Chapter Twenty-Eight: Untitled
Loki followed Stark to the holding cell, still feeling morose due to the older god's announcement. Stark looked emotionless, his eyes trained ahead. Wordlessly he opened the door and went straight towards the Other. With a hard yank he pulled the Other out of its restraints. Stark's eyes glowed red before the Other went completely limp.
Oh, Loki had been expecting a 'traditional' questioning, but why bother when one could just go straight to the source?
He leaned against the wall, observing the faint twitches in the Other's hands and the way sweat broke out on Stark's brow. With no warning Stark dropped the alien. The Other fell back onto the table, shaking epileptically.
Stark made a humming noise, tapping on the ball of magic in his chest. When he turned to look at Loki his eyes were weary.
"Did you find the information you were looking for?" Loki asked. Stark's chin dropped slightly and he looked at the ground with a sad smile.
"Just a glimpse. I only saw a glimpse." Stark's hand drifted up until he was brushing his beard. "She's beautiful. She's always beautiful each iteration." Stark shook his head and chuckled. His eyes drifted back to the shivering alien on the table. "It should be conscious within the hour if you're still interested in revenge." Stark's tone was perfectly conversational, not a hint of judgment. Loki stared at the alien before shaking his head.
"No, I believe I am done trying to right wrongs that can never be righted." With a slow motion Loki broke the Other's neck, killing it. Stark snorted.
"Wish I had learned that when I was your age," Stark said. Loki made a sweeping motion and all of his discarded armor disappeared. "J, sanitize the room."
"Of course, Sir." When Stark closed the door behind them there was the loud roaring noise of fire. Stark rested his hand on Loki's bare waist and the younger god found it rather comforting.
"What happens now?" Loki asked as they entered the elevator.
"Now Pep and I pack up shop while you keep learning."
"And what does 'pack up shop' exactly mean?"
"It means tying up loose ends, gather or destroy all my creations, and collecting all my cubes." The elevator opened to the penthouse floor. "But before all that I need to rest. It's been quite some time since I've used up that much magic in one go. I need to get the smell of blood off my skin. Feel free to join me in the shower if you'd like, but I'm afraid I'm too tired to have much fun there."
"You sound very formal when you're tired," Loki commented while looking closely at the other god.
"I was a king once," Stark paused midsentence his brown eyes dulling. "I was a great king and it was very exhausting. Speaking formally when tired is one of the things that came with me unwittingly from that iteration."
"You've been a king. You've been a pauper. You've been a famous prostitute. You've been a Jotun, a dwarf, an elf. You've been a father," Loki said the last part carefully, gauging Stark's reaction as they entered the bathroom.
"I am a father and a mother," Stark corrected him, no bitterness in his tone. "Even if they don't remember me and were born into another family after my own they'll always be my children." Stark's hand fell away from the buckle on his armor that he'd been unfastening. Loki quickly took up the task. "I don't talk about my kids though, Loki. I just don't."
"Of course. I'd never push you to speak of something you do not wish to." Loki nimbly unbuckled the various parts of Stark's armor, letting each heavy piece fall to the ground. The older god leaned his forehead on Loki's shoulder, silently urging him to continue.
Loki tried to imagine what it must be like, watching everyone he loved die as he stayed strong and weathered Ragnarök. The other god's actions only became more confusing to him. Nothing could be worth that. Loki was glad that he didn't have any children, especially considering how short a life they would have had now that the nine realms were soon to come to an end.
Loki shifted into his Aesir form so that the hot water would feel comfortable on his skin.
He ushered the other god into the shower before stripping himself down. Stark moved slowly as he started out his routine. Loki quickly intercepted the action, depositing the dollop of soap into his own hands. Carefully he sudsed it into the other god's hair. Stark let out a small sigh and his shoulders relaxed.
Loki grinned proudly at the small show of trust. Stark allowed himself to be maneuvered, making it easy for Loki to wash away the bubbles and going onto the next step. There was a simple washcloth hanging outside the shower. Loki quickly picked it up and warmed it with water. He used the cloth to wipe away the flecks of blood on Stark's face.
