Loki's Voice

Loki had just finished explaining how he and the avengers became "buddy-buddy" to Bucky when a knock came on the door.

"Who is it?" Loki asked.

"Tony."

Loki hesitated due to Stark's earlier behavior. He was beginning to like Bucky and he didn't want that ruined because of some feud he didn't even know about. But he realized that it was Stark's tower to begin with so he would be able to come in whether or not he liked it. "Come in"

The door opened and Tony walked inside. He glared at Bucky.

"Okay, Barnes, let's get some things straight... I do not want to hear from you, I don't even want to see you, to be honest, but Steve is very convincing. He is the only reason you are still here, but one mess up and I will ship you back to SHIELD. Got it?" Loki looked at his new friend and saw the regret and anxiety in his eyes. He slowly moved a comforting hand over Bucky's twitching one.

Without waiting for a response Tony continued. "I have rules for you. Rule one, you are to always be accompanied by someone who is not Steve if you are not in your room; And by the way the room is a privilege not a right. Two, don't touch anything. If you need something ask before you grab it. Three, your access to the tower's rooms is going to be severely restricted-"

Loki interrupted him. "Stark, don't you think this is a little-"

Tony cut him off "Don't even think about saying anything else, you killed people too, you are the reason I have nightmares about space and you are technically still a prisoner, you have no room to talk."

Loki remained stoic, but on the inside, that hurt. He thought they had gotten past this, at least to the point where they were comfortable with each other. 'I guess he was just lying... like everyone always does when it comes to me. I didn't even want to do it...I didn't want to hurt anyone."

Loki was brought back to reality as he heard the door slam shut behind Stark. Loki looked at Bucky, trying not to show his emotions. "Don't worry, I'll get him to come around." And with that Loki left Bucky. He passed Steve in the hallway, who gave him a concerned glance as they passed. 'I must not be hiding it very well".

Loki went upstairs and entered the living room. He ignored everyone and headed straight to the hallway with all of their bedrooms.

"Loki?"

Loki turned around and Stark was standing there, holding a glass of scotch. Loki glared at him, tears welling in his eyes, for a second before continuing to his room. He was turning the door handle when he heard footsteps behind him. Loki turned around and Clint was standing behind him. Clint noticed the watery eyes.

"Are you OK?" Loki pressed his lips together in a thin line and slowly shook his head. "Wanna talk about it?" Loki nodded and they went inside his room.

* Flashback *

Loki's eyes burst open as he sat up sharply and began panting heavily. He could feel hands brushing his shaking arm, trying to calm him down. He looked over to see Clint at his bedside. "It's ok, Loki. It was just a nightmare. Please calm down." His breathing started to return to normal as he leaned back against the propped-up pillow against the wall, not wanting to lay down again.

Loki finally calmed down enough to ask Clint, "What were you doing in my room before I woke up?"

"I was up already because I couldn't sleep. I was in the living room when JARVIS told me it seemed like you were in distress. So I came down here to see what was going on, and I found you tossing and turning with your eyes squeezed shut. I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't. So, I just stayed here until you woke up." Clint explained.

Loki nodded in understanding. "Thank you for staying with me."

* End Flashback*

For the past few months since Clint first found him during that night with the nightmare, the two had become more open with one another. They talked about their nightmares and what causes them. Even though Loki caused a lot of the nightmares, Clint reassured him that it was getting better and not to blame himself considering it wasn't his fault. Besides Coulson, who apparently knows too, Clint is the only one who knows about what happened at the sanctuary. So for the other avengers to see them go off on their own to talk was a normal occurrence.

They sat down on the bed and Clint asked. "What's bothering ya, antlers?"

Loki groaned at the reminder of the tire on his head. He would have to get rid of that later. Then he remembered what just happened and he sighed. "Tony just said some stuff in the cellblock... I thought he had gotten over it!"

Clint pressed his lips in a thin line. "The nightmares?"

"Not just that... he basically said that I'm a murderer and a criminal, which I am, I know, but-"

"You aren't a murderer or a criminal in my book, the attack wasn't your fault."Clint placed a comforting hand over Loki's shoulder. After a brief pause he asked, "Wanna watch some anime?" When Loki was upset or anxious they would always talk about one of the tv shows they watched together or music. 

Loki nodded as they put on "Death Note".

They left the room an hour later with smiles on their faces. There was something very entertaining about two geniuses not being able to figure out the other's identity. When they went into the living room, everyone was there. Apparently, they ditched the idea of a movie and decided to have a mini holiday party. Tony was, surprisingly, not drunk (Pepper cut him off). Clint discreetly picked up a butter knife from the table and went over to Tony, Loki following him closely behind.

"Barton, what are you-"

"You'll see."

Clint brought up to knife to under Tony's throat and said in a low voice, "If I ever hear you say what you said to Loki in the cellblock again, you will wish I was Nat."

