Plans in Motion

Loki wandered through the base, pausing as he stared at the work that Selvig had accomplished in only the last few days. Well, it was quite a feat given how many more people there were working for them now. Barton had done well in recruiting help, most of the scientists and other guards had come willingly, hadn't even needed 'persuading' from him or the scepter. It seemed SHIELD had done quite a number in creating it's own antiforce.

"Put it over there," Selvig pointed a screwdriver off to the side, another scientist carrying some objects over, when he spotted Barton walking over, both men were unaware of his presence as he was hidden in magic smoke. He wanted to see what they'd say, what they thought, "Where did you find all these people?"

"SHIELD has no shortage of enemies, doctor," was all Barton gave him as he tapped on a tablet, before holding it up, "This the stuff you need?" he held up an image of a sort of rock, some information beside it.

"Yeah," Selvig pointed at it, "Iridium. It's found in meteorites, it forms anti-protons. It's very hard to get hold of."

"Especially if SHIELD knows you need it," Barton lowered the tablet, running a small search on were he could find it.

"Well, I didn't know," Selvig shrugged, when Loki chose to step out of his smoke and join them. Selvig grinned and pointed at him, "Hey! This is wonderful," he too walked closer to the plastic opening to speak to Loki, "The Tesseract has shown me so much. It's…it's more than knowledge, it's truth," he breathed, seeming truly touched by that.

"I know," Loki smiled, nodding, "It…" he blinked a bit, starting to frown, "It touches everyone differently."

He paused, considering what he had seen, how much of his life had been a lie, how much of it had been one manipulation after the other, the truth in how his brother had treated him, how he'd belittled him, how he'd…continuously made himself superior. He closed his eyes, wincing, he just wanted to be Thor's equal, but now…now he knew, the Tesseract had shown him he was NOT Thor's equal.

He was his superior.

But…in all that, in all the lies he now saw through, there was only one single truth in his existence on Asgard.

Kona.

Through all that time, she had been his one constant, she had been the one person whose faith in him had never been broken. Even his mo…Frigga, he'd seen it, when Thor had spouted his accusations against them, he'd seen his mother's face. He'd glanced at her, had seen the shock and the disbelief but also…the betrayal. He'd seen it, no matter what and no matter what the woman claimed, for one brief moment…she had believed it. She had truly thought him and Kona capable of betraying their homes.

Everyone he had ever loved had given up on him, had thought him able to just…turn his back on Asgard, to attack it, to attempt to end Odin's life…his father, his brother, his mother, his 'friends' (if he could call the Warriors Three and Sif that), every single person had turned their back on him, whether for an instant or for longer, they had. All of them…except Kona.

She had stayed at his side, she had believed in him, trusted him, helped him, counseled him. She had defended him and protected him and…her faith in him meant everything to him. To know that she had been banished still trusting him…he had felt the desperate need to get back to her, to prove her faith in him well founded.

The Chitauri had shown him that, that she was the only one in his world that was worth anything. And now it was his turn to protect her, to ensure the humans never harmed her, to keep the Asgardians who might come after her away.

"What did it show you Agent Barton?" he shook his head, looking at Barton. Knowing that he would have to ensure that the man understood the mission that was to follow. For the next step of the plan to take place, they needed the Iridium, and he knew exactly the distraction that would be needed. But…to do that…it meant that Kona would be left in the hands of others, and, at the moment, the only one he could trust to protect her…was Barton.

"My next target," Barton stated.

"Tell me what you need," Loki smirked.

Barton walked over to a small case, popping it open and taking out his collapsible bow. He flicked it open, turning his head to look at Loki, "I need a distraction. And an eyeball."

"Very well then," Loki nodded, "I shall get you both, but you must so something for me as well."

Barton nodded, it was only fair, he was asking for 2 things, that still left Loki open to request something else, "Name it sir."

Loki smirked, "Come with me."

