….I am reallyyyy sorry. Honestly. I literally just finished my exams on Tuesday, and started writing this extra-long chapter after I was done them all cuz I love you guys like crazy and you are AMAZING for putting up with my bullcrap. But yeah….blame school. I very much dislike it. -_- But the next chapter should be out much sooner, because I know where I am going with it. ;) :D
Much love and thanks to my wonderful and amazing Shells (known on this site as GreenLoki, who has just posted a SERIOUSLY brilliant and amazing story called 'Smoke You Out', and you guys totally have to check out!) and to my other lovely friend, who is Liliya-Lokison on this site and has an awesome story in the making called 'Strange Beginnings' that you guys should totally check out too! :D And thank you to everyone who has reviewed, faved and followed this story: it means the world to me! I love all of you! 3
IMPORTANT NOTE: If there are any ideas or suggestions you guys have for some flashbacks, or any ideas you want to see written, please feel free to tell me in either or a review, or to PM any you may have. :) I already have some wonderful people helping me come up with some ideas, but I would LOVE to hear some more if you guys have any. :3 They can be angsty, funny, dramatic, cute, whatever you have, feel free to throw them at me! ;) :D
Chapter 5: I Am Your Ever-Growing Flame
"This tastes like shit."
Loki looked up from his history textbook and at the disgusted teenage billionaire sitting across the table in front of him, rolling his eyes at the way his face had screwed up in utter revulsion at the coffee he was sipping. "How eloquent." Loki stated drily before turned his gaze back to his book, trying to focus on both it and at drowning out the over-dramatic gagging noises Tony was making. Eventually he gave up and looked up at his friend in irritation. "For god's sake, you aren't dying Anthony. So you had a bad cup of coffee-"
"But the past few times we have come here they have only been getting worse." Tony all but whined in reply. "Ever since that weird guy took over the shop…" He faltered as he glanced over at a nearby 'Employees Only' door, where the café's new owner, a tall, imposing man with a mop of dirty brown hair, was currently having a heated discussion with an employee who appeared to be on the verge of tears. Suddenly, Tony brightened up, and turned to Loki with a look of excitement on his face. But before he could say anything, Loki cut him off.
"No, you cannot buy the store and bring the old owner back again." He turned back to his book.
Tony pouted and glared half-heartedly at the black-haired teen. "But you know that I need good coffee to function properly. Remember that time in Mr. Tanner's class-"
"I had to buy four new textbooks after that incident, so yes, I recall it quite well." Loki replied with a look of exasperation and annoyance. "One of which was, coincidently, this textbook." He held up the one he was currently trying to read from. "Which I happen to need for an importanttest I have in two days."
Tony rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, history is one of your best subjects. Plus, all you really need to know is 'What's in people's names? A rose we call by any other name would still smell as sweet as it did before…'" Tony trailed off at the end. "Did I screw that up?"
"Just a bit. And that's English, Anthony, not history." Loki added, fighting back a smile.
Tony groaned and threw his hands up in the air. "See how awful I am without coffee? I needsustenance."
Loki sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You are never going to let me study, are you?"
"Nope." Suddenly Tony perked up again, and Loki braced himself for what was sure to follow. "We are going to find a new coffee place."
Loki looked up slightly at this, confused. "I beg your pardon?"
This time, Tony was the one rolling his eyes. "A new place to buy coffee. To chill out, lay around and be lazy, hang out, eat random food, have-"
Loki held up a hand to silence him, sighing that long-suffering sigh of his before he spoke. "I understand what you mean, thank you. But you are saying that-"
"-I am dragging you around town looking for our new coffee place/personal hang-out then yes, you correct. Now come on, pack up your bags, let's move, we have a lot to cover." Tony finished all in one breath, reaching over the small table separating him and a now shell-shocked Loki and snatching his history book away, snapping it shut in one quick movement. Standing up, he casually walked behind Loki and grabbed his bag from where it laid hanging on the back of his chair, stuffing the book into his bag before dropping it in Loki's lap. Leaning forward, he whispered teasingly in Loki's ear, hot breath collecting in the shell of his ear, "I should also probably add that you have no choice in the matter."
And with a smirk, Tony grabbed Loki's arm and forced him to stand up, spinning him around and not letting go even as the other teen staggered to catch his bag.
"I hate you." Loki couldn't help but add as Tony dragged him out of the shop, people watching the two with curiosity and some even going so far as to whisper loudly "Is that Howard Stark's son?"
Tony didn't even spare Loki a glance at the comment; his smirk just grew wider. "No you don't." He replied cheekily as they finally reached the door. Finally letting go of Loki's arm, Tony whirled around and coughed loudly and dramatically, causing everyone who wasn't watching him before to look up in interest. He also chose to ignore Loki's muttered "Oh dear god…" as he begun to speak.
"This coffee shop was once a wonderful place. Its brownies were divine, its coffee sublime. Its lovely décor provided a sense of hospitality for the people who chose to come here…and then that asshole over there took over." He pointed over at the new owner, who had come out of the other room and was watching Tony with his jaw hanging open unattractively. "So, in conclusion-"
Loki grabbed Tony by the back of his neck, shoved the door open and dragged him out of the shop, ignoring his cries of protest and "I wasn't finished!"
Loki then spun him, glaring at him with fervor. "Can I go anywhere with you?!" He asked, frustration seeping into his voice.
