Hell Hath No Fury

Drip...Drip...Drip...

Loki rolled over and faced the wall of his prison, the cold stone floor digging into his side. He squeezed his eyes shut and willed his mind to block out the incessant sounds of his dank cell.

Drip...Drip...Drip...

Loki shot bolt upright, his eyes wide with annoyance and anger and his hands clenched in tight fists at his sides. His gaze searched the dark cell for the source of the obnoxious noise, but could find none. He slumped against the wall and rubbed his face tiredly with his long fingered hand. When he realized how pathetic he must have looked he froze and slowly lowered his hand. His face was a mask of cool determination, but his mind was swimming with a slew of crazed thoughts and plans. He needed to escape from the Hel that was his prison in the deepest bowels of Asgard. The realm which he mistakenly used to call home.

Drip...Drip...Drip...

The cogs in his mind began turning with more velocity, but as he plotted, his mind began to wander. They wandered back, many months now, to his time spent on that pathetic excuse of a realm. Midgard. His memories of his "visit" there as well as his almost-takeover flitted across his mind. But all of those petty thoughts dulled in comparison to the one who now danced across his memory. The only mortal, the only being for that matter, that had ever had such an intense hold on him. But now she was gone. Killed by the very force who had aided him in his attack on that dismal planet. Her face filled his thoughts as her voice echoed in his ears. As he thought of her and what could have been, everything, from the dismal cell he now called home to the punishment and torture he endured daily at the hands of beings who were beneath him, paled in comparison to his loss. Of her. Of Kate. Her name repeated itself over and over again in his mind.

Drip...Drip...Drip...

Kate...Kate...Kate...

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Kate. Kate. Kate.

Loki bounded to his feet with a heart wrenching yell. He had had enough. Enough of imprisonment and pain. Enough of the hard, disappointed stares of Odin, his so called father and the heartbroken, pitying ones of both Frigga and Thor. Enough of the darkness that he was forced to live in. And most of all, he had had enough of being belittled and shunned by people he was better and smarter than. He was meant to be a king, and he would damn well be treated like one. As thoughts of escape ran through his mind, he forced all reminders and memories of the brown haired, blue eyed agent out. The time for sentiment was over. The time for vengeance was just beginning. Vengeance against the pitiful realm that had taken everything from him.

*****

Kate rolled her eyes as she heard the beginning guitar strains of AC/DC's Back In Black coming from Tony's lab, or as she liked to call it, his "man cave." When she reached the door to the lab, she typed in her security clearance code, and pushed the door open. She spotted him working on one of his suits on the other side of room.

"Tony." He apparently couldn't hear her over the loud music (and his even louder singing), so she raised her voice to a subtle yell. "TONY!" He turned to look at her, his mouth still open mid-lyric. His mouth snapped shut abruptly before he told JARVIS to mute the music.

"What's doin' Mini-Me?" Stark sauntered over to her and snatched one of the coffees from her grip.

"Mini-Me?" She looked at him funny. "What the hell kind of nickname is that?"

"Well, now that you have an arch reactor like me, we're twins!" Kate stared at him for a moment, a blank expression on her face.

"Would you please explain to me how someone with your idiotic thought process is even able to function properly, let alone run a multibillion dollar company?"

"Practice." He said as he spun away from her and made his way to the other side of the lab where his suits were stored. "Now for more important things. Come hither, young Padawan. I have a surprise for you." Kate rolled her eyes at his other nickname for her as she walked across the room to stand next to him. "You ready?" He asked, a ridiculous smile plastered on his face.

"No."

"Good. Now close your eyes..." She reluctantly did as she was told as Tony relayed a command to JARVIS. There was a sound of a door sliding open as well as the sound of something very powerful booting up. "Alrighty then. Open!" Kate open her eyes slowly and nearly dropped the mug of coffee she was holding.

"What."

"Do you like it?"

"The."

"Well, of course you do. How could you not!"

"Fuck."

"See! Now we're officially twins!"

"Tony, thats a frigging Iron Man...Woman suit!"

"I prefer the moniker 'Iron Maiden.'"

"You expect me to actually wear that?"

"Well, duh, thats kind of the point." Tony rolled his eyes. "Your gonna be my sidekick." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.

"No." Kate stated.

"But..." Tony pleaded.

"Hell no. There is no way I'm putting that thing on."

"Well I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Agent Poole," he said, putting unnecessary emphasis on the 'agent' part, "but I already told Fury about the suit and he thinks that it's a wonderful idea." He stated confidently as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Please remind me again why I live with you and put up this kind of bullshit." Kate muttered as she rubbed her face tiredly.

"Because you live in a bomb apartment with a million dollar view rent free?" Tony suggested. "Plus, it's either you lived here in Stark Tower or back on 'Fury's Flying Fortress.'"

"Oh, right. Thats why." Kate couldn't help but smile. "Thanks for the reminder."

"Glad to be of service." Tony smiled indulgently at her.

"So, are you gonna teach me how to use that thing or what?" She motioned to towards the "Iron Maiden" suit with an annoyed flick of her hand. "And does it really have to be those colors?"

"What colors would you prefer, princess?"

"I don't know." She stared at the suit for a moment. "Blue and silver, maybe? Golds not really my style."

"Gold is everyones style." Tony retorted, but when Kate just stared at him, he conceded. "Fine. I'll have JARVIS repaint the damn thing tonight, then tomorrow the real fun begins."

"And what exactly would that be?"

"Learning how to fly." Tony's face lit up with a ridiculously boyish grin.

"Flying." Kate nodded. "Right...Is this real life? I'm not quite sure any more." Tony opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by JARVIS informing him of an incoming call.

"Sir, Director Fury is calling."

"Tell Cyclops I'll call him back later."

"He says it's urgent, Sir." Tony rolled his eyes.

"It always is with him." He muttered. "Alright. Put him through." I moment later, Fury's stern face appeared on one of the many ridiculously huge screens in Tony's lab.

"What's crackin' Nicky! Always a pleasure to see your smiling face."

"There's been a situation, Stark."

"Not even a 'hello?'" Fury just glared at him. "I guess not...So whats the 'situation?'"

"Thor is back on Earth. Thats all I can tell you now. You and Agent Poole are needed at headquarters ASAP." The screen went black. Kate stood frozen next to Tony, staring blankly at the empty screen.

"Kate?" Tony put his hand on her shoulder. "You alright?" Kate nodded absently as she looked up at Tony.

"Ya, I'm fine." Kate turned and started making her way to the door of the lab. "We should go before Fury has a stroke."

"Right you are." Tony walked to the door and held it open. "Shall we?"

****

Kate and Tony walked side by side down one of the brightly lit corridor of the Helicarrier. When they finally walked into the main conference room, they were faced with quite a sight. Thor was slumped in a chair, blood and grime matting his hair and covering his face. Kate's eyes widened and Tony swore under his breath.

"What the hell happened to you, Fabio?" Tony questioned. Thor looked up at Tony, his gaze and demeanor weary and defeated.

"Loki has escaped." Thor stated tiredly. "He's coming."