oOo

Chapter 11

Tony walked in, his face masked with his signature grin, as if those nightmares hadn't plagued him at all. He walked in like a stat or walked in more like a totally crappy uncaring Diva. But hey, who was to blame him, he needed a distraction and this was the proper place to get that. And, Tony had nowhere else to go.

"Hi there pretty people."

Loki had immediately let go of Thor's cradling hand and Tony desperately wanted to comment on them being all "mushy" with each other as siblings. But of course, Tony did not want to die yet, so he held his insults at bay.

"Miss me?" He joked.

He was faced with a really pissed looking Loki sitting on the bed and a very puppy looking Thor sitting by the stool next to him.

"Am I interrupting something?" Tony said.

"Actually—"

Tony interrupted Thor immediately.

"Good, because I'll be staying here for a while. I hope you two don't mind. Being gods and all, a mere mortal won't hinder you. I'll just be a fly on the wall. Get it?"

"Why are you here, Stark?" Loki glared. "And what happened to your lips?"

"I got punched for visiting you."

"Must be painful."

"Sure is." Tony answered.

"Hmmm..." Loki hummed uncaringly.

Tony took that moment to eye Loki.

His hair was really black in this angle of light and it was wavy, long and messy. He was wearing a blue V-neck shirt and Tony could only guess what type of pants Loki was wearing from the way the sheets were drawn to his hips. Loki's eyes were red and irritated. He also had dark bags under his eyes making him look like a loony mental patient.

Tony suppressed his urge to comment on Loki's over all look. But other than that, Loki looked pretty young without the armor.

"It's nice to see you alive and kicking." Tony scoffed.

"I question why you're not dead yet."

"Thank Barton and Romanov, and no thanks to you and your long slender fingers." He wiggled his fingers for emphasis. "Are the drugs too weak that they couldn't keep you asleep?"

Tony earned a glare from Loki, who wanted to pounce at him, but Thor took that time to pull Loki's hand and squeeze it. He heard Thor murmur something Asgardian that calmed Loki down a little.

"So you two are buddies again?"

"What are you doing here, Stark?" Thor asked this time, squeezing Loki's hand.

"I don't want to stay in there." Tony admitted, pulling an empty stool and sitting in the corner.

"Why?" Loki wondered. "Because your team finds you annoying?"

"Maybe I just wanted to see your pretty face."

This shut Loki up, making him speechless.

Was that a tint of red on the god's cheek? It is! Tony knew it was there, and he wanted nothing more to do than laugh at the achievement. Besides, he was starting to form a sort of weird friendship with the god and he was content with that. Hey! You will be one lucky person to be friends with two Norse gods and that was saying something.

Maybe if he was nice enough, he'll be granted powers.

Was that how they worked?

Loki recovered quickly and replied. "Perhaps I am that irresistible, even to Iron Man."

"You would enjoy that, wouldn't you?" Tony received a smirk from Loki.

"You could say so."

Sneaky bastard.

A start of very weird friendship.

"It just so happens that they're watching my future, and I don't want any part of it." He answered, absently waving a hand. "Besides, I've already seen it."

"You've gone and watched it on your own?" Loki questioned. "How bold of you."

"Yeah it took some courage." Tony shrugged. "I watched it after I went to your cell the other day. By the way…"

Tony tried to change the topic.

"Are you feeling good, Reindeer games?"

"If by feeling good, you mean if I am capable of running around to threaten people, then no." Loki licked his lips. "I am not feeling good."

"His wounds are still finding time to heal." Thor answered.

"My ribs would have fallen into place in no time if you hadn't attacked me." Loki mumbled. "But I guess you are still lost to your own strength."

"I apologized for that."

"Yes, about five times already since I woke up."

"So…" Tony raised a leg over the other. "Do you mind if I stay here? And don't tell Shield. Shh…"

"Stark I am not sure." Thor said.

"I won't be here for long. Just want a place to stay before I head over to my room. I'd be too predictable if I just waltz in there without making a detour and hey! I just broke the predictability. So what do you say?"

Thor turned to Loki, who was staring intently at Tony before rolling his eyes. Loki licked his lips before answering Tony with a glare.

