Utter Darkness

“I just think that if she’s locked you out then it’s a bad idea to bust in on her. They could be… umm… preoccupied…” Steve blushed.

Tony shook his head and frowned, damn the Cap’s 40’s era sensibilities. “She damn well shouldn’t be ‘preoccupied’; the doc said no strenuous activities for at least another week.” Tony huffed.

“Look I don’t care how good a programmer she is, she shouldn’t have been able to lock me out. I created JARVIS. It’s been over twelve hours since anyone’s seen or heard from either of them. What if the ex-con turned on her and she’s in there bleeding out?” He shoved a hand roughly through his hair. “Look, you should be able to hit the door hard enough to take it off the hinges without doing too much damage to the building. Pepper will be pissed if I use the suit inside the building again…”

“Sir if I may?” the AI politely interrupted.

“What?” He asked tersely.

“The door is unlocked now.”

The demeanor of both men changed instantly. They went from bickering friends to teammates on a mission. They were both still in pajamas, but anyone could see they still had an air of authority to them. Cap held his shield in front of them and they both entered cautiously. The apartment was still dark but they left the lights off for stealth’s sake. Steve headed towards the front of the apartment and Tony headed towards the bedroom. He opened the bedroom door and flipped on the light abruptly hoping to catch them off guard.

“That son of a bitch…” He was instantly by Darcy’s side. “Please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead.” He carefully checked for a pulse. “Come kiddo wake up…” He gently shook her a few times trying to wake her. “JARVIS call Dr. Finklestein, wake Happy, and tell him to get the doctor here as fast as possible. Then wake Jane and tell her to get down here now.”

“Yes sir.”

There was a sheet covering most of her body, she was unconscious, she had a ring of bruises around her throat, and a bloodied bite mark where her neck met her shoulder. “Oh baby girl, what have you gotten yourself into?” Tony whispered as he softly brushed the hair from her face and settled her crooked glasses.

“The rest of the apartment’s empty…” Steve looked down at Darcy for the first time. “Shit,” Steve dropped his shield and stumbled into Darcy’s bathroom. Tony heard him retching. When Steve returned his face was ashen and he looked angrier than Tony had ever seen.

“We need a list of known associates and where he used to live and…”

“Hold on there, Cap, this isn’t a cop show where we can just go find this guy in some local bar. He’s not a normal ex-con. He’s an alien.” Tony had kept his word. No one but he and Darcy knew Loki’s true identity. And now with Reindeer Games gone rogue and Darcy unconscious Tony was at a loss. The whole damn world would be pissed that he had been harboring that particular fugitive.

“Fine, then build me a damn spaceship. Let’s go get this monster.” Steve’s fists were balled at his side.

Tony quirked an eyebrow. There was more to his anger than Steve had let on.

A gasp came from the doorway. Tony moved to the side to let Jane get to Darcy’s bedside. “She’s unconscious; she has some bruising but nothing that looks life threating.” Suddenly Tony’s world reeled to the right. “You slapped me!” he exclaimed.

“Damn it, Tony I told you this was a bad idea! You should have let Agent Hill take him!” Jane hissed as she shook her hand.

Tony rubbed his sore cheek. “Damn, you pack a mean wallop. I thought it was under control, he was weak as a kitten, and so freaking lovey-dovey with Darcy… he just didn’t seem like any kind of threat. ”

“Jane?” Darcy moaned and she tried to sit up. Jane was by her side right away and twittering over her like a mother hen. Darcy groaned. “Damn I feel like I was hit by a mac truck. I must’ve gotten like black-out drunk last night.” She grimaced at the guys in her room, and whispered to Jane. “Hey Janey-bird, why are those guys in my room? Isn’t that Mr. Stark? And who’s the beefcake?” Steve and Tony stood in the doorway debating their next course of action.

Jane went very still. “That’s Steve.” At Darcy’s confused look she added, “Steve Rogers.”

“As in Captain America, that Steve Rogers?” Jane nodded. “Holy crap! He’s a hottie, you should totally introduce us. But seriously why are they in my room?” Darcy asked genuine confusion written all over her face. She struggled to sit up, trying to keep the sheet around her body.

Jane was paler than normal. “Umm, Darcy, what day is today?”

“Umm, Thursday I think why?” With her arms outside the sheet, she could see some of the bruising. Fear began to creep into her voice. “Was I in a cage match or something?”

Jane shook her head, “Focus Darce, I mean what is today date?”

“August eighth? Jane you’re freaking me out. What the hell is going on?” She finally got into a relatively comfortable sitting position, and she felt the wicked soreness between her legs. “Oh god…” she moaned, her hand coming to rest below her navel.

