Loki Misses the Asgardian Prison System

Chapter 12

"How is it, Cap?" Tony asks, laying his slice of pizza down on his plate. "On a scale of Lunchable to Brooklyn, where you putting it?"

"Ooh..." Steve has to think about it for a minute. "Definitely better than Lunchables, let's start there."

The other Avengers laugh. Steve did not enjoy those Lunchables — any of them, and Tony made him try a lot of different types. If Dominos pizza had somehow ranked lower, he probably would have already dumped it in the trash.

"Not as good as Brooklyn pizza, though," Steve says.

"You say that about every pizza," Clint reminds him.

"Because they're not!" Steve insists.

"Uh-huh," Natasha says sarcastically.

"I think we need a Brooklyn date night," Tony says. "I need to try these 'perfect pizzas.' Are they even still around, or did the meteor wipe them out along with the dinosaurs?"

Steve gives a lighthearted roll of his eyes. "I'm not that old, Tony."

"Are you sure?" Tony says. "'Cause you kinda act like it."

Tony always enjoys making fun of his friends (and his enemies, and his acquaintances — he mocks people indiscriminately) just for the hell of it, but the best part is usually the reaction it gets, so he's a bit disappointed when the bright beam of light outside cuts their conversation short before Steve can respond.

"Alright," Natasha says. "Either there's a helicopter shining its searchlights right at us..."

"Or Thor is finally paying us a visit," Tony finishes.

"I almost wish Banner was here," Clint remarks. "We'd have the whole gang together."

"Not with Loki in the building," Steve says darkly.

"Oh, what's the matter?" Natasha asks teasingly. "You don't trust your little friend?"

"He's not my friend," Steve says immediately.

"Don't let Banner hear you say that," Tony says. "You'll hurt his feelings."

"I wasn't talking about him," Steve says, which already Tony knows — and Steve knows that he knows it, which is why Tony said it.

"Sir," JARVIS says, "are you going to greet Thor downstairs or should I let him up?"

"Ah, let him up," Tony says. "Maybe he'll want some pizza."

"Oh, look at you," Natasha says. "Finally learning to share."

It takes a minute or two for Thor to finally appear. He's once again in that ridiculous Asgardian costume, Mjolnir hanging from a strap on his wrist. Everyone greets him casually like an old friend, but he seems to be in an all-business mood.

"Where is Loki?" Thor asks without so much as a hello. "Has he caused any problems?"

"Oh, yeah, he's fine," Tony says. "Barely leaves his room. Sometimes I forget he's still here."

Natasha and Clint nod, muttering something with the same sentiment.

"Really?" Thor seems taken aback by that. "I would have thought... In Asgard, he refused to stay still. Is he really...?"

Tony shrugs. "We stay out of his way, he stays out of ours. It was his idea."

"Part of it might be that he's sick," Steve adds, and Tony rolls his eyes. Of course Steve is the one to say that.

Thor furrows his brows. "Loki is sick?"

Steve nods. "Or, he looked it last time I saw him, but it's been a few days."