Chapter 3: Breaking of the Fast

"Breaking of the Fast?" the boy repeated, cocking his head to the side. "Do you mean the first meal of the day?"

"Yes, but I am only stating what it what it is called in Midgard." Thor said, walking towards the exit.

"Mortals are strange…" the boy proclaimed.

Thor laughed again, hitting a button installed into the wall. He looked at the bed where his young niece lay. The steady rise and fall of her abdomen was comforting somehow. Suddenly she rolled over onto her side and mumbled, "Daddy, no! No! Don't leave!"

She began to thrash in her sleep and the small murmuring became a shrill plea, "Father! Please! Wait!"

Thor and his nephew exchanged glances before rushing over to the bed. Thor used a massive hand to grab the girl's shoulder. He shook her to and fro, trying to help her escape her nightmare. Her screaming grew louder and louder until finally her eyes burst open. She shrieked, scaring the wits out of the two young men. Panting, her eyes darted all around the room until they rested on her brother.

"I-I saw Father!" she exclaimed urgently. "And he said-"

She took notice of Thor and stopped. She stared up at him for a few moments with big, green, distrustful eyes. She turned her head to her brother.

"Never mind…It was only a dream, anyway." she covered, bowing her head.

Thor turned away awkwardly and the elevator doors opened. He helped his niece out of bed and led the children to the elevator. Sadly, he realized that his own niece and nephew didn't trust him. What was so important about the nightmare that he could not know? It was something about Loki, apparently. No wonder they wouldn't speak to him about it! They, of course, would want nothing more than to protect their father from the likes of Thor and his friends. With dismay Thor closed his mind off to anything but food so that he would not bring the mood of the children down with his own. Thor's stomach growled on the way to the lift. The kid's bellies rumbled as well. Thor laughed while the children looked embarrassed. They shuffled along behind Thor, dragging their feet. A little zap tingled between their toes, making them yelp.

"Uncle Thor!" they scolded in unison, "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" Thor inquired, pausing, confused thoroughly.

"You hit us with lightning through the floor!" the boy accused.

"Yeah!" the girl agreed.

"I did no such thing," Thor replied coolly. "You see, there is a thing here called 'static electricity'. It is like lightning, only much weaker and not deadly."

The two looked at each other with bewildered expressions. What good was lightning that did not kill or injure? Thor pulled them into the tiny room at either of his sides. The ride made all three Asgardians queasy, the floor seeming to fall out from under them. The little girl squealed and clung to Thor's leg as the elevator shifted into motion. Thor patted her head gently with one of his meaty hands.

"No worries, the L-vator will not bring harm to you… Well, not unless you fall over…" Thor said. His eyes flitted to the upper left corner in remembrance.

"Have you fallen in an L-vator, Uncle?" the boy asked innocently.

There was no answer from Thor, who watched the red digital numbers over the doors change. Finally, the elevator came to a stop at their destination. Thor pressed the kids into the living room where they had all gathered last night. He then stepped off himself, happily on solid ground. He brought the kids to the kitchen where they found Steve reading the morning newspaper. Steve peeked over the crinkling paper with curious blue eyes.

"Good morning, Patriotic Man," Thor greeted with a smile.

"'Morning, Thor." Steve replied, flapping the newspaper to rid it of the wrinkles.

The children stared at Steve, reading a paper. The little boy pulled down the corner and stood on his tiptoes to read as well. Steve studied the boy for a moment. He was going to jerk the paper again, but decided against it. At least some kids want to read, he thought.

About two hours later, Tony shuffled into the kitchen in a gray tank-top and a blue pair of old shorts. He yawned rather loudly and stumbled over to the cabinets. Tony took a bowl for himself and poured a bowl of cereal, not even paying attention to the amount that fell in. He shoved the cereal back into the cabinet and went for the jug of milk. Milk cascaded onto the cereal and made it rise to the brim. Steve saw the Cheerios peek over the top of the bowl when Tony took it across the room to the table, making the cereal slosh around in the milk. After setting the breakfast food on the table, he turned and went to get a spoon from the silverware drawer. When he came back, he plopped down in his chair. Almost immediately his eyes were wide open.