Tony just raised an eyebrow at him. "That was funny and you know it. Come on Lo', you saw the guy's face." He bumped his hip against Loki's. "It was fucking hilarious." He grinned up at him, and saw Loki trying to mask a smile. "See! What did I tell you?" Loki just shook his head, pursing his lips together, and tried to change the subject.
"You haven't studied for the history test yet, have you?"
"Haven't started, not planning to."
"Tell me how that works out for you."
"I'll be sure to. Would you like it through a postcard?"
"That would be lovely."
"I'll be sure to then."
"Good."
"Spectacular. Now can we please go find our new coffee place?" Tony asked with wide, hopeful eyes.
Loki sighed. "Two hours. That's all I'm giving you."
Tony pondered this for a moment before breaking into a giant grin. "I can work with that."
And that is how, in the span of one hour, fifty two minutes and thirty seven seconds, Loki found himself dragged into over a dozen coffee shops and cafés, all of which were perfectly fine by his standards, but in Tony's mind all had some sort of flaw. They went to several that had some sort of retro theme, where Tony had complained that 'seeing the workers wearing those outfits every single day might drive me to suicide'. There were some that were meant to have a natural, outdoorsy feel, but Tony had left those without even trying anything from them, much to Loki's irritation. A couple were 'too simple and has nothing special to offer' or 'I feel like I'm on death row; what the fuck were the people who designed this place thinking?!', and eventually they just ran out of places to try (near the end also Loki refused to let Tony try any more coffee otherwise he might start acting 'even more manic than usual').
They were left sitting in Tony's car; Tony slumped into the leather with a depressed look on his face and Loki flipped through the pages of his textbook once more. "And this is why you shouldn't have insulted the owner at our regular coffee place." Loki broke the silence without looking up from the book.
Tony just sighed. "There's got to be some other shop…and the guy had it coming."
Loki just rolled his eyes, when suddenly something caught his eye. A large green sign in the shape of a coffee cup stood out among the buildings that lined the streets they were on, displaying the name of a coffee shop that Loki recognized he and Tony had not yet been to.
"What about that one?" Loki asked, pointing over to the shop. Tony perked up as he looked over, before deflating again.
"Oh, that thing? That's the place my dad used to go to. Nope, way too old. I'm not even going to try." Tony said, emphasizing with a slow, long head shake.
Loki, however, looked interested. "It could be nice, you never know." He pointed out. "Plus, you know how much I love old shops. Now come on."
Tony looked up at this, confused. "What do you- you're getting out of the car, aren't you." Loki smirked as he tucked his book in his bag and shoved the door open, sliding out of the car. He heard Tony yell something after him, but as he strode down the sidewalk towards the coffee shop, he heard the car door open and a few moments later Tony was walking beside him begrudgingly, grumbling under his breath.
"But Loki…" He whined as they reached the door.
Loki ignored him and pushed it open.
It was a cute little coffee shop, with deep green walls and a solid, hardwood floor. White tables made of marble and matching plush chairs were scattered around, and a large fireplace stood out against the left wall. Flames crackled in it, illuminating the larger table and leather couches splayed out in front of it. Book shelves were stationed beside the counter on each side, and on either side of the fireplace as well. A bored-looking cashier was flipping through a magazine in front of cases of delicious looking food and giant coffee machines, chalk boards above showing dozens of options to order.
When Tony first took in the décor, he tried to turn around and escape, but Loki grabbed on to his arm and kept him there. Without wavering, he calmly and casually dragged Tony over to the counter. Getting the cashier's attention, he told him their regular orders and waited patiently for him to grab them with his hand still wrapped around Tony's arm. He let go when the cashier handed them their orders and Loki forced Tony's into his hands with a smile. Tony just sighed, but there was a slight smile on his face as he watched and followed Loki over to the couch closest to the fireplace.
"What's so good about this place?" Tony asked when they finally sat down, Loki looking uncharacteristically comfortable and at home. Loki shrugged in reply, sipping his coffee with a content sigh.
"I don't know... it's just nice. And cozy." Loki said thoughtfully, and Tony could, sadly, genuinely tell he really liked the place. "And hey, at least here you won't be recognized and we won't have to deal with people constantly pointing and staring at you while we try to 'hang out.'"
"That's because no one comes here Lo'," he pointed out, hesitantly taking a sip of his coffee…and nearly spitting it out. "And this tastes like the ones at our old regular coffee place."
Now Loki was the one pouting. "Oh come on: the coffee there was fine, and so is this! And I really do like this place…please?" He added, wide and bright emerald eyes fixated on Tony pleadingly.
Tony looked away. "You know that using that look is no fair." He objected, nearly whining.
Loki smirked, leaning forward and tilting Tony's head towards his. "Come on, we all know you'd do anything for me." Tony could smell coffee on his breath, but strangely he didn't mind the bitter scent. Plus, it was true…though Tony would never give Loki the satisfaction of knowing that.
"…I suppose it isn't that bad." Tony eventually spoke, giving in, lips curling in a smile at how Loki visibly lit up.
"Really?" He asked, looking excited. "You are honestly okay with it."
Tony rolled his eyes affectionately. "Yes, I'm fine with it." Only because in my mind it goes you first, coffee second.
