"That stupid gremlin looks too damn smug." Dante snapped as she watched a group of armed guards escort Loki to his holding cell from the monitor on the table.
"In case it's unclear, if you try to escape, you so much as scratch that glass..." Fury hits a button on the console in front of him and opens metal the panels under the chamber holding Loki. "...it's 30,000 feet straight down in a steel trap. You get how that works? Ant..." He points to Loki, then to the console. "Boot."
"It's an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me."
"Built for something a lot stronger than you."
Loki looks to the camera aimed at his cell, "Oh, I've heard. The mindless beast, makes play he's still a man. How desperate are you, that you call on such lost creatures to defend you?"
"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and you kill 'cause it's fun. You have made me VERY desperate. You might not be glad that you did."
"Ooh. It burns you to have come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share. And then to be reminded what real power is."
Fury walks towards to exit, "Well, let me know if "real power" wants a magazine or something."
"Define something."
Fury stopped midstride. He had not expected Loki to request anything. "Anything to keep you from causing a ruckus on my ship."
Loki leaned against the glass, "Dante."
"No," Fury replied, "We need you alive to find the Tesseract not in bloody pieces. If you want some company I'll have Stark bring you a blow up doll."
"I'm intrigued."
Fury actually laughed, "Don't be, her boot is much more impressive than mine." He disappeared through the door, which locked behind him.
In the control room most the Avengers plus Dante were sitting at a round table, while some like Banner paced as they listened to Loki's little speech.
"Well aren't you the popular one Danny girl." Stark snorted.
Dante smirked, "What can I say? I guess I leave an impression on people, isn't that right Nicky-poo?"
Since his presence was announced he entered the room, "You do leave quite the impression Dante. Now what are you doing here?" Fury demanded.
She plopped her feet up on the table and crossed her legs. "I was on leave from my last mission in Russia and decided to attend the gala since I am one the institutions major financial backers. Then Loki decided to crash the party and you know how I hate having my parties ruined." Dante spoke calmly but her body language and eyes dared anyone to argue the point, "Now on to more pressing matters. Fabio what is Loki's grand plan? What the hell does he get out of all this, besides my foot up his ass?"
Thor crossed his arms, "He has an army, called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."
"An army. From outer space." Steve deadpanned.
Banner spoke up, "So he's building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for."
"Selvig?" Thor asked.
Banner nodded, "He's an astrophysicist."
"He's a friend."
"So is Barton." Dante whispered.
Nat sat down next to Dante as a form of comfort, "Loki has them under some kind of spell. Along with one of ours."
Steve sighed, "I wanna know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here."
"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You can smell crazy on him." Banner explained. Dante giggled making him smile a little.
"Have a care how you speak! Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard and he is my brother!" Thor raised his voice to defend his lost brother.
"He killed eighty people in two days." Nat supplied.
Dante shrugged, "Not too shabby."
"He's adopted."
Dante stood, "I'm bored of all this talk. Can I be excused?" Fury nodded. "Good maybe I'll take a nice nap then beat the shit out of some trainees." She literally skipped out of the bridge.
"Speaking of smelling crazy…" Banner commented as he watch her disappear around the corner.
"Dante is over three thousand years old," Fury replied. "Anyone might be a bit off after what she's lived through."
Loki paced the length of this glass prison, bidding his time until his guest arrived. The assassin, the Black Widow, would be the first to arrive and try to convince him to give up Agent Barton and he would play on her emotions till she broke.
"Are you just going to pace all night?"
Loki whipped around to see Dante sitting outside the glass cross-legged on the metal grating that served as the floor. She had gotten the drop on him. "Come to visit?"
Dante smirked, "You were expecting Natasha to come negotiate for Barton." It was not a question, she knew. "Well I hate to disappoint you but you'll have to make due with me. I think you and I need to have a little chat, get to know one another."
"Lulling me into a false sense of security by acting friendly so I will tell all my secrets? Nothing you say or do will stop the Chitauri from coming, not even you my little mortal." Loki took a seat on the floor in front of Dante. "Fury seems to fear you."
"He has good reason, I'm the one who took out his eye, though he will argue differently. I swear men's egos are such a fragile thing."
"You, a mere slip of a girl took out a spy master's eye?" Loki was curious now.
"Let's just say when we met the great Nick Fury underestimated me and paid the price. Now enough with the boring shit! I want to know why you let yourself be captured."
Loki chuckled, "What makes you think I let myself be captured? I was bested by your Captain America and Man of Iron."
Dante rolled her eyes, "If you're gonna lie at least come up with a decent one. Aren't you supposed to be the God of Lies?"
"I'm the god of many things." Loki winked.
"Keep dreaming Loki, you couldn't handle me even if you tried." Dante laughed as she stood up and dusted herself off.
"Is that a challenge?" Loki's smirk grew into a full blown sinister smile, "I accept."
Dante doubled over laughing, "Don't flatter yourself Loki! As far as I'm concerned you couldn't handle one of my challenges."
"You dare mock me you insolent whore!" Loki roared dropping his friendly pretenses now that Dante had dared to laugh at him.
Loki didn't know what hit him, one moment he was standing in front of Dante then the next enough energy was flooded through his system to send him flying to the other side of his cell and knock him unconscious for a few seconds. When he looked up he saw Dante with her hand on the glass wall of his prison, her silver eyes glowing.
"Listen up asshole, I don't know what kind of balls you think you have but if you call me a whore one more time I will fuck you up six ways from Sunday with a smile on my face."
After a few minutes Loki regained his wits then his smile returned, "Quite the temper you have my dear and what an interesting gift you have. You can manipulate energy that's how you stopped my attack, no a more accurate description is that you absorbed it into your body. Fascinating."
Dante slowly clapped her hands, "Congratulations you are half right so you win absolutely nothing."
"Since I do hate to win nothing shall we turn this into a little game?"
"A game?" Dante replied actually interested, "Do I get a prize?"
Loki smirk, "Only if you win."
"What does the winner get?"
"Whatever they wish of the loser."
"Hmm….sounds interesting." Dante thought for a moment. "Alright, game on Loki. I hope you're ready to lose."