Author's Note: Nope, I will probably not repost this in AO3 because honestly, they spam me with so many privacy notices etc every single time I try to read something there, so posting there is not a good option for me. To other commenters, you do know this is an angst adventure story :) but don't worry, it will get better, one way or another.

Chapter 9

Stark never came back for his drink. In fact, Banner followed him to help out with the formula to the basement and from there, they spent 2 hours formulating rough draft for equations, some error speculations and design inputs. Afterward, they came out looking haggard. In the main foyer, Nathalie was on the phone discreetly at the side. Thor was gripping his hammer as if it had all the answers and Steve asked questions to Clinton, trying to gain pieces of information about what will happen next. Yet, Clinton invaded the questions and kept himself distracted with his bow and arrows.

Banner looked at the time and frowned. "I'm going to check if the sedative is still working. Maybe increase the dosage since it looks like it will take a while to make the anti mind gem conduit."

Stark replied back with a grunt and sprawled on the couch. Then, he glanced at his watch. "Well, look at the time." He tapped his watch in deep thought. Then he grinned.

"So, anyone still up for that shawarma?"

After a good meal of Shawarma, Clinton and Nathalie left to wash up and report back to SHIELD. Steve offered Stark if he needed a place to stay which Stark bluntly refused. "I have broken windows and shattered floors. It's not the end of the world." Stark murmured under his breath. Steve also opened the gesture to Banner but Banner had to refuse as well because he had to keep watch on Loki's status. It was given that Thor, would also stay. Thor did not bother to ask but Stark was too tired to argue.

"Oh goodie, a sleepover," Stark said with sarcastic enthusiasm. "I would be overjoyed if I wasn't housing alien gods and uh-" he glanced at Banner and swallowed a retort. "A brilliant scientist by my side."

"What is a sleepover?" Thor asked.

"It's when you go to your friend's house and stay for the night," Stark explained tiredly.

"I do not sleep with a man even if one is my friend." Thor frowned in disgust, each word dripping with distastefulness.

"Ugh! That's not what I mean. Just, think it as only staying for the night and nothing else!"

Stark thought about Pepper and missed her, badly.

Banner checked the sedative once more before going to sleep. His eyes chased across Loki's scars on his skin that ran all the way his collarbone. Loki's face looked haggard and twisted as if he was having a bad dream. His skin was pale, cold and heavy with sweat that ran down from the chest onto the table.

Banner turned off the light in the room and closed the glass door. "It will get better, I'm sure."

The next day around midnight, they finally finished the prototype while Thor simply did nothing but loitering around the building with intangible boredom. It was a form of a necklace with a programing chip that identified the specific wavelength and re-enforce the opposite wavelength to cancel the effect. It was simple, yet brilliant. The integrity of the wave particles was maintained within the form of the light produced from the mind gem that shifted and altered as time went on. It would have been almost impossible task until they had a breakthrough during the evening after drinking multiple red bulls and energy drinks that vacuum robot has swept away.

Surprisingly, they haven't heard anything back from SHIELD for a couple of days. The rational nagging of Nathalie's and the aloof demeanours of Clinton in the background was reassuring, but without them, they were uncertain how to proceed to the next step. Steve was out of commission and they couldn't reach his phone. Stark wondered if Steve knew how to operate a phone.

"Ok, you're up." Stark tapped Thor's shoulder. Thor looked at him strangely. "Yes, I am up."

Before Stark could roll his eyes, Banner cleared his throat. "He means it's your turn to help your brother."

"Yes, finally! What can I do?"

"We are going to put the necklace around Loki's neck and then wake him up. But we don't know if it actually works so you are going to hold him while he awakes. If anything goes wrong, you hit him with your hammer. Capish?"

"I do not know what capish is, but I understood the rest."

"K, that's all you need to understand really."

With bags under their eyes, they all gazed at Loki as Stark slowly put the necklace around Loki's neck. With a click, the necklace hummed with energy and the dull green programming chip became bright lapis green. Banner slowly lower the dosage of the sedative. They waited in silent anticipation.

Loki slowly opened his eyes.