starkingenuity | The Darkside Has Cookies

It was supposed to be an easy fix. Sit back, let Loki do the work, clean up after. He didn’t understand how things could go so downhill, so fast. The Hulk was out and about, Thor was occupied, Black Widow-- She was a joke. The so-called X-Men were still trying to find their really terrible costumes and get to New York to help. Spider-man was cracking jokes somewhere—

Easy. It should have been so easy!

But nooooo. No, Loki had to take invasion a little too seriously and get in over his idiot head. Fury turned away from the console and glanced at the brooding blond to his left. “Suit up. Take the team. Help out with the Chitauri if you have to, but focus on the scepter. I’m not ready to welcome our alien overloads just yet, Rogers.”

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From:

starspangledspandex

"My boots aren't muddy," he retorted, blue eyes amused as he scans where he's been put down on the tower. Sometimes Steve just can't help himself. "Since I had such a helpful jet plane."

His attention flicks toward Tony at the 'hey Cap' so the older man gets the treat of seeing the trigger words activate. His eyes go blank, Steve melting away to be replaced by the Soldier, a living weapon. His whole stance changes subtly and he glances down at himself, frowning at the Stars & Stripes. Apparently, they let Steve start out today.

Flat, firm eyes moved back up to Tony. Any hint of Steve Rogers was gone. There was only a near silent, extremely deadly, assassin in his place. "Mission?" he asked in Russian. Same as always.

From:

starkingenuity

It was a good thing that Tony Stark was a genius. Not that anyone had any idea outside of HYDRA. One day, when the time was right, they'd all know.

At least the Soldier wasn't as annoyingly chatty as Captain America. Tony liked to be the only annoyingly chatty guy okay?

"Get the scepter out of that device to close the vortex. Don't die. Don't let me die. Make sure you answer to Cap if it comes up. I'm going to see what the hell Shwarma is. Saw a place on Sixth advertising it. Be back in a bit."

From:

starspangledspandex

"Acknowledged," he nodded, hands deftly checking his pockets. The Captain never carried anything interesting or terribly deadly. He would have to find something besides the shield on his back. It just wouldn't suite his purpose.

He turned as Tony rocketed off and scanned the Tower again, looking for enemies. It was quiet but that was likely to change. Loki was here only a moment ago. The Soldier moved for the device containing the scepter, taking down a guard or two effortlessly on his way and claiming their weapons for his own.

Much better.

From:

starkingenuity

Tony more or less kept himself busy. He picked up some transmissions from SHIELD, directed towards him or the Captain, and he more or less complied. SHIELD was never sure what side Iron Man was on and Tony liked that.

His orders from Fury were to play nice for awhile and then play victim and be sure he was caught on TV fending something off. He'd have to be out of the suit for that. He'd have to send it away too. He didn't like it but he did what he was told, more or less, when it came to HYDRA.

So he flew into his living room, sent the suit on autopilot, and went to make himself a drink when Loki slipped out of the shadows.

He'd seen. He knew. Shit. Where was the Soldier when you needed him?

From:

starspangledspandex

The soldier was doing as he was ordered and answering calls for the Captain's help on his comms, while trying to reason out how to free the scepter. He didn't pretend to know anything about Asgard and his first attempt to grab it blasted him back against the wall. Ow.

It made him angry and he growled as he got back to his feet. He prowled around it, inspecting the wiring and yanked some of it free. Not helping.

"Cap, Loki has a civilian hostage. Get to it," he was told over the radio and it wasn't his mission, but considering the god's location, he probably wasn't as civilian as they thought. His secondary orders were not to let the man die. So he needed to move. The scepter had just become secondary.

He took the short way down, rappelling down from the hook on his belt and smashing through the window to roll neatly into the room. Tony, as he expected. Someone need the Soldier?

From:

starkingenuity

Know what? It was seriously about time! Tony didn't really like being choked out be a demigod that wasn't going to do a damned thing for his erection afterward. Loki was spouting something about the whole world turning if they only knew (like he even knew what he was talking about. Sheesh) when the Soldier arrived, Chitauri weapon in hand.

Tony would have loved to say something but you know, the words were difficult to form when your throat was squeezed shut. He was going to have the worst bruises!

Held up by just one hand, Tony dangled as Loki turned to smirk at the newly arrived Avenger. "And what do you want?"

