Percy ran his hand over his forehead, wiping the sweat off. He breathed heavily, his chest heaving with exertion as sweat dripped down his body. He had thrown his shirt somewhere else about an hour earlier, since it was looking more like a wet piece of rag instead of a proper shirt now.

He grabbed a towel off the railing he had set it on, choosing to wipe his body in the traditional method rather than use his powers. "JARVIS," he asked, looking towards the ceiling, "What time is it?"

"It is currently forty-seven minutes past six in the morning mister Jackson."

Percy nodded silently; he had been training for slightly more than three hours since he woke at three in the morning. Excluding that little unplanned fiasco with Loki, he grumbled to himself.

Percy walked out of the gym, instructing JARVIS to switch off the lights. He paused outside the lift, guilt creeping into his stomach. He hesitated, not knowing whether or not to go with his idea but then he cursed, "Fuck this. And fuck my fatal flaw. JARVIS, living room, now."

"Are you sure you do not want to put on a shirt first sir?"

Percy looked down and cursed, then darted from the gym to his room to grab a shirt and back to the lift within the span of two minutes.

He leaned against the lift wall, before furrowing his brows, "Hey JARV? Is anyone awake now?"

"Mr Rogers is on the roof, sir and mister Banner are both in the labs. Agents Romanov and Barton are still on their own floor. Mister Odinson is currently still asleep." Came the British-accented reply.

Percy nodded his thanks, then paused, "Which Odinson exactly?"

"Thor is the one that is still asleep Mr Jackson."

Percy shrugged then made a beeline for the kitchen, trying not to seem as though he was sneaking around. The soft rays of the sun lit up the living room dimly as Apollo began his daily ritual. Though, knowing him, Percy thought, smirking slightly, he probably set the chariot on autopilot.

He quickly walked to the kitchen, yanking open all the cupboard doors until he found his favorite pancake mix. A small smile adorned his face, chasing away the shadows that had lingered there. It was soon wiped away by a scowl. I'm getting soft, he thought, pouring water into the mix, this, domestic feeling. It's so different from camp, from the fights, the wars.

He finished mixing the batter, spooning some of it onto a pan, expertly flipping them over to make the pancakes. He missed camp. As much as he didn't want to even think about it, he missed his old life. True, it was tiring, being chased by monsters every time he stepped out of the camp's borders, having to worry and fight for your life every minute, seeing your friends die in front of you, but it was something he knew. Running around with monsters chasing after him, suffering broken bones, burns, poisons, it was familiar territory, as painful and pathetic as that sounded, it was familiar, routine, and you got used to it after awhile, learning to appreciate the little things when you spend most of your time running away from death. He missed all of his friends and as much as he hated to admit it, he still missed her, even after what she had done.

Percy didn't want to forgive her, nor did he think he could right now. But it didn't erase the fact that she was one of his oldest friends, and that they had gone through so much together. You couldn't just forget years of friendship and fighting alongside each other with a snap of your fingers. You didn't just forget how it felt to fight back to back when surrounded by different monsters and the stench of blood in the air. Unless you were Hera, or the River Lethe then yeah, memories could be taken away easily.

He shook his head, quietly scooping up the pancakes onto the plate, there was no point thinking about the past, it was over anyway. He chose this life; he would see it to the end, his old life was just that, old. He was no longer a part of that world, no matter how much he missed it.

Loki opened his eyes blearily, woken up by the light illuminating the room. He groaned and flipped over, trying to cover his eyes, ignoring the fact that he was behaving like a child, something he hadn't done since he was - well - a child. After several minutes of tossing, he finally gave up, sitting upright in his bed. He looked around the bed, seeing a circle of destruction from the night before. Scowling, he raised an arm to wave away the damage when he realized that his magic had been blocked.

Hissing in frustration, he slid out of bed, deftly avoiding the broken shards of wood that was once his bedside table. Loki snorted, there was no need for him to have a bedside table anyway, and he didn't have any possessions. Frowning, the god stripped off his outer armor, leaving him with his tunic and breeches.

He eyed the tap in the bathroom warily, refusing to look at his reflection. Gingerly, he turned it, relief flooding him when cold water came running out.

He splashed some on his face, feeling the cold chase away the last recesses of sleep. He sighed, clamping down on his anger and frustration. As much as he hated this situation, hated the avengers and their petty mortal ways, he was not stupid. He knew that an oath to the Norns was binding, and though he did not understand why he took that oath, only a niggling sensation in the back of his head that told him to take it, he understood that if he cooperated, he might stand to gain some benefits. And perhaps their trust too, he thought, smirking idly.

He was broken out of his reverie by a knock on the door.

Loki cocked his head, as a god, his hearing was better than mortals, and he could hear whoever it was outside the door shuffling around nervously. Narrowing his eyes, he walked towards the door, avoiding the mess on the floor as he did so. Opening the door a crack, he was greeted with the sight of one Percy Jackson holding a plate of pancakes up.

"Pancakes?" Percy asked.

Percy groaned, looking at the plate of pancakes he was holding. What am I thinking? This is completely retarded. He thought, staring at the pancakes morosely. Sighing, he stepped out of the lift, heading towards Loki's room, guilt still churning in his stomach. He knocked several times on the door, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

When Loki opened the door, he had been on the verge of turning around and returning to his own rooms. Instead, he raised the plate to the unimpressed fallen prince and said, "Pancakes?" He cringed inwardly at how absurd his voice sounded,how is it, he thought, that I can face a whole ship full of monsters, the Titan Lord himself and even Mother Nature but I can't even give a peace offering without feeling nervous?

Loki spared his pancakes a glance, before turning his glare on the hero. Percy winced internally, he was glad that Loki had his powers sealed, otherwise, he was sure that he would probably have been some species of mice or small creature by now, or even a speck of dust on the floor. "Look," he sighed, slumping a little, "I'm sorry about last night. I have no idea what happened, and I swear that I didn't know that," he flapped his hand in the air, "whatever that was would happen. So, I made you breakfast."

Loki continued staring at him, narrowing his eyes, "You insult me with your actions and hope you can obtain forgiveness by offering me a meal?"

Percy blinked, "Well, when you put it like that..." He sighed, "Look, just say if you want it or not, I'm not going to stand out here and wait until dinner for your answer."

Loki pressed his lips together, annoyance flashing in his eyes at the blatant disrespect towards him. He was a prince for Odin's sake! He was not to be treated like a commoner.

Their stare down lasted a few seconds longer before Loki sighed, opening his door a fraction wider, there was no point in antagonizing the only person in this tower who could actually stand up to the avengers after all, "And yet you did not bring an extra plate. Did you hope to share with me?"

