p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"strongThis story came out of listening to Sail by AWOLNATION, realising that it made me think of the plot bunny bouncing around inside my head, shouting 'fuck it' and grabbing my laptop./strong/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"strongThis is probably quite AU. I suppose it's my own post-Avengers headcanon. I'm going to warn you now, it will be angst laden./strong/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"strongThanks to AlyssaFelixa for holding my hand through the writing, and to LightningRapunzel for holding me over cyberspace when the idea first came./strong/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"strong*BeatnikFreak*/strong/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"ONE – Run/span/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki has not spoken in six months./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The muzzle was taken off after three, after the unearthly glint of blue left his eyes once and for all. It had been demeaning to be watched all the time, to be guarded, to be eminspected/em… That was the worst of it, the indignity of being spied upon. The muzzle he could deal with. The beatings he'd endured, possibly because the spark of madness had not yet left him, and with it came the flames that protected him from the regard and action and opinion of all./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But now… now all is quiet. Odin has decreed that Loki is no longer mad, that he is no longer under the thrall of the Tesseract./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He's half right./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The blue spark is gone. But what it had fed on is not. The resentment. The long years of being second-best. The betrayal./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The loathing. The pure, unadulterated loathing. But not for Thor – try as he might, he cannot hate Thor. He had tried so hard to, he had tried to kill him with the Destroyer – but he had been unable to./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The Tesseract had helped. When he'd fallen from the Bifrost, he'd tumbled through heaven and between the branches of Yggdrasil… into hell. And he'd … endured. Like he always had. Like he'd always emsuffered/em./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But all the while, he'd had that spark inside him, that little blue spark of the Tesseract planted deep inside his head and as he saw… so many things… it grew and grew, until he had no idea where he ended and the blue madness began./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He knows it was madness now./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But it's difficult. It isn't a cut and dried 'oh the Tesseract's influence is gone I'm sane now' case. Loki had already been somewhat emwarped/em. It goes with the territory, being the God of Mischief, and all that. Add in a thousand years of resentment, and then the soul-tearing agony of finding out that you're actually not your father's son, you're just a kidnapped power tool, as well as being the son of fucking emLaufey/em, and you become pretty damn unhinged./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It's happening again, his stupid inner monologue. It takes over rather a lot at the moment, possibly because he hasn't spoken in so long./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Odin isn't keeping him here on Asgard – no, far from it. Being the All Father means that he is exceptionally good at reading people. And so he knows that Loki is no longer in a state where he will try and enslave the Earth again./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"What state Loki is in is a difficult one to describe. He's no longer 'bag of cats' crazy, but he's certainly not sane./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He's struggling to deal with exactly who he is now. The loathing he feels is for himself, for his true form. Occasionally he'll hold his hand out and let the instinctual magic slip, and watch with morbid fascination as the blue spreads up his arm to his fingers./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He's never managed to watch it for more than minute. He hates it. Hates what it emmeans/em./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He also struggles with thinking about what he did. He thinks he's gotten a handle on his actions on Asgard. That was all about self-worth./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But wasn't his next, even more crazed power trip about it too? Wasn't that latent desire, no, that burning emneed/em already intrinsic to his personality, just waiting for the madness to open it up and let it bloom into some sick and twisted weed, crawling through him, twining around his heart and mind and soul?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The worst of it is the not knowing. The uncertainty around how much of him went into the blue eyed man who allied himself with the Chitauri, who fell through infinite space and landed in his own personal hell./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"And thus he remains in Asgard, sequestered in a plain chamber, cross legged on the floor./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"emThinking./em/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I worry for him," says Frigga, watching her son's immobile form from the observation deck integral to the large confinement chamber. "He has paid his penance… why does he refuse to speak?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Perhaps he feels he must pay his own," says Odin quietly./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He is partially right, of course, but he well knows that Loki is trying to come to terms with his identity… and he feels guilty. He knows he is in part to blame for this./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He stares down at his son, for that is what he is, no matter what Loki thinks. He has lost weight, his face's bones sticking out far more than they used to, his simple clothes hanging off him. His hair is lank about his shoulders./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But it's his face that gives Odin real pause. It's pale, dark circles ringing his sunken-looking eyes. Loki looks hunted. Haunted./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It is the face of a man fighting his own mind./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"People come in every so often bringing food. He knows it must be at the same intervals, but he's so deep inside his own thoughts that time does not pass with any degree of regularity./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He doesn't eat it, usually. Only when the hunger gnawing at him breaks through the wall of his churning thoughts. He's Aesir, so he doesn't need to eat. The only thing he ever will emneed /emto eat is one of Idunn's apples every year. And he's missed the harvest once already, so what does it matter now if he misses it again?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"That thought shocks his mind still./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki, the god of mischief, the eternal survivor, giving up?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Who emis /emhe?