It was so strange, having someone trust him to this degree. It had never happened before, but Loki found that it warmed him on the inside and made him want to somehow deepen their trust further. That sort of thing could only come with time though, and that was something they didn't really have.
Loki lathered up the washcloth before he began washing Stark's body. He glanced at the other god's expression as he cleaned each arm. Stark looked so relaxed, like he was sleeping. Loki rubbed small circles with the cloth over Stark's chest, but hesitated when he reached the ball of magic implanted there. He'd touched it before, during sex, and the way Stark tapped randomly made it clear that it was solid. Even so, the idea of being so close to the active magic of someone he didn't know felt strange. Regardless, he carefully washed the glass like surface and noticed that its hum was less pronounced than usual.
Loki moved to the large expanse that was Stark's back. There were scars, lots and lots of scars, and Loki wondered how he had not noticed them before. The raised skin and light pock marks spoke of explosions and shrapnel. Loki wondered if the scars were really there on Stark's Aesir form, or if these were just part of his disguise.
He moved the washcloth lower. Loki was so caught up in the amount of trust Stark was giving him that he didn't even think of how easily the situation could be perceived as sexual if not for both of them being exhausted.
Besides, it felt nice to just touch without any expectations or urge to turn things into more.
By the time they were finished Loki felt at peace in a way he thought unimaginable before. He used a simple spell to dry them off before pulling Stark into bed with him. He stayed in his Aesir form, not wanting to make the other god uncomfortable. Somehow Stark read his mind.
"No, I like it when you're cold," Stark mumbled into Loki's neck, half asleep already.
"Human bodies aren't meant to sleep next to blocks of ice," Loki whispered in response, wrapping his arms around Stark's torso. He felt magic glide over the other god and in the dim light he saw Stark shape shift into his natural, Aesir form. Loki chuckled and let his glamour drop. "Better?"
"Infinitely." Loki grinned at Stark's groggy tone.
"Good, then rest."
Stark made a humming noise and Loki traced his fingers over the contours of Stark's back. So the scars were real…
"Pardon the rude awakening," Jarvis said in a soothing tone, pulling both gods out of their slumber, "but Ms. Potts has finished creating a plan of action and is requesting both your presences."
Stark groaned and Loki covered himself with a pillow.
"Tell her I already know her plan of action. Tell her I always know her plans, I just choose to ignore the vast majority of them," Stark griped.
"Sir, this one is not her usual way of doing things. Ms. Potts is presently heading in your direction. Shall I lock the door?" Stark gave Loki a questioning look. Loki shrugged in response.
"No, let her in," Stark said while pulling himself up, leaning against the headboard. Loki hid further under his pillow, not wanting to deal with reality yet. Stark snuck his hand under the pillow and began carding his fingers through Loki's hair.
As always, the sound of Pepper's heels preceded her. Loki cringed at the sudden influx of light as she opened the door.
"Good morning, sunshines." Pepper sounded entirely too happy considering the hour and the circumstances. "Hey! Bad Tony! That is my coffee and you damn well know it." Loki peeked out from under his pillow and saw that Stark had a steaming cup in his hand. The God of Mischief chuckled, he hadn't even felt the surge of magic Stark used to steal the savory drink.
"Pep, you know there's an entrance fee to my room. I'm sure you can sacrifice one measly cup of coffee in order to tell me this spectacular, innovate, mind boggling plan of yours." He took a loud sip of the coffee and Pepper rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Fine, you old cad, I will get you back for stealing my coffee one of these days, even if I have to burn it into my memories and take my revenge in the next iteration." She glared at him playfully.
"That would be a lot less scary if I wasn't naked right now," Stark said and Loki snorted in an undignified manner. "What's the plan?"
"Divide and conquer-"
"So the same plan as always?" Stark cut in, his hand pausing in Loki's hair for just a beat.
"I'll turn that coffee into ice if you keep interrupting me."
"Jokes on you I like ice, in case you didn't notice." There was a brief pause. "Fine I'll listen. Regale me."
"As I was saying: divide and conquer, but instead of it just being the three of us let's bring the other Avengers with us. Steve and Natasha proved their fighting abilities to me and I found it refreshing to fight with someone besides you by my side. If we don't enlist them they'll just die in a few weeks anyway and that just feels like a terrible waste."
