Chapter 11: Confession

The trip to Malibu was both uneventful and completed in record time. Once they came across another SHIELD cruiser, but Tony evaded it easily when the driver tried to follow them. Tony and Loki didn't even have another little self-hate induced pissing contest this time. Though, that isn't saying they didn't argue.

On the second afternoon, they had to stop for food. Loki would have no part of eating at the McDonald's, and Tony reamed him out for being too picky. They spent several hours in a state of passive-aggressive conflict, both of them contemplating how best to get a rise out of the other. Eventually Loki just gave up and stared out the window in irritation as Tony babbled incessantly about how their whole situation sucked, and how much of a little bitch Loki was.

Just as Loki was about to make good on one of his many death threats, they passed the sign welcoming visitors to Malibu.

"What do you think, Rudolph? If I weren't guilty of hundreds of counts of speeding and reckless driving, I'd apply for a world record for how fast we got all the way here." Tony quipped as his home city came into view. Loki continued ignoring him. I hope you have an actual plan, however in light of your previous record it does not appear likely. He thought to himself, not wanting to talk to Stark in case he started ranting again. All things considered, he was willing to bet Stark was no less dangerous of a driver when drunk than while he was sober.

In spite of his better judgment, Tony pulled right up to his mansion and parked in the garage attached to his workshop after using the car's computer to get access to Jarvis. The thought crossed Tony's mind to just call up Fury and hand Loki over, but something told him it wouldn't be enough to clear his own record. Whether or not he even deserved said criminal record was debatable, but he doubted Fury really cared. Loki was right about one thing, and that was that he had to keep his tech out of SHIELD's hands. It would ruin everything he'd worked for if Fury used it to develop weapons.

Loki finally opened his mouth and asked Tony if he was literally out of his mind. As far as the trickster could tell, they were walking right into SHIELD's hands. But that was the beauty of Tony's plan – or lack thereof. They wouldn't expect him to do something like this. Well, maybe they would. But they'd also probably expect an open bar and the entire city of Malibu to have an invitation. Still, the mansion seemed completely deserted.

"Sir, Miss Potts has refused access to your suits and workshop to both SHIELD and the United Nations. Everything is as you have left it." The AI explained as Tony and Loki got out of the car. They both looked around quickly. Tony saw no one and nothing out of place. Loki confirmed this when he said that he could only sense one human presence upstairs somewhere. Pepper, Tony assumed. He hoped she hadn't found some way to override Jarvis' protocols and find out that he was in the building. But, the lack of incensed screaming about 'where the hell were you?', 'I thought you were dead' and 'I was so worried I'll kill you myself, Tony!' gave him the sense that she had no idea. Still, time was of the essence.

The workshop really was just as he'd left it – cluttered and in a state of controlled chaos. When had he gotten so careless? This was a fire hazard and a half. But thinking about it, he came up with nothing because the reality was he'd done most of his work drunk out of his mind lately. Maybe it was the lack of alcohol that brought him to his senses, because something wasn't right.

"Jarvis, where is the spare arc reactor?" Tony said, the color draining out of his face as he looked at the empty case where he'd kept a back-up for the miniaturized reactor in his chest. Nervously, he tapped his fingertips against the one that was currently installed – the same one he'd made just after the palladium poisoning incident. Loki regarded him curiously, he wasn't sure what the device was actually for. He assumed it was a power-source for the armored suits he wore. But something in Stark's pained expression told him otherwise.

"In its case." The AI replied. "Shall I release the lock?"

"No, no. I don't need it." Tony replied.

Turning to Loki he said, "This is bad. Fury could easily use it to make weapons. God only knows what Doom would do with it."

"I honestly have no idea what you are talking about, Stark." The trickster responded dully. Tony sighed and started tossing some tools into the car's trunk. Loki got the hint and carried whatever Tony gave him. The Mark 42 suit, he packed in a collapsible case. If Loki hadn't known it was mechanics that operated it, he might have sworn it was magic as the suit dissembled itself into pieces and fit neatly in the red metal case.

"Jarvis, once I leave please tell Pepper that I'm alive, and I'm not the bad guy." Tony said to the AI once they'd packed what they would need.

"As you wish, Sir." He answered.

"Bye Jarvis, it'll be a while. Don't let anyone in the workshop, that includes Pepper." Tony said sadly and climbed into the car. Loki was already there waiting with his seat-belt buckled. "All right, Lokes. Let's get the hell out of here."

"This was too easy." Loki observed as they left the way they came with no sign of resistance. Tony heaved a sigh and drove, not really knowing where they were heading now. They'd have to just stay on the move and watch the news reports to try and get some information about Doom.

"I know. The thing is, I think SHIELD is just leaving us alone on purpose. I told Natasha and Clint that we're going after Doom. They're probably staying out of it so we can do their dirty work for them and then they'll swoop in and get all up in our guts once we're done." Tony replied. "Still, we should be careful. I have the suit now, so we can start getting somewhere. The tools and materials are just in case it gets damaged."

A few days later, they found themselves at another crappy motel in New Mexico in the middle of the desert. Again, it only had rooms with one bed. Tony lay on it staring at the yellowish ceiling that had once been white but now had chips of paint missing from it while Loki watched the news. There was nothing new, except that Loki's name was never mentioned. That explained the lack of security. SHIELD must had stood down for some reason. Yeah, so we can do their jobs for them even though they want our heads, Tony thought dismally.

