Chapter 7.
Nerida writhed in pain. Venom slithered through her veins, pouring out from her heart, winding around her muscles and bones, making its way dramatically to her extremities. She opened hers eyes but she could not see; her feet could not find the ground. She floated in space, thrashing out around her in search of a tangible answer, and yet nothing came to her aid. She could not hear or see or feel anything beyond the surge of electricity that poisoned her from the inside out. Her skin was tight around her bones, around her rib cage and fingers and toes. She knew that at any moment it would split and her innards would be on display to the world ... if the world even existed anymore. Where had the world gone ... where had Nerida gone, her mind managed to wonder despite the pain. One moment her body had succumbed to a mystical bliss and now she felt knew she was dying. Her body and mind were both leaving her. Memories began to flood her brain, childhood impressions, her first day of high school, her first kiss which was with Chino, the first time she ever met Penny, the night Tom showed up to the Shack ... vibrant, tangible memories rushed into the forefront of her mind in a wave she knew she could not ride all at once. And then, all at once, it began to recede. Nerida reached out for them all, for Chino and Penny, for an image of her at Christmas when her parents were actually good at convincing her that they were a tight knit family; she reached out for Tom as he stood at the stage below her, staring up at her as she sang her lungs out, belting every lyric with such honesty and conviction, and his electric blue eyes wept up at her as he ingested every word that rained over him. He, too, receded until he was beyond her reach and he faded into the darkness with the rest of them. Nerida forgot why she was even reaching any more. The pain of the venom subsided and her body stilled. Her skin was tight but in tact. Nerida did not feel anything anymore, not scared or curious, and the pain was entirely gone. She merely existed. Or maybe she was dead. She could not know for certain. She lingered in space, crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes, floating along the edge of eternity.
"How can we be the world's greatest superheroes if we cannot even find the one bad guy who literally walked right by us at a bar?" Steve moaned as he stared out of one of Tony Starks' many high-rise windows over Malibu. Below, the waves crashed into the side of the bluff, patches of seaweed floating by lethargically. His forehead was pressed to the glass, a palm pressed just above it. "I don't even see why we came all the way back here if Loki is out there."
"Patience, my young padawan," Tony soothed as he collapsed onto the couch. "That asshole isn't going anywhere without us knowing. Jarvis is running diagnostics on a tracking device that I left around the city during our brief, yet significant, search."
"Tracking device?" Steve pulled away from the window and turned to see Tony and Thor sitting on opposite sides of the couch.
"Yes, tracking device. The name is still in the works; I was shooting for something along the lines of Dramatic Green Asshole Tracker, but that sounds kind of gross."
"And demeaning," Thor weighed in.
"Well, he is an asshole, Thor. And a pain in the ass ... Pain in the Asshole Tracker?" Tony shook his head. "These names aren't flowing like they usually do. They sound ... painful."
"Please stay on topic, Tony," Steve remarked, vexed. "This device you have planted will track him?"
"I planted a few beacons that have secured a perimeter around the area where we - er, Thor - felt Loki's presence. If anything moves around the beacons that is not human, I will be alerted immediately via my watch." He lifted his wrist, showcasing the gaudy, large digital face of his watch. "See? We are not wasting our time. We are still the world's greatest, most good looking superheroes."
Steve placed his hands on his hips. "How far is the radius of each beacon?"
Tony eyed him. "Where did an old timer like you learn such modern language?"
Steve rolled his eyes. "Come on, Stark, what is the radius?"
Tony eyed his watch. "Well, it was a quick mock-up, so ... the radius per beacon is ... well, I mean, the circumference isn't huge - yet - but once I work out the kinks a bit, the radius should cover city-wide distances."
"Stark, what is the current radius of the beacon?"
"A city block, Steve, a city block. That is impressive, might I add, for someone who seriously threw together the technology, like, this morning."
Thor turned his head to Tony. "I recall you stating the device was a work in progress for quite some time now."
