Loki and Mia...they really put their trust in the wrong person. He's taking them for a ride and they've realized it too late.
You dummies.
Next chapter! Basically, everything is getting worse.
Thank you all for the support, as always! :)
Pepper couldn't hear herself scream over the blasts. Glass was blown everywhere, people were ducking and panicking. Happy was over her, acting as a shield. But that didn't stop her from bumping the back of her head.
After opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was blood on her hands and the floor, turning a light color from mixing with the rain water.
"Happy!" she cried out. "Happy!"
"It's okay, Ms. Potts," he said. "I'm right here."
He was sitting beside her with cuts on his face and arms. She could hardly hear him from the ringing in her ears. Planting her palms firmly against the floor, she pushed herself up. Glass covered the floor. Others around them slowly started to stand and come out from behind tables. Some were asking if everyone was okay.
"What was that?" Happy asked.
No one answered. They didn't know, themselves.
"It looks like someone's outside," a woman behind him said. "They're hurt!"
Before anyone could even make a move to help, there was another blast. They all ducked, covering their faces, some brave souls pushing loved ones behind them.
It was slightly farther away, but it still shook the building, sending a gust of rain inside.
"It's terrorists!" another screamed. "They're attacking us!"
A few tried to run toward the door, but were stopped by others who were unsure if it was safe outside.
Sirens were in the background. There were sounds of pain.
"I'm going out," Happy said. "The people outside really need help."
"Happy, we don't know if there will be another bomb!" Pepper said rather loudly, her ears still giving her trouble.
"Pepper, they're hurt! We need to do something."
He wobbled to his feet. Pepper tried to stand, vertigo and slippery floors making it difficult.
"You stay in here," Happy said to her.
"No. I'm coming with you."
A couple of others were already surrounding one person on the sidewalk. There was someone else sitting on the ground. Blood was smeared across his forehead and he looked dazed. Happy went directly to him.
Pepper attempted to follow him, but couldn't walk in a straight line. She went to the wall of the diner, trying to keep herself steady.
"Ma'am, are you okay?"
Turning toward the muffled voice, she answered, "I'm not sure."
"Here, you should sit down."
The person held her hand and placed his own on her back to help her sit.
"Are you in any pain?"
"No. I don't think so."
Her heart was pounding and black spots were at the edge of her vision.
"Ma'am, your head is bleeding."
She closed her eyes, giving in to unconciousness.
oooooooooooooooooooooo
It was small and light grey. The Stark Industries logo was lightly carved on its surface. One could easily lose it, if they weren't careful.
Natasha turned it over with her fingers. This was what people were dying and getting hurt over. This tiny thing.
Steve and Clint had retreated from the room. Clint suddenly wasn't feeling well and wanted to be left alone. Steve wanted to see if he could get something out of their captive. He had been seething at Loki's words. The fact that someone would dare say they didn't care about his best friend wasn't sitting well with him.
So, that left her and Thor. He was sitting at the table, forehead pressed against his hands with his long hair covering his face. He hadn't moved or said a word since the phone call. Not even when Natasha had gone to get one of the techies to make the computer chip. She felt bad for him. He loved Loki so much, yet he was always betrayed by him.
"Thor," she said.
"Yes?"
"I'm really sorry about this."
He shrugged. "It is all right."
No. It's not. I can tell.
She replayed the phone conversation in her head. His voice had the same venom in it as it had when she talked to him on the helicarrier. Even though she couldn't see him, it unnerved her just as much now as it did then.
And so did Innokenti's.
Still, something about the whole exchange just seemed...off. Despite Loki's fearsome determination, he didn't sound so good. His breathing was heavy, even though he seemed to be trying to hide it.
And that "hello". He sounded so unlike himself.
"I wish we could help the people at home," Thor said. "I mean, in New York."
"There was another explosion not long ago," Natasha said. "This one was near Malibu."
Thor groaned.
"But we're helping now. We're close to getting Loki and Innokenti. Tony will be home. Then, we'll go back and fix what's broken."
"Do you truly believe this will work?" Thor looked up long enough to point to the chip in her hand.
