Tittle: Highway to Disaster
Fandom: Iron Man & Thor & Avengers [films, not comics]
Pairing: Loki/Tony
Summary: Afghanistan doesn't go as planned. Tony lives everyday in terror, surrounded by people he can't trust, there's a hole in his chest and something niggling in the back of his mind. He's the definition of the word fine, he really is. Why does no one believe him?
Chapter 02
"So, let me get this straight," Tony begun, arms crossed just staring at Pepper, "for some unfathomable reason, you thought it would be, what? Nice, interesting, appreciated?" He spoke, voice was laced with sarcasm, "to just ignore my orders and do your own thing in my house? Is that it? Because that's all I'm seeing here, Pepper." Tony said, arching an eyebrow at her, waiting for an explanation. He felt like the world was going out of focus and he needed to keep himself and the world around him under his control.
"Tony," Pepper begun, exasperated, "I understand you have breakdowns, but that's no reason to just go and annihilate the decor that has been a theme on your penthouse since forever, as it is I had to ask Jacques to come ASAP."
"Well, news flash Ms. Potts." Tony growled, walking up to the new decor,to the heavy potted plants in their thick glass vases and throwing them to the ground, Pepper flinched at the sound, "what I want is not useless plants, I need something functional. If you want pretty then decorate your own home."
Pepper just stared at him, rolling her eyes in a plea for patience, "Tony, considering you did leave me in charge of your internal design since that party in Belford and the destruction of the living room, yes I did think I had the right to order the decoration here as well."
"That was once Pepper." Tony said, staring at the overturned and broken pots, the dark mud staining the white floor. Thank god it wasn't golden sand.
"Forgive me for taking liberties then Mr. Stark." Pepper said formally, looking at the mess in the apartment. She would have to be the one to take care of it as well, fantastic.
"Just... Just call the other guy I had an appointment with Pepper. I want this place to look like me again." He sighed, staring at the white walls, the dirt on his carpet, the green leaves buried half under charcoal mud.
He shook his head, ignoring the mess as he sat on the couch, "the meeting yesterday?" He asked, rubbing his eyes, he just wanted to go back to the way things were before... Before everything was fucked up.
Pepper hesitated, looking at her boss, "they... they filled an injunction, they pushed you out of the decision making chain."
Tony groaned, hiding his face in his hands. He had a feeling that was gonna happen, that was why he wanted to be there. He was fine, he didn't need a babysitter, he was not having PTSD. Was it bad for a man to want a different thing in life after he saw the utter devastation his weapons could do? Wasn't that normal? Wasn't that responsible?
"Obadiah?" Tony asked, the sound muffled by his hands.
"I don't know." Pepper admitted, "I haven't seen him after the meeting, I stayed long enough to have the details needed for you and the company." Pepper sighed, sitting next to Tony, "listen..." She trailed off, looking uncomfortable.
"What?"
"I don't know, Tony." She sighed, "I don't know how to make you better, and that's my job, isn't it? To take care of you."
"I'm not broken Pepper, I don't need for you to fix me up, I need you as my PA, not my babysitter." Tony sighed, rubbing his eyes with his fingers.
"With you it's not that different." Pepper sighed.
Tony tried to smile at her, failing and ending up somewhere between constipation and a grimace. He was beginning to feel the guilt for his outburst. "What I've gone through... I don't know how to put it in words. It was awful, sometimes I wished I had remained oblivious to what was going on."
"Is there anything you can say? I don't think I know how to deal with this, Tony."
"There's nothing to say, Pepper, I was taken and they made sure I knew which position I was in, they made sure that I..." He trailed off, looking away. "You continue as you've always been, there's no need for you to change."
Pepper nodded, wringing her hands, just looking at her boss. Their whole dynamic would have to change regardless of what Tony thought, it was something new she would have to learn how to deal with. Pepper nodded to herself, getting up, "I'll contact the guy you wanted, will you be here when he comes?"
"Where else would I be?" Tony grimaced at her, and Pepper turned away from him, checking her phone.
