Guys, you may or may not have heard of the plane MH370, but it is a plane of Malaysian airlines that just…disappeared off the radar at 2.40 a.m. in the morning. There are (I absolutely refuse to use the past tense, there's still hope!) 227 citizens on that plane, including 2 innocent babies, 12 crew. It is now Day 10 of the search here, and there still has been no sign, though rumors are circulating around like mad. Just…add your hope, and pray along with us. It may make all the difference in the world. The family members are exhausted and are despairing.

It may have been hijacked. It may have crashed. We do not know.

All we know is that we can only pray. And hope.

Here's Chapter Two.

Salty Ice Crystals

Inquiries and Misgivings

Chapter Two: The Proof

Frigga turned out to be a quick learner, and withdrew the blood quickly and painlessly from a slumbering Loki. He did not need to know that the Allfather had required for this to be done before Loki could go anywhere for help. Loki would take it as mistrust.

Midgard was going to be his first destination, since the Avengers would need to run tests on him and take samples of his body and create a model to test how it reacted with their weapons, particularly Agent Phil Coulson's. It had been untested until it had been used on Loki, and no one would know until Odin Borson finally stopped being so damned stubborn and finally let Loki travel to Midgard along with his brother. Thor was going to be chaperoning Loki anyway, so what Odin feared she did not know, nor understand. But she would not confront him about it. She did not really see as far as he did for the kingdom and knew better than to question his decisions, except to find a way around them.

"Quickly, travel to Midgard, run the test and get the results as fast as possible." She told Thor. Thor took the small vial of bright red blood (Loki's lifeblood) and nodded, though his gaze strayed to the prone form on the bed.

Frigga guessed what he was thinking. No one knew a man as well as his own mother, after all. "Go. Loki will be safe. Do you not trust your mother?"

And Thor went.

"Back so soon?" Tony asked incredulously. They'd just finished taking samples of the soil to test whether they had reactive substances to the power of the Bifrost, turned their backs on the site, chatted for a while leaning on the car, got in it, drove a mile away before spotting storm clouds gathering and shot back again, not wanting Thor to crash through his tower again with Mjolnir if he attempted to fly there again. For heaven's sake, the construction workers just got there!

"Yes, friend Stark. My Mother is truly wonderful. She understood the good doctor's instructions immediately and had the blood drawn without any delay. Here it is, a full vial. We did not know how much you require and skilled as my mother is, I do not wish to put Loki through the ordeal the Man of Iron experienced more than necessary."

"So you don't want him to be injected more than necessary but you were more than willing to use me as a test subject." Tony grumbled good-naturedly.

"I am sorry if I have offended you, friend Stark. But it was necessary and your life does not hang in the balance." Thor offered.

"My life doesn't hang on the balance?" Tony retorted. "Well, what about the piece of shrapnel that is constantly trying to force its way into my heart with only the arc reactor stopping it then?"

The silence in the car while driving back to the tower was, well, awkward.

The tests were run, and the results handed to an impatient Thor in less than twelve hours. "Here. Hope that this Allfather can understand them." Tony quipped, grinning.

"He will. Blind he may be in the matters of family, but he is well-versed in the ways of all creatures." Thor reassured them, grabbing the papers.

"So even you admit that. Good job." Tony grinned as Bruce chuckled. Steve walked in just then, having done his usual rounds of interviews to reassure the public that no, the Avengers won't be a threat to them. And after seeing their beloved Captain America, the hero of the World War II there, their trust levels were reasonably higher.

"Thor?" Steve looked reasonably alarmed. After all, he still didn't know that the Bifrost had been fixed yet and Thor's visits were incredibly scarce. "Has something happened?"

"Loki is the cause of my visit here, Captain of America."

Tony grinned inwardly. Thor's wording couldn't have been more misleading.

"What?" The good Captain's eyes almost bogged out. "Has he escaped from Asgard?"

"Nay," Thor quickly amended. "He has taken to his bed and is ailing. We fear it may be from one of your countless weapons you used on my brother, but the Allfather would not give him leave to travel, for fear that-"

"That traveling won't agree with him?" Steve asked.

