These imbeciles really had no idea what was going on as they led him down the grey, metalic hallway of the floating fortress. He couldn't help but smirk as he turned his head to stare at the doctor examining his scepter. He could feel the tesseract's power radiating, calling out to the chaos that followed the trickster god, begging for him to grasp the weapon between his fingers and wield it the way it was meant to. For the time being, however, he just grinned, recognizing the man from Clint Barton's memories. The archer had been so incredibly useful to him, Loki could hardly believe his luck at having found him. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever, his guards quiet as they brought him to his new room. A glass cage, truly? They thought that could contain him? He let them push him inside, closing the door behind as he turned around to stare at each angle. Three different cameras tracked him from all angles, there was a small bench along the further edge of the circle, and from what he'd seen as he walked in there had been what looked like a trapdoor beneath him. True enough, the good Director showed him just how foolproof he thought this little cage was. Loki couldn't help but laugh. Ant and boot indeed, though the man had the roles quite reversed. He listened to the one-eyed man gloat, unable to help himself from comparing him to Odin. His adopted father would never have been this stupid as to keep such a dangerous man prisoner; it would have been the death penalty.

But even Loki would have found his way out of that one, and Thor would never have allowed it. Even now Loki was certain that his would-be brother was defending him, his voice boisterous and obnoxious as he claimed that the trickster was not of his right mind, that he had suffered a great psychological blow, and that he was beyond reason but should be taken back to Asgard nonetheless.

The fool.

He took a seat on the bench once Fury had left, bowing his head and imagining the argument the so called Avengers were having. He could assume that the one in the blue spandex, their so called Captain, would be coming up with a defensive strategy to try and be prepared. The man would be right to assume an attack; it had not gone unnoticed by the tall, burly blond that Loki had been captured far too easily. He'd barely even put up a fight (which made his triumph over the soldier that much sweeter, if Loki was honest with himself). The man in the iron suit would likely dismiss that, considering the trickster no longer a threat. The man didn't seem to be able to compute anything else other than the way his computers worked, and Clint had informed Loki that there were going to be high tensions between the Captain and the Man of Iron. Their strategies and perceptions of the world were far too different to mesh well; Fury was an imbecile for assuming that they would work well together. The doctor would likely be quiet, wanting to either distance himself further or examine Loki, trying to pick apart and piece together the enigma that was Loki. The idea made him snort. As if there was any way they could understand him.

Well, there was one way. Natasha-he remembered her name from Clint's memories, and after seeing what they'd had in the past he could not blame the archer for holding the woman in such reverence. Barton had told him everything there was to know about the spy, her weakest points and her strengths. He'd been warned not to let her talk, and certainly never to talk back to her. It was a dangerous business consorting with a spider; many a men had been trapped in her web without even realizing it.

But Loki was a lie smith, and he was no ordinary man. Deception and cunning were his bread and butter, and perhaps this Natasha and he were more alike than he could have imagined. Than even Barton, who had met and worked with both of them, could ever know.

He'd gone to the Widow woman as soon as Barton had told me how dangerous she could have been. She'd been alone in her apartment at the time when he'd appeared behind her, his lips drawn in a smirk. She was aware of him seconds later, pulling her gun and firing without so much as a moment's hesitation. If it hadn't been for his thick skin the bullet would have caught him in the shoulder. It took that moment for her to recognize his face, likely from the security cameras that had caught him appearing on the other end of the tesseract's beam, and her own contorted for the briefest of moments.

"You," she snarled, this time aiming her gun at his head as she pulled the trigger. Really? Did she think that would work? He had the gun knocked out of her hand in a moment, pulling her arm back so hard that if she moved it in any way he could twist and snap the bone.

"Me. I'm glad that you recognize me; it will make this much easier." He purred, drawing her even closer to him. She tried to shift her free arm, tried to find some purchase on the situation, and Loki clasped them both up high and above her head, turning her around so he could face her. His feet covered hers, keeping them grounded. Barton had warned me that her weapons were only her second most deadly weapon, her legs being the first. The first time he was between them he did not want it to be when she was trying to kill him. "I have a proposition for you and it involves you and your dearest Barton. This is your one chance to save him, do I make myself clear?" He asked, his eyes locking onto her own blue ones. They were vibrant in their own way, a welcome change from the unnatural hue his followers had. No, this one would not need to be controlled. She would come to him of her own volition because he held what she wanted in the palm of his hand: her absolution. Her freedom, and the man who had saved her life. What was it Barton had called her debt, the red in her ledger? He could free her from that.

Under his gaze she stiffened, clenching her jaw for the briefest of moments before she cleared her expression, tilting her head to the side to indicate curiosity. "Fine. Mind letting me go?"

