You Don't Find Loki, Loki Finds You

Summary - The Avengers are celebrating their victory over Victor Von Doom when they find Loki. What is the Trickster hiding?

The music was loud and the voices around the bar were even louder to compensate as small groups of people shouted across at each other as they drank.

"Another!" Thor yelled happily, slamming the glass on the dirty, sticky counter of the bar, somehow, without breaking the delicate object in the process.

"A...another...yeah...what h...he said..." Anthony Stark slurred back as he draped his arm across the Thunderer's shoulders.

"My friend, you lose," Thor told him, "You are drunk, and I am not."

"M'not drunk," Tony muttered.

"Sure you're not," Steve Rogers scoffed beside him.

"Mmm-hmmm," Natasha hummed, "We believe you."

"Awwww, you...you guys are the best," Tony grinned, stupidly.

"And you're an idiot," Barton muttered.

"T...that's not very nice y'know...I have a...a big metal suit thing and I can totally kick your ass, Hawky boy..."

"Well, I..." Steve began but a loud cry cut him off.

"Argh!" a shrill voice cried and all eyes turned in the direction of the noise.

It came from the other end of the room and had emanated from a man who had been thrown a distance of around three feet over a table and he'd knocked over half a dozen glasses over on his way. He was young, tanned and shaven and his white shirt was now splattered with the remnants of mixed drinks and pieces of glass which he didn't seem to notice as he tried to push himself up off the ground with shaky arms.

Four other men appeared to come to his aid and they pulled him up and then advanced on the perpetrator. All eyes were on a slim, unassuming man with blonde hair, blue eyes and a healthy tan.

"Wh...wha's goin' on..." Tony muttered.

"Bar fight," Natasha rolled her eyes.

"Oh, sweet!" the man sat up eagerly.

The blonde man leapt elegantly to one side as he avoided a punch that came his way and he caught the wrist, then spun the man face first into the wall, knocking him unconscious in one move. He then turned to another man who ran at him brandishing a bottle and ducked under his arm, spinning around to grab him from behind, locking his neck between his elbow and rendering him useless.

"Shouldn't we do something?" Steve frowned at the lack of bouncers to stop the fight. This was clearly a place off the beaten track and bar fights were left to play out here, regardless of the risks.

"Why? He looks like he can take care of himself," Natasha replied.

"Yes, he does," Thor muttered, watching the blonde closely. There was something about the way he fought that captivated the God of Thunder and he watched as the man incapacitated his third opponent and then his fourth without a drop of blood spilt.

"He's good," Barton remarked, watching the agile man circle his last adversary.

"Hey, hey, maybe we should hire him, right?" Tony contributed drunkenly.

"Maybe you should just shut up," Natasha sighed, "I don't know why we bother letting you come with us when all you do is get this drunk."

"S'what you're supposed to do on a night out," he shot back.

Suddenly, the fifth man, the blonde's final opponent, pulled out a knife from his pocket and twirled it expertly in his right hand. He moved to swing his weapon at the smaller man but it was met with a quiet 'clang' of metal meeting metal. The blonde held a knife of his own and he spun it so that his burly adversary lost his grip on his weapon and it clattered to the floor, uselessly.

"Fool," the blonde muttered before he drew back his armed hand, balled up his fist and slammed it into the man's forehead, knocking him out before he hit the floor.

"That blade..." Thor whispered, seeing something familiar about the elegant, silver dagger that the blonde examined before he concealed it in his grey jacket.

At the clear victory, a loud raucous cheer swept through the bar but while everyone else was more interested in drinking to his victory, the blonde man silently swept from the room and slipped out into the night.

"Wait!" Thor yelled, jumping up from his seat and running after the man.

"Thor!" Natasha cried, "Come back!"

"Hey...hey wait..." Tony muttered, looking down at his unfinished drink sadly.

"Oh," Steve rolled his eyes, "Come on," he dragged his friend's arm over his shoulder and ran after the God of Thunder.

Thor, following the strange man, led them down a dark, empty alley way before he leapt up using Mjölnir, and landed in front of the pale man. "I mean you no harm," he said calmly, "I ask only your name."

"Why?" the man scowled and expertly he pulled two small daggers from his dirty sleeves, one in either hand, as he crouched low.

"I did not come to fight you," Thor told him as he lowered his hammer to the ground, then held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Those knives, they are my brother's," he declared, now able to see them better, "I know it's you, Loki, I saw you fight and you'd never give your blades to another."

"I stole them," the man insisted, "I stole them from a corpse!" he hissed and ran at Thor.

"You're lying, little brother," he said, leaping backwards just in time to avoid being slashed across the chest by the razor sharp blades.

"I'm not your brother!"

"Thor!" Steve cried, running forwards, leaving Tony leaning against a wall, still insisting that he was not drunk.

