A/N: Um, well, this chapter contains a description of a kind of home surgery situation, heh. Just in case such things squick you out...

Please review!

Seds

"What... the... fuck...?" Tony gasped. He was beyond shocked; Loki looked dead. His already pale features were almost translucent wherever there wasn't a scrape or bruise, and his hair was matted with blood behind one ear. He lay limply in Thor's arms as if unconscious.

Thor, Tony noticed once he was able to pull his eyes off of Loki, wasn't exactly in pristine condition either. He had dirt all over him and a deep nick on his chin, and his right arm had been slashed open across his bicep. But, all his concern was for his little brother. The expression on his face was heartbreaking—he cast a pleading look at Tony.

"Man of Iron, I beg you—may I claim safe harbor for my brother here in your abode? He is most grievously wounded and we have nowhere else to go."

"Yeah, yeah, of course! Put him on the couch. I'm calling a doctor—"

Thor carefully lay Loki down, but shot Tony a sharp look. "No! Your Midgardian healers can do nothing for him. I must go to Asgard immediately and seek assistance. He will be all right for the nonce—his magic is keeping him alive." With that bit of information, Thor took off in a shockwave of thunder.

Tony stared at the phone in his hand for a moment, then decided that Point Break was probably right, and anyway, the only doctor he could call, given S.H.E.I.L.D.'s attitude toward Loki, was Banner and God only knew where the hell he was and how he would react. Tony strode to Loki and knelt beside him. "Hey, tough guy. What the fuck happened to you?"

Loki's eyes fluttered open and one side of his mouth tugged upward. "Hello... human," he managed to whisper. Tony had never heard him sound so broken.

"Jesus, Loki. Where are you hurt?"

Loki had one hand on his side; he looked down, indicating the location of the wound.

"Let me see." All Tony could make out was that Loki's traveling clothes were shredded and soaked in blood around his hand.

Loki shook his head as well as he could. "N-no... Keeping my lifeblood from seeping out... can't move my hand..." He swallowed thickly and shut his eyes again.

Tony felt emotion well up in his throat. Loki couldn't die in front of him, he wouldn't allow it. He gently caressed Loki's bruised cheek. "There's got to be something I can do to help you," he said softly.

Loki smiled without opening his eyes. "Stay..." was all he said. Suddenly, his features went slack and his blood-covered hand dropped to his side. As he'd predicted, more blood came out, thick, wet, dark red.

Tony thought he would lose it, but he ran to the bathroom and came back with a bath towel. He pressed it onto Loki's side, not even noticing that tears were welling up in his eyes. "Stay with me, man. You gotta do it, you can't leave me again. Jesus, Loki, I just got you back! Stay with me, stay with me..." He murmured more such commands, hoping that by the sheer force of his will that Loki would live.

It seemed like forever, but Thor soon returned. He had a small glass vial in his hand. He pulled the cork from it, and without a word, he pushed Tony aside and stuck one arm under Loki's shoulders, lifting him into a half-sitting position which would have hurt like hell if he'd been conscious, and managed to pour the liquid down Loki's throat.

"What is that stuff?" Tony asked.

"A potion to keep Loki's magic strong. Although..." Thor stared down at his brother's still features. "...it may be too late."

"No, it's not." Tony crowded in beside Thor and took Loki's hand, pressing it tightly between his own. "Now, you listen to me, you smart-ass little twerp. You're going to be fine. This medicine shit is doing its work, and you're getting stronger every second, understand? So, wake up and stop bleeding, damn it!"

Whether the potion worked so quickly or whether Tony's words actually got through to Loki's mind was hard to say, but his eyes opened under heavy lids, staring unfocused for a moment. Then he blinked and seemed to come to. He glanced down at his wound, which was still seeping blood onto Tony's couch. He lay his hand on it and Tony thought he saw a little gold spark flash under the god's fingers. The blood stopped.

Loki had been breathing shallowly, but he took in a long, deep breath and spoke. "Thor, get out of here. I must mend my injuries and I don't want you standing around wringing your hands. Go heat some water and find some cloths, that's not beyond your mental capacities, is it?"

"I am not leaving your side, brother, I—"

"Thor." Tony looked into the thunder god's eyes. "He doesn't want you to see him like this. Go, get the stuff he wants. I'll stay with him."

Thor looked bewildered, but then he nodded and rose to go find Tony's kitchen. Tony looked back at Loki.

"Thank you," Loki whispered, clearly exhausted from his little speech.

"I'm going to help you—just tell me what you need."

"Help me... sit up a bit. I need to remove my coat." Clearly in agony, Loki tried to raise himself, and Tony quickly got beside him and began working the heavy leather and metal garment away from Loki's shoulders. Once it was off, Tony could see that the silken shirt underneath had been ripped apart, finally allowing him to see Loki's wound. Tony blanched; Loki's skin was torn wide open just below his ribs, skin hanging in bloody shreds around an opening that revealed Loki's intestines, which were also torn and bleeding. A human would have been long dead from such an injury, and Loki didn't appear to be far from it.

"What can I do?" Tony asked in a whisper.

