A/N: My first fic in a while . LokiXNatasha. Starting out, there are parallels with the Avengers movie. Marvel owns The Avengers, I own this fic.

"Keep an eye on him," Nick Fury warned Natasha as he walked past her.

"Yes, sir." Her heels clacked against the floor as she entered the fluorescent-lit room where Loki was kept sequestered in an indestructible enclosure that not even Banner's other half could smash. At the moment, he was sprawled out on the bench towards the back, his backside facing her. She took a seat at the control desk and crossed her legs as she observed the man. Judging by the steady rise and fall of his side, he was asleep… Or maybe that's what the trickster wanted her to think.

He mumbled something incoherent, making Natasha raise a brow. Soon after, his body shifted uncomfortably, followed by more mumbling.

Natasha got up and quietly approached the glass. He was saying something, but she couldn't quite catch it. "Loki," she said quietly. She was unsure if he was sleep talking, or he talked to himself since no one else would.

No response-just the same sleeping position.

Maybe he really was sleeping. Good, less work on her part.

"Father." The once jumbled murmur suddenly made sense.

She pursed her lips as she watched him sleeping, dreaming… Who knew someone so high and mighty would have nightmares about his daddy issues? Thor had told them everything they needed to know about Loki. Thor and Loki weren't even family-Loki was a monster who was lied to all of his life about who he really was…

"Stop!" His voice was but a choked whisper.

She bit her lower lip as she felt her chest tighten. He was in pain-not physical, but mental, and she could tell. She could feel the despair lingering in his sleep-induced pleas. "Loki?" she called out a little louder, hoping to awaken him. She had to remind herself that Thor had also mentioned Loki being infamous for his manipulation. But he was sleeping now- he couldn't be so devious as to take control now. With no response, she swiped her S.H.I.E.L.D. card and pressed her thumb to the keypad, allowing for a door to slide open and allow her inside. The door opened with a faint whoosh and closed behind her upon entrance.

Still, Loki slept- a sign to Natasha that he wasn't faking a slumber. Even if he was awake and tried to attack her, she could hold him off until help arrived.

She took a step towards where he lay. Why was she doing this? He was still so dangerous. Yet asleep, he was defenseless. She could kill him right now if she really wanted to… She could end all his suffering with a single bullet.

"Ah!" He sat upright suddenly in a cold sweat and gasping.

As if by reflex, Natasha grabbed her gun and pointed it straight at his heart.

Loki sat still for a moment with a horrified expression. He took a deep breath and composed himself before turning to his left to see the Black Widow, which made his brows furrow in annoyance.

For a second, Natasha swore she could see the real Loki. The Loki who was misguided, betrayed… "Don't move!" she ordered, keeping the gun raised.

A smirk formed across his lips as he stared at her with a newfound poise. "Aren't you a daring one to join the lion in his den?"

"That's a bit high and mighty coming from the man dreaming about daddy." Salt in the wound, but she wasn't going to lose her cool in front of him.

There was a look of anger on his face, but he quickly replaced it with a sly grin as he rose from the bench. "You heard words escape my lips. Lest you can see inside my mind, for all you know, I could have been pulling you along right into my trap," he taunted.

"Don't try anything," she reminded him.

He began to pace back and forth, watching her from the corner of his eye.

Natasha wouldn't allow for herself to look away for even a second. "Funny, you seemed a bit scared waking up just now," she retorted.

"Are you aware of the tricks I keep hidden? They're quite useful." He stopped in his tracks and stared straight into her green eyes. "You are a clever woman. It would be to your advantage that you leave."

She folded her arms across her chest. "You think you're so dangerous, don't you, Loki?" His name escaped her lips with disdain.

"Do you challenge me?"

"You're defenseless without your staff. I'm the one here that's armed," she reminded him.

"Am I? Am I really as weak and defenseless as you think?" he jeered as he took a step towards her. "Would you like for me to show you something your small mind can fail to even imagine?" As he spoke, he slowly raised a hand into the air.

"Loki!" she shouted as she readied her finger on the trigger. The pistol pointed directly at his head, a sure fire shot that she wasn't going to miss.

He raised both hands in mock defeat and began to chuckle. "Let's not resort to violence, now. Would that not be a shame if your weapon were to scratch this marvelous little cage?" he drawled with heavy sarcasm.

