Disclaimer: I think it is clear I don't own Marvel. In case it isn't: I don't own Marvel.

A/N: I want to shout out Jezebel DeTrazie who left a lovely review. Coincidentally this chapter has Hawkeye's debut. There will be more of him later on, so don't worry.

Phase One

Loki fingered the Chitauri scepter. "This really is a nice gift." Loki glanced up at the general, and his eyes narrowed. "What was the message that went with it?"

"There wasn't any."

"Now that's odd." Loki murmurred.

"Though he did say that if you failed, he'll make you long for something as sweet as pain." The general leered at Loki.

"How poetic. I don't have any intention of failing." Loki hid the fear rising in his throat.

"None do."

"You don't do ominous very well."

"Fallen prince, get to Earth! Thanos is restless for the power of the tesseract."

Loki ignored the slight and bowed his head in concentration. The spell he was about to do would take a lot of energy. It was a gift indeed, this scepter, all this energy at his fingertips. It was exhilarating. He winked at the general before vanishing in swirl of mist.

AAAAA

Clint sat quietly in the rafters as he watched Director Fury and the Doctor discuss the tesseract. This had to be one of the most boring assignments he'd had in his entire service. Monitoring scientists was not his ideal assignment. While he was stuck here, Natasha got to infiltrate the russian mob, hardly a fair trade.

"Agent Barton, report" Clint quickly slid down a rope and joined the Director down below.

"I gave you this detail so you could keep a close eye on things." Fury reprimanded Clint.

"Well, I see better from a distance"

"Have you seen anything that might set this thing off?"

"No one's come or gone. If there's been any tampering Sir, it hasn't been on this end."

"At this end?"

"Yeah. The cube is a doorway to the other end of space, right, the door's open from both sides." Clint felt like he was stating the obvious. Then again Director Fury hadn't been examining the Tesseract for months now.

Suddenly the cube began to glow a bright blue. Clint ducked as it sent a shot of pure energy to the other side of the room. It was opening a portal, Clint realized, this whole situation was ironic.

A man slowly stood from the fading blue mist, his eyes wild and his cheeks gaunt. Clint quickly analyzed the situation. Not human. Dangerous and holding a weapon. Not afraid of us.

"Sir, put the spear down." Fury foolishly commanded.

Clint watched closely as he avoided blows as the man jumped with abnormal abilities to stab two men, and blew the machinery to bits with that supposed spear. Clint wasn't sure what it was anymore. It reminded him of his last mission in New Mexico when the target had a strange relationship with a hammer.

Clint ducked and rolled as a surge of energy blasted near him. He stood up in time to point his gun at the man's chest, he wasn't quick enough to avoid the spear. He completely expected for that spear to run him in. He didn't expect the man to give an odd look before saying his first words.

"You have heart"

Clint felt something shift in his mind. Shit, Clint thought angrily before his thoughts weren't all his.

AAAAA

"The Chitauri grow restless"

"Let them goad themselves. I will lead them in a glorious battle."

"Against the meager might of earth" The general chuckled.

"Glorious not lengthy. If your force is as formidable as you claim." Loki said slowly, tasting each word as they slipped out.

"You question us? You question him? He who put the scepter in your hand, who gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose when you were cast out and defeated?" The general demanded angrily.

"I was a king. The rightful king of Asgard... betrayed." Loki snapped.

"Your ambition is little, full of childish need. He looks beyond the earth to greater worlds and what the tesseract will avail."

"You don't have the tesseract yet" Loki said slowly.

The general rushed towards him, hands outstretched.

"I don't threaten." Loki said quietly, backing a step away. "But until I open the doors, until your force is mine to command, you are but words" Loki smiled softly.

"You will have your war Asgardian. But if you fail, if the tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where he cannot find you. Remember his message that went along with that scepter."

"I have not forgotten." Loki gritted his teeth. He dropped the illusion, and shook his head with a glare.

He stood abruptly and shouted to the busy scientists, "We have work to do!"

"Sir?" Clint asked stepping out of the shadows.

"I need all you can get on S.H.I.E.L.D. I need to understand everything about them. Every gritty detail."

"I'm on it." Clint paused before continuing,"The scientists think there may be a missing element of the machine that will have to be stolen."

"I will take that into consideration. I may have an idea." Loki tilted his head, his eyes bright, as they always were when his mind raced.

Loki sat on the throne of Asgard, Thor crouched right beside him.

"What happens next, Brother?" Thor asked eagerly.

Loki looked at the book he was reading. "The prince saw he could not get past the thorns without magical assistance so he concocted a spell to create a path."

"That's not what it says" Thor said in disbelief.

"It is! I swear it!"

"Liar!" Thor tore the book out of Loki's hands.

"Hey!"

"And the prince took the magical sword given to him by the faeries and split the thorns." Thor read clumsily.

Loki rolled his eyes.

"Sounds a bit like Mjolnir." Thor said brightly.

"Not everything is about Mjolnir Thor."

"I can't wait to wield that power!"

"I am going to finish the story now." Loki said testily.

"Right. Right, what happened to that fair maiden?"

"And the prince ran up to the top tower- he could have just teleported-"

"Loki! The real story."

"Fine. The prince found the beauty sleeping on her bed. To break the curse and wake the kingdom from their slumber, he kissed the girl lightly on the lips. She awoke with a happy yawn, as did the whole kingdom- that doesn't make any sense. Why would one kiss affect the whole-"

"Loki!"

"Geez- And they lived happily ever after."

"Did they get married?" Thor asked

"I think it's implied."

"Midgardian stories are odd. Fighting thorns isn't very noble."

"Well he did slay the dragon." Loki pointed out.

"Oh right! I forgot all about that part. Read it again!"

"Again?" Loki asked wearily.