"Stay back, my friends," Thor demanded, "It is my brother. It is Loki, I know it!"

"You know nothing!"

"I know everything!" Thor replied, "Mother told me..." he added as he took a small, slow step towards the trickster god.

"She...told you..." Loki repeated incredulously, "Then you know I'm..."

"Regardless of where you were born, you are my brother. It changes nothing between us. Now please...rid yourself of this illusion," he begged, "Please."

Loki sighed and let the image of the nameless face he wore slip away, revealing his own tired features in his Asgardian guise. He was pale, more pale than usual and his face was gaunt, he'd clearly lost weight that he hadn't had to lose in the first place and his royal clothes, usually so pristine and impressive, were covered in smatterings of dirt and dust. His dark hair was longer, past his shoulders and looked as though it hadn't been washed for days. It hadn't of course, it for some reason, he wasn't healing as quickly as he would have liked and he didn't know why.

"Now you see me...brother," Loki muttered tiredly.

"Loki," Thor breathed, moving to stand close to his brother. Using a strong, yet gentle grip, he gripped Loki's thin wrist which was still poised to strike and lowered it slowly.

There was so much he wanted to say now that he finally had the chance but Thor knew that now, looking at his exhausted and bedraggled brother, was not the time for his questions, so he settled for asking only one. "Why have you done this to yourself?" he asked sadly.

Loki only scoffed quietly as he shook his hand from Thor's grip, "It looks as though it has been a difficult few years for us both," Thor remarked.

"I'm sorry to disappoint," the younger God sneered, "But you shouldn't be surprised. All I am is a disappointment..." he muttered. While he in part actually believed that, he knew it would affect Thor more.

"Don't say such things," Thor frowned.

"Why not?"

"Where have you been all this time?"

"Everywhere, I've been everywhere," Loki whispered.

"All alone?"

"Of course, alone!"

"And you come here often? Often enough to know where I would be," Thor inferred.

"Don't flatter yourself," Loki replied coldly. "I was in that particular...establishment because it has a reputation for being the most lawless place in the state. I went looking for a fight, Thor, not for you."

"Didn't look like it was much of a fight," Steve remarked but Loki ignored him.

"I don't think you are in any condition to be looking for fights in taverns," Thor scolded him.

"I won, didn't I?!"

"I'll say," Natasha nodded.

"Yeah...you were all...right hook...left hook...fancy knife thing..." Tony muttered.

"I suggest you take your inebriated friend and leave me be," Loki sighed, turning to walk away.

"Loki!" Thor cried quickly, stepping cowards and catching his brother by the wrist. When he saw Loki's frantic eyes though, he let go and tried to appear non-threatening. "Brother..." he said quietly.

"Stop it," Loki hissed, "Stop calling me that...forget you ever saw me tonight..."

"I could never..."

"I could make you," he threatened.

"And I would resist," Thor replied simply.

"You could try..."

"Please, Loki, enough, I mean you no harm. I want only to help you. I've missed you."

"Hmmm," Loki scoffed in disbelief.

"I did," Thor insisted, "I searched for you. I believe Heimdall tired of my constant questioning knowing that he could not see you. Father couldn't find you, even mother..."

"I hid well."

"Obviously," Thor sighed, "My little brother is a master of magic too good for even the Gatekeeper and the Allfather combined to track."

"You always underestimated magic, Thor, you all did."

"Yes, we did," the Thunder God nodded, "And I'm sorry for it."

"You say that only because you now see its worth."

"I say it because I see how it hurt you and I want to make amends," Thor said, "Please, don't leave, I beg you..."

"...I rather like hearing you beg," Loki gave a small grin.

"Alright, that's enough," Clint exclaimed, stepping forwards.

"Barton, don't," Thor warned him back.

"Yes, Barton, do," Loki contradicted.

"Loki!" his brother sighed. "That's enough, you're coming back with me..."

"Back? Don't you dare take me back to Asgard!" Loki took a step back.

"I'm not, I'm taking you back to Tony's mansion."

"Thor! Don't even..." Loki's cry was forced from him as Thor shot into the sky, one arm around his brother and his other hand around Mjölnir.

"...Wha's this 'bout my mansion?"

"You may not have a mansion by the time we get there the way those two were going," Natasha told him as they began to make their own way back.

By the time they got back, not only were they surprised to see that the building was still standing, but that Loki had apparently fallen asleep on the sofa with his older brother watching over him.

"He didn't have much energy left in him to fight me with," Thor told them.

"Thought you said he was a king for two months...he sure doesn't look like much right now," Steve murmured.

"Guard your tongue! He is my brother and a former ruler of Asgard!"

"I know, I just, I mean...what I meant was, he doesn't look so good, that's all," Captain America reiterated calmly.