From:

starspangledspandex

His eyes scanned the room, then the god holding his captive and the Soldier frowned deeply. Tony got himself into the most interesting situations. This was going to be a serious problem. Loki was volatile and unpredictable. Those were both things the Soldier didn't appreciate about an enemy.

"Put him down," he responded flatly.

From:

starkingenuity

"I don't think I will," Loki grinned, looking less hollow and sunken in than he had been previously the first time SHIELD detected him. "I think I rather like the idea of strangling the life out of him."

Tony did not like that idea and he dug his nails into leather gauntlets. Little help that did.

From:

starspangledspandex

The Soldier didn't particularly approve of this plan either. His orders were clear. He stood shifting slightly as he eyed Loki and his gaze flicked to Tony. Something needed to be done unfortunately it might hurt a little.

He charged, sliding a small metal disc from his belt and tossing it as he did. It would give Loki--and by extension, Tony--a nice zap. It should be enough to get the god to let him go.

From:

starkingenuity

Hey, you know what Tony didn't like about this plan? Everything! What part of demigod didn't the Soldier get during the mission briefing? Or had he not been paying attention to Steve's side of things again? Fuck. Maybe he just liked messing with him. Honestly, Tony liked messing with the Soldier too, but not in a way that would leave him twitching on the ground, nearly pissing himself.

Loki, however, did let his quarry go. He muttered something and shook out his hand but took the shock far better than Tony. Tony wasn't going to be grateful though. Even if he kind of saw the benefit to the Soldier's decision now that the convulsions stopped.

Loki turned his attention to the Soldier. He was unarmed but still strong-- he just wasn't stronger than the Soldier. "You'll pay for that."

From:

starspangledspandex

The Soldier was not as aware when Steve was in control as most people seemed to think. Sure he picked up buts and pieces but there were still things that were lost. Tony should know this by now. If the team was going to need the Soldier, it was better to orchestrate a meeting directly with him instead of Steve.

Still, it accomplished what he wanted to happen. Loki dropped Tony and the other man wouldn't be strangled to death. There really wasn't another way he could guarantee it.

The Soldier said nothing as Loki turned toward him, silent as ever. He had warned the god. He simply stood ready to see what Loki would do now.

From:

starkingenuity

Tony was always going to think less of everyone that wasn't himself. He was always going to forget important details. Like his social security number for instance. And maybe he'd start forgetting his birthday to defy getting older because man, man it made falling and being shocked more miserable than it might have at twenty-five!

He had decided to try to pick himself up, not watching as Loki grabbed for the Soldier to toss him from the window. Likely bad move there but he did have a knife.

From:

starspangledspandex

The Soldier didn't have personal vendettas. He didn't play tricks on people. He wasn't anything but a weapon. Another thing Tony should know and didn't, but it was unlikely to change anytime soon.

He wasn't an easy person to get ahold of either. The Soldier was fast but he was also strong, enough to be a match for the god and he used his bodyweight against him. He grabbed Loki in return and shoved off the ground, flipping them both in an aim to smash Loki into the floor of the tower.

From:

starkingenuity

It was obvious that Loki wasn't ready for Steve. Why? He had gotten as much information as SHIELD supposedly had when he took over. Who had been holding back on him? The god hit the floor hard and Tony actually grinned as he propped himself up on his elbows.

"Make sure he can't talk."

Were the tongues of gods as immortal as they were suppose to be?

From:

starspangledspandex

The Soldier rolled back to his feet and gave Tony a silent questioning look. The order made enough sense but it wasn't logical either. Any vendetta against Loki really wasn't his concern. He was supposed to follow orders and he would if that was decided, but he was also an objective viewpoint.

"He may have information we need," the Soldier said as he crouched next to Loki. "I need a secondary confirmation."

From:

starkingenuity

Sometimes he could really hate the Soldier. "He saw m-- J?"

The AI responded with an immediate 'yes sir,' before Tony told him to get him a secure line directly to Fury, Iron Man protocol 17-Alpha. It was important.

Loki was already starting to stir however. Tony pointed to the god in annoyance as he was patched in to Fury securely. "Yes Iron Man?"

"Target knows," he grunted. "He'll blow the cover. Soldier needs a second vocal confirmation to do something about that. My suggestion would be tongue removal. He can still write. Slowly."

