~*~Sudden Thor Interlude! Because we gotta know what the big guy is up to while Loki's off making new buddies. .
Warnings: Not much, but I am twisting a bit of movie canon. But I was kinda doing that in the first place so…
Musical Muse: *Bad Austrian Accent* The Terminator movies.
Disclaimer: If I had anything to do with either Sherlock or Marvel then Season 3 and Thor 2 would be out now and not freaking November.
Much love to Kat, as per usual

~*~Meanwhile~*~

Thor was growing impatient. The mortal's technology, while quite advanced in its own way, was far too insufficient for locating Loki. It was unsuitable for finding his magical signature, and every device for detecting the Tesseract was showing no readings. All the facts stated that Loki was no longer on the planet, but Thor could not accept that.

They – meaning Thor's new companions and the rest of Fury's company – were based in what remained of Stark's tower. The building shook and groaned from the damage sustained during the battle a week ago and from the storm raging outside. Rain pounded down onto the rubble still lying in the streets, and lightning kept the sky bright as thunderclaps raced each other to their crescendo. The tower's power stayed on, even as lights all over the city flickered.

Selvig was still doing his best to coax the machines into doing their duty, but from the looks of the rest of the team, they all seemed to view it as a hopeless task. But they didn't know his brother like Thor did. He'd fooled him once by pretending to be gone, but Thor would not fall for that again. Besides, he just could not accept that he could actually be gone...again.

It had taken him weeks to come to terms with Loki's apparent death the first time, and even then, there had always been a lingering nugget of hope that he would see his brother again. When he had found him again, he hoped that, despite their differences, they could be together again. Loki may have scorned his family, disobeyed every code of honor he had ever taken, and attacked the planet under his protection, but Loki was still his brother. Even a stab in the side wouldn't change that.

So Thor searched, with every resource available to him. Outwardly, he appeared calm, but the storm that had raged for days spoke otherwise. The rest of the team gave him his distance, leaving a hearty feast of food near him if he hungered, but otherwise did not bother him much as he waited for news. But with each passing day, it seemed less and less likely that Loki would be found, and Thor began to despair.

When he left Asgard, he left with the flush of relief mixing with heated rage over Loki's actions towards the planet of Thor's protection. He had hoped his brother could be changed back to his old ways, only to find him instead changed into a near-unrecognizable madman. He was not the brother Thor knew and loved.

When Thor left Asgard, his father had brought him aside for his own quiet words. His official orders, proclaimed to the entire court, were to return to Earth, reclaim the Tesseract, retrieve the traitor (Odin did not mention Loki's name) and only return once all tasks were completed. It was made clear to all that unless Thor succeeded, he would remain as good as banished on Earth. Odin's quiet words, whispered only to him, asked him to do his best to bring his other son home as whole as possible. He still didn't mention Loki's name, but Thor knew his father missed Loki as much as Thor did.

But the thought that he might never return home was not what drove Thor to search so hard for his brother. He wanted him back, sane and normal again. He wanted him back home where he belonged, even if he knew that the All-Father would have him imprisoned. He wanted Loki to smile at him without pain, without hiding anything. He wanted his real brother home.

A quiet noise to his right drew him back into the present. He looked down to see the lovely and dangerous Natasha, mirroring his crossed arms and sulky expression towards the rows of computers. She looked up at him and offered her idea of a smile, which was little more than a frown. Thor had been pleased by her fighting skills during the battle weeks ago, and was quite pleased to call her a member of his new team.

"What will you do, if you can't find Loki?" She asked in the serious manner she had. "Will you stay here, or return to Asgard?"

"I have no way of returning to my home. Not without the Tesseract or Loki." Thor found himself strangely numb to this. It wouldn't really be a welcome home without Loki, even if he had a way of returning.

"You can stay here!" The Man of Iron shouted from across the room, where he and his partner were discussing the tower's repairs. Thor was hugely impressed by the strength of the one named Pepper – while she was no warrior, she had a will of iron to match Stark's. "Banner's moving in, and we're pretty much making this SHIELD's New York base, so you're welcome to stay."