Percy blinked owlishly, face-palming, "Di immortales, I'm such an idiot. Look, uh, hold this; I'll go get another plate-"

"Forget it," Loki cut in, grabbing the plate and walking back into his room, leaving his door open. He smirked lightly to himself, deciding not to tell the boy the significance of such an action on Asgard.

Percy scowled at the loss of his pancakes, and followed the god into his room, closing the door softly behind him. "Woah," he said, looking around, "What the Hades happened in here? Did you throw a tantrum or something?"

Loki, sitting on the bed, glared at him, though the image was ruined by his munching. And the fact that the esteemed God of Mischief was sitting on a bed and eating pancakes. Somehow, the god could never remain angry and spiteful around the demigod.

Giving the blue pancake a curious look, he asked, "What are these pastries?"

Percy scratched the back of his head, shrugging lightly, "Eh, they're pancakes, standard breakfast dish, and I'm not sure if they're considered pastries."

Loki finished the one he was currently holding, lifting another to his mouth, "And the blue coloration?"

Percy flinched slightly, his face falling into a stoic mask, "It's an inside joke."

Loki felt his anger flare again, "A joke?" he hissed, "Do you mock me?"

"No!" Percy shouted, "Ugh, nothing like that. An inside joke is something that is shared between two people. Like, only both of them understand why it's funny."

Loki narrowed his eyes at Percy, biting another mouthful of pancake, "Why blue?"

Percy sighed, scowling, "My mum. She knows that my favorite color is blue."

Loki cocked his head to the side, "You should not lie to the God of Lies," he said, watching Percy tense slightly, "But I suppose, there is no harm in pastries." He finished, smirking as he swallowed the rest of is pancake.

Percy sighed exasperatedly, "It's not a pastry." He muttered, snatching two from the plate Loki was holding before the god could finish the entire thing.

They both remained in awkward silence before Percy cleared his throat uncomfortably, "Uh, well, I'm just going to go up... You can finish the rest of the pancakes. If you want." He said hastily, backing out of the room.

Loki shook his head, amusement and annoyance warring within him.

The moment Percy stepped out of the god's room; he breathed a sigh of relief. Dealing with gods was never easy, be it Greek, Roman or Norse. He had thought that being in SHIELD meant that he wouldn't be dealing with any gods or creatures straight out of mythology anytime soon, but apparently, his luck was still as horrible as ever. Because only Percy Jackson could be found in the middle of an invasion twice in a row*.

Percy face-palmed mentally, raising his head to the ceiling, why did he even do that? JARVIS could hear him even if he kept his head down, "JARVIS, is Steve awake?"

"Mr Rogers is currently having his breakfast Mr Jackson." The disembodied voice came.

Percy nodded, quickly going into the lift, feeling stupid for running up and down the tower the whole morning.

Steve was having his breakfast - quietly - when he heard the lift arrive. He sighed, he had been enjoying the silence that came with the early morning, before the other avengers entered the dining area and brought with them the rowdiness that one expected when in a group that consisted of Tony Stark. It wasn't that he didn't like the group, on the contrary, he felt at home with them, but like all families, they had their moments of conflict and Steve appreciated silence over incessant babbling at times.

He turned around, fully expecting to see one of the other avengers, Natasha perhaps, she usually woke up early. Instead, he was greeted with the sight of Percy, who in his rush to make breakfast after training, had not had the time to comb his hair. As a result, it stuck up in all places and looked as though a whirlwind had danced upon his head.

Percy caught Steve's little smile at his expense and scowled, reaching up in a futile attempt to pet his hair down into something less unruly.

Steve smiled amiably, "Good morning."

"Uh, morning." Percy replied, scratching the back of his head.

"Is there something...?" Steve said, trailing off at the end.

"Oh, right," Percy said, "I'm going back to SHIELD headquarters today, I need to check in with Fury. Just wanted to let you know, in case, y'know," he shrugged, "In case you think I got kidnapped or something."

Steve blinked, "JARVIS could tell us where you went, but how are you going to get there?"

"I can give you a lift!"

Both of them turned to face Tony, who had caught the end of their conversation and was bouncing happily into the dining area. "You can't just flag a cab and say 'SHIELD HQ please' right?" he smirked, grabbing a bottle of scotch and pouring himself a glass.

"Tony," Steve said disapprovingly, "Its eight in the morning, why are you drinking?"

Tony flapped a hand at Steve, "That's late to me. It's actually my bedtime now." He turned to Percy, "So whatcha think Frosty?"

Percy rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. He raised an eyebrow, "Go on a ride with you? I'll pass thank you very much. I have no wish to go deaf by the time I reach the Helicarrier."

"Oh come on!"

Percy smirked deviously, "Lend me the car then."

Tony stared at him in shock, not comprehending the words that came out of his mouth, "Lend you my - what?"

"Seems like I broke him." Percy turned to Steve, "I'll just wash up and head over, and I'll find my own transport, thanks."

Steve nodded, completely ignoring Tony's childish protests in the background, "Alright then, you'll be back in time for dinner?"

Percy nodded mutely, turning to leave when- "Hey where's Reindeer Games?"

He blinked in confusion, before realizing that Tony was referring to Loki, "Oh," he said, frowning slightly, "I think he's still in his room. I'm not sure if he's awake though." He lied smoothly, not wanting the two avengers to know of their little interaction. They would just get hyped up for no reason and he would never hear the end of it.

"Right, okay, I'll ask JARVIS to get him later. Adios mi amigo!" Tony said, waving his hand cheerily as he walked back to whichever hole he had popped out from.

"Right..." Percy muttered, backing away to the lift, he still had to wash up after all. "I'll see you guys later."

SHIELD Headquarters- Helicarrier

Percy's face was set in his usual mask, his expressionless face clearing the way as he walked. It had taken him a little over an hour to get to where the Helicarrier was parked at, and a few minutes to cross the ocean to actually get aboard the Helicarrier.

He was glad that he could still manipulate the Mist, because there were several SHIELD agents who didn't know about his powers - make that the majority of SHIELD actually - because of their clearance level. Fury didn't want anyone to know about his powers, the only ones who knew were the director himself, Agent Hill, because she was technically his second in command, Agents Romanov and Barton, because they were there when he demonstrated his powers, Agent Coulson, who became his handler after he was cleared for duty and the other avengers. And of course, not forgetting about one trickster god.

Even in SHIELD, not everyone was to be trusted, and Percy's secret was the most important of all. He was glad that Natasha and Clint had assumed that he was a mutant with the ability to control water - and therefore ice because it was just another form of water, and that that assumption had been passed on to the upper echelons.

