Say my Name-rewrite

"Would you rather deal with a true believer?"

Maya's POV:

After the training session—and Bucky's relentless, insufferable teasing—the group split off to shower and change before Tony's meeting.

I didn't miss the smug smirk Bucky shot me before disappearing down the hall, because of course, he had to get the last word.

Mushy.

If he said it one more time, I was going to punch him.

With everyone gone, I finally had a moment to breathe. I exhaled, rolling my shoulders, ready to retreat to my suite for a little peace—until Tony intercepted me.

"Harper," his voice rang out across the hallway as he approached, tossing something in my direction.

I caught it easily, flipping open the folder—a thick dossier.

"Read that before the meeting," he said, pointing at me like I was already on the clock. "I want your full analysis."

I arched a brow, thumbing through the first few pages. "Of what?"

Tony smirked. "Of our dear old friend."

I looked up sharply, brow furrowing. "Loki?"

He gave me a two-finger salute before disappearing through the glass doors, not bothering to elaborate.

I sighed, tucking the file under my arm as I continued down the hall, reaching my suite and shutting the door behind me.

I settled onto the bed, the mattress sinking slightly beneath me as I flipped open the dossier, eyes scanning the details.

Loki Laufeyson. Asgardian. Intelligent. Unstable.

The first few pages were general intelligence reports—his connection to Thor, the attempted invasion of New York. Then it shifted into psychological profiles compiled from various sources.

The word "manipulative" appeared more than once. So did "narcissistic tendencies."

I smirked to myself, shaking my head. What a surprise.

I continued reading, absorbing the information, fingers idly tapping against the pages. There were behavioral patterns here. Egos like his followed predictable cycles. It was just a matter of recognizing them.

This was my first real task.

The reason I was here in the first place.

Tony wanted my analysis.

Fine.

I'd give him exactly what he asked for.

An hour passed in a blur of reading, analyzing, making mental notes.

The dossier was thorough—government reports, mission logs, psychological assessments, transcripts from past interactions. Enough information to start forming an understanding of the man, or god, or whatever Loki preferred to be called.

But it wasn't enough.

Most of the reports read the same—intelligent, manipulative, unstable. None of it told me what I really needed to know.

What drives him? What cracks the façade? What does he want when no one is watching?

I sighed, closing the folder as I stretched my arms over my head.

A knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts.

"Harper, let's go."

Nat's voice.

I stood, smoothing down my shirt before grabbing the file and tucking it under my arm. Opening the door, I found her waiting, arms crossed, expression neutral.