Previously on Avengers in Sunnydale:

Tony clapped his hands once and said, "And that concludes today's meeting." He looked at Travers and then at the front door. Thor made a fist and then rubbed it with his other hand. Travers took the implied threat for what is was and hurried out of the store with his mage following close behind.

After the door shut and Travers' car sped off, Giles turned back to look at his friends. "I enjoyed that immensely!" he told them.

Steve Rogers walked out from the back room and took one look at his shield on the table. "Damnit, Tony! You know that will leave rings!" he shouted as he grabbed a rag and rushed to move the glass tumbler and wipe away the condensation.

Chapter 7

Buffy walked out into the early morning sun and strolled along the gravel path that ran the length of the impressive gardens of Dracula's Castle (no, not Dracula's… Stark Castle, she reminded herself.) She was still very worried about their chances against Glory and had finally given up on getting any sleep. Two male voices coming from the center of the garden made Buffy change her course to see who else was up this early. She turned a corner and saw the now familiar form of Iron Man standing next to a taller man. The sun glinting off of the golden hair of the other man told Buffy her uncle was speaking with Thor. The Norse god looked over Iron Man's armored shoulder, made eye contact with Buffy, and motioned her over.

"Well met, Sword Sister Buffy," Thor bellowed with a forced smile.

Buffy returned the smile. "Morning, Thor," she replied.

Thor looked back at Tony who had his faceplate retracted. "I do not like this anymore than you do, Anthony, but I can see no other course of action," he stated glumly. "Trust me when I tell you that I wish to make the visit as short as possible," he promised.

Buffy finished walking over to the two men. "What are you guys talking about?" she asked.

Tony grimaced and balled his fists up in anger, the metal of his gauntlets clanking. "We still need more information about Glory and Thor thinks he knows who to talk to to get it," he said.

Noticing the serious and concerned look on her normally cheerful uncle, Buffy raised her hand as if in school to ask a question. "Um… who are we talking about?" she inquired.

Thor's expression was full of pain and guilt. "My brother… Loki," he said softly.

"And this is bad because…" Buffy asked, letting her words trail off.

Tony ground his teeth in anger as the question brought to the front of his mind every death he blamed on Loki. "Do you remember last year what people call the Battle of New York?" he inquired. Buffy nodded her head. "Loki was the guy behind that. He planned every detail and wanted to make every human bow down to him," he said sourly.

Buffy let her gaze stray between her uncle and his friend, letting things sink in. The Scoobies and her had watched the live TV broadcasts during the invasion. Buffy remembered the horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach as she watched thousands of innocent people die, knowing there was no way she could make it to New York to be of any help. The fact that Thor and Tony were even considering talking with the mastermind behind the invasion told her to what lengths they were willing to go to protect her and Dawn. Buffy was about to protest and ask Thor to stay, but she kept silent when she realized that in her quest to keep Dawn safe, she had accepted the help of William the Bloody, one of the most vicious vampires from the last 200 years and a killer of two previous Slayers.

Glancing up at Thor, Tony asked, "Do you really think we can trust anything Loki tells you?"

Thor thought for a moment before answering. "In any matter but this, I would say nay. However in this undertaking, I believe he will be more than willing to help us," he stated. Not waiting to be asked why, Thor went on. "Not only did Glorificus break my brother's heart, she pubicly humiliated him throughout the nine realms," he said.

"You said 'pubicly'. Don't you mean 'publicly'?" Tony asked for clarification.

Thor shook his head with just a hint of a grin on his face now that he thought back to the lengths Glorificus had gone to humiliate Loki. "No friend, Anthony, I spoke truly. After the 'hell skank', as you put it, broke off the relationship betwixt her and my brother, she was not content with simply breaking his heart. She went even further and tried to break his will," he said.

"What did she do?" Buffy inquired.

"Glorificus magically made several nude statues of my brother appear across the nine realms. The statues were accurate in every detail except for his male member," Thor stated. He paused for a brief moment as he remembered scouring the nine realms with Loki and how Sif had laughed herself ill when they found the first statue. "The male member displayed on the statues would have looked more appropriate on a squirrel, or more precisely - a rather pathetic squirrel on a very cold day," he explained.

