Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Summary: When Loki doesn't want a certain device to fall into Doom's hands, he does the only thing left possible: he joins the Avengers for this one time quest.

Tides Change

Chapter 6

The scientists were all focused on their computer screens, but Tony couldn't even make himself look at the formulas. He found himself staring at the other men in the lab, wondering what on earth they were currently thinking. It wouldn't surprise him of they weren't thinking at all. All that mattered to these kind of men, was completing their task and satisfying Fury.

Tony wasn't sure what he was thinking. The idea of this 'invention' should thrill him, but their was this little voice in the back of his head that warned him; everything was about to go to hell. His burned arms throbbed with pain as if warning him as well.

"Everything all right?"

Tony nearly fell from his chair when he heard Natasha's voice so nearby. He spun around and looked into her wide, blue eyes. Her red hair was slightly curled and her suit embraced her body perfectly. Natasha was a beautiful woman, but there was a hard edge to her and Tony knew she wasn't to be messed with.

"I'm fine," he said, quickly looking back at his computer screen. He should at least try to look busy to the other scientists who were glancing at him with an accusing eye. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh please, Tony," Natasha rolled her eyes, "I know we haven't been working together for so long, but I do know you better than you think. You're distracted and easily startled. Now spit it out."

"It's just..." Tony inhaled deeply and forced himself to forget about the dozen other scientists, "we struck a deal with Loki and now..."

"And now we're stabbing him in the back?" Natasha asked, only sincerity in her eyes.

"Exactly," Tony said, "on any other day, I would be fine with all this, but you've seen Loki. He was prepared to go to great lengths with Adler and now Fury made that deal with him and I fear Loki won't react kindly when he figures it all out."

"Not to mention Thor," Natasha sighed.

Tony gazed into her eyes for a very long time. He was glad she understood him. "This doesn't feel right. Keeping things from Loki is one thing, but lying to Thor about this? Natasha, do you honestly still feel like a team?"

Natasha shrugged. "Have we ever been a team?"

"Of course we have," Tony countered, "because in the end, we had each other's backs, but now there is all this lying and cheating – and I am still talking about Thor here because Loki is not part of our team – and I know this will end badly. Very badly."

"What do you expect us to do?" Natasha asked. "Fury gave the order."

"That's very easy."

Natasha's gaze darkened. "Well, I'm sorry, Tony, but Fury is our boss and I trust him. He makes the tough decisions and he is part of our team, too, so shouldn't we have his back?" She didn't wait for Tony's reply, but instantly stalked away.

Tony still felt torn about it all.

oOo

Thor rounded the corner. "Loki?" his voice sounded horrified when he saw the blood on Loki's hands and arms. "What have you done?"

Loki took a moment to think about Thor's question. What had he done? "Only what I had to do."

Slowly, very calculated, Thor moved his eyes away from Loki's bloody hands towards the still opened cell door. Confusion and shock hit him all at once and Loki could only watch him carefully. "That's Adler's cell," Thor said softly, "what have you done?"

"Don't be naive," Loki said the words harsher than he meant to, "Adler was threat."

"He was locked in a cell!" Thor took a wild step forward, but Loki instantly took a step back. He was still waiting for his magic to reach their full potential. The moment that happened, he would be able to teleport away from this place. "Adler was safe in there, he wouldn't have been able to hurt anyone."

"He would have hurt me!" The words had come out all wrong and Loki watched how a frown formed on his brother's brow. "Doom isn't just attacking, Thor," he explained, "he is trying to break in. He wants Adler to build him another device and I couldn't let that happen."

"So you just killed him." For the first time, Thor sounded disgusted and Loki wasn't sure what he should do with that. He had done much lately, but everything, Thor had been there to talk to him, to ask him to think about his actions, to consider returning him with him to Asgard. Today, he only looked at him with pain in his eyes and Loki wasn't sure why. Adler wasn't the first man he had killed. "Adler was defenseless, a mortal with a family and you just killed him."

The words made no sense. "A family?"

"Two children," Thor said, never breaking eye contact, "a boy and a girl, not even ten years old and you have made them orphans."

Loki knew Adler had been a man of many secrets, but this he had not expected. He should not care about this. He was Loki, the God of Lies and Mischief. These were children, however, and Loki had a sore spot for them. Suddenly, he remembered Adler talking about a favor he had asked of SHIELD and he knew it had been about those children. Perhaps Adler hadn't been such a bad man after all.

"I didn't know."

"It's no excuse," Thor said, "actions speak louder than words. You came here and we aided you. We saved you from blazing fire and you repay us by murdering a man we had promised to protect. He begged us to keep him here, to retrieve his children and keep them save. I fear there is no more hope for you, brother. You're not the God of Lies and Mischief, you truly have become the God of Evil."

Loki's eyes widened. For a long time now, people had been giving him that new title, but Thor had always been reluctant to use it. Hearing him speak those words, however, made Loki experience a painful pull in his chest.

When the building suddenly shook on its foundations, Thor stepped back, tightening his grip on Mjonlir. For a moment, Loki expected him to attack, but Thor merely distanced himself from his brother. "I give up, Loki," he said icily, "I can not do this any more."

With those words, Thor disappeared from the hallway and Loki only stared at the space his brother had stood only seconds ago. The building was still trembling, Doom breaking in at this very moment, but Loki was unable to move. He should feel rage for Thor's words, but in stead he felt numb. He and Thor had been going against each other for years, but in the end, they were still brothers. That bound seemed to be severed now.

The building shook violently again and pulled Loki out of his thoughts. He gazed at the blood on his hands and cast a quick spell to clean himself. His magic was strong again, and without thinking any more, he used a teleportation spell. He wanted to get as far away as possible, but in stead, he found himself standing just outside.

He had a clear view of the battle going on, of Doom fighting Stark and the Captain with Thor rapidly approaching. Loki felt himself torn. A part of him wanted to aid the Avengers because Doom had crossed him, but another part wanted to fight them for all the misery they had given him. A long moment passed where Loki stood completely still and finally he made a decision.

He stormed forward, the magic roaring wildly inside of him. There would be hell to pay.

AN: Sorry for the cliffie! I'll update as soon as possible :)