Steve Rogers, the man formerly known as Captain America, stood in the empty gym as he pounded his fists into the punching bag in front of him. Images of his life seventy years before flashed through his head as he worked out. One of his hits sent the bag flying. He sighed and hung another one.

"Hey, Steve," a voice said from behind him and he turned with a smile. Agent Alyx Oliver was walking toward him with a file in her hand. She'd been assigned to him when he woke and had been helping him catch up on everything he'd missed out on while he'd been buried in the ice. 

"Agent Oliver," he said in greeting and grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat from his face. "What can I do for you?"

"I am here to recruit you," she said with a small smile.

"Recruit me?"

"Well, Captain America actually." She handed him the file and went over to sit on a bench while he read through it. "What do you think?" she asked when he was finished.

"They should have left that thing where they found it. Who took it?"

"His name is Loki. He's...different. There's a file at your apartment. I'll walk with you, if that's okay."

He looked her over for a moment. "Yeah, that's fine. Let's go."

***

Agents Raven Barton, Natasha Romanoff and Alyx Oliver were on the jet along with Steve Rogers as they headed for Stuttgart, Germany. Raven kept pacing to the front of the jet and looking out the window before going back to her seat and fiddling with her throwing knives.

"Excuse me for saying so, but Agent Sterling seems exceptionally angry."

"It's Agent Barton now. She's Clint's wife," Natasha explained without looking at him, knowing Fury had introduced the other agent by her maiden name. 

"And he shot her," Alyx said with a shrug. 

Natasha looked at her in surprise. "Shit."

Steve glanced back at the woman. "I' beginning to understand why she's so angry."

***

Isolde paced the floor of her small house as she frowned at the television she had set on an international news station. She had been unsettled for days. Something was wrong. A brief thought of calling Heimdall flashed through her brain. He would know instantly what bothered her so.

She took a deep breath and ran her shaking hands down the legs of her jeans trying to calm herself. She shook her head once and screamed in frustration. The princes had not called her. Had not summoned her home. She'd be damned if she went crawling back. She had her pride. And, if she were honest, she was terrified they wouldn't want her there should she show up without invitation.

"A man proclaiming himself to be a god attacked a crowd in Stuttgart, Germany," a voice from the television droned. 

Isolde stopped pacing and turned her attention to the TV. There on the screen, in all his glory, was Loki. As usual, his dark beauty took her breath away, even as she watched appalled as he made people kneel before him. "What have you done, my love?" she murmured. She watched as he fought, as he was taken down. Only absolute fools would think the dark prince would be taken so easily. What was he up to?

There was only one way to find out. If Loki was here causing trouble, Thor would be right behind him. Isolde donned her modified armor and gathered her blades. From a small chest on her bedside table, she removed one of the gold discs and ran her thumb over Thor's personal symbol. Stepping outside, she snapped the disc and waited for her ride.

***

The members of the Avengers initiative gathered in a corner of the bridge to discuss what to do with their newly acquired prisoner. Thor answered questions while still trying to process the fact his brother was alive and trying to take over Midgard.  The man who had worn the metal suit walked into the room accompanied by the Son of Coul. 

The man with the loud mouth stopped near the table and looked at two of the females. "We never formally met," he said with a smirk. "Tony Stark but I'm sure you already knew that."

"Stark, this is Raven Ster--Sorry this is Agent Raven Barton and Agent Alyx Oliver."

"Her I get," he said pointing at Lady Barton. "It was Sterling, right? Impressive portfolio."

The lady in question simply arched a brow and stared at the man.

"All right, then." He cleared his throat and turned to Lady Oliver. "What is she doing here?"

"Agent Oliver is assigned to assist in whatever capacity she is needed," Son of Coul said.

The loud man shook his head. "I don't like it. We don't need a babysitter, Coulson."

Son of Coul took a sheet of paper  out of a file and placed it on the table before sliding it in the other man's direction. His eyes scanned the paper without touching it. Once he was done reading he glanced up in surprise. "Yeah. She can stay."

A sharp pang pierced through Thor's head and he rubbed it with the heel of his hand. A summons? Thor turned his back on the others and concentrated on the buzzing that replaced the pain in his head. The sound that called him, demanded that he answer.

His breath caught. Isolde? Here on Midgard? It wasn't possible.

"Thor!" someone yelled and he turned with a frown.

"Are you okay?" Lady Natasha asked. 

Thor shook his head. "I must go. I will return soon."

***

Isolde sat on her front porch and watched her old friend land in her yard. Her smile was wide as she stood to greet him. Her steps faltered as she noticed the look on his face.

He stood still, looking her over and tears formed in his eyes. "Isolde?" His voice broke on the word. 

"Yes, my prince. It is me," she assured him. 

In three large strides, Thor closed the distance between them and scooped her up in a bone-crushing hug. "You're alive. You're alive. You're alive."

She leaned back and frowned at him. "Of course I am alive. Why would I be otherwise?"

Thor sat her back on her feet and put his large hands on her shoulders as if afraid she would disappear if he didn't keep touching her. "Your friend that was present that eve said that you took your own life by jumping from your balcony We found no trace of you but figured the abyss had taken you."

Isolde blinked as she processed what Thor said. "Jana told you that I jumped?"

Thor nodded.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "That petty, spiteful, selfish bitch," she spat out. "I will have her head for this."

A deep chuckle had her opening her eyes. "It is good to see that you have not changed, my friend," Thor said with a grin.

She grabbed his wrists. "I need you to understand something, Thor. I left you and Loki a letter and two summoning discs. I explained why I was leaving and bade you to call should you ever need me. I assume you never received those if you thought me dead."

"No. We did not. We were broken by your loss but none so much as my brother. He grieves still."

Her heart skipped a beat at the words but she knew he was mistaken. She knew what she'd seen that night and she hadn't been the woman on Loki's mind. "Speaking of Loki...what happened, Thor?"

He sighed and took a step back, letting his hands drop to his sides, though she kept her grip on his wrists. "Father named me heir. When Loki confronted him, he discovered that he is not of Asgard. He is of Jotunheim. Father found him and brought him home. He was already altered by your loss and this news only served to drive him further over the edge."

He broke from her grasp and turned so his back was to her. "We fought. I thought him dead until recently. I fear he does this in some twisted need for revenge. I can not reach him, Izzy."

Suddenly, he snapped back around and stared at her with wide eyes. "But you can. Not only because of your powers but because of who you are. If he is going to heed anyone, it would be you. Say you will come with me. Help me bring the Loki we both know and love back."

"Why do you think I summoned you, my friend?" she answered with a smile.