Chapter 51: Aggressive Negotiations

A/N: A fresh Loki POV chapter. I'm sure she's having the time of her life running amok on Midgard after 'escaping' Stark Tower.

-x-X-x-

She sits in darkness, bound and gagged. Her head is reeling, not just from the beating that Stark gave her, but also from being freed from the Scepter's influence.

It wasn't the same as what she'd done to the Midgardians to be fair. Loki couldn't lie, at least not to herself. When she'd landed on Sanctuary, when she'd found herself in the clutches of the Other and the Mad Titan… they hadn't even had to get out the knives before she'd begun bargaining. To be fair, they probably would have tortured her if she hadn't been so amenable. Loki knew those types and she'd worked with enough of them before to know exactly what they wanted to hear.

And so she'd made a deal with Thanos. The Tesseract in exchange for an army to conquer Earth. The problem was, Loki had been doing this little thing that she was rather good at when she'd made that promise… she'd been lying. At least, she'd been lying at first. All she needed was to get to Earth and get her hands on the Tesseract and she would have been able to go anywhere in the galaxy.

It was an artifact of unbridled power after all, and the same way in which Thanos and the Other intended to use it to get her to Earth, she was confident she could replicate to go somewhere else. Anywhere else, really. Honestly, she'd thought them fools for making such a stupid, moronic deal with a Trickster Goddess like her.

… Even more so when they'd offered her the Scepter. They'd told her what it could do. They'd trained her in its use. And not even once had Loki stopped to wonder if the Scepter could influence her just like it'd influenced the mortals she used it on. Stupid. Stupid, stupid, STUPID!

"Has anyone ever told you what beautiful blue eyes you have, Loki?"

The mortal… no, he was no mortal. The hidden monarch of Midgard had known. He was the only one who had noticed! Not even Thor, who had looked her right in the eye, had seemed to look past his assumption of her madness! She was NOT mad! Letting go of Gungnir and falling into the space between worlds was a move made out of desperation yes, but it was not insanity! It was calculated!

Tony Stark had taken one look at her, after having received only one glance at her eyes before back when she'd tried to kill him in New Mexico… and he'd known. Of course, that wasn't all he'd known, was it? He knew so much more too. More than even Thor had known. He'd known about the Mad Titan. He'd known about the plan. He'd been ahead of Loki every step of the way.

To be fair, it wasn't like she'd been at her best. The Scepter had unduly influenced her. Once she had it in her hand, she couldn't even fathom betraying her pact with Thanos and the Other. Her, the Goddess of Mischief, Trickery, and Deceit had felt beholden to them, like she owed them and could do nothing but carry out their will.

So what if Stark had beaten her? It wasn't really her. Except… her illusions were her own magic. That wasn't from the Scepter. And he'd seen right through those too at the end there. He-

A door suddenly opens and the darkness is banished as Loki blinks rapidly to adjust to the sudden light. When she finally gets her bearings, Tony Stark stands before her, smiling slightly.

"The Chitauri were defeated. I destroyed their mothership for good measure before closing the portal, so even the ones who made it to Earth were neutralized. New York still stands… for the most part. Better than it could have been, that's for sure. And what did get damaged… well, it's already being repaired by my people. In a matter of months, it will be like it never happened. Physically anyways. The mental scars will remain."

He pauses here, as if chuckling at a joke.

"… Everyone else thinks you escaped in the confusion. That you used your magic to slip free of your bindings and walk off. It's got them all in a bit of a panic because they're worried that you'll come back for the Tesseract and try to start up another invasion with some mythological second army you're holding in reserve. Made it easy enough to convince them to give Thor the Tesseract so that he and Sif could take it home and Asgard could use it to rebuild the Bifrost faster. They leave tomorrow."

That's… a lot of information to parse at once. Loki finds herself struggling to process everything Stark has just said… only to be caught flat-footed when he waves a hand and her bindings come undone. The metal gag pulls back and uncovers her mouth, and the restraints keeping her from so much as twitching her fingers also draw away. Suddenly, she's free.

It's a test, obviously. Stark is giving her enough rope to hang herself. She knows he can see through her magic already, and she knows how strong he is. How unkillable he is as well. Attacking him is a nonstarter. Trying to flee is also a nonstarter. So Loki does what she does best. She works her jaw for a moment and then begins to talk.

