Early the next morning Agent Coulson shuffled apprehensively along the corridor, clutching two polystyrene cups filled with strong black coffee.
He would've normally added milk, but after getting very little sleep during the night he decided he may not be the only one who needed as much caffeine as possible.
It had been an interesting, and long night to say the least, and his lack of sleep wasn't merely due to being aboard the bus.

He hadn't been assigned to monitor Loki throughout the night, two other S.H.I.E.L.D agents had drawn that particular short straw. Agent Romanoff had been allocated the task of watching over Lorelei, which enabled him to retire to his bunk in peace, after an arduous couple of days of being continuously on duty.

However, he'd been awoken a little after 2:00am by a panicked, scream - the sound of which echoed throughout the aircraft as a result of it being eerily silent on board at night.
Rushing out into the corridor, he met a member of security who informed him that it was nothing more than the Asgardian shield maiden having a nightmare, and that Agent Romanoff was comforting her.

Appeased, he retuned to his bunk, but had barely been asleep an hour when he was rudely awoken by another member of the security team, who informed him that the troublesome trickster God was behaving oddly.

Slipping on his shoes and jacket, he'd hurried to the monitoring room to check out the situation himself, and observed Loki pacing around his cell in a frenzied state of barely contained agitation.
After attempting to enquire as to what the problem was, and being curtly told to "Go to hell" Coulson had concluded that Loki was probably just pissed off due to being confined aboard the stationary bus for so long.

The third and final attempt at sleep, failed miserably some thirty minutes later, when an anguished, bone-chilling and distinctly male scream shook Coulson awake yet again.
It was enough to curdle even the bravest of men's blood, and his mind immediately flooded with unwanted thoughts of Loki.
Had he somehow escaped his cell? Sif had said this wasn't beyond the limit of the malevolent ones capabilities. He was a powerful sorcerer, and unquestionably capable of killing. Had some unfortunate soul gotten in-between Loki and his way out and suffered the consequences?

Phil had scurried back to the monitoring room, and was temporarily stunned to discover it was none other than Loki himself responsible for making the spine-rattling noise.

As much as Phil had no desire to go anywhere near Loki again, especially alone, and when the bastard could potentially escape if the mood took him, it became apparent that something had to be done.
The sight of the usually self-assured demi-God, sat slumped on the floor with his back leaning against the glass, head clutched in his hands, was uncharacteristic and ominous. So deciding he'd just have to bite the bullet and face Loki, even after being almost fatally wounded by him during their last confrontation, Phil set off along the steel labyrinth of corridors to investigate further.

He didn't reach Loki's holding cell however, as Natasha had stepped out from the shadows, making him practically jump out of his own skin.

"Don't bother. I've already had a little talk with him."
She told him in hushed tones.
"He's just venting his anger, no big deal."

"When did you speak with him? You're supposed to be watching Lorelei. And what did you say to him to warrant that outburst?"

A guilty look flashed fleetingly across her face, making Phil feel decidedly uneasy, but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared and when she spoke there was no hint of guilt detectable in her voice.
"I might've just mentioned to him that we had given his girlfriend the option of having her memories wiped."

"What?!"
Phil balked at his fellow agent.
"We don't even practice those kinds of procedures!"

She shrugged.
"But he doesn't know that. I told him how HYDRA developed the memory suppressing machine, and that whilst we don't condone such radical methods we have developed our own technology that can eradicate all unwanted memories by using a mind treatment similar to electroshock therapy."

Phil's eyes bugged as he digested this startling, unsettling confession.
"What are you hoping to gain from telling him stuff like that? Surely it'll only piss him off more? And their relationship is already pretty much on the rocks anyways by the looks of things, so why stir up further trouble? I doubt director Fury will be impressed, you've got to fix this, Natasha-"

"Look, Loki told her he is going to kill her, she even had a nightmare about it."
Natasha said leadenly.
"So let him stew for awhile and think about what's important. He's saying he doesn't really love her, he's a liar. The fact that he's just lost his composure proves that. In my own way, I am fixing it."

"Fixing what exactly? You're trying to teach Loki a lesson or get revenge for Sif, but he's just going to think that she's agreed to this memory-erasing treatment. That's hardly going to make him less angry at her. You're playing dangerous mind games here."