"No, he does not," Thor sighed, "He looks drained of all strength." He gently began to remove Loki's knives and the dirty, gold arm guards that were loosely tied over the sleeves of his coat. Everything was placed carefully and with great reverence onto the coffee table beside the sofa.

Thor could now see Loki's pale hands in detail and he saw that there were jagged scars, almost like burn marks on his palms.

"What manner of scars are these?" he muttered.

"Mmmmm," Loki mumbled and weakly, opened his eyes.

"Shhh," Thor whispered, setting aside the last blade, "Brother, you need aid, I will take you back to Asgard..."

"No!" Loki cried, jumping up with strength that surprised the inhabitants of the room, even Thor. "Do not take me back! You cannot!"

"Loki, you are exhausted, you need to see a healer..."

"I need to rest, that is all!" he ground out, choosing not to mention his still aching bones. His bruises were mostly healed, but broken bones, even on him, took a while to heal and Von a Doom had done a number on him when he'd magically forced Loki to smash through several thick castle walls. "If you attempt to take me back I will fight you," he declared.

"You don't have the energy to fight anyone right now," Natasha crossed her arms.

"Try me," Loki hissed.

"Peace, brother," Thor rested his hand on Loki's shoulder. "Rest for now, I will take you at your word."

"You'll...not take me back?" the younger god raised an eyebrow.

"We will see what the morning brings. If you are improved, then no."

"And if I am not?"

"Then we will see," Thor told him. "Now, please, rest, you are safe here. I'll not leave you," he said, laying his hand on Loki's forearm.

"I can't stay here..." Loki shook his head, his eyes closing again.

"Yes you can,"

"Can't..." Loki muttered, "Stayed too long."

"I wasn't even aware that you were on Midgard."

"No one did. No one was meant to...tonight was an accident," the younger god admitted.

"It was a fortunate one," Thor declared. He manoeuvred his brother, ignoring his protests, so that he was sitting against Thor's chest as they had done when they were children.

"I'm not a child, Thor, let me go!" Loki cried, struggling in vain as Thor gently stroked his hair back, seeming not to notice his young brother's rather weak movements. "I mean it, Thor, release me!"

"Not going to happen, brother," Thor smiled.

"I demand that you cease this...this...this useless display now!"

"I refuse."

"Talk about sibling love," Steve muttered to his friends.

"I'm warning you, Thor!'

"And I am choosing not to hear you," Thor replied, "Incidentally, I believe you are in need of a bath, Loki."

"What?!"

"You smell foul," his brother informed him and Loki was stunned.

Unable to hide their chuckles, Steve, Barton, Tony and Natasha received angry glares from an indignant Loki, but the effect didn't seem to work when the one giving the glare was being unwillingly hugged by his older brother.

"You smell foul! Now let me go!" he screamed back after a moment.

"No."

"Argh, fine!" Loki hissed and closed his eyes. Focusing what was left of his magical reserves, Loki tried to teleport himself away but he barely made it five feet away and he fell against the wall, exhausted.

"That was not your wisest idea," Thor said, turning to face his stubborn brother.

"You gave me no choice, you ridiculous oaf! You were smothering me!"

"I was not!" Thor protested and once again, he heard a quiet chuckle from bending him. "Please, my friends," Thor turned to them and they nodded before leaving him and Loki alone.

"At last, you rid us of your entourage," Loki sneered.

"They are my friends."

"They are weak mortals!"

"They are not weak, now please, Loki, you need to rest," Thor said kindly, trying not to enrage his brother further.

"Rest?!" the younger repeated with a scoff. He hadn't been able to sleep properly now for months, even before his fight with Von Doom and he knew that without his illusions it was showing now on his face.

"Yes, rest," he nodded, moving to lift Loki in his arms.

"What are you doing?!" Loki snapped as Thor easily raised him from the floor and walked him through the building. "Put me down!" he cried.

"Here," Thor said finally, laying his brother down in the bed that had been provided by Tony for his frequent stays here. He often spent time here with Jane as Tony and she worked on projects that he couldn't generally understand.

Thor removed Loki's long, green and black coat, once more swatting away Loki's protesting hands and he placed the grubby garment over the desk chair by the large wall of glass. Thor then went on to remove his brother's chest plate and his boots without saying a word.

"Why are you doing this?" Loki asked him.

"What?" Thor frowned.

"Acting like nothing has changed," he clarified, "Nothing is as it was before...surely you know what I did."

"If you refer to what happened at my coronation, yes, I know about it, I have known for some time."

"Aren't you angry with me?"

"I was," Thor admitted, "But you were right. I was not ready to be king, I don't have to like the way you went about proving it, but I understand."

