I was standing outside the prison cells as I kept watch, slightly relaxing in the sun as the breeze ruffled my long brunette hair. Soon a figure coming toward me caught my eye.

"What is that?" I asked cautiously to the approaching maid, she held a tray in her arms with a cloth draped over it, hiding it contents from view.
"It is the prince's meal." Her voice was timid, and she kept her eyes locked firmly on the floor.

"I thought Delia prepared and delivered Loki's meals. Where is she?" I lifted the cloth and could see it was indeed his meal, extravagant as always. Letting the cloth drop back down I looked up to her, as she still hadn't answered my question and refused to meet my gaze.

"Well?" I asked after a stretch of silence.
"She was reassigned." She finally answered and kept squirming on the spot. Sighing I waved her through to take the meal. But she stayed rooted to the spot; quickly she put the tray in my hands and ran as fast as she could away.

"Come back here!" I shouted but it was no good, she was long gone. Fast for a maid. I wish this was the first time this had happened but as of late it was a weekly occurrence, soon they'll run out of maids, I'm sure of it.

I gritted my teeth and seeing as there was nothing else I could do, I would have to take Loki's meal to him. I turned and begrudgingly set off into the dark hallways beneath the palace of Asgard.

Navigating the dimly lit hallways it was easy to see why the maids hated doing this, it was dark and creepy down here, and if I had the choice I wouldn't be doing this either. It was like a set right out of a horror film. The gun on my belt helped me feel more at ease but I liked being outside of the walls, with the sun on my face, I could fool myself into thinking I was back home, where I belonged.

Not that it was much better there either.

I came here a few months ago when Loki was taken back to Asgard to face punishment, I was sent along with them as Earths representative. As the only Agent candidate with the training, the clearance and the willingness to go I was picked.

I soon regretted my decision as soon as I came face to face with Loki for the first time. They weren't exaggerating when they warned me about him, just being near him had all my nerves on high alert.

Just his presence was intimidating and if not for my pride I would have marched back to Fury and told him 'no can do I'm out'. But here I am, on Asgard, playing glorified babysitter to a psychopath.

Finally, I arrived at the cell door and I nodded to the guards at the door.
"Miss Daniels, another maid gone?" Amur asked with a hint of amusement in his voice as Galdin looked straight past me, ignoring our conversation. I was getting the impression he didn't like me.
"This one practically shoved it at me and ran away." I replied sighing.

Amur laughed as he unlocked the huge steel and wood doors, as they opened I could see the glinting gold shimmer of the cell barriers.
"Good luck." Amur said as I walked in, I smiled at him before the heavy doors once again closed behind me.

I began to walk to the end of the cells where Loki was, as I tried to block out the heavy shouting and banging from the cells on both sides of me. Most of it in languages I couldn't even understand, wasn't sure I wanted to either. They didn't sound friendly.

The cells became less and less populated as I went on. Loki's was kept out of the way and isolated, I don't know whose safety it was for, but it was a pain in my ass. I came up to his cell and he was sitting on the bed his mother had insisted he was given, surrounded by his books and luxuries provided for him.

He might be a prisoner, but he was also still a prince of Asgard. I raised my eyebrows when his gaze found me and the smirk on his face was apparent. He didn't even try to hide it.

"Why Miss Daniels, how lovely to see you again and so soon." I could tell he was mocking me and I didn't appreciate it.
"It's Agent. Scared off another maid Loki?" I asked as he stood up and walked closer to the barrier separating us.

He rested his arm against it, trying to stare me down, but it never worked. He still tried though.
"I merely tried to converse with her." He said innocently. "Regaled her with tales of my time on Midgard. Who knew they would react so strangely. I was being friendly."

"You told her about the whole cutting out the guy's eye in Germany story didn't you?" I narrowed my eyes as he began to laugh.
"Well it is my favourite story." He shrugged, and I sighed in return.

I stepped up to the barrier with heavy feet.
"You better start behaving, or they'll run out of maids to bring you your food." I warned as I pushed the tray through, as it sat next to his feet. "And then you will starve."

