oOo

Chapter 11 – Aftermath

"Nat?"

"What?"

"Sometimes I hate this job."

"Me too," Natasha smirked. "Sometimes."

Clint snorted, "Sometimes.

The two assassins returned to the living room and found it empty. They looked up at the lab and saw Tony peek out from the broken window. "Up here!" He called, looking a little more energetic. "You're just in time to see the finale."

Natasha scowled, "Not sure I want to see it."

They made their way up the stairs and into the lab. The team was gathered in front of a hologram showing the two Thors fighting. When no one asked them the very question they expected to hear, it was already clear the team knew Loki had gone.

Clint scoffed, "You sent a drone?"

"We're assessing the playing field." Tony defended. "It's not like we can just prance around and join in. Seriously though, this is gonna be another PR nightmare if we don't get a hand on the wheel."

"Good luck with that."

"No luck with Loki?" The billionaire jabbed. "Too fast for yah?"

"Don't be an ass."

"We need another distraction." Steve declared, looking just about done with everyone. "It worked before, but we need a lot more than that. Problem is, we don't want them to direct their attacks on us. So any ideas?"

"Bruce isn't an option." Tony piped. "Just saying."

"Reminding," Bruce corrected.

Natasha stared at the footage, then back outside where the fight was. She had only one answer since the beginning of this whole fiasco, and none of it included them. She sighed loudly and voiced her opinion.

"If we can't do anything about those two, then we focus on finding Loki."

Tony groaned, "He's not exactly a team player."

"Neither were you," She jabbed. "But look at you now." That earned her a glare, but she waved it off and continued. "We've seen what Loki can do. If we get him on our side, he can teleport those two away and out of the public eye. He just needs a push in the right direction."

"Sound like a plan." Clint agreed.

"Question is how." Bruce said.

"Not sure, may take a while." Natasha admitted with a shrug. "He's in shock. But you and I know he's our only means to an end."

"Stark," Steve called. "Can you lock in on Loki's location?"

"Can I?" Tony snorted in jest.

When Steve narrowed his eyes, the billionaire groaned and conceded.

"Fine, worth a try. Jarvis?" He called. "Trace any similar readings from Loki's magical signature from anywhere within a 200 mile radius, then crossmatch it from the data we've collected; heat signatures, silhouette, anything. Find out where he's at."

Bruce mumbled, "I take it he's no longer in the tower."

"No, Dr. Banner." The A.I. replied, stating the obvious guess of many. "But you may want to direct your attention to the screen."

The footage of the two Thors minimized to the corner and new footage came up. It showed the top view of New York and kept zooming in until it presented a roof deck with a figure standing over the edge. At the side were vitals, statistics, heat signature, and cross referencing data from the previous researches Tony and Bruce had done.

Steve asked, "What are we looking at?"

"Heat signature is nearly untraceable." Jarvis answered, emphasizing it on the screen. "The startling temperature stands out among thousands. I've also taken the liberty of accessing restricted Shield files on Mr. Loki and it matches."

"Frost Giant, check." Tony sighed. "Anything else, Jarvis?"

"There are irregularities in the behavioral pattern of particles in the area. They seem to be charged—"

"Like molecules breaking down?" Bruce asked. "Ions, electrons?"

"In the theory of teleportation, yes." Jarvis stated. "The traces are faint, but they are there and they match Mr. Loki's."

"Bingo." Tony said.

The billionaire took control of the drone with his phone and enhanced the footage of it. He pointed the drone away from the two Thors and locked onto the location. A collective gasp echoed in the room.

"How 'bout that?" He said as Loki came into view. "We got our guy."

Clint smirked, "I think Nat got through to him."

"Finally," Natasha muttered.

"It's like you guys expect him to fight his own brother." Tony mockingly declared, having found the entire thing so absurd. "I've tried to cook this guy a meal. We already know he isn't the same Loki that fought us six months ago. He's pretty decent, polite, and a little sarcastic, but let's face it… the guy's afraid of his own brother."

