Chapter 2:

Loki didn't want anything to do with Midgard, especially go back to the loathsome place. Even though it had been twelve years since his little…incident, the mortals still loathed him. Then again, they had a right to. He had slaughtered hundreds. Even in the most peaceful moments, the screams of hundreds echoed. He sighed. SHIELD had contacted Thor, how Loki didn't know, telling him he was needed. It had something to do with being an Avenger.

The only justification to Loki's going was because he had been ordered to go by Odin. Didn't the old man realize it was a ghastly idea? Hadn't he understood that the mortals that would undoubtedly recognize him would want him dead? No he hadn't. Thor couldn't be happier. The moron was thrilled to return and help, especially with Loki. Even his mother, Frigga, considered it a noble proposition. She had said it would give a chance to see mortals in a new light. Thor had avidly agreed.

"Brother," he had said eagerly, "Now you can know what mortals are like!"

"I already know what they are like you idiot. They're stupid, short-lived, and blind creatures. They make bilgesnipes look intelligent." He spat at him. His shoulders tensed when Thor slapped him on the shoulder. Loki's armor rattled slightly with the impact.

"Please brother, give them a chance." Thor begged. Loki rolled his eyes. Why should he? They weren't going to. Thor begging was something Loki loved. Sadly, he couldn't enjoy it in this circumstance.

As much as he despised it, Loki was secretly intrigued with mortals. They rushed through their short lives as fast as possible. Why? Didn't they realize that they inhabited the only realm that never traveled? Didn't they understand their goal should be to travel to other realms?

Both Asgardians approached the bifrost together. The large dome shimmered in the star light. Loki still hated being on the bifrost path. He looked to where he had fallen. He shuddered. The darkness of eternity.

Thor informed Heimdall of where they were going. Heimdall gave his warning. The golden warrior then thrust his golden sword into the slot and in a blast of golden energy, they were transported to Midgard.

Loki's feet touched dense brown grass. The sun's bright light blinded him momentarily. It was hot. Too hot.

"Were in the name of Helhiem are we Thor?" Loki asked, clearly disgruntled.

"I don't know. Heimdall told me he would send us to Fury." Thor said calmly.

Loki was still irritated. Why couldn't he be back on Asgard with his books? It seemed they would be waiting awhile, so Loki took the time to look around. Rolling hills stretched as far as he could see. It was a cloudless day. A slight breeze passed by him. The trees were laden with thick green leaves. A few birds showed off their acrobatic expertise in the air. He was just about to call to Heimdall to take him to Asgard, when he heard a shout.

"Well, hello. Good to see you Thor. Listen Loki, any funny business and I'll personally shoot you on the spot. Got it?" Fury asked. He glared at Loki. He couldn't help noticing that the one-eyed man now wore sunglasses instead of an eye patch. What had changed to make him re-think his fashion choice?

Loki gave him a tight smile. "How nice to see you as well, mortal. Shouldn't you be dead?"

"You're about to be. Thank you for coming. Now, we got a situation. A USB was found missing a few weeks ago and-"he was cut off abruptly by Loki. Fury turned to stare at him. "Yes?" he asked.

"You need me to find a worthless piece of mortal technology?" Loki asked incredulously.

"No, that's Black Widow's job. You are here to obtain it. I'll explain more on the way." He signaled for them to come. Thor obliged. Loki reluctantly followed.

The group walked through a small cluster of trees. In the middle of a clearing was a fighter jet. The black metal seemed to suck in all the color. It was already humming to life. They all boarded and it flew into the air. Thor glared at the interior of the aircraft. He had told Loki how he thought it not natural for metal to fly. Like it was natural for an Asgardian to fly with a hammer.

"Let me ask you, mortal, why do you need us to obtain it? Can't you just ask your metal man or your Captain?" Loki asked. He couldn't understand why this mortal was allowed to boss him around.

"Mr. Stark isn't obliged to listen anymore and the Captain is on a different assignment." He stated simply.

"What is on this…USB?" Thor asked. His face was creased in a frown.

"A classified serum to be used by SHIELD. It will help to see if the human genes can be manipulated." He said. Fury started to look uncomfortable. Fury shifted in his seat. Loki smirked. It was time to make him more uncomfortable.

"Who will it be used on? Not one of SHIELD I assume." Loki sneered at the man. This sounded interesting. Was he trying to lengthen the human life span?

"No," he said slowly. "We had a large group of potential subjects, but only one was right for the serum. After you acquire the USB we'll have Agent Romanoff go in and get the person." He said. Loki could sense there was more to this story but now wasn't the time to dig up information. He would have to wait.

