Chapter 5

No one heard from Loki the next day, though JARVIS assured them the mage had not left his rooms and was simply working on the artifact. Both Thor and Natasha's attempts to knock had been greeted with silence or a stern, "go away." Perhaps that was why Tony was so surprised when JARVIS interrupted him in his workshop late that night.

"Sir, Mr. Odinson is requesting to speak with you."

"Tell Thor I'm kinda busy at the moment …"

"It is the other Mr. Odinson … and he is quite insistent." There was a tap on the glass surrounding his workshop, and Tony looked up to see Loki standing there holding some sort of rock.

"Huh," he murmured as he opened the door. "What's up Reindeer Games?" Tony smirked.

"I can see this was a mistake," the god said with a sigh before turning to head back to the elevator.

"Wait up, Lokes," Tony called out. The god stopped, shoulders slumped in deliberation. Tony thought he would continue on, and then he would be on both Nathasha and Thor's bad sides, but then Loki turned around.

"Rule #1 for working with Tony Stark - ignore my mouth. You know that rep you have as a Liesmith. Yeah, mine as an asshole is worse." The god continued to glare at him. "So what brings you to my lair this late at night?"

"JARVIS told me that he cannot complete the appropriate scans to determine this artifact's composition from my quarters." Another sigh before Loki hesitantly continued. "He suggested I ask you for help."

Tony was floored – the God of Mischief was actually asking for help, and he absolutely got brownie points for referring to JARVIS as a 'he'.

"Okay, but we need to go to Bruce's lab for this. Follow me, and J can you turn everything on before we get there." Loki followed Tony to the elevator. As the doors closed behind them, Tony looked at Loki. "So you want to share how you did it?"

"Did what?"

"Blocked JARVIS from recording audio for your little conversation with our resident spy?"

Loki hummed. "Magic, Stark."

"You have got to let me run scans," Stark practically whined. "JARVIS didn't even notice anything."

"I will consider it," Loki finally relented, "but only if you stop with the incessant name calling."

"Yeah - no promises there," Tony said, shrugging. "I don't even call Pepper by her real name."

They made their way into Bruce's lab, Stark looking around until he found the instrument in question. He carefully scraped a piece of the artifact until he got a large enough sample and placed it in. "Fire it up, J."

"Now let's see what other readings we can get," Tony said as he placed the artifact on a platform and tossed up a wall of holographic readings. "You have any idea what you have here?"

"Some idea," Loki murmured. "I would rather you not confirm my theories."

"Hmm, material not found on Earth – always reassuring." Tony's brow creased. "I have seen similar readings before … son of a bitch … is this another Tesseract?"

"No, the Tesseract is one of a kind," Loki countered carefully. "However, the cube itself is simply a container."

"Well, this pillar is the same material the box was made of, and it seems to have similar energy to the Tesseract, but a lot weaker and more diffuse. Have you managed to translate its markings?"

"It is vague," Loki murmured. "I think this is only one of many similar artifacts created by the Tesseract. Together they could act as pylons to form a portal."

"Hold up … portal?" Stark asked. "Like the one you opened?"

"I don't like the prospect either."

"Yeah, I am all for space whales coming through a portal over my tower being a once in a lifetime event for me."

"Yes." Loki grimaced. "There is a being on the other side of that portal that is definitely not pleased with me."

"Hence the nightmares?" Tony suggested.

Loki shot him a look of pure venom. It was fascinating how the god could go from friendly to murderous in an instant. "I despise being watched."

"Contrary to what it may seem, you have more privacy than you think," Tony quickly placated. "I have only asked JARVIS to inform me if you are in distress or distressing others … I do know about the nightmares … sucks – been there – still there … nightmares and panic attacks … sending a nuke through an intergalactic portal was not really therapeutic ..." Loki seemed to have shut down momentarily. "I only know what happened with Romanoff because you gave JARVIS a message for me, so I looked. Anyhow, glad you talked to Romanoff – she wouldn't have been my first choice, but talking, yeah, is good. I am up most nights if you need an ear – but I might use those nicknames you despise. It's how you know I like you."

"Thank you for your help, Stark," Loki said softly after a moment's silence. "Now, I unfortunately have to relay my findings to Director Fury."

"You think someone is making a portal to bring more baddies through?"

"Unfortunately, no. That would be easier to manage. I think these form a weapon meant to destroy anything in their radius."

"Jeez. So keep an eye out for it siblings, got it. Hear that J?"

"Of course, Sir."

Loki collected the artifact and started to leave, pausing when he heard Tony speak. "Loki, you are not a prisoner. We eat together sometimes, trade insults, train – at least those who are not too squishy do. Don't be a stranger."

"I do hear your invitation and I am grateful. The Avengers have been very kind, considering the less than ideal circumstances of our meeting."

"I still can't believe you threw me out a window," Tony accused.

"Yes, and brainwashed Barton, dropped my brother from the flying fortress, nearly killed Agent Coulson … the list of my crimes is truly exhaustive."

"At least Bruce got a good one in and knocked some sense back into you." Tony pumped his fist into the air. "Yay, Brucie."

