"We're almost there!" one of the adults at the front of the trail of hikers called.

The words caused an instant shift in Loki and Thor. First, Loki shifted back to male form, at least until tonight when he was planning on sharing a tent with Wanda as Lady Loki. It was safer for all of them if Loki was close by. Her nightmares could get out of control too easily and they wouldn't put the Midgardian children in danger, or make Wanda feel bad for an accident. So Loki would be staying with her.

Second, Thor raised his umbrella-shaped Mjolnir and summoned lightning as Loki used magic and both of them summoned their armor. Not their full battle armor, but the most casual travel versions. They were both treating this like a camping or hunting trip back home. Thor strode forward to take the lead, Loki following just behind. These children and incompetent mortal adults were their charges for the weekend and they would make sure they made it safely through.

Maybe letting the pair chaperone wasn't the best idea.

Peter and Wanda hurried to catch up to try to keep the brothers out of too much trouble.

Loki surveyed the campsite as soon as they arrived and he and Thor knew each other so well that they didn't even need to discuss their plans. One of the other adults came up to them while they were surveying, while the teens stared in awe at the display of power they had just witnessed. He approached the brothers and started speaking. "Hey guys. I know being outdoors is strange for us city-folk. I've done a ton of camping. Let me show you-"

Thor and Loki turned to the man at the same time with equal looks of disbelief. "We are more experienced than you believe," Thor finally told him so Loki wouldn't just stab the man, who seemed to finally realize that the gods had a lot more experience than it seemed. Loki summoned all of their supplies and Thor surveyed the campsite. The kids were staring at them in awe and confusion. "Children, gather here!" Thor called to get their attention. The kids scrambled to obey while the adults watched on in shock and confusion as the brothers took charge.

"We must set up the camp, the fire, and gather food and proper supplies before sunset," Loki informed them all. The brothers had also taken plenty of youths out on hunts and were used to leading such expeditions. "The most effective way of accomplishing all of these goals is to play to our individual strengths," the teens nodded along with rapt attention. "For example, Thor is better at gathering firewood and lifting and carrying, while I, with my magic, can set a fire in moments, so my skills are put to better use setting up and magically shielding the camp while Thor hunts and gathers. We are going to do that same thing here." The teens looked concerned, as did the adults, but Thor and Loki seemed to both seem like they knew what they were doing, so they let them continue. They'd step in if the Asgardians got out of hand. Loki surveyed the teens and turned to Peter. "Arachnid, the correct term for their groupings is... clique, correct?"

Peter nodded. "Yes, there are the jocks, athletes," he clarified quickly "the smart kids, artists and drama kids, and of course the delinquents," he listed off a few of the groups.

Loki nodded his thanks and pondered. Thor let his brother think and plan. That was Loki's area of expertise after all. "Athletes with Thor, to gather firewood and dig latrines," he barked out the order and the jocks rushed to obey, gathering by Thor. "Intellectuals, you will be calculating supplies,"

"We brought-" one of the adults tried to interject until Loki glared at him. He didn't care if they brought supplies. The children wouldn't learn to get their own food if they ate off the supplies.

"We need to calculate how many deer, boar, elk, etc, Thor and his group need to kill to feed a group of however-many teenagers, mortal adults, and two Asgardian warriors," Loki told them when they had presented themselves. The nerds gathered near the fire-pit with their calculators, pencils, and the one kid who had cell phone reception to get to work. "Artists, go into the woods and gather as much and many different plants and mushrooms as you can find. We will determine if they are safe to eat and any magical or medicinal properties they contain upon your return. Stay in pairs and do not wander too far. Yell, loudly, if you run into trouble and one of us will come to your aid. Drama and music students, begin assembling the tents, male students will sleep on that side of the fire, females on this side. Those without a group, choose which task fits you best. Wanda, you are with me. We will be setting magical wards on our camp. I expect there will be no one slacking off. Any who attempt it will not like the results," Loki threatened and the kids scrambled to obey.

The adults looked downright impressed at how efficiently the Asgardians had dealt with the teens and spread out to help the different groups.

"Impressive using the cliques to split them into groups," Peter praised Loki. Loki preened under the praise. "They get to work with their friends, and you picked skills they would actually be good at. Smart move getting the drama kids to build the tents. They build all the sets for the plays." Peter knew well how Loki reacted to praise. And this praise was easy, Loki had done a really good job.

"Thank you, Arachnid," Loki replied and ruffled Peter's hair. "Keep the other children away while Lady Wanda and I set the wards on the camp," he told Peter, who nodded in reply. Peter could distract and otherwise occupy anyone from doing anything. The kid's never-ending supply of conversation was good for something. Peter stood guard nearby, while chatting with Ned and the nerds about the task Loki had given them.