~8~

"Coming!" Kona called as she made her way to her door, hearing a knock. She'd been washing dishes in the small sink of her kitchen and hadn't heard the approaching footsteps of the ones at her door. She opened it, inhaling and smiling, "Logan!" she greeted, before she half threw herself out of her doorway and into his arms, hugging him tightly.

Loki laughed, his arms winding around her as he just…smiled, Barton tilting his head as he stood to the side, quietly, watching. That smile…he had been trained as an assassin, he was trained to read and respond to body language, to know if a hit was getting suspicious and other tells…Loki was genuinely and deeply happy at that moment as he held the blonde woman in his arms.

"How did you know it was me?" he whispered as he pulled away.

And it was then that Barton noticed…she was blind. Her brown eyes were hazy and cloudy and she wasn't quite looking right at Loki but near enough.

"I could smell you," she remarked, taking a step back, as though just realizing what she'd done.

She started to flush pick as she looked away from him, embarrassed that she'd done that. It was just…he was THERE. It was so odd how she felt so attached to him, she had only met him two days ago, not even and…already she felt like she was the most comfortable she had ever been when she was with him. It was…a bit scary too she had to admit. She had had such a terrible experience the night before, ha nearly been mugged, and…in the middle of it, in the middle of the mugging turning worse…a man had appeared and pulled her attackers off her.

Logan, he'd said his name was when they'd first met, when he'd helped her carry her bags to her apartment. He'd said he was just…in the neighborhood but she knew it was a lie, she could hear it in his voice and knew that he'd really been there to see HER. And she felt…warm and happy to know that, to know that he'd come to see her. And it had been so lucky he had, because he'd saved her.

She had been so embarrassed, even more than just now, to wake up that morning on her couch, with him there, with his arms around her and her head on his chest and been mortified at the predicament. Not just because it was a strange man she barely knew but…because she didn't want him to think that she was like that with every strange man that she barely knew. She'd jumped awake so suddenly that it had ended up sending them both over the side of the couch, toppling to the floor, giving him a rather rude awakening that she had felt terribly for.

She could still remember it, how he'd groaned, twisting so she landed on top of him and not it the floor, and remarked that he'd been having a good dream. She'd apologized but he'd just said that…that being awake was far better, because then he knew he wasn't just dreaming of her in his arms. She'd blushed bright red but felt her heart speed up at the implication that he had been dreaming of her.

It was mad, it really was, how she felt about this man, because he WAS a man she barely knew. She had done so many things she had sworn and been careful NOT to do, with him. She'd shown him where she lived, she'd invited him into her apartment, she'd let him stay, she'd fallen asleep with him, and she just…it was wrong, it SHOULD be wrong, that she was so comfortable around him. She didn't know him, she'd never met him, and yet…she felt more safe when he was around than when he wasn't.

She felt…loved when he was around.

But they had only met two days ago! This wasn't a fairytale, she wasn't a princess that fell in love at first sight…for quite obvious reasons. This wasn't a legend or a myth, there was no god looking down at her from Olympus or Valhalla that had been so taken with her beauty. This was just her being foolish and asking for trouble in letting this man into her life so quickly.

But…she couldn't stop it. She'd tried, SO hard to not think of him. Yet, the moment after she'd heard his voice…it was all she could think of, a niggling in her head saying she'd heard it before, that it was familiar to her. She couldn't focus on anything after that, it was like her mind was consumed with thoughts of him, with trying to place him with…it was almost like it was trying to remember him but failing.

Every moment away from him hurt, but every moment with him confused her. Why did she feel this way? Two days and she missed him, and she thought about him, and she half-threw herself at him when he appeared again. She didn't want him to go, she didn't want him to leave and take the comfort and the sense of placement that she'd found with him. When he was there…she felt like she was herself, whoever that was, she felt…

Whole.

"Smell?" Loki asked, eyeing her, in all the time he'd known Kona, she'd never remarked on THAT particular way of discovering him.

"You smell…nice," she shrugged, not sure how to phrase it or describe it. He had a unique scent to him, one she wished she could bottle up and keep on her pillow case. She hadn't ever slept as peacefully or soundly as she had last night in the entire year she'd been living there.

