He needed distraction, books, his own tricks, the guards walking past his cell at the same times everyday and throwing and catching a goblet only had a certain amount of entertainment for a mind like his. Maybe that was what Odin had in mind, slowly driving him insane until he begged for death. Was this really better? Certain deaths waited for him beyond Asgard, and slow withering inside this cell. And another conjuring of his mother and the truths he knew deep down would be too much to bear. In frustration the goblet went flying. Damn this!

For once the cells were relatively quiet. Unbidden, thoughts of his conquest of Midgard floated around his head; he blanked out the failures and focused instead on the poor souls who he had enlightened. Once he made them see the truth, they were so much happier. Eric Selvic had been the first, almost too easy, but his thoughts drifted around his other servants.

He chuckled darkly at the fight some had put up, in the end they all submitted. Once the sceptre touched their hearts, they were his creatures, loyal to his every whim, every man, woman and child. If only he hadn't been thwarted by his brothers little friends. The Avengers. A laughable name really, but he had no time to dwell on failure, instead he allowed his thoughts to come to life, his cell becoming a laboratory, screams filling the air as his soldiers secured the scientists he needed.

He smiled as the projections began to kneel. They were intellectuals, not soldiers and just so, it was their minds he had come for. Showing them light and truth was almost as easy as it had been with Selvic. It took mere seconds and it was done. Minds available to help Selvic stabilise the portal that much faster, it was almost disappointing not to have a real challenge. Humans were so meek. They were made for ruling; it was almost a shame not to rule them.

"You sons of whores! Let ME GO!"

He had enjoyed this moment most of all, his guards dragging her in. she twisted and kicked. Writhed and convorted, but she was a small thing, and no match for his loyal guards. She knew it, he could almost smell the terror on her, but she wouldn't show it. She was boiling seething rage begin dragged towards him by his guards.

"Your highness, this one was trying to escape, we aren't sure if you want her."

She collapsed, or at least attempted to, held up by the unflinching guards before lashing out with coltish legs and growling. He had seen a fair few good fights in his day, but this one was going to be fun.

"Piss Off you bastard! I will not be brainwashed like these other sods! I'd rather DIE!"

She had lunged at him with the last word. Teeth bared, so animalistic he had to laugh, which in turn produced a snarl. Not many humans did that. This wisp of a girl had spirit. No doubt about that, but she was of no use to him, clearly she was an apprentice of these scientists, or an intern. A waste really. And he had all that he needed. He raised his sceptre to end her life. Waiting for the glint of fear in those brown eyes. It would almost be a kindness.

Yet, she wouldn't give him that speck of fear, she knew she was about to die, yet she laughed, straining closer, daring him to kill her. She wasn't fearless, she was just defiant. She'd be a martyr and a hero once word of this spread. There was nothing humans loved more than stupid heroes giving their lives for freedom. She had to be changed, he could find a place for her in his scheme, that or she could stand in the corner and look pretty, a reminder of what he was trying to achieve. A god like him calling a slave like this pretty. His soft laugh filled the lab.

She wasn't even pretty for a human, she was neither short nor tall, she had something exotic about her face, that showed even through the savagery, her dark hair seemed both shaggy and sleek at once and her body was at odds and ends, for whatever reason he thought of Sleipnir.

"You are a foolish child, but you may serve a purpose with me."

She trashed more violently as the sceptre approached her chest. A simple touch and he would enter and rearrange that mind completely, for the first time in a long time he was curious. This was no willing and kneeling sheep, her mind would put up as much fight as she had. No matter, it would be broken.

In one of her attempts to launch herself backwards the sceptre finally made contact with her heaving chest, sending him inside her mind. Memories, thoughts and emotions whipping around him like a blur, as cruel as the winds in that abyss he had been trapped in and as vicious as a sand storm. He had to find a weakness within this turmoil, with so many others it had been submission and fear, but with her those emotions were bound and beaten and tied in a trunk somewhere. He had walked into a pit of anger, snakes nipping his heels, wolves tearing at his clothes. Unfortunately for this one his children were worse monsters than these worms and pups that protected her. She had learnt the legends, Norse Mythology they called it. He was getting distracted, where was her damn sense of freedom!

Finally, he found it, the great lie that ruled all these humans. Deep down they needed to be ruled and she was no different, she objected at first, but then she saw the light, as they all must. He watched the change take over her, his ideals taking over her mind. Once he had it the dark emotions began to fade. She was so young and childlike, pure at the core, but not weak, and very obedient, how strange considering the fight she gave him.

He stepped back into his own mind to see the brown eyes turn black before glowing blue, exhaling sharply before blinking at him, the fight leaving her body as she awaited his next order. The guards dropped her; she was as docile as a doe. He was panting too, he couldn't have asked for a better mind to tear apart.

"Welcome to my army little one, now tell me was that really so bad?"

The rest lab faded away until she stood in the cell with him. What form of madness was this? Human woman? That was Thor's folly! This was no woman too, she was a girl, and one who had hated every bit of him. It was invigorating that now he could make her do anything, command her love, her spirit… everything!

No… enough! He touched her and she faded away, her face almost quizzical. It had been a mistake; she was a mistake from the start. One little girl, a useless girl! And for what means? A sympathetic ear? A cup of wine in the evenings? Now where was she? Torturing herself in that lab, looking after animals doomed to die in some experiment he was just as masochistic as that silly little girl. He had been blind and foolish. Next time, there would be no weakness, no false security and comforts. Unconsciously he wandered back to his goblet, collapsing onto his bed. If it was back to throwing goblets, so be it. This would be a dull wait, but something was about to change that…