Being a mutant was already bad enough in today's society, what with the two warring political factions out there against and for mutant rights, and then the two warring factions against and for the humans. He wasn't a mutant, well, he probably was considered one now, but it didn't mean that it would be well received if word got out that the Norse gods weren't the only gods out there...

The public already had a hard time believing the existence of Thor, who they had physical proof of and a plethora of stories and myths to back it up, let alone if they were to find out about the multitude of Greek and Roman gods amongst them. At least with Thor, they could justify him as a super-powered alien, rather than a real god straight out of Norse mythology. Five out of six of the avengers were human, in a manner of speaking, and Thor was the only non-human in the group. In an effort to placate the public, they had labeled him as a demi-god instead of a real one, which the public had accepted, because a demi-god was still part human, it didn't go against public opinions of their omniscient god if the so-called god of thunder was actually half human. Never mind the fact that if he was half human, he was also half god and that meant hat there was really a being called a god out there. It made Percy laugh the first time he heard it, although Hill had just taken it as him thinking it was presumptuous to call Thor anything less than he deserved because he was just so obviously a god.

No one in SHIELD knew of his - inheritance, and he planned to keep it that way. He had been told numerous times that he wasn't physically capable of lying, yet- look at me now, lying day in and day out, even to the people who were trained to spot lies. He supposed that it helped that they had made their own assumptions so he didn't actually have to lie verbally, just act like he didn't want to talk about it, which wasn't really acting since he had no wish to speak about his powers at all.

On top of that secret, he had another one, one that made cold fury burn through his very being. Thor didn't notice, but he wasn't concerned with the thunder god, while the large Asgardian could be extremely loyal, he could also be extremely obtuse at times, which worked perfectly to Percy's advantage.

No, Percy was more worried about his brother. Loki was a genius, as Thor liked to say, even though Clint would then snark and say that leading an army invasion into the heart of New York wasn't smart at all - which Percy agreed with whole-heartedly, but for a different reason than Clint's. Either way, Percy knew that Loki could sniff out a lie from several miles away - he wasn't dubbed the God of Lies for no reason - and he knew that of all the people in the Avengers Tower, it was him who would be the first to figure out his secret.

He did not know how much the god had uncovered already, and he could only hope and pray that Lady Fortuna was smiling on him this once.

He entered Fury's office, only to stop short at the sight of Maria Hill behind his desk. At his questioning look, she said, "Director Fury is in a meeting with the Council." giving him a leveled stare.

Percy frowned, he knew how long those meetings could take,with the obnoxious, stuck-up, no-good, arrogant - people - who formed the supreme Council, and replied, "I'll come back later when he's done then. Good day ma'am." He saluted and walked out.

As the door closed, he heard her shout, "It's good to have you back Jackson!"

Percy grinned cheekily, briskly walking to the room he was assigned to when he stayed on the Helicarrier.

Back at the Avengers Tower

"Come on, just this once, please?"

"No. Get out."

"Oh come on, don't be so boring, it isn't like we're going to do anything to you. Aren't we Brucie?" Tony cajoled.

Loki gave them a deadpan stare, "No, Stark. I have no wish to comply with your bothersome wishes. Now get out."

Stark pouted, Bruce sighed, Tony had been trying to get Loki down to his lab since Percy had left for SHIELD, but to no avail. The trickster god hadn't resorted to physical methods yet, but from the look on his face, it wouldn't be long before he threw Tony out bodily. And he would probably do it too.

"Look," Bruce tried, "We just want to study your magic. Get some readings, run some tests, that kind of thing. its harmless."

"Tests?" Loki hissed, straightening up to his full height, towering over both scientists, "You think me a creature, an animal to be subjected to your mortal whims? Dissected like experiments to suit your fancies?"

"No," Bruce said calmly, his heart racing internally, "they're non-invasive, just running some scans on your magic, record out observations and all, stuff like that. We're not going to dissect anyone, we're just asking you to do something with your magic and such-"

"I am not a circus creature!" Loki snarled, slamming his hand into the door frame, causing Tony and Bruce to jump.

Bruce felt his control over the other guy weaken slightly, and he knew that his skin was taking on a green tinge. He quickly excused himself, hurriedly rushing to his floor.

That left Tony and Loki together. Tony frowned at his friend's hasty retreat, glaring at Loki, "We don't want to hurt you, you know. But you're not making it easy for us to be civil with you."

Loki snorted, "I was sent here to aid you in your...battles." He said disgustedly, "I am not required to frolic with you mortals."

"Hey watch it." Tony snapped, "We didn't ask for you to come okay?"

"You asked my brother to seek help, because you cannot even handle your own opponents. How pathetic." Loki sneered.

Tony bristled, "Listen here Reindeer Games, you're in my tower, which means you follow my rules. You're at our mercy, and it's not like you have much of a choice in this situation anyway. Your hands are tied behind your back-"

"And I do so await the day when the ties that bind me are finally released. I will make you sniveling mortals pay for your insolence and arrogance." The god purred.

Tony's eyes flashed angrily, "In case you forgot, we have a Hulk. Who you made angry just a few seconds ago."

"And who cannot even control the beast within him."

"Oh yeah?" Tony challenged, "Did you maybe forget about the time when you had your head smashed in by that same guy?" Tony mocked, "I have a plaque for where your body was imprinted in the marble you know."

Instead of the fear that he was expecting to see, the trickster god just threw his head back and laughed, his laughter bouncing off the walls.

"You foolish mortal." Loki said, shaking his head as a mocking smile stretched upon his face, "You truly thought that such a mindless beast could take me down?"

Frowning, Tony resisted the urge to back away when the god leaned forward, bringing up his bravado as he usually did in such situations, "Yeah well, it was your body on the floor." He raised an unimpressed eyebrow, "Unless I need to get my eyesight checked?"

Loki grinned, leaning over Tony, making their height difference all the more obvious, "So caught up in your delusions." He said, shaking his head in mock pity, "You have not seen a fraction of the power I hold mortal, do not assume that you and your band of heroes, have the power to fight me as an equal."

Loki brought his mouth to the other's ear and whispered, "A caged lion does not make it any less dangerous."

Tony's eyes widened, he heard the power infused in the god's voice, and gulped, backing away. He retreated to the lift, his usal snarky comments escaping him for once, not turning back even as the sounds of the god's mocking laughter trailed after him.

"Hey, where'd the kid go?" Clint asked, walking into the living room. Steve, who had been idly sketching, just replied, "He went back to SHIELD. Something about having to meet Fury. I suppose it makes sense, since he'd been out of commission for so long."