Buffy snickered and Tony just shook his head. "If that happened to anyone but Loki, I would say 'Damn, that's harsh'. Considering she did it to that Asgardian ass wipe you call brother, I have to admit I'm okay with it," Iron Man told Thor.

Thor sadly shook his head. Before the Battle of New York, he would have offered to duel anyone who spoke ill about his family, but now he understood the depths of anger and pain Loki had caused on Midgard. He turned away from Tony's hate filled eyes and looked instead at Buffy. "As you can see, Loki has more than enough reason to wish Glorificus ill. Having anyone bring about her destruction will make him happy, even if it is the Avengers that end up doing the smiting," Thor stated and then took a step away from Buffy and her uncle. "I will return as soon as I can, my friends," he promised before looking up into the sky and placing his right hand on the shaft of Mjolnir. With a shimmer, Thor shifted his existence from Midgard to the Bifrost bridge on his journey to Asgard.

******Avengers in Sunnydale******

Asgard

Thor shifted his essence from the Bifrost bridge to the gate room in Asgard. After he took physical form again, Heimdall raised an eyebrow slightly at the return of the Prince of Asgard. "I did not expect Midgard's protector to return so soon," the guardian said, a hint of challenge in his voice. Thor started to walk past Heimdall, but the large warrior took a step to his left and blocked the door with his body. He placed both hands on the hilt of his sword, but kept the blade pointed down. "Since you no longer claim the halls of your father as your home, I must ask you why you are here," he told Thor.

"Out of my way, Heimdall!" Thor bellowed. He took a step forward but the gate guardian stood stone still, barring his way.

The god of Thunder sighed wearily and let his shoulders relax a little. He knew that whatever he said would be relayed to the king and Odin had decreed that no one was to speak with Loki. He also knew that Heimdall could use his Sight and See if Thor was telling him a truth or a lie. Thor didn't think that he would have the time to make an appointment with his father's aide and wait for his turn to speak with the king if he told Heimdall he was there to speak with his brother.

Silence stretched on between the two Asgardians as Thor mulled over exactly what to say since he had no desire to fight the Asgardian who had been his friend his whole life. Thor's honor also forbade him from fighting a man who was simply doing the duty all of Asgard had asked of him. To find the answer to the problem at hand, Thor thought back to the humans who had become his sword brothers and sisters.

Anthony would channel his powers as a master merchant and talk Heimdall around in so many circles, it would be impossible to see what the original truth was to begin with. Thor had always been more of a direct action type of man and moved his thoughts on towards his other friends. The magnificent beast that was hidden within his friend Bruce would punch Heimdall into next week and just walk into Asgard. While this was a more direct route and one closer to how Thor normally did things, he wished no harm to come to Heimdall. Thor's shield brother Steve would be brutally honest with Heimdall and get them stuck in the queue to see Odin for a fortnight at the least. A plan like that was exactly what Thor was trying to avoid. That left only Clint and their sword sister, Natasha. The thought of their allegiance to SHIELD brought Thor the answer he was looking for. He would tell Heimdall the honest truth, just not the truth he was looking for or one that could be used against him at a later time.

"If you must know, I have made friends with the nieces of my sword brother Anthony. They have commented several times about my hair and have asked how to acquire the hair salve I use. I promised them a case of it to help ease their pained hearts over their mother's death," Thor told Heimdall.

The large Asgardian with the magically enhanced eyes subconsciously raised one of his hands to touch his own hair. Heimdall also used the salve the queen had recommended that her sons use. He had to admit it really did work remarkably well and more than one serving wench had ran their fingers through Heimdall's hair on his rare night off.

"And while I'm here picking up the salve, I thought I might visit with some of my family," Thor added, still being truthful.