"J.A.R.V.I.S. put the info of the designer on my phone and call the cleaning crew, we have work to do."
"Certainly, Ms. Potts."
Tony nodded as Pepper passed him by, towards the table she liked to work on. "I'll be in the workshop, when the guy gets here call me."
Self medicating, craving punishment
Blaming myself for a world on fire
No more shame, no more pity
No more
We rise from the ashes
I will suffer
I will burn
Let hate prevail
Enslave my soul
But I'll never surrender
Loki smiled at the other doctor, removing his gloves and heading for the shower, he couldn't wait to get in bed and sleep for at least six hours. Another successful surgery, thank goodness.
It was quick, washing, cleaning, moving to meet the parents and assure them the surgery was indeed successful, however they would have to watch the boy now and take care with his progress. Loki sighed, heading for the parking lot.
"Doctor Dragas?" Someone called him and Loki almost flinched at the sound. It couldn't be another patient, not now! He was just leaving!
"Yes?" He turned to the nurse, hoping his face didn't betray his impatience. The nurse smiled at him, her lips curled into a lazy grin.
"Your brother's on the phone."
"Thor? What the...?" Loki asked, frowning. He thanked her, heading back to the reception and grabbing the phone. "Thor? I do have a phone you know."
"Which you never answer." Thor said, his voice booming and cheerful even on the phone. "Hey, listen, remember those wannabe pussies?"
"I was in surgery okay? And yeah, I remember Stark's delightful company, how could I ever forget?" Loki sighed, he could feel a headache coming.
"Yes, them. They're back." Thor said, sounding as serious as the time Frigga had searched for him, "I heard them talking, someone's paying them to stalk Stark and take him in. Whoever started this wants them to finish the job."
"Why are you calling me and not the police? That's their job."
"I thought he was your boyfriend, Smurf." Loki gritted his teeth, he knew Thor was only teasing, but it had been a long day, even longer night and seeing Stark twice in the same day had been too much.
"If he was I would be a kept man," Loki said, rolling his eyes skyward, "seriously Thor, get the police. Easier."
"I can't." His brother whispered and Loki cursed under his breath, low enough that the kids going by his shins couldn't hear.
"What do you mean you can't?"
"The means through which I've come by the information are not exactly... legal." Loki blinked, letting the information sink in.
"What did you do?"
"I may or may not have one of them pinned by the throat on the counter." Thor said and Loki's eyes widened, he could just imagine it: Thor in a wheelchair, his muscled arms holding the guy down as he struggled.
"Just don't kill him." Loki sighed, fighting back a laugh, "which one is it?"
"Rat face." Thor said and a slap sounded on his end. "Stay still! It'll be easier for you!" Loki laughed, a hint of hysteria in his voice, burying his face in his arms as rat face clearly struggled against Thor's hold. He was about to learn a lesson Loki had learnt when he was four: no one could break Thor's hold. No one.
"Anyway, go talk to your boyfriend, tell him there's people after him."
"Not my boyfriend, and I'm not gonna see Stark, you go and tell the police." Loki laughed, mood lifting in a way only Thor could do. He sighed in exasperation as Thor denied, claiming law bindings.
"Besides," Thor continued, sounding smug, "I saw the way you were looking at him."
"Okay, one, I was looking out for him, good thing I did, who knows what might have happened otherwise. Two, Stark has a nice butt and three, I'm not looking for a relationship." Loki sighed, he loved Thor, he did, but he usually behaved like a Cupid high on LSD with a thing for death metal and classic rock.
"You tell him or when these guys grab Stark, and they will, it will be your fault." There was a click on the other end and Loki cursed again.
"I'm pretty sure Stark's straight." Loki muttered bemusedly at the dead line.
"Problems?" The nurse asked, staring at Loki with a smile.
"Maybe?" Loki said, shrugging, "my brother thinks he can give me an ultimatum or something."
"Older brother?" She snorted when Loki nodded, "better do it, then, we have a way or two of making younger brothers wield." She snickered at his dismayed face, "oh don't fret, Doctor, I know you have a way with words. Older siblings just have a magic all of their own to make you comply." She winked at him, moving to assist a parent with their child.
