Author Note: I'm so glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter. I apologize for my slow update. The next few are pound to also be slow because school is ruining my life.

I am so excited for this chapter. Is everyone ready for the return of Loki? If not, prepare yourselves!

I would like to thank Sally for being an editing goddess. She is fixing here to fix all my grammatical errors that I no longer have time to fix because I'm too busy writing essays and taking quizzes.

Please leave me a review. *puppy eyes* It means a lot!

Heather was not an idiot. In fact, she was a rather brilliant grad student who was almost done with a thesis on the classical influence on modern dubstep. It was almost comical, seeing as the thesis started as a joke to piss off Alice, who had a special sort of dislike for the growing genre. The thesis had taken nearly three years to research and was just finally coming together, but in that time Heather had become quite good at research and incredibly observant.

Thus, on the day that she first met John Walker, she thought she recognized him instantly. One doesn't forget the man who crashed their first big gig with a string quartet by attacking one of the museum proprietors and forced the entire crowd to kneel before him in the streets. Somehow, Heather had avoided kneeling, the instinct to run further into the building rather than outside somehow paying off. She had seen them though, from the stairs of the museum, all kneeling before the dark haired man with the horned helm. And John could have been the man's twin, if not the man himself.

At least, she was quite sure he was, initially at least. Then, of course, she spent time with him, watched he and Alice fall in love, and had almost written off her initial aversion to him as an overactive imagination. That is, until a couple months ago when he had nearly attacked Brendan Kelly at the House of Blues, simply because the rock star had given Alice a peck on the cheek. In that moment, when rage had filled his eyes and he had sneered in that very distinct way, Heather knew it to be the same man.

However, she had no way of proving it. Other than his little outburst, John always seemed like quite the gentleman. Despite the research she had done on the Stuttgart incident, she knew nothing more than what the internet could offer. Somewhere she had found an article claiming that the man had said he was Loki of Asgard, the God of Mischief himself. As far as Heather could tell, John was no god.

At this point, all Heather knew was that she had a bad feeling about John Walker and there was a distinct possibility that her best friend could be in danger.

Speaking of Alice, she had yet to call, which was incredibly unlike her after a date night. Of course, seeing as Heather had been driving home the previous night, she probably wouldn't have called anyway.

As if on cue, Heather's phone buzzed. Feeling something like relief, Heather answered.

"Last night was the best night ever!" Alice squealed. "You'll never guess what happened!"

"I was driving last night," Heather snorted. "So, it was definitely not the best night ever."

"Yeah, I thought you weren't going to be back until the end of the week."

"Would you want to stay with my parents for an entire week?"

"Touche."

They shared a laugh; Heather trying to defend her parents, but failing miserably in her fit of laughter.

"And let me guess," Heather snickered. "You guys had awesome post-art exhibition sex."

"No, you pervert!" the other girl laughed. "Well…yes, actually. But that's not the point! He popped the question! Heather, he asked me to marry him!"

Heather felt bile rise in her throat. A month ago, this would have been great news, but with her growing feelings of unease about the man in question, it was difficult to be excited.

"That's great!" she said, trying to sound enthusiastic, but Alice saw right through her.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked without missing a beat. "I thought you'd be happy for me."

"I am happy for you!" Heather insisted. "I'm just really surprised. You guys have only been together…"

"For almost a year!" Alice interrupted.

Had it really been that long? She felt kind of bad for not realizing.

"I'm sorry, Al," Heather sighed. "I'm stressing out about my thesis today. I'm really happy for you guys. Tell John congratulations too. Do you want to do something tonight to celebrate?"

For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line.

"I would love to," Alice groaned. "But that's sort of the other thing I called to tell you. Tony Stark was at the museum last night. He invited us to dinner tonight."

Though disappointed that she wouldn't be seeing Alice in person to congratulate her quite yet, Heather was admittedly relieved that she wouldn't have to face Alice's now husband-to-be with all of these ill feelings floating around in her head.

"Tony Stark?" Heather repeated. "Do I know him?"

"Well, probably not personally," Alice chuckled. "But you've certainly seen him before. You know, Iron Man?"