"Will we be needed for the administration of the serum?" Thor looked curiously at Fury. He ran a hand through his golden hair.

"No. You can go home after." At that moment, they had landed on the deck of the Heli carrier. The many jets that lined the edges all primed for take-off. Pilots and mechanics rushed around, doing last minute checks on the equipment.

"All clear sir!" yelled the pilot. The trio left the jet and headed into the main building. A pilot spotted Loki and jumped in surprise before resting a hand on his gun.

"I can't believe I let Odin talk me into this." Loki muttered to himself. How he hated the way all the mortals glowered at him. It wasn't that he was guilty, but it got annoying. In a burst of magic, he turned the nearest SHIELD agent's hair a rather revolting shade green. She shrieked in alarm. Loki chuckled.

Eventually they ended up in a large conference room. A dozen or more chairs surrounded a large oval table. There was only one occupant in the room. The Black Widow sat farthest from them. She was surrounded by many computers and screens. Her vibrant red hair hung in her face. She muttered to herself. Loki had just sat down and propped his feet on the table, when-

"Fury! I got something. Regionals Library six thirty-four. The file was open for ten minutes. That's enough time for them to copy and send." She said looking at Fury. Then her eyes landed on Loki. A flash of frenzied anger passed through her eyes. Her hand strayed to her holster. What was it with mortals and guns?

"Can you access the computer's camera?" he demanded.

Natasha rolled her eyes and muttered something about not being so demanding. She then stared for another minute at a screen. Her eyes roved from side to side intently.

"There isn't one. If we hurry we could still catch them." She said. She was already at the door.

"All right then. Go!" he said. Loki groaned. At least this time he wouldn't be the one hunted. He vividly remembered that retched arrow being pointed in his face. He growled. Thor gave him an odd look.

"Where is this library?" Thor asked. Agent Romanoff gave directions and he vaulted into the air, swinging Mjolnir.

"Show off." Loki muttered. Even though he had been humbled by his mortal, Thor still had arrogance about him. Loki didn't want to admit it, even to himself, that he was jealous of Thor. Jealous that Thor could fly away whenever he wanted to. If only Loki had had that happy ability in New York those few years ago.

All of a sudden a gun was directed at his head. These mortal weapons wouldn't kill him right away, but they would still be quite painful.

"If you start anything, Loki, I'll shoot. I never miss my targets." She seethed with rage. He smirked at her. Natasha seemed livid. He eyed her finger. She quickly holstered her weapon and jogged off.

"Get in line mortal." And with that he sauntered off to the waiting jet.

The ride to the library was awkward and silent. Agent Romanoff shot him venomous looks every other minute. Loki could care less what she thought. He just wanted to get the job done then go ho-…he had almost considered Asgard home. Asgard wasn't home. Asgard was where he was forced to live until otherwise. His thoughts persisted to get darker as he stared at the sky.

The jet hovered over the top of the library. Loki watched Black Widow leap out and land on the flat roof. He quickly followed.

Thor was already waiting and watching the sidewalk below intently. His eyes wandered along the street. Loki sidled up next to him and peered over; nothing interesting except mortals scurrying around.

The city was filled with cars honking their horns. A bridge crossed over a railroad platform. Shiny windows reflected the sky above and the chaos below. Loki noticed how this city was much smaller than New York, but still harried.

"Six thirty-eight. Whoever has the USB should still be in there. Thor you watch up here. Loki I want you to stand next to that car. Look like a mortal too." She demanded. Thor just absently nodded. Loki immediately stared at her.

"And what are you going to do oh high and mighty Agent?" he asked her. Her cold eyes turned to look at him. How he loved playing with people, especially mortals.

"I'm going in there to see if anyone is still on the computer. You're here to make sure they don't escape. Now go!" she yelled. Loki rolled his eyes. Romanoff was so demanding. One day she would be dead and he wouldn't have to deal with her any more…not that he was planning anything…maybe.

He jumped two stories to the ground. No one saw. In less than a minute Black Widow was next to him, rolling up a cable into her belt. With his magic he made an outfit similar to the one a man a little ways away was wearing. He then waited. Loki looked up at Thor on the roof. His great oaf of a brother loomed over the sidewalk. Thor had never understood the concept of subtlety and stealth. He never even noticed the strange looks he was receiving from the mortals below.

"Mommy! Mommy! Is that the man who destroyed New York?" a high childish voice squeaked. Loki looked around furiously. He then relaxed when he noticed the child pointing at Thor. The child's mother just nodded without looking up, tugging the small girl into a book store. Perhaps it would better if Loki wore a hat. In a moment he had a dark green baseball hat in his hand.

