- One -

Lucifer felt the falling spirit before he saw it in his mind's eye. It reminded him so much of when he and his brothers and sisters had fallen so long ago, and he immediately left Nick's body to travel through space to find it.

He found it millions of light years away. still falling through the maelstrom of space, and he enveloped it and took it to safety upon a dwarf planet.

Lucifer regarded the still form, and used his grace to bring the being from near-death. He was amazed that life still clung to it, as it was only a few thousand years old - a child compared to him. But he sensed power inside it, a power akin to that of his younger brothers and sisters -

He had missed them so much.

-Two-

Blue eyes slowly opened to see a figure standing beside a window. Loki watched to see the figure absently drawing symbols onto the window which was covered with frost.

Loki sensed the power in this figure, akin to that Odin and Laufrey, and for a moment he was overtaken with joy that someone, anyonefrom Asgard had rescued him...

He caught sight of blond hair, and whispered, "Thor..."

"No, I am not your brother," Lucifer said. "Nor am I your father, Loki."

"How do you know my name?"

The figure came over to him and sat beside him on the bed.

"I have been inside your dreams, little one. So much anger, so much hurt. I saw what you did. I saw why you did it."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Lucifer."

Loki let out a breath, that would have been a laugh if he had the strength to laugh. "The morning star. But you don't exist. You're a story Frigga told to me when I was little." He took another breath, this time, in pain. "The bright prince who was cast out of the heavens."

Lucifer laid a hand over Loki's hand. Loki felt the pain slowly dim, and his eyes felt heavy with sleep.

"Rest, little brother. We will talk again soon."

"But you are not my brother," Loki whispered. Then he was asleep.

-Three-

"What is this place?" Loki asked, after he had awoken again.

"This place? It's a place called Grosse Pointe, in Michigan. We're on a planet called Earth."

"I know about Earth. Teeming with maggots known as humans. My brother Thor is infatuated with one of the maggots."

Lucifer smiled, and came over to Loki's side.

"I had brothers and sisters who were also infatuated with the maggots, as well. They bred with them." Lucifer's mouth twisted in disgust. "My father sent my brother Gabriel to destroy them." He looked off into the distance. "I wish I could have been there to see it."

"Why would gods lower themselves to breed with these creatures?"

Lucifer shrugged. "It was a long time ago."

"I'm hungry," Loki said.

Lucifer nodded. "Yes, you require nourishment. Funny that my Father should have made you that way. I knew that He had created all kinds of life in the universes, but I did not think that He would give you that weakness."

Loki glared at him. "I am not weak."

Lucifer smiled at him, holding up his hands. "That was not a critique of you, Loki. I love my Father, but He does move in mysterious ways."

Lucifer stood, and looked at the table that was placed to one side of the room.

Suddenly, there were fruits, and breads, and meats, and eggs. Loki's mouth watered.

Lucifer came back over to the bed, and helped Loki to the table.

"Why am I so..."

"Weak?" Lucifer smiled. "When you fell into the abyss, you were like a star, dark and dim hurtling towards oblivion. You were lucky that I was able to catch you. I had to leave my vessel and retrieve you in my true form to do so."

Lucifer sat Loki in the chair, then poured him a glass of orange juice.

"Drink," Lucifer said, handing him the glass. "And eat. You may ask me questions afterwards."

"Dark stars are still stars," Loki said softly, then drank from the glass.

Lucifer smiled. "Yes, they are. Drawing in the light of millions of stars and even galaxies into themselves."

- Four -

When Loki awoke again (and he was beginning to hate the "weakness" of eating and sleeping), it was because he heard the rattle of the windows as a winter storm raged outside.

He sat up in the bed, against the mounds of pillows that Lucifer had placed in his bed, to make him comfortable.

He had dreamed of Asgard.

Tears came to his eyes, and he wept.
The storm outside ceased.

And Lucifer came to Loki once again, this time holding the young Asgardian in his arms.

"I can never go home again, can I?" Loki asked.

"You will in time," Lucifer said, stroking Loki's dark hair.

"How can you say that? You say you've seen what I've done. They will never forgive me."

"You and I are so much alike. I too, was cast out of my home. I love my brother, but he is not fit to rule," Lucifer whispered. "We are so much alike, you and I."

"They will never forgive me," Loki whispered again.

Lucifer pulled back to look into Loki's eyes. "Odin is not worthy to be your father. I will help you to a better Father. My Father created all the universes and everything in them. And when he sees you, my dark star, he will know you for what you are - his own true son. Like me."

And Loki nodded, letting Lucifer kiss away his tears.

* * * * * * * *

A/N: I noticed when creating a timeline for my Supervenger 'verse that "Iron Man 2" takes places during Season Five of "Supernatural". And even though "Thor" was released a year later, the events of that movie take place during "Iron Man 2", as Agent Coulson tells Tony Stark that he has to go to New Mexico - where, unbeknownst to them, Odin had just dropped Thor from Asgard.

So no wonder S.H.I.E.L.D. was on high alert - Sam Winchester had released Lucifer from that convent in Maryland, causing an interspatial tear - and then there's another one in New Mexico? I'm sure they weren't expecting Satan, but they were expecting something.

So this story takes place after the ending of "Thor", when Loki has fallen from the broken Bifrost Bridge, but before the "stinger" showing him on Earth. Which raises another question - how did Loki get to Earth after falling into open space? This story is my answer.