Chapter 14: King's Standard

The tension in the air could be cut with a knife.

That is terribly clichéed, Charles criticised Loki's idle thought, prompting a flicker of humour to spark in the haze of anxiety that had overshadowed him. Thor had walked out to greet Sif properly once he'd decided that she wasn't an immediate threat to his brother, and Loki had retreated to a seat on the far end of the bar to watch from the shadows. The two Aesir were conversing quietly, or perhaps, arguing-It was hard to tell- for a good fifteen minutes, with Natasha standing, patient and forgotten at Thor's shoulder. She was undoubtedly taking in every last word. Loki smiled slightly at the thought, and shifted his attention to Clint who'd just come over and placed his bow on the end of the bar in front of Loki.

"What are you smirking about?"

"It would seem that my time in this world is coming to an end," Loki replied, still smiling. He ignored Clint's discerning gaze and stretched his crossed arms forward over the bartop beside the archer's weapon, using one arm as a pillow while he watched the three on the balcony.

"Okay. You know that means you're going back to prison," Clint thought aloud, still studying the lounging alien. "So, what gives?" The Cap looked over at them from his self-imposed guard duty at the wall-length windows, and Clint elaborated, "If you were a cat, you'd be purring right now."

"Look at my brother," Loki replied simply.

"I thought you said you weren't brothers," Clint muttered, but Loki disregarded it.

"I'm looking, and I still don't see anything..." Steve said, following the Trickster's advice.

"Are you watching closely?" Loki responded smoothly. "Don't just look. What can you observe of Thor's stance? How does his face look? You know him. Tell me about him."

"He's loyal. Noble- And he's protective. He doesn't like seeing any of us in danger..." Steve tried, then his expression cleared as he began to notice what Loki might be getting at.

"He's emotional, and impulsive," Clint stated matter-of-factly. As an operative, he had learned to take stock of people's psychology and their possible pressure points during the first moments when he encountered them. "Shit. That's it; why the hell does he look so calm!"

"I don't know, but I can infer. And I am rarely wrong in such matters," Loki replied.

The two men watched him expectantly.

"Lady Sif has known us for her entire life. She knows his mind as well as I do. Doubtlessly she has realized that he wishes to shield me from his father's wrath for as long as possible," Loki explained. "So she will present him with an alternative that will allow him to feel that I am safe. Most likely she has gained knowledge from her brother of Dr. Foster's whereabouts, and plans to handle the problem that I pose while you and Thor attend to her rescue."

"And why does that make you seem so relaxed?" Steve questioned.

Loki smiled fully now. "She's giving him a third option." He then closed his eyes as the woman in question was led in from the balcony, and-much to Clint's annoyance- Loki purred.

You do love to show off, don't you? Charles observed in amusement. Behind them, Clint picked up his bow and fleetingly considered shooting Loki in the arm with it. Thor's eyes were on him like lasersights before he could even begin to enjoy the mental image. Jest or not, the steady thrum of Loki's purring stopped when Sif took the seat beside him. She was almost close enough for her leg to brush the thin cotton of his sweatpants. Loki opened his eyes to see her smirking down at him.

"It appears I that was wrong about you."

Loki narrowed his eyes at her unbelievable greeting.

"You did not betray them," Sif added.

"Do I get a prize?" Loki deadpanned.

"We are both still here," Sif pointed out, almost matching his blandness. Loki would've endeavored to read more from it, but instead he tensed at the unexpected feeling of a large hand resting between his shoulder blades. A spark of fear shot through him and for a split second he was convinced that he would feel the sharp slice of claws just as he had countless times before- You're safe. It's only Thor. Charles' presence cut through the haze and Loki forced himself to relax and behave normally. Sif's gaze had already sharpened, though. She had noticed. Loki swallowed down the bitterness of it, in hopes that he would never have to face that particular issue, and shut his eyes.

"So where is Dr. Foster?" he drawled instead, maintaining the air of a drowsy feline.

"Do you expect me believe that you care for a mortal's fate now?" Sif replied incredulously.

