"Lower your guns!" Natasha snapped at the S.H.I.E.L.D agents who had gone into full alert when Loki popped into their midst.

"My thanks," Loki inclined his head graciously to the woman. She looked very tired still, with her own set of bruises and cuts. The other four Avengers solemnly gathered outside of Tony Stark's hospital room looked equally tired and hurt, although Thor appeared to be recovering much faster. Loki did not hesitate, but stepped forward to clap a hand to his brother's shoulder in support. "How is he?"

"Dying." Steve Rogers' face was creased with grief. It was oddly unsettling coupled with the mottled bruises. "He's not going to make it." He tilted his head to one side. "You look fine."

"I am blessed with an extraordinary recovery rate." Loki strode toward the door leading into Stark's room, and drew up short when Barton and Banner stepped into his path. "I mean no harm."

"He's with Pepper until....until it's over," Bruce Banner explained. The normally calm scientist was already grieving. They were all grieving.

"I understand. I merely wish to pay my respects. Stark is the unlikeliest of heroes, but a hero nonetheless."

Banner and Barton stepped aside reluctantly, and Loki pushed open the door.

Pepper Potts was seated in a chair beside the hospital bed, head bowed in misery. She cradled one of Stark's hands in her own, tears dripping from her chin to fall onto those hands. A blood spotted rag was loosely clenched in her other hand, and the matching red stain on Stark's lips told Loki how little time the man had left.

"Hello minion," he greeted softly.

Pepper's head snapped up, and her eyes widened when she recognized him. "You!" she almost snarled. "You're the one who threw him out the window!"

Loki winced. The defenestration of Tony Stark had occurred during a highly emotional debate. He regretted it. Fortunately, Thor had been there to pluck Iron Man out of the air. Pepper had not forgotten, it seemed.

"I am sorry, Ms. Potts. I was not fully in control of my emotions at that time. It will not happen again. I truly regret it."

"Pepper." Stark's voice was no more than a pained whisper, but it drew both of them to look at him. The gray tone of his skin and the blood bubbling from his mouth as he tried to speak was a ghastly preview of his inevitable death.

"Don't try to talk, Tony. You have to save your strength to get better." Pepper dabbed at the blood on his mouth, tears running freely down her cheeks.

"I'm dying Pepper. I wouldn't be here to say goodbye if it weren't for Loki. Don't hate him" Stark tried a smile. "I had a good run."

Pepper was going to be a distraction, and Loki did not need that. "Ms. Potts. I would like a word with Stark privately."

Her head snapped up suspiciously. "No! I don't trust you!"

Stark's breath was wheezing in his throat, and every breath brought more blood with it. He did not have much time. "Pepper – step out for a moment. I owe Loki that much."

She shot a furious glare at Loki, stroked a tender hand along Stark's brow, and then stomped out the door, slamming it shut.

"That went well," Stark gurgled faintly. "I don't have much time, Loki. Thank you, for what you did. You didn't have to risk your own life to save mine. You only prolonged the inevitable"

Loki shrugged. "Good minions are hard to replace. Who else will want to assist me with the eventual sexual domination of the world? Steve Rogers cannot even hear the word 'sex' without blushing. Banner is boring unless he's raging, and I doubt that any female would want to experience that. If he's even capable of it in his rage form." He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Barton might be fun, but he lacks the arrogance to be a truly satisfying minion. I would not even consider my brother for such a position. At heart, Thor is a prude."

Stark smiled faintly "Take care of the others. Especially Rogers and your brother. They both have a limited understanding of current Earth culture." A wet, tearing cough shook him. Loki reached out to dab blood from the man's mouth with the corner of the bed sheet covering him.

"I will not need to. What would you live for, Stark?"

"Pepper. My teammates. The eventual sexual domination of the world."

The God of Mischief smiled. Even on the brink of death, the man was incorrigible. "That will do, I suppose. This will hurt, Tony Stark. Terribly. I trust that you will prevent my swift execution afterward."

"What are you talking about?"

Loki leaned over him. "Redemption." He put a hand on Stark's forehead, and prepared to initiate the reassembly. He had used this ability on himself once, after emerging from the black void. It was excruciatingly painful at best, but effective, while requiring a high amount of personal energy. It would most likely drain him to the point of near unconsciousness. His motivation for doing so was not entirely clear, but he would think on that later.

