Searching

Loki stood, his eyes scanning the building in the half light, trying look for movement. There was none. Steve was beside him, Bruce in the jet. Tony was circling overhead looking for heat signatures.

There had been little time spent at the Campus, just enough to offload the files, brief Fury on the disaster and regroup for the rescue. Loki had wanted to leave immediately but the others had forced him to wait while they all - him included - rested and ate. They would be no use to anyone sleep deprived and weak. This was going to be a one shot chance. Hydra would move them - or worse - as soon as they realised there was a rescue underway. They had to get it right first time.

There was no pretence this time, the jet landed only a few hundred yards away from the building, depositing Loki and Steve. Clint would once again wait with the jet - he was the best pilot under pressure and Tony - or rather Iron Man - was somewhere in the air, scanning for their missing friends.

"Reindeer Games, Capsicle - you're on - I see them. Basement, three of them and 4 goons. Get going, I'll cause a distraction." The two of them looked at each other and nodded, slipping into a side door, immediately coming up behind two guards with machine pistols and grenades. Loki slipped a dagger into the back of one and Steve took care of the other. Relieving them of their weapons Loki and Steve made their way to the basement, descending a spiral staircase in front of them. As they got to the bottom, a few more Hydra soldiers milled about and were quickly despatched. What they didn't see was the one that took to his heels and fled to the inner chamber with a warning.

Suddenly an alarm went off and there was an explosion. Tony and his distraction. Steve shouted to Loki "Go - find the room - I can hold them here - GO!" for a second Loki paused then, realising Steve was more than capable of defending the corridor, sprinted for the inner chamber. The building rocked with more Stark firepower and Loki cursed loudly "Stark! If you make this fall before we get them, so help me..."

"Relax Mischief" came the response over the coms "Magic, daggers and looking moody is your thing , blowing things up in a spectacularly controlled way is mine!"

"Would you two just shut up and concentrate on finding our friends. You can mess about all you like when we're done!" Steve interrupted angrily. "GET THE HELL ON WITH IT"

"language Cap" was the parting shot from Iron Man as he buzzed the proverbial tower again.

Loki turned the corner and stopped short at a large metal door in front of him, reinforced with rivets and plating. Two guards were stationed but a single dagger to each soon neutralised them. To his annoyance, the door was barred from the inside and no external handle or lock to be seen. There must be a separate release. He scanned the brick wall, spotting a blank glass panel recessed to the right of the door. On closer inspection it was a palm print reader. Without pausing he grabbed of one of the dead guards and held his hand to the reader. The scanner ran up and down, the green band glowing over the palm.

"Access denied" he tried the other hand.

"Access denied"

He cursed and grabbed the other dead guard. The same. What now? To hell with it he thought, there wasn't time, Ali could be injured or.. he shook his head clearing the thought and blasted the crap out of it with his captured machine pistol. The panel exploded in a shower of sparks and the door popped open a couple of inches, hampered only by the bodies prone in front of it. Steve appeared at his back.

"What took you so long?" Loki said raising an eyebrow,

"Oh, just a little bit of hassle, all dealt with now" Steve countered with a brief smirk " you ready?"

"Never readier" Loki dragged the door open and they burst into the room, just in time to see Nat and Bucky be thrown across the room by two guards whom they quickly took care of. Checking on them briefly Steve could see they were still alive but drugged to the eyeballs. Loki on the other hand, turned in horror to see The Man hover over the body of a woman - HIS woman he realised with a sickening lurch- plunging a large knife into her abdomen. As he stood up, Loki blasted him with the full force of his magic, the green energy disintegrating the evil little figure to atoms. Now he could see her, dying before his very eyes. "NOOOOOO!" He howled throwing himself across the room to her side.

Steve reached Buck and Nat "What happened?" he shook them none too gently, trying to get them to speak but they just mumbled incoherently both crying and moaning. He had never seen them like this and had a very bad.... he didn't get to finish the thought.

The howl of anguish from behind him made him turn and as he did so, he saw Loki lifting what looked like a very dead Ali. Covered in her blood he clutched her to him as he stumbled to the door.

