So this is my first fanfic ever... Any advice is welcome, be brutally honest if you need to be, I can take it. I hope you enjoy!

"Dearest friends!" Thor's voice rumbled, his large frame steady as he walked towards his favorite group of people.

"Good day, Thor," Steve smiled, extending his hand only for it to be disregarded as he was pulled into a crushing hug. Steve returned it awkwardly, patting the exuberant god's shoulder.

"What a joyous day!" Thor beamed, releasing the soldier, "To have my dear friends in my world will no doubt be a most glorious happening!"

"Nice to see you too," Tony grumbled, rubbing his sore body, "of course, next time, I'd prefer not to travel via worm hole."

Natasha, Clint, and Bruce nodded in pained agreement.

"The Bifrost is not a hole for worms..." Thor tilted his ever confused head and raised an eyebrow "But, I do apologize, I neglected to consider your mortal, physical limitations," Thor frowned.

"Don't worry about it, Point break," Tony smiled.

Thor grinned, recovering quickly, "Very well! Let me show you the glory of Asgard!" Thor turned on his heels and began leading the group up the broken rainbow bridge.

The next hour was filled with Thor dragging the group around like a child showing off his toys. He spoke of every building, every pillar, and every person as if it were his own.

This was his world, his kingdom, his people.

The light in his eyes and the pride in his voice made the flustered group smile, even Natasha.

-x-

"Behold, this is the library!" Thor grinned, pulling the group towards a large ornate building.

"Bet you've spent loads of time in there," Tony said sarcastically.

"Books hold little interest in a warrior's mind," Thor said, "is it not better to learn from one's own experience than others?" The group shrugged before being dragged inside.

They wandered around, in awe of the massive collection, books stacked from floor to ceiling. Most were in languages unknown to them, but beautiful just the same.

The silent library was nearly empty, which was an understandable concept in a realm of warriors.

"The ones of the library are few," Thor nodded, crossing his arms, obviously bored with the calm building.

Thor had always been uncomfortable with the calm silence the library provided; that had always been Loki's forte.

Thor shook his large head, clearing his mind of his brother. He did not wish to dwell on thoughts of Loki, for if he did, that twisted, sick feeling in his stomach would return. He had been purposefully avoiding visited or thinking of his baby brother at all, he could not handle those piercing green eyes that held such hatred; hatred aimed at him.

"Hello," Natasha smiled at a small man scrawling feverishly in a book, pulling the group's attention away from their separate thoughts. The mousey man's head snapped up, and he let out a frightened squeak before scurrying away, leaving his work behind.

"Strange, the ones who dwell in the library are usually quite friendly," Thor frowned, joining the group in gathering around Natasha.

"What is this?" Bruce asked, flipping to the front page of the book.

Thor looked at the book before smiling, "it is what you midguardians call a picture book, but we of Asgard use them to tell the stories of the deceased, mainly for royalty."

"Who's that?" Steve asked as they all crowded around.

"That is Odin, the AllFather," Thor smiled, "my Father."

"What is he doing?" Tony asked.

"He is waging war against… frost giants," Thor said slowly, a sick feeling rising in his stomach.

"Is he holding a jelly bean?" Clint asked, eyeing the next page. They all looked closer, eyes squinted.

"It's a baby," Natasha confirmed.

"Why is it blue?" Tony asked.

"He is a frost giant," Thor muttered, sinking into a chair. He knew whose story this was; he knew why the man had scurried away. The type of books in question were only made under two circumstances: the person died suddenly and without warning, or the person was in the process of dying. The fact that the man was currently in the process of completing this particular book sent nauseous spasms pulsing through Thor's gut.

It was well known that Thor was pained by his brother's imprisonment, the man had most likely fled in order to escape the possible wrath of the prince.

"You ok?" Clint asked.

Thor said nothing as he stared at the page.

"Why does Odin have a baby frost giant?" Bruce asked.

"They would've killed him. He was too small. Too weak. Odin saved him," Thor felt bile rising in the throat.

They turned the page to see Odin setting the blue child next to a slightly larger tan, blond one. Behind Odin were frost giants, his extended hand keeping them at bay.

The next page showed the same picture, but now the tiny frost giant's skin was pale, his blood-red eyes now green, black tuffs of hair sticking out of his scalp. Odin remained in front of the children, blocking them from the reaching monsters.

The next few pages showed the small, raven haired giant playing joyously with the blond. It displayed the small, mischievous boy playing pranks on who he seemed to think were his brother, his mother, his father, his people.

