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Chapter Text

  Nickie was forced into the cell and the agents quickly left without turning back.

 "Wait, wait!" Nickie shouted, pressing their hands against the glass wall of the cell.

 Nickie's eyes went wide as the door closed and left them alone with...him. Loki chuckled beside them and they closed their eyes, swearing under their breath.

 The cell was fairly large, about 6 meters wide and 4 meters deep. The walls and floor and ceiling were all white square tiles, with one wall all glass facing the door to the corridor beyond. 

 "So... I take it the Avengers abandoned you." Loki smirked.

 "Shut it. I'm not talking to you." Nickie snapped as they turned around and marched to a bed in the corner of the room. There were two, and no other furniture. The one on the other side of the room looked built into the wall, this one looked new. 

 "I don't see how you plan to avoid me in this cell." Loki chuckled. Nickie looked at him and really took him in. He was wearing a S.H.I.E.L.D jumpsuit like theirs, complete with velcro shoes and electromagnetic bracelets. They kept Nickie from shapeshifting. Clearly S.H.I.E.L.D hoped they'd have the same effect on Loki.

 "You look like shit." Nickie told him plainly. Loki frowned. 

 "You don't look particularly good yourself, you know." He shot back rudely.

 "Bitch, I'm fabulous." Nickie scoffed, growing their purple hair long enough to toss over their shoulder, only to bring it back into a short undercut hanging down one side of their face.

 Loki struggled not to laugh, smiling a little before he narrowed his eyes. "How did you survive?" He asked.

 "Huh?" Nickie said, raising their eyebrows.

 "I stabbed you, you... I thought you were dead." Loki explained.

 "Yeah, so did S.H.I.E.L.D. I don't go down that easily. I'm like a Pheonix." Nickie smiled a little proudly.

 "I thought you were a shapeshifter." Loki frowned.

 "I am." Nickie nodded. "I'm a shapeshifter... which also happens to include super-enhanced healing. I'm very hard to kill."

 "Right." Loki nodded a little hesitantly.

 "Does it scare you?" Nickie asked, closing their eyes as they leant their head back against the wall.

 "What?" Loki asked, frowning again.

 "S.H.I.E.L.D think it'll scare people." Nickie explained. "Unkillable... immortal... they think it makes me some kind of monster."

 "Maybe it does." Loki muttered. "Is that why you're in here? Because S.H.I.E.L.D got scared of your power?"

 "Basically." Nickie agreed. "There was a small kerfuffle with me declaring that I was a human being, not an asset or a weapon, but mostly I think it's fear. And pride."

 Loki nodded slightly with understanding. He could certainly relate to that.

 "Still, while I'm in here, I may as well get to work." Nickie sighed, leaning forward from where they were sat on their bed. "Tell me about the sceptre." They said.

 Loki laughed. "Why should I tell you anything?" He asked.

 "Dude, I just told you loads!" Nickie chuckled. "Plus, you stabbed me, but I'm willing to let that go cause I think maybe you weren't totally in control of that decision."

 "What do you mean?" Loki said, narrowing his eyes slightly.

 "I have a theory about you." Nickie admitted. "Probably wouldn't have been willing to bet my life I was right but, since it turns out I can't die... I'm gonna ask all the questions I want."

 "I'm not answering your questions." Loki snapped, turning away from Nickie and marching back to his side of the cell.

 "That's not exactly fair.... but fine." Nickie muttered, leaning back on their bed. "Let's just sit here in complete silence and pretend it isn't incredibly boring and awkward."

An Hour Later

 "How did you get here?" Nickie asked as Loki paced up and down his side of the cell. He paused in his tracks, then continued, more slowly. 

 "What do you mean?" He asked. His footsteps were measured, almost silent. Nickie noticed how he walked slightly hunched over, hend bent low. Odd posture for a Prince.

 "Earth. How'd you get here?" Nickie repeated. "There was no energy spike like when Thor came, you just... appeared."

 Loki smirked and chuckled softly. "You wouldn't understand."

 Nickie's expression soured and they crossed their arms, jutting out their chin a little. "Try me."

 Loki looked over at them for a second, not quite sure whether to take them seriously or not. "Very well." He nodded, a little sarcastically. "I crossed the galaxy using a link between two quantum points in spacetime, one of which being the Tesseract which can act as one side of a gateway across the very fabric of reality when used in tandem with one of the five other infinity stones." He explained in an aloof tone.

 Nickie thought for a moment. "Well, how do the stones remain linked? Quantum entanglement?" They asked. 

 Loki frowned slightly and turned to look at them. "Y-yes." He nodded.

 "They must be pretty powerful to open a portal across space." Nickie mused. "What powers them, a dyson sphere?" 

 "What's a dyson sphere?" Loki asked.

 "Hypothetical machine that extracts the full power potential of a star." Nickie explained simply.

 "Like a Benzali cluster?" Loki asked.

 "...sure." Nickie nodded after a pause, with no idea what the hell that was.

 "Well, no, then." Loki answered. "They... they're powerful of their own accord." He attempting to explain.

 "That doesn't make any sense, the energy would have to come from somewhere." Nickie reasoned.

  "Exactly!" Loki agreed, getting a little excited. "You see..." he stepped closer to Nickie, sitting on the floor beside them. "Are you familiar with Einstein?"

 "Yeah, E=mc²? Or do you mean, uh, the Theory of Relativity?" Nickie asked.

 "The former. Energy cannot be destroyed or created, right?" Loki began to explain.

 "Of course, that's basic physics." Nickie nodded.

 "Right, but... the infinity stones, the power they are rumoured to command, the power I've seen them weild up close... it's unrivaled, inexplicable... it doesn't make sense." Loki said, frowning.

 "Well what do they do?" Nickie asked. "Besides open transgalactic portals through the fabric of spacetime?"

 Loki hesitated for a moment, a little surprised at how easily and scientifically Nickie had put that. He swallowed as he tried to find the right words. How to explain the stones without... being too vulnerable? "The sceptre... it contains another infinity stone. The mind stone."

 "They're different?" Nickie asked.

 "Yes, each holds a different power but they support one another, when they're used together they become even more powerful, exponentially so. I used the mind stone to connect with the space stone, the Tesseract, and travel to Earth." Loki explained.

 "And then you used it to control Barton and Selvig." Nickie realised, connecting the dots.

 "Exactly." Loki nodded, glad they were understanding.

 "So what do the other stones do? There's six, right? One and five others?" Nickie asked.

 "Yes." Loki nodded again, extending a hand to count them off. "Time, Space, Reality, Soul, Mind and Power. The fundamental core principles of all the laws of the universe, be they magic or science."

 Nickie nodded a little, following along as he explained. "Who created them?" They asked.

 "They've always existed." Loki answered, leaning back a little. "According to myth they were created at the dawn of the universe. But, many of them have been weaponised or turned into relics, hidden and locked away by those who fear their power."

 "I know the feeling." Nickie remarked, scoffing slightly.

 Loki glanced over at them again, a little more sympathetically now as his eyes met Nickie's, almost sincerely. Nickie considered him for a moment. "You're lonely." They realised.

 Loki snorted incredulously. "I am not lonely."

 "And desperate." Nickie went on, enjoying annoying him a little too much.

 "I am far from desperate." Loki argued.

 "You're in a cage." Nickie shot back.

 "Yes, but I have a plan." Loki countered.

 "What's your grand plan then?" Nickie asked.

 Loki stammered a little and scoffed. "If I tell you, it won't work."

 "So you plan to trick me somehow?" Nickie asked.

 "Well, I am the God of Mischief." Loki pointed out a little smugly.

 "You... trick me into thinking we're friends..." Nickie guessed. "Then I bargain with the Avengers to "please, give him a second chance, Tony!"" Nickie out on a silly high pitched voice at this last point. 

 Loki nodded. "Nice." He commented dryly.

 "It's not going to work." Nickie added.

 "Well, not now." Loki agreed a little frustratedly. In truth, he probably should've thought of that himself but he wasn't going to admit that he didn't now.

 "I don't trust you!" Nickie laughed a little.

 "Then why are you talking to me?" Loki demanded. 

 "Because in the past few hours you've told me more about astrophysics than I've learned in the past two years studying with one of the top scientists in her field." Nickie pointed out.

 "That's preposterous." Loki scoffed, rolling his eyes.

 "Infinity stones? The Tesseract? Space-time portals? S.H.I.E.L.D have been trying to crack this stuff for seventy years." Nickie told him. "Really I should be thanking you for making it so easy."

 Loki's expression darkened. "I am not telling you everything." He insisted.

 "Yeah. Keep telling yourself that." Nickie smiled, proud that they'd tricked him.

 "Fine. Why don't you tell me about you then?" Loki asked, smiling with sarcastic politeness.

 "What do you want to know?" Nickie shrugged, leaning back and nodding.

 "How did you end up with S.H.I.E.L.D?" Loki asked.

 Nickie looked down for a moment. "They found me." They explained. "I'm... I'm from another Universe. I'm not supposed to tell people but, well who's gonna believe you?" Nickie shrugged. 

 Loki chuckled a little and nodded "Right." He said, only a little offended.

 "Anyway, I... I fell through a sort of portal... and they detected me. Apparently I have a massive energy signature so, I'm hard to miss." Nickie explained. "And then, bam. Shapeshifting, secrets, constant lying..." Nickie glanced over at Loki again. "I guess Barton told you about that too, huh?" 

 "He did." Loki nodded a little, his voice more gentle now. "He made it sound like a lonely few years." He mused a little sympathetically.

 Nickie nodded slightly. "It was. I couldn't be completely honest with anyone... everything was compartmentalised by order of S.H.I.E.L.D." 

 Loki thought for a moment. "So that's why you're here." He surmised. "Stubbornly refusing to live a life you despise."

 "Well, I'm nothing without my bad attitude." Nickie smirked. 

 Loki smiled and the two of them found themselves chuckling. It soon faded away, leaving a strangely comfortable silence as the two smiled at each other softly.

 Loki looked away first, glancing at his hands for a moment. "You think you'll back down? Beg forgiveness?" He asked.

 Nickie shook their head. "Nah. No use in fighting for the acceptance of people who never wanted me anyway." They murmured. "They'd never respect me. Only fear me. It's different."

 Loki looked away again, the words hitting him hard. "It is." He nodded, his tone betraying the depth of his understanding.

 Nickie looked up curiously but said nothing, waiting for him to go on. 

 "My family have abandoned me here." Loki finally explained. "They... they want nothing to do with me. They're ashamed."

 Nickie wanted to make some snarky comment that he deserved it... but he looked so alone. So sad. They said nothing, sighing under their breath.

 "Perhaps they have a point." Loki muttered under his breath, lost in thought and barely aware he was still talking out loud, ignoring Nickie as he kept fiddling with his hands. 

 Nickie felt a stab of sympathy but ignored it. What were they supposed to say? Instead of facing the question, they rolled over and tried to go to sleep.

Chapter Text

 Nickie and Loki sat in silence on opposite sides of their cell. Loki's eyes were closed, Nickie's were open. He watched him curiously, the way he breathed, the way he sat. There was definitely something odd about him. Being a Prince, Nickie would imagined he'd sit very straight and hold himself high, but he seemed to slouch, hunch over, shoulders drawn towards his knees, as though he was subconsciously afraid of something. 

 Maybe whatever it was that had crisscrossed his arms with scars and mottled his skin. He probably wasn't used to wearing T-shirt jumpsuits.

 "You snore." Loki said abruptly, sounding only vaguely interested in the promise of conversation.

 "Excuse me?" Nickie asked.

 "Last night. You snore." Loki said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Loudly." He added, yawning a little. "Truly, it would be comical if it weren't the most frustrating thing I've ever heard in my life." He sighed as he opened his eyes properly.

 Nickie smirked a little. "My sister used to complain about that. Long time ago." They murmured.

 "You should sleep on your side." Loki said. He seemed grumpy today.

 "I do." Nickie answered, a little offended.  

 "Well you should..." Loki tried to think of something else to suggest. "Well, I'm sure there's something, anyway. I can't be expected to get any sleep if you're going to be snoring all night." He complained.

 "I can't help it." Nickie protested. "It just happens. I'm not even awake."

 "The fact that you can sleep through that droning cacophony baffles me." Loki snapped a little.

 "Do you get more pompous when you're mad?" Nickie asked, titling their head a little.

 "No." Loki stated in a frustrated tone.

 "You get more well-spoken." Nickie murmured, ignoring his bad mood. "You use big words."

 "You should try it sometime." Loki sneered. "I'll buy you a thesaurus."

 "I happen to be in possession of a truly astounding level of intellect and education, with a vocabulary that would easily rival any professor of english you could find." Nickie shot back in a slightly affected voice.

 Loki sighed and closed his eyes again. "You're annoying." He murmured.

 "You're rude." Nickie shot back. "And difficult."

 "You're abrasive." Loki countered harshly, his eyes shooting open suddenly.

 "You're arrogant." Nickie answered.

 "You're stubborn." Loki replied, leaning forward a little angrily.

 "You're confrontational." Nickie smiled, enjoying getting a reaction out of him as he pronounced each syllable with relish.

 "You're a show-off." Loki sneered a little.

 "I'm a show-off?" Nickie laughed, raising his eyebrows.

 "Yes. You are." Loki insisted, leaning back again and crossing his arms.

 "Well then you're a hypocrite." Nickie retorted, leaning back as well.