"Your point?" Clint asked.

"He's not wrong," Steve declared. "But he's not right either."

"Excuse me?" Tony gasped. "Did you just—?"

"Compared to us, he can take a hit." The Captain countered. "The sooner we get this fight done, the sooner we can get more answers from Thor. And the only way to do that is to get Loki on our side."

Bruce sighed, "You make it sound so easy."

"We gotta hope for a miracle."

Suddenly, Coulson, who was a little away from the group, raised his voice. "Miracles can wait. The Director's here and he's not happy. He has the Helicarrier flying above the river. He already has a team deployed if things get out of hand."

"Too late for that." Clint said.

"What about the World Security Council?" Natasha wondered. "What's their say on this?"

"Fury's not looking to find out." Coulson explained. "We might be able to pass this off as a bad storm if we're lucky. But when this becomes national emergency and the Council finds out it's not a normal weather pattern, then that's the time we panic."

"That's horrible." Bruce said.

"Not to be rude or anything," Tony rolled his eyes. "But first of all, if they send a nuke in New York, I'm going to point it straight at them; and second, we have a problem." The billionaire pointed at the screen. "We're harboring a war criminal that doesn't look like he's planning on helping."

Natasha smirked, "That's where you're wrong, Tony."

"Remind me again, why?"

"Why would Loki be outside if he wasn't going to do anything?" She countered, crossing her arms over her chest. "If you remember, Loki's pretty calculating and methodical. I'm sure he's planning his next steps."

Before anyone could argue, they felt a strong power surge hit the tower.

The Avengers toppled to their feet as the blast took out the lights and short-circuited the wires, causing sparks to go off in different directions. A huge gust of wind and rain began to enter the broken windows and the flashes of lightning and thunder added to the effect of an ominous horror story.

Steve asked, "Is everyone okay?"

"What was that?" Clint wondered. "It's like an EMP went off."

"Not an EMP." Tony grimaced as he got back up to his feet. "We seem to forget that Thor's from another planet and his lightning blasts can very well be fucking magical." He raised his phone and ordered, "Jarvis, tell me something I don't know."

"Communications in the tower are down, Sir."

"Great." He palmed his face. "Give me stats on the damages."

"Damages are 88%."

"And the remaining 12?"

"I can still access some of the controls within the tower, Sir." Jarvis stated. "As for the lab, the security protocols for possible blackouts are fully operational."

"What about the arc reactor?" Bruce questioned, slightly worried about the outcome of Tony's creation. "Did it harness the electrical energy that surged through the tower?"

"It powered the arc reactor as it had done with Mr. Stark's suit six months ago." Tony wiggled his eyebrows at Bruce for that comment. "But it did damages to the surrounding areas that aren't capable of redirecting that much electrical energy, causing a discharge that led most of the circuit failures to occur."

"It can be fixed," Steve asked. "Right?"

"If we're lucky." Bruce nodded.

"We are." Tony huffed as he started pacing, tapping a few things on his phone. "The arc reactor is like a bomb in and of itself. We're lucky it didn't explode part of Manhattan or we can kiss our asses' goodbye. It just so happened the pulse was strong enough to destroy most of the things within the tower."

"Not a good thing to joke about." Natasha quipped.

"Tell me about it." He palmed his face. "There's nothing I can do about the tower." He announced, but retracted it immediately. "Not right now, but I can fix it. But I need time and more than myself to do it. Going back to the main problem— we're sitting ducks over here."

"Shield has us monitored." Coulson pointed out.

"Is that good?" Steve asked.

"Fury would've seen the blast and thought the worst. I'll contact him again and try to delay the inevitable. The rest of you though… should think of a plan to stop this fight."

With that statement, he moved to the corner of the room and dialed Fury. The rest of the Avengers began to argue, but Clint wanted no part of that. He moved away from the team and walked over to the window, feeling the slight, cold breeze hit his face.

Then something bright caught his eye.

"Guys?" Clint called. "You need to look at this."

