A/N: So due to request, here is the "prequel" to my other chapter fic. The prologue is word-for-word the piece from the other chapter in Upon Command when Thor approached the Avengers with Loki in tow. I'm adding it so you don't need to go searching for it in the other fic.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel. Wish I owned Loki, though.

Prologue

"How drunk was I last night?" Stark was really worried he was seeing things, that he was going crazy. The crazy bit was that he hadn't immediately run for his Iron Man suit or told JARVIS to call in Fury, the Army and Navy and possibly Rhodey who had War Machine.

When was this fucking god going to stop trying to break into his tower?

The only reason, illogical as it was, Tony didn't do all of those things and much, much more was because Thor stood there with a hand out in plea.

"Man of Iron, I can explain."

"Do it quick because the Other Guy doesn't like this." Bruce Banner had dropped the glass of expensive scotch he'd been swirling, the liquid still rolling down the steps from the raised bar towards the couch. Tony could see the greenish hue to his ears and decided to step up and stop stuttering.

"Okay buddy, uh… can you tie him up outside?" His eyes roamed over the very real, non-hallucinated Loki fucking Odinson standing ramrod straight beside his brother in the middle of the lounge, in front of the window he smashed with Starks body. Tony was a little impressed Loki kept his cool glare on Thor and not the entire group of Avengers standing ready to defend themselves against attack. They were just about to leave to their respective rooms having finished a rather enjoyable dinner, the remnants of takeout containers still scattered on various surfaces. The team hadn't seen each other in two weeks, all having different missions to occupy them and Stark rebuilding his Malibu mansion after the attack by the Mandarin a few months prior. The general relaxed atmosphere was quickly charged with electricity - literally- as Thor and another man had shot from the sky only moments before, shocking them all.

Only their trust in Thor stopped them from shooting first and asking later.

Thor spoke in a language so beautiful and unfamiliar it must have been Norse, because two seconds later Loki vanished only to reappear, sitting Indian style, on the StarkPad.

"Good boy," Tony taunted loud enough he knew the trickster would hear.

No rejoinder came.

Natasha and Clint stood behind the couch, too uncomfortable to sit, both their eyes furiously trained on Loki's back. Tony was relieved it was pitch black outside, no stars or moon to shine behind the clouds, because it had only been a year since Loki attacked New York and no doubt some people might recognize him even without his war regalia.

Tony guessed calling him Reindeer Games wouldn't fit now. The god was dressed in a plain black shirt and pants, loose against his wiry frame and his sallow eyes seemed darker than they should be. His piercing glare was still unnerving. He must have felt Tony's eyes on his back for Loki turned his face sideways, and then looked away.

Thor's commanding voice had all their attention. "My brother has served his time on Asgard according to our laws. The Allfather has decided an exile on Midgard would further teach Loki about the misgivings he had of Earth. This is…" he tried searching for the word Jane had used, "Probation."

"They don't trust he'll behave in prison on Asgard?" Steve asked, arms tense and ready to punch Loki in the face. Tony recognized Steve's 'I want to deck him' face usually reserved for evil-doers. It made the billionaire a little proud.

None of them were prepared for the strong warrior, the god, to have a voice filled with so much emotional pain. "They do not want him." Thor raised his head, looking at a spot on the glass coffee table. "I could not leave him to suffer alone like before."

"Before?" Natasha finally peeled her eyes away from the god enough to stare hard at Thor.

"He fell from the Bifrost, into the Void, the Chitauri found him… they are evil creatures, and their evil infected my brother for too long a time."

"'Freedom is life's great lie. Once you accept that in your heart, you will know peace.'" Clint muttered, immediately getting Thor's attention but it was Natasha who asked, "Clint?" A hand on his arm gently.

"It's what he said, Loki," The name tasted sour on his tongue, "when he came through the Tesseract in SHIELD, he said it to Fury."

Thor nodded solemnly. "As Jane said, they 'brainwashed' my brother into believing something he would have not believed himself. He was never… cruel."

"They did to Loki what he did to Clint and Selvig?" Natasha outright asked.

"Yes."

"And daddy dearest knows this? So why isn't Loki living large in the palace?"

"Our father is of a stubborn mind. Loki committed crimes against the realms which cannot go unpunished. Exile is one of the more tame sentences that was entertained." He said it with such disgust none of them wanted to know what those 'other sentences' were.

