Avengers 1. Chapter 1

The Aftermath

Chapter 1 - Official Statement

Friday the 3rd, August 2012. Silence. Dead silence despite the crowd of thousands of people huddled together amongst rubble and debris still yet to be cleared from the streets.

Their eyes were transfixed on a large news screen on the side of a building that had survived the attack, 200 feet in the air.

The screen had been blank since 8:50am, but they still waited patiently.

The events that took place on Grey Day were beyond anyone's' comprehension, except of course for the Avengers that they knew had been involved in saving the lives of their families, themselves and keeping the city relatively intact.

Up to this point, everything else that they had heard was sheer speculation; some had heard that countries were preparing themselves for a second encounter and others heard that other countries were to blame.

The President, therefore felt it was necessary to inform his country and the world of the true events that happened 6 days previous.

He had released a public statement, broadcasted on all channels in all countries, that a member of S.H.I.E.L.D, of which few had whispered about, would be present at a press conference on this date at 9:00am.

9:01. 9:06. Nothing. Just a blank screen with a small black and white clock in the bottom left side of the screen. 9:07 and the screen changed and the speakers made a whining sound that went across the crowd.

They stared at the screen, which now showed a large room, well lit, with walls made of glass. In the middle of the room there was a red podium on a raised platform. Behind the podium there stood a well-built gentleman in a long black leather trench coat, sporting a black eye patch and wearing a look on his face that made it impossible to tell whether he was nervous or frustrated.

Either side of him there stood two burly gentlemen in plain black suits. Behind them 10 men and women in dark military attire stood in front of their seats with the same emotionless expression on as Fury had.

The camera panned out further away from the podium and stopped about 30 feet away from Fury. In front of him there was an array of seats with news reporters and TV crews clutching their notepads and portable cameras.

9:08. Both the crowd in the street and the press conference were silent, waiting for this peculiar man to begin his speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I' am Director Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. An organisation that helped this city stand tall against an enemy which seemed undefeatable. I' am here on behalf of the President and the world, to inform you of what we truly faced that day."

He adjusted his papers in front of him so he could be seen to be doing something other than stalling.

"You may have heard stories about what happened that day, what nearly destroyed our beloved city and possibly even the world, but none of the culprits currently being blamed were responsible. The only facts that people have been informed about which are true, are of the people who assisted S.H.I.E.L.D in defeating the undefeatable. Of course I speak of the Avengers. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow. These are some of the true heroes that saved us from the enemy along with the help of our own police department and some brave civilians."

He now turned his head slightly to peer directly into the main camera broadcasting into the street. Again, not stalling.

"As you may have noticed, Thor, our newest avenger, is depicted in Norse mythology. Many of the tales are true save some of the more outlandish ones. One fact that is true in both reality and mythology is that he has a brother named Loki. Most like himself, Loki possesses abilities that he claims to have in mythology. It is he who caused the invasion on July 27th and caused the loss of life. We can now report that a total of 117 were killed and a total of 221 fatally injured.

The army that assisted him were quickly dealt with in a manner that I'am pleased to announce ended in the army defeated and their leader, incarcerated.

We should view this sad day as not a day that we lost many, but as the day that we openly sent the invading force back where they belong.

Our beautiful city still stands because it's citizens were brave enough to stand against unknown forces of incredible power. We must now concentrate on repairing the city and it's people to show that we are resilient and do not take kindly to invasion.

Since Loki attacked several countries and nations, it was decided to send him back with his brother to their home for their version of trial and punishment. We deemed it unfair if one country had the honor of punishing such a man."

With that the small group of journalists and large crowd of people simultaneously started to complain. They didn't want to be told that he was going to be punished, they wanted to be shown that he was being punished.

Fury shifted even more visibly than before, with a slight glance to Agent Hill. She glanced at a clock on the back wall. 9:12.

Suddenly the room darkened ever so slightly but quickly enough that everyone noticed. The general bickering quietened down as the skies became overcast; unusual weather for early August.

A man in a long flowing red cape landed 50 feet or so from the building; Fury mentally thanked Thor for not crashing into the building since the glass worrying seemed to bend due to the sudden impact.

Thor began to walk in a brisk but calm fashion towards the building and through double doors, also made of fragile glass.

The entire room fell silent again; not that they hadn't been prepared for his general appearance, but his sheer size was unbelievable, even the large tv in the street didn't do him justice.

He walked onto the raised platform, and greeted Fury with an out stretched hand. Fury gladly shook it and stepped aside for Thor to address the public and press.

"Citizens of Midgard, also known as Earth, I'am Thor Odinsson. I'am a member of the Avengers Initiative of S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm pleased to inform you all that we defeated our enemies and have sent them back from whence they came.

As you now know, my brother Loki was to blame. I returned him that day to Asgard to be held in front of the royal court. I have just returned to bring you the news of his fate.

Without boring you with the complexities of our culture, he has been sentenced to solitude, with only his thoughts as his company."

Many of the people in the street were getting agitated. He killed so many and yet he's essentially getting solitary confinement?!

"I understand that many of you wouldn't believe that this would be just action to fit the crimes committed, but even though I didn't anticipate my brothers actions, I can tell you all truthfully that what Loki seeks most is attention and acknowledgment. This is why we have left him to himself until he has been deemed fit to enter our society again. After his sentence is carried out, we guarantee that he will not be the cause of another incident such as Grey Day.

As for the avengers and I, we are set to leave the publics eye while the city rebuilds but we promise that our solemn duty is to protect the innocent and this great realm from anyone who would see it fall."

With that he stood back and Fury gave him a slight nod; Thor then walked back out the door and took off again. Fury walked back towards the podium and ended the press conference.

Thor landed on the balcony of Stark Tower; luckily the emergency supports had been set up to withstand such force. he proceeded into the main living area where the remaining avengers we scattered across the furniture. Tony as always, scotch in hand seemed deep in thought while glancing over some schematics. Natasha and Clint were silently cleaning their weapons and testing the damage caused to their equipment. Bruce was cleaning his glasses with his t-shirt while rummaging through dozens of loose papers with diagrams and calculations on them. Steve was draped loosely over a large armchair; he had evidently been in the gym since his gym gear was caked in sweat. Pepper was nowhere to be seen, but he didn't doubt that she had gone far.

As soon as his presence was known they all stood up looking like young children with anxious looks on their faces.

"How did they take it?" Asked Bruce.

"Well, but I think they will need to have understand my brother to realise the punishment is just. And that's something even I struggle with." Thor replied, while removing his cape and placing Mjolnir on the floor.

"Fury seemed to handle himself well so I think they'll be reassured that we are the good guys, although when does that guy ever not win at presentation, even if it is through verbal means?" Tony put down his schematics and wandered closer to the centre of the room.

The rest of the group just mumbled a response but all seemed too busy to give a solid answer. They didn't think this was the right thing to do, not now at least, barely a week after what happened last week.

"I've been thinking." Steve finally broke the silence. "I understand that we all have our doubts whether leaving the city at this delicate point is the right thing, but I think the last thing the people need, is a reminder of Grey Day."

"I second that." Tony said, with just a hint of a smile appearing on his smug face. "Especially not by one that is wearing bright blue spandex, besides I think we've deserved a break after all we went through. I almost died and the first thing I thought of was shawarma?! That is a sign right there that I need a break."

The others couldn't help a little smile crossing their faces.

"I agree. We all have memories here of the battle, and seeing the ruined city on a daily basis is not going to help. I think we should just leave as planned and come back when the people have calmed down and gotten over the initial shock." Natasha put down her tools and one by one glanced at all her fellow teammates.

After all receiving acknowledging stares from each other, they one after another, proceeded to collect up their gear and exit the main room and go to their own living quarters, courtesy of Stark Industries.

Bruce and Tony were the last ones to leave, first clearing their papers away and tucking them into binders and then followed the rest of the avengers. With the binders tucked neatly under their arms, they made their way to their rooms.

9:32. Pepper entered the main living room and made her way over to the bar to get herself a drink, while concentrating on getting a specific file from her briefcase.

Satisfied with her choice of beverage, she sat atop the nearest barstool and opened the document to the first page and took out another piece of paper with her own writing on.

She was never an A star student in maths but even she couldn't have miscalculated the amount Stark Industries was spending on rebuilding Stark Tower and replacing all the equipment. She had all the numbers in front of her but the overall sum didn't add up.

She gave up after 20 minutes of checking and double checking, eventually coming to the conclusion that Tony was probably working on upgrading his suits so he could pipe scotch into it while flying.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

My Reasons

When Thor returned Loki to Asgard, he had expected there to be a number of Asgardian soldiers there to help escort him to the cells, giving Thor time to fully explain what occurred on Midgard to Odin.

He didn't however expect there to be three frost giants waiting amongst the soldiers to take him to his father.

"What are they doing here?" Thor's tone was enough to make Heimdall leave his post in the centre of the room and without looking into Loki's alarmed eyes, spoke in a hushed voice over Thor's shoulder.

"They are here to talk to the Allfather about what Loki tried to do to Jotunheim. They were also in the dark about Loki's parenthood."

By this time, the three frost giants had noticed that Loki was in the room and gave him a stare that made him look away in shame. He thought he recognised them. Though he couldn't be sure because to him they all looked the same and from this distance it was hard to focus on their faces, but they bared a striking resemblance to the Jotun who stood by Laufey when he proposed to give him back to the casket of ancient winters.

Thor glanced over at the Jotun and decided they didn't pose a threat. The fact that they hadn't attacked himself and Loki when they first arrived showed that their intensions weren't to start a new war, at least not yet.

"Are they to be present at the trial?"

"After they learnt that their king had been slain, they were preparing for war. Odin immediately tried to convince them that his actions didn't represent Asgards'. He informed them that Loki is adopted and they decided to postpone war until all sides were heard."

"That sounds unusually well organised for the Jotun." Thors' gaze turned to Loki and he noticed that despite still being gagged, his face portrayed a state of angst far worse than he had ever seen in his brothers' eyes.

"Even though I have been preoccupied with repairs, I have noticed something amiss in Jotunheim. Their king was murdered and as far as I know there was no one to officially succeed the thrown. Word is that another realm has decided to assist to Jotun to form a temporary government till their thrown is settled."

"Lets hope that they don't try and take advantage of their situation. In the mean time I think we must proceed with this hearing."

The three of them walked towards the Bifrosts' entrance where the Jotun were standing. Heimdall took his post and watched as the five of them walked along the bridge towards Asgard.

The big golden gates swung open for them and they proceeded towards the palace.

The streets were abandoned, which only added to the tension between Thor, Loki and the Jotun.

The large stone steps that led up to the palace doors were lined with soldiers. They usually smiled when a prince walked by, under current circumstances, it seemed inappropriate to do so. They let them in, wary of the giants size but made no attempt to hurry them in.

As they walked into the throne room, they realised that not many people were in attendance.

The red carpet that had been laid out for Thor's coronation wasn't there so the only sound to break the silence was of their footsteps and their breathing.

As they past the column supports, they entered the centre of the room; now bathed in light, they could see that Odin sat on his throne just as he had so many times before. His face betrayed no emotion but Frigga's was distorted in a mix of worry and relief.

She stood in front of her thrown and it had appeared to Thor that she had been pacing, too anxious and impatient to hear of he sons return.

Even in such a large and momentous room with such important and possible hostile guests, Odin had only deemed it necessary for 5 guards to be present. So along with Frigga and Loki, Thor knew that Odin meant to keep this matter as private as possible until he was ready to inform Asgards' citizens of his decision.

Thor approached the throne, with Loki by his side. The three Jotun standing behind them formed a line so the Allfather could see them all clearly.

Frigga finally took her seat next to Odin as he stood from his position.

"We thank you for attending. We understand that losing a king has shaken your realm, but we are here today to put the war behind us and if possible, avoid starting a new one." Odin completely ignored Thor and easily looked over his head at the three Jotun in turn addressing them with his words.

"The point of this meeting is to assess what happened between my son and your world and that of Midgard, and to decide his punishment.

As you are well aware of, Loki is not my son my blood. I adopted him when our realms last battled. I viewed him as a innocent child who shouldn't know suffering. Laufey and I deemed it the right thing to do since he rejected his own child and because I saw an opportunity to unite our kingdoms one day through him.

That however doesn't matter anymore.

I failed as a father to inform Loki of his true parentage and therefore part of the blame falls on us. But Loki decided to become this, we gave him all the attention Thor had and the only reason people treated him differently was because he acted differently.

When he discovered our secret, he became angry. We did not expect this to happen at such a delicate time but that cannot be helped."

Loki stood still as he relived the moment in the weapons vault that Odin had collapsed after admitting the truth. He had felt conflicted because one moment he had wished Odin would just admit he was wrong and that he was not his true father but when he fell, he was shocked. He never thought about how much strain had been put on him to keep something so simple but so life changing from him.

Thor stood next to him, his gaze shifting from Odin to Frigga. She was still unsettled but seemed to have relaxed somewhat since they have started.

One of the Jotun stepped forward; he was tall and seemed to stand out amongst the other two.

"I 'am Vasad. During these times I will be representing Jotunheim as it's temporary king. This is my guard Suttungr and my adviser Gangr." He gestured first towards a larger than normal giant armed with a long dagger tucked into his boot. Then towards a smaller but equally as menacing looking Jotun who wore finer clothes than Thor had ever seen on a Jotun. Evidently someone of experience and wealth.

"We are not interested in any excuses for the murder of our previous king. The line of succession usually falls to the kings' sons or whoever kills the king in honest combat during a revolt. However, this cannot be followed through since clearly Loki does not stand for Jotunheim. We therefore are only interested in what punishment is to be served for his attempt to destroy our realm."

Odin nodded and beckoned for Thor to bring Loki closer and face the three giants.

"Your ways are strange to us but we know that you deliver punishments to not only fit the crime but the person. You take their weaknesses, what they fear most and make them live through it until they have suffered for their actions. Since Loki's actions have affected your lives greater than ours, we will honor your customs and decide his punishment due to his own fears."

Loki dropped his gaze from Odin and turned to Frigga. She was sat completely bolt up right and a single tear threatened to graze her cheek.

He hadn't noticed it before but she had always been slightly more protective of him than she was of Thor. He had thought it was because Thor was stronger and she saw him as weak, but now he thought that maybe she did so because he was more precious to her. Thor had always been sparring with his friends and trainers and always got on his dad's good side but Loki never really had many friends.

Some of the people of whom he enjoyed the company were his brother when he wasn't trying to lift him up, and his teachers. He found magic to be a good distraction from his physical slightness next to his brother and something he excelled at well. But even though magic was practiced in Asgard, it was very much seen as a lie and not a proper form of attack in battle. He learnt this early on from teasing but his mother had always said that not many could summon doppelgangers to fool their opponents, and that made him special.

Almost as in a daze, he rejoined the conversation just as Thor had stepped forward.

"If I may suggest?" He gave Odin an innocent look like he wasn't sure if he was allowed to speak. Odin nodded and sat down on his throne.

"Loki hasn't always behaved in such a manner. He was mischievous yes but never to the point where people were severely maimed. I think that his actions were purely a result of what we have all recently learned. I also understand that before he found out that he was adopted, he tried to stop my coronation by paving the way for three frost giants into our realm in an attempt to take back the casket. If their plan had succeeded Loki's would of as well. Even though it didn't, his plan still had its desired effect."

He stood forward leaving Loki standing alone. Thor walked up the first few steps of the throne towards Odin

"Loki was right. I was not and am not ready to be king. I learnt from my mistakes but still feel inadequate to do a duty such as yours. I jump to conclusions, hammer first, think later but this is a matter I' am certain demands care more than physical violence. Admittedly, banishment would not help him since Midgard is not a mutual realm anymore, but I don't think hurting Loki would help him."

Thor finished and for some reason he was out of breath. It seemed to the Allfather that he had been bottling this speech up for a while. He sat forward in thought, head slightly bowed; he tilted his head towards Frigga then over to Vasad.

"Do you agree?"

"We agree that he was wrong to tempt our soldiers towards this realm with a simple lie and that sending him back to Earth would be ill advised. We therefore suggest that he be forbidden to ever return to Jotunheim, since he dislikes his own kind. We also ask that you should punish him in any way you see fit. As we rejected him as an infant we do not understand him, we therefore hand responsibility of him over to you."

Thor stepped down from the throne and rejoined his brother. Before he turned to nod towards the giants, he noticed Loki's emotions finally starting to show through. His expression was empty but that alone showed that he was hurt.

Maybe he had always thought that if he was not truly Asgardian, that he could somehow adapt to Jotun life, despite living all his life as something he wasn't.

Odin walked down the steps so he was eye to eye with Vasad. Thor and Loki stood to the opposite side of the thrown to Frigga and Vasad walked towards Odin.

Odin gave Thor a blank look before turning to Frigga and raised an eyebrow. Even though he was king, he always had to ask her advice to make sure he wasn't being too harsh on his sons. She gave a gentle nod and then turned towards Loki.

"Very well. As of this moment Loki will no longer be welcome in Jotunheim. As for his punishment, I will decide that within the next few days. I must assess his state of mind and understand why he chose to do this. I will ask our gatekeeper to send you news as soon as it has been decided. If you would go and join him now, he will send you back to your realm."

The Jotun gave the all Allfather an acknowledging look and left, flanked by two guards.

After they had left the building, Odin sat back on his throne, supporting his chin on his hand.

Frigga immediately stood up and ran towards her two sons. She hugged Loki first. He didn't struggle but neither did he encourage her to continue. She did however feel him grow less tense.

She then gave Thor a brief hug and then stepped back to look at Loki's gag. It seemed cruel to silence one whose strongest power was in his words. Surely to silence Loki was to kill his spirit and hurt him even more.

She turned and nodded to Odin, then left the throne room.

Thor waited until she had gone till he moved towards his father.

Odin walked down the steps so that he was on the same level as Thor.

"Thank you for not banishing Loki. I truly believe that it would only make him more unreachable."

Odin glanced at Loki who was staring at the last step on the throne.

"You believe he is able of redeeming himself then? After what he did to you on Midgard. How he lied to you about my death. Then forced you to watch as he fell through open space."

Thor stood up straighter and with a fierce, honest look in his eye he answered, "I believe that with enough time, he can learn to love us as he once did."

Odin glanced around the room. He remembered the day of Thor's coronation. He remembered that as he referred to Thor as his heir, his first born, Loki seemed to give off a stern and annoyed exterior. He put it down to nerves but since he had learned that Loki had seen himself less than his brothers' equal, he realised that there had been many times when Loki had acted as though he thought himself insignificant when compared to Thor.

"Leave us. I will speak to Loki in private and allow him to explain, if he can, his actions.

I will inform you of my decision at dinner. Tonight's will be private, just family and close friends. Today is a sad day, not the last, but hopefully we are closer to peace amongst ourselves."

Thor bowed towards his father and walked the same route Frigga had taken.

When he had left, Odin and Loki stood in silence for what seemed like an eon.

Odin finally decided to remove Loki's gag and let him speak. He concentrated on the gag and it unlocked.

Loki stumbled a bit but caught the gag and detached it from his head.

Odin gave him a few deep breathes before he proceeded.

'My son," Loki looked up as if he had insulted him, "Do not pretend that you are not anything less than my child."

Loki kept his gaze but made it less intense.

"You know that you have done wrong, but I want to know why you didn't tell us that you felt any less important than Thor.

"Why I didn't tell you? How about why you didn't tell me that I was not your true son. It would have made sense that because we were not truly related I need not compare myself and my actions to Thors'. We are not related therefore me and Thor have no shared characteristics.

Mental capacity aside I have barely anything in common with you."

"I understand that you are angered but how were we supposed to tell you. You yourself explained them as the monster that parents tell their children about. How were we supposed to tell you that you were one of those apparent beings?

Anyway this is not the reason for our private conversation. I have to assess why you did what you did."

He gave Loki a sideways glance. He didn't need to verbally ask Loki it, for he perfectly understood his gesture.

"I led the Jotun into Asgard to ruin Thor's coronation because he was unfit to become king. Something that he only proved when he suggested we go confront Laufey.

Luckily you saw his flaws much as I have for decades now. But when you fell into your period of rest, I saw an opportunity to gage Thor on his reaction to your apparent death. He was, saddened, confused but not angry. I wished to push him further, to see how he would react when someone he had loved all his life turned against him. Again, he was like a new man. Changed.

From there I panicked. I hadn't planned on killing Thor but I had already set other ideas in motion.

I saw escape as the only option. So I let go. Not after I gave you the chance to realise that what I did, I did on your behalf.

From there everything escalated. I became the real monster parents warn their children of.

There was a moment when Thor asked me to join him and fight against the army I had promised a glorious victory to. I was so close to accepting it but I thought that you wouldn't trust someone who had carried out all that I had done and then miraculously changed sides. I carried on, and I lost. So here I' am, father."

Loki fumbled with the gag between his hands, never once dropping his gaze from Odin's one good eye.

Odin studied Loki's face for a brief minute while turning over his confession in his head.

He took a deep breath then decided.

"I believe you. I believe that you truly did not mean to go as far as you did. I felt like I had done the same when I tried to form an alliance by adopting you, but our situations didn't have the same outcome.

Do you wish to be apart of this family once again?"

Loki looked down at the floor but he didn't deny the question. He closed his eyes as if taking a leap of faith. Then turned his eyes towards Odin and held his head high.

"I would be happy to undergo any punishment set by you so I can return to my previous life here on Asgard. I would however ask of one thing in return."

Odin raised an eyebrow. Loki must know that he can't be trusted and he is certainly not in a position to make demands. But Odin had always been open to advice wherever he could take it.

"I'm listening."

"As Thor says, he is still inexperienced. Don't be so quick to make Thor the king. Asgard would not be ready."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Decisions, decisions

While Odin finalised his judgment and decided on a suitable punishment for Loki, he blocked his power so he could not escape or fool anyone with his lies.

During the next few days he took his time to fully gage Loki's response to his answers.

He had made intelligent observations of Thor and of himself so he clearly was not delusional. That would imply that he was completely aware of what he he had done. But he could not ignore the fact that as a father, an adoptive one at that, he had paid less attention to Loki and focused most of his free time to making Thor the best he could be.

And as Loki had pointed out, Thor had still grown into an arrogant, young fool but with the power soon to become king.

He thought of banishment; obviously Midgard and Jotunheim were not ideal. They would force him to see his faults head on. Instead he wanted him to be able to spot his own flaws within himself gradually. It would be easy to see where he did not comply to a regular society if he were forced to realise his mistakes on his own.

He needed a place to send him, a situation that demanded that would make Loki understand his own madness, his own failings, and change them.

Odin himself accepted that his past decisions surrounding Loki had been wrong so he decided to change his tactic.

Instead of outright torture and physical pain, he chose to start on his mind.

He would exclude him from large crowds entirely and limit his interaction to a small selection of people.

Even though Frigga had always been a person that Loki felt comfortable to be around, he felt that her company would be too soft. As a mother she had pretended that he would blossom into the strong minded, intelligent and kind man he had grown up to call father. Her presence would only remind Loki that he had the ability to twist others minds and project a false image; a false reality that he had been living in.

His relationship with Thor, much as it had been with his father was better when he was younger. They had both known from an early age that Thor was older and therefore was heir to the throne after Odin. But not until he started giving Thor lectures and detailed tours of the kingdom did Loki realise the true difference it made.

Their lessons changed; Thor would concentrate on building physical strength, while Loki would prefer to sit alone and learn the history of other realms and spells. Knowledge fascinated him because it held a truth that no one could deny.

They both exceeded their tutors expectations and decided to train together, so that they would have a basic knowledge of the others strengths. It was then that Loki first saw Thor in a new light.

He saw that he hadn't learnt of Asgards and other realms mistakes in battle. He saw the past reflected in his brothers' eyes when he celebrated his physical superiority over Loki despite the fact that Loki excelled overall more than Thor.

Odin decided that Thor's presence would help Loki understand why Thor acted the way he did. Although he thought it best to keep their subjects of discussion limited to family and friends and not how good their past had been compared to the recent altercations between Midgard and Jotunheim.

After much deliberation, Odin called Thor and Loki to the throne room to inform them of his sentence.

They entered the room together, side by side, with two guards standing behind them. As they got closer to the throne, they realised Heimdall was standing next to Odin.

When they stopped in front of the throne, Odin got up and walked down the steps. He wasn't as intimidating to them but he still showed his superiority by standing head on in front of his sons.

"I have decided."

Loki wearily glanced over to Heimdall. He was emotionless as usual.

"Since Loki has upset three realms, I deem it necessary to deliver three different punishments.

For the attempted annihilation of Jotunheim, you are banishment from there. They have disowned you and no longer claim you heir to their realm.

For the carnage you brought down on Midgard, I have sworn that you will not be allowed to go there without express permission from S.H.I.E.L.D. I have also decided to help them with defending their world from possible invasion, should the Chitauri or any other realm decide to try their luck.

And for the stress you have put on Asgard, your family, friends, and all the people that ever trusted you, you will be put through your own personal hell.

You lie to make yourself more powerful in others eyes, to get your own way and to deceive innocent people into doing things they would otherwise never do.

We cannot hold your tongue forever so you will go somewhere where your lies cannot be heard.

From now until Heimdall deems you suitable, you will spend your existence on the Isle of Silence. From there no one will be disturbed by your twisted mind. However you will not be forgotten.

Once there no creature, not even yourself will be able to hear your lies."

Loki was now staring directly at Odin with all fury of a kicked puppy. He dropped his stare shortly afterwards since Odin was more menacing than he could ever be.

Odin now directly questioned Loki. "Do you think these conditions are just?"

If there was one thing Loki hated more than failing, it was being forced to admit that his plan had been anything but flawless.

Odin had truly seen through Loki all this time since he was turning him into something what he feared most. A failure.

Loki shifted his feet. He felt Odin's glare go right through him.

He straightened his back and hoped his voice wouldn't show how broken he was.

"I do."

"Very well. I have decided to honor your condition as well. I will make sure Asgard continues to have a deserving king and that this realm will remain in good hands when Thor is crowned."

This time Odin changed his stance. He couldn't possibly be nervous, could he?

He knew that Thor was not yet fit to rule but he wasn't as stupid as Loki perceived him to be. He could learn and pay more attention to Odin and study Asgards history much as Loki had when he was younger.

Odin continued. "This brings me to my final statement in front of you both this day.

If you may remember, while you two were fighting on the Bifrost, I was in my annual rest period. You however broke the cycle when you tried to kill each other; because of this I now have to restart the cycle soon.

I recommend to you Thor that you go and finish any business you have on Midgard and be back here ready to start your training within one of their months.

As for you Loki, you will be called for either when your stay on the Isle of Silence has served its' purpose or when your presence is required. For now, follow Heimdall to the observatory and prepare to be transported."

Odin turned to walk back up the steps to his thrown while Thor and Loki bowed their heads and made their exit; Heimdall followed after bowing to the Allfather.

The three of them walked in silence, Thor in front closely followed by Loki with Heimdall keeping his distance.

When they reached the golden gates Thor stopped, took Loki to one side and turned him so he could address Loki and make him listen.

"Brother, I still do not understand what I have done to wrong you. I will not pretend to understand how you felt when we were younger, but trust me when I say I understand you more now."

Loki had been trying to keep his focus off Thor but now he willingly stared into Thor's strained eyes. Clearly he felt something for his brother.

"You cannot possibly feel what I have these past few months. Letting go of that bridge was at the time, what I considered my only way out. I had done what I thought was right and failed to see how I had wronged you.

If I were truly his son I guess I could have stayed, but because I' am one of Asgards' most distrusted, I did not see how a little father to son chat could turn out in my favour. He would have treated me as a frost giant, as one...", Thor cut him off.

"No he wouldn't have. Do you think he punished you any differently than me when we played tricks we shouldn't have? Despite the fact that we only recently discovered your true past, he had known all along. If he thought you to be a monster by nature, he would have been less kind when we were younger. The only thing that has changed since then is that your recent knowledge is fooling your mind into seeing hatred where there is none.

What he does now, he does for the good of Asgard," Loki scoffed and ducked his head, "and his son, my brother."

Loki turned his head back towards Thor. This time his face seemed disbelieving. As if he had never heard Thor speak of him as his brother.

"You still call me your brother after I tried to murder you and your loved ones?"

"Of course I do. Never think that because we are not blood brothers, I don't feel the bond we had when we were young and foolish."

Loki stared into Thor eyes, looking for any sign of deceit.

Unlike Loki, Thor had always been a poor liar. He always gave himself away by twitching his eyes or looking away. This time he kept his gaze. He didn't look angry, frustrated or mad, but he seemed to plead with his eyes, to try and reach his brothers good side.

"Thank you." Loki's voice sounded heavy and strained like he's been holding his breath through Thor's speech.

After steadying himself and looking at Thor, he saw that his brother looked relieved that he hadn't taken his words as a joke.

He stepped towards Thor and hugged him.

Thor momentarily paused, a little taken aback from Loki's actions but since he hadn't been stabbed by anything he decided that this was Loki's way of apologising or accepting him. He returned the hug and held his brother tightly.

For once in a long time, he felt that Loki wasn't holding any of his feeling back. Even though Loki didn't verbally confess that he loved his brother, Thor felt that he was finally letting his harsh barrier down and accepting that he had been wrong and that he was truly loved.

They let go of each other and Thor smiled at Loki as he saw his brother's face relax. He had been so tense beforehand; whether if it was because of the dreaded silence while they walked to his prison, or if he didn't know what to say as his last words for possibly hundreds of years, he did not know. But it was a pleasant change from Loki's near constant look of distress and anger.

Thor gestured for Loki to stand next to him while they walked the rest of the journey to the observatory.

Heimdall had of course seen everything that had gone on but had not intentionally heard what had been said.

Loki's emotional state did not concern him personally but he would make a note of mentioning it should Odin wish to hear of his son's actions.

At last they strode side by side, as equals across the remaining section of the rainbow bridge. As they approached the end, it became clear where an extra section had been added on to support Heimdall's new observatory.

Loki opened his mouth slightly as if to speak but thought better of it.

Thor and Loki walked to the opposite side of the entrance inside the dome and Heimdall took his place near the centre. He withdrew his sword and stood in a strong stance with it balanced upright on the tip, steadying it with his hands.

Thor walk with Loki to the portal. He looked into the emptiness for a second before turning to face Loki. He gripped his arms and gave him a weary smile. After Loki returned the gesture, Thor moved to take his place next to Heimdall.

He got a few feet away before turning around and said, "Again, I' am truly sorry for any harm I may have caused you. Please do not think of me when you're alone, you do not have to apologise to me for anything."

Loki's lips turned up in a half smile and he nodded gently. Thor continued to stride towards the centre console and spun to look at his brother who was now facing the portal with his back turned towards them.

Heimdall glanced over at the thunderer. Thor nodded and Heimdall raised his sword and inserted it into the console.

The exterior of the observatory began to revolve and large lightening spikes headed from the centre of the dome to the interior designs on the walls. As the sound of the mechanics got louder, Thor was only just able to make out a few broken words.

"I' am sorry also, brother."

Loki didn't turn round, he didn't have time to. He was pulled through the portal in a flash of brilliant blue light. Within seconds, there was no evidence that he had ever been standing mere meters from Thor.

Heimdall took his sword from the console and retook his stance again. His eyes turned to Thor as he readied himself.

Thor exhaled and felt his shoulders tremble. He then walked past Heimdall and headed to the same spot Loki had just been standing.

Facing the empty expanse in front of him he said, "Do it."

Heimdall lifted his sword once again and within another flash of blue light, Thor was pulled through the portal towards Midgard.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A Silent Mind

Furys' concentration changed between the papers on his desk and the computer screen in front of him. Being director of S.H.I.E.L.D you would have thought that they could trust someone enough to look through this and give him the simpler version because he did not understand a single theory on the documents he had been staring at for what seemed like years.

Universal safety all over Earth, with a warning system to alert them to any unusual activity near Earth of even on it; that's what Odin had promised. Instead he was looking at complicated diagrams and charts depicting what he thought strangely resembled a child's drawing of football strategy, but in space.

Just as he was about to give up and file it under 'classified', he heard a cheery knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened to Tony Stark poked his head round the door.

"Do you mind if I talk with you a sec?"

Fury didn't look up from his papers.

"Actually, now that you're here, I would like your opinions on these."

He handed him the file containing the diagrams and twisted the monitor so Tony could see it.

"Before I explain any of this, I must mention that this is highly classified. The only reason I'm showing it to you is because I think it could help prevent another incident which nearly crippled us. Unfortunately, no one, and by that I mean me, can understand a word of it."

Stark sat down and glanced through the documents, completely ignoring the monitor. Some things he recognised as construction blueprints, but when his eyes caught a glimpse of the calculations, his eyes lit up and he virtually jumped in his seat.

He made a half gasp half shriek sound as his smile grew bigger and bigger.

Fury continued to stare at Tony. Stark didn't seem to realise it until he put down the papers and looked up.

Tony straightened up in his seat as he took a deep breath.

"This is incredible. These two diagrams here are schematics for emitters and receivers of large amounts of energy. Theoretically it is possible but we would need large amounts of vibranium or something similarly light but strong and dense enough to withstand such a large current.

Taking into the account the amount we would need to make a field large enough to cover the entire planet, it would be impossible unless we had about 400 thousand of captain Americas' shield. But it seems like they refer to something called Gangritr. It has similar properties to vibranium and comes in three colours."

He added the last bit as if he were helping Fury pick out his summer collection.

At the end of his little jest he tore his eyes away from the piece of paper and looked into Furys' one good eye. Even though the guy didn't tend to show emotion or pleasure, he generally looked curious.

"What would the field do the planet exactly?"

"I think what Odin is suggesting is that if we build this and hook it up to Earths' satellites, we can collect information about any unusual readings such as radiation spikes, energy fluctuations, anomalous weather readings and all that good supernatural stuff from anywhere on the planet."

He turned the papers over to reveal more diagrams.

"And if we create an inverted section like this and place them on the outer part of the satellites, then we can also collect the same data from as far away as 100 billion miles away."

This time Fury gave Stark a quizzical look.

Tony added, "Just so you know, Pluto is only about three and half billion miles away."

Fury nodded then gathered up the papers into one neat pile, while repositioning his screen monitor back towards himself.

"Thank you for explaining. Do you think if we had the right amount of this Gangritr material, that you could make this?"

"Are you kidding me?! Creating this would require some serious time and money. You'd have to use about half a football pitch sized amount of metal for each satellite with complex little pieces of machinery with annoying little wires and cables and syncronise all the parts perfectly, not to mention the emitters and receivers."

Fury stared at Tony with a little grin creeping onto his face. He nodded.

"When can I start?"

* * *

The rest of the avengers were standing in the lobby of Stark Tower with their bags packed and ready. Thor had been given a suitcase specially prepared for him by Tony and Bruce since he'd never been on holiday in Asgard before.

Natasha was trying on her sunglasses, Bruce was rummaging through some papers in the briefcase section of the sactual, Clint finally gave up trying to fit his arrows in a toiletries bag and Steve was fumbling with the keys to his beloved motorcycle.

Despite the fact that everyone else seemed to be looking forward to escaping the city, he wasn't as enthusiastic about it. He'd always felt slightly out of synch with reality ever since he realised he'd missed the better part of a century.

The only part of his daily routine that he loved now was riding his Harley Davidson round the city. A little bit of nostalgia helped him realise that the world hadn't completely changed.

The silence in the lobby was interrupted by the ping of one of the elevators opening. Tony Stark bounded out holding a new soldering iron box in one hand and an array of loose sheets of paper in the other. He also wore an old shirt and was balancing a pair of goggles on his forehead.

He practically skipped across to the avengers and laid the box and papers down on the front desk.

"Sorry guys but I eh, I've decided to sit this one out."

The others looked at him like they'd never seen him before.

Clint looked up from his bag.

"You're kidding right? You were the one who practically begged Fury for a chance to escape. Now you're staying behind? What is so important that it could get in the way of you having time off?"

Steve pocketed his keys and glanced from Clint to Tony.

"Is Fury asking you to help with the repairs? I couldn't help but notice the showers in the gym aren't hooked into the water supply anymore and the ones in the rooms aren't much use after 7am."

Tonys' eyes lit up as his looked at Steve.

"Yes, yes he is. Electricity is also down in most parts of the building too. We've had to reconnect up to the main power grid just to keep the kettle boiling. Since the arc reactor is my technology and no one else understands it, unless you want to come home to a cold home, I'll have to stay behind and make repairs. Don't worry about me though, I'll have the jacuzzi fixed before you get to Patras."

"Believe me Stark," Natasha started, "the last thing that's going to be on my mind while relaxing in the sun is what you'll be doing."

Clint suddenly burst out laughing. It seemed he'd been trying to hold it in for some time.

They all turned to look towards to the large glass doors that opened out into the lobby.

Harold Hogan was leaning against the doors trying to open them, continuingly changing position as if that might help.

Steve walked over to the door and waited for Harold to stop pushing. He then pushed the door away from himself as Harold stepped back in amazement.

"Sorry, I didn't know it was a pull."

"That's alright. They usually open by themselves but since we have no electricity, we've had to label everything."

"I see you didn't get round to the front doors yet."

They walked back and joined the group.

Harold was wearing a dark blue suit as always, matched with a pair of driving gloves.

"Finally our chauffeur has arrived." Clint began to collect up his bags and hurried towards to door.

Harold walked over to Tony.

"Where are you bags sir? I thought you were coming as well."

"Not today I'm afraid. I'm a bit bogged down with fixing this place. The others however seem to be very keen to be off."

They turned to see the rest of the avengers pick their belongings up and follow Clint.

All apart from Steve who was trying to make the wheels on his suitcase behave and go forward. He soon gave up and carried the thing through the door.

* * *

Loki opened his eyes in his new surroundings. The last thing he had heard was the roar of the Bifrost as it sucked him into the portal. He felt gravity pull him away from Asgard and when the motion stopped, he felt the satisfying feeling of ground beneath his feet.

He'd landed amongst a selection of dense grey trees. Very odd. He'd never seen trees lacking their usual brown bark and green leaves. Even in Asgards' autumn and winter, the trees colour didn't change, they just kept renewing their youthful shades.

It took his head a minute to gather itself but he soon realised that it wasn't just the trees that weren't right, the whole island was grey.

He held up his hands and saw that he couldn't see the usual pale colour of his long slender fingers. The greens, blacks and golds of his outfit also became different shades of grey.

This wasn't so bad he thought. The point of this must be to prove something without him realising it.

He opened his mouth.

"So Odin thinks by removing colour, he can show me the error of my ways. Make me forget that my true blue skin means nothing to him."

He grabbed his throat as if in pain. He eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. He didn't yelp though. He couldn't. The words he had intended to speak did not make it past his lips. He could only hear his thoughts.

He desperately looked around and noticed a raven perched on a nearby branch.

It stared at him with big beady eyes then turned its' head to the side and opened its' beak.

Nothing.

What made his shiver was not the terrifying squawk that such a bird should make so much as the eerie silence that followed. He walked over to a tree opposite to the bird and sat against its' trunk. He then held his knees close to his chest and began to truly assess his surroundings.

This was his home now, he's have to learn to cope with the silence as well as find shelter and food. Now that he didn't have his magic anymore, he was as good as mortal. He could grow old here, die of thirst or hunger. But that didn't terrify him the most.

He could die of loneliness.

* * *

The raven had long since flown away but he remained in his crouched position.

How would he eat? There didn't seem to be much else apart from the trees, the large roots that made the ground impossible to get comfy on and that bird.

He sat up straight. There must be a source of water at least here then. If that bird can live here then so could he. Unless it didn't need to consume food. Maybe it lived off the isles' victims. Or the bird could just be a figment of his imagination. Another thing to torment him.

He buried his head between his legs and shook it. He mustn't think too much.

He would go mad trying to figure out what would happen next that he could probably imagine anything and it would appear hurtling around the corner.

He picked himself off the floor and proceeded to walk in a straight line. There seemed to be a definite path here. Whether that was intended or if it had been by accident he didn't care. Who knows what else could be in these woods. If he could see 30 feet ahead of him he'd know of anything lurking in the trees. That was good enough for him.

He carried on walking until his legs grew tired and he continually kept tripping over the large roots.

He was about to stop until he saw what he only assumed could be a sheer cliff.

It was. He'd reached the end of the island. Far off in the distance he could see the golden city of Asgard.

He hadn't travelled very far then.

As he looked at Asgard, he understood why Odin had decided to send him here.

Far enough away from people to think about what he'd done; isolated enough to have only his mind for company, but close enough to home to be reminded that he wasn't alone and that he was still loved.

* * *

Odin began the arduous journey from the palace to Heimdall's observatory.

It wasn't a particularly long distance but he could feel his energy slowly depleting. The Odin sleep was nearing.

He decided not to ride Sleipnir to show to the people of Asgard and to himself, that he was still capable of making light of such a simple task.

He arrived at the observatory and entered. Heimdall was standing facing Odin and greeted his king with a slight bow.

Odin stopped just inside the entrance and looked up at Heimdall.

"Have you delivered my message to Midgard?"

"Yes, my king. They received it gratefully and send their thanks. They do have one request."

"What is that?"

"The metal that is needed to create the device is scarce on Midgard, so much so that only about 50lbs has ever existed on that planet. They would ask for supplies of Gangritr."

Odin stroked his hands down his lapels as his thought.

"Arrange for me to speak to Vasad and his adviser. Meanwhile, inform Midgard that the metal with be delivered soon."

With that he turned and started walking towards to the palace.

* * *

Heimdall walked over to the portal and called for Vasad to answer.

After a few seconds Heimdall was pulled through the portal and landed in front of Vasad and his guard.

"What do you want Asgardian?"

Vasad sat upon his throne with his guard, Suttungr standing to his right.

"Odin asks if he may speak to you an your adviser again about important matters."

"Very well. I trust that Loki has been dealt his punishment and that everything is going smoothly for you."

Vasad glanced from his guard to Heimdall as if mocking him.

"Loki has been sent to the Isle of Silence, there to carry out his sentence until further notice."

Heimdall noticed that Vasad did not seem to be paying him any attention.

"We would ask for your assistance to help Midgard. They suffered as well due to Lokis' actions."

Vasad visibly changed his mind as he heard that Odin required his help. He felt like he had the upper hand here.

"Very well, but under one condition."

"What would that be?"

"We wish for the Allfather to come here, to Jotunheim. Since we came to your realm we think it right that both parties should show equal amounts of trust. He may bring two other people if he wishes."

"Thank you. He will arrive soon."

Heimdall bowed, turned and left in a blaze of blue light. He reappeared back in his observatory and made his way towards the palace to tell Odin.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

What comes next

Odin got Sleipnir ready for his journey to Jotunheim.

Even though he was still capable of going there on foot, he always liked the way people had to look up at him.

He passed through the portal into Jotunheim and landed a mile or so from the main palace.

He was escorted by guards and led to the centre of the palace where Vasad sat on his throne, shielded by his guard and his adviser.

"Allfather, welcome. You wished to speak to me."

Odin got down off his horse with great difficulty but showed no pain. He approached Vasad and supported some of his weight on gungnir.

"Indeed. To seal Asgards' agreement with Midgard, we require a large amount of gangritr. We learnt that your adviser, Gangr was the Jotun who discovered it. We would like to bargain for it."

Gangr fixed his gaze upon Odin then turned to Vasad and nodded.

"Very well. You may have as much of the metal as you want, but we wish for something in return."

"What would that be?"

"Information. We wish to know what the humans intend to do with something potentially lethal. I'm sure you understand that we wouldn't willingly give up something so precious without some reassurance."

"Of course."

Odin moved himself closer to Vasad and looked him directly in the eyes.

"As you know Midgard had been attacked by Loki and he had led an army into their realm with the soul intention of ruling them. Naturally they did not take kindly to this and fought back. They won but almost died trying.

They are now under Asgards' protection from any other possible invading forces. We therefore require this metal to help the humans defend themselves. Its' purpose is to seek out any threats near their planet. We have not given them anything such as weapons, just a way to better defend themselves."

Vasad rested his chin on his hand and cocked his head to one side then the other. His adviser whispered something in his ear that Odin couldn't quite catch.

Vasad rose and walked down the steps of his throne so he was closer to Odins' eye level.

He held out his hand and Odin shook it.

"Agreed."

* * *

FIVE DAYS LATER

After four days of buying new equipment, scanning the schematics into Jarvis' system and creating circuit boards, Tony had finally reached his limit. There was only so long someone could go running on a combination of red bull and whiskey with little catnaps every 20 hours.

He decided he'd earned a rest and tell Fury that he couldn't continue until they had the Gangritr.

Unfortunately for Tony as he walked out onto the floor with Furys' office on he noticed dozens of men hauling large crates marked 'classified' towards his workshop elevator.

He was the only person in the entire building that would possibly need such a large amount of stuff so it was obviously his precious metal.

Joy. Plan B.

He walked into Furys' office just as he was signing off forms.

"Come in Tony. Good news. If you can't tell, we've had a delivery."

"I hope you're not bringing it all here Nick. We will need about 4 million tones of the stuff to make this work."

He weaved his way through more boxes piled with notes and crates that appeared to contain more tools. When he reached Furys' desk he realised there was a gentleman in a white lab coat standing next to him.

"This," Fury gestured towards said gentleman, "is Professor Adrian Elrond. He is here to help you with any translation errors and other problems."

Tony looked dumbfounded. How could Fury think he couldn't do this by himself?

"Thank you Director Fury."

The professor held out his hand and Tony shook it. He looked sternly into his eyes, however this didn't stop Elrond smiling from ear to ear.

"I've heard a great many things about you Stark, and especially what good uses you put them to."

British accent; stood up straight, respectably dressed, well groomed, he wasn't going to like Tonys' company. Was Fury trying to say something? No, he couldn't be.

"Pleased to hear it." Tony looked from Fury and back to Elrond, noticing that neither of them were going to say something.

"Do you have experience in this," he pointed towards Furys' computer screen which was displaying the newly designed schematics for the emitter and receivers, "because if so then you're going to want to take a look at what i've already done."

"Similar concepts but nothing on this scale, but since we're doing it in sections it shouldn't be too much a stretch for us."

Elrond smiled at Tony at the end of his sentence and Stark stared blankly at him for second before returning it and making his way out of the office.

"Well then, follow me."