"If you can manage to keep yourself quiet," Loki sighed. "Then do what you wish."

Tony grinned at that sentence.

oOo

"My name is Tony Stark and I'm not afraid of you." Tony said to the camera. "I know that you're a coward so I've decided that you just died, pal. I'm gonna come get the body. There's no politics here; it's just good, old-fashioned revenge. There's no Pentagon; it's just you and me. And on the off-chance you're a man, here's my home address: ten, eight, eighty malibu point nine oh two six five."

Tony smirked. "I'll leave the door unlocked."

"That's what you wanted, right?" Tony took the man's phone and threw it at the concrete pillar. "Bill me."

And he left.

"Wow, he is really off his game." Clint sighed.

"Not to mention stupid." Natasha said. "He gave the terrorist his home address."

"Reckless." Steve said, sounding concerned. "But will he be okay?"

"Let's just watch." Bruce mumbled.

"I've compiled a Mandarin database for you, sir." Jarvis said. "Drawn from S.H.I.E.L.D., F.B.I., and C.I.A. Intercepts. Initiating virtual
crime scene reconstruction."

Jarvis allowed the holograms to surround Tony and reconstruct the entire event that took place.

"Talk to me Happy."

"Damn, he's Einstein." Clint muttered. "Look at that!"

"This changes a lot of things, Director." Hill whispered to him. "Stark can hack into Shield."

"But not deep enough." Fury said, catching the nervous glance of Sitwell.

"And his technology, Sir."

"Take out every place that had a mandarin attack." Tony pointed. "That one."

"That's why we have him as a consultant. We can make good use of him and his brain."

"Have you ever been to Tennessee Jarvis?"

That's how Shield works after all.

Monitor's potential threats.

"Are we still at ding-dong?" Tony sighed, sitting on top of a metal cabinet. "We're supposed to be on total, security lock-down. Come on, I threatened a terrorist. Who is that?"

"Good thing he knows." Steve muttered. "I thought he was making fun."

"Well, that's Tony I guess." Bruce smiled. "Must be his style."

"There's only so much I can do, sir, when you give the world's press your home address."

This movie may take a while but it sure was interesting.

oOo

"That giant wormhole…" Harley said, smiling. "In umm… New York."

Tony had his phone linked to the camera in the main room, while he listened through his earphone so he wouldn't disturb Thor and Loki. Everyone was still watching and talking about his movie. One ear was listening to them; while the other absently listened to the Asgardian talk the brothers were going on about.

"Does it remind you?"

Tony squinted and he looked like he forced himself to say something. To move. To breathe. He pressed his hands together and stared at the kid. The kid looked a little smug, like a happy school boy staring at his favorite super hero.

Oh wait. That's what he was doing.

"That's manipulative. I don't want to talk about it." He answered.

"What is he watching?" Loki mumbled in Asgardian to Thor.

"His story perhaps." Thor stared. "Are you curious?"

"I question our story." Loki said openly, knowing Tony wouldn't understand the language. "It's a story of you, Thor. With you not knowing even the slightest part of what happened when I fell. It is a story of you disowning me as a brother."

"How would you know?"

"Do you?" Loki tilted his head, chuckling. "Be honest Thor. You know our story will be something along the lines of imprisonment and your heroics."

"It is called the Dark World."

"Svartalfheim?" He blinked. "The Dark Elves are involved? Why ever so?"

"I do not know but this happens after Stark's story, a little over a year after what happened in New York."

"Oh, a year of imprisonment," Loki leaned back on the pillow. "How delightful."

"Don't take it too lightly, Loki." Thor knitted his eyebrows together.

"What is the point?" He answered. "It is inevitable."

"Are you afraid?"

"Do I look like I am?" Loki snorted. "A year of imprisonment in a white empty cell is a generous offer, more courteous than what I was given for a year long inside the void."

Thor did not speak.

He left it at that.

"Are they coming back? The Aliens."

"Maybe." Tony snapped. "Can you stop?"

The kid looked disappointed.

"Remember when I told you that I have an anxiety issue?"

"Does this subject make— make you edgy?"

"Yeah it makes me edgy!"

Tony huffed loudly, causing Thor and Loki to turn to him.