It took actual effort to keep her jaw from dropping.

"How the hell did you convince Tony Stark to take you to dinner?" Heather gaped.

"It was Pepper's idea," Alice shrugged. "She wants to buy some of John's work."

"That's…wow…"

"I know, right? John is like…beside himself."

"I'm sure he is. Dude, Pepper Potts wants to buy his art. That's…can you convince her to buy my thesis?"

Laughing, Alice agreed.

"But I'll only sell it for a price," she grinned. "Nothing less than a million."

"Deal," Heather agreed. "Though I may settle for half a mil if they agree to let me borrow the Iron Man suit for the weekend."

"What would you do with the Iron Man suit?"

"Does it matter? It would just be cool to have."

"Fair enough."

"But speaking of my thesis, I need to go work on it. With the shop being closed, I think I might be able to finish a couple of pages if I'm lucky."

"You left a couple of your theory books in the office again, by the way, along with that Deadmau5 album. You realize he doesn't really count as dubstep, right?"

"His music fits the conditions of the thesis. Stop trying to convince yourself it's not dubstep just because you like him."

"I'm not making excuses! Hey, are we still on for coffee tomorrow?"

"Just like every Sunday. Don't be late again, okay?"

"I promise not to be late. And I'll see you then. Wait 'til you see my ring, it's so gorgeous!"

They said their farewells and hung up, Heather still feeling a bit sour about the whole situation. Things had escalated in a way that she had not expected. It was one thing when John was just Alice's boyfriend. In fact, knowing Alice and her issues with commitment, it was surprising that she had agreed to get married in the first place.

That gave her pause for a moment. She knew Alice, knew that her friend would never do anything of this nature unless she was absolutely sure it was the right path. Perhaps she had misjudged John Walker, perhaps he really was just a nice guy who had been drinking and had a bad night when he freaked out at Brendan.

Deciding to take the high road and convince herself of this, Heather opened the door to the shop and headed upstairs to Alice's apartment.

After bounding upstairs, she scoured the fridge and cupboards for a snack, but found nothing of substance. Making her way through the kitchen, she saw that the piano was actually open and there was a book of music on the stand.

Good, she thought. It's been a while since Alice played. Maybe John was inspiring her after all.

By the time she reached the office, she was beginning to legitimately think she had misjudged Alice's fiancé. Perhaps she had just been jealous. After all, Alice was spending a considerable amount of time with John, which had meant that Heather got to spend a considerably smaller amount of time with her best friend.

And that's when she saw the painting.

It was hanging over the desk, looking innocent enough. Except the subject matter was all too familiar for Heather. She could recognize the bifrost anywhere, especially when it had what was obviously meant to be Asgard connected to it.

Picking up her phone, she sent Alice a quick text.

How much does John know about Norse Mythology?

The response was almost instant.

Not a ton. He's really disappointingly unfamiliar with a lot of it.

Does he realize he painted you the bifrost?

This reply took a bit longer.

No.

Heather's gut churned. Fuck the high road. She needed to get a hold of Tony Stark. Maybe the articles claiming that Loki Laufeyson had been in Stuttgart weren't so wrong after all.

"I just really don't know about this, Pepper," Tony sighed, slipping into the limo. "We're taking a vengeful god out to dinner."

"Except he's not a vengeful god right now," Pepper pointed out. "He's an artist. And we don't even know if he is Loki."

"Seriously? The guy is his spitting image! And the way he talks? I would recognize that smug voice anywhere."

"Smug? Tony, the guy was humble and-"

"I just know, okay?"

Looking grumpy, Pepper crossed her arms and gazed out the window as the limo pulled into traffic. For a while she couldn't bring herself to even speak to the billionaire at her side.

"Just tell me you haven't told his brother," Pepper begged finally.

Tony's silence spoke volumes and she did her best not to be too angry with him.

"I really hope you didn't tell him where we're going," she said at length.

Again, she was met with silence.

"Tony! He's supposed to be marrying that girl. If Thor finds him…"

"He'll do absolutely nothing! If Loki really doesn't know who he is, meeting Thor will do absolutely nothing."

