Gif isn't really relevant to the chapter but I just wanted to say, Thor, I'm coming for your soul for putting that muzzle on him.

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She was missing for 3 days now.

Loki had logged each one, so had the team, they had noticed the disappearance of the cat since that woman had left only solidifying their thoughts that they were one and the same. Stark had seen through his own eyes when the cameras restarted and he was met with the view of the little black cat shifting right in front of Loki.

The entire team had rewatched the tapes each accusing one another of not being sane enough to comprehend that it wasn't real. None of them could process that the cat in the cafe that had most definitely been a cat was actually a woman as well.

Loki took it the hardest.

After finding this out he studied through multiple books to try and decipher mudguards felines only to come up empty-handed with them having any record of the ability to shift. Leaving his only conclusion that she was otherworldly or held some sort of magic to be able to change forms.

But with rising curiosity came the prickling sense of worry. She had not returned, through whatever floor the team had searched on they came up empty-handed. There were no cameras yet installed in the Elevator, so the last they had seen her was when they shut that day.

Clicking his slender back Loki trudged down the steps in his dark green ankle socks and prepared himself a late-night coffee after his overly joyful brother had taught him how the machine worked when Loki demanded he tells him if there was anything mortals had to keep them awake.

preparing the dark strong liquid in the shallow mug he checked his attire, a black sweatshirt, and charcoal sweatpants, he preferred the darker colors. He stepped into the cold elevator that didn't affect him whatsoever which made him realize the lack of necessity of checking the warmth his clothes would provide.

Pushing the button to the very top floor it took him up, he looked out onto the city through the glass on the back of the elevator and admired the small glowing yellow and orange lights from the dark buildings below.

A ding sounded and he stepped out into the cold air as it breezed onto his face, his dark hair blowing back and his eyes squinting at the feeling. It was not nearly as cold as Jotunheimen but it was almost a preferable temperature.

Stepping over to the ledge he peered down at the significant drop and seated himself on the ledge, allowing his long legs to dangle over it fearlessly as he held the mug steady in his hands.

It was the highest part of the building, past the helipad positioned on the front of the building, he preferred to look over the back where there was nothing obscuring the view and the cars below appeared like ants.

Letting out a puff of air steam blew from his parted lips as it did the surface of his beverage. "a pathetic place filled with pathetic mortals and I am forced to tolerate them, how wretchedly pitiful, are you happy now father?" he ground his teeth at the lack of response.

Only the small stars twinkling above answered with their glinting light, "have you no regard for you so-" he halted his rant when a small shuffling noise made itself known somewhere in the distance behind him.

Getting to his feet he narrowed his eyes in the darkness "who is there" He seethed, setting his cup down and walking past it with clenched fists.

A broken meow sounded and the fight left his body.

His eyes searched wildly now as his mind set on one thing.

That damn cat.

But when his eyes locked on the shaking black bundle pressed into the small ledge that framed the surface his anger dissipated as he took careful steps toward it. When her dim yellow eyes peered up at him his brow creased as her head fell limp from the movement.

At this he made quick work of scooping her up and being gentle with her body that now seemed so frail and slim he feared he would break her if he didn't hold her correctly.

He settled for pressing her against his chest as he abandoned the mug on the ledge and entered the elevator immediately taking it down to the lab. It was dark inside and he let out a grunt remembering how they would be asleep "Friday?"

he called and the sound of machines humming sound "Yes Mr. Reindeer games? what can I do for you?" He brushed off the name "Get Banner here immediately and-turn on the lights"

"Yes sir" she answered robotically before the lights flickered on and he winced at the suddenness and found the nearest table laying the small shaking black creature upon it.

His breathing became a little shaky when he saw how battered she looked, he did his best to pat her gently as she let out a few odd small noises, her eyes barely open enough to see the usual yellow.

She had been up there this whole time?

When the doors parted again he expected to see the scientist but was met with the entire team spilling out and Bruce's eyes locked on the form on the table, her breathing irregular. He rushed over and the team did as well.

"what happened?" Tony rushed, "I found her on the roof"

"where?" Natasha was quick to jump in, "she was huddled in the corner, I found her like this" He frowned toward the black cat who's breathing was being checked by Bruce. There was enough proof of her starved form through her visible ribs and her fur and paw pads proved she was ice cold.

"Loki hand me the heater blanket in the second draw down on my desk"

Instead of complaining he swiftly collected the light blue fabric and passed it to the man who looked tired enough as it is from the sudden wakeup. In fact they all looked a bit dazed but their minds were focused on the cat.

"and you're sure this wasn't your doing?" Steve suddenly glared at Loki who returned it "and what business would I have tampering with such a creature?"

"enough you two" Thor interrupted his voice much deeper and something not to mess with at this hour. "Stark can you hook up the IV bags? she's severely dehydrated and starved" Bruce informed the group as he scooped the soft animal into the blanket curling it around her and activating the inner heater installed into the fabric.

"Could she have been locked out?" Clint rubbed his eyes, his pajama shirt with an arrow print on it moving with the action,

"If shes who we think she is, well-able to turn into a woman there's no reason for her to be locked out or stuck up there, the elevator doesn't even have a lock, or at least I haven't developed that yet" Stark shook his head and the team quietly watched as the cat was being tended to.

"could she be an enemy?" Natashas voice was soft yet cold in the room as everyone thought it over.

"But who would she be working for? and what would she want? there's no way there's a motive here, especially when Tony was the one to offer to bring her back if she was apart of another group she would have made herself a plan to get in here" Clint dismissed and it seemed logical,

Bruce stepped back when the cat began to glow a golden shade again and in seconds the form of a human woman lay before them still unconscious,

though her skin was still deathly pale and her button nose now red and sickly, her dark brown hair a little knotted and the jeans and cardigan she had on dirty and messy from being out there.

