S H I E L D Agent Rhapsodos: Taking the Backseat Chapter 9: Spangles, Demigod, and Tin Man, a Final Fantasy VII + Avengers Crossover fanfic

S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Rhapsosdos: Taking the Backseat

Disclaimer: Refer to the Prologue Chapter. I do not own any movie dialogue in this chapter.

Beta-ed by: CommentatorinthePeanutGallery and Sypherianlp. (January 18th, 2013) [Last Edit January 1st, 2016]

AU Notes: Happy New Year everyone! I hoped you've enjoyed the holidays! Quicker update than last time as this chapter is shorter and there was less research involved but I keep focusing on the depth of the plot. I also have many readers concerned about G's 'backseat' status, but again, with power research I'll try and cook up a plot worthy of the 'backseat'. As for the other questions, I'm not going to answer yes or no to certain characters as they keep my options open for future plots – although I have chosen some characters that will make an appearance later.

Also, give a warm welcome to my second proofreader Sypherianlp! With another pair of eyes I hope that there will be lesser mistakes in the future to make readers more comfortable reading this fic.

About this chapter: I specifically dedicate this chapter to my buddy Robby, because thanks to him I have the Avengers: Black Widow Strikes Prelude series. He gave it as a New Year's present, but the fact it's one of those canon comics that tie-in before the movie makes it so much cooler! Thanks to him I got a few more ideas for Natasha Romanoff (one of them is in this chapter). This chapter isn't so big as last time, but it definitely crosses the 10k word mark with some action going on. Well – we all know what basically happens in the movie to the heroes, but I decided to take the challenge of using SHIELD's POV during the events. Makes you wonder what Fury and his underlings were doing at the time...

As always...

Enjoy!

~ Chapter 8: Spangles, Demigod, and Tin Man ~

"If you want to get along, go along." ~ Sam Rayburn

Inner Jet Hanger, The Helicarrier, Main SHIELD Headquarters

"You think he'll be there?"

"…"

Two red haired agents stood near a Quinjet that was scheduled for lift off in the inner hanger of the Helicarrier. The male was still in his formal suit while the female opposite him now wore her SHIELD attire for the field mission. Natasha searched in the eyes of her younger associate for an answer. She waited patiently as she was in no hurry–at least until their super soldier was ready to board the jet. If someone had a decent guess on how this mission would turn out, it was Genesis.

"Well?" she asked again.

Genesis sighed. "I am ninety percent sure Clint won't be there."

"Is there any chance he might pull a lookie-loo?"

"I doubt it. Loki is crafty, but he wouldn't put himself out in the open and then leave Clint in the shadows if he planned on using him against us. No matter where the winds may blow," the younger agent disagreed. "Chances are Clint is somewhere else."

Black Widow shifted positions and folded her arms across her chest. "You do realize that you could have requested Director Fury to come along with us," she said noting Genesis' position in the mission. "It would be easier for you to analyze on the field directly than through our communications."

He shook his head. "As much as I wish to get off this blasted carrier and have some form of peace and quiet, Director Fury needs me here. He also wishes to speak to me and Phil about Doctor Selvig's notes."

The former SOLDIER didn't say anything about wanting to deliver a personal letter to Doctor Bruce Banner. He had noted whenever she was in one room with the doctor, she stood on guard. It certainly didn't show on her face or her body language, but with his Lifestream flow he could see clearly she could be friendly terms with Bruce only if it was related to work. At this point of time, it was perhaps better she'd get to know Steve in the line of work than be with the doctor. Unlike him, Nat was an official member of the Avengers Initiative and maybe by being away from Bruce for a while, the seductress could calm her nerves a little. Not that the Widow could immediately ease her tensions with the doctor when she came back, but Genesis had plans to ease tensions with Bruce first if the Avengers Initiative was going to work.

His other reason for deciding to stay on the Helicarrier was straightforward: Loki was largely an unknown.

SHIELD always had enough counter-intelligence to turn the odds on in their when it came to other enemies. With Loki, Genesis was pessimistic and apprehensive about a personal confrontation. Especially because he had been warmed by a certain Cetra (Ifalna) beforehand. Also, none of his previous missions had been against 'gods'. They had involved humans with technology or some type of power like mutants. After reviewing the footage from the attack on the facility, Genesis was reluctant to face off against Loki. He wasn't a coward—far from it—but in his position, he was a strategist first and fighter second.

"Is there something you wish to tell me before I go?" Natasha questioned him wondering what the younger agent was thinking of.

"Other than to be careful, I don't think I have anything else to say," Genesis admitted truthfully. The most worrying thing about being an operations strategist is in knowing that your planning could result in the deaths of comrades.

"You're worried about me?" was a teasing question.

He sighed at the Widow's lack of concern, "This is Loki we're talking about, Natasha. He has turned Clint into his puppet." Genesis wasn't let himself forget that he had to ensure the mission—and the team's—success.

"And Captain Rogers?"

"Hit him on the head if Loki gains control of him," was his controlled and leveled response.

Hearing the new information, the Black Widow was surprised but she gave an expectant look at Genesis. "You've analyzed the videos from Project PEGASUS. It's safe to say that you understand his magic, Genesis."

Genesis disagreed, "I'm only making assumptions on what I've seen with the knowledge I know. And in all honesty, I hardly have anything more than a vague idea of it. Keep a good distance away from him. But if he does get up close and personal, kick his ass before that scepter can get anywhere near you."

"You know, you're gonna start sounding like Coulson if you keep this up," the female red head agent said prodding her coworker jokingly.

Genesis grimaced at the Widow's comment, "Well, it's obviously better than Jeddah happening all over again. (1) That sort of track record isn't something I want on my tactical profile. The fact you keep bringing it up with Phil and he's going to apologize for the rest of his life for it to you, is something I prefer to avoid." It was a joke between the Widow and his mentor, how Phil for that one time led the team astray. Genesis and Clint weren't all bothered with it, but Natasha was willing to embarrass Phil every time she got.

Natasha chuckled. "I trust you'll do fine, младший брат(little brother). If you say that he's not there, then that may be a good thing." Her mood then lost its cheerfulness. "I'd rather not have any more blood spilled I'm responsible for. The last person I want on my portfolio of guilt is Clint."

"You won't, big sister," Genesis replied with a small smile assuring her. He technically towered over Natasha a little, but she was the older sister to him. "If Loki makes his move, I'll be the one to figure out what he wants next. By then, there's a chance we can find out what he plans to do with Clint and stop him. Besides, we have a certain someone I think we can rely on and will be welcomed into our small family. "

"The Captain?" was a reply as her mood lifted.

Genesis now chuckled. "It's something Phil told me over the phone."

"Sounds tedious," Natasha remarked with a small smile. "How was he during your mission?"

"A little rigid at first," Genesis responded honestly, recalling what happened with the Gast family. "But he adapts very quickly to the situation easily. Steve has a thing for inspiring people as well. The scientists and their family took an immediate liking to him."

"His profile does say that he has a propensity for disobeying certain orders," she argued lightly.

Genesis easily pointed out the flaw. "For good reasons, he's willing to be responsible for. And the fact he acts as a shield to anyone who's with him on the team, results to minimum casualties is another. 'Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.' You worry about the pilot if it comes to that during the mission. I'll smooth things over with the Captain."

The Widow shook her head in amusement. "Always ten steps ahead. Thirty when you're cornered." When she caught a blue costumed superhero heading their way she said quickly, "From here on out for the rest of the mission you're speaking as Control. Gotta go."

"Take care, Natasha," the younger of the two nodded briskly and let her go into the Quinjet that was to soon depart. Turning around, Genesis was more than surprised by the suit Steve was now wearing. Despite the contrasting red, white, and blue colors on his outfit and the shield he carried, he looked intimidating and heroic at the same time.

Steve looked a little surprised himself at the younger agent's presence. "Genesis? What are you doing here?"

"To see you off," Genesis said with a shrug, "and let you know I'll be your tactical adviser on this mission."

The super soldier seemed to be shocked by it at first, but he then smiled warmly. "I want to see what you can do Genesis. Don't hold back, I'm looking forward to working with you," he said, giving him a pat on the shoulder. However, he noticed that Rhapsodos had a look of awe and was contemplating something. "What's on your mind?"

A laugh. "Nothing of significance. I merely owe Phil ten bucks; he did a good job on your suit." It wasn't a huge loss on Genesis' part, and he did like the design Phil came out with a more modern version of the Captain's previous attire.

Steve had to agree to that. "I was pleasantly surprised, too. Give him my thanks."

Genesis disagreed and mischievously said, "Tell him yourself, I'll get a camera ready to record him blushing away."

