No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

-Are you seriously considering not to tell Leah?-Tony asked worryingly
-Of course not.-Steve answered offended – I just want to know what Loki has to say before we tell her something, I don´t want to raise her hopes only to shatter them later.-
Tony nodded his head negatively –All right, but I don´t want to be the one to tell her we´ve kept her in the dark since we left earlier.-
-Don´t tell me you are scared of her Tony.-Steve mocked him.
-That´s because you know nothing about women.-Tony spat at him.-Eight months pregnant angry woman is enough to be afraid of, and if you add her currently anger management problem …-Tony quoted with his hands in the air while he ended his sentence.
-I thought she had the magic outburst controlled.-Clint interrupted them
-She´s just suppressing her emotions. - Tony acknowledged.-Sooner or later she´s going to snap.-
-Let´s hope not.-Steve told them with a stern look in his face, Bruce had to treat her several times for different levels of burns before she could control them.
It didn´t took long for Loki to wake up after they had moved him into his cell, as he came to he found himself shackled. “-That´s just great”- he complained mentally as he tested the length of the chains.
-So you are up!- Tony stated almost cheerfully.
-No thanks to you.-Loki wryly answered as he rubbed his head.
-Don´t be such a drama queen, it was better than waiting for Thot to finally knock you out.-Tony spat with irony.
Loki left a small laugh, it seemed that at least someone had caught a glimpse of his plan. –You are right, he was taking too long. I know now why Leah likes you.-
-Flattering will take you nowhere Loki.-Steve warned him. –Now tell us, what are you up to?-
-All right! Straight to the point. I´ve considered all my options and have decided to change sides sort of speak.-Loki revealed.
-You mean you want to become one of us?-Tony inquired surprised.
-Yes.-Loki dryly answered.
-Then why not just approach us instead of making such a display back there?-Steve asked.
-Because it was necessary.-Loki explained.-Do you really think that last month incident was just a coincidence?-
-Venom´s breaking in?-Clint asked intrigued.
-Yes, he came here with a mission.-Loki volunteered.
-And failed.-Clint added convinced.
-Sadly no, he was just a diversion. For what I was able to find out someone else broke in your Tower at the same time and extracted some information.-Loki explained grimly.
-Blueprints.-Tony suddenly told them.
-You knew about this?-Steve asked surprised.
-Suspected.-Tony corrected him.-Venom damaged some of the records when he trashed the lab, but I found some unexplained records of myself requesting the blueprints of the Tower, the medical ward specially which I´m pretty sure I didn´t asked for. I dismissed due to the corrupted data until now.-
-Someone is onto her.-Loki said with a frown.
Tony sighed with a scowl. –I think so too.-
-So, that´s why you decided to change sides and set all that display earlier? To protect her from this menace?-Steve asked surprised.
-No, I´ve already made my mind about changing sides when I decided to stand by her side.-Loki confessed –If whoever planned that hit knew I changed sides, he or she might risk attacking immediately. We can´t allow that to happen, not with her due date so close.-
-So you had to pretend to pick up a fight with me and loose?-Thor finally spoke, he sounded both surprised and relieved.
-Well, yes.-Loki admitted.-You are very easy to predict, I knew you would challenge me alone if I seemed to return to my old ways. And it kind of worked, though it was much harder than I anticipated, you kept trying to reason with me.-
-And that´s why you attacked me fierce fully every time I did.-Thor recalled.
-I couldn´t let you to leak anything that might hurt us later.-Loki explained, then asked –Now that I told you what happened, are these really necessary?-He raised his shackled wrists.
-Yes they are.-Steve told him.-You can´t just expect us to believe your word. If you are really telling us the truth you´ll need to prove it.-
-Beyond any doubt.-Natasha added.
-I´ll do whatever you ask of me.-Loki offered.-May I see her?-Loki asked in hope.
-I don´t see why not.-Tony told Steve.
-All right, but she´s not getting in there, nor are you getting out.-Steve warned him.-Not until we´re sure we can trust you.-
Loki sighed disappointed, he longed to hold her in his arms again. –Agreed.-He nodded affirmatively.
Leah had stayed with Bruce in the shooting ring, ever since Venom´s attack she was bent on perfecting her aim, and her hard work was beginning to pay off.
-Well done Leah.-Bruce congratulated her after a magnificent display of accuracy and speed.
Suddenly a clapping sound made them turn around, it was Nick Fury; Leah paled at his sight as a frightened deer. Bruce protectively stood between them placing Leah right behind himself.
