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Chapter Text

Thor can't understand what is causing this. He wants desperately to hold onto Loki, to never let his brother go. He wants to demand to know what happened. What did he miss? How could things have come to this? He – he doesn't know. He thought he knew Loki, but after his brother fell into the Void, he realized that maybe he never knew him at all.

"I am a king!" Loki snarls angrily, glaring as Thor steps closer to him. What caused this? What's wrong, brother? Tell me! He's never felt this helpless before. He doesn't know what to say, what to do. How can he talk sense into Loki – who was always the sensible one – if he doesn't even know what's wrong? He mourned his brother, for days, weeks, and seeing him alive is still a shock. Loki isn't dead. He's alive. Here. Real.

"Not here!" Thor counters, stubbornly refusing to let go of that point. Loki might be unbalanced, unstable even, but Thor will not allow him to drag Midgard into his madness. Whatever ails him can be sorted out between the two of them. He grabs Loki's arm and shakes him roughly, as though it might bring him back to his senses. "You give up the Tesseract!" Thor continues unrelentingly, staring into Loki's eyes. "You give up this poisonous dream! You come home." He reaches up, clasping his brother's neck with his left hand as he always used to do when they were young. Please, Loki. Please listen to me. He's practically begging, but he doesn't care.

If it were in his power, he would drag Loki back to Asgard immediately and never let him go. He doesn't know how to deal with a situation where he's not in control. Nothing he can do will let him return to Asgard at will. He needs to get the Tesseract from Loki. This, none of this, makes sense. His brother never used to be like this, which begs the question: what happened when he fell from the Bifrost? Clearly, this – whatever this is – has been building for some time, but it's all coming out now for whatever reason.

"I remember a shadow. Living in the shade of your greatness." The words are filled, not with spite or resentment, as much as they are with pain, and it hurts Thor to hear it.

"I don't have it," Loki spits, his voice becoming taunting as he shakes his head slightly. Thor jerks back as anger rushes through him. "You need the cube to bring me hone, but I've sent it off I know not where." He's nearly smirking, and the blasé attitude enrages Thor. Loki thinks this is funny? How can he do this? What's wrong with him? This isn't the brother Thor remembers.

"I have grown, Odinson, in my exile," Loki boasts, but there's something there. Something Thor nearly misses. Fear. He can sense the fainted undertone of fear. He doesn't know why he's sensing it, but he's determined to find out.

Thor extends his hand, and Mjolnir flies to him. It's now or never. He has to lay everything out for Loki to make his brother understand. "You listen well, brother. I don't know what game you are playing, but I will take you with me to Asgard where you belong." It's barely noticeable, but Thor senses Loki stiffen slightly at the words. He can't say anything right. Speech was his brother's gift, not his. He doesn't know how to talk so Loki sees what he's feeling.

"Not now, you won't," Loki shoots back, something akin to glee on his face. "You have no way off Midgard." He pauses, and Thor can almost see the gears turning in his mind as he puts his silver-tongue to work. "It must be frustrating that you can't smash your way through this like you do everything else."

"Loki." The name comes out as more of a growl. This is what Loki wants for whatever reason. He's deliberately trying to antagonize Thor into attacking him. He won't oblige. They've fought each other, of course, they have, but never with the intent to harm. If Thor gives in to his anger now, he could injure Loki. He doesn't want to do that. He doesn't want to continue ignoring his brother or doing whatever it is that has hurt him. He wants to make things right.

Thor holds onto that knowledge, inhaling slowly to reign in his temper. "Brother, please, I don't know what I did to you. I never intended to hurt you." He moves forward, searching Loki's face to gauge his reaction, but his expression remains blank.

"That's just it," Loki replies finally, glaring at him. "You never meant to do anything, but you didn't care." There's a flicker of some emotion in his eyes, but it's gone before Thor can recognize it.

"I wasn't the best brother," Thor admits, silently willing Loki to understand. "I want to do things different." He pauses when Loki scoffs, but his brother doesn't interrupt, instead turning away to look at the mountain with disinterest. Loki, don't shut me out this time. Please. "You're my brother no matter what happens," he vows.

"Really," Loki drawls, lips curving into a vicious smile. "Now you say all this, but it doesn't matter anymore." He turns back, meeting Thor's eyes. "I have learned much. You are not my brother. You want me as your trophy." The words hit a chord inside Thor, and he immediately wants to lash out, though he forces himself to refrain from doing so.

"No!" he protests, shaking his head, reaching out to clasp his brother's neck again. "That's not what I want. I've never wanted that!"

Loki raises an unimpressed eyebrow, but he doesn't try to pull away. He says one thing, but he's thinking another. Thor is almost surprised at how much he's able to recognize when he's not blinded by his own emotions. "Please, tell me what's wrong," Thor begs, letting his right arm, Mjolnir gripped in his hand, fall to his side.

Something flickers through his brother's eyes, and a prickle of uncertainty runs down Thor's spine. Loki is crafty and clever, but never once has he gotten the weird sensation of looking into someone else in his eyes. "Knock me unconscious." The words fall from Loki's mouth in a rush, as though he's trying to get them out in a limited space of time. "And get me out of here."

Thor blinks at him. "What?" he blurts out uncertainly, and just like that, Loki's expression is filled with malice again. The strangeness of the words holds his attention. That doesn't sound like anything his brother would say. Ever. He was asking – almost begging – for Thor's help.

Loki grins, pulling away from Thor and turning around, taking a few steps away from him. No matter how strange the request, Thor feels that he needs to listen. He asked Loki to talk to him, and that's what he said. Without pausing to give himself a chance to convince himself otherwise, Thor swings his fist, slamming it into the back of Loki's head, knocking him unconscious. He drops Mjolnir, catching his brother's body as he crumples to the ground.

He needs to get his brother away from here, so the Midgardians won't find them. Shifting Loki in his arms, he marvels at how light he is. Granted, Thor hasn't carried his brother for many years, but he still thought he'd weigh more than this. Pushing the thought aside, he tightens his grip with his left arm, reaching for Mjolnir with his right hand so he can fly them away. At that moment, a red and gold armored man lands on the ground in front of him.

"Give Loki back to us," he orders, face plate lifting to reveal the man behind it. Thor frowns at this mortal who would dare to command him around.

"My brother is where he belongs," he snaps, tightening his grip on Mjolnir. If there's going to be a fight, he'll have to be careful. He won't risk injuring Loki, but he will protect him.

"In case you didn't notice," the man retorts, "Your brother has killed dozens of people. He will be brought to justice."

"You have no idea what you're dealing with," Thor warns, temper rising. He takes a few steps back before kneeling, laying Loki down on the ground. If he must chase away this mortal, so be it. He failed to protect his brother once; he won't do so again.

The man raises an eyebrow, an unimpressed look in his brown eyes. "Shakespeare in the park? Doth mother know you weareth her drapes?" the mortal quips. It's supposed to be an insult – it is one – but Thor won't let it affect him.

"This is beyond you, metal man," he growls, raising Mjolnir. "Loki is under my protection, and he will face Asgardian justice. You will not take him."

"He gives up the Cube, he's all yours," the man replies, undaunted. "Until then, stay out of my way… tourist." The helmet snaps closed, and he stands there, unmoving, clearly waiting to see Thor's reaction.

Thor throws Mjolnir, and it slams into the man's chest, sending him flying backwards off the mountain. He pulls it back, holding it loosely in his hand as he turns towards his brother. The sound of movement draws his attention, and Thor barely has time to duck as an energy blast flies past where he'd been standing. The mortal is hovering in the air, hand extended.

"You won't take my brother from me," Thor vows, drawing lightning from the sky and blasting his opponent. Another energy beam hits him, and he's thrown backwards, landing only a few feet from Loki. A quick glance tells him that his brother is still unconscious.

"We need the Cube!" the man yells at him, picking himself up from the ground. Thor can't see his face, but he's probably glaring.

"I need time to talk to him!" Thor explodes, lightning flashing in the sky overhead in response to his anger. "I'm not letting you lock him up." Normally, he'd readily attack, but Loki is defenseless. There's a real danger that he could be seriously injured.

"You have no say on the matter," the mortal taunts, raising his hands, palms glowing as he prepares to fire another energy blast at Thor. Lunging forward, Thor grabs his wrists, using his strength to begin crushing the weapon system on his hands. Realizing what Thor's doing, the man fires, the bolts slamming into Thor and throwing him backwards again. The blasts would have seriously injured or killed most humans, but it only minorly wounds Thor.

The man – Iron Man – lunges forwards, trying to tackle Thor to the ground, but Mjolnir throws him off course, and he's slammed into the side of the mountain. Somehow, he manages to avoid being trapped under it, and he's flying straight towards Thor just as Mjolnir lands in his outstretched hand. He lands around four feet away, and as Thor prepares to launch another attack to chase him away, something bounces off him before hitting Iron Man and flying away.

Thor whirls to see another man standing there wearing a blue suit which clearly isn't armor, though it's definitely a uniform. A shield with a star in the center is in his hand, and he's watching them with exasperation on his face. "Hey! That's enough!" he orders, moving closer. "Now, I don't know what you plan on doing here." Those words are addressed to Thor, who subtly shifts so that he's between Loki and them.

"I've come here to put an end to Loki's schemes," Thor declares firmly, choosing not to add that he also has other reasons. He wants to get his brother back.

"Then prove it," the newcomer challenges. "Put the hammer down."

"Um, yeah, no," Iron Man blurts out. "Bad call! He loves his hammer!" Snarling, Thor backhands him, sending him plummeting over the edge of the mountain.

"I am not giving my brother over to you or anyone," Thor hisses.

The newcomer glances past Thor, looking at Loki's prone figure. "What happened to him?" he wants to know. "Is he injured?"

"He is only unconscious," Thor tells him reluctantly as Iron Man flies up, hovering a distance away. "I intend to speak with him when he regains consciousness. He will answer my questions." He tries to sound more confident than he feels.

He can only hope that Loki will talk to him. He's desperate for answers, for a way to mend their brotherhood again. When he thought Loki was dead, it took months for the sharpest edge of his grief to be dulled enough for him to begin spending time with his friends as normal. That time alone made him realize how much his own actions had pushed Loki away. It had never been his intention, but that hardly matters. He did it, and he needs to fix it.

"We cannot just release him," the newcomer explains patiently. "It was hard enough to arrest him in the first place. Letting him go will mean taking the risk that he will cause further damage to Earth. We cannot permit that."

Thor glowers at him. "Loki will be with me," he reminds him. "I will not be letting him go." He pauses, a mirthless smile twisting up his lips. "If my brother does not wish to be in your custody, you will find that you will be unable to hold him. There are few who can contain his seidr, and Midgard has none of those abilities."

To Thor's surprise, that actually makes the other man falter. He looks at Iron Man before sighing. "Very well," he concedes slowly and with obvious reluctance. "You may take Loki with you, but we will remain nearby. If you wish to accompany us back to SHIELD, we will take you there, but in the meantime, we must keep an eye on your brother."

Thor mulls over the offer, realizing that it's probably his best option. "Fine," he agrees. "I agree." Is it his imagination, or did he just hear Loki chuckle? He glances over his shoulder at Loki, who still seems as unconscious as he did before, but his breathing isn't as slow and steady. He's awake.

"I'm Steve Rogers," the man – Rogers – introduces himself, "And that is Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man. He will fly with you and watch from afar."

Thor nods before turning back to Loki. "Are you going to get up?" he demands.

Loki twitches, a smirk on his lips as he opens his brilliant green eyes and looks up at Thor. "Yes, in a bit," he replies. "You hit me hard, and I have a headache. You're welcome anyways."

His tone is much lighter, and he actually sounds like the brother Thor remembers. Thor finds himself smiling at the familiarity of their interaction. "Now is hardly a time to be napping, brother," Thor reminds him playfully, "Unless you would I carry you away like a child?"

Loki rolls his eyes before standing up, brushing dust off his clothes. Thor keeps a steadying hand on his arm, ignoring Rogers and Stark as they argue behind him. Clearly, Stark isn't terribly keen on being given the mission to watch Loki, and he's protesting, but snice he's apparently the only one who can fly, he doesn't really have a choice.

"Hang on tight," Thor warns, putting his left arm around Loki's waist and holding him tightly. His brother doesn't hesitate, wrapping his arms around Thor in preparation for the flight. Thor spins Mjolnir, not looking back at Rogers or Stark as he flies up into the air.

Chapter Text

"Where are we going?" Loki calls on top of the wind rushing past them.

"I don't know," Thor answers, eyes scanning the dark ground. "Somewhere more suitable for a conversation." He's searching for an out of the way field which will give them plenty of privacy. He finds one much faster than he'd anticipated and lands amid the tall grass. Loki steps away shakily, half-sitting, half-collapsing to the ground. Thor drops down next to him and just sits there for a moment, staring out across the plain.

He can hear the distant sound of Stark landing, but the man is too far away to hear anything. He'll be watching, just as promised. "I missed you," Thor says softly, slipping an arm around Loki's shoulders and pulling him close. He hardly knows why he's confessing this except that he feels he needs to say it. There were so many days of longing, of regret, and he wants – needs – his brother to know that his presence wasn't just forgotten. Though not at present, he can still feel the ache, the desperation to keep Loki at his side, come what may.

Loki twitches but doesn't say anything, so Thor presses forward. "There were times when I didn't think I could go on. I thought – I hoped that –" Norns, it sounds childish to say aloud, and he's suddenly afraid to tell his brother lest he brush it away, but isn't that exactly what Thor did to Loki? At the very least, he owes him the truth. "– That we'd always stay together, fight together, do everything together."

He shakes his head. "It was stupid, I know." He exhales slowly, eyes roaming across the darkened horizon, the moonlight shining down and casting shadows on the ground.

"Was it?" Thor barely hears the words at first but turns his head to meet his brother's eyes. Loki searches his face, something almost vulnerable in his gaze. "Was it stupid?" he repeats.

"Maybe not," Thor concedes after a heartbeat, "But it's childish."

"It's –" Loki stops talking and looks away, seeming unwilling to finish the thought aloud.

"Tell me, brother," Thor encourages gently, rubbing Loki's shoulder soothingly.

"It's not impossible if you want it," Loki finally murmurs, still staring straight ahead.

"I do. More than anything." Thor doesn't even stop to think about the words; they're something he knows to be true deep inside him and speaking them is freeing. "I thought the world of you, Loki, and I – I know I did a poor job of showing it, but I was too arrogant. Still am, I suppose. But – but I want to do things different. I want – I want you."

Loki looks at him wordlessly, his right hand creeping over and touching Thor's leg lightly, and Thor finds that he doesn't need to say anything else, because from his brother's eyes, he can tell that he knows. He hasn't felt this close to Loki since they were little, probably before Thor met Sif and the Warriors Three. It hurts, realizing that it's been so many centuries. All that time… did Loki want him? Was he too afraid to reach out after Thor brushed him aside, taking his presence for granted? Thor can't – he can't do it again. He doesn't want to, knowing how easily he could lose his brother.

And he still doesn't know what happened. After he knocked Loki unconscious, his brother's behavior changed dramatically. He doubts Loki will want to talk about it, but Thor needs to know. "Brother, tell me, please," he whispers beseechingly, "What happened when you fell from the Bifrost. I want to understand."

Loki's breath catches, and Thor can feel a tremor run through his body. Almost without thinking, Thor winds his other arm around his brother, tightening his grip as though it will protect him from the world. "Does it matter?" Loki's words are dull and emotionless, but Thor can tell that he doesn't really mean it. Even if part of him doesn't want to talk about it, part of him clearly does. And Thor needs to understand.

"Of course," Thor murmurs.

Loki sighs heavily, shifting to a more comfortable position and pressing his face against Thor's shoulder. "His name was Thanos." The words are mumbled, but Thor can still hear him. "He's a Titan." Loki shakes his head slightly. "I wanted to die when I fell into the Void, but he found me. He wants – he wants the Infinity Stones to decimate half the universe." His voice trembles as he continues. "He knew who I was; all the Nine do apparently." Yes, Thor knows that. Loki is a Sorcerer with unmatched skills. Somehow, he thinks he knows where this is going, and he almost regrets asking.

"He wanted me – my seidr –" Loki's voice breaks, and a sob wracks his body. Thor tightens his grip, holding his brother as he falls apart in his arms. He listens with growing horror and anger as Loki continues the tale, whispering the words between sobs, telling Thor how Thanos tortured him, breaking his body and mind so he would do the Titan's bidding.

Thor wants to apologize for his own role in Loki's suffering. He wants to beg his brother's forgiveness for not even realizing, for needing him to spell it out so he would know, but he keeps his mouth closed, blinking away his own tears as he holds his brother. This is wrong, it's an insult, a declaration of war against Asgard itself. If his father doesn't do something – and Thor doesn't know why he wouldn't – then he'll go alone. No one can hurt Loki so grievously and live. Thanos must pay for what he did.

Eventually, Loki's tears stop flowing, but he doesn't make a move to pull away from Thor, so Thor lets the silence drag on as he tries to come to terms with what happened. At some point, they'll need to prevent the Chitauri from attacking, but now isn't the time. Loki needs Thor to keep him together, and Thor has no objections with helping. It's been so long since his brother has needed him, so many years of hurtful insults from both of them. How could Thor have let things go this far? He should have been there when Loki found out he was Jotun. It would have spared them both so much pain.

"It'll be alright, brother. You'll see." Thor isn't sure who he's trying to reassure more, but Loki seems to accept the comforting words readily, relaxing completely against Thor and wrapping his arms around his brother's waist. Thor rests his head against his brother's, one hand absently fiddling with Loki's hair, while the other rubs him soothingly.

Thor doesn't know how long they sit there holding each other. It could be minutes or hours; time has no meaning to him. They have as much time as Loki needs. It's hard for him to accept that he came so close to losing his brother forever. If he hadn't tried to listen, where would they be now? Would Loki still be trapped in the grip of that monster, forced to carry out his bidding? Would they have fought each other to the death as Thor carried out his oath to protect Midgard? He doesn't want to know the answers. He has Loki and that's all that matters. They can figure out what to do from here. Together.

Eventually, Loki's breathing evens out as he slips into a light doze. Thor gently pulls his cape around both of them before laying back on the ground. They've slept in worse places, and sleep is exactly what they need most. Loki stirs, eyes opening. "Sleep, little brother," Thor mumbles. "I'll keep you safe." A fleeting smile crosses Loki's face as he shifts, pressing closer to Thor. Holding his brother close, Thor drifts off to sleep. His last conscious thought is that it's literally been centuries since they've slept together, with Thor promising to protect Loki.

When Thor awakens, the sun is shining down on both of them. Loki is still sleeping, making him look much younger than he really is. If only things could always be this peaceful for them. Maybe they can be. Thor finds himself wishing for the days before they became old enough that they began to grow apart. He puts the thoughts aside in favor of focusing on the current situation at hand. Like it or not, they should travel with Stark and Rogers back to SHIELD. Loki should be able to track down the ones who have the Tesseract and stop them.

As he's considering their options, Loki shifts next to him, sleepily opening his eyes and blinking. "Morning, brother." Thor keeps his voice steady and light, hoping to keep at bay the emotions evoked the night before. Loki was – Thor honestly doesn't know how to help his brother when he's like that. He thinks he did – he did the best he could – but protecting his brother from imaginary monsters at night is vastly different from keeping him safe from his own mind. He's not at all equipped to deal with this, but he's the only one who can.

Loki mumbles something unintelligible in reply. Thor can tell that a weight has been lifted from him. His brother still looks haunted to be sure, but the burden he seemed to be carrying no longer exists. After a moment, Loki sits up. Thor lays there a minute longer, staring up at the clear blue sky, reflecting his current mood. He feels completely at peace, despite the knowledge of what happened to his brother. They can fix things; Thor is certain of it.

"I haven't slept that well for a while," Loki comments conversationally.

Thor gives him a sideways glance. "Or at all," he points out bluntly, almost immediately regretting his words. He needs to stop talking before he thinks.

To his relief, Loki doesn't seem too bothered. He gives Thor a half-smile, though it doesn't reach his eyes. "True enough," he agrees, standing up.

Thor rises as well, right hand resting near Mjolnir where its attached to his belt. "I believe it would be best for us to go with Stark and Rogers," he tells Loki. "You said – we need to find the Tesseract before its used to open a portal."

Loki nods in agreement. "It'll be in Manhattan." His tone is clipped, and Thor knows he doesn't want to think about it. The sooner they get this over with the better, for everyone's sakes.

"Talk. You said talk!" Stark lands in front of them, his unseen glare fixed on them both.

"We did talk," Thor defends himself, glowering right back.

The helmet flips up, and Stark doesn't look any happier than he sounded. His gaze flicks to Loki. "What's your excuse? Wait. Wait, you don't need one. Supervillain and all that. Yeah, got it."

"My brother is not a villain," Thor snarls, taking a step forward. Dark storm clouds begin gathering overhead, blocking out the sunlight. "I suggest you watch your tongue."

"No need to get so worked up, Point Break," Stark retorts, crossing his arms. "I'm sure you heard as well as I did what Loki's done. What we want to know now is what he's planning."

"He is right here," Loki interjects before Thor can throw Mjolnir at Stark's head. "My brother and I must go to Manhattan. We can handle it from there."

"Manhattan, huh?" Stark looks him up and down, eyes narrowed. "Well, you're in luck, because we need to go back there today, and I think you won't be walking free when we do."

"Loki has no intentions of harming your world," Thor assures him, glancing at his brother quickly. His expression is shuttered, a sure sign that he doesn't wish the conversation to continue. Still, Thor has to give the Midgardians something or they won't trust him. "He has done nothing of his own free will." A warning note creeps into his tone, but he forces himself to refrain from sounding deliberately aggravating.

"You think I'm going to trust your word when you couldn't keep him from harming us in the first place?" Stark asks sharply.

Thor glowers at him. "You know nothing of what happened between us, so I suggest you keep your opinion to yourself."

Stark mutters something which sounds unflattering as his helmet closes. "They're bringing the quinjet, so you two better get ready to fly back to it." Without giving either of them a chance to reply, he blasts up into the air.

"Come, brother. Let's go." Loki nods silently in response, so Thor wraps an arm around his brother's waist, unsurprised when Loki grips onto him tightly. Spinning Mjolnir, Thor flies into the air, heading towards the quinjet as it slowly flies towards them. He lands inside, right behind Stark, and the ramp closes.