Banner finally spoke up from behind them, having regained full control once he'd heard Thor's words. "So, why bring him here? Why not have keep with you in New Mexico?"

"The Allfather does not want war with Earth, and so only agreed to this exile under the conditions Loki be under the supervision of the warriors who defeated the Chitauri." And Loki; but that goes unsaid, for they are all aware said war criminal is sulking outside on the balcony within hearing distance. Thor was clearly choosing his words carefully. "We on Asgard were witness to the after-effects of the Chitauri's control. We saw enough to believe my brother was not himself during his madness."

The weight of his words hung heavy and no one spoke against them. The haunting look in Thor's eyes when he turned to see Loki still sitting on the balcony was enough to even shut Clint's harsh words out.

"We are asking for sanctuary. I," Thor turned to look at them all in turn, "am asking on behalf of Asgard for your help."

"You're part of this team, Thor," Steve sighed, "and our friend. Of course we will help."

"Uh, Cap are you forgetting this is my home I'm allowing you to live in?"

"I thought your home was in Malibu, you rebuilt it better than it was!"

"The lab isn't done so it's not really home."

"Tony-"

They fell into bickering, but Bruce clapped Thor on the shoulder and gave him a certain look that was clear; they were welcome to stay.

Caged No Longer

Loki was as familiar with the stars circling Midgard as any other realm. His eyes never left them for long, focused on their never waning beauty while trying to ignore the squabbling over his and Thor's situation drifting from the Tower behind him.

The stars never lost their beautiful luster no matter the eyes that beheld them, a value Loki found nowhere else. In all realms, the heavens and constellations were guides for the forsaken, not losing their beauty as they shone brightly in return.

Loki could not say the same for others who looked upon him in recent times. Every eye and stare directed to him, kind or not, held some sort of grudge or wish of ill-will. Loki could not bring himself to blame them- he had been the perpetrator of war, the criminal rising against his own household. Even if it had not been entirely his fault, he was still present and taking action against three separate realms came with consequence.

He felt a certain amount of guilt for what he had done, but apparently not enough for the All-father not to send him to Midgard with his oaf of a brother.

No, Thor is only doing his duty. This is not entirely his fault. Loki inhaled the dense night air and calmed his mind in time to hear said oaf approaching with a companion.

"Brother, friend Stark has agreed to let us take refuge here."

Loki looked at them from the corner of his eye before returning attention to the darkening sky and building lights of the city around them. Not much sound reached them up there, the dry summer evening blotting it out with heavy smog think enough to blur the car lights below.

"What of the others?"

Bruce did not dwell on the possible reasons the gods voice was not smooth and controlled like the last time he had been to Earth. It was cracked, the chords rusty as if speech had only been possible in the last few days. To answer his question, Bruce cleared his throat self-consciously. "We're fine with it, Loki. Your bother told us what we needed to know."

Acutely aware the rest of the Avengers were spectators to this conversation from the lounge room, Loki stood slowly and with one last glance over the edge to the hazy lights below, he turned to face Thor.

A long moment passed and he could see it in Thor's eyes. What this sanctuary would entail, what the Man of Iron's conditions really were. "I am to be caged again." Loki waited for the tell-tale twitch in Thor's face, the one that pulled at his mouth but it remained stone. It seems he has learnt something from me, if for better or worse, there's no telling. Loki equally schooled his features even though he was aware his voice had already given Banner what the scientist was waiting for, a show of weakness, a sign that Loki could not exercise any power even over himself.

Bruce wouldn't tell anyone Loki sounded frightened, or his eyes searched desperately to see a lie in his brother's too-honest face. Bruce shook his head, "Not a cage. A secure room. You'll be able to leave with supervision." He added, "It won't be for long." hoping it really wouldn't be. Even in Loki's company a few minutes, there was no overwhelming feeling of crazy Bruce remembered from a year ago. This man was different, freer even, despite the air of controlled rebellion hanging around him. Some of the innocence Thor often spoke of had returned to Loki's expressive eyes, making him look younger in the face of his sadness and reluctance to trust the Avengers.

Yes, the mistrust was evident in the way Loki would not make eye contact with the Dr. Jekel side of the green monster which had been his final downfall.

"I will do what you ask, Banner." Loki stiffly nodded as if to take lead into the Tower, but waited for Thor to turn and begin walking. Bruce could see that Clint and Natasha were missing from the group, and Pepper had joined them.

