A/N: This took far too long! I'm so sorry for that! This first half of the year has been complete chaos without even counting all the doomsday events! My niece moved in and out with me in just a few months, I went through two semesters of university (the second semester was taught by the worst teacher on Earth), somehow rescued/adopted two cats, sold eight birds and a dog. One of the cats that was adopted was a 7 week old kitten that my mom found in a garbage dump. She was starving and abused (all her claws were cut so she couldn't climb trees for safety, the pads of three of her paws were ripped off, all her whiskers were cut, and she had scars all over her body). But despite the obvious abuse, she absolutely loved me and ended up following me around the house and sleeping on the sofa with me. But a week later, it turned out she had parasites in her neck and head and caused so many problems... I almost lost her a couple of times. Because of Corona, the vet isn't open Saturday - Tuesday; if we had waited one more day, she definitely wouldn't have made it. What's worse, the vet thought the swelling from the parasites was just a snake bite, gave her some medicine and sent her home. Two days later I can see the parasites.... Told the vet, and she told us to come in and she'd take them out for $15. Normally the procedure is anywhere from $100 to $500 depending on how far along the parasites have been there. And through all of that chaos, I ended up losing my old man cat to coyotes... So now I just have my twins and this little one (plus two birds and two dogs). At one point through all of this, I did have about 6,000 words written, but I hated everything about that chapter because it didn't have any dialogue and scrapped it. My niece actually helped me think of this new idea, and it went by relatively easy once I actually forced myself to ignore the world and write.

And while of the topic of the world and the chaos within it, I would like to stress how much I love and appreciate all of you readers. Because I really do. I have never received so much love and encouragement from anyone in my life like I do from you amazing readers. With all the sadness spreading through the news, especially the BLM vs. police, I have gone into a really dark spot in my mind. But the loving comments and PMs I've been getting really encouraged me to continue. You see, I've been preparing myself to be a police officer/homicide detective since I was a freshman in HS. For six years, I've read textbooks and watched documentaries and talked with my friends about it. The majority of my friends knew my job choice. But now that the police are on the hot seat, my friends are calling me a monster and giving out threats (not all of them, some of them just send me posts about police brutality and ACAB and defunding the police). I support black lives, I believe whole-heartedly that no one should live in fear that they could be killed just because they were speeding or sent to prison because of their skin. But just because I want to help people and make a change, the majority of my close circle has turned against me. But when I posted that here... the love just magnified times a hundred. I was prepared to lose followers (I still am), but to see people actually agree and care for me... That was something I was no longer used to.

I honestly don't know what I would do without this amazing little family that I have created from my stories. You have all given me so much joy that I have ended up crying multiple times. I never cry when I'm happy, but you made me cry. Even now I'm tearing up. Words literally cannot express how much I love and appreciate every single one of you.

Long A/N, I know you're all probably eager to read the story. This is just a quick explanation about why it took so long to get out. Be sure to keep scrolling once you finish the story, I have some more art that I posted for you! And I was asked about this before, but if anyone wants to do fanart from any of the chapters, go right ahead! Make sure to tag me in it so I can see, and I'll even post them in a chapter (with credit) so everyone else can see them as well!

Now... without further ado...

Spider and Snake: Special 30

A dim red glow from a fire was the only light source in the room, the crackling of the flame the only noise - aside from heavy, labored breathing. Chained against the wall, near the flames, was a man with knotted hair and torn clothes, sweat rolling down his exposed skin and soaking the floor and what was left of the clothes. His eyes were closed as he hung limp, his body too weak to support himself anymore despite how hard he tried.

Footsteps echoed down the hall outside of the room, though the man didn't move. Not even a twitch as the door opened and cast a long stream of light into the otherwise dark room.

"Special delivery," The new man announced with a smirk, his arms loaded with split logs. "I thought you might start getting cold if the fire goes out. And we really don't want that, right?"

The man chuckled as he threw a log onto the fire, embers flying up as the flames licked at the new wood and started to grow once more. The chained man made no motion to show he heard what his captor had said, only letting out a small, strangled groan as the heat in the room began to rise again.

The captor frowned, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms. "Really? That's it? You aren't even going to try to fight back or throw an insult? I heard you were very good with those..." The man waited for a little longer, but huffed out an annoyed sigh as he turned to leave. "And the boss was scared of you... You might as well be dead already."

The metal door slammed shut behind him, instantly cutting off the stream of outside light. Once the lock clicked back in place, however, the captive's eyes snapped open to reveal an almost glowing green. They narrowed into a glare at the door, fists clenching tightly in their shackles.

 ~*~*~

Over the streets of Queens, Spider-Man swung freely, hollering out his excitement with each release of a web and the catching of a new one. Whenever he spotted kids in cars stuck in the traffic below, he would flip and drop a few more feet than normal before heading forward. He couldn't help himself; he was just in too much of a good mood.

Spotting a figure standing on a nearby roof, Peter changed direction and shot himself up into the air, flipping once before landing in a crouch behind the man.

"Loki!" He grinned behind the mask, "I was wondering if you would be coming out today! You haven't been visiting the city for a while; Mr. Stark said that you haven't left your room much either the last few days. Is everything okay?"

Loki smirked, raising his shoulders in a slight shrug. "I found a rare Shakespeare book, I couldn't resist reading it all at once." Green eyes scanned over Peter slightly before his smirk grew more. "You seem to be in a good mood. Did something happen?"

"Remember that big test I took last week? The one I was stressing out so bad for that you made me stop patrolling for two days?"

"You passed?"

"With an A-plus!"

Nodding in approval, Loki chuckled, "I told you it would be fine. You shouldn't worry about such a thing when your grade is as high as it is."

"There's always something to worry about," Peter grinned before looking around. "So are you here to patrol today? I got a tip that there's going to be a bank robbery on Fifth! It's those guys that wear the Avengers masks, apparently they wanted to go for something bigger this time now that they're all out of prison, I have no idea how that happened, and what's great is that the CEO of this bank was actually invited to the New Year charity gala that the team threw! He was the one that really loved his shiny watch and made that really large donation to try and out match Mr. Stark and they got into that donating fight, which I guess is good but it was still really funny and-"

"Peter," Loki held up a hand, small grimace on his face, "I know the story, I was there. And as much as I wish I could help you with the bank, I'm afraid I made other plans today.

Peter blinked before shaking his head and holding his hands up, "Oh! Oh no, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to- I should have asked instead of just assuming that you would go!"

Loki shook his head with a fond smile before taking a step back, "No, I'm the one that is on the roof like when we meet. The fault is mine."

Peter began to argue, but Karen cut him off. "Peter, the bank robbery will be starting soon. I recommend leaving within the minute to arrive on time."

"Right." Peter nodded before taking a step back of his own. "I've gotta go, but we'll catch up later! See ya!" With a small wave, he jumped over the edge of the building and plummeted to the streets below.

