Author's Note: Hello everyone! It's been a while since I've posted anything I know, but I couldn't help myself to not jump on the bandwagon that was Loki after seeing The Avengers. I understand that every angle there is has been done before for after the end of the movie, but I liked the idea I had and went with it. So! If you've never seen the movie I suggest you go and do so, for there may be some major spoilers if you haven't been privy to them yet - otherwise enjoy!

Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognize.

Banishment.

That was his punishment? Banishment?

A small perturbed huff passed his lips as he looked around the field he had been deposited in, devoid of his powers and his otherworldly armor, abandoned for an unknown amount of time. This wasn't like his brother, no, his brother was always supposed to be welcomed back into the good graces of the kingdom. He on the other hand was surprised his father didn't do worse to him... then again.

He glanced around at the lush greens around him and then up at the tall steel buildings looming on the horizon and the sounds of human life off in the distance.

Yea, this was a pretty good punishment.

Brushing off a bug crawling up his leg, he moved from the tall grasses, tromping loudly through the thicket and through the thin layer of trees. He dropped down the small embankment to the road, brushing off his black button up shirt roughly. He rolled his eyes before beginning his trek, suddenly, and unexpectedly, missing his childhood home he lost yet again. Last time he was here he had been bound and gagged after being horribly (and embarrassingly) defeated by a group of men that he believed to be of no consequence. He was quickly whisked away back to Asgard by his dear brother and presented once again to his quite unhappy father, along with the rest of the people of Asgard who looked at him as though he was a leech in need of being squashed. He wasn't quite sure how he got away with just being banished, he was honestly expecting something much more... binding to put it simply, but his father sent him that disappointed stare before dropping his staff to the floor with his ruling. Most people cried against it, wishing for something more from the almighty father, but after dropping his staff yet again, the hall fell silent.

"Loki you will spend your time in the place you believed you could rule," Odin said slowly, standing before his throne in his golden armor. "And you will learn of the ones who have rightfully defeated you."

For a second he thought he saw a flash of jealousy in his brother's eyes and a dark twist of thoughts bubbled in the back of his head from the brief glimpse. Yes, he would have fun with this. The woman his dear brother left behind that he would no longer see - oh the opportunities. He smirked as he walked, his stride taking on a haughty step as he thought of the possibilities of being here, of what he could do as payback. The problem before him however was finding the woman of Thor's affections. Unfortunately the only way he knew how was left back at Asgard with his father or bound tightly within him by the almighty father's own magic. He supposed his plans would be set back by this, but the first step was to acclimate.

He entered the city finally, the foliage giving way to shrubs and the shrubs giving way to concrete and steel. He had been in this city before, but hadn't bothered to catch the name of it since in his mind it was to turn to rubble at his hand to only be rebuilt again into something grander than what it was now. Yes he had plans. He huffed softly to himself, a rough frown pulling the corners of his lips down at the thought. Oh the glory he would bring to this planet as ruler! These humans would never be able to envision it as he did, the beauty and splendor he would create from his hands. Well... not his hands specifically, but it was his vision at its core.

He eyed the large transportation vehicles that huddled slowly down the street, emitting their loud, annoying, artificial sounds and the crowds of humans that stalked the walkways around them. It didn't make much sense to him at all and when he joined the hoards he was brushed and pushed in all sorts of directions that made him want to scream. If only his powers were still flowing through him, oh the havoc he would reap these humans who bustled him so.

Unable to stand it, he stumbled to a smaller, less crowded street that didn't have so many vehicles and humans making so much noise. He walked unknowing where he would go, what he would do. What would he do for shelter? Thor, the lucky bastard, was given a place to lay his head within minutes of landing on this planet, but his luck was far from plenty, his track record could easily attest to that. So this left him with a serious problem especially when the sun above finished its decent to the horizon below.

In his ponderings, he barely noticed any other being on the walkway other than he until their shoulders connected in a very rough way.

"Whoa man!"

He moved to ignore it, more important things on his mind rather than these menial creatures now behind him.

"Hey!"

He was grabbed roughly by the shoulder, the hand forcing him around until he met the eyes of a seemingly angry youth.

"Yo man you just ran into me," He said angrily, Loki glancing down his nose at the boy in front of him, his friend hovering close by.

"I believe it was you who ran into me," He said frankly, making sure to straighten his back ever so slightly, showing off his obvious royalty bloodline and height.

