Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel, I do not own the Avengers. If I did, then we would all know the answer to what really happened in Budapest and there's be a Strike Team: Delta Movie. I was inspired by two fanfics Loki Must Die and Frozen Web, specifically a small scene in Loki Must Die. I've seen this movie about five times (this year so far), hopefully I have a better idea at what I'm doing.

Chapter Three: Puppets

Clint raised his bow, the string taunt and ready with an arrow placed in the perfect position to take out the demigod's eye. Loki stood, his entire body stood in front of the closed door. He leaned gently back on his scepter, the blade was coated in dried blood mostly along the tip and edge. In the demigods other hand was a small black device Clint recognized as Natasha's ear piece, held securely between his pointer finger and thumb. He stared at Clint, his composure loose and relaxed with a devious smirk contorting his features. It seemed like Loki was taking pleasure out of an inside joke only he knew of, which only infuriated Clint more. But the archer took some pleasure in the nasty bruise already forming along the right of his jaw, clearly Natasha put up a fight.

Loki stared at Agent Barton, taking pleasure in seeing him so tense and wired. It was clear that his presence deeply disturbed the assassins, whether they acknowledged it or not. Loki took a step forward, gently kicking a scattered book out of his path, his eyes falling onto the small black trinket in his hands, "Such peculiar and advanced ways of communication..." Then, without even using all of his superhuman strength, he crushed the device between his fingers as if it was a grape, "But so fragile."

When Barton continued to stare coldly at him, slightly adjusting the arrow to follow his movements, Loki just sighed, "Not even a hello? Or a slight bow? That's not the proper way to treat a king Agent Barton, especially your king."

"You're no ones king," Clint's voice was strict, emotionless as his eyes glared darkly at Loki. But Loki saw the anger behind them, the outrage, and he knew he struck the right nerves.

"Aren't I?" Loki asked, his voice light and almost breathy. Loki stepped closer, his eyes flicking to the arrow very close to entering his eye socket, "Think about it Agent Barton, really think about it."

Clint glared as he refused to answer Loki and just focused on the arrow but Loki could see the resolve slowly crumple, soften at the blow of his words. Loki continued with his words, taking small steps closer to Agent Barton so as to not give him a reason to launch the arrow into his eye.

"You have many a reason to shoot me," Loki spoke, "But you haven't, why do you think that is?"

Clint blinked, and some tension hesitantly left his shoulders. His bow and arrow weren't held as rigidly, allowing Loki to gently push them aside without any resistance. He took advantage of Clint's situation, watching as the archer succumbed to Loki's trick. Clint's mind whirled, struggling with the concept of what Loki was "doing", filled with questions. Did Loki still have a lingering control over his mind? Was Loki really his king?

"Clint don't listen to him," Natasha spoke up, pulling him back to the present. The archers eyes widened then narrowed when he saw how close Loki was to him, his bow lowered nearly non threateningly at his side.

Loki turned his attention to Natasha, eyes glaring coldly at her, "Silence quim," He ordered, a tone as powerful as Fury's but darker and eviler. With his eyes on the red head, Barton readjusted the arrow and pulled the string back. An arrow buried itself in Loki's side, sticking out between the golden plates of his armor.

At the first notice of pain, his eyes narrowed dangerously and turned to the archer with a snarl. What little distance there was between them disappeared in a matter of seconds, leaving Natasha to witness the fight that was unfolding.

In a brief moment of anger Loki set his eyes on Clint, the archer suddenly knocked into the right wall with a smack that could only be topped if Thor had done it instead. The sound of Clint's head hitting the wall eerily echoed for a short second, his knees buckled a bit from the impact and his bow laid forgotten on the floor. Clint turned his head, slowly straightening himself as Loki slowly advanced towards him, the bloody arrow having been snapped and in ruins on the floor. Loki's hands, Clint noticed, looked blueish and a thin trail of cold condensation trailing behind him, disappearing almost immediately. As the deranged demigod shot his hand out, Clint pushed himself off the wall, making room for a splotch of ice to crackle and form on the wall. Loki turned, glaring at the archer while Clint tried to evaluate his next move. It was obvious what he needed, his bow, but Loki knew this as well. That was probably what Loki was hoping for.

But, Clint had a few others tricks up his sleeves other than arrows and a bow. As Clint dove out of the way from another attempt of freezing him in place, the action itself reminding him eerily of Frozen, he stuck his hand into his pocket. His hand closed around a tiny little dart, about the same size as a playing dart, but filled with a nerve numbing, paralyzing agent. The archer turned his eyes on Loki, his gaze had only left him for a few moments, when he threw the dart at the frost giant. The dart pierced a vulnerable area in Loki's outfit, and made it's way into his leg. With a confident smirk, Clint watched as the man in Asgardian gold, black, and green stumble, needing to use his staff as a walking stick now. It was funny, watching Loki struggling to stand on one appendage until his entire right leg just gave out and sent him sprawling onto the floor.

