Tony knew this party would be a snore fest. These business parties always were. He couldn't even liven up the evening with a few drinks, something about repairing PR since his last drunken escapade. It didn't help that the guests droned on and on about the spikes and drops of Stark Industries' stocks. As if nothing of any actual interest mattered, like the creation of a new element by yours truly. He guessed that Badassium didn't exactly resonate with this class of people. Unfortunate really. At least a few discussed the Iron Man suit, although it eventually revolved back to how it would affect the stocks. Honestly he just needed one drink to get through this evening, maybe two if this woman wouldn't shut up about her new gem necklace.

To avoid the temptation he simply left the woman by herself, opting to get some fresh air on the balcony. Thankfully no one else craved a view of the New York skyline, giving Tony a much-needed break from company. The neon lights of the city battled against one another, trying to be bigger and better than all the rest. Soon his name would be glittering high in the sky too, outshining them all. He smirked. Right over there, by Grand Central Station, would stand Stark Tower, a pinnacle in energy efficiency. His name up in lights certainly wouldn't just be limited to New York City, but it was a good start. It would definitely bring a brighter connotation to his name, although the Iron Man suit was doing a fantastic job at that as well. But Pepper insisted that Stark Industries try to expand the arc reactor's potential beyond just crime-fighting.

What a sordid and utterly pathetic gathering. Every man and woman in the room desperately sought control over one another, yet hopelessly failing with every attempt. How Loki longed to put these sniveling mortals back to their place. But it would come in time, his army still required the Tesseract in order to arrive. The mortal doctor had yet to unlock the secrets to control the Tesseract's power properly. Until that time, Loki only had the whispers around S.H.I.E.L.D to occupy himself with. It amused him how they thought themselves protected by such meager weapons. Even the more adept of their race presented no sustainable threat to his army, though it would be best to learn their weaknesses now to exploit them when the war began.

Loki surveyed the crowd, hardly registering one face from the other. Only one person interested him tonight, the only reason he would allow himself to mingle amongst lower beings. Tony Stark. The Iron Man. His name was mentioned often within the compounds of S.H.I.E.L.D, normally followed by a scoff and a variety of insults. Entirely meaningless, however what perked his interest involved the hunk of metal in his chest. This 'arc reactor', newly modified with an unknown element that seemed to produce an endless abundance of energy. It reeked of potential, though Loki heard nothing particularly specific from S.H.I.E.L.D. He would have to investigate firsthand in order to properly judge this source of 'self-sustaining energy'.

He weaved through the crowds, ignoring the comments a few of the female guests made in a pointless attempt to gain his attention. He spotted his target as Tony walked away from a particularly garish individual and out onto the empty balcony. Loki smirked, the perfect opportunity presented so easily in front of him. He grabbed two scotches from an attendant intended for a group of men in the corner of the room. Just the vice this man of iron was known for. He strutted towards the balcony; conversations already playing out in his head

A clink beside Tony brought him back from the jumble of equations and diagrams that occupied his thoughts. By his elbow sat a glass of scotch, dry.

"I thought you might be needing a distraction," a low voice spoke to Tony's side. By him stood a rather tall man in a black suit with an odd yellow and green scarf. He held a similar scotch in his right hand.

"Thanks, but I learned not to take drinks from strangers. It generally ends badly," Tony pushed the glass towards the tall man, trying to recall if he had seen him anywhere else before. Nothing popped into mind though.

"I can assure you I only have the best intentions in mind," Loki took a sip from his own scotch. "It appeared that you could use something to ease this dull affair."

"And how did you deduced that?" Tony turned and stood a little straighter, trying to close the half a foot difference between their eyes. Loki smirked and gestured back to the party.

"Oh it is quite obvious to anyone with any sort of intelligence that you despised talking with any of the patrons. You hardly stayed with an individual longer than a minute or two."

"And what about you? You think you could hold my attention longer?" He raised an eyebrow. This man, whoever he was,

"Perhaps. Of course it would be easier if you had taken my gift, " Loki tapped the rim of the glass sitting the ledge.

"As tempting as a good scotch is, I'll have to pass on that."

"A pity. I will have to retain your attention some other way then." So alcohol wasn't a strong enough vice after all. He would need to be broken down in some other fashion.

"A name could help with that." Perhaps he would have heard of this man from one of the few papers he's read, or from the odd business conversation that he listened to.

"Shouldn't the mystery be interesting enough?"

"Not really. Besides, I was never drawn to the whole mysterious man type-"

"Tony! Tony! There you are." Tony and Loki both turned towards the woman standing in the doorway.

"Ah, Pepper! I was wondering when you would show up," Tony smiled.

"What are you doing out here? You are supposed to be acting like you have an interest in your company's success in there."

"I was simply getting some fresh air with my friend over here," Tony gestured towards Loki. "Who, by the way, I never did get your name."

"Loki, Mr. Stark." Loki smiled

"Huh, that's an odd name. I would have thought you with a more British name."

"I'm sorry, but Mr. Stark has business elsewhere," Pepper grabbed ahold of Tony's arm, dragging him back towards the party. Tony looked over his shoulder.

"Guess you couldn't hold my attention long enough huh, Loki," Tony smirked before turning his attention back to Pepper. Loki squeezed the glass, cracking it in a multitude of places. This interaction had amounted to utter waste. He would need a different tactic to get the information he wanted.