The older soldier rolled his eyes and shook his head in disapproval. "Give him a break, Genesis."

"Ten dollars is enough for a break. Shooting a priceless moment isn't something you can count." the auburn-haired agent made his counter statement easily. It was at times like this that Steve reminded Genesis of Angeal. He couldn't help but get lost in such good memories, but now was not the time. They had a job to do. Shifting back into professional mode, Genesis asked, "Are all of your communications in proper working order?"

A nod. "Agent Sitwell made sure of it."

"Good," Genesis said in approval. "From here on until the mission ends, you'll be referring to me as Control. It's crucial you stick to the code names. We'll need the element surprise if we're going against Loki. As Agent Barton is under Loki's control, there may be a leak of information on the inside–thus it's best Loki doesn't know who's directly in contact with you. Understood?"

"Got it," Rogers replied, but he then asked, "Isn't he your missing family member?"

"Yes, he is." was Genesis' uncomfortable reply. He sighed, "I don't anticipate him to be near Loki now, but I don't doubt Loki has more information on us thanks to Agent Barton. Just make sure you don't come into contact with his scepter he'll most likely be carrying–Or else the missing Tesseract will be the least of our problems."

"I'll be fine. And thanks for the warning." Steve said seriously knowing he had a tough enemy ahead of him. Yet before he made his way up the ramp of the plane, he put an arm around Genesis' shoulders and whispered to him, "If Agent Barton is around, I'll try and get him back. If he isn't there, we'll figure out how to get him back later."

"So you overheard me and Agent Romanoff talking back at the deck…" the younger agent realized quite startled. "You don't have to—"

The blond raised a finger interrupting Genesis from saying anything. "You don't need to hide it from me Genesis. I felt the same way when Bucky was captured by the Nazis. The least you could do is let me help and I'll trust whatever strategy you have for the mission."

Genesis frowned at the Captain's unrelenting gaze upon him. "That face you're giving me… I really don't have a choice, do I?"

Steve shrugged. "No, you don't. And non-cryptic answers would be nice for a change."

"Wings stripped away, the end is nigh… Fine," the spy said reluctantly, noting he wasn't going to be able to fool Steve this time around. Genesis shook his head in wonder. "I don't see why you're doing this."

The Captain smiled giving the younger agent a last pat on the back, "I'm a good man first and a soldier second." And just like that, he walked forward up the ramp of the Quinjet.

Genesis quickly retreated away from the boarding dock as the jet launched into the sky, but he was left stupefied on the words that Steve said. Perhaps that was what made Steve so different from the average trooper or even any SOLDIER–what made him a real hero. Genesis wondered when or if he'd ever be a 'good person' as Steve had said. He had been a monster and a WEAPON for so long in his last lifetime that the mere thought of it seemed laughable.

Dismissing the thought swiftly, the former SOLDIER headed towards a separate command room. While most large scale missions were monitored from the bridge, this mission they had sent the Black Widow, Captain America, and the pilot was reserved for those with high-level Intel clearance. As he walked through the halls of the Helicarrier, plans of approaching Loki were thought up. Precautions, backup plans, diversions, and everything he could think up of from the many memories of hundreds of missions from his time in Gaia and Earth went through his mind. There were so many things where the mission could go wrong. The last thing he wanted were casualties among the small team they sent.

"Right on time." Phil greeted him as he entered the command center. About a dozen agents were in the room already hooking up monitors and communications from the main deck.

Genesis walked over and stopped in front of his mentor. He gingerly took a 10 dollar note from his pocket and gave it to him. "You won."

The elder agent looked genuinely astounded taking the note in his hand. "I didn't think you would approve."

A shrug. "I have a preference for leather. However, you did get points for making it aesthetically look good for a more modern version of his former suit."

Coulson chuckled. "If there are some things I probably won't understand, is your obsession with apples, LOVELESS, and leather." For the leather, Genesis didn't basically wear it from the top of his head to his boots, but his mentor knew there wasn't a single casual garment Genesis wore without at least sporting a leather jacket or something that screamed leather.

Genesis frowned. "I thought I made it clear about LOVELESS and the apples." He did told his mentor once about how they were related to the Goddess of the Planet.

"I'm still working on believing that apples can be purple." Phil lightly laughed. (2)

The former SOLDIER huffed, but he smirked as he thought up with a good comeback. "Hmm. By the way, Steve says he likes his new suit's design."

"He did?" If one observed very well, Coulson's eyes looked like they were twinkling in admiration. "What else did he say?"

Inwardly Genesis had to roll his eyes. When it came to 'geeking' out, Steve was one subject he could always pull the strings on his handler–no matter what the situation. He gave an innocent visage and let his eyes roam around the busy command center. "What indeed?"

"Come on Genesis, spill."

"That's negotiable."

"You mean bribery."

"Synonymous in that regard, but yes."

Phil rubbed the bridge of his nose. "What have I done to warrant all my agents of wanting to bribe me some way or another?" he complained. Without a doubt, Genesis was behind teaching Clint and Natasha on such things. For a gifted strategist and tactician like Genesis, the cons were that he expertly made sure he got what he wanted—the legal way or not.

"So Clint and Nat have tried?" Genesis asked, his interest piqued.

The elder agent fake coughed. "That's not for me to say." He then lowered his voice, "But Clint worried about how you were searching for something for quite some time."

The former SOLDIER winced inwardly. "When?"

"Just hours before the PEGASUS facility was leveled." Seeing guilt passing through his youngest apprentice's eyes, Phil added, "Chin up, Rhapsodos. He's still alive."

"Yes. Right," Genesis breathed out informing himself in his mind there was still a chance to get him back. Was this what Angeal felt when I disappeared back during the Wutai war? He set his mind to his original task. "So, an extraction mission it is."

Phil inclined with seriousness. "With our target in the open, there's no chance of doing this covertly. If things go wrong, well, I don't think that needs any explaining."

"Is it wise to bring him onto the Helicarrier?"

"One way we can find out where he's hiding Tesseract," Coulson said without missing a beat. "The director wishes it, and we have some serious pressure from the higher ups."

He snorted as his eyes narrowed. The auburn haired agent had an urge to seriously maim those World Security Council members with multiple Tri-Fire spells. Capturing a highly dangerous enemy was one thing, containing him as a prisoner provided another problem. "Do we actually have something to imprison him with?"

"The chamber that's supposedly for the Hulk."

Genesis raised a doubtful brow at the idea but didn't give voice to his thoughts, as Director Fury and Agent Hill entered the room.

"Coulson, are the preparations complete?" the Director of SHIELD questioned.

"Status report?" Coulson said in a loud voice to the people in charge of monitoring.

"All cameras and communications from local agents are online, Sir!"

It took another thirty minutes or so of inspection from Nick Fury and Agent Hill to make sure that every little thing was running smoothly. At the end, they recapped the chain of command and all of the involved teams. The Director was going to personally monitor the situation and approve requested actions as it all unfolded. His right-hand woman, Maria Hill, was in charge of a ground team that would be locating the second target Loki had his sights on. As for Coulson, he had a team on the Intel network to provide all agents with live information. The former 1st Class by no doubt was in charge of the mission operation.

Fury nodded to their youngest agent, "You're up, Rhapsodos."

"Yes, sir."

"Rhapsodos?" the field commander beside the director asked.

"Yes, Agent Hill?" he answered promptly.

"Is there a reason for requesting two unmanned air vehicles to accompany the Quinjet?" Maria asked. She crossed her arms with confusion. "What are you planning on doing with them?"

"Spare sets of eyes are a necessary precaution," Genesis stated in a neutral tone. "If Loki is capable of manipulating anyone to his side, I don't doubt he might 'recruit' a few of SHIELD's enemies. Capturing Loki is one part of the mission, getting him here without anyone interfering is another."

She nodded in agreement at the decision. "Astute observation, Agent Rhapsodos. Proceed." Hill then walked over to her team of command which was responsible for being alert of Barton or any other target Loki would aim for.

Genesis nodded in thanks as another agent in the room handed him an earpiece and he slotted it on his ear. Gazing up at the numerous monitors his eyes darted around checking the situation from different angles and at the same time noting their locations on a map of the area. He rubbed his chin as his eyes caught the live statistics of the venue and feed images of the party.

Decisions, decisions, he thought. This mission was to be dealt with quickly, concisely, and precisely.

The first UAV was hovering around the area of Loki's chosen place to show up. It would be their main eyes and ears on the Quinjet. The second one it was scouting elsewhere nearby, to make sure there weren't any outer forces wanting to interfere. Both were running smoothly for now. Good. This meant he could focus more on what was happening on the ground.

