Chapter Fifty-Four
Warnings: Mild violence
Author's Note: My laptop died! RIP laptop; you did good by me. Anywho, this chapter took so goddam long 'cause of work and the aforementioned laptop dying. I'm a good little saver so I managed to buy a new one and though I make it a habit to back up all of my data on a portable hard drive, my last save was in January, so I lost a lot of what I'd had planned for this story. Thankfully I know where I want it to go so I was able to more or less re-write my plot outline. I'm constantly adding and subtracting ideas from this thing, so no harm done.
I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Dreamer
Stark bypassed his landing pad and flew straight into the penthouse. Loki was sprawled across the sofa, staring at the blank television. He raised his eyebrows and turned, though, when JARVIS slid the balcony door open to allow its creator in.
'In a rush?' Loki mused.
Stark's faceplate slid back, helmet retracting completely into his suit. 'Strange knows,' he stated.
Loki stared at him. 'Why do you say that?'
'Well, he was giving me some really weird looks,' Stark said. 'He either knows that I'm working with you or he wants in my pants. Given that I've known him for ten odd years and he's never made a move, I'm gonna go with the former.'
Loki said nothing and Stark frowned.
'Wait,' he said, 'how do you even know what I'm talking about?'
Shifting on the sofa, Loki pulled himself into a more upright position. 'I may or may not have watched the battle thanks to JARVIS,' he said. 'I also may or may not have teleported to the park when Strange appeared.'
Stark was glaring at him now and Loki raised his hands.
'I know what you're thinking-'
'That it was absolutely unnecessary for you to risk yourself just to eavesdrop on a goddamn conversation?' Stark interrupted angrily.
'It was absolutely necessary,' Loki shot back. 'I wasn't aware that Midgard had sorcerers- and an apparent guild complete with their own laws and leaders. I couldn't be sure what Strange was capable of unless I saw him with my own eyes.'
'I can take care of myself!' Stark snapped.
'I am aware of that,' Loki said, tone cool. 'However, I was not about to leave you alone with him, regardless of your skills. You forget that your magical training is nowhere near complete.'
'I can still-' Stark cut himself off suddenly, staring over Loki's shoulder. Loki didn't need to turn to know what it was; he had felt the shift in the air when Stark started speaking; could feel the way Midgard's magic hummed around him. He stood slowly and turned to face the portal that had appeared between the living room and the hallway that led to the kitchen.
Strange stood between them and a storm-drenched courtyard, the air suddenly heavy with the smell of ozone. Loki was more interested in the sorcerer stepping into his home, however, and his fingers curled into fists at the intrusion. How utterly rude.
'Stephen,' Stark drawled when the portal had fizzled out, black marks marring the floorboards beneath Strange's dirty boots. 'I wasn't aware that I'd invited you.'
'I did say that we'd speak soon,' Strange said. His eyes were on Loki, though, narrowed dangerously.
Loki knew in that moment that Strange was very much aware of his true nature; Strange had already figured out Stark's secrets and wasn't here to do anything other than confirm them.
'Stark,' Loki said and held a hand out. His form flickered as an ice shard melted into existence from his blue fingers. 'I suggest that you move back.'
'Lo-' Stark began but Loki had already vaulted over the sofa, black hair whipping behind him as it grew back.
Strange met the blow head on, having taken a step forward even as he twisted his right hand to draw a whip made of magic from the ring that allowed him access to Midgard's magic.
Ice hit magic and crackled, steam rising to shield Loki and Strange from each other. Loki used it to his advantage, swiping Strange's feet from under him and slicing down. His icicle caught skin and he heard Strange curse, felt the air shift again.
The world around him tilted suddenly, magic shivering as it wrapped around Loki and Strange.
'Loki!' Stark shouted.
'Stay back!' Loki snapped. 'That is an order, Stark!'
'I-'
Loki didn't hear the rest of his partner's sentence, too busy trying to remain on his feet. Strange had created a mirror dimension, a place where his magic was more powerful, where Strange could manipulate the world around him without damaging the actual physical world. It was something that all mages could do but usually chose not to bother with; why play with the world around you when it wasn't permanent?
