A/N: ok, so a couple of things. First and forremost, huge thank you to my beta Sigridr, who has been a big help with this story. Seriously, i wouldn't be posting this without Sigridr's help. Secondly, this is the first story i've written out of the Eureka fandom and it's the first time i've written in third person perspective, so feedback would be great appreciated. Last but not least, i don't own anything Marvel, we all know it, disclaimer done and will not be repeated. So yeah, Enjoy!

This was boring. Not just the kind of boring where you wanted to fall asleep in class while the professor was talking boring, but the kind that made you want to set something on fire just for an excuse to escape boring. Steve Rogers was every girl's dream guy…every girl except Darcy. It's not that she didn't appreciate his other-era politeness, it was sweet after all, but her sarcastic remarks sometimes went over his head. His looks were also something that she couldn't complain about, but they just weren't to her taste exactly. Her modern-era feminist tendencies seemed to clash with his older style chivalry a little too much. Darcy sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that night, tuning out the Captain's rambling about some fight with some red angry German.

"Darcy?" his voice brought her out of her own head.

"Yeah? Sorry, I guess my mind wandered a bit there," she gave him a polite excuse and a pleasant smile. He would understand. It wasn't the first time her mind had gone off elsewhere. Everyone at SHIELD was used to Darcy being a bit absent-minded.

"Well, it's getting late. Would you like me to walk you home?" Rogers asked as they exited the restaurant he had taken her to. Again she gave him her patented "I-like-you-but-not-in-that-way-and-I'd-rather-be-anywhere-but-here-right-now" smile.

"That's ok Steve, I have to get up early tomorrow and if you walk me home we'll get to talking, I'll invite you in, and you'll most likely spend the night. It'll be a whole thing. Maybe next time," she grinned as the super soldier blushed at her statement.

"Well then, good night Darcy," he managed to stammer out before hopping on his bike. Darcy sighed in relief this time, happy to have a nice quiet walk home to look forward to, just her and her Taser. The streets were eerily empty as she started the two mile path toward her apartment and it made the hairs on the back of her neck rise. She rolled her shoulders, unable to shake the feeling of eyes on her even when she knew no one was around. Halfway home she got sick of jumping at every little noise and stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, feeling ridiculous for what she was about to do.

"Ok, I feel really stupid right now, but seriously, if some creepy thing or whoever is following me could just come out, that'd be great right now," she muttered, leaning back on the brick wall and waiting, not expecting much. At the thirty second mark (which felt like two minutes) she sighed, thinking the whole thing a waste of time and standing straight, ready to continue on her way and promising to skip zombie week on TV this year. A quiet laughter, seemingly out of nowhere gave her pause. Creepy laughter from thin air was a good excuse to bring out Mr. Shocky. Darcy looked around, her wide blue eyes dilated slightly in fear. The silence that followed the short chuckle made Darcy's fear amp up a bit. She never did like the silences before the storm. There was too much anticipation and build up for her liking and she was the kind of person to just get through the ordeal and have it done with. Just like taking off a Band-Aid, nice and quick. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest it was pretty much the only thing she could hear on the quiet street. She felt frozen in place, fear locking her limbs as her breath came in quickening gasps. Darcy suddenly felt like that poor little lamb from some kids' story, waiting for the big bad wolf to leap out of nowhere and eat her up.

"Fucking hell!" she squeaked as a car turned onto the empty road, the headlights bathing her in light for a moment before it drove on. The sudden break in the calm freed Darcy from her paralysis and she ran the rest of the way home. She was suddenly so glad for those training sessions with Natasha and Clint. A year ago she could barely run a mile, never mind two and a half at a dead sprint. Getting into her darkened home, she locked the door, dropped her bag, and slid to the floor in relief and exhaustion. Yeah her legs would feel like she was wearing twenty pound weights tomorrow, but at least she was nice and safe in her own home now. Summoning the strength to get up, Darcy started on her nightly routine, not bothering with the lights in the apartment. Only when she was climbing into bed fifteen minutes later did she sense something was off. Patience having long run out and too tired to actually be afraid, she sat up in bed, looking around her dark room, long shadows being cast from the streetlight spilling in her windows.