* * *

On Jotunheim they had just finished sending all the supplies to Heimdall ready to be sent to Earth.

Vasad paced back and forth in front of his throne while Suttungr and Gangr stood close by.

"What is next on the agenda?"

"Well sir," Gangr stepped forward, "your temporary time as king is coming to an end. Since we still don't have a rightful heir, we are at a loss as who to elect next."

Vasad threw an angry glance towards Gangr and he stepped back to his previous position.

"Don't you think it's about time you spoke to the elf then? He has seemed useful in the past, and he hasn't posed much of a threat. But be aware, he didn't become ruler of Svartalfheim by following the rules. He will likely try and take over our realm just as quickly as he did his."

Vasad looked behind a nearby pillar towards the inhabited part of Jotunheim.

"Even though I'm not rightfully king, I still feel responsible for our people."

Gangr bowed and made his way to a portal behind the palace.

He had only ever used this once before to seek help from other realms when their government had collapsed after Laufeys' death, but since Vasad was due to step down soon, he had no other choice.

The portal worked much like the Bifrost except the ride was rougher and you didn't always end up on the same spot each time.

He managed to land close to where he had first landed weeks ago.

Far off in the distance he saw hundreds of specks of light against the cliff faces.

The ground beneath his feet was uneven grey rock with large flints buried in the ground.

He walked carefully towards the lights and reached the outskirts of the city within an hour.

The city was surrounded by a 200 foot tall wall made of old dead trees intertwined with metal.

Everything here was dead or dying; even for a frost giant, the place didn't have much appeal or beauty.

He walked around the edge of the wall until he found a large wooden door.

He hammered on the door with his fist and waited.

A smaller door opened below his knee and an elf walked out. He was roughly the height of an Asgardian, but with dark blue purplish skin, long pointed ears and long flowing white hair. He did not seem old but almost all elves had pale hair.

The elf looked up at Gangr and went back inside then opened a larger door big enough for him to walk through.

Gangr ducked his head slightly and entered. He was escorted without a second glance to the palace at the centre of the city.

The city was in the exact middle of the land within the walls boundaries. The buildings along the sides of the walls were small homes and businesses.

The level of security got stronger and stronger the further they progressed until they finally reached Svartalfheims' palace.

Unlike Asgards' palace, it was open, much like Jotunheims'.

If you walked straight towards the throne, you would have to cross a bridge made of stone over a pool of lava. The bridge led to a small island in the centre with which a throne had been carved into the side of a large black tree.

Either side of bridge, the terrain raised to go up another level. There were small windows in the cliff face that shone with brilliant red and golds from fires lit inside.

Around and above the throne on the raised platforms, several strong looking guards held longs spears with green tinted tips; possibly some type of deadly poison, and held their free hands behind their backs.

Gangr focused more on the bridge and the small island in the centre as he made his way across.

A tall elf sat in the centre of the throne with both his hands on the arm rests.

He was different to the other elves. The left side of his face was the same as all the others, with his left eye as golden as his hair; but his right side was a paler shade of blue, paler than that of Gangrs' own skin. His right eye also seemed to different. It was the same colour as his skin. If Gangr didn't know better, he would say that he couldn't see out of that eye for it looked unusual and didn't shine like his left.

Malekith arched his back at the sight of Gangr who bowed his head and stood where the bridge met the island.

"What brings you here, Jotun?"

Malekith sounded annoyed and frustrated, but then again he had always been rude whenever someone approached him unannounced.

"Sir, we are unsure of how to continue our traditions concerning the throne of Jotunheim. Vasads' rule was only temporary but we still have no rightful heir.

We would ask of your assistance again to come to a solution that would benefit us and follow our customs."

Malekith sat forward and rested his head in his hands.

"First we need to talk of your frequent use of the Bifrost.

I had thought that one trip was enough to ensure your people that Jotunheim was not under threat anymore. I do not see why you would need to use it twenty times."

"It was necessary. Odin decided to protect Midgard against further invasion. When Loki attacked them they almost died he said."

Malekith looked angry and shocked while he repositioned himself to look down at Gangr.

"We didn't give them weapons." Gangr shook his head while he watched Malekith relax a little in his seat.

"We just gave Odin a particular type of metal to help Midgard protect itself."

"Very well. What do you know of Midgard? Are the inhabitants there, what are they called? Humans? Are they intelligent enough to discover similar technologies as us and the Asgardians? Do they pose a threat to our existence?"

Gangr looked slightly puzzled. Earth had never interested him before and he had never been. Since they weren't aware until recently of Asgard let alone Jotunheim or Svartalfheim, he thought they were pretty harmless.

"They didn't even know we existed until Loki stirred things up. We are not on their list of hostiles so I would assume we are safe."

Malekith arched his eyebrow over his pale blue eye.

"You assume. That means are unsure."

Gangr went to speak but Malekith stopped him by raising his hand.

"No. I will assess Midgard myself and decide whether or not we should mark them as a threat."

"Very well sir."

Gangr turned to leave but then stopped dead then tilted his head back towards Malekith.

"Sir, back to my question, who should we elect as king?"

Malekith took a deep breath and looked up at the dark sky.

"You're the kings adviser, yes? Then you should have an idea as to who should be named successor to Laufey."

"Yes but my opinion doesn't count."

"It doesn't matter. If you have no true heir, and no one killed Laufey honorably, then there is no true king amongst you. I would suggest Vasad continues until he grows tired of it. You never know, there might be a chance for him to die in battle soon. Or he may have children. Whichever comes first."

Malekith gave Gangr an evil grin then chuckled slightly as he straightened up on his throne.

"Tell your king that as his adviser, you can see the great progress you realm has made. You have finally uncovered the truth concerning his runt of a son and you have buried his memory. He is being punished and your world has a chance to thrive as it once did. Vasad isn't such a bad leader so why fret about finding another. No one else has any experience so Vasad is already the better choice."

Gangr thought for a second then bowed his head. "Thank you sir."

He turned, waked over the bridge and began his journey back towards the edge of the city.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Over and over

Odin walked towards the observatory, his steps getting shorter and shorter as to not exert himself. He still refused to show weakness when in public but found that keeping up a stronger appearance was more taxing than he had first thought.

Loki had been on the isle of silence now for almost a week. Even though Odin knew that the island had been a very effective way of guiding wayward people in the past, he wasn't sure how long it would be necessary for Loki to spend there until he saw his mistakes.

He had promised that he would be visited by himself and Thor to reassure Loki that he had not been forgotten and that the island was not a way of Odin pushing Loki to one side.

Odin passed through the threshold of the observatory and walked up to Heimdall who was facing him.

"Anything to update me on before I leave?"

Odin looked at Heimdall as he caught his breath while leaning slightly on gungnir.

"From Midgard, S.H.I.E.L.D send their appreciation for your help and have started constructing their defenses. On Jotunheim, Vasad was due to step down but the giants have decided to proclaim him the rightful king of Jotunheim."

Heimdall dropped his gaze from Odin for a second then went back to addressing the Allfather.

"Again there have been rumors of another realm assisting Jotunheim and something occurred yesterday that only seems to support this theory."

Odin looked up from his feet and gave Heimdall a questioning look. Noticing that Heimdall seemed to be concerned he stepped closer to him and directly looked him in the eye.

"What troubles you?"

"A portal has been opened. It was active just after Laufey was murdered and it was used again yesterday, just before they announced that Vasad would remain king."

Heimdall stared blankly at the centre console before speaking to Odin in hushed voice.

"That portal has never been used while I have been gate keeper so I cannot be sure where it leads. The manuscripts about portals to other realms are all accounted for, Asgard to Jotunheim, to Midgard etc. But never has one been known to mention one connecting Jotunheim to Svartalfheim. It is the elves, people say, that are helping the giants reform their government."

Odin sighed and looked down at gungnir and glanced towards the portal. He knew that whenever the elves helped someone, they always wanted something in return. It usually only meant trouble for the other realm but considering their delicate political stance, Odin knew he couldn't ignore it.

He also couldn't ignore his own troublesome son.

"I will speak to Vasad about this, but first I cannot put off visiting Loki. Send me to the island and retrieve me when I call."

Heimdall nodded and readied his sword. Odin walked towards the portal and was pulled through.

* * *

He landed on the island and gathered his bearings. He had landed on the same spot Loki had, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Odin soon realised that he lacked colour much as his new environment did.

He punched gungnir into the ground and a flash of terrific blue light started at his feet and consumed him.

The light spread out and created a force field of blue energy around him. Within the force field, Odins' skin and clothes returned to their normal shades of gold and red.

He heard the crackle of leaves and branches beneath his feet as he walked along the path in front of him.

He would not let his son think he was forgotten, but he would still remind him that he deserved to be in such a place. He had after all tried to kill Odin himself, the man who had raised him as his own son alongside Thor.

Ever since Loki had found out that he was Laufeys' son, Odin had remembered certain things that happened when he and Thor were young and just learning about Asgard the other realms.

Loki had always been interested in other realms since they all promised new knowledge and different customs. He hadn't been as enthusiastic about Jotunheim since they were neither gifted in intellect for magic nor granted the appearance of absolute perfection, at least in his eyes.

They however had fascinated Thor because of their physical prowess.

He had boasted that when he became king, he would hunt them all down and slay them all.

Odin had known then that he shouldn't court war and told him so. But he forgot to say that only the guilty should be punished. Not all the Jotun had been with Laufey when the first war occurred but since they were still children he thought better of making such a point. He simply stated that they should not rush into war for the sake of appearing strong among weaker beings.

He could still see the look on Lokis' face when his brother had declared his plan and remembered the slight grin that appeared on his face. He was perfectly fine being different to his brother then. Weaker in body, but stronger in the mind.

But when Loki first showed his true appearance to Odin, all he could think about was if Loki had remembered Thor promising to kill all the monsters.

His emotions during that meeting at been a mixture of confusion, pain, angry and regretful, which showed through with such clarity that Odin could feel his suffering, his anxiousness, his hatred for his father.

No. He mustn't think this as his fault. Loki had been a perfectly well behaved child when he was younger. So innocent, so fragile, so blind to the true horrors of other realms. He did not expect to find out that a society such as Asgards' could accept someone who was actually a monster living amongst them; in a realm that on the outside appeared peaceful and calm, had room for someone of a race that had only caused Asgard pain and suffering.

When he discovered that his heritage was not what he had been brought up to believe, he panicked. Gone wild with fear and trepidation.

Never before had anything like this happened on Asgard. And so close to Thors' coronation, he feared people would see him as a threat.

When he had gone to the Jotun to give them free passage into the weapons vault, he had intended to prove that Thor was as irresponsible as he was stupid. When that worked, he realised he needed to show Odin that he was just as capable as defending Asgard as Thor was. Thor was always the muscle, the big guy everyone saw him to be. They saw a protector in Thors' eyes and a coward in Lokis'.

He needed to prove that his intellect could win through over sheer brute force. That is why he endangered his fathers' life. To show that he would always win, always be the better brother even though he saw himself less of a man than Thor.

No. Even though his intentions had been true, his methods were flawed. He deserved his sentence here and nothing would change that. Not even the look on Lokis' face when he was a child; that look of peacefulness and innocence when Thor had vowed to protect him; that part of Loki no longer controlled him.

* * *

After walking through the woods for ages, his mind full of the past and thoughts of Loki, he found him. He was huddled at the base of a large black tree.

He had his knees brought up to his chest and laid his head sideways on his knees away from Odin.

If Loki could still hear, he would have turned round long before Odin tapped him on the shoulder.

Odin thought he would just jump but soon calm down after he realised who it was.

He was shocked when Loki reacted differently.

Odin approached Loki and held out his left hand and placed it on Lokis' right shoulder.

He nearly jumped out of his skin at the touch.

His legs extended and he fell flat on his face. He then crawled desperately without turning around and tried to get away, arms flailing trying to drag himself further away.

Odin caught up to him though and held Loki up by his arms.

Loki held his head low and shook it with his eyes clenched shut.

Odin let the field engulf him and saw as his skin turn from a dull grey to an unnatural shade of pale, even for Loki.

"Loki." Odin shouted but the sound waves were still blocked by the island.

Odin kept shouting until Loki yanked his head up.

"..ki, Loki." The Allfather half gasped as he saw his sons face. He had expected his time here to cause his son to lose some of his healthy colour but not to the extent that he had.

Loki stood slouched before Odin, now holding onto his arms for support. His legs were slightly bent with cuts and bruises visible through large tears in his trousers. His arms bore similar wounds but to a much greater extent since his shirt had been ripped across his back, his chest and his sleeves had been torn off completely.

Loki breathed heavily while he stared at Odin, tightening his grip on his arms.

"F-father. Help. The shadows. Please." His voice was hoarse because he had not used it but Odin still heard the emotion in his words.

Odin took a moment to fully engage the state of his son. He had been badly wounded by something although there appeared to be no bite marks from an animal.

His hair was unkept and sticking to the sweat on his face. His once youthful face now sported a look of sheer terror and panic while covered in dirt and blood. His own?

Odin looked at his hands as Lokis' grip tightened once again around his arms. Some of his fingernails were gnawed down and the others had bloodstains under them.

"Loki." Odin didn't raise his voice and looked at his sons weak arms as he spoke.

"Did you do this?" He took his sons hand and held it up.

Loki started whimpering and flung his arms around Odins' waist. He buried his head in his fathers' shoulder before he whispered in his ear.

"Help me. I've seen them. All of them. They're everywhere. Even in my dreams; my nightmares. I always see them. Just, help me, please. I'm sorry. Tell them I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

He hastily added as Odin tried to pull away to look at Loki again.

Loki began to panic because he thought Odin was rejecting him and his cry for help. He went back to hanging onto his arms when his legs finally buckled.

Odin caught Loki before his head hit the ground.

Still holding onto his arms he realised Loki had passed out. Possibly from starvation or thirst? Maybe fright?

He held Loki for a minute while he tried to make sense of this.

There weren't any other animals or beings on the island as far as he could see and had no explanation for his nightmares and hallucinations other than Loki was feeling his guilty conscious. But if Loki had such a conscious, surely he would have stopped long before now.

He had intended to leave Loki here since he deserved to be. But no. Not like this. If he stayed here any longer, he'd drive himself insane or claw at himself till he bled out.

Odin decided to carry his son back towards the landing spot and return Loki to Asgard for medical help.

* * *

Loki was not as heavy as he had been before and now that Odin saw the rest of Lokis' body more clearly, he realised that he can't have eaten anything since his frame seemed slighter and less healthy.

Despite the fact that Loki was now lighter, Odin still found it a struggle to carry him in his own weakened state.

He finally reached the spot where he landed and called to Heimdall.

He quickly responded and immediately came to their assistance. He first took Loki from Odins' arms and rested him on the steps leading up to the console.

He then turned his attention to his tired king.

"Allfather. Are you alright? I saw what happened and I saw nothing attack you."

"I am fine. Take Loki to the healing room."

Heimdall went to speak but Odin cut him off. By this time he was lying on the floor resting on one arm and looking at Loki the entire time.

"I give you permission to leave your post. Now go. When you have seen to Loki, get my guards."

Heimdall said nothing as he strode over to pick up Loki and made his way towards the palace through the golden gates.

* * *

Odin laid his head down on the golden floor of the observatory and stared at the ceiling as he tried to make sense of what happened in the last 5 minutes.

One minute he had been convinced that whatever Lokis' condition, he would stay on the island until he saw what he had done and understood the consequences of his actions; the next he had been carrying his wounded son as if he had fought along side him in fierce battle.

Odin couldn't think anymore and lost consciousness while his head still buzzed with the image of fear in Lokis' eyes, the picture of his weakened body and the realisation that his mind had been broken after just 6 days of loneliness, silence and existence in his bleached surroundings.

* * *

Thor and the rest of the Avengers returned home from a sunny week in beautiful Patras. Each of them had slight tan lines where they had been wearing their sunglasses and they all looked exhausted after their 9 and a half hour flight.

They hauled their luggage into the lobby of Stark tower and called the elevators to take them to their floors.

They all waited in silence while the elevators came down.

After the best part of a day stuck on the same flight as Steve continuously asking questions about how the other countries had changed, and Bruce, simultaneously praying that he wasn't a nervous flyer and take the plane down, they had had enough of each others company to last until the next time S.H.I.E.L.D needed them to assemble the team.

Right now, they were millimeters away from attacking each other with their flip flops and left over factor 50 sun cream.

Luckily the elevators all arrived at the same time and they all rushed into them and lazily pushed the button for their floor.

Thor had only just gotten used to pulling the suitcase along using its wheels before he managed to dump it on his bed and unpack his midgardian clothes. He decided that he'd put anything he didn't recognise in the bathroom.

Natasha had insisted that he wear sun cream despite the fact that he was convinced that nothing could burn his skin.

Bruce had convinced him to buy a book on Greek mythology. He had argued that Earths' own Norse mythology was right, so he wanted to know if Thor recognised any of the names in other religions.

Unfortunately, Thor did not recognise any of them but he found the book to be fascinating and a good distraction from Natasha and Clint on the ride home.

They had both decided to argue that day. Clint had become convinced that Natasha had hidden his arrows and bent his bow the night before, but in actually fact, Clint had sat on it when they all got drunk while partying.

She reckoned that he'd fired all of arrows off the top of the hotel they stayed in. One thing's for sure, they never found the arrows.

Bruce kept himself to himself. As well as the others worrying about him hulking out, he wasn't too sure if he was a nervous flyer or not.

He'd tried to keep away from any enclosed areas for long periods of time since anything could set him off and there'd be no way he'd be able to get off the plane in time.

He'd managed to keep his green self under control but studying Starks' theories of energy usage and how to make Stark tower even more efficient.

He had been intrigued while they were working to stop the Chitauri about Tonys' arc reactor and he had been happy to oblige after the thought of seeing his team mates go down over the North Atlantic Ocean haunted his mind and Furys', but not as much.

Clint and Natasha gave up and went to their separate rooms just as the others now had.

They had all decided that the best way to cure jet lag was to sleep it off.

Just as Thor was getting ready for bed, he heard Jarvis' voice sound off from one of the walls. He found it disconcerting that he could hear his voice but not see a physical person with which to converse with. He never knew which way to look as the voice seemed to come out of the walls and the ceiling.

* * *

"Thor, sir. Fury asks that you come to the conference room immediately. He says its' urgent and concerns Asgard, your father and Loki."

Thor wasted no time changing into his casual clothes and replied, "Tell them I'll be there presently."

With that he hurtled down the corridor back towards the elevators. He punched the necessary button and waited for the doors to open.

When they did he half ran towards the conference room. As he entered, he was greeted with the sight of Fury and Hill talking in hushed voices with their backs to him.

Maria noticed Thor as he entered due to the fact that he almost pulled the door off its' hinges and turned to look at a near by computer screen.

Fury took a step forwards and gestured for Thor to sit down. He ignored this and just gave Fury a blank stare.

"You asked to see me?"

"Yes. We've just had an update from Heimdall. Odin decided to visit Loki wherever he was. He returned shortly afterwards with him in his arms. He's been taken to your healing room back home. So has your father. He collapsed shortly after returning with Loki."

Thor decided to take Furys' advice after all and sat in the nearest seat. He looked at the floor briefly before standing and looking Nick directly in the eye.

"May I go and see them? With my father down, Asgard is unprotected. Midgard is now safe and I feel I must... return home." He seemed flustered like he couldn't explain himself fast enough but gave up after realising that Fury had already made up his mind.

He nodded and gave Thor a small earpiece.

"We wouldn't want to keep you from your family and duty. You may return and help in any way you deem fit. Please take this and contact us when you have any information. Stark managed to get some readings of the portal he went through on Grey Day and managed to boost the signal. All you have to do is push the button."

He pointed to a small red dot on the side of the earpiece and gave Thor a pat on the shoulder.

"Thank you." Thor gave Nick a small nod and turned and left the conference room and took an elevator to the top of Stark tower. Once there he called to Heimdall and was transported to Asgard.

* * *

He arrived in front of Heimdall like he had many times before but this time instead of greeting him in a friendly manner he just ran to the doors of the observatory and jumped on his horse and rode furiously towards the palace.

* * *

_**Sorry for the late update and forgive the sudden change in style. I felt the story needed a push and a change of pace.**_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

In the dark

The ride from the observatory to the palace was a blur to Thor and he only focused on getting as quickly as possible to the healing room.

He had been there many times, both while visiting his friends after battles and for being injured himself.

They never spent more than a few days in there and were fully healed when they came out no matter how bad their wounds had been.

He dismounted his horse just outside the entrance to the palace, bursting through the large golden doors and made hast towards a large corridor off to the side.

He ran at full speed, all the time thinking what could have happened to Loki that Odin would have thought it necessary to bring him back.

He finally reached the doors of the healing room and stopped for a second.

What if Loki was dying? No. He couldn't be. There couldn't have been anything on that island that could have injured him. Odin himself said that he only meant to seclude Loki, not torture him. He would be fine. He would have suffered from dehydration or something. Nothing serious. Couldn't be.

As for Odin, he would just be tired after they disturbed his sleep cycle. He would go into his yearly routine and wake up when he was fully rested.

Loki, however; he couldn't be sure. Telling himself that there couldn't be anyway that he could be injured didn't help a lingering sickness that he felt in his stomach.

He pushed open the large wooden door and walked into the room.

It was dimly lit, with a large bowl of fire near the entrance. Further around the room, torches gave a golden glow to the rest of the room as they hung from the walls.

He noticed a large bed, somewhat like his own with Loki lying in the middle of it.

It would seem that he hadn't been there long because he wounds still weren't covered.

A nurse rounded the corner and gasped slightly as she saw Thor standing at the foot of Lokis' bed.

"Sorry sir. I wasn't told to expect you."

Thor ignored her for a second, taking in Lokis' appearance. The left side of his face was lit up while the other remained in shadow. His face no longer looked healthy and instead seemed pale, gaunt and bruised.

Thor suddenly realised someone had spoken to him and turned to face the nurse. She was dressed in a long white and gold dress with a belt around her waist. Her hair was pulled back and she gently smiled at him as he turned towards her.

"Sorry, I.. I didn't know either, I... How is he?"

The nurse tilted her head and looked at Loki who was still unconscious.

"He's stable now. When he came in here, he was bleeding quite badly from a stomach wound but he had tried to bandage it up himself. The cuts on the rest of his body have just been cleaned and I was about to wrap them."

Thor glanced at her hands and saw that she carried a set of fresh bandages and ointment.

"Is there anything I can do?" His voice was quiet and unsteady as she took a seat beside Lokis' bed.

"Nothing until I've finished but.." She looked up at Thor from her seat and glanced back to Loki.

"He was mumbling something when he came in. It took four of us to make him lie still." She looked up at Thor with sad eyes as she continued. "He was saying your name."

Thor felt his heart clench as he sat opposite the nurse next to Loki and watched as she picked up his left arm and began to bandage it.

They sat in silence for a while until she had finished the entire left side of his body, careful not to tear any of the open gashes, especially the larger ones on his leg.

She moved round to start of his right side and Thor stood up and just looked at his broken brother.

His eyes grew wide as he remembered Odin had also been hurt.

"Where is my father?" He didn't usually refer to Odin as 'father' to anyone else but he was desperate.

"Odin was quickly sent to his chambers. He has entered the Odin sleep."

Thor relaxed his tense shoulders and went to sit down on the left side of his brother as the nurse started to work on the rest of his wounds.

Now that he was paying more attention to what she was doing, he noticed that she rubbed a small amount of ointment from a bottle before dressing it. He must have been staring at it because she looked up at Thor as she tying off a knot.

"The ointment will help the wound heal quicker. It also helps prevent it rubbing, getting infected and scaring."

Thor nodded and moved towards his brother and held his hand, newly wrapped up in a white bandage.

He waited until the nurse was out of earshot before he spoke.

"Loki? Can you hear me?" He looked for any sign of movement, but Loki just laid still.

His face seemed strained even in sleep and his body appeared to be tense.

Thor loosened the grip on his hand and went to leave but just then, Loki made a quiet whining sound.

"Brother? Are you awake?"

Thor sat back down and leaned over Loki slightly to see his eyelids flutter and open.

His once vibrant eyes had lost their shine and had become dull, accentuated by his pale skin and black hair.

"Mmmm. Uhh. Thor." Loki groaned and managed to say his name before he opened his eyes fully and looked at Thor. He tried to sit up, but soon realised his body was too stiff.

"Sshhh. Slowly, don't try and get up. You're home, you're safe."

Thor spoke softly and slowly as Loki gave up trying to prop himself up. His head sank back down and rested on the pillow.

Thor saw the pain in Lokis' eyes as he tried to get comfortable. All he could see was the ceiling but his body was in so much agony that he couldn't focus and all he saw was a vague display of light.

After a few heavy breathes, Lokis' fingers curled around Thors' hand and squeezed. His grip was a lot looser than normal but at least his fingers weren't broken.

Thor glanced at their hands as he smiled and turned back to Loki. He had fallen unconscious again, but instead of a look of agony on his face, his lips were slightly turned up as if he were smiling.

Thor unhooked their hands and walked out of the healing room.

He would have to check up on Odin. He was after all, Asgards' king and his father.

* * *

As he entered Odins' chambers he noticed the room was similarly lit to the healing room. Not too bright but not too dark that you couldn't make out the large golden bed in the centre of the room.

Frigga sat beside Odins' bed, leaning on the golden head board that encased it.

Thor slowly walked towards them and stopped just in front of Frigga.

"They don't know how long he'll be like this. He's put it off for so long now. He knew he'd have to make up the time he'd lost, but he. Well it's your father. He never listens."

She smiled slightly and Thor let a slight smirk grace his face.

"I've seen Loki. They've just dressed his injuries." Thor spoke softly as Frigga moved to hold Odins' hand.

"He woke up for a second." Thor paused and held up his hand and looked at it in the dim light.

"He gripped my hand, he said my name."

Thor dropped his hand back down to his side.

"What happened there?"

Frigga ignored him and just starred at Odin for a second.

"It's your responsibility now." She cleared her throat. "Now that Odin is asleep, and you are of age, you will have to stay here." She looked up at Thor. "Until Odin awakes, Asgard is yours."

Thor didn't say anything, he just looked down at his feet and sighed.

He wasn't ready for this. Even at the best of times, he didn't know enough about running a kingdom. Now that Loki was severely injured he didn't know if his judgment would be affected.

He decided to go to his room and plan his first official day as king.

* * *

All of the avengers had been kept in the dark about why Thor had suddenly gone to Asgard. They all knew things from Norse mythology that could explain why he had taken off but they weren't sure which bits were made up and which tales were true.

Only Fury knew of Loki and Odins' condition and that Thor might not return for a while. He decided he would tell them when Thor updated them using his ear piece that Stark had engineered.

The other avengers had been doing their duties around the city by protecting people, enforcing the law and doing the odd public appearance when buildings and roads were reopened after being torn up during Grey Day.

Bruce had been in his lab most of the time. Since the hulk didn't really do large crowds he had decided he was better off trying to continue his research on gamma rays. It still confused him to the point where his head spun round the room. He thought he'd go and see if Tony needed any help with his work.

Stark had also been keeping his head low. He went into his lab early in the morning and didn't exit until late at night.

Bruce took the elevator down to the basement and walked along the corridor towards Starks' lab. He punched in the key code and opened the door.

He could hear drills and machinery working. The air had a stuffy, warm feeling as if a soldering iron had been used.

He rounded a corner where he heard the scrape of metal from and saw Tony and Adrian working on a large piece of metal together. Elrond kept turning the piece of metal while Stark drilled holes into it along the side.

Bruce just stood there until Adrian noticed him. He called over to Tony and they turned the machines off. As the machines slowed down, Tony and Adrian took their goggles off and stepped towards Bruce.

Bruce craned his neck around to see all the pieces of metal they had worked on piled up in the corner. "You two have been busy. Working on anything special?"

Elrond gave Tony a nervous glance but Tony had already moved to speak. "Bruce, this is Adrian Elrond. He is helping me build a certain something for S.H.I.E.L.D."

Bruce stuck his hand out and shook Elronds' while looking him up and down.

"This special something, do you need any help with it?" He looked back at all the pieces of metal strewn across the tables. "Whatever it is, you certainly seem to need a lot of," He held up the piece of metal they were just working on, "whatever this is."

Elrond looked worryingly at Stark. He didn't think that they should tell anyone else about this, since it was after all meant to be a secret.

Tony caught his expression and said, "It's fine. I'm pretty sure if Fury didn't want anyone else to know, I wouldn't have been told and we wouldn't have brought you in."

He spoke to Bruce. "I can sometimes let things slip and they always seem to be important, serious things. Huh." He laughed a bit to himself then walked around the room.

He brought up several 3D images in front of the three of them and opened a file containing all the equations he had received from Odin.

"This is what Fury bargained for. As a punishment for what Loki did, Odin agreed to help us defend ourselves." He shifted through the designs and schematics he had come up with as Bruce gazed in wonder.

"What exactly does it do?' He looked between Stark and Elrond before Adrian answered.

"It is a means to detect any hostiles in space as well as detecting any unusual readings on or around the Earth. It can read every kind of radiation, unusual weather patterns etc and if we add these little bits on," he pointed towards a design Tony almost waved past, "we can detect anything within 100 billion miles."

Bruce raised his eyebrows in amazement and looked through a bunch of papers on Starks' desk.

"We wouldn't say no to help." Stark cut in, while turning the monitor to standby. "We're just creating this one by hand on a small scale so we can show Fury and get permission to build the proper ones that will be placed in orbit. I've gone over the electronic components and have bought all the necessary cables and logic boards so we just have to assemble it then test the system to see if it can do what Odin says it can."

"How close are you to completing it?"

Banner faced Stark, completely ignoring Elronds' presence. He couldn't quite work out why he felt uneasy but Bruce had never felt comfortable around new people in case the other guy made an appearance.

"Stark hasn't started yet, but since we've just completed the last panel, we should be able to start assembling it today. We could have to finished by tomorrow afternoon if you'd care to lend a hand."

Bruce didn't quite like his tone but he suspected he meant no disrespect and stepped forward and shook Adrians' hand again.

"I'd be glad to." He looked at Elrond and noticed that his eyes were a dark green. They stood out and looked quite menacing behind his glasses. That reminded him.

"I haven't brought my glasses. If you two want to start I'll be back in a few minutes."

Elrond and Stark nodded towards Banner as he left the lab and proceeded to collect up all the metal pieces and put them in order on the main desk.

* * *

Bruce entered his own apartment in Stark tower and went to his bedroom. He'd left his glasses in his room because he hadn't expected to be doing anything apart from sitting in his lab waiting for an epiphany that never came.

He walked over to the bed and sat down near the bedside drawer and opened it. He had just picked up his glasses when he suddenly felt faint. He laid his head against the pillow until he felt the dizziness past.

He soon fell asleep clutching his glasses.

* * *

20 minutes later and his cell phone began to ring. It woke him up and he nearly crushed his glasses as he sat up.

"Bruce? You alright? Did you find your glasses?" Starks' voice sounded clearly through the phone but Bruce still felt slightly dazed.

He sat up straight and rubbed his forehead with his hand.

"Yeah, I eh. I felt a bit uneasy. I think I'll sit this one out."

"Alright, leave us to have all the fun."

He hung up and turned the phone off and put it next to his glasses on the table, then got comfy on the bed and went to sleep.

* * *

Thor sat on the throne room with Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg and Sif standing before him.

He wanted them to be the first to know, at least what he knew.

He cleared his throat. "I am now king." He said it mostly to himself but the others looked up. "Odin is resting, for how long we do not know and I am now Asgards' king.

The others stared at Thor then at each other. They'd all heard what had happened. News travelled fast especially when it involved the royal family.

"My king," Sif began, "what of Loki? We heard he was injured?"

"I have only seen him once since father returned with him. He was not well. His arm was... His whole body was battered and bruised. Something must have attacked him. As of yet, we do not know what."

He looked back at his hand that Loki had grabbed. He didn't feel right sitting upon a throne, knowing that his brother could die.

He remembered when he was in Banners' cage, Loki had asked to test Thors' immortality. Not really a question, more of a threat.

They weren't immortal but they were more resilient than humans against injuries, infections and diseases. He always thought Loki was genuinely curious as to how far he could go until Thor would die, but now he felt like it was his way of letting Thor go without admitting to it. He still saw good within his brother.

Loki could die, and knowing that he wasn't there with him, made his heart heavy as he sat upon his fathers' throne.

Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg and Sif all bowed and left. They understood that Thor was upset. He had never been in such a situation before. His father unconscious, his mother worried, his brother mere inches from death and on top of that, he now had the whole of Asgard to protect.

If he couldn't even protect his own brother from harm, how was he supposed to defend the whole of Asgard?

* * *

Just as the warriors three and Sif had exited, a guard came running up to Thor.

He immediately stood up, fearing the worst as the guard reached Thors' feet and bowed.

"My king, your brother has awoken. He is asking for you."

Thor couldn't move fast enough. He sprinted down the steps and clapped the guard on the shoulder.

"Thank you." He managed to say before he bolted out of the door and towards the healing room.

* * *

He burst through the door and ran to his bed.

He was expecting his brother to be lying down, still unable to move so he was surprised to see him propped up with a dozen pillows behind his back.

Loki smiled weakly as he gestured to the seat next to him.

Thor sat down and looked at Loki in disbelief.

"How? You were," he looked at his arm and noticed the bandages were still there, "dying, you just..."

"I'm better. I believe your little Midgardian friends would say I am 'out of the woods'."

He gave his brother a sly grin as Thor got the joke.

"That isn't funny. That place almost killed you."

Loki dropped his head as he clenched his toes under the covers.

"No Thor. I almost killed me."

"I am confused. Why did you..." He picked up Lokis' hand and looked at the scratches that appeared to be healing already.

"I remember doing it but not vividly. It was like looking down at myself while it happened. I felt it, my arms bleeding and my fingers pulling at the flesh, but I still somehow felt numb to it."

Thor continued to look puzzled as he rested his hand back onto the bed.

"I think someone was controlling me. I did feel some kind of force just before but I cannot be sure. That place is nothing but shadows and silent screams left unheard. Truly chilling."

Thor moved his chair nearer to Loki as he realised some colour had returned to his cheeks.

"Do you remember father?"

"He was there. I don't recall it well but I remember he found me."

He paused looking at his feet but totally unfocused on them.

"I was scared of him, that place played tricks with your mind. I vaguely remember saying something to him and then the next thing I remember is being cleaned up here."

He looked up at Thor with big, sad eyes.

"All I could think about was you. I couldn't think of anyone else but you."

He would have felt ridiculous saying it a few weeks ago but now he felt like there was a weight off his chest. He relaxed his shoulders and his breathing grew softer.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to sleep for a bit. The nurse says I can be up and about in a few hours. They just need to heal the rest of my wounds."

Thor stood up and gave Loki a pat on the shoulder; the only area he didn't seem to be bruised.

"Very well. See you later. By the way, I'm king now so I order you to stay here until you're fully recuperated."

He gave his brother a cheeky smile as he left and turned just before he reached the door to hear Loki say quietly, "Of course, my king."

* * *

Malekith sat on his throne with an evil grin on one side of his face. He was pleased with something, that was clear.

He chuckled a bit to himself as he looked at his guards on either side of him.

His guards had been there the entire time, seen that he hadn't moved and just assumed he was thinking to himself. It's all he ever seemed to do; sit there and think.

Malekith faced the front again over the bridge and closed his eyes, the smirk returning to his face as he threw his head back.

"Something special. Mmmmmm. We'll see."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Things are set to really kick off soon.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

To the man who only has a hammer

Since Thor had unexpectedly taken the throne, he had not yet been given an adviser; someone to oversee all his major decisions and to help guide him through negotiations and such alike.

He had chosen Heimdall to be his temporary adviser since he knew he could trust him just as his father did. His was wise but never used his intelligence for greed or want. Instead he obeyed his king and only took action when necessary.

Thors' biggest concern now was Loki. Even though he had served his sentence to Jotunheim by not returning, he hadn't really spent enough time on the isle of silence. Sure he had seen his past undoings and realised he was wrong but he hadn't been away from Asgard long enough to know how it felt to be loved; to be missed.

Something, still unknown had happened to Loki, Thor couldn't send him back there.

Thor was troubled by all this in addition to his new responsibilities as king. He felt he needed Heimdall to help him put all his bad memories to rest so he summoned him to the throne room.

Shortly afterwards Heimdall was bowing to him as Thor sat upon his golden throne.

Thor didn't feel right talking to down to people yet so he walked down the steps of the throne so he was eye level with Heimdall.

"I need some counsel, concerning Loki." Heimdall stood there, motionless, emotionless.

"I feel he needs to learn that he is loved, that people care. I know he realises this more now, but I cannot help but feel like he doesn't understand how I felt, how we all felt."

Heimdall shifted his feet and looked down while he took a deep breath then looked Thor straight in the eye.

"To know that he is loved, he must understand its' counterpart, hate. To understand what it feels like to be loved, he must be loathed. I know that many of us," he paused, "disliked him for what he did, but as his family and friends, we could never truly detest him."

"What do you suggest?"

"The Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D certainly never trusted him, they truly hated Loki. They had good reason to, he tried to destroy their city and rule Midgard." He spoke slowly and clearly to Thor as his voice deepened. "Send him there to live amongst them and he will be able to see that he is loved."

Thor considered his advice for a second while his mind battled with itself.

Sending Loki to live amongst them would surely not bode well, for either party. But his theory might work. To feel privileged you have to at one point not been so fortunate. To know what it is like to be loved no matter what, you must feel what is like to be unwanted, hated.

"I agree, but do you think it wise to send him as he is?"

"I do not understand." Heimdall looked puzzled as Thor started to pace.

"He is unwell, better but still not fit; if he gets angry at them he could destroy them all with a thought. Whenever he was ill as a child, he had trouble controlling his magic. I'd hate to think what he could do accidentally to them as an adult. Or not so accidentally."

"Odin has already taken his powers from him. He will live among them as one of them. If anything, this will teach him that he is fortunate. When he returns you can return them to him and give Loki the affection a brother deserves."

Thor stopped pacing and looked at Heimdall with a blank expression. He was right.

"Very well, bring Loki here and bare witness. I will do this myself then you can take Loki to the observatory where you will send him to Midgard."

Heimdall bowed again and headed for the large set of doors that led to the healing room.

* * *

Loki entered the throne room with Heimdall close behind. He had recovered well enough to walk about unaided but still couldn't exert himself.

He walked towards Thor who was standing in front of the throne with his hands behind his back, looking very serious and important; something his brother never seemed to be.

"Loki, I find it necessary to carry on your punishment. Not in the same way as our father chose but in a new manner. Since Odin wanted you to realise your mistakes by yourself, I will continue to follow in his footsteps; you will have to discover for yourself why I am doing this, but trust me when I tell you, that it is for your own good."

Thor looked at Loki like he was giving him the most important speech in his life, like nothing else mattered. Loki simply nodded and continued to look at Thor.

He was not scared of his brother, nor did he feel like now was a time for jests and celebration. He stayed still as Thor walked towards him.

"There is another side to this. I am sending you somewhere unlike here, where you are not trusted, a criminal, unimportant. As well as this, I will send you there as one of them. I will present them to you as an equal. Not a prince, not a warrior, not a sorcerer or trickster, but as my brother, a simple man, as a mortal man."

Thor closed the gap between them as he told Loki of his plan; his voice growing lower as he got closer.

"Do you have anything to say to me before you leave?"

Loki stepped even closer to Thor so they were mere inches apart.

"Just know this. I always loved you, I always will," he hugged Thor and whispered in his ear, "no matter what happens, we are still brothers, I realise that now."

They let go of each other and smiled slightly. Thor put his arm around Loki as they began to walk towards the Bifrost, Heimdall again following close behind.

"By the way, where is it I am headed?" Loki asked in an innocent sounding voice as they walked side by side.

"Somewhere where you are hated, mistrusted and seen as arrogant? Could there be anywhere else?"

Thor kept looking forwards while he waited for Loki to understand where he was going. Lokis' head suddenly jerked towards Thor as his eyes blew wide.

He raised his eyebrows and said, "Not.." Thor cut him off before he could say anything else. "Midgard. Have fun with the Avengers."

Lokis' expression turned from confusion to a blank page in a seconds. This wasn't punishment, this was humiliation. Thors' idea of a practical joke.

* * *

Thor couldn't escort from all the way to the Bifrost so he said his farewells at the golden gates and let Heimdall attend Loki.

Loki said nothing as he took his place standing in front of the portal and waited to be pulled through. Nothing. He turned his head slightly towards Heimdall.

Heimdall said, "I am sending you to where you and Thor departed from. It holds the strongest connection near where the Avengers live. They currently reside at Stark Tower.

I am sure you can find your way there, and if not, all you have to do is call and I will show you the way."

Loki turned his head back towards the portal and was pulled through in an explosion of colour.

* * *

He landed, somewhat smoothly on his feet. It was indeed where he and Thor had left for Asgard but it seemed quiet. As Loki steadied himself he realised it was dark and therefore no one was around to see him arrive.

It dawned on him that if he was recognised it wouldn't bode well on his part. He was mortal now after all with no way to defend himself. He concluded that it would be best to get to Stark Tower before anyone realised who he was.

He saw a dimly lit street heading towards what looked like the centre of New York City.

He looked at the damage that had been caused and the repairs that had already been started. He'd never really thought about what they would be going through to fix their broken city while he was alone. It seemed Odins' plan was working after all. He was seeing what is was like to be on the receiving end of one of his catastrophes and just what consequences his actions had.

As he neared the centre of the city he recognised certain streets he had flown over and remembered the rough direction towards Stark Tower.

What would they think of him? He didn't have any business here as far as they were concerned. He wasn't even sure he could convince them that he wasn't there to cause chaos again. The only thing he had to show them that he wasn't a threat was the fact that he didn't have his powers anymore. No spells or incantations to hide behind and no armor or his little stick of destiny to protect himself with.

As he walked past his reflection in a shop window, he noticed he wasn't wearing his normal garb. He stopped to look at his himself. The light was still low but he could see his outline very clearly. He looked down to see what exactly he was wearing.

He wasn't wearing what he had worn when he'd visited Thor back when he was banished. He didn't look so regal and elegant. Instead he wore a simple pair of black jeans and a dark green hoodie. His shoes were a pair of leather lace up boots. He really didn't look menacing in his current get up.

It started to drizzle so he decided to keep going. The streets looked different at night and since some of the lights weren't working, he couldn't see the street names or recognise any landmarks that weren't lit up. Luckily he saw the bright blue lights of Stark Tower. Of course Stark would have fixed his place up by now. It had been 2 weeks since his little ruckus with the avengers and already Tony had his place almost back to new.

He walked towards the building, picking up the pace as it started to rain. The streets were relatively empty of both people and vehicles, of which he was pleased. MIdgardian transportation seemed confusing and inefficient. He found his magic to be a much more effective and quicker way of getting about. Of course this was one thing he didn't have anymore so he would just have to put up with walking.

He neared the entrance to Stark Tower and peered inside through the glass walls. He could make out a large desk in the centre with receptionists typing away at their computers, completely ignoring the drenched man staring in.

He looked down at himself. His clothes were now soaked and his hair was slick with water. This would certainly be an unusual entrance; powerless, defenseless and soaked to the skin. He decided nothing could be done to make himself look any better so he decided to act as confident as he always had.

He walked through the glass doors and headed straight for the desk. Of the two receptionists on duty, he walked towards the woman. She would probably be easier to convince to listen to him since the man looked positively menacing just sitting there.

He reached the desk and put him arms gently on the side.

The woman gazed up from her monitor and looked him up and down.

"May I help with, sir?" Her voice seemed to mock him slightly. He knew that he didn't exactly look important but looks weren't everything right now.

"Yes. I wish to see Mr Stark."

"It's rather late. Is he expecting you?"

"No but my arrival was not planned until an hour ago."

"I'm afraid if you don't have an appointment, you'll have to come back in the morning..."

Loki held up his hand to complain until her expression changed as her face was drawn to her screen. She scanned through the information on the monitor then turned back to Loki.

"My apologies, sir. Mr Stark has just checked you in himself. Go up to his floor using that elevator." She pointed to the one on the back wall as opposed to the others lining the side walls.

He walked round the desk and then entered the lift. He looked at the buttons for a second then heard the woman call out, "Level 33."

He waved at her slightly without smiling and pressed the button. The lift doors closed and the elevator began to rise.

He began to think of a way to explain himself. Obviously Stark had seen him somehow; on his security system he supposed. Midgardian technology was also a large grey area for him.

Stark can't already know that Loki doesn't have his powers, so why is he welcoming him into his home? Unless he's just that arrogant and sure of himself. Granted Loki didn't look as impressive as he had when he'd thrown him out the window, but he could just as easily do it again in his current form.

He had just decided on not introducing himself by strangling Stark when the lift abruptly stopped at level 30.

"Blasted contraption." Loki muttered as he pressed the button again. Nothing happened. Then suddenly a small screen lit up next to the set of buttons and Starks' face appeared on the screen.

Loki looked slightly shocked as he craned his neck forward to get a better look at it before Tony spoke.

"Not that I don't enjoy a surprise party but I never had you down as the party type." Starks' tone was cocky and full of playfulness.

Loki had to think twice against snapping at Tony right there. Instead he calmly said, "I have no idea what you are on about. I have come to speak to you and the rest of the avengers."

"Come here to slaughter us more like. Why should I let you up exactly?"

Loki took no time hesitating. "Because I am powerless. I have no way of killing you, unless it is with my bare hands and I hate to get my hands dirty."

Loki saw Tonys' eyes narrow as he left the screen. He heard him mumbling something to his computer but couldn't make it out.

"What are his readings? Is there any kind of energy around him?"

"Nothing." Jarvis replied. "He does not appear to have weapons of any kind. And there is something else sir."

"What has he done now?"

"He seems human. He could be fooling the scanners, but according to what Thor said, his energy is too great to mask it completely. And he's showing up clean."

Tony bit his nails slightly. He'd wanted to talk to Loki before. He seemed much like himself apart from the whole, invading ambition, but he just oozed intelligence. He couldn't pass up an opportunity like this even if there was a slight chance he would murder him.

He slipped on his bracelets for the mark VII iron man suit; just incase Loki threw him out the window again.

"Bring him up, but don't open the doors until I say so."

