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This Again? Steve gasps for air trying to breathe, trying desperately to suck in a breath, trying to will his lungs to expand, but he can’t. He can feel his senses starting to dull, can see his vision starting to tunnel. Dimly he wonders what the hell Loki is doing, because he is fairly certain he is going to die out here on this roof top.
His hands clench and unclench uselessly at his sides and he can feel it coming, feel the moment when he is going to lose this battle. He can feel a stray tear slip down his cheek, but does not have the strength to raise his hand and wipe it away. He no longer has the strength to keep his legs underneath him and as his vision blacks out, he collapses down in a heap at the base of the wall he had been leaning against. ……. “I'm sorry sir but you cannot bring that in.”The guard is young, mid 20's, Steve would guess and his tone is undoubtedly arrogant despite the use of the word Sir. Beside him, Loki grins, eyes revealing his barely contained amusement as Steve pulls the shield off his back. "They mean to leave you defenseless," he teases. The guard turns his eyes to the god briefly before looking back at Steve. "Club rules. No weapons are allowed inside." Before Steve can respond Loki cuts in, "if you think that shield is the only weapon at his disposal then you clearly don't know Steve Rogers." "Loki, you're not helping," Steve admonishes while trying to hide a smile. The guard frowns, "do you have any other weapons on you?" "Why don't you search him and find out?" Loki suggests with glee. "Yeah," the guard agrees. "I think we'll search both of you." He speaks quietly into a tiny micro phone mounted to his lapel and within seconds the door opens revealing 2 men that rival Steve in build. "If you will excuse me for a minute," Loki says as he takes the shield from Steve’s hands and disappears long enough to return it to their home. The two guards look at him, eyes wide with astonishment at seeing the display of Loki's magic. "I think there was mention of a strip search?" Loki asks, sounding perfectly serious and not a bit upset about it. Steve only shakes his head, and tries hard not to laugh. "No! Not a strip search," one of the guards sputters as the other leads them to a side room. "What a pity," Loki responds sounding morose. This time Steve can't stop the snort of laughter, but he cuts it off quickly and elbows Loki in the side. Steve knows they are walking into a trap. An extremely laughable trap, but still, it pays to be on alert. Just in case. ……… A tip, from an anonymous source, that’s what led them to this night club in New York. Of course it had been easy to trace the source before hand. And so they went into it knowing it was a set up by one of the many wanna be leaders ready to step into the power vacuum since Steve and Loki decimated Hydra’s ranks several years ago.Periodically some low level thug with more ambition than brains, will try to make a grab for power and of course they always seem to think taking down Steve and Loki is the best way to do that. It's pathetic and actually kind of amusing with how each one truly thinks they are going to be successful where others were not. …… And now they are standing in a smallish room, Loki practically leering as Steve is patted down. "You may want to be extra careful checking his jacket pockets," Steve offers helpfully, gesturing to Loki with a smirk. One of the guards narrows his eyes at the god and immediately begins to rifle through his jacket. For a bit of fun, Loki makes sure his pockets are in fact not empty. Soon there is a line of items standing on the table next to him. A compact, a flashlight, a sock, a pack of gum, a cat toy, a deck of cards, on and on. In all, over a dozen items of various shapes and sizes. When the guard finally stops pulling things out, Steve’s face is red from trying to hold back his laughter and the guards face is red from irritation.Steve kept expecting to see one of those magician handkerchiefs that never ends and can't decide if he's relieved or disappointed when the guard doesn't find one. Steve knows they should be taking this more seriously, but it's really hard. Especially when every detail has been so incredibly cliché. "Follow me," one of the guards instructs as he heads for the door. Steve looks at Loki and shrugs, once again trying not to laugh as he watches the god make a show of trying to stuff everything back in his pockets. Finally, with a fake put upon sigh, Loki casually waves his hand and everything disappears. And then he winks. Actually winks at the guard standing next to him, mouth agape, whose face then flushes red. And Steve has to take several calming breaths, so he doesn't just break