A/N This fic takes place at the end of What If...? episode 3 ("What If Earth Lost Its Mightiest Heroes) after the Asgardians take Pym to Asgard 

"Alright, Loki." Nick Fury turns to face his new ally, content with the knowledge that the Asgardians can take Hank Pym from here. "I think you've got it from here."

Loki furrows his brows. What? "No, this can't be it." He looks around, like some missing piece of the puzzle is going to fall out of the sky. (Needless to say, it doesn't.) "There must be something more to do."

"Like what?" Fury asks, puzzled. "Your brother's killer is in your custody. Unless you want to kill him here and now, I don't see what's left to do."

"He will be executed shortly after his arrival in Asgard," Loki says. "He's as close to dead as the living can be." Be it when his father wakes from the Odinsleep or when the throne is handed to him, Hank Pym will be killed before the week's end.

That just serves to confuse Fury more. "Then, what, you think he had a partner?"

"No, I don't think so," Loki says. He didn't strike him as a team player. No, this was all him.

"Then what are we missing?" Fury asks.

"I don't know."

Fury just looks at him in exasperated silence for a few moments. "Look. You're overcomplicating this. You have your killer. It's over now."

"No, it's not," Loki insists.

"Yes, it is!" Fury says. "We caught him! There is literally nothing left to do because we caught the killer!"

"No, we're not done," Loki says. "It's not over. It just — it can't be."

Fury folds his arms over his chest. "Why not?"

"Because I don't feel better!"

Fury's expression softens at that. He doesn't speak — he probably doesn't know what to say — but at the very least, he seems sympathetic.

"I just don't get it," Loki says with a sigh. "I caught him. We caught him. I know he'll face Asgardian justice in the worst of ways. I should be happy. I shouldn't feel like..." He shakes his head. He hates this. Catching Thor's murderer was supposed to be a weight lifted off his shoulders. It feels like the weight got a lot heavier instead.

"I know," Fury says quietly.

"I don't think you do."

"Hey, don't forget," Fury says, "he was killing my people, too. Those were my colleagues; my friends. I under—"

"No, you don't, because you didn't get them killed," Loki snaps. "Thor's death was my fault. Their deaths weren't yours. I assure you, director, there is no comparison." He spits the word like an insult, like it's a dishonorable position. Deep down, he knows there's much more honor in Fury's position than his own.

Fury scoffs. "Dr. Pym said he killed them because they worked for me. He did it specifically to get to me. So, trust me, I feel that responsibility just as much as you do. But beating yourself up over something you didn't do isn't going to help anyone. It's Pym's fault and only Pym's fault. Your brother just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"He wouldn't have been at the wrong place if it weren't for me," Loki says. "He should be on the throne of Asgard right now, not rotting away on a metal slab." If only he'd let the coronation go on as planned. He never should have conspired with Laufey. He never should have coaxed his brother into reigniting the war with Jotunheim. His selfishness and his arrogance got Thor killed. How does he come back from that?

Fury sighs and puts a hand on Loki's shoulder. "Look, it's been a rough few days. I think it would be best for everyone if you took your brother and your hammer and went home."

"I can't," Loki says solemnly.

"Yes, you can," Fury says. "You —"

"No, I mean I really can't," Loki tells him. "I can't pick up the hammer."

Fury stares at him, dumbfounded. "You can't pick up the hammer," he repeats slowly, dropping his hand back down to his side.

"Correct."

Fury scoffs. "How can you not pick up the hammer? It's just a hammer! It's your people's hammer! Just go pick it up!"

"I can't," Loki says. "It's enchanted. Only someone worthy can hold it."

"And you're not," Fury surmises.

"I couldn't be further from it," Loki says.

Fury heaves an exasperated sigh. "Okay, then leave the hammer. Take your brother and your army and go home. Can you do that one, or is there a worthiness clause on that, too?"

Loki nods. "I can do that."