"I poured Cheerios?" he sounded surprised. "Why were they in the same spot as my Fruity Pebbles?! Where did my Fruity Pebbles go?!"

Everyone exchanged glances. Tony turned in his chair, snarling and grasping the back in a death grip. Steve lowered the newspaper, and then lifted it back over his face to hide. The children ran behind Thor and quivered in fear.

"Well?!" Tony spat. "Who ate them?!"

Thor looked at the floor, blushing under his beard in embarrassment. The kids peeked out from behind him.

"Th-those were yours?" asked the boy.

"Gee, what do you think?" Tony snapped back.

"But…Uncle Thor said that we had a choice of any Midgardian food in the kitchen." the boy explained.

His sister just stared. Tony glared back, teeth still bared. His facial features began to soften, examining the little girl. Her chin was tilted down to where the tip was just an inch from her chest and her eyes looked like they had magnified to ten times their normal size. Her gaze was irresistible, even to Tony's non-heart.

"Well…I guess I could eat Cheerios for today…but don't ever do that again. Keep to your Poptarts,got it?" Tony scolded.

Thor nodded, his gaze still fixed on the linoleum. The kids did too, copying their uncle. Tony was about to turn back around when a thought reoccurred to him. He made a peace sign and used it to point at the kids on either side of Thor. They started, afraid Tony would yell again. However, Tony was calm and his voice returned to normal.

"You two need names." he stated. "I've been thinking about it all night, and I've figured out the perfect things to call you!" The kids leaned in because Tony was making the naming process sound exciting. "Loki Jr. and Lilli!"

The two relaxed back in their positions beside Thor.

"Loki Jr.?" the boy asked.

"And Lilli?" the girl added.

"Yeah!" Tony smiled wide, showing pearly white teeth and stretching his cheeks a little farther than normal. "It's great! I mean you," he pointed to Loki Jr., "look just like Loki and your sister…well…Lilli rhymes with Loki, right?"

The two looked at each other. They shrugged and looked thoughtful. They peered up at Thor, who was apparently deep in pondering. Steve just stared over the top of his newspaper skeptically, one eyebrow hanging a little higher than the other.

Tony clapped his hands together, "Alright! Problem solved! My good deed of the day is done!"

He then began to stuff Cheerios and milk down his gullet. The spoon clinked against the bowl and his teeth, filling the room with much needed noise. Thor scuttled through the kitchen once again, readying a sixth bowl of Lucky Charms to scarf down. The Loki Jr. and Lilli followed; intrigued in betting on how much their uncle could gobble up before finally feeling full. Steve continued on reading his newspaper, nibbling on toast every little bit.

Thor, his cheeks stuffed full of cereal, looked up and said, "Oh yes, and we have run out of your Midgardian Tarts of Pop."

….

"Lilli, what are we to do?" Loki Jr. asked, swinging his legs back and forth on the side of the bed, pounding his heels against the mattress.

They had learned to use the elevator and escaped to the solitude of Thor's room. They wanted to be alone to discuss their father. She looked at him with her endearing gaze.

"I don't know, Loki." she said, the name of their father slipping off of her tongue. "Uncle Thor is treating us quite well." She then realized her mistake. "Oh! I'm sorry I used the Mortal's name for you! I-"

"No, I like it." Loki Jr. interrupted, his heel-pounding stopping. "I like it ever much so." He stared off at the nearest wall. His thoughts then came back. "How did you do that thing…? You know, when you got Mr. Starksson to quit scolding us?"

"Huh?" Lilli lifted her head, confused. "Oh, that? I uh…"

Lilli couldn't continue, her voice trailing off.

"You bewitched him, didn't you?" Loki Jr. guessed, receiving a flabbergasted look.

"But how did you-"

"Father is a spell caster. I figured out long ago that we could use those powers as well." Loki Jr. explained, his heels hitting the mattress again. He watched the floor, his green eyes glowing with wonder. He then lifted his head to Lilli. "I have an idea."

Steve finished his newspaper and sat it down on the table. His eyes flitted around to Thor, who anxiously continued to eat and eat. Thor was getting more of his breakfast on him than in him. Steve crunched down a last bit of buttered toast before standing up for a stretch. As he stepped out the kitchen door, he turned to Thor.

