On a cold night in early December, Bruce was in the kitchen making dinner as it was his turn. Thor, being hungry, ventured in with hopes of finding pop-tarts to tide him over.
"Hey Thor. Would you like to help me?" Bruce asked congenially, while stirring the hamburger in a pan.
"Of course, friend Bruce!" Thor replied cheerfully, going to the sink to wash his hands. "What fare do we have planned tonight?"
"Chili." Bruce responded, still concentrating on stirring the meat. At Thor's confused face, Bruce just smiled, "It's a Spanish dish made up of hamburger, tomatoes, beans and spices. You'll like it, I promise." He nodded to the fridge, "Can you make a salad? I know Tony doesn't care, but I'd like to see us eat healthy once in a while."
Thor bobbed his head, pulling out the ingredients which he placed on the counter and began to chop the tomatoes.
There was a space of silence, then Bruce said, "Thor, I've been meaning to ask: how old is Loki? I mean when we celebrated your birthday in August, you said you're 1500 years old, so what does that make him?"
Thor seemed to consider this for a moment before answering. "He is 1070 years old. I know not how old he would be in human terms."
Now it was Bruce's turn to calculate, his eyes went wide. "You said that your people live about 5000 years right? " That would make you 30 in human years and Loki….21?!"
Thor merely shrugged."We were only a few years apart in age on Asgard." He looked puzzled, "Why are you interested in his age?"
"Well, we've celebrated everyone's birthdays, except his. I noticed last time we celebrated Clint's birthday he looked a little morose. I think we should maybe pick a day for him to have a birthday as well."
Thor broke into a smile. "He would never admit to it Bruce, but I feel that he would greatly appreciate it."
"We'll talk to the rest of the gang after dinner. Luckily, Loki likes to retreat to his library." Bruce commented. "Now, let's get back to work."
Steve placated firmly. "Loki's been kind enough to go to our birthday parties and give us gifts.I think Bruce is right and we should return the favor."
"Begrudgingly." Tony muttered, but Cap ignored it.
"If we want him to be better, we have to remember that he's a person too." Bruce pointed out. Then speaking to Thor said. "Did you ever celebrate birthdays on Asgard?"
"We did, I in the summer, and Loki in the winter." Thor affirmed, and then looked down at the table sorrowfully. "Then I began to overshadow his day. I went on hunts and forgot, and father praised my victories in battle on his day. It is no wonder….." he trailed off.
There was silence within the room as they mulled over Thor's answer. It certainly would explain some of Loki's jealousy and coldness to his own brother.
"Do you really think that having a birthday party will make Loki happy-go-lucky all of a sudden?" Clint sneered.
"He's really been trying, Clint. You'll notice that he'll join one of us in an outing if we ask him, engages in conversation on topics that interests him and he's less spiteful when he talks to any of us." Steve stressed to the entire group. "He wants to start over, to be accepted without the title, to have friends. Isn't that what we all wanted in our lives?"
There was another pause. Some like Bruce nod, while Natasha's distant gaze told Steve that he was perhaps thinking of a time long ago.
"Okay. enough with the rousing speeches, Cap What's the plan?" Tony asked.
"First of all, we have to plan what day." Bruce broke in. "Thor said he was born in winter. So we choose a day anywhere from December to February."
It took 20 minutes and quite a few suggestions and dissensions on the date when Bruce spoke up. "How about…" He looked at the hologram calendar, "December 17th?"
They all grew quiet. "That sounds good to me, friend Bruce!" Thor boomed.
"It's fairly close to Christmas," Steve pointed out, "but I don't think we'll have a problem getting him presents for both."
"So we should be planning a surprise party then?" Natasha interjected, "I hope he likes surprises. Maybe a Harry Potter theme….."
During the following week Loki couldn't help that the other Avengers were keeping something from him. He could tell that when he entered a room, they suddenly became quiet and changed the subject. Loki figured that they were discussing Christmas presents, but could sense that there was something more than that. He could easily trick his brother into talking and revealing the secret.
"Brother," he went to the fridge, "are you contemplating what to get me for Christmas?" He grinned, "I can provide you a list,"
Tony said loudly, "That would be helpful. Thanks Loki!"
The klaxon suddenly came to life loudly and JARVIS announced Sirs, m'am, there is a portal opening over Brooklyn and depositing aliens.
Thor looked over at Loki who put his hands up defensively, "Do not look at me!"
"Suit up and be ready in five minutes. Iron Man, do a fly over to see what we're doing with. The rest of you to the Avenjet. Avengers, Assemble!"
