This story was co-written with ColorfulLokitty who will be posting this to AO3, so if it seems familiar... You may have read it there. It started out as a role play, but we're currently turning it into a fanfic because we love it so much and want to share it with the world. Rated for language and suggestive themes.

Includes: Thorki, Science Bros, and some triggerscenes with Thanos, but I'll warn about those later.

Neither of us own Marvel or anything associated.

The sun had finally disappeared below the horizon, though the sky was still left bright from the city lights. However, through the dark, he could see the faint light of the stars. His green eyes were trained on that blackness, searching through the various bright speckles and questioning each one. He wondered which one was Asgard and which was Jotunheim and he wondered briefly exactly how far he was from home. No, it isn't your home now. You have no home. He was constantly having to reprimand himself, not that he would ever say anything to anyone else about it.

Loki sighed, his gaze falling back to the still-busy New York streets spanning out infront of him. Even at nighttime he had to be careful about going out on the town. Waiting for a break in the passer-by, he fixed the placing of the scarf that fell around his neck before walking out into the street. He glanced back at the brightly-lit apartment building he had just left for a moment until he crossed the street quickly so that he wouldn't have to later.

Central Park was always a nice place to go whenever Loki just needed a moment to breathe or get away from the everyday obstacles of living on Midgard, or rather, the obstacles of living his new life right under the Avengers' noses. Thankfully, some places in the park were sparsely populated even during the day so he could remain there for hours simply sorting through his thoughts.

It angered him that he had to resort to such meager options simply because he no longer had his magic. That fact tore through him every time he thought of it. He didn't have his magic and he was left to whatever physical strength his now-mortal form could muster. His mind was his largest resource now and at least, without his magic, he couldn't be tracked easily and could actually lie-low for awhile and simply recuperate. However, he still had to live and though he had managed so far, Midgardian contact came about daily and he simply had to hope that they didn't recognize him.

Loki was glad that Central Park was in walking distance from his apartment as he didn't have to use the subway or even resort to a cab. That was simply more unneeded contact that he already didn't wish to run into.

It was only a few moments later before he entered Central Park; even now, there were still people loitering around in. He turned immediately, walking down a separate path that would lead him deeper into the park. The trees were closer together this way except for the occasional clearings or even, water sources.

A sudden boom of thunder caused him to jump, his gaze flicking around nervously as he searched for anything that seemed out of place. He shook his head a moment later, realizing that it was ignorant of him to even believe that the thunder was caused by Thor. The thunder god had no reason to come to Midgard as Loki was sure the prince didn't even know he was there; Thor hadn't even been present at his trial though Loki didn't know whether it was by choice or not. Why does it matter if he was forced to stay away or not? It didn't matter.

Loki followed the path quietly, losing track of how much time had passed since he had arrived. He had long since stopped pausing whenever people passed him as the numbers of them had dwindled. The only lights now were the lamps that occasional spotted the trail, usually located above a bench or trashcan. It was a long while before he finally stopped at one of the benches, sitting down on the edge of it and resting for a moment. It had also fallen quiet, the only noises being the various sounds of hidden creatures in the brush and the distant blaring of horns and bustle of city life.

~~~~~~~~~~THISISAPAGEBREAK~~~~~~~~~~

It had been quite some time since Thor had seen his brother- it had been rather chaotic when they returned. Their father, Odin, had a multitude of guards waiting for them, and before he could say anything edgewise, Loki had been taken from him to consult with the Allfather about his punishment. Truthfully, Thor was thankful for this- in spite of everything, Loki was still his brother, and hearing the harsh words he knew his father would not spare was not something he particularly looked forward to.

That said, he didn't really know what became of Loki. He had assumed that his brother was in a high-security prison cell somewhere in Asgard, but could not truly be certain. He had never asked his parents about it, and they, sensing his discomfort with the topic, had refrained from commenting.

In spite of this, he would occasionally ask Heimdal how his brother was faring, and receive non-specific answers such as "surprisingly well" or "just fine" in response. Of course, Thor had never expected or wanted much more than that, as he was not entirely sure he wanted to know any more details than that. But on this particular evening, when he went to visit Heimdall, he found the gatekeeper in an unusually good mood. "Good evening, Heimdall. Having a good day, are we? Have you seen something that amuses you?"

