AN: This is my first fic, so please tell me if you notice any errors or feel anybody's OOC so I can fix it. I don't profess to be a Marvel scholar, just a fan. I'll be trying to update every week or so, as I have most of this fic planned out, it just needs to be written. ~Kai


"I'm sorry, but I would have sworn that you just said 'Loki's here'," Tony Stark said, raising one disbelieving eyebrow at the Director across the conference table. "Because, and correct me if I'm wrong, I'm pretty sure that we sent his crazy Viking ass back home in chains. With a muzzle. And his brother."

Fury only turned the one-eyed glare his way, to which the billionaire threw up his hands and leaned back in his chair. "Great. Fantastic. When can we expect another attempt at world domination, I'll need to make room on my schedule."

Steve glanced at Tony before clearing his throat. "What about Thor? You said he's here, too?"

Agent Hill turned to him, casting a quick look at the Director before replying. "Yes. They were both found at the crash site, unconscious. Since then, Thor regained consciousness for several moments, but did not appear to be lucid… Both… patients… do not appear to be seriously injured from the impact, but we aren't knowledgeable enough in Asgardian biology to tell much more than that."

"Could the crash have been Loki's doing?" Natasha asked. "It's possible he was attempting to escape and Thor caught up to him."

"Of course it was Loki."

Everyone swivelled to look at Clint, who finally raised his head and glared challengingly back at them. "Well, do any of you even doubt it?" After a few silent moments, he crossed his arms and lifted his chin defensively.

"It's the most likely possibility," Fury said, watching his agent closely, "but we won't know until they wake up."

"Um, I vote we don't let Loki wake up," Stark said, raising his hand and looking at everyone. "All in favor say 'Aye'." He grabbed Banner's hand and lifted it besides his own, teasing a tight smile out of the reserved scientist.

Hill looked like she wanted to agree. "Unfortunately, we don't know how our medicines might react, and it's not worth risking Asgard's wrath by accidentally killing their second prince," she muttered, sounding bitter.

"So, what, we're just going to wait until Loki wakes up and decides to take another trip to New York? Yeah, great plan, wonderful, I knew there was a reason I got out of bed this morning," Stark snapped, placing a hand almost protectively over his arc reactor. Steve wondered if he knew he was doing it as he frowned at his teammate.

"He's not going to be killing anyone," he said firmly. "We stopped him last time, and this time he doesn't have an army behind him." Bruce looked up like he wanted to say something, but was cut off by Stark.

"Well, it's been great, Spangles, but I think that, being my squishy civilian self, I'll be heading home and everything-proofing it." He rose from his seat, Bruce following suit.

The alarms went off as they were exiting the room. Stark stopped short, leaning back into the room and holding up one finger in inquiry. "Aaaaaaand that means what, exactly?"

Hill's hand dropped from her earpiece as she darted around the conference table.

"Thor's awake."


They heard him before they saw him. He was still in the infirmary, or what was left of it; Mjölnir had been put to good use as Thor boomed threats at the attending physicians. Other agents were converging on the room, preparing to try and talk the Thunderer down, but Steve waved them back as he rounded the corner. Thor was his teammate, after all.

"Guys, stay back," he ordered, looking back at Tony and Bruce and motioning for them to retreat back down the hall. "We don't know what might happen, and it's too dangerous without your suit." Stark looked like he wanted to say something─Steve could almost see the comment forming on his lips─but Bruce laid a hand on his friend's arm and the two left, albeit grudgingly. The two assassins simply looked at Steve, Natasha pursing her lips in a silent refusal to depart.

The Captain didn't have time to argue with them, however, because at that instant a particularly unfortunate doctor was thrown through the gaping infirmary door, hitting the wall with an unpleasant thud.

Two seconds later, Thor came striding into view, hammer pointed threateningly down at the fallen physician. His booming voice shook the sterile white walls. "Where. Is. My. Brother?" the god snarled, re-adjusting his grip on Mjölnir as the doctor tried to scramble away. "I will not ask again!" Electricity began crackling around the weapon as the thunder god drew back to swing.

"Thor, wait," Steve cried, rushing forward and ramming his shoulder into the god.

It was like hitting a brick wall.

Steve lost his balance and barely managed to stop himself from crashing into the floor, scrambling back to his full height. Thor did nothing more than stumble slightly, Mjölnir knocking into the wall and leaving more cracked plaster.

The god immediately turned to him, face dark with fury. "... You dare to lay hands on the son of Odin?" he snarled, and the Captain almost wished he had stayed down. His hand remained empty, having left his shield in his quarters.

"Thor, please calm down," he said, holding his empty palms outward to show he was unarmed. "It's just us, okay?" But he must have said something wrong, because Thor grew even angrier, nostrils flaring and jaw clenching.

"You will tell me where my brother is," he growled, voice low and full of threatening promise, "or face Asgard's wrath."

Natasha and Clint, with no more than a glance at each other, risked moving closer to the angry god, weapons partially drawn. "Cap, I don't think he recognizes us," Clint breathed, keeping his bow pointed at the floor.

Steve was inclined to agree at this point, still watching Thor warily. "Okay. We'll take you to him, okay? Just please don't break anything else."

Thor bristled, but seemed to calm down somewhat. As he lowered the hammer, he swept a thunderous gaze across them all. "I am the son of Odin, and prince of Asgard, and you shall address me as such," he snarled, but he didn't raise Mjölnir again.

