I found my way to Loki's holding cell without needing any directions. He was unguarded; I assumed that the cell must be secure enough that he didn't require any agents close by. It did look quite sturdy. I recalled Fury's speech about how the cell could be simply dropped out of the sky, if the need arose. That was pretty hardcore, but the guy was a terrorist. At any rate, being in Loki's presence was perfect; it made it impossible to focus on my personal problems.

The god of lies had his back facing me when I walked in. He turned when he heard my approach.

"Ah. The little hero returns," he said, smiling. "What brings you to my prison? I must admit, I did not expect this visit."

"You didn't see me coming? I get the impression that you've predicted almost everything else so far," I frowned, stepping up closer to the glass. I decided to be honest. "Frankly, I'm here because I'm out of ideas."

Loki stepped closer as well. The man really did have an eerie look to him, though I suspected his skin was not always so pale. He seemed strained, as though his mission was wearing on him more than any of us.

"You seem troubled," he noted, drawing me back from my thoughts. "Are my plans keeping you up at night? The Tesseract out of reach, with no hope of finding it in time-"

"Oh, we'll find it," I said, rolling my eyes. "You're being a nuisance, but don't think that that means you've won. There is one thing that's bothering me, though: you let yourself get caught."

"Did I really?" Loki asked, his eyes alight with mischief. "And why would I do that?"

"I don't know, but I'd rather we not find out the hard way."

I had a feeling we would be doing just that, though. Loki wasn't just going to offer up the information. Hopefully the fallout wouldn't be too bad and we would at least find the Tesseract quickly.

"Something else troubles you," Loki said, watching me. "I'm flattered that you come to me in your time of need, but I'm afraid there's nothing I can do while inside this cage."

"I'm not letting you out," I smirked. "You must think I'm completely stupid."

"On the contrary, I think you're actually quite clever. I've seen you, Haley," his voice was a caress as it formed my name. "You claim that I've pulled my punches, that I've allowed my capture, but what about you? You weaken yourself."

"I don't-"

"Don't deny it," he snapped, his temper flaring, before he softened his expression again. "You knowingly limit your own power. You refuse to let loose and reach your potential. Why? I wondered. It's clear to me now. You are afraid. I thought before that it was me you feared, but it's yourself, Haley Gallagher. "

I didn't know what to say to that. Loki smirked as he continued, "You come to see me because you relate. You have great power and you fear it, because deep down you love that it makes you unique. The power is intoxicating; it elevates you above the ignorant, weak masses that surround you. You could crush them like insects and you would love it. That is what you fear, your own true nature. That is why you seek to weaken yourself and control it. It is a terrible waste. With your power, you could be magnificent, on par with the gods."

Without realizing it, I had been leaning closer to the glass, mimicking Loki's own movements until we were a mere foot apart. I drew back suddenly. He smiled knowingly.

Crossing my arms, I narrowed my eyes on Loki. "Don't pretend that I impress you. Those insects you mentioned? Yeah, I haven't forgotten that we're all ants to you. Ants to be ruled, or squashed, whichever strikes your fancy."

"Not all of you," he said softly. "Some will be worthy. Some could rise high under my reign. You are among those few, Haley."

The way he said my name was so intimate, his words so…gentle, compared to his usual manner. It was almost seductive. He had to be playing me. I knew that, yet I was responding to it anyway. I wondered if his magic included manipulation.

Whatever it was, being in his presence was dangerous. I drew back further from the cell and saw a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.

"You would kill me in a second if it suited you," I told him, willing my brain to ignore the signals Loki was sending off.

"I had that opportunity. I didn't use it."

I shook my head, trying to clear it of the confusion he was stirring up. "You're playing a game, Loki. I don't know what it is yet, but I'm going to look into it."

"By all means," he said, smiling.

I turned and stalked out, rounding the corner. As soon as I was out of his sight, I felt strangely light; his presence was powerful indeed.

To my surprise, I came face to face with Natasha Romanoff, who looked just as confused to see me as I was to see her.

"Were you in talking with Loki?" She asked, brow furrowed.

"Yeah, I was," I said slowly, trying to gauge from her reaction whether or not my answer was acceptable.

Her face was unreadable, a blank slate. "Are you going to tell me why?"

"I was…bored?" I replied lamely. But then I noticed something. "Hey, you're heading that way. Why are you going to see Loki?"

"I'm going to see what I can get out of him." She regarded me critically. "Give this place a wide berth in the future, all right?"

"Gladly," I said, and moved along past her.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know you're waiting to see Tony's reaction, and I promise that it will come. It's going to be dramatic! Anyway, thank you all for reading and reviewing.