"Good," Fury says. "I don't mean to rush you out of here, but I think it's better for all of us if you go home. You got your revenge; now maybe what you need is time to mourn. I think that's what a lot of us need right now."

"I suppose you're right," Loki says. He really should go home. His people are waiting for him. His mother is waiting for him. He can't leave them alone any longer than he already has.

~~~

In theory, Loki is basically Asgard's new king. With Thor dead and his father in the Odinsleep, naturally, the throne fell to him. All of Asgard is supposed to listen to him now. When he told the Asgardians to go home, they were all supposed to do it. And, for the most part, they did, but not everyone was willing to listen to him.

That's how Loki ended up at SHIELD headquarters with Fury on one side and Sif on the other. They're all looking down at Thor's body, lying limp on the table in front of them. He told Sif to go home time and time again, but she refused. Eventually, he gave up and let her come along. He has to admit, it's kind of nice to have a friend.

Everything feels so much more real now, with Thor's body lying in front of the like this. He's dead. He's actually dead. It was easy to avoid that fact while he was busy planning his revenge against the killer. Now that there's nothing left to do, no distraction left to keep his mind busy, it's hitting much harder.

"I still can't believe he's dead," Sif says quietly.

"I know," Loki says.

"I thought he was going to live forever," she adds with a sad smile.

"He thought so, too," Loki remarks.

They lapse into silence again. There isn't much to say. Thor is dead. He's dead and he's never coming back. What does one say to that?

Sif takes his hand in her own and gives it a gentle squeeze. He looks down at her, and she gives him a reassuring smile. It doesn't really make him feel better, but it's nice to know she cares.

After a few minutes of silence, Sif is the one to break it once again, asking, "What about Mjolnir?"

Loki furrows his brows. "What about it?"

"Are we just going to leave it here?" she asks.

"I don't see what choice we have," Loki says. "Unless you believe yourself to be 'worthy of the power of Thor...'"

"Or maybe you are," Sif suggests.

Loki shook his head. "I assure you, my friend, I am not."

"You don't know that," Sif says. "You're king now. You —"

"I'm a temporary king born of the desperation of a mourning realm," Loki says. "That does not make me worthy of anything — certainly not of Thor's power."

"Well, we can't just leave it here," Sif says. "Maybe the enchantment doesn't work anymore. Maybe now that Thor's..."

"The Allfather would have to remove the enchantment," Loki says. "It's still enchanted. Neither of us can pick it up; neither of us can take it home."

"You don't know that," Sif says, desperation clear in her voice. "Isn't it at least worth taking a look?"

"I'm sorry," Fury says, "but what the hell are you two talking about?"

"Mjolnir, Thor's hammer," Loki says.

"Okay, so let me get thie straight," Fursy says. "You two think there's a chance of some random dude off the street coming by and taking that magic hammer? Just like that? No struggle, no nothing?"

"A very, very small chance," Loki says. "Not enough of a chance to warrant a journey to it."

Fury scoffs. "If there is any chance some random person could take that hammer, I think it 'warrants the journey.'"

"Thank you," Sif says indignantly. She looks up at Loki. "See? He agrees. We cannot risk leaving it on Midgard, especially if we don't know the enchantment hasn't been lifted."

"Sif —"

"Loki, please," she says softly. "You know how much Mjolnir meant to him. We have to at least try to bring it home. For Thor."

Loki hesitates, but, ultimately, he concedes. Mjolnir has been an important piece of Asgard for as long as he can remember. More than that, though, it was important to Thor. He can't dishonor his brother's legacy by abandoning it.

"You know," Loki remarks, a small, teasing smile on his face, "I'm supposed to be the one in charge."

Sif smiles back at that lame attempt at lightening the mood. "Maybe if you had better ideas, you would be."

Fury claps his hands together once, getting their attention with ease. "Alright, this is great. Let's go to New Mexico, you can grab your hammer, and then I can send you both off for good."

Loki nods. That sounds like a plan. It's just not a plan he's particularly looking forward to. He gently lays a hand on Thor's arm. It's cold. Even to his Jotun hands, Thor feels cold.

I'm sorry, he tells his brother silently. I can't make this right. I know that. But I can try to carry on with your mission. At the very least, I can do that.

When Fury gets too annoyed with Loki just standing there for so long, he steps in and says, "We can take him with us. I'm not going to ask you to leave him behind."

Loki gives him a small, grateful smile. It may be too late to have his brother's back, but he's still not leaving his side.

"C'mon." Fury gestures for them to follow, already walking towards the door. He waits in the doorway for them, but it's clear he's ready to go and ready to go now.

Loki gently lifts Thor's body off the table. Sif moves in to help, but Loki waves her off. He can carry Thor's body. It's quite literally the least he can do. He holds him close, one arm supporting his shoulders and the other under his knees. His head lolls back, and Loki raises his elbow to provide just a little support to it.

"Oh, Thor..." he whispers, tears welling in his eyes. "Why did you have to listen to me?"