Jane got up and grabbed Darcy’s fuzzy green bathrobe from the hook on the back of her closet door. She had a terrible worried look in her eyes as she helped Darcy slide it on.

“Tony,” Jane voice wavered. Tony was by Darcy’s bed in an instant. “Tony, she thinks today is August eighth.”

Tony grimaced. He turned to Darcy with a sad look in his eyes, gently brushed some hair out of Darcy’s face, and noticed an odd shimmery spot on her temple. “Hey kiddo, how you feeling?” He asked softly.

She cringed away from him, trying to adjust the bathrobe to cover her more completely. The familiarity of his actions was confusing. “More than just a little freaked ou…”

Suddenly a loud set of sirens went off, the lights dimmed, and JARVIS spoke over the loudspeaker, “Sir the vault has been compromised.”

Tony reached over and quickly dug through Darcy’s bedside table, grabbed her taser, and before she had a chance to protest, handed it to Jane. “The doctor should be here any minute. Jane, if he comes back, don’t even let him speak, just tase him immediately. Tell Happy to stay here with you guys until I come back.” Jane nodded.

He turned to Steve. “Let’s go kick some alien ass.” Steve nodded and picked up his shield. “What he did to Darcy must have been a diversion so he could get into the vault.” Tony nodded to Jane as they headed out. “JARVIS contact Barton and see if he wants in on this.” Darcy could hear Stark barking more orders as he left.

Jane sat pale and trembling beside her, holding the taser out in front of her.

“What day is it Jane?”

Jane shook her head, “I think we should wait for Dr. Finklestein. You’ve had a lot happen in a very short period of time and I think…”

“Come on, just tell me Jane.” Darcy pleaded.

Jane swallowed hard. “It’s November 14th.”

Darcy felt like the world had dropped out from beneath her. She put two and two together, the pain, the fact that she woke up naked, the guys in her room, her apparent memory loss. Tears welled in her eyes as she turned to Jane, “What have I done? Some guy got into the tower because of me didn’t he? Did he… I mean was I… was I…?” Darcy couldn’t finish the question.

Jane wrapped one arm around Darcy’s trembling shoulders and pulled the younger woman close. Her voice was thick, “I don’t know hon, I really don’t know. I personally didn’t like him, but he seemed like a good guy, like he really cared for you, but after this I just don’t know. It all began a couple months ago, when you started having these crazy dreams...”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tony and Steve arrived at the vault to find it still locked. Tony shrugged and went through the five-step process to open the vault. When the large round door finally swung open, they came face to face with ‘Tom’, who was still in jeans and a t-shirt. He was sitting casually with his chair tipped back, with his feet up on the table crossed at the ankles. He grinned wickedly as the two Avengers entered the vault, as though this were some prearranged meeting, rather than breaking and entering. “About time you two arrived. Your security is seriously lacking, Stark.” He tossed something up and caught it again.

“You hurt Darcy,” Steve snarled, not a question, not an accusation, a statement of fact.

“I did nothing of the sort.” ‘Tom’ rolled his eyes and continued tossing and catching the object in his right hand.

“She has bruises around her throat and a bite mark that say otherwise.” Steve growled.

“Haven’t you ever… well I suppose you haven’t.” He turned to Tony. “Stark, haven’t you ever become so overeager in your passions that you’ve left marks behind?” ‘Tom’ almost purred.

Tony saw a glint of yellow in the egg-sized object ‘Tom’ was tossing up and catching. “We’re not talking about a damn hickey! She has a hand print around her throat and a bloody bite mark on her neck, only a monster would do something like that to someone he claimed to love.” Tony slammed his hands down on the table.

“So I am a monster?” His eyes narrowed and his magic rippled over him as he stood fluidly, gracefully, all illusions melting away revealing his true Asgardian form. “Perhaps I should look the part then.” His imposing presence seemed to fill the room.

“Loki.” Steve growled.

“In the flesh. I cannot tell you how disappointing it is to have been in your company for almost a week, unrecognized. Truly, I expected more from you Stark. Though to have played the player, as Darcy would put it, was quite gratifying.” Loki’s grin was mocking.

“Leave Darcy out of this! After what you did to her you have no right to…” Steve shouted

“I have every right, I have the only right. She is mine and mine alone!” Loki’s demeanor changed, he went from uncaring to aggressive in the blink of an eye.

“Why Darcy?” Tony was reeling, reaching for anything to distract the god as he struggled to process and decipher Loki motivations.

Loki shrugged as his aggression seemingly faded, “I have my reasons.”

What kind of game was Loki playing? He was covering Tony’s knowledge of his true identity. “So what was your game then? Gain our trust so that you could hit us from the inside? Surely you know even with your full powers you’re no match for us.”

