A Time of Gods

When Cat walked back into her apartment that same evening, it was well after midnight. The obnoxious glare from the street lamps created a garish pathway from the window in the main room. Cat didn't require this inkling of artificial light to move fluidly around her home, and when she dropped the collection of files on to the kitchen counter and unbuttoned her black suede coat to hang in in the coat closet, she did so without switching on the lights.

Cat glanced around the open plan front room.
She took in the sight of her luxury purchases and the pilfered trinkets which furnished her apartment. Nothing was out of place, yet she felt the involuntarily shiver pass over her; a window was open. Had she not been so secluded by the sheer height of her location, the full bustle of noise from New York's taxi cabs and nights out would have been invading her peaceful den.

The chill from the spring night air wasn't what caused her to shiver though. Cat had locked the window when she left that afternoon. And that formidable, yet intoxicating scent of frozen mint which now engulfed the apartment wasn't foreign to her.

Cat walked to the open window and pulled the pane shut. She flipped the latch across to secure it. It was in the reflection of the glass that she saw those captivating eyes even brighter than her own. A cool hand reached her shoulder.

She knew the identity of her guest, and she was somewhat grateful of the fact she was still in costume should she need to fight her way out. Both hands were on her shoulders now, long alabaster fingers squeezing with gentle pressure. Such was the sensation that she had to bite her lower lip to prevent another shiver dancing down her spine. When he spoke, she could almost hear the mocking smirk which played across his lips in triumph,

"My, my, aren't you just a clever little cat?"

"I like to think so." Cat smiled, escaping his touch. The temporary nerves which had previously fluttered within her stomach had only masked the excitement she felt in his presence.

Cat flitted to the panel of buttons fitted to the wall. With simple requirement on her part, technology permitted the blinds to draw shut and a dusky artificial light filled the room, leaving shadows to play undisturbed in the corners of the room.

Loki was already at the kitchen counter, having moved with the silence and stealth of a nocturnal hunter and was now skimming over the high Intel files Cat had left there for his viewing pleasure. Cat watched him quietly.
Loki was not wearing in his royal armour, but clothed in a finely fitted black suit with a crisp white shirt and green scarf draped casually around his neck.

She wondered how long he had been here in her apartment. As a furiously private person, the idea of someone having access to her personal possessions made her uneasy. Her reaction was justified, Loki had arrived sometime before she came home and had kept himself amused by glancing over her belongings. The abundant bookshelf provided the most insight; everything from novels of great worth and substance, to words that would cause a flush in the cheeks of Asgardian women.

Cat noticed the corners of his mouth twitch when he landed on a certain Captains file.
"How easily they are swayed," he mused to himself.

"If you think the people of this world will willingly become your pawns, then you're mistaken." Cat said.

Loki simply smiled to himself, "I do not believe I am."

When he looked up, his enigmatic advocate had turned her back to him and was pouring herself a glass of iced water. He found her such a fascinating creature to observe. She moved with such agility and grace. She was able to bend men to her will with very little effort, and seemed to share his contempt for her fellow man. This was what had drawn him to her in the first place, along with her knack for getting in to places unaided and unseen. She didn't align herself with people based on the greater good, but based her loyalty on which situation would reward her better. It also pleased him that he had this woman and the authorities didn't.

"You have me for a fee, but I'm an exception," Cat gestured to the files and took a sip of water. "Those are only a handful of the people you may face along the way. I don't doubt that Fury has bigger plans, other people he wants involved who will be vastly skilled in combat, highly intelligent and in some cases, superhuman."

"Do you think me afraid of these pathetic midgardians?" Loki asked with mild amusement, tossing the files back onto the counter. "I have vast resources available to me."

There was such an definite confidence to him that Cat was unable to detect even a small flicker of doubt. She took pleasure in his articulate, melodious tone and there was truth in his wants. He would make a commanding leader when if the time came, but he wasn't quite ready yet. Though very little of his plans had been revealed to her, she suspected the Tesseract was the next step in his plan, and that she wouldn't be the only player on the board.

"You may doubt humanity, but I can promise you Loki that you won't rule without great sacrifice."

"Do not talk to me about sacrifice when you understand so little," Loki snarled. He hadn't asked for her opinion.

The fear radiated under Cat's skin, but she continued to smile, enjoying the rise she had caused and deciding to apply more pressure to his Achilles heel. "I understand more than you would believe," her eyes shone brightly.

"So tell me Loki, is all of this just an attempt to get Daddy's attention? Or perhaps you're planning some kind of revenge on Thor?" She said, tapping a finger to her chin in mock contemplation. "I can't tell which one you despise more."

Loki struck with the speed of a serpent and his cool fingers clasped around Cat's throat before she had time to react. His fingers emitted a hostile pressure and her feet were only just skimming the cream carpet.
"I have been kind to you thus far, but I will not hesitate to dispose of you should I feel the need."

"Let me go," Cat choked, her hands covered the destructive one around her neck and she flecked the retractable claws entwined into the fingers of her white gloves. Loki smiled before deciding his warning had been received. He had no desire at this moment to find out exactly how sharp Cat's claws were.

Cat stepped away from him after the release, subconsciously rubbing the stinging skin of her neck. "You may think you deserve to rule but you're forgetting one minor detail -you are not yet King."
He stepped towards her but she stood her ground. She cocked her head to the side, "Do you know the story of Julius Caesar?"

Loki raised an eyebrow. Even as an Asgardian he knew of the famous Roman dictator, but he failed to see where Cat was going with this. His curiosity allowed her to continue, hopefully, for her sake, she wouldn't agitate him further.

"Crowds would shout 'Hail Caesar' in succession and it was the sweetest form of music a leader can hope to have. But there would always be a slave by Caesar's side who would whisper into his ear 'You are only a man'."

"But you're forgetting one simple fact Felicia." There was a cunning twinkle in his eye as Loki stepped towards Cat, blocking her between his impressive, domineering frame and the wall behind her back, "I am no man. I, am a God."