"Loki seemed to be in a good mood today." Karen commented, causing Peter to smile as he shot a web out to catch himself before hitting the ground.

"Yeah, he did, didn't he? Something must have happened, maybe with those plans he has. He was smiling and everything... Do you think he got a date?"

"Maybe. You should ask him when you meet next."

The thought of Loki dating someone was fun, though it made Peter curious about what type of person could make Loki feel love - the romantic type. It was already known that Loki could feel family love; why else would he devote so much time to Peter's life? Or risk everything to save Thor when the time came? There was a chance this was another family bond being made... but Peter felt like if it were, he'd already have been told about the person. So it must be romantic love!

Excited about the new revealed relationship, Peter swung through the city with more acrobatics than before - completely on cloud nine. And he would also get to take down those Avenger robbers again, which was always fun - this day couldn't get any better.

So when Peter arrived at the bank on Fifth, he crouched on the roof of a building across the street and waited for the men to arrive. He was a little earlier than the tip had said, so he wasn't too worried about being stood up. If anything, it gave him more time to think up cool sayings for the fight.

Though his mind wandered back to Loki and his mysterious new romance. It really wasn't that much of a shock that someone would love him; Peter had seen Loki's fangirls first hand at the numerous charity events and on the streets when they patrolled together. What was surprising was that Loki had actually gotten to know one of them enough to fall in love. Peter didn't doubt the man's ability to love, but he knew that Loki needed more time than most to get used to someone new enough to develop feelings. It had taken them weeks to form even a small bond together, and that was with near constant contact thanks to patrols at night. The confusing part was that Peter or Thor was with Loki almost constantly and didn't know anything about this new person...

Could Loki have set an illusion for him and his actual self spent time with this person? That seemed a little shady... The thought sent a pang of jealousy through Peter, but he squashed it quickly. He was happy for Loki, and if that meant giving up time with him so the man could be with his love then he would accept that. Besides, an illusion is still better than noth-

"Peter," Karen interrupted his thoughts, "I have just received a distress call from Sam Wilson ten blocks away from your position. I do not detect any other members of the team nearby, all sensors transmitting from the Compound. Would you like to assist?"

Peter's eyes widened slightly, he never knew Mr. Wilson to need help - or call for it when he did. He was a very proud man, and for him to do such a thing meant whatever he was up against was bad...

"Yeah, show me the way!" Instantly, a red line filled his vision, showing him where to go to reach his destination. Bank heist forgotten, Peter jumped off of the building and began swinging through the air faster than before.

Adrenaline was already pumping through his veins in preparation for the new battle, the sounds of crashing already making it to his sensitive ears.

Landing on top of a building, he ran to the edge and looked down below, seeing a very large and muscular man just under the size of the Hulk knocking various things on the sidewalk out of his way as he stalked towards his prey. Some hundred feet ahead of him was Sam, hobble-running and gripping his right leg - which looked to have blood running down it.

As if in slow motion, Peter watched Sam look over his shoulder at the man when his good foot caught on a raised part of the sidewalk and brought him down to his hands and knees. A deep chuckle left the muscled man as his extra long arm snatched a table from the patio of a cafe, lifting it over his head as he tossed it towards Sam.

"Oh no you don't..." Peter murmured as he shot off a web, grabbing the table just a foot away from Sam and yanking it back towards the man. Apparently all brawn and no brain, he stood there in confusion (Peter swearing he heard a small "Huh?" come from him) as the table hit him directly in the face.

Connecting a web to the building, Peter jumped over and landed softly in front of Sam, making sure to keep an eye on the cursing giant that was starting to get up.

"Hey, are you okay? Can you run?" Peter asked, helping his teammate up.

"Did you not see me trying to run earlier?" Sam snapped, sending a heated look to the boy before glancing back at the enemy that was standing up fully but holding a meaty hand over his face. "Where'd you come from anyway?"

"I was waiting for a bank robbery a few blocks over when Karen got your distress call." Peter smirked a bit, "It was a hard decision, but I thought helping you out might be more fun than nabbing a few robbers."

Rolling his eyes a bit, Sam opened his mouth to retort back when Muscle Head cut him off.

"You..." They both looked back at him, Peter stepping slightly in front of Sam to protect him from whatever else this guy might throw. "You aren't supposed to be here."

Brows furrowing beneath the mask, Peter's head tilted. "Really? 'Cause this kinda seems like the place to be today!" Turning his head slightly, he whispered to Sam, "Get somewhere safe, I'll take care of him. Mr. Stark and the others should be getting here soon."

"Like hell I will!" Sam barked, grabbing onto Peter's shoulder and stopping him from leaping away. "I'm not about to let some kid fight this freak alone!"

"Yeah? And how are you going to help out?" Peter's suit lenses narrowed at Sam, pointedly looking for his wing-suit. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Before anymore argument could be made, Peter shrugged off his hand and launched a web to a light post, back-flipping away. Hearing Sam curse before running off, Peter chuckled a bit as he turned to face Muscle Head. "Now, what's this about me not supposed to be here?"

If Peter didn't know any better, he would say that Muscle Head looked scared. But that couldn't be right... Right? Or had this man somehow heard about Peter in such an exaggerated way that he was scared of things he thought Peter could do?

"You're supposed to be stopping a robbery..."

Hesitating a step, Peter blinked in confusion behind his mask. "I think helping my friend is more important than a bank robbery. But how did you know about that?"

Eyes widening slightly, Muscle Head reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a pill bottle, crushing the lid and emptying the contents into his mouth.

"H-Hey...!" Peter took a step forward, arm stretched out towards the man. "What was that? What did you just take?"

Whatever those pills were, Peter didn't have to wait long for the effects. Almost instantly, Muscle Head lurched forward, his long arms wrapping around his midsection. Peter's spider sense started to go off like crazy, more so once he saw the man's stomach start to swell and bulge in various places. Following his instincts, he took more than a few steps backwards and glanced around to make sure that all the civilians were out of harm's way - they were.

"Guess my job is done here... I'm just gonna head out..." Raising an arm to web away, he heard a small gasp behind him.

"It's Spider-Man!"

Turning quickly, Peter's eyes widened when he saw the two middle school aged boys at the end of the sidewalk, having just turned from around the building corner.

"Get back!" Peter yelled, already running to them as he heard Muscle Head let out a groan. He pushed his legs to go faster and slammed into the kids, wrapping his body around them as a shield just as he heard a somewhat loud explosion behind him and a wet force slam into his back with a sharp sting.

It was like the force of a fire hose but on a much larger scale; instead of just a single continued spot on his back like an actual hose, this wetness got him completely in just one blast. It was much thicker than regular water as well, dripping and rolling off of him in a way that felt almost slimy.

