Thank you to all those who have signed up to alerts for this story and thank you very much xXxDragonxPhoenixXx for my review! :D

I've had a massive splurge of inspiration for this story and now have a PLAN! for how it's going to pan out – although Loki and Efanna are still keeping the details from me. You can expect a deep look at Loki and Efanna's characters along with a developing relationship, the nature of which which is still uncertain, and the addition, later in the story, of all the Avengers in all their glory along with an attempt to conquer/destroy Earth. I'm actually quite excited about finding out what happens now, and I hope you will be too!

o

So here is Chapter 2! It's quite a bit longer than last time! (Good thing? Bad thing?)

(Unfortunately) I'm not Welsh and have only been to Cardiff twice so my knowledge of the city for this chapter is based mostly on Google Maps, with a little artistic licence. If you do know Cardiff then I apologise for any inaccuracies. Also, if you are Welsh and have knowledge of any colloquialisms I could use to make my characters sound more Welsh then please let me know! On the whole I'm going to avoid the Welsh language though as I don't trust Google Translate not to make a hash of it.

Narrative POVs will switch between Loki and Efanna. I think I've made it fairly clear who's is who's, but if you think I should add markers then let me know :] Hopefully I've done justice to Loki's slightly deranged and extremely changeable personality.

Now I'll shut up and actually let you read the thing!

o

Chapter Two:

A Fated Meeting

When Loki landed, he landed hard. Mortal bodies, he noted, were ill suited for travelling between realms. His head ached and swam, his limbs were weak and would not move and a heavy blackness encroached on the corners of his mind. He was only able to gain a brief impression of where he now lay before the darkness overcame him and his consciousness fled.

He was woken many hours later by a voice in a strange, lilting accent he had not heard before.

"Oi, mate! You can't sleep here!"

Slowly he eased open his eyes and took stock of his surroundings, raising a hand to his temple as his head protested at such movement. He could just about make out a street, lined on one side with trees behind the figure of a bald man in some sort of uniform leaning over him.

"Late night was it? Well I'm gonna have to ask you to move. Maybe next time you should cut back on the booze."

Loki cast his gaze over this man who had the nerve to tell him what he should do. On noticing the word 'Police' emblazoned on his chest his half formed plans of retaliation faded. He did not particularly feel like attracting official attention and he knew he was in no position to teach this mortal some manners. Instead he opted to try and gain some much needed information on his whereabouts.

"Where am I?" he croaked, his voice far weaker than he had anticipated. It was not so subtle or astute as question as he would have liked to have asked, but it was all his brain had supplied him with.

The officer chuckled. "Royal Stuart Lane." Loki looked at him blankly. "Just off James Street, 'bout ten minutes from the Wales Millennium Centre."

This meant nothing to Loki, which obviously showed on his face as the officer rolled his eyes.

"Blimey! How much did you have?"

Loki attempted a sort of sheepish grin in an effort to placate this inquisitive mortal but he had a feeling that his face hadn't quite complied.

"Alright then, you're in Cardiff, Wales, Britain, Europe, Earth. Can't get much more general than that. Now you gonna get a move on or am I gonna have to take you down the station?" His eyes narrowed with suspicion as he took in Loki's appearance.

Loki decided it was probably time to make a move before the cogs in this dull man's brain finally started to turn. He had no doubt that the events of his attack on New York had been widely publicised and he didn't wish for anyone to recognise him. The last thing he needed was those imbeciles from S.H.E.I.L.D. breathing down his neck, especially when he was in such a vulnerable state.

o

It was exactly three hours and four minutes since Efanna had left her home before she was finally able to park in Cardiff. There'd been a minor accident on the motorway which had held her up and she'd had trouble finding a parking space that she thought was reasonably near where she needed to be in this city she didn't know. She now had twenty minutes to try and figure out where she was, where she needed to be, and actually get there.