 "I'm not a show-off, I'm a God." Loki scoffed.

 "You can make up whatever titles you like, doesn't change the fact that you're a show-off." Nickie replied, shaking his head.

 "It's not made up, it's true." Loki insisted angrily.

 "Says who?" Nickie asked, raising an eyebrow.

 Loki was about to answer but caught himself short, growling in frustration. "You wouldn't understand." He said, looking away again.

 "Right. Cause I was so confused last time you said that." Nickie nodded, crossing his arms as well.

 "Just because you understand some basic astrophysical concepts doesn't mean -"

 "Making friends?" A familiar voice asked. Nickie and Loki both looked up to see Coulson stood outside the cell. 

 "How long have you been there?" Nickie asked.

 "Long enough." Coulson smiled a little. "You have a guest."

 "Who?" Nickie asked after a moment.

 Coulson stepped to the side as Natasha stepped into the room, a sour look on her face.

 "Romanoff." Loki stated, raising his eyebrows, interest piqued.

 "I'm not here for you, weasel." Natasha said, crossing her arms as Nickie stood up and approached the glass.

 "I don't know where Barton is either." He said sarcastically, remembering Natasha's conversation with Loki just a few days ago.

 Loki smirked but said nothing, content to watch. Natasha shot him a glare.

 "Nickie, why are you doing this?" She asked, looking back at him. "You can't tell me you're here for the company."

 "Maybe I am." Nickie shot back, mirroring Natasha's posture as he crossed his arms. "At least I can be honest with him."

 Natasha's eyes widened. "You're leaking S.H.I.E.L.D information?" She asked incredulously.

 "Who's he gonna tell?" Nickie scoffed.

 "That's not the point!" Natasha protested angrily.

 "You're the ones who put me here, who else am I supposed to talk to?" Nickie snapped.

 Natasha paused, calming down a moment. "There was nowhere else for you to go. We never anticipated needing to secure two high-security threats of your... nature." She explained.

 "Right. Cause that's what I am now. A threat." Nickie sneered.

 "That's what you decided to be." Natasha reminded him as he shook his head.

 "What, because I wanted a little control over my life? Because I wasn't happy being ordered around like a soldier? Treated as a weapon?" Nickie demanded angrily.

 "You're the most powerful being on the planet, maybe in existence." Natasha replied firmly as Loki's eyes widened slightly.

 "I'm also a person, Natasha." Nickie snapped. They held each other's gaze for a long time, anger and hurt on both sides.

 Loki looked between the two of them quickly, curious and more invested than he'd like to admit.

 Nickie looked down for a moment and took a step back. "Why are you here?" He asked more quietly.

 "To urge you to reconsider." Natasha answered. 

 "Join S.H.I.E.L.D?" Nickie scoffed. "That's your play? You want me to say sorry and run plead innocent with my tail between my legs so I can be like you? Run around getting shot at, saving the world, with no home or family to go back to at the end of the day?"

 "I thought we were family." Natasha replied, forcing a smile. "You said I was like a sister to you."

 "You were." Nickie nodded, his throat tightening a little. "But now you're just another one of them. Trying to control me."

 "No one's trying to control you." Natasha shook her head.

 "Sure doesn't look that way to me." Nickie disagreed, gesturing his arms out wide to the cell. "The message I'e been receiving is S.H.I.E.L.D's way or nothing, obey or face the consequences."

 "Yeah, because our way saves lives." Natasha snapped back. "That's why we do what we do."

 "And what if I don't want to do what you do?" Nickie asked. "What if... I don't want to be an Avenger? A S.H.I.E.L.D agent? A scientist? What if I want a life of my own? What then, Nat?"

 Loki looked over at Agent Romanoff, as eager as Nickie to hear her answer.

 Natasha bit her tongue for a moment, thinking of the right phrasing. "That's not an option for you." She finally said. "You're too powerful."

 Nickie sighed and shook his head. Loki looked away as well, closing his eyes against bad memories. Nickie laughed to himself a little manically. "So that's it? My options are superhero or criminal?" He asked, a slightly crazy smile on his face.

 "The choice is yours." Natasha nodded.

 "I'm good here." Nickie said, looking around the cell a little. "Might not be the best place in the world but at least I'm not fighting for something I don't believe in, under the orders of people I don't trust to protect people who don't like me."

 "It's really that simple for you?" Natasha frowned.

 "What's to hate? I'm safe, I have food, water, roof over my head. No bills to pay, no work. Just me, my thoughts and a morally complex wannabe dictator." Nickie said gesturing to Loki who looked up and opened his mouth to protest but found no words. "I could do worse." Nickie went on, ignoring Loki's reaction.

 "So you're just gonna rot here for the rest of your life because you're too stubborn to say you're sorry?" Natasha asked incredulously.

 "Fury tried to uproot my life. Erase me completely to turn me into the perfect playing piece in his game." Nickie said, his tone suddenly turning cold and angry. "In this cell, in these four walls, I'm me, and no one has the authority to take that away." He walked back toward his bed in the corner of the room. "Got nothing to lose if you don't got nothing." He called over his shoulder.

 Natasha exhaled heavily. "You know, you're the stubbornest person I've ever met." She said.

 "Worse than Stark?" Nickie asked.

 "A lot worse." Natasha agreed, her voice fuming with frustration.

 "That stings." Nickie chuckled a little. "But hey, he's one of the greatest minds of the century, nice to know I outdo him somewhere."

 "You're acting like a child." Natasha said in a stern, angry voice.

 "I thought I was a child. Isn't that what you've all been saying? Calling me weak? Little? Kid?" Nickie's voice was bitter but they were past the point of really caring now. "Tell someone something long enough, they start to believe it. I am what you made me."

 "I didn't make this." Natasha shook her head. "I didn't train you this way."

 "Well, nobody's perfect." Nickie grinned sarcastically. "Guess you're not quite the teacher you thought you were."

 Natasha's eyes flashed with rage and she turned around to leave. "Have it your way." She called over her shoulder.

 "I intend to!" Nickie shouted back as Natasha stormed out. 

 There was a beat of silence as Nickie ran a hand through his hair.

 "You gonna burn every olive branch you're offered, then?" Coulson asked in the same polite tone he always had. 

 "That's the plan, chief." Nickie nodded, grinning sarcastically again.

 "I just thought you were smarter than that." Coulson shrugged, polite smile still plastered on his face as he nodded once and turned to leave again, closing the door behind him.

 "Condescending prick." Nickie muttered under his breath. "Sounds like my father."

 Loki genuinely struggled not to smile. "The two of you don't get on?" He asked.

 "Well, not really." Nickie answered, their voice still passive aggressive and angry. "I hate when people talk down to me."

 "I would've thought you'd be used to it." Loki mused after a pause. "You're, what, 5' 4", 5' 5"?" 

 Nickie turned to look at him, absolutely shocked. "Did you just make a joke?" He asked.

 Loki's face broke into a mischievous grin and he laughed despite himself. "Yes, I did." He nodded.

 "Did you just make a joke about my height?" Nickie asked further, smiling himself just a little.

 "Well, be reasonable here, you're absoslutely tiny." Loki said, defending himself a little as he kept chuckling.

 "No, you're a giant." Nickie countered, laughing as well.

 Loki's face darkened instantly. "Don't call me that." He growled a little.

 "What, Giant?" Nickie frowned, confused at Loki's reaction.

 "Yes." Loki agreed, his anger growing at the fact that they said the word again. How could they accuse him so flippantly? Ignorant mortal.

 "I'm sorry, is that some kind of slur where you're from?" Nickie asked a little defensively, not liking Loki's sudden change of tone. "Or are you just ridiculously sensitive?"

 "There's nothing oversensitive about taking issue with being compared to a monster." Loki snapped harshly. 

 "Oh, so giants are real, are they?" Nickie asked. "Well that's nice, he's rude and racist." He sneered as Loki scoffed. 

 "What would you possibly know about it?" Loki demanded. 

 "I've studied mythology." Nickie insisted defiantly.

 "Have you? Have you really?" Loki sneered, well aware of his villainous reputation in human myths. "And tell me, what did your precious mythology have to say about the Giants then?" Loki asked. 

 "Oh, they had some whoppers about you." Nickie chuckled darkly.

Chapter Text

  Nickie and Loki had fallen about laughing, actually crying real tears from the extent of their amusement.

 "I can't believe that's true!" Nickie said, wheezing and clutched their sides.

 "Well... well..." Loki laughed, struggling to compose himself. "Neither could I!" He finally choked out, eyes squeezed shut as he laughed so hard it was silent, struggling to breathe.

 "We all thought it was a metaphor!" Nickie whispered, completely unable to catch his breath.

 "It's not! He's just insane!" Loki coughed and spluttered, smile plastered across his face.

 "Well, you can see how we got confused about the horse then." Nickie laughed, his face as red as Loki's.

 Loki almost fell over laughing again. "I can't believe that's actually what people believed." He laughed weakly.

 "Oh yeah, every word." Nickie chuckled as well, laughing uncontrollably. 

 "You know, me and Thor really did get into trouble when we were younger." Loki chuckled a little, smiling at the memories as he composed himself just a little. "A lot of trouble."

 "Oh yeah?" Nickie asked.

 "We used to play pranks on the palace guards." Loki laughed. "Mother, Father, his friends..."

 "His friends?" Nickie asked, noticing the phrasing.

 Loki sobered a little more, smile fading just slightly again. "Well... yes, they were... always more his friends than mine." He agreed. "I was quite a bit younger so... always fighting to be included, I suppose." He mused. "Til Thor decided he didn't want me hanging around his friends and just... shut me out all together."

 Nickie nodded a little thoughtfully as they listened to Loki talk.

 "I don't know why I'm telling you all this." Loki admitted after a moment, realising just how much he'd just said.

 "I'm a good listener." Nickie shrugged. "People... tell me stuff."

 "Perhaps another reason S.H.I.E.L.D fear you then." Loki suggested a little comically. 

 Nickie nodded and laughed a little in agreement. "Can't risk all those secrets getting out, can they?" They smirked.

 "Let the people... know what's going on?" Loki asked, comically deadpan.

 "Tell them the truth!?" Nickie asked with mock incredulity, playing along.

 "Scandal!" Loki scoffed.

 "Terribly outrageous!" Nickie agreed with a chuckle, over dramatising their British accent. 

 "Who would dare be honest with the people you claim to protect?" Loki asked, a tone of bitterness slipping into his voice.

 "So what would you have done then?" Nickie asked curiously after a moment's pause, laughter dying down. "If you'd succeeded, if you'd taken over the world. What then?"

 "I would have ruled." Loki said plainly. "I would have redistributed the money, food, power as... fairly as possible. Taken down the corrupt governments across the world, built a fairer society, one that supported people."

 Nickie paused for a moment, listening to Loki explain. "Why?" They asked. "I mean, if you're gonna take over the world, why not... like, enslave humanity or something? You know, build a great monument to yourself?" 

 "Well, that's not the point." Loki frowned. "I mean, of course, I would've had a palace built, servants..."

 Nickie nodded along. "Naturally, as you do." They agreed, only mocking him a little.

 "But then, no, I..." Loki sighed a little. "I wanted to rule to prove myself. To prove I could be... a King. A good one. A leader. Feared, perhaps, but respected, trusted." He tried to explain. 

 "Prove yourself to who?" Nickie asked, interrupting him.

 "What?" Loki frowned, looking up.

 "You said prove yourself." Nickie pointed out. "Prove yourself to who?"

 Loki leant back and frowned darker. "Are you a therapist?" Nickie laughed as he went on. "Is that what's happening now?" Loki asked, still frowning.

 "My mother was a psychologist." Nickie explained. "I can be a little... psychoanalyse-y sometimes." They said, a slightly apologetic tone.

 "Well don't." Loki said sharply after a pause.

 Nickie raised their eyebrows. "Touchy subject?" They asked. 

 "Yes." Loki agreed curtly.

 Nickie nodded a little, despising the tense awkwardness that settled over them again. 

 Loki sighed softly after a moment. "My father." He answered quietly, his tone slightly softer than before. The word hung in the air before Nickie replied.

 "Ah..." he nodded a little knowingly. "They fuck us up, huh?" He asked casually. 

 Loki smirked, chuckling again. "Yes, they do." He nodded, a smile forming on his face. "You said you never got along with yours?" He surmised.

 "No." Nickie laughed in agreement. "He wasn't evil, or awful, or even that bad really. But, fathers... everyone finds something to hate."

 Loki nodded a little, thoughtfully. "What did you find?" He asked.

 Nickie hesitated a moment before answering. "He acted like a child and shouted far too often." They said. "Could have been worse though. He loved me. I always knew that. I just... resented him for being human. For failing, and never admitting it."

 Loki nodded more. "Never admitting his failings?" He asked.

 "If he just would've... apologised." Nickie went on, getting a little lost in memories before shaking his head and shrugging it off. "Suppose it's too late now though."

 "Yes..." Loki nodded quietly, leaning back again. "Too late now." 

 Nickie tilted their head and watched Loki curiously. "What did yours do?" He asked. 

 Loki thought for a moment, holding Nickie' gaze before answering. He owed it to them, he supposed. Taking a deep breath. "He... he never saw me the way he saw at Thor." He finally said. "I was always... overshadowed. Lesser." Loki swallowed a lump in his throat. "We weren't the same. He said we were equal but we weren't, and... I wanted us to be. So, I fought for his approval, tried to -"

 "Prove yourself." Nickie finished. Loki met his eyes, surprised by his understanding. 

