Katie Moon: I'm glad you are! 3 Loki is really fun to write

Guest: That may be coming up ;)

Tony was a man of grandeur. This wasn't a secret. She should have expected nothing less than fantastic when the car pulled up to the front of the mansion.

And despite mentally preparing herself, she still felt herself gape at the sight.

The cliff, oh god the cliff. The mansion sat right on the edge, overlooking the ocean. Saniya couldn't wait to jump off of it, to feel the ocean spray on her face as gravity took over. As soon as she had free time, she swore she'd dive off the edge a couple of times.

After she tore her eyes away from the cliff, she began to notice the smooth edges on the exterior of the mansion. There were large windows and soft curves to the walls, giving it a unique look. Modernism, she believed the architecture style was called

Saniya stumbled out of the car, still staring at the mansion. Happy popped the trunk and handed her the luggage. She mumbled out a thank you.

"I've only seen houses like this on the internet," she confessed.

Happy nodded. "I remember when this was first being built. His architects put the money to good use."

The glass door swung open. Pepper hurried out to greet them in her crisp pencil skirt and stilettos. She pulled Saniya in for a hug. "I'm so glad you're staying with us." Pepper pulled back with a smile, then patted her arms. "Wow, you've gotten stronger since I last saw you."

Saniya found herself grinning with Pepper. It was impossible not to. "Thanks. Nat and Musa have been practically killing me in the gym."

She grabbed one of her bags while Happy dragged the other. Pepper began telling her about how she was welcome to use the pool and that a trusted cab service could drive right the mansion when needed. The entire kitchen was at her disposal and she was given access to Stark Industries for SHIELD work. Frankly, it was more than she had expected she would get.

When Pepper pushed open the glass front door, Saniya nearly squealed with excitement at hearing the familiar voice.

"Welcome, miss. It is a pleasure to see you again."

She was practically beaming. "Jarvis! I missed you so much." Funny enough, she had missed the AI almost as much as she missed Dorie. He was a dear friend.

"Please let me know if there is any way I can make your stay more enjoyable."

"Thank you, Jarvis," she said.

Like the exterior, the inside of the mansion had smooth curves and a modern design. Across the main room was a wall of windows overlooking the ocean, along with a set-up of couches. Slightly beyond that was the kitchen and the staircase to the second floor, both matching the modern theme.

Tony rounded the corner from the hallway, arms spread wide like a king regarding his subjects. "Welcome to my humble home. You're welcome to stay as long as you like, as long as it's not longer than two weeks. Any longer and you're getting booted to the streets."

Pepper shook her head. "Nobody will kick you to the streets if I have a say in that," she told Saniya. She gave Tony a long look. To his credit, he barely flinched.

"I have some ground rules," he shot back. Saniya crossed her arms. "Rule number one: don't tell anyone my address. Pretend this is fight club. You can't talk about it with anyone. The last thing I need are reporters knocking on my door. Rule number two: no bugging. I want the house clean of spying devices. So if Jarvis finds even one out of place electronic, it's your head."

She blinked when he came to the end. Was that all? "That's actually really fair."

Bruce appeared around the same corner. His button-up shirt was slightly wrinkled like he hadn't changed it in a while. "I adjusted the..." He stopped when he saw Saniya. Her cheeks began to heat up and she began feeling a lot like Greg; nothing had changed for her. Bruce smiled and her knees felt like jelly. "It's good to see you again."

While she had meant to be rude about it, to show him that she really hadn't cared about his absence and that she hadn't been constantly waiting for a text or... or just to show him that he didn't affect her as much as before, but she couldn't stop the grin that overtook her face. Bruce still made her body feel like it was on the verge of a heart attack and enjoying every second.

Pepper's smile turned slightly sour. "What are you working on now?"

"Something new. Something old." Tony matched her gaze. It was a stalemate between the two, both refusing to back down. "How 'bout we help Sani settle in?" he offered, but only as a means to change the subject.

"Good idea. I'll show her the guest bedroom." Pepper raised an eyebrow. "Come with us. I'm sure you've forgotten what a bed looks like."

He watched her for several moments before turning around. "Pass. I'll be in the lab."