From:

starspangledspandex

No, what Tony really hated was the Soldier's training. It was strict, without much leeway for interpretation and it needed to be. He was the most dangerous assassin on the planet and basically superhuman besides. They didn't need that running amok blindly or being twisted by his handlers.

They could almost hear Fury frowning beyond the radio. They didn't intend to keep Loki as a prisoner of war and with Thor not around, well, accidents happen. "Leave it," Fury said finally. "Get what information you can and end him. As long as he's alive he's a liability."

Fury hated to lose that source of information but there was always a way to convey information and if he knew, he needed to go.

From:

starkingenuity

"Get him to the vault," Tony commanded the Soldier. If it could hold Banner when he was having bad days, lined with vibranium, it could hold Loki. "We'll begin interrogation after we stop the invasion."

That shouldn't need a second vocal acknowledgement.

"I'm going to scurry down to the street now looking bruised and bloody and scared. You should put Thor on scepter duty. I'll join you in an hour or so. Get what you can from him."

The Iron Man armor was already running interference on the roof any way.

From:

starspangledspandex

Loki might have been stirring but the Soldier smacked his head hard against the floor to put him out again and nodded, "Confirmed."

He threw the God over his shoulder without any difficulty and immediately stalked out to do just that. The rest of the orders were relayed to the team, clipped and firm. They needed to finish this. After he locked Loki away, he returned to the battlefield and scaled the building to find Thor at the top with the scepter.

"I can close it," he said, twisting toward the Soldier.

"Do it," he responded, eyes raising to the portal. There would still be cleanup to do but at least there wouldn't be anymore coming through it.

From:

starkingenuity

Tony gave his appearance. He rushed around trying to help people from his building and eventually was taken in by the police to transport to safety. Tony let himself be taken across town and in the chaos of another Chitauri attack, one of the Leviathans swooping down over them, he broke away and headed recklessly back to the tower. He arrived just as Thor closed the portal and the Chitauri fell over dead. Good. The splattering sky monsters were going to end up making more of a mess. That would leave the Avengers busy while he and the Soldier interrogated Loki.

Tony arrived to the vault looking pretty worse for wear and waited for the Soldier to join him before stepping inside.

From:

starspangledspandex

Hydra plants made excuses for the Soldier to steal away from the clean-up. Steve would have stayed and helped but he wouldn't do what they wanted to Loki. They needed the Soldier for that too so they would have to sacrifice some of the Captain's image. Press would be told he had minor injuries. It would be forgotten.

His eyes flicked over Tony as he approached and turned his attention on Loki, stepping through the door silently. The Soldier was dirty but uninjured. Tony was the one that suffered a major electrical shock. He likely should be seeing a doctor but well, that wasn't The Soldier's judgment to make. Where Steve would have argued he remained silent.

He assumed that Tony would be asking questions. So his eyes shifted back to him once he confirmed that Loki was both awake and aware of them, but also not immediately prepared to attack.

From:

starkingenuity

That was the one thing he liked about his charge. The Soldier was quiet. He stayed in the back until he was needed. Tony appreciated that. He took the point here, looking absolutely like he should have let the medical team do more than put a butterfly bandage over the lower edge of his split lip. He grinned but it hurt.

"So why all this? Out of curiosity. Just a vendetta against your brother? Because that's mean. Take his ball and go home. Don't go doing wheelies in the neighbor's yard."

From:

starspangledspandex

Loki only grins as he looks between them. He's aware of his situation here but he's useful to people in power. They've promised him things. In return, they need things only he can get his hands on. They'll come for him. It's only a matter of biding his time. At least he can amuse himself with these mortals in the meantime.

"Hardly," he replies with the same grin. His head is killing him but he'll survive. "It is simply convenient that this upsets Thor."

From:

starkingenuity

"That would have been far too easy," Tony sighed. Far too easy. "Other than that cube. Powerful energy. We get it. Everyone wants infinite energy. Powers the universe. But why?"

They only had an hour. After that, if Loki didn't speak, they would have to figure it out on their own while Steve tried to figure out why his boots smelled like bleach from the cleaning process to get all the blood off of them.

From:

starspangledspandex

Loki isn't the one that wants the cube. The one that promised him Earth wants it. He'll have it too. One way or another. Stopping the god just delays the inevitable. He's seen real power. The humans have no idea.

"If everyone wishes for it, you already have your answer," Loki responds, canting his head at Tony and ignoring the Soldier hovering in the background. "Why do you crave power?"