Chapter 5
The Birds Not So Subtle Hiding Place Pt 1.
"I'm sorry. What did you say?"
The room got eerily quiet. Thor looked more nervous than Tony had ever seen him, but that wasn't important right now.
"Cause to me… I think you just said I'm his ashikabi."
A beat of silence was broken by a snort. Then the loudest laughing Tony had ever heard. His brown gaze drifted to the stupid bird. Really, he had never heard Clint laugh so much since he'd met him.
"That's amazing! YOUR the representer of Earth to galactic rulers!? Tony Stark!? That's the funniest thing i've ever heard!" Clint forced out with all his really unnecessary laughing. "And- and you've gotta work with Loki! Wait wait wait- Thor, how does the champions or whatever become a sekirei? Because if he's supposed to do this thing as a punishment, shouldn't he already be listening to Tony?" Clint managed to say with some giggles.
Giggling. Really. Go and fuck yourself.
"There's no proof that I'm an ashikabi!" Tony yipped in defence of himself.
Thor shrugged apologetically. "I think you are… we all fought Loki and he seemed fine, but once you showed up things started happening. Once you left, he was able to run fine again and escape…" He reasoned.
Fuck…
"I mean- but Thor! Come on! Me!? No way. There is no way-"
"Now that I think about it, he was running just fine from us, but once he looked at you he fell." Natasha added.
Tony's head snapped to her, his eyes wide. "What!? No that has to be a coincidence…"
"And when you spoke Man of Iron, the closer you got to him, even speaking seemed to cause a reaction." Thor pointed out.
"Did you dad say anything!? Th-the signs or something? Cause there has to be something wrong!"
Thor thought for a moment. "No. When it came to the other sekirei's, they were picked by the ashikabi, so no need to figure out anything. Each of the other realms already have their champions picked and have them figured out, so I wasn't told of a reaction or anything since each emerged the moment they were chosen."
"Which means… this might actually be what happens…" Tony sighed in defeat.
Thor only nodded.
And of course Clint burst out laughing again.
With a roll of his eyes Tony looked back to the tablet he placed on the bar.
'Upper east side: No Matches. Mid Manhattan: No Matches. Lower Manhattan: 80% clear. No Matches Yet.'
"Well… if I'm this ashikabi, then it looks like I'll have to go find that psycho." He showed the screen to the other Avengers. "Looks like he's near Mid Manhattan to Lower Manhattan. Give this a few more minutes and we should find him."
The others all refocused, Clint ready to settle a grudge, Natasha to keep her friend safe, Steve to do this job, Thor to find his brother, and Tony… to apparently play a game.
"I'll get my suit and we'll head out." Tony said as he walked away, his eyes watching the screen carefully.
"Then everyone else, suit up." Steve ordered heading to his floor.
Tony walked into his lab, ready to fire up his newest suit. Sure… Loki saw it almost complete, but now he'll get to show off the finished product.
"Sir. I have located a match for Mr. Laufeyson."
He smiled as the suit surrounded him. "Where's he hiding J?"
"Marquee New York, sir."
What?
"Jarvis, are you sure you got a match on Loki? Cause hiding there doesn't seem like the smartest choice when you know… you're on the run."
The A.I didn't answer for a second, a screen turning onto Tony's right catching his attention.
"It appears to be him sir."
Yep. There he was.
Loki was in line to a small club in mid Manhattan, talking it up with a group of 5 or maybe 6 people around him. He wore black leather pants, a black turtleneck shirt, a large emerald green coat that he wore at the elbow, allowing the coat to flow behind him rather nicely, black bootie heeled boots, and had on a thick gold collar necklace, thick gold bracelet on each wrist, with gold piercings in his left ear. Bastard was even wearing makeup. A dark smokey eye with green eyeliner that ended in a subtle wing. His nails polished a glimmering black. Half his hair was slicked tight against his skull, making the appearance of a half shaved head (without actually doing it) with the other half let loose. It seemed to naturally curl, but more than Tony remembered, it looked softer and arched perfectly at the right side of his hairline.
"He's not trying to hide is he." Tony asked sarcastically.
"Apparently not sir."
Tony watched the security footage as the group made their way to the front, not caring about the many people they were passing. A security guard was already on them, ready to not allow them entry until Loki smirked and walked to the front of the group. He wrapped an arm around the much taller man's shoulders and said something. The bouncer's eyes widened and he smiled, chuckling even as he stepped aside to let Loki and his group inside.
Tony's jaw dropped. He only got into clubs that easy cause he Tony fucking Stark! How the hell did someone who's only been on earth once slide into a club like he'd owned the joint!?
"Jarvis, link me to where everyone is, speaker wise please."
"They hear you sir." Jarvis said once each speaker was connected to allow everyone threw out the tower to hear him from wherever they were.
"You find him Stark?" Steve asked.
"Yep. And looks like we're going clubbing."