The floor beneath Loki slid backwards- tiles, wood and concrete all following each other now that the laws of physics no longer applied. Loki stumbled but ducked Strange, the mortal trying to sneak up on him. He ducked again and reached back where the magic was concentrated, fingers wrapping tightly around Strange's throat.
The sorcerer choked, eyes wide in surprise as he grabbed at Loki's fingers.
'Do not think yourself better than me,' Loki said.
'I still have a few more tricks up my sleeve,' Strange spat out.
Loki smirked. 'You have tricks,' he agreed, 'but I am the God of Mischief.' He tossed Strange back and watched in satisfaction as the man slid across the floor, only to fall when the world tilted once more. Now the ceiling was the floor, the area between him and Loki spinning as though on its own axis.
Loki jumped forward and landed in a crouch, his own magic centring him. Strange was up, too, only his coat allowed him to hover between everything else, the world spinning this way and that dizzyingly while Strange hovered in the middle.
'Cute,' Loki allowed, 'but nothing I haven't seen before.'
Strange didn't answer, instead twisting the fingers on his right hand and holding up those on his left. He slapped his hands together and from his ring drew another rope of magic. With a quick flick of his wrist he had it wrapped around Loki's arm and pulled.
Nothing happened. Loki stood his ground, looking down at the rope curiously. It was made of pure Midgardian magic, a hint of Strange's own power coursing through it. The ring not only channelled magic, but allowed someone with a spark to access their own.
Interesting.
Strange pulled again and Loki slid forward an inch but no more.
'Oh,' Loki said as his own magic raced along his skin. He felt the cool tendrils of ice magic slipping across him, his skin melting into a deep, dark blue once more. 'Were you trying to unbalance me?' Loki asked when Strange tugged again to no effect. 'Allow me to show you how it's done,' Loki said and pulled.
Strange was wrenched from the air, the mortal hitting the ground and immediately spinning to the left, dragged along by the mirror dimension he had created. Loki pushed ice from his pores and watched the whip crackle, frost eating away at it. Between one blink and the next it shattered, shards of ice landing at Loki's feet.
Loki shook the rest free and watched Strange stagger back up. The man clearly wasn't going to stop, Loki thought as Strange once again pushed his hands together. Only this time he drew a shard that was neither glass nor ice, but rather a crude mixture of magic and will, Strange trying to create a weapon with magic alone but not having the skill to do it properly.
Loki smirked and pressed his own palms together. 'Let me show you,' he said as magic poured between his fingers. He drew them back to reveal another shard of ice, two inches thick and wickedly sharp at both ends. 'How it's really done,' Loki finished.
Strange flew at him and Loki rocked back on the balls of his feet. Strange shouted as he swiped and Loki met him blow for blow, their weapons shrieking as they slid against each other. Loki was far stronger, though, and much better trained; he put all of his force behind the blow as Strange slid past him and the man was once again sent flying.
When he hit the ground, Strange's hands glowed orange and he slapped one palm against the floor. The already rocky ground beneath Loki erupted, flinging the Jötunn off of his feet and sending him careening into the wall-
- the floor, the ceiling, the floor again and then another wall when the world around Loki distorted, shifted, remoulded itself even as he fell.
Loki clawed at the closest flat surface and pushed. Magic leaked from his fingers and a flat piece of physical matter, the square that Loki was on, stopped moving. While the world danced around him Loki remained perfectly still until he slowly got to his feet.
Hovering about three feet from him, Strange looked shocked.
'How did you do that?' the mortal demanded.
'Centuries of study and practise,' Loki sniffed. 'My turn.'
He reached into his core and shifted. He felt his magic leave him, only for it to manifest on either side. But instead of three Æsir Loki clones appearing, it was three Jötnar, wearing Loki's disgusting birth skin. Loki bared his teeth even while Strange's face grew slack with shock.
'Now,' Loki said, as much to distract Strange as himself, 'where were we?'