"Yes, sir."

Stark cut the feed to the lift but kept Lokis' line open so he could see and hear everything he said and did. He moved towards the lift and waited for the light to appear above it.

It didn't take long before it made the satisfying 'bing' sound and Tony could almost smell him.

"Stark? The doors aren't opening. Is this your doing?" Loki voice went from confused to annoyed as he realised Tony still didn't trust him.

"I am harmless. Honestly."

Tony laughed and opened the feed again. "Honestly? You, the god of lies, treachery and deceit expect me to believe honestly?"

They waited in silence for a second before Loki said, "Do you think I could have escaped Asgards' idea of prison without help?" He hesitated. "Thor sent me."

Tony paused and waited for Loki to continue.

"Something happened while I was otherwise occupied." He couldn't tell Stark he'd faulted after just 1 week. "Our father has entered his period of rest and Thor is now king. He wanted to continue my... punishment by sending me here."

Tony again narrowed his eyes as he considered this.

"Why would Thor send you here when he knows you would kill us on sight? It's clear you don't have the little stick of destiny or the tesseract but with your magic and little tricks you could still do some damage. I'll admit Thor isn't the brightest spark but even he wouldn't send you here after what you did."

Loki grinned slightly as he heard Stark put down his brothers' intelligence. He was right after all.

"Of course not. That is why he has made me mortal. One of you in every aspect."

Stark muted his end so Loki couldn't hear him and spoke to Jarvis. "Are you sure he isn't giving off any unusual readings? What are his vital signs?"

Jarvis paused a minute while he ran his scans. "When Loki was here before, his readings were abnormal for humanoid life forms. They were different to that of Thor because of their heritage but now he seems as human as you sir."

Tony raised his head and looked at the lift doors. "Open them."

The lift doors slid aside to reveal Loki standing up right in his soaked outfit. His face suddenly scrunched up and his eyes narrowed. He sneezed.

"Bless you." Tony looked on amused. He didn't know gods were susceptible to the elements, especially a frost giant.

"I don't... What?" Loki looked confused as he sniffed and walked into the apartment.

"You just sneezed. It's what we do when we have a cold. You never had the sniffles before?" Tony put on a baby voice for the last sentence and Loki tensed up as he stared at him.

"No. We usually are more, achoo, our immune systems are stronger than yours, but now, achoo; can I have something for this?" He gestured to his nose that wouldn't stop running now. Tony held back a smirk as he tossed him a box of tissues.

"Napkins? What am I supposed to do with these?"

"You blow into them through your nose. Trust me it helps. I'll get you a lemsip or something as well." He walked over to the kettle laughing quietly to himself while Loki tried to find out how tissues worked.

Loki sat down at the bar while Tony mixed his drink. He went through 3 tissues before scrunching them up on the table. Tony set down Lokis' drink next to him and pointed at the tissues. "Put those in the trash please, I don't want to get god germs."

Loki picked them up and threw them in the bin. He held up the mug in both hands and sniffed it. His sense of smell had diminished, partly because he was now mortal and all his senses were now weaker, but also because his nose was blocked up.

"This smells... unfamiliar. What is it?"

"Lemsip." He looked at the packaging before he threw it in the bin. "Lemon flavour. Trust me, it doesn't taste any better but it does the job. Just get it down ya."

Loki gave Tony a skeptical look before sipping at his beverage. He was right, it didn't taste nice but he felt his sinuses ease as he drank.

Tony poured himself a scotch and sat opposite him. He found it mildly amusing that 2 weeks ago he was threatening him and now he was serving him cold remedies.

He set his drink on the table as Loki took another sip of his.

"So what does Thor think we can do for you? Evidently you've changed somewhat."

Loki stared at him over the rim of his mug and set it back down.

"To hate me and to remind me of my past self I assume."

Tony looked a little taken aback at this.

"What? I... What?"

"At least that is all I can imagine he would want." Stark leaned in as he continued.

"Part of the punishment is that I find out for myself what he wants me to see. The first punishment from Odin was to notice that my actions here and elsewhere were wrong. I would have discovered the other half if I had stayed there longer."

He trailed off deliberately and Tony picked up on his sudden, abrupt stop.

"If it was working, why did you leave?"

Loki took another sip of his drink while he thought it through. He wasn't entirely sure what had happened himself, so it would be hard to tell the truth, let alone lie.

"Something happened there."

Stark cut him off. "There?"

"I was sent to live in seclusion from society, a place where what we all take for granted is ripped from reality."

"What is that supposed to mean? I swear both you and Thor talk in riddles."

Loki lowered his voice as he looked at his mug. "There was no sound, no colour. Everything was blank, empty."

Tony raised his eyebrows slightly at he took a swig of his drink.

"All I remember is seeing something; something that I'm not even certain was truly there. Then I remember my father finding me and taking me home."

Tony narrowed his eyes slightly. "Your father? You're calling him that now? You made it pretty clear last time that you were no ones son or brother. What changed?"

"Everything." Loki paused as he finished his drink and pushed it to one side. "When alone with only your thoughts, you think stuff that never occurred to you. Not when everything else was so loud it blocked out part of reality." His concentration had moved to the kettle, as he gazed at it out of focus. "I was there for about 8 days before I returned home. Now I am here."

He shifted his eyes to Tony as Stark finished his scotch and moved to put the glass in the sink.

"What do you think of me now?"

This caught Tony slightly off guard and he almost dropped his glass. "Of you? Ehhh." He looked him up and down to try and think of something. "Your tailor seems to know what suits you. Hair's still long and you look a bit peaky. Oh yeah and the cold."

"You know what I mean. Thor has sent me here until I learn something. For this to work I need to know what you think of me, truthfully."

Tony approached the table and laid his hands shoulder length apart on it looking directly at Loki.

"Truthfully? I think I need another drink for truthfully." Instead of pouring himself more booze, he sat back down and twiddled his thumbs.

"You seem different. You still seem a little like your old self, but I don't see the god who threw me out the window." He tilted his head to one side and looked at Loki again.

"But you still don't look like a man to me." He got up and boiled the kettle again.

"I think I will take some of the advice you gave me a while back."

Loki looked up as he straightened his back.

"Oh yes? And what would that be?"

Tony turned his head slightly as the kettle began to hiss.

He grinned and said, "I'm going to appeal to your humanity."

* * *

**To the man who only has a hammer, everything he encounters begins to look like a nail.**

—**Abraham Maslow - Just in case any of you thought I could actually come up with such a title.**

**Garb means clothing basically but usually refers to a special type of clothing.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Took me an absolute age to write, but well worth it I hope.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Mythical Heroes

Loki and Tony sipped their drinks in silence. They didn't look at each other until Loki stood up.

"I know this is most unusual and peculiar, but this is what Thor wants. This is what Asgard wants. The quicker I settle in and find a purpose, the quicker I can return home, which believe me is in my best interest as well as yours."

Tony emptied his glass as he stood up and mirrored Loki with his posture, which was hard to do considering that fact that Tony was a good 6 inches shorter than him.

He looked him up and down and noticed that his clothes, although they were dry now, had been soaked earlier and had crinkled and looked untidy and unkept.

"We'll have to find you some new clothes first. My stuff definitely won't fit, and everything's shut so I'll have to sneak some of Steves' stuff past him for now.'

Lokis' lips curled. "Look at that, I've turned you into a criminal."

"Just for tonight. I'll order you some casual items including underwear and other things but they won't arrive until tomorrow. If you stay in that," he gestured at his current get up, "your cold will only get worse."

Loki tilted his head to the side while Tony made his way to the door.

Stark turned around just as he touched the handle. "Don't go anywhere. Don't leave this room. If the others find you before I get a chance to warm them up to the idea of a murderer in the house, they'll probably try and kill you on sight."

"I don't doubt they would, and since I have no way to defend myself, they probably could."

He smiled at Tony while Starks' expression remained serious. Loki put his hands up and walked over to put his drink in the sink. "Fine, yes. I won't leave."

Tony released his stare from Loki and walked out the door, asking Jarvis to lock it, just in case.

* * *

Luckily for Tony, Steve had been in the gym while he snuck into his room. He went straight for his suitcase hidden under the bed. It contained the clothing Steve had brought on holiday. The man never really had any use for holiday gear so he wouldn't miss it.

For some reason Steve had it cleaned and then put it back in the suitcase. This didn't bother Tony, it just meant that he could take it all down in one go and not handle all of Steves' stuff.

He unlocked the door to his apartment and walked in, dragging the suitcase behind him. As the door automatically closed shut, he noticed Loki wasn't in the open room.

Tony scanned the room, looking for anything that had moved. Nothing had.

He was about to put Lokis' visit down as a hallucination before he heard a noise from the bathroom. It sounded like a tap running.

Tony breathed out a sigh of relied. Of course; he had needs. Tony and the other avengers all had their own theories on what Thor or Loki didn't need to do such as eating, drinking, sleeping, but it turned out they did all of that. They just weren't as independent on it as much as humans. But now that Loki was mortal, he would need to do things the hard way.

Loki opened the bathroom door and stopped when he saw Tony slightly gapping at him.

Tony had only been gone for 20 minutes or so but in that time Loki had figured out how the shower worked.

Loki went to open his mouth before Tony said, "I'm just glad you found the towels."

Loki blushed slightly as he rubbed away a drop of water on his forehead and walked up the dining table where Tony had set the suitcase down.

"These are all Steves' thing but they're designed for warmer weather so I don't know," he trailed off as he held up a pair of bright blue swimming trunks, "how suitable they'll be."

He smirked as he dug through Steves' suitcase, handing item after item to Loki and saw him throw them into a pile on the floor. As Tony neared the bottom of the suitcase he lifted out a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, evidently for working out; Steve was always working out, even when on leave.

"They'll do." Loki snatched them up and held them against himself checking the length. The length was fine but the measurements were slightly too big since Steve was rather buff and Loki just wasn't; more lanky god than body god.

Loki watched as Stark put all the clothes untidily back in the suitcase and zipped it up. He hesitated to ask. "Do you have any under garments?" He felt himself go slightly soft as he felt Stark coming up with a way to make fun of him.

Tony held back a grin as he replied, "Yeah. I guess Steve likes to keep his pants separate, since there's none in here. I'll fetch you a pair." He reached his bedroom doorframe before he leaned against it and turned back. "Boxers or briefs?"

* * *

Loki exited the bathroom, now sporting an oversized white t-shirt and grey sweat pants while walking gingerly since Tonys' underwear was a little too snug. Should have chosen boxers.

He walked towards Stark who was sitting at the bar after pouring himself another drink.

"How's your cold fairing up?" He didn't seem to be concentrating on Loki, more on his own thoughts.

"Better. My nose still feels sore and my eyes water occasionally. Other than that and a couple of other things I am perfectly alright."

Tony lifted his head. "Other things? That reminds me, why did Odin have to bring you back."

Loki looked annoyed and looked out the window before Tony snapped. "Look if you want the avengers to trust you, you're going to need to start sharing information here."

Loki sighed and sat down opposite Stark and he fumbled with the tissue box.

"I honestly don't know." Tony gave him a judging glare. "It's the truth. I thought I kept seeing something out the corner of my eye. That was early on but after that... everything is a blur until I returned home." He looked at Tony who had the look of a child listening to a story before bed. He continued. "Next thing I remember is waking up in the healing room in Asgard. My wounds were washed and bandaged and I remember Thor coming to visit me. Everything else you know."

Loki went back to staring out the window at the city, while Tonys' eyes fell down over his arms. There hadn't been anything to catch his eye before but now that he looked closer, he could see the slight discolouration where his scars were. He went to reach out to Loki before he thought better of it.

"How come they've healed so quickly?"

Loki quickly glanced at Tony who was obviously staring at his arms and he moved them under the table and looked down. He wasn't ashamed, but at the same time not proud of them. Odins' punishment wasn't meant to leave any visible scars, only mental ones. He didn't want people to know that as well as the painful memory of what he had done, he also had scars to match his feelings inside.

Tony felt slightly bad for making Loki vent like that. They stayed in silence for a while before Tony got up.

"Right, you shared, now it's time to meet the team." Lokis' head rose slightly and Tony realised his eyes were glistening with tears. He rubbed his face before he looked at Tony, puzzled.

"I think its' best to introduce them to you one at a time. Not that you haven't met them before but this time we'll shake hands, not fight with them." He saw a slight grin appear on Lokis' face and that was good enough for him.

"Ok. I think we'll start with an unknown first. Not technically an avenger but someone who is helping S.H.I.E.L.D and me and therefore is important." He gestured with his hand that made Loki think that he didn't really mean what he was saying, but he decided to go with it for now.

Loki stood up and tried to make his casual get up look a bit more presentable. He failed.

Stark called to his AI. "Jarvis, call Elrond and tell him to come to my apartment immediately. Inform him not to bring anyone else," he paused, "unless Banner's there then let him up too."

Loki stiffened at the mention of Banners' name. Even though it hadn't been him that had body slammed him on the ground, several times, he still felt anger towards Bruce for the humiliation the hulk had caused him. Hopefully no one had been there to witness it, but he would bet anything that Tony had footage of him getting smashed into the floor repeatedly.

Tony saw the tension on Lokis' face and smiled to himself. "Don't worry, we'll tell him you're not a threat and he's been keeping the big green rage monster under control rather well lately."

Lokis' expression lightened as he waited with Tony for a reply.

"Sir, Elrond and Banner are coming up now. They should be here within 2 minutes."

"Right, rules. Don't try and set off either of them. I don't think Adrian knows your face but he certainly knows your name. And don't even think of trying anything with Banner. If not for your own safety then at least think of my apartment; I just had it redecorated."

Loki rolled his eyes at Starks' comment. His concerns were true about Lokis' safety but he felt that Tony felt more passionate about keeping his place spotless.

"Don't speak until I've giving them the low down, which I'm going to have to improvise I think." He scratched his head while he went through it in his head. He glanced at his watch then walked towards the elevator. Loki followed and stood a couple of feet behind him.

"And very importantly, don't act smart."

Loki raised his eyebrows at Stark but Tony ignored him as the elevator pinged and the doors opened.

* * *

Bruce and Elrond were deep in conversation and hardly noticed Tony let alone Loki standing in front of the elevator. They stopped as soon as they saw Loki in his oversized clothing.

"Stark? Why did you call us? You are aware there's a mass murdering demi-god in your apartment don't you?"

Elronds' expression went from calm and relaxed to alert and tense in a second while he looked at Loki. He didn't appear to be very threatening but then again, Tony in his pajamas didn't exactly seem like a rocket scientist so he copied Bruces' stance and stayed in the lift.

"Yes I'm well aware who he is but as you can see," he pointed to Loki who was holding his trousers up at the back, "he isn't exactly ready for battle."

"He could be lying. Tony, he's the god of bloody mischief, why would he tell the truth?"

Loki stepped forward but stopped when he saw Bruce tense up and back further into the lift.

"Why does everyone assume I am always lying?"

"Uh, because your title is pretty much self explanatory." Bruce felt more confident and walked out the elevator with Elrond close behind.

"Your idea of my past life is based on half truths. Your Norse mythology is based on fact but over the centuries it has become twisted. I have a heart too you know."

Loki looked down at his bare feet and shuffled his feet. Tony hadn't given him socks and his toes were beginning to feel numb.

Tony, who had been looking between the both of them while they argued looked up at the ceiling and said, "Oooh, don't say that to Barton. He might just ram an arrow where the sun don't shine."

Loki looked up at Tony and shook his head. He didn't understand that reference.

"Ok, so maybe our account on you isn't 100% true but you did try to rule us all. Deny it, I dare you."

Loki loosened his shoulders and put his hands up towards Banner as if he was surrendering.

"I do not deny it, and I am sorry for the damage I caused. Please let me explain why I'm here."

Bruce raised his eyebrows but followed the rest of them to the table and they all sat down, Tony sitting near Loki while Elrond and Banner took the opposite side.

* * *

Bruce balanced his chin on his hand while Elrond tried not to stare at Loki. Tony had gotten up and poured himself another drink.

Bruce looked up, head still in hand. "So, you're human?"

Loki twisted his lips. "Not exactly the term I would use but yes, mortal."

Bruce raised his eyebrows, widened his eyes and sat up. "So what do you expect us to do with you?"

"As I explained to Tony, I'm uncertain. But when Thor was banished to Earth, he mingled with people and found himself through living amongst them as one of you. I suppose he means for me to do the same here."

"Banner closed his eyes as Elrond went to speak. "You're intelligent, yes? You obviously have a certain amount of knowledge about magic and sorts."

Loki looked skeptically at Elrond. "Yes."

Elrond glanced at Bruce and then back to Loki, as if he was missing where he was going. "Well Odin sent us some schematics but since your culture is based on forces we do not understand, we're having trouble deciphering some of the more complicated calculations. I suppose if Thor helped wherever he landed using his past knowledge, you could use yours and chip in here."

"That seems logical. I still remember all the theory but its' just that I don't have the energy to conjure anything anymore."

Loki looked up to Tony as he came and sat back down.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt." He glanced at his watch and was slightly alarmed by the time.

"I would suggest we go down to the lab now, but it's 1 in the morning and I've got another public appearance at noon."

He drained his glass and set it in the sink then turned to the others as they were getting up.

"For the mean time I think it's best we don't tell anyone else. It might get back to Fury and he doesn't take unexpected guests lightly." The rest of them nodded and Bruce and Elrond headed for the door leading to the corridor.

"We'll have to inform the others sooner or later, preferably earlier otherwise they might think we're under his spell again." Bruce opened the door as Elrond walked through and left the others.

Tony took off his mark VII bracelets and put them back in a drawer while Lokis' back was turned.

"I agree. I'll inform the rest of them, not including Fury tomorrow after I've finished my business in town."

Bruce nodded and left leaving Loki and Tony in the apartment.

Tony clapped his hands together loudly.

"Right, there's a spare room next to mine with all the necessary nick knacks."

Loki looked a little confused but walked towards the door and opened it.

"I'll be gone by about 10, so if you wake up and I'm not here, don't leave the apartment and don't open the door unless Jarvis says it's either Bruce or Adrian."

Loki tilted his head as he entered his room. He was about to close the door before he poked his head round the door and looked at Tony.

"Don't think I didn't notice those silver bands Tony."

Tonys' mouth gaped open for a second before Loki continued. "I find it flattering that you still think me a threat even without my powers." He smirked and left Tony red as he went into his own room.

* * *

Malekith paced in front of his throne. He was anything but patient.

Earlier in the day he had sent out messengers to Jotunheim and hadn't heard from them since.

He'd been slightly anxious ever since he'd heard about the Jotuns helping Midgard and he had been thinking of a way to uncover what they were up to. He'd never trusted the other realms. Unless he was in command, anything the others did, he saw it as a threat and one that either had to be destroyed or conquered.

He'd not too long ago tried to take over a world to which no one else was aware of. He'd failed but at least his pride wasn't tarnished.

The only reason he'd been able to take over Svartalfheim was because he assassinated their predecessor. He'd shown that he was a better leader, since Svartalfheim had before been seen as a place of intelligent but weak people.

The elves tended not to use their intelligence to better their own lives as much as they did for the other worlds. They had more pride in their work than in the amount of power they had. Malekith had been one of the few who thought things needed to change.

His ambition had not stopped at Svartalfheim, it never had. His paranoia only worsened after he became their ruler. Since anyone could become king after his death, he concentrated on making himself as invincible as possible and making sure he knew the minds of everyone around him.

He would infiltrate a persons body and mind while they were still awake. They would still see everything that he could see, as he used their body as a vessel for his own mind. Through their eyes he could control their actions and words while he uncovered what people really thought of him. Unfortunately, he couldn't read the mind of the person unless he physically touched them; this made it difficult to get the truth out of people. But if he inhabited someone who was trusted and asked a question, he invariably got the truth out of them.

After he left the persons' mind, they would still remember everything they done and said but they would usually feel unsteady for a while for no apparent reason.

This still wasn't enough for him though. He would ever be satisfied with someones' word. He had to be sure and the only way he knew was to conquer.

The Jotuns hadn't been much of a threat since they knew they were all muscle but no brain compared to the elves. Even though the elves themselves were intelligent, they tended not to fight unless it was necessary. For this reason, they never took part in wars that didn't involve them; they never took sides or favored one world over another. But since Malekith was king, everything changed.

He would take advantage of any world and seek to defeat them. Jotunheims' monarchy was shattered after the death of Laufey. Little did they know, Malekith wasn't helping them repair it, he was making sure it splintered even more.

* * *

The flash of light in the distance caught Malekiths' attention and he saw two dark figures running towards him; the messengers had returned.

He sat back in his throne as they approached him and bowed low.

"Sir, you were successful. Vasad remains in power and they are now setting new laws."

The lighter half of Malekiths' face grinned as he leaned forwards as the two elves straightened up.

"I trust his adviser and guard have not noticed."

"They are oblivious to any change. They put his new actions down to the recent truce with Asgard. The interaction between the two worlds seems to have made them all aware that they can't win against the All father and they have decided to... put aside war in favor of returning Jotunheim to its' former glory."

Malekith huffed as he reclined on his throne.

"What of their army now?"

"They have dissolved most of it. We could only see so far but their numbers have greatly reduced. We do not deem them a threat."

"Very well. Inform the others that we will begin tomorrow night. Go!"

The two elves turned and walked briskly across the bridge away from Malekith. He meanwhile, sat in his throne, got out a silver blade from under his vambrace and twiddled it between his fingers.

He twisted his head round to see one of his guards standing behind him. He beckoned with his hand for him to come forwards. The guard knelt down beside him and looked ahead. Malekith leaned closer towards him to whisper in his ear.

"You've witnessed my link to Midgard. What do you make of Loki?"

The guard gave a puzzled look before Malekith added, "I mean do you think he truly regrets his past actions, or do you think it is another one of his games that he is playing with the humans?"

The guard tilted his head to face his king. "I have never met him in battle but from the tales, I don't think he has been rendered as soft as the others believe him to be."

Malekith twisted his mouth while he assessed his opinion, then sat back in his throne.

"Wise words. I don't believe him to be so saved as his new found friends would believe either. I will continue to use the one named Banner to watch his movements. As of yet, he has made no unusual actions but he wouldn't so easily give up his past self."

"Was your intention to include him in the battle?"

Malekith replied without looking at the guard. "Initially but after he was placed on the isle of silence, I didn't see what I expected. He had definitely changed; whether he found a new love for his adoptive family or saw his actions as wrong, it doesn't matter. He wouldn't have been much use to us as a weakling." He turned towards the guard with an evil grin sprouting on his face and he continued to wield his knife. "That is why I had a bit of fun with him."

When they guard returned Malekiths' grin, he turned back to look over the bridge and replaced the blade back into his vambrace. "I saw a man with such potential to rule; I thought I could offer him the chance to do so over his own kind, but he seemed... different."

"What is your plan now?"

"To hope that tomorrow goes as intended. If not, hope that Lokis' stay on Midgard returns his feelings of hatred towards those who abandoned and lied to him. With those emotions, there is a chance we can use him to our advantage to overthrow Jotunheim."

"You wouldn't let him rule would you?"

"For a while, but only until he thought of us as his allies; until he felt secure in his role as their king; our pawn. Till he sees us as the people who took him from a lowly pit in prison and made him a king." He paused, straightening his robes. "Then of course, I would dispose of him and take command of Jotunheim myself."

Malekith gave the guard a sly grin as he returned to his post, bowing as he took his stance.

* * *

**A vambrace is a piece of material that covers the lower part of the arm.**

**And just in case I forgot to mention it, there's an elevator that goes from anywhere in the building directly to Tonys' apartment, then from there, a door that leads to the rest of that floor that is especially for accommodation for the other avengers. **

**On that floor in the corridor, there is another set of elevators that lead to other levels. They don't have to go into Tonys' apartment to use the lift everytime. **

**Did you notice in chapter 7 towards the end, Malekith said "Something special. Mmmmmm. We'll see."? Bruce used that phrase earlier in the chapter. For those of you who picked up on Bruces' strange behaviour, this chapter revealed the mystery. **

**It also hints as what happened to Loki on the isle of silence. **


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Advancing forward

Loki woke up as the light from the window flooded his room. He hadn't managed to work the lights so he hadn't seen his room properly. Now that he could see clearly, he noticed the room wasn't much unlike his one in Asgard. Little smaller but still rather plush. Large king sized bed with silk sheets and 5 pillows. Bedside tables made of mahogany supported lamps on either side of the bed, along with an alarm clock. Loki didn't know how it worked but the screen on it said 10:22.

He clambered out of bed still wearing the clothes from yesterday that Stark gave him. He hadn't bothered to look for pajamas since he was too tired. He had just slung his damp clothes over a chair in the corner over looking the city and crawled into bed.

He wandered out into the main apartment and briefly glanced at Tonys' door as he made his way to the kitchen. For the first time since leaving Earth, he was going to have Midgardian food. He hadn't tasted much, most of it was what the scientists and assistants had eaten while they were working on opening the portal. He had taken a liking to toast and pancakes though. They didn't have anything like them in Asgard and he still held a fascination for different cultures as he did when he was a child; even if his intentions towards said world were to rule it.

He approached the many appliances littered on the kitchen tops. Some of them had coffee and food stains on and around them and Loki grimaced as he attempted to make them look tidier. At least this way he could tell what they all did.

He thought back to how the staff had made the toast and pancakes before. They had used a semi circle shaped piece of metal and held it over a flame. He identified both of these immediately but then remembered he needed to mix something to add to them.

After rummaging through Tonys' cupboards for any signs of edible food he gave up. He decided to look in the large silver cupboard that made a slight humming sound.

He opened the fridge and saw a pitiful amount of food; Volstagg would have cried. In the door compartment he saw a carton of milk, half empty and above that some cheese. Apart from that nothing that seemed right to be called food. He closed the door and looked along the length of the kitchen. Nothing to eat and he was hungry. Brilliant.

He was just about to go back into his room when he noticed 3 brown boxes on the sofa. He walked over to them and noted the side had writing scribbled on it.

'Hope they're your size. Had to guess. Be back at 1. Try not to burn the place down by then.'

"Very funny Stark. You better not have bought me dresses." Loki mumbled as he ripped open the first box. _How am I even meant to burn the place down when I can't make fire? _He thought to himself as he unfolded the clothing inside.

Turns out Stark hadn't been mean and gotten him pink and yellow frilly dresses and skirts with tassels. Instead he had been rather smart in giving him 3 casual outfits. Three jeans, two black, one dark grey with a dark green top, black v neck jumper and a dark grey t-shirt. He pushed them to one side and opened the second box.

This one contained underwear and pajamas. He must have noticed the way Loki walked when he was wearing Tonys' briefs since they were all dark coloured boxers. The pajamas consisted of 3 tops, one green, black and grey again and 3 bottoms, all the same colours. Obviously a matching set. So Tony hadn't quite lost his touch.

He moved over and opened the third box. This one had two compartments and was slightly larger than the other two. The top part contained a small black leather bag with toiletries in it. A toothbrush, shower gel, shampoo and a razor. Loki had always just prevented himself from growing facial hair since he detested it. Another reason why he hated Thor was because he insisted on having it grow on his face.

The second section contained several books aimed at A level students on mechanics and another on the basics of science. The books were large and heavy and Loki skimmed through them briefly as Jarvis' voice ran out through the apartment. "Mr Laufeyson," Loki closed his eyes as Jarvis continued, "Mr Elrond and Mr Banner will be with you shortly."

Loki just mumbled his reply and put all the clothes in the boxes except the black jeans and v-neck jumper. Amongst all the clothes, he thought they would do for today.

He changed in the bedroom and heard the front door open as Banner and Elrond entered. They both carried large open boxes full of papers and cables and set them down on the kitchen table.

Loki came out of the bedroom, pulling his jumper over his waist as Bruce and Adrian turned to face him.

"You got the gift Odin sent you?" Loki wanted to get straight down to business. He didn't feel right on Midgard especially not without his magic.

"Sort of. It's currently more of a burden than a gift." Bruce walked over to the plain wall near the elevator. "Jarvis, display the schematics for project A."

"Yes sir." A projector overhead whirred into life as the wall lit up with a large blue design.

"This is the basic plan for one of the devices. The other is pretty much the same. We understand to harness the amount of energy needed, we need a special type of metal."

Loki held up his hand to stop Banner. "Specifically a metal known to be native only to Svartalfheim. How do you intend to get it?"

"We already have it." Elrond cut in as he moved alongside the projection. "We have about 100lbs of it in the lab and the rest is in the factories ready to be mass manufactured."

Loki nodded then stopped and looked at Banner with a quizzical eye.

"Odin sent the metal through just after we realised we didn't have anything with the same properties. We didn't ask where it came from; since the only communication we ever received from them has been through Heimdall, we assumed Odin was busy. Now that he's in the Odin sleep, it wasn't hard to see why." He trailed off as the others went silent.

Loki walked back over to the set of book and picked them up. "Why did Stark give me these?"

Banner walked over to take a closer look. "They're textbooks. We thought that since your world deals with magic rather than science, we needed to bring you on the same level as us so you wouldn't get confused."

As Loki flipped through the book marked 'Primary sciences', Bruce saw his face turn to confusion. "Once you grab the basics, everything falls into place." He looked between Lokis' puzzled expression and Elronds' blank one.

"Why don't you read that, and when you get to something you don't understand, ask Elrond. I'll start finalising the designs and do some calculations such as cost and time."

Loki looked up at Elrond whose face had now lit up at the possibility of a conversation with him. Elrond hadn't heard much about Loki apart from what he heard on the news; whispers of gossip caught in Stark Towers' corridors and what he had quickly leant of Norse mythology. Of course, he didn't believe in half of it, at least, he didn't think it conceivable that Loki could shape shift into a mare and bare a foal, or convince Thor to dress as a maiden. The part about his title rang true though, the god of mischief, so he was definitely curious as to where the line between fact and fiction began.

"I think I will need him to explain all of these." He held up the textbooks and walked over to the table; tilting his head, encouraging Elrond to follow.

They approached the table and Loki turned to face Elrond.

"We haven't been properly introduced, I believe. Last night was a bit hectic for me, so allow me to introduce myself better." He held out his hand and Elrond shook it. "I am Loki."

"Pleased to be working with you." They disconnected and sat down next to each other.

"Well, lets see what you know." Elrond began drawing diagrams and calculations as Loki peered over his shoulder and took in all his working. He still had that thirst for knowledge of unknown technologies. Humans saw magic as a form of science they didn't understand; Loki saw science, as a form of magic he did not yet know. This made him determined to soak up all the information Elrond was telling him.

* * *

After just an hour of quick studying, Loki had gone from primary school knowledge to university level physics and had started making connections between Midgards' science and Asgards' magic.

"I believe that my magic could be described in your terms as a form of radiation; a kind of energy is harnessed through the host and manifests in different ways through a filter or projector of some kind. Most likely the brain." He paused leaning on the table and closed his eyes slightly.

"Whenever I go to cast a spell, I imagine the outcome and depending on what it is, either project myself there or let the feeling... take me over and whatever I imagine happens. It's still hard to grab the concept fully in your terms but I believe that is as close as I can get."

Elrond nodded and clapped Loki on the back. "Well done, you picked that up rather quickly. Most people take years to put all of that into context."

"You are a good teacher Elrond, and I am no ordinary man."

"Please call me Adrian. Everyone around here is so formal, it's making me question my sanity."

"Mmmmmm." Loki nodded slightly and leaned back in his chair.

Adrians' expression loosened and changed to shocked. "Oh sorry, no offense. I didn't mean to imply..."

"It is perfectly alright, Adrian."

They smiled lightly at each other after the awkward silence had ended with Banner dropping a piece of metal on the floor.

"Sorry, I got it."

Loki looked at Adrian as he started gathering up the papers. "So I'm guessing from your lack of appreciation for formalities, that you are not a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. More likely a family man, I believe they would say."

Elrond sat back in his chair and loosened his jacket.

"Yeah. I uh, worked at a university but I've been moon lighting as an adviser for S.H.I.E.L.D since the incident with the destroyer. Sorry to say that the blaster cannon device that Coulson used to injure you was my design."

Loki gave a slight smile. "Don't be, that thing knocked a bit of sense into me I believe. It made me appreciate that no matter how hard you hit a species, if they have such determination as humans, they always find their way to get their own back." He paused and punched him lightly on the arm. "But yeah it hurt. Now we're even."

Adrian paused while he thought of a way to continue to light banter. He'd been curious about Loki since he was, or had been a magical being; a god even, and the fact that he had almost enslaved the planet made him even more interesting. He wondered.

"You know, there are alot of rumours about you. We have myths and legends about your life. It's hard to know what's true and what isn't."

Loki smirked slightly as he heard Adrians' hesitant tone.

"What do you want to know?"

This took Adrian by surprise. He's wanted to know so much. What he could do; what was their culture was like, how old he was; was he immortal? But no, in the spur of the moment he found he wanted to know one thing more than the rest. "Do you have children?"

Loki raised his eyebrows and clicked his tongue. "In a manner of speaking, but not in the way you would consider... normal."

Elrond looked confused as he rested his head in his hands.

"Go on."

Loki sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"I've heard of the myths throughout time. Thor and me would visit Midgard when we were younger. Some of them are quite amusing; based on truth with a few lies twisted in."

He repositioned himself so he was sitting with his shoulders facing more towards Elrond.

"The story of Svaðilfari and Sleipnir; is partially true. A builder proposed he could construct a wall to protect Asgard; it was me who decided on the conditions and when it seemed like the builder would finish before winter, I came up with a plan. I did not however transform myself into a mare and bare his child. I took one of the horses in the barn and used her to lead Svaðilfari away from the builder. The mare was with child but died during the birthing stage. Somehow, word of this made its' way to Midgard but since the mare wasn't mentioned in many versions of the story, they made me the... mother."

"Wow you really got miscast there. Same with the others?"

"More or less. Even though I'm not related to them, I do have a direct connection to them. If it wasn't for me, they would never have been born." He stopped and looked at Elrond with a quizzical expression.

"How about you? Any children?"

Elronds' face lit up as he took out his wallet from his jeans pocket. "One. David 18. Bright kid, loves science and idolises me. He never used to though." His smile faded as he fiddled with the photograph in his wallet. There were three people in the photo, Adrian, David and a woman. "That was his mother, Susan. My Susan."

Loki looked at the photo and realised what Adrian meant. "What happened?"

"Car accident. Not her fault; some lunatic ran a light and rammed into the drivers side at full speed. Killed her instantly. David got out but not without paying a price." He hesitated as he put the picture back in his wallet and closed it, pressing his hands over it. "His legs were pinned and when they cut him out and got him to the hospital, the damage had already been done." He looked directly at Loki with teary eyes. "He's disabled; no leg movement; can't do half the things he wanted."

Elrond wiped his eyes as he continued. Loki just listened. "It happened when he was 15 and at that time he wasn't that bright, but he was excellent at sports. It's all he ever wanted to do. Football was his favourite. But none of that matters now. He had to put aside football and after the accident we spent more time together. He grew interested in my work; I don't think he meant to. We were never that close but since we lost her, we've grown closer." He paused and turned away from Loki slightly.

"We were going to go see his team play at the nearby stadium but then the Chitauri came and everything just... stopped."

Loki looked down at his feet as Adrian turned his attention back to the papers on the table.

"I'm sorry. I... There's no excuse for what I did." He got up and walked round the table to get a drink as Elrond looked up at him with sore eyes.

"I think I would have done some crazy things if I had gone through what you did."

Loki stood in silence as Adrian put his wallet back in his back pocket.

"Why don't I arrange for you to meet David? Not as a guilt trip but to understand us a bit more. Everyone here is too formal and conditioned. They know how to deal with stress and are less outwardly affected; I'm not as formal as everyone else but David being a teenager is more outspoken than any of us."

Loki spun around to face Adrian, drink in hand. "If the others would allow it, I believe it would help me to see humans in a way other than... simple beings."

"I think we can arrange a visit, after all, I doubt when Fury finds out that he'll want you to stay here any longer than you have to." Bruce cut in on their conversation as he finished sorting through his files.

Loki chuckled as he rejoined the table along with Bruce. "That you can be sure on."

"We would have to tell Fury before we can take any unknowns as guests though. When Stark gets back in an hour or so, we'll tell him to come here. We won't say why until he's here; that way he won't bring the guards upon us."

Loki drummed on the table slightly as he stood up straight.

"Right, good plan. But before we risk starting another war, can someone please tell me how to make toast and pancakes?"

* * *

"How did this happen?" Malekith spluttered as he was aided back to his throne.

His attack on the frost giants had not been successful. Instead of being unprepared and almost defenseless, the Jotuns had seemed to have hidden themselves away. It was nothing short of an ambush.

One of the guards holding him was their equivalent of a general and said, "We know of no reason why our assault failed. I saw no fault in our men on the battlefield."

"If you cannot see the one to blame amongst your men, then you are him."

The guard fell silent as one of the messengers made his way towards Malekith.

"My king, we did not know."

Malekith looked at the messenger he had sent to scour ahead. His face covered in blood as his eyes sought him out with their blazing colour.

"Did not know what?"

The messenger crept forwards as the guards rested Malekith back in his throne.

"It appears we were not the only ones lurking in Jotunheim. A portal, which we were unaware of, was activated shortly after we arrived there. It was used again before we gave you our report." He looked up at Malekith as he whispered, "The portal originates from the cells."

Malekiths' eyes blew wide with anger and he shouted to his guards. "Bring Volund here immediately."

* * *

An elf was being half pushed, half dragged over the bridge towards Malekith. He sat upon his throne, still wearing his blood caked amour along with his ripped clothing. He wiped the blood from his face with one hand while the other steadied his spear.

The guards forced him to the floor and he knelt in front of the throne. Malekith rolled his shoulders and he spoke.

"You, fallen king, appear to have made yourself known again. Pity your name now means traitor or your own people." Malekith spat his words as Volund kept his head down.

"You found a way out of your cell and told the Jotuns of our plans to invade. You have betrayed your king and for that you must pay the price. But of course I am an honest monarch; you may have you last words."

Silence fell between them as the elf rose slowly to his feet, keeping his head bowed until he reached his full height, then tilted his head back to look directly at Malekith.

"You would call me a traitor? You murdered my brother and stole the throne! You also appear to have misinformed the Jotuns as to your plans; helping their world thrive indeed. You only ever wanted to cause chaos and destruction amongst them so you could take over them with ease. Where is your pride in sporting a war where you knew you could do nothing but win? But you didn't, did you? No, and all because you failed to let yourself be seen a murderer."

Malekith muttered something under his breath and turned away from Volund as he continued.

"Yes, I admit it, I told the giants the truth. Not that you would believe me if I said I didn't anyway. They have more honour than you do. They have more pride in their names and titles than you ever will. You only exist to conquer and rule, although it appears you cannot even defeat one race. A race that had recently almost been destroyed by another party. Crippled, teetering on the edge of extinction and yet you still couldn't do it. What does that say about your leadership?"

Malekith looked at the dark rocks, still turned away from Volund and whispered so only he could hear, "Nothing, but this certainly does."

He spun so quickly that Volund barely had enough time to protest. Malekith turned to face Volund and held his spear high and pointed it directly at Volund. A bright blue light shot out of it and hit him squarely in the chest.

At first nothing appeared to have happened. If it wasn't for the pained expression on Volunds' face, it could have been seen as nothing. It wasn't until the light started enveloping him slowly, spreading out across his body like veins of wild light, that it was apparent what Malekith had done.

Volund slowly and agonisingly was ripped apart and shattered into particles of dust.

His screams echoed against the surrounding rocks and Malekith sat down on his throne and slammed his spear into the ground. The screams stopped and all his guards turned to face him.

Malekith breathed loudly for a second while he stared across the bridge. He held up his hand and his guards came and stood in front of him including the general.

"Your opinion on Jotunheim?"

"Heavily guarded, now more than ever. It would be unwise to attack again. All connections, both political and otherwise must cease while we assess the damage."

Malekith looked to the sky, as if asking an invisible angel for answers. "Why did we fail? We were so close and they were so weak." He whispered his words and spat the insults towards the dark clouds. "I have been denied my rightful throne. What other worlds are there so feeble that we could rule so easily?"

Everyone thought it rhetorical but then the messenger stepped forward. "My king, we still have one more move to make. One I don't think we can delay any longer considering todays events."

"What might that be?"

"Our man on the inside has located the Casket of Ancient Winters on Jotunheim. With it, other worlds may fall."

Malekith stared at the messenger before sitting up straight and positioning himself as if he were meditating.

"I will join our minds and tell him to return with what is rightfully mine." He quickly glanced at the guards. "If he returns without the casket, kill him on sight."

With that, he fell into his trance as the guards took their posts.

After he had given the informant his commands, he smirked and whispered, "Jotunheim may be full of cold hearted thieves, used to the bitter cold of winter, but Midgard, home to the delicate, fragile humans will not live another day under the false leaders they now follow. Never again will they see another summers light, for I will conquer Earth and make it as cold Jotunheim itself."

He waved the guards away and they left the island where his throne sat. He leaned forward as he looked around at the burnt trees and shadows; the silence deafening.

"And I was in the darkness, so darkness I became. Darkness and silence shall fall on Midgard, be sure of it. I will rival their past wars and show them what victory looks like, for I am a king, and a king I shall remain."

* * *

Thor sat on his throne bored out of his mind. As a child he thought being king would be so much more exciting; all that power at his command. In reality however, it was as much fun as watching paint dry.

Throughout his time as king, he had been in meetings concerning Asgards' defenses, past treaty negotiations and updated on numerous security issues, all of which turned out to be nothing of any importance.

Heimdall, although being his adviser, had spent all of his time in his observatory. It was his job as gatekeeper to be there at all times and only leave when the situation demanded it. This was one of those times.

Heimdall walked straight into the throne room and took long strides towards Thor before he bowed. "Thor, I have reason to believe Midgard is in imminent danger. I suggest you return there immediately."

Thor gave him a puzzled look while he shook his head and answered, "But Heimdall, you of all people must know that I cannot leave Asgard now. I am king since my father still sleeps. What possible reason..."

"Jotunheim has been attacked." Thor sat back in his throne, the look of puzzlement now turning to disbelief. "By whom?"

"Malekith of Svartalfheim. We thought him dead we had not heard from him in so long. He now has the casket of ancient winters. This realm has defenses capable enough of defeating him and his army but Midgard still has not finished building its' forces up since Lokis' attack. If it was anyone else I would not suggest such a rash course of action, but I fear they will be destroyed beyond recognition. Asgard can survive without a king for the sake of an entire world. Odin will wake up soon, he will be here to protect Asgard if Malekith decides to take the fight to Asgard but the battle will start on Earth; I am sure of it."

Thor took a deep breath then stood up and rushed down the steps, heading towards the Bifrost.

"Very well. Come with me to the observatory now. I will need transportation to Midgard. When I am gone, tell the warriors three and Sif that they are now Asgards' first line of defense. I trust them with my life so leave Asgards' fate in their hands."

Heimdall nodded as they picked up their pace and mounted their horses and headed to the observatory.

* * *

**Volund is an elf from Norse mythology. He is said to have been the king of Svartalfheim but since this fic doesn't follow mythology to the letter, I decided to make him a traitor in Malekiths' eyes. **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Uninvited and unexpected

_**Couple of things to clear up before we begin. 1 - It has come to my attention that the name Elrond is also a character in Lord of The Rings. I did watch the films as a child but have since forgotten virtually everything. I used a randomiser and that name sounded good. I suppose I might have chosen it because it sounded familiar.**_

_**B or 2 - Directed at SnapesGirl59. The casket wasn't in Asgard, it was on Jotunheim. Odin gave it back to the giants and Malekith found out about it from their informant. It's mentioned after Malekith returns to Svartalfheim.**_

_**Ok Malekith can do two mind related tricks. The first can influence someones actions and words, for instance move them around and talk like normal; with the other he can read their mind but he has to physically touch them. At the moment he has only used he first to influence Banner.**_

_**Trying to follow AU logic, especially mine is no easy task.**_

* * *

Tony walked down the corridor towards Furys' office. He'd agreed with Banners' idea of bringing Fury up to date first; show they guy some respect, he was the director of S.H.I.E.L.D after all. Just as he was about to knock on Furys' door, Thor rounded the corner looking rather flustered, cape billowing behind him as he half sprinted towards Tony.

"Stark, I must speak with Loki." When Tony just gave him a blank stare Thor stopped hurtling towards him and raised his eyebrows. "My brother did arrive here did he not? I sent him here, he should have arrived."

Tony looked at Furys' door then pulled Thor round the corner by the arm; he couldn't actually pull Thor because the guy was twice his size but Thor followed him round and stared at Stark.

"Yeah don't worry point break. He dropped in on me last night. What did you do to him? He's different; in a good way but weird." He shook his head and caught Thors' attention with his hand. Thor just looked like a confused child.

"Look never mind; hard to explain now, but Lokis' kind of helping us. One catch is that things would go smoother is Fury knew he was here."

Thor raised his voice and almost shook the building as it boomed. "You kept my brothers' arrival from Fury? I thought you followed orders."

Stark tutted and rolled his eyes. "Listen we do usually but with something like this you have to have all the facts before you gamble. I didn't trust your brother for a second until the guy started dribbling all of my kitchen, but now we have to take a chance and tell Fury." Stark poked his head round the corner in case anybody was listening and walked back up the corridor towards Furys' office.

"Look, under ordinary circumstances, I would explain but just follow me and don't speak. You'll catch on." He grabbed Thors' arm and attempted to pull him towards Furys' office; about as effective as trying to drag a truck. Thor just followed him round the corner and entered Furys' office.

"Most people knock before entering Stark." Fury looked up from his desk as Tony ignored him and ushered Thor inside.

"When did you arrive? I've had no reports of portal activity."

"Just now. I need to speak with you about..."

Tony waved his hands in front of Thor and turned towards Nick.

"Look, trivial matters can wait. Nick I need you to come up to my apartment now."

"Is this about the plans?"

"Sort of, by the way, we're dubbing it project A, but yeah, come on. We need your expert," he hesitated, "eye." He opened the door and let Thor and Fury pass through before closing it.

Fury walked behind Thor as he turned to Tony and said, "Are you close to finishing? Why am I always the last to know around here?"

Tony just rolled his eyes as they made their way to the apartment.