She knew why…she trusted him, completely.

And that scared her.

The way she trusted him, the amount of faith she had in him…it was staggering. She'd only just met him and…she trusted him. Implicitly. Completely. With everything.

And that shouldn't be, it shouldn't be that easy but…it was. It was like he'd done something more than just save her, that he'd done something MUCH bigger that had earned her trust. Because…she trusted him even before he'd saved her from those men. She didn't know what it could be, but she just knew that she did trust him, very much.

She knew that she believed in him, that he would keep her safe and protect her and that he was a good man. But she felt something settle in her stomach, a small pit, at the thought, that…something was coming.

"Who's with you?" she looked over at Barton's direction, startling the man for a moment.

"Agent Barton," Loki introduced.

"Pleasure, ma'am," he reached out and shook her hand as she offered it to him.

"And you," she nodded, before looking at Loki, "Agent?"

"Yes, um," Loki began, Barton frowning when he saw the man stutter for a second, seeming to be struggling with saying what he was about to say, "I…have an assignment, to see to, in the next day or so," he spoke, using enough of the truth that he knew she wouldn't hear the lie in his voice, "Agent Barton and I will be off but…I may have to stay longer. I've requested that he…stop by, make sure you're alright."

He'd really said 'watch her like a hawk' to be specific, but she didn't need to know that.

"Oh…" Kona blinked, looking down, "I um…I see…"

Loki frowned, seeing her look away, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," she murmured, smiling up at him again.

But he could see how false it was and reached out, taking her hand, stepping closer to her, Barton watching curiously as Kona looked up at Loki, towards his eyes, seeming far more comfortable the closer he came, which was odd for a woman who had only just met the man he knew. The girl didn't even know his name.

"Tell me," Loki whispered, his voice so soft and pleading that Barton was almost startled that it was LOKI talking. The man had taken down a room of soldiers, destroyed a base, and had plans for world domination…and yet HE was nearly begging for this one small woman to admit the truth to him.

He vaguely wondered why Loki didn't just use the scepter, the gem, he now knew was a small subset of the Tesseract, a tiny crystal shard of it embedded in the gem on the scepter. But…the way the man was looking at her, with such…care…he knew that the woman had to be monumentally important to him.

"Are you…really leaving for an assignment?" she had to ask, "Or…or because I…we…" she struggled to try and phrase it correctly, because they'd fallen asleep and been too…intimate was what she was trying to say without giving details what with Barton right there.

"Never," Loki murmured, lifting his other hand to touch her face, "That was…the best sleep I have had in a year."

She smiled softly at that, closing her eyes as she leaned into his touch, "For me as well," she agreed.

"The only thing I shall regret is leaving you," he told her, his voice so…honest that Barton began to shift, feeling like he was intruding on a private moment, "If I could, I'd stay with you always."

She let out a breath, feeling her heart skip a beat at that, having no idea why she was so pleased to hear him say that, why it made her feel so happy and relieved and…overjoyed. God, she'd JUST met the man and already she felt like she couldn't live without him. She felt like…like she already had, like she'd endured a year and it had been utter hell. She had never felt so happy and content as she had the last two days with him there.

She shook her head, giving in, she didn't care anymore. She didn't care if it was weird or too fast or anything. She just…she was finally happy, despite her memory loss, she felt…truly happy with him there. And she didn't want to give that up.

"Maybe…" she swallowed, taking a breath, "Maybe you could? When you return?"

Loki beamed at that, looking for all the world as though Christmas had come early, "I'd love it," he told her, his cheeks starting to hurt he was smiling so widely.

He'd been terrified that he would come to see her and she would reject him, that SHE would feel awkward about just waking up with him and turn him away. He'd lived in fear, for the entire year before, that he would meet her and not only would she have no recollection of him but that she'd be cold to him, that she'd somehow only retain the 'treachery' he'd apparently committed against Asgard and hate him…and there she was, wanting him to stay.