Pepper exhaled. "Happy, can you—"

"It's no problem. Go after him," Happy urged. With an impressive hustle, Pepper was chasing after Tony. As much as Saniya wanted to ask what had happened between the two, she figured it could at least wait until she had taken a shower.

Happy gestured towards the staircase. "Right this way, Ms. Ramakrishna," he said with a comically formal tone.

Bruce curled his hands together. "Do you need any help carrying bags?"

"No," Saniya said immediately, and perhaps a little too rough. "We can do it ourselves."

The smile began to fade and she felt like she had kicked a puppy. He bobbed his head. "Okay. I'll see around."

Instead of heading further into the house, he was walking towards the front door. She remembered when Happy said that Bruce was renting a condo several miles away. He'd be back soon enough. He was staying close by.

Saniya hid her smile as she dragged her bags up the stairs. It felt good to see Bruce again. It really did.

Saniya wiped the condensation off the mirror to catch a glimpse of herself. She tugged at the bags under her eyes then ran her hands through her dark locks. Was that a gray hair?

No. It couldn't be. She was only twenty-seven. People in their twenties don't get gray hairs. But as she leaned closer, the mocking silver strand became clearer. As if it would help anything, she threw a washcloth at her reflection.

With the towel still wrapped around her naked body, she walked into the connected bedroom, dripping water all over the soft carpet. The tan bedspread was covered with everything in her bags. Her gun, unloaded with ammo in a pile next to it was placed in the middle. A grappling hook that Natasha was loaning to her sat proudly next to it. All the clothes she needed for the week was scattered across the blanket, all within easy reach.

She dug through the mess to find her laptop hiding underneath a large shirt. Saniya opened the lid.

There were three new emails. One was from Agent Musa. Probably a reminder to keep exercising. It was deleted right away. The second was from Dorie. Saniya sighed and clicked on it with a touch of annoyance.

—

Hey Sani

I don't know if you heard, but Brent was pushed off a building. He's fine, just has his arm in a sling. So now that I got you feeling bad for him, he really wants to meet you. Do you want to get drinks or something?

Don't say no this time. Okay? I really want you to like each other.

I just got a raise so I'll pay

Love you

—

Saniya replied with unenthusiastic yes. Dorie was her friend. She adored Dorie when they weren't fighting. But having drinks with her and Brent wasn't very appealing. If their facebook pictures were anything to go off of, they were lip locked 24/7. Still, she'd go through with it if it made Dorie happy. Especially since she had offered to pay.

She smoothed down the tape covering the camera of her laptop as she checked the next message. It was from a stranger, but it was a SHIELD provided email address.

—

Ms. Ramakrishna,

My name is Doctor Johann Fennhoff. I am the head psychiatrist at SHIELD and I have overseen the care of your sister Indali.

From your papers, you have opted out of regular debriefings on her condition, and I apologize if this is not welcome. However, I have been very proud of her progress in the last few months.

There have been no violent outbursts for several weeks. We have even let her take walks outside of her cell to help her recover. I have found that as long as her mind is occupied, she is calm. So, we have provided her with crosswords and other puzzles. Your sister has reacted positively and I am optimistic about her future.

I highly encourage you to come out to see her. While she is physically calm, she seems to harbor a large amount of guilt. To help her overcome this speed bump in life, perhaps you and Ms. Elliot can visit her. I'm sure it would mean the world her.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me.

Johann Fennhoff

—

The mouse hovered over 'delete'. She hadn't thought about Indali in a long time. A small ball of guilt began growing as she realized she hadn't checked up on her since she was locked away. Despite everything that happened, she was still her sister. Saniya at least should have made sure that SHIELD was treating her right. Director Fury had promised that they wouldn't do anything unethical to Indali, but could she trust his word? There was a certain responsibility on her shoulders to take care of her sisters, and she had really dropped the ball with Indali.

But, what Dr. Fenhoff described as a 'speed bump in life', was more of a wall. He couldn't be expecting her to forget everything that Indali had done. Was he? Saniya wasn't wasn't sure if she could look her in the eye, let alone visit her.

So, instead of confronting her battling thoughts, she closed her laptop. She put on a tank top and shorts, not forgetting her beloved boots to finish it off. Her eyes drifted back to her computer.

No, forget about that.

Saniya acted on the first thing that came to mind. "Jarvis? Is there a balcony or anything overlooking the cliff? I'm just... wondering."