Peter took a moment to breathe and try to calm his adrenaline pumped heart before slowly peeling away from the kids. "Are you two okay?"

"Y-yeah..." The taller one stuttered, his body leaning to the side to try and peek behind Peter, but he simply placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and shook his head.

"You two should go, it's not safe over here."

"Right..." The smaller boy grabbed his friend's arm and Peter watched as the two of them took off to where they had come from. He smiled faintly behind his mask before standing up and turning around.

"Oh. Oh... That is awful." Peter swallowed thickly as he took in the mess around him, yellow slime splattered all over the buildings and road - and his back. It wasn't the carnage he had expected to see, and he was somewhat grateful for that, but it was still nasty...

Twisting around to get a good look at his back, Peter's face scrunched up in disgust. The slime had coated his back and slowly oozed down to the ground, Peter feeling each thick drop rolling down his body.

"Kid...!" A familiar mechanical voice called, a motor sounding from overhead. Peter looked up, allowing himself to be momentarily distracted from the grossness on his back as he watched an Iron Man suit fly down. "What happened here? It looks like a Nickelodeon set gone wrong..."

A sheepish grin took over Peter's face under the mask, shrugging a bit. "Ah, well... The bad guy kinda... exploded, I guess...?"

The suit touched down, Tony halfway out when he paused and stared at Peter with an incredulous look. "You made a bad guy explode?"

"No! I didn't! ...I don't think, anyway... He saw me then took some pills and exploded!" Peter rubbed the back of his head, then frowned and pulled his hand away with slime covering it. He tried flinging it off. "He said that I wasn't supposed to be here or something like that... He knew that I would be stopping that bank robbery on Fifth today actually... It was really weird, it was almost like he got scared when I showed up."

Tony, choosing to leave the metal boots on, furrowed his eyebrows. "He was scared of you? Why? Did you say something? You've been hanging out with Loki way too much, he's rubbing off on you..."

Peter chuckled a bit but shook his head, "No, I didn't say or do anything, well... I mean, I kinda flung a table at his head... but he threw it first! Then he just... got really scared."

"Huh," Tony's eyes ran up and down Peter's form with a smirk, "Strange. Maybe he heard about how much you talk, can't say I blame him then." Peter opened his mouth to protest, but Tony continued, "Now let's get you cleaned up, who knows what germs you're covered in. Last thing I want is for your aunt or Loki to charge at me in a blind rage if you get some weird disease... Damage Control will be here soon to take care of all of this anyway, we should get going."

Peter nodded, following after Tony and more than eager to wash the slime from his body. But before he turned the corner to where Happy most likely parked the car, he hesitated. There was a pull on his mind, a tiny prickle on his neck that he barely felt, causing him to pause. Peter glanced over his shoulder, taking in the mess of a scene behind him. The yellow goop rolling down the sides of buildings, Peter's enhanced hearing allowing his ears to pick up the almost sickening splat it made as it connected to the ground.

Something wasn't right though... He didn't know what it was, but he could definitely feel that there was something he wasn't getting out of all of this. Something important... He already knew it was strange that Muscle Head knew where he was supposed to be and got scared when he showed up, but there was something else.

"Kid!" Tony called, peeking around the corner of the street. "C'mon, unless you want to help Damage Control clean this up?"

With a final look around, Peter turned and ran back to Tony's side. "No way! It's going to be hard enough to get this stuff off the suit, I don't even want to this how long it will take to clean the entire street!"

Tony let out a chuckle as he opened the car door for Peter to jump in, only for them both to freeze from the emergency beeping in their suits.

"I have received another distress signal, from Wanda this time," Karen announced, a map appearing in Peter's vision of Wanda's location. Peter looked to Tony, the man frowning as he started to shake his head, but Peter was already running down the street.

"It could be just like what happened to Sam!" He called over his shoulder, shooting a web up to a light post and letting his momentum swing himself up. He started to gain altitude when the mechanical whirling of an Iron Man suit sounded next to him.

Tony heaved a sigh, "Alright, but try not to scare this bad guy too badly, okay? I'm sure the others would like to ask it some questions if at all possible."

"Hey, I told you it wasn't my fault...!"

"What was that?" Tony asked, his voice filled with mischief as he sped up, "I can't hear you over the sound of how fast I am!"

Peter watched him get ahead slightly before he grinned and started launching webs faster, pulling up even with Tony. A part of him knew that if he really wanted to, Tony could win the race without even trying; but it was fun to think that he actually had a chance.

"If you cut through the building construction site, you will have a thirty-two percent chance of success increase." Karen said, a hint of slyness to her automated voice that made Peter smirk.

"Awesome." Veering off course, Peter heard Tony laughing as they raced to Wanda's location. Maybe he shouldn't be having such a good time when on his way to rescue a friend from possible severe danger, but it was just so long since he's spent time with either of his parental role models that he couldn't help but enjoy this short moment of fun. It also had a small part to do with the fact that the slime on his back rolled off the faster he went...

Dodging various beams and construction equipment, Peter pulled himself faster than ever before, determined to at least pose a slight challenge to Tony.

"It seems that you have won, Peter." Karen announced, causing Peter's eyebrows to furrow in confusion, doubly so when the map in his vision disappeared.

"What do you mean? There's at least another block- Whoa!" Eyes wide, Peter let go on his current web strand just in time to dodge a large iron beam from smacking into his face. He noted with interest that the beam was glowing red...

"Peter!" A voice called from below him, causing the boy to look down just as a red glow enveloped his body and slowed his descent.

"Wanda!" He spied her on the ground, her eyes wide and hands raised as she lowered him to her level. "Mr. Stark and I got your distress call, what happened? Were you attacked?"

"Yes," She set him on the ground and took a deep breath. Peter's eyes scanned her face, noticing how tired and worn she looked. "A large man just appeared out of nowhere in the store, he just started attacking. But I couldn't use my powers on him...! I couldn't hold him or see his mind... Only throw things at him, but no matter what I throw, it has no effect. He just knocks it aside."

Peter raised his hand up in the air, standing on the tips of his toes to reach higher. "By any chance, was this guy Hulk sized?"

"Yes...! You know him?"

Sighing, Peter glanced around, "No, but hopefully he knows me."

He ignored her questioning stare as he took a few steps away from her, though any questions she might have voiced were cut off by thundering footsteps heading in their direction.

"Heads up, kid," Tony's voice cut through the coms, "I found Hulk 2.0 first, you owe me dinner."

"What?" Peter laughed, turning towards where his scanner indicated Tony was coming from. "Who came up with that?"

"Me. Just now." The Iron Man suit flew around the corner of a half-made building, "I think I deserve it since I'm dealing with this thing."

