Natasha looked around for any weapon within reach, but there was nothing. She was trapped against a wall with only two feet of wood separating her from a murderous demi-god. On the bright side, though, he couldn't reach her from his position. He would have to shift to reach her, and that's when she would have to make her move. If she could taunt him into lunging blindly, she might have a chance to twist around him.

"You promised that before, and you failed," she replied, letting a mocking smile play on her lips. "Just like you failed with your glorious invasion. Face it, Loki, you'll always be a failure."

"Miserable quim," Loki snarled, lunging at her around the table.

But Natasha was ready. As soon as Loki released the pressure against the table, she used all her strength to flip it up into him. It crashed into his side and he stumbled backwards, and Natasha took the opportunity to dart past him and run for the couch.

She scooped up the bag and turned to run for the back door in the kitchen, but before she could, Loki tackled her. It was like being T-boned by a truck. Natasha smashed into the ground and the bag went flying out of her hands, landing on the stairs.

Loki grabbed her shoulder, trying to flip her onto her back, but she swung an elbow backwards and smacked him across the face. He let go with a muttered curse, and she was able to twist out from underneath him, springing towards the stairs—and her bag. Loki caught at her ankle, pulling her leg out from underneath her, but she kicked his hand away and scrambled back up, grabbing the bag and racing up the steps.

A part of her brain warned that there were no exits upstairs, but there was really nothing else to do at this point but keep running. She could hear Loki pounding after her, and she knew he was gaining. The thought would have scared her, but she was too focused on her goal to think about what was chasing after her. She skirted around Clint's sparring mat and burst into his bedroom, and that's when she spied the balcony door.

She started towards it, figuring she would shimmy down the support beams, but Loki caught her by the shoulder and flung her onto Clint's bed. Before she could jump up, he was on top of her. He swung a leg over her hips, straddling her and effectively trapping her under him. She tried to swing out a fist but he caught both wrists in one hand and pinned them above her head on the bed. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't jerk out of his grip—it was like steel.

"Am I still a failure, spider?" Loki gloated down at her. "It appears I'm the victor now, and I think it's high time I enjoy some of my spoils."

He leaned down and crushed his mouth against hers. Natasha squirmed underneath him, hating his metallic taste and the heat of so much of his body pressed down against so much of hers. With his free hand, he dug his thumb into her cheek hard enough that she opened her mouth to alleviate the pressure—giving him the chance to force his tongue inside.

Natasha bucked under him, wrenching her mouth out from under his. She tried to kick him, but her leg was still trapped under his weight.

"How I enjoy your spirit," Loki chuckled, sliding his hand up her side. Cold fingers wrapped around her shirt front as he leaned closer to her, whispering in her ear, "But I'll enjoy breaking it even more."

He pulled suddenly, tearing her shirt down the front and revealing her blue and black sports bra.

"Mmm, you certainly are tantalizing," he leered down at her. "I can see why Agent Barton was so smitten. Shall I take you like he did in Budapest? By the time I'm through, you'll forget all about him."

"Barton's twice the man you'll ever be," Natasha snapped.

Loki let out a harsh laugh. "Isn't it hard to compare before I've had my turn? Before I'm done, you'll be screaming my name. Now be a good girl and let me taste that sweet mouth again."

He kissed her again, his weight so hard against her she felt like she was suffocating. She tried to jerk away, but he was too strong.

Part of her wanted to just let him have his way and be done with it. It wasn't the first time she'd been through something like this, and she had gotten good at turning off her mind to the horror of the situation. If he thought he'd won, he would eventually let his guard down, and she'd be able to take advantage of it. But another part of her recoiled from that advice. She didn't want to just lay there and give Loki what he wanted, like he owned her.

So, despite her better judgment, she bit him.

Loki jerked back, blood trickling from his lip. "Insolent slut," he hissed, pulling back an arm and striking her across the face. She rocked to one side, ears ringing. Before she could recover, he had twisted her onto her stomach, so that she had to brace against the bed to hold herself up. He grabbed one of her arms and wrenched it up behind her back, kicking her legs apart at the same time. "I should have realized a whore like you would want it rougher," he growled, grinding against her. "Let me oblige you."

Natasha felt like her shoulder was going to be wrenched out of its socket, but she bit her lip to hold in the cry of pain threatening to escape. "Do you really think this has never happened to me before?" she grated out, trying to keep her voice steady and casual. "There's nothing you can do that hasn't already been done. You're just wasting your time."

"And yet I hear fear in your voice," Loki replied maliciously, his cheek against hers and his breath hot on her throat. He shoved a hand between her legs roughly. "But enough talk, spider. There's still so much I want to learn about you. I will tear you apart from the inside out."