So much for being friendly with Loki.

He avoided me for weeks like I was the plague.

Hell, he even stopped coming into my room. I guess that's a good thing but oddly enough (even if I'll never admit it to anybody) I missed his silent presence as the both of us read.

Today i found a stack of books at my door. Neatly on top was a note from Loki. If only said: Thanks for the books. I suppose I won't know what happens to the Boy Who Lived.

I suppose that I should feel guilty and I knew this was his way of emotionally manipulating me but I didn't give in. If Loki wanted to act like a child, he could. I'd be sitting at the grown ups table if he needed me. I picked them up and proceeded to stack them on my shelves.

A couple of days later, I learned that is was a really bad idea to piss of the God of Mischief and Lies.

So I learned at our weekly 'lessons.'

"Your main goal is to stop being afraid of your powers," Loki said as he paced across the mat. "Own your powers. Make them your own. Break it's spirit until it submits to your will. You are the master, it is a slave."

"A bit dark, don't you think?" Stark asked over to speakers. "Do you say that to all women you meet, Reindeer Games?"

"Silence, Stark!" Loki hissed.

I was sitting in the middle of the fighting mat. A barrier had been put up by Loki, surrounding the both of us as we practiced in trying to use my powers. It was to make sure that if I lost control, I wouldn't hurt anybody.

The Avengers thought it was a good idea to let Loki train me.

I thought they were idiots. I thought having Wanda as my teacher would've been better but even she suggested Loki because he had 'experience' in stuff like this.

Bullshit.

I was lucky he hadn't tried to sneak into my room and try to kill me after our little disagreement.

I concentrated as I closed my eyes to lower my body temperature and my heartbeat. My wrists were free of the cuffs at the moment thanks to Natasha.

Now if only I could get Loki to stop monologuing.......

"One day you will have to use your powers. You're fighting skills will fail you and your friends will not be there," he said as he circled me, twirling his staff in his hand. "Who will protect you then? A Battle isn't won simply by being stronger but by being smarter than your enemy as well."

"How'd that work out for you, Antlers?" Clint said from the booth.

Loki turned around, glaring at the booth. The temperature of the gym lowered significantly and I rubbed my arms to keep warm.

"Hey, Elsa!" I called out. "Can you keep together for five minutes!?"

"Silence!" He hissed at me and then turned back to the booth. "I can make is so that you can feel ants crawling all over you and birds scratching out your eyes, Archer. Do not tempt me today."

To quote Clint, someone had their bitchflakes this morning.

I opened my eyes and let out a deep breath.

"Let's start," I said getting up.

"Good." Loki said as he tossed me a knife. "Show me what you can do with your powers. Don't hold back on me, Midguardian. I certainly will not."

I caught the knife and make a small incision across my palm. I've done this so many times that the pain doesn't really bother me anymore. Immediately I felt my blood spur as it seeped out of my wound. It solidified in my hands turning into a double bladed spear. I balanced it, testing it out.

If this session was to test my skill then I would need to use a weapon I'm more comfortable with. In this case a staff or spear.

"Impressive," he smirked. His staff disappeared, instead in his hand were two twin blades. Loki raised one up pointing towards me. "Now let's see what you can do with those powers, shall we?"

"May the best race win, asshole!" I said just before I charged at him.

--------

The Avengers watched at Maya and Loki duel. They clashed dangerously, weapons clanging against each other as each of them tried to gain the upper hand.

Maya was agile and quick on her feet but that didn't mean that she was running away. She used her agility to get around Loki's jabs, blocking them as he continued his barrage of blows and stabs. However as fast as she was Loki overpowered her easily getting past her defenses.

Natahsa winced visibly as Maya was nicked in the shoulder. She coiled back like a snake, hissing as she looked down at her wounded shoulder.

Loki was fast and he was dangerous. Maya was not up to his level and as he said, he did not hesitate to show her that.

Sure, she could hold her own against Natasha and Bucky during a sparring session and take down hostiles in the field with ease but Loki was a god. He could defeat a mortal with ease. The Hulk may have thrashed him around wildly during the invasion but he was able to withstand that attack coming out with only a few scratches and a very wounded ego.

Maya may have been advanced and had a healing factor but she was still mortal. Her body could only take so much.

Loki was better because he has a millennia at least to hone in on his skills. Strength and brawn were never his thing but tricks weren't the only thing he was taught. Frigga made sure that he could fight with magic as well as with blades.