Natasha and Clint took the lead, walking briskly ahead and keeping just out of Thor's reach. Steve let the god pass, staying behind and watching those muscular shoulders in consternation.


It was perhaps a bad idea to let Thor in without checking on Loki first. Immediately Mjölnir was raised, sparking as Thor rounded on the Avengers.

"You dare to chain a prince of Asgard?" he boomed, voice resonating in the spacious room.

Loki had, under unanimous vote, indeed been restrained on the bed, heavy manacles at his wrists and ankles. He was once again muzzled.

Steve immediately moved in front of Natasha and Clint, who now raised their weapons and pointed them at the thunder god. "Thor, stop!"

The god didn't hear him, back turned on his brother. Instead, he raised Mjölnir, face twisted in an almost animalistic snarl of rage, drawing the weapon back and preparing to swing.

"Guys, get down!" Steve shouted, covering his face as he prepared for the blow.

Which never came.

Clint swore in the background, and the Captain opened his eyes and lowered his arm.

Loki stood by his brother, arm stretched out and fingers splayed. The manacles were still on the bed, lying unlocked. He was still muzzled, his face drawn as Mjölnir halted entirely, held back by a green-tinged light only a foot from Steve's skull. With his free hand, the god reached up to unclasp the metal hooked to his jaw, slowly lowering it. Green eyes rose to flick over Steve, Natasha, and Clint, sparking in interest.

"Brother!" Thor cried, clapping a hand on the trickster's shoulder, his anger seemingly forgotten. Loki faltered a little under his touch, nearly stumbling to his knees before his brother caught him with one strong hand. Immediately, the Thunderer remembered who else was in the room, and glared immediately at Steve. "What have you done to my brother? Speak!"

Behind him, Steve had felt Clint stiffen, and now the archer whipped his bow up to point at the two Asgardians, arms trembling slightly. On his other side, Natasha had both guns drawn, but Steve knew she would be watching her partner closely.

"Natasha," Steve murmured, "you and Clint should leave." He heard the beginnings of a protest, but presumably the Black Widow had listened and taken the archer with her, because suddenly he was alone with an angry Thor and his collapsed brother.

The thunder god had not been waiting patiently; still supporting Loki, he had risen to his full height, fury growing as he was ignored. "I will not ask again," he snarled, grip tightening noticeably on Mjölnir, the weapon slowly rising in threat.

Loki's hand shot out, grasping Thor's forearm. "They did nothing," he hissed, face growing steadily grayer.

"Brother, they have injured you," Thor protested, glowering as he looked down at the smaller god.

For the second time that day, Steve wished he had his shield.

"It was you who injured me, you oaf," Loki snapped, blinking and shaking his head a little. "I told you to keep the beast away from me, not send that damnable hammer soaring about the battle!"

Steve watched in mild amazement as Thor flashed from wrathful god to chagrined puppy, looking away from Loki and lowering Mjölnir with a glance at Steve. "They had chained you, Loki! How was I to know they had not done worse?" he asked gruffly, turning back to his younger brother.

"If two strangers had fallen from the sky in a burst of magic, would Asgard have let them run free?" Loki returned, attempting to detach himself from Thor and stand upright. "They were simply being cautious, brother."

That sent Steve reeling.

Brother.

At last, the two gods turned back to Steve, Thor scowling slightly and Loki casting a glance around the gleaming white infirmary cell, coming to rest on the Captain with a surprising amount of curiosity.

"My apologies," Loki said, beginning to bow and immediately regretting it, lips pulling back in pain. "My brother prefers his weapon to words." Thor muttered something that pulled a slight smirk out of the trickster. "I am Prince Loki Odinson of Asgard, and this is my brother, Prince Tho-oh." Blinking dazedly, Loki stared at Steve for a moment before crumpling.

On instinct, Steve jerked forward to try and catch the god, but Thor was closer; he caught his brother surprisingly gently, for all his might, and cast a wary glare at Steve.

"Stand down, Captain," Fury said, and it was only then that Steve realized the Director had entered the room. "We bear no ill will to the… princes… of Asgard." He grated out the word, staring hard at Thor and Loki. "I apologize for our earlier actions," he continued, although Steve could tell he was not sorry in the slightest, "but we were unaware who, exactly, we were hosting. We'll leave you to tend to your brother." Thor didn't respond, instead bringing the trickster god carefully back to the infirmary bed. It was a clear sign of dismissal.

"Captain." With a start, Steve followed after Fury, confusion showing on his face. "But, sir-should we really-it's Loki-," he tried once they were down the hallway, but Fury didn't stop, only barely glancing over his shoulder.

"There are some… circumstances… that we were unaware of," he growled, continuing back to the conference room. Steve received no more answers until they came to the large silver door and the scene beyond it.

Fury moved back to the head of the table, nodding at the enormous raven that was perched on the back of an empty seat. Stark and Banner were in a quietly heated discussion in the corner of the room, while Hawkeye and the Black Widow were nowhere to be seen. That thought worried the Captain for several seconds, until the raven turned its beady eyes on him and cawed loudly, the noise echoing in the room and getting everyone's attention.

Fury turned back to Steve, brows furrowed as he looked past the bird.

"Captain, how much do you know about time travel?"