Hours stretched on without end. She had to get out. She had to get home. Anita would be worried by now. James would have come by and seen that she wasn't home. Her only hope was in the possibility that maybe James had contacted the Avengers. It was a small hope... like a dwindling flame in a dark, damp cellar.

Nancy paced over to a small table near the barrier and poured a bit of water out of the thin, brass pitcher into a small, brass cup. She was only allowed half a pitcher of water a day, but at least it was something. Still no food, though. She knew she should've saved her apple. It had been days since she'd seen Loki. Days since she'd last eaten. With the constant brightness of her cell, she had no idea whether it was day or night, or how many days had passed. All she knew was that every morning and evening the prisoners were given a bowl of gruel. A bowl she wasn't allowed to have.

She set the empty cup back down and sat on the floor of her cell. With no other pieces of furniture, the only place she had to sit was the floor. In the cell across from her, a red-haired woman, clad in green, watched her right back. Nancy had watched her for days, noting every movement, as if she was watching an animal at the zoo. In fact, the woman had what looked to be a cone, just like ones used on sick animals, around her neck and over her mouth. Nancy had heard the other prisoners speak, and even the guards, but never the woman. Like Nancy, the woman sat in the corner of her cell, watching the world pass by. Her eyes had grown faded and hollow from her years of imprisonment. Her body was thin and wispy from the lack of sustenance.

Nancy smiled and waved a hand, but the woman only glared and turned away. She did not want to be bothered. Or noticed. Or imposed upon. How dare a woman favored by a royal dare to wave her hand at her? How dare a woman who could speak to one such as Loki dare give a friendly smile and thereby mock her? The woman turned around completely, turning her back on Nancy.

With a sigh, Nancy leaned her head back against the wall and wished for sleep. Sleep that would not come. The lights were too bright. The cell, too hard. Oh, how she longed to be home again in her nice, soft bed. How she wished she'd never started this mess.

/

Loki couldn't sleep, and it was all her fault. She haunted his thoughts, his dreams, places she shouldn't be allowed to invade. With a growl, he pulled his former muzzle from a drawer and studied it. Yes, that would do the trick. Make him feel in control again. He shot from bed and marched hastily toward the dungeons. He didn't wait for a guard to open the doors, just barged through them with a grand flourish. She would regret crawling under his skin.

He walked straight through the barrier keeping her in her cell and steeled himself to regain his advantage over her. "If I cannot sleep, then neither shall you!"

Nancy groaned and blinked sleepily in the blinding whiteness. She'd just barely gotten to sleep, too. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, fumbling around for her glasses with her free hand. "Why can't you sleep?" she mumbled, finally managing to secure her glasses on her face, "Is there anything I can do?"

"Neither do I wish to speak at this time." He produced the muzzle from where he had hidden it and studied it carefully. Did he really wish to put her through this particular torture?

Nancy's eyes widened. Oh, no. Not the muzzle. Anything but the muzzle. Flog her, starve her, make her die of thirst. Anything but the muzzle! "Wait, Loki! Please!" she begged, hastily standing and beginning to back away from him, "Think about what you're doing. I'm not the one who did that to you. I wanted them to take it off! I begged them to. Please, don't do this. What have I done to harm you? I'm innocent! Please!"

Yes. He did wish to do this. "I said do not speak!" He advanced toward her, ready to clasp the thing around her overactive lips.

Nancy quickly ducked under his arm and dashed around to the other side of the cell. She pressed herself back into the far corner, but stood ready to fight him if she had to. As he advanced, she put her hands over her mouth to keep the device from fitting. She struggled against him and turned her face away, but he soon succeeded in pulling her hands away from her face. She tried kicking him... only to find her leg pinned to the wall by his.

Loki leaned over her, doing his best to appear menacing, and easily strapped the muzzle around her face and head. She struggled, but that was easily remedied with a leg in the right place and a touch of magic. When he finished, he stood and pointed a finger down at her, accusing her of all she'd done to his head and heart. "Defiance will not be tolerated. When I say to be quiet, you shut up."

Nancy nodded pitifully. It was all she could do to keep herself from her quickly forming tears. The longer she remained in Loki's presence, she was finding, the more often tears would spring to her eyes. This wasn't what she'd wanted. At all. All she'd wanted was to be a friend to him. A support. The only person to show him kindness. And this was how he repaid her. She whimpered and tugged at the muzzle in a vain attempt to pull it off.

