So this fic is based on another fic I read here on a couple of years ago. Anyway, it was one of those really good stories that had a bittersweet ending that I really wish had a sequel. I tried to find it so I could give it credit, but have not been successful. If anybody recognizes elements from this story and can point me in the right direction I would be eternally grateful. Warning! This is a dark fic. Trigger warnings for rape and violence. This is NOT a Thorki fic. This is a Loki/OFC fic.

"Babe? What are you doing with this deer skull?" Sarah asked Loki as she moved a pile of animal furs from the workshop to the main house. They'd been living in the little shack in the woods while Loki built their dream home in the middle of the wilderness of upstate Vermont.

"I going to put that on the trophy wall in the main hall."

"This won't fit in the hallway."

"Not the hallway, the main hall."

"You mean the living room?"

"The place where we will sit and converse, to relax."

"Yeah, the living room."

"Ah." Loki said. He turned his attention back to the huge tree he felled a moment before. On Asgard he was considered weaker and smaller than all the other warriors. Here on Midga…Earth, he was superhuman. Like all the other logs of their great home, this one he'd chopped down and trimmed himself. Their house would be a great log cabin palace. It was close enough to being done that they could finally move into it. Only the living room remained to be finished. It had been a labor of love over the course of the summer. But if Loki were honest with himself, he'd miss the little shack they'd taken shelter in every night. It had been so intimate, just the two of them. But Sarah did not like small confining spaces, or having to take a gun with her every time she needed to shit in the woods at night.

Sarah worked on their bedframe, also constructed of wood collected from the forest. She drilled holes and used bolts from the hardware store to construct it. She pulled out the jigsaw and some two by fours to make the straight inner frame, on which their mattress would rest. It had taken all day, but she was very proud of herself. Tonight she and Loki would sleep in a real bed. Her joy was momentarily snatched away by a horrific recent memory, and she willed it away. No, she would not let that mess ruin what should be a triumphant happy moment. Unlike yesterday, when she'd burst into tears while peeing in a real toilet with real indoor plumbing. Septic systems are magical things.

She pulled out the brand new sheet set and brand new bed comforter and made their brand new bed. She put on new pillows and a new quilt she'd made in the evenings when it was dark outside and they'd had nothing else to do. It had taken a long time to make, since it all had to be hand stitched. No electricity. Sarah walked over to the light switch of her new bedroom and flipped it up. She'd missed this too. A combination of solar panels, a little wind mill, and Loki's advance understanding of technology gave them the gift of light and kitchen appliances. She opened up the fridge and pulled out the fresh deer meat from Loki's kill that morning and prepared their dinner.

After eating, and there wasn't any more light left to keep working outside, they retired to their new room. They both felt giddy and nervous, climbing into the soft plush expanse of cloth and springs. Loki's brow furrowed in concern, but also desire. He wanted so desperately to make love to her.

"I…would you want..." Sarah started.

"I do want…I just…"

"Well maybe we could…"

"I could just touch you, and if you wanted to touch me too…"

"I…I think I could handle that." Sarah stuttered. Loki rolled onto his side and cradled his head in one hand as he looked down upon her. He was laying parallel to her, with a small inch of space between them. He did not want to crowd her.

"I want to pleasure you. You can always tell me to stop. You trust me yes?"

"You know I do."

"May I kiss you?"

"Yes please." Sarah said. Loki leaned down and captured her lips with his, cupping her jawline with one hand. She didn't panic or pull away, he relieved to see. Loki's hand drifted down to her collar bone and he broke the kiss to make eye contact with her. He smiled sweetly as his fingertips and palm slid down and caressed her breast. It was so gentle and tender, not like when…

Her breath hitched and Loki stopped.

"It's good. Don't stop." She said. Loki resumed his touches. He took his time touching her naked body, memorizing all the little dips and curves. He noted the location of a freckle on the middle of her left thigh and of the scar on top of her left forearm. Like him her hair was raven black. Her eyes were a less brilliant shade of green than his. They were really a muddling of blue eyes with golden flecks, upon closer inspection. Slowly Loki's nimble fingers danced their way down until they reached her most delicate place. He let his finger swirl around her petals, which were damp.

Like Loki her skin was also creamy smooth, like carved white marble. He supposed, she'd been chosen partially, because of her looks. In her he could see himself, and that had been the point hadn't it? They looked like matching book ends.

"My rescuer." She said.

"My savior." He said to her. As much as that sounded funny to Sarah, she knew it to be true. They'd saved each other during their time in the dungeon. He'd saved her life; she'd saved his soul. Loki slipped two fingers inside her and she arched into them. Loki kissed her passionately, hoping to convey all that he held in his heart with the solemn act. She cupped his jawline in return. Her face slowly twisted and screwed up as Loki made her writhe in intimacy. He whimpered in need, in spite of himself. He did not want her to feel pressured in any way. But his cock was so hard and neglected. Sarah saw his distress and felt guilty. She reached out to stroke him.

"You…you don't have to love." His voice was gritted and broken.

"I want to." She said. The moment she touched him his hips bucked and he grunted. Sarah chewed on her bottom lip but continued. It was wonderful and sweet. They brought each other to climax with just their hands and then curled into one another after, embracing in the safety and security of hard won trust. Holding her like this was a privilege. They fell asleep feeling joy and a peacefulness that was rare and often fleeting for them. Dark memories often disturbed the peace.