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It doesn't take much effort for him to leave the palace. After all, it's not as if he's under guard any more. He's no longer considered a threat./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He sees his reflection in one of Asgard's many golden walls. He is thin and pale, face haggard. His hair needs a cut and a wash. His clothes are basic and plain, just simple black trousers and a forest green tunic. The kind of clothes his mother would dress him in when he was sick as a child./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It's early morning. There aren't many Asgardians around. The ones that are, that see him, don't make eye contact. They don't say anything. They just look away./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The Bifrost is cold underfoot. He considers briefly conjuring himself a pair of boots, but then decides against it, savouring the sensation against his skin./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It's a long walk to the new Observatory. He doesn't really know why he's going all the way over there, seeing as he doesn't actually need the newly reconstructed Bifrost to travel between the worlds./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The sun has fully risen by the time he reaches the site of his demise. Of his fall./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He stops for a second, and crouches down. He runs his hand along the untarnished span, trying to understand why he did it. Perhaps his confusion is because he now knows what the result of his fall was./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But didn't he then? Didn't he know then that he was choosing between a rock and a hard place?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The compellation to fall is not so strong now, but it still pulls at his thoughts. Maybe that wasn't just the Tesseract that made him let go./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But he knew that already, he thinks as he straightens up, walking to the scene of his shame. That's why he's come out here, he realises. He has come out here to… atone./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Heimdall's face is impassive. "Loki," he says. Loki, uncharacteristically, bows his head in respect. "I see your silver tongue remains still."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki doesn't nod. He knows the gatekeeper can read his assent through his pose./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Wish you to use the Bifrost?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki shakes his head, then steps back. He looks the allseeing god in the eye. Heimdall appears to understand what Loki is trying to communicate. Holding the other god's eyes, he bows deeply./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""My Prince."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"With that, Loki vanishes./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He reappears on Midgard. Germany. He might as well begin his journey of self-discovery where it all started./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"There are plenty of people in the streets. Some notice him. Some do not. No one recognises him, though: the Loki the news stations saw was tall, strong, dressed in the armour that befitted his glorious purpose. Now, he is a shadow of that. The most notice he gets is when passersby notice his bare feet and unkempt appearance./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"They hurry past him as if he is something to fear. He wants to laugh at this. How could they fear him in this state, in comparison to his former appearance in his Asgardian armour, with the Chitaurean staff in his hand, screaming at them to kneel?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He never has understood Midgardians./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"After a twist of his wrist, no one notices him./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He finds it rather comforting to have no one see him. Strange, considering how he wanted to be king of these people whose eyes he would rather avoid./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"King./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The word feels strange as he thinks it. emKing. /emKiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnng. KiiiIIIIIIiiiiiinnnnnnnnnngg gggggggggggggggggggggg./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He almost giggles to himself, before he stops it, wondering if he's mad after all./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The square where he made the mortals kneel is nondescript. Germans sit around on benches talking and reading newspapers. A couple kiss by the fountain. The café is full./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"You'd never know he'd been there./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Struck by a sudden sense of isolation, he reappears in the shadows. He feels the need to be caught on some mortal camera, even in this state, just to prove he was here./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Just to prove he emwas/em./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He shifts into the museum, idly walking around, trying to get a handle on the version of himself that had stormed through it, grinning insanely. He feels rather more than a shred of kinship with that Loki – indeed, he knows that right now he'd get a massive kick out of scaring the living daylights out of these innocents./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But would he have made them kneel to him? Would he have done so before the Tesseract?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Frustrated by the unanswerable questions inside his head, he abruptly shifts./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"New York is cold and icy. He's not all that bothered by it, though. He's never really had too much of a problem with the cold./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He's aware now that his Jotunn heritage is to thank for that./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He doesn't like how it taints his memories. How the little inexplicabilities that peppered his childhood and adolescence have been explained by that one lie. It all seems glaringly obvious now./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He hates it./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Director Fury?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Fury spins round on his chair. "What, Lewis?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Loki's just showed up on one of our screens." Darcy fiddles with the hem of her sweater./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He eyes her. "Is this one of your famous windups, Lewis? Because I will tell you now, I am not in the mood for it."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She shakes her head so fast it's comical. "No, seriously dude, it's him. The god of badassery and daddy issues is back."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Fury whips up onto his feet. "Show me. Now."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""All right, all right," she protests. "Jeez, man."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Darcy's been working at SHIELD for just over a year now. She'd been picked up by them a couple of months after that whole shebang down in New Mexico. She'd just graduated, and then Coulson showed up on her doorstep in sunglasses, offering her a job./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She realised after a week of grunt work that they'd done it to ensure her silence on Thor and all the kooky shit that Jane was working on./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"However, after another couple of months someone had noticed her uncanny knack for picking up useful information. How?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"After she managed to hack into the mainframe and discover Fury's middle name, which she had proceeded to tell everyone in the cafeteria./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She'd immediately been dragged into the board room, where she'd explained that she'd done a computer class in her last few semesters of college. Apparently, she'd been mucking around with code whenever she got bored./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Precisely two minutes after that meeting had ended, she'd found herself in an office on the thirtieth floor, in charge of 'data analysis', which basically came down to her reading random stuff that came to SHIELD's attention and reporting back on anything useful, and keeping an eye on the Avengers' presence on the internet, as well as watching out for abnormal readings at SHIELD detectors – that internship with Jane certainly taught her a lot, even if she was a political science major./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It's a weird job, but not bad for a girl who went to college in Albuquerque./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""So, basically, a load of weird readings came through in Berlin," she says as they walk down the corridor. "The sort of crazy shizz we got when Thor started using the Bifrost again." Fury raises an eyebrow at her wording, but says nothing. "Anyway, it set off an alarm bell, so the tech boys sent me the readings and the location." She pushes open the door to her office, and goes immediately over to one of the screens on her desk. "And look, we got him."