A/N: HUGE shout-out to DeviantArt's ReSurrendered-Hero, who is co-writer of this entire fic. Nancy is her character, and she plays everyone involved or related to SHIELD. I, as per usual, play Loki and various other Asgardians. Please enjoy.

Agent Nancy McAllister sat behind her desk, nervously nibbling on the end of her pencil. In front of her, four screens ran numerous different programs. Audio recordings were translated into text for further analysis later. Hand gestures and facial expressions were noted and marked. Pages from countless tomes of mythology took up one entire screen. But, the screen in front of her was far more important than any of the others. On this particular screen, live footage of the holding cell was being recorded as Agent Natasha Romanoff interrogated the alien criminal, Loki of Asgard.

Nancy mumbled to herself as she lowered her pencil, making a note on the pad of paper in front of her. Her eyes never left the screen.

Gestures to allow Romanoff to speak. Believes he's in control. Listens well. Considers her words. Methodical.

"How do you do that?" one of the agents behind her whispered in her ear.

"Shh!" she shushed him harshly, "Listening."

"I like this." Loki's voice rang clear over the speakers in the room, "Your world in the balance and you bargain for one man."

Finds pleasure in control. Word choice shows prisoner is proper and refined. Displays characteristics of noble upbringing.

"Can you? Can you wipe out that much red, Drecov's daughter?"

Soft tone typically associated with comfort and understanding. Used to cause pain instead. Knows what will hurt her. Has done research on Romanoff?

"This is a child at prayer. Pathetic!"

Lets his temper get the better of him. Raises voice for emphasis.

"You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers."

Words are precise. Calculated. Used as weapons. Prisoner must retain his control, even while confined.

"You pretend to be separate," Nancy stopped writing, her pencil dead still on the page, as she focused on his speech. "To have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors, but they're part of you. And they will never go away. I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you. Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear. And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work. And when he screams, I'll split his skull! This is my bargain, you mewling quim."

Nancy's pencil resumed its work. Words cause fear and pain. Verbal knives.

"You're a monster." Romanoff's fake tears seemed to be working.

"Oh, no." Loki chuckled, "You brought the monster."

"Banner?" Romanoff spun to face Loki, "That's your play?"

"What?" Loki's expression told of his confusion.

Total confusion at losing control. Relies heavily on the power of his words. Words without power renders him powerless.

Nancy glanced next to her, slightly startled, as Agent Coulson leaned closer to the screen.

"What did he mean by 'mewling quim'?"

She chuckled softly as her eyes met Coulson's soft gaze. "Believe me, you don't wanna know."

"I believe I do."

"And I believe you don't."

"McAllister."

"Coulson." With a sigh, she leaned back in her chair. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you. 'Quim' is the Victorian-era term for the discharge from a woman's… er… well…" She cleared her throat in an attempt to sensor the word. "While 'mewling' can typically be described as the sound cats make when they're… searching… for one another. When the female… is in heat. So, in essence, he pretty much called her a-"

"I get it." Coulson raised a hand to silence her before she could finish her sentence.

"Right. Told you." Nancy turned and shooed the rest of the agents away from her station. "Alright, show's over. Back to work."

She looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Good work, McAllister."

Coulson let his hand drop to his side and turned to leave.

"Uh, wait, sir." Nancy turned in her swivel chair to look at him, "My psychoanalysis on Loki is nearly complete, but… I don't have enough information to complete it. Do I have your permission to access to the rest of the files? The stuff from the New Mexico project. We worked together, but you never allowed me access to your reports. I'm interested in the aliens. Thor and the other four. Their culture, their dress, their language. They were all from Asgard. Perhaps your reports will show me something I overlooked. What seem to be minor details to you, of their dress and mannerisms, are vital to my work. If we understand Asgard, perhaps we can understand Loki. Everything connects to everything else."

"Why don't you just go talk to Thor?"

"Um… well… he is a bit busy, isn't he? I'll interview him later. Right now, I'd rather just look at the reports."

"You have access to whatever you need." He smiled at her, and then turned and left.

Nancy grinned to herself as she turned back toward her desk. She had access to anything she needed. She picked up her pencil and twirled it between her fingers, thinking of Coulson's words. Anything. Anything at all. Files. Reports. A certain prisoner. Why rely on computer scans and video recordings when she had the real thing just a few decks below her? Thor was interesting, but not nearly as interesting as his brother. She wouldn't get too close. Just close enough to make a few observations. She could only see so much from the cameras, after all.

