A/N: Reviewers, followers, favers, readers, you're all amazing! x3

The next morning, all of the Avengers, Loki, and Nick Fury all stood outside of Thanos's glass cage.

"Care to tell us about these 'Skrulls?'" Fury asked.

"Their DNA makeup is fascinating!" Banner commented.

Tony nodded in agreement.

"You've already met?" asked Thanos who appeared to be interested.

"They took on the appearance of my parents!" Thor informed him. "What black magic is that?"

Thanos's laughter boomed throughout his cell. "They take on whatever appearance they please."

The group remained in place, all equally shocked by the news.

"They may even be amongst you as we speak and you would never know the difference," Thanos taunted them.

They all exchanged glances, contemplating if there were traitors hidden amongst them.

"But they don't know about us, do they?" asked Natasha with her arms crossed. "I mean, they obviously don't know our personal information."

"They can always learn," Thanos warned her. "Even so, they'll have you killed before you can do anything about it."

"It would be wise to end this or you face an early death," Fury advised.

"Kill me," he grinned. "Kill me and my army will avenge me!"

"Are they here on earth right now?" Bruce asked.

"Be honest or you'll be in for it!" Steve warned the creature.

"They're coming," Thanos promised.

The group left Thanos and went in for a much-needed group meeting. "So theses 'Skrulls' can become any one of us," Fury began as he took a seat at the head of the round table.

"It's decided. Secret handshake time!" announced Tony.

Everyone groaned in protest, except for Clint who began to snicker, "so we're stooping to a six-year-old girl's level?"

"All joking aside, Stark has a point," Natasha pointed out.

"Just because they can steal any appearance, doesn't mean they know about us. Any one of ask has permission to ask personal questions if worse comes to worse," Fury concluded.

"And what happens if one of them takes on your appearance and steals our files?" asked Natasha.

"I have trackers placed on each and every person working here, myself included," he added. "Those Skrulls can't imitate that."

"Trackers? Well, I feel violated now," Tony remarked as he downed his drink.

"Don't we all?" Steve asked.

Three weeks had passed and the team had received no word on any of Thanos's army until one day when Odin had summoned Thor back to Asgard to warn him that the Infinity Gauntlet had been stolen.

"The Skrulls are making their move!" Thor warned his friends amid one of their meetings.

"Took 'em long enough," said Tony as he leaned back in his chair. "Looks like we're back in action!"

Fury opened up a stainless steel briefcase that he had placed upon their meeting table. "Since its come to this, I'm taking extreme caution." He spun the briefcase around for the Avengers and Loki to see. Inside, tucked between layers of packing foam rested the Tesseract and the three missing gems. "If they get a hold of these gems, we're in for a hell of a hard time, so I'm entrusting you with these." He handed a gem to Tony, Steve, and Bruce. "I suggest you hold onto those at all times. I'll keep the Tesseract locked up for safekeeping," he added.

Tony eyed the red gem. "I think I'll make this a necklace."

"Please take this seriously!" Natasha warned him.

"Jealous you don't have one for yourself?" he smirked.

"I was a target before, I won't be a target again," she reminded him.

"Has Thanos told you of any Skrull activity here on Asgard?" Loki wondered from the far end of the table.

"Nothing," Fury replied. He locked up the briefcase.

"We should initiate a plan of attack," suggested Steve. "How long are we going to wait around for? It's been three weeks and we've heard nothing."

Natasha nodded in agreement. "Maybe Thanos wants us to attack him."

"A trigger," interrupted Loki. "If we attack now, we leave him feeling threatened."

"And that guy needs a threat," Barton added.

Fury looked between all of them and thought to himself.

"I'd take the advice from the former villain." Tony poured himself another drink.

Loki turned to Stark and grinned deviously.

"Then if we attack, we attack quickly!" Fury warned them. He turned to Natasha. "He's already seen your attacks, so I say we go with something else, say…" He locked his eye on Clint. "Barton, you can give us a sure fire shot at him."

Clint nodded and put on his signature sunglasses.

"What say we have some fun with him?" asked Loki slyly.

Fury stared at him as though he was crazy. "What do you mean?"

"We can start by giving him something he wants."

"The Infinity Gems? Loki, they possess the gauntlet!" Thor reminded him.

"No, Brother," he smirked. "The Tesseract."

"You're crazy! He'll kill us, idiot!" Tony snapped.

"No," continued Loki. "A Facsimile. He'll never know the difference…"

Natasha caught on to what he was going on about. "Like what you used on me? That could actually work…"

"Exactly," smiled Loki.

"So we hand over a fake Tesseract and see what he does?" Fury asked.

"It will make him feel as though he has the power that he so desperately seeks. Perhaps then, he'll summon his army and we finish them all off."

There was a brief silence as the plan sank into everyone's brains.

"You're thinking like one of us, Loki!" Steve told him with a smile. "Welcome to the team!"

Loki felt taken aback by the sudden acceptance.

"Alas, we are Brothers and brothers-in-arms!" exclaimed Thor as he went over to playfully punch Loki in the shoulder.

Loki's inner circle seemed to be expanding. He had his Brother, Natasha, a child, and now, the Avengers.

Natasha smiled at him, glad that the others were finally accepting him.

Loki's gaze met with hers. Finally, he was beginning to feel whole inside.