down in a fit of laughter. "C'mon," he tells Loki with a barely suppressed grin. Out in the hallway, they follow behind the first guard while the second trails behind. For several minutes neither man speaks, but that doesn't last. "So, usual terms?" Loki inquires casually. Steve is proud of the way he keeps a completely neutral face when he responds, "naturally." "Based upon what we have seen so far, might I suggest a side wager?" Steve’s interest is peaked and so he agrees readily. "I say sitting in a chair, turning slowly towards us, cat in lap." Steve thinks for a few seconds, Loki's scenario for when they meet this mysterious person sounds plausible. But he’s pretty sure he has a good possibility as well. "Enters dramatically down a winding set of stairs. Stands in front of a large bank of monitors." "Ooohhhhh that's good," Loki admits. "Stakes?" This is something Steve doesn't even need to think about. "A variation on that time, on my birthday, on the roof at Bucky's." Loki knows exactly what Steve is referring to and now he almost hopes Steve wins the bet. "Here?" he asks hopefully. "Yes." The answer is low, almost growled. And Loki's thoughts glaze over for a moment before he can respond. He gives a very slight full body shake to bring back his focus. "You're on."……. They are led into a large office with windows over looking the club floor. There is a high backed desk chair, naturally, facing the windows. When the guards close the door behind them and stand to flank either side of it, Steve rolls his eyes at Loki. Even though he knows the guards are meant to be intimidating and he is supposed to wait by them, the god strides forward to stand directly in front of the windows and looks down over the crowd of people dancing. "Steve, come look at this!" he says excitedly. "They have one of those light up floors that pulses to the beat of the music." "Let me see," Steve says, playing along, as he steps up beside his husband. "That's pretty neat," he observes. "Neat," Loki teases. "Just when I think you've finally let go of the 1940's you call something 'neat'." "Need I remind you that just last week you referred to-" "Yes, yes, I know. No need to bring that up again," Loki cuts him off. "If you are quite done!" a male voice calls out from behind them. Both Steve and Loki turn around to look at the new comer. Loki jerks his head towards the man and grins at Steve, making sure the blonde sees the two Doberman dogs at his sides. "I should'a went with dogs," Steve laments. "Not to worry. I'm sure there is still a chance for some dramatic stairs or a large wall of TV screens." "True," Steve allows. The man with the dogs looks incredulously between them before nearly shouting, "do you know who I am?" "Can't say that we do," Steve tells him with an overly large pleasant smile. The man huffs in irritation. "I am Hans Johansen. True leader of Hydra!" Loki has to admit that the man sounds convincing. Or at least like he has convinced himself. "Alright Hans, what makes you think you'll be a better leader for Hydra than any of the dozens of others before you?" "The others lacked conviction." Steve narrows his eyes, knowing it's time to get serious. Loki can see it in the way Steve’s hand twitches. He steps back and presses his back against the glass so he can see out to the dance floor from the corner of his eye, with out having to turn his back to Johansen. “So what do you plan on doing with us?” he asks casually. "I'm glad you asked. I have no illusions that my men can beat you in a straight fight." He walks forward, dogs still at his side, until he is standing between Steve and Loki looking down at the people below. Both men turn and look down as well, scanning the crowd, senses on alert. “I do wonder though, how you would fair in a fight while trying to protect a panicked crowd of club goers.”Loki has to admire the man's creativity and says as much as he watches 2 dozen men armed with guns circle the room on a cat walk that stretches around the entire perimeter. From the sides of the room he can see at least a dozen more on the ground level.He scans the crowd once more, sure that Steve is doing the same. “Dogs?” Steve asks lowly so only his husband can hear. “I've got them,” is the equally quiet response. “Guards?”“All yours love.”“You know the dogs don't count right?”Loki huffs, “half.”