Curiouser and curiouser
-Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
Thor arrives back at the Tower with a boom of thunder. Because you know, he's about as subtle as the storms he controls. "My friends I have returned," he announces happily – and loudly – as if they could not see that for themselves.
"Hi Thor," Rogers greets warmly, "did you have a good visit?"
"Aye, my Lady Jane fairs well both in her health and in her work as does the Lady Darcy." He beams at them.
Personally Tony thinks it's too early for this, even though it is three o'clock in the afternoon. Then again he's only been awake for about ten minutes now, so there is that. He gives a brief wave in greeting and then goes back to his coffee. By his side Loki determinedly ignores him. Which is just per usual by now. He avoids all interaction when he can and limits it when he can't. Having heard a little bit of their history, Tony can see why he might be upset. Doesn't his family know Loki at all?
Thor notices his position with a furrow of his brow, but Barton distracts him before he can say anything. Yea for backup finally coming back from Brazil. "Hey man long time no see. Glad to have you back. It's been quiet around here without you." Which is a lie on all accounts because it has neither been quiet nor has Barton likely missed him. But needs must at times such as these.
Thor smiles. "It is good to be back home, yes, although I always miss my Lady when I am gone from her."
Tony barely keeps from rolling his eyes both at the sap and the speech pattern. He is at least seventy percent sure Thor does it just to mess with them. Or at least makes it more pronounced than it usually would. "I keep inviting her to live here, but she says her work is easier in New Mexico away from all the other tech that could block her data," he shrugs. Because he had. It was one of the first things he did actually and not just because she was Thor's girl either. She has a brilliant mind and Tony happens to be a firm believer in supporting brilliant minds.
"So she has mentioned, but I would not ask her to give up her work for me. Although she is appreciative of the grant you gave her."
"She deserves it," Tony dismisses easily. Because that is also true.
"That still does not change the fact that it was most gracious of you."
From the corner of his eye Tony can see Loki huff and roll his eyes. Obviously someone is done already.
Something Barton also picks up on. He stands up from his chair with a grin. "Well it was great seeing you, but I need to see a man about a dog." He goes over and throws an arm around Loki, dragging him away with him. Well it would be dragging of Loki wasn't fully capable of stopping him. And if he was actually resisting the move. Which he isn't.
Cowards, Tony thinks rather uncharitably. "You better not be bringing a pet into this Tower," he calls after them.
"What?" Barton calls back, "Sorry, I can't hear you over the noise of-" the elevator door closes, cutting him off.
Tony decidedly does not feel the least bit of guilt for his thought as he is left with Thor, Rogers and Romanov all in the room. "Well not that this isn't fun and all, but things to do and places to be." He makes his own hasty exit. Unfortunately it's not hasty enough.
"Man of Iron, let me accompany you. It has been long since the two of us have talked." Thor matches him step for step as he makes his way to the elevator.
Oh boy, just what he wanted. "You sure Thundercat? Not tired after your trip? No shame in needing some beauty sleep, especially with a face like that."
Thor booms a laugh. "Worry not, I am well rested, but thank you for the concern. I am glad that you find my looks attractive."
That... hadn't exactly been what he was going for, but whatever. He lets it slide. The doors open and he steps inside. Automatically they close as JARVIS takes them to Tony's destination.
"I see that you and my brother have become... acquainted during my absence."
Subtle as a storm. Tony rolls his eyes at him. "Don't even start," he warns, "I've had it with you people and making my life more complicated than it needs to be. Yes I'm friends with Loki now. No that doesn't mean that something is wrong with me. And shame on you for immediately assuming something like that. Just how much do you hate your brother?" He glares intently at him. "Because it doesn't say much that you seem to think the only reason Loki can have any friends is if he is controlling them."
Thor, clearly not having expected that. "I was simply inquiring," he says mildly.
"No you weren't," Tony snorts, "You've been wavering between supportive and suspicious since you brought him here, so make up your mind which one you are. Or at least drop the act because if you're going for supportive than you're doing a terrible job of it.
"I-" Thor begins, but Tony cuts him off.
"And while we're talking about things you are terrible at, why don't we take a look at your ability to pass on critical information, hmm? Why haven't you mentioned Thanos yet? Because that seems like a pretty big detail to me to forget. Or did you think Loki stole his army too?"