"Good. You're back." Rogers sounds honestly relieved as Loki steps away from Thor, scanning the others with wariness.

"We must get to Manhattan as soon as possible," Thor informs him. "Loki has told me that the Chitauri invasion was planned to occur there." Really, his brother doesn't want to be involved in this at all, but he'll help as needed. The least Thor can do is be the spokesman for him.

Chapter Text

Rogers leans back against the wall, scrutinizing both of them. The quinjet's engines hum around them as the machine flies towards their destination. The sound lulls Thor into a sense of false security. He's sitting next to Loki, and though he's relaxed, his brother is extremely tense. His face is blank, but Thor knows he's scared.

"What's the plan, Loki?" he asks finally. "It would be helpful if we knew. If you were in our custody, if Thor hadn't come, what would you have done?"

Loki gives him a thin smile. "I wasn't going to do anything," he answers simply. "I was the distraction. Because you were focused on me, you didn't notice when Barton broke in to steal the iridium we needed."

"It was a good distraction," Stark mumbles, pulling his helmet off and studying Loki appraisingly. "I don't think anyone considered that. I mean, I probably would have figured it out because I'm a genius, but –"

"The size of your ego is frankly disturbing," Loki informs him with a sharp smirk.

Stark huffs, seeming prepared to start an argument, but Rogers holds out a hand to quiet him. "And then?" he queries. "After we imprisoned you in the Helicarrier. What plan did you have? Surely you must have known that you'd be placed in the most secure facility we have."

Loki scoffs. "Your pathetic Midgardian technology can't hold me. Few can keep me contained if I don't wish it." He pauses, clearly giving them a moment to absorb his words and their meaning. It's the truth. Thor knows little of the extent of Loki's seidr, but his brother is one of the strongest sorcerers he knows. Scratch that. Loki is the most powerful sorcerer he knows. He is aware of few who can match his brother's skill.

"Barton and the others were supposed to go to Manhattan. I knew you would be holding me nearby," Loki explains. Thor finds himself nearly awed by the cunning which went into the planning. He's been on the receiving end of Loki's tricks and mischief, but this is much more. This was meant for sinister purposes. He finds himself thankful that he'd listened to Loki and broken him free from the Mind Stone's grip. What might have happened if he hadn't? It's not something he wishes to think about.

"And then?" Roger demands, narrowing his eyes.

Loki hesitates, before exhaling harshly. "I don't know," he admits. "I am – was, rather, connected mentally to the others. Now, I don't know what happened. Perhaps they were freed, though I doubt it. Presumably, they are under –" he cuts off, expression haunted as his gaze flicks downwards. Thor reaches out, resting a comforting hand on his arm.

"Under whom?" Stark demands, stepping forward. "Who else is involved?"

"Thanos." Loki's tone is curt. "He is… not anyone you want to tangle with. If he has control of your friends' minds, there is no telling what they will do." In the tense silence, Thor can almost feel the others' unease. They're confused, uncertain if they can trust Loki's words and for good reason, but without telling them everything, there isn't much Thor can do.

"Surely you must have had a plan?" Rogers presses, raising an eyebrow.

"Not specifically," Loki admits. "The Tesseract would be used to open a portal and bring in the Chitauri army. I was to lead them. Now…" he shrugs.

"Can't you do something?" demands Stark. "Do some magic to find them and figure out what they're doing?"

Loki laughs mirthlessly. "That is not how seidr works. You mortals have very unusual views of sorcerer's abilities." But Thor knows that, in normal circumstances, Loki would have no problem with doing what Stark is asking. The only reason he's not is because his seidr has been severely weakened and depleted. The realization sends a dull throb of rage through him, prompting a random flash of lighting somewhere outside.

"You used your magic to control them in the first place, did you not?" Rogers wonders. Unlike Stark, he's level-headed and actually seems to be seeking a possible solution.

Loki shifts uncomfortably. "No." His voice doesn't betray anything. It's emotionless and detached, a mask Thor knows his brother only dons when the conversation becomes too much for him to handle. "I used the scepter. It contains the Mind Stone."

"Then use it now to find them," orders Stark, stepping towards where Thor can feel the pulsing magical energy belonging to the Mind Stone. "You can, can't you?"

"I don't know," Loki murmurs, body rigid. "Possibly."

No. No, Loki isn't going to do something if he could hurt him, but Thor can't speak to him openly – actually, he can. Taking a deep breath, he turns to face his brother. "Don't push yourself," Thor cautions, carefully checking that he's using only their native language. Midgardians don't know it, so there's so risk of anyone understanding what he's saying. "Please, brother. You must be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Loki smiles faintly, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Is that concern I hear?" he teases, switching to the same language. "You have changed so much, brother."

Thor reaches out to clasp his brother's neck. "I have tried," he concedes, "But I fear it's not as much as I need to. All this – all this could have been avoided if I had –" Not for the first time, the guilt starts choking him, especially knowing what Loki has been through. Thor is the elder of the two. He should have been better, should have done something differently. He could have too, but he was too focused on himself. Maybe he still is.

"Hush." Loki shushes him with a fleeting touch to his arm. "I think you'll find you've changed more than you realize." He shakes his head quickly. "The Midgardians are right. I must use the Mind Stone to try and find their friends."

"Can you handle it?" Thor worries.

"I –" For the first time ever, Loki looks uncertain of himself. "I don't know," he whispers quietly. "I can't bear it. It's nauseating, but there is no other choice."

Resignation rushes through him. So be it. "Fine," Thor sighs, "I'm proud of you, brother, for doing this, even though I know you don't want to."

Loki ducks his head down for a moment, before his eyes flick up to meet Thor's, a hint of gratitude and warmth hidden in their depths. "I'll be right here the whole time," Thor assures him, bumping his brother's shoulder lightly.

"Done with the chit chat?" Stark questions flippantly, withdrawing the scepter from its holding case. "Here, Reindeer Games." He extends it to Loki, and Thor notes that Rogers looks far from happy, but clearly, he agreed that this is the best course of action. When he was talking to Loki, he'd been aware the others were conferring quietly, though he didn't stop to listen to them. "Play any tricks, and we'll restrain you."

Normally, Loki would make a joke, but he doesn't, eyeing the scepter with apprehension before reaching out to take it. "It will be alright," Thor promises softly, in their native language. Loki nods, thumb stroking the metal of the handle as the end of it begins to glow. Thor nearly shivers as the seidr washes over him. He wasn't trained to use it, but it's so powerful, that he knows even the Midgardians feel it, though they don't realize what it is.

At first, nothing happens. Loki remains rigid, fingers clenching the scepter hard enough that his knuckles are white. Thor shifts anxiously, keeping his shoulder pressed against his brother's, hoping to keep him grounded and away from his memories. "Is it working?" Stark asks hopefully. Rogers immediately shushes him, their eyes pinned on Loki.

Loki twitches suddenly, and for some reason, that kicks Thor's instincts into alert. "Brother?" he tries in a hushed voice, moving so he can see his brother's face. He's extremely pale, his gaze vacant, as though looking on something only he can behold. Thor carefully touches his brother's arm, and Loki violently flinches away from him.

"No." The word is so quiet that Thor doesn't think anyone else heard it, but there's so much horror and pain in it that it's like a knife to his heart. Never has he heard that kind of emotion in Loki's voice. "N-no," Loki stammers slightly louder, pressing himself against the wall behind him. "Don't. Please d-don't."

"Loki!" Thor hisses, desperately scanning his brother's face for any signs of recognition. "Brother, snap out of it. It's not real. You're here. You're safe." He forgets for a moment that there are others who can hear his words, but right now, it doesn't really matter.

Loki's eyes flash blue for a second, and then, he screams like he's being murdered. Thor forgets all rationality, reaching out frantically to draw Loki away from whatever the Mind Stone is showing him. As soon as he touches his brother, Loki lashes out, a flare of green seidr bursting from his hands, throwing Thor backwards.

"What's wrong with him?" demands Stark as Thor slams hard into the wall.

"Get it away from him!" Thor orders, rushing towards Loki undeterred. "Brother! Loki!" He's practically screaming himself, but he doesn't care.

Loki is stammering unintelligible words, curling away from everyone around him. The sight of his brother all but cowering sends Thor into a rage. Lightning flashes outside nearly hitting the quinjet as Thor kneels next to his brother's body. "Thor," the whispered word is weak, almost inaudible above the resounding crash of thunder, but the pleading note isn't lost on Thor. How long had Loki begged for Thor while he was with Thanos?

"I'll hold him. Get the scepter out of his hands." Thor doesn't wait for them to reply, reaching out to grab Loki's shoulders and keeping himself away from his brother's hands. If he feels threatened, he'll lash out again, and that's the last thing they need.

At the last second, Thor clasps his brother's neck in the comforting gesture he's always used. Loki twitches, but this time doesn't rip himself away. Stark and Rogers move forward, grabbing onto the scepter and yanking it away from Loki. He lets go with little resistance, collapsing sideways against Thor. Thor immediately wraps his arms around his brother's shaking form, rubbing his back soothingly. "What happened?" Thor questions quietly.

Loki presses his face against Thor's chest, remaining silent, but Thor knows he heard. He'll answer as soon as he's ready. " He has them," Loki mumbles. "I – I don't know if the plans have been changed. I don't know anything."

"We can't lose hope," Thor decides firmly after a momentary pause. "We can still do something." Glancing up, he sees a flicker of something – sympathy perhaps – on Rogers face. They know, or suspect at least, that Thor was telling the truth. Good. He hates to see them mistrusting his brother, not after everything.

"Go as fast as you can," Stark urges, turning towards the woman piloting the quinjet. Thor doesn't think they were ever introduced, but he doesn't really care. He'll find out her name in due time. For now, he's perfectly content to hold his brother.

Eventually, he slips into a light doze – he's not really tired physically, but emotionally, he's exhausted. When he awakens, it's to the sound of loud beeping. Loki jerks next to him, eyes flicking open. He pulls away, sitting up and scanning the quinjet. Thor shakes off lingering exhaustion as the woman answers what must be a communication of some sort.

"Agent Romanoff, we have a situation. The Helicarrier has been attacked. It's been stabilized, but we don't know what they're planning next." It's a man; his voice sounds strained.

"Alright," she replies. "We'll be there within an hour."

"Do better. We need you here," he insists.

"I can fly ahead," Stark offers. "It might help."

"I would also be willing," Thor adds, glancing at Loki. His emotions are carefully masked, but Thor can see a hint of apprehension in his eyes.

"It would be better," Loki says hesitantly. "If I was there, I could determine their next move."

Rogers looks displeased for some reason but nods. "You three can go ahead. I'll be arriving with Natasha." Ah. So that's her name. Natasha Romanoff. It's an odd name, just like all the ones on Midgard, but Thor shrugs it away.

Thor stands up, offering a hand to Loki, but he brushes it away, rising a bit unsteadily. Rogers hits a button and the back of the quinjet opens again. With one final look around, Stark pulls his helmet on and flies away. Loki grasps tightly onto Thor, and they, too, fly out towards their destination. While Thor doesn't know where they're going, he can see Stark ahead and follows the trail. Manhattan, he heard, but his knowledge of Midgardian cities is abysmal.

It's not long before a city comes into view on the horizon. "Thor," hisses Loki, sounding slightly breathless. "Brother, we need to go straight to it. No detours. I can feel the Tesseract. They're activating it. It's too late."

"No," Thor refutes, channeling his power so they fly faster, "It's not. We can still do something."

"We don't have the scepter," Loki explains with longsuffering patience. "With the portal open, only the scepter can breach the barrier to shut it down."

Thor growls under his breath. "Then, we can find out what the situation is," he decides. Any other words are immediately cut off when he sees a column shooting upwards towards the sky, ripping an opening to the Void. Its origin is at the top of the tallest building in the city. As they get closer, Thor can make out the word Stark on the side. Why would anyone want to put their name onto a building? It must be another strange Midgardian idea.

"Land there," Loki instructs, loosening his grip with one hand to briefly motion towards the top of the tower. Arching downwards, Thor lands heavily on the roof, eyes immediately going to the device. The energy is shooting upwards, keeping a steady portal open through which dozens of Chitauri are pouring through. The battle has begun.

Chapter Text

"Stop!" The voice, though familiar, holds a hint of authoritativeness which Thor has never heard. He turns to see Erik Selvig determinedly stepping towards them, holding a metal rod in his hand. "You will never succeed in closing it," he states, grinning, eyes glowing an unnatural blue. "It is unstoppable."

"Oh, I don't think so," Loki throws back coolly. He flicks his hands, two daggers instantly materializing. He grips them, eyes narrowed as he watches Selvig.

Thor watches with horror as his friend sneers at Loki. "Traitor," he spits, swinging the rod towards Loki. Loki evades it easily, tossing a dagger towards Selvig. Though the man tries to duck, it embeds itself in his upper arm. With a cry of pain, he stumbles back, falling to the ground, left hand clutching his right arm.

"Loki, don't kill him," Thor warns. "He's a friend. I do not wish him to come to greater harm."

"Sleep," Loki orders. Selvig slumps to the ground, and Loki crouches down, pulling his dagger from the man's arm. Blood gushes from the wound, but Loki holds his hand over it. His fingers glow green as his seidr closes the injury.

"Thank you," Thor breathes gratefully as his brother rises.

"Don't thank me yet." Loki shakes his head. "He's still under the influence of the Mind Stone." He pauses. "Whatever you do, don't try to smash through the barrier. You'll fail."

Thor freezes, turning away from his scrutiny of the device which is powering the portal. He's unwilling to admit that he'd been considering exactly that. Loki raises an eyebrow at him before approaching it cautiously. The sound of movement overhead draws Thor's attention, and he looks up to see Stark flying towards them.

"Why did they choose my tower?" Iron Man all but wails as he lands next to them. "Can you turn this thing off?"

"Yes, with the scepter," Loki tells him. "I had it constructed so the scepter could shut it down."

Thor tentatively steps closer, studying the machine. The scepter is far away. If only there was a quicker way. "Well, it's not here, so that doesn't do much good," Stark grumbles. "If you can't do anything to it, then all we can do is try to stop the enemy. Barton is still on the loose somewhere, but we have the three of us."

"Containment," Loki murmurs, turning his gaze upwards. "I can hold the portal closed with my seidr only if one of you covers me."

"I shall protect you," Thor promises, spinning Mjolnir loosely in his grip. A silent, unspoken communication passes between them, and Loki nods, eyes flicking skywards. His hands begin to glow a faint green, and Thor can feel his seidr rippling around him. He turns his attention away from his brother, calling lightning down from the sky and electrocuting at least a dozen chariots.

"I'll be up there, shooting them down," Stark calls. "The others should be here soon enough." Thor gives him a curt nod, focusing on the Chitauri swarming the city as the man flies up into the air, quickly disappearing into the fray. It doesn't take long before the attention is drawn towards them, forcing Thor to fall into a steady pattern of smashing aside those who get too close and electrocuting the rest.

Loki joins him after a time, throwing daggers with small bursts of magic. A glance at the portal shows that it's covered with a faint, almost indiscernible layer of green. Thor can't help but feel a surge of pride. His brother is still powerful, despite everything Thanos has done to him. He's wanted this – for them to work together to achieve a goal. It's been so long since they've gone on adventures together with just the two of them, and Thor would be lying if he said he didn't miss it. Journeying with Sif and the Warriors Three was enjoyable in its own right, but with his brother, it was different. Better.

The roaring of an engine draws his attention, and the quinjet flies low next to the tower. The back opens, and Rogers stands there, scepter in his hands. "Catch!" he yells, tossing it towards them. "Close it up, and let's finish this." Loki catches it, body going tense, presumably at the closeness of the Mind Stone. He doesn't hesitate, immediately turning to push the end of it through the energy shield, only for the unthinkable to happen.

The shield protecting the Tesseract flares up, throwing Loki backwards. "Loki, what happened?" demands Thor, scrambling to his brother's side, sensing Roger's consternation.

"No," Loki mumbles, shaking his head, seemingly dazed. "That's impossible. I – I instructed –" He pushes himself to his feet, cautiously pushing the end of the scepter towards the energy shield again, only for it to produce the same results. This time, Thor catches him when he's thrown back from the backlash.

"Brother?" he prompts, concerned. Loki said it would work. He said he'd ensured the safety feature be built in. Why is it not working?

"Thanos," Loki breathes, face paler than Thor has ever seen. "He – he had them fix it. The – the scepter won't work. I don't know if anything will."

"What's wrong?" Rogers demands, leaping onto the tower and moving towards them. "Why isn't it working?"

"Selvig must have been forced to change it after his connection with me broke," Loki answers gravely. "There is something – something I can do, but it would be risky. I would need to focus all my concentration on the Tesseract." Thor can hear a certain reluctance in his voice. He's hiding something – or not telling the full truth, probably about the potential dangers.

"And the portal?" Rogers asks.

"I'm holding it closed with my seidr," Loki informs him, wincing suddenly. His gaze turns heavenwards, and Thor can see a giant monster trying and failing to get through. His concern immediately skyrockets. He knows how dangerous it can be for a spell to be shattered. The backlash – depending on its severity – could kill the mage.

"Can you hold that one?" Thor queries.

"For now," Loki replies through gritted teeth. "If they… don't stop… I'll have to… drop it."

Rogers exhales, nodding swiftly. "Do whatever you must," he orders, tone clipped. "Natasha, Stark, and I will be on the streets destroying the stragglers who managed to get through. Buy us as much time as you can. Maybe we can find Barton and free him."

"Get Selvig out of here." Loki motions to the unconscious man. "He is likely still under mind control, so be careful."

"Will do." Rogers immediately moves towards the man, picking him up before climbing back onto the quinjet, saying something to Lady Romanoff which Thor can't hear.

"Can you really do it?" Thor wonders as it flies away from them. "I worry for you, brother. You're spending much seidr in holding the portal sealed."

"I'll be fine," Loki assures him, an eerie calm in his voice, almost as though he's accepted something, something which Thor doesn't know. "This is my mess. I have to help clean it up."

"Loki, it's not your fault," Thor reminds him. "It's mine. It's Asgard's. We have not done you right. If we had, none of us would be here."

His brother acknowledges the words with a silent dip of his head, but his expression remains clouded. "I don't think I can hold them off much longer," he admits quietly, "Especially as I will need full concentration. I must bargain with the Tesseract. It will not be an easy endeavor."

"I will protect you," Thor promises again. "No harm shall befall you while I'm here."

Loki turns, raising his hands as he slowly moves closer to the device. Thor finds himself captivated by the raw power he can almost feel radiating from his brother, though he doesn't let it distract him from his primary mandate. If something happens to Loki, the entire realm is doomed. Thor cannot allow that to happen. He has a duty to perform.

It's much easier than it was previously to protect as most of the Chitauri have been destroyed by the combined forces of Thor and the other defenders. As he scans the area to ensure no one has snuck up on them, he hears Loki inhale sharply. Whirling towards his brother, Thor sees Loki swaying slightly, and he immediately moves to steady him. "Are you alright?" he worries.

"I'm fine." Loki waves off his concerns. "I was forced to drop the shield over the portal." A resounding roar draws Thor's attention upwards. Next to him, Loki flinches. "A Leviathan," he mumbles as the giant beast flies down through the portal, two more following right behind it. His gaze narrows in the familiar look of concentration.

"What will we do?" Thor queries.

"There's another spell I can try," Loki explains, "But if it doesn't work, which is what I expect, then I will have to speak to the Tesseract." He doesn't need to add that Thor will have to cover him. Thor already knows what he'll have to do. Offering up a silent prayer to the Norns, he nods before calling down a bolt of lightning and sending it flying towards a group of the invaders.

Behind him, he hears Loki murmuring a spell. It's followed by a green burst of seidr which bounces harmlessly off the energy shield. Loki is thrown to the ground by the blast, and he slowly pulls himself back to his feet. Thor throws his brother a concerned look, before glaring at where he knows the energy shield to be located. If Loki can't get through, maybe force is the answer. Spinning Mjolnir, he flies towards the device, hoping that he can go fast enough to actually break through.

"Thor, you idiot!" Loki yells from behind him, sounding completely exasperated.

Thor has one second to think that his current course of action was stupid before Mjolnir slams into the energy shield. It hurls him backwards with the same force. He doesn't even get the chance to catch himself and falls right over the edge of Stark Tower. Loki's voice, filled with irritation, carries after him, though Thor can't quite make out the words.

Spinning Mjolnir, he catches himself before he would have been unceremoniously splattered all over the ground below. It doesn't scare him as much as it probably should have; he's escaped from far trickier situations, and since he has Loki here, he doesn't think he needs to worry too much. His brother will find a way to solve their current predicament.

Flying up towards where Loki is, Thor spies a figure slinking towards his brother. The man raises an arrow, preparing to shoot it at Loki, who has his back turned. It might not kill him, but he'll certainly be injured. Thor doesn't even stop to think, turning Mjolnir towards the man and knocking him off his feet with a roar of anger. The human slams hard into the ground and doesn't move, clearly unconscious.

"Who's this?" Thor turns towards Loki as his brother moves towards them.

"It's their mission companion. Barton. The Hawk." Loki tilts his head as he studies the man's prone form. "Considering the circumstances, I believe he can protect me. You need to be out there." Loki motions towards the city, the signs of battle increasing by the moment. "There's not much you can do if you're here."

"But –" Thor begins to protest. He doesn't want to leave his brother's side. He wants to stay here, to protect him. Much as he hates to admit it though, Loki is right. If he stays here, he'll be limited. The others will fare much better if he helps them. He is a far greater warrior, after all. They're not used to conflicts of this magnitude. Thor and Loki are.

Loki holds up a hand to forestall any protests. "You know what you must do, brother," he says, giving Thor a look. "You'll be more effective out there, while I deal with this."

Thor's shoulders slump with defeat. "You're right," he agrees, eyes flicking towards Barton. "Wake him up. Once I know he'll protect you, I will go."

Chapter Text

Loki has many reservations about the situation, but none which he'll let his brother see. The situation is far worse than he's letting on. He doesn't want them to lose hope that victory is at hand. If he can't speak to the Tesseract to power it down, then – if he's still alive – there's one more thing which he can do, even though he loathes the thought. He can submit himself to the Mind Stone, and hopefully convince Thanos to accept him along with the Space and Mind Stones as a suitable exchange for Midgard. Thor will be furious, of course, which is why Loki has no intention of telling him.

