When Loki risked his life to save Jane Foster's, he did it under the assumption that it would be the end. He'd have one final moment to redeem himself, and then he would die, and it would be the end.

He did not die, and it was not the end.

After that, he'd planned to stay in Asgard, but these last few months in recovery have been unbearable. So when Thor told him that the Avengers had reunited in search of his scepter, he took his brother up on his offer to help them find it.

"Be careful, brother," Thor warns him as they step into the elevator of the dreaded Stark Tower (which has apparently been rebranded Avengers Tower in his absence?). "This is your chance to prove yourself, but one wrong move, and you may find yourself back in the dungeon."

Loki rolls his eyes. "I wouldn't be all too shocked to learn that the dungeons are preferable to life among your friends."

Thor raises a brow. "You can go home, brother," he says, and he almost sounds... confused. "You do not have to do this. You understand that."

Again, Loki just rolls his eyes. No, he doesn't have to do this, but when going "home" is the alternative, it doesn't really feel like he has a choice in the matter. He cannot stay in Asgard. Now that he's finally left, he's not sure he could ever force himself to go back.

The elevator doors open, and there the Avengers all stand, each not-so-inconspicuously with their weapons on their person – Bruce Banner excluded; he's seemingly unarmed and keeping his distance, standing by the doorway for an easy escape.

Loki doesn't let it bother him. He hadn't expected a warm welcome. The fact that there are no weapons actively pointed at him right now means that this is already going better than he'd expected.

"Thor," Tony says curtly. "Loki."

"Hello, my friends." Thor is unbothered by the obviously threatening aura of the room they've just entered. "As we discussed, I've brought my brother. He will help us retrieve the scepter."

Loki nods once, both in agreement with that statement and in greeting to the heroes he once called enemies. As far as they're concerned, he doesn't expect that title to have changed.

"Well, come on in," Clint says. "Make yourselves at home. This is going to be so much fun." The lack of sincerity in his tone couldn't be more obvious.

Still, Thor takes the offer and steps inside, so Loki does the same, albeit far less casually than his brother. He's very aware that he's not welcome here. He has no plans to pretend otherwise.

"I don't suppose you have any leads as to where the scepter is," Loki says. That sounds like a good place to start.

"Well, not yet," Tony says, "but we do have some ground rules."

Loki can't help but roll his eyes, and he gestures for him to continue.

"You listen to us," Tony begins. "Especially on the field. You do what we say, when–"

"When you say it," Loki finishes for him, and he fights the urge to roll his eyes once more. "Do you have any rules that are not glaringly obvious?"

Tony narrows his eyes, but he continues, "If you're the one that finds the scepter, you give it to the first one of us that you see."

Loki fights the urge to make a sarcastic remark about the obvious lack of trust, not because he's above mocking the Avengers (obviously) but because he really doesn't want to drag this conversation out any longer than he has to. He doesn't even want to be here, so the less time he has to spend with the Avengers, the better.

So instead, he says, "I understand. Is that all? And if so, is there somewhere else that I can go that's less..." He gestures vaguely to them. "Peopley?"

The Avengers glance between each other, and nobody comes rushing out with any more demands or complaints, so it seems to be going well.

Finally, Tony says, "We have a room set up for you. Do us a favor: stay in it."

Loki tries really, really hard not to roll his eyes again. He does not succeed this time.

"Do not listen to him," Thor tells his brother. He pats him on the back–

And Loki cries out in pain, doubling over and instinctively pressing his hands to his abdomen as though trying to hold the pain in before it goes out the other side. Thor quickly pulls his hand away, but the damage is done, and the pain sends shockwaves through his body long after the impact is over.

With the fire burning through his body, he doesn't even think about how he looks or what the others will think. He squeezes his eyes shut, tensing his every muscle, and he falls to one knee. The way he's holding his chest only makes it hurt more, but he can't bring himself to move his hands. He can't bring himself to move at all.

"It truly cannot hurt that badly," Thor says, and he sounds more exasperated than sympathetic. The longer it's taken to heal, the more frequent this has become.

"Thor, I was impaled," Loki says through gritted teeth. Of course it hurts that badly. It's a goddamn stab wound.

"Months ago," Thor reminds him. "I've never taken months to heal from your stab wounds."

"Because I've never stabbed a knife through your entire body within an inch of your heart!" And that's not even to mention the nature of the wound; even a healing stone couldn't mend him. How Thor is shocked that this wound still hurts, he cannot even fathom.

Thor seems unbothered by that. "When you're done, I'll show you to your chambers."

When you're done, he says. When you're done feeling the excruciating pain I just put you through, let's take a walk! He's such a selfish, ungrateful nuisance. (Unfortunately, that selfish, ungrateful nuisance is also his best – and only – friend, so he's kind of stuck with him.)

Loki takes a few deep breaths, willing himself to calm down, to let the pain go, and finally, he pushes himself to his feet. He has to grit his teeth to keep from crying out again, but, in spite of the fiery pain radiating through him, he's able to stand up.

He makes a point not to look at any of the humans, lest he catch a glimpse of the judgment he knows is going to be on their faces, and instead turns to his brother. "Well?"

"Come." Thor takes a step, and he gestures for his brother to follow. "I'll show you to your room."