"Our time has come, brothers. Centuries we have waited. Darkness and defeat we have wallowed in. But no more." He looked over those around him, his followers, those loyal when all else betrayed him. The rune on their right cheeks almost glowed under the moonlight, a faint yellow hue under their skin. Seeing the blatant mark made his blood rise in anticipation. It was an outward declaration of their oath. Their bond to him. Never to rest until revenge was fulfilled. Not even death could have them.

An itch raced along the right side of his neck. He suppressed the urge to scratch it, to further enflame the redden skin. The spidery veins of red starting from his temple, working downward to completely cover the right side of his body. "Brothers, now is the time to slake our need for gods' blood and vengeance. Soon those that sought to destroy us will beg for their lives. We will rise again and no one will stop us." He raised his arm as he cried out, "Death to the gods!"

His brothers growled in agreement.

"Death to those that opposed us!"

The growling increased like rabid animals.

He lifted his eyes up to the clear night sky, the moonlight bathing him. Centuries he had waited. Hoping, praying for his chance. This last chance. His patience and planning now would pay off. No one could stop him. Not those that stopped him before. Not those that claimed to be 'Earth's mightiest heroes'. All pathetic. Succumbing to scratch the itch, he rubbed the side of his neck. It was a constant reminder of his defeat. Of what had been stolen from him. Now the Fates had gifted him revenge. Yes, those that scarred him would feel his wrath. He could practically taste their blood on his tongue. It tasted sweet like the finest wine. Something he hoped to drown in. The one who had given him life anew taught him to survive on this taste. Debts would be repaid. Promises fulfilled. He had a purpose now. And it threatened to swallow him alive.

Opening his mouth once more, he screamed out his bloodlust and the growling surrounding him reached its crescendo. Their time had come. Blood and death would reign once more.

"Brother! Why do you sit here alone? Come, join the revelry."

The raven-haired god of mischief sighed as his oaf of a brother stood before him. "I am content where I am." He brought the tankard of ale to his lips, the bitter liquid a poor excuse of the ales he grew up with.

Thor sat down on the wooden bench next to him, both leaning against the wood paneled wall behind them. Silence filled the space between them. Around them, those who escaped Ragnarök danced, sang and drank in celebration. They were alive, unlike so many whose bodies burned along with Asgard. Today was the newest holiday declared by King Thor. New Asgard was founded a year ago today. Negotiations had not been easy but gold always paved the way. King Thor, with his advisors- Lady Sif, Valkyrie, Heimdall and Loki, had purchased one of Norway's many islands for their settlement. No longer were they vagabonds, refugees fleeing their antihalation. Midgard was their home now.

"I recall times you and I would revel days on end…mother would eventually find us and drag us back to the palace to sober up." Thor chuckled, watching his people inside the great hall. The roaring fire in the middle of the floor cast dancing shadows upon all.

A faint smile touched Loki's lips but a stab of pain came with the memory of Frigga. His fault. No matter what others said, he would always shoulder the blame.

"Hey!" Thor nudged Loki with his shoulder. "Let's pull a prank. Those always managed to put a smile on your face."

"What do you have in mind, my king?" Loki drawled, although his interest was piqued. It had been some time since he caused tasteful mischief, especially at the incentive of his brother. Thor must be bored also.

"Um…change Valkyrie's ale to water! She is drunk enough, let us see how long it takes her to notice."

Loki raised his eyebrows at his brother's broad, childish grin. He glanced at the intended victim. Valkyrie stood on the other side of the hall, laughing drunkenly at something Korg was saying, the liquid in her tankard sloshing. She was dressed as most people of New Asgard, in a combination of Asgardian clothing and modern Midgardian clothing. A pair of leather pants sat underneath a loose t-shirt that read 'save water, drink beer' with her sword across her back. There were certainly more knives strapped to her body, hidden under the t-shirt. Loki guessed the shirt came with the donations from Stark Industries and the Avengers. The idea of the prank did hold some merit, it would certainly prove humorous and be a simple enough to pull. Once she discovered the prank though, her wrath would be fearsome. "Dear brother, I do believe you have a death wish for me."

"Oh come now. It's not that bad."

"Need I remind you when Korg touched her sword without permission, she wrapped him in chains and threw him into the ocean."

"She would not do that to you."

Loki smirked. "Oh no, I do believe she would prefer to disembowel me with one of my own knives…or at least that was what she has told me."

Booming laughter erupted out of the one-eyed god. "That does sound like her. You used to be up for mischief no matter the consequence when we were younger."

"I do like to think I have matured since we were younger, unlike some." He paused, his voice dropping when he spoke again, eyes focused on the tankard in his hands. "Many things have changed since those days."

A sadness followed the silence. A regret of past actions and wounds. Of lost trust and misplaced hope.

Thor clapped his hand on his brother's shoulder. "You are not that man anymore. Do not dwell on the past. I am pleased to have you once again by my side. Now, I think I shall find a dance partner and enjoy the merriment." Without waiting for a response, for what more could be said, the god of thunder rose and walked away.

