Author's Note: So sorry for not updating in so long. Had a few more chapters already written out and I got a new idea for the fic and had to rewrite them. Also may not be updating again for another week or so. Mom troubles. Anyway...
Enjoy! :)
Jane sighed as she entered her apartment, Darcy following closely behind. The woman paused in the doorway, listening.
"Hey...do you hear that?" she asked. Jane shook her head. "Hear what?" she asked. Darcy chewed the inside of her lip.
"Never mind. Guess I'm still a little jet-lagged." she said, putting her stuff down.
"So? How do you think it went?" she asked. Jane groaned, throwing her bag onto the floor. "I don't know Darcy." she said tiredly.
"Still not even sure that they liked my theory though. I mean what other proof do they need? New York wasn't enough?" Darcy shrugged and made her way to the kitchen to pour them some wine.
"You really don't hear that?" she called over her shoulder. The strange noise seemed to get louder. Jane shook her head.
"No."
As she passed the couch, she tripped over a large and heavy object.
"Owww!" she cried out, rolling around on the floor dramatically. Jane rushed over to see what was wrong, fumbling for a light switch.
"What happened?" she asked. Darcy sat up, rubbing her toes.
"I tripped over something. It's over there somewhere." she grumbled unhappily. Jane flicked on the light, and looked at the floor. They both stared at the huge hammer.
"So I guess that's a really good replica of Thor's hammer. Come on Jane. Why can't you just stalk your boyfriend like everyone else?" Darcy said. Jane shook her head and leaned down to examine the object. She tried to pick it up but couldn't.
"I'm pretty sure it's the real deal." she said, wiping her brow. Darcy frowned.
"Why would Thor leave his Mew-mew here?" she said half to herself. She quieted when she heard a deep rumbling on the other side of the couch. They both looked over the side.
Thor lay on his stomach, sound asleep. Darcy grinned and reached down to pinch his nose shut.
"Darcy." Jane warned. The woman ignored her, squeezing the god's nose shut.
Minutes later, Thor rolled away from them and onto the floor, coughing and sputtering. After he regained his composure, he turned, rubbing his eyes.
"Lady Jane and Lady Darcy!" he exclaimed happily. He stood, trying to smooth out his rumpled hoodie and jeans.
"I apologize for intruding. I must have fallen asleep." he said sheepishly. Darcy smiled, rushing to hug him. She hung on a bit too tightly and longer than necessary.
"Darcy." Jane groaned. The woman stuck her tongue out at her.
"I'll be in the kitchen if anyone needs me then." she said. Jane shook her head.
"How did you get in anyhow?" she asked.
"What up my future brother-in-law! How's your little bro' of sexy mischief?" Darcy called from the kitchen. Thor frowned.
"Loki is well Lady Darcy." he replied. Jane smiled, shaking her head.
"How did everything go with the weapon? It did work didn't it?" she asked. Thor nodded slowly.
"It was a marvelous invention on your part, but sadly we did not prevail in our battle." he told her. Jane's eyes widened.
"So...the Other got the Tesseract?" she asked. Thor nodded.
"There was no other option. Thanos forced Loki to lead him to the Tesseract. I do not know what other things they spoke of, but after they returned, Loki was quite pale. I fear Thanos may have done or said something to disturb him greatly. My brother is not one so easily startled."
Darcy returned from the kitchen, carrying a tray of snacks as a peace offering.
"Hey guys. What's going on?" she asked. Jane sighed.
"The Other got the Tesseract." she said. The smile on the other woman's face fell.
"What?! Was there anything wrong with the weapon? Oh my god this is all my fault. I knew I shouldn't have taken out those extra bolts." she wailed. Thor shook his head.
"That was not the problem Lady Darcy. I am sure you and Lady Jane made no mistakes in your work. The weapon worked perfectly. If the Chitauri had not over powered us then we would have been victorious in the battle." he assured her. Darcy groaned, flopping down onto the couch.
"What's going to happen now?" Jane asked. Thor paced around the couch, staring at the floor.