Heimdall smiled as he not only Saw the truth of what Thor had said, but also the truths he was trying to hide. While Odin might not concern himself with the affairs of Midgard, Heimdall did since he Saw everything that went on there. While he couldn't publicly say he was proud of what the young prince was doing, privately he had vowed to help Thor anyway he could within the exact wording of his king's decrees. Heimdall looked deeper into Thor and saw why the prince was willing to speak with the traitor, Loki. That sliver of information tipped the scales in favor of Thor. The Gatekeeper had Seen the real creature behind the form Glorificus wore when she visited Asgard. Anyone wanting to destroy that creature of evil deserved any help they could get.

"Pass, Thor, son of Odin," Heimdall said graciously as he stepped aside. When they were shoulder to shoulder as Thor passed him, Heimdall put out his hand to stop the prince for one more moment. "Be at peace my prince. My orders are to report back what you have said and whether or not you have spoken truthfully, and that is exactly what I shall do since I am commanded to do so by my king. It is no fault of yours nor mine, now that I think about it, that our king forgot to add to my orders anything concerning the truths you may or may not have attempted to conceal below the surface of your words," he told him. Heimdall turned so he too was looking out towards Asgard. He pointed with his sword and nodded his head towards the merchant district. "It would be good perhaps for you to visit the merchants square before visiting your family. I believe the apothecary your mother uses is on the second street on the right. That way when the king asks, I can honestly say I saw you go that way instead of to the dungeons right away," he suggested, letting Thor know he knew what the prince's primary purpose was in this visit. Thor nodded his head once in relief and made his way to the merchant stalls that sold their goods to the palace and its inhabitants.

If the dungeon guards were curious as to why the Prince of Asgard was carrying a case of Madame Gretchen's Miracle Hair Salve in the maximum security area, they didn't mention it aloud. Thor was not only the son of their king, he was their greatest warrior. A warrior who could command the full powers of Mjolnir. If he wanted to carry around a crate of hair salve when he spoke with the traitor, it was none of their business. It never occurred to any of the fanatically devoted guards that the son of their king was here without first getting permission from his father.

Thor walked deeper into the dungeon and found the cell where his brother was kept. Loki looked over the top of the book he was reading and glanced at his brother. Placing the book down, he rose and approached the shimmering gold forcefield that made the walls of his cage. "As I have sat here in this cage you have put me in, I have often imagined how you would act when you finally remembered that your brother was rotting away in the dungeon. Would you come down here and boast of how you brought me to my knees, or would come down and try to show me the errors of my ways in an attempt to redeem me?" he asked evenly. "Having you show up bearing a crate of Mother's hair salve was oddly not one of the scenarios I imagined. True, the conditions of the damn dungeon have left my hair in desperate wanting of the salve, I never thought you would be the answer to my needs," he added snidely.

Thor gently put down the crate and said simply, "The salve is not for you."

Loki pouted and tried to look like a whipped puppy. "Brother, I never knew you to be a cruel man, but why else would you bring that salve here and then deny me any of its softening and body building miracles?" he asked.

"I have not come to torment you nor bring you gifts, Brother. I come seeking advice from you," Thor told Loki.

Loki nodded his head slowly. "Yes, I thought you would eventually come ask me about these things since father probably never got around to discussing it with you," he said softly, his expression and body language exuding compassion. "I suppose you would like me to start from the beginning?" Loki suggested.

Thor frowned, not knowing how Loki could possibly guess that he was there to speak about Glorificus. He motioned with his hand for Loki to continue and said, "Please continue."

"Yes, well first thing for you to understand is that boys and girls have different parts that when combined can be immensely pleasurable. However, whatever you do, DO NOT rush right into that coupling. Most women need some extra forms of stimulation before they are ready for you to sheathe your sword if catch my meaning," Loki explained with a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips.

"WHAT!? That's not why…" Thor blurted out, interrupting his brother.

Loki's smile became even more mischievous. "Oh… I'm sorry, brother. I just naturally assumed now that you were involved with that Jane Foster woman, your ingrained tendencies of rushing into things had caused some disappointment in regards to your performance in her bedchamber," he snarked. "Well, if it isn't that which you come to see me about, then I can't imagine why you would be here. With that said, I actually can't think of anything you might say that would be even remotely interesting. As such, perhaps you should stop wasting both our times and remove yourself from my presence," Loki suggested before turning his back on Thor and walking to the other side of the cell.