Loki snorted, shaking his head. After a thirty six-hour shift he wasn't in the mood for conversation, much less with a whimp, regardless of how nice his butt was. His trip back home was uneventful, Jormungand roaring pleasantly under him.
He grabbed the correspondence from the mailbox, not even bothering with turning on the lights, his last thought before he fell asleep was of Stark on the ground hugging his stomach. He didn't dream. He was too tired to dream.
And in this side of darkness
Our hope lies lost and torn
All flame like love is fleeting
When there's no hope anymore
Pain and glory
Hand in hand
A sacrifice
The highest price
Loki woke up with the phone ringing in his ears, the guitar strings for Pink Spider still playing on his phone as he reached absent-minded for it.
"Doctor Dragas." He answered, voice heavy with sleep, what time was it anyway? He peered at the clock, five in the morning. Oh this better be good.
"I love it when you answer the phone like this." Sif, oh boy.
"What do you want?"
There was a chuckle at the other end and Loki yawned, turning on the bed, sprawling and taking up as much space as he could, rubbing his stomach with the other hand. He did like Sif, but not at five in the morning.
"Rude. Your father's in town, Thor asked me to warn you." There was a pause, strategically placed, Loki knew. "Also to remind you to warn Stark, since Thor didn't and won't warn the police."
"Yey for dad," Loki said deadpanned, raising his hand in the one fingered salute, as if anyone would see him. "Tell Thor I'm not gonna do it. I've saved his ass once because he was in my territory, I won't do it again. He can save himself."
"Suit yourself, Thor told me he wouldn't do it, it's your call either way." Sif said, her voice muffled, the clinking of keys sounding as she spoke with him.
"You getting home now?"
"Yeah, I was on child-watch, the fucker even showed up at the door, wanting to scare the mother and the child."
Loki blinked himself awake, he knew Sif and her gang were part of one of those 'bikers against child abuse' causes and also knew she dealt with a few of his own patients. "Are they okay?"
"Of course they are, I wouldn't let anything happen to them. The fucker turned tail and fled when he saw Fandral, Brunnhilde, Volstagg and I waiting for him."
Loki smiled, relieved. He could just imagine, Volstagg with his gird all in black and spikes, the red hair messy and way too long, falling on his face along with his beard. Fandral, tall, blond, all in leather riding the devil's bike - a Suzuki C90 with a bull's skull attached to it - and Brunnhilde, a blond voluptuous chick more suited for the cover of a Playboy than being a biker. But biker she was, all covered in leather, braided hair and the meanest right hook and fighting skills Loki had ever experienced.
Sometimes he wanted to see, to be there, to look those people in the eye. But he couldn't, specially since he was involved in a few cases. He hated those cases, hated them with a passion. That he had to look the child over was disturbing on so many levels. He had always felt the need to hurt the bastards as much as they had hurt his kids. Good thing he had a few guys the child and him could rely on to do the job for them.
"Listen," Sif begun, her voice low in what Loki deemed her 'motherly' voice. He kind of pitied any kid that ended up with her and Thor. "Talk to Stark, just warn him. If he ignores it it won't be your fault."
"And how do you suppose I do that? He's probably under watch from his security. It's been a kidnapping by terrorists and another by a local gang."
"And a dashing knight in dark armour saved his arse and returned him to society." Sif said, a smirk audible in her voice. Loki could feel his face heat up even in the dark. His sister in law could be such an asshole sometimes.
"I doubt he wouldn't like to hear from you again."
"He did come to see me today." Loki mumbled, scratching the coarse hairs near his crotch, "though he did think I was a mafia lord or something." He snorted as Sif burst out laughing at the other end.
"Oh God, did anyone see it?"
"Nope," Loki replied, yawning again. "We were in the parking lot after I took Dany for a ride. He accused me of being a mafia lord or some shit, didn't notice the white coat I suppose."
"Well he did go to see you, so that's something." Sif replied, her voice muffled as if she had something between her teeth. "Go and see him!"
