A little earlier than normal, but here's the next chapter, enjoy!
As always, thanks for all the continued reviews & favorites, they are much appreciated.
Tony was bored.
He had always hated big gala fundraisers and it had only grown worse now he was with Pep, as he could no longer find some random beautiful woman to fool around with.
Which left him with precious little else to do but mingle, and he'd already more than had his fill of that. Could he leave yet? A quick glance at his Rolex proved that, no, he couldn't. Pep had threatened to make him sleep alone for a week if he didn't stay for at least two hours, and it hadn't even been one yet.
He'd protested the punishment, of course, but she'd said it was that or he could have her for twelve percent of a month.
Tony really should have kept his mouth shut about her contribution to the tower.
"Anthony Edward Stark, fancy meeting you here."
The voice came from behind where Tony was leaning on one of the small tables at the edge of the room, pretending to fiddle with his phone. Pepper had made JARVIS lock it, but no one else had to know that.
"Hello," Tony began, reluctantly turning around before he froze in shock.
Karnilla!
For half a second, Tony thought he was imaging things, but no, there she stood before him. Her exotic dress had been swapped for an elegant purple evening gown, demure and yet highly flattering, hugging her curves in all the right places. A large silver and green brooch of a snake sparkled on her left breast, and she wore thick silver jewelry at her throat and wrists. The headpiece had been swapped for a stylized, but no longer alien looking hair piece which fit right in with all of the exotic accessories some of the other women present wore.
"Queenie," Tony replied even as his phone buzzed in his hand.
He didn't have to look to know that JARVIS had alerted the other Avengers, but he also knew it would take them far too long to get here. Meanwhile, his suitcase armor was in the car with Happy, even if Loki hadn't already proven to be able to take it to pieces. Literally.
Tony really needed to figure out that nanotech thing and he needed to do so now! He was sure once he did, he would work out where to store them on his person, so they were always with him.
"No, fancy meeting you here," Tony continued, surprised at her knowledge of Earth's idioms.
Loki truly had been teaching her all he knew of them.
"You think it a coincidence?" Karnilla asked.
"With Loki involved? Not even close," Tony shot back.
"Good, then at least one of you is able to think for themselves. I had wondered."
Oh, ouch!
"You know, I have often found it best to you tell people things directly, rather than dancing about an issue or merely alluding to it," Tony stated.
Karnilla gave him an assessing look and a little, half smile. "Only if people will deign to listen to you in the first place. Not all do, particularly to Loki."
"I wonder why that might be, what with his being the God of Lies and all."
"I see Thor has wasted little time poisoning you against his brother."
"No, Loki did that himself when he came to our planet with the intention of conquering it and killing innocents."
"And yet you will easily stand by one who has done so to other worlds and whom has a far higher body count than Loki's own."
"We have no personal experience of that."
"Ah, so Thor denies it then?"
"I didn't say that."
"So you simply do not care?"
Tony clenched his teeth in frustration. Karnilla was very good with words herself and he couldn't help but wonder if it was what had first attracted Loki to her. He'd like it a lot better himself if it wasn't currently being used against him so expertly.
"I would hate to face you across the negotiating table," Tony replied instead, knowing it was better than allowing himself to be pulled too far into this particular mess.
"She is formidable there," a new voice stated, and Tony glanced over to see Loki approaching them.
He had known Reindeer Games could not be terribly far away with Karnilla here. Like her, he had made an effort to blend in, wearing what seemed like a very expensive, tailored suit with a dark green tie and green-gold scarf which made his eyes pop. His hair had been washed and pulled back into a low ponytail.
What surprised Tony the most, though, were the three glasses Rock of Ages held in his hands. Karnilla took the first one from between his hands and then Loki held up both of the other glasses.
"A drink, Stark?" Reindeer Games offered.
For some reason this did not seem as bizarre as it otherwise might have. Tony supposed it was due to the fact this was not their first shared drink, as he had kept his word after they had caught Loki the first time, much to the rest of the Avengers' dismay but for Thor who had thought it only right after learning of Tony's initial offer. Some sort of host manner thingy, it sounded complicated, so he hadn't listened to the full explanation.
"Whiskey?" Tony asked, reaching for one of the cut crystal glasses.
"Rum," Loki replied. "I wish to taste all of your Miðgarðrian drinks."
Yeah, okay, Tony could see that as he took a tiny sip of his. Oh, it was the good stuff. Reindeer Games would have had to pay extra for it and he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know where the guy had gotten the money for it. Though he supposed magic could have been involved somehow. He already knew he was going to get a lecture from Cap on accepting anything which Loki had offered him, much less food or drink, but he just didn't see poison as Loki's style. Not when Reindeer Games had so many other chances to kill him.
"Well?" Tony asked once Rock of Ages had a sip. "What do you think?"
"'Tis preferable to the whiskey, but still very weak," Loki declared.
Tony rolled his eyes. Stupid aliens with their stupid altered metabolism. "Then try Spirytus Stawski, it comes in at ninety-six percent and should give you a bit more of a kick. Although, given your color preferences, you may want to go for Hapsburg Gold Label Premium Reserve Absinthe, it's only eight-nine point nine percent, but it's green."