"Ignore me." Tony waved a hand to them. "Keep talking weird, don't care."

"Yeah a little bit—can I just catch my breath for a second?" Tony scrunched his face up, trying to control himself.

"Do you wish you could hear what he is watching?"

"Do you regret not watching at all?" Loki countered.

"It holds no importance to me." Thor sighed, staring at Loki, who was just lying there without a care in the world. "Besides, I have only known these mortal for a short amount of time. They hold little to my concern."

"And yet you've known them longer than your dear mortal." Loki mocked.

"Do not start."

"Oh why, dear brother? Are you not prepared to tackle me and break another one of my healing ribs for my insults?"

"Jane is different."

"All mortals are the same."

Loki laid on the bed, comfortably eying Tony with the corner of his eye. Tony was sitting on the stool in the far corner, leaning on the wall. The same phone he introduced to Loki before was on his hands connected with an earpiece.

Tony looked like he was either disgusted or having an inner battle with himself.

Loki chose the latter.

"D-do you need a plastic bag? To breathe into—"

"Shh…"

"He is still nothing like the mortal I imagine, even without the armor." Loki turned from where he lay to face Thor, looking so young.

"What do you mean? You met him when you threw him out of the window."

"Look at him." Loki glanced while his head rested on the pillow. "I would have thought these mortals had enough brain to look threatening. Or at least cautious of our... pardon... my presence. But look at him."

"I do not see what you are hinting at."

"Don't you find him stupid enough to keep intervening into our lives."

"You find them insulting."

"Do— do you have medication?"

"Nope."

"I find him insulting." Loki mumbled. "And I find you annoying."

"You turn this back to me." Thor scowled.

"Only because he beat you at finding out the truth first. And here I thought you were my brother."

"Do you need to be on it?"

"Probably."

Tony could hear Clint talking in the background saying, "Man, this kid is a little dense, but I like him, he's cute." Tony really wanted to tell Clint that he looked like a pedophile when he said that, but oh well, he ignored the comment. He continued to watch the kid freak him out. It was weird, but he could feel it tingling on his skin, that sense of familiarity.

Like the anxiety was slowly creeping up on him.

"I'm not going mental." Tony thought. "Man, when will this video end?"

And why couldn't Tony just stay away from it.

No self control, obviously.

"Do you have PTSD?"

"I don't think so." Tony closed his eyes.

"Are you going completely mental?" Harley asked as Tony began to panic. "I can stop—do you want me to stop—?"

"Remember when I said to stop doing that, I swear you're going to freak me out!" Tony's eyes were wide and his breathing almost choked his speech. "Aw Man, you did it, didn't you!"

Tony ran, ignoring the cries following him from behind. He took a handful of snow and brought it to his face, throwing it at the kid.

"Your fault."

Tony watched it end, and listened to what the team had to say. "So Stark has PTSD and Anxiety Attacks. He needs to be checked up on." Natasha said. "We need to talk about this to him, let him know we can help."

"As if." Tony answered loudly. "All Shield wants is a perfect community."

"What makes you think he'll let you help him?"

"We can try."

"I doubt it!" Clint laughed through the comms. "Seriously, if you think about it, Stark probably already has a plan to counter these attacks. He's smart, he'll get through it."

"We shouldn't push our luck to Tony." Bruce said.

"EXACTLY!" Tony shouted. "God-damn!"

"I thought we had an agreement for your silence?" Loki glared, wincing at his own voice.

It was too noisy.

And Loki wanted some silence.

Good silence, not the eerie unavoidable one.

"Oh lighten up princess." Tony snorted, ripping out the earpiece. "It's not like I'm interrupting your conversation. A conversation that I don't even understand."

"With that level of confidence, I have no doubt you've already interrupted everyone on this damn ship."

"I like you better with the muzzle on." Tony glared.

"Enough you two." Thor intervened before Loki could say anything. "Will you keep staying here, Stark? As much as we find your presence—"

"Annoying." Loki supplied.

"—Enlightening. Should you not be elsewhere?" Thor asked.

"Fine." Tony rolled his eyes. "I'll just go back to my room and be miserable there."

