Bruce decided to prepare an ice-cold bath to try and break Loki's fever and get him to talk some sense. He han't wanted to, but he felt sorry for the guy. He was in an incredible amount of pain and everybody hated him. Stark had a big bath with all the latest commodities and it was quite nice being in a clean, different environment were there wasn't any Avenger complaining. Bruce understood them, of course, but didn't share their hate. He knew what was like to be alone, everyone looking at you and seeing only a monster.

As he prepared the cold bath, Thor loomed over him with silent concern on his eyes. He was carrying the barely awake Loki in his arms, even if Bruce told him to leave in his brother in a sofa. The bath was quickly prepared and Thor took off his brothers clothes, leaving him his underpants, even if Bruce insisted it would be better if he had no clothes at all. Both men put Loki in the bath and waited for a reaction to the cold.

None came. The black-haired man only leant his head in the wall behind him and continued to breathe heavily. Not exactly a good sign.

"I don't like the looks of this." Bruce said, more to himself than anything else. "I don't mean to question your ways, Thor, but don't you think this is a bit too... brutal? That prison and that spell had robbed Loki not only of his health, but of his mind as well. This thing, whatever it is, is tearing down your brother, like some sort of slow poison. And they were going to let him die slowly and painfully? It seems a bit too cruel, if you ask me."

There, I said it. Bruce thought, taking a deep breath. He didn't want to anger Thor (he was criticizing a prince for the way his realm worked) but he couldn't be quiet about it any longer. Not when he could see the way this system broke people.

"It is ironic but the spell was cast as a mercy for the prisoners. Before it, the most dangerous ones were chained and bound with different metals, their movements vastly restricted, to avoid their escape. Many of them thought it was undignified to be restrained that way, having highborn hands stained by the rust of chains. But if the chains were taken away many of the possessors of magic could easily escape, so the alternative of having a spell weaken them was presented and accepted. It was only supposed to decrease their forces, make them apathetic and sleepy, so they wouldn't leave. Not this."

Thor casted a fleeting glance to his brother in the tub, still and lifeless, his skin greyish-white. Never this, Thor thought and continued his tale. He didn't want his mortal friends to think Asgardians were heartless people. His father was good man... or so he'd thought until now.

"But the effectiveness of a spell depends very much of the skill of the caster and the warden was not too well versed on the magic arts. So it got out of control and prisoners started to perish. Thinking this to be too cruel, the Allfather ordered the spell to be lifted but it was the warden, once again, who lifted it, and he didn't do a great job. Had it been Loki handling the spell it would've been as harmless as it was supposed to. In fact, I recall him complaining about this very matter. I didn't pay him much attention, I've never been interested in this arts and always looked down on prisoners. But only a handful of prisoners have been affected by this condition, Doctor Banner. For centuries, only three or four people were victims of this continued curse."

"And couldn't you move those affected to another place? Surely Asgard has more than one prison."

"Maybe they did not want to." A voice coming from behind them startled Bruce and Thor. Loki still had his eyes closed, but had been hearing them all the time. "Maybe they thought those prisoners were getting what they deserved, and that they set an example for potential offenders. The Allfather's justice does not leave loose ends. Defy them and you will suffer a most painful and horrible death. Burnt from the inside out."

Thor was on his side in a matter of seconds.

"Loki! How do you feel?"

He opened his striking green eyes to look at his brother, half-smiling.

"Was it you who freed me from that cell, Thor? Such an act of kindness. I knew there was a reason I hadn't kill you."

"You sure tried." Thor smiled, glad to hear Loki's voice again. It had been so long.

Loki was in a proper sitting position now, with his eyes open and focused. The cold water was sure doing a good job.

"Do not fool yourself, Thor. Had I wanted you really dead you would not be breathing now. I only wished to express my profound dislike for your person, nothing else."

"It makes me truly glad to hear your heart was not in such endeavors. I should not have given up hope on you so fast. I am also really glad that you've regained your senses. I got a bit concerned when you mistook the man of iron for a guard and then threw the contents of your stomach all over his chambers." Thor failed to mention the tears he'd cried or how he leant into him before. No need to add insult to injury. And Loki would certainly see that display of weakness as an insult to his already damaged pride.

After telling him about Stark, Loki seemed horrified by the description of the scene.

"Did I truly do that?"

"You don't remember?" Bruce asked. Maybe it was a side effect of the fever and disorientation, but maybe it was another symptom.

