A/N: Finally! A quicker update! I promised I'd try, and I have succeeded! Heheh. Enjoy, my dears.

"Have a seat, Ms Manning."

Wary, Eva sat, her parents returning to their own chairs. She crossed one leg over the other, her hands laced upon the table. Now that the greetings had been made, and her brother out of the room… the grilling could begin.

She was not looking forward to it.

"I want to make it clear that there are things I am not willing to tell, not under any circumstances," she said quietly, steadily, eyeing Fury in particular. "Respect that, please."

The director said nothing, merely nodded once, slowly. "Alright." He steepled his fingers, sat back in his chair. "Start from the beginning."

She was silent, measuring her words. Where to start… "He visited me a week after the restaurant incident. I'm sure my parents," she glanced at them, "have told you about that."

"They told me it happened. What they didn't tell me was what he did. Or said," Fury replied, his eye flickering.

"He threatened me. In his usual psychotic way. I won't deny it frightened me, but I'd rather not divulge the details. It happened months ago, it matters no longer." She sighed, and tapped her fingers on the table as she mused, pondered over how to phrase the memories in her mind. It was difficult at best, particularly because of the amount of editing she was having to do.

"He was surprisingly civil. I suppose I had been expecting him to threaten me again, but he did neither, when I encountered him again."

"Was this in New York?" Fury questioned. She inclined her head.

"He told me to pack my things. I was taken to the Chrysler the next morning."

"What happened then?"

A wry smile curved her mouth, taking a few aback, and a note of amusement fell from her lips.

"Dinner. As I said, surprisingly civil. Well, until we were well into the conversation, that is."

Eva was being deliberately evasive. It was not due to any semblance of loyalty to Loki – she would never be loyal to him, that she was quite certain of. No. It was because she didn't trust SHIELD. Rescued her they had, but they were an intelligence agency. They wanted to know the deepest, darkest secrets that she held deep within her mind. She had been Loki's supposed puppet, and now the strings had been cut, she was free to spill all.

But only an idiot would believe such strings had been truly severed.

Loki was a master of things humanity could barely comprehend, much less wield. It was likely that he knew exactly where she was, and was simply biding his time – or toying with her. Nothing could restrain Loki for long. Not even that cage, designed to hold the strongest and most violent creature alive, had failed to keep Loki imprisoned. And knowing Loki, he had simply walked out.

Eva had not been anywhere near the cage when he had escaped – but she had seen the footage, seen Thor try to convince his brother to cease it all. Of course it failed. Thor was dropped thirty thousand feet below, and Loki set his sights on New York.

And when that had succeeded, he set his sights on the world.

"Eva?"

Pulled from her internal musings once more, she tapped the table twice, and glanced at Thor.

"I don't trust them." It was spoken in the language of Asgard, and Thor's expression did not change as he listened. "The circumstances with your brother… I've no doubt SHIELD would try to force me to divulge them. And I cannot let that happen."

"Ms Manning." Fury's voice cut through the exchange, and his expression was not one of amusement. "I would appreciate it if you spoke in a language we all understand."

"And tell you everything I know?" she responded, tongue heavy with sarcasm. "You must understand, sir, that I am a very private person. I am under no obligation to speak about anything to you. The media will tell you all that is necessary for you to know. I'm certain the moniker of 'King's lady' will give you a fair few clues."

"So it's true?" Natasha asked coolly, though her eyes briefly flickered. "You were his plaything?"

If Eva had looked at her parents, she would have seen ashen faces and sickened expressions. As it was, she could not bring herself to do it at all, and she stood up.

"Don't ask things you already know the answer to," she said quietly. "You can only hold off a hunter for so long."

Eva turned away, and walked out of the conference room, leaving an uneasy silence in her wake.

She found herself walking to where the cage had once been suspended. All that was left was a gap, and she sat on a ledge, gazing out below. Even now, the memories rushed to remind her. The surprise on his face upon her linguistic revelation. The sudden smile, one that sent shivers down her spine. The intent in his eyes, cold and predatory. She sighed, running a hand through her hair. What he had done… her life was a shambles. Pursued relentlessly by the media, separated from loved ones for a month, threatened and abused by a man who proclaimed himself a god. The idea of returning to her former life was laughable. And it was her own damn fault, really. She had accepted the offer, gone to SHIELD's headquarters, encountered the psychopath.

