Archive of Our Own ^beta

"The death toll continues to rise—"

“– and people are asking how we can be sure something like this won't happen again–”

“– why did the Avengers intervene outside of United States soil–”

"Jarvis, turn it off!" Tony yelled in annoyance, not looking up from the glove he was repairing. "Who listens to this bullshit?"

"- European Union proposes sanctions -"

"—protests in cities around the world—"

"Jarv, can you hear that?!"

"I'm sorry, boss," a female voice that definitely didn't belong to Jarvis replied, causing Tony to freeze. The AI said no more, but the messages died down and the panels he had open until now disappeared along with the voices.

Tony took a deep breath. He put part of his suit aside, rested his elbows on the table, and buried his head in his hands. "Sorry, Friday," he finally muttered.

“It's not your fault, boss. I should have recognized—”

The billionaire silenced her with a quick wave of his hand. He still hadn't gotten used to losing his first AI, and although he knew his forgetting wasn't fair to Friday, he couldn't help it. Jarvis had served him for years and habits were very hard to break.

"It happened," he murmured. "You can't change the past."

Friday said nothing. Her program correctly recognized that this was not just their conversation.

Tony Stark has done a lot wrong in his life. He never denied it. He didn't try to hide his past because he wouldn't hide it anyway. It seemed that no matter what he did, he always came back in the end. It didn't matter how many people he saved as Iron Man, as an Avenger, those numbers seemed to be easily overwritten by the number of victims killed by the weapons made by Stark Industries.

His weapons. Weapons he designed himself.

Wanda was one of those victims. And how did she turn out? With her dead family and superpowers she got from a terrorist organization.

He didn't care before. He did not see the damage he was causing with his inventions. He was interested in profit and in helping the US military - and there was nothing wrong with the latter, right? He just wanted to protect the heroes who risked their lives in the fight for freedom. He didn't understand it, not until he saw it and experienced it himself.

So why did everything keep getting worse and worse when he tried to be better ?

He chuckled unhappily. It seemed that no matter what he did, he couldn't shake off the title of merchant of death. How many people died in Sokovia just because he wanted to protect Earth from outside danger?

At the same time, it seemed that he should protect her from danger from within.

He laughed mirthlessly and picked up the repaired glove again. Wires and fine mechanics always managed to occupy his hands perfectly. He ordered Friday to play AC/DC so loud she couldn't hear her own thoughts, and she complied. However, his peace did not last long.

This time he raised his head immediately when the music stopped. "Sorry to interrupt," Friday began before he could ask, "but your presence is required on the common floor."

"Can't it wait?"

"I'm afraid not. Mr. Odinson sounds urgent.'

Tony frowned. Usually Steve or Natasha convened such meetings. But Thor?

Leaving the glove behind, he wiped his hands on his sweatpants and stormed out of the workshop. "When did Thunderlord ever come back?"

"One minute and seventeen seconds ago."

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. It must have been something really serious when even Thor didn't delay the team meeting. But it's only been three weeks since Sokovia and the whole Ultron fiasco - they couldn't be in more danger so soon, right? Especially not aliens.

"What's the matter?" he asked as soon as he entered the living room. He wasn't surprised that he was the last to arrive. It was far from the first time. It was unusual to see a room three people full, but Wanda, Vision, and Sam fit in as if they had been part of the team for years.

The only thing missing was Banner, who was… unknown where. For a moment he thought Thor knew where he was. But if that was the case, he would look happier.

He looked over all the Avengers and sat down at the table with them. “Well?” Thora prompted. "We're all here now. Why do you look like you accidentally put salt in your coffee instead of sugar?'

Thor wasn't the only one sitting. He leaned against the table and clenched his fingers so hard that they left an imprint in the wood. His head was down and he wasn't looking at them as he said, "Loki is back."

Everyone froze. There wasn't a person who didn't know what Loki had done. But -

“You mean the Loki that tried to take over Earth? The Loki you told us was dead?” Clint asked harshly. "That Loki?"

Thor clenched his jaw. “My brother is a master manipulator. However, I would never have thought he would pretend to…” He was clearly at a loss for words as he trailed off and just hung his head.

"So what?" Tony urged, trying to ignore his quickened breathing and the way his hands began to shake as he hid them under the table. “Is he going to reoccupy Earth? How many people does he want to kill this time? I thought you gods couldn't rise from the dead either, but that would mean he was never dead. Are his magic skills really that good?”

And if so, why didn't he use them in the attack on New York? When he could fake death so well that he fooled Thor, who grew up with him…

"Loki is a master of his art," Thor replied simply. Then he straightened up and slammed his fists on the table angrily. "I do not know where he is. All I know is that he's somewhere here on Midgard, but Heimdall can't track him down. He's covering himself.”

Clint chuckled. It sounded a little hysterical and Tony shared his sentiment. “So we have an erratic sociopath on our neck who can strike at any time. Great."

"And apparently Loki is more capable than we think," Natasha added.

Wanda leaned forward. A red mist flashed between her fingers. "But you didn't have me on your side before. Or Vision.'

"There are more of us against him now," Sam pointed out. "And you beat him too, after all. His and that army. We can handle a god who thinks he can command.'

They were silent. The members of the original team silently exchanged glances. Loki had taken quite a toll on them lately, and Tony knew a thing or two about underestimating his opponents.

Their silence clearly unsettled the newcomers.

"What are we going to do?" Sam asked.

"The better question is what can we do," Clint corrected him. "

"Thor?" Steve said for the first time in a while.

God finally looked directly at them. “I don't know what my brother is planning. But until he appears himself, we can't do anything.'

Tony felt his chest tighten. Almost as if he still had an arc reactor and it suddenly stopped working.

It was an endless struggle. The bad guys always come back.

The past always comes back.

