Pepper had never been prouder of her strict command of her emotions than this morning. Two days after the invasion, and Tony was just barely well enough to leave his bed for any real length of time.
She was thankful that so many specialists made time to conference call them or even do house calls if they were near enough.
Traffic in the city was still a mess, the airport had only just reopened.
She had helped Tony bathe and dress this morning, it had been less of a struggle than she was expecting and that worried her more than she could say.
“I’m fine Pepp,” Tony admonished lightly, catching her eye and interpreting her look correctly. “You were right, I need my energy for this.”
The ‘this’ he was referring to was an interrogation, though Pepper intended to turn it into a negotiation.
They were in the lowest sub basement of Stark Tower, one of their R and D labs had been cleared out and turned into a temporary cell for their alien invader. Loki. From the Myths. The God.
She would dwell on that later.
On short notice, their security team had quickly rigged up a serviceable bed, welded to the floor for all the good it would do them, and provided him with the bare amenities for comfort.
The room even had a small, two person bathroom and a safety shower.
Pepper had sent down some exercise clothes from Tony’s favorite brand in his assumed size. Thor hadn’t known, something about that set off her instincts she knew better than to ignore.
Something told her the casual luxury of the pricey brand would appeal to one spoiled prince just as much as another.
JARVIS and two security guards, one SHIELD one SI were on watch at all times. SHIELD was happy to allow them to keep and eye on the invader 'for them.' Pepper gritted her teeth and bore their misplaced entitlement to Tony's funds, time, and resources. JARVIS was on the case and soon there would be nowhere for those thieves and grifters to hide.
The very thought soothed her.
For the time being, she had more immediate concerns in mind. Major concerns about their attempted invader.
So far J reported that Loki had eaten the food provided (and promptly vomited), showered (and flinched at every noise), used the facilities (and nearly passed out), and slept for nearly eighteen hours a day.
Now Pepper didn't know if things worked the same for aliens and gods but she’d seen those signs before when Tony came back from Afghanistan.
From the research she’d put in as she vetted therapists for Tony following his ordeal in Afghanistan, these were very bad signs. She didn't know what had happened to the alien prince but she was going to find out.
Thor had not been forthcoming about what happened to Loki to cause his brilliant, master strategist, silver tongued brother to ‘lose all reason and embrace madness’ but she’d bet her favorite shoes it was something big and relevant because that invasion plan was as far from brilliant as possible.
Not that Thor seemed to notice. Hell, he was still ‘celebrating with his shield brothers’ more like SHIELD brothers she thought unkindly, but now wasn't the time.
Tony and Pepper watched over the cameras as Loki allowed himself to be chained and led through the halls to another lab that had been converted to a makeshift conference room complete with comfortable chairs and light refreshments.
“Ready, Pepp?” he asked worriedly, still not comfortable with her being in harm's way in spite of her well placed arguments and the security plans they had in place.
He couldn’t lose her. Of all the things he’d suffered, that would break him.
“I sure am.” she smiled reassuringly, knowing he would allow no harm to befall her, not that she thought it would come to that but one could never be too careful.
Tony straightened his tie and leaned in to peck her on the lips. “Showtime.”
Tony entered the room first and had two JARVIS manned Iron Man suits stationed in opposite corners of the room before Pepper stepped inside. She was happy to have the protection since they didn't want Thor here bungling this if possible and they knew the suits could, at the very least stand up to Loki’s strength while Pepper was rushed from the room.
Showtime indeed.
“Man of Iron. To what do I owe the pleasure of your hospitality?” Loki was saying as Pepper stepped into the room.
He stood quickly at the sight of her and executed a formal bow. Tony gestured for the suits, which had armed themselves at his sudden motion to stand down.
“This is Ms. Potts. You’ve been under her hospitality.”
“Then I have you to Thank milady for the comforts you’ve provided me.” Loki titled his head in acknowledgement. He was still standing and Pepper got the feeling he wouldn’t sit until she did in spite of his obvious physical weakness.
“You’re most welcome Prince Loki,” she leaned on her experience with Earth royalty and diplomats and hoped her manners would translate. “Please sit,” she said as Tony pulled out her chair, furthest from Loki, closest to the door.
The man(god) Asgardian? Was handsome but gaunt, pale and somehow fragile. He sat at her behest and eyed them warily. “Will Thor be joining us?”
