The sounds of yelling and gunshots woke me up a little while later. I shifted a little, discovering that I was awake, and (thankfully), not dead.

The humming sound of engines beneath me indicated that I was on a plane. They sent gentle vibrations across my back, and I wiggled, beginning to assess my situation. I laid on a bench that was probably made of metal. I smoothed my fingertips over it, and I was proved right. I inhaled deeply, relieved to breathe clean air. Just thinking about the smell of chloroform created an very unnecessary ache in my left temple.

While I wiggled, I became aware of weight against my forehead, but it was very light, and soft. Considering that I whacked my head on a metal railing, I knew it was a bandage. He was kind enough to bandage my wounds?

No, I thought immediately. Someone else did that. He doesn't understand sentiment.

I began to listen to the sounds around me, and realized that they were coming out of a set of speakers. Why?

I exhaled tiredly, figuring that he was somewhere nearby. "You know, using that chloroform on me on top of having a head injury...it could have killed me." I kept my eyes closed.

"It was a minuscule dose, provided to by Agent Barton, who is unfortunately no longer in our company," said Loki, his voice thoughtful. "He has been taken into custody by your friends. I can no longer feel his mind. The miniature device installed in the device was disabled as well..pity."

"What device?" I asked curiously, keeping my eyes closed still.

"What you refer to as a...camera," he grunted. "You play a very convincing hostage, Elliot."

"Hostage?" I sat up then, and turned to look at him. He sat on a bench opposite me, his scepter resting next to him. Loki was bent over, staring at a small tablet. He was clearly fascinated by the device, because he kept turning it over in his hands, examining it. "What is that?"

Smiling, Loki turned the table to me, and I watched as a small hidden camera showed Director Fury, Maria, and other agents firing at the hostiles who had entered the command room. From the side, I watched as two guards struggled to keep me from thrashing around, trying to free myself. I don't remember doing that.

I winced, watching one of the larger guards hit me squarely on the back of the head, and then I buckled. Curiously, I felt for a lump in the back of my head, and found one. That makes sense.

I blew air out of my lips, feeling completely frustrated with myself. No doubt, Fury had seen that entire display. By now, he had to have known that I was completely associated with Loki. This situation just became ten times more complicated.

I took a moment to observe my surroundings ; we were in a plane that was clearly meant for skydivers. A container of parachutes and helmets were in a bin next to Loki's legs. Our destination was unknown.

"Why did you take me?" I demanded of him, the memory of his double coming back to me.

"Because I need your mind," he whispered, raising his head. "Your precious little mind, Elliot. Do you not know that you hold so much more information than you know?"

"What else do you possible need from me?" I truly didn't understand. What more did he want?

"All I need is to prompt you, and then the knowledge is mine." Loki set the table gingerly on the metal bench next to him, near his golden scepter. "A simple word, or thought."

I stood upright, glaring at the Asgardian. "You've done more than enough, Loki. I've had it with you, your tricks, and your lies. All I want is for you to leave me alone. I'd rather you just take the information now and drop me off in Mumbai."

Clearly, the idea pleased him to no end; with a smile, he picked up his scepter and aimed it at me. "I'd love nothing more to revoke my promise."

That damned scepter. My boldness disappeared as quickly as it came. I changed the topic before he actually acted on his promise. "What have you done? Where are the Avengers?"

"Your little group of monsters? Let's do a headcount," he offered, raising one hand. "Your sweet assassin lovers have been torn to shreds by the monster. As for the monster..." his lip curled. "Gone. Odinson has tumbled leagues to his death in a glass cage. Your Iron Man, snared by the devices that run your ship. The Captain? Shot."

"I don't believe a word of that. I know you lost." There's no way they could give up that easily without a fight.

"To that end I did not."

Half of me refused to believe him. They're all too powerful to simply be taken down with one surprise attack. But the other half reminded me that it was a surprise attack. No one was prepared.

No one was prepared, because I said nothing.

I opened my mouth to retaliate, but a crippling pain shot up my ankle and my left leg gave in. I gritted my teeth to stand the pain. "Damn grenade," I mumbled, hobbling back towards the bench. From the way I could barely walk on it, it must have been bruised after I fell from the explosion.

"You!" Loki barked, startling me. I looked over my shoulder and did a double take, noticing a guard in the corner who had probably been there the whole time. "Bring me healing items. You aren't finished yet," he added, looking in my direction. "I need you in perfect health. My device isn't finished."

The guard handed him a thick cloth bandage, and then he stood up, walking towards me. Furrowing his brow, he began to unwrap it.

