"Where's Fury?" Barton said as he, Romanoff, Banner, and Rogers entered what appeared to be a war room of the helicarrier as they crossed the expanse of the Atlantic on the way to their destination. Stark turned from a screen airing a news broadcast at the sound of Barton's voice.

"Fury didn't call you here. I did." Stark informed them.

"What's this about?" Rogers asked suspiciously.

"Take a seat." Stark said. The others seated themselves around the table in the center of the room, looking at Stark expectantly. "Banner!" Stark called, tossing a small plastic pill bottle in Banner's direction, Banner catching and examining the bottle.

"What's this?" Banner asked curiously.

"Diazepam...Valium. What I'm about to show you is gonna piss you off. Not sure what the dose is to prevent turning into a giant green rage monster."

"I think I'm good." Banner responded, placing the bottle on the table. "If I couldn't handle getting pissed off, I wouldn't have gotten on this boat with you."

"Good point. As I think you all know, I was in the business of developing and manufacturing weapons for the U.S. government. It's a good gig if you can get it, got to travel the world...warzones, deserts mostly...met lots of uninteresting people, ended up with a chest full of shrapnel, taken hostage...good times. It paid the bills...actually Pepper did that...come to think of it she did about everything else...no, not that...that was one of the few things I could handle myself, though she did stick her hand in my chest port once..that was a trip, talk about dedication to your job...anyway, it allowed me to become the billionaire, philanthropist, playboy you all know and love….don't deny it, Romanoff, after that love letter you wrote about me to Fury…surprised you didn't draw little hearts all over it..." Stark said before noticing the impatient expressions on the faces of his audience, "I also learned a lot about how the system works. That's why I had a hard time believing that S.H.I.E.L.D. had suddenly become a card carrying member of Greenpeace. And as always, I was right." Stark picked up a remote from the table in front of him. The screen he stood next to switched from the muted news channel to what looked like a blueprint of a missile. "Is that what I think it is? Maybe I'm looking at it wrong...no, I'm pretty sure it's-"

"Phase 2." Fury's voice said from the doorway behind them. Fury entered, closing the door behind him. "It's true. Our intentions for the Tesseract aren't limited to clean energy, though that's a part of it. In fact, one of the most highly regarded astrophysicists in the world just signed on to help us with that...providing you're successful at getting it back. Ask yourselves, what good is developing weapons if there's nothing left to defend? Our Asgardian friends aren't our first visitors and I can guarantee you they won't be the last. Settle in kids, Papa Fury's about to tell you a story...."

****************************

Loki willed his legs to hold him upright, almost having to remind himself to breath so great was his shock, as he approached Thor. Both brothers once again stood in the presence of the other whose death he had witnessed and mourned. Loki reached both arms out, gripping Thor's shoulders as if he were testing the reality of he who once again lived and stood before him, examining him, looking into his eyes for any hint of fraud.

"How..." Loki said breathlessly in awe.

Thor grasped Loki's arms as well as he grinned through the tears collected in his eyes as he recalled the last time he had seen his brother, lying grey and lifeless upon the cold metal deck of the Statesman. Thor pulled Loki into an embrace, Loki returning the gesture.

"Remain-" Loki began, ending the embrace and again appearing to examine Thor in disbelief, addressing the Warriors Three and Sif, his voice quavering with emotion. He paused, composing himself before continuing, "Remain here. I will speak to my brother alone."

Loki led Thor through the throne room to the doorway that led to the king's study, Thor taking in the sight of the expansive, golden gilded room that in his time, along with the rest of his home world, was no more, memories flooding over him. Reaching the study, Loki entered, followed by Thor.

"I must say this isn't what I expected. No theater? No monuments?" Thor said jokingly.

"I've been king but a few days. I have other priorities at the moment. .How is it you're here? I returned your body to the stars." Loki said as he continued to look at Thor in wonder.

"You have the Norn Stones and your Queen to thank. You chose well. She is a remarkable woman."

"Yes...she is. I suppose you would know." Loki replied, Thor's statement bringing to his visage an expression of desperate concern yet at the same time mixed with an altogether different sentiment.

