It was early in the morning, and the Avengers were playing a nice game of go-fish.
"You got any...fives?" Tony asked Clint.
"Nope. Go fish," the archer replied. "Have any threes?"
Natasha gave Clint a deadly glare, giving him her threes. "Got any twos, Thor?" she muttered bitterly.
"I do, Lady Natasha." Thor handed her his twos. "Do you happen to have a four in your possession, friend Bruce?"
"Go fish," Bruce answered.
"I do not understand this game, friend Tony. Where are the fish?" Thor asked, searching the pile of cards the middle of the table.
Tony just face-palmed himself. Before they could continue their game, though, they heard the door open.
Everyone turned around, and saw Loki, who looked like an absolute wreck. He seemed to have a crazed look on his face.
"Hey, if it ain't Sleeping Beauty herself," Tony smirked.
Loki didn't answer right away. He stepped over to Tony, and gave him the scariest look he had ever seen. "For your information, I was not asleep. In fact, I was never asleep. You just so happened to "forget" me over at what you Midgardians call Walmart, and I was chased by several cops ALL NIGHT LONG!"
Thor looked deeply shocked. "Brother...what did you DO?"
Loki faced him sharply. "I didn't DO anything! The cops just assumed that it was me who destroyed Walmart, when it was clearly Stark's fault!"
"I am deeply sorry to have forgotten you, Loki," Thor apologized, giving his brother a hug.
"Thor, please—none of this "gushy" nonsense." Loki shoved him away from him. "I'm fine, now. I think my spine is nearly broken, but I'm fine." He waved his arm like it was nothing.
Bruce tried to keep inconspicuous, knowing that he was to blame for that.
"I honestly thought you were with us this whole time," Tony raised his hands in surrender. "I just assumed you kept hidden to avoid fan girls." He chuckled to himself.
"Ha ha." Loki laughed bitterly.
"I do admit, it was rather rude of us to leave so quickly without checking to see if Loki was even there," Steve spoke up. "We know better than to leave him on his own. Who knows what he could've done?"
"IT WAS ONLY ONE TIME, PEOPLE!" Loki shrieked. "I only tried to take over the world ONE TIME!"
"What about the Destroyer—"
"ZIP IT, Thor!" Loki hissed.
"Calm down! There were a lot of people; how we were supposed to know we lost you?" Tony asked.
"I actually knew that Loki was gone," Clint spoke up.
Everyone went completely silent, and turned to face him.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Natasha asked him.
Clint shrugged. "I needed some good ol' revenge."
Loki scowled, but before he could do anything, Thor took his arm.
"Come, brother. I will comfort you."
"Thor, I do NOT need to be—" Loki cut himself off, and smirked. Tears flowed from his eyes, and he leaned on Thor's shoulder, sobbing dramatically.
Everyone looked confused, but Thor pat him on the back. "It's all right, Loki." He gave everyone else a look, before leading Loki out of the room. Loki looked back at everyone with a devious grin before he left.
"What just happened?" Steve asked.
"I think Reindeer Games is trying to play the "pity" game." Tony rolled his eyes.
"Well, Thor isn't necessarily the brightest," Natasha said, before opening a book and reading it. "Remember last week when he tried to get his toast out with a fork?"
"I tried to help him, but I honestly didn't know what to do, either..." Steve admitted.
Tony cracked up, but after Steve glared at him, he shut up.
"Well, don't you think that we should try to do something nice to make it up to Loki?" Bruce suggested.
Everyone just stared at him, surprised that he would even suggest such a thing.
"It would mean a lot to Thor," he muttered, slightly shrinking back.
"Yeah, and maybe Loki is right about learning his lesson," Steve began to agree.
"What makes you so sure?" Natasha asked.
"He got smashed by the Hulk several times. I think anyone would shape up after such a traumatic experience," Tony joked.
"But what do you expect to do that's "fun" to a demi-god who once tried to take over the world?" Clint asked, like it was obvious.
"Well, everyone has to like something," Steve replied.
"Even demi-gods who plotted world domination?" Natasha asked incredulously.
"Let me tell you something here, Spangles..." Tony put an arm around Steve, who didn't seem amused at his nickname. "If someone plotted world domination, that would probably have to do with the fact that they don't like anything this world has to offer. Ever think of that?"
"Perhaps, if we showed him around more, he could grow to liking this place," Bruce suggested.
Once again, everyone gave him odd looks. The one in the group who was antisocial...was suggesting socialization?
"Why are you staring at me like that!?" Bruce exclaimed. "I'm entitled to my opinion too, you know!"
To avoid further argument, Steve quickly glanced back at the others. "He has a point. It'd mean a lot to Thor, and maybe we can even get to know Loki a little better."
"And...who'd want to do that?" Tony asked.
"Come on, guys; back me up here," Steve urged the others.
Nobody said a word.
"Bruce! You started this whole thing; why aren't you agreeing?" Steve asked.
"I was suggesting you guys to do all those things. If you haven't noticed, I'm antisocial," Bruce raised his hands defensively.
Natasha finally sighed. "If it helps, Cap, I'll join you," she groaned.
"Thank you! Anyone else?" Steve looking back at the others. He specifically eyed Clint.
"I don't want to," Clint whined.
"There always comes a time where someone has to do what they don't want to do," Steve told him. "You might as well get it over with."
"Fine...but if Loki does anything, I'll be sure to put an arrow through his eye socket," Clint stated dangerously, walking up to his side.
"Tony?" Steve glanced at the said billionaire.
"You see...I'd love to help someone just as much as the next guy..." Tony started.
Clint stifled a laugh.
"...But the thing is, Loki threw me out a window...so why should I help him?" Tony finished.
"Because Thor will probably pummel you if you don't," Natasha stated.
Tony thought about that. "Fair enough. I'm in."
"Wait, so Bruce gets out of the whole thing, just because he said he's antisocial?" Clint asked incredulously.
"No; I was going to ask him next. Bruce?" Steve turned around, only to see that Bruce had vanished.
"What the heck? This whole thing was his idea!" Clint yelled.
"Hold on. Jarvis, where's Bruce?" Tony asked.
"He is currently hiding behind the table, sir," Jarvis replied.
"Shoot!" a voice was heard, and soon, Bruce stood up from behind the table.
"What are you doing?" Steve asked.
"I didn't think my idea would actually work," Bruce admitted. "Honestly, I didn't even WANT to do the whole thing!"
"Well, you're doing it, whether you like it or not. We're all forced to do it, so we might as well get it over with," Tony told him.
"Where's Loki right now?" Steve asked.
"Probably still "crying" and having Thor comfort him." Natasha rolled her eyes.
"You see? He's probably telling Thor lies about us, and you're suggesting we help that guy?" Tony asked.
Steve face palmed himself. This was going to be a lot harder than he thought.