And now she had no idea what to do. She was in no way willing to discuss the events of the past month, not with anyone. Not even her own parents. The looks on their faces at Natasha's blatant insinuation had convinced Eva that it was one conversation she did not wish to have. They all assumed it was rape. In a way, one horribly twisted way, Eva wished it were, because at least then she could be blameless. The truth was, she was ashamed of what she had done. He had pushed her, played her, toyed with her. Played upon her desires, teased them out of her and driven her near mad. She had not meant to smash that wineglass, nor tear at his shirt as if she was a woman possessed, but he had taunted and pressed her. His silver tongue had weaved suggestions, assertions – ones that she could not deny.

She might regret her actions, but she had been left sated and pleasured like no other. Loki had known exactly which buttons to push, both intimately and intellectually. Eva would be lying if she claimed he did not intrigue her – yet at the same time, she wanted to put as much distance as she could between the two of them.

Though the minute she stepped out in public…

Eva groaned aloud, her head falling into her hands. Damn you, Loki. Damn you to Hel. She barely cared if he could hear her – in truth, she felt like screaming at him. The bastard.

She'd told Steve she felt free, but now, after the euphoria had passed… she was still stuck. Still held. It wasn't Loki, true, but she was still stranded here. Freedom, she realised bitterly, was something that was unlikely to arrive any time soon – and certainly not while Loki still reigned on this earth.

Is this what you wanted? Not to break me, but make me unsteady? Unsure? I can't leave. I can't go home. This is as much a prison as you were. Only here I am stripped, laid bare. With you I was masked and… protected.

Horrified, she physically flinched at that notion. That Loki was the protector. It was a thought only a madwoman could think. Had he taken her mind and twisted it to suit his own will?

No. I am my own woman, as I told him. He will not influence me so. Never. And he admitted he would not use the sceptre to shape my mind.

That doesn't mean I believe him, though.

One thing she did know. Her parents and her brother could not stay here. It was too disruptive, and Aidan had no other children to play with. They had to go home. That, and this was something Eva wanted the three of them far away from. She had no desire to involve her family in this problem of hers. Loki had an interest in Aidan, but she knew it was only because they were both adopted. He was intrigued by the love her parents had for the little boy, and she guessed that deep down he resented it. From what Thor had told her, Frigga and Odin did love their youngest son. Perhaps Loki was simply too blinded by hatred and bitterness to see it. Eva was aware that she could not judge; she knew very little of the subject, and in reality had no wish to learn more. For all her fascination with Norse deities, Loki's was a past she had no desire to delve into. He was too complex to untangle, with prejudices and dislikes that went far deeper than Eva could ever hope to fathom. He was a centuries-old being – a psychologist's field day, she thought, somewhat wryly, reminiscing upon her first meeting with Loki. Freud would have loved him.

Soft footfalls drew her out of her thoughts, and she turned her head as Thor sat beside her, his legs dangling over the ledge. Eva did not speak, only turned her head back, staring out at the empty space. She felt guilty for ignoring him, but she had nothing to say. Certainly not to the brother of Loki.

"Did he hurt you?" came the Thunderer's surprisingly gentle tone, in the tongue only she and he knew. "Has he harmed you, Eva?"

She closed her eyes, biting her lip. "Not… not badly. I'm sure mortal authorities would have had him locked up for what he's done, but he isn't mortal. He can't be judged like that."

"What did he do?"

At once her guards went up, and her expression turned careful. "Please don't ask that of me, Thor."

"Eva."

"No. I can't. Not to you. Not to anyone. How would I even begin?" She finally turned back to him, her expression almost desperate. "You all saw the bruise on my throat. I've no doubt SHIELD's seen the rest of my body. I've no desire to speak about that, certainly not to an intelligence agency. I don't trust them, as I told you."

"Eva, if my brother has violated you –"

"You'll what? Throw Mjolnir at him? You tried that before, and did it work? No. You can't fight a man like him with force, Thor. He isn't one for physicality. That's why I interest him; I use my mind, my intellect. From what he's told me, Asgard doesn't exactly value such a quality. Was he right?"

Thor was quiet for a moment, and then his eyes slid to hers.