Within the week the house was complete. They would begin their new lives here and try to forget the past. Here, in the isolation of the wilderness they'd built their little refuge. They had a truck to drive to town for supplies and entertainments, though they rarely needed to make the trip. They'd designed things that way, to live off the land they'd settled on. They were smack dab in the middle of over 40,000 acres of federally protected land. They were squatting officially, but their home was invisible to the naked eye. Loki's magic saw to that. Loki placed powerful wards around the home, discouraging hunters and game to come that way. Here, away from people, they could heal and hide from those that might do them harm. Earth was full of people that certainly wanted to do Loki harm. Sarah used to be one of them.

XxXxXxXxXx

"I'm telling you there is a structure there. There's an energy signature too large to be coming from a campfire." Tony said.

"Aerial photos don't show anything, but that could be good camouflage." Steve said.

"What about the girl?" Bruce asked.

"We don't know if she's his victim or some sort of twisted love sick groupie, and we won't find out until we get in there and see what is really going on."

"So we're certain this is Loki?" Clint asked.

"Based on the description the parents gave, yes." Steve said.

"I can't believe we let this go on for as long as it has. If she's his victim, god only knows what he's put her through all this time." Clint said.

"It's not our fault. We've been too busy playing fucking whack-a-mole with all the villains that have popped up recently. Between Hydra, Victor VonDoom, and the Mandarin we didn't have time to notice the disappearance of this one girl around the use of the BiFrost." Tony said.

"I hope Thor is still alive." Steve said.

"He went home to Asgard and didn't come back, as far as we know." Bruce said.

"What if he did? What if he's been Loki's prisoner right here on earth all this time and we failed him?" Tony asked.

"We can't beat ourselves up like this. We need to just get in there and assess the situation. Apprehend Loki if it really is him and find out what he's been up to and how that girl figures in all of this." Steve said. "If we are lucky, Thor will be there and he'll be alive."

"Or Thor could still be perfectly fine in Asgard living like the prince he is." Bruce said.

"I doubt that. After being separated from Jane for a year while the Bifrost was repaired he was eager to see her again. He would've contacted her by now. This is the second time his girl has been cut off without word from him. Jane is sick with worry." Clint said.

"Tony, I want you to carry Bruce down to the area. Natasha, Clint, and I can parachute in." Steve said.

"I hate parachute jumping." Natasha said. "There's too many damn trees in that area to get caught up in."

"Make sure you have knives to cut yourselves free if that happens." Steve said. An hour later the group exited the plane in their discussed method. Tony and Bruce touched down on the edge of a clearing, seeing nothing.

"Sir, I am detecting what appears to be a residential home on the ultraviolet light spectrum."

"Show me." Tony said. A light filter flashed over Tony's visor and suddenly a beautiful large log cabin home appeared in front of him out of thin air. "Holy shit, it's right in front of us."

"What do you see?" Steve asked over the communicator.

"It's a house. It's invisible but it's there. Switch to night vision goggles and you'll see it." Tony said.

"Understood." Steve said. They all rendezvoused outside the house.

"Do you think it's a trap?" Clint asked.

"It's a really nice house. Judging from all the tree trunks around here it was constructed recently with wood from these trees."

"It's got a feminine touch to it too." Natasha said.

"How do you know that?" Clint asked.

"There's a glass wind chime hanging from the gutter and what looks like an herb garden over there." She pointed to the side of the house where there were neat rows of dirt with life springing out of them.

"I don't know what this is, but I think stealth is the best method for this situation." Steve said.

"Agreed." Natasha said. Tony and Bruce stayed outside the house to keep watch for anyone trying to escape. Steve, Natasha, and Clint approached an exterior door. Using her particular set of skills, Natasha managed to open the door without making any noise or drawing any apparent attention.

Once the group was inside the house, it was no longer invisible. Though they still needed the night vision goggles to maneuver in the dark. They saw a nice standard kitchen, a normal looking living room that had a hunting lodge theme to it, and a hallway which led to the bedrooms in back. Quietly they crept through the house, clearing the bathroom before coming to what was obviously the master bedroom door.

Steve burst through the door and hit the light switch.

"AHHHHHHH!" Sarah screamed bloody murder. Loki pulled her into his arms and immediately began petting her hair. Loki grimaced at the sight of his old foes and knew that he and Sarah would be reliving their horror afresh for some time to come.

"Let her go Loki." Natasha said.

"No." Loki said. He noticed Clint scrutinizing Sarah and became very angry. "I'll thank you to keep your lecherous eyes of my wife Bird Man." Loki said.

"Your wife?" Steve said.

"Loki?" Sarah was trembling in fear and Loki held her tight, trying his best to keep her calm, but knew it was a losing battle.

"Shh darling. They won't harm you." Loki said, but Sarah was already trying to wriggle free from his grip to run away.

"No! Not again! Please!" Sarah cried out as tears streamed down her face. Steve approached the bed and she screamed again and scooted that much closer to the headboard to get away from him.

Steve looked at her. Something was off. Something was off about all of this.

"Sarah calm down." Loki said a little sternly.

