Together (A Loki/Avengers Fanfiction)

XVIII.

"This was my "Good night" arrow. We should tell the others he's here." Clint grabbed the god by his arm and pulled him towards the elevator, as Stark and Thor ran down the stairs to the entrance hall. "Oh, you found him", Stark said as he saw Loki laying on the ground. Clint let him go and the head of the black haired man slammed on the ground.

"His poor head", Thor sighed, "No wonder why he's insane."
"I want to know what happened while we were gone." Nat didn't sound that happy about finding her enemy in their base.
"Well, guess we should have told you earlier, but... he now kinda lives here." Stark didn't dare to look her in the eyes.
"He does what? Okay, I want to talk to Fury."
"Alright, but give him to me so I can bring him back to bed. He looks pretty knocked out", Thor offered.

Nat lifted an eyebrow. "Who tells me you're not mind controlled by this dumbass?" As she said dumbass she kicked Loki with her heels.
"It's a long story...", Stark replied.
"I got time", the woman answered.

After they explained to them what happened the last two months Nat looked at them as if they were crazy.
"So you try to tell me the biggest asshole in the entire universe is now best friends with the Avengers? You either are mind controlled or insane."

At that moment Fury appeared behind them. "They are telling the truth."

Nat turned around, staring at Fury in disbelief. Finally she sighed. "I don't know what happened here, but I trust you Fury. If you promise they're saying the truth I will believe you."

"Are you serious?", Clint snapped, "He could be mind controlled as well!"

Banner, who watched the scenery silently, now said: "I think I should show you something."

They followed him through the headquarters to the operating room, no one said a word. Thor carried his little brother carefully while Romanoff and Barton always kept an eye on the younger god.

As they arrived in the room, Banner pulled out a folder and opened it. In there were X-rays of bones that clearly once were broken but halfway grew together again, leaving some of the bones slightly distorted.
"Looks like the guards in Asgard broke his bones and he tried to make them grow together again", Banner explained. "I don't know what you think, but why - and how - should he fake having a completely destroyed skeleton? Do you think he broke half of his ribs, his pelvis and some arm and leg bones just to make us believe him?"

For a while complete silence laid over the room, like so many times in the last two months. After some time Barton asked: "I still didn't get this. Why was he behaving like usual as we met him in the hall but you say he changed do much?"

"Well", Banner started to explain, "It's like there's a light switch in his head that out of a sudden makes him manic, but then again it turns around and he's depressive again. Or there are "normal" phases, where the real Loki comes through. I hope you could halfway understand what I tried to say. It's like with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, y'know?"

Barton nodded, now understanding.
"I still don't like him", Nat said, turned around and left the room.