"Where is he?" Steve yelled, bursting into Tony's room, the team at his heels. "Tony?" he asked, stopping short when he saw the man sitting on the floor with his back propped against the dresser. His eyes were glazed and empty as he stared into nothing. A piece of paper was clutched so tightly in his hands his knuckles had gone white.
"Anthony!" Thor boomed, his eyes wild. Tony snapped out of his daze and swiveled his head to look at the group with mild confusion, as if he'd just woken up to see them all standing in his bedroom. "Where is Loki?" Thor boomed "Where is my brother?"
Tony opened his mouth, but no words came out. He looked at the Norse god and whimpered as he held out the paper. Thor grabbed it from his hands, his eyes moving across the message before he sunk to his knees.
"Where is Loki?" Natasha asked, her voice smaller than usual.
Tony just shrugged, a sob escaping his lips. "With Thanos…" he choked, covering his mouth with his hand in a weak attempt to quell his sobs.
"Then let's go get him!" Bruce said. His eyes were locked on Tony, the last time he had seen anyone so broken, was Loki back when he had first come to Midgard. It tore at his chest to see his friend, his best friend, so broken.
"Mortals cannot survive." Thor said, his voice guarded, cold. He was strangely numb and knew that it was only a matter of time before he broke.
"We'll go to Asgard first then," Clint said with worry in his eyes "Odin will have some sort of solution."
The group, save Thor, nodded in agreement, a glimmer of hope just within their reach. "I suppose there will be no arguing with you all." Thor sighed, suddenly tired and wanted nothing more than to wake from this ongoing nightmare.
"Thor," Steve said as he stared into the god's empty blue eyes "he will die if we don't save him."
Thor felt the tears beginning to prick his eyes, shock ebbing into utter sorrow now. He had worked so long and hard and desperately to bring Loki back to him. Now he was gone. But, no. No, Thor would not lose him. He would not lose him again because he thought his brother dead. "Very well," he said "let us go."