His heart was racing at that as he gently moved his hand from her cheek to her chin, lifting it up and looking at her face, watching her expression carefully as he came closer to her lips. He wanted to kiss her terribly, he had from the moment he'd seen her but that would have been frightening for her, for a random man to come up to her and do such a thing. But now…now he could see she was comfortable with him, she…wanted to be with him.

He knew she was confused by her feelings, he had seen it on her face, but…he knew it was her connection to him, deep down, buried but there, still intact just…chained away by her forgotten memories. She still cared for him, still believed in him and, he dared to think, still loved him as much as he did her. And now, knowing he'd be away from her for a few days…he needed this, he needed just…one kiss, one promise, to do it.

He drew in slowly, watching her expression, feeling himself start to smile when he saw her grin as well…before she pushed herself onto her toes and kissed him instead. He let out a small, happy laugh as he returned her rather eager kiss with a deep one of his own, just…cherishing the moment, reveling in the feel of having her in his arms once more, of having her so close again.

He was quite breathless when he pulled away, which was to be expected, he was always breathless around her, resting his forehead to hers, "I shall return soon," he promised her, lifting her hand to kiss the back of it, "Parting is such sweet sorrow," he murmured.

"Agent Barton?" she called as they turned to go, "Keep him safe?"

"Of course ma'am," Barton nodded, catching a subtle shift in Loki, in why he'd brought him there, to show him this woman, whoever she was, was to be considered Loki's equal, she was to be his partner in the future and was to be respected, her orders followed as though they were Loki's own.

Kona smiled, though Loki could see a small trace of concern for him as her door shut. He and Barton made it to the elevator in the back of the hall, stopping before it, as he turned to the man, "You protect her with your life," he ordered.

Barton nodded as they got in the elevator, "With my life, sir."

Loki smirked as the doors closed.

~8~

Loki stood on the upper level of a rather lovely gala, staring down at the well-dressed guests, all the rich of Germany gathered for an event. He tilted his head, considering them, none of the women shown as bright as Kona did in her simple dresses in Asgard, she had been…breathtaking, truly a simple beauty, a quiet beauty that came from within. Those women down there, they were trying too hard. He couldn't help but think, for a moment, that he should have taken Kona with him, she loved music and this was a party after all.

But no, he shook his head, heading for the stairs beside him and heading down them, what was about to happen, what he was about to do and let be done to him was not something that Kona needed to witness or experience. This new her wasn't…the old her. This new her hadn't been born and raised by a race that valued combat, she hadn't been taught the laws and ancient ways, she hadn't been trained for anything. He had seen it on her face when the men attacked her, she'd been frightened, she hadn't fought back because she hadn't known she knew how. He didn't wan tot expose her to that just yet. He was hoping he might be able to convince her to try some small sparring lessons with him, under the guise of teaching her self defense incase that alley attack happened again. Perhaps teaching her some familiar moves would help jog what memories there were.

He…wasn't quite sure how it worked, when a king stripped someone of their memories, whether it meant the memories were removed completely or if they were just hidden and locked away within their mind. He didn't want to risk using his magic on her, not when he didn't know what the result could be. Something like this HAD to be safeguarded by the king, they had to have thought that someone might try to restore the memories one day and wanted to ensure it was the king himself when he felt the punishment over.

He casually walked through the hall, flipping the scepter/cane in his hand before he turned and swung it across the face of a guard. The action caused the desired affect as a man who was speaking stopped, the guests turning to look at him. He grinned, striding right over to the man who had been giving a speech about the Iridium, and grabbed him, dragging him towards a small statue-like altar in the middle of the room and shoved him down onto it. He held the man down with one hand and pulled a device out of his pocket, flicking it on, spikes coming out of it before he stabbed it into the man's eye, taking a replica of the man's eyeball, transmitting the information to Barton who had a device of his own, using it to replicate the eye for a sensor, gaining them access to the Iridium.

He looked up when he heard people screaming and trying to run, grinning, perfect. Chaos was the perfect beginning to order, with everyone so frightened and alarmed and concerned and upset, it would be the perfect concoction to take control of them, just one small step in is quest to take the world over.

