A/N: Hi again! I know! I'm updating twice in the same month, holy crap! I decided to post this chapter in honor of Iron Man 3 coming out! (if you haven't seen it, get thee to a movie theater. It's beautiful.) Anyways, this chap was kinda rushed, but I hope its kinda good ;).

Oh, and a big shout out to those who reviewed last chapter:

Ellize Avalon, Loki'sdreamer, smore9,NINJAkitten214, katsnowstorm, PlaguingYourDreams, Sesshomaru'sGinstuki, arnoldloveshelga7, Guest, angel-inthetardis

You guys rock!

P.S. I don't own shit.


Kate shoved her hands deeper into her pockets and shivered. London was always chilly in November, but this was ridiculous. She burrowed her face into her thick, knitted scarf as she made her way down an almost unrecognizable Shaftesbury Avenue, completely devoid of people, which was quite odd at 8:00 on a Friday night. Loki must have enacted a mandatory curfew.

"Can't believe I'm doing this again." She mumbled to herself. "Bloody déjà vu." Kate huffed as she thought back to how she'd gotten herself into this mess...

"Me?" Kate whispered.

"Yes." Fury responded as he pointed his finger at her. "You."

"You can't be serious, Fury!" Tony shot from his seat at the table, along with all the other people and one very enraged God Of Thunder. "If I'm not mistaken, which I rarely ever am, the last time you tried to turn Kate into a double agent, a psycho god formed an obsessions that nearly got her killed!"

"Stark's right." Natasha said. "If anything, Loki will be even more suspicious of her now then he ever was. It's not likely that he'll give her his trust."

"Loki is not in his right mind." Fury stated, crossing his arms. "We could turn his obsession with Agent Poole to our advantage."

"Loki will see right through the deception." Clint said from his side of the table. "He may not be mentally stable, but he's still smarter and more powerful than most of us."

"The archer is right." Thor stated. "Loki is the God of Lies. It is almost impossible to trick the trickster." After Thor's statement, the remaining Avengers began bickering between themselves. Kate lost it.

"Stop it!" She shot from her seat and her compatriots fell quiet. "Do I have no say in this?" She demanded. "After all, it's my life that's at risk."

"She's got a point." Banner, who had remained mostly silent to that point, remarked softly as he went to stand next to Kate. She turned to give the soft spoken scientist a small smile of thanks.

"Very well," Fury replied, "what is your decision then, Poole." Kate lowered her gaze and took a deep breath before raising her head once more to address the whole table.

"I agree that Loki is not exactly sane," She spoke, causing Tony to snort in sarcastic amusement, "but I will do whatever is necessary to protect this planet and its people." She stated with a conviction she did not feel as she stood up a little straighter. "Even if it means giving up my own life to do so."

"The ultimate sacrifice." Steve muttered.

"Kate," Tony placed a hand on her arm, "you can't-"

"It's alright, Tony." She placed her hand over his. "I must do what needs to be done." She turned her gaze on Fury again. "When do I start?"

Kate let out a humorless bark of laughter.

"You did this to yourself." She mumbled moodily. "Stupid git." She made her way down the deserted, snow-covered sidewalk, but a moment later, she froze in her tracks when she heard a low rumble in the distance. It grew closer by the second, and as it neared, the ground began to shake beneath her feet. "Shit." She swore under her breath as she spotted the source of the noise. About a dozen of Loki's Chitauri mounted on hovercrafts were headed straight for her. They were still about a mile off, but they were gaining fast. Kate turned and sprinted down the nearest side street as she pulled a satellite phone out of her coat pocket and pressed speed dial. The phone only had time to ring once before she heard Fury's voice on the other end.

"Status?" He questioned simply.

"A Chitauri patrol spotted me and are in pursuit." Kate responded breathlessly. God, I'm out of shape, she thought to herself as she bolted down another darkened side street, heading in the direction of Piccadilly Circus. "I'm letting them chase me for a bit so as not to appear too willing to be captured." She remarked sarcastically.

"Good thinking, Poole." Fury said. "When they capture you, you know what to do."

"Yes, sir." She replied.

"Good luck, Poole." He said before the line went dead.

"Thanks a lot." Kate muttered as she threw the phone against the nearest building, causing it to shatter into pieces. She heard the rumble of the Chitauri hovercrafts in hot pursuit and slowed her run to a jog. She only had a moment to catch her breath before they caught up to her and surrounded her, guns loaded and pointed at her from every direction. She came to a complete stop and put her hands over her head.

"Don't shoot!" She shouted. "I surrender!"


Loki was sitting behind his ornate desk in his large study reviewing state documents when his scepter, which was leaning against the desk beside him, began glowing brightly. He wrapped his hand around it and instantly felt the familiar pulling sensation in his chest that signified he was being Summoned. His eyes slipped shut and when he opened them a moment later, he was faced with the barren, rock covered dimension of the Other.

"You seem to have forgotten your purpose, Asgardian." The hooded creature spoke from his position next to a jagged rock wall, almost completely hidden in shadow.