"Oh," Clint said, rummaging through the cabinets in search of something edible for breakfast.

"Third cabinet from the right, Clint." Steve said, not looking up from his sketchbook.

He heard Clint's muffled thanks as Thor and Natasha came in together, their slightly disheveled looks indicating that they had just sparred. Thor had been reluctant to spar with Natasha at first, expressing his desire 'not to lay a hand against a maiden' despite Natasha's insistence that she could take it.

After one too many times of Thor addressing her as a 'delicate maiden', to the amusement of the others, she had tackled him and brought him down within a matter of seconds, showing him exactly how - delicate - this 'maiden' was. After that, Thor had declared her much like his comrade Sif and never brought up the 'delicate maiden' thing ever again.

They all settled down on various parts of the couch, with Clint and Thor stuffing their faces with cereal and Pop Tarts respectively. Natasha was eating her breakfast too, but at a much more sedate pace.

Their companionable silence was broken when Tony rushed out of the lift, his eyes wide and panting.

"Why the hell do you look like you just ran a hundred miles? Did you take the stairs?" Clint grinned.

"Shut up bird brain." Tony responded automatically. He turned an accusing finger to Thor, "Your brother is completely and utterly fucked up."

The avengers shifted collectively, tensing automatically at the mention of their resident god of lies.

"What the hell did he do?" Clint demanded, he liked teasing Tony, but they were team mates and friends and he wouldn't let him get hurt if he could help it.

Tony glared at Thor, "He's a fucking maniac that's what, I don't know why the fuck you brought him back. All he's going to do is rip all our heads off once he gets the fucking chance to."

"Tony," Natasha interjected quietly, cutting off Thor's protests, "Did he do anything to you?"

Tony ran a hand through his hair, grimacing when he found his hand trembling slightly, "No. He didn't do anything. But he did cause Bruce to Hulk out."

Their eyes widened, "Then Bruce...?" Steve said concernedly.

"He's fine," Tony said, waving a hand at them, "He got to his floor in time. But that doesn't mean that your brother isn't a psychotic little asshole."

"What were you even doing down there anyway?" Clint asked, relaxing slightly.

"We, Bruce and I, wanted to run some scans on his magic, because the last two times anyone tried to activate the kid's bracelet, Chitauri came knocking on the door. So we thought that it wasn't worth the risk yet, at least until we figure out a way to stop the chitauri from being attracted to the damn thing. But that asshole said some stuff and Bruce couldn't calm himself down and had to leave. I tried talking to him but the little shit just threatened me and-"

"Wait, he threatened you?"

"Yes Cap, he did." Tony snapped, the other avengers all exchanged slightly shocked looks at his uncharacteristic behavior, "Can I continue? He said stuff like how we haven't even seen his full power etcetera, and that we wouldn't stand a chance against him and shit." He snorted, "A bunch of bull more like. We slammed him straight into the ground the last time."

While the rest of the avengers relaxed minutely, Steve turned to Thor, "Is it true? Is there a possibility that Loki is more powerful than what we imagined?"

Thor frowned thoughtfully, "It is true that my brother did not demonstrate the full extent of his powers three Midgardian years ago, but," he said hastily as the avengers all tensed again, "He was never all that powerful or strong. In fact, he was ridiculed in Asgard because of his lack of ability to hold a sword!" Thor finished cheerfully. Seeing his team mates' dubious looks, he continued, "Rest assured my friends, Loki has never been able to best me in battle. Nor any of my friends. It is a famous ruse of his as a Liesmith. He uses his slight frame to his advantage, making people underestimate him while he unsettles them by claiming to be more powerful than they think him to be. As they underestimate him, he then uses his tricks to attack them while they are distracted. Loki is not as powerful as he claims to be."

The avengers sat in an uneasy silence. "If you're sure..." Clint muttered, too low for anyone other than Natasha to catch.

They all remained where they were, the silence only broken by the constant munching of Clint and Thor. It was suddenly broken by the sound of the alarm, with Agent Hill's face appearing on the screen.

"Avengers!" she barked, "You are needed, the SHIELD base in Afghanistan has been overrun by-"

"Woah wait. Why the hell do you have a base in freaking Afghanistan?" Tony asked.

Hill scowled, "We just do," she snapped, "Now get over there ASAP. The chitauri have infiltrated the base. We received their distress call a few minutes ago. Apparently, no one realized that the chitauri was there until they tripped the alarm. A bird has been sent to avengers tower. Stark, Thor," the latter snapped to attention while the former just languished on the couch, "You both get to the place first, clear the base and get any survivors out. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am," Steve cut in, stalling Tony's unnecessary comments, "Where is director Fury?"

Hill glowered, her face contorting into a snarl for a brief fraction of a second before smoothing out into her usual annoyed look, "He's in a meeting with the Council. Hill out."

The screen blinked off and the avengers all scrambled to get their weapons. "Tony, Thor, like what she said, you're our fliers, get to the base now. Update me on the situation when you reach. But if you see any survivors, they're priority."

Both men nodded, Tony walking out, the Iron Man suit encasing him as he did so, "Let's roll." He said, grinning. Thor walked out to the balcony first, careful not to smash the window on his way out, before spinning Mjolnir and taking off after Iron Man.

Steve turned back to the group, "Natasha, suit up and go get Bruce, tell him we need to suit up. Clint, suit up, get yours and Natasha's weapons and meet back here in ten."

Both assassins nodded and ran off, leaving Steve to quickly run down to his level and quickly changing into his suit, hoisting his shield onto his back. He hesitated for a moment, then ran down to Percy's level, banging on Loki's door.

The god opened up, and Steve was shocked to see that he was fully dressed. When he gaped at him, the god merely quirked an eyebrow, "Chitauri is it not? Which is why you need my help."

Steve recovered quickly, not questioning how the other knew, "Right, come, hurry."

He ran up to the top level, meeting the assassins and Bruce there. They nodded to each other, with Clint giving Loki a glare, who responded with an smug smirk, and quickly hopped into the quinjet. They all sat in silence as the plane took them after the other two members.

SHIELD Headquarters- Helicarrier

Percy walked along the corridor, his footsteps silent even in the empty hallway. His face was a stoic mask; however, he thought it odd that there was no one in sight. It could be that he was nearing the sleeping quarters, and at this time of the day- nearing ten in the morning- most agents would have been up and at their posts already.

It could also have been a coincidence that he was in this section of the Helicarrier when everyone else was presumably sent on some kind of mission or errand or to conduct some other experiment of some sort. Percy toyed with that idea for awhile, before dismissing it. The universe was rarely so lazy after all.

