The fourth chapter ^_^ Thor makes his appearance
in Stark Tower and maybe some other interesting
things happen...

Thanks to all my reviewers! You guys are great! :-)

Chapter 4

His aunt was still awake when Peter returned home. Of course she was. She hadn't been able to really sleep ever since his uncle had been killed. The teenager couldn't help but shiver at the thought of that terrible evening, his aunt's tears, his own feeling of being helpless...

"Where have you been all night?" Aunt May's voice sounded heavy with worry. She was sitting on a chair in the kitchen when he returned.

"I'm fine, Aunt May," he assured her. "I just forgot the time."

"Oh really? Let me have a look at you!"

He turned to her. After a moment she sighed in relieve when she found his face unharmed apart from a few scratches.

"I tried to call you, you know?" she said sounding a lot calmer.

"I'm sorry Aunt May, I forgot my phone. It's still in my room upstairs" he explained. She nodded. Then she said with a glance on her watch: "You should sleep now, you have school tomorrow."

"You're right." Peter smiled at her and then turned to go upstairs. Like hell he would be able to sleep now!

He entered his room, locked his door and started his computer. After all he had seen that night he still had some open questions and what w as better suited to answer questions than the internet?

He opened Google and typed "Loki" into the search panel. Yeah, there was quite a lot he wanted to know, starting with that mysterious guy he had picked up. It would be a long night.

"Scream you worthless piece of rubbish," he whispered with his bilious, raspy voice. "Scream for your noble father or even better for your beloved brother!"
He grabbed Loki's jaw firmly with one of his hands and laughed, blowing his evil-smelling breath in the trickster's face.
"No one's gonna come to save you. Ever. Who would care for an abhorrent Jotun runt after all? You will stay here with me for the rest of your pathetic life!"
Loki tried to free himself from his assaulter's grip but although the grasp was not very strong he lacked the strength to even move more than a few inches. He was tired, so tired... He let his eyes slip close, but immediately there was a hand on his throat cutting his oxygen supply.
"Don't you dare sleeping! I will make sure you'll never sleep again!"
Loki coughed and gasped for breath, his lungs started to burn as if they were on fire. Finally the hand released his throat. He greedily sucked in air.
"Please..."he finally managed to whisper hoarsely.
"Are you begging me for mercy?" Oh how evil that voice sounded. "Do you want me to leave you alone?"
"Y-Yes... Please... I.. I want to sleep, just let me rest a little bit..."
"No," he answered almost gently. "You will never sleep again."

"Sir, it seems that the patient might need assistance."

Bruce looked up in concern. He and Tony were currently in one of Tony's countless laboratories in Stark Tower. Come on Doc, it's not like you can sleep now or anything as long as Loki's in such a bad shape. We might as well have some fun with my science toys.

"Which kind of assistance, JARVIS?" he asked.

"He has been tossing and screaming in his sleep for almost half an hour. Also his temperature is rising."

That didn't sound good.

"I'll go upstairs and have a look at him, you fine here Tony?"

The billionaire nodded without taking his eyes off the piece of metal he was working on.
"Sure Doc."

Bruce wasn't even sure if Stark had actually understood what he had said but decided not to think about it and instead went to the elevator.

JARVIS hadn't lied when he had said that Loki was screaming. Bruce heard him already before he even entered the infirmary. He wasn't able to understand particular words, but it sounded awfully frightened and distressful. The Doctor quickly opened the door and hurried to Loki's bed. The god was still pale but now drenched in sweat, his eyes squeezed shut and tossing and shivering violently. That must be one hell of a dream, Bruce thought to himself.

"What's his temperature, JARVIS?"

"His current body temperature is 104.5 °F."

That was almost dangerously high. Bruce grabbed Loki's right shoulder with one hand trying to wake the Trickster up, but that caused Loki to toss around even more.

"Shit!" the scientist murmured under his breath. He laid one hand on Loki's far too hot forehead. The trickster seemed to have difficulties breathing, sucking the air in with short and laboured gasps.

"Loki!" Bruce said calmly. "Loki, you have to wake up!" He stroke over Loki's far too pale cheeks. The god's eyelids twitched and then suddenly flew open. Bruce sighed in relieve.

"Loki, are you with me?" The trickster looked at him, a panicked look in his wide opened eyes, still breathing far too quickly. "I need you to calm down. Breath slowly, in and out. You had a nightmare, remember?"

Loki's breath evened out a bit but he kept staring at Bruce. Then he turned to his side abruptly so that Bruce was looking at his back and started to cough violently. The doctor waited a few seconds but when Loki didn't seem to be able to calm down he took hold of the trickster's shoulder again.

The sick god tensed up immediately and stopped moving. Like a trapped animal, Bruce thought. He released his grip and took a step back.

