Little could be heard over the whistle of wind and rain in the trees that day, and the sky was a dark brooding beast holding back its worst until it could be fully appreciated for its potential. Windows and doors were tightly latched for fear of the chill of the storm and its might. Some of the things humans feared seemed strange to any Asgardian with any sanity at all; pain and death were looked at kindly in the realm of the gods, as long as they were acquired with heroism and sacrifice while humans had a passion for dreading it.
The cold was hardly of any bother to Loki, who, being half Ice Giant had little to worry about in that respect. The empty streets offered no shelter and no immediate hiding place, which disturbed the God of Lies greatly. The town, being small, had almost no litter or graffiti mucking up the residences and the houses were neat and small. If he hadn't had an errand to attend to, Loki would have enjoyed the simplicity.
Swiftly approaching the end of the tidy street he was strutting along, Loki finally found his desired destination. The second to last house at the very northern-most part of town. He could almost taste his victory, and all he had to do was this one little job to gain the trust of S.H.I.E.L.D. Or a part of it at the very least.
The Trickster turned up the cracking driveway and onto the pathway leading to the door. He stood in front of it, positive that the owner had already seen him and was awaiting his first move. Loki knocked politely. He had to remain polite.
Loki stepped back a respectable distance and waited patiently for someone to come out. A tired looking man opened the door about a foot, not an inch more. Suspicion lit his eyes and he cautiously peeked around his guest, looking for more people.
"There are no more people, I can assure you Dr. Banner. Not even a mic," Loki said. Dr. Banner opened his door all the way.
"That's a relief. For a second there, I thought the God of Mischief was doing his job," he replied sarcastically. The doctor rubbed his face with his hands wearily. "To what do I owe the pleasure? Oh, and before I sound too enthusiastic, how did you find me and what do you want?"
Loki grinned at the man's courage; not many had the guts to directly insult a god.
"I am simply doing a job, sir, and I wish to do it correctly. A piece of that would include discussing those very same matters away from prying eyes and ears, if we could please," Loki hinted. Dr. Banner gave him a long, searching glare. At last he nodded and stepped aside.
"Come in, please," he said. Loki gave the man a tight smile and stepped in, stopping and waiting for his host at the edge of the threshold. Dr. Banner closed and locked the door, then walked into a cozy living room and motioned for Loki to sit. They sat and the silence was awkward and tense.
"Well, to answer your first question, Dr. Banner, the Avengers need you back simple as that. We haven't lost you so it wasn't too hard to find you. S.H.I.E.L.D. has uncovered a new threat, and we find that it would be beneficial if we could have your services on our side. The enemy is...persuasive, to say the least," Loki began.
Dr. Banner held up a hand to shush the younger man.
"I understand what they've sent you for, Loki, but I can't be sure whom exactly sent you. I could agree to go only to see that I go with the very one I promised to fight."
Loki nodded with understanding.
"I know, I know. Perhaps a certain document from S.H.I.E.L.D would persuade you that I mean only to recruit for them?" Loki replied, holding up the paper so Dr. Banner could see. Bruce squinted and leaned forward, staring at the bold red heading. ' Mr. Bruce Banner; We Request Your Services' and indeed the document had been printed form S.H.I.E.L.D; the insignia was correct and when held up to the light, the whole paper appeared a greenish color.
Dr. Banner pushed his eyebrows up in surprise that his visitor actually told the truth.
"Well you have me, what are you going to do with me now?" Bruce asked with a sigh. Loki raised an eyebrow and appraised the man for a few seconds.
"We're going to S.H.I.E.L.D of course."