Peter's eyes were immediately drawn to the bottom part of the building where another Muscle Head crashed through it and lunged for Tony's suit. The man responded by rolling higher into the air, just out of Muscle Head's reach. "Let's just hope what you said earlier is true, kid."

"What's happening?" Wanda asked, glancing between the charging enhanced and Peter. He could see her nervousness as her hands started to glow, her feet shuffling back slightly.

"I saw another guy like this earlier today, just before you were attacked. As soon as it saw me though, it self destructed. We're kinda hoping that this one does the same thing..."

"And if it doesn't?"

Peter laughed a bit, his voice shaky. He noted that the self-destruction could very well be a thing that wasn't an option with this version of the creature, there were definitely a few differences that could be seen. The first and foremost being how much faster this one was. "Then I'm in trouble."

He moved away from Wanda, going to stand in the middle of the makeshift road the construction site had. Tony flew right overhead, the Hulk from hell noticing Peter at the very last minute and screeching to a halt. They stared at each other for a second, Peter's spidey-sense going crazy on the back of his neck.

It was quiet, even the traffic from the road unheard; the only sound was from the huffed panting of Muscle Head 2.0 and the engine of Tony's suit hovering behind him, though it was soft.

"So, I don't suppose that you know me?" Peter shrugged a bit, "Cause like... I met a guy earlier today that knew me, and he looked exactly like you. Are you guys related or something...? Twins? I don't mean to be a nosy nose hair, but I'd just like to know."

Muscle Head's lips pulled back in what Peter could only describe as a growl, fists clenching in visible anger.

"You aren't supposed to be here." It was the same line used earlier that day, but it was so much different. Before it was soft, almost fearful; but now it was strong, angry, filled with rage. A complete one-eighty from the monster he had faced previously.

Peter frowned slightly, crouching just a bit in preparation for whatever might happen. He could hear Mr. Stark's suit powering up more as well, the man obviously seeing the adverse reaction of this Muscle Head to Peter.

"Yeah..." Peter shrugged slightly, "That's what the other one told me as well. I'm supposed to be stopping a bank robbery, right? How is it that you two knew that?"

The large man snorted a bitter laugh, his deep blue eyes glancing past him to glare at Stark. "Who do you think it was that gave you the tip? There is a traitor in your team, one that wants to end what he began."

Peter frowned, his eyebrows pushed together as he looked back at Tony, taking a step towards the man as he turned toward the monster again. "You're lying! No one in the Avengers would betray the team!"

"Oh?" A wicked smirk formed on Muscle Head's face as he reached a hand into his back pocket, Peter crouching low for a fight. "Not even the man that is known for betraying everyone that cared for him before?"

Loki... Peter's mind raced at the revelation, with the thought that Loki would betray them - betray him - and pay these creatures to attack the Avengers. There's no way that Loki would hurt them like this, he would never...

Except that he would. It was no secret that the main reason Loki stayed on the side of good was for Peter, but Loki had been distant lately, avoiding him and the rest of the team. Peter thought it was because of a lover, but what if it wasn't? What if Loki had gotten bored of Peter? No... He must have been possessed and forced to do this, because Loki would not willfully betray Peter. He just wouldn't, not after everything they've been through.

The rattle of pills in a plastic container drew Peter's attention back to reality, seeing Muscle Head pulling out that familiar bottle.

"Mr. Stark, he's going to self destruct! Just like the last one!"

Tony's suit flared with power as he rushed forward, grabbing the arm of Muscle Head just as the pills were emptied into his mouth.

"Our deaths are on your hands, boy." The man said before his body lurched forward, Peter's eyes widening but having no time to hesitate as he turned and grabbed Wanda, shooting a web to a high beam and lifting them both to safety. Seconds later, the explosion went off, a wet splattering echoing around the area - thankfully far enough away from Peter that he didn't have to worry about getting even more filthy.

Peter pulled them both up onto the beam, making sure Wanda was balanced before looking down at the mess below.

"Oh my God..." Wanda murmured, her eyes wide as she saw the turmoil below. It honestly looked worse than the first scene, the yellow slime covering more of the ground and large clumps mixed in. The force of the explosion must have been extreme, because there was a small crater where Muscle Head once stood, and nearby equipment pushed away or turned over.

"Tell you what, kid," Tony's voice sounded from behind them, "You sure do know how to get yourself into messy situations."

Peter couldn't bring himself to reply, he couldn't even hold Tony's words in his head. The only thing occupying his mind was the information that Loki was somehow apart of the Muscle Heads' attack on two of the Avengers.

"Karen, find out where Loki is, and the fastest route to him."

"Certainly... Shouldn't you tell Mr. Stark about what the enhanced said?" Karen asked him as the tracking program ran through Peter's screen.

"Just find him." Shooting a web off to another beam, Peter swung away from his two companions, ignoring their calls of his name behind him. He needed to figure out why Loki had betrayed them, knowing there must  have been a perfectly good explanation for it. Maybe someone was threatening him? Whatever the case was, Peter planned on putting a stop to it before word got out to the public. It took the so long to finally trust Loki, he wasn't about to let the man throw it all away.

"I found where Loki was last seen in public, but he just disappeared from all cameras afterward."

"Show me the way."

A map appeared in his vision, Peter immediately changing direction in midair to follow the path that it provided into downtown. He swung between buildings and buses alike to reach his destination, blocking out any and all thoughts. Because if he started thinking, it would lead to Loki's betrayal which will distract him - and distracted Peter swinging around the city was not a good thing. He could just hear Loki's mothering tone if he crashed into the side of a building-

No. No thoughts. He couldn't afford to become emotional now. He had to keep a clear head, not only for his travels - but for when he finally met up with Loki. Because if he let his emotions run wild now... he would definitely end up in a yelling match with the man and that would do neither of them any good.

Nearing his destination, Peter slowed down his swinging, his enhanced eyes scanning the area for any traces of magic or evidence to prove that Loki was still there. He circled the area, looking from all angles but finding nothing obvious.

"Karen, scan the surrounding buildings, see if you can find something - anything - that's out of place."

He watched as droney disconnected from his chest and flew out, a red laser scanning the buildings. Peter sat perched atop the corner of a building, his leg bouncing in impatience as he reluctantly waited for the report.

His eyes followed the drone on his screen, the only thing he was able to do to keep his mind at least somewhat clear. It was surprisingly difficult, Peter was so used to having multiple thoughts flying around his head all at once, without it he just felt... empty.

That could also have something to do with the idea that Loki betrayed him, but once again, he couldn't dwell on it for too long.

"I believe I've found something, Peter," Karen announced, his screen zooming in on the side of a building. Red lines traced the outline of a triangle on the wall, the AI running analysis on it to show what looked to be a secret door. "There's an entrance in the back, I'll show you the way." Directions appeared on the other side of the screen, an arrow showing him where to go.