The end of the dagger collided with Maya's jaw. Her hand flew up immediately as she stumbled away from him. He knew he had the upper hand, the smile in his face was apparent.

Currently, Maya was losing.

"Ooh!" Clint winced as Loki kicked Maya across the mat and into the wall. "That's gonna leave a bruise!"

"Not helping, Clint!" Maya yelled at him as she got up and staggered back to the mat, ignoring the blood trickling from the corner of her lips. She wiped it off with the back of her hand all the while glaring murderously at Loki.

Loki stood there, a smug expression on his face.

"Should we be helping her?" Steve asked nervously. "This sparring session doesn't exactly feel fair."

"Nah!" Tony shrugged. "She'll be fine."

"She doesn't look fine."

"Maybe she's rusty. You don't know."

"I don't know about you, Stark but this doesn't feel like a training session go to me." Bucky said. "And how the hell can she be rusty if she's been training under Nat and me?"

At that moment, Maya lost her balance as Loki took the opportunity to sweep her off her feet in the least romantic way possible. Her back hit the floor with an audible thud followed by a groan. The spear rolled across the floor as Loki pointed his knife at her throat.

Clint cleared his throat. "You were saying?"

"Now would be a good time to call this to an end." Steve said.

"Fine." Tony huffed. "Someone go and get Thor before Loki kills her. The last thing I need is blood on the gym floor."

-----------

"As I said before, Maya." Loki said as he pinned me down, placing the knife against my throat. "I will not hesitate to hold back ."

"I wasn't holding back!" I growled, craning my head away from the sharp blade.

Loki raised his eye brow. 

"You are joking, right?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?!"

"You're not lying." He stated after a minute of staring into my eyes.

"I'm not." I clarified.

"Enough, Loki. Get off Lady Maya."

Thank the gods for Thor. 

Loki slinked off me, twirling his daggers in bother of his hands as I picked up my spear from the floor. I examined the cut on my shoulder which was already healing.

"I think that's enough for today," Steve was getting a little worried, wasn't he? I'm not a freaking rookie. I can take care of myself. "We should really----"

"No," I said. "I have to do this."

I'm not letting this prick get the best of me. I'm human but I'm sure as hell ain't weak. I can still fight, damnit!

Nat grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"Maya, you look like hell just from using your powers. You'll overexert yourself."

"I'm good with guns and I'm good with knives but I suck at this so if you don't mind, I have to do this."

I tore my arm away. I grabbed some of my hair and pushed it into a pony tail.

Loki's eyes were green but I could see the monsters lurking beneath the waves. I just had to tempt them to attack me and I had a feeling my bravado would wear off once I saw them.

"Determined, aren't we?" He asked. That stupid arrogant look was on his face. "Are you sure?"

I didn't answer him. I made the first strike, thrusting the spear at Loki's face. He dodged it easily and sliced at me as if he already anticipated what I would do. His blades sliced the air where i stood. I was barely able to dodge them time.

It's been five years. I shouldn't even be using them the last time I've used them was during the Bucky incident in Canada and when I escaped from my dad.

"Stop holding back!" Loki yelled bringing down his knife. I parried it with the staff of the spear, holding him back just for a little bit. "Use your powers. Simply forming a weapon is not enough."

He pushed me off, causing me to stumble back. I nearly lost my balance as I tried to haphazardly stab him with my spear.

"In a real battle you will lose if you do not utilize your every strength!"

Loki dodged effortlessly as threw his knife at my face.

Time slowed down for me and I could see my eyes reflecting in the blade. I closed my eyes, easing my hand to protect itself. I didn't feel any pain. Instead I heard a dull thunk as something hit me.

I opened my eyes to examine my arm where a knife should've been embedded into. Only there wasn't a knife but a small scratch.

On the floor by my feel was Loki's knife.

"Whoa," I breathed out.

Another knife whizzed past my face, cutting my cheek as it went past to embed itself in the wall. Loki didn't stop because another dagger was coming right at me.

"Whoa!" I bent backwards, allowing the dagger to soar through the air and clang against the concrete wall behind me.

Loki was smirking as he raised an army of knives to be pointed at me.

"You've got to be kidding me?!"

With a flick of a hand, several daggers were being thrown at me. I sliced a few in the air, which turned into green dust and I was able to dodge a few more.

"Cmon, Midguardian! Is that all you can do?!"

I somersaulted away as Loki sent fireballs at me. I knew he was crazy but this was plain insane.

