A/N - This isn't just a Thor fic, it is very much an Avengers: Infinity War re-make and so should probably be listed under the Avengers category and not just Thor, but Avengers wouldn't let me choose Jane as a character so here is where it goes!
Disclaimer: I do not own Thor, nor the Avengers.
Chapter 1 – The Plan
Thor watched with a small smile as Jane discussed her research with two near worshipping teenagers. Peter he had fought with in the battle against Hela, while Princess Shuri, younger sister to King T'Challa, he had just met, after she invited herself over once she heard who was there. Both teens were quizzing his wife and she was clearly loving every minute of it. Seeing she was in good hands, and seeing that both Sif and Fandral were staying close by, Thor allowed his attention to be brought back to the discussion his fellow Avengers were having.
"You should have woken me up sooner, I would have helped." Said Bucky. They had been filling Thor in on what had happened since he was away and he had just heard the story of the Black Panther and his cousin's attempt to take the throne of Wakanda.
"Even if we had known what was going to happen we wouldn't have woken you." T'Challa replied. "Shuri had not yet had enough time to heal you. If nothing else, she would have kicked my butt for ruining her progress."
"And don't you forget it, brother!" The girl in question called from across the room, though it looked like she hadn't stopped her conversation.
"All our female midgets are so violent." Tony muttered from his spot on the couch where he was sulking and – unnecessarily – nursing an ice pack. He stiffened as he felt eyes on him, and though Jane said nothing, Natasha smacked him upside the head.
"See?" He said as if this proved his point.
"You just make one want to be violent, Tony." She muttered.
"Anyways…" Steve moved to change the subject. "What's this about Thanos? And how can we trust Loki?" Thor was not surprised that it was Steve who brought up the impending doom, nor that he wouldn't wait until tomorrow as Thor had originally said they could.
"I guess that's our cue to join the group." Jane said, cutting off her talk with Peter and Shuri and accepting Darcy's – who hadn't left her side since she stopped chasing Tony – help up.
"You sure you're only six months along?" Darcy asked, earning a glare though it was an understandable question; Jane's small stature made her look more pregnant then she really was. Ignoring her friend, Jane walked over to the group and allowed Thor to pull her into his side.
"You can trust Loki because Thor and I do." She said simply. "We know him best and we have our child to think of." Thor nodded his agreement.
"Since we discovered Jane was pregnant, any chance of me putting her or our child in danger – at least, more then they already are – became non-existent." Thor agreed. "If I thought Loki would betray us I would never suggest this for it would put our child in extreme danger."
"If we thought he'd betray us, we would have killed him by now." Jane added.
"Why thank you, sister." The man in question muttered sarcastically, though he didn't fight her statement.
"Tell us we're wrong." She continued as if he hadn't spoken and looking to Clint. "If it was your children, Clint. You would, and have, done everything you can to protect them. If we're trusting him we have to be absolutely certain he doesn't pose a threat." The Avengers all looked to Clint who pursed his lips. He clearly wanted to say something snarky, but on the topic of his children's lives he couldn't do it.
"Damn it, they're right." He said finally. "If they're trusting him then…I trust him too." He looked like he was in pain when he said it, but said it he did, unable to do otherwise. None of the other Avengers looked like they were happy about it, but none fought Clint's assessment; they themselves did not have children, but knew Clint, and now Thor and Jane, would kill to protect theirs.
"For argument's sake let's say we agree." Said Steve. "How is he going to pull one over on Thanos? And how fast is this all coming to a head?"
"I will allow you a free pass this once, Captain Star Spangled, and not take offense at your first question." Loki spoke up. "I am the god of mischief: lies and deceit are second nature to me. That is how I shall fool Thanos." Tony opened his mouth when Loki said what he did about lies and deceit, but a quelling look from Jane shut him up.
"Do not become overconfident, brother." Thor warned. "Thano's power is nothing to scoff at, especially not now that he has the Power Stone."
"So he has already started to collect the Infinity Stones." Stephen muttered as he glanced down at the Eye of Agamotto, the Time Stone, that hung from his neck.
"Yes." Jane confirmed. "That's why we came now. We received word from a group of Xandarians. They were on a mission off planet and returned to find Xandar completely destroyed; their government was hiding the Power Stone, or trying to at least. Too many people knew it was there, so I'm not terribly surprised that he found that one first."
"Then there are two here, and two on Asgard." Said Vision. "That leaves one left."
"The Reality Stone has been as well hidden as it can be. After Malekith was beaten we hid it with one of the few beings that has the ability to contain an Infinity Stone." Thor explained.
"While we have no doubt that he will stay silent about the Stone, knowing it will draw Thanos to him," Sif continued, having been one of the ones to take the Reality Stone to the Collector. "He will spill all the moment Thanos questions him. He will gain that Stone next."
"And we will help him." Said Thor, earning incredulous looks from everyone except Loki.
