As Thor stepped onto the top floor of the tower he found himself alone for the first time since he and Jane first arrived in their new home since the morning before. It was an odd sensation. What was even stranger was the sight of Mjolnir sitting on the landing pad where he and Loki had returned. Completely caught up in the moment of Loki's near death Thor had left the hammer abandoned and visible for all to see.

Unable to sleep despite his overwhelming fatigue he wandered aimlessly about his new home. He hadn't even had the chance to familiarize himself with his new surroundings yet.

'Master Odinson.' J.A.R.V.I.S. had been continuously monitoring activity in the tower ever since its initial construction. 'It is now just past six a.m., you have not slept and sensors indicate a steady incline in your vital signs in direct correlation to your fatigue. I strongly suggest you rest in your private quarters before you collapse or become delirious with exhaustion.'

"I am..." Thor was still very unfamiliar to the concept of an artificial intelligence monitoring the tower let alone telling him to 'go to bed', like he was a child. Although, he was in fact ready to admit that the idea of sleep seemed to be the correct course of action. "I am unsure of where I am permitted to rest."

'Right this way, sir.' Several dim lights that were installed in the ceiling of the long hallway suddenly flashed on creating a trail for Thor to follow.

Following the 'path' down the hall Thor found himself outside a large closed door. The doors opened automatically and revealed its interior as a comfortable, yet plain bedroom. A very large bed complete with a red blanket and large fluffy red pillows rested against the far wall. Jane was already asleep beneath the thick covers.

A single massive wardrobe was against the wall opposite the bed and several bare book shelves lined the surface of a third wall. There was a second door that lead into a private bathroom and a third door which opened into moderately sized closet. Large windows which took up the remaining fourth wall overlooked the city skyline, allowing the rising sun to beam through and light up the room. However J.A.R.V.I.S. artificially tinted the glass to keep the room from becoming too bright.

Thor stared in awe of the room, it wasn't home but it was beyond acceptable. He walked over to the bed and laid down next to Jane. He watched her as she slept soundly for a moments before he too fell asleep. A peaceful memory from his childhood with Loki acted as his dream and let his mind rest and his heart lighten with the positive memory.

Tossing and turning violently in his sleep Bruce suddenly sat up in his bed with a jolt of fear. A cold sweat ran down his face and neck drenching his shirt, causing the fabric to stick uncomfortably to his chilled skin. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand and took a deep breath. Nightmares had become a very frequent phenomenon in Bruce's life but of all the nightmares he had ever endured it was memories as his time as 'the other guy' that affected him the deepest. Specifically his memories of the alien invasion, and of Loki.

Bruce untangled his legs from the mangled sheets on the bed. He climbed out of the bed and pulled off his sweat drenched shirt and pants, his legs were actually shaking from the intensity of the dream. Wandering into the bathroom he studied his paled reflection in the mirror on the medicine cabinet. His eyes were no longer his natural shade of brown, instead they were the same shade of green that belonged exclusively to 'the other guy'.

Splashing cold water over his face from the faucet Bruce took a deep breath and composed himself.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., what's the current time?" He called out knowing that the artificial intelligence would answer promptly and give him a sense of company while remaining alone in his room.

'It is now 06:16 am, sir.'

"Thanks." He dared to look at his reflection in the mirror one more time but this time he saw his own brown eyes looking back at him. "Good..."

Almost afraid to go back to sleep Bruce decided that he would check on Loki's condition instead. Returning to his room from the bathroom Bruce threw on a clean shirt, pair of jeans and slipped on a pair of shoes before leaving his room and casually walking through the sitting area of the top floor. He pressed the call button for the elevator with his thumb.

While waiting for the doors to open he stared intently at his reflection on the metallic surface as if waiting for the Hulk to suddenly appear right before his eyes. At last the car arrived and parted the doors that removed his reflection from his line of sight. Bruce stepped inside the elevator and pressed button '18'.