"The Allfather has not seen fit to share with me his plans for retaliation. I only know that he has ordered many of the destroyed homes in the villages to be rebuilt. In the mean time, Heimdal is to keep watch as he always has. Nothing more can be done." Jane stared at him.
"That's it?" she asked. "What if the Other decides to come back? What will you do then?" she demanded. Thor's eyes flicked up to hers for a brief second.
"The Allfather will decide when the time comes Lady Jane. That is the way of Asgard." he told her quietly. Jane swallowed. 'They were screwed.' she thought.
Darcy leaned forward and pulled Thor down beside her. She discreetly wrapped an arm around his bicep.
"So Thunder cat, tell me about Loki. Is he ok?" she asked. Thor nodded.
"Loki is currently recovering. The Man of Iron known to you as Anthony Stark is staying with him for the time being, helping him. The Other and his ally tortured him for months to ensure his cooperation. But, my brother is resilient. He will heal quickly. He always has." he said, a bit of pride shining through.
"So Iron Man and Loki are like really good bff's?" she said. Thor frowned.
"I do not know what that means." he said. Darcy sighed.
"Best friends for life? Never heard of that before?" she asked. Thor shook his head.
"It is unfamiliar to me. And no they are not "bff's". I thought it well that they remain together, given their relationship." Thor answered. Darcy chewed her lip worriedly.
"Are you saying Loki and Tony are..." she trailed off, positioning her two index and middle fingers in the shape of a 'V' and pushing them together repeatedly until the webbing between said fingers met. Thor frowned again.
"Lady Jane what does this mean?" he asked. Jane rolled her eyes.
"Darcy, please stop confusing him." she ordered. Darcy sighed.
"So they're...having sex." she asked tentatively. Thor shook his head and she let out a sigh of relief.
"Not at the moment." he said, crushing her two seconds of happiness.
"Loki is still recovering from his injuries and any such copulation would cause him more pain that needed." he explained.
"Why God, why!" she wailed. Jane patted her back soothingly.
"It's ok Darcy. You'll find someone else." she told her distressed friend. Darcy sniffed.
"He was perfect. Sexy, tall, beautiful eyes...a literal god. Our children would have been so beautiful." she said.
"Dammit Iron Man." she growled. Thor looked at Jane, who gave an encouraging nod.
"I am sure you will find someone else. You are a beautiful woman Lady Darcy. Any man would be lucky and should be honored to have your hand in courtship." Darcy looked back and forth between then both.
"Just as long as he's hot. And smart too." she declared.
Loki paced around his room, occasionally running his hands through his hair.
"What's got you so antsy Reindeer Games?" Tony asked, looking up from the spell book he was studying. Loki had become annoyed with the man's restlessness and had finally given in to let him study magic. Tony had been content until Loki began the same thing.
The god shot him a look, before sitting down.
"Odin has forbade me from leaving my chambers." he said. Tony raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure he just doesn't want you in the way or anything?" he asked. Loki snorted.
"It is something else entirely Stark. He refuses to tell me anything." he sighed. The god stood suddenly, and went into the bathroom for a quick shower. When he returned, he pulled on a green tunic, careful not to overstretch his aching muscles.
"Where are you going?" Tony asked. Loki rolled his eyes.
"I am going to the garden. I cannot stand it being trapped in my own chambers." he said. Tony smiled.
"Alright. Give me a few minutes and I'll get dressed." he said. Loki grimaced but nodded anyway. After Tony had dressed, Loki led them out of the palace to the gardens. As Loki had suspected, Tony was not able to keep his hands off the plants.
"What is that?" the inventor asked, pointing to a particularly weirdly shaped flower. Loki smiled, pulling him away.
"That is a poisonous Vengal flower Anthony. My mother uses them to make healing salves. After it is boiled, it is no longer poisonous." he said. Tony grinned.
"I have a feeling that's not all it does." he said expectantly. Loki sighed, shaking his head.
"Due to it's naturally poisonous nature, it can also be used to make weapons such as poisonous darts, daggers or what ever is on hand. It is quite valuable." he offered. Tony gave a satisfied nod.
"Alright. I get that. But why are they here? Isn't your mom afraid of someone touching them by accident?" he asked. Loki laughed.