"Ok, I'm sick of the creepy hide and seek game going on here. Either come out and talk to me or back the fuck off so I can get some much needed sleep," she grumbled. There was a full five minutes of silence in which Darcy was starting to wonder if all those long nights with Jane and Tony were finally starting to get to her. Really, she needed to start making those two stick to regular office hours and have them take a break every now and then. Jane was still working on her Bifrost project even though Thor could just zap back to Earth whenever he wanted now that he had the glowing cube thingy. Tony, well, Tony Stark was like a genius five year old with the worst sense of entitlement issues she had ever met. Poor Pepper, she had it so rough. That man would do anything for her though which Darcy thought was very romantic. She would never understand what Pepper saw in the man, but she thought the two of them looked very cute together, especially when the team had their monthly dinner together, just as a way to keep in touch minus earth catastrophes. A shadow out of the corner of her eye brought Darcy from her wandering thoughts.

"Hello…?" she called, drawing out the word. The rather imposing shadow thing chuckled and stepped forward slightly.

"Hello Miss. Lewis," it said. She arched an eyebrow questioningly. After everything that happened in her life since Thor dropped from the sky, there was very little weirdness in the world which could shake Darcy Lewis' nerves. Shadow men didn't even rate on her scale although it did freak her out just a bit, she would admit that much. She reached under her pillow, feeling better when she found her Taser and had it safely in her grip. The black shape began to take a more solid form and the first thing Darcy noticed were the almost glowing green eyes staring at her followed by the Cheshire cat grin. The black hair almost went unnoticed except the soft shine from the lights' refection caught her eye (probably the hair gel or whatever he had it in catching the light, she thought). The pale skin made him stand out even more in the darkness of her room and the streetlights made his features look unnaturally sharp.

"Ok then Mr. Cheshire Cat, what business do you have here this fine evening?" Darcy asked, deciding that she wasn't going to get sleep anytime soon and so chose to make tea for the conversation that was about to follow, and to settle her fight or flight instinct. The man's smile slipped off his face and a confused and curious expression took its place. He followed her from the bedroom into her kitchen just as she was putting the kettle on to heat.

"Tea?" she asked, already pulling out a mug for herself.

"Please…" he said hesitantly after a long moment.

"So, what brings you here at this odd hour?" Darcy asked, sitting at the island counter and gazing at the admittedly handsome person curiously.

"You are such a strange creature. Much more mysterious than any other Midgardian I have come across," he commented, sitting cautiously across from her. She gave a slight smirk at that.

"Yeah, I get that a lot. Are you from Asgard? The way you talk and dress it sure seems like it," she asked, tilting her head curiously. His lips quirked at the question, whether into a scowl or a smirk was anyone's guess.

"Yes I am of Asgard, but origin is not what I wish to speak with you about Miss. Lewis," Green Eyes replied.

"Oh? And what is? There are very few things I can think of an Asgardian and I would have in common, especially one I've never met before," she smirked, getting up as the kettle started to whistle.

"I find myself in need of some assistance and you seem like the person to go to for such a project as the one I am endeavoring to complete," he told her mysteriously.

"I don't do favors for strange men." He smirked at her words.

"I'm not entirely sure it would be wise to challenge me." The threat in his words was more subtle than the dangerous look in his eyes when he said this. Darcy merely shrugged and passed him his tea, setting sugar and cream on the counter in front of him. She was proud of herself that her hands didn't shake.

"Well let me see…magic user, Asgardian, favors green and gold wardrobe…you must be the infamous Loki I've heard so much about," Darcy felt smug at the look of surprise on the god's face even as her heart hammered in her chest, her body begging to either taze the guy or run out of there screaming.

"My, my, how very astute of you. No matter, you knowing my identity is of no consequence," he sighed, taking a sip of his beverage.

"So God of Lies, what is it you want from little ole me? If you were trying to get at Thor you'd go through Jane. Anyone else on the Avengers team is pretty vulnerable to you on their own, except maybe Bruce, and you haven't done anything take-over-the-world-like since that thing in New York a year ago," Darcy rambled, her thoughts pouring from her mouth sans filter. The smile he gave her was as absolutely terrifying as it was hot. Darcy didn't want to admit it, but Sir Broods-a-Lot over here was pretty much her dream dude in the looks department. His hair would probably look better short, or at least not slicked back, but overall if Darcy had to have a visitor at two in the morning she was glad he was at least pleasing to the eye. Her eyes drifted from his hair to his lips as he was talking, noticing that, although pale like the rest of his skin tone, they looked very kissable. His hands were the next thing she observed. He had a tendency to talk with his hands like her ex-boyfriend did except his hands were larger than the ex's, with longer pianist-looking fingers. Darcy vaguely wondered if he played an instrument. Her blue-grey eyes drifted back up to his, taking note of the fact that his green eyes were alight with glee, probably at his thoughts of mischief and other taking over the world stuff. The Pinky and the Brain theme song started playing in her head at that thought.