Thor beamed. "Lady Pepper, a pleasure as always."

Pepper grinned at Thor; she really had developed a soft spot for them all, especially for Thor and his Asgardian ways. "Thor, I'm glad to see you too."

Tony sighed dramatically, coming around the bar with a new scotch for Bruce and himself. After handing over Bruce's, Tony motioned for the brothers to follow. "I have your room ready and waiting, turn down service not offered."

Loki did not know what Stark meant, but had no choice to follow the man through the elegant halls towards the elevator. As they walked by the others, Loki couldn't help but notice how Steve was eyeing his unchained hands, Lady Pepper and Banner paying them no further mind and distancing themselves across the room to carry on a hushed conversation.

They descended down below the lobby, and that is when Thor became anxious, "Stark, a word of caution. Loki has been in solitary confinement for quite some time. I do not know if another secluded prison cell would benefit him." It was barely a whisper. Loki kept his eyes transfixed on the illuminated numbers above the doors counting down the floors.

"It's one of my basements, Point Break. It will feel like home."

I don't have one anymore, a home. I never did. Loki keeps himself from saying it, because Thor is giving him a wounded look like he had read his brothers mind. Thor understands how Loki had felt before falling into the comforting illusion of the Chitauri, how he never felt he belonged, a little late to realize but Loki cannot discount the fact that Thor has always cared and it was Loki whom ignored the brotherly affection.

Thor cannot argue on the point of not belonging in Asgard anymore. Not after hearing Odin's verdict on his once-son even after the evidence proved in some parts Loki was not of his own mind since the Void. Thor had taken it upon himself to vouch for Loki, volunteering in front of the entire Council and the court to go with Loki to Midgard. Odin believed he was there to delegate and convince the Avengers not to be cruel. Cruelty wasn't in their nature, exempting the Widow and Hawk, so that had never been Thor's worry.

Since birth, Thor's worry had always been Loki. The Mischeif God saw that in his brother's eyes once he had turned his back to Odin's throne and commanded the guards to unchain him.

The elevator dinged, doors smoothly opening to revel a short hallway with frosted glass at one end. Tony lead them, walked up to the glass and set his palm flat against an invisible panel. The glaze melted away into crystal clarity, thin window panes making up the entire wall. Beyond was a room with a large bed, a couch and what Loki remembered, a television set. There was a door to the rooms' left, which Tony was blabbering about was an en suite as he led them in.

"Oh, and since we don't want that mind of yours getting bored… bad things seem to happen when that happens," Tony fiddled with a remote he'd picked up off the immaculate bed. "Push this here green button, and that fake window lights up with whatever scene you want it to. Ask JARVIS for whatever outdoor things you're into. If you're a nice little god, he'll make up programs for you."

Loki fixed his eyes on the blank space of white plastered wall Stark had pointed to, going so far as to crossing to it, putting his fingers on it. Nothing happened.

Tony did not want to stay longer than necessary- yes he agreed to house Thor's oddball of a brother but that was it- he was not responsible for entertainment.

"Thor, buddy, does SHIELD know about your pop's plan to have us keep Loki?" Tony asked once they were outside the glass and Loki had finally given in and had taken up the remote, going through example scenes for the holographic window. Thor's hand was currently pressed against the window while JARVIS uploaded in the Asgardian's DNA signature. Tony, Thor and Bruce were the only authorized personnel to unlock Loki's "cage" for the time being.

"My father sent them word, yes."

"Yeah, okay, good."

"Stark," Thor said knowingly, "I realize this is much to ask, but there was no other choice. If Loki were to have stayed in Asgard and had I not brought him here… he would have been sent to Jotunheim or a worse fate."

"He looks less crazy, I can see it. Proof enough for me." Tony wasn't very convincing, either because Loki had just worked out how to use the remote to also turn the television on (it had taken Steve a week to figure that out universal remotes) or because this was a very bad idea.

A combination of the two seemed the more logical idea.

"Thor Odinson's signature uploaded and calibrated, Sir." The accented JARVIS trilled, breaking both men's looks away from the god caged behind glass. Loki looked out of place, wearing the minimalist black leather and wool tunic belted at his waist, long hair hanging frantic around a blank, pale face. Among all the shining chrome and royal red bed-sheets, the richness of the Persian rug beneath his bare feet and the black leather couch Loki was now examining, Tony felt a pang of guilt.