Into his mouthpiece, he spoke, "Undercover agents, this is Control. Should a breakout occur, direct the civilians subtly out of the building and away from Loki as quickly as possible. Keep your cover and help any victim that may be in Loki's line of fire, but under no circumstances are you to reveal your statuses as SHIELD agents." As long as their affiliations remained secret there would no compelling reason for the Asgardian to take any particular interest in them, lest they'd be compromised.

Seeing the signals lighting up the response grid of indications they were ready, Genesis gave his orders to the next group. "Elite agents on site, continue to monitor Loki and do not interfere unless absolutely necessary. We already have sent a team to handle him. Each and every one of you will need to round up and notify the local authorities should an attack happen. This includes direct emergency calls for medical help." More digital signals lit up on the communications screens. Good, because the auburn haired spy was now eyeing Loki very intently as he strode into the building's foyer.

"That's odd," Hill muttered as she looked at their largest monitor with Loki on it. "He's unarmed."

Agent Coulson frowned. "No, I don't think so. He wouldn't be in the open like this without having something to protect himself." He turned to his boss. "Sir? You think he may be hiding it?"

The director of SHIELD shrugged. "That's always a possibility. Maybe he has to manifest it."

"No, it's in plain sight."

All three of the elder agents turned their heads to their associate in curiosity.

"The scepter is the walking stick he's carrying. The blue stone in it is a dead giveaway." Genesis pointed out. He explained, "It's a part of his disguise. He probably can change his appearance and anything else he carries at will."

~( Control, this is Agent Dawns. Loki is making a move towards the VIPs. )~

"Keep visuals on the Loki, we need to know who his target is," Genesis ordered with a snap. The God of Mischief was up to something. "Anyone in close range of him?"

The reply wasn't good news.~( Negative, Control. All security near the VIPs are private bodyguards, and no one has immediate access to the top floor. None of our snipers or shooters are in direct visual range. )~

Genesis shook his head grimly. "His target's a victim no matter what." He turned to Fury for confirmation, "Director, Loki's target will get harmed. However, we can still save the victim's life and with what we know of, the person can give us leads to Loki's second target."

"Proceed as planned, Agent." Nick nodded promptly.

He passed on the orders, "Agent Dawns, keep a tail on Loki. If possible, assist the victim and get them out alive."

~( Will do, Control. )~

Genesis gave his field commander the signal, "Agent Hill."

Maria Hill nodded and said to her team through the communicator, "Mobile ground team on standby. Mark on my word."

~( Copy that. )~

Nick Fury asked his remaining senior agent, "Coulson, your Intel team ready?"

"Ready on your word, boss," Phil replied as two Intel agents under his command were ready to type in any keyword or search records on the order in their Intel network.

The former commander switched his communications to the Quinjet. "Main team, how close are you to your destination?"

~( ETA two to three minutes. )~ the pilot replied back.

~( Control, is there a problem? )~ Agent Romanoff questioned what was going on.

"Main Team, prepare to engage once you're near the ground," Genesis stated calmly. He watched along with the rest personnel of the command center as the Asgardian walked down the steps towards the stage where the host was going to give a speech. "Loki's making his move. Roll call!"

~( Pilot here, ETA one minute. Opening hatch. )~

~( Agent Romanoff here, preparing onboard weapons system.)~

~( Captain Rogers here. Ready to fight on landfall. )~

Schäfer – Sicherheitsdienst Building, Stuttgart, Germany

A lone security guard stood on top of a white building watching over the compound. He would have thought it would be the usual night of peace until he heard an echoing thud from where his buddy was making the night rounds. Noticing his friend on the ground in alarm, he focused his eyes on what hit him.

"An arrow?"

SWOOP

The guard gasped, his vision eternally went to darkness and never felt his body hit the ground below him from the second floor.

Out from a concealed hiding place, Clint Barton along with two others made their way silently to a specific door with a special security system. In front, the hacker of the group was already working away installing a device to the lock. The archer let his eyes scan the area first before he gave his bow to the other controlled agent he had along with him. From a pack he held, he zipped it open revealing a device that would be a substitute for the retina scan. Carefully, Clint activated the device and planted it to the socket of the lock.

As he waited for Loki, he couldn't fathom why what he was doing felt wrong.

While the Tesseract had shown him his next target, Clint was beginning to wonder why he felt so empty and hollow. Like a real part of him was missing and his body was moving on its own. He also tried to remember what he was supposed to be doing before working for Loki, but what was it?

Too bad he never got to remember as the device beeped. Clint returned his focus to the mission at hand with the once secured door now open to him. The memory of the past forgotten, all his intent was back on taking the element the doctor required: Iridium.

Private Command Center, Main SHIELD Headquarters

"Elite unit, undercover agents, move! NOW!" Genesis barked out orders as guests in horror and panic started to head for the exits of the building. Loki had made himself known he was a threat to everyone by easily taking down two people. The last victim was still writhing in pain with the device still latched onto his eye. "Agent Dawns, keep to your hiding place. Make your move to the victim when Loki makes his exit!"

While their younger agent was busy commanding the major part of the mission, Nick Fury asked Agent Coulson, "Got an ID on the victim? Let's hope he's got health insurance for that eye of his."

Phil nodded implacably, reading off the data that his team were analyzing. "One of the gala scientists by the name of Doctor Heinrich Schäfer. The owner of SCHÄFER, Sicherheitsdienst. According to what Intel we have, he's in possession of a few meteorites for space research."

Fury didn't miss a beat. "Agent Hill, get your team to the address the Intel team have ASAP. Detain anyone who may have breached the building, we want them alive!"

"Yes, Sir!" She replied and started contacting her crew on the ground.

"Coulson, I'm leaving you to the Intel share with the Bundesnachrichtendienst. Tell them I'll handle the head of Militärischer Abschirmdienst if they ask about how we're going to deal with Loki."

"On it, sir."

The One Eyed Eagle walked up to the auburn haired agent, "Son, what's the situation?"

Genesis didn't face his superior directly, keeping eyes on the monitors. However, he gave his report in a condensed and strict manner. "Captain Rogers has confirmed he's on the ground and closing in on the plaza. Agent Dawn has taken the scientist out of immediate harm's way through the back. He'll be taken to the nearest hospital." He then heaved a breath, "So far, another casualty, and this time from the police car Loki flipped. The situation is being dealt with as we speak. Two unmarked agents are assisting the officers trapped in the police cruiser and will direct them away from the scene."

"Is the other police vehicle being taken care of?" Fury questioned.

"Way ahead of you, sir." Genesis lightly said. "I've also prepared a SHIELD mopping crew, ETA forty-five minutes."

Nick Fury couldn't help but feel glad at his agent's further arrangements. "Good. With what may happen, I think your decision is a wise one." From the visuals they were receiving, Loki herded the frightened guests and civilians like wolves would with sheep.

Genesis didn't bother answering his superior. He set his action to call in their super soldier. "Captain, this is your call."

~( Loud and clear, Control. )~

Twenty-Eight Königstraße, Stuttgart, Germany

Steve Rogers couldn't quite believe how ironic the situation was. On his first real big mission with SHIELD, he was back in Germany again. The only difference was that the super soldier faced another world opponent and not the Nazis. The world was different now, with the United Nations existing the people of Germany were just the same as everyone else who could fall prey victim to people with megalomaniac intentions. People like the 'god' of mischief, Loki.

In quick and silent jog, he made his way to where Loki had surrounded some citizens to bow to him. The super soldier quickly assessed the area noting that there weren't any authorities that would be making an appearance soon. Not that they weren't helpful, but this sort of situation needed to be handled carefully. Steve preferred the police not to stick around and try fighting something they weren't sure of handling. He can't help but respect Genesis for thinking in advanced to keep the number of people involved to the minimal, to the point where Steve only had to focus on fighting the Asgardian.

Out of all the people who were kneeling, one old man stood among the rest. Rogers saw the guy was going to get into trouble fast.

"Not to men like you," the old German man said defiantly.

Loki sneered at the ant. "There are no men like me."

"There are always men like you," the 'ant' answered.

Of course an ant would defy him, Loki had thought with scorn. Even so, there was always a way to let the others know he meant what he said. "Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example." He pointed to the weak human with his scepter and fired his magic. Loki had expected the ant to get hit and die like the weakling it was. Instead, he gasped when he felt his own spell full force deflected from a shield, sending him to the ground. The Asgardian silently growled and cursed inwardly to whoever just took his fun from frying the ant from him.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing," Steve Rogers said putting his Vibranium shield down after defending the elderly man from the blast. In his mind, the super soldier felt very grateful that his shield was capable of deflecting magic somehow. All he had to do now was fight Loki without getting too close and personal with his scepter.

"The soldier," Loki commented with mirth, rising to his feet, "The man out of time."

