I pulled Loki into a very needed hug.

I wrap my arms tightly around his shoulder, shakily holding him against me. I forgot suddenly his crimes, and I realize how desperately I had missed him. "By Asgard, Loki, I thought you were dead," I said shakily, allowing myself one single moment to bury my nose into his shoulder. He doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around me. I start to see a glimpse of the old Loki, and by the though of it I pull him tighter to me, trying not to cry. "I thought I was, every second I was away from you," He said silently, his voice straining, as if he was battling against something inside him. "Just, try not to kill anyone else, okay?" I say, my voice sounding a little shaky and muffled by Loki's shoulder. He doesn't answer, and he pulls away from me, I start wiping the tears out of my eyes. "Just please, Lyra. Get far away from here." Loki pleads, his eyes searching for compliance in my face. My chest pained with the realization that Loki needed me away from him because he wasn't going to stop taking peoples lives. My eyes saddened and I had to do something, I couldn't just sit there knowing something terrible would happen.

I lean forward so my lips are right next to Loki's ear. "I'm sorry about this." I mutter, my breath still shaky. Before he reacts, I grab his wrist and twist his arm suddenly, pushing him back and pressing down on his leg joints so he falls to his knees with lightning speed, just like I had don't so many times on Asgard, I force his wrists together and click the unfamiliar handcuffs onto his wrists.

"I can't let you hurt anyone else. I'm sorry." I mutter painstakingly. I had gotten quite good at my reflexes when cuffing someone, after all, I did it a lot, even before Midgård. The lady of black widows herself taught me that trick with the new, normal, cuffs. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride at how good I had gotten, but that immediately was lost when I knew that I had doubled crossed the only man I'd ever cared for this deeply.

I press the com in my ear. "Natasha, do you hear me?" I ask. "Loud and clear, Clovin." She answers. "I've got Loki, bring the jet over, is the captain with you?" I say into the com. "No, he went after Stark and the thunder guy, bringing the jet over now." Natasha says. Loki turns his head at me. "You know, I expected more of you, love." Loki says, grinning. I furrow my brows, his eyes glowed blue again. What the actual hell is going on with him? A short while later, the jet lands next to us, followed by Thor, Steve, and Tony. "I am going to assume you worked it out amongst yourselves?" I inquired, Tony nodded and winked at me. "You bet, shortcake." Tony says, I roll my eyes at him. "I told you to stop calling me that, I loathe that title." I mutter, he grins at me "It's funnier every time." Tony says boarding the jet. "It's not humorous to anyone but yourself, Stark!" I call after him. "I found it amusing." Loki whispers. "Shut up, Loki." I whisper harshly. I say, pushing him up into the jet. "See, Hot Topic agrees with me." Tony says. I furrowed my eyebrows but hid my confusion. "What did you just call me?" Loki says, sounding offended.

"Hot Topic is a punk store." I say, shaking my head in amusement, though I hoped I guessed right. I only had so much knowledge of Midgard . "What is a punk store?" Loki says, now sounding confused and annoyed, I opened my mouth to reply but to be honest I didn't know myself. That was what Tony told me long ago. "Are you from outer space or something?" Tony says, rolling his eyes. I sit Loki back down in the jet, "He's from another planet, remember?" I smart off just as the jet takes off. Natasha walks over and sticks a muzzle on Loki's face, earning venomous looks from him. "Can you please cut it out?" Natasha says. "Tell me Lyra, what is this weird device the lady of black widows has given to me?" Thor says, I shrugged discretely, forgetting the name of it already. New customs were hard to learn. "Oh my god, you two are meant to be," Tony said, motioning between Thor and I and referring to the confusion I had shared on my first encounter with Midgard.

"It's a comm, Thor. I explained it to you already." Nat sighs. "What is this, dumb and dumber?" Tony says, motioning his hand between Thor and Loki. Loki rolls his eyes, Natasha had put the muzzle on him so he couldn't say anything, and thank the Gods for her. Thor gives me a confused look but I wave him off. "I swear, that was the most ludicrous thing I've ever seen in my life." I say, remembering when Tony had forced me to watch it with him and his significant other Pepper. "C'mon, it's a classic." Tony says. "What is your definition of classic?" Steve butts in. "If you want to know a real classic, watch the Wizard of Oz." Steve says, grinning suddenly.

"I haven't seen that movie in like 20 years." Tony says, "No wonder they call you the man out of time." Tony adds, scoffing. "Also about the fact that I had been frozen since the 40s." Steve snaps, glowering at Tony. "Woah, Captain." Nat says, laughing. Thor gives me a confused look and I let out another muffled laugh.

"Lyra back me up here." Steve says. "Sorry, captain. I haven't seen that one. I've only been on Midgård fo- I mean I've only seen so many movies." I correct. The last thing I want was to be separated as an alien. I saw how people look at Thor and Loki. I've built a relationship with these people. I don't want to change that, and these two idiots just soared in like nobody's business, compromising millenniums worth of guarding Midgård from the Nine Realms' affairs. I was not going to make it any worse and was going to play this off as safely as possible, hopefully nothing else will happen to make anyone else realize other Realms exist. I could fix this... probably.

Thor looks at me curiously, but thankfully doesn't mention the fact that I am not from Midgard. "I forgot to ask. How do you know Thor and Loki?" Tony asks suddenly. "They were in the New Jersey when I was with Jane, ran into them then when Loki tried to kill everyone. So, nothing much has changed." I say. Thank Odin for Loki's muzzle, he would no doubt correct me on what actually happened. "You think so low of me, love." I flinch, forgetting that he can communicate with me that way. I noticed the blue flint of his eyes in my peripheral and a shiver rolls down my spine.

Thor notices and rolls his eyes. I'm sure he too has experienced Loki's telepathy. "Seriously cut that out its getting old." I say in my mind. Loki grins at me, and I turn away, slightly blushing in my skin, remembering what he heard me think. "Did he succeed?" Steve asks. "Well, last I checked everyone's alive in the New Jersey, but who knows." I say sarcastically. Steve sighs. "I meant did anyone die." He says. "Thankfully all the injured got immediate medical attention. So, everyone lived." I say, that medical attention was me, but they needn't know that.

"I helped." Thor says. "So, you two are what- besties now?" Tony asks. "Aquintances." I correct him. Thor crosses his arms and I smile at him apologetically, we had been inseparable when we were children and we practically like brother and sister. Except for the whole destined-to-be-married shebang. The jet comes to an abrupt stop, letting everyone know the flight is over. The hatch opens. "Fury wants Loki in the containment unit we kept you-know-who in a while ago. Need you to get 'em, Lyra." Nat calls. "Roger that, Nat." I grin at my words then add "Hey that rhymed." "Please never do that again." Natasha groans. "Roger that, Nat." I say, saluting mockingly. She rolls her eyes and I walk over to Loki. "I'm sorry" I want to say, but the words are stuck on my tongue. Why did I feel the need to apologize?

Maybe it's because I know something is wrong with him, and still I parade him toward these people that despise him.

I do sneak a peak at him, and just in time or I would have missed it, I saw Loki's eyes flicker green for a moment as words bellow in my brain, "It's alright, love."