Loki looked worse than when the Hulk smashed him into the floor, gaunt and haunted even with that intrigued quirk to his lips while he examined things in the room. No regality, no pomp of a title hanging around him, nothing. He looked just a man out of place, almost human.

On a whim, Tony hit the panel so that the glass became one-way, blocking them out and any words that would follow.

Loki hadn't noticed, so Tony made it quick. "Thor," His voice was oddly formal; none of the playful spirit Thor thought was ever-present. "What exactly happened to your brother?" Tony wasn't leaving until he got answers. He needed them, either to be alright with the situation or because he wouldn't be able to sleep that night unless he knew. Tony Stark knew the look of psychological trauma, no matter how well hidden it was, not even if the lie smith wanted to hide it.

Thor folded his arms across his chest, staring down at Tony, evaluating. "I am sorry Stark; I do not even know the extent of the damage the Chitauri dealt my brother. He did not return to himself easily."

"Not what I asked. What happened to Loki on Asgard? Because that in there is not the brother you knew from eons ago or however long you guys live. He may not be crazy mad anymore, but he's also not back to normal."

Thor glanced to his brother just as Tony removed the veil making the glass one-way, it became clear as air again. Loki still fiddled with the remote, but the god must have guessed something was wrong.

Thor met Loki's eyes, and Tony was momentarily stunned.

The younger god's eyes hungrily searched for something in Thor's, like a child looking for an awaited punishment.

He needed rest. For his tumultuous mind to shut off for a few hours and not replay the Allfathers damning words.

Which ones? There have been many.

Too many. As many as the buttons on Stark's remote control device, many more than Loki dared to count even though he had gone over them all.

Still it mattered not. His mind had left long ago, and only bits and pieces returned, in the wrong order, the wrong sequence and it was maddening. Memories were not in the correct order, they resurfaced at the wrong times, and Loki had no magic to suppress their hold on him or any emotions swelling up at their presence.

He felt like a child coming down from a tantrum and not remembering why he had been angry.

He knew, at some level why everything coalesced and how events played out from accounts from not only Thor, but Odin himself.

Loki remembered the void- oh how he wish he didn't- and the events previous that led him to letting go. Yes I was the one who let go. Thor did not release me. Thor… grieved. The words were as foreign in his mind as they would be on his tongue. Like acid they drenched his senses in the memories of loyalty and the courage it took not only for Thor to go against Odin's wishes but to demand his own in their stead. For Thor to demand exile and not the other alternative had been a step in the right direction, it had caught Loki's in more ways than just surprise to hear Thor's words ring out in the packed halls of Asgard during his trial.

For the first time in a very long while, Thor protected him, and did not leave Loki to defend himself.

Loki had the urge to sit and think upon what to be done next, but the way to redemption was fickle, and he knew it would be long before he even forgave himself for being so weak. He and Thor were raised to be Warriors, strong princes of Asgard. In the wake of resentment and loneliness he had left his mind vulnerable to the Chitauri's persuasion, and had fallen prone to it so easily that at first he had thought it was his own idea to rule Asgard.

I never did want to rule.

His next steps were unclear, and so Loki resigned himself to sit upon the soft bed and wait. After all, he had been waiting a year to be cured of his madness, what was a few more to a god who lived thousands of years?

As Thor said, recovery would take time. Loki for once wanted to believe his eldest brother, yes, he is my brother, just not by blood. "He is my brother."

Those words tasted of acid too.

"He needs a medical exam."

"That's exactly why I gave you clearance to be in there."

"I mean a real examination. Think Cassie would do it?"

"I think Cassie would run screaming from the room."

"Give her some credit, Tony. She's dealt with worse."

"Defending your girlfriend, Cap?"

"Boys, knock it off." The elevator doors opened and Natasha had come in, hair wet from a shower and clothed in jeans what Tony thought to be on of Clint's black sweaters. "I think Cassie can handle Loki, especially if Thor and Fury believe he's harmless now."

"Not harmless, domesticated." Tony pointed out on his way to call the Cassie Williams down from the floor of Stark Tower that housed the medical wing. Williams had been assigned specifically to the avengers when it was apparent they got injured on every mission they went on. Cassie stayed at the tower some nights, it just so happened that on the night Thor brought his vagrant little brother Cassie hadn't left for the weekend yet.

"Hey, JARVIS, inform the doc that she's needed and to stay here tonight." Tony headed for the elevator and grabbed the rest of them on the way. While descending, JARVIS replied with a direct connection to the medical R&D floor.