"And what purpose would that be?" Loki questioned snidely.

"You made a deal with my Master." He slunk away from the rock wall and slowly approached Loki. "Earth for Asgard." He circled behind Loki as he spoke. "The Chitauri have aided my Master in fulfilling his end of the bargain, and now it is time that you fulfill yours."

"I am working on it." The Other raised his hand as if to strike him, but froze when Loki added. "I am working diligently."

"It has been over a year." The Other took a step towards Loki. "Your slow progress wouldn't have anything to do with that mortal woman you show a suspicious amount of attention towards, would it?" Loki stiffened, his grip tightening on the handle of his scepter at the mention of Kate.

"Asgard is nearly impenetrable." Loki stated. The Others face morphed into what could only be described as a snarl.

"My Master bid me tell you that if Asgard is not under his rule in a years time, that he will come and destroy that pitiful excuse for a planet and you along with it." Loki's eyes widened at this and before he could even react, he felt himself being pulled back to his own dimension. When his eyes opened, he was again seated behind his desk. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk, his head dropping into his hands. He nearly jumped when there was a loud knock on his study door.

"Enter." He ordered as he picked up his pen and turned his attention again to the documents before him. A moment later, a Chitauri commander entered the room and stood at attention.

"My King." The Chituari growled.

"Speak." He stated simply.

"We have captured another SHIELD agent." When Loki continued writing and didn't respond, the commander continued. "It is Agent Poole, my King." Loki hand stilled. After a few moments, he slowly set his pen down and sat back in his chair.

"Bring her." He rose from his chair and made his way to the throne room, his armor and helmet shimmering into place as he went.

The time had finally arrived.


Kate made a show of struggling against her captors as they dragged her up the stairs of what used to be St. Paul's and through the gilded double doors. Two Chitauri dragged her down the long aisle and towards the golden throne at the end where the alter used to be. Although her head was lowered, she could feel his gaze on her. When they reached the raised dais on which the throne rested, her two captors forced her to her knees and moved to stand behind her. Then, and only then, did she slowly raise her gaze to meet his.

"Hello, Kate." She stared at him intently for a moment before breaking the gaze and taking in her surroundings.

"I love what you've done with the place." She said as she gestured to the grand throne room as she tried rise to her feet, but was pushed to her knees again by the two guards behind her.

"I've been looking everywhere for you and your comrades."

"Oh really?" She questioned sarcastically. "I had no idea." Loki frowned as he gripped the arms of his throne.

"Still as fiery as ever, I see." His frown turned to a smirk. "And where, may I ask, have you been these past months?"

"Oh, you know," she shrugged her shoulders, "just hiding from you."

"That was unwise, dear Kate." Loki leaned forward in his throne. "But why come to London now, after all these months and knowing the dangers you faced?"

"Would you believe me if I said I was homesick?" She questioned sheepishly. Loki just glared at her and she sighed. "It's actually quite simple." she stated. "I was tired of hiding."

"And why should I trust anything you have say after everything you have done?" Loki inquired.

"Everything I've done?" Kate feigned ignorance.

"You betrayed me!" Kate stared wide eyed at Loki, shocked at his emotional outburst, but he quickly regained his regal composure. When Kate didn't speak, Loki added quietly. "Do you not remember?" He raised his eyebrows and stared at Kate questioningly. "If memory serves, it occurred more than once."

"I had no choice, Loki. You were crazed." Are crazed, she thought to herself. Loki's face lit up with a maniacal smile.

"Crazed you say?" He chuckled darkly. "You do not know the meaning of the word." He leaned back in his throne and stroked his chin thoughtfully "Now back to the matter at hand. What to do about you, my sweet." Shit. Kate gulped. The situation was going downhill fast.

"You could let me go." She offered, knowing that he would never even consider that as an option.

"And let your treachery go unpunished?" He smirked. "I think not." Loki rose from his throne and made his way down the dais and towards where Kate was kneeling. "The first offense I overlooked, even going so far as to offer you the now coveted position of my Queen, but the other deceptions..." Loki clicked his tongue disapprovingly "I shall not be so lenient." He reached down and twisted a strand of her hair around his finger, the digit brushing her cheek in the process. "I will make you wish that you had not betrayed me at all and passed up the opportunity to be Queen of this realm." Shit, shit, shit. God, why did I let Fury bully me into this situation, she thought to herself. She tried to lean away from Loki, but he grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her to her feet. "From now on, you will be my slave..." He locked eyes with her and smiled maliciously, "and my whore." He motioned for the two guards to come forward as he removed his hand from her hair. "Take her to my quarters."

Kate felt two sets of hands clamp around her arms and force her towards a smaller door behind Loki's throne. She struggled with all her might, but her captors didn't budge as they dragged her through the door. That didn't exactly go as planned, she thought. The last thing she saw before the door shut, was Loki as he stared after her, a mad smile pasted on his face. Well, at least I'm on the 'inside' now. At this thought, Kate frowned.

She really was well and truly fucked.


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