Chapter Text
Loki hurried around the office, pulling out documents that Pepper had asked for. The meeting was going to start in ten minutes and he still wasn’t ready. Skjold watched him from the door way, his face amused. “My prince, shouldn’t this had been done a few days ago?”
The Trickster turned and looked at his guard.. friend. “I.. I didn’t sleep well,” he mumbled, “And completely forgot about it.”
Skjold sighed and walked forward. “I understand,” he said, “If you need help, ask for it, that is what we are all here for.”
Loki nodded distractedly. “I know.. I know, I just want to be able to function,” he muttered and then slammed his hands down on a table, “Fuck!”
Skjold was surprised at the Midgardian curse that slipped from the younger man’s mouth. He watched as Loki pulled out his phone and dialed furiously. “Pepper, I can’t find the documents you asked for,” he said, “I know where I laid them down, but they have taken a walk off my desk.”
Pepper looked at him from her phone and laughed. “I have them, silly boy,” she said, “Clint and Skjold said you had not been sleeping all that well, so I snagged them for you.. I left you a note.”
Loki looked back at his desk and saw a folded piece of paper stuck to his computer screen. “Yes, yes, I see it now.. damn it,” he said, “Thanks Pepper.”
“Loki, you need to rest,” she said, looking worried, “I know that it has been nearly five months, but, you can’t keep going like this.”
“And if I stop, I will go mad.”
“Just, please, start taking care of yourself, or I will tell Clint.”
Loki glared at her. “You do not play fair.”
“Of course not,” she said, “most people who work with me will tell you that.”
He smiled at her. “I will see you in the upper office,” he said, “Thank you again.”
“No problem.”
He disconnected the call and looked at Skjold. “You can go and do something with the others, if you wish,” he said, “I will call you when I want to return home.”
Skjold shook his head. “You were screaming again last night, forgive me if I want to ensure your health and safety.”
“There has been no word,” Loki said sadly, “Nothing, even Fury has left me alone.. I need something to go on.”
“Can you still feel him?”
Loki nodded. “But... it is getting harder to do,” he said, “I have to reach for him now and sometimes I can hear his voice... and it is tiring.”
“It is the time you are apart,” he said, “Because he is mortal, you know this.”
“I wish I had something that was still attuned to him,” Loki whispered, “I could feel him easier.”
“He will return home, little one, that I promise you.”
The Board of Directors and Pepper looked up at Loki when he walked in, Skjold shadowing his steps. “Just in time,” Pepper said.
Loki nodded to her, but did not look at the other men in the room. He felt tense, having those other men there... surrounded. Skjold touched his arm gently. “Pay attention and you can ignore the discomfort,” he whispered.
The meeting itself was boring, with Pepper going over monetary projections for the next year. Loki was half asleep part way through, his head nodding to the right, onto Skjold’s shoulder. Touching Pepper’s arm, Skjold gestured to Loki. “Take him home,” she said, “I know he hasn’t been sleeping.”
She turned to the board and smiled. “Mr. Stark is going to go home,” she said, “I am sure we can finish without him.”
“Of course,” one said, “It is not like he actually owns the company.”
Pepper glared at him. “He does until Tony returns home,” she snapped.
“That is if Mr. Anthony Stark returns.”
Loki opened his eyes and looked around. “Oh, I am sorry,” he said tiredly, “I...”
Pepper held her hand up. “Loki, go home and get some sleep, now.”
He nodded meekly and allowed Skjold to help him up. Skjold cast a dangerous glance around the room, causing the men in there to shudder.
Tony opened his eyes and saw Steve Rogers looking down at him. His whole body hurt, except for his legs... he couldn’t feel those. “Where am I?” he rasped.
“You are at a SHIELD base,” Steve said, “We brought you here a few days ago.”
“Have... have you seen Loki?” Tony asked, coughing.
The older man looked away. “No, I have not.”
Tony stared at him. “What have you done?” he hissed.
Steve looked back. “What I had to do,” he said sternly, “You had to disobey direct orders and keep the criminal locked up in the Tower.. taking him out in public and actually caring about him, you have been compromised.”
“Hey, I can’t be compromised,” Tony snapped, “He tried that already and his mojo is under my control.”
“Then why doesn’t SHIELD believe that?”
“Because they are used to getting what they want and are kind of pissed that a GOD decided that he wanted his son punished in a certain way.. a way that would benefit the citizens of New York.”
Steve rubbed his face. “I wish you hadn’t fought back, they wouldn’t have beat you quite so much.”
