At the door of Stark Tower

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He doesn't really have a phone anymore, at least not one that isn't a burner on the end of it's life, and that phone never had the number he needed in it, so he didn't call ahead. Instead, he's just there, heading for the front desk to see if perhaps, just maybe, he has a friend here. Or at least an ally.

"Steve Rogers for Tony Stark, please?"

Comments

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Yeah, the penthouse. Wherever Tony took Loki."

Because he'd very much like to make sure there isn't a cross-universal, cross-dimensional incident.

[actuallyhasaheart]

"Certainly, sir." It only takes another forty-five seconds after that for the elevator to reach the penthouse floor, and the door slides open with a nicely understated 'ding'.

"Oh hey Cap, what kept you?" Tony calls, grinning just a little under the mask, from where he's keeping a close eye on Loki.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He breathed in and out, put walked in, and let the doors close behind him.

"Can you put the face shield up, Tony? It's weird talking with you like that."

[actuallyhasaheart]

"Oh yeah, sure," Tony replies, reaching up to flip it open. "Better?"

[godofbadideas]

He has brown eyes.

It's an idle observation, but an important one; the Tony Stark of Loki's own universe has bright, unmistakeable blue.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve nods thankfully before turning to look at Loki.

"So. You're here. And you haven't left yet. So that means we need to talk."

[godofbadideas]

"I was going to leave, but it seemed as if I might end up attacked if I did." He shrugs a little. "Coming along seemed like the least messy option."

[actuallyhasaheart]

"Out of the goodness of your heart, I'm sure. So," Tony continues, holding up a hand to forestall any interruptions. "Assuming for a minute you're telling anything close to the truth, what are you doing here?"

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"He said something about a universe without shrimp," Steve offers 'helpfully'.

[actuallyhasaheart]

Okay, under any other circumstances - with any other space Viking - that'd be fucking hilarious.

"Buffy references, really Hornboy?"

'Reindeer Games' just doesn't seem to work with the little tiara instead of the big, horny helmet.

[godofbadideas]

Oops.

"I was always rather impressed with the accuracy of some of the references in that television programme," Loki replies. "Believe it or not, the universe without shrimp is written of, and I had some free time, so I figured, why not? It surely beats some of my other options."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve, on the other hand, is pulling out his pad and writing down 'Buffy' as a thing to check out. If Loki of all people knew what Tony was talking about, it was probably at least somewhat important.

[godofbadideas]

That is. Adorable. Is he writing it down? It looks like he is; the motions of his pencil look right.

"If you check out Buffy, don't forget Angel, and the comic books too," Loki says. "Unless those didn't happen here?" he asks, glancing at Stark for an answer.

[actuallyhasaheart]

"No, they happened," Tony finds himself replying. And if anything, the Buffy reference is what makes him think that maybe, just maybe, this Loki is telling the truth about being from another universe. The Loki leading the invasion in New York had been more than a little unhinged, and completely disdainful of pretty much all things 'mortal' and 'Midgardian'.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He looks from Loki to Tony and back again.

"I'll keep it in mind. But" and now he's giving Loki the firm look "I'd really like to know what you're doing here of all places."

[godofbadideas]

"Oh, that's simple." Not really, but it can be simplified. "This building, or something very much like it, is a constant across a number of universes. That gives it... Hmm, something like gravity, I suppose, is a good analogy. Travelling between universes isn't a terribly precise business, and so something like this makes for an excellent anchor point, if something goes wrong. Which it must have, if I got pulled out of my travelling spell, with this universe the closest to where I was at that moment."

He pauses for a moment, and licks his lips.

"Or someone did something recently to disrupt time and space around this particular iteration of this tower, in which case I probably should have used a different anchor."

[actuallyhasaheart]

"...I need a drink," Tony decides, heading for his bar. If he's going to try and parse the bullshit from the truth, he really, really does. Need a drink, and possibly an Asgardian, preferably Thor.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

There's a look at Tony, because no way in hell would Loki act like he hadn't known about his own 'amazing' schemes. The jerk had looked smug even while Thor was escorting him back to Asgard.

[actuallyhasaheart]

"Yeah, 'someone' did," Tony says, giving Loki a very pointed look. Drink, check.

"Either of you want one?" he asks. Let it never be said that Tony Stark is anything other than an excellent host. When he wants to be.

[godofbadideas]

"Oh for the love of Asgardia." Facepalm x2 combo? Facepalm x2 combo. "Did he really--? Of course he did, what kind of question is that, I know what I'm like. Yes, I'll take a drink, thank you."

Once. Just once is all he asks. One universe. One iteration of himself who didn't spend a good chunk of time being a giant asshole?

Sigh.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Surprisingly enough, Steve actually pats him on the back.

"You know, I think I actually believe you. The question is, though..." and he looks at Loki again, "what kind of trouble do you cause?"

[actuallyhasaheart]

"I'd be interested in that answer, too," Tony says. He heads back over to the couch with a craft beer and a Mexican Coke (despite the fact that Steve didn't ask for one; if the villain gets a drink, so does Captain America, but one of them should stay sober) held by the bottlenecks in one hand, and his drink in the other.

[godofbadideas]

"Nothing like that," Loki says, gesturing broadly out the window, before reaching up to take the bottle.

"But I am the god of chaos; it follows me, even when I try not to let it."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"So what do you think might have followed you here?"

That's the important part.

[godofbadideas]

"Well, nothing that I'm aware of, though now that you mention it, I probably ought to check..."

Loki's eyes go a little distant, as he extends his magical senses, and sips idly at the (quite good) beer. After a moment, he shakes his head.

"Nothing nearby."