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Fury leans close to the monitor. A tall figure is walking through the doors to the museum – and then vanishes. "Is that it?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Yepadoodle." Fury turns his eye towards her. "Okay, okay, big scary boss man, I get it. No flippancy. Jeez." She rolls her eyes. "But anyway, about five minutes after that he surfaced in New York." She presses a couple of buttons and then points to another screen./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The same tall figure is walking through downtown Manhattan./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""When was that?" Fury demands./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Darcy peers at the timestamp. "About two hours ago. It took a while for the techboys to find the appropriate CCTV camera to hack," she explains hurriedly, holding her hands up. "Besides, he's hardly easily recognisable," she points out, gesturing at the nondescript man on screen. "He's ditched the reindeer thang, obviously."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Darcy," growls Fury./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Yes. Sorry."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Where is he emnow/em?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Well, this is the weird bit." Fury eyes her again. "All right, the weirdest bit of a weird appearance." She fiddles about with the keyboard and the mouse, before drawing up a new video. "He's been sat in Central Park for the past hour."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Now, it takes a lot to silence Nick Fury, but he'll be damned if the sight of the God of Mischief sat on a bench in front of the lake in Central Park hasn't done it./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""This is a live feed, right?" he asks when his voice returns./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Completement." She doesn't even need to check for his look. "Sorry."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""What's he doing?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Sitting and watching the ducks, as far as I can tell."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"There is a long pause./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Motherfucker."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He doesn't exactly emregret/em trying to enslave Midgard. Well, no, he does – he sees now that it was both insane and frankly not something that he would even be particularly interested in doing./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Or is it? He struggles quite a lot with working out what was him and what was the Tesseract's influence… and, harder than everything else, working out what was him before he found out about his parentage./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But Midgard has never really struck him as somewhere he wanted to emrule/em. Sure, he likes the place, no matter how inferior he thinks it./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"To be honest, he sort of admires their emprolificacy. /emThey are gifted with such short lives, and yet they do so much… It beggars belief./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But still there is the nagging sensation at the back of his mind saying that they are not worthy of the sole of his shoe./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Not that he's wearing any./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He's faintly aware that it's starting to snow, but he's too busy trying to work out who wanted to enslave Midgard – him or the blue spark. Or whether it was a mix of the two./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The phone rings upstairs in the common room. Thor is nearest, what with Steve's attention firmly fixed on the Dallas rerun on the television, and Natasha apparently teaching Clint Russian. He reaches out gingerly, not wanting a repeat of the last time he seized the phone./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Hello, is big daddy thunder man there?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Thor chuckles. "Hello, Darcy. What can I do for you today, my lady?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Thor, you're going to want to get down here," comes her voice. He recognises that tone of voice./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I will be there immediately, my lady Darcy." He puts the phone down, then calls Mjolnir to him. It zooms over Steve's head without him even noticing, into Thor's waiting hand./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Loki's back."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Thor stares at Fury. "What?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Darcy decides to circumvent Fury's customary over-dramatic bombast, and cuts in. "Little bro winked back into existence in Berlin earlier, and he's now in New York."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""New York? Here?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She fights the urge to roll her eyes. Sometimes, she's not entirely sure Thor ever left the caveman stage. "Yes, here. Hier. Ici. Right fucking here." Fury glares at her. "Sorry. Anyway, he's been sat watching the ducks in Central Park for the last hour, which I suppose is an improvement on batshit cray-cray I'mma destroy you all –"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Darcy."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""But it's still frickin' emweird/em, so we thought we should probably go pick him up." The unspoken embefore he kills anyone/em doesn't go unnoticed by Thor, who visibly squares his shoulders./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Who am I taking with me?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Not Fury, fo' sho'," says Darcy. "That's only gonna annoy Mr Green and Mean out there."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Fury rolls his one visible eye. "Loki appears both weakened and unarmed. You yourself attest that he has been punished on Asgard?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""He has. My father punished him, and he has atoned. The All Father stated that he was not a threat."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Nevertheless," says the Director, "I don't want any more flaming craters in New York. Take Rogers and Banner with you."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Thor nods, then strides out of the little office./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oh, and Darcy – be careful, okay," Fury states rather than asks./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Yessir," she salutes, following Thor./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You are coming with us, little Darcy?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oh yeah, big fella." She punches him on the arm. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""All right, Cap?" grins Darcy at the tall man coming out of the doors to SHIELD headquarters. Steve may have fitted himself into modern life, but he still hasn't given up his khakis and leather jacket./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You're coming with us, Darcy?" he asks, sounding a little concerned./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Sure I am. Plain clothes today, aren't we?" She nods at Thor, who is in the jeans and tee shirt he prefers when 'being Midgardian', as he dubs it. Beside him is Banner, looking scruffy and pale as ever in a jacket and jeans. "Hello, Doctor Banner."