Asgard, a fortress in eternal dawn. The mightiest of the living Realms, so say the gods and warriors who dwell here. The kingdom that has remained in relative peace for millennia, a peace once brokered through royal agreement and then purchased through genocide. The perpetrator of that unthinkable crime rides a black horse along a bright road at the outskirts of the city. He wears a green cloak over old riding clothes. Before him rides the world's prince and heir to the throne. A man who until recently he would have called his brother.
Thor turns his horse, and Loki draws his own to a halt behind the other god. They have reached the edge of the disk; beyond, the glittering length of the Bifrost stretches out into space until it falls away in a shattered edge. The two glance back at the spires of the grand palace they have left.
"Does he truly think there is any way to change what I am?" Loki scoffs, a hard edge to the words, "Better to be rid of the bastard son once and for all. I am certain that is his intention."
Thor turns to face him.
"I trust Father's judgment, Loki," he says, catching his brother's eyes so that he cannot look away, "After all, it was time among the people of Midgard that taught me the ways of the world." A moment of silence. "Be glad he is lenient for what you have done."
Leniency. Loki would not call it that. To send him to the realm where an angered population would wish no more than his destruction? The realm where his damaged army hunts him down, every second closer? It is no less than a death sentence. No, death would be preferable to what the Chitauri could do. Yet knowledge of that threat did nothing to sway the old King's decision. Perhaps it even forced it. Of course there would be no more fitting fate for the last of the Jotunn.
And the final humiliation: returned to the planet he tried to destroy to be guided into so-called goodness by the favored son. Given no chance to operate for himself! There can be no gain for Loki in this. It is only a punishment disguised as a cure.
The heir and the once-prince slide down from their steeds to the metallic ground, dust shifting under their boots. Out here, faraway stars illuminate the sky and many planets can be seen around them in their constant orbits. Thor looks upon it and sees the wonders of the universe; Loki sees only worlds that would never allow a monster such as himself to live. Worlds he would rule over if only he could. And a battlefield that the Chitauri will inevitably cross in their death-bringing ships. It is only a matter of time, he realizes, barely suppressing a shudder, until they find him.
Thor lifts his hammer from his belt. With the help of the energy his father has imbued it with for this task, opening a gateway to Midgard is simple. The two step away from their horses; the animals are intelligent, and can find their own way home.
The prince spins Mjolnir above his head on its leather strap, calling up a whirlwind. The starlight flickers as misty clouds appear and swirl together. The horses rear back and run towards the city.
With a crackling of lightning and thunder, a brilliantly-lit ring of energy forms in the tornado's cone, expanding until it encircles the two gods.
In the instant before the portal closes, the deathly croak of a raven can be heard.
The storm and the gods vanish. A black feather drifts to the gilded stones.
~o~
The shadowed asteroid is hardly a planet, barely a world. Lit by one dim fading sun, it is but a moldering twig on the far reaches of the World Ash Tree. Its pitted desolate surface has seen many alliances struck between the legendary forces of chaos, and it is to be witness to one more deal. A pair of figures stand in a dusty crater beside a great cliff, the dying star's red light glinting off their armor, representatives for two of the many powerful species that wage battle across the universe.
A metal-clad reptilian speaks in low, groundshaking tones. "The renegade god has failed us," it declares, "and these humans of Earth have decimated our armies with weapons we did not expect them to possess." The warlord does not wish another disaster. Nor does this leader of the catastrophic invasion wish to let the one who led the attack escape. In time, revenge will be had. Their promised fate for the halfbreed trickster.
"Be assured that their weapons will be worthless against my forces," hisses a taller creature of a far different race. Its face is hidden by a jeweled helmet. A serpent winds around its neck and down scaled appendages that could pass for arms.
The first warlord raises its arm, plates of armor shifting. Above its claws a green-illuminated hologram floats, an image of the last fool to seek a deal on this dead rock.
"Find this weakling who called himself a conqueror, and bring him to our...justice. The Chitauri intent to uphold our bargain."
"It will be done."
~o~
When the stormclouds slow their wild rotation and fade into the Earth city's pollution-laden air, Thor is relieved to find himself in a recognizable location; the balcony on Stark Tower, the building the other Avengers have made their home base. Pleased with the accuracy of the journey, Thor smiles to himself and flips his hammer in his hand. He turns to his brother to find that Loki's thoughts are unreadable.
The silence does not last long; within seconds alarms are going off inside the building. A security camera turns its glass head to observe the intruders.
"I cannot think that you would be so foolish as to believe they will approve of your plan," Loki says.
"Be patient," Thor rebukes, "They are good. They will listen."
Alerted by the loud alarms, the superhero team runs into the room, clearly coming from some sort of practice; they have their weapons but are wearing ordinary clothes. Steve is in front, holding out his shield to protect the others. Natasha aims a gun at the two gods, but lowers it when she recognizes Thor. She glares at Loki, confusion and anger showing on her face, and steps back beside Clint. He holds his bow at the ready even when the others partially relax. Bruce carries a data screen and a pen; whatever the team was rehearsing must not have included the Hulk. Steve looks back at his friends.
"What is this? Are they supposed to be here?"
"What do you think?" Natasha replies, annoyed, "of course he's not!" There is no need to explain who she means. Steve returns to a battle stance and yells through the glass door.
"Thor! What-"
He is interrupted when Tony Stark strides into the room, holding a beer, seemingly unperturbed by the strange turn of events. He waves his hand across a glowing panel and the blaring alarms are silenced.
"You brought Reindeer Games!" he calls, waving the bottle towards Thor, "What, your own people can't handle him? Want us to beat him up again?" Loki bristles.
"Stark, what is this?" Steve says sharply, "And what are you doing? We were waiting for you to start!"
"We said we were practicing what to do if one of us was out of action, right, Cap? Somebody needed to take that role, so I chose to be generous." A few of the others roll their eyes. Tony looks towards Thor again.
"Seriously, why have you brought him back? I can think of, oh, a few million people who won't be happy about this." All the same, he instructs a computer to open the doors and allows the two gods to walk into the room.
Thor decides it is time to explain.
"My friends," he begins, securing the attention of the five disorganized heroes, "I have come to ask for your help."
"Help? For Loki?" Bruce asks, looking at the violent figure his alter ego had captured only the month before. Loki gives him an angry stare in return.
"Yes," Thor confirms. "My father-"
"The king of the gods," Tony adds. Steve looks annoyed at this comment but doesn't interrupt. Thor goes on:
"My father has heard of Loki's crimes, and has decided that it would be best for my brother to learn better ways from the people of Earth." A startled pause follows this. "And I agree, for, along with your strength in battle, I admire your inventiveness and your friendships."
And your willingness to love, he adds in his mind, thinking of Jane and everything else he's seen in his short time in Midgard. Even the toughest soldiers had moments of warm compassion. So different from the formal relationships of his home.
"You want to keep him here?" Clint summarizes, incredulous.
"There's no way we're sheltering an enemy," Steve declares. The others nod in agreement. All but Bruce, who seems to be deep in consideration.
"That is my intent," Thor says, fearing for the first time that his plan may fail. He has thought of none other; his only hope for helping his brother lies with the Avengers. Maybe, he realizes with a painful jolt, these humans are not so noble as he perceived.
"We could do it. Lock him up, have the computers keep watch." Bruce's unexpected comment draws the attention of the team, who stare in disbelief.
"You know, Fury's gonna be pissed." Natasha reminds them. Tony turns to her, then back to Thor and Loki, as the idea registers in his mind.
"Get him inside."