"Everyone knows not to touch a Vengal flower Anthony." he admonished, with his signature eye roll. Tony pouted.
"Well I still want to look at some other stuff and not end up dying in the process." he huffed. Loki sighed.
"Go on. Just don't touch anything." he warned. Tony grinned widely an ran off in a hurry. Loki sighed. The man was so predictable a times.
Loki grunted as he sat on a stone bench. His side had started to ache and he was feeling tired anyway. He had not been sleeping well at all. He figured he could just close his eyes for just a second, and wait for Tony to come back. No sooner had he done so, he felt an insistent nudging at his shoulder and someone calling his name.
"Prince Loki?" a voice said softly. Loki opened an eye to see who could possibly be bothering him. He eyed the small servant girl standing in front of him warily. He had never seen her before.
"May I ask why you are out here my prince?" she asked. He blinked at her slowly.
"I came out for a walk with a friend." he replied, looking around for Tony. The man was no where to be seen. He sighed. He shouldn't have let him go off alone.
"Well my prince, I am Silga. I would be happy to accompany you back to your chambers if you like. Your friend has probably already gone back to their own."
Loki didn't allow his disgust to show on his face. It wasn't uncommon for serving girls to try to bed a noble so they could become pregnant. Then they would be tied to the royal family, able to live the life of a royal.
Loki shook his head.
"Have you seen a man by the name of Anthony Stark? He is quite a short man. With brown hair and eyes." The woman shook her head.
"No. But perhaps if it will help, we can look for him together." Loki nodded, rising to his feet.
"Perhaps he went this way." she suggested. Loki nodded silently and followed her.
"Anthony where the hell are you?" he asked aloud. He continued to follow Silga, looking around for a glimpse of the inventor.
After an hour of looking, Loki decided that maybe Tony had gone back to their chambers. He looked to Silga, ensuring that she was still with him.
"Silga, I think it would be best if we retired now. Perhaps Tony did return to the palace." She smiled.
"Really? Well I guess...wait." She ran to the other side of the pond they were currently standing in front of and looked over a hedge.
"I think I see him. You were right. He is short." she said with a smile. Loki sighed.
"Come on. He went over there." she urged, pulling him along. Loki ignored her touches. It was usually improper for a servant to touch a prince without his permission, but Loki was tired and the urge to throttle Tony for scaring him overcame his sense of protocol.
When they got to the spot where Silga had said she'd seen Tony moments before, Loki looked around at the closed in space they were standing in. They had come to a dead end.
"Silga...I think you were mistaken. He could not have possibly come in here." he said quietly.
"Oh no. I make no mistake in this Prince Loki. My actions are my own and I must fulfill my duty as a citizen of Asgard to protect it from all forms of harm. Those that originate outside of it...and those that are born from within." she said. Loki turned, his brow furrowing with worry.
"Are you alright Silga?" he asked.
Loki didn't see the blade aiming for his chest until he turned back around. He couldn't stop it. He didn't have the strength.
The blow knocked him back a few steps, and he stared at the woman, impossibly strong for her size. He stared down at the blade protruding from his chest.
"Why...?" he asked. The woman knelt in front of him, smiling.
"You have brought so much pain to Asgard. It was you who led the Other here. I will not allow you to destroy my home. My mother always said that the best way to heal yourself of a poisoned limb was to cut it off. I will not let you destroy my people Jotun."
She grabbed the handle of the dagger and pressed it further into his chest, twisting. Loki screamed as agony tore through his chest. He grabbed her arm and tried to push her off of him, but she just positioned herself on top of him and used her body weight against him.
It was getting herder to breathe. He could feel blood leaking into his lungs. His eyes burned with the strain of keeping them open for so long.
Tears slipped from his eyes.
He had never told Tony that he loved him.
"Loki!" Tony yelled at the top of his lungs. He'd heard the god's scream and it worried him.
"Loki!" he tried again. He was pretty sure he was getting close. He ran a bit faster, hoping the reason Loki had screamed wasn't bad. Tony turned to the right. He looked over his shoulder, pretty sure he'd made the wrong decision. He turned back and went left. He hated mazes.
