"He's not American, but he has rights! I just want is to see him so I know he's ok!" Jane Foster, anxious as to Selvig's wellbeing, stood in the lobby of the police station arguing with the officer manning the reception desk who appeared as if he would rather be doing anything else up to and including busting a crack house or a den of mobsters than dealing with the irate woman.

"I've told you ten times already, he's not in our custody. They outrank us. There's nothing I can do."

"So they just get to waltz in here and do whatever they want?" Jane asked, frustrated.

"Pretty much," the officer replied as a door on the opposite side of the lobby opened.

"Jane..." Selvig called to her as he stepped through.

"Erik!" Jane cried in relief as she rushed to him, "I told them you hadn't abducted anyone!"

"I did, actually."

"What?!"

"I'll tell you everything," Selvig said, glancing at the officer Jane had been harassing, "but not here. They're returning our equipment. We should get back."

Loki, Verda, and Coulson entered the lobby after Selvig through the same door, Jane staring at Loki with an expression of shock.

"Jane Foster, it's good-" Loki began, Verda upon hearing Jane's name turning her attention to the mortal woman as Jane stepped in front of him, slapping him across the face.

"You lied! You ARE one of them!" Jane shouted in anger, Selvig grabbing hold of her arm and moving her back.

"How dare you!" Verda proclaimed indignantly, taking a step in Jane's direction, Loki extending his arm in front of her.

"Girls! Girls!" Selvig exclaimed, attempting to prevent a brawl from breaking out between the two women, both Verda and Jane turning their heads to glare at Selvig with irritation, "I mean ladies."

"It's not as if you've never done the same," Loki reminded Verda.

"That was different. You were dying," Verda replied as Loki turned his attention back to Jane.

"He's not one of them," Selvig informed Jane.

"They aren't responsible for my brother's murder. They've agreed to assist me in finding those who are," Loki explained.

"Oh...well...alright then," Jane responded as the exterior door to the lobby opened, an older man, bearded with gray hair and glasses entering.

"Erik!" Hank Pym called out, relieved to see his old friend outside of a jail cell and that he hadn't disappeared off the face of the earth.

"Hank! What are you doing here?" asked Eric in surprise as he crossed the lobby to Pym, placing a hand on Pym's shoulder.

"Jane told me S.H.I.E.L.D. had taken off with you. I got here as soon as I could," Pym explained.

"It's all been sorted out. Banner's alive. I know where he is."

"We should be going," Coulson said to Loki amid the reunion of the two scientists.

Loki and Verda followed Coulson to the door, Loki halting as he reached Selvig and Pym.

"Thank you again, Erik Selvig," he said, extending his hand, Selvig taking it.

"My pleasure. If you need me I'm sure Heimdall can find me," Selvig replied before Loki and Verda followed Coulson out of the police station.

"Was that Lucas?" Pym asked.

"Lucas was an alias. His real name's Loki," Selvig answered.

"Like the god?"

"Not like...he is," Selvig answered, Pym and Jane befuddled at Selvig's answer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"That was Jane Foster?" Verda asked Loki as the Asgardians and Coulson crossed the parking lot in the direction of a group of black cars parked beside each other.

"You know of her?"

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"Your brother spoke of her....your brother in my time. I don't see what he found so special about her. She's a mortal like any other," Verda said, sounding slightly irritated.

Following Coulson's lead to one of the black cars, Loki opened the back passenger side door, Verda entering the vehicle, Loki closing it and entering the front passenger seat as Coulson entered on the driver's side, starting the engine and pulling out of the parking lot.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After a short flight on the Quinjet that had been awaiting them outside town, the trio arrived at the nearest S.H.I.E.L.D. facility in the Mojave desert. Coulson had received word that Randolph's location had been ascertained and confirmed, a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents dispatched to collect him though it would be a few hours until his arrival.

Coulson led Verda and Loki through the facility, arriving in an expansive, high ceilinged room. The space was empty, not at the moment in use for any specific purpose. A doorway to a corridor could be seen on the far side, Coulson making his way to it, their footsteps echoing off the metallic walls.

"I'll show you to the living quarters. There's a common room, a television and game room, library, all the comforts of home...on Earth, anyway. We'll let him cool his heels for awhile once he gets here," Coulson said, not mentioning the fact that he was well aware the same tactic had been used on him after his arrival in Asgard.