"Have you even heard a word I've been saying to you?" his voice pulled her from her thoughts of the two mice and she blinked, looking at his questioning and slightly annoyed expression.

"My thoughts have a habit of wandering. Honestly, I try to rope them in but it's like herding cats or controlling a runaway train…no helping it," she shrugged, gulping down half her tea.

"Perhaps I should have given more thought before approaching you as part of my plan," he mused to himself.

"So, what are we going to do tonight Brain?" she mumbled under her breath, smirking into her mug.

"Excuse me?" he arched a questioning eyebrow at her. Darcy tried oh so very hard, but she couldn't hold in the laughter. The look he gave her clearly showed he thought she was insane.

"I was quoting a children's cartoon. Don't worry about it," she said, waving her hand in the air as if waving the thought away, "So, what was that plan you rattled off before while my mind was on hippos dancing in tutus?" The look he gave her was priceless, but he chose to not comment and instead reiterated his idea to her.

"Basically Miss. Lewis, I need your help in ostracizing the Avengers from each other and SHIELD. With them broken apart, I can more easily defeat them one at a time and will have better results this time round with conquering your little planet," he looked smug as she puzzled over his idea.

"You know, that actually sounds pretty reasonable, as in it's of the might-not-fail variety type plan. But why me? I'm a political liaison between SHIELD and varying governments and their officials. I have nothing to do with the team," Darcy pointed out.

"Ah, but you see, that's the brilliance of it. You are friends or at least acquaintances with the little group and so you have some form of access to them. Subtly is all I require of you really. Just little comments to put ideas in their heads. Once Thor and the others are squabbling amongst themselves and can no longer function as a team because of petty differences, it will be much easier to take over. You, as a political liaison with no official affiliation with the Avengers, are entirely looked over. There is also no connection between you and me so that even if someone did get suspicious and you were to get into some form of trouble, any result of your actions would not lead back to me," he explained.

"Or, you know, I could just tell SHIELD that you did some spell type mumbo jumbo and made me do it," she shrugged, easily countering his argument. He smirked again at her words.

"Now, what makes you think that if I am capable of controlling your actions with a spell, that I would also be unable to keep you from aiming the blame at me with magic?"

"Touché. But why not just use magic on me in the first place? I'm sure it would probably be a hell of a lot easier that just spouting your whole plan to me and trying to convince me to help you…or more likely for you, threaten me into helping you."

"I find it more amusing to use persuasion instead of magic to get a person to do my bidding. What is it you humans say of me? That I have a silver tongue is it?" Darcy swore he purred the last words on purpose. This was totally not fair. Darcy was one hell of a debater and could probably twist a politician's words around so much she could get him to agree with his opponent, but Loki was something else. One look at his bright green eyes and smirking face and any argument in her brain melted into sexy god is sexy. Of course, Darcy was pretty sure she would've agreed to whatever Loki had up his sleeve if he had showed up shirtless. Yum, shirtless god…with frosting. She wondered if she still had that container of chocolate fudge frosting in the fridge. She looked at the fridge wistfully, completely lost in her own world.

As Loki watched the mortal's eyes fade into a daze and look over at some appliance in her kitchen he knew he lost her attention again. He sighed, sipping at his tea as he waited for her thoughts to return to the topic at hand. Perhaps he should have gone with his original idea of just tormenting Jane Foster into doing his bidding. He was starting to think she would have been much easier to scare into submission than this Darcy woman. He had to admit, she was interesting though. She made very good points for her argument and she wasn't cowed by him, as far as he could surmise anyway. The girl was an utter mystery to him at the moment, which probably drew him to her as his choice for accomplice. Yes, she would probably fight him tooth and nail in his scheme, but in the end he was confident that she would assist him in pulling the Avengers apart. Loki smiled as he took another sip of his drink, Darcy still entirely unaware that the God of Mischief was still sitting across from her and waiting for an answer.