-I thought I should drop by to talk about your newest guest – He stated before Bruce could ask him.-Watching your skills display is quite a surprise, your reflexes are almost inhuman.-He said to Leah.
-Nick, what are you doing here?-Tony asked while walking on the scene taking place accompanied by Steve and Thor.
-You motherfuckers failed to deliver a wanted criminal, so I had to come to find out why.-Nick dryly told them while eying Leah.- And found an interesting surprise, anything else you failed to report to me?-
-If we reported everything to you we wouldn´t get any work done.-Tony replied as he walked to Leah who looked more nervous by the second, he had to get her out of there fast.
-You´d better make the freaking time.-Fury told him in a menacing tone –I´m not leaving until you tell me everything.-
His last comment was the drop that overfilled the vase, despite her best effort to control it Leah´s hands began to release small blue sparkles.
-Leah, Loki is here.-Tony spat walking right to her hopping it would distract her enough to keep Fury from noticing.
-What?-Leah asked surprised while raising her eyes to meet Tony´s.
-He want to see you, I´ll take you to him.-Tony told her with a small smile; her hands had stopped glowing.
-What the hell? - Fury asked angrily. Despite Tony's efforts he had noticed it too.
-Steve and Thor can explain you everything.-Tony dismissed him while leading Leah out of the room.-I´m busy.-
-Tony, I don’t understand, is Loki the new guest Fury was taking about? - Leah asked him as soon as they were in the hallway.
-Well, yes, he is. It´s kind of complicated I got good news and bad news.-He began explaining her.
-He is the reason you went on a mission earlier.-Leah interrupted him as she figured it out.
-Yes, he confessed.-We didn´t told you because you were too worried the last time Thor and Loki got into a fight, and it kind of happened again, but this time it was part of Loki’s plan so I guess that´s all right, although Thor wasn´t helping with the plan so I kind of had too, because I was the only one that caught it, you know I´m the smart one, Loki says that´s why you like me.-
-Tony, you are not making any sense.-Leah interrupted him confused by his ramble..
-All right, let me start again.-Tony offered as he slowly explained to her everything that had happened until their conversation with Loki. He´d choose to omit the fact that Venom had helped someone to obtain the Tower´s blueprints, he saw no point on worry her any further.
When they finally arrived at Loki´s cell Leah wasn´t even sure if to be angry or happy, seeing Loki´s beaten condition her heart shrank.
-Loki, are you ok?-Leah asked him with a worried frown on her face as she placed her hands on the cell glass window.
-I am don´t worry. It looks worst that it is.-Loki answered her with a smile as he contemplated her round figure.-What are you wearing?-
-Um... a uniform? - Leah tentatively answered taken by surprise.-But don´t change the subject, fighting Thor, was that really necessary? Look at yourself, you are a mess.-She scolded him.
-It was.-Loki answered thoughtfully as he inquisitively looked at Tony, his face told him all he needed to know, he hadn’t told her about the real reason he had fought Thor; he doubted for a moment, he didn’t wanted her to worry either.
Leah noticed those exchanging looks and angrily asked. What are you not telling me?-
-Nothing love.-Loki lied to her with his best smile.
-I´m not stupid you know, I know there´s something neither of you are telling me. You already lied to me earlier when you left to fight Loki, are you sure you want to do this?-She reproached Tony.
-You know why we didn´t told you.-Tony defended himself.
-It was an accident.-Leah pouted angrily.
-What was an accident?-Loki asked them worryingly
-Nothing you should worry about … love.-Leah answered him defiantly.
-Stark, what happened?-Loki asked Tony anxiously.
-As she said it was an accident.-Tony said uncomfortably, but though it over as he saw Loki´s anguished face – All right, las time Bruce told her you and Thor were fighting she broke a glass on her hands.-
-Well, thank you very much for that.-Leah snapped with an angry glare as she turned her back on them.
-That´s why your hands were bandaged.-Loki remembered.
-You knew?-Tony asked him confused.
-Not really, I scryed for her after the battle, I did noticed she had bandages on her hands but I didn´t knew why. Leah, I´m sorry.-He never thought about her feelings over the battles with his older brother, he should´ve foreseen it.
-No you are not.-Leah told him enraged –And my feelings on the matter clearly doesn´t matter.-She was too angry and embarrassed to face him, damned hormones she thought.
-That´s not true, if I´d knew … I would´ve thought of something. You matter to me, why else do you think I am here?-Loki tried to reason with her.
-I don´t know.-Leah lied to him, she didn’t wanted him to fade her anger just yet.