"No! No I won't go back into a cell again! We have to get away!" Sarah was hysterical and slapping at Loki to break free. Loki's lips set into a thin line of resignation and he cast a sleeping spell upon her. Raking his palm over her face, her eyes fell shut and she slumped into his arms like sleeping beauty. Steve resumed his approach.

"Not you! No man touches her! You! Spider Lady. You stay with her."

"Fine." Steve said and yanked Loki from the bed. He was only wearing green satin pajama pants. Tony and Bruce entered the room, surveying the scene and admiring the architecture.

"Nice place you got here. I didn't really think caveman was your style." Tony said. Bruce followed Steve and Loki out of the room to make sure Loki did not try to escape.

"She's taller and heavier than me. I could carry her if I had to, but I don't have to. Tony, you pick her up." Natasha said.

"She's really pretty, and she looks young." Tony said.

"The file on her says she's only 23 years old." Natasha said. Tony grabbed Sarah's ankle and pulled her body towards his and picked up her up from off of the bed.

"How in the hell did she get mixed up with him?" Tony asked.

XxXxXxXx

Sarah awoke in an interrogation room and instantly started to panic. She saw the two-way mirror and knew she was being watched, just like when she was in the dungeon in Asgard. Except then it had been Loki watching. Loki had been forced to watch everything. She got up from the army cot she was sleeping on and started moving around the furniture. There was a metal table and two chairs in the room and she tipped the table over on its side and dragged to the far wall. She pulled the chairs and the cot with her too, to use them as obstacles. Within seconds she'd constructed a little fort for herself, and she cowered in the corner.

"What is she doing?" Clint asked. Her actions were silly and childish.

"I've seen people do all kinds of stupid things when they are afraid." Bruce said.

"Well I'm going in there to debrief her. We need to know what Loki is up to and getting information from her will be a lot easier than getting it from him." Steve said. He and Nick left the observation room and went around to enter the interrogation room. When the two men entered and shut the door behind them all the blood in Sarah's veins froze.

Steve approached first, noting her terrified expression. She was trembling and pale. Her whole body was curled up into a tight ball as if to protect herself from a physical assault. When he put his hand out to reach for her Sarah screamed.

"LOOOKIIIII! HELP ME! Ahhhhh!" She screamed unrelenting and blood curdling, like she was about to be murdered or…

"Steve get out of there!" Tony's voice said over the speaker.

"What? I'm just trying to calm her down." He yelled over Sarah's screams.

"She's a rape victim! Back off!" Tony said. Steve blanched and backed away. She was screaming because she thought Captain America was about to violate her. The thought made Steve sick, and he wasn't the only one. Sarah vomited and passed out.

"Jesus! Steve, Nick get the fuck out of there! No men! She's got PTSD, trust me, I know." Tony said. Steve and Nick exited the interrogation room like their asses were on fire. Natasha and Maria swarmed into the room to clean Sarah up and get her back onto the cot. Sarah was only dressed in a skimpy pajama set, which must have made her feel even more vulnerable. Maria located a full jumpsuit and dressed Sarah in it to give her more coverage.

Steve was pacing the hallway with murder in his eyes.

"Loki's been raping her." Steve said.

"I don't know man. Why would she call out to him to help her?" Tony pointed out, but Steve wasn't listening. He turned towards Loki's cell and stalked off, intent to bash the man's face in. Steve barged into Loki's cell, his hand fisted and ready to punch. Loki turned and looked at him, his arms crossed and worry etched into his face.

"You've been raping her!" Steve yelled. A look of betrayal came over Loki's face and he took a step towards Steve.

"Is that what she told you?"

"She didn't have to. Her screams of terror were enough." Steve said.

"Oh, I see. You assume based on her actions and not her words that I was the one who violated her. Go fuck yourself!" Loki snapped. Steve closed the distant and beat Loki's face in. Loki fought back and got in a couple of good punches, but Steve eventually pinned Loki against the wall with his hand around his neck ready to snap it.

"You said she's your wife. Is that true?"

"Not exactly. Not as you understand it. Our bond was forged from a different set of vows."

"What is she to you?"

"She's my punishment." Loki said.

"What?"

"I am sworn to protect her, now take me to her. You've frightened her enough."

"No." Steve let go of Loki's neck and left his cell. Steve knew he couldn't trust a damn thing that came out of that man's mouth, and what the hell did he mean when he said that she was his punishment?

"Steve, go outside and get some fresh air. You need it." Bruce said. Steve ran his hand over his face and scalp, scrapping it in frustration. "Look, we're all a little emotional right now. We need to take a break. The girls are seeing to her. When she wakes up we will have Natasha and Maria ask her what happened to her."

"I don't think any of us are going to like the story she has to tell us." Steve said.

"I'm going to talk to Loki and try to find out where Thor is." Bruce said.

"He's not going to tell you anything reliable. God of Lies, remember?"

"We still have to try Steve. Go get some air." Bruce said, grabbing Steve's shoulder in a friendly manner. Steve nodded and sighed his resignation, walking down the hall towards the breakroom to get a soda. Bruce turned and entered Loki's cell.

"Well hello there." Bruce said. Loki blanched at the sight of Bruce. The beating the Hulk gave him almost two years ago was still fresh in his mind.

"What do you want?"

"We want to know where your brother is."

"He's in Asgard." Loki said.

"Is he alive?"

"I don't know."

"What do you know Loki?"