"Brace yourself, minion." He spared a brief moment to magically seal the door, and then loosed the energy into Stark's body.

Tony Stark arched up off the bed with a mortal scream of agony. Every muscle snapped tight, and he convulsed, still screaming. Loki pressed him back down onto the bed with a firm hand to his shoulder. He sympathized.

The door shuddered as someone pounded on it. Loki heard shouts and threats, and hoped Stark would take steps to prevent what Pepper Potts wanted to do to him. It sounded very painful and creative. He stared down at Stark, watching the man's body twist and writhe as it reformed itself into a vessel capable of sustaining life. As Stark improved, Loki wilted. The energy drain felt like a mortal wound, running out of him and taking all of his concerns with it.

He heard the roar of rage from outside, and knew that Banner was 'getting his freak on' as Darcy called it. The door should hold. If Loki didn't lose consciousness. He hoped it didn't occur to Thor to use...

The door exploded inwards with the boom of thunder. Loki deflected it, barely, and heard Stark's last agonized cry as the spell completed. Just in time. He felt the Hulk's crushing grip on his arms, and the beast roared at him, shaking him like a rag doll. Loki's head snapped back painfully, and darkness beckoned.

"Kill him!" Pepper shrieked. "Kill him now!" She was clawing at him with her nails, and pummeling him with her fists. At a different time, Loki might find amusement in her attack, but right now he couldn't bring himself to care.

"Brother what have you done?" Thor's disappointed and betrayed tone cut him deeply, but Loki knew all would be forgiven momentarily.

"Put one in him to slow him down!" Natasha snapped to Barton, who was already drawing his bow.

"STOP!" Stark roared, sitting up in his bed.

Everyone did. Hulk stopped shaking Loki, and powered down to Bruce Banner almost immediately, looking from Loki to the healed Stark, and then back to Loki. Barton eased his bow back to a neutral position, and Pepper Potts put a hand to her mouth, tears shining in her eyes. Loki didn't care. He was about to lose the battle with gravity and hit the floor, but Banner still held his arms, so he just dangled.

"Loki?" Thor lifted him away from Banner, and helped him to a chair. "Brother...you healed him?"

Stark was taking control. He stood, wrapping a sheet around his waist, since the hospital gown was not very substantial. "Yes, he healed me. After saving all of us yesterday. You guys have a short memory?"

Their embarrassment was slight vindication for the God of Mischief. He was struggling to stay conscious, and Thor was worrying over him like a mother hen.

"Stop feathering me, brother. I will be fine, eventually. That took more than I thought."

"I am so very sorry that I doubted you, Loki."

"You should have told them what you had planned," Stark called. Then he frowned thoughtfully, remembering what he had gone through. "Then again, their reactions probably wouldn't have been any different." He grinned cheekily, and looked at his teammates. "You guys love me! You really do. I'm touched. Bruce – you Hulked for me. And I didn't even get you anything for Valentine's Day. Pepper....you attacked the God of Mischief with your nails. That takes balls, woman. Gives me tingles."

Natasha threw her hands into the air. "He's fine. Loki – I'm sorry I doubted your intentions. It probably would have been better to tell us what you had planned first."

"I chose not to, because I was not certain that a mortal body could withstand the reconstruction."

Stark's head whipped around fast. "I could have died? What the hell, Loki?"

"You would have died, Stark. You were hours away from it at the most. Had I told everyone there was a possibility you would not survive, they would have clamored for your attention to say goodbye, and prevented me from initiating the reconstruction. It seemed better to avoid that possibility."

Stark was prevented from commenting by Pepper. She threw herself into his arms and hugged him fiercely. "He saved you!" she cried into his shoulder.

Tony slung an arm around her. "Yeah. I can almost forgive him for my wardrobe alterations the other day. He's redeemed himself." He looked over Pepper's head at Loki. "Will you be okay?"

"I will be fine." Although he felt like he'd been turned inside out and squeezed.

When Coulson, Fury and a large contingent of heavily armed S.H.I.E.L.D agents arrived seconds later, Stark invited them out to a local bar to celebrate his recovery.

Nick Fury was not happy. As usual. "We were told that Loki was killing you."

Pepper Potts ducked her head against Stark's shoulder in embarrassment. "Well, I thought he was," she said weakly. "Tony was screaming."

"What? I don't scream!"

Fury dismissed Stark with a wave of his hand, and turned his attention to Loki. "This is new mischief for you. I'm not sure what to think."