It's not that he has any twisted notions about being a hero, about sacrificing himself for everyone else. Certainly not. He's not that self-sacrificing. But he doesn't really want half of the universe to be destroyed, because chances as likely as not that he won't be around to continue enjoying life. And, of course, Thor or his mother could be taken in the Snap. He doesn't want that to happen for many reasons which are far too complicated for him to explain, even to himself. If he doesn't offer himself up, Thor – who is an idiot, because he never knows when to stop fighting – will get himself killed before they can stop Thanos.

So, no. Loki is only seeking a very logical means to avert the inevitable and get revenge all in one shot. It's a brilliant plan, so why isn't he feeling more confident about it? He already knows how to fool Thanos into thinking that his mind is being controlled even if it's not, and if he bides his time just right, he'll be able to strike when the opportunity presents itself.

Keeping his face mostly blank, emotions locked behind a wall, he crouches next to Barton, resting his fingers on the man's forehead as he checks that the sticky webs of mind control have been cleared away. They have. "Wake," Loki murmurs, sending a tendril of seidr into the man's mind to pull him back to consciousness. He'll need time for his mind to heal, time which they don't have right now. It will have to wait.

Barton jerks, and Loki steps back as his eyes flicker open, falling almost immediately on Loki. His entire body stiffens as he rolls away, obviously preparing for an attack of some sort. Loki holds up his hands. "I'm not going to attack you," he promises. "Thor and I are trying to stop the invasion."

"I have no reason to believe a thing you say," spits the Hawk. "You meddled with my mind to make me do your bidding."

"I know," Loki answers, scrutinizing Barton, "But you also know – or probably suspect – that I was not doing it of my own free will either." He pauses, gauging the mortal's reaction. He seems indignant, ready to protect, but Loki won't give him that liberty. "I will make this quick," he states flatly, flicking a hand in the direction of the battle raging behind them. Thor is fending off Chitauri while Loki talks reason into Barton. "Tell me, did you not feel him digging through your mind, causing needless pain as he used you like a puppet?"

Barton glares, finally jerking his head in a nod. "I didn't do that to you," Loki points out bluntly, "And I shielded your mind so he wouldn't learn of your family. None of that will mean anything if we don't stop this."

The Hawk stands picking up his bow where it lies on the rooftop. "What do you want me to do?"

"Thor will be out there protecting the city," Loki answers, "While I focus on trying to shut down the Tesseract. I need you to defend me. If I'm killed, nothing will be able to stop the portal until it explodes in approximately a day, leveling the entire city. The army which will have entered by that point will be more than enough to conquer your realm."

"Explodes? Why would it do that?" exclaims Thor, no small amount of concern in his voice.

"Because it was designed to prevent any interactions from outside energy sources," explains Loki. "Had it remained as I'd constructed it, the excess energy would have flowed out to space, which would also have allowed the scepter to penetrate the shield. Now, everything is being locked inside where it will remain until the shield can no longer contain it. It will be a weapon of mass destruction."

Thor looks decidedly alarmed. "We cannot let that happen, brother!"

"We won't," Loki assures him.

"Oh, good. Looks like you found Hawkeye." Stark is hovering at the edge of the roof behind them. "Cap's on the ground with Romanoff, and I came to see if you needed help. Here." He tosses a small device at each of them. "They're for communication," he elaborates on seeing Thor's confused face. "You put them in your ear, so we can communicate even if we're not nearby each other."

Loki shrugs, slipping it in place. He knows how they work vaguely, though he's never actually employed one before. Maybe they'll come in useful after all. "Protect him," Thor orders Barton before he flies away, Stark following close behind him. The Hawk takes up position, reading his bow and arrows while Loki faces the device, holding out his hands and letting his seidr reach out to the Tesseract inside.

This is delicate work, and Loki honestly isn't certain if he'll succeed. He's never tried something like this before, at least not with an object as powerful as an Infinity Stone. The scepter is laying innocently on the ground near the device, and Loki knows that he can draw from the Mind Stone's innate power if it proves necessary. He doesn't want to do it; the magic of that stone is nauseating to him. It brings forth all sorts of memories he'd rather forget.

Ignoring how drained and worn he feels, Loki focuses all his concentration on the Tesseract. Brute force won't work on something as powerful as that, so he tries a different approach: cunning. Infinity Stones are, at their core, a concentration of power. They don't have a consciousness, unlike many might wish to believe. However, he theorizes that they can respect – as much as an insentient thing can – power.

He can feel the maelstrom of raw energy trapped within the shields, slowly increasing with magnitude as the seconds tick by. If he can siphon it away faster than it's being produced, the energy going into the portal will wane, causing it to close. In theory. In practice might be a whole other story. Loki is well aware of the great risks he'll be taking; he'll be a conduit, something which is incredibly dangerous for any mage, especially if the energy is stronger than the mage's inherent seidr.

The Tesseract continues to thrum on the edges of his awareness as he begins pulling in the excess energy build-up, letting it flow through him and out into the air around him. At first, the process is slow and sluggish, but the more he becomes accustomed, the faster the process is. It's still not fast enough. Loki tugs harder, the rush of power nearly intoxicating. It doesn't distract him. He cannot afford to let it distract him. He can feel the damage its causing to his body. Though it's nothing extreme right now, it will become progressively worse as he continues.

He might be a god, but compared to an Infinity Stone, it's as though he's nothing. The slow ache builds inside him as he taxes himself to his limits, but he still doesn't let up. They don't have time to wait. Barton can only hold off the Chitauri for so long, and when they realize what Loki's doing, he won't have the time and concentration which he needs.

The ache morphs into a burn, and it feels as though his body is being burned – much like what happened on the Sanctuary. No. No, he's not going to go back there. Not now. Slowly, but surely, Loki feels the outpouring of energy begin to reverse, pouring through him instead of maintaining the portal. His awareness begins to dim as he's becomes acutely aware of all the pain and damage which has been wrought on his body over the past many months. He pushes past it, digging deeper into the stores of energy which he doesn't really have, siphoning off the freely available power of the Mind Stone.

It could be minutes or hours – Loki doesn't know – by the time the Tesseract's power is coursing solely through him. The portal must be closed, but even when he opens his eyes, his gaze is far to blurry, and he finds that he can't focus on anything. He reaches out with his seidr, pulling the Tesseract to his hands. A distant part of his mind accepts that he probably won't survive this. If he were healthy, it would be fine, if stressful, but now, when his seidr is so depleted, the chances are abysmal.

His fingers close around the Tesseract, the glowing blue cube radiating more energy than he can possibly contain. He lets it go, lashing out to completely obliterate the device. If Thanos still has his mind-controlled minions running around, they'll have to start from scratch. And they probably won't get the Tesseract to do it with either. He should count this as a victory for himself. Thanos lost this round.

Everything begins spinning, and Loki collapses to the roof, a quite whine escaping him as pain pulses through his head. His entire body aches more than it ever has before. He thinks he hears someone calling his name, but he isn't certain. Probably Thor. Barton wouldn't care enough about him to come see if he's alright.

His vision begins fading to blackness, his consciousness attuned solely to the pulsing power of the Tesseract. Something isn't quite right, and Loki doesn't know what that something is. Did he – did he unwittingly form a connection between himself and the Space Stone? He heard a legend once a long time ago about a powerful mage who was dabbling with magic and created a binding between an object and himself. It killed him in the end, because no one could figure out how to break the bond. Loki didn't think it was real – there was no real evidence or any written theories about how such a thing could occur, probably because it's a difficult subject to research – but maybe he was wrong. Maybe this is what happened.

"Loki!" Thor's voice pierces through the fog in his mind, and he tries to reply, to say something, but he feels like he's trapped under an immense weight. He didn't mean for any of this to happen. It did, and he might as well not complain over it. He'll have to accept it and find a way back from here, if there even is a way back.

Thor will have to protect his body; Loki doesn't know how to wake himself up. He'll have to focus his efforts on trying to figure out what he did and try to undo it if he can. The Tesseract looms in his mind, a constant reminder. Digging through his memories, many of which are still so badly fragmented from his time with Thanos, Loki catches a hint of something, a piece of information about the Infinity Stones. He had done research on them once, many decades ago, and it's one of the memories which is damaged; Loki thinks it happened because he was fighting Thanos to prevent him from learning the information.

Carefully, he tugs it forward, trying to recall exactly what he'd learned. It's sketchy, but he's able to put the pieces together. Unlike many magical objects, the Infinity Stones contain far more power being as they're the building blocks of the universe. On occasion, there have been recorded throughout the centuries, millenniums, stories of individuals who bonded themselves to the Infinity Stones. The Soul Stone is the most common because whoever is sacrificed for it remains connected to it, allowing the switch to be made in the reverse. For the other stones, the individual, if he – or she – survives the bonding, will have enhanced magical abilities drawn directly from the stone in question.

One thing Loki definitely remembers is that the more powerful mages rarely ever survived the bonding; the power was too much for their bodies to handle. He doubts he'll be any different, even if his seidr is currently severely weakened. His last thought is one of gratitude. He's grateful that he was given a chance to talk to Thor one more time, that he was able to tell his brother what happened to him in the Void. With that thought, he slips into unconsciousness.

Chapter Text

Thor feels a wave of relief crash into him when the portal overhead shrinks and closes, chopping off the head of another Leviathan which had been coming through. The Chitauri forces still remaining are not massive, so it shouldn't take them long to destroy them. "Loki," Thor calls, deciding to try and test the strange Midgardian technology which the others have been using.

Silence greets his call; well, not silence per se, because he can still hear the fighting from the other ends, but his brother doesn't answer. "He's out," Barton informs him, sounding breathless. "He took out the device somehow and collapsed." An explosion echoes through the connection from somewhere. "I could use some help up here!" he calls. "They're all over me."

"Coming!" Thor replies spinning Mjolnir and flying towards the tower where Loki is. Nothing will happen to his brother. Not if he can help it. He summons lightning, electrocuting the Chitauri who are swarming towards the roof, landing heavily near Barton. The roof seems to have been damaged by an explosion of some sort, the device nothing more than a twisted pile of melted metal.

Loki is laying on the roof, face ashen, fingers curled tightly around the Tesseract. It takes a moment for Thor to realize that he's still breathing. Hurling Mjolnir towards three incoming Chitauri, Thor kneels next to Loki's prone form calling his hammer back and setting it next to him. The immediate threat has been neutralized, and he needs to check on his brother. He searches for a pulse, Loki's skin unusually cool to the touch. His heart is racing far too quickly, and that's when Thor realizes that he seems to be glowing a faint blue, similar in color to the Tesseract. What did his brother do?

He doesn't actually have time to answer that question. Instead, he pries the Tesseract out of Loki's grip, carefully setting it next to them. Someone needs to take it and the scepter to a safe place where no one can steal them. Theoretically, Thor could take them – and Loki – back to Asgard so his brother can receive medical attention, but he doesn't want to leave until the realm is safe and he's bid farewell.

"Loki!" calls Thor, shaking his brother slightly, hoping to receive some sort of response. Loki doesn't even stir. "Brother, wake up!" Still nothing. "We need to move him elsewhere," he decides, looking up.

Barton is watching them, an odd look on his face. The man nods stiffly. "It's getting pretty quiet now," he remarks, eyes scanning the city.

"Just a few stragglers left," Rogers reports. "Stark you take Thor and Loki somewhere. The rest of us can clean this up without your help. Come back as soon as you can."

"On it," Stark answers, and Thor can see a blur of red as the man flies towards them, landing on the roof. "That made quite a mess," he comments, scuffing his foot against the destroyed metal framework. "I'll just bring these," he adds, picking up the scepter in one hand and the Tesseract in the other. He walks towards an entrance which leads into the tower.

"I have a medical room inside. You can bring your brother. He'll be fine in here." Stark motions to him, and he gently lifts Loki into his arms. The bluish glow seems to have faded for the most part, but Thor can sense an unusual magic inside his brother. He might not be able to use seidr – having never been trained in it like Loki – though he can still sense it vaguely. The Infinity Stones were almost entirely eclipsing his senses, but with Loki so close, he can feel his brother. And he feels wrong.

They move deeper into the tower, Thor focusing more on Loki, who is remaining unresponsive, than his surroundings. Being on an elevator is a bit jarring though; it's definitely a vastly different mode of travelling between floors compared to the staircases in Asgard. Stark opens his helmet on the way down, so Thor can see his slightly worried expression.

"What happened to him?" Stark questions. "Do you know? Was it from whatever magic he did to close the portal? We don't really know anything about that here, so I don't think we could help much if his problems are rooted in magic."

One thing Thor has noticed about this mortal, is that he talks a lot. Still, he forces himself to remain polite. "I do not know," he admits, "But I believe whatever Loki did to close the portal has negatively affected him." He tightens his grip as if that will keep his brother with him.

Finally, they reach the right place, and Thor lays Loki down on the bed which Stark indicates. "Okay, JARVIS, run a scan and tell me what you find," orders Stark.

"Right away, sir," replies a voice which Thor can't see. He jumps, glancing around the room. It's empty except for the three of them.

"Don't worry," Stark assures him, obviously sensing his unease. "JARVIS is a computer. You can't see him. He takes care of security and watches over the tower. Stuff like that." It sounds like some other sort of Midgardian technology which Thor really doesn't want to take the time to understand.

"His body temperature is about ten degrees cooler than normal," the invisible voice reports.

"He's Jotun," Thor interrupts. "His temperature is lower than that of humans and Aesir since they naturally live in cold climates." After Loki fell into the Void, Thor had been devastated. He hadn't interacted with his friends for months, preferring to spend time alone, trying to understand. He'd researched more about Jotuns than he cares to admit, and the basics of their physiology are one thing he now knows.

"Okay, what else?" queries Stark, not commenting about Loki being a different species altogether. He doesn't even blink an eye for which Thor is grateful. It's bad enough that Asgardians have a long-standing hatred of Jotuns; Midgardians don't need to be the same.

"He appears to have suffered immense trauma fairly recently," continues JARVIS. "His body is covered with scars and wounds, some of which are still healing. He is also suffering from extreme undernourishment."

"Well, that last thing I can fix," Stark declares, having put the Tesseract and scepter down on the side of the room, "But I think he can wait for an hour while I finish taking care of the Chitauri, yes, JARVIS?"

"He is not in any imminent danger," the voice agrees, pausing, "But his body is emitting a strange type of gamma radiation. The frequency matches that of the Tesseract."

Thor feels his heart skip a beat as cold dread washes through him. He'd seen Loki's skin glowing blue like the Tesseract, but what if it was from the Tesseract? He doesn't know what happened. He doesn't even know how to start finding answers. "Something must have gone wrong," Thor says quietly.

"Naturally," Stark answers, "Because I've never heard of anything like that before. I mean, how is that even possible? What did he do anyways? Do you know?"

Thor shakes his head. "Magic has never been my line of interest," he admits and now, he almost wishes that it had been, that he had paid more attention to Loki when he spoke of his seidr.

Stark sighs. "I'll leave you two here. JARVIS, if anything happens, direct Thor to a hospital. I'll be back as soon as I can." He hurries out of the room, and Thor stands somberly next to his brother's bed, wondering just what went wrong.

***

It's been almost two days, and Loki is still as silent and unresponsive as he was in the beginning. Thor can't deny being worried; he's hardly left his brother's side, and even now, he's sitting here watching him. After the first night, Stark had Loki moved to a hospital where they'd inserted an IV and done a few scans, confirming that Loki is severely malnourished and shows signs of torture, though he's healing well.

Thor can't help but reach out – yet again – brushing his fingers over his brother's curly black hair. He doesn't look quite as much like a corpse as he did at first, but it's not a whole lot of comfort. He's not waking up, and no one knows why.

Just as Thor thinks that, he feels Loki twitch slightly beneath his hand. "Brother?" Thor whispers, a cautious hope springing up. Honestly, the only reason he didn't go back to Asgard is because he was afraid that Loki would be imprisoned, or he wouldn't be able to be with him at all times. There, Thor is crown prince. Here, he's simply another warrior whose services are not needed at the moment.

Loki shifts again, this time more visibly, and slowly, his bright green eyes open. Thor nearly chokes on air at the sight. He had – he had begun to fear that Loki might never awaken, that the cost of closing the portal would be his death. And the realization that Loki is still here – not dead – brings relief crashing over him, overwhelming and all-encompassing.

"Loki?" Thor prompts quietly, watching as his brother's eyes flicker around the room in confusion before finally settling on him. Something akin to relief flashes through Loki's gaze, but it's gone before Thor can even process it.

"Thor…" The hoarse, whispered word slips back Loki's lips.

"Yes, I'm here," Thor all but promises fervently. "Do you want a drink?"

Instead of trying to give a verbal response, Loki just nods, so Thor moves across the room to fill a glass with water for his brother. "How do you feel?" he asks when Loki is done drinking. He's leaning comfortably back against the head of his bed.

"I've been better," Loki answers with a slight shrug, "And worse. I'll live."

"I was so worried," Thor tells him, the words pouring out in a rush. "You were unconscious for two days. No one could figure out what was wrong. What happened, Loki?"

His brother tilts his head as if trying to determine exactly how much to divulge. Well, if Thor suspects he's not giving the full answer, he'll pry it out of him if necessary. "I used myself as a conduit for the Tesseract's power," Loki explains slowly. "It overwhelmed me, and my body was already weak from the time I spent in the Void." And with Thanos. Those words don't need to be said. They're implied, hanging heavily in the air.

"And?" Thor pushes when Loki doesn't say anything else.

Loki's expression seems minorly troubled. "And I believe that I have unwittingly formed a bond with the Tesseract."

Thor gapes at him. "You what? How does that even happen?"

"It's rare," he explains, "But possible. The Infinity Stones are sources of pure energy, and if an individual is bonded to one – often through extreme or extensive contact – the Stone's power is shared." He holds out his hand, creating a simple spell in his palm, one for light. The glowing orb is dim, and Thor immediately notices that the green is interspersed with blue.

"Oh," he breathes, staring wide-eyed, "So you've just gained a whole new level of power."

Loki's expression is bitter. "Yes," he agrees curtly. It's clear that he's not happy with this development for whatever reason, and Thor isn't sure how to push him to confide.

"We'll figure this out together," Thor promises. He's rewarded with a faint smile. "Maybe Mother can help. She knows far more about magic than me. And Loki?" He swallows. "I – I want to learn more too. You've tried to talk to me about it in the past, and I never really paid attention, but…" His voice trails off as he struggles to find a way to express how he feels. "I could sense the Tesseract's power in you, and it scared me, since I didn't know what was wrong."

His brother is quiet for a moment. "You want to learn magic?" he asks, disbelief obvious in his tone and words.

Thor nods. "The basics at least," he replies. "I want to be able to help you." And he does. After having failed Loki so many times, he wants to do this right, he wants to be able to help him when and how he needs it most.

"Alright," Loki murmurs. "I can start teaching you later." He looks away for a moment before visibly steeling himself. "I don't want to go back to Asgard right now."

Thor gapes at him in shock. "Why not? Asgard is our home!"

Loki purses his lips. "Your home," he agrees, "And I grew up there but…" He shrugs one shoulder. "The people never see me. I want to stay here. I know the mortals will be wary of me, but they won't ignore me."

He wants to protest, to beg that Loki reconsider, but he forces himself to remain mindful of everything Loki has said to him, both now and previously. It's obvious that his brother will be under extreme stress on Asgard – from the interest and lack thereof, not to mention the possible trial – and he won't be able to recover from his time with Thanos there. "I don't want to leave you," Thor admits, voice barely above a whisper.

Something shifts in Loki's eyes, and Thor knows that though his pride won't let him admit it, he feels the same. "You don't have to leave yet," is all Loki says, shifting again, green eyes meeting Thor's blue ones. For a moment, neither of them moves, before Thor leans forwards, wrapping his arms around his brother and holding him tightly. They both need this, and Loki's muffled, half-hearted protests won't deter Thor in the least.

Chapter Text

The morning after Loki awoke, he was discharged from the hospital and escorted back to Stark's Tower, where he was given his own suite across from Thor's. It's a bit of a relief to have a place to himself now, even though he suspects that Thor will be spending more time than not with him. He's extremely weak, his body and seidr taxed to the extreme. Thankfully, no one removed his leather armor – the metal pieces were taken off, probably shortly after Thor presumably moved him from the roof – so the wounds beneath are still concealed.

Since Thor is gone with Captain Rogers and Stark to speak with the Director, Loki is alone in the Tower, except for Dr. Banner, whom he has yet to meet. From the little he's heard, Banner's alter ego is a beast, much like how Loki's true Jotun form is monstrous. The Tesseract might be a constant hum in the back of his mind, but it cannot fuel his seidr to heal him. It's external to him, and until such time as he's recovered, its power is useless to him.

Biting back a groan, Loki limps into the bathroom, standing in front of the mirror. He looks terrible, and if Thor were to see him without the glamor he's been wearing until a few minutes ago, he'd have refused to leave. Slowly and gingerly, Loki unfastens the outer layers of armor, stripping off the dirty and bloody leather and depositing it on the floor. He'll have to clean it later after checking his injuries.

He's clothed in naught but a simple green tunic, and it's with great care that he pulls off his shirt and unwinds the bandages around his torso, revealing the scarred and damaged skin across his chest and back. Loki grimaces, ignoring the deeply rooted ache. The pain has become so much of a constant that he hardly notices it anymore, but he exerted himself far too greatly when closing the portal. Some of these wounds should have closed by now, but they're still gaping, sluggishly oozing blood or infection in some places. His back is, of course, the worst, and he twists himself so he can look at it in the mirror. Thor would have a fit if he saw, but Loki doesn't know if he can bandage this alone.

He'd wrapped it roughly while still in Germany, Barton offering whatever limited assistance he could. Loki doubts the man can even remember it. His memories of his time under the mind control are likely hazy, especially since Thanos took over. Loki estimates that he has probably almost an hour before Thor will be back, so he needs to care for this now. Thankfully, JARVIS cannot reveal any personal information unless someone is in danger, so he's not too wary about asking him if there's someone who might be able to help.

