Summary: Thor attempts to lie, but truths are found out...
Chapter 8:
Thor attempted to remain calm and upbeat as he met Clint and Natasha in the living room.
The two assassins looked genuinely surprised to see him as he rushed to embrace them, lifting them a few inches off the ground.
"My friends! Welcome home! Tis good to see you again." Thor boomed, putting them back down.
Clint tried to smile and ran his hand through his hair with some awkwardness, "Nice to see you too, buddy. Though I thought you'd still be on Asgard."
"Father has decreed that I may stay on Midgard for a year and assist you. I know not what he plans after this time." Thor said flatly, trying to inflict a tone that would not give away his secret.
Natasha, noting his slightly stiffened pose, crossed her arms. "What's this about Thor? It looks like you haven't gotten much sleep lately."
"It is nothing my friends, I would never lie to you on that. I speak the truth." Thor returned calmly.
Natasha and Clint exchanged glances, but it was Widow who raised an eyebrow, but then shrugged casually. "Alright, you'll tell us when you're ready, big guy. Right now, I am need of a bed, I'm exhausted!"
"Me too," The archer remarked, stretching and yawning. He punched Thor's arm playfully, "Goodnight, Lighting Man."
When Thor heard the elevator slide shut, he exhaled slowly, knowing that they would soon discover that Loki was residing in Stark Tower. Thor plunked down on one of Tony's expensive leather chairs. He was totally lost in thought, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Slightly startled, Thor turned slightly to see the inventor himself.
"Anthony, I did not hear you arrive.' Thor said wearily looking up at his teammate.
'Considering how far away you seemed to be, that's not a big surprise." Tony retorted with a trademark grin, sitting in one of the armchairs. "How's Reinde-er-Loki? Gonna be up playing tricks soon?"
Thor shook his head, "The Doctor said that he has developed an infection. It can be quite serious in his condition." Thor explained grimly.
Tony nodded, " I had the same problem when I had my arc reactor removed earlier this year." He tapped his chest where the reactor had been last time they'd met.
"I didn't speak the entire truth of why I was here. I have not told them about...Loki." Thor confessed, with his hand clasped loosely between his knees. "I do not know how to broach the subject without Barton acting rashly against my brother." Thor stuttered. "Perhaps it was foolish to bring him here. I should have gathered that Lady Natasha and Barton would be at your Tower."
The inventor shrugged, "Needs must, my friend. One piece of advice though, I suggest you tell them everything, 'cause if they found out on their own, particularly Clint, there might be fireworks. Or rather, arrows."
"I... will speak to them on the morrow, and will tell them all that has happened." Thor sighed.
"Cap told me that Odin's only given Loki a year to well-reform or whatever. You know that is impossible, right?" Tony remarked cautiously.
"You think Loki will not reform in that time frame to please my father?" The Thunder's eyes swung to him, "I will not have Loki locked in a dungeon cell on Asgard with no regard for his life...or perhaps even executed."
"What? Odin could still execute him?"
Thor only nodded solemnly in response. "If he returns to his evil ways...then yes, it is a distinct possibility."
Tony raised his hands defenselessly, "We can't have your dad do that. For one thing, he's the one that injured him. And for another thing, I'm sure Doctors Carter and Lei won't take to having their patient saved only to be given the axe. I mean he does have a lot to answer for, the invasion, the killing of people. He's not totally innocent of what he has done, Thor. Doctor Carter and Lei will be returning to their practice once they determine Loki is stable. Bruce suggested that we get Charles Xavier and his friend Hank McCoy to come work with your brother. Charles is a teacher, and Hank is a medical doctor. Both of them are mutants."
"Mu-tants?" Thor rolled the unfamiliar word in his mouth a moment.
"They're humans with an advanced gene that gives them unique physical appearances and super- power traits, like you with Mjolnir. Charles can read minds, and Hank has blue fur, so Loki won't feel so lonely." He laughed, but seeing no amusement in Thor's face, he cleared his throat and continued, "Hank is a doctor-a healer as you would say-of the body, and Charles in the mind."
The Thunderer nodded, "I thank you and Bruce for your assistance in making my brother well again, and to all of you for allowing he and I to stay here."
