Born in grief
Raised in Hate
Helpless to defy his fate
-One of Us by Tom Snow

Loki crossed one leg over the other as he stared out the window of the car. People walked passed him, and he honestly wondered whether going in a car was faster than walking. The sound of car horns annoyed him as they made their never-ceasing racket. Manhattan was really an awful place. He didn't know why humans crowded into places like this.

He looked down at the small knob that controlled whether or not the door was locked. Obviously, they had taken preparations for his arrival. There were fiberglass coverings on both locks in the backseat. He wouldn't be able to unlock them like that. And even if he used his magic, it would set off the cuff. He grunted in annoyance. Why wouldn't they be a little bit more unprepared? This was beginning to annoy him greatly.

He glanced over at the driver's seat to see Bruce rapping his fingers on the wheel. Obviously, the man was annoyed with the traffic as well. He didn't have the added bonus of being locked up in a moving box though. That honor was reserved solely for Loki. Loki folded his arms against his chest and leaned against the window. He kept silent through the car ride and tried to ignore the poignant glances from his self-proclaimed brother. Eventually, he snapped and said, "Stop that. It's irritating."

Thor started and looked away at that, making Loki feel worse than he did before. The boy was too much like an innocent pup sometimes. No matter what Loki did, a majority of the time he ended up feeling badly about it.

The car ride was silent the rest of the way save for the horns honking all around them. As Bruce pulled up into the driveway, Loki couldn't drive away the feeling that he was being imprisoned again. He wished that they would throw him in a cell rather than a mansion. Then, at least, he would be able to hate them and give up the hope of ever escaping. It was only fit for him to be locked up in a cell. It made no sense for him to be put in a nice place.

"Come out, Loki." Bruce unlocked the doors and moved to the other side of the door to open Loki's. The Asgardian stepped out and stood still by the black car. He noticed the relaxed way they moved, and quirked an eyebrow. They hadn't even bothered to handcuff him on the way out. Even now, they didn't really act like he could run away at any time. They may have put up the fiberglass, but they hadn't done anything more. Even now, Thor was taking his time getting out of the car before joining the other two. They may have been relaxed, but this put Loki on edge. Did they have some kind of technology that would incapacitate him if he tried to run? There had to be something. They couldn't just trust him or anything like that.

"The others are waiting for us inside." Oh yes, the others. Loki was ever so much looking forward to seeing them. Loki rolled his eyes and casually put a hand on the car to stabilize himself. He meant it to be unnoticeable, but the doctor would always keep an eye out. "Do you want to wait a moment before you go in?"

Loki shook his head vehemently. He wouldn't be taken as weak. He hated the feeling, and he wasn't going to let it happen again if he could help it. He forced himself to straighten up and tried to act relaxed. Bruce noticed the change and sighed. He wished that Loki would let himself relax around them. Well, hopefully after today he would learn how to trust them more.

Bruce walked into the lobby of Stark Towers and brought Loki over to the elevators. They rose a few floors before stopping at the Avengers Recreation Floor. The elevator doors opened up to pitch black darkness, and immediately, Loki was on guard. The Avengers were childish enough to always have at least one person toying around in here. And he doubted their capacity to turn lights off whenever they left, so something had to be wrong.

Bruce stepped into the room, and dragged Loki along. Thor had a mischievous look on his face, and Loki frowned. "It's not going to work," he said simply. Thor gave him an angelic look of innocence before walking towards the other side of the room where a set of light switches were. The lights were flipped on, and sure enough, Tony jumped out from behind a couch and yelled, "Surprise!"

Loki grimaced. What was this rot? The other Avengers looked mildly embarrassed by their companion as they came out of hiding. "What in the name of Asgard is this?" Loki hissed out in irritation as the lights blinded his eyes. He rubbed his hand against his face to clear away the tears from the sudden light. When he opened them, he saw a cheery Anthony Stark about to grab him in a shoulder hug. Loki instinctively jumped back and hit Thor. He winced as he collided with the man and hurriedly stepped off to the side.

"It's your welcome back party of course! We wanted to make you welcome. Do you like it?" Tony said, not disappointed that his hug had been rejected.