"Just stay here. Talk to me." Loki seemed to be in deep concentration, gathering what little strength he had.

"What are you going to do?"

"I must... mend each tear in my entrails."

Tony's eyes went wide. "Wait a minute—you're going to...?"

Loki barely nodded, and then he stuck his own hand inside his wound, fingering the wrecked organs. He made a choked sound, and Tony couldn't even begin to imagine how much pain the god might be in. Without thinking, he helped Loki find a better position so that he could maneuver inside his body cavity and he watched Loki's blood-slicked fingers trace each little seeping tear; every time he found one, he'd pinch it closed and Tony could see the edges of flesh knit together, emitting tiny sparks of gold.

He glanced at Loki's face every now and again. His skin was drained of all color and the god's forehead was glistening with sweat. Tony reached for a box of tissues and swabbed the moisture away so it wouldn't run into Loki's eyes.

Eons seemed to pass by, but Loki kept at it. Finally, he looked at Tony. "There's one more..." he said in a gravelly voice. "Inside me. The pain... I can't focus. Can you find it? Put my finger on it."

Tony stared at him in horror. "You want me to... look in there? At your guts?"

Loki managed a thoroughly disgusted sneer. "No, I was hoping you'd check my scalp for head lice. Yes, Tony, find the last tear or I won't be able to stop the internal bleeding." He shifted, offering Tony better access to his innards.

Tony had seen battle wounds before, but he'd never been in a position to do anything about them, and to be honest, he was already a little queasy. But, what Loki was asking of him was nothing compared to what the god had already been through, so he decided he'd better just man up and see where the last tear was inside Loki's entrails.

It was sickening work, and he couldn't see anything without... touching the wounded organ, but finally he saw a raw tear seeping blood. "Here," he croaked. He took Loki's index finger and placed it on the wound.

Loki looked close to losing consciousness, but he did the gold-sparking thing, and the last little tear was closed and no more blood appeared. Loki took a moment to breathe, and then said, "Help me close the exterior wound."

That had to be a walk in the park compared to what Tony had just experienced, and it turned out not to be too bad. He helped Loki pull the torn edges of skin toward each other so they met, and then he held them in place while Loki pressed his fingers to them, letting them ravel together before Tony's eyes. Once he finished, the wound was an angry raw, raised pattern on the pale flesh of Loki's torso, but the blood no longer came, and the god appeared to be stable.

Tony helped him lie back, watching him draw in ragged breaths in the after-shock of his ordeal.

"Thank you," Loki whispered. "I must rest now."

"Sure, kiddo. Go to sleep. You did great."

Loki was already out.

"Thor!" Tony called.

The worried blond god came striding in. "Yes? Is he...?"

"He's all right. Get those wet cloths and a big bowl of water and let's clean him up, okay? Oh, but first we need to move him. It's no good having him out here where Pepper or somebody might barge in."

"Where shall we take him?"

"My bedroom."

Thor had a confused look. "Do you not have many bedchambers in your palace?"

Tony started to say, "Yeah, but I don't want him waking up in an unfamiliar place," but he caught himself, saying lamely instead, "Yeah, but that one's the closest, and I have lots of... pillows. He's going to need pillows. Look, just give me a hand, will you? Grab his coat."

Thor went to pick Loki up, but Tony had already gathered him into his arms and lifted him. He met Thor's eyes. "Your arm. You don't need to be carrying him." And, really, without his coat on, Loki hardly weighed anything.

Tony led Thor to his bedroom and the blond man placed the bowl of water and cloths on the nightstand before pulling back the covers. Tony lay Loki on the bed and then they worked together to pull off his muddy, blood-stained boots and to get him out of his ruined shirt and bloody trousers. Once they got them off, they stared down at the injured man, shocked at how many bruises and contusions littered the rest of his body. Even his underwear was drenched with blood. Tony took a wet cloth from Thor and began carefully cleaning his lover, first the wound, then his hands, then his face, dipping the cloth in the bowl each time, making the water turn a bright crimson color.

"Look in that top drawer and find me a t-shirt and some underwear, will you? He wouldn't like to wake up in dirty clothes."

Thor did as requested and then helped Tony pull off Loki's blood-soaked underthings, leaving him nude. Tony grabbed a fresh cloth to clean him as Thor looked on with an uncertain expression. "You're very kind to care for my brother in this way, especially considering the harm he brought to your realm."

"Yeah, well, we've kind of been working through all that."

Thor raised an eyebrow. "You have? He never mentioned it."

Tony shrugged. "It hasn't exactly been smooth sailing." Eager to change the subject, Tony gestured for the clean clothes. "Give me a hand getting him dressed."

Once they had Loki relatively clean, dressed, and settled under the covers, Tony led Thor to a sitting area under a window, far enough away that their discussion couldn't be overheard by the unconscious god and possibly disturb his rest. Tony gave Thor a dark look. "What the hell happened to him, man?"

Thor's face crumpled and he pressed his fingers into his eyes. "It's all my fault. All my fault my little brother nearly died..."

"Okay, okay, that doesn't matter now. Tell me what happened."