"I do. I would rather air on the side of caution being as my plans cannot go forward without me."

Once more she clenched her jaw, but she raised her chin in defiance to stare him right in the eyes. He liked that, he decided, finding her fire so much more interesting than her subservience ever could be. Well, until he broke her to himself, of course, but that would only make it that much sweeter.

"As it is I am sure you know why I have come to your realm. I mean to rule it, to rise above and be king to your people. I can bring them back from the brink of anarchy and total annihilation, but I have to defeat your Avengers first. Your comrade Barton has already seen the truth of my ways-."

"Because you forced him into a mind controlled state," she growled, her eyes narrowing.

Yes, well, everyone had to start somewhere. He conceded that point with the slightest bows of his head. "When I get done conquering this world-and I will-I'll have no use for him. The Avengers will be brought to heel, and I know their breaking points. Barton told me everything about each of you, which is why I know that you will take this opportunity. You do not fight for the losing side, Natasha, you never have. You follow power and strength, and that is why you will follow me. You'll stay and help me conquer because I have what you want: your salvation. If you join me I will keep your beloved Barton alive, ensure his safety. A life for a life; he saved you, and you will have saved him. Refuse and I will have him disposed of the moment he ceases to become useful, and what is more you will meet the same fate. Or worse." A king needed a plaything, after all. He brought his face closer to hers until his lips met her cheek. She was warm against his usually cold skin, and though she hadn't twitched since he'd started talking, now she began to pull herself away from his touch. He didn't relent, holding her even closer. "You could be a queen among mortals, you could rule at my side. You have the fire and the intelligence for it. Join me, Natasha. join me and live in my new world. Help me win it and you'll have your Barton, help me create it and you'll have the love of millions. You'll never have to worry about the red in your ledger again." She stiffened then. "You'll have saved the souls of an entire realm from decimating one another. You will be debt free. Join me, Natasha, and live."

He pulled away from her after that, releasing her hands and stepping back to give her room to breathe. He watched as she pushed the creeping flush back down, her glazed eyes growing strong and vibrant once more as she regained her bearings. "I'll give you half a day to think about it. Tomorrow I'll be in Stuttgart, and make myself known to the people there. Think hard on whether or not you wish to win and rule, or lose and be a slave forever." He said, his eyes boring into hers. She stiffened under his watchful gaze, one hand flying to the gun. He shook his head and in a moment it was in his grasp. He pocketed it. "I'll not have you shooting me in the back; it would be most unpleasant for you."

He doesn't make it six paces away when she finally speaks. "Wait."

He snapped out of his own thoughts as he senses the presence of another in the room. There's a few clicks on the keyboard that Fury had just been tapping on and the glass door opened. As Loki turned around, a wide grin spreading across his face, he saw Natasha looking up at him, her face blank. "The security cameras have been disabled, Bruce is about moments from Hulking out, and Barton is on her way," she said, clear blue eyes searching his green ones. "Sir."

"Well, let's not keep them waiting, shall we pet?" He asked as he stepped slowly from the cage. Behind him the glass door closed and in Natasha's hand is the scepter. She hands it over, bowing her head slightly. He tips her chin upwards and presses his lips to hers. "You'll bow to no one, my queen. By the time this is over with the world will be ours."

And with that the ship lurches, Barton's plan put into motion. Free from his cage Loki knows it's only a matter of moments before the other Avengers begin to attack back. The jet lands and as Loki and Natasha move quietly down the corridors towards it Barton meets them halfway. His eyes don't even register Natasha as he leads the pair towards the jet. They have a date with a certain wormhole, after all, and Loki is nothing if not punctual.

Later, after the city has fallen and the Chitauri spread out through the state, conquering what they desire, Loki looks down at the other Avengers in front of him. All of them are badly beaten and bruised, Bruce is passed out on the floor from all the beatings that the Hulk took, and only Steve Rogers had the gall to look him in the eye. Good. He will be the first to submit. Loki asked Natasha for the scepter and the cold metal is pressed into his hand before he pushes the tip of it into the super soldier's chest.

"You will know peace, all of you," he promises with a quiet voice. To his side Natasha can't help but smirk, and when those known as the Avengers all stare up at the pair of them with ethereal blue eyes she doesn't even push away Loki's hand when he takes hers.

A/N: Inspired by the video Move [AU] by ElvieMary. Gorgeous video, for reals, and I love this idea of Loki winning because, let's be realistic: if he had Natasha AND Barton, guh. Game over. Title comes from the song "Dark Doo Wop" by MS MR. Gorgeous song. Hope you enjoyed! 3