I don't own Loki or any of the Avengers. But it's ok because this story is not making me any money.


Chapter 4: Reunions

As soon as the Bifrost set them down, Loki fell from Thor's grasp and was quickly, violently ill.

Erik, who took a moment to get his own bearings, shook his head. "Well she's definitely human, then."

Thor leaned over and helped Loki back up. She held the back of her hand against her mouth, afraid that it would happen again. "Good gods that was horrid."

"Never been sick before?" Erik guessed.

Loki shook her head, then shut her eyes as if the shaking had been a bad idea. "I can't… I used to be impervious to sickness of all kinds."

Erik gave her a long look, and decided to be sympathetic. "Well, that kind of sick doesn't happen too often, as long as you don't drink too much alcohol. But I'm afraid you'll probably have to put up with a lot of other unpleasantness from now on."

"Are you alright now?" Thor asked.

"I think so…" Loki took Thor's arm again shakily, glad for his warmth and support. She looked around to gain her bearings. They were on top of Stark Tower, the very place she had tried to open a gate to Chitauri from. The ruby around her neck flashed, and she shuddered.

"Let's go inside," Thor suggested. Erik excused himself, as there was a chopper waiting to take him back to his work.

Once they got inside the doors, a calm emotionless voice spoke up. "Welcome back, Thor. I see you have brought a guest. Shall I notify Mr. Stark?"

"Yes please, Jarvis. Call the whole team together. We need to talk," Thor announced to the room at large.

"As you wish." There was a pause. "Mr. Stark suggests that you all meet in his second best living room."

"Thank you Jarvis," Thor said as the elevator doors opened. They walked in and Thor chose a number high on the list. As the elevator began to descend, Loki gripped Thor's arm tighter. Fortunately the ride was short, and when they exited it was to see that in addition to Tony Stark, two of the team members and a strawberry blonde were already there. The Black Widow sat on one of the couches, and a blond man leaned against the back of another.

"How's it going, Thunderman?" Stark called cheerfully.

"I am well," Thor returned, clapping Tony on the back.

"And who is your exceedingly attractive friend?" He grinned gleefully, giving his full attention to her. Behind him, the strawberry blonde rolled her eyes and went off to the bar.

Loki grinned one of her best wolfish smiles. She couldn't help it—it was too funny. Thor looked torn between sputtering and laughing. "Tony, this… this is Loki."

The mention of her name was like a bomb exploding in the room. The Black Widow was off the couch in an instant, a gun from who knows where trained on Loki. The blond man was at attention, ready to leap into action. Even the jealous girl had poked her head back into the room cautiously.

Only Tony Stark had not moved. "Well… that's… unexpected," he said slowly, but he seemed more amused than anything. "I assume from the lack of the muzzle that he—she's had her powers taken away?"

Thor looked uncomfortable as he searched for an answer, but Loki stepped up instead. "I have been neutralized as a threat, if that is what you mean. You need not worry."

"I will explain when the rest of the team arrives," Thor offered.

Tony thought about that for a moment. "Alright. I guess I can keep a lid on my curiosity for the moment. Bruce is on his way up anyway."

This seemed to relieve everyone else in the room. The Black Widow stowed her weapon—in her boot, Loki noticed—and the blond man relaxed visibly. There was a long awkward moment, and finally Loki decided to speak up. "I am afraid I'm at a bit of a disadvantage. There are many things I don't remember…" she scanned the room, thinking. "You must be Captain America, Steve Rogers, yes?" She asked the blond man.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, looking a little confused.

Loki turned to see the strawberry blonde walking back in with a tray of drinks. "And I believe you're Pepper Pots, are you not?"

Pepper set the tray down and rubbed her hands uncomfortably against her pants. "That's right."

Loki turned to the Black Widow. "And Natasha. Of course I remember you." She smiled, and it was a memento of her former self. "How could I forget? Very few people have ever bested me at my own game."

Natasha's eyes narrowed. "Agent Romanov will be sufficient, thank you."

Loki tipped her head towards the assassin. "As you like."

Behind them, the elevator doors opened, revealing Bruce Banner. Loki turned to look at him, and frowned a little. "I'm sorry, I don't remember who you are…"

Bruce stepped forward. "I'm not sure we've met," he took her hand and shook it, which she watched with great curiosity.

Thor watched the exchange cautiously, and spoke very calmly. "Dr. Banner, this is Loki."

Bruce's eyebrows shot up, and he unconsciously took a step back. "Okay…"

Thor continued. "She has been… changed, obviously. And she has lost some, but not all of her memories."

