Title: Silvertongued Motives

Author: DhampyrX2

Genre: Drama

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Don't sue me, I'm poor.

Summary: Some things about how Loki acted in both Thor and the Avengers had me thinking. Now I have the Avengers thinking about them too as Thor points out a difference in Asgardian culture to his comrades. And meanwhile, Loki is left to think. And to plan.

There were many things in Midgard that Thor did not understand. There were vast cultural differences between where he currently resided and his home in the Realm Eternal that did not always add up in his mind. One of those things was brought to his attention as he was relaxing with his fellow Avengers. He was sitting in the Room of Living at Stark's home with Steve, Natasha, Tony, and Clint as the news played on the television. As they watched and talked idly amongst themselves, a newscast was shown where a Midgardian thief was caught by the authorities, but instead of conceding defeat he took a leaded pipe and charged the police, forcing them to shoot him dead.

"Damned shame. Poor fool," Clint replied with a shake of his head at the obvious case of "suicide by cop."

"What is shameful about his actions? Although he was a thief, he chose to die honorably in battle did he not?" Thor asked with a look of confusion.

"It's not that simple, buddy. The guy was just giving up. He basically used the police to commit suicide. We call it "suicide by cop" nowadays," Tony tried to explain to the Asgardian.

"I do not understand what you mean, Son of Howard," Thor admitted with a pensive look.

"It is simple, Thor. The man was inadequately armed and knew he had no chance of escaping apprehension. For whatever reason, he did not want to face incarceration, and instead chose to attack the police knowing they would have to use deadly force in the act of defending themselves. He essentially used them as tools to help him kill himself," Black Widow explained.

"And it doesn't hurt that if the guy had any family, they'll try to sue the NYPD to get a hefty settlement out of the deal. Or at least that's how they tend to do things in California," Tony added with a snort as he went to make himself a scotch on the rocks.

"In Asgard, he would have been respected for having been willing to die fighting. It was that courage that allowed the Allfather to grant my brother a degree of clemency for his actions and avoid the worst of punishments for his crimes," Thor responded with a thoughtful look.

The other Avengers exchanged looks of varying degrees of shock as is to collectively say "Whaa-" before Steve finally asked, "How do you mean, Thor? How is this anything like Loki's actions?"

Thor's face was grim, and more than a little saddened as he replied, "Twice my brother has tried to end his own existence. Once when he released his grip on Gungir and allowed himself to fall from the Bifrost. The other was when he chose to stay and fight after we thwarted his invasion. He could have fled rather than face the Hulk. Or even used his sorcery to escape once he knew he could not defeat friend Bruce, but instead he chose to meet his end as a warrior. He did not expect Fury to spare him. Had the situation been reversed, the Allfather would not have spared someone from Midgard who had taken similar actions."

"Wait. You mean to tell me your brother, the psychotic megalomaniac, let us catch him as an elaborate way of committing suicide my cop?" Tony asked with a look of dumbfounded shock.

"We would refer to it as preferring a warrior's death, but the meaning is the same. It was a more honorable end than his first attempt, at any rate. I know our mother worries he may yet try again. It is hard to tell with Loki. You cannot always discern his intentions from his actions. Thus far he has been docile in his captivity," Thor explained.

"And I thought he was messed up when he just wanted to rule the world," Clint muttered, earning himself a violent elbow to the ribs from Natasha for his trouble.

"Have you spoken with Nicholas about your brother's intentions, Thor?" Black Widow asked after a pause.

"Nay. I did not think it was necessary. It seemed obvious to all that know my brother. Lady Sif herself stated that she did now know that Loki could stand in the face of annihilation like that without flinching. It restored some of the respect for him she had lost in the past," Thor responded. "Do you think I should inform him of Loki's intentions in the battle?"

"It might help if we ever see him again," Steve offered.

"Then I shall contact him and make arrangements to explain matters immediately," Thor replied before standing and making his way out of the room to use the phone in private to contact Fury.

"Anyone else kind of disturbed that we almost helped a god commit suicide without even knowing we were doing it?" Tony asked after a pause to allow Thor to get out of earshot. "Because all of a sudden, things like him taking the time to grandstand in front of us make way more sense and seem way creepier to me."

"It's like he was egging us on. Begging us to shoot him," Clint agreed with a grimace.

"Makes you wonder if he ever thought his invasion would succeed from the start? I mean, Thor did say he had tried once already and that was how he ended up here," Steve speculated with a furrowed brow.

The silence that followed was a tense one as the Avengers contemplated what might really be going through Loki's mind.