There are alarms blaring all over the helicarrier, and Natasha sprints down the hallways so fast that everyone in her path has to flatten themselves against the wall or risk a collision.

"This is Agent Romanova, I need an update!" she yells, and her earpiece crackles to life.

"We have a breach in the prisoner containment unit. All security protocols have been taken offline - we're working on getting them up and running. Agent Barton is en route to the unit as we speak. We recommend you approach with caution, as we have no eyes and ears on the prisoner."

"Roger."

She unholsters her gun and flicks the safety off as she runs.

Goddam Loki. It was nearly impossible to get a read on the man as he swung wildly between being a threat and an ally. Part of her understood. As a spy, or more importantly as a double agent, she knew the careful dance one undertook, and the adaptability it required depending on the situation. The important part was knowing who you are, and where to find your moral compass. Everything else was just window dressing.

But this is all a game to him! Loki was a loose cannon, and clearly, had no allegiance to anyone but himself. That made him dangerous.

When she arrives, the door to the containment unit is blasted open and she enters to find Loki standing, impossibly calm, in the centre of his prison cell. Part of her mind takes in the smoking ruins of computer equipment and the agents lying like broken ragdolls, but she cannot take her eyes off Loki as he holds Barton off the floor by his neck in order to block a clear shot at himself.

"Put him down, Loki!" Her voice matches his calmness, but there is a dangerous glint in her eyes that warns him. "I won't hesitate to kill you."

"Likewise."

From within the vise-like grip, Barton chokes. "What's your game, Loki? I thought you were on our side. I thought we had a deal!"

The god raises an eyebrow. "Do you normally keep those on your side locked in a cage like an animal? Perhaps I just tired of your hospitality." He leans in close, and Natasha catches only the end of what he whispers to Clint. "...this was always the deal..."

Barton is starting to lose consciousness, the momentum of his kicking steadying to a twitchy swing.

Natasha makes a move towards the control panel, but Loki shakes his head. "Tsk, tsk. That's exactly what got poor Agent Barton into his current predicament. I wouldn't do that if I were you." His smile is icy cold, and the perverse pleasure he seems to be taking in the situation infuriates her further. "Although, on second thought... I'd be happy to skip all those pesky middle steps where I offer you the deal of a lifetime and we argue about it for a bit before you realize you have no other choice and accept. Ask Barton."

"How do I even know that's actually Agent Barton in there? Isn't that your favourite party trick? Illusions?"

"Oh absolutely. There's nothing so amusing as accenting reality just enough that you start to lose sight of the line." He places both hands around Barton's skull, preparing to snap his neck. "I'm willing to risk that he's just a party trick. Are you?"

"You've already met The Avengers. They're really only focused on one thing - and it already says it on the can."

He lowers Barton, and allows the man's feet to touch the floor. Barton hazily comes to, but Loki does not release his hold on the man's neck. "I have no quarrel with my brother's band of misfits. But even you must realize they cannot hold me here forever. Perhaps I'm just ready to go home now. Would you deny me this, Agent Romanova? Would you deny me the chance to go home and make amends? To seek forgiveness?"

Natasha feels her jaw clench. "Not everyone deserves forgiveness..."

She is surprised at the anger that flares into his eyes. If ever he seemed merely sneaky or potentially amicable, all that has disappeared and every nerve in her body screams out in anticipation of danger. "Speak for yourself, assassin."

In one motion she leaps over the control panel and releases a switch. Loki grabs Agent Barton by his shoulders and slams his head so hard into the glass wall that the blood begins to puddle as soon as it hits the floor. The god sprints towards her.

Her anger rises into a hard lump in her throat, and she lets off a barrage of bullets. The sound is deafening and intense, and it is only the skill and focus of the two combatants that allows them to continually redirect their attacks as they clash.

She is unprepared for how lithely he moves, and the malevolence that surges into his eyes before each hit. They grapple physically, and her gun falls to the ground. He is strong, locking her in his grip when he is able to catch her, but she is fast and continually slips through his fingers. They have violently flung each other across the entire room, but she realizes they are back in the cell when the hand she uses to steady herself as she falls comes back covered in Clint's blood.

"I don't understand. You had to have the means to escape to take out those agents and to grab Barton - why didn't you just leave?"

His arm flicks around her own so quickly she is barely aware of it before he uses his weight to push her to the ground. He leans in close so that she can feel his breath, and she has to blink several times as he blurs out of focus.

His hair, jet black and slick, erupts into a fiery red - the curls coming to rest on her face. Slowly, his limbs and body come into focus, and she realizes with horror that she is staring back at herself.

"Oh God..."

