Here is chapter 3 :-)
Thanks to all those who already reviewed my work so far. I'm really happy
that you like my story.

Chapter 3

The first thing Loki noticed when waking up was that he was lying on something soft, so much softer than the metal table he had been stripped to for what felt like an eternity. Next he realised that his body was aching a lot less than before. He wasn't able to move his leg and some of his fingers but he could still feel them, so they weren't paralyzed. His torso however, still burned like fire and there was a dull throbbing in his head that prevented him from thinking straight.

Suddenly he heard a door opening, several different footsteps, then someone said his name in a calm and unfamiliar voice. He instinctively tried to summon up his magic but couldn't reach it. Oh, that was just fantastic. The trickster didn't know if whoever was there in this room besides him was friend or foe and he had no possibility of defending himself. He tried to suppress his rising panic when suddenly the foreign voice spoke again.

"Loki, can you open your eyes?"

That was quite an interesting question for Loki himself didn't know the answer. He decided to give it a try, also to find out whom he was dealing with, and willed his eyelids to open slowly. Bright lights greeted him worsening his already bad headache so that he closed his them again quickly.

"Hey Spidey, could you turn down the lights for a bit?" the voice commanded. Through his closed eyelids Loki felt the light dim. He waited a few seconds and then tried to open them again. It was still a little too bright for his liking but it was bearable now. As soon as his eyes had adjusted to the light he saw the face of a bearded man leaning over him. Oh Norns. He knew this man as well as he knew the little shining circle in the man's chest.

Loki sat up immediately shrinking back as far as he could in an attempt to get away from the now frowning man. The latter took a step back rising his hands in an appeasing manner.

"Relax Reindeer Games; I'm not going to hurt you."

The trickster god relaxed his tensed body, mainly because it hurt so much, but remained as far away from the man as possible. He looked around the room, his eyes narrowed, and noticed two other people, one dressed in a red and blue suit standing by the door, the other, a rather inconspicuous human with a slight beard, approaching him carefully. Loki fought the urge to shrink back once again when recognizing Doctor Banner but the latter didn't seem to be in an aggressive mood so there was no danger from his huge green Alter Ego. The trickster god shortly considered the possibility to try and talk them out of hurting him with his infamous silver-tongue but as his voice would obviously sound weak and shaky and not a bit menacing he decided to keep silent. Better safe than sorry.

The next moment Loki started to feel nauseous. Now that his body had relaxed a bit, his stomach had decided to complain about the abrupt movement from earlier. He felt bile rising in the back of his throat and his hand flew up to cover his mouth.

"Shit, he's gonna be sick!" Stark shouted. "Hand me that trash can over there Doc!"

Only seconds later a metal bin was placed in front of Loki. Immediately he leaned over it and proceeded to throw up what little was left in his stomach. It was excruciating. His contracting stomach muscles hurt like hell and the bile burnt his already severely damaged throat. Tears of Pain stung in his eyes and the God cursed himself mentally for crying in front of two Avengers but couldn't do anything against it. Soon there was nothing left to expel and he started violently coughing. It wasn't until then that he noticed someone holding back his hair and patting his back reassuringly. The doctor he realised with some amazement. He managed to calm down with some effort but found himself unable to stay upright. Shivering he collapsed back on what he assumed was a bed. Now he was really and completely at the mercy of his enemies. Just perfect.

"What happened to him, Tony? It's not your doing is it?"

"Of course not! Thanks for thinking so nicely about me, Brucie." the billionaire pouted. Bruce sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry. So what happened?"

"Honestly? No idea. Spidey here found him on the street and brought him here. Apparently he said something about the Avengers..."

"He was awake when you brought him here?" Bruce asked the young man who was still standing next to the door.

"No, not really. He regained consciousness for some seconds but he didn't say much." the youth answered.

The doctor frowned slightly.

"Do you happen to have some medical instruments 'round here?"

Tony nodded and pointed at the cabinets.

"Help yourself Brucie."

Bruce went over to the cabinets while rolling his sleeves up.

"You wanna check on him? I already had JARVIS do a full body scan of that guy."

The doctor threw him an almost pitiful look.

"There are some things even your AI can't do, Tony. "

"That is true, Sir," JARVIS agreed. "I can only check for broken bones and other more obvious damages as well as checking the vitals."

Tony threw the ceiling a deadly glare but then sighed and let Bruce do his thing.

In the meantime the doctor had gotten himself a little torch, a little hammer and several other instruments. He went over to Loki's bed, crouching down to the trickster god who had closed his eyes once more, apparently too exhausted to stay awake.

"Loki," Banner said in a calm and soothing voice "I need you to open your eyes again. It's only for a moment."