Tony waved his hand at Thor dismissively. "Don't try to talk to me about things you don't understand, Thor. Who is the super-genius here? Moi. Does this Stark Tower say 'Thor Tower' or 'Captain America Tower'? No. It says Stark because I am a goddamn, motherfucking genius."
Steve shook his head. "Fine. All right, a few beacons monitoring an area of a few city blocks is better than nothing. I guess."
"No piece of earthly metal will track my brother faster than I," said Thor, appearing slighted. "I am the one who initially sensed his presence."
"And that was a big help, Thory," Tony remarked coolly. "You are the reason the beacons are where they have been planted. And once your ignoramus of a brother tips one of them off, you can be the first on the scene. I promise."
"I do not seek your permission for capturing my brother, Stark," Thor growled. "If there is any inclination of Loki's presence here, I will find him and take him back to Asgard." He continued quietly, "I cannot return until I find him."
Tony looked around at his friends and then sighed heavily. "God, Loki is such a buzz-kill." He promptly stood and walked towards his bar.
"Have you been able to get a hold of her?" Chino asked Penny as she approached him from behind. She zipped up her hoodie while she carried the last of the beach flags in her other hand.
"No Chi," Penny replied, stopping next to him. They stood upon a berm overlooking the wet sand as the tide came in and washed out. The sun was beginning to fall behind the horizon, turning the sky a brilliant blaze of gold and pink and red. The water was growing dark and was slightly turbulent. "She said she was going on an 'adventure' or something with Tom. Whatever the hell that means." She looked out along the water. "Have you been here for a while?"
Chino nodded, his gaze not breaking away from the water. "No one has broken surface, Penny. I saw two people enter the water. I swear it was the guy that Nerida saved."
"Loki," Penny said.
"Are you sure about that?"
"I mean, who else could it be?"
"Have you ever seen Loki up close? Do you even know that is what he looks like?"
Penny shook her head. "No, Chino, I haven't. I don't usually spend my time researching alien villains or whatever. But it could be him. It could be someone really bad. Someone not human." She paused and returned her gaze to the ocean. "What human could be out there and still alive?"
Chino ran a hand over his face. He sighed heavily. "Something is very wrong here, Penny. I am ... I'm worried about Nerida."
Penny placed a hand tenderly on Chino's bare shoulder. "I am too, Chino. As excited as I was about Nerida finding someone, even if for just a night, I have a bad feeling about Tom."
"So do I."
"Are we bad friends for letting her go with him?"
"She is a grown woman. She makes her own decisions."
Penny's lower lip began to tremble. "Then why do I still feel bad?"
Chino looked down at her. "Because you're human," he said simply. "In a way, I feel kind of bad, too. I wanted to blame my not liking him because he is another dude moving in on my friend. But there is something else there. I see it now."
"What do we do now?" Penny asked.
"We need to find Nerida. I need to know that she is okay."
Penny nodded. "I will keep trying to contact her. If I hear anything, I will let you know." Penny turned to leave and then stopped. Carefully, she said, "I know you and the gang were going to do a small gig tonight at that other bar ... god, I can't think of the name right now."
"The Underground," Chino stated, looking back at her. "Downtown."
"Well, are you still going to go?"
Chino stared at her for a moment. "To be completely honest, I am tired. I think I'm going to take a night off. I'll see if we can reschedule for tomorrow night or something."
Penny nodded. She seemed saddened by his response while still genuinely apprehensive. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." She began to walk towards her tower.
Chino turned back to the water as the sun slipped out of sight behind the darkening ocean. The tide was erratic. "Hey Penny," he called over his shoulder. He paused for a moment. "You know, if you want, you can come hang out with me tonight at my pad. I won't be doing anything. Maybe we could grab some food and watch a movie or something."
From the soft sand behind him, Penny smiled. "That would be nice, Chi."
"Cool," he said. "We should probably put up the warning signs before we leave, too. The water looks particularly hectic tonight."
Penny nodded. "Very strange. Let me throw this flags into the shed and I will help you out."
"Okay," he replied. Quietly, he repeated, "Very strange."