"I'm not the one who's out of time," the Captain said with an even tone. Behind him, a large gun was deployed on the Quinjet.

Agent Romanoff voiced out a warning. "Loki, drop the weapon and stand down!"

The god couldn't care less of what would happen to the flying contraption, and fired from his scepter. Loki was disappointed he missed as the jet banked hard to the right. Sadly he didn't have the time to think over it; a shield spun his way and slammed him in the chest. The impact wasn't enough to knock him over, but the soldier out of time did get his attention. He was slightly surprised when immediately after he suffered a punch from the mortal. Angry, he now decided it was the right time to take the fight to the next level.

Well, at least to the level he had in mind.

Private Command Center, Main SHIELD Headquarters

The command center was mostly silent minus the voices of agents bustling with reports about the situation at hand. Genesis was right in the heat of directing the agents among the people fleeing and warned anyone to get away from the fight of Captain America and Loki. He further directed the SHIELD mopping up crew to block a mile radius area from the outside and keep tabs on any medical help heading to the fighting zone. However between shouting out other orders, he worried whether Steve would make it out of the battle. The younger agent kept up a poker face in hopes of keeping the rising dreading atmosphere that started to heat up the room in check.

Genesis didn't need to look behind him to know that his mentor was agitated as he watched the battle commence or the other agents' heart rates quickening. Thanks to the connection with the Lifestream, he was capable of knowing what people felt around him. At the current moment, he forced himself to not be affected by the others. It would suit him ill to panic and get the mission jeopardized. As a tactical forecaster, it was his job to keep his cool and things running the way they had planned.

The former commander now focused on how Loki fought, how often he used his magic (if at all), and how the god compared to a strength of a SOLDIER. Strength wise the Asgardian was displaying power closer to 3rd Class and a lower 2nd Class SOLDIER–a speculation purely on Genesis' part–as he clashed with Captain America. Unlike the rest of the room who would consider the fight to be very fierce, Genesis had detected that Loki wasn't fighting seriously. Of course they wouldn't notice, they haven't seen people with SOLDIER level power as a norm to spot out the difference! If that was the case, Genesis feared things could go downhill very quickly.

Most of the agents in the room flinched when the Vibranium shield was knocked cleanly out of Steve's reach. In a flurry of fists and evasive maneuvers, it came to the point where Loki had forced the super soldier on the ground with his scepter. Genesis' heart nearly dropped to the pit of his stomach fearing the worst–the Captain was going to be Loki's puppet.

"Kneel!" Loki yelled, shoving his scepter down on the soldier's head.

The former 1st Class' eyes narrowed as he noticed something unusual. His heart skipped a beat.

Why was the scepter pointed the wrong way?

"Not today!" Steve snapped back and swiped the scepter away from his head. He fought back, jumping and hitting the god with a spin-kick in the face sending Loki to the pavement. Loki didn't stay down long and quickly kept the super soldier busy.

Even as most agents had breathed in relief, Genesis couldn't help but feel there was something more to this fight than it appeared. Loki couldn't have pointed his scepter the wrong way if he wanted to control Steve as a puppet. To any mage that would be like not knowing how to use a staff/scepter at all. It raised a huge question mark in his head: just what was Loki after?

~( The guy's all over the place. )~ Natasha's voice spoke over the communicator. She was trying to get a lock on Loki, but the fight made it hard for her to keep her aim on him.

From one of the operators in charge of monitoring the Quinjet, she reported with confused voice, "Control, someone's managed to hack into the jet."

The tactical forecaster's mind worked light-speed as he saw the codes on the screen. He instantly knew who the perpetrator was. "Director, we have an unexpected backup." Genesis notified his superior.

Fury visibly looked like he was shocked, "What?! What do you mean unexpected backup?"

Genesis didn't have to answer as a familiar voice entered their main communications system.

~( Agent Romanoff, you miss me? )~

Director Nick Fury of SHIELD put his face in the palm of his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose.

It was a shame at a moment like this Genesis couldn't whip out his cellphone and take pictures. He had to give Tony some points for impeccable timing and style as well as embarrassing the Director since Genesis knew giving Fury gray hair was impossible. At a moment's notice the PA systems of the jet were overridden, AC/DC's, 'Shoot to Thrill' song blared out of the speaker. Iron Man flew down, fired a repulsor blast and knocked Loki down. He landed in the plaza with a thump, breaking the ground beneath him but still had his weapons aimed at the god.

"Make a move reindeer games," Iron Man threatened Loki, simultaneously aiming all his weapons at him. Loki's armor faded away and he raised his hands in surrender. "Good move."

The auburn haired agent couldn't believe how easily Loki gave up with Stark coming in. Genesis could understand the numbers, but he was sure even with both the Captain and Iron Man the god could have still fought for his freedom. Something definitely wasn't right here.

"Mr. Stark." Steve greeted the billionaire.

"Captain."

At Fury's stony poker face, most agents didn't dare ask him anything, except for Genesis.

"Permission to extract the target and bring him here, sir?" the auburn haired agent inquired, seeing there wasn't any other option given the situation. It was the safest question without getting chewed out by the director.

"Granted, Rhapsodos. Get Stark to come with the Captain, pronto." the One Eyed Eagle said with leveled voice, despite the indications he was close to getting furious. The director of SHIELD then disappeared out of the room to probably compose himself.

Phil Coulson walked over to his apprentice's side, looking slightly shaken. "That was a close one."

"Which one? Loki, the Captain, or Stark?"

"All of them." his mentor replied and breathed out in relief of all the tension he had been holding.

The former commander couldn't help but agree. "You got that right. That could have turned out worse, Phil. The director might not approve coming Tony Stark coming in, but we're lucky he did."

Genesis wiped a sweat drop that was halfway falling down the side of his face. If things didn't happen the way they did, Captain America might have met his doom or they'd be forced to retreat from the Asgardian. While Loki didn't look like a fighter that used strength, the former 1st Class SOLDIER was sure that his attack power was above Steve's. It made Genesis wonder just how strong his brother Thor was. At minimal, the God of Thunder would have the strength of a 1st Class SOLDIER, possibly equaling Angeal or Sephiroth.

Phil then turned to Agent Hill. "Did we get anything from your team?"

Maria looked grimly at both agents. "Yes. They found two dead security guards. They were both killed by arrows through the neck. Barton no doubt. The good news is that two of our own that Loki took control back at the facility have been subdued."

With what he told Fury, those agents could be saved... but there was one person he worried about. "Any news of Agent Barton?" Genesis asked, feeling anxious.

"Nothing other than the fact that he got away with what Loki wanted," Hill said with a sigh. She added, "What he stole is under investigation."

~( Control, this is Captain Rogers. Further orders? )~

"This Control," the auburn haired agent responded. "Extract the target and bring him to HQ. Take Mister Stark as well, Director's orders."

~( Copy that. )~ Steve answered, but by the tone of his voice, he didn't seem to like what Genesis told him.

Inside the Quinjet, Flying over Mountains

An hour later…

"He saying anything?" the Director asked over the radio.

"Not a word," the Widow responded, glancing back for a second before she went back to piloting.

"Just get him here, we're low on time."

Meanwhile further inside the Quinjet, two heroes stood watching over a restrained Loki in one of the passenger seats.

"I don't like it," Steve said, unhappy with the situation.

"What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?" Stark asked in a sarcastic tone.

"I don't remember it being that easy. This guy packs a wallop," the captain replied. He wanted to ask Genesis later about the situation. His younger friend seemed to also note something was wrong with Loki's battle and had warned him to stay alert on the way back to base. However, the auburn haired agent hadn't explained why because they were short on time.

Standing beside the super soldier, Tony didn't seem to see what all the fuss the old timer was on about. "Still, you were pretty spry for an older fellow. What's your thing? Pilates?" he joked.

"What?" the super soldier asked incredulously.

"It's like calisthenics," the Iron Man said like it was a usual thing one would speak about. "You might have missed a couple of things. Y'know, doing time as a capsicle."

Steve couldn't help but feel offended. "Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in," he shot back at Stark.

"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you," Stark muttered back. The first impression wise for the billionaire, Steve was too serious and stiff for his own good–not to mention he followed orders to the lost him esteem points with Tony. In his eyes, he had thought the guy his father respected would have at least a healthy wariness for creepy guys like Fury. Or was the old timer not aware of it at all?

The genius was here to find a few answers on his own, more importantly, the Tesseract. Ever since he went over all the notes and everything in the box that Genesis gave him, Tony had suspicions that there was a lot more going on than on the surface. With his father being the person who found the wonder cube in the ocean, he felt it was his responsibility to clean up that mess. He wouldn't have minded doing it himself, but when found out Fury hadn't been telling the whole truth about the 'sustainable energy' development, well, he was just making sure that it didn't cross the line with his beliefs.