Thor's hand clenched slightly over the leather of Loki's(It's the Captain's, Loki. You borrowed it) jacket.

"No," Loki said in monotone. "Merely to answer."

"She is being held in a war zone in the land of Virginia," Sif answered, sounding more appropiately aggressive towards him.

"Quantico," Natasha clarified at Clint's askance look.

Loki hummed in acknowledgement. Although, the words 'war zone' stuck uncomfortably in his mind. He reminded himself that he didn't care. "Ah. So I was correct." He sat up, brushing his brother's arm away as he turned to address him. "When do you leave?"

"I am wary of leaving you unattended."

"It is of no concern. I am sure that Lady Sif can attend me," Loki responded smoothly, prepared for the swift boxing that the comment would earn him from the warrior behind him. It didn't come, although she did let out a rather intriguing sound. Loki grinned. "You see? She's overjoyed."

"Dude," Clint remarked, sounding like he barely-almost wanted to laugh.

"Brother, I do not wish to leave you here. We will be leaving for Virginia within the hour," Thor countered. Loki could not have asked for a more invigorating response. It appeared that everyone in the room apart from Thor had an issue with that plan. Loki basked in the chaos while everyone errupted into the argument at once. Sif abandoned her stool to step between them and lecture Thor in her typical not-quite-tactful way while the others basically shouted over each other. Banner shuffled uncomfortably in place by the staircase, having only managed a soft protest before the others' voices cancelled his out.

"This cannot wait," Thor's louder voice boomed over the rest of them. He wasn't even yelling. The man was just naturally loud. He held up a hand to signal the others to still. It mostly worked, but Clint and Steve both looked like they had more to add, soon. "I do not know what state we will find her in, and I cannot waste more time waiting while Jane remains in peril. I must go. I will take my brother-"

"Not your brother," Loki inserted.

Sif grabbed his shoulder and gave it a harsh squeeze.

He smiled sweetly up at her.

"Loki, do not push me. I am in no mood," Thor warned. The Trickster noticed absently that he was still looking at Sif when he said that, but dismissed it as an irrelevent detail.

"Back to that, are you? Remember how well that attitude worked for you before, Brother?" Loki cautioned as if he couldn't care less.

"Listen-" Thor's voice began to rise as he stepped forward.

Loki jumped up out of his seat despite Sif's now vice-like grip on his shoulder and his Jotun form was revealed in a rush of deep blue. "No. You listen, Odinson. You are the future king of Asgard, and yet you still rush into battle without a thought. This is no plan. You think only of control. Just like your father!"

"You'd best follow your own advice," Sif advised in an undertone. He had to give her credit, although her grip on Loki had released when he shifted form, Sif hadn't even flinched away from him. Loki still ignored her, continuing to stare Thor down.

"You told me that you made a vow to Mother. Jane and I are your charges. So tell me, Prince Thor, what purpose does my presence serve in her rescue?"

"I did not ask for your council," Thor stated low, not backing down either.

"Naturally, I am a liar and a war criminal," Loki countered. "But you've clearly thought this through as you know I would love to tend your lady whilst your back is turned."

Loki! Charles scolded.

What? I'm bluffing, Loki mentally dismissed, watching Thor's expression darken with a deepening sneer.

I know, Charles added, sternly.

"You will not touch her," Thor growled.

Loki opened his mouth to respond but paused when Sif leaned closer to speak quietly into his ear, "Loki, mind your words."

"Thor..." Steve cautioned, seeing the larger man's hand gripping the handle of his hammer. "Let's all just take a moment to think about this."

"Step back," Sif instructed Loki, trying to guide the Trickster away by his arm. He pulled out of her grip, so she added more loudly. "Prince Loki."

Her unfamiliar use of his title finally caused Loki to meet her steely gaze.

"You are bleeding," Sif informed him, pressing her free hand to the growing dark patch on his side - none too gently - and showing him her bloodstained fingers.

"Ah." Loki frowned at her reddened hand for a beat, his imposing demeanor vanishing in the blink of an eye. "That should've stopped by now," he noted, allowing her to pull him back towards his stool. Loki stumbled just before they reached it, and Sif caught him around the middle to keep him from smacking his head on the bar.