Nerida opened her eyes. The area around her was dark. Somehow, she was not apprehensive. Instead, she moved her eyes to either side, observing the darkness. A hue of green overcame her vision and it cleared away a bit until everything became normal. Particles floated around her like soft snowflakes drifting along a nonexistent breeze. They lingered near her and then ascended slowly. Something silver sped by her in a quick flash. She turned her head. It stopped near her hip. A fish. It floated near her and then darted when her hand started to reach out to it. Noticing her hand, she began to move her fingers in small waves. She bent her legs and turned her head from side to side. Finally, her toes curled, slowly encompassing ... sand. Nerida shifted her attention downward. Just as she suspected. She stood upon sand. Rocks and algae were spread along the ripples of the sand. A crab walked along the sand a distance away. Noticing something round and white peeking up at her from the sand, Nerida slowly crouched down. She seized the object between two slender fingers and unearthed a perfectly intact sand dollar. Another fish floated by her. Then, she felt the presence of something bigger behind her. Nerida was alert. Stiffening, she immediately spun around, her hair a long train of darkness that whirled past her vision seconds behind, until she came face to face with a man. He was dressed in black and green robes, hints of gold upon his chest plate and sleeves. His hair was black and fell upon his shoulders. He was pale in complexion and his eyes were blue ... blue like the depths of the ocean.
Holding out the sand dollar at him threateningly, Nerida knew that this man was familiar.
"Be gentle, Nerida," he said, his accent soothing. "You are awakening."
"You ... " she spoke, her lips feeling as though they had never worked before. "I know you."
He nodded. "Of course. A part of me runs through you. My power, anyway. I am your creator."
"Loki," Nerida said.
A smile played on Loki's lips and he gave a shallow bow. "At your service."
Nerida looked around him. Fish were floating, their scales glinting like stars in the night sky. "I do not understand ... are we ...?"
"At the bottom of the ocean?" he continued for her. "Well, not quite. We are only a few kilometers offshore. I figured this would be sufficient enough for your transformation."
"Transformation."
"Yes, my dear. Your ascension. Your evolution. Your journey beyond the simplicity of mortal man."
Nerida looked at her hands. Her skin's natural hue was now tinted was the softest hint of blue. Her nails were dark. Her hair floated out around her even though she did not move. "How am I breathing if I am underwater?"
"That is one of your special attributes," Loki explained. "It comes with the transformation. You, my little mermaid, have taken on water abilities. You are able to manipulate it, breathe it, use it for your will."
"Do you possess these powers?"
"No," Loki replied. "Because of the power of the Mind Stone in your chest, I am close enough in your presence that I am able to channel your breathing ability. It is more like I am honing in on it. My ability allows me to somewhat mimic what you are doing ... in terms of breathing anyway. However, the farther away I move, I found out the hard way, the more susceptible I am to drowning."
Nerida looked down, her hand automatically rising to her chest. Implanted into her chest was the starfish with the vibrant pearl. The legs had burrowed into her, it and her flesh now one. The pearl was alive, glowing strong. She gingerly touched its smooth, creamy surface. "I can feel this, this caress."
"The Mind Stone is exceptionally powerful and persuasive. Your abilities can be essentially endless ... if you allow them to be."
"Allow them to be?"
"Mind over matter, Nerida. I know you have a powerful mind. If you are able to focus your mind and train it, you can accomplish a great many things ... as you were destined to do."
"Destined to do."
"Yes," Loki said, moving closer to her. "You see, that is why I chose you. You are intelligent. You share the same values as me. You're beautiful. And you have a fiery spirit. You are the entire package, my dear. You are the ... perfect weapon."
"How do you intend to use me, creator?"
