"You cheated, ya fucking liar!" the booming voice bounced off the walls of the small bar, demanding the attention of the entire place.

Loki only quirked an eyebrow, his only outward sign of irritation as he raked the pile of money towards himself, having just severely kicked their asses at poker in the little back alley biker bar.

He'd snuck out of the tower only an hour ago, looking for some sort of trouble to keep him from killing himself. He knew being surrounded by all the heroes was going to be a challenge, but damn he really underestimated how dull these do-gooders really were. One week in the tower and he was already going crazy. So he switched his Asgardian armour for black jeans and a dark green button up shirt, with a long black coat, and he'd sought something fun to do.

"I can assure you," he spoke with a note of mock sincerity, "I did no such thing." he let the words sit in the air for a moment, and then he winked at the large man.

The other guy stood up, toppling the chair behind him and his face became bright red beneath all of the ungroomed facial hair. He pointed a meaty finger at Loki as he bellowed, and Loki just sat there counting the money, a bored expression on his face, and he mumbled to himself, "why are you humans all so damned boring in your predictability."

"You think I'm a fucking joke, you piece of shit?"

"Oh come now, is name calling really necessary?" Loki's words were polite but there was that tone of amusement underneath.

"You are going to give me my money back or I'll break every one of your goddamn fingers."

"And now with the threats." Loki was still counting his newly won money.

"I'm serious you little fag-"

Loki's eyes snapped up at the man, suddenly sharp as daggers, his bored and unconcerned manner was gone, replaced with a cold force that the whole rundown bar tooke notice of. "I'm fairly certain that word is frowned upon in your society."

The big man only roared with laughter, his few lackeys following behind nervously. The man was all too happy to think he'd hit a nerve in the smaller odd man, and he ignored any deep instincts that told him to leave it be. "Oh I should've known!" He leaned his big meaty hands onto the table and pushed his face closer to Loki's, "Well listen closely you pansey, I will not let your perverted ass walk out of here with my money, so you can hand it over and I won't beat you to hell and back, or I can break you in half and use you as scary story to keep my kids from thinking it'd ever be okay to be a fruity little bitch like you"

Loki held the man's dark gaze, burning hate and fury in one, matched with nothing but a hard set of green eyes that didn't hold an ounce of fear. Loki let his mouth turn up in a dispassionate smile that seemed almost like he was baring his teeth, "Well, thank you for actually making this quite enjoyable for me."

Then Loki wrapped his hand around the back of the man's neck, faster than anyone could see, and he slammed his face into the table, scattering money and poker chips everywhere. He stood up, hooked his foot into his chair and smashed it into the person behind him, just as the burly man straightened, blood leaking from his face and onto his hands, he was yelling. Loki grabbed ahold of the table and spun it, throwing it into a group of bikers coming straight at him, they flew back into the wall. A man with a knife was coming towards him, and Loki sidestepped perfectly, leaving his foot out and tripping the man, sending him and the knife sprawling on the floor.

The large biker finally came to his senses and was making his way towards Loki now across the room, his eyes flaming with fury as he wiped blood away from his face, and Loki stood their patiently, a small smile tugging at his lips.

The man pulled a hidden knife out and popped it open, and Loki only responded with a full grin and a spread of his arms.

The man lunged, his large body and injury slowing him down to an embarrassing speed, and Loki easily stepped out of reach. "Oh, come on, you've got to have more than that." Loki spoke in his best condescending voice, still grinning at the angry man.

He swiped the knife out quicker than Loki thought he could, just barely pulling his arm out of range, "Now, that's much better, almost got me even!" The man roared and tried for a punch, and Loki ducked, the man's knife went for him, and Loki barely caught the arm in its path, and he quickly twisted it behind the large man. Loki stomped on the back of his knees, causing the man to buckle and fall to his knees with a yell. Loki twisted the arm tightly and out fell the knife.

The room was quiet, those who weren't beaten either left or were hiding in fear now, and Loki leaned in and spoke in a quiet controlled hiss, "I will be using this as a little story for the rest of the city, don't talk out of your ass."

