To say I received a warm welcome would be a lie. As soon as I stepped in the room, chaos broke loose. The people seated around the table were immediately on their feet, shouting various protests and arguing amongst each other. The only one to have a positive reaction was my brother who ran across the room to embrace me. I returned the hug, enjoying the feeling of love and acceptance his arms gave. It was almost enough to make me forget the angry words being shouted by his friends. It would be impossible to explain myself to them if they continued to yell. Fury, sensing this, silenced them all with a bellow.

"Everyone shut the fuck up! I can understand you being unhappy to see Loki here but you'll remember that he was given a full pardon for what happened." Barton opened his mouth to argue but Fury stopped him with a look. "Loki was not acting of his own volition. He has been granted full forgiveness and you will respect that. You will also be welcoming him into this tower because he has agreed to join this team." The statement was met with looks of surprise. Rogers, ever the good soul, beamed and came over to shake my hand.

"Glad to have you joining us, Loki." Stark was the next to shake my hand, a smirk playing across his face and mirth dancing in his eyes.

"God of mischief, huh? I think we can handle that." I returned the smirk before turning to the only occupants of the room who had yet to say anything. The assassin had taken a protective stance in front of the apprehensive archer. My heart sank. There was no way I would be able to regain their trust. Still, I have never been one to give up and knew that I had to try.

"Barton." I stepped forward, watching his face carefully and noting the way that Romanoff's muscles tensed at my approach. "I know there is nothing I can say to repair the damage that has been done. I can only ask that you please understand that you were not the only one being controlled. The Chitauri took me as a tool for their own purposes and my actions were not my own." My words were met with blank stares. After a moment, Romanoff left the room. Barton lingered, his gaze becoming contemplative.

"If what you're saying is true, I think I will be able to forgive you someday. I'm just not ready yet." Relief washed over me and I couldn't help the grateful smile that tugged at my mouth. He returned it before following his red-haired companion into the hall. After the door closed, Rogers turned to me.

"You'll have to be patient with them. They are not as quick to trust as the rest of us and they are still very much in mourning over Phil." I hung my head in shame at the name of the man I had slaughtered.

"I cannot apologize enough for robbing all of you of a teammate and friend." Everyone's faces fell and my brother put a hand on my shoulder.

"I am afraid that for our friends, the loss was far greater than that." Guilt came to me in intense waves.

"Barton and Romanoff…. They were his lovers?" Thor's nod sent me to my knees in sorrow. "I had no idea." I whispered, looking up at the captain. "I swear to you that I fought with everything I had to keep from harming that man." Shame forced my eyes to close as I confessed "I was not strong enough to save him. I am sorry." Hot tears fell from my eyes, shrouding my face in a mask of humiliation and self-loathing. To my surprise, Rogers knelt beside me, putting a comforting arm around my shoulders.

"You can't continue to blame yourself for what happened, Loki." You had no control of the situation and were a victim, not the villain." My brother joined us on the floor and held me close to him as I wept bitterly.

"My brother, I vow that you shall never be used in such a way again." I sank into his embrace, feeling sick with myself.