"Well you could always bring me my meals. I might prefer that." His voice had turned from mocking to something else, more like flirtatious and I almost scoffed at the mere thought of it.
"Careful Loki some people might take that as a compliment." I laughed as I backed up from the barrier putting a comfortable space back between us.

"Maybe it was meant as one." He said, and I finally looked to his face, his smirk was gone as he looked at me. He carried on as I studied him.

"You are more entertaining than the pitiful maids they send down here. Some run as soon as the tray touches the floor, meek fools who provide me with little entertainment to break up the monotony of my days down here." He picked up the tray and placed it on the bed, soon forgetting it and turning back to me.

"You're supposed to be being punished down here Loki, the maids are here to bring you food, not a show and dance. And I am meant to be keeping an eye on everything here. I'm an Agent of Shield, not your glorified waitress." There was a warning in my voice, but it only served to being the grin back to his face.

I turned on my heel and began walking away. I could hear his laughing behind me as he shouted behind me. "I'll see you soon agent Daniels."

I hurried out of the cells and was soon outside again, I wasn't a claustrophobic person but being down there had that effect on me. I took in a deep breath of air and eventually my heart calmed down to its normal beating rhythm, I closed my eyes and stood in the breeze.

At first being here, it didn't seem so bad, all I had to do was monitor his meals, make sure he wasn't receiving anything he shouldn't. Babysitting. Make sure he was secure, report back to Fury every couple of days with a status account and it was always the same.

'He is secure, no attempts to escape, no attempts to break him out, all is going smoothly.' But then he started scaring off the maids who went to him. Whether it was to clean his cell or take his meals, none of them could hold out for long.

And now they couldn't even get through a week. At first, I thought he wanted to be left alone, wanted to completely shut himself away.

The first time I took his meal to him, he didn't even look my way at first which was fine with me. I left the food and left, simple. But then he began to talk to me on the odd times I went down. I remember the first full conversation we actually had.

"You're not of Asgard." It wasn't poised to me as a question but I answered it.
"No I'm not. I'm an agent of shield. Agent Daniels." Seemingly he wasn't paying attention when I was introduced to him as I was assigned to his case. Well he had just been defeated and pummelled into the ground by Dr. Banner a couple of times, a concussion wasn't too much of a leap.

"What are you doing here?" He didn't even take his eyes off his book, apparently deeming me unworthy of his full attention, which at the time I resented.
"Your maid was feeling ill and unable to bring you your meal, don't worry I'm sure she will be back soon." I tried to leave but he kept talking.

"She won't be back, I told her if I ever see her face again, I would kill her." He gave a small laugh. "Now I see she took my little joke seriously." Finally his book was forgotten.
"You can't do much to anyone from in there." I told him, raising an eyebrow.

He smiled. "She doesn't know that."

With a roll of my eyes I had left, hoping it was the first and last time I had to converse with the imprisoned prince. But as time went on he began scaring more and more of the maids away. Which meant I had to keep venturing down there as they refused to. I think he liked still being able to cause trouble even locked away in a cell.

After a while it became a weekly event, me taking him his food, him engaging me in conversation and I couldn't help but talk back. He was as intriguing as he was intimidating, but the more I talked to him the less threatening he was.

After a while I think he enjoys seeing me, if not just for the way I answer back to him. It's more interaction than anyone else provides. It was stupid to think that way, as I was part of the race he described as 'ants', him being the 'boot'. I believe were his words.

A strong gust of wind brought back to the present and out of my reminiscing, I had to go report that another maid was refusing to go down to Loki's cell. Not to Fury, he didn't care about the running of the Asgard palace. I would have to go to Gretel the head of housekeeping in this place, she was nice enough, but quick to make angry. Which is all I seemed to do.

She might be considered scary, but not nearly enough to rival Fury… But close, maybe it's an Asgardian thing. I made my way through the palace passing people as I went. I stood out her not only because I wasn't Asgardian but because of my black shield uniform, among a sea of colour it didn't help me blend in any.