"I know that he is either in Asgard's dungeons, engaged in a civil war against Odin for the throne, or is dead." Loki said.

"Civil war? Why would he want to depose his father when he stands to inherit the throne anyway?"

"Thor and Odin had a disagreement."

"A disagreement about what?"

"About Midgard and the treatment of its citizens."

"About the treatment of all of its citizens or just one in particular?"

"You know, despite that mindless beast inside you, you are still far more perceptive than your peers."

"Thanks. Why did Odin want to hurt Sarah? Why her? What did she do?"

"She didn't do anything. It wasn't about her."

"Then why was she put in Asgard's prison? What crime did she commit?"

"She didn't commit any crime. She's an innocent."

"Then what purpose did she serve?"

"She's my punishment."

"How so?"

"Are you sure you want to hear this story? You won't like it."

"That girl needs help. Now any information you can give me to accomplish that is important. So tell me what happened."

Loki tossed the little figurine into the air and caught it again for the 627th time in a row. He was bored. He'd been locked up in this cell for a full year now. Eternity would be a very long time for him. Loki was pulled from his concentration by the sound of a woman screaming. He sat up on his bed and went to the wall of the cell to look into the hallway to see what was causing all the fuss. He watched as two members of the royal guard dragged what appeared to be a mortal woman, based on her clothing, and dragged her into the cell right next to his. The wall separating the cells was clear, like the one facing the hall. Loki could see everything her cell, and she in his. Loki smiled. He had a new source of entertainment.

The men shoved her into the cell and the barrier came down. She stood up and ran at it. Both of her hands were given a painful electric shock for her troubles.

"Not a bright idea, touching the walls like that." Loki said, chiding the girl. She was a lovely thing. Tall, incredibly slender, but with a wide set of hips that gave her a pleasing shape. She was wearing very short denim shorts that showcased her long legs which went all the way up. Her long black hair reached clear to her plump firm ass. Oh the things he'd do to her if the barrier between their cells came down.

"Where am I? Why am I here?" She asked Loki.

"Don't you know? You obviously did something to draw the ire of the Allfather."

"Who the hell is the Allfather?"

"King Odin, ruler of Asgard the realm eternal. Surely you know what that is?"

"Isn't that the place Thor comes from?"

"Ah yes, my brother. Of course you would recognize him."

"Wait…brother? But that would mean…You're the asshole that attacked New York!"

"In the flesh and at your service my lady." Loki took an exaggerated dramatic bow.

"Go fuck yourself!"

"Mmm…I would if I could get my body to bend that way. One does run out of things to do to occupy one's mind and time down here. I wouldn't mind fucking you. You're a tasty little treat for a prisoner like me."

"Is that so?" Sarah said as she sauntered towards the barrier between their cells. She squished her breast together with her arms and leaned forward slightly to display the swell. "Would you have me on my knees, bowing and scrapping, worshipping you like a god?" She asked. Loki licked his lips and leered at her. "Maybe you'd tie me up? You look like you get off on that sort of thing."

"You're very perceptive."

"That's because you're a whiney little bitch. Everything about you screams napoleon complex. From what I've seen of Thor and what I've seen of the other people in this place, you are tiny! I bet your dick is tiny too!"

"You won't think so when you are chocking on it."

"And when will that be? Oh right, never."

"Mark my words you tasty little bitch, you'll be screaming my name soon."

"I had no idea how true those words would be." Loki said to Bruce. He swallowed thickly, his throat gone dry.

"You managed to find a way into her cell?"

"Not at first, not until it was too late."

"Too late? To rape her?"

"No. You see for the first few days she was in the cell, nothing happened, and that was what was so odd. Meal times came round and while I was brought my tray of food, she was brought nothing."

"She was being starved?"

"Yes."

XxXxXxXx

Sarah awoke in the same room, but things were different. She wasn't alone. There were other women with her. One of them she recognized, the other she didn't. She scowled at the taste of vomit in her mouth. All of the furniture was back where it belonged and she was dressed in a full body jumpsuit. It was grey and not prison orange.

"Here, have some water and a tic-tac." Maria said handing her the breath mint and the glass.

"Thank you." She said. She watched them as she sipped her beverage.

"Where's Loki?" She asked.

"He's in another holding cell like this one." Maria said.

"Are you going to take him from me?" Sarah asked.

"Loki is a wanted criminal. He's not even supposed to be here on earth. He's supposed to be rotting in a prison cell on his home world. How did he escape?" Natasha asked.

"Thor helped us." She said. That took the women by surprise.

"Thor helped you? He helped Loki? Why?"

"Thor's dad was doing terrible things to me." She said.

"What kind of things?" Maria asked. Sarah started sobbing.

"Sarah, why were you in a prison in Asgard?"

"Thor's dad had his soldiers kidnap me."

"Why?"

"They tossed me into a cell right next to Loki's and they left me there to starve in front of him."

"What? Do you know why?"

"Odin said it was to teach his son the value of a human life. I was to be sacrificed for a greater cause."

"They tortured you in front of him." Natasha stated.

"Yes." She said. She started bawling again. Maria frowned and Natasha got up. They left Sarah alone to cry herself out.

"What do you think?" Maria asked Nat.

"I think… I think I wish we hadn't found that house."

XxXxXx

"You stupid little bitch! You must have done something!"