It was a Sunday afternoon, and had officially been three weeks since Stark Tower was destroyed. Three weeks of being stuck with Loki, and neither had attempted to murder the other. Tony's cold and severe concussion were old news, just like Doom's heist at the Metropolitan Museum. And damn, was Tony bored. Three weeks without alcohol had been hell at first, but slowly he was beginning to think a lot more clearly than he had in some time. At first, it shocked him, but eventually he realized that it was a good thing. And then there was also the issue of going three weeks without getting laid. A new record, honestly. And again, he didn't really care that much. No sex wasn't much different that meaningless intercourse in the end.

"Hey Buttercup, you never did tell me why you were stalking me." Tony noted, turning his head to face Loki who was sitting on the edge of the bed. He was wearing one of his pairs of black denim jeans with no shirt. He'd pulled his hair back with something and it was tied into a wavy ponytail. Tony hated to admit it, but he was wondering if Loki should have been the god of sex instead of mischief, because he was definitely hot enough. Or sexy mischief, that's not a bad image. Tony tried his damnedest not to stare at his perfect half-naked body. He'd be on a fast track to hell if the trickster thought he was attracted to him. Loki turned his back on the TV to look down at Tony with a frown. The way he pouts could make Pepper jealous. Jesus.

"Would you prefer the answer you want to hear, or the real one?" Loki asked sounding oddly curious.

"Ok, how about both. Start with the one I want to hear?" Tony replied with a shrug and tossed aside the Newspaper that was still laying next to him. There hadn't been anything interesting in there, either. Just an article about some Girl Scouts in New Jersey selling cookies outside of a medical marijuana clinic, which was fucking brilliant.

"Fine. I was planning to murder you in the most painful way imaginable. Possibly by strangling you with your own entrails while I made your ex-girlfiend that you still pine after watch me do it. Though I might have ripped your tongue out too, because you never shut up." Loki answered his eyes meeting Tony's. His lips curled into a slight smile. He would never do that, Tony could tell by the way he said it. Every last word was dripping with sarcasm, and if Tony Stark knew anything, it was sarcasm.

"Ok, that isn't disgusting or disturbing in the slightest. Not at all. And I'm kind of curious why you think I would want to hear that. Besides, there's always the option of certain actives that might keep me from talking... Option two?" Tony responded, deciding to give the newspaper another quick once-over. Loki didn't talk at first, if anything he looked a little uncomfortable. Tony figured he'd just ignore it. He'd learned very fast that Loki not only does what he wants, but says what he wants. Meaning, if he didn't want to talk about it, than he wouldn't and he couldn't make him. It really was that simple. But then, Tony was the same way. The similarities in their personalities had become steadily more evident as they traveled together.

"I did it because I was worried about you. I was one of the waitresses at the cafe where Pepper ended her relationship with you. I saw how lost you looked. I was afraid you would do something stupid. It turns out that it was a good decision since no one else seemed to care much. They noticed you weren't yourself, but they weren't exactly doing anything about it." The trickster replied, staring at the TV and not daring to look at Tony. Tony did notice that it was the fist time he'd referred to Pepper by her name and not 'that she-mortal you are infatuated with' or some such nonsense.

"Why? Did you feel bad about throwing me through a window or something?" Tony asked, and sat up so he could see Loki's face.

"That is the problem, I do not really know why." Loki muttered and stood up to look out the window, pointedly avoiding Tony's scrutiny. "Just that it felt like the right thing to do."

"You're such an asshole. You know that." That got Loki's attention he turned around, looking like he was about to rip Tony a new one, but he kept talking before the trickster had the chance. "I mean, you're an asshole, yeah. But you're not evil. Like with the trucker that tried rob me, you could have just killed him, but you didn't. Getting to know you, I can't imagine you doing any of the stuff you did during your little invasion. It was just too sloppy – you're smarter than that. I guess what I'm saying is that I finally believe what you said about not being in your right mind. I do really hope you're not messing with me, because I am pretty sure you can manage that if you wanted to." The anger in Loki's eyes shifted to pain and he finally looked at Tony.

"When the green beast used my face to redecorate your tower, it broke the spell that the scepter had over me. That was why I didn't resist in the end. All I cold think of was 'what have I done?'." Loki said, his face completely blank of any emotion. "But no one else has believed that. Of course, Thor was the only one who did. Not that it mattered. He's an imbecile. He is kind and selfless, yes. But by the Norns, he is an idiot."

"His name's Bruce, not 'the green beast', though he might laugh if he heard that. And don't tell him I said it, but yeah, Thor's kind of... Well, his muscles outweigh his brains. He's a good friend, though. And he never gave up on you." Tony said and smiled disarmingly. "Give him some credit, twelve percent at least. An argument might be made for fifteen if you think he could help us find Doctor Douche."

Loki nodded and stared out the window in silence for a while before he finally spoke. "Heimdall, please send Thor. And tell the queen that the mission has been compromised so long as SHIELD is watching me."

They heard the thunder before they saw the storm that came with it. It was so intense that the entire building was shaking. Disgustedly, Tony wiped dust that had fallen from the decaying ceiling off of his black t-shirt and shook it out of his hair like a dog might. Loki made a face, but ignored it. They both went outside and hopped in the stolen SHIELD cruiser. Loki could tell from the light of the Bifrost that was visible on the horizon where Thor would appear. Tony followed his directions while the downpour started. He was forced to drive slowly on the dirt road leading away from the motel and into an open expanse of desert. The rain was so driven, he could barely see the path in front of him.