Data! Data! Data! I cannot make bricks without clay.
-Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Copper Beeches

"Back off," Barton growls after another 'innocent' comment from Rogers. Ha! About as innocent as the cat who ate the canary. Rogers isn't really the manipulative type. He can be, but he's also terribly earnest at times too. As if he is appealing to a person's sense of honor. Or common sense, as the case may be. Barton glares even as Rogers raises his hands as if to show he means no harm. It doesn't work.

Behind Barton, the source of all this tension, Loki, is silent. Like always. He's been silent since he arrived, Thor dragging him along. Almost literally, although he had more dignity than to allow it fully.

Everyone had assumed it would mean disaster when they both arrived. Despite what Thor said, none of them really trusted Loki to have their backs. No matter that this is suppose to be penance for the invasion, no one was happy. No one except Barton.

Well, happy isn't the right word for it. But he's basically taken Loki under his wing – pun totally intended. Where everyone else thought he would be the one to take it the worse, he is actually taking it the best. He's even more protective than Thor. Not that Thor seems all the overly protective anymore. It's like he is waiting for the plot to be revealed. It's hardly reassuring.

Naturally everyone's first assumption was mind control. Either Loki had a dormant hold that is once again active or he is susceptible to Loki's presence. It seemed logical. To bad that wasn't the answer. It would have been easy to understand. Not this... whatever this is. Tony isn't exactly sure what to call it. Mother henning? Knight in shining armour? Over protectiveness? Maybe it's a combination of all three. Whatever. Tony is trying to stay out of it.

Of course he agreed with the others at first. He even helped run the tests to make sure Barton's mind was his own. But he also saw the way Barton reacted to the accusations, so he kept his mouth shut. Let the others play the bad guy here. Tony will sit and watch instead.

The team has only been together six months. Six long months of trying to adjust to living with these lunatics in the name of 'being a better team'. Out of the four – Thor still being in Asgard at the time – Tony would say he trusts Banner the most. And after Banner is Barton. He's a jokester and a kid at heart. But he's also the person Tony wants watching his back in a fight. They don't call him Hawkeye for nothing after all.

So once mind control is disproven, he backs off. He decides to watch and wait.

In complete contrast to that, the rest of the team is on edge. They watch too, but they watch with suspicious eyes and accusing tongues. Even Romanov. One would think she would trust Barton enough to know what he is doing. But no, she doesn't. Her's is a subtle, but prickly manipulation. She aims for the spots that hurt the most when talking to Loki. Rogers makes seemingly 'innocent' remarks or questions. Thor is all blunt force and directness. None are particularly kind to what they see as a threat to their teammate.

Banner stays out of it. But unlike Tony, it's not because of forming opinions. He's pretty sure he agrees with the others. He just doesn't want the Other Guy to get involved. Things are sure to get messy then.

And now this. Frankly Tony is sick of it all. How can these idiots not see they are pushing Barton away? Even if something was wrong, he certainly isn't going to go to them for help. It's going to get physical eventually. And then Tony is going to have to remodel. Again. Yeah no, time to do something about this. "Hey birdbrain," he says, getting up, "come down to the shop. Need you to look at those arrows of yours."

"Stark," Barton glares at him.

Tony picks up his mug of coffee and gestures. "Come on. Bring your shadow and hurry up. Time is money and mine is worth more than your net worth." He turns and leaves. At first he doesn't hear anything, but by the time he reaches the elevator there are two sets of footsteps following him. "Workshop J."

"Of course Sir."

They stand beside him without a word.

That's ok, Tony can talk enough for five people, let alone a measly two. So he begins, talking about Barton's arrows and how they need an upgrade obviously and he just had the greatest idea last night and... They go from the elevator to the workshop without Tony having to take a breath. It's a skill. He continues as they walk in and Tony sets his mug down. "...but really though-"

"Stark," Barton interrupts, "you did that last week."

"I did?" Tony asks, genuinely surprised. And then he remembers the engineering haze he went into five days before. "Oh yeah, well sit down anyways, I'm sure I can think of something. Just because it works doesn't mean I can't make it better."

"What do you really want?" he asks.

"What do you mean?" Tony asks his own question as he sits down. He sees Loki looking around with bright, curious eyes. Even if he doesn't say anything, it's the most expressive Tony has seen him since he came here. He also sees trouble waiting to happen. "Dum-E!" he scolds.