He's loath to ask, but he doesn't really want it to get worse to the point where Thor will have to become involved. His seidr is still too weak and injured to do much beyond basic illusions; healing requires far more energy than he has to spend. It doesn't help that he hasn't really eaten a decent meal in months. He can see his ribs sticking out prominently and it's sickening. Thanos did all this to him, and now, he's left to gather the broken pieces of his body – mainly his mind – and put them back together. Thank the Norns that Thor is here. Loki wouldn't know how to do this alone or even where to begin.

Casting a quick glamor over himself to hide the damage, he sticks his head into the bedroom. "JARVIS, is there anyone other than Thor who might be able to help me bandage an injury?" He can't help but clench his fists as he asks. The one thing he hates more than being ignored is having to ask someone for help. Reaching out is hard if he knows he could be rejected. Thor wouldn't, of course, not now, but Loki doesn't want him to see how badly his brother was hurt.

"Certainly, Mr. Loki," the AI replies amiably. "Dr. Banner is in the Tower, and he has some medical experience. Shall I ask him to come here?"

"That's fine," Loki agrees, pausing for a moment. "Do not tell my brother about this."

"As you wish," JARVIS answers. "Dr. Banner is on his way up here."

Loki waits for a long, tense minute, and by the time that he senses Banner entering the suite – JARVIS must have let him in – he's had plenty of opportunities to question whether or not he made a mistake. Maybe he should have ignored it. Yes, the widest wound is the width of his finger, but it will heal in time. He's as hardy as any Asgardian, and his body will recover. It will only take much longer without proper care. Showing someone his condition is like revealing a weakness. He doesn't want to be looked on with pity.

"Loki?" calls Banner hesitantly, "JARVIS said you wanted help with an injury."

Loki grimaces. He can't easily back out of this, so he might as well get it over with. "In the bathroom," he answers. Banner steps into the doorway a moment later, a hint of uncertainty on his face. Loki inhales slowly before letting the glamor fall from him. Banner sucks in a sharp breath as the injuries appear. "I can't properly treat the wounds on my back," Loki explains awkwardly, turning partially to show them.

"You've been injured all this time… and you fought like that?" Banner exclaims, aghast. He moves closer, riffling through a cabinet to collect supplies. "I can help you bandage that, but you might want someone more experienced to take a look. It could be serious."

"I know," Loki grits out, "But I'll be fine. I've had worse and survived."

Banner only shakes his head before getting a cloth to dab off the excess blood and infection around the edges of the wounds. Loki stands perfectly still as the man works, letting him have unfettered access to Loki's body. He moves with great care and precision and though it hurts – obviously – Banner's hands are far gentler than any of Loki's recent caretakers' have been.

"I ask that you not mention this to my brother," Loki says when Banner begins to wind a bandage around Loki's torso.

Banner pauses mid-motion and looks up, searching Loki's face. "If that's what you want," he finally replies, sounding rather reluctant to agree. "Try not to do anything stressful for the next few weeks," he instructs. "I know you probably heal fast, but it'll take time for your body to repair the damage."

Loki shifts carefully, barely even flinching at the pain which shoots down his back from the raw wounds. "You need not worry," he assures him. "I am well aware how to deal with damage of this nature." It's not the first time he's been whipped – albeit this time is the worst – and he doubts it'll be the last. He's lived many centuries and gone to numerous worlds. It was inevitable that he encounter violence at some point.

When Banner secures the bandage, Loki summons a clean set of clothing to cover himself, feeling somewhat relieved that his body is no longer exposed. He watches as Banner begins putting things away, before he pauses, giving Loki a sideways glance. "When was the last time you ate?" he asks bluntly.

Loki had been expecting the question or at least a comment about his obvious emaciation, but he still has to force himself not to physically react to the question. He thinks back, even though he already knows the answer. It's been long enough that he's aware of the current date… and how much of his life he's lost to the Void. "Assuming you mean a proper meal, then it's been about a year," he admits casually as though it means nothing.

Banner jerks as if struck. "A year?" he echoes, his shock and horror readily apparent.

An odd numbness sweeps over Loki. A year. He lost a year of his life to Thanos. It's not much time for a god, but still, that's a year he'll never get back. He's pulled back from his spiraling thoughts when Banner shakes his head with determination.

"You need to start eating, but start with liquids, smoothies and the like," Banner cautions. Loki nods. He's never been starved before personally, at least not this much, but he knows other warriors who have been. His training under Eir, the head healer on Asgard, gave him plenty of knowledge of how to approach these situations. "Fruit," he adds slowly, giving Loki a speculative look. "Do you want me to make you something?"

Loki wants to reject the offer out of hand, because he's not an invalid, but he finds himself nodding instead. Truthfully, he doesn't know exactly how mortals might prepare something in this situation, and Midgard is vastly different from Asgard. There aren't any servants or cooks to do the work for him, not that Loki needs any. He knows how to cook for survival; he and Thor both do. They could hardly carry the luxuries of the palace with them on hunts or adventures.

He silently follows Banner into the kitchen where the man sets out putting fruit into a contraption which he calls a blender, patiently showing Loki how to use it, before blending the contents. Humans are ingenious creatures. Loki can readily admit that. Banner leaves shortly thereafter, once Loki has settled down with a glass in the living room, telling Loki to call back him in a few days to check the wounds. He agrees, though he doesn't know if he actually will. He already knows that the next few days and weeks will be hardest, and he tries to readjust to a normal life, free of torment and pain.

He's still mulling over the immediate future when Thor gets back. His brother doesn't say anything immediately, dropping onto the couch next to Loki and throwing an arm around his shoulders. Loki lets it be, feeling the weight ground him in the moment. "How was the meeting with the director?" he queries at least, surprisingly being the one to break the silence.

"It was well," Thor replies, relaxing. "I explained to him about the situation with your bond with the Tesseract and that we would need to help you gain control – not to mention for when I return to Asgard –" He sounds most unhappy when he says that. "– And he agreed that we, you rather, can take it when necessary and tell him about it afterwards."

That's… not what Loki had been expecting. "He did not demand that we request permission ahead of time?" He raises an inquisitive eyebrow.

Thor huffs. "Based on what Stark told me, the director answers to the World Security Council which does not want the Tesseract to leave Midgard. If he isn't aware that we've taken it, he cannot be held accountable. I believe that after the Chitauri invasion, he has seen that the planet is not ready to deal with the Tesseract as they have been. He feels it would be safter for it to be on Asgard."

Loki smirks. "Well, he's not wrong," he drawls. "The Infinity Stones are far more powerful than mere mortals can toy with, but I must give them credit for trying."

"Aye," murmurs Thor, "They are a very inquisitive species. You may yet like it here and find others with whom to share your knowledge." At his words, Loki gives him a look, and Thor smiles, a hint of melancholy and regret in the gesture. "Yes, brother, I now know that most on Asgard do not regard you with the respect befitting your knowledge… or status."

Loki turns his head towards the floor, unable to protest. He's wanted to be recognized for years, for Thor to realize how much he's been forced to endure being left in the shadows as he has been. Now that his brother is seeing, Loki honestly isn't sure how he feels. Relief, mostly, that he doesn't need to worry that if he left no one but his mother would even notice. And he's also happy that he finally has some of Thor's attention on him again. He'd almost forgotten what it was like for his brother to fret over him all the time the way he did when they were young.

And now, Loki has his brother, and he has others who could perhaps become more than cautious allies. He thinks of Banner, and of the gentle way he treated Loki's injuries. Then, there are Stark and Rogers with whom Loki has had minimal interactions. Yes, he may yet find a place where he can fit in as an equal, not as the lesser prince. These mortals do not regard him with awe or reverence, but with the same fairness they show one another. He could get used to this feeling, this feeling of contentment.

Chapter Text

Loki screams, thrashing against the hands holding him in place while the whip cuts into his back, blood flowing freely. He'd held back the pain as long as he could, refusing to make a sound and holding himself with pride even as he was whipped. On the twentieth or so lash, he was no longer able to stop himself from crying out. His escape attempt was foolhardy, and he should have waited. He should have been patient.

But he wasn't. Ebony Maw caught him before he could even find the exit to the prison level, and now, here is he, being punished in front of all and sundry aboard the Sanctuary. A large hand grabs his chin, forcing his head up to meet the Titan's cold gaze. "Your rebellion will get you nowhere, little King," Thanos warns. "It will be good that you remember that for the future." Loki spits in his face, smirking even as he's backhanded hard enough to draw blood.

"Ten more lashes," orders the Titan. Loki cries out again as the whip digs into the mess of flesh and raw muscle on his back, each stroke sending waves of agony burning through him.

Loki jerks awake with a muffled gasp, heart racing as his eyes dart frantically around the room, trying to recall where he is. He relaxes slightly when he sees Thor laying sprawled on the bed next to him. The torture, the mind control, the invasion of Midgard, his subsequent fight to close the portal… It was real. It was real, and he's safe here in Stark's Tower, though he doesn't know for how long.

The sound of Thor's even breathing next to him helps him calm himself enough to unclench his hands which are twisted in the sheets. He tilts his head to look at the clock on the dresser, the red numbers reading 5:39. That's good. It's been almost two hours since he last awoke from the nightmare which brought Thor into his room from the couch. He doubts the silencing spell had failed, so he assumes that JARVIS must have called in his brother when he spiraled into a panic attack.

He doesn't think he'll be able to sleep anymore, so he carefully slides himself out of the bed, leaving Thor to sleep. He needs a moment to recollect himself and finds himself wandering from the bedroom into the rest of the suite. It's been five days since he first arrived, and he left the apartment for the first-time last night when Stark demanded that they eat supper together.

Loki had only been able to conclude that Midgardians have strange food choices and had said as much to Stark and his Lady Pepper Potts. They had both found the comment amusing, and he's glad they weren't offended. He hadn't even considered the possibility that they might be until after the words had escaped him. It was a thoughtless, passing statement. The evening itself had been pleasant enough, and Loki finds that he almost wants it to happen again.

He stands in the silence for a long minute before silently slipping from the suite and heading to the elevator to go to what Stark referred to as the common room. A change of scenery might be in order while he tries to find a semblance of calm in the wake of his nightmare. He wants to go somewhere alone just for a short while. Thor means well, but Loki doesn't think he could tolerate his brother's smothering affection or concern at the moment.

The common room is quiet and dark, and Loki finds it soothing, picking his way through the furniture to the large, glass window over the city. He stands there, staring out into the darkness which the coming son is chasing away. It's oddly peaceful, and he remains in place, hands clasped behind his back, as the sky blossoms with brilliant pinks and oranges. Midgard has beautiful sunrises, and Loki can't help but wonder why they choose to build such populated cities which ruin the beauty of their realm.

He's still standing there when the elevator dings, and Steve Rogers hesitantly enters the area. After the battle, Stark had offered Rogers a place to stay at his Tower, and the latter had agreed, through whether it was because he wanted to or because he felt he needed to keep an eye on the two Asgardians, Loki isn't sure.

"JARVIS said you were here," Rogers says quietly, tentatively moving closer. "I thought I'd come up in case you wanted the company."

Loki shrugs noncommittally, keeping his eyes fixed out the widow at the city. He doubts Thor will be waking anytime soon. For one, he dislikes being up at the crack of dawn. For two, they were up for at least an hour in the middle of the night when Loki spiraled into the worst panic attack he's had since coming here. The memory of it burns him with shame, so he dismisses it from mind. It won't do to linger on it.

"Couldn't sleep?" Rogers questions, leaning against the wall and looking out at the city as well.

Loki heaves a sigh. "No," he admits, "I cannot keep the memories at bay, and they overwhelm me." He doesn't know why he's confessing something so personal, and he clenches his fists, digging his fingernails into his palms.

"I understand," murmurs Rogers softly, and he does. Loki can hear it in his words. "I – I had to crash a plane in the Arctic to prevent it from unleashing weapons of mass destruction." Loki tilts his head just enough to look at him while he speaks. This desire to confess things to another is rather unfamiliar to him; it seems to be shared solely by the mortals. "I froze there… for seventy years. Sometimes," he pauses, licking his lips, "Sometimes, I wish they hadn't found me."

Loki turns fully to regard him with curiosity. "Why?"

Something pained flashes across his face. "Weeks before I crashed, I lost my closest friend. The world has moved on without me. I don't have a place anymore. Everyone I know is gone."

He hasn't dealt with the pain and grief yet. Loki can see as much. It must be hard for him to be thrust into another world like that without any idea how to fit in. Loki can relate to an extent. He's never fit in among the Asgardians, and none have taken time to try and better understand him, except his mother… and now, Thor.

"I fear I can offer you little consolation, Captain," Loki murmurs at last. "I can neither bring back the dead, nor turn back the clock." If he could, there would be much he would do, though he cannot say if he would choose to not fall into the Void. Certainly, his time with Thanos is not an experience he'd ever want to repeat, but at the same time, it allowed him to finally escape Asgard where he was slowly suffocating and drowning in Thor's shadow.

Rogers smiles slightly, and after a moment, he straightens. "Well, seeing as I'm here and you're here, would you like to have breakfast with me? I can make pancakes. We can find Thor and whoever else wants to come."

Loki thinks back to the communal meal with Stark and Lady Potts last night, before slowly nodding. Rogers motions to him, and they walk to the kitchen. "JARVIS, tell Thor to come here when he awakens," instructs Loki, as he hesitantly joins in to help Rogers with his preparations. They fall into a rhythm, and despite the silence, Loki finds the situation far more comfortable than he'd initially expected.

"You can talk to me anytime, you know, about anything you want," offers Rogers quietly.

Loki turns his head to look at him, wondering at the offer. "I find it hard to believe that discussing my problems would make them better," he remarks, shaking his head.

"Yes, I suppose I see why you might think that." Rogers huffs out a breath that's not quite a laugh, but close enough. "It does seem rather counterintuitive at times, but it's worked for me."

"I was adopted. I'm not Asgardian," Loki blurts out a few minutes later.

Rogers doesn't seem startled by the comment, simply nodding. "So, where are you from then?"

"Jotunheim," Loki tells him, eyes gazing unseeingly at the wall. "They're a race of monsters… and I'm one of them." He looks down at his left hand which had shifted to blue during the attack on the realm. He can't see the lines and markings now, but they're still there, just below the surface.

"Monsters?" Rogers seems surprised by the use of the word. "Why do you call them that?" There's nothing judgmental in his tone, just a hint of honest curiosity.

Loki doubts that the Captain would ever agree, that he could ever be made to see why Jotuns are monsters, but the bitter hatred Loki harbors for his heritage surges forth before he can stop himself. "They're horrible, evil, disgusting creatures who think of naught but destruction. They have long been enemies of Asgard and would be more than happy to destroy every one of us – them."

"Mr. Odinson is on his way to the kitchen," JARVIS interrupts smoothly.

"Thanks," Rogers replies, flicking his eyes towards the ceiling for a moment. "Ask the others if they would like to join us as well."

"Will do, Captain Rogers," the AI answers.

Loki watches as Rogers flips a pancake onto a plate, and he lets a tendril of seidr touch the growing stack, keeping them hot until they're ready to be eaten. "I find it hard to believe that every member of a species is a horrible, degenerate monster," he comments, blue eyes serious, if a bit troubled, when he turns to give Loki his full attention.

"I have seen them, fought them, Captain. You do not know them as I do." Loki's words a bit harsher than he'd intended, but he doesn't back down. He can feel the same horror and denial which he'd first felt upon learning the truth nipping at him again.

At that moment, Thor saunters into the room, and raises an eyebrow in surprise at the sight. "I did not expect to see you here, brother," he comments, giving Loki a smile. "Nightmares?"

Loki clenches his jaw and nods, unwilling to let his mind drift back to the memories which had plagued him throughout the night.

"Loki was telling me about Jotunheim," Rogers says, giving Thor a speculative look. Loki notices how his brother instantly stiffens, casting him a worried glance. "How long have you known about Loki's heritage?"

"Last year. Loki learned only by accident," Thor explains.

"Your parents never told you?" Rogers demands incredulously, "And they allowed you to be taught that all Jotuns are monsters?"

"They never advocated that mentality, but they didn't decry it either," Thor tells him before Loki has a chance to open his mouth. "Asgard might view them as monsters, but they are not. An entire race does not deserve to be destroyed for the actions of a few."

Loki whirls towards him, rage swelling up and overtaking reason. "You say that now, but where were those thoughts when you attacked Jotunheim, when you slaughtered Jotuns because it was fun, because they insulted you?!" He stalks towards his brother, poking his chest. "Just because you suddenly had a change of heart, that doesn't make Jotuns any less monstrous. You –"

"Brother," Thor interrupts placing a hand on Loki's shoulder, "I was wrong about them. They cannot all be monsters because you aren't." He moves his hand to clasp Loki's neck, expression incredibly soft. "You're one of the strongest and best people I know."

Loki is effectively rendered speechless by Thor's words. It's ironic that his silver-tongue is failing him now. He wants to scream that his brother is wrong, that the Jotuns will always be monsters, that one day his blood will turn him into a monster to be slaughtered as well, but he doesn't even know where to begin.

"Thor's right, Loki," Rogers tells him quietly. "It's not fair to judge an entire race based on the actions of a few. I imagine that if you were to go to Jotunheim, you would find that they have the same stories about Asgard that your people have about them."

Loki shifts, turning enough so that he can look at the Captain. Rogers offers him a small smile. "And breakfast is ready. I'll bring it to the table."

Thor pulls Loki to the dining room, and he lets himself be led there, unable to process or make sense of everyone's words. They're wrong. He knows they're wrong. His true skin is as revolting as it's always been portrayed, and it'll never go away, even if he wishes it.

"JARVIS said something about pancakes?" questions Stark as he enters the room with Lady Potts. "And ones made by our resident Capsicle and Lokester. I'm in!" Loki can't help the half-smile at the man's words. It might be a front more often than not, but Stark's constant jokes – especially if they're not aimed at him – do amuse him.

"Careful," Rogers calls from the kitchen. "You wouldn't want to find your food burned, would you, Stark?"

"You love me too much to poison me," refutes Stark, dropping into a chair. "I want a drink; it's never too early to have alcohol."

Lady Potts rolls her eyes at that. "You aren't having it with breakfast," she declares firmly.

Loki finds himself drifting into a peaceful calm as he listens to them bicker, Thor sitting next to him. He could get used to feeling as though he wants, as though he's wanted, and not a stranger intruding on someone else's life. He hopes that communal meals become more frequent; maybe he'll have to initiate it sometime, though he's not certain if he's ready to take the lead like that yet. No, not now. Not yet. But maybe soon, once he's able to fully relax and call these mortals friends. He would like that.

Chapter Text

It's been two days since Steve learned about Loki's heritage, and he knows he needs to do something about it, though he doesn't know what. The knowledge that Loki loathes such an integral part of himself, no thanks to his upbringing on Asgard, filled Steve with a quiet horror. It's messed up, but it certainly explains a lot about the god. How his adoptive parents could have allowed him to be indoctrinated with tales of Jotun monstrosity – knowing that the day Loki learned the truth the same labels would be turned against himself – Steve doesn't know.

The disquiet nagging at him, coupled with his slowly growing fondness for Loki, are what finally prompt him to seek out Stark. Certainly, he knows that the billionaire can't do anything to magically make Loki stop seeing himself in a negative light, but at least if the other residents in the Tower are aware, they might be able to find a way to help Loki heal.

And maybe a small part of Steve thinks it'll be easier to focus his attention on helping the Asgardian rather than adjusting to this new society. It's so different from his childhood, from what he remembers from the war before he ended up in the ice. The people are different too, and he can't quite decide if it's for better or worse. They're freer, to be sure, more willing to accept others regardless of what perceived faults they might have, but… He just – he doesn't know. He wants to be back in 1945 with Bucky when neither of them joins the army. He wants a place to call home. He misses the friends he's had who have now moved on and died.

Maybe that's why he finds himself drawn to Loki. Loki isn't from Earth; he seems to know little of the culture of this era, and it's easier to speak to him when they both have traumas in their pasts. It helps that Loki, being from another realm, hasn't been raised in an era where Captain America is an icon. No one knows Steve here, except Peggy, and he doesn't think he's ready to go see her. Not yet. Loki sees him as a person, and it helps somewhat to have someone who sees him, instead of Captain America. It's easy for the world to forget that he's human, not so much for him.

Ignoring the lingering oddness at speaking to an invisible computer, Steve tilts his head towards the ceiling in his apartment. "JARVIS, may I speak with Stark?"

"Certainly, Captain Rogers," replies the AI. "He is presently in his lab. Is it urgent?"

"No," he answers, quick to dismiss the notion, "But it concerns Loki. And I would rather he not know of it, at least for now."

There's a momentary pause in which Steve assumes JARVIS is conferring with Stark. "You may come down to the lab," the AI informs him. Steve leaves the privacy of his apartment, hoping that Loki, if and when he learns of this conversation, won't be too upset that Steve relayed the information to someone else. To be fair, Loki had never said he couldn't, but he never said he could either.

Any second thoughts he has disappear when he steps into Stark's lab, music blaring loudly enough to make him flinch as his highly-sensitive ears – his hearing was enhanced by the serum along with all his senses – are assaulted by the sound. Stark sees him almost immediately and waves him over, turning off the music.

"This is a little unusual. So, what did you have to tell me about Loki, Cap?" Stark leans against the workbench, tinkering half-heartedly with something while glancing periodically at him.

"He spoke to me the other day and told me that he was adopted," Steve explains slowly. "I mean, it's not a big deal here, but apparently for him, he was adopted from a long-term enemy of Asgard, people that they consider to be monsters."

"Ouch," mutters Stark, shaking his head. "That's not cool."

"His parents never told him," Steve adds flatly. "He is not handling it well, even now, and I think that whatever happened when he discovered the truth is why he ended up being tortured and mind-controlled into coming here."

"Tough," murmurs the billionaire, something in his eyes which Steve can't really read. "He considers himself a monster, doesn't he." Steve nods, even though it's not a question. "We gotta deal with that probably, at least that's what Pepper would say, but I'm not really the one to do that." He shifts uncomfortably. "I mean, I'm not the go-to person for emotional conversations."

Steve just barely holds back a smile. He'd noticed already that Stark is not comfortable with emotional conversations. "I can't imagine what that would be like, so I can't help him either," Steve admits, crossing his arms, "But we have to do something, or someone needs to, because if we don't, this could blow up in our faces. It's all good and well to keep Loki here, but we have to do right by him. It will be pointless to let him stay if we can't even help him."