"I absolutely do not. The sentiment is appreciated," it wasn't, "but I do not enjoy such things. I would much rather be alone. Consequently, I would like to retire my room." Loki said turning away from the entire hubbub. It was queer that they were all trying to make him feel... comfortable, was it? Were they trying to confuse him so that he wouldn't try to escape again? There couldn't be any other reason for them to do such a thing. It was a waste of his time and theirs. They both knew that they naturally didn't get along very well, so why were they forcing it?

"Nuh uh. We've been planning this little party for at least..." Tony looked up at the clock before saying, "five days now! You can't just quit on us now, Reindeer Games! Come on. Let me get you a drink or something."

"No," Loki shot back simply. "I do not participate in trivial festivities such as this. I do not care what ulterior motives you have and that you wish to accomplish. I will not take part in any of it. I would prefer to be alone or at least trapped inside a room with silence for I doubt you will leave me alone yet." Loki scoffed arrogantly before crossing his arms. He noticed how they all shared looks, and it confirmed his suspicions. He would be stuck with a babysitter for a while then. Hopefully, they would leave him alone at night, so that he could meddle around then. If not, he might actually have to participate in these rubbish festivities if only to get them to trust him.

"How about you stay with us for a bit longer? Try to loosen up a bit, Loki. We just want to make you feel comfortable," said Steve gently, walking over to the Asgardian he put a hand on his shoulder. He frowned as Loki tried to move away and took his hand back, trying to adjust to what Loki wanted. It wasn't something that Loki missed.

"Do not approach me or attempt to converse with me, and I shall stay. But I will have you know that this is against my will." Loki swept past Steve and sat down in a sofa chair quietly.

Clint ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Why was Loki making things so difficult? It was hard enough convincing himself that Loki deserved to be forgiven, but the Asgardian was not making anything easier for him. He looked over at Natasha who shrugged. They were going to have to break his rules eventually. They could just ignore him after all.

Clint stepped up to Loki and crouched down so he could look him in the eye, "We'll quiet down if you come over and sit by us. I'm willing to promise that I'll even shut Tony up if you sit over there." Clint said, jabbing a finger over at the ring of couches by the TV. "So what do you say?"

Loki raised an eyebrow and replied, "I don't know why you are doing this, but I shan't get involved. You know well enough how I feel, so leave me alone." He enunciated every word carefully before snorting callously.

"How many times do we have to tell you that we're not trying to get anything from you?" Clint said in exasperation. "You're just being paranoid."

"The reason I'm alive is because a man decided that he'd have use for me later. Excuse me for being cautious," Loki hissed back. He may have been a frost giant, but he felt his blood boiling under his skin. "Paranoia? It's not paranoia if it really exists, now is it?"

Clint frowned and said, "I'm sorry about that, but you still have to loosen up. I promise you; we won't try to manipulate you or bully you." Loki looked over at Clint skeptically. The man looked serious, but could he really trust words.

"Words are just words," he stared hesitantly, "but I suppose that sitting cannot do any harm. However, do not push me. Just because I am sitting with you doesn't mean that I approve of any of you or wish to talk with you."

Clint brightened and got up. "Hey, you guys! Make room for two more!"

Author's Note: Hey all! I hope you like the chapter. (: The Avengers are really trying to get Loki back into a friendly environment. The only question is: will he take their offer? Going into the group is a good beginning, but will it continue? Review and tell me what you think!

As a side note, OwlMay and I are opening up a tumblr roleplay! It's Avengers and X-Men fandom. Basic plot is: Eight neutron bombs have been detonated over the major capitols of the world, America, China, Canada, Germany, Japan, France, England, and Russia. The governments have been completely wiped out, and the world has been thrown into turmoil. HYDRA, the instigators, have crept into the political sphere and have taken control of these countries. They have declared war on SHIELD and all mutants, blaming them for the attack. Will the Avengers and X-Men put aside their difference to defeat HYDRA?

Brownie: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. (: And I know... But forgiveness doesn't come easily. The wounds have festered for so long. ):