The three clones attacked and Loki stayed back, watching, channelling magic almost without thought. He had long ago perfected making clones but had never used his Jötunn magic to create them. They were sluggish, he noted, one allowing Strange to hit it, another missing a blow that would have connected had Loki thrown it himself.
He did have to admit, though; Strange was doing remarkably well. The man had clearly only been training for a year, perhaps slightly longer. While he was quick on his feet and fought with a similar style to Stark himself, he was slow with his spins, unable to truly keep track of so many foes. He beat down one clone only to take a hit from another, his shields barely blocking blows.
Shields made of magic. Now that was an interesting idea.
One shield failed but Strange was quick to replace it with a blade of gleaming gold, the dagger slicing through one of Loki's clones and turning it to blue flakes. Loki clenched one hand and allowed the other two to be vanquished.
Strange was panting now, hair falling from its perfect style to stick to his forehead. Loki raised his eyebrows when Strange turned to look at him.
'Are you quite finished?' Loki asked.
'Oh, no,' Strange breathed, 'I'm only just getting started.' He waved his left hand and the world once again shifted; tiles ran in the opposite direction, a section lifted free completely to zigzag through the air. But the floor beneath Loki remained fixed.
Loki glanced around, an amused smile twisting his lips. 'Is that all you have?' he drawled.
Strange slammed straight into him, having moved the moment Loki was distracted. A beginner's mistake, Loki thought as he hit something hard and gasped, breath knocked out of him. Strange managed to actually hit him in the face, knuckles glancing off of Loki's cheekbone only to immediately return.
Reaching up, Loki wrapped an arm around the mortal's neck and twisted, yanking Strange off of him in an instant. He twisted until he was on his knees, ducked the haphazard punch Strange threw at him, encased his fist in magic and did a little punching of his own.
He hit the ground and it blasted apart, launching both Loki and Strange into the air. They hit the ceiling but were pulled down against it by this world's twisted gravity. Strange landed in a heap and Loki on his feet, crouched but upright by the time Strange dragged himself onto all fours.
Loki stalked towards the pathetic creature currently sucking air back into his lungs.
'Not that this isn't delightful,' the god drawled, 'but I've had quite enough.' He grabbed Strange by the coat and lifted, ignoring the man's coughs. 'Perhaps you should think before barging into people's homes,' Loki commented.
Strange chuckled. 'Maybe you should think before grabbing people.'
The bright red coat was suddenly wrapped around Loki's arm and head, cutting off sight and breath and making Loki release Strange. He heard the man drop but was more focused on peeling the stupid enchanted fabric from his face.
'Loki!' Stark shouted and Loki heard more movement.
'Now,' Strange said, and there was the sounds of cloth rubbing together, of the dimension shifting once more, and then-
Loki felt the blow to his stomach but didn't move. He flinched when the next hit landed and dug his fingers into the coat when Strange kicked him again.
The temperature dropped dramatically, Loki feeling it like a cool breeze along his exposed skin. He heard Strange say, 'What the hell?' but paid no mind. Because this stupid... bloody... coat!
Loki dug his fingers deeper in and snarled as he released raw magic. The coat was torn away from him, the air around Loki hazy with the sudden cold snap that blew through the dimension Strange had created around them.
Strange was shivering violently, even when his coat retreated to wrap around him.
'I grow tired of these games!' Loki growled. He brought his hands up, skin bright blue and ice clinging stubbornly to his fingernails. 'I am a god!'
Magic shimmering beautifully and dangerously around his hand, Loki curled his fingers into a fist and slammed it against the ground.
The world exploded outward with Loki at its core. The twisted dimension that Strange had created caved in on itself, tiles and stone and everything else that had been sucked in uprooting itself and shooting inward. Strange was caught amongst it all, thrown up only to be slammed back down when the ceiling collapsed. The shards separating the real world from this one exploded into a thousand pieces and disappeared in a shimmering dust as Loki stood tall.
Strange was on the floor between Loki and Stark, Stark staring with widened eyes and Strange sucking in laboured breaths.