Not only can he not imagine the feeling, but also, he doesn't know what that kind of mentality would do to a person. Loki has immeasurable power, and Steve would much rather have him for a friend than for a foe. He's suddenly, irrationally angry at Loki's parents for keeping the secret of his heritage from him. He could have been raised with the truth, raised knowing that his blood doesn't change who is, that monsters are made not born. Steve fears that if they can't help Loki deal with his heritage and the torture he's endured, he could be driven to make everyone see him as he sees himself. That is a day he hopes will never come.

"Yep, exactly," Stark agrees, nodding. "You might want to go to Bruce, you know being that he's the resident rage-monster and all. He's not here right now, but I'll send him up to your apartment as soon as he gets back."

Steve musters a genuine smile. "Thank you, Stark," he replies.

"Anytime." Stark waves it away. "And Cap, call me Tony." He flashes a grin at him, and Steve rolls his eyes before leaving the lab, heading to the gym instead of his apartment. He should have plenty of time to work out some of his excess energy before Dr. Banner returns.

***

Bruce slowly works his way through a calming technique before he enters the library where Loki ought to be waiting. After Steve spoke with him yesterday, they'd worked out a way to distract Thor so he and Loki could have a chance to talk. Thor's been hovering a lot, and while Loki obviously appreciates it to an extent, it's also been irritating him. Hence, the decision to keep Thor busy with something for a few hours while giving Loki some alone time.

Loki is sitting in a chair, a few books stacked in front of him on a table. They look to be on a variety of subjects. He glances up when Bruce slides into a nearby chair. "How are you healing?" Bruce asks before Loki has a chance to say anything. It seems like the safest way to start the conversation. Ever since Loki first asked for his help – and part of him can't believe that he really did – he's been checking periodically to ensure that the injuries are healing. It was jarring to see the damage, damage which Loki had even when he first arrived on Earth. Bruce can't even imagine how he was able to move like that, much less fight.

Loki shifts his shoulders, expression betraying only the faintest twinge of pain. "Well enough, Dr. Banner," he replies courteously, "But you did not arrange this simply to ask me that question." His eyes narrow almost imperceptibly. "If you had, you would have requested that JARVIS inquire after my health."

Bruce can't help the faint smile. Loki is so perceptive, but it doesn't unnerve him. Not truly. He knows who he is, and he doesn't fear being seen as a monster; he's not much more than that, much as he tries to control the Other Guy. Even now, even when Bruce is perfectly calm and at ease, he can feel the Other Guy pacing in his subconscious, eager to escape and wreak havoc on all and sundry.

"I heard you were a Jotun," he explains carefully, hoping that he doesn't unintentionally upset Loki, "And that they're a race of beings Asgard consider to be monsters, is that right?"

Loki is perfectly still for a moment. "Yes," he says at last, "That is correct." He pauses for the fraction of a second. "Did Thor put you up to this?" The suspicion in his voice is almost palpable, and he seems irked at the prospect.

"No. No," Bruce hastily reassures him. "He doesn't even know about this." At least he doesn't as far as Bruce knows. This is something that Steve had specifically asked of him. "I just wanted to tell you that I do not believe that monsters are born. I think they're made." He smiles slightly, a hint of bitterness in it, as he thinks about how Hulk was created. He doesn't know what he would think about himself if he had been born with the Other Guy – probably very similar to how Loki feels about being Jotun – but at the same time, he has to cling to that belief. It's the only thing that keeps him from going insane.

"If I didn't believe that, I would lose my sanity wondering when the Other Guy will ultimately take control," he admits. This isn't something he talks about much, or at all actually. It's different for Loki because he'll understand.

Loki's expression remains impassive, and Bruce wishes that he knew what the god was thinking. "And the point is…?" Loki queries finally.

"I know what it's like to think of yourself as a monster," he tells him, "And you don't need to let it define who you are or what you do. I did for a time, but then I learned." He hopes that Loki will actually listen to him, that he isn't so lost in his own self-loathing that he refuses to understand what he's being told.

Loki smiles thinly. "You don't know the Jotuns as I do."

Bruce forces himself to remain calm, even as his horror begins to rise. He understands now, why Steve wanted him to talk to Loki. His utter loathing for his race is horrifying. How could his adoptive parents have allowed such a dangerous mentality to be fostered? "Loki good. Hulk smash them," insists the Other Guy.

"Shut up," Bruce fires back at him. He refuses to have an incident simply because the Other Guy is getting twitchy about the situation. At least they're both in agreement that Loki should have known the truth. "Did you know some personally?" he wonders aloud.

One corner of Loki's mouth twitches upwards, though he looks far from amused. "There is nothing for me to know," he answers steadily. "I understand what you are trying to do, Dr. Banner, but it is futile. The Jotuns are monsters, and it is only a matter of time before you realize that truth extends to me as well."

Bruce can't quite suppress the wave of sadness which washes through him. "You aren't alone in thinking yourself a monster," he reminds him, tony level, "And maybe I am. Maybe you are, but that doesn't mean that we can't do good and help others. It's about choices. That is what I believe."

Loki huffs out a breath that's not quite a laugh. "A noble sentiment, but I'm afraid it is rather naïve. Perhaps we are both monsters, but I was born this way. It is not something I can change or wish away, no matter how much I might want it." A hint of wild desperation flashes through his eyes, but it's gone just as fast, leaving Bruce to wonder if he hadn't imagined it.

He knows he isn't going to get any further by pushing. Loki's mentality can't be rectified overnight, or even within a year. It will take immense time and patience. But still, there is one more thing which he can say. "Maybe so," he grants, "But you aren't alone. Just remember that." Loki says nothing, and after a moment, Bruce rises to leave. Loki doesn't stop him.

Chapter Text

The power of the seidr pouring through him is almost heady, and part of Loki wonder how he'll ever learn to control it, because learn he must. His link with the Tesseract – one which is constantly feeding him with energy – is not one to be taken lightly. It's powerful, but it's even more dangerous. Yes, by some miracle his body is able to withstand the strain, though that's not even the issue. Untamed seidr can be extremely dangerous, both to the mage and all those around them. Loki knows that, with his violent emotions, he could easily lose control. He doesn't want to be responsible for accidentally injuring or killing someone.

He's been healing from his injuries for nearly two weeks, and his growing restlessness had finally led him to suggest to Thor that they spar together. Which naturally had led to all the current residents of the Tower coming to observe. Loki hadn't been initially enthusiastic, but after some arguing, he'd reluctantly cast a protective spell to shield the observers from any risk of injury should he – or his brother – lose control.

Loki ducks under Thor's swing – he's using a sword Loki conjured for him, since they didn't want to completely wreck Stark's Tower – bringing his daggers up to halt the returning blow. They're fluctuating between using weapons and their fists while Loki tests the limits of his bond. By all rights he should be dead, and he really doesn't want to overdo it in a battle which is why he's practicing. The Space Stone's seidr feels different than his own, more slippery and wild. It makes control exceedingly hard.

Thor presses his relentless attack with the sword, and Loki pulls on the link, tossing a blast of seidr at his brother. It should have pushed him back a few feet, but instead, he's thrown across the room, the quick flash of light a bright blue with only the faintest tint of green. Loki winces, but Thor is back on his feet, seeming completely unsurprised. And he's smirking. "The last time that happened by accident was when you were first learning basic spells," he teases.

Loki gives him a flat look. "Oh, do be quiet, Thor," he chides. "It would be such a shame if I turned you into a frog, and the Space Stone made the shift irreparable." He can't help but grin at the look of sudden alarm that flits across his brother's face.

"That… can't happen, can it?" Thor asks warily.

Loki shrugs. "I've never used the Infinity Stones before," he answers, "And I've certainly never known anyone to form a bond like this. I imagine any number of unthinkable things can happen."

"You're holding back – Are you holding back?" his brother inquires.

He nearly laughs at the question. "Brother, if I were to unleash the full power of an Infinity Stone on you, do you think you could take it? Do you think my body could handle it?"

It's rhetorical, and Thor clearly recognizes that, because he doesn't give an answer. "I saw some weapons powered by the Tesseract," Rogers offers from his place in the sidelines. "They literally vaporized humans. I don't know what kind of effect it would have on your people though."

"We are… significantly stronger than mortals," Loki informs him. "Our blood contains a naturally stronger connection to seidr from which we derive our strength."

"Oh, so it's like something genetic almost?" Stark wonders with open curiosity as he leans forwards. "Like something within you is giving you the ability to manipulate the energy around you? I wonder if it would be possible for us to harness 'magic' using technology. I'll have to see what data JARVIS has collected on your abilities."

Loki just barely refrains from rolling his eyes. Before the sparring session had begin, Stark had asked if he could have his AI collect readings of Loki's energetic signature throughout for later analysis and study. Loki had agreed, if only because he was curious to know what the mortal might learn and develop as a result. One thing he's definitely learned about Midgard is that the humans are incredibly resourceful, using whatever knowledge and technology they have to stand up against the more superior beings who use seidr.

"Tony," Lady Potts chides in a low voice, though the fondness in it is unmistakable, "Do you have any idea how rude that could be?"

Stark's expression seems sheepish. "It wasn't meant to be," he protests, and Loki sees Banner look away for a moment to hide a smile.

"Since you did not suggest experimenting on me, I will not take offence to what you said," Loki tells him dryly. "Seidr is known to run strongly in certain families, but there is far more involved than simple inheritance," he explains. "Some individuals have great capabilities while their family does not." He suspects, though he is not certain, that it's true for him. If Jotuns have sorcerers, he's not heard of it.

Stark hums thoughtfully. "That's definitely something I'm going to investigate," he decides.

"Let's try something a tad more advanced," Loki suggests, turning back to Thor. His brother immediately braces himself, holding up his sword. It's easy to draw on his seidr to create a duplicate of himself, and only slightly harder to make it physical in nature. Normally, he can only hold two or three such craftings – it's a huge drain on his energy and requires a great deal of concentration – but now… he can hardly feel it.

Smirking, he makes the simulacrum attack Thor, while he duplicates himself several more times before cloaking himself from view. Standing to the side, arms crossed, Loki takes great pleasure in having all six of his copies – they're all physical, and he can't even believe it – attack Thor with daggers pulled from his pocket dimension. His connection to the copies is stronger as well. He notices that he can sense them physically far more strongly than usual. And thus far, his body is not experiencing any signs of energetic overload which might be expected when drawing on an Infinity Stone for so long. He's never heard of anything like this before, and he thinks he'll have to do some more research later on.

"Which one is the real you?" Thor asks, obviously wary of seriously injuring any of the simulacrums attacking him for fear of hurting his brother.

"You can't tell?" Loki questions back through the mouth of one of his copies. It's almost creepy to see… himself fighting with other copies of himself while the real him stands idly to the side. It makes him wonder if he would have the power to craft an entirely new body for himself, not that he'd ever attempt such a thing, because transferring his consciousness could prove highly problematic.

"No," Thor answers, shaking his head. He almost looks spooked, and Loki laughs at him.

"Well…" he says slowly, dropping the shroud of invisibility from where he's leaning against the wall. "I'm here." With a casual flick of his hand, the simulacrums disappear. "You've never been particularly attuned to discerning illusions from reality, but you should have been able to feel the workings holding them together."

Thor blinks, obviously surprised that Loki was on the sidelines the whole time. "Yes, I could," he acknowledges, "But it was so much stronger than anything you've ever done before…" His voice trails off, and he huffs out a laugh. "Can you teach me the basics at least?"

Loki stills. This isn't the first time that Thor has asked – he mentioned it once before some days ago – but it seems surreal to teach Thor how he does magic. "Of course," he replies with a smile. "Anytime."

"That is like so cool," Stark interjects before Thor can say anything else. "It would be so handy in a battle to have an illusion of yourself running around and fighting while you stayed on the side to… strategize and plan, you know? We gotta work on seeing if you can link your magic with technology." He smirks suddenly. "I'll even build you your own suit if you want," he offers. "Call it the Magic Man suit!"

Loki just barely refrains from rolling his eyes. "Yes," he agrees dryly, "I am certain that is something we could look into, but somehow, I doubt that Lady Potts or Captain Rogers would be terribly interested in listening in."

"Not exactly," Lady Potts concedes. "I probably should go attend to some urgent paperwork anyways." She gives him a slightly apologetic smile as she rises, pausing to give Stark a warning not to do anything stupid before she leaves the room.

"Technology isn't really my thing," Rogers admits, "But perhaps I can go upstairs to make dinner for us all?"

"Sure. That would be great!" Stark agrees. The captain hesitates for a moment before departing as well, leaving Loki behind with three attentive listeners. It's going to be a long session.

For the mortals' sakes, Loki begins with the basics of seidr, explaining how mages connect with their inner seidr and learn how to harness it. To his pleasant surprise, Stark and Banner both seem to understand what he's saying, or at least they're able to grasp the concepts, though they're not able to entirely comprehend the delicacy of the manipulations that goes into spell casting. Thor is helpful as well, explaining things or asking questions at random; it does a lot to show that, this time, he's actually paying attention.

Perhaps he'll yet learn how to properly harness his own abilities. Loki has always thought that he would be magnificent, especially if he didn't need to depend on Mjolnir, but it will take him time and training to achieve proper mastery. "I want to learn how," Thor insists, when Loki voices the thought that he can control his seidr without Mjolnir, though it's a bit different from Loki's own, more focused on the elements and less on the energy contained within all living organisms.

They shelve that discussion for later, at a time when Stark and Banner aren't around, seeing as their primary focus is on Loki's seidr and his new connection to the Tesseract. By the time that JARVIS informs them the evening meal is ready, Stark has already come up with a number of possible devices which could be theoretically charged with Loki's seidr. The realization that these mortals have the ability to contain and use his energy is as thrilling as it is terrifying. He doesn't want to ever be used against his will again, and he has no idea what could happen should SHIELD learn of Stark's newest prototype.

And for some reason, Stark is insistent that he design a suit of armor for Loki similar to what he himself uses, except that Loki will be able to channel his seidr through it to power it. It's a novel idea, and Loki decided to let him have his fun. Should he succeed, he'll only demonstrate the innate creativity that Loki has already seen in the Midgardians. Somehow, he doubts the man will give up before he's created something, irrespective of its usefulness.

Over dinner they discuss Loki's new ability to create numerous physical duplicates of himself, deciding to keep it confidential for now. Some things are better left unshared.

"Do you really think that SHIELD would try to do something should they learn?" Rogers questions uncertainly.

Stark shrugs. "It's better to not find out. They haven't exactly acted to inspire my confidence of them in the past, especially not given how they were treating Bruce."

"They will not try anything if they value their lives," Thor declares emphatically, a figurative storm cloud gathering around him.

Loki can't help but wince. "I can take care of myself, brother," he reminds him pleasantly. "Mortals do not frighten me."

"Of course, you can," Thor amends, "But that doesn't mean you have to do so alone."

Loki says nothing. He finds that he enjoys the single-minded attention Thor gives to him, but it does become smothering at times. A small part of him still can't help but wonder how his brother could still view their relationship the same given everything which has transpired, but he won't regret the gift he's being given. He's grateful for what he now has, knowing that it won't last forever. Eventually, Thor will have to return to Asgard, and Loki will not be going with him.

Chapter Text

Loki watches the seidr dance across his skin, green mingled with shades of blue. He doesn't think he'll ever get used to this. It's weird to see and feel the power of the Tesseract at all times, but over the past two months since the bond formed, he's been experimenting and pushing his limits. Honestly, he thinks he'll be virtually unstoppable now. Before, he was the strongest mage, except maybe for the All-Father, but even with his seidr damaged from his time with Thanos, he might be even stronger than before.

He's healed physically, at least from his injuries, but it will take far longer for the scars – mental and emotional – to fade. But, he's had Thor here as a constant, supportive presence, which has done wonders for his mental status. After his brother freed him from the mind control, he'd completely fallen apart, for the first time that he can even remember. Thor was there to help put him back together, and Loki finds that he's content to let the past remain in the past. He wants to look ahead to the future – however dismal it may be. That, he supposes, is the first step in healing. He might hate himself, and he does many times, but it's harder to remember that hate in the face of Thor's unwavering love.

And, of course, there are his new… acquaintances. He's become something almost like friends with Stark and Banner who enjoy learning about his seidr simply for the pleasure of having more knowledge. He might not speak as much with Rogers, but they, too, are something like friends. It's a strange, almost foreign, concept to Loki, seeing as he's rarely ever had people in whom he can confide. He's still wary, uncertain if they'll reject him, but he's also content to spent time with him, no longer so inclined to be on his own.

He's never actually enjoyed being alone, but it became easier after Thor found new companions who would hang on his every word. Being alone now can be comforting, at times, especially if he's being tormented by memories, though it's just as often a burden. He tries not to be alone too much, so he doesn't get lost in his own head.

While Romanoff isn't living at the Tower like the other, Loki has still encountered her more than few times since the Battle of New York. He knows he has to watch himself around her; she has quick wits, and an uncanny ability to see through his masks. He doesn't like it, but he rather enjoys playing mind games with her. It's nice to be able to do it with someone who doesn't intend to hurt him, and Thor simply isn't sharp enough to count. There's also Barton. Loki doubts they'll ever be friends, especially not with what Loki put the other man through, intentionally or not, but Barton doesn't loathe him, so that's a start.

Much as Loki appreciates their acceptance, he's not sure how much he actually deserves it. He's – he's still a monster, and even if he's learning to reorient himself to the world around him, chaos and mischief are in his nature. He craves them, and that's not something which will ever stop. He shakes his head slightly, pushing those thoughts aside. They're not terribly helpful at the moment, so he can ponder them later if he deems it necessary.

"Brother, you should return to Asgard," Loki comments as they sit together in the common room of the Tower. "You've been away long enough, and I shall be alright in your absence. You need to speak with the All-Father about – about Thanos and the threat he poses to the universe." He's proud of the fact that he says the name in a level tone.

Thor sighs, looking as unhappy as he does every time Loki has broached the subject over the past week or two. True to his word, Thor has scarcely left Loki's side except for one weekend when Loki had successfully convinced him to go visit Lady Jane. He'll never admit to feeling the familiar sense of being left behind when his brother had flown away, which is stupid, because Loki had been the one to force him to leave; he was unable to tolerate another moment of Thor fussing over him, and if his brother hadn't left, Loki fears he would have stabbed him.

"I know," Thor concedes, "I know, but if I leave, I don't know when I'll be able to return. It's not safe to use the Tesseract all the time."

And Thor has a good point, because with Thanos hunting for the Infinity Stones, it's dangerous to draw off their power at all, but Loki hopes that his bond to the Tesseract will fool whatever devices Thanos has to locate the Stones. He doesn't actually contain the power within him; it flows to him in a slow, steady stream when he uses his seidr. Of everything, that's not something he can give up. His seidr is his life. Even with the threat of Thanos looming, he doesn't think he could stop using it entirely.

"Asgard needs to be warned," Loki reminds his brother. "Without you speaking to the All-Father, I doubt anything will be done." He might be able to overlook past wrongs done to him by Thor, but the same doesn't hold true for Odin. The All-Father lied to him, deceived him about his heritage, took him to be used as a tool. Loki doesn't know how he can forgive that.

Loki can see the moment that Thor caves in. "Fine," he grudgingly agrees. "I will inform the others that I will be returning to Asgard. Stay safe and be careful, brother."

"I'm always careful," Loki informs him flatly.

Thor reaches over to clasp his neck before he can say anything else, concern shining in his eyes. "Don't do anything stupid," he finally settles for.

Loki smiles faintly. "You're the stupid one," he sniffs, though his words don't hide the underlying fondness in his tone. He wants to die sometimes; when he can't sleep from the nightmares of his torture, he thinks it would be easier to die, but – but he knows how much that would hurt Thor. His brother was many things, but a liar is not one of them. He told Loki how he'd mourned after Loki fell into the Void. It wasn't worth it – Loki is a Jotun, a monster – but the extent to which his brother cares isn't something he'll choose to callously disregard.

At that moment, Rogers steps into the room. "I'm not interrupting something, am I?"

Loki shakes his head. "I was just telling Thor that he needs to be returning to Asgard, preferably sooner rather than later."

The other man seats himself in an armchair across the room. He knows – actually, everyone probably does – that Thor is very reluctant to leave for Asgard with Loki remaining here on Midgard. "I assume you'll need to get the Tesseract then," the captain states. "I don't know if we have to clear it with Director Fury first; I don't think SHIELD wants to give it up, but if it's gone from here, it'll be safer for all of us."

Loki gives him a genuine, almost mischievous grin. "We'll simply take it," he answers. "They can complain to us afterwards, but there's little they can do if Thor is already gone."

Rogers' lips quirk into something that's almost a smirk but not quite. Loki can't help but notice that the man acts differently around them. He often seems more open and relaxed than when he's with the others. While Loki isn't certain, he suspects it's because the others tend to idolize Rogers, viewing him as "Captain America" first and foremost. Thor and Loki, on the other hand, see a person, not a title.

"And speaking of Director Fury…" Rogers comments thoughtfully, "I heard that he has finally managed to approve the Avengers Initiative. He'd wanted to have it authorized before the Battle of New York, but that didn't exactly work out, though he used it as proof that the world needs such a group. All three of us, Romanoff, Barton, Stark, and Banner are on it, that is, if you want to be."

When Loki decided to stay here on Midgard, he never planned on joining a team of people whose sole purpose is to defend the realm. Well, why not put his skills to use? If nothing else, he'll be able to ensure that Thanos doesn't send anymore of his minions here to find the Tesseract or scepter.

"I will join," declares Thor firmly. "If danger comes to this realm, I am sworn to protect it."

Loki gives his brother a sidelong look. "As am I," he says firmly. Even if he wouldn't have worded it quite the same way, the meaning is the same.

Rogers taps his fingers on the arm of the chair. "I – I don't know what I would do if I didn't," he admits at last. Loki is well aware of the unusual circumstances surrounding his presence and age. He's done a bid of research on all his new companions, if only to gauge them better. It wasn't out of any idle curiosity he might have had; well, okay, maybe a little.

