend. "Pepper is aiding him as we speak. I just need to know exactly what occurred."
The next few minutes were spent listening to Pepper tell them every thing that had happened that morning from the headaches and concerned look when he had noticed the blue substance dripping from his nose, to the moment he collapsed.
Thor hummed in thought before speaking. "These headaches, they have been frequent as of late, yes?"
"Yeah, he has had quite a few, but I don't think they have been as bad as it was today." Pepper answered.
Bruce's attention went to Thor as the god spoke again. "Aye, and this blue stuff is most certainly a foreign substance. This blue it was in his bile as well, yes?"
"Yeah."
"Aye 'tis just like the time he accidentally poisoned himself as a child. None could figure out what had been used, nor how to counter it. And Loki was to ill and delirious to answer any questions. 'Twas luck that lord Freyr of Alfheim was visiting at the time, he was the one who figured out that Loki had tested a potion he had created on himself. Apparently he had not been aware that two of the ingredients used, when put together created a reaction that needed another to counter it."
Thor shook his head. "Though he was only twelve at the time and lord Freyr had said it was a mistake that even master alchemists sometimes overlooked. Loki was still very ill for a while after he was giving the antidote, then a few days later he purged the toxins from his body very much like what you have explained. With a little rest he was fit and well again just a few days later." He explained.
"This substance had no place in his body, now that he has cleansed himself of it he should be fine with a little rest." The god of thunder assured her.
"That's a relief." Pepper breathed. "Oh! He seems to have calmed." she let out a relieved sigh as the seizuring stopped.
"Try and get some samples of the blue liquid if you can." Bruce spoke. "That way Tony and I can run some tests and try to determine what it is."
"Sure. Thank you, both of you. I had no idea what to do." Pepper smiled.
"Yes well I guess we had better get to this meeting. Call if anything else happens. Bye." Bruce hang up putting his phone back in his pocket just as Clint walked into the room.
"Hey big guy, not to sure if you fully understand the concept of fetch, but the general idea is to return with the object or person you were sent to get."
It would seem Thor was right. Loki was fit and healthy again a two days later, not even the slightest signs of headache or nausea, a little exhausted but otherwise fine. Though she had worried a little when he slept the entire next day.
After the call with Bruce was over she had Dum-E help her get Loki on a gurney and move him to the penthouse, setting him up in one of the guest rooms so she could keep an eye on him.
Pepper had just finished up a business meeting over Skype with one of Stark Industries Japanese advocates, when Loki awoke. Stark Industries had been looking to go global with their clean energy an it looked as though that might soon be achieved. Well in two countries at least but if they managed it then it wouldn't be long before the rest of the world followed.
She had just closed the laptop when Loki cautiously entered the large living room slash kitchen. Scanning the room before his eyes came to a halt on her.
"I fear I may have subconsciously teleported." He admitted.
Pepper smiled as he made his way to the large dinning table she sat at. "I moved you while you were unconscious. I thought you might have better rest in a proper bed. I wanted to keep a better eye on you, you scared the hell out of me yesterday."
"My apologises lady Pepper, though I admit I do not recall much after failing to reach the basin." He bowed his head as he took a seat.
"Its fine, just don't do it again please." She joked. "Would you like something to eat? I was just about to make lunch."
"That would be most appreciated." He nodded.
They conversed a little over lunch, Pepper keeping a close eye on the god half expecting him to have another seizure or something. She couldn't help it normal people don't just recover so fast from things like that, but then again Loki wasn't and ordinary person.
"I'm fine Lady Pepper you do not have to watch over me." He insisted with an eye roll.
"Sorry." She apologised looking away from the god only to find his half eaten lunch. "You haven eaten much."
"And this would not be the first time." He stated seriously why must she fret so much. "I didn't eat for an entire week when I first arrived if you recall. I am fine honestly just a little tired."
The two locked eyes for a minute or two before Pepper sighed in defeat. She told him tales of Happy's latest escapades, they always seemed to end in chaos but the mans heart was in the right place. He had sprung a surprise fire drill, unfortunately he hadn't organised it prior, to make it more realistic. He pulled the alarm, which set off all the sprinklers in the building, the fire brigade arrived soon after and Pepper had spent most of the afternoon sorting the whole mess out.
Loki when back to his cell to get some more rest soon after lunch. He slept through to the next morning, his appetite returning as he had a double serving of toast.
Loki did not know how the lady Pepper had talked him into singing along to the lyrics of songs that wrote themselves along the bottom of the large moving image screen Midardians called a tv, but here he was.
He was hesitant at first but she had insisted that whole point of this karaoke was to get up and sing whether you could keep a tune or not, it mattered not if you looked the fool as every one else got up and made fools of themselves as well. Apparently that was what made it so fun. Pepper took fist turn to show him how it worked, and agreed to let him listen through his songs first then sing along the second time round to familiarise himself with the tune.
And rather than picking songs themselves it was put on shuffle.
"Everyone's looking at me
I'm running around in circles, baby
A quiet desperation's building higher
I've got to remember this is just a game." Loki sang along.
This was not so horrible as he had first thought it might be,in fact it was quite enjoyable. Though he wasn't sure that he would like it so much had there been a crowd, lady Pepper had said that many pubs did karaoke nights. And he couldn't help imagining the rowdy out of tune slurring racket of mead filled brutes and warriors that echoed through out taverns back in Asgard.
"It's a beautiful lie
It's the perfect denial
Such a beautiful lie to believe in
So beautiful, beautiful it makes me."
Pepper took another turn next, singing along in perfect tune, Loki smiled as he listened to her belt out the lyrics. He would most probably never openly admit it to anyone but perhaps there was a chance he was actually starting to see what Thor saw in these mortals.
"Once I rose above the noise and confusion
Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion
I was soaring ever higher, but I flew too high."
"Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man
Though my mind could think I still was a mad man
I hear the voices when I'm dreamin', I can hear them say."
Loki had recognised this song having heard it on the play list that had been playing in his cell when Pepper had explained the different types of music on Midgard.
"Carry on, my wayward son
For there'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more."
It was decided that the next song would be sung together. Pepper started and he just joined once he was ready, he ended up jumping in on the chorus.
"Pokemon!
It's you and me
I know it's my destiny
Pokemon!
Oh, your my best friend,
In a world we must defend.
Pokemon!
A heart so true.
Our courage will pull us through.
You teach me and I'll teach you.
Po-ke-mon, gotta catch 'em all
gotta catch 'em all, Pokemon!"
Pepper burst into laughter afterwards she had no idea Tony still had that on his playlist. She had snuck it in years ago as he claimed it was one of the most annoying songs he had ever heard. He had made such a fuss over it when it started blaring throughout his workshop, she figured he had simply deleted the song. Perhaps he didn't hate the tune so much after all.
"What in the nine is a Pokemon?" Loki questioned.
The rest of the afternoon was spent introducing the god to Pokemon followed by movies.
Just felt like having them do karaoke for some reason so I put my playlist on shuffle and these were the songs they got. Was kind of expecting an AC/DC song to pop up as I have quiet a few on there but got Pokemon theme instead.
