Crystal eyes glared out the tinted glass of the van window.

They were kidding.

They HAD to be kidding.

As if it weren't enough that he had been utterly defeated, thrown around by an angry green monster like a ragdoll, and muzzled like a dog; he was now being left locked outside in the back seat of what the others had called a 'minivan' while the superhero team that had taken him down went to get lunch.

And apparently, he wasn't invited.

Loki wrinkled his nose slightly in disgust as his stomach growled.

Should have eaten this morning…I KNEW I should have eaten…mother always used to nag Thor and I about not skipping meals, because we might not get the next one…

He cut that trail of thought off quickly.

If there was one thing that he didn't want to think about right now, it was his bro-

GGGRRRROOOOWWWLLLL

Well, food. The second thing he didn't want to think about was his brother. Or his father. Or really anyone relating to Asgard.

Loki leaned his head against the window. This wasn't the first time he had been imprisoned in a glass-lined cell. However, the last time he had felt a bit more…menacing. Like something put there because it was feared; a caged beast, that everyone watched with a kind of awe-filled fright but didn't dare touch or go near.

Now…he felt more like he had been placed in a little box. With breathing holes.

The 'Avengers' had left the windows cracked, at his brother's request. That annoying Stark had wanted to leave him completely boxed up, but the Captain and a now smaller, less angry, and less green monster had overruled him. However, none of them had brought him to lunch.

Loki closed his eyes, banging his forehead lightly against the glass with a sigh as his stomach growled again. This was just cruel…he could see them in there eating! And for pathetic mortal food, it looked pretty damn good right about now.

His eyes moved from one of the costumed fighters to another. The archer was closest to the shop's shattered front window. An invaluable ally when he had controlled him. Now….not so much. Next to him, the red-head. A wit and trickery that could almost match his. It was impressive, even he had to admit. Then the Captain. A nice enough man, he supposed. After all, he had voted for leaving him breathing holes in the box. Next was-…skip. He would decide how he felt about his brother later. The next seat was occupied by Stark. Annoying human. Hadn't even gotten him that drink he had offered. And he was LOOKING AT HIM as he ate! The bastard KNEW that he was starving out here! And he was enjoying every SECOND of it! With half a glare, Loki turned his gaze to the final person at the table - the monster.

He shuddered slightly, recalling how easily the creature had manhandled him. His head was still pounding, his spine was still sore, and he was pretty sure that he would never get the incessant ringing completely out of his ears. Even when he and his brother had fought, he had never been THIS badly beaten up. That entire encounter was…horrible. In fact, the whole TRIP had been awful. This entire take-over-the-world thing had been a mistake. From beginning to end, one massive, bloody mistake. And now he was going to suffer for it, in one way or another.

At this point, he would almost prefer to be jailed in Asgard. His other two options were to be endlessly hunted by the Chitauri, or to remain imprisoned here on Earth where they might let the green monster at him again.

In the restaurant, Stark flagged over the waitress. Were they finally done?

Loki watched the short conversation, not loud enough for him to make out what they were saying. After a second, the woman went into the back. At last, he was through being tormented by-

No, scratch that. The waitress just came back with seconds for everyone at the table.

THUD

His head met the glass again. Cruel, evil people. All of them.

The cut across his nose throbbed slightly, but he couldn't reach his face. His hands had been cuffed, and the chain looped through the metal bar under the driver's seat in front of him. This was humiliating.

He was a KING, damnit…no matter what they said, or whether or not he had a kingdom to rule. He was born a prince, and had just as much right to the throne as his stupid brother, whether or not he had been truly Asgard born…he was more fit to rule than that stubborn, dull-witted ox of a man that claimed to be his sibling.

Out of pure curiosity Loki tested the cuffs. He wasn't planning to break out, of course. That would be foolish. In his current state, he could only make it so far on foot before collapsing from sheer exhaustion. Also, the Avengers would see him, and that would probably end up with another thrashing from the green monster. However, one of his dark locks had fallen from its slicked-back place, and was tickling his forehead; and it was starting to become a bother…

If he could just…reach…it…

Despite his best efforts, Loki's fingertips were a good 6 inches from moving the piece of hair. He couldn't even attempt to blow it out of his face, because of the damned gag.