"And now you are crown prince again?" Loki guessed. In truth he didn't actually know whether Odin had proclaimed Thor's right to the throne again, he hadn't been back to Asgard since he'd left and he hadn't even attempted to keep up with what the royal family was doing in his absence.

"I am the wielder of Mjölnir, I am a prince again," he nodded, "Father offered to me the chance to be king when I returned...but I refused."

"What?! Why?!"

"I am a solider, Loki, we all know that. You would be the better choice..."

"I do not want the throne," Loki murmured, settling into the soft sheets around him, "I never did."

"Shhh," Thor whispered gently, tugging the quilt over his brother. "We will discuss this in the morning," he said as he lay atop the sheets beside Loki.

"No, we won't," the tired God of Mischief relied with typical stubbornness as he closed his eyes, choosing not to comment on the fact that Thor had draped an arm over him.

After having spent years alone, he couldn't find it in himself to hate it the sudden onslaught of affectionate touch that was his brother. Thor was always hugging or slapping his friends on the back, but Loki had always found the slightest of 'friendly' touches to be uncomfortable. The only exception was Thor when they had been children. But as they'd grown, Thor had found Loki's magic less and less impressive and Loki himself had drifted away from his brother and the Warriors and everyone else for that matter as well. Maybe now he knew why he abhorred physical contact so much, though, after all, he was a Frost Giant, creatures known for their cold touch. He didn't feel cold at all now, not with Thor beside him.

As he expected, Loki awoke early and Thor was still deeply asleep, he was lying beside his brother with one of Thor's arms still draped over him and he carefully lifted it and slipped out from under the covers, his bones, protesting at the movement.

The room he was in was one of the better ones he'd spent a night since he'd left Asgard and the bed had certainly been comfortable. The view was impressive out of the large wall of glass as well and Loki took a moment to admire it as he swung on his coat, pulled on his boots and then he walked silently from the room.

After locating his knives where he vaguely remembered Thor had removed them, he hid them about his person again and made for what he assumed was the way out until he heard footsteps behind him.

"Loki," Thor spoke, stopping his brother before he could leave.

"Ah," the God of Mischief breathed, "You rise early...a new habit, I assume?"

"I rose early because I knew you'd try to leave."

"Hmmm."

"We have much to discuss..."

"We have nothing to discuss," Loki corrected him.

"I have not seen you for three years, Loki..."

"Such a short space of time means nothing to us, we are immortal."

"We live long lives, but they don't last forever, brother," Thor told him, remembering his father's words on his return to Asgard. "You seem to be much improved," he remarked after a moment.

"I told you, all I needed was rest," Loki snapped.

"What have you been doing to tire yourself, so?" Thor asked. "I ask only because I worry about you," he explained when Loki's eyes snapped up at him. "I feared you lost forever...I feared you dead, Loki, does that mean nothing to you?!" Loki said nothing in his stubbornness and Thor sighed, "Mother missed you," he said, "How could you just leave? Father has been..."

"Thor," Loki spoke slowly as though explaining something to a child, "I have no father, the man who sired me, left me to die when I was but an infant and your father lied to me for my entire life."

"He did it to protect you!"

"From what? From knowing that I am a monster?! Oh yes, I can see that his reasoning was truly a noble cause!" Loki spat.

"You are no monster!" Thor cried and Loki scoffed.

"...Oh, please...my poor head," Tony chose that moment to stumble into the room followed by a confused Pepper Potts. Both were dressed for sleeping and both looked equally surprised at seeing the angry Loki standing before them.

"Tony, maybe we should..." she began but Loki hadn't even seemed to notice them.

"Do you not remember what we always said as boys? How we dreamt of the slaughter of the Frost Giants? Do you want to slaughter me now? Or do you conveniently forget that now that you know the truth?" he yelled.

"We were foolish children and father never should have encouraged such talk," the Thunderer said.

"I cannot forget," Loki continued, as Thor had never spoken. "A thousand years of hating the very thing that I turn out to be...how can the Allfather be so cruel? What did I do to deserve this?!"

"You did nothing, none of this is your fault, brother..."

"I'm not your brother!" Loki screamed. "I have no brother, I have no mother, and I have no father! I have nothing!" he yelled, his voice hoarse in his rage as stray tears ran down his cheeks. His hands were suddenly alight with green fire and it coiled and trickled up his forearms from the tips of his fingers, almost like water that flowed upstream.

"Wow...that's new..." Tony squinted at the flames, "Thor...that's not good...right," he muttered to him, eyeing the green, magical fire warily.

"I am aware of that," Thor ground out, needlessly.

"Is that actual fire, 'cos this place's been through enough and I..."

"Shut up," Pepper muttered back at him, noticing that each word said seemed to make the distraught God of Mischief increasingly edgy as he backed away from them, like a wild, cornered animal.