She quickly removed a hidden flash-drive from the system and placed it in a satchel stashed under her desk. A stack of hard-copy files also went into the bag. In an instant, she logged out from her station, grabbed her notebook, tucked her pencil behind her ear, threw her satchel over her shoulder, and headed for the stairs.

It only took a couple of minutes for her to reach the detention level. She peaked around the corner of the containment room, noting where the cameras were. She didn't want her higher-ups to see that she was spying on the prisoner. She took a couple of steps into the room, careful to keep to the shadows. She'd heard Loki's statement that few could sneak up on him and hoped he was lying.

With a grin, she carefully turned to a new page in her yellow legal pad and began taking more notes, hoping Loki couldn't see her from where she was hiding.

Loki tilted his head ever so slightly, listening to the new footsteps. A woman, judging by the sound of heels on the stone and metal. Not Agent Romanoff. She had gone to see to the great beast. He also heard the sound of pen on paper. So, someone who thought they could invade his mind. He almost chuckled to himself.

His curiosity got the better of him, and he quickly left a clone on the bench and veiled himself in invisibility so he could observe her right back. Once glance up and down her figure told him more than enough.

Pretty, average height. Hair as red as an Asgardian sunset. Eyes the color of a bejeweled ocean. Not skinny, but not overweight either. Smartly dressed. Single judging by the lack of a ring, and bookish. Very bookish. Perhaps she also had a bit of fire inside, or so he liked to imagine. She could be fun. If only he could see inside that head of hers.

He quickly returned himself to where he had been, causing it to look as though he never had moved. He ensured he still focused his attention on the ground. And then he began.

"I gather you should not be here."

Nancy jolted when she heard him speak. "No, I suppose I shouldn't. Probably not one of my better ideas." She glanced up at the cameras, knowing the director was probably busy, which meant they were unattended. The most he could do was chew her out anyway. And glare at her with that menacing eye. She could get over it. Gathering her courage, Nancy slowly approached the cage. "But, I had to see you. To meet you. You've caused quite the stir around here." she gave him a soft smile, "It's not every day we have a mythical god in our prisons. I'm Agent Nancy McAllister, linguist and profiler. And I'm here to find out what makes you tick."

Loki chuckled sinisterly. He didn't quite understand the expression, but he got the gist. She was there to achieve what Agent Romanoff had failed to do. To crawl into his mind and pluck out whatever would be useful to them.

"I'm afraid I won't be of much use to you then. It isn't often I allow others to see the true monster inside."

Nancy grinned at him, then glanced down at her notepad. 'The true monster inside'. Possible metaphor for his true dark nature. Probably not. Just a scare tactic.

"Scare tactic." she mumbled unknowingly, then looked up at him again, brushing a strand of red hair behind her ear as she did so. "Well, you've given us quite the show so far. You've killed eighty people in two days, gave a great display of superiority to the people of Germany, and thoroughly scared poor Romanoff out of her wits. I think you're already pretty monstrous."

Nancy leaned against the yellow railing and nibbled on the end of her pencil, studying his features. She had to admit, he was quite handsome. His green eyes, despite their facade of mild amusement, were stunning. Nearly mesmerizing. The way his hair was slicked back, like that of a true royal, added to his aura of majesty. He did look like he could be quite kind if he tried to be and really was worth looking at. She lowered her hand down to her notepad again, her eyes never leaving his person.

Fake smile, but genuine emotion behind his eyes. Solid gold insignia on this breastplate. Confirms theory of noble birth. Ensign is of a golden crescent. When in battle armor, wears horned helmet. Cuckold personified.

Nancy grinned and glanced away from him, trying to hide her laughter.

"I'm sorry." She put on a fake polite smile, tried to compose herself, and then looked back at him. "I just thought of something concerning that golden crescent on your armor, but you probably won't understand the reference. ...Well, considering the era you seem to be from, perhaps you will. Are you familiar with the beliefs of Elizabethan England?"

Loki tried not to roll his eyes, instead choosing to study the floor even harder. He was more aware of Elizabethan English customs than she was, he was positive of that one thing. She hadn't been there. "You would be… surprised how much I understand."