 "Yes." He nodded.

 Nickie smiled a little. "It all comes back to dear old dad."

 Loki chuckled again. "I suppose it does." He looked up at Nickie. "You're very smart. For a mortal." He said sincerely.

 Nickie rolled his eyes and leant back. "You flatter me." He said sarcastically. 

 "I'm serious." Loki insisted with a slight chuckle. 

 "Well... that's all my mum." Nickie mused quietly.

 Loki watched curiously. "You were close, then?" He asked. 

 "Very." Nickie nodded. "She was... probably my best friend." He said, pushing back painful memories. "What about you? Mama's boy?" He asked lightheartedly.

 Loki smiled a little. "I suppose I am." He nodded. "My... mother... well, she taught me magic. It's a rare skill, even in Asgard." He explained as Nickie listened closely. "She was very patient with me. Always understanding." Loki remembered fondly. "She saw the best in me. Until now, at least." He remembered, feeling a pit of both shame and anger in his chest.

 "She sounds like an amazing person." Nickie mused. 

 "She is." Loki smiled. "The strongest Queen Asgard has ever had. Thor and I would be in so much trouble when she caught us, when we were younger. She raised us to be very respectful, the way she used to rant at us when we played pranks on the servants." He chuckled. Then he sighed, his tone shifting again. "But then Thor went off with his warrior friends on conquests for battle and glory." He scoffed, waving his hand a little. 

 "And you?" Nickie asked softly. 

 "I... read, mostly." Loki answered honestly. "Asgard's rather boring when you're locked in your room and there's no one around to play tricks on."

 "You read?" Nickie asked, interest piqued as their eyes lit up a little. Literally, lighting up with little white sparks. Shapeshifting and metaphors don't mix.

 "Of course. I'm not a simpleton." Loki scoffed. "I read all the great works of the Asgardian libraries. And a great number of the mediocre, and indeed truly awful works." 

 Nickie laughed as he spoke, a real smile creeping onto their face again. 

 "I read a few Midgardian works too." Loki said. 

 "Really? We dull creatures caught your interest?" Nickie teased him. 

 "I picked up a few things here and there." Loki shrugged. "I used to travel the Nine Realms on diplomatic missions for Father all the time." Loki recounted. "And... we always had to learn about the different cultures and try to understand them. Thor never bothered with any of it but, I like reading the stories. Learning about other worlds" He paused for a moment, remembering something as he got caught up in an old passion he'd almost forgotten about. "I even heard tales of lands beyond. I always meant to visit them one day but... never had the time." He ruminated a little wistfully.

 "I wanted to travel too." Nickie agreed. "Before I got caught up with S.H.I.E.L.D and superheroes and Asgardians."

 Loki smirked but kept listening. 

 "I was going to road trip through Europe, work with elephants in Africa, maybe visit New Zealand or America." Nickie remembered, the same wistful tone of days gone by and plans torn apart. "But apparently they don't give passports to weapons, which is what I am now. An asset." They spat bitterly. 

 "It's not fair, how we're being treated." Loki agreed, the same bitterness in his voice, a sense of comradeship, of mutual understanding between the two them settling over him. 

 "No, you deserve this, that's the difference." Nickie insisted.

 "I do not deserve this." Loki protested angrily.

 "Dude, you killed 80 people in two days!" Nickie pointed out.

 "Did you just call me "dude"?" Loki scoffed.

 "You launched an alien invasion, you destroyed the island of Manhattan, you terrorised thousands, brainwashed my friends and attempted to literally take over the world!" Nickie listed off as Loki fumed silently. "Hell, all I did was have a bad attitude, but you!" Nickie almost chuckled.

 "You have no idea!" Loki snapped. "You don't know a damn thing about me!" 

 "You're a baby!" Nickie sneered. "You need to control your emotions and accept your mistakes!"

 "I am controlled!" Loki retorted, standing abruptly and pacing to calm himself down. 

 "Barely." Nickie muttered.

 "You have no idea!" Loki screamed, suddenly turning on him, leering over him with his full height, shouting so loud it made Nickie flinch. "No idea what I've been through! You couldn't possibly comprehend!"

 Nickie's expression darkened and they stood up without saying anything, walking over to their bed in the corner of the room. 

 "What, did you think we were magically friends now?" Loki scoffed as Nickie turned his back on him.

 "I don't like people who raise their voice." Nickie answered in a cold, hollow voice, refusing to look at Loki as they lay down on their bed, back turned to the room. 

 "I'm not sorry." Loki replied after a moment. 

 "Then why don't you stab me in the back." Nickie sighed darkly. "I'm sure I'll be just fine."

 Loki fumed with rage, but there wasn't anything to do. It was so hard to argue with someone who was ignoring you. He felt 600 years old all over again, shouting at Thor for pretending he didn't exist. 

 He resolved himself to pacing up and down to try and shake off some of this anger. Nickie was so infuriating, so superior. They got under his skin like... like... like nothing else. How he was supposed to spend the next... who knows how long cooped up in a cell with them... it was impossible.

Chapter Text

 The next morning Coulson was back. 

 "Nickie." A voice said, almost sternly.

 Nickie sighed and rolled their eyes as they sat up and met his eye. "Barton." They said darkly. "You here to change my mind too?" 

 "That's the idea." Barton nodded. 

 Nickie scoffed and glanced at Loki. "How long as he been there?" They asked.

 "He's been threatening me for a while now." Loki murmured uninterestedly, lying back on his own bed and pinching his forehead. 

 Nickie nodded a little and got up, stretching as they walked towards the glass. "Go on then. Pitch it to me." They said, sounding bored and utterly uninterested as they yawned a little. 

 "Nickie, you have no idea what you're doing." Barton snapped. "You're being -"

 "Naive? Stupid? Childish?" Nickie asked, finishing for him. "Yeah, I get that. Believe me, I do. Nat already gave me the little speech"

 "So do something about it." Barton said sternly. "Grow up and make the reasonable decision. You've got a real chance here."

 Nickie said nothing, crossing their arms and glaring at Barton as they slowly changed their hair to a hot pink. 

 Barton sighed. "Look, Fury is willing to put you with me. Or Nat, or Rogers... any team member you want. Maybe even someone your own age. You can negotiate here. You just need to back down and stop being so -"

 "Stubborn? Petulant?" Nickie asked, finishing for him passive aggressively again.

 "Arrogant." Loki chimed in, still lying on his bed with his eyes closed.

 "Nobody asked you, rat!" Barton raised his voice sharply. 

 "He's got a point though." Nickie shrugged in agreement.

 Barton stared at them incredulously. "I... you're completely insane." He scoffed.

 "Maybe I am." Nickie murmured, tilting their head slightly. "I guess it would make sense, what with all I've been through at just the young and tender age of 18..." they trailed off, perhaps lost in thought. "So is that it then?" They asked, gaze snapping back to Barton. "Or are you determined to make me see reason?"

 Barton hesitated, shaking his head slightly as he fought with himself over what to do. Finally he sighed. "Jeez, kid, you don't exactly make it easy to be your friend."

 "Is that why I never saw you?" Nickie asked bitterly. "You visited me maybe twice in New Mexico."

 Barton's eyes softened apologetically. "I had a lot on my plate. Missions, and -"

 "Because precious S.H.I.E.L.D comes first." Nickie smiled angrily. "Yeah... I know the drill." 

 "It's my job, Nickie." Barton snapped. "Someone's gotta do it."

 "Not me." Nickie replied. "No, see I'd rather have a friend, a family. Happiness. Do you know what that's like, Barton?" Nickie asked as Barton's eyes narrowed. 

 "S.H.I.E.L.D's not your enemy, Nickie." He said, keeping his voice calm.

 "Funny how I misunderstood that. Maybe it was the cage that confused me." Nickie shot back darkly.

 Barton considered this for a moment more. "Fine. Have it your way." He sighed, turning to leave. "Phil." He nodded to Coulson, who nodded back politely. 

 The door swung shut as Nickie turned to Coulson. "I did tell you that was the plan." They said casually. "Pissing everyone off. I'm not sure why you brought him here at all, to be honest."

 Coulson frowned slightly. "Do you want to be here, Nickie?" He asked.

 "In prison. No." Nickie shrugged, mulling it over. "But I don't want to be out there. Besides, I'e got a nice little project to work on."

 "I'm not your project." Loki chimed in again a little sharply.

 "I'm a bit of an obsessive problem solver, and I love puzzles so... lock me in a cell with a mental case with nothing to do all day but psychoanalyse and interrogate him? I'm fine here." Nickie smiled. 

 Loki dropped his hand from his face so his knuckles brushed against the floor, still not looking up or opening his eyes. "I hate you." He muttered. 

 Coulson and Nickie both smirked a little at that, then Coulson looked back at Nickie. "Why are you so obsessed with him?" He asked.

 "You're the one who gave him to me." Nickie replied. "Call me up after weeks, months of radio silence with a mission and a problem to solve. You said, and I quote "figure out what's going on inside his head." That's all I'm trying to do." Nickie shrugged.

 "Finish the job?" Coulson clarified.

 "What can I say? It's how I was trained." Nickie replied, nodding slowly, a little mockingly.

 Coulson smiled thinly and thought about this for a moment. "Well, I'd ask you what you'd found but, we have cameras that can see everything so..."

 "Coulson!" Nickie laughed amicably. "You really think I don't know that already?" They asked, before their tone turned bitter again. "I'm a lot smarter than you give me credit for."

 "You're making a stupid mistake." Coulson pointed out. 

 "In your opinion." Nickie added. They turned around and walked in a slow circle for a moment before turning back to Coulson. "Tony Stark was in a cell once. He came out with an idea that changed, no, saved the world." They said abruptly and very fast.

 "And you plan to do the same?" Coulson asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. 

 "Again," Nickie chuckled, meeting his eye. "You're the one who wanted me to be a hero."

 Coulson smiled thinly again as he looked away for a moment, then back. "Maybe you're right. Maybe it was a mistake to bring you into all this."

 "You're just realising that?" Nickie scoffed. 

 Coulson waited a moment longer, pondering something, then stepped backwards. "I'll leave you with your new friend then." He said, as calm as ever.

 "We are not friends." Loki said firmly. 

 "Apologies." Coulson replied with a tilt of his head before turning and leaving, door closing quietly behind him.

 Nickie sighed a heavy exhale and clicked their neck. "Not the best start to the morning." They murmured.

 Coulson called Fury as he walked, heading back to his car.

 "Coulson, did she bend yet?" Fury immediately asked.

 "No sir." Coulson replied. "I think they're really gonna dig their heels in here." He commented.

 "Maybe I'll call in Rogers." Fury mused.

 "With respect, sir, I don't think their teammates are the way to earn back their trust, or their co-operation." Coulson replied.

 "Oh really? And what would you have me do instead?" Fury demanded a little angrily.

 "I don't know, sir." Coulson admitted with a shrug. "They're stubborn. I think the only way to counter that is to be more stubborn. And annoying. And difficult."

 "We already locked them in a cell with the god of wsinding people up, how much more annoying can we be?" Fury asked.

 "We may need to call in the expert in these matters." Coulson suggested. Fury groaned. 

 "You're calling him." He said.

 "Yes sir." Coulson nodded.

 "Report back when you have more information." Fury said before hanging up. 

 Coulson sighed and put his phone back in his pocket. He was gonna need a coffee before calling Stark. 

 "Are you really trying to understand me?" Loki asked as Nickie stretched a little.

 "What?" They asked, half distracted by figuring out their gender today. Masculine again, it seemed.

 "You told Coulson you were trying to finish the job. Is that true?" Loki asked, sitting up.

 "Yeah, I guess." Nickie shrugged, shapeshifting his body to be more masculine as he crossed his arms and faced Loki. "Not cause I actually care about the job though, it's just interesting to ask people why they're screwed up and then annoy them. Better than being bored."

 Loki thought about this, but was also a little distracted by the fact that Nickie had shapeshifted in front of him.

 "What?" Nickie asked.

 "You... changed." Loki said, lost for a better word for it.

 Nickie frowned slightly. "Yeah... you know I'm genderfluid right?" He asked.

 "Barton used they/them pronouns, but... I didn't realise you... were... fluid, no." Loki explained a little haltingly.

 Nickie rolled his eyes. "Probably didn't fully understand it, bless him." He murmured. "No, yeah, I'm fluid. The shapeshifting's kind of a godsend in that way, not that I was really allowed to use it most of the last few years." He explained, taking a seat leaning against the wall.

 Loki paused for a moment. "So you're a man today?" He asked.

 "I was a man yesterday too." Nickie agreed, nodding. "Guess it just didn't occur to me to shift."

 Loki nodded a little, taking that in. "But you always use they/them pronouns?" He asked.

 Nickie looked over. "Well... everyone else does. I like changing day to day, but most people just can't keep up with that. So I default to they/them." 

 Loki nodded a little. "I had that problem. People found it too confusing. So did I, honestly. So I just stick to he/him now. Easier."

 Nickie looked over, interested and surprised. "You're fluid?" He asked with a slight smile.

 "More or less." Loki agreed. "Perhaps not within the traditional concept of a binary gender -"

 "Screw the gender binary." Nickie interrupted almost automatically.

 Loki chuckled a little. "But yes." He nodded. "I'm... gender: fluid."

 "Dude, I can hear you putting grammar in that word." Nickie laughed.

