Disclaimer: still no

"Loki."

Thor's voice, strained and confused, and a little angry, was the only sound to be heard apart from the wash of the sea on the shore. As Rose knelt beside the crumpled man, Loki, Thor had said, Sherlock took the moment of silence to observe what was going on around him.

His mind was racing faster than it ever had; not only was everything that had just happened impossible, no, implausible, but it turned out that it wasn't just a random man to fall from the terrifyingly real rift, but someone that the Avengers knew. They wouldn't be aiming their weapons at the unconscious, and therefore harmless, man if he were a stranger. The Doctor seemed to come to the same conclusion, as he left his friend's side to wander over to Sherlock and stand beside him, away from the others.

"Right, I'm just going to stand right here, next to the only one not wielding a gun of some sort." The Doctor announced, clapping the detective on the back (he jerked forward as the hand made contact; why did people keep doing that), as the eyes of Iron Man, Captain America, the Black Widow, Thor, and a disgruntled Bruce Banner narrowed in his direction, "I take it you've all met then."

"I haven't a clue who this is." Sherlock said quickly, eyeing the young woman's analysis of the man. Obviously Thor knew him, and the clothes he was wearing matched the style of the Asgardian, but further than that he was in the dark.

"This is my brother, Loki." Thor answered sadly, he appeared unsure as to whether he should rush to his brother's side or wait for Rose's permission, "How do you know him? He does not possess many acquaintances that I know of."

"Forget that!" Tony butted in, "That guy tried to take over the Earth, and set an extra-terrestrial army on New York! He's supposed to be in prison right now."

Sherlock's eyes widened; although he had seen the destruction of New York on the news, it had never sunk in that anything that insane had actually occurred. One man did that?

"Well…" the Doctor started, but it was Rose that replied, finally leaving Loki's side and pulling herself to her feet, looking between the butts of the weapons that were aimed in her direction.

"I'm sorry," she began, and then seemed to think better of it, biting her lip in thought and taking calming breaths, "I'm his friend, kind of, we had a falling out, he stormed off…but he did what?"

Natasha was examining the woman before her, and stepped forward, lowering her gun.

"Your friend turned up here, with an army of aliens, and tried to take over the planet." She informed her, "So you understand why we don't trust you entirely."

"That and the fact that you seem to understand, and control, this energy source that we think may be linked to the abductions of our friends." Bruce added, adjusting his glasses. Sherlock didn't mention it, but he did notice that the scanner in his hand had stopped wailing a while back.

"Now hold on!" the Doctor moved to place himself between Rose and the Avengers, hands raised over his head, his expression fierce.

"We don't know about any abductions," Rose insisted, dodging back in front of the ridiculous man, "I just followed the trail to Loki, that's all." She glanced back over her shoulder at where he still lay forlorn on the sand, soaked to the skin.

"The fact that you know my brother at all is evidence to the contrary." Thor replied guardedly; his hammer was still in his hand and Sherlock couldn't be sure, but he could have sworn it was vibrating. This was getting stupid. Sherlock shoved his way to the head of the group, waving a hand over the intruders.

"If you used your eyes you would see that they're not even a little bit of a threat!" he hissed; they were wasting time bickering like children and every minute gone was a minute that John could be coming to blame him for any pain that his captors put him through.

Only Tony lowered his hands completely; he was far too trusting.

"Are you sure?" Tony asked, and he was still watching Loki warily. Sherlock sighed and rolled his eyes.

"This woman is clearly unarmed, in fact she's barely dressed for a rainy evening, let alone a fight; sure her shoes are worn, so she does a lot of running, but she otherwise lives a fairly dull life, in a house, with a lot of slobbing about." He reeled off; it was nice to do what he was good at, and he ignored the stormy expression on Rose's face, "She's of no more threat to you than a domesticated tabby cat."

"I'll show you a tabby cat." Rose muttered loud enough for the detective to hear, but he didn't grace her by turning around, even though Tony sniggered and the Doctor's face lit up in a sickeningly sweet show of fondness.

"And this man," Sherlock continued, pointing at the Doctor, who gestured to himself in mock confusion, "I agree, he's a complete lunatic, and we shouldn't trust him as far as we can throw him…but he's not even thinking threatening thoughts."

"Exactly," The Doctor clapped his hands together and strode into the space beside Sherlock, again, "I am a mad man, but as Thor, and now Mr Holmes, have pointed out, I am completely and utterly not dangerous."

