Stark Tower (Loki and the Avengers)

Reindeer Games

Tony rushed with Steve back to his workshop, making sure to take deep breaths as he went, just to calm the last of the panic.

Cap almost ran ahead of Tony, anxiety building up in his chest at the thought of their old enemy. The first battle had caused the mass destruction of the cuty, what would happen if they had to fight again?

"Hello Sir, I'm glad to see your blood pressure had returned to normal." Jarvis greeted as Tony and Steve burst through the workshop doors.

Tony ignored the AI entirely, heading straight for the computer. "The footage is from a year and a half ago, a few months after the battle." Tony informed Steve as he sat at the desk and started to pull of the video.

Cap eyed the empty vodka bottle at Tony's feet, realizing that the Scientist must have stayed up all night.

"Here you go," Tony pushed himself away from the desk, allowing Steve to approach in his place.

The twenty second video clip had no sound. It played on a loop, showing an interigation room with loki sitting at the metal table in the center of the room. His wrists were shackled to the table, and his ankles were cuffed to his chair.

Loki had his signiture grin on as he stared forward at the door. About five seconds into the video, Fury stepped through into the room.

Cap could hear Tony behind him, grumbling something about Fury keeping secrets, but Steve was focused on the video.

Fury sat down across from Loki, saying something to him that made Loki laugh. Then Fury leaned back, saying something again and wiping the laughter off of Loki's face. Loki glared at Fury, shouting something at him as he leaned as far forward as the cuffs around his wrist would allow him.

The video ended there, pausing for a moment on Loki's face before playing the clip gain. Steve studied the look on Loki's face for the split second it was up, discerning fear and anger in the gods features before the clip was gone and the video played again.

Steve turned towards Tony, who was now standing with his arms crossed. He mimicked the stance.

"We need to talk to Fury." Cap started towards the door.

"No, no we don't. Jarvis, doors." Tony snapped his fingers, turning his body towards Steve.

"Yes Sir."

Cap reached for the door, hearing it click locked before he could pull it open.

"Thanks Jarvis," Tony held his thumb up for the AI before starting towards a very confused Captain.

"Tony, what the hell?" Steve said angrily, gesturing towards the locked doors.

Tony shrugged. "You were going to go to Fury. Can't do that buddy." He stopped three feet in front of Steve. "What we need to do is decrypt the rest of those files and then confront Loki."

Steve raised his eyebrow. "Why not take it right to Fury?" Tony waved his arms around him, gesturing in the general vicinity of his computer.

"I was rifling through S.H.I.E.L.D. files, Steve! How happy do you think Fury will be to hear that?" Tony turned and stalked back to his screen.

"So your solution is to finish checking out the files, and then to break in to S.H.I.E.L.D. and confront Loki?" Steve followed Tony until he was behind the scientists chair.

Tony had already started on the next encrypted file. "Of course not," He said, not looking up. Steve opened his mouth to question Tony, but he inturupted, answering Steve's question. "I'll finish looking through the files, you and Bruce will go confront Loki."