~~~

The ride to New Mexico is not short, nor is it at all enjoyable. Loki spends the entire time holding Thor's hand, as if that's any comfort to his dead brother. Sif sits by his side, and though her gaze shifts between Loki and Thor throughout the flight, her expression of pity never changes.

Fury sits up front, co-piloting the jet. That must not be a labor-intensive job, because he looks back at Loki and Sif every few minutes as is making sure they're still there (which is stupid; Loki has only jumped out of a plane once, and he had both Thor and Heimdall making sure he was safe as he did so. He's certainly not going to do it again now).

Finally, the jet lands, and Loki follows Sif and Fury out the door with Thor in his arms. He sees no point in leaving him in the jet. Once Loki proves that the enchantment still works despite Thor's passing, he and Sif will be off to Asgard. Having Thor's body with him now just makes it easier. And, besides, he'd feel wrong leaving it alone in the jet.

At first glance, it almost appeared Mjolnir was more heavily guarded here on Midgard than it was on Asgard. It takes a few moments for Loki to realize that's not true. Perhaps it was once, but as of right now, the only people in this fortified section of land are the ones he's coming with. It makes sense, he supposes. With this week's death toll, there are more important places for these people to be than watching an unmovable hammer.

Fury leads them through the mess his people made around the hammer. They have to pass through many, many plain white sheets, but finally, they get to it. Lying in the dirt, the ground around it dug up and eroded away in the unworthy's attempts to pick it up, is Mjolnir.

When Loki doesn't make a move for it, Sif gently nudges him towards it. She gently takes Thor's body from him, throwing one of Thor's arms over her shoulders and supporting him by the waist. Loki smiles sadly. It almost reminds him of a game he and Thor used to play; a childish battle tactic they called "Get Help." Loki used to hate it. Right now, it looks very inviting.

"Go ahead," Sif says quietly, gesturing to Mjolnir with her head.

Loki hesitates. Sif looks at him encouragingly; Fury just stands there impatiently. It's the same to him, he supposes. They both want him to try. There's no point in waiting any longer to inevitably let them down.

He slowly approaches the hammer, taking a deep breath as he stands in front of it to prepare himself. He's never held Mjolnir before. He used to dream of it, but he'd never truly expected it to happen. If he'd known the opportunity would only come in circumstances like these, he never would have wanted to touch it.

Loki reaches down and grabs the handle. It feels weird in his grasp. It feels wrong. This isn't his hammer; it's Thor's. He shouldn't be touching it. Not after what he did.

But with Sif and Fury watching, he has no choice. He knows he can't lift it, but he makes a show of trying anyway just to get those two off his back.

In fact, he makes such a show of it that he accidentally smacks the hammer against his forehead.

Loki stumbles backward, trying to catch his balance before he lands on his ass. He looks down at Mjolnir with wide eyes. He's holding it. He's holding Mjolnir. How the hell...?

"I told you," Sif says with a smug smile. "I told you it was worth a try."

Loki pulls his gaze away from the hammer to look at her. "I was so sure the enchantment would last until the Allfather removed it."

