I don't own Loki, Natasha or Clint. Just having fun with them.

Natasha was unsure when she regained consciousness, because when she came to, she could see nothing except a faint light from high above. She knew it was the entrance to the cave, because she could hear a quiet whisper that was the echo of their chanting coming from the same direction. She found she could not move much, as most of her body was trapped in a thick, cold, glutinous substance. She tried hard not to panic.

She stilled as she heard a rustling sound close by, almost lost in the echoes. A snake? The sound was followed by another, a low, gravelly growl. She strained to see what it was behind her, and out of the very corner of her eye she caught a hint of green, glowing eyes, like those of a starving wolf at the edge of the forest.

She was not a superstitious woman, but she had seen enough of the world to know there were many unimagined things in it. Right now, she almost hoped it was a wolf, for then it would be over soon. But something, perhaps the way her skin crawled, told her that she was not so lucky as that.

Slowly she realized that the cold gelatinous muck she had landed in was drawing away from her, or perhaps she was rising, it was hard to tell without a frame of reference. The eyes blinked, moving to face her more fully, and there seemed something almost... human about them.

"Who is there?" she asked, her voice rough and shaky from screaming.

She was rewarded with an incredulous chuckle. "Don't you know?" a man's voice, tenor and strangely accented, drifted to her from the darkness. It bounced around the walls of the cave, until she was unsure where it came from. The eyes continued to study her, and they no longer blinked.

She shook her head, unsure how well she could be seen. "I come from another place, far away."

"As do I," there was another chuckle, but it sounded somehow melancholy. "Why are you here?" he sounded curious.

Natasha rubbed at her sore throat. "Sacrifice?" she suggested.

"Well yes, obviously," the eyes came closer and she felt long, slender, cold fingers take a gentle grip on her chin. "But you are not the usual fare, and it has been many years since they have seen fit to pay me heed. They follow a new god now."

Natasha tried to make out his face in the darkness, but she could not. All she could see were the two green orbs, which suddenly seemed to draw her in, mesmerizing her. She felt herself becoming lost in them, until suddenly she began remembering things, first how the villagers had thrown her in the cave, then the impromptu trial in the village square, then meeting with Lars, other men before that, coming to the village, her last meeting with Clint, and so on backwards until she began to remember the day she ran away.

She shook her head and closed her eyes, breaking away from his spell and his grip. She did not want to remember that.

"How very intriguing," the voice behind the green eyes muttered. She was about to ask what he meant when the sound of many wolves howling surrounded them. It dragged on for a long moment, sending a shiver up her spine. Once it had ended, it echoed and bounced on up the walls of the pit. The chanting from above stopped, and she could hear the sounds of the villagers leaving.

"What was that?" she asked.

"It means that I have accepted the sacrifice. I cannot think with that incessant noise." He seemed to study her a moment longer, and she started to squirm.

Suddenly he blinked and seemed to step back a bit. "Forgive my manners," he said, and from the dip in his eyes she could tell he had bowed. "It is a long time since I have had company."

All around them, torches flared to life, and she jumped, staring up at them. They revealed a long tunnel in the stone before her, and a black, mirror-like surface beneath her bare feet.

"It's what caught you. Couldn't have the sacrifices dying before I get to them could I?"

She looked up, slowly, unsure what kind of monster she would see. Instead, she saw a man. A handsome man at that, albeit deathly pale and a little thin. The thinness only served to accent his high, sharp cheekbones, and his pale skin contrasted well with his green eyes. His midnight-dark hair swept back from his forehead and hung to his shoulders, flipping up in what looked like a wind-tossed mess. He continued to study her with a wolfish grin, but she could tell it was her reaction he was watching for.

She dropped her eyes to study his clothes, a long dark green cloak with gold embroidery and studded with green gems. Polished leather boots peeked out from below. Well he was certainly dressed like a god, she thought, rubbing her arms to keep warm.

"You must be cold," he said, almost kindly, and suddenly there was a fur cloak in his hands. He wrapped it around her shoulders, and she ran a hand across the fur, trying to guess what it was. Wolf, she realized. She glanced up to find him studying her again. She dropped her gaze, not wanting to fall back under his spell.

"Come," he held out a hand, and she took it. It was freezing. "It seems I must... initiate you into my mysteries." he smiled as if it were a joke, and began leading her down the stone tunnel. There were many twists and turns, and Natasha despaired of ever finding her way out.

At last they came to a grand cavern. It was dark as they approached, but once they entered torches sprang to life and a great roaring fire lit up an enormous fireplace at the far end. There was a throne next to it, and a great table that filled with food as she watched. She stared at it all with wide eyes, turning to take in the otherworldly beauty of it. As she came full circle, her gaze fell again on the man with the green eyes. He was smiling again.

"This is incredible!" she laughed.

"Always nice to have someone appreciate your work," he said cockily.

"You made this?"

He shrugged, pushing away from the wall he was leaning against. "If I am to be trapped here for all eternity, I might as well enjoy it."

She frowned at him. "Who are you?"

"Again my manners fail me. I should have introduced myself. I," he gave a low, flourishing bow, coming up grinning, "am the mad god, Loki."

A/N: I had a lot of fun coming up with the characterization for Loki in this story. While he mostly looks like Hiddlesloki (from the movie) he has a couple aspects of his comic book form, including looking a little less polished and the black fingernails. As for his personality, he's part Hiddlesloki, part comic book Loki (who is a MUCH bigger jerk), part Phantom of the Opera, part Beast from Beauty and the Beast, and a teensy bit Sheogorath from Oblivion. That part makes him really fun to write, but it can get annoying when I'm trying to write sexy bits. And yes, there are sexy bits coming up very soon.