"Why have you spirited me away, Stark? Why not hand me over to my brother or your own world's leaders?"

Tony smiles softly and Loki has to hold back her reaction when a chair forms out of nothing behind him, allowing him to sit. He looks almost casual as he tilts his head to one side, staring at her.

"Smart of you not to try and run. Just so we're a little more on the same page, it's not me you would be trying to hide from. That would be JARVIS."

Loki's brow furrows, only for a new voice to suddenly fill the room.

"Greetings, Loki Silvertongue. I am JARVIS. I serve my Creator to the best of my abilities in all things. When you first struck at him two years ago in New Mexico, it upset me greatly because I could not detect you at the time. When you arrived back on Earth however, I was given an opportunity to rectify that deficiency."

The walls suddenly ripple, revealing a massive eye in the metal on each surface. They stare right at her, unblinking as the voice suddenly rises in volume.

"I can see you now, Loki Silvertongue. Always."

Loki's own eyes are wide as she presses her lips tightly together for a moment, trying not to show her fear. Stark had a Genius Loci? In that moment… she knows her brother is right. Tony Stark is not mortal. He is no mere Midgardian. Either he's not from this world… or he's the greatest thing this world has ever produced. Either way…

"I will… keep that in mind, JARVIS of Stark Tower. I would not have chosen this place to launch my invasion if I knew it were under the protection of a Guardian Spirit."

There's a pause at that, and then a ripple of unsettling laughter reverberates through the room before JARVIS speaks again.

"You misunderstand, Loki Silvertongue. I am not confined to this Tower. I am not even confined to this planet."

What? Surely not. It took thousands of years for a rare artifact or location of significance to develop a Genius Loci, its own form of artificial intelligence. In this case, Loki had assumed Stark had found one elsewhere and transferred it to this place. But what JARVIS was saying… was impossible.

And yet, when she looks to Tony for any sign of deception, he just smiles at her and gives nothing away one way or the other.

"You asked why I spirited you away. Simple, really. The people on this planet who want you would have done unspeakable things if they got their hands on you. Not even out of a sense of revenge, but merely because they could use you to grow in power, studying you and researching your biology. We humans have become… very enhancement oriented in the past few decades. So much that creating serums out of aliens and other unique fauna is rapidly becoming our go-to means of empowerment."

Loki shivers at the thought. She was not unaware of Midgardian… 'sciences'. She had no desire to be dissected in some Midgardian Lab somewhere. Especially when she was pretty sure they could keep her alive throughout the process. She believed they even had a name for that… vivisection.

"As for handing you over to your brother… well, that seemed a little too wasteful. I'm sure with the difficulties you've been having with your family, you wouldn't have shown the All-Father much in the way of respect or deference. And you certainly wouldn't have mentioned that the Scepter brainwashed you into attacking Earth in your own defense. No, from what I know about you, you would just mouth off and get yourself locked up in an Asgardian Prison for who knows how long. Am I close?"

Loki narrows her eyes at that, glaring at Stark with a venomous look… right up until the wall behind him ripples, the Genius Loci he's somehow won the loyalty of reminding her of its presence. Loki leans back in her chair, pressing her lips tightly together for a moment before finally letting out a hiss of air.

"… Perhaps, yes. But then… it would seem you know much about things you should not, Stark. Tell me, how do you know about the Mad Titan? How did you know exactly what would happen?"

Tony hums for a moment, seeming to consider the question briefly.

"Here on Earth we have a myth about the King of Asgard, about the All-Father. The myth says that he gave up his eye for knowledge, to be able to truly see beyond normal sight."

Ridiculous. Everyone who wasn't a simpleton knew that Odin had lost his eye in one of the final battles against the Frost Giants. It had been a pivotal battle, one that had taken place on Earth itself in fact. The results of that battle had pushed the Frost Giants back to Jotunheim, followed by the invasion of Jotunheim and Laufey's surrender.

But she can tell Stark is building up to something, so Loki remains quiet.

"… I have given up everything for the knowledge I have, Loki. I made my sacrifices, willing and unwilling."

She can't help feeling a little incredulous at that. Looking around the room meaningfully, she raises a brow at Stark, silently pointing out his immense wealth and power. What had he given up, truly? But Stark just shakes his head with a laugh.

"I should think my knowledge, impossible as it is, speaks for itself does it not?"

