A/N: Posting same day as prologue, because I thought the prologue was a bit too bland to just leave on its own.

Disclaimer: I do not own Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Incredible Hulk, or Avengers.

Conviction

Chapter 1

It was a well-worn anger that flew to the surface at Thor's approach. An old, familiar, halfhearted anger. It was an anger wreathed in exasperation and amusement and annoyance and affection. The familiarity of it made his heart throb almost painfully, and he buried the feeling deeply. It was all too easy. Old feelings climbed their way up and Loki kept his firm apathy to push them back. What was the point of any of it, anyway? Thor was just as ignorant as ever, Odin's disappointed gaze never faltered, and his 'friends' (Thor's friends) looked to him as the traitor.

Why bother, when nothing had changed?

"Brother."

He did not respond. It seemed to be the best way of dealing with Thor. Whenever he made the mistake of opening his mouth it ended up hurting. Perhaps he should ask to have his lips sewn shut again, to remind him of this.

"Brother, that is enough," Thor's voice boomed suddenly, despite the lack of echo in the room, filled as it was with shelves and books and furniture, "I grow weary of your apathy. You are angry; speak as to your anger. Something besides this silence."

The slow burn began, true anger, same as he felt those days upon Midgard. Loki quashed the feeling, remaining silent. Faster than he could blink, he was lifted from where he sat on the ground, into the air by the collar of his tunic. Wide, dull emerald met fierce blue for a second before he was shoved to the wall, held by the neck. Never in hundreds of years had he seen Thor loose such anger upon him, and Loki found himself afraid. Afraid of a memory crawling up, and regretful that he had thought to himself for even a moment that he might wish his lips sewn shut again.

"You claim that this is my doing," Thor ground out as Loki regained his senses, the blur of Thor's face becoming steady, "That I have driven you to such anger and madness. Why? Why do you cling to these imagined slights?"

"Imagined slights?" Loki hissed, anger overflowing his carefully place barriers with a force that left him reeling, "What occasions do you think of, when speaking thus? Surely not the same as I. How blind and foolish you are. Oh, I know that you are these things; but to still look back and see the same that you have always seen, after how you claim to have changed? Changed when it was convenient to have changed. Changed to an unrecognizable creature at some moments, and the same arrogant, ignorant, bull-headed fool at others."

Oh, if only he could call upon his magic, then Thor would see. Loki would make him see, all those imagined slights. Every terrible word, every cruel act. And still a thousand years he had looked upon Thor and called him brother and loved him helplessly. Thor growled, his grip loosening somewhat.

"Enlighten me, then!" Thor demanded, "What is it that you see when you look back?"

"I see you mock my every small triumph!" Loki spoke fervently, harshly, "I remember when our friends would laugh at my folly in training and you would turn and join them! I remember being passed the title as Command of the Guard when Odin deemed the position unfit for a son of his; for you! I remember standing in your great shadow, I remember the whispers and the glances. The Sly One. The Liar. The Snake. And you! You who claimed kinship to me, brotherhood, love, didn't even see, or didn't even care."

"Loki, never have I intentionally caused you distress," Thor insisted, angry, ignorant eyes trained upon him, as if Loki was the man blind, "I have never meant to hurt you."

"Oh I know, Thor," Loki whispered brokenly, "You never intend anything. You're too much of an idiot to! I knew this, I knew you never meant the pain you caused me, and so I stood dutifully in your shadow for a thousand years. And, Odin help me, I loved you dearly. For all your stupidity and your arrogance and your mockery, I loved you."

"Then why did you never speak to me? Why never tell me of your pains?" Thor asked, anger fading to a broken sadness, letting Loki's feet touch the ground, "And why, after all this time, have you decided that you must seek vengeance for what you bore for a thousand years already?"

Loki barked a sharp laugh, startling Thor into loosing his grip entirely from his throat.

"Because, it was, all of it, a lie, wasn't it?" Loki looked down upon the floor, voice steadily rising as passionate anger rushed through him, "It all suddenly made so much sense. Odin always did favor you, as did all of Asgard. I am nothing but another stolen trophy for his treasure room. There is a purpose in all that the All-Father does, and yes, he had a purpose for me. I was a tool, nothing more. Every word he said, oh, no, never was I meant to be king of Asgard, never was I meant to bring honor to his name, never was I meant to be loved as you were, never was I meant to be anything more than a pawn in his game of kings. I am a liar and a snake and I am the terrible creature that parents tell their children of at night. I am a lie. Loki Odinson is a lie. He is something wrong and terrifying and you all knew it in your hearts."

