Warning: Future thunderfrost/mpreg. None in this chapter specifically.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own the Avengers or make any money from it.

A/N: Hey, everyone! This is my first time writing for this pairing, so please cut me some slack lol. But on a more serious note, this takes place literally directly after the movie ends. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

The sun shone warmly onto the perfidious god, whose mouth shackle was still attached firmly to his face. The guards walked directly behind Loki, along with Thor as they made their way to the imperial Asgardian palace. 'I cannot believe all that has transpired...and more importantly...Loki seemed to give in almost too easily on Midgard. What are his true plans? What does he seek?' Thor thought, his blue eyes glimmering with deep conflict.

In a way, he was ecstatic to have his younger brother back. He had blamed himself before for not being able to rescue Loki. In fact, they had blamed themselves for his supposed death, that is until he returned to Midgard and caused an absolute uproar. However, in another way, Thor was extremely disappointed in him and truly wished to no longer see his brother's face at all.

However, the blonde was snapped out of his thoughts as they finally arrived at the beautiful palace. He held his head high as a prince should, keeping his gaze focused straight ahead until they entered the grand hall. Thor watched with unusually serious eyes as the Allfather summoned Loki to his throne. The blonde god looked a bit nervously at Loki as two guards led the traitorous god before Odin. It was tensely silent in the grand hall, what with everyone warily watching as Loki was presented before them all. Sif and the Warriors Three eyed the black-haired male suspiciously. The citizens of Asgard and Frigga, however, looked almost relieved to see Loki back. They were all still somewhat unaware of his wrongdoings, causing them to curiously gaze at the return of what they considered to be the youngest prince.

However, Thor and Odin shared a glance and one thing was certain - the truth about Loki would be revealed. Everyone watched with curious eyes as the young god finally stood before the Allfather, his head bowed slightly. Whether from shame or simply because he didn't feel like looking up and staring at them all, they didn't know. It could've been both, for all the onlookers knew.

"Do you think he's truly sorry for his actions on Midgard?" Fandral whispered into Sif's ear suddenly. The female warrior merely frowned tightly, though her eyes watched Loki with fascination. "Who knows? I can never quite understand Loki's actions - he is fickle, after all."

Hogun nodded grimly. "Indeed, he is fickle...one minute he wants the throne, the next he wants domination over Earth. Now he is back and we must all be cautious of what he is truly after." They all looked to Volstagg suddenly, but the redhead merely looked straight ahead. When he noticed their sour stares, he scoffed a bit. "Excuse me if I'm being apathetic about this whole thing. Should we not just be happy that Loki has returned? After all, Thor has his eye on him, as does the Allfather and Lady Frigga."

Sif nodded, closing her eyes. "True enough, I suppose." The others merely nodded their agreement, choosing now to remain silent.

The guards came to quickly stand next to Loki, untying the shackle around his mouth so that he may once again speak. Odin leaned forward in his throne, gazing calculatingly at his youngest son. "Loki, despite your evil actions on Midgard, I am just pleased to have you back home. We thought you would never return again, Loki." The black-haired male looked up suddenly, his wide green eyes unreadable and filled with a strange sort of agony. Turmoil. Odin took notice of this, relaxing a bit as he reclined back on his throne again.

Thor frowned at how quiet Loki was being, stepping forward slightly. "Brother, why do you not speak?"

Loki merely eyed him with doe-like eyes, before closing them slowly. "I suppose I am to be locked up in Asgardian prison. That is my fate, is it not?"

The Allfather shared a wary, concerned look with Frigga. The goddess shook her head, silently begging Odin to let him off with little more than a slap to the wrist. Odin shared her sentiment, apparently, as he simply nodded in response to her unspoken plea. "Loki." He said loudly, causing absolute silence to fall over the grand area. The said god looked up almost meekly, though there was something sinister that burned in his gaze. There was a darkness that defiled his otherwise innocent appearance, which set Thor on edge. He was still reeling and upset with his brother over the recent events on Midgard, after all. It had nearly cost one of his newfound friend's lives - Tony Stark, to be exact.

"Loki," Odin repeated, rubbing at his mouth thoughtfully. "I know not...I know not why you would try to overtake Earth. I didn't think that the power of the Tesseract meant that much to you...but clearly it does. However, I do not have it in me to imprison you. Therefore, I will allow your punishment to fall into Thor's hands."