Thor pulled himself together and took a deep breath. "I've been so worried about him. He's been so... lost. I know he craves purpose, something that will challenge his considerable skills and talents. So, when a recent situation came up, I thought of him."

"What was it?"

"There is a small realm beyond Asgard, a province of ours which my father has ruled for many ages. But, some time ago he decided to put its governance in the hands of one of his lieutenants. There were rumors of mismanagement and later, corruption. Lately, there has been 'chatter,' I believe you call it, to the effect that conditions have so deteriorated that an uprising was imminent. Father ordered me to pay the realm a visit, to try to determine what exactly was going on and to help him decide a proper course of action.

"Loki and I used to visit there in our youth, and I knew I would be recognized. I knew I would not be given an accurate portrayal of conditions there, either due to fear or favor. So, after hearing Loki's habit of traveling among the realms, taking on an inconspicuous form and living among the natives, I knew he could help me. I asked him to take on the task of investigating for me."

"Okay, so he was spying for you."

"He was my eyes and ears for three of your Midgardian weeks. At the end of that time, he contacted me to have me join him. He wanted me to see with my own eyes the deplorable conditions he'd discovered. When I arrived, I found that Loki had returned to his normal form. What neither of us knew was that our previous conversation had been overheard by an insurgent—and a party was lying in wait. Poor Loki got there first, and was immediately attacked.

"The inhabitants are not so different in appearance from humans and are normally a placid people, but they are vicious fighters when provoked and they have a beast of battle... it is something like the Midgardian rhinoceros, I believe, but somewhat lighter and more agile. One came out of nowhere and I failed to notice it charging me from behind. Loki pushed me out of the way... There is a large curved spike on its snout, and it was that which impaled Loki. He was weary from battle, and could not move from its path quickly enough.

"He fought most valiantly, Tony, using only a wooden staff as his weapon. Our father would have been enormously proud of him. He... he saved my life."

They both fell silent, Thor clearly still seeing the horror of the battle running through his mind's eye, Tony trying to absorb all the information Thor had just given him. Then he asked, "Wait a minute—why didn't Loki, you know, smite the heck out of all those fuckers with his magic?"

Thor shook his head sorrowfully. "Part of the terms of Loki's freedom is that he is not to use his magic against any being in any realm for any reason. If he does, he will instantly be returned to the dungeons of Asgard, with no hope of release."

A harsh frown darkened Tony's face. "Not even for self-defense?" he demanded.

"No. Not even for that."

Tony felt like tearing something apart. "What kind of sadistic asshole is this Odin bastard anyway?"

"I cannot bring to question my father's decisions!" Thor cried out painfully. "He knows what is best, what is right."

"So, his youngest boy is doomed to wander around the cosmos unable to defend himself? Kind of sounds like he wants to see him dead, one way or another."

"He believed that, knowing magic was not permitted, Loki would choose his adventures carefully, thereby avoiding getting himself mixed up in conflicts among other worlds."

"Yeah, well, then he made the mistake of listening to you, huh?"

A sick look came over Thor, and he nodded. "Yes. But, I swear to you, Tony Stark—I never imagined that there was such an organized and retaliatory element on what was once a peaceful planet. I would never have brought Loki into it if I'd known." He stood up and went to Loki's side, Tony trailing behind him.

Thor gently brushed a lock of hair away from Loki's forehead. "You were always so brave, my brother. From the time we were small, no matter how grave your disadvantage, you'd throw yourself into battle by my side with no thought of the consequences." He raised his eyes to Tony's. "Once he learned to use magic, he became as formidable an opponent as I. But, he was chastised and ridiculed for it, made to feel such tactics brought dishonor to our family.

"So, he learned to fight without it, and no one is as swift and clever in battle as Loki. But, he simply lacks the strength and endurance to go for long without sorcery. I always feared something like this would happen... I just never dreamed I would be the one to bring it upon him." Thor sighed, and then suddenly lifted his head as though he was listening to a voice in his head. He turned to Tony and said, "I must go, Man of Iron. May my brother stay here for the night? He should be better in the morning. I will return as soon as possible to check on him, but it may be some time before I can."

"Yeah, it's fine, but do you have any more of that stuff you gave him? He might need another dose, huh?"

Thor reached into his vest. "I do. But, this is not easy to come by, and he really shouldn't need it. I would prefer you put it away and save it until such time as it is drastically called for—another day such as this one. Which I hope to the Norns will never come again." With that, Thor left Tony's room and a clap of thunder signaled his departure.

Tony turned back to Loki. Some of the ugliest abrasions on his face were fading. Tony carefully lifted his shirt to examine the hideous wound in his side. It was still red and moist looking, but seemed to be healing. Tony said Loki's name softly, but got no response. He covered him up again and went to get ready for bed.

He pulled over one of the easy chairs and an ottoman to the bedside; he would have preferred to lie down next to Loki, but he was afraid his presence would disturb the god's rest, and anyway, after the way Loki had left his bed the last time, he wasn't sure he would appreciate Tony taking the liberty of sleeping next to him without being asked if he minded.

Tony settled for clasping his hand in his. He propped up his feet, stretched out, and was soon as unconscious as his injured guest.