Loki rolled one shoulder and held a hand out, another icicle forming as he stalked towards Strange.
But apparently the Midgardian hadn't learned his lesson. He scrambled backwards and sat up only far enough to touch the eye at his throat. Green light made Loki's vision narrow dangerously, and between one blink and the next the leather holding the eye around Strange's throat had been cut, Loki's icicle buried in Strange's shoulder.
The man shouted in pain, but it wasn't as much as Loki had hoped for; the enchanted fabric currently playing coat for a mortal had leapt to Strange's defence, taking the brunt of Loki's blow.
Snarling in annoyance, Loki teleported across the room. He let his full weight land on Strange and enjoyed the grunt of pain the man let out far more than he should.
Crouched over the Midgardian, Loki wrapped one hand firmly around the man's throat and tapped the eye with the other. 'Do you have any idea what this is capable of doing?' he asked.
'Some, yes,' Strange coughed out.
Loki raised an eyebrow. 'You could rip this entire world apart if you are not careful enough. For someone who insists that he doesn't wish to unduly influence this world with magic, you are very loose with the trinkets you play with.'
'I've already saved the world,' Strange said, words somewhat easier to get out when Loki loosened his grip. 'Used this to do it, too.'
Loki hummed. 'I would suggest that you put it away and not use it again.'
A smirk formed on Strange's face and Loki tilted his head. 'You're so full of yourself,' Strange muttered.
Magic danced around Strange's fist and shot out, tendrils whipping around Loki and pulling him back. Magic was already wrapping itself around him when he hit the floor and Loki chuckled. While the net was crude, it was effective; unless you were Loki, of course.
Strange got to his feet and shook his head, a pained noise escaping his parted lips. 'I didn't know you could escape the mirror dimension without a ring,' he muttered.
The net had already wrapped itself around Loki's head and the mage chuckled behind his gag.
'And what's so funny?' Strange demanded.
Stark punched him in the head. The sorcerer fell to the floor in a heap, body covered by that ridiculous coat that fluttered all around him.
'Let him go,' Stark ordered, one gauntlet raised. 'Now.'
Strange rolled onto his back and laughed again. He cut himself off, though, when the magic trapping Loki suddenly disintegrated.
'It is easy,' Loki said as he got to his feet, 'to undo someone else's magic when you know the fundamentals of how it works.'
Stark was staring at him. 'You okay?'
'Quite,' Loki said. He rolled his neck and felt his ice magic retreat. Already the room felt warmer and when he opened his eyes it was to see his skin paling once more. Flexing his fingers, Loki turned to survey Strange, the man still on the floor.
'Okay,' the doctor allowed, 'I concede defeat.'
Loki frowned. It was Stark who said, 'You're giving up?'
'I know when I'm beat,' Strange told them. He groaned as he stood up, blood trickling from a cut on his sharp cheek. 'Besides,' he said and eyed Loki, 'I think we were both holding back.'
Loki said nothing.
'What the hell are you talking about?' Stark demanded.
'Really, Stark?' Strange sighed. 'We were holding back.' He said it slowly, as though explaining it to a small babe.
Stark scowled. 'I know that Loki was holding back,' the Midgardian said. 'You, on the other hand-'
'I don't actually want to kill either of you,' Strange said. 'I'm not a big fan of murder.'
'Just releasing crazy people into civilisation?' Tony questioned.
Strange rolled his eyes and stumbled over to one of the sofas. He fell onto it with a soft groan. 'Your suit packs a punch, Tony.'
'I should have hit you harder,' Stark muttered. He turned his attention back to Loki, who's eyes were trained on the sorcerer. 'Are you sure you're okay?'
Nodding, Loki said, 'It would take more than a mortal sorcerer to truly wound me.' He paused and wet his lips. 'Although, I must admit; I am surprised by how strong you actually are.'
'Is that a compliment?' Strange asked, eyes narrowed.
Loki chuckled and folded his arms over his chest. 'You were holding back, Strange, but make no mistake; I would kill you before you even saw me.'
Strange nodded, face weary. 'How can you escape the mirror dimension?'