There was a stinging in his cheek as Thor's hand came sharply across his face, followed by an urgent shaking of his shoulders. Words tumbled from Thor's lips but Loki heard nothing. He gripped Thor's forearms tightly, nails digging into flesh.

"I thought I could prove to father, to myself, that it couldn't possibly be all a lie," Loki hissed quietly, voice breaking, "I thought I could prove that I was a true son of Asgard! That I could be king! I could be everything Father always told me I was meant to be! But, no! No, I see now that I can never be good enough. I can never be your equal. It was all nothing but a lie. It was lie, upon lie, upon lie!"

Thor pulled his arms from Loki's grip, blood streaming from thin cuts and wrapped them tightly around his brother. Loki was silenced, shocked still, as Thor embraced him. He felt the wetness on his cheeks from tears that had begun to stream down his face without his permission. A warmth spread from his heart and he couldn't fight it off.

"No, Loki," Thor rasped, one hand threading in Loki's long hair, pulling his head down to rest on his shoulder, "This was never a lie. You are my brother, regardless of blood, regardless of Odin, and regardless of what has happened. Never have I lied to you, my brother, and I will love you until the day of Ragnarok and forever beyond."

A sob wracked Loki's thin frame and he could no longer support his own weight as his knees buckled under him, pulling them both to the floor. A well of sadness and desperation rose within him as he shook in Thor's arms. And, oh, by the Nine Realms, how he remembered his love for Thor and his great heart. It was not his strength or his brightness or any of those other things that everyone saw in Thor that made him love his brother. It was his capacity for love, and his freely given affections that Loki loved. Thor had never known, how could his love be a lie? And even in the wake of such terrible knowledge...

"You come home, brother."

He was surely as blind as Thor. Where Thor saw not his sufferings, Loki saw not his fortune. This fool that held him had fought by his side, encouraged his magic and mischief, and always made known his love. He was rash and ignorant and stupid but he loved. He loved deeply, and Loki was one whom he loved.

All his anger, all his bitterness and hatred and resentment, it seemed so foolish now. Oh, and the delusions he, in his all-consuming fury, conjured. He never wanted to be king. But, when he suddenly possessed all he had been promised, all these things that he had learned was a lie... the entitlement, the need for such things grew from nothing. He wanted to keep it. He wanted to prove he deserved it. He wanted to prove that he was every bit the Son of Odin that Thor was. The hatred only festered as he realized what he would stand to lose at Thor's return, and in the end, still, he lost it all.

He almost lost Thor.

Despair overtook all else and he believed that letting go of Gungnir, falling into the shattered remains of the Bifröst to be torn apart by its chaotic energies was all that was left to him. But he was plucked from the tempest, his hatred fostered, saved by him-

"Thor," Loki whispered suddenly, sharply, remembering, "Brother, Midgard is in far greater danger than you imagine."

Thor pulled back slightly, concern lighting his features, overtaking his surprise and pleasure at hearing the word 'brother' fall from Loki's lips.

"Thanos," Loki breathed, "The Eternal One, he has returned. It was he who gave me the Chitauri to command, he who placed the scepter in my hands. I was but a tool to his vengeance upon the Nine Realms. The Gauntlet must be protected, kept from him!"

Horror dawned over Thor's face, and Loki was grateful for his brother's attention to detail when it came to their lessons about wars long past. He stood swiftly, dragging Loki with him. Loki felt as he did as a child, being pulled from the room roughly and onto the winding staircase. Thor's grip on his arm pressed tightly into the runes carved there and Loki remembered. He pulled up suddenly, using all his strength the keep from being dragged on. Thor stopped and looked back on him in confusion.

"Brother, we must go and warn father," Thor said, "We must do something!"