After a short descent he exited the elevator onto the 18th floor he was shocked to see Loki, not only awake but standing! The once frail man was standing tall with his arms behind his back, the Oracle Sphere in his grip standing in front of the broad window with his eyes closed allowing the warm rays of the sun to shine over his broken body.

A faint green aura encompassed his stationary form as if a wave of energy was flowing through him.

"Loki? Are you..."

Upon hearing Bruce's voice the green aura faded away from Loki's body. Loki opened his eyes and looked at the glass of the window studying Bruce's vague reflection that had been cast upon its smooth surface. But instead of seeing Bruce Banner's face Loki could see the distinct features of 'the other guy'. But Loki hid his remaining fear of encountering 'the other guy' perfectly as he spoke.

"Doctor Banner." Loki acknowledged Bruce's arrival, he nodded respectfully as he spoke but didn't turn to look at him.

Bruce could see an immediate visible difference in Loki's injuries even from the distance between the two of them. "You're body... It's healing."

The bruises that once covered Loki's body had nearly faded completely. He was now able to support his own weight without the aid of the splints and no longer needed the oxygen mask to breath normally. His eyes were fully opened as the swelling bruises that once obstructed his sight had decreased significantly, though the sickly purple discoloration yet lingered and was transitioning into a yellow hue.

His ribcage however was still evidently damaged and would require more time to fully heal. The deep lacerations had mostly closed but the red inflammation of his skin was indicative of the still devastating wound inflicted by the Chitauri's torture.

Loki spoke in a calm composed manner. "Before my captivity my magic had been completely drained. I was unable to recover during my... torture." The word tasted almost as vile as the name 'Laufey' to his silver tongue.

"You can use your magic to heal?" Bruce asked bewildered and curious.

"Apparently so. Unfortunately it requires a great deal of concentration and energy to achieve such a feat."

"But it must come in handy, right?"

"It has its beneficial moments. However, I find the process to be a bit of a hindrance."

"And how is that?"

Loki looked away from Bruce's reflection and back toward his own. "I have become too reliant on this power. It has been many years since I have had to endure the full pain that results from battle. It has made me... ungrateful."

Bruce tilted his head as he tried to understand Loki's explanation. "So, you've lost your appreciation for your power?"

"To a degree, yes. One of my many gifts and alliances that I have long since lost appreciation."

"Loki, you don't have to punish yourself. If Thor thought you were still a danger he never would've... Well, he wouldn't have brought you back to Earth, that's for sure."

"Doctor Banner, do you know how it feels to live with an unyielding hatred festering inside your heart leaving you hollow with a perpetually black scar so dark that no light can ever shine through? So deep and painful that no amount of love or kindness could ever mend the damage?" Loki looked up and stared past his own reflection in the glass and toward the awakening dawn and the warm sun that rose with it. "I do."

Bruce folded his hands together as he stood contemplatively just a few feet from Loki. "I do, actually..."

Loki returned his gaze to Bruce. "Do you now?"

"Look, I-" A sudden burst of energy filled the room cutting Bruce off midsentence and causing both men to freeze in place. "What was that?"

J.A.R.V.I.S.'s sensors sent off an alert warning the patrons of the tower of the possible danger while bathing the room in red light. A single massive form appeared in the room. Though it was translucent the form still managed completely severed the visual contact between Bruce and Loki.

The form gazed upward from beneath its helmet and glared at Loki with its unnaturally blue eyes which seemed much brighter in contrast to being surrounded by leathery reddish, purple skin.

Loki recognized the creature immediately and dared to utter its name. "Thanos..."

"Thanos?" Bruce repeated with confusion as he eyed the strange being cautiously.

The being known as Thanos pointed at Loki, his fingernail resembled more like a claw than an actual nail. "Your suffering has only begun... Son of Laufey."

Sensing danger Bruce rushed over and planted himself between Loki and Thanos. "Stay behind me." Bruce instructed Loki as his own eyes began to glow green. He lifted his hand as if he could use his palm and held it outward as if to deflect an impending attack from Thanos.

"Stop!" Loki stepped forward standing beside Bruce defiantly. "This is merely an illusion of Thanos. What Midgardians refer to as a 'projection'."