And both keep him awake.

~~~

When Loki did show up, it wasn't quite the fiasco Tony expected. It was chaos, that's for sure, but no one died in the process.

Loki appeared out of the blue at 3:30 in the morning in Midtown Manhattan right in front of Avengers Tower. It was exactly the kind of audacity that suited the god of mischief so well that Tony wasn't even surprised.

The fact that at least he didn't have to travel far helped that.

Friday alerted him the moment her sensors picked up Loki's energy, and at the same time sent a signal to the Avengers at the base. Tony wasn't sleeping; he spent his time in the workshop because after breaking up with Pepper no one was urging him to go to bed at normal times like normal people. But he wasn't normal, and the fact that he went out in a suit to fight an alien guy in leather who claimed to be a god at a time when most people were asleep didn't help his situation much.

The billionaire was surprised to find that Loki looked healthier than he remembered. He was still as pale and wearing that horribly elaborate Asgard outfit, but the circles under his eyes were gone and his eyes were a much brighter green. He lacked a scepter, but his green-golden glowing palms made up for it.

And then there was the unforgettable fact that all the cars on the street were overturned and all the people who happened to be around were running away screaming. And Loki was just standing there a few steps from the entrance to the tower watching it all as if this was completely normal.

The bastard didn't even move when Tony fired at him in flight. Instead, his palms glowed brighter and a barrier of light appeared around the god, easily deflecting his repulsor shot and causing the wheels in his head to turn at the speed of light.

"Oh, Stark." Loki's palms went limp and he let his hands hang loosely behind his back. “I was wondering how long it would take you to get here. Your name on that tower looked better than the hideous inscription now.'

"ETA for the quinjet: one minute and seven seconds," Friday informed him helpfully.

Tony landed about a meter away and aimed the repulsors at him without hesitation. "If you hadn't destroyed it in your failed invasion, it would have stayed there until now," he replied, thankful that the suit added a nonchalant tone to his voice. "Let's leave the bullshit. You have exactly three seconds to surrender voluntarily.'

Loki sighed theatrically. "I was expecting a slightly warmer welcome."

"The last time you were on Earth, you destroyed half of New York and wanted to enslave us."

The mage just raised an eyebrow. “But I also helped save her. I would have thought Thor would mention it.'

He mentioned He told them how Loki helped get the Aether. But he also told them that he died in that heroic act .

Tony took a step forward. "Yeah, well, that doesn't quite add up." He tried not to flinch at his own words. It didn't balance, and yet he himself tried so hard that it did.

He didn't wait for an answer. He simply fired again, and just like before, his shots melted away into the sparkling shield.

And Loki didn't even raise his hands.

Shit.

Loki's expression clearly changed and Tony didn't even have to look back to know that the others had arrived. The Quinjet was still landing when Sam, Wanda, and Vision jumped out, Steve joining them as the hovercraft touched down.

And Thor, of course. The Hulk landed on the ground, sending a shockwave around him, and without delay rushed towards his brother. “Loki!” he yelled, raising his hammer. "You one -"

His words trailed off as he slammed his hammer into Loki's barrier. A new pressure wave rose up, forcing even Tony in the suit to take a step back, but Loki didn't seem to notice. Instead, he was looking somewhere past Tony, right at—

"What," the god hissed, voice suddenly darker than the night sky, "is that supposed to mean?"

Wanda floated in the air, power emanating from her hands. "This is your—"

"I don't mean you, child!" he interrupted angrily. He waved his hand and Wanda was suddenly on the ground, unable to move. Everyone was instantly more alert, but Loki continued, "Why does that… creature have a Mind Stone on its head?"

"You'd like him, huh?" Tony sneered. "You won't be able to get to him so easily now."

But Loki didn't look like he wanted to get hold of the Stone. He didn't even look like he wanted to attack Vision. No, the look he was giving Vision's direction was more… scared .

Seeing that emotion on his face was something so unexpected that it paralyzed Tony for a moment. And judging by the way no one was about to attack, he wasn't the only one.

“With Vision, the Stone is safe!” Thor snapped.

Loki tore his eyes from Vision and turned fully to his brother. “You're an even bigger fool than I thought, Thor.” He scanned the assembled Avengers. “You all are. You have no idea what you've done. You created a beacon for him .” Loki took a step back. He looked around. With the arrival of the heroes, people stopped running and began to crowd around, especially reporters. Too many prying eyes were already watching them. This was not the right place for this conversation. "We won't see each other for the last time."

Then he was gone. He just disappeared out of the blue .

"What the f—" Wilson yelled. "Why didn't anyone tell me he could do this?!"

Vision was helping the sorcerer from the ground. "Are you all right, Wanda?"

"Yeah, yeah," she waved him off. Instead, she locked eyes with Thor. "How the hell was he—how is he capable of doing this?"

She wasn't the only one looking at the god. Everyone wanted answers as Loki's sudden appearance only raised more questions. But before Thor could speak, Steve stepped in, “Not here. Let's get somewhere out of earshot first.”

Tony made the mask disappear. "I still have a free floor in the tower. And you can park the quinjet on the landing pad.”

Steve nodded and took off for the plane while the rest of the team moved inside the tower. “Friday, be so kind as to send the recording of the suit to the murderous duo.” Wherever they were, they needed to have a picture of them as quickly and in detail as possible.

“Sure, boss. I will also attach a recording of the upcoming debate."

“Good girl.” He stepped out of his armor and motioned for his companions to make themselves comfortable. The floor that had once been reserved for the Avengers had been renovated, but Tony still hadn't bothered to fully equip it. Nevertheless, a place to sit was found.

Except for Wanda and Vision, everyone remained standing.

"Yeah," Sam said, arms crossed over his chest. “That I'm not the only one who thinks this was pretty damn weird. I didn't fight Loki the last time, but I saw the records. He was ready to raze New York to the ground.'

"I want to know how he was able to overpower my powers," Wanda insisted.

Thor arched an eyebrow. "I said Loki was a capable mage."

Everyone looked at him in disbelief. "Maybe it wouldn't hurt to be specific next time," Tony grumbled. “If he can do all this, why didn't he use any of his abilities in his would-be invasion? He could have gotten out of that Hulk cell with a snap of his fingers, since apparently he can teleport ."

"It's not teleportation as such—"

"The details of how the magic works aren't important right now," Steve interrupted. "This is important information that would be good to know ."

"It's also information we won't change," Vision remarked calmly, drawing their attention. "I'm more interested in what his problem is with the Mind Stone."

Tony waved his hand vaguely. “Loki knows what the Stones can do. He controlled Clint and the SHIELD agents with this. But that doesn't explain why he was so worried about it.'

"I'd like to tell you more, but I don't know why it made him so nervous," Thor said honestly. “Loki has been acting… strange for the past few years.” He paused for a moment. "Weirder," he corrected. "His knowledge of the Stones was always…" He stopped, his gaze fixed somewhere in space. Disbelief crossed his face, then anger as he raised his hand and summoned Mjölnir. “I have to get back to Asgard. Immediately. I need to check something.'

He backed up to the balcony as he spoke. No one was lazy and everyone set off after him. They asked one question after another, but Thor ignored them, clearly determined to get home as soon as possible.

"Hey!" Tony protested. "And what the hell are we supposed to do when Loki shows up again?"

“Just distract him somehow so he does as little damage as possible!” And with that he jumped over the railing and flew up before being swallowed up by the rainbow bridge.

Tony stared at the runic carvings on the floor of his balcony before rubbing his face and turning back. "That would be it. I really advise him to come back as soon as possible and explain it.'

"I'm really starting to dislike Asgardians," Wanda muttered.

At least we can agree on something , Tony thought bitterly. "You'll get used to it."

"He can't be serious about us just sitting around doing nothing, can he?" Sam asked doubtfully. "Loki is out there somewhere."

"And Friday is already looking for any traces of his magical energy," Tony assured him. "But we don't have much of a way to track him down. Stupid if even the all-knowing guardian from the heavenly kingdom can't do it.''

"I can try my skills," suggested Wanda.

Tony chuckled. “After what Loki did, I don't think you could track him down. No offense, of course.'

The brief flash of crimson in her eyes told him that she didn't like his words very much. "What about Vision?"

The synthzoid shook his head. "The stone has many powers, but location is not one of them."

Steve stepped closer to him. "Could you use those powers to stop Loki?"

"I haven't tried it, so I can't guarantee the result," Vision admitted. "But I think so."

Tony didn't like that ignorance at all. Just yesterday he would have confidently stated that he did. After all, Vision i was able to lift Mjölnir, something Loki couldn't do. Additionally, Tony had seen the power of the Stone in action.

What he didn't know yesterday was that Loki could teleport, or that he could deflect Wanda's powers—powers that worked on Thor—without straining at all.

It scared him. What the hell could he do?

And why didn't he use it before ? If he could keep Wanda in place, normal people like him or Natasha or Clint couldn't be any trouble for him.

"Boss," Friday broke the silence, sounding urgent, "I'm detecting increased energy over the—"

They were dazzled by the familiar rainbow light coming from outside, and when the Bifröst faded, it revealed an even angrier Thor than when he left.

Everyone just stared as Steve and Tony exchanged glances, the same thought in their heads: That was fast.

And it didn't bode well, because when Thor says he needs to find out, it usually takes a few days for him to get back. Certainly not a few minutes.

"How bad is it?" blurted Tony without delay.

Hulk clenched his hands into fists and the inventor would have sworn he saw electricity flash between his fingers. "Loki is in possession of the Tesseract."

Tony felt his heart rate rise. "To hell with it."

"Plus -"

"Plus?" Sam interrupted. “So it could be worse? Don't answer, of course it could be worse. Go on.”

"In addition, he is in possession of the Chest of Ancient Winters."

"And that's what?" snapped the billionaire.

“A powerful relic of the Jötuns, the source of their power.” The god dropped his hands and looked out of the tower.

“And the Jötun are…?” Wanda prompted.

Thor was quiet for a moment. But before Tony could say that they had no time for secrecy, he continued, “They're the Frost Giants. Their touch is deadly, freezing everything. With the Chest, they can multiply their power.” He took a deep breath, then turned to them, an unreadable expression on his face. "Loki is a Jötun by birth."

Now the adoption part made a lot more sense. Yet…

"So prrr." Tony crossed his arms over his chest. "Yes, Loki is a lookout tower compared to me, but I wouldn't really call him a giant. Shouldn't he look more… alien?'

Thor shook his head. “Loki is a changeling. He can change his appearance and form.'

Wanda threw up her hands in disbelief. "Did you forget to mention something else? Is there anything he can't do ? It would also like some good news.”

The Thunder Lord gave them a fleeting smile. "I'm sorry, sometimes it's easy to forget that Midgard is so cut off from the other worlds."

Cut off.

That's for sure. If Earth had been cut off, Loki's invasion would never have happened. If the Earth was cut off, Tony wouldn't have to try to protect it. If Earth had been cut off, Ultron would never have been created.

Things would be much simpler if the Earth was actually cut off. It would be safer .

Or maybe not. Maybe his technique would end up being one of the most dangerous agents on the planet anyway.

Tony tried to cut off the Earth - and how it turned out.

Sam rested his elbows on his thighs and leaned forward. "I'll pretend I'm not offended as a Midgardian and ask again: What can we do?"

Thor grasped Mjölnir with both hands. “I'm afraid I don't have a much better answer than before.” He scanned them all with a look of uncertainty and sheer chaos. The god himself looked like he didn't know what to think of his brother's behavior. “We can only guess what Loki is up to and be ready to act when he appears. As long as Loki doesn't want to be discovered, then he won't be.'

"In other words, we're at the mercy of an unstable guy with powers we don't know the full extent of," Tony summed up. "Alright, who wants a drink?"

~~~

The second time Loki appeared, it was even stranger than before - but all the more peaceful. At least in terms of civilians and casualties. Tony's heart was definitely not at peace.

Parties were something Tony hated, although he could pretend to adore them. It might have been true once, but after all that—after Afghanistan, after he'd almost died countless times—the presence of so many strangers in such small spaces made him more and more nervous. But Stark Industries had a lot of business partners and it was still Tony's company. In short, his participation in such events was desired and necessary. Even more so when he became Iron Man.

It didn't mean he wouldn't give anything to be anywhere else. He had a million more important ways to spend his time, and they all revolved around protecting Earth and righting his own wrongs. Situations like this, with a hundred people in one place, automatically raised the level of adrenaline in his blood and fueled his already unhealthy paranoia. Experience had taught him that enemies lurked around every corner, and he didn't want to add more names of victims to his long list.

Tony made sure to be visible for the first half hour after his arrival. He greeted the organizers, spoke to several fans, attracted the attention of the entire room, including and especially journalists. This made it much easier to blend in with the crowd and stay at the event at the same time. He parked it on the edge of the bar away from the main action. Here he had relative peace and a perfect view of the escape exits.

