A/N: This is my very first fanfiction, so be kind please, especially if the characters go OOC a little, I need to get used to them. I'm not a native speaker and also, I don't have a beta-reader. ;)

This is a m/m romance story with slash in later chapters. Set after the Avengers.

Please review, I'd love to know what you think about this.

I don't own the characters.

Edit: Beta-ed by the lovely Yogg. Thank you so much! 3

It was a fine, sunny day for the New York City. Older couples and mothers with strollers were slowly getting home and the younger population was getting out into the streets as the sun was slowly moving down, bathing the buildings in a warm, yellow tones. One particular ray of light, however, seemed a little out of place.

There was a loud crunch as Loki's body ricocheted from one wall onto the cold ground and slid into an oddly smelling pack of bags. He hissed in pain as he struggled out of the garbage, one of his hands immediately going to the side of his chest. Probably a broken rib. Looking around, he found himself in a small, dark and dirty alley. Midgard then. Good that he didn't fall on someone, not that he'd mind hurting a person or two right now, but drawing attention wouldn't work for his current situation.

Escaping from Asgard went good until he crossed a particular line and his own powers betrayed him, forcing the magic against him. Asgardians were foolish though, Loki wasn't as weak as they considered him to be. He experienced so much pain in his life that their ridiculous attempt of stripping him of his magic if he was to escape, vastly failed.

Even so, that meant his powers were strongly wasted now. Loki sat up and with a heavy breath he leaned on the cold wall. Shaking his head to clear it, he glanced down and looked over his body. Legs seemed to be fine, thankfully, so he wouldn't have to crawl trough this Gods forgotten planet. His chest was clothed in his royal leather coat but he saw his own blood soaking through. There was probably a deep cut under the clothing, so deep that even a God winced over the pain it caused. Running a hand over his ribs, he found out he really did had two ribs broken and when he tried to lift his left arm, he had to bite his finger from crying out loud. Disclocated.

"In the name of… Damn!" Loki clenched his jaw as he tried to move again. No can do, he has to heal himself first. He began the process of curing himself at the broken ribs part first. He leaned over a little, lean fingers playing the old magic. He felt the bone cracks close and get back into place as he grazed his chest as if his own body was a musical instrument. It was when he wanted to move to the cut in his abdomen when he felt the magic flicker and slowly fade. He sat back again, acceptance clear on his features. Seemed like the escape cost him more magic than he has thought at first.

He closed his eyes and sighed a little anxiously. His hands moved to close around him in surrender to his own weakness. Loki knew very well that it wouldn't be easy, but better to be weak and vulnerable on a planet he had practically nothing to fear on, then worry about his fate and life in the jails of Asgard.

"Come on, I think I heard it somewhere around here!" Loki's head shot up. Someone's found him. There was a moment in which he considered fleeing, but how could he? He had no chance escaping with a dislocated shoulder, open wound dripping blood and his body so weak that he would have laughed over himself if only he could.

"Over there!" Now he heard footsteps. Loki stopped dead in his tracks and listened. Two, no, three pairs of legs. Quickly approaching him. What were his options now? If it was only one of those mortals, he could have fought them, but three were… disconcerting considering his current state. Biting his lip, he looked at his hands and his eyes flickered a bit. There was still some magic left in him.

Loki's lips moved slowly, speaking words of millenium old language as his body started to glow at first, then morph. In a matter of few seconds, his shape got distinctly smaller, but just as lean. His raven black hair got shorter and it seemed as if it spread all over his body; back first, then arms and legs. His human ears shaped and moved to the top of his head when his legs and arms morphed into the ones of a four legged animal. Where the God of Mischief, Loki of Asgard sat moments ago, there was a cat now. Black as the night, eyes deep, emerald green.

"You've got to be kidding, dude." It was just then, when three teen boys ran into the alley and all of them stopped dead when their eyes met with the green ones. "A cat?"

"You made us run like that for nothing but this gross creature, thank you very much!" One of them, the tallest one, said rather loudly and Loki would have snapped his spine if he could. Calling him gross? He stood up on all fours and backed a little. He didn't want any kind of trouble in this extremely vulnerable form, not to say he was still injured.

"I'm sorry buddy! You never know when one of the superheroes could appear again, would you rather miss something like that?" It was a brown haired boy now; he seemed to be the one who forced them to run there.