"Why do you wish to isolate yourself from your friends?" Loki scoffed, trying to sit up, having a hard time doing so. "I thought you were one for being public."

"I am, but it just goes to show, I don't like knowing the future. Even if the future helps."

"Then why watch it?"

"Good point." Tony stood up, thinking. "You know, you have me stumped on that question and I don't have an answer. Maybe I'm watching it to know what the Avengers think, to see how they'd react. They're not really happy with me."

"Was it because you fought with Rogers?" Thor got the answer immediately.

"Yeah, something like that."

Tony went to leave as the Avengers found another clip to watch, which he knew will blow their minds. "Before I go, there's probably a Starkpad in that drawer. I'm sure the doctors use it here." Tony pointed at the desk by Loki's bed which Loki curiously opened and picked up.

"I was right." Tony smirked.

"What would you wish for us to do with this?" Loki scowled at him.

"I'll have Jarvis hack you into the main screen so you could watch what the Avengers are watching; maybe you might like to get to know me a bit more."

"You do know this information could be your demise." Loki said, earning a glare from Thor.

"Loki." He said sternly.

"Doesn't matter." Tony answered, pointing at his arc reactor. "I'm a rebel at heart. Get ready to watch. See you Thor! You too, Princess!"

Tony left immediately.

Thor and Loki were left in the silence which Thor randomly interrupted with a very horrible opening.

"Be honest with me, Loki." Thor's face had gone serious. "The Other—"

"I will not speak of it." Loki fiddled with the Starkpad.

Thor scowled.

"Before I forget, Loki, we want to know if you've eaten yet."

"Isn't this tube used for that?" Loki sarcastically answered. "Please, Thor. I don't want to talk."

"I only want to know if they fed you—"

"No. They fed me scraps. Now leave me be, or I will kick you out."

After a long silence, Thor broke it.

"Are you hungry?" Thor whispered.

"No."

"Are you hungry?" Thor asked again.

"Stop it."

"I merely want to know if you are hungry."

"Yes, Thor... I am hungry." Loki answered. "But I don't want to eat."

"Why? I can get you food."

"You don't understand."

"Then make me understand."

"It is complicated."

"Then explain it to me, Loki." He frowned. "I wish to right all of this."

Thor was not going to let this pass, so Loki frowned, and gently placed the Starkpad down.

"Please, brother." He tiredly said. "I know you wish to know more about the year I got lost into the void, but I am not ready. Talk with me however you like, insult me if you must. Hurt me, by all means, do so. But if you ask me what happened… I swear I will find a way to escape you."

There was silence, and a moment sooner, Loki's shoulder was bobbing up and down.

Thor held onto Loki's hands, as a single tear dropped to the bed.

Thor looked up to see Loki sobbing.

"Enough." Thor wiped the tears. "Let us not do this again, shall we?"

"Point taken." Loki slapped Thor's hand away and wiped his own tears. "Let us just do what Stark said."

Loki only cries for a moment, was that not what everyone spoke of?

"He reminds me of you. Scoot over." Thor pushed Loki to the side, and the bed dipped.

"Stupid oaf." Loki growled, still finding his voice hoarse. "Get off. I am still trying to recover."

"It will be easier to watch this way, and my body hurts from sitting."

"Then find another bed."

"No."

Thor became stubborn and went to lie down by Loki's side, taking up half of the pillow. Loki rolled his eyes but did not protest any longer. It was better for it to be done with than to dally longer.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"By what?" Thor snatched the Starkpad and waited for it to load. "That Stark reminds me of you?"

"In no way do I look like him, brother." Loki had no choice but to lie right next to him.

Brother.

That was such a nice word to hear from Loki's lips.

"No, not that."

"I don't share similarities with him, Thor. Get that out of your thick skull. I have no beard, nor do I have brown eyes, or such a hairstyle and I am not stubby looking as he is."

"Not that." Thor laughed. "You are both smart, mischievous and yet you are both secretive and one of the most sensitive."

"Brilliant deduction, Thor." Loki rolled his eyes, feeling his chest burn. "You should receive an award for being so obvious."

oOo

"I am not stubby looking." Tony rolled his eyes as he went to his room.

Tony had patched Thor and Loki's device to the main one so they can see what was happening. He already wired different speakers for him to hear their conversation too.

