Chapter 11

Thor ran down the road, far enough behind Steve so that he could follow his lead without falling more than a step behind. Buildings lined the road until they came to a walled corner, people passing in and out of the confines. Ahead of them lay the sea, a pier jutting out into the waters, and boats that looked as if they were not in the business of taking passengers. It was contrasted to his right by a picturesque walkway of red bricks and lined with trees that ran along the sea. Above them the storm clouds gathered, growing larger and darker with each passing minute.

Steve indicated along the path, slowing to a walk. "Along Marine Drive, at least it says it's somewhere along here." His eyes drifted up. "Close by, if those are anything to go by."

Thor willed Mjolnir to his hand, up and through the air to avoid hurting civilians by crashing through the city. His gaze was locked onto the centre of the storm.

"What do you think?" Steve asked.

"It's wrong, something is manipulating it against nature. Do you have your shield?"

Steve reached over his shoulder and shrugged off a large flat bag, but he did not open it. "Do you think it's Loki?"

"It lacks the stench of magic. I do not know how my brother could have done this without it."

"Someone is," Steve pointed out. "That's our first task, find the source and cause." Thor held up his hand in time to catch Mjolnir, the power and weight comforting in his palm. He felt ready. "Could you take a closer look?"

Thor answered with his departure. The ground quickly fell away, leaving him with a clearer view of the city below and Marine Drive running along the waterfront. Nothing stood out as suspicious, just dozens of people milling around below him.

Another rumble of thunder sounded, directly above him, closer than expected. He shot through the haze and frowned. He would have expected a thunder cloud to tower into the sky. He may not be a man of study but he knew storms like he knew his own body. With Mjolnir he manipulated them as easily as he breathed. Thunder clouds, even ones he created, were tall. These ones were like mice to a giant.

He changed Mjolnir's route, taking him back down. The cloud crackled with feeble static, the air less humid than he expected it to be. Clumsy construction, as if nature had forgotten what to do in a rush to get the job done. A flash of lightning leapt to another cloud. Pitiful, but he was soon back into the open sky and then racing back to the path. He scanned the floor for Steve, finding him walking up the lane talking on his phone. His friend hung up as Thor dropped onto the road next to him.

"Find anything?"

"Nothing we did not know."

"Which is?"

"The storm is unnatural and badly made, but I caught no clue of its maker."

Steve looked round, ignoring the stares and whispers they were receiving. "I was hoping this would be easier. Bad guys in my experience don't hide when attacking."

Indeed, besides the storm and the commotion they were causing, there was nothing out of place. Families enjoying the sun with young children, individuals shopping, even a young couple arguing. He could hear people talking about them, hear his name being whispered, but no signs of foul play.

"I've called SHIELD, they're on their way to clear the area and help secure our target. We just need to find it…somehow. Is it a portal?"

"No, I am certain." He still did not understand these mortals' obsessions with portal-storms.

Another roll of thunder and a flash disturbed the air. Thor was about to offer to take to the skies again when a bolt cut through their conversation, connecting with the pavement not a hundred metres from where they stood.

People screamed. Thor was the first to move, finding a small cluster around a prone body, bruised and brunt. A young man was stamping out the small fire on her clothes while another was fumbling with a phone.

"Is someone calling an ambulance?"

"Is she alive?"

"I can't believe someone actually got struck by lightning."

"Thor." Steve nudged him, nodding towards a man running away from the scene. "I think we may have our culprit. I'll follow him, you cut him off ahead."

Thor nodded, stepping back as Steve ran forwards. The Captain cast off the cover of his shield and he spun his hammer, launching himself back into the air before he drew too much more attention away from the wounded woman. In the sky it was easy to see what his next move should be. His quarry was quickly approaching a strange bridge with three points, like a crown, over a small canal; a perfect place to cut off the man if he was quick, and he always was.

He landed heavily on the path, cracking it beneath his feet and cutting off their target's escape route. There were gasps from the people on the bridge; he heard his name and small clicks sounded as individuals held up small devices. He flashed them a grim smile, fully straightening.