"Thank you for your offer." Thor inclined his head in acceptance. It was good to have such welcoming friends.

A few feet away, Selvig sat back from the row of computers with a heavy sigh. Thor tensed as Selvig turned to him and Natasha, his eyes heavy and sad.

"Thor...I'm afraid it's just no use. The energy sensors aren't picking up anything, and the facial recognition scans are showing nothing. If he survived-" Selvig swallowed, "-If he survived, he's not in this realm. I'm sorry."

Thor closed his eyes as a heavy weight settled over him. It was acceptance, and it hurt. He felt ashamed of himself, for as much as he hoped that Loki was able to return to him one day, he now hoped that Loki was indeed dead. Dead, and at peace, no longer mad and in pain, but resting as he deserved. Natasha laid a hand on his arm as Thor, his heart aching, finally said goodbye to his brother.

Two days later, Jane Foster arrived in New York.

Thor was surprised to see her, after Sir Agent Coulson had assured him that she was far away and safe from Loki's wrath. Though, from the distant argument he overheard between her and Selvig, she had been unaware of the danger in the first place, otherwise she would never have agreed to leave. Thor left a rush of pride towards his lovely scientist. She was no warrior like Sif, but she had courage, which he deeply admired. He was glad to have her by his side again, especially as he quietly grieved for his brother. She greeted him with a fierce hug, and he did not let go for a long time.

Good Lady Darcy had returned with Jane, and immediately began making herself at home at Stark Tower. Doctor Banner, who had previously spent most of him time secluded or with Stark, became thoroughly engaged by the young miss, who spent hours questioning him about the cultures and lifestyles of everywhere he visited. Thor was pleased to see Bruce striking up a fine friendship with the delightful lady.

Thor himself spent most of his time catching up with Jane, who was just as curious about his home as ever. With the realization that he was to be in this realm for a very long time, possibly for good, Thor tried to settle into the rhythm they struck up during his first brief stay, after he had accepted his exiled status. It was greatly reassuring that this time he had his powers fully intact.

"But...wouldn't your father want you back home?" Jane asked hesitantly. She sat leaning towards him from across a table, with her usual questioning expression upon her face. It had remained there even after Thor explained the state of his banishment. "I mean, if Loki's gone, then there's nothing you can do. Can't you just go back?"

"My only way of returning home was with the Tesseract." Thor reminded her. "It would take incredible amounts of dark magic to open a path home now."

Jane nodded and sighed "Riiight," sitting back in her chair.

"And it would not be the return I would wish to have, without my brother by my side." He shrugged morosely. "I understood the consequences of taking on this task when I took it, and I will stand by them. It is for the best that I am here. I promised Midgard my protection, and where better to do so than right here?"

That made Jane smile, and Thor was pleased to see it. Despite the warm welcome from the team, he still missed his home, and his brother. He doubted anyting could change that.

That thought remained true, even as weeks passed. Though the ache eased some, it still remained. Thor threw himself into activities, such as the repair of the tower and surrounding city. The workers could always use extra hands, especially unexpectedly strong ones, like himself and the Captain's, who was also assisting the cleanup.

Frequent sparring matches were also held. The Captain's fighting powers were the most matched to Thor's own, but he was nowhere near his godly strength. Outside of his armor, Stark preferred a method of quick hit-and-run attacks. Clever Natasha was the most interesting to battle, thanks to her unusual and unpredictable attack style. Hawkeye, who was a comically serious fellow off the field of battle, preferred distance weapons to hand-to-hand combat. Good Scientist Banner declined Thor's offer to spar, preferring instead to spar quietly with Stark in a very unique manner Thor couldn't help but admire. He claimed it helped soothe the inner beast, and after the punch Thor received after defeating the Chitari's creature, he had to agree that would be for the best.

Jane, Darcy, Natasha, and Rogers all showed him the sights of the city that was to be his new home. They drew many stares, and several grateful souls approached to give their thanks for saving the city. Thor especially enjoyed the wide variety of food the city had to offer. The drink was excellent as well, and he prided himself for is ability to drink even Natasha under the table.