Loki beamed at him, looking and feeling accomplished, before snuggling deeper into the couch and taking out his text book despite Tony's groan. "I gave you two hours, remember Anthony?" He reminded him with a small smile. "Time's up."
Tony sighed. "Okay." He paused, before smirking mischievously. "I mean, you already did waste two hours of valuable studying time. I mean, did you see how much is on that test? It is almost an unmanageable amount, and even in two days I doubt anyone could memorize that much..."
Loki kicked him not-so-lightly in the shin, looking annoyed, but Tony could see that he was holding back a smile.
"If I fail this test, I am going to murder you in your sleep." He pointed out.
"I don't doubt it."
"Good. Well, cheers then." Loki said with a smirk, raising his coffee cup to meet Tony's.
"Cheers." Tony replied with a matching one, their cups clinked lightly. As Loki turned back to his book with an undeniably brighter smile on his face, Tony's gaze softened, and remained that way even as he regarded the coffee in front of him.
Maybe I can just take up tea…
Loki sighed as he walked down the cool streets of New York, breath billowing like clouds of faint smoke. He shoved his hands further into his pockets, keeping a casual air as his eyes followed the man in the suit heading into a nearby, bustling café.
After his run in with Tony two days ago, Loki had made a vow to himself to focus purely on why he was there: for the assassinations. No more distractions, no more diversions, no more lingering thoughts about the billionaire. Loki couldn't afford any more of them. So, he had started keeping tabs and following his first impending victim: Walter Morris.
Walter Morris was a well-known and respected insurance broker, famous for his ability to close the case and do nothing but. With cold, withering grey eyes and a thinning bald head, he could always been seen stalking around his workplace in a deep blue suit, making him easy for Loki to pick out among crowds. There were many people who could want this man dead, but Loki wondered exactly what he did to whoever his client was to make him actually hire someone to seal the deal. But then again, wondering wasn't part of Loki's job.
(When reading Walter Morris' file, the only thing that gave him pause was when he read the man was not only married, but a father of two. Normally, he could swallow any qualms about cases he had, but something he had heard Tony say in an interview a long time back had run inexplicably through his head.
I never got to say goodbye to my father.
Loki had pushed the thought out of his head as quickly as it came.)
Loki had spent the past day following and watching Walter, and was quite frankly bored at this point. The man had spent the entire day in his office, meaning Loki had to sit on a bench in front of the building and try to inconspicuously watch him through his office window (luckily for him, the man's office wasn't located very high on the large, towering building). The only time he ever came out of his office during the day was to grab a hot dog from a vendor that was stationed a few meters from where Loki was sitting. It was about five o'clock when Walter finally finished work and stepped out, brief case in hand and a cool but somehow bored expression on his face, and started heading towards a busy-looking café for something to eat. Loki followed swiftly as he tried to regain feeling in his stiff, half-frozen bones.
As he took a step into the café, he felt heat rush back through his body, and his nose was assaulted with the delicious smells off fresh coffee and dozens of fruity, chocolaty pastries. Instantly, Loki started analyzing his surroundings. The café was fairly small, though you wouldn't realize it from all of the people filling it in swarms. The tables were closely packed, made of thin, red wood with long black chairs surrounding them. Frazzled-looking cashiers lined the back of the shop behind long glass cases filled to the brim with food and tall coffee machines peeking out from behind them. Curtains framed the windows that made up most of the front wall, red and white checkered. It was cute, Loki mused. Unassuming. Quaint.
He found himself slightly distracted by the food, having not eaten since the morning, and his gaze lingered on the large, mouth-wateringly good-looking sandwiches that more than a few people were devouring. But despite this, Loki still kept himself focused mainly on his target.
Sliding casually into the devastatingly long line, Loki's still-freezing fingers grasped the phone in his pocket and starting tapping mindlessly on random keys, to appear as if he were texting, but while keeping his gaze on Walter Morris the whole time. He was just a few people (well, seven people to be exact, but Loki had this annoying habit of keeping track of everything and everyone around him even if he didn't necessarily need or want to) ahead of Loki, and was tapping his foot restlessly on the hard marble floor as he turned a few dollar bills over in his hand. Loki remembered reading in his file that the man was impatient, despite his job requiring him to be patient at almost all times. Loki pondered this as he waited, the minutes annoyingly stretching out, and soon Walter wasn't the only one feeling restless.
Suddenly, a man caught Loki's eye. He was sitting at one of café's tables, a newspaper strewn across the table in front of him. He appeared to be dressed in all black, adorned in dull black jeans and t-shirt, and a thin leather jacket. His eyes were flickering across his newspaper as he took a sip of coffee, seemingly interested in what they were reading, when suddenly, he looked up and directly at Loki. Freakishly pale blue eyes bore into Loki's bright green ones, and a strange, almost knowing smile erupted on the man's tanned, clean-shaven face, lingering there for a few moments. He then turned back to his paper and carried on like nothing had occurred.
Loki stared at him for a few heartbeats longer, feeling irrevocably confused and fighting back a shiver. What the hell was…
Annoyed rumbling suddenly sounded from behind him, causing Loki to jerk out of his daze. He realized the line in front of him had disappeared, and he was faced with a young cashier who had a look of thinly-veiled impatience on his face as he waited for Loki to order something. Blinking to clear his head, Loki hurriedly stepped forward and hastily ordered the first things he saw on the menu. "Yes umm, I'll just take… a caramel latte and raspberry scone." He pressed the money into the young man's hands before he could even tell Loki the overall price, telling him to keep the change.