"Unless it jogs his memory somehow."

"That won't happen."

"I just-"

"Pepper, did you forget that we're talking about the guy who almost destroyed New York City with an army of aliens a few years back? That I almost died saving the city from his army of lizard things?"

"Is that what this is about? Are you trying to get even with a guy who doesn't even remember any of that? A guy that we're not even sure is Loki!"

"Well when you put it like that…"

The limo came to a halt in a roundabout outside a tall apartment building. Tony looked up at the driver over his sunglasses.

"I don't mean to interrupt," the man said. "But we've arrived at your…guest's residence."

"Can you go ring for them, Robert?" Pepper requested with a smile.

"Of course, Ms. Potts."

As the driver, Robert, went to fetch their dinner guests, Pepper turned sharply to Tony.

"You had better be on your best behavior," she threatened. "And I do not want to hear a single word about who you think he might be. Most importantly, there better not be any Norse gods suddenly showing up to jog memories, got it?"

The ferocity in her eyes had him uncharacteristically speechless. Not daring to argue, he looked out the window, where Robert was now descending the steps with John Walker and his lovely bride-to-be in tow. Alice was talking candidly about something, crayon red hair blowing wildly in the cold winter breeze.

As the driver opened the door, they thanked him and slid inside.

"Wow your hair is red," Tony commented, making Alice turn crimson.

"It was an accident," she sighed. "I'm an idiot and thought the box didn't mean it when it said fire red."

"I still think you look lovely," John smiled, taking her hand in his.

Tony had to admit, he was a gentleman. Even if he had been a vengeful god in his former life, he was a legitimately nice person now. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let his brother find him.

"Do you guys like dancing?" he asked suddenly, earning a confused look from Pepper. "I heard there's a great club down on Lake Michigan Drive."

"That sounds fantastic," John agreed.

"But we haven't eaten," Pepper objected.

"We can pick up something on the way," Tony shrugged. "Hey, uh, Rob? Can you take us to that club? I think it's called Craze, or Crush, or…something. And stop somewhere for take out on the way?"

Robert nodded as the car pulled out of the driveway.

"Tony Stark likes take-out," Alice mused. "Who would have thought?"

"Believe me," Pepper laughed. "Tony is really good at breaking stereotypes."

"You're flattering me Pepper!" Tony grinned. "I like it. You should keep doing it."

Laughing, Pepper gave him a light smack on the arm.

"Ow," he whined. "She hit me. You guys saw that right? That's sexual harassment. I could sue you."

"Do you really want to get me started on sexual harassment, Mr. Stark?" Pepper countered.

"You two are a couple aren't you?" Alice asked observantly.

Looking baffled, Tony took off the sunglasses he had been wearing.

"Not publicly," Pepper shrugged.

"Pepper!" Tony scolded. "You're not supposed to…"

"She knew anyway," Pepper defended.

"How did you know?" Tony asked, looking over at Alice.

Blushing, Alice shrugged.

"The way you interact," she said dismissively. "It's kind of obvious. You're flirting. I just…wondered if there was something there or if you hadn't picked up on it yet. Really, you're supposed to be a genius, Mr. Stark. I thought you would pick up on that kind of thing."

"Sorry," John put in hurriedly. "Alice is kind of astute when it comes to picking up on these things."

"Don't be sorry," Pepper insisted. "It was just…surprising."

"It's not like you guys are obvious about it," Alice shrugged. "Especially not in public. I just…you were flirting and…"

"That is an awesome ring you've got there, John," Tony interrupted, making an obvious effort to turn the conversation away from his love life. "Where did you get it?"

Shrugging, John took the emerald ring from his finger and handed it to Tony.

"No idea," he said honestly. "I was found in a ditch in New Mexico with it. I don't remember any of my life prior to the last couple years."

Pepper gave Tony a look that he tried hard to ignore, turning his attention to the ring. It had an incredibly unique look about it, obviously Asgardian by the look of the metal. He couldn't help thinking it was something that Thor would recognize instantly if he showed him.