The moment he was down, Clint ran over. He took the long way, securing his now once again in his grip and stood cautiously around Loki, away from the reach of his scepter. Clint notched an arrow, prepared for some petty vengeance by shooting Loki in the eye. However, as Loki turned to face him, Hawk-Eye shot the arrow yet that wasn't the problem. When the arrow made contact with Loki's eye, the demigod himself disappeared in an image of gold glittered. At the same time, he heard Natasha give off a strangled, alarming cry.

Clint turned, paralyzed for a few seconds due to the cold fear and utter idiocy he felt coursing through him like ice water. Loki stood in front of Natasha, the blade of his scepter resting almost comfortably against the pale skin of her neck with the dried blood looking brighter. Loki however was standing with his complete attention towards Clint, ignoring the red head as he gently held the scepter, the edge down and allowing the smooth cold metal to press against her throat. It forced Natasha to let out another strangled, uncomfortable protest. She felt like she couldn't breath when she could, and the mental betrayal about her physical health and situation made Natasha curse herself silently. Her cries stirred anger in Clint but before he could even move, Loki was one step ahead.

Loki smirked, staring at the archer as he brought an arm back for an arrow, only for the frost giant to bring his hand out. Clint blinked, unable to process the blueish white light coming from Loki's palm and how he was suddenly frozen to the floor. The ice spread out around him on the floor for about an inch, almost fusing his feet to the floor. It completely paralyzed his legs and branched out from his waist, restricting his hips, up through the air and capturing his arms. His left arm was frozen so it was half bent backwards, trapped in the middle of getting an arrow while his right arm was poised straight out, frozen in the middle of holding his bow out. He no doubt looked stupid, but he highly doubted that that was their primary concern.

Loki chuckled, taking the scepter away from Natasha's throat. He looked at Clint with a smirk, twirling it in his hands. Clint glared at Loki while the god approached him, "I do apologize Agents Barton and Romanov for restraining you, but I'm afraid that it was the only way to get this done without nearly killing you."

"The only way? For what?" Natasha, though glaring at the back of Loki's ridiculous helmet, couldn't help be curious. She wanted to know why they weren't dead yet, why he had just admitted to not planning on murdering them yet. After all, wasn't this the best opportunity? What more could he want? He wasn't seriously going to try and get an audience was he?

Loki turned to look at Natasha, "What do you think Agent Romanov?" Natasha's face turned emotionless as did Clint's. They knew this was for revenge, but they expected more from Loki. But Loki smirked at their expressions, "However, I've realized something in my isolation. You and Agent Barton, you're the two people I need to weasel information out of your targets and use it against them. It is what your nest at is it not? And my plan requires the very best spies in order to destroy those pesky Avengers."

"If that's your way into sweet talking us into working with you then you can forget it," Clint glared, indignation filling his voice. Loki had the idiotic guts to actually ask them this? To betray their friends? Clint would rather drink from a toilet or anything else other than that.

"I'm not asking Agent Barton, I'm telling," Loki spun and took the scepter, making a jab for Natasha.

Everything seemed to slow down for Clint, watching as the scepter seemed to slow at the last minute, resting against her chest. For a split second, both men could see the shock and indescribable fear filling the green of her eyes before they turned black altogther. His breath hitched, was that what happened to him when Loki took over his mind? Loki smirked, taking a quiet pleasure from the fear he caused Natasha and the emotional pain he was inflicting on Clint. Natasha's once stiff body relaxed and loosened under the ice, her eyes refocusing in a new otherworldly blue.

Clint stared, in disbelieve as he heard Natasha roll off a few words in Russian, though too soft for him to know exactly what it was she said. But, as she focused her gaze right at Loki, Clint knew he lost her to the same torture he'd been through during the Battle of New York, the same torture she'd face long before him. Loki turned, looking at Clint now as he walked over to the archer, holding his scepter up for him to see.

"Do not fear Agent Barton, I can assure you that this will be as quick and painless as the first time," Loki taunted, bringing the scepter up to his chest now and tapping it just against his heart. The last thing Clint saw before his vision went dark was Natasha staring at him, with those unnatural and haunting blue eyes.

Happy Pi Day! :D I am so sorry I took a while, hopefully the length will make up for it. I've even dying to write that ending for forever! And trust me, if I didn't have a free day this morning and my birthday tomorrow, I would have probably waited a bit. Also, happy early St. Patricks Day!

Also, please review! I gotta know what you think of this chapter. And as for Agents of SHIELD, it feels like we just found out Ward is hydra all over again! It hurts! Ugh... But I hope you really like this chapter. Please review!