Annalise was in the midst of a pleasant trek home from work when she was halted by a large man in green armor. When he silently smiled deviously at her, she took an uneasy step back.

"I am Loki, of Asgard," he announced with a regal air and wicked smile. She peaked around him in search of cameras and crew. This was a viable setup for a Punk'd episode.

The dark haired, self-appointed ruler silently surveyed the girl before him, hands clasped behind his back.

Annalise shifted her weight from foot to foot, unsettled by his eager expression. Normally the tiny liaison would've been batting her baby blues at such a delicious specimen of male, but there was just a hint of lunacy in those heartbreakingly green irises. And then there were his weird henchmen with glowing blue eyes.

"She will do," he nodded to one of his cronies.

"Come, we have much to accomplish," Loki beckoned.

To oblige the beautiful crazy man? Or to continue on her way? Within ten seconds she had officially weighed her options, and she wasn't getting involved in this.

Nope. No way. She wanted to get home, slip off her shoes and curl up with a book for the night. She made to step around him, but his hand shot out and to grasp her elbow with surprising speed. He gave her a foreboding smile.

"Where are you going, my little liaison? We have important work to do."

Annalise closed her eyes, rubbed her temples and counted to ten. She liked her job. really, she did. But work stayed at work and she was off the clock.

"Sir, if you have any questions please direct them to my firm, you can call them first thing in the morning. I'll give you their num—."

"Are you not a liaison?"

"I-. Yes, I'm a liaison-."

"As your new ruler, I require your services in diplomacy. Bring her." Loki turned on his heel and marched on.

"Keep her with you. I'll not have her running off," Loki snapped over his shoulder at his bewitched, blue eyed SHIELD Agents.

Heart pounding, Annalise tried to nonchalantly spin in the other direction, only to find herself flanked with a man on either side of her, roughly lugging her by her arms to keep up with Loki.

"Ma'am, if I have to carry you, I will." The man's tone was monotonous, like that of a robot.

This had gone far enough. Frankly, it had gotten out of hand when Loki was five words deep, but now this goose was overwhelmingly cooked.

"No, I'm not what you're looking for! "Liaison" is a very broad term. I just communicate between the finance and public relations factions of-."

Loki ignored her. Completely. He used his long stride to distance himself enough from the girl to signal that their conversation was over.

Auburn hair whipped back and forth she looked desperately on either side of her for a patrolling cop, curious pedestrian or eager vigilante. She struck out.

As they tugged her down the street, she realized her captors appeared to be taking her to her own home. If they already knew where she lived, and no one was going to rescue an obvious damsel in distress, she had no other place to take refuge and came to the frightening conclusion that there may be no point in fighting.

She wasn't sure how much harm this guy could do. He sounded batty, and he was quite large. She was fairly positive he could do some damage if she tried to take him on. And, that's assuming she could shake off her buff escorts. There was also the matter of the daunting scepter that appeared to have legitimately hypnotized the super built, armed individuals with glowing blue eyes, so she felt compliance was the best course of action.

Best course of action or no, Annalise had a sinking feeling she would soon be the Sunday night feature on "48 Hours.". As she was escorted to her own front door, one of the men grunted at her to unlock the door. She glared and wrenched one of her arms free to dig for her keys. She opened the paneled door, awkwardly holding it open in reluctant invitation for the trio of strange. Loki shook his head.

"We will relocate," he informed her. "Gather your things, we will go straight to Stuttgart from here. Ah, and I will require your," he motioned at her phone, "device before you leave us."

Damn.

She went from irritated to exasperated, squeezing her eyes shut in irritation. Annalise made show of dropping it in his hand, an act mirroring that of a grounded teenager surrendering their own cellular device, and watched as he examined it curiously before giving it to one of his men. He doesn't even know what the hell it is.

Fine. Whatever.

Things could be worse. He didn't seem interested in wearing her skin or chopping her into small pieces, and Stuttgart wasn't far. At least she wasn't being kidnapped for… very far.

She stomped through the doorway louder than was necessary, leaving the door open wide since apparently an impromptu tactics meeting was happening between her new king and his agents on her front stoop. Annalise grabbed a small duffle and began packing necessities.