"I most certainly have," Heimdall replied honestly, after giving Thor a formal salute in greeting, "It seems your friends, The Avengers, are planning on making a move tonight."

"I see... More trouble in Midgard? Those mortals can be quite petty," Thor confessed, peering over the edge of the shattered rainbow bridge. "Who might their target be? Should I return to aid them?"

"Oh, there should be no need for that." Heimdall replied, collecting himself, "Without his magic, Loki won't put up much of a fight. It should be fun to watch, however."

This news came as a shock, "Father sent Loki to Midgard?" The thunder god wondered anxiously.

"He did indeed. In order to teach him human suffering, he's been given the same punishment as you were- he was stripped of his powers until he can prove himself worthy of them, and placed right under the noses of The Avengers, so that he might help repair some of the damage he has done, and experience for himself the chaos that resonates, though nearly everything has been repaired by now."

Thor had heard quite enough. "Tell my father I've gone to visit Midgard, but do not tell him what I do there." With this said, he summoned a great thunder storm and blasted himself to into Central Park on a lightning bolt, hoping that he close enough to find Loki from there- it was the only place he knew was clear enough to land without destroying much in New York City.

As he had chosen to land in one of the more secluded areas of the park, Thor was not surprised to see that no one was really around- though there were some strange floating lights that were bothering him. Deciding he'd follow these lights for a time, he tried to remember where he'd seen them before... It was awfully familiar, but in the darkness, it was just so hard to tell. Suddenly, a man in a red, white and blue suit came up from behind him. "Good of you to join us, soldier." Steve said, smiling behind his mask.

"Alright, looks like the gang's all here! Well, Loki? Any last words?" The flying lights- which turned out to be Tony Stark in his Iron Man getup, addressed a lonely figure on a bench, charging his weapons.

Loki tensed immediately, his gaze flicking up to the Avengers that were already gathering around him. How had they managed to find him so easily? He was aware that they were all there, even Thor.

It took a moment for everything to soak in, but once it did, Thor threw himself between Loki and the assembling Avengers, "No! Please, wait, my friends. Please, just... lower your weapons and let's talk this out reasonably."

Opening his mouth to reply, Loki already had a smart retort forming on his tongue as Stark addressed him though he cut himself short as Thor jumped between them. What was he doing? Was...was Thor protecting him? He narrowed his eyes at them, taking a few steps back only to have somebody clear their throat, instantly looking over to see Clint Barton. The archer had an arrow already notched and aimed at him.

"Thor! You're seriously protecting him? After everything he did?!" Clint snapped, keeping his eyes trained on Loki.

Loki glared back at him, his gaze only moving to glance at the other Avengers occasionally. The green beast caused him to be nervous as the old memories flicked through his mind. He noticed Agent Romanoff standing just off to the side of Barton, one of her pistols aimed at him.

"He threw me out of my own window for god's sake! And do you know how much those repairs cost me? A lot!" Tony added, his repulsors still trained on Loki as he had refused to lower them.

Loki bit his lip, barely managing to keep back the sharp replies that had rose in his mind. Even he was able to tell when it was beneficial for him to keep quiet and now was one of those times.

"I understand your frustration," Thor replied calmly, "And I am not saying that he should go unpunished- but you must also understand, that even after all he's done... This is still my younger brother, and I know he's not as genuinely evil as he presents himself." Thor glanced over his shoulder at Loki as he said this, smiling a bit sadly, "I care not for your parentage- you are my brother... and I won't stand by and watch you die."

With this said, he turned back to the Avengers- more specifically, Tony Stark, who seemed the angriest of everyone, "At least make it a fair fight. What you don't understand- and I myself have just now discovered- is that Loki was banished from Asgard and stripped of his powers, just as I was when I was facing punishment for attacking the Frost Giants. He has no power- he is defenseless. Would you, who call yourselves heroes, truly wish to attack a mere mortal man without defense using such power?"

