Often time, when one is excited enough, they do not fully think through the consequences of the actions they take. They only see what they want to see, the happy ending, the light at the end of the tunnel. The Bother at the end of the hall. When people are excite and happy, and only looking at the end, they do not think things through. They do not think of the things that stand in their way, and will run bullheaded into any given situation without any thought of the dangers standing in the way. Like, for instance, the angry super soldier standing guard outside the living room door.

The Captain as no trouble seeing us, they've come the day light and no one has put the building in lock down yet. I had run down the hall with no thought but of seeing Thor, I did not think of the others that would be with him. Of the weapons they would have. Captain America is standing outside of the entrance. A shot gun shot gun in one hand, and his shield in the other. He's not wearing his mask, though he has on the rest of the star-spangled outfit, and I could plainly see the hate in his eyes when I round the corner.

He must've heard me coming because his gun is already raised, aiming straight for me, his shield is as well, guarding his chest as if he expects retaliation on my end.

"Freeze!" he says, and I hear him cock the gun. It was small, but I know even the smallest of human weapons are enough to kill, so I do as I am told- it is not as if I was going to attack him anyway, I had been planning (if you could even call this stupidity planning) on seeing Thor. I had not even thought of the others he would bring.

Freezing in places, breath ragged and body shacking- out of adrenal and fear now- I stare at the human, waiting.

Loki, I-I-I-I- what do I do?

Put up the shield- No! No! Don't! He stops me before I try.

What? Why not? He is going to shoot us!

Let him capture us, we will see Thor if he does. He will shot to disable if we are not a threat, it is how the good captain is… I hope.

"Damn, they really did get you." He mumbled, just loud enough for us to hear.

Yes, rub it in why don't you Rogers, Loki's reply went unheard by its intended recipient.

"Tony! Come here! I got one! It's the one that got Loki, but he's just standing here, I thought you said this one fought!" he shouted, turning his head just lightly into the living room, he eyes never living us.

"Well he used a magic shield, he didn't really fight- God they completely emptied my bar, what the hell?" We hear Iron Man's electric voice from far inside the room, then the hum of the repulser's got louder, he crossed the thresh hold into the hall way, and we were facing the angry metal man once more. The second Stark came through the door the lights in the hallway shut off and the door itself starts to slide shut.

"Shit, it's trying to trap us in!" Rogers exclaimed, quickly shoving his shield in between the door and the frame before it can lock them in, it left just enough room for them to go back through.

"Hello again, Wannabe Reindeer Games," Stark says and I think there may be a smirk in his voice, as if he has said something funny, but with the mask in the way I cannot tell. He raises his armored hand to me, and I take a step back in fear, but don't raise my shield.

Loki!

Don't, it cannot fatally hurt us.

But it can still-

I have taken worse; they could have had the green beast with them.

"Puny God."

He showed me the memory of the Hulk walking away after smashing us into the living room floor. Gods, what is wrong with human, they would give their minds over to horrid, destructive beasts, but they will not give themselves to use, because we are monsters!?

I do not believe it was his intent to become such a thing, Loki commented nonchalantly.

"Call the others back; tell 'em we got one." Stark tell the Captain, wasting no time in firing the repulser's white hot energy straight at our chest

"Aah!" I cry out when it hit and the power behind it sent me flying back. One minute there is plain only in my chest, I heard a loud crack and pain exploded everywhere, first my head, then my shoulders and then my back. My chest began to burn from the pain of the initial blast, that coupled with everything else and I began to sob.

I stared at the ceiling, the world around me is fading out, and my vision is tunneling. Over the ringing in my ears I heard two sets of feet, and I knew they must have been coming closer. They're over me suddenly, their figures no more than blurry shapes now.

"Damn, that was easy, but, yeah, that's defiantly not Loki. Man it's a good thing Thor not with us this time." Stark said, something like sorrow in his voice. I turned my head, trying to focus my eyes, to force them to see the humans. Surely that could not be. Surely Brother was with them.

"…Br-Brother is not… But the thunder-Haaah!" I tried to question, gasping suddenly as the Captain lifts my arm, jerking my shoulder, which I thought might be broken.

Oh, don't be a baby, it is only sore… we will be… fine… Loki's thoughts began to fade away, as well as mine.

