"What?" I repeated stupidly. Coulson pressed his lips together in a thin line and repeated himself.

"He wants to see you."

"Why?"

"How should I know? The only thing that I do know is that he keeps asking about you for reasons that, well, no one understands."

I felt my face warm under his disappointed gaze, and then he strode off in the opposite direction down the hallway, talking into his microphone. I closed the door and leaned against it for a moment, feeling completely embarrassed.

"It's like every second he keeps giving them reasons to implicate me!" I muttered, grabbing my jacket. I zipped it too hastily, and the zipper snagged on the skin of my neck.

My neck was burning, as well as my legs, but I marched quickly to the detention center. During my walk, I passed Dr. Banner's lab. My steps slowed as I watched Dr. Banner talk with Tony Stark, looking animated and engaged in whatever they were talking about.

I hope this works, I thought nervously, unable to imagine the guilt I would have to deal with if Dr. Banner was killed in the impending attack.

Loki was standing in the center of his cell, looking patient when I arrived. I swiped my I.D. through the card reader and it beeped with verification. Climbing the small set of stairs, I reflected on the fact that I was now given access to this room. You'd think that Fury, Hill, or Coulson would be the only ones with anytime access. If I was able to access his prison at 3 a.m., what does that mean?

"Haven't you done enough?" I barked as I approached the glass. "What do you want? I was busy."

Loki crossed his hands in front of him. "Sleeping is busy?" he inquired. "But I digress. I merely wanted to see how things were going."

"What things?"

"Things, Elliot," he repeated for emphasis. "You. Your emotions. How fares the search for the Tesseract?"

"You don't give two shits about me," I drawled, rolling my eyes. "You've ruined everything, you know. Everyone knows I've been compromised and now I look like an incompetent child! I was so much...happier before you arrived."

Which wasn't entirely the truth, but why was I going to tell him?

"Oh, really?" the Asgardian replied, leering at me. "You spent your days reporting to people more important than you and being undermined, Elliot. I implore you, stop lying to yourself, and to me. We both know that since my arrival your life has become exciting."

I shook my head, unable to believe the words tumbling from his mouth. Exciting isn't the word. More like...nightmarish.

"It isn't entirely my fault. You shouldn't have revealed so much of yourself to me," Loki continued innocently, rolling his eyes. He feigned a look of understanding. "Well, goodness...I think that would make this...your fault, wouldn't it?"

"Your tongue is cunning," I murmured, looking away from him. "I revealed nothing to you. You snooped through my life and found all you needed to keep me trapped in your little game. But you're finished," I added, summoning my courage to step closer to the glass. Loki moved forward as well, a smile tugging at his lips.

"How fares it?" he inquired in a soft, gentle voice. "You have not even attempted-"

"Don't," I pleaded in a whisper, shaking my head. Loki pursed his lips, deliberating.

Then, to my relief, he changed the subject. "Do you have a plan?" he inquired, tilting his head like a curious cat.

"Yes, and it involves sending you to the deepest depths of hell. Do Asgardians even believe in hell?" I asked him, realizing that I know nothing about their culture.

He ignored my question. You intend to sacrifice the lives of your friends only to keep your name clear and innocent? his voice whispered in my mind, sounding interested.

I chewed on my tongue, a habit I picked up when I was young, and I always did it when I was thinking hard or confused. If there's only one thing I can't understand, is why he discusses this in private. For a God of Mischief, he certainly is stupid if he hasn't realized that he could have blown everything for me by speaking about it. Instead he keeps quiet. Why?

He's up to something, I thought, looking at his expressionless face. Abruptly, it changed and his emerald eyes narrowed. "You," he muttered, turning his eyes away.

"She's had quiet enough of your childish schemes," Thor's deep voice said quietly behind me. I listened to his powerful footsteps as he strode across the pathway, approaching the glass. I kept quiet as he strode past me towards the glass. I couldn't help but admire his powerful figure. "If you have come to play word games with her, she's had enough." He crossed his muscular arms, narrowing his eyes at his brother.

"And who are you, Odinson, to tell me what to do? And with a mere mortal?" his brother spat in retort, narrowing his eyes into slits.

