Loki didn't have to be a psychic to tell that Emma was troubled. It felt like Greenland again but this time those emotions of hers weren't caused by him. He sat by her side watching at her compassionately as she drove the agent's car through the maze-like parking house. She seemed to be more than nervous since she had remained quiet, not doing her usual silly chattering, and Loki tried to think of something to say to ease her mind.

He watched the tail-lights of the old campervan distancing on the other side of the great parking hall as they were following Logan. "You father does not like me," Loki reflected aloud to end the silence. "And I am quite certain that he never will."

Emma returned from her thoughts and glanced at Loki curiously, almost surprised. "Weren't you the king of Asgard once, bub?" She grinned and tried to imitate a Logan-style frown, making Loki grin back at her. "Do you really care what Logan thinks about you?"

"Not really. But it would be nice if your father wouldn't hate me, though. Our relation is already held in disfavour among everyone else on this planet…"

Emma had been fully concentrating with driving but now she gave him a longer fondly look. Even he didn't say it aloud but that had sounded like Loki would have been planning their future together, her furious and cranky daddy included.

That affectionate expression of hers made Loki melt inside and yet getting awkward. "Oh, I know that expression. You made me pour out something idiotically sentimental off my mouth again."

Emma smiled to him. "No. That just made you sound more human."

"Which I am not."

"I know and I wouldn't have you any other way."

Loki bit his lips amused. "It is just that your father, of all the people, might be the most terrifying man on this planet. And honestly, I would not want to cross him. You did see him fight?"

"You are not afraid of him, are you?"

"Hardly!" Loki snorted. "No, I am only afraid of your reactions if I should ever cross swords with him. You seemed to have imprinted on him already."

"Why do you make it sound as if I'm an animal?" She noticed Loki's raised eyebrows and she let out a short chuckle. She was the Wolverine's cub! "Don't answer that! If I'm imprinted to anyone that'll be you."

They had left a lot behind from Logan. The daylight shone brighter from the end of a long driveway like a sign for freedom and Emma sped up with a hope that they could drive into the sunset and never look back.

They were reaching the exit when the red warning lights started blinking next to the gates and a closable barrier was coming down blocking their way as the massive doors were about to seal up the garage.

So, their escape had been noticed! But she wouldn't let them been trapped inside there. Not now.

Not even thinking about any other option Emma hit the gas and the car spurt forward with the speed that surprised her, the motor roaring like a lion in heat.

"I never thought I would ask this but are you mad?" Loki cried out at her, holding on from the armrests as they rammed through a parking barrier gate. The broken pieces of the barrier banged over the windshield.

"Hell yes!" Emma screamed in panic only doing her best to keep the vehicle on the right lane, the tires shrieking lightly against the tarmac.

The thick armour-plated doors were rising from the floor and coming down from the ceiling like a huge closing up clam.

The black Acura rushed out just in the nick of time before the doors sealed close, the lower door scratching the bottom of the car under the trunk, giving it a rough shake, loosening the tail pipe, leaving it dragging under the car loosely. One more second later and they would have been crushed.

Once they managed out from the parking, in front of them opened a wide open view along a long bridge leading over the Potomac river to the mainland, the west side of the Capital city looming further ahead.

Cloudy grey afternoon's sky had never looked that beautiful.

Emma had noticed the massive gates closing behind them form the rear-view mirror and she glanced at Loki. They were both panting with the excitement and let out a relieved laughs being lucky that they had made it out alive.

Their joy was too early as they noticed another spiky barrier rising from the driveway in front of the toll gates on the mid way of the 6 lanes width bridge. No vehicle managed to go through of those thick, long, steel spikes.

At the same time the sky fell dark above them and it looked like storm was rising fast and ominously.

"Oh for fuck's sake!" Loki barked with an annoyed grimace watching up at the darkening sinister sky. Not Thor! Not now!

Emma shot him a bewildered glance. She had never heard him talking with such language and it nearly made her giggle like crazy.

And all of a sudden, as she turned her eyes back at the road, she saw the god of thunder landing in front of them like some superhero his red cape fluttering in the wind. There he stood between them and the barricaded toll gates.

Loki glowered at his brother who had figured out his scheme of escape. "Drive him into the spears!" he said angrily in an undertone.

"No! He's your brother!" Emma reminded and hit the brake, managing to make the car to stop 10 feet away from Thor, the tires shrieking against the tarmac. A gentle touch of the break could have worked better.

Their bodies jerked forward by the force of the sudden stop, the seatbelts keeping them safely on their seats. She was fine but that quick impact with the seatbelts knocked the wind out of her.

"Are you alright?" Loki asked her, concerned, yanking off his seatbelts.