Loki smirked. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and began to lead her, their soft steps disturbing the surface of the sand. Fish moved away from them. "You see, you and I had a conversation that alarmed me. Humanity has become ignorant. Humans need to be educated. They need to be used to their greatest ability. They need to be ... ruled. They need someone with wisdom and power, and the courage and strength to rule them - to lead them into the next chapter of man's existence. They are beginning to realize that they are not alone in this plane of existence, that there are greater and more dangerous things out there, and they need someone to prepare them. They need to be trained to pursue bigger and better things." He stopped and moved in front of her, holding onto her shoulder. Touching his chest plate, he continued, "I am from a plane of greater existence, and I know I am more than capable of ruling humanity and preparing them for epic battles, should they need to be utilized for such significant pursuits. And you, your special abilities would assist me in determining who is worthy of being under such a great yet selective rule. Nerida, you yourself told me that humans have become self-absorbed, ignorant beings that need to be cleansed of their dangerous ways. They are self-destructive. They are destroying this planet. We have to save them."
Nerida eyed him. "This planet ... why yes, I believe I recall those feelings. Those ideas. Yes, creator, it is coming back to me. Slowly. Forgive me."
"There is no need to apologize, my dear. And you don't have to call me creator. You may call me Loki." He stared at her closely. He moved a strand of lingering hair that floated lifelessly before her face. "Nerida," he said quietly, "I have waited a long time for this moment. I have waited for a kindred spirit, someone who understands me and my insatiable plight. Can you help me with this task? I can assure you that you will be handsomely rewarded for your efforts. I will personally see that anything and everything you desire is yours. You will be my queen, my right hand. You will know a life far greater than you have ever imagined. You will be able to ... save the world, as you so passionately confided in me before."
Nerida stared into his eyes. An overwhelming excitement overcame her as she took him in. She remembered him entirely, she remembered the way he made her feel. Her body tingled at his touch. And then those feelings receded again. She focused on his words ... humanity. The planet. Yes. She recalled those feelings. They overcame her, crashing down on her until her heart began to pound angrily. The pearl radiated as her passion manifested within it. Her hate in the tangible form of a pearl which was bared to the world. She remembered her feelings towards two humans specifically ... mother and father; towards Chino and how impossible he was to please; towards Penny and her naive and dangerously obnoxious optimism; towards everyone and their lack of conviction, their lack of compassion ... their inability to pursue with every fiber in their fragile being to become better and stronger and smarter. It all flooded into the pearl, swirling into a venom that fed her brain and her muscles and her soul. She ate Loki's words and they digested into her anger. Balling her hands into fists and her blood running hot within her veins, Nerida's lips curled into a smile across her face. Her eyes were entirely black as they stared out at him. "Your offer is accepted, Loki. I will aid you on your mission to dominate humanity."
"You have done me a great honor, Nerida," he remarked, leading her again. They approached a great formation of rock and coral. "While you were in the midst of transforming, I was able to utilize my abilities to create a sort of habitation for you, seeing as how we cannot be out in the open just yet. I am aware that our greatest enemies are looking for us."
"Which enemies?"
"They are a team of humans with special abilities." He paused. "And my brother, Thor, is with them. His motives are to somehow unite our people with the people of Earth. Somehow he claims that they are equals to us … he foolishly accompanies them in this frivolous and gaudy plights to keep out all non-human beings. They are called the Avengers."
He waved his hand out in front of them, before a large rock that was leaning against the formation. The rock easily rolled to the left, exposing a long corridor lit up by bronze Anglerfish heads, whose bright white lights hung down over them. As they moved past the large rock and into the corridor, suddenly the water did not exist. Nerida stopped and looked around as Loki's attire was now completely dry and her hair fell down her back again. The sand was dry and soft beneath her feet as she continued on down the corridor, intrigued by this phenomenon. Nerida slid her fingers across the wall. The coral was rough yet colorful, its pink and purple hues adding to the glow of the corridor. Sea plants spouted here and there at attention as she passed. The corridor opened up into a large circular chamber that was a vibrant shade of purple from the coral that gave it its structure. The porous walls were encased in rock so that nothing could find its way into the interior. The domed ceiling was high vibrant with purple and blue coral. Bursts of green sea plants hung down, blooms of red and orange dotting their green vines. Around the room were salvaged pieces of furniture from ship wrecks that had been renovated and appeared weathered but still intact. In the back of the chamber was a large bed whose base was entirely constructed from coral. Tall, jagged posts rose several feet up into the air from each corner, trident-like tips pointing ominously up at the ceiling. The purple silk sheets hung off the sides of the bed and onto the floor, ripples of fabric reminiscent of water flowing off of the bed. It was certainly the centerpiece of the room, despite lingering back in the shadows.
