Loki watches Thor leave with his mother to discuss something in the gardens. Frigga's loom has obviously alerted her to something. He cannot risk being caught. He has more than himself to consider. He must protect the child inside his womb. Thor cannot be trusted to keep a secret of this magnitude. He will get them both lynched for sure. Loki stands and leaves the dining hall calmly and quietly like any other morning. He returns to his room and packs a satchel. He grabs every gilded and jewel encrusted object he can carry, knowing he will need the gold to fund his new life, wherever that is going to be.

He curses himself for mentioning Midgard to Thor earlier. Loki wasn't lying when he dismissed the other realms as hiding places. Midgard is the only place large enough and remote enough for him to hide. The mortals there are clueless about the other realms and will not know who he is. He can hide there. Getting there will be interesting too. He hasn't walked the lines between the realms in ages. The secret path to Midgard is hidden behind a waterfall not far from the palace. Once there he can cloak himself with magic and Heimdall will not be able to find him.

Loki gives his room one last look before shutting the door. He will never see it again. He heads to the stables and takes a horse to the waterfall. With his heavy bag and heavy heart Loki climbs into the hidden cave and crawls through the hole that will take him to a whole new world.

XxXxXxXx

Midgard has changed a lot in the last 200 years. The last time Loki visited was back in 1782. The explosion of technology in such a short time is staggering. The degradation of manners and culture is off putting. He knows he is somewhere in the Americas. It is a large city much like an ant colony with skyscrapers that would rival the palace of Asgard. Loki is aware that his dress is strange compared to his surroundings. People stare as they pass him. He knows he needs to change his clothes and blend in but the manner of dress these people wear is distasteful and sloppy to Loki. A woman passes by wearing short denim shorts that are too small. He can see her ass hanging out from the bottom and her stomach spilling over the top. The tight t-shirt she wears only accentuates how badly her clothes fit. Loki sneers.

A handsome man in a business suit passes him then. His posture and aura oozes power, authority, and class. Yes, that is how he wants to look. Loki ducks into an alley and uses his magic to change his appearance. It is just and illusion but it will tide him over until he can purchase the real thing. Loki walks around observing people and learning as much as he can about how this world works. He's noticed multiple forms of currency, communications devices that these people can't seem to live without, and various versions of required identification.

Using magic and a little slight of hand, Loki steals a man's wallet to peer at the contents. He notices the driver's license, credit cards, and cash. Loki has never been one for thievery but he needs to know how to fit into this world if he is to survive for any length of time.

Using his magic he changes the photo on the driver's license to look like him. For hard currency he survey's his surroundings. He has seen pawn shops, but they look like seedy establishments that will not pay him what his property is worth, so he decides to enter what appears to be a reputable jewelry store instead.

He strikes up a conversation with the man behind the counter about selling a ring. The man eyes Loki with a dubious expression but allows Loki to show him what he has. Loki pulls out a golden ring with a gigantic red diamond. Most people would think it is a ruby upon first glance but this man knows his stuff and recognizes a remarkable find when he sees one. Loki is ushered upstairs to a private shopping suite. Loki can tell by the wares on display in this room that is where the extremely wealthy clients are taken.

"Mr. Anderson. Your ring is a unique and rare piece. I've never seen a red diamond of that size and quality before. Where did you say you purchased it?"

"I didn't. I'm not a client you see, I'm a jeweler. I made this. As to the origins of the gem, that is a secret I will be keeping to myself."

"I see you are carrying a large bag. What else do you have in there?"

"Some other items I have made." Loki pulls out one of his throwing daggers. It is highly polished steel with a dragon design on the hilt and emeralds encrusted into the scales. The eyes are rubies.

"This is exquisite. The design would attract a very specific kind of customer but I think I know a few people that would want this. Tell me, with the quality of these items, why do you not go into business for yourself?"

"My supply of rare gems has dried up and the political upheaval of the area where I am from has forced me to seek refuge in this country."

"You sound British or maybe South African?"