"There is indeed. I have been told that around there is a wonderful view by the pool."

Saniya rotated her shoulders. They were still stiff from her last workout session. Nothing quite like free falling release some stress. "Thanks. I'll get back to you if it's as great as they say."

As she reached the door, Jarvis stopped her. "Ms. Ramakrishna, may I ask something of you?"

She eyed the ceiling warily. "Depends on what it is," she said.

"Mr. Stark's behavior has seemed slightly erratic these days. Dr. Banner and Ms. Potts are concerned about the effect of the suits on him. I simply ask that you keep an eye on him."

There was concern in Jarvis's voice. The same Jarvis who, not so long ago, told her that since he was made up of a series of code, he had no capacity for emotion. It was unnerving, actually, the emotion in his voice. She preferred the smooth, monotone Jarvis compared to the one who made her question how human an AI was.

"I can do that." Saniya's fingers curled around the door handle. "Wait, suits? As in plural?"

"He has quite the collection. Would you like to see?"

Now that was an offer that was hard to turn down.

It was none of her business... It was none of her business. At least, that was what she kept telling herself as Jarvis began leading her through the house. Jarvis's voice was softer as she passed by the kitchen, almost like he didn't want them to get caught. Pepper and Happy were talking about a new security software and neither looked up when she snuck by. There was the faintest shuffle of Tony in the kitchen.

Saniya doubted she had been given access, but Jarvis led her to the most secure place in Stark mansion: the lab. The glass door opened for her and the AI directed her further into the basement.

Saniya stopped in the middle of the room. "This isn't some sort of trick where Tony will pop out and tell me to never intrude on his privacy again, right?"

"Of course not."

"I want to trust you," she told the disembodied voice, "I really do. But, you have to admit this is sort of shifty. You even told me that you're loyal only to Stark, so then why are you showing me the suits? He can't be okay with this."

There was an odd moment of hesitation. "May I be frank with you?" She nodded in the vague direction of the ceiling. "My number one priority is the safety and well-being of Mr. Stark. There have been fluctuations in his behavior that are rather concerning. Ms. Potts and Dr. Banner are not helping, no matter their efforts. I have become what you may describe as desperate. I merely wish to show you the severity of the issue."

There was no way she could help Tony. They weren't friends. How could she do anything to make things better?

But, like he had said, Jarvis was desperate. If he was even capable of feeling so. She figured there was no harm in at least looking at the suits. Jarvis must have somehow seen her nod because he continued guiding her through the lab.

There were seven suits standing in separate cases, illuminated by faint yellow lights. The one on the far left was a dark black, next to it a silver, but the other five were the signature red and gold. To her untrained eyes, they were the same. But, why would Tony make the same suit over and over again? It would be, in the simplest of terms, stupid. There had to be something more to them.

"That's a lot of suits," Saniya whispered. She approached the nearest one, tempted to run her hand along the smooth metal. Maybe he'd let her take one apart, just so she could get an idea of how they were made.

"There are forty-two suits in total."

"No there is not," she exclaimed, looking around the room for the other thirty-five. "You got to be... forty-two! Where does he keep them?"

"Most are stored underneath the floor."

Saniya kicked at the ground, expecting some sort of hollow sound. Forty-two seemed like an excessive amount of suits. An uncomfortable chill rolled over her skin. It was an army of suits. Never before had she been exceptionally glad that Tony was on SHIELD's side. The damage he could do if he wasn't would be unmeasurable.

"I do recommend you begin making your way upstairs unless you wish to cross paths with Mr. Stark."

Since she didn't want to be blamed for breaking and entering, she moved quickly. She hurried past a weird robot with a claw that began chirping to life. She didn't take much time to figure out what the 'dunce' cone cap meant. Saniya had just made it down the hallway when Tony began walking down to the lab.

She sighed in relief, shooting the ceiling a grateful look.

The mess reminded her of a drug addict's kitchen. Several medicine containers were opened with the pills crushed into a fine powder. Pepper's fancy electronic scale had been used to measure the right amounts of each drug, the small powder getting into its every crevice. She would be spending hours cleaning this up.

Jarvis hadn't reported her suspicious activity to Tony. She was thankful for that. There was no way Tony would let her drug him if he knew.