Loki moved slightly to the side as he waited for his food, feigning calm as he glanced over his shoulder behind him. The man in black sitting at the table had disappeared, causing Loki to feel slightly relieved despite himself.
But so was Walter Morris.
"Shit!" Loki hissed under his breath, cursing himself for allowing himself to be distracted. He turned back to the counter rapidly, only to have a worker shove his food into his hands and wish him a nice day. Loki briskly thanked them before hurrying out of the café, nearly toppling people over in the process as he all but shoved the glass door open. Ignoring the icy blast that hit him as soon as he stepped outside, Loki looked around wildly for any sign of the now-familiar blue suit…only to find nothing. He was gone.
Loki closed his eyes, breathing deeply and trying not to throw his scalding hot coffee at someone, however tempting it was. Then, he opened them, and tapped gently on the shoulder of a tired but seemingly kind woman that was walking by. "Excuse me?" He asked, painting a warm smile on his face and gazing at her with kind but pleading eyes. "I was having dinner with my friend, but he had to leave abruptly and somehow forgot his phone." Loki held up his own phone for show, feigning embarrassment as he asked "You wouldn't have happened to see him go by, would you? He was wearing a blue suit and holding a black brief case-"
"Oh him?" The woman asked, before gesturing behind her, "He ran by just a few moments ago. He nearly knocked me over; he was in such a hurry…" She laughed slightly, pink dotting her cheeks briefly.
Loki smiled gratefully and thanked her quickly, before adding after not a moment's doubt, "Here, have a scone." Shoving the paper bag into her hand with a bright smile, he turned around and took off in the direction she pointed out to him.
Rushing around a corner as he avoided the crowds that, at this time in the day, seemed to be flooding everywhere, Loki managed to catch sight of the signature suit as his gaze swept over the area. Letting out a relieved sigh, Loki tightened his coat around his lean body as he hurried forward, slipping his coffee into a garbage can despite the gnawing at his stomach the faint smell brought. No more distractions.
Walter appeared to be in a great hurry, Loki soon noticed, and he had to break into a jog to keep the man in sight. He was forced to keep up the swift pace for several long minutes as Walter hurried through the sidewalks and streets of the bright and busy city, until he suddenly turned a corner, obscuring himself from Loki's sight. Breaking from his jog, Loki kept up a fast walk, only slowing down when he glanced casually at the darker street Walter had turned down.
It wasn't a long street, very much out of place compared to the longer, traffic-jammed ones around it, with only two small cars parked at the end of it. A few small, seemingly deserted shops dotted its sides, their signs flickering and some even completely burned out. A small motel stood its ground at the end of it, looking more run-down than anything even Loki would dare stay in. Nothing seemed to be of interest on the small street, but the fact that Walter was striding down its only, cracked up and dirty sidewalk piqued Loki's interest. The only reason Loki ever followed his targets around for a few days before the kill was to get a sense of their routines to determine when and where the best time to kill them would be, as he had been taught to do years before. But occasionally he came across valuable intel, and whether it was useful or not, it helped Loki discover why someone wanted them dead in the first place. He often did find things out about his hits that proved to be interesting, and luckily kept Loki entertained by what he was doing.
(And, if they were particularly vile or disturbing, Loki would sometimes use it against them before killing them, mocking them with it during their final moments. It satisfied him somehow, though he had never admitted it to anyone but himself.)
So, sticking very closely to the side walls and shadows so as not to be noticed, Loki watched him as they both walked down the street. Loki watched Walter stop in front of the motel, and shakily reach into his pocket and light a cigarette, smoke mixing with the crisp cold as he exhaled heavily.
Loki's mind ran through the possibilities of why Walter was there. An affair? Involved with drugs? Hiring a prostitute? It appeared Loki's last guess was correct, as a tall woman with long, blonde hair and lips coloured a bright crimson strode up to him, her more-than-slightly revealing outfit made up of slick black leather and fish nets. She trailed a pale finger down his spine and Loki saw him swallow hard even from the few meters away from where he was standing. Wrapping one hand around his arm and the other around his hand gripping his brief case, the woman leaned in and whispered something to Walter before guiding him into the motel and out of Loki's view (thankfully).
Loki wrinkled his nose in disgust. He had seen many a businessman hire them, almost every single one of them married, and it always disgusted Loki that they would do that to the people they loved…but then again, considering his occupation, Loki really had no right to judge, well, basically anyone. But the one thing that miffed Loki about the situation was that it was just around dinner, barely starting to get dark, and not at night…why would Walter hire a prostitute now and not later? And why would she be out at this time of day? He could have pre-planned this all, of course, but something about the situation struck Loki as off.
Feeling slightly uneasy, Loki swiftly stepped forward and into the alleyway beside the motel. You'd think after getting knocked out by a gang in one he'd feel unsafe in alleys, but since that was not nearly as close to a bad encounter as Loki had had before (not including what happened after it), he soon adapted. The alley was much longer than the one Loki had been in before, and he could see people hurrying by at the other end of it, showing that it ends on a much busier road like the one he had been on before. Pressing his back along the wall to keep hidden from view, Loki leaned against the hard, frosty brick wall…
…only to feel the cool metal of a gun being pressed against his throat.