"Whoa!" The Cap said, darting forward to help. "Bruce?"

What is wrong with me now? Loki asked Charles with only a hint of concern, slumping very convincingly over the bartop while Bruce checked him over. He wasn't really feeling even the slightest bit weak, but saw no reason not to use this to his advantage.

Nothing. I'm bluffing, Charles responded curtly, but his tone immediately softened at the spike of alarm that shot through Loki's mind in reaction to the news.

I wasn't aware that you could do that.

It's allright. It's just for show. I'm not harming you. I promise.

"But you could..." Loki replied under his breath while Bruce pressed two fingers to the side of his neck. Charles' lack of an answer was answer enough, and Loki began to feel a bit breathless.

"His pulse is racing. We should get him back down to the lab," Bruce told the others, so Sif grabbed him under the arms and began to haul him after the scientist. Thor moved to take Loki from her but Natasha put an arm out to stop him.

"Give him some space," she suggested, and although he looked unhappy about it, Thor stayed back.

When they got to the lab Bruce hastily cleared the mechanical parts and tools off of Tony's worktable. "Here. See if you can get him up-"

Sif lifted Loki up and lay him over the tabletop with only a soft huff to indicate her effort.

"Okay. You're very strong." Bruce cleared his throat awkwardly before addressing the tower's AI. "Uh, JARVIS?"

"Commencing the scans now, Doctor Banner," JARVIS replied politely.

Sif's eyes darted warily to the tabletop/digital display when patterns of color and light began to dance under the Trickster's reclining form. The display flashed twice and stilled, now showing a flickering halo around Loki's head, and another highlighting the area near his heart.

"What have we got?" Bruce inquired, dragging his finger over the bright red halo to open a window filled with related medical information.

"The data appears to indicate a disruption in Loki's blood platelet production. However the levels are currently returning to normal," JARVIS reported.

"This says there was another anomaly found in his brain activity. Can I get a timestamp on that?"

"Precisely 3.51 minutes ago, Dr. Banner."

"During his confrontation with Thor," Sif noted.

Loki scoffed but the others ignored it.

"Is there any way that this disturbance could have been caused by that foreign presence that Dr. Foster felt when she shared the dream with him?" Bruce inquired.

"I require more data in order to confirm."

"But it's possible?"

"Current neurological research has linked similar electrochemical patterns to outside telepathic influences."

"I'm not going to Virginia," Loki observed, sounding almost drunk as he rolled onto his back.

"No. I don't think you're going anywhere, anytime soon," Bruce agreed.

Loki let his eyes drift shut. He had a lot to consider before he made his next move.

Charles opened his eyes on the astral plane and frowned. He had expected to rejoin Erik in their sanctuary, but instead he found himself inside Loki's unusually active subconscious. He was in one of the vast, open corridors of Asgard's palace. The wall on his right was hung with ornately detailed tapestries of legendary quests and battles, while the massive stone pillars on his other side left the entrancing view of Asgard's sunlit sea bordered by beautiful marble and gold buildings in clear view. A sleek, black raven soared past towards the far end of the corridor and swooped out of sight. Charles was so preoccupied with the image, that he jumped at the sound of a door slamming somewhere behind him and whirled round to look.

"Loki?" he muttered, confused. The preoccupied figure walking towards him was Loki, yet he also wasn't.

His face was much the same, except for the crows feet around his eyes and the frown line that cut between his brows, aging him maybe a decade past the young man whom Charles knew. This oddly familiar projection reached up to brush his loose, reddish-brown ringlets out of his face in an absent gesture as he passed. Charles turned to stare after him, puzzling out the possibilities. The black robes ornamented here and there with a token amount of gold-plated armor seemed to indicate a similar, and rather unLoki-like, lack of care. It was a far cry from the slick black hair and verdant regalia of his counterpart, but there was still something so inescapably Loki about the projection's mannerisms that it left the telepath off kilter.