"Odin!" Frigga gasped disbelievingly, but her pleased stare said otherwise as to how she truly felt. It was a fitting, nearly perfect punishment after all. Who better to punish Loki than the one who had witnessed his cruel actions the most?

Everyone looked towards the unusually quiet blonde god, who stood there contemplating Loki's fate suddenly. His blue eyes stared over at his younger brother curiously, and he slowly crossed his arms as a pensive look settled over his features. "This all seems a bit too planned. Forced, really." Thor said suddenly, making everyone murmur quietly amongst themselves.

Loki turned to him slowly, a wide eerie grin stretching his lips. "Oh? So you've finally grown a brain, have you?"

"Loki..." Frigga murmured disapprovingly, but before she could say anything more Odin held a hand up momentarily to silence her. She sighed frustratedly, but focused her gaze on her oldest son. Thor merely smirked, laughing heartily. "You think me stupid? Ah, well, I cannot say I blame you. Many others seem to have that impression of me. No offense has been taken, I assure you."

Loki merely stared at him sinisterly, waiting for Thor to elaborate on his earlier words. He watched as the blonde seemed to struggle with his thoughts momentarily, and suddenly his blue eyes lit up like a light bulb.

"Midgard was never your concern, was it?" Thor snapped suddenly, gazing over at his brother with widened blue eyes.

Thin, pink lips curled upwards deviously. "True enough. My purpose was to get a one way path back to Asgard, and having the Avengers assembled was the perfect method. I knew they would summon you to be a part of the team and therefore I would receive a way back home."

"For what purpose? To try to take the throne? To destroy the Jotuns as you once tried to do before?" Thor asked loudly, causing everyone's eyes to flicker back and forth interestedly between the two.

Odin frowned sharply. "I sense jealously and bitter feelings are at play here. Loki, a further explanation would do us all some good. A bit of clarity would surely help this situation." Loki merely scoffed, shaking his head slowly. "No, Allfather, I am not one to truly explain myself. I cannot fulfill your request, unfortunately. I'd rather be locked up for eternity than spill my secrets to everyone here."

"We just want to understand you...my dear son..." Frigga murmured, placing a worried hand to her chest.

Snarling, Loki spun around on his heel to glare at the two before him. "I am not your son!"

It became quiet again, but this time no one moved to break the silence. Loki looked around slowly, his green gaze staring around at all the Asgardians surrounding him. Odin let out a saddened, heavy sigh finally causing everyone's attention to snap over to him.

"So be it, then. Loki, I hereby sentence you-!" The Allfather began mightily, his bones cracking warily as he stood from his throne.

Thor held up a hand, "Wait, stop! Father, I implore you to let Loki free."

"What? Thor, what madness is this? As much as we care for Loki, he must be punished. If you will not punish him, then we must." Frigga all but hissed at her son, though her tone was still surprisingly gentle. Thor nodded at her gravely. "I know, mother. However, I have a more fitting punishment. Rather than being imprisoned, he is to reveal his true purpose. If I know Loki, he is still hiding something from us."

Loki smirked, "And just how do you plan to even extract this information from myself?"

The blonde merely gave him a tight smile. "I have my ways, Loki. It is not so hard to get the truth out one if...more torturous methods are involved."

The other male glowered heavily at him, frowning sharply. "Perhaps, I will speak just a little then...my true purpose has already been revealed but you fools aren't thinking about it hard enough. However, there is someone I have betrayed, that we should all be wary of."

"Loki?" Odin murmured disbelievingly.

"His name is Thanos. He's quite powerful, mind you. What he seeks...lies in your fault, Allfather. The Infinity Gauntlet, to be more precise." Loki explained, his green eyes lighting up mischievously.

Odin leaned back in his throne suddenly as though someone had knocked the wind out of him. He hand came to rest on his cheek pensively as his eyes narrowed. "Thanos, you say? This will not bode well...for he is formidable in battle."

"Indeed, the big Purple One himself is probably headed this way as we speak. I was supposed to lead him directly to your vault." Loki continued, smirking a bit.

"Then what made you change your mind so suddenly, brother?" Thor shouted, his blue eyes shining with confusion. The onlookers looked just as puzzled and fearful of this news, staring at Loki incredulously. The black-haired male simply looked over to Thor, his green gaze staring directly at the blonde.

