"He's…here?"

Tony's signal had led them to a small, secluded part of the city, so insignificant that many of them had passed it without giving it a second thought. There, on the street corner sat a little café.

"It's…quaint." Steve said as he tapped his boot against the cement.

"So, what? Loki just stopped by for some coffee?" Clint grabbed his bow from around his back. "Either way, I'm going in."

Natasha stepped in front of him, her hair falling to her shoulders, "Hold on Clint. Remember what happened last time? He pretty much made you his puppet, what if the same thing happens again? If we're doing this we need to be smart and not act like a bunch of dumbasses."

"Agreed." Captain America grabbed his shield, "Thor and Tony will go in and the rest of us will stay our here on standby."

Tony rolled his eyes in his suit. "Yeah yeah whatever."

Thor placed his palm over his hammer, his heart beating like a Dwarf's working mallet. It had been so long since Loki's failed siege of Midgard. Years even. His absence was even worse this time because instead of having the dull mourn of his death, there was the terrifying uncertainty of his actions. Would he seek revenge on the All-father? How many times had he practiced what he would say to his dear brother if he ever saw him again? Would he plead? Would he beg? Or would he simply shackle him in chains like some prisoner?

He took a deep breath.

And walked into the Café.

The place was small. Tables lined the up against the wall, each underneath a window to allow the guests to enjoy the view. The service counter on the other side was dimly lit, and the stench of chocolate coated the air like moss.

"Loki?" Thor's voice boomed across the room like…well, thunder. Tony took down his faceplate and rolled his eyes. If Loki really was up to something (as he always was) then they had just lost their element of surprise.

Great.

Tony charged his repulsor, if that slimy creep tried anything he wanted to be ready.

"Loki." Thor stomped across the café like he owned the place, and hell why not? Not like there was anyone there. The place was like a bookstore on Black Friday.

"Sir," Jarvis started in, "I'm detecting the energy signature. A few feet left of your current position."

Tony and Thor turned away into a door that led to another waiting area. How the hell did this Café have another room? Tony had seen huts bigger than this thing.

"There."

And sure enough, lounging against an oversized chair with a lukewarm cup of coffee in his hands sat the God of mischief himself.

"Loki." It took everything Thor had not to run over to his brother and embrace him. Smell his hair and feel his skin against his own, just to prove to himself this was no trick.

He's here.

Tony breathed a little easier, but he kept his repulsor aimed and charged.

"Loki. Whatever you're planning it ends now."

Loki looked up…and took a sip of his coffee. Who served him that anyway?

"Would you two like a cup?" He asked. "The brewer stepped out for a minute, but I'm sure he'll be back."

Did he just offer them coffee?

Thor shook his head, a scowl forming on his face. "We did not come for a beverage brother, we came to apprehend you."

He took another sip.

"Are you sure brother? I had heard you really enjoyed this drink on your first visit to Midgard, and this little shop brews the best in the entire city."

There was something…odd about Loki. His green shirt hung loosely from his shoulders, he slumped in that oversized chair like a child who just finished a warm bath. His eyes shined like minted quarters. He looked so…unburdened, as if a huge building had been lifted off of his chest.

"What the hell are you planning reindeer games. We know it's you whose been wreaking all of this havoc."

Well, havoc wasn't really the word. More like peace and tranquility, but if Loki was behind it there was no way it could be good.

"Brother…what have you done?" Thor's voice almost cracked, but he kept his posture strong, he couldn't appear weak, not even in front of the brother he had thought he lost.

"What do you mean Thor?" He took another sip.

"Chaos has left the realms Loki, the balance of all things is in jeopardy. If this is some cruel scheme to-"

"No brother. No scheme." Loki sank deep into his chair, as if he hadn't a single care. "No plot, no lies, nothing." If Tony didn't know better, he'd have sworn Loki just chuckled.

The God's face was smooth like churned ice cream, soft and sweet. There was no underlying malice in his voice, no cruel glint in his eye, and no deep sadness to his face. In all his years of knowing his brother, he had never seen Loki so at ease. Even as children, their most innocent of years, Loki still carried some unknown weight in his chest, but now that burden seems to have disappeared…like magic.

"What has happened to you Loki?"

Loki took a deep, long sip of his drink and placed the cup on the chair's arm rest. "I've been traveling."

"W-Why?"

"Is that not what people do when they are on break? I believe the mortals call it a vacation."

"Va…cation?" That word was so foreign to Thor's tongue it felt like a snake worming its way out of his mouth.

The God of chaos is on vacation?

"I'm pretty sure tyrants aren't supposed to get vacations." Tony piped in, feeling he had been silent for long enough.

"Never the less, I took one, and decided to extend it…maybe indefinitely." He took one last sip, and then his cup ran empty. "Are you not thrilled brother?" He smiled widely like a child.

Thor shook his head. "You did this…for me?"

Loki stood. "No, I did this for me."

The air was getting thick like a serpent's tongue. Loki had been known to lie. His treachery was legendary in all of the realms, but a world without chaos is something not even Loki could dream up. A would without chaos is a world without him.

"For you?" He had to be lying. "Loki, this makes no sense." This had to be a trick. "W-why would you do such a thing?"

His tongue was spewing lies to aid in his escape…was it not?

His shoulders heaved. Loki's smile began to fade, like the sunlight swallowed by the coming rain clouds. "Maybe, someday, I'll tell you."

And then…he was gone, leaving nothing his place but three dollar bills. A tip for the brewer.

He was lying, right?