“Fine half.” Steve can’t help but smirk. Loki flicks his wrist behind his back and the dogs both bristle and pull at their leashes. The reaction is so quick and unexpected that Hans can't keep his footing and is pulled backwards and to the ground, as the dogs run after Toby the magical "cat" that serves as pet and companion to Steve and Loki’s children. In the ensuing chaos Steve flexes his wrist, activating his holo shield and then charges both guards. The struggle is brief and in the end Steve isn't even breathing hard. He hears 2 yelps from the dogs and winces as he sees them crash into a wall in their excitement to catch the cat.Steve turns his attention back in time to see Loki slowly and ever so dramatically turn towards him in the high backed chair with Toby sitting on his lap. He can't help but laugh, "all right. You win." Hans is laying off to the side, bound at hands and feet with magical ties. The dogs both lay where they fell. Steve can see them breathing so he knows they either knocked themselves out or Loki put them to sleep. A flash beyond the glass draws Steve's attention out to the dance floor. He looks out the window just in time to see a man fall from the catwalk. He jerks to a stop some 6 feet off the ground, a cord wrapped around both of his ankles. Steve's eyes follow the cord up to where it is attached to an arrow embedded several inches in the concrete wall. Hans hadn't been wrong. There is chaos down on the dance floor as club goers try to flee from the gun men. “We should probably....” Steve gestures out past the glass.Toby disappears as Loki stands and takes Steve by the arm, instantly teleporting them both right into the middle of the mess. “So glad you decided to join us,” Sam’s voice comes over the shared comm line. “We came as soon as we could,” Steve starts to protest as he punches a guard in the face. “Sure you did.” It’s Bucky this time. “Everyone just remember to keep clear of the roof when this is over. Steve and Loki will be having a private debriefing.” Loki barks out a laugh. “Maybe you should take your own advice Barnes. No peeking this time.”“I'm sure there's a story here that I don't want to know about,” Barton says as he calmly continues to pull and shoot arrows from his quiver. It takes longer to deal with the guards due to the crowd of people running around, but eventually Sam, Natasha, Bucky and Clint each call out an all clear for their respective corners of the room. Steve turns in a circle, a perfect center of calm in a storm of screaming people and signals his own all clear. “All right. It's all over but the clean up. Sam and Clint, Tony should be outside with help for crowd control. Go ahead and start herding people towards the exit. Bucky, Natasha, see what information you can find in the offices. We want to make sure this cell is shut down completely. Loki, come with me.” “We all know what that means. Time to turn the comms off.”“Shut up Buck,” Steve tells him, but makes a show of pulling his own comm out and switching it off. …………. Loki leads Steve up to the edge of the roof so they can look down on the scene below. Tony has in fact arrived and is helping Clint and Sam direct the crowd of people still streaming out of the building. They watch for several moments until they are sure everything is under control, but no longer than that. Loki pushes Steve, until his back collides up against the raised stair well and immediately attacks his neck with lips and teeth. Steve squirms under the onslaught. He can already tell he’s going to have a few marks before Loki is done. He starts to protest, but stops when Loki gently reminds Steve that he won the side bet.“Fine,” Steve moans out, “but I had more take downs, so when we get home….”“Of course Love,” Loki whispers in Steve’s ear as he runs his tongue along the flesh there. The god kisses him, tongue pushing into his mouth. When Loki works his hand to the waist of Steve’s leather pants and starts to undo the hidden catches, the blonde moans at the additional stimulation. And when the god sinks down to this knees, pulling Steve’s cock free, the blonde lets out an actual whine until he feels the warmth of Loki’s mouth around him. ………… Steve gasps for air trying to breathe, trying desperately to suck in a breath, trying to will his lungs to expand, but he can’t. He can feel his senses starting to dull, can see his vision starting to tunnel. Dimly he wonders what the hell Loki is doing, because he is fairly certain he is going to die out here on this roof top. His hands clench and unclench uselessly at his sides and he can feel it coming, feel the moment when he is going to lose this battle. He can feel a stray tear slip down his cheek, but does not have the strength to raise his hand and wipe it away. He no longer has the strength to keep his legs underneath him and as his vision blacks out, he collapses down in a heap at the base of the wall he had been leaning against. Loki pulls back and moves to sit with his back to the wall, pulling Steve in close. The god holds him and smoothes his hair, while Steve comes back to himself.“Just wait until we get home and I can feel my legs again,” Steve groans.