"I have my reasons." Loki replied vaguely.

"This is utter foolishness and madness, you-!" Thor raged, only to be cut off quietly.

"If he does not wish to explain further, then so be it. We must all prepare for Thanos' attack now, evidently." Odin said wearily, his eyes hardened gravely.

Loki smirked widely, chuckling a bit maniacally under his breath. "You do not have long..."

"What?" Thor snapped disbelievingly, but before anyone could say or do more a loud crash was heard.

A messenger ran in frantically, his breaths coming in short frantic pants. "Terrible news! Heimdall has been severely injured...someone has accessed the bifrost...and he's...he's disgustingly purple and frightening! He says his name is Thanos."

"And so he arrives..." Loki drawled almost amusedly, looking back towards the grand doors.

"This is hardly good news, wipe that smirk from your face brother!" Thor demanded, clenching his fists tightly. "We must be ready to fight against this Thanos, after all."

What happened next, was sheer chaos. Everyone ran screaming as the evildoer blasted in, laughing in a deep gravelly voice. All Thor could recall was that Sif and the Warriors Three fought the best that they could, but were no match for the large purple alien-like creature. Thor summoned Mjolnir, swinging it before taking off to try and land a hit on the evil creature. Thanos was far too quick though, even faster than the blonde god himself. Loki stood from the shadows, watching with an eerie smile, and yet his eyes appeared horrified. Duplicating himself easily, he watched as his copies attempted to stop Thanos using magic. There was no way he was actually go fight the purple one himself.

"Frigga, run! Take cover, now!" Odin demanded, and the woman nodded and attempted to leave, only to be blasted by Thano's attack.

Loki felt the well-concealed panic in him snap suddenly, and he leaned forward to yell, "Do not underestimate him! Thanos possesses the superhuman physiology of all Eternals, granting him superhuman strength, endurance, reflexes, and agility. His skin is nearly invulnerable, particularly against heat, cold, electricity, radiation, toxins, aging, and disease, and he can survive indefinitely without food or water even before his 'curse' from Death left him immortal, unable to die. His mind is also invulnerable to most forms of psychic attack, and can project a psionic blast of energy as well as blasts of cosmic energy from his eyes and hands!"

"So then he is invincible? Impossible!" Odin shouted, unaware of the blast headed in his direction.

Thor let out a terrified yell, his eyes widening immensely. "Allfather!"

Luckily, he managed to evade him due to one of Loki's duplicates pushing him to the ground roughly. Thanos merely smirked widely, staring down at the pathetic sight of the Allfather sprawled onto the ground. "Loki, come out. I know you are there...you will show me the way to the Infinity Gauntlet. That was our deal, wasn't it?" He asked in his deep, gravelly voice.

The god of mischief peeked his head out from behind the pillar, smirking a bit. "I suppose it was."

"Do not tell me you're nothing but a little, lying fool. Betray me, Loki, and I will kill you." Thanos murmured, his face darkening with a menacing look.

Loki's eyes shone with malicious delight and he stepped out further. "I am not called the god of mischief and lies for no reason..."

Thanos frowned deeply. "So you have betrayed me?" Then he paused eerily, his grinning growing eerily wide. "Maybe death isn't a good enough punishment, after all. You and Thor will both pay the ultimate punishment: eternal prison sentence."

"Why are you including me with Loki? I have done nothing wrong." Thor protested loudly, swinging his hammer again menacingly. Thanos chuckled darkly, staring at him in a way that sent chills of fear down his spine. It took a lot to cause the valiant, brave blonde to feel fear...but that one haunting look from the purple creature was enough to make terror creep into his veins and cause his chest to tighten from fright.

"Now, this ends. I will take the Infinity Gauntlet myself...and you two will suffer in silence."

And those gravelly words were the last thing either one could recall before falling into instant unconsciousness. How Thanos had managed that, Thor was entirely not sure.

'Trickery...it must a spell.' The blonde god thought as he drifted off into blissful unawareness.

Reviews are greatly appreciated. Should I continue this?

Wikipedia: To Be Continued... is a 4 CD/4 cassette box set detailing Elton John's music from his days with Bluesology to the then-present day.