"What can I do?" Loki said, wrenching his arm away and drawing up the sleeve. The skin around marks were an angry red from Thor's roughness and the runes glowed dimly acid green. The relief at freedom from anger crashed around Loki as he bared his weakness and helplessness. He still bore the consequences of his madness. Odin was not so foolishly forgiving as Thor, and, as a surge of bitterness hit him, Loki was not so sure that he wanted him to be.

"Father will see the necessity of your freedom," Thor insisted hotly, placing a hand on Loki's shoulder, "I shall not march to battle without you at my side, brother."

"Ever the fool," Loki said, chuckling bitterly, "We are still in the court of discretion. Thanos has yet to reveal himself. He works from shadows to undo the Nine Realms. There is no war, brother."

"And who better to see me through those shadows to our enemy, than you?" Thor said, a grin spreading across his face, shaking his brother shortly, "We will fight together as we once did."

"You do not understand, Thor," Loki said, shaking his head, "Odin will insist we wait for Thanos to make his move. Yes, he will hide away the Gauntlet. But, he will not release me from my binds. He knows my trickery too well. Then, he will wait."

"Midgard will burn while he waits!" Thor exclaimed, wide-eyed and fearful.

"There is nothing we can do without defying-" Loki paused, resisting the immense urge to hit himself. Thor beamed.

"No, no, no, no," Loki pleaded, struck by terrible remembrance of the last time he uttered those very words, "I know what you're thinking."

Thor's grin only widened.

"If Father will not defend Midgard-"

"Brother, this is madness," Loki insisted.

"We need a sorcerer, a powerful one," Thor mused thoughtfully, ignoring his brother, "Someone with great command of magic."

"Oh, gods, Odin will have me hanged upon our return. Beheaded. Quartered," Loki bemoaned. Thor gripped his shoulders tightly, shaking him once.

"They will congratulate you upon our return! They will sing songs to our triumph!" Thor promised, "I will go. I will speak to Father and have him hide away the Gauntlet. If he does not mount a defense for Midgard, as you say he will not, we will go to Álfheim, and find among them an Ælf with power to break your binds. Do not claim that we cannot go," -Loki snapped his mouth shut, glaring, cut off from his response- "I know you have your ways."

Almost petulantly, Loki replied.

"The branches of Yggdrasil are open to all, should you know where to find them," He conceded, "And how not to become lost in them."

"Excellent!" Thor said, releasing him, "I will return shortly. Wait for me."

There he left Loki, standing at the bottom of the winding stairs to his tower room. His mind whirled with all his old affections and annoyances with Thor, the cold hatred and anger banished as though it had never truly been his. His apathy, that protected him from both sides, was distant and his tiredness lifted into energy and he stood regally with his back straight and chin high. A broken laugh escaped his lips. Thor's mad heroics would once more drag him into trouble and he could not bring himself to hate his brother for it. Loki's mind swirled with thoughts and feelings. Relief, affection, fear, exasperation, love, anger, confusion.

He braced himself with an arm against the wall as he doubled over, laughing until tears ran down his face.

The treasure room opened before them, the doors creaking ominously. The patrolling guards walking the length of the vault turned sharply and bowed deeply to the king and his son.

"The Gauntlet," Odin demanded, striding into the room with Thor at his heels. The guards moved quickly to the niche that held the Infinity Gauntlet. Standing at either side of it. Thor looked around the room as they moved forward, his eyes settling upon the newest addition for just a little longer than the rest. The blue orb of Loki's staff glowed eerily in the dark corner it resided in, the concentrated power of the Tesseract palpable in the air.

He averted his eyes as the Infinity Gauntlet came into view around the corner. Gungnir's end hit the ground with a deep clang that reverberated through all of the palace.

"Norns have mercy," Odin breathed.

Thor looked on, ignorant for a moment what could possibly be amiss. Horror dawned. The Gauntlet sat, harmless upon its altar, gems glittering on the surface. Except on the index finger and thumb where dully colored stones did not even reflect an ounce of light. The glittering green and blue gems, meant to be in their places, were gone.

Thor felt dread pool in his stomach. It was as Loki said, Thanos was moving in the shadows. Taking only the two of the gems that would allow him to manipulate from hiding; Soul and Mind. The Gauntlet as a whole, as well as the rest of the gems, and the two fakes, were left behind to give the illusion that nothing was out of place. But the two that had been taken... Mind augmenting psionic powers and allowing him to access the thoughts and feelings of anyone, and Soul, that let him access the most perfect hiding place, and that let him manipulate the souls of even the-

Gods.