"Loki! Let him go!" The voice rang through the room, loud and clear, and Loki flicked his gaze up, and hid his surprise at seeing Spider-man standing in the doorway, not looking anything like the flustered boy he'd met when first returning to this planet. The suit helped of course, but Thor had already told him who he was, and that Thor would feed him to the Vidar himself if he ever told Peter's secret to anyone.

Loki looked down at the biker he held onto, and back up at the superhero waiting for him to follow orders. Loki sneered at the situation, but he leaned back down to the man and whispered, "I'm sure I'll see you around." And Loki let him drop to the floor in a heap.

Loki walked through the room, stepping over a few unconscious bodies, feeling the whole room collectively hold their breath as the watched, likely expecting a fight to break out, but he wouldn't be obliging tonight. Too much depended on being in the hero's good graces, unfortunately. So instead of doing what he wanted, fighting anyone in his way until he either made it through or died trying, he simply took his exit, barely glancing at the hero as he did.


Peter stared at the trashed bar in slight shock, seeing the destruction Loki had wrought. He watched the God walk past him and out of the bar with a detached coldness to him, one that sent a small chill up his spine. Peter reminded himself that he had no idea what happened here, and tried not to jump to conclusions, not like the rest of the Avengers.

"Karen, is anyone dead or in critical condition?" He spoke to his suit, which promptly scanned all of the slumped bodies, but none were hurt too badly. A couple broken bones and lots of scrapes and bruises, but the cops were already on their way, the police scanner describing the fight is what brought Peter here. But still, he hadn't expected to see Loki at the center of it.

The thought caused renewed energy and purpose to surge through Peter, he had to find out what happened, and this was his shining opportunity to talk with Loki, about this fight or anything else, this was likely his only opportunity, seeing as it's been a week since he came here and he's had no luck so far.

"Hold on tight guys, the police and paramedics are on the way." And Peter left the bar, making his way out onto the city streets. He looked around the empty back alley and finally spotted Loki down a ways, striding down the sidewalk like he owned it, his long black coat billowing a bit in the wind.

Peter glanced around for anyone else as he shot a web out and swung out towards the God, landing in a crouch right in front of him, causing the man to stop short, but he didn't appear to surprised.

"Stalking me now, are you?" His tone was light but also sounded a bit bored. Peter stood from his crouch, searching for something to say, but he was honestly at a loss for words, looking at him in all his glory, in normal clothing, in the middle of a New York alley, it was like Peter's brain couldn't compute the image. Luckily, Loki seemed to enjoy hearing himself talk. "If I'm not mistaken, you're meant to be babysat, not babysitting."

Peter felt his cheeks go hot and was eternally grateful for the mask hiding his face, he squared his shoulders and tried to think straight, "I was patrolling and I heard the police talking about the fight, I came out here to put a stop to it... Loki, you can't just go beating people up, what was that all about?"

"And why not? It's what all of you superheros do, is it not?" Loki spoke loftily, now leaning against the brick building they stood next to.

Peter looked at him in exasperation, not that he could see it, "I- what no, we don't beat up random people! Only those that deserve it."

"And who decides who deserves it and who doesn't? You people all like to act like you're so much better than everyone but you're doing the same thing as everyone else, beating people up. You just also get glory for it."

Peter couldn't find words for a moment, and then he heard something in the distance, police sirens. He was moving without even thinking. He grabbed Loki by the waist and shot out his web, swinging the two of them up onto the rooftops. He felt Loki stiffen and try to resist, but they were in the air before he could, and he must've realized he had nowhere to go, because he stopped moving instantly.

The second they lifted off the ground, Peter's muscle memory kicked in and his body moved of its own accord, but his mind was now racing about everything. The feeling of Loki next to him, how awkward this whole thing was, how much trouble he'd be in if Tony found out about this.

They finally landed on the roof and Loki pulled himself away stiffly, brushing off his coat and scowling slightly. The police screeched up the side of the street, piling into the bar as Peter glanced over the edge. "Sorry, I didn't think you'd wanna end up in police custody." Loki grunted in what sounded like a grateful noise and Peter couldn't help a small smile at the gruff man. Loki caught the smile and his scowl deepend.

"So, are you going to run and tattle to your avengers already?" Loki's bitter words caugh Peter by surprise.