"I would not, you idiot, but you've got us a damned cat!" At that the tall boy moved towards Loki and the God suddenly felt something in him itch for another escape. "Fucking animal!"

Loki didn't know if he should be thanking himself for healing the ribs first, or cursing himself for not running sooner when the shoe of the tall boy connected violently with his side. Stumbling to the ground with a painful hiss, he forced himself to get up again and leaped forward for exit from the alley. Limp or not, even with his dislocated shoulder, he could get himself killed in this form. It was too dangerous for him now.

"Don't you run from me!" The boy followed even to the loud protests of his companions. Loki had a hard time believing what was happening. If he was in his human form, he would have accepted violent behavior. He was used to it. But were Midgardians really so stained with their own vanity as to lower themselves to hurt an innocent animal? Loki wasn't innocent, he knew that well. But in this form, he was no more than a stray cat to the humans.

He was almost there, the light from the New York's street blindening him already.

"Gotcha!" Loki was roughly pulled up by the skin on his neck, momentarily feeling almost paralyzed. Damn this cat thing. The boy lifted him up to the height of his eyes and grinned wickedly, gripping the delicate skin even tighter, making Loki hiss in pain. He felt the power over his body for a moment and used it to swiftly lift his healthy paw and smack it over the boy's face as hard as he could. Claws included. "Ouch! You little bastard!"

Moment later, he was sent flying to the ground again. He was thanking the feline instincts now, landing on all fours was surely helpful. Loki moved into a defense position, awaiting another kick or pull from the human.

"Leave it boys! What the hell do you think you are doing!?" The God stilled. That was a familiar voice. A way too familiar voice.

"There you have your superhero, dumbass. Run!" The brown haired boy shouted and the three of them turned to flee. Loki would be glad, indeed, but his attention snapped to the car that parked at the side of the road. The door slam shut and to his measureless surprise, Anthony Stark, the very man he threw out of a window quickly strode his way to him.

He hissed. Oh dear, another frustrating cat thing he's probably set on automatic whenever he got stressed. As noble and royal he was, Loki hissed at the man like any Midgard cat would. That was just ridiculous.

"Hush now, little guy." Stark said soothingly and kneeled down in front of the little creature. Loki realised then, Stark had no idea of who he really was. If he behaves like a normal cat would, he should be just fine.

Tony glanced over the cat and sighed dramatically. "They messed you up real good, didn't they?" he said, grazing a hand over the black fur and feeling the animal twitch away from his touch. Tony saw the blood then and his eyes quickly found the deep cut, then the left front paw being in an odd angle. Another sigh.

"How about we get you fixed, okay, buddy?" Tony announced and Loki had only a moment before it dawned on him, that Stark was planning on taking him with him. It was a low growl that escaped his throat now. It took effort not to claw his hands just like he did with the stupid boy. But then again, he realised, he could use the man. Let him think that he's only an injured stray cat that needs it's time and rest. It couldn't be that bad, if his true identity stays hidden, he could even heal faster than he thought at first.

Stark leaned over to lift the lean body, the cat suddenly surprisingly obedient. "There you go. You'll be alright." He said, his voice soft and calming to Loki's surprise. Maybe, just maybe, Stark was being a douchebag with people only. That would be another plus for the God then.

When they got into the expensive car, Tony looked over the interior first, before pulling a shirt from the backseat and putting it on the passenger seat. He gently placed the cat there, trying not to move it's body too much in case there was any internal damage.

"Right." He exhaled as he sat down. "Be a good cat and behave before we get you to a doc, kay?"

Loki looked up at Stark as he pulled the car on the street again. He registered the man's expensive suit and a billionare's visage, but his face seemed tired. Small scars on his face didn't escape him as well; they were probably from the fight few months ago, maybe even from the glass when he threw him out of the Stark Tower.

It was now, that he finally had a moment to lie down that he realised just how tired he really was. The endless run, excessive use of his magic and the wounds; it all fell on him now, that the adrenaline ran out. Loki felt his eyes flutter shut and with a sigh, he let his head fall on his front paws. A little nap would surely help him even if just a little and the stupid man next to him had no idea who he really was anyway. Perfect. It was just before his mind left the body and he fell asleep that he felt a warm hand gently caress the top of his head.

~tbc~

That's it for now! So sorry if it seems a little short, I was just setting the scene ;)

Reviews would mean the world to me, I'll try to reply to them in the beginning of next chapter. Let me know what you guys think of it!