Inspecting every inch of the room, Nerida crouched down and pressed her fingers into the sand. She felt every grain, every curve and coarseness of each particle. Grasping the sand in between her fingers, she quietly asked over her shoulder, "How did you do all of this?"
"I didn't," Loki responded simply. "You did." His hands behind his back, he walked forward, admiring the work.
"How could I if I was in a state of transformation?" she quizzed, standing tall and letting the sand from her sides.
"Even through the changing, I was still able to speak with you. I asked you what you wanted and you replied. I taught you how to conjure what you need. You see, Nerida, you control the sea. The tides, the life, even the rocks and coral. If you will it, it will be."
Nerida glanced at the wall nearest her. Taking a deep breath, she waved her hand slowly before her as though to wipe clean a window. Suddenly, new sea plants erupted from the coral, breaking free from the coral's skeletal confines and blooming into vibrant colors under the area that her hand moved across. Her dark eyes widening, a smile broke out across her face. "I can control life," she whispered to herself.
"You have ability to control more than life, Nerida." Loki stood behind her now, and he placed his hands on her bare shoulders. "You have been reborn into something far greater than you can even imagine." He turned her around so that she faced him. "And I will show you everything you need to recognize your greatest potential." Taking her chin, Loki lifted her face and then bent forward, their lips meetings tenderly.
Nerida's mind began to race. A sudden confliction overcame her. She wanted to break away from him and continue on with their prior conversation about the Avengers. She wanted to formulate a plan to destroy them. She needed to know how advanced her powers were. Another part of her wanted to lift her arms and wrap them around his neck. Somewhere inside of her mind, Nerida remembered that wave of a memory that reminded her of him; she remembered a version of him she called Tom, who had stared at her from across the room with his beautiful eyes and those lovely jawlines and those entrancing curves of the muscle that was hidden away from the world – except from her. As he kissed her, she remembered the hotel room and the first night she stayed with him there. She could feel the intensity between them now that they had shared that night. But confusion … she was not herself then. She was someone else. She had that person's memories. Her feelings. Or was she someone else now?
Despite what her body wanted, Nerida remembered her purpose. She stood in the arms of her creator, her king. She was his weapon. She knew that whatever these actions of his were, were now irrelevant. She knew what she had to do.
"We must prepare for battle, Loki," she said, pushing him away.
Loki stared at her confusion. "My dear, you must be tired. Allow me to help you relax."
"We can relax when the moment of judgement is not so close," Nerida insisted. She walked to the edge of the bed and grasped one of the bedposts. "You have told me that we have an enemy who is waiting for us. The Avengers. They protect the people of Earth. What will you have me do?"
Loki shed his long jacket and tossed it onto a chair. He sat on the edge of the bed, his elbows resting on his knees, a pensive look across his face. "We must evoke the Avengers by showing them our intentions. Now, as it is obvious, they know who I am. But you, they do not know of your existence. You will be on the front line as they will come for me. You will have to start this war. And I will end it."
"How do you wish me to start it?"
"By demonstrating your purpose."
Nerida looked at her hands. "Cleanse the city."
Loki looked up at her. "Cleanse the city," he repeated. "Perhaps the city is a little much your first time around. I was thinking of starting off a bit smaller. More … intimate."
Nerida sighed impatiently. "Then what will you have me do?"
Loki stood and gave her a smile. "Well, when I want to torment my brother, I generally take something from him to pique his interest. My brother is enamored by humanity …"
"I will take a hostage then," Nerida said. "I will display my powers before the Avengers to show them that I am a force they cannot reckon with."
"Once they are taken down, then we will step in and offer sanctuary to those who are ready to kneel to us. Those humans who resist will be –"
"Cleansed," Nerida interjected. "I will ensure that your kingdom is rid of all useless humans. Those who resist will be no more."