"She has told you. I suppose that's how it should be. There should be no secrets between a husband and wife. I have done you no wrong, brother." Thor said as Loki made his way behind the desk and seated himself wearily, putting his elbows on the desktop, holding his head in his hands.

"No, you haven't. How could I fault you for finding comfort in the arms that have provided the same for me in such times? I used the stones as well to view the future that was to be. The Loki you knew was a fool. I may now avoid those same mistakes, but I fear I will make new ones."

"You will, as did father and his father before him."

"I can't afford to make them now...not with her life and Asgard, the realms, the entire universe at risk. How did our father avoid going mad?"

"I once told him that you understood rule as I never will. I believed it then as I believe it now. All kings must endure their trial by fire. You are enduring your own far earlier than most. She did not bring me here because she believes you to be unequal to the task. Your duty as king is to safeguard the throne. I will return her to you...on one condition."

"What's that?" Loki asked curiously, lifting his head.

"You must build a statue for me." Thor grinned.

"You will have the biggest statue in the nine realms. I will write a play as well. It's been some time since I put pen to paper. I once enjoyed it. It will be performed throughout the realms in commemoration of you." Loki said as he stood, walking around the desk to stand once again before Thor.

"I jest. I have no need either of statues or dramatic productions." Thor said as the brothers embraced once again.

"You shall have both regardless...as well as my eternal gratitude." Loki replied.

"That is as much as I require."

"I know after all that I have done...all I would have done….please...bring her back to me." Loki said, barely managing to hold his composure.

"You once rejected such sentiment." Thor replied.

"I am not the man you once knew, much has altered...and in turn altered me."

"On the contrary, I see before me the man I knew you truly were."

****************************

"Thanos' pathetic excuse for an army had failed me. I had been attacked by that dull creature, all was lost...then she was there, offering me a second chance." Loki told Verda as they stood outside the cell.

"How was she able to obtain the means to travel through time? I was told it was to be destroyed." asked Verda.

"She had been rendered dust. After she had been brought back, she learned of how Stark had discovered the secret. She enchanted Banner to give to her the knowledge to build another mechanism. He told her that Thor had taken the remaining component necessary to operate it to New Asgard. Afterwards, she erased his memory of their meeting knowing she might still have need of him and so he could tell no one of her plans. Disguising herself as a mortal she went to New Asgard and learned of your survival and of your frequent visits to my brother. Knowing your feelings for me, she used them to her advantage." Loki explained. "It was all quite ingenious, really. I'm not certain that I myself could have devised such a scheme."

"Don't sell yourself short." Verda said, "You faked your death, returned to Asgard, enchanted Odin to forget his identity, left him in a home for the care of the elderly here on Midgard, disguised yourself as your father and usurped the throne."

"I did?" Loki asked as he grinned in satisfaction at the idea that he had been successful at such an endeavor.

"You most certainly did." Verda replied with a smile.

The sound of footsteps reached them from the stone stairway. Verda quickly stepped back in the cell, Loki quietly closing the cell door. Verda looked down at the bowl of what appeared to be stew Loki had previously left on the floor.

Lorelei emerged from the stairwell, turning to view Loki standing in front of the closed cell door, Verda within on the other side, Loki's arm reaching between the bars, his gloved fist closed around her throat, the contents of the bowl running down the front of his tunic.

"Release her." Lorelei commanded. Loki complied, dropping his arm to his side. Loki stepped aside as Lorelei approached the cell, glancing at the mess staining the front of Loki's clothing. "I see you are as ungrateful as ever, sister." Lorelei said, turning to Loki, unfastening his tunic and removing it, dropping it to the floor, leaving Loki in the dark green shirt he wore beneath it. Lorelei pressed herself against him, caressing his cheek, "I never understood what it was you saw in him, but now I find myself searching for any excuse to reward him. He has taught me so much...not only the secrets of the Tesseract but my illusionary skills were once quite mediocre, I rarely used them...but now…" Verda watched as Lorelei's form changed to a mirror image of herself. "If you'll excuse me, I've been informed my savior has arrived. I must go to meet him. It's a pity I only need one of you."

