Slowly Dante returned to consciousness, she was lying in a soft bed but one look at the ceiling and the silk sheets confirmed that she wasn't on the helicarrier. She sat up and took in her new surroundings as best she could, the room was lit by candlelight. The room was decently sized its décor reminded her of the kings of old a millennia ago. The moment she tried to get out of the bed her knees buckled and she collapsed to her knees, the she noticed her attire. No longer was she wearing her preferred battle ware but a green silk nighty, it took her all of two seconds to guess who picked it out. After a few minutes she struggled to her feet and made her way to door, when she opened it she discovered a man guarding the room.
He noticed her immediately but seemed unconcerned as he addressed her calmly. "Lady Dante the king has ordered that you are not allowed out of your room. I am allowed to use non-lethal force if necessary to make you comply with his orders."
"If you do not tell me where Loki is this instant I will rip out your rib cage and where it as a hat to your funeral." She replied venomously, there was no doubt that she would resort to violence if her new friend didn't listen.
"Please don't threaten my men, Dante."
"Oh hell no." Dante whispered to herself. Loki's voice came from behind her. He was in her room, with her…while she slept. Creeper, much? "Well then never mind." She turned heel and slammed the door behind her. To her surprise Loki was laying in the bed wearing nothing but a pair of black pants, possibly silk from the looks of it. His hair was no longer slicked back but mussed up like he had just woken up. "Son of a bitch."
Loki chuckled, "Don't let Frigga hear you say that." He enjoyed watching her piece together what was happening, her face was so expressive. "Coming back to bed darling?"
"Not with you in it." She crossed her arms not used to feeling so exposed, her attire was not helping.
"You've been sleeping next to me for two days. Why so shy now?" As Loki spoke he stretched out on the bed.
Dante blushed, she couldn't help but look over his body. While he wasn't built like his brother he was not unfit by any means not with those abs. "Why were you in bed with me? Did you not get enough of my energy earlier?"
"Please lay back down you look pale." He patted the space next to him, "Come along I don't bite unless you want me to."
Dante ignored him and sat down on a couch not far from the bed. "Answer me."
"Barton informed me that after you lose massive amounts of energy you go into a type of hibernation to recover. I simply asked how I could help since it was my ignorance that caused you to fall into slumber. He said that if I stayed next to you that you would absorb my excess energy and recover faster. Though I was not prepared for you to cling to me so, but I suppose contact helps the energy transfer."
"That explains my clothing or lack thereof." Dante glared at him, "Why did you do that to me? I was coming to you willingly so you had no reason to attack me."
"Willingly?" Loki laughed, "You think I can't see through your little mask Dante? You care not for the lives you've taken because you believe they deserved their fate." He appeared before her placing his hands on the couch on both sides of her head, caging her in. "You did however care a good bit for the man I killed and wanted revenge. You were going to kill me the minute our hands touched, but I was faster. Do not be a fool Dante to think you could trick me, I am the God of Lies."
Angry tears welled up in her eyes, "You killed the only person that treated me like I was not some freak! He was the only mortal in twelve hundred years I would call friend!" She banged her fists on his chest, "Ugh! Damn you I can't even hurt you without my powers!"
"Are you quite finished?"
"Why did you take me? If you know I was going to try and kill you, why would you take me with you?"
Loki stood, "If I am to be King of this world I will need a Queen to rule by my side."
In a single motion Dante stood then punched Loki in the face with all she had, "I will never be your Queen, that's right up there with me never kneeling for your pompous ass!"
"Woman," Loki growled as he wrapped his hand around her throat, "One way or another you will be mine, be it as my queen or on your knees as my slave."
"Not a snowball's chance in hell."
"You will kneel before me woman!"
"Do me a favor," She smirked then reached out to place her hand on his chest. "Go fuck yourself." She sent him flying into the opposite wall with a burst of power. "Tsk, tsk. Physical contact with me is very dangerous oh mighty God of Mischief." Power crackled over her skin, "Thanks for the jump start."
Loki laughed as he removed himself from the wall, "Perfect! You will make the perfect queen to stand beside me."
"You really are delusional aren't you?" She cocked her hip.
"Why do you refuse my gracious offer? You owe these humans nothing, you are above them. You are a goddess and you should be revered as such."
Dante's eyes flashed dangerously, "I am well aware of my place above these creatures and from time to time I have reminded them of such, but my reasons for denying you are very simple."
"I killed your friend?" Loki supplied sarcastically. "How boring."
"I'm sorry did the middle of my speech interrupt the beginning of your rude commentary? Are you finished?" She waited for Loki to nod in agreement. "This is my realm Loki Odinson and I do not take well to uppity little shits trying to take what is mine."
"You claim to be the ruler of these…mortals?"
"No, I am what protects them from the monsters in the darkness."
Loki sat down on the edge of the bed in deep thought. This woman was immortal, powerful, and claimed to be above these mortals yet she stands to protect them. "Why? Why protect such weak creatures?" He finally voiced his curiosity.
