Jarvis had informed me that the others were waiting upstairs, and that they wished to meet with Loki immediately. So with as much nonchalance as I could muster I switched off my DVD and told the god to follow me as I walked out of the room, trying to still my racing heart as part of my mind expected to feel a blade slip into my back.

The journey up to the room was dauntingly quiet, the sounds of our muffled footsteps and echoes from other parts of the building being the only noises. Loki remaining surprisingly silent, whilst I just didn't want to speak to him at all and risk the questions I had inside me bursting forth. The urge to deny everything he had said and tell him that I wouldn't stand up for him at all.

We reached the room in minutes and I was met with serious faces as I entered the room. Tony was in the process of pouring himself another drink, Clint back against the window and fiddling with a coin in his hand, Bruce sat on his own chair with a hint of nervousness and Steve sat on the sofa looking like he'd rather capture Loki than play chums.

"Well aren't you all cheerful," commented Loki, standing in the doorway as I took my own chair.

"So you've agreed to our plan then?" asked Tony, ignoring the Trickster's comment. "And how did you happen to hear about that?"

"That would be telling," replied Loki, the corners of his lips turning up slightly.

Tony walked up to the god, stopping about a metre short as he raised a hand to his mouth and put on a puzzled expression.

"That's funny, because I thought since we were working together-"There was noticeable distaste as he said that. "-that there would be no secrets. Or was Fury giving you life lessons as well?"

"If you were planning to give up all of your secrets then I am most disappointed," Loki countered. "Do not make play that we are equal."

For someone who was trying to 'be a good guy' he was certainly not putting much effort into it. I believed that he as probably acting cocky because he believed- much like we did- that this was the only way to stop the Chitauri. Luckily though it meant he couldn't attack us, which Tony seemed to be taking advantage of as he continued to speak to the god- although he could just be being himself.

""I guess not since we did beat you," he replied thoughtfully, Loki's eyes flashing dangerously. "If anything it puts us above you- even Crazy Chick, I mean she blasted you off the tower and I can tell you that I still have that clip if you want to see it. It certainly cheers me up."

Wow, so he kept a clip of me blasting Loki to cheer him up? When did he ever need cheering up?

I shifted slightly in my chair as the Trickster's gaze moved over to me, making sure not to look away and met his gaze equally. He seemed like he was going to laugh, but turned back to face Tony.

"Well I'm glad I could provide entertainment for you," he said, practically sneering at the playboy. "But I don't believe I'm here for that."

"I guess not," agreed Tony, taking another sip from his drink. "So let's get back on track, you said they have some sort of device to get about?"

"Yes, like the devices you mortals call 'computers'- it is attached to one of their wrists and all they have to do is simply put in where they wish to go," replied Loki. "I'm surprised that you haven't come up with such a device Stark."

To Tony's credit he didn't react to that jibe, and it was Bruce who instead answered the god.

"You say they keep following you," he began. "But how do they know where you are?"

"Obviously they do not use only technology," was Loki's reply, which didn't really answer the question but hinted at magic. Or maybe they had their own Heimdall? That would be weird…

"I'm going to guess that it will take a while for them to follow you here," I commented, remembering how he said they were not eager to come to Jotunheim- and seeing as they got their ass kicked here they weren't likely to come barging in straight away.

"Indeed," agreed the god, smirking at me. "Last time I hid out on Midgard it took them a month to work up the courage to follow."

"A month?" repeated Clint, outraged. "Are you saying we've got to keep this guy around for a month?!"

"None of us are pleased about this, but we need to cooperate if we are to stop the Chitauri," Steve said to Clint.

"What about Thor when he shows up to drag Loki off to Asgard?" I asked, and if it were possible the room got even quieter. "I mean he does still have a punishment on Asgard to face."

"Can't he just do a Thor-style punishment?" asked Tony, who knew about Thor's banishment after he told us at the shawarma joint. "I mean it comes with the plus of him having no powers."

It sounded like an advantage- having Loki around whilst he was stuck in a 'mortal form'. I remembered though that even in mortal form Thor still managed to do a lot of damage. Taking down those SHIELD agents quite easily, and who was to say that Loki wouldn't be the same? Sure he wasn't as strong as Thor, as his strength came from his intellect, but as Cap said 'that guy sure packs a wallop' and as a god of mischief he could probably think of several ways to make each of us suffer for doing this to him.

There was also the possibility that it would make it easier for the Chitauri to capture him and get him to take them to the Tesseract. I'm sure he could use their device to teleport in or out of wherever it was kept, clearing out before the Asgardians were able to stop him.

"If we did that would we then be able to lock him away in a SHIELD cell?" asked Clint.

"Well SHIELD could put him away anywhere and then we wouldn't be able to find him until the Chitauri showed up," pointed out Bruce. "Then it might be to late- it would be easier for everyone if we kept him here where we can keep an eye on him."

"If you don't want to be in my company then why don't you leave?" asked Loki, leaning against the doorway. "After all your petty grudge against me is so much more important than stopping the Chitauri."

Clint went to reply, anger flashing across his face when there was a huge boom and lightning struck the platform outside.

"How about stopping Thor?" I asked.

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