Loki also found him in this place.

Tony sensed someone behind him even before Loki walked around him and sat down on the vacant stool right next to him. He didn't react at first, assuming it was a normal human, but then the god came into his line of sight and Tony immediately froze.

"You can blend in surprisingly well," Loki hummed calmly, as if they were seeing each other every week.

Tony gripped the glass tightly and brought his other hand closer to his first so that the bracelet was almost within reach. "How the hell did you—"

Loki just waved his hand. "I am invisible to other mortals, Stark."

Of course he was, because of course he could do such a thing. The billionaire narrowed his eyes. "Great, so everyone will think I'm talking to the air."

The mage snorted. "Do you think I'm an amateur? I cast an illusion on you too. I'm not looking for exposure, and certainly not in such a stupid way.'

At his words, mild hysteria began to awaken in Tony. However, he managed to keep her out of his voice. Or at least he hoped so. If he didn't succeed, Loki didn't mention it. "Lately you didn't care how many people saw you. Thanks a lot, by the way, he caused quite a panic and I had to put it down as usual.'

Loki just shrugged and leaned against the bar. "People need to realize that they simply don't stand a chance against someone."

Something in his voice made Tony pause. He was almost certain that he had interpreted the mage's words correctly. "You're not talking about yourself."

A smile spread across the god's face that sent chills down Tony's spine. There was something so captivating about the sight that he couldn't tear his eyes away from it. “Stark,” Loki hummed, leaning closer to him until their faces were inches apart, “of course I'm talking about myself. I think I did that the last time we met.” Loki stayed close for a moment, so unbearably close that Tony caught his breath, but then the god pulled away and straightened. "But I'm not just talking about myself."

The inventor blinked, still half under the influence of those hypnotic green eyes. "So I was right. Of course I was right, it's me.” He shook his head to clear it. “And if I'm right about this, then I'm right when I say there's someone here stronger than you. And he's the same 'he' we 'made the beacon' for, isn't he?'

That smile turned from playful to deadly dangerous. "You're surprisingly smart for a mortal."

Tony hadn't expected such a compliment - and it was a compliment from someone as superior as Loki - but he wouldn't be Tony Stark if he didn't pass it right away. "However, if we humans are so weak compared to you, what are you doing on Earth? Of all the possible worlds and places you could choose…”

"Because this world has its own self-proclaimed guardians," he replied simply, as if it were obvious.

And maybe it was. Sure, the other worlds and planets probably had their own armies and warriors, but Thor had never mentioned a group like the Avengers to them.

The hero smirked. "Sure, so we're supposed to be what, your army?"

"No." Loki slid off the stool and stood up. Although the bar stools were quite tall, their height difference was still noticeable and Tony had to tilt his head slightly to meet his eyes. “I've been watching you for a long time, Stark. You and your inventions. I know you want to save your planet. I want the same. And not only this planet, but the entire universe together with it. I think if we joined forces, we might have a chance to do it.”

"Why should I believe you?" Tony growled. His heart was beating almost as fast as the thoughts swirling in his head. "You tried to take over the Earth."

"Stark," Loki hummed calmly, "do you seriously think that if I wanted to rule this planet, I would let myself be captured so easily?"

Tony finally tapped the bracelet with his fingers. He didn't waste a second spreading the nanoparticles across his palm and aimed the red-hot repulsor missile gauntlet right at Loki's face. At such a close range, it should probably cause him trouble as well.

Loki's only reaction was a raised eyebrow. "Impressive," he muttered. “Consider my offer.” He stepped even closer so that Tony's fingers were touching his forehead. "Together we could build an iron shield that won't fail."