"Maybe it did," Sif says. "But now that Thor is..." She looks down at him with a frown, then continues, "he doesn't have any power. It's hard not to be worthy of no power, right?"

"I suppose that makes sense," Loki says. The inscription on the hammer is still there, declaring that only the worthy may hold it. Worthiness must not mean much in the face of a dead man's powers.

"It doesn't matter," Sif says. "What matters is that we can now return Mjolnir to the vault."

Loki nods slowly. She's right; the specifics of the enchantment don't truly matter. He just wishes they'd worked differently. He wishes only the worthy could hold the hammer. It was Thor's, after all; the fact that Loki can hold it is blasphemous.

"And perhaps," Sif continues with a small smile, "when your father awakes, he will give it to you."

Loki looks down at Mjolnir with a frown. He hates that idea. He hates it more than he could possibly say, and what he hates most about it is that it's possible. Loki will one day inherit the throne permanently. Who's to say he won't be given Mjolnir as well?

"Now let's go home," Sif says.

Loki lifts his gaze to look at her, but he doesn't move. He doesn't try to help her carry Thor. He doesn't call for Heimdall to open the Bifrost. He just stands there.

"Loki...?" Fury says cautiously. "You okay?"

Loki bites his lip. He can't do this. He just can't.

"Loki," Sif says firmly. "Come on. We're going home."

Loki bites his lip harder. "I can't," he spits out.

Sif's face falls. "What are you talking about?"

"I can't go home," Loki tells her. "I can't go back to Asgard."

"Yes, you can!" Sif says as though he's lost his mind. "In fact, not only can you go home, but you have to go home!"

"I can't."

"Loki, you have to go back," Sif says. "Asgard is counting on you. With Thor dead and the Allfather in the Odinsleep, you're the only thing holding Asgard together."

"No, I'm the reason it fell apart!" Loki says. "I am the reason Asgard is without a ruler! I cannot and will not return to Asgard and take the throne knowing that I am responsible for my predecessors' absence."

"Loki, what are you talking about?" Sif asks. "None of this is your fault. You didn't do anything."

"Yes, I did!" Loki says. Doesn't she see? All of this was his fault! "My father fell into the Odinsleep because of me; because I would not stop demanding answers about my heritage and because I would not accept the answers I was given." Nothing his father said could have convinced Loki that he was right to hide his Frost Giant heritage, but he still could have listened. He could have at least tried to understand his father's perspective.

"It's still not your fault," Sif says. "You didn't know it would —"

"I knew enough," Loki says. "I saw my father collapse to the floor and I did not stop until he was unconscious. I didn't know it was the Odinsleep, but I still knew what I was doing."

"It's not your fault," Sif says again, and the fact that she doesn't elaborate just seems to prove Loki's point. It is his fault. Even she can't prove it's not.

"And Thor, too," Loki says. "If I hadn't interfered, Thor would be sitting on the throne of Asgard right now."

"Loki, that doesn't even make sense," Sif says. "You need to stop blaming yourself for everything. What happened to the Loki that never took responsibility for his actions? Now you're taking responsibility for everyone else's actions, too?"

"I got him banished," Loki says.

"He got himself banished," Sif says. "He chose to go to Jotunheim that day."

"Because of me."

Sif scoffs. "You specifically told him not to go to Jotunheim!"

"Exactly!" Loki says. "I planted the idea in his head! I wanted to prove to my father that he was not fit to be king, and he was banished and then killed for it."

"Oh." Sif furrows her brows. She doesn't speak for a minute, letting that all sink in. Sometimes it almost looks like she's about to speak, but she doesn't. She looks at Loki for a few moments, and Thor, and even Fury —

"Hey, don't look at me," Fury says. "I have no idea what you two are talking about."

Finally, Sif looks back at Loki. "I understand why you feel responsible, but you know Thor as well as I do. He was brash, impulsive. He likely would have gone to Jotunheim with or without your encouragement. In his eyes, the peace treaty was off as soon as those Frost Giants stepped foot on our land."

