I woke chained to a wall. How very medieval. Wow, I was in a life-or-death situation, and I could still make sarcastic jokes in my head? I should be given an award. I opened my eyes. Bad idea. The light was so bright. I tried again, slowly this time. Everything was really blurry. It's like that every time I get knocked out. I swear, one day, I was going to massive brain damage from all the times I've been kidnapped. You'd think they'd learn not to o that, seeing as how I always kill them in the end. Word doesn't spread as fast as I'd like….or maybe they're all just stupid.

"She's awake."

"Kurt?" I blinked my eyes several times to clear them.

"Hello, sister." Kurt smiled innocently at me. "Are you ready to help father?"

"Help him? Kurt have you lost your mind?" I looked at him. His eyes were black, pupiless. "Oh, you have…"

"He is merely carrying out the tasks he was born to perform." Azazeal put his arm on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt smiled like a giddy kid at Christmas. "Don't you want to do what you were born to do?"

"Only if that involves ripping out your heart and laughing as the life flees from your eyes." I growled.

"Ah, Dena, I love your humor. I've watched over you for years, you were always one of my more favorite children. You're ruthless, just like I am."

"Ouch, that comparison hurts."

"Don't be difficult, Dena. You will do what I want you to do, eventually.'

"Only in your dreams, asshat."

"Language, Dena."

"Go fuck yourself."

"Wrong answer, sister." Kurt punched me in the face. I refused to scream, but it hurt like hell. Kurt was a good brawler.

"Kurt would never hit me." I said calmly, ignoring the blood dripping down my lip. "What have you done to him?"

"I'm glad you two know each other so well. I want us all to be one big, happy family." He ignored my question with a sly smile.

"Liar. You want us to take over the world for you."

"As a family, daughter." He smiled deviously. "You'll be a princess."

"I rather like my life the way it is, thank you."

"You don't understand, Dena. My favorite children shall be rulers of this pathetic land."

"And how do we reach favoritism? Based on how easily we kill?"

"Which is why you're near the top of the list."

"Enough talk, father. We should help her." Kurt said anxiously.

"Yes, we do want her to feel the happiness of emptiness, don't we?" He smirked at me and kissed my forehead.

"I'm going to stop you" I growled.

"No, darling. You are going to help me." They walked off, leaving Loki standing in front of me. He took off my shackles and I dropped to the ground. I stood slowly, hating myself.

He stared at me with that stupid, all-knowing grin of his. I wanted to smack that grin off his face.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" I clenched my fists by my sides. "Just turn me into one of your pawns, like all of the others."

"Why would I do that?" he tilted his head to the side, amused.

"I won't give into your stupid head games, Loki. Do it, if you're gonna." I growled.

"I hadn't planned on it." He chuckled. He stepped closer to me, I jerked back, he just smiled. He wiped a tear from my cheek that I hadn't noticed I cried. I swatted his hand away; a flash of hurt went across his face, only to disappear behind his smirk. "What do you think you are to me?"

"A pawn." I replied, instantly. "Just another one of Azazeal's soldiers to help you destroy everything."

"You haven't figured it out, yet?" He asked, a little shocked.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I scowled.

"Do you remember when I first met you, in the guise of Hawkeye?" He sat down in his chair, an ornate wingback, and gestured for me to sit in the one across from him. I sat, not taking my eyes off him, waiting for him to go on. "I was snooping through Fury's personnel files, and I stumble on upon a 13-year-old girl; graceful, deadly, and, most importantly, intelligent. I knew the file had to be overstating your abilities, there was no way such a young girl could be so…skilled. I wanted to see you for myself."

"So you kidnapped Hawkeye and stole his body?" I snapped

"Yes." He smiled at me. "I went to France and pretended to be Hawkeye to gain your trust. It was a lot harder than I anticipated. You really do not trust people."

"You can't say you blame me, given our current situation."

"See, that's what I like about you." He laughed. "Even as angry as you are, you humor me, and speak civilly. I know, even now, you are plotting a way to escape, but, also, you truly want to know why I've done all of this."

"Am I so obvious?"

"No, I just know you. I've made it a point to know you, Dena." His smile faded, only slightly. "I met you, and I was honestly surprised. The files were not overstating you. They underestimated you, actually. So young, so clever. I was jealous of you, at times."

"So, you met me, and quenched your curiosity. That doesn't explain why you stayed, for years, in Hawkeye's body." I bit my lip, thinking. "Was it always you? It was never Clint?"