His instincts were telling him that something was wrong, and since he was twelve - actually, even before that - his instincts had always always proved to be right. He kept his face blank, focusing on the unsettling feeling. Leading a life that he had, he knew when someone was watching him, and although he'd felt that in the first few weeks of staying here due to the numerous amount of cameras, he had gotten used to it, realising that the feeling wasn't the same.

That and he felt like someone was watching him. Someone who wasn't the camera. Someone who was most definitely an enemy. He didn't show his uneasiness, his training preventing him from doing so. The moment he stepped into his room, he surveyed it with a quick glance. Nothing seemed out of place. Though the keyword here was 'seemed'. He narrowed his eyes, finding nothing out of ordinary.

He moved to the cupboard where his things were kept, eyes surreptitiously moving about the room while his body portrayed a relaxed pose. He rummaged through his clothes, bringing some out and throwing them on his bed. He pretended to be undecided between bringing yet an extra set of pants or not, while he angled his body to take advantage of the blind spot of the camera he knew was in his room. He took this opportunity to slip a handgun into the folds of his jacket. Ultimately throwing the pants onto the bed where it joined the other sets of clothing. He folded the clothes quickly, stuffing them into his duffle bag. He felt the pricking sensation on the back of his neck, the one he got whenever he felt a monster hunting him.

His instincts were going crazy, and telling him to get out of this place, but he clamped down on them, not wanting to raise suspicion if he suddenly disappeared. He needed to meet Fury anyway. After stuffing his duffle full of clothes, he walked towards the window, where a single plant was placed on the ledge.

His eyes softened when he looked at the plant. It was daytime, so it wasn't glowing as it should have been, but the moonlace was as beautiful as the first time he got it. He remembered how he got this plant, and his promise of planting it in memory of the girl who saved him and nurtured him back to life.

He smiled bitterly, he hadn't taken this with him to the avengers tower because he'd originally thought that he would spend a short time there. He realized that he had forgotten all about this little plant, and his head bowed in shame.

Percy lightly traced the leaf of the plant, he didn't know how it managed to survive this long without water, but he figured that it was a product of magic. He lifted the plant, and placed it carefully in a corner of his duffle, making sure that it wouldn't get squished by his careless handling.

He closed his duffle, intending to head back to Hill's office, but stopped short as his instincts reared up again. He fought the 'fight or flight' instinct, struggling to place what was wrong with the situation. He ran his journey to the Helicarrier up until he reached the room through his mind, but he couldn't find anything wrong with - he stilled.

Percy breathed out, watching in fascination as the waves outside his room got rougher and rougher. He narrowed his eyes, what was it- a rumble beneath his feet snapped him out of his musings, and his eyes widened in realization, Agent Hill hates being called 'ma'am', and she never ever sits in the director's office. Γαμώ**!

All the pieces were connecting in his mind now, and he leapt to the window, watching the water churn as the engines of the Helicarrier rose. He cursed in Greek, Latin, and whatever other languages he had picked up over the years.

His mind racing, he made a snap decision as the prickling sensation intensified. He grabbed his duffel, and with a smirk and a rude gesture to where the camera was, he disappeared into mist, a faint scent of sea breeze lingering in the room.

A heartbeat later, the door to his room slammed opened as Agent Johnson crashed into the room, his face morphed into an ugly snarl.

Afghanistan base

Tony landed on the dusty round, his sensors already scanning the area rapidly. He heard Thor land behind him, concentrating on having JARVIS scan the base. "Has your invisible servant found any survivors yet Man of Iron?" Thor asked.

"First," Tony said, holding up a finger, "It's JARVIS, not invisible servant. Second, it's Iron Man, not Man of Iron. And no, the scans are coming up blank. There are no registered life forms around here, and I'm using thermal sensors, which usually picks up life forms pretty quickly cause of the heat emitted by the body. I'm not sure if it's because they're hiding underground where my sensors aren't reaching or because they're all dead or something..." Tony trailed off, seeing Thor's confused face. He sighed, flipping his faceplate up, "No, there are no survivors. Not that I can find. We have to check the base itself. You got your comm.?"

Thor nodded, gesturing to the earpiece he had stuck in his ear before they left.

"Right, I'll contact you through that; we'll split up, look for survivors and kick some chitauri ass. I'm tired of seeing their ugly butts." Tony said, bringing his faceplate down. He took off and flew to the back of the base. Thor watched him take off, gripping Mjolnir tightly. He had an uneasy feeling about this.

At the back end of the base, Tony tried to walk silently into the base, keyword: tried. It was hard to be silent when you're wearing a full body suit of metal. He stepped carefully into the base. While he normally would barge in without any cause for concern, something (that sounded suspiciously like Steve) told him to be cautious. He wasn't battle hardened like the Captain or Thor, and he didn't have honed instincts like Clint or Natasha, but he did trust his gut feelings, when they acted up.

So when his HUD lit up with the sign of one life form on the thermal sensor when he reached the basement, he decided to be cautious instead of immediately sprinting over to said life form. He turned the corner, keeping his faceplate down as he rushed to the woman's side. She had a what seemed like a sprained ankle and several cuts and scratches on her face and arms, but otherwise, she looked fine.

He tapped her on the arm gently, "Miss? You okay there?"

The woman's eyes fluttered open, and Tony had JARVIS run scans of her. She gasped when she saw him, and shifted backwards instinctively, crying out in pain as the movement jarred her ankle. "Oh my god. Ironman!"

Under the mask, Tony grinned at the blatant adoration in her voice, clearly a fan then. "How can I be of service my lady?" he mock bowed.

She giggled, lifting a hand to her mouth. Her answer was cut short by a blast that had Tony scrambling to shield her from. He whirled around and fired a blast straight into a chitauri's chest, the hole in it's abdomen smoking slightly. A quick scan of the area told him that there were more that were converging on their location.

Tony cursed under his breath, he would be fine if he was alone, but with a civilian here- a loud bang snapped him out of his reverie. He turned around to see the woman holding a gun, which had apparently felled a chitauri that had crept from behind. He started, while the woman grinned, "You forget that I'm a SHIELD agent."

He grinned back at her, "What's your name? I'm not calling you lady all the time."

"Agent Rivers." Came the reply.

Tony grinned at Agent Rivers, already deciding that he liked her. She had a spunky attitude and apparently could kick some chitauri ass even with a sprained ankle. Anyone who kicked chitauri ass gained a point in his book.

He turned back to the scans in his face plate, firing his blasters at any chitauri that popped up, trusting Rivers to watch his back, feeling like he was playing a weird version of whack-a-mole, except that it was more like blast-a-chitauri.

And she did, if the sound of gunfire behind him were any indication.