"Say no more, Ms. Potts. I like your idea." Stark sounded far more chipper than just a moment ago. "Lokes, what do you think?" The younger god froze for less than a second before he pulled the pillow off his head. He hadn't been expecting to actually be included in the planning stages considering Pepper and Stark had clearly done this together in countless iterations.
"I think that it is a wonderful idea. Though I worry that Hawkeye may not be up to the task considering he just purged two invading minds from his own."
"A fair point. J, how is Bird Brains?"
"Unknown, Sir. All agents once under the influence of mind control are in a location without any electronic devices. If Agent Romanoff's reaction is anything to go by then I'd say the treatment worked. Shall I call her to confirm?"
"Naw, I'd rather go see for myself. Besides how am I to make sure all evil mind gunk residue is gone without direct contact?"
"I shall cool a car for the journey. Will Ms. Potts or Loki be joining you?" Jarvis asked, clearly ignoring Stark's rhetorical question.
"I can't go. I still have to start enacting the doomsday protocol for Midgard," Pepper said, quickly pulling out a cell phone and leaving the room.
"Doomsday protocol?" Loki raised a single eyebrow.
"Nothing you need to worry about, Bambi. Would you like to come with me to the scary SHIELD base? If so I recommend you disguise yourself for the sake of simplicity."
"I wouldn't mind scaring a few humans."
"Then it's settled. Let's get changed and then we're out of here. I know small restaurant on the way where we can grab breakfast," Stark said, slipping out of bed. Loki followed suit, taking a split moment to admire the view before Stark got dressed. Loki summoned one of the female outfits from his room as he shape-shifted to his 'Lola' form. He didn't enjoy being significantly shorter, but this form would serve its purpose.
The drive to SHIELD HQ was interrupted only by a stop at a small bistro. The food was fresh and light. Loki was rather pleased with it until Stark made an offhanded comment about how he'd have to wait another thousands of years to find a place like this again. Thankfully the melancholy that instilled in Loki was quickly swept away by the annoying questions the mortals with cameras shouted out to them. Stark redirected their attention away from his 'date' to a new project he promised to release in a few days.
SHIELD HQ looked unsurprisingly mundane from the outside, the only visible security being a half asleep, overweight guard that was manning a plastic barrier that lifted out of the way of their car as Stark drove in. After some smooth talking and name dropping they were let in, only to be surrounded by armed agents when they went into the underground parking lot.
"Is this how you usually greet a hero?" Stark asked while taking off his sunglasses. Loki brushed a lock of hair over his shoulder, trying to appear harmless. One of the agents touched the small device in her ear, nodding to herself.
"We're to escort them inside," she announced, but none of them lowered their weapons. Stark hopped out of his car, tossing his keys to one of the agents.
"Put her someplace safe," Stark said before opening the door for Loki. He held out his arm for him. "Dear?" Loki scoffed but took his offered arm, pretending to be demure.
The agents were tense as they led them through various security check points. Stark refused to be scanned and threatened to just crash their whole system if they insisted on doing so. They tried corralling the two gods, but Stark was insistent, glancing at his phone intermediately to get directions from Jarvis.
Eventually they found their way into a large bunker with evenly spaced cots disbursed throughout it.
"Tony! Lola?" Clint spotted them before either god had a chance to see him. "Really? Please don't tell me that Lola is actually Loki, that I tried to actually flirt with Loki," Clint said while making his way through the crowd of mostly chatting agents.
"Yes, a wise move to announce the presence of the one that put all of you here," Loki mocked, feeling the room suddenly become hostile.
"Don't worry, dear. I'll protect you." Stark patted him on the arm and Loki made an undignified noise of disdain.
"Make no mistake, Stark, I am just as deadly in this form as any of my others." Loki glared at Stark threateningly as Hawkeye reached them.
"Oh I know, but you're so much easier to tease in this form," Stark explained and Loki narrowed his eyes further.
"For someone who has been a female and a male you're rather sexist, aren't you?" Loki made his voice lighter, more condescending.
"You misunderstand. You're not easier to tease because I think woman are easier to tease. You're easier to mock because you think woman are easier to tease." Stark winked at him and Loki could only purse his lips in response, taking a moment to contemplate his analysis. "Hey Legolas. You seem much more chipper. How are you feeling?"
