I do not own the Marvel Characters. They are property of Marvel Comics, Inc. This is set after Thor and before (and leading into) The Avengers movie . This is an AU. I only own Iona.

Chapter 1

She walked quickly and with purpose down the corridor. She had heard the rumors about him, how Thor had defeated him. She had heard that he had fallen into the void, that he was dead. That was why Thor mourned, why Thor stayed shut away. Grabbing her gown to run faster, she turned the corner and smacked into Thor.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, helping her up.

"I'm fine. Thank you, Prince Thor." She curtsied.

"You seem in quite a hurry." He answered, striking a conversation.

"I don't belong here." She responded.

"Why not?"

"I'm human." She glanced up at him.

"So, what are you doing here?"

"I was born here."

"We're going to the All-Father immediately." Thor roughly grabbed her arm and brought her to the throne room. "EVERYONE LEAVE." He boomed, shoving her forward.

"Thor?" Frigga asked quietly.

"This is a human woman. She claims she was born on Asgard." Thor answered.

"Is this true?" Odin came to her. "Is it, child?"

"It is, sir." She answered.

"You were born here? Where are your parents?"

"Dead." She responded.

"What is your name?" Odin asked.

"Iona."

"You are not supposed to be here. I have to send you back to Midgard." Odin said.

"Would that not drain your powers, Father?" Thor asked.

"For a time at least."

"I want you to find a place that can help you, child." Frigga said lovingly.

"I hope to, my lady." Iona answered.

-:-:-:-

A year had gone by and Nick Fury stared at the woman in front of him. She had no record on Earth and she claimed she was born on Asgard. This threw quite the monkey wrench into things because Loki had just stolen the Tesseract. The room was filled with Bruce Banner, Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff, Steve Rogers, Maria Hill, and Phil Coulson.

"What do you know about Loki?" Fury asked her.

She shifted uncomfortably. "You've heard from him then?"

"You could say that." Fury responded. "What do you know about him? You say you lived on Asgard your whole life and the records match your story. You appeared a year ago, after the New Mexico incident and we want to make sure you aren't going to be an issue."

"You mean you wish to make sure that I will not be a threat to security of the planet." Iona replied icily.

"You could say that." Coulson answered for Fury.

"Thor mourned his brother, the whole family did. It was a very difficult time. Loki had forced Thor to destroy the Bi-Frost. It will take a lot of magic for the All-Father to send Thor back here. If Loki is here, Thor will know about it and make him face Asgardian justice. It is their way."

"What about you? How do you know so much about this?" Steve asked.

"I don't know. I was born with many secrets of Asgard."

"Your parents?" Maria asked.

"Dead. I didn't know them. I was raised by a kind soul."

"Who?"

"No one of importance." Iona answered.

"We will have to keep you here under observation." Fury said. "You will have free range of the Helicarrier, but you do not go anywhere without one of us. Understood?"

"Of course." She looked at her skirt and folded it. "I wish to be escorted to my room."

"I'll do it." Tony volunteered. He had been strangely quiet this whole time.

"Okay, but I want you to…"

"Director, we found Loki. He's in Germany."

Iona's eyes shifted up and she seemed to be happy at the news, but only Natasha noticed.

"Battle stations, everyone. Suit up." Fury said, walking out of the room.

Iona ran out of the room and went to find hers. Hurrying along the corridor, she found it with the window looking into a tiny room. It resembled a prison, but her clothes were here. She stepped inside as Natasha walked up to the door.

Iona went through her clothes and found the green scarf that she had found when she was a child. Loki's scarf was hers and she couldn't wait to find him again. She found her white skirt and put it on, hoping he would like it when he saw her.

Natasha watched her curiously. It was like she was trying to get attention from the monster who had took Clint, but why? She left when Fury got on the radio. "On my way."

Iona waited until she saw Tony Stark passing her room on the way to going to something. She got up and pushed open the door as he turned around. "Hello, Iona." He said, as she closed the door behind her.

"Hello, Mr. Stark." She said politely, curtsying.

"Call me Tony, that's my father's name." He responded.

"I cannot. I was raised to respect people more powerful than I." She answered.

"Fair enough. I was actually on my way to go talk to Bruce in the lab. Would you like to come with me?"

"That sounds like fun." She said as he turned to continue walking.

They arrived in the lab and she saw Bruce working diligently on some piece of technology she was unfamiliar with. She sat down on the only stool in the room and watched them.