'An understanding of the magic around me,' Loki stated. 'I also have magic, I don't simply channel it. If you have magic you can easily dismantle any dimension you find yourself trapped in, especially when it's created out of the Realm you're currently on.'
Strange nodded again and leaned back. 'Okay,' he said, 'that... isn't terrifying at all. At least it makes things easier for me.'
'Easier for you?' Stark echoed. 'JARVIS,' he then added and Loki watched as the suit collapsed from around Tony, only to piece itself back together once the genius had stepped out of it. Stark moved away from his suit and around the sofa to stare at Strange. 'How is the fact that Loki can kill you make your current situation easy? You do realise that I can't let you walk out of here alive.'
'Are you going to kill me?' Strange asked. While his words were light his face was not; Loki read the hard edge to his mouth, the grit of his teeth and narrowing of bright blue eyes.
Stark met that gaze head on, nothing about him suggesting that he was jesting. 'Yes,' he stated.
The two Midgardians stared at each other, neither backing down, and Loki rolled his eyes. 'Not that this isn't fascinating,' he muttered. Strange snapped first and looked at Loki; Stark continued to glare at the man. 'But why are you here?' Loki asked. 'You knew that Stark was working with me before you arrived. I am very curious to know why you didn't share that information with SHIELD.'
Strange snorted. 'SHIELD. Even before I discovered magic and became the Sorcerer Supreme, I didn't like them. They seem to act outside of the government, doing whatever they wish and sharing nothing.' He looked at Tony. 'Not sharing secrets doesn't seem very nice, especially when Earth has been plagued by aliens and super villains.' With the last few words he looked at Loki, who said nothing in return.
'SHIELD have a problem playing well with others,' Tony said, 'something they don't seem to realise when they accuse me of it.'
'You don't play well with others,' Strange pointed out.
'And you're one to talk?' Tony asked.
The sorcerer shrugged a shoulder. 'I've learned to make friends since my accident.'
Tony snorted and said, 'Yeah, right. So, wanna tell us why you're here, or should I just kill you and get it over with?'
Strange sighed and leaned forward. He suddenly looked years older and Loki approached his partner slowly, eyes fixed on Strange in case the man tried anything.
'I'm not happy about this,' Strange muttered. 'When I started getting the reports, the readings... I very much hoped that one of the Avengers hadn't turned against everyone.' He looked between Tony and Loki. 'You can't use magic and not expect the Sorcerer Supreme not to notice.'
'And that would be you?' Loki asked.
Strange nodded. 'We noticed the changes; powerful spikes of magic in New York, Malibu, wherever you happened to be fighting SHIELD- that wasn't hard to figure out, either, despite SHIELD being very close-lipped about it. There's only so much destruction a mage can do before we begin to notice.
'Anyway,' Strange continued, 'once we knew that there was another magic-user assisting Loki, we figured it was time to intervene. While we were happy to leave the Loki issue with SHIELD and the Avengers, another magic-user could be bad news for us. He or she was either from another Realm, and therefore illegally using magic on Earth without my permission, or it was someone whom I'd personally taught. So I postponed my studies and classes and decided to come down and take a look.'
He paused to wet his lips, eyes on Stark. 'Imagine my surprise when I showed up, only to feel those magical spikes coming off of you.'
Stark frowned. 'Magical spikes?' He glanced at Loki.
'You aren't spiking very noticeably,' Loki told him calmly. He saw Tony relax. 'But anyone with an understanding of magic and how to sense it will be able to sense you.'
'But Thor-'
'Doesn't understand Midgardian magic,' Loki cut Stark off 'He can only sense my magic because we grew up together.'
'But he sensed Strange's,' Tony pointed out.
'Because Strange wasn't trying to hide when Thor approached him,' Loki explained. 'I explained that I cloak myself; it's something that I'll teach you when we have the time.' He looked at Strange. 'I'm assuming that you can cloak yourself if needed.'
Strange just nodded.