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""It's Bruce, Darcy."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The four of them catch the subway to Central Park, having no desire to attract any attention to themselves. Thor is silent, but Steve is happy to respond to Darcy's chatter, with Bruce occasionally chipping in./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Somewhere along the line, she had befriended Steve. She thinks it happened when she taught Thor how to use his phone, and the all-American hero shuffled over for the tutorial. She'd promptly managed to make him blush and promised to watch Titanic with him, an experience which had been both funny and adorable./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The other Avengers are sort of used to her being around the place. Thor sees her as his little sister, so she's often with them in their downtime, along with Pepper and Jane, when she's got time off from her physics. Steve asks her covertly about pop culture references and Bruce kindly talks to her about his own research when she asks, being curious as she is./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"As they walk through the park, Darcy can feel the tension radiating off Steve. "Woah, cool it, Cap."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I don't trust him, Darcy," he says quietly. "I don't want you getting hurt."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She flaps her hand. "Dude, I know when to run if need be. Don't sweat it."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Thor is leading them, visibly anxious without Mjolnir at his side. But Darcy had pointed out that they didn't want to scare Loki off before they could find out what in the hell he was doing zapping around Earth again, so he's left it back at base, along with Cap's shield./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""There he is," says Steve, pointing at a bench a hundred metres away. On it sits a rather hunched figure, upon whose green clad shoulders snow is beginning to settle./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""What's the plan?" asks Banner quietly./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Thor should go first," says Darcy without thinking. "Sorry, I'm not in charge here. Ignore me."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""No, I think you've got a point," says Steve. "Thor, you should lead us."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Thor nods, then begins to walk slowly towards his estranged brother./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It isn't a long walk, but it certainly feels it. Darcy's heart goes out to the big man striding in front of her./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Thor stops two metres away from the bench. Loki hasn't moved in all the time that he's been in sight./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Up close, he looks… like shit, to be perfectly honest. He's lost a lot of weight, his hair is a mess, and his once upright carriage has evaporated./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Brother?" asks Thor more softly than Darcy's ever heard him speak./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki turns to look at him. Darcy has a bit of a shock./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The God of Mischief's face is bone white, eyes ringed in shadows that have nothing to do with the evening light. There's none of the manic gleam that she saw on the news, or even in SHIELD's security footage… No – he just looks broken./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Thor speaks again. "Brother, why are you here?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But Loki just stares at Thor, not speaking./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""He's not got any shoes on," says Banner into Steve's ear./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Loki. Will you not break your silence?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The look on the younger god's face is soul-destroying. It speaks of self-loathing and fear and sadness, all bubbling madly beneath the surface./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki stands, very aware of how cold he feels, Jotunn or no. He stares at Thor, trying to work out how the real him would feel about him./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The three humans stand a little back, watching the bizarre tableau unfold before them. Loki, the man who tried to enslave the earth, stands in bare feet and simple clothing, staring at his adoptive brother as if he holds all the answers./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Loki. Will you come with us?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Darcy doesn't realise she's holding her breath until the thin black haired man nods once./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki has been dragged in front of the Avengers and Fury, and it has soon become apparent that this is not the man who had tried to destroy them all./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Loki… has taken it upon himself to remain silent. It is, I believe, his own atonement," Thor says./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He nods once in assent, and then conjures a pad of paper and pen for himself. Somehow, he manages to regain a sense of his old mischief, his lips quirking slightly./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The silence in that room is deafening as he writes quickly on the pad, then shoves it at Fury./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The taciturn man reads quickly, then fixes Loki with a blistering stare. "Loki is apparently dealing with the aftermath of being under the Tesseract's influence and would like it to be known that he wishes to perpetrate no harm to anyone on this planet… unless they harm him first."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki's lips twitch slightly./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Fury continues. "He apparently wishes to reside on Earth for the duration."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The turmoil that erupts in that room is somewhat unpleasant, but not hard to understand. To be honest, he just wantsto go find some place to stay until he can marshal his thoughts properly./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It's the girl who'd been stood beside the boy scout who calmed them all down. "Dudes, calm your shit. The guy's obviously in no state to enslave the earth. I doubt he could even enslave me right now. Just put him upstairs for a while until he regains whatever marbles he has left."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki had tipped his head to the side, regarding this strange girl in her big jumper and cargo pants. Could he enslave her right now?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Given inclination? Yes, probably./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He'd zoned out after that, watching the girl. She wasn't an Avenger, no… she was the girl who'd aided Thor's mortal in her work. What was her name again? Darcy?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""All right, then, Darcy," says Fury. "We'll take your plan. You got that?" he shoots at Loki./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki nods his assent./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""All right then, looks like we're done here."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The assorted Avengers and SHIELD personnel leave the room, but one hangs back. The girl. Darcy./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He cocks his head at her, surveying her./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She smiles slightly./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You're welcome."