Loki chuckled softly at the images that his water glass reflected, he had scry for Leah as soon as he found himself alone in Fury´s office. Luckily the sleepover was well advance when he casted the spell and caught a glimpse of Thor getting his hair braided by Natasha which caused everyone to laugh heartedly.

“You know you can´t do that once we start the mission.” Fury dryly told him catching Loki off-guard.

Loki grunted annoyed as he dissolved the images “I know.”

“I sure hope so, you´d better not do that again unless you want doom to find out she´s still alive.” Fury nagged him.

“Dammit Fury! I know!” He snapped furiously, almost immediately he changed his tone. “I … I just had to see her, make sure she was all right.”

“And is she?” Fury asked hopefully.

“It seem so, yes.” Loki admitted still a bit unsure.

“then stop worrying. We are leaving within the hour; you need to concentrate in the task at hand.” Looking at Loki´s indecision he added. “The sooner we finish this mission the sooner you´ll get back to her.”

“You´re right.” Loki agreed. “Let´s get this over with.” With that he raised from the chair he had been sitting on and walked out of the room towards the hangar.

Fury smirked and followed him out; all the members of their team were already on board. The only members from SHIELD in the Quinjety were himself and the pilot Melinda May; he had borrowed her from Coulson´s team for a couple of days.

“I don´t like this sir.” She had told him when he recruited her for the mission. “What if something goes wrong?”

“If something goes wrong I want you to run straight back to Coulson, he will need your help.” Fury told her sternly.

“But, Sir….” Melinda started to say when she was abruptly interrupted by Fury. “No buts agent, you will do as you´re told.” He reprimanded her harshly.

“Yes Sir.” She agreed reluctantly with a scowl, getting in a mission with 9 villains even if one of them was allegedly reformed was a very bad idea on her book.

“Agent May.” Loki greeted her formally as they approached the Quinjet; her feelings about him weren’t any secret.

“Loki.” She greeted him back seriously, she still had her doubts about his change of heart. “Sir.# She greeted fury next.

“Is everything ready?” Fury asked her quickly.

“Yes, all of our … guests are already on board.” She informed him dissaprovingly.

“Are you going to give me any trouble agent?” Fury glared at her sombrely.

“No sir.” Melinda adamantly responded.

“Good, now loose the attitude. You don´t have to like the mission to get it done.” Fury admonished her.

“Yes Sir, we are ready to depart at your command.” Melinda informed him.

“And our special guest?” Loki scowled as he heard fury ask her that; the special guest was no other than Doom. He hadn´t seen him since that day, when he …killed her; and now he would have to work with him.

Fury noticed Loki´s discomfort and reminded him. “Remember our deal, I´ll give you what I want if you give me what I want. And right now Doom alive and in one piece is part of what I want.”

“You should just let me kill him.” Loki spat enraged as her stared into fury´s eye who stood his stare without flinching. “Fine.” He finally snapped. “Have it your way, but remember if he betrays us he´s mine.”

“Agreed.” Fury accepted then turned back his attention to Melinda who had been watching their disagreement attentively.

“He´s in the front as you required.” She quickly informed him.

“Let´s go then.” Fury ordered them.

Both Melinda and Loki agreed disgruntledly, this was a mission they both wished they had skipped.

As Loki walked into the Quinjet he could see all of his new teammates already on board, some of them were checking their seatbelts, while others were lively talking about shared adventures, weapons or whatever was in their minds at the moment. On the farthest corner he could see Doom´s figure already strapped to his seat; unconsciously his jaw tightened as his fists clenched up. It was the first time they saw each other after the battle in the tower; Loki kept reminding himself why he couldn´t just kill him right there. You´re doing it for Leah, just think about Eerika, they need you back, remember the deal. With a final furious grudgeful glare he turned to an empty seat next to the Quinjet´s loading ramp; he planned to keep as furthest away from Doom as he could, if not he might be tempted to … a maniacal evil grin appeared on his face reflecting much better than words could what was in his mind; if anyone could´ve heard his thoughts …

“You´re not going to salute me Loki Laufeyson?” A sarcastic loud voice snapped him out of his machinations, it was doom´s.