"Do not try. I do what I want. Stark is a serviceable minion, and I prefer to keep him. Recruiting, dominating and training a new minion is so tiresome." Loki swayed in his chair.

"You are not well," Thor told him. Trust his brother to make a truly obvious and unnecessary comment. It was annoying, yet strangely endearing.

"I will recover."

"You drained yourself yesterday. How is it that you were able to perform so great a magic today? Your physical hurts have almost entirely healed, much faster than my own. Where did that power come from, Loki?"

"Brother, I wondered the same thing myself. I do not have answers. Perhaps I was changed after falling from the Bifrost." Loki shrugged wearily. "It is a puzzle for another day." He looked up at Nick Fury, managing a slightly naughty grin. "You look more relaxed then when last I saw you, Nicholas. Did you take my advice?"

"Nicky got laid?" Stark called over Pepper's head. "Awesome! How's it feel, Nicky?"

"Did you really have to save him?" Fury's one eye was rolling.

Loki tried a weak chuckle. "Think of Pepper. She would be so distraught without him. And who would your media love to hate and hate to love?"

Fury sighed. "I should be getting hazard pay for this. Stay out of trouble, Loki. One of these days, we'll shoot first before your true intentions can be revealed."

"On a normal day, Nicholas, that would not cause me concern. I believe I have already proven my worth against your team."

As Fury drew in a breath in preparation of a verbal blasting, it was Banner who spoke up, much to everyone's surprise. "You two can snipe at each other. I'm going home."

Loki's eyes narrowed as Coulson's disturbing little smile widened. "An excellent suggestion for all of us, Dr. Banner. Glad to see you're feeling better, Mr. Stark." He pointedly gestured back down the hallway from where they'd come.

Thor pulled him to his feet, and was a steadying presence at his side as Loki followed Coulson, Fury, and Banner in the general exodus.

"Loki!" Stark called.

He turned, wobbling only a little. "Yes minion?"

The billionaire playboy grinned. "Thank you for saving my life." He still had one arm slung around Pepper, and he squeezed her as he said it.

Loki inclined his head. "You are welcome. We will discuss how you can repay me later." He was completely unprepared for Pepper to cast herself loose from Stark, throw herself at him, wrap her arms around him, and hug him tightly. It was highly irregular. He wasn't really a huggable person.

Pepper stepped back, brushing happy tears from her eyes. "I...thank you for saving him, Loki. Thank you."

He bowed his head. "You are also welcome."

Thor guided him behind the others to an elevator. They crowded in with Coulson and Banner. Loki did not feel comfortable in the moving box. He typically popped in and out of where he wanted to go. Traveling by mundane means was.....mundane.

Their elevator stopped three floors above the ground floor. An elderly woman starred at them with wide eyes: Thor's bulk took up a good deal of the elevator, there were several gun toting S.H.I.E.L.D agents, and Banner's clothes were ripped.

"Going down?" Coulson asked coolly.

"I'll wait," she assured. "You go ahead."

There were muted snickers when the elevator doors closed.

Once outside the hospital, Thor turned to him. "You are barely able to stand. Let me bring you home. Jane and I will care for you."

Loki genuinely appreciated the offer. "Thank you, but no. I have a promise to keep to someone else."

"Darcy?"

"Yes. I am in her debt. She cleaned and dressed my wounds last night." Loki shrugged. He really should still have those wounds, but they had closed and mostly healed. He was healing far faster than he ever had before.

"You must also clean her carpet," Thor told him. "She expressed a concern that you were bleeding on it."

Loki suppressed a smile. "I will." He looked around a little helplessly. "Would you know how to find Darcy from here? I usually do not use standard methods of transportation, but right now I do not have the energy for my typical mode."

Thor clapped his back lightly. "Stick your hand out like this and wave." He demonstrated, and a taxi swerved over to the curb. Thor grinned in delight. "You need only tell them where you wish to go from here, and they will take you." He opened the door of the cab, and Loki settled in with a wrinkle of his nose. The cleanliness and odor of the wheeled conveyance were offensive.

The cabbie turned around. "Where to, buddy?"

"Take me to Darcy's place," Loki answered absently.

"I don't know that one. What's the address?"

Loki looked to his brother for guidance, and Thor frowned. "I do not know. One moment." He fumbled a cell phone from his pocket, and managed to call Jane.