She lifted her hand and nodded with a grimace. "I'm fine," she wheezed. "Go get him!"

Watching at the runaways inside the vehicle Thor knew that his hunch had served him right and he gave a disapproving shake of head. Pretty clever scheme though, he had to admit. Loki would had send him to wreaking havoc on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Thor was beginning to realize that maybe Loki had allured him to go crusading in Jotunheim as well. He was starting to see a pattern here.

Loki gritted his teeth and hopped off from the car in a huff, taking note that they were again on a bridge that would decide their fate;

Below them streamed a wide, deep river.

In front of them beyond the barriers and the city loomed freedom.

And behind him in the SHIELD's nest waited certain imprisonment.

Loki got a nasty prominent feeling of a rematch; a battle to the end from which only one of them could walk out alive. And at the same time he knew they had no time for a fight; all the agents and Ironman would soon be upon them and the game would be over.

Loki sucked in a breath. Instead of feeling completely mad and angry as hell, he felt nearly heart-broken like he would have already lost without lifting a finger. He approached his brother, they both having their Asgardian appearance, their capes waving in the wildly blowing wind.

"Thor! Why can you not just leave me be?" Loki roared in helpless frustration. "What have I ever done to you?"

"Where do you want me to start?" Thor gave a sour look at first, but then his expression turned more rueful. "Loki," he sighed in a compassionate voice, putting down his hammer, taking a step closer unarmed. "I do not want to be on the warpath with you. Why do we keep doing this, my brother?"

Loki looked at his brother as if shocked. "Why?" he echoed, his voice quivering. To him it felt like everything unfair in his life was cumulating into that very moment, Thor overshadowing him in every turn.

"You have always had everything you have ever desired, and more, and you have taken it all for granted. Asgard was already yours. All I wanted was to be left in peace."

He cast a sorrowful gaze behind Thor who was standing on his way of freedom. His whole body responded to every deep breath he took to calm himself down, keeping the dolour at bay. "This would have been my last chance to start anew here."

"I will not let your cravings for power and revenge destroy the peace of this realm."

Loki glanced at Emma who had gotten out of the car and moved closer to him. Meeting her concerned gaze made his expression altering softer. There simply was something about her that he found disarming, her concern of him allaying his hatred.

"Well maybe in the end, it was not this world I would have been after," he said, his eyes brimming with tears as he turned back at Thor. "Do I have no right for a change of heart like you did? You, in your foolish righteousness, won't allow me even the scraps of joy in this life. I guess you assumed that I should have already gotten used to it by now, right, brother?" He lifted his hand when Thor was about to say something. "Yes, I understand, I have done serious mistakes. But so have you."

Thor frowned. Stormy wind was blowing harder on the bridge and the sky was getting darker above them.

"I need no lecturing, especially from you. You cannot talk your way out of this, Loki. How many more have died with your attempt to escape? And agent Coulson? What have you done to him? I swear if you have harmed him I..." Thor begun.

"Agent Coulson is fine!" Emma assured, abruptly joining the sensitive parley. The whirling gale made her loose hair flying wildly in the wind and she gathered them off from her face. "We've got out without anyone getting hurt!" At least no one important getting hurt! she reasoned to herself after lying so fluently, and Loki gave her a questioning glance.

Cautiously Emma circled Thor and went to Loki, watching at them both, hoping she wasn't disturbing something crucial between them. To her great concern Loki looked nothing like his normal charmingly mischievous self. No, he looked shattered and low-spirited, and she wanted to support him.

On her way to him she faced an unexpected sight as she took a look at the S.H.I.E.L.D. building, the source of the tempest wind unveiling to her. A huge hurricane had swallowed the whole building complex. The raging, whirling unnatural storm let nothing through, keeping the agents tightly inside the buildings and even forcing the Quinjets staying on the ground. And there were lightnings striking inside the tornado.

Amazed by the sight but concerned of her favourite god creature, Emma stepped close to Loki, taking a hold of his hand, whispering his name gently like telling that she was there with him.

Loki squeezed her hand but nodded towards the toll gates with a pleading look. "Emma, please go!" he whispered.

"Not without you." She mustered up her courage as she looked at Thor. "Whatever it is between you two, you can continue it somewhere else. We are leaving. Thor, if it's true what you told me, if you really love your brother, then please help us."

"You may go, Emma Morgan. This matter is beyond you," Thor said, giving her only a quick glance, keeping his focus on Loki.

She felt like she was standing helplessly between two unstoppable forces of nature, unable to change the course of neither one of them. And it made her angry and frustrated.