"I don't know! I don't know why I'm here!" Sarah screamed at Loki. She'd gone all day yesterday without eating and so far Loki had been fed twice today and not her. She looked over at Loki's half eaten tray of food with hunger in her eyes.

Loki didn't know what to make of that. Starving prisoners was not common practice in the dungeons. In fact, from what Loki could see, every other prisoner down here was being fed but Sarah. Not that he cared. She was just some silly little mortal girl.

Sarah flopped down on her tiny prison bed and pulled out her cellphone, one of the few items in her pockets that she had with her. She'd hoped that maybe by some miracle she could get a signal and call for help. When that hope was dashed she went through her pictures of her friends and family to cheer herself up.

She looked at one particularly silly photo of her friend Betty wearing a full body penis Halloween costume. It took sexy Halloween costumes to a whole new lewd level. She giggled and a tear escaped her eye.

"I fail to see what is so funny about your situation." Loki said.

"Don't you ever shut the fuck up?" She yelled at him.

"My nickname is Silvertongue for several reasons." Loki's eyes raked up and down her body in an oh so obvious way. Sarah rolled her eyes. Loki could just imagine the things he'd do to her, how she'd sound, how she'd scream beneath him.

"No one cares Loki. No one cares about you. You're going to die down here alone, unloved, and forgotten." She said.

"So are you." Loki said.

"I'm not unloved. I might die in here, but I'm not unloved. People will miss me. People will mourn me. Who's going to miss you? Huh? That's what I thought." Sarah said, and then walked away from the glass feeling a little better. Loki didn't respond to that. He couldn't, because she was right. Frigga might mourn him when he died. If she outlived him. Loki was hit then by how much he missed her, and even Thor too to some extent. Loki flopped back down onto his bed to sulk and for a long while it was quiet.

Eventually Sarah devised an activity to help pass the time. She used her pillow and her blankets (folded up) to create a hockey goal of sorts between the two leg posts of her bed. Using her cellphone as the puck she kicked it around the glossy smooth floor of her cell.

"She comes in to the left. Gretzky has spotted the puck. He's charging at her. She takes the swing and…" Sarah kicked the edge of her cellphone with the side of her foot. "Scooorrreee! Olay! Olay Olay! Yeah! And the crowd goes wild!" Sarah ran in a circle around her cell with her arms up in victory. She noticed Loki watching her with fascination and stopped.

"What's the matter Loki? None of the other kids want to play with you?" Sarah said. Loki got up. He decided it was high time he put her in her place.

"You pathetic little mortal girl. You are as a dog, or a pet fish to me. Your tiny insignificant life passes so quickly that it is incapable of ever accumulating meaning."

"And yet I have friends and you don't. You must be very lonely up on that pedestal of yours, oh high and mighty King."

"I would have improved your world. Your kind was made to be ruled. It's in your nature to bow and scrape. You long for subjugation, you crave it."

"Oh please! You only want to dominate people because they don't like you. No one wants to hang out with you willingly, so you terrify them into kissing your ass. Well pucker up baby, and kiss mine!" Sarah turned around and shook her ass at him.

"I will, after I'm done ramming my cock up it."

"Oooh, I'm so scared." Sarah said. She was scared, but not of Loki. She was hungry. She was alone and kidnapped and did not understand why she was there.

Dinnertime came and again Loki was served a tray of food while she got nothing. She felt her tummy grumble. She went to the back panel of the cell and pushed on it to open up the toilet stall. It was exposed to any guard walking by, which she did not like. However, there was a tiny sink in there with a tiny faucet and she was able to drink her fill of water, not that it helped alleviate her hunger.

Day three came and Sarah started feeling dizzy. She didn't talk much that day and she was too tired to engage Loki in their usual round of insults. Food was all she could think about. Loki quickly realized that his new cellmate was dwindling fast. It wasn't that he was concerned for her welfare, he just didn't want to be alone again. He liked having someone to talk to. The solitary confinement of the last year had been rather hard for him to take. Sarah curled up on the bed and fell asleep, or maybe passed out. Her blood sugar had to be low by this point.

That evening when the servant girl and the guard came to put the tray through the pass-through of Loki's cell, he yelled at them.

"Give it to her!" He pointed at her cell.

"I cannot." The mousy little servant girl said.

"It's not hard, just go next door and pass her the tray. Why aren't you feeding her?"

"We are under the Allfather's expressed orders my prince. She is not to be given nourishment of any kind." The girl said and then pushed the tray into Loki's cell.

"Why?" He glared daggers at the woman and the guard but neither of them answered. They simply left. The steamy plate of chicken mocked him from the tray on the floor. Loki looked over at Sarah. She hadn't budged all afternoon.

Day four came and went with Sarah moaning from her bed. Her head was pounding and her stomach was screaming in pain. She wanted to die. At one point her bladder forced her to rise from her bed and she staggered and tripped on the way to the toilet, falling on her hands and knees. Loki noted how emaciated she was starting to look.

Day five was strange. Sarah awoke and sat up. She was still hungry, but her stomach didn't hurt anymore. She could still feel that her body was starving, but she also felt like she could function again.

"You're awake." Loki said.

"Yeah. I feel better."

"That's little comfort. They have no intensions of feeding you." Loki said.

"Why? Why are they doing this to me?"

