RR9

After saying goodbye to the other Avengers, Tony and Thor started their journey to Asgard. When they got to the portal site, they went over the plan again.

"You're sure your father in in Odinsleep?" Tony asked. Odinsleep is the one time a year that Odin sleeps in order to regain the strength he needs in order to keep his realm safe.

"I am certain my friend. Heimdall will know what we are doing though. He is all seeing. If he lets us pass, then we know we will succeed in bringing Loki back to the prison. He would not let us pass if we were to fail." Thor sounded confident that the Asgardian sentry would let them pass.

Tony was a bit skeptical but trusted Thors judgment. "Well alright then, lead the way. This outfit is ridiculous enough."

Thor laughed at Tony's new outfit. He had his iron man suit on but without the hand pieces so that he would look more god like. He had on raised boots over his suit in order to make him taller, and he was wearing a red and gold cloak to hide his suit. He could almost pass as a god if you squinted hard enough.

Thor called to Heimdall and the portal opened almost immediately, a promising sign. The two stepped in and all Tony had to do to keep from getting sick is closing his eyes and picturing Natasha lying on that table back in his lab, scared and broken. This mental image gave him the strength and determination to go through with the journey to another realm.

When he opened his eyes, he was amazed to see all of the gold and rainbow colors before him. His eyes followed the colorful Bifrost bridge all the way to the palace on the other side. Then all of a sudden, a large figure appeared before him. It was Heimdall.

Thor cautiously chose his words to speak to the guardian. "Heimdall, my friend. You know what we are to do. We are running out of time and we need him. Allow us to bring Loki back with us with my word of returning him. In our haste, no one will know that he is missing."

Heimdall said nothing. Instead, he stared at the two before him before giving a sigh and nodding his head.

"Thank you my friend," Thor said happily. Tony and Thor went to move on until Heimdalls giant hand stopped Tony. Tony looked up at the large man with a bit of fear in his eyes. For the first time, Heimdall spoke.

"I am only allowing this because she is the key to unlock the part in him which is good."

Tony didn't understand. Before he could question the god, he had already turned and went back to his post. Tony just shook his head and caught up to Thor on the Bifrost.

"What did he say my iron friend?"

"Nothing, let's go." Tony was so confused but he had to put that out of his mind and continue with the mission.

When they got to the other side of the Bifrost, Tony followed Thor through the hallways and only when they started to go down did Tony speak.

"So are we just going to walk into the prison and grab a key, unlock Loki's door, and walk out? This is Asgard, I imagined horrible creatures and fighting and loud noises.

Thor laughed to himself. "There is nothing we can't handle my friend. We are AVENGERS!" His voice boomed down the hallways.

"Thor, buddy, no one can know we are here, sooooo wanna keep it down?"

"Oh yeah, it's just that my dear brother and I would hold contests to see who could be louder. I got carried away, it won't happen again." Thor looked a little sad. He missed the days of him and Loki roaming the palace together and just having fun.

The two continued down the winding halls to the prison. The gleaming gold walls turned to stone and the light was dimmer. It had a foul smell and the mood turned solemn.

After a while, Thor said. "We are here." The two stood before a set of massive doors, encrusted with iron.

"Why are there no guards here?" Tony asked Thor.

"Because no one would be willing to die behind those doors to take a prisoner."

Tony looked at him questionably. "Die? What is behind those doors dude?"

"The most horrible creatures you could ever meet. They see into your soul and bring your darkest fears to life. If you make it past them, you gain entrance into the prison."

"What do you mean if I make it past them? I could die?"

"Yes, but I know how to get through." Thor was beaming. He knew something Tony didn't for once."

"Okay then, lead the way big guy." Tony had to trust him, he had to get Loki out in order for him to help Natasha.

Thor grasped the enormous handles and pulled the giant doors open. Even with his god like strength, it was a challenge for him. Once the doors were opened, the two stepped through and the doors immediately slammed shut, trapping them inside.

"Okay Thor, we are now trapped. What do we do?"

"We walk right through."

"What? What do you mean walk right through? You just said that there were horrible creatures in here that could kill us and bring our darkest fears to life!"