Loki was soon uninterested. He idly watched a mother scold a young boy for hitting his sister. With a flick of the wrist, the boy slipped, pulling his mother down onto the ground with him. Suddenly the girl was jumping around other pedestrians and spinning like a top. Loki couldn't hide his grin. He snapped his fingers and it all stopped. The little girl looked around anxiously. The young child noticed him watching. She saw Loki and glared at him. He glared back. Her courage faded and she ran to her mother who had resumed her scolding.

The doors to the library burst open. A terrified looking girl rushed out, followed by a man in the clutches of Agent Romanoff. The girl ran directly into him. She stumbled to stop herself. He gaped at her in alarm. Her deep brown eyes were flecked with gray and green. What a strange combination. Anger soon replaced his surprise though. The temptation to use his magic on her increased. Maybe he would change her eye color to something ugly, pink perhaps.

"Watch where you're going you filthy mortal girl!" he snarled at her. He fully expected her to look even more scared. She looked at him furiously. Her gaze penetrated his. Loki readied himself to perform the magic, and then suddenly, she was gone; dashing down a street and into an alley.

He shook himself out of his daze and watched the Agent propel the poor man into a wall. Natasha had his arm twisted behind his back. Every time he stuttered she applied more pressure until, there was a crack. The man's whimpers of pain couldn't be heard over the hustle of the street.

"Where is the USB?" she hissed at him.

"I…I…I swear I didn't know I-w-w- would get in this much trouble! Professor Harold said the essay would… would determine most of our final grade! It was j-j-just under his chair! I'm sorry! Please don't arrest me!" he stuttered for words. The Agent holding him looked furious. She beckoned to Loki. He rolled his eyes and ambled over. She demanded he explain about the USB. The man wasn't lying. His ice blue eyes swept over the young man critically.

"Fine. I believe you." She then promptly knocked him out. He crumpled to the ground in a heap. The trash cans covered him screening him from view. No one would find him for a while.

"I checked the entire log off times. There were two. One was his and the other was some girl's… I never even considered…" her eyes widened. "Did you see were the girl went?" she demanded. The agent's eyes studied the area.

"Well, she barreled into me, then ran down there…" he pointed lazily in the direction the filthy girl had gone. Agent Romanoff took off down the sidewalk. Thor quickly ran across the roof tops.

Loki walked after her. The girl couldn't have gone far. There was no way she would hide very well anyhow. The busy people in the city never noticed the god wearing a baseball cap strolling through their midst. If they did, they cared to find out who he was.

This place is disgusting. He wrinkled his nose at a hot dog crawling with maggots. Trash bins filled with rotting food released acrid fumes into the air. Cigarette butts littered the ground. The smoke they released made Loki's head pound and spin. What a disgusting habit. He thought as he watched a teenage boy sit, smoking.

He walked down the alley. A large green smelly trash can had been moved out of the way. It had been blocking a narrow side alley. He continued down it avoiding the rotting food and garbage. Mortals were so messy.

He came to a small narrow courtyard. No doors entered any of the surrounding buildings. This meant only the girl and a few others knew about it. He heard snarls coming from the corner of the enclosure. The ground was hard packed dirt. A twig cracked under his boot.

A small cave like area screened by wild bushes rested in a corner. He saw Agent Romanoff holding a gun. It was pointed directly into the middle of the unkempt shrubbery. Snarls could be heard coming from inside. It looked like the den of some fierce animal. It definitely sounded like it.

"Give me the USB. I won't hurt you. Just give me the USB." She repeated in a calm voice over and over. Thor stood above on the edge of a building. He had Mjolnir ready. Loki scoffed. Did he really think he would need it to take down a weak mortal girl? The snarls and hissing continued erupting from the bushes. A few words were mixed in. Since nothing was happening he approached the plants, only mildly curious.

He stood next to Agent Romanoff. The top of the shrubs were covered in card board and plastic wrap. A wide hole granted access to an area the girl crouched, ready to attack. She crouched in a tiny dip in the ground. The depression lined with rocks, roots, leaves, and soiled blankets. She brandished a switchblade at the woman above her. She took no notice of Loki. The way her eyes roved in her head gave her the appearance of a cornered cat.

"It's alright. Come out I promise I won't hurt you." She continued to reassure the girl. He rolled his eyes. If you pointed a gun in a person's face they won't very well trust you. Loki studied the girl further.

Her matted hair fell to her shoulder blades. Her tresses streaked through with muck and grime. The hands gripping the switchblade had long nails covered in blood and dirt. Her large eyes portrayed horror and rage. She continued to hiss and growl at Romanoff.

