Tony wasn't sure what the situation would be when it came time to use his little creations, but if it stopped the Avengers from dying, it didn't much matter. The only problem pointed out by Harry (which Tony had already noticed) was that the bots did not differentiate between Harry's bolts or Hermione's. If those bots were protecting Harry, would they block his own shots as well? Prevent him from attacking? Kind of negated their usefulness right there.

But Tony had already thought ahead of the wizards, and right on track for his own mind. Everyone would get their own specific bots, programmed for them and them alone. They would be recognized as 'safe' and their bolts would be avoided, not deflected. Problem solved. And Tony had given the little bots as much power as he could - they were speedy. They'd have no problem dodging bolts and trading blasts with Death Eaters.

He hoped.

As for his towering twin waiting in the hanger, he didn't want to risk taking it on a joy ride and having it noticed; besides, its major functions were intimidation and stomping on things. The simple walks Tony took it through around the hangar were enough to confirm its ability to do that, at least.

Tony hadn't seen much of the god after their little meet-up in the field. It wasn't Tony's way to request help unless he absolutely needed it, and nothing in the workshop had trumped him so badly that he needed to call in a deity's help. And Loki, apparently, had his hands full dealing with a toad and an egg. So Tony was a little surprised when he looked up and found the god of mischief in the corner, as though nothing at all had changed.

Tony blinked, stared, then snorted and went about his business. Clearly that was not the reaction Loki was looking for. "Come now, Stark," The god said reprovingly. "Let us preserve the niceties. Would a simple 'hello' grate too heavily upon your pride?"

Little shit. "Hey," Tony said halfheartedly, without looking up from his work. If Loki had showed up a few hours after his revelation, maybe he would have garnered a warmer reaction, but as it was, Tony was right back to being too engrossed in his work to think about the snarled up knot of a situation that Loki presented. The fact that he hadn't slept for days probably wasn't helping matters, either.

Tony was forced to look up again as Loki picked up of the bots lying on the table. He snorted, evidently amused, before dropping it carelessly back on the table. "I must admit I am surprised, Stark. I expected your reception to be rather different."

"Are we talking chocolate and roses different, or guns and blast-you-on-your-ass different?" Tony questioned unconcernedly. Once he'd ascertained the robot had come to no harm, his eyes were back on the blueprints. He really needed some coffee.

"I never thought a self-proclaimed genius would tolerate regression, especially that of the mental state." Loki said, his tone haughty, almost taunting.

"Thought you knew the rules here, trickster. Help or get out. Besides, don't you have a toad that needs tending?"

"Manners, Stark," Loki chided.

"What about them?" Tony retorted. "I'm having manners. Plenty of manners. You never specified they had to be good."

"I would not advise entering a war of words with me."

"Then don't hand me an invitation on a gilded platter. Why are you here, anyway?"

Loki ignored the question swept farther into the room, quickly taking in the piles of discarded metal, scattered tools, and holographic blueprints and models glowing throughout the room. One of the bots was still hovering. With no one to protect, it looped idly around the workshop. "How cute," Loki drawled as the bot drew close. He flicked the air lazily. Tony watched as the air seemed to warp around the little bot; then it careened toward the ground, spiraling downward with a crash. Still grinning, he looked back up at Tony.

"It seems your magical education –" He looked down at the still-faintly-whirring bot, "Is still somewhat lacking."

Tony crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Loophole only works on you, trickster." He picked up the bot and tossed it back in the air. It wobbled unsteadily, listing to one side as it hovered to an unoccupied corner of the workshop. "Concentrated jets are blocked, which is all I'm concerned about. But please, if it appeases your ego, go ahead and continue demonstrating your power." Tony had already guessed the bots would be less than effective against Loki's magic; the wizard worked with direct beams of light. If Loki had attacked it directly, the bot would have done its job. Unfortunately tricky spells that influenced the area around the bot… not quite so much. But considering they would most likely be used within a battle, he doubted any death eater would have the time to construct a suitable spell while trying not to die. Regardless, he hoped to rig a cloaking device for them, so they wouldn't even know where to cast said spell.

That being said, being unprepared had bitten him rather nastily in the ass before. He privately upped the cloaking device up on the priority list and made a mental note to tell JARVIS once the god had found the exit.

The god seemed somewhat agitated; Tony supposed staring at a toad and an egg all day could do that to a person. Though he was surprised at the length of the god's absence, he was more surprised at the lack of return to his usual trickery; or more accurately, the lack of words at all. Usually Loki's visits were defined by the trickster's game of give-and-take, conversation, and occasional explosions when Loki's suggestions don't quite go as expected. Silence did not seem to be a common companion when Loki was concerned. Yet here he was, silent as the grave, watching as Tony attempted to pay attention to the delicate droid he was working with.