"Absinthe? Do they have that here?"
"Nope, it's hardly legal in the States as it's also a potential hallucinogenic, but hey, it comes in your favorite color!"
"You are right, Loki," Karnilla said, never taking her eyes off Tony. "I do like him."
"I'm an inherently likable guy," he retorted immediately, even if he wondered whether that was a good thing or not.
Suddenly, Tony really missed his Iron Man bracelets, and he would never again allow Pep to talk him out of wearing them. At least until he had solved the nanoparticle problem and no longer needed the bracelets to summon his armor.
Where were the others? Further away or not, Tony would have expected at least Thor he-
Oh, right. Big Guy couldn't fly without his hammer, which was still playing tourist magnet in Central Park.
"So," Tony said, playing for time. "What are the two of you doing at a charity fundraiser?"
As long as they were talking politely to him, they weren't hurting anyone.
"I wished to see what court life was like on Miðgarðr," Karnilla responded.
Court life? Tony supposed he could understand why Loki had brought her here.
"But Loki explained to me how your Realm is all fractured and divided, and how this little part has no royal court," she continued.
"Nah, we rebelled against the king of England long ago and threw off his yoke," Tony replied.
"He must have been a weak king indeed," Loki commented.
"More like distracted, but hey, it worked out well for us."
Unlike others, Tony had actually paid attention to that part of US history as he'd been interested to know what weapons or strategies had allowed the fledgling colonies to beat the far stronger and better stocked empire. He'd been quite disappointed to learn King George simply hadn't thrown all of his resources behind his efforts to reclaim the rebellious colonialists. It was a bit of a blow to America's collective ego, he thought.
"So, what do you think of American high society?" Tony asked Karnilla, while he wondered where the rest of the Avengers were.
They should have been here by now. He knew the venue was a bit further out, but not quite that far either.
What was keeping them?
"'Tis frivolous and self-important, much like Ásgarðrian courtiers," Karnilla replied.
"But not Nornheimrian ones?"
Yes, that was totally a word.
"The great Norn court is much revered as one of the most productive and noble courts in existence," Loki stated.
Okay, was that pure flattery for his lover, or was it fact? Tony would need to ask Thor.
"I do not allow those who merely seek out the position for the prestige it brings them to remain in my court," Karnilla added. "No matter how much they may try to flatter me."
Yeah, Tony could totally understand and respect that. He hated sycophants too.
"You, too, are known for dismissing those who do not aid you in your efforts," Loki stated.
"Well, the last guy I kicked to the curb was caught with his hand in the cookie jar," Tony retorted. "But, yes, if you don't pull your weight, then you can expect to have to find a new job elsewhere."
He gave all of his people a competitive salary and awesome benefits, but they had to actually do their jobs.
"And how did one such as yourself come to perform seiðr?" Karnilla asked.
"Seiðr is magic, right?" Tony checked with a frown, glancing at Rock of Ages and getting a nod in return. "I don't do magic."
"That is not what Loki has told me," Karnilla replied, suddenly stepping closer to him and raising a hand to tap a purple lacquered nail on his chest.
Right over his arc reactor.
Tony had stepped back half a pace and grabbed her wrist before he had even thought about it.
"Don't touch that," he ordered darkly, adrenaline suddenly flooding his system.
It was an abrupt reminder that despite the fancy surroundings and the elegant outfits they wore, Tony was still dealing with two aliens here who could snap him in half without breaking a sweat.
Not that he was about to let that stop him.
He never had before.
Tony could only hope JARVIS had warned Pepper to stay away from them as he didn't even want to think about what Reindeer Games might do to her. It had been one of his recurrent nightmares ever since he'd realized how much better Loki was at understanding and using human technology than Thor. It was well known that he and Pepper were an item, after all, and she'd be such an easy way to strike at him.
"Ah, so 'tis true then, 'tis vital to keeping you alive," Loki commented, softly.
The god hardly had to be loud, though, not given what they were discussing and Tony's own vulnerability without his armor. He could feel his heart starting to race in his chest in response to the implied threat. The fact it was delivered in such an ostentatious setting while they were all playing at civility made it all the more sinister as far as Tony was concerned.
"'Tis surprising you would allow such an obvious weakness," Karnilla said, voice even and light as she easily pulled her hand free from Tony's grip.
"Is that what this is about?" Tony demanded, forcing himself to keep his voice low, even as he bit out the words. The last thing he needed was for everyone else to realize anything was amiss and to incite a panic. "You two pointing out yet another of my vulnerabilities?"
Clearly his words intrigued Loki as Reindeer Games' eyes brightened before a slow smile spread across his face.
"So perhaps not so oblivious," Loki said, clearly pleased. "What else have you realized, Man of Iron?"
There was more?
Of course, there had to be more. Rock of Ages wasn't just going to start testing their strengths and weaknesses without an endgame in mind. There had always been a reason to his brother's madness before, Thor had said, so Tony doubted it was anything less now.