Loki.

It explained it all. Loki's sudden turn to anger and hate. Soul augmented the darkness in Loki's heart, enhanced it to action. Something had knocked it loose, though. Loki's apathy was a defense against all these overwhelming feelings that were forced upon him. It began when he was defeated upon Midgard. What had happened? Something had shaken Loki's mind, dislodged the influence of Soul just enough to let Loki begin to defend against it, and now, finally, fight it off.

Thor recalled, suddenly, Bruce Banner's sheepish recounting of how the Hulk had slammed Loki about like a rag doll, and left him, staring in shock at the ceiling from a small, Loki shaped crater in the floor. That would do it.

How long had his brother been suffering under Soul's influence? It could go back as far as when he took to the throne in Father's slumber and his own absence. What a perfect plan. To take control of the confused and depressed younger son of Odin, who had just taken the throne, to begin his revenge against the Nine Realms which banished him, stripped of power, to the endless void of space. First Jötunheim, a simple target from Loki's position and fears. Then he would move on, to all the rest, all in Asgard's name. In Loki's name.

Thor was broken from his realizations by Odin grabbing the Gauntlet and turning to the wall behind which hid the (new) Destroyer. The wall opened as Odin slammed Gungnir harshly into the ground. The Destroyer came into view and Odin held up the Gauntlet. The Destroyer reached out and took it before falling back into the bright light, the wall closing behind him.

"We must prepare," Odin said, turning back to face his son and the stricken guards, "Asgard must be warded and warned. Soul and Mind are a powerful combination, none are safe."

"What of Midgard?" Thor demanded, "Surely they will be targeted first."

Odin turned a sad gaze upon his son.

"Asgard must be priority," He said, "We cannot leave our people undefended. With Soul in his possession, we have no way of reaching Thanos' place of hiding. What if we were to fortify Midgard and he struck Asgard in our weakness? We must wait for him to make his move; defend our home."

Exactly as Loki said.

"Loki," Thor said, suddenly, "What of Loki? He brought us the knowledge of Thanos. Surely you must see that it was under the control of Mind and Soul that he has acted as he had. He can help."

"All the more reason that he must remain chained," Odin said solemnly, "Thanos is clever, and Loki is cleverer. We must be aware of every possibility."

"You think him still influenced?" Thor angrily exclaimed, "You would further contain him, wouldn't you? He has suffered, Father! Your son!"

"Enough," Odin said wearily, "My decision is made, do not fight me on this. You are a good son, and you will obey. When all this has passed, Loki will understand."

Thor clenched a fist tightly as Odin motioned for the guards to follow him as he swept from the room. Momentary shock flooded over him, but then he realized. Who would think that he, who had grown and changed, would defy the king? Who would think that his change would let him realize when his father was wrong? Because, surely, the king is never wrong. Why would they imagine that leaving him alone in the treasure room could be a foolish idea?

The door shut loudly, and Thor's eyes snapped Loki's staff. He quickly stepped across the room and grabbed hold of it, the power humming beneath his hands. With conviction, he strode from the room, gripping his brother's weapon tightly.

They'd need the extra firepower.

Sif glowered into the fire darkly. She was bored. She'd not a challenge since the ill-advised journey to Jötunheim, that ended in Thor's banishment and subsequent fighting on Midgard that was product of Loki's madness. The thought of the brothers brought a painful stab to her heart. She missed them. Both of them. She had no great fondness for the younger and his mischief, but never would she wish misfortune upon him. The depths of his anger and hatred had shocked her.

For some time, she had bemoaned the fault of it all. She was always mocking him, despite the usefulness of he and his tricks in battle. The Warriors Three were teasers, but she knew that they genuinely cared for the darker Prince, and showed their affections when he would allow it. But her own words always had a sharper edge to them. They were borne from a genuine dislike, that stemmed from a petty, childish action many centuries ago.

Her hair was, in fact, more beautiful than ever.