Loki rolled his eyes before glaring at Thor. "You are a sentimental fool," he growled quietly. "And you should know that this in itself is by far punishment enough, not only am I stuck here but the Allfather had to make me one of them," he said, scrunching his nose in disgust.

Well this made Steve, "Captain America," hesitate, at least. "He's really lost ALL of his power?" He questioned skeptically.

Thor nodded, "I'd swear it on my life. If you attacked him now as you intend to, he would die, without fail. I've come to make sure that doesn't happen."

"Wasn't that the initial goal, anyway?" Tony wondered, "Kill him without fail? This information just makes our job easier."

"It would be easier if you would just let us kill him, Thor; he only presents a threat while he is here. I don't care if he doesn't have his magic, I'm sure he'll find one way or another to get by," Clint retorted, the bow still taut.

"I'm still having a hard time believing he doesn't have his magic either. What makes you think he's not just feigning it?" Natasha asked, her gun lowering just slightly as she looked over at Thor.

"I know because a dear friend of mine who has the power omniscience was looking forward to watching you kill Loki. That's how I heard about all of this in the first place." The Thunderer replied honestly.

Loki glared at Thor, not feeling the need to correct him constantly. So Heimdall had told Thor of his presence here on Midgard? It wasn't as though Loki had expected anything less of the Gatekeeper but he had expected the Allfather to at least inform Thor of his punishment. But then again, Odin knew that Thor would only interfere as he was now.

Loki chuckled, snapping himself out of his thoughts. "If I had my magic, do you honestly think I would honor you with my presence?" He asked sarcastically in response to the spy's question.

"Yeah, because I feel so very honored," Clint snapped back in response for Natasha.

Loki gave him a lopsided grin. "Oh, you should be."

"He's right. If he had his magic, he would be able to get away." Thor pointed out, he wanted to talk with Loki more, about how he understood the difficulties of being trapped on earth in a mortal form, but now was neither the time nor the place. First he had to get the Avengers to lower their weapons.

"I can sincerely assure you that he is no threat to you here, and that our father's curse to remove him of his magic will not fail. His powers will return to him when he is able to prove that he has learned human suffering, learned first hand what his destruction has caused... That is the kind of sentiment that moves our father... And if Loki can manage to please our father enough to regain his power, I am sure I can convince father to allow him to return home, to Asgard. This is no place for us."

Loki sighed slightly; the reminder that his powers would only return upon Odin's good judgement didn't dwell joyfully in his mind. Thor had simply fallen in love with the mortal woman and easily redeemed himself by defeating the Destroyer though Loki had no such chance.

Sighing, Steve lowered his shield, "It's no good, guys. Thor isn't going to budge on this, and it isn't right to attack a civilian- even if he was once our enemy."

Clint gave a derisive snort. "'Once our enemy', Cap? Are you going to act as though he isn't our enemy anymore?" He growled.

Natasha sighed, lowering her gun though she didn't holster it. Her free hand came to rest on Clint's shoulder. "Clint," she said softly, looking at him. He glanced up at her for a moment before finally allowing his aim to falter as he lowered the bow.

"Civilian? Yeah, sure, Capsicle. We're not going to let him go free like a 'civilian', are we?" Tony asked, mocking Steve.

"Stark," Steve more spat the name than said it, "Stand down. I'm not the enemy here, and for the time being, neither is Loki."

Steve opened his mouth to continue, but Thor cut in, "I don't expect you to treat him as your guest. Father will already be upset with me for interfering, I may as well stay and see it through. I will stay here on Midgard and look after my brother, and I will accept your punishment if he fails to see the errors in his ways and repent." Truth be told, Thor was saying this more for himself than anyone. If he were able to keep watch on Loki, he wouldn't be able to get in trouble- probably. Not without magic, at least. It was a weight off his mind, to say the least. Besides, he was not really needed in Asgard- his father was in good health, and he knew that he'd be hearing from Heimdall if anything went wrong and he was needed.

Loki groaned inwardly. Thor was going to stay here with him for the remainder of his punishment? He didn't even know how long it would last himself and he didn't want to have to live with Thor or even deal with him for that long.