“If you plan on threatening me you should have put on your armor.” Loki quipped.

Tony’s mind continued to twist trying to figure out Loki’s angle. “Would have taken too long to put on and we wanted to catch you before you ran.”

Loki cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. “Why would I run, when it will be so much more enjoyable just going straight through you?”

“Thanks for the offer but I don’t swing like that.” Tony smirked.

Loki looked genuinely confused by Tony’s statement. “What?”

“Hey!” Steve shouted. Tony and Loki both looked at him. “Witty banter aside, are we going to kick his butt now?”

Loki spread his hands wide, “You’re certainly welcome to try.” He dropped into a fighting stance as he pulled two daggers from his vambraces.

Tony took a deep breath and suddenly everyone was in motion. Steve threw his shield at Loki who smoothly ducked as he threw one of his daggers at Tony. The shield ricocheted off of the vault wall and came back to Steve as Tony dodged the dagger and advanced on the god. Loki grinned manically as he swung his right hand at Tony; his dagger glancing off of the billionaire’s left shoulder. Tony hissed in pain as Steve’s right hook was blocked and the god swung around to hit Steve in the solar plexus. Steve’s breath left in a startled wheeze and Tony swung around placing himself between Loki and Steve so that Steve could recover. Loki swung at Tony’s unprotected abdomen with the dagger and Tony dodged out of the way, as Steve’s fist finally made contact with Loki’s jaw. Loki grunted as he was driven back the force of Steve’s blow.

Loki chuckled darkly as he stroked his sore jaw, “Well met, Captain. However, it seems I have no more time for banalities.” There was a flash of magic and Steve fell unconscious.

Tony gaped in shock, “What the fu…”

“Do not run the final tests or attempt to use the Bi-Frost Replicator to create the bridge.” Loki hissed.

“Or what, you’ll kill us?”

Loki shook his head. “No you imbecile, I’m not threatening you. There are things far worse than I, that desire entrance to your world. Protect Darcy, or there will be consequences, and that is a threat.” He grinned, “Oh and this will hurt…” There was a second flash of magic and Tony fell unconscious as well. There was the clamor of approaching men, Loki looked down dispassionately at the unconscious men, and disappeared.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Oh dear one, now don’t give me that look.” The little girl huffed at me as she turned to stare out the window at the sunset, she reminded me so much of her father at that age. I felt the need to explain. “Yes, he made some very poor decisions, trying to do good things but going about doing them in very bad ways. Come now, I know this has been a long story, but take heart, we’re nearly through, and I promise there is a happy ending.” The dark haired blue-eyed girl perked up, she loved happy endings.

“Shall I tell you about my part in this story?” The five-year-old girl nodded.

“Well let’s see, I was sitting in my garden staring into the scrying pool, worrying over his actions… How could he, in less than an hour’s time undo all the good he had accomplished so far?” I gave a small frustrated sigh. “His imprisonment had been a difficult trial for him to endure but I had made certain that when he finally began to see his culpability for his actions, there was a reward. In my foresight knew that there was one with which he might form a soul bond. I had expended much of my magic to find the one. I had sent the spell over the whole of the Nine Realms. His bond-mate had been drawn to him, there in the void. I watched over them. I had told no one of my secret plans. I made deals with the Norns. And in the end, it has been worth everything I have sacrificed. He is whole again thanks to the girl, his bond-mate, and that is all I can hope for.”

The child giggled and I pulled her unto my lap.

“Let’s see where was I… Ah yes, as I sat by the scrying pool and watched as he yet again made another foolish choice. He had tried to distance himself from the girl he was falling in love with in order to keep her safe.” I allowed myself a small smile; his bond-mate was as unruly as he was. Her tongue as untamed and wild as he was controlled. His bond-mate wore her heart in plain sight while he guarded his so closely that many proclaimed that he had none. Of course, I knew better.

The hour was growing late and the child on my lap was growing sleepy. “There is but a little more to tell you. You see, the connection between the two had grown, the girl had removed his stitches, had healed his heart and to some degree his soul as well. Through their bond, the she had even been able to pull him from the void.”

The little one had a small confused look on her face.

“Oh yes, I know I didn’t quite tell you how they crossed through the barrier into the girl’s realm or about some of the other things I’ve told my friends, but I promise you they were and still are very much in love. Though they still had so much to go through, a hard road to travel. He still had much to learn, and nearly lost everything before he… Well now that would be telling wouldn’t it?”

The little girl had a small sleepy smile on her face.

“Perhaps I shall tell you more of the story tomorrow night. For now, I think it’s time you scoot off to bed. Good night min elskede.”

Notes