Because Tony needed the distraction.

"Remember what I told you about Bullies?"

The kid realized and used the device Tony gave him and managed to escape. Tony also managed to get out barely unharmed. They walk over back to the town with Tony holding onto the files.

"What I need is for you to go home. Be with your mom. Keep your trap shut. Guard the suit, and stay close to the telephone because when I call you better pick up. Okay?" Tony sighed. "You hear that? We're done here. Move out of the way or I'll run you over. Bye kid."

He closed the door shut and started the car.

"How cruel." Loki commented. "I never thought him to be so..."

"Harsh?" Thor supplied.

"Adverse in his vocabulary." Loki joked, rolling his eyes. "Yes, Thor, harsh."

"I'm sorry Kid." Tony shot him a look. "You did good."

Harley wasn't happy.

"So you're going to leave me here?" He said. "Like my dad."

"Yeah." Tony winced. "Wait you're guilt tripping me aren't you?"

"I'm cold."

Loki and Thor tensed at that.

"Why are we watching this?"

"I am watching this." Thor said. "You are merely by my side watching with me."

Loki rolled his eyes at that.

"I can tell." He pouted. "You know how I can tell? 'Cause we're connected."

He drove off, leaving the kid on the streets.

"This brings Stark in a whole new light." Loki grinned. "And here I thought all heroes were kind to everyone. Apparently I was wrong. Not all of you are as bright and wonderful as you think."

In the main room.

"Aw man!" Clint laughed. "That's pretty funny."

"Poor kid." Steve frowned. "Why would he do that?"

"The kid needs to stay." Natasha said. "Stark did the right thing."

"It's so funny." Clint wiped his eyes.

"I don't know." Bruce muttered. "I think they have a pretty good relationship so far, even having just met under circumstances."

"He may as well pass of as Stark's kid." Fury eyed them.

"Kind of." Bruce shrugged.

Minutes passed and a lot of things happened on screen, but one moment took the entire bait and lured them into questioning what really was happening to Tony Stark. It was about time they find out the real man behind the armor.

"Okay, first things first, I need the armor." Tony said, while driving. "Where are we at with it?"

"Uh, it's not charging."

Tony stopped the car at the side of the road, clenching his fists and letting go of the wheel.

Actually, sir, it is charging, but the power source is questionable." Jarvis answered. "It may not succeed in revitalizing the Mark 42."

"What's questionable about electricity?" Tony said in a panic tone. " Alright, it's my suit and I can't... I'm not gonna..."

"What is happening?" Loki turned to Thor.

"I... Stark is..."

"What?"

Loki saw a frown form on Thor's face and that meant something. Loki allowed himself to analyze the situation as he watched the scenes unfold.

Tony, who was in his room, did not like not knowing what Loki was thinking because he was so sure that Loki might be plotting against him somehow. But when Tony looked again, he saw something in Loki's eyes that he had never seen before.

Was that sympathy?

"Oh God, not again." Tony got out of the car, his knees giving out.

"Tony?"

Tony had his hands to his chest as he looked around frantically, hyperventilating in the process.

"Are you having another attack? I didn't even mention New York."

"Right, and then you just said it, by name, while denying having said it." Tony panicked.

"I'm sure this is proof enough of Stark's issue." Fury said. "Question is, how do we make him see a doctor?"

"I think Tony's stubborn enough that he won't do it." Bruce said. "If you look at how far his ego will stretch, I doubt that he'll agree to anything we say."

"What's your call, doctor Banner?"

"Leave it to Tony?" He shrugged. "I'm sure he already has something in mind since he watched his own future. I don't think us meddling into his life will make it any better for him."

"So you want us to ignore it?"

"No, but we should at least be delicate about it."

"Okay, um, uh..."

"Oh God," Tony's eyes were tearing up. "What am I gonna do?"

Loki watched as Tony Stark, the man he threw out of the window, was as vulnerable as any other human being on the planet and that he had issues. Loki decided not to comment on it though, because he knew his words would mean nothing.

And mostly because he was tired.

