Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or the Avengers.

Chapter 7

Tony felt pretty good for a man that was recently involved in a traffic accident. He only had a few sore muscles and some bruising from being squished like a pancake. He'd definitely suffered much worse incidents and injuries from being Iron Man. But this accident couldn't be blamed on any other person than himself. It was made by the one and only Tony Stark and he wasn't the only one to get hurt in the process. He'd deserved the punch the homeless man gave him.

Pepper made him go to the hospital for a medical check-up. Tony didn't see the point in it, but Pepper made it quite clear that returning home was not the best option. He could tell she was relieved when he didn't try to argue with her. He also noticed disappointment and anger on her face when she turned to face the press on his behalf.

He disliked hospitals and doctors trying to pry him for information. He kept his arc reactor to himself, not wanting any strangers to prod at it, during the relatively quick examination. Right now he was sitting on the edge of his hospital bed, waiting for Pepper's arrival. His was the only bed in the room. He had his elbows resting on his knees while his hands held his head. A dejected look crossed his face as he thought about the incident.

Tony could handle dragging himself into trouble. The times he'd done so were so numerous he couldn't count them on his hands alone. He'd always had a knack for diving head first into trouble, and if he didn't find it, then trouble would come looking for him.

He knew that the other man survived the crash. Pepper had already come into his room to confirm it. Afterward, she left to leave him alone with his thoughts. According to Jarvis, the man should only have minimal damage sustained by the accident. On all accounts, Tony should be happy that the only "dead" thing coming out of the crash was the hunk of metal that used to be his car. However, a single thought plagued his brain which rendered any happy feelings numb.

"I could have killed him."

His mind raced back to a time when another innocent person had been the victim of his reckless behaviour. It was a man he'd only known briefly, but had befriended rather quickly. That person had a kind heart which not only placed a certain amount of faith in him, but also changed the way he viewed the world. Ho Yinsen.

Kind, noble, and calm (not to mention very forgiving towards a man whose weapons wreaked havoc all across the globe), Yinsen was a true friend in every possible meaning of the word. Not only did he perform the surgery that kept Tony alive, but he'd also ensured that Tony stayed sane while they were in that gruesome hell pit of a prison. Their captors had them working on creating weapons capable of wiping out entire villages. Both Tony and Yinsen knew they would not be released and would only be killed after their captors thought they had outlived their use. So Tony and Yinsen formulated an escape plan to bring the first "Iron Man" to life. They bonded while forging the armour. Yinsen discussed weaponry and asked if that was the legacy the "great" Stark wanted to leave behind.

Tony made up his mind then. Yinsen made the ultimate sacrifice on the day of their escape. He died willingly so that Tony could live. The last words that Yinsen had spoken continued to haunt him.

"Don't waste your life."

As Iron Man, he made a difference helping people and saving the city – your basic, essential, standard, heroic butt-kickings. Yet despite this, Tony felt that Yinsen would be disappointed by his actions as a normal man. This isn't what he would've wanted. I'm still wasting my life. I still let others get hurt by my own selfishness.

Pepper could handle the press; she'd always done an excellent job of beating around the bush without lying. She'd scold him afterward and force him to do more charity work and make "positive" public appearances. Pepper could do a lot of things, but she could not help with the disappointment that overcame Tony when he was alone. He'd still smile to Pepper and crack jokes. He'd even pay a visit to the man he nearly killed and continue making promises that he probably couldn't keep. A knock on the door alerted him of Pepper's return. He grinned as she opened the door.

"Any good news, Pep? I could use some cheering up." She practically glared at him. Ouch, if looks could kill, he'd be a dead man.

"Come on, I know you've been to his room, probably negotiating or calming Bob's anger." Impressive. He'd actually managed to recall the name of the short man that punched him. "And I feel perfectly fine, thank you for asking ."

She sighed and a small smile spread across her face, making it light up a bit. "You're correct about that, Tony. I did talk with them. And suffice to say the anger was calmed down." The corner of her mouth lifted.

Was he seeing this correctly? Was Pepper smirking at him? This could not end well. "I sense a 'but' coming," Tony said.

"You're coming with me right now to make a formal apology."

Tony nodded. "Oh yes, the press will love that. I can show them this cool black eye I go—"

She pointed at him. "You will apologise directly to Locke Ladislav."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"The man you put in the hospital due to your reckless behaviour."

Tony was reluctant to show his guilt.

"You're not getting out of this," Pepper added. "And you can't crawl out of the other conditions either."

"Conditions? When did I get those?" He looked into Pepper's eyes, noticing the fatigue and weariness that filled them.

"I can't deal with this. It's draining me of my strength, and frankly I refuse to continue with this anymore."

Tony gestured in question. "This being what?" he asked.

"Us. You," Pepper answered and sighed. "Tony, I love you as a friend. But I can't run a business, be a friend, and constantly babysit you! This accident was the final straw. From now on, I'm concentrating on work alone and you will let me have some peace of mind."

He gave her the trademark sad Stark puppy eyes. "But I can't—"

"Anthony Edward Stark, zip it."