"What's wrong?" Natasha asked.

"Outside."

The billionaire lifted his phone, tapped it twice, and pulled out a holographic footage from the drone. They stared at the screen and paled. Loki was on the same roof as both Thors. All of a sudden, Past Thor raised Mjölnir and attacked.

The lightning hit Loki.

"We're going out." Steve declared. "Prepare the Quinjet."

oOo

Loki raised his hands a little too late.

His force field barely solidified before it instantly shattered at contact. He tensed as he skidded through the wet pavement, tumbling uncontrollably. He very nearly went off the edge of the roof if his brother hadn't stopped.

When the lightning died, Loki felt everything.

There was ringing in his ears and a sting of pain on his chest. He turned to the side and groaned as the world continued to spin. A stupid thought entered his mind; he really wished he had changed his attire to his normal leather armor and not his casual clothes.

He could feel his drenched clothing stick to his skin, making for an unpleasant experience.

Suddenly, he felt hands on him.

The hands were large, but they were gentle enough to withstand. They glided over his lean arms and face, checking him. Loki would've bolted, but the touch was oddly… calming and comforting.

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

Loki realized he was sitting and the large hands held him in place. Aware of the kind person behind him, he carelessly placed a hand over his chest and assessed the damage for himself. He had a few holes in his shirt from his brother's attack.

"That was very foolish," He scolded himself. "This is what I get for helping."

Like a dagger, he felt a twisting stab of pain on his chest. He curled into himself and allowed his seidr to envelop him and heal most of the damages. It was a slow regenerative process, but it was the only thing he could do at the moment.

After all, he wasn't a healer.

Norns, he knew Thor was physically stronger and he appreciated that fact, but it was not nice being on the receiving end of it. Lost in contemplation, he didn't realize the ringing in his ears had stopped and his name was called out.

"Loki?"

That startled him.

Slowly, the young god lifted his head and felt a hand brush the wet strands of his hair off his face. He was met with bright blue eyes, but it wasn't from the brother he knew. It was Present Thor's. Loki gaped, feeling utterly foolish.

"Are you well?" He asked. "Tell me if you're not."

Loki was too busy gawking to answer.

Present Thor moved to Loki's side when he decided the young god was capable of holding himself up. He continued to fuss, making Loki even more bewildered. While Present Thor was distracted, Loki took the time to closely observe him.

The man barely had a scratch on him.

"I am glad you're not seriously injured." Present Thor gave him a genuine smile. "A few grazes here and there, and a little singed but… you look… you look well."

This was not how Loki knew Thor.

His brother rarely if ever joked in so awkward a way. He was always infuriatingly straightforward, confident, and intimidating. He rarely showed vulnerability and concern unless there was great need for it.

It was disconcerting at first, but the genuine worry made Loki's heart flutter. It was quite… how should he put it? Refreshing? Yes, despite the unfamiliarity of the action and words, it was indeed refreshing… memorable even.

All of a sudden, Loki's face was gently smooshed by those big hands, and bright blue eyes leaned far too closely for Loki's liking.

"Can you hear me, Loki?"

The question was innocent, yet quite alarming. The young god blinked and continued to gawk. Of course Present Thor wouldn't have known he was alright, because Loki hadn't spoken a single sentence since the fight began.

So Loki forced himself to answer.

"Y-yes."

If this was his actual brother, he would've started a lecture about the importance of aiming, but of course it wasn't his Thor. And if he weren't so shocked and impressed by Present Thor's maturity and attitude, he would've shed tears. After all, no one would be able to tell the difference with the rain splattering over his face.

This kind of attitude was how Loki had always imagined Thor would be; wise, kind, powerful, and thoughtful.

However, the one thing that got to Loki most was the sad look in Present Thor's eyes. He had always considered himself a good judge of character, so when he had gazed into those eyes, he saw way more than sadness.

There was pain and regret hidden within.

"Enough is enough," The older god declared. "The fight ends here."

