Thor placed a hand on Sigyn's shoulder. "Sigyn, please release them."

The She-Elf looked at him for a moment before removing the magical bonds she had placed upon Steve, Natasha and Clint. Bruce was somewhere else... But Thor could not think on that now. He had to sort out this whole mess while his father was... otherwise preoccupied.

"Friends, Loki can't stay on Earth," Thor began, praying to whatever higher deity there was that they would listen.

"Thor, we know he's your brother, but he tried to subjugate the Earth. We have to bring him in- especially since he's already had two magical outbursts," Natasha reasoned.

"I cannot tell you everything, but I must tell you that Loki's actions here on Midgard were not his own- or, at least not all his own," Thor said. They had to understand.

Clint frowned, skepticism all over his features. "What'd you mean? If he didn't do it then who the hell did?"

Thor sighed. "He will not tell me. He changes the subject whenever I try to bring it up. But I know that he is hiding something."

"Thor," Natasha said, not unkindly. "Even if he is hiding something, we need to bring him in and get a statement. This can't just be let go. After London, everything's already a mess with intergalactic affairs and everything; we can't let Loki leave until we know he'll be secure in Asgard or another world, and that he won't come to Earth intending to harm anyone again."

Thor sighed and nodded. Loki would hate him forever for agreeing to this. But he knew it had to be done.

He spared a glance at Sigyn, who was staring at him with an incomprehensible look in her cerulean eyes. Nodding at the others, he walked back to Loki and Odin, hoping that this would be resolved quickly and without conflict.

There had been far too much death recently.

Loki turned to Odin, now knowing what to do. He had a plan. Rough though it was, it would provide him with an escape. That was all he needed. Odin was one more standing, leaning heavily on Gungnir. His normally tanned skin was pale, and he looked even older.

The smile was still on Loki's face, and Odin regarded him warily. He was aware of Thor, Sigyn and the mortals closing in, and Loki knew he had to act quickly. There was a part of him that felt guilty about doing this to Sigyn- and, he reluctantly admitted, to Thor- but he could not stay there. Loki despised being trapped. There had to be a way out, or Loki would find a way to make one.

"Loki..." Thor started, frowning.

Sigyn watched him with a guarded expression. She knew. And yet she made no move to stop him. Loki silently thanked her.

His attention once more on Odin, he said, "You know that I can't forgive you."

He forced himself to remain still as he conjured a knife in his hand. He kept it just out of sight so that they would not suspect.

"I do not expect you to," Odin said. "But I wish you would return to Asgard with me, so that the realm might once more have both her princes."

"Father, the mortals need to speak with Loki before any of us can leave the realm. The treaty-"

"With all due respect- which, quite frankly, I feel is none- I will not be going with any of you," Loki interrupted.

Everyone watched him closely, and it seemed that it was Romanov that noticed the way he was holding himself. Loki smirked as he saw her hand subtly move to the holster of her weapon. As though that would stop him anyway. (Whatever makes her feel comfortable, I suppose.)

"Loki, what are you planning?" Thor asked him, and Loki revealed the knife, holding it up.

Everyone tensed, he realised with some smug satisfaction- Thor, Sigyn and Odin all knew how well-practiced he was with throwing knives. But as he held the knife to his own chest- (Over the all-too familiar, jagged scar that hides beneath my glamour)- they all started in his direction. Loki took a step backwards, holding up his free hand in a gesture for them to stop. "Ah, ah, ah- Be still. Can't have my hand slipping now, can we?"

He thought that Barton was about to say a snide remark, but the archer impressed Loki by holding his tongue. He so obviously wanted to comment, though.

"Loki, please- Don't do this," Thor pleaded.

Loki noted how Odin remained silent. He sneered at the king. "This is the part where you say something nice. But, that didn't work out so well the last time, did it?"

"Loki, not again. Please," Odin finally said, quietly.

(No, Loki.)

The sneer fell from his lips, and he looked between Thor and Sigyn. His ex-wife was staring at him with a grimly determined expression, because she knew and she understood when no one else did. She would let him go through with this, because she knew it would be his only escape. Thor's eyes were so full of pain that Loki thought he could drown in them. Oh, Norns, and he would start crying and that would make Loki feel even worse about it.

Oh well. Loki was selfish.

With a small, apologetic smile directed at Thor- his brother- Loki shut his eyes tight and plunged the knife deep into his own chest, dragging the blade down, down, down his sternum to his abdomen.

The pain took him.

He could not breath.

He was drowning in his own blood.

Darkness.

Nothing.

"No!" Thor cried, running forward. (Not again- Not again- Loki, please, don't do this to me again!) He fell to his knees in the dirt beside Loki's body.

But this time there would be no brief last words, no apologies, for Loki was gone. Cold as always, yet seeming to look exhausted even now. There was a flicker of magic and a shimmer, and it was as though Loki's entire body had gained dozens of tattoos. Then Thor realised, with horror, that these were not tattoos; they were scars. Long, small, thin, wide, smooth, rough, clean, jagged... Scars of every shape and size imaginable marred his brother's skin.

"Loki- Brother, please," he pleaded with him, because Loki could not be dead.

(Not again. I just got him back. There was hope. I can't have lost my little brother again.)

How many times now? Three? Loki had done it before, he could do it again, right? Another miracle, another trick- because, Norns, this had to be a trick. Thor could not bear to grief a third time. Not- Not so soon after the last time.

"Thor," Sigyn said, her voice weak, as she came to a stop beside him. He picked up Loki's body, not caring about the blood- and there was so much of it- that slicked his hands, cradling it close like he had done in Svartalfheim. He ignored the fact that he could see inside of his baby brother and just stared at Loki's face. He looked past the rough scars that criss-crossed over the lips, past the various slashes on the cheeks and past the dark circles of exhaustion around the closed eyes. He looked past all of this and saw Loki, his little brother, who used to play harmless pranks on him that they both laughed at, who used to run through the palace gardens with him, who used to share a bed with him whenever the dark got too scary, who used to go on adventures with him in the forests and nearly always got him into trouble- (but he was always there to get me out of trouble, as well).

Loki, his baby brother, who was now gone.

And this time, Thor could not bring himself to hope that there was a possibility of Loki opening his eyes and laughing in his face. He doubted he would return to Asgard to find his brother reclining on the throne in his typically casual manner.

It seemed that, whether it be blood related or not, Thor's family was destined for tragedy.

A/N: Yep... Sorry... *wince* Please don't kill me... All will be explained! Many of you have already guessed it, but still. For those who want it to remain a mystery... Just sit tight.