"I wish I knew." Loki said. There was something different in his demeanor today. Was that concern on his face? No. She has to be imagining that. Loki's a genocidal asshole.

"Can I ask you something?"

"I can't stop you."

"Why did you attack Earth?"

"I'm a prince without a throne. What purpose is there for me?" He said.

"So you just…what? Decided to attack the human race?"

"Yes, and to get revenge. Your planet was an easy target, plus my brother is sworn to protect Midgard so, that made conquering your world a particularly gratifying prospect."

"So wait, you attacked my world all because your daddy picked your brother and not you to become the next king of Asgard?"

"Your quick wit is astounding." Loki said sarcastically.

"You are a caricature. You are a cartoon depiction of a spoiled prince brought to life, a stereotype. You're a jealous spoiled brat. I feel sorry for you. You value nothing."

"I value power, the only thing of value there is."

"And what does that make you, rotting down here with me, in the most powerless position there is."

"A man bidding his time."

"Ha! Bidding your time? You know what? Sure. Whatever keeps you going dude."

"And what is keeping you going? Being ripped away from your home and your family? How is it you still have the will to live?" Loki asked. Sarah felt tears suddenly threaten to break. "There is no hope for you."

"Fuck you!" She cried and ran back to her bed.

"You keep offering but I am unable to fulfill your request at this time."

"SHUT UUUUPPP!" She screamed. Loki smirked at that. He finally got to her. But as the minutes passed his victory felt hollow. There was no hope for him either.

The next day came same as the ones before. Loki noted that he could start to make out the spine ridge of Sarah's back and her thighs were not as curvaceous as they'd been when she'd first arrived. It was a subtle change, but an alarming one.

In the evening, hell came. It was late, near time for lights out when the sounds of soldier's footsteps came down the stairwell. It was not time for the usual patrol, which Loki had learned by heart. Two drunken soldiers came down, laughing and carousing about their many sexual exploits. They stopped in front of Sarah's cell and leered at her.

"She's the one, isn't she?" One man said to the other. Loki stopped breathing. A lifetime in Asgard had taught Loki what these men were capable of, of what often happened to female prisoners both on the battlefield and in the cells.

Loki prayed inwardly for Sarah to keep her smart mouth shut. Sarah was sitting of the floor of her cell twirling her cell phone for entertainment.

"This isn't a zoo. Fuck off." She said. Nononono! Don't say that! Loki's eyes grew wide and fear crept up his spine.

"Did you hear that? She told us to fuck off."

"Oh I'll fuck something alright. I'll fuck you, you smug little tart."

"Classy. I bet you have tiny dicks too."

"Well, lass you're about to find out." The barrier came down and Sarah looked up at them wide-eyed. She tried to run, but there was nowhere to run. The barrier was already back up, locking her inside the cell with them. Loki turned his back and covered his ears with his hands, but to no avail. He could hear everything they were doing to her. All the vile horrible things they were saying to her. It was all the same things he himself had wanted to do to her. She screamed for help only to make a choking noise as something was stuffed into her mouth.

"Oy! We got a biter here."

"Well then, we'll just have to stuff her double the other way!" He men laughed and more of Sarah's screams followed. Loki curled up into a ball on his bed singing a song to himself. A lullaby his mother used to sing to him when he was small.

XxXxXxXx

"What did Loki tell you?" Nick asked Bruce. Tony and Steve were present as well.

"We need to let that girl go. Keeping her locked up here is detrimental to her mental health. She needs therapy, serious psychological therapy for what happened to her."

"What about Loki? Why is he here on earth, and where is Thor?"

"According to Loki, Thor is still in Asgard and alive as far as he knows." Bruce said. Natasha and Maria entered the room to add to the briefing.

"Sir, we've gone over the girl's record. Nothing about her stands out as some kind of terrorist in the making. She's all American, middle class, normal cheerleader perfection from what we've seen. She disappeared only a couple of days after Thor reappeared here on earth, and when Thor went home, they made their way here." Maria said.

"By Bifrost or some other means?" Nick asked.

"Some other means." Bruce said.

"Terrible things were done to her." Natasha said.

"That means a lot coming from you." Nick said.

"Yes sir. I know."

"What are we going to do about Loki?" Tony asked Nick.

"The only thing we can do. Keep him locked up and let her go." He said.

"I don't think that is wise." Bruce said.

"Why?"

"Because of the nature of their escape from Asgard. Loki isn't exactly banished to Earth like Thor was. He's hiding out, and officially so is she."

"Wait, you're telling me Thor's father is hunting for them?" Steve asked.

"Loki believes that is the case. He says he can keep her shielded from Odin's sight so long as she remains in close proximity to him."

"And if Odin finds them?" Nick asked.

"Loki believes Odin will finish what he started. He will torture Sarah to death in front of him." Bruce said.

XxXxXxXxXx

There was so much blood. He could see from this distance the bruises and the useless rags her clothing had been shredded into. She was dying. Her skin was pale, and now that her tank top was off and her breasts and ribcage were exposed, Loki could see just how skinny she'd become.

Loki knelt before the barrier between their cell and closed his eyes. He could still wield magic, but within these cells it meant nothing. Any spell he performed would be confined to these four walls. Getting help to Sarah would be impossible. Still, he had nothing better to do, than piss off Odin by helping her. That thought pleased him.