As Loki took stock of the cavernous room, a now familiar pain came over him once more, stopping him in his tracks as he grimaced, holding his head. Coulson, his back to Loki, failed to notice as he continued on, Verda grasping Loki's arm in concern.

"I am burdened with glorious purpose…" Loki muttered softly, his eyes closed, a vision assailing him.

"You've been here before? In your visions?" Verda asked as Loki recovered, opening his eyes, all the equipment that had filled the room in his vision not extant in his current reality.

"Where are you keeping it? The relic?" Loki called out to Coulson, his voice echoing off the walls.

"Relic?" Coulson questioned as he stopped, turning to face him, Loki unsure whether the agent's apparent confusion was sincere or feigned.

"It possesses power you cannot hope to control or contain. He will come for it."

"Not now," Verda whispered to Loki before speaking to Coulson, "At times Loki has visions of the future. Perhaps he's foreseen an accident taking place here that may put your people in peril."

"I'll pass on the warning," Coulson replied as Verda led Loki forward.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Did you think they would just hand it over to you?" Verda asked, seated in an oversized chair as Loki perused the shelf of books before him after Coulson had excused himself, leaving them alone in a small library/reading room, "If you take it from them, what will you do with it?"

"It could be taken to Nidavellir and jettisoned into the heart of the dying star that powers the forge. Even if it's not destroyed, it couldn't be obtained," Loki said, pulling a book off the shelf and opening it, scanning the first page.

"One thing at a time. Let's deal with Thor's murderers first, then you must return to Asgard and speak with your father. If that isn't dealt with, nothing else will matter."

"Of that I'm well aware," Loki said, turning the page of the book as silence fell between them, Verda looking down at her hands clasped in her lap.

"There's something I must tell you," Verda finally said, Loki turning to face her, uneasy at the tone of her voice and demeanor.

"What is it?" Loki said, closing the book and returning it to the shelf before approaching Verda, seating himself in the chair across from her.

"I don't believe Randolph meeting me at the memorial was random chance....In my time, in New Asgard, before your brother began to seclude himself, when I went each day to the memorial he would be there, waiting to join me in honoring you. In our shared grief, we grew close. I should have known it to be doomed from the start. We were searching for another in each other. I thought I could help him but It was not enough. I was not enough. He began to seek solace in drink and petty amusements. I could no longer watch him destroy himself. We never spoke of us to others but our meetings at the memorial, as often as I visited him, I'm sure others suspected. Randolph likely overheard talk of us. He must have believed if anyone was to know where Thor had hidden what he was seeking or could obtain that knowledge it would be me," Verda finished, Loki stunned speechless by her revelation.

"You...and my brother...?" Loki finally said in disbelief before he rose, exiting the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Coulson stood between Loki and Verda in front of a large two way mirror watching as Elliot Randolph, confused and bewildered, was led in shackles by two S.H.I.E.L.D agents into an interrogation room. After seating him, the agents exited through the same door, closing it behind them, leaving Randolph alone.

"That is the man," Verda said.

"You'll be able to hear everything we say," Coulson said as he pressed a button on a wall panel before exiting into the interrogation room through a door a few feet to the right of the two way mirror.

Verda glamced over at Loki as he stared unblinking at Randolph, a dark expression on Loki's face she knew was not only due to the presence of the man who was likely responsible for his brother's death.

"I didn't want you to be caught off guard if he spoke of it," said Verda, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Did you love him?"

"Of course I did. but it was different. It's hard to explain. I've heard it said everyone one loves is different....he abdicated the throne and left us. He didn't say goodbye to me as if he had forgotten I existed. As much as he'd been drinking, maybe he had," Verda was quiet for a moment, contemplating, before removing the necklace Loki had given her and taking his hand, placing it in his palm, "You should not spend your days questioning if your Queen's heart belongs to another."

Loki gazed down at the pendant, his eyes drawn to the damage it had sustained during the attack by her double.

"My brother was not a drunk who would treat with disdain one who cared for him. He met his end nobly and honorably," Loki said before placing the necklace around Verda's neck once more.

"I'm just a university professor. I haven't killed anyone or had anyone killed! Why would I?" Randolph exclaimed, Loki and Verda returning their attention to him.

"You've been positively identified by a witness. How do you explain that?" Coulson grilled Randolph.

"They say everyone has a twin. I haven't left Spain in almost two years," Randolph answered, Verda's expression changing to one of realization.

"He's telling the truth...he is the man but not the man..." Verda said, turning from Loki, swiftly making her way to the door of the interrogation room.