He looked down at the man when he stopped moving, pulling the device from him and slipping it, bloodied, back into his pocket before he headed for the entrance the others were scrambling towards. His modern clothes faded before the eyes of the citizens, turning into his formal Asgardian wear, his horned helmet on his head as he held the scepter before him.

He looked over, seeing police car heading for him and blasted it with the scepter, turning it over, flipping it in the air, before he began to project himself around the people, keeping them from fleeing, "Kneel before me," he commanded, but they still remained standing, "I said…KNEEL!" he grinned as they hurried to their knees, "Is not this simpler?" he asked them, his voice calmer as he began to walk, moving among them, through them, "Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end…you will always kneel."

He tilted his head when an old man stood, "Not to men like you."

"There are no men like me."

"There are always men like you."

Loki's smile tensed, "Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example…" before he fired a bolt at the man as well…

Only for Captain America to land before him, blocking the blast with his shield, sending it flying back at Loki, knocking him to the ground.

"You know," the Captain began, "The last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."

Loki laughed as he stood, "The soldier, the man out of time."

"I'm not the one who's out of time," the Captain smirked, pointing up as a jet drifted down, aiming a gun at him.

"Loki," a woman called, "Drop the weapon and stand down."

Loki laughed, shaking his head, before he blasted a bolt up at the jet, which turned hard to the side to avoid it, giving the Captain enough time and distraction to fight Loki, the crowd rushing back, trying to avoid them both and watching with baited breath as the men fought…till Loki knocked Captain America's shield to the side, forcing the man down with his scepter.

"Kneel!" Loki ordered.

"Not today," the Captain jumped up and spun, kicking Loki in the face as they fought again…until something shot out of the sky and fired a blast at Loki, knocking him down.

Iron Man landed, "Make a move reindeer games," he held out his hand at Loki threateningly, just waiting for the man to make a move. Loki merely let his helmet dissolve, holding up his hands in surrender, "Good move."

"Mister Stark," Captain America greeted as he moved to handcuff Loki's hands before him, pulling the scepter away from him.

"Captain," Iron Man returned the gesture.

Loki just smirked as he saw the jet land, ready to take him away.

Perfect.

~8~

Loki sat, strapped down, in the back of the jet as the Black Widow piloted the plan off. He eyed the 'team' that had apparently gathered to take him out, a team Barton has warned would be coming. It was why he'd planned this, to be the distraction. Oh he could have easily had a bomb go off or something else, but this…this HAD to be him, because he needed to be taken to this Fury person, he needed to keep them all distracted from the real endgame.

He tilted his head as he looked at the man, Captain America, standing there without his mask, speaking to Iron Man, without his helmet on.

"He saying anything?" he heard Fury speak from the front of the craft, on the radio.

"Not a word," the woman replied as he smirked.

"Just get him here, we're low on time."

"I don't like it," Captain America began, and he looked up at the man, watching him.

"What?" Iron Man seemed not at all bothered, "Rock of Ages giving up so easily?"

"I don't remember it being that easy. This guy packs a wallop."

"Still, you were pretty spry, for an older fellow. What's your thing? Pilates?"

"What?"

"It's like calisthenics. You might have missed a couple of things. Y'know, doing time as a Cap-sicle."

"Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in."

"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you."

Loki had just started to smile at their bickering, realizing his plan might just go even better to plan than he was hoping if they kept this up…

When a sudden flash of lightning and a boom of thunder struck, making him stiffen…because there was NO storm outside, and he knew what that had to mean.

"What's the matter?" Captain America looked at him, "Scared of a little lightning?"

He sent the man a small narrowed look, "I'm not overly fond of what follows."

And that was the polite way to put it. If he had his scepter, if he had something to fight with, he'd be better able to face what he knew was coming…because he knew Thor would be after him, and he knew that the moment he saw his former brother, he'd try his best to kill the man with his own hammer.

