Disclaimer: All rights to Marvel. I only own the fic.

Tony Stark was naturally a workaholic like his father before him when it came down to his technology and weaponry. But as of late, taking constant orders from Nick Fury as his part of The Avengers initiative was beginning to wear on him.

Working on what intrigued him for countless hours and days on end was one thing, but doing it under someone's command was certainly another.

He missed it when SHIELD appeared in his life every now and again but ever since a certain God of Mischief had stolen the cube, he couldn't even blink without seeing an agent or two around him. Tony could understand why SHIELD and everyone else was under so much stress but Fury needed to understand that he worked a lot better in stress free environments.

After pouring himself a glass of scotch, he took a long swallow and relished the burning sensation in his throat. It felt as if it had been months since his last drink - which was most likely true.

He walked over to the large window that was in his office that overlooked Manhattan and frowned.

For so many months the entire Avenger initiative had been sent to different corners of the planet looking for Loki, trying to pinpoint the location of a secret base. It was clear that he had one, where else could he have hidden his army of Skrulls? A lot of times they had been taken off track due to Loki and his army causing mayhem and they would go and attempt to either kill or apprehend him; every time the mischievous god always managed to slip out of their grasps. It was becoming frustrating and it seemed that with every passing day, time was running out to get the cube back into SHIELD custody.

"Where is she?"

Stark nearly jumped and dropped his glass of scotch onto the fine carpet that was underneath his feet when he heard the sudden sharp words out of no where. He believed that he had been in here all alone, since a low ring would echo in his office to alert him that someone was entering. This had been one of his many private offices within Stark Tower and only Pepper knew the pass-code besides himself to enter.

Of course, he knew who it was. There was only one person on this planet that could've entered his office without detection. Stark turned on his heel to see that his assumption was right.

Think of the devil and the devil shall appear. His mind hummed.

There, only a mere ten feet away, was Loki.

Adopted brother of Thor, and the son of Laufey.

The alien man before him was the very reason why the entire initiative was going near bat-crazy.

Stark's hand gripped the glass harder when the realization hit him that his suit was not in his office with him. He had been a fool to think that Loki wouldn't find him here because he knew that it was only a matter of time before he would be face to face with the God of Mischief and Stark knew the exact reason why he was being paid a visit.

Jane Foster.

She was the top scientist to work with the cube and she had more experience and knowledge with it than anyone else that had worked with it.

There was a reason why Loki was causing more destruction and chaos with the cube than he could've.

He didn't fully understand it.

Jane was the closest thing he had to uncovering all of its secrets.

Stark, Fury, and Eric had all figured out that sooner or later Loki would come after one of their scientists and when Thor had put in that his brother had threaten Jane before, it was clear that she would be his obvious choice.

Now she was being hidden somewhere within New York City and Stark was the only one that ever left SHIELD's headquarters that knew of her location.

"Where is whom?" Stark's brow raised with indifference. "I know a lot of 'she's'. You'll have to narrow down the list for me."

A chilling chuckle rose from the Norse god's throat. "You know very well who I mean." Loki's lips curled into an impish smirk. "I know that SHIELD has hidden the girl somewhere within this city and you, Anthony Stark, know the very location as to where she is being concealed from me."

Stark held a thoughtful look but then shrugged his shoulders with indifference. "Nope. Doesn't ring a bell." He lied, taking a sip from his glass.

He barely had time to swallow down the scotch when a hand wrapped itself around his throat like a snake coiling around its prey. Not too hard to suffocate him, but hard enough to drive a point. Stark dropped his glass so he could grab onto the god's forearm in an attempt to pry him off. His efforts did no good and he could only try to keep his breathing steady as he watched Loki lift him off of the floor by half a foot and brought their faces nearer.

"You have one hour to present Jane Foster to me," Loki hissed menacingly. "or else I will rip this entire city apart by every piece of shrapnel it's built from until I find her myself."

Stark had no time to react in any way because the next thing he knew, he was being thrown through his office window and out into the sky over Manhattan.

Panic struck him fully in the chest as he began to plummet closer and closer to the pavement below. He didn't have his suit to fly himself to safety and he didn't even have time to alert SHIELD over the matter of Jane's safety. He'd be flat against the ground before anyone could even pick up.

The pavement was growing nearer and Stark heard the frantic screams as people below noticed that someone was falling to their death right in front of them.

Stark could only close his eyes and wait for the quick pain that would meet him before death.

Seconds passed and everything was still.

There was no wind rushing passed him and their were no panicked screams.

He opened his eyes to see that he hovered an inch above the gray concrete.

Almost as soon as he noticed this, the breath was knocked out of him as he was dropped onto the ground.

Stark sat up with a jolt, still not fully comprehending that he survived the fall.

The people around him were silent as they were too, silent with their own surprise.

He was breathing heavily and looked up with squinted eyes to the floor where he had been thrown so carelessly from.

Stark could see Loki peering out the window before disappearing from view.

A/N: I apologize for this being a bit short, but it's kind of a prologue. There is only going to be two more chapters to this fic and then perhaps a sequel, I'm not sure yet. I'll be updating soon! Please review! They help inspire me to keep writing! If you see any errors, I apologize. I'll fix them up as soon as I can.

Have a wonderful day!