"I cannot deny that Loki's talents have been… disregarded," he admitted softly. "He is not a natural warrior, and so he has been, as you mortals say, side-lined. I wonder now if our jesting hurt him enough that it led to this."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Eva muttered. "It seems all he wants is a place to belong; upon finding none on Asgard, he turned to Earth, and sought to shape it to somewhere he did belong to."

"And he found a kindred spirit in you."

Eva laughed humourlessly, shaking her head. "Oh, no. No. He is only intrigued because I can hold a conversation with him without my hands trembling with nerves. He does frighten me, Thor; I won't deny that. I'd be a fool if I didn't fear him. He's dark, he's dangerous – and not in a sexy, erotic novel kind of way. He could kill me in a heartbeat. Some women might get a kick out of that – but I'd prefer to sleep with a man who didn't have that power. I couldn't live my life on the edge like that, I want my peace; I want my quiet. I was content enough until Loki came into the picture. And now he's literally turned everything upside down. Some women could probably handle a god – look at Jane, for example, she seems pretty damn capable with you – but I couldn't. I'm tired, Thor. Tired of your brother's shit. And god, how I want to slap the smirk right off his face. I don't usually get violent urges, but Loki seems to bring them out in me. What does that say about us, hm? It's not healthy, this cat-and-mouse game. Someone's going to end up broken… or worse." She gazed out below, and her next words were edged with iron.

"And I'll be damned if it's going to be me."

Two days. She had been on the Helicarrier for two days. And not a single dream or visit from Loki… none that she had been aware of, anyhow. Only the impression that he had been there moments before she had woken up the first time on the Helicarrier, that she had gasped his name… and then seen nothing.

Was he trying to give the impression that she was worthless to him? That would be useless in itself. Eva knew how engaged Loki could be in their conversations, how amused she seemed to make him… not to mention the intimacy. Even a god could be affected by a show of skin. He might act nonchalant, but she knew she had him fascinated. And perhaps she could use that to her advantage. Anything too unsubtle and he would suspect. But anything too slight and he might miss it.

The only problem was whether she could keep her own emotions out of it. Eva might despise the god, but her body's reaction to his touch… it was nothing short of infuriating.

She knew that unless she could get a better grasp on such reactions, she would succumb every time, something she would despise. Losing control like that was not on her to-do list.

Eva knew that Loki had contacted SHIELD. Not even Fury could hide that from her, however much he might have wanted and tried to. It showed in everyone's faces, their eyes especially. Loki was not one to leave anyone unshaken or undaunted. Even the director was on edge – for once, SHIELD, for all their skills, did not have the upper hand. America had fallen months before. Russia was being split into two. Britain, Japan, China… all the superpowers were held under Loki's thumb. Weaponry was useless against him, and the Chitauri were brutal to dissidents.

As of now, she knew that Fury and the Avengers were conversing with the god. She had purposely been kept out of the room, much to her annoyance, but she could hear the discussion going on through her earpiece. The earpiece had been a surprise; but Fury's reasoning was that anything Loki said, Eva might recognise or be able to dissect. That, and the director was perfectly aware that if Eva asked, Thor would tell. Trying to hide everything would irritate her, and amuse Loki. And an amused Loki was almost twice as dangerous.

So she was standing in the corridor outside the conference room, leaning against the wall – and what she could hear did not delight her in the slightest.

"You know what I want, Nicholas. Or, more precisely, who."

Loki's eyes glittered on the large screen in the room, and he spoke again.

"You have someone of mine. I would very much like her to be returned to me."

Eva rolled her eyes at that; his possessive nature had always grated on her, and she fought a grimace.

"That's it," she spoke into her com-link, ignoring Fury's previous instructions to stay away. "I'm coming in."

She turned the corner, and walked down the corridor. She stood in the entrance of the conference room, and slowly descended the steps, her boots sounding upon each one. Loki's eyes flickered, and a smile shaped his mouth as the Avengers turned to her, their expressions ranging from uneasy to warning.

"Eva." Her name rolled from his tongue with consummate ease, laced with sin and pleasure and everything that screamed wickedness and that which would have made a more virtuous woman blush head to foot.

But Eva had lost that kind of purity months ago.

"Hello, darling." She appeared utterly unfazed, and sat in a chair, lazily revolving to face him, crossing one leg over the other. "Did you miss me?"

Her calm demeanour was suddenly broken by a sly smile as she drank him in. "Ah, it's my favourite suit. The Armani? You shouldn't have."