"I agree with Thor- I say we leave the Asgardians to the Asgardians and go about our own business. If what Thor says is true, there's no need to pick a fight. As of this moment, Loki is a civilian, or, if you prefer, a criminal serving his sentence." The Captain said firmly, looking around for the support of his team.

Tony rolled his eyes, sighing slightly as he finally lowered his repulsors. "Well then, we'll, or rather I'll, be keeping an eye on him like any other criminal."

"A criminal," Loki chuckled, his gaze turning over to Steve. "Hopefully it will be over soon enough and we will never had to see each other again though, for some reason, I doubt that I am that lucky."

"I don't think we're lucky enough for that either but you'd better watch yourself for that time when we do meet and your brother isn't in the way to save your ass," Clint growled.

Loki flashed him a charming grin, unable to hold it back. "I hope that time may come soon," he purred sarcastically.

Natasha sighed, glancing at Clint. "This isn't the time," she mumbled quietly, looking pointedly at Thor before back to Clint. He shrugged, relaxing only slightly.

Thor flashed Natasha a look of great appreciation and bowed his head slightly as he said this. He was not entirely sure that everyone else would hold back if even just one of them started attacking, so this gesture was appreciated

"Well since you've already been here for awhile, Rock of Ages, I'm guessing you have somewhere to stay so that we don't have to support your ass too?" Tony asked.

"Thank you, my friends," The God of Thunder said sincerely, trying his best to push Stark's comments out of his mind. "I can assure you that you will not regret this decision.".

Loki rolled his eyes. "No, I just stole these expensive clothes from a store without getting caught and I took the keys that I have in my pocket too," he snapped sarcastically in reply to the billionaire.

"I can't tell if he's being serious. Is he being serious? It's hard to tell if anything that comes out of that mouth is true." Tony looked around to the Hulk for support, but the green beast didn't seem to have an answer for him.

Loki rolled his eyes, fishing the set of keys out of his pocket and showing them to Stark.

Not wanting to be outdone by Tony, Steve straightened up self-righteously, "Prove it." He commanded, his eyes locked on Loki's, "This punishment is to teach you respect for us? Then respect us. Kneel."

"Now you're speaking my language! Hit him with his own words!" Tony encouraged, coming to land beside Steve, "Kneel before those who wouldst spareth thy life!" He demanded, doing his best impression of Loki- which, it has to be said, was not a very good one.

Loki narrowed his eyes on Steve as the Avenger stepped forward and laughed harshly as soon as his words hit. "You can't truly expect that I would kneel for such beings as you," he chuckled.

Thor opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again. What they were saying was true, and Loki deserved his punishment, but... Even so, it pained him to even think that Loki might be forced to kneel before mere mortals. Rather than argue, however, he nodded to his brother, "You heard them, brother. You're in no position to resist them, so kneel. You are no threat to them."

Anger and hatred ran through Loki though as he heard Thor's own words. He knew those words were true but the very thought of kneeling for them fueled the flames already licking at his insides. But that was the only way to live wasn't it? If he didn't comply, they could kill him or worse, send him back to Asgard for a different punishment. His muscles tensed as he kept his defiant pose, even going so far as to tilt his chin up slightly as though he were looking down at them. "No."

Clint suddenly raised his bow again, aiming right into Loki's eye. "If you don't kneel, I will shoot you."

"And I won't hold him back," Natasha added, crossing her arms over her chest.

Loki fell silent, watching the two for a long time before glancing around at the rest of the team. There was no chance of escaping them, not in this situation. The only way to get out of it was...to kneel. They knew exactly how to get to him. Taking a deep breath, Loki clenched his jaw tightly, his gaze slowly falling to the ground beneath his feet. In one fluid motion, he was on one knee and staring at the ground, every muscle in his body still tense with his hatred for the action almost as much as for the ones he was kneeling before.

"What next? I'm torn between making him dance like a monkey and making him polish my boots," Tony wondered gleefully, lifting one of his metallic boots up for the other Avengers to give their opinions. "Or maybe a blow j-"

"I think we should use him for target practice," Clint added, glancing up at Stark

Thor, however, was less than amused, "I'd say that's quite enough," He announced, grabbing Loki by the arm and pulling him to his feet though Loki pulled out of his grip almost immediately upon his standing. "One act of submission should more than suffice."