She scrambled out of her Land Rover, at the last minute spotting a scarf thrown across her backseats and grabbing it. Although it wasn't really that cold she wound it around her neck as she locked the car. Somehow she had a feeling Loki might lash out and she wanted to make sure as much of her skin was covered as possible in case he did. From what she'd Seen he appeared to have a habit of grabbing people by the throat, so a scarf seemed like a good idea.

She started out in what she hoped was the right direction, her eyes darting around for a map or any sort of landmark she might be able to recognise. She knew the Wales Millennium Centre for example, and had seen its great copper roof in her Vision, so that was the way she needed to be heading. She just needed to find out exactly which way that was.

It was 14:43 when she finally saw the coppery glint in the distance and rushed towards it at a run, deftly weaving in and out of the people who were milling about. She'd gotten lost several times, walking down one particular street four times before she'd managed to pluck up the courage to ask someone for directions. This was Cardiff on a quiet day, but to Efanna's mind there were far too many people and they were far too close. She knew her skin was covered and was fairly sure no one was going to touch her face, but the crowds still made her anxious.

When she was close enough to read the massive bilingual inscription on the roof she stopped and scanned the space before her. Suddenly she hoped that her Vision had been wrong, although she knew in her heart that that was not the case. She didn't know what she was going to do once she found Loki, her Vision had only shown the finding, not what happened next. She sucked in the bottom corner of her lip and wrung her hands as her keen eyes jumped from face to face. This would be the first time she had actually met anyone new and she had no idea what she was supposed to do. Sure, she'd Seen herself meeting people before, but that was one hell of a different thing to actually doing it. It didn't help that the man she was going to meet was arguably insane, with a God complex and a burning desire to conquer her planet and enslave its people.

Or maybe it does, she thought as she wondered between passers-by, eyes still searching, I doubt that's something anyone else would be able to prepare themselves for. Besides, he's going to hate me anyway, no matter how socially incompetent I am.

It was when she was wondering exactly how she was going to convince him to leave Cardiff that she finally saw him. She glanced at her watch and yep, it had just flicked over to 14:47. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise as the strange sensation of living out something she had Seen washed over her, like déjà vu but more … certain. It wasn't the first time it had happened of course, but it wasn't really something one could get used to.

He was standing against the railings at the edge of the bay, looking out over the water. She could only see the back of his head but there could be no doubt that this was Loki. Just as in her Vision, all her senses seemed to zoom in on him until she could barely hear the screeching of the gulls or the idle chatter of the people around her. He was more plainly dressed than when she had Seen him before; gone was the long leather coat, the green and gold embellished armour and that ridiculous horned helmet. He simply wore a pair of black leather trousers and a long sleeved t-shirt of what looked like hand-woven, dark green cotton. Efanna supposed this was what he wore underneath all that ceremonial dress. It would make sense for that to be removed when Odin banished him, like when he banished Thor, she thought as her Vision from the morning suddenly clicked into place.

Her body seemed to go into auto-pilot, as though knowing what was expected of it, it simply acted without need of conscious direction. She felt herself walking towards him and bit her lip harder, still trying to figure out what on Earth she was supposed to do when she got there. Strangely however, when he turned his head and fixed his piercing green eyes on hers, she felt strangely calm.

o

Several hours after his rude awakening, Loki was wondering around the city, having mostly recovered from the effects of his enforced travel from Asgard. He now had some idea of where he was; his knowledge of Earth geography was somewhat limited as he had never considered it a subject worth his attention. He was relieved to find he was some distance from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s area of operation. Having become accustomed to his new form he was painfully aware how unable he would be to defend himself against those accursed 'Avengers'. This mortal body chafed at him and his anger at Odin grew with every step. The one thing he consoled himself with was that the All-Father could not constrain or reduce his mental capacity, only suppress what he could use it for. To have to suffer the indignity of living in a mortal body was one thing, to have to live within a mortal mind would be insufferable.

Already his agile mind was planning and scheming, trying to find some way that he could turn his circumstances to his advantage, some way to gain the revenge he so desperately desired and deserved. He may not have his magic or his ability to alter or control minds, but he still had his intelligence and charm. His silver tongue had never been entirely magical and he could still use it to some extent in this form. It was now a matter of deciding on whom.