It was odd. This wasn't a dream, because Charles could still feel that his Loki was awake and conscious. It wasn't a memory, because Loki wasn't old enough for this to fit- no matter how vivid and detailed it was. Symbolism perhaps? Some illusory tale generated by Loki's unconsious in order to communicate? If so, Charles wasn't seeing the hidden message... yet.

A door opened up ahead of them and a little blond boy charged out, laughing and swinging around a copper ladle in an uncoordinated sort of dancing charge. A young brunette woman in a simple lavender gown chased after him a few seconds later, looking anxious.

"My prince!" she called, her worry deepening as the hyperactive little boy wandered closer to the edge. "Please, Sire. Be careful!"

A moment later the little boy whooped and giggled happily as Loki scooped him up off of the ledge and swung him up in a playful twirl.

"There you are, Little Warrior," he remarked lightly, balacing the giggling toddler on his hip.

"Oh," the woman breathed, sounding both startled and relieved. "Forgive me, My Lord. I did not see you."

"No harm, Fulla," Loki dismissed, grabbing the ladle by its cup before it could hit him in the cheek.

Fulla covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. Loki just smiled at her before returning his attention to the little boy. "Where's your mother gone, hmm?"

"In the garden!" the boy announced, pointing a chubby finger toward the doorway that he'd recently bounded out of.

"Let's go find her," Loki suggested, giving the boy a little squeeze before he set him back on his feet.

"After me!" And with that the boy was off running out into a beautiful sunlit garden with his ladle swinging maniacally over his head. Fulla and Loki followed after him at a more reasonable pace.

"The Einherjar were searching for you again," the handmaiden said conversationally.

"I'm sure they are," Loki acknowledged as they passed under a vibrant green fruit tree with gleaming golden fruits hanging heavily from its branches. They looked a lot like apples, but a bit softer and, well, more metallic. Loki picked one and tossed it to himself once before taking a bite.

"Dare I ask why?" Fulla joked as they turned around a massive hedge, speckled with pretty little periwinkle flowers to see a young Queen Frigga sitting under another fruit tree, reading.

"Uncle's here!" The little boy -Thor, Charles belatedly realized- announced.

"Because he's dodging another war council," Frigga clarified, marking her place in the book with one of the periwinkle flowers and moving it out of her lap, right before little Thor plopped down to sit there.

"You aren't about to turn me in, are you?" Loki verified, stopping a few steps away so that his shadow fell over the boy in her lap.

"I know better than to get involved in your rows."

"It's barely an argument. Odin is the general. I am his sorcerer. It's hardly necessary for me to sit in on every council meeting," Lord Loki said irritably (Charles decided to call him that from now on, for the sake of his sanity.)

Frigga smiled at him. "Whatever you say, Dear."

"Charming as ever, your Magesty."

Frigga's expression sobered. "How is young Hella faring?"

Lord Loki smiled wanly. "Better, thanks to you. Lady Eir's treatments have done wonders for her condition."

"That is good to hear," Frigga replied with genuine relief. "But then, what have you come here to ask of me?"

Lord Loki swallowed and knelt down infront of her and her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I wish to visit mother," he confessed. "As you know, she will give birth soon and I have seen neither her nor my little brother since he was but a babe. If I am caught, I will not mention your part in it."

"No. Loki-"

"You must understand how I feel."

"I do. My dear friend. I know, but in this time of war-" Frigga began to apologise, but he interrupted again.

"I will tell them nothing. I swear it. I will not betray my brother- my King to their realm, no matter what," he implored, grabbing one of her hands. "All you need to do is grant me passage through the Bifrost. I will find my own way from then on, please. You have my word, no harm will come of it."

"I know you, Loki," Frigga leaned forward to catch his eye when the sorcerer began to turn away. "You have always been a loyal and treasured friend to me... But I cannot grant you this."

"Why?!"

"It is too dangerous for you."

Lord Loki frowned and shook his head. "No. No. My mother is their leader! They would not..." He paused for a beat as if considering the idea for the first time. "No."

"The Allfather does not share your faith in them."

"Nor do you, apparently," Loki bit out with a sniff, standing up.