While collecting things, she racked her brain for some sort of emergency escape strategy. Adrenaline was finally kicking in and it occurred to her to scan her small house for some sort of weapon. Glancing at the door to make sure she wasn't watched, Annalise padded to the kitchen and quietly opened a drawer, grabbing Swiss army knife, she slid it into her bag. It wasn't much. But it was all she had unless she wanted to bury a set of steak knives in her bag. She made sure it was well covered with her change of clothes and toiletries before zipping it and walking back to the main room.

The good news was that the trio of criminals was now down to one. The bad news was that she was now alone in her house with Loki. Her gut clenched. She should've slipped the knife in a pocket.

The silence surpassed uncomfortable. She had to say something.

"So, why didn't you just make my eyes blue like those agents? They're hypnotized, right? At least that's what it seemed like. Wouldn't this be simpler if I could zombie through everything?"

With his legs splayed wide, Loki coolly contemplated his newly acquired mortal from one of her kitchen chairs. She had bit of a temper which was vexing, but she was also pleasantly vivacious. A dark pang of hunger shot through his lower belly as he took her in: Though she was rather plain in her leggings and dress, there was a classic beauty about her. She had full, groomed brows and lush dark lashes that brushed against her cheek each time she squeezed her eyes shut in irritation, a mannerism he was beginning to find endearing. The arc of her cupid's bow was exaggerated and he found his eyes repeatedly drawn to her pink little mouth. She was also much shorter than himself, which he appreciated because she'd be that much easier to control.

He eyed her shapely legs and found he could easily picture them wrapped around him, even if her petite little thighs barely made it around his waist. Though her primary task was to aid him in developing a relationship with his subjects, he could see her being having use in a more carnal manner as well.

"Well, darling, I can't have a set of glowing eyes giving me away while you're in my company. It's vital that my presence goes unnoticed, especially by the Avengers, at least until I have what I need."

"Besides," he purred, fixing his eyes on hers with uncomfortable intensity, "yours are already a lovely shade of blue, if I'm not mistaken."

Oh, great. Of course we're also charming to boot.

She examined him, taking in his regal posture, mannerisms and devastatingly attractive face, trying to determine how much of what he was talking about was the plotting of a man who belonged in a locked and padded room. This was all too messy to process.

"Fine." She wasn't even sure what she was agreeing to. "Whatever you want form me we're doing don't-ask-don't-tell style. I don't want to know what kind of diabolical crazy you have planned. When you get us arrested, I am not going down as your accomplice," she announced.

Loki quirked a brow. People rarely spoke to him so bluntly. He thoughtfully opened his mouth to reply with what was most likely a poetically constructed sentence, but Annalise blurted her question first.

"What's an Avenger?"

He scowled.

"They are a bunch of feeble, bumbling, mewling miscreants with ridiculous garb and inconsequential powers," he growled.

Clearly, this was a touchy subject.

Oh, Lord. Powers? Totally off his rocker. Also, she was pretty sure his green armor would fall under the ridiculous garb category, but Annalise kept her mouth shut and nodded slowly.

"They have powers?"

She was hesitant to ask the next question out loud. She wasn't sure she could handle the answer.

"Do you have powers?"

When he grinned in confirmation, her face fell. It hadn't occurred to her that the situation could get worse.

For the first time, the grin that crept onto Loki's face was genuine. And completely devious.

"My dear, you have no idea," he crooned. "Fetch me a cup of water."

Annalise deserted her bag, grabbed a cup from the cabinet and held it beneath the in-door water dispenser. She slowly pressed the glass against the lever until it filled, trying to compose her next sentence in a way it would be received well.

"Look," she said over her shoulder, "It appears that you think me… inferior. But if you want me to help you, you're have to treat me as an equal. If you're a misogynist, cool, whatever, but I'm not dealing with it."

He narrowed his eyes at her, rising from his armchair and sauntering into her kitchen. He crossed his arms across his chest in a challenge, resting a hip on her kitchen table.

"…Or at least pretend to."

Loki seemed much more pleased with this option.

"Fair enough. Now, water," he ordered, reaching out his hand for the glass.

