Their hearts sank when Steve returned empty handed, his face dark like a California midnight.
"Well, I do have some good news." Tony said. "It seems like Loki's reappeared again. This time at a restaurant."
Steve nodded. "Good, we're all going in this time. This has gone far enough."
The trip in the jet was quick and in no time they were at a place called "Sparkle's". Steve grabbed his shield, Natasha he guns, Hawkeye his arrows, Thor his hammer, and Tony had already armored up.
"Let's get him."
All five of them walked in as if they owned the entire city, and there in the corner by the window sat Loki. Steve almost didn't believe his eyes. The trickster was…smiling. When Tony had said that Loki was changed, he didn't really believe him, but there was something different.
Something…peaceful about the tyrant. Whatever, none of that matter now.
"Loki," Steve began as he walked over to the mischief maker, "We want answers."
The man was dressed in a loose fitting shirt that fell over his shoulders like a blanket, and on the table was just about every dessert Steve could ever imagine. Apple pie with golden crust, a deep chocolate cake that looked like it was carved out of marble. Blueberry pie, an ice cream sundae with strawberry sauce and all kinds of other things. And there in the corner with a saucer of milk sat a black cat, its yellow eyes beaming in the morning sun.
"What is all this?" Thor asked as he approached his brother.
"Good morning Thor." Loki said as he took a bite of chocolate cake. "How about you and your friends sit down and have some dessert with me? It's really quite tasty." He smiled. "I can see why you love this world so much."
Steve was getting angry. "You've got some nerve tyrant. You cause an innocent kid to die and you're here eating dessert like it was your birthday" Steve's eyes grew red, whether they were from the lack of sleep or the angry tears he fought back, he couldn't be certain.
"My dear Captain, what do you mean?" Loki's eyes examined Steve's face, there was no anger in either pupil. There was no dark plot forming behind his gaze, just sheer confusion. "Why don't you sit down Captain? You look tired."
Steve fought back every urge in his body to punch the guy in his face. "You murdered someone. He was just a-"
"Brother," Thor interrupted, "You're actions have caused this destruction!"
Loki shook his head. "I haven't caused anything. And Thor there is no destruction. It's just order." Loki leaned over and placed his hand on his cat.
"That's the problem reindeer games. This is the order you caused, and it's zapping every one of their free will. We demand you stop it."
Loki placed his fork in the ice cream sundae. "I do not catch your meaning Man of Iron. Are you saying you want me to go back to trying to take over the nine realms, and that you want me to continue to sew discord throughout your world, and that you want me to return to plotting for the throne of Asgard?" He sounded so confused.
"Of course not brother, but-"
"Good," Loki said as he licked strawberry sauce off of his fork, "Because I wish not to do those things either. I want to relax. Why don't you join me? There's plenty to go around. Thor, try this chocolate cake, it is sublime."
Was this happening?
In all honesty they expected something a little more. An epic showdown, a tyrant god who would stop at nothing to gain power, some devil plot that would test everything they had. Instead they got some guy eating dessert at six in the morning with a cat. Why did he have a cat?
"We've had enough of your games Loki." Clint raised his arrow to Loki's head. "Fix this now."
"And just how do you propose I do that?" Loki asked as he slid the apple pie closer.
This was getting frustrating. Here Loki was, eating without a care in the world, and all of the nine realms were being decimated by order. Tony hated to admit it, but he kind of missed the old Loki, the one who tried to kill them just a few years ago, at least with him they knew where they stood. With this relaxed Loki, they didn't know how to speak with him without making their blood boil.
"I don't know. Just fix it."
Loki simply rolled his eyes. "And why are you in such a hurry to return to chaos? Look around you;" Loki spread his arms out, "The world is safe, the people are happy. Everything is wonderful."
"Except the people have no free will, no spirit, no nothing." Steve countered. Clearly those were ideals he cherished. Who knew they were the result of chaos?
"I'm sorry Avengers, but there is nothing that I can do."
"Don't give us that." Tony lifted his repulsor to Loki's face. "You can start chaos again and end all of this right now."
Loki laid his cheek across the table like a tired child. "And what makes you think I want to start chaos again?"
"You make no sense brother. Chaos is your purpose and-"
"And what exactly has it gotten me Thor? I mean I can see where it gets all of you. You all get villains to vanquish and stories to tell. Clearly you all have something to gain from chaos, but what do I have to gain?" Loki leaned over and placed his hand on his cat once more. "I have found peace, and now that I have I can finally understand why you all cherish it so, and I'm not giving mine up just so there can be a villain for your epic tales, brother."
"Loki, that is not why we're asking you to-"
"Well whether it is or is not is irrelevant. The fact remains that I am through with that role. Now I'm going to live, not for some far away kingdom that will never come, but for myself. I'm sorry if that doesn't fit into your heroic ballads, god of thunder."
Steve had had enough of this talk. They should just lock Loki up and force him to cooperate. "Hawkeye, take him." Clint raise his bow, and fired an arrow right at Loki's head, but just as quickly as the arrow had whizzed out of Clint's fingers, Loki disappeared from his seat and in his place sat Thor.
The arrow impacted the thunder god's face, and he slammed into the window.
"Shit. Sorry Thor."
Loki sat on the opposite side of the room, his cat sitting in his arms. "Was that truly necessary archer?"
Clint raised his bow once again.
"Hawkeye stop," Tony took a step forward. "That isn't going to do anything." Loki had somehow gotten stronger since they last fought him, now he could teleport himself and others at will. With power like that, they were clearly fighting a losing battle.
"Alright, change of plans. Loki, what is it you want? Power? Do you want people do bow at your feet? There's gotta be more to it than sitting down and eating ice cream and coffee?" Tony said. There was no way they could force Loki's cooperation, so maybe they could get some answers.
"I'm not interested in anything of those things Man of Iron." Loki wiggled his finger under his cat's chin. "I told you before, there's no plot. I just want to enjoy my vacation."
"Well an important part of a 'vacation' is ultimately going back."
Loki chuckled, "Well, that's why I made it an indefinite vacation. I'm not going back."
Thor stepped through the gaping hole that was once a window. "Your games are destroying the balance Loki."
"Do you remember what you told me back on Asgard brother?" Loki began. "You told me that I needed to 'know my place'. Well, I believed my place was upon a throne, and it is not. I believed my place was within the walls of Asgard, and it is not, and I believed my place was as master of mischief, but that is not so either." His lips curved downward. "But that is fine, because I'm carving out my own place, and there is no room for chaos in it, and if that is a problem for you and your comrades then fine, but I am not going to resume a role I want no part of just to please you. I've done that for far too long."
Loki blinked twice and then he disappeared, leaving the Avengers in a stupor.