Loki tilts his head slightly. "With Thanos coming, I think we need all the warriors can get," he remarks quietly. He doesn't know what will happen or when the mad Titan will send someone else to Midgard – he knows most of the Chitauri army is still intact – but whenever someone comes, they'll be waiting.

Thor looks to be about two seconds from declaring that he's staying here, so Loki sighs, turning to face him. "Brother, I'll be fine. If it bothers you so much, then I can show you the passageway between Asgard and Midgard."

His brother seems ecstatic, so Loki flicks his fingers to pull one of his old notebooks from his pocket dimension, opening it to the page detailing the passageways between the realms. Loki's ability to world walk hadn't begun with long-distance teleportation. He'd first visited many of the realms through the secret portals. It wasn't until later, when his seidr became more controlled, that he'd been able to actually world walk.

Thor is doing his best, but he clearly can't absorb all the intricacies, so Loki gives up and writes the information down on a separate piece of paper before handing it to his brother with strict instructions to keep it safe at all costs. Thor obediently tucks it away.

Rogers looks intrigued despite himself. "How is that different from using the Tesseract?" he queries finally.

"The Tesseract essentially opens a doorway from here directly to the destination, while following the path between worlds is more of a journey," Loki explains, just as the door opens and Stark swaggers in.

"Are you really sharing magical secrets without me, Lokester? I'm hurt." He gives them his best hurt expression, which only makes Loki raise an eyebrow.

"I was, in fact, discussing Thor's options of returning here without using the Tesseract," Loki answers honestly.

"He's leaving?" asks the billionaire.

"He will be," Loki corrects, "When we get the Tesseract. I can summon it, but you'll still want to tell your Director." He'd considered the possibility before, but he's never wanted to try it. In theory, he should be able to summon the Tesseract to his hand at will because of the shared bond, but it might not work like that, and honestly, Loki is a tad wary of using too much power from the Space Stone. Who knows what kind of harm it could cause his body? He hasn't noticed anything yet, but he's been extremely careful.

"I say you just summon it," decides Stark, sounding far more confident than he probably feels. "We can talk to him afterwards. Besides, SHIELD doesn't seem terribly willing to go along with the plan of sending the Tesseract back to Asgard. They want it here."

Loki shares a look with his brother. He obviously doesn't want to leave, but he recognizes the necessity. "Alright. It belongs to Asgard anyways." Thor sounds completely resigned, and Loki restrains himself from showing any affection in front of the others.

Instead, he focuses inwards, reaching for the thread of seidr which connect him to the Tesseract. They thrum beneath his touch, radiating far more power than Loki has ever felt in his life. He holds back a shiver, tugging the object in question towards him. Theoretically, it shouldn't matter where it is. Pinpointing its location, he twists his hand, opening a small portal. On the other side, the Tesseract glows blue. He lifts it up, closing the portal with but a thought as he cradles the object in his palm.

Loki somberly extends it to Thor, and with obvious reluctance, his brother takes it. "Come," urges Loki, rising. "We should go up to the roof. We don't know enough about how the Tesseract works to guarantee it won't damage the interior."

Muttering something inaudible under his breath, Thor stands as well. "This way." Stark waves them towards the elevator, and they follow him. Rogers comes too, though he doesn't say anything immediately. "How long are you going to be gone?" questions Stark.

"I do not know," Thor answers, staring straight ahead, fingers absently running over the surface of the Tesseract. "I hope it will not be for long, and I may be able to sneak away in a few months if I am not given permission."

Loki smirks. "You're beginning to sound like me," he teases, and the jibe brings a smile to Thor's face.

"We can handle everything while you're gone," Rogers promises. "With Loki here to help us, we'll be fine. And I'll watch over him," he adds a little more quietly, throwing Loki a quick look.

Loki glares at him. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much," he retorts.

"Thank you," Thor tells Rogers sincerely, and Loki can't help but notice that he seems less tense. He's tempted to give his brother a piece of his mind – he's been taking care of himself for centuries, and he doesn't need a mortal to help him – but he decides not to bother. If they argue, Thor is probably more likely to stay than he is to leave. As it is, it's a true miracle that Loki was able to convince him to go. Perhaps it's because Loki deliberately used Thanos' name.

Minutes later, they're standing on the roof of Stark Tower, in the same place where, only weeks ago, Loki closed the portal. "Visit us again soon sometime!" calls Stark, waving dramatically as he stands near the doorway.

Thor's gaze sweeps over Stark and Rogers. "Farewell, friends," he says, before his eyes meet Loki's. Loki has less than a second to brace himself before Thor yanks him into a crushing embrace. "I shall miss you, brother," he whispers.

Loki lets himself wrap his arms around his older brother. Thor is a sentimental fool more often than not, but still… Loki is going to miss his constant presence, even though he'll never admit it. He doesn't say any of that, of course; he's never been terribly prone to voicing his emotions. But there's still something he can say, and so, he does.

"Never doubt." His voice isn't loud enough for anyone but Thor to hear, and the words carry both a reminder and an oath. From the look of mingled relief and happiness on Thor's face, Loki knows he understands. And it's enough for now. He gently pulls away from his brother, watching as Thor activates the Tesseract and vanishes. He definitely, absolutely does not feel the desire to follow, even if he stands there for at least a minute, staring at the place where Thor was.

"Come on." Rogers is standing next to him now, a look of understanding – but not sympathy – on his face. "We need to contact SHIELD."

Chapter Text

"Your presence is required for an emergency meeting," JARVIS tells Loki not even two hours after Thor has left. Loki resists the urge to groan, because really? What could have gone wrong in the past two hours? A lot, apparently, if everyone in the Tower has been summoned. With a flick of his fingers, he teleports himself down to the common room, almost tempted to use his seidr to don his armor at the same time.

Unlike Thor, Loki has a firm preference for Asgardian clothing – or at least formal attire – whenever possible, so he's wearing his usual green and black as he appears. Stark and Rogers are there as would be expected – Banner is away as he has been since yesterday – but Loki's surprised to see Romanoff standing there too. All of them look uneasy, and he automatically checks to ensure he didn't do anything – pranks or otherwise – which could have gotten him in trouble, an automatic reflex triggered by all the mischief he's pulled throughout his life.

"Loki, we have a report of a small group of Chitauri in Washington D.C.," Rogers informs him seriously. "We don't know why they're there or what they're after, but we're going in. As of now, the four of us are the only Avengers able to investigate. We're leaving now."

The captain isn't even done talking before Loki's mind is racing through possibilities, donning his armor in preparation of a fight absentmindedly. "When Thor hears about this, he's going to very unhappy," Loki comments, smirking briefly as he follows the three outside to where a quinjet is waiting for them.

"I wish I could do that," Stark whispers too loudly to Romanoff, eyeing Loki's newly assembled armor, as they board the contraption.

Loki doesn't deign to respond as he seats himself inside, Rogers sitting next to him. Romanoff fires up the engine and flies the quinjet away towards their destination. He hasn't been to the nation's capital for a while, not that it matters. What matters is figuring out why the Chitauri are there. Honestly, Loki already has an idea or two.

"As the only one who knows something about the Chitauri, why do you think they're here?" Rogers asks as they fly. The engines hum irritatingly loudly, in Loki's opinion, but he tries not to let it bother him too much. It's harder than it sounds, especially since he's very much on edge right now.

"They could be searching for the Infinity Stones on Midgard," Loki says finally. "I do not know which ones are here other than the Mind Stone." He gives Rogers a look. "Would you happen to know where the scepter is?"

"Fury hasn't told us anything about it," Stark replies, frowning. "SHIELD was planning to study it, and I don't know where they took it. I told them it would be safest in a secure location, away from people, or in the Tower, but I don't think they actually listened. Maybe you should have been there to express the importance of protecting it." He shrugs slightly, and Loki can't help but feel gratified at the acknowledgement that he has a special way with words.

"Well, they could also be scouting for an invasion," Loki adds flatly. "It's not impossible that Thanos sent a fleet from where he was to Midgard. We only closed the portal on them. We never actually destroyed the millions of Chitauri at his disposal."

"Millions," Stark echoes, a note of horror entering his tone. "We were being overwhelmed when they were coming by the thousands."

Loki gives him a look. "Yes, and hence why I tried to work a failsafe into the portal. I had no intentions of conquering your realm. I did what I had to do to follow Thanos' plan; I couldn't fight him off, but I could plan." The expression on his face is probably nothing short of triumphant as he silently revels in his own craftiness at defying and outwitting the mad Titan who tortured and tried to break him.

"If they were trying to invade, where would they choose?" Rogers queries, a look of apprehension on his face.

Loki lets his mind drift to everything which he knows about Thanos, not that it's necessary, but he needs to be as accurate as possible. "A populated city," he answers at last, expression grave. "They want to strike fear, to make you kneel." His lips twist into a bitter smile as he remembers some of what he said and did before Thor stopped him. Much as he tries not to think about it, it's difficult. His actions might not have been his own, but they still torment him.

"Sick," mutters Stark shaking his head. "Well," he claps his hands lightly, "If they are planning an invasion, how can we stop them?"

"We'd have to destroy their control ship," Loki explains, "And since, last I checked, you don't have any spacecraft here in Midgard, you'd better hope for a miracle." He can wield the power of the Tesseract if he must, but he can't teleport blindly either. An invasion now, when the Bifrost is broken, could be catastrophic.

"Okay, let's worry about that if – when the time comes," Rogers decides firmly. "For now, we need to keep our eyes open and figure out what they're doing. I doubt they're stragglers from New York because no one saw anything until now."

"Which means they've recently arrived," Stark deduces. "Wonderful. Maybe we can find their craft and use it, or at least take it and keep it somewhere in case it comes in useful later."

Loki can't help but raise an eyebrow at the man's idea. It's not bad, per se, but it's still interesting to see a mortal with an intelligence above average. Which is not to say that Midgardians are stupid, because they aren't. It's simply uncommon to see individuals who are capable of thinking outside the box and are unfazed by the greater universe as it intrudes upon them. Stark has a good plan, but there's only one problem with it.

"If the Chitauri are scouts, they would have been dropped off here before the craft returned to space. They are not intelligent enough to man their own transports in such a manner."

Stark seems rather put out at the news, but Loki's mind is already whirling with the realization that one or more of Thanos' children must be there. They would have left their scouts on the ground before returning to space to wait for the reports. Marvelous. Not. They have to move quickly now, taking out the scouts and determining what they're after before reinforcements are sent to the surface.

In the remainder of the flight, they go over the locations of the sightings and where they should start searching. "We should split up," Stark suggests, tapping his fingers on his thigh. "Reindeer Games and I can start in the center and work our way outwards, while Capsicle and Natasha can start a few blocks away from the sightings and work inwards."

Rogers gives Stark a look at the nickname but nods anyways. "That sounds like a good plan. Loki, can you keep yourself and Tony invisible? It would probably be best if no one knows where we are."

And Loki can completely agree with that. He wouldn't put it past Thanos to have sent members of the Black Order to assist, and if they're here, he'd much rather not be spotted first. "Of course, I can," he answers, and that settles it.

The quinjet lands on a runway around a mile or two from the location they need to scout, and Romanoff gets a vehicle for them to drive the rest of the way. It'll be easier to look around that way, anyways, Loki supposes. "I can fly ahead," Stark offers, shifting from one foot to the other.

"I thought you were going to be invisible?" Romanoff questions, giving him a look.

Loki waves the question aside. "I can mimic flying well enough. I'll go with him."

"Keep in touch then," nods Rogers.

Loki double checks the communicator in his ear, while Stark gives the Captain a two-fingered salute. "As you say, Cap. Ready, Lokester?"

Loki rolls his eyes, and snaps his fingers, wrapping his seidr around both of them to keep them invisible. "Let's go," he says, ignoring Rogers' barely concealed surprise. Loki learned how to fly using his seidr centuries ago. It's not flight – not like Thor's – as much as it is levitation, but it functions much the same way. His palms glow green as he lifts in the air, directing himself towards their destination, Stark following right behind him.

"So, how do you do that?" the man asks curiously.

"Later," Loki answers tersely.

"We don't have time for your discussions right now, Tony," Romanoff chides through the communicator. "Save the chit-chat for later, okay?"

Stark ignores her. "I imagine you're channeling energy through your hands… kind of like my repulsors, but different because you're doing it yourself instead of through a machine, but I bet the concept is the same. Just imagine what I could do if I could harness that power." He's been working diligently, but he's still been unable to produce a device which can contain Loki's seidr for long before being destroyed. Finding something which will be effective seems to have become his primary obsession, much to Loki's amusement.

"I'd really rather not imagine it," Loki replies dryly. "You might blow up your Tower if you do."

"You're no fun." Stark actually sounds like he's pouting, and Loki holds back a scathing comeback. He won't let himself be distracted any further. They land on the sidewalk, far enough away from passersby that they won't be run into. "You go right, and I'll go left."

Loki opens his mouth to agree, when he feels an all too familiar seidr wash over him, hitting him with the force of a bilgesnip – and he knows what that feels like, thank you very much, Thor. The feeling of that magic ripping past his mental shields, the ones he'd painstakingly constructed and strengthen over centuries… It's haunted his sleep. He can't close his eyes without feeling it, seeing it.

"It hurts more, the more you fight, little King," hisses the Titan, eyes narrowed in an almost threatening manner. "Stop fighting. Stop resisting. You will fail. You need not suffer. Take this scepter and join me willingly."

Even though he can barely breathe through the pain wracking his body – and mind – Loki still manages to rasp out a slew of curses. "Go. To. Helheim!" he hisses, holding back a cry as the Mind Stone pulses, ripping his shields aside as though they're naught but a nuisance.

"– ki. Loki!"

Loki blinks, the world refocusing in front of him. He's on his knees, though he can't remember falling, breath coming in harsh gasps.

Stark, his helmet raised, is peering at him, brown eyes full of concern. "Loki, are you with me now?"

A rush of embarrassment floods through him, and he turns away. "Y-yes," he answers, shaking his head and resolutely ignoring how much his voice shakes. The invisibility spell is still, thankfully, in place. It's been a while since he's zoned out that badly, and it's never been in front of anyone other than Thor. With an effort, he pulls himself back together. The past will remain in the past. He can't undo what was done to him, but he can move on.

"What was that?" queries Stark, clearly unwilling to let it go.

Loki purses his lips, opting to ignore the question. "I know why the Chitauri are here," he reports to everyone. "The scepter is nearby, and they have come for it." He knows it with a certainty which lies within every fiber of his being.

"Here?" Stark exclaims incredulously. "SHIELD was supposed to keep it in a remote location, far away from people so it wouldn't pose a threat."

"Well, clearly, they did not." Loki's voice is low, and the other man would be a fool to not notice the fury lacing the words. He's not mad at SHIELD, per se, but he is upset that he had to encounter the scepter again this soon. He wasn't ready; he probably never would have been, but it should have been longer. And he's also irritated that his warnings about the danger the scepter poses were ignored.

"Then, let's go get it," declares Stark with far more cheer than is warranted.

"Be careful," cautions Rogers, finally interjecting. "We can handle whatever we find out here, and if we can't, we'll let you know. After you've secured the scepter, we'll have to take it to a more secure location ourselves."

"We can keep it at the Tower," Stark suggests easily. "If we're all there to protect it, the attack will come to us instead of going elsewhere. Otherwise, we can all bunk down in some remote location to set up a trap. When they come for it, we'll be waiting."

Loki nearly blanches at the possibility of being in close proximity with the Mind Stone, but he understands the logic. Worse, he can't even fault it. Keep it they will. "It's in that building," he says finally, directing the topic back to the subject matter at hand. "We need to get in and out without being seen. And Stark?"

"Yeah?"

"Have your AI hack the computer system if you can," Loki adds as an almost afterthought. "It will be good to see who got ahold of it and why it's being kept here. I don't trust SHIELD." The lack of protests, not only by Stark, but by Rogers and Romanoff, tell him that they share the sentiment. Even better. They'll have to move quickly.

Chapter Text

When Thor appears on the Rainbow Bridge with the Tesseract in hand, he's not at all surprised to see Heimdall there to greet him. "Welcome home, my prince," he says, tilting his head. "I know your brother remains on Midgard, but he is hidden from my sight. I have heard talk of him."

"He doesn't wish to come back," Thor answers bluntly. He suspects that the Gatekeeper already knows some of what happened to Loki, if not from his brother than from the Avengers who know a few of the details. He has, no doubt, been watching them.

There's something distinctly regretful in the golden eyes which look at him. "I expected as much," Heimdall answers. "Go. Your father has been waiting for you for a while. He has asked after you in your absence."

Thor nods, walking down the Rainbow Bridge towards the city. He could fly, but he doesn't want to. He feels almost guilty for not following his instructions. His father instructed him to bring Loki back, and he didn't. Of course, that was before they knew what had happened to Loki, but Thor can't help but feel that he failed. It's still the middle of the day, and Odin is sure to be in meetings with the councilors, so Thor finds himself wandering to his mother's gardens.

It was hard, so hard, to walk down the Rainbow Bridge knowing what happened to Loki when he fell into the Void. The things done to his brother fill him with a quiet, helpless rage, and he wants to do something, anything. He wants vengeance and may the Norns have mercy on Thanos when Thor finally finds him. The Titan will suffer for what he did to his brother, Thor swears it. He exhales harshly, letting the peacefulness in the garden wash over him. It's been a while since he was last here.

"I did not except to see you here, my son." Thor starts when his mother's voice breaks through his tumultuous thoughts, fingers clenching around the Tesseract. He can faintly feel Loki's energy when touching it, and he doesn't want to let it go, not just yet.

Frigga approaches him, a welcoming smile on her face. "And you found the Tesseract." Her bright blue eyes, so much like Thor's, are filled with relief, but he can also see her apprehension.

"Hello, Mother," Thor whispers, suddenly realizing just how much he's missed her. He puts the Tesseract down on the edge of a nearby fountain, so his mother can embrace him.

"How was your journey, Thor?" she questions, pulling back. "Where's your brother?" He knew it wouldn't take long for her to ask. She mourned fiercely after Loki fell into the Void, and she couldn't even bear to hear Loki's name for several months without breaking into sobs.

"Loki is… well, Mother," he reports, "But he has chosen to remain on Midgard." He can see the question in her gaze and knows that he might as well explain everything from the beginning. "He was not at fault for the attack on Midgard," Thor elaborates, sitting down on a nearby bench. Frigga joins him, her posture suddenly tense. "I managed to break through to him, and he told me that he encountered a mad Titan by the name of Thanos in the Void. He forced Loki to do his bidding with the Mind Stone."

Frigga has paled, and Thor is suddenly thankful that he didn't include any of the horrifying details which Loki had whispered to him or which have come out over the past couple months. "I know of him," she finally admits, "But I believed him long gone. I must speak to your father about this development."

"Wait…" Thor is hardly able to conceal the horror and disbelief rising up within him. "You know about Thanos and what his plans are?"

"And more," his mother acknowledges, still as pale as before. It makes Thor wonder if she knows the methods Thanos employs to break people. Norns, he hopes not. What happened to Loki isn't something he can even come to terms with fully after so long. He doesn't want his mother to suffer the same.

"There is a slight complication," Thor tells her, eyes falling on the Tesseract. "Loki has somehow bonded himself with the Space Stone, contained within the Tesseract. It didn't kill him, and he says he'll be alright, but it's… strange."

Frigga sucks in a breath, reaching for the Tesseract before Thor can even blink. She cradles it in her palms, and he knows that she can feel Loki's energy just as he could. "That's impossible," she whispers faintly. "For one as strong in seidr as your brother is, such a bond could well have killed him unless his own seidr is weakened or damaged…" Thor can see the exact moment that it fully sinks in that Loki was grievously harmed at some point after he fell. A look of pain and grief crosses Frigga's face, before it's replaced with fury.

"No one," she says in a low voice, words laced with a rage so potent that Thor is tempted to edge away from her. "No one harms a prince of Asgard!" She turns towards him, beckoning for him to join her. "Come with me," she instructs firmly. "I must relay this to your father at once, and you ought to give him your full report of the goings on, on Midgard."

Thor obediently follows her, and they walk together to the throne room where Odin undoubtedly is. Despite the meeting in progress, Frigga resolutely strides inside, Thor trailing meekly behind. A flash of surprise crosses Odin's face, but he holds up a hand to silence his councilors. "My king, I would speak with you," Frigga states calmly. "Thor has returned from Midgard with grave tidings."

Thor notices a hint of something like concern flicker through his father's eye, before he motions to the counselors to leave. They do, murmuring amongst themselves as they depart. "Thor, where is your brother?" queries his father the second the door closes. "You were supposed to return him to Asgard." It must be obvious from their expressions that Loki is still alive, and Thor winces imperceptibly at the scolding. He knew it was coming, but he doesn't regret disobeying. "It should not have taken you this much time to put an end to Loki's schemes."

Frigga steps forward. "Not Loki," she corrects. "Thanos. He found Loki in the Void, and the Norns only know what was done to him before his mind was broken by the Mind Stone." Her voice falters, and she pauses, taking a deep breath. "His seidr was damaged so badly that he could bind to the Tesseract without killing him."

Odin's face remains impassive, but Thor knows that he's not unaffected. "Thor, tell me what has transpired," his father instructs.

"When I first confronted Loki, he was behaving oddly, not like himself," Thor begins, getting right to the point. He doesn't need to go into extremely detail unless it proves to be necessary. "At one point, he asked – practically begged – me to knock him unconscious. I did, and when he awoke, he… explained." He doesn't say 'fell apart' because, even if it's true, that's something that doesn't need to be shared. If Loki wants them to know, he can tell them himself.

He inhales slowly, bolstering himself to continue. "He was captured by the mad Titan known as Thanos and forced to comply through the use of the Mind Stone. We stopped the Chitauri invasion, and when closing the portal, Loki somehow formed a bond with the Tesseract. We remained with the mortal warriors who helped us defend their realm. Loki wished to stay there, and I saw no reason to force him to return to Asgard against his wishes, especially with the millions of Chitauri out there, waiting for the chance to invade."

As he finishes speaking, silence greets him. His father seems pensive, and his mother seems even more horrified than before. "We must find Thanos," Frigga all but beseeches. "He must pay for his crimes, not only against Loki, but against the universe as a whole. As the protectors of the Nine Realms, we cannot let him succeed."

"He has had centuries since he supposed demise to collect allies," Odin says quietly. "It will not be an easy battle, nor one which we can win easily."