He allowed himself to cherish what small time he had with Thor, and continued to pretend to be the stranger his brother hated. Because why not? This was all too surreal for Loki, and he knew that one way or another, it will be ripped from him in an instant and they will punish him.

So why not cherish the moment.

"Just breathe," Harley told him. "Really just breathe... You're a mechanic, right?

"Right." Tony nodded.

"You said so."

"Yes, I did."

"Why don't you just build something?"

Now, everyone watched how Tony panicked in the car and the kid managed to help him get out of his panic attack. They realized that Tony was not useless without the suit, he was actually useful.

"Thanks kid."

He was a mechanic.

They watched as Tony created really inventive things, and like a spy, he managed to get inside without alerting anyone.

Tony attacked a guy with a grapple and punched another one while he intercepted an attack with a taser. He lured out two with a Christmas ball and shot one guy head on while he defused another small bomb at them. He knocked out the other one inside the house while he snuck inside to find the Mandarin.

"Loki?" Thor questioned.

"Hmmm..." Loki blinked.

Thor noticed that Loki was dozing off slightly, but was paying attention to the scene unfolding.

Often times when it came to these things, during their childhood, Loki ignored moments with Thor. But now, Loki was trying to pay attention to the device while engaging conversations with his brother. And Thor realized that this was a good improvement after yesterday.

They haven't forgiven each other...

NO.

But they have come to neutral grounds.

"I'm impressed." Loki muttered.

"So am I." Thor replied.

"Are you really?" Loki mocked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I can be impressed too, Loki."

"Hmm..."

Loki wondered why Thor doesn't say brother often anymore. And Loki couldn't help but feel that void in his chest grow big again with fear, hate and disappointment. Because he wished that Thor would say it often. Just the sound of it would have made things better. But no... Thor doesn't say it often anymore.

It was just... Loki.

Not brother.

"These two need therapy more than I do." Tony crossed his legs and cursed for a moment. Wow, two bickering brothers was a handful and a few annoying avengers in the other room was even more exhausting.

In the main room...

"Stark is good." Clint laughed. "Do you ever think of how awesome he will be if he was an agent?"

"Let's not go there, Barton." Fury snickered.

They watched how the mandarin was actually a stuck up drunk actor, and soon, Tony was knocked out. It was too good to be true. They played another scene of course, something that would cut off their suspense. What they chose wasn't something they thought they'd like.

"You break it you bought it." Tony said as the Dora the explorer watch was stomped on. "Okay that wasn't mine to give away that was my friend's sister. And that's why I'm going to kill you first."

"Is he really going to kill them?" Steve asked.

"Stark killed more men when he was in Afghanistan." Fury said. "Just himself."

"That's... I never knew. It wasn't on the file you gave me."

"There are some secrets better left in the dark, Captain."

It was so strange. Were these people really for the bad-guys or were they just hired thugs on the street? Because seriously even Steve could tell there was something off about the way they handle the situation.

"Damn." Clint huffed. "What's happening?"

"Apparently, it's Stark zip tied to a bed." Fury answered him sarcastically.

"I don't like how Tony's future is going." Bruce scowled. "Look at the situation he's in."

"What are you going to do to me?" The man mocked.

"You'll see."

"Even tied up he's confident." Natasha smirked.

"Aren't you guys worried?" Steve said, worriedly.

"Stark is smart enough, I'm sure he'll figure it out." Clint leaned back, enjoying the scene.

"You're zip tied to a bed."

Tony flung his both his arms and proudly said, "This." And after a moment, did it again. "That." The man on the right pretended to look frightened while Tony just gave a disappointed face.

"You're going to be in a puddle of blood on the ground, in five— four— three— come on—two."

"How did we get this shift?"

In the infirmary room, Loki couldn't help but laugh at Tony's predicament all while Thor looked concerned. Loki was lying on Thor's arm, while Thor held the Starkpad up for them to see.

"It isn't funny Loki."

"I find it amusing." Loki watched, liking the warmth of his brother.

Please be real.

"This only proves how idiocy happens in the real world." Loki wanted it to last. "Look."

"Alright I'm going to give you a chance to escape. Put down your weapons, tie yourselves to those chairs, I'll let you live. In five—four—bang!"

"Wow."

"What did I tell you?" Loki smirked.