"Loki..." Thor whispered, taking a step towards his brother. He held up a hand to show that he was unarmed and Loki's eyes flittered across his form which grew closer to him slowly.

"Don't!" the younger god ordered.

"Please, Loki...please, be calm..."

"Why should I?!" Loki demanded, shaking his head. "Don't act like you've never done me wrong either! Living in your shadow was almost as bad as Odin's lies! I could do no right with the mighty Thor as a brother!" Loki mocked. "I was never as strong as you! I was never as good as you! And Odin never let me forget it! He knew that I'd never be as good as you because I am nothing more than a Jotun monster..."

"What they did was wrong, but you cannot forget everything they have done for you, they love you as they love me." Loki let out a cold, hateful chuckle at that but he said nothing as Thor continued, "I've seen monsters, Loki," he said, "And you are not one of them."

"You don't know...you haven't seen what I really am..." Loki shivered.

"Then show me..."

"No!" the younger god cried.

"Alright," Thor breathed calmly, "Alright. Just...please...calm down..." he said, glancing down at his brother's flame filled fingertips.

Loki then turned to see the same thing and he raised his hands so that they level with his eyes, surprised at what he saw. He hadn't been aware that he'd conjured any magic at all. With a flick of his wrists, the flames disappeared and he sighed heavily as he leant back against the wall, running a hand through his dirty black hair.

"Thank you," Thor smiled at him. "What I said last night hasn't changed," he said after a moment, "You really do require a bath, brother."

The God of Mischief couldn't help but laugh at that and once Thor saw that his brother took it in good humour rather than getting angry, he laughed as well.

"You really are a fool, Thor," Loki said with a smile, "A sentimental fool."

"Maybe so, but right now I'm a sentimental fool with an offended sense of smell."

"You don't deny that you're sentimental," the younger God pointed out.

"I have learnt to choose my battles wisely," Thor replied.

"Took you long enough," Loki said.

"It was a hard learned lesson, make no mistake, but a necessary one...You learned it long before I did."

"I never had a powerful hammer to smash around in difficult situations; I had no choice."

"Perhaps I'd have been better off never having one myself," Thor said. "But enough misdirection, as your elder brother I am ordering you to rid yourself of that foul stench."

"You are ordering me?"

"Go, brother!" Thor growled with a smile.

"Very well," Loki rolled his eyes, "But I go because the smell offends me not because you order it," he said.

"Of course."

Loki emerged sometime later wearing a black vest and a pair of dark jeans that had been left in the bathroom for him, both were slightly too big for him, but with a wave of his hand, Loki made sure that none would know it. His whole body still ached and he couldn't understand why he wasn't healing.

The wounds on his palms, he remembered, had appeared the first time he'd used the magic of the staff which he'd taken from Von Doom. At first Loki had been able to control its vast power, but then it had turned sour and it had almost turned on him. It had been as though the magical artefact had warned him not to act further and had burned him as a warning and these for some reason, his magic couldn't hide. He wasn't sure whether this 'warning' was friendly or not. He hoped to discover what, if anything, S.H.I.E.L.D knew about the artefact, but without his kingly resources, it had proven difficult, especially when he was wounded. That was why he had followed Thor to America.

Minutes later, Loki found the so called 'Avengers', including Bruce Banner, who had thought it best not to join his friends on their night out, for obvious reasons, lounging in the sitting room with Thor. Loki strode confidently around the room now, examining the small knick-knacks and bric-a-brac that littered every surface.

"Shouldn't you all be protecting Midgard and doing great deeds of valour...not resting here watching...television?" he asked, ignoring the pain he felt, pushing it away to a deep, dark corner of his mind where its cries couldn't be heard.

"Last day of celebrating a big victory," Tony grinned, "Come sit with us, we got popcorn!" he said, holding up a half empty bowl.

"You recovered quickly from your stupor, Man of Iron," Loki remarked.

"Years of practice."

"It is true, brother, he has much practice in this," Thor declared, "As much as Volstagg, I dare say."

"Hmmm," Loki hummed.

"So...you know about tv, huh?" Tony called over to Loki, "Y'should've seen us try and explain it to thunder guy, here...he said the little people were sorcerers," he laughed and Loki let out a quiet snort of humour. "And seriously, what is it with you people and calling me 'Man of Iron' it's Iron Man, how hard is it to remember? I'll even let you use my name, I guess you don't know, being from Mars and all but it's..."

"Anthony Howard Stark," Loki said for him, turning to face the man who now sported a surprised expression.

"Hey, the Martian knows my name!"

"I even understand your Martian reference, will wonders never cease," the God of Mischief deadpanned.

"...I like him," Tony declared happily.

"Everyone knows your name," Steve rolled his eyes, "Bet you don't know mine."

