The bakery was becoming busier by the day. What once was a small trickle of customers had grown into lake. Luke never really understood how the shop managed to grow so quickly, even the manager was starting to take notice.

The store became filled with women looking for bread, and men trying to find cakes for their kids' birthdays. The oven was the busiest Luke had ever seen it.

"I need a chocolate éclair to go please." Luke called out from behind the register. He turned and smiled, "I'll be right out."

It was frightening almost; the store was almost becoming chaotic…almost. Ever since Luke started working at that cake shop customers have been coming in regularly, some of the other bakers joked that it was because of Luke's red hair. "Ladies loved the red hair." Luke heard someone say as he was cleaning off the tables.

"Luke," his manager turned up behind him and smiled. Luke almost felt bad because he never did learn his boss' name. The man was lean and slender, pale like a fresh cigarette, and had teeth that looked like they could chomp through steel.

"Yes sir?"

"I don't know what it is that you're doing, but keep it up. The place was never this busy before you came." Boss patted Luke on the shoulder. "And here I thought you'd be some kind a' flake." He chuckled.

Soon the customer base grew, shit, the manager was so happy he swore he'd kiss Luke on the friggin' mouth if business kept up like this.

"I just don't get it…how does Luke do it?"

"What do ya' mean?"

"This place was dead before he showed up…and now…it's like the only place where people can be…I dunno…"

"Free? Is that what you mean?"

"Yeah! I mean, I haven't felt this good in years! It's like there's a little spice to life whenever Luke is around, don't ya think? Like he just breaks up the monotony somehow."

"Yeah…how the fuck does he do that?"

"Don't know, don't care, just hope he keeps it up. It's keepin' us in business."

And after his long day, Luke dragged himself back home. His heavy apartment door slammed against the wall.

"Hey roommate, I'm home."

A small little kitten looked up from the mattress. "Meow."

It had been a few weeks since Luke had found Leon, and already that little fur ball was everywhere. Whenever Luke came back home, the little cat would jump from the bed and rub its face all over his leg, as if to say "Never leave me again."

Luke plopped down onto the bed and took his shoes off, one after the other.

"Work's been pretty awesome lately. Maybe next time I'll take you with me."

Leon licked his paws. "Meow." Leon curled up closer to Luke and rested his head against a warm knee.

"I take it your day went well." Luke rubbed his cat's stomach, and felt watched as his little friend yawned. "You know, most customers are always asking if I have a girlfriend or not. I keep wanting to say no…but I'm not too sure myself."

The cat yawned again, and blinked. "Meow."

"Some of the guys at work tell me I should try to go out on a date once in a while. What do you think? I-I mean…should I?"

No answer.

What the hell would he say on a date? "I'm Luke, I have no family or memory and I spend my days talking to a kitten."

Luke scratched his friend behind the ears. Well…he was a pretty cute kitten. Sweet too…and often gave nice advise in the form of licking himself. But still…

"Well, the bakery has been doing well, and I have enough income to at least start adding a little furniture to the place." Luke looked around his apartment. He had been there for months now, but the place looked exactly like it did when he first moved in. Bare and empty.

"Maybe a chair for us to sit in? Or how about some posters to brighten the place up a little? Sky's the limit man."

Well…the sky and his bank account.

"I could even get you a proper toy to play with instead of old shoe strings."

He scratched behind Leon's ears again, and the little kitty purred.

"Yeah. I like that idea too."

The Avengers weren't having any luck. Tony had said he'd be able to find Loki…or whatever he was now, but that was proving difficult. No, scratch that, it was impossible. There might have been a chance Loki still had his magic, but the signature was so small there was no way it could be track. He tried to use the stones to get a bigger signal, but it always ended in the same way.

"Signature not found."

Shit, he hated magic. The rules kept fucking changing. He should be able to hone in on a power source and find it, but no, that power source decided to off himself, and now everything and every plan Tony had before was completely useless. He tried to ask Thor more information, something he could use to find whatever body Loki came back as, but all he got was a big "The ways of sorcery are mysterious to us all friend Stark. Its laws have all the consistency of air."

Wonderful.

Even worse…Steve had been riding them all day. Hours of training, fight simulations, and every half-hour Steve kept coming in and asking-

"You find him yet Tony?"

That sound made him cringe. He sighed and shook his head. "No Stars and Stripes, not yet." Even though Steve was trying to hide it, Tony could tell he was getting angry. Stressed even. Jesus, seeing that kid executed must have really done a number on Capt., but Tony never thought he'd take it this far. Steve was the hero. Steve was the patient one, but when it came to Loki…

"Capt. I got a question for you?"

Steve raised his eyebrow. "Shoot."

"What is with you lately? I mean don't get me wrong, I want freedom back as much as the next guy, but it seems like everyone has been getting a little bit…edgy."

Steve sighed. His body trembled in the low light of Tony's lab. "You didn't see that kid's face."

Tony had to fight hard not to roll his eyes. "Look, we get it, but people die every-"

"No! This was different. That kid didn't even have any fight in him at all. It was like…" his voice dropped to a whisper. "Like he didn't have any spirit to him at all. Like he was dead before he was even captured." Steve's fist clenched, and his jaw tightened like a string put through too much stress. "All I ever wanted was to keep people free. To fight against tyranny so that others can enjoy freedom. But thanks to Loki's little stunt none of that matters anymore. People aren't free. No one's free. Not even us. I mean, how long until the order starts to affect us? Then who'll be left to stop all of this?"

And then Tony's stomach turned. With all of this hunting he had forgotten that the order threatened them as well. Shit, he completely removed it from his mind. He was Iron Man for Christ's sake. He took missiles in the chest, got up and got coffee. But still…he was only a man, just like all of the others who lost who they were. How long until their freedom was taken away by this order? How long until they all marched to a peaceful beat that slowly zapped them of the will to even fight back? At first Tony only wanted to find Loki because that was what heroes do…they stop evil...at any cost, right? But if they can't fight back, who will?

Shit, he hated when Steve made sense.

"Fine, fine. I'll work harder." But he still didn't think it would do any good.

"Good." Steve said, "And when you're done be back in the gym, I want you ready for whatever that trickster throws at us. We can't assume he's lost all of his power, or his intelligence. We need to be ready for anything."