Alright, this chapter is a little shorter than the last few, because Loki doesn't play a huge part in it. I'm well aware that there are a few ways he could, but he's not quite there yet when it comes to Coulson's trust level.

Disclaimer: refer to chapter 1

It wasn't too long after he'd returned to the Bus that the door to the Cage opened. It was inevitable, of course. Someone had to come and shackle him again, after all.

It turned out to be Coulson, but to Loki's surprise, he didn't look angry, or even irritated that he had left the Bus to follow May. "May told me you went out there to help her," he stated as he placed the cuffs on the alien's wrists. "You didn't have to."

"I noticed," Loki replied. "She is quite capable of taking care of herself."

"That's not what I meant," the agent said. "You had no obligation to go after her."

Loki raised a brow. "I thought that was what I was here for. To assist when you needed it."

"You could have done that on the plane. For all we knew, Tobias Ford could have stayed on it, going after us, instead. We could have used you as a defense against him. But instead, you saw May leave and trusted her gut enough to follow her plan." His expression turned slightly quizzical. "But you didn't fight him yourself, either. You could have tried to take him down, tried to get us to see you as a 'good guy', the one to save us. But you didn't. Why?"

"Some battles, you must fight on your own," Loki replied. "This seemed to be a situation similar to the event that earned her the title of the Cavalry. At least, enough for it to affect her. When drawn into something like this, you have to face your own demons."

Coulson studied him for a moment, and the God of Mischief wasn't sure he liked the scrutiny. "What about you?" Coulson finally asked. "What kind of 'demons' do you have?"

May's words resurfaced in his mind: 'You can't undo what's been done. That will be with you forever.' His demons... "I've far too many to count, Agent Coulson," he said, covering his thoughts with a wry smirk. "And I'd prefer them to remain my own business."

Coulson said nothing, simply staring him down. After finally realizing that he would get no more out of Loki, though, he left.

Loki's gaze remained toward the door even after the agent was long gone. He was slowly realizing just how much it meant to him, staying here, among these people. But too much had happened, and deep down, he knew he wouldn't receive any kind of forgiveness, nor did he deserve it. He'd led an attack on this world, aiming to invade with an alien army, even if the intent was not his own. He'd been responsible for countless deaths, countless injuries, and he himself had been the one to wield the scepter that pierced Agent Coulson's heart. There was no going back from that.

He would never be one of them.

X

Coulson looked at the team as they watched the video feed. "At 0800 hours, three men infiltrated Havenworth Federal Penitentiary," he told them.

"Infiltrated?" Skye asked. "More like cannonballed."

"They were in and out in less than two minutes," Coulson continued. "Left no prints at the scene, but we do have one lead." He zoomed the image in, showing the device on one of the men's arm.

"Centipede," Ward said, looking over at Coulson.

Coulson nodded grimly. "Seems they salvaged some of their research from Hong Kong."

"So we were right," Simmons said. "Chan's platelets solved the combustion problem. Now they can create super soldiers with no fear of explosion!"

Everyone stared at her for a moment before Fitz said, "Maybe don't get so excited about it."

"Two of Centipede's labs have been destroyed, but they keep popping back up," Coulson continued. "Now they have at least three of these guys, maybe more."

"Who'd they break out?" May asked.

"Edison Po, former marine, expert in tactics and rapid response," Coulson responded. He swiped an image of the man up on the screen. "He fell off the grid in '08, reappeared eighteen months ago at a diner in Boston."

"Where he stabbed a friend's eyes out," Ward read from the screen, looking over at the lead agent.

"With a steak knife, then finished his meal."

"That's funny," Skye said, looking back up at the screen. "Po doesn't look crazy." At everyone's expression, she added, "I'm kidding! This guy's a walking mug shot."

"Which means he shouldn't be too hard to track down," Coulson stated. "Finding Po and these Centipede soldiers is a top priority."

"I have an idea, but you're probably not gonna like it," Skye started. "So... Loki read the Centipede file, and he was there in Hong Kong, so—"

"No," Coulson cut her off.

She frowned. "Isn't he our best shot, though? These Centipede guys are crazy strong. I feel like we need all the help we can get."

"That's why S.H.I.E.L.D. is sending in someone to help," Coulson argued.

"What team did they send for backup?" Ward asked.

"Not a team," Coulson replied. "A person. Someone who can help us fight fire with fire."

"Somebody we worked with before?" Skye asked. It was clear she wasn't happy he shut her down, but he wasn't letting Loki out in the field if he could help it. The last few times he'd gone with them were either by necessity or chance, and while he hadn't done anything then, that didn't mean that he wouldn't turn on them when he thought the time was right. Coulson wasn't going to risk that.

"Not exactly," he answered. "Remember Mike Peterson?"

Everyone looked at each other nervously while Skye's eyebrows shot up. "Really? You're not trusting the guy that saved our asses multiple times, but you're okay with the guy that flipped out on everyone, kidnapped me, and almost blew up?" She looked at the others. "Come on, I can't be the only one thinking this!"

