Chapter 14

Things…got better…after that….

I started talking again, much to the others surprise, Pepper and I kept the whole Trust speech a secret between the two of us, and neither SHIELD, or Fury, got back in contact with me. Thankfully. And three weeks later, I was more or less back to my usual self, besides for still being thin and having a faint scar on my jaw from Fury. And I was…happy…with everything…just happy. The others noticed my unusual cheery moods, and picked up on them, often grinning when they saw me. Even Jarvis and the bots seemed happier, being cheekier than usual. And life was…good. Until today.

"Hey Starky" Clint said, sitting down next to me in the kitchen where I was savouring the last drops of my coffee.

"Hey Barton" I replied and he grinned, "you know that's the single two greatest words I love to hear each day".

"Would you prefer if I shut up again?" I asked and he stared at me in shock. "NO WAY! Seriously, Tony Stark not talking for 11 weeks? Fucking scary".

"For fucks sake, you bastard, watch your motherfucking damn language" I said smirking and he grinned again. "Good to have you back Stark".

"So hows the su-" he started before an annoying beeping noise cut him off. I looked at him confused as he slowly pulled a phone out of his pocket, almost scared to touch it. Feverishly, he flipped it open, holding it up to his ear. A few seconds later, he put it back down, his face filled with worry.

"Barton?" I asked but he didn't seem to hear me.

"CLINT" I barked and he actually jumped before turning to me, "yea?".

He voice was hoarse and anxious.

"What happened?" I asked and he stared down at the phone for a few seconds before looking back up at me. "That was Fury…".

Great, what does he want?

"And?" I asked, "what the fuck does he want?".

I still hadn't fully forgiven Nickie. I don't think I ever will. Trust was something that had to be earned, and while I had never fully trusted the director in the first place, when he attacked me, all that trust was broken down.

Clint looked at me, actual terror forming in his eyes. And this was a fully trained assassin/spy who could keep on a netural mask 24/7. This was bad.

"Clint come on, what did he say?".

And Barton whispered the two single words I dreaded to hear. "Avengers Assemble".

I completely froze. "Avengers Assembele". "Kicking you off the team". "Cant work without you". "Your finished". "No hope of joining the team again". All these words flashed through my head in a split second. Pepper had said it herself, the Avengers weren't the same without me, they wouldn't be able to do everything while missing an important member. Who was going to fly up above the city to count the evil robots? Who was going to rattle off sciencetific facts about the guys we were fighting? Who was going to blow stuff up? The Avengers was a team of six. Now it was a team of five. And five is an odd number. If they split up, someone's on their own against some maniac who was trying to take over the word. It just wouldn't work.

"I have to go" Clint mumbled, jumping down from the bar stool. He hesitated for a second, before patting my shoulder, "I'm sorry buddy".

Then he left, leaving me alone in the kitchen. Or so I would have been if a tall, slim figure hadn't emerged from the shadows, grinning at me, his green eyes sparkling, "I thought he'd never leave".

I knocked the coffee cup to the ground in my rush to get away.

"Now, now, Stark. I'm not here to kill you".

"L-L-LOKI?" I yelled and he smirked, "who else?"

Okay, okay, calm down, just CALM DOWN.

"You could have been the post man" I replied, picking up the cup from the ground. I'm surprised it hadn't smashed.

"I always did enjoy your humour Stark, but not now" he replied, clicking his fingers. A second later, I was rooted to the spot, literally unable to move my legs.

"There. That should hold you. At least you'll listen anyway" the God muttered, walking forward out of the shadows. He was in full battle armour, his antlers in all.

"Hey reindeer games, nice of you to drop in" I said smirking and him and he glared at me. "Do. Not. Test. Me. Stark. Just because I said I wouldn't kill you, doesn't mean I wouldn't hurt you Just. Like. This" he said, snapping his fingers and the invisible ropes around my legs tightened.

"What do you want Rudolf?" I asked and he grinned again. I'm surprised his teeth weren't green like the rest of his outfit. Instead, they were a dazzling white. Hey, you learn something new every day.

"Well, why my little minions are running around New York keeping the Avengers busy, I thought we might have a little chat" he replied, sitting down in front of me. It seemed so…calm…relaxed…like he thought nothing could possibly go wrong. Well, he could think again.

"J?" I asked.

"All ready on their way sir" Jarvis replied, wiping the smirk off Loki's face. "The Avengers are on their way? Well…we'll have to make this short and sweet then. But before we get to that" he said, before hitting me across the face. Now, I don't know if you've ever been punched in the jaw by a God before, but it FUCKING HURTS.

"HEY, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" I asked and he punched me again, "that was for calling the others. The first one was for not dieing when I threw you out through the Avengers Tower top floor window. And this"- he said, hitting me once more- "is because I felt like it".

"Jeez you got issues" I muttered, spitting the blood from my mouth.

"Indeed. But from what iv heard, so do you" Loki replied and I looked up at him surprised, "what?".

"I know you Tony Stark, and you've got serious promblems".

"Says the guy wearing antlers".

"I pretend I didn't hear that. You've got issues Stark, trust issues, anger issues, PSD, fear of lots of water…and the list goes on and on".

"Your point?" I growled, glaring at him. He WAS telling the truth, but just because he was right, didn't mean I had to like it.

"My point is, is that your recent little 'Im-dieing-and-I'm-not-telling-anyone' stunt, cost you your team. You were kicked off the Avengers". How does he know these things? "And you want to get back in" he finished.

"Okay Rock of Ages, what do you REALLY want?" I asked and he sighed, "I'm about to heat things up Stark, and the way the way the current Avengers are fighting, their going to need all the help they can get".

"Your planning world domination, JUST to get me back into the team?" I asked unbelievingly and he nodded thoughtfully, "No…well, yes…in a way. The whole 'I'll-have-control-of-the-world' part comes in there somewhere. Your just an addition".

"Honoured, I'm sure".

"And I said id warn the Avengers, just to see their pathetic excuse of 'Protecting the World'" he said, ignoring me, before suddenly perking up, "oh, and by the way, your friends are here". He ducked a split second as an arrow went over his head. Hawkeye's arrow. How he had sensed it, was beyond me.

"How bad?" I asked as shouts from the team charging in became more audible.

"REALLY bad" the God of Mischief replied, jumping off the chair as bullets slammed into it.

"When?" I asked, almost shouting over the teams calls.

"One week" he replied, making his way to the window, throwing it open and jumping up on the ledge in one, swift movement.

"WAIT" I shouted after him, and he turned to me one last time, his startling green eyes dangerous-looking.

"W-WHY ME?" I yelled and he smirked, the wind blowing back his pure black hair, "because you're the only one I knew who would listen".