That evening, Loki knocked on Asta's open door. "May I come in for a few minutes?" he asked.

"Of course," Asta replied, putting her phone on the nightstand and gesturing for him to sit next to her. "What's on your mind?"

He joined her and was quiet for a moment. "Well, now that I am living here, I was hoping you could tell me about the others. I need to know more about them."

"Loki, these people aren't enemies. You don't need to have them all figured out."

"Regardless of their friend or foe status, I would like to know more about those I am sharing living quarters with. I'm not plotting a coup or expecting an ambush as I sleep, but I am… uneasy at being the least informed in the tower."

"I understand. Well, ok. First, there's Tony. He's obviously a legacy billionaire. His parents were killed when he was young. Old enough to take care of himself, but young enough to still need them. So, he's got daddy issues, but a heart of gold. And an ego the size of this tower. He's very protective of those he loves, but I think he likes you, especially since his girls love you." Asta nudged Loki playfully then continued. "Tony is married to Pepper. She's probably one of the smartest and most organized people on this planet. She was his assistant for years, but essentially ran the whole business for him. They really should have gotten together sooner than they did. She's so amazing and they are an awesome couple."

"They sound like us," Loki said with a wry chuckle.

"Indeed. Now, you've met Morgan and with her, what you see is what you get. She loves you and that's the end of that. She's pretty mischievous too, so I might need to keep an eye on you two."

"Mischief recognizes mischief, my love. It's too late now!"

Asta rolled her eyes. "Great, two of you. Let's see, there's Natasha. She's a former Soviet Black Widow assassin." She felt Loki tense up. "But there is nothing to worry about. She has been a SHIELD agent for years now. She and Clint have been best friends and worked together for ages. There's no one else I'd rather have my back. Present company excluded, of course."

"Of course."

"So, then there's Clint. Sometimes we call him Hawkeye. He only lives here part time as he has a secret family elsewhere – which by the way, came as a great shock to me when I found out. There's no one that can match his abilities with a bow and arrow. And he's so funny. I really think you two will get along."

"Yes, I believe he was the only one to not look at me with fear when I first arrived."

"He'll tell you that he's seen 'a lot of shit' in his life, so another Asgardian showing up, even one with a slightly checkered past, really wouldn't affect him. Then there's Wanda and Vision. They are pretty much a package deal. Wanda was rescued from a HYDRA facility with her twin brother and she decided to stay here and help us. Her brother roams a bit, but he helps us too. Their parents were killed when they were very young, so they basically raised each other until they were kidnapped. They were experimented on and now they both have powers. Her brother, Pietro, is unbelievably fast and Wanda has mind powers. We call them Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch."

"And you mentioned Vision, the other half of the package deal?"

"Yeah, they are a power couple. Vision was a bit of a failed experiment. You might have seen through his disguise with your powers."

Loki squinted in uncertainty. "He is not human, is he?"

"No, he is an android, but he is artificial intelligence at its finest. He might as well be a human. Originally, he was built as a… sort of bodyguard for Morgan. After she was born, Tony became obsessed with her safety. He wanted a powerful and strong being, but also something intellectual. He meant to use JARVIS (the original FRIDAY) as a connection, but instead uploaded all of JARVIS into him and he basically became his own person. I think there's more to it than Tony lets on, but I suppose it's his business."

"And somehow the Witch fell in love with Vision?"

"I know, it's strange. But honestly, if you didn't know the whole story, you wouldn't question them. They're an adorable couple."

"Well, you and I are two beings from a magical realm far from here, so I suppose I won't be questioning them."

Asta smiled. "When you put it that way," she said with a laugh. "Let's see, who's left. There's Dr. Bruce Banner. After a lab accident he became overloaded with gamma radiation and now he… um… well, he basically turns into a huge green monster when he's angry."

"So I should avoid Dr. Banner's bad side?"

"Unless you want tossed around, yes."

"Noted," Loki deadpanned.

"There's Peter. He doesn't live here, per se, but he's here a lot. He lives with his aunt since his parents died, but Tony has all but adopted him, so he's got his own room. He was bitten by a radioactive spider and now he has a bunch of other abilities."

"Radioactive spider?"

"Again, we don't question around here."

"Indeed. There are 2 I see that you have saved for last."

"Yes, Steve and Bucky. Bucky won't be an issue. He's got his own checkered past. He also was captured and experimented on by HYDRA. He became an assassin known as the Winter Soldier. Decades of torture and being brainwashed into killing people. He won't talk about it, so we don't bring it up. Now that we've broken through the programming with the help of our friends in Wakanda, he's actually a very nice guy, but he's hard to get close to. He's Steve's best friend, they were in World War II together."

"World War II? I know enough about Midgardian history to know that—"

"Yes, Steve's story began in the 1940s."

"I think my brother told me a bit about the Captain. He took down an airplane carrying bombs into the freezing water. Somehow the serum in his veins kept him in a stasis of sorts until he was thawed out. Yes?"

"Well, that saves me that story. Steve is all about justice and fair play. He's a stickler for rules and order."

Loki got a twinkle in his eyes. "So, he'll get along beautifully with the god of mischief!"

Asta pointed a warning finger at Loki. "Don't provoke him."

"Provoke? Never! … Allow the natural order of things? Perhaps."

"Loki, you are going to make things so much more difficult than necessary!"

"My precious, have you never met me?"

Asta rubbed her forehead. "My life just got infinitely more complicated, didn't it?"

"Which is saying something considering you work as a magical healer to a group of superheroes," Loki said with a wink.

"I feel like maybe you're contributing a little more, troublemaker. But what would life be like without you?"

"Dreadfully dull, I suppose."

Asta smirked. "That sounds strangely familiar."

"Really? I can't imagine why."

She nudged his shoulder. "Ok, your highness, now that you've analyzed everyone in the tower. Ready for another fun family dinner? Smells delicious!"

"Yes, and with my lovely consort by my side, I feel I can handle all the meals with this motley crew. Even the Captain."

"I was quite serious, Loki. Don't start anything."

"My love, I shall endeavor to be of the utmost virtuous behavior."

"And when you say things like that, I don't believe a word of it."

"You wound me, darling," he said as he stood and hurried to the other side of the bed to offer his hand to her.

She accepted it with a smile. "Let's just go eat, my prince."

"Lead the way, my precious."

'I shall always follow,' he added in his mind.