The following morning, while Elise slept in, Julian sat down with his father for breakfast.
"Where's Kiki?" Julian asked, although he didn't miss her one bit.
Loki shrugged. "I assume that she has gone to visit with her mother and her son."
"I didn't know she had kids."
"Well, to be precise, she has had a child," Loki explained, "but she does not have him. That is, the child resides with his grandmother."
That information came as a relief to Julian; Kiki was about as unfit as a parent could possibly be.
"In any event," Loki said as he spread butter on a piece of toast, "I am not concerned. Even if she has left me once and for all, I am confident that Alexis will succeed in her role."
The mention of her name was cause for concern. Julian didn't want whatever had happened to Kiki to happen to Alexis. "Um... you just mean, like, as an employee, right?"
Loki smirked, and a condescending laugh escaped his chest. "Perhaps. Why do you ask?"
"I, um... I don't know." Julian's face felt hot; he must have been blushing. "I was just wondering because... uh..."
"I understand," Loki said. "You need not say more. However, may I offer you a word of advice?"
"Mm-hm," Julian grunted as he knocked back half a glass of orange juice in an attempt to cool himself off.
"It would be unwise to become too attached to a girl like her," Loki advised. "Alexis is no different than the others. They are transient, unreliable, and worst of all, vapid."
Julian wasn't prepared to accept that. "I think that's sort of a big generalization."
"Is that so?" Loki replied facetiously. "I apologize. I should have known better than to mistrust your many years of experience and your vast understanding of the female mind."
"Sorry," said Julian. "I guess I just don't think you can judge a book by its cover, you know?"
"Are you truly that naïve?" His father laughed loudly. "That book, my son, is wide open. Countless men are already intimately familiar with its contents. You need not read a single word to know what lies between those covers."
"Ew!" Julian cringed. "God, Dad! Why'd you have to put it like that?"
At what was perhaps the most inopportune moment, Julian's mother, still clad in her prison uniform, wandered into the kitchen.
"I am merely telling you what I know to be true," Loki said, ignoring Elise and proceeding to speak about her as if she weren't there. "Find a good, loyal woman instead. One who will never leave you. Someone like your mother."
Elise winced. "Should I even ask?"
"It would seem that our son is smitten with Alexis," Loki said. "I advised him against it, but he remains unconvinced."
"Oh, god," Elise sighed.
"Can we change the subject?" Julian groaned, humiliated. "It's really not a big deal."
"As much as I hate to admit it, your father's right," said Elise. "That's... not appropriate for someone your age. Or anyone."
"Even for those of us who have lived for centuries?" Loki teased.
Elise shot him a dirty look, but said nothing.
At the height of the uncomfortable pause that ensued, the front door's hinges groaned, and Julian stretched his neck to look out of the kitchen and into the living room. Alexis entered without knocking, her heavy handbag settled in the crook of her elbow. Neither Loki nor Elise greeted her, so Julian did.
"Hey," he said, raising his hand in a slight wave.
"Oh, hey guys," Alexis called as she approached the kitchen. "What's up?"
"We were just finishing our breakfast," Loki replied. "Did all go as planned last night?"
"Yeah," Alexis said with a smile and a nod. She stepped quickly to the table and opened her purse to reveal that it was stuffed with bills of various denominations, some bundled neatly in rubber bands and others loose and singular. "I have to make some deliveries today."
"To whom?" Loki asked.
"First, Cameron," Alexis answered. "He needs a kilo. Then Joss, she just needs 100 grams. Oh, and Robbie wants to talk to you."
"Robbie Baccari?" Loki cringed. "What could he possibly want from me?"
Alexis shrugged. "He said you'd know what it was about."
"Very well," Loki sighed. "Now, then-"
"Hold on," Elise interrupted. "What's going on here? Are you talking about drugs?"
"How very perceptive you are," Loki snarked. "That is precisely what we were discussing."
"You… just… unbelievable," Elise stammered. "Why? How?"