And with that, Loki simply disappeared, leaving him sitting there with his hands hanging, his gaze absent, images of death playing through his mind.

~~~

Loki gave him so much food for thought that he didn't even try to sleep that night. And that he would need sleep. Instead, he spent hours staring at the projected whiteboards on which Friday recorded everything he dictated to her.

He was lucky he programmed her to be so terribly intuitive. He didn't know his thoughts himself, so it was a miracle that Friday did.

Or at least more or less.

The main thing was that some of Loki's words didn't make sense. Or maybe she was making sense, but in that case it meant that the mage had not only been following him for a hell of a long time, but also had access to places he shouldn't have, and the thought made Tony sick.

It took him several hours to calm down enough to sit down and go over what conclusions he had reached so far.

He was sure Loki didn't want to kill him. At least not yet. It wasn't that he didn't have opportunities. On the contrary, he had more than enough of them. He could have killed him when they first met, he could have just stabbed him there at the bar. Hell, he could teleport to him when Tony was walking down the street, for example, and cast magic against him and kill him on the spot. Tony trusted his inventions, he could handle a fight, but he doubted he would stand a chance if he couldn't even see Loki.

At the same time, he was sure that Loki wanted to work with him. Not with Thor, not with the Avengers, but with him . And even if he hadn't actually told him directly, the fact that he had appeared in front of a tower that was only occupied by himself had hinted at it, something that everyone knew because of the news.

He didn't know why Loki thought he could be his partner in crime. He was sure that if he tried to mend his relationship with Thor, he would have a much better chance of winning over whoever terrified him so much that he decided to seek asylum on Earth. The Asgardians undoubtedly had more options and knowledge than the mortal Tony Stark. He learned about the existence of other, extraterrestrial races three years ago, and was just beginning to operate with magic.

Hell, the whole fiasco with Ultron came about because he was playing with powers he hadn't really explored.

And Loki seemed to know that.

It scared him. How could he know the words he himself had spoken? The words that Ultron played for them? There were only a few of them, no one was a stranger. After all, they would know there was someone else in the room with them, right? After all, Jarvis would have caught him—

But Jarvis no longer existed. Ultron brutally murdered him. He ripped apart its source code in such a way that if Jarvis had a human body, all that would remain of him would be unidentifiable chunks of matter.

What if Loki was really there with them? What if he knew more than everyone thought?

Ultron was meant to be a protective shield. He was meant to be a weapon to protect everyone when the next threat came. Instead, Ultron became the threat, and Tony's rescue plan fell apart like a house of cards. But that house was swept away by a tornado, and that tornado didn't stop at just one house. No, it took everything in its path with it.

He took all the progress Tony had made in trying to right his own sins. He had a surprising talent to destroy everything he had carefully built for several years with one decision.

What kind of hero was he when he spread death, where did he go?

Everyone around him was leaving. Pepper broke up with him, Bruce disappeared to who knows where, and the innocent people he wanted to protect were dying and suffering around him.

It was a nice irony. The Stark name was once seen on bombs and missiles. And despite all his efforts to change the industry, in the end only the environment changed – military areas became civilian spaces.

Sometimes he wondered how much better off the world would be if Iron Man had never come out of that cave in Afghanistan.

Not that it would work. He could hardly build a time machine and go back in time to change anything. He could only face the consequences and try to solve them.

With Loki's help.

It was a crazy idea. He shouldn't even think about it . After all, Loki killed dozens of people and destroyed half of New York in two days. With Kamen in his possession, he enslaved and controlled Fury's agents. Loki went against everything the Avengers stood for.

Of course… However, when Tony glanced at the column that Friday had written "unconfirmed", he was once again reminded that Loki's invasion could have had a completely different outcome.

They didn't know the limits of Loki's abilities. The mage was able to defeat Wanda without difficulty. He could teleport. Create a shield that can withstand the impact of Mjölnir. He was able to fake his death so perfectly that even Thor, who grew up with him and his tricks, didn't recognize that it was just a sham. In addition to all this, he had the Tesseract and the Winter Chest in his possession. Tony didn't know exactly what the thing was doing, but the fact that it was unsettling Thor was enough to fill his nightmares with catastrophic visions.

And despite all that, there was apparently someone here even stronger than Loki.

Tony didn't even want to imagine how much danger they were up against. The scariest part was that they were unaware of any such threat. They had no records from space to indicate that they were in danger. Not even Thor mentioned anyone who would cause chaos or unrest in the Celestial Kingdom.

Loki could lie. His words could just be a trick, a way to confuse them so he could finish what he started three years ago. After all, Loki presented himself as a god of illusion and intrigue.

It could have been a trick. But there were too many things about Loki's behavior that didn't sit well with Tony. The mage seemed too haughty to feign fear in front of mortals .

“Friday, be the love and drop me the records of our meeting in front of the tower. Focus on Loki's face. Without sound. And add to that all the records from 2012 that Loki is on. The same parameters.”

"Sure, boss."

Right in front of him was the recording from the suit of the night Loki had deigned to announce his presence to the world. More and more videos started popping up in the background as Friday added everything she could remember.

It was not very interesting. Until the Vision appeared, Loki kept a cool, calm mask. As if he was completely on top of things. That sudden turn of one hundred and eighty degrees had startled him before and now.

“It's cool, Fri.”

The AI did as he ordered. Sitting on the floor of the workshop, Tony leaned closer to the projected board. "Slow it down fifty percent and play that part for me again."

He watched the slow motion intently and concluded that he was wrong.

Loki wasn't scared.

He was scared .

The emotion was only there for a millisecond before the mage got his expression under control, but it was there. There was no way he would misinterpret her. Such a shock simply could not be confused with anything.

"That's stupid," the inventor didn't understand. "However, Loki knows what that magical stone can do. After all, he used it.'

Maybe that's why it scared him. He probably didn't want the Mind Stone used against him.

The hero moved the stopped recording to the right and threw a screen of the invasion footage in front of him. They weren't exactly few, but he had plenty of time. He played the videos one by one, starting with Loki's arrival and continuing with other footage that SHIELD didn't know Tony had in his possession. He spent hours staring at Loki, trying to pick out anything from his expressions and stance that might give him an advantage and clarify what he didn't understand. Try as he might, he couldn't figure out what was different.

The difference between then Loki and today's Loki was obvious at first sight. Loki speaking to him was much more sure of his own feet. He didn't have the dark circles under his eyes and overall he looked much healthier than the Loki they had fought years ago.

"I'm missing something," he muttered to himself. Something was simply different .

He looked again at the still suspended recording in front of the tower. The complete stiffness, the tension in every muscle, the shock in Loki's green eyes—

Well, wait.

Well, wait.

He raised his hand, stopped the 2012 recording, and spread his fingers to bring Loki's eyes closer. It only took one look back at the more recent entry to confirm his suspicions. He sagged his shoulders and rested his elbows on his thighs.

"Fuck me," he breathed in disbelief.

Because Loki had blue eyes during his invasion.

And that one small detail, which everyone had overlooked until now, suddenly changed everything. Including Loki's unexpected proposal for collaboration.

“Friday…” He turned his head, eyes closed. "This is a bad idea, isn't it?"

It only took her a second to answer. “The last time Loki did outrageous damage. He is considered a criminal not only on our planet, but also in Asgard.''

He contorted his face. Friday was absolutely right, of course. His latest bad idea ended in disaster. Who knows what could happen if he gave Loki access to his technology.

When she gives him access.

"Better is the evil you know," he muttered feebly in his defense.

“Boss, I'm afraid you don't know either of those evils in this case.”

No. But at least he already had some experience with Loki, and that had to count, even if only a little. "If he wanted to kill me, I'd be dead a long time ago."

This time, Friday was quiet for considerably longer. "How are you going to contact him?"

Tony opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling. Willy-nilly he had to duck. It was a crazy stupid idea, but the support of his own invention gave him courage. "Be that love and change the color of the sign on the tower from blue to gold."

"Done, boss."

He nodded in satisfaction. Few people stop to think about gold, but green would be difficult to explain. He was sure Loki would understand his signal. Just as he was sure Loki was constantly monitoring him.

He wasn't mistaken. The answer came a quarter of an hour later, when he moved from the workshop to the kitchen to have a half-past ten in the morning - where the hell did the clock go? – he made coffee.

"Boss," Friday blurted out in pure alarm, "I picked up an unknown signal of unknown origin in your area."

"Very impressive," Loki's voice said behind him and Tony mentally patted himself on the back for not flinching.

Instead, he turned to face the mage and took a sip of the coffee he held in his hand. "How long have you been able to just teleport here?"

Loki didn't seem surprised by his question. "Throughout."

“Mhhh.” He placed the mug on the line and then leaned against it. "You're not making it easy for me."

The mage cocked his head to the side. "If I wanted simplicity, I'd go with Thor." He glanced from Tony to the mug and back again. "I have to admit I didn't expect your decision so soon."

He shrugged. “What can I say, I'm impulsive.” He bounced off the line and stepped closer to the god. "And I have questions too. Lots of questions.'

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't have any."

"How else," said the inventor quietly. “Fine, I think it's pointless to walk around the hot mess, so I'll get straight to the point. How long have you been following me?'

Loki grinned at him. There was something dangerous and damn attractive about that smile at the same time. "For a long time. Not just you,” he admitted, “the other Avengers too, but you especially. Before you ask, yes, I know what happened to Ultron. I also know what has not been made public.”

Tony balled his hands into fists and took a deep breath. He reminded himself to increase the sensitivity of Friday's sensors. Good thing he started working on nanotechnology. With one like this, he needed to have his armor with him at all times. "Then how did you miss Vision's creature?"

The mage looked somewhere behind Tony, his mouth set in a thin line. “I needed to… arrange something out of this world. I couldn't risk it. I would never have thought that you would use the Mind Stone like this .”

Tony crossed his arms over his chest. "Like Thor said, he's safe with Vision." Or at least he should have been. Now Tony wasn't so sure.

Loki snorted. "Stones aren't safe almost anywhere."

"In front of him ," Tony guessed. “It would be good to know who the hell 'he' is. Something tells me it has to do with your invasion and the fact that you had blue eyes back then.'

He knew he had hit a sensitive spot the moment Loki froze. He saw the god tense up but didn't see him move. Yet suddenly he was standing right in front of him, so close that he forced the billionaire back to the line. Tony took a ragged breath as his hips hit the line and tilted his head back. Loki had him trapped and he considered shooting.

"Is that the only reason you called me here?" Loki asked quietly. "You want to know who was able to subdue a god?"

The inventor felt his jaw jump as he swallowed. Summoning all his courage, he raised his hands and thrust into Loki with all the strength he could muster. The taller man did take a step back, but Tony suspected that if Loki didn't want to back down, he wouldn't have moved.

"No," snapped the hero. “I want to know who is so strong that he could control you . I want to know what danger we are in. And I also want to know where you stand in all of this, because if we're going to work together, I have to trust you. And that means knowing the answers to some questions, because if you were under the influence, it gives your attack a whole new dimension.”

For a long moment Loki just stared at him in silence, dumbfounded. Perhaps he was trying to find some trap or lie in his words. "You're serious about this collaboration," he said in surprise.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "If not, I wouldn't have called you here. Certainly not alone.” He waved his hand. “So you can stop with this… haughty mask. And finally start talking. I haven't quite decided yet. I want to know what I'm getting into.'

"His name is Thanos."

He blinked in surprise with the hand he was gesturing to get stuck in the air. "What?"

Loki was glaring at him and Tony could have sworn he could hear him mentally pondering his own sanity. “The threat. The one who sent me and who lent me the Chitauri army. His name is Thanos, but he is known by other names in the universe.” He paused. “Mad Titan. Conqueror of worlds.'

Tony dropped his hands and let out a short laugh. However, it was not happy. "Great. Amazing. That sounds very peaceful to me.'

The mage ignored his sarcasm. “It moves from planet to planet, always killing half the civilization. His plan is to kill half the universe – and to do that he needs the Infinity Stones.”

"Beacon," Tony muttered absentmindedly as Loki's words began to connect to him. “Wait, but—why didn't you come back once you had the Mind Stone? Why is Tess hanging around…” He didn't finish the rest of the sentence. The world suddenly slowed down as everything fell into place. "You must be kidding me."

Loki shook his head. “Like the scepter, the Tesseract is just a container. It hides within itself the Space Stone.”

"And you have him with you." It wasn't meant to be a reproach. He believed Loki was telling him the truth. And they already had confirmation from Thor that Loki had stolen the Tesseract. Why would he reveal his ace up his sleeve to him if he didn't mean what he said?

"Not with each other. I hid him because he wasn't safe on Asgard.” His voice took on a slightly annoyed undertone. "I was thinking about Midgard, but when I found out how the Mind Stone is handled… It's not wise to have two Stones on one planet."

"Well, I'm sorry that not everyone is as knowledgeable as you," Tony grumbled. “Why didn't you tell your dad back in the Heavenly Kingdom about all of this? How can I help you?"

"Odin is not my father," he hissed angrily. He took one deep breath to calm himself down. "I tried to explain it to them, but the All-Father refused to listen to me. The Asgardians don't trust me and I don't trust them. And besides… Thanos is afraid of you, Stark.”

He frowned incomprehension. "Me? And why's that? As you keep pointing out, I'm just a mere mortal. I don't even have superpowers like Rogers.'

"You are a mere mortal who destroyed his entire army in one masterstroke," Loki corrected him. “Earth has always been known among the other worlds as backward and cut off. Thanos expected her conquest to be easy. You surprised him.'

Tony was staring blankly at him now. “I think I need a drink for this. And I think I once promised you one.'

When Loki smiled at him this time, even now, a chill ran down his spine and completely inappropriate thoughts rushed into his head, but at the same time, there was something sincere about it. "And I think," he hummed, "that we'll make a great team."

~~~

They moved to the table where they debated for hours. Loki explained to him where Thanos came from, what he wanted to do and what he had already caused, and he added little illusions to his narrative, thanks to which he could imagine everything perfectly. He also admitted that he was under the influence of the Mind Stone during the invasion. Not like Clint, he retained enough of his mind to purposefully lose, but enough to want to break free of the influence. And when they arranged another meeting after those few hours to prepare their proposals, Loki simply teleported away, leaving behind an unmasked magical trail for Friday to pick up with her sensors and for Tony to examine later.

Tony didn't mention their conversation to anyone. Partly because he wasn't a government dog, running after them with every new piece of information, and partly because he wasn't sure that they wouldn't immediately put him in solitary confinement and declare him insane.

At least they would try. How long they would keep him locked up was another matter.

He realized that making pacts with villains was against the unwritten code of heroes. But Tony never claimed to be a hero, and he certainly didn't pretend to be a good one . He only got mixed up among the heroes by mistake, because he wasn't as completely indifferent to people's lives as he once might have been.