Peter took a breath before jumping from the top of the building, crawling and swinging to where he needed to go - which wasn't far, only the back side of the building. Seeing droney hover next to the wall, he jumped to the ground to inspect what it had found.

"Karen?" He asked, seeing just the surface of a brick wall, "How do I get in here? I don't see anything..."

A brick highlighted on his screen, "Press against this one, if my scans are correct, then it should open."

A small part of Peter was giddy, distracting his mind from the pain of possible betrayal with the prospect of a secret door. He held his breath as he placed his hand against the wall, pressing the brick and watching with glee as it slid inward without trouble.

A loud groaning sound filled the alley where he was, the wall slowly lowering into the ground to show a stairway descending into the ground.

"Secret tunnel...!" The lenses on his suit widened slightly in excitement before clearing his throat to try and control himself - emphasis on try. Because leave it to Loki to have the coolest secret base...

"My sensors say that there are multiple lifeforms inside. Be careful, Peter."

The boy nodded as he started down the stairs, waiting for some kind of jumpscare. He half expected Loki to fall down from the ceiling in snake form and laugh at him as he screamed, saying that it was all some kind of joke.

But those Muscle Heads weren't joking when they died, neither was the damage they caused when trying to attack Sam and Wanda. It was real, and dangerous, and would cause serious repercussions. If Loki had turned, then the public would never accept him as a hero again...

With his mind back on track, Peter squared his shoulders and walked down the stairs with more purpose. He needed to know what Loki was planning and save him from it.

The stairs were long and dark, the walls made of cement and no lights of any kind. How could Loki see in here? Last Peter checked, the man didn't have night vision. ...Or did he...?

Frowning to himself, Peter descended the last of the stairs and entered a large room. The walls, floor, and ceiling were made of cement - much like the stairs - but had a single light hanging in the center of the room. From what his scans were telling him, there was also a doorway in the shadows to his left somewhere.

"You figured it out faster than I thought you would," A voice called from the darkness, causing Peter to jump slightly. He looked around but saw nothing, and the small echo made it too hard to pinpoint directly. "I'm impressed."

"Why are you doing this, Loki?" Peter turned, trying to catch a glimpse of a coat in the shadows. "I thought you were happy, so why are you sending creatures to try and kill our friends?"

"Oh, spare me your talks of friendship... We all know that those ungrateful cretins aren't really my friends. I don't have friends! I have pawns! And I've grown tired of this game... it became far too boring."

Peter's eyebrows pushed together, hurt and confusion written all over his face. "I thought we were friends...? Loki, you were happy! I know you enjoyed being an Avenger! Someone doesn't smile the way you did and just call that acting! What about when we watched fireworks on the roof of the Compound? The stories you shared of your childhood when we were sick? You offered to be the chaperone for my class trip even though you hate kids because you knew it would get cancelled without one! You even traveled around the world on your own to hunt me down in Italy when I was kidnapped by that crazy dude that brainwashed me! You had every chance in the past to leave, but you didn't! That's why I don't buy it this time, you like being a hero."

"Silly child," Footsteps caused Peter's head to swing around and finally see Loki standing across from him with a deadly smirk. "That was exactly what you claim it's not: acting. You think I actually cared about you? I used you! I knew you were the most trusting and gullible out of all the Avengers, and that if anyone would get them to accept me it would be you. And you did a marvelous job...! That's why I ordered the twins not to hurt you; I gave you the tip for the robbery today in hopes it would keep you distracted long enough to stay out of the fights... I guess those fools didn't show up on time like I told them." Loki shrugged, though his smirk stayed in place as he took a step closer to Peter, starting to circle the boy.

Peter felt his heart break as he felt that familiar tingle run down his neck, telling him that he was in danger. He ducked to the side just as a gunshot went off, a bullet digging into the wall in front of Peter.

"Loki..." Tears started to fill his eyes as he turned around to face him, "Don't do this... The others don't know it was you, you can still get out of this. Please, please, come back."

Loki seemed to be done talking, aiming the gun once again for Peter's head. Shooting a web at him with one hand, and another to the ceiling, Peter jumped up to safety just as the gun went off again. He crawled across the ceiling, dodging the flying bullets as best he could. He let out a yelp as one dug into the side of his leg; he dropped to the ground, twisting around and landing just in front of Loki.

He jumped to the side, firing a web at the man's feet and locking him in place. Loki wobbled and almost fell, the gun flying out of his hand and across the room as he tried to balance himself. Peter shot web after web at him, taking a step forward and doing his best to ignore the flaring pain in his leg.

"I thought you'd be harder to fight..."

Loki smirked, looking down at his hands that were stuck to his side and his feet that were stuck to the floor. Slowly, he looked up at Peter and sent a chill of unease down his spine. "And I thought you would be smarter than this. I guess he was wrong..."

"What- Shoot!" Peter tried to duck, but he wasn't fast enough to get away from the heavy fist that landed square in his back and sent him flat to the floor. He glanced behind him, barely having time to roll away from the boot that was aimed at his head. Peter sprang into a crouch, holding one hand on the floor to stop from falling over; being shot in the leg and hit in the spine was doing horrible things to his balance.

He watched as a second Loki stomped toward him, metal gauntlets on his fisted hands and an uncontrollable rage in his eyes that didn't seem to fit any version of Loki that Peter knew. In fact, glancing between the two Loki's that were there, both of them seemed slightly off. Loki would never use an earth gun, nor metal gauntlets. Loki was more of a long distance fighter, only getting into close combat when he absolutely had to.

Eyes widening, Peter jumped further back from them and stuck to the wall. It made sense now... Especially the fact that the first Loki was still stuck to the wall; normally he would have disappeared by now, not stay there like he was helpless. Loki would keep his opponents guessing, never letting them know which body was real or an illusion, never showing weakness unless he chose to. These people... Peter, looking closer, could see openings and weak points that Loki would never allow. He didn't even need Karen to see it!

"You're not Loki..."

"Denying it ain't gonna change anything, kid." The Loki with the gauntlets commented, stomping to Peter's new location on the wall.

Peter's eyes narrowed as he shot a web bomb at him. "It's a good thing they didn't send you out first; the whole act would have been blown as soon as you opened your mouth. Wow... It's strange to hear Loki say 'ain't', he's always so proper when he talks."

Gauntlet Loki dodged the ball of webs, running towards Peter and punching the wall. Peter obviously saw the attack and crawled to the ceiling, but the force of the hit shook the building and sent a large crack running up the wall.

"That's gonna cost a bit of money," Peter chuckled as he crawled away from the growing crack and down a hall. "Karen, scan the building and see if you can find where they're keeping Loki."

"Of course. But I recommend keeping your guard up, Peter; these people must be powerful if they are able to hold Loki captive." Droney disconnected from the suit and flew off to a hall that Peter wasn't going.