"But that doesn't explain what you're doing here." Bruce replied, but he looked more exhausted than angry.

Rose groaned and threw her head back, pacing back to where Loki was laid.

"I told you, I'm just here to get my friend!" she snapped, "Once he's awake, we'll be out of your hair."
"No, you and your box are coming back to base with us," Natasha instructed, her voice cutting, "We're not letting Loki out of our sight, and there is no way you're leaving until you've told us everything you know about these energy readings."

The Doctor shook his head agitatedly, looking back at Rose for a moment before addressing the group.

"I've told you what the readings are, it's Huon energy, and it comes from around the void and the time vortex." The Doctor was gritting his teeth, and his eyes had darkened; he was a lot angrier than he appeared, "There will be remnants wherever someone uses any form of travelling via vortex or void, a bit like a gust of air when you open a door. Look at your scanners; this one's just a reference now that it's been opened."

Bruce and Tony's head dipped as they looked at the scanners in their hands, and then suddenly broke into a hushed discussion, in the vain hope that the Doctor wouldn't overhear. Natasha was listening, but Steve, who had remained silent and watchful until that moment, something that Sherlock grudgingly had to admit he admired, as John was the same, spoke up.

"We can't let you leave, innocent or not." He explained clearly, walking slowly towards the Doctor, his shield held by his side, "If Thor's telling the truth, and you are some wise, advanced alien, then we need your help, and I'd prefer if you came of your own free will."

"With the way we've been treated?" Rose retorted indignantly from where she was now sitting beside the still unconscious man, stroking his cheeks. The Doctor waved a hand over his shoulder, never taking his eyes off of Steve. There was a huff in reply.

"Well, if you wanted help, all you had to do was ask." The Doctor said quietly, seriously, "But I want to know what I'm walking into before I march into an unfriendly base."

"You'll come whether you like the way they do things or not." It was Sherlock that spoke up this time, and the others ceased their mutterings at the brevity of his deep voice, "Don't look at me like that, I saw the way you've been sneering at our guns."

Rose once again leapt to her feet and rushed to stand firmly beside the Doctor, who was observing the detective with a darkly amused expression, his eyes wandering across his face in a way that made him uncomfortable.

"Hold on! I thought you were on our side!" Rose remarked heatedly.

"It doesn't matter who's on what-" Steve started, but the Doctor cut him off, his eyes boring into Sherlock; the tension in the air seemed to reach the same density that it had been when the portal had crackled into life.

"No, that's alright." The Doctor drawled, "Tell me, Mr Holmes…why shouldn't I just get back in my box and fly away? Whose side are you on? Or is this just a vested interest?"

Sherlock stared straight back at the Doctor, refusing to back down or be cowed by the cold fires burning in his eyes. The others were watching with bated breath.

"I am on whichever side gets me to John Watson the quickest." He answered, for once not caring that his emotions were showing; the 'heroes' were so soppy that they couldn't laugh even if they tried.

The Doctor assumed a knowing look that Sherlock immediately hated. He hated him so much.

"Ah…" he breathed, "So Dr Watson has been taken. Now I understand."

Something in his tone made Sherlock uncomfortable (now that was a new feeling) and he was almost relieved when Thor spoke up.

"Dr Watson is not the only one." The god said sadly, and he strode forward and placed a firm hand on Sherlock's shoulder; for once, the detective didn't shake it off.

"We all have vested interests." Bruce added, and he too moved as Tony did, taking up stance on Sherlock's other side just as Steve and Natasha took up their positions in the back.

"Look Doc, if you can help us, we're not just letting you go." Tony stated mournfully, looking to Steve for reassurance as the soldier concluded, "That would be like giving up on them."

Sherlock didn't know how to deal with the unfamiliar show of solidarity, or what to do with the weird warmth that had taken root somewhere in his chest. Yes, it was extremely uncomfortable having so many people gathered so close to him, being so…fluffy…but for some reason that he didn't want to explore, he was in no way inclined to extricate himself at that moment. Physiological malfunctions aside, he saw the exact moment that Rose's resolve crumbled, and he cheeks tinged pink, her eyes softening in sympathy. She placed her hands around the Doctor's upper arm in an intimate gesture that he practically melted into.

"We can't just leave Doctor," she begged, pouting her lips in the manner of someone used to getting her own way, "They need us."