He leant back against the railings behind him, staring at the large building in the distance as he thought. Its copper plated roof reminded him of the gleaming halls of Asgard and its presence here, in this mortal city irritated him. He wanted nothing more than to turn it to a pile of rubble and dust, to vent his anger and raze this whole pathetic city to the ground. What right did any others have for beauty if to him it was denied?

With a sigh he tore his gaze from the aggravating sight and turned to contemplate the waters of the bay instead. He must push these thoughts from his mind if he were to succeed in any of his plans. After all he had no money, no home, nothing but the clothes on his back, and even they were inadequate in his eyes. He had not eaten since his arrival and this wretched mortal form he was trapped in was growing weary. Whatever he might plan for the future, he would have to start with the very basics of survival.

His best bet, he supposed, was to find some impressionable young woman and seduce her, perhaps playing the part of a helpless traveller, lost and robbed. Such pity that would induce, alongside his charm and good looks, made him confident he could quite easily manipulate such a weak-willed female into giving him, at the very least, sufficient food, new clothes and a place to stay for the night. Such a plan was in his eyes contemptible, but he would do what he must in order to achieve his goal, even if it meant bedding so loathsome a creature. After the first night he would chose his prey more carefully and gather about him money, influence and authority. Once he had the power that was rightfully his, he could return and ensure these whores with whom he must defile himself knew their proper place. They would kneel before him and suffer for the degradation he must put himself though.

Such a notion encouraged him and, smirking, he turned back to the crowds to hunt his prey. He was somewhat amused to find he had a volunteer; a girl who looked to be in her early twenties was walking directly towards him. He let his eyes drift over her, assessing her. Circumstance might force him to bed a mortal but he had not completely abandoned his standards. She had reddish-orange hair which fell in loose, wild curls to her waist and clashed slightly with the purple hoodie she wore. Her figure was slim, but not skinny; although her hoodie was fairly baggy, Loki could see the outline of her curves and her tight-fitting jeans showcased her hips, suggesting a suitable hourglass figure. He was taller than her, but not so much that he towered above her, he guessed the top of her head would be roughly level with his chin. He wouldn't have called her beautiful but her face was pleasant enough, even if there was nothing remarkable about her slightly pointed nose or the lips she appeared to be biting anxiously.

She was mildly attractive, he decided, not enough to tempt him, but sufficiently so as to be his first victim. His thoughts changed however when he noticed her eyes. It was not only the colour that disturbed him, for he had never seen any woman, Asgardian or otherwise, with such pale eyes; but the fact that she met his gaze with no hesitation, no question or nervousness. Indeed as their eyes met a calm seemed to come over her and she looked at him with recognition, even familiarity. As he watched, her posture straightened and the hands she had been wringing fell to get sides, although he noted that she was still biting her lip. She smiled slightly and her pace quickened until she was stood right in front of him, her white eyes still fixed on his.

"Hello, Loki," she said, her voice soft and light.

He reacted the minute she said his name. His arm shot out and his fingers curled around her throat. He span her around, forcing her against the railings and pushing her backwards, leaning over her to make sure she couldn't escape. Although his strength was significantly reduced, it was still enough for him to handle one mortal girl.

"Who are you and how do you know me?" he growled, his fingers tightening.

Disconcertingly she didn't look the least bit frightened and simply stared straight into his eyes. He increased his grip again and was gratified when her hands reached up to his and tried to prise his fingers away.

"Loki…! I can't … breathe!" she gasped, although there was still no fear in her voice.

Grudgingly Loki relaxed his grip a little, aware that he was in too public a place to kill her. Something she apparently seemed to agree with.

"You know, if you're going to strangle me, you might want to do it somewhere out of sight," she said with a little smile, almost as if she were teasing him.

He growled again and tightened his fingers once more, leaving only just enough room for a small trickle of air to pass through to her lungs. He was annoyed however when all this elicited was another small smile.