Her voice had a southern lilt, having grown up in Alabama, but New York life had been weeding it out slowly over the years. It rang through the elevator compartment, and Tony caught the Cap's small smile. "Stark, if you ripped your stitches again so help me God. What's the problem?"

"We have a patient for you. I'll send Rogers and Banner up to explain."

They all heard her sigh, but pleasantly reply, "Okay, what are the patients injuries?"

Thor had been quiet since then, going along with what Stark was planning. Thor trusted his friends, and they seemed expert in the realm of Midgardian medicine. Thor did not want to discuss the fact no one on Asgard had thought to check a war criminal for injuries- and Thor could not help but be grateful that his friends had thought of it. The mercy of humans always baffled Thor, and he preferred to think that perhaps Asgard could learn much from them.

"We actually don't know." Stark happily informed her, and exited the elevator with Thor and Natasha while Bruce and Steve remained, heading back up. The doors closed, cutting off Bruce's voice talking to Cassie.

Natasha stayed standing near the elevator, her gun concealed in the back of her jeans under the heavy sweater. Tony changed the glass separating the hall from Loki's room from frosted to clear, and let Thor do the speaking once they were in the room.

Loki hadn't looked up, but then again there was no need. He had sensed Thor's presence as soon as he had gotten off the elevator. "Loki."

"Thor. Are you going to check on me every hour now?"

Tony averted his gaze when Loki looked to him; looking for the reason he had accompanied his brother. When it seemed he could not figure it out, Loki gestured for Thor to ask what he wanted.

"There is a Midgardian physician who wants to check you for injuries."

"All my injuries have healed by now, I assure you."

That was way too fast, Rudolph. Fast enough for Tony's eyes to narrow in suspicion, but Loki paid him no mind, his gaze locked with Thor's as if to challenge him to call Loki on his lie. That was what caught Tony off guard, not that Loki was lying but that he could tell it was a lie.

Tony looked to Thor to see is he had caught it, and by the look on the thunder gods face he had. Then again, they had grown up together so it wasn't so surprising Thor could sense such a weak falsehood.

"Loki, it is for SHIELDs assurance. They mean you no harm."

Now Thor was lying, and both Tony and Loki knew SHIELD didn't care if Loki was injured.

It spoke volumes to Tony that Loki did not scowl or begin a tirade like he would have a year ago. Instead, Loki stood from where he'd been sitting on the bed, and without making eye contact righted his clothing to wait patiently for Thor to lead the way.

She had to sit down before she fell to the floor. "Excuse me?" Cassie asked for the second time and still receiving impish grins at her reaction, she reiterated with a forceful tone, "You're telling me Loki, the guy who not a year ago destroyed half of the city, is in Stark's basement and is on his way up to be examined?"

Bruce tried not to outright laugh at her affronted reaction as if they'd presented her a dead rat. "Yes."

Steve closed his eyes for a brief moment, taking the chair beside Cassie. "We'll be in the next room. Thor will be in the room. Loki won't hurt you."

Cassie shot out of her chair, "Getting hurt is not my worry, Rogers. I am worried that he's going to go tyrannical again and kill more people!" She stared at her bag for a minute, cursing herself that had she left early like she'd meant to, taking her work home that night, she wouldn't be about to face the god of lies from another planet.

No, she just had to pull extra hours. "Fine."

There was no way she could get out of it anyway. If Loki was staying in Stark Tower, she had to make sure he checked out. Not only to keep her job and Fury happy, but to make sure Loki posed no threat to the Avengers. She wanted to delay their injuries and her workload as much as possible. Perhaps having another powerful god on Earth's side would do some good.

"How bad is he hurt?" Cassie tied her hair up in a ponytail and began prepping the examination room off the side of one of the glassed-in labs. She began stock piling bandages and antiseptic wipes expecting physical injury.

"Nothing we can see, there might be internal injuries. Something tells me Asgard wasn't kind to him. Thor tells us he isn't exactly wanted. "

Perhaps it wasn't only physical wounds she would be treating. Cassie blinked away the uncertain feeling coiling in her gut. "Wasn't that the reason he went against everyone? Because they weren't kind?" The last part was whispered, as if saying them aloud would summon the god who had been tuned into unkind words since childhood. If they went by what Thor recounted, there was too much damage a group of heroes and their doctor would cure.