"We'll see... I'll see what I have to do today, if there's time..."
"Fandral's always up to a challenge."
"I know." Loki smirked, "talk to you later, Sif." He disconnected the line without waiting for a reply, searching Fandral's number and quickly calling his friend. "Fandral? Loki. Listen, I've got a challenge for you..."
I get up in the evening, and I ain't got nothing to say
I come home in the morning, I go to bed feeling the same way
I ain't nothing but tired, man I'm just tired and bored with myself
Hey there baby, I could use just a little help
You can't start a fire, you can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire even if we're just dancing in the dark
"Sir?"
"Sir?" Tony mumbled in his sleep, turning over.
"Sir, I must insist." J.A.R.V.I.S. repeated, the black room slowly lightning up at the AI's command.
"What is it J?" Tony asked, trying to sit up in bed, slowly rubbing sleep from his eyes. And he was having such a nice dream too.
"Code 5-Charlie-Beta-6-Fox-George." J.A.R.V.I.S. said, his voice echoed through the room as Tony's eyes snapped open.
"What?" Tony asked, unsure of what he had just heard.
"I'm under code 5CB6FG."
"I repeat," Tony said, sheer disbelief and confusion dripping from his voice. "What?" He asked, managing to sit up and stare ahead as his head filled with possibilities.
"I'm being hacked, sir."
"I know what that code means, J." Tony waved the notion away, as if swatting a fly, quickly getting up and heading for the workshop where his main private server was. "You're being hacked." He repeated, pausing only to put the protective gear over his underwear.
"Yes, sir. I believe I just said-"
"Are they stupid?" Tony interrupted, frowning at the computer screen.
"I assume that was a rhetorical question."
Tony ignored him, opening the server on the hologram screen. "What are they looking for? Information on Jericho? Information on the missile program? The submarines? Talk to me J." Tony ordered, opening the screen with a flick of his fingers.
"They're trying to look into your medical files, sir."
Tony paled, staring at the screen with thoughtful eyes, "are they after the arc reactor?"
"I am unsure. They seem to have stopped and I can't determine where they are sir."
"What?! J.A.R.V.I.S. give me the keyboard." Tony said, voice raised as he begun typing furiously after the leak. He stared intensively at the hologram, the maze in front of him as the codex passed behind it like shadows eluding vision. Tony would not focus on it, he had to find the-
"Found you." He grinned at the red dot on the screen. "Now what do you want with my medical files? Are you after the arc reactor tech? You can't have it." He stopped, just looking at the dot, waiting to see where it would go, fingers ready to cut the connection between them and insert one of his own virus on the invader.
He held his breath as the dot moved to the latest updates on his Heath, the Interpol Files and the Doctors and the changes in his physic. Tony let them, his heart beating faster as the intruders found his cardiac tests...
"What?" Tony asked himself, frowning, he zoomed on the screen, opening the files as the doctor names changes from Dave Hawkins to one Loki Dragas. 'What?' Tony mouthed, starting to grin.
"Well it's on then Doctor, let's see what you're made off." Tony said, grinning at the hologram. "J.A.R.V.I.S. get me info on the good doctor over here, lets see if he really does have the necessary qualifications to be my cardiologist."
Lost all that treasure in an overseas war
It just goes to show you don't get what you paid for
Bowing to the rich and worrying about the poor
Put my feet up on the couch and lock all the doors
Hear a funky noise
That's the tightening of the screws
Feeling kind of hurt
Sitting in the dirt
All I hear is doom and gloom
But when those drums go boom boom boom
Through the night, your face I see
Baby take a chance
Baby won't you dance with me?
Loki parked the bike in front of the Stark Industries building, disregarding the pedestrian movement caused by the Grand Station underneath it. Fenrir still hummed pleasantly underneath him, slowly purring with the motor rumble, like a big cat when its ears were scratched. He removed the leather jacket, showing his outfit: a button-up white shirt, a dark waistcoat, black jeans and sunglasses. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, letting the tattoos peek, Valkyrie's feathers and the part of a skull visible on both arms.
