Tony dragged a chair. Loki winced. Tony span it and sat on it backward.

"That's now how you use a chair, you know."

"It's how I use a chair."

Loki looked away as if Tony were disinteresting as a fly.

Tony looked the detained figure up and down. The cloth he'd worn under his battle garmets was grey and thin. It looked like cotton.

"You don't look like a God."

"I feel like one." Loki met his eye and stared like steel. He was met with a jovial mercurial mischief in Tony's aspect.

"Join the club."

Loki stood, turned his chair away from Tony and sat in it, facing away. "I have no time for mortal concerns. You're insects to me. Do I care for the flitting opinion of lesser creatures? Nonsense. Preposterous."

"Oh, I can tell. By the way you, y'know, tried to decimate all of New York."

"City."

"You weren't the first to try. We're a hardy bunch, kid."

Loki hissed. "You dare call me child?"

"You're acting like one. Plus, what are you? In human years, I mean. College age?"

"That's none of your concern."

"Oh, I'm not concerned. I'm curious."

Loki turned his head. "Why?" His eyes narrowed.

"Honestly? Trying to get you a lighter sentence. If your youth can be held by the Asgardian court as a mitigating factor, your punishment will probably be lenient."

"Obsessed with justice. Humans are pathetic. There's no such thing. You might as well chase the wind. What dreams…"

"Wait, weren't you obsessed with getting the worshippers you thought you deserved? Isn't that justice?"

"That's injustice" Loki spat.

"How old are you?"

"Your galaxy operates by different rules than mine. You cannot comprehend-"

"I'm a genius. Of science."

"Which one?"

"All of them."

Loki scoffed. "You think you're a scholar? I've seen wonders of the cosmos. How could I reduce it to a level comprehensible by a human brain?"

"It was this human brain that stopped your army-"

"-convenient trickery."

"You should respect it, then. Aren't you the God of Mischief?"

"Injustice repaid."

"And don't forget, I offered you a get out clause."

"You won't let me. I recall."

"Well, then-"

"I owe you nothing, man of an iron shell."

"I hide behind my suit, it's my armour. That much is true. But it's no different than your magic."

Loki spun and threw the chair to the ground. It broke.

"Magic! Don't you talk to me of magic! You think your little stunt of a ruse with the reactor blocking was impressive? Oh, you've got to be joking. You cannot be that arrogant."

"I'm Tony Stark."

"What does that mean?"

Tony shrugged.

"Is that code for something?"

"Put it this way: whenever someone does something amazing, with a woman" Loki looked uncomfortable, Tony noted, "with an invention, a business, whatever, they say my name. I'm the God of Awesome."

Loki made a hacking sound from the back of his throat. "Mortals. No conception of your finite legacy."

"I'm aware. They don't call me genius because I can fly in a tin can. I've got a great brain up here." He tapped his head and used the contact to rustle his own hair.

"You have no right to lecture me on magic. You are merely a man, one of wires and boundaries." Loki leant over Tony, which he allowed. "In my world, we are limitless. We are immortal. I don't need a lump of scrap metal in my chest to do great things."

Tony stared calmly back, with no observable reaction.

"You remind me of a friend of mine."

"Thor?" Loki rolled his eyes.

"You really hate being compared to your brother, don't you? Makes me glad I'm an only child. No, I was referring to a doctor."

"A Doctor?"

"The Doctor-"

"Of magic, perhaps?" Loki folded his arms with impatience. "Hurry up mortal man."

"Is that concern? Doctor Strange, genius of magical arts. The Doctor of anything mystical, I go to him."

"And where is he, this magical man? What a contradiction in terms."

"Oxymoron."

"What's that?"

"A contradiction in terms, and a neologism."

Loki didn't reply.

"It means a recently created word."

"I care not. We Asgardians invented your language and you taint it with puerile additions."

"Funny, how you count yourself among their number. You've been hurt by them so many times."

"They're family. You wouldn't understand." Loki stood in the corner.

Tony sat up, his brain whirring and processing this nerve for future reference. After a brief hesitation, he offered Loki his seat.

"No thank you." The words were polite, but the tone was not.

"You're quite strange yourself."

"Flattery? Surely quarry like myself require a challenge? Bring this intellectual to me, this Doctor of Magic. I would enjoy ripping him apart with a wave of my hand."

"As much as I would love to see you try, he's not available right now, but he's one of my best friends. I'll give him your number." Tony winked.

"I have no number. A number for what? Is there an index of intelligence on this planet?" Loki appeared genuinely interested.

"I wish. I could boast the top spot. Ah - maybe tied with Reed." Tony thought to himself. "We need to get you a phone."

"Who would I call?"

"Good point. That's a question I cannot answer." Tony stood, bowed slightly to Loki. Loki nodded with a smirk.

"We'll speak again soon."

"Bring your mind next time." Loki called out. "I need something to play with."