Young Asgardians

11

Loki sleeps through the night, his form never changing back to his Asgardian glamour. Thor explains that Loki is showing the skin of his people, the Jotuns and that this was the first time he'd seen it as well. This is obviously not what everyone had expected when Thor said that Loki was adopted. None the less they're were all fascinated, some of them hiding it better than others.

It almost two in the morning when the tower alarms go off, and Friday is alerting the team of an unknown visitor in Loki's room. Steve jumps up, grabbing his shield on the way, while Friday monitors the situation. Tony is outside Loki's door when he gets there, half the Iron Man suit already on. The door is ajar, and Steve can see a silhouette of a woman standing over the toddler's bed.

"Amora, right?" Steve asks, keeping his movements slow as he pushes the door open and walks in. She smiles from behind her hair before looking up at him.

"Captain Rogers," she purrs. "I must say you've made a wonderful father over the last couple of weeks."

"He appreciates the compliment, thanks for stopping by! I'll walk you out." Tony says, holding out his arm towards the door. Amora laughed, looking at Tony in his armor dismissively.

"Oh, I can't leave yet," she exclaims, smiling as she kneeling down next to Loki's bed and brushing some of the hair out of his face. "Our friend Loki has something that doesn't belong to him, and I need it back."

"I'm gonna have to ask you to step away from him," Steve says calmly, but his stance never once relaxing. Amora's kind facade falters as she starts towards them both.

"I'm not someone you want on your bad side. How long do you think you can protect him from me, Captain Rogers?"

"Trust me were not someone you want on your bad side, either." There's a long silence as Amora stares them down intimidatingly.

"If you don't mind me asking," Tony interrupted though Amora didn't take her eyes off of Steve. "Why turn them into children?"

Amora sighed, "To be completely honest, that part was an accident," she chuckles. "I only wanted them out of the way, but now Loki's betrayed me, and he's left me with very few options. She takes another step closer, her hands subtly starting to glow a green light. Before either of the Avengers can react, Amora screams out in pain, and they all look to see Loki gripping her wrist tight, the skin under his hand turning an ugly black.

"Leave. Now Amora!" He cries. The Asgardian shoves the toddler away and glares at them all before she disappears nursing her wrist.

Steve cautiously lowers his shield to lean against the wall and steps towards Loki. "You okay?" He asks softly. The two-year-old nods and raises his arms to Steve.

"Sleep with you?" Loki whispers once Steve is holding him. "Of course, bub."

Tony and Steve throw each other concerned looks as Steve heads back to his bedroom. The next morning Tony tells him that the rest of the team had been "magically" knocked out after waking to Friday's warnings. Steve had more questions than answers. Why leave him and Tony awake? What did Loki have that Amora wanted? How long until she's back?

Tony hadn't gone to bed but instead went to his lab to work on the Norn Stones targeting system. If last night told him anything, it was that this fight is coming faster than they thought. Bruce had gone to join him later that morning as Steve and Natasha fed Thor and Loki.

Loki was back to his pale Asgaridain form this morning with some of his hair pulled back with a hair tie. He was complaining about it getting in his eyes, so Wanda put it up for him. The toddler hasn't mentioned anything about last night. When Bruce asked him how he was doing earlier, he only responded with a nod. Natasha, however, noticed how whenever Steve left his line of sight, the boy tensed and looked around for him.

After breakfast, Steve and Clint sat with Loki and helped with the boy's new puzzle after finishing the last one. Thor decided he wanted to do something else, so Wanda and Vision were playing hide and seek with the nine-year-old around the tower.

Steve knew that Asgard was aware of everything that happened on Earth, so he wasn't surprised when the Bifrost shot down onto the balcony just before lunch.

"Sigyn!" Loki cried, running as fast as his little legs could carry him. She crouched down in hold him in his arms before taking his hand and guiding him back to the others. She went to Steve first.

"What did Amora want?"

The captain sighed, as retailed last nights or rather this morning's events. It all happened so quickly, and Steve realized he never got to question Loki about what Amora had been talking about. As if Amora can see him thinking it, she asks Loki this exact question.

The toddler looks confused and looks to Steve with his arms out. Steve sets him on his hip but then repeats the question to him.

"What do you have that Amora wants, Loki?" The toddler stares at Steve for a while before he finally speaks.

"The stones."

"What! Loki, do you have the Norn Stones?!" Sigyn exclaimed, her eyes widening as the toddler over Steve's shoulder at Natasha, not wanting to look at Sigyn. However, he quickly realizes that the agent's stern glare isn't any better.

"Uh-huh," Loki nods. Sigyn looks like a mix of panic and anger as she struggles to put her thoughts together. Steve is shocked too, he sets Loki down on the couch and stands in front of him with Sigyn. The two-year-old whines as he's put down, but Steve doesn't react.

"Why would you take them?" Steve asks, clenching his fists. He can't help but feel he's been tricked into thinking Loki's some innocent child when he's still the same God of Mischief. Loki only shrugs in response, which does nothing to calm Steve's suspicions.

"Where are they now, Loki?" Sigyn asks.

"I don't remember!" Loki whimpers, pulling his arms to his chest as the adults in the room look at him angrily. Steve sighs, softening, and picks the toddler up again. Sigyn runs her hands down her face and makes an exasperated noise.

"Well, I did come with some good news." She tells them, taking their silence as a sign for her to continue. " I know a way we can reverse Amora's spell."