Neither of the other men jump, but for Loki it looks like it was a near thing. Jumpy and easily startled. He checks another two marks off his list in his mind. "Don't think I don't see you there," he continues, "Put down the fire extinguisher and come say hello. People are going to think you have no manners."

His bot rolls out from behind the table with a chirp.

"Don't give me that sass. Go on, show them what a good bot you are. Greet them like Uncle Rhodey taught you." And taught him with great joy too. He loves teaching him all new tricks. Then again, he built him while he was at MIT so Rhodey was there every step of the way too, even if he didn't build him. He's very proud.

Dum-E goes over to Barton first thankfully and raises his claw. Barton looks questioningly at Tony before mirroring the gesture. With great relish, Dum-E gives him a high five. Barton grins, "Good job buddy," he praises.

Loki's high five is much more confident. After he does, Dum-E circles around him, inspecting. Loki stays still to let him. Actually he seems to be doing the same, It's kind of adorable really. That's a sentence he'd never thought he'd think. Doesn't make it any less true. He'll have to ask JARVIS to make pictures or something.

"Alright Stark, now I really know you want something," Barton accuses.

"And why is that?"

"Because this is only the second time I've been here. The first was when I was being tested for mind control. You're trust issues have trust issues. You don't let people into the workshop, so what is it?"

"Why Katniss," Tony gasps, "are you saying you don't think I trust you? What about all those trust falls we've done? Do they mean nothing to you?" He places a hand over his heart. "I am hurt."

Barton snorts. "Is that why you threatened to drop me last time?"

"I was seven blocks away," he complains, "I know you think you can actually fly, but until you sprout feathers, you can't. Ergo, I need notice to catch your dumb ass when you jump off a building."

"Look who's talking," Barton shoots back.

"Hey! I'll have you know my ass is fabulous thank you very much. Some people win 'best smile' or 'most eligible bachelor'. I have 'best ass' ten years running. What do you have?"

Barton shrugs. "It is a nice ass," he agrees instead of answering the question. "Still doesn't tell me what you are after."

"Not having to remodel my kitchen," he says bluntly. "It's a pain and its the best stocked kitchen. You idiots destroy it fighting and not only will I have to fix it, I'll have to listen to you bitch until it done. I'm doing myself a favor here."

"Uh huh," Barton raises an eyebrow, "then why are both of us here?"

"Were you really going to leave Reindeer Games to the wolves?"

"No," he crosses his arms.

"Well there you go. Really Barton, I know you aren't always the sharpest tool, but this doesn't take a genius to understand," he rolls his eyes obviously for effect.

"Pretty sure it takes a genius to understand even a quarter of you. The rest is a mystery presented as an obvious fact."

"Aw Legolas, you do love me!" he grins brightly.

"Nah, I just have a different opinion than Nat's report. You wear too many masks to be reliably labeled," he states matter of fact.

"Interesting. What makes you say that?" Just what does the little hawk see that the spider missed?

"You haven't said anything. After I tested clean you never said a word. You never agreed with the others or defended them at all. Your stare doesn't hold a thousand accusations. You're the only one who hasn't shoved your opinion down my throat. Or been a dick – more than usual anyways," he adds, "And you've provided for Loki just like the rest of us."

Tony shrugs. "Maybe I've finally taken Cap's lectures to heart. 'Trust your teammates Stark'," he mimics Rogers badly, "'We are meant to be working together. Trust that they know what they are doing'."

"Funny how you ignore the 'follow orders' part that he always mentions first," Barton says dryly.

"Please, I'm waiting for the icicle up his ass to unthaw first. Man needs to loosen up."

Barton snorts at that, clearly amused. "And you wonder why the two of you don't get along."

"Oh I know why," he corrects, "Like you said, my issues have issues. I can guarantee problems with authority are included as well as the good Capsicle himself. Not that I'm telling him that. That's a can of worms best left unopened."

"What? You don't want any one on one bonding time to work out your differences? And here I thought you had such fun with Nat."

"Rushman can suck my dick. Actually no she can't. I want her no where near me when I'm naked. She'd probably castrate me instead."

"Yeah she's not too fond of you either," Barton says.

"Good. She can go stab someone else in the neck. I don't do nurse roleplay. Not my kink, don't try to make it one." He looks over and sees Dum-E showing Loki his screw collection. So adorable. Both seem very involved in the task, but Tony has no doubt they are both listening. Dum-E because he hates being left out and Loki... well, it's fairly obvious why he would be listening in.