Oh dear God. Not only had she interrupted him successfully twice during this conversation, but now she was using his full name. I'm in deep shit, Tony thought to himself.

"You're getting a personal assistant."

He nodded in acknowledgement. That's not so bad. I've had those before. No point in adding fuel to her spitfire, especially since he'd had a penchant for ending up in bed with previous assistants. In fact, his only "secretary" to keep his advances at bay turned out to be the Black Widow. Now that he knew her true identity, he wouldn't touch her with a ten-foot pole, though he still thought she was hot. Not to mention the wrath of Hawkeye was not something he wanted to experience personally. Tony would let Barton and Romanov figure out their relationship and build an assassin's nest somewhere. He smiled as he pictured the ridiculous image of the pair in a real bird's nest.

"I know what you're thinking, and I am not giving you a choice in who I will hire for you," Pepper said, making sure the intonation of 'I' and 'you' was just right. It should give him a slight scare to know what she was really thinking.

"You're joking, Pep. How will I know if the person you hire has the right qualifications? It takes more than the average person to withstand my natural charms." A smug smile crossed his face. "In fact, I think all of them, no matter how qualified, snuck into my bedroom at some point."

"I will take my chances, Anthony. Now get up and come with me, or so help me God, I will drag you to Locke's hospital room."

Loki slipped in and out of consciousness during the ride to the hospital. He could sense a person wrapping something around his neck and attending to his wounds. The engine of the ambulance rumbled softly and the vehicle shook on its wheels after every bump in the road.

Why did these small creatures keep on trying? If they knew who he was, would they still be treating him like this? Loki wanted to protest against the gross invasion of his privacy. He tried to raise his arm, reaching for one of the men attending his wounds. In reality, though, he just looked like a poor injured man who was pale as a sheet and in need of assistance. One of the men looked at him and muttered, "Poor bastard." Loki tried to glare but his eyelids would not obey his commands any longer. He settled on cursing the man with his thoughts before losing consciousness.

The first time Loki woke, he had grave trouble opening his eyes. It felt like they had crusted over. He forced them open to see a sliver of light, but white was all he saw - bright, white lights and the vague contours of two people. From the intonation of their voices, he could decipher that they were discussing something and he wondered if S.H.I.E.L.D. had finally caught up with him. It had taken them long enough.

"Locke, are you awake?" Loki recognised that voice immediately. Even if he didn't have a clear view of the man, he had no doubt that it was Bob. But then who was the other person and, more importantly, what were they discussing? He forced his concentration and the room seemed clearer. Behind Bob was a familiar-looking woman. Where had he seen her before? The answer was right on the edge of his mind, but his eyes closed against his will. He heard her say something, but could not discern any intelligible words. Everything around him became a disordered blur and he succumbed to darkness once again.

The next time Loki woke, his eyes reacted normally, but he was still temporarily blinded by the vivid lights in the room. He recognised his settings to be a hospital room, which meant that nobody had found out who he was yet. Correction: What I am no more.

He felt uncomfortable and too warm despite this being the first time he'd slept in a bed in what seemed like ages. He shifted around and realized there was a transparent cord coming out of his wrist. They had put something inside of him! Not knowing what it was, he reached for it, but his shoulder hurt as he did so. He noticed that his left shoulder and arm were bandaged with a clean sterile cloth. He stopped trying to pry at his wrist. The arm felt hot and heavy, but clean. He yanked at the pale green sheet, wanting to see what further damage his body held.

"What is this hideous contraption they have me wearing?" Loki's clothing was gone and instead he was wearing a simple, long shirt that was the same pale green as the bed sheets. There was a cast around his left leg. He didn't even attempt to move it since it might cause more damage. Humans had a barbaric and rough idea of tending to the wounded. Healing magic had never been his strong point, but fixing a broken bone was only a simple flick of the finger when compared to this clumsy block.

The door to his room opened and he saw Bob waving to someone outside in the hall. "Yeah, I'll see ya soon, Miss Potts. I swear I won't punch him this time or any other time as long as he holds his promises." Loki recalled his earlier wake-up and the two figures discussing matters over him. They had been talking behind his back! To think he had wanted to thank Bob earlier for his minimal attentions.

"Your Highness, glad to see you managed to open your eyes long enough for me to say hi," Bob said while smiling at him.

The door closed behind the older man, but Loki waited until the footsteps in the hall faded before responding. He raised the arm that had the IV stuck inside. "Explain this. Now," he spoke in harsh, demanding tones.

Bob took a seat on one of the hospital chairs. "I'd better sit down for this one."

Loki lay still in the bed as he listened intently to the story coming from the other man. It seemed like it was by a stroke of luck that both he and the driver survived with only minimal injuries. By all accounts, he should be happy that the driver was apparently smart enough to do some mid-air calculations and thus avoid full frontal contact between Loki and the red sports car. It was quite the accomplishment for a mere mortal, though not one worthy of actual praise considering that the man was a dim-witted idiot in the first place for causing the accident. The moment the car tilted, it broke a street light, which fell down and loosened the cable that held the store sign up. In that moment, Loki was hit by the cable, sending him out of the car's trajectory. The doctors would soon provide the type of leg cast in which he could walk somewhat normaly and the wound on his arm had been cleaned and disinfected, but it would leave a scar. My first scar, he thought to himself.