"You brilliance exceeds me."

"And your idiocy blinds me." Loki replied as Thor elbowed him accidentally. "Ow. Must you really—"

"Loki!" Thor's eyes widened, letting the device fall to their middle. "I'm sorry. I was trying to move—"

Loki reacted, bolting up to sit and kicked Thor right off the bed.

He succeeded.

A moment of triumph.

"Ow… Ugh. Damn you… ow… Norns." Loki slumped forward as he clutched his ribs from the sudden movements.

Tears swelled up in his eyes as he moaned in pain.

"That is the last time I let you near me." He huffed. "Oh wipe that smug look off your face."

"Brother…" Thor groaned, pulling himself to sit on the floor.

Loki turned to him with teary eyes.

Brother.

He really missed those words.

"I am sorry for hitting you." Thor pouted.

"Tell that to my bruised rib." Loki took a deep breath, finding it hard to get air into his lungs. "And look, I am going missing the best part of Stark's battle thanks to you."

"You should've be gone by now. You should have already been gone."

"We are beyond terrified."

"Should Tony be threatening them?" Bruce adjusted his glasses, hands shaking. "I'm not sure he should be."

"Oh god, shhhH!" Clint leaned forward. "I want to see this!"

"We should be telling Tony this." Steve suggested. "If this happens to him…"

"You should trust him more, Cap." Natasha smiled.

"Keep quiet!" Clint screamed. "I want to see how Stark kicks ass!"

In Tony's room, he could hear everyone talking about him, including Loki and Thor. He was feeling a little better with the confidence they were giving him and he enjoyed the karma that bit Loki in the ass. But of course, Tony felt sorry for the teary younger god, but hey, whatever.

"Three—four…"

"Shut up."

"Five-four-three-two-one!" And the window exploded, the armor went to his hand.

"Told yah," and he attacked.

He immediately pulled off the restrains and punched the guy that was coming after him. The leg armor came and he kicked the man, stealing his gun.

"Where's the rest?"

Harley saw the armors trapped in the shed and immediately freed them, letting them fly to Tony.

More guards came and Tony shot them with the repulsors. Tony flew, spinning and shooting the gun accidentally as he tried to balance himself on his left leg and his right arm.

It took a while for Loki to recover, and he was reduced to a mess, lying there on the bed in pain as Thor held onto the Starkpad.

"I a-am i-impressed." Loki whispered when he was finally able to recover.

"Who knew he could fight without his armor?" Thor grinned, peeking at the edge of the bed, not bothering to get up from the floor.

"What are you still doing on the floor?" Loki groaned as he tilted the screen so Thor could also watch. "I am no longer mad at you, so get up."

"I am staying as far away from you as possible while still able to congratulate you at that wonderful kick despite your oh so fragile state, my dear young little brother."

There it was again.

Loki wanted to hear more of it, just so he could go back to the good times.

But then he just had to talk.

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Thor."

"Being bedridden does not suit you either." Thor countered.

"Whose fault was that anyways?"

"You started it." Thor sat on the stool and let themselves dive back into watching. "And be careful, you are still injured."

"You would not be talking to me right now," Loki thought, but did not address. "If you had not known what they did to me."

Thor tried to ignore the soft sobs escaping Loki's lips.

It must be relief.

Or Loki must still be in pain.

However, his brother was doing a great job at silencing himself from the sobs that escaped his lips. Because if Thor wasn't paying attention to him at all, he would have missed how much grief Loki was letting out.

Thor turned to his brother as cautious as he could. Loki, who was taken by grief, did not show it in his face. It was however, in his eyes. Perhaps it was the sudden thought of memories, Thor wouldn't know, but he knew Loki needed him right now.

So he crawled up to the bed again, embracing Loki, letting him fall to his chest as they watched Tony.

Loki had closed his eyes, letting himself be swallowed by Thor's embrace.

He was afraid it was all a dream…

He had to savor the moment.

He had to.

Tony pushed himself off the wall and shot the gun, ducking by the steps as he continued to shoot until he ran out of bullets. He dropped himself to the ground, rocketed himself as he twisted in the air to get up to where the men are.

He elbowed one man and quickly avoided the bullets.