-Come on Leah, don´t be like that!-Tony interrupted the lover’s quarrel.-Give the man a break! He´s just trying to keep you safe.-
-Safe from what? SHIELD? They already know now.-Leah turned to meet them, she realized by the look on their faces that SHIELD wasn´t their main concern. –Who else then?-she asked anxiously as she unconsciously clenched her fists.
Neither Loki nor Tony answered her question, which really scared her.-Oh God! - She exclaimed frightened while taking a step back.
-No Leah. You have to stop worrying, it´s not good for you or Eerika.-Tony quickly told her; maybe they should tell her, the truth couldn´t be any worse than whatever she was imagining.
-Stop worrying? - Leah asked in an almost hysterical laugh – Stop worrying? How can I stop? It´s happening again! - She wasn´t hearing them anymore, the thought of something far worse than SHIELD was too much for her to bear, her worst fears were becoming real, she shrieked between tears.-I´m going to lose everyone again! I can´t do this! I´m not that strong! Not again, I can´t, not alone, not again! I can´t … -She dropped to her knees unable to process a second loss of her loved ones, suddenly her hands flamed up.
-No! Leah!-Tony tried to reach her, but he couldn´t get close enough, the magical flames were preventing him from doing so.
-Do something!- Loki yelled in anguish, he would be able to get to her if only he wasn´t trapped in his cell.
-I can´t. - Tony told him defeated. They´ve tried it more than once, but none of them were capable of reaching her in that state.
Loki growled in frustration then against his promised he yelled one name –Richard!-
Leah looked up instantly horrified, even the flames went out abruptly. –No… don´t say his name.-her tears kept flowing freely –You promised …-
Loki ignored her, he knew how much the memory of his death unborn child hurt her, after she accidently confessed him one night that she had already picked a name for him before the accident, she had made him sworn never to speak of it ever again, she just couldn´t bear it.
-Eerika isn´t Richard Leah, you are not going to lose her like to lost him, it was an accident, an horrible accident, there was nothing you could do, you couldn´t fight it. You have to stop blaming yourself for surviving. You are not going to lose her nor me, I´m not going to let that happen, I swear on my life I won´t allow it. Whatever happens will fight it together, you´ll never be alone again. I´m sorry it took me so long to realize that what I really want is to spend my life with you.-
Leah looked surprised, she managed to still her sniffling for a moment to ask him –Really?-
Loki gave her his warmest smile, he couldn´t believe she didn´t knew it already –Really silly girl, why else would I let Thor defeat me, you know how much I hate losing, especially to him.-
-Yes, you do.-Leah warmly smiled him back then pleaded.-Loki, please tell me, who´s after us?-
-I sincerely don’t know, but there are only a handful of people capable of both recruiting and paying off the Sinister Seven, Dr. Doom and Norman Osborn between them.-Loki confessed her while worryingly looking at her hands, her hands didn´t looked as bad as the first time, but they still looked a little scorched. - Are you all right? - He asked her with a frown.
Leah blushed, now that everything had passed she felt silly –I´m sorry … I can´t control them. I tried to stop feeling scared but I can´t.-She looked worriedly at her hands.
-That´s not what I meant by controlling your emotions.-Loki explained her concerned, he should´ve tried to explain it better when it happened; as he scratched his head trying to think of a better way to explain it to her he told her.-Is more like embracing them and giving your emotions a direction, not denying them.-
Both Tony and Leah looked at him puzzled.
-I´ll teach you.-He finally offered.-If that´s all right with you.-He directed his last comment to Tony.
-As long as you both stay on your side of the glass, I don´t see why not- He stated then asked Loki –Are this powers permanent?-
-I don’t think so, I´ve never heard of them remaining after childbirth.-Loki answered Tony.
-That´s a relief!-Tony exclaimed as he walked over to Leah to help her up.-We´re going to need Bruce to take a look at these.-He said as he examine her hands, her healing factor was already working to fix the damage.
-Can´t you patch them yourself? - Leah asked him
-Oh! I could. But then I would miss on Bruce lecturing you. It´s like watching two monster trucks playing chicken-He teased her.
-You enjoy that a little too much.-Leah pouted, as she recalled where she left Bruce she asked Tony –Do you think Fury is gone by now?
-Fury is here?-Loki asked concerned.
-Yes, he wanted to know why hadn´t we turned you over him.-Tony answered.
-You are not going to do that, right?-Leah asked him worryingly.
-That´s completely up to him.-Tony pointed at Loki.-As soon as he can convince every one of us he´s being truthful about changing side’s you´ll be in each other´s arms.-
Both Leah and Loki blushed slightly at his comment, they yearned for quite a lot more than just being in each other´s arms.

Notes