“Fight back?” Tony growled, “I didn’t fight back, you frozen bastard, I was taken, while I was asleep and tied the fuck up... I woke up with two fuckers standing over me and they beat me.. while I was tied up.”
Steve stared at him. “Loki doesn’t know where the fuck I am and I can feel him panicking.. I can feel him fading,” Tony continued, his voice weakening, “He needs me as much as I need him... have you even been to the fucking tower since I was kidnapped?”
Steve nodded. “I did not see Loki though.”
“Let me guess, you helped them to ‘look’ for me?”
“What else could I do?”
“Tell them the fucking truth, Steve.. when the hell did you turn into a liar to rival the God of fucking lies?!”
The blonde sputtered for a moment, not able to find the words needed to defend himself. Tony smirked at him before closing his eyes. “Oh and if Loki is harmed, I will find a way to take SHIELD down and to throw you into the deepest fucking cell in Rikers with a man named Bubba as your playmate.”
“Tony, it really doesn’t have to come to that?”
“Does it now... really Steve, because you were involved in my kidnapping and are saying that being beaten on a daily basis for nearly four months was for my own good.”
“There is no ..”
“Shut the fuck up Steve,” Tony snapped, “I want to see Loki, now.”
The older man nodded sadly and walked out. Tony saw Fury at the door as it opened. “Let me the fuck out of here Nick, or I am going to fuck up your world so bad, your great grandchildren will suffer for it!”
The door shut and Tony was alone again.
Thor and Jane jumped up when Skjold walked in with Loki. “Brother, what is wrong?”
“I am simply tired, Thor,” he said, “I will be all right.”
Jane frowned. “Loki, you look feverish,” she said, “You haven’t been sleeping at all, have you?”
Loki glared at her. “No, I haven’t,” he snapped, “I can’t sleep because all I see when I close my eyes is him dead... if I finally fall asleep, I see Fandral leering over me, with the guards holding me down, ... I see the same thing that has happened to me for over a millennia and I hate it!”
He voice had risen to a hysterical pitch. Skjold took hold of his arms and pulled him away from Jane. She smiled sadly and looked at Thor, who looked ready to admonish his brother. “Leave him be, Thor, I know he doesn’t mean it,” she said, softly, “He is doing more harm to himself with the over working, than he did to me with his words.”
“Mr. Stark, Captain Rogers is on his way,” JARVIS intoned from above.
Loki sagged against Skjold and nodded. “Let him up,” he said, “Maybe he has heard something.”
Steve walked into the room and looked around. He gasped when he saw Loki. “Are you all right?” he asked.
Loki nodded and pushed on Skjold a little. “I am fine, Captain,” he growled, “Though, I know you are just asking to be polite.. you really don’t care, do you?”
Steve looked at Thor helplessly. “Why would you say that?” he asked.
Loki smirked. “Because, Steve, I have heard some of what you say to others about me, I am not an idiot.”
Thor frowned. “He is right, Friend Steve, you have not given my brother a chance, even after he has been punished in the most grievous of ways.”
Loki shot Thor a look and then turned to Steve. “I am wondering as to the purpose of your visit though,” he said suspiciously, “You have made yourself scarce through this entire ordeal and now you are here... why?”
Steve fidgeted and looked down. “I saw Pepper and she looked so worried,” he said, “Said that she was taking care of you, as well as the company...I am here so that she can stop worrying .. come back to SHIELD with me, until Tony is found.. your brother needs to spend time with his girl as well.”
Skjold stepped forward. “The Lady Potts is not the only one taking care of the Prince,” he growled, “I am here and so is the Queen Frigga.”
The soldier frowned. Loki smiled tiredly at him. “How many lies have you told us?” he asked, “But, to be completely honest, I don’t care about the answer... all I want is to see Tony and if I find out that you were or are involved in keeping him from me... there will be no corner of this realm that will keep you safe from me.”
All of this was said with a gentle smile, no malice in his voice. But, Steve felt a tremor of fear run through him. “Loki .. I...”
“Save it, Captain Rogers,” Loki snapped, his pleasant mask fading quickly, “If you are here to hinder, I suggest you leave, before I do something I regret.”
“I.. I thought you couldn’t hurt anyone?” Steve said.
Loki leaned forward. “Oh, I can’t, Clint has told me to restrain myself.. however, that does not mean I will not have Skjold or Thor do something,” he sneered, “Now, until Tony returns, this property is mine... so leave.”