"I did say that man of iron, but, what is your darkest fear? Tell me."

Tony thought about it for a minute, then he realized what was going on. His darkest fear is to lose one of his teammates. His teammates are the closest thing he had to family and he loved every single one of them...in their own way of course.

"Don't you see Tony? You are already living your darkest fear, I'm just glad I was right."

"What do you mean if you were right?"

"Well, the moment the doors closed, we were still alive and not attacked. So I was right." Thor was smiling so hard because his plan had worked. "The creatures only attack when they sense your fears and then they bring them out. You were already fearful of losing Natasha so there was nothing the creatures could do."

"You took all of this on a gamble!" Tony was furious. "We could have died and no one would have been able to find us. Natasha could have died when we didn't bring help back. How could you have done this?"

Thor looked wise all of a sudden and answered him calmly. "Because the blind see clearer than the seeing. You do not ever know your greatest fear. It is only when you think about it you conjure up what you think is your greatest fear, and the creatures play upon that. This was the only way, and I thought you were living your greatest fear anyways, and I was right."

Tony understood. "But why are you still alive then? What's your greatest fear?"

"I do not know my greatest fear my friend. I am still alive because I have Odinblood within my veins. I am the future ruler of this realm and my father's son. I must have access to all parts of this realm. No creature would dare attack its master."

"I see," Tony said. They started walking through the giant room. It was full of the skeletons and decaying bodies of those who did not make it.

When they got to the other side, they pushed open the door together and were met with a blast of cold, damp air. There were cells along both sides and they were all empty, except for the one on the end. They walked down to it and there he was. Loki. Loki looked up to Thor with a small smile on his face, and then his smile fell when he saw Tony.

"How did he make it through brother?"

"I cannot tell you brother, but we need your help."

Loki looked at them mischievously. "And why would I help you. You threw me in this rotten prison. I'm not really in the helping mood."

This made Tony angry and he reached through the bars and grabbed the raven haired man by his collar. "Because, Loki, my friend will DIE if you do not come with us right now and save her."

Loki's face lit up. "Her? Your adoring lady, ahhhhh what was her name? Pepper? Haha never in a million years would I help you. You are one of the reasons I was put here."

"Not Pepper you bastard, Natasha. I used a Chitauri crystal in one of my damned machines and now she won't wake up and she's trapped in her mind in the past."

Loki's face changed the moment Tony said Natasha's name. "Natasha? What part of the past is she trapped in? Is she okay?"

"Okay? Why do you care?" Tony said. But he answered him after he released Loki's collar. "She's back in her time in Russia, when she was younger in the Red Room. Whatever is happening to her younger self in her mind, is actually happening to her body as she lays on that table back in my lab."

Loki's mind started racing. Red Room, Natasha, that night out in the snow, the flash of red hair, blood, blood everywhere, and that cry of loss. That cry haunts him every time he closes his eyes to sleep at night.

"Earth to Loki? Well, Asgard to Loki, you in there?" Loki had spaced out as he was thrown into a whirlwind of memories.

"I'm here, just, thinking. Is she remembering?"

"What do you mean? That's the whole reason she went back. Well, kinda. She wanted to go back and relive everything so that I could understand her better."

Loki turned furious. "BUT I MADE HER FORGET. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE! SHE CAN'T REMEMBER. It will crush her. She made me promise she would never remember." He said the last part mostly to himself but Thor and Tony still head.

Tony confused, again. "You made her forget? She's never met you until last year, when you tried to kill us all. Right?"

"No, I met her long ago, but I made her forget. She never wanted to remember. So I took her memories. She didn't know who I was up until last year."

"Made her forget what? Tell us dear brother." Thor wanted to know just as bad as Tony. Loki had never mentioned his meeting with Natasha to him before.

"No." But I will help you. I owe her. Loki turned away as Thor opened his cell. That haunting cry echoed in his ears once more and a tear slipped down his face. He wiped it off and turned to walk out of the cell. He was free, but he didn't want to escape Tony and Thor. He had to help Natasha.