 "Well, the grammar is appropriate. And fundamentally implied in the definition." Loki argued.

 "Language nerd." Nickie said playfully.

 "Well, what's the point in -" Loki started to say defensively before Nickie interrupted him.

 "No, it's... okay. I'm kind of a language nerd too." He said. 

 Loki paused. "You are?" He asked.

 "I've studied... ten. I speak French pretty well." Nickie boasted a little.

 "Do you?" Loki asked, interested. "Peut-être qu'on devrait parler en français alors." He said, very casually.

 Nickie's mouth fell open a little in surprise. Then he smirked.

 "Je suis impressé." He said.

 "Impressioné." Loki corrected with a smirk of his own. 

 "All right, show off." Nickie sneered before chuckling softly again. "So, hey. Gender-wise, where you at today?" He asked casually.

 Loki paused a moment. "I... I wouldn't say my gender changes quite like that." He tried to explain. "On a day to day basis, I mean."

 "No?" Nickie asked, raising his eyebrows. 

 "It's more like... like I'm a man and a woman all at once. Sometimes, but also like - It's..." he sighed. "Complicated." 

 "I can relate to complicated." Nickie said kindly. 

 Loki smiled a little then frowned as he thought about it again. "I call it fluid because... it's like mixing milk and oil. I'm both, inseparably, all the time."

 Nickie nodded a little and smiled again. "Cool." He remarked.

 "It's different for you?" Loki asked.

 "For me, it's more like... my gender itself is fluid. Changeable. It moves and... spills out of boxes to be something different."

 Loki smiled softly at the metaphor. "That's very beautiful." He replied. "Poetic. 

 Nickie smiled back. "Thank you. It's nice to talk about this with someone." He observed. "You know?"

 "I do." Loki nodded. "It is. Actually." He agreed.

 They shared a smile for a moment. A comfortable acceptance passing between them, before Nickie looked away again.

 "What were we talking about?" He asked, changing the subject again.

 Loki thought for a moment. "Um, I was taking issue with you psychoanalysing me for your own entertainment." He recalled casually.

 "Ah, yes." Nickie nodded, smiling and closing his eyes. "Proceed, my friend." He said, leaning back a little further against the wall.

 "Friend?" Loki asked, raising his eyebrows a little.

 "Yeah. Why not?" Nickie shrugged a little. 

Chapter Text

 Coulson sat outside the diner in his car, coffee in hand. Should he save it for after the call or drink it first to prepare himself? Maybe he should drink half now, half after. Or eat his doughnut, then call, then drink his coffee. 

 He was procrastinating. Anything to put off any form of attempt at intelligent communication with Tony Stark, or more specifically Tony's Stark's arrogant and sarcastic streak.

 Finally, he sighed and picked up his phone. He'd have to get used to this sooner or later if Stark was going to continue to work on the Avengers team moving forward.

 He waited but the phone went to voicemail. "You have not reached Tony Stark, because I don't care about your problem or how you got this number." Then the beep. 

 Coulson sighed and sipped his coffee. "Wait five minutes." He murmured to himself. He could play the long game. Nickie wasn't the only stubborn one.

 "So what did you want?" Loki asked, looking over at Nickie curiously.

 "What do you mean?" Nickie replied, running his hands through his hair as he brushed it out into a long thick pink mohawk trailing down to his waist.

 "Well, you didn't want the Avengers, or S.H.I.E.L.D." Loki clarifies. "So if you had been free, what would you have wanted?"

 Nickie thought about that for a moment. "I would've gone to university, in England." He said. "Studied maths and sociology or history or literature. Maybe qualified in accountancy to pay the bills but then... studied and read and travelled my whole life, writing and singing and dancing... playing music, making in friends. Falling in love as often as possible."

 Loki listened, a little captivated. "That's... a surprisingly... simple but... good plan." 

 "Bettter than "take over the world"." Nickie smirked a little proudly, leaning back on his bed with his hands behind his head, looking up at the ceiling. 

 "Take over the world is a very popular life plan, I'll have you know." Loki remarked a little playfully. "A time-honoured tradition among kings and conquerors."

 "Ah yes, Kings and conquerors, renowned for their intelligence, happiness and overall longevity." Nickie smirked sarcastically.

 "Coulson, why have you called me 30 times in three hours?" Tony asked in a snappish voice.

 "We need you consulting on something." Coulson explained.

 "Consulting on what?" Tony demanded.

 "An attitude problem." Coulson replied.

 "Attitude problem?" Tony frowned slightly. "You sure I'm the right man for the job, Agent?"

 "No one else will do." Coulson nodded.

 Tony sighed tiredly. "Fine. Send the black SUVs and creepy sunglasses guys. I don't suppose you can tell me exactly what it is I'm doing?" He asked.

 "Convincing Nickie to come back to S.H.I.E.L.D." Coulson answered.

 "Why should she? Good for her, I say. Rebelling against the establishment." Tony shrugged casually.

 "Because, if they don't agree to work for us again, they'll have to remain in prison. Possibly indefinitely." Coulson told him.

 "Right. Cause apparently Fury thinks it's okay to lock up teenagers for acting like teenagers." Tony scoffed.

 "Stark, Nickie is quite possibly the most powerful individual on the entire planet. Quite frankly, we understand terrifyingly little about their abilities and letting them run free as an active antagonist of S.H.I.E.L.D is a risk we simply can't afford to take." Coulson explained as calmly as he could.

 Tony sighed again. "Fine, I'll try and reason with the kid." He agreed.

 "Thank you, Stark." Coulson nodded. 

 "Well, it's my job, isn't it? I don't really have a choice." Tony pointed out a little bitterly.

 "Neither do any of us, Stark." Coulson smiled a little sadly, thinking of Nickie, caught between a rock and a hard place.

 Tony paused. "Excuse me?" He asked, frowning again.

 Coulson cleared his throat. "Pleasure talking to you. I'll send a car to pick you up. Goodbye." He hung up quickly, not giving Tony a chance to get another word in edgeways, despite his valiant attempts to.

 "What would you do?" Nickie asked, still looking at the ceiling.

 "Hmm?" Loki asked.

 "If the whole "take over the world" schtick didn't pan out but you had a second chance." Nickie elaborated. "What would you do with it?"

 Loki thought that over for a long time.

 "Well, hey, if you're just gonna ignore me -"

 "No, I'm not, I -" Loki protested. "I'm just - I'm thinking." He explained.

 "Oh." Nickie nodded slightly. "You're very thoughtful. And... quiet." He observed. "It's intense." 

 "Subtlety's not in my nature." Loki shrugged a little.

 "Well, what is?" Nickie asked. "What would you do with your life, if you could do anything. Besides be... king, cause that's just two-dimensional and boring."

 Loki scoffed. "You're a very critical and judgemental person, you know." He said.

 "I'm aware." Nickie nodded.

 Loki leant back and took a deep breath, thinking some more. "I suppose... well I really don't know." He realised, a little puzzled by that himself.

 Nickie paused before replying. "You don't know your gender, you don't know what you want, you don't know what makes you happy... I'm beginning to think you don't know who the hell you are."

 "I know who I am." Loki snapped a little.

 "Tell me." Nickie shot back.

 "I am Loki. Prince of Asgard, the Rightful King of Jotunheim, the God of Mischief." He listed off proudly, sneering at Nickie.

 "Those are titles." Nickie shook his head. "I mean you. You know, who are you when you're locked in a cell away from all your kingdoms and gods and powers? Who is Loki?"

 "That's a ridiculous question, who are you? Who is Nickie?" Loki retorted, scoffing in an irritated tone.

 "I'm a thinker. A dreamer. I like to learn, to study, to talk and debate and argue. I love stories, the way they connect and -"

 "I didn't ask for a monologue." Loki interrupted him.

 "Well you asked who I am." Nickie argued back. "I know. Do you?" He asked, sitting up to look at Loki.

 Loki looked away, grinding his jaw a little. "Of course I know who I am." He muttered under his breath. "Why the hell should I tell you?" He sneered.

 Nick's expression softened a little. "A lot of people don't know who they are you know." He said. "You're supposed to learn when you're a kid, but... instead, some people just get messed up."

 Loki said nothing, avoiding Nickie's eye.

 "Prison can be a good place to think about stuff like that. Identity. The self." Nickie went on. "Some of the greatest writers - "

 "Can we talk about something else?" Loki interrupted again harshly. "Or not talk?"

 Nickie leant back on the bed. "Fine. You don't wanna talk about you, you don't wanna hear about me... any suggestions?"

 Loki thought again. "Have you ever heard of... Shakespeare?" He asked after a moment.

 Nickie looked over at him. "Shakespeare?" He asked.

 "He was a mortal poet and playwright in the late 16th century." Loki explained. "A... mortal I once knew, when Father sent me to Midgard... as a punishment reccommened him to me. I made sure to secure some copies of his plays for the libraries, on Asgard, in later years. They were quite good." He explained, choosing his words carefully.

 "You collected Shakespeare's published works?" Nickie asked, raising his eyebrows.

 "They seemed worthy of being remembered." Loki shrugged a little. 

 "They are." Nickie nodded a little, a slight smiling creeping onto his face. "They're masterpieces. True art."

 "Exactly!" Loki nodded, sounding vindicated. "This is what I could never get my father round understand, his... his poetry, his wit is-is-is... " Loki trailed off, sighing. "Well, he never understood."

 "Hal's father never understood his choices either." Nickie said, smiling a little. "But ultimately he was honourable. A hero. A good king."

 "Yes, he was." Loki nodded quietly. "He became a noble man." Loki blinked quickly and shook away his thoughts. "You've read Henry fourth then? And... Henry fifth?"

 "No, I hate reading Shakespeare." Nickie shook his head. "I saw it performed. It's the only way to experience the Bard's work."

 Loki's eyes lit up a little. "I would love to see his work performed live." 

 "Which play?" Nickie asked. "If you had to pick just one?"

 "Ooh." Loki murmured.

 "Thinking again?" Nickie teased gently in the silence that followed.

 "Perhaps A Midsummer Night's Dream." Loki finally mused. "Seeing the drama unfold on stage would be hilarious. And the sets would be beautiful."

 "A good argument." Nickie nodded appreciatively.

 "What would you see?" Loki asked.

 "I love Henry fourth part one." Nickie replied. "And Much Ado About Nothing."

 "Much Ado is a good one." Loki chuckled a little, nodding. "Benedict and Beatrice -"

 "God, they are hilarious!" Nickie agreed, cutting Loki off. "Enemies to Lovers at it's best."

 "Enemies to Lovers?" Loki asked, frowning slightly.

 "The writing trope." Nickie explained.

 "Ah. Yes." Loki nodded as the logic clicked. "Aptly named."

 Nickie shook his head a little and chuckled. "You talk like Shakespeare." He said.

 "High praise." Loki smiled slightly, amused by the comparison as he leant back and crossed his arms. 

 "Right." Nickie nodded, smirking slightly. "I guess you all talk like that on Asgard?"

 "What, properly? More or less. I'd like to think I'm better spoken then most." Loki replied as Nickie laughed.

 "And you call me judgemental." He said, shaking a little as he laughed so hard.

 "You are. I'm merely stating facts." Loki insisted.

 "Hypocrite." Nickie accused him as his laughter died down a little.

 "And how are you any better?" He asked.

 "Are you calling me a hypocrite?" Nickie asked, raising their eyebrows. 

 "Maybe I am." Loki nodded a little.

 "Hypocrite." Nickie accused again as Loki laughed with him.

 "So what exactly am I doing?" Tony asked as Coulson led him through the base towards Nickie and Loki's cell. 

 "Allyou need to do is convince Nickie that staying locked up like this is childish. Convince them to come back to work, talk to us." Coulson explained.

 "I thought you saw her as a threat?" Tony frowned.

 "Only if they refuse to follow orders." Coulson clarified.

 "Right. So you bring in the attitude problem to handle the attitude problem. Makes sense." Tony nods. "What if I'm on her side?"

 "They're throwing away their only chance." Coulson said. "They're eighteen years old."

 Tony sighed. "Fine. Send me in." He nodded.

 Coulson smiled a little and opened the door, motioning for Tony to head in first.

 "Hey kid." He said as he walked in, slipping his hands in his pockets. "Loki." He added with a nod. 

 Loki grinned back sarcastically.

 "Stark." Nickie smiled back, standing up and walking up to the glass, crossing his arms. "You playing bad cop?" He asked.

 Tony stopped in front of him. "Uh, actually I'm here to reason with you." He said.

 Nickie narrowed his eyes in confusion and glanced at Coulson. "Not even changing tactics, Phil? Come on. You're better than this."

 "Give me one good reason you'd rather stay here than play along with S.H.I.E.L.D." Tony said.

 "I'm not a weapon, and I refuse to be treated like one." Nickie said firmly. 

 Tony considered this a moment, grinding his jaw slightly. "Fine." He accepted, turning to leave. 

 "Just like that?" Nickie asked while Loki laughed on his side of the cell.

 "Mr Stark." Coulson said.

 "I said one reason. Kid's got a point." Tony called over his shoulder as be left the room again. "Have a nice life."

Chapter Text

 "Fine. Let her rot in that cell for a thousand years." Fury scoffed after Coulson filled him in on everything.

 "Mr Fury, sir, if I may?" Coulson asked.

 "Speak freely, Coulson." Fury nodded, rubbing his forehead tiredly.

 "What if you spoke to them yourself, sir?" Coulson suggested.