"What is Darcy's... address? Loki needs to thank her, but cannot spare energy to travel as he normally does. I have procured a...taxi...for him, but the driver does not know where to find Darcy and requires her...address."

Loki could hear the squawk of surprise from the little rectangular object Thor was talking into. Apparently, it was a magical device that could bring Jane's voice to him, and send his to her. Fascinating.

Thor dutifully repeated something to the cabbie, and then paused as the little box he was talking to told him something else. He held it away from his ear. "Do you have money, Jane wants to know."

Loki shook his head. "I have not yet seen a reason to procure it." He watched Thor pat down the pockets of the human pants he was wearing, and shrug.

Luck was with them as Stark emerged from the hospital with his adoring entourage of Pepper and the other Avengers. Thor waved him over, and the billionaire leaned into the taxi.

"You're taking a taxi, Loki? This is a downfall for you." He grinned.

"It is your fault, minion. Had I not expended a ridiculous amount of energy to save your life...."

"Good point. What's the problem?"

"I need money. I do not have any of my own yet, nor does Thor."

Stark sighed. "You boys need to start integrating into Earth life a little more." He straightened. "Pepper?"

The blond woman dug in the bag she carried, and pulled out folded paper. She passed it to the cabbie. "Take him wherever he wants to go for the rest of your shift."

"My thanks," Loki said. "I will attempt to learn more of Earth culture, as you have suggested, minion." A thought occurred to him. "How is my apparel? Suitable for a date?"

Pepper's mouth dropped open. "You're dating someone? A human?"

Loki sighed. "Yes."

Stark grinned. "You look fine. But you should probably warn her that you're completely worn out. Women get all crazy when a man tries to perform, and can't." He ducked out of the way of Pepper's punch.

Loki lifted his head regally. "I am a god, Stark. I am never that worn out." He would not admit that Tony Stark had just called the situation perfectly. There was no way he would have the energy for sex right now.

Stark waved a dismissing hand. "Yeah, whatever. I'm not judging, because you saved my life. But you should probably warn her."

They were all crazy and too intrusive. Loki did not want their help. He bid them farewell, and pulled the door shut.

The taxi ride had been noisy and frightening. Loki did not like the mortal way of getting from one place to another.

He took the stairs to the third floor of the building where Darcy lived, and knocked on her door. There was no answer, so he knocked again. Still no answer, so he tried the knob. It was unlocked, so he pushed it open with a frown.

Darcy was sprawled out on the floor, in the same spot he had left her standing. Loki rushed to her side, dropping to his knees. She was cold, he found when he picked up her hand. Loki checked her pulse, feeling a little frantic, and was relieved to feel her heart beating, but very slowly. What had happened to her? He didn't know what to do.

He saw the strange talk device like Thor had used sitting on the little table in front of the sofa. He picked it up, and tried to sense what to press to make it work. Some buttons felt more likely than others, so he pressed those. When he heard a noise, he held the device to his ear, as he had seen Thor do.

"Darcy?" It was Jane's voice coming from inside the device.

"Jane! Jane it is Loki."

"You know how to use a cell phone?"

"Please. Something is terribly wrong with Darcy. I have no energy to help her. I....I do not know what to do."

He reached out to take Darcy's hand again, and almost flinched. She was even colder. He felt stronger. Strong enough to help her? He had barely been able to walk when he left the hospital, but it seemed he was recovering quickly. Too quickly.

Loki dropped her hand as if he'd been scorched, and moved as far away from her as he could. "It is me, Jane Foster. I am causing this, somehow. Please....I cannot be near her to help her."

"Thor and I will be right there, Loki. Open her window."

The talk device went dead, and Loki moved to the single window in the apartment, in the bedroom. He yanked it open, and stepped back to wait the arrival of his brother and Jane Foster. He felt...sick. He was somehow draining Darcy's vital energy for his own use, just by being near her. It had not happened previously. What had changed to turn his body into a reflexive energy vampire?

As Thor and Jane dropped through the window, Mjolnir still humming, Loki found that he had no answers. He would have to keep his distance from Darcy Lewis until he found them.

♾️ ♾️ ♾️

Drama! DRAMA! DRAAAMMAAA!!

Serious drama coming up, fam.

Vote and Comment, or I would vote for my own and settle with one vote, HAH.

Love,
InfinityHaze ♾️