"Please" Thor put on his best puppy eyes, as he rested his chin on Loki's shoulder.

Loki caved with an easy grin. "Okay"

"Boys! What are you doing?" Frigga asked sternly.

Loki and Thor looked up in shock to find their mother standing by the steps, hands on her hips. A tall, fierce looking woman wearing leathers and pretty girl with bright wide eyes stood by Frigga.

"Mother! I did not know we were having guests." Thor stood quickly, knocking the book out of Loki's grip.

"Apologies Mother. We were reading." Loki added, picking up the book, giving Thor a dirty look.

"Your boys are quite handsome." The woman complimented Frigga. Her voice was deep and sultry.

Loki and Thor glanced at each other, and held back giggles.

"They take after Odin." Frigga smiled at them. "Boys, this is Lady Frejya and one of her daughters, Sigyn. They are visiting me for the time. On a completely different note, I think that your tutor may be missing you both."

Loki let out a mock gasp of astonishment. Sigyn met Loki's eyes and tried to hide back her laughter with a cough.

"Out" Frigga smiled at their antics, and pushed them off the throne.

"That girl-" Thor whispered as they left.

"Sigyn" Loki interrupted.

"She could be a sleeping beauty."

Loki glanced behind them, "This time brother, I think you may be right."

Loki carefully watched the footage. Images of ice capsules, metal men, news reporters, and a particularly feisty redhead flitted the screen. He had read the profiles of everyone he considered a potential threat. He was looking for weaknesses. Everyone had one, even he had one. The key to manipulation was knowing their triggers and how far they would go for certain things.

"Find what you were looking for?" Clint asked gruffly.

"I think so." Loki paused the screen on the red head, this black widow. "I saw the report on her. You brought her in, correct?"

"Natasha? Yeah, I brought her into the agency."

"You've known her for years now. How would you term your relationship?" Loki asked fishing for the details.

"Close."

"How close?"

"Pretty close." Clint hedged the question.

"How close?" Loki repeated slowly.

"Somewhat intimate."

"Love then?"

"She says love is for children."

"But you don't believe that do you?"

"No." Clint said gruffly, the blue in his eyes flickered. That did not go unnoticed by Loki.

"How dedicated are you to this mission?"

"Fully."

"If you see her, what will you do?" Loki asked curiously.

"Avoid confrontation, unless she's in direct opposition to achieve the objective, then I would attack." Agent Barton's voice held a robotic tone.

"Good. That will be all for now. Unless I have other questions." Loki dismissed him with a flick of the wrist.

Loki unpaused the screen. Gods these people were about as messed up as he was.

AAAAA

Germany was a delicate procedure. Everything was in place. Barton had disabled security. Loki gazed down at the pathetic mortals celebrating some insignificant achievement. He walked down the stairs with a sense of swagger, shifting his scepter into a walking stick.

Loki tossed it playfully before ramming it into the head of security. He grabbed Heinrich Schoeffer by the neck, and flipped him on to the sacrificial table. There was irony to that, the god ryly thought as he reached into the classy midgardian suit for the eye machine.

He thrust the machine onto Schoeffer's eye. He watched with pleasure as the mortals scurried, running away like the ants they are. He got shiver of pleasure. Vengeance tastes good. He tossed the man aside, trusting Barton to get the metal, and strutted towards the entrance, putting on his full battle armor.

He followed the people into the streets. A police car came screeching down the road, without even a glance he dealt with the pestering siren.

He created multiple illusions to in cage the petty mortals. "Kneel before me" Loki said calmly. They refused to listen, screaming and trying to get away.

"I said" Loki slammed his scepter down, the blue light erupting from all his duplicates, "KNEEL!" Loki roared. That got everyone's attention. The people slowly knelt onto the ground. Loki could help but laugh a little. Show time.

"Is this not simpler?" Loki walked into the crowd, "Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity. That you crave subjugation, the bright lure of freedom diminishes life's joy in a mad scramble for power...for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end you will always kneel."

An old man slowly stood up, raising his head high. "Not to men like you"

Loki tossed his head with a bright smile, "There are no men like me".

"There are always men like you"

"Look to your elder people. Let him be an example." Loki raised his scepter, the blue light increasing. He could see the fear creeping into the foolish man's face.

He didn't expect the soldier to reflect the shot, knocking him down.

"You know the last time I was in Germany, I saw a man standing above everybody else. We ended up disagreeing."

Loki got up slowly, his face full of contempt, "The Soldier. Ehehe. The man out of time."

"I'm not the one who is out of time." Captain America laughed, as a plane conveniently came up behind him.

"Loki. Drop the weapon and stand down." A woman's microphoned voice permeated through the air.

Loki did not listen, throwing a blast in that general direction. The captain lunged at Loki, who deftly blocked his attacks. He wasn't bad for a mortal, stronger than most, but in the end even he knelt.

"Kneel" Loki growled as he pressed the scepter against the blue cladded head.

"Not today" The Captain flipped around, and the fighting ensued for a brief moment, before loud music erupted in the air.

Loki and Captain America glanced upwards in time to see Iron Man blast Loki to the ground. Before Loki could get up, Iron Man pointed a lot of ammunition at him.

"Make your move, Reindeer games" Captain America stood by Iron Man panting, his face shiny with sweat.

This was as good a time as any to surrender. Loki lost his armor, and raised his hands.

"Good move" Iron Man dropped his guns.

"Mr. Stark"

"Captain"

Loki watched with humor, not saying a word as these men passive aggressively, chained him, brought him into the plane. The humor was in the fact that the aggression wasn't directed towards him. Clearly the Captain and the Iron Man did not like each other. Good. All was going to plan.

Next Chapter: Somehow Thor has to get to Midgard. Sigyn won't be far behind. Plus a flashback to when Sigyn finds out Loki is a Jotun.

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