He wanted to save the world. The longer he stayed in this position – this job – the harder it was to leave. When Iron Man tried to surrender, the villains found him again and forced him to the surface. And as time went by, he discovered that he no longer even had the strength to pick himself up and walk away from it all. Saving the world became his duty, his task.

It was a never-ending duty.

And when it happened that this duty got out of his hands - that instead of celebrations and joys he caused more misfortunes and funerals - he tried to make it all right again.

Teaming up with Loki against the alien threat could be what ends the endless redress of all his sins and mistakes.

So Tony kept quiet and secretly socialized with the mage who saved them from genocide a few years ago.

Their first meeting as two fighters on the same side took place a few days later. As soon as Loki transported into Tony's living room, the inventor began to throw question after question at him regarding his magic, his energy footprint, and what actually seduced everything. Loki looked quite shocked at first, but soon got over the surprise and answered with the same enthusiasm that Tony had asked.

“When you talked about that iron shield—and I'll pass over the fact that it's extremely terrifying that you followed us without anyone knowing—did you mean it?” asked the genius, once he remembered what they actually had. work.

"Basically," Loki replied hesitantly. “Your idea was good. Thanos has a huge army, so our own will come in handy. Your suits are surprisingly capable.” He glanced down at the watch on Tony's hand, which wasn't really just a watch, but a glove hidden in plain sight. “Definitely more capable than I remember. If we could link them with my magic, I'm sure we could multiply their power.”

He looked at the god doubtfully. "You think that will be enough?"

“No.” He raised his hand and green sparks ran between his fingers. "But we have to start somewhere."

Loki was right about that. Tony thought the exact same thing about Ultron. "How can we be sure it won't turn against us?" he urged, though he was more likely to ask: How can I be sure it won't turn again?

"We can't," Loki said, no hint of a lie in his voice. Only honesty. “But magic is much more stable and reliable than the power of the Stones. You were very close with Ultron, but you didn't have a consultant. Someone who knows magic.'

Now you have him , Loki answered him.

"And if things go wrong," the mage continued simply, "I'll take it upon myself."

The offer, the assurance, spoken with such grace as if it were nothing, took him by surprise. Loki went back to sketching out his designs, leaving him to clarify his own thoughts.

If their collaboration went wrong, it would be so easy for Tony to get off unscathed and Loki as the bad guy. He could claim that he manipulated him. Or that he charmed him. No one would even think to think that it might not be so. The only one who would know the truth would be them.

Tony would lose nothing at all. Not really.

He didn't know what to make of it, so he buried this information deep in his mind and pushed it aside for the time being. Loki didn't say anything when Tony knelt down next to him and asked for details about one of the sketches, he just gave him a sideways glance and began to explain.

The days passed. Their meetings gradually became longer and longer, and the longer they worked together, the less they were limited to just the workshop. It started with them getting so engrossed in work that they didn't realize how time was passing until Friday called in saying that at least Tony should eat something. They ordered sushi because, as Tony found out, Loki had never had sushi before and figured his highness might like it. He was not mistaken, and so it happened that during the meal Loki recounted one of the many adventures he had had on foreign planets.

Tony was amazed at how easily he got along with Loki. He thought the barrier of the aftermath of the invasion would hold between them. He still had nightmares of pulling the rocket through the portal, still waking up gasping for breath as he fell and there was nothing but emptiness around him.

He couldn't have been more wrong. They hit it off surprisingly quickly and Tony had to admit that he quite enjoyed Loki's company. Few had met anyone who could keep up with him in the workshop, but beyond that, Loki also set new challenges for him.

Loki was brilliant. He didn't care what anyone thought of him. You went about your business. He was a master of his trade and he knew it, just like Tony.

Thor told him once, after Loki was supposed to die, that if things had been different, surely Loki and Tony would have gotten along. He said the inventor reminded him of his brother. Tony passed on it at the time because he thought it was stupid. But the more time he spent with him, the more he got to know the mage, the more he doubted, because Thor… was probably right.

He had never felt so good with anyone. Loki didn't put him to sleep when Tony could be seen to be awake longer than he should have been, and Tony passed for a change when some days Loki's magic was more aggressive and intense than usual. When they worked together, they often knew what the other was thinking without using words. And somewhere in the course of those meetings, "Stark" became "Anthony" because "Tony" was said to be too earthly for Loki's level or something, but Tony found himself not even bothered by the god calling him that.

Then it happened that Tony had to postpone one of their meetings because Steve called a meeting. Thor told them that Heimdall still couldn't locate Loki, and the inventor remained silent the whole time, just listening, hoping he wouldn't have to comment. It was enough that he was hiding from them that he was dating Loki and that they were working together to protect the world. He didn't want to outright lie to them.

"The Avengers are getting restless," was the first thing Loki said to him as soon as Tony stepped into the safety of the tower alone.

The mage's presence didn't surprise him at all. "Are you surprised by them? They haven't seen you in a few weeks.” He stopped on his way to the bedroom to change into something more comfortable and turned to face the god. "Well, wait. Were you following us again?'

The silence that spread between them was more than telling. But before Tony could snap at him, Loki replied, “Not you. You.”

He snorted, feeling his heart rate rise. He wasn't sure if it was just anger. "And why's that? Are you afraid I'll betray you? I thought we trusted each other.” He trusted him. He let him into his workshop, damn it.

Loki stepped closer to him, a glint in his eyes that Tony had learned to recognize as the openness and vulnerability that accompanied honesty. "I believe you, Anthony," he replied with a composure he must have forced himself into. "But I don't trust them. And especially not that witch.'

Tony cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Wanda?"

"I know what she's capable of. And I know what she did.” He pursed his lips. "When you tried to get the Stone back then, I saw her use her lines on you."

The inventor froze. "What?"

"I didn't see the vision," Loki continued, "but I know it ultimately drove you to push through the Ultron program."

"How would you—"

"I saw your expression," he explained simply. “And based on our shared past, I think it's clear what you saw. And I'm sorry for that.”

„Loki –“

God ignored him. "I won't change what happened. But it's also one of the reasons why I chose you .” He was looking straight into his eyes, so emphatically that Tony felt like he could see right into his soul. “I know what you're capable of. And I know you want to save the world, no matter what it takes.” He shook his head. "I'm running now. I meant that I won't let that witch get in your head again.” He averted his eyes to avoid looking at him. “I never thought I'd say this, but I'm quite fond of you. I'm not going to lose the only interesting person I've known in centuries to a girl who has powers she doesn't understand.'

He never dreamed he would hear something like this from Loki. And yet here they stood now, face to face, just a few steps apart, literally at arm's length. "That's a big statement," he choked out.

"I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean what I said."

Tony stepped closer to him as Loki paced nervously. "You know," he began, just as unsure as the god a moment ago, "I never thought I'd say this either, but the liking is mutual." He felt pleasure when Loki blinked at him in disbelief, but soon the inventor crossed his arms over his chest. “But just because I've gotten past this weird spying doesn't mean I like it. It's extremely… stalkerish.”

The mage cocked his head to the side. “You knew what you were getting into when you started working with me. I don't have noble qualities or inhibitions like Thor or Rogers. I protect mine. I don't care if you like it or not, but I'm not going to lose you over pettiness. You can take care of yourself and I have never denied that - nor will I ever, because then our cooperation would be meaningless.''

"You can't watch me all the time!"

"But I can. I have a tracking charm on you. He will alert me in case someone harms you.” Loki had apparently regained his courage as he approached him again. "Anthony, I don't know if you realize this, but my magic is so attuned to you that I could sense you on another planet even if I didn't want to ."

"I… He's crazy," he muttered. It should have scared him. It should have pissed him off. However, Loki literally magically stalked him without his consent. Tony hated when someone limited his sovereignty, when someone tried to control him or forbid him to do something.

So why didn't he mind ?

Maybe because it was… nice to have someone who cared if he came to harm. Even if that someone was an extremely dangerous mage from another planet.

Tony rubbed his eyes with his fingers. "Okay. Fine . But I want Friday to follow your trail.'

"I haven't been hiding it from her for three weeks now."

He hung his hands in shock, his mouth hanging open. But that meant that Friday knew about his presence at the base and yet didn't alert Tony. Questions began to overlap in his head one over the other.

He needed to sew himself somewhere alone to think. And talk to your AI.

When he finally looked back at Loki, he found the god watching him inquisitively. "I'm glad we got this settled."

"There's also the small fact that the team is nervous about your absence," the billionaire reminded him.

Loki nodded slowly, thoughtfully. "I'll take care of it." He waved his hand; a gesture Tony had seen him do several times before, so he wasn't surprised that the next second Loki was gone.

He sighed softly. "Guess we'll be putting off work today," he muttered to himself as if it wasn't obvious.

For once he didn't mind. His mind was so busy anyway that he wouldn't even be able to pick up a proper screwdriver.