"Exactly," Loki agreed.
Nerida sat down on the edge of the bed. She searched her mind for a moment, her nails digging into the framing of the bed. "I need to find a hostage of significance. I need someone the Avengers will come after, but I am not sure I know of any of their connections. I am not sure what Thor's connections are to anyone here, outside of you."
"He has one connection," Loki said, tapping his chin with the tip of his slender finger. "However, she is not in this area, and there is no time to search for her. At this point, any human will do. The Avengers will come for one, even one they do not know. As I said before, they are enamored with humanity as well as self-preservation. If it gains them any kind of notoriety, then they are sure to be there in the spotlight."
Nerida gritted her teeth. "How typical," she stated. "But I am not surprised. These are the motives of the weak-minded. Let them have their moment of fame. For when I am done with them, the name Avenger will be nothing more than a memory in Earth's forlorn history."
Loki smirked. "My, my Nerida. There is an evil in you that I did not realize you possessed. I am intrigued."
"You chosen wisely, Loki. I will make sure your reign is well-prepared."
He moved around her and swept her hair over her shoulders, his fingertips gently caressing her shoulder blades as he did so. His lips caressed the nape of her neck and then he whispered into her ear, "My queen, it would bring me such pleasure if I could give you such pleasure now." Loki nipped at her ear lobe.
Nerida turned around in his arms. "Should we not commence with the plan, Loki? That is what is most important presently. Pleasure can wait."
Loki smacked his lips impatiently. "Nerida, I believe an attack would be more efficient during the daytime as we will command the attention of everyone and our actions will be seen. Also, your powers are still within their infancy. It would be best for you to rest tonight and then we can pursue our targets at dawn." Darkly, he continued, "You are mine. While I see you as my equal and shall treat you as so, you are also in existence because of my powers. I know this is hard for you to understand because of the energy flowing through you, calling you to fulfill my wish of commanding these people. However, with our status also comes the obligation to enjoy what we have together."
Nerida stared up at him, searching within his eyes. "What do we have together, Loki?"
Loki winced, stunned. "Nerida, do you not recall our feelings prior to your transformation?"
"I feel … something," she responded. "But I cannot be sure if who I was is who I am now or if who I was is someone different. Are those memories mine?"
"Of course they are yours," Loki told her firmly. "You are part human, Nerida. Your mortal existence comes from them. But I have made you even more than what they could have ever given you. You are above them because of me and my power, and the ability of the Mind Stone. However," he paused for a moment, touching the side of her face.
Nerida eyed him curiously. He seemed so different in her eyes, conflicted. He sounded excessively confident and spoke with the authority of a god, and yet when he looked at her, Nerida saw weakness in him. She was not sure as to why this change took place and she hoped this attribute wouldn't last in battle – for he surely wouldn't.
"Nerida, there was a time when you and I were simply … simple. Despite the fact that I came to Earth to find someone worthy of joining me on my conquest, I also met someone who has never made me feel the way that I do now. I met you. Even in your human state, I know you felt the same. I know somewhere in you, you must still feel it. You must still want … to be with me. Wholly. In every aspect of the term. I am not meaning to make this sound like I want to keep you around to fight my battles and give me physical pleasure at my leisure. I can imagine that is what you must think of someone like me. Perhaps in another situation, that would be me. I suppose I am not meant to care truly for anyone. No one ever has for me." He released her and then sat on the edge of the bed.
"You seem to have reservations, Loki," Nerida stated, getting down to her knees before him. "Is everything all right?"
Loki stared down at her for a moment, then smiled passively, giving a slight shrug. "It is inconsequential. I am rambling. I usually ramble to a journal, but I suppose now that you're here I am rambling at you."