"You'd be amazed at what this prison can take." She lowered her gun as he took a step back."Learn your place here- you're the prisoner and I'm in charge right now."

"Seeing that you put yourself here with me, I'd say you made yourself a captive. We're two of a kind now," he noted.

"Unlike you, I can leave." Slowly, she took a step back, glaring at his smirking face as she reached the compartment's entrance.

"Leaving so soon?" he teased. "Here I thought we were about to have some fun."

"You can have fun on your own!" she scoffed. The door opened and she stepped out, allowing for the door to seal itself shut. She then returned to the nearby chair and sat with her legs crossed.

"And still, you stay."

"I'm on babysitting duty," she commented. "How does that make you feel?"

Chuckling quietly, he started his pacing once again. "You make for much better company that the others- tell your commander that, won't you?"

Her eyes narrowed and she kicked at the polished floor. "This isn't what my job entails."

"Ah, but of course." He rubbed his hands together and paused to stare in her direction. "The trained assassin hailing from Russia." A look of confusion formed on her face, pleasing Loki. "Ivan Petrovich—"

"Shut up!" she snapped before he could finished. She had leapt up from the chair and struck the glass with the side of her fist.

"Have I gone too far?" He sounded rather satisfied with his taunts. "I can always go on, you know," he crooned. "You would be amazed at all that Barton has told me…"

Her eyes lit up at the mention of Clint's name. "You know where he is?" Her expression grew cold within a matter of seconds. "Where is he and what have you done to him?!" Was Clint being tortured? This information was clearly being forced out in some dangerous way. There was no way Loki would know her history…

"I seem to have struck on a rather touchy subject."

"Don't fuck with me!" she shouted, beating on the glass. "Tell me where he is or I'll use force-I'll call Fury over right now!" she threatened.

His serene expression remained unfazed despite her threats. "How about I bring him over?" he wagered.

Natasha's body froze for a second. "How?" she asked softly. "Is this one of your tricks?"

"Call it what you will."

"If you want freedom in exchange for Agent Barton, you're not getting it," she sternly reminded him. "I'll force his location out of you myself."

"Why resort to force when I can simply summon him here?" He folded his hands behind his back as he advanced closer to Natasha. Her eyes stared into his, pleading-a rather pathetic sight that excited him. "It's as simple as that," he assured her. "I'll call upon your lover and have him kill everyone here, saving you for last." His smile grew wider as his threats grew darker. "Or perhaps I'll kill him first so you can watch. That would be painful, would it not?"

"So he's alright?"

"He's more than alright," he assured her.

"Then I'll find him myself," she vowed. "All the while, Fury and the others will torture you. Or," she defiantly stared up at him through her eyelashes, "I'll torture you myself. Slowly, painfully- I'll make you regret ever coming to this world in the first place," she coolly warned him.

"Well, well, Ms. Romanoff, I, for one, am very impressed!" he exclaimed. "So bold. Tell me, don't you think a woman of your superior skills are better suited for something better?"

She turned her back to him in resentment.

"Agent Barton thinks so…"

She turned her head to the side. What was he suggesting? The Clint had teamed up with him? "Agent Barton isn't like that. I'll find him- you can count on that." She took a step forward, dangerously close to the enemy. If it weren't for the glass barrier between them, they would be within touching distance. "Do you play this scam on everyone?" she asked. "Lure them in with your words, hoping they'll willingly follow? Because no one here is like that."

He stared down at the floor to avoid her icy stare. "Only you," he admitted. "There is so…" His eyes met with hers, "so much potential in you, yet you choose them." His hand formed a fist at his side.

There it was again- that look of loneliness hidden within his green eyes. "You could do so much more- imagine being able to redeem yourself from all the wrong doings. Don't we all long for a fresh start? For redemption?"

She pursed her lips as she wondered just how much Clint was telling him. And for what reason?

"There sure as hell better not be a scratch on that glass!" Nick Fury barked as he entered the containment zone.

"Think about it," he whispered.

Natasha turned on her heel to talk to Fury. "Not a single scratch." With that, she was gone.

Loki watched her hips sway as she stormed out. This was going to be fun, indeed.

"You'd best wipe that smirk off your face," Fury growled.

"And what if I have reason to celebrate?"

"I'm starting to grow concerned for your sanity…"