Loki was highly amused as he sat in Tony's lab, watching the mortal run around checking various pieces of equipment and looking at screens of data. There were multiple machines pointing at Loki, a few that were attached to his skin directly. "You criticized Victor for wanting to study me, but you have the same intentions."

"Not true!" Tony answered immediately. "I don't want to cut you open."

"No, you just want a complete work up of my vitals and list of bodily functions," Loki said wryly.

"Yeah."

"Which is exactly the same as what Victor wanted," Loki told him. "Actually, Victor already has it, by now."

"Well, I'm not creepy how that guy is," Tony argued. "I mean, he put a tracker on you!" Tony frowned at the green metal bracelet that now sat around his own wrist, matching the one that Loki wore. The Avengers assumed it was some cutesy couple thing when they saw it, little did they know.

"As if you do not do the same with Jarvis."

"Not the same!" Tony protested.

Loki scoffed. "What is the difference, honesty of intentions?"

Tony decided not to dignify that with an answer. "I can't help it if you're interesting! And you're made of impossibilities, how am I supposed to resist trying to study you a little."

Loki smiled. "You expend an awful lot of energy pretending as if you do not like Victor."

"Why would I like that guy? He's insane!" Tony argued.

Loki laughed and shook his head. "And you are a paragon of sanity yourself? You, that creates machines as children, that wears a metal suit and tries to save the world, that is so paranoid you must have a mechanical specter watching over you at every possible moment? You that has a fixation and fascination with a God of Choas?"

"Sexy God of Chaos," Tony objected. "That makes all the difference." He grinned cheekily and Loki couldn't resist the impulse to pull the man toward him and kiss him breathless.

"I'm starting to wonder if all mortals are such ridiculous creatures or if you are just special," Loki whispered.

"I'm the most special," Tony insisted, sounding dazed. "One of a kind, certified, Stark Industries original."

Loki laughed and pulled the man in for another kiss. He truly was enamored with this mortal. Even if he was the most ludicrous creature Loki had ever met.

Loki was sitting alone in Thor's living space when his brother entered. It wasn't odd for him to find Loki locked in some deep contemplation or another. It wasn't even odd to find that his brother had hidden himself in Thor's room to do so. On Asgard, it was likely the last place Thor would look if he wanted to bother Loki and their rooms were one of the few places that were safe. Thor's even more so than Loki's, since even though Loki used magic to protect his chambers, the few that could get around that protection were not likely to want to hurt the beloved prince heir as they might their troublesome second prince.

No, what was odd was the fact that Loki's attention was not fixed on a book or spell work or magic of any sort. There was a golden apple on the table, slowly spinning with the occasional aid of Loki's gentle turns. His eyes were so fixed upon the thing that Thor wondered if he even knew that someone else had entered the room.

"May I ask you something, Thor?"

Thor should have known better than to doubt Loki's awareness. He moved toward the table and sat across from his brother. "Ask away, Loki."

"Do you think... Anthony would... Do you think..." Loki didn't finish the thought, but Thor was able to follow it to its obvious conclusion. Thor's hands tightened on the edge of the table. He had not known that his brother was quite so smitten with his mortal.

"Loki," Thor began cautiously. "It is forbidden to share Idunn's golden apples outside of Asgard."

"So it is," Loki replied easily. "The All Father's rule, yes?" Thor knew the light tone of Loki's voice for a trap, but he wasn't certain what he could do not to spring it.

"You are so fond of him?" Thor asked, hoping that he could side step whatever verbal trap he was walking into.

"What of you, Thor?" Loki asked instead. "Were you not enamored with your own mortal? Then again, I suppose she cannot compare to the demi god that's caught your eye now."

Thor's face flushed red with embarrassment and anger both. "I would not betray my lady Jane!"

"No, of course not," Loki agreed easily. "Neither Sif nor Amora are any testament to your character there."

Thor's anger melted into something more akin to sadness. "I have changed, brother."

Loki moved his hand away from the apple, watching it as it slowly stopped spinning. "No you haven't."