Amusement lingered in Loki's eyes as he took in her and the countenances of the people surrounding her, ranging from wariness (Fury) to pure shock (Steve).

"I cannot say the same about your apparel," Loki replied dryly. Eva raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, well, seeing as most of my clothing is still with you in the Chrysler, fashion choices are somewhat limited. Fancy gowns are not at the forefront of my concerns, Loki."

"Clearly not."

Any normal person might have seen two people sassing each other. As it was, Loki was not normal and he did not sass. He threatened. Whether outright or subtly, the menace was always there. Always. And Eva could see it, even as she sat there miles away from where Loki rested in his favourite armchair.

"So tell me, Loki," she began, faux-lightly, "exactly why are you bothering to contact SHIELD? I am only, after all, a mere mortal. Surely a god such as you would tire of someone like me. Or am I wrong? Can it be that you are so fascinated by the woman who isn't afraid to bite back at you? Hm?"

Unknowingly, Eva had slipped into Old Norse. This did not escape Loki's notice, nor that of their audience, whose eyes were wide and bemused – and wary. Loki was simply entertained. His little lioness, biting back, as she had said.

Privately he thought to himself that he had missed this. It had only been two days, true, but they had been inordinately dull without her attitude and cynicism. Oh, power was seductive, and he basked in the knowledge that an entire realm was his… but knowing that there was someone who did not cower in fear when in his presence was both intriguing and amusing. Particularly when this someone was not in the least trained in any capacity to kill or maim. She relied simply on her words to wound.

"Are you bored, Eva?" he asked, tilting his head. "Two days shut up in that floating fortress, without any of your belongings. It must be torture. Particularly considering no one on that vessel trusts you. And why should they? After all… you are mine. Who knows what I have done to your mind?"

Eva's eyes narrowed. "You have not done anything to it."

"Is that so? I see… Some changes are imperceptible to the individual's mind, you know. Even you cannot recognise them… but I see that our audience has… Am I right, Fury?"

Suddenly confused, Eva looked to the director for an explanation. Fury's expression was grave, and Eva turned back to Loki, whose eyes were alight with mirth.

"The moment you entered this room," Loki said calmly, "you did not speak a single word of English. Instead, you spoke the language of Asgard – and you were not even aware of it, Eva Manning. So. Can you really sit there and claim I have not changed you? Can you?"

Her eyes widened as the truth dawned, and Loki could see her mind scrambling to deny it, to declare otherwise. But she had seen Fury's face, and as she glanced around to the others, Loki could observe the realisation settling upon her countenance. Anger emerged upon it, and he relished the glare she directed towards him.

"Do not think I will return to you, Loki," she hissed, consciously using English now. "I am not yours."

"And you would rather be surrounded by liars and killers, would you?"

"Speak for yourself," she retorted. "God of lies. Chaos. I won't say mischief, because what you've done is much worse. How many lives have been lost because of you? Innocent lives, Loki! How can you sit there and say your rule will make everything better? How?" She was standing now, seething. "You cannot try to reign over seven billion people, Loki. Don't you see what you are doing? Suppressing the human race simply because you want to shape this world into a place you belong to!"

And then her expression calmed, and her eyes flickered as she continued, softer now.

"Asgard disregarded you and Jotunheim abandoned you. That is all this is, isn't it? You're lost. You have nowhere to go." She looked at him. "Then I pity you, Odinson. Or is it Laufeyson? No. It's Loki. Just Loki. Not even Loki of Midgard. You will never belong in this world. You don't fit. Dominating us will not make you feel at home any more than destroying Jotunheim would."

There was utter silence. Loki's expression was unreadable, and Thor was aghast as his gaze swivelled between Loki and Eva. The mortal was treading a thin line. The Thunderer had warned her countless times not to walk it, but she insisted on pushing. Hel only knew what Loki would do to her now.

But there was nothing. No rage, no sorrow. Only an indecipherable visage.

The screen went black.

Taken aback, Eva stared at the screen, before turning around to face the others.

"He's not indestructible," she addressed them all quietly. "You simply have to find his weak spot. In this case, it is his heritage."

Without another word, she walked from the room, throwing down her earpiece as she went.

A/N: Was this okay for you? I do hope you liked it. Let me know!

Lightning xoxo