My War Is Over (Original Unfinished Version)

Chapter Fourteen

The other Avengers, seated in the dark, spacious living-room of the tower, eyes fixed on the television screen before them and munching on buttered popcorn, hadn't intended to leave Tony out of the group gathering. 

It had been Steve's idea, as the soldier had missed out on many cult-classic movies and television shows since his time in the ice, and a movie seemed like a good way to unwind some of the tension that had been high-strung throughout each and every Avenger since the realization that Loki's invasion of Earth was not as simple as they'd previously thought. He'd gone to Clint, Bruce, and Thor's respective doors, informing each of them that he wanted them all to gather in the living-room for "Team Bonding Exercises" and requesting that Clint bring Natasha, and Bruce to go fetch Tony from his workshop. 

It was around 1:30 am when Bruce went to the lab looking for Tony, and to say he was shocked when he didn't find the insomniac genius not blowing off yet another night of sleep was an understatement. When he cautiously asked JARVIS where he might find Tony, and was informed that he was sleeping in his room; Bruce did not have the heart to wake him. 

Steve, surprisingly, did not seem to mind Tony's absence once Bruce explained to him that Tony had been up-and-about non-stop since the battle without a full-nights sleep; on the promise that they'd drag Tony down to the living-room at the next movie night; which Clint had insisted on the title change as "Team Bonding Exercises" sounded like "Lame-Happy-Teenage-Summer-Camp-Activities". 

Bruce himself had chosen the movie, Coming To America, since it had been released in 1988 and Steve confirmed that he had not yet had a chance to catch up with that particular movie either. It was closer to 1:50 am when they'd finally settled down to actually watch the movie, and not even an hour into the film when the television screen suddenly went dark and red lights lit up the living room. Natasha tensed and Clint jumped to attention before JARVIS' urgent voice filled the room. 

"Mr. Stark is urgently requesting Mr. Banner's assistance at Loki's floor, immediately." Bruce had spent enough time in Tony's lab to pick up the serious note in JARVIS' voice, and he shoots up from his seated position on the couch, heading to the nearest elevator without a second thought. 

"What's happened?" Thor's voice booms, trailing after Bruce quickly. The other Avengers follow suit, and Bruce did not fail to notice Clint's drawn gun or Natasha's hand hovering near hers. 

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"Mr. Laufreyson is in critical condition and needs immediate medical attention." Bruce feels the insides of his stomach churn and he briefly raises a hand to his temples, allowing Steve to punch the number in the elevator's control panel for Loki's floor. Thor staggers backward in apparent shock. 

"I'm really not that kind of doctor."

"His condition was improving.." the god trails off. 

"Critical condition how?" Natasha growls. 

"It appears that Mr. Laufreyson is in deep distress and has punctured the veins in both his wrists." 

Natasha's mouth snaps shut, a heavy silence blanketing the elevator save for Thor's ragged breathing. 

"Why-why would he? Oh, Gods, WHY WILL THIS CURSED THING NOT DESCEND FASTER?" he roared, lurching forward with a clenched fist, only to be stopped by Steve's tense hand barely restraining him. 

"Thor, calm down. Alright? Punching the elevator won't help or make things move any faster. We need Bruce to get down there so he can help," Bruce shifted at the mention, "and if you punch the elevator it might break. Then we wouldn't be able to help Loki. Take a deep breath, you need to be calm in order for Loki to get better." 

The words seem to resonate in Thor's head, because he blinks and quickly retracts his arm, taking several deep, stuttering breaths. 

The ding of the elevator sounds and Bruce is out the door before it could even fully slide open, the other's following close behind. He reaches the door to Loki's apartment and doesn't bother knocking. The door slides open for him easily, an odd-looking red pannel to the side that he couldn't stop to wonder about. 

"Tony!" he yells as soon as he steps foot into the dark room.

"Here!" the inventor's voice is strangled, coming from the bathroom to Bruce's right. He runs to the scene. 

When he steps into the bloodbath of a bathroom, he leaves Bruce Banner outside the door and enters only as that-kind-of-doctor. Bruce Banner would have flipped his shit. Bruce Banner would have frozen at the sight of Tony Stark in his faded Iron Maiden t-shirt and black pajama pants, soaked in blood and cradling an even more soaked Loki Laufreyson to his chest, wrists a mutilated mess and eyes dead-looking as he screamed for someone to kill him. 

Even Natasha freezes beside him.

Bruce's eyes sweep over the room, taking in the box of shaving razors carelessly tossed in the corner, the mangled remains of the plastic casing of one on the floor, the blade laying near Loki's head, and the blood. He takes in Loki's pale features, his dim eyes, and the ugly wounds. He remembered seeing the old scars, weeks ago now, shimmery silver lines against his pale wrists and faded-pink lightning-shaped scars wrapped underneath the lines. Loki had done this before, which means Loki knew what he was doing, which means he doesn't have time to panic.

"The infirmary is two levels up. We don't have time to get a stretcher, so I need someone to carry Loki to the med-bay. We'll take the stairs. It's quicker than the elevator."

"I can carry him," Tony murmurs, beginning to stagger to his feet. Loki screams a little louder, though his voice is weak. 

"N-no, n-no please, just let me die, please, I just want to die," 

"I need Thor or Steve to hold him." Bruce shakes his head at Tony's desperate glare. "I'll need your help in the infirmary as you're the only one he trusts. He's struggling and I need you not to be exhausted from trying to haul him up two flights of stairs. Don't argue with me, any of you. He might live if we act quickly."

The insinuation that Loki could die, very easily, right there, tonight, seemed enough to snap all the Avengers into action. Thor scoops Loki out of Tony's arms, doing his best to hush his cries. 

"Hold his arms. Don't touch his wrists. I don't need him hurting himself any more than he already has." Bruce instructs. With that, they all began to make their way up the flights of stairs to the infirmary. 

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