And with that Clint took away the knife from Tony's throat and placed it on the table. Leaving the billionaire behind them stunned, he and Loki went down to the band room to practice some of their favorite songs. Bucky came along to watch too because of the looks Tony was giving him.

They were all having a fun time in their own ways when they heard an explosion coming from the bottom of the tower.

The alarms blared. Tony quickly tapped the bangle he always wore on his wrist that deployed his suit. Cap ran over to the armory to get his suit on. Nat wore her suit under her outfit and Thor grabbed Mjolnir form the kitchen table. They all made their way to the bottom of the tower, only to see a crater in it upon arrival. The rest of the team saw that Loki, Clint, and Bruce had already arrived. There was a huge gaping hole in the floor and fire all around. In the middle stood a person...no...a thing. It had a hood on and it reached out its wrinkled six-fingered hand.

Next to them, Loki suddenly screamed and grasped his head as he fell to the ground. Clint and Thor rushed over to him to snap him out of it. At the same time Cap knocked the creature's hand away with his shield and Tony knocked it to the ground with a shot fired from his hand. Nat placed a knife underneath its throat.

After the creature was immobilized, Loki had stopped grasping at his head, but he now sat in the same spot shaking and hyperventilating while Clint rubbed soothing circles on his back. Thor got up and started towards the creature.

"Who are you?!" Thor said as he stood above the creature's head.

"Its no matter to you... you will die before it is of any use to you," it said in a deep voice that sent shudders down Tony's spine.

"Why are you here?" Thor continued.

"To give your little friend over there a message." He looked over and Loki froze. "He is not happy with you...he will come to finish what he started. And when he does..." the creature smiled, "You will beg for something sweet as pain!" He looked back at Thor. "And so will your precious Jane..."He looked at Tony,"...and Pepper..." and he finally settled on Clint,"... and Laura, Cooper, Lila, and Nathaniel."

Clint shot an arrow at the creature's head and it gave one final contented breath. There was a moment of silence. Bucky, who Loki had told to stay out of the way, now headed over to Loki and started to try and help him calm down. Coulson and Fury came running downstairs, Jane and Pepper following close behind. Immediately as Thor and Tony saw their partners, they went over and embraced their significant other.

"What the hell is going on down here!?!" Fury said as he saw the dead alien body.

"This creature came down to...." Steve paused.

"To what?" Fury pressed.

"To...to threaten me." Loki shakily said.

Everyone turned to him.

Coulson looked at the alien and then looked at Loki. "That's the Other....isn't it?"

Loki nodded.

Fury looked at Coulson. "How do you know what this shit is about?"

Coulson continued to look at Loki. "I think that is for Loki to divulge if he so wants to, sir. Not me."

Everyone looked expectantly at Loki. He sighed. "I think...it's time you all knew what happened in New York."

-------------------------------------------------------
Loki sat on the couch wrapped in a blanket with Bucky placing a comforting hand on his knee. He was still shaking a bit as the rest of the avengers gathered in the living room to hear what Loki had to say. Nick and Coulson stood by the fireplace and the rest sat on the huge couch.

Loki took a deep breath before starting. "When I fell off of the rainbow bridge in Asgard, I thought I was going to die... I wanted to die. But...as you can see... I didn't. Instead, I fell into a much worse place. There I was captured by the Chitauri and....and...." Loki's voice hesitated.

"It's alright... take all the time you need." Steve comforted.

Loki took some breaths before continuing. " And they brought me to their leader, I would rather not speak his name, but the creature you saw today was his servant. " He paused as his voice started to crack a little. "They... they whipped me ...and burned me ....and beat me ...and any other torture you can imagine, it was done to me... along with ones you probably couldn't imagine." His breaths were quick and ragged. Pepper, Jane, Thor, and Steve looked horrified. Clint put a hand on Loki's shoulder as Loki already told him this long ago. Tony and Nat looked at him with pity. "Once my...once my mind was-was weak enough, they... they invaded it and took over. I had no control over my actions during New York. I only came back to my senses when-when the Hulk smashed me." He finished and put his head in his hands. Tears threatened to stream down his face.

There was silence and then Bucky spoke up. "My mind was taken over as well, I know what it feels like... I'm still not really over it. If you ever need to talk about it, you can come to me if you want."

Loki gave him a quick, sad smile, then Fury spoke up as well. "If you don't mind me asking... why were you hanging off of a bridge in the first place?"

Bruce gave Fury a look. "He just got over telling us about one of the most difficult times in his life...stop pushing him. He can tell us if he wants to." He paused. "In any case, I should probably take him down to the medical wing to make sure that Other guy didn't hurt him." Loki nodded at this and followed him into the elevator. The friends stared after them as Thor remembered their fight on the Bifrost.

*Flashback*

"Brother this is madness!"

"Is it madness?... Is it?... IS IT?!" Loki's voice sounded with desperation.

*End Flashback*

Thor whispered to himself, "What have I done to you brother..."