Bruce immediately calmed himself, stopping his transformation before it began.

"Granted an illusion of Thanos is just as threatening as the actual beast there is no need to indulge his unwarranted challenge." Loki's voice was steady as he sarcastically stood his ground against his former captor.

Thanos grinned a vile sneer of arrogance. From behind his back he revealed a bronze-looking spear in his hand. He rang his thumb along the razor edge of the spear's arrow-like tip as he held it readily in his strong hands. "In three days, before the sun sets on this pitiful rock of a planet, you shall understand what it truly means to suffer. Soon you will all come to respect the name Thanos and Death."

Loki spoke out once again. "I respect you as much as I fear you; and as you can see I am not afraid."

"We shall see." Just as quickly as Thanos appeared the villainous illusion flashed away leaving Loki and Bruce alone in the infirmary once again.

A chill of fear ran up Bruce's spine as he realized the severity of the impending situation. Bruce turned to Loki with concern. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"As do I."

"How do we stop Thanos?"

"'We', Doctor Banner?" Loki spoke with an inquisitive tone at Bruce's selfless offer.

"Yes, Loki. No one in this tower is going to let you face that... thing alone."

"In light of Thanos' visit, perhaps we should inform the rest of the tower inhabitants about this situation." Loki suggested as he appreciatively accepted Bruce's offer for aid.

"Right, let's go."

"What the hell happened J.A.R.V.I.S.?" Tony was on edge and demanded an answer from his ever present A.I. The sensors had awakened everyone in the tower but no official explanation had been given.

'There was an intense energy wave focused on the Eighteenth Floor of the tower.'

"The infirmary?"

'Correct, sir.'

Pepper quickly and efficiently checked the readings on a monitor that was mounted in the nearby wall. "It doesn't look like anything was damaged..."

"Damaged or not; what caused it?" Tony logically asked as he turned to look at Pepper.

"Loki?" Pepper suggested sadly.

"Maybe." His voice weighed heavily with possible disappointment.

As if called, the elevator doors opened and out stepped Bruce and Loki. They were surprised to see Tony and Pepper were already awake and checking the security systems.

"Hey, speak of the devil." Tony immediately focused on Loki.

Loki gave Tony a strange look. "'Devil'?"

"Figuratively, not literally..."

"I see..." Loki sounded unconvinced by the comment but chose not to press the matter.

"Wait." Tony couldn't believe how much better Loki looked in just a few hours. "Weren't you pretty much dead yesterday?"

Bruce interrupted. "Long story short: he's fine! Look, we have a new problem-"

"What has happened?" Thor joined the group with a pale looking Jane by his side. He noticed Loki and was just as perplexed as Tony. "Brother, you are..."

"Thanos." Loki practically blurted the name trying to keep everyone on the more important subject at hand. "Thanos has found where I am and has threatened revenge."

Thor approached his Brother and put his hand on Loki's shoulder. "He will not succeed. We will not allow it."

"Hey, who's Thanos?" Tony, again, asked the logical question. "Do you own him money or something?"

Loki sighed as he prepared to reveal the dark truth. "Thanos is the very foe that recruited my allegiance with the Chitauri. I was given, by him, ancient knowledge and the scepter connected to the Tesseract. He claimed that his goal was to use the Tesseract to conquer Midgard as well as the adjoining realms."

"'Claimed'? That sounds suspicious." Tony answered hastily.

"During my imprisonment I discovered Thanos has another plan. The man is absolutely mad and in fact has an infatuation with... Death."

"Infatuation? As in he... Loves it?"

"Indeed. He believes that Death can become a singular embodiment and can become his eternal companion. He commits as much violence and carnage as dares to end the lives of many inhabitants as possible, solely as a means to please and attract Death. He uses his rampages as a form of tribute to try and entice Death to his arm."

"That's messed up." Tony was blunt and accurate about the entire tale.

Bruce interjected unfazed. "What do we have to do to stop him?"

"For now, I believe it would be best for all of Midgard if I were to become absent. Immediately."