"Hey, buddy! Who the hell do you think you are? I won't tolerate any bullshit from anyone who's trying to stop us. You could be the damn king of the whole fucking universe all I care but I will not let you cage Loki again!" Emma said, sounding very convincing for a mere little mortal, stepping in front of Loki.

"Your mocking will not help him. Leave while you still can!"

Emma opened her arms, ready to shove her claws out. "If you want him, you'll have to go through me first!"

"Emma," Loki sighed in a given up tone, placing his hands on her shoulders and pulling her closer. "This is not your fight, my love," he said over her shoulder and grabbed her hands in his, stopping her from hurting herself with her claws.

His soft hold felt like a small sanctuary in that storming chaos around them, and she peeked at him over her shoulder. "You're right. It's our fight. I said we'll deal with Thor… one way or the other."

That small, foolhardy woman really was the only one who relentlessly stood up for him and he wished he would have had her with him in Asgard years ago. He could have turned out to be a very different kind of man having her by his side.

He couldn't bear the thought of her get hurt again. To his small relief he saw Logan's campervan curving back behind the road barrier, and the claw-man himself jumping out from his vehicle.

Loki turned her around to facing him and with a fondly, gentle smile he watched down at her, caressing her cheek, memorising her every loving feature, her smile and brightness of her blue eyes. "Emma, go to your father, I will follow you a bit later," he whispered and pressed a kiss on her forehead.

Emma glanced at her father over her shoulder and returned her doubtful eyes back at Loki. She could tell he was planning something again, and that might not be anything good.

"I'm not leaving you here, Loki," she said and took a hold from his hands, looking deep into his emerald eyes like trying to figure out what he was planning.

… …

There was no force in the world that could have stopped Logan saving his daughter now. With his claws Logan cut the spiky steal barriers making his way thru the obstacles with ease. He had a bad feeling about that blonde guy with a red cape who had tried to stop them earlier as well and he prepared for some serious fight. When he saw the raging tornado he could only wish that it would have been made by Storm.

"Let's go kids!" he shouted to Emma and Loki, walking confidently towards them all, his deadly blades sticking out from his clenched fists, his arms width on his sides. "Emma and Fancy-pants, get into the van and go! Leave the He-man to me!"

The situation was really freaking out Emma and she lifted her hand at Logan. "Logan, don't! You need to sit this one out! They are both practically immortals!" she told in an uneasy tone and glowered at Thor. "Thor, that is my father, so don't you dare to even think about hurting him!"

Thor and Loki too, looked astonished by the sight of Logan with his blades who cut his way through the steel spares like those were made from cardboard. Just in case, Thor summoned his hammer into his grasp if the man (with swords sticking out from his hands) would get as nasty as he looked like. That easily might have been the scariest man on Midgard. And he could tell now where Emma had gotten her icy blades.

"That is her father?" Thor asked sounding slightly uneasy.

At first Loki grinned inwardly for Thor's worried look. It would have been so damn easy to let Logan deal with Thor and buy him and Emma some time to run. In fact Logan with his claws and incredibly fast healing abilities just might have had a chance to beat Thor.

There was a lot going on inside his calculative mind. But then Loki realized that his old habits died hard. He couldn't allow that to happen. Emma would have never forgiven him if Logan would have gotten killed in a fight with Thor because of him. And somewhere deep down it touched him that the man he hardly knew would have defended him even so that the same man disliked him. It was all because of her, his Emma. Loki was getting strong vibes that Logan would have done anything for his daughter, even protect those she cared about.

And just then it occurred to him that Emma might be safer with her father than she was with him. He could have continued this cat and mouse game with his brother forever. But with what price? He couldn't keep dragging her along, just waiting the day she would get severely hurt.

To his sorrow it seemed it was time to redeem a promise he had given to her. She had seen him differently than anyone else and forced him to open his eyes to see that he was much more than just a Trickster. So, perhaps it truly was time to live up to those expectations.

Loki shifted his attention to his brother, straightening his posture and facing his fate. "Thor, you won; I yield," he submitted to his brother's will with an IF, "if you swear to me that Emma can go free and those people will leave her in peace." He swallowed hard, glancing at her, and continued in a feeble but grievous tone. "This war is over for me. No more lies. No more tricks. Damn me into any dungeon you see it fit but you promise me that she will be free and remain unharmed!"

Emma stared at Loki in shock. "What? He has no right to decide about our lives." She was holding onto him with both hands, not believing that he was willing to do such unfair trade. "You promised me! You promised that we'll be together, no matter what."

Thor found himself taken aback and only thinking that maybe he should have yielded a bit too. After all they were still brothers and Loki was making him feeling that he was the bad guy here. And all this time he had been regretting that he didn't help Loki the moment his brother asked his help in the first place. "Just hang on a minute!" Thor told interrupting Emma's pleading.

