This chapter did not want to be written. It fought. I fought. We doctored our wounds. We fought some more. With a little help from duct tape, I wrestled it into submission, and then dragged it, kicking and screaming, into the world. It's short.

Sorry for the long delay between updates! I rewrote the beginning of this chapter about 20 times, because it just wasn't working. Grr….hope you like it. Next update will be in a more timely fashion.

It was not possible that Justin Hammer had masterminded this elaborate plot. The man screamed like a girl and ran for his life when the Avengers popped into existence in his secret staging warehouse.

Loki staggered to a wall and slid down it while the Avengers sprang into action. He was becoming entirely too familiar with feeling drained. Jumping eight people, well, Hulk counted as at least two, so nine people plus himself had effectively taken him out of the fight.

Thor spared a brief glance his way, but Loki waved him off. "I am fine. Help them."

He watched the supposed mastermind run toward an exit at the opposite end of the warehouse, screaming the whole way. Apparently it hadn't occurred to the man that Tony Stark had friends. Loki reached out with his remaining strength to magically seal the doors. Justin Hammer would answer for what he had done.

"HAMMER!" Stark bellowed. He took to the air, staggering his teammates back a step.

Justin Hammer looked over his shoulder, bleated in terror, and tried to run faster.

Loki smirked, waiting for the moment when the weasel-like man realized he was trapped. He watched Hammer plow into the door, expecting it to open, and smash his face against the surface when the door did not open. Blood blossomed on the light color of the door, and Hammer fell backward with a howl, nose gushing.

Stark's roar of triumph was very loud. He swooped down out of the air and picked Hammer up with one hand, bunching the man's shirt in his iron fist.

"How did you get out of prison, you little weasel? Where's Pepper? Did you really think I wouldn't find you and tear you apart?"

Hammer's associates were giving a token fight to the other Avengers, but they were clearly unnerved by Hulk. They weren't trying very hard. Stark was shaking their boss and yelling insults at him.

Loki prided himself on his alertness on a battlefield. So the fact that Pepper Potts managed to casually stroll to his side without him noticing was quite embarrassing. One moment he was watching Tony Stark, faceplate now up, smacking a screaming Justin Hammer lightly, insultingly, while his teammates looked on. Grinning with sheer malicious enjoyment. The next moment, Pepper leaned over into his field of view.

It was so sudden and unexpected that Loki tried to scramble to his feet while jumping to one side. The end result was that his feet scooted out from under him and he landed on his rear with a resounding thump. The God of Mischief snuck several shamed glances at the Avengers, to make sure they hadn't just seen that remarkable display of grace, and then looked up at Pepper.

"Pepper! You are not hurt?"

She looked like she was trying to hold in a laugh at the normally graceful God of Mischief, one hand held to her mouth, and eyes crinkled in mirth. To allow him some measure of dignity, she faked a polite cough, and then lowered her hand. "I'm dirty and I just want to get a shower, fresh clothes, and get to the office to see what's gone wrong so far today." She heaved a huge sigh, and looked toward the far end of the warehouse. "Is Tony going to be bitch-slapping Hammer for much longer?"

Loki choked in surprise. Pepper was usually so contained. It was quite amusing to hear her cut loose a little. "I believe he will eventually move on to stripping the man naked and flying him through the city." He chuckled. "Well, that is what I would do. Tony has shown remarkable restraint so far. I initially thought that he would tear Hammer apart." He pushed himself up off the floor, grateful when he didn't sway.

Pepper scowled, still staring at the humiliation taking place at the other end of the warehouse. "I would not object to a little tearing. I'm dirty. My shoes are scuffed. They cost more than I want to think about, and now they're scuffed!" Her tone was scandalized. "Should I call a halt to this?"

"I would not recommend it," Loki cautioned. "Tony needs to release some of his feelings in a non-homicidal way. Be gentle with him, please."

The unshakable Miss Potts gaped at him, her mouth open in an O of astonishment. "Be gentle with Tony? He's Iron Man inside too, you know."

"When he thought you were dead…it destroyed him. He hides his feelings well, but they run deep. Please be gentle with him."

Pepper softened. "He does care."

"Of course he does. He is not the best at showing his feelings, but you are the center of his world."

She smiled softly, eyes straying back to the end of the warehouse. Hammer's minions had given up easily, as soon as their boss was off his feet. They were watching with some amusement as Tony Stark continued to administer the bitch slapping.

"That's nice to know. Hammer didn't mastermind this. He was supposed to deliver me to someone else." Pepper's tone became very strained. "Whoever he was working for was going to use me as bait for Tony. I don't think…my head would have been real, then."

Loki strongly suspected she was right. Justin Hammer was merely an ineffectual tool. Was it possible that this was a trap?

When he voiced that thought to Pepper, she disagreed. "I don't think so. Hammer wasn't supposed to stick around after he had me. But he couldn't help himself. He wanted to see Tony in pain, so he waited. So he could watch."

"So who is the real enemy?"

"We'll find out eventually," Pepper mused. Then her eyes widened. "Oh my. I think he's about to…" she trailed off and turned red, averting her eyes.

Loki looked. And then wished he hadn't. Justin Hammer's Joe Boxer-clad ass was not something he wanted to see. The man was still screaming like a woman, face cheeks red from the bitch slapping, and now almost naked, stripped down to his briefs and socks.

"I'll be back!" Stark called jovially, and blasted the warehouse door open with one of his repulsors. Hmm…good to know. The magic seal had still been on the door, so the anti-Loki shield Stark had built into his suit worked with the repulsor blasts too. Good thing Loki hadn't allowed himself to get shot in the showdown in Pepper's office.

Pepper hid her face in her hands as Iron Man flew out of the warehouse, almost-naked Justin Hammer dangling from his hands. "Oh my. That's going to make headlines."