His eyes flew open, and he twisted the gun out of the grip of whoever was holding it so fast they had no chance to shoot, pressing them against the wall with a venomous hiss.
He froze, however, when he realized it was Walter Morris. What the fuck is he-
Taking advantage of Loki's shocked state, Walter shoved the assassin back, catching him off guard with a swift blow to the face with the butt of the gun. Pain exploded against Loki's temple, reminding him with a fiery passion of the bandage hidden behind his thick hair and the fact that he has not recovered from what Tony had called a concussion that Loki had brushed off because of his goddamn stubborn pride.
Swallowing the fruity taste of vomit that had flooded his mouth, he found himself involuntarily leaning against the opposite wall, stars dancing in front of his eyes as he felt a gun hovering inches from his face.
Loki then decided he actually did hate alleys. As if he didn't have shitty luck before all of the crap that kept happening in them…
"Who are you?" He vaguely heard Walter snarl, but it sounded as if the man were underwater. Loki lifted his head despite the pain, looking at Walter through blurry eyes as he tried to form a response.
"I…"
Suddenly, joy of joys, an explosion sounded nearby, causing screams to ring out. Both Walter and Loki jumped slightly at the wave of noise, causing the latter to flinch in pain. They both turned to look at the buildings that surrounded them, and saw columns of bright orange flame erupt on the other, busier sides of them, followed by another, and another. More screams started ringing out; the sharp sounds sending spikes of pain through Loki's skull. Gritting his teeth, he turned his attention back to Walter, whose eyes where focused on the unfolding chaos nearby. It was now or never.
Lashing out with an expertly placed kick across the chest, Loki caught the man off-guard and grabbed the gun, twisting it until he heard bones crack and proceeding to shove him hard into a garbage can. Walter went tumbling, sliding down the wall as he clutched his wrist, pale white bone threatening to break through the throbbing purple flesh. Loki cocked the gun at him threateningly and steadily ignored the fiery pain moving brought him. More explosions sounded nearby, followed by spouts of terrified shrieking. (But Loki was long since used to blocking those out.)
"The more accurate question is who are you?" He hissed. Not many people caught him off guard and could sneak up on him like that, and how did he even know where Loki was in the first place? And wasn't he just with a prostitute a few minutes ago? He was supposed to be a fucking insurance broker, and since when was he armed? Many thoughts and questions raced through Loki's mind as his narrowed eyes scanned over the man in front of him.
He wanted answers.
Suddenly, Walter's dull grey eyes, which had been flashing with pain but surprising resilience and determination as they watched the assassin, flickered to the space above Loki, and widened comically. His jaw dropped, and an emotion that Loki was oh so used to seeing in his victims eyes flooded Walter's: terror.
Only it wasn't directed at him.
Feeling his breath quicken involuntarily, Loki suddenly felt the ground shake as something landed heavily a few meters from the two men. The sound of metal crushing the concrete sent yet another shockwave of pain through Loki's brain, and he fought the urge to close his eyes as fear flashed through him. Slowly, carefully, he turned ever-so-slightly to see what Walter was now gaping at.
Dread crashed into Loki as he stared at the tall, broad silver and green metal, the robotic, lifeless eyes that watched the two paralyzed men with disinterest. Slowly, the thing that had been headlining New York's newspapers for more than a few days took a long stride forward, and it started to raise its hand, which had come alive with dark green energy.
A Doombot.
(Loki fucking hated alleys.)
"Well that was depressing."
"We were visiting a hospital full of injured and dying people."
"I know. I was there."
"I meant that it was obviously quite depressing."
"No shit."
"Language…"
"What about it, dear Captain?"
If there was one person in this world who could cause that look to appear across Steve Roger's face, it was Tony Stark. Said genius had his famous charming smile spread across his handsome face, deep brown eyes fixing on the other superhero.
"Now, now children," the dry voice of Bruce Banner echoed behind them, and the two turned their piercing gazes toward the scientist, who was watching them behind his glasses with amusement and exasperation, "I thought we agreed to set a good example for your younger brother." With a smirk, he gestured to his right.
Clint Barton looked up from the silver arrow he was turning absent-mindedly in his fingers, huffing in annoyance at Bruce's comment. "I'm the younger brother here?" he objected, before pausing and adding in, sounding mischievous as he drawled, "So does that make Tasha the mother?"
Aforementioned super-spy and assassin shot a glare at Clint, who shriveled under her look, turning his attention back to his arrow almost instantly. Natasha Romanoff turned her bright blue gaze towards the others surrounding her, red hair falling in dainty waves across her face, daring them to make any further comments.
Tony held up his hands in surrender, reaching beside him and grabbing a bottle of wine from a nearby cooler, causing everyone to sigh sullenly, but make no move to stop him (they had long since become used to his, habits).
"So," Tony stated as he popped the bottle-cap off, the sound reverberating around the limo they were all currently in. The Avengers, who were spread out among the freakishly long and large limousine, were on their way back to their tower after holding a press conference and visiting the people injured in one of their many enemy's most recent attacks. Tony, of course, had spent the night drinking and drowning his thoughts (which were mainly Loki Loki Loki Loki) in his seemingly never-ending supply of booze, and hadn't gotten out of bed until Steve had broken down his workshop door and allowed Clint to start firing arrows at the lump of sheets and blankets Tony had buried himself under while sleeping in his workshop bed. But, in the end, they all went and 'made a difference', as the people at the conference stated. And now…Tony was back to drinking.