"You aren't much for talking are you?" Bruce commented, lost in his work.

"Not really no. If you will excuse me, I would like to explore the ship." Iona looked at them. "You don't need to escort me. I promise I am a big girl."

"I'm sure you are." Tony answered with a twinkle. "Go on, just try not to run into Fury or Steve. That would make my explanation dumb."

Iona nodded and slipped out, going towards the corridor she had passed before. Slipping into it undetected, she quickly came up to a padlocked door. Thinking quickly, she saw fingerprints on the keys and tried to figure out the code. She tried 4356 and got nothing. But when she tried 4653, the door slid open and she stepped inside.

As the door closed behind her, she heard a voice of sugary deception and knew it instantly. "Are you really supposed to be in here, human?"

She spun around and was face to face with Loki. "Prince Loki," she curtsied, "it's wonderful to see you again."

"Who are you?" Loki asked, noticing the scarf. "Where did you get that?"

"I found this in Asgard when I was a child. I was born there, you know. The only human born in Asgard, something of an anomaly. I am Iona."

"And what do you want with me?"

"I wanted to know if the rumors were true. It appears you are alive."

"I am indeed. Humans think me immortal."

"Are you then? Because I think you are planning your escape." She answered, a twinkle in her eye.

"My escape? You are a smart one. What do you want from me?"

"Nothing." She said simply. "Everything."

"How vague."

"I know that you think me lowly and human, but those idiots think they can hold me here because I am a human born on Asgard. Imprisoning me because of a birthright I did not want." She sat down in front of him.

Loki looked at her. She wasn't lying and that surprised him. Humans were known to lie more often than not and here she was, telling him everything; bearing her soul to him. It was something he only could dream of and here it was. "Go on."

"I'm sort of like you in a way. Everyone who knows about your origins: Loki, god of mischief and lies, a master sorcerer and a frost giant progeny. Yes, and I am Iona: a lonely human child not able to fit in on Earth. Not able to love any human because I cannot fathom being around them for too long." She looked up at him. "Only Asgard interests me."

A blast rocked where they were and Loki smiled. "You speak the truth to me."

"Only because a human cannot lie to a god. Nor should they, if they value their life."

"Indeed. I will take you with me on one condition." Loki looked at her dangerously. "You belong to me and you obey me. You do not question me and you do not fight me on anything. Is it agreed?"

Iona hesitated. This was what she wanted, but he just made her promise her very life to his whim and she didn't know if she could stop it. "I agree, my lord." She answered quietly.

The door slid open and a SHIELD operative came in with his gun aimed at her. She screamed in horror and Loki smiled again. She was indeed an enigma. One he intended on figuring out.

"Let me out. She's one of us." Loki said, as the guard lowered his weapon. The man walked to the console and opened the door to the prison as Thor screamed "NO!"

Now trapped inside the glass, Loki quipped. "Are you ever not going to fall for that?" Walking to Iona, he picked her up and held her hand. Thor noticed immediately. "You know, the humans think us immortal. Shall we test that?" He was poised to press the button.

"Step away please." Coulson said. "You like this? We made it after you sent the Destroyer. Even I don't know what it does."

"NO!" Thor shouted again as Loki delivered a mortal wound from behind. He then reappeared beside Iona and pressed the button that released Thor's cage.

Iona watched in horror, but said nothing.

"You going to lose." Coulson coughed.

"Am I?"

"It's in your nature." He responded.

"Your heroes are scattered, your floating fortress falls from the sky…where is my disadvantage?" Loki answered.

"You lack conviction." Coulson looked quickly at Iona and she took a step back, thinking Loki would finish the job.

"I don't think I…"

Loki got sent flying into the wall. "So that's what it does." Coulson said, almost smiling.

Iona, knowing that Loki was running out of time, went to him instead of Coulson, but Coulson didn't stop her. "Loki?" Iona stepped through the rubble. "Loki?"

She stopped when she saw him. "Are you ready to be mine?"

"What do you mean?" Iona looked at him fearfully.

"I need to mark you as mine." He grabbed her wrist and the tingling in her skin started. When he let go, there was a small Asgardian name in her wrist written magically.

"It says Loki." She looked at him.

"Yes, because any Asgardian or human or anything that touches you will be burned and I will feel it and defend my property." He sneered, then he surprised her by kissing her on the lips. "Let's go."

Iona wheeling from her kiss only nodded, wondering what else he had in store for her.