"I fear my memory is not in perfect condition, Doctor. Everything that happened after I fell from the Bifrost is a bit blurred. I recall pieces of my fights, Germany, Agent Barton, Thor and I quarreling in some sort of rooftop, that green beast..." Loki stopped trying to regain his breath. All this talking had certainly strained him and he slowly closed his eyes, again.

"But you came for me and took me from that hell of solitude and disease. When I could not free myself from that horrible poison you came to my aid. Disobeyed the Allfather for my sake. You truly are my brother, Thor, despite what I have tried to tell myself."

Of course. Loki had probably been fantasizing of his brother rescuing him since he got too sick to escape on his own. And now he was on Thor's favourite planet with said brother asking how he felt. He thought he was being rescued, not used to be sent back. God.

Thor couldn't bring himself to tell the truth, so Bruce did. Maybe it would be best if Loki thought he was staying there with the Avengers as his friends, but that wasn't fair. They were supposed to be an example of good values and honesty.

"Loki, I'm sorry, but you're only going to be here temporarily. We need help with a man that attacked Asgard. If you refuse to help you will be sent back. Even if you help but if you do, we'll try to improve your situation. Maybe Thor can get you a lighter punishment? But you'll go back, I don't want you to have false hopes here."

"Of course." Loki said, in nothing more than a whisper. "Don't take my previous words seriously. Must have been the fever talking. Could I get some new clothes?"

Bruce nodded and left, suddenly feeling incredibly sad. He couldn't imagine what must have felt like when Loki saw himself out of that prison, only to have his illusion of safety destroyed. The illusion of having a brother that cared for him above the orders of his father. The illusion that the days of a hell of solitude and disease were over. Only to know that it was all an illusion. Nothing but an illusion, like the ones he used to create. Laughing back at him with malice.

He was lost in his thoughts when he heard it.

"Loki, no!"

It was Thor's voice, booming through closed. Bruce barely had time to catch of Loki, still wet, running to the stairwell. He promptly followed, but Loki had closed the door leading to the stairwell. Damn. How could had he been so fast? Probably the fight or flight instinct. He knew he could not fight Thor but he saw a chance to escape and took it. But it wouldn't be long until he realized he had nowhere to run. He was a prisoner, an enemy of the world in which he was in. If an stranger found him and shot him, they would be a hero. It wouldn't be the first down a terrorist was taken down. And he was a smart guy, he would figure it out soon. He was no threat. He was just desperate to escape.

Bruce decided to stop putting himself on Loki's place. It was not doing nothing apart from bringing him down.

Thor had not expected that in the lone moment where he turned his back to look for a towel Loki would sneak out and lock the door behind him. Stark apparently had locks everywhere. In a rage, Thor called Mjolnir and started to smash the door with it. He didn't know who he was most angry with: if Loki or himself. His brother was only making things more difficult attempting escape, but thinking about his situation it was only logical that he tried. The thought of going back to prison was not a sweet one. But Loki was not the only one whose behaviour was flawed. Thor himself had been blinded by rage, unable to see the deplorable situation in which Loki had been.

Had he been calling for him on those sleepless nights? And did he have any justification for abandoning a brother in such a cruel way? He'd been enjoying his friends and his lady while Loki suffered. And still, he had called him brother. Everything after I fell from the Bifrost it's a bit blurred. That was what worried Thor the most. Loki had done some out of character things during his invasion, what if his mind had been tampered with, the same way he had played with other minds? What if he had endured all that hell for something that was not entirely his faults?

"What the hell happened?" Tony looked at Thor and Bruce, frowning.

"Loki escaped our care. But fear not, he will not go far."

Tony made a face. He knew dealing with Loki was not going to be easy.

"JARVIS, can you tell us where is Loki?"

"Of course. The prisoner is the roof, sir. He is simply soaking under the rain, standing, and seems to have some sort of trouble to breathe."

Steve and Natasha arrived in time to see a video feed that showed Loki on the edge of the building looking at New York. Like Bruce had predicted, he realised he couldn't leave. Thor and Bruce filled them in on what had happened and what Loki had said before trying to escape.

"I will go convince him to come again." Thor said, Mjolnir on his hand.

"No" Natasha stopped him. "there's a softer way. Right now, you're part of the problem, Thor. He is probably feeling deeply betrayed by you, is better if we leave any Asgardian out of this. Let me go, talk to him. I'll bring him back willingly, maybe I can start convincing him to work with us."

"It's worth a shot." Steve said.

She took a jacket for Loki and left.

Loki had never in this amount of pain ever in his life. He was completely alone and would soon be returned to his hell hole. No one would bring him out of there. Thor had been his last hope and he had failed him too. He only meant to use him and get him back. He never meant to disobey the Allfather for him and hadn't even wanted to see him again. He had only enemies left and his memory was filled with holes and delirium. His hope had betrayed him, his imagination had played him.