Steve glared at the demi god. “What happens if Tony doesn’t want to come back?” he asked, “He may just have tried to get away from you.”
Thor’s eyes widened. “You dare speak to my brother in such a manner?”
Steve stared in horror as Loki collapsed in on himself. Skjold knelt beside Loki, pulling him into his arms. “You need to leave,” Jane snapped, pointing towards the elevator, “He is taking this hard enough and you come in here acting all high and mighty, get out.”
Steve looked like he was going to speak, but Thor interrupted him. “Do not,” he said dangerously, “My brother has redeemed himself and I will not have you upsetting him needlessly.”
Steve nodded and hurried out. As he left the building, he pulled out his phone. “Director Fury, we have to talk about Stark.”
Unbeknownst to the good Captain, two assassins were tailing him. Clint gave Natasha a look and she nodded. They followed him all the way back to his apartment, then scaled the back of the building to listen.
Fury was waiting for Steve when he got there. “Sir, I am glad you are here.”
“What about Stark?”
Steve took a deep breath. “If you want to be able to test Loki, you need him in good health,” he said, “Right now, he is barely functioning without Tony... we need to release him.”
Fury shook his head. “We need Loki to agree to anything to get him back,” he said, “I think a few more weeks will do that.”
“He is broken, Sir,” Steve argued, “and Tony is more than pissed.”
Fury shrugged. “I doubt it is going to matter when he sees Loki,” he said, “Don’t worry about it, the government isn’t as keen to work with Tony anymore because of his refusal to make them more weapons.”
Steve nodded, but looked unconvinced. “Only a few more weeks, ok,” he said, “I hate seeing anyone in that deep of a depression, even someone who tried to take over our planet.”
“He cooperates when the time comes and he will have his ... lover back.”
Natasha looked up at Clint, who was fuming. He was fingering his bow, looking ready to fire a shot. “We have to get back to Loki,” she said, “Tell him we have news.”
Clint frowned. “I thought Steve was all for being the good guy and helping the helpless type bullshit.”
“Perhaps he does not see Loki as helpless.”
“Right now, the fuck he isn’t.”
Tony opened his eyes again to see a very welcome face leaning over his. “Hello, Mr. Stark.”
“Phil?”
Phil Coulson smiled and nodded. “It is good to see you in relatively good health, considering your latest fling.”
Tony glared. “Not a fling and not a good time to joke either, are you here to torment me?”
Phil shook his head. “No, Mr. Stark, I am here to take you home,” he said, “had I realized why you were here, I would have removed you a few weeks ago, as it is, I was indisposed until then.”
Tony leaned his head back and tugged at his restraints. “I think they have kept me pretty much unconscious for the duration..hell, at least they kept me clean.”
“I have to wait until I am given the all clear,” Phil said, unbuckling the straps on Tony’s arms and legs, “Here is my phone, call Loki if you want, call someone, just in case this goes badly.”
Tony stared at him. “What do you mean, badly?”
Phil sighed. “It is just me, with some undercover help, trying to get you out,” he said, “I would prefer to know the cavalry is coming, in case my position is not enough to get us out of here, or Fury hears about it.”
Tony stiffened. “Where is Fury?”
“He left no less than five minutes ago, which is why we need to hurry.”
That got the playboy moving, but, from the long weeks strapped down, his legs were not working as well as he remembered. “What the hell?”
Phil frowned. “They did nothing to exercise you,” he said, “Call Loki, let him know you are all right and then tell him I am going to need some help.”
Tony snatched the phone and nodded. He dialed the house number, waiting for JARVIS to answer.
“Hey, Jarv, I need to talk to Loki.”
“Mr. Stark, Tony is on hold.”
Loki’s head shot up and he grabbed his personal phone. “Put him through, please!”
He got up and ran to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Skjold stood and looked towards the other prince. “Do you wish for me to call the Queen back from her shopping?” he asked.
Thor nodded. “I will go and wait for Loki,” he said, “Jane, do you know where Mother went?”
She nodded. “I will show him.”
“Thank you.”
Loki attached his phone to the large holographic that Tony used in the bedroom. He gasped when he saw Tony’s haggard appearance. “Tony?” he asked quietly.
“Hey Lo’lo,” Tony said, grinning.
Loki saw a missing tooth and swollen cheek. “Ok, love focus on my words right now, ok?” Tony said gently, “Phil is going to get me out, I need you to get Thor, Natasha and Clint down to the SHIELD base near the harbor, that is where I am...I can’t walk all that well right now, so he is going to need help.. he says as soon as you can.”