"That wasn't nearly as long as he kept the citizens on the ground in Germany," Steve pointed out, "Not to mention all of the other wretched things he's done. Honestly, Thor, I think you're being too lenient."

"I'd thank you to remember that he is a god," Thor growled darkly, "An unruly one, perhaps, but a god nonetheless, and most importantly, he is my brother. I should think that a god kneeling before you should be enough to appease you."

"A god? Didn't you just say that he was as 'petty' as us?" Tony continued. "Also, let's refer back to the brother complex issue. If this were anyone else, you'd be standing in line with the rest of us to put the smackdown on this guy, but because he's your brother, you're going to let him off the hook that easily?" He asked, almost mockingly.

Thor didn't seem to like this much, either. Holding his Mjolnir up threateningly, he warned, "Do not mock me, Tony Stark."

Taking a few steps back, Loki glared harshly at Stark. "I would have you remember that though I may have lost my godly powers, I still have all of the knowledge that I have gained in my many years. I'm sure I could still manage to cause some damage," he snarled. "But now that the matter of my threat level has been attended to, I see no reason for me to remain here any longer," Loki said evenly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I also see no reason that I should be interrupted again during the only time that I can actually leave my home, so, if everyone is done bickering, I would like to return to my walk."

Thor turned his attention to Loki, quite tired of dealing with Stark for the time being, "I agree. There is no reason to prolong this... gathering."

Still fairly hesitant about just letting Loki walk away, Steve clarified, "You're certain you can handle him, Thor? It took all of us together to get him under control last time, remember."

Thor nodded slightly, "That was when he had his power. Without it, I should have no trouble looking after him. Please have some faith in me, my friends- I am your ally."

"More than that, you're one of us." Steve pointed out, "That's why I just want to make sure you're really going to be alright on your own. If and when Loki gets his power back, he won't be too pleased with any of us."

"The thought had crossed my mind," Thor confessed, "But I hope to clear up any misunderstandings before that time comes. He may be mischievous, but my brother is intelligent. I am certain we can come to some understanding."

There was a derisive snort from Loki as Thor spoke, narrowing his eyes slightly but saying nothing in return. Some part of him was satisfied that Steve was unsure about Thor's ability to handle him alone even if he didn't have his powers.

Tony was quiet for a moment, a true rarity for him before he sighed, looking to Thor. "The tower is close enough to where we could be there for you in seconds. You can also call me if you need anything, I'll have it sent your way or something," he said. "Otherwise, I've got some things to take care of back at the tower so, if that's everything..." He trailed off, glancing around at the team to make sure they were ready to go.

"Thank you, though it shouldn't be necessary." Thor assured Tony with a grin, "Though, if I'm to be around anyway, perhaps we could get together again some time on better terms for some Charmin."

"You mean Shawarma?" Steve corrected, "Count me out, last time we went I got sick for a week... But I'll probably hang around for a while just in case, so I'll see you around." With this, Captain America dismissed himself.

Tony, excited for a new thing to tease Steve about, abruptly followed, "Not so tough on the inside, are you, Cap? All that being frozen didn't do much for your guts, huh?" Naturally, knowing that he would have to be the one to break them up, the Hulk gave one last look to Thor and Loki before lumbering off after the squabbling teammates.

Natasha nodded slightly towards Thor. "Well good luck to you then. Keep him in line," she added, her gaze hardening on Loki for a moment before she started to back off a bit herself, waiting for the majority of the team to leave as well. Clint followed her lead though he was still watching Loki carefully.

Loki sighed inwardly as the team finally turned to leave, leaving him and Thor alone. His gaze slowly turned to Thor as he wondered just how long it would take to shake him off and get him to leave as he doubted the return of his powers would be any time soon. When the others were a safe distance away, Thor said, without turning to Loki, "You're welcome, by the way. You know, for saving you."

Loki rolled his eyes, walking around Thor and back down the path the way he had came. Even though this part of the park wasn't visited often, the gathering of the Avengers had still called for a bit of attention though nobody had neared them.