As though hearing his thoughts, there was a thump on the roof, Thor had landed. Loki stiffened as Iron Man moved to a side control, opening the hatch…

"What are you doing?" Captain America demanded.

But before he could even reply, Thor jumped down on the ramp, not even hesitating as he stormed in, slamming Mjolnir at Iron Man, throwing him back, right into Captain America before he turned his sight on Loki. Loki just glared right back at him, barely struggling though when Thor grabbed him by the neck and jumped out of the plane with him.

They fell through the sky, landing with a crash on a cliff below, Thor throwing him to the ground as he groaned.

"Where is the Tesseract?" Thor demanded.

Loki just grinned, shaking his head, "Oh ho," he nearly spat, "I missed you too."

"Do I look to be in a gaming mood?"

"Oh, you should thank me," he sneered, standing, "With the Bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the All-Father have to muster to conjure you here? Your precious Earth."

"I thought you dead!" Thor shouted as he stormed towards him.

"Did you mourn?" he scoffed, he knew the man hadn't. Thor had clearly held no regard for him at all before he'd banished Kona, why would he mourn, hadn't that been his goal all along? To get rid of his Frost Giant Brother?

"We all did. Our father…"

"YOUR father," Loki cut in, Odin was no father of his. He could have easily lifted Kona's banishment, yet Odin chose to let it stick, to let her suffer there, "He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?"

"We were raised together," Thor argued, trying to show that none of that mattered, "We played together, we fought together."

"Are you perhaps feeling guilty?" Loki scoffed, "Oh, this is fitting," he started laughing, "You regret your actions now that you have thought them through. Well it's too late! None of that matters now."

"How could it not matter? The games we played, he promises we made…do you remember none of that?"

"I remember a shadow," Loki glared, "Living in the shade of your greatness…"

The small whisper of Kona's voice was back, urging him to remember he'd never been in Thor's shadow, never, he had been his own man with his own strengths. Her voice was whispering for him to remember all the praises that Thor had given him in his life, the encouragement…

"I remember you tossing me into an abyss!" he snapped.

Thor frowned, watching as Loki winced at that remark, he would have thought it was in pain had Loki's eyes not opened to reveal anger.

'He didn't toss you,' Loki swore he could hear Kona's voice whisper to him again, 'Loki…remember…remember the truth…you LET GO…'

He shook his head, that wasn't right, that wasn't true. He hadn't let go. Thor had THROWN him away. THOR had cast him out. He hadn't lifted a finger to save him. Thor had been the one to toss him off the Bifrost Bridge, send him falling into space. Thor had thrown him away…hadn't he?

Loki winced again, yes…yes he had, before he glared full force at Thor, "I who was and should be king!"

'You never wanted to be king though,' Kona's voice reminded him gently, 'You hated it. You wanted Thor to take the throne, his proper place…'

He ground his teeth, ignoring the voice, it had to be another one of Thor's tricks, his treachery, he'd done something, made it so he'd hear Kona lying to him. Oh that would be JUST like Thor, to take away even HIS faith in Kona, to leave him with nothing. King of Nothing. But he wouldn't let him do it, he refused to let Thor take Kona away from him. Not again.

"So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights?" Thor shook his head, "No. The Earth is under my protection, Loki."

"And you're doing a marvelous job with that," Loki mocked, "The humans slaughter each other in droves while you idelly fret. I mean to rule them," he meant to stop them, to control them, to keep them hurting others, "And why should I not?"

Thor frowned at him, "You think yourself above them?"

"Well yes," he said simply.

"Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother. Throne would suit you ill."

Loki glared at him, the throne would suit him better than a man like Thor. He shoved away from him and stalked off, Thor following, "I've seen worlds you've never known about. I have grown, Odinson," he nearly spat the last word as though it were poison, "In my exile. I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it…"

Thor frowned at that, "Who showed you this power? Who controls the would-be-king?"

Loki rounded on him, suddenly defensive, tense, shaking, "I am a king!"

"Not here," Thor shook his head, heading up to him, "You give up the Tesseract, you give up this poisonous dream!" he grabbed Loki's arm, "You come home."

