A/N: Takes place immediately after Avengers (need a say SPOILERS?). Narrowly escaping Asgard after a terrible battle with Thor leaves Loki without his memories. I'm usually a Thor x Loki fan, but this will probably end up being Tony x Loki. Yaoi warning (if you don't know what that means, gtfo.). Rated M for possible later chapters.

The high pitched clang of metal chains clashed with the low clap of sure feet against concrete, creating a sound that seemed to reverberate through the air. Even as the cold muzzle entombed Loki's mouth, his inimical, green eyes gave off an icy smirk as they stared straight ahead. As he reached his destination, he stopped to reach out a hand. Long, pale fingers brushed along the Tesseract, feeling the magnificent hum of power that it gave off, before swiftly closing around the handhold opposite his brother's and giving the device a sharp twist.

Such a vast power, a power now lost to him, held such vast potential. The pain of having it in his hands and yet so absurdly out of reach nearly made Loki's knees buckle when paired with the body-wrenching sensation of being transported back to Asgard. Still, Loki refused to show any sort of weakness in front of his 'brother.'

As the crackling blue energy faded away, leaving the throne room of Asgard in its wake, Loki's unyielding eyes continued to stare forward. Irate, blue spheres glared right back. For a long moment, nothing but silent anger passed between the two siblings.

Suddenly, Loki was sprawled across the floor, wiping blood from his eyebrow; the permeating echo left from his hammer against his brother's head being the only evidence that Thor had actually moved.

"How dare you attack Earth?" Thor's voice rang out. "How dare you put their people at such risk?"

A slight coughing noise could be heard as Loki attempted to snicker around the constantly restricting muzzle on his face. He slowly began to rise. Before rising above a kneeling stance, however, Thor responded with a harsh kick to the side of Loki's head. The vile, metal restraint bounced across the pristine floor, skidding to a slow halt.

"Those people," spat Loki, "were made to be ruled. And I made to rule."

"You threatened the life and home of the woman I love!" Thor bellowed. Loki grinned, a hand sliding across his lips; more blood stained the pale skin as he pulled it away.

"And why, might I ask, would your mewling quim of a woman even matter to me?" Loki hissed. As hurt touched briefly upon the Thunder god's furious countenance, Loki took the small opening to get back on his feet.

"We are brothers, you and I." Thor declares.

"Sentiments, brother." Loki spits the second word mockingly. "Things I do not have." He takes a slow step to the side. "You and I share no blood, nor have we nor shall we ever."

"We grew up together!" Thor objects.

"I grew up in your shadow!" Loki growls, a soft, metallic song resounding through the room as his manacled fists clench. "Each and every day I was reminded of your greatness, reminded of your inevitable ascension to the throne." Loki's eyes flicker to said chair of power, a mixture of lust, hatred, and envy embedded deep in the green irises.

"Father could have given the crown to either one of us. It was never certain I would become King…" Thor says quietly.

"You and I remember our childhood rather…differently." He says the final word carefully, a small, bitter smile grazing his lips. "The great Odin said it himself; we were both born to be kings, but he never meant for me to rule Asgard. No, it was the Frost Giants I was fated to preside over. With Jotunheim's end, what better way to satisfy my purpose than to give humanity myself to worship?" Loki smiles pridefully, his hands spread as wide as the shackles will allow.

"We could have ruled together, brother." Thor said sadly. Loki apprehensively watched as his sibling carefully set the Tesseract down on the throne. Thor then reached down and took up the muzzle from where it had slid to a stop on the floor. Loki's eyes never left the abhorrent, metal restraint in Thor's hands as he slowly sidestepped toward the throne. He knew his brother was regrettably devising Loki's punishment as Thor stared forlornly at the object. "It's what our father had wanted, you by my side."

"Your father!" Loki burst out. Thor flinched, but otherwise did not respond.

"You're being condemned to isolated incarceration." The words fell out of Thor's mouth in a near whisper. Loki could not mishear them, however. They echoed in his head, erasing all other thought. Isolated incarceration. The words froze Loki in place as Thor closed the distance between them and reattached the muzzle to Loki's fear stricken face.

Thor's words alone threatened Loki's sanity. Small, dark spaces stole the mischievous god's ability to think or even breathe. He was meant to be revered, craved the attention and adoration of others. Isolated incarceration would surely end him. How could Thor do this, insist that their growing up together meant something and then play on a childhood fear that left Loki so very frozen inside? Loki's jaw clenched under the metal hindrance, he would not go.

Loki spun, swinging his leg up to meet the side of Thor's head. Before his brother could have a chance to react, Loki dashed toward the Tesseract as he tore at the muzzle sequestering his mouth. Clearly programmed not to react to his touch, it would not budge.

Half a second before Loki's fingers closed on the power source's handles, he was brought down by all of Thor's weight. The siblings thrashed across the floor as they battled. A fist connected with the side of Loki's skull, reopening his already split eyebrow.

As the clash moved both brothers to standing positions, Loki again caught Thor with a resilient kick. The blow, landing on his chest, threw the blonde halfway across the grand room. Loki was at the throne, Tesseract in hand, as Thor landed already in a stance to retaliate. The smirk was back in Loki's eyes as Thor shot into the air with a yell.

As Thor's arc descends, hammer aimed carefully, Loki's fingers lock around the handholds of the Tesseract. Thor's blow meets its target, the side of Loki's head, with immeasurable force just as Loki activates the cube of power.

And so Loki was caught for 5 minutes.

Awhhhh... Loki is claustrophobic. D:

Please let me know what you think! Reviews are loved.