"So when's your next visit back to Magic Land, Point Break?" Tony decided to change the subject before things were said and done and they destroyed (another) one of Tony's limos, and to include the god of thunder in the conversation. The question came out slightly fuzzy though, as Tony was still swallowing his first gulp of the icy amber liquid.
No response.
Tony looked over at the god, who was splayed out across a nearby couch, long golden hair and blood-red cape splayed out behind him. The team had finally convinced him NOT to bring the hammer when they went for press conferences (accidents happen: they learned this the hard way) but luckily Thor had been occupying himself with his new cellphone.
(It had taken months of strenuous planning, but eventually the team sat Thor and Steve down in order to teach them the wonders of 'Midgardian technology'. Steve had caught on surprisingly quick, but it had taken about eight hours or so to teach Thor how to use everything- eight hours of begging, screaming, throwing stuff, overly exaggerated patience and, in Clint's case, crying. But since then, Thor had been texting his girlfriend, Jane, non-stop, thankfully giving the god something else to do other than cause massive thunderstorms for fun).
Tony opened his mouth to make some sort of ('rude, inappropriate and unnecessary' as Steve always put them) comment about what the two were actually talking about, when all of a sudden a familiar voice cut through the built-in intercom.
"Stark, if you say what I think you are about to and the conversation gets out to the press I will not hesitate to send one of my men to cut you open in your sleep."
Tony only smirked at this, the effects of the alcohol already starting to take its toll, as he replied in his signature cheerful, smooth voice, "I have no idea as to what you are referring to Director. Maybe you would like to enlighten us on the joys of-"
A robotic hand suddenly shot out from behind one of the red, leather seats and grabbed the drink out of Tony's hand, before disappearing and taking the glass with it. Tony nearly whined in protest, and his expression caused the Avengers to all snicker at the billionaire's obvious distress. Shooting them a glare, Tony reached out to grab another one, but instead three other robotic hands came out, this time taking all of the drinks with them. Tony sighed and shot the intercom a half-hearted glare. "My own technology used against me…" he pouted.
You could practically hear Fury's remaining eye twitch. "Remind me why you are even considered a superhero, much less an Avenger?"
Tony was about to reply, when all of sudden Natasha cut him off, all seriousness. "Did you need something, Director?"
Fury sighed heavily on the other end. "I need to talk to Stark as soon as you guys get back."
"I'm busy," Tony replied on instinct. He knew Fury probably wanted to discuss his progress on tracking down the assassin, but for the past few days he had done anything but look into that. He had watched the videos and scanned over the pictures briefly, yes, but that was about the last thing on his mind with all that seemed to be happening right now.
"Doing what exactly?"
"Umm…working on adjusting my repulsors. They were damaged during-uh-someone-I-forget-about's last attack. I need to-"
"This wouldn't have to do with Pepper being noticeably pissed at you, would it?" Happy, his chauffeur and body guard, called to Tony from the front seat, sounding interested. Tony shot him a glare, even though he couldn't see it, his cheerful and snarky mood turning sour and melting instantly.
Ever since running into Loki two days ago, Tony had spent his days in his workshop, drowning resurfaced memories and sorrows over their most recent exchange in alcohol and burying himself in a series of experiments. The only times he could ever be seen coming up from his workshop was to grab ice when said experiments went wrong. The Avengers weren't too concerned though, since they weren't stupid (and Happy was a gossip) and knew Pepper and Tony's anniversary date went badly, and they just assumed that Tony needed some time to blow off some steam. And when they had finally been forced to make him crawl out and back to real life for the press conference, he had been on full snark-and-charm mode, back to annoying Steve and to his regular self. He was marvelous at masks, after all.
Now the question remained on how to make it up to Pepper. He knew he should have sent her flowers, or tried to apologize or said something instead of closing off, and that he was going to regret it. But suddenly there was Loki and Tony just lost the ability to think, let alone do anything. None of the Avengers knew who Loki even was (all Pepper knew was that he was once a close friend of his, but they haven't spoken in years) and Tony was in no mood to open up about his past life quite yet- especially since Loki clearly didn't want anything to do with Tony anymore. So swallowing the torrent of thoughts that suddenly overwhelmed him, Tony soon placed his familiar charming mask in place.
"Maybe." He answered Happy's question as he took another long sip of his drink, ignoring how it was so much more fucking complicated than that. "But seriously though, what do I do? I mean, without her stabbing me with Dummy." He added as an afterthought.
Everyone sighed in exasperation, and Clint merely shook his head, "Don't ask me. My longest relationship is with my TV and-"
"Is the information you are about to state relevant to this case, Agent Barton?" Fury interrupted, deadly calm.
Clint shrunk, remembering that the Director was listening. "…No sir."
"Are you going to proceed with it?"
"...No sir."
"Wise decision."
"Thank you sir."
"Whipped," Tony couldn't help but add with a smirk, reaching out and grabbing a bottle of scotch from seemingly from out of nowhere, causing Fury to snarl and Steve to bury his face in his hands, groaning.