Nancy grinned wider. "Alright. Then I don't have to tell you. You already caught the reference." She shyly looked down at her notepad again, not wanting him to see her smile. "Guessing your age, you're probably the one who started it in the first place." Unable to help herself, she glanced at him again.

"Perhaps you overlooked one crucial detail." Loki replied, low and sinister.

Nancy's smile faded. "And what would that be?"

"I am not the fool, but rather the fabled lover his wife escapes to." Loki said, dead serious.

Nancy gave a small breath of relief. "You? Really?" She made another note. Full of himself, which explains god-complex.

Loki smiled to himself when he realized she didn't believe him.

"So, why Earth?" she asked as she looked over her notes again, trying to connect the dots, "Of all the places in the universe, why here? Why us?" She looked at him again.

Loki said nothing, but continued observing her silently. He didn't even look up.

"Oh. Silence." Nancy took a step closer. "You must remain in control, even when it means you don't talk. Funny, how one 'mortal' could make the great Silver Tongue stop talking."

Loki let his smile fade, hating that she insulted him. She had no idea what was coming.

Despite her jests, she couldn't get him to speak or even look at her. For a hot-head, he sure knew how to clam up. Getting a bit frustrated, Nancy tapped on the glass. Perhaps treating him like a fish in a bowl would grab his attention. Loki still refused to look up. With a sigh, Nancy turned away.

"Fine. Be that way. I know why you chose Earth anyway. Enjoy your silence." She began to walk away, expecting him to question how she got her information.

"I will. Thank you."

"Ha!" She turned back towards him, accepting the break in his silence, "And silence is so easily broken! Ya know, you're fun, if nothing else."

The words left her mouth before she realized how much trouble they could cause. She leaned against one of the yellow railings, gloating in her victory. In an instant, one of Loki's clones appeared behind her.

"Oh, I am fun, am I?" Nancy shrieked and dropped her notebook, cowering with fear. How had he gotten out of the cage? She began to back away from him, not noticing the real Loki still behind the glass. "I rather think you could be quite fun." Loki continued, advancing on her.

"O-oh?" Nancy asked, trembling. She shouldn't have provoked him. Now he was going to kill her. She swallowed hard. "How so?"

"I think you know."

Nancy's heart raced in her chest. Every breath seemed to bring him closer and closer. Suddenly, her back found the metal of the wall behind her. She was thoroughly cornered between a homicidal god and an impenetrable wall. Just as she opened her mouth to scream, he disappeared.

She stood there for a moment, trying to recover from her shock. How could he just... disappear? Finally, she glanced towards the cage. Loki remained still, unmoving. As if he'd never left the spot. Nancy released a breathy laugh. He'd only wanted to scare her.

"Scare tactic... to regain control." She stooped to pick up her notebook. "It worked."

Again, Loki said nothing. He was still trying to determine how she would react to things.

Noting his continued silence, Nancy walked back over to the cage and sat down cross-legged in front of it. Thankfully, she was wearing her dress-pants.

Two could play at this game of silence. This unspoken power-struggle between them. She knew he had to speak eventually, he was too narcissistic not to, and she'd be right there when he did. Surely he'd have some threat to make. Some right to claim as his own. He'd get tired of the silence and speak to her, if only to hear himself speak. And she'd be right there, watching and waiting, listening for even the smallest whisper.

Loki remained where he was, unmoving, trying to make out all of her nuances.

As Nancy continued to sit there, she shifted uncomfortably on the metal floor. This was not her best idea. Surely he assumed her fidgeting was out of nervousness, but it wasn't. Not entirely. Her legs were just falling asleep from her sitting too long on the floor.

"Geez," she finally commented, "You can hold a position."

Loki took her words as a challenge, trying not to move an inch.

Nancy sighed as she realized he was far more skilled at this game than she was. He was as still as a statue, while all she could do was fidget around. Finally unable to bear the metal floor any longer, she stood and leaned against one of the rails.

"Blink." she coaxed, "Do something!"

Just then, a loud explosion shook the ship. Nancy, thrown off balance by the blast, fell forward and smacked her head on the railing in front of her. She slumped to the ground, unconscious, as blood began to drip from a cut above her right eye.

Loki finally looked up and smiled.

"It begins."