Loki concentrated on every square inch of the barrier, little by little, looking for flaws and weaknesses in the magic. He didn't know how much time he spent examining the barrier, but he knew that the next scheduled patrol would be soon. It was night time now. Loki only knew that because the lights had been dimmed for sleeping. He could still see Sarah in her broken bleeding state. She was breathing at least, though for how long he could not tell. It was near dawn when he found a tiny hole in the magic barrier and start picking at it like a woodpecker on a telephone post. By the time the lights came up he had created a hole large enough for him to fit through.

He heard footsteps and used his magic to make it look like nothing had been done. His breakfast tray arrived. The servant girl looked over at Sarah horrified, but said nothing. Loki gave her an accusing look to let her know she was implicit in this crime and girl skulked away in shame. Loki waited for the quiet to return. When he was certain he they were alone, he picked up the tray and entered Sarah's cell.

It was an awkward tight fit. He had to put the tray on the ground of her room and then wiggle one leg and then the other over and in. Loki rushed to Sarah's side to inspect her thoroughly. Her left eye was black and swollen shut. She was bleeding from her skull. She had hand shaped bruises on her hips and thighs and her womanhood was a pulverized bleeding mess. Loki bit the inside of his cheek to stifle an unexpected sob. He picked up the remnants of Sarah's shirt and took it to the little bathroom to use as a washcloth. He returned to her with the wet rag and parted her legs to wipe away the blood. Sarah barely stirred. When Loki was done with that task he grabbed the food. He set it beside the bed on the floor and pulled Sarah into his lap.

"Sarah wake up." Loki said, but she didn't respond. Loki brought a spoonful of egg up to her nose and she gasped. Her mouth opened like a little baby bird and Loki put the food in her mouth. Sarah's eyes opened but were unfocused and Loki wondered if she had a concussion.

"Sarah can you hear me?" Loki asked her. She didn't respond verbally but she opened her mouth. Loki fed her another spoonful of egg. Loki felt her fragile body pressing against his. Mixed in and among the smells of blood, sweat, and bodily fluids, he could also smell her. He hadn't even realized how much he missed physical contact with another person, and not just sex, but to hold someone, tenderly. He sat there and fed her until all of his breakfast was gone. He tucked her in, as best he could with the bloody sheets that were left, and returned to his cell before he could get caught.

Sarah awoke, three days later, and the first thing she noticed was that she wasn't hungry. The second thing she noticed was the pain, and the memory of the rape came roaring back. Why oh why, had god let her live?

XxXxXxXx

Sarah was all cried out by the time she started to get hungry. She'd been left alone for well over an hour and now she was beginning to worry that they'd forget she was in here. What if they didn't feed her?

As if on cue a large burly looking guard came into the room carrying a tray of food. He shut and locked the door behind him like protocol required, but for Sarah it was déjà vu all over again. She screamed.

"Don't come any closer!"

"I'm just here to bring you some food."

"Stay away from me!" Sarah scream. The man, in his ignorance, did the worst thing he could have done. He approached her to try to calm her down.

"AHHHHHH! Somebody help me please! Loki! Loki!" Sarah screamed bloody murder. Hearing the screams, Tony and Steve barged into the room. They pulled the guy out of there but were only making the situation worse by being there themselves.

"It's okay! It's okay! We're the good guys. We're not going to hurt you." Tony said to Sarah, but she wasn't listening. She was back in the cell in Asgard reliving the nightmare all over again. She could no longer see Tony's face. Steve grabbed Tony by the collar and dragged him out of the room.

"Fuck we just made it worse didn't we?"

"What the hell is going on?" Nick asked.

"What did you guys do?" Natasha added.

"She was screaming. The guard brought her breakfast and she freaked out." Tony said.

"Fuck! She's having a complete psychotic break in there." Bruce said.

"I'm getting Loki." Steve said.

"What?" Nick spun to look at him.

"She's been begging to be reunited with him from the beginning of all this. She's suffered enough, and I won't add to her torment. I don't know if it's right or wrong, I just know it's what she needs." Steve went to Loki's cell and retrieved him. Loki heard Sarah's cries for help from down the hall and ran towards her cell in a panic.

"Sarah! Sarah, darling it's alright! I'm here love, I'm here." Loki pulled her into his embrace, but she fought him, still trapped in a waking nightmare of humiliation and degradation. The others flooded into the room to watch and see if Loki would really help her.

They noticed then, a shimmering in the room, and a smell of roses unfolded in the air as though a woman had just sprayed a perfume. Sarah was crouched up against the wall, but everyone watched in amazement as the illusion of a large oak tree and an open grassy field appeared behind her and started filling up the room. The table and chairs disappeared, and they themselves seem to disappear into the background, camouflaged by butterflies and tall grass. There were lightning bugs dancing in the air and the sky above was full of purples and blues, with pink clouds and some stars. There was a bright sunrise, or maybe it was a sunset off to the left. Loki grabbed the plate of food and brought the spoon up to Sarah's lips to feed her.

"Eat darling. You need your strength." He said.

"Loki?"

"Yes love."

"Where are we?"

"We're home. We're in a field not far from our new home. I brought a picnic, see?" Loki lied. Sarah looked around at the illusion, dubious of its authenticity.

"Look at me love. You are safe. Here, have a bit of breakfast." Loki put the spoon into her mouth and she swallowed it.