Frigga watched him pace back and forth in front of her. "I do envy your innocence," she said wistfully.

Lord Loki paused to shoot her a half-hearted glare.

"That is a compliment, My Dear. It is rare in these dark times, to come upon such a thing."

"I have no need for your envy," Lord Loki stopped himself and stepped back. "Forgive me." He nodded stiffly to the royals in an almost-bow, then turned and marched off towards the garden maze on the other side of the lawn and vanished into it.

Avengers Tower

"You have my word, Thor. Your brother will not leave my sight until you return," Sif swore, and Loki fought the urge to sneer, not wanting to reveal his wakefulness. "I will guard him with my life."

She cannot mean this nonsense, Loki thought to himself belligerently. Where is her pride?

"Yeah. Don't worry he's not going anywhere."

Loki nearly smiled at Clint's agreement. This might be fun after all. Well, if he was pretending to sleep anyway, he might as well get this over with. Loki focused on Charles' presence in his mind and thought firmly, "We need to talk." Then felt himself being drawn back into the astral realm, and opened his eyes to find himself in a vaguely familiar hedgemaze.

"An interesting choice," he decided as he picked himself up off the grass.

"I didn't choose it. It's from an illusion that I was just exploring," Charles told him from his seat on the marble bench behind Loki.

Loki turned to face him, raising an eyebrow at the consciousness' appearance while he straightened his favorite green tunic.

"I like tweed," Charles stated, sounding as though he told people that an awful lot and wished that he didn't.

"I didn't say anything," Loki pointed out, somewhat amused.

"I know you're not pleased with my abilities," Charles cut to the point.

"I would have liked to have kept a certain balance between us, yes," Loki allowed. "But your power could still prove useful to me."

"Beneficial," Charles amended. "I don't intend to harm anyone."

"Nor do I," Loki reassured.

Charles didn't seem to buy it. "You're planning something illegal."

"True, but not harmful." Loki sat beside Charles on the garden bench and draped his arm over the back.

Charles looked at the hand hanging just shy of brushing his shoulder, then at its owner.

"One could even argue that it is beneficial," Loki continued.

"You could argue anything you like," Charles countered.

"Why are you in my head, Charles?"

"I told you. I'm here to help you."

"You're going to have to be more specific."

Charles sighed heavily and moved to stand, but Loki's arm wrapped around his shoulders trapping him in his seat.

"By all means, take your time," Loki said silkily. "We're not going anywhere."

Quantico Base, Virginia

Jane lay curled in a foetal position on her metal cot,flinching at another resounding boom from beyond her cell. They were getting closer every second. She fidgeted and another boom erupted much closer by. Yes, erupted was the correct word for it. Another came close behind it, and this time the deep rumble that followed shook the cell around her. Jane frowned and looked up at the ceiling. The shockwave had even vibrated her bed.

"Concussive..." she turned over and watched her door as the latest explosion shook it, this time the reverberations cracked the two way mirror, sending dust and tiny glass granules down to the floor. "They're coming..." Jane sucked in a sharp breath, snapping out of her trance just in time to jump up and flip her cot onto its side to use as cover before the last explosion blew the door to her cell inward.

A heavy weight impacted the improvised barrier and slid both it and Jane until she was caught between the sheet metal bedframe and the padded wall. The heavy thing on the other side let out a groan and grabbed the frame with one large plaster coated hand.

"Thor?"

There was a beat of silence.

"Jane?" Thor replied, pulling himself into a seated position so that he could look at her.

"You okay?"

Thor opened his mouth to reply, but then a grenade rolled into the busted up doorway and exploded. Jane screamed, cowering behind the dented cot until the ringing died down, then tentatively popped her head up over the partly flaming edge to see a singed, smoking and incredibly pissed off God of Thunder sitting on the other side. Their eyes met.

"Excuse me," he said, catching Mjölnir out of the ash-filled air.

"Go get 'em," Jane consented loudly. Her ears were still ringing a bit. Thor turned to leave and a thought suddenly occured to her. "Wait!"