His green eyes drifted back down to the tankard between his hands. The continued trust of his brother astounded him. He was sure he did not deserve it. Was one good action enough to rectify all the evil he had done? Was he really a changed man?

The foul taste of those thoughts and memories had him setting his tankard down and silently moving outside as to not alert the others to his sudden absence. Most citizens would probably prefer his presence elsewhere but Thor would come looking for him. Or send that confounding pile of rocks named Korg to retrieve him.

The night air was cool, a pleasant sensation after the heat of the great hall and all the bodies in it. Frost no longer covered the ground. Though the cold never bothered him anyway. The tang of salt from the surrounding ocean coated his tongue. The sounds of the crashing waves on the rocks and docks greeted him. Normally when desiring solitude, he would transport himself to the high barren cliffs on the far side of the island. Before him would lay the vast expanse of the ocean. It was the only place he would truly be alone. Alone with his thoughts and memories. Alone with his pain and regrets. Now though he found his feet carrying him to the center of town. Everyone else was either in the great hall celebrating or in their own homes for the night. All but one.

"Good evening, my prince." The golden-eyes Guardian greeted in his deep bass. He stood on the raised platform, sword tip on the platform and hands holding the hilt before him. His golden armor and helm no longer adorned him, but he still wore his russet red leather pants and tunic. A reminder of his position. Even here in Midgard, he still stood watch over those under his charge. His all-seeing eyes were directed to the west.

"Am I still your prince?" Loki was unsure why he asked that question in particular. It seemed to fly out before his mind caught it. An argument was not the reason for his being here. Truthfully he was unsure of his reasoning for coming to Heimdall.

The Guardian turned his piercing eyes to the god. "Yes. You have always been my prince and always will be."

He wanted to scoff at the statement but held his tongue. He was in no mood for this psychological argument. Moving swiftly, his long legs carried him to Heimdall's side, eyes turning to the west. "What do you see out there?"

"I see many things. Something lies on the horizon…but I cannot tell if it bodes ill for us or not." A long moment passed between the two before Heimdall spoke again. "What brings you out here?"

Loki tugged on the sleeve of deep blue leather shirt. His thoughts drifted momentarily to his clothing, the leather shirt and pants were his only physical reminder of his time in Sakaar. Everything else was in memories. "These parties do not hold my interest like they used to."

"Ah. So you seek something else to satisfy your attention?"

"Any suggestions? I doubt my brother would approve of setting fire to the docks."

"I suspect not…Perhaps a woman."

A dark chuckle slipped out at Heimdall's gape…until he realized the Guardian was not just teasing him. "You are all-seeing and wise…but in this you are wrong. No woman would want me. Perhaps years ago…but not now." It was truth, but for some reason the statement still stung. He was never one to believe in finding love and silly childish fantasies. After all he had done and destroyed, he did not deserve true happiness. Even if he could not help but crave it. Yet it was pointless. It was only a dream that when the light of the day touched, vanished into the mist to haunt him. Knowing he would spend the entirety of his life alone, unless he could find someone to warm his bed for a night, was easy to accept. He had done it long ago. A very small piece of him deeply wished…for something else. He was unsure.

"If you say, my eyes will still search for you."

"Do you do this for my brother?"

The Guardian's side-eye smirk spoke volumes. "We both know that answer. My king just needs to open his eyes to what lies before him."

"He can be quite the unobservant oaf…especially with only one eye now." Loki smiled genuinely. An idea came to mind. A glorious, tantalizing idea that would surely amuse him and make his brother jealous. Thor wanted a good prank, right? "I do believe some mischief may be due for the night after all."

"I wish you well, my prince. Your people are gladden by your presence."

"Thank you, Heimdall…and inform me if you find a suitable woman for me." Loki could hear Heimdall's quiet laughter as he walked away, back towards the great hall and the mischief that he planned on creating.

"How was your weekend with the in-laws?" Pepper Potts asked, stirring the cold soup in the bowl before her on the restaurant table. She sat tall and straight, her strawberry blonde hair hanging down her back and a sense of confidence surrounding her.

Across from her, Audrey rolled her eyes but smiled at her friend, mentor and boss. She sat straight, mimicking Pepper's posture at the chic wooden table, even if the question made her want to slump over and cover her face. "Brandon and I aren't engaged so they technically aren't my in-laws."

"Yet." Pepper pointed her spoon at her as if to prove a point. "Have you two talked about it?"

Audrey picked at the salad before her. "Some. Just mostly about rings. I told him I would just want a simple band for an engagement ring. We've only been together for three years though. I doubt anything will happen soon. Brandon's practice is really taking off, more and more people are seeking him out specifically as their lawyer."

Reaching over, Pepper laid a hand over Audrey's. "It's ok to dream and think about."

"I know…I just…I'm not sure if that's what I want…if I'm ready for that."

"If he makes you happy, it'll work itself out."

Audrey raised an eyebrow. "Like you and Tony?"

Pepper groaned comically, leaning back in her seat. "Anything involving Tony is outside the norms of a healthy, normal relationship."