Bob told him about punching the man that he so kindly referred to as that rich bastard. "God, I was so worried and angry for you. I helped him out of the car, but the moment I knew he was all right, I gave him a good old punch in the face."

Loki grinned. "Well done, Bob. I congratulate you on the feeble attempt of revenge."

"Oh, Your Highness, do not praise me so much. Miss Potts is bringing over the man that caused the accident soon. She is forcing him to apologise. I would not like to be in his shoes right now. Miss Potts is one fierce woman."

"Well then, anything else worth telling me, Bob?" Loki had a feeling the man was keeping something unsaid and purposely hiding it from him. Loki could do nothing but ask himself why.

"Hmmm? Not right now, Locke. Rest is all you need. Anything else can come later." Loki was right. The man was hiding something from him.

Now more than ever he wished the medication had not left him so drowsy earlier. Otherwise, he would have stayed awake to follow the conversation between that Potts woman and Bob. Loki felt betrayed. Why is this upsetting me so? The feeble emotions inside this body are so conflicting. No wonder gods have always played games here. Humans give off…much reaction.

Their little chat was disturbed by a knock on the door, which opened to reveal a woman with sleek strawberry blond hair and a strict face that gave her the look of being in total control. She looked at him and introduced herself, "Pepper Potts, pleased to meet you Locke Ladislav. I hope this single bedroom we've procured for you has suited your needs."

So this room was her doing. "I was wondering why I was not put in a shared room. And yes, so far it has suited my needs." He decidedly did not give her a 'thank you.' After all, they owed this to him. He did, however, smile at her – the same smile he'd given before to the young woman named Vicky at the doughnut shop. If this woman was anything like the others he had met on this planet…

"Do not think, for even a second, that I can be drawn in by fake charm. I've had my fair share of that already." Her face was serious and her tone hard and clear. Well, some exceptions are bound to exist.

"I am wasting time here, Pep."

That voice. Loki's smile faded instantly as something darker crossed it.

"Heading in, whether you're ready or not." A familiar, dark brown mess of unruly hair appeared as the man began to step into the room while declaring his entrance. His suit was clean and crisp-looking, as if nothing had happened in the hours prior. Expensive sunglasses covered his eyes as the man peered down at his watch.

Pepper gave him a glare.

"Oh get over it, Pep. You know I'm not one to sit and wait patiently." The man entered the room and stopped next to 'Locke's' bedside.

"YOU!" Loki gritted his teeth in sheer anger, giving the man a glare full of contempt. He hissed out the name in a voice full of malice. "Stark."

Neither Bob nor Pepper had foreseen this reaction; even Loki could not have foreseen this. The anger that welled up inside him at the wrongs Stark had done just reached a peak point. The old Loki would have kept his composure but the new, more-human, Loki just followed his basic instincts. Somehow, he managed to lunge forward out of the bed, tearing the IV from his wrist in doing so. He grabbed a startled and surprised Stark and they fell to the ground in a tangled mess. Loki slapped him across the face and grasped his collar, raising Tony's head from the ground.

"You caused this!"

Tony, stunned, replied, "Well it wasn't just me…"

"Ha, and you dare to call yourself a hero. You are nothing but a common drunk! You even reek of liquor."

What is it with people today? They all kept cutting off his sentences. "Hey there, buddy. Mind getting off me?" Tony carefully placed a hand on the man's arm.

"Do not dare to touch me! You coward. Do not pretend to care!" Loki released the collar, letting Stark's head fall on the floor with a thud.

That comment hurt and Tony unconsciously tightened his grip on the other man's arm.

Loki reeled back, the blood draining from his face as fury was replaced by sudden pain. "AAACK!"

Instantly, Tony realised what he was doing and he released his hold on the man. How did he manage to get me like that?

Bob took Loki and helped him back to his bed. "Alright, that's enough excitement for one day." Never did he think the usually quiet and stoic Locke would get angry like this. He wondered why seeing Stark had triggered such a reaction from the other. He also noticed that Locke's wound had ripped open again. The bandages around his shoulder darkened.

Tony stood up and looked to Pepper who clearly had no idea what was happening. Great, so I've managed to hurt the same homeless guy twice now. Good going there, Tony, he thought to himself.

Loki felt so drained of strength and power that he had no spirit left to protest when Bob put him back to bed. Human bodies had a terrible way of reminding their owners of their limitations and he could definitely feel his body's limits as tiredness washed over him.

The room's three other occupants began discussing the situation, but mostly it consisted of Tony getting scolded and eventually pushed out of the room. Before Loki knew it, he felt sleep steal over him and he accepted it gratefully.

Alright, finally they meet. Sorry for the long, long wait.

Thank you readers, followers, and favoriters!

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