"Yeah, but they're so obviously not Loki, how bad can they actually be?"

"I would not judge strength on their acting skills."

"Don't worry, I can handle two impostors," Peter chuckled, hearing Gauntlet Loki thundering down the hall after him. Peter dropped to the ground, deciding it would be better to go a bit faster in his search and limp-jog down the halls in search for his missing Loki.

Opening the first door, Peter came to a halt.

Inside was a break room filled with Lokis; Lokis that were eating microwaved pizza, Lokis pouring and drinking coffee; Lokis reading magazines and talking and laughing. Lokis that all turned to look at him once he opened the door.

"Uh... Karen...? Could you call Mr. Stark, please?"

"I alerted him as soon as the second Loki appeared; he is currently one minute away."

He laughed nervously as he nodded to himself, "So... I don't suppose you guys have seen a guy that looked exactly like all of you, but... the original? No? Okay, I'll just leave then-" He quickly slammed the door shut as soon as he saw them start to move, shooting rapid-fire webs as the handle and wall, doing his best to keep the door shut. When the door bent outward by the force of all the Lokis slamming against it, Peter jumped back and right into a very familiar chest.

Arms wrapped around Peter, locking him against Gauntlet Loki's chest and attempting to crush him. Peter definitely heard something crack inside...

"Sorry about this," He muttered before slamming his hand upward, the heel of his palm hitting directly into the right eye of Gauntlet Loki.

"Peter," Karen announced while the man flinched back only slightly, "Droney found a room at the end of the other hallway that has a very high temperature reading. If they're keeping Loki anywhere in this building-"

"Then he'd be there." No longer feeling remorse for hitting a man in the eye with less than half of his strength, Peter took advantage of the new slight space between them and brought his elbow down into the man's stomach. Gauntlet Loki fell to the floor, gasping for breath and clutching his stomach.

Peter didn't hesitate though, he didn't even look back as he ran down the hall that Droney went. If Loki was in that room, then he would be sick and weak and possible on the verge of death. There was a temperature gauge in the corner of Peter's vision, Droney's reading of the room being in triple digits. Being exposed to that for a day, at least, would do things to Loki that Peter didn't want to think about.

As he neared the entrance to the hall, three more Lokis came out of the main room. Peter frowned behind his mask and shot a web at them, pushing his legs to go faster despite his pain. Where was his super healing when he needed it?

Dashing down the hall, he did his best not to stumble and fall. The pain in his chest was being drowned out by his bleeding leg, but the pain of his bleeding leg was being blocked by his concern for Loki. He couldn't stop to shoot a compression web at the bullet hole, he needed to get Loki out of that room and to somewhere cold.

Seeing the end of the hall, and Droney hovering next to the door, Peter nearly flew to that door. He didn't wait to check if it was unlocked, he didn't even wait for Droney to reconnect with his suit, he just rammed his right shoulder into the metal door with all his strength and fell to the floor with it when it caved.

Sparing a small second to groan and reassemble his bearings, Droney finally reconnected with the suit. It was with perfect time as well, because the next second had Peter back on his feet and scanning the room.

It was small and dark in the room, a small fire that would be out in maybe twenty minutes the only source of light - but not the only source of heat. The room seemed to have its own heating system, hot air blasting out of all five air ducts in the room. But on the back wall was the only thing that matter.

Arms chained above his head, feet almost in the fire, clothes torn and hair matted, was Loki - the real Loki. His green eyes were open slightly, a smirk on his face as he watched Peter stand up straight.

"It's about time you showed up..." His voice was hoarse and faint, barely audible even with Peter's enhanced hearing.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he pulled his mask off, stumbling closer to Loki. "Sorry for taking so long... It won't happen again, I swear."

Lifting up the edge of the door as he went, Peter dragged it towards Loki and dropped it on top of the fire, the room darkening significantly.

"Careful with the chains," Loki warned as Peter reached for them, "Electricity courses through them when they're tugged on."

Peter's hands dropped back to his sides, worry passing through his eyes. He nodded slightly to himself as he shoved his mask back on, examining the chains. "Karen, how do I get these things off of him?"

Scans and data flew across his vision, numbers and calculations he could only partially understand. "Your new rubber webbing would be the best option."

"My rub- No! I haven't finished working out the kinks yet, it's nowhere near ready for use!"

"It's our best option at the moment."

Peter frowned, looking from Loki to the chains. Mr. Stark would surely have arrived by then, but he didn't know when he would end up in the room, and it might be a problem if even one of those Lokis were an enhanced... But Loki couldn't stay in this room for much longer, the heaters were still on and Loki was sweating - Loki never even sweats in the middle of Summer!

Stepping closer to the chains, Peter asked a question he was scared of the answer to. "Loki, do you trust me?"

It was no secret that Loki had trust issues, he had repeatedly stated that he trusted no one so that no one would trust him. Peter always thought that he was joking, but when it all came down to it, it made sense for Loki... And if Loki didn't trust him, Peter didn't know if he'd have the confidence to use his new webbing in the rescue.

It was quiet for a while, Loki's tired eyes staring into the side of Peter's head. Peter didn't dare turn to see what kind of emotions were in his eyes, too scared he'd see something he didn't want to. Because no matter how long they had been friends, it all came down to this question. And he knew that if he was right about Loki's feelings, their friendship would take a drastic beating.

"Peter," Loki finally started, the boy flinching in the broken silence, "Look at me."

Fists clenching at his sides, Peter turned his head slightly and looking at the man behind the safety of his mask.

"Look at me," Loki said again, his eyes stern with an underlying emotion that Peter couldn't make out. Trust Loki to ask him to do the difficult task...

Ducking his head slightly, Peter let out a sigh as he tugged his mask off, his emotions completely bare as he stared into Loki's eyes. Loki's eyes suddenly softened, a faint smile taking over his face. It was a look that Peter hadn't seen before, there was a large cut on his forehead and cheek, a trail of dried blood down his chin; he was weak and barely able to lift his head, but there was a kindness that Peter had never seen.

"I trust you more than I do myself," He said, his eyes showing nothing but sincerity. "Do what you need."

A warmth filled Peter's chest that had nothing to do with the heaters, a smile of his own tugging at his lips. With a shaky nod, Peter pulled his mask back on, "Okay, okay! I can do this! Karen, switch to rubber webs!"

"Aim for where the chain comes out of the wall, the wires will be weakest there and the current should be mostly held off."

With another nod, Peter examined the area where one of the chains met the wall. He reached a hand above it and pulled himself up to cling on the wall, getting the best angle that he could possibly have.

"Careful, Peter... If you touch the chain or joint, you may accidentally set it off."

"Great... Just what I needed to hear..." Peter muttered under his breath, but he could feel the tension and strain on his leg and ribs in his current position that really didn't help with his confidence.

