They stood guard over Loki on the Quinjet, getting him back to the Helicarrier as quickly as possible. Loki said nothing and offered no further resistance. Captain America leaned in close to Tony Stark and said, “I don’t like it.”

“What—Rock of Ages giving up so easily?”

Steve snorted. “I don’t remember it being that easy. This guy packs a wallop.”

“Still, you’re pretty spry for an older fellow,” Tony said. “What’s your thing—Pilates? Oh, right. That’s kind of like calisthenics. You must have missed a lot while you were doing time as a Capsicle.”

Steve didn’t take the bait. He knew Tony liked to get under people’s skin. All he said was, “Fury didn’t tell me he was calling you in.”

“Yeah, there’re a lot of things Fury doesn’t tell you.”

A sudden storm rose around the Quinjet. Natasha looked at the instrument panel. There’d been no warning of heavy weather. “Where’s this coming from?” she wondered out loud.

At first, she thought that Loki was responsible. But that didn’t appear to be the case. He looked more nervous than anyone else on the jet.

“What’s the matter?” Cap asked. “You scared of a little lightning?”

“I’m not overly fond of what follows,” Loki replied.

A loud crack of thunder punctuated Loki’s remark, and soon after, the Quinjet rocked as something huge landed on top of the jet. Captain America and Iron Man suited up, preparing to respond. From a jet cam, Natasha could see a man in full battle armor crouching on top of the jet, illuminated by the lightning that crashed around him. He had long blond hair and held a square-headed hammer.

Iron Man punched the button that lowered the rear gangway of the Quinjet. Turbulence rocked the plane, and the wind inside swirled wildly. “What are you doing?” Steve shouted over the tempest.

As the ramp got all the way open, the hammer-bearing attacker appeared on the gangway.

Stunned, Iron Man held up his hands to fire a repulsor blast, but before he could act, the hammer hit him square in the gut, knocking him into Captain America and tangling both of them in a heap up front near the cockpit. With Iron Man and Captain America out of commission, the blond warrior grabbed Loki around the neck, and before anyone could do anything about it, he raised the hammer and jumped back out of the Quinjet, disappearing into the storm.

“Another Asgardian?” Natasha called from the cockpit.

“That guy’s a friendly?” Steve asked. It was hard to believe.

“Doesn’t matter,” Iron Man said. “If he frees Loki — or kills him—the Tesseract’s lost.”

“Stark, we need a plan of attack!” Steve said as Iron Man stomped toward the open gangway.

“I have a plan,” Iron Man said over his shoulder. “Attack.”

Then he rocketed out of the ship.

Steve was amazed at the speed at which Tony moved. He grabbed a parachute and strapped it on.

Natasha looked at him skeptically. They were thousands of feet above land, the Quinjet was moving at a supersonic clip, and—as far as she knew—Captain America couldn’t fly.

“I’d sit this one out, Cap,” she said.

“I don’t see how I can,” Steve said.

“These guys come from legend. They’re basically gods.”

Maybe Steve was old-fashioned, but he didn’t think so. “There’s only one God, ma’am. And I’m pretty sure he doesn’t dress like that.”

Then he took three steps to the edge of the gang-way, gauged the Quinjet’s slipstream, and jumped.

Thor let Loki fall well before they got to the ground. Loki’s impact dug up a trench on the forested hillside, and he lay groaning while Thor landed near him. “Where is the Tesseract?”

With a pained laugh, Loki said, “I missed you, too.”

“Do I look to be in a gaming mood?”

“You should thank me,” Loki said. He was starting to get up. “With the Bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the All-Father have to muster to conjure you here, to your precious Earth?”

Thor dropped Mjolnir and caught his brother by the shirtfront, giving him a quick but powerful shake. “I thought you were dead,” he growled.

“Did you mourn?”

“We all did. Our father—”

“Your father,” Loki replied. He swatted Thor’s hands away, and Thor let him. “He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?”

“Loki, we were raised together. We played together; we fought together. Do you remember none of that?”

“I remember a shadow,” Loki said bitterly. “Living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I who was and should be king!”

Because you would have destroyed Asgard, Thor thought. Just to impress our father, you would have annihilated all the Nine Realms. “So you took the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights? No. The Earth is under my protection, Loki.”

Loki chuckled. “And you’re doing a marvelous job with that. The humans slaughter each other in droves while you idly fret. I mean to rule them, and why should I not?”

“You think yourself above them?”

“Well, yes.”

“Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother,” Thor said sadly. “A throne would suit you ill.”

Suddenly furious, Loki raged at Thor. “I’ve seen worlds you’ve never known about! I have grown, Odinson, in my exile. I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it—”

“Who showed you this power?” Thor interrupted. “Who controls the would-be king?”

“I am a king!” Loki screamed.

Stepping right up to his brother, Thor shouted back. “Not here! You give up the Tesseract! You give up this poisonous dream!” Then he softened. “You come home.”

“I don’t have it,” Loki said. Furious, Thor brought Mjolnir to his hand, ready for battle. “You need the cube to send me home, but I’ve sent it off, I know not where.”

This was a lie, Thor knew it. “You listen well, brother—”

He was cut off by Iron Man, rocketing in from the side at close to the speed of sound and hitting Thor with the force of a train. sIRTYa78tcYaWS/wGV7XwZLv/zXGqnEHMej5NglAhoClJWQnhDbzMUj3PHj3fr9p