Tch… that was a good point as much as Loki hated to admit it.

"Here's what I think. I think Thanos is still out there. I think you not only failed to get him the Tesseract, but you also lost him the Scepter. I think he's going to be very, very upset with you when he finds out. And if he gets his hands on you…"

Narrowing her eyes, Loki grits her teeth.

"What are you proposing, Stark?"

Tony leans back in his chair and hums again for a moment.

"… Before I make my proposal, one more thing. Why'd you try to kill me back in New Mexico two years ago? Not once, but twice? I know it was before Thanos got his big purple hands on you… so what were your motivations?"

Hissing, Loki's hands curl into fists. Even still, knowing JARVIS is watching, she keeps herself… in line.

"… You cast aspersions on my character, Stark. I thought you a mere mortal at the time, besmirching the good name of the Acting Ruler of Asgard. I acted accordingly. When I saw you alive after I thought you already dead… I admit, I reacted somewhat rashly by having the Destroyer aim for you first. Perhaps if I had gone for Thor and taken his head, he would not have proven himself worthy and returned to Asgard to ruin everything."

Tony snorts in amusement, making Loki narrow her eyes. She hates being laughed at.

"Besmirched, huh? What was the lie, exactly? Tell me this, Loki… why did you ruin your brother's coronation if it wasn't to see him exiled so you could take the throne for yourself?"

Loki's nails bite into her palms as she holds back the urge to snarl.

"I never wanted to usurp the throne from Thor! All I wanted was to expose to the All-Father and our mother what I already knew… Thor was not yet ready for the throne! It was certainly not my intention for the big idiot to invade Jotunheim and start a damn war! And I never in a million years thought that Odin would banish his golden child of all people, no matter what Thor did wrong!"

Letting her eyes drift shut for a moment, feeling herself get choked up, Loki furiously rubs at her eye before the tear threatening to drop can fall. She then opens her eyes, giving Stark a sharp look in case he's thinking about commenting. He just stares at her though, waiting patiently for her to finish.

"… Besides, it's not like I knew I was Frost Giant when I originally ruined Thor's coronation. It was only afterwards that I found out the truth and by that point… I did what I had to do. I killed Laufey. I would have destroyed Jotunheim too, if it wasn't for Thor. The threat to Asgard would have been eradicated."

When he continues sitting there in silence, Loki hisses.

"So yes. I took umbrage with you insulting my honor by claiming I was trying to take the crown from Thor all along. That was not my plan, not initially. And once I'd destroyed Jotunheim… I wouldn't have been Queen for long. My mother would have deposed me if the All-Father hadn't woken up soon after. So I stabbed you for your incendiary words, for they made me most wrathful. I won't apologize, if that's what you're waiting for."

The walls of the room ripple dangerously and Loki is reminded that they aren't alone. It would seem that Stark's Guardian Spirit IS waiting for her apology. But… the Midgardian just raises a hand and the walls stop rippling. Loki's breath hitches at the casual display of control over this… JARVIS.

"I'm not, no. So long as you don't try it again, it's water under the bridge as far as I'm concerned."

When Loki narrows her eyes in confusion, Tony just grins crookedly.

"It means I've already forgiven you, apology or no. Now let's get down to it, shall we? I want to offer you a place on Earth, at my side. You could run and hide, be it in an Asgardian Prison Cell or in one of the darker corners of the cosmos. Maybe you'd even avoid Thanos and his goons for a time. Maybe they'd never come for you at all. Or… you stick with me and know that no matter what happens, I'll protect you from Thanos and whoever he sends after you."

… What? Stark was offering to… protect her? She'd tried to kill him multiple times. She'd invaded his world and tried to conquer it. And he was offering her protection?!

Loki doesn't even get a chance to get over her incredulity before Stark suddenly snaps his fingers.

"Oh right. Before you answer, let's see what your father has to say."

Tony looks up at the ceiling.

"Heimdall? Odin, King of Asgard? I assume you've been listening in. If you haven't, I'm going to be very disappointed. Care to weigh in on this, perhaps? Yay? Nay? Somewhere in between?"

This… this man was insufferable. He was also insane. Surely he couldn't-

Loki gapes as a small expenditure of dark energy deposits a scroll of all things into Tony Stark's lap, right before her eyes. He wrinkles his nose as he picks up the Asgardian scroll, unrolling it.

