Earth:
It had taken a bit longer than expected, but Tony had managed to disable somewhere around four hundred dead wires - all of which were two different colours. He had begun to assume that every white and blue wire were false; and maybe all of the live wires were another colour. It made sense; it'd make it easier for Doom to keep track of which was real and which wasn't.
With that theory in mind mixed with his boredom and exhaustion, he had given up on testing every single wire, and trusted that he was right, as he always was, and began cutting every white and blue wire. However, as he wrapped the wire cutters around another wire, he noticed something: a small tear in the cord, revealing the inner wires. He hesitated. He hadn't seen anything wrong with any other cords... was it just an accident that happened to one of the cords, or was it getting worn out?
Carefully, he retracted the wire cutters and set them down, grabbing the wire tester. He held it up to the wire, and alas: it was making nose, and glowing red. It was live. Tony took in a deep breath, and sighed. Finally, he was getting somewhere.
"Bruce?" he called out.
"Yeah?" Bruce replied from a few feet away.
"I need some red electrical tape."
A few moments later, Bruce leaned over the machine, handing some tape down to Tony, "did you find one?"
Tony looked up at him and nodded, grinning, as he accepted the tape.
"How many do you think there are?"
"At this rate, probably something shitty, like ten. It'll take longer now, too: my theory about colours is wrong."
Bruce sighed, "is there anything I can do?"
"No."
"You're allowed to have help, Tony."
"No."
Bruce rolled his eyes, and headed back to his chair a few feet away, waiting for Tony to accept his help.
Tony wrapped the red tape around the wire, marking it as live, so he would know not to ever cut it. Then, he sighed. "I have another tester in my lab. If you wanna go get it, you can give me a hand with these."
Bruce nodded, beginning to leave, "I'll be back soon, then."
"Bring back some cheeseburgers."
"Alright," Bruce chuckled.
By the time Bruce returned with another tester, Tony had disabled thirty more false wires, and had found two more live ones. He sat down beside Tony, setting the burgers down between them.
Tony smiled at him, and grabbed a burger, digging in. "I've found two more," he mustered out with his mouth full, gesturing to two more taped wires. "They might all be in one area," he shrugged, "but, I don't know."
Bruce nodded, and started munching on a burger of his own, "we've still got to check them all."
"Yeah, I know," he sighed. "It's going to take forever."
"You've already got it almost half done; it'll take no time with the both of us working on it. Don't worry, we'll get you back in one body, in no time," he smiled, assuringly.
"What if I do something? ...Bad?"
"You wouldn't do anything. You're still the same person there as you here: a good guy."
Tony slightly lifted up the corner of his mouth, "but he mind controls people. He's psychotic."
"He doesn't have his scepter to do that, anymore."
"He's still magic. What if he makes a potion or something?"
"I don't think Gods make potions," Bruce chuckled lightly, "that's more for witches. Trust me, Tony, it'll be okay. You're in a cell, there isn't much you could do, anyway."
Tony sighed, "we need to get a hold of Dr. Strange before we get this thing back up and running. I don't ever want to know what happened in Asgard. I'm probably hiding in a corner right now having the worst panic attack of my life..."
Bruce nodded, understandingly. "It might be good for Natasha to go. She's... good at convincing."
"I know," Tony made a face, then laughed. "I don't want her to know I'm in on this, yet, though. She'd kill me. And you. Then me, again."
"She won't be that mad. We just have to explain to her that you don't want to do anything unreasonable."
"You think we can get that many words out before she slits our throats?"
Bruce smiled, and lightly patted Tony's back, "I've got your back."
Tony gave him a thankful smile, and wiped his hands a napkin before getting back to work with Bruce.
When the sun had set, they had significantly lowered the amount of wires, to roughly two hundred.
"You can go back to the tower, if you want. Get some rest," Tony offered.
"No, I don't mind staying to help. At the rate we're going, we should be able to finish in no time."
"There's still a lot more work to do afterwards. You can go, you need your rest."
"It's not that late, yet. I'm fine."
"Fine, order some pizza."
Bruce paused, looking at Tony, "they wouldn't deliver here, would they?"
Tony grinned, "they would for their favourite customer."
Bruce nodded, and pulled out his phone, dialing the pizza place. He got half way through ordering an extra large pepperoni pizza, when Tony grabbed the phone.
"Hey, like Bruce said, we need an extra large pepperoni pizza, and I will tip you one hundred dollars to bring a six pack of beer down with you."
"U-um... Well, we're really not supposed to do that..." the man on the other end of the phone responded.
"Three hundred?"
There was a pause. "I, yeah, I guess I can do that."
