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"Sir, she needs to go to Interrogation Room # 3." Banks said, falling into step with Loki as they made their way to the interrogation unit located in the central part of SHIELD's complex.

Cassandra shifted in Loki's arms, conscious of the open back of the short hospital gown she wore and the icy draft billowing against her exposed back. She hoped she had underwear on.

The female officer caught up with them, an offended look on her face. "Sir? Banks don't refer to him as a superior officer! He's not one of us."

Banks scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Sorry, Agent Ross. I spoke out of turn."

Loki smirked clearly enjoying himself at the agents' expense. "Didn't you know? Fury wants to recruit me as an Agent." He explained, turning to face them. "If I go along with his scheme, all of you will have to call me sir."

Agent Ross flushed, her hand dropping to her sidearm. Hatred rippled off the woman in poisonous waves. "Never! You should be executed for what you did to New York and Agent Coulson. How many people died because of your greed and ambition?" She declared vehemently.

Loki tilted his head to the side, expression mockingly thoughtful. "Hmm...you know I really didn't keep track."

"You cold bastard." Agent Ross growled, drawing her gun. The barrel shook as she aimed it at the god. "I should do the world a favor and put a bullet between your eyes."

"Ma'am." Agent Banks interrupted hesitantly, the fluorescent lights in the hall gleaming off his bald head. "I don't think this is wise. The Director is waiting."

Agent Ross ignored her partner.

Danger crackled through the air as Loki and Agent Ross glared at each other. Then the god laughed, a bright happy sound that sent chills down Cassandra's spine.

Loki wore a broad handsome grin, faint lines fanning out from the corners of his eyes. "So, the human wants to play. I'm always up for a game. Better make sure you don't miss, because then it will be my turn."

Ross's finger pulled back on the trigger a fraction, green eyes hard. "You want to play, bastard? You won't like this game because it only ends one way." She pointed at him with the gun. "You dead!"

Cassandra's insides squirmed nervously. She watched the unstable agent and her gun like a hawk afraid the woman would make good on her threat and shoot at Loki, only Cassandra was also in the way.

She glanced up at Loki mentally willing him to shut his trap before he got them both killed. Cassandra hadn't miraculously survived an explosion to die now over something that didn't involve her.

Unfortunately, Loki did not seem to possess telepathy and her prayers went unanswered. Some, god.

"Go ahead. Shoot me." Loki dared the agent, lips peeling back in a vicious sneer. "The bullets won't have any impact."

"But they will on me!" Cassandra interjected in the hopes he remembered she was there.

Loki glanced at her briefly, some of the anger leaking out of his eyes. A strand of dark hair tumbled across his left cheekbone. "This does not concern you."

Cassandra thrashed in his arms, trying to wriggle loose from his solid grip, but the cuffs around her wrists made it difficult to maneuver. "The hell it doesn't! You aren't going to use me as a shield to settle some stupid vendetta with these people."

"It was only a matter of time before one of them turned on me." Loki remarked as if she hadn't spoken, voice low and even. His icy fingers pressed against Cassandra's spine to keep her from bolting. His body shook violently with anger. "I'm the villain after all."

A villain?

In his voice Cassandra heard an undercurrent of sadness. For a brief instant, sympathy flooded her, but she quickly stamped it out. Loki had made his bed and now he had to lay in it alone.

"My girlfriend died in the invasion nine years ago." Agent Ross said, grief choking her words. "It's all your fault."

Loki's throat spasmed reflexively. An undefinable emotion flickered over his face before it disappeared behind his usual mocking mask. "Humans die every day."

Sweat trickled down Agent Ross' temple as she faced off with Loki. Her eyes darted to Cassandra, held in the arms of her enemy. A civilian she was responsible for.

Agent Banks tugged at his tie, cautiously stepping in between the two to defuse the situation. He raised his hands slowly toward his partner. "Ma'am, I understand how you feel but getting yourself suspended for bad conduct won't help anything. Director Fury wishes to see Dr. Pierce immediately."

Loki didn't seem to care one way or another while they waited for the agent to decide. Cassandra mentally pleaded with the other woman to lower her gun and step aside.

"Ma'am." Agent Banks said more firmly, dark eyes insistent yet gentle.

