aaand another fanfiction idea for Loki (Avengers)

[gebieterin]

I am currently reading way too many frostiron fics. Really.
Typing is slow with only left hand D:
(just playing a bit with ideas, does not have to be too linear and might need shortening by about half)



- "You lied to me, Tony Stark." -


Even after the alcohol pleasantly numbed Tony's perception of his surroundings, it did little to calm his mind. Boredom? Maybe. A guilty conscience? More likely. Even if he would not admit it even in his own conscious mind, Tony was worried. Everything had been too silent after Thor had taken Loki back to Asgard, towards a punishment the anticipation of which had left both brothers looking solemn and drawn.
And though Tony had shared his team's relief that Loki's plans for world domination along with the Chitauri had failed, for a moment, Tony had felt regret.

[Flashback Tony with Loki and Thor in his workshop, fitting the chains and muzzle for Loki using some alloy thor supplied, again offering the drink]

There had been no word from either of them afterwards, for days now, even though with the Tessaract's power it should not be a problem for Thor to cross between the realms. With Loki's help.

After the debriefing, Fury had given them some days off. Which of course Steve would use to help with the clean up, Banner most likely would still spend in some laboratory, while Romanoff and Barton might or might not have taken a flight to Bukarest. Which left Tony to 'relax' in his California beachhouse. Alone. Again. Getting out of New York for some days and away from the impossible heights of his tower where he would still occasionally flinch if he looked out of the higher windows.
Presumably they all needed some time to calm down, which would be the only reason Pepper so far had not cornered him to force him into the slave labour of some board of director's meeting or the like.

The pleasant buzz of alcohol in his system did not do much against the shock when suddenly Jarvis' gentle voice cut through the silence.
"Sir, I have to inform you that we have an intruder on the premises".

Tony briefly thought about suiting up, but so far there was no direct threat to his life. Yet.

"Who is it, Jarvis? Any mark of identification? And where did they break in?"

"I do not have any visuals in the area, Sir. All I can tell you is that I am currently recording life signs from the Black Room. There are no records of anyone entering it through the house, though."

Tony was startled. Could his AI really pull off a slightly reproaching tone of voice? And of course it had to be this room, the one room where he had not installed any cameras. The one room carefully hidden away by the angles of other rooms in the very center of his home as not to have visitors idle in by chance. He was already moving towards it when he gave his commands to the house-AI.

"Jarvis, lock the room down. Cut out the lights etc. And establish an audio connection."

"As you wish, Sir. Connection established."

Hurrying up the stairs, Tony bellowed out: "Okay, who are you, what do you want and how the fuck did you manage to enter my house."

He stumbled and nearly toppled down the stairs when the answer came softly, a little pensive.

"You lied to me, Tony Stark."

Cursing, Tony had to lean against the wall for support for a moment before he found his equilibrium again. He knew that voice, the silken and smooth glide of it that terrified him at times and never failed to make the hair at his neck and arms stand. Somehow, Loki had managed to enter his house, his home. Most likely to dispose of him in some gruesome way.

"FUCK!" Tony swore, slapping his palm against the wall.

A hollow laugh through the intercom reminded him of the still established audio transmission.

"That would rather not be what I came here for, Tony Stark." The oddly formal tone held a mild note of amusement.

Tony had admitted on many occasions to being an adrenaline junkie, still the realisation that there was a likely very pissed off super villain in his house made him wary. He pressed his back against the wall and cast nervous glances up and down the stairs. He gave a startled cry when Jarvis sought his attention with a gentle "Are you alright, Sir?"

And of course Loki must also have heard it, because Tony could have sworn he heard a very quiet chuckle.

"My apologies for startling you, Sir. The voice analysis matched positive for one Loki Laufeyson, fomerly filed as Loki Odinson. Given the nature of your previous encounters, would you like me to inform Director Fury?"

"There will be no need for that, discarnate servant. I am not here to harm your master. I am just here to exploit his hospitality, if he is willing to offer it a third time."

Tony thought that Loki sounded a bit strained, but he would not put it past the Asgardian to give him a false sense of security. Still, curiosity and a sometimes very unhealthy sense of adventure let him make a decision.