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"strongMore soon to come./strong/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"strongHope you liked it./strong/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"strong*peace out*/strong/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"strongThis is probably quite AU. I suppose it's my own post-Avengers headcanon. I'm going to warn you now, it will be angst laden./strong/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"strongThanks to AlyssaFelixa for holding my hand through the writing, and to LightningRapunzel for holding me over cyberspace when the idea first came./strong/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"strong*BeatnikFreak*/strong/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"ONE – Run/span/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki has not spoken in six months./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The muzzle was taken off after three, after the unearthly glint of blue left his eyes once and for all. It had been demeaning to be watched all the time, to be guarded, to be eminspected/em… That was the worst of it, the indignity of being spied upon. The muzzle he could deal with. The beatings he'd endured, possibly because the spark of madness had not yet left him, and with it came the flames that protected him from the regard and action and opinion of all./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But now… now all is quiet. Odin has decreed that Loki is no longer mad, that he is no longer under the thrall of the Tesseract./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He's half right./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The blue spark is gone. But what it had fed on is not. The resentment. The long years of being second-best. The betrayal./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The loathing. The pure, unadulterated loathing. But not for Thor – try as he might, he cannot hate Thor. He had tried so hard to, he had tried to kill him with the Destroyer – but he had been unable to./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The Tesseract had helped. When he'd fallen from the Bifrost, he'd tumbled through heaven and between the branches of Yggdrasil… into hell. And he'd … endured. Like he always had. Like he'd always emsuffered/em./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But all the while, he'd had that spark inside him, that little blue spark of the Tesseract planted deep inside his head and as he saw… so many things… it grew and grew, until he had no idea where he ended and the blue madness began./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He knows it was madness now./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But it's difficult. It isn't a cut and dried 'oh the Tesseract's influence is gone I'm sane now' case. Loki had already been somewhat emwarped/em. It goes with the territory, being the God of Mischief, and all that. Add in a thousand years of resentment, and then the soul-tearing agony of finding out that you're actually not your father's son, you're just a kidnapped power tool, as well as being the son of fucking emLaufey/em, and you become pretty damn unhinged./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It's happening again, his stupid inner monologue. It takes over rather a lot at the moment, possibly because he hasn't spoken in so long./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Odin isn't keeping him here on Asgard – no, far from it. Being the All Father means that he is exceptionally good at reading people. And so he knows that Loki is no longer in a state where he will try and enslave the Earth again./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"What state Loki is in is a difficult one to describe. He's no longer 'bag of cats' crazy, but he's certainly not sane./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He's struggling to deal with exactly who he is now. The loathing he feels is for himself, for his true form. Occasionally he'll hold his hand out and let the instinctual magic slip, and watch with morbid fascination as the blue spreads up his arm to his fingers./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He's never managed to watch it for more than minute. He hates it. Hates what it emmeans/em./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He also struggles with thinking about what he did. He thinks he's gotten a handle on his actions on Asgard. That was all about self-worth./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But wasn't his next, even more crazed power trip about it too? Wasn't that latent desire, no, that burning emneed/em already intrinsic to his personality, just waiting for the madness to open it up and let it bloom into some sick and twisted weed, crawling through him, twining around his heart and mind and soul?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The worst of it is the not knowing. The uncertainty around how much of him went into the blue eyed man who allied himself with the Chitauri, who fell through infinite space and landed in his own personal hell./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"And thus he remains in Asgard, sequestered in a plain chamber, cross legged on the floor./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"emThinking./em/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I worry for him," says Frigga, watching her son's immobile form from the observation deck integral to the large confinement chamber. "He has paid his penance… why does he refuse to speak?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Perhaps he feels he must pay his own," says Odin quietly./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He is partially right, of course, but he well knows that Loki is trying to come to terms with his identity… and he feels guilty. He knows he is in part to blame for this./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He stares down at his son, for that is what he is, no matter what Loki thinks. He has lost weight, his face's bones sticking out far more than they used to, his simple clothes hanging off him. His hair is lank about his shoulders./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But it's his face that gives Odin real pause. It's pale, dark circles ringing his sunken-looking eyes. Loki looks hunted. Haunted./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It is the face of a man fighting his own mind./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"People come in every so often bringing food. He knows it must be at the same intervals, but he's so deep inside his own thoughts that time does not pass with any degree of regularity./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He doesn't eat it, usually. Only when the hunger gnawing at him breaks through the wall of his churning thoughts. He's Aesir, so he doesn't need to eat. The only thing he ever will emneed /emto eat is one of Idunn's apples every year. And he's missed the harvest once already, so what does it matter now if he misses it again?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"That thought shocks his mind still./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki, the god of mischief, the eternal survivor, giving up?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Who emis /emhe?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It doesn't take much effort for him to leave the palace. After all, it's not as if he's under guard any more. He's no longer considered a threat./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He sees his reflection in one of Asgard's many golden walls. He is thin and pale, face haggard. His hair needs a cut and a wash. His clothes are basic and plain, just simple black trousers and a forest green tunic. The kind of clothes his mother would dress him in when he was sick as a child./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It's early morning. There aren't many Asgardians around. The ones that are, that see him, don't make eye contact. They don't say anything. They just look away./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The Bifrost is cold underfoot. He considers briefly conjuring himself a pair of boots, but then decides against it, savouring the sensation against his skin./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It's a long walk to the new Observatory. He doesn't really know why he's going all the way over there, seeing as he doesn't actually need the newly reconstructed Bifrost to travel between the worlds./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The sun has fully risen by the time he reaches the site of his demise. Of his fall./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He stops for a second, and crouches down. He runs his hand along the untarnished span, trying to understand why he did it. Perhaps his confusion is because he now knows what the result of his fall was./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But didn't he then? Didn't he know then that he was choosing between a rock and a hard place?