Steve turned to Loki "STOP LOKI! " The Jotun turned, his hands and clothes crimson with Ali's blood "Tony's coming, he can save her - Jarvis has emergency life support capabilities" he crossed the room, "Please Loki, " more gently, "I know this is all messed up, but you have to trust me. He gently took her from him and laid her on the floor. "We can save her - press here - HARD" he took Loki's blood smeared hand and pressed it to her wound. the blood still seeping through his fingers. Putting his own hand to her neck, fearing the worst, a feeble pulse caught his attention. "She's alive - just" he sounded almost relieved, there were no guarantees. "Tony , get in here now. We need emergency life support STAT" he shouted into the coms.

"She's dying. It's my fault. I made her hate me and she wanted to die rather than come back. I am a monster" Loki was kneeling on the floor beside her. "I'm so sorry Ali, I'm so sorry. I don't care if you still hate me but I just want you to be ok" he took one of her hands in his free one and kissed it, tears falling freely. "I love you" he whispered so quietly Steve wasn't even sure at first he had said it. He said nothing but put a hand on Loki's shoulder. Tony burst into the room, stepping out of the suit, it then morphing into a rescue capsule, his face as white as the rest of them.

"Is she...?" he asked tersely

"No, Jarvis is her only chance though, we need to get her home as soon as we can" Steve tried to sound calm and in charge but in truth he was struggling too. They all were.

Before the capsule closed around her, Ali's eyelids fluttered and opened a little, her voice weak as she half whispered "Loki? You came back!" she coughed and burbled, a little blood escaping from the corner of her mouth " I'm sorry, I - lied" she managed to whisper, her breath coming in gasps "I lied, I dont hate you - I lied - I..." she started to cough again, more blood trickling from her mouth.

Loki looked terrified and elated all at the same time. Steve smiled and moved away discretely, dragging Tony away for a second, his hand raised to silence him

"Ali - darling - I'm here - shhhh don't speak, I know it's ok. I realise why you did it now" he caught her hand to his cheek, speaking without any self consciousness, he couldn't care less who knew now. "It's going to be ok, it's all going to be ok" he kissed her forehead softly "Tony is going to take care of you". He looked up at the figures above him and Tony, a look of amazement still plastered on his face, nodded.

"Loki" she wheezed, ignoring his pleas for her to be silent, "I'm d-dying. I have to say it, I have to - just to..." she paused, pain crossing her face then she smiled a bloody but elated smile "I love you Loki Laufeyson" and with that her eyes closed. Loki looked aghast as she seemed to wither before him, turning to Tony green eyes blazing with fury, he yelled

"DO SOMETHING STARK!"

Tony spoke to Jarvis "Signs of life?"

"Still there Sir, but diminishing by the second I recommend immediate evac."

"Do it"

With that the capsule closed and launched itself up and away through the roof, heading for home.

"Sir" Jarvis came over the coms, "I'll inform Dr Banner to expect her. You and the others should return on the Quinjet. There are adequate medical supplies for Miss Romanoff and Mr Barnes there."

"thanks Jarvis" Tony replied and the three of them left, supporting Nat and Bucky between them. This was going to be a horrible flight home. As they boarded the jet and got everyone settled, a look of disbelief passed between Tony and Steve as they watched Loki sit on the side and cry, head in hands, the whole way. What the hell had happened to their resident Narcissist?

That look was mirrored by everyone who met the little band on their return. Loki? In love with someone other than himself? Amazing.

The only person not amazed was Thor. "Brother" he greeted him with a bear hug, "I'm so please you're back - you're both back. To the healers at Asgard?"

For the first time since they left Prague, Loki spoke.

"No Brother, not yet. Bruce and Tony have the technology right here, I'm not sure she's going to survive Brother. If she does though, I think it would indeed be the wisest choice to remove her from here."

"You - calling me wise? Things have changed indeed!" Thor smiled and patted his back. "Come Brother, let's see how Banner is doing with my Little Sister". The implication and the compliment was not lost on Loki and with a feeble smile he walked to the lab with him, unsure of what they would find.