Did we… hit our head… that… hard… was my last thought, and then nothing.


"Hello again Wannabe Reindeer Games." Tony greets the parasite from behind Steve, smirking at his own cleverness. The parasite looked confused for a second, and when Tony raised his palm to the thing, a look of absolute terror, that was so out of place on Loki, crossed its face and it stepped back. Its eyes go glossy, as if it was no longer looking at the two humans in front of it.

"Call the others back, tell 'em we got one." Tony said to Steve, firing at the thing. They are both surprised when, instead of raising the magic-powered shield Tony and Thor had told them this parasite had, it took the full blow, and flew several yard back. It hit the grown with a loud bang, and sharp crack as its head smacked the granite flooring.

Steve and Tony watch for a moment as it just layed there, small strangled sobs escaping its lips, as it stared blankly at the ceiling. When they were sure that it wasn't going to move they walked slowly over to it- ever vigilant for Seekers to round the corner, or the parasite to suddenly spring up and attack.

"Damn, that was easy, but, yeah, that's defiantly not Loki." Stark commented , looking down into the vacant silver-over-green eyes- the tell-tale silver of a Soul's occupation. "Man it's a good thing Thor not with us this time."

The last comment seemed to snap the parasite out of its trance, because its head turned to face them, its eyes trying desperately to focus, and it opened its mouth to speak.

"… Br-Brother is not… But the thunder- Haaah!" it was cut off when Steve takes its arm, its face the picture of pure agony. Quickly Steve stabs the needle full of tranquilizer into its arm, feeling almost sorry for it. Once they are sure that the tranquilizer worked- because it was meant for animals, and it didn't work on Thor (Yes. Tony'd tried it. Once. Before the invasion. Don't judge him, he was bored), they weren't sure if it would work on a Jötnar- Steve picked it up, and handed it to Tony. Walking back to the living room, Steve talked into his earpiece.

"Susan, Logan, we got one, get back to living room before the seekers show up. we gave they others enough time to fly by anyway." Ducking through the doorway, under his shield, Steve turned to Tony, and carefully transfer the body under the door into his arms so that Tony could come through himself.

"'Kay, we're on our way. Who is it?" Steve heard the anxiousness in Susan's voice, hope that it might be the body of her brother or husband that they had found, and they may be able to find a way to get them back now.

"Sorry Su, it's not Reed or Johnny, it's Loki, he just sorta ran up to us and actually froze there, so we got him." Steve set the parasite down on the couch and held his gun at the ready, incase it's just playing possum, and Tony does the same, only in the direction of the doorway.

"Wait. You're saying it run up to you… and just… stood there?" Logan's disbelieving voice is heard in reply, "'Cause in my experience with these things, they tend to either run away screaming for a Seeker, or they are a Seeker."

"Yes, I know how they are Logan, thank you," Steve replied flatly, "But trust me, this one's no seeker."

"Hey cap, tell them to hurt it up, Natasha spotted two dozen seekers this time. Shit. And helicopters, we're gonna have to get out of here fast."

"You guy-" Steve began.

"We're here, we're here," came Su's voice as she, followed closely by Logan, came through the doorway, ducking under the shield the same way Steve and Tony had. Walking back past the two as they entered, Steve tells one of them to get the pariste, and head to the quinjet on the balcony. When he got to the door he gave his shield a firm few yanks before it finally dislodges itself from the doorway, and the door slid safely shut with its loud hiss.

Several minutes later finds the five of them (having safely picked Natasha up off the roof across the street without the helicopters stopping them) plus the parasite several miles out to sea. They knew they risk the lives of every person aboard The Helicarrier every time they did this, possibly leading the Souls back to their safe haven, but they also knew they needed one group to be a distraction. Low to the ground, and in the city, that was the quinjet that the souls would focus on, not the one that flew above the clouds and passed up the city completely. The one that would go on proper raid for supplies.

An attack on the tower was a perfect distraction too, if the souls thought all they were doing was trying to kidnap their lost friend, they would be focused more on their safety and not the second jet that didn't stop, plus it was a bullet proof plan now that they actually had kidnapped a soul. A month and a half back, when Thor and Tony had attacked on their own they had been keeping the seekers focus on them and the tower when another group and their quinjet continued inland high above the cloud. But today, they had been another distraction while that group flew back over the city headed out to sea. Now both jets flew side-by-side out to sea.