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The compellation to fall is not so strong now, but it still pulls at his thoughts. Maybe that wasn't just the Tesseract that made him let go./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But he knew that already, he thinks as he straightens up, walking to the scene of his shame. That's why he's come out here, he realises. He has come out here to… atone./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Heimdall's face is impassive. "Loki," he says. Loki, uncharacteristically, bows his head in respect. "I see your silver tongue remains still."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki doesn't nod. He knows the gatekeeper can read his assent through his pose./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Wish you to use the Bifrost?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki shakes his head, then steps back. He looks the allseeing god in the eye. Heimdall appears to understand what Loki is trying to communicate. Holding the other god's eyes, he bows deeply./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""My Prince."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"With that, Loki vanishes./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He reappears on Midgard. Germany. He might as well begin his journey of self-discovery where it all started./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"There are plenty of people in the streets. Some notice him. Some do not. No one recognises him, though: the Loki the news stations saw was tall, strong, dressed in the armour that befitted his glorious purpose. Now, he is a shadow of that. The most notice he gets is when passersby notice his bare feet and unkempt appearance./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"They hurry past him as if he is something to fear. He wants to laugh at this. How could they fear him in this state, in comparison to his former appearance in his Asgardian armour, with the Chitaurean staff in his hand, screaming at them to kneel?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He never has understood Midgardians./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"After a twist of his wrist, no one notices him./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He finds it rather comforting to have no one see him. Strange, considering how he wanted to be king of these people whose eyes he would rather avoid./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"King./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The word feels strange as he thinks it. emKing. /emKiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnng. KiiiIIIIIIiiiiiinnnnnnnnnngg gggggggggggggggggggggg./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He almost giggles to himself, before he stops it, wondering if he's mad after all./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The square where he made the mortals kneel is nondescript. Germans sit around on benches talking and reading newspapers. A couple kiss by the fountain. The café is full./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"You'd never know he'd been there./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Struck by a sudden sense of isolation, he reappears in the shadows. He feels the need to be caught on some mortal camera, even in this state, just to prove he was here./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Just to prove he emwas/em./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He shifts into the museum, idly walking around, trying to get a handle on the version of himself that had stormed through it, grinning insanely. He feels rather more than a shred of kinship with that Loki – indeed, he knows that right now he'd get a massive kick out of scaring the living daylights out of these innocents./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But would he have made them kneel to him? Would he have done so before the Tesseract?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Frustrated by the unanswerable questions inside his head, he abruptly shifts./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"New York is cold and icy. He's not all that bothered by it, though. He's never really had too much of a problem with the cold./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He's aware now that his Jotunn heritage is to thank for that./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He doesn't like how it taints his memories. How the little inexplicabilities that peppered his childhood and adolescence have been explained by that one lie. It all seems glaringly obvious now./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He hates it./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Director Fury?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Fury spins round on his chair. "What, Lewis?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Loki's just showed up on one of our screens." Darcy fiddles with the hem of her sweater./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He eyes her. "Is this one of your famous windups, Lewis? Because I will tell you now, I am not in the mood for it."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She shakes her head so fast it's comical. "No, seriously dude, it's him. The god of badassery and daddy issues is back."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Fury whips up onto his feet. "Show me. Now."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""All right, all right," she protests. "Jeez, man."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Darcy's been working at SHIELD for just over a year now. She'd been picked up by them a couple of months after that whole shebang down in New Mexico. She'd just graduated, and then Coulson showed up on her doorstep in sunglasses, offering her a job./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She realised after a week of grunt work that they'd done it to ensure her silence on Thor and all the kooky shit that Jane was working on./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"However, after another couple of months someone had noticed her uncanny knack for picking up useful information. How?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"After she managed to hack into the mainframe and discover Fury's middle name, which she had proceeded to tell everyone in the cafeteria./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She'd immediately been dragged into the board room, where she'd explained that she'd done a computer class in her last few semesters of college. Apparently, she'd been mucking around with code whenever she got bored./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Precisely two minutes after that meeting had ended, she'd found herself in an office on the thirtieth floor, in charge of 'data analysis', which basically came down to her reading random stuff that came to SHIELD's attention and reporting back on anything useful, and keeping an eye on the Avengers' presence on the internet, as well as watching out for abnormal readings at SHIELD detectors – that internship with Jane certainly taught her a lot, even if she was a political science major./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It's a weird job, but not bad for a girl who went to college in Albuquerque./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""So, basically, a load of weird readings came through in Berlin," she says as they walk down the corridor. "The sort of crazy shizz we got when Thor started using the Bifrost again." Fury raises an eyebrow at her wording, but says nothing. "Anyway, it set off an alarm bell, so the tech boys sent me the readings and the location." She pushes open the door to her office, and goes immediately over to one of the screens on her desk. "And look, we got him."