"You do not understand," Thor said quietly, running his hands through his shoulder length golden hair with frustration. "Mortals are more complex and more brilliant than you will ever know." At that, he turned to face me, his face serious. "Elliot, Daughter of Midgard. Your presence is requested in the room with...erm...the great screens."

I smiled with sympathy. "You mean the command center."

Thor raised one eyebrow, and then a bashful smile spread across his face. "I...I, yes." The smile suddenly turned into a teasing one. "Is Elliot not the name for a man?"

I pursed my lips, fighting a smile. "That's not nice." I could see out of the corner of his eye that Loki was getting more aggravated by the minute; his lips twitched and I could see the clenching of his hands. So that was the key. Loki's hatred for his brother; his older brother, the perfect son, the warrior.

"Is it not?" Thor persisted, walking towards me. I smiled nervously, tapping my hands on the console, not meeting his eyes.

"Perhaps. My mother and father were very...unique in the way they named me. They chose not to name me something as simple as Jessica," I shrugged casually, glancing up at him. A wide grin split his face.

"I was merely jesting."

I blinked. "I knew that."

"Elliot is a lovely and unique name," Thor said sincerely, his grin softening to a friendly smile. I couldn't help but smile back. Underneath all that bulk and muscle was a big teddy bear.

The beginnings of a feral snarl reached my ears, accompanied by thunderous footsteps. "I am not to be ignored!" Loki shouted without warning, banging his hands on the glass. Thor turned to see Loki flush against the wall, his eyes distressed. "You speak of me as if I do not exist! You speak and chatter with her like you do the ladies at court! She is a worthless mortal!"

Thor glanced at me once, his eyes that held a playful sparkle becoming dull. He turned slowly to face his brother. "My apologies."

Loki's words didn't even remotely offend me, but I figured that I was supposed to leave the room. Glancing between Loki and Thor, I noticed the expressions on their face and noted that they shared one similar emotion, one more visible than the other: hurt.

Through the night, and the next morning, Loki's voice floated around my head.

You intend to sacrifice the lives of your friends only to keep your name clear and innocent?

My reasons for keeping silent were entirely selfish. I'd rather see everyone die and suffer than admit that I had something to with these schemes? Doesn't that sound like a horrible human being?

I thought so too.

It wouldn't be long until Agent Barton would arrive and take down the ship with no resistance, because no one was expecting it. He knew all the corners of the ship that he could attack to take it down quickly, which parts were weaker. I already knew myself because I studied the schematics of the ship by accident.

On the day of reckoning, I paced restlessly down the corridors, my stomach bubbling to the point where I wanted to throw up. I chewed on my fingernails, examining my options. It was to the point where they could literally arrive at any second. Loki never said exactly when they were coming. They could be outside of the ship right now.

"No, no, no..." I whispered anxiously, pivoting on my heel and walking the way I came. I raised my head and smiled as normally as I could at two agents walking down the hallway, deep in conversation. Like everyone else on this ship, they were completely unaware of the impending situation. It's funny, I thought for a moment. Here I am again, aware of the danger we're in, and no one else is.

My feet directed me to the detention level again, but I didn't protest. I stopped outside of the room and peered through the window. Loki was sitting on the bench, head bowed, smiling to himself like he was enjoying a private joke. This will end every badly unless I say something.

I decided to put the only plan that might work into action. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door to the prison and strode inside. I made a show of gasping loudly, pressing my hands against the cold glass.

At that sound, he raised his head, and his dark eyebrows came together in confusion.

"That's your plan," I whispered loudly, hoping that my act wasn't too horrible for the camera.

"What?" he rasped, standing upright. Dramatically, I turned on my heel and fled out of the room through another exit, closer to the command center.

"Agent Coulson!" I called loudly, sprinting in the command center. A figure slid into view and gripped the tops of my arms tightly. I found myself staring at Kat's alarmed face.

"Miss Elle, you look positively pale!" she exclaimed. "What's the matter?" I avoided her searching eyes, looking past her at the black ship that had suddenly appeared in front of the window of the command center.