Fury wasn't exactly happy that Stark had stripped Hammer down to his briefs before taking him to the police, but he seemed to understand the need. He tersely instructed Hammer's minions to sit on the floor of the warehouse, and Coulson walked around collecting weapons and securing their wrists with plastic ties while the other Avengers stood around looking like they really wanted someone to misbehave. At some point, Natasha holstered her gun and glanced toward the other end of the warehouse.

"Pepper!" she cried, which brought everyone else's attention.

Pepper moved toward them, and Loki walked with her, trying to pull himself up and walk like a prince, but lacking the energy. He was slouching and dragging his feet, looking more like a conquered and whipped villain.

As the other Avengers crowded around Pepper, Thor came to Loki. "Perhaps you should sit and rest," he suggested tactfully.

Loki could not stop the ironic laugh that came bubbling up out of him. "Looking particularly ragged right now, am I?"

Thor cracked a grin. "I have seen you look worse, brother. But you do appear as if you need to rest."

"I will. But I wish to see Tony's reunion with Pepper first. I do no believe that he saw her before he took off with Hammer."

Thor's smile was huge. "What you did, going to Stark first and calming him prior to our arrival, was very noble."

Loki hung his head. "Yes, well, I did not want to experience the fallout that would come from an Avengers vs Iron Man battle."

"If it makes you feel better to believe that was your reason…" Thor trailed off, but he was smirking.

Loki growled. "Really, brother? Trying to be cute?"

"I do not have to try, Loki."

They bantered back and forth easily while Pepper talked quietly to the others. Coulson was on the phone, most likely with authorities, and Fury was crouched down beside the detainees, interrogating them.

They were all waiting, rather impatiently, for Stark to return.

Finally, they heard the sound of Iron Man approaching, and then landing, outside. Loki wasn't sure about the others, but he felt a wicked sense of anticipation. Tony Stark had been so broken when he thought that Pepper was dead. He was trying to picture what Stark's reaction would be when he saw the center of his world – alive and well.

Faceplate up, Stark marched into the warehouse with an almost jovial strut. "Hammer was officially humiliated and flown almost naked through the city. It's a good day. Did anyone find…" He trailed off when he saw Pepper standing beside Natasha. His smile was a little hesitant and tremulous. "Pepper? You all right?"

Pepper moved toward him briskly. "I am, Tony. Thank you for coming after me so quickly."

Stark's expression was a little like a deer caught in headlights. "Of course. You…you're my control, my directional. Without you, I would just bounce around without focus."

Pepper stopped right in front of him. "Thank you Tony."

Tony leaned forward to press his forehead against hers. "I would have killed him very painfully, if he'd hurt you. Instead I just humiliated him a little."

"That's fine," Pepper answered him softly, leaning into his lean. "He didn't hurt me. But I am dirty, I just want to get a shower, fresh clothes, and get to the office to see what's gone wrong so far today."

There was no mistaking the sheer panic as Stark's eyes widened. He drew back. "I thought you'd been decapitated, you know."

"Yes, Hammer kept gloating about it." Pepper managed a small smile. "It was very cruel of him to do that."

Tony dragged a hand through his hair. "I didn't know that it wasn't really your head. I was a little upset."

Pepper seemed to recognize that tone. "Tony what did you do?"

"You wanted to re-decorate, right? I heard you mention it a couple of times. You wanted to expel my ego-boosting décor."

"Tony what did you do?"

"I was upset," he explained in a rush. "And I was alone in your office with a fake head that I thought was yours and I…I was really upset."

Pepper's eyes were impossibly wide. "What did you do to my office, Tony?"

"You'll have to redecorate now. Spend whatever you want, of course."

Pepper's expression, as she turned to look at the other Avengers, had everyone ducking their heads in guilt. "What did he do to my office?"

"It's completely destroyed," Loki told her, as gently as he could.

"Look at the bright side," Stark offered with forced brevity. "You get to redecorate!" He winced. "You may have to hire some new help too. I think I scared some people."

Pepper blinked. "You destroyed my office?"

"Completely," Bruce confirmed softly. "I Hulked and didn't have anything to break."

"Chairs!" Stark blurted, turning to Loki. "You saved some chairs! You sent them away."

Loki grimaced. "They will not be coming back from where I sent them. I am sorry, Pepper. But I was tired of having furniture thrown at me."

For a moment, everyone held their breath, waiting for Pepper's freak out to begin. She was certainly due for a freak out after being kidnapped. A whole gamut of emotions seemed to pass through the woman as she stared at her billionaire boyfriend, and then she finally wilted a little.

"Take me home, Tony. I want to shower and get fresh clothes. I'm taking the rest of the day off."

Only Pepper Potts could follow up a traumatic experience by merely taking the day off work.

Tony snapped his faceplate down and scooped her up, ignoring Pepper's startled squawk. "Hold tight, sweetheart," he told her.

Pepper laced her arms around his neck. "Thank you all," she called before Iron Man blasted off.

As sirens were heard outside, Fury popped to his feet, looking both extremely satisfied, and worried. "You did a good job today team," he praised. "Go ahead and get out of here. Go celebrate."

The others looked expectantly at Loki, and he only laughed. "There is no way I can jump all of you again. We will need to walk back to the Quinjet."

Barton stuck his head out the warehouse door. "Headquarters is closer. We can send a lackey for the Quinjet." He grinned.

They didn't make it to Headquarters right away as Thor insisted on a brief celebration. The occupants of the local bar they invaded were a little stunned at first, but quickly adapted and bought them all drinks. The highlight of their celebration was the very off-key duet between Thor and Barton singing an Asgardian drinking song that Thor had taught all of them.

Loki thought it would be days before his ears recovered.