"That you went back to Ásgarðr for a reason before, the last time we thought we'd captured you," Tony said. "There was something there you wanted or needed, and with your little spells throughout the dungeons you knew you'd be able to easily escape."
Loki raised his glass to Tony, another frightening reminder of how well and easily this particular Ásgarðrian was able to slot himself into human society. Like a damn chameleon.
"Indeed, I was there for a specific purpose," Reindeer Games admitted.
"Care to share with the rest of the class?" Tony inquired. "Or is it top secret, hush hush?"
Rather than reply, Loki glanced at Queenie.
"Óðinn had something of mine he refused to give back," Karnilla explained.
"Ah."
So, it wasn't just friendship or a potential love or sex interest which had brought them together. It was a deal.
That made a lot of sense given what Tony had learned of Loki from Thor.
"And what do you get in return?" he asked.
"I believe your expression is, that this is for me to know and you to find out," Rock of Ages answered.
Uh, close enough for government.
"Now, about your... arc reactor."
Tony had really been hoping he'd gotten them away from that particular topic.
"Why do you care about it so much?" Tony demanded, glancing about.
There were still no signs of any of the Avengers, nor of any kind of subtle evacuation.
It was clear he was on his own here.
He doubted it was a coincidence either. No, this had been deliberate and, no doubt, carefully planned. Tony clung to the fact that if Reindeer Games wanted him dead, there were far easier ways he could have gone about it. Not that it didn't leave all kinds of other unpleasant possibilities.
See exhibit Afghanistan.
"It blocked the power of the Mind Stone," Loki replied.
"Exactly, so why wouldn't I keep something like that?" Tony retorted. "Mind control magic free zone right here!"
"Ah, but 'tis also a great weakness, is it not?" Karnilla questioned. "Should anything happen to it... well, you would not have long to live, now would you?"
No, he wouldn't, but they did not need to know exactly how quickly he'd be dead.
"'Tis also what cost you the Tesseract," Reindeer Games stated.
Tony's jaw clenched as he thought back to what had happened in the lobby of his tower that afternoon. It shouldn't have been possible and he was still at a loss for to how to explain it. The best he and JARVIS had been able to come up with was that the pin had come loose, causing a catastrophic sort of failure which had resulted in a cardiac dysrhythmia. There was no reason they had been able to find for it to have done so, and Tony had been forced to write it off as an unexpected consequence of the stress the arc reactor had undergone on his little trip through the wormhole.
He'd replaced it with a backup immediately after, just to be safe.
The way Loki spoke though...
"If I ever find out you had anything to do with that-," Tony began, before being interrupted by Karnilla's laughter.
"You are blaming the one bound and muzzled with seiðr depressing chains?" she demanded. "You truly believe him capable of much."
"He got away with the Tesseract!"
"An object of great power. All he had to do was direct it, not use his own."
That had been what Thor had speculated, so Tony supposed it was true. Besides, leaping at the kind of opportunity which literally landed the Tesseract at his feet was entirely consistent with all Thor had ever said of his younger brother.
"If you wish for someone to blame, you need to look rather closer to home," Reindeer Games commented with a smile which clearly said he knew something Tony didn't. "After all, who would know better how to sabotage your reactor just so?"
Sabotage?
"What are you talking about?" Tony demanded.
"Maybe not quite so clever after all," Karnilla concluded, and Tony scowled at her.
"Now look here, Queenie," he began.
"Tony?"
His heart stopped at Pepper's voice and he immediately turned to find her frozen a few paces away, eyes wide and glued on the alien prince.
"Ah, the Lady Virginia Potts," Loki said.
That was all the incentive Tony needed to step in front of Pep.
"You leave her out of this!" Tony hissed.
Rock of Ages had the gall to raise his eyebrows calmly, as if offended. "Have Karnilla and I threatened-"
"Yes."
"Her?"
Tony scowled, certain the bastard had waited just long enough for him to interject. Loki seemed pleased enough with himself for it to be true.
"How does one go from Virginia to Pepper?" Karnilla inquired politely, as if they were nothing more than new acquaintances.
Pep, bless her, seemed to have recovered enough to give Queenie a cool look.
"There was an incident with pepper spray," Pepper explained.
Tony also knew she now carried near industrial strength pepper spray with her regularly. Much as he'd love to see if either Karnilla or Loki were sensitive to it, he refused to risk Pepper like that.
"Was there another reason you were here?" Tony demanded, coldly.
It seemed to amuse Loki who glanced back down at the arc reactor, allowing his gaze to linger there quite deliberately.
"None you would indulge my curiosity on, I am certain," Rock of Ages finally replied.
The words 'over my dead body' were on the tip of his tongue, but the way Pepper's nails dug into his hand was enough to still the impulse. For once.
He would not see her hurt because of his recklessness.
"Then I'm sure you know the way out," Tony said instead.
A change of scenery for this confrontation. I do always love when people who normally fight are forced to act politely around each other, it's such a fun dynamic to play around with!
As for Loki... he just keeps pushing, doesn't he? 😁