Present Thor released Loki's face and let a hand linger at the back of Loki's neck. Ever since they were children, this gesture brought comfort to Loki. It made him feel safe and secure, making him appreciate Thor despite their differences.

The concern in his eyes was also hard to ignore, and it only served to melt Loki towards forgiving his brother. And speaking of, if Present Thor was with him, then where was his brother?

Gently, Loki pulled away from Present Thor to find him.

It was no hardship to spot his brother, for he stood at the same spot he was before. His head was down, covered by his wet, blonde hair. Thor did this in extreme circumstances whenever he was in turmoil or grief. There was guilt in his posture, but beneath it laid the unspoken truth of anger, confusing, and jealousy, which Loki found utterly ridiculous.

His own brother was jealous of his future-self.

"You frown," Present Thor voiced. "And I can see the wheels in your head turning."

Loki ceased frowning and turned to him. He didn't expect Present Thor to start an actual conversation with him. Honestly, he wasn't sure if he could even hold one properly, not with him. Present Thor would've already known every trick by now.

"I think it's time we returned to the tower."

Honestly, he wasn't sure if he could even hold one properly, not with him. Present Thor would've already known every trick by now.

"I think it's time we returned to the tower."

Yes.

Loki would like that.

He tried to stand, but the sharp pain returned, making him sit back down. Maybe he broke a rib or something, he wasn't sure. He could still feel some burning on his chest as his body tried to heal itself.

"I really need to learn healing from Eir." Loki thought.

Present Thor noticed the young god's discomfort and awkwardly reached out. He patted Loki's head like a child and pulled away when emerald eyes turned to him.

Loki's cheeks reddened.

He turned away to hide his face and focused instead on his own brother. He wasn't sure what he expected, but he wanted an apology, simple apology, that was it. But Thor just… stood there, guilt-ridden in the rain.

It made Loki mad.

Desperately, he wanted to call out and ask where his courage and confidence had gone, but knew better than to start another fight. How Loki could see through Thor's thoughts so easily was a mystery that escaped even him.

Loki sighed in defeat and decided to let it go.

"Stay calm and all would be well."

Again, he felt the same comforting hand soothe circles on his back.

Loki raised his head to give Present Thor a genuine smile of gratitude, but the older god's attention was elsewhere. Before Loki could inquire what bothered him, a powerful gust of wind and rain struck them.

The young god wiped the water from his face and looked up to see the Quinjet hovering above them.

Gently, it landed by the corner of the roof.

The Avengers, save Bruce, came out.

All of their weapons were directed at his brother. Clint pulled the string of his bow at full draw, Natasha clicked the safety off her gun, and Tony, who had finally donned on his suit, aimed his repulsors at him.

Loki felt panic rise in his chest.

"Do not hurt him!" He found himself shouting. "He has surrendered!"

The young god pushed himself up, only to topple back into Present Thor's arms. A hand wrapped around his waist to support him, but Loki didn't want that. Weak as he was, he struggled anyways. After a few attempts, he gave up and huffed in annoyance.

"Captain Rogers," Present Thor called.

Coulson whispered something to Steve, who merely nodded, and stayed inside the Quinjet. Steve walked over to Present Thor, using his shield as an umbrella.

"Thor," Steve replied. "Are you alright?"

"I've been better."

"We have a lot to sort out…"

Loki paid no attention to their conversation. Instead, he focused his attention on his brother, whose hands were pulled together in front of him and heavy restraints were placed on his wrists. Like a criminal, he thought. He stared sadly at Thor until his brother gave him one last look.

It was a look that showed no regrets.

It seemed as if the fight had not been enough to deter his brother's opinions nor did it open his mind to the truth. Loki being injured wasn't even enough to convince his brother to cease his childish behavior.

It was horrible.

Loki closed his eyes, just as his breathing became erratic.

He felt trapped, confused, and ashamed.

Present Thor immediately noticed the distress in Loki's stillness and loosened his grip on the younger's waist. He brought his lips closer to Loki's ears and whispered, "Trust me. He will not be in any danger and neither will you. I will protect you."