"I know more than just your name, I know that you are misplaced, out of time, you don't belong here anymore than I do," Loki said.

"Oooookay..." Clint frowned.

"This is impressive, brother, how..." Thor said.

"Did you really think me so uninformed when I was king?" Loki asked his brother.

"You knew about them even then?"

"Oh, yes, I knew of each of them before you did."

"I'm I the only one creeped out by that?" Tony muttered, "Not that it's not impressive, I mean, it is, but it's still..."

"How did you know, if you're telling the truth, I mean?" Natasha asked the God of Mischief, "The Avengers wasn't even formed then."

"Your...organisation...isn't exactly discrete, nor is it particularly good at keeping its secrets from someone like me. They were all very interested in you after Thor landed here, but I'm sure you know that already, Agent Romanoff, or should I call you Black Widow?" Loki replied smugly.

"Guess that means he's telling the truth," Tony said, impressed.

"Why, because he knows who I am?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I know far more than that. I know about your...particular skill set, I know what you did with them and I know that Agent Barton was sent to..."

"Enough!" she yelled.

"...The point is, knowledge is power," Loki told her, "I'm still alive because I respect that...so do not underestimate me."

"Alright, point proven," Tony breathed, "You wanna sit down now, or you wanna keep trying to creep us out?"

"It's actually rather enjoyable."

"Heh," the man smirked, "God of Mischief...right..."

"Here," Thor said, quickly, hoping the change the subject as he held out Loki's golden, now shining arm guards which had been lovingly polished back to their former splendour. "I cleaned them for you," he explained needlessly as Loki took them back.

The younger God gave a silent, surprised nod and then he turned his attention to the armour pieces in his hands. He ran a finger over the inlaid design on one of them and gave a small smile before he could stop himself. Loki then, more out of habit than anything else, strapped the arm guards onto his wrists, forgetting that he wasn't wearing his usual clothes so they were slightly loose on his bare forearms.

"That is new," Thor pointed out, as he glanced at an elaborate twisting of black string inlaid with small amulets around his brothers' right wrist which was quickly concealed under his arm guard.

"A trinket, nothing more," Loki shrugged.

"From whom?"

"...From the Dwarves."

"The what?" Tony blinked, "Dwarves? As in...little people?"

"I forget you Midgardians have no Dwarves," Thor said, "But, Loki, please tell me that you did not..."

"I did not steal it, Thor, it was a gift."

"A gift, for what purpose?" Thor asked in disbelief.

"For the...for the purpose of peace," Loki answered, turning away.

"What?"

"Apparently I have quite the reputation for peace now," the younger God murmured. "Really, I orchestrate one treaty, one measly little treaty with the Jotun and everyone in the Nine seems to think better of me now, it's laughable. Maybe I should have done it a long time ago if only to see the looks on their faces..."

"And you agreed to this, after what they did to you..." *1

"No," Loki shook his head. "I said I would...ponder their generous offer, and they gave me this. It may not look like much but it has powerful protection magic woven into it," he said, raising his arm slightly. "Which is slightly ironic because they then preceded to force me from their lands," he added with a humourless grin.

"And are you...pondering their generous offer?"

"I don't know. It's not an easy thing to forget having one's mouth sewn shut regardless of the mischief I caused them. I harmed no one, I was a child."

"You had your mouth sewn shut?" Steve frowned.

"According to Norse myth," Bruce nodded.

"Father was furious with them when he learned what they had done," Thor said to his brother.

"No he wasn't. He claimed that I deserved it, that it was a fitting punishment for one who valued words as I do...he said as much to my face."

"Not to me. To me he claimed vengeance on those that had dared to harm you."

"Then why did he do nothing?" Loki asked him with an open expression of anguish.

"Because...oftentimes he is a king first and a father second," the Thunderer sighed. "Why did you even deign to visit their accused lands?"

"Not by choice. I can't always control where I land when I...when I use my own method of traversing the Nine Realms."

"And that is?"

"That is my secret."

"You and your secrets," Thor sighed. "I suppose those wounds of yours are also a secret. How did you acquire them?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter," Loki shrugged.

"I am for Asgard tomorrow," his brother informed him after a minute, knowing that Loki would not tell him anything further. "You could come with me," he suggested.

"No, I couldn't," Loki said quickly.

"But mother would..."

"The Allmother will have to be content with the golden child of Asgard..."

"Loki...she is your mother, and she loves you..."

"...They are not my parents..." Loki shrugged, "I've already told you..."

"I don't think you really believe that."

"Nevertheless," the younger God spread his burned palms and continued his nonchalant pacing again.

"I'll not lie for you, Loki," Thor replied, "I'll tell them that I've seen you, it will alleviate their concern if nothing else."

"Do as you wish."

"They will not stop searching for you."

"I know how to hide."