Thor looked struck at this. "What?"

"You are the same thing that you have always been, God of Thunder, of storms, of passion fast and hot and easily forgotten. You are the golden heir to the Realm Eternal. You are Thor Odinson. Your mortals have not changed you, else you would be different. Your domain, your influence, that has to change, anything less is shallow and easily lost."

Thor was practically pouting at his brother now. "That is how you feel?"

"I am the God of Change, Thor, I would know. I love you like I always have, trust that, but you are no different. You fall into the same bad habits, you have the same loyalties, and you make the same mistakes." Loki put his head down on the table beside the apple, closing his eyes. "She sways you with her power, charms you when she spurns you, your connection with her makes it that much more likely that you will bed her-"

"Loki!" Thor roared, slamming is hands down on the table, but Loki had already foreseen this course of action and reinforced the table with magic. It would be far too unseemly to fall face first to the floor in this position. "I am not going to betray my lady Jane!"

"Well, of course not. Not now, anyway," Loki told him. "I've called you out on your honor, practically challenged you. You could not now even if she were waiting naked in the other room." Loki turned his head, opening his eyes to look at Thor. "Do you see brother, you are not changed. As easily riled up as ever. I know that you will not do anything on Midgard as you have done on Asgard, because the mortals would berate you as The Warrior's Three never have and you hate being in the wrong."

"I do not like the way that you prove your points, Loki."

"Neither does all of Asgard. Neither, I think, does the All Father. But I do not intend to return there, so it matters not."

Thor gasped when he heard this. "Loki! You cannot mean-"

"I do," Loki stated firmly. "I do not have to go back, not when there are mortals so willing to keep hold of me. Not when there are... allies and... friends... that lie in this realm for me. Not when Anthony is here..." Unbidden, the All Father's words returned to him. 'If you are so very enamored with the mortal, bring him with you!' But Loki pushed those words away from is mind. "And my mortals fought a demi god for me! They were in such peril and he could have destroyed them so easily were they even just a fraction less clever, less prepared, less... anything. And I want..."

Thor placed a hand on Loki's shoulder, gaining his attention. "Mortals were not meant for immortality, Loki."

"Not the mortals of the past, maybe, but these mortals could be different. The possibility is already before their eyes."

Thor shook his head. "What if they cannot? What if you are forced to watch your mortals go mad as they lose all else they have known. What if you are not enough?"

That stung Loki harder than Thor could know or have intended, and Loki withdrew from him. "You are right, brother, as always. I could never be enough for anyone. I'm so glad that I had you to remind me of that."

"That's not what I-" Thor protested, but Loki vanished in a green flash before the statement was complete. Thor could kick himself for always saying the wrong thing to Loki. His brother was the one in the right; Thor had not changed as much as he liked to think. Centuries cannot be undone in days, no matter how he wanted to pretend otherwise.

Natasha was acting more suspicious than any spy had a right to. She lurked around Lockley when she was with Fitz and Simmons, as she tried (and failed) to visit with Agent May, when she talked to Storm; the only time she seemed to part from Lockley's side was when she went to talk to Banner.

The third time it happened, Raven decided she'd had enough. She waited until Natasha returned from her talk with Banner and they were relatively alone. "Is it because of Shield?"

"Is what because of Shield?" Natasha answered quickly, not even seeming thrown by the glare tossed her way.

"You sticking to me like glue. Is it because of Shield?"

Natasha was quiet a moment, watching the others in the room as she contemplated her answer. "Not... exactly," She answered slowly.

"Then what?"

A pause before Natasha turned to face her. "Are you a mutant?"

Raven narrowed her eyes at the other woman. "Why?"

"You know that Agent May was hit with Magneto's serum," Natasha began slowly, voice low. "I was too, but we thought that nothing came of it. Not until that mess with Svadilfari."

Raven's eyes widened. "You're a mutant."

Natasha nodded, lips pressed together tightly.

Raven instinctually tensed, then forced herself to relax when she saw Natasha zero in on the movement. "You don't look too happy about it."