Now Thor looks even more surprised. "Loki told you of him? What need have he to do such?"
Tony throws his hands in the air. What need? What need he asks, as if he haven't a clue in the world. "Maybe because he's after the Infinity Stones and, you know, at least two of them have ended up on Earth. And who's to say there isn't more because I sure don't know. Even with the tesseract back up in Oz, you still left one here! In fact, you let SHIELD have it, which is even worse! Honestly I thought you were suppose to be a Prince. A Crown Prince. How can you miss these details?"
"I-" Thor begins again, but now Tony is on a roll.
"Honestly I know you two are going through some stuff, but haven't you talked at all? Like actually talked and not just snarled and snarked at each other? This is sad. This is so sad, coming from me because emotions are gross, but don't you think the two of you should work that stuff out. Especially when that stuff involves someone who wants to destroy half of the known universe? And I thought I had communication issues. Buddy, I have nothing on you. And you know what the sad part is?"
"I am unsure-"
"The sad part is that it took basically no effort to learn any of this. Just being a basic human being, imagine that. That's some real hard work there. So why don't you be a basic big brother, man up, grow a pair or whatever and get to it? Because right now the galaxy is in the hands of three people that no one really likes or trusts. Genius I may be and I'm sure Lokes isn't far behind if he isn't, I'd like a little support now and then. You know, not fighting two battles at once? It gets kind of tiring if you can imagine that."
"Man of-"
"So don't talk to me about talking to your brother. And don't tell me he is a liar or dishonorable or cannot be trusted or whatever other crap you were going to say. Because I am a big boy and can take care of myself. And – apparently in shocking news – I am being the bigger man around here and putting any differences I may have aside to find out what is actually going on. And if the world is depending on me, Loki and Barton to save its butt? Then you better count your blessings that I am as good as I say I am. JARVIS," he barks and storms out. Good old J, holding the elevator until he can make his dramatic exit. His AI is the best.
"But what-" Thor asks, or starts to ask as he catches up to him, but Tony closes the door on his face.
Banner looks up from his work.
"J, blackout," Tony growls.
JARVIS blacks out the windows so that Thor can no longer see in. Thank goodness he isn't allowed in anymore. Not after the last accident. So this is one of the best places to hide from him. Plus Banner is so zen, maybe some of that will rub off on Tony right now. If not he can always leave after Thor does.
"Bad day?" Banner asks.
"What would ever give you that idea dear?" he asks sweetly as he takes a seat across from him.
Banner looks at him from over the test tubes he had been staring at. "Your graceful entrance?" he suggests dryly, "Or the thunder puppy you had trailing behind you?"
Tony laughs at that. "Good one Brucie Bear, I'll have to remember that one. Wait, if Thor is a puppy does that mean Cap still is too? Or is he something else now?"
"No I'm afraid there is two of them."
Tony groans loudly. "Say it isn't so. How can I go on, living with two of them. I have a heart condition you know."
Banner snorts. "You're in a fine form today. Want to talk about it?"
"Do I ever?" Tony shrugs. At Banner's look he offers, "Oh don't give me that, just the usual. Paperwork, board meetings driving me to tears of boredom, my teammates driving me nuts, Thor showing what a bad brother he is and leaving out critical information about the invasion. Nothing out of the ordinary."
Banner blinks at that. "Dare I ask what Thor left out? Or do you have to join the club to be able to say?"
"We're now accepting new members," Tony beams at him.
"Obviously since they let you in." Banner's smile is full of teasing humor.
Tony laughs. He loves it when he is able to unwind and let himself have fun like this. So often – far too often in Tony's opinion – he is so self contained and quiet. As if he dare not remind other people of his presence. So Tony can't be too mad about his teasing, when it means he is comfortable around him. "I am hurt. Hurt and appalled I say. I'll have you know that I am president of the club thank you very much."
"I bet you are."
Tony smirks. "Oh ye of so little faith, how can you doubt? I'm making shirts and everything."
"So is this your way of telling me that you're finally going to explain what is going on then?"
"You mean other than the obvious?" Tony can't help but tease back. Because when does he make anything easy?
Banner just hums in agreement though.
"Why not assume Reggie's messing with my mind like the others?" This is getting interesting now. Why is it different for him than Barton? Because he and Tony spend more time together? Because he is more fond of Tony? Or is there something else in play here?
