Natasha huffs impatiently, smirking at the cloud of chilled breath. Tony has about two more minutes, before his careless mistake comes to bite him in the ass. Namely, her punching in his ego. Crossed arms, a roll of the eyes every few seconds. Voices murmuring from inside tells her that it's alright for the time being. Ice cracks, thread thin marks in the door appear. Though it's shocking, the most that Romanoff shows is a slight raise of her eyebrows. Seconds pass by, brushing her as they pass, whispers of uncertainty. Her lips tighten into a line, an off sensation in the air.

Something in the atmosphere shifts, almost a change in gravity. The spy's skin prickles, heavy air settling on it, giving a slimy and thick feeling. Moving like in a dream, she hears the murmuring grow louder.

Natasha's panicked voice strains over her earpiece, calling the rest of the team for help, as Tony slams through the door.


In his room sketching, Steve worries over their new situation. It was a rash decision, made by Tony on heightened emotions.

That's what he'd like to think.

It still was off putting to see Loki looking somehow worse than the first security footage of him on Earth, and even then, the Captain was protected from the personal aspect by a screen.

Focusing on other things besides form practice, causes many mistakes. Furiously erasing, scratching with his pencil the only sounds in his room. Each time it was marred by his thoughts of other things. Wrong proportions, too many lines, eraser crumbs littering the page. Giving up, he tosses the book to the floor. The space silences around him, muffled street noise outside his windows.

Then he hears Natasha's stricken call from his nightstand. Scrambling from his chair, he digs the earpiece from the drawer. "Nat?!"

"I don't know what's wrong, get down to Loki's room now-" She's cut off from a crash, wood snapping from some unseen weight, before fizzling out.

"Damn it! Clint, Banner, you getting this?"

Barton responding first with a breathless 'yeah,' Bruce following suit, Steve's voice stiffens in command. "Meet me down at Loki's room as soon as possible, and faster than that. We have no idea what's going on down there right now. Where's Tony?"

"No idea Cap. I'm heading there now." Snaps of a bow string rattle through.

"I'll be there soon." Bruce sighs, obviously not wanting the Hulk to emerge.


As soon as the wood splinters, Natasha throws herself to the side, crouching and holding her head. Five seconds later and she would have been crushed by Iron Man, the suit iced over.

"I might have made him mad." Tony breathes.

"Just because I said I would kick your ass, doesn't mean you need to find a way out of it!"

"I'm going to ignore that and hope you have a way to get Loki under control?"

"Unbelievable."

"I'd get out of the way, my suit isn't doing too well from this ice."

Heads turned to the doorway, now blocked by thick ice, warped and blue wavering with it, due to the grey sky. Leaving Loki to himself.

"Tony, how high up are we?"

"High enough, that he'll die if he jumps out the fucking window."


That's not Loki's plan. At least what he wants.

He just wants to be left alone, to sleep. The trickster knows he can't, with the mirror shattered, himself standing among reflections of a monster. His veins itch for their edge, but he doesn't deserve this, this easy way out, a coward's way.

Hela would surely mock him if he showed at her doors in that state.


The creak of string pulling taut lets them know Clint has arrived.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, just this drama queen freezing over the door." Tony pushes himself up, awkward movement in the suit.

Hawkeye turns to what used to be an opening. "Jeez."

"Yeah, no kidding. Before we do anything, I've got to get him calibrated in the system."

"You hadn't done that?" Groaning as he pulls up Natasha.

"I'm an idiot, I know. Jarv?"

"Sir?"

"The new guy, put him in your system. Loki, what the hell was it, Laufeyson?"

The AI goes silent, the stillness and tight air closing on them. Tony lifts his faceplate, brow furrowed. "Jarvis?"

A short and low screech comes instead of the familiar voice. "I'm sorry sir, he doesn't seem to be human."

"Oh Jesus- Run program 41, and hurry with it."

"No need to rush."

"There's a little reason."

This time, they hear a ping!, Jarvis pleasantly speaking. "Loki Laufeyson is in the database. Any restrictions?"

"Engage the saftey on all of the windows." The end of the command is almost not heard, a rumbling down the hallway muffling it.


He's changed his mind.

The scorn of Hel would be better than this, and he makes his way over to the windows, Loki has had enough. He smiles, serenely walking to them.

Metal slides over them, faster than he can think. Shocked, he pounds on them, punching for a weak point, knuckles becoming bloody, dripping along his scarred arms.

Mirror shards will have to do.


Rumbling growing louder, the three look at each other before getting out of the way, Hulk clambering in front of the door.

Tony steps toward him, "Hey buddy, think you can break this ice?" Heavy breathing, then a nod. Slowly backing away with Clint and Natasha, he watches as the beast launches a fist deep into the thick frozen barrier, rattling the trio's teeth.

Steve rounds the corner, breathing deeply. "Glad to see you're all here. Everyone okay?"

Natasha shakes her head. "Us, yeah, not Loki."

A want to say that Loki isn't anyone he was referring to has to be shoved aside. The Hulk has gotten through, the team filing into Pepper's old room. To Loki holding a piece of broken glass to his right arm, his weak smiled reflected on it.