Author's Note: Alright, so I saw the Avengers like a billion times and of course, like any self-respecting fangirl, immediately went into Loki-overload and ran home to start writing. I really loved the movie, the casting, and just the whole dynamic and while I was watching the whole thing, I got this idea of how Loki had no real idea of all the good things that Midguard has, so maybe spending some time there would change his tune. And maybe he would change his tune about the Avengers, but who knows? ;~)

I hope you all enjoy this chapter and all the chapters yet to come. Please read and relax and review (please?).

Chapter 1: Out of the Light

. . . . .

Thor felt numb, dead to the world, yet at the same time incredibly, terrifyingly exposed, as if all could see into his heart, his mind, and read the darkness which swelled within. Disappointment is what he would call it, but casting another look at his brother Loki, he knew it was something more, some great suffering anguish that tormented every fiber of his being.

Loki.

Green eyes stared fixedly on the metal walkway to Odin's palace, refusing to acknowledge any of his surroundings – he had not once glanced in his brother's direction – and the several cuts and bruises decorating his ashen face only wrenched the knife in Thor's heart. Under the gag, the God of Thunder imagined Loki's snarl, his twisted sneer, and all of those unspoken words sealed away.

"Thor!" Sif's cry startled the two gods into a complete halt. The dark-haired huntress bounded over, relief evident on her face. "By the divines, you're both alive. The counsel has gathered in Odin's court – the fate of Loki Laufeyson is to be decided."

She paused to look over the God of Mischief, taking in his battered appearance and obstinate glare, before examining Thor. For all her cunning and sharp wit, confusion bloomed across her features whilst questions swam in her eyes. How did you capture him alive? At what cost? What will become of him?

"Then we shall not delay. Come, brother," Thor clasped the bindings on the Jotun's wrists gently, moving with haste towards the grand hall. Anticipation and fear welled and spilled out from the God of Thunder, his grip flexing against Loki's cuffs.

"My sons, you have returned to me."

All eyes were riveted on the All-Father, standing regally before the golden throne, his hands clasped behind his back. There was such a striking difference, Thor realized, between Odin and Loki – how could anyone have ever mistaken him as a son by blood? The very demeanor of the King said it all; his word was law, and if Loki Laufeyson was really an Odinson, then it was to be true.

Loki's jaw clenched and unclenched behind the thick metal gag, as if he was already unconsciously denying his acclaimed heritage.

"Loki of Asguard, son of Odin," green eyes sparked dangerously up at the King, "you have committed heinous crimes of treason and genocide, against both your home of Asguard and Midguard. What have you to say for your actions?"

With deft fingers, Thor freed his brother of the mouthpiece, surveying Loki's profile cautiously. The entire hall fell into a silence, waiting for a response, if any.

When none came, and Loki's unwavering silence had stretched for a moment too long, the All-Father spoke once more, tone harsh and flat with restrained anger.

"Have you, Liesmith, nothing to say? No excuse, no defense, for why you allowed us to mourn your passing, for why you return only by the grace of demons, for why your brother has -,"

"He is not my brother!" The scream seemed ripped from Loki's throat, hoarse and rough from disuse. "No more than you, Odin Son of Bor, are my father! Here is my response – execute me for my crimes – I care not, but do not treat me as if I am your kin."

Loki's voice carried from high and crazed with hate to low and dangerous, lethal words like small daggers that buried deep into Odin's heart. His green eyes burned fervently with rage, an all-encompassing fury that gripped his soul.

"Enough!" the All-Father's shout shook the very core of Asguard, "Your punishment has been decided – it shall be swift and merciless. I strip you of your Godly bequests and magic, and deem you mortal. You are banished to Midguard, exiled from this court and world. May you only return when the knowledge of life's value has been bestowed upon you."

"You vile, wretched-," green flames exploded from Loki's mouth as he spit curses and dark enchantments at his once-father, eyes burning a rich shade of red. All of the Asguardians shrunk away from the exiled prince while Odin moved assuredly toward his two sons.

