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Reasoning

Loki woke up the next morning and immediately started to see to the matter of the avengers. He couldn't just send them away without punishment, which would make him seem weak. At the same time, he could not be too harsh and risk starting a war with Asgard and Midgard. He was thinking about what to do when he heard a knock on his door. "You may enter." Helblindi opened the door and stepped inside.

"Is something on your mind brother?" Helblindi asked as he set the tray of food he was carrying on the desk.

"I am just trying to figure out what to do with Odinson and those stupid Midgardians." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I should like to see them. Preferably the Captain. Maybe get an actual answer out of why they came here instead of that blond fool's sentiments."

"Should I ready some guards to escort you?"

Loki smiled."No, you should be enough. As I have said before I have complete trust in you."

Helblindi smiled back at his brother.

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The brothers made their way down the staircase leading inside the large mountain. There were blue fires burning and many doors along the sides of the staircase. Near the end of the staircase, they stopped and the jotun standing guard opened the door. When they walked inside Loki almost burst out laughing.

Everyone except for Steve and Bruce was pig-piling in the far right corner of the cell. Loki swore he could hear Thor snoring from the bottom of the stack. Bruce was lying face-first into the small bed. Steve was sitting against the left wall fingering a small rock. Steve looked up to see who was there.

Loki whispered to Steve," Is everyone else asleep?"

Steve nodded. Loki took a couple of steps closer to him and saw that he was shivering. He has lived here so long that he forgot how cold it is to normal people. He told Helblindi to get a couple of blankets and the brother left him reluctantly.

Loki sat down on a small stone chair in the corner of the cell. The two sat there staring at one another until Steve broke the silence.

"Why are you here? I'm sure it wasn't out of the kindness of your heart, so why come?"

"I should be asking you the same," Loki replied.

He sighed a little and said, "We were going through the tapes from the Battle of New York and we found that your eye color was similar to those touched by your scepter. Thor told us you had green eyes when they were very clearly blue during your time on earth. We talked to your fa-...Odin", he corrected himself," and he said if you were innocent of your crimes on earth then your punishment would be lightened. Odin fell into the Odinsleep and Thor dragged us along here to tell you the 'good news'."

Loki pondered for a minute. 'Oooohhh, so the oaf dragged them here with him. They didn't want to come in the first place. That makes a lot more sense.'

Loki leaned forward a little bit and asked," You are a man of honor are you not captain?"

"I am."

"Then may I have your word that you would not harm me or my people?"

Steve froze for a second then responded," You have my word."

Loki nodded slightly, more to himself than anyone else. "I am going to keep you all here for a couple of weeks, just until this whole thing dies down a little, and then you are to be returned home. "

"What about Fury and everyone else we left on earth or Asgard? They will want to know where their best defenders are."

"I will send word to them of what has transpired. I also will allow visitors for you all considering one of you is a prince that has to deal with political affairs and an owner of a huge company that has already gone missing once before."

Steve paused. "Thank you for your leniency in this matter."

As he said that the door re-opened and Helblindi stepped in carrying a few fur blankets. Loki took the blankets and gave them to Steve. "I trust you all to not do anything stupid while you are here."And with that Loki left them, Helblindi following close behind.