Dr. Bruce Banner rarely contacts New Asgard, so when Thor finds a message from him in the village email inbox, he opens it quickly. While the Asgardians and the refugees from Sakaar have weathered the storm relatively well compared to the rest of the world, Dr. Banner's other colleagues have not. There is a woman in Chicago, a Dr. Marian Hansen, who is desperately trying to keep a neighbourhood supply distribution going in one of the hardest hit and most impoverished areas of the city. Her volunteers are sick, she has few hands to do much work, and she knows that if her project falls apart, people will go without toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and even food. Knowing Thor and Loki can't catch the virus, Banner asks for their help.

"Loki, pack a bag. We're going to Chicago," Thor says. "On a goodwill mission."

Loki raises an eyebrow, "Oh? Are you going to tell me anything more than this?"

"One of Dr. Banner's colleagues needs our help. There will be a flight waiting for us. Valkyrie has volunteered to drive."

"I need to talk to Sleipnir."

"Then do it fast – the plane won't wait forever."

Loki sighs, "I don't have a choice in this, do I?"

"No, I already said we'd come," Thor answers, "We need to do what we can to lend help to Midgard. And this is a very good chance to do so."

"I don't like not knowing what we're getting into."

"I'll tell you more when we're on the way, Loki. Just know that Banner says this is an urgent matter and people may die if we don't."

"People are already dying, Thor, by the thousands. We can't save everyone. Were we to try to intervene in every life-or-death case, we'd never have time for our own people," Loki says, "They live such short lives and so many of them survive such deep tragedy until it kills them. It would be impossible to feel for every loss or to let their deaths weigh so heavily on our hearts."

"And we can stop this suffering before it starts for a few," Thor retorts, "so we will. Now pack a bag, talk to your son, and get moving. Valkyrie's waiting."

Loki leaves Thor and Valkyrie's house without stopping to pat Heimdall. He heads to the stable and stops to talk to Sleipnir, quietly reassuring him that he will return, though no, he doesn't know when. He nuzzles Sleipnir's face and buries his fingers in the great horse's mane, his heart heavy with the thought of leaving.

"I'll be alright, and so will you. Valkyrie will take good care of you, just as she did before I returned. This time, I'm not in trouble. I'm going to help others, though I don't know just how yet. We'll be able to see photographs of each other, once I figure out how to send them. Just be strong and stay safe. I love you."

Sleipnir whinnies and huffs, pressing his face against Loki's.

"I know, it's going to be hard. But apparently it's my lot to do some good in the world and I intend on doing my best at it, even if I don't know what I'm doing. I'd rather stay here with you. I've seen enough of death in my own life already, and watching people fade from this plague has brought back too many things I don't want to remember. Leaving to watch more despair...is not my ideal situation. But Thor made a commitment and I'm not going to disappoint him. We've worked too hard to rebuild our family for me to go ruin it by being obstinate."

He feeds Sleipnir a few carrots and promises to come home once again before he leaves to pack. He sees Thor at his front door as he crosses between the stable and the rear entrance to his home. He lets him in.

"I'm not ready yet."

"I see this."

"I was talking to my son."

Thor nods, "I assumed so. But time is short and we need to get ready to go."

Loki retreats to the bedroom and finds a satchel. He throws a few things into it and tucks others into his pocket dimension. The bag isn't entirely necessary, but it's something for him to do with his hands when travelling and it provides a place to stash a few books so he doesn't attract attention with magic every time he wants to read.

He turns out the lights and meets Thor in the living room, "There. Ready."

"You travel light," Thor observes.

"No, I travel with only one bag that I have to carry in a way that Midgardians will notice. There's plenty stashed away where it won't take up space and I won't have to carry it...or risk someone touching it."
Thor laughs, "Now that's a useful skill and one I've always envied."

Loki smiles and pulls on his coat, "Well you could have applied yourself and learned such magic, but instead you wanted to impress Odin with your ability to bash in skulls."

Thor shakes his head, "No, there's a level of magic that is more innate than taught and you have it moreso than I. I don't think I'd be as cautious with tearing holes in reality to store things – I might accidentally drop something into another world and then I'd never find it again."

Loki ushers him out the front door and locks up, "It's not that easy to make a mistake and send something into a place it can't be found, Thor. It isn't like dropping it into the ocean. Things tend to stay where I put them."

"That doesn't mean I wouldn't find a way to mess it up," Thor replies, gently teasing his brother, "You know me. I seem to find spectacular ways to make simple magical mistakes turn into hilariously bad messes."

Loki smirks, "This is true. I remember when you were trying to learn little teleportation hops and you ended up with your arm lodged in a tree. Mother was trying not to laugh when your hair started to sprout leaves."

"Or the time I tried to disappear a pen and paper into a pocket dimension. Do you remember? The ink exploded and the paper caught fire."

Loki laughs, "She couldn't figure out how you managed that one!"

"Magic is not my strength."

"No, no it isn't," Loki says, lovingly exasperated, "Nor will it likely ever be. So I suppose I'm proficient in it enough for the both of us."

"You're a master of it, dear Loki," Thor says as they approach Valkyrie's battered truck.

"A master of what?" she asks.

"Magic. We were reminiscing about my terrible mishaps," Thor replies.

"Well we've got a long drive to the jet – want to share some of them while we go?" she asks.

Loki settles in, stretching his legs along the length of the back seat, "Well, I also happen to be a master story-weaver, so perhaps this is a good way to pass the time."

Thor nods, "Stories, a flight, and then a new mission in a new city. This sounds like a good way to start a trip."

"What was the city called again?" Loki asks.

"Chicago," Valkyrie answers, "It's a big one. Right on a lake, too. And it's got a nickname – 'The Windy City' – so you'll be right at home, the way the wind comes off the water here."

"Well...I suppose Chicago had better brace itself for the coming of a few new gods," Thor says, winking at her, "including the god of stories back there. So...let's use this time on the road as a warm-up. We'll need to charm them when we land."

Loki grins, "Now charming with a tale...that I can do. So my dearest Valkyrie, let's start with the story of the time Thor decided that it was high-time he discover if he were capable of the same sort of shape-shifting that comes second-nature to me...."

And with that story started, Thor and Loki left New Asgard for the chilly unknowns of Chicago, circa April 2021.