He Was Adopted

"What’s your name, where are you from, and what do you want?"

Tony promptly stopped paying attention to Steve and turned to Loki, asking the question.

However, Loki had no intention of answering Tony’s questions.

Seeing this, Tony’s right hand flared with purple Void Power, and he drove a punch straight into Loki’s abdomen. Bang!

Loki’s body slammed into the cabin wall. The blow churned his stomach, and he spat out a mouthful of bitter fluid.

The sight left Steve and Natasha too afraid to say anything.

"You don’t really think I can’t do anything to you just because you refuse to talk, do you?"

"I don’t have the patience to play with you slowly."

"If I find out you intend to harm Earth, I’ll show you what hell looks like."

Tony grabbed Loki by the hair, his voice cold and merciless.

"My name is Loki."

Loki realized that Tony Stark was even stronger than he had expected. Knowing that he would receive even more of a beating if he kept quiet, he gave his name.

"Loki? An Asgardian?"

"Thor’s brother?"

Hearing the name, Tony recalled Thor mentioning it before. He released Loki’s hair and asked thoughtfully.

"No."

Loki immediately shook his head.

"No? Then I guess I don’t need to hold back."

Seeing Loki immediately deny it, Tony grabbed his hair again and slammed him into the alloy wall with a bang! The wall itself caved in.

"Yes! Yes! I’m an Asgardian."

Seeing that his denial had only made Tony Stark abandon any thought of restraint, Loki immediately changed his answer.

"Are you Thor’s stupid brother or not?"

Loki had said yes one moment and no the next, leaving Tony unsure whether he should subject him to severe interrogation.

"Although we aren’t blood-related, I do have an older brother named Thor in name. He knows you."

Loki hurriedly explained.

If Tony did not stop, Loki might not even survive long enough to reach the Avengers Initiative’s aircraft carrier, much less carry out his plan.

After seeing that Loki’s physical defenses were indeed unlike those of an ordinary person, Tony finally confirmed that Loki’s identity was genuine.

"So, you were the one who sent the Destroyer to Earth last time?"

"But is Thor really that indecisive? You tried to kill him, yet he still let you live?"

"Does Thor owe you some enormous favor he hasn’t repaid?"

Knowing that this man was Thor’s brother Loki, Tony folded his arms and looked at him with interest.

Tony had experienced betrayal before, so he would never go easy on anyone who wanted him dead.

When Thor had gone back to settle family matters, Tony had assumed Loki was as good as dead. He had not expected to see him now.

"…"

Hearing Tony call his brother indecisive, Loki did not know how to respond for a moment.

Just then, bolts of lightning began streaking across the sky, accompanied by the rumble of thunder.

The thunder made Loki’s expression change.

"What, are you afraid of lightning?"

Seeing the change in Loki’s face, Steve asked in surprise.

"I just don’t like the person who comes with the lightning."

Hearing the thunder, Loki knew Thor would arrive soon and answered.

As soon as he said that, a blond figure holding the Thunder Hammer descended from the thunderclouds and landed directly on the Quinjet.

Bang!

"Mr. Thor’s life signs have been detected."

Jarvis immediately reported the situation to Tony.

Tony reached out and opened the hatch, leaving the entrance wide open. Thor flipped into the cabin.

"This is Thor?"

Seeing the man arrive, Steve realized he was the handsome blond man he had seen in the video before.

"Tony, my foolish brother has caused you trouble again."

Upon seeing Tony, Thor wore an apologetic expression as he spoke.

"Causing trouble would be an exaggeration. Compared to the Destroyer, he’s like a little chick."

"But what happened with you?"

"He sent the Destroyer to kill you, yet you still spared his life?"

Tony did not care much about such a minor issue. What concerned him more was why Loki was still alive.

"Even if he lost his mind… he is still my brother."

Thor glanced at Loki, who still looked full of spirit, and spoke.

Those words made Loki’s gaze flicker, warmth flowing through his heart.

"Even if he killed seventy or eighty people in two days?"

Natasha interjected.

"He was adopted."

Thor looked at Loki in disbelief, then immediately put some distance into their relationship.

After all, he was about to become the king of Asgard and protect the Nine Realms, yet his brother had done something so foolish. It made it difficult for him to protect Loki completely.

If he insisted on shielding Loki, he might even end up fighting Tony.

Tony himself was not that troublesome, merely difficult to deal with at most. But Harvey stood behind Tony, and Harvey was likely a terrifying figure comparable to Thor’s father.

If things escalated, Asgard and Tony might still be able to remain at peace.

But if Earth, one of the Nine Realms, became the main battlefield, it could cause an unimaginable catastrophe.

Even though it was the truth, hearing those words come from Thor still disappointed Loki somewhat.

"Your brother tried to kill you, and you still care about old ties?"

"If it were me, I’d have killed him long ago. I wouldn’t let him keep hopping around here."

"Who knows what scheme he’s plotting to harm Earth."

Hearing Thor’s words, Tony shouted in utter disbelief.

"I’ve shared more than fifteen hundred years of bonds with Loki."

"Loki may be a little mischievous and somewhat extreme, but he is still my brother. I can’t kill him."

"At most, I can lock him up."

"The reason I came this time was to take him back to Asgard."

"Then imprison him forever."

Thor looked at Loki, his eyes filled with frustration at his failure to live up to expectations.

His father had told him to look after Loki if he encountered him in other worlds.

But Loki seemed intent on plotting to invade the Nine Realms, leaving Thor unsure how he was supposed to look after him.

"I hope you keep your word this time."

"If I see him plotting to wreak havoc on Earth again next time—"

"Thor, don’t blame me for disregarding our friendship."

Hearing Thor’s words, Tony finally understood why Harvey had not wanted to interfere in Thor’s affairs. With over fifteen hundred years of shared history between them, he could only agree to spare Loki this once.

After all, he did not want to be unable to leave Earth because he had to worry about whether Loki would come back to cause trouble at any moment.

Third update.