"You can strangle me all you like, and I'll even tell you what you want to know – although that will be easier if you don't strangle me," she said, quite calmly, if a little breathlessly, "Just let's go somewhere out of sight please? There are too many people here and I don't really want to cause a scene…"

She glanced behind his shoulder, although it seemed that no one had yet noticed his assault. Loki glared down at her, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. Surely no mortal was truly this stupid. There must be something unusual behind those pale eyes of hers, which only made it more important for him to find out who and what she was. Reluctantly he agreed she was right however, this was no place for him to force answers out of her. He removed his hand from her neck and instead grabbed her arm and pulled her along, searching for somewhere he could continue his interrogation in peace. After a minute or two he came across a small alley behind an alehouse and threw her against the wall, his hand once more around her throat.

"Again with the strangling…" she muttered.

He growled again, his temper rising. He pressed himself against her so that his face was mere inches from hers. His fingers tightened and he smirked as her small hands once more reached up to grip at his.

"Tell me who you are," he commanded.

"My name's … Efanna…" she gasped, her voice hoarse, "And it really would … be easier to speak … if you stopped … strangling me…!"

"How do you know me?" he asked. His tone was just as harsh but he relaxed his fingers a little in order to let her breathe.

"There are … a lot of things I know," she answered, trying to get her breath back but smiling wryly.

"That's not a very helpful answer."

"I know."

Again she smiled and again Loki's anger rose.

"Who do you work for?"

"No one."

"Who knows I'm here?"

"No one. Well, except me."

"Are you working with S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"No."

Loki let his green eyes bore into her white ones. Even without his magic he was still talented at reading people. He still knew when others were lying to him. This girl … Efanna, wasn't. Gradually he released his grip and stood back. She slid down the wall slowly, her hands massaging her neck under the scarf she wore. If she wasn't working with S.H.I.E.L.D., or any other organisation she couldn't cause him much trouble. He might even be able to use her to his advantage. There was still the question of how she had known about him though, and so he made sure to block her escape route. It was possible S.H.I.E.L.D. had named him publically and she had recognised him, but somehow he thought that unlikely.

"Tell me how you know who I am," he demanded.

She simply smiled. "And if I say no?"

Loki felt the corner of his mouth lift in a smirk as he crouched down so that his eyes were level with hers.

"I'll make you wish you hadn't."

She stared at him for a long while. He didn't think her eyes had left his more than once since he had first spotted her.

"Maybe."

He quirked his eyebrow. For such a small and pathetic creature she certainly had a lot of courage. He had to admit that she intrigued him.

"Maybe you'll wish that you hadn't, or maybe I'll make you?"

"Maybe both."

Suddenly, that ever present smile around her lips seemed to waver slightly.

"I know more about you than you could possibly imagine, Loki," she admitted slowly. Her eyes seemed to cloud and a hint of unhappiness had crept into her voice.

"I am also the only person in this world who will treat you with any kindness."

Loki scowled and stood up, towering over her.

"And what need do I have of your kindness?" he spat.

"More need than you realise," she said, also standing, "And far more than you will admit."

He glared at her, temper rising once more.

"How dare you think to pass such judgement?" he said, his voice rising with his anger, "You are beneath me, mortal!"

"Only because you're standing up and you're so tall," she replied with another smile, in a sickeningly light-hearted tone. As if to illustrate the fact she reached up on her toes to make herself as tall as possible; she still only reached his nose.

"If you sat down then you'd be beneath me. And besides," she added, rocking back onto her heels, "You too are mortal, are you not? Or has Odin not banished you yet?" Her head tilted to the side, questioningly.

This was too much for Loki's temper and he lashed out, swinging a vicious right hook that would have connected sharply with Efanna's jaw had she not quickly ducked and deftly spun away from him.

"That wasn't very nice," she commented calmly from where she now stood, slightly crouched and catlike, obviously anticipating another blow.

"What did you expect?" he asked sarcastically.

"Fair point."

She shrugged, but did not lower her guard. Obviously she had some skill in combat and Loki didn't particularly want to test the limits of his mortal body yet, not when he was so fatigued and in need of sustenance.