'Thor was actively looking when you fought the other sorcerer,' Loki said, 'and Strange opened a portal between the fabric of reality. Even Thor, as useless as he is with all things magic, can sense that. Using that type of magic and travelling that way will saturate your very being. You never use magic long enough for Thor to sense it on you.'
Stark blinked at him slowly and then shrugged. 'Fine, whatever,' he said. 'What I'm really curious about is why Stephen's suddenly lounging around my penthouse instead of being dead at my feet.'
'For a man so insistent on not killing innocent civilians, I'm very curious as to why you wish to kill this one,' Loki commented.
Glaring at him, Tony gestured at Strange, who was watching their exchange with narrowed eyes. 'He attacked you!' he snapped. 'He knows, Loki! I'm not about to let him go just so he can sell us out and get you locked up!'
Loki's heart skipped a bit at the fierce protectiveness in Anthony's voice. But now wasn't the time to dwell on his developing relationship with the man whom his magic had claimed as mate.
They did have to deal with Stephen Strange.
'You make a valid point,' Loki mused and turned his attention back to the mortal in question. 'What are we going to do with you?'
'I'm very much for the "not killing" plan,' Strange drawled. 'Please,' he added, blue eyes wide in what Loki had grown to know as "puppy dog eyes". They were effective when Stark used them. Not so much when Strange tried to use the trick on Loki.
Still, he smiled slightly. 'Why, Strange,' he practically purred, 'are you trying to appeal to my humanity? I am not human; I have none.'
'Not your humanity, no,' Strange said, 'more appealing to your practical side. I'm assuming that you and Stark have few allies.'
Loki could see what he was playing at; so could Stark.
'You want to be our ally?' the younger god demanded. 'I don't think so.'
'And why not?' Strange questioned. 'I know what you're planning. As long as you don't try to change the world as we know it, I couldn't really care less what you and Loki do.'
'Seriously, this again?' Tony asked. 'I don't fucking believe you. We're killing people.'
'People who will no doubt turn their sights on me when they're done with you,' Strange said.
Stark went silent at that.
'I can't claim to know the inner workings of SHIELD,' Strange continued. 'But I know their type. They want to be in charge and they're very much against anything that could be stronger than them. Because anything with power, with strength, is a threat. I saw how they reacted to Loki- with good reason, of course.' His eyes found Loki's. 'You did come with an army.'
Loki smiled.
'But what's to stop them from thinking the same of me?' Strange went on. 'I have magic. I teach people how to read the world around them; how to see beyond the pettiness of every day life, beyond the physical. All it took was one man with some powerful words to almost destroy the world. I barely managed to stop it. SHIELD find out about that and suddenly they think that we could all do that.'
'Could you?' Loki asked.
'You said it yourself,' Strange said and tapped the eye hanging around his neck. The chord was frayed, about to snap, but clung stubbornly to Strange's chest with a little help from his coat. 'This thing can turn back time. I could trap this entire world in a time loop if I were so inclined.
'I'm not,' he said and Loki snorted. 'But SHIELD don't know that. I've done my research and I don't like what I see. I don't want SHIELD breathing down my neck, judging every action until they form their own conclusions. I'd prefer to nip that little scenario in the bud before it can happen.'
'Nip it in the bud,' Loki repeated. 'I'm not familiar with that phrase.'
'It means stopping something before it happens,' Stark explained. 'Basically Strange thinks that SHIELD might go after him; he doesn't want that, obviously.'
'That I understood,' Loki sighed and Strange chuckled. Stark scowled at both of them. 'So you would ally yourself with us to stop SHIELD coming after you,' Loki added. 'Something that may never happen.'
'I'd rather be sure that it won't,' Strange said, 'than leave it to chance.'
'A deal,' Loki mused, the same tone he'd used all those months ago when Stark had approached him with a similar proposal. Only Loki had been quite enthusiastic to side with Stark. He didn't know Strange nearly as well.
'I offer my services in exchange for your own,' Strange told them. 'A mutually beneficial relationship.'
'And if we want you to kill people?' Stark asked, an anger in his eyes that Loki couldn't quite place. He could feel Stark's emotions bubbling just beneath his skin but was unsure of their origin.