"How?" Loki laughed. "Elise, you know well the extent of my power. With a bit of imagination, anything is possible."
"But… if you can do that, you could cure disease," Elise reasoned. "You could legitimize this."
"And why would I want to do that?"
"Have you seen the sentencing guidelines? What if our son was implicated? Don't you care?"
"Neither he nor I have anything to fear," Loki responded, clearly annoyed. "Besides that, there will always be disease for your kind. You are a sickly, weak people. To prolong your miserable lives would be a waste."
Julian took some offense at that – he was, after all, his mother's son – but he bit his tongue.
"I just don't feel good about it," Elise fretted. "I just..." Failing to find her words, she emitted a noise that was half-sigh and half growl.
"Do not question the wisdom of my decisions," Loki scolded as he pushed his chair back and got to his feet. "Come, Alexis. We have errands to run." He began toward the front door, but before he left the kitchen, he turned and said, "Julian, perhaps you should join us."
"Me? Why?" Julian asked, apprehensive.
Loki frowned and furrowed his brow. "I am through with answering questions. Come."
Julian followed Loki and Alexis out the door, turning back to glance at his worrying mother only briefly. She waved helplessly, but she had stopped protesting. Julian knew her well enough to understand that something was wrong with her; acquiescence wasn't in her nature.
Alexis took the front passenger's seat of Loki's SUV, and Julian took the back seat. They had barely left the driveway when Alexis posed a question.
"So, are you gonna take Julian to the, um, the scholarship thing next week?"
"I am afraid that will not be possible," Loki replied firmly.
"Oh, come on, why not?" Alexis pushed, flashing a smile. "You're gonna pass up a chance to meet Bruce Banner? The Hulk?"
Loki diverted his gaze from the road for a moment to roll his eyes. "Banner and I have met. You know this."
"Well, but I mean, Julian hasn't met him before," Alexis said. "And besides, he's gotta go if he wants the scholarship."
"No," said Loki, gripping the steering wheel hard. "I refuse to subject myself to the displeasure of Banner's presence."
"Alexis, it's fine," said Julian. "If he doesn't wanna go, we won't go. It's not a big deal, it's-"
"I'll take him," she volunteered quickly. "Like, I know you're super busy, so…"
Julian thought he could hear Loki's teeth grinding together. He couldn't see much from his position at the rear of the vehicle, but he could sense his father's stress.
"If you must, then very well," Loki finally conceded, "if only to keep you from pestering me about this again."
"Really? Thank you!" Alexis seemed to be overflowing with cheer. "And, like, it'd be good to have someone with a science degree, you know, in case you ever need-"
"Stop that," Loki interrupted, "before I change my mind."
"Sorry, sorry," said Alexis. "I'm just excited!"
Julian was glad that Alexis seemed so sincerely interested in his advancement, though he didn't understand why, and he was excited at the idea of spending some time with her alone, beyond the reach of his parents' disapproval. He suppressed his enthusiasm to avoid inviting derision, but he was quietly thrilled.
"Anyway," Julian said, "where are we going?"
"We shall meet with Baccari first," said Loki.
"Should I call him and let him know we're on the way?" Alexis asked.
"No," Loki answered. "I suspect he is already waiting for me."
"What do you mean?" said Alexis. "Is something wrong?"
"That depends entirely on him," said Loki. "He cannot be trusted, I am sure of that. What I cannot be sure of is whether he is foolish enough to attempt something… bold."
Increasingly uncomfortable, Julian slouched in the back seat and sighed deeply.
"What is it?" Loki asked. "Are you afraid?"
Julian shrugged. "I don't know, maybe a little bit."
"This man is not worthy of your fear," his father said. "Be calm, and do as I say."
"But what's this guy's story?" Julian asked. "I guess I just don't understand what we're doing. I mean, it doesn't seem like you think much of him."
"I do not," Loki replied. "Robbie Baccari is an associate of mine, but our arrangement is one of convenience. I provide him with his supply, and he provides me with access to his army."