"I'm not happy that there's something going on with my body that I can't control and don't understand," Natasha rebuttaled. That response caused Lockley to relax slightly.

"So... you want to learn how to handle your mutant abilities." Raven concluded. "I... I know someone that could help with that."

Natasha nodded. "Xavier, right? He's the 'good guy' of the mutants. The X-men to counter The Avengers."

"That's not how that works," Raven said, pressing her lips tightly together to keep from frowning. If there was a counterpart to The Avengers, if wasn't another goody goody team like the X-men, it would be The Brotherhood. Magneto. But she wasn't about to say so out loud. She hesitated a moment, feeling that intrusive touch in her mind that meant Charles was listening, encouraging. Ever since she had contacted him that one time, he seemed to take that as an open invitation to rifle through her thoughts whenever he wanted. It was irritating and didn't remind her anything of when they were children; didn't at all make her wonder at why he kept doing so when she just told him to get out and go away all the time; didn't at all remind her of home or family in a way that even Loki, Amora, and Doom couldn't quite do for her yet; didn't make her ache inside...

The presence swelled, it felt like, welcoming her home, encouraging her without words. She bit her tongue to keep from reacting, from snapping at him, to hide the fact that her mind would give her away no matter what reaction she had. This was all for Loki, anyway, not herself. It was okay to swallow her prie for the sake of a mission. She wasn't going back on promise she made to herself, if she went back for someone else's sake.

"I could take you." The words were out before she really decided which words to use. "But we wouldn't go alone."

Natasha narrowed her eyes at that, distrustful of company. "Who else would come?"

"You won't like it," She told the glaring woman. "But it would be the fastest way to get there and I can't tell you where we're going. I can't take the chance of Shield finding my-" She bit her lip on the word brother and hated herself for it. "My kind," She corrected as smoothly as she could. Natasha noticed the stumble, but she wouldn't know why. That was the important part.

"You think I would tell Shield?" Natasha asked. Raven couldn't tell what emotion the other woman was trying to put into her words or which ones were actually there.

"You think you wouldn't?" She responded with a raised eyebrow.

Natasha pressed her lips together unhappily, with the response or herself, Raven wasn't sure.

"Lockley, you don't have to question where my loyalties are," Natasha told her.

"I know exactly where your loyalties are," Raven replied with too much force, too much intensity. "There are no questions here."

That seemed to surprise the spy into silence again.

"Luna can teleport," Raven went on slowly. "She can take us to ... Xavier."

"Luna's in league with the mutants?"

Response wasn't even necessary this time. Raven simply smiled an 'I told you so,' smile and let the woman realize her own mistakes. Natasha had already picked a side and it was obviously Shield's. "You think about it," Raven told her. "Tell me what you decide."

Raven didn't like the idea of talking to Loki in Stark's penthouse suite, but somehow that was exactly where she had ended up. She still didn't trust the human. She still didn't trust any of the human's really, even if she'd loosened up a little and begun to like a few of them. She tried to remind herself not to doubt Loki's decisions. Even if Stark tried to betray a god, Loki could put a stop to it. She missed being in Doom's castle. Here, she felt like she was surrounded by enemies on all sides.

Loki's hand ran soothingly down the back of her head, causing her to relax into his touch. "Relax, dear. Nothing shall happen to you while we are in this space together."

Raven leaned her head again his, one hand moving to the tracking bracelet she wore under her sleeve. She thought of the last times she'd had safe space, once upon a time with Magneto and The Brotherhood to back her up, and an old mansion with new mutants and a comforting voice omnipresent in her head. She swallowed thickly, forcing the emotion and memories back down. "What about Stark?" She asked. "You'd protect him before me."

"I'd teleport you out of here and then go for Stark," Loki answered immediately. "Or else cast a barrier around you to keep you safe and untouched while I located him." Loki tilted her head up to look her in the eyes. "My Raven, do not dare believe that you are any less important to me than you were. Just because I would defend Stark from you, does not mean I fight for you any less viciously."