"Oh uh no I wasn't planning on telling them. But maybe you could tell me why you started a bar fight? I would appreciate knowing you're not about to go terrorizing New York. Again."

Loki regarded Peter cooly for a moment, just studying him, and Peter had to fight the urge to fidget under the weight of that stare. "So what is it you want?"

Peter furrowed his brow in confusion. "Um, what do you mean?"

"Oh please, there is no reason you're cozying up to me other than some sort of agenda, so what is it?" Loki crossed his arms, still staring Peter down.

Peter was surprised at the question, not only at Loki's directness, but at the thought that Peter wanted something from him, "No, I'm not after anything, I just wanted to be your friend- er." Peter broke off, his anxiety spiking at the admission, realizing how stupid he sounded, his hands now fidgeting in front of him, but then he noticed the look of pure bewilderment that crossed Loki's face.

"Why?" The one word came out sour and full of disbelief, it kind of broke Peter's heart. He wondered if he really had anyone in his life, besides Thor, and even that relationship was rather rocky.

Peter wanted to tell Loki how much he admired the man, or God as it were. He wanted to tell him that he believed in him, in his ability to do good. He wanted to tell him that he deserved better than the life that he was given, better than a father who kept him like stolen treasure and better than a mother who was taken from him. Peter wanted to tell him that he understood the pressure of having to prove yourself, of having something thrust on you that you didn't feel you deserved. But Peter couldn't think straight with those bright green eyes staring at him like they were, full of calculation and distrust.

Instead Peter cleared his throat and said, "Well, um, Tony telling me I'm not allowed to is a pretty good reason."

Loki smirked at that, his eyes lighting with mischief but also held something calculating in them, "And what makes you think I'd want to be your friend?"

Peter's stomach did a flip as he answered, "Because Tony said you're not allowed to?"

Loki chuckled at that, his smile spreading father as he took Peter in, shaking his head slightly, "You're right, that is a rather good reason, isn't it."

Peter felt himself smiling back, smiling at Loki, and his stomach was fluttering with butterflies again, excitement racing through his veins. Then he noticed the police rushing into the bar they just left, and he hated to do it, but he knew he needed to drag the conversation back that way. "So then, as your new friend, care to tell me what that bar fight was about?"

Loki only put his hands in his pants pockets, looked completely at ease and unconcerned as he flicked a gaze down to all the chaos of police and flashing lights, "I was bored?" His lilting voice held a note of amusement as he lifted one shoulder in an elegant shrug, a small smirk showing on his face.

Peter rose his eyebrows in slight bafflement, even though he knew Loki couldn't see it, "And you thought starting a fight in a seedy biker bar was the best way to alleviate boredom? Most people simply grab a drink at the bar instead, you might wanna try it sometime."

Loki only slightly raised an eyebrow as he kept eye contact, his bright eyes seeming to star into Peter's very soul, "I'm a God, your mortal alcohol hardly has an affect on me. And besides, drinking is more of Thor's pass time activity. I prefer a good fight."

His words sound like a challenge, but Peter isn't sure what it is, and the way Loki keeps scrutinizing him puts him on edge, so his mind jumps to the first thing it can think of, "At least you thought to change your clothes. As good as you look in your Asgardian clothes, I mean because they're nice clothes er, but they make you quite noticeable. You know because you're already a bit recognizable and they definitely make you stick out and er, I should shut up now." Peter abruptly cut off his incoherent babbling.

Loki squinted at him like he was trying to work something out and Peter began to fidget slightly, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to think straight.

After a moment of awkward silence, which felt like the longest ten seconds of Peter's life, Loki finally spoke up, "And pray tell, what does Spider-man do for fun?"

Peter's stomach dropped, hearing that melodic voice speak his superhero name, the weighted question and the way those keen eyes didn't miss a damned thing. It was all too much and Peter felt like this guy might very well be the death of him, especially if Tony were to find out. If he had any sense at all, he would turn around and head back to the tower and tell the Avengers about Loki's little stroll through alleys. But Peter had a knack for getting himself into trouble, and this was just too good to resist.

"I could show you..." Peter's voice drifted through the air, and he didn't miss the way Loki's eyes sparkled with mischief and the smirk that took place as he gestured for Peter to lead the way.