Meeting up with Captain America however, wasn't something he had expected. And he was somewhat starting to regret it. A stickler for the rules, no sense of humor, and a spangly boy scout to boot. Tony could only hope there was a distraction later in SHIELD HQ because the way the 'Capsicle' was sizing him up... he'd rather not spend any time near him. Somehow, bugging Agent Phil Coulson about his love life (with what he heard from Pepper), or hearing his second consultant 'V' speak Shakespearean between scientific and tactical discussions now seemed to be the better alternative. But if Steve Rogers wanted to up-size him, Stark would hold his ground and take on the challenge.

Paying no heed to the two Midgardians who were sizing each other up, Loki sat silently deep in thought on how a few minor things didn't go according to plan. While he heard Barton had escaped with the item the doctor needed, the god of mischief had started to detect some of his plans weren't foolproof. The two agents that accompanied Barton got caught, and there was only a handful of injured victims in the last battle; none had died. Loki confided in himself that he was meant to be caught so he can wreck things from inside SHIELD. Nonetheless, he had every intention to do as much damage as he could back at that human party which unexpectedly was averted.

Glancing silently around the plane, Loki took his time to analyze what he knew. While the Black Widow was on the plane during the whole fight, he didn't quite believe she could have been responsible for averting more mayhem he could have caused. The metal man and soldier were scratched off the list – which meant the remaining consisted of the higher ups or people in commanding positions. His eyes then focused to the small hidden earpiece behind the Captain's ear. The god had caught a few orders through the earpiece every now and then with his acute hearing, but he was sure the voice did not belong to Nick Fury the Director of SHIELD. And no, it couldn't be the senior agents. The voice sounded smoother and younger for the person to be part of the people in the higher positions of SHIELD.

'So, it was Agent Rhapsodos. That makes perfect sense,' Loki thought as he realized the answer to his question. Not only did Barton say that their youngest agent had 'odd' abilities, he had also mentioned he was an exceptional tactical forecaster. Well, that certainly made things interesting and complicated his plans slightly, but it would not be enough to stop him. All the same, Loki needed to make sure all the variables remained consistent with what he arranged beforehand if his invasion was going to work. With this young agent now starting to become a wild card that could threaten his plans, the trickster decided he'd make some plans to visit Rhapsodos soon. The God of Mischief was going to make sure it would be a rather memorable event.

If he was lucky, Loki inwardly grinned at the thought of taking the young agent down.

Private Command Center, Main SHIELD Headquarters

Genesis would have dropped his tablet if Phil hadn't caught it on reflex.

It was probably a good thing a very few agents remained (barely a quarter of the previous operation). Agent Maria Hill had gone back with most of the lower-ranked agents monitoring the clean-up crew back in Germany from the main bridge. The ones left were set on making sure that the team would get back to HQ safely. They were all too busy keeping their eyes and ears on the returning flying quinjet.

"Genesis, are you alright?" Phil asked with concern holding the tablet in his hand. The elder agent had no plans to hand it over until he knew his youngest agent was fine.

The former SOLDIER was too busy focusing on his senses than listening to his mentor, more concerned why the Lifestream in him was giving him warning signals.

The Director who had caught the incident silently walked over asking what was wrong. "Rhapsodos?" Fury's voice was audible enough for the two agents to hear, but not enough to catch the attention of those monitoring the image feeds on their screens. He eyed his tactical forecaster warily, as Genesis rubbed behind his neck like he had felt something and was trying to figure it out relentlessly. The way the kid seemed to be jolted into surprise told the One Eyed Eagle something to do with magic was up.

"Something's coming," Genesis said softly. He looked rather frustrated being attacked with a headache. "It feels like when the Bifrost opened, but it's like gravitational and dark magic being mixed into one." (3)

Fury did not like the sound of more unexpected events.

"Sir! UAV Number One is detecting electrical disturbances," one of the monitoring crew declared.

"Any more information on its status?" Nick asked, desperate in need of answers.

The operator seemed hesitant wondering if she was reading the information correctly. "There seems to be a growing number of thunderstorms, sir. But in a place where there's only a thin layer of clouds?"

"Looks like he finally made it here," Genesis said without a doubt in his voice, at last answering his superiors.

That led to Phil asking, "Who?"

"Thor, of course."

Back at the Quinjet, the group was somewhat startled with the flashes of lightning and roaring thunder sounds.

Natasha frowned as she was trying to figure out the readings from the UAV that flew ahead of them, "Where's this coming from?"

Loki leaned forward, his body was tense looking around for someone he'd rather not meet right now.

"What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?" Steve asked the trickster who looked like he wanted to bolt.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows," Loki admitted looking to the sky nervously.

Steve never got to ask, a huge impact slammed onto the jet causing it to rock around in the air.

"Is that—?"

"Thor Odinson," Phil confirmed for the Director through the UAV's image feed. The elder agent was tugging at his tie nervously.

Genesis inwardly cursed as he combed his hair back with a heavy sigh. "He looks furious and it doesn't look like he's in much of a negotiating mood."

The three watched in amazement and utter dread between the flashes of lightning as the hatch opened, the thunder god knocked Iron Man straight into Captain America, grabbed Loki, and flew off with Mjölnir. Apparently Natasha's efforts to speed up the jet didn't have an effect on trying to get the god off the plane. Tony Stark in his tech suit quickly made the chase of Thor.

~( I'd sit this one out, Cap. )~ the agents heard the Widow trying to talk the captain out from chasing Thor.

Steve disagreed. ~( I don't see how I can. )~ He wasn't going to let Stark fight the god on his own. More importantly, the guy was a friendly. They really could use the help on making sure Loki wouldn't try anything else.

~( These guys come from legend, they're basically Gods. )~

~( There's only one God ma'am, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that. )~ the super soldier said before he strapped on the chute, grabbed his shield, and dived out the plane, head first.

Coulson slightly panicked as his boss' face turned sourer. "Sir?"

"…"

~( Control? )~ Natasha asked their strategist for commands.

Genesis quickly made his decision and said into his mouthpiece, "Follow through."

"Rhapsodos, are you sure?" Fury asked the younger agent seriously.

Just as evenly the redhead answered, "The last thing we need right now is more enemies, Director. And we'll lose sight of our target if we don't chase Thor."

The SHIELD director sighed crossing his arms, "Romanoff, stick with Agent Rhapsodos."

Natasha took the director's advice as a sign she was allowed to drop protocol for now, with Loki out of hearing range. ~( You sure you wanna handle this Genesis? )~

"I promised you I'd handle the captain if this situation happened, didn't I?" the former first replied. Genesis knew Fury wasn't in the mood to bark orders at Steve Rogers right now.

The Widow was silent before she relented. ~( What do we do now? )~

"Turn around and hover around in the area discreetly with your reflection panels on. Don't come near them until I say the word." Genesis was going to make sure they won't be in the way as those three fought. With their current situation, Tony was going head into the fray with a heated head and the former commander counted on Steve to have at least try and separate the two. No need them to see a stalker as a disturbance and get the plane in harm's way. "Phil will get the other UAV video feed to the quinjet to you. I'll help out the Captain."

~( Roger. )~

Coulson quickly took his cue to help Natasha to connect with their second UAV's video feed, seeing as the first one had been taken out by Thor's little light show.

"You're taking this coolly, Rhapsodos," Fury commented watching Genesis' fingers blurred as he typed on the keyboards of the communications station.

He shrugged. "That's my job to adapt as quickly as possible in whatever the situation throws me in, Sir. Hopefully, I can reach both Stark and the Captain in time so we can talk over Loki in a 'friendlier' atmosphere."

"Do it quickly, then," his superior ushered. "The last thing we need is any more eyes seeing this, and more noise being thrown our way later because of it."

Xavier Institute for Higher Learning…

A group of mutants blinked in confusion as they watched a rather bizarre weather forecast on their television screen.

"We're here to bring live with some very odd weather forming on the Europe mainland, from a large cloud cover stretching from southern Germany over Switzerland, now curling its way into northern Spain. Hundreds of flights have been canceled and planes have been grounded for the last hour as large and intense thunderstorms rage across these areas. As you can see from the screen, there has been a lightning show going on, and so far there has been a total of over three thousand lightning strikes this past hour. The catch is, we're not quite sure of the sudden appearance of this thunderstorm as previous forecasts in the area have predicted to only have thin to mild cloud cover. Many meteorologists are currently baffled trying to analyze this data…"

Ororo Monroe, otherwise known as Storm, frowned and was ready to pop a blood vessel in her head as she sternly denied any involvement, "That has nothing to do with me." Her glare was enough to scare the smaller children and 'tweens' of the school. However, a few teens still held suspecting glances at her. The other X-Men chuckled quietly, but they knew creating such a storm on the other side of an ocean was not within her capabilities.