Tony smiled, and handed the phone to Bruce to give directions to the kid, focusing on the wires, again.
"The thirty minute rule doesn't apply to us," Bruce chuckled when he hung up.
"Worth it," Tony grinned.
"So, after we cut all the wires... We should talk to Natasha."
"No."
"We have to do if sooner than later."
"We're not as close to being done as you think. See, these wires are live," he gestured to the wires covered in red tape, "but I'm sure as hell that a lot of them are hooked to blow up if we press the wrong button. I'll have to study this and figure out what buttons have to be pressed, and which don't - then we'll have to try to disable the buttons we don't need. A lot of them will probably want to relay, so we'll have to be extra careful and disable them manually."
Bruce stared at him for a few long moments. "Have you ever done anything like this?"
Tony shrugged, "well... I used to build weapons. I know how to do it."
"I think we should we be calling in some bomb defusers."
"No, they'd want to disable this entire machine... I can't let that happen, yet. Trust me, I can do this. I've already been able to get a few good looks, I have some ideas, I just need a few more days."
Bruce sighed, "okay... but you know, we should give Natasha a couple of days notice to convince Dr. Strange."
Tony groaned and laid back on the ground. "Fine. You win. Tomorrow morning... we'll talk to her."
"You're doing the right thing."
"Yeah, hard not to with you all over me."
"I'm only trying to help."
"I know, and I, uh, appreciate it."
"Come on, let's work while we still can."
Tony nodded, sitting up. He grabbed his wire testers, and began testing the wires, again.
"Hello?" a voice asked.
Tony dropped his tools and jumped to his feet to greet the pizza man. He grinned, and pulled his wallet out, grabbing all the cash he had. "I've only got two seventy," he frowned. "Bill me the extra whatever on my next order?"
The man nodded, accepting the money as he set the beer case on the ground, "sure." He stuffed the money in his pocket and held the pizza out.
"Uh, no, set it on the... err, Bruce."
"On the Bruce?" Bruce repeated.
Tony shrugged as the pizza man walked over to Bruce, handing him the pizza.
"Thanks," Bruce smiled, accepting the pizza.
"Thank you," the pizza man said, taking his leave.
Tony grabbed a beer bottle and opened it, while Bruce opened the pizza and grabbed a slice. "Cheers," Tony grinned, taking a large swig.
"What is going on here?"
Tony groaned, rolling over. He sat up, and squinted through the sunlight, staring at Natasha and Thor. "What...? Oh, shit. Bruce?"
Bruce waved his arm in the air dismissively and put his arm over his head, blocking out the sunlight.
"Tony, why are you here?"
"I'm working with Bruce to bring me back. Can I have some coffee?"
"Man of Iron, you know about your situation?"
Tony nodded, "you can't use my computer against me," he shrugged.
"You can't be here," Natasha urged.
"You need me, and I don't want to do anything you think I do, I can promise you that."
Bruce slowly removed his arm from his head, and turned to face his friends. "It's true," he muttered with his groggy voice.
Natasha stared, awaiting an explanation.
"He hates the idea of being in Asgard, with the possibility of Loki do something to him. He's been working non-stop to fix this machine and get himself back."
Natasha stared at Tony, then glanced up at Thor for his opinion.
"I think having the Man of Iron help would be very helpful," Thor nodded.
Natasha sighed, "okay. I'll trust you. What have you got done so far?" She walked around the machine, taking a look at the back where all of the wires were.
"Complicated. Need coffee."
"Fine. We'll go get coffee, but we need to discuss what you have and still need to do, on the way there," Natasha stated.
"Fine," Tony agreed.
Natasha extended her hand out, offering to help Tony to his feet. Tony gladly accepted while Thor helped Bruce to his feet. They began walking down to Natasha's car, and on the way out, Natasha took Bruce to the side. "You're sure he's okay?"
"I'm sure," Tony answered, overhearing. "If you were the one who had a duplicate of yourself stuck with him, you'd want to do everything you could to bring yourself back, right?"
Natasha nodded.
"I don't want to be there. I need to get me back safe and sound, as soon as I can... and trust me, I don't want to remember anything."
Meanwhile, on Asgard:
"Good morning," a voice greeted.
Tony groaned, rolling over - falling of the bed. "Agh," he tiredly muttered. He grabbed the pillow that fell down with him, and positioned it comfortably under his head.
"Mother!" Loki gasped, jumping out of bed, standing over Tony with the blankets.
"I hope I have not come... too early," Frigga smiled.
Tony looked up and glanced into the hallway: the lights were all on. Somehow, he and Loki had slept in.
"What time is it?" Loki inquired.
"It is nearly midday."
"Midday? How is that possible?"