"Give it to me," I snapped, wary of his presence. "I'll do it myself."

Loki stopped in his tracks and fixed me with a glare that made the words die off my tongue. "You will sit and be still." He sat down next to me and I immediately crawled backwards, knowing what he was going to do.

"No," I replied, shaking my head furiously. "You're going to break my ankle. You almost broke my arm, why would I let you touch me? My bruises haven't even healed!"

He finished unwrapping the bandage and turned towards me. "Come here," he growled, his eyes warning me to obey. My boldness resurfaced and I backed away from him further, because his scepter was on the other side of the cargo hold. There was nothing he could do. Unless he could throw himself across the hold in an instant.

"You are going to hurt me," I declared. "If you-" My words turned into a yelp but he leaned towards me and clamped one hand around my injured ankle, applying light pressure, and then I was forcibly yanked towards him until my backside met his right thigh.

"In Asgard, women are expected to listen and obey," he said softly, resting my ankle on his thigh. "You would never receive the attentions of even the ugliest bachelor for your stubbornness." Humiliated, I watched as he removed my boot and sock, and then dropped them on the floor without care.

"I'm not sure what you're doing, but sentiment isn't going to lessen my disgust for you," I said with a clenched jaw, trying to withstand the pain while he attempted to rotate it.

"On Asgard, even men were forced to learn healing ways," Loki muttered with irritation, ignoring me. "This is women's work. Unfortunately, Frigga insisted that we learn," he continued, ignoring me still as he began to slowly wrap the bandage around my ankle. "Stupid insistence. All of Asgard are full of fools and pot-bellied dimwits. I was born to be King! But no matter." A smile again curled at his lips. "Asgard will not have me, but Earth will." Remembering that I was there, he twisted his neck to look down at me. "Do you have any idea how much easier it would be on your knees, Elliot? It is your natural state?"

He's every shade of insane, I realized, searching his face for any sign of humanity. Then I recalled that he'd asked me a question and I shook my head, sputtering, "I have sensitive knee-caps." It was a dumb excuse. "And what is yours, then? Towering over us?" He didn't answer, completely focused in his task. "You do know that the people will try to kill you. We're not too fond of aliens. I mean...no one will listen to you. We're fighters."

"The bloodshed is enough evidence of that," he said with a dry chuckle, tightening the bandage a little. The throbbing in my ankle began to lessen, but I wasn't going to tell him.

"I mean, we fight back. We resist. When our government tries to impose rules and regulations that we don't like, we stand together, and we politely tell them to piss off. If it's not for the benefit of all, no one will agree to it. Sometimes," I added, thinking about the political campaigns and debates that got more ridiculous with each election year. "Humans don't just kneel. Your plan will fail because we won't listen. No scepter will do that."

His fingers stilled, and then he fully turned to look at me, blinking his eyes. "You, Elliot, are of the brave kind. Therefore, you will be the last to fall. But it will be such a sweet victory when you do. Do not shift so much, you must remain still," he added, completely devoid of emotion.

I began to realize that there was something seriously wrong with Loki. It was as if his mind was on autopilot. How could he even suggest that? Is there anyway to talk some sense into him.

"Loki, you're not going to win."

Temporarily, his passive mask slipped away, and underneath it emerged a terrified, vulnerable man. I watched as the transformation took place; his emerald eyes widened, and his lips parted, short gasps escaping from them. What happened?

"I can't let that happen." As quickly as the transformation began, it ended. Baring his teeth, he tightened his grip on my ankle. I clenched my jaw and squeezed my eyes shut to fight the pain, my heart racing from the sudden change in pressure.

"Your human bodies are so fragile," he exhaled with disappointment, easing his grip. "No matter, this is only the beginning. We will see where your loyalty falls."

I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling of the hold, feeling exhausted. It seemed that no matter what I did or said, there was no possible way to get through to his mind, that there was no way we were going quietly. That we weren't going to just agree with him and drop to our knees in reverence of an alien from outer space. But it seemed that his mind was long gone. However, I couldn't forget that look of terror that flashed on his face when I told him that he was going to fail.

Countless possibilities came to mind, but the one that stood out the most made the most sense. If I was given a project by my boss that I couldn't mess up on, and someone told me that I was doomed to fail, how would I feel?

Completely and utterly terrified that my boss would reprimand me or fire me. Therefore, the idea that maybe Loki was working for someone came to mind. I opened my mouth to ask him about it, but he was mumbling to himself about Asgard, my presence completely forgotten.