Loki nodded meekly and decided to trust him.

The young god watched as they towed Thor into the Quinjet. "Time to go." Present Thor gently guided Loki to the others and Loki sullenly obeyed. Before they entered, the older god raised his hand and Past Thor's Mjölnir flew to him.

"Now he has two." Loki thought.

It wasn't exactly a bad thing, but when he looked at his brother's face having witnessed that, it sent alarms through his mind. Of course that was another blow to his brother's ego. Loki shook that from his thoughts and watched his brother settle by the door while the rest of the Avengers moved further inside.

Loki decided he didn't want to be near any of them.

He pulled away from Present Thor and settled himself next to his brother, who stared at the floor in despair. No one questioned his decision. Loki turned to his brother, and reached out, but caught himself.

He stopped and pulled his hand back before it could touch his brother's arm.

No, it wasn't time for that.

Not yet.

"Coulson," Natasha called, resuming her spot as the co-pilot. "Any word from Fury?"

"Already gave him an update." He waved his phone around. "My job here is done. I'll head back to the Helicarrier and give my full report to the Director. I'm leaving the rest of you to fix this mess."

"So soon?" Present Thor asked as he felt slightly disappointed at the abrupt parting. "I have yet to honor your name for your perseverance and outstanding bravery. There are still quite a number of topics I wish to discuss with you in person."

It was true.

He did feel somewhat guilty when he thought Coulson had died, especially when it was Loki who had dealt him the final blow. When he had arrived at the tower, he had a lot on his mind to share so he hadn't address the elephant in the room, but now…

"We have not had drinks yet."

"Sorry, Thor." Coulson apologetically patted his arm. "Maybe next time."

"I'll take your word for it."

"Before I forget," He brought his hands together. "Fury would want you to start the machine and get these two back to their own timeline. Once that's done, he wants you to destroy everything. No evidence."

"Seriously?" Tony questioned.

"Yes, seriously." Coulson smiled and quoted Clint. "Doors open from both sides."

"Wait a minute. Hold up!" Clint yelled when the Agent stepped out of the Quinjet and into the pouring rain. "I'm just about ready to takeoff. We were planning on dropping you over to the Helicarrier afterwards. Where are you going?"

"Yeah," Tony pointed. "Tower is that way."

"I have a plane to catch."

With that statement, another Quinjet landed on the same roof ready to pick him up. Steve quickly made his way to Coulson and made use of his shield to keep the rain away. He extended his hand, which the Agent gladly shook.

"Thank you." Steve said. "I wish our meeting wasn't so… urgent."

"Me too," Coulson smiled.

They said a few more words to each other before parting.

Natasha closed the doors while Clint prepared the jet for takeoff. Tony and Steve hung out behind the two pilots while Present Thor retreated to the opposite side of the two brothers by the door. No doubt he wanted to keep a close eye on them in case they do anything foolish.

It was an awkward ride, but a quick one.

"I don't know where to begin," Steve whispered, turning to Tony. "Think you could fix the tower and have it up and running."

Tony shrugged, "Might take a while."

As the team discussed the repairs, casualties, and future plans, Present Thor mulled over the events that led him to where he was.

He hated it, but he could accept it.

When Loki inched closer to his past-self and rested his head on his brother's shoulders, he was reminded again of what he had lost. He missed his brother, but he would never admit it. Not to anyone, no. He would keep that into his grave. He watched as Past Thor sighed and leaned a little closer to support his little brother.

Unspoken forgiveness…

It pained him.

He knew his relationship with his own brother would never be the same, and it hurt more than anything. He had abandoned his brother in that cell in order to cut the pain away. He wanted to show him that he didn't need him, didn't want a traitor for a brother… but he was wrong.

So wrong.

"Get ready to drop." Clint announced. "We're here."