"Maybe something's wrong with this one, it is inside Loki after all." Natasha comments to Tony, who had just explained how they "captured" it, staring at his incapacitated form as Susan finishes zip-tying his wrists, elbows, ankles and knees together, from where it's buckled into one of the seats in the back, and as she re-adjusts the brown quits around his shoulders- let it never be said she is cruel, not even to the enemy.

"It was coming for Thor." Steve stated from the co-pilot's seat.

"How do you know that?" Questioned Logan from the other pilot's seat.

"When Tony shot it down, it wasn't really there, you know? Like, it was focusing on something else, but as soon and Tony said it was a good thing we didn't bring Thor, it snapped out of it and said something about "brother" and "thunder". My guess is that it mistook the quinjet's landing for Thor's thunder and came running. I just can't figure out why it would do that."

"Wait, it called Thor "brother"? But Thor's not its brother. Just Loki's." Su questioned, confused.

"Yeah, it did that last time too." Tony answered his mask lifted while he talks. "Maybe since the body is Loki's, I don't know, it might actually think Thor is its brother. I mean we know from experience enough that they keep the bodies memories, so maybe Tasha's right and something is wrong with it and it forgot that it's not Loki, and Thor's not actually its brother?"

"Wow, Tony, did you come up with that all on your own?" Logan teased.

"Shut up Logan!" Tony yelled defensively, all tension gone as the others begin laughing and Tony's expense.

Two hours passed with no trouble, and Logan and Steve prepare to land the jet on the landing strip atop the flying helicarrier. Ready to finally, finally have everyone home. The landing is shortly followed by the other jet (the raiding group that they had been the cover for) and when they exited the two groups meet each other. Both groups, minus Tony who is holding the parasite and is severally yard back, begin to unload the supplies for the raider's jet.

"Is that Loki?!" Nightcrawler was suddenly at Tony's side, having popped out of nowhere after seeing that Tony had the captured alien. Nightcrawler, or Kurt Wagner if you used his real name, had come to shield quickly after the invasion began, along with Xavier and many other teachers and students from his school. Xavier's gifts had allowed him to know immediately what was happening, and who was safe to evacuate, and who, sadly, he could do nothing for.

"Yeah," Tony said sullenly, shifting the parasite in his arms, so that his face rolls away from Tony's chest and faces Kurt, head limp agents the metal arm, "The parasites got him. I'll tell you about it later, go back and help the others finish unloading." He said, seeing people exiting the 'carrier, it's the usual three that come to check that the bodies returning were still themselves; Phil Coulson, Dr. Strange, and Dr. Banner. But they had one other person with them this time. Thor is walking beside the three other men, staring- no, glaring, and the unconscious form in Tony's arm.

Crap, did Logan or someone call it in already? Okay, God, if you're still listening to humans, please don't let Thor kill me for bringing back this alien. Please.

Tony shifted the parasite again after Kurt left, so that It's head wasn't just lulling to the side, but rather facing Tony's armored chest again. This position also gave Tony a better grip on it in case he has to fly off fast, because Tony really wasn't sure how Thor was going to react to the parasite, and parasite-or-Loki, neither really deserved to have their head smashed in by Mjölnir's angry owner.

"I'm still human." Tony announces when Coulson gets close enough, opening his eyes wide to show their brown with no silver over it. "No one got caught on our team, Kurt was here a second ago so he's fine, and I'm guessing since I see every one, and he did tell me otherwise, that means Mystique, Kitty and the other are all fine too."

Coulson and Strange lowered their guns, and Thor stepped around them. Staring at his brother's form he noticed the blood dripping from his hair. "He bleeds," was all he said.

It's all he could say, because really, what else was there? "You have my brother, but that's not my brother?" Well that was obvious. "Why have you brought it here?" Well he's not stupid; he knows they need information from the parasites, it was no fault of his friends that the one they had was his brother. Still, in this moment he can forget that and see his little brother in Tony Starks arm, bleeding, bound, and unconscious and he hold his arms out.

"Please. I will do him no harm." Thor begged, a sob threatening to escape his throat. Tony looked behind Thor, to Coulson and the others, and they gave the go-ahead, so he hands the parasite over.