Loki nodded. “Good boy, Loki,” Tony said soothingly, “I will see you in a few hours, ok?”
Another nod. “I missed you,” he whimpered, tears starting to fall.
“Loki, no, babe, don’t cry!” Tony exclaimed, “Please, go and get the others, so I can come home.. I want to be able to touch you.”
Loki sniffed and nodded. “Go and get Thor, Loki,” Tony said, “I will talk to him.”
Numbly, the trickster got up and beckoned for the door to open. “Thor, old buddy, get in here,” Tony called.
Thor rushed in with haste. “Friend Tony!” he exclaimed, “What is it that you need?”
“Natasha and Clint will know this base, but I need you and those two to come get me.”
Thor nodded. “Brother, you will stay here and wait,” he said, “Skjold and Mother will be here with you.”
He then rushed out, leaving Loki sitting on the bed. “You’re coming home?” he asked.
“Yup, be ready for me,.. all right, Phil needs his phone back, I will be home as soon as I can, all right?”
Loki nodded. Tony frowned. “Is anyone there with you?”
“Thor has not left yet,” he answered softly, “He will not leave me alone... none of them have...Tony, a question before you disconnect... did Captain Rogers have anything to do with this?”
Tony was silent. That was all the response the god needed. His eyes flashed red and he nodded. “Very well,” he said, his voice calming dangerously, “Tony.. please, be careful... I need you.. so very badly.”
“It will be fine, Lo’lo, all right, I have to go, will see you soon.”
Loki nodded and stared at the screen for a few moments after Tony’s face vanished. “JARVIS, can you ensure that the penthouse is clean before Tony gets home?” he asked, “I have a few more bank accounts to close.”
“Very well, Mr. Stark.. which accounts are you closing?”
“The two that feed into Captain Rogers’ account,” Loki said calmly.
“Very good sir, I shall do that myself.”
Loki nodded and wandered into the living area, where Thor was speaking on the phone rapidly. He saw his brother and smiled. “Almost done,” he said, “Skjold and Jane are on their way up with Mother and I will meet the Tiny Bird and Spider there, Hogun will be with me.”
Loki smiled. “Please, Thor, just....”
Thor pulled him into a gentle embrace. “There is no need for words, my brother,” he said, “Rest and be happy when he returns.”
“Thank you, brother,” Loki said.
Thor’s smile brightened and he kissed Loki’s forehead. They both turned when the elevator doors opened and Frigga rushed out, followed by Hogun, Jane and Skjold. She caught Loki in a strong hug, pulling him away from Thor. “When are you leaving, Thor?” she asked, still looking at Loki.
“Now, mother, I just did not wish for Loki to be alone.”
Hogun looked up and nodded. “We go,” he said.
Thor grinned. “Yes, my friend, we go,” he said and stepped out on the balcony.
Hogun shook his head and followed Thor. In a flash of light, they vanished, Hogun holding onto Thor to fly with him. Frigga began to fuss over Loki, dragging him into another room. “We will keep you occupied until they return,” she said, “Come, what are somethings that you need to get done?”
“We need to call Ms. Potts,” Loki said, “She will want to be here when he gets home.”
“I am doing that as you speak, Mr. Stark.”
Loki looked up and frowned. “I am Loki now,” he said.
“According to Tony’s will, you are now Mr. Stark, though, if you wish, I will address you as Loki.”
“Yes, please.”
“Ms. Potts says that she is on her way over.”
Loki nodded and looked at his mother. “What did you do when Father and Thor were off fighting battles?” he asked.
“I weaved, assisted in the kitchens, took care of you,” Frigga said, “What would you like to do?”
Loki thought for a moment. “When Ms. Potts arrives, we will figure out where to order a few cheeseburgers from,” he said, smiling wryly, “Until then, I have a few things that I need to do.”
Frigga recognized the glint in her youngest son’s eyes. “Loki, what are you going to do?”
Loki shrugged. “Clint said I couldn’t physically harm anyone,” he said, “He did not say that I could not prank anyone.”
Jane raised an eyebrow. “What are you going to do?” she asked, “Because I want to be in on it.”
Waving his hands, Loki murmured a few words. A small crystal appeared in his hands. “Mother... where is Captain Rogers?” he asked, handing her the crystal.
She eyed him carefully and then looked into the crystal. “He is at his home.”
Loki smirked. “Good.”
He opened a closet and pulled out a shirt of Steve’s. “Why are his clothes here?” Jane asked.
