Loki was gone, but his words still echoed in Thor's mind.
He did not dwell on them for long. Footsteps sounded on the stairs.
Erik Selvig came slowly downstairs. "Hey, Thor, who were you talking to?"
Thor did not know Coulson well, but he had grown fond of Eric, Jane, and Daisy, who had taken him in. It seemed he had woken the older man.
"Uh... I was talking to myself," Thor said apologetically. "A lot has happened these past two days, and I couldn't sleep. Sorry if I woke you."
By then, Eric had reached the bottom of the stairs. He came over and sat beside Thor on the edge of the bed. "You didn't. I'm just getting old and sleep lightly. I thought I heard you talking, so I came down to check on you."
He turned to look at Thor's bleak expression. "Looks like you didn't get back what belongs to you. Otherwise, even if you came back here, you wouldn't look like this."
Thor said nothing.
Eric did not press him. "Sounds like the rain's stopped. Come on, I'll take you out for a drink. Maybe you'll feel better afterward."
Thor nodded. He, too, thought alcohol might help him forget what was hurting him, if only for a while.
The town was small. The all-night bar was just two streets from the workshop.
The bar looked a little worn from the outside, but it was fairly spacious within. A few pool tables stood under dim lights. In one corner, an old jukebox played something too quietly to make out.
Behind the counter, a bartender was wiping down a glass. He nodded when Eric came in; they clearly knew each other.
Eric and Thor sat at the bar.
"Two beers," Eric told the bartender.
The bartender took