"Stark, listen to me very closely. I swear I will-" Fury suddenly paused. There was the slight hiss of static and shuffling, followed by people's muffled voices and Fury's angry one rising above them. The Avengers all straightened up, interested. The static disappeared, and Fury's grim voice appeared over the line. "We've got a problem."
"When don't we?" Clint asked, sounding bored, but regretted it when Natasha cuffed him over the head less than a second later.
Fury just sighed in annoyance, sounding too tired to even threaten his best archer. "Doombots are attacking the city's lower east side."
Everyone groaned. "Doom's just screwing with us again. I swear to god, when I get my hands on the bastard-" Clint started muttering, when suddenly Happy slammed on the brakes, causing Tony's glass of wine to go flying onto the floor and everyone to lurch forward. Once they recovered, the sadly not unfamiliar voice of Fury swearing loudly sounded through the com, followed by him saying "Correction: they're less than a block away from you."
Everyone groaned again. "Happy, I'd get out of here if I were you." Tony called, sounding irritated as he pressed a button beside him, causing the limo's ceiling to slide swiftly open. The sounds of people screaming around them to flood the vehicle, and the team of superheroes all winced, their weapons instantly at the ready. Tony's grip tightened on his cuffs as he stood up, stretching his arms out before the familiar cool metal of the suit encased him, flooding his vision with bright schematics and images. He looked around at the rest of the team, who had also stood up, and couldn't help but smile ever so slightly, feeling more focused and alive than he had ever since Loki's eyes had met his once more.
"Ready?" He heard Cap (Cap now, not Steve) ask, his hand wrapped like a vice around the handle of his trademark shield.
Everyone nodded, and Tony heard another explosion ring out nearby, followed by more terrified and horrified screams.
Then he took off.
Loki had been in tons of deadly, dangerous situations before. In fact, this probably wasn't even the worst one. But he couldn't deny the fear that rushed through his body as he stared up at the approaching robot, whose arm had locked right in the centre of the alley, energy flowing through its fingers like glowing tendrils.
When abruptly, it turned its attention to Walter and fired.
The man screamed, the sound searing through Loki's brain as he dove to the side, ducking behind a garbage can and hand slipping instantly into his boot and reaching for his gun. He could hear something splatter against the thin metal of the trash can, and felt his breath catch in his throat as he heard the robot take another step forward, shaking the ground with its force.
Loki calculated his options. He could try running, but in his hazy state he knew he wouldn't get far. Also, he was annoyingly stubborn, and hated running. He had been trained to fight, and had never backed down from one before. So, bracing himself for the onslaught that was sure to follow, Loki turned around and stood up from behind the garbage can, aiming the gun at the Doombot and firing.
See, Loki didn't own regular guns. When your father runs an organization of some of the world's most lethal and dangerous assassins, you gain some of the best, most advanced weapons in existence, not to mention hand-held guns. He carried one around that was the equivalent of a mini-machine gun, using bullets that were larger, longer and more lethal than any that were available to the public, and guaranteed to cut through even the most impenetrable of surfaces. And since Loki was a naturally good shot, those against him stood barely the slimmest chance.
Even killer robots.
The first few bullets pierced the metal skin of the Doombot, causing it to stop dead in its tracks. Firing a few shots at its head and glowing, emotionless eyes, Loki stepped out from behind the garbage can, gritting his teeth as each shot sent jolts of pain through his head. Eventually, the robot's hands and eyes stopped radiating green light, and it slumped, hitting the ground with a deafening thud.
Swallowing harshly, Loki allowed his eyes to flicker over to where Walter last was…and where he was now slumped, a literal, still burning hole in his chest. His eyes seemed brighter now, somehow, staring up at the sky with the same look of terror he was wearing when Loki last saw him. Dripping crimson and charred pieces of flesh were splattered all around him. Loki had seen, and done, much worse than this, but nonetheless he felt slightly ill at the gory sight.
Turning his focus back on the robot, Loki walked warily over to it, lifting and twisting its head up with the gun still pointed at it, as he checked to see if it was actually unable to function. The bullets had travelled through the surprisingly thin metal and pierced the hard drives and wires that made up the robot's insides, and no light emitted from anywhere inside or outside of it. Sighing in relief, Loki slid his gun back into his boot, striding over by what remained of Walter Morris and spotting the other man's gun among the blood-stained gravel. After a moment of hesitation, he used his sleeve to pick up the gun and conceal it in his other boot, the sticky metal pressing to the fabric of his jean. The nearby explosions and terrified shrieking had also died down, only occasional now.
Turning around, Loki was holding his hand to his head again, preparing to flee the scene…when he saw the Doombot standing up. A thin layer of green energy travelled down its bulky frame, and as it did so more metal grew over the bullet holes, melding with whatever silver still remained. Loki watched, horror-struck, as the glowing of its eyes and hands returned and it lifted its right arm, a ball of intense, swirling green pointing directly at him.
About a dozen things seemed to happen at once.
The Doombot fired. Another explosion went off in the distance. Someone screamed, although Loki wasn't sure if it was someone else or him. But the most noticeable thing was something- or someone- slamming into him, grabbing Loki by the waist and in a swift, sudden movement flying them both up and dropping him onto a nearby roof.