"And who do you think let them in?"

Sif freezes, eyes wide as she stares at him in shock. That one might have done it. That one may have finally turned her against him. "You didn't," she says quietly.

"Oh, I did," Loki says. "So tell me again how this isn't my fault. Tell me how I'm being dramatic; how this would have happened with or without me. I started everything, Sif. I am the reason Asgard is without a king. You see why I can't act the part now."

All Sif can think to say is, "Why?"

Loki chuckles humorlessly. "Because I didn't want Thor to be king." He shakes his head to himself. "Pathetic, isn't it? I couldn't handle the thought of being left behind in the shadow of Thor's greatness, so I decided to conspire with Laufey."

"Why would you conspire with Laufey?" Sif demands.

Because I thought it would be fun.

Oh, how wrong he was.

"Did you know?" she demands.

"That Thor would get hurt?" Loki shakes his head. "No, but I don't believe that makes a difference."

"No, did you know that Laufey was your father?" Sif asks. "All that time you were working with him, did you know?"

"I didn't," Loki says. "I don't think he did, either. Though part of me wonders if I did, deep down; if maybe that's why I went to him. The question has been haunting me for days, though I'm no closer to finding an answer."

Sif looks up at him with a frown. "Loki..."

"So you understand," Loki says. "You understand that I cannot return to Asgard. After all I've done, I can't go home and pretend it never happened."

Sif hesitates, and for a moment, it almost looks like she agrees. Good. She should agree. Anyone with an ounce of sanity would. He can't return to the home he tore apart.

But finally, she says, "Asgard needs a leader, Loki. Despite your mistakes, you're the only one we have left. You can't turn your back on our people now."

"If I don't, I will lead our people straight into the ground," Loki snaps. "Asgard cannot flourish with a treasonous king. I cannot take the throne."

"You have to," Sif insists.

"No, I don't." Loki looks down at Mjolnir in his hands. He gently brushes a hand over the head of the hammer, then looks up at Sif. "If my father hasn't awakened when you return, Asgard will need a new ruler. Perhaps this time, they will do best with a queen." He gives her a small smile and holds Mjolnir out to her. "Consider it a trial run. When my father awakes, he will need to choose a new heir. I think you would do well."

Sif shakes her head. "I can't do that."

"Yes, you can," Loki says. "And, for the future of Asgard, you will."

"And you?" she asks. "What will happen to you if I do?"

"I don't know," Loki admits. "I'll stay here, an exile of my own making. Perhaps I will prove to be a better person on Midgard than I was on Asgard. I certainly couldn't be worse."

Sif bites her lip and remains quiet. Loki thrusts the hammer towards her again, and though she reaches for it, she pulls her hand away at the last moment and shakes her head. He doesn't take it back, still waiting for her to work up the courage to take it.

After a minute or two of stillness, neither Asgardian willing to break, Fury speaks up. "So you're staying here, basically, is what you're saying."

Loki lowers Mjolnir to his side and nods. "I understand our brief partnership was just a matter of necessity. The Earth is a large planet; I can stay out of your way from here if you would like me to." After all, Fury only agreed to work with him so the Asgardians wouldn't kill his people. Between giving him Thor's body and bringing him to Mjolnir, he has done far more than Loki had hoped for. He couldn't ask for anything more.

"You can," Fury says, "or we can play it a different way."

Loki raises an eyebrow. "I'm listening."

"You see, there was an idea," Fury tells him, "to bring together a group of remarkable people, to see if they could become something more."

Loki cocks his head to the side. "Okay...?"

"The people Hank Pym killed, they were some of those 'remarkable people,'" Fury says. "I have one more ally, but she's a bit busy protecting... well, everything else, so right now, the Earth is kind of out of luck."

Loki gestures for him to continue.

"I cannot rebuild the Avengers Initiative," Fury tells him. "There have been too many casualties for that. But the Earth still needs protection, and I'm not going to give up on it just yet. If you're going to stay on Earth anyway..."