"Well, I think there's a fifty percent chance of it working."
"And if they check to see if it is the real thing?"
"We'll attack before they get the chance."
He smirked. "So this is a punch first, ask questions later sort of plan. I believe I like this."
Natasha laughed. But it disappeared when she saw just how sad his eyes were.
For someone who was so large and terrifying, he had a sad face that could break even the coldest person's heart.
"What are you going to do with Loki?" she asked.
"Whatever I need to do."
"He sounded like he wasn't one hundred percent. Makes me wonder what happened to him."
"Aye. I noticed that as well."
"But of course, Fury said that when he first came to Earth, he looked horrible. And it didn't change the fact that he was still very dangerous."
"Loki's mind is what is most dangerous about him. He is one to plan ahead. We have always underestimated him. I will never make that mistake again."
"Which is why I'm only fifty percent sure this will work."
"I just feel as though this is too easy. We give them the chip and they give us Anthony. I know that this is what they said they would do from the beginning, but I just have a bad feeling that something else will be waiting for us."
"Don't jinx us, Thor," she smiled. "But yeah, I know what you mean."
"I worry for our brothers," Thor leaned back in the chair. "I don't believe I have ever seen the captain so angry. And Barton didn't seem well at all."
"Can Loki really warp realities?"
"Unfortunately, yes. His practice isn't perfect, but with the amount of time that has passed, I don't know how well he has gotten at it."
Natasha clinched a fist around the tiny object in her hand.
"If Loki lays one finger on Clint, I'll kill him."
She didn't look at Thor. She didn't care for his reaction. She had her own family to protect.
"I have no doubt you will try."
"Do you think I can't do it?"
"It takes a lot to kill one of us."
Well, that was certainly true.
"I used to think if I could just talk to him and figure out what was wrong, I could help him," Thor continued. "I did not want to admit to myself that he may just be too far gone."
"So now you really do believe that he can't be helped."
"Unfortunately, yes. It makes me sick to think of what they've done to Stark. I love my brother, but he is not the man he used to be. If it comes down to it...well, let us just say that Anthony is the priority here."
He was unwavering in his words. The circles under his eyelids spoke of the nights he had spent awake, coming to his decision.
Natasha walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders and setting her chin on top of his darkened hair.
He softly smiled at her.
"What is this for?"
"Clint says it's an inner pain reliever," she chuckled. "You could use more of these, you know."
He wrapped his fingers around her wrist. A tight hold, begging for reassurance.
"Thank you, Natasha. I really needed that."
She smiled sympathetically, patting him on the shoulder.
"You should go to bed. We have a long day ahead of us."
"A good day, because we will have Anthony back."
"Yes, so we'll have to have a lot of energy to celebrate afterward."
ooooooooooooooooo
Tony didn't even look up when the door opened. He didn't care anymore. He was getting used to his clothes sticking to his skin, thanks to the blood.
Really, it was something he shouldn't have to get used to.
"Did you miss me?" Innokenti asked.
Tony said all that was needed with his eyes.
"Sorry. Had to visit my dear prince. I haven't been giving him the attention he was used to. I didn't want him to get jealous."
Loki. Yeah, he was supposed to be guarding him. Though he wasn't even doing a good job of taking care of himself.
Innokenti put his hand on Tony's shoulder. He tried to shrug it away, but was unsuccessful.
"I have a surprise for you."
Nothing pleasant, he was sure.
"Your friends are coming to get you."
Tony quickly looked up. He searched his captor's face. Was he lying?
Or was this nightmare finally over?
"They're coming here?" he asked, almost breathlessly.
"Well, not here exactly. I agreed to meet with them. They were smart and decided to give me what I want."
His stomach sank.
"What?"
"They said they would, anyway. I don't trust them, though. Do you think I should trust them?"
This was a trick. Whether they were really going to meet with Innokenti or not, that question had too much weight to it.
The real question was, what was his best answer?
Did he say that he trusts them to bring the real program? Did they actually have it?
No. He didn't believe a word of it.