It wasn't until a few hours later that he realized Loki had called him his .

~~~

That it wasn't a good idea to let someone who was said to be a god of chaos to defuse a tense situation came to him three days later when Loki attacked some sort of Christian gathering saying that God didn't exist and they should worship him.

Tony didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he heard about it. He was saved by Clint, who laughed the entire time he ran through the base to the quinjet. Laughter passed over them both when it was revealed that Loki had decided to set fire to the church where the event was being held and kidnapped three nuns in the process.

Wanda and Vision stayed at the base and Thor was off-planet, leaving only the rest of the team to intervene. They got there quickly, and the whole time they were fighting with Loki, Tony couldn't shake the feeling that this was terribly wrong. He had to force himself to fire repulsors at Loki, even though he knew the mage was more than capable of taking care of himself.

"Loki, let the women go!" Steve yelled from the ground.

The mage stood on the roof of the bell tower, where the nuns were also imprisoned. For now, they were still out of reach of the flames. "Or what? Will you stop playing nice? But please," he chuckled. He waved his hand at his hostages. "Let their faith save them. If there is a God, let him face the real god.”

"Stop playing god and come down from that tower, little prince!" Tony called after him, though a part of him had to admit that as he stood there with his arms outstretched, enveloped in smoke and a golden glow of magic, with an otherworldly face and body, he really resembled a god.

Especially when Tony knew what Loki was capable of.

Their fight ended relatively quickly, despite Loki creating illusions of the angels and pitting them against the Avengers. It was an incredibly bizarre scene and Tony was cursing the whole time about what a huge scandal it was going to be, but it ended with Sam managing to hit Loki and lift him into the air so they could free the imprisoned nuns. Loki thanked him soon after; he sent a wave of magic at Sam causing Falcon to let go and Loki laughed maniacally as he disappeared in free fall.

It was a fiasco, but no one died. Worse was dealing with journalists and reporters and the government wanting to know what the hell was going on. They managed to calm the public until the evening, but it dragged on with the government, so Tony did not return to the tower until half past four in the morning.

"Friday," he mumbled once he got out of his suit, "is Loki here?"

"No, boss."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah," he growled. "Loki, you scum, show yourself off. I know you hear me.'

A mage materialized right in front of him. “I thought you were going to sleep. You looked pretty tired on the news.'

He decided with his hands. "Yeah, and whose fault is it?"

Loki cocked his head to the side. “The Avengers were restless. They aren't anymore. I said I'd take care of it.'

"Will you take care of it?" Tony wondered. "People could have died there!"

His expression suddenly hardened. "But they didn't die. It was just harmless fun.” He raised his head. “I never claimed to be a hero, Stark. I don't even plan to act like that.''

"It was crazy and pointless."

"I'm not going to change," Loki retorted sharply. "Your heroes never change, but neither do I, Stark."

"Don't call me that," Tony hissed. “It's Anthony . Not Stark . And I know what I got myself into. I don't want you to change.'

Loki was suddenly dangerously close. "So what's your problem?"

"My problem," Tony snapped, "is that I don't want to fight you!"

He didn't even realize what he had said until there was a long silence between them. Only then did Tony realize why he had felt so uncomfortable the entire time they had been fighting. He was used to having Loki by his side, not against him, and it was getting on his nerves.

"It's terribly strange," muttered the inventor. "I know you're still a bad person to others, but I just can't see you like that."

Loki sighed. “But I'm no good, Anthony. I want to save the world, but only because I live in it.”

Tony ran his hands through his hair and closed his eyes. "I know. I know , damn it.” It wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation. Or similar. Loki wasn't afraid to walk over corpses when it meant getting the desired result, and Tony found himself at a crossroads.

He found out a long time ago that you can't save everyone. That is simply impossible. But how are a few lives lost compared to millions saved?

Loki wanted to save the world. That's what Tony wanted too. And he hoped that if he succeeded, he would never again have to bear the weight of responsibility for other people.

Cautiously, as if he didn't know how he would react, Loki placed a hand on his shoulder. "Anthony?"

The genius shook his head and looked up at the mage. "I think I should go to sleep. I…"

Loki dropped his hands and backed away from him, a look of resignation and something that looked suspiciously like pain. "Good."

He stepped unsteadily. "You're coming today, aren't you?" They planned to try to fuse the magic with his suit again. All previous attempts ended in failure.

The sudden smile that Loki gave him instantly banished all worries. "Of course. Sleep well, Anthony.'

"Yeah, you too," he answered blankly, even though he was sure Loki heard his words.

~~~

"So, ready for try number thirteen?"

Loki raised an eyebrow. “You're the one who has been recalculating all the calculations for a quarter of an hour. I thought you were a genius. Shouldn't you have a little more faith?'

He stared at him. "Well, excuse me for trying to make it work."

The mage rolled his eyes but jumped down from the table he had been sitting on watching him from and grabbed his wrist just as he continued punching in the numbers. "Anthony, just run it."

Tony stared at Loki's fingers wrapped around his wrist and hoped the god didn't register his sudden heart rate. "Okay. But if it doesn't work out, I blame you and your lines, because I controlled my part ."

"Of course," the god replied dispassionately.

Tony carefully pulled out of his grip. He tried to ignore the regret he felt when he didn't feel Loki's touch on him, but the excitement and nervousness of their next attempt easily outweighed the feeling. He turned to the control panel as Loki moved closer to the Iron Man suit. "Alright, alright, let's do it. Ready?”

„Anthony.“

He pressed the button at the same moment that Loki raised his hands and green tendrils shot out from his palms, digging deep into the metal.

They both held their breath. They waited tensely.

The suit's visor went blank.

Tony slumped his shoulders. He heard Loki huff angrily. They were so sure that they would make it this time. They didn't try to rush the process. They carefully analyzed not only Loki's magic, but also how he reacts to metals. They pinpointed the points that could be most easily enchanted. They worked on it day and night. It should have worked out. They were so sure it would work out.

Tony rubbed his face with a sigh. "Friday, drop the file on attempt fourteen—"

The suit's visor flickered and lit up. A wave of green-gold flashed through the armor, then faded again, but the suit remained active.

The two men didn't even move.

"Friday?" Tony asked shakily.

"Stabilizing," Friday replied. “Stabilization: complete. Configuration: successful. Systems: they work. Connection: stable. Congratulations on the successful marriage of technology and magic.”

"We did it?" shouted the inventor. "We...we did it. Yeah!” He jumped out of his chair and turned to face the god with a laugh. "Lokes, we did it!"

Loki's expression took his breath away. He'd never seen him smile so enthusiastically, with such joy, and Tony immediately decided that it was a terrible shame, because it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his life.

He could not put into words the emotions that rose in him. It wasn't just that they managed to make huge advances in science, but that they did it together. By working together, by working together. By their powers.

The suit said they were one. Are they; us – Loki and Tony together.

Everything that Tony felt was reflected in Loki's face.

It was overwhelming and exhilarating and Tony wished he could feel that way for the rest of his life.

Instinct got the better of reason and he didn't realize he was throwing himself around the god's neck and capturing his lips with his own until he felt Loki go still.

He immediately pulled away, but it was too late. Loki's hand probably automatically went around his neck, and Tony's blood froze as he realized what exactly he had done.

But no. No, no, no, no, no.

Everything was going so well. So unbelievably good, and of course he had to screw it up irretrievably with his imprudence.

"Loki," he choked out, though the mage's grip wasn't strong enough to cut off his oxygen supply.

What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to fix it?

Loki's sparkling eyes stared at him, holding him close even as he tried to look anywhere but at him, and he realized there was no way he could fix this.

Tony was used to losing things and people he loved through his own stupidity. That list kept growing.

He wasn't sure if he could handle Loki coming too.

„L –“

Loki's grip tightened and immediately the god was kissing him. Predatory and furious, with the same vigor with which he threw himself into work, with the same vivacity with which his magic blazed.

And even though Tony was still recovering from the shock, he immediately kissed Loki back. With his hand still on his neck, the god pushed against him, and Tony happily backed up until his thighs hit the table.

Tony let out a desperate moan as Loki pulled away, causing Loki to let out a short, throaty laugh and run his thumb over his artery. “If you don't want it,” he began, and Tony was pleased to find he wasn't the only one with quickened breaths, “then say so now. Otherwise, I will marry you and not let you go until it is clear to you that you belong to me and only me ."

Maybe Tony really has gone mad. Maybe he lost his mind the moment he decided to start working with Loki. Maybe he should have changed his mind when Loki bluntly admitted that he was watching him all the time. Perhaps he should have run when Loki referred to him as his own.

Maybe, maybe, maybe.

None of that mattered because Tony had never felt so valued and wanted as he did now.

Tony was at a loss for words. Instead, he raised his hands and grabbed Loki by the lapels of his unnecessarily complex Asgardian suit and worked to pull him closer to him.

Of course, it didn't bother God. But the lust written in his darkened eyes, Loki could not deny.

The mage clapped and squeezed his throat briefly. "I haven't even started yet and you're speechless." He ran his thumb over Tony's jaw, making him tilt his head slightly to the side. The inventor shuddered as he felt Loki's breath on his cheek, and then the god nibbled briefly on his lobe. "Never mind," he hummed. "I'll make you scream though."

"It -"

He didn't get any further because the mage attacked his mouth again. Loki's hand disappeared from his neck and he didn't even have time to think about it as the god grabbed his buttocks and dropped him onto the table with Loki's own elegance.

If he hadn't been excited before, that casual display of supernatural power immediately took care of it.

Loki continued to kiss him shamelessly and Tony returned everything with equal force, and even though Loki's mouth and tongue forced him into submission, the inventor didn't just give in. He fought him without really wanting to win because Loki accepted his challenge - and Loki never loses.