"You can't take me!" she screamed in fright at the Agent's sudden shift in movement. Romanoff stopped talking and lowered her gun slightly. A look of deep confusion filled her face. The gun she had previously been aiming at the girl was tucked out of sight. She squatted down to the girl's level and looked her in the eyes. The girl flinched and scooted farther back into the den. A jagged ray of sunshine illuminated the girl's clasped hands. That's when Loki noticed her bloody wrist. Concern washed over him for the girl. He had thought her pale skin and shaky stance was out of fear, not blood loss. He could tell that her wrist hurt terribly, as she favored her left hand.

"Who said we would take you?" she asked curiously and quietly. Romanoff didn't seem to have noticed the puddle of blood under the girl. The girl swallowed. She seemed to be fighting an inward battle.

"I saw what was on the USB. You can't take me. It can't be legal." She shrieked hysterically. Tears started to well in her eyes. Her breath hitched in her throat when she saw Loki. She quickly looked away and stared into Natasha's eyes. Her body shuddered with every deep breath she took.

"How many of you are here? You can't experiment on me! Just go away!" she howled into the air. The tears she had been holding back flowed freely down her face. She fell to her knees in exhaustion. The blood loss had finally gotten to her. The firm grip she had had previously on her blade slackened considerably. She looked to Loki, pleading silently with him not to take her; to leave her alone. He looked away. He didn't want to have her pleading face in his dreams tonight.

Something seemed to dawn on Romanoff's face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She eyed the girl pitifully for a few moments. Then she pulled out a different gun and put a long feathered dart in it. She didn't even have to aim.

"I'm so sorry Kate." She said.

"Why woul-?" before the girl could answer, Romanoff shot her. Tranquilizing liquids flowed through her bloody wrist, taking effect immediately. The girl gasped, then the blade dropped from her hands and she keeled over. Her eyes only partially closed. The dart protruded from her wrist; the blood staining the white feathery end. The girl, Kate, still cried, even in her drugged sleep.

"What did you shoot her with?" Loki asked shocked.

"A tranquilizer. She'll wake up in two hours or so." Romanoff's face looked sad. Loki didn't understand why. Why would the girl think they were taking her? Then a horrible thought struck him. Could Fury be testing the serum on her? Fury had the audacity to test it on a child? To Loki that seemed barbaric. If they were going to test it, let it at least be on a willing adult. This child was so innocent and pure.

Thor landed next to Loki. He gazed at the unconscious girl.

"Why was she screaming at you like that?" he asked Romanoff.

"She's Kate Smithton. The only valid subject for the serum. I didn't think she'd have the USB. It wasn't supposed to go this way. Too late now though." She sighed. She reached into a pocket and pulled out a cell phone. She dialed a number and walked away.

Thor looked at the girl. He reached into the bushes and pulled her out. Loki saw with disgust that her bare feet were bleeding and infected. Thor picked her up and held her. Kate's head rested gently on his armor. A shuddering breath left her small body. She looked very much like a cat now, in his massive arms. The brown ratty coat she wore fell down to her knees. The bottoms of her jeans had dark brown stains.

"How old do you think she is, Loki?" he murmured. His hand gently brushed some of her hair out of her face.

"How should I know?" Loki snapped back. Thor looked at him surprised.

"Aren't you sorry for her? She can't be older than Torunn." Thor spoke sadly. She did remind him an awful lot of his own daughter. He absently wondered what Jane would be doing right now.

"Why should I be? I have done my job, now I would like to return to Asgard." He shot back. Thor sighed. Kate twitched slightly.

"Alright let's go. Fury isn't too pleased, but he's sending a car." She looked slightly frustrated. "What's that in her hand?" Romanoff asked, pointing to the girl's tight fist. Loki pried her hand open none too gently. A silver USB fell out of her grasp and clanked onto the ground. Black Widow reached down and held it to the light.

"Well at least we got what we were looking for." She said. Natasha studied the girl in Thor's arms, a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. She shook her head and turned crisply to Thor, giving him directions to the car. Loki still didn't understand the big deal. Why where both of them sorry for her? She was just a mortal girl.

Thor flew over the buildings leaving him and Romanoff alone. Loki took one last look at the hole. A small black picture frame caught his eye. He reached into the hollow and held it. The picture was of a family. Two little boys stood in front; one with red hair and the other with pale blond, both boys wore identical looks of mischief and carefree attitudes. A girl stood in between them holding a baby, she looked happy and healthy. In the back, their parents beamed proudly at the camera. He pocketed the photo and walked over to the Agent. He thought over the picture. It can't have been taken more than a year ago. The girl holding the baby had obviously been Kate. She had been very pretty in the picture, and slightly curvy. What had happened to her family?

