Of Two Minds

Chapter 14: Stark Comes to Call

TOM'S QUARTERS - That evening

"How about one last visit before you boys head across the pond?"

Tom turned back at the door to his trailer, seeing Tony behind him. He nodded at the genius inventor, crossing the entrance and holding the door open for him.

Tony studied the carpet just inside the door. "So here's where the glitter bomb came down. My compliments to Scarlett." He entered the room, closing the door behind him. "They'll never get out all the glitter unless they completely replace the carpet."

"We're planning to vanish it as we leave," Tom admitted.

"Leave it," Tony urged, placing his briefcase beside the chair. "More fun for the next person."

"Loki's chaotic enough that he may take you up on that. Would you like some tea?" Tom offered as he entered the kitchen.

"I'm more of a coffee person," Tony answered as Loki created a projection of himself on the far side of the couch, "but I won't turn down freely offered caffeine."

Chuckling as he filled the kettle with water and put it on the stove to boil, Tom pulled out two teacups and his pot. "You'll receive only the good kind here. Do you take milk or sweet in yours, or do you prefer it neat?"

Tony joined Tom in the kitchen. "If neat is your way of saying neither, that's how I'll have it. I take my coffee black."

"If he would like something sweet, offer him one of Scarlett's cake pops," Loki suggested with a twinkle in his eye.

"Not after you spent the last two days finding a dozen or more pranks from your castmates," Tony shook his head.

"It was worth a shot," Tom grinned. "So much for your plan to catch someone else with these." As Loki shrugged, Tom picked one up and passed it to Tony. "Here's a sample of what you're missing."

Tony peeled off some of the frosting to find the hidden brussel sprout underneath. "Wow, that is just wrong."

"I actually fell for it," Tom grimaced as he opened his stash of Earl Gray tea leaves.

"Ooo, I'm sure that tasted nasty," Tony winced as he tossed the cake pop in the trash. He grinned at Loki. "I have to hand it to you as well. Your prank skills actually helped you fit in with the group. Good job."

"Tom, stop right there," Loki ordered with a sense of urgency as his nose twitched furiously. "Look in the bag for a moment, then smell the leaves."

Tom did as instructed, looking in the container. "There's some sort of sticky substance in here. The leaves are supposed to be dry." He sniffed the container of tea leaves. His own nose wrinkled at the odor within. "Something smells off, but I can't place it."

"Check the rest of your tea to be sure," Loki suggested as Tom passed the offending bag to Tony's outstretched hand, "but leave the Earl Gray alone. I suspect someone poisoned it, and it wasn't one of our castmates."

Tony picked up his briefcase, laid it on the coffee table, and opened it to reveal a number of electronic devices plus two bags of dried fruit. He pulled out one of the devices and placed it on the kitchen counter. "J.A.R.V.I.S.," Tony stated after he tapped his earpiece, "switch from passive monitoring mode to threat detection mode. Scan for other traps or poisons. Leave the bag I'm holding until last."

"Yes, sir."

"Something tells me," Loki mumbled, looking from the contents of the briefcase to the other two men, "that Tony's visit isn't a social call."

It took the A.I. only a few moments' work, but the results were conclusive. "The bag of tea leaves in your hand is laced with the sap of the hippomane mancinella tree. It is a native of the Caribbean Islands and is considered the most toxic plant on the planet."