"I am here to do your bidding," Nerida remarked. "And while I am slightly confused at these confessions from you, I am here." She touched the pearl embedded in her chest. A small tingling ran throughout her body like a tiny current of electricity. It felt so familiar. She felt his hand fall lightly onto the side of her head, his fingers running through her hair. She enjoyed it, unexpectedly. She closed her eyes for a moment and found him again in her mind. Obviously he had been very present as he was continually there. The stage. The hotel room. Under a light behind a building. He didn't have his longer black hair but she knew it was him. Those eyes. They gave him away. They were so angry and yet so sullen at the same time. The anger in her began to subside. Upon her chest, the glow of the pearl dimmed slightly. Nerida opened her black eyes and Loki still stared down at her. He was pensive in his gaze, searching her face for something. He also seemed remorseful. Perhaps she did not fully understand what her creator wanted. Perhaps he was right; the battle could wait until dawn.
Nerida slowly stood, naked before him. She placed her hands on either side of his head, cradling his jawlines. Tilting his head back, she leaned forward, kissing Loki deeply. Pressing into him, she laid him back onto the bed and moved on top of him. Loki wrapped his arms around her waist, diminishing the space between them.
Nerida stood near the back wall of the auditorium behind the refreshments table. Most of the white linen tablecloth was saturated with red punch. A couple of teens from her graduating class had already come by with a flask, clumsily poured booze into the giant glass punch bowl, snickered triumphantly in her direction and laughed as they skirted away. She had rolled her eyes. They were so pathetic. Still, she had taken a ladle-full of spiked punch and sipped on it peacefully as she watched Chino standing within a group from across the gym floor. Couples and singles danced in her view, but she maintained him in her line of sight. Penny was off somewhere dancing with every scumbag that offered her their hand. She did not come to prom with a date on purpose; her goal was to dance with as many boys as possible. Nerida had laughed out loud when Penny had conveyed this to her, but she stopped when she realized Penny was being serious. Again, how pathetic.
From the middle of a throng of jocks, Nerida watched Penny skip merrily across the floor where she landed behind Chino and threw her arms around him. In shock, Chino whirled around and then broke out into a smile. He reciprocated her hug, picking her up off the floor a foot, and then released her.
"Congratulations!" Penny shouted over the obnoxious pulse of the DJ's dance music. "The band did so well! Did you see me dancing? I was right up front!"
Chino nodded. "Thank you so much Penny! You have no idea how excited I am!"
"Everybody loves you guys! You will be a rock star soon enough!"
"I'm glad you think so." Chino looked around and caught the dark stare of Nerida. He motioned her over with a jerk of his chin, his youthful goatee growing in.
Nerida pushed herself off of the wall and lethargically made her way over, making sure to avoid all of the giddy couples dancing. As she approached Chino and Penny, she gave them a cheesy grin. "You have such an impressive talent, Penny. I could seriously hear you across the room."
Penny grabbed Nerida's shoulders. "I am so excited, Rid, aren't you excited? Chino and the band did so well. I was hoping to dance with you but I couldn't find you. I was in the front."
"Well, I didn't want to ruin the boy count you already had going," Nerida remarked. She looked at Chino. "Good job, Chi."
He didn't respond. He stared at her, irritated. Finally, he looked down at Penny and said, "Hey, my bass player Brody wants to dance. Want to hit him up?"
Penny's eyes lit up. "Oh my god, he is hot."
"Go get him," Chino said, pointing behind him. Penny clapped happily and then went after Brody. When she was out of earshot, Chino turned to Nerida. "Do you want to dance or something?"
"Oo, you sound so excited," Nerida scoffed. "What a concept, my boyfriend dancing with me at our stupid high school prom."
"Can you stop being such a downer for one moment?"
"I thought that's what you liked about me."
"You didn't even watch me play tonight."
"I did. I just wasn't trying to tackle you from the front like Penny."
"The other guys' girlfriends were up there."
Nerida rolled her eyes. "Oh please, like I needed to be wedged in with all of these sweaty bodies. I could see and hear you perfectly from the wall."
Chino sighed. "It looks like we may be playing a coffee shop in the near future. The guys and I were talking about it. Brody's uncle may have a hook up."
"Is it settled then?"
"I don't know, maybe. Why?"
"Because all you have been doing tonight is hanging out with the guys. All you have been talking about lately is band shit. Frankly, I'm over it."