The boy huffed, glancing over his shoulder with a smirk on his face. "Can you believe this guy?"

Before Loki could expect it, the boy drew back his hand and slammed his fist into his face, snapping his head to the side, the taste of blood in his mouth. He straightened, his eyes narrowing dangerously, grabbing hold of the boys collar and drawing his face closer to his own, a sneer curling hauntingly over his features.

"You shouldn't have done that."

"Like hell I..."

Loki threw his head into the boys before he could finish, letting go of his collar in the process, his body dropping to the ground in a heap, a dazed look on his face.

"What the fuck man!"

His friend stepped forward, his arm cocked back as Loki stepped forward, his hands balled into fists. However before either of them could do a thing a torrent of water flooded all three of them, stopping them in their tracks. Loki stepped back, gazing down at his dripping form before looking over to stare at the culprit. Standing there was a very proud woman, her chin held high, a silver bucket clutched in her hands and her chest thrust forward, her breasts fighting the constraints of the very tight rust colored t-shirt she wore. She had an apron tied round her waist and she sat in a hip, her hand resting on the rounded flesh as she looked down her nose at all three of them. She had long, golden brown hair that laid in ringlets over her shoulders, her long lashes and arched brows making Loki stop for a minute, his anger halting for the briefest of seconds.

"What the fuck lady!"

The boy still standing rushed for the woman, but his luck was worse than Loki's as the woman swung her arm quickly, allowing the bucket she held to collide with his head with a loud 'thunk.' He dropped to the ground next to his friend, the same dazed look in his eyes. The former boy grabbed his friends arm, lifting him as the two ran off down the street, the woman moving, her arm raised above her head.

"Yea that's right! Run you pansies! I don't wanna see you around here again!"

She turned, falling back into a hip, a smile on her face. "Sorry 'bout that," She eyed Loki's soaking clothes. "I was aiming for the little shits that were hassling you."

"Ah," He grumbled lowly, trying in vain to brush some of the water from his shirt.

"Common in, I'll bring ya a towel and help you clean up," The woman smiled warmly and turned, walking into the building behind them, a small ring following the opening of the door. Loki frowned, eyeing the streets around him and finally the woman who waited at the door for him, deciding he had nothing else to do and moving inside.

"Take a seat I'll go grab that towel," She chimed, leaving him behind as she moved around a few of the wooden tables, all empty, to a very short door that led behind a long counter. The room around him was bathed in wooded colors, accents of reds, blacks and gold giving a very warm feel to the small place. He eyed the black board covered in white writing behind the counter, names and numbers scrawled over a clouded background. A large glass case interrupted the smooth wood of the counter, filled with tiny cakes and cookies as well as some rice-looking concoction that was sliced into a cube.

"Here we go," Came the woman's voice again as she rounded the corner and slipped through the doorway behind the counter quickly, handing a large fluffy blue towel over to him. He took it without a word, drawing the cloth over his clothes slowly.

"Don't talk much do you?"

Loki glanced up at the woman, her chin in her hand as she bent over the wood, her blue eyes dancing with mirth.

"Was I supposed to?"

"Well usually when given something by someone you reply with a thank you," She said with a cocked eyebrow. Loki simply stared at her, his green eyes squinting slightly before continuing to dry himself off. The woman's eyebrows rose high on her head, her blue eyes narrowing slightly from his stubborn silence.

"Who are you?"

Loki glanced up at her, his shirt still wet but not clinging so closely to his body like before. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," He said simply, wondering for the first time if the humans of this Earth knew who caused the raucous in this very city not very long ago.

The woman in front of him looked bemused as she rose from the counter, her back straightening. "Try me."

"My name is Loki Laufeyson, former prince of Asgard."

The woman's face didn't change, her arms crossed over her chest as she hesitated, neither of them breathing a word.

"Are you the same Loki that brought the tirade of aliens through that portal over Stark Tower?" She asked finally and this time Loki's eyebrows rose.

"The same."

The woman snorted, dropping her arms and sitting her hands on her hips. "I would suggest keeping that kinda information to yourself from now on around here."

"You believe me?" He questioned with a furrow of his brow and the woman shrugged.

"Believed weirder things."

She moved from behind the counter, pushing through the short door and walking up to Loki, her hand outstretched.

"My name is Maggie."