"Easy there," he said in the calmest voice he could muster. "I'm not going to hurt you, remember?"

Loki relaxed but still seemed cautious towards Bruce. The scientist rubbed his hands to his pants and looked around himself awkwardly.

"Well, I'm leaving you. If there is anything you need just tell JARVIS, he will let me or Tony know." He looked at the trickster but Loki didn't make any sign to show that he had understood. Bruce sighed and turned to leave.

"Why?"

The doctor thought he had been mistaken at first for the trickster's voice was hoarse and hardly above a whisper. But when he found green eyes looking at him inquiringly he took a few steps back in the direction of the bed.

"What do you mean?"

"Why... are you... helping me?" It sounded as if every word pained him, strained and incredibly exhausted.

"Because you need our help," Bruce answered with a soft look in his eyes.

"But... I am your enemy."

"That doesn't matter. Now try to get some sleep without nightmares." And with that he left the infirmary.

"That was the last one, Tasha!" Clint said climbing down from the roof of the little suburban house and examining the corpse of a black dressed man lying in front of him. They had been chasing that man and his friends all night, trying to keep them from placing bombs all over the place. In the end Clint had to shoot them all to prevent them from setting fire on the whole settlement. He rubbed his eyes and thought wishfully of his bed.

"Great," the ginger assassin answered, sounding tired as well. "Let's get back and see what the good captain has found so far."

They made their way to the little hotel where they were staying. Steve was sitting in the living room of their apartment trying not to fall asleep over the several files he had to read.

"Found anything new, cap?" Clint asked.

"No," the captain blinked sleepily. "I still have no idea why they would chose this small city of all things. How was your night?"

"Nothing unusual. We killed them all."

Steve tried not to shudder. Yes, he was a soldier, but he still didn't like the thought of killing, not even if it were evil guys.

"Well, I guess we should be heading back then. There's nothing left to do here" he said in a resigned voice. They had been chasing those terrorists for almost a month now and still had no clue what they were up to. They always attacked small cities were hardly anybody lived and they never send a message or anything to explain their actions.

"Yeah," Clint nodded in agreement. "But let's get some sleep first. Tasha-" He turned to his partner only to notice that she was asleep in one of the armchairs. A smile crossed his lips at the sight of her slightly opened mouth. He draped a blanket over her and then went to one of the sleeping rooms to get some sleep as well.

Bruce found Tony on top of the building mixing a drink.

"How's our favourite villain doin' doc?" The billionaire greeted him when he entered.

"He's fine considering the circumstances. It was just a nightmare."

Tony's face grew serious at the thought of his own nightmares that haunted him ever since his captivity in Afghanistan and since the battle in New York.

"Nightmares are nothing to be taken lightly," he said. "Anyway, do you want a drink?" Bruce who had just opened his mouth to ask Tony what he meant closed it again and shook his hand, but Tony had already turned his back on him searching the shelf behind him for another glass.

Suddenly they heard a heavy thump on the balcony.

"Please!" Tony said without turning around. "Please tell me that this was not the Joker landing all beaten up on my roof! I can't take care of another super-villain tonight!"

"I'm positively sure that it was not another villain" Bruce answered, the hint of a smile in his voice. The billionaire turned around just in time to see a tall and muscular blond man with a red cape and a hammer standing in front of the glass facade.

"Open the door JARVIS!" he commanded his AI and made his way to greet the God of thunder.

"Friend Stark, friend Banner, it's been a while since our paths crossed!" Thor greeted them with his deep booming voice.

"Thor!" Bruce smiled at him genuinely. "It's good to see you." The tall god smiled back, but then his face grew more serious.

"Friends, where is my brother?"

Tony didn't ask how Thor knew about Loki being here. He was a god after all.

"He's upstairs, but I believe his sleeping at the moment," Bruce informed their friend.

"How is he?" Worry was evident in the god's voice.

"I wish I could say that he's fine..." Bruce started carefully but he got interrupted by Tony.

"He has several broken bones, a concussion and bruises all over his body not to forget the mental damage."
Thor paled visibly.
"Mind explaining to us what happened?" Tony asked.

"I swear, I do not know, friends." Thor shook his head sadly. "My brother disappeared from his cell in Asgard three month ago and even Heimdall, the all-seer, was not able to detect him until today."

"So this wasn't part of his punishment?" Tony asked.

"Of course not!" Thor looked at him indignantly. "I would never let any harm come to my brother if I could prevent it!"

There was a moment of silence.

"So who did this to him?" Bruce asked, stating the obvious.

"I do not know," Thor said seriously. "But I am going to find and punish them." He turned to his friends, his face lit up just a bit.

"Can I go now and see Loki?"