The Doctor locked eyes with the woman on his arm and for a second there was a tangible wave of grief pouring from him. The moment passed and he gave a crooked smile.

"Of course we're going to help them." He berated her, as if she were the one that had vastly overstepped the mark. Steve coughed to get the Timelord's attention.

"Thank you." He said, gratefully.

At that moment, a gargled coughing fit cut through the air behind the Doctor and Rose, followed by a low groan that spoke volumes of pain and exhaustion. The Avengers panned out again, arms raised but weapons held only partially aloft. Sherlock stood, like the Doctor, to the side, watching and observing as Rose ran to the crumpled man's side, dropping to her knees.

The man in question had thrown a leather clad arm over his eyes, and let out another groan, his legs shifting as if he were testing the strength of his knees, and his left arm reaching to grasp at his ribs. Rose's hands were hovering over his form; at one instant she brushed his sodden black hair from his forehead, but pulled away when his head thrashed from her grasp.

"Loki…Loki you bloody idiot, what have you done?" she muttered. The moment that the words left her lips Loki froze, his tentative movements halting. The arm thrown across his eyes pulled slowly downwards, revealing wide, incredulous eyes the colour of emeralds. Loki managed to raise himself onto his elbows, his eyes never leaving Rose's face; he was either in shock, or particularly struck by his predicament.

"Rose?...What?...I don't…what?" his voice was ragged, but retained its poise and candour, regardless of the graceless confusion on the owner's face. Rose grinned, a proper, shining grin that lit up her face and made her brown eyes glitter. Sherlock saw the Doctor stiffen.

"I came after you, you fucking idiot…" she almost sobbed, placing her hand tenderly on his cheek before retracting it and slapping the same cheek, "Do you have any idea how worried…how furious, I was. You took the bloody cannon!"

Loki's mouth opened and shut a few times; still speechless, he lifted a hand to where his cheek was now smarting, but not in a way that suggested it was a new occurrence. His eyes darted about the beach before falling on the woman leaning over him. He was gasping for breath, obviously in pain and tired, but he was grasping at words.

"What…What did you do?" he finally asked desperately, searching Rose's face. It wasn't Rose that answered.

"It is not what she has done that ought to worry you, Brother." Thor interrupted the tender moment, and his shadow fell over the pair.

Loki turned his head slowly towards his brother, wincing, as if in hope that he was imagining it. As his eyes fell upon Thor, they then scanned over the Avengers, who were watching him suspiciously.

A moment of tense silence passed, and then…

Loki groaned at the top of his voice, throwing himself back into the sand where he had only recently lain, slinging his arm back over his eyes as if to block out the world.

"No, no no no no no no no…no no no no no" he muttered, his voice vacillating between loud and almost silent as he repeated the same word over and over, "no no no no noooo…THAT'S NOT FAIR!"
Rose sat back on her heels, and Sherlock was starkly reminded of the way that John would stand back and sigh, often just before the words 'not good' were exchanged. He had no idea what was happening; the others seemed just as confused, all except for Thor, who was smirking fondly at the man who was still expelling a litany of 'no's.

It was Steve that finally made the first move.

"Right…back to the helicarrier then?" he suggested, but he looked unsure as to how that was going to work.

"Sure, why not?" Tony replied, then looked to the Doctor, "What about your box?"

The Doctor put on an expression of mock surprise.

"Oh, why yes, of course we'll come to this…helicarrier? Last time I was on one of those…" he mused, then shook his head as if to resort his thoughts, "I can summon her there once we're on board…or at least I think I can. I'll leave her here until then."

"What about him?" Sherlock gestured half-heartedly towards where Loki was still muttering unendingly under his breath, (no, no no no no no no no), Rose was knelt beside him, trying to calm him as Thor crouched over the two, trying to take Loki's arm as it was yanked persistently from his grasp as he boomed 'Brother…brother, please. Brother this is helping nothing!'.

The Doctor whipped the metal device from his coat without a word and aimed it at the group. A reedy whistle later, and Loki's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he passed out, again. Thor checked his pulse, and when satisfied that he was fine, hoisted Loki over his shoulder.

"Right then…" The Doctor announced, now buzzing with excitement, "to the Helicarrier!"

There you go. I confused myself writing this.

LOKI'S HERE! HOORAY!

Hopefully everything will straighten out soon, and things will move from the build-up to some kind of exitement.