Bella trembled. She couldn't help it.

"You're in no danger, Miss Stark," promised Coulson as they approached the cell. "Loki can't get at you. She's with me," he said to the guard who stepped forward to stop her.

She'd been afraid before, in more dangerous situations. She'd managed to get through those without this. Why was this so terrifying?

They stopped just inside the doorway. "This is where I leave you," said Agent Coulson. "Good luck."

Bella swallowed hard and climbed up the last steps toward the cell. A round, glass cell, that would be dropped out of the helicarrier if Loki tried to escape it. The alien stood with his back to her.

"Ah, Miss Stark," he said. Bella jumped slightly as he turned to face her. "Co-designer of Stark's suit. You seem to have inherited his intelligence. A shame you didn't receive any of his appearance – it would be an improvement."

Bella kept her face impassive. Whatever the insult about her looks was supposed to mean, she didn't care – she honestly didn't care. "I'm not particularly concerned about my physical appearance. Besides, I'm adopted."

"Ah, right. Barton told me. He's why you're here, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's right… sorry, what do you want me to call you?"

"King or Milord would be acceptable. So, why are you here? To bargain for Barton's life? Or maybe his freedom?"

"Good, I'll call you Loki then. What did you do to Agent Barton?"

"I'd say I've expanded his mind."

"It didn't really sound like that to me."

"Well, who told you what happened? Fury? You don't trust him."

"My thoughts on the director are not relevant to this conversation." Especially since he was almost certainly watching. "Once you're done – what happens to Barton's mind?"

"You were friends."

"Yes. I owe him a favor for getting me out of Hammer Industries last year."

"Oh, I know. He told me everything. About your past."

Bella swallowed hard. "What about my past?"

"Everything. You designed a missile for a terrorist group when you were nine. Before they got rid of you, they had killed hundreds of people with it – many no older than you at the time."

"I fail to see what this has to do with –"

"By the time you'd turned eleven, you had worked for no less than seven different organizations and governments. None of them with the betterment of humanity in mind. Or at least, what you humans feel is betterment."

Bella said nothing.

"Your work has cost thousands their lives. And you think that you can ever make up for it? You think you can ever do enough to ever compensate for it?"

000000000

Tony and Bruce stepped onto the bridge.

"What are you doing out here, Mr. Stark?" asked Fury.

"Where's Bella? It's been an hour."

"I... I don't know!"

It was Bella's voice, coming out of the same place where they had watched Loki in his cell.

Tony dashed over to where Agent Romanoff was trying to block his view and shoved her out of the way.

Bella stood in front of Loki's cell, facing him. Her face was white and her hands shook.

"I don't know if I can! I didn't... it was a mistake! I didn't have a choice!"

"You had as much choice as Agent Romanoff. But your ledger is redder than hers."

Loki's voice was triumphant.

"You can't prove I did any of that. Neither can S.H.I.E.L.D."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. has uncovered much of your work. Barton told me about it. And even if they hadn't, your guilt lies where it matter. In your heart. You know what you've done, every single act. You try to compensate for it, try to fix things – but you can't. You never can."

A roar filled Tony's ears. He turned slowly toward the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Fury, what's going on?"

Dr. Banner beat a hasty retreat.

The director didn't seem certain of how to respond for a moment.

"You know what," said Tony, "right now I don't care. I'm just going to get her out of there."

000000000

"You never can," repeated Loki. "You think working for S.H.I.E.L.D. will help you? You don't really believe it, do you? You don't trust the director, he's keeping secrets, isn't he?"

Bella flinched as if physically struck. Somehow, each word hurt more than a physical blow. She stood next to the glass, he inches away, eyes meeting.

"You think me a monster? I'm not the only one here."

She turned away. She couldn't take his gaze any longer. His intense, blue gaze. She gripped the rail next to her, trying to keep herself from turning and running.

His fist slammed against the glass. "Don't worry about Barton, I won't touch him. That is, not until he's killed you, slowly, in every painful way he knows to use, and then I'll let him awake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams I'll kill him."

The door swung open.

"Izzy, get out of there!" yelled Tony.

Bella ran toward the voice, barely seeing where she was going, not caring, just wanting to get away.

A pair of arms wrapped around her, pulling her away from the door. It slid shut.

She started to cry. Tears stung her eyes, rolled down her cheeks.

"Banner, she left her suit in there," said Tony's voice from near her ear. "Could you…"

"Sure."

Footsteps sounded, walking away.

Tony said nothing. Somehow, Bella was thankful for that. She didn't want to be told that everything was alright. When it wasn't. It wasn't alright in the least.

Bella tried to stop crying, but simply couldn't. Sobs shook her body. "He knew everything. Things he couldn't have known without…" Even Tony didn't know about the missile she'd designed. Only Barton had known about it. Tony and her never discussed her past, but Barton had asked her about it. And she'd trusted him enough to tell him.

"I'm going to have a long talk with Fury," said Tony.