"I feel clearer, like my old self. Though that stuff you gave us gave me a terrible hangover. I'm still supremely pissed at this asshole." He pointed at Loki with his thumb. "But Nat gave me the sitrep on everything that happened while I was unconscious. I trust her judgment more than I trust my own right now."
"Your confidence will come back. I'm sure of it." Stark patted him on the shoulder. "Lokes and I just ate, but I think a team brunch would be beneficial right about now. You in? Or do you want to stay cooped up here all day?" Clint snorted at Stark's blatant manipulation.
"Like you even have to ask," he said under his breath. "Let me just grab my gear." Clint quickly ran off, darting between the various cots.
"Yes, by all means leave us to the sharks," Stark snarked as various agents moved closer to them.
"You two can take care of yourselves," Clint shouted over his shoulder, rummaging through a duffel bag.
"Shall I kill them?" Loki asked, eyeing the agents and unlacing his arm from Stark's.
"What? And break what I just fixed? I think not."
"Hey! Are you really that son of a bitch Loki?!" one agent asked, rolling his shoulders and reaching for his empty holster. He seemed surprised that his gun wasn't there. Loki assumed it had been taken away when the news that they were slowly being controlled again came out.
"Yes, I am Loki. It may be relevant for you to know that I too was being controlled-"
"Bullshit!" The agent charged forward, arm inelegantly raised in attack. Loki sidestepped the punch, twisting around so that he was back to back with Stark.
"I bring glad tidings. The two behind all this have been killed. One by Stark the day of the final attack and I killed the Other yesterday after torturing him for a few hours." That gave pause to some of the agents, others narrowed their eyes in suspicion- Loki's truth only making them distrust his words more.
Three of the agents fell into formation, clearly having worked together before. The others followed suit.
"Look, I just killed upwards of fifty Chitauri by myself and at least ten times that indirectly. Do you really think it's a good idea to mess with us?" An undertone of doubt lingered in the mob. They looked at each other for reassurance.
"Iron Man without his suit? Yeah, I think we can take him, even if he does have a 'god' at his back," one scoffed.
"See Lokes, no one ever appreciates me."
"How do you expect to be treated like a god if you are constantly pretending to be a mortal?" Loki asked, carefully watching the agents that were edging closer.
The two separate groups attacked at once. Stark used an open palmed technique to redirect the different attacks away, unbalancing his opponents and causing them to fall. Loki used a more direct method of just knocking out anyone who got into his range.
Stark made a tutting noise as more joined in on the fight.
"I don't remember giving any of you permission to engage them!" Fury's loud voice shouted over the intercom system. The agents backed off immediately, like the good little soldiers and spies they were.
The double doors at the front of the large room opened loudly.
"Agents, fall back," a clear female voice called out. Loki glanced over Stark's shoulder and saw Maria Hill enter the room, flanked by four agents. The throng of people parted under their advance. By the time they reached the two gods Clint intercepted them.
"Hill, you've read the reports. They're on our side. And look, neither of them used lethal force to defend themselves and I know how fucking lethal he- err, she can be."
"Regardless of their actions today we still need to question them." She gave Stark an appraising look. "It's not often that SHIELD gets fooled, let alone completely dooped."
"Sorry, Hill, I already have a date for prom and he is smoking hot." Stark gave her a charming smile that had no impact on the stoic agent.
"Mr. Stark, please just come with us."
"Not going to happen. I'll make you a compromise though. Lokes and I are going out to lunch with the super secret boy band. Clint and Tasha can report in full to you afterwards." Stark held his arms wide. "That's the best deal you're going to get." Maria glanced around the room, weighing her options. She motioned for Clint to come forward before whispering something in his ear. He nodded in response.
"Very well. Just don't reveal Loki. We don't need mass panic on our hands."
"Spoiled sport." Stark made a show of pouting before grinning at Loki. The prince raised his chin slightly in a very regal fashion. "Shall we?" Stark offered up his arm.
"We shall." Loki responded, looping his arm with the other god's. Clint snorted as he walked by them.
"You two are such nerds."