She watches as a slow smile breaks out over her own face. "Not God. But you're starting to get the right idea..."

Tony leads the second wave of agents who enter the prisoner's unit, having retrieved the Iron Man suit. He stares at the devastation, the unconscious and bleeding form of Agent Barton, and the Romanova twins grappling in the cell.

"You have got to be kidding me..." he mutters, but he's tempted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. "Alright, let's just save ourselves a lot of trouble here... which one of you is the real undercover spy? Oh wait, you both kinda are at the moment aren't you... Ok, which one of you is secretly an evil alien viking?"

They both ignore him, continuing to fight... which is actually exactly what Natasha Romanova would do in that situation, so Tony is forced to shrug and engage Iron Man's helmet. "Jarvis... scan this mess. Tell me... something..."

"Sir, it looks like Agent Barton has sustained some head trauma, but his vitals are holding steady."

"Thanks Jarvis. Tell me something I don't know already."

"Scans reveal that both Agent Romanovas are identical in physicality and biological rhythms. I'm afraid more data is needed."

"Great."

There is a resounding crack as a gun is smashed upside someone's head, and then only one Agent Romanova remains.

"It's me, Mr. Stark."

Tony walks over to the control panel, and for the third time that day, opens Loki's cage. He holds up both hands, charged and ready to fire. "Right. Not gonna happen. Step away from each other please. Not that this little wrestling match isn't extremely entertaining." The agents surrounding him raise their guns at the prisoners. "A simple I told you so seems like a bit of an understatement, but seriously... you thought the cage was overkill."

This last comment is directed at Captain America, who watches wordlessly from the door, decked out in his spangly garb. "All I said was that we had to either offer him a second chance or not. The cage spoke to the latter."

"Well what now, old man?" He says this to irritate Steve, but only because there is something decidedly irritating in his perfect-soldier-do-gooder schtick.

Captain America walks past Iron Man and faces the Romanova that still stands. "Your name, solider?"

"Agent Natasha Romanova." She cocks her head slightly. "And I am not a solider."

Tony watches as the interrogation materializes out of nowhere, with Captain America throwing out questions and watching her face closely as she answers. Shoulda kept him on ice...

"Yeah... she's a Master Spy... her whole thing is that she can out interrogate you while you think you're interrogating her."

"Or," says Captain America, throwing a look over his shoulder at Tony, "He's the God of Lies and we need to know what the truth is. I think we need to get Thor."

There is an unreadable glint in Natasha's eye as she locks eyes with Tony and takes a step forward. Her face reads horror, as if something has suddenly dawned on her. "Unless..."

Both Iron Man and Captain America get into a battle stance, their weapons trained on Natasha.

"Unless," she continues slowly, putting her hands up in surrender, "Loki wasn't even in his cell when I found him. I thought he was using a Barton projection to wind me up... but he could have just as easily left a projection of himself. It would make more sense than him escaping only to lock himself back up in his cell."

Captain America frowns. "Loki would try to sow discord amongst us, and I can't see the point of that suggestion unless you're doing just that."

"How about years of training and experience that ensures I never underestimate an enemy?"

"Are you really suggesting that he could be anywhere in the building?"

"... or anyone for that matter. We really need to find a way to tell when he's role playing and when he's leaving a trail of holograms. This is getting ridiculous." Tony doesn't mean to, but he stares at Captain America uncertainly. "You're not Loki, are you?"

Steve looks like he's just been slapped in the face. "No. Are you?"

"Nope. Not that you'd know."

Tony throws up his hands as Natasha gets into a defensive stance and begins to back away from Captain America.

"Oh no. You stay where you are." He aims the palm of his hand at her.

"We need to notify Fury. This is getting out of control, fast."

"How do we know Fury's not..." Tony flips up his helmet and grins at Steve.

"That's enough, Stark!"

Loki hasn't had this much fun in years, but throwing a wrench into the Avengers machine is a lowly endeavour. He has much, much bigger plans, and far too much to do to stand around and marvel at his handiwork.

He watches as the entire team assembles on the little battlefield that was once his cage. One of them has the answer he needs. They take their places on the board like little chess pieces. Now all he has to do is set things in motion...

Thankfully, in all the little, physical ways that count - he already happens to be one of them...

A/N:

Longer chapter coming up, because I had to split up the "escape" and the... well, what comes next :P I was going to just have Loki use his magic to escape, but let's face it. He doesn't *just* do anything for practicality. If he has the chance to muck things up a bit for fun, I would think he'd take it.

Who do you think he is/should be impersonating?

Reviews/Comments/Thoughts always appreciated! I try to respond to each when I can :)