The contents of the mixed medicines were poured into Tony's coffee, then stirred until it dissolved. Saniya paused, considering the ethical dilema of her actions. Her heart was in the right place even if what she was doing bordered on the line between good-natured and nefarious. But, then she remembered her goal and figured that as long as it worked as plan, it didn't matter how she achieved it.

Besides, no lasting harm could happen because of this. Natasha had reassured her that it was nonlethal. The worst it could cause was a bad case of constipation. Nobody was getting hurt, so that made it okay.

She raised the spoon to her lips for a small taste. Just like coffee. Really awful coffee. Holding the cup with two hands, she walked towards Pepper lounging on the couch in the other room. Saniya held the cup out to her.

"Here's some coffee for Tony."

Pepper looked up for a moment before returning her phone. "He's down in the lab. Jarvis will let you through."

The smile on her face began to waver. "No, I think you should bring it to him. He'll think I'm trying to poison him or something." Saniya winced but hid it with a grin.

Pepper let out a small laugh. "It's just coffee, Saniya." It fell flat and she began to look quite somber. "He hasn't slept in days, though. I... I don't think coffee is the best for him right now. But what would I know?" she ended bitterly, hinting at what the couple had argued about that morning. Pepper cleared her throat. "I'm sure he won't mind if you bring it to him."

'Not minding' didn't seem like something Tony was capable of. But, if she couldn't trick Pepper to deliver the Trojan horse, then she'd have to do it herself.

Her shoulders stiffened as she turned away. "Don't worry about it keeping him awake," she promised.

"What do you mean?" Pepper asked.

"It's... uh... decaf," she lied. "It'll work like reverse psychology. Instead of being more awake, he'll become tired."

The businesswoman drew her eyebrows together. "If anything, wouldn't it work as a placebo for caffeine. I mean, I'm not—"

"Trust me, reverse psychology," Saniya interrupted.

A soft smile rose to Pepper's lips. "Alright," she agreed quietly, though only to humor her. "If anything, I hope it works."

Even the worst insomniac was bound to fall asleep from this concoction. At least, that was what Natasha had promised. Tony was going to be sleeping like a baby tonight.

It was slow moving down the steps to the lab. The coffee was filled to the rim, threatening to burn her fingers at any sudden movement. Small drops spilled on the steps. Saniya wiped them away with her sock.

Jarvis opened the glass door to the lab and closed it behind her. Tony was standing at a table with his left arm in a part of the suit. The protective armor section was off, laid out on the table, so that he could work with the wires and inner materials of the suit.

"Sir, Ms. Ramakrishna is here with an offering," Jarvis reported when Tony failed to look up.

Finally, his eyes moved away from his work and onto the coffee mug in her hands. "Thanks, shortcake." His free hand reached for the mug and raised it to his lips.

Her face froze in surprise. Tony had trusted her just like that. She thought for sure she would have to lie about her motives or force it down his throat. But, no questions were asked. He must have had a degree of trust in her. The fact that he had immediately taken it from her was what brought out the guilt that probably should have been there when she became mixing the drugs.

Wow, her morals sort of were skewed.

"Stop!" she yelled before he could gulp down the sludge. "I drugged your coffee with some weird recipe Natasha gave me."

Tony stared at the mug with wide eyes. He shook his hand over the coffee to waft the smell towards his nose. "Smells like coffee." Then, he licked the small drop running down the side of the mug. "Tastes like coffee. Sani, what the hell were you trying to drug me with?"

"Assassin-grade sleeping pill," Saniya answered.

He shook his head. "Sleeping pills don't work on me."

"Natasha laughed evilly when I told her what it was for, so I think it will."

He took an experimental sip. Saniya nearly slapped the mug out of his hand. Tony's eyebrows raised at the expression on her face. "What?"

"You're drinking it?"

The billionaire shrugged but the smirk on his face revealed how amused he was by this. "I want to have the pride of knowing that I bested Romanoff when it doesn't work. And, if it does, maybe Peps will stop bothering me about sleep for a while. It's a win-win."

Saniya watched him chug the rest of the coffee, grimacing as it burned the back of his throat. She waited for him to fall over sleeping, but... nothing happened. Not yet anyways. But, Tony took this as a sign of success when the first minute passed without incident.