'I won't,' Strange said, eyes narrowed. 'I don't care what you threaten me with, Stark. I'm not killing people for you.'
'Then what use are you?' Loki questioned.
'Nothing happens in the magical community without me knowing about it,' Strange said. 'I am, after all, in charge of it. Yours and Stark's little plan won't become common knowledge until you want it to. You would have all of Earth's magical community on your side. Or, at least, not against you.
'I'm assuming that you have plans beyond destroying SHIELD,' Strange continued. 'Having hundreds of sorcerers in your corner could only help.'
'And in exchange?' Loki asked.
'You help us with any major issues we have,' Strange said. 'And you keep our secret, too. I'd rather nobody know that we exist. It's bad enough that I had to reveal our existence to SHIELD.'
'A deal,' Loki repeated, only this time he was interested. It couldn't hurt to have Midgard's magic on their side. Not only could they use Strange, but they wouldn't have to go hunting down sorcerers when they were done with SHIELD. No, all they would have to worry about was the Avengers and their allies. Every other danger would be off planet.
And, with Strange firmly in their pocket, his subjects would follow. Loki could study Midgardian magic, could use what knowledge Strange and his kind had accumulated to teach Anthony. Anthony would grow even more powerful than Strange could ever try to be.
'A contract,' Loki said when he'd sorted through his thoughts.
Strange raised his eyebrows but said nothing, waiting.
'You would have to sign a blood contract,' Loki said. 'It would ensure that we cannot betray each other.'
'What?!' Stark shouted.
'A contract signed in blood.' Strange sighed. 'That can't be dangerous at all.'
'What the hell do you think you're doing?' Tony snarled at Loki. 'Are we even going to discuss this, or should I just leave you and Strange to hash out the details of your new little twosome?'
'Calm down, Stark,' Loki said, 'we aren't signing anything yet.' He turned his attention to Strange. 'Draw up a contract and return when you are ready; Stark and I will have our own. We will go over the details and come up with something that's mutually beneficial.'
'Sounds good,' Strange said and leapt to his feet. He ignored Tony, who was now swearing and glaring at Loki with daggers in his eyes. 'I look forward to meeting with you both later.'
He held his left hand up and drew himself another portal, this one leading to what appeared be a large, dark entrance room that's style wouldn't have been out of place on Asgard.
'And Strange,' Loki said before the mortal could step through it. Strange looked at him. 'If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will know.' His eyes narrowed. 'I will keep you alive and you will beg for death.'
Strange said nothing, simply nodded and went through the portal. It closed behind him with a zap, a scorch mark on the carpet the only evidence that he'd ever been there.
'What the fuck was that?' Stark exploded.
Loki raised his eyebrows and turned to survey his partner. 'Excuse me?'
'We're making deals with mortals now, is that it?' Stark asked. 'All that shit you said to me when we first went into business together was just lies, right?'
Eyes narrowed, Loki said a very clipped, 'I have never lied to you.'
'Yeah, right,' Stark scoffed. He turned on his heel and headed for the kitchen- for what, Loki didn't know. But he was still yelling. 'Strange must be really fucking interesting for you to make a deal with him.'
'We,' Loki corrected as he followed. Stark was angry- no, furious. Loki could feel it on his very skin. His magic churned uneasily deep in his core and it was making Loki itch.
'No, you!' Stark snapped. 'I'm not making any deal with that bastard.'
'Why?' Loki questioned. 'Because he's stronger than you?'
It was a barb that hit home; Stark froze before turning quickly, eyes fierce when they found Loki's. 'Excuse me?' he growled.
'Is that what this is about, Stark?' Loki drawled, a tone he usually reserved for Thor. And he could see that it was doing the same to Tony; the Midgardian had drawn into himself, fists clenched and shoulders near his ears. 'You would throw away an ally over pride?'
'You're talking to me about pride?' Stark said. 'That's rich coming from you, Mr Nobody Loves Me, I'd Better Destroy An Entire Fucking Realm!'