"Carful though, he did smack his head pretty hard on my granite floor. Banner, come here and take a look at his head. None of the rest of us are hurt, by the way." Tony adds.

The others finished unloading the quinjet's contents onto the landing zone, and while Kitty and Kurt drove the two jets back into their garage the others join their group. While Bruce was looking over its head, and Coulson was calling in another group via head-set to carry the contraband into the helicarrier Tony let Steve rely the story again, telling them all he's going to "dress in something more comfortable," and left.

"- so we just took it down- well Tony shot it once and it went down right away, and I gave him a shot of tranquilizer- which should wear of here in a little bit." Steve shifts his gaze from the parasite to look Thor directly in the eyes. "I think it was coming for you Thor."

"Well he has certainly found me." Thor said, his voice is stoic now, if not a bit angry. Turning to lead the (now) large group back inside, he asked "What shall be done with him, Son of Coul"

"Well if he doesn't need immediate medical attention, I think it would be best to take him to a cell, and we can interrogate him when the tranquilizer wares off." Coulson answers.

"The gash on his head is pretty much healed, I'm guessing the parasite-" no one missed how Thor flinched at this word "-still has Loki's healing capabilities. The blood in its hair is old, so I think we can just use a little disinfectant on the wound after we get him in a cell and he'll be fine." Banner said as they entered the carrier, now heading down to the cells.

Only Phil, Steve, and Natasha accompanied Thor to the cell block at the bottom of The Carrier, the others having politely dismissed themselves to go have dinner, or simply walked away. Most of the people on the helicarrier were under the unspoken agreement of truce; that you do not attack the others or at with hostility, because this is your only safe place and you are here until you die, so get along. Mystique and Dr. Doom were just two examples of people abiding by this rule. But there were still some who, after coming to the helicarrier, had not been able to behave themselves, and while no one was willing to be so cruel as to throw them to the parasites, they could not be allowed to roam about the carrier any longer. Those that were unwilling to behave had been given a life sentient in the cell block.

"Hey look! They got Loki!" one of the inmates shouted to the other as Thor passed him, laughing as if his is the funniest thing in the world.

"What?! Couldn't get him to listen, had to beat him senseless?! You hypocrites!" another accused, banging on the clean cell door, and they ignored her too. They stop when the reach the cell, and step aside as Phil slides his ID card, and punches in the code that will open the cell's solid-but-clear door.

"No!" The person in the next cell over shouted. "Look at his eyes! The parasites got him! The parasites got the bastard!"

How would he know his eye- Thor looked down quickly, shifting his brother so that he looks up at Thor. Half-lidded reflective-silver eyes look back at him uncomprehendingly for only a second before they close once more. It was enough to make Thor's chest tighten and tear threaten to spill over. It reminded him that yes, the parasites had gotten him, and they would never give him back.

"Come on, set him on the bed Thor," Coulson said softly, walking into the cell with Thor, while Natasha and Steve wait outside.

"That tranquilizer should last another thirty minutes or so, but he may end up sleeping through the night anyway. I say we do the interrogation in the morning." Natasha suggested.

Thor laid the parasite down on the cot, and pulled the quit away from it. He knew this quit, with its soft brown fabric and intricate stitching, this was his mother's quilt. He and Loki had shared it though most of their childhood, it was one of the few things he had brought with him from home, and he was not going to have it in the hands of the creature that killed his brother.

"Thor?" Steve questions.

"It belongs to me, not the parasite." Thor answered harshly, walking out of the cell past the others, and completely leaving the cell block. The other three follow him out a few minutes later once Coulson is finished applying the disinfectant, and moving the body around to a more comfortable position ( it was tossed onto it's side when Thor took the quilt from under it, and Coulson didn't need it to lose circulation in that arm).

They walked down the hall, ignoring the shouts of the inmate, yelling for the parasite to "walk up and tell us what you got Loki!"

"That thing's about to go through Hell when it wakes up." Steve said sullenly when they exit the block, feeling a little sorry that it was going to have to live with those people around it, trapped in a place where all are its enemy as all were Loki's before. "It's got no allies and everyone hates it."

"Thor's certainly not going to show it any kindness." Natasha reflected. "Let's just go have dinner now. This day has been way to long."