Kirsi: Chapter 5 Loki, "Guest" of SHIELD

Based on a challenge/prompt by Sheneya at "Avengers Fanfic Challenges and Recommended Reading"

Standard Fanfic Disclaimer that wouldn't last ten seconds in a court of law: Based on characters and situations created by somebody else (other than Kirsi Lokidottir, who's mine). All other characters {beyond minor NPCs} are from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and used without permission and without any hope or chance of financial profit. Just in case anybody has any doubts, I do not own the Avengers. (Wish I did.) To paraphrase Aggie2011, if I owned the Avengers, Joss Whedon and J. Michael Straczynski would be collaborating on the Hawkeye/Black Widow movie right now. Ten thousand thanks to Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Joss Whedon, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Renner, Marvel Comics, Disney Studios, et al. This story is debuting as 'netfic and has not previously been printed in any fanzine or APA. Please don't sue. I'm too broke to pay attention, let alone legal fees.

Challenge: Loki had a daughter. He brought her with him during the Earth invasion, thinking he was going to win. He spent so much time on trying to take over, he usually dumped her on MindSlave!Hawkeye to look after. After his defeat, it's revealed that due to an ancient Asgard law, now that Loki's going to prison, Hawkeye is her legal guardian. How will he cope with going from a solitary person, to looking after the child of the man who used him so badly? Not to mention the well meaning, but not always usable, help of his fellow Avengers.

SHIELD, of course, had made more than one containment cage for the Hulk. Loki sat in the second cage. He glanced up from the magazine Fury had left him when Barton approached. "Barton."

"I am not Kirsi's guardian. Not gonna happen."

"You are," Loki contradicted. "And I expect you to care for her and keep her safe."

"I am not going to spend the rest of my life babysitting your daughter. I want nothing more than to kill you ... slowly," Barton pointed out. "Why would you think your daughter is safe with me?"

"Because you have heart." Loki smiled. "You are a man of heart and honor. You would never hurt a child because you bore a grudge against her father."

Clint Barton had a lot of red in his ledger, but he'd never deliberately hurt a child. He didn't think he could, not even Loki's daughter. Without another word, Barton turned and walked away.

Loki did not look up as Fury approached his cell. He was aware of the spymaster's entrance, of course. With four bodyguards accompanying the man, Loki would have had to been blind and deaf not to notice. Three of the guards were men as big as his brother Thor, all blatantly, obviously armed. The fourth was the Black Widow, looking as innocent and as lovely as an orchid, yet he knew only too well she was as dangerous as oleander.

Fury stood there silently. Loki sat equally silent. It was a waiting game, to see which one would speak first. Loki was good at waiting. He pretended to look at the pictures in one of his magazines. He wondered if Equestrian Lifestyles was simply what they'd had handy, or if 'twere meant as a subtle jibe at him regarding Sleipnir.

Fury waited a full two minutes before speaking. "Your little girl's very talented."

Loki turned his head and glared at Fury. He opened his mouth, then shut it again.

"Quite the musician."

Loki said nothing.

"You weren't in a talkative mood earlier. Came to see whether you were feeling more cooperative now," Fury said.

"Why should I condescend to," Loki paused, as if the next word were distasteful, "cooperate with you?"

"Kirsi."

"Do not soil her name with your mouth," Loki snapped.

"Was that really wise, entrusting your daughter to one of my men? He'll do what I tell him," Fury pointed out. "And he is an assassin."

"Do not try to frighten me, Black man. Despite your garb, you fancy yourself as the hero on the white charger, wearing a white hat. You would not hurt a child."

"You'd be surprised what I might be willing to do in order to protect my planet."

"Barton would not permit you to harm her. Your bluff is meaningless." Loki raised his eyes to Fury. They glared with emerald disdain.

"Hulk thinks you're crazy. You remember him, the big green guy who used you to clean Stark's floor." Fury gave a half smile as Loki paled. "Me, I think you're crazy like a fox."

Unsure whether 'crazy like a fox' was a compliment or an insult, Loki did not deign to reply.

"Maybe you're right that I won't hurt a little girl," Fury continued. "Maybe you're wrong. But one thing you're overlooking. I'm the one who determines if you get a chance to say goodbye to her before your big brother takes you home to Daddy."

Loki scowled.

"Your father okayed Barton as the girl's guardian. And in the interests of interdimensional good will, I'm inclined to accept his judgment. However," Fury paced in front of the cage, "I'm not obliged to obey Asgardian laws. I'm honoring his request purely as a courtesy. And if it proves inconvenient, I can send Princess Kirsi back home."

Fury continued pacing, like a panther in a too-small zoo cage. Loki watched him intently. He couldn't help being reminded of the time he had met Horus on a diplomatic visit. Horus had a hunting cheetah on a leash. Fury reminded him of that cheetah: immense power, carefully leashed.

"Of course, she wouldn't be Princess Kirsi at home, would she?" Fury asked. "Now, since we granted jurisdiction for your punishment to your father, I don't know if he's going to slap your wrist and make you sit in the corner, or if he's going to chain you to a rock and let a serpent drip venom onto your face. But I know that some of your folk back home are going to be unhappy with you. And some of those unhappy people just might take out their feelings on your daughter."

Loki stared at him, but neither confirmed nor denied Fury's suppositions.

"I don't think for a second that you deliberately made Barton your girl-child's guardian. Her babysitter, yes, but the guardian bit was an accidental turn of phrase. You took advantage of it partly because the irony amused you, but mostly because you knew she'd be safer down here. And your father - the mighty Lord Odin - must have agreed, must have had doubts that he could protect her, despite his power. Now, keeping that in mind, that I say whether or not you see her again, that I say whether or not she stays here with Barton or goes back to Asgard with you ... you feel like talking now?"

Loki sighed. "Ask your questions."