"So…you could have been anything before a couple of years ago?" he ventured.

"I suppose," the former-god replied.

"Like…an angry super villain sort of anything, or just regular anything?"

Throwing his head back, John let out a hearty laugh.

"I'm pretty sure I would know it if I was previously a super villain" he laughed. "That sort of power doesn't just disappear. So, I suppose regular anything."

"Well, that's boring," the billionaire teased, handing the ring back. "But the ring is really cool."

"I'm sure you're just looking for a new foe to fight in that Iron Man suit of yours," John smirked. "And I'm sorry to disappoint."

"We've got the technology. We could make you a super villain."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I've got a wedding to plan. I'll have my hands full for a while. Also, I'm rather fond of not getting seriously injured."

"Well, if you ever change your mind, let me know."

Though he hated to admit it, Tony could tell John had no idea who he used to be. It made him glad he had decided to change the location of their little dinner party to the club. Hopefully Thor wouldn't be able to find them there.

On the way to their destination, they stopped and got Chinese take-out from a place that Alice highly recommended. The food was fantastic, the conversation stayed positive, and Tony found that he was legitimately enjoying himself. John and Pepper arranged a deal for her to buy some of the work that he had put in the museum after the month long exhibition ended, and they agreed to do dinner at an actual restaurant to make the deal official.

When they finally arrived at the club, Tony had practically forgotten that he was entertaining the former God of Mischief. They had drinks in the VIP lounge before heading to the dance floor. Tony had to admit, he was not the best dancer, but he enjoyed the feeling of the bass beating in his chest as "Starships" by Nicki Minaj blasted through the speakers. He danced with Pepper a bit, then Alice and a few other girls, knowing that he had to keep up appearances.

After a while, he excused himself to the bathroom, leaving John to dance with the girls.

It was a fantastic night, and he was incredibly grateful that he hadn't brought down the wrath of Thor on John Walker. It was obvious that he was Loki, but he had no recollection of his past life, and obviously was enjoying his new life and love. If Tony Stark had ever done a good deed in his life, it was leaving the two of them to enjoy their life in peace.

As he headed back to the bar, he was stopped by a girl in her mid-twenties.

"You're Tony Stark, right?" the girl asked.

"Who's asking?" he inquired, looking at the girl over the top of his sunglasses.

"My name's Heather," the girl replied. "And that girl over there with the tattoos? That's my best friend. I came to warn you, John Walker isn't who he says he is."

Looking between the girl and the man on the dance floor, he raised an eyebrow.

"Alice is your best friend?" he said skeptically.

"Yes," Heather insisted. "She's in danger. John is actually-"

"Loki the Trickster God?" Tony guessed. "Yeah, I know."

Looking surprised, Heather nodded.

"How did you-?" she began to ask, but Tony cut her off.

"The important question is how did you know?"

"Because I was in Stuttgart the night he attacked the museum. I saw you fight him."

"And is that what you want now? You want me to pull out the Iron Man suit and attack an innocent man who has no idea that he used to be Loki?"

"I want you to warn Alice. I want you to get John as far away from her as possible."

"If she's your best friend, why didn't you warn her?"

"Because I didn't know until today. You have to believe me, he does remember. Maybe not fully, but his memory is coming back. Think about it, the paintings are obviously of Asgard, he's been a controlling asshole to her more than a few times, he threatened to beat the shit out of a guy for-"

"Look, I'm gonna be honest here. If he acts the way you say he does, he really just sounds like he's kind of an asshole. I haven't seen him act like that, but I've only known him two days. All I know is that he's not a threat anymore."

"He's a threat to Alice. That's all that matters to me."

"Then you take care of it."

Heather opened her mouth to object, but was cut off by a commotion at the door.

"Oh, what now?" Tony groaned.

A group of security guards had just been thrown aside by a tall blonde man in armor. The red cape billowing behind the man made Tony recognize him instantly and he cursed under his breath.

"STARK!" the man bellowed. "YOU MISLEAD ME!"

"Who's that?" Heather asked, taking a few steps back.

"That would be Thor," Tony replied.

"The Thunder God?"