"I advise you to leave this area."

He didn't wait to see if they followed his advice, though if anything the commotion grew. Turning he shifted his focus to their quarry. A young man, barely into manhood, skidded to a stop. His dark brown eyes were wide, his body tense and his breathes coming out short and sharp. It was clear even to the dimmest of creatures that he was close to losing himself to panic. He looked back to Steve who was slowing to a halt and back to Thor, his head snapping between the two men trapping him as he stepped back towards the sea. His back hit the wall as thunder rolled above them.

"Stay back." The man's voice quivered, taking any real menace from it.

Thor frowned. The man hardly seemed like a villain and most certainly wasn't Loki. A small shred of hope that he hadn't known he was harbouring extinguished itself. He knew it would not be his brother and yet…and yet he still felt his heart sink. He tore his eyes away to look to Steve. His companion's expression was neutral though the way he watched the man seemed to suggest that this was not what he expected.

"Are you sure this is him?" Thor asked over the beginning of an argument behind him about whether Steve really was Captain America or not.

"I didn't do it!" The man rushed out.

Thor's grip on Mjolnir tightened, shifting from the strap to the handle; few things screamed guilt as pre-emptive denial.

"Do what?" Steve asked, his tone lacking any accusation.

The young man froze. "I-I…The… Whatever you think I did, I didn't do."

Thor snorted; this man should take lessons from Loki. The youth's head snapped round to him, eyes lingering on the hammer. He took a step away, edging along the sea wall.

"We don't want to hurt you," Steve tried reassuring the youth, to emphasise his words he placed his shield down. A woman gasped behind Thor. "See?" The Captain held his hands out. "We just need you to come-"

"No!" the man shouted. The clouds above them flashed, darker than they had been seconds before. Steve noticed, turning to look to Thor, taking his eyes off the culprit. The man took advantage and bolted. Steve sighed, turning to follow. Their victim stumbled, spinning round as he tumbled onto the stone. He looked ready to soil himself and he screamed at Steve.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Thor felt it, the static in the air gathering in a way that it should not but could only mean one thing. He moved shouting.

"Steve, back!"

It was good the man had quick reflexes. With a twist off his foot, followed by his body, he propelled himself back. Lightning struck the path where he had stood not a second ago. The crowd on the bridge cried out and scattered, finally seeing the wisdom in fleeing the scene.

That, at least, answered one question. Thor didn't know how this mortal did it, but he was clearly the cause. It was also clear the man had no control over his actions. He couldn't hurt Thor, however the other mortals where another matter. He stepped forward.

"NO," the man shouted, scrambling back to his feet. "Don't."

Thor easily caught the next bolt in Mjolnir and held it with no more than a lazy raise of his hand. It was pathetic. His pride begged him to show this mortal how one played with thunder. The youth paled, looking as if he would faint at any moment. He scrambled away backwards as Thor advanced.

"Don't hurt him," Steve warned, circling round the child.

Thor huffed. He would like to humour his friend, but the sooner they ended this, the better. The youth let out a choked sob and turned to stand and run. This had gone on for long enough. With a flick he let loose the lightning at the young man. Thor showed restraint, hoping it was just enough to immobilise but not to kill. The youth was hit before he had the chance to take a full step and dropped.

The air went still and the sky calm.

"I said don't hurt him," Steve chastised as he bent down to the twitching man.

"I did not." Thor looked at the still man who was unmarked, unlike the young lady he had struck. "Not much. It was better to stop him before he hurt another innocent."

"He didn't know what he was doing."

"That makes him all the more dangerous."

Steve looked at him over his shoulder and shook his head. "I suppose. I just don't like this way. It's not going to make him any less scared of us when he wakes up. He seems to be our guy though."

Perhaps, but he had nothing to do with Loki. Thor couldn't say he was surprised, but he also couldn't say that he wasn't a little disappointed.

A/N: If any of you have read my profile recently, you may have seen that I've recently had my hands rather full. I'm hoping that things will calm down soon and updates will come quicker.