* * *

"Banner, Stark is on his way up with Fury... and Thor." Jarvis' voice rang out across the apartment as Loki, Banner and Elrond were scattered around the room tidying the place up. They hadn't been untidy but now that they were panicking, everything looked a mess.

"Look just stand behind this, then when we give you the signal, slowly, and I mean slowly, walk out and introduce yourself. Don't make any sudden movements; you can guarantee that he's gonna have some sort of weapon on him. And did you say Thor? Oh my we are not prepared for this." Elronds' voice wavered as Bruce was putting his papers in order.

Adrian was pushing Loki behind a decorative pillar in the room while he glanced nervously at the front door.

"Yes sir. He appears to be coming with them."

Loki snuck behind the pillar as Elrond proceeded to kick the boxes of clothes and books under the table. "Great timing Thor, just really great."

Bruce turned towards Loki; he couldn't see him, so it seemed like he was talking to thin air.

"This could help. All Fury had to go on was your word that you have changed. Now we have Thor, a king and an avenger no less, so I think he'll listen."

Loki went to say something before Elrond shushed him and jogged over to stand next to Bruce who just finished arranging his files when the door opened and Thor, Fury and Tony walked in.

Fury narrowed his eyes as he saw the worried expression on their faces. He tilted his head to Thor and Stark as they entered and closed the door. Thor looked just as confused as Nick felt and Tony seemed to be smirking slightly.

"Can somebody please tell me what is going on? You're all acting shifty and it's making me feel uneasy." Thor looked Elrond up and down as he walked towards him.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Adrian, temporary adviser on your fathers' project."

"Thor. Same to you." The thunderer kept his look of confusion as Fury circled Bruce and Elrond while looking around the apartment; he didn't go further than the pillar as Loki just held his breath.

"Right, down to business. We have completed all the schematics and tested all the theories and corrected the mistakes. We are ready to go into production." Stark clapped his hands together and broke the silence.

"But I thought you said you needed someone to confirm this. I thought that's why Thor is here. To make sure you translated the information correctly." Fury gestured towards Thor whose expression was akin to a puppy who had been wrongly accused of going toilet on the carpet.

"No, I am here because..."

"Not now Thor." Tony kept his voice hush but Fury still saw Stark turn to him.

"Then how can you be so sure it'll work?"

"Because they have me." Tony buried his head in his hands, Thors' bewildered stare grew more convincing and Elrond just looked down as Loki walked out from behind the pillar. They all stood in silence as Fury stared at Loki and then at the others.

"You knew about him and didn't say anything? You knew about a criminal in our building and didn't tell me? Explain if you so please."

Thor stepped forwards. "It was my decision to send Loki here. After I became king, I noticed he changed and..."

"I don't care what you think. I don't care that you're king, because this is our planet not one of your prisons of choice."

"If I may?" Loki stepped forwards with his hands raised towards Fury. Once Furys' expression had gone back to its' usual emotionless state, Loki continued.

"Your suspicion is understandable but you have no reason to be; I am powerless, without magic, mortal, human."

"Unbelievable." Fury spun round and faced Thor.

"So he's powerless and serving time here. For what purpose? Why not leave him where your father sent him?"

"This is what I've been trying to tell you. Loki was attacked by something. He does not know what but now we are certain who is responsible."

Loki furrowed his eyebrows. "Thor? What has happened?"

"Jotunheim was attacked, by Malekith. Heimdall saw this and has deduced that he is responsible for what happened to you and father. Heimdall, as my adviser, told me to leave Asgard and defend Midgard."

"Defend us? What do we need defending against?"

"Malekith the accursed as he's known." Loki stared at the floor as he nodded his head.

"A dark elf from Svartalfheim. Known for taking whatever he could, and shouldn't." His face turned to confusion as he glanced at Thor. "But he hasn't been heard from in centuries. Why now?"

"After Laufey died, their government collapsed. They had no true heir so they sought help. They just so happened to play in Malekiths' hands. They elected Vasad as their temporary king and he has since been crowned their true monarch. Malekiths' attack on them failed but he managed to steal the casket from them. Heimdall is certain he intends to use it on Midgard since you are... weaker than before."

"Fantastic." Furys' sarcasm made Stark and Banner shiver; Fury never made jokes and meant them, it wasn't his style.

He looked Loki up and down. "You checked Stark, Banner and Elronds' calculations? You are sure they will work?"

"Most certainly. I have made connections between my magic and your science and have deduced that they are compatible. Construct the devices and Earth will have a significant advantage over Malekith."

"How do you mean? Won't he appear like the Chitauri; out of thin air?" Starks' tone sounded almost as if he was mocking Lokis' intelligence but Loki answered calmly.

"Lets suppose he intends to use the casket to freeze the planet. I order to do so, there must be an epicenter; one area will get colder gradually then it'll spread quickly. The casket will have to be where the temperature change starts so that's where we bring the fight to."

"How big is the area that will experience a temperature drop? Where?" Banner pulled out a tablet and started taking notes.

"Quite large. Since I am unfamiliar with your planets' layout, I cannot give you my idea of a good location. But I do know that only five square miles of the planets surface area has to change in order to eventually affect the entire planet. The lager the surface area, the quicker the planet will be enveloped by ice and snow."

Fury stood in front of them, hands behind his back with a determined look on his face.

"Right, orders. Stark you contact the factories and get them to start construction immediately. Tell them to double the speed and estimate when we can have the emitters and receivers in orbit.

Banner and Elrond; start calculating which would be the easiest place for Malekith to hide and use as the centre of his attack. Thor and Loki. Just do whatever."

Loki raised his eyebrows at Thor and he nodded slightly as he called to Fury.

"Director. There is a way we could speed things up."

Nick turned round and saw Thor and Loki staring at him, both with puppy dog eyes.

He gave Loki a quick glance as he wrestled with his mind.

"Do whatever you deem necessary to get our defenses up. I trust Loki enough, but I trust my avengers more." With that he left, his leather trench coat billowing behind him as he went.

Loki immediately strode over to Thor and held both his arms out as Thor grabbed Lokis' wrists. They were engulfed by blue, red and green light, which blinded the others. When it dissipated, Loki wasn't wearing his v-neck jumper and black jeans. Instead he wore something akin to Thor. Not his complete battle amour but just enough to look powerful. He wore the exact same thing when he had surrendered in Stuttgart. Dark leather with small pieces of gold metal protecting his forearms and shoulder. His jacket was pleated at the sides and a bright luminous green fabric peaked out giving the god of mischief his usual smug look. He let go of Thor while he rolled his shoulders.

"Oh I have so missed this."

Tony, and Bruce were staring at Thor in disbelief while Adrian just gazed in wonder at Lokis' outfit. He hadn't seen it before in person, only on tv. Up close it was very impressive, giving him a real royal vibe of importance and power. Thor and Loki both turned towards the three of them and smiled.

"My friends, I have restored Lokis' abilities. Under normal circumstances, I would have waited but since we are in imminent danger and without defenses, I think we can risk where my brothers' loyalty lies."

Thor and Loki smiled at each other and the others continued drooling at the sight of them.

Thor and Loki headed towards the door, but Loki turned to look at Stark.

"Thank you for believing me." Stark nodded as Loki continued. "Where is this factory you spoke of? We can assemble your devices and have them in orbit within the next 20 hours."

Tony walked over to the projector and typed furiously on the screen as the others just stood there in silence.

"About 20 miles south of the old S.H.I.E.L.D ground base. Its' got a large S.H.I.E.L.D logo on the top so you can't miss it."

Loki looked at Thor, Bruce and Tony then turned his gaze to Adrian.

"After I have done this, it would be a honour to meet David."

Adrians' lip curled slightly. "I'll go tell him now."

Loki closed the door behind him and an awkward silence grew between them.

"Should we even ask?" Tony held his head low but looked at Elrond over his eyebrows.

"My son, David. We were talking about him when you were at your meeting. We decided for Loki to understand how what he did affected us, that he needs to meet someone other than a fighter or a scientist. He needs to meet an ordinary human being."

* * *

Odin had woken up after Thor left for Midgard. He was still weak since his sleep cycle had been broken again but this time round he was fitter since his rest had been longer. He sat upon his throne as Heimdall filled him in on the actions throughout the other realms.

"What news have we heard from the Jotuns recently?"

"Nothing. Vasad has kept quiet. They were usually very private and secretive but now I fear they are even more cautious of everyone, even us..." Heimdall stumbled slightly and squinted his eyes as his head started to hurt.

"What is it gatekeeper?" Odin leaned forwards as his guards standing either side of him looked concerned as Heimdall doubled over then straightened up again and looked directly at Odin.

"Vasad has arrived."

* * *

The doors to the throne room flung open with such a force that they banged against the wall. Vasad, his adviser and his guard followed close behind him as he bellowed at the top of his voice.

"Allfather, did you know? Were you aware of the treachery?"

"Calm yourself Vasad. I have only just taken my throne again. Heimdall has informed me of Malekiths' attempt on your world."

Vasad glanced at Heimdall as he further approached Odin.

"Mmmm. So I'm guessing you also know that he has the casket now?"

Odin quickly turned his head to look at Heimdall. He shifted his feet to address Vasad.

"I was just getting to that bit."

Odin cut him off as he pieced it together. "That is why you sent Thor to protect Midgard. You suspect he intends to use the casket against Earth."

Heimdall nodded as Vasad moved his gaze from Odin to Heimdall and back again.

"You do not believe our realm to be in danger from another attack?"

Odin shook his head. "Malekith is very consumed by pride and vanity. He would not humiliate himself with another attempt. It would only remind him that he failed. Your realm is safe. Of that I am sure."

Vasad curled his lips. "If he does attack again..."

"We will be here to assist should you require our help."

Vasad gave a deadpan nod as he turned and headed back out through the throne doors; his adviser and guard following close behind.

* * *

Stark and Banner had since narrowed down the most likely place for Malekith to start his invasion from. It was far northeast and so Fury had decided to enable the helicarrier. The other avengers still did not know that Thor had returned let alone Loki; they all thought it best if Loki was introduced after everyone had been briefed.

Clint, Natasha and Steve boarded the craft along with Fury, Banner and Stark. Bruce. Elrond and Tony headed down to the lab as Steve sat in his room and read up on modern culture. He had been studying the years he had missed and had only gotten up to 1969. Space travel before the avengers would have boggled his mind, but after seeing a man grow 4 times his natural size and turn green, nothing surprised him.

Clint and Natasha spent their time training against each other. Since they were the only avengers who didn't have a special power or weapon, they had to be in peak physical fitness.

They all spent the next 18 doing their own thing as the helicarrier made its' way towards the Faroe Islands, about 250 miles north of Scotland. Since the helicarrier was not designed for fast flight, it took the best part of a day to arrive there. When morning came, everyone was slightly jet lagged. They meandered towards the conference room and took their places. Steve, Clint and Natasha sat down as Bruce, Elrond and Tony stood back in the corner, whispering to each other.

Fury stepped forwards and a large screen activated on the wall.

"You are probably wondering why you've been called here on such short notice."

Clint put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his seat. "Yeah you could say that."

Fury gave him a plain glance as his eyes found Tony and he began walking towards.

"Right, sorry Clint. If you think you're in the dark now, you may not believe what's actually going on."

Stark walked over to the screen and faced the three clueless avengers in the middle.

"Basically there is a new threat, and a new member to the team. Also this is Professor Adrian Elrond. He has been assisting Stark and Banner for the past 2 weeks. Formal introductions later, but first to the threat. His name is Malekith."

Clint cut him off as he laughed, Natasha giggling beside him.

"Malekith? Seriously, people are naming their children that?"

Tony frowned at him as he continued and spoke louder.

"He's not from round here. Like Thor he's not from earth. He's from..." He tilted his head round to look at his notes. "S-V-A-R-T-L-F-H-E-I-M. I have no idea how to pronounce that so lets go with dark world. So he wants to take over this planet much like Loki tried. Except this guy has done it before and been successful."

Steve shifted his gaze from the screen to Fury. "Please tell me we have a plan; a new form of weapon. Anything."

Fury held his strong stance. "As Stark said we have a new member. He will arrive shortly and he has dealt with similar beings to this Malekith. However something more important is that, yes, we do have a physical weapon against the guy."

He walked next to Tony so he could address the avengers as one. "When Thor took Loki back to Asgard, he was punished. Although Odin could not kill his son he decided to give the realms he had attacked something to compensate them."

"What could he possibly give that could compensate what Loki did to us?" Natashas' was firm and concentrated entirely on Fury.

"If you ask me, we should have asked for Lokis' hide. Only one way to pay back such a debt." He tapped his fingers lightly on the desk as he stared out the window.

"Enough." Fury walked over to the table and slammed his fist down on it. They all leaned back in their seats and paid full attention as Nick carried on.

"He gave us the power to anticipate attacks. To register anomalies ranging from radiation spikes to unusual weather patterns anywhere on the planet. We have managed to adjust them so we can also see beyond the stars in the sky. That is compensation enough." His hard expression faded as he stroked his chin.

"Also, something happened to Loki while he was receiving his punishment. We were unclear what it was, but we now have intelligence that it was Malekith. He intended to use Loki but he no longer matters to him."

Steve and Natasha were about to say something before Bruce said, "Thor has since returned and we have built the devices. For the past 2 days he has been putting them in orbit. He should be with us any minute now, along with our new avenger." He glanced at his watch as his voice got quieter. Loki was helping him; he should have been back by now.

Clint narrowed his eyes as he and Natasha shared confused looks. "Why do I get the feeling they're not telling us everything?" Natasha shrugged her shoulders and bit her lip.

Suddenly a large bang sounded from above them. They all jerked their heads towards the ceiling as the sound dissipated. Instead a creaking sound erupted down the sides of the helicarrier but they soon disappeared after a second.

Tonys' face lit up as he raised his eyebrows in anticipation. "Well that'll be Thor, and the new member."

* * *

**Sorry that this chapter was a little short. It was either 500 words short of 1500 too long.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Kingdom of mine

"Steady! Don't do that. Could you tell me next time you decide to suddenly change direction?"

"You should be holding on tighter."

"Well I would but you're too wide to hold on to."

Thor turned his head as Loki, who had his arms under Thors' held on tighter and squinted as they flew through the air.

"Who's doing the flying here? Who's the one who gave you your powers back? Hmmm?"

Loki rolled his eyes as Thor turned his head back round. "You did, but being as it's you, you made a mistake, as always."

"I did not. You simply can't fly."

"No, but I've managed to defy gravity before so why did I suddenly fall out of the sky?"

"Obviously you're not accustomed to using magic again. It should even out soon."

"Oh and how would you know? Last time I heard you were the god of thunder not of sorcery."

"You're not the only one who read up on spells and tricks when you were younger. I just found I was better at throwing punches."

"Yeah. You sure it wasn't because you mispronounced half the words? You know it was hilarious when you turned yourself into a woman."

Thor shouted right into Lokis' ear. "I was 11! And it took you a whole day to find the right spell to fix it."

Loki tried to hold back a laugh but buried his head in Thors' shoulder as he startled cackling.

"What?! Did you... You knew how to change me back didn't you? You bastard!"

"Well it certainly taught you not to mess with my things didn't it?"

"Your notes were scruffy. If your writing had been neater I would have perfected it."

"Yeah, yeah. Look, there's the helicarrier. Just don't go through the roof and do not throw me off the side of ship."

"Alright, fair maiden, I'll get us there safe."

Loki wrapped his hands round Thors' neck as he thought about strangling him; but that would probably increase the chances of Thor landing on him.

Thor landed upright and Loki flew over his head as he failed to hang on. His legs went over his head and he landed on his back as Thor straightened up and walked over to his brother. He looked at Loki as he lay upside down moaning slightly in pain.

"In my defense, I didn't throw you off the side of the ship."

Loki gave him a stern glare as he tried to look menacing while on the floor but failed.

"Just help me up and lets get this over with, shall we?"

* * *

Thor and Loki entered the helicarrier via a panel in the roof and climbed down the stairs to the first floor. They took the elevator to the main bridge and waited for the doors to open.

"I think it's best if you go in first. Let them see a friendly face."

Thor walked in front of Loki as they both faced the doors.

"You sure it's not in case Barton decides to take aim at your head?"

"I am not cowering behind my brother, Thor. I'm doing this purely for the safety of the others."

"Hmm? Well, since you're feeling so thoughtful, why don't you change into attire less imposing?" Thor looked round as a green glow shone from behind him. Loki was now wearing an all black ensemble with his gold armour still covering his shoulder and arms.

"I dare not go fully unprepared." Thor raised an eyebrow as he smirked and turned back to the front.

"The maiden has guns. They don't kill us but they sting, alright?"

"I don't think anyone is cautious about the maiden out there. The one in here's got quiet an attitude."

Lokis' mouth gaped for a second behind he punched Thor in the back. Not the best move he'd ever made since Thors' back was virtually a brick wall but he felt the urge to punch something Thor shaped.

Thor barely stopped laughing as Loki continued to hit him as the doors opened and he walked out into the room as the avengers stared at him.

"So, Thor's back. Where's the new member?" Clint said in a sarcastic tone as he watched the elevator with an keen eye.

Loki stepped out; he could feel his body tense as he followed Thors' footsteps, trying not to look at the other avengers.

Clints' face turned sour as he stood abruptly, pushing his chair back and scraping it on the floor.

"Barton, stand down." Furys' voice was deep and loud as he saw the anger build up in Clint.

"Sir, a known criminal has just stepped onto the bridge of S.H.I.E. ' private base and you expect me to be calm and stand down?"

"Yes. Loki is not recognised as a criminal anymore. He has been, temporarily I might add, made an avenger."

"You can't be serious?" Steve broke the silence as everyone apart from Thor, Elrond, Stark and Banner kept their eyes on Loki like their lives depended on it. Any other day, their lives might have been in danger, but now the man standing before them was as harmful towards them as Thor was.

In many ways, their experiences with Earth had been similar. At first Thor had been negative towards humans. Disliking their attitude towards him since he saw himself higher than them. Over time however, he saw that they had no reason to bow to him or treat him as royalty; since respect on Earth had to be earned, not just expected out of thin air. After Thor had been made an avenger by Fury, he had changed. He'd learnt more about their lives and routines; and through them, he had learnt more about his past self and about how Loki must have felt. He realised he had mistreated him when they were young. He'd always seen himself as the more important sibling. The first born; destined to be king; to rule first and to be considered the more important Asgardian after Odin. Now he saw that his actions towards his brother had not been equal.

Lokis' experiences with Midgard had been more violent and the chaos had lasted much longer than Thors'. But now that Loki had joined his brother; his next challenge was seeing himself through the eyes of the other avengers; exactly what Thor had sent him there for.

"We are serious. Don't think this was an easy decision. I know as well as the rest of you what Loki has done but after reassurance from Thor and the others who knew, I am certain that Loki does not pose a threat to us anymore."

Loki and Thor sat away from the others as Fury continued. "He has already come in useful to us in getting the emitters and receivers in orbit. Without him we would be vulnerable to attack from Malekith."

Clint looked at Natasha with a quizzical eye and a raised eyebrow before turning back to Nick. "So he has his powers back? What use does he have for them now? If he's done his job, why can't Thor make him mortal again?"

"He has a point sir." Steve looked around at Tony, Elrond and Banner as they came and sat down with the rest of them. "If Loki is not needed, then I think as a precaution, we should disarm him for the mean time."

Fury looked over to Thor and Loki who were talking in low voices to each other.

"Gentlemen?"

Loki gave Thor a gentle nod as they turned to face Fury. "We will agree to the archers' plan. I will make Loki mortal until such a time as we need him. Neither of us think Malekiths' invasion will happen for a few days. Until then Loki will be made mortal."

Loki had already stood up by the time Thor had finished and waited. Thor stood opposite him as they grasped each others arms. The blue, red and green light enveloped them again as Lokis' clothes slowly turned back to what he had been wearing earlier; black jeans and a v-neck jumper.

Thor stood up straight and tall as Loki slouched slightly and his expression went blank. He kept his eyes on the floor and didn't raise his head too high.

"It is done." Thor addressed all the avengers as Loki leaned over and whispered into Thors' ear. When he stood back, Thor nodded and Loki left the room; still not looking at the others.

"Loki has decided to go to his quarters and stay there until he is needed. He realises his presence still effects you all and so he wishes not to impose himself onto you."

"If only he were that smart before." Clint spoke quietly so Loki couldn't catch it but Thor and Fury gave him a stare than made him slump back in his seat.

Fury moved to the front of the room next to the board and cleared his throat. "Right. Since we cannot be sure when Malekith will make his move, I suggest we employ a system. Elrond, Banner and Stark shall be the first group and Barton, Romanoff, Rogers and Thor shall be the second group. First group shall have first watch. You shall be on duty in case Malekith arrives. We will send you in first while we prepare the others. The group that is not on duty is assigned a rest period. Use this to gather your energy and prepare for your shift. Are we clear?"

They all nodded and stood up, scraping their seats against the floor.

"Right, first shift starts now, 3am, and ends at 8am. Each shift after that lasts 10 hours."

Banner, Elrond and Stark all moved for the elevator and proceeded to go down towards the lab. Natasha, Steve and Thor left shortly afterwards leaving Nick and Clint at the table. When the others had left, Clint stood up and walked towards Fury.

"You know he will betray us. Don't tell me you actually believe he is capable of making such a drastic change. He almost killed us all less than a month ago and you're willing to let him back in here? What if he's helping this Malekith? They could be communicating; he could be telling him what our position is and our plan of attack."

"He is powerless, mortal. What else would you have me do?"

"Lock him up in the cage. Don't let him talk to anyone. He's a liability to all."

Fury turned off the monitor and walked into the lift. "Sorry Barton, unless he shows signs of changing sides, we have to treat him as an ally." The lift doors closed and left Barton standing in the middle of the room, breathing heavily, red faced and clenching his fists.

* * *

Loki sat on his bed looking out his window. All he could see was sky, but this far north, the sky was cloudy so he couldn't see very clearly. He raised his hands and looked at them as he turned them over. He had just gotten used to being able to use his magic. He hadn't wanted to sacrifice his powers again, but to prove that he didn't mean harm to anyone, he had to make some sacrifices of his own. This would be one of the more painful ones.

He got up and paced around his room for a few minutes. Planning out what he was going to do. Wait. Fury hadn't put him in a group. He hadn't counted on using him in the battle. He supposed he would just fight along side Thor and Tony. They were the only ones who appeared to trust him along with Bruce. Elrond seemed to trust him as well but he couldn't fight because he was only human.

Jarvis' voice emanated near the door and Loki looked up. "Mr Laufeyson, Stark requests your presence in his lab immediately."

Loki had wanted to be left alone. Being powerless again was enough humiliation without being paraded around the helicarrier, but he had given his word that he would help S.H.I.E.L.D so he left his room and made his way down towards the lab.

The halls were surprisingly empty as he made his way along the corridor and entered the lab. He saw Stark, Elrond and Banner all sitting round a table off to the side, all sipping at their drinks.

"Well glad you could make it. We thought you were going to sulk in your room all day." Tony looked up from his scotch but stayed seated.

"That was not my intention. I thought I had told you everything you needed to know. Is there something else you need?"

Elrond set his drink down and walked towards Loki. "No it's fine. You've done all we needed to do for us. I thought you might like to set foot on dry land in the morning. My son just so happens to be studying in Scotland so while we're here I'm going to visit him. I'm not really needed now unless something goes wrong. I've already spoken to Fury about it and he agrees it would benefit you to mingle with people. Obviously people in Scotland weren't effected as much but they still feel pretty strongly about what happened."

"Ok." Loki seemed quieter than usual but Elrond carried on.

"Right. Since it's like 4 in the morning, we'll wait until 9 to get going. I've already messaged David and he seems pretty excited to see you."

"And I him." Loki glanced at Elrond and the others. Not that he didn't feel privileged to be getting out of here, but he had never really thought about how people would react to him. He had after all killed many of their citizens and proposed he be their king. Nonetheless, the visit would surely be interesting.

"Is everything ok? You look a bit lost." Elrond walked towards Loki just as he was about to leave.

"Yeah. It's just... Wouldn't it be good for him to see the helicarrier? You said he enjoys science and here he can experience the very height of it."

"I could ask Fury if he would allow it." Stark chimed in as he reached into his pocket and got out a small pad. He typed furiously on it for a second before be waited for a reply.

He raised his eyebrows slightly as he re-pocketed the device. "He says it's fine. He has clearance since you're his father. We can have him here by 9am. In the meantime, you get some sleep, you look whacked." Tony looked at Loki and how he hunched over slightly. His face seemed less bright and glowing and instead seemed gaunt and pale.

"My magic was still helping me heal from the incident of the island; but I'll be fine."

"If you want I can ask Fury to reconsider..." Tony got cut off as Loki raised his hand.

"No it's perfectly alright. Until I am needed, I shall take my leave." He turned and slowly walked out of the room and back to his quarters. The others glanced at each other before Banner and Elrond grabbed themselves another cup of coffee and Tony, scotch.

* * *

Malekith sat at the head of a large, dark wooden table. Around the table sat advisers and sorcerers, all of whom had helped him conquer the past king. He had a decision to make; one that he thought needed a second opinion.

"You have to do it now. They are vulnerable, he is vulnerable. You will never get an opportunity like this again." An elf in dark robes addressed the table as he spoke loudly over the rest of them.

"Do this and the Allfather will come and burst down our doors. It will be obvious who fell him. If we do this, then our situation will only get worse." A smaller elf, sitting opposite, glared at him while making his point.

Malekith tapped his nails on the wood as he heard the arguments between his men. He had his own opinion supporting both sides. He had never much cared for others ideas and thoughts but every so often he heard something, which made him change his mind. Usually it benefitted him, sometimes it hindered him. Whoever gave him bad advice, didn't live another day; so anyone who voiced an opinion knew they had to stick by it and truly believe that their choice of action would be triumphant.

He stood up just as the whole table started talking over each other. They fell silent and looked up from their seats.

"I have decided. Out of careful consideration, I have concluded it would be best to strike now. Contact will be short, just in case the Allfather or Heimdall is watching. If everything is timed right, no one should see us. I will use a certain host, as to not attract too much unwanted attention, but I fear they will probably figure out it out in the end. By then it will be too late for them."

Even though the advisers were there to give him their opinion, after Malekith had decided, if you spoke against him, it was considered treason. Nobody said anything as Malekith walked back to his throne and closed his eyes in concentration.

* * *

Loki, once again sat on his bed. His mind was swimming with how the morning might go. What if David didn't like him? What if he despised him? He had heard how unruly human offspring were, but he also knew there were some exceptions. Was David one of them?

His concentration was interrupted as he heard his door open. Since he wasn't expecting guests he stood up and walked towards the door. The door flung open to reveal Barton standing there with one hand behind his back.

"Barton? What's the problem?" He noticed Clint wasn't listening to him so he moved closer with a hand out stretched. "Clint..."

Barton lunged forwards and slammed Loki onto the bed. Since they were laying width ways across it, Lokis' head and legs weren't supported and Clint pushed his head further down as he pinned him to the bed. Despite Loki being taller than him, since he was mortal, Clints' strength and knowledge of where to apply pressure, made Loki as weak as a kitten.

Barton covered Lokis' mouth and nose with his left hand as he brought his right one from behind his back and stabbed Loki in the stomach. His hand muffled a scream of pain as Lokis' eyes blew wide with agony. His legs thrashed against Clints' but since he had taken him by surprise, Barton had control over how much Loki could move. There was no getting out of it. Loki looked into Clints' eyes and looked almost sympathetic. Almost as if he knew.

Loki moaned and scrunched his eyes in pain as Barton withdrew the knife, not before twisting it and slowly dragging it back and forth inside Lokis' stomach. Clint felt Lokis' thrashing weaken as his head fell back and he closed his eyes. He withdrew his knife completely and stood up. Loki was on his back over the bed; head slung off the side and his legs dangling precariously off the other. His jumper was a bloody mess. Despite being dark coloured, the blood had already seeped through visibly on it and also on the white sheets underneath him.

Barton looked down at his own clothes and realised that some of the blood had stained his top. He didn't seem to mind as he wiped the blood on Lokis' jeans and left, grinning from ear to ear, leaving Loki unconscious and bleeding to death.

* * *

**So, sorry it took like 5 days to complete this chapter but college has started and is being a right pain. Also, sorry for the cliffhanger; need to keep you in suspense. **


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Grateful

And there you are anew

You've done it again

You may regret this

You're high

* * *

To the man on your shoulder,

You smile

As he entices you

Wishes you well, tricks you

* * *

To the other,

You ignore the other

As he dangles

Precariously from your shoulder

* * *

You did not choose

This feeling of ecstasy

The ultimate high

Then the never-ending low

* * *

Some have a choice

Others do not

In the hype of the moment

Of course you would choose 'yes'

* * *

The promise of feeling

So very alive and safe

Happy and safe and comforted

That you would see

* * *

The part of you

Others fail to notice

Hidden away underneath

Your introvert personality

* * *

Don't be ashamed

At least not in public

Many people are what they choose

Others are not

* * *

You did not choose

The feeling of satisfaction

Of safety and comfort

When home alone

* * *

That's who you are

And what you do

And you're high now

So look at me and see

* * *

As I dangle here precariously

That your life may be hard

But to those protecting you

It's nothing but a dream

* * *

We can see

Even if you cannot

That you are safe, loved, always

No matter how you feel

* * *

Loki woke up, slowly opening his eyes as he breathed heavily. His hands clutched to his stomach as he tried to sit up. He managed to get off the bed and half crawl to the door. He used the dresser as support as he stood up shaking. He took one hand away from his stomach and looked at it and saw it was drenched with blood. His shirt had been torn where Clint had stabbed him. Why would he do that? Sure they weren't the best of friends, but Loki wasn't the same person. Maybe Clint had realised while Loki was powerless, he was vulnerable; getting his own back maybe?

He walked out into the corridor. No guards or anyone else was around, like before. He made small steps towards the elevator and pressed the button for the lab. There was no time to go back to Asgard with Thor. He had to get his powers back; he needed to heal himself. If he didn't get medical attention soon, he would die.

The lift doors opened and he continued to walk towards the lab. The pain in his stomach increased and he doubled over, moaning in agony. He looked down and realised he was bleeding even more. He had left a trail of blood that had dripped from his hand on the floor.

He kept slowly walking until he couldn't stay upright. He fell to his knees and began to crawl. One hand on his stomach, one hand leaving bloody hand prints on the floor as he dragged himself towards the lab door. He could hear Thor and the others inside talking. Close, he was so close. Close to safety, protection, help, but so very far.

Another wave of pain struck him and made him tense as he felt his gut spasm. He couldn't scream, call out, nothing. His eyes fluttered closed as he slumped to the floor, one hand out stretched, the other pulled tightly to his stomach, and lay his head on the cold floor.

* * *

"Thank you for being patient with him, I know that it could have gone alot worse than it did." Thor made his way towards the door as he bid his farewells to Stark, Elrond and Banner.

"The others aren't blind, but they don't forget easily. I'm sure they'll see Loki as we do all, a friend." Banner sat at his computer and twizzled his chair round to look at Thor.

"I hope they realise this soon. Loki does not seem himself. He used to be so alive and happy. When he found out he was adopted, he became a man I didn't recognise. Everything escalated and got worse but then I caught a glimpse of my brother again. Hopefully by the end of this, I will have him back."

Thor nodded to the others and opened the door. He turned round and went through the door backwards. He closed it, took a deep breath then spun round. He gasped when he saw Loki lying on the floor; he'd almost stepped on him. Loki seemed so small but the blood trail behind him was thick with dark red blood.

"Brother?" Thor shook his head slightly and stretched out his hand. He couldn't understand; he was safe here.

Thor knelt down and rolled Loki over on his back. He saw the large blood stain on his front and lifted up his shirt slowly. Loki made a slight whimpering sound as his eyes moved under his eyelids and his hands shook by his sides. Thor saw the wound, red and sore and deeply cut in Lokis' right side. He knelt there, staring at his brothers' face, soaked with sweat, for what felt like an eternity before he quickly got up and burst back through the lab doors.

"We need a doctor. Loki has been... impaled on something."

Tony and Bruce looked at each other, since Adrian had gone into another room. They got up and ran out into the corridor, Thor following close behind.

"Oh my... Right, Bruce go sanitize a work bench and get the first aid kit. Then ring down to sick bay and get a team standing by." Tony never took his eyes off Loki as he barked his orders.

Bruce ran back into the lab, quickly cleared a bench covered in tools and reached for a green cupboard on the wall marked with a cross. Thor and Tony came through the doors, Thor first carrying Lokis' legs as Toy supported him under his arms.

"Are you ready yet?" Thors' voice was slightly shakey and not as powerful and mighty as usual. He was holding his brother who was dying in front of him. He could see the strain appearing on Tonys' face as he struggled to support Lokis' weight.

"Yes. Come on, hurry! Gently, gently. Don't twist him, just lie him flat. Get a small stool or something and raise his legs. Let his head lie flat and get his shirt off."

Tony bent down under the table and got a box and put it on the table as Thor gingerly tried to get Lokis' jumper off. Bruce came towards them with a pair of scissors and cut away at Lokis' shirt. It then became easier to pull away the fabric and assess his wound. Bruce went through the medical kit while Tony lifted Lokis' legs with Thors' help and placed the box underneath them. Tony then started to look at the wound and Bruce put on a pair of gloves and Thor just stood off to the side and looked on worryingly.

"Stark, you go and call this in. He is going to need all my attention." Tony gulped and turned away, towards the wall intercom. He spoke into it as Thor watched Bruce press gently round the wound. As soon as he applied any pressure, blood came seeping out.

Thors' face sank as he saw Lokis' body on the table; pale, discoloured and covered in dark red blood, his own. Bruce opened the medical kit and took out disinfectant wipes. Loki had been gently tossing and turning on the table but never once opened his eyes. As soon as Bruce started to dab away at his stomach, Loki opened his mouth as if to scream. Instead no sound came out as he arched his back then relaxed back on the table.

"He did not fall on anything, he was stabbed, hard and deep." Bruce spoke to Thor without looking up. The skin around the wound was now cleaner and Bruce could see it was a clean cut. "I'd say a 5-6 inch blade with jagged edges..." He paused and looked up, unfocused.

"Thor furrowed his brows as he tore his gaze from Loki. "Would you recognise the implement? You… you know who did this, don't you?" Thors' voice grew softer as Tony briskly walked back over to them.

Bruce went back to looking at the wound. "I can' be certain, but..." He looked between Thor and Tony, "I'd say it looks like something Bartons' knife would do."

"You can't be suggesting that Clint did this? Look, we all know the guy has a grudge against Loki, but he would never do this." Tony tried not to look down at Loki as he felt his stomach turn as the smell of blood filled his nose.

Thor bit his lip as he knelt down next to his brother so he could look straight into his eyes; if only he would open them. "If you are certain Barton would not do this in his right mind, then I think I know who did this."

"Who?" Bruce and Tony bother chimed.

"Malekith. He has been known to influence people. Force them to do things they wouldn't normally do."

The doors to the labs burst open as a team of nurses and doctors in white scrubs came rushing in, Fury right behind them. Just as they closed the door and stopped along side Loki, a spark of light appeared at the end of the room. The flash grew larger and a figure stepped out of the light. Malekith.

He stood in front of them as Bruce, Fury, Tony and the nurses and doctors stayed silent. Thor was clenching his fists, ready for a fight but before he could speak, Malekiths' image, flickered them faded completely. The light faded and everyone looked at each other.

"Shadow... memory. Shadow in your mind, my mind, memory of a shadow. Aahhh." Loki mumbled his words as he tried to sit up. As he got further up, his wound stretched and he fell back onto the table in agony. The others, as if coming out of a trance, suddenly turned towards him. The doctor helped lift him on to the gurney and wheeled him out into the corridor. Thor looked on, confused, then followed immediately after them; he was not going to lose his brother again.

Fury stood with his hands on his hips and craned his neck to watch as Lokis' broken body was taken away. He then turned towards Bruce and Tony and asked, "What the hell is going on?"

* * *

Thor stood in the corner of the room near the door as the doctors, seemingly roughly, stripped Loki and got a closer look at his wounds. There were some bruises on his legs where Barton had pinned him down. He had been rougher than Loki had first thought. He was now awake, only just, mumbling something incoherent. The doctors ignored him as they applied cold packs to his side to stop the bleeding.

One of the nurses walked towards Thor, her held low.

"Your brother has sustained an injury that we cannot just stitch up. He will require surgery since the blade used was..." Thor held up his hand and walked past her towards Loki.

"Thank you for your efforts, but I can be of use here more than you."

He gestured for the doctors to step back as he took hold of Lokis' hands and gripped tightly as Loki stared mindlessly into Thors' eyes. He could not focus but knew that what he about to do would hurt. Loki closed his eyes and clenches his teeth, waiting.

A blinding light engulfed Thor then spread to Loki down his arms and over his body. He wasn't just giving him his powers back; he was taking down his shield, his image.

When Thor stepped back from Loki, half the nurses shrieked and ran to hide. The doctors just looked stunned. Loki was now sitting up on the gurney, legs dangling slightly over the side, completely healed.

It was not his sudden recovery that made the women turn and run; apart from wearing only his underwear, he was now covered in what appeared to be scars. Dark blue, almost black set on a background of blue skin. He raised his head to look at Thor with his demon red eyes and got slowly off the table. He was unsteady on his feet and almost fell, but Thor steadied him and helped him turn round to face the doctors.

They saw their confused and slightly worried and panicked expressions. Thor and Loki turned to each other and laughed quietly as Loki tilted his head and addressed the others.

"Don't be alarmed. This is my natural appearance." He looked down as he realised he wasn't wearing anything apart from boxers. He walked carefully over to a coat hanger on the wall nearest the door and put on a white lab coat and wrapped it around himself.

He gestured towards the door and said, "I think we should inform the others, don't you." His lips curled up into a grin as he left, barefoot with Thor smirking behind him; leaving the doctors speechless.

* * *

"His condition is critical. Thor is his only visitor at the moment. We thought, considering Lokis' state... well, we think he might not make it so we're leaving Thor to say his goodbyes." Bruce explained to Fury, Tony and Elrond. Adrian hadn't known something was wrong until Fury called a meeting of all the avengers. Natasha was in the corner and Clint was sitting at the other end of the table, away from everyone, shaking. He'd seen what he'd done, remembered every waking moment, felt the emotion overrun him. He couldn't control himself, the others knew that but that didn't help him feel any better.

"If Loki doesn't make it, Thor is going to be compromised. You do realise that?" Natasha spoke in a flat emotionless tone; she didn't like to get emotionally involved, it got in the way too much.

"No. It doesn't make any difference. If Malekith decides to invade as well as killing Loki, then he's fair game. Anyone with a clear shot takes it. He poses a threat to this world and everyone on it. Even to Thor and Loki so we're not the only world in this. We will do this purely because Malekith has to be stopped. Dead." Fury looked between Tony and Natasha as he spoke, ignoring Clint since he was still shaken.

Tonys' pad bleeped and vibrated on the table and he spun it round so he could view it better. His expression went from confused to ecstatic in seconds.

"Eh, Bruce? You may want to update your information. Lokis' up and about and is coming here with Thor." He spoke with a slight questioning tone, as he viewed a report from the doctors while simultaneously pulling up security footage of them walking side by side.

"And he um, that is Loki, he's, well, lets say he's not pale anymore."

"How do you mean...?" Elrond fell silent as the lift doors opened and Loki strode out, blue skin lit up by the sun as he walked towards him. Almost angelic in appearance, Thor followed by his side and they both grinned and bowed their heads to hide their amusement at the others' stunned faces.

"I understand David will be here soon. I am still only too glad to meet him, but..." he held out his hands to show Adrian and looked directly at him with his crimson eyes, "you may want to warn him about, you know..."

Adrian just gaped at him. He looked fascinated at the patterns on his hands and face. Akin to fine, detailed engravings on a piece of pale marble, but instead on a canvas of deep blue skin.

"Why, how? You were dying half an hour ago."

Thor stood forwards next to his brother. "Loki was dying, that is true. The doctors said the extent of his wound was great but thankfully, I did a bit of research before I became king." He smirked at Loki as he rolled his eyes. Oh so proud of being clever, just when it counted.

"Lokis' body was fighting to keep him alive. Luckily for him, there are three possible sources for energy; his immune system, not unlike yours but a bit more versatile. His magic, which I returned to him and his, shall we say camouflage."

The others simultaneously narrowed their eyes and tilted their heads in puzzlement. This needed some clarification. Loki licked his lips as he turned away from Elrond and walked to the front of the table.

"Me and Thor are not blood brothers; I was adopted. My father was a frost giant. Their appearance is similar to mine. The only difference is, I lack the height of the average Jotun. My body created the illusion, without the necessity for magic; something the Allfather gave me when I was first brought to Asgard. This does drain some of my energy to heal and so on and therefore by removing it, I was able to escape the clutches of Hela. I now have my powers back and I don't intend to give them up again." His voice turned serious as he looked towards Clint but turned swiftly to Fury when Clint didn't look up.

"We understand, and we are relieved you're still with us. Will you look like this for the duration of your stay?" Bruce looked into Lokis' eyes as he got lost in how unnaturally red they were.

"I could change now; not that I don't like this form, it just reminds me how different I am to my _real_ family. I require a volunteer." He clapped his hands together and looked eagerly at the others as everyone shied away apart from Thor. Loki glanced over at Barton who had spun round to face them but kept his head low. He still felt guilty for almost hacking Loki to death; that was clear as he twiddled his thumbs. Loki slowly walked towards him and took hold of his arms; a thin layer of fabric between them. He brought Clint to his feet and he slowly raised his head to view Lokis' new semblance. His eyes were truly amazing. Rubies set against a midnight shade of blue. No white of his eyes showing, which only made his appearance more alien, and oh so more fine. Loki slid his hands down Clints' arms and grabbed his hands. Clint gasped slightly as his cold skin touched his jittery hands. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling; it felt strange, new.

From the tips of Lokis' fingers, a wave of colour snaked up his arms. It disappeared under his coat but continued up his neck and covered his face. He closed his eyes and opened them shortly afterwards, revealing his minted green eyes.

He held Clints' hands more gently and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"I forgive you." Barton relaxed his tense shoulders and Loki disconnected and walked back over to his brother.

"I believe we have some catching up to do."

* * *

"I just, didn't feel needed, wanted, loved. You always saw me as less. 'Know your place, brother. Only women shy behind spells.' Granted we were younger once but always with the teasing."

Thor fumbled with his amour as he stepped closer to Loki. "I did tease you, and for that I am sorry. But I always saw you as an equal. In fathers' eyes you were the same to him."

Lokis' eyes fell upon Thors' shoulder. This reminded him so much of their conversation before Thors' coronation. Having a heart to heart with each other; only exception being that Loki wasn't about to ruin the moment.

"It's just that I never felt the affection I saw you getting."

"Loki. You were always loved, always. Mother never stopped, father showed it in his usual way and I never thought myself above you." Thor grasped Lokis' shoulders and he softened his voice. "You will always be my brother, my equal. Never forget that, however you feel." They gave each other pats on the back as the hugged.

This was the one thing they appreciated most about Midgard. Acceptance of feelings and emotions. The people of Asgard would few such signs of affection as a fault; a means to defeat, weakness. Here, people understood if someone felt the need to vent their anger or their feelings, as long as no harm resulted from them. Lokis' way of expressing his feelings here were much healthier for both himself, and others around him; so Midgard did have its' uses.

After they hugged and clapped each other on the back several times, Thor disconnected, smiling broadly. So happy to have his baby brother back; all of his wit and intelligence, with just a hint a mischief on the side; perfect.

"I am going to make myself a coffee. Marvelous drink. Would you like to try a brew?"

Thor pottered over towards the kitchen in Lokis' apartment and started to wonder how the coffee machine worked. He still hadn't kicked his caffeine habit since his banishment.

"Got to be better than Starks' beverages. They're all alcoholic."

"Aww. You truly have returned. You never could hold your liquor as well as me."

"I chose not to drown my mind in a jug of mead. I find it slows the mind and causes irrational behaviour that one wouldn't normally take part in."

Thor turned round and gave Loki a stern glare. "That was one time, and we had been celebrating our victory. It was a superb event. If only you had been there."

"I was there. And indeed it was. Pity you can't remember everything that happened."

"You are playing games with me again brother." Thor turned back to hammering the coffee machine with his fist and said, "I shan't get into a debate with you; I know I could only ever lose against your quick tongue."

Loki smirked as he took off the lab coat and engulfed himself in green and gold light. He now sported simple black jeans and a green-buttoned shirt. He found it more flexible and user friendly than heavy leather and metal; also cooler.

He placed the lab coat on one of the coat hooks by the door as it opened automatically. Loki looked straight ahead but saw no one. He glanced down and noticed a young man in a chair. He smiled and approached him as he realised who it was.

"Hello. I'm David."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Acquaintances and blue

"You better come in then." Loki tried not to look at David any differently than he would anyone else. He had never seen anyone confined to a wheelchair before. Anyone on Asgard who sustained such an injury would be healed without hours. He was finding out all the time, just how fragile humans were.

David rolled himself along as Loki closed the door behind him, careful to give him plenty of room so he would not run over his feet. He parked himself near the dining table and glanced around.

"Good view from up here then."

Thor walked over with two mugs in his hand and set them down on the table.

"Indeed. My brother was lucky he did not completely destroy this magnificent craft; if he had, we would never have been able to view your city so well."

"What? Inverness? We don't really have any grand buildings here. In London they have many beautiful structures. That's where I'm from but it's hard to get around since it's the capital so I'm studying here. Not that I'm complaining, but it does get awfully cold here."

"I rather like the cold. Found New York to be a little too warm for my liking." Loki wandered over and grabbed his mug, looking at the contents as if it were poison. He took a hesitant sip as Thor carried on.

"I do not know of London, but New York was especially crowded. I can understand why it might have been difficult for you to live there." As soon as he said it, he regretted it. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." David smiled and glanced down at his legs as he tapped them.

"It's fine. I'm used to it now. Truth is, this was both the best and worst thing that happened to me, in a weird way."

Thor still felt uncomfortable so he decided to leave. "I must go. I'll see you later, Loki."

Loki gave him a gentle nod as he sat down with his mug.