"I'm sorry, it sounded as if you wanted to give the crazed megalomaniac one of the nearly all powerful rocks he intends to use to commit mass murder worse then any genocide known to man…or anyone, for that matter." Said Bruce.
"That is exactly what they intend." Wanda added and they waited for Thor to continue. Even Jane knew nothing of this plan and was waiting for her husband to elaborate.
"Thanos will get his hands on that Stone regardless, we cannot protect it where it is. Better he get it on our terms, to convince him Loki has betrayed us."
"We sure he won't actually betray us for real?" Tony got in a wise crack this time before Jane's glare could top him.
"He knows he will die swiftly if he does." Sif responded seriously.
"Yes, yes, we all know of the line of people waiting to kill me if I betray anyone ever again." While he could understand their hesitation in trusting him, it was only funny for so long.
"Putting that aside for now," Coulson spoke up for the first time in awhile. "How are you going to convince him you have turned on us again? And don't just say because you're the god of mischief. When the lives of everyone in the galaxy are at stake I think we deserve more than that."
"Thanos believes himself all powerful, more than the Allfather – our father, of course, not you brother – more than the Celestials, more than any other being, save perhaps the One-Above-All himself. He will not believe it possible that I can deceive him. He will try and get inside my head again and believe it enough."
"But it won't be?" Steve asked. "How will you stop him this time?"
"With a bit of protection from the Soul Stone under my command." Thor replied. "A barrier weak enough for Thanos not to detect, but enough to boost Loki's own power and stop Thanos taking control as before."
"And if this works, what do we hope to accomplish?" Natasha asked. "For him to take down Thanos?"
"No." Said Jane, knowing exactly what Thor was hoping to accomplish with this plan even if she was only hearing about it for the first time. "But we will get information on his movements. Loki can also help to take down his supporters, leaving a clearer path to Thanos. Loki's goal will be to minimize destruction and death. Am I right?" Thor nodded with a smile. The others nodded as well, all of them in agreement; this reasoning for sending Loki to Thanos was one they couldn't argue with. Gaining an edge over their enemy for the coming battle and stopping more unnecessary death was something they were all behind.
"Ok, so we have a plan, and…we will trust Loki to help." Steve said with only some hesitation. None spoke up to disagree with their unofficial leader and so they moved onto the planning and it was quickly decided that Loki would leave tomorrow. For the rest of the day the group lounged together around the Avengers facility, Jane claiming the entire couch when she got tired and falling asleep with her head in her husband's lap. That evening was peaceful, save some bickering from Tony and Jane, the former who had well and truly adopted Jane as a sister in the years before Hela while Thor was away. Jane had not had a choice in the matter but she'd clearly accepted it, their bickering was a testament to how much they had missed each other, though neither would admit it. The Asgardians stayed the night – Sif and the Warriors Three being given guest quarters when they refused to leave their King and Queen – to see Loki off in the morning. Jane was clearly upset at his leaving and while she blamed it on pregnancy hormones they all saw through her. She had genuinely come to care for Loki and that, far more than the words of last night, helped to convince many of them that Loki could be trusted. However, Jane wasn't the only one upset.
"Do ensure you return alive." Sif muttered. "The Allfather will not be pleased if you die, not to mention The Queen." Loki smirked.
"Come now, my lady, is that the proper way to say you will miss me?"
"I will not." Her blush, gave her away.
"Are you quite sure?" He asked, leaning down to speak seductively into her ear. Sif froze, her bush deepening.
"Are they flirting?" Steve asked, sounding both incredulous and a bit disturbed.
"Is that what this is?" Sam retorted. "I was thinking some weird Asgardian goodbye custom, because I don't know what this is."
"Yeah, they're flirting." Jane confirmed in a stage whisper, sending her own smirk in Sif's direction and ignoring her friend's glare and forcing herself to hold in her laugh when Sif stormed off. Thor put a sympathetic hand on his brother's shoulder and unlike his wife, cringed under the glare he received.
"I'm leaving now." Loki said, brushing off Thor's hand and making his way over to Jane. "Goodbye, sister." He said, bending to kiss her on the cheek. "Do take care of my niece."
"Or nephew." She said pointedly, clearly not for the first time.
"Of course." He said indulgently. Turning back to Thor, Loki gave a short wave before turning back around and walking away from everyone. Without a word the Bifrost opened and took Loki away without him even breaking stride.
"He better come back safe." Jane muttered. Thor knew better then to promise Loki would return when he couldn't promise any such thing, and so he settled for wrapping an arm around her as together they worried for their brother.
A/N - Well, here's a sequel I honestly didn't plan to write. Then I saw Infinity War, got a plot bunny in my head, and got a couple messages shortly after it came out asking if I was going to write a sequel and well...here we are!
Not sure how long this is going to be, I've only got a few chapters written, but I generally know where I want to take it. Updates will hopefully be weekly, but I make no promises if work becomes hectic. I'm hoping to have this all out by the end of the summer though.
Review please!