---

The group barely registered the pain of being brutally whipped through the Bifrost as they tumbled through. They clambered to their feet, looking around in a daze.
"My prince," Heimdall said with a grunt "welcome back."
"Where is my father?" Thor asked, his voice growing more frantic by the second.
"He is in the throne room. And sir," He stopped Thor as he made to rush passed the gate keeper "work with haste, our little prince will not last much longer." Panic rang fresh in the team as they raced across the rainbow bridge through corridors until they reached the giant golden door that was the throne room entrance.
"Father!" Thor boomed as he threw open the doors, bursting in with the group at his heels. There was no time for frivolous formalities so Thor did not bother to bow. "Father, we must hurry!"
"Thor," Odin said, eye wide with shock and confusion as his oldest son, who was supposed to be on Midgard protecting his youngest, burst forth "what are you doing here?"
"Father," Thor's voice was strained and broken "they took him, they took Loki."
"What?" Odin asked, his voice raising "Who?"
"The one called Thanos." Thor breathed "He has been turning entire races against Midgard, encouraging them to wage war against them, they wanted Loki. So," Thor's voice cracked "he thought the only way to protect Midgard, would be to sacrifice himself." Thor's breath was shaky now, tears threatening to rain down "He will die. He will die, we must hurry!"
"Would it not be best," a voice sounded "to leave him?"
The team, and Odin, whirled towards the voice and were shocked to see none other than Hogan, one of the warrior three. The team had not noticed the crowd in the room that had, now, obviously been in the middle of a meeting.
"He is atoning for his sins." Hogan continued "After all, he did not even finish his sentence for his crimes against Midgard and Asgard. Now, he will atone by dying for Midgard and appeasing the Chitauri."
"You…" Tony growled, fire burning in his chest, eyes dark and mouth set "You… fucking ass little piece of shit!" he was in front of the warrior in no more than a dozen strides, his fist connecting with the Asgardian's jaw in less than a heartbeat. "Midgard does not want him dead, you fucking cunt! Loki is an Avenger, just like me and Thor! He atoned plenty in that hell hole of a jail here! So if you don't shut that fucking hole on that piece of shit you call a face, I will shut it for you!"
Hogan stared at Tony for more than one reason, the first most being that the man had actually punched him hard enough to make him stumble, second being that the man had the gall to yell at him. He stood his full height, towering over Tony, glared down at the fuming man.
"Ah," Fandral said, smirking at Tony "I see. You are Loki's mate."
Tony whirled around, eyes flashing with more malice than he thought possible
"Yes," Fandral sneered "that is why you're so worked up." He chuckled, seemingly forgetting that he was in Odin's presence, seemingly forgetting that it was Odin's own son he was insulting "You're afraid you're going to lose your bed-mate. I've never seen anyone so worked up over a wench before." A fist connected with his jaw, but this time it was not Tony. It was not Thor or Steve or Bruce or Clint, it was Odin.
"Listen to me, you blasphemous child," Odin spat as the warrior looked up in terror from his acquired spot on the ground "I have over looked the past, forgiven you and your friends past actions against my son. I see now that I made a mistake. You seem to think that, because you are comrades of Thor that you are special, but let me tell you something. Loki is as much my son as Thor. Your insulting my son is insulting me. You insulting my son's chosen mate is insulting me." Odin boomed, Fandral shrinking all the while "Leave my sights, warrior three. You will relinquish your titles, your ranks, your weapons and your pride. You will not be banished, yet. Now go, before I change my mind."
The warrior three scurried away, pausing beside Thor. They looked at him, begging for some sign that he did not share his father's views. No such sign came.
"Thor," Volstagg said, uncharacteristic pleading in his voice "please."
"This is not the past." Thor's voice was cold, an unkind edge there that they had never heard in their friend's voice before "I have seen the error of my ways. Loki is a far more befitting king than I, it is due time you three realized this. Loki sacrificed himself for a planet not his own, he is far more noble than any of you. Leave my sights, you sicken me." Hurt was clear in their strong eyes as they walked out, shoulders slumped in shame.
"Now," Odin said, turning to the group, placing a hand on Tony's shaking back and guiding him to the team "I imagine you all wish to assist." They all nodded "I am sure you are aware that no mortals can survive where Thanos is." They nodded again "And if I told you I had a solution…"
"We would agree without hesitation." Steve said for the sake of the team. Odin held out his hand and, to Thor's amazement and the team's confusion, a golden apple materialized on the palm of his hand.
"Father…" Thor breathed, staring at the object "surly that is not…"
"This is the golden apple." Odin said "One bite and you will be immortal; you will be able to withstand the realm Thanos occupies." He looked at each member "But, know this, eating this means that you will outlive all but each other. You will be forced to watch your family grow old while you stay the same, you will not be able to return back to your mortal beings."
The team looked at each other, resolve unwavering. To anyone else, the choice would be difficult to say the least. Yet, to the team, there was no question. Not a single one of them had a person, besides each other, that they relied upon. There was no family, no other friends, they had only each other and Loki had become a part of the 'each other'. They were each other's family and to deny the power of the presented option would be to deny one of the only people they truly cared for and cared for them.
"Well, everyone I cared about died years ago anyway." Steve shrugged.
"Maybe now I'll have enough time to work out a way to fully control the other guy." Bruce smiled.
"Might as well." Clint smirked and Natasha nodded.
"I was gonna have to figure out a way to be immortal anyways." Tony said "Can't have me old and grey and Lokster still young and pretty."
"Very well," Odin looked at them all; hope sparking in his tired heart "just take one bite."

---

"Holy fuck!" Tony yelled, something between pain and power pounding through every inch of his body. The apple rolled away as he dropped to his knees, just like all the others had already. He couldn't breathe, couldn't see, he felt cold and hot, he couldn't decide if he was going to be sick or jump a thousand feet into the air. Eventually, the effects began to ebb away and he felt strong arms pulling him to his feet. He opened his eyes and everything seemed relatively normal, then he felt it. It felt like electricity was being pumped straight through his veins. He let out a strangled cry; his heart feeling like it was being ripped from his chest. He pushed the supporting arms away and tore at his shirt, fearing the worst. He looked down and was forced to blink once or twice before he could fully grasp what he saw. On his chest, where his bulky arc reactor had been, was the usual pattern now etched into his skin with a clear blue light. He ran his fingers down the etching lights and was surprised to feel none of the tenderness the skin had previously acquired around the offending machine. His skin was flawless, perfectly smooth around the design. "What the hell?" He breathed, looking up to see them all staring at him.
"It… fixed you…" Bruce said, wide eyed "does that mean…" he looked down at himself and stepped back. He took in a deep breath, and to everyone's horror, turned green. But, this time, it was different. Bruce did not scream in agony or fury, he merely changed. He looked at them, at his monstrous height, and grinned. He grinned and grinned even as he took in another breath and started shrinking again. Soon, he was back to his normal height and complexion, still grinning.
"The apple has enhanced your abilities." Odin smiled "You are gods now, after all."
They all looked at him, mystified with themselves. Clint could already tell his eyesight had changed, now able to zoom in like a camera lens. Steve felt more or less the same, if not stronger and perhaps more stable. Natasha shifted from foot to foot and knew that she was faster, stronger, better.
"Let's go to a party." Natasha grinned, looking at each of them "Or, I guess, go crash one."

Notes