Loki groaned as Lorelei drove the dagger she materialized in her hand into his gut before pushing him away from her with her free hand, sending him flying against the wall.

"No! Why?! You need him!" Verda cried as Lorelei made her way to the stairway.

"Not anymore." Lorelei said as she disappeared from view, ascending the stairs.

As soon as Lorelei's footsteps could no longer be heard, Verda materialized the key to the cell in her hand. Hooking her arm through the bars, she placed it in the lock, throwing the door open and rushing to Loki who lay crumpled on the floor, moving him as gently as she could onto his back, the front of his shirt stained red by the blood from his wound.

"Loki…" Verda said, moving his upper half into her arms, pressing a hand to the wound in his abdomen.

"Go…you must stop her. There's nothing to be done for me. I deserve this." Loki said, his skin growing pale and gray, his voice breathless and pained.

"I'm not leaving you."

"I'm sorry...for Thor...for all of it..." Loki raised his blood stained hand from his wound to Verda's cheek. "...had I not been such a fool…"

"It was my fault. If I'd not listened to her, if I had not thought so little of myself, if I'd not been so afraid..."

"I didn't think it had worked…"

"You didn't think what had worked?"

"The kiss…"

"You enchanted me?" Verda asked in surprise.

" A minor spell...only so you would remember me…someone would know...you must go...even if my essence joins with his, if she subverts him to her will, you will lose us. She will hunt you down. There will be no where in the universe you will be safe." Verda held out her hand, the bag containing the Norn stones materializing within it. Hurriedly removing them from the bag and setting it quickly aside, she moved Loki's hand from her cheek and placed the stones in it, closing it around them.

"Take them." Verda said, closing her own hand around his holding the stones. "You were to use them for the same purpose in the future. Remember how I told you that you faked your death and usurped the throne? You used their energy to keep you alive so that your body would have time to heal itself."

"But the blade was cursed...it will make no difference." Loki said, hopelessly.

"That's where I come in. If it doesn't work at least I will know I tried. Sometimes it is the things we do not do that affect us far more than the things we do."

"You could die..."

"Then I die with you as I once wished to do." Verda said before leaning down, placing her lips in the same spot on his forehead as he had once placed his on her own. "You will not die this day." she told Loki before placing her hand on his forehead, closing her eyes.

****************************

"Loki?" Verda's voice said within Loki's mind as he stood inside Himinbjorg alongside Sif, having just witnessed Thor's departure, Asgard's warriors awaiting the call to action on the Rainbow Bridge.

"Verda! I'd grown more worried by the minute not having heard from you. Are you alright?" Loki asked with his thoughts.

"Yes...where are you?"

"I'm with Heimdall and Sif in Himinbjorg. Thor has just taken the Bifrost to Midgard to find and free you. Our warriors await our mortal allies and word of your rescue. I won't send them until I know that you're safe."

"I was able to break her hold over him. He freed me but she wounded him. He's dying. I'm with him now. I'm trying to save him. She has disguised herself as me. She knows he has arrived. She goes now to meet him! You must warn him!" Verda said anxiously.

"Leave him! Get out of there! Heimdall will send the Bifrost for you!"

"I would not leave you to die alone."

"He is not me!" Loki exclaimed in frustration in his head. Sif, happening to glance at him in that moment, noticed the matching expression of displeasure and anxiety on his face though he stood silent.

"Loki....my king...what is it? What's wrong?" Sif asked, Loki failing to acknowledge her question as he continued to converse mentally with Verda.

"He is you!" Verda insisted.

"Must I command you as your king?" Loki responded in desperation.

"What will you do if I disobey? Lock me away again? You must trust me!"

"I do. I trust you with my life...with your own is another story."

"Get word to Thor! I must go now." Verda said, Loki sensing the connection between them closing before quickly turning to Sif, speaking to her aloud.

"The time has come to exact your vengeance."