Running at Full Tilt: Chapter 11

Guys! Guysguysguysguys! It's a new chapter! :) So, successfully finished my firsts year of college (Yippee!) Was planning on updating last week, but was high on drugs :/ (wisdom teeth surgery). But here we are!

Please enjoy this long awaited chapter. PS SORRY IN ADVANCE, IT'S A SHORT CHAPTER!

I have no beta. Any and all mistakes are my own!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Predator movie or characters, same for Avengers. That belongs to Marvel. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A QUOTE FROM TOM HIDDLESTON! Bonus points if you can find it ;)

Warnings: Violence...probably lots of angst.

Distraction

It was the sunlight that woke everyone in the morning. Clint had been the most vocal about it.

"Finally! Lord, I missed the alien-planet sun. I call first dibs on scouting party."

"That won't be for a while yet, Barton. It is best to let the beasts settle back into their homes before charging out there." Hawkeye glared at the Trickster.

"But you said-"

"Feel free to get yourself killed, Barton. It will not be on my head if you do." When Clint opened his mouth to argue, Natasha whacked his arm.

"Just don't." The speed with which Barton's mouth shut would have been amusing in any other situation. However, Loki had lost the ability to take pleasure in simple amusement long ago. He allowed himself to be distracted instead by Tony's wild eyes. The inventor looked about ready to rush out of the cave despite his warning, and that wouldn't do. With an annoyed growl, Loki gripped Stark's arm and dragged him back towards the fire spot. He sat down, harshly dragging the inventor with him to the ground.

"I don't like to be manhandled, thank you. Only Pepper gets to do that. What's with the-"

"I will not have you running outside and screwing everything up. Because you would, in a spectacularly loud fashion." Loki scowled at Stark, then started rambling about the magic and 'science' behind his cloning ability. Everyone on the team watched on, partly confused and mostly surprised. Everyone, except for Thor, that is. The golden prince had a small smile on his face as he watched his brother help a friend. Loki used to be able to show his good heart a little less…aggressively, however that had changed along with a number of other things about the Trickster.

Thor's thoughts were interrupted by Natasha's approach. With a pointed look at Loki and Stark and a tilt of her head, she walked over to the opening of the cave. Thor followed, a sliver of dread settling in his gut.

"Thor, you need to be prepared for what is going to happen." Thor's brow furrowed as he looked down on the small woman.

"I have fought many battles, I assure you, Lady Natasha. I am more than prepared to go into another." Natasha shook her head.

"I'm talking about Loki, Thor. He's your brother, and you care about him, and despite what he says, he cares about you." Thor could not help but look back at said brother then. Loki had fully engaged Stark and had attracted Bruce Banner into the conversation as well. The golden prince saw something in his brother that the others more than likely missed: he was happy. Or content at least. Loki never really had one to discuss his knowledge with except their mother. However, as both boys got older Odin 'suggested' Frigga pull back and allow them to grow on their own and not live in their mother's skirts. Perhaps that is where Loki's resentment started.

"You can tell?" While Thor could hope all he wanted, it was another thing entirely for someone as observant as Natasha to say as much.

"If he didn't he wouldn't be so vehemently against you calling him brother and screaming. It would be completely different if he ignored you. The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference." Before he got himself lost in another bout of hopefulness and happy memories, Thor got serious.

"I thank you for that hope. However, what do you believe I must prepare myself for?" Thor just caught the minute pinch of Natasha's lips before she turned to look out the cave and away from him.

"Loki is desperate to leave this place, but he is also resigned. He believes he will die here. There is something on Earth we call self-fulfilling prophecy." At Thor's silence, she continued. "People believe something so much that they don't take the necessary precautions to prevent the outcome they believe will happen. In essence they fulfill the prophecy they came up with simply because they believed it would happen." The assassin glanced over at the prince and found him stone-faced and pale. "Do you understand what I'm saying, Thor?"

"Such as Loki believed himself a monster, so he started to act like he believed he should." Natasha nodded once at Thor's subdued answer. Suddenly, Thor pulled himself up and out of his dark thoughts and set a determined look on his face.

"I do not care if Loki has prophesied his death on this planet. I will not leave here without him safe by my side." With that, he turned and strode further into the cave. He sat down near his brother and simply listened to the conversation. Natasha watched this and sighed.

"He's not giving up on him, is he?" Natasha shook her head at Cap's question. Steve stared ahead at the small group some feet away then looked over at Clint sitting in a dark corner.

"He's brooding. He'll get over it. But should we be worried that Thor will blow the plan to protect Loki?" Steve finally dragged his eyes away from his pouting teammate and tilted his head to the side, considering.

"That's a possibility, but it could also push Thor to fight harder and get us off this planet faster. Thor's a big guy with a big heart and a big temper. If Loki doesn't kill this thing the first chance he gets, Thor definitely will. Unfortunately, we won't know until we get in the life or death situation." Natasha smirked.

"That's the best time." Steve's eyes flicked back over to the archer and Natasha sighed again. "Clint's not happy about any of this, no surprise there. But he's seeing what I'm seeing, and that's making him more angry." Cap raised a brow.