"Well," Simmons began. "Loki has been helpful in the past..."

"Even if I wanted to—which I don't—the order has already been put through. And remember that most of S.H.I.E.L.D.doesn't even know about Loki. His presence here, especially now that he's supposed to be dead, is a secret, and I think having him in the field with Mr. Peterson would give him away," Coulson said, and that was the final word on the matter.

X

"Skye's right, you know," May said, to Coulson's immense surprise. The two were standing in the hangar, waiting for Mike Peterson to arrive.

"You're not telling me you trust him," the man said incredulously.

May shook her head. "No, but at least we know him. We can predict what he might do out in the field. We only know what S.H.I.E.L.D. has told us about Peterson."

"Like I said before, the order has been put through, and he's on his way," Coulson told her. "Not much we can do about that now." He paused. "You should probably know that Skye is trying to ID the agent that dropped her off at the orphanage." At May's questioning look, he added, "We agreed to protect her from the truth, so I told her you were looking into it. She may come to you."

May gave him a quick glare, but she didn't have much time to argue, with Mike making his way up the ramp. "One mistake at a time," she said simply.

"Agent Coulson," Mike greeted with a smile. "Agent May."

May looked at him for a second before leaving. "Last time you saw her, you threw her into a brick wall." Not to mention she was peeved at Coulson, but he wasn't about to share that piece of information.

"Right..." Mike said. "First time around, I wasn't who I wanted to be," he explained. "But now I get it. Having all this, it's a privilege. And training to be an agent, working with S.H.I.E.L.D., it's me trying to do better, trying to be better. I just need you to give me a shot."

Coulson studied him before taking a step closer. He might not be their best choice, but he was better than the alternative, by far. "Everyone deserves a second chance," he told him. Well, mostly everyone, he mentally amended. "But let me be clear: there will not be a third."

"Understood, sir," Mike said.

"Good." As the man went to enter the plane, Coulson stopped him. "One more thing, Mr. Peterson. Don't go near the Cage."

"Why—?"

"Just don't go near it," Coulson repeated. He'd said it earlier, Loki's presence was a secret. And as much as Coulson would enjoy seeing Loki dragged to Asgard by a raging Thor, he intended to keep that secret.

X

"It's not good. At all," Ward said, watching the video Skye had taken of him ages ago. "The guy was a ticking time bomb. Literally."

"HQ wouldn't have sent him if he was still combustible," Fitz reasoned. "They must have found a way to stabilize him."

"They stabilize his attitude?" Ward asked. "Because he was pretty hostile in Union Station."

"Well, it's not like we haven't opened our doors to other people. People with questionable track records," Simmons pointed out. She looked at Skye, but the latter took comfort in the knowledge that she wasn't the only one the scientist was talking about.

"Not cool," she responded. "But true." She glanced down at the button to the speaker, wondering whether she should turn it on. "Some of us more willing than others."

"No, I think he wants to be here," Fitz pointed out. "He came back, didn't he?"

"Guys!" Ward said. "We're getting off track, here. We're talking about Mike. Not Loki. And I still don't like having him here."

"Mike or Loki?" At the glare she received, Skye sighed. "Don't worry about Mike. He's a good guy."

"I thought you said—"

"I was making a point..." Skye muttered.

"He's also been in the Centipede program," Simmons added, trying to steer the conversation back in its original direction.

Skye nodded, relieved. "Exactly. He can give us the superpower backup we need."

"Just saying, this could easily go sideways," Ward warned. "I mean, the last time we saw this guy, he was a raging, homicidal maniac—" At everyone's silence, he paused. "He's standing right behind me, isn't he?" The others nodded.

"Mr. Peterson," Coulson began. "This is Agent Grant Ward. He's the man who shot you at Union Station. Fitz-Simmons designed the weapon he used, and I think you remember..." He motioned to Skye.

"Kidnap victim," the young woman joked.

Mike laughed. "You joined S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Yeah," Skye replied with a nod. "Turns out, guys in suits... not so bad."

"Look, I know Union Station could have gone another way," Mike began. "Another team might not have let me out of there alive. I owe you. All of you."

Skye smiled. "That's bygones and water under a distant bridge far away. How's your son?"

"Still with my sister," Mike replied. "He thinks I'm working construction, but he's good. Happy."

"So, what do we have?" Coulson asked, and that was the end of pleasant conversation. All business. When the plan was set, Coulson left the room.

"Hey, Ward?" Skye called before the agent could follow. "For the record... Pretty sure we collect 'raging, homicidal maniacs'." He rolled his eyes before leaving, cause Skye to laugh. Simmons smiled and Fitz shook his head with a chuckle. Mike looked confused at all of them, but no one decided to elaborate.