Annalise quickly pulled the cup back towards herself and glared. "Equals have manners," she chided.

"…Ah."

He eyed her for a moment. He supposed it was best to keep her placated and to play along. Besides, she was much lovelier when she wasn't scowling. He decided to appease her.

"Er, water… please, little peach," he said with an entirely too seductive smile. Women always responded well to his charm, and his quasi-captive was no exception.

To her chagrin, Annalise's cheeks glowed pink at the endearment as she handed him the glass.

Which he proceeded to dump on her kitchen table.

"Hey!" She shrieked, making a dash for a hand towel.

A firm, cool hand gripped her wrist and tugged so that her back was to him, then pushed her forward, effectively pinning her between the kitchen table and his hard body. She squirmed, wildly uncomfortable with the intimacy of the position but that only seemed to encourage him more. She froze, holding her breath as he placed his mouth near her ear and spoke quietly, grinning triumphantly when she shivered.

"In all of the commotion during my arrival, I never asked your name, lovely, for which I deeply apologize. What do I call you?"

His cheek was cool against her burning one, and she could feel his soft hair brushing against her. It was entirely inappropriate that his hands were on her person. Really, she was going to make an effort to untangle herself from his muscular limbs. But, if she did, he'd likely see her blushing. And she couldn't have that, so maybe they could stay like this for a just a minute. Until her burning face calmed down.

"Annalise," she murmured, suddenly shy.

She stilled when she felt him press closer, caging her with strong arms on either side of her body, completely boxing her in.

All of a sudden, it was a little bit harder to breathe.

Loki nuzzled her cheek with his, making sure he had her attention, and slowly pressed his index finger to the puddle of water before them. The liquid immediately turned into a thin sheet of ice, on which he began tracing elegant letters with the tip of a long finger.

"An-nuh-lees," he sounded out as wrote.

"Like that?" He asked quietly, his breath puffing against her ear.

"Uh huh," she whispered.

Okay, that was impressive. Correct spelling.

And the whole ice thing, of course.

"You can freeze things?"

He grinned. Finally, the little mortal was impressed. As she should have been at the beginning, but he would forgive her ignorance in light of her beauty.

"Yes. I can manipulate ice."

He spun her around to face him, eager to watch her reactions as he continued. He certainly enjoyed impressing people.

She chewed her lip. If she inquired further, she was validating his godly "superiority," which was dangerous territory, and would set them back a step in terms of him seeing her as not-a-servant, but her curiosity got the better of her.

"Can you do anything else?"

Loki scoffed.

"Of course. I can create illusions, influence others, alter my appearance, among other things. And, of course, I'm quite skilled in combat."

Annalise stared blankly in shock. In all honesty, she was impressed.

"Maybe you're not as crazy as you seem," she mused.

He seemed to be speaking genuinely. Either that, or his sincerity was an indicator that he was far more insane than she'd originally given him credit for. He had yet to demonstrate his alleged other powers, but she couldn't deny the ice patch on her table.

He stepped back, allowing her personal space. Loki glanced at her, and though form fitting outfit was quite becoming, it would not do for the gala and an agent would soon be by to pick them up.

"Have you in your bag anything more… formal?"

She quirked a brow. He motioned at what she was wearing. She scowled.

"I'm being taken against my will," she quipped. "No, I didn't think to pack eveningwear."

"Very well. I'd rather have you dress in my colors anyway. Come, I believe our transportation has arrived," he said. Loki put forth great effort to open the door for her, rather than expecting her to open it for him. He smiled at his accomplishment.

His colors? Whatever.

She didn't even want to know what that meant. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Annalise tried not to sulk as she followed him to the black sedan. She felt like leaving her home was admitting defeat, but she didn't know what else to do.

One of the blue-eyed men stepped out of the front seat and opened the back door for them. He tried to take her bag, but she refused to give it up, clinging to the idea that at some point she may be able to wrestle the concealed knife from the bottom and liberate herself from this circus.

As she settled into the backseat, she propped her bag against the window and leaned against it, sighing. By the time Loki was seated and the engine started, his little captive was fast asleep. Being a hostage/liaison was exhausting.