"You can do this, Peter." Loki said, watching Peter from the corner of his eye, "Don't worry about me, just do whatever you need to do."

They locked eyes for a moment more before Peter turned back to his work. Loki believed in him and was trusting him to get out of this hellhole, Peter wouldn't let him down. Looking into the joint of the hole, Peter aimed his hand and took a breath before firing.

The rubber webs were a prototype web that he had thought of to cushion a person's fall if he couldn't catch them, but with a major emphasis on prototype. The webs wouldn't solidify the most of the time, just a liquid that would get everything sticky. The only reason it was currently programmed into the suit was for him to test out in the labs with Mr. Stark. If it didn't work on these chains, then it could unintentionally set off the zapping effect.

Bracing for the worst, and ready to yank the chain out of the wall if so needed, Peter tensed up as he waited for the results.

When Loki didn't immediately express pain, Peter let out some of the breath he was holding. His lenses zoomed in, seeing the web fluid slowly clumping up and wrapping itself around the wire and chain and filling every crevice there was.

"It's working...! Loki, it's working!"

Loki chuckled weakly in response as Peter crawled across the wall to the other chain, the flaring pain in his leg from moving was completely ignored though in favor of shooting another rubber web into the joint. He watched as that one too slowly started to solidify.

"This one's working too!" He pulled his mask off as he jumped back to the ground. "We just need to give it a minute or so, then the rubber will be able to completely absorb the shock and I'll be able to break you free! Mr. Stark's taking care of the other Lokis now, but he could call for a jet to get you back-"

"Peter, move!"

His spidey sense screamed at him in time with Loki, giving him barely enough time to look behind him and see one of the Lokis in the doorway, fire around his fists that was shooting towards him.

The reasonable thing to do would be to move out of the way, but if Peter did that then Loki would take the full force of the fire. With as bad as Loki was, he might not survive that... So, bracing himself, Peter widened his stance and crossed his arms in front of him just as the flames hit.

It hurt... It hurt so much. Peter wasn't sure if he was screaming - it sounded far away and too desperate for it to be coming from himself, but then again Peter was in a lot of pain.

The fire stopped for a second, giving Peter a moment of relief as he gasped for breath. ...When had he ended up on the floor?

"Peter, leave now!" Loki called, his voice strained. Maybe it was Loki that was screaming earlier?

"I won't..." Peter began pushing himself up, the burning of his arms making it very difficult, "leave you."

"Don't be foolish! Now's no time to play hero!"

"No," The fake Loki interrupted, "Let him play the hero. He's going to die anyway, let him think he did some good in his last moments."

Peter was kicked onto his back, a heavy boot planting square on his chest and breaking his previously cracked ribs. He coughed, dragging in a ragged breath as he squinted up at the impostor above him.

"But let his very last moment be him looking into the eyes of his friend, a parental figure, and watch as he dies by the very hand he once trusted..." A flaming fist was raised in the air, a wicked smirk pulling across Fake Loki's face; Peter couldn't help but notice how familiar that smirk was to OG Loki's smirk whenever he would mouth off to the Avengers or prank Thor.

Doubt flashed through Peter's mind for a split second as he tried to back away, but the fist was already coming down.

It happened so fast after that point that Peter wasn't sure exactly what happened. He closed his eyes at the same time that Loki screamed, what started out as the roaring of flames soon turned into a crashing and crackling sound Peter couldn't quite place. He then heard the Fake Loki gasp and yell out before suddenly being cut off. Even then though, Peter's eyes stayed closed until he felt hands grab his shoulder.

"Peter! Open your eyes, child!" Loki's desperate voice called, gently patting the boy's face.

Slowly, Peter's eyes opened, still braced for an impact of some kind but only meeting Loki's worried green eyes over him. The worry mostly melted away into relief as Peter started to respond.

"Do not scare me like such again, child," Loki chuckled, leaning back slightly. "I'm in no condition to handle something like that."

Glancing around himself, Peter saw the Fake Loki still standing over him - but frozen solid in a block of ice. Peter's eyes widened, he had never before seen Loki's ice powers used before (except for that one time with the mind altering enhanced, but that wasn't important).

"Loki-"

"Don't mention it." The man held up a hand, shaking his head. Peter looked to him and nodded quietly, understanding that it was still a touchy subject... But he was grateful nonetheless.

He was then reminded of Loki's injuries as the man let out a low groan, a still cuffed hand going to his side. Loki's shirt around that area was stained a dark red, a color that Peter realized he hated seeing on Loki.

"Karen...!" A hand absentmindedly brushed over his head for his mask before he jumped up and grabbed the fabric from the nearby floor. It was a struggle to pull it on, his hands not wanting to fully cooperate with him, but he managed. "Karen, alert Mr. Stark that I found Loki! He needs medical attention though, and a jet to get home!"

"Right away, Peter."

"Don't forget about yourself," Loki chided from the floor. "You were injured too." Those green eyes looked pointedly at his arms and leg, but Peter shook his head.

"That doesn't matter right now, I'll live." He knelt next to him again, "We need to get you cooled down and too the med-bay. Can you walk? Let me take these off-"

"Peter," Loki's stern tone caused Peter to pause, looking up at his bloodied face. "Slow down, breathe. I won't let you touch these chains until you take a deep breath."

Frowning, Peter's head tilted slightly. Why would Loki want him to breathe? He was breathing, wasn't he? Thinking about it though, Peter realized that he was in fact hyperventilating. He sucked in an audible deep breath, starting to let it out immediately when Loki held up a hand.

"Hold it, don't release yet."

They stared at each other for a few seconds, Peter's heart slowing down and the blind panic starting to fade away. Only then did Loki allow him to exhale.

"Better?"

"Yeah, thanks." Peter chuckled sheepishly as he reached for the cuffs again, Loki offering them up to him. Peter could tell he was hesitant, his eyes locked on Peter's arms. But he grabbed the cuff around Loki's right wrist before the man could change his mind and broke it off like it was made of foil.

He had just taken off the left when footsteps thundered down the hall.

"Brother!" Thor called, appearing in the doorway. He stopped short when he saw the state that the two were in, his eyes wide as he swallowed deeply. "Loki, Peter... What happened? Can you walk? Shall I get a wheeled bed? I'll get a wheeled bed-!"

Before he could turn away, both Peter and Loki called out "No!", Peter jumping to his feet to stop him. Tony and Steve appeared behind the Norse god to see what all the yelling was about, both of them just as shocked as Thor was to see the condition that Loki was in.

The man was quickly carried out of the room by Thor shortly after - much to his dismay -, Steve barking orders for Natasha to fly the jet faster and Tony alerting Bruce to prepare the med-bay. Peter followed behind, laughing quietly as Loki protested. The man had tried telling them of Peter's injuries, but it was drowned out in the chaos of three adult men panicking over their resident trickster.