She tallied every little word said in anger or resentment toward Loki, and guilt mounted. But, she knew, she was not alone in the blame. All of Asgard whispered and mocked. Weak. Thin. Snake. Liar. Trickster. Oh, and she was not ignorant to Thor's faults, to his thoughtlessness and arrogance. They could, all of them, find blame in themselves. Perhaps, and she felt guilty for thinking ill of her king, most could be found in the All-Father. Sif had grown up with the two princes, and she was far from unobservant. She witnessed, every day, the favoritism for Thor. Odin's treatment of the princes is the seed of Asgard's treatment of them. Thor was the bright, beautiful, perfect son, and Loki was the shadow.

She knew, deeply, where his anger came from, but still she could not see in Loki the capacity for such actions that he had taken. It was sheer madness, and it left Sif confused. Loki was nothing if not in control. But, she had seen him since his return. His eyes were empty and his stance tired. There was something deeply wrong.

"Sif, must you look so serious all the time?" Fandral's voice broke her melancholy musings, and she glanced up to see he, Volstagg and Hogun taking relaxed positions around the room. Hogan's back remained straight and his gaze grim as he sat stiffly in a chair, though there was a miniscule softness that gave evidence to his calm. Volstagg immediately sat before an always filled table of food, digging in animatedly. Fandral sat, just a bit too close, next to Sif.

"I must be serious," Sif said defensively, "To balance your lacking of it."

"I can be plenty serious," Fandral said, straight faced. Sif rolled her eyes.

"When it involves taking a woman to your bed," Volstagg said laughingly as he stuffed his face.

"Oh, and you are no better!" Fandral shot back, "The only thing you take seriously is food."

"It's the most important meal of the day!" Volstagg insisted.

"What meal?"

"Why, all of them, of course!"

Suddenly they were interrupted by the large double doors creaking open. Sif sucked in a sharp breath as she saw the form pushing them apart. The doors wide, there stood Loki. The younger prince looked better than he had in months. His hair was washed and neatly kept, though still long, with the ends curling slightly up as he had looked upon his return over three months past. He wore the same regal leather tunic and jacket of green and black, though his boots were plated with gold, and his shoulder guards and gloves gleamed the same. A small bit of gold streaked across his chest under the jacket and up into a short, stiff metal collar, a chest plate that Loki would usually forgo. He stood tall, in his familiar way, with pride and royalty.

Oh and his face. His eyes glittered dangerously with mirth, and his lips were stretched into a grin. There was no coldness to this smile, only mischief and promise and it was so Loki that it hurt and had Sif and the Warriors Three standing from their seats and looking to him with excited anticipation.

"I don't suppose you lot are up for an adventure, are you?"

They received whispers and stares as they passed, but all kept heir heads high, Loki most especially. The prince led Sif and the Warriors Three back through the halls toward his own room, where Thor had left him waiting and would no doubt return to find him. A loud clang reverberated through the halls and Loki knew that the time to move was coming quickly.

"Where are we going, then?" Fandral asked, gripping his sheathed sword in anticipation.

"Right now we are waiting for my brother," Loki said, "Then we travel to Álfheim, and then to Midgard."

"What has happened?" Sif asked, brow furrowed, "Why visit elves then go to Midgard?"

"We visit elves to get this infuriating thing off my arm," Loki said, gripping the armor at his right forearm, "Then Midgard to defend it from Thanos' wrath."

The Warriors Three gasped sharply, horror sickening their features.

"The Eternal One returns?" Hogun asked quietly.

"Yes," Loki replied solemnly, "And his first target will be Midgard, of that I have no doubt. Odin will safeguard our home, but Midgard has need of us."

"That's all well and horrible," Fandral cut in, "But are we ignoring the first half of what he just said?"

Loki stiffened defensively.

"My motives are sincere," He snapped.

"I believe you," Fandral assured quickly, "But, not many will. You seek to defy the will of the king. Need I remind you how that ended last time?"

Loki frowned darkly and looked away.

"You need not," Loki said quietly, "I will face my fate upon our return, or my capture. For now, other things take precedence."

"My friends!" Thor's booming voice sounded from the end of the hall, "What are you doing here?"

"What are your ridiculous heroics without Lady Sif and the Warriors Three?" Loki asked, an amused smile spreading across his face.