I was offered clothing upon my arrival, but I felt more comfortable in my own clothes, they weren't as flowing and translucent as the offered garments. What if I had to run or fight someone? They seemed impractical, but I did keep them, just in case.

I passed a few of the maids I recognised, all faces that couldn't take being around the locked-up prince. I couldn't blame them really, if I had another choice I wouldn't be here either, and they looked a lot happier away from there.

A few people eyed me curiously as I made my way, but I was used to it by now, as I said I stand out. I came up to Gretel's door and quickly knocked before letting myself in. Impatient to update her and leave. As I entered I could see she wasn't alone and Frigga was sitting in a chair at her desk, looking over papers.

"Oh. Sorry for the intrusion." I quickly apologised and went to close the door but I was stopped by Frigga's voice.
"Come in Anna, we were merely discussing some plans for some renovations." Her voice was warm and regal as she waved me forward.

I shut the door and did a quick bow, still awkward around the more serious members of the royal family of Asgard. Frigga was the only person who referred to me by my first name, I preferred being called Agent Daniels, but I wasn't about to correct a queen.

"I need to discuss the situation with Loki." I kept my eyes averted not wanting to look at Frigga directly, I knew her adopted son was a delicate subject and I had to tread carefully. So instead I focused my gaze on Gretel's face as it turned from friendly to annoyed at the mention of Loki.

"What situation?" She asked her voice betraying some of her emotion. Annoyance mostly.
"The maids keep refusing to go down there. Another today, she's the fourth this week alone." I heard a sigh as Gretel slumped down into a chair next to the queen.

"Your majesty, I'm sorry to say none of the girls will go down there now. This was my last one. They're all terrified and no matter what I say they refuse to go. There is really only one person who seems up to the job." I felt her gaze slid not so subtly to me. I instantly shook my head.

"No Gretel, I'm an Agent of shield. I'm here to monitor the situation with Loki and keep an eye on things. Not serve him his meals." Her face quickly fell into a deep scowl as she quietly fumed away.

Then I felt a delicate hand on my shoulder and the queen was standing next to me. I hadn't even realised she had stood up and walked over. Ninja queen apparently.

"I am deeply sorry to have to ask this of you Anna, but it seems you are the only one who is willing to go and the only one he cannot scare away. I would go to him myself but alas, I am forbidden to see him until his punishment is over." Her eyes looked down sadly and I couldn't imagine what not being able to see your son felt like.

Adopted or not, her love for her son was evident.

"And I wouldn't ask it of you if it could be helped." She continued, and I inwardly groaned. Knowing that anything Frigga asked, I would probably do. I don't know what it was about this woman, but she has a way of getting you to do things, you would never normally do.

"Would you see to taking his meals, just until I find a suitable replacement?" I tried to make myself refuse. Tell her I'm an agent, I'm here strictly for monitoring from a safe distance and nothing more, that I didn't work my ass off for 8 years at Shield to become a butler.

But try as I might all that I could manage to say was.

"Whatever you need from me your majesty." And just like that she had me, if I didn't know any better I would wager Loki learnt his silver tongue from none other than his mother.

Adopted or not we learn from those who raise us, whether we like it or not.

And Loki had been taught well.

***Author note***

Hello!

I am back. After three stories of the Joker, I decided I would put out this short Loki story.

Because who doesn't love Loki?

If you raised your hand leave the Fan-fiction! I shan't have that disrespect, not in my fanfic household. You respect your mamma and our favourite characters.

But yeah, a small Loki story, if you're not here for this, that is totally fine. I will be putting out more Joker stories soon. Just wanted to write this story as it's been sitting in my brain and in my folders for a while now.

It won't be much longer than 15 chapters?
Or around that.

I needed a break with the Clown prince of chaos and instead have the Prince and God of mischief...
I see some minor correlation here...

My prince charming's are insane.

But yes, keep an eye on this space, follow if this sounds like something you're interested in. And chapter two will be out soon.

Reviews give me life force!