"Told you so. Now go scamper off and tell Ms. Widow that not even she can knock me down."

She didn't leave like Tony had hoped. She didn't want to. A part of her was curious of when the drugs would kick it, but mostly because he was working on the arm to his suit. He didn't say anything when she leaned against the table and watched him attach a wire to the elbow. It was fascinating, despite not understanding how any of it worked.

The arm was a mechanical puzzle. It was astonishing how he knew which wire did what, or where to connect them. He attached a chip with the Stark logo on the inside of his wrist. The fingers of the suit began to move.

Tony glanced at her. "Do you want something or are you only staring to be creepy?"

Still overwhelmed by the incredible technology, she responded. "You're a genius."

He barked out a brief laugh. "I know." Tony stopped his work for a moment, flexing the metallic fingers. "This is basic robotic engineering, though. Not very impressive. Now, the wiring in the helmet is a doozie if you want to see something true brillance." The pliers twisted in his hand then pointed at her. "You're smart, kid. I can tell that you are."

Her mouth stayed shut as she waited for the inevitable "but".

"SHIELD's wasting your potential by making you the next James Bond," he told her. "They should be paying for you to go to college instead of having Romanoff teach you how to use a gun."

She rocked on her feet, unable to look at the billionaire. "You think so?"

His eyelids began to droop slightly. "I know so. It takes one to know one; you've got it in you to be some sort of scientist." Tony rubbed a hand down his face. "That's... uh... that's why I don't understand why you stole the crystal from Thor. You're smart. You know better, kid."

Saniya shook her head. "I didn't—"

"Shush." Tony placed a hand over her mouth. "Shhhhh. I know you have it." His hand dropped like all his muscles had gone limp. "Remember Jarvis, the all-seeing eye? It's caught on video."

She balled her hands into two fists. Tony wasn't much taller than her, so it was easy to jut out her chin and look him in the eyes. "I don't have it, so you can skip the threats. I don't know what happened to it. Thor probably dropped it or he left it behind or..." Saniya bit her lip before any more lies could come out. "I-I don't have it."

The harsh lines on his face smoothed. "Hey, hey, kiddo, I'm not threatening you." Discreetly, he pinched his arm. "Listen, I can understand the appeal. Whatever Loki's promised you, it's a lie."

"He hasn't promised me anything. All he wants to do is talk. I think," she muttered, unintentionally admitting to the theft. She crossed her arms, all gentleness gone. "Let me guess, my apartment's currently being raided for the crystal and you're about to arrest me with your robot arm?"

The time between each blink was getting longer now. "I... No... Romanoff gave you some strong stuff, geez louise. All I... All I want is you to give it back. Forget about... whatever he said to you."

"That's it?" she snapped. "I steal some Asgardian technology and nothing happens?"

Tony shrugged, but it was like he was moving in slow motion. "You're not the first person... to be played by Loki. He... uh... I don't think you meant anything sinister by taking it. Don't persecute the innocent... or whatever."

Saniya watched him for any sign of trickery. But, he seemed earnest. Slowly, every taut muscle in her body relaxed. "I'll return it," she promised, her voice quieter now. "Loki pisses me off anyways. I don't want to talk to him anymore."

"That's the spirit," he slurred. She caught him before he crumpled to the ground. "Y'know, maaayyybbeeee now's a good time to—"

"Go to bed," she finished for him. Tony rested all his weight on her, which wouldn't had been a problem if it wasn't for the metal arm adding pounds. "Can you stay awake long enough to walk with me?"

The mumbled 'yes' didn't give her much confidence. His head fell to her shoulder. Saniya dragged him to the bottom of the stairs. One look at Tony and she knew they wouldn't make it all the way to his bedroom. So, she laid him down as gently as she could on the lab floor.

"I'll ask Mr. Hogan to bring down a pillow and blankets," Jarvis told her.

"You're so helpful," she complimented. "Thanks, Jarvis."

Saniya spared Tony one last look. It felt weird how trusting he was being. There had been a time when he saw her as a threat, and she hadn't really shown him why she wasn't. She couldn't tell whether to smile because she and Tony were on the right track to being friends or to be suspicious. Something was off about all this.

At least they weren't fighting like she thought they would. She was thankful for that.