A/N: This chapter is going to be shorter because the next chapter is going to be SUPER long. This is more explanations with some (A teeny bit) of Thor feels. Also, Odin is mean in this story. P.S. I dunno if Laufey was alive in actuality, but in order for this story to work, he was at the time.

EDITED 7/24/2013

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Avengers. Hadley is mine. But I give all credit for the rest of them to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they rock!

"I admit, the Loki you know is different from the father I grew up with." Hadley readily agreed. "But there is more you do not know,"

"Loki changed after he heard of your passing. He would not believe that you were dead. He searched for you, for years, convinced that you still lived. I thought him crazed with grief, but he never truly trusted the Allfather after your "death". When he finally had to stop looking for you, he," Thor paused. "It broke him. His jokes took on more of an edge, became more hurtful, more dangerous. You are right niece. He is different now. Your death changed him."

The room was silent as Hadley looked down, fidgeting slightly.

"I can't imagine what it might be like to lose a child," Steve spoke gently, "That would've made anyone change."

"It's still no excuse for trying to subjugate an entire planet." Romanoff crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to feel pity for the creature that had temporarily stolen her best friend's mind.

"Please, before you judge him, hear me out." Hadley looked up, eyes suspiciously bright, but clear.

"Niece, what I don't understand is, why pretend to be dead?" Thor brought up, looking intently at Hadley.

She let out a bitter laugh, which shocked the team. They had never heard such a broken noise come from her before. "You will not like this answer, uncle." She warned.

Thor's mouth tightened. "I will hear it, regardless."

"I warned you."

Hadley thought for a moment, before resuming her story.

"When I was 17, Odin was approached by the Jotun king."

"What?!" Thor stood up in shock. "I knew not of this."

"Good. You weren't supposed to. It was a private meeting."

"Jotenheim? Where Loki was born?" Steve clarified.

"Yes. Jotenheim is the home of the Frost Giants, and Loki's father, Laufey, was still ruler at this time."

"So Loki's biological Father and Odin had a secret powwow. What about?" Stark asked.

"Laufey wanted back what was his."

"Meaning Loki." Banner surmised.

"You would be correct."

"The AllFather would've never allowed that! He would've done anything to keep Loki on Asgard." Thor, still standing, interrupted.

"You are right Thor, Odin would've done anything. But he also had to protect the secret of Loki's true parentage, the very secret that Laufey threatened to expose were his wishes not met. When Laufey proposed a trade, Odin had no choice but to accept, no matter what THAT decision would cost."

"What did Laufey trade?" Romanoff asked.

"Laufey traded his silence…for me."

"Wait, what?" Clint raised his brow in disbelief. "Trading people? I don't know what it's like up on Asgard, but that's frowned upon here."

"It's Illegal here, actually." Fury corrected.

"It is not done on Asgard as well, I assure you." Thor placated. "This is the first I have ever heard of such a thing."

"In Odin's eyes, I am no more a person than the Tesseract is. I am simply a power source."

"That is not tr.."

" Yes it is, Thor! It is! Why else would he so easily trade me like I mean nothing to him?! Because I don't!" Hadley whirled on him, eyes bright and angry.

Thor sat down with a thud in the face of her anger, defeated. "I believe you, Niece. Father is not who I thought he was. But when I went to Jotunheim, two years ago, there was no sight of you."

"I was long gone by then, Thor. I was here, on Midgard."

"But wait, why would Jotunheim want you?" Tony asked, always confused. "Not that you're not awesome, but, you know what I mean."

"The same reason Odin kept an eye on me. I am an unlimited power source with the ability to manipulate anything, destroy anything, create anything. With the right motivations I can do Realms of good, and with the wrong motivations I can cause Ragnarok.

"Ragnarok?"

"Ragnarok, Tony, is the destruction of everything and everyone. It's like that movie, 2012, except no one gets out alive."

"Ah. Ok, got it. Continue." Tony nodded and leaned back, getting comfortable.

"I am very valuable. That is why Jotenheim wanted me."

"But if you're so valuable, why would Odin not keep you and give up Loki?" Clint questioned.

"Returning Loki would alienate both Loki and myself with the same action; by persuading me that my sacrifice was necessary for Loki's well being, and lying to Loki, He had a better chance of keeing himself in both of our good graces."

"You believed being sacrificed to Jotunheim would somehow help Loki? How did they get you to swallow that garbage?" Tony snorted.

"It was not so hard for me to believe.I was a child. I'd spent seventeen years of my life believing I was unworthy of being Asgardian. I could not fight, I was not strong, or tall, or blonde, or anything else that equated worth on Asgard. I thought a physical sacrifice would gain my acceptance. I was wrong."

"So Odin traded you for Laufey's silence, and told everyone you'd died. But how did you end up on Midgard?" Banner furrowed his brow.

"That's quite a funny story, actually…"

Cliffhanger! Not a huge one, I know, but I still enjoy the dot dot dot. Ragnarok is from mythology, (read a book, people) and I don't know if what I said was accurate, but I'm keeping it as is for now. We're still in explaining mode, but not for much longer! I just want everything to be clear before we continue with plot. Reviews are looked upon as small fortunes and I love them, Follows and Favorites are great as well!