I am definitely enjoying writing this. Can you tell? Yes, this is three chapters in three freaking days! Strange thing is i'm actually being productive with school work and stuff. Yay to me!
Tense did not even describe the feeling of the car right now. Natasha half expected Clint to push her out of the driver's seat and speed the rest of the way to Stark tower. He was currently gripping an arrow and glaring out the windshield toward their destination. Every so often glancing at her speedometer.
Natasha had been contemplating driving to Stark towers when Director Fury had called her, they were only 45 minutes away. Fury's yell of 'where are you?' had definitely gotten her attention. There was no explanation as to why she was to protect Loki of all people but she knew it was her job. The same could not be said for Clint. Natasha was pretty sure that arrow was the one Clint wanted to put through the god's eye.
"How much longer?" Clint ground out.
"Twenty minutes," she answered. She hoped the traffic wouldn't be bad considering the late hour.
Tony was beginning to wonder what would get to his tower faster: pizza or agents. His answer came in the form of an elevator ding.
Natasha nodded as she stepped out and was followed by Clint carrying several pizza boxes. "We gave him a $20 tip."
"Why?" Tony raised an eyebrow.
"Because you can afford it," she smirked. She looked over to see Clint looking at the couch. She followed his gaze to see Loki. "Did you…." She glanced at Bruce.
"Not me, he was like that when he got here," Bruce held his hands up.
"Fury told me that I'm to protect him," Natasha told them. She raised a brow.
"So, Thor's daddy," Tony began, "pops in," he gestured behind the couch, "told us that something is coming to destroy us all and tossed reindeer games onto the couch."
Natasha blinked and then looked at Bruce.
"He threatened Director Fury a bit too." Bruce crossed his arms. "Made it clear that Loki should stay safe and hidden so that he can help us take out the….Thanos?..." he looked back to Tony who nodded. "Because Loki has greater magic or something."
"Why's he all beaten up?" Clint asked.
"Apparently something attacked Asgard and he saved them," Bruce replied.
"Why?" Natasha asked.
"Probably to save his own ass," Clint answered.
Tony spoke up, "Dude with the eyepatch said the attack was part of the big bad."
"Have you disarmed him?" Natasha asked.
Tony and Bruce looked at each other.
"I don't think you want me that close to him," Bruce said.
"Last time he threw me out a window, don't think it would be much better this time," Tony went to pour himself a scotch. "Plus he doesn't have his spear."
Natasha headed for Loki and immediately noticed a cloth poking out of Loki's cloak. She pulled it out and unwrapped a knife. She eyed it and touched the edge to see how sharp. She placed the cloth onto the floor and put the knife on top of it. She reached into Loki's cloak and began pulling more knives out, setting them all on top of the cloth.
Clint eyed the knives and jerked his head when Tony pulled open the top pizza box that he was holding.
Natasha began to pat Loki down. She paused when her hand touched gnarled flesh on his left arm. She wiped her hand off on his leather cloak and continued. Her hand passed by the bloodied spot on Loki's abdomen and he grunted. Natasha's eyes darted up to see that Loki was still out cold and Tony had to catch the pizza boxes because Clint had pulled out his gun.
"He's out. Put it down." Natasha ordered. Clint slowly lowered his weapon.
On his waist, Natasha found a small leather bag. She pulled it off his belt and tossed it with the other items. She found two other knives in his boots. "I think that's it."
"What now?" Bruce asked.
"Thor won't be here until tomorrow," Tony shrugged. "Pizza and movies?"
Natasha was leaning against the couch watching a rerun of Buffy on the television. She would occasionally look back at the god who was still unconscious even though the sun had risen over an hour ago. The other men were across the room at the bar. Clint had taken over the bartender's stool so that he could watch for Loki when he awakened. He was currently playing cards with Tony while Bruce was passed out next to them.
Natasha popped her neck and glanced back at the god. She furrowed her brow when she saw his lashes moving. She raised up slightly and saw that he was not awake but was trying to regain consciousness. Natasha looked over to see Clint was in the middle of beating Tony at whatever game and thought better of yelling over to them. No sense in startling them or Loki.
Loki's eyes fluttered open and Natasha could see that they were unfocused and staring at the ceiling. He closed them again. He opened them and stared upward. Loki continued to stare at the ceiling for several moments before his brow furrowed. He blinked and then turned his head and looked straight at Natasha.