"Loki, stop this!" Thor was trying to get him to stop but I knew that since this fight began, it wasn't going to stop until one of us gave up. It was either me or him.

"Stay out of it, Thor. This is between me and him."

"She needs to use her powers, Thor. No more of this, it's time to show me what you can really do!"

Loki was asking for it.

He was getting underneath my skin and I was getting majorly pissed off.

I am not like him. I might have had a similar upbringing in some aspects but I didn't let that make me go insane.

It was time to put an end to this and as much as I hate admit it, he had a point. I would have to use my powers one day when all else fails so holding back during training would not be helping me.

I pulled out my final ace.

If Loki wasn't gonna fight fair, then why the fuck should I?

It was time to play dirty.

This was gonna make me anemic as hell and I was probably gonna sleep for a few days but if it meant putting Loki's godly ass in a corner then so be it.

I willed more blood to leave my body and form a circle around me. This was a little trick I've been practicing on. Quickly, I stood up as I threw one of my own daggers, One made of my own blood. It whizzed right passed him.

Damnit! I needed to control my aim.

Loki whipped up more knifes and threw at me. This was no longer close combat, this was me showing him that I wasn't a weak human being and owning his arrogant Asguardian ass. I hit the daggers as they came towards me. Some I dodged, other I raised my hand up to stop them.

The closer I got, the more he gave it his all. He was distracted long enough for me to do what I hated the most.

Loki stood still as the his attacks stopped.

I could feel it, his heart beat erratically.

Was he scared of me?

Good, he should be.

"Is that it--?"

I caused the muscles in his throat to tighten, the blood being pumped to them increased forcing the muscles to contract. His face went blue and that wasn't due to his Frost Giant heritage. He sank down to his knees, gasping for air.

"Maya!" Someone yelled. "Control yourself."

That was Natasha.

They're voices we're very distant and I heard Loki's heartbeat steadily decrease. All I had to do was will it and I could tear him apart from the inside out. I could make him suffer for all his crimes but I won't because i promised to never use my powers on anyone except one particular person.

I lowered my hand, letting Loki breathe.

I only gave him a taste of what I was capable of. He wanted to see my powers, well congratu-fucking-lations, he saw them up close and personal.

He gasped for breath as he fell towards the ground into his knees.

"Why?" he whispered. "If I were you, I would've done it."

"I told you," I said as I placed the blade of my spear against his throat. "I am nothing like you. I don't give into my demons."

Loki looked up at me with a smirk and I noticed his eyes were green instead of the blue that I was used to. That son of a bitch! The next thing I knew was that Loki was gone, disappearing into a light green haze.

I felt someone strike the back of my head and I fell down, hitting the floor hard. I saw black spots as I rolled over.

"No but you should never give into mercy either."

Loki stood above me smirking with his glow stick of doom in his hand. I should've seen that coming. As I said before, he didn't fight fair at all.

------------

"Maya. Hey, kid." Someone was shaking me, trying to wake me up. "Cmon."

"Did I lose?" Was the first thing I asked Bruce who hovered around me. He pressed an ice pack onto my forehead that dulled my headache partially.

"Pathetically," Loki scoffed.

"Hey, Loki." I said.

"What?"

I weakly flipped him the bird.

I had half a mind to kill him. Instead I settled for a glare sent in his direction. I was completly wiped off. All that effort and I still got my ass kicked. I guess that what got for trying to get one over the god of mischief and lies.

Have Loki help you, they said. He won't harm you, they said.

You know what I say?

Something very unlady like. Can you say a giant fuck you?

"I warned you that I wouldn't hold back."

I wanted to punch that smirk off his face. Scratch that, I wanted to high five him in the face with a chair with knifes taped on.

"You fought valiantly, Lady Maya. The day you defeat Loki in battle is a day we all look forward to," Thor reassured me as he helped me up from is the ground. "Do not lose hope."

I felt dizzy and nauseous so I sat back down. Thor placed his arm on my back supporting me. His words just blended into the background, at the moment my ears were burning red from embarrassment. I could hear the sound of blood gushing and I knew that I had just blown myself into anemia.

"As do I." Loki said.

I lifted my head up to send him a dirty look as Bucky hooked his arm around me, picking me up. I felt like I was walking out with my tail between my legs. I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment as well. I just got my ass kicked by the God of Mischief and Lies. What i was feeling right now was a feeling between mortified and embarrassed. Gods, my ears must have been a blazing tomato red right about now.