"Clint was in the body, his soul, or whatever you want to call it, but I was always in control. He saw everything, but could not act upon anything that I did not wish."

"I see." I felt my heart drop in my chest again. "Were you pretending to be Hawkeye completely?"

"No, I always acted with my own personality with you. I could not bear it any other way."

"I see."

"You're not mad at me for kidnapping Hawkeye." His eyes widened. "You're mad because I lied to you."

"I like logic, Loki." I sighed. "I fell in love with the person who was by my side for all those years. I thought it was Hawkeye, you claim it was you."

"It was me, in his body."

"The…personality I've come to identify with." I cleared up my sentence. "When you made jokes, was that your humor, or what you thought Hawk's was? When you held me at night, was that your sentiment, or Hawk's? These are the questions I have." I felt tears welling up in my eyes. Damn, now was not the time to act like a love sick girl! "My biggest question; was it all a lie?"

"You're so logical, even in matters where logic does not exist." He smirked at me. "It's one of the many reasons I love you." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Everything I've ever done in Hawkeye's body was my own thoughts and feelings. I behaved around the main group of the Avengers, but around you, I was myself. I let you believe that Hawkeye just had another side to his personality that he only let you see."

"How much of it was a lie?"

"Nothing that was between us was a lie, on my part, Dena. I care for you too deeply."

"You only lied about who you were."

"Only my name and body."

"Were you ever going to tell me, or did you enjoy this sick joke?" I spat out, angry.

"That's why you're here."

"Excuse me?"

"Azazeal; does he really strike you as someone I would help?"

"Of course not, I told you my doubt when I thought you were Hawk. It didn't make sense." I crossed my arms over my chest and bit my lip, trying to stop crying and think. "What angle are you playing?"

"I knew that I'd take this rouse too far, and I would need a rather large peace offering to regain any trust you once had in me." He drew a beautifully ornate knife from his belt. I tensed, hoping he didn't notice. He handed it to me, hilt first. I took it, hesitantly.

"So, you've orchestrated this entire thing to apologize to me? How does that work?"

""This is a ceremonial knife, cursed to kill anyone it cuts." He continued.

"I assume you're not going to kill me." I stated softly.

"Of course not." He chuckled. "I give you the gift you've wanted for so long; the death of your father."

I stared at him, long and hard. Was he being serious? Loki loved his round about games, but rising up an entire army, bent on destroying Earth, just to give me a chance to Azazeal? That really didn't strike me as sensible.' "Why was T Ray needed?"

"I needed his magic to curse the dagger."

"What wild story did you tell him? He hates me, and wouldn't have done it if he knew the real reason is what you're telling me."

"You still doubt me, this doesn't surprise me." He leaned back in his chair. "He thinks that I mean to kill Azazeal and take over the Earth myself, making him my second-in-command."

"It seems like a plan you would follow." I said stiffly.

"Do not fret, my queen, I do not have any intent on taking over this planet."

"Since when?" I cocked an eyebrow at him. He chuckled.

"Since I found a reason to keep it the way it is."

"You'd stop trying to take over because of me?" I stared at him, shocked and completely confused.

"You would hate me if I tried. You're too innocent and very set in your ways of right and wrong."

"Compared to Hitler, maybe." I frowned. "I'm a contract killer, Loki."

"You are more naive than you know." He smiled at me got out of his chair, kneeling at my feet. "Please, give me a chance. I can give you anything and everything you could ever want or need. Be my queen, Dena."

"Stop calling me that, first off." I stood quickly, making him jerk back, falling over. "You want me to trust you? You have to earn it. Go back to Asgard and make things right with your father. You're not welcome on Earth, only there will you be safe."

"It is not as easy as you make it seem." He looked up at me, confused.

"Thor still believes you can change. He will speak for you. He can sway everyone around, eventually."

"Ok, I do this. Then what?"

"I don't care what you do, as long as you don't piss everyone off again. Plot your schemes, just leave Earth alone. You visit every now and again, and actually try dating me." I rolled my eyes. "I've lost a lot of trust I had in you. You have to build it all back up."

"So, you'll give me a chance?" His eye sparkled. He was less like the feared God of Chaos, and more like a love-struck teenager.

"Screw it up again, and I'll kill you."

"I believe that."

"You should." I frowned and looked to the door. "Now, tell me how I can kill my father."