Kathrine Pryde, upon hearing her friend's plight, helped to hush the other kids and teens who were still bothering Storm. Zack and Peter were both sitting beside the professor's wheelchair, so they both couldn't really stop her from doing so. It was supposed to be a movie day marathon for the mutants. They were going to start playing their first movie when the sudden forecast had stopped Cyclops from switching to DVD. Wolverine sat to the right of Zack with his arms folded across his chest, muttering about how it was impossible for any mutant stateside to be responsible for those weather patterns.

The professor, who was watching with them, held up his hands to settle everyone down. "It's quite alright, everyone. Storm is not responsible for all that crazy weather. Europe is beyond her reach and there isn't a mutant I know that can stir up something of that magnitude." One of the more curious children though raised his hand. "Yes, Andy?"

"You think it might be because of a god or something professor?" a small freckle-faced eight-year-old asked.

Xavier raised an interested brow at the idea. "What makes you think so, Andy?"

"Well, there are these books I read about Greek gods. They say that when weird weather happens, it's because they're angry or they're moody and stuff." Andy told him. (4)

His buddy beside him jabbed his elbow in ribs. "That's fiction!" He then apologized to the professor, "Sorry professor. He's read too many Percy Jackson books. He thinks it's Zeus or something because he's the Greek god of lightning and thunder." The boy turned to his friend. "And you're getting it mixed up! The gods aren't in Europe, they're in New York!"

While the other children and teens laughed at the two children at their banter, most of the older X-Men with even Peter stood up and tried to calm down everyone to watch a movie.

Zack rubbed the back of his neck in discomfort as the hair there was standing on its end. He particularly didn't like how the Lifestream was telling him that the incident was stacking up with the dreaded messages he felt before. It told him weird things that he did not understand like: 'protector', 'dark power', 'Nine Realms', 'mischief', 'hammer', 'All-father', 'soldier', 'commander', 'metal man', and other sorts of things which were a cocktail of keywords that made no sense to him at all. What do the hell do they mean and what did they have to do with him?

"Zack."

"Zack!"

"Hmm? What?" Zack lamely answered his mentor that was clicking his fingers in front of him.

Logan looked at the kid with concern. "You're spacing out again kiddo. That Lifestream thing bothering you again?" After he had agreed to help with Zack's training, the kid had reluctantly told him and the professor how his powers were connected to a seemingly conscious force called the Lifestream. It came as no surprise that he wished it to remain a secret. Zack wasn't technically a mutant like the others in the first place, and it started to unnerve him that his peers felt like he was almost a ticking time bomb with his new found abilities and all.

Zack was uncharacteristically silent.

Wolverine had some sense to get the professor in their conversation by calling him through a thought since it seemed serious.

Professor Xavier then used his telepathy to speak on the matter privately."If you wish to discuss something that is bothering you, we may retreat to my office."

The raven haired teen nodded quickly as he had been trying hard not to twitch too much since he sat in the room. Zack had been further worked up when he heard the forecast and his Lifestream was buzzing with information overload. Thankfully, the professor was discreet in passing the information to his other students that the movie marathon hadn't been disturbed with his sudden absence. The perks of having telepathy powers, the teen figured. Logan easily pushed the professor's wheelchair in tow and in less than two minutes they were in the professor's office without anyone to overhear them.

"Well, kid?" Logan asked once he had closed the door.

Zack paced around restlessly, trying to formulate his thoughts.

"Zack," the professor gently called. "We need you to calm down. We need to know what's bothering you to help you."

The teen halted to a stop but did three squats before he breathed out. "Umm– Okay– calm and cool– calm and cool…"

"Good. Now," Xavier said with a leveled tone, "Let's start from the beginning, and I don't mean just today, Zack. I want you to tell me when was the first time you felt like this."

The teen didn't need to think on that answer. "When I asked Logan to train me– it's– that time– I kinda felt this really bad vibe and the Lifestream was only glad I was far away from it."

The telepath turned to Logan in question. To Zack, it seemed like Logan let the professor read his mind as Logan closed his eyes as if showing what happened.

"I see," Xavier nodded in understanding when he finished reading his mind. "Logan had thought it was perhaps a natural occurrence, but from what you're feeling it's not."

Zack shook his head, "Hell no! It's really weird professor, there was this guy in golden metal armor. Then there were like these black strings controlling him like a puppet, and then I sorta asked the Lifestream what was behind it all. And so it said…it said it had something to do with death."

Logan rubbed his chin, "That's still a little broad." He queried the professor for answers, "What do you think, Chuck?"

"That, obviously, is only half of the story." the professor concluded. "What of the weather forecast we were watching just now?"

"The Lifestream said that it was part of the warning it felt before." the teen said looking haunted. "It's buzzing in my head like hundreds of miles per hour with weird words. Something to do with realms and so many other things that don't make sense. Sorry Professor, but this buzzing is kinda making my mind crazy."

"Is it possible to ask it something?" Xavier asked.

Zack inclined with a shrug. "From the way it's being chatty right now, I think it'll tell us something."

"Is the cause mutant or a human?"

"Neither." Zack frowned. But it was what the Lifestream told him.

Logan looked like he was suffering from a headache. "So it's alien?"

This time, the teen's eyes widened. "Yes?" Zack really couldn't believe what the Lifestream was telling him. "Something about the start of an invasion? But there's something or someone or some people fighting it."

At the professor's thoughtful look, Wolverine asked in disbelief, "You're not really believing this, are you, Chuck?"

"The Lifestream does have a mind of its own. But after both Jean and I came into contact with it, I don't think it would lie on such circumstances." Xavier said his thoughts out loud. "Whatever is happening right now, however, does not concern mutants. Safe to say as well, there are others who are taking care of the problem too. Perhaps the real question we're looking for, is why it's telling Zack all of this."

"A warning to us that we're not alone in the universe?" Logan wondered.

Xavier ignored him and questioned Zack instead. "Is it possible for you to focus by yourself?"

The teen shook his head frantically.

The professor then ushered Zack to come near him and the teen walked over. He pressed his hand to Zack's forehead. "Very well, I can help with that. Zack, I want you to focus with all your might, try asking the Lifestream why it's showing you this. I can only help you focus your mind on the intent, but it's up to you to communicate with it."

Zack visibly gulped. "O-okay. I'll do my best, professor."

The moment the professor focused all his thoughts to one question, to Zack it felt like getting zapped or diving into a stretching black hole. The raven haired teen was desperate for answers; he had been wondering all, this time, these 'dreams' of memories could help him. He forced himself to only think of the things he wanted to ask. When he asked what it had to do with him, he didn't get any answers. The teen figured that he wasn't specific enough. He had known about what was going on, where it was (somewhere in Europe), when it was going to happen (very soon), what was going to happen. 'How' seemed to be out of the question as the Lifestream did not explain things thoroughly. The last question was…

Who's there? Who's this person that has to ties to me? Who's involved in this danger?

Somehow, he managed to make it through and the Lifestream gave him answers.

~( SOLDIER. CATALYST. FORMER WEAPON. KIN. )~ (5)

Both Zack and Xavier were jolted back to reality when the connection was abruptly cut off.

"Are you two alright?" Logan asked, his voice laced with concern.

"We're both fine, Logan. But that was truly impressive," Professor X said as he caught his breath in awe. "Is that how it communicates? Simple keywords?"

The teen was shocked. "You heard it too?"

Xavier inclined with interest. "Only because I helped you focus. I'm not sure what the previous words mean, but that last word, kin. I suspect it's pointing out you may have a friend or someone who is similar to you."

"A person like Zack?" the teen's mentor crossed his arms. "I suppose that's a good clue. You think we could find something about the incident if we searched?"

"It's possible." the telepath nodded but eyed at Zack who was looking at his hands.

"Someone like me," Zack muttered. He clenched his fists in determination. "I'm not alone." He still sighed, and turned to Logan and the Professor, "But it's not like the Lifestream is approving me on searching whoever it is…"

"I suppose at the not at the moment since it's so damn protective of you." Logan huffed messing the kid's hair. He then chided Zack, "You just need to get stronger, I'm sure it'll let you go when it's the right time."

"Thanks, Logan." the raven haired teen said gratefully. He then noticed his head felt silent. "Huh? That's funny, it's not buzzing so much anymore. Maybe it's because you helped, professor?"

Xavier nodded. "I think that maybe because we focused it into one place, your connection with your mind and the Lifestream isn't so scattered."