"Sorry." He gestured to his mug. "Do you want something to drink? We have coffee, although I find it less spectacular than what Thor described it as."

"No thanks. I'd rather have some water. Coffee makes me sleepy, and we have so much to talk about."

"You sound excited; almost pleased to be speaking with me. You do know what I did, don't you?" His tone was soft, almost like he was asking for forgiveness when he didn't even know where to begin.

"Yeah, we're not that closed off to the rest of the world. But seeing how you act around your brother, and me you seem changed. Not that I met you before but you don't appear to be someone who could destroy so much."

"I am both myself and him; my past self. That part of me is something I never wish to become again. Regrettably, I still remember everything that happened. Some of it not in the right order but it's all here. I even remember when I first wanted to strike out against my father."

David looked slightly puzzled as Loki took a swig of his drink.

"He told me I was adopted; that I was not his true son and Thor not my blood brother. Looking back on all we went through as a family, I only saw lies and illusions. I felt like no one understood or could understand what I was feeling. So I left." He moved the mug around in his hands, feeling the warmth from it. "Looking back at myself, I realise I could have dealt with it all in a fashion more befitting a prince."

"I can relate. Not to that extent, but to feeling forgotten, pushed aside." Loki put down his mug and placed his hands on the table, his full attention on David. "Before the accident, father never gave me any of his time. Mother was the one who looked after me, but I still wanted to be noticed by him. After the accident, I realised how much someone could change. He took leave from work and concentrated all his time on me. At first I thought it was just a way of compensating for mum not being there but he's kept it up. I think once he realised you could lose someone so quickly, he saw me as the only thing he truly cared about."

David wiped his eyes, slightly; no tears, just a reflex. "We started to bond better when he went back to work. I got interested in science, since, well, can't play sports like this. Found I had a knack for certain things. It opened my eyes to bigger possibilities than running around on a field pretending to be so important and strong. Everyone envied the quarter back of course; girls loved him. I tried so hard to be his friend, but people like that are hard to talk to. They act so superior, they just ignore anyone lower than themselves."

"Now I can relate there." Loki repositioned himself as he ran his hand through his hair. "Thor was and still is, the stronger of us two. He uses brute strength and speed, while I use cunning and tactics. In battle, one he would invariably get us into I might add, I would get us out of it but he would always be seen as the better brother, the mightier warrior, the stronger fighter, the greater leader. Really rather arrogant but he's changed that as well. Not completely of course. Still acts all high and mighty, but he is his fathers' son; and so am I. I've only just come to realise that now." He trailed off as he finished his drink; still hadn't decided whether he enjoyed it enough to brew another and risk setting fire to the kitchen.

"If only we'd know what it feels like to lose something so precious, I think we would spend our time more wisely than we do now." David splayed his fingers on the table and looked back out over the scenery.

Loki smirked as he got up and put his mug in the sink and poured David a glass of water. "This part of the conversation is usually where we'd bump mead jugs. But since you're under age, you can't drink."

"Hey, I thought you were from Asgard. How do you know the drinking age?" Davids' tone was cheerful as he straightened his shirt.

"Your father told me a few things about Midgard. And he also mentioned a few things about you."

"Please don't tell me he told you any family stories. They are the worst."

"They were all good I promise. The ones here about me though are truly terrible."

"Ah yes. Something about a horse, a snake, a wolf, a girl and I do believe there was one with a dress." David tried to contain his smile as Loki sat back down, he himself grinning.

"I have no children, especially none of the non humanoid species. But between you and me," he leaned forwards as David craned his head in anticipation, "Thor does look very good in the red dress with the white frills. Goes exceedingly well with the white veil."

They both leaned back in their chairs and belted out laughing. "I had your brother down as the quarter back type. I wouldn't think he'd suit a dress."

"He did look magnificent; pity hardly anyone saw him in his gown." Lokis' smile faded then grew wider as he looked up and down the apartment. "Tell you what, I'll show you."

* * *

"You're sure? It's not just bad weather, we are very far north, you know."

Tony was sitting doodling new upgrades for his suit while Bruce and Elrond frantically strode between monitors in the lab.

"I wouldn't call a 9 degree drop small. And I know we're further north than usual; Furys' been worried that the engines will freeze up. He still doesn't believe me when I say they're especially designed not to." Bruce stopped running around in circles to look at Tony; unlike Bruce, calm and relaxed with his feet up. "Why don't you make yourself useful and go and tell him again?"

Tony carried on typing away then looked up, clueless look on his face. "Hmm? What was that you said, dear?"

Banner looked towards Elrond as Adrian just smiled and turned back to his work.

"He'll be up here in a minute anyway, so no need to go to him. We'll let the lion come to us." Tony looked up from his monitor and smiled at Banner who didn't turn round but still felt Tonys' stupid face grinning at the back of his head.

* * *

Thor and Steve were in the gym. Despite the system Fury had come up with, no one could sleep. Steve was punching bags hanging from the ceiling as Thor was lifting weights.

"How is it you do not succumb to injury as easily as the others?" Thor kept lifting while Steve took a break from punching and sat down with a towel and drink.

"Long story, but basically, I was a weakling. I got chosen for a special opportunity and I took it. It made me virtually invincible."

"You, a weakling? Would never have believed it. But tell me, if you were weak to begin with, why did they choose you? Surely if you start with someone already strong, then you'd get even more power."

"Fighting a war isn't just about brute strength. Do remember that here, wars are planned by people behind the lines as much as they are fought by people on and beyond them. The plan was to create someone with both the mind and the body of the ultimate soldier. They picked me because of my will and my determination." Steve smiled to himself before he took a long, messy drink of water. "I still remember the day I fell in love."

"Love? What does that have to do with your transformation?"

"She helped me through the transition. I didn't make friends while training since no one took the skinny guy seriously. She did though. My Peggy."

"Did you lose her in the war?" Thors' tone died down into a sympathetic one as he stopped and sat forwards, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"In a way. I went down into the ice and left her alone. We had a date planned and all. Who knows what could have come of it? I might have lived an ordinary life."

Thor stood up and walked over to Steve. "But who knows if it would have been a better one. Not saying that your situation was in anyway good, but you're doing good now. Never forget that." Thor stood a few feet away from him as Steve slowly stood up.

"She's still alive you know. Out there. She never married, lives alone. Single, sad old woman and no one knows just how important she was."

Thor grabbed Steve by the shoulders and looked straight into his eyes. "She obviously still is, to you."

Steve stared back at Thor and clapped him on the shoulder as he turned and left.

* * *

Clint and Natasha sat in the rec room. A room not usually used on the helicarrier but since neither of them could sleep and they wanted privacy, it turned into their best option. They sat in silence as Clint sat bolt up right on the sofa and Natasha leaned back in an armchair.

Clint twiddled his thumbs as Natasha sat with her arms crossed looking meaningfully down at her feet. She knew she was the closest Barton had to a friend in S.H.I.E.L.D so she felt that it was her responsibility to cheer him up. He clearly still felt shaken from earlier on. Despite the fact that he knew he hadn't been in control of his actions and that Loki and the rest had forgiven him, he still felt unsettled by the whole thing. For a second time, he had been possessed by the enemy. This time however, his past enemy was both his friend and his victim.

Natasha got up from her seat and sat down next to Clint. Uncomfortably close, since Barton was still jumpy, she put her hands on his and placed them on his lap.

"Clint, Clint look at me." He didn't move his head or make eye contact. She slowly moved his head with her hand to face hers and she leaned in and kissed his forehead. She drew away and whispered as he bowed his head. "It's not your fault. None of it was. You are safe here, we are all safe."

Clint sobbed slightly as he raised his head to look at her, teary eyed. "But what if he gets in my head again? I could kill you, be possessed at any moment and no one would ever know."

Natasha thought this over. He did have a point. Now that both sides knew war was just round the corner, both were most likely wondering what the other was doing.

"Even when stressed, your mind is still as sharp as your aim. Do you want to go and ask Loki if there's anything we can do to prevent it?" She was acting like she was watching over a small child that had just banged their knee and was asking for mummy; not a member of the avengers.

Clint nodded and stood up, straightened his attire and motioned towards the door. Natasha went first, Clint followed and they headed towards the lab.

* * *

Thor walked with his hands behind his back towards the lab. He felt he'd given Loki and David plenty of time to learn from each other and he still felt like his brother needed his attention. He thought himself stupid; Loki was grown up now and over his childhood issues, but then again, his recent attack on Midgard had been caused by his daddy issues and brother issues and general life issues so he thought it best if he gave his brother some of his time.

He'd been relieved to have his brother fighting on his side again. He tried not to think of actual battles they fought in but when they were younger and they'd play games together and play tricks on passers by. Usually Thors' idea but since Loki was better at magic, it was a joint effort.

He rounded a corner and saw Steve wandering the corridors.

"You lost there Steve?"

"Not really. Just don't know where to go."

"I'm going to Lokis' apartment to check on my brother and the son of Elrond, would you care to join me?"

"May as well. Nothing else to do around here except wait."

They walked in silence and spotted Natasha and Clint also walking in the same direction.

"Where are you two headed?" Natasha spoke as Clint slowed his pace so he was slightly behind Natasha.

"Lokis' place, you?"

"Same. We have something to ask Loki. We need to think of a way to shield ourselves from Malekith. He did infiltrate and use Clint after all; he could do it again. It was Clints' idea."

She turned around and smiled at Clint as he stepped forwards.

"Right then, we'll lead the way." Thor said as they walked in their pairs, Thor and Steve first then Clint and Natasha.

Thor heard laughter coming from round the corner and broke into a light jog ahead of Steve and the others and peeped through the window of the door. His eyes grew in size and he walked back down the corridor; put his back against the wall and breathed deeply.

Steve and the others came round the corner and saw Thor standing there out of breath.

"You ok, Thor?" Steve made his way to go in but Thor put his hand in front of him.

"Don't! Loki is... playing a game, an illusion. None of it is real."

"What are you talking about?" The four of them turned and saw Fury advancing from further down the corridor.

"We don't know. Thor just seems shocked. We only just got here." Natashas' tone went from factual to quizzical as she made her way towards the door.

"Please don't." Thor pleaded but Fury made his way and stood in front of Thor.

"Stand down Thor. We will see what is going on in there. With what has already happened behind closed doors, we can't keep any secrets.

Fury opened the door and Steve, Natasha, Clint and finally Thor walked in; none of them quite expecting to see what they now saw. Thor, or at least the image of Thor in a floor length red silk gown; with white frills at the bottom and a silver tiara with a see through white veil hanging from it, was pacing back and forth in the apartment. Loki and David sitting off to one side; Loki bent over from laughing so much and David covered his mouth with his hands as his eyes scrunched shut as he cackled along with Loki.

The image didn't notice them long after they had watched it turn and continue walking.

As soon as the door shut with a slight click, Loki and David looked up, stopped laughing then began bellowing with laughter at the looks on their faces. Everyone but Thor and Fury were smirking, while Thors' cheeks went red and Fury kept his face emotionless. Even he was trying not to smirk at this though.

Loki got up, staggered a bit as if drunk and walked over to his brother still laughing.

"Brother. We erm, we talked and somehow the conversation, well, you came up. Then this happened," he motioned towards the Thor in red as he kept walking, unfazed by the audience, "and well, that was 10 minutes ago and we've been occupied ever since." Pause. "Laughing mostly haha." He stopped giggling as soon as Thor gave him a stern look. The others were just admiring the view of Thor in a dress. One of their finest heroes wearing such a fine, feminine gown was just too much and Natasha bent over and lent on Clints' shoulder as she snickered.

Steves' lips curled slightly as he thought of something witty. "Don't worry Thor, could be worse. Tony might be here."

Thors' face dropped as he realised what Tony might do. "Oh no. Please don't tell him. I shall never live the humiliation down."

Fury walked towards Loki as he kept his face calm. "We won't tell him because it's not S.H.I.E.L.D business. Would you kindly remove the illusion?"

Loki continued to laugh and waved his hand and the image faded, must to the distaste of David and Natasha who still kept laughing; small tears falling from their eyes.

Fury stood in front of the team as they steadied themselves and kept glancing at Thor who had gone a bright shade of red himself.

"Right. I came to ask you all to come to lab. Bruce, Elrond and Stark have discovered a temperature drop near the Faroe Islands, just where they thought it would start. I'm ordering you all to calm down and behave like grown ups. Thor you may walk with me, if you wish."

Thor glanced at his brother who was still holding back a smile and turned towards Fury. "Thank you, sir."

Fury nodded then held out his right arm. "The rest of you can follow as I escort the lady." Fury finally cracked a smile and saw the expression on Thors' face drop as he huffed and stormed out of the room.

The others all stared at Fury in amazement. Never, since they had worked with him, had he made a joke. Nick now turned to them and smirked silently as he said, "Well, come on. It's Thor in a dress. How could I not?" He turned and followed Thor who was hurtling towards the lab; Loki, Clint, Natasha, Steve and David close behind.

* * *

**Thank you so much for the reviews, favourites and follows. Really spurs me on. I do believe I updated this yesterday. Shows you what I've done with my day off. **


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

When the tide comes in

"Ok then. One of the satellites has traced a temperature drop to the Faroe Islands; just so happens to be where we estimated it would start. It's not habited by many and experiences cold weather anyway; starting in a hot climate would take longer so it makes sense to go north." Bruce twiddled his pen between his fingers as he looked at the screen, along with the other avengers.

"If he requires somewhere cold, then why not go to the north or south pole? Surely they are colder." Natasha was always one for asking the questions that no one else thought to. Sometimes the forgotten aspects of a situation, turned into the most important.

"We're assuming he wants to draw the least amount of attention possible. Svartalfheim and the Faroe Island share a characteristic. They're both known for their rocky terrain. His reputation in battle has always faired better on rougher lands." Thor said.

"So where is our advantage?" Steve kept his eyes on Thor and Loki as they racked their brains for any information they could use against Malekith.

"He has a weakness towards iron, that is for sure. Everything else is just rumours and old wives tales." Loki stared at the floor, still trying to think of a way of out smart him.

Tonys' ears pricked up. "Iron? Pure iron or can it be in alloy form?"

"Most of our weapons are alloys but the ones with higher concentrations of iron were more effective. It weakens him like poison." Thor smiled as he remembered his father telling Loki and him stories when they were children. Not that Odin had bred them to be warriors, but to understand that you could always control somebody, even someone as evil as Malekith.

Fury took a step forwards; his long leather trench coat whipping behind him. "I think it would be best if you give us a brief introduction to Malekith and what he can do. This will help us all greatly."

Loki swayed his head as he put together his words. "Much like me, he is a sorcerer, but I have heard he is more powerful than me. This means that I would most likely lose against him one on one. Whenever he has been defeated, it has not been for long; but whenever he fell, he did so at the combined effort of more than one race. Different cultures appear to have, shall we say different frequencies of magic or in your case science. The joined force of different races is more powerful than the might of one, always."

"So does that mean that whatever harms people in this world, will hurt him?" Steve scrunched his eyes as he twisted his head around the concept of magic.

"No. He is still from a realm of magic. The majority of the attack has to be from Thor and me. But the killer blow can be dealt through other means, such as science." Loki walked over to the board and cleared the screen. He took out a marker pen and began drawing symbols on the board.

"Humans, Asgardians and Dark Elves all have immune systems. When these are weakened, they become under threat from disease and infections. For humans, it's easy to infiltrate your systems; for Asgardians it's more difficult, but for Dark Elves, it's near impossible."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Uhh, just our luck."

Loki carried on. "As I said, Malekith will only be weakened when he is attacked by two or more forms of power. Then something as simple as a knife can kill him."

"Would the number of different types of power make a difference?" Bruce rubbed his eyes and put his glasses back on his face. He felt outsmarted since he didn't believe in magic until two months ago, and it was so much to take in.

"Yes but I don't know of any other race that would want to join the fight. Almost every realm is aware of Malekiths' greed for ruler ship; and if he finds a new planet to please himself with, they see it as another thousand years or so before they have to worry themselves again."

"Selfish but understandable." Clint finally spoke up from behind Natasha and the rest.

Natasha suddenly remembered. "Loki? If there anyway you can shield us against Malekiths hypnosis spell?"

Loki licked his lips as he rubbed his hands together. "Not completely shield, but you will be able to know if you have been compromised. You may have about 30 seconds of lucidness before he can control you. Thor and me may have more time but eventually he would control us too. That is the best I can do I'm afraid."

Fury glanced round at them all, then turned to Loki directly. "It's not perfect but it'll do. Loki, I want you to protect all of us against him to the best of your ability. At least this way, we'll be able to react in time."

Loki strode out into the middle of the room and approached the avengers one by one. First Steve, then Natasha, Clint, Fury, Tony, Elrond then Thor. He joined hands with them one at a time and concentrated as a wave of energy passed through him and over them. It felt strange. Like that feeling you get inside on a cold day when you drink a warm cup of coffee, but all over. The sensation soon passed and they felt no different.

Loki then turned to Bruce who was tapping away on a pad. He reached out his hands. No sooner had his fingers whispered over Bruces', that Loki let go and stumbled back slightly. Bruce looked confused as he stood there, while Thor advanced one long stride before seeing his brother catch himself.

"Loki, what is it?" Thors' voice was hesitant as he saw his brothers' expression. One of fear and shock.

"Clint wasn't the first. He's possessed you several times."

* * *

"Did you not think to get yourself checked out? You know how serious this threat is, why didn't you?" Furys' voice wasn't raised but still had a faint whiff of annoyance as Bruce buried his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes again.

"I thought it was the stress of the work and the... the thought that I would lose control again."

Loki walked back towards Bruce. "Listen to me Banner. You will not lose control, you know why? Because we have means to defeat the enemy. This time we know what we are up against."

Bruce relaxed his tense shoulders and held his hands out as Loki grabbed them and shielded him.

"Everyone is protected but that doesn't mean that our minds are impenetrable. From now on, everyone must carry a form of communication that they can access within ten seconds. If you feel a presence or someone trying to access your mind, you call out on all frequencies. Got that?"

They all nodded and Loki let go of Banner as he blinked, letting the alien sensation wash over him.

"I think it's safe to assume that Malekith knows that we're here. Even if he can't directly read our minds, he's not blind." Thor folded his arms as everyone else sat down.

"Agree. What do you suppose our next course of action should be Banner?" Fury stood at the head of the table looking towards the scientists.

"We could send out a small aircraft so map the land and check for anything unusual." Bruces' tone made him sound unsure.

"You must take into account, that the casket is not a large object. Smaller than Mjolnir so he could easily hide where you speak of and be virtually invisible. We would have to go there for ourselves and scour the terrain." He glanced towards Loki with a smile gracing his face.

Fury straightened his attire and leant onto the table. "Be careful Thor. I can see you're hungry for a fight, but we can't go in unless we have reason to believe he is there."

"If I may?" Loki raised his hand slightly as he furrowed his eyebrows. Fury nodded and gestured with his hand for him to continue. "You are both right. Malekith can hide very well when he doesn't wish to be found and with his magic, I doubt even your machinery could pick up any indication that he would be there."

Elrond spoke up, ignoring Davids' fascinated expression while he sat near him.

"We'll have to thoroughly go over the place visually to get a definite answer. It would take days."

Loki stood up and marched next to his brother, turning back towards the table. "Not if me and Thor go. He can fly over the island while I try and find his energy signature. If he is using sorcery to camouflage himself, I'll know before Thor or any of you do."

Thor, who had been unconsciously looking down at Loki with a proud smile, jolted his heads upwards to look at Fury. Nick glanced over them, then back at the map of the island.

"Very well. How long do you think you'll need before you can be sure if he's there or not?"

"No more than about," Loki glanced at Thor with a questioning brow, "4 hours?" Thor nodded and stood up straighter.

"Ok. We've still got about 8 hours of light left, so I recommend you two go now and report back any findings. If you do find anything suspicious, you are to contact us immediately."

Both brothers bowed slightly as they headed towards the elevator.

Fury slumped down in his chair at the head of the table and glanced over the avengers. His attention turned to the only person who didn't seem to fit in the scene. He tilted his head to the side and looked at Elrond. "Don't you think it's time David went home, for his own safety?"

Adrian turned to his son as he saw him grinning from ear to ear. Genuinely happy. Immersing himself in adventure had always been something he'd wanted to do and what was more adventurous than spending time with the avengers?

"I'll take him myself. With your permission I would like to spend some time with my son. I promise to return before Loki and Thor do."

Fury nodded then glanced back at David, face now holding back a sad smile.

He took the hint and made his way to the elevator. Adrian followed close behind, leaving the rest of them in silence.

* * *

Thor and Loki walked out onto the roof of the helicarrier and stood up, looking over the side at the ground below.

"Sure you can fly by yourself now?" Thor shouted over the sound of the wind whistling past them and smiled as Loki turned his head with a frown on his face.

"Yes, you fool. I've fully recovered all my magic. We'll fly there then scour the island separately. That way we'll find Malekith quicker."

Thor reached under his amour and picked out two earpieces. He handed one to Loki as he yelled, "Put this in. When you find him, call out on this. Both me and S.H.I.E.L.D will here you. Fury has tested them and has informed me that Elrond and his son have gone to their home down below in case we need them."

Loki eyed the piece as he watched Thor pull back his hair and attach it around his ear. He copied and adjusted it till it felt comfortable enough to put up with.

"Ready brother?" Thor readied his hammer as they stood closer to the edge of the carrier.

"Just like old times isn't it?" Loki looked off into the distance, green and red capes flapping in the wind.

"Then I think we should stick to tradition then; I'll lead." He didn't give Loki time to answer as he spun his hammer round and took off.

Loki scowled as he flew straight after him. He caught up to him as they neared the island.

"You take the northern section and look for any disturbed areas. He may have used something similar to the Bifrost and that would leave a mark in he dirt. I'll scour to southern part myself and call in if I find anything. After that we'll switch and double check."

"Sounds like you don't trust me."

"Not at all. We are both better at finding certain patterns. And anyway, your reputation for clumsiness is too well known. You may overlook the obvious even when it's right there in front of you."

_If you are referring to yourself, then you have nothing to worry about. I will never forget that you are here with me. I will never take advantage of you again and I promise to be the brother that you deserve. _Thor thought to himself as they flew closer to the island.

* * *

Fury stood on the bridge, looking out over Inverness. David had said his goodbyes and gone home. The others had decided to go and practice their skills and retune their equipment.

Maria Hill was at her desk looking at a computer screen while two other personnel were at their stations. It was their responsibility to steer the craft and to detect any incoming fire or transmissions.

One of the screens flashed red as the man read the information appearing on the monitor.

"Director Fury, sir?"

"What is it ensign?"

"Sir, we have new coordinates being programmed into the navigation system." He spoke as he typed furiously on his monitor while Nick leaned over his shoulder to get a closer look.

The other ensign also spoke up. "We also seem to be experiencing a lockdown, sir. No communications are able to be transmitted or received sir."

Fury stood up and glanced at the other screen while Maria got up from her chair and walked over to another station.

"The temperature outside has remained the same. No physical interference from the ship. No forced entry or any other tampering that we can detect. Most of our scanners are effected by the lock down."

Fury looked between the three screens deciding what to do next. The craft jolted and creaked as the scenery outside the window changed. The ship began to spin round and faced the opposite direction.

"What are our new coordinates?"

"Destination 40.7142° north, 74.0064° west. New York City, Stark Tower."

"Is there anything we can do to stop the ship or change destination?"

"No sir. I am now completely locked out." All the screens powered down and went blank. The lights also turned off and the automatic doors and elevator shut and locked themselves.

"Under lockdown procedure, all exits and possible points of entry are closed and deadlocked. We would need a computer genius to get through them and it would take them at least 5 hours to get past all the firewalls." Maria sounded off from her chair as she spun around to face Fury.

"Good thing Stark is on board then. Even though we can't contact him, no doubt he's already realised we're in a situation."

* * *

The winds were colder and sharper as they reached the coast.

"Right, see you when you've completed your observations. Good luck." Thor quickly flew off towards the northern part of the island, while Loki hovered a hundred feet above the coast and held his hands close to his chest. He closed his eyes and whispered an incantation while his cape whipped around him. He opened his eyes and held his hands out at arms length over the land. A green glow appeared from his fingers and lit up the ground below. It acted like an x ray so he could see every detail; every rock and every mound of dirt in clear crisp detail. He slowly flew forwards, hands still outstretched, searching for any sign of Malekith. He couldn't see any unusual cracks in the cliff faces, or patterns burnt into the ground. Nothing. He kept flying over until he had completely covered the entire southern part of the island. Having not found anything he decided to practice his magic, just to make sure he was fully recovered. He didn't feel like his usual self but he did feel alot stronger and more in control than before when he fell out of the sky.

He looked over the ground and found a decent sized rock. He concentrated on it until it rose into the air. He spun it around then shattered it with his mind. That part of his magic was still working, and so was his ability to fly and levitate. Malekith was obviously not on this part of the island.

He tapped his earpiece and called to Thor. The line crackled noisily and he cringed in pain. Thors' voice sounded distorted over the line. "Loki? Have you found something?"

"No. I have covered the entire section but have found nothing. Have you come across anything?"

"No. Banner was right though. This does appear to be the ideal place for Malekith to set up defenses. We should trade regions and continue the search now."

"Yes. I'll search your section while you check this part."

Thor and Loki switched places and again flew over the land. Neither of them found any evidence that anyone had ever ventured past the inhabited areas of the island. It was all rocky mountains and densely packed forests.

"Loki. I'm certain this area is clear. I see no sign of Malekith. We should meet up at the coast again.

"Agreed. I can't see anything to suggest he is here. I can sense no magic coming from the island either. Meet back at the coast as soon as possible." Loki tapped he earpiece again and the line went dead as he made his way back towards the coast. He arrived before Thor and hovered above the coast. His cape was now billowing wildly in the wind. It had gotten stronger since they had been here. It didn't concern him though; he just waited and soon saw Thor flying towards him, arm out stretched, hand clutching Mjolnir.

"What took you so long? I was further away than you. Mjolnir need servicing?" Loki teased Thor as he slowed down and hovered next to him.

"She is fine. I didn't want to wear her out before the battle." Thor beamed at Loki and he held his hammer down at his side.

"Remember what Fury said; don't go looking to fight just for the sake of it. We're here to get this over and done with, not drag it out." He paused watching Thor struggle with his cape.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes but... Is it just me, or has the wind picked up?"

"The weather has deteriorated somewhat, but that is to be expected in the later hours of the day." He noted Thors' frustrated expression as his hair blew in his face.

"And fear not, your hair will still be attached to your thick skull once we return."

Thor had just fixed his wild blonde locks before they flew right back in front of his face.

"Shall we?" Thor said through gritted teeth and he took off back towards Inverness as Loki followed, tight at his heels.

They flew over familiar buildings as they neared the city but they couldn't see the helicarrier. Loki and Thor both looked around while they reached a landmark they were sure they hadn't seen before.

"Where is it? I am certain it was here." Thor raised his voice over the strong gale now engulfing them.

"It was. I remember my bearings very well. I'll try calling in." Loki tapped his earpiece but heard nothing.

"The line is open but I'm getting nothing but static. How about you?"

"No luck. Could it be the weather?"

"Either that or someone is interfering with our devices."

Thor looked around. "What should we do now then?"

"I think we should go and drop in on Adrian and David. They might know what's going around here. Better than staying here flapping in the wind."

* * *

**Cliffhanger, sort of. I wanted to change it round slightly but this seemed a good way to end it. I did change the order from what I had originally planned but I think it works better this way. Please tell me what you think of it so far. :)**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Winter's coming

Thor and Loki landed on a patch of grass, evidently a playing field since there were a number of parents with stunned expressions on their faces; their children smiling broadly and pointing at them.

"Did David tell you where he and his father live?" Thor looked around to get a rough idea of where he was. No idea why he did it because he had never been this far east before.

"No. He says he is studying here but failed to say where exactly."

"That is the only lead we have. Who can we ask to assist us?"

Loki saw they were attracting attention to themselves and began to walk over to the pathment, which ran parallel to the park. Thor followed after him, Mjolnir in hand.

"In New York, an organisation known as the police helped. There are many different departments depending on the area. I believe they are our best chance of getting some directions from."

"Good thinking. Where do we find them?"

They rounded a corner and looked up and down the street. At the end of the street stood a large building with blue lamp posts either of the entrance. The sign above it read Northern Constabulary Police Headquarters.

Loki looked at Thor as he beamed at him.

"Oh. You saw it while you were flying over didn't you? How very observant of you."

"Doesn't hurt to pay attention, Thor." He smirked as he walked down the street towards the station, Thor bringing up the rear, red cape billowing behind him.

They walked into the station and approached the desk. Behind the glass window, sat a man reading a large broadsheet newspaper.

He didn't raise his head as he said in a thick Scottish accent. "If you're here to report a crime, fill out a form and wait to be seen by an officer." He gestured to the counter beyond the glass.

Thor looked at Loki as he saw the pile of paper on the counter. Loki just shrugged his shoulders and tapped on the glass. The man looked up and raised an eyebrow as he saw the two well built men standing right up to the glass.

"We are here because we need your help." Loki spoke slowly and clearly, thinking that the man was speaking some unknown language because his accent distorted his words.

"I think you're well past that pal. What are you wearing exactly? Are those capes?"

The man put down his paper and walked out from behind the glass to stand, dwarfed next to the two brothers.

Thor and Loki exchanged confused looks as they stood to face the man.

"I am Thor Odinsson. This is my brother Loki. We are members of the avengers of S.H.I.E.L.D. We are here on important business and were about to return to report in but our colleagues have disappeared and we cannot contact them." He took the earpiece off his ear and showed the man whose eyes ran over the two brothers.

"I've heard of S.H.I.E.L.D and Thor but never of Loki. Are you new?"

Loki shuffled his feet. "In a manner of speaking. Can you help us?"

"Maybe. Where were your colleagues waiting for you?" He went back behind his desk and starting clicking away at his computer.

"About 10 miles high above this establishment."

The officer looked up from his screen. "Right." He said blankly.

"Well, we don't have security cameras that can view that high up. Is there any other way I can be of service?"

Loki bit his lip as he thought. "You wouldn't be able to tell me where someone is staying could you? We are working with someone who lives nearby but we do not know his address."

"Sure. Name?"

"David Elrond."

The office narrowed his eyes before he tilted his head and looked at Loki.

"Wouldn't be related to the scientist Elrond would he by any chance?"

"Yes!" Loki half shouted while Thor virtually jumped out of his skin, bumping the counter with his knee.

Loki rolled his eyes as he continued. "Yes, he said his father taught at a university."

"Mmmm. Well, I can't tell you where David lives but his father is renting a place in Eastfield Avenue."

He saw Loki look confused and added. "We can arrange a car to take you there if you like."

"That would be much appreciated, thank you." Thor straightened up and nodded to the man.

"Very well, take a seat and I'll get someone to take you."

They sat down in two of the seats in the waiting room. Loki swooped his cape underneath himself while Thor was trying to throw it over the chair.

"Oh just sit on it would you! If you're worried about it getting creased, then you really haven't got your priorities in order." Loki snapped as he shouted through gritted teeth at Thor, who stomped his feet on the carpet and copied Lokis' style by sitting on his cape.

* * *

They both sat in the back seat of the police car while they drove past residential areas. Thor had his head almost completely out of the window, smiling away as Loki tried to bring his knees as close to his body as possible. He was sat behind the drivers seat and his long legs were rather cramped. It also didn't help that he felt a bit queasy.

Thor turned to him as he noted Loki was turning a rather unpleasant shade of green.

"I thought you never got sick."

"I must still be recovering. It's only slightly effecting my concentration though. I'll be fine when we stop."

Thor wasn't convinced by his brothers attempt to act well. He leaned forwards and said, "How much further is it?"

"Perfect timing. It's that house there." The driver pointed to a small 2 story detached house that stood separate from the rest of the modern homes.

"Thank you." Loki hurried to get out of the car and almost threw up when he forgot to take his seat belt off first. They slammed the car doors and stood, admiring the house.

There was a low brick wall that ran across the front with a black metal gate that opened on to a path that led straight to the front door.

Thor hopped over the wall with no effort as Loki cringed at the sight and went through the gate. They reached the front door and knocked. No answer.

"What is that?" Loki nodded his head towards a small metal box with a button in the middle.

"No idea. Lets press it." Thor went from cautious to reckless as he pressed the unknown device. It turned out to be the doorbell, a concept lost on either of them as they turned their heads towards each other, eyebrows raised.

They heard the sound of metal clinking and the door slowly moved back.

"Hello... Whoa. Ok, was not expecting gods on my doorstep."

David looked up at both of them as they stood, towering over him.

"May we come in? We need your fathers' help." Thor said as Loki closed his eyes as he smelt the smell of rotten eggs and bent forwards slightly.

"Uh yeah." David looked at Loki as he replied. "Dads gone out to get some new food. Turns out he hasn't restocked the fridge in weeks." He pointed towards Loki as he wheeled himself back to let them pass. "If he alright, he looks peaky?"

"He is fine. He didn't enjoy the ride here." Thor waved his hand to dismiss any problems as Loki trudged inside.

"So, is there anything I can do?"

"We need to know where the helicarrier has gone. We left them for no longer than 4 hours and when we returned, they had vanished." Thor spoke as David gestured towards the sofa and he sat down.

Loki sat in an armchair and said, "Also, our communication devices are not functioning so we have no idea when this happened or how."

"Right." David looked up as he thought of an idea. "I can google if there's been any news on them."

Thor and Loki exchanged worried glances as David wheeled himself to the desk with a computer set up. He type furiously away at it for a second then read, "That's not right."

He retyped everything again but got the same result.

"What is wrong?" Thor leaned forwards as David sat back in defeat.

"Whenever I type in anything to do with S.H.I.E.L.D, the avengers or you or Loki, all I get is a list of coordinates." He sighed as he typed something different. "There's no fault at this end though, other searches are working fine. I'm sorry, but I have no idea what to do."

Loki licked his lips while stood up. "Where do the coordinates lead to? I believe I know who is behind this."

David turned back to the screen and stuttered, "Uhh, New York."

"Right. Thank you for your assistance, we must be going now." Loki opened the door and gave Thor a stern look as he looked dazed and confused.

Thor went through the door last and almost closed it before Loki poked his head round the door and said, "Which direction is New York?"

* * *

Tony was using his 3D computer interface to design a new add on to his suit when the power went.

"Bruce? Did you turn the power off?"

"No. My research has gone as well. Jarvis, is there a fault?" No reply.

"The reserves aren't even up. What is going on?" Tony scraped his chair under his desk as he stood up and flipped the light switches.

The floor creaked and the engines moaned as Bruce and Tony almost fell over.

"What the hell's going on now?" Tony caught himself on his desk as Bruce cautiously walked over to the window.

As the helicarrier turned round, the sun came bursting through the windows and lit up the lab. "We're turning round."

* * *

Natasha, Clint and Steve were sitting around a large table in another lab further down the corridor. Steve was polishing his shield and his boots while Clint was testing the strength of his bowstring and Natasha was cleaning the components of her gun.

They didn't notice the power go out but as Clints' arrows and Natashas' bullets started rolling off the table all by themselves they all stood up, throwing cautious looks at each other.

Without a word Steve went for the door, leaving his shield behind. Clint scooped up his arrows and placed them in his quiver before he went and tried to turn on a computer monitor. Natasha went and quietly stood by the window.

"The door is not opening and Jarvis isn't answering." Steve called over as he tried to force the door to open.

"All the computers are down and all the power in the room has been disconnected." Clint banged the monitor on the side before turning round and walking back to pick up his bow.

"Guys. The ship is changing course." The others rushed over to Natasha as she looked as the sun came though and blinded them.

"Right, back at the table." Steve went into soldiering mode as his instincts kicked in.

They all gathered round the table and sat next to each other, facing away from the window.

"Right," Steve took out a sheet of plain paper and started to draw on it. "We are here, this level is virtually all labs that can contain weapons and places easy to defend from. We have to assume that the elevators aren't working so stairs and air ducts are our only form of transport to the other floors."

"Has anything like this ever happened before?" Natasha turned to Clint as Steve continued to draw out the helicarriers' layout.

"Not like this. Lockdown procedure locks out higher functions throughout the ship but that doesn't explain why we can't get out of this room or use the computers." He stopped and watched as Steve finished off his map. "How do you know this place so well? You've only known about it for two months."

"Always know your exits. Never know when you're going to get into a tight situation."

Clint and Natasha shrugged and took a closer look at the map.

"Ok, there's an air duct in this room that leads to Tonys' lab. It looks rather narrow so I'll go first and try and see what the others make of this. I'll report back as soon as I can." Natasha jumped down and headed over to the vent. It was six feet above the ground so she motioned towards Steve who gave her a boost up. She placed the vent door on the ground then started to crawl through.

Steve walked back and sat next to Clint in silence, still facing away from the window.

Steve was looking over the map when something caught Clints' eyes and he slowly looked up at the blank wall ahead of them. He stayed motionless as Steve saw Clints' worried expression.

"Barton?"

"There's a shadow on the wall." He tilted his head, keeping his eyes of the shadow as Steve turned to it.

"Yes, so? It's a shadow." He dismissed any threat he thought Clint was referring to.

"Yeah." Clint turned towards Steve. "But what's casting it?"

* * *

Tony sat drinking a scotch, frequently looking at his watch while Bruce paced nervously, fiddling with his hands.

When Natasha pushed off their vent door Bruce almost jumped behind the counter.

"Well hello there. Come to join the party? I'm afraid we only have scotch." Tony didn't react as much as Bruce as Natasha poked her head out of the vent.

"Do you have any idea what's going on? Me, Clint and Steve can't open the doors or turn on the computers."

"Same here." Bruce stood up and took back some of his composure. "The power is out and the reserves aren't online. As well as that, the ship has turned 180 degrees and is heading back towards New York."

"Ok. Do you have any idea how..." She stopped as they heard shouts coming from the other lab. They died down as she got out of the vent and landed on her feet. She stood up and closed the vent.

"Don't you think they'll need your help?" Bruce gestured towards the duct as she sealed it before a man screamed out in pain.

"Not as much as you do." She took out a knife from her boot and walked towards the table.

Bruce followed her but Tony walked to stare out the window.

"What do you think is doing this?" Bruce wrung his hands out nervously as he tried to stay calm. Going into hulk mode right now would not end well.

"Not what, who. The ships main functions are still working. It's just not letting us use them. Steve has drawn up a plan of the carrier so we can travel up to the bridge to try and get some answers. I doubt Fury has done this since he wouldn't decide to change course without telling us. Not unless Tony has hacked their systems again."

"Hey. I did that once and my guess turned out to be right. Besides, no systems were affected that time."

The room grew slightly colder and darker as Bruce and Natasha watched as Tony turned his head towards the ceiling. A dark cloud of smoke appeared and moved to stand next to him. Out of the smoke, one light blue and one dark blue hand grabbed Tony by his jacket and pulled his forcefully into the cloud. It dissipated before either Natasha or Bruce could get there, leaving no trace of Tony.

They both stood motionless; Bruce shivering because he could feel his heart rate rising dangerously high and Natasha because the temperature had still not warmed back up.

A voice sounded from where Tony had disappeared into the cloud. The man almost sounded as if he was struggling to breath through gritted teeth. "Violence against me will not end so peacefully next time."

Natasha raised her knife as the voice laughed and continued. "Don't fret wench, the man is safe and I will return him. And all I ask from you in return, is that you give me Loki Laufeyson."

* * *

**Rather short I know and if anything the cliffhanger is even worse. Please do tell me your views on it so far.**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Fine lines

As Bruce and Natasha stood staring at the spot near the window, they failed to realise the helicarrier had halted. The lights flickered back on and a voice rang out over the ship.

"All avengers personnel report to the bridge immediately." Furys' voice cut off as Natasha walked straight for the door leaving Bruce motionless.

"Banner, come on. We can fix this." Natasha spoke in a hushed voice as she turned and tilted her head towards the door. Bruce reluctantly tore his eyes from the window and joined her.

* * *

They walked out onto the bridge to see everyone sitting at the table, deep in conversation.

"All our systems are back up but navigation still refuses to receive any new coordinates. We're debriefing everyone now so we can put together a response."

Natasha and Bruce nodded as they sat down.

"Five hours ago at 16:40, we lost entire control over the helicarrier. A new course was initiated, communications were down. For all intents and purposes, we were in lockdown procedure. Here on the bridge before the sensors were cut off, we detected no breech or intrusion to the craft. Please log in what happened in your sections." Fury sat back in his chair as Maria stood by his side.

Steve held his hand up and spoke. "Me, Clint and Natasha were in lab 3. We decided to try and make contact with Tony and Bruce in lab 1 so we sent Natasha through the ventilation system. About four minutes after we lost contact with her, something appeared in the lab. At first it was just smoke but then it started attacking us. It went for Clint first as I ducked, picked up my shield and swung at it. I wasn't expecting much to come of it but someone screamed and it disappeared. That's the last we saw of it."

"Anything you two have to report?" Fury looked between Natasha and Bruce, his tone already revealing that he was expecting the worst.

Natasha looked up from the table where she had been twiddling her thumbs and said, "We heard the screams from the other lab, then one large scream, then silence. Shortly after that, it appeared in our room; it engulfed Tony and kidnapped him."

"We know from Steves' experience that it can talk. Did it say anything to you, any demands?"

Bruce looked up, slightly misty eyed, holding back tears. "He said Tony would be returned if... if we give him Loki." Bruce dropped his gaze as he wiped his eyes and tried to keep his voice steady. "I'm sorry. I think if I stay here I'll become a hazard. I'm going to my room."

He got up and left, leaving the others biting their lips. The silence was interrupted by the first ensign calling out. "Director Fury sir? We've got something."

He walked over to the screen and leaned in. "Can you get the feed up?"

"Yes sir. All cameras but the ones in the cell were affected. Replaying footage now sir."

The large screen lit up into a split screen with four different rooms. One was a widescreen view of the bridge, one of lab 3, one of lab 1 and the last of the empty cell once used to hold Loki.

At time index 21:30, a large cloud of black smoke had appeared in lab 3. Once Steves' shield had touched the smoke, it dissipated and left. At time index 21:37, the cloud appeared again in front of Tony and when it disappeared, Tony was gone, leaving Natasha and Bruce in the lab.

The camera on the bridge had shown them running around frantically while not being able to do anything and the last camera showed an empty room; no change from its' normal environment.

Fury squinted at the footage as he craned his head in closer. "Why wasn't camera 4 affected like the others?" He gestured towards the one depicting the cell.

"No idea. It did flicker at the start but we never lost visual or audio contact. We weren't however able to view it live. All our cameras were down but that one."

Fury stood up and walked back to the table. "I think it's safe to assume that Malekith has kidnapped Tony. Until Loki and Thor get back, we can't decide anything. We do not negotiate with terrorists and Malekith in my book is one. Anyone disagree?"

They all shook their heads and glanced at one another. The second ensign called Fury over as his screen lit up. "Sir, we have two objects headed straight for us."

"Size and point of entry?"

"About 2 meters long, they're heading for the landing pads. Sir, they're slowly down."

"That'll be Thor and Loki then. Everyone clear out. I need to speak to them alone."

Steve, Natasha and Bruce all got up and headed towards the elevator.

"You too Hill. Get some rest for your next shift."

Maria saluted and left, briskly walking to catch the same elevator with the others. She turned just before the elevator doors closed to see Fury put his hands behind his back and stare at the image of the cloud as it engulfed Tony again and again on the screen.

* * *

Thor and Loki walked past Steve in the corridor as they headed towards the bridge. They noted he didn't seem his cheery self and gave each other worried looks as he passed, keeping his head down. They stepped out of the elevator onto the bridge to find Fury standing, legs shoulder width apart, staring right at them.

"Report." Furys' tone was confident and harsh as they made their way to the table.

"No sign of Malekith on the island. We both swept it thoroughly." Thor replied as Loki looked around the room and focused on the monitors still showing lab 1.

"No energy signatures matching those of Malekith or otherwise either." Loki joined in as he tore his gaze from the screen.

Fury licked his lips and stood opposite them and leaned on the table.

"We went into lockdown procedure shortly after you left. All communications were blocked and we had no way of defending ourselves." He paused while Thor and Loki placed their earpieces on the table and watched as Fury paced slightly.

"Our cameras went down during the time of the incident but we now have a better idea of what happened. We need you to verify it." He looked directly at Loki as he said his last sentence, then went back to pacing back and forth. "Steve and Clint were in lab 3 when they were attacked by what appears to be a dark cloud. They managed to fight it off. Natasha and Bruce were in the same lab as Tony when the cloud appeared again. It engulfed him and disappeared along with Tony, not before making a demand."

Thor furrowed his eyebrows as Loki stayed still and cocked his head.

"What demand?" Thors' voice was strong but quiet as Loki looked back over to the monitors, which were now scanning the vicinity.

"We'll get to that later. First we need Loki to identify what attacked our people. Only after we know who did this, can we even start to consider their demands."

Thors went to protest before Loki got up and walked round the table to get a closer look at the screen.

"Very well. Show me what you have collected." Loki ignored Thors' frustration as Fury brought the video feed back up. Loki watched both instances when the cloud appeared and reappeared in front of Steve and Clint, when it retreated and then went and kidnapped Tony in lab 1.

"That's definitely him. I believe captain Americas shield is made of vibranium? It bares similarities to iron; that's why it retreated after his attack."

"Good to know. All cameras except the ones covering the cell were directly affected. The room is lined with a combination of lead and iron due to the fact that it was built to withstand radiation as well as brute force. Does that give us an advantage in any way?"

"Just as iron physically disables Malekith, so does it block him mentally. He won't be able to control or affect anything within that room. Other than that, no." Loki re-watched the recording over and over as Fury looked him up and down then back to Thor as he stood up.

"It would not be an advantage to us because we could only use it to hide something from him. If there's anything worth hiding from him, then it's better out there fighting against him. So unless there's something you're not telling us, I think we are finished here!" Thor raised his voice and everyone, including the two ensigns turned their heads.

"Thor! Calm yourself. Your temper is no good here. Save it for battle." Loki turned to Fury and spoke. "Thor does make a point, though he voiced it rather harshly..." He was about to continue when he saw Nicks' facial expression relax then tense, as if he was under pressure.

"Fury?" Loki turned his body to face him as Nick raised his head to look at him.