"Thank you, almighty Thor, for saving my meager mortal life," he growled sarcastically without looking back at Thor. "It would have-" He cut himself short, deciding against the statement as he continued walking. Why was it that every time he managed to have some kind of peace somebody had to ruin it? Hopefully Thor would change his mind and not follow him back to his apartment.

"It would have what?" Thor pressed, trailing closely behind Loki, "It would have been better if I'd just let them kill you? Loki!" Grabbing his brother's wrist to stop him, Thor finally admitted, "I don't understand why you're doing this."

"Yes, it would have been easier," Loki snarled in reply, narrowing his eyes on Thor.

The Thunderer was quiet for a moment, trying to think of the right words to say, before he went on, "I am sorry if you thought father treated you unfairly, but you should know that I've never seen you as anything less than my dear brother- I cannot help what father thought or felt of you, nor can I change the past, but I can say this; whatever it is you have against father is between the two of you, and I wish you would not hold that against me."

Releasing Loki's wrist, he finished, "Please, brother, just tell me what it is that's making you act this way... Would you not, at least, give me that much? Or does our past, our childhood, everything truly mean nothing to you as everyone keeps telling me?"

"You only care to notice everything that you and your father did wrong after I've been torn and broken. You didn't have enough sense to notice it before, Thor. Why should I suddenly give you a chance to make up for everything? It wasn't just Odin. Besides, why would you ever want to make everything right again? Just so that you can feel better about it? That you somehow managed to fix whatever relationship we have? Or maybe it's for everybody else. You only act to care so that you may have others see you as my tamer. 'Oh look! There's the almighty Thor. He even managed to get that little brother of his in line.'

"Well let's get this straight, I am not your brother Thor. I am one of a monstrous race and you are the golden prince of Asgard," Loki snarled. "And there are far too many things that caused me to act this way, most of which you wouldn't even begin to understand."

"King," Thor corrected, "Father has stepped down from the throne and made me king of Asgard." Clearly he failed to understand that this would not help Loki's ego in the slightest.

Loki laughed again. "He would make you king right after my downfall and just before he takes my powers and magic so I simply fall even lower than before," he cut in with a growl though Thor continued talking.

"Why would I want to make everything right? It's true, it might make me look good, but that is far from the reason. Truth be told, I need you, brother. Why do you think I listened to a word you had to say that day, the day you got me banished from Asgard? Even though all you ever did was lie and deceive, why do you think I listened to you? Because," Thor took a step closer, "Because you are my brother, and I value your opinion. We've always been contrasting elements. You call me almighty in jest, and I can fully admit to you that it is a lie. I fight with brute strength and pride, you with intelligence and I am now king, I still ask father's opinion before making any calls of my own because I can accept that poor judgement sometimes gets the better of me- but with you by my side, Loki, Asgard would be an unshakable force! Don't you see that?"

Circling around his brother like a shark around his prey, he went on, "I care not for your parentage- yes, father told me how you came to be a member of our family, but that does not change the fact that we were raised together. You are no monster, Loki, even if I am the only one who can see that; you're still the brother I know and love... Perhaps I cannot understand what you're going through right now, but that's mostly because you won't teach me. What changed, brother? Why can't you learn to forgive? If not father, at least me?"

Thor was still a horrible liar which only led Loki to believe that he meant what he said which didn't make him comfortable at all. He tensed as soon as Thor made it to where he was standing behind him, causing him to whip around immediately. Clenching his jaw, he fell silent for a long moment as he watched Thor, unsure of what to say. "Because you don't understand," he said quietly, turning on his heel and walking towards his apartment again. Maybe Thor would drop the subject or at least allow their talk to cease until they made it somewhere private.

Though tact was not one of Thor's strong points, even he knew when it was time to drop a sore subject... At least for now, he would respect his brother's wishes, though he hoped he had at least made some small bit of progress. After following Loki quietly for a few minutes, Thor grew quite bored of the silence and decided to try his hand at small talk. "So have you found an Earth job yet? I must confess, I did not have such struggles during my time here- it was so short-lived, and I met such generous people that I did not have a need for one. What do they have you doing?"

