The automatic doors to the cold, dark SHIELD Containment Facility opened, and Agent Natasha Romanoff -also known as the Black Widow- entered the roof and approached the massive prison cell in the center. She was on a mission for Nick Fury, and was not content on leaving until her mission was satisfied. She didn't think she should feel, if anything, slightly worried, she had helped with countless prisoner interrogations before. It was just none of them had ever been on an Asgardian, least of all the Norse God of Mischief. It was an impossible task, but if anyone was going to get information out of him, it had to be Natasha.

"Good Morning." Loki spoke smoothly and coldly as Natasha entered the roof.

"My name is Agent Natasha Romanoff. I'm here to ask you a few questions."

"I know you." Loki mused. "You're one of Fury's inner circle aren't you? His right-hand woman so to speak?"

"I am." Natasha responded.

"Intriguing. Your face was prominent in Barton's mind too." Loki smirked at her. "Lover, perhaps?"

Natasha shook her head. "That really doesn't interest me. Now, I'm here on business, a mission from Director Fury. Nothing more. So please let's keep this professional."

Loki leaned back in his cell. "Certainly. Now please approach me. Don't fret, I have no immediate plans to harm you."

Natasha sat down and began her interrogation. "So, first and foremost, how did you arrive back to Earth? We were informed by Thor of the incident concerning your exile from Asgard."

But Loki ignored the question entirely. "Irrelevant. Much more interesting is your hands. They appear to be trembling. Troubled, Agent Romanoff?"

Natasha flinched. "...I'm worried about Barton."

"He won't come until he's called, don't fret."

Natasha stood up and glared at Loki. "What have you done to him. And Dr. Selvig."

Loki approached her and grinned. "They have been enlightened. As the rest of mankind will soon follow suit. They will kneel before my transcending power and any and all opposition will be annihilated. And all you can do Miss Romanoff, is watch."

Natasha wasn't faltered. "You can't think you're going to win this. Humanity isn't going to go down without a fight. And it won't have to. Because I swear, I will do everything in my power to make sure I personally take care of you myself. Understood?"

"Do you always make death threats on a first date, Natasha?" Loki winked.

"Agent Romanoff." Natasha corrected. "Now please answer the earlier question."

"I propose an arrangement." Loki said coyly. "I answer one of your queries and you answer one of mine. A quid pro quo, if you will."

"I will not barter with you." Natasha growled."

"Then, as the Earth expression goes, my lips are sealed, I'm afraid."

Natasha pondered for a moment. She didn't feel at all comfortable make deals with the God of Mischief...but she had to get any and all information could from Loki. For Clint.

Finally she gave in. "I want two questions answered. First: what do you want with Earth? And second: where's Clint?"

Loki chuckled before answering. "Good girl. You wish to know of my plans? I shall open your eyes then, Miss Romanoff." He stood up and began to pace about the cell. "This planet is a world at war with itself. Countless races, tribes, all eternally locked in bloody conflict after bloody conflict. Your superiors believe I wish to destroy Midgard. But in fact, I wish to restructure it. Make it my own. Humans were made to be ruled, so I shall provide the ruling. And under my reverence and with the power of the Tesseract, there will be peace."

"The Tesseract is too unstable for anyone, even you." Natasha said. "Which is why I suppose it's fitting that we plan on shelving it immediately."

"And by "shelving" it you of course mean repurposing it into, what, exactly? Weapons perhaps? 'A shining light for all of mankind'? For individuals who claim that Earth cannot be ruled over, you seem quite content with ruling over things yourselves."

Natasha didn't speak.

"But now it seems that it's time for my questions." Loki continued. "Primarily, the specifics concerning you and Agent Barton's mission to San Dominique? Ever since peeking into his mind, I have so looked forward to hearing about it."

Natasha's eyes widened. Her and Clint's first mission together was a covert operation in San Dominique. The two had posed as a married couple and...she had gotten more than a little caught up in her cover. She had promised herself never to expose herself that much on a mission again, and swore never to talk about anything that had happened in Sam Dominique again, also making Clint promise to do the same.

Loki could clearly see that he had struck a nerve. "Poor little Clint never forgot that very special night, dear Natasha. The night where the lines between the mission and his feelings got far too blurry. The night where he promised to 'never stop protecting his Black Widow'."

Loki's mocking of Clint's very same words, the words that she knew but tried to forget, the words present through her dreams and nightmares. She scrunched her eyes shut, tears slowly rolling down her face. Suddenly she lost control and lashed out at Loki. "SHUT UP AND ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION! WHERE IS CLINT?"

Loki merely smiled and leaned back in his cell, clearly victorious at his objective of getting under Natasha's skin. "Dear me, Agent Romanoff, dear me. Whatever happened to keeping things professional? It won't do...and yet, ask and you shall receive..."

And with that, Loki snapped his fingers and the lights in the room vanished, leaving Natasha in complete darkness. As she panicked, looking around and trying to assess the situation, she could hear Loki laughing manically from within his confines. And almost as soon as they had gone, the lights returned to the room, with Loki still sitting comfortably in his cell, clearly enjoying himself.

Natasha had no words for Loki. He had done what very few were ever able to accomplish: he had made a fool out of the Black Widow. He had aggravated and tormented her purely for his own sick amusement, and, as she had promised, she would make him pay for it.

But not today.

So without another word, Natasha turned and left the room, passing Fury as she exited, and wiping away her tears when no one was looking.

"He's all yours sir."

Taking the hint, Fury entered the room and approached Loki's cell, facing the evilly grinning God of Mischief himself.

Loki was the first to speak. "I must say, you've built me quite the impressive cage."

"Built for something a lot stronger than you." Fury shot back.

Loki looked away from Fury and turned his gaze to a nearby security camera where he knew Natasha, the other Avengers, and, most importantly, one Dr. Bruce Banner, we're watching over him.

"Oh, I've heard..."