After two minutes Tony decided the new routine wasn't working for him. "So what'll it be today? Questions? Rumors? Suggestions that you finally give after two hours of taunting?"

"Rumors hardly hold my interest," The god replied coolly. "There is precious little gossip about, I assume, with the mighty Avengers on house arrest."

"Take your pick from the others, then," Tony said, abandoning the bench and retreating to the coffeepot. He was not going to survive this evening – morning? He didn't have a clue – without it. After this whole end-of-the-world fiasco was over, he was going to dedicate himself to finding a better stimulant. He was able to create plenty with little food and no sleep; he rather liked to imagine what he'd be able to do with a no-side-effects potion to keep him up at all hours. He'd probably be a walking nightmare, but it'd be good for stints like this.

Loki apparently wasn't done. "I do doubt you would be a good carrier for gossip, regardless. Dear Natasha is rather better educated about the state of your... 'team'."

Tony wasn't sure when Natasha and the gods had progressed from speaking terms to 'dear' – or why either were suddenly prone to gossiping. Still, it was Loki's head if she found out, not his.

The god shifted from his corner, to better peer at the work Tony had abandoned. Freed from his dark corner, Tony noticed the god looked rather tired; maybe gods didn't handle sleep deprivation as well as humans. Or maybe toad-sitting was harder than it looked. Regardless, Loki wasn't acting like he'd come to expect from the god.

Tony wasn't good at subtlety. And he definitely wasn't good about asking welfare questions to a finicky god who was his number one enemy not so long ago. Sure, things had changed since then – or they'd appeared to change, anyway – but still, normal questions came hard. He wondered idly whether Loki or himself had ever observed the normal human etiquette of 'how are you' nonsense. That answer quickly came back as a resounding no. He then wondered whether he should be dealing with this at all with the Tesseract perennially looming over their collective heads. That answer was definitely 'no' as well. He usually tried not to think about it; panicked work wasn't his best work. The simple thought of needing to work hard was usually enough. He knew he wasn't paying the threat as much attention as it was due, but Tony figured the end would come whether he worried about it or not. Might as well work against it while he could. If it all turned out for naught, well, at least he could tell St. Pete he tried.

That, and he really just wasn't a fan of panicking. Not pleasant, really.

Tony retreated back to the desk, called to task by the thought of the Tesseract. He had a job to do; give the Avengers a modicum of protection when all hell broke loose. It was the least he could do, against unsurmountable odds of a sorcerer with an unbeatable wand and everlasting power at his disposal. Just thinking about it made Tony feel more than a little empty, but it wasn't exactly his way to give up at the sight of a challenge. If that had been the case, he'd have died long ago. He'd always been too stubborn for his own good. Why break the trend?

"Such deep thought, Stark," Loki commented. The god hadn't moved when Tony returned, standing so close Tony was nearly bumping elbows with the guy. Tony at first just let him stand there and did his best to ignore him, but that action wasn't really helping his project or his mood. Despite Loki's many failings, the god had saved his life… more than once. And despite the somewhat-disturbing count and vague promise that Tony would pay him back somehow, he figured it perhaps a little cold of him to treat him like empty air after he'd turned a deep wound into a faded scar.

He looked over his shoulder at Loki. The god was looking both tired and agitated, both uncommon emotions for him. He usually kept anything like that sealed under a well-practiced mask.

"Toad-sitting harder than it looks?"

It was the closest Tony could come to commenting on the god's run-down appearance. He figured he should at least try not to be acerbic.

Loki just raised an eyebrow. "It is no more difficult than it appears," He said, as though Tony's question was ludicrous. "Why? Are you concerned for its welfare?"

Tony didn't give a single damn about the toad, and he knew baiting when he saw it. "Doesn't look that difficult, trickster. You sit on your ass and stare at a toad all day. Not strenuous."

Loki laughed coldly without looking up from the table."Oh it is amusing when you think you know everything. Do go on."

Tony didn't quite like the sound of that. He gave up and focused on the project at hand. If the god wanted to have a laugh he could poke fun at someone else. The coffee hadn't hit his system yet, and he did not want to play clown for the trickster just to find out why the god was looking haggard.

Loki just laughed under his breath. "Mortals. So sure their eyes speak the truth."

Tony matched his tone. "Immortals," he said condescendingly. "So sure mortals can't see through their shit." As a matter of fact, Tony couldn't see through it, but he knew the god was full of it.

Loki was devoid of humor now. "If that is true -" His tone clearly said he doubted it "- Then trust that I can see through yours. Not particularly concerned for the toad, are you? It is no secret I am usually to be found in rather better condition than this. Yet you thought your attempt to question me to be subtle." He shook his head in disappointment.

Tony hadn't really expected that to fly anyway. He spread his arms. "Fine. You found me out. What the hell have you been up to, then, if it hasn't been the toad running you into the ground?"