"No problem, Break Point," The inventor clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder again, "Now that we've have had this pep talk, I'm gonna go raid the fridge. Wanna help me?"
Over an hour later, He and Thor had polished off several boxes of warmed up leftover Chinese food, while watching something called "Late Night." Tony laughed and Thor didn't understand. When it had finished, Tony stood up, "Well, this has had been fun, but I've got to get back to work."
"I think I shall go upstairs and wish Loki goodnight. Umm...good night, Anthony." Thor put in with a polite nod.
When they had gone their separate ways, Thor ascended the steps to the infirmary level. The lights had been lowered, with low lights illuminating the hallway. In the opposite doctor's lounge, he saw Doctor Lei pouring herself some coffee. Turning he observed Doctor Carter checking Loki's vitals. From the window, he could see his brother's head lolled to one side, eyes squeezed shut, pale in the dim hospital light above his head. Thor padded to the glass and tapped on it to get the doctor's attention. Looking up, the physician stepped through the doors a moment later to greet him.
"How is my brother, Doctor Carter?" Thor asked in greeting.
Doctor Carter sighed, "I will not lie to you, Thor. It's going to be a long haul. He's very sick right now, and he needs a lot of care and hope if he's going to get better."
Thor could only bob his head with agreement. Finally, he found the courage to speak. "May I-say goodnight to him? I know not if he will hear me but-"
The doctor sighed, "He really shouldn't have any visitors. However-" he stepped next to a medical tray that had a small silver bracelet that gleamed in the low light, and handed it to Thor. "Tony sent this up just a little while ago. He figured you'd want to see Loki. If you put it on, it will act as a shield against anything you may bring into his hospital room."
Thor looked at it, "I am not susceptible to human diseases, Doctor." Thor stated, all the while, placing the metal ring around his bulky wrist, feeling a tingle wash over his arm and all over his skin.
"I know that. But you can carry around germs and such from anywhere in the Tower or outside." Doctor Carter remarked. "Now that you've got that on, you can go and see your brother. I'll let you both have privacy and will be back in five minutes." She looked Thor up and down, "And you need to get some sleep. Not sleeping won't help Loki any."
"I understand. Thank you, Doctor." Thor spluttered.
He entered Loki's sickroom with some trepidation, and found himself standing next to the bed. Loki's breathing was shallow, punctuated by wet coughs and his face pinched in pain which Thor could not see. A thick blue blanket had been tucked to his mid-drift, while thick ice packs were set, and a cold cloth on his forehead.
Thor gently lifted his brother's hand, seeing a small brown bandage that glowed red on his right index finger. He sat without speaking for a while, only willing his goodwill to his ailing adopted sibling.
"Goodnight, brother. " Thor said finally unable to find any other words, and running his hand through his golden locks, "Be well soon." He kissed his brother's overly warm forehead.
In his room, Barton was tossing and turning in his bed. His instincts were telling him that Thor was hiding something. The demi-god's posture, his carefully chosen words, his lack of eye contact unless necessary all spoke of lies that were being told by him. So what was he hiding?
The archer threw aside his covers and padded softly down the halls, getting into the elevator that would take him to the basement level where the main hub of JARVIS stood. When he stepped out amid the dim glow of the massive ports and cords that were inlaid among a towering machine. To it's side was a huge computer monitor. Striding to it, Barton powered up the computer. Hacking was one of the tools of his trade and it gave him the advantage of being ahead of one's opponent.
The computer showed several videos of security footage from the past 72 hours. In them were footage of not only Thor's arrival, but the obvious fact that Loki was with him. He could tell that the former invader of Earth was laying limp and wounded in his brother's arms, while Thor tried to explain to Stark, Banner, and Rogers. Later, there was the arrival of another man and a woman, who Barton could tell were doctors by their white coats. It was obvious that the billionaire had brought them to care for Loki. Clint's blood boiled under his skin. How could they, who defended the Earth from this monster, suddenly decided to take his side, even after Thor's pleading?
His investigation over, Barton soon erased any evidence he had been down here, and of his hacking, before storming back upstairs to speak to Natasha.
TBC...