"Other than the fact that you already told me that Loki tried to control you and failed?" He takes off his glasses and wipes them on his shirt. "With Clint I was wary because it seemed like a plausible hypothesis. Even after it was disproven it looked like something..." he pauses, clearly searching for the right word, "hidden was going on. Barton was too defensive at times when he shouldn't have been. Of course I get why he gets mad at Steve and Natasha, but even when they weren't bothering him about it," he shakes his head, "Something was going on. But you," he gives a rueful smile, "I knew you would be the one to figure it out . It was only a matter of time."
That surprises Tony more than anything. Banner has that much trust in him? Really? "Me? The most abrasive ego in the Tower – or so I've heard," he adds, quoting a conversation that he should not have heard, but did anyways, "And you expected me to put everything together? I am a genius I know, but people aren't supposed to be my strong suit." He can admit that well enough on his own. "So?"
"The way you look at things," Banner answers, "When we work together, it's not that you're smart – there is no doubt about that, it's the way you look at problems. You think of solutions I never would dream of because you look at them from such odd angles. And you watched Clint and Loki just like a particularly tricky equation you were trying to solve. Nothing stops you for long."
Tony is touched by that. He doesn't show it, but really he is. Even now the team feels like that time bomb that Banner described him as. Sometimes the biggest surprise is that it hasn't gone off yet. Off the field they can still rub each other the wrong way accidentally. Or on purpose, depending on what day it is. Trust is even harder to come by. Yet Banner trusted him to be able to handle this when the others couldn't. "My heart is all aflutter," he says sweetly.
Banner smiles and shakes his head. "I'm sure it is. Besides, I wasn't going to be much help. Loki is wary of the Other Guy as much as anyone is. He hides it well, but I'm use to seeing it. And I really didn't want to have an 'incident'," there are practically quotation marks around the word, "Maybe that makes me a coward, but I've been called worse. It's not far from the truth either at times."
Tony frowns.
"No," Banner cuts him off, "I know you are forever correcting me, but it's the truth. You tell me to strut, but it isn't that easy. I've been running for so long I barely know how to stop. I didn't get involved because I didn't want to. Fights are messy things. I left Clint to fight alone and you to solve it yourself. It's a personal failing I'm aware."
The worst part is Tony can't exactly argue with him because he's right. Take it some may argue he has good reason to stay out of it, but Tony has never been one of those people. That still doesn't mean he likes hearing Banner talk about himself like that. He knows a thing or three about self esteem issues. "But you're going to back me now?"
"Science bros for life," he shrugs, "I should probably work on my problem before it causes an international incident or something." He offers Tony a small smile. "This seems like a good place to start. Also I've only seen you that pissed once and that was when that half wit threatened Pepper that one time. You only get that mad when someone threatens someone you care about."
And now Tony just wants him to shut up because comparing Loki and Barton to Pepper is like comparing grapes to pomegranates. There really isn't one. Because it has been less than a month since he first began spending any real time with them. He couldn't have gotten that attached that fast. He forcefully ignores that part of his mind that helpfully points out his bad habit to cling too hard too quickly to people. "Yeah well Thor left out some pretty important info that is supposed to be common knowledge everywhere else. As in – we are dealing with someone crazier, and more dangerous, then Lokes. Mass genocide, kill half the universe dangerous. And Thor had to have known because the chitauri are one of his main forces in his army. I'm a little upset."
"Oh," Banner blinks, "so New York is just the beginning." He sighs, "I knew I should have stayed in India. No one mentioned this before why?"
"No one asked?" Tony shrugs.
"Petty and powerful. Wonderful," He sighs again and it sounds as if it comes from the very depths of his soul.
"Cheer up Brucie Bear," Tony grins brightly, "and welcome to the club."
"I'm going to regret asking, aren't I?" he asks as if he already knows the answer.
"Where's your sense of fun green bean?"
"I've seen your definition of a party. I'm dreading to see what your definition of fun turns out to be."
Tony grins widely. It looks as if things are starting to work themselves out. Finally. It's about time from his point of thinking. Now if only the others were so easily convinced. Eh, he'll think of something. Or wear them down into submission. That could work too. He could make a saint attempt murder or so Rhodey told him that one time in MIT. He hasn't taken it back yet.