Thor shook his head. "No, for fear that Loki may be faking. He demands proof. Mother has given her word but he still needs us to do a blood test to prove that Loki is truly sick enough to require help."

"Oh."

"Aye."

Bruce was the one to push Thor back towards the Bifrost site. "Now, I thought you were the one that was in such a hurry to get back to your brother? Go on. We can catch up on each other later." He may have been feeling guilt for what the Hulk had done to Thor's younger and uncontrollable brother, and held a civil attitude towards Loki's temperament. Thor smiled and barely got the words, "Heimdall! Open the Bifrost!" out before the stream of rainbow light took Thor away.

Tony looked on at awe. Then,

"Jarvis, I'm so disabling you if you didn't get that on film! Run the scans!"

"Yes, sir." Jarvis replied coolly as they got in the car again.

Thor hurried through the halls towards the throne room, meeting up with Frigga along the way. She put a finger on her lips to indicate that Loki was still resting, and Thor inclined his head, instinctively softening his footsteps. Together, they made their entrance into the throne room and bowed or curtsied before standing upright again.

Odin did not look surprised. "You have brought the proof." He stated simply.

"I have, Father." Thor handed the papers to Odin. Odin's one eye scanned them quickly, and finding no fault with them, sighed heavily and stood. "Very well. You have my permission to take Loki to Midgard and wherever you need to cure his illness as long as he is ailing. If he shows any signs of violence directed towards you or the Midgardians without being provoked, you are to bring him home immediately. Understood?"

"I hear and understand, Father." Thor was practically bouncing on the spot. He couldn't wait to get the formalities out of the way.

"You have my blessings."

Thor bowed and shot out of the room to retrieve Loki. Frigga had already anticipated the results of the test and had packed Loki's belongings and other necessities in a small, enchanted black bag. It was open on the bed and Thor stuffed a few of his own things inside before gently waking Loki.

"Brother. Awake. It is time."

Loki stirred and groaned. He wanted to stay in bed all day, and moving in the slightest would give him a pounding headache. Not to mention the cold. But if he wanted this predicament to end, he'd better get moving.

The dark haired prince swung himself up, sitting on the bed for a moment, dazed as he tried to blink the forming black spots and dizziness out of his eyes. Then Thor gripped his hands and yanked him upright. Loki leaned against the wall for a moment before finally getting his limbs to cooperate and followed Thor out of the healing rooms.

"Where…are we going?" Even his silver tongue felt slow. God, Loki was starting to be tired of this illness.

"To the stables, then the Bifrost. It has been fixed, and travel is much smoother." Thor grinned, though he slowed his pace so that Loki could catch up.

"Good." Loki didn't really feel like travelling with dark energy. The after effects are very unpleasant, and with Loki's current condition, it really didn't add up well.

Once at the stables, Thor selected a random white horse for himself. He'd always liked white horses, since it made him feel more heroic, and even after his time on Earth/Midgard, old habits die hard. Loki, however, was more critical and finally mounted a black stallion that snorted and stamped her hooves on the floor, ready to run.

"Race you to the Bifrost?" Loki questioned, his voice having a childish hint to it.

Thor smiled, even though he was worried that Loki might fall off. "Sure."

Loki spurred his horse onward and quickly overtook Thor's by a head. Only then did Thor discover that, heroic as she may look, but his chosen horse did not have the stamina to overtake Loki, even on a short ride to the Bifrost. Apparently this mare is out of exercise. So that was how Loki always won the horse races between the two of them. Thor certainly had grown observant.

The wind raced by them and cooled Loki's feverish head a bit. Soon, he reined in his horse before smashing into a not very amused Heimdall. He inclined his head sheepishly before sliding off his horse smoothly, feeling his head spin as his feet hit the ground, almost toppling off the rainbow bridge. Thor reined in his own horse beside Loki and offered him a hand.

Loki hesitated, staring. Then he accepted the offer and pulled himself up from the ground, only wavering slightly.

Thor nodded at Heimdall. "Send us to Midgard."

"Are you sure this is wise?" Heimdall asked, his all-seeing eyes fixed on Thor's face.

Thor nodded determinedly.

"Go then." Heimdall slid the sword in and the Bifrost sucked the brothers in, sending them hurtling towards Midgard.