 "Why do you think that would make a damn bit of difference?" Fury frowned. 

 "Mr Fury, they're angry, they're upset, they feel overlooked and unappreciated. I'm sure if you spoke to them, negotiated some kind of deal - "

 "And what kind of deal would that be exactly?" Fury snapped. "Let the shapeshifting teen roam free and... hope they don't turn to a life of crime, fraud and terrorism? Do you have any idea the kind of risk someone like Nickie poses to the world? They can change their face. No one can ever trust them. What if they break into a bank? Break into top secret scientific research facilities? Break into the White House?"

 "They just want a chance at a normal life." Coulson tried to argue.

 "Oh yeah? Well, they can't have one!" Fury said firmly. 

 Coulson was a little shocked and Fury sighed, leaning back in his chair, rubbing his forehead again. 

 "How am I supposed to convince the US government to let an emotional, unstable teenager with more power than every nuclear bomb on earth and one of the most dangerous and versatile supernatural abilities we've seen to date live a normal life. Go to college? Get a job? It's not safe, Coulson." Fury sighed. "Nickie would be hunted down constantly, putting innocent people at risk. And that's if she didn't decide to use her powers for her own gain."

 "Then why put them on the Avengers Initiative in the first place?" Coulson asked.

 "I thought they could play nice. Play along, train within S.H.I.E.L.D. Like Rogers." Fury explained. 

 "Well... they seem to follow Stark's example more often than the Captain's." Coulson pointed out.

 "One more thorn in my side." Fury muttered. "Well, you're excused Coulson. I've gotta explain this whole situation to the council."

 Coulson nodded. "For what it's worth, sir? I'm sure Nickie will come around."

 "You think so?" Fury asked, raising his eyebrows slightly.

 Coulson smirked just a little. "They're in a cell with the God of Mischief. Sooner or later he'll drive them nuts and Nickie will see reason."

 Fury scoffed a little. "I hope so." He remarked.

 "Sir." Coulson nodded respectfully, turning to leave the room.

 Weeks were passing as Nickie and Loki languished in the cell. There was nothing to do, no more visits. The silence between idle conversations was deafening. 

 "I wish I could read." Nickie mused aloud.

 "Read?" Loki asked.

 "Yeah. It's quiet, I don't have to do anything. If I could, I'd be reading right now." Nickie said.

 "What would you read?" Loki asked after a long pause. 

 "Fantasy. Adventure. YA." Nickie answered in a daydreamy voice.

 "YA?" Loki asked, frowning slightly.

 "Young Adult, um.. like romances, first loves, coming of age, a lot of identity and queer stories." Nickie explained.

 "Ah." Loki nodded.

 "I always wanted to write YA one day." Nickie sighed wistfully.

 "You wanted to be a writer?" Loki asked curiously.

 Nickie nodded a little. "I did write. All the time. I guess I just... stopped. When I came here."

 "What did you write?" Loki asked.

 "All sorts of things." Nickie smiled, recalling them. "Adventure stories. A bit of sci-fi, mostly fantasy though. Lots of revolutions and rebels, but with princesses and kissing."

 "Right." Loki chuckled softly, smiling a little as Nickie playfully made fun of themself.

 "I guess I was a bit too glittery to be a punk, but too badass to be a fairy." Nickie shrugged. "But I loved my characters... I wish I'd finished their stories." She said, her voice tinged with nostalgia as her eyes became a slightly paler blue. 

 Loki had noticed that. Nickie's eyes changing colour. All the time. But most often when they were emotional. He wondered if it meant something but, he couldn't think of a good way to ask. It was very likely Nickie didn't know, he supposed. It wasn't like they could see their own eyes. 

 "Would you tell me about your stories?" He asked instead, gently.

 Nickie frowned a little and met his eye. "Really?"

 "You don't have to, I just - " Loki sighed, shaking his head a little.

 "No, no, I'd like to," Nickie interrupted. "It's just... I didn't think you'd care."

 Loki paused for a moment. "Well, don't read too much into it. I'm as bored as you are." He said.

 "Of course." Nickie nodded, biting back a bit of a smile. 

 "It's just a way to pass the time." Loki insisted.

 "Totally understand." Nickie agreed.

 Loki paused again. 

 "So... how do you want me to start?" Nickie asked, still fighting a slightly amused smile. 

 "At the beginning." Loki shrugged. 

 Nickie smiled a little and nodded. "Okay. Once Upon a time,"

 "Of course." Loki scoffed lightly. 

 "- there was a kingdom." Nickie finished, her voice growing a little firm. "If you interrupt with snarky comments all the time I'm not telling you."

 "I'm sorry." Loki smirked a little. "Please do continue."

 Nickie sighed, shooting him a vaguely disapproving look before she went on.

 Thor had been summoned to the throne room. It was a welcome distraction from pacing around the palace, waiting until it was reasonable to ask Heimdall about Loki, or Jane, again. More often Jane. Usually Jane. Actually just Jane.

 He was still furious with his brother. He felt so betrayed. Loki had turned against them all. Mocked him, even tried to kill him. They used to be brothers. Heimdall still insisted on telling Thor on Loki whenever he asked about Jane and it made Thor's heart hurt. Loki wasn't his little brother any more. He'd made that abundantly clear. The only thing that still confused Thor was whether he was guilty or hurt. 

 In either case he was angry, at Loki.

 And his father. Maybe. 

 Banishment just seemed harsh. He had felt so hopeless, so worthless when Odin briefly banished him to Earth, but he was given a second chance. Loki wasn't. 

 Thor wished he could talk to someone about this, but his friends wouldn't understand. Odin had decreed Loki was a traitor, so that was what they believed. They were warriors. He missed Jane. She would... talk. Think. Consider. Like a scientist. 

 Thor reached the throne and paused before his father, his head heavier than usual with this flurry of thoughts. 

 "Father." He said.

 Odin frowned slightly. "You are troubled, my son." He observed. 

 "It is of no matter, Father." Thor insisted. "Why did you summon me?"

 Odin's face darkened further but he left it alone, shaking his head slightly. "Heimdall has news for you." He said.

 Thor's heart leapt into his throat. "Is it Jane? Did something happen? Is she hurt?" He asks in quick succession. 

 Odin laughs. "You worry so, my boy, for the life of a mere mortal." He chuckles as Thor's eyes darken and he bites his tongue. 

 Odin's laughter dies out. "The Bifrost is repaired." He says. "It is time for you to return to Midgard and inform them of Loki's fate." 

 Thor instantly cheered up at the thought, a smile filling his face. 

 "You will meet with your brother and explain to him my decision, and come straight home." Odin commanded firmly.

 "Of course Father." Thor nodded, still failing to conceal his grin. 

 "Under no circumstances are you to take a detour to visit Miss Jane Foster." Odin insisted. "Now that the Bifrost is intact, the Nine Realms demand our attention. Following your brother's action they are in chaos. War threatens our fragile peace and it is you who will protect that peace."

 Thor kept smiling as he began to back towards the door, barely listening to his Father's speech. "I know, Father. I won't let you down. I'll protect them." He promised, nodding.

 "Time is of the essence, my boy." Odin said, hypocritically irritated at Thor's impatience to leave. "I beg you, do not waste it."

 "Oh, I shan't, Father." Thor agreed, shaking his head. "I shan't waste a second." He laughed a little, turning to leave. 

 "I very much hope not!" Odin called after him as Thor turned and ran from the room, giddy with excitement. Of course, he would not disobey his Father's orders to see Jane, but there was always a chance that she would find him, or that Coulson would bring her to him, or that...

 He might be about to see her again, and he could scarcely contain his joy. 

 Thor flew down the rainbow bridge as fast as Mjolnir wouod take him, practically stumbling back to his feet as he landed in front of Heimdall, who was smirking with amusement.

 "Your Highness." He smiled.

 "Heimdall." Thor beamed back. "I hear the Bifrost is restored." He said, gesturing with Mjolnir to the magnificent golden globe. 

 "Indeed it is." Mjolnir nodded. "I suspect you shall be returning to Earth to speak with your brother." 

 "Yes." Thor nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat at the thought of even being on the same planet as Jane again. 

 Heimdall chuckled. "Well, we may have one small issue." He said, strolling into the golden dome casually. 

 Thor's heart sank in his chest. "Why? What is it?" He asks worriedly. 

 "I know not where your brother is being held captive." Heimdall said as he approached the central console of the Bifrost.

 Thor frowned and followed Heimdall inside. "Heimdall, you can see everything." He said in a confused voice.

 "And yet." Heimdall said, barely concealing a slight smile. "It is no matter though. I'll simply send you to someone who'll be able to help you find him."

 "Who, Stark?" Thor asked. "Coulson? Heimdall, surely you know where he is." He frowned, becoming worried.

 Heimdall chuckled to himself. "Perhaps... but I think, just to be safe, you should check in with an old friend. I'm sure Miss Jane Foster will be more than happy to help you."

 It took Thor a moment to process what Heimdall was suggesting as he opened the Bifrost, filling the golden dome with bright, glimmering light.

 "Heimdall, Father has forbidden it." Thor said.

 Heimdall nodded a little. "I am aware. But it is not your Father who sees all, it is I. The Nine Realms can await you a day longer."

 Thor finally let his grin take eover his face again. "Thank you, Heimdall." He beamed, turning and stepping into the light of the Bifrost. 

 Heimdall chuckled softly to himself as he watched him go. "Don't thank me." He murmured, thinking of how Frigga had worried over Thor these past few months. Odin may be harsh on his sons lately, but Frigga still treasured her boys. She would be grateful for this small mercy, and Thor deserved it. 

 Besides, his charge was to serve the throne of Asgard. Thor would one day be King, and Frigga was his Queen. It was not treason. Merely, selective hearing. 

Chapter Text

 Jane was picking uninterestedly at her cereal, sat in her lab in New Mexico with Darcy pining quietly. This was ridiculous, and depressing. She was a scientist, now one of the most celebrated in her field. Yet here she was, unable to even eat without missing... him.

 "Maybe it takes a long time to... y'know, fix that bifrost thingy." Darcy said, trying to be helpful.

 Jane sighed and rolled her eyes. "I don't know why I'm still hung up on him." She shool her head.

 "Well, dude, he's all godly and gorgeous." Darcy argued. 

 "It was three days, Darcy." Jane retorted. "Three days, three years ago."

 "Yeah, three days with the hunkiest man since... Hercules, for crying out loud." Darcy argued. "Come on! How are you supposed to get over the God of Thunder with a puny mortal? He's Thor!" Darcy laughed, cheering a little.

 "He's not coming back, Darcy!" Jane snapped a little sharply. 

 "You don't know that!" Darcy insisted.

 Jane rolled her eyes and glanced away, her eyes falling on the sunlit patio outside as...

 "He's probably off beating the shit out of some troll monster or, or rescuing a whole bunch of orphans from a burning barn or something." Darcy went on as Jane rose out of her chair.

 "Darcy, stop talking." She said, her eyes fixed on the golden sight before her. 

 "No, come on! You can't just give up on - " Darcy said before following Jane's gaze as she walked towards the glass door. Darcy gasped as Thor, in all his grandeur and glory, caught sight of Jane and beamed happily. She cheered a little as Jane tugged the glass door open.

 "Told ya the golden viking was coming back." She giggled a little as Jane ignored her, looking up at Thor.

 With no precursor, Thor leaned down and pulled Janeclose, his hand on her waist. Her hand was already raised to slap him and give him a good telling off, but as his lips met hers her knees went weak and her arm wrapped around his neck instead, her fingertips brushing through his hair.

 "Aw." Darcy grinned as the couple forgot everything but each other, reunited at last. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and took a quick photo. "As Nickolei would say, OTP vibes." She chuckled to herself, looking back out the window. 

 Mjolnir dropped to Thor's feet as his other hand came to rest on Jane's back, tilting her up towards him as they kissed deeply, clinging to each other. Jane raised her other arm to Thor's shoulder, pulling herself closer to him. After a few more moments they broke apart, smiling deeply into each other eyes. 

 "You're back." Jane grinned up at Thor, still held close in his strong arms. 

 "I am." Thor nodded, beaming back at her and brushing a strand of hair back behind her ear. Jane giggled quietly and blushed. "I missed you, Jane." Thor said sincerely, resting a hand on her neck, fingertips brushing through her hair as he gently cradled her head. 

 Jane smiled softly. "I missed you too." She nodded a little, captivated by the gentleness of Thor's brilliant blue eyes. 

 Thor smiled back and took Jane's hand, raising it to his lips and kissing the back of her hand as he did when he last saw her. "I haven't long." He said apologetically.

 Jane sighed disappointedly. "Why not?" She asked, tightening her grip on Thor's hand a little. 

 Thor looked down guiltily, rubbing his thumb gently over Jane's hand. "My Father. He has sent me here for Loki. To explain his punishment. But the Nine Realms have fallen to chaos. They need my protection still."

 Jane closed her eyes and shook her head slightly. "When will you be back again?" She asked. 

 "I know not." Thor sighed softly. "But I had to see you." He said, stroking his hand gently through Jane's hair again until she looked up at him again. "My thoughts have settled on naught but you these past three years. I should not have stayed away. There were many days I feared I could not." He added with slight chuckle. "But I'm here now. If you'll still have me."

 Jane nodded slightly. "Yes." She breathed, grinning again as Thor's face lit up with a smile again. 

 "Good." He nodded back before Jane leant up and kissed him again, her hand resting on his chest, other arm wrapped around his back as they feel into another long, deep kiss.