It happened in a moment, Odin lifting his palm to the Jotun who in turn suddenly became still. The flames were gone, the magic that Loki was nearly constantly wreathed in dissipated from the air, and his eyes, once bright green, dulled and glossed over with loss. Even his skin, which had glowed with the light of merely being a demigod, dimmed considerably, leaving behind mere flesh.

"What have you done?" Loki hissed, examining his hands.

"Turned you into that which you despise – a mortal," Odin's reply was soft, and perhaps would have been mistaken for merciful, but Thor understood. Loki would suffer more as a human than if he were to be killed; this was not generosity, it was truly punishment. "I cast you out of Asguard so that you may serve your sentence on Midguard. Be gone, Loki Laufeyson, I pray you never return."

Odin locked eyes with Thor, a brief understanding passing wordlessly between the two gods – it would be up to Thor to insure Loki's safe passage as well as guarding his life. The God of Thunder nodded, carefully placing a hand at the small of his brother's back, and turned to lead his brother away once more.

Now, Thor only hoped that the Avengers might take their return if only a little better. But with one glance at his stricken brother, Thor suddenly doubted that.

. . . . .

Pepper Potts delicately tried to place her hands over her ears without it being obvious. Music, loud and fast, assaulted the secretary's ears as she hesitantly inched closer to Tony Stark's personal lab. Through the glass window panes, the billionaire was in clear view, bobbing his head while simultaneously recalibrating the complex interworking of a new arc reactor.

"Hey Tony!" she rapped against the glass. "Tony, we have a meeting-,"

Tony glanced up and, with a wry grin, shrugged as if he had no idea what she was saying – which was entirely possible.

"Could you turn that off?" Pepper mouthed back at her employer, fixing him with her stern no-nonsense face. His face contorted in a look of mock-horror just before he commanded JARVIS to 'take it down a notch or two'. The AI brought it down several decibels – Pepper made a mental note to thank the virtual butler and maybe offer to take some responsibilities off his metaphorical shoulders.

"Do you realize what you just said? What that even means?" Tony Stark arched an eyebrow at Pepper. "That was AC/DC. AC/DC, the Gods of Rock. And don't even try to lie, I saw you covering your ears."

Nothing got past Tony Stark.

"We have a meeting in less than hour with the Board and you're still down here, like this," she gestured to his oil-stained forearms and shirt, "plus, you smell like you haven't bathed in god knows how many days. And I'd bet that JARVIS has reminded you several times about this meeting, but you ignored him, like you're ignoring me, right now."

Tony's straying eyes slid back to her – he at least had the grace to look somewhat sheepish.

Sir, sensors are detecting abnormalities. JARVIS' artificial voice intoned overhead. Ripple-like fluxes are being monitored centering from this very location, matching the signature of –

The lab exploded into blinding white light, papers spewing radically in every direction. It only lasted for a moment, but left standing in the wake was two additional people who hadn't been there seconds ago.

Thor and Loki looked out of place next to trim machinery and under the fluorescent lights.

"Tony Stark, Howardson and Man of Iron, I apologize to intrude so but this is of the utmost importance." The God of Thunder was not one to look nervous, yet as he glanced quickly between the billionaire and his brother, it seemed etched across his features.

"Uh, I hate to break it to you, Johnny Bravo, but Loki's standing behind you," Tony subtly moved himself in front of Pepper.

Confusion flashed across Thor's face as another reference was lost of him.

"I am aware, but he has been cast out of Asgard, stripped of his magic and immortality. I return to you with the hope that you could protect my brother. You had informed me before that you had set up a place here in the Newland of Mexico for the Avengers – I had hoped this invitation was still withholding."

Thor was at least half right, Tony had converted one of his estates, a large mansion in No-Where, New Mexico, into the new Avengers base, complete with separate suites for each of the members along with training grounds and ample food supplies. The only problem? It isn't an Avengers base without any Avengers in it.