Raven just nodded. Loki had not let her down. He was not like Magneto. He was not like Charles. They had both failed her in opposite ways, being too much and too little in turns. Allowing her to be too much or too little in response. Loki didn't force her to be anything, didn't try to mold her. He took what she offered and always gave her an out.

She heard Loki let out a deep contented sigh, his entire body relaxing, and remembered that he could feel worship. Her devotion was a physical thing to him and the thought left her unduly embarrassed.

"What bothers you, my little bird?" Loki asked her, still stroking her hair.

"Natasha's a mutant," Raven said without preamble. "Did you know?"

"Hmm. Yes. I saw her awaken during the battle." He didn't say which one. There was only one that really mattered. "Magneto's doing, but what her new gift may be is still unclear."

"You weren't going to tell me?"

Loki raised an eyebrow at that. "Is there a reason that I should have? I have no information about her abilities or it's utilities, I have yet to find an outstanding use for her, and it is not truly my business to spread."

Raven frowned at that, but it wasn't as if he were wrong. She couldn't expect Loki to tell her every single detail when the details weren't even relevant. Still, the thought that she could have not known this bothered her somehow. "Tell me, next time. Please."

"Tell you what?" Loki questioned.

"About Natasha."

Loki tilted his head as he watched her. "Fond of the Widow?" He asked.

Raven pressed her lips together. "I'd just like to know. We're partners."

"Are you, now?"

Raven kicked herself for the statement a moment after she'd said it. Being partners at Shield didn't actually justify her answer. Not without other implications, anyway.

"Very well," Loki agreed without further question, startling her. "I shall keep you informed on the Widow if you so desire. Perhaps it will please you to know that the Hawk has requested a boon of me as recompense for having mind controlled him. He has requested that I protect her from Shield if they come after her, so if you have worries over her safety, now you have a comfort."

Raven nodded, though she tried not to react in any other way. She didn't know why that made her feel better. She wasn't friends with the spy, so it shouldn't matter, but it did. "She wants to see the mutants. I told her Luna would be coming with us."

"Oh?" Loki smiled.

"I told her to think about it."

"So we shall be walking into your past together," Loki concluded. His hand slid down her cheek, to her shoulder, down her arm until Loki could claps her hand in both of his. He squeezed her hand once, saying sincerely, "I am glad that you are willing to do this for me, Raven."

Raven blushed slightly as she looked away. "I know."

"And I'm sure the Widow would, as well."

Raven's blush intensified as she pulled her hands from Loki's. "I'm just doing it for you."

Loki tapped her on her lips with a smile. "My dear, you tell the most darling lies."

"It's not-" Raven bit her lip, knowing that protesting would only amuse the trickster more. "You're the one that wants to know about her."

"I am, but it seems that so do you." Loki placed his hand back on her head, saying quietly, "It must be tempting to trust her now that she is one of yours, but do remember that she is still Shield's foremost."

"I know. I've already considered that."

"Good."

"Yours is an Avenger," Raven told him.

"I've considered that," Loki responded in turn. "But that was never the side he was on the most. He is pragmatic and he is selfish. He wants to do what's right and what he wants at the same time. Lucky for me those motives line up perfectly with my own, since he desires me and I am trying to do what is right."

"And if they didn't?"

"Then I could not keep him, I fear, because I am not willing to cease what I am doing and I fear that neither would he." Loki shivered a moment at the thought of losing Anthony, but he was reasonably certain that would not happen. Not on it's own, anyway. "We'll have to be prepared for anything. We can only truly rely on ourselves. The mutants, The Avengers, Thor, Shield, even Anthony can only be trusted so far. But we have each other."

"You want to trust him, though," Raven said. "Tony Stark."

"I already do," Loki answered. "That does not mean that I think nothing can go wrong, only that I wish it wouldn't."

They were both silent after that, thoughts echoing the sentiment. Raven had the same hope. She wished for things not to go wrong, but she was certain that something would. Something always did.