X

Mike frowned slightly to himself as he sat on the couch. No one was willing to explain what Skye meant, but she and Fitz-Simmons couldn't stop smiling about it. It had taken a while for Skye to stop giggling.

And Coulson had said something about not going near the Cage... but no one explained that, either. He knew he really shouldn't look into it. Coulson had told him there wouldn't be a third chance. But it had to be important, right? Besides, just a little peek wouldn't hurt anyone...

With that thought, he stood, walking down the halls until he came to the door he quickly determined led to the Cage. He reached for the handle, but he did not expect what he saw inside.

X

Loki had resigned himself to once again counting the tiles in the room. He really had to remember to ask someone for a book or something. With any luck, he could ask Skye or Fitz-Simmons. He'd little doubt they'd find something he could use to occupy his time.

Almost as if on cue to his thoughts, he heard the door begin to open. He looked up from his seat in the chair. "Mike Peterson," he observed when he saw the man in the doorway. "I must admit, I did not expect to see you."

The mortal seemed too stunned to speak for a long time. Loki just raised a brow expectantly, waiting. He really had to know the story behind this. "You're Loki," Peterson finally said. Loki could already predict the next words out of his mouth. "Loki of Asgard, burdened with glorious purpose?"

He really wished that would stop. Regardless, he put on a pleasant expression. "That I am. So tell me, Mr. Peterson, what are you doing here with this team? The last I knew, you were training in some S.H.I.E.L.D. facility to gain a full grasp on the abilities Centipede gave you."

"How... How do you know that?" Peterson asked.

"The file on Centipede was quite detailed," he replied. "You were a guinea pig of theirs in the early stages of experimentation, before the serum was stabilized." He glanced at the Centipede device still on Peterson's arm. "How have you managed to not combust thus far?"

Mike's eyes darted to the cuffs around Loki's wrist, and he must have gotten some sense that Loki wasn't much of a threat, because he replied, "I don't really think I have to tell you."

Loki almost laughed. This mortal had gall, he'd give him that. "On the contrary," he informed him. "As I've been with this team much longer than you have, and have been kept informed about the Centipede investigation, I believe I have every right to be told."

"If you were kept informed, then you'd know why I'm here," Peterson shot back, crossing his arms, and that caused Loki to pause. "Centipede resurfaced. Looks like they don't tell you as much as you think they do." He turned to leave, pausing at the door. "What are you even doing here? I thought you'd be rotting away in prison somewhere, after New York."

Loki replied with smirk. "I don't really think I have to tell you."

Without another word, Peterson was gone, door closed behind him. Loki would have to ask someone—most likely Skye—what was going on with Centipede as soon as he had the chance.

X

It was days before the door to the Cage opened again, but Loki didn't recognize either of the soldiers that rushed in. Each of them grabbed one of his arms and practically dragged him out the door. He didn't bother trying to escape, more focused on what was going on. There were several armed men and women on the Bus, people he assumed to be S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. He made sure to keep his face expressionless. He doubted that whatever was happening was something good, and he wouldn't betray anything to these people he'd never met.

He passed Skye and Fitz-Simmons, sitting on the couches, looking distraught. As he did, Skye looked at him and managed to say, "They took Coulson." He stiffened at that, though the agents 'escorting' him didn't slow down. He found himself in the briefing room, where a woman stood facing the screen. When they finally stopped, he wrenched free of the grips of the agents. They raised their weapons in response, but he was unfazed.

The woman turned, studying him for a moment with piercing eyes. "You must be Loki," she stated. There was no question or doubt in her voice.

He studied her in return. High posture, commanding tone... She must be the agent running point on this investigation to get Coulson back. Assuming that's what they were there for. "I'm afraid I haven't had the pleasure," he responded simply.

"Agent Victoria Hand," she told him. "And from this point forward, you work for me."

And that's that. Not a lot in here, I know, but again, Loki didn't play a very big role. I'm sorry for that scene in the middle that's pretty much a copy of the scene where they're talking about Mike in the briefing room, but there were a few lines in relation to Loki that had to be said, and I didn't want to just throw them in without scene context. You probably noticed that I glossed over the second half of that scene until the end. Literally the first line that popped into my head when I was getting ready to write this chapter was "Pretty sure we collect raging homicidal maniacs." So I needed a way to fit that in there.

The next chapter may take a little while because Loki plays a huge role in that, meaning, y'know, long chapter. It might not take as long as I currently expect, because of how excited I am to write it, but with school starting up in a few days, I might get a little busy. Maybe not overly, since it's the first few days of the semester, but you never know.

And finally, a big thanks to pokemon fan 98 for being my very patient beta. While this one didn't take too long after the last chapter, I'm sure you all noticed the month it took me to get to the last one. So I would like to thank her for being patient with me on that, and for being patient enough to go through and find all my ridiculous and stupid little typos (there were, like, nine, which is a lot, especially for a chapter this short).

See ya on the flipside~ Elisa out~