Soon enough, the random wave of chitauri ceased, even though both of them held their breath in anticipation for the next attack. He held out his arms, waiting with bated breath, it wouldn't be the first time that the chitauri had managed to escape his sensors after all.

The silence was broken (for him) by the comm. crackling in his ear. Steve's voice sounded, causing Tony's heart to skip a beat, 'Tony, where are you?'

"You sound breathless Capsicle," Tony teased, gently hoisting Rivers to her feet, wincing in sympathy when she grunted in pain, "What'd you do on the jet?"

"Tony, this is no time for games," the captain admonished, "Where are you? We're nearing your location. And where's Thor?"

Tony gently held Rivers as she hobbled along on her good foot beside him, "Thor and I split up to look for survivors, and I found one, Agent Rivers if I remember correctly." He grinned at her, making her roll her eyes at him. "I don't know where Thor is, haven't checked in with him for awhile."

"Tony, look, there's something wrong with this-"

"Cap?" Tony asked, frowning slightly, not realizing when his grip on agent Rivers loosened, "Tony - get - out - trap."

"Cap, I'm losing you. I can't hear you, what's wrong?"

"Tony! - Get out!"

"Cap!" Tony shouted, his heart racing, "I can't hear- Fuck!"

He yelled as a blast missed him by millimeters. He turned around, cursing as he realized that he had let go of Agent Rivers only - his eyes widened in shock.

"You."

Agent Rivers stood before him, her arms curled around a familiar long golden staff that brought back memories of explosions and destruction. Her mouth curled into a cruel smile as her eyes glinted with malicious intent.

"Oh poor Tony Stark." She simpered, "Brought down by a girl."

Tony's mind was reeling, "Wha-how?", he sputtered.

"Oh," she purred, batting her eyelids, "Did I break him?"

"Who the fucking hell are you?" He snarled, aiming his repulsors at her, gesturing to the chitauri weapon in her arms, "And where did you get that? Are you working for the chitauri? You're fucking SHIELD. How can you work for the chitauri?"

Agent Rivers sneered, hefting the weapon in her hands, "I don't work for the chitauri Anthony." He flinched back at the sound of his full name being spat out by the SHIELD agent before him.

She grinned at him, her features morphing and twisting until nothing of Agent Rivers was left save her uniform. Black, soulless pits glared at him, teeth bared in a semblance of a smile, "I am the chitauri."

She lunged forward, just as Tony jumped backwards, her weapon slicing through the ground like a knife through butter. Am I glad that I dodged that or what? He thought. He fired at her, but her hands shimmered and she threw up a force field, causing the blast to slam into it harmlessly. She launched her own attack at the same time, forcing Tony to continue to retreat backwards, even as the girl- no, chitauri- kept coming forward. The narrow corridor proved hard for him to maneuver in, but the slim-bodied chitauri fought with ease.

He was on the defensive, and it wouldn't last for much longer if he didn't high tail it out of there or find a broader space to fight, and the chitauri knew that too, if the sick grin on its face was any indication.

Firing both repulsors at once in the alien's face, he took advantage of the distraction and flew down the corridor, intending to blast his way out. Just as he thought he'd left the alien behind, he felt a weight slam in between his shoulder blades, sending him crashing painfully into the ground.

He flipped over, firing his repulsors blindly, but the alien dodged and pinned his hands to the ground with a spell, freezing him into place.

What was once Agent Rivers stood above him, the grotesque face splitting into a sadistic grin. He heard his comm. crackle with static before falling silent.

"Your precious friends won't be able to rescue you now mortal." The alien said, "No one can save you."

She-it?- raised the weapon, the tip poised above his heart. Under the mask, Tony's eyes widened in fear as he struggled to get out- to move, to do something, anything at all, fucking hell why can't he move?- but he was frozen by some weird spell thing and all he could do was stare helplessly at the chitauri gloating above him-

"Goodnight Mr Stark."

The blade plunged down.

The moment they got on the quinjet, the ramp retracted and they took off. They all sat in tense silence; the only one who looked remotely unperturbed was Loki.

The god was sitting right inside, next to the cockpit, with Clint sitting opposite him, for the sole purpose of keeping an eye on him. Natasha sat beside Clint, keeping him from doing anything rash. They had all silently agreed to put the god right inside, not wanting him to get a chance to escape out the back of the jet. Loki had just rolled his eyes, smirking privately at the mortal's useless antics. If he had wanted to escape, he wouldn't need to go by the back of the jet.

Steve didn't want to sit beside Loki, but as the leader of the group, he had a responsibility and he couldn't leave the god alone either, so he compromised by sitting one seat down from the god. Not that there was much space on the quinjet for the god to be able to make it out of the jet. Then again, he was the god of mischief, lies and trickery, and despite what Thor assured them about Loki not being as powerful as he thought he was, Steve didn't want to take any unnecessary chances. It was better to overestimate the god than underestimate him. Among all of them, Bruce sat the furthest away from him, concentrating on keeping calm.

The four avengers all sat in silent anticipation, their two fliers, as fast as they were, had at least a fifteen minute head start on them. Knowing Tony, he would get started on scouring the base first without them. Thor, being as nearly as hot-headed as Tony was, was then likely to rush in as well.

Steve tapped his fingers against his legs, starting in shock when a baritone voice cut the silence, "Nervous?"

He looked at the god, who was smirking at him, and frowned lightly, not bothering to answer him. Clint switched between throwing Steve a cautious glance and burning holes into Loki.

Loki didn't tell anyone, and he masked his emotions easily, but he himself felt uneasy. It wasn't anything like nervousness, he had been in too many battles to feel anything more than slight pre-battle jitters, but he could not drive away the feeling of uneasiness. Despite his slight frame, and despite his brother and his brother's friends' jests, he was a warrior. He had fought in numerous battles and had honed his instincts until they were sharp.

There was a lesson in Asgard that all warriors were taught, that despite what logic told you, if your instincts said otherwise, you should never ever ignore it. While it was true that he relied more on his brain and wit than brute strength, even he was not so stupid as to ignore his instincts when they acted up.

Which was why it was puzzling now, because despite the nature of their mission, there was absolutely no reason for him to feel wary other than the fact that they were about to face the chitauri.

He glanced around the jet, ignoring his former minion's heated glares, looking for anything that was out of place. Not, he mused, that he would know if anything was out of place on this metal contraption he had only been in once.

His eyes swept over the pilots, his mind dismissing them as useless at first before his gaze landed on them again, feeling that there was something off about them. Looking at the other avengers around him, he sneered mentally when he saw that none of them, save the woman, were paying attention to their surroundings. He narrowed his eyes at them, then turned back to the pilots, under the guise of having nowhere else to look, scrutinizing the two pilots closely.