In the end, Agent Ross reined her temper in and slowly slid her gun back in its holster. She swallowed loudly and crossed her arms, shooting daggers out of red rimmed eyes at Loki. "Understood, Banks."

Loki spun away from the agents and increased his speed, rapidly putting distance between himself and Ross. "Do try and keep up, agents." He called over his shoulder.

As he sped through the complex Cassandra could feel the anger still vibrating off him. They were not out of the woods yet.

"I wasn't going to use you as a shield." Loki said out of the blue.

Cassandra must have misheard him. "What?"

"Nothing."

Right, like Cassandra believed that. Loki's dark and bitter past with SHIELD caused her grave concern for her own immediate future. Secret agencies like SHIELD could disappear someone with no consequences. Who did they even answer to? The U.S. government? Someone else?

Cassandra had so many questions and no answers. Nothing bugged her more than a puzzle that remained unsolved.

Once they reached the interrogation room, Loki dumped her unceremoniously into a hard metal chair. "Special delivery for Director Fury."

An African-American man with an eye patch stood at the head of the room. He wore a long black leather duster and a close-fitting black uniform underneath the coat. "Thank you, Agent Ross, Agent Banks." His quiet authoritative voice rolled through the dank room.

Cassandra twisted around in the chair to see the pair of agents leaving. Loki, however, hovered in the doorway.

Fury clasped his hands behind his back, expression neutral. "Loki, you may stay."

"Very well." The god closed the door behind him and positioned himself along the gray cinderblock wall facing the table where Cassandra sat.

A two-way mirror on the left side close to where Loki stood. Cameras were mounted in all four corners of the room. She stared down at her cuffed wrists, the skin already chaffing beneath the metal.

When the silence stretched on too long, she forced herself to speak beyond the lump of dread forming in her throat. "I have a lot of questions."

"So do I." Fury drifted closer and held out his hand. "I am Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD."

With her wrists cuffed Cassandra shook the director's hand with some difficulty. "My name is Cassandra Pierce." She smiled wryly. "But I suppose you already know that."

Mr. Fury returned her smile with a dry one of his own. "What do you know about your employer?"

Cassandra started. It wasn't the question she expected. "Can you be more specific?"

"Fine." Fury flipped his hand dismissively. "Did you know that your place of business trafficked black market goods from outer space?"

Stunned, Cassandra stared at him, mouth agape. Completely at a loss for words. She had never seen anything alien in the warehouse. Never. The director must be wrong.

Fury shot another question at her before she could process the first. "What did your job as curator entail?"

Cassandra settled into the familiar explanation with ease. Many of the auction house's patrons had asked her similar questions before. "What you'd expect. Every time a shipment comes in, I conduct an inventory to make sure the shipment is complete. Once the inventory is done, I examine the condition of each item and authenticate it. Once the items are entered into our online database an auction is set up." The handcuffs clanked loudly on the table as she folded her hands. "Look, I handle antiques and rare manuscripts. I have never come across anything alien or magical-"

"Until the staff." Fury cut her off.

"Until the staff." Cassandra agreed reluctantly, finding it difficult to admit out loud. "Fine, I'll give you that point, but I don't know anything about the damned thing. About a minute after I grabbed the staff out of the packing crate, I spotted the bomb and ran for it."

The man gestured for her to continue. "Let's go over your day from the beginning."

Cassandra started with her arrival at the auction house and the morning staff meeting. Fury directed the interrogation so smoothly, some of her anxiety drained away. He demanded to know who she spoke with during that day and if she saw someone who didn't belong in the building.

Fury circled the table and faced the two-way mirror where someone waited on the other side recording everything Cassandra said. "When you arrived in the warehouse, you were alone?"

"Yes. The warehouse employees only work part time, so they went home after the shipment came in. The crates were already opened when I got there."

"You said a cart of tools waited for you. Is this part of a normal routine?"

"Sometimes. The employees don't always have things ready for me before they leave for the day."

Fury nodded like this confirmed something. "What of your assistant, Joshua Sanders? He left early, correct?"

"I gave him the afternoon off because he had a date with his boyfriend." Cassandra shook her head vehemently. "No, no Josh wouldn't do anything like that." She laughed in disbelief at the skeptical look the director shot her. "We're friends. He wouldn't hurt a fly."