"But when he finds out that she hasn't agreed to it, then maybe his relief will override his wounded pride. Sif never intended to betray him, she wants him back on Asgard with her, and she's intending to beg for mercy on his behalf, even at the risk of him killing her if he's freed."
She paused to heave a heartfelt sigh.
"They're both stubborn and proud, and that won't get them very far. Not if they're going to make it work. So I'm playing him at his own game."

Coulson raised a sceptical eyebrow at her in surprise.
"So you're their fairy godmother now? I thought you've always said love is for children? And let's not forget this is Loki we're talking about."

"I can hardly forget that. I don't owe him any favours. But I recognise something of myself in her. She's tough because she has to be. When you're a fighter, and stand up for what you believe in you have to make sacrifices. She's been compromised, but......that doesn't mean she doesn't deserve a shot at a happy ending."

Softening slightly, Phil nodded understandingly and gave her a sympathetic smile.
But what she said next, completely stunned him...

"Also, maybe we've been going about this all the wrong way. I'm a firm believer in keeping your friends close and your enemies closer."

"I hope you're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting, Natasha. You know Loki has the potential to be savage when given half the chance!"

She quirked a perfectly-plucked eyebrow, as though mildly amused by his horrified expression.
"But if he's our savage.....just think of what an asset he could be."

Phil shook his head.
"Absolutely not. No. It's out of the question-"

"Look, can we do this some other time? Only I've gotta get back to Lorelei."
Natasha cut him off, slipping back into the shadows.

"Natasha!"

"I'll see you later, okay."
And with that, she was gone.

Now, as Phil stood for the retinal scanner at the door where Loki's holding cell was, he sucked in a deep breath to steady his nerves.

*********************

Loki sat on the hard floor of his cell, with his knees drawn up to his chest in the manner of a worried child.
His head throbbed, and it was no longer due to the mind gem ring he'd been coerced into wearing by Lorelei.
He hadn't known a moments rest, his mind overloaded to the point where he feared his head might actually explode. There were too many thoughts, and they came to fast, bringing with them a myriad of messy emotions, the likes of which he had no desire to feel.

Feelings such as remorse, regret, self-loathing, loss, and helplessness......all topped off of course with a supersized helping of anger for good measure.
Had his beloved Sif really wanted to forget all they had shared? This possibility hurt like a knife being plunged into his heart, and having heard her screams was like having the blade slowly twisted.

Had it hurt her? He wondered. Having her brain shocked with jolts of electricity.
Surely that was the only thing that could account for her having made such a noise. And despite his previous anger, her pained scream kept resounding in his head, replaying over and over until he himself had cried out in despair and frustration.
He had wanted very much to tear his ears off and stamp on them, for having heard such a heart-wrenchingly sad sound.

Oh, Christ.
Had he pushed her to such drastic measures? He had deliberately pushed her away, and when he had told her of his intentions to kill her should he ever be freed, he had meant it.
Or at least, he had believed he'd meant it. Now he wasn't so sure.
He wasn't sure of anything anymore.

He had wept hot tears of regret and frustration, every fibre of his being wracked with a sense of grief that caused him actual physical pain.
Oh how he longed for the horrid feeling of emptiness to return. He would rather feel hollow on the inside than feel like he'd had his heart gouged out of his chest with a spoon.

As he sat here now, his red-rimmed eyes sore from crying and lack of sleep, he silently swore on the eternal soul of Frigga, that he would do everything within his power to try and make amends. To somehow make everything right again, or at least die trying.
And if it killed him, then so be it. No more acts of cowardice. He owed his mother more. She had raised him better than that.

Just then he became aware of someone entering the room outside of his cell, but he had little interest so did not bother to look up. Not until he heard the small glass partition unlock, and he tuned his head slowly to see Agent Coulson gingerly passing through a cup of coffee.

"Thought you could use this."
The man stated simply, as he hastily locked the glass again as if he feared Loki was a feral animal that would quite literally bite the hand that fed him.

Loki stared at the offering for a moment, before turning his confused gaze to the agent.
He was staring right back at him, and with good reason.
Loki was painfully aware of his dishevelled state. He most likely looked liked shit.
His hair and face was a mess, and his eyes tired. The puffiness of his eyes made it blindingly obvious that he had been weeping like a baby.
This made him feel vulnerable and exposed, which wasn't a feeling he liked. He ought to have cast an illusion over himself but that would've taken too much effort, and he simply no longer had the energy.