So what was he supposed to do?
"They are the most trustworthy people I have ever met," Tony chose each word carefully.
"Of course they are, to you. Can I trust them?"
He's playing a game. Don't let him get to you.
But what if he gave him an answer he didn't want to hear?
What if he thought he was lying?
What were the consequences?
What would happen if he told him to trust them and they didn't have the program?
"How do I know I can trust you?" he blurted out. "So far, you haven't given me any evidence that you wouldn't lie about this."
"You're beating around the bush, Mr. Stark."
"I want proof. One thing my work has shown me is to never accept anything without proof."
"Ask the liar."
"The liar?"
The gears in his brain made quick work of it. Who else would he be talking about except for the extraterrestrial mess in the cage?
"Yes, he had quite the conversation with them not long ago. Quite the sight, he was. He scares even me."
Loki talked to the Avengers. He spoke with his friends. He had no business talking to them unless he was begging for help.
And he knew that wasn't the case.
"I don't go on words alone. I just told you that."
"Yes, of course. Proof."
He pulled a recorder from his pocket.
Tony's face fell.
The sound quality was terrible, but despite the muffled noise, Loki's voice was recognizable. His words were cruel. Tony bit the inside of his cheek when he heard what he said about Clint.
What he said about him.
It made his blood run cold.
They weren't friends. Not even close. But they were on the same side, in this case. It was them against all of the others. That was what helped him through this, the fact that he wasn't alone. He had a comrade. Keeping an eye on him, even though he couldn't actually do much, was something that gave him a bit of purpose.
All of that, just to find out that he really was alone?
He had been in close quarters with an enemy this whole time.
Loki had said they must have put Tony with him to torture him. Turns out it was the other way around.
But why was he surprised, really? This was Loki they were talking about. He should have expected something like this.
Innokenti had a solemn look on his face. It was so fake.
"Betrayal is a terrible thing, isn't it?"
Oh, yes it was.
"Loki has been commanding us to do this to you the entire time," he continued. "Staying in that cage with you, pretending to be so hurt and sick, was all just to toy with you. A little gift for ruining his chances to rule this world."
Revenge.
That was an awfully complex revenge plot.
Tony tried to get a hold of himself before his anger got out of control.
"You told me before that you hurt him so much, he tried to starve himself. You pretty much hinted that you had raped him on top of everything else. That was a lie?"
"Yes."
"That's a sick thing to lie about."
"Sometimes you have to do some extreme things to get what you want."
That was an understatement. When they tried to escape, he threw Loki so hard against the wall, it made his head bleed. The coal he had burned his tongue with was smoking with heat. Tony had seen the top layer of skin peel off of it when Loki spit it out. That was real.
But then, he had said he could manipulate reality when he was talking to Natasha.
But his magic...and the arc reactor...and just the entire escape plot...
Was it fake?
Or was Innokenti the one lying? He just admitted to lying, so it was possible.
Tony was in too much pain to deal with this. It was giving him a headache.
"I'm terribly sorry about you finding out about this."
"No you're not!" Tony snapped. "You just love this. It's fun for you to watch people squirm as you manipulate them. I'm sick of your games! I'll tell you one thing, you are not going to get the best of me!"
"Okay."
"And that's the only thing you say! 'Okay'!"
"Yes."
Tony was fuming. His anger was so red, he could see it in the corners of his eyes. If he were free, he wasn't even sure what he would do. Only that he would bring that man pain.
"You know, I do believe that it's time for you to go back to your little home."
And he was taking him back, now?
How dare he?
"My friends," Innokenti opened the door and called for some of the guards. "Take Mr. Stark back to his room, please."
They unlocked his hand cuffs, unchaining him from the chair. He didn't struggle. No, he wasn't going to attack yet. He would have his day. Yes he would.
And Innokenti would regret ever laying a hand on him.
oooooooooooooooooo
Loki was so tired of that cage. There was no way to get comfortable in his miserable state. He was sure he had sores due to the concrete. His knees were killing him after spending so much time in that little rice pile.
