Loki stumbled as Thor pushed back against his fist. Of course he did. No amount of practice or training could ever make him equal to his brother. But Loki's eyes still flashed with rage. He may have been beaten before he'd entered the room, but Loki had never been the type to give up, even when the odds were stacked so thoroughly against him. If Thor knocked him down, then he'd get up and make Thor knock him down again. Better to make him see what he was doing, feel Loki's weight and blood beneath his fist. Remember that he had a brother, and that brother was made of flesh and blood, too.
"I'll find a way," he insisted, darting back at Thor with a quick feint and another jab aimed at Thor's stomach. He attacked from the left, using his bad side as bait, even when it hurt him, and he threw his whole force behind his fist, trying to draw blood.
He didn't realize he was crying.
"You can't volunteer anyway," he sneered. "I told you brother, Stane won't let you. He won't take that kind of risk. There are others he wants to kill more than you. Let him."