Bruce:
When the party ended Bruce said goodbye to Darcy before getting on the subway on the way home. He walked her to her condo just a few blocks down.
"I had an awesome time dancing with tonight." She smiled before opening the door into her building.
"Yeah, sorry if I was bad and kept stepping on your feet…" he grinned insecurely.
"Oh, it's fine. Totally worth it." she laughed. That comment made all the blood rush to his face.
"Guess I'll see you at school then," he said awkwardly and started to turn around.
"Unless," she started. That little word made him stop in his tracks and spin back around to look at her from the top of the stoop while he stayed on the bottom. "You want to meet up this weekend?" his heart seemed to stop, he forgot how to breath.
"Um, yeah, sure totally!" he sputtered out. "I'll text or call you later, what's your number?" he nervously pulled out his phone and almost dropped it his hands were shaking.
"It's 555-3920." She said only loud enough for him to hear. "Text me tomorrow later, I'll need to sleep in after tonight."
"Yeah, tomorrow then." He lingered on the stairs as she was turning the key to the door. "Hey Darcy," he paused. As soon as she turned he ran up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks," was all he said. He walked off the stoop and started to the subway. He could hear Darcy giggling as he left.
He had left his car at the shop because it wasn't working (again). That poor car was on its last life, he estimated it would last another few months until it finally bit the dust. The stood at the station for only a few minutes before the subway car came and picked him up. He sat near the back trying to avoid all people. He found a seat at the window in the corner of the car, perfect place for him; he pulled out some earphones and tuned in to some music and lost touch with the world for a few minutes. The bus would only take about 15 minutes so it was no point on getting comfortable. He sat with his feet resting on the seat in front of him since no one was there. He looked up just to check who was on the bus- the bus driver (obviously), an old woman in the bag with the seat next to her, a man with his little girl on his lap, finally a shady looking guy standing up with a tattoo of some kind of symbol, it looked like a straight line with a triangle coming out the side. Bruce didn't like to judge other people by their appearance, but when you live in New York City you always have to beware your surroundings and take notice of people. He went back to looking through emails on his phone. He heard the bus open and close on its stop and didn't bother to look up, that was until even through his headphones he heard some yelling going on.
"Give me my money," a new bigger man with a red jacket on was gripping the original shady guy by his white shirt.
"Dude, I got out- I don't owe you anything." He pleaded with his hands raised.
"You're only out when I saw your out, got it? You don't want to end up like that poor guy a couple of years ago do you? The skinny one with the black hair that ran to us from his family?" he yelled at the guy. The words sent shivers down Bruce's spine. Skinny one, black hair, ran to us. That sounded like Thor's brother, Loki. Bruce had only met the guy a couple of times but would always see him in the halls. The guy in the red jacket slapped the white shirt guy across the face then yanked him up and punched him the stomach. No one was doing anything except sit in horror, Bruce couldn't do that- he had to get in the middle of it. He put his phone back in his pocket and ran over to the front of the car to help the poor guy.
"Hey, back off." Was all Bruce said to the guy. The man was a good 4 inches taller than him and a lot bigger than him, but that didn't intimate him.
"This is none of your business small fry." And the guy pushed him off.
"I can't stand and watch you beat this poor guy," Bruce shot back. He wasn't this forward with people but he couldn't be shy and make a point. The red jacket guy pushed the now bloody shady guy down and turned to him.
"You better watch out before I beat up you," he threatened.
"I'd love to see you try," Bruce smiled. Then everything happened in slow motion, Bruce saw every twitch, every motion the guy made. The red jacket pulled back his arm in an attempt to punch Bruce but Bruce was already 2 steps ahead of him. He ducked under his arm so he ended up hitting the metal pole, he howled in anger. Bruce then kicked him in the back of the knee where he fell to one knee. The guy shot back up and grabbed Bruce's shirt in the front and socked him in the jaw, but Bruce was only dazed for a bit and then did a spin so he saw his back and elbowed him in the middle of the spine so he stumbled forward and let go of Bruce. Bruce then grabbed the guy from behind and rammed his head in the pole full force. The guy automatically grumbled and laid on the ground and groaned in pain. Everyone on the car looked at Bruce with a mixture of surprise, and still they looked afraid.
"Everyone out," Bruce breathed as the car stopped, everyone ran out. But Bruce grabbed the white shirt guy before he had the chance to get out. "What can you tell me about that black haired he was talking about? Where is he?"
"All's I know is that he was a good leader, but then something happened, last someone saw him he was up in Harlem and that was months ago." The guy said as he ran out. Bruce soon followed and got out of the car. The stop was only one from his condo so he just would walk, he didn't want to be there when the big woke up.
He tucked his hands in his pockets and sped walked home and made it in about 5 minutes. He opened the door with all the lights off. His mom sent an email saying she would be home later this month and that made him smile. He got an ice pack to numb the pain in his jaw and fell down on the couch and found it hard to get tired with adrenaline from tonight pumping through his system, so he picked up his phone.
Thor:
Thor and Jane took a taxi home after the party, they first drove to her house and then his; Thor knew it was always customary to drop a lady off before himself. He saw her up to her apartment and then said goodbye with a peck of a kiss. He then took the taxi ride home and to his surprise got a call from Bruce of all people. He shut the glass in between him and the driver to give them both privacy.
