Author's Note: I don't know if anyone will even read this kind of thing, or if I'll be able to tolerate the cluttered nature of keeping all my extras for Restitution in one story. I'll see how it goes, just be aware there could be changes ahead. Thanks!
"I apologize for calling you all here so early." Thor, whose presence Tony would have questioned if he had the notion to, nodded in Bruce's direction. "Especially you, Dr. Banner. I am in your debt."
Bruce nodded seriously. "Dang straight, you are."
Thor threw his head back and laughed, quickly joined by those around the table.
"Cut!"
"Start talking." It was Hawkeye who prompted Thor to explain himself.
Thor shifted again, glancing over his shoulder for a moment before turning to face his teammates once more. "When I took Loki to Asgard, I expected him to face justice. I didn't like it, but I assumed he would spend the rest of his life in prison or be executed upon his arrival—"
"Achoo!" The lump on the floor that was supposed to an unconscious Loki put a hand in the air. "Sorry, roll it again."
"Cut!"
"Start talking." It was Hawkeye who prompted Thor to explain himself.
Thor shifted again, glancing over his shoulder for a moment before turning to face his teammates once more. "When—"
"Achoo! Achoo!" Loki sat up, sneezing into the crook of his arm again. "What is on this floor? Do you never vacuum? Achoo!"
"Bless you," Steve answered.
Tony rolled his eyes. "You can't help yourself, can you?"
Thor nodded seriously. "He has chivalry in his blood."
"He has something in his blood, that's for sure."
"Cut!"
"I asked him if I could bring Loki to Midgard… and try to rehabilitate him."
Silence reigned once more, but it didn't last, even with Thor's hands outstretched in a wordless plea for everyone to give him a chance to explain.
"And he agreed?"
"Thor, you can't volunteer the whole planet for things without discussing it first."
"Ain't nobody got time fo' dat, fool." Director Fury wagged a finger at Thor. "You came to the wrong neighborhood."
Thor snapped his fingers. "I suppose it's time for my backup plan: Loki is going to fake his death again."
"Cut!"
Bruce gave a slight nod and cleared his throat again, standing up and adjusting his glasses before speaking. "Loki has actually been on planet earth for a couple of days. Thor came to see me first, and we spent several hours discussing Loki's mental state. Loki was unconscious the entire time, and without the use of psychological tests, it's hard to say exactly what's going on up there, but I do have a general idea. My biggest concern is… that I can't remember my line. What is it?"
"Cut!"
Tony quirked a brow. "Jotunheim?"
"One of the Nine Realms," Thor explained. "To put it mildly, they are our mortal enemies. To put it not-so-mildly, all of Asgard loathes their existence, and we are quite… what's the word? Dr. Banner?"
"Terrible, awful people who need to get their act together," the scientist supplied.
Thor dropped his head, laughing and bracing his arms on the table to hold himself up. "Yes. Yes, we are."
"Speak for yourself, Thor."
"Shut up, Loki! You're supposed to be in a comma!"
Bruce rubbed his forehead. "Coma, Thor."
"Yes, that."
"Cut!"
"Remember when I told you Loki was a full-tilt diva?" Tony asked.
Steve nodded. "Yeah. Flowers, parades, and giant towers."
"Well, I was freaking right. He's so vain. I bet he thinks this story's about him." Tony pointed to Loki, who was still on the floor. "Don't you? Don't you?"
Steve and Thor stared on in confusion as Bruce, Natasha, Clint, Fury, and Hill all began to laugh.
"Loki… do you get the joke?" Thor asked, turning toward the corner.
"Oh, sorry, I can't help. I'm in a coma, remember?"
"I hate you."
"Cut!"
"Bruce, you agreed to be a therapist for Reindeer Games?"
Bruce nodded, adjusting his glasses. "I know we can only give you a brief summary now, but Thor and I talked for quite some time, and I was given a detailed account of Loki's recent and not-so-recent past." He took a slow breath and then let it out, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You see, Loki has always had a very shiny nose. I mean, whenever you see it, you say it glows. And so… all of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names. They never let poor Loki…"
Everyone in the room was laughing, but Tony merely jumped up and slid across the table for a big, Broadway finish. "Play in any Reindeer Games!"
"Stark, get your butt off my table."
"Tch. You can't afford my butt."
"Cut!"
"Thor," Tony started, and for once he let the off-handed sarcasm fade from his voice. "Why did you bring Loki down here if you were going to keep him unconscious the entire time?"
"Well, you see… Thor looked around the table, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled with his words. "It was in the script."
"Cut!"
"Thor," Tony started, and for once he let the off-handed sarcasm fade from his voice. "Why did you bring Loki down here if you were going to keep him unconscious the entire time?"
Thor looked around the table, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled with his words. "I… do not want to influence your decision…"
Tony shook his head. "You won't. Decision's already been made."
Steve stood up and slammed his hand on the table. "We say no!"
Clint pushed his chair away from the table and started to leave. "That's it. That's the end of the story. Goodnight, everybody."
"Cut!"
Tony shook his head. "You won't. Decision's already been made."
Thor blinked, surprised, and looked around the table several more times before quietly offering his reply. "If I can find no way to remove or lighten Loki's sentence, I will have no choice but to take him and flee to another realm. I don't want Father to have a chance to get getween—get—get between—"
"Can we get through this scene once?" Fury threw his hands up. "Just once! It doesn't even have to be good!"
"Cut!"
Clint immediately jumped in, leaning forward and putting an elbow on the table. "We need to—"
"Barton, Barton strong and able," Steve started, pounding rhythmically with his fists, "get your elbows off the table."
Bruce and Natasha joined in, also pounding. "This is not a horse's stable, but a first class dining table!"
Clint groaned and got to his feet as everyone joined in, doing what they asked of him with an exceptionally dramatic flair.
"Round the table you must go, you must go, you must go! Round the table you must go, my fair Barton!"
Clint skipped and twirled and even moonwalked at one point before finally making it all the way back to his chair.
"Cut!"
"Yes, we mean," Tony snapped irritably. "Now, where are we going to put him?"
Thor and Bruce exchanged glances, silently tossing the answer back and forth.
"We're taking the Loki to Isengard!"
"Cut!"