"If you're going to break the law, traverse the Realms, and fight the fiercest beasts, you will not being doing so without us," Sif declared.

"My friends," Thor said, face suddenly grave, "This is no simple quest. Thanos is powerful and terrible, and he has Mind and Soul."

"What?" Loki demanded sharply, "The gems are missing?"

"Yes, brother," Thor said, "I have just come from the Vault. Brother, I fear..."

"Soul," Loki breathed, bringing his hand to his forehead, he growled darkly, "How could I have allowed it to influence me so? Oh, gods, I should have realized the haze that had come over my eyes the very moment it happened!"

"Do not be angry with yourself, Loki," Thor said, placing her hand upon his shoulder gently, "Soul is a powerful thing, powerful enough to influence the best of us."

Loki laughed bitterly.

"We are running short on time," He said quietly, waving his hand, "Something to dwell upon later."

"Alright, brother," Thor said, sympathy in his eyes, then turned to Sif and the Warriors Three, "My friends, I would be glad for you to come, but do so only if you are prepared for what we face."

"We follow you," Sif said, and the Warriors declared their assent.

"Come, we must hurry. No doubt Heimdall knows I have stolen back your staff," Thor said.

Loki was shocked as he realized Thor's burden as it was held out to him. The long staff gleamed in the low light of the hall, and the azure glow of the Tesseract's power cast eerie light along it and across his brother's face. The thing hummed with power and called to him deeply. He reached out and grabbed hold of the staff and instantly felt the extra power coursing through him. He pulled it gently from Thor's grasp and turned the point to the ground, holding the staff along his arm steadily.

"Then we've no time to lose," He said, offering Thor a meaningful look before brushing by him, "Come then. The branch which touches Asgard is deep in the bowels of the palace. Heimdall will know our destination already, I am not sure what to expect from him."

Thor gripped Mjöllnir tightly in his hand, grim determination on his features. The halls grew darker and eerily silent as they pressed on through twists and turns all but Loki had never traversed before. They met no resistance and saw no guard, which put them all on edge. The corridors became more and more decrepit as they walked and the warriors began jumping at the shadows cast by the flickering wall sconces. Suddenly they came upon it, and Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three gazed up in awe.

Before them stood a resplendent golden door, etched with intricate designs that bore the image of a great tree. The massive door stood in sharp contrast with the old stone around it, and around its edges a bright white light shone. Loki turned to the rest, a sharp, serious look in his eyes. He held out his hand to Thor who looked at his in confusion.

"You must not, under any circumstances, look upon Yggdrasil," Loki fervently commanded, "The Ash Tree is poison to the mind, to look directly at it is to invite terrible madness into your being. Do you trust me?"

Sif and the Warriors Three glanced at each other before turning and nodding resolutely at Loki. Thor grasped Loki's hand tightly.

"There is no one in any Realm I trust more," Thor declared.

"I can guide us through," Loki said, "I know the way, and I can navigate through feeling alone. Shut your eyes and grab onto one another. Do not open them until we reach Álfheim. Close your mind to everything around you. Listen not to Yggdrasil's whispers. Trust me and I shall lead you well."

After a second's hesitation Sif took hold of Thor's other hand and reached for Fandral. The warriors followed suit until they formed a line. Loki looked upon them all as they shut their eyes tightly. Thor squeezed his hand gently and Loki felt a wave of joy and affection at their trust. Loki placed his hand, fist around the staff, upon the door and, closing his eyes, pushed with all his might.

Heimdall watched them, as he watches all, as they walked upon the branches of Yggdrasil.

As he led them, Loki thought. His eyes closed to the poisonous light of the Ash Tree, his mind wandered as his body moved through familiar paths. His poor fool of a brother held his hand tightly, trustingly and Loki felt bile in his throat. Thor liked to think things. He liked to think that he knew Loki, and perhaps Loki had not realized that his brother knew so much, but surely not as much as he thought. His brother is naive and so painfully, painfully stubborn. He has a thought, and defends it to the last. He will believe nothing that he did not wish to believe. It was why it was so easy to lie to him.

Loki knows his mind. Thanos may have Soul, but he never had Loki.

What was one more lie?

A/N: Reviews are awesome.