The Bargain

Chapter 2: Second Installment

Second Installment: Do You Remember

Tony Stark believed himself to be equable and a good sort of person. He may not be good, but he wouldn't deliberately hurt others and he did enjoy protecting poeple with the rest of the Avengers. He had, however, always thought himself to be a little vindictive. Part of the charm of Tony Stark. So he was subsequently surprised when seeing Loki looking so bedraggled and pathetic and nearly dead wasn't satisfying even a little.

It tugged at Tony's heartstrings. Just 'cause I don't like the bastard doesn't mean I wish he would be tortured like that. "Jarvis, keep running diagnostics on the Mark VIII, would ya?" he said absently, rising from his work bench and trotting into the hall.

Stark Tower had become the unofficial headquarters for the Avengers. It was only ever inhabited by all of them during a crisis—the rest of the time they went their separate ways. It was a gathering place away from SHIELD, something on which both Stark and, surprisingly, the Captain had insisted. And now, it seemed, it was an impromptu medical center for one Norse god in extremely pitiful condition.

It was one of the weirdest things Tony had ever seen, Loki lying prone and corpse-like on a bed too big for his skinny frame. Had Loki always been this thin? Lean, sure. Lean and long and tough. But right now he looked thin and sickly and just plain pathetic. Thor had taken all of Loki's leather armor off, replacing it with a pair of dark grey sweatpants and a pine-green tee-shirt (Where the hell did he get those, anyway?).

"Stark? What are you doing?"

Tony glanced at Steve Rogers. Good ol' Captain America. He wondered if he should feel guilty for standing here in the room where they'd ensconced Loki, watching the downed god sleep. He shrugged. "Dunno. Guess I was coming to see if the last twenty-four hours were a dream."

Steve actually chuckled. "It does seem a little . . . surreal."

Tony snorted. "More than a little."

The captain leaned against the doorjamb. "I feel guilty for preferring him this way to . . ."

Tony held up a hand. "No need to finish that sentence, Cap. I completely agree."

Steve stirred, then lowered his voice. "Shouldn't we be whispering?"

Tony grinned. "Thor said we could parade a marching band through here and Loki wouldn't so much as twitch."

Nodding toward the hall, Steve gestured Tony to follow him. He closed the door, and the pair walked to the open foyer Tony had set up as a nice entertainment space. To think, less than a year ago that guy was throwing me out that very window. And here I am feeling sorry for him. Tony shook his head.

The other Avengers had gathered. Tony almost did a double take. Thor was in a pair of faded blue jeans and a dark gray tee shirt. His long blond hair had been pulled back, and he looked like he could've been any fellow from Earth. Large fellow.

"How pedestrian," he murmured to himself, grinning. Where the hell did he get those clothes? Do all Asgardians pack spares when they come to Midgard?

"I think we should decide what to do when Loki wakes up," Steve said.

"Knock him out again?" Clint growled.

Thor gave him a dark look. "Loki is weakened because of his constant battles," he said, tone sounding like a warning, "but he will recover quickly."

In other words, we won't be able to, Tony thought, thinking of their last battle with the fallen god. Loki might be a sociopathic megalomaniac who could actually be kind of charming, but damn could he take a hit.