"You look busy, I think I'll go check on the kids." he said.

Thor nodded, "I shall join you after the Breaking of the Fast, Patriotic One." He sputtered milk and marshmallows when he spoke, making Steve gag a couple times.

Steve quickly exited the room, feeling that his breakfast was going to make a reappearance. Thor meant well, Steve knew, but just wasn't able to do well. Steve walked through the living room and to the elevator, his socks making no noise on the soft carpeting. In the elevator, he couldn't stop thinking about his decision. Was he showing too much mercy? Well, as Thor pointed out, they were just kids. How much damage could two children possibly do?

The elevator doors opened to reveal Thor's room, a small, messy spread with a really huge bed and dresser. Steve entered, making the room no longer empty. He searched the room thoroughly for the children; he sifted through the dresser and checked under the blankets and pillows, tossing things to and fro. Both of those places had one thing in common: No Loki Jr., and no Lilli.

Steve stopped dead in his tracks at the muffled but gleeful sound of giggling. He whipped his head about, trying to find the source of the noise. Out of the closet that was never used came Loki Jr., his eyes covered with one of Thor's T-shirts tied around his head.

"Here I come, sister Lilli!" the boy laughed playfully.

Steve suddenly relaxed his muscles that had tensed in anticipation of a horrific climax. They were only playing a strange twist of hide and seek. How could he have thought that the children would jump out the window or something? He let out a breath that had been stored in his cheeks. His heart beat fluttered back to normal as he watched Loki Jr. stumble around the room blindly, laughing all the while. Another small child's laughter came from the underside of the bed. Steve crouched to peer under the bed and found two glowing green eyes staring back at him. The eyes narrowed when Lilli giggled and shushed Steve happily. Steve nodded and backed away silently with his hands behind his back. He rocked back and forth from his heels to his toes, trying to look as innocent as they come. Loki Jr. crashed into him and fell to the floor on his bottom. Loki Jr. lifted the makeshift blindfold with his thumb and looked up at the man before him curiously. He smiled and pulled the T-shirt onto his forehead.

"Have you seen my sister?" Loki Jr. asked.

Steve shook his head, "I'm sorry, I've been sworn to secrecy."

Loki Jr. snapped his fingers in a frustrated gesture and looked at the floor.

"Oh, Lilli!" he grumbled, slapping his palm to the carpet. "She's always the best at these games!"

"Well, maybe not always." Steve reasoned with a nod towards the bed.

Loki Jr. gazed up at Steve.

"What do you…?" he began and followed the man's signal to the sleeping cushion. He crawled on his hands and knees and tapped the shoulder of his little sister. He grinned triumphantly, "I gotcha, Lilli!"

"Hey, no fair! You took the blindfold off! You cheated, Loki!" she cried out angrily as she pulled herself out from under the bed. Lilli paused at the mention of her father's name slipping off of her tongue. She then scowled at Steve accusingly. "And you! You told him where I was!"

Lilli screeched and tackled Loki Jr., who, in return, rolled out of the way.

"You missed!" Loki Jr. yowled with a smile and scrabbled away to the elevator. He pressed the button to command the elevator down to his level and sprinted onto the torn-apart bed. When the ding of the elevator sounded and the doors opened, Loki Jr. took a leap of faith across the room and dodged the super soldier. He skidded to a halt inside the elevator and gave a cocky sneer. "Goodbye!"

The boy slammed a random button down and the elevator doors shut tightly. Lilli hit the closed doors with a loud SMACK! The girl slid down the door and onto the floor like a bug splattered against a window. She let a tear fall as she sniffled. Lilli shook her head. She wouldn't cry. Not in the presence of the lesser being. She stiffened and picked herself up. Lilli punched the button for the elevator and waited, tapping her toes to the carpet and pulled her arms across her chest. She hopped into the elevator and hit a button.

Oh no, Steve thought, this isn't good.


Uh-oh! Two mischief-making children running amok through the Avengers' Tower? Hold on to your hats, people, and get ready for a wild ride! And thank you for all of the favoriting and the following! Please don't be afraid to review, though! Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Write them in a review and I shall do my best to answer!