He couldn't trust his mind.

A sharp stab on his stomach that had started forming when he woke up suddenly spread and made him double over in pain and fall to his knees. The prisoners disease, they called it. More like the prisoner's curse. He tried to keep the tears at bay to be strong but this was all too much. Maybe he would have been better off in his cell, where no one could see his pain. Where no one could see how ridiculously weak he'd become. He clutched at his stomach with one hand while the other grasped strongly the concrete floor. His body revelled against him, like everybody else.

He couldn't even trust himself.

The temptation on throwing himself from the rooftop played at the back of his mind.

Natasha found him that way, clutching at his stomach, almost naked, on his knees, looking at the abyss. She could see many scars and marks crossing his mind and wondered how much worse his chest and stomach were. Some runes were carved in his lower back, probably to keep him from doing any magic. She should be careful with this one. Very, very careful. She didn't have an umbrella with her and the rain was falling hard, but this needed to be done.

After approaching him, she put a jacket she'd borrowed from Steve over his shoulders which startled Loki.

"Go away" He said, softly.

"You should get inside, it's not good for you to be standing in this weather."

"I am sure you are deeply concerned, Agent. Go away. Leave me be."

"You're not doing yourself any favours wallowing in your misery in this place. You have nowhere to go to and you know it. You are a wanted terrorist here, a worthless prisoner in Asgard."

Loki threw her a poisonous look.

"Prisoner or not, truth is that we need you. There's a man you defeated in Asgard that's attacking Earth and we don't know what to do. We need your talents, Loki. Come inside, help us, dazzle us with your intellect. I know what is like to be imprisoned how your every thought is escaping... but you can not escape now, Loki, you can not get away on your own. You're alone, everybody is out to get you and you are in really bad shape. We are your best chance."

"What do you mean?"

"You help us, you'll win the favor of most of the people here. They'll be grateful and reward you for it. And this, Loki, is very powerful people. We could refuse to take you back until we have the guarantees that you are better treated, maybe even let you fulfill part of your punishment here. We can give you a chance to end this hell."

"Why would you? You despise me for whatever I did. You'd sooner throw me back there rather than aid me. You are my enemy, are you not?"

"I am, but I also know what is like to be the enemy of the government and to have no one. I used to be an assassin, like you, alone, terribly alone. I was going to be killed by secret agents, no less... But someone gave a chance. Gave me a chance to rebuild my life, start over, atone for my sins. This is just another way in which I do it. By giving a chance to someone who's lost everything else."

Loki couldn't believe that woman. Hope is you enemy, he thought bitterly.

"Help us and you'll be helping yourself." She said, looking at him. His eyes were clouded but he held his gaze."Let me help you back into the building. We'll find you some clothes."

Loki was wheezing now, every breath took an incredible effort. Natasha feared that if they stayed longer Loki would be unconscious again before saying anything.

"You say you will help me be free from this curse, but you're known for tricking people into telling you things. You will not help me. I am not that big a fool, Miss Romanoff."

"Forget about me. Thor is drowning in guilt for abandoning you and Banner, for some reason, has been defending you since you arrived. Help us win this and you'll win Captain America and Stark. They'll move to get you free."

Ah, freedom. She knew that was exactly what he wanted to hear. But he'd been played too many times and knew better.

"Or they could do nothing and throw me back there before I regain my strength. I cannot trust you."

"And I can't trust you, either. But you can do some good and so can I. I'm offering you a way to improve things for yourself. Take it."

The rain kept falling. It was a sensation Loki had not felt in a long time, he closed his eyes and let the rain fall over him. He wanted to forget himself but the pain assaulting him made it difficult.

"Tell you what. As a sign of good faith, I'll convince the boys to do something for you before you tell us anything. Something small, of course, but something that will give you a reason to cooperate with us."

Do not believe her, do not. Gather your strength to leave this wretched building.

"Maybe do something to ease the pain you're in? Help you breathe better? Maybe a suit, to cover up all those nasty scars?"

Loki looked at her and nodded, softly, while the rain kept falling down his face.

"It does not mean that I trust any of you, let it be clear. But, as you said, I have no way to free myself on my own."

Slowly, very slowly, he got up. And walked into the building again, escorted by Natasha. She smiled. This could be the start of something good.

A/N: Not much plot (again) but I felt this part was necessary. First time I write Natasha, by the way. Hope you enjoyed it! Please, leave a comment! And a big THANK YOU to those who have!

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