He eyed the way they move. They didn't make a single sound, which was perfectly normal, and despite their occasional hand movement, there was something innately wrong about what they were doing- there!

He kept his face neutral, even as he stared at their figures, sensing the magic in the air now that he knew what he was looking for and unraveling the illusion that was draped over them the longer he stared.

Without his magic, he could not literally unravel the spell that had covered them, and anyone else would have skimmed over the illusion, but Loki, as a practiced seidr-master, knew how to recognize an illusion when he saw one, and recognize the telltale signs that indicated that an illusion was in place.

The bonds on his magic dampened his senses, hence why he had failed to identify the illusion at first, his dampened senses only being able to sense that something was wrong with the entire situation.

Which was why when the chitauri stepped out of the cockpit with its weapon aimed straight at the captain, he was ready for it.

As soon as the illusion shimmered and fell away, Loki sprang to his feet and slammed his palm against the base of the weapon, making it angle upwards, causing the shot to hit the roof of the jet instead of the captain. While the mortals gaped in shock and fumbled with their seat-belts, he head-butted the chitauri, causing it to stagger backwards as he twisted the wrist of the alien, the weapon dropping with a clatter onto the ground.

He yanked the alien forward by the arm, a leg shooting out to kick it in the chest at the same time. He felt vicious satisfaction when the creature screamed in pain as its arm was wrenched out of its socket. In the rush, he forgot about the other chitauri however, and he heard a 'look out!' before he was slammed backwards by a blast of energy.

Groaning, he rolled to the side on instinct, under the seats, dodging another blast of energy. He snarled, ducking under the swing of the second chitauri as the blade slammed into the floor of the jet where he was seconds before.

Loki rolled between the creature's legs and came to a stand behind it, doing a roundhouse kick, sending it flying to the back of the jet.

He spared a glance at the avengers, ignoring the man-beast who had remained in his seat and was clutching his hands to his chest. Satisfied that the captain was handling the remaining chitauri while the assassins scrambled to pilot the jet, he quickly turned back to the alien he sent sprawling.

Ducking under its wild swing, he delivered a right uppercut to its jaw, twisting on his heels as he drove his elbow into the creature's gut, his right hand grabbing the wrist of the alien and-crunch- smiling when it screamed in pain at having its wrist crushed. He twisted the chitauri's arm behind its back and wrenched, hard, dislocating its arm. He pulled the weapon out of its hands, spinning the weapon around and driving it into the alien's gut, grinning maniacally when it squealed in pain. He released the weapon, the blade still protruding from the creature's gut, and clamped his hands over the alien's head, twisting viciously, a sickening crack echoing in the cramped space as he shoved the chitauri backwards in disgust, its head lolled at an awkward angle.

He yanked the weapon out from the chitauri's gut and whirled around, swiping it at the other alien's head, taking it off in one blow. He gazed dispassionately at the captain who was behind the alien, his shield raised to deliver the killing blow.

"Uh, thanks." The captain said uncertainly.

"Shit." He cursed uncharacteristically as a realization hit him, turning to Clint and Natasha, "We need to contact Tony and Thor. If we were attacked then they may be right in the middle of a trap right now."

"On it Cap." Clint said, his hands flying over the console.

Loki dropped the weapon, his face passive even as his hands clenched and unclenched in anticipation.

"Tony where are you?" Steve said once Clint managed to patch the genius through.

"You sound breathless Capsicle," Tony teased, his voice sending a wave of relief through Steve, "What'd you do on the jet?"

"Tony, this is no time for games," Steve admonished, despite his slight grin at hearing the other's voice, "Where are you? We're nearing your location. And where's Thor?"

Tony remained silent for awhile, "Thor and I split up to look for survivors, and I found one, Agent Rivers if I remember correctly. I don't know where Thor is, haven't checked in with him for awhile. Probably somewhere in the other part of the base though. I entered from the back, so he should have taken the front."

Loki clenched his hands, the pressure in his chest feeling suspiciously like worry, but that's ridiculous, I don't feel anything toward that big oaf. If he wanted to walk in recklessly like usual, it's none of my business at all.

Before he could question the Man of Iron though, the Captain had already started warning him about the potential trap. "Tony, there's something wrong with this-" the connection broke off for a moment.

"Cap?" Tony asked concern clear in his voice.

Steve panicked slightly, while Clint frantically tried to maintain the connection, "Tony, get out of there, we're thinking it's a trap."

"Cap, I'm losing you. I can't hear you, what's wrong?"

"Tony!" Steve shouted, his heart racing, "Get out of there!"

"Cap!" Tony shouted, panic evident in his voice, "I can't hear- Fuck!"

They heard a loud blast, then the line went dead, static the only thing that could be heard over the comm.

Steve stared in horror at the controls, feeling panic rise up in him, this was worse than he imagined. He clamped down on the rising terror though speaking quickly to Natasha, "Natasha, can you get him back online? Clint, get us there as quickly as possible, and try to contact Thor as well-."

"You will not be able to reach there fast enough." Loki interjected quietly, cutting through the haze of panic in Steve.

In the blink of an eye, Steve rounded on him and slammed him against the wall of the quinjet, his panic fueling his anger, "Shut. Up." He snarled, much to the surprise of the other occupants of the jet, "I'm trying the best I can. Two of my men are unreachable and one is in definite danger so do me a favor and shut up."

Loki stared straight into the captain's eyes, recognizing the look of desperation. "I can help captain." He murmured quietly.

Steve paused, staring at him, "How?"

Loki raised his wrists, "Unbind me. I can and will get to him faster than you are capable of."

"Cap, don't believe him!" Clint shouted, frantically trying to push the jet faster.

Steve glared at Loki, "We'll be there in a few minutes."

But Loki could see the idea warring with common sense in the captain's head. "He does not have a few minutes." He said, ignoring the Captain's flinch. He tilted his head slightly, looking at the Captain dead in the eyes, "I give you my word. However flimsy you may think it is."

Blue eyes stared into green. "If you betray us in any way, any way at all. I will hunt you down and kill you. Understand?"

Loki inclined his head, showing his understanding, holding his wrists up.

Steve looked at him, searching for any sign of deception, muttering under his breath, "lausanfráskuldabréfumsínum."

As soon as the last word left the Captain's lips, Loki felt his magic surge to life, and he rolled his shoulders, allowing the magic to dance along his fingertips. He nodded once to the captain, giving Clint a devious smirk and with a tugging sensation in his gut, vanished in green mist.

"What the hell Cap?"