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Fury leans close to the monitor. A tall figure is walking through the doors to the museum – and then vanishes. "Is that it?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Yepadoodle." Fury turns his eye towards her. "Okay, okay, big scary boss man, I get it. No flippancy. Jeez." She rolls her eyes. "But anyway, about five minutes after that he surfaced in New York." She presses a couple of buttons and then points to another screen./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The same tall figure is walking through downtown Manhattan./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""When was that?" Fury demands./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Darcy peers at the timestamp. "About two hours ago. It took a while for the techboys to find the appropriate CCTV camera to hack," she explains hurriedly, holding her hands up. "Besides, he's hardly easily recognisable," she points out, gesturing at the nondescript man on screen. "He's ditched the reindeer thang, obviously."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Darcy," growls Fury./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Yes. Sorry."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Where is he emnow/em?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Well, this is the weird bit." Fury eyes her again. "All right, the weirdest bit of a weird appearance." She fiddles about with the keyboard and the mouse, before drawing up a new video. "He's been sat in Central Park for the past hour."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Now, it takes a lot to silence Nick Fury, but he'll be damned if the sight of the God of Mischief sat on a bench in front of the lake in Central Park hasn't done it./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""This is a live feed, right?" he asks when his voice returns./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Completement." She doesn't even need to check for his look. "Sorry."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""What's he doing?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Sitting and watching the ducks, as far as I can tell."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"There is a long pause./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Motherfucker."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He doesn't exactly emregret/em trying to enslave Midgard. Well, no, he does – he sees now that it was both insane and frankly not something that he would even be particularly interested in doing./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Or is it? He struggles quite a lot with working out what was him and what was the Tesseract's influence… and, harder than everything else, working out what was him before he found out about his parentage./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But Midgard has never really struck him as somewhere he wanted to emrule/em. Sure, he likes the place, no matter how inferior he thinks it./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"To be honest, he sort of admires their emprolificacy. /emThey are gifted with such short lives, and yet they do so much… It beggars belief./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But still there is the nagging sensation at the back of his mind saying that they are not worthy of the sole of his shoe./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Not that he's wearing any./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He's faintly aware that it's starting to snow, but he's too busy trying to work out who wanted to enslave Midgard – him or the blue spark. Or whether it was a mix of the two./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The phone rings upstairs in the common room. Thor is nearest, what with Steve's attention firmly fixed on the Dallas rerun on the television, and Natasha apparently teaching Clint Russian. He reaches out gingerly, not wanting a repeat of the last time he seized the phone./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Hello, is big daddy thunder man there?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Thor chuckles. "Hello, Darcy. What can I do for you today, my lady?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Thor, you're going to want to get down here," comes her voice. He recognises that tone of voice./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I will be there immediately, my lady Darcy." He puts the phone down, then calls Mjolnir to him. It zooms over Steve's head without him even noticing, into Thor's waiting hand./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Loki's back."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Thor stares at Fury. "What?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Darcy decides to circumvent Fury's customary over-dramatic bombast, and cuts in. "Little bro winked back into existence in Berlin earlier, and he's now in New York."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""New York? Here?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She fights the urge to roll her eyes. Sometimes, she's not entirely sure Thor ever left the caveman stage. "Yes, here. Hier. Ici. Right fucking here." Fury glares at her. "Sorry. Anyway, he's been sat watching the ducks in Central Park for the last hour, which I suppose is an improvement on batshit cray-cray I'mma destroy you all –"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Darcy."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""But it's still frickin' emweird/em, so we thought we should probably go pick him up." The unspoken embefore he kills anyone/em doesn't go unnoticed by Thor, who visibly squares his shoulders./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Who am I taking with me?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Not Fury, fo' sho'," says Darcy. "That's only gonna annoy Mr Green and Mean out there."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Fury rolls his one visible eye. "Loki appears both weakened and unarmed. You yourself attest that he has been punished on Asgard?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""He has. My father punished him, and he has atoned. The All Father stated that he was not a threat."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Nevertheless," says the Director, "I don't want any more flaming craters in New York. Take Rogers and Banner with you."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Thor nods, then strides out of the little office./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oh, and Darcy – be careful, okay," Fury states rather than asks./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Yessir," she salutes, following Thor./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You are coming with us, little Darcy?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oh yeah, big fella." She punches him on the arm. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""All right, Cap?" grins Darcy at the tall man coming out of the doors to SHIELD headquarters. Steve may have fitted himself into modern life, but he still hasn't given up his khakis and leather jacket./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You're coming with us, Darcy?" he asks, sounding a little concerned./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Sure I am. Plain clothes today, aren't we?" She nods at Thor, who is in the jeans and tee shirt he prefers when 'being Midgardian', as he dubs it. Beside him is Banner, looking scruffy and pale as ever in a jacket and jeans. "Hello, Doctor Banner."