Next was the page that erased all doubts that this was the story of the adopted brother of the same god who sat beside them. On the page, there was a portrait. On the throne sat Odin, beside him sat his wife, Frigga. On the side of his father's throne stood Thor, and beside his mother stood none other than the god of mischief himself.

Loki beamed his trademark smirk, his eyes dancing. The sharp features the group had known to belong on the god were softer, his eyes were alive with a bright light, his smirk playful and easy.

A choke rose in Thor's throat, he felt sick. This was his baby brother, the boy he had grown up with, had always been with. This was the man he had loved since childhood; he had never wanted to see his brother's face inside one of these books.

The next few pages displayed Loki's part in the story of Thor's banishment. One picture hit Thor harder than the ones before, Loki was pointing a finger past Odin to the frost giants who lurked in the corner, his other finger pointed to himself. This was obviously when Loki discovered he was indeed not the son of Odin, nor Asgardian at all. Odin simply stood, sorrow etched into his face while betrayal was clear on Loki's.

Thor let out a choking breath when they reached the picture of him clinging desperately to Loki's arm, intent on not letting him fall into the chasm.

The Avengers looked on in confusion as the pictures displayed Loki's fall. Even more so when they flipped the page.

Thor sat up, wiping his eyes. He had known Loki had been taken by the chitauri, but he had not known what they had done to him. He had not known they had tortured him to the brink of death only to let him heal before pushing him farther.

"Impossible," Thor whispered, his eyes stinging. They looked at the shocked god, confusion evident on their faces. "This... My brother... My dearest brother... How did I not know?" Thor hid his face in his hands.

The next pictures were of the war they had all fought in. They found it almost amusing to see themselves on the paper, but they couldn't help notice that hovering over Loki's head in every picture was a particularly gruesome creature.

"He is called Thanos, he is their leader," Thor muttered through his hand.

They all recoiled from the book as they turned to the last page.

It was half-finished, but clearly displayed Loki, chained to a prison wall, brutally whipped by multiple guards. He looked sickly and broken. The air of pride and light that had been clearly displayed at the beginning of this miserable tale was gone. No light shone from the broken frost giant. This last page, as all last pages of these books are, was the person's death.

Thor had had enough, he stood up violently. Storming away, the flustered group at his heels.

-x-

They reached the prison in seconds, but it seemed like days. Thor carefully masked his fuming anger as he entered the large doors.

"My lord," the warden bowed, shocked to see the prince.

"Where is Loki?" Thor boomed.

A grin spread across the warden's soiled face, "you're just in time. Follow me."

The man led them to a dark room where, behind a clear barrier, they saw Loki. Bile threatened each throat as they looked him over.

Loki hung by his arms, his feet barely grazing the stone floor. His limbs looked useless, nothing but skin and bone. Deep, inflamed gashes covered his body, scarring his once perfect skin. His face was sallow, sunken, and sickly pale, eyes half lidded, dark circles marring his once gleaming features, his hair was matted and filthy, and his only covering was a tattered cloth hanging forlornly around his waist.

They stood in shock, not noticing when the bemused man slipped silently out the door.

The silence broke when Thor ran up and threw his body against the barrier, but it would not budge. He beat his fists against the invisible wall, screaming this once brother's name.

Loki did not move, did not look up or even seem to register they were there. The only sign that life still resided within him was the broken, heaving breaths that rattled his painfully displayed rib cage.

Thor stopped when a door opened into Loki's cell. Three guards entered, two carrying whips, one holding something under a cloth. They all stood in shock as they watched the cell with certain dread.

The sound of whip on skin made them cringe.

Thor screamed, beating with new-found vigor.

Loki awoke from his trance as the whip cut into his raw, abused skin, and all their noise could not mask the soul crushing sound that escaped Loki. His mouth opened wide, blood curling screams pouring from his lungs as the harsh leather opened old wounds and created fresh ones atop them. His voice was hoarse and painful from doing this for, how long now? How long had this been permitted?

Thor knew painfully well why the warren had seemed surprised to see him there. He, nor any of the guards were permitted to exit the jail, nor were they allowed to speak of the prisoners. Because Thor had never visited, he should have never known about Loki's torture. The warren was obviously under the impression that Thor would get as much sick enjoyment from this show as he did.

"Thor!" Tony screamed over Loki's cries and Thor's beating fists, trying to get the hysterical god's attention.

"Man of Iron!" Thor growled, lifting Tony by his shirt, tears staining his face, "how long has it been since the battle at Midgard?"

"A little over a year!" Tony yelled over Loki's screams.