"Then we must fight to the last man," Thor offers hesitantly. "It would be better to die than stand aside and do nothing."

"We will not do nothing," his father states firmly, "But it will not be easy to muster the strength we need to combat him. Thanos has millions at his disposal. We are not that strong."

"Can we get allies from the other realms?" Thor queries. He shifts uncomfortably. It feels strange to be discussing this, discussing their weaknesses and inability to defeat a foe, one who is numerically superior. It wouldn't matter normally, but this is different. The universe is counting on them. He wonders, briefly, how his parents know of Thanos. Why would they have thought him dead? It's a thought he quickly brushes aside. It shouldn't really matter.

"For now, yes," Odin answers "The problem will arise if and when he obtains more Infinity Stones. With them, the odds will be against us."

"There is always another option…" Frigga murmurs thoughtfully. Thor frowns, because it's clear that she's referencing something, but he doesn't know what.

"No," his father all but snaps, "We will not be asking for outside help after what happened last time."

Thor's eyes narrow. "What do you mean by 'last time?'"

Odin gives Frigga a disapproving look, but she's not fazed. Finally, his eye flicks back to Thor. "Centuries ago, Thanos was causing disruptions in the Nine Realms," he explains. "You were but a child, you wouldn't remember. While we were still at war with Jotunheim, I sent forces to confront and stop Thanos. His planet was destroyed, and his people decimated. It was thought he died, but apparently, he did not."

Thor is fairly certain that a large part of the story is missing, but he simply nods, trusting that whatever it is isn't important enough for him to know. "Husband, we have one chance to stop Thanos. We must get allies wherever we can find them."

Odin purses his lips, looking between Frigga and Thor. "Leave us, my son," he says finally. "Your mother and I must discuss this."

Thor dips his head in a bow before leaving the room. Somehow, he has the feeling that his parents are going to be arguing about this, whatever exactly this is. He agrees that they need allies, but it's as if his mother is suggesting a particular person who his father doesn't wish to involve. If Loki were here, perhaps they could investigate, but since he's not, Thor wanders in the direction of his quarters. When a decision has been made, he'll be informed.

***

Helheim is probably the last world Hela would ever have chosen to reside on, but it's not as if Odin asked her where she wanted to go before casting her aside. She'd become uncontrollable, untamable, and therefore she ceased to mean anything to her so-called parents. It's quiet here; it always is actually, and there's nothing she can do here to entertain herself. Well, except for amusing herself with the souls of the dead.

Ever since childhood, Hela had been able to see ghosts and spirits, and later, she'd learned how to use her dark seidr to reanimate the dead bodies, giving them enough of a mind to fight on their own. But then, somehow, her power had sprouted and grown, manifesting itself as more than a simple manipulation of the dead and escorting souls of the departed. Instead, she's become a death bringer. She should hate herself for being a monster, she does to an extent, but she hates Odin even more for casting her aside in favor of his perfect golden son.

She regrets what happened on Titan, more than she could ever say. One moment, she and her Valkyrie army were holding off Thanos and his allies. The next, almost everyone – and everything – around her was dead, and her seidr was wilder than she'd ever before experienced. She's not even sure exactly what caused it. The air had felt… different in a way she couldn't quite express later. There was a power there which she now thinks had influenced her. Instead of trying to understand, Odin cast her aside, labeling her "dangerous."

Hela longs for the day when she'll be finally free from her prison and able to claim her birthright. The throne belongs to her; it always has, and if her younger brother insists on fighting her for it, then so be it. She'll destroy him and anyone who stands in her way. And then, once she's queen, she'll rip apart everything Odin has built and do it all over again as she wants it. The Nine Realms will be hers.

Chapter Text

They might be invisible, but Loki still feels better keeping his back pressed to the wall as he and Stark inch their way through the hallway, headed towards where Loki can feel the seidr emanating from the scepter. The energy is so powerful and stifling that Loki is mildly surprised that normal mortals can't sense it, though to be fair, unlike them, he has seidr. And he's also spent a lot of time around seidr and magical objects.

"How much further?" whispers Stark as Loki uses his seidr to soundlessly unlock the door ahead of them.

"There should be a computer up ahead," Loki answers, just as quietly, as the door opens. They dart through before anyone has a chance to wonder why a door opened by itself. There have been a number of security officers inside dressed in all black, and Loki is getting bad vides from them. Something strange is going on, and they need to discover what that is. "You can hack that, while I proceed to the next chamber which should contain the scepter."

Stark nods, following the unspoken rule to keep talking to a minimum. It was almost too easy for them to infiltrate the building, though that's probably because mortal technology is incapable of detecting or stopping Loki when he's invisible and using his seidr to conceal his presence. He thinks it's a good thing that he wasn't so badly brainwashed by Thanos that he tried to conquer Midgard willingly. Short of killing him, nothing could have slowed him down.

Pushing those dark thoughts from mind, Loki points towards a computer terminal which is turned off and sitting innocently on a desk. The room has a window for what seems like observation purposes. It's almost as though whoever took the scepter – provided someone did, in fact, remove it from SHIELD custody without anyone realizing – has been studying it. That can't be a good thing.

Stark silently moves to the terminal and begins working to get access to the files within so he can download them. Loki, meanwhile, peers through the window to the room beyond. The scepter is lying in a glass case on a table. He walks to the door leading to that chamber, using his seidr to deactivate the separate alarms before entering. Before they broke into the facility, Loki had remotely taken all the security offline. By the time the people here realize that their systems were tampered with, he and Stark will be long gone.

Looking at the scepter, Loki can't suppress the shudder that runs through his body. He loathes the Mind Stone and everything which it represents. Despite the time he's spent trying to recover from what happened to him, despite the support which Thor, Stark, Rogers, and Banner have given him, it's not enough to erase the past. Truthfully, there's nothing which can heal the damage Loki suffered, except perhaps time.

Steeling himself against the memories which he knows will surface, Loki opens the case and lifts out the scepter. He can still remember the day when Thanos put it into his hands with orders to go down and conquer Midgard before bringing him the Infinity Stones on the Realm. Thankfully, that plan had failed… but what if it hadn't? What if Thor hadn't listened to Loki that night? He shakes his head slightly, twisting his wrist to store the scepter in his pocket dimension. The nearness of the Mind Stone is already affecting him, which isn't surprising. He needs to get it as far away as possible and fast.

"Are you done?" Loki questions, leaving the room and returning to stand next to Stark.

"Nearly," the man replies, shifting impatiently. "I'm not sure how long it will take them to realize that their computer system has been hacked, and I don't want to tempt fate. JARVIS is going to stall them somewhat, but I can't guarantee that it'll be entirely foolproof. I mean, they probably will never figure out who did it –"

"Actually," Loki interrupts, "It'll be easy for them to determine the culprit because whoever took the scepter is presumably the same who tampered with their system. We need a way to hide the Mind Stone from their scanners, especially since I have no intentions of keeping it hidden with me."

"Right, of course not," Stark agrees. "Banner should be back to the Tower anytime. He and I should be able to put something together in a day or two."

Loki presses his lips together. "Make it less," he orders. "I don't think I can keep it with me for that long without any risks, and we need a secure location to store it."

Stark tilts his head back and forth. "No promises," he finally concedes, "But I'll see what I can do." That, presumably, means that he'll do it. He rarely ever shows his softer side, but Loki knows that he does – to an extent – care about him, something which he still can't quite understand. He tried to conquer their realm, albeit not under his own volition, but the Midgardians are already willing to forgive and forget. Would that Asgard was the same.

"Aaaand… done!" Stark declares with satisfaction, stepping back. "Let's get out of here." Without bothering to ask permission, Loki grabs Stark's arm and teleports them outside. Stark stumbles, shaking himself as he regains his balance. "Sheesh. Give a guy a warning would you?"

Loki ignores him. "Captain, we have successfully obtained the scepter," he reports through the communicator.

"Great," Rogers answers. "We located and destroyed the four Chitauri scouts. Meet us back at the quinjet."

"On it."

Stark continues to mumble under his breath as they fly towards their destination. If not for the scepter's presence burning in the back of his mind, Loki might actually be up to engaging in the friendly banter. He's never had friends before as far as he can remember. Acquaintances, yes, but not friends. Everyone only wanted to spend time with Thor. He brushes away the familiar surge of resentment. It's pointless, and the feelings are probably being drawn up by the Mind Stone. He has friends now, sort of anyways, so crying over the past is useless.

The flight back to the Tower is quiet and tense, especially so after Loki explained the importance of keeping the scepter hidden from sight. To the best of their knowledge, and based on the limited information that Romanoff has, the scepter should have been taken out west to a secure, remote location. It wasn't. If it was stolen without Director Fury knowing, then there must be hostile forces within SHIELD. Until they find out more from the information which Stark obtained, they've decided that they cannot trust anyone but each other. Loki knows a liar when he sees one – being the god of lies has its advantages – and he is certain that all three of his companions can be trusted, at least with this.

"I had JARVIS contact Banner to tell him get back to Tower, because of an emergency," Stark tells them as the quinjet lands on the Tower. "Given how much time we've spent studying your magic and the Tesseract, we should be able to design something to block the scepter's emissions from external detection, especially if the radiation is similar to that from the Tesseract."

"From detection on the planet," Loki corrects. "I very much doubt that Thanos' spaceships will be blocked by any technology you could design."

Stark makes a face. "That's not helpful. We need to decide where to take the scepter then. I don't think any of us want another Battle of New York on our hands. I'd rather we choose the battle ground ourselves and make him come to us."

"Might I suggest a remote location on the west coast where the scepter should have been in the first place?" Romanoff suggests, butting into the conversation.

"Yeah," agrees Stark, nodding as they walk into the common room. "Yeah, that's a good idea. JARVIS, can you find suitable locations where we can reasonably keep the scepter, but with minimal casualties to surrounding populations when the Chitauri attack?"

"As you wish, sir," the AI replies. Loki doesn't think he'll ever get used to it, even if he enjoys speaking to the machine at times. "I have also discovered alarming information from the recovered files." JARVIS actually sounds worried, however that's possible, and it's enough to concern Loki as well.

"Out with it," orders Stark.

"The organization which possessed the building stole the scepter from SHIELD for experimentation purposes," JARVIS explains. Loki frowns. They already knew that, though. Or at least they'd guessed. "It appears that this group is HYDRA."

"What?!" explodes Rogers, "But – but that's impossible!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Rogers, but it appears that HYDRA was not destroyed when you killed Red Skull and crashed the plane," JARVIS answers, sounding apologetic.

Loki raises an eyebrow as everyone in the room seems shocked into silence. "Can someone explain to me the significance of this HYDRA organization?" Yes, he might have made frequent forays to Midgard, but he never cared to learn all the details of their internal conflicts. It was not only exhausting; it was also exasperating.

It's Romanoff who answers his inquiry. "It was the scientific branch of the Nazis during World War II and is dedicated to controlling the world, claiming humanity can't be trusted to rule itself."

"So, not a whole lot different from what you might have done," Stark unhelpfully adds. Loki glares at him, not appreciative of the reminder of what he'd suffered from the scepter only months earlier. "Sorry," the billionaire says sheepishly. "I shouldn't have said that." He probably only apologized after realizing that everyone is glaring at him.

Rogers mutters something under his breath, shaking his head. "Alright, so here's what I think we should do. Tony, you and Bruce can work on creating a device to conceal the scepter. Loki, Natasha, and I can go through the files you got to find anything of extreme importance which will help us."

No one protests, so they split up to complete their tasks. Loki might never have used a tablet before, but it's not hard. He's always had a knack for figuring things out. Rogers is at one end of the conference table, while Romanoff is sitting opposite Loki several chairs down. The atmosphere is tense, as would be expected, and no one speaks as they scan through the endless pages of data and reports which they'd uncovered. Truly it was a stroke of luck which allowed them to discover this.

Over three hours later, an hour after Stark and Banner had taken the scepter from him so they could take its readings, Loki finds himself frowning down at the beginning of a file about something known as the Winter Soldier Program. The main individual is simply known as the "Asset," and it makes his stomach turn to realize that this person is considered as expendable as Loki himself was by Thanos.

The more he reads, the worse he feels, not because of the callousness of the language, but because of the way the man was mind washed. He no longer has any free will of his own – and probably is far too scared to resist anymore – and it's revolting. Thanos is known as the mad Titan, so it's not surprising for him, but for the mortals to treat some of their own in this manner, abruptly reminds Loki of why Midgardians are considered inferior. He can't imagine this happening on Asgard. Actually, he can, because he was always looked down on and reviled for being weak and inferior and fighting in a cowardly manner.

James Buchanan Barnes, part of the Howling Commandos which served under Captain America, a close friend of Steve Rogers… and now, a special weapon of HYDRA, mind washed to follow whatever orders he's been given. Looking through the missions, Loki knows that Rogers is going to be furious and horrified and probably a number of other emotions. He has to tell the others; they need to know. That's when his eyes fall on the name Stark. An expletive in his native language slips out before he can stop it. It just went from bad to worse.

Chapter Text

Steve jerks in surprise, head snapping up from the tablet he's using to skim through files when Loki curses. The Asgardian has pushed back his chair, and his face seems a little pale. "Loki, what did you find?" he asks immediately, straightening and exchanging a look with Natasha.

Loki exhales harshly and looks up, expression pinched. "HYDRA created their own version of the super soldier serum," he explains slowly, and Steve gets the feeling that he's carefully picking his words. "They used it on an individual who, after careful mind washing, has been programmed like a machine to be a killer. They call him the Winter Soldier or the Asset."

Steve notices how Natasha face flickers with surprise. "You know of him," he states. It's not a question.

She nods. "Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists, and the ones that do call him the Winter Soldier," she tells them. "He's credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last fifty years."

"So, he's a ghost story," Steve murmurs, "Except he is real."

"Yes," confirms Loki, "He is very real." Something shifts in the man's green eyes, but he doesn't say anything else.

Natasha hums quietly. "Three years ago, I was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran, when somebody shot out my tires near Odessa. We lost control, went straight over a cliff; I pulled us out, but the Winter Soldier was there. I was covering my engineer, so he shot him straight through me." She pauses, an unnamable emotion passing across her face. "Going after him is a dead end. I know, I've tried."

Loki's lips quirk into a small, mirthless smile. "You were lucky," he says simply, turning to look at the tablet again, "But now, we have everything we need to know."

Steve studies the Asgardian for a moment, noticing how his seemingly casual posture is far too tense. He's hiding something, or more accurately, debating how much to tell them and when. "What else do you know?" he questions. "We need to know everything we can about the Winter Soldier."

"Everything," Loki echoes, something strangely bitter in the word. He shakes his head slowly, before he seems to make a resolution. "Very well. There are two important things you need to know. First, the Winter Soldier is responsible for the assassination of Stark's parents, a mission for which he was punished since he didn't do it well enough."

Steve winces. He might not be close friends with Tony, but he knows that the other man's reaction isn't going to be good. This is something they need to tell him in person.

"Secondly…" Loki visibly steels himself, and Steve wonders just what could be so horrible. "His name is James Buchanan Barnes."

The blood drains from Steve's face as a denial instantly swells up. That's – that's – He saw Bucky die! Bucky fell thousands of feet so how –? The serum. Steve knew that Zola had been experimenting on his best friend, but Bucky had never said much of what happened to him. If he had the serum – he must have – he could have survived the fall. That means –

"It's my fault," Steve blurts out, pain washing through him. "I should have gone after him when he fell from the train."

"Captain, there was nothing you could have done," Loki assures him quietly. "I do not know exactly what happened other than what these files say, but had you gone after your friend, you would have failed the mission you were on."

That knowledge doesn't really help. Bucky has been Steve's best friend, brother in all but blood, ever since they were young children. He grieved more than he can ever say when he thought Bucky died, but finding out that he's alive, albeit in the hands of HYDRA, he – he doesn't know how he feels about that. What has his friend suffered? He probably should look at the files, so he has some sort of idea… and they have to plan his rescue. Bucky deserves better.

"Where is he now?" queries Natasha as if she read his mind.

"Same place where we got these files," replies Loki. His eyes flick from her to Steve and back again. "It would be easy for me to go in alone and retrieve him."

Steve wants to say yes so, so badly. He wants to have Bucky safely away from those monsters, but at the same time, he needs to know more about the situation. Mind washing, Loki called it. Bucky probably doesn't remember anything, and that knowledge hurts almost as much as knowing that his best friend has suffered untold torment in HYDRA's hands, and that it's all his fault. Why didn't he insist that they at least retrieve the body? Why didn't he insist on going to do it? If he'd gone, he would have known if Bucky wasn't really dead. If – he needs to stop thinking this way right now. It won't help anyone.

Loki is looking at him, asking silent permission to leave. He, of course, has another motive for his desire. It's not exactly a secret that the presence of the scepter unsettles him, and Steve has noticed that the more time passes, the more restless the god is getting. It might be good for him to leave for a bit, especially if he's going to retrieve Bucky.

"Without any complications?" Natasha clarifies.

Loki nods. "You have my word. I will return here with Barnes as soon as I get him. We can analyze his state of mind once he's here."

Steve exchanges a look with Natasha. "You can go," he agrees, "And I'll go down to get an update from Tony and Bruce, while telling them about the situation."

Loki says nothing, snapping his fingers and disappearing a blur of green-gold light, tinted with a hint of blue. Steve blinks at the spot where he was for a moment, doubts and guilt threatening to creep in and overwhelm him. He pushes them away for later and rises, Natasha's voice stopping him in his tracks.

"Steve, you shouldn't blame yourself for something that isn't in your control." Her voice is quiet though firm. "You weren't the one who willingly tortured Barnes. HYDRA was, and we're going to make them pay for it."

The sharp, calculating look in her green eyes, reminds him of Loki for a moment. "You're right," he admits at last, "We will." As he enters the elevator, he finds himself thinking about how much easier his life would be if he could teleport like Loki. He could have saved Bucky from this… Sighing, he shakes his head to push the thought aside, willing himself to ignore the ache deep inside of him. The coming conversation will be extremely painful, probably for both him and Tony, and he'll have to be ready to handle it.

Neither Tony nor Bruce looks up immediately when he enters the lab where they are, and he has time to study the complicated equipment they're fiddling with before Tony turns towards him. "What's up, Cap? Did you find something? You coulda just had JARVIS tell us."

He presses his lips together, trying to decide the best way to broach the subject, but first – "How much longer do you think it will take you to finish?" That's not at all why he's here, and though it's obvious, it's also a good way to start the conversation.

"An hour or two, give or take," answers Bruce. "We've figured out how to mute the energy, so we need to make the adjustments so that locating the scepter will be extremely hard for any devices on the planet."

Steve dips his head in acknowledgement, and before he can say anything, Tony raises an eyebrow. "I know that's not why you're here," he states bluntly.

Telling Tony the truth is so much harder than it sounds, but he has to do it. How can he tell him that his best friend killed his parents? "Bucky's alive," Steve blurts out, clenching his fists and forcing himself to continue speaking. "He – he was captured by HYDRA, and Loki says that he's been mind washed." The end of the sentence comes out more as a question than anything else. He sucks in a breath. "He's been forced to do whatever they want…" He looks away, unable to finish.

"That's horrible," Tony comments sympathetically. "Do you know where he is now?"

Steve nods jerkily. "Loki went to get him, but – but…"

"What is it? I ain't gonna bite," Tony says pointedly.

"He killed your parents," he blurts out in a rush, "And I can understand if you won't want him to stay at the Tower because of that." He's said it, and he waits with bated breath, heart pounding, for Tony's reply.

The billionaire doesn't say anything at first, dark brown eyes flickering away, a myriad of emotions racing through them. Bruce is silent as well, a hint of sorrow on his face, as his gaze alternates between them. "Tony…" It comes out like a plea, and Steve doesn't know what it is that he's trying to ask. Don't make me choose between you. You need to understand. I don't want everything to be torn apart over this. It wasn't Buck's fault!

"Don't," Tony bites out, holding up a hand and exhaling harshly. "I just – I need a moment here."

Steve meets Bruce's eyes, and he knows that it would be better if he's not here. "I'll go back," he murmurs, stepping away slowly and reentering the elevator. He doesn't know if this is the right decision, and he hardly knows Tony well enough to try and comfort him for the knowledge; they've only been together for two months, and Loki has spent more time with Tony than he has. He thinks he'll try speaking to him again after the news has fully sunk in, but he doesn't know what to say.

Natasha looks up when he slumps back into his chair, but she doesn't talk, for which Steve is grateful. He doesn't know what he could have said to her anyways. This isn't going to be alright, at least not immediately. Sighing, he flips through the files, opening the ones which discuss the Winter Soldier. He has to know what his best friend has been through if he intends to help him recover from it.

***

Loki moves like a specter through the facility, knowing from the heightened tensions almost palpable in the air that the scepter's disappearance has been discovered. Maybe he should secure some wards of his own to help shield it from detection, even though that would put him – his seidr anyways – in closer proximity to the Mind Stone. He isn't fond of the idea, but it's certainly better than being raided by HYDRA.

Guards are milling around in the basement when Loki breezes in, unseen. It's in a different section of the building than where the scepter was located, and there's a sense of something imminent as he passes through a door, following a pair of guards and an older man who appears to be important. He takes note of him, deciding to show the Avengers a simulacrum of him later.

"Sir, the Asset is on standby," reports a man with dark hair. "We're awaiting further orders and a report from the scanners. So far, we haven't found anything."

"Keep looking," instructs the elder. "We can't let Fury know, but I haven't heard anything from him. Presumably, he's involved in it. He might have sent in the Avengers. I suspect Loki could have bypassed our security." The others nod and move across the room, discussing strategies and plans.

Loki narrows his eyes. Time is running out, and he needs to hurry. Stepping swiftly through the partially ajar door to the next room, he stills upon seeing the equipment stationed in the center. This must be what HYDRA uses to wipe Barnes' memories and keep him conditioned. Loki approaches it, green tendrils of seidr dancing between his fingers as he overloads the system, shorting everything out. Yes, it's a risk, but he's revolted by torture devices. No more innocents will be harmed here, not if he can help it.

