Okay, so I've been trying to work on this in between studying for classes. Unfortunately, I've had law on the brain, so you guys get a semi-legal related word! Yay! If you notice errors of any kind, please feel free to point and laugh. :)

As always, I am but a poor student who only uses the brain children of others for enjoyment.

Chapter 1. Sound of Duty. [February 2012 CE]

Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best; it removes all that is base. All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood.

- George S. Patton

As Jane walked onto the rooftop of Stark Tower, taking in the sight of the abandoned city and the ships hovering above it, she took a deep breath of the crisp outside air. While it wasn't much fresher than the air inside of the building, it at least didn't taste quite as stale.

The still silence that the rooftop greeted her with brought to mind the many nights that she spent sitting in the sand in Puente Antiguo. She missed the way that the sand felt under her fingers; she missed the quiet crackling of a campfire keeping her company. She missed the convenience of Starbucks coffee and Chinese takeout, the quiet bliss of a relaxing bubble bath, and the refreshed feeling of a full night's sleep. She missed cold beer, appletinis, and the crappy shows that Darcy used to have playing incessantly on the television. She missed everything that they'd all taken for granted before the invasion.

But, above all else, Jane Foster missed the sight of the sky at night. She missed those tiny pinpoints of light that streamed through the atmosphere and reminded her that she had something worth fighting for.

She sat with her back to the cool concrete wall of a tiny alcove, out of the way of any potential passerby, and stared up into the underbelly of the ship closest to her. There had to be a weakness, a vulnerability of some sort. She just had to find it and exploit it so that she could go back to her work and her trailer and ignoring everyone else and… anything but war with strange, hostile aliens.

The sound of feet landing on the rooftop startled her, and she winced as the back of her head made contact with the wall. Grimacing, she reached back and touched the spot.

"I cannot do that, Brother. You know me well enough by now, I should think."

Jane frowned. She wasn't prepared to handle Thor or his opinions right now. She scooted slightly farther back into her little alcove and prayed that he wouldn't walk anywhere he might see her.

"I know no such thing."

Jane rolled her eyes. Lovely. Now, she could either be an unwilling eavesdropper to the two most dysfunctional siblings on the in the known universe or she could out herself and suffer through another one of Thor's chats. As if there weren't more important things happening in her life than Thor's feelings. The only saving grace would be Loki's sarcastic background commentary, which would undoubtedly cause Thor to lose his temper. They would devolve into bickering and she might be able to sneak away.

"I do know that you are an insufferable martyr - a trait which I have suffered through in silence far too long, you know - I cannot say that I have ever known the 'great and mighty Thor' to fall in as a common foot soldier."

Thor's laughter boomed across the rooftop and his footsteps grew louder. Jane scooted further back into the alcove. If nothing else, Thor was easy to locate. Of course, immortality and a giant hammer likely made subtlety a non-issue.

"Brother, you and I both know that you have never been made to suffer anything in silence."

"Be that as it may, these mortals do not want our counsel or insight. They want our strength. Nothing more. We must not allow them to treat us as a means to an end, as they would use an ox to plow."

Jane could taste the disdain and truth in the words. The remnants of the world's governments still weren't listening to the Asgardians, despite their thousands of years of experience. Jane thought it was very likely that most of them were convinced that the Asgardians were just mutants that came up with a clever cover story. This way they didn't have to acknowledge any questions that their existence created about their own religions. Darcy called it "cognitive dissonance." Jane called it stubborn.

"They mean nothing by it. They're just afraid and want a little control." Thor's voice faded into the building. "You should quit expecting the worst of everyone, Brother."

She waited another few moments, in case one of them came back, before scooting forward. She stood, brushing off the seat of her pants, and turned in the direction of the door.

And got a face full of green fabric and leather.

Sputtering, she backed up quickly and put her hands out between them.

"I'm beginning to think Asgardians have no concept of 'personal space.'"

"I certainly understand the concept, Jane Foster, though I admit we have little use for it in Asgard."

"So I've noticed. What are you doing here?"

Loki arched a brow. "I was preparing to ask you the same question. Do Midgardians often hide upon rooftops, spying on people?"

"I wasn't spying! I was here first!"

He made a small sound of disbelief, and she saw his trademark smirk begin to take form.

"Whatever. I have to get back to my work." A steady throb was creeping from the growing knot on the back of her head and beginning to settle in her temples.

"Ah, yes. I do believe it is customary here to storm off without any salutations. Midgardians are so barbaric."

"We're not barbaric. You're just infuriating."

His smirk widened, and he shrugged his shoulders. "I find my explanation so much more appealing."

Jane rolled her eyes and turned away. The throb was beginning to wear on her nerves. She'd never had to deal with Thor's devious little brother before; she preferred to snicker silently behind her hand when his attention was on someone else.

"Jane Foster."

She swung around on her heel, scowl firmly in place.

"What?"

He simply cocked his eyebrow again and tilted his head. Her notebook was lying on the ground next to the opening of her hiding place. She felt her cheeks heat up as she hurried over to get it, and she was sure she heard a chuckle as she made her way back down the stairs into Stark Tower.

So, I'm so tired of the Thor-Loki eternal fight. It's stupid, infantile, etc. So, we're going to do things my way. If you don't like it, go somewhere else. There's going to be a flashback or a talk or some such piece of the story that explains how it works in my head later. For now, they're just siblings like any other - they heckle, they fight, they're mean to each other, but they'll protect each other to the end.

This is fairly short, but mostly so I can get things moving and my Muse going. So, any thoughts?