Thor gave her a questioning glance.

"They took Wanda! Peter's sister, we have to get her out of here!" Jane explained, wriggling out from behind the bedframe. She attempted to twist off a warped piece of metal from the bedframe to use as a weapon, with no dscernible effect on the shape of the metal. "I'll help."

Thor seemed dubious about this plan. "Keep out of sight. I will find her," he recommended after a pause for thought. Jane pretended to go along with his plan, waiting for him to leave before she peeked out of her cell. There was still fighting going on, but most of it was thankfully farther out into the smoke-filled corridor. The two soldiers that Agent Romanoff was fighting were an unfortunate exception. She jumped up wrapping her legs around the bigger one's neck and flipped him, then caught sight of Jane while standing to knock the other out with his own rifle.

"Jane, drop," she instructed, then shot the guy who'd been creeping up behind the astrophysisist before her hands touched the floor. Jane stared wide-eyed at the dead man on the ground beside her until Natasha pulled her to her feet. "We need to move."

Jane swallowed. "Uh-huh."

"Keep close to me, and stay alert," Agent Romanoff advised, checking around a corner for threats. She pulled a vaguely spider-shaped device out of her jumpsuit and tossed it around said corner. There was a flash and cries of alarm, then nothing. "Come on."

Jane was slightly scared of the other woman now, but she pushed that aside. She's protecting you. Scary is good, Jane assured herself. "Oh my God! Are they dead?"

Natasha glanced over the four bodies on the floor that they were basically walking over. "I doubt it."

Better not to think about it, Jane decided. Really don't think about it.

"You're doing well. Just stay sharp. It isn't far now," Natasha encouraged, which would have been more calming if it weren't punctuated by gunfire. Natasha managed to take out the first shooter only for another to open fire on them from the opposite direction.

"Look out!" Jane warned, spotting him right before he started shooting. Natasha shoved her forward as they ducked around the corner, gasping when a bullet hit her arm. The assassin barely paused before peeking out and emptying the last three bullets in her clip trying to hit the shooter.

"Shit. Did you get him?" Jane asked, hopefully.

"No."

"Shit!"

"I'm not done," Natasha corrected, deadly calm. "Give me your sock."

"You're not serious," Jane denied.

Natasha held out her hand expectantly, "Sock."

Avengers Tower, New York

Loki opened his eyes and grinned evilly. Tony Stark was standing just within reach with his back turned, clearly too caught up in whatever he was working on to realize how unwise that was. Loki shifted his hand into jötun form, reached up and dragged his frosty fingertips across the unsuspecting mechanic's back, drawing a satisfying yelp out of him.

"Ah, my fucking God!" Tony shouted, spinning to face him. "You glacial asshole!"

Loki laughed, unswayed by the mortal's cursing. He didn't sound that mad anyway.

"First my stairs and now this. I think I'm starting to see a pattern here," Tony snarked.

"In your dreams, perhaps."

"That doesn't mean it isn't there."

"I was wounded, and you were elsewhere." Upon mentioning his injury, Loki checked his injured side for confirmation of Charles' reassurance. There was a tender pink scar just where it should be with no sign of corruption, to Loki's relief.

"Oh. Wow." Tony poked the sensitive patch and Loki slapped his hand. "Ow! Ok. You're not wounded now so get off my table."

Loki ran his gaze over him, then tucked his hands behind his head and made himself comfortable. "I like it here."

Tony looked towards the veiled section of the lab to see a figure seated on the other side. From her motions, Loki guessed that Sif was sharpening one of her weapons.

"She hasn't intervened because she doesn't care," Loki clarified. He studied Tony's features and added. "I'd advise you to reconsider."

"What? She's hot."

"Would you prefer your testicles remain attached?" Loki asked rhetorically. "Then mind your words with that one."

"Jealous?" Tony guessed, not quite as energetically as before.

"Or don't. Why should I care?" Loki stared thoughtfully up at the ceiling for a moment. "What's that you're working on?"

Tony turned back around to face him, having returned to his earlier project when Loki went silent. "Oh this? It's just my phone. First I was repairing it, then I started upgrading it. So... Whatever."