"Good girl." Loki put the spoon down on the plate and wrapped his other arm around her to embrace her. "Sleep my darling girl. Sleep." Loki used the sleeping spell on her and once again she was out. Slowly the illusion faded until all that remained was Sarah and Loki. He held her and looked at her with such affection. The Avengers looked away. Never before had they felt like the villain.

XxXxXx

"What the fuck do we do now?" Tony asked.

"What do you mean, what do we do now? Loki is still a criminal, and if he's not rotting in a prison in Asgard then he can rot in one down here." Nick said.

"Oh come on Nick, you just saw what we saw. What the fuck would be the point?" Bruce asked.

"Punishment. I feel bad for her, truly I do, but there are thousands of others that died because of what Loki did. Where is your bleeding heart for them?"

"I'm not saying that Loki doesn't deserved to be punished, but isn't there an alternative option? Thor clearly thought so." Bruce said.

"That we know of. Right now we are just taking his word for it." Nick said.

"Bullshit, I know Loki. I had a nice chit-chat with him in the middle of the invasion. That guy, he was an asshole. He was a spoiled jealous little diva on a power trip. The guy in the room down the hall, total stranger." Tony said.

"Alright fine. Loki has learned a valuable lesson and he promises to be a good boy from now on. Let's just turn him loose." Nick said.

"We're not suggesting that." Steve said.

"Then what are you all suggesting?" Nick asked. He looked around the room at the Avengers. Even Clint and Natasha fidgeted for an answer.

"We don't know, but look. Natasha and I both know what it is like to be unmade. Hell, Loki unmade me! He ripped me out of my body and stuffed something else inside. What they did to that girl, in front of Loki. They used horror to transform him and it worked." Clint said.

"If they're lying, it's the best god damn lie I've ever seen." Natasha said.

"Lovely, none of you have answered my question. What are you expecting me to do with him? I can't let him roam free." Nick said.

"He wasn't roaming free when we found him. They're on the run, and they're terrified of being found by Odin. They are in need of our protection." Steve said. "I don't know how Loki should be punished, but I'll be damned if I let Thor's father get his hands on her again." Steve said.

XxXxXxXx

Sarah awoke again, this time the lights were dim. It was night time. She also wasn't alone.

"You're awake." Loki whispered. He felt Sarah tense and pulled out a piece of chicken he'd wrapped in a handkerchief. "You need to eat." He said.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"For four days on and off roughly. Forced you to sleep through most of it. Your body needed to heal."

"Why are you helping me?"

"I don't know." Loki said.

"You've been feeding me."

"Yes."

"Why? Why do you care?"

"I don't. It'll piss off Odin, and I'm bored." Loki said.

"Just let me die." Sarah sobbed. Loki pulled her close to his chest and stroked her hair. It was a far more comforting and compassionate act than his explanation suggested.

"I can't." Loki said.

"Why not? I'm just some dirty little human girl. You hate me."

"I don't hate you." Loki said. His tone was almost apologetic.

"Then why are you helping me?"

"Because you are suffering." Loki swallowed hard. "No one should have to endure what you have endured. I am sorry." Loki said. He felt exposed, and in that moment he couldn't be sure what he was apologizing for. He wasn't the one that raped her, though he had fantasized about it. The fantasy had miraculously lost its appeal recently. So had the thought of crushing her under his boot, or any mortal for that matter.

"Thank you." She said. "I'm going to die down here aren't I?"

"Yes, probably, but I won't let them touch you again. I swear it."

"Loki?"

"Shh Sarah. Rest. They'll not harm you tonight." Loki said. Sarah took a deep breath and relaxed against him. She was in so much pain and so weak, she had no choice but to trust him. She needed comfort and was willing to accept it from any source. She did not expect it to come from him.

XxXxXxXx

"Loki?"

"Shh. Soon Sarah." Loki said. The patrols down the hall had been doubled for some inexplicable reason, making smuggling food to Sarah difficult. Loki had a sneaking suspicion that the guards were on to them. Of course they would be. Sarah had stopped losing weight and was healing. Loki's face was looking rather gaunt these days. Two people sharing rations only meant for one was bound to garner attention eventually. Sarah had been in the cell next to Loki's for two weeks now. She should be worse not better. Loki tried not to think about what would happen when they were caught, a certain eventuality.

The tail end of the patrol marched past their cells and Loki tossed the chicken breast through the hole in their cells. Sarah snatched it up and inhaled the meat in three bites.

"Thank you." She whispered. Her voice cracked.

"You're welcome." He said. "Now, how shall we spend the rest of the day?" Loki asked.

"We could play the guessing game." Sarah said.

"You really like that game."

"Of course I do. I always win."

"That is because your people use ancient technology."

"Said the man that comes from a people that dress like Vikings and play with swords."

"Be that as it may, we are still able to travel to distant worlds in the blink of an eye. Can your people say the same?"

"No, but we can kill people from hundreds of feet away with these amazing inventions called guns."

"Guns are inelegant."

"Said the guy who brought a giant knife to a gun fight."

"A sword is not a knife."

"Because..."

"It's bigger!"

"Oh, so you brought a really big knife to a gun fight."

"You keep mentioning this gun. I'd very much like to see it because if you actually had it with you we could get out of here." Loki said.

"Yeah, I wish I had it with me too." Sarah said.