"Then why did I find you?" Thor furrowed his brow, "...I didn't, did I...you wanted me to, so I did. You intended for me to find you..."

"You read too much into a simple coincidence..."

"Nothing is coincidence when you are involved, brother. Why did you want to see me?"

"I didn't," Loki said calmly, refusing to meet Thor's inquisitive eyes.

"You missed me, you missed my charming presence..."

"That's your theory? Honestly, I orchestrated this purely because I longed for your 'charming presence'? That's the best you can come up with? You could at least accuse me of plotting some hostile take-over, or that I'm gathering intelligence on your precious 'Avengers'. I'd even commend you for figuring out that I'm secretly eliminating all Midgardian leaders and impersonating them as we speak!"

"You've got some serious problems, you know that?" Steve scoffed.

"I'm not the one who fights wars in tights, Captain," Loki raised an eyebrow.

Suddenly, a flash of green light swept over his entire body, not emanating from anywhere in particular, it skimmed over his skin and his clothes, transforming him completely as it moved. It left a perfect copy of Captain America in full regalia, compete with his star emblazoned shield in his hand, all traces of the God of Mischief, obliterated. Save, of course, for the stubborn magical burns on his hands that simply refused to be hidden.

"Mmmmm," Loki appraised himself, looking down at his new appearance, "It's certainly something that I'd personally choose," he said, speaking as himself and then looked up dramatically. "It's a bit much...so tight..." he then said, mimicking Steve's speech patterns.

"Hey!" Steve exclaimed at the verbal jab.

"But the confidence, I can feel the righteousness surging. Wanna have a rousing discussion about truth, honour, patriotism? God bless America!" he grinned, brandishing his fist proudly.

"Hah," Tony laughed, "Hey, do me next!"

Loki, still wearing Steve's image, shrugged and transformed again with a flash of green light, Tony Stark was standing before them dressed in a sharp, navy blue suit. "Less board meeting more...fun in the sun," the original said.

With a third flash of light, the blue suit morphed into a white vest and dark knee length shorts, in his hand he now held an elaborate, colourful drink with a small paper umbrella in it. "That's a good look for me...Is that real?" Tony asked, gesturing to the glass which Loki preceded to hold out for him to take. Like an excited child, he jumped up and took it then made a grimace when he tasted it, "What the...what is that?"

"I'm unsure as to what these beverages taste like, I've only ever seen them," Loki defended, still looking and sounding like Tony. "I can't replicate the taste of something if I don't know what it is."

"How does this even work?" the American said, stunned, as he circled his double, holding the glass in his hand.

"Magic," Loki answered, simply.

"Seriously? Magic?"

"Is that not the response you expected?"

"Well...I guess, but magic's not..."

"Not what? Not real, despite what you see before you? Is seeing not believing?"

"Yeah, but...I'm a scientist, I'm a tech guy, everything has to have some kind of explanation..."

"So does this, it simply isn't your explanation that fits," Loki said.

"I...hmmm. So...say you turned into me wearing my suit...would it work like my real suit?"

Without a word, Loki morphed into a perfect copy of Iron Man, his metal suit shiny and spotless as he lightly tilted his head. "Well, it looks real enough," Tony remarked, "JARVIS, you in there?"

"No, sir, I am not," the AI answered.

"Guess that answers that, then."

"What is...argh..." Loki broke off before he could finish, his voice twisting back into his own.

He snapped his head down to stare at his hands which were forcibly changing back and he realised that he'd drained what little magic he'd recovered from his peaceful night of rest. Within the space of a split second, his illusion shattered into tiny sparks of light which shed from him like scales that floated away and dissipated in the air.

"Whoa...what just happened?" Steve frowned.

"...You ok?" Tony asked, moving forwards to try and place his hand on Loki's shoulder. But before he could, the God of Mischief had forced himself back sharply against the glass wall behind him and with a heavy sigh, Loki scrubbed a hand through his damp hair.

"I'm fine," he ground out.

"You drained your magic, didn't you?" the Thunderer inferred correctly.

"I am fine," his brother repeated.

"You should not have done that."

"I would appreciate it if you returned my clothes so that I may leave," Loki said suddenly.

"Well, unless you wanna walk around in wet clothes, you'll have to wait, Mischief man, I sent 'em of to be cleaned," Tony told him.

"Unacceptable," he replied.

"Tough."

"Why do you insist on fleeing?" Thor demanded, standing up and moving across to his brother. "I don't want you to disappear for another three years, Loki..."

"I didn't want to discover that Laufey was my sire, but we can't always get what we want, Thor."

"So you prefer your isolationism to my company?"

"Not everything is about you; at the moment, I value my 'isolationism' more than the company of every living being in the Nine," Loki sneered.