Loki's brows shoot up. "Are you asking me to help you protect the planet?"

Fury shrugs. "You know, if you're into that kind of thing."

Loki nods slowly. He's really not into that kind of thing. It's like nothing he's ever done before. Sure, he's gone into battles to "protect his people" before, but his motivation was usually just that he liked fighting with Thor. But this could be an interesting change of pace for him. For once, he'd like to do the right thing. He'd like to try his hand at protecting people instead of hurting them.

He looks down at Mjolnir once more, then holds it back out to Sif. With a small smile, he says, "Maybe we'll meet again someday, but right now, my place is here. I think I can do a lot more good among the humans than I would in Asgard."

Loki doesn't notice it, but that actually gets a smile from Nick Fury.

Sif hesitates, but, ultimately, she smiles, too. It's a sad smile, but a smile nonetheless. "I'll come back for you one day," she tells him. "I just lost Thor; I'm not losing his annoying little brother, too."

Loki chuckles. "I eagerly await the day."

Sif pats him on the shoulder, then reaches for Mjolnir. He almost hesitates to let the hammer go, but he knows he has to. It's Thor's hammer. It belongs in Asgard. He can't keep it from its home.

But as soon as he lets go, Mjolnir falls to the ground. Sif doesn't have time to let go so she lands on her knees, one hand still on the handle and the other slammed against the ground. Thor's body lands face-down next to her, and Loki winces at the sight.

Loki extends a hand to help her to her feet. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm — I'm fine," she says, a bit rattled. She brushes herself off, then reaches down for Mjolnir. She pulls on it, but it doesn't budge. Her brows furrowed, she looks up at Loki. "I don't think the enchantment is gone."

"What? Of course it is," Loki says. "It has to be gone." He reaches down and picks Mjolnir up with ease. "See? It's gone."

A smile creeps up on her face. "Or maybe you're just more worthy than you thought."

Loki balks at that idea. "Have you listened to a word I've said today? Of course I'm not worthy."

"Then how are you holding Mjolnir when I couldn't?" Sif asks with a gotcha smile. She heaves Thor off the ground and into her arms again, awkwardly reaching around him to brush some of the dirt off. She nudges Mjolnir with her foot. "I believe that belongs to you now."

"No, it doesn't," Loki says quickly. "I can't take Mjolnir. How could I —"

"Loki, just shut up and take the damn hammer," Fury says.

Loki frowns. He's really not sure he can take Mjolnir with him. Unfortunately, he's also not sure he has another option. If he doesn't take it, it will likely either get buried in time or taken by someone else. Yes, that someone else would have to be worthy, but they wouldn't have to be Asgardian, and he doesn't want the Mjolnir in a human's hand. Reluctantly, he nods and piking Mjolnir back up.

Sif nods approvingly. "It suits you well."

Loki smiles uncomfortably. No, it really does not.

"Well, I guess it's time for me to go home," Sif says. "Any words of wisdom for me before I return?"

Loki shakes his head, but he still tries to think of something. "Good luck?"

Sif smiles. "You, too. I think you may need it more than I do."

Loki just shrugs. He's not sure. In all honesty, he's not at all sure what he's getting into. But hopefully it turns out to be something rewarding — something redeeming.

Sif takes a few steps away from Loki and Fury, then looks up at the sky. "Heimdall —"

"Wait," Loki says quickly.

Sif looks over at him expectantly.

He hesitates, not quite sure what to say. "When you return to Asgard..." He shrugs helplessly. "Tell my mother I still love her."

"Of course," Sif says. "I don't think it was ever in doubt."

This time, when she calls for Heimdall to open the Bifrost, Loki doesn't stop her. There's a flash of light, and then she's gone.

Loki squeezes his eyes shut and tries to push back any emotion he may feel. He's officially on his own now. He doesn't hasn't any Asgardians around to help if he needs it. He does have Nick Fury, though. He'll just have to learn to make the most of that.