Loki looked at Thor long and hard, "You speak of me, and not her," he remarked, Thor's face falling as he realized the fatal flaw in his speech, "I don't have it," he pulled his arm away from Thor and stepped back as the man summoned Mjolnir, "You need the Cube to bring me home and I need Kona. Neither of us shall get what we want it seems. You no longer possess the power to restore her memories and I've sent the Tesseract off I know not where."

"You listen well brother…" he aimed Mjolnir at him…only for Iron Man to fly right in to him, sending him back, tumbling into the forest beside them.

Loki merely blinked, "I'm listening?"

Before he turned to watch the show, wondering how long it would take the men to realize they'd left him unattended. He could easily escape, yes…

But that wasn't part of the plan, was it?

A/N: I'm very excited for the next few chapters, we'll start to see Kona fitting into the actual Avengers movie instead of just the minor scenes with Loki soon ;) I can say the small interaction with Barton will be very important later :)

I apologize this was late, my computer wouldn't let me onto the account. Sorry!

Some notes on reviews...

Lol, I'm glad you're liking the story, but it's really not that long of a wait no matter where you are in the world ;) 24 hours for everyone from when a chapter is posted, which is better than making you all wait weeks on end for a post ;) I can say that the chapters do get progressively longer as the story goes, the first few are more introductory/set the stage ones before we really get into the action ;) As for the upload times...that's tricky. Mostly because, for me, I'm updating at 6 in the morning, and...this is how it usually happens:
-Right before I post a chapter, no matter when I do it, I always check the reviews to see if there's a new one that I need to put into the 'notes' section. Responding to the reviews can take (depending on the amount of reviews and the length) 10-15 minutes to do before I post. So even if I logged on the same time every day, the reviews determine how long before I post.
-Mondays and Wednesdays, I have to be in work early because I have graduate classes those nights and have to leave early, so instead of waking up at 6:40, I need to be out of my house at 6:40. So on those days I update right before I leave around 6:30ish, otherwise the consistency would be all over the place with updates at 6am on those days lol :)
-Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, I sleep till 6:40 (I've been getting about 3 hours of sleep a night the last two weeks with work and final papers and year end projects coming and editing so I take an extra 10 minutes to sleep when I can). On those days, I wake up, check the 'notes,' and update hopefully between 6:40 and 6:50.
-Weekends are when you REALLY feel the consistency...because I literally drag myself out of bed at 6:40 in the morning JUST to post the chapter before trying to fall back asleep for an extra hour or two of rest lol, I'm that dedicated :)
...so, I really try to be as consistent as I can, updating between 6:30-6:50 every single day. This is my second story that I'm posting at the same time as another, I post my Doctor Who story first and then post this story literally seconds/minutes after it so that might be why, at times, it takes longer to get this one up. Then there's also that, even if I got on my account consistently at 6:30 every day, I'd be responding to new reviews first which can change how long before I post. And sometimes there are things beyond my control like the internet and the site being mean like today lol. Given the circumstances of when I update (and given time zone differences) I do the best I can for 6 am ;) I honestly don't think I can be any more consistent than I already am in terms of updating the story :)

I can't say if she'll get her memories back or not }:) It could be foreshadowing or it could be me trying to distract you or it could be a combination or none at all lol, we'll have to wait and see :)

Lol, that's ok, I don't blame anyone though, I only mentioned the time I update in a few notes and I know not every one reads them or reads every story I write :) I'm just glad they like it so much :)

I have no idea, I can say we probably won't see any more memory wipes coming that'll play a role in the main series for any future stories :)

I think Thor hasn't taken the punishment back because, to him, they DID still betray Asgard. He may have his doubts but until he can prove 100 percent that they weren't the villains, he, as 'king' can't risk reversing his decision and then 'having them attack' :( He regrets that his actions hurt Loki and Kona, but he was, in a way, following the laws of Asgard and 'protecting' the Realm from what he perceived to be (and can't prove otherwise) an attack :(