Loki slammed Stark against the wall, one hand pressed against the plaster and one wrapped around Stark's throat. But Stark just grit his teeth, eyes echoing the fury Loki suddenly felt.
'Do not speak of things you don't understand,' Loki snarled.
'Oh, I understand plenty,' Stark said, ''cause you're as fucked up as me. Is that it? Strange is mentally sound, so you're gonna hitch your horse to him instead. Fuck Tony Stark, he's so much effort.'
And now Loki was... confused. His grip around Stark's throat lessened slightly as his anger began melting away. 'What are you talking about?'
'Strange knows how to use magic,' Tony said. 'He's already competent. Christ, you wouldn't even let me fight him!'
'He could have hurt you,' Loki bit back. Because while he knew that Stark could take care of himself, Loki didn't know enough about Stephen Strange to risk his partner's health. Not when he himself was perfectly capable of putting Strange in his place.
'Yeah, 'cause Strange is strong and Tony's weak, am I right?' Stark laughed humourlessly. 'You wasted so much time and effort on me when there was already a magic-user right here on Midgard. You wouldn't make a deal with me until I was immortal, but Strange gets one after a little fucking scuffle.'
'I am willing to make a deal with Strange so that he doesn't reveal our plans,' Loki said. 'I thought you would jump at the chance for more allies.'
'Not when they're sorcerers who my boyfriend likes better than me!' Stark growled.
Loki scowled. 'I am not your boyfriend.'
'Yeah, I'm beginning to see that.' Stark snorted and pushed Loki away. 'Let me go.'
'Not until you tell me what has you so agitated,' Loki said, not budging an inch. 'Strange knows the truth about us, Anthony. Nothing is stopping him from telling Fury what we're doing. Do you wish for SHIELD to come after us before we've reduced their numbers?'
'Then why don't you fight SHIELD with Stephen,' Tony sneered.
'Stark,' Loki growled, 'cease this at once and tell me what's wrong.'
'I bet Stephen would know,' Stark continued. 'I bet Stephen doesn't need his partner to jump to his defence. I bet Stephen would happily destroy bases with you-'
'I am not about to partner myself with Stephen Strange,' Loki interrupted.
'Oh, yeah?' Tony sneered. 'It sure seemed like you were. A deal, Strange. A blood contract, Strange. God, why are you fucking me when you could have someone like Stephen Strange.'
Loki slammed his fist against the wall. 'Enough!' he snapped. 'I am making a deal with him for us.'
'You're making a deal with him for you!' Stark shouted back. 'No input from me needed. I'm just a useless, pathetic Midgardian when out of the suit, am I right? Strange is so much better than me.'
'He is nothing compared to you!' Loki said with a vehemence that startled even him.
Stark recovered quickly, though. 'Yeah, right,' he said. 'I might get hurt when battling Stephen Strange. I bet you'd let him fight SHIELD all on his lonesome.'
Loki had nothing to say to that, because it was true. Loki didn't care what happened to Strange; he'd snap the man's neck himself if he didn't have any use.
Stark snorted. 'Yeah, that's what I thought.' He pushed at Loki's chest. 'Let me go. And you can run along to Stephen's place and shack up with him.'
Loki growled, 'I am not shacking up with that pathetic mortal.'
'And why not?' Tony spat, eyes blazing, fingers clenched where they were still pushed against Loki's unmovable chest. 'I think we've already established that he's fucking better than me.'
'He-' Loki tried, but Stark kept talking.
'He's stronger, he knows more about magic, and you'll make a deal with him even though he's mortal,' Tony sneered. 'So why the fuck wouldn't you work with him over me-'
Loki slammed both fists against the wall, caging Tony between his arms. He bent down to hiss at the stupid Midgardian who thought that Loki could replace him with anyone when Loki's very magic screamed for him.
'Because I'm not in love with Stephen Strange!' Loki shouted.
The words rang in Loki's ears and he watched Stark's eyes widen. The hands against his chest drooped, fingers lax and nails catching on Loki's t-shirt.
'Oh,' Anthony breathed.