 In the room Darcy chuckled. "Yep. They're gonna be kissing for a while." She smirked. 

 Coulson was working on paperwork in his office. Mission reports, files on Nickie's imprisonment, a therapist he was thinking of sending in. All the while Natasha's evaluation of Steve's progress as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent was taunting him from the side of his desk. He was trying to save it. A reward for later, after he finished his boring paper pushing. 

 Just as he caught his eyes drifting over to it again there was a well-timed phone call, distracting him. He answered it quickly. "Agent Coulson."

 "Son of Coul!" Thor cheered. "Ah, would you look at that, it worked." Coulson frowned, stammering slightly. 

 "Th - Thor?" He asked. "How did you get this number?"

 "Oh, Jane gave it to me." Thor explained. Coulson sighed. 

 "So wait, you're... back on Earth?" He asked.

 "I'm here for my brother." Thor explained.

 Coulson pinched the bridge of his nose. "You wantto take him back to Asgard?" He asked, his heart sinking at the thought of the arguments, and paperwork, that would entail. 

 "No, no, no, quite the opposite." Thor assured him, shaking his head. "No, Father has banished Loki to Midgard, as he banished me." 

 "Oh." Coulson remarked. "So... he's staying here?"

 "Yes, yes. Yes, I just have to deliver a message to him. I'd rather do it in person if that's at all possible. You understand." 

 "Of course. Absolutely." Coulson nodded. "Um... where are you now?"

 There was a pause and muffled voices talking.

 "New Mexico." Thor answered.

 "Awesome. Well, I can come pick you up in a jet if you'd like and... escort you to your brother." Coulson offered. 

 "That would be marvelous!" Thor nodded. "Thank you, my friend."

 "No problem." Coulson smiled. Thor had such a way of cheering everyone up. There was a moment of further muffled talking over the phone. 

 "Oh yes - when will you be here?" Thor asked. 

 "Um.." Coulson checked his watch. "About six hours?" He replied. "Is that okay?"

 Thor grinned and nodded. "Absolutely. I will see you this afternoon then."

 "Right." Coulson nodded, frowning slightly before remembering the time difference. "See you then, Thor. Goodbye."

 "Goodbye!" Thor replied eagerly before Coulson hung up and dialled Fury's number.

 Fury... probably wouldn't be overjoyed by this news, but he'd want to see Thor himself and ask him a few questions. Actually, it might be more like an interrogation. Coulson felt a little bad for Thor. Fury was very stressed lately, and he was starting to get a little paranoid. As if he didn't have trust issues to begin with. 

  "What, Sebastian dies!?" Loki asked incredulously as Nickie continued telling him her story. They'd been talking for a few hours already and Loki had gotten more than a little invested. 

 "Of course." Nickie answered. 

 "But he meant to bring about change." Loki protested. "He would have been a great King."

 "He would have." Nickie nodded. "But Ithan is too angry. He doesn't believe him."

 "Well, how does he plan to get away with murdering the King in front of the entire kindgom?" Loki scoffed slightly. 

 "He doesn't." Nickie explained. "He's... martyring himself. As a hero for the rebellion."

 Loki sighed and nodded slightly. "He's a fool." He remarked.

 "Of course he is." Nickie nodded. "He's an angry teenage boy with delusions of grandeur." She smirked. "You remind me of him."

 Loki's eyes widened slightly. "Ithan?" He demanded.

 "Yeah." Nickie nodded. "You're very him."

 Loki shook his head. "No, if I was Ithan I would never treat Danill so badly." He insisted. 

 "Oh, no?" Nickie asked, raising her eyebrow and enjoying Loki's genuine interest in the story. 

 "Of course not. If I were Ithan I would take care of him. Make sure Danill was protected and... felt loved." Loki started to trail off a little as he realised how sappy he was being. 

 "The way Pixie does? For Skalleth?" Nickie asked, referring to a few other characters from her story as she smiled a little. 

 Loki nodded, keeping his eyes trained down. "Yeah." He shrugged a little. 

 Nickie chuckled, smiling to herself. "Well, you're sweeter than Ithan then, I'll give you that." 

 Loki smirked softly and looked up again. "Sweet?" He asked. 

 "Very." Nickie nodded. "Charming. Gentlemanly even." 

 Loki chuckled a little again. "Well, I am a Prince." He pointed out before shaking his head slightly. "Or I was, anyway."

 "So was Amelia. Well, Princess." Nickie said, offering up another example from her story. "She was better off without the crown."

 Loki smiled a little. "This is a very good story you know." He told Nickie sincerely. 

 "You think?" She asked, smiling shyly. 

 "Oh, indeed." Loki nodded enthusiastically. "Your... characters, their relationships, they're so... vibrant, so alive. Yet, flawed and... real."

 "Thank you." Nickie replied, tilting her head slightly. 

 "And I've been reading for a thousand years so, coming from me that means something, you know." Loki pointed out playfully. 

 "Oh, does it indeed?" Nickie laughed. 

 "Of course." Loki agreed, chuckling himself. 

 "Have you actually been reading for a thousand years?" Nickie asked him.

 Loki made a face. "More or less." He shrugged. 

 Nickie nodded, laughing a little again. "You know, I haven't told anyone about my story in... years. Since I first came to this universe." She admitted. 

 "Why not?" Loki asked, frowning slightly.

 Nickie shrugged. "Just... never had anyone who wanted to listen I guess." 

 Loki shared a look of understanding with them for aa moment and nodded softly. "Yeah..." he sighed.

 "I mean, there was Darcy, I suppose." Nickie added, trying not to sound so pathetic. "But... we never really had deep conversations. Just... fought off boredom and exhaustion and... played stupid games." She shrugged.

 "Well, that's all we're doing really." Loki pointed out.

 Nickie looked up and held his gaze. "No. It's not." She said softly, meaningfully.

 "Oh, I... I didn't mean your story was stupid." Loki quickly backtracked. 

 "No, I know you didn't." Nickie nodded, smiling again and shaking their head a little. "I just meant... this is different."

 Loki blushed slightly and looked down, smiling back up at Nickie a little shyly.

 Nickie smiled back, enjoying seeing him a little flustered. "You're not like Darcy." She said. "You're... you're more fun to talk to." Nickie quickly looked down and smiled a little. "And I guess..."

 "What?" Loki asked curiously as Nickie trailed off. 

 Nickie looked up again, their eyes glinting a bright teal. "Well, you know me. The real me." She said. "You might be the only person who does." She added, looking down again.

 Loki felt his heart warm at Nickie's words. He couldn't deny the swell of happiness in his chest at the thought of being able to say he knew them better than anyone. 

 "For what it's worth," he started to say, smiling as he spoke. "I think you might know me pretty well too by now." He nodded a little.

 Nickie looked up and smiled at him, eyes sparkling purple again. "Really?"

 "Really." Loki nodded. He couldn't help but smile as their eyes changed colour again. He really must remember to ask them about that someday.

 Realising he'd been staring, Loki cleared his throat and glanced away. He couldn't let himself get carried away. He'd sworn against these sentimental trivialities of the heart, especially when mortals were involved. It would never end well.

 "So what happens next? How does Ithan die?" He asked, trying to distract himself.

 Nickie grinned and chuckled. "You really care!" She smiled. 

 "I do! I've not listened to this for who knows how long to just miss the best bit of the story." Loki reasoned.

 Nickie laughed louder. "This is just part one." They shot back. 

 "Part one?" Loki asked, raising his eyebrows.

Chapter Text

 Jane was curled up with Thor on the sofa in her lab. They'd been talking for hours, just catching up. Jane had told Thor all about her research and Thor had explained a few more things for her as she furiously took notes. Mostly though he was just smiling at her. He didn't fully understand everything she was saying, she talked very fast, but she seemed so passionate, and so smart. She was unlike anyone he'd ever known and he was so glad to finally be listening to her again. 

 "Are you sad?" Jane asked, interrupting a brief moment of quiet that had settled over them as Thor wrapped his arm around Jane. 

 "About what?" Thor frowned slightly. 

 "Your brother." Jane clarified, sitting up slightly to look at him. "I know he did terrible, awful things, but... he's still your brother. You must miss him."

 Thor nodded slightly after thinking for a moment. "My Father's punishment is harsh. A mortal life in a mortal prison. But Loki must answer for his actions. I long thought him dead before he attacked with the Chitauri and now... he may as well be."

 Thor's heart felt heavy as he admitted how he felt. Jane rested her hand on his chest a moment to try and comfort him but then frowned as she sat up. "A mortal life?" She asked. "That's his punishment?"

 "Yes." Thor nodded, confused at Jane's reaction. "Why?"

 Jane laughed a little incredulously. "Is mortality really so awful to you?"

 "It's not like that, I simply mean... well it may as well be a death sentence." Thor explained. "He has not even a century left to live." He pointed out.

 Jane scoffed. "Yeah, well, neither do I." She reminded him. "I' mortal. Okay, I might not even live another fifty years." 

 "Jane, do not speak of such things." Thor said, sitting up a little straighter and reaching for her hand. Jane pulled it away.

 "It's true, Thor. One day I'll die too. Soon, by your timescale."

 "Jane, please." Thor murmured, shaking his head as he closed his eyes. "Can we not... enjoy the time we have now?" He asked. 

 Jane hesitated but shook her head slightly. "Not if I'm just some puny mortal to you." She said, standing up and crossing the room. 

 "You're not." Thor protested, standing up quickly. "Jane, that's not what I meant." He insisted, following after her. 

 "Thor, if I'm just gonna die anyway then what's the point?" Jane asked, turning to face him again. "You have Asgard, the Nine Realms, the Crown. You have centuries of... of life and responsibility ahead of you."

 "All of it I count for naught if I cannot see you, Jane." Thor replied. "You, you... changed me." He told her, stepping forward and brushing her hair behind her ear as his voice took on a gentler tone. "You made me see the world, see my life as... as more than a battle to be fought and won. You gave me something worth fighting for."

 Jane felt tears threatening to form in her eyes as Thor spoke so sincerely, so truthfully, spilling his heart out to her now. 

 "Jane, you made me believe in... science," he laughed softly with a smile. "And peace... and love." He told her, his voice softening even more. 

 Jane couldn't help but smile at that. Thor was so unlike anyone she'd ever met. So gentle and kind despite his strength. Her smile quickly faded though as she shook her head. "There's no point." She said a little hopelessly. 

 "There is a point, Jane." Thor said, pleading a little now. "You. You, you are the point." He told her, stroking the sides of her face with his thumbs.  

 Jane sighed softly. "I can't be the center of your universe." She replied sadly. 

 "But you are, Jane." Thor insisted. "You are the only thing I care about." 

 Jane shook her head slightly again. "Thor, this can't work." She reasoned. "You can't abandon your home, your family, your entire life, for me."

 "I don't intend to." Thor insisted. "You... you could come to Asgard, with me."

 "My life is here." Jane argued softly. "My work, my research, my lab. I can't just leave it all behind."

 Thor's brain scrambled to try and find some solution so he could make Jane understand. They didn't need to make any sacrifices, they just needed each other. 

 "Well... we - "

 "Thor." Jane interrupted him, laying a hand gently on his cheek. He met her eyes again and saw tears threatening to spill over. Tears he desperately wanted to fight off or ignore completely. "We can't be together." Jane said sadly. 

 Thor tried to shake her words off and took her hand in his. "We can, Jane." He pleaded again. 

 "We can't." Jane repeated. "I need to move on. You can't be what I need... and I can't be a Queen of Asgard."

 "Then...." Thor desperately searching his mind. There must be a better answer than this. "Then... - "

 "Yo dudes!" Darcy called through, reappearing in the doorway. "A frickin' plane just landed in the desert!"

 "That'll be Coulson." Jane said, wiping the tears out of her eyes and sighing. "You should go."

 Thor hesitated again, not wanting to leave in the middle of their conversation. He brought Jane' hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "I will be back for you, Jane." He promised. 

 Jane shook her head and pulled her hand free. "Don't." She said, walking away as she tried to pretend she just had something in her eye. 

 Thor felt his heart leaving with her. This wasn't fair, this wasn't how it was supposed to go. 

 "Yeesh! What happened?" Darcy asked. 

 Thor cleared his throat and little and blinked as fast as he could, not wanting to actually wipe his eyes. "Nothing. It is of no matter." He said. 

 "...oooooookay." Darcy said, not believing that for a moment. 

 "Will you show me to this plane, Darcy?" Thor asked. 

 "Sure, man." Darcy nodded, turning as Thor started to follow her back out of the lab. "Hey, you sure you're all right?" She asked. 

 "I am fine." Thor insisted, lifting Mjolnir from it' place by the door as Darcy stepped outside. 

 "If you say so." She shrugged, pointing over to a plane not too far away. You could just about see a few people leaving the plane and heading in this direction. "There it is." Darcy said. 

 "Thank you, Darcy." Thor nodded a little. "You're a good friend of Jane's." He added.

 "Meh. I try my best." Darcy shrugged again. "She misses you though."

 Thor tried not to show the spark of hope that gave him. Maybe he still had a chance. "Will you watch over her, while I am away?" He asked. 

 Darcy raised her eyebrows a little. "Sure." She said, wondering if she was being bestowed with some kind of official position in the Asgardian courts. Guardian of the Crown Prince's crush just rolled off the tongue.