Tony exchanged a look with Pepper, once again trying to look sheepish.

"Hey Pep? I think we're going to have to reschedule that meeting."

. . . . .

It had taken seven hours, seven hours of Fury's rage, scrambling agents, sudden lab-to-prison conversions, and the most amount of activity that Tony Stark's private jet service had gotten since his twenty-fifth birthday. Seven hours and the Avengers were assembled, so to speak, on Tony's leather couch in the second floor lounge. Seven hours and Loki was locked safely away. Seven hours and Thor was just now giving the explanation.

"…and so it was that my father Odin seized Loki's magic and transformed him from god to a mere mortal, by which I mean without offense," Thor hastily added, his booming voice echoing off the tall ceilings of the mansion.

A rumpled Steve Rogers, with faint pillow indentations on his cheek from the plane ride, blinked at the demigod as if he'd forgotten how to speak English. Bruce, who was in no better condition, just pinched the bridge of his nose while Clint and Natasha stood alert and observant. Tony, scotch in hand, studied Thor in silence, an eyebrow carefully cocked.

"Does your dad do this a lot, the whole 'great banishment' thing?" Stark paused before taking a sip.

Thor frowned, "It seems to be his favorite form of punishment since my last exile, yes."

"Well, what's the plan then?" Bruce met Thor's stare evenly. "Demigod or not, Loki's still a danger as long as he's in this house, hell even on this planet. I mean, you can't expect us to just what? Camp here together, twiddling our thumbs, while Loki's grounded?"

"We wouldn't have to be wasting our time," Natasha spoke up, stepping forward, "Stark built this place to house us; we could use this time to work on our skills as a team. Plus, with Loki in captivity we can get some answers about who it is we're really dealing with here. An army like that has to have another leader."

Clint's only contribution was to murmur, "Tasha's right."

"Great, then how about you guys get settled while I inform Old Saint Nick of our plans?" Tony drawled, a forced smirk plastered on his face.

Banner grinned back, "Inform? More like negotiate."

. . . . .

Loki sat, curled in on himself in the corner of his make-shift jail cell. Really, it was just a testing chamber that Tony had decidedly repurposed – it offered the best protection with five-inch thick glass, its own ventilation system, and could only be opened with an eye scan of approved personelle (Clint had looked a little sick upon hearing this).

Plus, there was a camera with a view.

Tony had ordered JARVIS to bring up the video feed as soon as he had finished his 'chat' with Fury, as well as fetched himself a bit of scotch.

"Playback from the beginning, if you don't mind," Tony flopped down onto his desk chair, "I'd like to see what our little goat has been up to, any nefarious plotting and all that. And give it a bit of fast-forward, I don't think I can just stare at him for that long."

Of course, sir.

The recording materialized as a large hologram with Loki sitting silently in his cell, arms wrapped around his knees and face pressed against them. Tony watched the time roll by while Loki didn't move, even slowing it once to check the minute rise and fall of his breathing.

And then Thor's large frame appeared on camera.

"Stop, add audio."

Sir, respecting the privacy of –

"Tsk, Jarvis we've talked about this," Tony admonished. Without any further comments, the AI initiated the audio feedback, yet somehow even the silence seemed disapproving.

"—rother, please. Say something, anything, insult me if you must but please, do not remain silent, do not ignore me as if I mean nothing to you." Thor splayed a large hand against the glass and Tony watched, fascinated, as the God of Thunder pressed his forehead just above his hand.

"Have you already forgotten me, brother? Forgotten our childhood, our years together as warriors?" he murmured, his words making small clouded puffs against the cell. "Would you merely die here to spite me?"

Thor groaned and brought his other fist down upon the glass, not with enough force to shatter or even crack it but only to make a resounding bang. Loki didn't move, hardly even breathed. With one last final sigh, the demigod turned and strode away, disappearing from the camera's range.