"Loki," he managed to get out. "Loki, come on, there'll be time for this later, come on."

Loki didn't even seem to notice him. He simply moved his lips to his neck and Tony gasped as he felt his teeth on his skin.

"Come on," croaked the genius.

And then he yelped as Loki bit down, just as he reached down and squeezed his cock through his pants.

His scream turned into a moan that carried through the workshop. Loki watched him, running his finger up and down, listening to the sounds Tony was making.

Tony had just had enough. He wanted to touch Loki's naked body, he wanted to feel his hands on his, he wanted more, more, more .

He tugged at Loki's clothing again. "Down with it," he demanded impatiently.

He wasn't surprised when Loki waved his hand in response, but he didn't expect to feel the tingle on his skin. Suddenly he was sitting completely naked in front of Loki.

"I love magic," he murmured. He then realized that Loki was still fully clothed. "Hey." He held out his hands, but Loki grabbed his wrist. "What's that supposed to be?"

Loki jerked him forward until Tony was on the edge of the table. At the same time he moved closer so he was standing between Tony's parted legs. The billionaire's erect cock was touching his own crotch. "If you want more," Loki began, letting go of his hands, "then figure it out for yourself."

The inventor stared at him. Under other circumstances, he wouldn't have objected, but he'd waited so damn long for this opportunity. Longer than he'd like to admit.

He glared at him, but Loki was looking at him with the expression of a beast looking for its next prey.

To hell with it all. He wouldn't be Tony Stark if he refused the challenge.

He set to work. He had to jump off the table to reach everywhere he wanted to reach. His face was on fire as he felt Loki's hungry eyes on him, but he was more than enjoying the god's undisguised attention. He was always the one who took care of his lover. Being on the other end was refreshing.

And so incredibly exciting.

Loki didn't make it easy for him. Exactly opposite. His hands were on Tony's ass and side and he was kissing him wherever he could, leaving stains and marks in his wake. It took him the longest to figure out where to start, but once he got the first hidden button undone, the rest was a piece of cake. Or he would be if his hands weren't shaking so much.

By some miracle he managed to unfasten all the sagging buckles and buttons. Loki didn't stop him as he enthusiastically took the suit off him and rewarded him with a kiss and a squeeze of his bottom. Tony enjoyed the access to Loki's exposed chest, engrossed in exploring the unknown territory.

He slid his fingers to the hem of Loki's pants and tentatively placed his hand on the prominent bulge.

Loki's grip tightened and Tony was more than sure he would be left with bruises in the shape of his hands.

He didn't mind at all.

He wanted to explore further, but Loki suddenly jerked him and turned him around. Pushing his ankle he spread his legs apart and his arms automatically shot out so he was leaning against the table with them. The air rippled with magic and Tony turned his head hopefully, hoping to finally see Loki completely naked, but then Loki pressed two slippery fingers into his opening and all thoughts were blown out of Tony's head.

"Loki!" he yelped in surprise. "I so - damn - love magic so much."

"You haven't experienced anything yet," Loki replied. Tony shivered at the promise, which only intensified as Loki twisted his fingers.

Tony knew Loki was skilled with his fingers. He saw it every time the mage dealt with more complex spells and had to concentrate. Loki's fingers were the subject of many of his fantasies.

But none of those fantasies matched reality.

Especially when Loki added a third finger and immediately found the prostate.

Tony arched his back. His elbows stopped cooperating and he would have slammed his head into the table if Loki's hand, which had been gripping his side until now, had not shot out like a snake and grabbed his hair.

The pain, mixed with the new angle that pushed Loki's fingers deeper, forced a half scream, half moan out of him.

Loki ignored his uncomfortable position. He tugged at his hair, his fingers bringing him to his peak at a dizzying pace as Tony straightened up to rest on his forearms. Loki's every move brought him closer and closer, but it still wasn't what he wanted. What did he need?

Already, already, already, already, already –

Loki stopped.

No. No, no, no, no.

"Loki," he wailed. “Loki, please. Loki ."

His pleas fell on deaf ears as Loki's fingers began to move again.

Three times. Three times he nearly brought him to orgasm, and three times he stopped just before Tony could climax.

"Loki," he moaned as Loki pulled his fingers out of him. He felt hot tears on his cheeks. He was shaking uncontrollably as his body writhed in divine torment. His penis sent painful stings through his body, but when he tried to touch it earlier, Loki simply held him back. He needed to banish the void, he needed more and everything, he needed Loki.

"Loki," he called again. He arched his back and stretched out his legs to at least brush his bottom against Loki's erect cock. "Please," he continued desperately. "Loki, Loki, Loki, Loki."

God ran his nails down his back. "How beautifully you plead," he hummed, his voice rough and clouded with desire. "And only for me ," he growled.

The sound was far from human.

Both of Loki's hands were suddenly on his ass. God didn't hesitate and opened his halves, and in the next moment he was filling Tony with his cock.

The mortal barely had time to adjust to the feeling of fullness before Loki jerked his hips back and pushed out of him. The wail that Tony let out was unlike any sound any lover had ever been able to coax out of him.

Loki thrust back. He thrust at an ever accelerating pace; he fucked him hard and mercilessly, and yet so passionately.

Tony didn't know where he was up and down, but he didn't care. Distantly, he could see her repeating Loki's name over and over, pleading with him, until the sentences became words and sounds that made no sense.

He felt Loki's hand on the back of his head, which turned his face to the side and then pushed his cheek onto the table. Tony didn't complain, even if he wanted to, it wouldn't be possible because Loki was kissing him and giving him no room to object.

"You only cum on my cock," Loki hissed as Tony struggled to move his hand. "And only for me."

Loki soon made him orgasm. A shiver went through his body and stars danced in front of his eyes. His legs gave out and he suddenly found himself on all fours on the ground. He didn't notice the thrust, too absorbed in the intensity of the orgasm and the way Loki kept thrusting into him until moments later he climaxed himself, still inside Tony.

The world tilted to the side. Everything was spinning and he felt like he was floating. Loki's fingers lightly traced the bites on his neck, but it all started to blur to Tony.