"No, Loki." Thor then put both of his hands on Loki's shoulders and locked his blue eyes onto his green eyes. "You are not to leave this world. You will no longer be alone. You will not flee and spend the rest of your days in hiding."

"Thor, do not be foolish. My presence attracted Thanos to this world. He will destroy anything and anyone in his path. He will stop at nothing to kill me."

Bruce stepped up and put his hand on Loki's shoulder as well. "That's why you're not going to face him alone. I already said 'we' didn't I?"

Jane approached Loki and smiled. "I owe you my life, so I'll do what I can to help." She put her hand over Thor's hand squeezed tightly. "We're here for you."

"She's right." Pepper agreed as she too stepped up.

Tony chimed in abruptly. "And where Pepper goes, I go. So it looks like you're stuck with all of us pal. Sorry."

Loki looked down and shut his eyes as he felt for the first time since he could remember true love and companionship; and it was coming from the very people that he had once tried to kill.

'Thank you.' He looked again at his new allies with a renewed sense of belonging. "Why would you risk your own lives to save mine? Am I not after all an enemy to Midgard, an enemy to this 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' and to 'the Avengers'?"

Thor silently turned his gaze toward Jane who didn't know what to say. But Bruce did, he answered for everyone in the room.

"Everyone deserves a second chance. Look at me."

"I do not understand."

"I'm a monster. At least, that's what I used to think. Now I know 'the other guy'..." He paused to rephrase his dialogue. "The 'Hulk', can actually be guardian. If I had stayed hidden and never met anyone here, then I never would've known this was even possible. I would've spent my life in hiding and afraid of every little second that passed by as I continued to live."

Tony cleared this throat uncomfortably. "At one time I was called 'The Merchant of Death' because of all the weapons that I helped create, and I allowed myself to be blinded with the notion that I was actually saving lives. Not true. It turned out my weapons cost more lives than they saved. I only realized this after my own weapons were used against me, nearly killing me in the process. Then a man that I never knew saved my life. He gave me my second chance. I probably didn't deserve it, but I got it. Now I'm trying to be a better person." He looked at Pepper and smiled. "Emphasis on 'trying'."

"Brother..." Thor spoke with pride. "I was not always worthy of Mjolnir, you knew this better than anyone on Asgard but I did not listen. Only after I lost my hammer, my power and had been banished did I come to appreciate all the gifts that I had been given." He smiled warmly at Jane. "If I had not met Jane, then I would not have my second chance."

Loki shrugged his shoulders and took a few steps away from the gathered crowd. "Am I worthy of a second chance?"

"Yes." Jane finally spoke up. "You proved your worth in the Dark World."

"Let's face it." Tony interrupted humorously. "You're not the only one with issues." Tony clapped his hands together loudly. "Right enough with the emotional drama. J.A.R.V.I.S., open a line of communication with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Romanov." Everyone flashed a grin, except Loki. "Let's contact S.H.I.E.L.D. and let them know we're about to kick some ass."

'Sir, I am unable to make contact with S.H.I.E.L.D.'

"What? How's that possible?"

'Unknown. It appears all secured links and channels have been severed.'

"What's going on?" Pepper sounded very concerned.

Loki stood back and watched as everyone else sprung into action.

"I'm not sure." Tony immediately went to work on the monitors, checking connections and power levels. Everything appeared to be normal.

Jane suddenly put a hand to her mouth. "I'll be right back." She darted off down the hallway and out of sight.

"Is she alright?" Pepper asked Thor who watched as she disappeared very quickly.

"She is not feeling well this morning."

Pepper thought back to the night before and how Jane suddenly seemed to lose interest in drinking. 'Or last night.'

"Bruce give me a hand." Tony wanted a second opinion as he assessed the situation. "Does this look suspiciously like S.H.I.E.L.D.'s work to you?"

On the display was footage of bizarre reports stemming from Washington D.C., and to the side of the screen was a list of confirmed S.H.I.E.L.D. channels that were no longer active.

Bruce crossed his arms. "What IS going on?"

...to be continued...