With one of his more dramatic eye-rolls, Loki leaned back against the seat, staring at the ceiling of his little moving box-prison.

So, this was how it was to end for him. His glorious reign as King of Earth wasn't going to happen, and he was reduced to nothing but a beaten, muzzled dog in a rolling cage.

A dog that they forgot to feed.

A ring caught his ears, and he let his head loll to the side to watch as the door to the Shawarma joint opened and the Avengers began to file out, takeout bags over their arms.

FINALLY they were coming back.

Loki worked up his haughtiest expression, only somewhat dampened by the gag, and glared at the Avengers as they piled into the minivan once again. Thor was first. Loki actually didn't look at him, but that didn't stop his brother from taking the seat next to him. Stark took the wheel, God help them all…. with the formerly angry green one in the passenger seat. Loki avoided eye contact with HIM as well. Provoking seemed like a BAD idea. The archer and the girl sat in the seats behind him; Loki could feel their glares piercing the back of his neck and making his hair stand up on end. The Captain took the final seat, squishing Loki tightly between his brother and the window. Lovely.

Stark jammed the keys into the car and revved the engine, glancing back over his shoulder at Loki.

"Miss us, Princess?"

Loki glared, wishing his hands were free. He would strangle that man so quickly-

GGGRRRROOWWLLL

Red flared slightly in his cheeks as his stomach announced that it wanted food and a few of the Avengers smirked at him.

"Hungry, brother?"

There was that stupid concern again. Loki shot the blond man a glare then looked haughtily out the car window. He didn't want food if Thor was the one offering. He would rather go hungry. Shut up, stomach.

He felt Thor's hand on his shoulder and he stiffened. The blonde waited for a second to see if Loki would turn, then sighed and released him.

"Alright, let's go."

The car jerked slightly as it started moving, and Loki's head hit the window.

SONOFA-

Now he could clearly hear the Black Widow giggling, and the archer's chuckle. Neither of the men in the front seats had seen, but Stark's smirk told Loki that he had planned that.

Damned man…

Thor, to his credit, was doing his best to keep a straight face. However, he was failing miserably. Feeling mocked, Loki shifted so his back was towards Thor, as much as the odd belts in the 'minivan' would allow, and glared out the window as the surroundings started to speed past.

From here, it was only a short dimension-hop home. He would have to face his father, and the rest of Asgard. And his mother. He cringed slightly at that thought. He didn't fear meeting his mother again, as he did meeting his adopted father. However, he wasn't looking forward to seeing her. He had disappointed her, the only person who had ever really believed in him; the only one who had taken his side in arguments between him and his brother. She had watched out for him all his life. She was the only one in all of Asgard that he couldn't bring himself to hate. And she was the only one that he hoped would not see him like this. Chained like a criminal, stripped of his powers, led in shame through the streets to be sentenced to whatever Odin could come up with as punishment. He actually felt as if he'd let her down.

The car slowed sharply, jarring his gaze forward. They had emerged from the rubble of the city into what looked like a forest, or a large decorative garden. The rumble of the vehicle died beneath them, and the Avengers began opening the doors they were closest to. Thor unchained his handcuffs from the seat in front of him, and handed him off to the Captain while he got out of the rolling box. Loki was then escorted from the van to an open plaza as his brother walked over to a second vehicle. The doctor that had helped him build the dimensional gate got out, holding a small, armored, silver briefcase that Loki recognized as the Tesseract's transport container. It was back to Asgard for him. Joy.

"Loki." He glanced around in surprise, turning towards the speaker – Black Widow. She was holding one of the take-out bags from the Shawarma joint.

"Here." She said with a little smirk. "We saw you pouting from the van, and decided to pack you some for the trip."

Loki glanced around at each of the Avengers as his brother prepared the Tesseract. Stark was pretending that he had nothing to do with the food, while the Captain was giving him a sort of knowing half-smile. Loki watched as the red-head tucked the white plastic bag into a pouch in Thor's cloak before stepping back to stand beside Hawkeye.

He looked around a final time at the smiling Avengers as his brother held out the Tesseract for him. Maybe they weren't totally horrible people after all…