 "Thank you, Darcy." Thor repeated, resting a hand on her shoulder for a moment and smiling with a nod before turning to look at the plane and starting to walk over there. 

 "So... I'll see you around?" Darcy called after him. 

 "Tell Jane I shall return for her." Thor called over his shoulder before spinning Mjolnir faster and faster around his wrist and zooming off across the desert. 

 "I don't think that's what she wants to hear right now, dude!" Darcy shouted back, convinced Thor hadn't hear a word she said. 

 "So that's the end?" Loki asked, his face bright with excitement as he listened eagerly to Nickie. 

 "More or less." Nickie shrugged, smiling a little as she sat back down, cross legged on the floor. "I have a few fantasies of a spin-off for Faeral and Kit but... nothing concrete."

 Loki nodded a little. "Well, I think the endings marvellous." He said.

 "You do?" Nickie grimaced. "God, I hate writing endings. I hate endings in general. They suck." 

 Loki laughed and Nickie found herself laughing with him. 

 "You're so... opinionated." He observed. "Confident."

 Nickie smirked. "What's wrong with being confident?" She asked playfully. Great. Now she had the song in her head. 

 "Nothing at all." Loki replied with another playful smile. 

 Nickie's eyes faded to a pink as she chuckled slightly. "I guess I'm just... bold like that." She shrugged. "No point wasting my time biting my tongue when I've got a life to live."

 Loki smiled again and nodded. "Quite right too."

 Nickie tilted her head to the side a little. "So. I've been talking non-stop for hours. Tell me some of your stories." She said.

  "Oh, I don't write." Loki stammered, smiling a little awkwardly again. 

 "Ah, but surely you've lived." Nickie pointed out. "Come on, you must have some good stories."

 "You mean like a prank?" Loki asked, thinking of all the tricks he'd played on Thor. 

 "No, a proper - a story." Nickie said. "Come on, I just told you a whole frickin saga, you must have something." She joked lightheartedly. 

 Loki chuckled a little nervously as he though for a moment. "I could tell you... one of my favourite stories?" He suggested.

 Nickie considered this. "What's it called?" She asked. 

 Loki's mind went blank as he panicked and forgot every book he'd ever read, an impressive feat considering just how many books he had read. 

 "Uh..." he stammered, stalling for time. Come on, anything. Anything! Quickly! 

 "Well... I suppose I could always tell you... howI got here." He said, remembering the first question he asked Nickie about S.H.I.E.L.D. Great. Well done, Loki. Worst idea ever. 

 Nickie smiled a little and nodded. "Okay."

 And now she was smiling, and listening, patiently. Perfect. 

 "Uh..." Loki stammered nervously. "Well, I... um.." he had no idea where to begin, trying to figure out a lie, fast. 

 Nickie tilted her head slightly. "Thor said he thought you were dead." She offered up as a starting point. "You fell off the Bifrost. How did you survive?"

 Loki felt his whole body physically freeze as he remembered. Remembered dying. Remembered coming back to life. Remembered that face staring down at him...

 He cleared his throat, his eyes darting around nervously as he opened his mouth, hoping desperately for a lie, any lie, any words, anything.

 "I didn't." He finally heard himself say. Great. Really acing the whole not spilling our darkest secrets today it seems. 

 Nickie frowned slightly. "You..?" She asked, confused. 

 Loki gulped. "I died." He said. When he could've passed it off a metaphor but noooooo. What the hell was he thinking?

 Nickie stared at him a moment. "You came back?" She asked, trying to understand. 

 Loki hesitated and nodded a little. "Yes." He added quietly. 

 Nickie looked down for a moment, considering what to say next. "Did it hurt?" She asked quietly, looking up again. 

 Loki inhaled a little sharply and nodded again. "Yes." Damn, those eyes. It was impossible to lie, to snark... she was so sincere, it was hard to be anything less than the same. 

 Nickie nodded a little and swallowed. "It hurt when I came back too." She said. "It was confusing. I was scared."

 Loki nodded a little again, his heart feeling heavy with guilt and sympathy. He gulped nervously as he realised what he was about to say. "I'm sorry. For stabbing you." 

 Nickie could feel the sincerity in his words, his eyes were so moving. So believable. She smiled thinly. 

 "I'm sorry for imprisoning you." She replied. "You might be free if it wasn't for me."

 "You might be free without me." Loki pointed out. 

 Nickie scoffed and shook her head with a smile. "No. I haven't been free in a long time." She said. 

 Loki paused. "Neither have I." He replied. 

 Nickie looked up at him again and smirked slightly. "Some pair we make. Fight for different sides and still end up in the exact same place." 

 Loki smirked as well and chuckled softly with her. "Yeah." He agreed, smiling a little as he laughed. "Almost makes you think the system's rigged." 

 "Oh, it is." Nickie nodded. "Rigged against pretty, magical, genderfluid bookworms."

 Loki gasped in mock surprise at the compliment and touched his chest. "You're too kind." He smiled playfully, only half sarcastically. 

 "Actually I was talking about me." Nickie joked. 

 "Well, I though you were saying we're the same?" Loki frowned slightly as Nickie laughed. 

 "Yeah." She sighed softly. "I guess I am." She pondered that for a moment longer then leant forward. "Buuut, you still owe me a story." She pointed out.

 Loki laughed but finally remembered how to think this time. "I'll tell you my favourite." He said.

 Nickie smirked softly. "You mean it this time?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. 

 "Oh, you'll love it." Loki promised with a glint in his eye.

Chapter Text

 "Thor." Fury said as the large man ducked to step into the plane. "It's nice to see you again." He said tersely. 

 "Oh, it's nice to see you to director." Thor smiled, oblivious to his tone. 

 "Have a seat." Fury said, a little sternly, gesturing to the chair across from him. Thor nodded and smiled politely, balancing Mjolnir in his lap as he sat down.

 "Dr Blake is secured." Coulson said quietly, tapping his earpiece. 

 "Roger, wheels up in five." The pilot replied through the small, tinny speaker. 

 "You disappeared." Fury said, a little angrily. 

 "What?" Thor asked, frowning in confusion. "No, I didn't, I was on Asgard, as I said I would be. I had to speak with my Father concerning Loki's imprisonment."

 "For four months?" Fury asked, raising his eyebrows slightly. "Because I find that a little hard to believe." 

 "The Bifrost needed to be repaired." Thor explained. "Heimdall worked as quickly as he could."

 "And how come you didn't just magic yourself back down here?" Fury demanded. 

 "Last time, the Allfather had to conjure almost a century's worth of Dark Energy so I could be here to protect Earth from my brother's schemes." Thor explained calmly. "It was... better to wait." He sighed, pushing away the thoughts that if he'd returned sooner, maybe Jane wouldn't be pushing him away now. 

 "Well. It's nice to know where we land on your priorities list then." Fury remarked sarcastically. 

 Thor snapped himself from his thoughts and refocused, his tone hardening a little. 

 "I assure you, Loki's imprisonment is the Allfather's greatest concern. But the Nine Realms are in chaos and war threatens us all." His grip tighten slightly on Mjolnir's handle as he thought about it. "As soon as I am done speaking to my brother, I must address these conflicts myself."

 "You're leaving again?" Fury asked. 

 Thor nodded and felt another pang of guilt. "Regrettably. You know, I would've liked to spend a little more time here, but..." he cleared his throat a little. "Duty calls." He explained. 

 Fury sighed but relented. "Fair enough. I suppose we can't hope to see you a little more often either then?" He asked.

 "I..." Thor stammered a little, sighing and looking away. If it was his choice he would stay. But Asgard, the Realms, Father... 

 "Well, what did you decide then?" Fury asked, moving on from the subject. 

 "Excuse me?" Thor frowned, looking back at the Director. 

 "You and Odin. About Loki. You said that's why you went home?" Fury prompted him, trying not to get frustrated. 

 "Ah. Right." Thor nodded. 

 "So what did you agree?" Fury asked impatiently. 

 "My Father has banished Loki." Thor said. "He is cast out of the Nine Realms, to pay for his crimes."

 "So he is to remain on Earth?" Fury nodded. 

 "He is no longer of Asgardian concern." Thor shrugged slightly. "He is mortal now, and consigned to mortal affairs."

 "He's mortal?" Fury asked, raising his eyebrows with interest. 

 "Human." Thor nodded. "His fate is in your hands."

 Fury's mind whirled to keep up with this information. "So he has no magic? No power? Nothing?"

 "Of course" Thor nodded. "Mortals are incapable of wielding magic." He explained. 

 Fury nodded a little. "And you have no reservations regarding him?" He checked. "I mean, he's your brother." 

 Thor shook his head a little. "Not anymore." He said quietly. "Loki is... a traitor and an enemy of the Nine Realms." He explained. 

 Fury nodded a little. "Then he's our prisoner. No strings attached?"

 "Of course." Thor nods again. 

 Fury actually smiled a little and let himself laugh, leaning back in his chair. "Well that's good to hear." He said, still grinning. 

 Thor nodded politely, forcing a thin smile over his face. 

 "So you're just here to tell him that then?" Fury asked. 

 "I am." Thor nodded. "The Allfather instructed me to tell him myself." 

 "Understood." Fury nodded. "Can we expect you coming to check on him at all?" He asked. 

 Thor shook his head. "He is banished. Neither I nor Asgard will concern ourselves with his welfare any longer." 

 Fury smiled a little again. "Good to hear." He laughed. "Coulson?" He called through to the next room. Coulson emerged from the cockpit a moment later.

 "Sir?" He asked. 

 "Call the base and tell them to prepare to move Loki." Fury said. 

 "Move Loki?" Coulson asked, raising his eyebrows. 

 "And they can forgo the extra precautionary measures detailed in his file." Fury added. "He won't be a serious threat any longer."

 Coulson looked confused, and curious, but nodded without asking questions. "Yes, Sir." He replied, disappearing behind the curtain again. 

 "Shall I take this as a symbol of Asgard's co-operation then?" Fury asked, looking happier and more comfortable now than before. 

 "Indeed." Thor nodded. "My people want only peace with your planet. We only hope that you will hold no grudge against us for Loki's actions."

 Fury shook his head. "I'm sure we'll be fine. I've explained to the council already that Asgard did not condone the attack of New York. When I inform them of his banishment, I imagine they'll be nothing but grateful to you." He said with a nod. 

 "Good." Thor agreed, offering his hand. Fury took it and they shook hands, though Fury winced a little at the strength of Thor's grip. 

 Thor laughed when he noticed but let go. "To peace." He said, leaning back in his chair. 

 "Quite." Fury nodded with a slightly forced smile, trying not to wince too obviously. 

 "The End." Loki smiled proudly as he finished his tale.

 Nickie laughed a little at Loki's adorable smile as he grinned. "That's a very good story." She said.

 "I know." Loki nodded. "That's why it's one of my favourites." He grinned. "It's-it's complicated. Twists and turns, it keeps you guessing. The first time I read it I was shocked i actually gasped out loud."

 "I'm sure you did." Nickie chuckled. "It is surprising, I'll give you that." She added. "I don't usually like mysteries."

 "No, it's not a mystery." Loki shook his head, explaining. "It's... it's an adventure story, with an air of intrigue."

 Nickie laughed a little more. His excitement and enthusiasm for this was infectious. "I see the distinction." She nodded, teasing him a little. 

 "You do?" Loki asked with a smile of his own.

 "I most assuredly do." Nickie nodded very sincerely. 

 Loki's smile faded just a tad. "You're mocking me." He realised.

 "What?" Nickie fake gasped. "I would never." 

 "I'm sure." Loki nodded sarcastically. 

 Nickie laughed and shrugged. "Okay, maybe I am. A little. But, seriously, it was a great story. I can see why you like it so much." She nodded. 

 Loki couldn't help but grin again, just a little. 

 "You know, you'd like George Orwell." Nickie mused.

 "Orwell?" Loki asked. 

 "A writer." Nickie explained. "One of my favourites. Well, one of my favourite classics. He's very cynical."

 Loki laughed. "Is that how you see me?" He asked playfully. 

 "And smart." Nickie insisted. "He wrote about politics, it was brilliant and fascinating."

 "You like politics." Loki nodded knowingly.

 "Of course." Nickie grinned as Loki laughed softly. "Arguing. History. Philosophy. Law. Science. Human Rights. Politics has everything."

 "Ah, except justice." Loki pointed out.

 "Well you have me there." Nickie smiled with a laugh, her eyes sparkling even brighter, that glittery purple Loki had grown so fond of. It made him smile even more as her eyes shone so brightly. Beautiful. 

 But no, he wasn't going down this road again. He shouldn't, he wouldn't, he'd promised. Not after last time, No. No. Bad idea. Bad, bad bad idea. 

 Nickie opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by the loud sound of the door opening. 

 The sound jarred Loki from his though, and Nickie's eyes, as they both looked around and saw three agents they'd grown to sort of recognise coming in. 

 "What's going on?" Nickie asked, standing up abruptly. Loki stood as well, a little nervous as the guards approached the cell.

 "Step back from the glass and remain on opposite sides of the cell." One of them ordered. 

 "Why?" Nickie demanded a little indignantly. 

 "Opposite sides of the cell." The guard insisted again. 

 Nickie opened her mouth to protest again but Loki rested a hand on her shoulder. 

 "It's fine." He said quietly as Nickie looked back at him. 

 She sighed a little reluctantly but nodded. Loki offered her a weak smile as she walked away, shooting a glare at the agents as she crossed the little cell and folded her arms across her chest frustratedly. He was nervous too, but he knew from experience it was a bad idea to disobey the people with the keys to the cage.