Loki sighed as soon as Thor began talking but didn't interrupt him. Thor was never able to go more than a few minutes without silence if he could attempt to fill it with small conversation.

Deciding he should probably clarify, he added, "When Heimdall mentioned that my friends were closing in on you, it was the first time I'd heard your name since we returned to Asgard. Until then, I'd honestly believed that you were in a prison somewhere in Asgard... That's not to say I never asked how you were fairing." Realizing that he was rambling, he stopped himself and looked to the sky, still keeping Loki in his peripherals so he could follow, of course.

He was surprised that Thor hadn't known he was on Midgard as he had guessed Thor would have immediately demanded to know his location. "I have managed to establish a job and life here however, if you must know. It may not necessarily be grand but it's enough to get by with," Loki replied. "I also don't have to deal with Midgardian contact often except over the phone or internet. So, living here is far more acceptable than any cell though the lack of magic is fairing hard for me," he admitted.

They exited the park then, walking out onto the sidewalks that ran beside the busy streets. Loki glanced back at Thor and realized that he was far too recognizable and...still in his Asgardian armour. He rolled his eyes, putting a bit more distance between them though Thor hardly seemed to notice, as he was far too busy basking in the glory of being the center of attention. Of course his armor drew the eyes of nearly every passerby, and some even seemed to remember him, though he suspected they remembered his appearance more than his name, as they called him 'that guy that was on the news a few months back,' but he didn't seem to mind it. He flashed a smile at a few of the finer women and waved to the children who dared wave back, but for the most part, everyone kept their distance. They seemed to know what the 'hammer' he carried was capable of. Loki was glad for his thought to put more distance between Thor and himself as the thunder god was only attracting more attention as they went on. Few people looked at him though he wasn't taking any chances.

Thinking little of it, Thor continued the conversation, "Yes, it is difficult being powerless," He agreed, "I suppose it's easier for these mortals; having never known true power, there is nothing for them to miss... They simply go about their lives in peaceful ignorance."

"Yes, it has to be easy on them," Loki mumbled in agreement.

Glancing back to Loki, he wondered curiously, but with a playful, teasing air, "So tell me, brother, have you fallen prey to love with a mortal yet?"

Loki chuckled, raising a brow as he flashed a lopsided grin back at Thor. "Me? Fall in love with a mortal? No, that's your thing, Thor, far from mine," he replied teasingly before he sighed. "Besides, if any were to actually be committed to it, there are far too many ordeals of mine that would scare them away. It's harsh finding love in a world that you tried to dominate," Loki replied, taking on the teasing air again. "Well, not that I've tried but it's definitely not a focus of mine at the moment."

"If your goal is to regain your power, then perhaps you should try," Thor said pointedly, "After all, what you've been doing here obviously isn't working, is it? You know the kind of sentiments that move our father- if you simply pick up and start over as a mortal, he will presume you to be happy the way things are and leave you to die here."

Though most might find this an awkward conversation, especially given the circumstances and location, Thor, as previously stated, was never a god of tact. "You have been sent here to learn human suffering- at least, that is my best guess as to what father is trying to do here- and part of that is the pain of love. Unrequited love, love lost, love that can never be... These are all things mortals suffer through and endure. As gods, we don't have that problem quite as much, provided it's another god we fall in love with, but..." He sighed softly, thinking of Jane, "But I think everyone experiences it at some point, even gods."

Loki sighed, glancing back at Thor again. "Thor, there are things I would like to take care of before I take somebody as my partner and I cannot do those things without my magic but I can't fall in love without those things being done; I wouldn't drag somebody into my own problems but being what is needed, I am in a predicament and...stuck.

"Besides, Thor, there are other things that you wouldn't understand, that I can't explain now, that make it particularly hard. And even if it were to happen..." He allowed himself to trail off, shaking his head. He was glad to see that his apartment building had come into sight though it was still a bit further down the street. "Needless to say, it just isn't really a possibility."

Thor didn't take too well to this, and snapped, "Like what, brother? What is it you have to do so desperately and cannot because your powers have been taken from you? Kill me to soothe whatever it is that spurns your hatred of me?"