Thor closed his eyes and desperately fought back the anger that was threatening to overwhelm him. After he had counted to 20 in each of the primary languages of the Nine Realms, he opened his eyes again. "You are mistaken, brother. I believe you will be interested in what I have to say. The reason why I am here is discuss how best to kill the beast known as Glorificus," he said evenly.

Loki stopped walking away from Thor and stood stone still while he let his brother's words sink in. Turning slowly, Loki reached out and grabbed the simple wood chair next to the table in his cell. Loki brought the chair with him as he walked back to Thor. He placed the chair down right in front of Thor and then sat down. Loki leaned forward until his nose was almost touching the shimmering force field that made up his prison's walls. "You have my complete and undivided attention," he said eagerly.

******Avengers in Sunnydale******

Earth

Night had fallen and Buffy stared at the Monopoly board in front of her. She forced down her urge to hack it apart with a large, sharp object. Tony had suggested they play the game as way of family bonding with her, Dawn, and Pepper. Dawn was holding her own against the President of Stark Industries and his lover, the CEO of the same company, showing the young girl was destined to follow in her uncle's footsteps. Buffy on the other hand count count the number of play money bills she had on one hand of a clumsy woodshop teacher.

A rainbow shimmer out in the garden gave Buffy the excuse she was looking for. She jumped up suddenly, "accidentally" knocking the board over. "It looks like Thor is back. Let's see what he came up with!" she suggested quickly.

When they reached the garden, Buffy found Thor standing back to back with a man in a dark brown jumpsuit. He had long hair and was holding a golden spear at the ready. Thor still had Mjolnir slung on his hip. They were surrounded by Clint, Natasha, Giles, and Spike. A box covered in Norse writing sat on the ground near the men.

Spike had his vampire game face on and was poised to attack the man with the dark hair. Clint had his bow string pulled all of the way back with what Buffy figured was an explosive tipped arrow nocked. Giles was standing with feet shoulder width apart and had a sharp looking sword raised over his shoulder to strike. Natasha had large, semi-automatic pistols in her hands. While the barrels were pointed at the ground in front of Thor, Buffy knew the one time potential Slayer could raise the barrel and put several rounds into the God of Thunder before he could react.

Tony stormed in between Natasha and Thor. He pointed an accusing finger at Loki. "What the hell is he doing here and why is armed with a spear?" he demanded.

Giles let his eyes flick to Tony before they locked onto Loki again. "That's not just a spear, Tony. That's Gungnir, Odin's personal spear. It is said it is so well balanced, that whoever throws it can hit whatever they are aiming at," he lectured.

Thor held up his hands in a gesture for Tony to remain calm. "Loki convinced me that we will need his help in the battles to come. Heimdall the All Seeing said that while he can only see partially into the future do to there being so many possible ones, the majority of them show Loki being a benefit to us. With his help, we 'borrowed' Gungnir as an extra weapon able to harm Glorificus. Besides, Loki has given me a magical oath stating that he fight by our side and never bother Midgard again when this over," he explained.

Tony pivoted on the ball of his foot and stormed back to the castle, too angry to say anything. Seeing Natasha holster her guns, Clint slowly released the tension on his bow string and put the arrow back in his automated quiver. Spike and Giles were less trusting of Thor's judgement had stayed ready to attack.

Thor pointed to the box as he spoke to Buffy. "As I promised, Buffy, niece of Anthony… a case of the hair salve my mother recommends I use," he told her.

Loki stepped away from Thor and gave Buffy his most charming smile. He reached out and gently stroked her golden hair. "Not that someone as beautiful as you would need such help," he said. Buffy rolled her eyes before slamming her knee into the trickster's balls with all of her strength. Spike chuckled at the pained look in Loki's eyes.

Loki forced down the urge to vomit. There only one way a mortal woman that small could have that much power. He gave his brother a crooked smile through the supernova of pain in his groin. "You forgot to tell me that Tony's niece was a Slayer," he chided him.

Thor looked thoughtful for a moment before replying with the obvious lie of, "Sorry, it must have slipped my mind, brother."