"And you will no longer need these." Loki noted her glasses and snatched them from her face. "I like to see your eyes."

Nancy cowered back against the cell wall, trying to keep him from stripping her of anything else. He was quickly stripping her of all that she was. First, her words. He must have known how important her words were to her. Then, her glasses. He knew she couldn't see without them. Every move he made was deliberate… a deliberate attempt to hurt her.

In an effort to show her obedience, she gently grabbed his hand and held it close. She bowed her head and closed her eyes, surrendering to her captor. If he wanted to be her master, she'd let him. Anything to get him to stop this madness. Anything to get him to remove the muzzle.

Of course. Leave it to a woman to manipulate him into believing she was as obedient as a dog. He'd never liked dogs. He sneered down at her. "Yes, yes. Now you claim loyalty. Well, pet, you will have to prove it." And he wouldn't let her off easily, either.

What more could she do to prove her sincerity? Did she have to grovel? Surely he wouldn't make her grovel... would he? With the state he was in, he probably would. A tear dripped down Nancy's face as she held his hand tighter, silently begging him to release her. She was once so strong, so bold. Reduced to whimpers and tears by an insane god.

With another tug at the muzzle, she unconsciously sniffed from her tears. It was then that she realized her mistake. She shouldn't have sniffed. With the muzzle clasped tightly over her mouth, forcing her bottom jaw closed, and her nose now stuffed, she had absolutely no way to breathe. Fear and panic struck at once, and she released his hand to pull at the muzzle with both of hers, frantically gasping for air as she pulled.

Oh, how it felt good to see her kneel to him. "I'll not give in. Cease your whimpering." Loki turned away before her tears could affect him and folded his arms. This was right. She had to know he was in charge. He stepped toward the barrier.

No. He was leaving. He was leaving her there to suffocate to death. No. She wouldn't let him. She would keep him there, with every ounce of her strength. If he was leaving her to die, then she'd make him watch.

Nancy quickly gripped his arm, digging her nails in, and tried to turn him to face her. Her gasps were audible now, with some air coming in through her nose, but her panic was too great for her to notice. It wasn't enough air. She couldn't breathe. She was dying and he would let her. Her free hand clawed desperately at the muzzle, still trying to get it off.

He spun on her, tired of her constant simpering tone. The sharp nails were a pain, as well. They hadn't managed to cut through his skin, but they annoyed him. "Can you not breathe, pet? Is that why you insist on vexing me with your cries?!"

Nancy let out a muffled cry and slumped back against the wall, already weak from starvation and becoming weaker from her lack of oxygen. She blinked, trying to stay awake, but her head started to swim. She began to lose consciousness… if not from the lack of air, then surely from the fit she'd worked herself into.

Loki rolled his eyes and tugged at her hair none too gently, pulling her head forward so he could reach the latch on the back. He loosened it a notch or two. He couldn't have her dying so soon. "You will not lose consciousness. Is this understood?"

Now able to move her mouth enough to suck in some air, Nancy nodded as best she could and panted heavily. Even though he was pulling her hair roughly, she allowed herself to close her eyes and lean her head back against his hand. She would far rather have him pulling her hair than suffocating her.

Her hair felt good twined in his fingers, but Loki forced himself to release it and push her from his thoughts. He returned to the barrier to stew. At least he wasn't the only one who wouldn't sleep this night.

Finally able to think clearly again, Nancy watched him from her corner of the cell. How could he be so sweet and charming one moment, and then monstrous and horrid the next? As she studied him, she frowned behind her muzzle. He was hurting. That was the only explanation. His family had abandoned him, the mortals he'd tried to conquer had locked him away, and now... now he was all alone again. He was acting out of hurt and rage, taking it all out on the only one who'd ever cared for him. She knew he couldn't control his anger, and this new torture was an example of that. He'd probably had a nightmare and couldn't sleep, which led to his anger, which led to him taking out his anger on her. Yes, that was it.

Gathering her courage, Nancy cautiously stepped to Loki's side. Gently this time, she gripped his arm again, her touch soft and light. She knew he'd be angry when he turned, but she didn't care. This was something she had to do. When he turned to face her, she hugged him. Not strong or intense, but gentle and loving.

