A/N: Here's a short chapter where nothing happens. Anyway, huge thank yous to reviewers Kakirovich, ClintBarton-Loki'sButtWarmer, EvilConcubine, My-chan, Heavenmetal, anonYmous, THORKISUPPORT, Guest and CriesofCapricorn, and to those who Fav and Follow. Also thank you to my best friend for betaing and being squishy. ~ SneakWriter

'Care to explain this?' Man of Iron demanded. Thor did not raise his eyes to the blue hologram which hung in midair between them – a clip taken from the medical bay's security feed. In it, he was confronting the crouched, flickery figure of Loki, which after a while disappeared. There was no sound. 'Loki somehow managed to bypass my security to pay you a midnight visit, only to leave about two seconds later without so much as trashing my tower? And you didn't even tell anyone? Care to enlighten me?'

Behind Stark, Agent Romanoff stood with her arms crossed, while the remaining three Avengers were grouped with varying looks of concern.

'There was no alert because he was never here,' Thor replied. He was sitting up in bed, his legs over the side, the sweat-damp sheets clenched in his fists as he sought to maintain his composure. He still felt disturbingly frail, but the effects of the poison were well on the road to wearing off. 'What you see in that image is merely one of his illusions. He is good at those...They can cause no real harm...'

'What did he want?' asked Romanoff.

'We...spoke. He – ' Thor hesitated. For some reason, part of him didn't wish to shame his brother by revealing how Loki had begged. But it was not in Thor's nature to hide the truth. 'He claimed the surviving Chitauri have turned against him. He asked for my help. I refused. I know not what trickery he has in mind, but I've learned not to act on sentiment...'

'Wait, those things can teleport across space?'

'Only with immense magical power – such as only my brother possesses. It takes great effort...' the God of Thunder trailed off. Words were Loki's greatest weapon, and magic was something he needed to conserve and use sparingly. Would he have exerted so much effort on a pointless trick? Or was it a double bluff?

'So, Loki asked for your help – '

'And I refused,' Thor confirmed.

'Did he arrange a rendezvous? Did he try to lure you out?'

'No. The clone disappeared, I think, before he was finished. Perhaps he did not know his own limits, and could not sustain it for very long.'

'Or maybe he was interrupted,' Captain America suggested.

'So, let's see – ' Stark tossed the hologram aside with an irritable gesture and began counting on his fingers. 'Loki's on the loose, Loki's buddies have the Tesseract, they both have a grudge against Earth, and J.A.R.V.I.S. doesn't seem to register big Loki-shaped magical entities as threats. I'd say this doesn't bode well.'

'Well, there is a simpler option,' Banner mumbled. 'The Chitauri don't need Loki any more. His big moment's gone, he lost the battle and wasted an entire army, but in the end they got what they wanted – the Tesseract. You guys do realise they could've just killed Thor and Loki on the spot? So why didn't they? Why would they let Thor go and keep Loki around? Unless Loki's gotten himself in trouble.'

A brief silence.

'What, if he's being tortured?' said Rogers. The word just fell out, simple and ugly.

'I'm just saying we shouldn't rule out the possibility – '

'The possibility that Loki's telling the truth? Come on. Guy couldn't quit backstabbing people if his life depended on it,' was Stark's rebuttal.

'But if he is being tor – '

'If he is, is that our problem?' Barton finally spoke up. The archer's face was stony. 'He chose the path he took. He opted to take the risk, and he tore up half of New York in the process. Now you're saying we're supposed to care?'

Banner opened his mouth to reply, frowning and shifting uncomfortably on his feet, but Stark butted back in:

'Thor, you know him best, you said it yourself. If I recall correctly, you said the guy's too far gone up batshit creek to care about something trivial like pain. So is Loki the type to come crying? What's his game?'

Thor considered it.

'Loki is strong,' he said finally, 'And fuelled by hatred. The goodness is gone from his heart. You don't know him as I do – his thirst for power cannot be quenched. He has vowed revenge and will have it no matter what the cost.'

They were interrupted by the fuzz of static from Romanoff's headset; her fingers flew to it. She did not look pleased.

'Director Fury is en route to debrief Thor.'

'I know nothing I haven't already told you,' said Thor wearily, 'With or without the Chitauri, Loki will be back. I know not when – perhaps he will strike within the hour, or perhaps he will bide his time for months. But we had better be ready for him when he does.'