The god of thunder heaved a sigh taking a step closer to them, giving a short nervous glance at the claw-man who was almost there with them. "Loki, I will not accept that deal. But I may have a better proposal for you. You hear me now," he continued in a conciliatory tone, lifting his hammer towards the tornado and giving it some boost to keep it whirling hard, the fierce lightings bolts blacking out the buildings inside of it.

Emma and Loki exchanged looks. And cautiously with curiosity Loki watched his brother's demonstration of power and turned his gaze back at him. "Go on. I am listening."

"You know that without Asgard's connection to the Bifrost, the Nine Realms will remain defenceless. And eventually slip in chaos if we are not protecting them. We need the Tesseract's powers to rebuild the Rainbow Bridge. Father cannot keep using dark magic any longer, it will consume him. Believe it or not, but you are the only one who could help me to find the Cube. Please, I need your help, Loki. Grant me this request and I swear to you that I will leave you in peace, if that is what you truly want. Once we find it I shall take the Tesseract back home and tell father that you helped me," Thor said with strong hopes of rebuilding his union with his brother. "Or we can do it together, my brother. What say you?"

Loki fell speechless for a little while but was doubtful. "When I asked your help you betrayed me, remember? What makes you believe you could trust me now?"

"Mother would," Thor said simply and gave a small, apologizing smile, pain in his eyes. "And because that is what I should have done when you asked my help in the first place. I am sorry I failed you. It won't happen again. Our talks here have made me understand that… that I want my brother back. You must know that there is a bond, more than just blood that binds us. There has always been. I admit I find it hard to trust you. And I know that at the end of the day our paths may diverge for good, but you will always be my family."

A pained grin visited Loki's lips, unveiling his sudden rush of emotions and hiding his uncertain trace of guilt. "So, I guess it didn't work out with Fury then?" he asked sardonically.

Thor shook his head letting out a sorrowfully amused sigh. "No… But you already knew that. And I hate you being right."

With a hopeful, growing smile Emma's gaze bounced between the two deities like following a tennis match that could have saved the world. She squeezed Loki's hand, hoping he would make the right call and rebuild a union with his brother once more.

"Hey, ladies! Are you done with talking shit?" Logan growled looking pretty much pissed off, just wanting to take his daughter somewhere safe from there. "Don't know about you but I don't wanna be here when every goddamn agent of this city comes after us," he continued stepping next to Emma and Loki, getting ready to take down the big blond who seemed to stand on their way. "Loki, you need a hand with this big fucking clown? We can take him down together. He doesn't look that tough. I've seen bigger ones."

Slightly upset and standing by, Thor shifted his weight to another foot and squeezed the handle of this hammer. "I wish not to fight you, Claw-man."

"Me neither. So, better step out of the way buddy or I'll shove that damn hammer so deep up in your ass…"

"Logan, no!" Emma hissed whispering between her teeth. Now she knew exactly where she had gotten her attitude what came to tough situations.

Loki felt… well, very confused watching at Logan and Emma right next to him and at his brother, everyone waiting for his decision. They had already wasted too much time and they were still standing literally on the SHIELD's backyard. He was overwhelmed by the fact that Thor was begging his help for finding the Tesseract and offering him a chance to stay in Midgard with Emma. That was something new. And it touched him that Logan would have fought by his side, and the man had actually called him by his real name this time instead of using some of those unflattering nicknames.

For the first time ever it was Loki's call, and he didn't have to think twice when looking into Emma's blue eyes. He gave her a nod as though telling than everything was alright before letting go of her hands.

He shook his head ruefully with a puzzled smile. He had made his mind. "No, thank you, Logan. There is no need to fight because this fucking clown happens to be my brother," Loki said carelessly, turning his gaze back at Thor, taking a step closer to him, his dimples growing on his cheeks with a small encouraging smile. "Thor, you must be truly desperate to ask my help… but unfortunately so am I. Very well then. Let's go after the Tesseract, together," he said and thought that if things wouldn't work out with Thor he could always find better use for that infinity stone.

Logan knitted his brows, pulling his claws in. "What? Fine by me. You knew they're brothers?" he asked from Emma. "They look nothing alike!"

"Um, he's adopted," Emma smiled, watching at her god of mischief with warm feelings, having a hunch that she was witnessing a return of some kind of cosmic brotherly love between those two deities.

Thor heaved a relieved sigh moving closer to Loki and giving him a brotherly pat on the shoulder, holding his hand there for a moment. "Thank you," he said with the most honest tone. "Now, go! All of you. I cannot hold the SHIELD there forever."