A woman walked right into him. By instinct, he grabbed her to hold her still.
"Oh. Sorry." he said, loosening his grip on her arms. He watched her run off through the maze like garden. Tony groaned, wiping a hand across his forehead. His hand left a wet streak across it, which quickly turned cold in the chilly air. He whipped his hand away and stared at it. Red was smeared on his fingertips.
"Oh shit." he breathed.
"Loki!" he called out again. He looked behind himself, where the woman had gone. He continued on, calling the god's name as he went. He didn't want her to catch him standing still.
A weak moan caught his attention.
"Loki?" He continued toward the noise.
He entered a dead end and cursed. He was going to have to find his way back to the path now.
As he was about to go back a chocking sound caught his attention.
"T-to...ny." said a weak voice. He ran over to the far end of the small enclosure, slipping and almost ending up in the pond.
"Damn him for always wearing green." he said, looking around. He took a step forward and promptly tripped over a log.
"Dammit." he growled, rubbing his leg. He sat down on the accursed log and pulled his pants leg up. No broken skin as far as he could tell.
His eyes widened as the log twitched under his butt. He jumped up, realizing that it wasn't a log. He poked it and jumped back, expecting something to jump out and chew his face off.
It was soft. Fleshy soft.
He moved the leaves out of the way, uncovering a body. He stared at the face he had been looking for.
"Fuck! Loki? Oh crap. What the hell are you doing..." His hand came away, slick with fluid. Even in the dark, he could tell it was blood. Loki groaned, moving weakly. The glint of metal embedded in Loki's chest that caught the inventor's eye made him grow increasingly wary of that woman.
Tony brushed a sweaty strand of dark hair out of Loki's eyes as he watched him struggle to stay awake. The god hadn't closed his eyes since they had brought him back into the castle after the attack two days ago. The healers had managed to remove the blade safely, but the risk for infection was still high.
"You really should sleep." he said quietly. Loki shook his head.
"N-no. I just...I need you to get me a few ingredients." he said shakily. He grunted, trying to sit up. Tony pressed him back down without any effort.
"You need to rest." he said again.
"I can't Anthony. Please. Just get me a few ingredients from the markets. The potion I need to make with them will...it will help me." he said. Tony sighed.
"Fine. What do you need?" he asked. Loki gestured toward the table beside the bed.
"I'll write a list for you. Send one of the servants. They know the markets better." he advised. Tony nodded, handing him the pen and paper.
"You wanna tell me what this potion is for?" he asked. Loki sighed, pushing the list into the inventor's hand.
"It will help me with my sleeping habits." the god said after a long moment. Tony smiled.
"Ok. I'll have someone get you what you need." Loki grabbed his arm.
"Make sure they check everything. If anyone should find out that I am sending someone to gather items for me, others might see it as an opportunity to harm me and take advantage of it."
"You mean...like poison or something?" Tony asked. Loki nodded.
"I am practically mortal now Anthony. My body has been weakened and I do not know the cause for it. Until I am well again, I need to be careful. Lately I have been quite careless and for that I am sorry for scaring you. I...I know you care greatly for me and I appreciate your sentiment." Loki said quietly.
"Well...I'm touched Loki. You promise you won't get into anything while I step out?" he joked. Loki smiled a bit.
"I can promise nothing. I am after all the God of Mischief and Chaos."
Tony left the room in search of a servant. He found one cleaning a table in the living room.
"Hey, I need you to get some stuff for me in the markets." he said, handing over the list. The servant read the list. He looked up at the inventor, frowning.
¨Are you sure sir? These ingredients...they can be quite dangerous if prepared improperly.¨ he said. Tony paled.
¨Say what now? What is going to make exactly?" he asked. The man smiled shyly.
¨I believe that this will make some sort of sleeping potion. If it is too strong, you will sleep for days. If it is too weak...well the cases I have heard of have not been good." Tony nodded.
¨Alright. Bring this stuff to me. I'm sure Loki knows what he's doing.¨
Author's Note: I know, I know. Another assassination attempt? Don't worry. I won't over do it. :)