"Yes, I should thank the beast for that next time he is out, preferably from a distance," Loki said with raised eyebrows.

"And talk to Thor. Nobody likes when he is walking around the tower like a kicked puppy."

"If I must," Loki sighed and finally climbed into the elevator. When he reached his floor, he started down the corridor, pausing at Thor's door to knock lightly. Deciding it was late and he could put off talking a little longer, he began to walk away. He had just reached his own door when he heard the click of a lock and Thor's door opened.

"Brother?"

Loki sighed, already emotionally raw from Stark's comments. He turned and took in his brother's face, deciding that kicked puppy was an apt description. Wordlessly, he motioned with his head for Thor to enter. The thunder god quickly slipped into the room and deposited himself in one of Loki's armchairs.

"Lady Natasha …"

"She prefers Natasha," Loki murmured as he placed the containment box holding the artifact down in the corner.

"She said that you two spoke with each other?" Thor phrased the comment more like a question, a hint of jealousy present.

"I think I did most of the talking – a little too much wine."

"You have wine?" Thor asked.

"Forget the wine, Thor," Loki snapped. "I have no desire to be drunk again."

Thor's face fell. "But, it has been a long time since I last shared a drink with you."

It was times like this when Loki had to remind himself that Thor was in fact his older brother, what with his propensity to whine and sulk. With a nod, Loki left to his room returning with the Dwarven homebrew instead of the wine and two small glasses. A grin turned up the corners of Thor's lips. "Where did you get that?"

"I have my sources," Loki answered smugly as he poured two glasses. "But I am still not getting drunk."

Both brothers took a drink. The alcohol burned a path down Loki's throat and he was taken back to when he often had sneaked into the kitchens at the palace when younger, returning with contraband and the giddiness that always accompanied getting away with something.

"You're right, we haven't done this in a long time?" Loki murmured. "Just the two of us."

"I am part to blame – I treated you poorly," Thor acknowledged. "I still saw my annoying little brother and not that you were growing up."

"Actually, most of it is my fault," Loki said after a moment. "I ruined your coronation, tried to kill you, tried to destroy Jotunheim, let go of Gungnir …" He took a sip of his alcohol to keep from speaking and began to wonder if someone had cast a truth geas on him – too much bearing his soul in the past days.

"You were right. I see it now," Thor admitted. "I wasn't ready … I'm still not."

"I don't think anyone is truly ready to be a king. I thought I was prepared for the responsibility when Gungnir was handed to me, but the power went straight to my head and brought out the worst of my insecurities." Loki took a small sip of his alcohol. "Admitting you are unprepared makes you more ready than ever."

"I wish I could go back to before all of that … when we did things together … when things were simpler."

"I don't. You were an ass," Loki said with a laugh. "You are so much more tolerable to be around now."

"Do you really think so?" Thor asked, holding his glass out for Loki to fill it again. "I only seem to anger you as of late … and when I heard from Heimdall that you were on a mission with Agent Romanoff and did not wish for me to join … I thought …" Thor trailed off again, and Loki sighed. When did the brash and arrogant crown prince of Asgard come to need his approval?

"I was angry because I don't need you to rescue me," Loki said pointedly. "You are not the only one that grew up, and it perplexes me that although you have now fought next to 'mortal' beings with all sorts of giftings, you still do not see that I can hold my own in a fight."

"I didn't come to rescue you. I came to fight at your side. I actually worried it would be over by the time I arrived and that you and Lady Natasha would already have vanquished her foes." Thor looked up conspiratorially. "I am truly sorry to have interrupted your attempts to woo her."

Loki spit out the drink in his mouth, choking on what he had started to swallow.

"I am not trying to woo her," Loki protested.

"I think it is good," Thor continued. "She is a good match, a worthy partner for you."

"Father is already cross because you have become infatuated with a mortal. We might send him into a permanent Odinsleep if I were to bring one home as well."

"Ah, so you admit it …" Thor teased.

"No, I was speaking hypothetically."

"I actually think Father would approve of her more than Jane," Thor said thoughtfully. "She is a fine warrior and seems to know how to put you in your place."

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Loki began to tauntingly spin magic around his fingers. "I don't need to be managed."

"Tamed, was more the word I was thinking of ..."

"Take it back," Loki said, a smile stretched across his face as he allowed magic to engulf his hands.

"Is that a challenge?" Thor boasted. "We could go to the training rooms."

Loki groaned. "Norns, no Thor."

"Tomorrow, then?" the thunder god suggested, standing up from the armchair. "I will let you use magic."

"Perhaps," Loki settled on after a moment.

"And you will join us for a morning meal, I insist," Thor said. "Natasha is worried about you."

"If I must," Loki replied, throwing a pillow at the door as it shut behind Thor.

Loki sat in the silence that followed. He had not considered that Natasha would actually be worried about his well being.

"In case you are curious, Mr. Odinson, Agent Romanoff is currently awake," came the voice of Stark's creation, once again, frighteningly clever and perceptive.

"Thank you for the information, JARVIS," Loki replied, now weighing his options. He knew sleep would never find him until he settled what had happened between him and the spy. With resignation, he teleported to her door and knocked lightly.