"Yep. That'd be him."

The music was still playing, even though most people had cleared the floor to get away from the Asgardian.

"WHERE IS MY BROTHER?" Thor demanded, now spotting Tony in the crowd and crossing to him. "YOU SAID HE WOULD BE WITH YOU!"

A confused looking John Walker came to stand beside Tony.

"Who's this?" he asked.

"You don't want to know," Tony insisted. "Just…get out of here John. Take Alice and get out of here."

But it was too late. Thor had seen him. Relief took Thor's face as he laid eyes on John.

"Brother," he sighed. "You are alive!"

"Who are you?" John whispered, stepping away from him.

"Do you not recognize me?"

"Look, I don't recognize a lot of people, but I can about guarantee we've never met."

"How can you say that, brother? Was the Allfather's spell really so powerful that your entire memory was erased?"

"Yes," Tony put in. "He doesn't remember anything."

"Tony? What's he talking about?"

"Don't worry about it, John. Just take Alice and run."

"Who is that guy, John?" Alice inquired, coming to stand beside her fiancé. "Do you know him?"

"He doesn't anymore," Tony replied. "Now, please, both of you get out of here."

"Why?"

"You're not going to like how this ends if you stay."

"He's right," Heather put in, grabbing Alice's arm and pulling her toward the door.

"What are you doing here?" Alice gasped, pulling her arm out of her friend's grip.

"Saving you," Heather replied. "I'll explain later."

"Enough of this nonsense!" Thor growled. "Brother, you are coming with me."

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" John objected. "I'm not your brother."

Desperately, Tony tried to step between the god and John. What happened next, he wasn't really sure. It looked like Thor tried to put his hammer between Tony and his brother, but John tried to move toward Tony at the same time. Somehow, the ring seemed to connect with the hammer, sending John flying backward by some magical force. His flailing body connected with one of the speakers, bringing the noisy room into sudden silence.

"John!" Alice cried, breaking free of Heather's grasp and running to kneel beside her lover.

A faint green glowing came from the floor, slowly growing brighter as swirling green light began to erupt from the now broken stone on his ring. The light twisted and swirled in the air before turning and curling into the unconscious man's mouth like smoke. His body convulsed violently, eyes flying open and glowing a violent shade of emerald as the light filled him. A rushing sound filled the room, mixing with the alarmed gasps of the club patrons, and the screams of agony that were erupting from John's throat.

"Pepper," Tony said urgently. "I want you and Thor to get everyone out of here. Have the driver be ready to get you, Alice, and Heather to the airport ASAP, and get my briefcase."

"What are you going to do?" Pepper demanded.

"I'm going to help Thor fight off an angry god," he replied. "Now, please, hurry."

Never one to falter under pressure, Pepper did as she was told, trying to usher the group outside.

To Tony's relief, most of the crowd was gone by the time silence fell. From the floor, the dark haired man groaned, sitting up and rubbing his temples.

"John?" Alice whispered. "Sweetheart, are you okay?"

Reaching out a shaking hand, she touched his shoulder lightly.

Instantly, his head snapped up, green eyes looking up at her dangerously.

"Do not touch me, girl," he hissed.

"John, what are you-"

"John?" the man snorted. "I am Loki of Asgard, and you will address me as your King!"

A soft golden glow radiated around the resurrected god. His suit was replaced by leather and metal armor, a horned helm appeared on his head, and a staff in his hand.

Alice jumped back, a mix of confusion and fear contorting her face. There were tears in her eyes as she began to back away.

"Brother, have care in what you-" Thor began to warn, but Loki hissed and he fell into silence.

"You," Loki growled. "You sent me here, took away my memories, my power, and now you have the gall to tell me how to react?"

"I did not do this to you."

But Loki was having none of it. With a burst of power he sent the Thunder God flying into the wall.

"John, please, stop!" Alice screamed.

"I told you, foolish girl, not to address me by that name," he growled, turning his attention to Alice.

Advancing toward her, he raised his staff.

And then was promptly knocked off his feet in a flash of light.

"Alice," Iron Man said urgently. "You might want to start running now."