He grabbed the jacket, heading for the entrance of the building with a nonchalance that was only partially feigned.
"Welcome to Stark Industries, how can I help you?" The receptionist asked, politely ignoring the tattoos, despite the visible strain to keep from looking.
"I'm Mr. Stark's cardiologist, he seems to have forgotten our appointment." Loki said, sound as polite as he was capable of.
"Of course, sir."
Within moments he was riding the elevator to the penthouse, leaning against the stainless steel wall with his arms crossed. He stepped inside Stark's main domain with little to no curiosity; he much preferred his own apartment, the abundance of useless and pointless decoration, with no hint of a lived in space made him feel he was in an interior design exposition.
"I take it you don't approve." Tony said, smirking at the doctor's discomfort. He couldn't help but look Loki from head to toe, appreciating the fitting outfit.
"There's a lot of things I don't approve of, Stark, your sterile internal design is of no consequence."
They were silent for a moment staring at each other, standing in opposite sides in the room. Tony felt slightly empowered over the strange man, this was his territory after all, it was his domain and he had complete control over it.
"You know," Tony started, still too far for Doctor Dragas to get near him if he suddenly lurched to grab Tony, "in some places, like New York, for example, it's a Illegal to hack a company's data, Doctor."
Loki shrugged, unconcerned. "It wouldn't be the first time." He grinned as Tony blinked at him, tilting his head to the side, "I'll let Fandral know you caught him hacking, but thanks, I won the bet. Good to know."
"Fandral?" Tony said skeptically.
"A friend," Loki replied, walking towards the couch and sitting down comfortably, crossing his legs and arching an eyebrow at Tony. "Sit down, Stark, I have news which might interest you."
"And that would be?" Tony asked, frowning at the Doctor's posture with his stuff. He was the one in charge damnit! Why couldn't Loki respect that?
"Our not so friendly kidnappers, the one that took you in a few days ago?" Loki said, uncrossing his legs and staring at Stark, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. "There has been talk about getting to you again."
"How do you know that?" Tony asked, stoic, frowning, his heart suddenly hammering in his chest in barely concealed panic.
"You might remember my brother? The big blond one in a wheelchair?" Loki said, smirking faintly at the man. Now that they were in his territory Stark seemed relaxed, still jittery and nervous, but way more relaxed than he was during their first encounter. It might be that in their first encounter Stark had just been kidnapped though, who knew?
"The one that called you Smurf?" Tony smirked back, leaning back on his armchair. It was one of the few memories Tony could call back and grin, at least in recent times.
"The very same. He caught one of the guys in his territory, and my brother is a very protective retriever." Loki grinned, fierce and proud. "You might remember rat-face?"
"The grumbly, sniveling rat, yes." Tony agreed, remembering the hours spent with the little gang. They had been more terrifying that the terrorists themselves. At least with the 10-rings he knew what they wanted and how to deliver, the gang, however, they were doing it for fun. They had gotten to him and had driven him around, waving knives and a 9mm in his face. They had done it because it was fun to terrify a person, they hadn't wanted anything.
"Thor had him in his custody for a while and he ended up spilling the beans." Loki shrugged unconcerned. "Thor thought you should know the kids are still after you."
"Okay, thanks for letting me know." Tony frowned. Tony didn't see why this meeting was necessary. If Loki just wanted to let him know about the attack and the possible stalker he could have just called Tony. Tony had searched him on his database, just to see the man's number pop-up.
He couldn't help himself, he had hacked the account and added his own contact to the list and a cheeky message of what he had done. A little thanks for helping him and explaining he would change the hacking done previously
"You could have just sent me a message you know." Tony said, rubbing his lower lip with a thumb. Unless Loki was here for something else. "There was no need to hack my database."
Loki snorted, rolling his eyes, "I don't have your number, Stark."
"Of course you do, I put it in myself."
"No you didn't, you were nowhere near my phone." Loki frowned, taking out his iPhone and looking through his contacts. There was nothing there.