His last thought was that losing Loki would be what would truly break him.

~~~

Over time, they fell into a routine. They worked together on suits, socialized outside the workshop to talk or spend time. Loki terrorized the United States and the Avengers, but most of his actions only resulted in injuries, not deaths.

They slept together. With that first intercourse, they broke down the invisible wall they kept between them, and it happened again and again. Loki was like a drug that Tony became addicted to very quickly and Loki couldn't seem to stop either.

Tony didn't mind at all.

It should be. If he thought he was breaking every rule that ever existed just by cooperating, he had no idea what he was doing with this one. However, he found that he was not up to it.

He didn't want to get rid of Loki. Loki understood him. He understood him. He didn't make demands on him that he couldn't meet. He didn't ask him why he does this and that and why he doesn't behave like this and like that. Loki accepted him with all the flaws that Tony had - and that there were a lot of them.

Maybe he should have expected it. Maybe he should have tried to avoid it. But by the time he figured it out, it was too late for him to back out, so he fell in love with Loki.

And it came at the worst possible moment.

"Boss, we have a problem," Friday announced one afternoon while Tony waited for Loki to return. He was looking for alien metals on a planet whose name Tony couldn't pronounce. He had been gone for a few days and was supposed to be back today.

"What's the matter, Fri?" he hummed, preoccupied with the hologram in front of him.

“Stark,” came Steve's voice, snapping him completely out of his concentration, “we need you at the base. Thor caught Loki.'

Perhaps he never jumped to his feet faster. "What?" he choked out.

“Supposedly he didn't watch his shields while traversing between worlds or anything like that. Thor will tell you more. He's injured, but still dangerous. I'm calling the whole team.'

It felt like the world was collapsing around him. Loki caught? And is he injured? How much? "I'll be right there."

He didn't hesitate twice about which suit to choose. He didn't even have to ask, and Friday was already preparing a model for him that he kept in his database as Divine Legion . In addition to gold and red, it also carried elements of black.

The primary color of the second suit of the series was green. Tony regretted that they hadn't finished him yet.

He reached the base in record time. Meanwhile, Friday gave him the information she was able to find out. Locked in an interrogation room, Loki was wearing Asgardian handcuffs that shocked him every time he tried to summon his magic. He apparently had a deep gash in his chest, but he managed to stabilize it so it wouldn't bleed.

Despite his speed, he was the last to arrive at the base. They were all here; the whole team including Rhodey.

He found them in the conference room. Their bickering carried throughout the base and Tony didn't like what he was hearing at all.

"Why not?" Wanda urged. “If I used my powers on him—”

"I doubt he'll let you," Tony interrupted as soon as he entered the room.

The girl gave him a mocking grin. “He can't use his powers. He doesn't have to leave me ."

The billionaire scrunched up his face. He knew Loki would never let Wanda into his head. He would fight against her—and against the bonds—until it killed him. Loki's magic came from him. He couldn't pick her up. It could only be limited.

He turned to Thor. "How did you even manage to catch him?"

“He fought the dwarves on Nidavellir. When he was wounded, his magical barriers weakened, and Heimdall was able to see him as he transported between worlds. It wasn't hard to catch him.” The Thunder Lord frowned, his gaze fixed on the ground. “I wonder what he did on Nidavellir. He has not been welcome there for centuries, and the dwarves declared that they would kill him on sight even when no one dared question his status as an Asgardian prince.'

Tony felt his heart rate rise. Loki said it wasn't entirely safe, but he didn't mention anything of the sort . He knew he wouldn't have stopped him anyway since they apparently needed the metal Loki had gone there for, but he could at least be prepared for something to go horribly wrong.

"So he's suicidal," Sam pointed out. "Great, that sounds great."

"What are we going to do with him?" Rhodey asked. "Loki is wanted by the United States, but I don't think we are equipped to apprehend him."

Natasha threw her feet up on the table. "Tony could handle it."

Could. "No, thanks. I really don't want to get involved in this."

"Loki is still the prince of Asgard," Thor remarked. "And as such he will be judged by the All-Father. Again.”

Steve waved his hand uncertainly. "It will be a problem. How will Asgard guarantee us that he won't escape again? The US will not be satisfied with your words alone.”

Thor hung his head. "I know. And I'm afraid that…” He pursed his lips and clenched his fists. “Loki was guilty in many ways, and today he threatened the peace with the dwarves. His mother can no longer intercede for him. I am afraid that…"

He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't even have to. If it was anyone else, they would have executed him long ago. Loki was only saved by his status.

Steve put a hand on the Asgardian's shoulder and gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Thor."

"Not me," Wanda said. "He got more chances than he deserved."

"Someone could say the same about you," Tony didn't forgive himself.

The room was gravely silent.

Wanda's pupils glowed red. "How Please?"

The inventor turned to her, his hands in his pockets. He tapped the sequence into the phone with his fingers that activated Friday. The suit was ready, for all needs. "Or about me. Think about it. Loki didn't really do much.'

Everyone stared at him. "Do I have to remind you how many people he's killed?" Clint wondered. "What damage did he do?"

"And what damage did we do ? " Tony countered. “Millions. We all have blood on our hands. Everyone . Wanda, you volunteered to join a terrorist organization. I sold weapons. Thor, you fought wars on alien planets. You two,” he nodded to the spies, “didn't do an honorable job either. If Loki is to be executed, shouldn't we all be?'

Wanda jumped to her feet. “You have no idea what you're talking about, Stark. We have changed!'

He stared at her. "Really? So why are innocents dying in our attempts to "stop evil"? Why do we always end up with massive property damage?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You leveled a building in our last fight, Wanda. Not an opponent. You ."

A mist began to form in her palms. "I wouldn't have done it if the Hydra hadn't attacked!"

"But it happened. You don't take it back. And you know who was on the carpet in front of the government? Me.” He decided with his hands. "I'm paying for it all. I handle it all. People stop trusting us, and what happens when we lose that trust completely and the world needs us?”

“Tony, Tony, hey!” Rhodey stood in front of him, hands raised. "What's this all about?"

"That Stark's apparently gone mad," Wanda hissed.

He was in trouble. If he doesn't say anything, then Thor will take Loki to Asgard and Tony will probably never see him again. But if he says something, he ends up in the team.

The decision was not difficult. Exactly opposite; it was surprisingly simple.

"I'm tired of it," he began quietly. "I'm tired of always being responsible for trying to protect this world and the people in it. You think I'm crazy for trying to protect us all.” He laughed bitterly. “There's a threat out there that Earth is unprepared for. That invasion that Loki led? That was just the beginning. By creating the Avengers, we sent a message to the universe that Earth is ready for the unknown. It was clear to me, but you all denied it. But I saw it. I saw it with my own eyes, the danger that threatened us. And then you blamed me for Ultron, but she was the one,” he pointed at Wanda, “who put the vision in my head where you're all dead.” He glared at the witch. "You are also responsible for Ultron, but no one has ever blamed you. And why should they, right?'

„Tony –“

He waved his hand, ignoring his rapid breathing. "I do not care. But I'm not going to just stand by and take the blame for everything that's gone wrong. And I'm certainly not going to stand idly by when I know we're facing a threat we can't defeat ourselves.” He didn't realize his hands were shaking until he finally took them out of his pockets. "I'm done with that. I've found a way to keep the people of this world—all over the universe—safe before it's too late.”

Everyone was on their feet now. They were in half fighting positions and some had weapons in their hands. "What are you talking about?" Rogers pressed.

The inventor scanned them all. "Loki will not go to Asgard," he stated firmly. "He's not what you think he is."

Just as he expected, Wanda's nerves were frayed. She sent a wave of red mist towards him and Tony raised his crossed arms in front of him, ready for an impact that never came.

Instead, he felt the familiar tingle of magic on his skin as his suit enveloped him. He gasped several times.

"Tony, what did he do?" Natasha horrified.

He dropped his hands and rose into the air. Green pulsed through the armor; strings of magic woven into the suit exactly where his arteries ran. It was obvious who helped him with the production. Who did the magic that stopped Wanda's power belong to.

"Thick isn't it?" he asked delightedly. "Ultron failed, but this…" He raised his hand and turned it around, studying the sparkle. “This won't fail.” He landed on the ground and let the mask disappear. "Listen, I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to fight you. Just look at it! We can defend against space threats with this.” He looked at them enthusiastically. "We can save the world."

Rhodey couvl. "Ale ne, Tony..."

"Come on," urged the inventor. “I know I shouldn't have kept it a secret, but we have a common enemy. Thanos. He sent Loki's army against us, he wants to destroy our world. We can protect him .'

"You're out of your mind!" Sam shouted.

"He brainwashed you in a crazy way," Clint added.

Steve shook his head violently. "Loki is not a hero."

He scanned them all. "It's none of us."

Not him at all.

He had no idea which of them had moved first, but it didn't matter. They charged at him and Tony wasn't fast enough to dodge all of their attacks. He tried to hold back his horror as a tendril of red swirled around his head and then his vision blurred as Wanda searched through his mind.

He couldn't breathe. Wanda was suffocating him with her own memories and thoughts, revealing the secrets he so carefully guarded. She dug her claws deeper and deeper into his mind, digging through all the flaws and guilt and nightmares he held inside.

Then it was all over. It couldn't have been more than three seconds, but it felt like an eternity.

"Anthony, look at me."

He blinked. He took a ragged breath and blindly reached out to grip the arm of the man holding his shoulders. He had no idea when he reached the floor, but Loki was kneeling right in front of him, looking him in the face, the promise of death reflected in his glowing green eyes.

Loki saved him. Of course he saved him. Of course he came for him.

He was not wearing handcuffs.

The handcuffs . How much force did he have to use to get rid of them? How much did it hurt?

"How did you -"

"It does not matter. You're safe now.”

Tony didn't hesitate. He leaned forward and captured Loki's lips in a passionate kiss, which the god immediately began to return. Tony put everything into it. All his fear that Loki would die, all his anger at the Avengers for not listening to him, all the love he had for the mage and never wanted to come.

Loki helped him to his feet as they pulled away from each other. Only then did Tony realize they were still at the base, still surrounded by the team.

A team that was frozen in pieces of ice.

Chest of Ancient Winters, Tony understood immediately. It was probably thanks to her that Loki got out of his bonds.

The only one the ice missed was Rhodey. Rhodey, who was standing at the far end of the room, watching him with sadness written on his face. Rhodey, who was the only one who didn't have a gun in his hand and wasn't walking towards him.

"I don't know how long it will hold them," Loki muttered, his gaze fixed on Vision and the Mind Stone.

"We should get out," Tony agreed.

Loki wrapped one arm around Tony and pulled him closer. He extended his other hand towards the Avengers and green flames danced on his palm. "If one of you ever lays a hand on anything that's mine again…" He snapped his fingers and the ice around Wanda cracked. The witch slumped to the ground, panting. Her eyes, which shone green instead of the typical red, were wide with fear. Loki was giving her a taste of his own medicine. "Then I won't be so forgiving."

He waved his hand. The surroundings changed as they found themselves in Tony's living room in the tower. Loki was still holding him and it didn't look like he was going to let go. The silence didn't last long

"I told you he wouldn't change," the mage pointed out coldly.

"I know." Tony looked up at him. "Just like you said you wouldn't change."

Loki watched him inquisitively. "You turned against your team."

He shook his head. "It's not my team. He hasn't been for a long time.” Maybe he never was at all.

„Anthony –“

The Inventor grabbed Loki's face, effectively silencing him. "I made my choice a long time ago. I don't want you to change.'

None of them have changed. Neither did he. He was never a hero, no matter how hard he tried to pretend to be one. He wasn't like Thor or Rogers, nor was he like Wanda who decided to switch sides. He couldn't be good. His attempts at heroic deeds did not work out, because they always ended in another disaster.

Tony wasn't good. He wasn't a hero.

But he finally found someone who didn't even want it from him. He found someone who shared his interests, who knew what he was trying to do and didn't try to stop him.

"We'll save the world our way," Tony added. " Together ."

What ever it takes. But he knew that with Loki by his side, he would eventually get his way.

When Loki kissed him again, he knew he had made a good choice. Because he could finally be himself, the way he wanted to be, with all his flaws and faults and half-crazy thoughts that had so far driven away anyone who got even remotely close to him.

And even though Loki's mouth still took his breath away, he had never breathed so freely.