I'm here for you. she thought, wishing she could tell him out loud, as she buried her face in his shoulder. I know you can't control your anger. But I'm still here for you.

Now, that wasn't playing fair. She had to know how that made him want her. All of her. Loki restrained himself from doing anything foolish. She was here for scientific purposes only. He growled. "Release me, pet. Now." Just for effect, he narrowed his eyes, sending her a silent message that he was not to be touched without permission.

Nancy nodded once and backed away, bowing her head and folding her hands in front of her. She knew he was still angry, but that wouldn't stop her from trying to help him. But… knowing he didn't want to be touched, she went back over to her corner and sat down.

To be on the safe side, Loki placed the barrier between them again and paced. And paced. And paced.

Nancy continued watching him, his blurry, fuzzy figure moving back and forth before her cage. Without her glasses or contacts, she could only see a few feet in front of her. The outside of her cell was at least fifteen feet away, if not more, leading to her only being able to see the green of his tunic and the gold of his armor as he passed back and forth, in and out, of the flickering torch-light outside her cell. The scene was mesmerizing… hypnotic. As the gold of his armor caught and reflected the candlelight. Back and forth. Back and forth. Nancy could feel herself falling asleep again. Against her better judgment, she allowed her eyes to slide closed. Just for a moment.

"I said no sleep!"

With a gasp, Nancy jolted awake to find a sudden green mist swirling around her. As quickly as it came, it disappeared again, dissipating into the air around her. She looked up toward Loki, terrified of his magic and what he might do. She whimpered softly, begging his forgiveness.

Loki banged a fist against a nearby wall and stared her down. How dare she sleep when he could not? "That was a warning. Dare to disobey again and I will make it so you will not be able to close your eyes lest I give permission."

Nancy curled her knees to her chest, shaking with fear. She nodded enthusiastically, fully understanding his threat. He'd used the fog on her once, causing her to sleep for hours. Of course he had the ability to take sleep away completely.

As the minutes dragged on and on, once again, she could only watch as his figure moved to and fro in the light of the flame. Back and forth. Back and forth. Soon, Nancy found herself falling back to sleep. Every time she felt herself slipping under, she tried to jolt herself awake. She'd throw herself back against the wall, anything to keep herself from falling asleep. Anything. But it was a futile effort. Fifteen minutes later, her eyes slipped closed. She had no idea. In her mind – in her dream – her eyes were still open, and she was still watching him pace.

The green mist swirled again, progressively snaking from her feet to the top of her head. "I warned you." Loki twisted a hand and the mist densified until it shrouded her entirely. It climbed into her head and her mind, giving him the power to grant or withhold sleep. Then, finally, it disabled her function to fall unconscious. Lest, of course, he released her. Loki grinned evilly as the mist dissipated.

Nancy's eyes shot open and she groaned, realizing he'd made good on his threat. No matter what he told anyone else, he always told her the truth. And he always did what he promised to do. She was now completely awake, but retained her bodily desire to sleep. It was no use now; he'd already cursed her. With a sad sigh, Nancy leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes, wishing for sleep but knowing it would never come.

Satisfied that she would not sleep now, Loki paced again. Occasionally, he glanced back to her, as she still would not leave his head. Finally, he decided it was only too much of a pain to torture himself with her, so he turned down the hall and started to walk off.

At the sound of his retreating footsteps, Nancy sat up again and looked around. He was gone. She stood and ran to the barrier, pounding on it as hard as she could and crying out as loudly as possible with the muzzle still clasped securely over her mouth. How could he just leave like that? Didn't he care that he'd not only left her muzzled, but without sleep, too! He was a monster! A total, complete monster. She cried out again.

Despite the twinge of... something... that knotted his stomach, Loki ignored her desperate cry and kept walking. He would not give in. He was in control.

Nancy continued screaming, her loud, shrill cries echoing off the stone walls. How could he just leave her?

No, Loki told himself. He would not turn. He would not act like he cared, because he didn't. Really. He set his focus on returning to his rooms. To his nice warm bed. Yes, he would sleep now. He would shove her from his mind, because he was in control, and he would sleep. The dungeon door slammed behind him.