"Alright, come on." Fury puts a hand on his back and gently pushes him towards the jet. "If you're going to be the newest member of SHIELD, I have a lot to show you."

Loki swallows hard. He can already tell this is going to be different than anything he's done before. He hopes it offers the redemption he so desperately needs. And, more importantly, he hopes he doesn't mess it up.

~~

Loki leads the way through the frozen tundra, his body blocking much of the snow before it hits Nick Fury behind him. He ducks into the little cave they were sent to, and he offers Fury a hand to help him through as well. He knows humans tend to find ice slippery. Fortunately, ice doesn't tend to bother him.

Fury cuts in front of him and kneels down in front of the large block of ice sitting in front of them. He runs a hand over it, clearing the frost away, and the red, white, and blue of its contents are revealed. Loki raises an eyebrow. He'd heard rumors of what they were looking for, but Fury had warned him against believing them. It looks like they were right.

They've found Captain America.

Nick Fury smiles to himself. "Welcome back, Captain."

The air begins to glow by Loki's side, and he instantly steps away. A woman materializes next to him, her blonde hair flowing in the wind. She looks down at Fury, a small smile on her face. "So, where's the fight?"

"You missed it, actually," Fury tells her. He pushes himself to his feet and turns around to face her. "Fortunately, I had a new friend on my side." He gestures to Loki with his head. "So it went pretty well."

She turns to face him, eyeing him up and down. He gives an awkward smile. Fury didn't tell him they were meeting someone else here. He's not quite sure what to do.

Finally, she says, "He doesn't look like much," directing it to Fury but her gaze never straying from Loki.

"Hey, play nice," Fury says. For Loki's benefit, he says, "This is Carol Danvers. She's an old friend of mine."

"Ah," Loki says. "Wonderful to meet you." He holds out a hand. "I'm Loki."

She looks down at his hand, amused, and, after a few seconds, Loki awkwardly lowers it to his side.

"Who is he?" Carol asks Fury, sounding a little judgemental. He tries not to take it personally.

"An Asgardian," Fury says.

Carol raises her brows. "Impressive. I didn't think they came to Earth."

"They do to protect their own," Fury says with a shrug.

"Or avenge them, as the case may be," Loki adds.

"That the fight I missed?" she asks. "You were fighting an Asgardian's battles?"

"It's a long story," Fury says. "You had to be there."

"Then I'm sorry I wasn't," she remarks.

Loki has pretty much figured out that he's not at all part of this conversation, so he turns his attention back to Captain America. He eyes the block of ice for a few moments, analyzing it, then gives it a swift jab with the palm of his hands. The ice fractures, and, with magic he didn't even know he had until he learned of his true heritage, he pulls the ice from around the body and inserts it back into the cave wall, filling in the space he's creating as he slowly moves the body out. He wishes he'd known he could control ice sooner. In very specific situations like this, it can be a handy skill to have.

The body finally falls out of the ice, and Loki heaves it up over his shoulder. He looks over at Fury. "I believe we're done here?"

Fury lets out a low whistle. "I mean, I guess that works, too."

Carol raises an eyebrow. "Are you sure this guy's an Asgardian?"

Though that question, as with most things she's said, was directed to Fury, it's Loki who answers. "I was born in Jotunheim and I live on Midgard, but I assure you, I'm as Asgardian as they come."

"It's true," Fury says. "He's a whole prince and everything."

Carol chuckles to herself. With a small smile, she says to him, "I like you."

Loki furrows his brows. "Thank you?"

Carol looks over at Fury. "I think I might stick around for a few days. I really want to see what this guy can do."

Fury gestures to him. "Have at it."

Carol gives Loki an approving look. "Once we get your little star-spangled friend home, you and I are gonna have a talk."

"Good," Loki says, much to her surprise. "You seem to have a bit of magic yourself. I would love to hear about it."

Fury cracks a smile. "And just like that, the Avengers Initiative grows."