"Case in point," Loki said cheerfully, "I still can't place you. Are you a scientist? A strategist for SHIELD?"

Bruce chuckled. "Yes, I am a scientist. But strategy isn't really my strong point." He rubbed his hands together in a nervous gesture.

Loki tilted her head in confusion, and Tony decided he'd be the one to drop the bomb. "I think you might recognize him a little better if he were twice that size and bright green," he offered.

Loki's eyes shot open, and she nearly tripped over her own feet as she stepped back and hid behind Thor's figure.

Thor glanced back over his shoulder. "Are you alright, Loki?"

She swallowed hard and tried to calm her breathing. "Yes. I remember." She pressed herself against Thor a moment longer, and then stepped away. "Could I perhaps sit down? I'm still feeling a little overwhelmed by everything."

"Of course." Thor helped her to sit on the other end of the couch that Natasha had claimed.

Tony sidled over to Bruce and spoke in a low whisper. "Does it ever freak you out that you're the boogeyman to that?" he gestured to Loki with his drink.

Bruce chuckled. "A little. But honestly, I don't understand why everyone doesn't feel that way."

Once she was settled, Loki turned and smiled politely at Natasha, who narrowed her eyes in response.

"What?" Natasha said.

"Nothing," Loki shrugged. "I like you. You're the most intelligent person here in my opinion."

"Well the feeling is not mutual," she murmured into her drink.

Loki accepted a glass of water from Thor, and lifted it to Natasha in a mock-toast. "Like I said, smart."

Bruce took a seat on the opposite couch. "Where's Clint?" he asked Tony.

Tony smiled. "Oh, Clint is already here. In spirit of course." He gestured out the window. "He's our eye in the sky if our new friend here decides to ditch the party."

"Can he hear us?" Loki asked.

Tony turned back, his head tilted in curiosity. "Yes. Every word."

"May I say something to him?"

There was a long, uncomfortable pause. "I don't see any of us stopping you," Tony said before taking a gulp of his drink.

Loki seemed to think for a moment, and then composed herself. "Mr. Barton, I wish to apologize for my actions towards you. I would like to reassure you that among the memories I have lost are those I took from you. It is my hope that if you cannot forgive me, you may at least come to understand that I mean you no further harm." She stopped, a little uncomfortable with everyone's stares. "Well, that's all I wanted to say."

"Perhaps now would be a good time to explain everything?" Steve suggested.

"Yes," Loki agreed. "Shall I tell them or you?" she asked Thor.

"I think… they are more likely to believe me."

She nodded, gesturing for him to begin.

"The Morpheus interface has altered Loki so that she is now a human female," Thor began.

"Human?" Bruce asked, surprised. "I guess I just lost my babysitting job, then."

Thor remained serious. "Yes, I believe any member of the team will have sufficient abilities to keep her in check, although I will gladly take the majority of the responsibility."

Loki smiled into her drink.

"She has also lost large chunks of her memory, and…" he paused for a moment, looking at Loki. "She says she cannot lie."

Natasha scoffed. "And how do we know that isn't a lie?"

Loki smiled. "Go ahead. Test me. Ask me something embarrassing, something I wouldn't like to answer."

There was a pause as everyone racked their brains. Tony the Genius got there first. "Do you like having breasts?" He grinned cheekily, and Pepper gave him a dirty look.

Loki looked down at her chest, and patted the new additions fondly. "Yes, I believe I do." She grinned. "But that wasn't terribly embarrassing."

The expression on Steve's face said otherwise.

"Just had to ask," Tony shrugged.

There was another pause, into which Natasha spoke slowly and quietly. "On the helicarrier, how did you feel when I fooled you into revealing your plans?"

Loki grimaced. "Ah yes, a much better question. I was… angry, of course. At myself, at you. Impressed."

Natasha re-evaluated the girl sitting at the other end of the couch. "Were you really going to do all those things you said… with Barton?"

Loki frowned. "At that very moment, yes. As I said, I was very angry. But there's no guarantee I would not have changed my mind afterwards. There was a contingency plan, if you survived the invasion and Barton did not."

Natasha swallowed thickly. "Do I want to know?"

Loki stared deeply into her drink. "No."

Natasha stared at her a moment longer. "She's not lying. I believe her. The old Loki would have tried to convince me that he wanted me to figure it out."

Loki nodded.

The other Avengers decided to hold off on their assessments.

"There is one other thing," Thor added, drawing the team's attention again. "She still has all her magic."

The room erupted into shouts.


A/N: Posting a couple more chapters because people didn't seem as thrilled with this story as they were with Pity for the Devil. Thought I'd give you a little more to sink your teeth into!