Chino's mouth fell agape. "Are you fucking kidding, Nerida? Didn't I support you when you needed time away from me to study for your marine biology courses? Didn't I tell you you should go to that marine mammal program after we graduate so that you can pursue what you want to do, even if it meant being apart for a while?"
Nerida crossed her arms over her chest. "Chino, I have been in competition with your band since I met you. Since we started dating. And I probably will be for the rest of my life. I gave up that program to stay with you, because I really love you."
"You really love me, huh? You don't act like it most of the time. You never want to hang out with me or the guys. You never support me when I need it –"
"Did I not just tell you I gave up my dream because of you?"
"Oh really, because I'm pretty sure you gave up your dream because your parents won't fund a 'hippie degree' as they so boldly put it in front of us at that awkward dinner they invited me to."
"You bring me here, ditch me to set up your equipment, you have been posted up with your friends all night, you haven't even asked me to dance –"
"I just did –"
"– and now this! Wow, what a fond memory of my prom I am going to have. You are such an asshole, Chino!" Nerida spat.
"Goddammit Nerida, you didn't even want to come here in the first place! I had to drag you here so that you could at least hear the band – and even then you still didn't want to come. Do you know how that makes me feel? And I don't like to dance at all, but I dressed up in this monkey suit for you, I have asked you to dance, and I am so hurt that you chose to stand in the corner over supporting your boyfriend. Even Penny, your best friend, supported me. She was in the front, right in front of me, jumping up and down, shouting my name. You have to stop being such a cynical bitch all of them time. I mean, why can't you be more like Penny?" He instantly regretted his choice of words. He threw up his hands ruefully, shaking his head. "God, Nerida, I am so sorry –"
Irately, Nerida threw the cup of punch at him and turned on her heel. "That's it," she seethed over her shoulder. "I'm done with you."
Nerida's eyes opened slowly. She was not in the auditorium any more. She could feel the silkiness of the sheets that swaddled her naked body. The lighting was dim but the smell of salt was dense about the room. She could hear the low din of the tide in the distance. Loki's arm was wrapped around her waist. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest on her back as he held her to him.
She turned over and lay on her back. Loki moved with her, his eyes opening.
"Are you okay, my love?" he whispered to her.
Staring up at the ceiling of the chamber, she nodded. "A dream."
"A dream or a memory?" he asked.
"Irrelevant," she replied softly. "But I now have the identity of the hostage I will take." She turned her head to him. "And that hostage shall die by my hand."
Loki watched her. He turned on his side and propped himself up on his elbow, exposing his well-defined chest. "Do you really love this chaos in which you speak so frequently of?"
"I find beauty in chaos. The beauty of progress. For humans, chaos brings the need for direction. They look to the strongest and wisest for it. That direction, if promising, breeds progression. Progression moves us along on the evolutionary scale. Chaos is the seed that will allow the most deserving to grow. They create dogma all of the time for guidance, Loki. You are that deity in the flesh. They will look to you when I rain chaos down upon their world. I will cleanse this realm of the weak beings unable to endure progression. The survivors will demand your direction, and you shall rule them."
"They shall need our direction," Loki remarked.
Nerida sat up on her elbows, staring into his eyes. "I have no desire to stand upon a throne in an attempt to lead the subjugated. My powers call me to cleanse. I am your general, the bringer of judgement for these humans. This is what I know; too often I have been subjected to the ignorant, heartlessness of this world. For too long I have been oppressed by what others feel is best for my existence despite me having my own relevant convictions and desires. Today, humans will come to know their crimes against their world; the selfish output of negativity that holds them back on the evolutionary scale. Today is the day Earth will cease to exist as it was."
Loki placed his hand over the pearl within her chest, feeling her actual flesh underneath his fingertips. She was warm. Abnormally warm. Nodding shallowly, he said quietly, "So sleep soundly in your beds tonight for judgment falls upon you at first light*." He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. "In due time, Nerida. In due time."
A/N:
*"The Vengeful One" - Disturbed