The non flying Avengers piled out of the jet onto an adjacent roof of an abandoned building Cap looked around but saw nothing out of place but a few broken windows and missing masonry.
"Iron Man, Thor, have you got eyes on what's attacking?" Cap called into the comm, still looking around to survey the 'battlefield'.
"Don't see anything Cap, unless we're fighting the Invisible Man." The billionaire replied.
"The Saurian race. This race has elongated limbs. They are able to render themselves invisible. By necessity, they are a race of mercenaries. Certain sensory extremes are painful to them." Loki announced after typing frantically into his holographic mini computer in his hand.
"Great, just how are we going to attack these guys if they can turn invisible?" Clint complained.
Loki seemed to observe the scene for a moment, then pointed to the faint blue contrails that had appeared in the sky, "If you can follow the contrials, you can see where they land. One of you needs to restrain them and the other can destroy them. I'll stay on the ground and direct you and fight from here."
They nodded, taking off in opposite directions, except for Hulk "Hulk stay herie." The monster gruffed.
The pair took a defensive stance, while Loki summoned his magic and pummelled it into the air, felling several of the Saurians at once. "Barton, ten degrees to your left! Captain, 20 degrees to your left! Thor, look out!" The Thunderer was caught off guard, causing him to be pummeled into a brick wall. As soon as it turned visible again, Iron Man blasted it into pieces.
Loki heard one of the creatures hurtling towards him which Hulk pummeled. "Keep your head about you, Tiny God." Hulk grinned.
The Asgardian nodded appreciatively before returning to his strategy. It was the sound of Widow over the comm '...Cornered, Anyone...hear me?" startled Loki from his concentration. Loki diverted his magic to locate the assassin. To his dismay, Loki found that Widow was on the 14th floor of a building two streets away.
"Hulk, stay here. I'm going to see if she needs help." Loki explained while running off toward the signal, teleporting himself to it in a matter of seconds. In the darkness, Loki could see the outline of someone whom he assumed was Widow. It was only then that he sensed something had begun to creep behind him Loki turned and quickly magicked a shield to defend himself and launched an ice sphere to whatever was attacking him, which he heard struck home. Only then was he caught off guard for a moment and was tossed into the opposite wall. It was a few seconds before he shook off the daze, but instantly he manifested a shield and one of his daggers.
"You are quite clever, Asgardian." A gravelly voice behind him said.
"Clearly. You knew I was directing the others on your location, so you need to get rid of me." He swung at the alien, who made himself invisible. Loki, for his part, extended the shield around himself just as the Saurian attacked him.
"You will not be able to contact your comrades." The alien hissed triumphantly.
"Oh, I know that." Loki agreed. "It's how you manipulated me into coming here. But I have a strong sense of self preservation, you see. It comes with the experiences I've had in my life."
"Your little army will not defeat us!" The Saurian snapped.
Loki smiled maliciously, "Don't be so certain of that. They defeated me and my army when I invaded several years ago and saved this planet. And they have done so many times over since then." He followed the airtrail with the corner of his eye and swung, gouging the creature in the chest. "It took me a while, but now I understand...this place is where you plan to land your ship, and destroy everything within a five mile radius.
He swiped at the Saurian who dodged into invisibility and slashed Loki in the back.
"Y-you're just the landing party aren't you?" Loki huffed, "It's Why Iron Man's satellites failed, used some knock-off sorcery of your own for that portal, didn't you? You know, I'd be ashamed of producing anything as pathetic as that, but it got the job done, didn't it?"
He smirked at the Saurian. Did you hear all that, brother? He called the to the Thunderer via telepathy.
"While you've been so busy verbally sparring with me," Loki tilted his head, grinning maliciously as the portal in the sky flickered, and the Saurian's outline froze. "I've been busy closing your portal."
The alien smirked suddenly, and Loki frowned at the sight. He stumbled as the building shook, the alien continuing to speak, "And now, with your arrogance, you will fall..."
With those final words, the alien flickered out of existence, leaving Loki behind as the building came crashing down around him.
As darkness descended around Loki, darkness like the void that he had drifted in after falling from the Bifrost, he yelled out fearfully, "Can anyone hear me?!"
Loki heard a faint cry, his brother's voice in the distance, even as the bricks began crushing his body. He was being buried alive, dust filled his lungs, and he tried to speak. It had taken all of his magic to close the portal, he had no more power with which to teleport away.
"Brother," he whispered, coughing harshly,. "save me."
It was something he'd never asked for before, but now he wanted it more than ever. Salvation, from this prison of rubble and ruin.
TBC….
Thank you so much to Indarian for helping me with this chapter.
Loki's Birthday (FINALE) will conclude on Dec 17th!