Goodbye Agents Rodrigez, Harris, and Jackson.

Differences mentioned in this chapter: All of it. T_T

Loki hadn't realized what he and Ariana meant to their little SHIELD team. None of them had told him about their past. He looked at the handout of the three men he had grown to see as his extended family.

Jose Rodrigez, David Harris, and Andrew Jackson grew up in an orphanage together and formed a brotherhood, it read. As teenagers, they left after many years of abuse that lead to the orphanage closing. Not wanting to be separated, they went to the streets. They stole only when desperate though they still managed to go to school, staying in the top ten percent of their respective grades. When they graduated, Director Nick Fury found them and recruited them into SHIELD, having watched them since they hit the streets, recognizing their drive and determination. Knowing they would not do well separated, he put them on their own team but never made one a leader of the others. For years, they had different team leaders who either died while on assignment or asked to be moved to a different team. That is until Ariana Stark joined them as their new leader. Like any group of big brothers, they looked after her and added her to their little family unit. When Loki Laufeyson joined them, they were wary of him but tried for their little sister, who acted more like their mother. Yet, when he stepped up after Ariana went missing, they knew he was good for their sister and welcomed him with open arms. That surprised Loki. It was only the next day that he stepped up. They accepted him so fast. It had taken him so long to do that for them. As a result, he came to be another brother to them, though like his counterpart, a father to the three men who had only themselves as children. They did their best in every aspect of their lives but never found another to love. Their team, their family built on a bond stronger than blood, was everything to them and they were lucky to have that family with them in their final moments. Agent Rodrigez, Agent Harris, and Agent Jackson, you are released from duty with full honors. You will be missed.

Ariana came up to Loki, having seen everything in Loki's mind. Tears flowed freely for the two of them. She laid her head on his shoulder.

"They really were our family," he said to her.

"Yes," she replied. "I told them about you. Everything. Ris said that I was still in love with you, even as he encouraged me to move on with Steve. Rig didn't really care, but he said you were family even if we never got back together. And Sonny… he…" Her voice cracked. "He said that he was happy to have missed out on parents if they were like Odin. I had to remind him that Frigga was the best mother you could have asked for."

"They knew all about me?"

"Yeah. I wanted them to know all about me. You are a big part of me, Loki."

He wrapped his arms around her. "As you are to me. I only wish we could have had more time with them."

Fury came up to them and said, "Agent Stark, Agent Laufeyson."

"I was never made into an agent," responded Loki as he and Ariana looked at the director.

"And I was basically fired after New York," she pointed out.

"You both have proven allies of Earth and trustworthy," Fury said. "You're both Agents of SHIELD and Avengers. I know you don't want another team, and I'm not pushing that, but should we need you…"

Loki shook his head and replied, "Lying to the God of Mischief isn't a wise thing to do, especially at a funeral."

"Nick, just tell us that you want to keep an eye on us and making us agents is just an easy way to do it," Ariana said, her voice just as commanding as Fury's.

"You may be future Queen of Asgard, but I do not take orders from you," said Fury.

"As representatives of Asgard, Thor, Loki, and I are not yours to command like the other agents."

"You were an agent first, Stark."

"We are still Avengers, Fury. We protect Earth, just like everyone else on the team. If you need us, we will be at the compound. For now, let us mourn in peace."

"Agent Stark…"

"Enough, Fury!" Everyone looked at them, causing Thor to come up to them to back them if needed. "We have given you our answer."

"You are worse than Thor and your father combined when you set your mind to something… Lady Spark."

"She is a Princess of Asgard," said Thor.

"And a Goddess," Loki continued. "Just as I and my brother are Gods. We shouldn't have to report ourselves more than once to you mortals."

"Loki, calm down," Ariana said, holding him back. "He's used to being in charge and not being told no. Besides, not all mortals are like him. I wasn't." She smiled as she watched Loki's eye's darkened before her face hardened and looked at Fury. "As for you, cyclops, we do not answer to SHIELD. We work with the Avengers by choice because our goals are the same, protecting Midgard from anything that threatens to destroy it. If that's not good enough for SHIELD, then tough."

The three of them walked into the church and chose their seats near the front. Loki took her hand as the grief of the day filled her again. Thor put a hand on her shoulder.

"I am proud of you, sister," Thor whispered. "You handled that better than Odin himself."

"Rig, Ris, and Sonny would be proud of you too, my queen," said Loki.

Tears fell as she said, "I miss our boys, Lo. They should be here to have seen it." She put her head on his shoulder. "It's all my…"

"No, sister," said Thor. "It was the metal monstrosity that did this."

"No more blaming yourself, love," Loki replied.

Fury came and sat next to Loki, much to the Asgardians' dismay, and said, "The other reason for me making you agents. Iron Menace escaped custody on the way to the Raft." He handed Loki a file. "We need our best agents on this."

"Will the best Avengers do?" asked Loki, opening the file for him and Ariana to read over. "Because we are not your agents."

"I can agree to that. So long as Ariana is in charge, bring anyone you need."

"Wait, a woman with fiery hair freed him?"

"That is all the agents escorting him saw and all the cameras picked up."

"Why would Sigyn do this?"

Ariana grabbed the file and said, "She may be teaming up with him. He wants me and she wants you."

Thor and Loki shared a look. The prophecy was coming true. Mistakes of their past, lovers who refused to understand there was nothing between them anymore, were teaming up.

"It will have to be small," said Ariana, drawing their attention. "Just Loki, Thor, and I. Maybe Wanda. We are facing a woman with magic and a man in a giant metal suit. Dad wouldn't be able to resist making a scene. The others are too famous for one reason or another."

"The four of you will be more than enough," said Fury. "You leave in two days."

Ariana looked at Fury. "We leave tomorrow. There is more than enough knowledge and intel for us to work with. Between Loki and I, we can find them faster than you agents."

"Stark…"

"We are doing this our way, Fury. For our boys."

"Fine, but when this goes sideways…"

"We will do this our way. No interference from SHIELD. We will bring them in."

Fury sighed and nodded. Everyone filed in so that the funeral could begin.