"His army?" Alexis echoed. "Aren't they more like a gang?"
"Perhaps," said Loki, "but they are well-armed and substantial in their numbers. Moreover, they are capable of following orders."
Julian wasn't satisfied with the depth of the answer to his question. "You don't think anything's gonna happen when we get there, do you?"
"Well, I am sure that something will happen," Loki chucked. "Baccari has been a thorn in my side for quite some time. He seems to be under the impression that he is in control. If this meeting is what I suspect it is, then… well, I had planned to dispose of him at one time or another regardless of his aspirations."
It suddenly dawned on Julian that this "errand" was something even more sinister than he had anticipated. "Wow, uh… you mean you're… you're gonna kill him?"
"Again," said Loki, "that depends entirely on how he chooses to conduct himself."
It wasn't long before the view outside the car's windows became an urban landscape, increasingly dilapidated as they neared the city's center. Before they reached that point, Loki pulled over in front of a house that seemed to stand alone among the others, most of which were boarded-up and vandalized. Julian had never seen a neighborhood so joyless.
Before opening the door to exit the vehicle, Loki turned to Alexis. "Wait here," he instructed.
"Do you want me to do anything?" Alexis asked.
"Should you encounter any trouble, you will find a weapon beneath your seat," Loki replied calmly. "Otherwise, do not draw attention to yourself."
Julian became acutely aware that they had been driving with a presumably unregistered firearm in the vehicle the entire time. He was sure that his father had completely lost his mind and hoped that he too would remain in the car, but he knew that that wasn't in the cards.
"Son," Loki said, twisting around to address him, "shall we?"
At his father's side, Julian approached the door, kicking up dust and paint chips as he ascended the porch steps. Loki knocked four times, and someone inside the house could be heard shuffling toward its entrance.
The man who answered was husky and rough-looking, with a cross tattooed on the side of his neck and the hems of his pant legs crumpled over the tops of his brand-new sneakers. His dark facial hair was trimmed into a thin band along his chin and jaw, and his eyelids drooped to obscure is bloodshot eyes.
"Who's that?" the man muttered.
Loki smirked. "Good to see you too, Robbie. Are you going to invite us in or are you going to keep us standing here on your doorstep?"
Without warning, Baccari became agitated. "I wanna know who the fuck I'm lookin' at before I bring him into my house. You weren't supposed to bring no kid over here!"
"This is my 'kid,'" Loki growled, "and you are in no position to demand an explanation from me. Now, move."
"Whatever," Baccari replied, throwing up his hands and stepping out of the way.
They followed him into the living room, where he plopped himself down on a worn, plush sofa. The puffy cushions compressed under his weight, positioning him in a severe slouch. Loki didn't sit down; instead, he began pacing slowly, his eyes scanning the walls and furniture around him. Julian stood still, watching the two of them and waiting for something – anything – to happen. Baccari seemed not to want to speak first, so once Loki was ready to do so, he opened the dialogue.
"Why did you call me here?" he asked, his voice low.
"Y'know, honestly," Baccari said, rubbing the scruff on his chin, "I think we gotta have a talk about respect."
Loki chuckled. "Respect?" he repeated. "Are you implying that I have not shown you respect?"
"That's what I'm sayin'," Baccari confirmed. "I made you my exclusive supplier, you got my soldiers watchin' your back, and I ain't getting' nothin' outta this."
"Nothing?" Loki narrowed his eyes and took a step toward Baccari. "I have given you everything you have asked for."
"That ain't what I want now." He sat up and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together. "I know you been holdin' out on me. I know you been supplying to other sets, and I heard you were tryin' to start up somethin' yourself."
Loki just shrugged. "And what, exactly, is the problem?"
Just as he finished the question, three men, their faces obscured with bandanas, emerged from their hiding places in other rooms. Each one held a small, automatic weapon, and each took aim at Loki.
"We're takin' you out, and then we're takin' over," Baccari explained. "I had enough of your bullshit."