“The only manner I wish to greet you is with a blade through your back, you coward.” Loki growled back as his fists clenched up again; did Doom has a death wish? Cause if he wasn´t careful he might just get his wish true.

Everyone went silence; eager to find out the source of such animosity.

“Are you still mad at me for killing your pet?” Doom mocked him unconcerned.

“She was not my pet!” Loki spat back furiously as he stood up.

“I´m sorry, your mistress then? Or maybe I just should go with stud mare?” Doom kept taunting him.

Loki´s hand´s flared up magically the instant he heard Doom´s crude remark; only the constant reminder of Leah´s nervous breakdown kept him from annihilating Doom right that instant.

“You killed her!” Was Loki´s response through clenched teeth; it didn’t matter if they had luckily been successful at bringing her back, the fact was that Doom had killed Leah, he had killed his sweet brave girl who had put herself on the line just to keep him and their daughter safe; she had fought as hard as she could knowing all the time that she couldn´t succeed only to be cowardly shot out of spite the moment he had vanquished Doom.

“I think we already have established that.” Doom answer somehow annoyed. “Get over it!”

Loki blanched with rage. Get over it? How dared he? Without a second thought he hurried to close the gap between himself and Doom only to be cut off by Dr Octopus who step between them with his mechanical arms.

“I don´t know what´s going on between you too nor do I care, but your little quarrel is jeopardizing the reward SHIELD have promised me for taking part on this mission.”

Before he ended his phrase both Venom and chameleon had step between them too. “Ours too.” They added almost at unison.

Doom let out a sly laugh that infuriated Loki even more.

“If you want me to respect our deal you´ll stop that right this instant Doom.” An unamused voice sounded behind him, it was Fury´s. The strife had call his attention.

Doom stopped laughing instantly and barely answered in a tone that resembled a child that has grown bored with his toy. “If you insist.”

“I insist.” Fury adamantly asseverated, then added. “The same goes for all of you, get back to your seats, we are leaving.”

Loki growled annoyed by the interference and glared Fury angrily without moving an inch.

“You heard me Loki, get back to your seat. If you want your child to be safe you will do as you´re told.” Fury menaced him, it was in their best interest to keep Loki´s change of sides unknown to all for as long as they could; his new team mates might not take it kindly, even Doom could only speculate about who´s side Loki was in due to the recent events.

Loki expression changed from furious to concerned, Fury had been right to remind him the real reason he was doing it.

“You can have that pathetic snivelling bastard.” He finally spat as he turned back to his seat.

“What? You…!” Doom complained only to be silenced by Fury´s disapproving glare.

When Loki reached his seat a question welcomed him. “You have a kid?” It was Sandman, who had taken the seat next to him.

“A daughter if you must know.” Loki volunteered, he knew that Sandman being the only member of the Sinister Six with a kid would most likely sympathize with him immediately. He didn´t knew for sure but he suspected he might need to align their allegiances towards him regarding Doom.

“How old is she?” Sandman asked again, he had a daughter himself.

“Three weeks.” Loki answered with a sigh, everything had changed in such a little time.

Sandman opened his mouth shocked, that meant Doom had killed his daughter´s mother. “I’m sorry.” He finally said.

“Me too.” Loki agreed heavy hearted.

“Was she your wife?” Another voice asked; it was Octopus; he had overheard their conversation.

“No.” Loki dryly answered then shrugged his shoulders as heh added. “But who knows, she might have been … someday.” Octavius’s wife had died, why not rally his sympathies too?

Surprisingly a third voice stated. “she was the pretty girl in the Tower, wasn´t she?” It was Eddie Brooke, he had reassumed his human appearance. “Pregnant with a hell of an attitude.” He added.

“Yes, it was her.” Loki smirked, it was a good way to describe her. “She´s … was a handful.” He corrected himself as his expression changed to a sad one; you need to talk of her as is he was dead, he reminded himself mentally.

Octavius looked at him sympathetically, he knew first hand that people tended to forget to talk about their loved ones in past tense.

“What was she doing with the Avenger´s?” Chameleon asked suspiciously.

His question caught Loki off-guard; discussing his love-life with that special crowd was not what he had in mind, he made a small scowl as he rubbed his chin. “Mm … that´s a … long story.” He finally ended purposely trying to look uncomfortable hoping they would let it go.