"I can't believe this." Natasha muttered angrily. "How did she even get the USB?"

"If you are expecting me to answer you are sadly mistaken."

"I wasn't talking to you Loki. I was talking to myself." She hissed back at him.

"Fine." He said.

When they got back to the library, a car was waiting for them. As soon as they were in, it took off.

The drive was in silence. Tense silence filled the car. Time to have some fun. Loki thought. He started to play with his magic. At first it was just to manipulate small things; pencils, rocks, his hat, and a watch on Kate's non-bloodied wrist. When he tired of those he looked at Thor with a mischievous smile. He turned his brother's cape bright orange. It took the thunder god a while to notice. When he did he shouted at Loki to turn it back to red. Loki finally did, but left a spot on the back orange.

Kate lay curled up in a seat. Loki snapped his fingers quietly and her feet instantly healed. The new skin was a polished pale pink. He quickly checked to make sure no one noticed. He didn't really care about the girl, but her feet had made him nauseous.

"My dear Black Widow, where are we going?" Loki asked. They had been in the car for thirty minutes.

"The nearest airport." She replied curtly. Loki rolled his eyes, clearly bored.

The airport they arrived at was small. A few people stood outside checking papers.

Thor still carried the girl. They walked into the lobby, sat down, and waited. The agent took out a wad of chewing gum and occupied herself with that. Thor looked at a pamphlet about a zoo, the girl asleep at his feet. Loki stared at Kate. He couldn't understand why humans had to experiment on each other. He knew Captain America had been experimented on and changed. The great green monster was poisoned by gamma radiation. Even the metal man had implanted himself with a device. Although, Loki had heard he no longer needed it.

When Fury walked through the lobby doors, Loki noticed he was angry. The man stared at Kate grimly. He didn't seem pleased to see her. Anyone would have thought she was a convicted homicidal maniac by the way he gazed at her.

He motioned for them to follow. All three got up, Thor picked Kate up again. Fury led them outside to a jet.

"I thought my orders were to get the USB and wait to get Kate until the serum was ready. It seems you got both. So, you did get the USB, right Romanoff?" Fury asked.

"Yes sir, including the girl. She had it. You didn't lie when you said she could be feral." Black Widow smirked. The cold woman didn't seem to take most of Fury's rants seriously.

"Wait, she had it? How did she have the USB?" asked Fury shocked. Loki chuckled at his expression. He had assumed the director was never surprised.

Everyone turned to look at Loki. He just smirked and examined his nails.

"I don't know sir. She was shouting at me to not take her. At first I didn't understand. Then she mentioned looking at the content." She finished.

"Why are you using the girl for your experiment?" Thor asked quietly.

"Well, that's a long story Thor. Basically we compiled a list of people with more, feral genetics. That turned out to be close to three million people. We narrowed it down until we had three kids. All the same age. We chose her because her genes were more likely to be manipulated and…she is homeless. Not many people notice when a homeless person goes missing. It helped that she was just expelled earlier today from her school." He explained. Thor looked shocked as well as confused.

"How did she get herself expelled?" Romanoff asked.

"She attacked a student. He had three inch long gashes everywhere. She gave him a black eye, broke his nose, knocked out two of his teeth, sprained his wrist and shoulder, and bit him three times. She's as feral as they come. Her Coach even said she had him on the ground faster than she had ever seen." He looked at her gloomily. Why was everyone so sad for her?

"I already like her." Romanoff whispered.

"Trust me she has an attitude to match." He added. Fury rubbed his head distractedly.

"What happened to her wrist?" Loki asked.

Fury shrugged. Natasha muttered something about scratches. Thor didn't even look.

Loki wasn't sure how he felt. Sad? No, but he didn't feel nothing for the girl. He just wasn't sure what he felt.

The group remained silent; everyone in their own thoughts.

The jet landed, they disembarked, and entered the main building on the Heli carrier. While Fury headed off to talk to Banner about the serum, Natasha headed down stairs to fiddle with her guns. Having nothing better to do, Loki followed Thor as he gave the sleeping girl to a doctor and nurse. They assured them that she would be fine. The doctor carried her over to an empty bed and closed the curtains around it. He exited and two nurses entered carrying clean clothes, bags of fluid, and other medicines.

"Well, brother we can go back to Asgard now." Thor said softly. He stood gripping the railing on the side of the deck. A cool wind blew through Loki's hair. It wasn't enough to stop the heat from getting to him though.

Suddenly, an idea came to him. Loki's face lit up with a grin. "Why brother, don't you want to stay and watch?"

Thor gave him a grim smile. It was decided. They would stay.