Title: Dance Steps

Author: Evil_Little_Dog

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: This is a derivative work, and, as such, I make absolutely no money writing this. Darn the luck.

Summary: Loki's cost NYC too much money. Again. Pepper has a solution.

Notes:Written for the Live Journal community, Comment_Fic.

Loki couldn't leave well enough alone. Well enough and leave and alone all meant he came back to bother with the Avengers. Tony really hated that, because, you know, he'd made New York City his home now, and Loki seemed determined to wreck it. And for some reason, when Loki wrecked NYC, some people wanted the Avengers to pay for wreckage - even if it wasn't their fault (mostly) it was caused in the first place.

But they'd managed to capture Loki (again), and had him prisoner, and were discussing what to do with him next. Thor, of course, wanted to take him home. Brotherly affection, yadda yadda yadda, and he was right, no Terran jail could hold Loki. He definitely needed to go somewhere else. But he also needed to pay for his crimes, and you know, also all that destruction.

Loki just smiled that thin-lipped smile of his while they talked around and over and about him. Natasha suggested using his guts to make tennis rackets. Tony nixed that, which made Loki's smile expand.

"Let's be honest, I'd fucking Irish step dance on your grave, you asshole," Tony told Loki, "but I do have respect for Thor." He nodded and Thor nodded back. "In the mean time, you're the one causing all the problems with the city, so I think you should have to pay for it."

"You know it's not like he carries insurance," Bruce said with that wry helpfulness he sometimes got.

"Yeah, but I'd bet he has something worthwhile he can fork over."

"I do not," Loki sighed, looking all too ready for this to be over with.

"You do, too." Pepper Potts had gotten entrance to this little discussion from sheer force of her own personality - very few people argued with Pepper Potts except for Tony Stark, and even he knew she was usually right. "You have something most men would be willing to do anything to save."

Both Loki and Natasha - and everyone else - turned to stare at her. Only Natasha looked pleased with Pepper's threat. The men all grumbled and shifted and crossed their legs. Except Loki, who hissed, "You would never dare."

Pepper smiled. It was almost as cold and ruthless a smile as Loki's worst. "Try me."

And so, Loki gave up the rights to some very fine articles, worth rather a lot of money, and cursed Pepper's name roundly and loudly before Thor could haul him away to Asgard. But as Pepper said, they had more than enough to pay off this round of attacks...and maybe Loki would think twice about coming after them in New York City next time.

~ end ~