Despite his new friends and his new home, Thor missed his old one dearly. There had been not a word from Asgard, which Thor expected, as it was difficult to send word across the Nine Realms unless absolutely necessary. Thor understood that would be a result of his failure to complete his mission, but he still longed for any friendly word from home. But, to tell the complete truth, Thor was actually quite surprised when he finally did hear from Asgard.

It was after an unexpected rain shower, that had actually nothing to do with him (Stark and Hawkeye had taken to blaming every change of the weather on Thor, whether it involved him or not), when a rainbow reached directly to the top of the tower. Darcy shouted something about pots of gold, but Thor was already racing up the stairs before he could ask what she meant. Pounding up the steps, Thor burst onto the roof to find a solidified column of light and color, and his heart leapt in recognition.

"Greetings to you Thor," the column spoke with Heimdall's deep voice, though there was no definable source of the sound.

"Heimdall," Thor greeted him, achingly glad to hear his voice. "What news is there from Asgard?"

"All is well in the Nine Realms." The god's deep voice invoked calm in Thor, a reassurance and a familiar tie to his home all in one. "Your mother and father, and your friends, send their fondest wishes that you are content in your new home."

"And what of Loki?" The words left Thor's lips before he could stop them. "Can you see my brother, Heimdall? Do you know if he still lives?"

Heimdall stayed quiet for so long, Thor wondered if the connection had broken. Finally, the far-seeing god answered, "Your brother yet lives, but he is far beyond your reach, or the reach of any of our kind." Thor's mouth dropped open in shock and disbelief. A million questions burning on his tongue, but Heimdall spoke on. "Be content, Thor: your brother may no longer be by your side, but he is in a good place. He will be happy there."

"How could you possibly know that?!" Thor demanded, angry and sharp. "If he is alive, then he must be brought home! How do you know he is beyond our grasp? If Loki is still free out there, then he is dangerous! What's to stop him from causing more damage? Tell me where he is, I have to find him!" Thor was desperate, practically begging, but the branch of light did not falter.

"I'm afraid that would do more damage than good, young Thor. He is somewhere that he will heal his mind and body in peace. It is only for the best that he remain undisturbed there." Thor growled in anger but Heimdall spoke on. "There are those who will protect him, from his enemies and from himself. You must content yourself with that, Thor, for I will say no more."

"You expect me to accept that?! You do not know what he has done, you wouldn't be saying such things!" Thor heard several people step onto the roof behind him, but he did not turn. "Tell me where he is or I will find him myself, whatever it takes!"

"You Will Not!" Heimdall's voice resounded off the walls and around Thor, almost knocking him off his feet. "If you have any love for your brother, you will not search for him. When the time is right, you may see him again, but never before." There was no denying the surety in his voice, and Thor was reminded when Loki had told him their father was dead. Loki was skilled in lies, but Heimdall was not. Thor could not ignore the command.

"Do not despair, for you are certain to see him again. But not now; only when it is right for him. Be content with the knowledge that he will be happy. In time."

With those final words, the rainbow disappeared into the sun. Thor remained where he was, his heart heavy. Once more, the thought of finding Loki again slipped through his fingers. He hoped that it would be for the final time; he did not know if he could handle the pain again.

A hand landed gently upon his arm. Jane was next to him, a small and comforting smile on her face. Thor could not help but smile back. He had learned much in the last few weeks because of her, and one of those things was how to live in this world, even without his brother. He would cope.

"Wow. You just talked to a rainbow." As usual, Stark could not resist frankly speaking his mind. Thor smile grew larger, but before he could say anything, another voice spoke up.

"So, it sounds like you'll be staying a while."

Thor whipped around, mouth falling open in shock. It couldn't be…

"Son of Coul?!"

~*~Okay, so I actually have no damn clue how Coulson survives. I'd love to know. Also, I know Banner and everyone else took off at the end of Avengers, but I believe there's a certain quote by Fury about stupid-ass decisions and what should be done about them that applies nicely to this situation.
Reviews are much loved.