"How did you come to know of my … circumstances?" he demanded, opting instead to continue his questioning.

"I told you, Loki, there are a lot of things that I know."

"That doesn't answer my question," he pointed out.

"Did you really expect it to?" she retorted, an eyebrow raised and a sly smile once again playing around her lips.

The reversal of his own statement was not lost on Loki. This girl was far sharper than he had expected. Grudgingly he found his anger being replaced by intrigue. He calmed himself and brought his hands to his sides, deciding to find out more about this strange mortal. Efanna watched him with her head once again cocked to one side, her eyes seeming to notice every shift in his expression and poise. Almost as soon as he had lowered his hands, she relaxed and returned to his side. Her gaze wondered over his face, her expression calculating. Loki let her assess him, interested in what she would do next, his anger momentarily dissipated.

"You hungry?" she asked suddenly.

Loki's eyebrow raised once more. Her tone was casual, as though they were old friends meeting for a drink. Neither her voice or her posture suggested that mere minutes ago he had been attacking her.

"Come on, I'll give you some money and you can get us some food," she said, walking past him and onto the street.

"Why do I have to get the food?" he questioned as he followed her, deciding to play along for the moment and secretly glad for the offer.

"If I'm paying it's only fair that you do the fetching," she said as she dug around in her pockets and passed him a ten pound note. "Just don't traumatise the person who serves you, okay? And I want change!"

He looked down at her with a smirk as he accepted the money, though he could tell she wasn't telling him the real reason.

"I promise," he said, with mock sincerity.

She laughed lightly, surprising Loki a little. Not that he would admit it, but he was actually fairly amused by this mortal.

"So where would you suggest?" he continued, deciding that turning on his charm might be in his favour; his original plan could still be adapted to this current situation. They were now back in the open and passing the doors of cafés and deli bars.

"Um, that place?" she said, pointing to a take-away panini stand by the water. Loki smirked at the uncertainty in her voice.

"And what would you like?" he asked, his tone a little overly extravagant.

"Um, I dunno, just something. Whatever. I'm good."

There was a small crowd around the stall and she seemed reluctant to go any further. Once more Loki's eyebrow raised as he considered her.

"Very well, 'just something'."

He turned and walked towards the stall but before he had gone more than five steps he heard a thud behind him. Turning around he saw Efanna in a heap on the floor. She raised her head and he looked at her questioningly.

"I fell over," she explained.

"Whilst standing still?" His voice was sceptical and a little amused.

"It takes great skill," she informed him earnestly. "I'll be waiting on that bench over there."

"As long as you don't fall over again."

"As long as I don't fall over again," she agreed with a smile as she pushed herself to her feet, "Now hurry up, I'm hungry!"

Ten minutes later Loki and Efanna sat at opposite ends of the bench, finishing their respective meals. Normally Loki wouldn't have tolerated being ordered around, but given their current situation he had given Efanna a special dispensation. They had eaten in silence but now they had finished Efanna turned to him.

"We'll have to get going soon," she said, looking at her watch.

"And where would we be going?"

"Home," she said simply.

"What makes you think I'll go with you?" he asked, allowing an edge to creep back into his voice.

"Well for starters you don't have anywhere else to go," she pointed out. "But it doesn't really matter because whether you like it or not, you're going to come with me, Loki. It's just something that will Happen."

Loki glared at her, his eyes hardening, but the look she returned him was cool.

"I could always threaten to call S.H.E.I.L.D. if you need an incentive?"

His eyes narrowed. "I thought you said you weren't working for them."

"I'm not," she shrugged, "But I know how to contact them if I need to."

Loki felt his temper rising once more. He let out a low growl and had to restrain himself from attacking her again. But the gaze Efanna levelled at him quite clearly stated that she knew things were going to turn out her way.

"Well, are you coming?" she asked, standing up and beginning to walk away. With a growl of frustration, Loki followed her.

So, what d'you think? Please let me know and tell me if there's anything you think I could improve! I get stupidly excited by reviews :P