"Bruce? Why are you calling me at this hour?" Thor asked his friend, it was well past 2 in the morning.
"I think I found something out about your brother." Bruce panted into the speaker. The comment took Thor off by surprise.
"What? Loki? How did you come by this information?" The three questions poured out of Thor's mouth almost all at once.
"Long story, but basically I found a guy that said they saw someone who sounds like your brother was in Harlem last anyone saw him and that was a month ago." Bruce explained.
"Really? This is news Bruce!" Thor didn't know if it was good news by the fact he knew his brother was alive or bad on account that he was in Harlem and maybe in trouble with his gang.
"Sorry it's not fresh news Thor… wish I could've gotten better for you." Bruce sighed.
"No, thank you friend, I most grateful for this. I have an idea," Thor said quickly.
"Shoot," Bruce said with eagerness in his voice.
"What if all of us," Thor referring to their group. "All take a trip up there this weekend and look for him? I would be most grateful if you do."
"Um, sure Thor. I'm up for it Thor, text the rest and see if they are- we'll need Stark's car though," Tony had the only ride-able car out of any of them.
"I shall send a message in the morning, thank you truly Bruce," Thor thanked him.
"You're welcome," Thor could almost hear his smile through the phone and with that Bruce hung up just in time to have Thor pull outside of his house. He paid the driver and ran up to his house, never minding the TV going with his cousins asleep on the couch. His mind was swirling with the thought of Loki still being in New York. Could it be? Thor didn't want to give himself false hope, but he couldn't stop the ever expanding hope, pain, anxiety and frustration in his chest. He got upstairs and flopped on his bed and almost automatically fell asleep and dreamed about the last time he talked with Loki sophomore year before he ran away.
Thor ran outside and saw his brother running down the street with a backpack. It was midnight and raining, the streetlights being their only light.
"LOKI!" Thor yelled and ran after him. He knew his brother was troubled ever since he found out he was adopted but this was so unlike him. Thor couldn't imagine a world without his best friend beside him; he couldn't imagine finishing the year without Loki. Thor sprinted like he had never sprinted before. Thor may have been a football player but Loki was fast and sly and could always trick Thor. They ran down several streets until Thor saw Loki go down an ally way. Thor quickly followed him and saw him bent over catching his breath. His already big cloths hung were wet and part stuck to his body while others hung off. "Loki, what are you doing?" Thor gasped for breath.
"Leaving," Loki spat.
"Loki, please don't- come back mother and father-" Thor began to say.
"THEY ARE NOT MY PARENTS!" he yelled in Thor's face. His tongue as sharp as a snake.
"Are they not? Have they not raised you? Loved you? Fed you, clothed you? Isn't that what a parent is?" Thor argued.
"All they have ever done is lied to me and made me feel less of you, father always preferred you as his son." Loki spat in his face. Thor opened his mouth but then closed it, he knew it was true; their father had always preferred Thor to Loki, for everything and Thor would notice it but never say anything. In this moment he regretted everything he had done to make Loki feel this way.
"Loki, come home. You're my brother- I love you. I can't let you go." Thor pleaded to his brother. The rain was coming down hard and Thor's hair stuck to his neck and same with Loki's. Loki turned his back to Thor and stayed there standing in the rain not saying anything.
"Too late Thor, it's too late for me." Loki said and his voice cracked.
"It's never too late brother," Thor reached and put his hand on Loki's shoulder but as soon as he did Loki tore his shoulder away.
"I've gotten in trouble with some bad people Thor and I can't get out." Loki chocked on his words like they were acid to him.
"You can Loki, you can get out of the gang and we will help you and you don't have to leave." Thor couldn't tell if he was crying or not because of the rain. Loki spun around and looked at Thor, he was a 5 inches shorter than Thor but he knew Loki could hold his own.
"You dare tell mother and father I've run off I'll never come back," Loki said.
"You can't expect me…"
"Don't tell them Thor, tell them I've run off to find my real parents. If you tell them the truth I will be ashamed to be your brother." Loki interrupted him. Thor could feel the gut wrenching pain through his whole body. He was shaking and now he could tell he was crying but he didn't think Loki could.
"Will I ever see you again?" Thor breathed trying to keep his voice even.
"I don't know, good bye Thor," Loki said one last time and he took off, but this time Thor did not follow. He stood there in the garbage filled alley, rain coming down on him. He screamed to the sky and fell to his knees. The only person he knew he loved in his family was gone, his father was always testing him, his mother was often busy, but Loki was always there and now he wasn't. Thor screamed again and pounded his fists on the ground till they were bloody. Family was everything to him, and now one part was missing.
Thor didn't know how long he stayed in the ally, but he barely remembered sneaking through a second floor window to his room where he took a shower to get rid of the smell. The days after that were hectic. His family was in chaos, everyone was sorrowful, even his father. His mother often cried through the day. They asked Thor what happened and Thor told them what Loki requested of him. He told them Loki came to him in the night to say his farewell before going to find his parents; no one questioned the story.
