43 hours and 49 minutes remaining

"I've changed my mind. I'm not sure we should get Loki out."

  "Why not?" Tony dropped the layout plan of the Helicarrier onto the table and frowned across at the supersoldier. "Psychopath, supervillain, trickster, god of mischief and lies... Not to mention, another competitor for Livvy. Why wouldn't you want to break him out of prison?"

  "This isn't about who Livvy wants, this is about letting Loki loose." Steve glared. "He's dangerous."

  "No kidding, genius. And it'll be fine. We need him." Tony smirked. "What? Never broken the rules before?"

Steve slammed a hand on the table. "Is this a joke to you, Stark? Is everything? You know sometimes I think this is all just because you want her, not because you really care."

Something in Tony's expression changed. Not joking around. Deadly serious and deadly angry. "That's what you think this is?"

"It's a pretty fair assumption, considering your history with girls!"

Tony stood up. "There is absolutely no chance for me, Rogers. I'm doing this because I love her, and I'd rather have her yours or his than a dead body! Because those are the options I have!"

Steve followed suit. "You're the popular guy. Why wouldn't she pick you?"

"Listen here, Cap," he said in a deadly quiet voice. "She wants a good guy, she can have you, she wants a bad guy, she can have Loki. I'm just..." Tony tapped his foot and suddenly deflated with a sigh, sitting down again. "I'm just the guy in the middle. Okay? So help. Me. Plan."

Steve appeared to be at a loss for words. He opened his mouth to say something, thought better of it, sat down and picked up the layout plans.

*

Running through methods of persevering over and over. The sharp voice of her mentor floating back through the sea of agony.

  "Think of a memory. Hold the picture in your head. Concentrate on it above all else."

  A memory, a memory, a memory. Instantly dismissing memories of family, extra pain wasn't necessary. Nothing substantial really of SHIELD Academy. Her life as an agent, then.

  Tony, Loki and Steve.

  One day shone above all the rest, the one day she'd had them together. One of the good days when Loki was allowed out under supervision and Tony had the bright idea of showing Steve and Loki how New York was in modern times and when they weren't destroying/saving it. One mental image of hiding from the rain in a café and all of them laughing together, friends and enemies, when she spilt her coffee everywhere. Good times.

  "Concentrate on it above all else."

  Difficult to do when the pain was so overwhelming.