Natasha, unsure of what would seem less of a threat, smiled at him.
He stared back at her with green eyes. She was sure they had been blue before. The way Loki had stared her down in that heli-carrier, it wasn't something one forgot. But the eyes staring straight at her were definitely green.
Loki turned back to look at the ceiling. After a few seconds he started to lift his left arm but winced and decided against it. Loki took a deep breath, in frustration Natasha would assume, and started to sit up. As soon as he began to bend, Loki fell backward and clenched his teeth. Natasha glanced over to the three men at the bar and nearly rolled her eyes. Good thing she wasn't relying on them to save her from the God of Mischief.
After a minute, Loki pushed his right arm behind him and used it to push himself up into sitting position. His loud grunt finally alerting the others that he was awake.
"You should probably lay back down," Natasha told him.
Loki breathed in and glared at her. He felt weak. Fear prickled in him making him worry that he had suffered Thor's fate; that Odin had exiled him to Midgard powerless.
"You need to rest," Natasha told him.
"You think me defenseless?" Loki tilted his head in question.
"I think you're hurt." Natasha stated.
"This is nothing for a god," Loki lied.
Natasha frowned, "is that why you've been unconscious for the last day?"
Loki narrowed his eyes at her, "If I've been unconscious that long then why not end me?"
Natasha raised a brow and dared to look away from Loki. Tony was on his feet, Clint had a gun pointed at the god's head and Bruce was still asleep. "Does he know what's going on?"
Tony glanced around him, "do we know what's going on?"
Natasha sighed and looked back into the now curious green eyes. "Your father was here. He dropped you off and said that you were going to help us get rid of a big threat."
Loki stared at her, "did Odin happen to mention why I would help?"
"He did," Tony snapped his fingers. "He said you were the only one strong enough to defeat Than-yos."
Loki turned his head at that, staring at Tony until he began chuckling. "I think Odin has become senile." He told them. "I may be more magically adept, but Thanos knows how to compensate for that."
"Than-yos doesn't know you're alive," Tony told him. "Patchy thought that you could be our ace in the hole to get rid of him."
Loki stared at him, "you might not want to let him hear you call him that." He sighed. His mind was working slower at the moment, mostly due to the pain that was in his abdomen. He did have to admit it sounded like a good plan. The monster, which was sleeping on the counter, with the help of his idiot brother may give Thanos some trouble. Enough to distract anyway. If Thanos didn't know he was alive then he might be able to find a way to shove him back through that portal. It sounded better than skirting around the 9 realms during Thanos' rule anyway.
Natasha eyed Loki. She could see thoughts buzzing around him. She hoped that it was one in which he would help, because she didn't want to explain how she couldn't keep Clint from shooting Loki.
"What else did Odin tell you?" Loki asked as he stared ahead, concentrating on his thoughts. Maybe the old man had an idea of how to take down Thanos.
Tony paused, "when he left he said to tell you…that he didn't see you…whatever that means."
Loki turned to look at Tony, searching the man's face. Tony evidently had no idea as to what he was referring to. Loki turned back around and stared ahead of him. 'Odin could have easily lied', Loki reasoned. 'Maybe he really did finally get fed up with his little frost giant runt'.
Loki decided it was something to think on later when he wasn't surrounded by people who could probably kick his ass at the moment. He looked around at the few Avengers, "so, what's the plan?"
Loki splashed the water onto his hair in attempt to retain his dark locks. He really needed to bathe but that could wait until after breakfast. He eyed the marks around his face. At the moment his magic was focused on his abdomen, a wound that would have killed a normal Asgardian. The wound was taking up most of his magical energy which is why he felt so weak. He could feel some leftover magical energy in him but he decided he would hold onto it for as long as possible. If needed, he could send an energy blast and scurry off before any of them were the wiser.
He opened the door to the bathroom, or so Natasha had called it, and greeted the red haired woman. She kicked off the wall and they headed back toward the others. From what Loki gathered, Barton was not trusted to be alone with him or else an arrow end up in his anatomy, the man of iron seemed wary without his suit and Bruce was still asleep. Loki didn't feel up to annoying the man and Natasha seemed willing to show him around the 'tower'.
As soon as they entered the room he was pleased to smell food. Bruce was rubbing his eyes with a steaming glass of brown liquid, coffee-if he remembered correctly, while Clint was playing with an arrow. Tony was busy tossing food onto several plates.