The Quinjet landed back at the tower. Tony and Clint escorted the two siblings inside while Steve, Present Thor, and Natasha hung back by the entrance. There was something nagging at Thor that the two had caught.

"Thor," Steve asked. "Is there something wrong?"

"We need to return them quickly." He answered, glancing at the two identical weapons on his belt. "The more they stay here, the more damage they cause to the fabric of time and space. I also have concerns that the All-Father will interfere if given the chance."

"Is that bad?" Natasha asked.

"Very."

oOo

Loki sat on a gurney in one of the medical floors.

He rubbed his eyes and fought to stay awake. He was so exhausted and drained, but everyone wanted him checked out. He had insisted he was fine and healing, but they wanted to follow procedures.

So Loki humored them.

Whether it was evasive or not, he didn't care.

He was far too busy mulling over the truth of his birthright, the answer to his inner struggles, and his new growing problem with his brother. Overwhelmed by the influx of knowledge and emotion, he didn't notice Bruce walk up to him.

"How are you feeling?"

Loki startled easily and feigned ignorance, "I beg your pardon?"

"I thought I lost you there for a moment." Bruce mumbled as he gave an awkward cough. "The tests are almost done and I just wanted to make sure if you were okay. How… how are you feeling, by the way?"

"Like crap."

Bruce raised his eyebrow in shock.

He didn't expect that kind of answer to come from one so… sophisticated? He had spoken to Loki before and the young god had been painfully articulate, so this was a first. Loki noticed the change in the comfortable silence and it leaned towards discomfort.

"Forgive me," Loki apologized. "I'm just… tired."

"Yeah, it shows."

Bruce tapped a few things on the screen next to the gurney and pointed it towards Loki. It showed his vitals, his temperature, and every other result internal and external that Loki didn't really care about.

"Are we done?" Loki wondered.

"Not exactly."

The scientist took off his glasses and decided now was a good time as any. "We're… grateful that you fixed majority, if not all the damages your brother did to the tower… but… you didn't really have to do that; especially not in your… state."

"It was the least I could do."

"It wasn't yours to fix."

Loki bitterly chuckled, "He is still my brother."

No matter how much he tried to convince himself of that statement, it didn't seem genuine anymore; not when he knew the truth. Loki raised his emerald eyes in warning and looked about ready to bolt from the gurney should the doctor begin a lecture.

"May I ask you something?" Bruce blurted. "If that's alright with you?"

Not a lecture then.

"I have no secrets to hide, Dr. Banner."

"What do you mean?"

"I have no secrets to hide that you may not already know." Loki said as he waved at the tests results on the screen. "You are far more clever and valiant than we…" He caught himself. "…than the Aesir describe you to be. Here you have a criminal, yet you worry and tend to me like one of your own."

"I can argue with those statements."

"Can you?"

"You're not a criminal," Bruce began and took a seat on his chair. "If this… destruction gets out and your brother's face gets plastered on the news… that might make him a criminal, but to the public. But we know that he's not… you know, a criminal."

Loki chuckled, "You are losing me, Dr. Banner."

"Okay," He took a deep breath and went for it. "If giving people the benefit of the doubt is what separates us from others, then that's a good thing, right?"

The young god thought about it for a moment.

"Debatable."

Bruce raised an eyebrow, "How so?"

"Many reasons."

"Name them."

Norns, this mortal was persistent, but it made Loki feel… engaged? Yes, it helped distract him from the dark thoughts that plagued his mind. He silently thanked the man and continued their slightly enjoyable and somewhat laborious debate.

"It's neither."

Bruce gestured, "Why?"

"It's not justifiable." Loki sighed, giving in to his tenaciousness. "After all, you are not the ones who had lost much in the conflict. Therefore you cannot rule over what is best for said criminal. So no, giving one the benefit of the doubt is not good enough."

"Have we done something to make you feel uncomfortable?"

"No, I simply find your ways strange."

"I think it's right for us to give the benefit of the doubt." Bruce consoled, trying hard to make Loki understand that they had a lead on why Present Loki did what he did. "You aren't the same guy that we fought six months ago."