Dante smiled, "Is it not the duty of the strong to protect the weak?"
Fury was not happy about this situation, not happy by a long shot. He had watched the security feed of Dante and Loki's conversation on deck, he knew she wouldn't betray them but when Loki "attacked" her and took her with him…let's just say Fury was furious.
Natasha was more confused than much else. "So why did Loki kiss her? Why not use the scepter?"
"Dangerous and sexy as hell, why not kiss her?" Stark replied sarcastically.
"Because he had no other option," Thor looking a little worse for wear entered the command room. "If what your report said is true and Dante did absorb an energy blast from Loki's scepter then she is too powerful to succumb to the power of the Tesseract. He drained her of her energy, the kiss merely distracted her long enough so he could. Does this agent Barton that Loki controls know anything of import about Dante's abilities?"
"Yes," Nat spoke up before Fury could lie his way out of this. "She went on a mission with Barton a few times, he told me that she occasionally used up energy to quick which would make her fall into a healing sleep of sorts until her body either adjusted or recovered the energy lost."
"How long do one of these healing sleeps last? She could be a powerful ally against Loki's army."
"That depends if Barton told him everything. It doesn't work well with humans but Loki is a walking energy source, if he maintains physical contact with her then she will absorb excess power from him. If Loki has done that she should be awake by now and probably extremely grumpy."
Stark snorted, "Grumpy? I've woken her up from a cat nap and she about ripped my throat out. She's probably pissed. I say we give it till she contacts us then we can come in and retrieve what's left of Loki's body."
"You make it sound as if Lady Dante is a blood thirsty monster."
This time Fury answered, "That and among other things."
Loki had never met such an infuriating creature in his life. How in the nine realms does she keep besting him during their verbal spars? He was Silvertongue for Odin's sake! On top of that nothing he said could convince her to join his side, he needed her powers to secure his victory. No he didn't need her, he wanted her on his side. He should've just killed her when he had the chance but then again she can't die. Perfect. Just perfect, leave it to him to find the one woman who annoyed him like no other, was immortal, and wanted nothing to do with him.
"Barton," Loki ordered as he stormed into Selvig's work area. "I find myself in need of your advice."
"Barton nodded, "How can I help sir?"
"I have tried to get Dante to join my cause. I have promised her freedom from her painful past, a place at my side as my Queen, she will want for nothing and yet she has denied me at every turn. How can I persuade her to join me?"
"Firstly, Dante already has everything in a materialistic sense. She has more money than Stark, a perk to being immortal. Second, she technically is already a Queen, she owns most of Europe. Lastly, you are trying appeal to her using what you think that humans want. You can't appeal to her using such logic."
"Why not?" Loki asked, he was actually confused.
"Dante is bat shit insane, sir. No one knows her end game or why she does what she does."
"How does Fury keep her in line then?"
"He doesn't. He just asks her nicely. I think he's still scared of her since the eye incident."
Loki winced, "She tore his eye out. Do you think she would listen to your words?"
"Not gonna lie, I'm scared of her too, but she's my friend and I use that term very loosely. We have an understanding, but if that is what you wish then I will." Loki nodded. "Alright." Barton turned to another guard, "Watch the doctor I'm going out for a bit."
"Yes, sir."
Barton knocked on her door but after a few minutes he let himself in since she didn't answer. Walking into the room he noticed the impact crater in the wall and broken chairs.
"Dante?" He called out.
"Yes, Barton?" Dante replied from her seated position on the couch to his far left. She watched as he took a seat next to her. "Can I help you?"
He noticed she was tense, she would attack if he made any sudden moves against her. He looked over to the damaged wall then back to her. "You really aren't a morning person are you?"
"Obviously, Loki is giving you just enough rope to give you a sense of humor. I repeat can I help you?"
"Dante you're insane but you're not stupid. Why won't you accept his offer? Is it really so bad?"
"I kneel before no man."
"Technically he's a God."
"So is Odin and I refused to bow to him. I will not be ruled Clint Barton, never again will I be ruled...only to be cast aside." She looked into Barton's eyes, "I know you're listening Loki. So listen very carefully, I will only tell you this once. I am of another realm, a beautiful realm where nature and technology coexist in harmony. I was banished because of my gifts when I was a child, my people threw me into the darkness. I ended up in Jotunheim during its war with Asgard. One of the warriors brought me to Asgard as a spoil of war or maybe he wanted a child I don't know. Odin discovered me a few moons later, I was given two choices: bow to him as my King or be banished from Asgard. Not much of a choice, huh? I chose banishment. I told Odin I would never call him my King and to shove his spear where the sun doesn't shine. I was sent to Midgard, to Earth to live out my long life with no hope of ever returning home." She stood. "I could never ally myself with the kin of Odin." She opened her bedroom door, "Be gone with you. I have no more patience for stories of a past I do not wish to relive."