"You know Jarvis, I'm thinking it's time I pay our houseguest a visit," Tony mused staring down into his cup as the condensation dribbled down his wrist.

Sir, I would advise against that. Loki Laufeyson is a dangerous criminal –

Tony scoffed as he pulled out another glass from the liquor cabinet and filled it with iced water. "Oh please, save your speeches at least for when I'm actually doing something dangerous. I'm only going to say hi and give him a little something to drink. Be a dear and summon the elevator would you? Also, lock it to make sure we don't make any stops on the way."

Already done, sir, JARVIS intoned, sounding very close to slightly annoyed. The billionaire smirked up at the emptiness of his ceiling – the AI was getting to be a bit cheeky these days, probably something having to do with Tony himself.

The elevator pinged as it reached its final destination, the lab. It was about time for this talk anyway, Tony figured, what with the problem of housing the 'master-criminal' down here meant no tinkering time. Flight stabilizers and scotch was Tony Stark's chicken soul for the soul.

"You know, you could have at least tried to quiet your footsteps."

Tony's eyes locked with Loki's bright green ones. The once-god had changed his position since the video feed, now stretched out almost languidly against the opposing wall, an arm draped oh-so-casually across one knee. While his demeanor screamed confidence, the dark bags under his eyes and lack-luster hair told a different story.

"I suppose, if I was trying to sneak up on you. But this," Tony gestured to the water in his hand, "is a peace offering."

A sneer worked its way onto Loki's features, "Spare me, mortal, I do not require your act of kindness nor for you to prolong my life so that you may hand me over to that blundering cyclops."

A beat and then, "Ouch, Fury would be hurt. And remind me again, who got stripped of their powers and cast out to slum it with the 'mere mortals'?"

"Clever," Loki snapped, "but do not try my patience."

Tony arched an eyebrow as he approached the make-shift prison. "That's sort of my thing, if you haven't noticed."

The Jotun opened his mouth to respond, and then slowly let it close, as if deciding against it. A small sigh, almost too faint to even be noticed, escaped from him and suddenly Loki appeared weary, burnt out and barely there. Tony took the quick reprieve to set the glass of water in the cell and just as hastily close the door again.

"Look, I told you I was here for a peace offering, and I am," Tony lowered his voice. "You don't have to stay locked up like this. I could give you a bed, food, a place where no one else can bother you."

"What would you have of me in return?" Loki asked evenly, a small glimmer of danger in those eyes.

"Well, your cooperation would be nice, but not necessarily needed. It's not like you're a real threat in your current –,"

In a flash, the Liesmith was on his feet, the glass of water just a blur before it exploded right in front of Tony's face, dripping down and clinking against the concrete. A small crack now marred the cell wall where Loki had hurled the cup.

"Do not underestimate me, Tony Stark!" The voice that came from the God of Mischief now was low and sharp, each word purposefully clipped and only rising in volume. "I could, with great ease, cut out your tongue before your slow mind even forms the next insult. I would flay your lovely wench Pepper alive and have you watch each strip of skin I peel from her bones. I warn you now, trifle with me and I shall inflict agonies upon you until you beg for something as merciful as death!"

The last few words were cast at Tony's back as he turned on his heel and stalked off. He clenched and unclenched his fists until he reached the elevator, opting to slam the button rather than just ask JARVIS.

Sir, may I -?

"No, you may not," Tony ground out. "I want that bastard on lockdown, no one gets in without personally asking me. Keep up the surveillance, around the clock video and audio."

Right away, sir. Anything else?

Tony paused, "Yeah, actually there is. Bring up the specs for the flight stabilizers."

As always, sir. Scotch on ice as well with that?

"Do you even have to ask?" the billionaire sighed, some of the tension leaving his body. The elevator dinged softly, signaling his arrival at the master suite floor.

Meanwhile, a few stories just below the billionaire's feet, Loki pulled his knees back up to his chest and let his eyes drift shut.