 Once Nickie reached her side of the cell, two of the agents opened the secure door to the cell and came in. That had never happened. 

 "What are you doing?" Nickie asked as they started to march towards Loki. 

 Before either of them had time to understand what was happened and react the guards had already reached Loki's sides and started to grab his arms.

 "Wait, no!" He protested, trying to fight them off. This should be easy, why was he so weak he couldn't fight off two mortals? "Let me go!" He demanded as they started to wrestle him towards the door.

 "Where are you taking him!?" Nickie demanded again, shouting at the guards.

 "Stay where you are." The third agent snapped harshly, holding a device that Nickie recognised. It connected to the slim metal bracelets still clamped around her wrists. If they wanted to they could knock her out right here, or just electrocute her like a cattle prod. 

 "Stop!" Loki shouted, still struggling in the agents seemingly impossibly strong grip. "Nick!" He shouted a little desperately, trying to catch her eye again.

 Nickie could see the fear on his face and glared at the third agent again. "What are you gonna do?" She shouted over the sound of Loki's struggling. 

 "Message from Director Fury." The bored-faced agent said. "Prison isn't supposed to be fun. See how you like it without your new best friend." Her message relayed, the agent followed her colleagues back out through the door as Loki kept struggling against them, trying to wrench himself free. 

 "Nickie!" He shouted one last time over his shoulder before the door slammed shut.

 "Bastard!" Nickie growled in frustration watching the door close between her and Loki. "Shit." She muttered, raising her hands to her head and pacing in a circle before slamming her fist against the glass in frustration. 

 "Unhand me. Let me go now!" Loki demanded, panicking more than a little as the agents dragged him easily down the corridor, his feet tripping him up as he struggled weakly against them.

 He knew he hadn't been eating as well since the cell, he wasn't working out either because Nickie might watch, but he ought not to be this weak, surely. He couldn't even fight off a pair of mortals? 

 He growled with frustration again as they took him into a small room with a chair in the centre. "No. No!" He shouted as the agents forced him down into the chair. It was a little easier to fight them from this position at least but they held him fast as they started to tie his arms to the sides of the chair. 

 "Stop it!" He shouted again, trying to rock the chair but finding it was bolted to the floor. Or maybe it was just part of the floor. He winced as the bindings started to cut into his skin, his arms aching already from being dragged. He looked down and saw bruises starting to form. What the hell?

 "Untie me! Now!" He shouted again, struggling against the bindings."

 "You'll only make it worse for yourself." One of the agents said as they all left, closing the doorbehind them and leaving Loki in the echoing silence. 

 "Wait!" He shouted after them. "You can't leave me here!"

Chapter Text

 "He's in here?" Thor asked as Fury and Coulson stopped with him in front of a door. 

 "He is." Coulson nodded. "He's been putting up a fuss about being moved." He added, more for Fury's benefit. 

 "Good. It's about time he got a little less comfortable around here." Fury smiled a little before turning back to Thor. "You ready?"

 "Yes, yes indeed." Thor nodded. Fury opened the door and stepped inside, followed by Thor and then Coulson, who closed the door again behind them as the three men lined up with Thor in the middle. 

 Loki had been struggling in his restraints already for hours, but finally stopped as the door opened. Thor was a little shocked to see him like this. His hair was growing out but badly maintained, falling limply around his face in a bedraggled tangle. His eyes had a look of hopeless desperation, which he quickly tried to disguise with his usual cruel mocking tone as he scoffed. 

 "Thor." He spat, pulling at his restraints again. His arms were red raw from the struggling and the grin on his face didn't look evil so much as insane. 

 "Loki." Thor replied, monitoring his voice to keep it as emotionless as he wanted.

 Loki chuckled. "Is this your doing then?" He asked, gesturing at his arms bound to the chair in the dark room. "Are you here to drag me back to Asgard to pay for crimes?" He demanded.

 "Quite the opposite." Thor said, his voice hard and stern. "You've been banished."

 Loki wondered why he was surprised. But that didn't make it hurt any less as his chest stopped like a wall collided with it.

 "Banished?" He asked, spiralling as his voice threatened to break a little, his eyes wide. 

 Thor nodded, swallowing hard. "Odin was exiled you to Earth. You are stripped of your rank and title, cast out amongst the mortals to live a human life."

 "A human life?" Loki scoffed in a mocking tone. At least this explained how weak he felt. 

 "I'm gonna pretend I'm not offended by that." Coulson said, smiling politely as he always did. 

 "I'm not." Fury growled, frowning with his arms crossed. 

 "So has the Allfather scattered some ancient relic for to to find then?" Loki asked in a challenging tone as Thor avoided his eye. "Am I to prove myself now? Is this my second chance Thor?"

 "No." Thor growled softly, frustrated at... at... frustrated. 

 Loki smiled bitterly and shook his head. "Of course not. No, when the golden boy fucks up he gets to prove himself better than his mistakes." Loki swore with an angry enthusiasm that surprised Thor. He'd never heard Loki speak so crassly when he could've chosen a big word instead. "But the rules have always been different for you." Loki went on, chuckling darkly. "The favourite son."

 "I'm not here to fight, Loki." Thor said firmly.

 "No." Loki replied, grinning manically again. "Becuase you forsook me long ago." That sounded more like Loki. 

 "You forsook yourself, Loki. You betrayed us." Thor reminded him. "Over and over again, you tricked and schemed and - "

 "You betrayed me!" Loki shouted, leaning forward against his restraints as he screamed so loud his face turned red. He gasped a little himself as he leant back and saw from the shock on Thor's face how sudden his outburst had been. 

 Loki was shaking a little, tears in his face he didn't even realise he was crying. The room was silent for a moment as he caught his breath again. 

 "You left me." Loki said, his voice breaking on the word. "You abandoned me."

 "I did no such thing." Thor insisted, his voice stronger.

 "You're doing it now!" Loki raised his voice again. 

 "Then why am I here?" Thor roared back angrily. 

 Again there was a moment of silence as the two of them stared at each other. Finally Thor sighed as Loki scoffed another bitter laugh.

 "Because Odin sent you." He answered.

 "That is not why." Thor insisted. 

 "Then why?" Loki snapped. 

 "Because you've broken Mother's heart!" Thor answered. "And I wanted to tell you to your pathetic face." 

 Loki's lip quivered a little as he clenched his jaw with rage. "Stop it!" He snarled. 

 "She thought you were dead, she mourned you more than any of us!" Thor went on.

 "Stop!" Loki growled again, pulling at his restraints. 

 "Only to find out that it was all a lie? That you ran from us to pursue your insane delusions of grandeur?"

 Loki growled and pulled against the chair again, so hard that Coulson actually winced as he saw the restraints digging into his arm. "You will never understand!" Loki shouted back at Thor.

 "I would never hope to." Thor agreed. "If I could understand how you could put us all through that. Subject us to that pain for your own selfish gain..." he shook his head as Loki interrupted him.

 "If you've nothing else to say then go!" He barked. "Go back to your shining palaces and bloody battlefields and forget all about me! Your pathetic demon-blooded half brother!"

 "I will." Thor nodded darkly. "Goodbye, Loki." He said, shaking his head a little more with a disappointed look as he turned and stormed back out the door. 

 "Thor." Coulson called after him, glancing at Fury.

 "Go. I got him." The Director replied. 

 Coulson nodded and slipped out, closing the door again and chasing after Thor.

 Loki was still shaking a little bit as he looked up at Fury.

 "Just you and me now, Loki." The Director said with a dark smile of his own. 

 Loki gulped despite himself. "Are... are you going to torture me?" He asked fearfully. 

 "Maybe." Fury shrugged. "I'd rather interrogate you. Makes it look a little better. Not sure there's anything we could get out of you that you haven't already told Ms Willow though." He jibed a little. 

 Loki sighed. "I won't see them again." He surmised. 

 "No." Fury agreed. "See, now that your brother assures me that you're powerless," Fury stepped forward and leaned into Loki's face. "You're not gonna see anybody for a long, long time."

 Loki closed his eyes and let his head fall forward, listening to the sound of Fury's footsteps walking away again. 

 "Will you give them a message for me?" Loki asked, wondering what he would even want to say. 

 Fury opened the door and stopped for a moment, looking at the pathetic husk of a man, sat trembling strapped to a chair, the skin in his arms bloody from fighting the restraints and his eyes closed in tired resignation. 

 "No." He said sternly, whirling out the door and slamming it shut behind him. 

 Loki exhaled shakily in the silence and gasped a little, strangling the sobs he so desperately wanted to cry. He refused to give... anyone the satisfaction. None of them were worth it. No one was worth it. Nothing meant anything anymore. Nothing ever would again. 

 "Are you leaving again?" Coulson asked as he ran after Thor. 

 "The sooner I bring peace to the Nine Realms the sooner I can return." Thor said firmly. 

 "So you are coming back?" Coulson confirmed. 

 Thor paused and turned around to rest a hand on his friends' shoulder. "I assure you, I will return to this planet the moment I am able." He promised. 

 Coulson nodded a little. "Okay." He said. "You want me to walk you outside?" He asked. 

 Thor nodded and started to follow Coulson again. "Thank you, friend." He said after a moment. 

 Coulson smiled politely and nodded. "Any time."

 "Nickolei H. Willow." Fury said as he walked up to the glass of their cell. 

 Nickie sighed quietly without looking up. They were sat on the edge of their bed, leaning forward with their head in their hands, facing the floor. 

 "What does the H stand for?" Fury asked with fake curiosity. 

 Nickie sat up and looked at him. "What are you doing here?" They asked. 

 "Making conversation." Fury shrugged. 

 "Don't play games with me." Nickie said, standing up and shaking their head. "All this time, you never came to see me once. This is about Loki." They said as they stood in front of him. 

 "He's not coming back." Fury said firmly. 

 Nickie nodded and looked down for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Is he dead?" They asked, looking up with ice blue eyes. It was chilling. So much so that Fury didn't have the strength to be anything other than honest.

 "He's alive." He assured them. Nickie sighed softly and looked down again as their eyes softened to a sky blue. "Not that you should care." He added. 

 Nick scoffed and looked back up at him, this time with dark grey eyes. "You're not exactly in a position to tell me what I should give a shit about. Director." They said tersely. 

 "Well, it won't make a bit of difference." Fury said. "You won't see him again." 

 "Yeah, cause I'm not allowed any friends, right?" Nickie scoffed.

 "Prison isn't supposed to be fun, Willow." Fury pointed out. 

 "Yeah, well congratulations cause it isn't." Nickie snapped back, turning around and combing their hand through their hair. "What changed?" They asked with a sight turning around again. "Did you build another cell?"

 "Thor came back." Fury answered. 

 Nickie froze. "He took Loki to Asgard?" They asked.

 "No." Fury shook his head. "He came with news. Loki's been banished. He's mortal now."

 Nickie's heart sank a little at the news as Fury kept talking. 

 "We moved him to a secure cell in solitary isolation. He's no longer a threat. Just a criminal with several life sentences to serve." He explained.

 "And me?" Nick asked. "Cause if you think you're gonna sweat me out and bend my will, you're wrong." They warned him. 

 "We'll see." Fury said a little ominously, turning around again with a spin of his coat tails and leaving Nickie alone. 

 Nickie sighed in the silence and looked around the painfully empty cell. Their eyes lingered on Loki's side. His bed still messy and unmade. Nickie inhaled a little shakily and sighed sharply, looking away and blinking a few tears away quickly.

 "Fuck." They muttered, sinking down to the ground and crouching on their heels. Their jaw twitched as they rocked a little, trying to push away their worry, their tears... S.H.I.E.L.D didn't deserve to see them curled up on the floor crying, physically holding themself together against the fear of being alone. 

 But they saw it anyway. 

Epilogue 

 Nickie was lying on the floor when they heard someone come to see them again.

 "Go away." They groaned. 

 "Ms Willow." A man with a German accent tutted. "Here I thought we were going to be friends."

 Nickie squeezed their eyes shut a little tighter. "I don't have friends." 

 The man chuckled. "Well, that may be true." He said as Nickie heard his footsteps approaching. "But... that doesn't mean we can't get to know each other a little."

 Nickie sighed but started a little and jumped, looking up as they heard the door to their cell hiss open. The man walked in. He had an unsettling smile and his hairline was receding. Something about him made Nickie' eyes widen, bright teal and alert. 

 "Allow me to introduce myself." The man said, with a kind of sickly sweet politeness. "My name is Baron Von Strucker." He said, standing in a balanced, planted stance in front of Nickie and smiling a little as he folded his hand in front of him. 

 Nickie looked up, cautious and fearful as they felt frozen somehow, like they couldn't will themself to get up. 

 "What do you want from me?" They asked. 

 Strucker chuckled a little then suddenly kicked Nickie in the face. The pain was blinding as they were thrown across the floor a little, collapsing onto their arms. 

 "Ah!" They cried out, wincing and cradling their face a little. Strucker crouched down and prised their hand away from their face with one hand, gripping a fistful of their hair with the other and looking into their wide, terrified eyes with a truly evil grin as he watched their face start to heal and chuckled again. 

 "Power, Ms Willow." He replied, dropping their head as he stood up again and straightened his tie while Nickie flinched and whimpered a little on the ground, trying to pull themself together enough to crawl away. "I want your power." Strucker grinned darkly.