“I think we have the time, it´s bound to be a long flight.” Electro added; it seemed they were all curious about what had lead former allies to become such obvious enemies.

“Damm!” Loki cursed mentally, he would have to change some facts, especially the details about changing sides as well as omitting as much as he could of the story; specifically, the details about him changing sides. “I don´t want to bore you.” He answered in a half-voice.

“Rhino wants to know.” A voice with a strong Russian accent said suddenly.

“Of course you want to know, your love life amounts to zero.” Mysterio mocked him.

“That´s not true. Ladies find Rhino attractive. I get letters when I´m in jail.” Rhino defended himself.

“He does.” Electro asseverate, under everyone´s surprised stares he shrugged his shoulders as he added. “Don´t ask me why, I don´t understand it myself.”

For a moment everyone talked at the same moment volunteering their own theories about it until Chameleon interrupted them. “Never mind. Are you going to tell us or not Loki?”

Everyone´s silence showed they agreed with Chamaleon.

“If you insist, don´t say I didn´t warned you.” Loki accepted unhappily and proceed to tell them about how he met Leah, what happened between them and how he tried to send her away by delivering her to the Avenger´s.

“You really just let her in SHIELD´s hands?” Sandman asked surprised.

“I didn´t knew she was pregnant at the time.” Loki defended himself.

“And if you had known what would you have done?” Chameleon asked him interested.

“I don´t know.” Loki answered. “What would any of you done in my place?”

“Not deliver her to your enemy for starters.” Eddie volunteered.

“For the last time I was trying to send her to my brother.” Loki spat angered, what gave them the right to criticize him?

“So, now he´s your brother?” Electro asked.

Loki sighed annoyed. “He has always been my brother as much as I hate to admit it. I knew he would protect her.”

“I assume he eventually did.” Octavius volunteered. “She was in the Tower.”

“For all the good it did to her.” Loki scowled eyeing Doom.

“Don´t let us hanging Loki, tell us the rest of the story.” Eddie urged him.

Loki couldn´t fathom why they all were so interested; it must be a human thing he concluded.

Loki reassumed his story alleging he was fooling the avenger´s about changing sides so he would be able to get his lover and daughter back while in the process getting their aid to fight the once unknown threat against them; and how everything went wrong when doom attacked.

“And now, you keep pretending or are you changing sides for real this time?” Chamaleon asked sternly.

“Just until it serves my purposes.” Loki volunteered in a low voice, then he added. “I´m not going to lose her like I did her mother. No matter what it takes. “He hoped that should clarify that his allegiances were with himself as they always had.

“Why didn´t you just took your daughter and went back to Asgard?” Mysterio asked.

“And do what? Hide as a commoner? Besides Odin´s justice is both cruel and imaginative; I’d rather take my chances with Fury any day.” Loki spat back, he wasn´t lying about that.

“You sound scared of this Odin dude.” Eddie half-mocked him.

“You would be too if you had seen what I have.” Loki volunteered. “Or … experienced it.” A slight tremor ran through his voice; no one was eager to ask what he meant by that, except for Octavius.

“About that … I´ve always have meant to ask you about the veracity of Norse mythology.” He asked unashamedly. “Especially the myths regarding your person, I find them rather disturbing actually, is it true that …”

To Loki´s relief Fury interrupted them. “We are half an hour from the drop point. I suggest you stop your knitting meeting and concentrate.”

Loki frowned, he didn´t understood the reference but he had the distinct impression Fury had insulted them. Either way he was relieved he didn´t had to go with Octopus over the non-sense myths ancient humans had invented about them; most of them were lies … most of them anyway, and the one´s that weren’t … well they had fell short.

“If he wasn´t paying us a King´s ransom I´d feed him his words.” Eddie grunted while turning back into Venom.

“Back to work.” Mysterio added checking his gear and walking back to his seat as everyone.

Loki kept sitting eying angrily at Doom until Octavius interrupted his thoughts. “Unfortunately you´ll have to forget about your quarrel with Doom.” Then he added in a low voice. “At least until the mission is done.”

Loki nodded his head in agreement; he was right, that he couldn´t deal with Doom right there didn´t meant he wouldn´t be able to … eventually.