The golden-blonde beauty giggled at the accurate statement, her glossy lips catching the sunlight to gleam and highlight their fullness. She had known Pepper since she was at university and had been working under Pepper for almost four years now. They were certainly close having spent hours a day together. Through that, Audrey was exposed to Tony Stark in all his obnoxious crassness. Pepper was a saint for putting up with the man. Yet overtime she had seen the positive qualities of Tony and now considered him a friend, even if he typically was a pain in her ass.

"Tony did call earlier and said the team should be arriving back to the Tower sometime tomorrow afternoon."

"Good, I'll make sure the kitchen is stocked for them." Audrey made a mental note to add that to her schedule for the day, before heading home. "I miss them when they are gone on these missions. Even after all these years, I still worry about them."

"They are your friends. It's expected. Sergeant Barnes might prefer to be something more than friends though."

They both laughed as the waitress approached to refill their waters. It had been two years since what the media had begun to call the Avengers' Civil War and the fall-out of the Sokovia Accords. After Steve Rogers broke his teammates out of prison, they went into hiding for about eight months before re-emerging to assist in taking down a team of enhanced individuals who were finding and torturing government officials that wanted regulation on those with special abilities. It turned out these enhanced individuals got their powers from the Tesseract the same time Wanda and Pietro did, but were kept separate. After defeating them and turning them over to the United Nations and World Security Council, the world begrudgingly decided they still needed the Avengers…all of them. The Sokovia Accords were re-written that left both parties with one hand on the wheel for control. The Avengers had to seek permission from the government of whatever country they sought to fight on, not that they had to share specifics of the mission itself. If granted, the government had to provide open and unrestricted access to whatever the Avengers needed to eliminate the threat. Countries could also call the Avengers to help with their own foreign and domestic affairs. It was a messy trade but it allowed everyone to still work together and for the world to feel marginally safer.

During the eight months while those who helped Captain America were in hiding, James Barnes was taken out cryo and Princess Shuri helped purge the trigger words from his mind. Yet it was another feat to get the world to accept the ex-Winter Soldier to be an Avenger; but with the backing of Wakanda and the other superheroes, Bucky Barnes joined the team. At first, Tony was vocal about his regards to this but after being forced to watched the horrific videos and read the tragic reports of Barnes' treatment under HYDRA, he allowed it. Tony and Bucky's relationship was rocky at best but they tolerated each other. Now everyone was back together at the Avengers Tower in New York City and hope for the future bloomed for the heroes and those who claimed them as friends.

The sunshine streamed through the lattice overhead, the ivy leaves bringing the illusion of privacy from the outside world of New York City. This was the weekly luncheon between Pepper and Audrey to catch up on each other's personal lives and to get away from Avengers Tower and Stark Industries for a couple of hours.

"Will you be needing any help with the charity event?"

Shaking her head, Audrey finished chewing before speaking. "I still have over a week before the event. Everything is mostly in place, only getting the decorations up and confirming catering is left."

"Good. Feel free to do whatever you must to make sure Tony is on his best behavior."

"Threats it is then." Audrey smiled, her brain already planning on what to threaten Tony with to keep him in line. He was the only one out of the Avengers that she really had to keep both eyes on. Although her title officially was assistant to Ms. Potts, her true work was in helping to run Avengers Tower and see to its heroes' needs and accommodations. She had graduated university with a degree in Business Management, and had come to love her work in the day-to-day workings of the Tower and those in it. Any event hosted at the Tower was her responsibility in addition. Her work kept her busy and constantly moving but she loved it and would not trade it for anything.

Pepper interrupted her musings. "Wanda agree to go to Zumba with you yet?"

"Not yet, I keep telling her she would love it but she still swears by yoga. She keeps trying to get me to join her for the 8am yoga on Saturday with her. That's just too early for me to leave my apartment on a weekend."

"We could easily make up one of the guest suites for you. Tony has been talking about it for years. We want you close, Drea. It would be no trouble."

"I know." Audrey shifted uncomfortably, not meeting Pepper's blue eyes with her own chestnut brown ones. "I like my apartment. It's nice having my own space to retreat to."

"Is that why you haven't moved in with Brandon?"

She shrugged, brushing one of her blonde waves off her shoulder. "I'm not ready for that step in our relationship. That just makes it more…serious."

Pepper gave her lovely, light laugh, lifting the mood. "Enough about our boyfriends and the problems they bring into our lives. What was the name of that TV shows you were watching lately?"

The rest of their lunch was spent in comparing TV shows and how attractive the lead actors were. In truth, being in close contact with superheroes had definitely biased their standards of attractiveness towards the male species. Audrey relaxed, soaking in the attention and time of her mentor and one of the few who truly knew her. Not just who she was beyond her work façade but knew of her past and her demons there. With Pepper there was no sense of judgement, no condemnation, only acceptance. Audrey could count on one hand how many people truly knew everything about her. Not for the first time she wondered if she should divulge her secrets to her boyfriend but she quickly pushed the notion away. Nothing good would come out of that. Her mind drifted though, wondering what it would be like to have a partner who she could openly share herself with without fear of judgement and rejection. To no longer just be Audrey but also who she was born as. Silly childish fantasies were all those notions were. She could not fully accept her past, why would anyone else want to?