"We had no other choice." Steve murmured.

"Let's just hope it's the right choice." Bruce said quietly.

Tony stared at the blade above his heart, caught in a situation that was the whole reason why he had created his suit. He felt helpless, and resigned, for once in his life, knowing that this time round; there was no Yinsen to help him. He had cheated death twice, with the Hulk rescuing him from the claws of death the second time. People always claimed that he had the devil's luck, but everyone's luck ran out eventually. And it looked like today was his turn.

Tony did not close his eyes. He wanted to face his death, as stupid as that sounded.

The blade plunged down, and Tony felt his heart stop -

- only for it to clang against his suit harmlessly.

Both of them were shocked, but only the chitauri expressed its shock.

"What? How-?" Its surprise was cut off by a blade piercing its throat from behind. It gurgled for a moment, and then the blade swiped to the left, slicing its throat wide open. The chitauri fell to the floor, its weapon clattering noisily to the ground.

Behind it, Loki stood, smirking victoriously.

Tony groaned in embarrassment, he didn't care that his life had just been saved, he only cared that his life had been save by the one and only person on earth, or maybe all the Nine Realms, who annoyed him more than Steve on his nagging days. He didn't know if being killed by the chitauri or being saved by Loki of all people would have been better. He knew the god would never let him live this down.

Loki waved a hand and Tony felt the spell that had immobilized him disappear. He cautiously stood up, keeping his eye on the trickster all the while.

Loki, on his part, merely smirked and waited for Tony to get up, his dagger held loosely between his fore and middle fingers.

"Why the hell are you here?" Tony demanded, "And who the fuck let you out?"

Loki just kept that infuriating smirk on his face, "Why Stark"' he drawled, "Where is the gratitude for saving your life?"

Tony scowled, "Fuck you princess."

Loki snorted, "Highly unlikely. Even if I wanted to copulate with a male, I would choose someone more...qualified."

Tony bristled, but he focused on his priorities, "You haven't answered my question yet. And where's Cap? And the others? If you've done something to them I swear-"

"Please Stark, do not assume that while I am...annoyed about my situation, I automatically become mentally deficient. To answer your question, your Captain 'let me out' as you say, and they're in the jet. They should be arriving anytime soon, I should have been only a few minutes ahead."

Right on cue, his comm. crackled to life and he heaved a sigh of relief at hearing Steve's voice over the comm. "Tony! Are you alright? Did Loki reach you in time?"

Tony spared a glance at the god, who was still smirking, and replied, scowling heavily, "Yeah I'm fine Cap. Princess saved the day."

"Right," Steve said, clearing his throat, "We're gonna scout the base, where's Thor? We couldn't get him on his comm."

Tony stilled, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Loki tense as well, "Shit. I don't know. I was supposed to contact him but my comm. died and with all the rush... Fuck." He swore, "I'll run a scan, ask JARVIS to patch him through once I find him."

He turned around to catch Loki sending tendrils of magic through the walls. "Hey, what the hell are you doing?"

Loki didn't deign him with a response. Instead, he concentrated on sending his magic out as far as possible.

"Hey-" Tony tried again, Loki whirled around and glared at him, "Cease your incessant babbling Stark. Or I will make you." He turned around to place his palms flat against the walls, green light illuminating the place.

"What?" Clint asked, "What's he talking about?"

"I dunno." Tony said, mystified, quietly asking JARVIS to search for Thor.

Loki had closed his eyes when he was sending his magic through the place, and snapped them open, he turned to Tony, "This building is set to collapse anytime soon. I suggest you do not step any further into it."

"Fuck." Tony swore, "You got that Cap?"

Steve remained silent for a moment, waving for the avengers to back away from the base, he sighed, "I got that. Get out here now. We'll decide what to do from there."

Tony gave his assent, then reached back and grabbed Loki, who had begun walking down the corridor. He didn't give the god time to protest as he blasted the ceiling and shot out of the building, landing in front of the avengers who had gathered by the front of the building.

If he threw Loki down slightly harsher than was needed; well, only he needed to know.

He flipped his faceplate up, turning to face Steve, not bothering to help the god up from where he was sprawled on the ground. 'So what's the plan Cap? I mean, how are we gonna find Thor if this whole-' he was cut off by a powerful shove in his back.

Clint immediately nocked an arrow and aimed it at his assailant, as did Natasha with her gun.

Tony turned around and glared at the trickster god, 'What the fuck? What, you gonna go all voodoo on us now huh?'

Loki snarled, not caring about the weapons pointed in his face, "Why did you take me out of the building? I could have found Thor in a matter of seconds and brought him back up!"

"Well princess," Tony snarked, "I was just following your orders yeah? Like you said, the building was set to collapse anytime!"

"I meant for you pathetic cretins you fools! I could have fortified it temporarily with magic you dim-witted fool!"

"Hey watch it! You were the one who gave us that info-."

"Which only proves how under-utilized your pathetic mortal brain is. If you had even bothered to think, I could have located Thor in seconds, fortified the walls so it didn't collapse and teleported out with him in tow in a few minutes!" Loki hissed, stepping into Tony's personal space.

"Hey don't give me that shit. You didn't tell us what the fuck you were capable of so don't expect us to know your plans you crazy asshole."

"Yeah what if you decided to betray us and hightail it out of there?"

Loki turned on Clint, green eyes flashing with anger, "I am bound by a contract that prevents me from doing precisely that you foolish peasants!" He whirled back to face Tony, "And you with your mindless actions, you blasted the ceiling of the base, did you not stop to think that you weakened the foundations further?" he roared.

Steve stepped between them, hands on both of their chests, "Enough! No fighting, it's not productive to anyone." He turned to the angered god of mischief and said, "Loki, can you still locate him? And still conduct your entire plan?"

Loki spared him a cold glance, nodding mutely. Steve nodded back, "Right, as much as I hate this, Loki, you're the only one who can get into the base safely. Locate him, get in and get out immediately. I don't want you to stay in there any longer than necessary. We don't know how steady the base is right now. The rest of you, stand by and wait, there was supposed to be chitauri here and I'm pretty sure that they're still hiding somewhere. We need to keep an eye out for them in case it's another ambush."

All of them nodded in assent at his command, even the trickster god.

Loki, while Steve had been talking, had already cast the locating spell, and found Thor somewhere near the bottom of the building, his energy signature indicating that he was still alive, most probably unconscious since he had made no effort to get out of there. Though how injured the thunder god was Loki didn't know.

He turned to face the base once the Captain had finished his speech, preparing to teleport to where he had located his brother, only to be thrown back by an enormous force as the entire base exploded into flames.