"Is there anything we need to hide from Malekith?"

Fury paused as he glanced at Thor then back to Loki. "Yes. You."

* * *

The other avengers returned to the bridge after talking amongst themselves. They felt that being left out now was not an option. They were the avengers; what kind of team didn't include everyone in meetings and briefings? If information was being passed, then it better pass both ways. They strolled out onto the bridge just as Loki walked slowly back to the table and as Thor rose and started conversing loudly with Fury.

"You cannot be suggesting that my brother run and hide. He is a warrior and he should be on the front line, not cowering behind your skirts. Clint raised his brows at Steve and Natasha as they sat down, leaving Bruce to sit alone. Without Tony or Elrond, he was the only scientist present. He felt more different and isolated now more than ever.

"If Malekith wants Loki then it's obviously for a purpose and since he's not exactly a good guy we can assume that whatever he plans to do with him isn't going to be good news for your brother." Fury lowered his voice as he saw the others listening in. "For his own safety I am asking you to consider our idea."

"Mmmm." Loki cleared his throat as he stood up from his chair. "If you're going to talk about me, don't do it as if I'm not here. Besides, my actions, my decisions." He walked towards Thor and stood tall beside him, both of them towering over Fury. "I will do as he suggests," Thor opened his mouth to speak but Loki placed his hands on his shoulders, "until such a time as we know more. We have never faced him before; the only facts we know about his strategies as based on tales read to us as children. Even if they were true, they are in the past. We must change our own ideas to match his unpredictable ones. Instead of going in head first, maybe we should analyze our position, and stand back and analyze his."

Thor kept staring at Loki, trying to get him to see reason through looks alone, but when Loki held his gaze, he gave up and shrugged.

"Good. We won't send you off just yet though. We still need you to fill us in on a few of the tricks he can do." Fury cut in as Loki let go of Thor.

"Most of them are near unstoppable. You won't have any way of stopping his magic."

"Maybe. But it's always been our intention to be one step ahead. To plan for all outcomes and problems that we may face. Please, it will help."

Loki looked at Fury as the strange man turned to him with an honest expression on his face. This was the first time he had not just accepted Lokis' presence, but needed it and openly asked for his help. He thought Fury had only tolerated him because of what he had done. The snide comments, the invasion and the damage caused to the city. Not to mention almost costing Fury his job for disobeying orders. But now he truly felt like he belonged amongst the team, as an equal.

* * *

After Loki had emptied his brain of all the stories from legend he had heard of Malekith, he left and went to the lab where Tony had disappeared. He closed the door behind him and slowly walked over to the window to gaze out at the city below.

Now that he wasn't destroying it or flying over it at lightening fast speeds, he noticed for the first time how beautiful it was. He had heard of Midgard when he was younger from warriors who had travelled there in search of worthy prey only to find a simply civilisation. One that posed no threat or riches and the promise of a good life.

He had therefore not expected to view Midgard as something akin to Asgard. Granted, New York wasn't as grand as his home but the buildings and architecture were just as tall and spectacular. Some stood out and looked magnificent while others seemed plain and sometimes dull in comparison.

Here all manor of people were welcome; the rich, the famous along with the not so well off and the average 9 to 5 workers. He found he had to respect their city for it allowed freedom within its boundaries to anyone willing to risk it. In Asgard, you were only allowed to live among the people of the same birthrights with few exceptions. He was brought up by one of the finest families in all the nine realms. One that was secure and continued to be secure throughout the constant threat of invasion.

In New York, wars were always being fought; but instead of a matter of life or death, it was between promotion or demotion, success or failure. He had learned that the city was as forgiving as any other world but he admired their ambition to provide an equal opportunity to everyone, no matter their upbringing or heritage; if they behaved and acted a certain way, then they had every right to do so.

He saw his reflection in the glass and realised that this city, the city he had almost destroyed, had managed to show him his true self. It proved that it didn't matter that he wasn't Thors' brother or Odins' son by blood, but that he had earned his right to call himself that since he had been taken in by Odin himself and accepted as an equal.

He smiled to himself as he reflected on his past thoughts. Instead of seeing an old man taking advantage of an abandoned infant, he saw a kind father giving an innocent child a second chance at a normal childhood among people who could truly love him. All they ever wanted to do was protect him, to shield him from anything that could hurt him. That was their only intention; always had been, always would be.

"They've kitted out the cell you know."

Loki fell out of his trance as he turned and saw Bruce walking out from the shadows.

"I did not notice you there. I apologise if I intruded." As Bruce walked into the light, Loki saw his vacant expression.

"Not at all. It's a free ship after all."

Loki didn't quite understand his expression but took from his tone that he wasn't imposing himself on him. "Kitted out?"

"Yeah. They've added a few extras in to make your stay more comfortable. It was originally designed as a prison, not as a luxury hotel. It's still small and lacking in the necessities but it's much improved." Bruce broke off as he stood next to Loki and admired the view.

"Had you ever spent time in there?"

"No. I never needed to." Loki looked at him confused but Banner didn't have to turn to tell that he was.

"I am my own prison. I created myself and now I live with two halves. Can't have one without the other so I deal with it. Every waking second I think of what I could become. It's not a matter of keeping calm anymore; it's about worrying what people will think of me if I can't control it. I lost almost all credibility when I became this." He held his hands out as if they would turn green. "People didn't think of a man when they heard my name, they only knew of my other half, the hulk. He has both ruined my life and changed it for the better."

"In what way has he made it better?"

"At first, there was only me and my disgrace; I felt completely lost in a world where the lost and confused are virtually cast out from normal society. I learnt that to be treated as a human being again, I had to make myself known for actions worthy of someone deserving equality. Ever since then, I've felt more at peace with what I am. The inevitability that I will lose control, and I may destroy something I hold dear is very real; but I will never been forgotten as a human, a man caught, torn between two ambitions. One to learn and thrive, the other simply to survive."

Loki opened his eyes as he took in Banners' words.

"Which is more dominant now?" Bruce lifted his head as he continued to stare out of the window.

"Survival."

They continued to watch as the city began its' night shift when Thor entered and called out. "Loki, we're ready."

Loki breathed deeply as he took one last look at the city then held his hand out to Bruce.

"Wish me luck then."

"Why? You're the one protected. You should be wishing us luck."

Loki and Bruce smiled as they shook hands and Loki headed towards the door. He stopped just before he walked through it into the corridor and said, "Just remember Banner, passion will only get you so far, then instinct takes over. Don't fear the change, it's in your nature and something which causes chaos, can also be used to prevent it."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Divided

Tony lashed out as water was thrown in his face. He rubbed his eyes to try and rid himself of a throbbing headache then attempted to focus on the ground beneath him. He sat up, feeling the uneven stone beneath him cold and damp. He propped himself up against a nearby wall, also made of rough stone. He caught his breath as he raised his head to look around himself. The light was low but he heard the gentle sound of water dripping far down a corridor. It echoed with such sharpness that told him that the corridor was near never ending and also made of cold hard stone.

He jerked his head when he heard movement near him. He couldn't see anything but his ears told him it was close. He went to get up but his legs felt as if they were made of lead so he crawled away into a corner. The rustling stopped as a man cleared his throat. He sounded hoarse as he spoke. "It's alright mortal. I am not the enemy. Far from it. What is your name?"

He moved into the light and Tony saw that the man was just as beaten as he was. He held his legs together as he dragged himself nearer Tony. As he got further into the light, Stark realised his skin was different; a dark shade of blue.

Tony went to speak but instead grabbed his throat when he felt his mouth was impossibly dry. The man reached into the darkness and held a bowl of liquid out at Tony. He padded his way towards the man and took the bowl and drank it dry, without looking at the unusual colour of its contents. He licked his lips and sat back, relieved that his cell mate hadn't taken advantage of his momentarily lapse in weakness.

"Tony. What might yours be?" He placed the bowl down and dragged his legs in front of him.

"Volund, past king of Svartalfheim, until Malekith apposed me."

"Now him I've heard of. Why are you here? From what I've heard, he'd rather kill than imprison people."

Volund nodded as he too repositioned himself in the dim light. "That is how the stories portray him. As a man of honour and violence, not letting anyone or anything get between him and his goal. The truth however is far from it."

Tony started to rub his legs to try and bring some life back into them as he looked towards the front of their cell. Metal bars ran vertically down from the ceiling and went deep into the ground. No door visible so he supposed that the bars rose up into the ceiling or went down into the floor.

"I was in a cell much like this once before. When Malekith found out I had something to do with his failed attempt on Jotunheim, he sent me here." He looked up, the darkness breaking as he saw a tiny speck of light at the top. "He does rid himself of some. Of others he imprisons them here until he has use of them. Of me... well, I am unsure of why he needs an old man. Almost all of my connections are now obsolete. The only friends I had were the frost giants and I doubt after Malekiths' actions, they will listen to me."

Tony watched as Volund bowed his head and fumbled with a golden broach pinned to his raggedy shirt.

"But enough of the past, what have you done to anger the blue devil?"

Tony gaped slightly at the elfs' ability to add humor to such a serious situation. "Nothing as far as I know. The avengers and I were working to track him down. We weren't getting very far, I..."

"Um, Avengers? What are they?"

"Oh, they're... we're like a, sort of, you know." He waved his hand trying to make Volund catch on. "A defense team of sorts. It's our responsibility to protect Earth. Midgard I believe it's known as round here."

"I see. Who is this team comprised of?"

"Well me, Steve, Natasha, Clint, Bruce and Thor."

Volund gave Tony a questioning look as he said, "Thor Odinsson? Heir to the throne of Asgard?"

"Uh yeah. The thunder guy with the trickster brother. And come to think of it, his brother is also kind of apart of the team."

"There have been rumours that he had changed. So he now sides with his brother? But how is it that you and the other mortals are paired with them to fight Midgards' battles? They are both of mighty backgrounds and possess great power. You appear to me to be an ordinary mortal. No offense but you don't seem to be an even match for the princes of Asgard."

"That's because we are not known as Tony or Steve or whoever. We each have a special ability or trade that we use to our advantage. I am known as iron man because I used my own technology and knowledge to craft a suit, which I use alongside them. If you think about it, Thor and Loki would be nothing without Mjolnir or their knowledge. We all have our own expertise and skill which we excel at and that is what makes us strong."

Volund paused as he thought. "Do you remember what happened to you before you came here?"

"Our ship lost power then I remember being frozen in place, I couldn't move. Then nothing."

"What of Loki. Where was he?"

"Uh, he and Thor went to search for Malekith. We had an idea where he might have been but I guess that was wrong. Why do you ask?" He squinted his eyes as Volund looked at Tony with his head held low.

"There is also another rumor, whispered through these halls. They say that Malekith is seeking someone. Someone who can help tip the balance in his favour. They say that the person who can help him win this war is Loki."

* * *

Loki walked in front of Thor, through the doors into the cell room. He glanced over at the spot where he'd stabbed Coulson but quickly went back to facing forwards as Thor placed his hand on his shoulder.

"You mustn't dwell on past actions. Especially ones when times were different."

Loki stopped and admired the workmanship of the supports keeping the cage aloft. Fury walked over to the control panel and opened the cell door then brought up a screen alongside the control panel.

"How can you ignore such actions? It's not as if they weren't of any consequence. My actions directly resulted in pain and suffering. I do not see how anyone could see past it so."

Loki walked into the cell and Thor put both his hands on Lokis' shoulders and spun him round to face him. "Never the less, they are in the past. Your old self left behind. As long as you refrain from taking up your old ways, you will always be forgiven."

Loki smiled weakly as he glanced over Thors' shoulder to Fury who was looking at them with a blank expression. Loki looked back to Thor and clapped him on the back. "Go on. Join the others. I'll be fine here. Won't I Fury?"

Thor walked out of the cell and looked to Fury who glanced between Thor and Loki. "As long as you don't leave this room, Malekith cannot reach you." Nick saw hesitation in Thors' eyes as his hand hovered over the button to lock Loki in. "Do not worry Thor. I assure you Loki will remain safe while we retrieve Tony. This whole room is lined with iron. He will be quite safe."

Thor nodded as he turned back to face Loki. "Goodbye brother. I'll visit you by the end of the day."

Loki smiled at Thor as his eyes darted between Furys' hand and Thor. "Just concentrate on getting Tony back. I have done enough damage by splitting you up. I do not wish to be the reason for anymore deaths."

Fury pressed the blue button and the glass door closed, leaving Loki trapped in the cell. It now sported a comfier looking bed, and off to the side, a bookshelf complete with a desk and a chair. Nothing on the desk though, which disappointed Loki somewhat, but it was certainly cosier than his previous stay.

Thor turned and left while Fury nodded at Loki and joined him. Loki watched as the metal doors closed with a thud and huffed. Trapped again, but this time not by his own design. He still hated being limited. At least this time he had entertainment; one that he didn't have to ask for.

He browsed the book spines with his head cocked to the side. A number of science textbooks scattered amongst others, which he had not heard of.

A number of books intrigued him as he glanced over them but his eyes fell upon a copy of The Shakespeare Companion. He had caught Tonys' past comment at Thor. Evidently, Shakespeare had been a man admired by Tony. He had always admired good authors and scribes since he had always been indulged in books as a child. He had worked his way through most of the novels worth reading from Asgard and other realms. He had never however, read any from Midgard. He figured Shakespeare was a good place to start. He picked up a couple of classics including The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing and Romeo and Juliet. He set himself down and began to absorb the works one by one.

* * *

"Why could he possibly need Lokis' help?" Tony had regained some of the strength in his legs and stood up, supporting himself on the bars as he tried to look up and down the corridor.

"As I say, it is only a rumor. But from what I know of both of them, Loki poses a threat and Malekith knows this. He also knows of Lokis' attack on Midgard. It's said that he wants Loki to aid him in his advance on Midgard in return for something. Again, I know not what he would receive." Volund slumped against the wall as he hung his head. "I am not as useful as I once was. I am sorry."

Tony kicked his feet on the ground in a bid to shake away the pins and needles sensation crawling up his leg. "Don't be. You have already been of great assistance. Tell me, do we get food or something? How have you survived here for so long?"

Volund tapped the empty bowl with his foot. "Once a day, those three rails lift up and a guard pushes a bowl through. It is the only source of nourishment I have ever been given over these last few days." He pointed to the three rails on the right as Tony squinted in the darkness at the far wall. "It is hard to be sure how long I have truly been here. The days seem to merge into one long night." He looked up at the ceiling at the tiny speck of light as it flickered.

Tony walked back over to Volund and sat next to him. "What is that?"

"A torment more than anything; a reminder that we are beneath society. A society that kneels to anyone arrogant enough to call themselves king over a nation ruined by war. It serves as nothing but a glimpse of something which we are not allowed to bask in; the dull light of day, which is indistinguishable from that of their night. Malekith has destroyed Svartalfheims reputation along with its' land, but still I wish to return to it." He huffed then sank lower against the wall. "If only we could get out of this cell. I had hoped you were a sorcerer, but I doubt you can get past the guard."

Tony looked over at Volund and his broach caught his eye as it glistened in the dim light. He rubbed his hand over his arc reactor and thought while he turned his head to look at the bars. It could work, but they would only allow him to do it once. His only chance, he had to perfect it.

He knelt in front of Volund, much to his startled expression and said, "I may not be a magician, but that doesn't mean I don't have an idea. I will need your help though."

Volund arched his brow as he saw the excitement in Tonys' eyes. It filled him with a sensation he had long given up on. Hope.

* * *

"Your steps are not as delicate as they once were. I could sense you when you entered." Loki closed his book and leaned back in his chair as Natasha walked up to the cell.

"It was not my intention to sneak up on you, although it would have been nice to know that I could evade your eagle eye." She smiled weakly at him as he pushed away his copy of Much Ado About Nothing towards the other hardbacks he had read.

He smiled at her with a look understanding. He knew why she was here, and knew that she was shy to admit it.

"You can say anything you know. I won't lie or reply in riddles."

She tilted her head to the side as he kept his expression sincere. She couldn't get the words out fast enough. "Did you mean any of those things you said?"

Loki slowly stood up while he found his words. "I did, but not at you, at myself. I half hoped you would come up with an answer for your actions so I could somehow excuse mine. But the other half wanted me to accept what I had done and move on. But once you've done what I've done, there's no just pushing it to one side and forgetting that it never happened. You've got to face it head on and deal."

He held his arms up and looked around his cell. "This is my idea of making amends. Deliberately stepping into a prison."

Natasha walked up to the cell and put her hand against one of the supports. "The cell itself doesn't have alot of iron in it. You could just stay in this room."

Loki looked down at his feet then back up at her as he walked towards the part of the cell nearest the section where he had killed Coulson. "I realise that." He stared at that spot while he continued. "While I was in here before, I felt closed off from everything around me. Blocked it out almost completely. I think that I need to feel such a sensation again, especially since this room holds unhappy memories."

Natasha turned her head to look at where Loki was looking. She went stood near the door before she left. "That's where it happened?"

Loki nodded without lifting his eyes. "Then stop immersing yourself within something with broken memories. Concentrate on a time before all this and you'll find a way to forgive yourself. You are not alone in this battle, Loki. We are all behind each other."

"I do not doubt it, but who is behind Tony?" His tone sounded rhetorical so Natasha let her lips curl slightly and left, leaving Loki to sit back down on his steel chair. Alone again.

* * *

Thor was on the bridge with Fury, Hill and the two ensigns at their stations. He had been pacing ever since he had left Loki, then had made his way to the bridge with Fury.

"Thor. He will be alright. He is safer than any of us right now." Fury had to say something; Thor was going to erode the flooring away at this rate.

"How can you say that? We have no plan, no location on Malekith or Tony and we have no idea how to proceed. Tell me Nick, how exactly are any of us safe?"

Fury walked towards Thor who had stopped pacing and just took to staring mindlessly out of the window at the city below. "Banner will find some anomaly, something to help us track both Tony and Malekith. He's good at that, it's his job."

One of the ensigns began typing away furiously as his screen while Fury carried on. "I can tell you right now, we will be victorious. Malekith will lose. Do not doubt us now Thor."

Thor looked into Furys' one good eye as he gave up his defensive stance. He looked over Furys' shoulder as the ensigns' screen began to flash a dangerous shade of red.

"Sir. Sir! Our control systems have been locked out!" He shouted over at Fury who came running towards him, Thor close behind.

"Specific systems? Engines? Environment?"

"No sir. It seems someone is re-directing control of the cage to another level."

"Which one?"

"The basement. There's no one down there sir. Everyone is accounted for on others levels..." The ensign craned his neck forwards as a schematic of the cell appeared on the monitor. The large screen above them lit up and Malekith appeared, grinning from ear to ear.

"Clever, trying to protect Loki like that from me. I should kill your precious friend for such an act. But instead I will be lenient."

Thor stepped forwards, his hand reaching for Mjolnir. "You will release Tony then?"

Malekiths' smile grew as he laughed in Thors' face. "What made you think that, thunderer? No! Instead I will merely let him live. In his current condition he will survive. No. The question is not if Tony should survive this," Malekith moved closer to the screen as his eyes grew wide and his speech became wicked, "the question dear prince, is if Loki will."

His image vanished from the screen and the schematic of the cell replaced it. The blueprints for the supports disconnected from the image and a red banner appeared across the centre of the screen as an electronic voice rang out.

'Warning, supports disengaged. Cage to commence free fall in 5,4,3,2,1,0.'

"Nooo!" Thor ran for the elevator as the screen went fuzzy and returned to normal.

Before he reached the doors though, Fury turned and called out to Thor. "I'm sorry Thor. He's already gone."

* * *

**I know it's unusual for me to update the day after the last, but I had the opposite of writers block so I thought I'd treat you all. But, can't have everything, therefore cliffhanger. **


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Past pain

Loki was sitting at his desk when he heard the metal start to creak. The monitor was facing away from him so he didn't notice when control was diverted. He stood up when the noise increased and walked over to the side of the cell closest to one of the supports.

He squinted at it as the pistons loosened and released the cage.

He stopped still in that moment. He realised he would fall, much like Thor had. He hadn't expected him to survive his fall and he'd noted Thor limping afterwards. Even with Mjolnir it took all of Thors' energy to break out. There was no way Loki could break free in time especially since the helicarrier was over New York. He thought of the books, the table and chair across the room. They were loose. If they hit him while he fell, they could knock him out.

He decided to duck under the bed and brace for impact. At least under there, he would avoid being hit by the desk or chair. He crawled under the bed and put his arms above his head and pushed against the frame with his hands and feet. The cage fell free from the carrier and he looked up through the clear glass ceiling as it got smaller and smaller.

He closed his eyes as he anticipated the impact but it never came. He felt the cell jolt and he opened his eyes. Something with great force had pulled him away from the city like a magnet and was pulling the cell with Loki in it away from the city and over the water. He saw an island with a large green statue of a woman and realised this was where he was being pulled to. He braced himself again as the cell wedged itself into the grass verge at the base of the statue. The door opened and he waited. Nothing. He breathed through his mouth as he kept his eyes wide open.

He crawled out from under the bed and stood up, using the bed to support himself since the landing had put pressure on his legs. They felt like jelly as he gingerly walked around the fallen chair. Evidently the table had been bolted down unlike the books that were now strewn across the cell floor.

The cell had landed as a slight angle so he stepped through the door and dropped a few meters till his feet hit the floor. As soon as he landed, he fell to one side. His foot hadn't landed as straight as he had hoped and he felt it buckle under his weight. He sat clutching his ankle as he anxiously looked around. Still no on was there.

Loki steadied himself with his free hand on the grass. It was moist from a recent downpour and felt soggy and slippery under his weight. After concluding that no one was there he stood up, careful enough not to put too much of his weight on his twisted ankle. Broken bones and knife wounds were easy to mend. Twisted ankles, not so much.

He walked over to a nearby bench and rested. As he sank into the bench, he saw the damage caused by the landing. The cell had torn up a large portion of the grass and had dug itself deep into the dirt. He looked back towards the city and realised he hadn't been pulled that far off course; just enough to avoid the buildings. He shaded his eyes as he tried to see the helicarrier but he couldn't see anything, just the sun blazing down on him.

He closed his eyes as he listened to the heart of the city. The sound of traffic, of the water washing against the side of the island and of a plane going over head in the distance. He kept his eyes closed as he felt his skin tingle; almost as if the temperature at dropped. He opened his eyes and gazed in wonder at his new surroundings. He wasn't on Liberty Island anymore but apart from that he had no idea.

* * *

"Very well. What is your plan?" Volund gave up his skeptical stare at Tony as he pointed to his broach.

"I'll need that."

"My broach? Why? It is of little use." Volund undid the clasp and handed it to Tony who walked into the lightest part of the cell then took off his shirt.

"My arc reactor is the source of my suits power. The suit channels the energy into the form of customised weaponry. The destruction however, will be just as good straight from the source." He clapped his hand on his chest then positioned the pin to lodge between the metal bands.

Volund got up and limped over to the cell bars. "You intend to knock out the guard then free us. All well and good but where do we go from there?"

Tony strained his face as he pulled at his chest piece and the first outer band came off. "You said you had friends in high places, I say we go to them. They will surely help people with the same hatred for Malekith."

Volund turned round as he grasped the bars. "I cannot be sure they will help, but as far as I know, the only portal nearby which I would risk heading for leads right into their palace."

Tony groaned as the second band came off and exposed part of the reactor. "Right, ok. Now we're getting somewhere. Come over here. I'll need you to patch me up once I've fired this."

"Will you be alright?" Volund walked into the light and held the two bands that Tony had pulled off and took a closer look at his chest piece.

"Well, I won't be much use until it's sealed again. This thing was designed to keep me alive, not to fire raw energy. But needs must." He took the bands back from Volund and gave him back his pin.

"Once I've taken out the guard, I'll fire at the bars. Hopefully the force will be enough to dislodge them. After I've done that, I'll need you to reattach these plates back around the piece. Silver band first, grey band second. They clip easily into place and don't worry about getting shocked by it. It'll only fire if the emergency button on the side is used." He pointed over a small red button at the top of the piece and looked over his shoulder at the bars.

"When is the guard due?"

"Soon." He looked up at the ceiling squinting his eyes at the fresh light streaming through. "The light is always brightest when they come." Tony handed him back the bands and Volund pocketed them.

"Once we get out of this room, follow me. You don't know the way out so you'll have to keep up. Is your leg up to it?"

Tony slapped his thighs and jogged on the spot. "It better be. How do you know the layout so well?"

Volund walked over to the bars and craned his head to look down the corridor. They heard thudding footsteps echo from further down the tunnel as Volund said, "You really don't want to know."

* * *

Thor shuddered as he caught his breath. His head was spinning with the idea of Loki falling, trapped helpless in the glass cell. He hung his head as his right hands grasped Mjolnir tightly.

"Calculate point of impact and relay the video footage on the screen." Fury spoke quietly to the ensigns as he watched Thor in the corner.

"Sir, the cell is not experiencing a natural free fall. The path has been altered. It's not heading for the city."

"What is its' landing site. Can you tell what is causing this?" Fury raised his voice as he glanced over at the other ensign who brought up the footage of the cell heading for Liberty Island.

Thor came running over to them, feet pounding on the ground as they saw the cell land on the grass in front of the statue.

"No sir. Unknown force responsible. No other ships or radiation detected."

"I must check on Loki." Thor turned away and headed back towards the elevator as Fury contacted Natasha and Clint. "Hawkeye, Black Widow. Meet Thor on the landing strip."

* * *

Thor stood, impatiently waiting for Clint and Natasha. His ears pricked up as he heard the main landing doors open. They ran towards him, full clad in their gear; Clint with his bow and arrows hoisted over his shoulder and Natasha with her guns and knifes tucked into her straps.

"Lokis' cell has crashed on Liberty island. Fury has ordered you two to join me in searching the wreckage. I'll fly there while you use one of your crafts to follow me down." Before Natasha or Clint could say anything, Thor turned, swung Mjolnir round a few times then took off towards the wreckage. Clint headed straight for the nearest helicopter and jumped in the drivers seat. Natasha dropped in beside him as he fiddled with the controls.

"Do you know how to pilot this? Safely?" Natasha watched as warning signs flashed up on the dashboard.

"Course. Taking off, cruising, maneuvers, I know all the tricks."

"And landing?!"

"Uh, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

* * *

Thor landed on the island a few meters away from the cell. He stood up and ran as fast as he could towards it, cape billowing behind him. He reached the cell and peered through the clear glass. It was slightly cracked but not as much as when Thor had tried to break through it with Mjolnir.

He saw the destruction caused by the fall; the books thrown around and scattered along with the chair and the bedding, but Loki was not in his cell. He walked around the cell, treading on the up turned dirt and saw the outline of his brother, sitting bolt up right on a bench. He called out and waved but he didn't respond. Thor ran over and stood a few feet away staring at him. He still did not move. He held his hand out and waved his hand in front of Lokis' face. Thor grew concerned and went to place his hand on Lokis' shoulder, but his hand went straight through and the image of his brother flickered until Thor withdrew.

He stepped back, shocked and confused. This wasn't his brother, nor was it one of his illusions; they always completely dissipated when they were disturbed. Another sorcerer was to blame for this, Malekith.

* * *

Loki placed his hands by his side as he sat on a dark rock built into a cliff face. He tilted his head upwards and saw the pleasant view he had seen before had been replaced by the dull sky of Svartalfheim. He flexed his toes of his twisted ankle and decided he could stand. He walked slowly along the ledge as he looked around.

The ledge ran around the edge of the cliff; at the centre there was an old dead tree. As he etched his way around to the front of the tree, he saw a throne had been carved out of the trees' base. Upon it sat an elf with his head bowed.

"Welcome, fallen prince, to Svartalfheim." Malekith smirked as he kept his head low while Loki walked towards him.

"Why have you brought me here elf? What have you done with Tony Stark?"

"So many questions. Be patient Asgardian." Malekith looked up as he continued. "That is how you wish to be addressed do you not? The Jotun have severed any connection they might have had with you after you tried to destroy them all. You of course failed."

"As did you." Loki retorted as Malekith mumbled under his breath.

"I shall repeat myself. What have you done with Tony Stark and why have you me brought me here?" Loki took on the most menacing stance he could and crossed his arms as he glared at Malekith while he sat on his throne.

"The mortal is safe, for now. His future condition however, lies in your hands."

"How so?"

"If you join with me, I can promise you victory over Midgard. We both know your time on the isle of silence was not pleasurable. Just remember who put you there. A false family who created lies and false memories of a childhood you were forced to endure. It is in your nature to conquer and tear down those who stand in your way. I offer you that chance now Loki, will you take it?"

* * *

"He's coming!" Volund scampered away from the bars as Tony readied himself.

"You remember the order?" Tony whispered as the footsteps became louder.

"Yes. Silver first, then grey."

"Good, lets do this."

The guard walked up to the bars and casted a tall shadow over them. Even though he couldn't see his face, Tony could tell he was grinning ear to ear as he spoke. "Stand back, human. It's just the common sludge we fed that traitor. You should worry about what Malekith plans to do to you should Loki not accept his proposal. But for now, hope this elf does not turn on you..." The guard stopped as he was blasted against the wall in the corridor.

"I've had quite enough of you, mate." Tony stuttered out the words as Volund stared in wonder at the guard who was smoking slightly and unconscious.

"That thing really is magical."

"Not magic, science. It has its' limits though. Stand back." Tony stood in front of the bars as Volund ducked to one side. A bright blue light shot out from the arc reactor and tore the bars out of the ceiling and clattered to the ground. Tony groaned and fell to the floor in a heap; the light of the reactor flickering in the darkness. Volund waited for the dust to clear and crouched next to Tony, bands in hand. He placed the first band over the chest piece and pressed it into place, careful to avoid the red button. He then did the same with the grey band and saw the light return to a steady glow.

Tony spluttered back into life as he grabbed his chest. "Ugh. This is painful."

Volund took him by the arms and dragged him to his feet. "Come on Stark. We haven't got long until the other guards find us. I can't carry you, come on!"

Volund slung Tonys' arm over his shoulder and half carried him out of the cell. As they picked up speed, Tony started to run along side Volund, still getting his breath back. Their footsteps echoed down the corridor but were the only sound they heard.

"This way. Duck your head then be careful. There's a sheer drop on the other side."

Tony watched as Volund limboed under a low hanging loose metal beam then slowly slid his way down a steep hill. He copied him and clutched his chest when they reached the bottom.

"How much further is it?" He panted through heavy breaths.

Volund pointed as a narrow tunnel that had a small speck of light at the end of it. "The portal is just on the other side of this tunnel. It won't take that long to reach it. Can you make it?"

Tony huffed a response as Volund draped Tonys' arm around him again and they continued down the tunnel. They saw the darkness fade as light began engulfing them from behind. Tony craned his neck round to see people holding torches as the light grew brighter.

"I think they found us." Tony tried to keep his feet moving as he felt his chest getting tighter and tighter.

"We'll have to transport while moving then."

"Why do I get the feeling you rather wouldn't?" Tony glanced at Volund while he picked up his pace.

"We've got to catch the portal exactly head on. If we miss it, only part of us might make it to Jotunheim."

"I don't like the sound of that." Tonys' voice trembled as he heard shouts echoing up the tunnel.

"It is a risk. But between a chance of getting there or definitely being torn to shreds, I would choose maybe any day. How about you?"

"Always choose the more desirable."

They reached the end of the tunnel and Tony looked back round to the light getting closer and closer. Volund stood still and closed his eyes concentrating.

"You found it yet?" Tony sounded slightly panicked as he heard their shouts getting louder.

Volund smiled and nodded, grasped Tonys' hand, then without saying anything, they were pulled through the portal and landed on ice.

* * *

Loki paced back and forth in front of Malekith, his hands behind his back. "You would offer me the chance to undo all that I have done? I am now respected among the people who _I_ call family. For they are my true father, mother and brother. They never stopped being my closest friends. It was I who changed and I will not jeopardise what I have now with you and your deals." Lokis' voice grew louder as he finished and stared down at Malekith who appeared surprised.

Loki continued, slowly walking back and forth again with his hands down by his sides. "There are two other reasons I do not wish to strike a deal with you."

"And what would they be, trickster?" Malekith spat his words as he reached for his staff.

"For one you are known to break your side of the deal whenever your partner has completed their part. You would not let me rule Midgard; you would take it for yourself. Further more, you have nothing of that which I need."

Malekith narrowed his eyes and grinned wildly at him. "Oh but I do, Loki. I have Stark remember? The innocent mortal from Midgard. I may not always keep my side of the deal, but do you trust me not to kill him if you do not join me?"

Loki turned his gaze to the floor then looked up at Malekith with a wicked smile gracing his face. "No, you do not. You must surely know that I would not accept your deal. So do you not think it strange that I did not return myself to Earth as soon as I arrived?"

Malekiths' crazed expression dropped as he saw Loki looking rather smug. He jolted his head to the side as a guard came running frantically towards him.

"Sire, the mortal has escape and he is with the elf."

"What trickery is this, Liesmith? Malekith stood up and began to advance towards Loki, spear in hand.

"I merely stayed as a mean of distraction. I have no need of your help, elf. I could easily take over Midgard now." His image began to fade as Malekith ran towards him, spear aimed at Lokis' chest. "It is just that I choose not to." His image vanished completely before Malekith could stab him. He instead lodged his spear into the wall and shrieked at the top of his lungs.

* * *

Tony and Volund both stood shivering and blinking in the cold wasteland. The harsh winds blew snowflakes in their faces as they edged their way round large vertical pillars of ice. As they rounded the corner they noticed three large blue giants before them. Two were standing tall against their icy backdrop while the other sat upon his throne.

Tony looked between the three of them while Volund approached them, arms outstretched.

"Why have you come here elf? And with a mortal. You should know he cannot survive here long. The cold may take him, or one of my warriors. One of the other could end him before you finish your next sentence. So speak wisely or I'll kill you both myself."

* * *

**Three chapters in three days? I think if I keep this up, my eyes will be glued to my laptop. Never preferable but the feed back has been spectacular! Thank you all so much.**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Spring forward

Thor stood back from Lokis' image as Natasha and Clint came sprinting towards him. They rounded the corner and saw Thor staring at the still illusion of his brother.

"What is going on Thor?" Natasha edged her way round the cell and closer to Thor as Clint walked up to Loki.

"It's not him. Nor is it one of his tricks. I believe Malekith has taken him and placed this visage here."

Clint squinted at Loki and was now mere centimeters from his face.

Thor continued. "He was he only thing Malekith asked for. But what could he possibly want with him?"

Clint answered without tearing his eyes from Lokis' double. "Maybe he thinks he can turn him over to his side. He could be using Tony to blackmail him." Clint smiled slightly as the illusion didn't move.

Thor dropped his gaze. "If that is what he wants, then he will not be successful. I know that Loki will not give up all he has achieved."

Natasha moved to comfort Thor as Clint started laughing. "I never thought I could say this but, I'm millimeters from him and I don't want to smash his face in. It has a remarkable likeness, don't you think?" He turned his head round to face Natasha and Thor as he smirked.

While his head was turned, Thor and Natasha gave him their own amused looks as Lokis' image leaned forward so he could whisper in his ear. "Why of course, who else would you compare me to?"

Clint fell back and landed in the dirt as Loki, Thor and Natasha burst out laughing. Loki got up and stood next to Thor as Natasha picked up her communicator.

"Romanoff to Fury. Cell received minimal damage on impact and we have found Loki. He appears to be unharmed. We will be returning shortly. Over."

The device crackled until Furys' voice sounded out. "Good. We'll send a clean up crew to remove the wreckage. Over and out."

As soon as she re-pocketed the device, she walked over to the other who were listening to Loki as they walked towards the helicopter.

"I left just as he launched his spear at me. While I listened to him, I could hear Tony and someone else on the other side of his palace. I sense one of the portals being opened then one of Malekiths' guards came running out."

"Do you know where the portal led to?" Thor walked up the helicopter and watched as the door closed behind them.

"I am unfamiliar with all the portals of Svartalfheim, but I know that there any many. He could be on Asgard, Midgard; in any of the nine realms." He huffed as he cringed. "Even Jotunheim if he's unlucky."

Natasha looked over her shoulder as Clint lifted the helicopter off the ground. "Jotunheim? I'm guessing that's not somewhere he can count on for assistance?"

"No. The Jotun are known for their hatred of other nations and cultures. They only put up with other worlds if it suits their needs." Thor spoke strongly as Loki raised his eyebrows at him. Thors' eyes widened, then he turned round to face Loki. "Obviously all but you brother."

Loki smiled at Thor as they neared the helicarriers landing pad.

* * *

Somehow Tony ignored the cold as his hands and feet went numb. He hugged his chest tightly as Volund walked up to Vasads' throne.

"We have both fled Svartalfheim." He continued as Vasad narrowed his eyes and stared down at Tony and Volund. "Malekith has threatened the existence of an entire species on Midgard. He kidnapped Stark and held us in the same cell. We escaped because of Starks' ingenuity to your realm, here. All that we ask is that you let him return to Midgard unharmed."

Volund tapped his finger along the arm rest of his throne while he glanced between the elf and the human in front of him.

"If I permit him to use Jotunheims' portal, what will you do?"

Volund dropped his gaze from Vasad as Tony, through chattering teeth said, "From what I have heard, he would not be welcome here or on Svartalfheim. I would like to welcome him Midgard," Tony turned to Volund as he shivered, "unless you would rather make your own way."

"Thank you, Tony Stark. I appreciate such kindness." Volund looked up at Vasad as he stepped down from his throne, still towering over the two of them.

"Is that your final decision? Answer quickly, the mortal looks more Jotun blue than rosy pink." Vasad looked Tony up and down as his skin went deathly pale, his breath visible in the crisp air.

"Yes." Volund said. Tony couldn't reply but he nodded furiously, hugging his chest tighter.

Vasad stood tall and motioned to the sidewall. They hurried over and Volund sent Tony through first, almost unconscious from the cold.

Vasad called after them. "Although this does not make us equal elf, we will not seek you out."

Volund turned at the last minute before he went through and said, "You could help them you know. They are an honorable species. Help us defeat Malekith and you help yourselves." Before he gave Vasad time to reply, he too was pulled through the portal, leaving Vasad staring at the point where they once were.

* * *

Loki and Thor walked onto the bridge as Fury stood at the head of the table. Natasha and Clint had gone to inform the others from what Loki had told them.

"Report gentlemen." Fury kept his tone calm as if nothing had happened.

Loki stepped forward and said, "The landing was planned. After falling free of the helicarrier, the cell was pulled towards the island. From there I was transported to Svartalfheim."

Fury cut him off. "Svartalfheim? But you said it's another realm only accessible by a bridge. Just how many bridges are there connecting Earth to other worlds?"

"Many, if legend is to be believed. Some of them died over time, others forgotten and a few lost completely. All that you need to know is that every realm is connected to the others via Yggdrasil. The ends of which can be anywhere on the planet within a hundred or so mile radius. The landing site can be altered but it takes great energy that needs to be focused solely on one point. It's complicated in your terms but just know that Malekith could appear anywhere on the planet. If he was trying to send a whole army here though, he would have to resort to the, shall we say default location on Midgard."

Fury nodded, trying to act like he understood.

"He wanted me to join him. He thought I could help him take over Midgard." Loki looked up into Furys' one good eye. "He wouldn't come to me if he couldn't handle it himself. He is a being of honor. He would never share a victory, not that he will of course. His action means he knows he is not strong enough." He let his eyes wonder as Thor paced. "I fear this means he may try something reckless."

Fury breathed heavily as he thought. "What of Tony? Did you see him? Do you know where he is?"

Loki cocked his head to the side. "I sensed him while I was with Malekith. I'm positive he was with someone else. They escaped through a nearby portal, I know not where."

"What is the likelihood that Tony will be greeted kindly wherever he may end up?"

"Only Asgard will greet him with welcome arms. They know that Midgard means no harm to them. The other realms have been raged by wars many times by other beings and they will more than likely see Tony as hostile than a friend."

Loki hung his head as Thor came up behind him and clapped him on the back. "I am sure our friend with the sharp tongue and mind to match will be able to convince whoever he comes, across that he is not a threat."

Fury walked back over to the monitors as he said, "I hope so Thor, I hope so."

* * *

Tony came through the portal first in a shower of bright colour. He collapsed as soon as his feet touched the ground beneath him, his energy hitting rock bottom. He laid one side of his face to the cold tarmac, damp from recent rain. Volund came through next and narrowly missed toppling onto Tony as he steadied himself.

"Stark. Stark! Wake up. I don't know where we are. You'll have to help me." Volund knelt down and slapped Tonys' cheek. Tony thrashed his head from side to side as his face twitched. Volund pulled Tony up as he opened his eyes slightly, letting his eyes adjust to the light and his body to the sudden rise in temperature.

He tried to speak but it came out as an incoherent mumble. "Sshhh. Slowly now. You are ill. You will likely fall unconscious soon so make your words count."

Tony stuttered and breathed heavily as he flailed his arms out and grabbed Volund. He pulled on his jacket and sat up, whispering into his ear. "Head for Stark tower; tall building. The avengers are there. They can help, they must help..." Tony slumped forwards into Volunds' arms as he fainted.

Volund looked around himself, trying to get a rough idea of which direction Stark tower might be. He saw large glass and metal buildings off in the distance and with his eagle eyes; he could just make out the large letters stuck to the exterior of one of them. 'STARK.'

He hoisted Tony over his shoulders and began the long walk towards it.

As he waked down the busy street, he noticed people were staring at him. Of course, why wouldn't they? He was blue and carrying an unconscious man. Not your every day scene he supposed. He knew he couldn't do anything about Tonys' condition, so he thought it would only waste his energy if he was to hide his deep blue skin.

He walked through the revolving glass doors of Stark Tower without hesitation, unlike Lokis' visit weeks before. As soon as the lazy receptionist behind the desk looked up from her newspaper, she pressed the emergency button under her desk. Three security guards came out of nowhere and took Tony from his grasp. They then wrestled him to the ground and handcuffed his hands behind his back.

"No, wait. You misunderstand. I'm a friend of Tony Stark... unf." He was cut off as his face was pushed into the ground by one of the guards.

"Where have you been the past few months buddy? We know what you are. We don't know what you've done to Mr Stark but all you need to know is that you'll be making a little visit to S.H.I.E.L.D."

The guards roughly picked him up and half carried, half dragged him out of the lobby and into an office, complete with a small makeshift prison cell.

They shoved him inside and locked the door. Volund would have protested but his strength had been drained from his forced stay in Svartalfheim and all the transportation he had done. He just sat down on the thin mattress and gathered his breath back, worrying about Stark.

* * *

Loki was in his room, sitting on the bed once again. He felt jittery, not because this was where Clint had stabbed him; that was all in the past, like so many other things. No. He was frightened. Terrified that he might lose everything, everyone he ever loved again. All because Malekith had Tony and he had come to Loki. The last person he talked to until he... Malekith hadn't killed him, no. He had just let him run off with a stranger to an unknown realm. Loki, not Malekith. He had decided to flea instead of saving his friend.

He stroked out the creases in the sheets as the temperature dropped and the light dimmed in the room, despite the sun streaming through the window a few seconds ago. He looked up and saw the shadows on the wall change shape. Instead of the shadow of Loki, stood the profile of a man. The shadow seemingly walked out of the wall and towards Loki.

The form took a solid shape and changed colour; the dark grey manipulated into shades of blue, black and red.

"Do you think me stupid Asgardian?" Malekiths' voice ran out, not in sync with the movement of the shadows lips.

"No. I think you vile and pitiful." Loki bit back as the shadow began to pace back and forth. As it did so, Loki realised its' movement wasn't fluent. It left part of itself behind as if it were smoke in the wind.

"Of course you do not. _You_ are the stupid one. You led me here." Malekith raised his arms and continued as he laughed. "I would have gone with subtly but I feel this city you love so much requires my attention more urgently."

The image faded slowly as the sound of his manic laughing faded along with him. Loki sat breathing deeply, hands either side of him while he stared at the wall as the light and heat returned to the room.

The intercom rang out in his room as Jarvis spoke, "Sir, Fury is requesting that you and Thor report to the landing strip for immediate transport to the surface."

Loki stood up and gathered his wits. "Did he mention the reason for this venture?" His voice was slightly shakey so he cleared his throat as Jarvis simply replied, "No."

Loki walked out of his room and made his way to the landing strip, still feeling uneasy; now more than before.

* * *

Thor was already strapped in when he himself sat down and fiddled with the belts and buckles. Fury walked out of the cockpit as the door closed and the helicopter rose up.

Just as Loki tied the last cord, Fury spoke with a concerned tone. "Tony has been returned. He was delivered to Stark Tower and is now in his own medical bay. His private doctors have been escorted and are with him now."

Thor placed his hands on his knees, making his shoulders look even broader. "Delivered? By whom?"

"A tall, old blue man. He claims to be a friend of Tony but of course, we are holding him in custardy."

Loki looked down at the floor as he spoke quietly. "It doesn't sound like Malekith. He is young in age, but he can alter his appearance much like I can. It is a simple visual trick which can also been seen through just as easily. I will be able to tell if this person is hiding anything." Loki was determined to correct his fault; even if the others did not see it as his personal responsibility. He alone, felt responsible for all that had happened to Tony.

* * *

They walked through the lobby of Stark Tower. It looked to be virtually abandoned from first glance, but as they entered the corridor off to the side, they realised it had been quarantined. Heavily built and armed guards marked the doors and lined the corridor as they passed through. Fury led them towards the end of the corridor and gestured towards a thick metal door.

"He's in there. No one has spoken to him, or given him anything."

Loki marched towards the doors but before Fury opened it, he took Loki by the arm. "Just go in there and ascertain whether or not he's our guy."

Loki breathed through his nose in a huff as he nodded. Fury swiped his security card and the door mechanics whined as the door opened. Loki stepped round the thick silver door and stared at the silver haired man with his head bowed. Thor opened the door wider so he and Fury could see into the cell, at the end was the man sitting on the bed.

Loki stepped into the cell and to the side, giving the others a clear view of the stranger. He cleared his throat and the man half jumped. He tilted his head upwards, eyes closed with a strained expression as if he was in pain. He gently opened his eyes and turned his gaze to Loki. Lokis' expression went from angry to shocked as he took in the mans appearance.

The man blinked at him in disbelief as his mouth gaped open. "Loki?"