He cleared his throat, feeling more than just a tad awkward.
"Why....why are you being so kind to me?"
He barely recognised the sound of his own voice, it sounded strained and dangerously close to cracking. His throat felt dry and raw.
"I almost killed you."

"Well, you didn't."
Coulson replied simply, though his body language became notably tense.

Mustering all of his strength, Loki heaved himself up from the floor with a lot less gracefulness than he would've liked.
He stood still, his tall frame sagging slightly as his shoulders slumped forwards.
"Thank you."

Phil nodded stiffly.
"No problem."
With that he retreated to the door, but paused briefly before leaving.
"Agent Romanoff will be along shortly, then we'll be making a move."

Loki nodded almost imperceptibly.

So this was it.... he was going 'home'.
Now it was time to face the music...

***************************

Sif knew she should be the one to clamp Loki's restraints on, but when Agent Romanoff volunteered to do the honours, she didn't object.
As ashamed as she was to admit it, for the first time in her life....Sif was genuinely afraid.

Her mind was becoming unbalanced, convinced the vivid nightmare she'd had was in fact some sort of macabre premonition.
She'd woken herself up by screaming, drenched in sweat, petrified.
Natasha Romanoff had been sent for, being the only other female on board. As if the general belief was the Asgardian would open up and feel more comfortable being comforted by another woman.

As much as she disliked showing any weakness, Sif allowed herself to speak openly about her disturbing night terror.
Of how Loki, her wretched lover that had now become her enemy, had loomed over her clutching his once infamous sceptre, and then struck out at her.....
As with most dreams, she'd awoken before impact, but there was no hidden subconscious message contained within, nothing cryptic that needed deciphering.
No, it was blatantly, unforgivingly clear. His intention was to kill her.

His emotionless face still haunted her, his cold glacial eyes held no trace of compassion or love.

"I must plead for mercy on his behalf."
She told the red-haired agent.
"I unintentionally humiliated him, and he sees my actions as the worst kind of betrayal. Perhaps if I still beg for mercy, Loki will realise that I care deeply for him."

Natasha eyed her steadily.
"D'you think that'll make a difference?"

Sif sighed and shrugged helplessly.
"I'm not sure of anything anymore. But I must try. I cannot help my feelings, if I could thenI would never have fallen in so deep."

Natasha smiled wryly.
"Wow. I've said it once and I'll say it again....when you pick a lost cause you really commit. But we can't always control our choices, sometimes they choose us...."
She paused for a moment, looking contemplative.
"....I can see you care for him a lot, if you didn't you'd have given up on him by now...but  just to play devils advocate, how would the two of you ever work as a couple? If he's a traitor back home then you're never going to be together are you? Hate to be the prophet of doom, but personally I can't see this ending well for either of you."

Sif fought to suppress the sob that was bubbling painfully in her chest.
"I know. I was a naive fool, allowing myself to get carried away."

"Look, don't be so hard on yourself. You've had nine days of Loki....he's seductive, charming, and he got inside your head."

"It is more than that. He somehow managed to find his way into my heart, as much as I'm loathed to admit it. But still, I ought to have known better. There can be no happy ending for us."

"Hm. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless.....he changes his ways."

Sif couldn't refrain from laughing, but it was without mirth.
"I do not think he is capable, having power means more to Loki than all else-"

"But he already is powerful, right? You said so yourself."

"But Loki longs for recognition, which leads to disastrous consequences. He wreaks havoc and mayhem because he has always felt overshadowed by Thor. When he wields power he abuses it, like a child desperate for attention.....even negative attention is better than none at all."

"So what if he used his abilities to do good instead? What if he was given a chance to prove himself?"
Natasha mused, as though thinking aloud.

Sif frowned whilst she considered the possibility.
"I'm not sure. In the past, he has always betrayed Thor-"

"Forget Thor, I think we're all agreed that Loki sees his big brother as competition..."
Natasha interrupted.
"....but would he betray you? Because if he loves you, I don't think he would."

"But it is of no consequence....Loki will never have the opportunity to prove himself fighting on the side of what is right. And besides, his threat has proved he cannot truly love me."

Agent Romanoff smiled a conspiratorial smile.
"We'll see about that..."