Some people simply don't know when to freak out.
For instance, last week, someone had summoned the Avengers because their cat was stuck in a tree. Granted, it was a very adorable cat, but also highly anticlimactic for a supposed "Avengers level threat".
A month ago, someone had panicked because a mutant newly coming into her powers had accidentally set a tree ablaze. That was a little more worrying, but also, the fire department could have handled it.
In fact, since the invasion of New York, they had had only one call that really had mattered at all, and it wasn't exactly a bad thing. Four months ago, a concerned citizen had called because someone had sighted Loki in Central Park. The reports had been correct, and the team had found him curled up on a park bench, his nose buried in a book. Upon realizing he was surrounded, he calmly stood, and apologized profusely for his invasion, and offered himself up to be arrested.
Thor had wrapped him in a big bear hug, and assured him that all had been forgiven, and while some of the team members (namely, Clint and Bruce) had been a little suspicious, they all warmed up to him after they realized he truly had no ill intent. Loki had had to furnish Clint with approximately three dozen beanie babies, and listen to Bruce ramble about particle physics for thirteen hours straight to convince them, but being accepted was entirely worth it.
Besides, Anthony and Steven had officially accepted him as an honorary member of the Avengers. Sure, he hadn't been on any official missions, and was still working on mastering Midgardian weapons (not to mention their kitchen appliances) so it was understandable.
So, it was quite a pleasant surprise when Tony approached him in the Iron Man suit, and informed him that his area of expertise was needed on the battlefield.
"My area?" He breathed in disbelief, dropping his pen in his excitement. "You don't mean…"
"We need you, bud." Tony insisted. "Suit up. We'll brief you in the jet."
The jet. Loki had never actually ridden in the jet, despite having been educated by the Black Widow on where the guns were, and what to do if it crashed. To whoop in excitement seemed a little juvenile, so he simply scrambled to his feet, and changed into his battle armor with a flick of his wrist.
As he trotted after the Man of Iron, his mind raced in excitement. He had never been… needed, before. It was a lovely feeling, and he was desperate to not let them down, whatever it was. Perhaps they needed him to cloak them from their enemies' eyes? No, they most likely had Midgardian technology to do that, as there were the reflective panels on the floating fortress. Or perhaps, they needed someone who was a dead aim with a throwing knife? No, they had Barton for that. Someone who had a knowledge of Asgard? No, there was always Thor…
Honestly, he wasn't even sure why they allowed him on the team, so he was entirely clueless as to what they needed him for.
As he stepped into the jet, his stomach churning with butterflies, he sent a quick glance around at the other team members chosen. Natasha, Clint, the Captain, and Iron Man seemed to be the only other ones.
They had needed him, and not Thor.
This was just getting better and better!
His hands fumbling, he buckled himself into a seat next to the Black Widow, unable to keep an excited smile off his face.
"Don't look so excited, Lokes." Clint sighed. "It's probably nothing."
Nothing.
Ha.
They needed him. They didn't need him for nothing. Anthony wouldn't fetch him for nothing. When they had been summoned to deal with the cat in a tree, they hadn't brought him along.
He was on a mission! His very first!
"Actually, this time, it appears to be not-nothing." Tony spoke up, his boots making loud clumping noises on the floor of the jet. "We've got multiple reports of a portal opening above Central Park."
"I knew it wasn't something trivial!" Loki couldn't help but crow. Perhaps Thanos had returned, and they could all beat him, together!
Steve rolled his eyes in something akin to fondness. "Could be a prank call."
"Oh." Loki glanced down in embarrassment. He'd heard of these "prank calls". That was, according to Anthony, "When some butt-head flips the Bat signal just for fun, and there's no real perp to throw in the slammer, or anything."
Okay, to be honest, Loki had no idea what most of those words meant, especially when they were all strung together in a sentence. So, he knew prank calls were irritating, but he didn't want to seem stupid by asking Anthony to clarify, so he was clueless, beyond that much.
"They wouldn't put a prank call on national television." Steve pointed out, and turned over the iPad he'd been holding, showing CNN's live broadcast of the portal.
Loki couldn't help but grin like a maniac.
"You're looking a little too happy for my preferences, there, Loki." Natasha spoke. "You don't happen to have anything to do with this, do you?"
"Oh, no." He shook his head. "I'm simply rather excited."
They nodded in understanding, and returned to their preparations.
When the Quinjet landed, Loki was told to stick by Tony, and see if he could find a way to close the portal. Eager to help, he trotted after the billionaire.
The reports were true, a large portal – not as large as the one that Loki had opened up over New York, but larger than, say, a hamster – had opened in the sky over the trees.
Loki's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he examined the portal, himself, for the basic calculations, the aura around the portal, down to the faint scent the sedir exuded, it all spelled… him. It was as if he had opened the portal, himself.
His shock must have been evident on his face, for Anthony flipped up his face mask. "What are we working with, Jingle Bells?"
Well, if he told them what he'd just discovered, they'd get suspicious. After all, he wasn't exactly off the watchlist of Bad Guys to Deal With, yet. "Um…" Quick! Trace where it's coming from so you'll have any information to give them!
"It's coming from the Sanctuary." He blurted.
He had told them about Thanos. He'd told them everything, so that he could be at least slightly off the hook. They knew about the Sanctuary, so he could understand the shock leaking from his teammate's face when he informed them.
This looked very bad for him. Very, very bad. What was the point of them needing him, though, if he was too chicken to tell them the truths they required?
"I opened it." He mumbled in a small voice.
"What?!" Natasha, Clint, and Tony all demanded at once. Steve only looked confused, but that was almost as bad.
"That's… what it seems like." He explained, wringing his hands together nervously. "Or else, someone who learned exactly the same techniques as me, probably taught by me or my Mother, with the same pattern of sedir, and at least extremely similar DNA…"
"We get it." Natasha cut him off. "But why did you open it?"
"I didn't!" He protested. "I didn't even know it existed until twenty minutes ago!"
"Then explain –" Whatever Tony was about to say, he was cut off by Clint's suddenly exclamation of surprise, as a figure fell out of the portal, and began hurtling to the ground at top speed. At once, the hero took off, and caught the person in his arms, breaking her fall with a tumble through the air. The portal abruptly closed, and the Man of Iron landed, and laid the person out on the ground.
It was a girl, or a young woman, to be more precise. Her dark hair was singed, lopped off just below her chin, and her pale skin was covered in scars, lacerations, and burn marks. She was clothed in what used to be a formal gown, but was now little more than rags around her slender, emaciated form, and completely unconscious, and the five heroes clustered around her in confused concern.
"Who is she, do you think?" Steve breathed, as he placed two fingers on her throat in a check for a pulse. "She's alive."
"Think she's one of Thanos'?" Tony guessed.
Loki shook his head. "She doesn't seem the type Thanos would choose as one of his own. Whatever reason she had to be on the Sanctuary, it was not through any positive connection with Thanos."
"Poor kid…" Clint sighed, and Loki knew he was thinking of his own daughter.
"We should bring her back to Healer Cho." Loki stated. "She'd be able to breathe life back into her."
"Right." Steve nodded, and with the help of Tony, they carried her into the jet.
TheOnlyHuman.