"I do not believe that such thinking has done you much good," Thor remarked as Loki sank back against the wall of glass, sliding down to sit on the floor. He pulled his knees up and rested his elbows on them, lowering his head and closing his eyes.

"...Why do you have to be so stubborn?" the younger god sighed.

"I am stubborn?" Thor chuckled in disbelief, "Well, if I am, indeed, it is of your making, brother."

"Naturally."

"I won't leave you, Loki, I won't allow you to wander alone anymore."

"You can't stop me," Loki stated calmly.

"This does not have to change anything, you are my brother and I will say that as many times as I need to. I did not lie to you when I said that I missed you dearly. Believe me, I spoke enough about you to compensate..."

"Ain't that the truth," Tony chuckled, "He told us everything."

"...Everything?" Loki questioned.

"All our adventures, brother, I spoke of them when I feared we'd have no more."

"You clearly remember them differently than I do."

"I remember each time I allowed my temper to cause me to do something reckless and each time you tried to talk me out of it..."

"If you'll also care to remember, half of those times I manipulated you into doing something reckless for my own amusement. You were always predictable," Loki scoffed.

"Whatever trouble I caused, regardless of whether you planned it, you were always there to put it right afterwards," Thor said.

"Of course I was, fath...Odin would have punishment me had I not done so. At least we know now why you never needed to fear his wrath."

"Loki, father was..." Thor began, clearly about to defend his father, but Loki refused to hear it and he spoke up again.

"I was jealous of you, Thor, I still am! What part of that can't you understand?! You should be angry with me not...pleased to see me! And I certainly don't need to hear you defend Odin's actions."

"I know you were jealous, brother, but you've no need to be, you never did..."

"How could I not be?!" the younger god let out an undignified snort of disbelief. "Everything came easy to you; your birth right, your power...even people..."

"I'm not surprised with that attitude," Natasha rolled her eyes and Loki blinked once to glare at her for a moment.

"You have a birth right, Loki, you are a son of Odin. You were made king in father's absence, does that count for nothing?"

"I was made temporary king because you were not there to claim the throne," Loki pointed out, petulantly.

"If that be the case, then why did the right not bypass you and go to mother? Distraught as she was, she has more experience in ruling than either of us. If they did not think you worthy then father would have decreed long ago that in such an event, you were forbidden to rule. But he didn't."

"He's got a point," Tony said to Loki.

"Surely, jealousy is beneath you, Loki, you are the most powerful sorcerer in Asgard, and you are well aware of that," Thor said.

"Asgard values brute strength, not magic," Loki said, "It was ever thus. Now...I've stayed long enough, I'm leaving..."

"Please, brother..."

"What about your clothes, they're not done yet?" Tony asked, hoping to delay the God of Mischief.

"I will return for them," Loki shrugged.

"You can't just leave," Steve exclaimed, "Alright, Thor's been worried sick about you and..." he trailed off when Loki pushed himself up from the floor and walked from the room. "Hey, where are you going?" Captain America demanded.

Loki returned from the bathroom, having retrieved his daggers which he'd left in there and then with a scowl of disinterest, he wordlessly transformed himself into a small black raven, flapping his feathered wings, ignoring the strain it put on him.

"Brother, your magic is not recovered enough for this," Thor warned just before the bird took flight out of the large open balcony door which overlooked the sea below. "Loki!" he yelled, running over to the balcony, watching uselessly as the black bird flew away.

"Want me to go after him? I'll catch up in no time in my suit," Tony offered.

"No," the thunderer sighed, "Leave him...perhaps this wandering is doing him some good...in some ways, at least. He never would have admitted to his jealousy like this before. I don't enjoy seeing him so weak, but he can take care of himself...and I fear that in following him against his wishes will only anger him more."

"So...your little brother's the most powerful sorcerer in Asgard, huh?" Bruce commented after a moment. "You, erm, you never mentioned that," he said.

"Did I not?"

"No...and I was wondering," the scientist muttered, more to himself. "Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence? Remember...Victor kept shouting when we were fighting him, I thought it was at us, but..." he said, "What if Loki was there and he took the staff...we never could find it. I mean, we all saw those vid files of what Doom can do. I don't like to admit that magic exists but..."

"Hang on, what Doom does isn't magic," Tony protested, "He's just...a giant conductor..."

"Then how do you explain Loki's impersonations?" Steve asked, "And the guy just turned into a bird and flew away!"

"Erm...stage magic?" Iron Man shrugged, "I don't know...yet, but it has to have some kind of scientific explanation...either way it's still cool." he added with a smile.

"You're missing the point," Bruce sighed.

"The point is, Loki has the staff," Natasha said.

"He could have the staff," the scientist corrected her.

"And we have to get it back," she finished.

*1 Reference to the myth that the Dwarves sewed Loki's lips shut.