Furious Dreams
The next month came and went with no trouble. The group grew even closer as friends, and the band practices made the group even happier. They were all having pizza for lunch one day and discussing what song they should practice with next. Loki and Tony wanted to do Imagine Dragons for the 6th time that week and after much arguing, the rest eventually caved in and let the two madmen have their way.
Just as they finished their meal and were cleaning up, JARVIS sounded from overhead.
"Sir, Director Fury of Shield is at the front entrance."
"Not now JARVIS."
They then heard the elevator being used before JARVIS spoke again. "Sir, I am afraid he has overwritten my protocols."
"Shit."
Tony, now panicked, told Loki firmly, "Go to your room, now. It is not safe for you up here." He hadn't told Fury that Loki was staying at the tower yet, and the last time Fury came to the tower was immediately after the Battle of New York.
Loki understood and headed towards the stairs, but it was too late. The elevator dinged and it slid open to reveal Nick Fury and his assistant, Maria Hill. Fury spoke to Tony as he walked out of the elevator, "Stark, there's a situation at Shield. The world council wanted me to tell you..." His voice trailed off as a certain God of Mischief caught his attention. "Loki!"
Maria sprang into action, catching Loki off guard as she punched him from behind, making his knees buckle and she forced him to the hard ground, putting him in handcuffs behind his back. He struggled bit but stopped after he realized it was no use. His strength was depleted because of the bracelets so he could barely fight back as it was. Having a knee dig into your shoulder blade made it that much more difficult. His ribs were pressing up against his lungs, inhibiting his breathing. He groaned slightly as Hill pushed down on his head, keeping him from seeing his captor.
Steve yelled, "STOP!" Everyone in the room froze. The only sound in the room was Loki's heavy gasping and slightgroaning as Hill pushed against the fresh wounds. Loki had a cut on his cheek and above his eye and he was almost certain he had a few bruised, if not cracked, ribs. Clint got up to go over the Loki to help him, but Fury pointed a gun at Clint, almost daring him to help the trickster.
Fury said, "Stark, you are going to tell me why the hell the guy who tried to take over New York is back on earth, IN YOUR TOWER."
Thor started to explain his father's sentence for Loki to Fury.
"My father sentenced him to spend the rest of his life in exile here on Midgard. He has been entrusted into the Avengers care."
"Okay, but that still doesn't explain why he isn't in a cell a couple of floors below us right now."
Tony readied himself for the eventual backlash. "About a month ago, we all found out we played instruments. We were heading down to the music room to test out if we could play a song together when we heard something coming from the prisoner level. We found out it was Loki singing. He was pretty damn good too," Loki smiled at Tony, "so we wanted him in our band." Tony paused before he said the next part. "We gave him most of his freedom in exchange for singing in our band."
Fury closed his eye and sighed. "You let him out...so he could SING...IN YOUR BAND!"
"Yup."
Fury looked like he was ready to murder every last one of them. Bruce quickly stepped in and said," He hasn't caused any of us harm since he got some freedom. He's actually been pretty nice to us." He knew it wasn't entirely true, but the frost-giant thing didn't happen on purpose.
Fury looked at them all cautiously, then hesitantly put his gun away. He gave Maria a nod and she slowly got off of Loki's prone body. The whole team ran over to help Loki. Nat helped him sit up, while Clint got the handcuffs off. Loki squeezed his shut in pain as he sat up, his airways unconstricting, but his entire body now recognizing his injuries, sent shoots of pain through his chest and wrists. They got the handcuffs off and Steve and Thor helped him get to the couch, where they laid him down. Bruce and Tony started to tend to his wounds with a first-aid kit, looking disapprovingly at Fury.
Fury stood there, shocked, watching this unfold in front of him. He said, "You guys look like you actually care about him."
"We do," Clint said.
"He manipulated you guys, and you forgive him?" Fury asked in disbelief.
Nat replied, "It's not like you haven't."
He stood there in silence for a while before telling Tony," The world security council wanted to let you know that they want an arc reactor for headquarters. They want in on the clean energy business."
Tony stood up and said, "After what you guys just did to Loki, how 'bout no."
Fury sighed before pointing at Loki and telling Tony, "If he does anything out-of-line... you'll be answering to me." He and Maria stalked towards the elevator and left the tower without another word.
Bruce was finished putting the last bandage on Loki's face. Bruce told him that the cuts would heal in a couple of days and he had no long-lasting injuries besides a few bruised ribs. Loki nodded before getting up to go over to the kitchen to finish his pizza. Tony came over and told him that he was sorry for how Fury treated him.
"It's not your fault. Now, let's continue the conversation we were having before Fury came." Loki said to the group.
It was a good day after that. They all mutually decided to postpone practice for the day because of the injuries, and instead played some board games in the living area. Loki decided to retire to his room a little earlier than usual because of a headache he had sustained earlier. He lied down on the green comforter he had been given and immediately dozed off.
"Think you can talk back to your master? You'll regret that." The Other said as a chitauri soldier slammed Loki's body down on the hard rock, hands bound behind him. Loki groaned in agony as they dragged him towards a dark room and chained him to the floor. They gagged him and left immediately. Hot steam started to fill the room. For a normal person, it would be unpleasant, but for a Frost-giant, it was unbearable. The steam enveloped him as he started to try and gasp for air, but the gag prevented him from doing so. His body slowly slipped into unconsciousness and he could feel the chitauri drag him out again to torture him more just as he blacked out.
Loki's eyes burst open as he sat up sharply and began panting heavily. He could feel hands brushing his shaking arm, trying to calm him down. He looked over to see Clint at his bedside. "It's ok, Loki. It was just a nightmare. Please calm down." His breathing started to return to normal as he leaned back against the propped-up pillow against the wall, not wanting to lay down again.
Loki finally calmed down enough to ask Clint, "What were you doing in my room before I woke up?"
"I was up already because I couldn't sleep. I was in the living room when JARVIS told me it seemed like you were in distress. So I came down here to see what was going on, and I found you tossing and turning with your eyes squeezed shut. I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't. So, I just stayed here until you woke up." Clint explained.
Loki nodded in understanding. "Thank you for staying with me."
"Your welcome. Now, you don't have to tell me right now, or ever for that matter, but if you ever want to discuss your nightmares, I'll listen. I get them too."
Loki paused.
"Because of me?" he said meekly.
"Partially, but to be honest it's mostly stuff from my past before the whole 'Avengers' thing."
"Sorry..."
"Don't worry about it, I would have gotten them without you or not."
"I suppose you might've..." The god said with a small smile. Not a smirk or a conniving look. A genuine smile. Clint smiled back and got up to go out of the room. Loki said as he walked out, "Goodnight Clint."
"Goodnight Loki."
-------------------------------------------------------
The next day the whole group, minus Loki who was sleeping in, decided to plan a day to binge-watch the "Harry Potter" series because Loki had finished all of the books. They decided to let Thor take Loki out of the tower for a day so they could decorate and plan the party tomorrow while they were out. The plan had been agreed upon just as Loki came into the room to grab breakfast, giving an almost imperceptable nod to Clint.