“Not this time,” she said lightly, ignoring the surprise that flickered across his face at her words. “Would you care for some refreshments? Tea perhaps?”
She’d had that stocked with his recent stomach issues in mind. He hesitated, glancing between them uncertainty before agreeing. Pepper rose smoothly and prepared a cup of vanilla lavender tea with manuka honey.
She handed it to Tony who took it with a grin and shambled over to hand it to the trickster god.
“I thank you again my lady. It is an honor to take refreshment prepared by your own hands.”
Tony mock frowned, knowing the other man (he refused to even think of him as a god) was simply being mannerly. “Lay off she’s taken.”
Loki’s eyes shot up to his in surprise before the look faded to amusement as he realized he was being teased. “By some lucky man I’m sure,”He quipped back and took a sip of the tea with a small sigh. “Delicious.”
“The luckiest man,” Tony agreed smoothly. He was now 100% sure Pepper was right (wasn’t she always?) about the mind control the other man had been under. He had been on the fence about whether he was a willing or unwilling puppet but that haunted look in his eyes, that resigned exhaustion, the tense disbelief that any of this was really happening.
Tony recognized the look of a fellow tormented escapee, he glanced at Pepper with a small smile. “So, how would you feel about staying on Earth for a bit longer?”
“To be imprisoned?” Loki asked with a weak sneer. “The All Father would never allow it. It will be his prison or none at all.”
“As our guest,” Pepper cut in smoothly. “You’ve already said you like the accommodations and I can assure you they only get better from here.”
For a moment he sat in stunned silence, the tea cup half way to his mouth. He set in back in its saucer without so much as a rattle of the china. “Why? How would it serve you?”
“Why are your eyes green?” Tony countered
Loki shot him a mischievous grin and started to say what was clearly a well practiced answer. “You’ll have to take that up with,” he hesitated and all the cockiness drained from his frame. “My… Odin I suppose.”
Tony winced, remembering the embarrassed way Thor clarified that Loki was adopted. It stood to reason that if Thor looked like their parents, then Loki didn’t.
He grimaced at Pepper who shot him a fondly exasperated look and took over the conversation again.
“Your eyes were blue during the invasion, a hard knock to the head freed the other victims of mind control as well as returned their eyes to their normal color. The same happened to you on a...grander scale.” she said in delicate reference to the Hulk's attack.
“How did you know that?” he all but demanded.
“We’ve looked over the security footage, your highness. You seem to have a lot in common with the other victims of the scepter you were wielding,” she responded calmly.
Loki’s eyes brimmed with tears for a moment before he swallowed thickly and looked away from Pepper’s searching gaze. “Even Thor didn’t notice. Face to face.”
Pepper’s heart broke for him, but she knew better than to let that sympathy show, surely nothing would push him away faster than feeling pitied. “He did tell us that he had no idea where your army came from. Or the scepter itself.”
“He’s also admitted that mind control is forbidden magic, a law put in place by your mother,” Tony said lightly, keeping his expressions under careful control. “I doubt you’d throw away her teachings on a whim.”
“I would never.” Loki admitted softly. It was strange seeing him so at odds with the menacing armored figure he'd presented during the invasion. Now he was simply a handsome man who’d been ill used and had his own mind turned against him.
They sat in silence for a moment before Pepper spoke again. “Tell us who sent you and what their plans are and we can work with the best lawyers and law makers in the world to allow you to live free. Possibly as some soft of work release program if you help us prepare a defense against what we now know is coming.”
Loki looked at her in blank shock. “You know he hasn’t been defeated? That this was simply his vanguard?”
Tony cut in again, catching the taller man's attention. “It was pretty obvious, Reindeer Games. What I saw through that wormhole wasn’t a half measure of anything. I don't know how things are done on Asgard but here on Earth? An enemy doesn't stop after the first failed attempt.
Loki huffed a laugh. “Who dares stand against the might of Asgard?”
“This guy might. He has an army.” Pepper quoted his speech from the penthouse.
Loki’s eyes flicked to her sharply, taking her measure for a long moment before shifting his attention back to Tony. “A very lucky man indeed.” He sighed and took another sip of tea, giving Tony a searching look. “You believe you can defeat him? Even after what you’ve seen?”
“I’ll do my damnedest and around here that means something.” Tony confirmed.
“We will do anything in our power to defend Earth, and her allies.” Pepper said firmly.
Loki ran a tired hand through his hair and gave a wry smile. “Where do I sign?”