"You say the strangest things," Barton shakes his head. "But why would the man with trust issues let someone who he clearly doesn't trust into his space?"

"I let you into my space didn't I?" Tony shrugs, feeling that is answer enough. "I told you, I'm doing this as a favor to myself. I'm getting sick of them constantly playing the same tune. They obviously aren't as flexible as they like to pretend if they can't move onto the next theory."

"And you can?" Barton challenges.

"I am a scientist. Testing theories is basically my life's calling. Not mind control? Great, it's obviously something else then. Only I'm missing data to make my next hypothesis, so I have to watch to gather it instead. It is a mistake to make facts suit theories rather than theories to suit facts."

Barton blinks. "Did you just quote Sherlock Holmes at me?" he asks.

"Elementary my dear Barton. It is simple. Whenever you have eliminated all other theories, whatever is left, no matter how improbable, must be the answer. You actually like Loki despite the fact he turned you into his puppet. Why? Hell if I know. Data. I cannot work with what I do not know."

"Would you believe the words of a liar if you were told?" Loki asks, speaking for the first time. He isn't looking at either of them and there is a subtle tension in his frame. But he asks. Tony figures that means he is onto something here.

"Don't know if you know this or not, but being a liar doesn't make you anything special here. Humans lie all the time. It's practically our nature. There's even been studies done, trying to understand why. God of Lies?" he shrugs, "You fit right in."

Loki lifts his head to look at him. "You know how they taste on your tongue. The sweetness and the bitterness. The way they glide off like butter out of your mouth."

"I wouldn't be that fancy about it, but yeah. What are masks but another lie?" Today on the list of things he didn't expect to do – talk philosophy with a potentially crazy god. His life is so weird anymore.

"They say the truth will set you free. You do not believe such? I had thought it was a popular sentiment," he cocks his head to the side, like a curious cat.

"The truth never set me free. I did it myself."

"Yes, so I know. You are Iron Man. You did not build the armour to fight for truth, but to fight for freedom. Would you condemn another for doing the same?"

Now Tony cocks his head, thinking over the words and what they mean. Of course the bastard doesn't give him a straight answer. That would be too easy. It would appear he wants to play instead. Fine then, Tony can roll. "And yet I fought against my captors, not against the innocent."

"Who is innocent in war?"

"The ends justify the means?" Tony asks harshly.

"What if the only way to warn was to destroy? Death is coming no matter what anyone does. Would you rather fight now and be prepared or face merciless slaughter later?" Loki asks calmly, almost curiously.

"Death comes to us all. What makes this one so special?"

"Why answer what you already know? You have seen the death with your own eyes. You know what death comes to finish what it started. It is true death comes to us all, but this death is colder than most. How does one avenge a world that does not exist?"

It all clicks in Tony's mind then. The final piece to the puzzle he has been searching for. The ways Loki seemingly gave them time to assemble. Why the portal was so small. How the backdoor off switch even existed. All the pomp and drama. And before that, how Loki got the scepter and army to begin with. Why he did. The crazed look in his eyes. Not manic, but fear and resignation masked by a thirst for power. And now, the way he seems drawn into himself. He's not intimidated. He's healing.

One question remains then. "How do you know all of this?" he asks Barton. Because this clearly has to be the reason he is so protective. He knows what Loki went through somehow.

"Sometimes the link went both ways. I heard things... saw things. They didn't make sense until the connection was broken, but..." he shrugs, "It wasn't as if I could say anything. Everyone at SHIELD already thought I was crazy. Those that didn't blamed me."

"So let me get this straight," Tony says, "Of the three that know the truth, one is a supposedly insane God of Lies and Chaos, one is an ex mind controlled monkey and the last is an egotistical genius that people have a habit of dismissing because of said ego," Tony rubs his hands together, "Should be fun. What's the plan?"

"You're crazy," Barton accuses, but there is a smile growing on his face.

"Don't you know Merida? All the best people are."

"Well then Stark," Loki says, coming to join them at the table, "let us see how well you play."

"Only the best dear," he reassures.

Loki grins sharply.

And thus a new Golden Trio is formed. He wonders if Loki has seen Harry Potter yet. It's no fun if he has to explain the reference.