A/N: Thank you all who have read and reviewed! This has encouraged me to write more of this story so keep it coming ;). Also, a special thank you to my beta reader K. she is the best!
Monday
It's just past noon on a Monday and Kelly's lost in the haze of coffee and bagel orders, so all in all, quite usual for a Monday. She has time to notice a hot, tall, dark haired man hold the café's door open to a lady with a baby trolley as she is leaving. Polite and in New York, she files that away as a rarity. The man waits in the line with the rest of busy New Yorkers to get his coffee, Kelly bets it's going to be a double espresso or maybe a cappuccino – he has that look about himself and Kelly has worked in coffee shops for five years now, she knows her craft.
When the tall-hot-and-dark reaches his turn, Kelly makes sure she's the one behind the counter and Grace, the newbie, is filling the previous order. She won't ask for his number or anything but she has the licence to look, doesn't she? He smiles. She smiles. And then he talks,
"Scream and I kill you."
The tone is level, polite, ordinary, the woman behind the man, a pregnant lady with a boy holding her hand, doesn't even notice anything off. I have the worst luck with men, runs through Kelly's head before she answers back.
"Okay."
She sounds scared, she must sound scared, but still nobody notices anything. The man smiles again and this time it's not warm at all.
"Kelly" and Kelly hates when customers address her by name, it always feels like an invasion of privacy but it's the policy to wear nametags and smile through it all.
"I'm taking everyone in this fine establishment hostage for the day. Now, I need you to help me keep everyone calm and then nobody will get hurt. Okay?"
She nods. Maybe the man is making a joke, maybe there is a camera hidden somewhere and she really hopes that there is because she is getting very scared by the calmness of the man. Another smile and the man turns to the room at large.
"Everyone! I am Loki of Asgard and today, you are my hostages!"
For a moment there is complete silence, everyone just looks and then there is a shimmer about the man: gold and black and green waivers and unfurls and before them is the terror of New York. Some people scream. There are horns, big, pointy and menacing. There is a staff, sharp and wicked looking. Kelly just stands behind the counter and looks, rooted by fear.
A man, business suit and flashy shoes – latte with extra foam and caramel syrup - dashes for the door, rattles it this way and that, but it doesn't open. Kelly thinks that all this lasts only a few seconds, it must. Loki, and now she recognises him, is still calm, he doesn't seem to be upset about the noise and movement. No. He's enjoying it.
Then he raises the staff and brings its end down once, it makes sound like a thunderclap and everyone stills and quiets.
"Humans, humans…" the tone is chiding, as if addressing little children out of hand and up to no good, "be at peace! I wish you no harm and none shall befall you if you but do as you are told."
Loki turns around, every eye is on him, his smile never waivers.
"Everybody, take a seat. Nice and calm, share a table if you must, I know it's hard," he is mocking them but they can do nothing but obey, so they sit. Kelly stays standing behind the counter; Grace is on the floor whimpering.
Loki turns to her and she braces herself.
"You too, Kelly, and please, bring Grace with you."
Grace sobs but Kelly hoists her up by the elbow and takes her to the only two free chairs. They are closest to Loki. He waits for them to sit before speaking again,
"Now that everyone has settled…" smile and gives a sardonic look around the room, "I know this is an unfortunate and difficult position I have put you all in. My deepest and most heartfelt apologies," by that smile, he is not sorry at all, "I wish you no harm, keep this in mind. But." And everyone holds their breath. "Should you act against me you will learn how truly unforgiving I can be. Do you understand this?"
People nod and mumble agreement.
"Good. This is what I want you to do: I want you all to sit in this café and eat and drink – just be yourselves that is all. Now, I will be outside, waiting for the security forces. Do not be alarmed. There is going to be a lot of people with a lot of guns out there but none of them will be aiming at you. You are welcome to try, but keep in mind that as long as my demands have not been met you will not be leaving this room. The doors and windows will not open and the walls will not give away."
He talks as if addressing a room full of simpletons, turning slowly and looking at every single person, and none can look him in the eye. Then he turns to Kelly.
"Kelly, would you be so kind as to make me a double espresso and a cappuccino?"
Damn, she was right. She rises and heads for the coffee machine. Her hands tremble badly and she ruins the first cup but she's not going to serve the madman anything but her best god damn coffee of her life. She starts over and dares a peek at Loki, he meets her eyes knowingly but only smiles. She doesn't dare to look up again until the perfect cups are ready.
"And an orange juice, fresh, and a large slice of that caramel-apple pie. Put it all on a tray."
She cuts a quarter of the pie and puts it on a plate if he wants large, he will have large and pours the juice. When she is ready she pushes the tray slightly forward on the counter. There is no free place for him to sit and eat inside, only next to Grace and she has almost fainted from fear. Many other patrons don't look better.
"Thank you, Kelly."
Then he turns on his heel and walks up to the seat where the businessman who was first to the door is seated. He starts to go sickly green when he looks up at the mad god.
"Take the phone out from under the table, please."
The command is so calm it's scary and everyone holds their breath.
"May I?" Loki holds out a hand and the businessman hands over his smartphone.
"911?" Loki looks at the man who is looking at the phone as if it has just betrayed him. "Predictable, Martin, so predictable." Chiding, Kelly thinks absently, we're all children to him.
Businessman, now identified as Martin, gulps audibly and closes his eyes. Everyone is waiting for something horrible to happen.
"Let's make that call, shall we, Martin?"
All eyes follow the slide of the finger over the smartphone's screen and in complete silence the small sound of the ringing seems very loud. Everyone can hear the 9-1-1, what's your emergency? that soon follows.
"Go on, Martin, what's your emergency?" Loki offers him the phone but Martin is now shaking his head and mumbling no and nothing quietly.
"No?" Loki sounds disappointed and then puts the phone to his own ear.
"Good day, madam. I would like to inform you that I have taken 26 people hostage in central New York, in Redvale Building at the Petite Café. I am Loki of Asgard and I will not let anyone go unless my demands have been met. Do send your finest."
He ends the call and places the phone in front of Martin who just stares at it. He turns and walks up to Kelly who is still behind the counter.
"How much?" he asks. Kelly looks at him, looks at the tray and then looks back up again, shakes her head. No, surely not, he doesn't expect to pay, does he?
"Oh, no, I insist. How much?"
With shaking hands Kelly puts the order in and adds the loyal customer discount, just in case. The chime of the cash register, usually a cheery sound, makes her flinch.
"18, 25, sir." She meets his eyes on reflex; she always meets the customer's eyes. He takes out a wad of bills and hands them over. They are all hundred.
"Keep it. And let everyone have a cuppa. On me." He smiles, picks up the tray with one hand and turns, his clothes shift to normal human ware and he quietly exits the shop. Everyone looks on from the front windows as he sits down at a table that has never been there before and sips calmly from a cup.
Grace finally faints.
TBC
A/N: To my knowledge there is no Redvale Building in Manhattan, this is deliberate choice on my behalf. Also, I could have gone with Starbucks but Petite Café is (probably) not real and therefore a much safer target.