"Okay... what is that?" Tony asked, pointing accusingly at Loki.
"My phone." Loki enunciated slowly, as if talking to a child.
"Where's the StarkPhone you had?"
"I threw it out like three months ago." Loki rolled his eyes, staring at Stark as if he was from another planet. "Why? What did you do?" Loki asked, still enunciating his words slowly and evenly, as if talking to a particularly slow child, even as suspicion started to mix in.
Tony frowned, pondering, now he has a problem in his hands. Who had he sent it to? "What did you do to it?" Tony asked.
"Why? What have you done?" Loki countered, leaning back on the couch.
"You first, Doctor Davidson." They stared at each other for a moment before Loki broke out in peals or laughter, throwing his head back and settling more comfortably on the couch. Tony just stared, grinning a little even as he felt put out about it.
Eventually he stopped, breaking in unmanly giggles. "That's the best nickname I've heard in a while. I didn't know you would be so amusing, Stark."
"Right, so, my tech?"
"I don't know, man, I threw it down the Hudson." Loki snickered again, trying to get himself back together. "Look, I just came to warn you about that little gang, I've done that so there's no reason to remain here." Loki got up, visibly trying to get himself back together. "Have a good life, Stark."
"And my doctors appointment?" Tony asked, arching an eyebrow.
"You can stop by the hospital at any time for your checkup, Mr. Stark." Loki smirked, eyeing Tony from head to toe before heading for the elevator.
"Oi, why did you kiss me?" Tony called.
"You're hot," Loki said, raising one finger, "I needed a distraction," he raised another, "and I was horny." He raised the third finger, turning to face Tony briefly and winking at him.
The elevator closed before Tony could say anything.
"J.A.R.V.I.S.? Why would anyone throw out their Stark Tech?" Tony asked, still sounding put out.
"I know not, sir." The AI replied, sounding as miffed as Tony felt.
I put a spell on you
And now you're mine
You better stop the things you do
I said, Watch out, I ain't lyin'
I ain't gonna take none of your foolin' around
I ain't gonna take none of your puttin' me down
I put a spell on you
And now you're mine, alright
"It's done, Thor." It was the first thing Loki said to his brother as Thor picked up the phone.
"You talked to Stark?" Thor asked over the noise of the´bar, the patrons clearly enjoying themselves that early in the morning.
"Yes, I did." Loki sighed, dragging out the 's' as he spoke. "Will this be the last time I speak to him, oh high and mighty crown prince of Asgard?" He asked, sarcasm thickly coating his words. He could almost feel Thor rolling his eyes at him.
"Watch it, Smurf." Thor said, a smile clearly in his voice. "For now it is, we'll see if we have more news from our friends."
"You still haven't thrown them out?! The hell, man?"
"I scared only rat-face. We still have the nazi overlord and the bulky one." Thor said, sounding mighty pleased with himself. Loki could hear the glasses and bottles clinking behind him, Mjolnir's barking a faint sound, though he had no doubt of the boxer's power.
"You plan to scare every single one of them?" Loki asked, incredulous as he walked up to Fenrir, smirking at a teenage punk ogling his bike. Fenrir was a beautiful bike, a Harley Davidson Muscle Rod 2009, all coal-black, the license plate reading simply 'FENRIR.' "Why? Why does Stark interest you so much?"
Thor was silent at the other end as Loki started Fenrir, the clinging of glasses and Mjolnir's barking the only sound.
"It's not Stark, is it?"
"I saw the way you looked at him, Loki. That was plain interest in your face. And I think you would be good for each other."
"You don't even know him." Loki growled, once again feeling subjected to Thor's attempts at playing Cupid.
"I still think you should go for him, teach the scaredy-cat how to play." Loki huffed, hanging up on his brother. He spent the ride thinking about Thor and Stark. Thor in a flimsy white tunic, barely covering anything, least of all his muscles, with tiny wings on his back and the dirty blond hair in very defined curls as he fried to shoot Stark with black arrows, Stark running away from him as fast as possible.
It was no wonder he got to the hospital in a foul mood.