So about that heavier stuff I'm pretty sure we mentioned was coming...yeah. This is it. And it's pretty heavy. Should I say sorry in advance, or blame inukagome?

You guys can blame me. I was the one responsible for writing it. x)

And, uh, I keep meaning to get to your reviews. I'll be doing that soon.


Chapter 7


A few hours later, once they had managed to clear out all the dangerous glass bits and machinery and Sam had been suitably calmed down and reassured, Rhodey hunted down Jarvis in the kitchen to demand answers.

"You know what that was about," Rhodey said, arms folded across his chest.

Jarvis didn't move beyond his hands tightening on the edge of the countertop. "…Yes." The word was so quiet that Rhodey almost didn't hear it.

When no further elaboration was forthcoming, Rhodey spoke again. "What was that?"

Shaking his head, Jarvis didn't meet Rhodey's eyes. "I can't say."

"Don't give me that, Jarvis." Rhodey kept himself forcefully still, not wanting to bully Jarvis into talking. But damn if a little shaking wouldn't make him feel better at the moment. Anything was better than this helpless feeling. "I've known Tony for a long time, and he doesn't scare easily. Gabriel doesn't scare easily. That means it's something big."

"I cannot say," Jarvis repeated, this time more forcefully. He met Rhodey's eyes. "It isn't my place. If you want answers, you will need to ask him."

"Except I can't, since he doesn't remember. So I'm asking you."

"I think he does." The corners of Jarvis's mouth turned downwards, his eyes dropping to his feet. "It would explain his nightmares."

"I don't, actually," Tony's voice said from behind Rhodey.

Surprised, Rhodey turned to find the other four standing there. The kids were nowhere to be seen, thankfully.

"I mean…" Tony took a breath, continuing steadily. "I've had dreams, but I don't really remember what about. And I – I'm not sure I want to know, but I think I need to."

"This is about what happened while you were gone, isn't it?" Pepper asked. She raised her eyebrow in response to the surprised look Tony shot her. "What, you think I didn't notice the way you changed?"

"We just didn't want to ask," Rhodey said, drawing Tony's attention back to himself. "We thought you'd talk to us."

"It…wasn't really something I wanted to talk about," Tony said slowly, his forehead pinching. "And Gabriel…he said it wasn't something for humans to know."

"Loki knows," Bruce said, frowning slightly. "He didn't want to tell me either."

"It isn't my place," Jarvis said, almost helplessly. "Sir…"

"It's okay." Tony gave him a lopsided smile that was painful to look at. He shrugged lightly, adding, "As one-fourths of me, I'm saying it's okay."

Before Rhodey could do anything, Pepper punched Tony on the shoulder. "Don't joke about this!"

Rubbing his shoulder, Tony made a face. "Who said I'm joking?" Sobering, he nodded at Jarvis. "J, seriously."

Jarvis hesitated, then nodded, however reluctantly. He looked down at his hands. "I'm…not sure where to start."

"From the beginning's generally a good place," James said dryly.

"Yes, well…that would be a rather long story." Jarvis looked briefly up at the ceiling before meeting Tony's eyes. "From what I understood, the gates to Heaven were closed. You managed to reopen them, but in the process of doing so, you ended up in something they called the Cage."

If Rhodey hadn't been watching Tony, he would have missed the almost imperceptible flinch at the name. "Sounds ominous," he said, moving close enough to let one hand rest on Tony's shoulder in silent comfort.

"It sounds like a prison," James corrected him, eyes fixed on Jarvis. The latter didn't immediately continue.

"It was," Jarvis said eventually, mouth twisting. "It was Lucifer's prison."

Rhodey heard Pepper breathe in sharply. He doubted any of them liked hearing that any more than he did. Lucifer's prison?

How bad might that have been?

" And you…you fell into it." Jarvis looked away, eyes falling to the table. He was looking anywhere but at Tony. "We didn't know what to do, but Gadreel eventually went to pull you out. We waited for a month."

There was something there that Jarvis wasn't saying, but this looked painful enough that Rhodey didn't really want to push for more.

"I am not entirely certain of the details, as Gadreel never told us exactly what happened, but when you returned…when you were back with us…" Shaking his head, Jarvis folded his hands together. "Something had happened."

Tony's face was rather white, and Rhodey could feel him shaking minutely. "That's…" His voice cracked, dying on a whisper. He touched his throat, fingers trembling.

"You couldn't speak," Jarvis said, answering the unspoken question hanging in the air. "Not at first." Exhaling shakily, he continued. "In pulling you out, Gadreel inadvertently broke the Cage, letting Lucifer and Michael out. We had to…deal with them. Again, I am not entirely certain what happened, but when it was over…" Jarvis glanced up for only a moment. "You had Samael."

"So, Sam is…?" Rhodey couldn't finish the sentence. He had suspected it after what Tony had told them of the four archangels, but he hadn't really known. Besides, how would that even have been possible?

"Yes," Jarvis said quietly.

"Gabriel knows," Tony said after a moment, his voice pained. "And that's why…" His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. When he spoke again, his voice was stronger. "That's why he freaked."

"Why now?" Pepper had her hands wrapped around Tony's. "This didn't bother you before."

Tony shook his head. "I don't know."

When Rhodey glanced at Jarvis, the other looked just as uncertain.

"So I guess this means we need to keep Sam and Gabriel apart," James said when no one else spoke. "If he comes back."

"He will," Tony said. "I don't know when, but he will."

"Yeah, well…" Rhodey squeezed Tony's shoulder one more time before letting his hand drop. "Let's hope he's not as likely to explode things."

Rhodey had wanted to know what was wrong, but now that he did…he had absolutely no idea what to do.

He understood why Jarvis hadn't wanted to tell them.


The first part of the puzzle went smoothly enough.

There were a few close calls where Steve nearly stepped on the wrong one, and one incident where Clint's foot got a little too close to the edge of his tile and he somehow managed to set off one of the traps. Jumping quickly to the next one in the path had been the only thing that got him out of the way in time. A few other minor traps had been set off when they had to test tiles to guess which was the right one, but nothing incredibly dangerous.

Most importantly, nothing that hurt any of them, as long as they went around it.

As they'd made their way across the room, Steve could make out more details, including the doors that only Loki had been able to see earlier.

They were tall and lit from behind, yellow shapes in the dim light of the room. They provided most of the light, and from what Steve could tell the puzzle they were walking across was made of some brownish stone that looked almost orange. He was concentrating mostly on getting to the right tile and making sure he didn't end up in a dead end, but he couldn't help noticing all the detail.

The majority of the designs were hardly a work of genius – the Trickster, it seemed, was no more of an artist than Tony was – but the tiles themselves were perfectly shaped, and there were tall, smooth pillars bordering the door. Steve was sure that they'd find torches providing the light once they crossed the threshold.

If the Trickster was anything, it was theatrical.

At least the amount of attention he must have been putting into this meant that it was incredibly unlikely he'd skimp out on talking to them.

"Go to your left, Steve, this one runs out up here." Peggy had gotten further along than he had, which meant that Steve got an early warning for any dead ends. He picked out the HYDRA symbol and stepped to the one on the left, relaxing slightly when nothing happened.

He knew it was the safe tile, but he couldn't help but be nervous.

They went on like that until most of them were close enough to touch the ledge that ran up to the door. It was more of a slope than the last one had been, steep enough that Steve wondered how much the Trickster was trying to actively discourage them.

The hill didn't manage to slow him down as Steve practically leapt off the last tile, darting up to where it leveled off just before the door. Now that he was in front of it, he realized just how huge it was, reaching at least ten feet.

"Don't get too excited," Clint shouted after him. "The rest of us aren't as fast as you." Despite his words, Clint and Natasha were the next two off the tiles.

"I think I'd be perfectly okay with never doing this again," Natasha said, joining Steve and looking past him through the door. "What do you think's down there?"

"No idea."

Peggy strode up the incline towards them, looking relieved. "Well, none of us have died so far," she said cheerfully. "I'll take that as a good thing."

"Only Loki's left." Steve turned to see how Loki was doing, stopping short when he saw him standing perfectly still. "Loki?"

"I believe," Loki said, almost too calmly, "that the Trickster has been meddling."

Steve didn't need to ask for an explanation when he realized that Loki was standing four tiles away from the end with no more like the one he was standing on in sight.

They had avoided running into any dead ends so far, but now that they were so close – so close – it had to happen?

He hadn't thought it would happen to Loki, with the way he could sense the magic of the place around them.

"Can you jump?" Natasha asked, voice low and even.

"Not from a standing position," Loki said, shifting almost anxiously. He eyed the ledge they were standing on, then glanced back at the tiles surrounding him.

"Can you try?" Clint crouched down, eyes scanning the tiles. "Not from a standstill," he added when Loki fixed him with a disgruntled expression, "but from a running jump? Just…" He gestured in explanation.

"If there's a time lag before the traps trigger, you can do it," Peggy said.

"There's not much of one," Steve said, remembering how quickly the traps had triggered when they had to test whether the tiles were safe.

Steve looked over the tile floor, vainly trying to find another one Loki could use, but all of the ones with the pattern Loki had picked – something that vaguely resembled a burning planet in the same way a child's drawing vaguely resembled a monster – were even farther away than the end of the puzzle was.

There was one option, however, that was possibly within reach.

"Loki," Steve called, "do you think you could make it to Natasha's path?"

The tiles Natasha had picked out weren't as far away as the ledge was, and they were also on level ground.

"Won't that just set off a trap?" Clint asked.

"You can solve puzzles," Steve said tightly. "Even if the rules change, you can still solve them. It just means we need to change the rules ourselves."

Loki hummed thoughtfully, turning to see where he needed to go. "Yes…I think I can manage this."

He stepped backwards slightly, looking behind himself to make sure he didn't leave the tile, then took a running leap towards Natasha's path. Steve watched anxiously – there was only one tile separating them—

Loki made it easily, landing in a crouch with plenty of space to spare. Steve let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd held.

Of course, with their luck, it had to go wrong.

Their first clue that something had was when the room began to shake.

Steve saw something black spreading across the floor. With a jolt, he realized the tiles were falling away, vanishing entire rows at a time. Loki was already running, making it onto the incline and crashing into the group.

"Run!"

They did.

Steve wasn't even paying attention to what it looked like beyond the door, because a glance behind him showed that whatever it was hadn't stopped with the tiles. Huge chunks of rock were falling away, and Steve had a feeling he didn't want to know what was down wherever they were falling.

None of them slowed down until they were past what might have been another door, tripped by some invisible force, and went sprawling as a group onto some soft surface.

Vaguely, Steve realized that they were surrounded by hedges – again – but then a familiar and not altogether welcome face stuck itself into his line of sight.

"Well," said the Trickster, "so you did make it out. Honestly, you had me doubting there a couple times."

"You!" Clint was on his feet in seconds, but the Trickster just snapped his fingers and Clint froze.

"No need to be rude," the Trickster said mildly, rocking back on his heels. "We're all capable of being civil people here."

"I'm not so sure about that," Natasha muttered, noticeably more cautious when she stood. She didn't try to approach the Trickster, instead eyeing him warily.

Steve stood next, offering Peggy a hand up which she waved away. "Let him go," he told the Trickster. "He's not going to attack you."

The Trickster raised his eyebrows, looking at Clint skeptically. "Really. Seems kinda murderous to me." He pinched his forefinger and thumb together. "Just a teensy bit."

"It isn't as if he could hurt you," Loki said, fixing the Trickster with a nasty look. "I doubt fists or arrows could kill you."

"Can you blame me for not wanting to get shot?" The Trickster gave Clint another look, as if he were trying to make a particularly important decision, before he shrugged and snapped his fingers again. Clint staggered as he was suddenly unfrozen.

"I'll give you a freebie," the Trickster told him, "Since your friends are so confident you'll keep your hands to yourself."

Clint gave him an almost impressively dark glare, hands clenching into fists.

Natasha put a hand on Clint's shoulder. "We passed your test," she said.

"Yes, you did." The Trickster laughed, then whistled as if in admiration. "'Bout a few days later than I thought you would, but I guess I can't be choosy."

Steve's stomach dropped. Several days? How long had they been here?

"We passed your test," Peggy said, repeating Natasha's words. "That means we're going to have a talk."

The Trickster spread his hands. "What are we doing now?" He was smirking, one eyebrow raised. "If you wanted something specific—" he paused mid-sentence. "Oh, right. Lemme guess – this is about the rest of me."

Steve could already see that asking politely wasn't going to get them anywhere. It wasn't as if he had the patience for that anyway.

"Aren't you curious?" Natasha asked, voice coaxing. "I know you can't remember everything."

The Trickster scoffed. "So? I miss out on a bunch of pre-human stuff, maybe some Norse paganism, blah, blah. I've got all the important stuff." He tapped at his head.

What did that mean? How much did the Trickster remember?

"But how would you know?" Loki had his arms folded across his chest. "If you know you are missing memories, is it not possible that you are missing something important? You cannot be so prideful as to ignore that."

The Trickster rolled his eyes. "Who says it's pride?" He counted off on his fingers. "Heaven, boring. Norse paganism, not my style. Human, incredibly, incredibly boring. Who cares about any of that?"

"And what of the present?" Loki challenged. "You must be aware that this is not where you were from."

"Again, so?" This time the Trickster grinned wickedly. "The present's all mine. Personally, it being in another world is just a bonus – no other Tricksters here to get annoyed if I edge in on their territory, yeah? No other monsters 'cept me."

"There is me," Loki said softly.

The atmosphere changed in a second, suddenly loaded with restrained pressure, like a thunderstorm was brewing. Steve could practically see the metaphorical lightning crackling between Loki and the Trickster.

The latter tilted his head slightly, still smirking. "You," he agreed. "Why do you care, huh? This isn't your world. You could be a million miles away from this mess. But you're here. And for what, again? A few humans?"

"They are not my concern," Loki said, not even looking at Steve or any of the others. "However, Gabriel is. And you are part of him, whether you like it or not."

"So you're to do what, exactly?" The Trickster didn't seem at all bothered. "Threaten me into cooperating? Good luck with that, Na'vi."

Loki flinched slightly. "You think that will change my mind?" The words were bitten out through gritted teeth.

"Even if it doesn't, it's funny." The Trickster clearly thought he had the upper hand. His smirk had gotten more pronounced.

"To you, maybe," Natasha said, unimpressed. "I suppose it was too much to hope for that you would be reasonable. Fun and games is all you're good for, isn't it?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing!" the Trickster said plaintively. "Oh, I'm such a horrible person for enjoying myself here. Yadda yadda, do this, don't do that, you've got so many little requirements. Like no human's ever done something for fun?"

"We don't kill people," Steve snapped unthinkingly.

"Don't you?" The Trickster's gaze was suddenly, unnervingly, on Steve. It stayed there for a moment, before wandering to other people in the circle. "Maybe not you specifically…not really. But some of you…" He laughed. "Well. That's a whole 'nother story."

"It's not the same thing," Clint said, voice edged with venom.

"Nah, not really. You kill on orders, after all." The Trickster's smile was equally poisonous. "And that's so much better." He drew out the "o" mockingly.

"We're both part of the Avengers now," Natasha retorted. "That's not our job anymore."

"Oh, the Avengers." The Trickster rolled his eyes. "Yeah, fantastic job with that. The name alone, I can make at least ten jokes off the top of my head. How fuckin' pretentious do you have to be to put yourself in charge of protecting the whole damn Earth?"

"Because we're trying to do some good." Steve couldn't believe that the being standing in front of him was part of Tony. "Because we're trying to help the world, not kill the people in it."

"I only go after the ones who deserve it." The Trickster gave Steve a prideful look. "Logic says that means the good ones are the majority once I'm done."

"And you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart?" Clint scoffed.

"Oh, please." The Trickster grinned wildly. "I do it 'cause it's fun. And because they deserve it."

Steve's stomach felt like it had fallen to somewhere in the vicinity of his knees.

"I don't believe you," Peggy said, her voice harsh and furious. "You don't bloody care at all, do you?"

"Took you a while to notice." The Trickster smirked back at her. "Give me a reason why I should."

"The only one who's saying those people deserve to die is you," Peggy snapped back. Her hands were fisted at her sides.

"What, like you don't agree?" Steve was really starting to hate that smirk. "Let's face it. The only reason you're all so angry with me about this is because there's a little part of you reminding you that I'm right. And besides, I don't kill all of them. I left the first one alive."

"And terrified out of his wits," Loki said quietly, studying the Trickster with an intense look.

"Okay, nothing makes you happy, does it?" The Trickster affected a frustrated tone.

"It's useless," Clint said suddenly, fixing the Trickster with a disgusted look. "Debating this is pointless. He's not going to get it. He can't."

"Can't's a strong word." The Trickster, despite his words, didn't look bothered. "What, exactly, am I supposed to be 'getting'? All I'm hearing is you getting pissy."

"You're not human," Clint said evenly. "And I don't mean that as an insult. Tony's gotten on my nerves more than once because he also just doesn't get it. I suppose you shouldn't be any different."

"I'm still blanking on what your point is, here." The Trickster raised his eyebrows.

"Need me – the boring, little human – to spell it out for you?" Clint raised his eyebrows. "All right, then. You don't have a conscience. That little thing that tells us what's too far, what's right or wrong… You don't have one. And that's why you don't get it. You haven't got our morals, and you don't understand where we're coming from."

The Trickster laughed raucously. "You're kidding me, right? Morals? That's where you're going with this? Please tell me you're going to appeal to my humanity next. Or is that a no-go, since I don't have any?"

"Yep. Looks like you took the words right out of my mouth." Clint turned away, looking to Natasha. "You're seeing the same thing, aren't you?"

"I admit," Loki said heavily, the words ponderous, "I see his point when it comes to his actions. There are some who would deserve such punishments."

The Trickster threw out an arm, pointing at Loki. "Thank you. Finally, someone who can get past the whole 'oh, no, people are dying' shtick I get all the time."

"He isn't human either," Clint informed him, "so I don't think that earns you any brownie points."

"That said," Loki continued, shooting Clint a look that clearly said "be quiet or else," "I take offense with your attitude."

The look the Trickster gave him was pure disbelief. "You're joking, right?" he said, like he couldn't tell whether Loki was being sarcastic or not. "My attitude?"

"You do not go after these people out of some twisted sense of judgment," Loki said. "You do it because you find it humorous. You think it is funny how they have their crimes turned around on them. That is what I take issue with."

Steve let out a shaky breath at Loki's answer. He trusted Loki, but only so much. He'd made it pretty clear that his loyalties lay with Tony, so as long as they were working to help Tony…

At least he could be assured that Loki wouldn't hurt the Trickster.

"Twisted, huh?" the Trickster said wryly. "That's rich coming from you, if you're anything like what I know of the Loki from my universe."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Peggy demanded. "That Loki's you, too."

"Yeah, he is." The Trickster's eyebrows had shot up again. "None of you have ever picked up a book of Norse mythology, have you?"

Steve had read something of Norse mythology, but the stories had been brief, meant for children. Judging from Peggy's face, her exposure had been similar.

"Reading myths is sort of redundant when you've got the actual gods living in the same tower as you," Clint said offhandedly, waving a dismissive hand.

"Depends how similar they are to each other." There was something in the Trickster's expression that Steve didn't like. "Ever heard of Baldur?"

Loki's expression didn't give Steve much of a clue as to what he was thinking, but he didn't look like he recognized the name.

"Sounds like a god," Clint said when no one else spoke.

For some reason, that made the Trickster grin wider. "Oh, he was," he laughed. "Do me a favor – next time you run into Loki, ask him about that."

"And why should we do anything you say?" Natasha asked, eyes narrowed as she watched the Trickster.

"I dunno, because now you're all curious why I want you to?" He grinned at her in a way that wasn't remotely friendly. "Since I'm guessing you know jack shit about what you're going up against, might be better to have some advantage over him."

"Why are you telling us this?" Loki looked like he was trying not to show how confused he was. "The other Loki is you. Why would you work against him?"

The Trickster shrugged, making a face. "Why not? I'm not on his side. I'm not on anybody's side. Someone gives me an opportunity like that, I'm gonna take it."

"An opportunity to do what – cause trouble?" Peggy's mouth was a flat line.

"If you wanna put it bluntly." Did the Trickster ever stop grinning? "'Sides, I'm not working against anyone. But hell, would I like to be a fly on the wall for that conversation."

"Which you're not going to be," Steve said.

The Trickster shrugged again. "Think you could tell if I was?"

"Alright, enough of this," Clint said disgustedly. "We've been standing here and talking and getting nothing done, and we're still in this stupid maze." He gestured angrily at the hedges. "You gonna take us back or not?"

For some reason, the Trickster seemed to find that hilarious, laughing aloud. "Back?" he managed through it, calming down slightly. He smirked, raised one hand, and snapped his fingers.

Their surroundings seemed to waver and melt away, and Steve stared at what they revealed.

"I can't take you back anywhere," the Trickster said, dropping down onto a park bench, "if you never left in the first place."

"I call bullshit!" Clint pointed angrily at the Trickster. "What was all that, then?!"

"Induced mass hallucination?" Steve hoped the Trickster wasn't serious, but with him it was hard to tell. "A magician doesn't reveal his secrets."

"It was an illusion," Loki said, unimpressed. "I do recognize the type of magic that entails, even if it is unfamiliar in other ways."

The Trickster snorted, leaning back so his head was tilted up slightly, giving him a cocky look. "You want to know how I did it, don't you?"

Loki didn't immediately reply. "Your method is curious," he said finally,

"You mean how everything's real until it's gone?" The smirk had reappeared. "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies."

Loki had just stepped forward, mouth open to deliver a biting retort, when Gadreel arrived.

He looked furious – not like Steve had ever seen him before. The Trickster, on the other hand, bolted upright, smile suddenly gone.

"Oh, shit no, I'm out." It seemed like he was gone before he even finished speaking.

Gadreel looked torn between going after the Trickster and checking on them, his eyes quickly scanning their bodies as if to make sure they were fine.

"I can go after him," Gadreel said, his voice vibrating with anger.

Sighing, Steve let his shoulders slump, tension he hadn't even realized was there leaving him. "I don't think it'll do any good."

"We don't have a way to contain him," Peggy said. "And he won't listen to us."

It took a moment, but Gadreel nodded in acceptance, some of the anger seeping out of his frame. "You seem unhurt."

"We are," Steve said at the same time Clint complained, "Yeah, but I'm starving."

It was true, actually. Steve's stomach was uncomfortably empty, having gotten to the point where it wasn't even sure if it was worth growling for attention. "Some food would be nice," he admitted.

"I vote for Thai," Natasha said. "Or pizza. I'm not picky."

"Let's go with both," Steve said, looking up at the naturally blue sky with a sense of relief. "And then we'll call the others and check in."

After the utter disaster that had been dealing with the Trickster, he hoped that they had made some progress.


Hours later, after Tony and Bruce had gone back to the workshop to try and see what could be salvaged from the mess Gabriel had created, Jarvis finally received a call from Steve.

Pepper had already been informed as to the situation where they were at, what the Trickster had done, so she had been rather startled when Jarvis had blinked, reached for a phone, and then turned it on speaker, letting Steve's voice be heard by everyone present.

"It is good to hear from you, Captain," Jarvis said, sounding relieved.

"Gadreel checked in, didn't he?" Steve asked, sounding like he was eating something. "Yeah, we're good here."

"We are now!" Clint hollered from the background.

"Shall we expect you back anytime soon?" Jarvis asked.

"It would be nice to have some more backup," James said, stretched out on the comfiest couch the living room had to offer. "And to hear you're okay."

"Yeah…" There was a weary sigh from Steve. "I think we'll be back sometime within the next few hours if Gadreel's willing to give us a ride. I, for one, don't want to stay here longer than necessary."

"Seconded," Peggy said, sounding just as weary as Steve.

"Thirded," Clint said immediately after. "That's a thing, right?"

Jarvis hesitated briefly before saying, "It didn't go well?"

Pepper was rather startled by the chorus of groans that erupted on the other end of the line, along with a disgusted snort that was probably Loki.

"We'll tell you about it once we're back," Steve assured them. "It's kind of a long story."

"We have news, too," James said. "I'll let Bruce and Tony know what's up. They're still working on that machine."

"They haven't figured it out yet?" Steve sounded disappointed. "It's been a few days, so I just thought…"

"They are closer than they were before," Jarvis said reassuringly. "We did have some outside help for a time."

"Oh?"

"We'll debrief once you're back," James said firmly. "You guys sound exhausted, and I can hear you eating something, Steve."

There was a guilty pause before Steve said, "It's not like we had food."

Blinking, Pepper shared a disconcerted look with Rhodey, who also didn't seem to understand what Steve meant by that.

"We ordered pizza and Thai," Peggy said, sounding further away from the phone. "Who knew they had pizza this good down here?"

"I will get them back in one piece, James," Gadreel said. "Don't worry."

"I'm not," James said. "I've seen you in action. I'll see you later."

"Seeya, Bucky."

Jarvis disconnected the phone call, leaving the mobile sitting on the table. "I admit I was worried," he said after a moment.

"I wasn't," James said offhandedly, "'cause I would've gone and kicked the Trickster's ass if he did anything."

"I doubt that would have done anything," Jarvis said dryly, "seeing as how Gadreel thought it better to wait."

"He could do a better job with checking in, couldn't he?" Rhodey asked. "He should've let you know what was going on when it happened."

"Let me tell you," James said, "that his sense of time is screwed up. I asked him if he'd be willing to look over something for me in the next day. He shows up a week later and asks if he can do it. I'd given up and asked Tony."

"He isn't human," Jarvis pointed out.

"Neither are you, and I don't see you losing track of time and feeding the kids two days after you're supposed to."

"I am not an angel." Jarvis sounded affronted. "I have an impeccable inside clock."

"Internal," Pepper corrected.

"But you should probably just say you keep track of time," Rhodey added.

"Yes, well…it is my job to keep track of time," Jarvis said, his head tilting to the side in a manner that suggested he was making a mental note to not make that mistake again.

Pepper was just thankful he had gotten the hang of facial expressions. In comparison, a few misused human phrases weren't so bad.

"Well, hopefully Gadreel won't wait too long to bring them back," she said. "It didn't sound like things went well with the Trickster."

"Considering what we know of the Trickster's attitude, it was doubtful that it would," Jarvis replied. "At least they're all alright."

"What d'you think the Trickster did?" James asked. Jarvis just shrugged.

"I have no way of guessing. You can always ask the Captain when they return."

"It can't have been too bad if they're alright," Rhodey said, probably trying to find the positive side to things.

"We'll see." Pepper personally thought that if the Trickster was Tony's bad side, there was probably quite a lot of nasty things he could have done. It was just a little disconcerting to realize that now he'd do it to them, too, given a reason.

She'd never really seen Tony angry, except for with Lilith, and even if the Trickster wasn't an angel, that didn't mean it wasn't a daunting prospect.


Flying with Gadreel wasn't as comfortable as flying with Tony, but Steve was relieved enough to be back home that he didn't care about the upset stomach. There was a small gagging sound from Clint, but everyone else seemed to share the same sentiment.

"I shouldn't have had that last pizza slice," Clint groaned.

Gadreel didn't seem to know if he should apologize or just let it go. "I'm sorry?" he offered eventually.

"It's all right," Natasha assured him, patting his arm. "Clint's just a baby."

"I can hear you, you know," Clint protested, sounding inordinately pleased about this fact.

Given that Clint had spent at least several hours practically deaf, Steve didn't blame him for being happy about being able to hear again.

Stepping forward, Steve let his shield drop onto the couch, smiling at Bucky standing just off to the side. "Hey, Buck."

"Good to see you're in one piece," Bucky returned easily, grinning back. "We were worried for a moment there."

"You could do a better job of checking in," Rhodey told Gadreel disapprovingly.

This time Gadreel's apology was more certain. "My apologies; I lost track of time."

Bucky pointed at him. "There! What did I tell you!"

"What happened?" Jarvis asked. "Gadreel could not give us any specifics."

"I want a shower," Clint said, not answering the question. "Or a bath. I still feel like I'm covered in sphinx guts."

"There are worse fates," Loki said.

"Were you covered in blood and guts? No? Then shut up."

"Okay," Tony said, exiting the elevator with Bruce at his side. "This I have to hear. You look awfully clean for someone who was apparently covered in blood."

"I'm never going to be able to watch or read Goblet of Fire again without thinking of that fucking maze," Clint groaned, flopping down on the couch dramatically.

Everyone who hadn't been in the maze blinked at Clint, varying expressions of surprise and confusion flickering over their faces.

"He wasn't very friendly, then?" Pepper asked, the words just slightly teasing.

Steve wasn't quite sure what to say to that considering his knee-jerk response was that the Trickster was a complete and utter ass, but Tony was standing right there.

Then again, Tony was also an ass at times.

Clint beat him to the punch, staring right at Tony as he said, "He's an asshole. You're an asshole."

Tony didn't look phased at the insult. "And that's news?"

Steve bit his lip, his eyes dropping to his feet. It wasn't just that… It was…it was how cruel the Trickster was.

It was difficult to believe that Tony had ever been like that.

"In any case," Peggy said loudly, giving Clint a quelling look, "we won't be getting any help from him. He's officially announced he's neutral."

"He also told us to ask the other Loki about someone called Baldur," Natasha added. She looked at Jarvis. "Do you have any idea who that is?"

It took Jarvis a moment to respond, and when he did it was with the familiar glazed look that meant he was looking at something on the Internet. "It appears he's a figure in Norse mythology…"

"I don't know of any god named Baldur," Loki said. "Though it would explain why my counterpart would know him."

Jarvis stiffened suddenly, eyes widening a fraction. "I believe," he said in a carefully neutral voice, "I may have discovered why the Trickster told you to ask."

"Why?" Tony looked just as curious as the rest of them.

Jarvis glanced at him briefly, looking reluctant. "According to several sources, Baldur was a son of Odin," he began.

Loki scoffed. "Who wrote these myths? Thor is my only brother."

"Well…I certainly hope they're wrong in this case."

"Jarvis." Steve didn't like the way the AI was avoiding telling them. "What is it?"

Jarvis sighed. "There is a myth recorded where Loki is responsible for Baldur's death."

Loki's breath abruptly caught in his throat. Tony was staring, dumbfounded, at Jarvis.

"He – I did that?" Tony whispered.

"It might not be true," Steve said quickly, ignoring the looks Peggy and Natasha shot him.

"If the Trickster told us to ask Loki about it, I'd say there's some truth to it," Natasha said evenly.

"But we don't know," Steve insisted, sounding a bit too desperate even to his own ears. "They could be wrong."

Loki looked like he was sucking on a lemon as he admitted, "The universes are too different to be certain in this case. What is wrong here could be true in the universe where my counterpart originated."

"Which is why…" Peggy sighed, sounding thoroughly disgruntled to be considering this. "Which is why we have to ask the other Loki. I hate my life."

"Why?" Tony still sounded almost horrified. "I mean…he – I had to have a reason, right?"

Jarvis's gaze went glassy for another second. "It does not say," he admitted. "Those who wrote this don't seem very interested in giving Loki's side of events."

A blank expression had settled on Loki's face. "How surprising," he said flatly, not sounding surprised at all.

There was a low curse from Tony, and Steve looked over to see him putting his hands to his face, hiding it from view. He was shaking.

Rhodey went to him, clasping his shoulder reassuringly. "It's okay, Tones. I'm sure there's a good explanation for this."

Considering the reasoning the Trickster gave for doing what he did, Steve rather doubted that this Loki had a better explanation.

"It may not help," Jarvis offered quietly, "but as the story goes, Loki and Baldur were not brothers."

"They weren't?" Peggy looked just as surprised as the rest of them.

"That doesn't make any sense," Loki said. "You said Baldur was a son of Odin, yes?"

"Loki does not appear to be, as far as the mythology is concerned," Jarvis replied.

"Do you think that makes it better?" Tony snapped, letting his hands drop. "Brother or not, I was still related to him!"

There was a beat of silence.

"I didn't say that," Jarvis spoke after a moment. "It's true, but…" His eyes flickered to Loki before he continued. "He was apparently Odin's brother."

There was an unreadable expression on Loki's face, one that rather made Steve want to break down into inappropriate laughter. "Please tell me that was a joke."

"I'm afraid not. It is odd, though."

"Tell me about it," Rhodey said. "Odin's brother? That's just plain weird to think about."

"I am trying not to," Loki said, face pinched. Shaking his head, he said in a more natural tone, "So we are expected to ask my counterpart what he did with this Baldur and hope he tells us the truth. From what I know of myself, this is…incredibly unlikely."

"I don't know," Natasha. "This was the Trickster telling us to. He probably only did that to cause trouble. I can guess Loki wouldn't react well."

"After the mess we just went through, I'm game," Clint said faux cheerily. "Nothing tops almost being eaten by a giant sphinx!"

"What the hell did the Trickster do?" Rhodey looked bewildered. "I think we might need a little more detail on that story."

"We'll tell you, and then you can explain what happened while we were gone," Peggy said. "You said you wanted to debrief us, right? What happened?"

It took a few seconds before Tony responded, voice still subdued. "Gabriel showed up."

"I talked with him first," Gadreel said before anyone else could react. "He had some questions. I assume he considered what he should do before going to Tony."

"But he isn't here?" Steve guessed.

Tony grimaced, not seeming to see the uncomfortable looks the others shot him. "There was an…incident."

"Oh?" Peggy sounded too suspicious. "What sort of incident?"

"I think we can hold off on that until we hear from you," Bucky interrupted. "Otherwise we're not going to get anything done." He didn't flinch back from Peggy's stony glare. "Trust me."


"All right, Tones," Rhodey said once they had finished explaining what had happened in the maze and everything the Trickster had told them, "I say this as your best bud, but the Trickster is a dick."

"Trust me," Tony said, not meeting anyone's eyes, "I know."

"At least you're all right," Pepper said after a moment. "I had my doubts for a moment." She smiled, but her hands were tangled up with each other.

"I don't think he was ever really going to hurt us," Natasha said. "We don't exactly fit into his 'dicks who deserve punishment' category."

"Not like it stopped him from freaking us out," Clint muttered.

"I would have taken offense to his actions if he had done worse," Gadreel said darkly.

"So," Peggy started, looking Bucky in the eyes, "let's get to the point. What happened here?"

Swallowing, Steve looked down at this hands. He hadn't told Peggy what had happened to Tony in that other world. He didn't have the right to talk about that, and Tony had been so uncomfortable even mentioning it…

But it wasn't as if he could ignore that Tony was different. And that the others – observant as they all were – would notice that something was wrong.

He just wished it had happened some other way, and not when Tony wasn't even wholly himself.

There wasn't any sign of what Gabriel had done, but evidently something had happened.

The others were looking at Tony, waiting for him to speak. He seemed uncomfortable under the attention, shifting anxiously.

"Gabriel panicked," Tony said finally, looking at some point on the wall to the right of them. "He, uh… I was asleep at the time, so I didn't really see what happened."

"Busted just about everything in the workshop," Rhodey explained bluntly when Tony looked at him. "And then he was gone. We haven't seen him since."

"Angels don't panic," Clint protested. "I've never seen him panic before."

"And this…" Tony ran a hand through his hair, laughing nervously. "This is where I say I didn't tell you guys everything about what happened when I was…gone. I'm not exactly sure of all the details myself; Jarvis filled me in after Gabriel left."

"You did?" Gadreel's words were quiet, but they still cut to the chase. Jarvis flinched minutely at his tone.

"I told him to," Tony said sharply. "I had to know. But…" He swallowed, meeting Gadreel's eyes. "You know more, don't you? You were there."

Everyone looked to Gadreel, who looked rather sick at the reminder. Steve's own stomach roiled at the memory of how Tony had looked after Gadreel had pulled him out.

"This is not something I will discuss," Gadreel said finally. "Your permission isn't enough, Tony. I will not betray your confidence."

"Nor is it something that should be discussed," Loki said quietly, giving Peggy a warning glare. "The finer details do not matter."

"Do you think we're stupid?" Peggy demanded, her hands curled into fists. "I know it's not 'issues with the reactor' when the lights start flickering. When someone like Gabriel has trouble staying in control of the amount of power he wields, then we need to know what's wrong. What if something happens and we're not prepared for it?"

"Nothing has happened before," Gadreel pointed out. "Everything was handled."

"Just because nothing's happened yet doesn't mean nothing will," Natasha pointed out. "What set him off?"

Tony seemed extremely reluctant to say anything, glancing askance at Rhodey.

Nodding slightly, Rhodey looked back at the others. "Sam ran in, yelling. It was probably the shock that did it."

"You're joking, right?" Clint sounded as skeptical as he looked. "You think a six-year-old managed to surprise an angel that badly by being loud?"

Natasha looked thoughtful, something in her expression making Steve think that she knew – or had at least guessed – the real reason Sam had managed to startle Gabriel.

"You've been in war zones," Rhodey told Clint. "Think anyone comes out the same?"

"An angel has PTSD." The words were flat. "That's what you're telling me."

"It isn't as if we are exempt from injuries," Gadreel said quietly. "Don't think us infallible just because we are angels."

"But it takes a lot to bring down an angel," Clint said. "We were there when he took down the Leviathan. I was there when a bunch of guys shot him full of iron. He didn't even blink. So what the hell freaked him out so badly he has PTSD?"

"I don't remember," Tony said tightly. "And I don't want to."

Steve met Jarvis's eyes for a moment, and he knew they were both thinking of what had happened.

He didn't want to have to explain that any more than the AI did.

"Okay. Stop this." Clint poked a finger at Steve accusingly. "Stop this meaningful looks bullshit. I know there's something you're not telling us, and it's pissing me off."

"And me," Peggy added, staring at Steve. Her arms were folded across her chest, her entire posture closed off in a manner that Steve had never seen before.

"Uh…" Steve stumbled over his words, wondering just what he should say and most of him not wanting to say anything at all. "We had some…issues over there. World…shattering issues." He winced at the explanation. It sounded poor even to him.

Loki looked aggrieved. "That is one way to put it."

"I apparently had some pissed off family members causing trouble," Tony said after another moment. "And then I pissed them off even more." He gave a one-shouldered shrug, smiling weakly.

"You keep saying that an archangel is in a different class from a regular angel," Natasha said. "How much trouble could a few family members be?"

"If they're both archangels, too?" Tony asked rhetorically. "A lot."

"You said they weren't there," Clint said accusingly. "Or what was all that shit about you being the last key?"

"It's not like they were dead." Tony looked down at his feet, shuffling them slightly. "Just…locked away. In a…" His breath hitched, and his eyes closed tightly. "…Cage."

"You don't have to speak of it if you don't want to." Gadreel was watching Tony closely, worry clear on his face.

Tony shook his head, and Rhodey moved his chair over, putting one arm over Tony's shoulders. It was rattling to see Tony so thoroughly shaken, even when he barely remembered it.

Then again, he had reason to be.

"A cage?" Peggy looked just as worried, but she was still clearly determined to get answers. If anything, her worry was probably fueling that. It was one of the things Steve loved about her.

Gadreel glanced at her. "When Lucifer Fell, he was locked in a Cage. From what I understand, this Cage was bound by seals that had to be broken in a certain order for it to open."

"They made a way to open a Cage with the devil in it?" Clint snorted. "Doesn't sound like a great idea."

"It's for the Apocalypse," Steve said, knowing this much from his religion. "You break enough seals and release him, and it's – well – the end of the world. From what someone over there told me"-while they had been waiting on Gadreel to come back with Tony-"the Cage had already been opened before. But they managed to shut it again before the whole 'everyone dying' thing happened."

"The rings of the four Horsemen," Gadreel provided. "I know that much. It would have sealed the Cage again - and was, once, successfully accomplished."

"But they got out again?" Clint guessed. "Since you had to deal with them and all…"

"You said two archangels," Natasha said suddenly. "If Raphael was with you-"

"Michael wasn't as much of an issue," Steve told her. "It wasn't that great. He didn't help us at all. Didn't seem to care what happened."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Meaning you had to literally deal with the Devil?" she asked dryly.

"That doesn't answer the question as to how this Cage opened again," Clint said, glaring between Steve and Gadreel. "You'd think something built to hold Satan would actually stay intact!"

Abruptly, Tony stood up, moving towards the elevator. Steve held out a hand as Peggy moved to get up as well. "Let him go," he said softly, making her give him a startled look.

Rhodey did get up. "I'll make sure he's alright," he said. "I don't really need to hear the story again."

Pepper followed after them as well, worry written all over her.

Once the elevator doors had closed, Gadreel spoke again, shame etched in every inch of his frame. "It was my fault. I…was not careful enough." He shifted anxiously, the movement betraying just how nervous he was.

"You thought it was a good idea to go sight-seeing?" Clint asked sarcastically. "See how the Devil was doing? What – did you poke him through the bars?"

"He had to!" Steve burst out. Clint's words made him angry, even though he knew the other man had no way of knowing how important it had been. "It – we didn't have a choice, unless we wanted Tony stuck in there with them forever!"

In the stunned silence that fell after he spoke, Steve realized what he had just said. He hadn't – shit. Steve bent his head, staring at the table.

"What do you mean?" Natasha's voice was soft, but with an foreboding edge. "Was he… Tony was in the Cage?"

"Not by design, I assure you," Gadreel said, so still that he could have been a statue. "That was an accident, one that should never have happened if it were not for that accursed spell."

"What spell?" Peggy demanded. "What kind of accident would trap him in there?"

"We had all Fallen," Gadreel said quietly. "All of us… The gates to Heaven were closed, barring us from our home. I had no idea what to do. I was lost, free for the first time in…" He didn't finish the sentence, shaking his head. "Then there was Gabriel. He was the only one who could manage it, and he did. He succeeded…but at such a price…"

Staring off into space for a few seconds, he continued. "The spell was spoken only once before, during the original Fall when Michael struck Lucifer down. Raphael said it was that which caused the Cage to open once again."

The rest of them had been listening with a sort of quiet, building horror as Gadreel spoke – those who hadn't known previously, mostly, but it wasn't any easier remembering what had happened. Loki was staring at his hands as if he could do something with them to make remembering easier.

"Something happened to him down there." It wasn't a question, but the way Peggy said it made it sound like she was hoping the answer would be no.

Gadreel let out a long breath. "Yes," he said quietly. "Gabriel was…trapped. With two beings who knew for certain that he was the only one in all of Creation who could have – or would have – told anyone that the rings would work to seal an archangel back into the Cage."

His voice was blankly neutral as he went on. "I was too slow. Time…runs differently down there. Ten years for a month."

Bucky inhaled sharply. "Shit. You said-" He turned to Jarvis. "You said it took a month for Gadreel to get back."

"I waited two days before going," Gadreel said tonelessly, either ignoring or just not noticing the reactions of those still in the room. "Castiel had to prepare me. And I…I was not certain that I should even do it."

"You mean you refused to," Loki said sharply, the words biting.

Gadreel's eyes darted to him. "I knew the risks." He was still speaking barely above a whisper, but it was so quiet that they could all hear him perfectly. "It…was not something that I wished to be responsible for."

"Are you saying you almost left him down there?"

Gabriel didn't flinch from the answer. "Yes. I knew Gabriel would not want to free Lucifer, and the risk was too great. But I…" His eyes closed. "He forgave me." The words were even quieter than the ones before. "After what I did, he forgave me. So I…I chose to do it."

"I forced you, you mean," Loki said, eyes dark.

Gabriel shot him an angry look, lips thin. "You would not have kept me bound for long, Loki. One can't force an angel."

"So you pulled him out," Clint said, shrinking back into the couch. "And you broke the Cage?" His attitude had changed drastically. Steve guessed he was starting to wish he hadn't asked; Steve wished he had opted out of listening to this.

Gadreel looked back at him. "Not at first… But I weakened it. It had never been designed to hold three of Heaven's strongest. Only ever for one of them. And if what Michael apparently said was written was true…it was never intended to be permanent.".

When Gadreel didn't continue, Steve did, remembering with aching clarity just what had followed. "And then we had Lucifer to deal with and no way of containing him."

"I really hope you didn't go and threaten to punch his face in," Bucky said wryly, his attempt at lightening the mood falling horribly flat.

"Hell, no." Steve smiled weakly at him. "I would've broken something."

"He would have stabbed you," Loki pointed out. "Or something much worse and undoubtedly prolonged. And then you would be dead."

"So what happened with Lucifer?"

That was a question Steve had been hoping wouldn't come up.

Loki shrugged, folding his arms across his chest. "After some rather horrible mishaps, Gabriel managed to subdue him. And now we are all here trying to fix this latest mess he has managed to get himself into."

Steve stifled a hysterical laugh at the succinct way Loki had managed to brush over Tony almost dying again before he went off on a suicide mission to try and persuade Lucifer one last time to abort the apocalypse. He could still remember those screams in the warehouse before it had blown up, and the way Tony had been glowing afterward.

He still wasn't sure what the hell had happened there, other than Raphael coming back to life as a fully powered archangel.

Natasha looked doubtful. "Just like that," she said dryly. "It can hardly be worse than what we've heard so far." She looked shaken; obviously she, like the others, hadn't been expecting what could count as a horror story.

"I am no bard," Loki said. "I can hardly dramatize what was a battle for the ages. If you want tales of victory, ask Thor."

Just about all they had seen was some really insane weather that Gadreel had shielded them from. And just as suddenly as the weather had started, it had cleared up.

"We're not asking for flowery language," Natasha said. "Just the truth."

When none of them spoke up, Natasha leaned forward. "I know that Samael was what Lucifer was called before he Fell," she said evenly, confirming Steve's earlier suspicions about how much she knew. "I also know that Tony doesn't regret it."

Clint sucked in a breath. "Wait, you're not seriously saying…"

Gadreel's lips pulled into a small smile. "He thought it appropriate. It was a new beginning for nem."

Clint still looked sucker-punched, and Peggy didn't look much better.

"That child…" Peggy glanced at the elevator. "I can't believe it."

"Do you think Lucifer was born as such?" Gadreel's smile was more genuine now. "He was once the most beautiful of all of us. I remember him, bright and shining and filled with so much love. That was who he was before Father Created humans. Gabriel sought that core out – the core of who Lucifer had been – and gave it new life. Samael is no more Lucifer than Loki is."

"Doubtful," Loki drawled. "I have been slated to begin Ragnarok, so that is perhaps not a good comparison."

"If anyone starts giving that kid grief," Bucky said fiercely, "I am going to personally give them grief."

"No way." Peggy shook her head. "Sam might have used to be...like that, but I don't think any of us would stoop that low. Sam's a kid."

"This is just weird." Clint was shaking his head. "Man, what happens if Sam remembers like Tony did? It's gonna destroy nem."

"Lucifer's Grace isn't here," Gadreel said. "There is no chance of that happening…accidentally, at least. I am uncertain as to what Gabriel has planned, but I suspect he will leave the choice to nem when ne is old enough."

"No wonder he didn't want nem calling him 'Dad,'" Peggy murmured. "I did wonder why he kept asking nem to say 'uncle' instead. It must be so odd for him." She made a face. "I supposed I shouldn't have yelled at him quite so much about that, then."

"When did that happen?" Steve asked.

"Sometime after the mess with HYDRA," Peggy answered. "It wasn't a very good day, and his behavior just made it worse."

"It's still going to fuck them up," Clint said. "That's history that's not going to go away, no matter how Tony tries to change things."

"He wants to give Samael a second chance," Gadreel said softly. "And the ability to choose."

A silence, not exactly comfortable but not tense, hung in the room for several moments before Jarvis pushed his chair away from the table, expression carefully neutral. "I should go see how Mr. Stark is doing."

"I'll come with," Steve said, desperately wanting to make sure Tony was okay. He knew he was, but…he just had to be sure.

They had already made that mistake before, and it wasn't one that Steve was willing to repeat.


Reviews are appreciated! :D