"Good." Zack smiled brightly. "I really wanted to enjoy the movie marathon without having a migraine. Can we get back and watch with the others?"

The professor chuckled. "Go on, Zack. Logan and I will be behind you a bit later."

"Okay. Thanks for everything professor!" the teen grinned as if nothing bad had happened. He then turned to his current mentor, "Five tomorrow morning for training as usual. I'll meet you in the danger room!" Zack waved both of them goodbyes before he took off.

"Energetic as always." Xavier chuckled. It was also surprising he started to like the 'danger room'.

"It's like he's on sugar and steroids," Logan commented with a snort. He then asked, "You think we should let him go and find his kind? Well, if there are any, whatever his 'kind' are. But from what I'm hearing if they're part of stopping the weird invasion business… You don't think we'd swoop in and get involved, do you Chuck?"

"With him around mutants, it would be difficult," the telepath replied honestly. "It's best that he may check things if there is an aftermath that will end with whoever is protecting us winning. If Earth was taken over by hostile alien forces to a global scale, I don't think any mutant would stand idle."

Logan raised a brow. "Even Magneto?"

Xavier smiled with a nod. "Even Magneto. He may not like normal humans in general, but he is prideful of being a mutant that shows the next evolutionary step to mankind."

"In the meantime we wait and watch," Wolverine said it like a mantra. "Boring as always Chuck."

"I believe we have a movie marathon we can watch to pass the time."

Logan laughed. "Right."

Pine Forrest, Somewhere in the Mountains, Europe

Steve was in the process of clipping off his parachute off when he heard the communications flared to life.

~( Captain? )~ It was Genesis on the line.

"I thought I switched the communicator off," Steve replied lightly throwing what was his chute harness on the ground.

A snort was heard over the line. ~( That's not going to stop me from hacking the device and re-activating it from here. And don't even think about breaking the device, Steve! I need to keep tabs on you. )~

The captain's fingers were just over the device in his attempt to destroy it, when the younger agent mentioned the last command. He frowned, "I thought you said you were sticking to the codename 'Control'."

~( Loki's not in the immediate area and you're not near his hearing range. )~ Genesis pointed out dryly. He then added with insistence, ~(I had to get your attention somehow.)~

Steve sighed surveying the area, "I'm still going after Stark and Thor. You're not stopping me Genesis."

~( I never said I was going to stop you. I'm letting you do what you need to do, Steve. )~ the agent disagreed.

"Does the director approve of this?" the super soldier asked with surprise.

The young spy shrugged. ~( No, but I managed to persuade him and I'm willing to work with you. No one has a cool head here right now and you are the only one out there with a clear mind. You once said you'd trust me to watch your back, right? Then let me take the job and help you out. This way the mission will be easier. )~

He couldn't help but smile at the offer. Steve was glad he had the support from Genesis when most would question his rash actions. It had been quite a while to have a friend believing him in his plans. "Alright. Which way to Loki, Stark, and Thor?"

~( North. From your point of view, that's at three o'clock. )~

The super soldier wasted no time. He turned and jogged in that general direction. "How are you seeing the overall situation of the mission?"

~( We have some eyes in the sky since the beginning of the mission. What I'm seeing right now: Thor and Stark are fighting and making a racket tearing down numerous trees along with them. )~

At the deafening creaking and breaking sounds of trees Rogers heard as he jogged, he was sure that was both of them. "Where's Loki?"

~( He's on a cliff watching the show. Doesn't look like Loki wants to run when there's entertainment for him right below. )~ Genesis said with heavy sarcasm.

Steve could picture Genesis rolling his eyes in his mind with the agent's description of Loki's antics. "Okay, what's the plan of action?"

Genesis immediately answered, ~( Stop the two from fighting each other and cool things down a little, so we can talk over what to do with Loki. We don't need friendlies turning into enemies right now. You can use your shield to get their attention. Thor is tougher than he looks and Stark won't feel pain with his Iron Man suit on. If Thor attacks, your shield is your best bet for survival. )~

"Works for me." Steve agreed. It was logical and straightforward enough. "If that doesn't work, we'll improvise then?"

~( Precisely. )~ the tactical forecaster agreed.~( I'll have ten other plans by the time you get to the fight site.)~

"Keep me posted on any updates, Genesis," Steve requested and he chuckled. The kid really knew what it meant when it came to adapting plans to suit one's need on the field.

~( Back to 'Control' now, Captain. )~ Genesis reminded the soldier with a light tone. ~( At your current speed, you will be there in five to seven minutes. )~

Iron Man huffed as he got up to his feet after getting pushed into the forest, courtesy of a certain God of Thunder. Tony wasn't a real believer in God or any other faith, but the fact he did try to talk the guy, unfortunately, got rejected, and pushed away didn't make the situation any better. He honestly sucked at socializing, but probably would never admit out loud with Pepper being the exception. So okay, he wasn't the best person to do an impersonation of Shakespeare or do a Hugo Weaving–but he was quite sure that he said the right words. Or maybe next time he might as well request Genesis to give him a Shakespeare 101 course. The billionaire was confident the young strategist could do so flawlessly with their right lingo attached.

Tony's attention was back to the face off as Thor swung his hammer around building up power. He fleetly made a decision to make an attack first before the Asgardian could. The genius fired a repulsor blast and with a swift kick to the chest sent Thor crashing through a tree. Sadly to Stark's dismay, Thor stood up. What Stark did not anticipate, was the god had summoned lightning and sent it his way.

He had expected to feel pain or to have problems with his suit with how his HUD flickered. Tony was in surprised when his AI reported the armor's stats.

"Power at four hundred percent capacity," JARVIS stated.

"How 'bout that?" Tony said smugly. He instantly took the chance to fire his strongest attack releasing excessive power through his Unibeam from his chest plate and both hands with repulsor blasts in one go.

It sent the demigod flying back, but Thor landed on his feet. In retaliation, Thor used the tree behind him as a boost and flew towards the billionaire. Stark wasn't the one to lose, so he propelled himself, and also flew at the god of Thunder. When they both collided with each other, they ended up flying off into the distance.

Meanwhile, as Steve wondered where the two were fighting until he heard his current tactical adviser sounding surprised.

"Control? What's wrong?"

Genesis said in a careful tone. ~( Forget 5-7 minutes Captain– make it 1-2 minutes or couple of seconds. They're heading your way in the air. )~

"Their stats?"

~( Alive and kicking–literally. )~ The young agent paused. ~( I think now would be a good time to separate them and snap them out. We do have a bigger fish to catch. )~

Steve had to steady himself as the area suffered a local earthquake with the two fighters landing in a clearing. Now in visual range, he spotted a snapped tree that created the perfect vantage point. Ignoring the noise of fists and metal, he ran to the top and stood. Just as the two combatants were getting ready to send more blows at each other, he threw his trusty shield, which ricocheted off both of them.

"Hey!" Steve called out trying to get their attention as he caught his shield that deflected from the two. "That's enough!" Steve jumped down off the tree and approached Thor and Iron Man. "Now I don't know what you plan on doing here–"

"I've come here to put an end to Loki's schemes!" Thor snapped at the super soldier.

Steve wasn't convinced at the god's anger or the fact he was still holding his weapon. "Then prove it. Put that hammer down."

"Uh, yeah!" Tony then paled realizing that was the wrong order. "Uh, no! Bad call, he loves his hammer–"

Thor swung his hammer back, dismissing and sent the Tin Man flying behind him.

"You want me to put hammer down?!" Thor boomed furiously.

Steve knew there was no way he was going to avoid the attack, he knelt on one knee and shielded himself over the head. As Thor leaped ten feet in the air he swung his mighty hammer down on the Captain. When the two connected, a huge boom and flash of light resonated the forest throwing two of the fighters back, the super soldier slightly pressed on his knee to a deathly silence. The aftermath had created a wider clearing.

Panting, the three titans of the Avengers Initiative stood up and looked at each other warily.

Rogers breathed out slightly at the carnage around him as he stood up, "Are we done here?"

The genius was about to protest when he received a connection through his HUD.

~( Tony? Please refer me as 'Control' for now. And could you stop for now? You're forgetting Loki's loose. )~ Genesis' voice was heard.

Stark sighed, and spoke back sourly, "Tell that to Thor." He paused, "And how did you connect with my private comm?"