It was a question of the bluntest fashion, but Tony was tired and doubted he'd get a straight answer out of Loki anyway. He could try to play the typical play of words, but most likely he'd get the same convoluted answer, or just a lie. Things had certainly changed since the beginning, when the worst answer would be a lie as opposed to a knife between the ribs, but neither were particularly preferable right now. He waited, eyes on the blueprints but mind elsewhere, slightly curious as to what excuse the god would concoct.

His only answer was a humorless laugh. "You wouldn't believe me anyway," He said. He left the workbench, approaching the floating bot instead, snatching it out of the air as it tried to wobble away from him. He didn't seem inclined to continue.

"Don't know why that comes as a surprise to you," Tony said frankly.

"Oh do spare me, Stark." Loki's expression darkened, abruptly angry. Tony straightened up. It was always wise to pay attention when a god got angry. Tony did not particularly want to be a the receiving end of one of Loki's bolts, though he wasn't quite sure what had set him off this time.

"How oft have I heard the mention of my title," He said, his tone leaking into the overdramatic speech-telling Thor was so prone to. "You humans are among the most untrustworthy races in all the realms, yet a god who speaks the occasional untruth has every word decried as a falsehood."

Tony's stance remained unchanged. He'd had personal experience with the god's trickery and lies. "Not like you haven't earned it," he said.

Loki's expression, if possible, grew darker. He released the bot and skewered Tony with an icy stare. "Deceit and lies come naturally to me, Stark. Perhaps this is because I have been steeped in them since my birth," Loki said bitterly. "Overshadowed by my brother, used by my father, shunned for my supposed shortcomings compared to my brother's brilliance." His expression was such that Tony eyed one of his bots furtively, to use as a shield in case Loki went haywire.

The god paced away, his tiredness forgotten as his agitation increased tenfold. This didn't seem to be anywhere close to the answer of Tony's trivial, somewhat innocent question, but Loki seemed to have worked up a lather and Tony knew better than to interrupt.

"Always the leper, the outcast, I expected as such when I was brought here. Originally I saw this... detainment as only a hitch, and perhaps as a means to an end. Your guess was correct," Loki said, flashing Tony a grin, "I hoped to garner information, information that could prove useful in my destruction of the Avengers when Heimdall was occupied elsewhere." Tony's eyes flicked upwards, just in case aforementioned heavenly spy was about to smite Loki with a lightning bolt.

"However, this forced exile from my adopted homeland begat a reaction which I did not expect - the absense of Asgardian magic in this world, coupled with those loathsome cuffs, severed my connection with Thanos; and with it, the twisted magic he'd laid in my mind."

"Really?" Tony couldn't help saying. "You looked plenty insane when you first arrived."

"The curse was broken - the damage remained," Loki snapped. "Still, my condition and reputation was such that no one would care to notice the difference." His eyes met Tony's. "In my life I have been an outcast, unwanted, blamed, and forsaken. I have known nothing else. When I was taken by the Abyss and broken by Thanos, my brother sought only to capture me, while my 'father' -" he spat the word, "- decreed I rot in a cell for eternity. No less than I expected." A dry chuckle escaped him.

"Here, in this Midgardian mansion, I expected much the same treatment. Indeed, I originally received it. Everyone reacted as I expected, from the shots to the death threats. I did attempt to uphold my end of the bargain; I did not wish to see the earth destroyed by a temperamental sorcerer. With the options left to me… I decided to invest the little I was willing to divulge into the Man of Iron, he with no immortal powers. What threat could electricity and metal play to a god?"

Tony eyed the many guns, blasters, and beams lying about the place. "A big threat, if you drove me to it. Shall I introduce you to my tank missile?"

"I shall be pleased to meet its acquaintance another time; and perhaps from quite a great distance." The god was not to be dissuaded. Tony wondered idly how long he'd been keeping things pent up.

"I have always been the outsider, Stark, the unwanted variable who possesses useful information or powers. I am well accustomed to my role, as well as the ability to abuse it. Those skills do not apply when an allied enemy treats you with tolerance. Your reaction… and eventual acceptance of the enemy into this haven of yours was quite surprising. I had no reason to believe you would come to accept my help."

"You didn't make it easy," Tony grumbled. 'Help'. That was a laugh. Snide comments, more like. Though Tony wondered if his veiled comments and drawn-out suggestions were due less to the god being a prick (though still definitely a reason) and more to Loki being as uncomfortable with electricity as Tony was with magic. Or he was just being a prick.

Still, Loki had read a bit too much into Tony's reaction. It had been a reaction borne of desperate times and unhealthy trust in a spy god above to keep the trickster in line. But if the god wanted to take this reaction to it... it was okay with him. His head was still spinning somewhat from the god's extended rant, but he thought he had the just of it. "So you're saying, through all your godly years, I'm the only damn person who's actually treated you like a person?"