"A year..." Thor fell on his knees, forcing himself to look back at his brother, "why did I not visit him? Why did I not know?"

"Thor?" Natasha's voice cut through the god's words.

He looked up and followed her gaze only to have a new fire rage violently in his heart.

One of the guards had pulled the object from the cloth, they were laughing maniacally, for in their hands was a crown.

The crudely cut ornament was white with heat, as though it had come straight from the black smith's flame.

"Our lord," one of them laughed, "let us adorn you, for you are most high," the guard sneered as they forced the molten metal on the small demigod's head, wrenching a new, horrible scream from Loki's lips.

"Pleased with our work, your highness?" one jeered.

"Only the best for you," another smirked.

"The prince of the frost giants should be handled with care," the last guard grinned, grabbing Loki's thin face and forcing him to look into his eyes, "can you hear me, you blasphemous prat? No one wants you. No one cares about you. You will hang here until the day your arms fall off and your body decays on the stone."

Loki glared at him, it was a weak and pitiful attempt, but was able to gather the last of his strength to spit in the guard's eye.

"You filthy creature," the guard growled, smacking him, "may you rot in here for eternity."

Finally, they left, and Loki hung, shaking, blood gushing down his body in streams.

"Thor?" Steve asked, tearing his eyes away only to see the large god hunched over what appeared to be the contents of his stomach.

"I am going," Thor stood shakily to his feet.

"Where?" Clint asked.

"To save my brother," Thor growled before storming out the door.

-x-

"Loki!" Thor boomed as the door crashed open.

"My lord, I beg of you to halt!" the warden screamed, but Thor disregarded him, pushing his way through.

The walk from the door to Loki felt like miles.

"Loki?" Thor whispered as he stood before his brother, the group at his back.

The only sign that Loki was alive was a slight twitch under his eyelid.

"My brother!" Thor screamed desperately, "awaken! I have come!"

Loki's eyes snapped open, "Thor?" he rasped with an abused voice.

Thor only nodded.

"Surely it is not so. Only a dream. Only a trick," Loki whispered as he watched tears run down Thor's cheeks, "Now I know I am dreaming," Loki smiled coldly, "the prince of Asgard, weeping over a frost giant."

"Asgardian or no, it matters not. You are Loki, correct? Are you not the same Loki who I played with as a child, who I allowed to sleep in my bed when he was plagued by nightmares, whose endless pranks I endured?" Thor smiled pleadingly through his tears.

Loki scoffed and looked away, "do you not see me, are you blind? I am not your brother. I never was."

"I see a brother," Thor said solemnly, "I see a friend."

"You have no brother," Loki frowned. His words were like daggers in the larger Norse god's heart; this was why Thor had never come to visit his baby brother, because he knew that if he did, he would have to accept just how much Loki had truly grown to hate him.

"Let us argue elsewhere," Thor sighed as he began pulling Loki's limbs free of their bindings.

-x-

"Father!" Thor roared as he burst into the throne room.

Odin's face filled with shock, which multiplied at the sight of his youngest son, who had passed out the second his feet touched the ground and was now being carried by a very flustered Steve.

"Father, what is this blasphemy?" Thor boomed, "Even our most dangerous of prisoners are not treated as such! He is your son! He is royalty! All heritage set aside!" he was pointing at Loki, tears threatening his eyes.

Odin began walking towards them on shaky legs, "My son," Odin's voice shook, "my little one. What has happened?"

"What happened to my son?" Frigga cried as she ran to Loki.

"Do you jest?" Thor growled, "Do you expect me to believe that you had no inclination that Loki was being treated as such?"

"I would not treat our worst enemies so!" Odin said, horrified.

Loki stirred in Steve's arms, causing all to fall silent. His eyes opened slowly, dangerously dilated pupils wandering around the room before locking onto Odin.

In a split second, Loki was out of Steve's arms, scampering anywhere but towards the father he was sure was there to kill him. In his frenzy, he did not notice the Avengers until he collided with Tony's leg, causing a new wave of terror to wash over him.

He tried to stand and run but his arms would hardly hold him, much less his legs. As fear clouding all thought, all judgment, he cowered.

Loki, the proud god of mischief and lies, cowered at their feet.

Even the smallest of sobs rattled his whole body, his spine protruding under thin, abused skin, cut and bleeding hands covered his head.

"Brother?" Thor soothed, "We will not hurt you."

Loki remained where he sat.

Part (1/?) of "Only Fools Love Monsters"

Sorry it was kinda short, I've already got several chapters written and all it takes is one positive review and they'll be up. Thank you for reading! Please R&R!