Everyone froze and stared in shock "I guess she really is human..." Natasha trailed off and Loki swallowed thickly taking a step forward, "brother, is this magic?" Thor looked at him and he frowned down at her.

"Can you check?" Stark prodded the matter and Loki ground his teeth

"I can, but why should I do anything for you" he snapped and Stark rolled his eyes

"it's for the safety of the team-"

"that doesn't answer my question-"

"Would you just get on with it brother" Thor was clearly grumpy when he missed his beauty sleep, and not looking for a physical fight tonight and to end up with broken bones and bruises he sighed and placed a hand over her forehead carefully feeling the slowly warming skin beneath his palm.

At first he was bombarded with her thoughts of the team at first, from sitting on the window ledge to her wide eyes as she stared at Stark with wonder and curiosity, then to another scene where she watched himself with burning anger when he disrespected her adoptive father.

How she pushed the cup onto his lap at Stark's request and how she viewed the tower for the first time, how she feared Thor when she met him from the volume of his voice. To her falling and twisting her leg in an odd way.

He felt her fear as he saw his own hands reaching out and roughly grabbing her scruff, he felt her worry that he was going to bring harm to her or sell her out to the team and she would get in trouble which made him frown in dislike for the idea. 

How she was scared the team would kick her out after discovering she wasn't an ordinary cat.

His eyes widened at the sound of her soft melodic voice when she thought over things and had her perspective on people, himself being a key one as she expressed her internal dislike for him. 

At this he grinned but part of him felt the guilt though he refused to admit it.

He wanted to press deeper but when he tried it was all very blurry, mixes of yelling and a troubled past he knew he'd regret diving into, leading him to focus on the current thoughts.

One of her being in the tower, when she woke up and he saw her true form and didn't know who she was, to her first entering the space on the roof. 

How her knees buckled and she collapsed onto the gravel in a sobbing heap before shifting, crawling her way to the nearest corner and curling into the ball of fur he had only just found.

When the memories began to glitch his hand flew from her forehead and she let out a gasp, her eyes opening suddenly and they flickered to him as he backed away a little from the intensity of her eyes.

She sat up and grimaced looking at the team with wide fearful eyes "Brother- what did you see" Thor tried to hush his tone quickly but Loki had to swallow thickly

"She's not dangerous" he answered and everyone relaxed from there ready to fight positions as her wide brown eyes stared at the god with worry. What had he told them? she wondered awkwardly fisting the blanket that covered her lap as her mouth refused to produce words.

"It's alright we aren't going to hurt you" Steve was first to speak before Loki which made him internally grumble,

She still frowned and tried to push off of the table swinging her legs over the side and shakily moving backward until her back hit the glass.

Her eyes kept moving to Loki with a sense of insecurity, as if she were asking him silently if he had said anything bad to tarnish her reputation with them even if it wasn't much, and if they were playing an act.

"It is alright, I promise we aren't to bring harm to you" he found his mouth blurting out the words before he could stop them himself. She looked around everyone else who tried to put on strained smiles as they struggled to understand everything that'd been happening recently.

Given that Loki had given the okay and he had not that long ago been on the opposite side of their team they didn't really know how far they could take his word, given his title as well.

Her eyes were trained back on him which made him feel a little uneasy taking her unwavering gaze all at once, "It is Sparrow, yes?" he inquired her name carefully and it was followed by a small slow nod.

He slowly approached her and she backed up or at least tried to, "I promised you, did I not? no harm will come to you" his voice was soft and gentle, and Sparrow found herself leaning toward it rather than away from it,

and when he got close enough she darted behind him and pulled him to face the team while she hid behind him, her hands closing in on his arm for dear life as she used him as a shield.

Though a little surprised and overwhelmed he felt a sense of pride knowing that she trusted him rather than anyone else in the room.

"would you like something to eat?" he dared to question lightly peering over his shoulder down at her, as she was fairly small compared to him and she looked up at him with wide brown eyes and nodded carefully.

He offered a shaky smile before leading her toward the elevator but stopped when he noticed her faint limp, he looked over to Bruce who already had his eyes on her reddening ankle and was frowning.

Loki turned a little and place his hand carefully on the small of her back as she flinched, "we need to get that ankle bandaged" he murmured softly and she cowered back a little.

He gave her a sympathetic look and glanced to Bruce who pursed his lips and nodded at her when she looked at him, "It wont hurt, just like when you got it done the first time" Loki bent down to whisper a little softer now remembering how everyone else's eyes were trained on the two.

She nodded slowly before letting Loki lead her back to the bench that she sat on and got it bandaged, it was oddly silent but with Sparrows eyes fixated on Bruces hands as they wrapped the bandage everyone was fearful even a word would send her into a scare.

When it was done she limped over to Loki quickly and held on behind him again following him toward the elevator.

Eventually, the two made it up to the penthouse and she sat down on one of the stools silently, Loki wasn't sure how else to proceed so he settled for preparing some leftover pasta from last night's takeaway and later Tony and Nat came in through a bit more hesitation now.

But not because they feared Sparrow but because she seemed to fear them and they didn't want to make terrible impressions on the poor girl,

Though Stark of course blew it when he sat down next to her and his boisterous personality came to show "and do you speak?"

Nat nudged him hard "Don't be so blunt about it" she hissed at him and he rolled his eyes "It was a question Nat" he replied.

"I-d-do" Sparrow stammered and picked at the pasta in the bowl between her hands that were slowly warming again, "well, this might be a weird time to say it but-" Tony stuck out his hand and Sparrow looked at it with a risen brow and Loki frowned at him,

"I'm Tony Stark, would you still like that autograph?"