"So you've said." Loki huffed. "Need I receive more reminders?"

"I think you've got plenty enough on your plate."

"Your question, Dr. Banner?"

"I just wanted to know if you're coping well... with the truth."

Bruce coughed awkwardly when Loki took a very long time to answer. To save himself from the uncomfortable silence, he moved his chair away from the gurney to feign productivity. He was used to silence, but this was agony to him.

He thought he was getting along so well with the young god, but now it was like he had poked through the unknown and was getting punished for sticking his head in the bag.

"I am trying to understand." Loki lamented.

The young god chuckled nervously as he wrung his hands together.

"It is difficult," He softly spoke as Bruce gave him his undivided attention. "And quite overwhelming to understand. You think you know everything and what lies ahead, but that path was never supposed to be yours to tread."

"I get that." Bruce said.

"You do?"

"Being a green rage monster isn't really a path anyone would take." He joked. "So just know that you're not alone in that."

Loki chuckled at the honesty, "Thank you. I suppose I'm confused about my next steps." He answered truthfully. "After this revelation, it is difficult to find the right ground. Not only is the terrain different, but so is the rider. Whereas I could acclimate to the new terrain, everyone around me is confused."

"Because the rider is different."

Loki sighed, "Yes."

"I'm not sure you should worry about that." Bruce said as he picked up the clipboard to write down some of his findings. "When the time comes to send you back home, this issue would no longer be your problem."

"How so?"

"Time is… fragile." He started. "And there are numerous possibilities that you aren't the same Loki that turned into the Present Loki."

"You speak of the multiverse?"

Bruce blinked, "I'm surprised you know that."

"I've done my research as well, Dr. Banner." Loki proudly grinned. "I'm quite sure this is our future. And I should be the one that says you shouldn't concern yourself so much with those problems, for I already have a solution."

"And that is?"

"To erase our memories."

"What?" Bruce blinked. "You can do that?"

"And more."

"And more?!" Bruce gaped at this new knowledge and unobtrusively written it down, but he knew he wouldn't forget that. "I just want to say," He stammered. "You're a very well-mannered person."

Loki brought a hand to his mouth and smothered a laugh. Mortals really were interesting creatures. And he found, that out of all the Avengers, he liked Bruce and Tony the most for they were quick-witted, intelligent, and quite unpredictable.

"I'm not as quick to fuel as Thor is."

He pulled the hem of his sleeves and stared at the ground. He felt shy all of a sudden, and he wasn't sure why it took a lot for him to admit this. Perhaps it was because he was reminded again of his brother… his quick to fuel brother.

Loki's smile died, "Dr. Banner?"

Bruce looked up from his clipboard and noticed Loki's eyes had closed and he was almost deathly pale.

"Loki?"

The scientist sat up and placed the clipboard down. Loki wanted to sleep first, but the nagging curiosity in his mind kept him awake. He opened his eyes and turned them to Bruce, who stared at him with concern.

"May I go now, Dr. Banner?"

"Go?"

"Yes, from here." Loki said. "I wish to find Thor."

"Right," Bruce nodded. "We've finished the test, so we're through here. And there's no alarm blazing, so I think they're about done calming your brother down." He stood up and took a step back. "Jarvis, are we clear to go up?"

"Yes, Dr. Banner." Jarvis answered. "Everyone is just waiting for your confirmation. Shall I tell them you will be arriving soon?"

"Thank you, Jarvis."

Upon hearing this, Loki hopped off the gurney and wobbled slightly. He winced at the growing headache, but brushed it off as a side effect of his magic trying its hardest to heal him. He hasn't perfected the technique yet and needed a bit more guidance, more so from Eir, the greatest healer in Asgard.

"You okay?"

Loki felt a hand try to steady him, but he pulled away.

"Umm…" Bruce coughed and said, "If you'd take some advice, don't do… don't do anything strenuous during the... explanation. You're not… uhhh… exactly in the best shape to be doing anything highly… physical."

