A/N: This is the last official chapter, guys! After this is just the epilogue... I decided to cut out one of the chapters I had planned and just mash it up with this one. I'm actually really happy with this chapter, despite the quality. I had hoped to give you something a little better for the last chapter, but I feel like this best explains how I wanted the ending to feel.
[Chapter 19- Finding]
"Loki!" Tony cried out. He stepped further into the room. "Loki?" He swayed for a moment, then seem to be unable to move any further. "Loki..."
"LOKI!" Thor burst into the room. He tore through the room, trying desperately to find his brother.
"Jarvis, where's... where's Loki?" Tony questioned numbly. He slowly looked up to the ceiling. Steve and Natasha filled the doorway.
"The intruders grabbed the Young Sir and disappeared, accompanied by a strange energy reading..."
"Find a way to track it," Tony latched on to the information. "I'm going down to the lab. Get Bruce to follow."
"Yes, Sir."
"Jarvis, what else can you tell us?" Steve demanded, as Tony swept out of the room.
"The intruders used some kind of technology to distort the input to my cameras and other sensors, but by Young Sir's reaction... I believe they were members of the Chitauri," Jarvis informed, sounding slightly hesitant.
Natasha cursed and disappeared. Thor's entire body stilled, then seemed to rumble. The clouds outside the building began to darken and swirl chaotically. Lightning flashed, and thunder boomed across New York.
"I must return to Asgard!" He shouted and exited the room. "Surely, my mother will be able to aid us, and I can speak with Heimdall..." His voice cut off as the doors to the elevator closed.
Steve returned to the common room, only to find it empty. Sleeping bags and pillows were strew across the floor and couch. Leftover cake was still on the counter. Clint's gifts were wedged slightly under the couch.
Steve turned on his heel. His entire body ached with sudden, cold fury. He suited up faster than he could ever remember. He stormed down to the lab, ready to do whatever Tony needed in order to find Loki.
"Hey, Steve," Bruce mumbled when he entered. Tony didn't even look up. The genius was standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by holograms and computer screens. He was tapping rapidly, muttering commands, flipping through information faster than Steve could even read the first line.
"How can I help?"
-[]-
"You WHAT?!" Fury burst, slamming both hands down on the table. "You lost the God of Chaos."
"No, sir," Steve growled. "He was taken. We're doing everything we can to get him back, but we need help. If anything happens to him or he is forced to do something or God even knows, the entire Earth could be in danger."
"Stark and Banner are tracking the energy. Romanov and Barton are going through camera feeds and collecting favors. Thor is in Asgard. How could we possibly help?" The director demanded.
"You've got access to the World Council. So you've got access to everything."
-[]-
"We've got a ping," Bruce announced abruptly, sitting up straight than he had in any of the past fourteen hours.
"I can see that," Tony whispered, breathless.
"The energy matches up perfectly," Bruce typed rapidly on the keyboard, searching deeper into the information. "The energy first started around the time L- he was taken."
"Where is it?" Tony mumbled, rubbing his eyes tiredly.
"The energy signal is being received from the lower Indian Ocean," Jarvis announced. He pulled up a hologram of the area on a map.
"Near Australia?" Tony questioned. "But why?"
Bruce suddenly burst into laughter. Tony looked at him worriedly, stumbling over to make sure he was okay.
"Jarvis, what's going on? Why is Brucie-"
"It's- It's..." Bruce giggled. "It's the exact opposite side of the world from New York! It's... Literally the farthest the could go while still staying on the planet!" Tony snorted.
"These are some dumb minions, I'll tell ya that much."
-[]-
With permission from the World Security Council and a quinjet, the Avengers flew out to the coordinates. When they arrived, they found a strange metal ship, floating on the surface. It looked like it had mostly been destroyed, and on closer inspection, they found Loki in the middle of the destruction.
The Avengers rushed to his, surrounding him on all sides and trying to wake him. Bruce was checking for injury, but they found nothing more than some dark patches of dirt on his skin.