Much to Tony's surprise the black haired man did what Bruce told him, although he didn't seem too happy about it. Banner switched on the torch. He shone into both of Loki's eyes. Loki winced at the sudden exposure to brightness after a few reassuring words from the doctor he tried his best to keep looking at him. Tony just shook his head in disbelieve. That Dr. Banner was an impossible guy; even the evillest super-villain could not resist his gentleness. Not that Loki currently came close to what Tony would have called "the evillest super-villain".

"You have a headache?" Bruce asked the patient. A weak nod. The doctor took Loki's hand and pinched the web of skin between two fingers.

"Can you feel that?" Another nod. "So no traumatic brain injury then." The doctor sounded relieved.

He tried a few other things, tested Loki's reflexes and stuff. Finally he turned to Tony.

"He has a concussion, nothing terribly serious. It should heal on his own when he gets enough rest. And he is underweight, so he should get something to eat soon, but nothing too heavy to digest. And he needs a little cleaning up or else some of the minor wounds could get infected."

"Got it, Doc," Tony said. "JARVIS? Prepare a bath for Reindeer Games."

"On it, Sir."

"By the way Tony, when did that Spider-man leave?"

It wasn't until that moment that Tony noticed that the young hero was gone.

"Huh... Well he'll be alright, he survived a giant lizard. So shall we take care of that god over there?"

Bruce opened his mouth to rebuke the billionaire but one glance on Loki who had lost consciousness again shut him up. Tony was probably right.

That had been far too much for one evening. Spider-man sat, mask taken off, on a gargoyle high above the street lights of New York and tried to process what had happened. He had found a beaten up super-villain – or rather ex-super-villain. He had met Tony freakin' Stark. Then he had spent most of the evening in Stark Tower. And then Bruce Banner had arrived, the Hulk himself. Truth be told he had nearly hyperventilated while the two Avengers had been working in the library. Suddenly he had felt the overwhelming need for air and slipped out without the two of them noticing it. It took him a moment to catch his breath again. He wondered whether he would ever be allowed to return to Stark Tower to hang out with his heroes some more or if they would simply forget him because they were too busy saving the planet. He ran a hand through his hair. No one would ever believe him, that much was clear.

He sighed, then he threw a glance to the big clock on a building on the opposite side of the street. He gasped. It was nearly 1 am. Oh shit. Aunt May would be worried to death by now. He masked himself again and started to swing his way home.

Back at Stark Tower Bruce and Tony had finished cleaning up Loki. The condition of the trickster god looked a lot less alarming because the dried blood had disappeared from his face. They had dressed him in some clean Ironman PJs after having put new bandages on his wounds. Tony had to admit that with his eyes closed and his face relaxed in what seemed to be something in between sleep and unconsciousness the young god looked almost cute. But only almost.

"You think Asgard did this to him?" Bruce interrupted Tony's thoughts. The billionaire furrowed his brow.

"I'm not sure. Their culture seems to be a little more stone-aged than our society but I can't believe that Thor would let anyone harm his brother like this."

"I think you're right. Remember how he reacted when we talked about Loki being crazy and stuff?"

Tony nodded.

"Well," he said after a brief silence, "I wonder where Thor is right now. Maybe he could tell us more about Real Powers condition."

Thor was walking the corridors of his father's castle in Asgard. He didn't look happy at all and the guards tried to avoid his gloomy gaze. He reached the throne room and entered without letting himself be announced.

"Thor." his father greeted him, his face completely expressionless.

"Father." Thor bowed his head slightly.

"What concerns you, my son?" the All-father asked, already knowing the answer.

"There still has been no sign of my brother, although we have been searching him tirelessly in all the Nine Realms. I fear something grave has happened to him."

Odin sighed, but said nothing.

"It has been three months since he disappeared from his cell, since he was taken from his cell, and even Heimdall is unable to detect him! He cannot have vanished in thin air, he has to be somewhere, so please, father, let me take further action! Let me search him in the darkness that borders the Nine Realms!"

"No, Thor," the old man answered quietly. "It is too dangerous."

"Loki's life might be at stake and you are holding back because of disproportionate fear!" Thor glared at his father incredulously.

"Not only Loki's life is endangered. If you leave the Nine Realms it is your life and the life of everyone who goes with you that I am worried about," Odin threw him a serious glance."Do not let your mother suffer through the loss of another son!"

Thor lowered his gaze, knowing that there was nothing else he could say to change his father's mind. He clenched his fists, angry about his own powerlessness. Suddenly the heavy door flew open and a guard entered, breathing heavily.

"My king!" he reported agitated "Heimdall sends me. He has found the escaped prisoner!"

Thor stood petrified for a moment, not knowing whether to believe the good news or not. Then he turned and sprinted as fast as possible to the warden's post on the Bifröst.

"Is it true, Heimdall?" he shouted from afar. "Have you found my brother?"

The warden examined him with his golden eyes.

"Yes, I have."

"Where is he? Tell me quick!" the god of thunder demanded.

"He is on Midgard, my prince, in the company of those who are known as the Avengers."