Still Holding On

Chapter 64

This is the single most awkward thing Tony has ever done in his life.

He's essentially experimenting on Loki.

They're barely on speaking terms, and he is experimenting on him.

Maybe "experimenting" is the wrong word. They're running tests on Loki. That sounds a little better, a little less rogue-evil-scientist of them. And it helps that Bruce is here, too, keeping it strictly business. It gives Tony someone to talk numbers with, and it gives Loki someone to ask questions.

It's hard to say whether it's a productive day or not. They don't find the answers they're looking for. They don't whip up a magic potion that can restore all of Loki's memories. But it's their first time really working with Loki on this, and they get to see how his brain reacts to certain things, and how the scepter reacts to him.

And there certainly is a reaction. There was just the smallest change in the scepter when faced with Tony or Bruce – so small that they thought nothing of it. But it's magnified a hundredfold in Loki's presence, and that has to mean something.

Now they have to figure out what.

"Are you doing okay?" Bruce asks Loki, not for the first time but certainly the first time in a while.

"I'm alright," Loki says.

"We can take a break if you want," Bruce tells him. "It's getting to be dinner time."

"If you would like to take a break, I certainly won't object," Loki says, "but I have no problem continuing."

Bruce looks at Tony, who shrugs. Sure, he'd like something to eat. He always likes to eat. But if Loki wants to keep going, he's willing to tough it out. It's up to Bruce if he wants to do the same.

"Alright," Bruce says. "Let's keep working."

"If you're hungry, you can ask JARVIS to ask Pepper to bring you something to eat," Tony tells him. He's already fairly certain Bruce doesn't want to be here, though he's doing a good job hiding it. He'll feel bad if the poor guy can't at least get a good snack in.

"No, I'm good," Bruce says. "I might go get a sandwich in a little bit, though."

"Yeah, that's fine," Tony assures him. "Just say the word."

And then they're back to work.

It can't be more than twenty minutes later when Pepper and Steve show up. They've been pretty good about staying out of the way, probably because this is incredibly boring to watch. They must be here to talk about dinner, then. Their visits tend to be food-motivated.

"How's it going?" Pepper asks them.

"Oh, it's going," Tony replies. It's not going well, but it's not going poorly, either. It's just going.

"Making good progress?" she asks.

"Hard to say."

"We're getting good information we can work with," Bruce says, "but it's gonna take time."

"You think it's possible, though?" Steve asks. "To get his memories back?"

Bruce sighs and takes off his glasses, cleaning them with his shirt. "I don't know," he says. "I don't think we'll ever really know unless we figure out how to do it."

That puts a bit of a damper on the already dull mood.

"Is anyone hungry?" Pepper asks. "Steve's never been to McDonald's, so we were thinking we'd grab something from there."

Tony stares at him incredulously. "You've never had McDonald's?"

Steve rolls his eyes. "McDonald's didn't exist when I grew up."