My room is beautiful. I can't describe it any other way. Others may see it as a simple bedroom, similar to a hotel room, but to me it is one of the most precious things I have been given in my short 20 years of life. It means that I am safe and welcome here.

So that's why I'm lying in my bed, gazing up at the ceiling with a smile that's a little too large for a normal person. Well, that, and the fact that I just fought an army of Chitauri. My entire body is aching, but lying in a bed that feels like a marshmallow is helping significantly. I have already thoroughly explored the room, and am infinitely more pleased with this one than the last one I had as Loki's prisoner. The room has a white and blue theme- sky blue walls trimmed with with white, baby blue sheets with white pillows, and dark wood furniture that compliments the lighter colors of the rest of the room. There is a full bathroom, an empty chest of drawers, a small closet, and a huge window with a beautiful view of the city. Or, at least, I'm sure it was beautiful before some psycho whose name I won't mention attacked the city with an army of disgusting aliens from outer space.

I sigh, the smile fading from my face. Now that I've made it through the first Avengers movie and escaped Loki, I need to make a plan for...well, the rest of my life. I can't stay here forever, and Tony probably won't want me here very long anyway. I need to get a job, and a place to live. And I need to make sure my abilities-

Suddenly, I sense that someone else is nearby. Since I left the door open, I'm not surprised, and I turn my head to see who it is. My eyebrows lower slightly at the sight of the god of mischief leaning casually against the doorframe, and to my annoyance and confusion, my heart skips a beat. I attribute it to my wariness of the Jotun, and sit up slowly, my eyes never leaving him. He's still chained, but the gag is gone. And he still looks terrible from his recent Hulk smashing.

"What do you want?" I ask, not bothering with politeness. His gaze is not exactly angry, but I can tell he is displeased about something. There is also something different about him that I can't place. It bugs the back of my mind, but I brush it aside to deal with later.

"You lied to me."

I frown. "What are you talking about? I haven't-oh." I suddenly realize what he's referring to. I told him he would win. And here he is, standing before me in chains. I feel a slow, smug smile stretch across my features, and stand up, despite my aching muscles screaming in protest. I cross my arms, taking a few steps closer. "Yes, I did, didn't I?"

Loki pushes off the doorframe, stepping closer as well, and glares down at me. He is silent for a moment, studying me. I hold his gaze, unashamed and unafraid. Well, mostly. He could still hurt me if he wanted to.

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why?" he repeats, louder. "Why would you risk your life to tell me a lie, when it does not benefit you in any way?"

I stand quietly, considering his question and its answer, and he continues after a moment. "You purposely made it appear as though you were lying, when in reality you were telling the truth. You managed to trick me, and there are very few who can accomplish that. So I want to know why. What would convince you, a young woman with nothing to gain and nothing to lose, to risk your life for a lie?"

I consider my answer for a moment. "Good question." I turn around and sit down on the bed, giving my screaming muscles a break, and smirk at Loki. "And I'm sure it has a good answer."

My silence afterwards gives him the only answer I'm going to give him. His eyes harden in anger, and he studies me, obviously trying to figure out my motives for himself. I stare right back, refusing to back down. He's in no position to be making demands, and I'm going to revel in the fact that I am no longer subject to his commands.

Then, his eyes narrow, as though he just realized something. "You know more about the future than you let on," he accuses. "You led me to believe I would win, and you did not mention that Thor would come or that I would lose Barton. You planned this."

Am I losing my mind, or was that admiration in his voice...?! "Took you long enough to realize that."

Another flash of anger in his eyes. "Why?"

"I have absolutely no reason to tell you, Loki," I respond, my voice hardening. "You, who kidnapped me, threatened to torture me, held me at a compound against my will, strapped me down to a table like mindless animal, and nearly strangled me on purpose!" I'm yelling now, all my pent-up anger at the man before me spewing out in rage-filled words. I stand up again, pointing my finger at his face, all my pain and tiredness forgotten. "You brought destruction on a city full of innocent people, and intended to do the same to the entire world! If the Avengers hadn't stopped you, Midgard's population would have been decimated under your hand! You told me when I first arrived here to control my emotions, my feelings, but you have allowed your own emotions to rule you since the day you found out about your true parentage!"

Loki has been listening silently up to this point, anger in his eyes and a facade of calm confidence in his expression, but when I mention his parentage, an explosion of different emotions plays across his face in a split second, startling me. Astonishment, rage, pain, and a subtle flash of fear. He steps forward, his eyes piercing me. "How do you know about that?" he asks, his voice low and menacing. I feel fear of my own creep up inside of me, but I make sure none of it shows on my face.

"It's part of the story," I begin, but rage fills his face.

"Stop lying!" he practically shouts. That reignites my own anger, banishing the fear once more.

"I'm not!" I shout back, then lower my voice, trying to calm down. Anger won't get us anywhere. "That never was a lie." I sigh, my weariness returning, and I sit back down on the bed. Silence falls as we both try to sort out our thoughts.

"You're afraid."

Loki's words make my gaze snap up to him. His own gaze is softer now, but traces of anger still remain. "What are you so afraid of, that you would risk your life to convince me of a lie?"

I look at him bitterly.

"The same thing that you're afraid of, Loki. Or should I say, the same person."

I can tell Loki immediately understands what I mean. He is quiet for a minute. "Enforcing my failure may lead to the future demise of this planet that you seem to care so much for." I look away, hating that he's right. "You knew this, so why did you do it? Why are you protecting a timeline that has so much potential destruction and ruin in it?"

My heads whips towards him, fury flashing in my eyes. I'm amazed that he figured out that I'm protecting a timeline that quickly, but I really shouldn't be. He isn't considered one of the MCU's greatest minds for nothing. "Because it's the only thing I can do! The only hope I have is in this timeline! If I alter the timeline even a tiny bit, everything could go wrong, and I could bring complete destruction on this entire universe!"

Loki's brow furrows, astonishment on his face. "Hope?" he asks in a much quieter voice. "Hope against...him?"

The fear and desperation in his eyes makes my heart ache for him, and I can't for the life of me understand why. This man has caused so much pain for so many people, including myself. But abandoning a man so broken to his own hopelessness is not in my nature. I nod once. He watches me, studying me for any sign that I am lying. "You saw this?" he asks.

"In a way. I'm not the one who saw it." I look straight into his eyes. "But there is hope. A sliver of hope. And it lies in this timeline."

Loki stares at me, so many emotions swirling in his sea green eyes that I can't decipher them all. After a moment, he wordlessly nods his head to me, then turns to exit my room. At the door, however, he stops and looks back into my eyes. "Thank you, Victoria." Then he disappears down the hallway.

I stare at the empty spot where he was just standing, my mind whirling. Did I do the right thing? Should I have told him that? The look in his eyes tells me-

His eyes!

That's what is different about him- his eyes are no longer glowing Tesseract blue! The influence of the scepter is now gone. The Hulk must have smashed it out of him...literally.

I smile, lying back down on the bed.

I did the right thing.

Author's Note: Hi again, everyone! I know, I know, I didn't really move forward with the story, but I needed this interaction to happen. It's not a filler chapter, though it might seem like it (so sorry if it does!). Anywho, I hope you liked it!

Thank you so much for reading!

Signing off, AuthorsDream.