"...Yeah. I did. Even when they were terrible."

"I'm sorry. You shouldn't be hurt."

"Now you sound like my sister."

"Do you think I'm her?"

"I don't know. I don't know if identity's in your body, or your memory, or your fate, or something weirder. But... You're still someone I want to help, and maybe get to know, like I'd get to know a long-lost sibling. If you'd let me."

"I think that'd be okay..."

"And I'll protect you from anyone who has a problem with you being connected to the old Loki. You're my ally, even if you're not my sister." He knows Loki had always had a perhaps odd focus on allies, so...

"Good. Allies are important, like books are important, I think."

He nods. "They are."

"Anyways... We should probably think of a name for you, to help distance things."

"I think Loki's right though, it's - me, or at least the person who burned the tapestry and - and broke fate. Breaking fate - that's a good kind of not doing what you're told."

"Yeah. It is. Loki - that's a heavy name, you know. It'll come with chains from people's expectations, but... That's the sort of thing you're good at breaking."

"Well, I'll do the opposite of what they tell me too, then."

He smiles, and says, "Now that we've got you caught up... How about that library?"

"Books!!!"

She's going to be occupied for quite a while, given she doesn't remember ever having read a book.

He's quite happy to see this side of his sister again.

(He's less happy about reporting this to the Avengers; they'll know she's Loki reborn, even if he tries to bluff them, so it's probably best to just come forward...)

The Avengers: are immensely torn! There's a lot of people of the opinion she's flat evil and should not be trusted, though they don't seem to agree on what to do then and whether they think this is a trick or not.

Captain America and Thor Odinson end up bracketing the young Loki for the bulk of the ensuing argument.

"Public opinion doesn't matter," Captain America says, voice not even raised despite a few people having already resorted to shouting. "It doesn't matter what everyone says is wrong or right. What matters is what we know the truth to be. Blaming a child for something she didn't do - something some alternate version of herself did in a future that can't happen again - is wrong. We're better than that, or we should be."

Is that the start of hero worship in her eyes? It might just be!

(She suspects 'emulating Captain America' is something quite unlike the old Loki, and she rather wants to prove everyone wrong about her. Set their little expectations on their head.)

It takes a lot of arguing, but Thor and Captain America have sway, and get the young Loki probationary status and tentative protection.

Captain America offers to stay with them, for a bit, and help them get settled in.

"Thanks," she says, skipping out of the meeting room. "How do I become a superhero, by the way?"

"Usually people are a bit older when it comes to punching villains," Steve says with a laugh. "It helps to have experience, there. But - being a hero, a true hero - it's about doing good. Even when people don't expect you to, even when every expectation and shred of common sense says you don't have to - especially then. It's about standing up to bullies - especially the powerful ones - and looking out for people who can't protect themselves. If you want to get started - I can point you towards some causes who could use some help." He has zero problems funneling Loki's apparent tendency towards mischief into very colorful protests against the assorted bullshit people in power keep pulling.

"Can't promise I'll do those ones, of course, but - I don't know anything about this world, really, so information doesn't hurt."

"I can also email you a list - has Thor explained the internet yet?"

"Nope! What's that?"

"I'm relatively new to it, too, but it's pretty useful..." And he explains!

"That sounds like something with potential!" she says, laughing.