"You're right- I don't understand, because you won't tell me! What have I done to wrong you? Even now, you're still so distant, I can't tell what you're thinking." Thor heaved a sigh, still trailing behind Loki, though he had fallen back quite a bit. He was beginning to question himself, if he was really doing the right thing here. Perhaps Loki was beyond reason, perhaps it really might be better to leave him to the Avengers to do as they pleased...

But then... Finally, something had fallen into place. When Loki had looked at him, he'd noticed something off, but hadn't been able to place it, but now- "Are you not sleeping enough? You look unwell..." The bags under Loki's eyes were undeniably prominent, and to the best of Thor's knowledge, sleep deprivation was the only cause of that.

Loki growled, turning to look back at Thor. "You took that the wrong way, Thor, because you wouldn't allow me a moment longer to speak!" He snapped. "However, this should answer both of your questions. I need my powers to kill the source of the night terrors that still plague me in my sleep and if you must know, it surprisingly has nothing to do with you," he snarled.

He sighed, rubbing his eyes a bit. "So no, I'm not sleeping enough," he said in a more even tone. Loki hadn't realized just how obvious the dark circles under his eyes were to other beings as he had grown somewhat accustomed to them. It irritated him just how much he allowed to slip from his lips before he could hold it back. He didn't need Thor asking any more questions but he knew it was highly likely the thunder god would continue to question him until he was satisfied with the answers.

"Then perhaps I can help you," Thor offered after a few moments of thoughtful silence. He realized that Loki could quite literally be talking about anyone or anything, but... he did genuinely want to help his brother, and it was possible that if they worked together for a common goal, Loki would have a change of heart about... everything, and try to repent. A slim chance, perhaps, but for Loki, Thor was willing to grasp at straws.

"You say it like it's so complicated, but it's actually quite simple, is it not? All we have to do is crush the source of your troubled, then, with a rested mind, you may finally be able to move on. So what is it that causes you so much trouble, brother?" No longer feeling that all was lost, the king easily caught up with Loki to walk beside him once more.

"No, it isn't 'quite simple' Thor. If it were simple I would have taken care of it myself by now. It's so horribly complicated and," Loki paused, chuckling humorlessly. "and that one mistake of letting go...The consequences will affect me for the rest of my life, Thor."

Loki hated talking or even thinking about it but he truly wanted out and no matter how much he hated it, Thor might be his only chance to get out of it. "Do you realize, Thor, that even during the trial, I wasn't allowed to speak? They kept the muzzle on my face the whole time and didn't even allow me to try and defend myself. They assumed everything was automatically my fault and didn't allow me to try and say otherwise." His gaze rose up to look at Thor as he fell in place beside him just as they neared the apartment building.

Thor refused to meet his brother's gaze, though it seemed like the first time they were having any sort of meaningful conversation since- well, since before Loki fell from the bridge. "That's why I chose not to attend," He confessed, "I knew a fair trial was not to be expected... Had I gone, it would only have caused unrest."

Finally meeting Loki's eyes, he added, "I'm sure that not everything they said was wrong, however. You have made some poor choices, brother, and this is a rather fitting punishment. Throwing you in a cage wouldn't do anyone any good, at least this way you can gain something from the experience." Deciding that he'd gone a bit off of the original topic, he backtracked and added, "Letting go... are you referring to your fall from the bridge?" He asked for clarification, "What consequences? What happened to you after that?"

Loki growled slightly. "You're not much better than the rest of them. Yes, everything before I fell off the bridge was done by choice but everything afterwards wasn't Thor," he retorted. "Not really."

"Yes, I am referring to that and you've no idea how much I actually regret making that decision; now I have myself stuck in this," he said as he pushed the door open and walked inside towards the elevator that would take him up to the 5th floor. "I'll...I'd rather explain once we get inside my dwelling if you don't mind," he said, glancing up at Thor as he walked into the elevator.

Satisfied that Loki had,at least, agreed to explain himself, Thor followed his brother into the elevator. With any luck, Heimdall was still watching over them, and, if Loki was being honest for once in his life, perhaps they could use whatever it was he had to say about this to convince their father to give him another chance.