"Something like that yes." Loki lies.

"Well the ring alone is easily worth $3 million and the dagger another $1 million. If the other items in your bag are of this quality you will leave this building a very rich man."

XxXxXxXx

"I'll take it." Loki said. It was small compared to the palace but beautifully furnished and it had two spacious bedrooms and a wonderful view. He didn't like the price tag, $20 million. It was going to take a third of his money to purchase this place.

The Upper East Side is supposedly the best place in this city to raise children and Loki wanted that for his child. The child growing within him is a prince or princess of the realm. Loki prayed that the child would not be both in one like he. He did not want to pass on his defect.

Loki settled into his new life, purchasing a crib and practicing illusions that made him look like a woman. As his belly swelled he knew looking like a man would just not fly. To his neighbors he was Mr. Anderson, except when he was Mrs. Anderson. The two were rarely seen together, and when they were it was only briefly.

Loki fell into the new bed of his new home thinking of Thor and the tears fell freely like the waterfall through which he'd traveled to get here.

XxXxXxXxXx

"Three days. It has been three days and there is no sign of him." Thor laments.

"The missing horse was found near the pond here." The soldier points to the spot on the map.

"Did you check behind the waterfall? There is a cave there. Loki and I used to play in it as children."

"Aye my prince but there was no sign of him."

"He can't have left Asgard! Heimdall hasn't opened the Bifrost in weeks." Thor slams his fist onto the table, frustrated. Thor thinks about his and Loki's plan to flee Asgard. It was foolish. Thor knows that now. The Bifrost is the only way in or out of The Realm Eternal. In his haste for an answer he hadn't thought that particular detail through. Loki hadn't either for he'd agreed with Thor that they needed to run. So where is he? Loki is usually quick witted and he would have dismissed any place they could not immediately flee to out of hand. Thor turns and walks away.

"My prince where are you going?"

"I'm going to give that waterfall a second glance." Thor swings Mjolnir up into the air and takes off, landing at the pond only a few minutes later. He shimmies his way behind the water into the cavern there. It is small, but well illuminated by the setting sun which is hitting the waterfall just right. Thor can see all the way into the back. He follows the path and notices foot prints. As the ceiling gets lower and lower Thor notices tracks in the dirt where someone crawled. He doubts the guards searched this far. Thor gets down and crawls on all fours as well. He keeps going, finding his body is blocking all light and he is completely in the dark. But he keeps moving forward, following his gut until he is blasted by sunlight.

"Hey asshole, what are you doing in the fountain? You gonna go for a swim there Mr. Viking?" A man rides past on a slender device with two wheels. People are looking at him like he is nuts. He steps out of the water.

"Excuse me. I slipped. Could you tell me where I am. I've gotten a bit lost." Thor says to a middle aged woman walking her poodles.

"Oh are you here with a troupe of traveling actors?" She asks as she inspects Thor's clothing.

"Ah…yes…yes my lady I am. Where am I?"

"My lady…how sweet. A Shakespearean actor I see. You, my dear, are in Central Park."

"And what city is this?"

"Oh well this is Manhattan proper. Which borough are you trying to find?"

"Ah, this one. Thank you."

"Will you be performing here tonight?"

"Ah yes, yes I will."

"What time?"

"Um, 8 o'clock."

"Which play?" She asks. Thor remembers reading Shakespeare's works centuries ago. Loki springs to mind and a smile plays across his lips.

"The Taming of the Shrew."

"Oh excellent. I'll be here."

"I look forward to seeing you here my lady." He says and then turns to walk away from her. He looks out to the Midgardian city knowing that somewhere in this place is his brother and his love.

"Heimdall!" Thor calls out to the sky. A bright light engulfs him, shocking the shit out of every New Yorker around him, and these are the most jaded people on the planet. They've seen everything. The big man in the red cape disappears and in his wake is a design is etched into the cement and grass.

Alarm bells go off at SHIELD and Tony Stark gets a phone call from a black man with an eye patch.