Peter didn't mind though, he healed fast enough. Even as they were walking outside, he could feel the tissue in his arms repairing itself. The bullet hole in his leg would be the longest to heal, but even then it would just take a week or so.

"Peter...!" Tony suddenly called, snapping the boy's attention forward again to see his mentor's upset face as the helmet retracted. "You're hurt too?"

"Uhh..." A quick glance at Loki told him that they had finally listened to Loki's words properly. "Just a little..."

"Friday, do a full body scan-"

"That's not necessary!"

"-And find out from Karen what exactly happened."

Peter sighed in defeat as Tony brought him forward to the center of their little group, frowning as he saw the blackened fabric of Peter's sleeves. And that soon led into what would be another lecture about safety and why hiding wounds were bad as they waited for the Quin Jet to arrive - Loki nodding along to everything that Tony said and Steve placing small notes in between.

The lecture even continued on the jet ride back, Peter nearly forced to lay in a stretcher beside Loki but he had managed to talk his way out of it with the promise of just sitting the entire flight. Loki had tried to do the same, but Thor had threatened to place Mjölnir on his chest if he so much as sat up.

Peter had laughed at the somewhat childish pout Loki wore the whole flight, but as soon as they were at the Compound, the pout turned much more annoyed at all the medical equipment that he was forced under.

After being treated himself and dismissed with a bandage and painkillers (there was a crutchthat had been abandoned as soon as the doctor turned away), Peter sat beside Thor as they waited for Bruce to finish with the evaluation and immediate treatment of Loki outside the med-bay. They sat in comfortable silence for a while before Thor heaved a heavy sigh.

"How did you know?" Thor asked, his eyebrows furrowed in thought, "That Loki was captured by impostors?"

"I didn't... Not at first, anyway." Peter shrugged as he looked up at him. "That muscled enhanced said something about a traitor, someone that was known for betraying. I didn't want to believe that it was Loki, but he had been acting distant lately... I thought he was dating someone," He chuckled a bit at the thought before sighing and continuing. "I had Karen find his last location, but when I got there... When I fought him... He used a gun, an Earth gun...!"

The two of them laughed at the idea, Peter shaking his head as he continued, "Then when the second one appeared, the first didn't disappear. And the second one used the big metal gauntlets... It was pretty obvious after that, that they weren't Loki."

"I couldn't tell at all..." Thor let out another sigh as he looked down. "I should have been able to tell, but I couldn't even recognize that there was something wrong with my own brother."

"It's not your fault, they were too good at acting like Loki in the few times we saw him. If you had seen them fight though, you would have figured it out right away and they knew that."

"I should have spent more time with him though...! But I let it slip by, and for that you were hurt."

"The impostor would have avoided you, and these," Peter looked down at his bandaged arms and leg, "I don't mind getting hurt if it means that Loki will live. It was worth it."

Thor stared at him for a minute, a small smile building on his face as he reached over and pulled the youth into a hug. "Thank you, young Peter. You are very kind to my brother and a good influence. I believe he would not still be here, on the side of good, if it weren't for you."

Peter blushed darkly as he stumbled for words, slowly returning the hug. "It's... it's nothing special, really. Loki's easy to get along with, and he's really a good person... I think the main reason we get along so well is because I look up to him a lot... Loki wants people to like him, and besides you, I was one of the first to not look at him like a villain. Because Loki isn't a villain, he's just... dramatic."

Pulling back with a chuckle, Thor ruffled his hair with a fond smile. Before he could speak though, a familiar voice called from beside them.

"Disgusting. Don't show affection in front of my medical room, have some respect."

"Loki!" Peter beamed as he turned, seeing the man standing there in near perfection. He had a bandage on his forehead and cheek, but they were the only injuries visible while he was in his black suit.

"Brother, you should not be walking just yet...!"

"Don't worry," Loki batted his hand dismissively, "Banner has allowed for me to finish my recovery in my own room. I am perfectly fine to walk, which I tried to tell you earlier if you would have listened."

The two bickered lightly as Loki made his way to his room, Peter smiling as he watched the two of them go. It was nice to have that sound back, it was something that the fake Loki hadn't done the few times he was around.

"Peter?"

He blinked as he heard his name, looking up to see the brothers at the end of the hall and looking back at him.

"Come, child, we won't wait all day." Loki called, crossing his arms. A smile broke out on Peter's face as he jumped up and jog-limped to them, Loki frowning in disapproval and beginning his own lecture as they began their journey to the bedrooms.

A/N: 30th chapter complete! Once again, I am so sorry that it took so long! Hopefully the next won't do the same... Below are two pictures to accompany the beginning of the story, Loki's imprisonment. After that are all the artworks of the two I've done since chapter 20. Some of them go for chapters in my other Peter and Loki story, Lokison. If you want more art of these two, please check out my Instagram, karmi_draws.

I'm not too good at shading, so please excuse that... But these two pictures are basically the scene in the beginning of the chapter!

You've heard of the Peter Parker Protection Squad, now get ready for the Peter Parker Parent Squad!! Lucky Peter....

^This goes with a chapter in my other story, Lokison. As will the next two pictures!

Peter spending time with Uncle Thor makes my heart s o f t.

A small comic strip that I thought would be fun. I may even try to incorporate it into a chapter one day!

A very old picture that I recently digitized. I want to start a story for Loki and Thor's childhood so badly and all the trouble they could have gotten into.... But for now, pictures of Loki's failed prank hitting Odin will have to suffice. 

After I had scrapped the first idea for Chapter 30, this is the picture that gave me this version's inspiration. I drew this with the idea that "what if Loki turned evil again? How would Peter react?". I may still use it in the future...

I saw a drawing tutorial for a glitch effect and wanted to try it out.... It's bad, but it's not horrible. 

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"Peter," Loki called before the boy had a chance to shut his door. Thor had left just after getting Loki into bed, by threat of waking up bald the next morning. Peter had laughed as he helped to make sure that Loki had everything he needed before he left as well.

"Yeah?"

It was silent for a moment, Loki sitting up in bed and looking directly into Peter's eyes. "I meant what I said earlier, that wasn't a lie just so you could have a moment of confidence when you needed it."

Peter smiled brightly, the warmth from earlier filling his chest once again. "I know. Thanks, Loki; I trust you too-"

"Thor was right also, for once." At Peter's confused frown, Loki rolled his eyes and sighed. "You are the reason that I am still here, with the Avengers. If you weren't here, I very well could have done the actions that those second rate impostors did."

Peter's smile turned much softer, stepping back into the room and shutting the door behind him. He went to sit on Loki's sofa and shook his head slightly. "I don't think you would have... You wouldn't have carried it out all the way, anyway."

"You give me far too much credit, child." Loki smirked, tipping his head up slightly.

"And you don't give yourself enough credit."