"Show me."

"Uh..."

"It is merely a means of communication," Loki said honestly. "I fail to see why it should pose such a problem."

Tony stared at him with a glazed look augmented by something that Loki couldn't identify, yet still found unsettling. "Uhhh..." the inventor seemed to snap back to life and turned to lean back against the worktable. He held the device up so that Loki could see it. "Ok. First of all, this is a Starkphone so you're completely wrong. Basically..." Tony then proceded to explain mobile phones, the internet and satellite navigation to Loki, following that up with a basic idea of how it all worked together. He still wasn't letting Loki touch the hardware, but it hardly mattered. After that they discussed his upgrade ideas, Tony having apparently forgotten his earlier suspicion.

Cliff interrupted the worryingly nerdy exchange between the two with a shrill whistle.

"Ah!" Tony complained. "What the hell?"

"Dinner. What do you want?"

"Uh... I dunno. Chinese? Pizza? Shwarma? What do you think?" Tony replied carelessly.

"Yeah. Nice try Tony, but we are never having shwarma again," Clint denied. "No matter how much you crowbar it in."

"What is shwarma?" Loki inquired, not specifically trying to cause trouble.

"It's great. You've never had it?" Tony looked defiantly up at the archer. "See, we should have it."

"No."

"What did Pete say?"

"He hasn't come back yet. Seriously, Chinese or pizza?"

"That's not right." Tony sat up straighter in his chair, his gaze sharpening.

"Come on, Dude. I'm not eating more-"

"No. Whatever, pizza. Forget it," Tony dismissed distractedly, activating the tabletop display. "JARVIS, did we miss any calls from Pete today?"

"No, Sir."

"He's probably busy with his brother," Clint said with a shrug, but he was beginning to look uncertain.

"No. When I was on my way out for lunch he was right behind me," Stark disagreed. "Have we got anything? Emails, texts, network updates, even synch logs from his phone in the last five hours?"

"Processing..." JARIVIS responded.

"I do not understand. What is the matter?" Sif questioned, stepping out of the enclosure. She looked from the two Avengers to Loki, becoming more perplexed as she neared them.

"No such data transfers have occurred since 11:35 this morning, Sir."

"That's about the time we split up," Tony grumbled.

"Shall I dial Director Fury for you, Sir?"

"No. I don't think he'll be forthcoming about this."

"Tony, come on. You can't assume that," Clint said defensively.

"Says the SHIELD agent," Tony shot back.

Clint glared at him, crossing his arms over his chest.

"The device. You have a way to track it, yes?" Loki put in calmly, breaking apart the two men's staring contest.

"Yeah. JARVIS, ping the phone," Tony ordered.

"You know I wouldn't go along with it," Clint ground out, coming to peer over Tony's shoulder at the display. A satellite image appeared on the tabletop and began to zoom in incrementally.

"Here. We got something," Tony observed. The screen suddenly flashed. The feed stopped zooming in. "JARVIS?" The display flickered and then the screen went dark with 'SIGNAL LOST' posted in scarlet block letters across the screen. "Damn it!" Tony smacked the screen.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I am no longer able to access the device."

"How close did we get before we lost the connection?" Clint asked.

"Chicago," Tony stated flatly, and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Two down..." Loki thought aloud.

The others all snapped their attention to him.

Loki raised his eyebrows at them, leaning back in his rolling chair. "It was just a thought."

Sif's eyes narrowed. He was looking far too innocent.

You could tell them, Charles prodded.

It is only a theory. I have no reason to share it yet.

You're going to have to trust someone.

When the time is right. Loki caught Sif's eye, ignoring the flicker of discomfort from the consciousness. It was almost time to put his new plan into action. He still needed access to the Bifrost, and she was about to give it to him.

A/N: Ok. I know this one was a bit odd. My neighbors have been loud and disruptive bastards of late and it has been hard for me to focus. I think I've managed ok, though. I dunno. Thanks for reading, and special thanks to icanhearthedrums for reviewing. I'd love to hear what you think of this.