Said knees were pulled up to his chest, serving as a resting spot for his chin. Despite being rolled up into a ball, he felt no relief in his stomach. Or in his anything, really. Too much time had passed. They had taken too much of his magic too many times. He was beginning to lose hope of escaping at all. Even if he did, what would he do? He doubted there were healers on Earth who could take care of this problem. His best hope would probably be to go back home. And he knew, that wasn't an option. Not if he wanted to keep his freedom.
Besides, the thought of going to the healers made his bones quake. But it wasn't the typically gentle doctors that made him feel queezy with fear. It was what they would find.
He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to calm himself. It couldn't be that bad, could it? After all, he was still here, right?
The familiar sounds of feet in the hallway arose. As he expected, Tony was brought in.
However, Tony looked...pissed.
And the sheer anger in his brown eyes were directed at Loki.
Loki growled under his breath, dramatically rolling his eyes. What wrongs did he do this time?
The drone wore a big smile as he left the men alone. What was he so happy about?
Despite the blood that seeped through his clothes, Tony didn't go to his corner in a weakened slump. He stood there in front of Loki with clenched fists and flaring nostrils. Actually the blood made him look a bit maniacal.
"You look well," Loki said.
"You better find a way to defend yourself."
"Excuse me?"
"What? Did I not speak clearly enough for you to understand? I said you better find a way to defend yourself, because you have one chance to convince me not to seriously hurt you."
Loki shook his head and chuckled.
"Stark, go sit down. You don't even...have the ability to hurt anyone. Even with...the state I'm in, the worst you could do...is trip and fall on top of me."
"Is that so?" Tony stepped closer to him. "Is that collar still working?"
Right. The collar.
Loki narrowed his eyes.
"I don't think you'll do it."
"Are you sure you want to test that theory?" Tony took another step.
Loki quickly scrambled to his feet, one hand on the collar, one out in front of him.
"Stark, think about...what you're doing."
"I've thought long and hard about it. You came down to our world and tried to destroy it. You wanted to take it for yourself with no regard for anyone else. Why would you suddenly change? Huh? Isn't that your thing? Manipulating people?"
"Well, yes. I still don't see what you're getting at."
Unless...
"Wait. Did Innokenti...talk to you?"
"Yeah, he did. He told me that this whole thing was fake. That you were pretending to be hurt and sick and you were the one that decided to stay in here with me so you could trick me. He said you were the mastermind behind this whole thing. You wanted revenge and this was how you planned to get it!"
"What?" Loki laughed out of disbelief. "Did he give...you a concussion before telling you this? After everything that has happened, you just run off and believe...every word that comes out of his mouth? I thought you were supposed...to be smart."
"I heard you!" Tony's voice bounced off the walls, filling the small room. "I heard what you said to them! It was a recording and I heard you!"
Of course. Yeah, that was exactly the kind of thing Innokenti would do. Bored? Why not start a civil war between the prisoners?
"Stark, you're going to have to listen...to me."
"Why? So you can tell me more lies?"
"You said you would give me a chance to...defend myself. Of course I...plan to take it. Or did you...forget so quickly?"
Tony stopped speaking. The veins in his arms were visible and his eyes were watery. This was a man driven wild.
Anger, terror. Kill or be killed. Or, at least, a sad attempt at it.
"I am in...the same position you are in. One could say that I have had it worse...because I have been here much longer than you. This man has...a sick mind. He will do things to people that...even I wouldn't dare. You cannot let him mess with your...mind like this. Now, with that being said, the recording you heard...was real. I did say those things, but..." Loki held up a finger when Tony was about to interrupt. "I said them because I was trying...to survive. Don't you dare let him tell you...that my pain is fake. I do not...want to die here. I will do what I...must to live another day. If that means making a few 'heroes'...nervous, then so be it. I did nothing wrong."
"You did nothing wrong? Do you have any idea the trauma Clint has gone through because of you? Do you even care how many people are still in pain because of you? Innokenti is not the only person in here that has done terrible things!"
"No. He is not."
They stared each other down. Tony smirked when he understood where Loki was going with that.
