"I thought we needed an assistant," Tony said carelessly to Loki one morning.

"Oh, really?" Loki raised an eyebrow.

"I've already hired one so don't worry about it. A Natalie Rushman. Fluent in Latin of all things."

Loki helped himself to some granola.

"Sounds infinitely useful," he muttered.

"Don't mock the dead language speakers," Tony warned, amused. "Anyway, she's starting today. I'll be giving her a tour this morning but perhaps you could pop by at some point too?"

"I assume she's attractive, then," Loki commented astutely.

Tony grinned.

"Very."

"Tony, not every woman is there for you to ogle. In fact, no woman is there for you to ogle. Ask their permission first. I don't want her filing a sexual harassment case against you."

"As if," scoffed Tony. "I'm a womaniser, not a barbarian."

"Good to hear," Loki muttered. "Otherwise I'll be having words."

Tony waved at him dismissively, words already forgotten. He slid a manila file across the table.

"Here's her resume in case you're now doubting my ability to hire useful people," he said, a knowing look in his eyes.

"Damn right you are," Loki replied. "She'd better be good at her job. Knowing you she won't be so I want the money saved by firing her to go to a good cause. The next PA needs my seal of approval."

"Copy that."

*

In the afternoon, Loki stopped by Miss Rushman's desk to see how she was settling in. S&W's headquarters were huge and often very noisy because of the R&D department down in the basement but their new assistant had been given a desk on Tony and Loki's floor, right outside each of their offices. Miss Rushman was a petite, elegant-looking woman with medium-length red hair and sharp eyes. Loki could tell that this was someone who knew what she was doing. He supposed Tony wasn't terrible at appointing people after all.

"Hello," he said quietly, so as not to startle her if she was, indeed, a normal assistant, rather than a spy for Hammer Industries or perhaps even a hooker - Loki wouldn't be particularly surprised if either was the case.

She looked up and smiled.

"You must be Mr Walker, my new boss."

"Indeed I am," Loki smiled back. "I hope you are settling in well?"

"Yes, thank you. Everybody has been very helpful, especially Mr Stark."

Boy was Loki going to kill that man.

"That's nice of him," he replied instead. "I have some time this evening... I wondered whether you would like to have a drink with me after work?"

"Will it be an establishment suited to alcoholism, or one where coffee is the beverage of choice?" She asked astutely.

He gave her an assessing look. Her posture indicated that the former was the better choice.

"Coffee, Ms Rushman?"

"With an infusion of brandy," she told him, boldly, he thought.

"Very well," Loki said, smirking slightly. "I'll meet you in the lobby shortly after seven."

She nodded and he excused himself.

*

Ironically, Tony actually worked less hours than Loki did, although Loki did know for a fact that Tony often went home to then spend ludicrous amounts of time in his workshop coming up with ingenious ideas. Tony came in late and left early but it was his company and the strategy worked well. Nobody wanted a tired engineer crafting their technology.

So, when Tony came in to tell Loki he was heading back to Malibu Point, Loki was still hard at work.

"Don't be too late back," Tony warned with a barely concealed smirk.

"I won't," Loki replied, rolling his eyes. "I'll just win over Miss Rushman and go."

"You womaniser," Tony exclaimed, horrified.

Loki raised an eyebrow.

"From you, Tony, that is hardly an insult."

"True," Tony mused. "Enjoy your evening and let me know how it goes."

"Will do."

*

Natalie was just putting on her coat when Loki locked up his office.

"Ready to go?" He asked, smiling gently.

"Of course, Sir."

"There's no need to call me sir, Miss Rushman," Loki chided politely.

The woman made no reply, merely smiled charmingly.

Ten minutes later, they sat in a café with mini cups of coffee before them.

"So, what was your occupation before now?"

An open, unobtrusive question designed to eek something out of the quiet woman.

"I was a personal assistant to a small business owner," she replied and she might as well have said 'oh this and that'.

"You must have had a magnificent skill set," Loki said, and it could almost be said that he was flirting.

"Some might have said so," she answered with a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

"You are an exceedingly private woman," Loki noted.

"I've heard the same said of you," she answered, teasingly.

"I live my life in the spotlight, Miss Rushman," Loki grinned. "Few could call me private. Even if I had a choice about the matter, my life would still be commentated on in some way."

"What did you do before becoming CEO?"

A remarkably forward question from a remarkably forward employee. Unfortunately, though, Loki couldn't just say he had been a prince of a faraway realm.

"I was a doctor actually."

Rushman likely knew this already if she'd done her research but affected surprise nonetheless.

"Quite an astonishing leap," she commented.

He shrugged.

"They are similar in many ways. Making hard decisions on a day-to-day basis, paving the way for an industry, being paid an absurd amount of money."

At the last point the woman frowned minimally. It was a hint and a tell that Loki was on the right track. Loki had not, after all, accepted payment as a doctor; he had done his work voluntarily, and it seemed that Miss Rushman, if indeed that was her name, knew this.

"You have an honourable track record, Mr Walker."

"Please, call me Alden. We are on the same side after all."

Rushman smiled and, to him, it looked rather tight.

"Of course," she replied, but made no move to mention his name.

"Well, I'm afraid I'll have to head home now," he said as diplomatically as he could. "Tony might just burn the house down without me."

Rushman allowed herself a small laugh but now everything about her felt fake.

"Thank you for a wonderful evening," she smiled.

"It was my pleasure," Loki replied but his answering smile didn't meet his eyes.

If people were going to present a fake persona to Loki, he would damn well reflect one back.

*

He called Rhodey later.

"Is Colonel Rhodes there?" He asked after the call went through.

"Yes?"

"It's Alden."

"Hiya, Alden, how are you doing?"

"I'm great, how are you?"

"Burning with curiosity as to what you're about to ask me."

"You're an intelligent man, Rhodes."

"And don't let anybody tell you otherwise."

Loki chuckled.

"Tony's hired a PA. I wondered whether you could look her up for me."

"Sure can."

Rhodey took Tony's safety very seriously.

"Name?"

"Natalie Rushman. Presumably an alias though."

"You already think she's a spy?"

"For the opposition? Who knows? I wouldn't put anything past Hammer."

Loki personally thought Rushman might be a government mole but for now he might as well blame Hammer for everything. After all, Hammer was still exceedingly pissed that Loki had played a prank on him and begun working for Tony instead. To make matters worse, the papers had then got wind of it and so Hammer had been publicly humiliated as well. Legend had it that Hammer's products hadn't quite been the same since - he was losing his confidence.

"Fair enough. I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

"Thanks, Rhodey."

"Good to hear from you, Alden. Stay safe."

"Will do. See you soon."

He hung up.

*****

A.N. And so, like Sherlock Holmes, Loki is already beginning to sniff out his first spy. How will it end? Who knows? Read on to find out. xD

Thank you for reading!