“The Avengers all had some clothes here,” Loki said, “Bruce took all of his though... Steve left a few things... this is one of them.”
He laid the shirt out on a table and lifted a finger. Jane watched in awe as it began to glow brightly. Frigga sighed and shook her head. Slowly, Loki ran his finger across the shirt, scratching out words with what looked like blood.
*I KNOW*
Waving his hand, he had it boxed and addressed to Steve. “JARVIS, can you have someone deliver this?” he asked, “I am sure that Tony has couriers, right?”
“I will send one up, Loki.”
Loki nodded. Frigga smiled. “Do you feel better?”
He shook his head. “Not yet,” he said, “Director Fury is next.... perhaps the council?”
He sat quietly for a moment. “I have a wonderful idea,” he said.
Skjold watched the prince for a moment. He could see the old Loki in those eyes and smiled. “What are you going to do?”
“JARVIS, can you get into directly into Director Fury’s computer?”
“Of course.” The AI sounded insulted that he asked.
“Get me into the mainframe,” Loki said, “I wish to place a small... gift in there.”
Jane stared at Loki. “You have been learning how to hack, haven’t you?”
Loki grinned. “Clint got me a few books,” he said, “I figured I should learn some of what Tony knows.”
Jane laughed. “Let’s see what ya got.”
Loki signed onto his laptop and waited for JARVIS to pull up the files he wanted. He started to type, his fingers glowing a light green as he went. Jane looked over his shoulder and grinned. “That is not right, Loki,” she said.
Loki shrugged. “He tormented me for nearly five months, I am sure that he can handle a few...surprises.”
Frigga looked at the screen, confused. “What is he doing?”
Jane looked at her. “He is placing a virus into the computer that will pull up a certain kind of disturbing pictures.”
“What kind?”
Loki looked at his mother. “Sexual encounters using bodily waste,” he said, before going back to the screen, “when he logs on first though, the same message that I just sent to the good captain will appear on his screen.”
“Loki,” his mother admonished, “How would you get such things?”
“Midgard is full of deviants,” Loki said, his eyes still on the screen.
Skjold smiled at Frigga. “That is the Loki I remember.”
“Yes, I know.. I just hope he does not get into trouble.”
Jane shook her head. “I am sure Tony can get him out of it if he does.”
Loki finished his typing and closed out the window. Waving his hand over the computer, he muttered a few words and then smiled. “When I see what kind of shape Tony is in, that will determine how I deal with the Council.”
Jane shuddered. “You are not going to hurt anyone, are you?”
Loki shook his head. “Clint has ordered me not to, Tony will order me not to do so as well,” he said, “But, I can still make their lives a living hell.”
Phil was waiting by the door of Tony’s cell, watching as the guard changed. “We have to move now,” he said, “Can you walk?”
Tony stood slowly and tested his legs. They were very weak and he could barely feel one of them. “The left one is numb.”
Phil frowned. “You have to see a doctor today,” he said, “Is your medical floor still staffed?”
“Yeah, I wanted to make sure the group was ... taken care of.”
Phil thought for a moment and then nodded. “Wait here,” he said and left.
Tony leaned heavily on the bed he had been strapped too and looked around. The room was bare and smelled like a hospital. Phil came back in pushing a wheelchair. “Get in this and put the blanket around you,” he said, “I know the passageways to get out of here in case of an emergency.”
Tony sighed in relief. “Let’s go.”
Phil’s phone rang and the agent answered swiftly. “Romanov, good, where are you?” he asked, “Good, give us about 5 minutes, we will be at the back gate.... have a car ready.”
He pushed Tony from the room and around a corner. Two agents were standing at the door. “Agent Coulson, the passage is clear.”
“Thank you Drake, if either of you get in trouble for this, give me a call.”
Tony looked up. “They can have a job with my company if they do.”
Phil nodded and hurried through the passage. They were out of the hospital in record time. Clint and Natasha hurried up beside them. “Well Stark, do you like to get yourself into trouble?” Clint snarked.
“Of course, keeps you on your toes.”
Thor and Hogun were waiting at the gate, both men pulling it open. A nondescript brown car waited and just as they loaded Tony in, they heard the alarms go off. “Go,” Phil snapped, climbing in.
Natasha got in the driver’s seat and Clint climbed in next to her. Hogun got in as well, while Thor took off for the Tower.
Gunning the engine, Nat floored it and sped away, before the agents on guard detail figured out who they were looking for.