Loki sat cross-legged in midair and gestured for Wanda to sit across from him. After a moment's hesitation she did, sitting cross-legged in midair as well. It was a strange sight to the humans who weren't used to seeing magic. Wanda usually tried to keep pretty low-key about her abilities around the mortals, especially around those she went to school with. Loki held his hands out palm up and she set hers on top of his palm down. Red power glowed softly around her and Loki's power shimmered green around him. They sat like that for a long while as Loki taught her how to create a warding around the campsite. A bubble of power spread out from the pair, shimmering with their combined power. It grew and grew and eventually surrounded the entire campsite and a short distance beyond.

Loki gave her a warm smile as he stepped down from where he was sitting in midair and helped her to do so as well. He steadied her when she swayed. "Very well done, little one," he told her warmly and helped her sit on one of the tree stumps next to the fire-pit. "Rest for a little while," he told her and handed her a bottle of water. "That was quite a big spell for a novice,"

She gave him a warm, proud, exhausted smile. "Thanks, Loki," praise from Loki was rare. She sipped obediently on the bottle of water, but fell into a bit of a daze.

"Arachnid, keep an eye on Lady Wanda," Loki told Peter when she was settled and seemed steady enough. Peter nodded.

"Why does he keep calling you 'arachnid'?" one of the nerds asked Peter. Peter gave Loki a frantic look, panicked at his classmates finding out the truth.

"Peter's internship occasionally requires trips to the tower. He was so nervous and starstruck at being around so many superheroes that he stayed in the corner like a spider his entire first visit," Loki made up, lying effortlessly. He shrugged. "The name stuck." The nerds chuckled, but no one questioned Loki's story, or put together that Peter was Spiderman. So it was all good.

Even if Peter weren't particularly pleased with the story Loki had made up.

A slightly embarrassing story was worth his secret identity remaining intact.

And really, the story wasn't that embarrassing.

Soon Thor and his group came back with firewood and Loki started the fire with magic. The tents were erected and Thor's group went back out to hunt for dinner. They had set snares when they first arrived. Thor was appalled that so few of the students knew how to hunt and taught them the basics where thankfully none of the mortal adults could hear.

When the artists returned with plants, Loki carefully went over each plant, mushroom, and herb with them, teaching them which ones were edible. "This one is never to be eaten. It's only purpose is in the creation of poisons and certain nasty potions which even I shall not be teaching you about," Loki informed them and tossed the plant into the fire before it could cause trouble. "Who found this?" he asked as he held up a root that looked like a legume. One of the girls shyly raised her hand. "Very well done, Lady." She sighed in relief that she wasn't getting smited. "These will make an excellent addition to the stew,"

They somehow had enough stew with the legumes, mushrooms, and the deer Thor had brought down to feed everyone. After that, the group sat around telling stories around the fire. Which was really just Thor and Loki telling stories from Asgard while they drank ale and mead.

Once it got too late, the other adults insisted the teens needed to go to their tents and at least pretend to sleep. Peter was sharing a tent with Ned. Thor had his own, since he snored. Lady Loki would be sharing with Wanda, but Loki stayed up with the other adults, who would be partaking in the alcohol once the kids went to bed.

When Loki went to take care of business at the latrine a female voice spoke up behind him. "Turn me back!" Flash demanded, glaring up at Loki. The effect was lessened in a female form she didn't know how to control effectively.

Loki gave her a look. "I will not. I told you the terms of returning to your usual form. Perhaps this experience will teach you to be more kind to those who are unlike you," Loki replied with a shrug. He would turn her back on the way home from the weekend. And he secretly hoped that Flash hadn't learned the lesson this time so he could add another goat to Peter's collection of ugly stupid goats. That would be an appropriate punishment for the bully.

"Turn me back now, fag ass bitch,"

Loki didn't know what a "fag ass bitch" was supposed to be, but he determined it was most definitely an insult when Flash swung at him. Loki caught the punch effortlessly.

"Moronic child," he told Flash with a growl as he held the teen's fist in his hand, halting the kid's movement. "I warned you not to mess with Peter. I am a warrior and have a thousand years of combat experience. Did you seriously think you could best me with a weak punch from a body you are not used to? Pathetic. I should kill you where you stand for the insult alone. But that would upset Peter. Instead, I will give you the chance to cool off and consider yourself lucky I am not doing worse. You know perfectly well what I am capable of," he snarled at Flash before he lifted the teen bodily and threw her into the creek, which he blew frost on just for spite. The brief cold wouldn't hurt the teen. The temperature was warm enough Flash would be fine once the teen got back to the fire.

Flash spluttered and protested and Loki went about his way. He was inordinately proud of himself for dealing with the teen without magic or permanently harming him.

Peter would be proud too.

Loki whistled on his way back to tell Peter the news before Peter actually went to his tent.