"I know."

"You…uh… must've used a lot of energy fixing the tower."

"That still doesn't make up for the other damages done to your city."

"I don't want you to overexert yourself trying to repair them." Bruce advised, feeling slightly at a loss for words. "It would make people suspicious. We'll leave Shield to handle that kind of stuff."

"Thank you."

With that, they walked out of the medical room in silence. Loki had gained more insight than he had expected to hear and it was a relief just to have been able to voice his concerns without reprimand and ridicule.

Bruce felt the same way, but he had a hidden agenda.

He felt bad about it now, but it would serve them a lot of good knowing that it might at least help prove their suspicions that Loki wasn't in control or fully to blame for the invasion six months ago; if they could prove that, well… that's up to Thor to fix.

"Dr. Banner?" Loki asked.

"Yeah?"

"We're here."

He didn't realize they were at the elevator and the young god was already inside and holding the door open. Bruce apologized and chuckled nervously. "Sorry about that," He mumbled as he got on. "Guess I have a lot on my mind lately."

"Feel free to blame that on us." Loki jokingly stated. "We've done much to ruin your peace."

"I don't mean—"

"You need not explain, Dr. Banner."

Bruce couldn't help but nod and leave it at that. It was a quiet ride, and what he would deem a very long one. The scientist glanced at Loki, who stared back at him with a penetrating gaze that worried the scientist.

He really hoped the others were having a better time than he was.

oOo

Thor was seated on the couch, surrounded by all the Avengers. He disliked his currently weak position, but in order to make up for what he had done to his little brother, he agreed to settle the manner peacefully.

"I think we should make a house rule." Tony piped.

"Please don't." Steve sighed.

"I'm not allowed to make house rules?"

"No."

"But it's my house."

Thor palmed his faced and rolled his eyes at the bantering. He found mortals so… how should he put it— weird? Yes, that's it. They were tiny, strange, and a little unpredictable; which made it difficult for him because he never liked uncertainties.

Natasha hissed, "Knock it off."

The room went quiet, something Thor didn't expect.

Suddenly, he felt the gaze of the only lady in the room. He would've been flattered if it were the usual case when women stared at him, but this was a glance daring him in a threatening manner. Thor awkwardly coughed and wrung his hands together, trying to ignore the continuous feel of her eyes penetrating through his soul.

It reminded him so much of Sif.

The bantering continued as if he wasn't there at all.

Thor took this opportunity to glance at Present Thor, who stood by the window. His older-self had changed into Midgardian clothing, making it awfully strange to look at him. He had been tamed, and Thor wondered why.

Not because of the banishment, surely?

The sky was still dark and it was still raining, mostly because they wanted everyone else in the city to keep indoors and hopefully rule off the battle as a weather occurrence.

"Incoming," Clint announced.

Thor snapped from his thoughts when the elevator door opened to reveal a very pale looking Loki and a very stressed out Bruce. However, they seem to be far more in good terms than the rest of the team were with one another.

"Loki," Thor called.

"Don't." His brother answered. "Not a word."

Without thought, Loki walked over and sat next to his brother. Something had changed between them, something Thor couldn't put a finger on. It unnerved him to be so helpless. He nodded meekly and turned away, unsure of what to do next.

The team saw this, but paid no mind.

"Story time," Tony voiced. "Where do we start?"

"I wish to hear none of it." Thor answered. "All you will do is lie—"

"Enough!" Loki hissed, rounding on his brother. "The least you can do for me is to keep quiet. You've stolen my peace for who knows how long, so please… I am begging you… let me have this."

Thor looked at the ground, feeling ashamed.

Loki felt his breath quicken and he fell back to an old habit. He wrung his hands together and tugged at the hem of his sleeves. He bit his lips and turned a watchful eye on Present Thor, who had stepped into the circle.

"You will explain everything?" Loki asked.

"Yes." Present Thor nodded. "I will leave nothing out."

"Then please start."

oOo

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