Thor listened, for some reason, sceptically to say the least, but he actually listened,. He allowed Loki to tell him everything, not interrupting him once. Only when he finished did Thor ask for other details, which Loki gave to him.

"So he fell into a natural Odinsleep after your return, and you have kept him protected?" Thor looked at Odin's sleeping figure, shrouded by Loki's green seidr.

"Yes."

"And the realm safe?"

"It was not difficult, we were not at war, merely rebuilding."

"And this Thanos, he is why you attacked Midgard?"

"Whatever would I want with that realm, I went there once to you, and that was once too much, it is a hovel."

"And this girl, she is still with Thanos?"

"Yes, and we must save her."

"Why?"

"Why? So you are the Protector of the Midgardian's apparently, but not of someone from your own realm. You are going to leave someone innocent suffer cruelly…"

"No Loki, not why must we save her, but why do you wish to save her."

"She saved me. And mother said she needs us."

"Mother? Loki, mother is…"

"Dead, yes I am not stupid Thor, I was aware of that fact, but not an hour ago, she came to me, like a vision, and told me to save Sigyn."

"I am not so sure Loki."

"I told mother, I told her you would not care."

"I do care." Thor shook his head. "Tell me everything there is to know of this Thanos." And so Loki spent the following hour telling Thor what he had uncovered. "And you did this under the guise of father?"

"Well you were off on Midgard, shirking your responsibilities to Asgard, I had to pretend to be him, I am supposedly dead remember? Asgard would have gone into uproar regarding a new ruler."

"Yes, we will get into the entire you not being as dead as you are supposed to be part later." Thor promised.

"I needed to try and save her, I could not do so from the dungeons again."

"All this to save some girl?" Thor asked in disbelief. "You love her, don't you?" Loki did not respond, instead he became very interested in the floor. "Loki, why did you not say anything on Midgard? We would have helped."

"He was listening, if he knew, he would have…Thor, you have no idea what he is capable of."

"We can face him." He grasped Loki's shoulder. "Together."

"We could very easily die."

"Well then, we shall ascend to Valhalla." Loki looked at him. "We have risked such before and never concerned ourselves too greatly with it, have we not?"

"And you would do this for me, for her?"

"Did you not do such for Jane, without a moments hesitation?"

So they planned, with Thor calling upon the Warrior's Three and Sif, who immediately stared suspiciously at Loki, but were utterly shocked to silence upon hearing everything.

"I am not sure I believe it." Sif glared at the younger prince.

"Why not, men have gone to war for women in the past." Volstagg argued.

"My friends, I knew something did not add up on Midgard, every time I told Loki he could come home, for a moment, I could see that he wished it possible, and the words he used, I truly believe it to be the truth."

"How come we have never heard of this Thanos?" Sif asked.

"He is not of the Nine Realms, but further again." Loki explained.

"And he is cruel?" Hogun asked.

Loki used his seidr to remove the clothing on his upper body, then turned. There were collective gasps of shock from the usually unphasable warriors. He turned again with a solemn look on his usually smarmy face. "You know how brutal something is to mark me."

"Well then, to the far reaches of the galaxy we go." Sif grabbed her weapon and turned for the door.

"Just like that?" Loki asked in shock.

"You just said that there is an Aesir woman, a woman who could break through even you, left to suffer with the being that produced those scars." The warrior woman declared as she made her way down the room. "We must go to her, at once."

"Agreed." Volstagg grabbed his axe and went also, followed closely be the others, Thor and Loki included.

X

When Loki set foot on the wasteland he had once been held captive upon he shuddered. It was as horrible, if not worse than he recalled.

"Where will we find him brother?" Thor asked, looking around, hating the idea that Loki had been held in such a place.

"Fear not, he will send forth someone to find us." Loki looked around.

Soon enough, there was a noise that alerted them to the fact they were no longer alone. They gripped their weapons and waited.

"You have returned for your punishment I see." The Other grinned as he came into view. "You failed Asgardian, and you knew what would happen were you to have."

The other warriors looked at the second prince, who was doing everything he could not to quiver in fear, somewhat surprised to realise that he had actually spoken the truth, that he had not initiated the attack on Midgard of his own will.

"So you forced my brother to do such things?"

"He took some persuading, but in the end, he submitted." The Other growled. Thor tightened his grip on Mjolnir, causing the other being to chuckle. "Are you going to try and take me Asgardian, you will die trying."

"If I land one blow on you, I will die happy." Thor snarled. Taking aim he swung the great hammer. A chitauri took the blow, destroying it immediately. Calling the hammer back, the Other moved with speed Thor was warned of in advance, and Mjolnir struck his side as it came back to Thor's hand. "Go Loki." He ordered, conflicted, Loki looked back at his brother and the others fighting before heading towards where Sigyn was being kept, praying that she would be alright.

It was not easy to find her, there were a series of caves, catacombs and cells that were beneath the harsh wasteland of which he was on. But he recognised the area where he was dragged time and again to be tortured and worked his way to her from there. There were a few obstacles in his way, but they were easily dispatched with the aid of Gungnir, which he had brought with him to assist in their quest. When he finally came to the cells where they had been kept, he used the great staff to open the door and rush in.

It was empty. It was then he realised there was dried blood in many areas of the room. "Sigyn?" His voice was but a whisper, one filled with horror and terror.

"You foolish little boy." He gulped at hearing the deep voice of Thanos. "Looking for someone?" Loki could hear the grin on Thasos's face.

"Where is she?" He demanded.

"You came back for her, how precious. But when you left little Jötunn runt, your affections for her in your time here became blatant." Loki frowned, confused at Thasos's words.

"Loki?" Thor's voice came down the hall towards him.

"Your brother and your pathetic friends cannot possibly save you, or her for that matter. You failed, and now you will suffer."

"WHERE IS SHE?" Loki roared.

"Paying for your failures." Thanos's bodiless laughter echoed through the halls. "Now, as for your little friends."

A doorway creaked open not to far away, and footfalls rushed towards them. "Loki." Thor called, trying to get through his distraught state. "Loki, think of her." That got his brother to look at him. "We need to get to her, where could she be?"

"Anywhere." Loki's eyes filled.

"Do not fret brother, we will find her."

As heavily armoured beings came towards them, weapons drawn and ready to fight, Loki felt as though there was no hope.