"Oh? And what are you two seeing?" Natasha stared forward at the other group until Steve did the same.

"That's not the same Loki that attacked Earth."


"So, it's like another being your creating? You create a new person?" Loki grit his teeth together. Trying to explain Asgardian magic to the two Midgardian scientists was as exciting as it was frustrating.

"No. The clone is not a separate being itself; it has a modicum of ability to think ahead and act as I would in a situation. It is like taking a part of my soul and putting a form around it, giving it shape and then setting it into motion." Tony gave him a horrified look and then started shouting.

"You make Horcruxes on a regular basis?! That is just…no! I am both horrified and completely fascinated at the same time." Bruce laughed at the look on Tony's face, while Loki scowled.

"Stark, your babbling makes less sense than usual." Tony grabbed Bruce's arm, and the other scientist pushed him over.

"Ow!" Tony, predictably, ignored him.

"Bruce! Loki doesn't know about Harry Potter! When we get back we are showing him Harry Potter!" Everything seemed to freeze then and Tony's words hung in the air.

The other Avengers looked gearing up to have an argument, while Thor took the opportunity to observe his little brother. Loki appeared calm and only mildly amused at Tony's declaration, however Thor could see the line of tension in his shoulders. The Trickster was waiting for the likely outburst to come, and was bracing himself. There was something else in his brother's demeanor that concerned Thor. The brief glimpses he was able to catch of Loki's eye showed glimmers of resignation and….something that spoke of a captain lost at sea. Someone very uncertain of their course, yet knowing they can not possibly fight the gale they are caught in.

After some time, Loki collected himself and raised an eyebrow.

"And what makes you think I would ever be interested in this 'Harry Potter'?" Tony didn't miss a beat.

"Magic! Duh!"

That started a whole new discussion on what true magic is versus Midgard's portrayal of it. Thor soon found his cheeks smarting from how long he had been smiling. To see his brother so engaged was….a joy. It made him even more determined to ensure they all leave the planet alive and well. Suddenly, an irritated growl erupted from Hawkeye.

"If you are done arguing over children's books, maybe we could go scout now?" Loki scowled at the archer, but the suns were indeed higher in the sky and it was perhaps as safe as it ever would be.

"Very well. Romanoff, Barton and Stark will come with me. Stark, you will leave your suit here as it will only weigh you down and you will need it for our later…engagement. If any of you touch anything as the Captain did before I will leave you to die." With that, Loki strode out of the cave without waiting to see if they were following.

"Be careful, Stark." Tony smirked at Steve and patted his arm as he past by.

"Don't trust me, Cap?" The assassins left without a word, and soon only Steve, Thor and Bruce were left.

"Your brother is…." Thor turned to the doctor and could only nod as the man trailed off.

"Yes. Loki…I have never fully understood him, for all that we grew up side by side. The one thing I do know is that he has always had a thirst for knowledge, and he can't stand those who value physical strength over intelligence." Steve wandered over to sit with them.

"From what you've told us of Asgard, I can imagine that made things hard for him." Thor's lips pursed and he slowly nodded.

"Unfortunately, yes. I was blind to his harassment for centuries and am sad to say, looking back, I myself participated in it. Loki tried so hard as a child to keep up and take interest in what the rest of us did, but he was ridiculed for his failure one too many times, and he simply gave up."

"That doesn't mean he stopped caring though." Thor inclined his head in acknowledgement of the doctor's observation.

"No. He just became better at hiding behind his masks. Though he will deny it till Ragnarok falls, the reason he learned how to wield his words so harshly was due to the way they pierced him as he grew up. Mother made me aware of this, last we spoke, and I can see it all the more clearly with each minute we are together." Silence fell, and no one spoke for a few minutes.

"Thor…if we all get out of here…what will happen to Loki?" Steve did not consider Loki a friend (and perhaps never would) but he had seen another side of the man, one that forced him to feel a modicum of concern for him. He certainly knew what Fury would do if Loki came back to Earth.

"We will all leave this planet. I… I do not know what the All-father will decree when we return to Asgard. But I will do all in my power to make him see all that Loki has done to aid us all." They could all hear the undertone of uncertainty in Thor's voice but did not comment.

"Well…if anyone knows about second chances, it's all of us. Loki would probably protest at first, but I'm sure Tony would happily put him up in the Tower." Steve opened his mouth to protest, but Banner cut him a look.

"He's smart, Steve, and he grew up in a culture where he was ridiculed for it. He didn't have any sort of healthy outlet, and as soon as a crack hit his shield he shattered. Then he endured severe torture before finally giving in and attacking Earth. That man is not the same that attacked us. This Loki is different…and he deserves a second chance." Steve stayed quiet, while Thor positively beamed. Bruce snorted.

"Besides, I'm pretty sure Tony's already adopted him."


So, yeah. Short, but I actually wrote something! We should be getting back to a regular schedule of updates! Yay! :)

Anyway, review por favor!