The Agents watched Tony with admiration now, apparently, he was hiding the ability to fight and do hand to hand combat. They were really impressed.

"It looks like Stark could get by on his own." Natasha said proudly.

Tony attacked the one who tried to shoot him, then faced the other one while his hand pointed backwards, attacking the other guy he elbowed. The man he was facing, managed to throw him off his game and locked him in place.

He stepped on the man's toes, redirected his hands and used the gun to shoot the one he attacked before.

He raised his leg and flung them both to the concrete, pulling the guy off him and turning gracefully while he had both weapons pointed at the guy on ground floor, who immediately surrendered.

"Honestly, I hate working here, they are so weird." He threw his gun as Tony waved goodbye to him.

"Nothing to worry about." Natasha grinned.

"That was intense." Clint laughed. "I never knew Stark was capable of fighting like that. I feel all tingly inside now."

Fury and Hill just nodded in the background.

"It looks like he can fly solo." Bruce sighed in relief.

Tony had managed to save the people on the plane, only for the suit to be hit by a truck revealing that Tony wasn't inside the suit but he was commanding it from afar.

"We might need his area of expertise one day." Hill suggested.

"Right that down on my to do list." Fury pointed.

Tony and Rhodey were now in the base, showing the president tied up. They created a plan, and Tony showcased how much he sucked at aiming, and how funny he was in executing a tactic.

"Too fast." He said. "Didn't see anything."

"Do you think he'll let me apologize to him?" Steve blurted out.

"If you teach him how to aim, he might." Clint earned a smack on the head from Natasha. "Joking!"

"Give it time." Bruce said. "I'm sure Tony will open up eventually. And… we really should try to get to know each other before we make conclusions and accusations."

"I'd like that." Steve smiled. "A fresh start."

Tony, who was still in his room, was smiling. This was going well, and they were finally treating him nicely. Tony managed to forget about Afghanistan and the wormhole. He was feeling all giggly as he listened to their conversation.

Tony noticed that they planned to finish the movie, and Tony was cool with that.

"We do need back up."

"That's your department."

"Is that?"

"Yep."

The response he got from the audience in the main room was spectacular and he had Jarvis record the whole thing for safe keeping. They were all shocked that he built all of those suits.

"What are you waiting for? It's Christmas." Tony raised his arms. "Take them to Church."

The cutest reaction, which wasn't even a reaction, was from Thor and Loki.

The two had forgotten the scenes that were unfolding.

Thor was lying on the bed and Loki… he had gone silent and stopped mocking. Maybe he was tired and that he was only trying to put on a show that he was stronger than he looked.

"Here's where you're wrong." Tony said. "She's already perfect."

Tony made a gesture and the suits enveloped Killian. "Jarvis, do me a favor and blow up mark 42 for me, will you?"

"NOOOOOoo!"

"He must secretly be a dwarf." Loki mumbled tiredly.

"Amazing is it not?" Thor muttered. "It looks as if he is doing magic as well."

"Hmmm..." Loki nodded in agreement.

Apparently, Loki had exhausted himself fully by the next few minutes.

By the time they almost reached the end of the movie, Loki was fast asleep in Thor's arms. The older brother was brushing his hair with his fingers, humming a tune that Tony did not know.

Must have been Asgardian.

"Oh what you're mad at me?" Pepper ran to him, using his knee to jump and attack the suit, then taking its repulsors, spinning a kick on a grenade and shot it in front of Aldrich Killian.

They won.

"You're in a relationship with me, nothing's ever going to be okay."

And Tony destroyed all his suits.

"Do you like it?"

"It'll do."

The device was disregarded, and Tony felt like he did the two brothers a few favors to keep their relationship close, at least, that's what he thought.

It worked.

And Tony was satisfied.

Tony Stark will return.

"Heck yeah I will." Tony smirked.

oOo

Little did they know in the darkest corners of space and time, there lies the Other patiently waiting for his Master's command. He paced, calculating and trying his best to capture the fears of the one he promised was of full potential to his master. The one who destroyed their chances into getting the tesseract...

Ohh..

Loki will pay.

And the Other will fulfill the master's wishes.

oOo

TBC

Please review and tell me what you think.