"He stayed here when we went for shawarma to test out some of the lab equipment he got for Christmas." Wanda explained, picking up a piece of the ceramic mug and turning it over in her fingers.

Loki was silent, feeling very guilty.

"It's my fault. I never should have accepted Dr. Reese's hospitality. If I'd just stayed on Asgard while Thor was away, I never would have gotten caught up in this. Most of the asgardians would still be alive and Bruce wouldn't be missing." He wailed, putting his head in his hands.

"Loki, none of this is your fault. You shouldn't have trusted her, but you didn't know." Thor said, placing a comforting hand on Loki's back.

Something in the trickster's eyes changed, then. His face became enraged and he shoved Thor away, standing up.

"Well guess what, Thor! If you hadn't gone on that stupid trip and had actually treated me like a brother, then maybe I wouldn't have run off!"

Sigyn walked into the room just as Loki headed for the door.

"Loki? Are you alright? I was just going to ask if you wanted to spend some time with me and Åsmund, but-"

She was cut off by Brunnhilde.

"Loki doesn't need to spend any time with you! You betrayed him, and you don't deserve to even look him in the eye!"

Sigyn looked mortified as the Valkyrie continued to verbally attack her. The room erupted in a series of shouts, curses, and names thrown around before Tony yelled something, silencing the group.

"Everyone SHUT UP!!!! Loki is gone!"

They all turned to see the door wide open, with no sign of the god of mischief.
***
Loki stood with his arms crossed in the middle of Grand Central Station. He checked the time on his phone and saw that it was a minute short of 11:00. He'd been waiting for hours, having plenty of time to talk himself out of it.

Yet here he was, ready to sacrifice himself for Manhattan.

Who would have thought that someone could change so dramatically in such a small amount of time?

The time turned 11:00, and almost instantly, he saw a slender figure in a dark coat and sunglasses making her way towards him. Her hair was meticulously arranged into a tight bun, not a single strand out of place.

Dr. Pamela Reese approached him with a small smile.

"Glad to see you've come to your senses. Follow me, please."

Loki glanced up at the starry sky as he stepped out of Grand Central Station. It could be the last time he ever saw the sky again.

He was led to a black limousine, and sat across from Pamela, who casually applied a thin layer of gloss on her lips. She removed her sunglasses as they drove off.

"Champagne?" She asked, pulling two champagne flutes and a bottle of the fizzy liquid out of the limo's built in cooler.

"I think I'll pass." He replied, trying to remain as defiant as possible.

"Really? I would think that you'd want to celebrate this momentous occasion! Together, we will be unstoppable, Loki. The least you could do is have a drink."

She dangled a small remote in front of his face, reminding him that Manhattan's doom was just a click of a button away.

"Fine." He said with a sigh, taking one of the glasses from her outstretched hands.

He sipped the champagne, trying to hide his fury. Pamela's calm, collected demeanor was infuriating, and he found himself wanting to reach across the small space in between them and strangle her. She seemed to know what he was thinking, for she looked him dead in the eyes and traced her finger along the small red button.

The ride passed by uneventfully, comprised mostly of the woman's incessant teasing and unusually calm small talk. By the time they reached the H.O.P.E. HQ, the sun was beginning to rise, painting a gorgeous picture of rich oranges, reds, and purples highlighting the snow capped mountains. He had to admit, the view was quite beautiful.

"Stunning, isn't it?" Pamela asked, admiring the sunset.

Loki shrugged.

"I suppose it's nice."

She put a hand on his shoulder, causing his entire body to turn cold. He felt violated and exposed. No one was allowed to touch him like that besides Brunnhilde, and Sigyn when they were still together.

Sigyn.

Åsmund.

What had he done?! By sacrificing himself, he'd doomed his ex wife to raise Åsmund alone, and his son would grow up without a father. He pushed the thoughts away as he entered the facility.

"Miss Katrina Scott will escort you to your private quarters. She will serve as your trainer and guide through my facility, and I trust that you will at least tolerate her for now." She said as she broke away from Loki and her soldiers, who had been flanking him since he'd stepped through the doors.

Another woman began to walk briskly alongside him. Her cobalt blue hair and eyes were intriguing, to say the least, and Loki couldn't help but suspect that there was a story behind them. She wore a black leather catsuit with H.O.P.E.'s logo emblazoned on the shoulder.

"Hi, I'm Katrina, but let's skip the formality. Call me Kat."

He nodded and fought to keep up with her long strides. They were silent until they reached a door, where Kat had him place his hand on a scanner to open the reinforced steel door.

"What is a young woman like you doing working for a psychopath like that?" He asked before he stepped into the room.

"Dr. Pamela is no psychopath. She is a godsend for people like you and me. We might be powerful, but we need guidance. If you request, she will provide."

Loki raised an eyebrow.

"That didn't answer my question."

She glared at him, her eyes blazing. Almost as soon as her anger seemed like it was beginning to take over, she twitched a bit and returned her to her default state. Calm and in control.

"Breakfast is at 6:00 every morning, training begins at 7:00. It would be wise if you are on time to both places. Oh, and wear the uniform." She pointed to a freshly pressed H.O.P.E. uniform folded neatly on a chair in his room.

Before he could say any more, Kat had already disappeared around the corner.

Loki looked around the massive room in front of him and sighed.

He would find a way to see Åsmund again, and he would get back to the team. Reese may be able to take away his freedom, but she could not take away his determination to get out of that hellhole.