Thankfully, the room is empty, and Loki doesn't sense anyone in this area which makes his job that much easier. He hastily passes through the doorway in the back of the room, ignoring the cryofreeze chamber at the end of the passageway, and approaching the holding cell. Barnes is standing stiffly at attention inside, eyes staring blankly ahead of him, and the oddness of it sends a wave of some foreign emotion through Loki. What does it take, he wonders, to turn a mortal into this puppet-like state? He knows, of course, what Barnes has been through, at least to the extent that HYDRA saw fit to discuss in the files.

It's simple enough for him to teleport himself through the bars and into the cell, casting an illusion to fool not only passing guards, but also, any security devices which might be present. Only then does Loki drop the invisibility, holding up a hand to hopefully keep Barnes calm. He jerks, head whipping towards Loki, eyes widening in surprise and alarm.

"I'm not here to hurt you," Loki calms the man, knowing that it won't do much good. He'll have to heal his mind, or at least try to, so he doesn't panic. Barnes' mouth opens and then closes again, but he doesn't speak, eyes flitting around in ever growing fear. "Sleep," orders Loki, lacing his words with seidr to force a response. Barnes struggles against the command, but he's unable to resist for long. Loki catches him as he slumps, lowering him gently to the floor.

Pressing his fingers to Barnes' forehead, Loki lets his seidr run through the man's body, searching for injuries and damage, focusing on his mind. It's tangled and chaotic, the thought patterns erratic and abnormal due to the years of torture and conditioning. Repairing the damage won't be easy, but he can fix some of it, at least enough to hopefully allow him to begin functioning as a normal human would.

Slowly and delicately, Loki begins to undo the worst of the damage inflicted on Barnes' mind, realizing even as he does, that there's a chance it will never fully heal. Many minutes later, when he's satisfied with the results, he pulls his hand back, flexing his fingers. He can do more healing once they're safely away from the holding cell. Calling on his seidr, Loki lifts the unconscious man and teleports them both to the common room in the Tower, dropping his illusion in the holding cell at the same time.

HYDRA will never figure out what happened to their "Asset," at least not for a while, and Loki is more than happy to leave it that way. Hopefully, Barnes has been healed enough that he is able to recognize Rogers, because Loki has little desire to try to keep a trained, panicked assassin calm. He shakes the thought aside, carefully laying the man on one of the couches. He should awaken any minute now.

Stepping back, he glances up at the ceiling. "JARVIS, tell Rogers to come here. I have his friend."

Chapter Text

The first thing he realizes as consciousness trickles back is that he knows his name. It's a strange thought to consider, being as he's simply been the Asset for more years than he can remember. Bucky Barnes. It's almost surreal to consider the fact that he has a name, that he's more than a weapon for HYDRA. The last thing he remembers is seeing a strange man appear in his holding cell before everything went dark.

He doesn't know where he is though. The ceiling above him is unfamiliar, he realizes, upon finally opening his eyes and cautiously scanning his surroundings. His heartrate automatically speeds up, even though he knows that he's likely not in any imminent danger. Whoever took him wouldn't have tried to help heal his mind if they meant him harm, right? But he can't say that for certain, and the knowledge that he might be entirely defenseless here in this new place fills him with a desperate helplessness.

He's been a prisoner for too long, and while he might not remember everything, he remembers enough. He remembers some of his missions, vague bits and pieces of acting as a detached executioner, and the knowledge makes him nauseous. HYDRA made him an assassin. The Winter Soldier. Bucky has no idea – or way of knowing – how many he's been ordered to kill. He didn't have a choice, of course, but the realization that he was so badly used makes him feel violated in a way he doesn't think will ever fade.

Why? Why did they choose him?

"Bucky?" He nearly jumps at the familiar, gentle voice, and his head turns towards the sound. He sees Steve leaning forwards on a nearby armchair, watching him intently, something hesitant and worried in his eyes. But… he remembers him. Faintly, at least. Fragments of memories dart through his mind, things from when they were children and later on, after they both joined the army. He can't help but wonder if he'll ever fully get his mind back as his own.

"Yes?" he finally acknowledges, licking his lips as he slowly pushes himself upright. He's still wearing the same clothing he had as the Asset, and it feels both right and wrong at once. Everything came back so fast that he hasn't yet had time to process it. It's not something which he'll be able to deal with in a short period of time.

"Are – how do you feel?" Steve questions.

Bucky takes a moment to assess his physical condition. It's been a while since he's actually paid attention to something that is so integral to everyone else. "I'm fine. Physically," he clarifies, reaching up to rub his temple. "I have a minor headache though."

Steve grimaces. "That's not surprising," he replies. "It will take your mind some time to adjust to the healing as well as influx of memories."

"What happened?" he wonders slowly. "The last thing I remember is being in a holding cell when a stranger appeared in front of me out of thin air."

"That was Loki," Steve informs him, though the name is meaningless. If he's supposed to know who Loki is, he doesn't. Perhaps his confusion shows on his face because Steve continues. "You haven't officially met him, and this might be difficult to believe, but he's an alien."

Bucky smiles, but it's humorless. "I don't think that there's much which could surprise me anymore," he comments dryly.

Steve's expression is pained, though he offers a wan smile. "Loki and his brother, Thor, are from Asgard," he explains. "I think you and Loki might get along well. He is still recovering from the torture he suffered and his subsequent, forced invasion of Earth."

Bucky understands what Steve isn't saying. He's letting him know that there's someone else who will be able to understand what he's going through, and for that, he's grateful. Even if he doesn't actually talk to Loki, the knowledge that someone has personal experience with the situation he's been in is enough. It's comforting in a way he can't quite express. He feels awkward sitting here; it's been so long since he was with Steve last. From the little he does remember, Steve nearly died crashing a plane, but survived. He knows that from the briefing HYDRA gave him about the Avengers immediately after removing him from cryofreeze.

He smooths his right hand over his knee, his left arm lying motionless across his lap. It hurts sometimes at the shoulder if he moves it around too much. Besides, considering that it's made out of metal, it's heavy. "What now?" he asks at last, forcing himself to look up and meet Steve's blue eyes for a moment before he has to look away again. It feels so surreal to be sitting here. He knows Steve, and he doesn't think his best friend has changed much, but he has. He's no longer the person he used to be, and he'll never be that person again.

HYDRA destroyed that person, and Bucky can't help but feel a fierce, burning anger at them for what they did to him. They took him apart and remade him. He doesn't know who he is now, and it will take him time to figure out, time which he might not have. Though he tries to school his features into an emotionless mask, he still thinks that some things slip though.

"Buck…" Steve reaches out towards him hesitantly as if he's unsure if he can or should touch him. Bucky isn't sure what he wants either, though he knows it will make Steve feel better if he can physically touch him. It will probably be grounding for both of them.

Bucky only shifts, settling back into the couch cushions and making no move to pull away as Steve touches his left forearm. He stares down at the spot for a moment, feeling oddly detached. He can't feel anything in that arm, obviously, because it's solid metal. "I don't know," Steve admits with a heavy sigh. "I don't know what we'll do now, but all we can do is keep moving forwards. I'm here to help you, Buck, just like you helped me when we were young."

The wave of emotions which wash through him is foreign though not necessarily unwelcome. After years – decades – of being programmed into a hardened killer, the ability to experience emotions again is one which Bucky will never be able to take for granted. It's what makes him human, and he'll cling to that. He can take reassurance in the knowledge that he's not alone, that he doesn't have to get through any of this by himself.

There's a pause before Steve slowly rises from the chair, moving to sit next to him, close enough that they're nearly touching. He seems almost nervous, and his uncertainty is tangible. Maybe later he'll mind being touched, but it's calming right now, so Bucky leans slightly closer, pressing against his best friend. He doesn't want to talk; he's not used to speaking much, or at all really. The idea that someone would actually want to listen to him is so surreal, even now.

"They'll try to find me," Bucky blurts out before he can think better of it, his left hand clenching. He doesn't need to specify who he's talking about. "They won't stop. They – they'll hurt you." He's griped by a sudden, almost irrational fear that he needs to run away, disappear so no one can find him. If his… friends – Steve, anyway – won't be able to find them, than nor will – nor will his enemies.

"We won't let them," Steve states with conviction, eyes flashing with a fierce determination that makes an unfamiliar fondness swell inside of Bucky. "They won't get you back. We'll protect you." It's a promise, one which Bucky knows Steve will not break, not if he has a choice, but still, a part of him can't help but wonder: will it even matter?

Steve, the Avengers, this… Loki, who he has yet to meet, they all may want to protect and help him – why would they do that when he has so much blood on his hands? – but they don't know HYDRA like he does. They don't realize the extent to which the organization has taken over. And chances are high that they'll never stand a chance against them, not when they come looking for him. It's only a matter of time.

***

"So, you heard."

Tony nearly jumps out his skin when Loki practically materializes out of nothing next to him, barely managing to not drop the glass in his hands. He swears, turning a glower onto the Asgardian. "It's not nice to sneak up on people like that," he scolds.

Loki somehow has the audacity to smirk. "Oh, I didn't," he assures him dryly. "You simply were not paying attention to your surroundings."

Tony huffs, but he can't deny that since he doesn't actually know if Loki is lying. Ever since he heard the news about his parents and the Winter Soldier, he'd been trying to focus on finishing the device with Bruce, though it wasn't really working, so Bruce had shooed him off to go "calm down." And here he ended up, drinking at one of the bars in his Tower. He likes drinking alcohol. So what?

"Rogers told you about… your parents," Loki clarifies as if Tony hadn't already figured out what he meant. "I – My condolences." He does sound sincere, but it doesn't exactly help, and it certainly doesn't give Tony any idea of how to deal with the anger and other complicated, unnecessary emotions tangling within him.

He sighs, tapping his fingers on the side of the glass, finally setting it down on the counter a little harder than necessary. What he really wants right now is to not talk about this, but he knows that's not really an option. The ex-HYDRA-assassin is currently upstairs in the Tower, and he murdered Tony's parents. He also was tortured and brainwashed and is Steve's best friend. Complicated doesn't even begin to cover the situation. The worst part is that Tony doesn't even know what he wants to do. He wants to be furious at Barnes; he wants to – he doesn't know what he wants, specifically, but the man didn't want to hurt anyone. He was tortured. If Tony wasn't so wary, he might actually read the file himself.

"How do you feel about him being here?" Loki asks carefully; there's something distinctly cautious in his green eyes, and Tony might appreciate it – he does, to a point, anyway – but it's still annoying, because it feels like Loki is handling him as if – as if he's fragile.

He huffs out a breath, hands clenching on the edge of the counter, the alcohol he consumed numbing his senses enough that he isn't outright unwilling to talk. "I don't want to see him," he answers bluntly. "I need time to… think about this." He gestures vaguely. After a momentary hesitation, he continues, the confession slipping out before he can think better of it. "I don't – I don't know how to feel about any of this. He was – you said he was mind-washed, and I – I can't even imagine what he's been though, but he still killed them."

Something akin to sympathy is reflected in Loki's gaze. "I can understand your sentiments, Stark," he murmurs. "I will inform Rogers that he should keep Barnes away from the common area for now. If – if you wish to speak to me, I am here."

It's literally one of the most awkward offers Tony has ever gotten, but it still startles a surprised laugh from him. He feels a bit lighter, a little less alone. He should maybe talk to Rhodey about this. And Pepper. Both could help him. But for now, he's content to remain in Loki's company. The god is an interesting individual. "Do you want something?" Tony asks finally, picking up his glass and taking a sip. Alcohol is definitely a good way for him to distract himself.

Loki doesn't comment about him changing the topic, simply shrugging in response to the question. "Sure, as long as it's not your typical weak Midgardian drink."

Tony splutters. "Hey, I'm offended." But he's smiling slightly, and he does feel better, so he's grateful to Loki for coming to talk to him.

Chapter Text

Frigga waits only until the door is closed and she is certain Thor is far enough away so as not to overhear the private conversation. "It is a risk," she admits, looking at Odin, "But I feel it is worth it. Thanos is... he is dangerous, ruthless. He is mad, husband. He will not stop until he's dead, and he has grown strong, arrogant to think that harming a prince of Asgard could go without retribution."

Despite her words, Odin's impassive expression doesn't change, but Frigga has been with him for centuries. She knows how to read him better than anyone else, and she can see the anxiety pulsing beneath the surface of his façade. He is afraid, she thinks, to deal with this shadow from their past. Thanos is... he could unravel and destroy everything they have sought to build; he nearly did before. He would have destroyed him, no doubt, if not for Hela. Frigga feels a sharp pang of sorrow, of longing in her heart as she thinks of her eldest daughter. Because she might not have birthed Hela – just as she did not give birth to Loki – but that doesn't make the former Princess any less her daughter. She is not called the All-Mother for nothing.

"He has been waiting and planning," Odin grudgingly admits, "But we have dealt with him before. We can do so again. The Infinity Stones are hidden. It is unlikely that Thanos will actually be able to locate them."

"That is arrogance talking," Frigga returns sharply, stepping all the way to where her husband is sitting. "We both know that Asgard only survived because of Hela. She saved us time and again."

"And then she turned on us!" Odin retorts. "Wife, I know you still love you, but she is dangerous, uncontrollable. Even if I go to ask her assistance, there is no guarantee that she would even help us. There is no guarantee that she would not turn on us the first chance she gets. We cannot afford to risk the Nine Realms in such a manner."

"If we lose, then the universe is doomed anyways," Frigga reminds him. "The Aether has been hidden away, but it can still be found, and no one knows where the Soul and Power Stones are. The Time Stone is concealed on Midgard. It is not a coincidence that Thanos sought to invade that realm. If he knows about it –" She strongly suspects that he does; why else would he attack a place which was guaranteed to get Asgard involved? "– Then he nearly got three of the six."

Something like resignation flickers across Odin's face, but Frigga knows that it's not because he's giving in. No, he'll fight her on this until he doesn't have any arguments left. "You have always cared about her too much," he murmurs.

Frigga presses her lips together, not denying it. Even when Hela had been brought back to Asgard, even when the Princess told them – voice dull, empty, distant – what had happened, what she had done, Frigga hadn't wanted to believe it. But there was no denying the missing Valkyrie. She couldn't feign ignorance when the absence of Brunnhilde, in particular, was so glaringly obvious. And she could reply to Odin with words that sting, but she won't, because it won't help. This isn't about Hela. This is about the universe.

There is no reason for them to get into old arguments, to rehash the long-worn debate about whether or not Hela was really responsible for what happened, if she truly let her bloodlust overcome common sense as she drained the life of all living things covering nearly half the planet. It is all circumstantial evidence. There is no proof either way. All they knew – and know, even now – is that Hela was alive while the Valkyrie and half of Titan was not. Maybe it is foolish, but Frigga refuses to accept that her daughter could have fallen so low. She refuses to accept that Hela would really take life so senselessly and for no reason.

"If we won't go to her –" though she has every intention of pushing this topic again later, hopefully before it's too late to act, "– Then we must find an alternative," Frigga states flatly. "Who will be willing to help us against Thanos?"

"That is not the question," Odin returns quietly, suddenly looking exhausted. "The question is: will it be enough?"

Unease and dread coil in Frigga's gut as she realizes that her husband is right. They'll do their best – they always do – but this time, it might not be enough. That thought is more than mildly unsettling.

***

Thor hadn't quite made it to his quarters when his friends ambush him. He can almost feel their happiness and joy at his return, and he stops walking, looking between the four of them with a genuine smile. It has been a time since they've been together: two months, though Thor has to admit that he hasn't missed them all that much. He had his brother by his side, and he could think of nothing else, wanting nothing more than to help Loki heal. His friends are... well, they're his friends, but Loki is his brother.

"Thor! You're back!" Sif's relief is apparent.

"Aye, I am," he confirms.

"What happened?" Fandral asks before anyone else can voice the question they are all, no doubt, wondering. "Did you find Loki? Did you catch him?"

Thor remembers, with a start, that none of them know what happened to Loki either. When Thor left, he had told them that Loki was on Midgard, causing problems there. They still believe that. They still think that his brother is... evil. The knowledge has been with him for so long now, that it's jarring to recall that others think differently, that they don't know the truth.

"It is a long story," Thor says with a sigh, gesturing to his friends. They follow him to his quarters, taking seats in the sitting room. It feels good to be home, but at the same time, Thor still feels restless. He – he wants to go back to Midgard. He doesn't want to stay here. He wants to be with Loki. It's been two months, and Loki is getting a little better; he doesn't have nightmares every night now like he used to, but they're still frequent enough. Some days he acts like his old self, and some days he's distant, shaken. On those days, Thor usually stays with him, often in complete silence, while he struggles to cope.

"Loki was captured by a mad Titan in the Void," he explains once they're all settled. He can feel the grimness descending upon him, the haunting knowledge that he failed to protect his brother when he needed him most. The guilt, he suspects, will always be with him. Maybe it will wane in time, but... Perhaps if he had – if he had tried to focus more on Loki instead of himself, none of this would have happened in the first place. But it did, and now, he has to help his brother put himself back together.

He tries hard to keep his face blank, to keep his emotions from showing. These are not things he wants to share with anyone, not even his closest friends. "Through the use of the Mind Stone, he was forced to do the Titan's bidding," Thor continues somberly. "Loki did not attack Midgard out of his own free-will. He is safe now, and he chose to remain on Midgard for the time being."

Sif and the Warriors Three exchange looks, something like pity – and regret – in their eyes. "Are you sure he told you the truth?" Sif queries.

Thor can't help but bristle at the insinuation. "Loki doesn't seek to hurt others," he argues. "He plays tricks and mischief, but he doesn't... enjoy causing harm." And yes, maybe those tricks cause a great deal of aggravation, though they were never necessarily malicious in nature. Thor knows Loki. He knows how his brother acts and feels, and he knows that Loki spoke the truth about what happened to him in the Void.

Hogun frowns slightly. "He is not known as the Liesmith for nothing," he reminds. "He is good at manipulation. Don't forget that he tried to kill you on Midgard scarcely a year ago."

As if Thor could forget such a thing. He hasn't brought it up with Loki again, because he's unsure how his brother will react. Loki had just learned the truth about his adoption and heritage, and Thor can't blame him for not thinking clearly at the time. No one could, much less his brother, who had long struggled in the shadows all alone. That sends another pang of guilt through him, and he silently vows again not to let Loki continue to suffer if he can help. For too long, Loki has had no one who can help him, because Thor was blind. Never again.

"Yes, and he let the Jotuns into Asgard," chimes in Volstagg, nodding.

"And for good reason," Thor points out mildly. "I wasn't ready to be king. Not then and not now either." It's something he's thought about, though it's not something he's ever given voice to.

Sif's expression is scandalized. "Surely you must be joking!"

"I would never joke about such a thing," he says seriously. "I was not ready for the throne a year ago. Loki was right about me."

His friends look at one another again, almost as if they're having an entire conversation to which he's not privy. Thor doesn't much like it, and the realization that he's missing something settles uncomfortably. "You cannot trust Loki." Fandral's voice is quiet, but earnest, apprehension clear in his eyes.

Thor stiffens at the words, eyes narrowing as his anger slowly builds. He can sense the weather responding likewise outside, dark clouds gathering overhead. "He is my brother," he practically growls. "I know him better than anyone." He forces himself to soften his tone because he knows that his friends mean well. They're not trying to deliberately hurt him or Loki; they simply don't know his brother the way he does. "I trust Loki implicitly, and I do not regret it."

He never will. He thinks, for a moment, about everything which has happened since they were reunited, remembering how Loki broke down and told him of the torture he had faced, the slow progress he made in healing, the way he often flinches if someone moves too fast or suddenly, the nightmares which plague his brother frequently. No, Loki is not deceiving him. It's impossible. No one could play a deception so vast and all-encompassing, not even the god of mischief.

Sif presses her lips together, seemingly the only one most willing to express her disapproval. "When he betrays you, don't say we didn't warn you."

Thor smiles a bit knowingly, wishing that his friends could see his brother as he does, wishing that they were able to appreciate Loki's innate goodness and selflessness. "He won't." It's more than a simple statement; it's a declaration, a promise, a prediction. His mood lightens as he thinks of Loki, though the ache of being separated from him is prominent.

Even as he says the words, he knows that his friends will not believe him, and it stings. They've always trusted him in the past, so why not now? How can they be so distrustful of Loki? It doesn't make any sense. Loki is their prince too. But at the same time, Thor knows that his suspicions are correct. Loki had implied – more than once – that he had no friends on Asgard. It was a subtle, pointed reminder that Sif and the Warriors Three were not his friends. Thor had been... somewhat confused by that, because he had always thought them to be friends, but now, seeing their attitudes, he thinks he understands.

What he doesn't understand is why. Why do they think so lowly of their own prince?

"Why do you not trust Loki?" Thor can't help but ask. "He has saved us time and again when I led us into danger. We owe him our lives."

Surprisingly, Hogun is the one who answers, and the underlying antipathy in his voice is undeniable. "He has led us into many of those dangerous situations too, Thor," he replies. "He fights like a coward, from the shadows; you know this. He does not behave as a proper warrior should. He's a trickster. Deceitful. Untrustworthy."

Thor is numb with shock as the other three murmur agreements, nodding. They – Norns, they really believe that? He should be angry, he knows, but he's more stunned and horrified than anything. Some of his emotions must show on his face because the others shift uncertainly. "I – I think you should go," he says at last, barely holding onto his temper. He doesn't want to lose control on them. Not right now. He wants to, but they have been his friends for so long. He can't force them to like Loki.

Sif gives Fandral an apprehensive look. "We can talk more tomorrow," she offers finally. "I would like to hear more about what happened on Midgard."

Thor simply nods, though he's unsure if he'll actually tell her – or any of them – anything, watching as they leave his quarters, closing the door behind them. How did he never realize how Asgard views his brother? He should have known, should have done more to protect Loki from their scorn. Thor has never found anything wrong with his brother for using magic – he himself uses his lightning and Mjolnir, after all – even if he has teased him good-naturedly a few times. He never – he never thought that someone would use that as a license to be cruel to his brother.

But perhaps he has been far blinder than he even realized. He needs time to think about this, to ponder what he should even do, because now he can truly understand why Loki refused to return to Asgard. The mortals have accepted him readily, at least some of them have, but Asgard clearly will not. If they wouldn't treat Loki with respect before he fell into the Void, before they knew of his adoption and heritage, why would they change now that they know the truth, now that Loki has allegedly become an enemy?

It's a disturbing realization to say the least.