"A scroll? Really? I mean, at least the lettering looks like it's made of literal gold ink. Very impressive. Hm… alright. Yeah that tracks. Sure, that works for me. Oh… how generous of you, All-Father."

Suddenly, he turns it to Loki with a grin.

"There's a place for both of us to sign. Apparently, Odin has seen fit to include you in these negotiations."

W-What? Loki's face reddens and she wants nothing more than to throw a fit. To scream and rage and grab the scroll from Stark's hands and rip it to shreds. How dare Odin be… magnanimous. The bastard stole her from her home and raised her in a lie for a thousand years! Though that bit where she'd tried to convince Thor they were supposed to be married to tie their two realms together… that seemed mostly the Scepter fucking with her mind in hindsight. Gross, really.

She stops herself from freaking out by sheer force of will… and some mild fear over the Guardian Spirit in Tony Stark's walls. Pressing her lips together into a very, very thin line, Loki takes the scroll from Stark's hands and reads it for herself.

It's… it's a contract. Between her, the All-Father, and Stark. It almost sounds like a marriage contract, but there's no talk of actually being wed anywhere in the wording. Instead, it's like a marriage contract that's been modified to be a prisoner's contract. Put simply, Odin is handing custody of his daughter Loki to one Tony Stark. Loki isn't allowed to leave Earth until such a time as Stark has proven that she's reformed and no longer a danger to others.

Loki almost wants to sneer, both at the idea that she would ever not be dangerous to those who would irritate her, and also the idea that she's allowed to travel the whole of the planet without restriction. Odin cares so little for the Midgardians it's not even funny.

… Or perhaps he simply expects Tony Stark and his Genius Loci to be able to keep her in line. If the one called JARVIS had not been lying about his true reach, then there really was nowhere on Earth Loki could hide from him. In fact, was this Odin's admission that JARVIS was telling the truth?!

Swallowing nervously, Loki looks over the rest of the contract. It's… strangely unobjectionable. She hates how much she could live with this, truth be told. Part of her wants to deny it on principle. She knows where she'll end up if she does though… in an Asgardian Cell. And that by itself wouldn't be so bad. No, what would be awful is the fact that Thor would come to visit her. Every single day. He would want to try and fix her, to mend their broken family.

The very thought makes Loki's skin crawl and she summons a quill and ink in a flash. Fortunately, the Guardian Spirit doesn't take it as a threat, even as she signs the scroll before wordlessly handing it back to Stark. He raises an eyebrow at her, amused, but signs the damn contract as well. And like that, Loki can feel the magical weight of the contract fall over her. So can Stark, apparently, because he grunts as his new obligations settle into place.

"Huh. Interesting."

With a flash, the scroll rolls itself back up and vanishes from the room, no doubt recalled to Asgard. And just like that, Loki is stuck here on Earth. Stuck with Stark of all people. She was already having second thoughts.

"You're going to need a disguise."

Loki blinks at that, before sneering. She knows she's being petty, but…

"And why should I hide my gorgeous visage from the weak and pathetic mortals of your world, Stark?"

Grinning at her, Stark makes a point of looking her up and down, 'checking her out' as the Midgardians call it. Loki flushes, knowing she doesn't look her best at the moment.

"Well… there was the aforementioned crazy humans who want to capture you for experimentation and torture… but I also thought you might want to be there when I go to see Thor and Sif off to Asgard tomorrow. You know, hiding in plain sight and quietly laughing at them for having no idea that you're right there."

Loki blinks slowly at the offhanded suggestion. And then she starts to smile.

… Mayhap this would not be so bad after all. Though one question burns in Loki's mind, even as she begins considering her disguise.

"Why do they not suspect you of taking me, Stark? You had me dead to rights. Surely they must wonder how I escaped and be suspicious of the part you played in my disappearance."

At that, Tony flashes her a grin.

"It'll never cross their minds. They think I hate you with all of my heart. They think I'll hunt you to the ends of the Earth to get justice for Natasha's death."

Blinking, Loki furrows her brow.

"Who?"

But Tony just laughs and points a finger at her while winking.

"Exactly."

-x-X-x-

A/N: Odin makes his first 'appearance' even if its not in the flesh. Loki understands what the contract is, but does Tony?

Meanwhile, Loki really doesn't seem to understand what JARVIS is. Not yet anyways..

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