~( I asked for JARVIS' assistance by persuading him it was for your safety. )~ was the reply. ~( By the way, Director Fury wishes to speak to Thor. You and the Captain can bring both Thor and Loki to the Helicarrier. We can negotiate things here about the Tesseract. )~

With the Captain warily looking at him and the Demigod, Tony decided he probably had enough–especially when he inspected his squished metal arm guard–he'd rather not have more to fix on his armor later. He flipped open his mask and told the Captain, "Alright, I'm done here. Just let the big guy know Fury wants a talk with him." If Steve had asked him to stop, Tony wasn't sure he'd listen. But the kid? Well, he'd listen to reason since the agent was probably acting as the tactical forecaster for the mission. In a way he was similar to his buddy Rhodey, so the billionaire didn't mind.

Steve was left stunned for a moment, but as soon as he knew Genesis was behind on Stark's more understanding agreement he sent the message, "Thanks for the help Control."

~( Well, he is a fellow consultant. )~ Genesis shrugged.

The Captain couldn't reply back as Thor started to ask questions.

Private Command Center, Main SHIELD Headquarters

Much Later…

"Phil, you can breathe now." Genesis poked his mentor who was statue shocked and still.

The everyman agent deflated like a balloon and he realized he had forgotten to breathe. "Geez, I thought it was over for the Captain." Coulson wiped down his sweat with a handkerchief.

His apprentice shook his head. "Doubt it, if Vibranium could withstand Loki's scepter's blasts then it should be the same for Thor's hammer."

Phil frowned at the younger agent. "That was reckless. We wouldn't have known the outcome that could jeopardize the Captain's safety– "

"It was calculated." Genesis countered with a scoff. "The Captain agreed to the plan. I also highly doubt Howard Stark would make something such as the Captain's shield to be so flimsy and–"

"Coulson! Rhapsodos!" Fury snapped, causing both agents to jolt out of their argument and pay attention to their superior. "As much as I appreciate you two for making this mission proceed smoothly and care for our own, there's still Loki we must handle."

"Affirmative sir," said the younger of the two who nodded indifferently. It wasn't his fault they were fighting. Genesis had to roll his eyes inwardly because Phil was being too much of a worry wart for Steve Rogers.

Phil unconsciously fixed his tie, "Sorry sir." The elder agent was more mindful of his boss, but he still didn't particularly agree with the younger agent's head-on tactics.

The One Eyed Eagle sighed. "Coulson, notify Agent Hill that we need to have the Hulk's prison prepared for Loki, and I want you to handle Stark as soon as he comes in."

"Yes sir," Phil replied and quickly exited the command center.

Genesis stood silently waiting for orders.

"Thank you, Rhapsodos," Fury inclined with a nod of thanks, "For simplifying the mission for us. We could have more victims if you didn't take the field."

The former commander didn't say anything either than a 'you're welcome' back at his superior. It wasn't the most complex military operation he had handled in the past or the craziest one he had encountered.

"Now–I'll take over the rest of the return of the team. With Thor here, he'll want to speak about Loki to SHIELD." the director said. "As for you, I want a detailed report on this mission with all the information concerning damage costs, civilians involved, teams sent out, and the outcome of this successful extraction mission."

'The fucking hell?!' the now Turk couldn't hide his shock when he heard Fury's order. With a serious situation such as Loki getting onto the Hellicarrier, he was still going to get stuck with more paperwork?! To Genesis, for some disturbing reason, his job of being the second consultant to the Avengers Initiative was getting utterly ridiculous. He wasn't a secretary dammit! The younger agent scowled heavily at the One Eyed Eagle in disdain.

"No complaints Agent. You agreed to be the second consultant to the Avengers Initiative–and I did not make the rules to what the direct of the responsibilities of the job were." Nick Fury emphasized what Genesis' job description entailed. "What we're doing now is under the supervision and surveillance of the higher ups."

Genesis sighed but he asked the question, "Are the World Security Council members really riling you to the point of insanity, director?" That wasn't the real question, but an implied question of: 'Because of them we're working our asses off, aren't we?' Not that Genesis was scared to phrase it like that, he'd rather just keep it subtle for now.

Being highly trained spy himself, Fury caught the real question. "I think you know the answer as I do, Rhapsodos."

Well, if that was the case, Genesis couldn't help wonder what hell the higher ups were putting Fury through. Better Fury than him at any rate. "Any specific deadlines?"

"None, but the quicker the better."

"Yes sir," the auburn haired agent sighed tiredly putting another task on his to-do list. If things kept going on like this, Genesis was sure he was going to be sleep deprived by the end of this whole fiasco. He was about to leave the command center when his superior stopped him.

"Rhapsodos."

Genesis halted and turned back to Fury with a questioning look.

"You noticed it, didn't you?"

Other than the fact Fury was willing to take the heat from World Security Council members for his agents, Genesis also respected the director because he was a sharp man and one heck of tactician himself. As long as Fury had an eye on things, he rarely missed something that the normal person or even agent would easily dismiss.

"Loki's got a bag full of cats in store. He could have run off during the fight, but he did not." Genesis nodded keeping his voice low. "No offense director, but I'm questioning if bringing him here is a wise idea."

Fury looked over his shoulder. "None taken, Agent. With Thor around we can breathe a little lighter. Yet I'm glad I'm not the only one who's spotted that Loki's defeat was too fast. Your two cents, son?"

The former commander couldn't help but feel uneasy. "From what I've gathered, I'd rather not underestimate him at all sir. We can ask Thor for details, but I have a feeling Loki's already planned this from the beginning." Genesis' eyes went back to the screen where he and the director saw the Captain, Iron Man, and Thor escorting Loki into the Quinjet. "It's like he's setting up the fireworks to a new year's event."

"Thank you for your insight, Agent." Nick Fury said in acceptance. "You're dismissed."

Genesis quietly took his leave and headed out of the command room. Once outside, he massaged his forehead with a sigh. While the mission was successful, the former SOLDIER's inner instincts screamed that Loki had devised a ploy for them. In a way to the former 1st Class, the mission result wasn't a victory but a serious tactical mistake. The only one thing that Genesis did not get was what was the nature of Loki's goal. With Clint missing and had gotten his hands on the object Loki wanted, he was sure the god didn't need to get caught at all. He would have won anyway if he had secured everything he needed to open the portal and open it without SHIELD knowing.

Then it hit him.

The portal.

Could it be Loki was here to bide time so he could use Doctor Selvig to get the portal ready? That was the most plausible answer. Now–while he worked on his paperwork for the recent mission he undertook, he needed some answers regarding the portal. And if there was anyone who understood about the Tesseract with its gamma rays…

…it was Doctor Bruce Banner.

Well, why not?

He did have some delayed mail he needed to give to the good doctor. All the same, Genesis wondered what he might find out if he spoke with Banner privately as they both had a similarity not many would suspect.

'My friend, do you fly away now? To a world that abhors you and I?'

That they both considered themselves as Monsters.

"Either we're a team or we aren't. Either you trust me or you don't." ~ Ally Carter, Heist Society

TBC…

Next time… Chapter 9: "In Monsters We Trust."

Notes/Trivia:

(1) Jeddah mission as stated by Genesis, is a mission the Black Widow was involved with Coulson as the team's mission team supervisor. In the Avengers: Black Widow Strikes Movie tie-in Prelude Comics, Coulson asks the Widow if he has ever led her astray before. Natasha remarks about what happened Jeddah, causing her handler to complain that she wasn't ever going to forgive him for the rest of his life for it. - Official Avengers Prelude Comics.

(2) Dumbapples/Banoran whites are purple colored apples found only in the village of Banora, Gaia. The Banora White trees bear fruit at random times of the year, which is the reason the villagers call them dumbapples. Genesis believes that the fruit is related to the Goddess as the Goddess Materia is only found in Banora. - FF Wiki.

(3) The Bifrost is not the only bridge between Asgard and the other realms. In the Avengers, Loki stated how Thor was able to get to Earth without the Bifrost. Odin had to summon dark energy to send Thor to Earth, to stop Loki, although, it seems to be frowned upon if used. – Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki. In this fic, such magic can be sensed by people who are sensitive to those who have Lifestream flows within them, hence why Genesis and Zack know of Thor's arrival.

(4) In the Percy Jackson and the Olympians the Greek god of thunder and lighting, Zeus, is said that when odd weather (large sudden thunderstorms) happens, usually the cause is because the king of the gods was angry or moody. Little do the mutants know that it is a work of the God of Thunder. Only the god in question is Norse.

(5) WEAPONs are powerful monsters in the world Gaia, created to protect its planet from external forces such as Jenova. However, when Jenova was sealed by the Cetra, all of them encased themselves in Mako crystals in a deep sleep and would awaken again when the Planet was threatened again. Genesis is labeled as a former WEAPON as back on Gaia he fulfilled that role in return for the cure to his degradation. He volunteered to serve the Goddess and protect the Planet in a time of danger arose, which was the event called the Last War.

Comments, opinions, your thoughts, are always welcomed.