"A rough summation, but correct nonetheless."

And then spun the next part of the tale, one that Tony could no contribute to with his own memories - being in the presence of another intelligent being, one who also thirsted for knowledge, albeit in a rather different manner. The hours that quickly grew long in the workshop. Tony had been so set in his supposed - or as Loki would say, expected - hatred of the god, and frazzlement over the world ending, that Tony had remained completely oblivious as the game - and his own feelings - changed around him.

Damn. Okay, his work ethic did have some downsides.

Still, it wasn't like Loki's monologue was a revelation; he'd seen, or guessed, most of it, though the true depth of his emotional baggage was a little surprising even to Tony.

Though he still didn't know why the god was looking run-down... but if this was a distraction technique it had worked pretty well.

There was very little space between them now. That fact did not bother him.

"So should I just forget that you tried to kill me then?" Tony muttered, his voice as weak as his will. He'd never really learned how to shut up.

He regretted saying it as soon as he spoke it; Loki snorted and stepped back. "I did believe we were past this, Stark," He said, his tone almost condescending.

Might as well commit, if he was going to continue mouthing off. "Past attempted murder, you mean?"

Loki shook his head. "I once again placed too much faith in your intelligence. Clearly I was mistaken, if you still believe our conversation was a true attempt on your life."

He continued before Tony had a chance to reply. "I could have killed you a hundred times that day, had I wished it," He said softly. "You thought me finished after my attempt to take you failed?"

Tony didn't quite know what to say. His impromptu trip down to the pavement sure hadn't been great for his health, but it wasn't exactly the easiest or most reliable way to kill someone with a flying machine.

The god grinned then. "Had I not wished for you to join my side, a simple bolt of magic on your ailing suit would have finished the job, before those metal boots of yours ever landed on your tower."

Loki now seemed quite interested in Tony's assertion – interested in proving it wrong. He did delight in showing up others, though this one did involve clearing his name somewhat.

"You think I honestly tried to kill you? With you standing here, still breathing?" The god shook his head in wonder. "What folly, to think a god such as I, incapable of such an easy feat."

"What folly," He repeated softly, "To think I wished you dead, when my scepter lay inches from your beating heart." He drew closer. "Or perhaps, if that were not opportunity enough, when I had my hand around your fragile, mortal neck?" Loki tilted his head to the side, studying him. "Yes, I quite clearly wanted you dead. I certainly gave it my best shot."

"Yeah, that window was a wonderful joy ride. Almost had time to give your regards to the pavement."

"Your donning of the bracelet may have been subtle enough, but its appearance did not go unnoticed." Loki shrugged. "I will admit to some curiosity."

"You were curious, so you threw me out the window?"

"Really, Stark." He had the nerve to roll his eyes. "If your machinery had been unable to save you, I would have been disappointed indeed. I was not concerned with your survival - I was merely interested in the method."

Tony didn't particularly approve of Loki's method to sate his curiosity. "Going to have to find a new method there, trickster," Tony said. "Next time I meet a window, you meet a tank missile."

"Duly noted," The god said, but his expression was somewhat petulant and he did not seem to care. He appeared on the brink of saying more, when his head snapped up and he stared straight ahead, wearing a strange, faraway look. Tony looked around, but saw nothing. Loki didn't move. Tony watched warily, wondering if he was having some sort of fit.

"Do have fun with your playthings, Stark," Loki said, straightening up, his tone abruptly formal. He looked arrogantly over at the still-slightly-lopsided droid. "You seem to be surviving well enough."

"Thanks for the glowing commendation."

"Tut tut, hearing praise where there is none. A passing score is hardly a commendation of any sort. Now if you'll excuse me, duty does call." Had that been the reasoning for that misty faraway look? Was his toad summoning him to tend to the chicken egg?

Nevertheless, Tony was a still a little surprised at the abrupt announcement of departure. "Have fun playing nursemaid," He said, for lack of a better rebuttal.

"It is decidedly less fun when it leaches my magic," Loki grumbled. Tony tried not to let any shock show at Loki's suddenly informal tone, and at the answer to his previous question. He'd already assumed he just wasn't going to find out, but magic-leaking could cause anyone to look downtrodden, he supposed. "But there is little to be done for it; it must hatch as soon as it is able. With this sorcerer, I fear we do not have much time." Without another word, he was gone, a single green spark in the air the only indication the god had ever been there.

Tony threw a wrench at it.


Hope you enjoyed, more to come in about a minute~

And of course I was referencing the scene in the Avengers; if that was a true attempt on Tony's life then the trickster god gets an F-. (Yes I know plotwise it had to happen that way but still... x)