"Oh, you're trying to turn the tables on me, now. Okay I see. Yeah, I built weapons. In a sense, I still do. I had no accountability for what I was doing. I wasn't paying close enough attention to where everything was going and what people were doing with it. But you know what happened? I changed. I refused to let business men, politicians and terrorists use my technology to kill innocent people. I took control and used it to save them. What did you do? You told a man who was getting over his own personal demons that you would pretty much throw him back into it. You betrayed your brother, someone you don't even deserve, once again. You told them that they were selfish, when you are the most self centered person I have ever met. And then, you said you would torture me? 'After everything that has happened', as you put it."
Loki crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. He had a slight smirk that made Tony's temper flare even more.
"Let's say Innokenti told you to kill me. Or to actually torture me the way he did. Would you do it in order to survive?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know. That's wonderful. I'll keep that in mind."
"Seems like you...haven't changed that much."
"If I hadn't, I'd be right there next to you, watching you writhe on the floor."
"How dirty of you," his smirk grew.
"You think this is funny?"
"No."
"I don't know which one of you is lying. Mr. I Can Manipulate Realities."
Loki had a feeling saying that would come back to bite him.
"I told you...what happened. Whether you choose to believe it, well, that's up to you," Loki edged around him. "I'm surprised you...haven't tried to blame me for magically blowing up your precious city again. But, whoops, I would have to have magic to...do that, wouldn't I?"
Tony froze. All anger melted from his face to form into confusion.
"What did you say?"
"You heard what I said. I am exhausted and do not wish...to repeat myself," he eased himself back to the floor, rolling into the blanket like a hotdog.
"New York...there was...they...there was a bomb?"
"Did he leave that part out? How convenient."
Tony felt the air being constricted from his lungs. He had to reach out to the wall to keep his balance.
"No. No, he didn't. They...did you?"
"No. I have my own crisis to worry about. I had no reason to blow them up. You humans are the least of my worries."
Tony tried to gasp for air, but couldn't get enough. He shook, sweat beginning to run down his brow. It was exactly like those late nights back at home.
Home.
Where Happy, Rhodey, and Pepper were.
Where Pepper was.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
"No, God, no," was all Tony could get out.
Loki was curious by his sudden reaction.
By now, Tony was on his knees, leaning over with his head against the floor. His shoulders shook. His breathing was even more uneven.
Was he crying?
He wrapped his arms over his head, sobs escaping him.
Yeah, he was definitely crying.
"Stark?"
Loki sat up.
Tony's distress didn't lessen. It seemed to increase.
Loki may have gone over the deep end. But, unlike Innokenti, seeing a grown man cry made him uncomfortable.
"Stark?" he tried again. "Are you...okay?"
"No." Tony managed to yell. "How could I be okay?"
Loki shifted.
"Um, it's going...to be all right. I'm sure it...will. Can you please...stop crying?"
Wow, that had to have been the worse consolation that Tony had ever heard. He wondered if he was that bad when he tried to comfort Pepper.
Pepper. Just the thought of her made him cry even harder.
"Anthony...I'm sorry. Okay? There, I said it. I don't want...your city to burn. I really don't."
"So, you lied about that?" Tony sniffled, bitter, yet hopeful.
"No. I just said...I didn't want it to happen. Not if it's...going to turn you into...that."
Hope crashed and burned. But New York was a big city. The bomb might not have been anywhere near them.
Who was he kidding? This was Innokenti he was talking about.
Whether it was any of his loved ones or not, there was still death. And pain.
It was because of him and he could do nothing to stop it.
And there Cat Woman was, staring at him with those big, innocent eyes. Either oddly concerned or giving an Oscar worthy performance.
"Stop looking at me like that," Tony said between sobs. His voice was thick.
"Fine, fine. I am sorry."
Tony tried to wipe the tears from his eyes. It didn't help. They were like ocean waves when the levees broke.
Pepper. Happy. I'm so sorry. I was supposed to keep you safe and I failed at that. Rhodey, I just hope that you had gotten to your suit in time. Please, please have gotten to your suit.
I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry.