A/N

Hello again. Sorry for posting late, I've been stuck without WiFi all day. It's taken me the last hour and a half just to get these pages to load and to edit. As promised, this chapter is much longer, and so much crap happens it was stressful to write. Hope you enjoy, please tell me what you think. Ok, forgive me for being needy, (I'm somewhat delirious with fever right now and I cant stop coughing long enough to type, I get to be a little grumpy), but please, I would love some feedback. Not just 'good job, cant wait for the next chapter', (Its not that I don't like those, I do) but actual feedback. What did you like, what can I do better, what do you want to see in later chapters? Those kind of reviews help me so much, you have no idea.


The boy sat on the edge of the couch, staring at his hands. Loki. The man who killed thousands just last month. There was some part of his brain that still tried to resist, but even if all the facts hadn't fallen perfectly into place (He had come from seemingly nowhere soon after the god had died, and with his people's magic reincarnating as a child wouldn't be such a far fetched thing. All of his dreams were based on or from the perspective of Loki, and the rush of emotions associated with him were too strong to be brushed off.), he could feel that it was right. The name felt good on his tongue, it felt like his.

"Loki." He whispered it aloud, the sound fading quickly into the silence. "Prince of Asgard."

He shivered. He had barely come to terms with his own existence, and now he had to deal with the fact that he was a reincarnated god. Not just a god, either. An evil, chaotic, murdering god of lies. In his shock, his personal memories of Loki from his dreams were irrelevant, and he remembered nothing but the maniacally laughing image from the laundromat magazine.

He knew right away that he could tell no one. He would be labeled as either a criminal or insane, and he couldn't let that happen. Not when things were finally looking up. There was no was he could keep it hidden forever, especially if he grew up to look as much like the other Loki as he did currently. From his first dream of the god's childhood, he knew they were nearly identical. But for now… he had food, and a place to sleep. Maybe he could manage to forget about his half-remembered past, if only for a while.

With this thought to console him, he stretched himself back out on the threadbare couch and pulled the blanket back over his shivering body. It took what seemed like hours, but eventually he fell back into a restless sleep.


When Maggie approached the store the next morning, about half an hour before eight, she nearly tripped on a cat lingering by the door.

"Hey there, cutie. What're you doing around here?" It rubbed against her docilely, so she took the risk of reaching down to pet it. "Sorry, I don't have anything for you. Standing, she unlocked the door and slipped quickly in, opening it as little as possible to keep the cat out. Flicking on the light she noticed the absence of the blankets from where they had been stacked by her desk, and she smiled. She walked softly to the back wall to peer into the partially open door. Luke was curled on the couch, his breathing rough but definitely asleep. The lighting was dim, but he seemed to her healthier than before. His face was still strangely pale, but there were hints of pink in his cheeks and he wasn't shivering at all. Maggie backed up slowly, careful not to disturb him. She shouldn't have bothered, as she had barely been sitting at her desk for ten minutes when the bleary eyed boy shuffled out of the small room, trying to hide a yawn.

"Morning, sleepyhead," she said playfully. "You look better."

Luke ran him fingers through his hair, attempting to comb it. "I feel better. Thank you."

He neatly folded the blanket and placed it back by the desk before looking up at Maggie for instructions. He was using all of his mental strength to keep himself from thinking about last night's realization, but a job to do would help tremendously.

A ten dollar bill was pushed over the desk. "I want coffee, get whatever you want."

Thankful, the boy grabbed the money and his coat, which was still folded where he had left it last night, and headed towards the door. Outside, the previous night's gloom had faded to reveal a clear blue sky, which reflected off the frost that still partially covered the windows. He had barely left the building when the cat from last night pushed itself underneath him. He tripped and landed hard on the pavement. Meow.

His night out of the cold had put him in a fairly good mood, so he laughed at the animal despite the pain from hitting the ground. "I thought dogs were supposed to be the clingy ones. What kind of cat are you?" He stroked the soft brown fur as he climbed off the sidewalk. "Glad to see you made it through the night ok. Did you like the bed?" Of course, the cat did not respond, so the boy stood and continued towards the cafe. The cat remained by the bookstore.

The cafe was a lot more crowded than it had been previously, and the child had to weave in and out of groups of people in colorful coats sipping coffee. By this time, the ordering was automatic, and he was back outside in a little over five minutes. He wasn't feeling terribly hungry, so he ordered himself a side of bacon and a water. Before reentering the store, he stooped to give the cat a slice of his breakfast. It looked even scrawnier than him, he couldn't help wanting to feed it.

Back inside, he placed the coffee on Maggie's desk. She was staring intently at her computer, so he took the opportunity to eat as much as he could before she gave him a task.

"Hey, Luke, would you... eh..." She was distracted by something on the screen. "Go- go get one of those boxes from the back room. Any one, doesn't matter. " He reluctantly went, taking his food with him.

The cardboard boxes, completely full of books, were heavy and he ended up having to put the foam container down to attempt to pick one up. He struggled with the weight anyways, dropping it every time he tried to pick it up, often on his own feet.

Several minutes of failure were suddenly interrupted by a crash and a scream from the front room.


No one was entirely sure where the Chitauri had come from. There had been flashes of light, but no dramatic portals or pillars of lightning. They had just… appeared. Not an army, or any sort of formidable force. Just two.

Of course, this was easily enough to terrify an entire street of people into a screaming mob of pedestrians. The aliens didn't seem to care, speaking softly to each other in a hissing and clicking tongue.

Where was the trickster seen?

Somewhere on this street, is all I was told. We were lucky to get this exact of a location.

This Chitauri in particular had been chosen for his knowledge of the all-tongue. It was unusual for their race to speak it, but on Midgard it could be useful. As it was several seconds later.

They didn't bother to use the door to the coffee shop, instead smashing straight through the glass. The man behind the counter stood, frozen in fear and completely unable to run.

"Human. Do you know the location of the one we seek? Loki, the criminal. Hidden in the form of a midgardian child, he is nearby."

John's mind was completely numb with shock and fear. There were aliens, huge, gray aliens, standing five feet form him. Asking about the man who had invaded New York last month. Or, a child version of him apparently. His thoughts were reeling and confused, but by some miracle they put the pieces together.

"Answer, mortal. He appears as a younger version of the god."

John's tongue finally unfroze enough for him to speak. "Th-there's a boy, h-he showed up a few days ago. Black h-hair, green eyes?"

The Chitauri stepped closer. "Where is he now?"

Finger shaking, the man pointed across the street. Without another word, the creatures turned and left through the hole they had created. John collapsed against the counter the second they were gone.

They were slightly more polite with the bookstore, ripping the door from its hinges instead of tearing though the wall. Although it might have been because of the solid brick building, and not courtesy. Maggie screamed.

"Midgardian, tell us where Loki is and we will leave you unharmed."

Thankfully she got her focus back much quicker than john had, and managed to talk through the terror. "Lo-Loki's dead. For months now. Why are you asking m-me?"

The Chitauri stepped threateningly closer. "I know he is here. The trickster is hiding himself as a child, but he is still dangerous."

"No, there's no Loki here, just…" she trailed off. She had initially assumed they were making some sort of weird mistake, but saying the name out loud, she realized how much it did sound like Luke. Pictures from news stories and magazines flashed through her head. A man, dressed in green and black, with pale, sharp features and long dark hair. His eyes she had never seen, but she would be willing to bet they were a bright, mischievous green. "…Luke."

The boy chose this moment to poke his head out of the back room. The second he saw the aliens, his legs nearly collapsed out from under him. The only memories he had of the aliens came flashing back. Being dragged from a cell, agony taking his last scraps of pride as he screamed in pain, insults and smacks to the head when he wouldn't walk fast enough. It didn't matter that they were memories from a dream. They were still his.

He wanted to step backwards, to run and hide, but his legs wouldn't move. They were frozen to the floor, forcing him to watch as the Chitauri stepped closer to Maggie.

"Who is Luke?"

Her response was quiet. She had let this boy in, she had liked him, he couldn't be the chaotic, ruthless god that had wrecked her city. "The boy… he came here a few days ago, he works here."

As much as she didn't want to believe it, the fact that she was telling the aliens proved that she did.

The Chitauri took that to mean that he was in the shop, and began to search. It took the taller one barely thirty seconds before his beady eyes found the terrified boy. The grin that came over his face filled the child with the purest form of horror he had ever known.

"Found you, little prince."

It was the voice that finally did it. A young boy can only take so much fear before he overflows, and the overflow was what allowed him to finally take action. He ran backwards as fast as he could, slamming and locking the door. He shoved the box he had been attempting to lift against it, hoping for a few extra seconds with which to work. Nearly throwing himself at the table, he grabbed a pad and pencil he had found the night before and scrawled out a message with trembling hands.

"Come out, runt. There's nowhere to run."

Thank god these creatures had a tendency to play with their prey.

Maggie, I'm so sorry. I didn't know anything about this before last night. I woke up three days ago on the street, no memories I swear I didn't mean any harm. I don't know why, or how, but I guess I really am Loki. So sorr-

He threw the paper down as his nightmare finally pulled open the door. "Come on, now. There's someone who's been waiting to see you for quite a while." It grabbed him forcefully by his coat collar and dragged him from the room, forcing him to frantically scramble to try to get his feet on the ground. Everything was spinning, but he managed to lock in on Maggie's face as he was pulled from the room.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he passed her. "A note, in th-" a harsh tug cut off his breathing, but he got his message across with a wild gesture towards the recently vacated room. Her eyes as she watched him go were wide, shocked, and slightly betrayed.

Luke (Loki, his mind reminded him) managed to get back on his feet before they reached the sidewalk. Meow.

He had decided there was definitely something wrong with that cat. Aliens had violently pulled the door from the frame, and it was still waiting outside.

"You stupid creature, go away."

Meow

The Chitauri who wasn't holding the boy turned around and stared at the animal. It took two steps to reach it. He looked at his companion, then gestured to Loki.

"Is this creature yours?"

As dull as the cat seemed to be, it was sweet and he didn't want it to get hurt. "No, he just followed me here. Don't we have somewhere to be?"

The Chitauri were talking in their native language again, but somehow the boy could understand them.

"He is right. Let's go."

There was a split second of relief as his captors turned away, but then-

Meow.

The smaller alien didn't even turn his head when he snapped his foot back to kick the animal. A sharp cracking of its spine, then almost total silence.

Loki's legs stopped working when he saw the cat fall. The Chitauri didn't seem to care, continuing to drag him across the road, and the horrified boy let the pavement scrape at his coat. Up until now, some part of his mind had been refusing to believe that any of this was happening to him. These things weren't real, they couldn't hurt him. But seeing the small brown cat, lying dead by the gaping doorway, everything hit him. These cruel, bloodthirsty, and probably revenge seeking aliens were taking him to an unknown location. And there was absolutely nothing he could do to protect himself.

The rubber heels of his sneakers dragged along the black road. A cold, scaly hand was wrapping around his throat, trying to tug him to his feet. He tried to ignore it, but it was persistent. Eventually it won, and it pulled him upwards and off the ground. His face was pressed against the golden Chitauri armor, so when the light flashed around them he was not blinded, but the fierce wind that tugged at his coat told him they were moving. Although the boy lay perfectly still in his captor's grip, his mind was in chaos. The pale, dry skin inches from his face was bringing back unwanted memories, and there was no part of him not dreading what he knew was coming in the near future. These creatures had done so much damage to him, internally and externally, and even though the memories were faint they were still his and they still hurt.

There was a heavy thump, and the light vanished. Loki was rudely dropped to the ground, and he felt a terrifyingly familiar rough rock under his fingers. He slowly opened his eyes. The Chitauri home base, while barren and dark, had a sky more breathtaking than Asgard's and he couldn't help but stare. The deep blues and blacks, strewn with swirls of pinks and greens lit up the gray and uneven landscape beneath with a faint glow. The boy's eyes were turned upwards in wonder, but a deep voice from behind him snapped them around so quickly he nearly pulled a muscle in his neck.

"At last, the prince returns."

The boy had thought he had reached his limits long ago for how much fear he was capable of feeling. Now, seeing this face that haunted his nightmares for the first time, he realized he was wrong.

Red, deeply lined skin covered the face of the alien, who grinned menacingly down at him from barely five feet away.

"I told you I would find you. Even with this new illusion, you cannot hide from me. Although, I am impressed by how permanent it seems. I can't even detect the magic, although your soul gives it away." He stepped closer and brushed his huge fingers against the boy's jaw. "You forget, my magic is superior to even yours. The wretched thing that is your essence is distinct. I can see it, even when you clean it off and choose a new form." Loki could say nothing as the alien tilted his head to look him directly in the eyes. "I'm impressed, by the way, with how well you managed to cleanse your soul. Purer, you were difficult to find. Unfortunately for you a trickster god can never quite possess the innocence of a human. You stood out among them."

The child still couldn't move. He would have given anything in that moment to be able to run, or even just cover his face. Thanos' red eyes burned into his own, and they hypnotized him like a snake entrances it's prey before it strikes.

"Do you remember my promise to you, Asgardian? Your freedom for the Tessaract. And I'm not seeing the Tessaract."

He looked away suddenly and stood. "Take him to his room."

The cell from his dreams flashed quickly through his mind as he was yanked upwards.

"We'll finish this later, once you've settled in. And you might as well get comfortable. You're going to be here for quite a long time."

Loki wanted to scream, to protest, to do anything other than let these aliens drag him back into hell, but the part of his brain where his old memories were knew it would only make things worse. A hand latched back around his throat, pushing him forwards while cutting off his air supply. The Chitauri led the small boy across the desolate rock towards a gaping hole in the earth. Inside, there was absolutely no light, and when they had rounded a few corners from the entrance, he was blind. Apparently the Chitauri possessed some adaptation that he did not. The journey seemed to take forever. The tunnels were eerily silent, and the only noise was the scratch of feet on rock and his own loud breathing. He was acutely aware that the only guidance he had in this blackness were the claws digging into the soft skin of his neck.

The whole situation felt surreal. The world around him seemed to fade and vanish, until nothing was left but the rock directly beneath him and the Chitauri hand, guiding him through the void and straight into hell.

But the rest of the world continued to exist, whether or not he could see it, and they eventually stopped. A jingle of keys, and a click. The sound of a stone door pulled open sent chills down the boy's spine. The presence on his neck vanished, and for a moment he stood completely alone in the corridor, before a shove sent him sprawling forward. The rock was smoother where he landed, but the palms of his hands still stung when he threw them out to break his fall. The door shut as he sat up, leaving him truly by himself for the first time. For a moment, it was silent, until a quiet sob drifted from the floor. Oh god, they're going to kill me. They're going to torture me and then leave me to die. He crawled, a habit from his half remembered past visit, until his outstretched hands touched walls. He found himself curled in the same corner be had seen the man (that was you) cowering in his dream. Reaching his fingers upwards tentatively, he felt a somewhat corroded pair of cuffs hanging a ways above him. Another sob shuddered through him. Why am I here? I didn't do anything, really. I wouldn't have hurt anyone. I hate Loki so much (you hate yourself? Yes.) Why couldn't i have just died when I was supposed to? Why would I be so desperate to live that I would put myself back into this hell? He pulled his coat tighter, covering his face in the collar. It still smelled faintly of the chocolate he had spilled on it yesterday morning, which only made him cry harder. I'm Loki, I know that, and maybe I do deserve this, but don't I even get the memories back I'm going to suffer for? I don't remember making a deal with them, or betraying anyone, I can barely recall the attack on New York. I don't know why I did any of it, either. Maybe I had reasons. The sight of the burning city from his dreams flashed through his mind. Maybe there's nothing that could possibly excuse for what I did, but if I'm going to die it'd be nice to know why.