"Oh, you don't have to tell that twice. And thanks, really," Emma said to Thor. "So, guys, let's get out of here!" she continued to the others, already moving towards the Wolverine-made opening in the spiky barrier with her father, waiting for Loki to follow.

Logan groaned not really understanding what the hell was going on. "So, he's on our side now?"

Loki grinned, tears in his eyes, glancing around him, unsure should he have been laughing or crying. One could have called their situation a pretty shitty and he was curious how Thor had planned to get them out of it.

"Now you want me to run?" he asked, spreading his arms as though emphasising the insanity of their current state, taking a few steps backwards.

"And fast!" Thor smirked back at him and flipped his hammer in the air. "For some odd reason your woman likes to think that I have a bad habit of breaking things."

Loki let out an amused snort. "I cannot imagine why," he answered dryly.

"Well, I would hate to disappoint her. And we need a head start," the god of thunder said, giving a short valuating look at the bridge under them.

Walking backwards Loki gazed at his brother a bit worried as it occurred to him what Thor was about to do. He would destroy the bridge to slow down the agents following them by land. "What a brilliant idea, Thor! We are still on the bridge! Have you already forgotten what happened the last time you did this?" Loki asked in a worried tone, checking his surroundings and seeing Emma waiting him next to Logan's vehicle.

"Well, you better start running!" Thor yelped with a grin and lifted his hammer up for a mighty hit. But then he felt a hand squeezing on his shoulder as Loki stopped him.

"I hate to spoil you fun, brother, but your friend is coming!" Loki informed. He had been about to run to Emma when his perceptive eyes had gotten a glimpse of something that was coming fast towards them and the SHIELD buildings.

"Perfect!" Thor grunted, clenching Mjölnir in his grip. "Loki, go! Take Emma and her father away from here! I will catch you. Go!"

"Loki, hurry up! Come on!" Emma shouted at him while jumping into Logan's campervan.

Loki had always considered running to be foolish but this time he didn't care a damn about grace. He was already running like the wind when Thor (with one forceful move) tossed his mighty hammer towards the rocket-like thing. Loki followed the hammer's way with his gaze and saw how the weapon hit its target; the Ironman's flying armour that speeded towards the great building shrouded by the storm. The metal man's suit took severe damage and it crashed into the river, while Mjölnir returned back into Thor's grip.

Loki turned his confused eyes back at his brother gawping while reaching the campervan's door.

Thor shrugged like a smug idiot. "It was only a suit. I hope!" he shouted and lifted his hammer again. "Hurry now!"

Loki hopped into the vehicle when it was already in motion and Logan hit the gas just as the alien-boy had made it inside. Unmercifully and gritting his teeth Logan put his old camper in full throttle and it sped over the empty bridge and carried on following the riverside.

Emma was staring through the side window, sitting on Loki's lap, looking shocked. "Oh my god! Did Thor just kill Ironman?" she shrieked, gazing at the river where Ironman's suit had plunged into. "What's wrong with him?"

An aloud sudden noise carried over the sounds of the traffic, like a big boom, a clash of thunder, and the ground shook below them as though if would have been a small earthquake.

"What the hell was that?" Logan grunted glancing behind from the side-view mirror and taking note that a part of the bridge was gone, crumbled down into the river. "Shit!" he heaved an annoyed sigh and concentrated driving, gritting his teeth. "Yeah, as if no one would come after us now! That fucking retarded bastard!" he murmured. "Hey, both of you go sitting on the back and buckle up!"

Emma and Loki exchanged looks, Emma in disbelief and Loki with a small, sorry grin.

Emma could only guess what had happened, putting two and two together. "Did Thor just smash that bridge?" she stammered.

"Well, I told you once that he is mad, didn't I?" Loki smirked, jesting, stroking her arm while holding her. "When he is like that it is better to go along with him."

"Um… Okay," Emma swallowed with an uneasy smile. "And I used to think that you're the crazy one. So, is he coming along?"

Her questions was answered as they felt the van rocking as something heavy landed on the top of it, crushing the roof slightly inwards.

"Yep! I guess so."

"Goddamned!" Logan kept the van steady and glanced up over his shoulder. For one, he didn't like anyone damaging his old loyal camper. For second, he thought it was an unwanted passenger. "Emma, grab the wheel!"

"It is alright, Logan. If it's all same to you, my brother is coming with us," Loki said with his charming smile and he heard Logan murmuring some nasty words after something that had sounded like 'yeah, fucking great'. Emma and Loki exchanged looks again, this time smiling to each other. "Looks like we are having a small family gathering. This should be fun."