Josh went out of his way to rescue stray animals and bring food to the homeless in Central Park. He was one of the kindest people she knew, always willing to extend a helping hand. He was studying to be a deacon in his church.

No matter what the director believed, Cassandra knew her friend.

Fury appeared unmoved by Cassandra's conviction. "Dr. Pierce, over the years I've learned that even ordinary people are capable of violence. However, in this case you're right. I sent an agent to speak with Mr. Sanders. He was extremely upset about what happened at the auction house but much of his story lines up with yours."

Cassandra sighed in relief. "So, I'm no longer a suspect?"

"I never said that." The man shrugged when she gaped at him. "I find it unlikely you were responsible for the bombing, but I never eliminate anyone as a suspect without all the facts."

Since the interrogation seemed to be drawing to a close, Cassandra took the opportunity to ask some of her own questions. "How many people were hurt in the explosion? Did anyone die?"

Fury shifted uncomfortably and didn't answer.

Cassandra looked at Loki, hoping he'd be willing to answer her. It was a long shot. He was the God of Lies after all.

Loki clearly wanted to refuse but she widened her eyes pleadingly and he reluctantly nodded. "I read the report. There were two survivors. Everyone else is dead."

Tears poured down her cheeks. All the office workers and the cleaning and maintenance crews....

She pressed a hand against her mouth to stifle a sob. Those poor people. They didn't deserve to be murdered.

For a long time, the only sound in the room was Cassandra crying. She hated crying in front of other people and being vulnerable, but she couldn't hold her tears back even if she tried.

In the background a door opened and then a glass of water plunked down by her hand. Fury appeared in her field of vision. "I'm sorry. This must be hard to hear."

Tears dripping off her chin, Cassandra looked up at the director. "I...just want to go home."

"You can't Dr. Pierce."

"Why not?" She demanded, swiping at her cheeks. "I know my rights. I'm not being charged with anything so you can't detain me."

Propping his hip on the table, Fury crossed his arms, and looked down at Cassandra. "While it's possible the auction house was the sole target of the bombing, I won't take any chances."

Cassandra sniffed, wiping her dripping nose on her sleeve. "Do you mean that the bomber meant to kill me? That this is my fault?"

"For your safety I would like you to stay here at SHIELD for the next few days. Someone will be sent to your apartment to pack a bag for you." Fury glanced at Loki pointedly and was ignored. "I will speak with you more tomorrow. In the meantime, you should rest."

Rest? How could she sleep after learning all this? Cassandra buried her face in her hands. God, why did this have to happen?

A key plinked onto the table. "To get those handcuffs off." Fury explained.

Cassandra fumbled for the key and angled her wrist to find the keyhole. The cuffs snapped open and fell into her lap. She rubbed her red wrists gingerly. "Do I have to go back to the hospital? I'd rather have a real bed if you don't mind."

Fury gave her a real smile. "I think we can manage that but first I'd feel better if the doctors give you another checkup."

"And I'd like to call my mom. She must be out of her mind with worry." She said.

"I can arrange that too."

Loki, bored with the situation, appeared at her side brows raised expectantly. "Get up."

"I don't like being carried around like a damsel in distress." Cassandra told him, warding him off with a raised hand. "Thank you for the offer though."

The god shrugged indifferently. "Fine by me. Sit here for the next hour until someone bothers to help you." Then he spun on his heel stiffly and left.

Cassandra watched him go with mixed feelings. Did she offend him? Maybe she had been too abrupt, but she refused for her own sanity. The thought of being carried by Loki again sent delicious sparks pulsing through her blood. She was equally conscious she shouldn't feel that way about someone like him.

Fury turned to leave. "I'll send one of the medical staff to retrieve you." He said and then exited the interrogation room, leaving her alone.

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The doctor peeled the bandages away from Cassandra's back. Cool air brushed against her naked skin. Strange that nothing hurt. She was supposed to have some nasty burns.

The staff rested innocently by the bed; the crystal dull.

Inhaling sharply, the doctor strode across the exam room and stuck his head out the door. "Agent Clyde, we have a problem. Fetch the director."