Steve whistled his agreement, and got Bruce to help him start up the MRI and x-ray machines while Cassie went to grab one of the white gowns from the supply closet and a box of gloves.

Just as Cassie and Bruce were discussing Jotun anatomy, the elevator door beeped and opened, with Loki the last to get off.

Cassie put on her bravest face and offered him a small smile, hoping her face didn't betray the sad regret she suddenly felt for Loki's situation. "Loki, it's nice to meet you. Would you follow me?" She glanced at Thor and he nodded, also walking with them to the examination room and closing the door.

Steve sat on a stool, not even pretending he understood half the instruments Bruce began inspecting on a lab bench behind him.

The elevator beeped, announcing Clint's entry to the floor. "Fury says we have full responsibility for Thor's brother. He's our burden and all of that." Grabbing what looked like a steel clamp and tossing it back on the table, the archer took a seat beside Steve only to realize the gods we nowhere to be found. "Where's dumb and dumber?"

Tony gestured to the closed door on the other side of the room. "With Cassie, must be going well for it to be so quiet."

No sooner had the words met air did they hear something clang against the inner wall of the exam room and the door open to admit a swiftly walking Cassie hardly keeping a grin from her face.

She skidded into the room and turned in time to see Thor follow, shutting the door on something else hitting it from the other side.

"You jinx everything, Tony." Clint couldn't say it surprised him, it was only a matter of time before Thor's little brother toppled the tower of sanity he seemed to have been holding onto like one would a distant friend.

Steve had stood up when he saw Cassie flee the room. "You alright?" His eyes travelled between Thor and the doctor.

Cassie let herself smile. "Fine, yes. He didn't like me listening to his heart." She was holding a broken stethoscope. "He also flung a bedpan."

Thor obviously didn't understand why everyone chuckled at that; his only concern was Loki being upset. "He does not like his personal space invaded." Was his explanation and even his scowl showed Loki's childlike reaction was not to be permitted. "I will speak with him. He shall apologize." With those famous last words, Thor re-entered the room.

The gathered heroes listened to silence, and then some shouting in a language that must have been Norse.

Tony walked over to the elevator. "I have an idea. Give me a sec." and left.

"He's not coming back." Natasha answered Clint's unspoken question.

"I wouldn't either," Cassie took a seat beside Steve to wait for the arguing brothers to cease. However long that would take.

"May I?" Pepper knocked on the door, one hand holding a tray with coffee and muffins, the smells drifting in ahead. After getting a confirming nod, she came in and set the tray on Cassie's desk. "Bruce said you've been up here all night."

It was clear Bruce hadn't been exaggerating. The doctor's usually kempt hair had strands falling into her face from the ponytail and her makeup smudged a bit in the corner of her eye. Not only did Pepper notice she looked ragged but unhappy. Cassie was no stranger to staying up all night and day and working at the Tower and for SHIELD so for the girl to look so beaten concerned Pepper.

Cassie saw that in the woman's face and said outright, "We should have given up insisting Loki let us scan him." She shifted over so Pepper could bend down and look at the screen displaying a variety of x-ray images. Even one not knowledgeable in medicine could see that Loki's bones were severely damaged, most places cracked or healed incorrect after improper treatment. Pepper could not put to words what it made her think, the tortures Loki's own people had put him through, and she had to remember not all of them came from Asgard, but the Chitauri.

Pepper gave Cassie a sad smile, straightening up and checking her watch. "I may not be able to heal him like you could, and of course you'll be getting right on that, but he needs to feel safe here and I think there's been enough of Loki being locked in cages."

Pepper took her coffee off the tray and walked out but not before telling the doctor to go home and sleep, "You've done more than enough tonight."

Cassie shut down her computer, laying her head on the desk and closing her eyes to the morning sunlight coming in through the tinted windows. She did not know where to begin healing Loki, and she did not know if telling Thor would benefit or hinder progress made on Loki's part.

It was clear that the haunted look in Thor's eyes did not come from knowing what physical pain had brought Loki to surrender under the Chitauri but the mental anguish of knowing how he had played a part in this.

Cassie did not want to get in the middle of any of it.

She began hoping Pepper was not foolish in thinking she could make the god feel safe when for the past years all he had felt was betrayal and pain.

A/N: Let me know what you think! G.

Updates will be (I promise I have half this story written already) every Friday afternoon/night.