"Don't worry about him." Bucky said. "If you went up against Nat or I, you would've defintly kicked our asses."

"You'll get him, Maya." Natasha said, patting my back. "If it makes you feel better, you really improved on your hand to hand combat skills."

"Thanks, you guys."

They bet their asses I will. You think I'll let that shit slide. No. I'm going to kick Loki's ass.

And I got that chance a few days later.

This time there were to be no tricks. Just me, Loki and out corresponding weapons.

After the last defeat, I became anemic due to me using up my blood too much. Bruce made sure that I was takin the iron and B supplements so that I received properly under his supervision. My body had to heal itself due to the amount of bruises I had and create new bloods cells to replace the one I had lost. I felt tired and lethargic for most of the week.

Today however I felt well enough to get back up and go another round with Loki.

And it was a terrible idea........

"Left! Right! Watch out!" I dodged another of of his jabs with his glow stick of destiny. "What did I say? Stop holding back!"

"I'm not!" I growled. I kicked him in the chest returning the favor. It sent him flying across the mat.

"There's the anger I'm looking for!"

"Shut up!" I threw my spear at him.

It sailed right past him, embedding itself in the wall. Unfortunately at that time Tony walked in, the spear barely missed him by inches.

I pulled it out of the wall and prepared to stab Loki.

"That. Is. Enough!" Tony yelled, stalking towards us. He was absolutely livid as he waved his arms wildly in the air. "I've had it up to here with the both of you. You--" he pointed to me sharply. "--Need to stop letting him rile you up. You're better than this. And you!" He turned towards Loki. "We agreed to let you train Maya because you can help her. Not toy with her."

The both of us stood there silently, waiting for Stark to stop fuming and ranting. At one point Steve and Bucky ducked their heads in to see what the fuss was about. They decided that they didn't want to be apart of this.

I didn't blame them.

"You know what? You two need to work this out," he gave a glare before I could protest. "I don't care if your sleeping together or just have too much sexual tension or just don't get along, just fix this so it doesn't affect the rest of the team. Now, get the hell out of my gym."

"Fine!" I hissed and I summoned back my spear. I grabbed my track jacket, making my way back to the elevator. Loki was right behind me. "Fuck you, Stark!"

"You're angry," he said once we were in front of the elevator.

"Anymore obvious statements?"

"I can sense it."

"Gee, I wonder why!? Maybe because I'm sick of you." I poked him in the chest with every word I said. "I'm sick of how you treat me and I'm sick of how you constantly get under my skin! What the fuck is your problem? Do you constantly get some sort of enjoyment from irritating me?!"

"That's because you do let me underneath your skin." He said. "And besides, if you can't fight against me then how can you fight your family?"

I grabbed Loki by the front of his shirt, reeling my fist back I punched him as hard as I could in the face. I heard a satisfying crunch as my first made contact with his nose. He groaned sinking to the floor as he clutched his bleeding nose.

"You broke my nose, women!"

"You gave me a concussion, asshat!"

Thankfully the elevator arrived, the both of us got in sharing an awkward and uncomfortable space between us. It's a good thing I had my cuffs back on or Loki would have been a dead man.

"You are the most insufferable human being I have ever met!"

Man, this guy really needs a chill pill.

"I don't regret what I said over coffee. I'm simply calling what I see." I crossed my arms over my chest, leaning back against the wall waiting for the elevator. "I'm not going to sugar coat it, you might be an evil person and you might wanna redeem yourself but that doesn't mean that we can just look over your past actions."

The elevator came to a stop. I got out quickly brushing past Loki and made it to my door.

He grabbed my arm, glaring down at me.

"You are a hypocrite, Maya. Are you not evil as well? Have you not spilled as much blood as I? You may have joined the Avengers but is it enough to wash away all that red on your hands?" Loki hissed through his hand. "What makes us so different?"

I ripped my arm away from him.

"What makes us so different?" I repeated. "I'm a realist. I own up to my shit. I regret what I've done and I accept the consequences. What about you? Don't you have any regrets or does your ego and pride not allow you to have any?"

"You know nothing."

"I know enough," I said. "Why do you even want us to be the same? I'm not you and you're not me. I'll never be like you."

Then I shut the door, walking towards the bathroom and hopped into the tub hoping that I could calm my nerves. It didn't but at least I was clean.

A/N: Well.......😳 That escalated quickly. If Maya uses her powers would that make her able to fight on equal terms with Loki or should she not use her abilities and rely on herself? What do you think?!