"It's allright, Jarvis. Do not alert anyone until he attacks me."


~*~

Tony ripped open the doors of the wardrobe in the master bedroom and carelessly shoved expensive suits aside to reveal a number panel so smoothly embedded into the wood that it would not be accidently discovered even if there was someone shelving through his belongings.

It took Tony several tries before he finally punched in the right six-digit-code. He was relieved that apparently Jarvis had interpreted his intentions right and lifted the lockdown. He just did not get the code right at once because it had been some time since he had last used it. Since he had last entered this room.

"Jarvis, lights!" he barked sharply and saw his unannounced visitor flinch when the room was illuminated suddenly, even though the lights were soft compared to normal daylight. And that was when Tony saw.

On first glance, Loki might just have teleported, materialized or whatever in that room to taunt Tony, standing near the far wall and erraticly waving about a riding crop.

But Loki was swaying on his bare feet, tattered tunic nearly ripped to shreds and Tony did not want to think about what might lie underneath.



Loki had not looked too good neither when Tony first or last saw him, but the shape he was in now seemed to beat that, even what little Tony could see from the distance made him nearly do a double-take back through the door. He tried to smoothly disguise it as nonchalantly leaning on the doorframe. There was so much he would like to ask right now, to scream, to do, but Loki set the path with his first move, and two could play that game.

"That is rich, coming from you, God of Lies and all," Tony chided softly, seamlessly following up the reproach issued mere moments ago. "But I fear you will have to elaborate."

Elaborate, my ass. What did they do to you? What have I lied to you about? The last time we spoke was when they told me to design and fit the chains to bind you for your journey home after Thor's specifications.

Two could play that game indeed. Loki did not explain, but Tony thought he could read between Loki's words, between the nervous looks the other cast him.

"About the mortals' views on torture," was what Loki calmly stated, making a gesture encompassing the whole room.

What Tony understood was more than just that.

You did nothing to save me, did not even speak up for me, did not set me free even when I begged you not to bind me, to leave any weakness in the chains that I might exploit to escape. I told you what might lie ahead of me, asked you what your kind thought about that, and you said it was not condoned. Yet here I find your dark secrets.

Tony suddely felt defensive.

"This is not what it looks like."

Loki just laughed, throwing back his head while he spun a circle, his movements a far cry from the gracefulness they were used seeing on the God of Mischief. Tony could see the black despair in Loki's eyes and the lines of his jaw, a hoplessness that just intensified as the god suddenly sunk to the ground.

With quick steps Tony was at his side, not fast enough to catch him, but fast enough to offer support and prop Loki up on his knees before he keeled over completely.

"Do not dare to touch me!" Loki hissed and tried to jerk his arm out of Tony's grip, but with little success. He who had formerly picked Tony up without so much effort suddenly seemed weak as any mortal, trembling from exertion.

Still, Tony was wary. It could all be a trick, some scheme devised by Loki to take revenge and toying with Tony, messing with his mind a bit instead of just killing Tony off with his godly powers (or throwing him out of a high window after making sure he would not be able to call the Iron Man suit to him).

However, there was only so much distrust one could muster with Loki shooting glances full of futile hostility while he seemed to have problems to keep his gaze focused at all. And if he was keeping an illusion going, Tony had to admit it was a good one. He had to discretly switch to breathing more through his mouth in order not to gag at the rusty smell of dried blood the god he held eradiated.

"If you think you can make it to the bed let me help you up, ok?"

Tony took the derisive snort as agreement and carefully began hoisting Loki up and a few steps across the room, trying to ignore the apparent pained noise that slipped through Loki's clenched teeth. Once there, he carefully helped the taller man sit down and allowed himself for the first time to really take in the condition the Asgardian was in. And he would be glad if the haunted look in Loki's eyes was the worst there was.

What Tony could see of the pale flesh of Loki's upper torso through the rips in the tunic was marred with angry red lines and welts at best, blooded gashes at worst.

Tony knew his eyes were widended in shock when he looked up at Loki.

Loki met his stare defiantly, making it perfectly clear that he would not appreciate any mollycoddling.