Loki swallowed as he felt his mouth go terribly dry. He licked his lips as he stared at the man. He wasn't Malekith, but indeed an elf he recognised.

"You."

* * *

**Chapter 20. Milestone woo. Enjoy and suffer with your thoughts till the next chapter. :)**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Fall back

Thor and Fury looked at each other but kept their distance, standing by the door. Loki stepped forwards, still wary of the elf in front of him. Breathing heavily he said, "Prove who you are."

The elf looked down as he stayed seated on the mattress. He smiled to himself then stood up and started to hum a tune. Loki stared at Volund as he continued to hum the melody. His humming was off key but Loki still recognised the song. Something that only his childhood could know.

Volund stopped humming and watched as Lokis' face relaxed into a smile. He stepped closer to Volund and embraced him, giving him a strong pat on the back as he disconnected.

"I didn't hear from you. I thought you'd left Asgard for good. What happened?" Loki spoke quickly as Thor squinted his eyes at him. Fury leaned in towards Thor and whispered, "Do you recognise this... man?"

"No, but Loki certainly does." Thor tilted his head to one side as Volund replied.

Volund stepped back and twiddled his thumbs. "I left because your father asked me to; more advice than anything. He viewed my presence as a distraction from the path he wanted you to take, and a hindrance on my kingdom." He began to pace back and forth as Thor stepped into the cell, eyes locked on the elf. "I took my leave and allowed you to take in my lessons first hand. I also tried to fix conflicts that arose in Svartalfheim. Years later, it turned out I was unsuccessful in my attempts at peace."

Loki nodded gently as he glanced at Thors' confused expression. "Quite. That is all in the past now though. We can return your throne to you and fix all our mistakes. But first, I think you need to jolt my brothers' memory." Loki tilted his head in Thors' direction as Volund turned and smiled at the bewildered god.

Volund turned towards Thor as he kept staring him down. "Do you not remember any of your time as a child? Attending all those classes you hated because you could not grasp the concept?" Thor listened intently as Volund continued. "I taught some of Asgards' finest sorcerers for many years. By the time you and Loki were old enough, I had almost given up my role as a teacher. I rarely visited Asgard in your early days but once Loki found he had an aptitude for magic, Odin asked if I would oversee his education since I have been around longer, even than your father."

Thors' puzzled look faded as he looked between Loki and Volund. "Apparently not. But I do remember an elf was a close friend of my fathers'. I suppose it could have been you."

Loki stepped forwards, a grin wide upon his face. "It was, I am sure of it." He paused as he grew more serious. "It's good to see you again. Shame it had to be in such unhappy times."

"For you, the situation may seem bleak, but from where I've been for the past who knows how many years, things are much improved."

They all fell silent as Fury put his hand up to his ear, paused, then turned to the others, still standing outside the cell. "Starks' condition is worsening. Can you heal him?" He held his gaze with Loki, as he thought for a second.

"I have experience with such wounds. His system should return to normal under my care." He headed towards the door, as did Thor. Volund stood still in his cell until Loki called down the corridor. "You are no prisoner of ours, Volund. You may accompany us if you wish."

Volund looked cautiously round the door as he saw Furys' blank expression. He stepped out from behind the metal door and walked along side Thor and Loki as they headed towards the infirmary.

* * *

Stark lay propped up on a hospital bed under a light blue sheet. His arms were outside the sheet and resting on his lap while the rest of him was completely covered.

As they walked in, the sudden rush of heat hit them as they felt the temperature change; a warmer environment for Starks' benefit. Loki and Volund slowly walked up to the bed, while Thor and Fury stayed by the door. Fury nodded at Tonys' private doctors and they left as Thor and Loki stood either side of his bed.

Loki noticed Thors' face was stiffer than usual and that his eyes were transfixed on Tonys' frost bitten fingers.

"Thor?" Loki kept his voiced hushed as Tony breathed irregularly and loudly through an air mask clamped over his nose and mouth.

Thor continued to stare at Tonys' black fingers while he spoke, his voice stuttered and broken. "This scene... it's similar to how you were. Fallen, weaker since I saw your last. So much energy, spirit, reduced to this." He held his hands out over Tony, but didn't dare to touch his frail form.

Loki looked up and down Tony as he listened. "Well, then there's one thing me and this man have in common."

Thor tore his gaze from Tony as he watched Loki gently hold Tonys' black hands. "What's that, brother?"

Loki didn't tear his eyes from Tony as he said, "Resilience."

From where Loki touched Tony, the skin began to turn back to its' normal shade. The black, dry skin disappeared and fresh new skin appeared in its' place. Colour showed through on his face where his complexion had since been white as snow. His breathing calmed down and his eyelids gently fluttered while his fingers began to twitch.

Loki let go and leaned in slightly, Thor copying his movements. Tonys' eyes finally opened and his mouth gaped wide under his mask. He looked between Loki and Thor, not turning his head. He went to speak but no words came out. A single tear fell from his lashes and ran down his cheek before he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Loki stayed still, leaning over Tony with his hand braced on the side of the bed. He sighed then stepped back and strode towards Fury. "He will recover but he needs time. I cannot say how long." He glanced back over his shoulder at Tony and Thor who had pulled up a chair and was sitting by his bedside. "But he will recover, that is the important thing."

Fury nodded then ushered the doctors back into the room. Loki walked out and rested against the wall breathing deeply. Volund followed him and watched as Loki clenched his eyes shut.

"There is something you are not telling him, isn't there? Something which even you do not wish to believe." Loki opened his eyes and looked straight ahead, his mind stunned but expression calm.

"And what makes you think that?" Loki turned his head to watch Volunds' reaction.

"I grew up around your tricks. I know when you are hiding something." Volund softened his tone as he continued. "Whatever it is, it shouldn't be bottled up. That didn't work out so well last time, as I heard. Do you wish to talk about it?"

Loki took another deep breath as he looked down at his feet. "This is like the time I came to you before. You read me just as clearly as if I was an open book." He abruptly turned his heads to look him directly in the eye. "Did you know? Did you have any doubts that I wasn't my fathers' son?"

Volund moved round to stand directly opposite Loki and placed his hands on his shoulders. "I never saw you as out of place. Everyone is slightly different. Thor took on the physical characteristics of his father, while you took on the mental. That is not something that is passed down through generations. It is a skill you develop over time with hard work and dedication." Volund cocked his head to the side and laughed. "That is where you differ from your father. He had the shortest attention span of all of my students."

Loki looked surprised as he grew less tense. "You were my fathers' teacher?"

"I did say I was older than the Allfather. Yes. He was the most unruly child of his generation. But you, you have patience and possess a great talent for dedication that you did not pick up from Odin. You get that from your true father."

Loki huffed and tried to shove Volunds' hands from him but he kept his grip tight. "I know you wish to bury his memory, but that is not the right thing to do. Even though your father was viewed as a monster, you know that not all the stories of them are true. That they only ever wish to fight, and conquer and pillage. You yourself have proved that lie wrong. From Laufey you receive your stubbornness, your courage and will to fight on. No matter what you have done in the past, this is what you will be remembered for now."

Loki glanced towards the door and said, "In that moment, I felt like I belonged at Thors' side. As his brother, as his equal. But then I remember all that I have gone through, all that I have put them through and realise I am not. I am not Thors' brother, nor am I Odins' son." Loki turned back to Volund, a tear threatening to fall from his face. "I am not even my mothers' son."

Volund wiped Lokis' eye with his dark blue finger while he shushed him. "You are their son and Thors' brother. You bloomed into the best son they could hope for. Kind. Strong, both in body and mind. You just lost sight of your path. This is the way things were meant to go."

Loki looked up as he wiped his eyes and breathed through his mouth. He stood up straight and nodded at Volund before heading further up the corridor. Fury rounded the next corner and called out to him. "Loki, come to the lab immediately. Bring Volund."

* * *

When Loki walked into the lab, it was like walking straight into a sand storm. Everyone was around the edge of the room shouting things to each other with such ferocity that Loki wanted to shy away in the corner. His attention was caught however when he heard his name.

"There; he's here now. Me and Loki will go." Steve raised his voice over Natashas' as Clint sat quietly in the corner and Bruce tapped furiously at a glass screen.

"We have to send more than two though and before you bring it up again, we can't send Thor. We need him here." Natasha got her say in before Loki could chime in.

"What are we talking about?" Loki sounded timid as Steve ignored him.

"Yes, well. How about Bruce? If the situation turns south, he'll be there as back up."

"I thought you were the one who was against him doing his trick?" Natasha replied mockingly as Loki and Volund walked into the middle of the room, Fury leaning against the door.

Steve and Natasha went silent as Clint just stared at Volund. Bruce didn't even notice him until he looked up form his work but he too just stared.

Loki glanced at him then cleared his throat. "Everyone, this is Volund. He was once my teacher and knows just as much as I do. I believe he could be a great help to the team and I believe Fury thinks so too." He craned his head to look at Fury who just nodded as Steve walked past Volund and through the door.

"Right, well then. That settles it. Me, Loki and Volund will go. Having two sorcerers is surely better than one." He teased Natasha as he beckoned Loki and Volund through the door to follow him. They looked over the others before following Steve down the corridor.

* * *

Volund whispered to Loki as they walked far behind Steve. "Do you have any idea where we're going?"

Loki watched as Steves' pace quickened and they half jogged to keep up with him. "I think we're heading to the landing strip. Beyond there, no idea."

He sprinted down the corridor and caught up with Steve, lightly patting him on the shoulder to slow him down. "What is going on? Did you find something?"

Steve never looked at Loki while he opened the door out onto the landing strip. "There was activity on one of the scanners Stark set up. It showed ice forming on an abandoned warehouse out near the docks. We were arguing as to who should go. Usually, we would have chosen Stark but since he's... unavailable, we couldn't decide who would be best." His voice trailed off as he stepped into the back of the craft and a pilot got in the drivers seat.

"He will be alright, captain. He suffered majorly in the cold wastes of Jotunheim but he'll be fighting fit in no time." Loki tried to cheer the captain up with light banter but Steve kept his face blank.

Volund joined them and they sat in silence as the craft lifted up and headed for ground. After a while Steve broke the silence, leaning in towards Volund. "Where are you from?"

Volund looked up from his feet at Steve. "Svartalfheim. And yes it's the same place as Malekith. We are of the same species but not of the same intentions. The thrown was mine until he stole it from me. I am as much for peace as you are captain."

Steve nodded his head as he continued. "Does that mean you know of the strategy he is most likely to use?"

"Possibly. He used his power of persuasion to convince people who were once loyal to rebel against the monarchy. He is a master of deception and lies. He can alter peoples feelings and in some cases actions."

Loki raised his hand to catch his attention since the noise of the engines increased as they landed. "Actually, it is unlikely that he'll be able to control any of us. I protected all the avengers using a charm. I believe you taught me it actually."

They got out of the helicopter and made their way to a 4x4 that was standing by.

"Nice to know you've not lost your intelligence. I think you had us all fooled with Thor and the incident with the dress."

Loki gaped at Volund as he laughed slightly. "You knew?"

Steves' ears pricked up as he closed his car door. "What is this? Thor and a dress? Do tell."

* * *

Steve had been uncontrollably laughing from the image of Thor as a child in dress that was now engraved on his mind. That was until the car had stopped and they had all gotten out and approached the derelict building.

Steve went ahead while Loki and Volund hung back a bit. As Steve wandered off round the corner Volund looked between him and Loki.

"Don't you think I deserve some sort of outfit? You and the captain appear very well suited for the situation."

"Not that we know what we're facing but yeah, we do alright. Just, create some battle gear and a few weapons if needs be. Bare in mind that it might get a little cold in a minute. Not that I'll be in any danger of course." He smiled at him while Volunds' appearance faded then reappeared with brown and silver armor, much more fitting for a past king.

Steve came back towards them, shield in hand. "The ice first appeared on the roof and is apparent only on the top floor. Everything else appears to be normal and the building is stable so we can go in and investigate. Can either of you detect whether or not he is here?"

"We will only be able to detect him if we are close to him. Within about 50 feet or so." Volund spoke up as he handled his selection of daggers and tucked them into his belt.

Loki also replied. "But we will be able to detect the casket." Volunds' head jolted upwards as the mention of it. "It gives off a very specific signal which is near impossible to hide. We will know if it has been used here."

They began walking towards the buildings' entrance while Volund ushered Loki to one side. "You never said he had the casket of ancient winters. He could freeze the entire planet in less than an hour. Don't you have a more secure plan than this?" He gestured towards Steve who was gingerly opening the door.

"I am well aware of the caskets power. I only doubt Malekiths' ability to wield it properly. Besides, he is not here only to kill and rule; he is also here to gloat."

* * *

They split up and covered different parts of the warehouse. It was four stories high and was completely abandoned; had been for years by the looks of it. Dust covered the floor in a thick layer than hid the gleam of the wooden decking below. The ceilings had cracks in them, as did the wall along with ripped wallpaper to match.

Loki covered the top floor since he was least affected by the cold. Steve took the third floor and Volund the second. They figured splitting up the two sorcerers meant that if Malekith was nearby, they had a better chance of sensing him if they were further apart.

Steve tapped his earpiece as he looked out of the window. "Loki. What's your analysis of the ice up there?"

Loki knelt down and touched the cold floor. Stalactites hung from the ceiling while ice covered the walls and seeped onto the floor. "It doesn't appear to be natural. Definitely summoned by the casket. Can't tell how recently though, it seems pretty solid."

Volund listened in as Steve and Loki spoke to one another. Meanwhile, he stood still in the centre of the room and closed his eyes in concentration. He blocked out the sound of their voices while he listened to the building itself. Learning its' nooks and crannies with every breath he took. Each breath of wind outside told him everything he needed to know without opening his eyes.

The others continued conferring with one another until Volund cut them off. "These walls are colder than they should be. The ice is creeping through the building."

Steve approached the nearest wall to him and touched it, recoiling from it as he felt the coldness. "Why? What could he be doing?"

A drop of water hit Lokis' cheek and he looked up at the ceiling. A single stalactite had water gathering at the end of it and was dripping down. He glanced over at the others and realised they were doing the same.

"I think I know." He paused while he watched, motionless, as a particularly thin stalactite broke off and hit the ground and smashed into small shards of glass like ice. "The cold is making the building unstable. But that's not the worst of it. The ice on the roof and this ceiling is melting. It's going to cave in and crush us."

Steve shouted over the coms. "Get out! Evacuate! Get out now!"

Loki looked longingly at the door to the stairs. He thought of running for it but instead lifted his head to look at the ceiling again. He saw a particularly long and sharp stalactite hanging from the ceiling directly over him. And he could only watch as it broke off from the base and headed straight for him.

* * *

**So sorry it took me about four days to upload again. Blame college for giving me too much coursework. Unfortunately it's gonna continue coming so you may have to wait four days again; so I decided to leave you in some suspense again. Enjoy**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Dark ice

_To jaquelinelitte, chapter 8: Thor had just taken the thrown so his first priority would be to take care of Asgards' needs. Loki had just healed from his experience on the island and had to carry out the rest of his punishment so there wasn't any opportunity to research what occurred on the island. It is all explained within the next few chapters. I forget which one._

_To jaquelinelitte, chapter 14: The temperature was affected by the casket, even though Malekith wasn't there. Now I'm imagining the attack of the Eskimos. Ah yes, all knowing Wikipedia and yes, Scotland actually has a drinking age, shock horror. It's a very confusing law. Its' between the ages of 5 and 18 I believe in a beer garden so long as it's bought by an adult. In England it's similar but you have to a meal with it. It makes no logical sense._

* * *

During

Steve came round and opened his eyes, immediately scrunching them closed again. As he kept his eyes shut tight, he could see the lights over head, flickering through his eyelids. Shortly after opening his eyes, he began to hear voices around him. Panicked ones shouting at each other. All he could make out was muffled screams as he hazardly opened his eyes again. It took him a while to realise that he was laying down flat on his back, being wheeled along; all the time staring at the ceiling. The lights were bright and every few meters along the corridor. His vision wasn't too clear and the bright lights meant that he could only make out white and black. Everytime a white light disappeared, he feared the darkness would be never ending.

He closed his eyes again, trying to block out the chaos around him. The darkness claimed him.

* * *

Before.

His mind was wired, screaming at him down a long corridor. Telling him to run, but he didn't. Just stood there until he felt the floor beneath his feet shudder. He looked towards the door at the end of the room, feet glued to the spot, body coursing with adrenaline. He shouted at thin air, then blank. All he could feel was his body feeling like it was made of lead.

He gasped and opened his eyes. Weeping was all he could hear below him, that and the creaking of the building. Dust circled around him as he tried to pull himself up. He cried out when he felt his legs burning. He glanced back to see a large part of the ceiling had wedged him in, unable to move. He laid his head on the rubble and waited until his sight went black.

* * *

Present.

He awoke from it like a dream; heart beating so fast he could hear it; breathing so heavy that he kept his mouth wide open. He focused his eyes on the ceiling; different to before, not as bright. He squinted as he felt his eyes water and lifted his heavy head off the pillow. His vision was met by another blinding light with a dark figure at the centre of it. The light smudged the figures profile but as his vision cleared, he was relieved at the sight.

Steve put his hands either side of himself on the bed and propped himself up, leaning to one side as he did to cough heavily. The figure walked towards him and held out a clear glass. Steve took it gratefully, spilling some of its' contents on the floor. He gulped down the cold refreshing water then attempted to place it on the bedside table. He placed it half on, half off so it fell and smashed on the hard floor.

He cringed at the sound but lent over to see it, moaning at he stretched. The figure lifted him up and placed him back on the bed. Steve tried to protest but gave in as he sank into the mattress.

He mumbled, trying to speak but the figure spoke before him. "You are safe, I am safe."

He paused as he turned to look over at another figure, limping towards them. "Stark is healed."

Steve blinked as Tony walked into view next to the figure who he could now see better. It was Volund.

"..ki." He cleared his throat. "Loki. What, happened, to Loki?" He spoke slowly; his head ached at every syllable.

He felt his head start to feel heavy again but heard Volund speak just before everything went black. "Gone."

* * *

During.

Loki was shaking, almost shivering, but not because of the cold. His arms and shoulders hurt; rough hands gripping tightly to his wrists and elbows as they dragged him. His long legs hung behind him as his toes and knees scrapped across the hard, damp floor. His head hung low, chin almost touching his chest as the guards pulled him through his moans and whimpers. They were dampened by the mask over his mouth. He couldn't be sure, but it felt like the one he had worn before.

He could hear their voices, their laughs echoing off the walls around them. All his eyes could see was the dark stone floor beneath him. Every so often a puddle of dark murky water would wet his bare feet and he'd cringe at the coldness.

Torches hung from the walls and bathed sections of the corridor in light. Every so often, he saw one of the guards' legs when they stopped and hoisted him up more onto his feet. Their attempts to get him to walk failed, as the light around him faded and his vision went black.

* * *

Before

He ignored his instinct when he felt the room grow colder. The light coming in from the windows faded slightly as he felt a familiar feeling; one he had felt before an unwelcome guest had visited him. His shadow flickered unnaturally in the dim light as a drop of cold water fell onto his cheek. He tilted his head up as he heard the sound of ice cracking. He watched as it tore away from the ceiling and headed straight for his neck.

In that second, he became aware of everything around him. The exact movement of the shadows; the position of his feet on the wooden floor; the beating of his heart and his warm breath visible in the cold air. Time seemed to freeze as he could see everything and do nothing.

He closed his eyes, telling his legs to move out of the way. They didn't. He kept his eyes shut as he breathed heavily; eyes scrunched shut in anticipation of the pain. He felt nothing. He lowered his head back down, opened his eyes and looked forwards. The sight before him was not of the abandoned warehouse. It brought back a strange feeling of nostalgia. One that he neither wanted to remember or experience again.

He found himself in the tunnels that he had used to assemble his own team against S.H.I.E.L.D. The equipment they had used had long since been removed; the scientists had left as soon as the Chitauri had come. All that was left now, were metals desks and vending machines. He walked over the stone paved floor towards the furthest wall. On the ceiling there, the light bulbs' glass was smashed and exposed the filament. This place, now used and broken was home to something much worse than men in lab coats.

He got memorised by the imperfections and dents in the wall where shelves had been screwed in then ripped out. He found it curious that they had taken the time to remove them that he didn't notice the two guards behind him. The one behind him on his left had a piece of metal tubing and hit the back of his leg with it. Loki fell back and the second guard caught him under his arms and held him up. The other guard walked in front of him and used the tube to jab Lokis' stomach until he bent double in the others' arm, groaning through the pain.

The second guard held him as he went limp and relied solely on him to support his weight. The first lifted his head by placing the bar under his chin and raising it. Loki let his head fall back and kept his eyes closed while the guard checked him.

"No weapons. Lie him down and follow me." The guards' voice was deep and gravely. The second one placed him on the floor and walked over to the opposite side of the room. They opened a desk drawer and rummaged through its' contents. Lokis' first thought was to teleport himself out. He knew where we was so there wouldn't be any risk. He felt disorientated though so as far he knew, he could end up inside the wall. He decided he had to make a run for it, and now. Loki risked opening his eyes and saw a dim light at the end of the tunnel. He visualised getting to his feet; the possibility of his leg giving out and his balance being uneven; but he knew that he wouldn't be in any better condition later on, so now was his best chance.

He made his move when he heard the guards close the drawer. He positioned his hands either side of his torso, rolled onto his side, tucked his legs underneath himself and pushed up onto his knees. He moaned and hissed as he put pressure on his knee. The guards turned at the commotion and began to sprint towards him. He glanced back at them, regretting it as he realised he'd wasted precious seconds. He unsteadily rose to his feet and began to run. He wouldn't call it running; it felt like one of his legs was considerably longer than the other. He wondered if his left leg was dislocated, it sure felt like it whenever he leant on it.

He'd barely got ten feet away when one of the guards jumped on top of him and straddled his back. He pushed his face into a puddle of black water and laughed as Loki thrashed his arms and legs against him for air. Judging by his laugh, Loki guessed the one who held him before was holding his head down. He released his head and Loki gasped for air as he placed the side of his face in the puddle.

The guard continued to hold him down, not that Loki could protest, while the other one knelt next to his legs. He placed a mask beside his head and gestured to the other guard. The second guard grabbed a handful of Lokis' hair and pulled his head back, straining his neck as he continued to pin him down. He placed the mask over Lokis' face, trying to clip it under his ears and round his neck. All Loki could do was shake his head, making it impossible for the guard to pace the mask on him.

The first guard shouted at him. "Stop wriggling!"

Loki continued to squirm and thrash against the second guard as he too shouted at him. Loki ignored them and continued his futile attempt to throw him off. The first guard reached into his boot and pulled out a long sharp blade; Loki couldn't see it since his view was blocked. The guard gathered part of Lokis' trouser material in his hand and stabbed through it with the blade and ripped them. He did the same with the other leg them placed the blade against the bare skin of the back of his knee. Loki stopped still as he felt the cold blade against his leg.

"Stay still and I won't cut into your pale flesh." The guard spoke through gritted teeth but emphasised the words 'pale flesh'. He began to trace the knife over his leg and Loki reluctantly complied. He held his head up, straightening his neck as much as he could, allowing the second guard to successful clip the mask on. Loki sighed silently through the mask as he felt the mans' weight shift but continued to pin him to the floor.

The guard held his head forwards as they spoke in hushed voice. Lokis' eyes darted across the room, his breathing becoming strained under the mans' weight. Suddenly, he felt the man take hold of his arms and place them above his head. The guard leaned over him and held him down tighter than before.

"What are you doing?" Lokis voice was muffled but the guards could make out his words. Neither of them replied as the guard holding the knife cut Lokis' other trouser leg in the same fashion as the first.

"No. NO! You said you wouldn't if I stopped." Lokis' pleads became more muffled as his voice went higher; his mind screaming for it to stop, his body unable to stop it. The guard held him still as Loki calmed down and waited for a response. The first guard placed his hand on Lokis' calf and said, "I lied."

* * *

Steve sat up in his bed, head feeling clearer and his mind more alert. "Gone? What do you mean gone?"

Volund shifted his feet as he replied. "As in he's not there. There was no sign of him. Just before he disappeared, I sensed something. No doubt Loki felt it too."

Steve cut him off. "What?"

Volund paused as his eyes glanced over at Tony then back to Steve. "Malekiths' magic. He may have not been present at the warehouse but I think he snatched him while we were under the building."

Steve blinked and rubbed his eyes as he felt his head pound. "What caused the building collapse?"

Tony stepped forwards as Volund moved aside to let a cleaner remove the broken glass. "From all your reports, Volunds' information and my analysis of the debris, we're assuming that the building collapsed due to the fact that it was weakened by the ice caused by the... casket?" Tonys' tone changed as he gave Volund a questioning glance. Volund simply nodded and walked back to the bed while the cleaner left.

"He deliberately caused the building to fall on us. It was just a way of getting his hands on Loki."

Steve looked between Tony and Volund. "Then why go to all the trouble of luring us there, risking us finding out that it was him and collapse an entire building?"

"Even if we weren't there, I think we would all assume Malekith and in all fairness, the magic used to disrupt the buildings structure is very easy to manipulate. It wouldn't have taken much effort or skill on his part." Volund huffed as if he was mocking Malekith. "The main reason for the show of strength was purely to show that he could, that he did and that he intends to harm anyone who gets in his way."

Steve stared at his feet under the covers while his mind buzzed with ideas and strategies, all which seemed useless against a being who used a weapon he didn't understand. Even his colleagues used devices he couldn't operate so he sighed as he realised he was more out of his depth than he had first thought when he joined the avengers. He put aside those thoughts and took a deep breath before he pulled back the sheet and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He stood up, gained his balance and straightened up, towering over Tony and Volund.

"Right then. We all need to collaborate on this. Assemble the team on the bridge."

Tonys' lips curled as he was secretly relieved to see the captain back on his feet. He hadn't gotten on well with him before. He was from a time when chivalry was common and ladies wore skirts. Tonys' reality was full of a number of unbelievable differences. He now respected Steves' resilience against the change and admired his ability to function in an alien environment.

Tony walked out of the room along with Volund, Steve regaining his balance and following them.

* * *

Tony and Volund walked out onto the bridge and saw everyone else quietly sitting around the table. Steve shortly followed, a slight limp affecting his stride. When they were all seated Fury stood up and glanced at all of their blank faces.

"Every other day. That's what it feels like. Something goes wrong; people don't live up to their expectations. This does not stop us though. If anything, it's makes me more determined to improve, to succeed. I hope this is the same for all of you."

He gave everyone a glare but few of them locked eyes with him since their heads were bowed; minds entertained by twiddling their thumbs or distracted from the view out the large glass windows. Volund nervously looked around at their blank expressions then raised his eyebrows at Nick. Fury nodded and he stood up and cleared his throat. "I am Volund, the rightful king Svartalfheim. I am completely against what Malekith has done to your realm and my kingdom. He has tarnished our once honoured legends and has replaced them with war and bloodshed. You will have my magic beside you on the battlefield."

Thor smiled weakly at him as he retook his seat. Clint leant his arm on the table as Natasha curled a lock of hair behind her ear and spoke. "So what position are we in? Everyone with the exception of Fury has seen Malekith up close. We know he's determined and cunning. He could drop us right out of the sky with just a wave of his hand. All we know is that he doesn't have influence around iron."

Clint started to speak just after Natasha. "Not to dampen everyones spirits, but we don't appear to be in a good position. We are essentially wearing target boards on our heads and he is holding the arrows." His voice trailed off. "Not to mention Loki."

Steve shot a glance down the table at him. "That you for that, Barton." Clint shrugged in response as everyone went quiet. Volund licked his lips while he looked towards the darkening sky, storm clouds on the horizon; ice still frozen around the edge of the window.

Without a word to anyone, he got up and walked over to Thor. Grabbed his arm, pulled him to one side and spoke in a hushed tone. He looked up at the gods' blue eyes as he listened intently, not once looking at the others' confused expressions.

Volund backed away from Thor and watched as his mind turned, thinking; his gaze dropping to the floor. He looked straight at Volund, determination gleaming in his eye then left, hand hovering over Mjolnir.

Volund walked back over to the table, Natasha and Clint now whispering to each other. Steve and Tony exchanging quizzical expressions. Fury just raised an eyebrow at him. A small smile graced the elfs' face. "Thors' calling in a favour." His smile grew as thunder sounded behind them and lightening lit up the bridge. "Here come the giants."

* * *

Lokis' mind drifted. One minute he was dreaming, the next he thought he was awake and laying down; the next minute standing up. He shuddered awake and puffed out his chest, breathing hard and fast through his nose. He opened his eyes slowly, squinting through the darkness. His throat felt dry so he tried to swallow but gagged slightly when he couldn't open his mouth. He tilted his head forwards so he wouldn't choke and moved his jaw around. His senses soon told him that the gag was still in place. He went to sit up, pulling his torso forwards, toes gripping into the ground beneath him for grip. He moaned through his mask when we felt his stomach cramp; the pain spreading across his lower back and down his legs. He slumped his head back on the hard surface beneath him as he remembered the backs of his knees had been cut.

He tried to bring his hands up to his mouth but felt the coldness of metal around his wrists. His arms felt heavy so all he could do was move his head. He turned it, agonisingly to the right, neck muscles crying out in pain; his breathing becoming more laboured. He tried to stretch his neck out as his eyelids felt heavy as he squinted towards a door. In the frame of the door, two men stood, their silhouettes visible from a dim light behind them. Judging by the flickering of the light, another torch hung along the corridor.

A shot of pain shot up his neck and he cried out under the mask and placed his head back straight on the surface he was laying on. From his stationary position, his eyes darted about the room. He noted he was in a long, narrow room with holders for torches nailed along the wall. The ground was a few feet below him so he guessed he was on a bed or a table. The surface he was on was painfully flat and hard so he guessed it was a table rather than a bed. He tried to kick his feet out but heard the familiar jangle or metal chains like the ones round his wrists.

He closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing. His head was feeling heavier and he felt light headed because he so desperately wanted air, but the mask denied him the chance to breath deeply. Instead he breathed through his nose, repeatedly sniffing, coughing and spluttering when he breathed in dust. Made worse by the fact that he couldn't expel the dust, he began to choke. He thought he was going to faint from lack of air. He began to panic, then quietened down as he heard voices by the door.

They spoke in hushed voices but every so often, a word would ring clear. "... not the only one... others, I know it... find them and bring them to me."

Loki was confused. His head was spinning but he was sure he recognised the voice. Another, unfamiliar voice replied in such a low tone that all Loki could hear was mumbling. Then the first voice said, "I will get my answers. Whether it be from him, or from you." He dragged the last word out and Loki heard hurried footsteps heading away from the door.

He clenched his toes and stretched and clenched his fingers as he heard slow footsteps echoing towards him. He started to shiver as he felt cold air wash over his body, starting from his legs and making its' way up to his neck. He kept his head back, looking at the back wall, in hope that he would go away. He didn't. Malekith came into view and grinned menacingly at Lokis' face; terror in his eyes.

"I decide what you can and can't do now, Liesmith."

* * *

**Haha. (Evil laugh) Its' very hard to had inflections in text. Anyway, change in style but I felt like it. Please tell me your opinions. This style may change slightly for the next one and I'm happy (unhappy?) to announce that I'm getting close to the conclusion of this story. Only about 3 maybe 4 more chapters to come.**

**I added 'before' and 'during' as subtitles since some it's a little confusing. All will be explained.**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 22

Red on black

_To jaquelinelitte, chapter 22: The style was supposed to give the effect that they were disorientated. The first three sections are of Steve, the first is him waking up being wheeled to the hospital, the second of just before the accident then waking up after he had been seen by the doctors._

_The same goes with Lokis' experience but with two sections before the scenes on the helicarrier; waking up being carried, then when he was taken from the warehouse. The third part is at the end of the chapter, which is continued, in the next chapter. I was trying to imitate what someone feels and remembers when they've been through something traumatic. They don't necessarily remember everything in the right order._

_I can't remember how I did it now, but I think Heimdall told Thor that Malekith had disrupted Loki on the island. I believe Jotunheim had just been attacked so Asgards' duty to was split between introducing a new king, caring for the old one, balancing out the realms and keeping security tight. _

_To SnapesGirl59: You shall see during this chapter. And good pun. Thor is definitely not going to be gentle with him that's for sure. Loki is ours; Thor can share but don't hog the baby. Glad you enjoyed the change and my pleasure._

* * *

Lokis' quick mind already had a retort ready but he thought better of it. Besides, he couldn't speak even if he wanted to. Malekith raised his right hand and hovered it over Lokis' body. Loki whimpered under his gaze as he neared his throat, placing his thin cold hand over Lokis' neck. He applied just enough pressure to blow Lokis' eyes wide as he struggled to breathe even more. Loki began convulsing as Malekith held his grip. Not painful pressure, just enough for a feeling of lightheadedness to overwhelm him. His vision started to turn hazy. He looked directly at Malekiths' face in the dim light. He held his eyes open as he saw his sight fade; first around the edges, unfocusing. Just before Lokis' vision went completely, Malekith let go and stood back as Loki coughed through his mask, body convulsing wildly. His legs, back and neck hurt while he thrashed about on the table but he didn't care. He needed air desperately, and he knew that he couldn't get enough by breathing through his nose.

While his breaths slowed, Malekith started to walk around the table, looking down at Loki as if he were his prey caught in a snare. Loki followed him with his eyes, hands clenched into fists, toes curled. Malekith reached the head of the table and knelt down so as he spoke, Loki could feel his breath on the crown of his head.

"You betrayed me. You've let yourself down. You've let, everyone down! But no one sees it; notices your betrayal. No! All they see is a hero carved out of a once fallen prince. I say not. You are a murderer and a thief; just like your father. No! No. Not your father. Not Odin. Your real father; the one whose people have abandoned their true king in his time of desperate need. It's just like them you know; to believe whatever someone tells them. Unless of course it is something they don't like to hear. They have very selective ears do the Jotun." Malekith tone ranged from hushed, to menacing, to wicked, hysterical and calm throughout his speech. He sighed and walked round to the opposite end of the table and stood by Lokis' bare feet. Loki couldn't see that far down the table; he could only see his face, and his wicked eyes.

Malekith glanced down at Loki, head to toe. His skin, tinged a mottled grey in the dull light; his clothes torn and ripped where knifes had been used and dragging had caused the rest.

He looked at his grubby feet and tutted. While the guards had dragged him, his shoes had fallen off. His heels and the tops of his toes were now red sore from the hard floor and the rest of his feet were covered in black dust.

Malekith ran a cold finger teasingly along the arch of is foot, making Loki clench his toes tighter and tense his stomach. Malekiths' soft touch changed as he snaked his hand up his leg and pushed his knee into the table, causing the wound behind his knee to rub. Loki kicked out with his other leg and moaned in pain when the shackles holding his leg rubbed against the sore red mark on his ankle. Malekith grinned and let go, walking back round to stand near Lokis' head while he caught his breath and twitched his leg.

Malekith looked down at his face, his mouth covered by the gag, eyes watering and crying out in agony. He raised his hands threateningly over his neck again and Loki squirmed, trying to crawl away. He brought his hands to the gag and unclipped it, allowing Loki to breath through his mouth. He observed Loki, dust covering his face except for the area where the gag had been. As he coughed and spluttered, Malekith placed the gag on a metal table; hearing it clang, then walked back over to Loki. He leaned menacingly over Loki, hands either side of him and stared into his eyes. Despite being able to speak, Loki stayed silent; all ideas of talking back vanished.

"What makes a good friend? Hmm? Do you know? I'll tell you." Malekith licked his lips and leaned further in so Loki could only see his face and the wild glint in his eyes. "A friend, not a particularly loyal friend but one none the less, will do all the things they wish to do with you. They will do whatever you say because it goes along with their reality. Very different from a good friend though. A good friend will see past your differences and do whatever you ask of them purely because, you are their friend. They do not question, complain or revolt or plan mutiny." Malekith tilted his head to side and raised his eyebrow on the light side of his face at Loki. "But do you know the catch? The little, shall we say frustrating thing that can happen between so called 'friends'?"

Loki held his gaze; all the time his mind screaming at him to run for the door. Malekith turned his head the other way, dark side showing. "It occurs," Malekith started to speak slowly, then quickened his pace, "when someone you thought to be a believer in you; when your back is turned, reaches out and stabs you in the back." Malekith spat his last words at Loki while he tried to sink into the metal of the table; anything to get away from him.

Malekith backed away from him and laughed softly while he began to pace round the table again, hands behind his back. "You do. I know _you_ do. Except, it was you who betrayed your friends and family; pretending to be one of them. Of course, you are not what you thought yourself to be; so how can you be what others expect, when you yourself do not live up to your own expectations?"

Loki calmed his breathing and tried to hold his voice steady. "What, do you, want?" He spoke slowly and clearly as Malekith turned towards the door then back to him.

"Jotunheim is not mine, and it should be. We thought Volund was the only person behind it. Turns out he wasn't." Malekith leaned in closer and squinted his eyes at him. "You are the trickster; masters of lies and deception. Who do you think it is?"

Loki gaped his mouth open as he shifted his legs on the table, causing the chains to rattle. Malekith dropped his gaze after a while and walked towards the open door. He held up his hand and beckoned someone in the corridor forwards. Malekith ran his eyes around the room while an elf with a torch walked in. He placed the torch in one of the holders and stood between Loki and Malekith. "Your silence is almost deafening." Malekith walked towards the door, turning at the last second. Loki couldn't see him, just heard his last words until he disappeared into the corridor. "I'll be back soon to hear your opinion. In the meantime, he will... help jog your memory. This is Jokoah. I believe you two know each other." Malekith glanced over at Jokoah as he moved into Lokis' view. He turned and left as Loki looked up, confused.

As he heard the door to the room slam, the elfs' blank expression changed as he grinned wildly at him. "Hello. I'm Jokoah." Loki stayed still while he looked up at him. His eyes suddenly blew wide as an idea came to him. He looked down to the elfs' hand and saw a knife; a handle carved imperfectly, supporting a long sharp blade. His legs ached but he ignored them as he clenched his fists tighter than ever, rattling the chains by his sides. Jokoah looked down at them then back up at Loki. "Ah. So you do remember me."

* * *

Volund rejoined the table and ignored the awkward glances being shot his way. After a while, Steve spoke up. "What do we tell the public?"

Everyone seemed to be caught off their guard and simply stared at their hands. Fury looked towards Maria and the two ensigns then back to the table. "At this point in time, nothing."

"We did that before. I think the public would prefer us to warn them beforehand. Even if it's just that there's a possibility for a similar occurrence."

Clint laughed, hands in his pockets, reclining back in his seat. "Ha. Tell them that, and the press will exaggerate it beyond belief."

Natasha drummed her nails on the table. "He's right. If we don't plan ahead, we'll cause more panic than calm. We need to stay low."

Tony leaned his head on the table in a childish way and said, "And how would we do that? We're not exactly easy to blend in, you know." He tilted his head towards Steve who was wearing his 'spangly outfit' as he called it.

Bruce bit his pen lid and twiddled it between his fingers. "If Fury was to make a statement, or to get someone outside of S.H.I.E.L.D to deliver it, then that would cause minimal panic."

Fury nodded his head as the others settled down. "I think it's safe to assume that he'll attack New York first. He's openly threatened us when he controlled Clint to stab Loki, when he kidnapped Tony and now Loki. Therefore, I think we should warn all residents and inform the emergency services on the ground and in the air. We'll increase surveillance on the city and see where we go from there." He trailed off while he looked at Volund.

"Anything you want to add?"

Volund shook his head without looking up.

Tony spun his chair round and reclined back into it. "Where did you send the big guy off to?"

He raised his head and looked towards Tony while he got up. "To send help. Loki was a big part of the plan and without him, it's like we've gone back beyond square one." He tucked his chair in and headed towards the elevator, leaving Fury and Hill talking to one another while Steve, Tony, Natasha, Clint and Bruce all sat round the table in silence.

* * *

For the first few minutes, Jokoah had just walked slowly around Loki, never making eye contact. Loki breathed deeply and gulped every so often, hoping he wouldn't hurt him again. He had recognised his voice; he would have never remembered his face. Luckily it was only him and Loki; the other guard nowhere to be seen. Unfortunately, he was the one who had cut him; the other almost seemed pleasant in comparison.

Jokoah stood at Lokis' feet, put his hands on his hips with his knife still in his hand and huffed. Loki tensed as he listened to what he was doing. He heard a rustling sound and the slapping or leather sound as Jokoah slipped his knife into his boot. He straightened up and clapped his hands together, making Lokis' lip tremble.

"Right then. I for one am very interested to hear who you think the traitor it. Must be someone who doesn't meet Malekiths' expectations. Doesn't complete his tasks. Isn't a true follower. It would have been fun."

Loki craned his neck up so he could see him more clearly. He breathed deeply as he watched him take hold of Lokis' right foot and unclip the restraints. He did the same with the left and moved up towards his hands. All the time Loki didn't move; he just followed Jokoah with his eyes.

When his arms and legs were free, Jokoah helped him swing his legs over the side; careful not to touch the wound behind his knees. Loki sat up, legs dangling off the edge as he parted his hair from his face and looked into the elfs' eyes. "_You're_ the traitor? Seriously?"

He nodded and gave Loki a silver pendant. "You may find that your magic won't work in these tunnels. Malekith has bewitched them or something. My magic on the other hand, is working, but it has its' limits. I can disguise you as one of his personal guards and send you out. The pendant is a means of identification. It is not my own; I killed the guard it belonged to before I joined him in here. He's tucked behind bins from the kitchen. They won't have found him yet but they're bound to discover him. Didn't exactly have a lot of time; your arrival wasn't known to me until the last minute."

Loki placed the pendant over his head and rolled his shoulders. "If you're on my side, then why did you do this to me?" He gestured to his legs, looking down at them then back up to Jokoah as he held his hands out to him, helping him stand. "I am known for doing that to the prisoners. That wasn't always my specialty though. I used to be a damn good cook."

* * *

Malekith held himself well as he walked through the streets unnoticed. Disguising his skin colour had been easy but his face still looked different. No doubt someone would freak out if they saw his true appearance. He wore a long black coat with a hood pulled over his head to shield his face.

He wondered the streets aimlessly, watching the people hurry around him like they were all late for something. The quiet man walking through the chaotic streets was ignored as the sun disappeared and the lights lit up the city. Stark Tower was now in view. He had heard of the Chitauri and Lokis' invasion; had heard that Stark Tower was not only near the centre of the city, but also a landmark that would make an ironic point of origin for the end of its' existence.

Malekith strode towards the tower. Looking up at the sky, the street lamps lighting up his uneven face, he saw the stars gently glinting against their black canvas. He grinned as his eyes returned to the tower. The streets here were busier. People got close to him as they went on their way; too close for his liking. He ducked into an alleyway and pulled down his hood. He put his hand in his coat pocket and smiled. Leaning against the brick wall, he let his head fall back and rest against its' hard surface. His natural blue skin replaced his illusion and he closed his eyes.

When he opened them, he was standing on the roof of Stark Tower, leaning against the stairs door. He straightened up and walked to the edge; taking his coat off and letting it blow in the wind before it slumped to the floor in a heap. He held a small silver metal container in his palm and stood over the edge of the building. He looked down at the cars and people; so much smaller than before and just as insignificant as when he had walked amongst them.

He looked into the black sky and waved his hand at thin air. He then returned his gaze to the skyline and opened the silver box and watched as icy cold wind blew from his hand and snaked between the buildings. Ice appeared on the glass of the buildings as the wind whipped round the city and entered back into the box. Malekith closed it and looked as the people began to look up in confusion. His mouth curled on one side as off in the distance, he could hear the faint sound of sirens.

"Chaos has come."

* * *

**So nearing the end. I know it's a short chapter but the next one is going to either be long or really long, so I hope it makes up. It won't be the last. There's probably going to be about 3-4 more. Please tell me how you think it's going.**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Blue legacy

Jokoah grabbed a long dark coat and wrapped it around Lokis' shoulders as he stumbled along the dark corridor. He ran his hands across the wall for support as he tried to ignore the pain in his legs. He put one arm through the coat sleeve and then the other as they kept walking. When they got near a torch, Loki saw the skin of his hand was different. There hadn't been time to look at it before and now he seemed mesemorised by it. It wasn't like his Jotun skin; it was a duller blue with hints of mauve, no sign of the paler ridges on his skin either.

"Can't you do something about my legs?" Loki panted slightly while he bent down and took some of the pressure off his knees.

Jokoah huffed and ripped part of his top garment into two long strips. He took hold of Lokis' calf and straightened it while he wrapped the strip around it. "My magic is still dampened besides, I was never skilled in healing. Never had any use for it." He took his other leg and did the same, his tone more serious now. "If you're weak, you die; that's his philosophy that he lives by."

They were at the corner near the door that led to the outside; two guards, armed standing either side of it. Jokoah fixed the collar of his coat and smoothed out the creases behind his knees. "You'll pass. Don't get caught, don't get killed."

"I'll try not to." Loki looked round the corner at the guards then back to Jokoah. "Any more advice?"

"Just show them the pendant; do not speak. They are expecting his warriors to pass through the door in a few minutes."

Loki caught his arm as he turned to leave. "Whoa. What? Why are they expected?"

"Malekith intends to use the casket to freeze this planet and turn it into a new Svartalfheim. Many years of war have ruined its land so he's creating a new one."

Loki cocked his head to the side. "A few months ago, I would have agreed with his reasoning."

"Do you now?"

"No."

Loki straightened up as much as he could and ignored the pain he felt as he rounded the corner, pendant swinging around his neck over his dark coat. The guards looked at him as he approached and held the pendant up to them. It gleamed as it caught the light of a nearby torch as they inspected it. Loki swallowed as his mauve fingers fumbled to place the pendant beneath his coat as they stepped aside to allow him through. He took one last look back down the corridor just before the doors closed and he made his way through the rest of the tunnel by himself, to the surface.

* * *

Thor had returned alone and walked onto the bridge, almost completely ignored by everyone as shouts emanated from all corners of the room.

"Reports coming in of vast temperature change across the city, sir."

"Find the point of origin." Fury was alert and shouting as the ensigns read their screens and the avengers stood behind their chairs looking confused.

