Prompt from @LadyDia (ao3 user): So, I think that she (Y/N) catches hell for "not trying harder to convince us". She points out that they were essentially going to lock her up if she did any more arguing ... But of course, Tony has trouble admitting he was wrong, and tries to tell her they never would have done that.
And since this is Earth, there's nothing here that can actually hold Loki- so he ends up with Mjolnir on his chest, which is a decidedly temporary solution.
So, how do they try to keep him in one place while Thor "secretly" goes to Asgard and gets restraints? They get her to "entertain" him! Maybe she's got an earpiece where various people try to tell her how to keep him there- in conflicting ways.
A/N: love love love all of this. I changed the last part up a bit, hope you enjoy:) (I'm starting to get a few more prompts now, but keep sending them in!<3)
...
"Y/N, come with me. Quickly."
Nat bursts into your office about ten minutes later with a look on her face similar to the one she had on day of the attack on New York. You follow her swiftly down corridors, your hands over your ears to try and block out the noise of the sirens.
People are panicking; no one knows what's going on. The flashing lights aren't doing anything to help matters.
"Where are we going?" you yell. Nat doesn't hear you, ploughing on ahead of you, down four flights of stairs; along more corridors, until you reach the interrogation rooms. Your heart drops.
"It's okay, Tony's in there." Nat tells you, clocking the alarmed look on your face. You relax slightly, until you enter one of the rooms and see Fury is in there as well.
"Sit down, quickly."
"What's happening?" you ask as you do. On your way here you had decided to feign innocence. You don't want to be fired; you're lucky that you've been kept on after you quit being an agent in the first place.
Tony looks at Fury briefly, and then back at you.
"Loki's been leaving his cell. Just now, he... flickered. Just for a second, but it was enough." he tells you. You stare at him, waiting.
"Y/N, why didn't you say anything more?" Fury asks, before Tony can open his mouth.
Your mouth falls open. You'd been expecting an apology.
"I beg your pardon?" you finally manage.
"This is the most serious security breach we've ever seen; you knew about it, and all you did was panic and then accept that you were going mad. You're better than that." Fury says. You stare at him, unashamedly furious, before turning to Tony. He looks away.
"Is this a joke?" you ask seriously. Your hands are shaking; you clench them into fists under the table you're sat before.
"No. This is deadly serious, so I suggest you remain reasonable." Fury tells you. You're already so far past 'reasonable'.
"You would have locked me up if I'd kept on!" you exclaim. Tony gifts you with eye contact at that.
"Don't be ridiculous, we would never have locked you up." he protests.
"You thought that I was still being affected by the power source in the sceptre, and you wouldn't have locked me up." you say disbelievingly.
"No." Tony says defiantly, looking away again. In this exact moment you thoroughly dislike both him and his massive ego which won't allow him to admit he was wrong.
"Bullshit."
You don't care that you're swearing at your boss and his boss, you're fuming like you haven't been in a long time.
"Careful, Agent." Fury warns. You open your mouth to tell him that you are not an agent, but then Thor enters the room.
"Y/N, I am truly sorry that I did not take heed of your word." he says immediately upon seeing you, bowing his head sorrowfully. You turn to look at Tony with a less than reasonable look on your face, and then back to Thor.
"It's okay Thor. But thank you." you reply sincerely.
"What news? Is he secure?" Fury asks, something like concern in his voice. You hadn't thought him capable of emotion.
"Yes. Loki did not try to escape. As I said, if he had wanted to leave before now he would have been gone long ago." Thor says.
"It doesn't make any sense." Fury mutters.
"It makes perfect sense." you scoff, folding your arms.
"You're testing my patience today." Fury says threateningly, pointing at you. Tony shifts in his seat.
"Y/N is correct. It does make sense. My brother is hiding, and he is safe here." Thor says, looking at you in confusion.
So Loki had talked to Thor after all. Good.
"Hiding from whom?" Fury frowns. Thor shakes his head.
"That does not matter. The important thing is that he will not leave."
"And what if he changes his mind?" Tony asks.
"I am going to Asgard to fetch restraints which will hold him. Properly. That is what I came here to tell you." Thor says. Tony scowls.
"I will have to be discrete about it, so I do not know when I will return. A day at most." he continues.
"A day?!" Tony exclaims, "What are we supposed to do with him for a day?"
"As I said, he is very secure." Thor reassures him. No one looks very reassured.
...
You're stood outside Loki's cell, yet again.
Fury had been against the idea of you being allowed to accompany him, Tony and Thor down here, apparently convinced that you've betrayed SHIELD and deserve to be locked away forever.
Luckily Tony had talked him out of that idea. For now. You were still angry at him for not standing up for you. He knew he was in the wrong.
"How many times have you been to see him?" Thor asks you.
"Twice." you reply.
"And how many times has he visited you?" Fury scowls.
"I don't know. Loads." you say, primarily to annoy him. Before he can react, however, Thor gestures for you to follow him into the corridor.
It's not exactly a private place for a conversation, what with the twenty odd guards now lining the walls, but Thor doesn't seem to find this an issue.
"Did Loki speak with you about from whom he is hiding?"
"No. Only that he's safe here, like you said. And... he said that he was being controlled by the sceptre. Partly." you reply, feeling immensely guilty as you tell him. This definitely counts as 'corresponding'.
"I see. And you did not think this was of enough importance to tell me?" Thor asks you.
"I'm sorry," you say, keen to change the subject.
"Listen, earlier on I overheard two Agents talking about SHIELD keeping Loki to use him as an 'asset'. Did you know about that?" you ask him seriously, only half using the fact to try and escape the awkward situation he'd placed you in.
"I- no. I did not." he says, looking up at the guards nearest to you. One clears his throat awkwardly.
"I have to leave. We will talk again upon my return." Thor continues, straightening up and then striding off down the corridor.
You watch him go, before returning into the room outside Loki's cell where Tony and Fury are stood waiting for you.
"Right, put this on. Do exactly as I say, you understand?" Fury instructs you, handing you an earpiece. You don't like where this is going.
"I don't-"
"Just put it on." Fury says. So you do.
"Go on then, open it." Fury snaps at one of the guards in the room, and he moves forward to carry out the complicated task of unlocking the cell door.
You turn to look at Tony as this happens.
"Please tell me what's happening." you say to him. Fury glares.
"We want some answers from Reindeer Games." he says simply.
The cell door is pulled open, and Fury gestures for you to step inside.
Loki is lying on the bed, his hands behind his head, with Mjolnir planted in the middle of his chest. He cranes his head to see who's entering his cell, and looks surprised when he sees you.
It occurs to you that to anyone else he probably just looks bored, as usual, but you register the tiny quirk of one of his eyebrows. The door shuts behind you.
"Hello." he says, looking back up at the ceiling.
You drag the chair around so that he can see you in his peripheral vision when you sit down.
"Ask him who he's hiding from." Fury tells you through your earpiece. You scowl. Why didn't he just come in here himself to ask these questions if he's going to be so blatant?
"Hello." you reply to Loki.
This is going to be a long 'day at most'.