Loki felt his legs give way beneath him and fell to his knees, hand flying to cover his mouth to keep his slipping stomach at bay, smearing blood on and around his pale lips. Dizziness washed over him, but he managed to open his eyes and catch glimpses of his surroundings. A tall, blurry red figure stood in front of him, and he saw them holding their arms up, blasting beams of bright light below them. The Doombot, Loki realized, was probably what they were shooting at, but that thought was quickly overwhelmed by the realization of who the figure was.
Oh shit.
After he was sure the Doombot was down for good, Tony, both him and the suit battered by the ever-so persistent Doombots, most of which had luckily already been taken down by him and his fellow Avengers, turned to the man he had just saved. "Are you all right?" Tony asked, turning the faceplate up to inspect his state…when suddenly his heart seemed to stop.
"…Loki?"
The raven-haired man stood shakily, eyes going from pain-filled to frustrated and cold in an instant. "Just when I thought my luck couldn't get any worse." He muttered. Because seriously, it seemed like his luck was just getting shittier by the moment.
Tony was too stunned to be offended. "…what the hell?" The rest of his helmet disappeared with the quick push of a button, until his head ruffled brown hair and wide, frazzled eyes were visible.
Loki rolled his eyes. "How articulate." He spoke, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
This time, Tony acted offended. "I just saved your life, I think I deserve more than that, thank you very freaking much. And why the hell were you there anyway?!" He gestured over to the alley, where the pile of scraps that once made up the Doombot were, and then gaped at the torn up body he just realized was beside it. "And what the fuck is-"
"He attacked me in the alleyway, which I was using as a shortcut." Loki interrupted, annoyed even as he lied smoothly. "Then that…thing killed him." Loki finished, pointing down at the Doombot and god his head was killing him.
"And why didn't you run when the Doombot came after you?" Tony challenged, taking a step forward.
Tony's tone of voice caused fire to blind Loki's vision. He was in no mood to make up excuses right now. "It's none of your fucking business." He snarled, hand going to his head as he fought back a wave of nausea and took a step back.
Tony noticed this, and took one forward, grabbed onto the other man's wrist tightly and ignoring the deadly glare Loki sent him for it. "What happened to you?" He couldn't help but ask, voice turning softer.
Loki couldn't help but smile slightly at this, dark and bitter. "You have no idea."
They stared at each other for a few moments, before Loki's vision started to swirl once more and he took another deep breath. Stupid fucking concussion.
"I should take you to a hospital." Tony mused, his voice penetrating Loki's inner fog. He looked up at him to see thinly veiled concern in the other man's eyes, hiding behind a harder shell Loki's previous words had activated.
Loki curled his lips, which were tainted with dried drops of blood. He knew he probably looked insane right now, but he couldn't bring himself to care. "You do not have to do anything for me. I am perfectly capable-"
"You're about to pass out, you have blood all over your face, and you look like shit." Tony interrupted flatly and stated with a raised eyebrow. "Come on, there's a clinic right by here." He had a feeling Loki would refuse to set foot in Stark Tower's medical wing, so he didn't even bother mentioning the option.
"By what, walking?" Loki asked through gritted teeth. "I can do that myself, Anthony."
Tony shook his head. "Nope, flying." He grinned all of a sudden, feeling bold, and even though he knew he was basically sealing his death, he grabbed Loki around the waist, pulling him in closer. "I'd hold on if I were you."
Loki's eyes widened considerably, and Tony was pretty sure he had started swearing profusely before they took off, soaring through the air. It was a very quick fly, and took less than ten seconds to arrive there. The clinic Tony was referring to was small, but, like the street and motel Loki had been by, was more secluded. When they finally landed, Tony gave the grey and white, official-looking building a once-over, before turning to Loki. "See? That wasn't so bad."
Loki's only response was to throw up on Tony's feet.
If anyone can catch the 'Thor' quote in there, I will send you virtual cookies! :D
Also, all questions will be answered eventually if you have any. And if you are wondering why Tony was kinda mood-swingy at the end…he does that. At least, in my mind he does. So does Loki. Thus, part of the reason they are made for each other. :D
Review Responses: (Cuz I have seen other authors do this and you guys deserve it too. If I have already thanked and talked to you about your review than, well, you already got your response ;)
Eralune: Awww I am super glad that you like it so much! And I am also super glad to hear that, thank you very much. :3
LaNaturalBreezeOf-Books: I am glad that you find it interesting! Thank you and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and reading more! ;) :D
Azazel Lockhart: Aww I am so happy to hear that you love it, and I hope you continue to do so! :3
Druitt: Thank you so much, and I am soooo happy to hear how much you like it! :D
Liz: Awwww :3 Your review was the best Christmas present ever too! ;D Thank you and I hope you continue to really enjoy it :D
Tony's-Loki: Thank you so much! To hear that it is as brilliant as I was hoping it fantastic, so thank you and I hope you continue to enjoy! :D
Doctor Maz: I am SUPER happy to hear all of those things, especially about the flashbacks, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story! Thank you very much! :D
fan girl 666: Thank you so much, and I am glad to hear that you liked those parts, cuz I was especially worried about the flashback in this chapter. I really hope you continue to like and read the story! :D
moni: Thank you! :D And is it bad that I love writing Loki's murder scenes…? ;) Hopefully this chapter at least somewhat satisfied your badass Loki craving! ;D
Thank you all ssooooo much for reviewing, and please if you can leave me a review for this chapter and tell me what you think! :D :3