"Sir? I believe engines are back online." One of the ensigns glanced behind his shoulder to beckon Fury over as Hill took her station.

"Confirmed, director. We have control of the helicarrier. All systems fully functional and at your disposal, sir." Hill tapped away at her screen while she shouted over to him. Fury breathed a sigh of relief and walked towards the avengers. They walked around the table and stood next to each other, in front of Fury.

"Right, we have control of our base, but what we don't have, is control of our city. The temperature has dropped to below zero and ice cold wind is freezing the feathers off some nearby pigeons." Thor raised his eyebrows but Fury ignored him and carried on. "No sign of Malekith yet and we are trying to pinpoint where the temperature drop is emanating from. Until we have that information, I want Thor and Iron man to check the perimeter and get any civilians in that area to safety. Iron man, your responsibility is to get all civilians out of the way. Thor, after he's done that, try and redirect the cold air away from the city."

Tony clicked his tongue and turned as Thor bowed his head slightly and left. Thor strode towards the elevator doors, while Tony half jogged to keep up.

Steve, Clint, Natasha and Bruce remained. "For the mean time Banner, I want to keep the hulk under wraps. Assist in the search for what's causing this." Banner fumbled his pen as he made his way towards the computer screens behind them.

"Steve, when news comes in from Thor and Stark, I may send you out, so be ready. Get your stuff and wait for further orders on the top level. In case the temperature changes all over the city, no one is allowed to go outside without my express permission. Same goes with you two as well but for the meantime, I want both of you thinking up tactics for how this may go down."

Natasha and Clint sat down silently while Steve went and exited the bridge and made his way to the lab.

* * *

Loki came to the end of the corridor and found an old fashioned elevator. He got inside, pulled the rickety doors shut and pushed the only button available. It jolted into life as it went up, whirring as it ascended through the darkness. It stopped and shook as it reached the top level. Loki warily looked around before pulling the doors open and stepping out and onto the wooden floor.

Before he could gauge his surroundings, the elevator clicked and hummed and went back down. He stood still and craned his head about. From what he could see, he was in a warehouse with a tall ceiling and brick walls. The floor was a dark wood and moonlight shone through the windows high up along the wall.

He found the exit door and walked towards it; the eerie silence broken only by the sound of his footsteps. He pushed the bar on the door and walked straight into it. He leaned against it to try and pry it free and nearly fell flat on his face when it finally did open. His feet almost went out from under him as he slid on a patch of ice but caught himself just in time. The door flapped in the strong wind that whistled around him and ended up slamming the door closed. He shivered as he drew his coat closer around himself, squinting through the air.

He was in an alleyway between two tall buildings. The one he had just come out from was completely frozen up its side. The ground beneath his feet was covered in a thick layer of ice but the building opposite didn't look like it fitted in. The wall was cold to the touch but its door wasn't covered in ice like the other one. He felt his head start to spin slightly as his body began to feel lighter and somehow strange. He held his hands in front of himself, breathing unevenly as he stared at them. They weren't his usual pale hands, nor were they part of his disguise. The light blue ridges over his Jotun skin shocked him as he clasped his hands to his face. He felt the lines snaking round his forehead and cheeks as he scrunched his eyes shut. He let his arms fall to his side and kept his eyes closed as pale skin washed over him like smoke.

He opened his eyes and sighed; breathing heavily through his mouth before walking forward. He was now feeling something he knew was dangerous. Something he had felt before but had called ignored for what it was. Thought of it as something which would assist him but in actual fact, he knew it would only cloud his judgment. A mixture of fear, anger and frustration. Feeling that he was going to implode if he didn't do something, anything to get back at Malekith and prove that he had truly changed; not just to Malekith and Thor, but to himself.

Determined to not fall back into his old habits, he emerged from the alleyway and looked around at the street before him. To the right, the street was completely covered in ice. The cars were frosted over; the shop windows were laced with ice and the street was slick with it too. The left side was not affected as much, but still didn't look normal. Ice snaked up from the drains and along the pathment but didn't look half as bad as the other side.

He walked out into the road and looked at the tall buildings off in the distance, trying to work out where he was. He saw the Stark sign way off in the distance, clouded by something that appeared to be smoke. The smoke was blue and whirled around the very top of the building like a tornado. As the smoke cleared, he saw a figure standing calmly amongst the surrounding storm. At this distance he couldn't make him out, but he didn't have to, to know it was Malekith.

* * *

"You wouldn't want to tell me where you've been, would you?" Tony spoke to Thor with his helmet up as they stood on the helicarriers' landing area, waiting to fly down to the city.

"I have been in conversation with both my father and the king of Jotunheim in regards to our little problem."

"Little problem? Under selling us a bit, aren't ya?"

"Not at all. After a meeting between our two kingdoms, the Jotun came to the conclusion that it would benefit them to assist in the fight. They want revenge on Malekith as much as we would if he continues his current efforts."

"I thought they were an arrogant and selfish race. Why exactly would they help us?"

"They have changed greatly since I last encountered them. Their new monarchy seems to see themselves as part of the nine realms and not the centre of it."

"Well that's reassuring." Tony walked over to the edge and looked down at the city; only the tallest buildings visible through the mist. "You ready for this? Not going to freeze in place?"

"I am able to fight in harsh condition, but what of your amour? Will it not freeze with you inside it?"

"Not this one." Tony turned to face Thor as he tapped his arc reactor. "Specially modified suit perfect for cold temperatures. I started manufacturing it as soon as our ice-loving friend was mentioned. I did plan something similar way back but never had any reason to implement it. I have a few extras that I'm very proud of as well." Tony smirked and lowered his helmet with a clang, as he stood up straight, ready to lift off.

"And you sure they will not fail you?" Thor watched him as he changed his grip on Mjolnir, ready to follow him down.

"Eh. Not exactly, but I'm hardly ever wrong." Tony voice was crystal clear over his earpiece before he shot off like a rocket into the air, then travelled head first towards the city. Thor smirked before lifting off from the helicarrier and flying after him, arm outstretched, hand grasping his hammer.

* * *

As Loki walked further along the street, growing more accustomed to the cold, he kept his eyes fixed on the silhouette of Malekith. He didn't notice two large figures heading straight for him before they were meters from landing in front of him. Thor hit the ground first, and landed in a kneeling position while Tony slowed down and landed with his arm by his sides. Loki stood still and gaped at them for a second while they walked towards him. Thor broke into a light run and hugged Loki, almost crushing his small frame.

"Ow! Let go you oaf." Loki tried to bat Thor away but since he had pinned his arms by his sides, he rocked his body slightly in a bid to get rid of him. Thor gave one last squeeze before he let go and gave him room to rub some feeling back into his arms. Tony smirked then lifted his helmet to reveal a blank face.

"Glad to see you're safe. Steve and Volund both made it out and are back on their feet, just so ya know."

Loki nodded while he glanced back up at the building, and then turned to Tony when he saw the familiar figure hadn't moved. "You too. Does Fury have a plan to sort him out?" Loki pointed with his finger towards the tower and both Tony and Thor looked over their shoulders. Tony turned back while Thor walked away from them and kept his gaze on Malekith for a bit longer. "Assessment of the immediate area, then go from there. I'll report in and let you two talk."

Loki shot his eyes in Thors direction then spoke to Tony in a hushed voice. "What do you mean by that?"

Tony tilted his head then replied, "He went away, to get help we think. Volund said something about giants." Tony shrugged his shoulders and started speaking through his earpiece to the helicarrier. Loki wandered over to Thor while he continued to look at the building.

"Anything to say, brother?" Loki stood slightly behind him while Thor dropped his gaze but kept looking forwards.

"Should I have?" Thors voice didn't sound as commanding as he had in previous times before battles. Not as confident and strong.

Loki paused while he looked at his feet, dragging out the awkward silence between them. "Where did you go?" Another pause. "Tony said Volund had mentioned the giants. I am assuming he meant the Jotun." Loki took Thor by the shoulders and turned him round to face him; turning away from the skyline.

"I went home. I spoke to father; our father." Loki didn't flinch as he continued. "I also travelled to Jotunheim. They agreed, after much argument, to help; to assist in anyway they can." Thor kept his voice low as Tony continued to talk to thin air.

"Right. What do they plan to do?"

"They will only intervene if their presence is needed. As a last resort. They still feel... neutral towards Midgard but they consider Malekith a threat they can't ignore." Thor shrugged his shoulders as he twitched slightly.

Loki fidgeted with Thors cape, fixing it as it unevenly flowed over his shoulders as he smiled. "They still hold a grudge against me. If they harbour any ill thoughts about Asgard, you, father or even here, Earth, it is because of me." Loki paused as he grinned at Thor and smoothed his hands down his amour. "We will have to show them what family can do, won't we?" Thors smile grew as he clapped Loki on the arm and he returned the gesture.

Tony closed the line to the helicarrier and turned towards the two brothers, glancing up at the building momentarily before looking back at them. He tilted his head in confusion as he looked at them, not truly focused on the two brothers. Keeping his head still, he looked up at Stark Tower. His eyes opened wide as he felt his face sag and go numb.

"Guys? Where did the abominable snowman go?"

* * *

Steve was already on the ground and in a SUV traveling to meet up with Loki, Thor and Tony. The driver abruptly swerved the car, brakes squealing as the car came to a dead stop. Steve unclipped his seat belt and leaned forwards with his hand on the seat in front.

"What's wrong?"

The driver moaned as he pealed himself off the steering wheel. "Damn ice on the road. Car's got no grip." He slapped the steering wheel and pointed at his sat nav. "You'll have to walk it sir. Not much further. Coordinates are up that road."

Steve glanced at the map then sat back in his seat; grabbed his shield and slammed the car door. He gingerly stepped onto the ice, making sure his shoes had grip, then jogged lightly as he became accustomed to the ice. He heard the sound of the SUVs' engine go off into the distance as he continued along the road.

* * *

"We don't have alot to go on. Why are we even talking about this? Lets get out there and stop him." Clint was ignoring Natasha's attempts to draw out a plan on the table while he looked over his shoulder at Bruce who was working alone.

"This guy is a bigger threat than what we faced before. We barely got out of that one."

"What can this guy use against us which we haven't already fought?" Clint turned to Natasha and raised his eyebrows.

"Ourselves." She stopped writing, put down her pen and turned to face Clint. "Last time he used you and others. We _knew_ he was using you though. This time, he could see through us without our knowledge." She glanced over at Banner quickly. "I know Loki's prevented that from happening again but Bruce was still affected by it. We have to make sure he doesn't get another chance to fool us."

Clint twiddled his thumbs while he bowed his head and nodded in defeat.

"Good. Now, if we need to use different forces on him, what do you suggest would be the best strategy to use?"

Clint stayed silent before he quietly spoke. "Bottleneck; corner him. Surround him with all of our forces. Make sure he can't escape or break our formation, and throw everything we've got at him."

Natasha looked at him and smiled, playfully punching his shoulder. "Good plan."

* * *

Loki and Thor spun round, first to look at Tony, then towards the tower. Malekith was no longer on the roof of Stark Tower. The visible cold air started to dissipate around the top of the building as it began to advance towards them, swirling and whistling as it got closer.

Loki stood tall as Thor took a tighter grip on Mjolnir. Tony marched up to them and warmed up the repulsors in his hands, holding them in front of him in a defensive position.

"Why does he toy with us? What is the point?" Thor spoke in a hushed voice as two daggers appeared in Loki's hands.

Tony jerked his head around while he said, "To scare us maybe? Show he has more control?"

Loki narrowed his eyes. "No. Thor is right, this is not his style. He has nothing to prove to us. And I do not believe this is for_ his _enjoyment."

Thor lifted his hammer to inspect it as he narrowed his eyes. "Show of prowess or not, I believe we should leave. The cold is starting to cast a blanket of frost over me."

Loki was just about to reply when a figure running towards them from a side street caught his eye. He stared at him for a second without moving while Thor and Tony continued to watch the storm coming towards them. Loki squinted as the man came nearer and raised his eyebrows as he recognised him.

"Captain America is running towards us." Loki spoke even though he thought his eyes were deceiving him.

Thor and Tony ignored him as they watched as the frost began to cover nearby cars. Thor began to breath fast, chest heaving. "Can you see him yet?"

Tony was trying to monitor several security cameras in the area but with no luck. "No. All cameras in the vicinity are down. Most likely due to the temperature... What? Steve? Where?"

Tony turned round and looked over Loki's shoulder as Steve came to a halt, shield in hand.

"Sorry I'm late. Car couldn't get through..."

Tony cut him off. "And why didn't you call through. You have an earpiece you know."

Before Steve could answer, Thor called to them as the whirlwind of cold air turned and went back towards the tower. "Something is happening."

They all turned and stood behind Thor as the frost disappeared and the temperature around them returned to normal.

Tony lifted his helmet as he looked confused. "Guess he had second thoughts?"

Thor huffed as he spoke through gritted teeth. "This is not like him at all. He would never back down from a fight."

While Thor, Steve and Tony all watched as the air resumed circling round Stark Tower, Loki furrowed his brow and tilted his head to the side. He craned his head round and upwards towards another high building. Off in the far distance, three figures stood alone. One human sized one stood behind the other two who, even at that distance, Loki could tell were abnormally tall. He simply looked at them intently then nodded once and returned to the others and put his hand on Thor's shoulder. "Whatever his game is, we should retreat and confer with the other avengers."

* * *

Malekith tutted. "Now why did you make me do that? I could have finished them."

Suttungr and Gangr turned on their heels and looked down at Malekith. Gangr spoke while Suttungr walked behind him, spear in hand. "The bargain did not include killing humans, only the two brothers. Besides, killing them from a distance without seeing the lights drain from their eyes? There is no victory in such a kill. No. When their time comes, they will look into the eyes of the person who kills them."

Malekith grinned as he laughed and walked towards him menacingly. Suttungr watched him as Malekith looked up at Gangr. Gangr waved him down as Malekith spoke in a hushed tone. "Do you know how I test my warriors? Some I do not feel just reading their minds would do justice for the task and responsibilities I trust them with. If they are to be trusted in such a high position in my realm then I do not rely on magic alone." Malekith rose up, floating in mid air till he was eye level with Gangr. "I threaten to take everything they call home from them. To ruin their lives so if they do betray me, they don't suffer the punishment of death, but their families do."

Gangr's lips curled as Malekith returned to the ground, turned and held his hands behind his back as he walked away from them. Suttungr's eyebrow twitched as he smiled at Gangr. He returned the gesture with a wicked glint in his eye and a gentle nod as Malekith spoke. "I do not believe you to be so stupid to try and fool me. You were correct, with your course of action. You will not regret it."

* * *

**So very very sorry this took pretty much a week to do. I swear I caught every disease known to man on monday and didn't shake it till about friday. Then my brain decided to have a mild case of writers block (either that or my brain was still recovering from the cold). All better now, except the odd sneeze. Please review because half of this was written while virtually high on cold remedies so I have no idea if it makes sense.**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Winter's crisp

Thor, Loki and Tony walked onto the bridge as Natasha and Clint were finalising their strategic plans. Thor and Tony both had determined faces and walked quickly to the table while Loki hung back slightly and kept his face neutral.

Tony wandered over to Bruce while Loki sat at the table and Thor stood off to one side. Someone tapped him on the shoulder and after turning round, he noticed it was Volund.

Thor smiled as him broadly and said, "Any luck this end?" Thor spoke quite loudly as Volund shushed him and beckoned him away from the others. Thor was confused but followed him off to the side.

"What is it, friend?"

Volund looked sternly at him while he spoke in a hushed voice. "I've come to a conclusion." Thor looked at him while he paused, breathing unevenly. "We know of a way to kill Malekith, we always have. That was not the question at hand. It was always how we would apply the deadly blow. I think you know what I mean."

Thor swallowed as he swayed slightly on his feet, quickly glancing back towards the table. "I do not wish to keep secrets, especially from the others. If it must come to this, then at least tell them." Thor motioned with his hands towards the table as Volund bowed his head.

"No. It will be near impossible and would take a large amount of luck to subdue him without this method. I don't think we will be successful any other way." He put his hands on Thors shoulders and he raised his head to look right at him. "It is not a secret I am asking you to keep, but a promise to do whatever is necessary to protect this realm. Surely you as a warrior will understand the meaning behind my actions. Can you not see that this is right?"

He paused as Thor furrowed his brows and fumbled his hands by his sides. "Yes. I do see your point." Thor looked at him one last time and saw in his eyes that he was as serious as he was stupid. "Very well. I will give you the signal when the time comes."

Volund sighed and stepped back. Just as Thor started walking over to the table Volund called out to him and he turned round. "Hopefully after this, both Midgard and Svartalfheim will find peace."

Thor nodded solemnly, turned back round and walked over to the table and retook his stance near his brother. After seeing Loki act strangely distant, he glanced over his shoulder at Volund but then decided to sit with Natasha and Clint who were talking quietly.

When Thor had left, Volund went and sat next to Loki, on the side further away from the others. "You are holding a secret, are you not?" Volund spoke first as Loki continued to stare endlessly at the table. He shifted his eyes in Volunds direction but didn't move his head as he replied. "Some things are best not spoken about in times like this."

"And what are these times?"

Loki sighed and shifted in his seat to face him. "When change is imminent. For one, what will happen to your kingdom after this is all over?"

"You speak as if we will not win."

Loki widened his eyes and tilted his head to the side. "And you are so sure we will?"

"Of course. We have a sound plan." Volund eyes momentarily landed on Thor whose back was turned but quickly returned to Loki. "One that cannot fail. As for my realm, I am too old to be king so I will elect someone younger and wiser."

"I thought you told me wisdom does not come with lessons alone, but with age and experience."

"Just because I say younger does not imply a lack of judgment. No. I have my sights set on Jokoah, if he survives that it."

Loki licked his lips as he bowed his head slightly. "I was meaning to ask you about him."

Volund took a moment to think and while his eyes darted about the room, his attention was drawn to a shiny chain around Loki's neck. "This was his, was it not?" He lifted the pendant lightly and held it between his fingers, letting the light catch it at every angle.

Loki looked down and smiled lightly. "It allowed me to escape." He looked up at Volund who was still memorised by the jewelry and said, "It was his decision. He decided to go against him for the sake of good." He waited for a response but when Volund didn't reply he continued. "What lies ahead for him?"

Volund shut his eyes for a second, let go of the pendant and sat back in his chair. "For a person of his rank and reputation, his family would be the forfeit. But Jokoah doesn't have any family, not any more."

Loki's face portrayed panic and unease as he laid his hands on the table. "I'm sorry."

The silence between them was so strong that Loki felt his heart beat increase and he started to feel restless in his seat. Volund breathed out, straightened up in his seat and smiled at Loki. "You have a question." Loki twisted his eyebrows and his lips curled slightly in amusement.

"I could always tell when you were curious as a child. It would seem, nothing has changed."

Loki held his hands together on the table as he felt where his Jotun ridges should be. "Do you trust the frost giants?" When Volund continued to listen and not reply, he continued. "In what they say they are doing. I mean, they were just attacked by Malekith but they are not as we are. They would probably join him because of his show of power and determination."

Volund let his eyes fall again on Thor as he spoke. "Even the Jotun are not blind and stupid enough to follow a man that openly wants their world. If there is any reason they would go against their word for us, it would be if they were being promised another realm or if they were being blackmailed into the situation. Neither of which, I think is the case."

Loki nodded and looked over towards Thor, Natasha and Clint. The others were all making their way towards the table so he got up and turned back to Volund. "Thank you. I believe we are going to discuss the plan of attack. Do you wish to join us?"

Volund stood up next to him and shook his head slightly. "No. I think I will take my leave now. I do not wish to impose during your conversation. But don't worry, I will be with you in battle. I guarantee it."

Loki smiled and patted him on the shoulder as he left the bridge and Loki sat down with the others who had all gathered around Natasha and Clint.

* * *

After Fury had finished filling them in on all the information and ideas Bruce, Natasha and Clint had come up with, he started to run through the final plan for each of the avengers.

"Since the Jotun have not arrived, they will not be included in this strategy. Therefore we have to compensate for the loss but not leave out an opportunity for them to intervene. From Thors experience and knowledge of Malekith, he will most likely welcome conversation. Pointless words from either party will be played between Malekith, Thor and Loki while the others take aim. You will already be in position before he arrives since he will be able to tell if you suddenly appear. He will expect us to have back up anyway, but by arriving before he does, you'll have less of a chance of being detected."

Nick paused while Thor cleared his throat. "Me and Loki will distract him until the signal is given, at that point I will strike him with lightening, while Loki contains him so he can't escape. After we have done that, the others can assist. Your main priority is to make sure he doesn't escape or break our concentration. He will try to play games with your minds so ignore anything that doesn't seem real; it won't be."

Clint tapped his fingernails on the table while he cupped his chin in his other hand on the tabletop. "How long do we have to hold him off for? We are pretty limited when it comes to preventing an elf from running out from under us."

Loki frowned as he continued to stare out the window. "It shouldn't take long. I estimate I will need to use at least three different types of magic on him along with Thor's power of lightening. Each different source will take a decent amount of time to have an impact on him. I'd say at least twenty seconds each. The first will probably be quickest since he won't be prepared for it. The hardest will be the second, when he realises what we are doing. If we get to the third, it won't be as hard to defeat him, but it will be the hardest for us to keep up. By that time, I will be at my weakest and therefore my most vulnerable. It's that time I am most concerned about; that is where we win or lose."

Everyone sighed and just stared at their hands or off to the side while Thor gulped silently and stared unfocused out of the window.

Fury suddenly clapped his hands together and addressed them. "Thor and Loki, meet Volund and prepare for transportation to the surface. Natasha, Clint, Steve, you are to go directly to the landing strip and head down to the arranged coordinates. Bruce, are you up for this?"

Banner nodded and unfolded his arms as Natasha and Clint got up and headed towards the elevator.

"Good. Since this is the toughest threat we have ever gone up against, this may be my last chance to say it. Avengers, assemble."

Thor and Loki stood up and bowed slightly at Fury while Steve saluted and turned on his heels towards the door. Loki and Thor followed him out. Loki went through the door but just before Thor was about to head into the lift, he turned and quietly said, "It will not be the last time."

Nick just watched him as Thor's expression was almost unreadable and saw him turn and go out the door. Loki had hung back and had heard Thor's unusual tone. As Thor turned and saw he had been listening in, he broke eye contact and stood beside him. Once they got out the elevator, they went in the opposite direction to the others, looking for Volund as they walked in silence. After turning down endless corridors, Loki spoke, still keeping his head forwards and his fast pace. "What you said to Fury, that is... not like you. Almost as if you were... worried. But from your words, you sounded sure we would be victorious."

Thor didn't reply until they had neared the room at the end of the corridor. "I just know we will be." He turned to Loki just before they entered the room and smiled. "Because we have you." He gave him a playful punch on the arm as they opened the door. They both lingered in the doorframe as Volund walked towards them, all geared up in his robes, underneath which, metal amour peeked out and daggers were visible as they were tucked into his boots and belt.

"We are to be escorted down to the drop point. The others will already be in position. When the signal is given, we advance." Thor spoke in a plain voice as Volund followed them out the door, nodding every so often as he checked his garments.

When he had finished checking everything was firmly in its holders and strapped up tight, he nodded and simply said, "Good. Lets put an end to this."

* * *

"What do you want us to do?" Gangr held his lapels as Malekith paced on the roof.

"For the meantime, nothing. I feel the avengers will want a confrontation and they will want it soon. They are the arrogant type and will attempt to compare their meager strength to mine." He turned to look at them for a second, an evil grin gracing his face. "They will lose, of course. During the confrontation, they will try to tempt me away from my plan. From completing my destiny." He paused as he looked at the city, daylight lighting up all corners of it. "Who are they that they would take this away from me?"

Suttungr and Gangr gave each other slightly confused glances while Malekith continued. "I am this realms rightful king, and they are nothing. Mere ants under my boots."

Gangr smiled. "I believe that... comparison, is one similar to what Loki used. One he made before he failed to invade this realm and was apprehended by the avengers. Do you not think you are underestimating them in some way?"

Malekith ran his tongue over his teeth. "Not at all. I know they are strong. The only real threat is Loki and I doubt he will be able to perform all forms of magic necessary to defeat me. There is only one way they can weaken me to sufficiently leave me vulnerable to attack... and I am sure _he_ will not go there."

Gangr and Suttungr kept their confused expressions as Malekith jerked his head up suddenly and breathed in the city air. Not the freshest and cleanest, but for Malekith it was rich and full of desire. "They are gathering." He turned on his heels and walked quickly over to Gangr. He withdrew a blade from his belt and Suttungr immediately put himself between the two of them.

"I mean no harm to him. I am giving him a weapon. See?" He held the blade length ways in his out stretched hands towards Gangr and he took it after waving Suttungr down.

After he had taken it, Gangr started inspecting it, turning it to view it from all angles, light catching it every so often and blinding him momentarily.

"It is a special blade, made from iron. My main weakness." Malekith kept his eyes on it while Gangr furrowed his brows.

"Why would it be of use to me then?"

"Because, gentle giant, the field with which they will have to contain me will be blocking certain forms of magic. One of which will be your Jotun ability to conjure spears out of thin air. The force field they will use is designed to affect me in a negative way, also destroying anything I might have to use against them. They will surely trap me in one when I arrive. Loki will conjure it and once I am inside it, I cannot leave until he drops the field. Of course, he will not, so I will kill him. Now the knife; because it is made of an element which is not part of my magic, will be able to exist within the field. They will not suspect you to bring something that can harm me, so you will be able to use it once inside. Once the battle begins, I may require assistance in getting rid of the few who will be hiding. No doubt that archer remembers me and he will definitely not miss a chance to bury one of his arrows in me."

Gangr placed the blade in his belt, looked up at Malekith and curled his lips on one side of his face. "Well we can't have that, now can we?"

* * *

Thor, Loki and Volund stood side by side, spread out in a courtyard surrounded by several abandoned buildings. They all stood still as Thor awaited a signal from Hawkeye telling them that they were in position and prepared for whatever happened next.

Loki tilted his head towards Volund and spoke quietly so Thor couldn't overhear. "What I said earlier, did you get what I meant, what I was trying to say?"

"I think so. You always used to speak in riddles and that is another feature you have not yet grown out of."

"I am serious." Loki risked a glance at Thor who had his back to them. "I know for a fact that the Jotun have turned against us." He dropped his harsh tone. "I am not even sure they were ever with us."

"They are a strange race." He smiled slightly. "You included, but they are cunning as well, just as you are." Volund looked around the courtyard, then back down at his feet. "You may not think it but Thor is also cunning when he needs to be."

"We are talking about the same person here, aren't we? Tall, arrogant, obnoxious and the most indiscreet man in all the nine realms, and that's after you've included the frost giants."

"The same. But he can be subtle when he wants, when he is told." He leaned in just as Thor put his hand to his earpiece and listened in. "Just remember, that in some situations, he might know more than you do, and vice versa."

Loki watched him as Volund looked back up at the surrounding buildings and Thor walked over to them. "Natasha and Clint have the area under surveillance via Iron man. He is helping the last few civilians get to safety." He tapped his ear again then added, "The area is clear and he is on his way. We are ready."

Loki let his head fall back and closed his eyes in concentration, breathing steadily. Thor darted his eyes around as he saw Volund take out a knife from his belt. Volund saw his quizzical look and said, "Iron crafted. As a last resort of course."

Thor nodded without replying and stopped when he felt the atmosphere change slightly. "Loki?"

"It's working. He has heard our call. His arrival is imminent." Thor held Mjolnir high, causing the skies to rumble and the clouds to gather over their heads. Iron man was a mile or two out of their location as Natasha and Clint repositioned themselves so they could get a better view of the three of them in the courtyard below.

The skies grew quiet as they waited, Loki still motionless and with his eyes closed. Thor was pacing slightly, eyes wide and ready for a fight while Volund stood still, all the time alert to everything around him. Natasha and Clint stayed silent while they watched the courtyard light up then go dark again. Smoke appeared in front of them and everyone apart from Loki and Volund jumped. Thor stepped back in shock then stood forward with a strong stance and Mjolnir held high in his hand. Loki lowered his head down and whispered, "Malekith."

Before the smoke had fully dissipated, a tall, slim figure walked out before them; coat catching some of it as it continued to disappear. Once their view had cleared, Natasha and Clint took aim at him; Clint with his bow and Natasha with her guns. Loki held his hands behind his back as Volund made no move at all and Thor felt restless just doing nothing but didn't advance.

"Loki, how nice to see you. You do know that you are going to be responsible for more than just the deaths of the humans, now don't you?"

Thor added a snide comment before Loki could reply. "Like you're not threatening to rule this planet and possible destroy it in trying." Malekith tilted his head to the side and nodded, adding, "Yes, that too."

"If you are talking about Jokoah, he knew the consequences. Like us, he sees you as a threat. Someone who shouldn't have the honour of calling themselves king. It is a power to be earned; not a role to disgrace."

"You should talk." Malekith spoke his mind with a harsh tone before he continued more softly. "Now Loki, because I am nice and a _very_ generous king, I will overlook that treasonous comment and give you my offer, one last time. Join me or suffer the aftermath of my actions."

Loki continued to hold his hands behind his back while he kept his gaze firmly on Malekith. He narrowed his eyes while he continued to stare at him, hoping he would flinch or drop his gaze. Instead he smiled manically and started to laugh under his breath. "I can see from your... actions that you do not wish to be welcomed as an ally of mine. You clearly wish to be counted as the rest." He began to shout as he looked up, directly at Clint and Natasha. "The others, who by the way I can clearly see, are hiding behind, possibly the three move naive and gullible beings on this planet right now." He turned his head to look at Volund who kept his face neutral while he approached him. "Even you. You, who are much cleverer than even I care to admit. But you didn't think you could actually win did you?"

He turned and slowly walked back to his original spot. "In a way, it is sad that I will have to kill the two princes of Asgard, but if you will not bend to my wishes, you not welcome to be in my presence."

They all looked up as the sound of engines hummed over them and flashes of light lit up the courtyard. Iron man landed in front of Thor, Loki and Volund, facing Malekith and he stood up and lifted his helmet. "Sorry I'm late. Just saving innocent people. Hope I didn't miss the beginning." He smiled as he strode over to stand next to Thor who had a look of disgust and determination on his face.

"You are fighting your battles with little robotic men? Truly, what fun this shall be." His bilious tone turned hostile as he bared his teeth in a grin before the temperature grew cold. He continued his manic grin as he held his palms up and closed his eyes. The wind picked up and began swirling around them, blinding Natasha and Clint but not the four of them in the courtyard.

"Now!" Thor shouted over the sound of air rushing past their ears. Loki brought his hands up above his head and clapped them together, giving off a burst of green light that grew and encased around them all, including Malekith. He stumbled slightly, causing his concentration to falter but not fail as Thor brought Mjolnir up to the skies as the air became live with electricity. Iron man aimed his palms at Malekith and all together, Thor brought down his hammer, Stark fired his repulsors and Loki threw a knife directly aimed at Malekith's neck.

* * *

**So very close to the end, I can taste it. And by that I mean, I can imagine what I'm going to write. Since it's probably my last chance to add one of these in, here, have a cliffhanger. Oh please do tell me what you think of it so far. **


	26. Chapter 26

**SO IN A STRANGE TURN OF EVENTS, THIS APPEARS TO BE THE LAST CHAPTER. I DON'T THINK I INTENDED IT TO BE, BUT AFTER A WHILE IT SEEMED BETTER TO ADD EVERYTHING IN AND WRAP IT UP.**

* * *

Chapter 26

Dark Raven

The knife was the first weapon to reach him and seemed to bounce off an invisible shield surrounding Malekith. It was propelled a few feet in front of him and fell to the floor with a clang, unheard due to the others attempts. Thor's thunder struck him at the same time as Stark's energy. Both had the same effect, shocking Malekith and temporarily petrifying him in place. As Malekith shot off random sparks of energy, most of them hitting nothing but thin air, Steve deflected a few back at him with his shield, whenever they went his way.

Natasha and Clint could only listen as the sound of thunder emerged out of the cloud filling up the courtyard and as sparks of light shone through, momentarily blinding them. Banner stood off to the side, watching on as the others tried to contain Malekith. Bruce on the other hand had a much bigger task ahead of him; trying to control himself. The hulk may be useful against giant mechanical ships, but against someone who has the power to possibly control him, it was too much of a risk to the others if anything for him to contribute to their efforts.

While Thor and Tony kept him occupied, Loki began chanting under his breath, holding his hands in front of himself and keeping his eyes open despite the bright light emitted from Thor's hammer. Malekith scrunched his eyes shut in pain and began to yell as he started to shake on the spot, still being struck by Thor and Tony. Steve watched on, still every so often deflecting random sparks of energy. As Loki was still calmly chanting, Malekith suddenly went silent and opened his eyes. Thor and Tony frowned as they kept firing at him, knowing that they were reaching their limits. Unfortunately for Steve, their containment failed and a shower of sparks hit Steve squarely in the chest, propelling him off his feet and back several feet, slumping him face down on the floor. Just as Loki was about to finalise his chant, Malekith brought his hands up and a bright light left his fingers and washed over the four of them, throwing them off balance and casting them across the courtyard.

Volund swiftly got to his feet and went to Thor's side as Loki threw Iron man off him since he'd landed on top of him. By the time Loki had gotten up, Tony was still on his hands and knees, trying to catch his breath. He opened his faceplate to get more air as Volund spoke to Thor in an eerily calm voice.

"It has to be now Thor. You know it does." Thor looked up at him as he leaned over, supporting himself on his knees. He looked around the courtyard and saw Loki with Tony and Malekith advancing towards them. He watched as he hovered his hands over Tony, and with a small flash of light, the suit slumped to the ground. When the suit hit the concrete, the headpiece came loose from the rest of the suit and rolled around slightly before settling near Loki's feet. He heard Loki's snide comment as he lunged for him with a knife. Stupid move and he knew it. He knew Loki knew it and that he didn't care.

As Loki raised his arm high above his head, ready to plunge it into his chest, Malekith waved his hand and arched his brows and Loki flew back and hit the wall, still clutching the knife as he fell to the floor once more.

Thor closed his eyes and breathed heavily for a second before looking back up at Volund and said, "Do it."

Volund ran straight for Malekith as he straightened up and tilted his head back, smiling. Volund reached into his belt and held a knife firmly between his fingers as he spun just in front of Malekith and plunged the blade into his chest. Malekith kept laughing as Volund rammed the iron knife in deeper, his breathing fast but his face calm and undeterred from Malekith's lack of pain.

"You have failed, traitor. You didn't really think one iron knife would be enough, did you? You are very gullible and stupid. I will win, and you shall be my first trophy from this battle." Malekith spat his words in Volund's face as he laughed and grinned wildly at him.

Volund held tightly onto Malekith's shoulder, digging his nails in to maintain his grip. He locked eyes with him and spoke quietly and slowly into his ear. "You will not be the death of me, but my death _will_ be the cause of yours." This time he smiled and turned his head towards Loki who regained his balance and finished his chant, hands moving in front of him and smoke swirling towards Volund and Malekith.

Malekith turned to watch Loki and then back to Volund, scoffing. "Even with Loki's magic, I'll still be king, both Svartalfheim and of Midgard!"

The smoke enveloped Malekith and Volund, the wind picked up and lifted them into the air. Malekith began laughing again at the look of rage in Thor's eyes as he swung Mjolnir round, brought it up to the sky then aimed it straight for him. After he had finished screaming and convulsing in pain, Malekith spoke into Volund's ear through laboured breaths. "Still, not, enough."

Volund glanced behind Malekith's head as a speck of light appeared near the far wall and grew bigger and brighter. Volund looked back to him as he gripped his shoulder tighter and yelled in his ear. "There is only one king of Svartalfheim, and it isn't you!"

As he shouted, the source of light vanished, leaving the figure of a giant in its wake. As Loki and Thor's vision cleared, they saw the figure plunge a long blade into Malekith back. The figure then nodded to Volund over Malekith's shoulder as if he wasn't there. "Volund, good to see you again."

Volund smiled at him. "You too Vasad. Oh sorry, my king."

Malekith thrashed against them but couldn't break free so he shouted at the top of his lungs. "There is only one king. I am the ruler of Svartalfheim, Vasad is not. He is rightfully dead. It was told to me!"

Volund tilted his head to the side and spoke to him in a mocking tone. "And who told you that?"

Malekith only responded by letting his mouth gape open as Thor and Loki's attention was caught by two other figures appearing out of the same entrance as Vasad.

Suttungr stood off to the side while Gangr plunged his dagger into Malekith's stomach while holding onto his shoulder, next to Volund. Malekith gasped but didn't scream as all three of them held on tightly to him with one hand and pushed their knives in further with the other. While his thrashing grew less violent, Thor and Loki looked on as Vasad and Suttungr gradually let go, leaving their knives imbedded in his flesh and moved away as Volund continued to hold on. Loki furrowed his brows in confusion as Volund's gaze became less forgiving as they rose further into the sky and the area around them began to blacken unnaturally.

Loki turned his confused gaze to Thor as he watched on, breathing uneasily but his expression wasn't as lost as Loki's. He turned back to the two of them as they began to spin in mid air, Malekith's screams getting louder as a funnel of air encased them and went up into the sky.

Thor began to swirl Mjolnir round as their images became blurred within the air around them. Loki, almost breathless from the fight ran over to Thor and put his hand on his arm and shouted over the noise. "What are you doing? You'll kill Volund!"

Thor slowed his momentum but kept swinging Mjolnir by his side. "I know. Loki, this was the plan. This was always the plan. We decided, together. This is the only way and you know it."

Thor stared at his brother while his features went form soft and innocent, to hard and determined. He stood a fair distance away from Thor and walked round the circle of air pulling Volund and Malekith further away from them. He held his hands out at arms length, a green glow reaching out and engulfing them and glowing brighter by the second. Volund looked over at Loki while still spinning uncontrollably, gripping onto Malekith and still holding his knife firmly in his chest, the others still embedded in his side. He closed his eyes as the familiar clap of thunder sounded off in the distance and gradually got closer as Thor swung Mjolnir above his head. His whole body began to glow, a plentiful spectrum of golds and silvers lighting up the dark, dusty air they were held within. The last thing they saw before Loki added his own green magic to the blinding array of gold and silver, was the courtyard light up, impossibly bright so they all shielded they faces and turned away. As they covered their eyes, the last thing they heard was an eerie shriek before the sound of air hurtling past them at terrific speed, before silence claimed the courtyard.

They all stood still, backs turned away as they breathed heavily through their mouths, shaking with the anticipation and adrenaline. Loki was the first to turn around, gulping as he looked at the spot in the sky they once occupied, now empty except for small particles of black dust and what appeared to be steam, disappearing into the clouds slowly moving to reveal the sun, beaming down on the courtyard.

Thor turned round in time to see Loki take his first hesitant step forwards, edging his way to the ground Malekith and Volund had once stood on, now void of any dust caused by the ferocity of the wind that had now disappeared completely. Loki stood on the exact spot they had once been on and turned round with a look of deep sadness etched into his pale face. His eyes seemed brighter than ever again his soot black hair, now swept over to one side with fly aways sticking to his sweaty face. Thor looked down at Mjolnir, turning it in his hands before glancing over his shoulder at the window where Natasha and Clint were looking out from. He could have easily called up to them but decided against it when he turned back to Loki, his features still portraying a mixture of confusion and mourning. No one paid attention as Vasad, Suttungr and Gangr quietly walked over to the far wall and faded as they exited the courtyard through the portal.

Thor's eyes were drawn back to the window as he heard the scraping of heels and the clanging of metal as Clint and Natasha collected their things and made their way down to the courtyard. Loki remained motionless on the spot while Thor raised his hand to his ear and tilted his head down as he heard a welcome and familiar voice. "Did we win? Please tell me you won. Is my suit ok? He didn't destroy it did he?"

Thor smiled at Tony's snappy and cheery tone as he watched Loki turn his back on him and face the wall. "Victory is ours Stark. Your suit is intact. It only sustained minor damage when you were transported."

"Haha. Must have thought I was too much of a threat for him." Thor smirked at his cocky tone. "So, I'm ok, my suit is ok, but what about you lot?"

Thor hesitated for a minute as he had a feeling Loki was listening intently, still facing away from him, his body motionless. "Me, Loki, Natasha, Clint, Banner and the captain are well."

The pause between Thor's sentence and Tony's felt like a year. The silence was broken by Tony's soft and doleful tone. "And Volund?"

Another pause as he saw Loki's head tilt up, as if he could hear every word Tony said. "He fell during battle. A warrior's death indeed. Fit for a king."

He heard Tony breath deeply, the sound ranging as if he held the earpiece away from him, then moved closer to it as he said, "Sorry to hear that. Fury sends his condolences to you and your brother. He calls back the others but says you two may leave now if you wish."

Thor gulped as he watched Loki's head bow low. He then turned around, struggling to hold back his emotions but holding an almost blank but determined expression.

"I, I think we will..." He was interrupted by Loki speaking timidly. "I want to return home." He dragged out his words as he held out his hand before saying, "Join me brother, come home."

Tony must have heard him since he spoke down the earpiece before Thor could say anything. "Go. Return home. No doubt your family will be worried about the both of you. We'll be fine here."

Thor looked as Loki kept his hand out stretched. He walked towards him and grasped his hand firmly before replying. "Very well Stark. May we meet again under better circumstances."

With that, Thor and Loki both disappeared through the portal just as Natasha and Clint entered the courtyard, a look of confusion and annoyance as they were greeted by an equally confused Steve and Banner.

* * *

FIVE DAYS LATER

After Vasad had retaken his throne, Loki and Thor decided to hold a small ceremony for Volund, in honor of their fond memories of him as children. They had both grown up with him, and he had almost become a second father to them, for Loki more so.

They walked along the Bifrost bridge and stopped a few meters away from the observatory and looked over the edge at the vastness of space. Since every trace of Volund had vanished, they had nothing to bury, nothing to burn, just precious memories to hold onto and knowledge that they would never forget. They both looked out at the bright, colourful stars against the black sky and listened to the calming sound of the waves falling over the side of the cliff under the bridge. Loki sat down and dangled his legs over the side while Thor stood tall next to him.

After a while, Thor looked down at Loki who kept starring out at the picturesque scenery as he spoke. "Is there anything else you want to do?"

Loki waited a while before replying, still focused on the vibrant and distant stars. "Always remember to maintain pureness of heart, by helping those who otherwise cannot. Make sure your existence sweetens their lives and above all, always keep your heart pure and your mind strong."

Thor let his eyes wonder as he concentrated on his words, suddenly smiling and looking back at the stars. "Volund always brought out the best in people."

Loki sighed and got to his feet and turned to Thor, smoothing down his garments. "Yes."

Thor narrowed his eyes as Loki looked determined and started to walk towards the observatory. "Yes what?"

"Yes, there is something I wish to do. A persons life I wish to sweeten, for I believe he truly deserves it. I cannot ignore someone who helped so. I feel I took Volund for granted, as a child and now as I am, an adult. But this person still lives and I will not ignore my promise to Volund, not now that I know how precious life can be. How one moment can change a persons life completely; ruin it, or repair it."

At that, he turned and smiled before walking straight into the observatory, leaving Thor standing alone on the bridge, the bright lights of Asgard behind him showering the city in a warm glow as night set in. The sound of whirring engines and straining metal sounded and a flash of light filled the observatory and casted Thor's shadow behind him before he smiled and looked up to the sky. "You were never the most luminous of people, but as a conductor of light, you were and still are unbeatable."

* * *

Loki walked up to a small house with a low brick wall running in front of it. He saw the lights from the other houses beside it shine through their curtains while the one he was walking to didn't have them drawn so he could see inside through the windows. He wrapped his plain dark coat tighter around himself as the cold air whistled by as he made his way over the uneven paving slabs on the pathment. He approached the black metal gate and reached out to lift the latch and open it but hesitated when he saw a figure move past the window. He ducked before he was seen and waited until the figure had disappeared from the window. He gripped the top of the gate with both hands and concentrated for a second before standing up straight.

He spotted a cat sitting along the brick fence but the cat didn't see him. Loki was invisible as he opened the fence, closed it and walked up to the window. He stood in the long damp grass while he peered through the window at what appeared to be their living room, complete with a burning fire and someone seated in front of it. Even though his back was turned to him, Loki could tell who it was.

He watched as he wheeled himself around as the first figure returned and sat on the sofa beside him, offering him a mug with steam rising from it. David took it gratefully and sipped at the beverage, before placing it on a side table. Adrian cradled his own warm mug before leaning forwards and uniting his shoelaces. While he was bent over, David closed his eyes and sank into his wheelchair as Loki began to focus.

As Adrian turned his head, he saw David's foot move. Thinking he just imagined it, he stayed motionless, still bent over and saw his other foot twitch. He blinked before it happened again and stood up abruptly, almost tipping over the table with his drink on. David's eyes shot open as he saw his dad's alert expression.

"What?"

Adrian just pointed at his feet as they both began to twitch and David gasped as he gripped the armrests of his wheelchair in surprise as his feet continued to move. He took some deep breaths while his dad held out his hands in front of him. David took them shakily and gradually began to lift himself up, first moving his legs to the floor then attempting to stand.

Adrian and David's eyes both grew with anticipation as David stood up, still holding onto his arms. David looked up at his dad and nodded. Adrian let go hesitantly but just smiled as David stood in the living room by himself. He took a few deep breathes, before gingerly walking the length of the living room and back. As he took more steps, his legs straightened out and his strides became more even. As he turned to his dad, a look of shock and excitement etched onto his face, his vision blurred as tears filled in his eyes and graced his cheek. He embraced his dad, unbeknown that the cat outside screeched, jumped off the wall and ran down the street; seemingly frightened off as Loki disappeared from their garden, only to leave two footprints in the thick green grass.

* * *

**SO, THE END. SAD TIMES. PLEASE TELL ME HOW YOU FIND THE ENDING. I FEEL I COULD HAVE DONE ANOTHE SCENE WITH THE AVENGERS BUT I WANTED TO KEEP IT SIMPLE AND NOT DRAG IT OUT ANYMORE. **

**I AM WORKING ON ANOTHER STORY THAT SHOULD BE UP BY THE END OF THE MONTH; IT WON'T BE A FOLLOW UP OF THIS ONE HOWEVER. IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STORY LINE. **


End file.