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""It's Bruce, Darcy."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The four of them catch the subway to Central Park, having no desire to attract any attention to themselves. Thor is silent, but Steve is happy to respond to Darcy's chatter, with Bruce occasionally chipping in./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Somewhere along the line, she had befriended Steve. She thinks it happened when she taught Thor how to use his phone, and the all-American hero shuffled over for the tutorial. She'd promptly managed to make him blush and promised to watch Titanic with him, an experience which had been both funny and adorable./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The other Avengers are sort of used to her being around the place. Thor sees her as his little sister, so she's often with them in their downtime, along with Pepper and Jane, when she's got time off from her physics. Steve asks her covertly about pop culture references and Bruce kindly talks to her about his own research when she asks, being curious as she is./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"As they walk through the park, Darcy can feel the tension radiating off Steve. "Woah, cool it, Cap."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I don't trust him, Darcy," he says quietly. "I don't want you getting hurt."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She flaps her hand. "Dude, I know when to run if need be. Don't sweat it."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Thor is leading them, visibly anxious without Mjolnir at his side. But Darcy had pointed out that they didn't want to scare Loki off before they could find out what in the hell he was doing zapping around Earth again, so he's left it back at base, along with Cap's shield./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""There he is," says Steve, pointing at a bench a hundred metres away. On it sits a rather hunched figure, upon whose green clad shoulders snow is beginning to settle./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""What's the plan?" asks Banner quietly./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Thor should go first," says Darcy without thinking. "Sorry, I'm not in charge here. Ignore me."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""No, I think you've got a point," says Steve. "Thor, you should lead us."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Thor nods, then begins to walk slowly towards his estranged brother./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It isn't a long walk, but it certainly feels it. Darcy's heart goes out to the big man striding in front of her./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Thor stops two metres away from the bench. Loki hasn't moved in all the time that he's been in sight./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Up close, he looks… like shit, to be perfectly honest. He's lost a lot of weight, his hair is a mess, and his once upright carriage has evaporated./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Brother?" asks Thor more softly than Darcy's ever heard him speak./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki turns to look at him. Darcy has a bit of a shock./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The God of Mischief's face is bone white, eyes ringed in shadows that have nothing to do with the evening light. There's none of the manic gleam that she saw on the news, or even in SHIELD's security footage… No – he just looks broken./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Thor speaks again. "Brother, why are you here?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But Loki just stares at Thor, not speaking./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""He's not got any shoes on," says Banner into Steve's ear./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Loki. Will you not break your silence?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The look on the younger god's face is soul-destroying. It speaks of self-loathing and fear and sadness, all bubbling madly beneath the surface./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki stands, very aware of how cold he feels, Jotunn or no. He stares at Thor, trying to work out how the real him would feel about him./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The three humans stand a little back, watching the bizarre tableau unfold before them. Loki, the man who tried to enslave the earth, stands in bare feet and simple clothing, staring at his adoptive brother as if he holds all the answers./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Loki. Will you come with us?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Darcy doesn't realise she's holding her breath until the thin black haired man nods once./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"~#~/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki has been dragged in front of the Avengers and Fury, and it has soon become apparent that this is not the man who had tried to destroy them all./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Loki… has taken it upon himself to remain silent. It is, I believe, his own atonement," Thor says./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He nods once in assent, and then conjures a pad of paper and pen for himself. Somehow, he manages to regain a sense of his old mischief, his lips quirking slightly./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The silence in that room is deafening as he writes quickly on the pad, then shoves it at Fury./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The taciturn man reads quickly, then fixes Loki with a blistering stare. "Loki is apparently dealing with the aftermath of being under the Tesseract's influence and would like it to be known that he wishes to perpetrate no harm to anyone on this planet… unless they harm him first."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki's lips twitch slightly./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Fury continues. "He apparently wishes to reside on Earth for the duration."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The turmoil that erupts in that room is somewhat unpleasant, but not hard to understand. To be honest, he just wantsto go find some place to stay until he can marshal his thoughts properly./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It's the girl who'd been stood beside the boy scout who calmed them all down. "Dudes, calm your shit. The guy's obviously in no state to enslave the earth. I doubt he could even enslave me right now. Just put him upstairs for a while until he regains whatever marbles he has left."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki had tipped his head to the side, regarding this strange girl in her big jumper and cargo pants. Could he enslave her right now?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Given inclination? Yes, probably./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He'd zoned out after that, watching the girl. She wasn't an Avenger, no… she was the girl who'd aided Thor's mortal in her work. What was her name again? Darcy?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""All right, then, Darcy," says Fury. "We'll take your plan. You got that?" he shoots at Loki./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Loki nods his assent./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""All right then, looks like we're done here."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The assorted Avengers and SHIELD personnel leave the room, but one hangs back. The girl. Darcy./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He cocks his head at her, surveying her./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She smiles slightly./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You're welcome."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"strongMore soon to come./strong/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"strongHope you liked it./strong/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"strong*peace out*/strong/p