I've Got Friends in Low Places

by Ash Gray Kitsune

Tony hates being kidnapped. Seriously. Hates. It. But he's used to it, knows the game and how to play it...what's he supposed to do when his fellow captive is an Asgardian Prince who's never been held by strangers against his will? He plays the game and drags Loki along for the ride, that's what. FrostIron, rated M for PTSD and some trauma.

2. Chapter 2

Title: I've got Friends in Low Places

Author: Ash Gray Kitsune

Fandom: Avengers Movieverse

Chapters: 1/?

Pairings: FrostIron

Warnings: Some PTSD mentions, and some sexual torture. Don't worry, Tony and Loki both don't take that crap. :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's The Avengers, nor do I make any profit off of it.

Distant shouts brought both their heads up, and Tony immediately started in on the bolts that held his manacles to the floor, earning himself a glance from Loki.

"We'll need a weapon, and I don't know about you but these-" He waggled a pick in his hand, "aren't strong enough to do more than jam up a nostril." Loki quirked an eyebrow, but slowly stood up, gripping the chains above him for support.

"You are...surprisingly adaptive to this environment." His voice held only a trace of a slur; he must have held his tongue amazingly still to have so little damage. Or else, he simply healed around the spikes that had been in his mouth...not imagery that he wanted to dwell on. So, he focused instead on a light tone, keeping his disdain for their captors in full force.

"Yeah, comes with the territory of being a famous warmonger's brat." He muttered, freeing two more bolts and starting in on the fourth, satisfied with the weight in his hand. It'd be a little annoying, but damn if it wouldn't hit hard. Loki made a confused noise and Tony glanced up. "What?"

"I did not realize that you were a child of war."

"...not a kid of war, dude. Warmonger. War profiteer. Weapons manufacturing. Dear ol' Dad was world-famous for his weaponry and I...followed in his footsteps. For a while."

"Then, you became Iron Man."

"No, then...then I grew the fuck up." He grated, freeing the manacle from the floor. Loki shifted, slipping to the floor, and Tony handed him the makeshift weapon, starting in on the opposite one.

"You said...that this is something you know."

"One hundred, twenty-seven kidnappings. This makes one-twenty-eight." The silence was telling, and Tony looked up. "What?" Loki's face was a study in horror.

"Why on earth would anyone kidnap a person so many times?!" A fluid shrug, and Tony made a soft noise.

"For money, fame, murder, what have you. The slave-trade one was hilarious, like they actually thought a pissy fourteen year old genius would just obey a fat john." Loki was a little green, and covering his mouth with one hand as Tony continued. "Then there was building someone something...again, fucking jackoffs...uh...had a few decent years at MIT, and a little after...then came Afghanistan. Twice there...second time, that's when I built the Mark I. And got the glowy blue battery in my ribcage." He muttered, one hand coming up to tap the reactor's surface.

"You lost a friend." Tony froze and whipped his head up to stare at Loki, faint fear under the mask of cool anger.

"...who told you about Yensin?" The mage shook his head, a little stunned.

"It was mentioned...in a paper somewhere...before...before I was first arrested. I was trying to study my enemies..."

"...So you hunted down our weaknesses. Yeah. Lost a friend...the friend who saved my sorry, worthless skin." He growled out, yanking off the second manacle and spinning it expertly, getting comfortable with the weight...only for Loki's hand to land on his shoulder. He glared at the mage. "What?" Dark green eyes held a world of pain in their depths, and he ducked his head, anger bleeding out.

"...For all our differences, you, and the rest of your team, would be welcome in Asgard. Outcast I may be, but that much, I know. You all would be cherished, there...especially you. Your ability to create is...second only to the Allfather." Tony choked back a harsh laugh and shrugged off that hand, hunching his shoulders.

"Look, seriously, Reindeer Games, I'm about the biggest fuck-up on the face of this planet. Trust me, every major organization, every politician, and every fucking terrorist has it out for me, because you know what? Dear Daddy left me a whooooooole lot of enemies, you know that? So, you, whatever these fuckers are, and every other dumbass out for my blood? I. Am. Fucking. Used. To. It." He snapped, biting off each word and hissing, and Loki's touch fell away...and Tony didn't think about much it bugged him, now, to be without touch again. He was so used to slaps on the back or hands on the shoulder now...

"...I apologize."

"...Forget it. Let's...just get the fuck out of here. Can you use your magic?" Loki was quiet; long enough Tony just about gave up...when the mage uttered a gutteral incantation, and one of the windows dropped down, the glass disappearing and the opening widening just enough for them to slip through.

"It will remain this way...thankfully, the goons who captured us both are far larger than us..."

"So it'll take a bit for them to follow?"

"With luck..." Tony stood up, chain around his neck, and motioned for the mage to go first.

"Asgardians first." Loki gave him a smile at that, a true one, small and rather...comforting, and Tony focused on not-staring at the black, leather-clad ass scrambling through the opening. If we get through this alive...fuck it, we're going to dinner.

Chapter two was a lot of fun; snarking and feels, all around! I feel somewhat accomplished now.