The sky seemed to crack open then, and with a brilliant accompanying light-show, Thor was standing beside them. The thunderer swept in, scooped up his brother and cradled him close.
"Why won't he wake?" The blonde demanded.
"We don't know..." Clint shook his head. "Let's just... Let's just get him back to the Tower. And return the quinjet..."
-[]-
"How is Young Sir? His vital signs are normal and he seems to have no injury, but your serotonin levels indicate-"
"He's not waking up," Tony mumbled. He laid his kid on the couch and bundled him up in a bunch of blankets. "We don't have any idea why."
Thor got close once more, but as he went to stroke Loki's hair, he reeled back with a shocked expression.
"The spell! Whichever spell is keeping my brother as a child, it is falling apart-"
"How can you tell? I thought Loki had the magic!" Steve panicked. "Will he be okay?!"
"Yes, but... It can't hold him back any longer... Something has caused the spell to shatter. I may not have any skill like Loki, but I have spent my life around enough magic to feel the beginning and ending of spells..."
-[]-
The night passed, and morning light streamed through the windows. Tony blearily looked up from his spot beside the couch. His knees protested him resting on them during the night. His fingers clenched slightly, reminding him that he was still holding Loki's hand.
"Loki..." Tony mumbled worriedly. He played with the child's hair.
He felt like a failure. He let his kid get captured and now, who knows when he would wake up...?! He knew he wasn't the best parent-type, but... But he never thought he could mess up so horri-
Loki jolted upright with a gasp. Tony screamed and jumped backwards. The others rushed into the room.
Loki was mumbling, and no one could understand him.
"Loki, honey," Natasha tried carefully, approaching slowly. "Are you-"
A brilliant white light filled the room.
When they could finally see again, the Avengers look up to see a very adult Loki. The man looked at his hands, then up at them, slowly and confusedly. His eyes widened and he scrambled backwards. Unfortunately, he scuttled right into the wall and collapsed to his knees.
"Loki?" Steve ventured and stepped forward.
The sorcerer whimpered, lower lip trembling, and his eyes flooded with tears. He hiccuped loudly and seemed to shake himself apart.
"I-I-I want m-my daddy!" He wailed.
Maybe not so adult after all...
"I'm right here," Tony shushed. He tried to wrap his arms around the man's shoulders, but Loki was actually larger than him now. "Hey, it's, um, it's okay."
"So full!" Loki cried. He gripped at his hair, tugging sharply. "I- there's so many- it's..."
"Kid, you're okay. Everything's... fine?" Tony tried. The other Avengers stood around awkwardly, unsure what to do.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Loki sobbed.
"Hey, look, kiddo, we went over this," Tony soothed. "You have nothing to apologize fo-"
"I cast the spell on myself!" Loki admitted. "I-I turned myself into a child!"
"Oh..." Tony bit his lip. What was he supposed to say...?
"I knew you would never listen to me, and I was just so tired, and and, I couldn't do it anymore, so I found the old spell book and cast the spell and sent myself here so you would finally understand! Bu-But you treated me so nicely and took care of me and now... now you're like my father! And I just... just..." Loki slumped forward, burying his face in his hands.
"It's alright," Clint muttered. Everyone turned to look at him. "We forgive you."
Loki looked up with such a shocked expression that Tony's eyes flooded with tears of his own.
"What?" He sniffled. "Did you think this was a one-sided thing? Of course we forgive you! You're- You're still my kid, and-"
Loki lurched forward, wrapping the man in a tearful hug.
Natasha stepped forward next, wrapping his arms around her little boy. Steve and Bruce quietly followed. Clint eventually found himself there too, and Thor wrapped his arms around all of them and lifted them into the air with a hearty laugh.
"Come, my friends! This calls for a celebration!"
A/N: Well, it's almost over, guys! This story turned out to be longer and harder than I expected, but I'm very proud.
QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: What is the best party you have ever attended? Was it a birthday or just celebrating a holiday? I can remember my 10th birthday. It was the first time I had real friends over at my house for a sleepover. I was so excited. One of my friends poured soda all over my uncle.