Steel to my trembling lips How did the night ever get like this?

A thick purple bruise covered the lower portion of his jaw from last night's late night visit. Tony had underestimated the gods strength, he figured Loki was more of a slapping man rather then a punching man. But there was the bruise. One misplaced snide comment and there it was.

They had been like this for three weeks sense Loki had appeared once again in Stark Tower. He came with a offer Tony couldn't resist. Loki had left many marks on him, but this one was different, Tony knew, as he studied it in the mirror.

Normally Loki didn't lash out in anger at him. Usually one of his comments was greeted with a little reminder of who was in control, a well placed blow intended to send him helpless to the floor or bed. But never uncontrollable anger. Never a blow to the face intended to cause pain, and not the good kind.

It was about his father he knew. Stark had not anticipated Loki being so touchy about the subject. Loki had been confiding in him a dark moment of the past, the story of how he found out he wasn't Thor's brother. Tony had snapped at him with a snide comment when the god was at his lowest.

"So your fathers suddenly falls asleep right after telling you your adopted? How nice for him. He didn't have to explain why." Loki's fist was unanticipated and well placed. knocking Tony off the bed and to the floor with a smarting chin. Tony knew by the look in the god's eyes he had done wrong. He once again exploited someone's weakness just because they had revealed it to him. Tony felt rotten. How could he have done that?

Then the trickster had vanished. He had not reappeared the next night. The next day Tony was called in by SHIELD. Loki had been spotted, mischief was afoot. They needed Ironman to investigate. Tony swallowed hard, this was going to be a difficult assignment.