Last chapter. This should ring a bell, to those who stayed for the very last post-credits scene.

Thank you for making it this far :) Hopefully that means I'm doing something right, hey?

Their favourite chamber in the whole, detestable spacecraft.

"Do you think it's a good idea to go back to Earth?"

Loki's disquiet lifted the edge of Thor's mouth. "Yes, of course, the people of Earth love me. I'm very popular."

His brother nodded. "Let me rephrase that. Do you really think it's a good idea to bring me back to Earth?"

Loki would have nothing to worry about anyway, in terms of physical attacks. Midgardian military forces were as effective against them as throwing sand at The Destroyer, when it had existed. And Thor would reason with the Avengers. Somehow.

"Probably not, to be honest" he said anyway. "But I wouldn't worry, Brother. I feel like everything's going to work out fine."

And then they saw it.

That it seemed to appear out of nowhere was ludicrous, because it was simply the biggest ship that Thor had ever laid eyes on. But the space ahead of their comparatively miniscule spacecraft had been a hopeful, uninterrupted view – Midgard and its little moon waiting for them, perched in the silky blackness – before a new vessel was abruptly rising between them and their destination in the next instant. It was like a monstrous guard dog, though Thor sincerely doubted Midgard had anything to do with its presence. It looked nothing like what Stark or S.H.I.E.L.D. would approve of, at least. So breathtakingly massive and grisly-looking the spectacle was, it had taken Thor a few seconds to realise what he was gaping at was just another ship.

Except that calling it just another ship also seemed absurd – it practically blacked out the realm and constellations before them, completely filling the view from the window he and Loki stood behind. And as it undulated as though riding invisible, airless currents, it seemed alive. The window glass suddenly seemed too thin a barrier between it and them, and Thor was hit with the feeling that it – or someone aboard it – was already watching them.

After what felt like an eon, Thor found his voice hiding somewhere in his suddenly hoarse throat: "Loki…"

He had no idea what to follow that with.

"Brother."

Loki's voice was strangely quiet. Thor tore his eyes away from the window to face him.

When they exchanged disturbed glances, something horribly knowing in Loki's eyes told Thor that he might very well soon be losing his brother again after all.

As always, I hope you liked it. This story took so long and required so many edits that, damn, I hope I like it too.

If leaving reviews is your kind of thing, by all means please grace me with one. I'd love to know how the dialogue worked out, or just what you thought of anything, really.

Goodbye until next time :)