"Perhaps good company makes for good sleep?" Frigga suggested.
"He's not exactly good company to sleep with," Tony objected, getting up off the floor, and sitting on the bed. "He takes up a lot of room, and he constantly yells at me."
"In his sleep?"
Tony nodded, "he gets hot easily."
Frigga gave Loki a pointed look, and he shrugged in response.
"How has Asgard been?" Loki asked without a shred of interest, as he sat down at the table.
"I have not been able to visit, for reasons other than tending to Asgard."
Loki raised an eyebrow as he opened the bathroom for Tony.
Knowing that Loki's actions were more than just kindness, he got up and headed into the bathroom without a word.
"What reason do you have?" Loki questioned, hiding the door, again.
"I have seen the future."
"Has it come and gone?"
"The most important event has."
"What was it?"
"I sha'nt tell you..."
"Why not?"
"I will tell you when it is all over."
"Why am I not allowed to know? My knowledge on it cannot possibly refrain it from happening; it would not have anything to do with me."
Frigga smiled, setting her hand on her son's shoulder, "may I suggest bringing the door back? I do not imagine it is good for his nerves."
Loki's eyes narrowed as he brought the door back, staring at her. "Why have you returned? At midday? You always visit in the morning."
Tony walked through the door, rubbing his eyes, as he silently made his way back to the bed.
"Your food had come and gone, left untouched. I wished to make sure you were both doing well."
Loki nodded, thoughtfully.
"Are you hungry?"
"Starving," Tony answered.
Figga smiled, and pulled two plates out of thin air. "Here," she set them down on the table. "I should be going. Take care of each other."
"What does that mean?" Loki asked.
"Stop thinking and eat," Tony muttered, sitting down at the table, stabbing his eggs with his fork.
Loki grimaced, staring at Frigga. "Mother, I must know what you have fore-"
"Shh. You will see, too, in due time."
Loki sighed, watching as she disappeared, leaving him alone, again.
"Seen?" Tony asked with his mouth full.
Loki frowned in confusion and turned to face Tony, "excuse me?"
"You must know what she has fore...seen?" he guessed, imitating the way Loki spoke.
Loki's frowned deepened, "I talk nothing like that."
"You talk just like that."
"That is closer to Thor - and not even he speaks like that."
"No, because Thor is like this..." Tony trailed off, shoving the rest of his food in his mouth, before standing up and smashing his plate on the ground, shattering it. "Another!" Tony yelled, deepening his voice as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I must celebrate this feast with my magic hammer! Brother! Where are mother's drapes?! I must wear them and speak like Shakespear!"
Loki stared at Tony for a few moments, before bursting into laughter, and Tony grinned, satisfied with himself.
Continuing his laughing, Loki had to sit down; trying to catch his breath. "That... was spot on."
Tony shrugged, "I heard about the smashing thing from his girlfriend."
Loki chuckled a few more times, before grabbing a glass of water, drinking the entire thing.
"You know, I never really thought about what a God laughing would sound like... I heard Thor's and it was more like a drunk Viking than a God."
"What purpose is there in telling me this?"
"You laugh, is... I mean, you laugh like a God."
"I am a God."
"I can tell."
Loki cocked his head to the side, questioningly.
"From what I've heard," Tony began, trying to explain himself, "if God did exist - which he doesn't - everything he does is supposed to be perfect, right?"
Loki slowly nodded.
"Err..." Tony frowned, scratching the back of his head, "I think what I'm trying to say is that your laugh is beautiful."
"You think," Loki repeated.
Tony nodded.
"I think you almost called me perfect," Loki stated as he stood, walking closer to Tony.
"I misworded that. I only meant beautiful," Tony breathed, matching each of Loki's steps forward, with a step back, until he was against the wall. "Perfection... doesn't exist."
"And they call you a genius?" Loki smirked, standing in font of Tony, looking down at him.
"I am a genius."
"Then tell me... what happens next?"
What happens next? They kiss, that's what. But something was different this time. Loki's breath was accelerating and Tony could feel his own heart pounding in his chest. There was tension between them and it was more intense than anything before.
Without another thought, Tony jumped to his tippy toes and closed the distance between them - and he could feel it. He could feel what was different through the kiss, and he loved it. It felt as glorious as winning a thousand battles all at once; as electrifying as a million fireworks going off; as breathtaking as drowning underwater. He couldn't make sense of what he felt, and that was exactly what made it so right.
When air became an inconveniencing necessity, they pulled away, staring into each other's eyes.
"I have a problem," Tony whispered.
"Hmm?" Loki questioned, only half paying attention as he gazed at him, playing with Tony's hair.
"I really don't want to leave."