Loki sat in front of a plate at the end of the counter and eyed the food. It was nearly impossible to poison him but he was in an already diminished state.
Bruce eyed the god and misunderstood the hesitation, "yellow stuff is scrambled eggs. That's bacon. That's hashbrowns. And that's toast-bread that's been heated."
Loki wondered if he thought he was as dumb as his brother. He nodded to the man instead. No sense in angering someone you currently couldn't outrun. He sniffed the liquid in the glass next to his plate. "Juice?"
Bruce nodded, "cherry?"
Loki shrugged and downed it. As soon as he finished it he placed it back down on the counter.
"At least he's got manners," Tony quipped. He poured Loki another glass.
Loki raised an eyebrow and looked to Natasha on his left who simply ate her bacon.
"TONY!"
Immediately Tony looked up in a panic. Loki continued to eat his food. It was interesting to watch a female scream at a male that was not him.
"Pepper!" Tony smiled and darted a glance to Loki.
"You had a meeting! Then you were supposed to come see me so you'd sign these." Pepper came into view holding a stack of papers. "Now I have Rhodey calling me every ten seconds because you won't answer your phone."
Tony closed his eyes, "the meeting with Rhodey."
"And his bosses." Pepper slammed the stack of papers next to Loki without glancing at him.
"Something very important came up," Tony told her.
"Something always comes up," Pepper frowned. "But this is your job."
Loki noticed some sort of round food in a box on top of the paperwork. He wasn't really sure what it was but it smelled sweet which was good enough for him.
"Pepper, I am sorry." Tony told her. "And I will call Rhodey in just a minute."
"You still have that meeting at 2 with Henry about the green energy project," she reported. She smacked Loki's hand away from the donuts. "You cannot miss that appointment."
Tony stared at her wide-eyed. "You're absolutely right."
"Especially seeing as you showed up late last time." Pepper continued. Loki gave her a dirty look.
Tony nodded, "you're absolutely right."
"So, I am going to come get your ass in..a….few…" Pepper stared at Tony's wide eyed expression as it dawned on her. She blinked and then looked down at Loki who was snagging one of the donuts.
"You needed papers signed," Tony clapped his hands. "Or an omelet?"
Pepper stared at Loki and then turned to Tony, "something came up?"
"Yep."
"Do I need to be worrying right now? Because I'm worrying." Pepper glanced between the two.
"Loki is working with the Avengers."
"That's not helping."
Tony took the paperwork and led Pepper out of the room while starting to explain what had happened the day before.
"I assume that would be the lady of Iron?" Loki asked between bites.
Midgardians were squeamish, Loki concluded. Sure it had hurt like hell to remove his cloak and tunic but he wasn't turning green at the flesh. Bruce seemed ready to vomit from the moment the clothing was removed. Barton, on the other hand, seemed somewhat happy at Loki's state.
Bruce inspected the wounds first, making comments here and there. Mostly about how Loki was healing. Sometimes commenting on how the wounds would kill a mortal. He seemed quite distressed at the fact that he could see Loki's spine. Even more so that it had been nicked. Loki shrugged it off, his spine would heal soon and he'd be no worse for wear.
After inspecting the wounds, Bruce used a primitive needle and thread to close them up. Something Loki allowed him to do merely because his magic was too low focusing on the major wounds to be bothered on closing them up.
"When will Thor be here?" Loki asked after a long silence.
Bruce looked up somewhat surprised.
"I assume he's heading this way," Loki frowned.
"He'll be here later today," Bruce told him. "We haven't told him that you're here though."
Loki frowned, he was not exactly looking forward to seeing his brother.
"Missing your big bro?" Clint scoffed.
"Just curious as to his response for leaving me for dead on a random planet," Loki responded. He could have lied easily about why he was angry with Thor but the truth brought Thor down a bit. He wasn't the hero that they thought he was.
"Maybe it was because you tried to kill everyone," Clint smiled.
"Last time I save his life," Loki muttered. He stood up off of the table Bruce had him sitting on and was pleased to see shock on their faces. He turned on his heel and left the lab.
I know that Loki has many reasons to dislike Thor but that one is on the top of his list at the moment. It will be explained more in the next chapter...or two...i'll get to it, i swear! Reviews make me happy!