Loki raised his hands slightly as if surrendering, but then laughed. "Son," he said, turning slightly to acknowledge Julian, "you may wish to close your eyes."
In a panic, Julian dashed to a far corner of the room, but in doing so, he quickly realized, he had made himself an easy target. However, it seemed that the members of Baccari's gang were uninterested in him; they opened fire on Loki, but when the smoke, dust, and debris settled, Loki was nowhere to be found.
"The fuck just happened?" one of the men exclaimed.
"I dunno, man," said another. "He just-"
Before the second shooter could finish his thought, Loki reappeared directly behind him, seized him by the back of his head, and tossed him like a stuffed animal into Robbie Baccari's television.
"Fuckin' shoot him!" Baccari shouted as he leapt from the couch, but he made the order in vain. As one of the remaining assailants fumbled to reload his firearm, Loki grabbed the other by the throat, lifting him from the ground with one hand.
"You stupid creature," he hissed as he squeezed the man's windpipe. "How dare you threaten me? How dare you-"
The last gunman fired again, striking Loki in the shoulder and causing him to lose his grip on his victim, who fell to the ground, wheezing and gasping for breath. Though he flinched, Loki seemed to be unharmed, and he quickly turned his attention to the man who had shot him.
Julian felt a familiar prickling in his fingers and toes. He willed himself not to lose control, not to become an accomplice to this carnage, but he knew that if it wasn't over quickly, he would be powerless to stop himself.
But Loki did not bring the fight to a quick end; instead, he took his time tormenting the final gunman. Julian looked on in horror as his father broke the man's fingers, bending them backward until they snapped, and then doing the same to the man's wrists. The assailant fell to his knees, his disfigured forearm still encircled in Loki's hand.
"You brought this suffering on yourself." Loki's tone was threatening, but there was something playful in his voice, as if this was not an entirely unwelcome task. "If you wish to use these hands against me, to brandish a weapon, then you shall not have use of them again."
"Please," the gunman panted. "Don't-"
Expressionless, Loki twisted the man's upper arm, and as he did, the awful sounds of popping, tearing, and cracking could be heard. The victim screamed, but Loki seemed not to take notice. Once he finally let go, the gunman collapsed on the floor in a heap, and Loki delivered a swift kick to his lower back before advancing on Robbie Baccari, who was now cowering behind the sofa.
"I'm sorry, man, I'm sorry," Baccari pleaded, scrambling to his feet. "You don't gotta do this!"
"Oh, but I do," said Loki, pulling him in by the collar of his shirt. "You have relied on me, but I have no need for you."
Baccari's desperate pleading began to grate at Julian's ears. He didn't want to feel as angry as he did, but as he knelt, writhing in the corner as the pain and delirium of his transformation set in, he hated Baccari. He hated him for attempting to assassinate his father, and he hated him even more for being the impetus for the terrible change that was now taking place. Once again, Julian became frantic in his rage; he slammed his fists down on the wooden flooring, splintering it, and screamed. He lifted his head and faced Loki and Baccari.
"Has this mortal angered you, my son?" Loki asked, his arm looped around Baccari's neck to prevent his escape. "Do something. Strike him."
At that moment, there was nothing Julian wanted to do more than that. He got to his feet, his muscles aching, and stepped toward them. He examined Robbie Baccari's face, searching for something that could inspire mercy in him. Finding nothing, he snapped, and his fist landed against Baccari's cheek.
Loki let go, and Baccari fell to the floor with the others, unconscious, one side of his face caved-in and already beginning to swell. Still, it wasn't enough. Julian wanted more, and he couldn't restrain himself. He fell on top of Baccari and kept swinging, drunk with fury and consumed with the satisfaction of feeling a man's skull collapse beneath his knuckles.
It wasn't until the pain in his bones began to subside that the humanity in him resurfaced. He paused to see what he had just done, but through the blurred lenses of his eyes, he could see nothing but a red mess. He raised his hands to eye-level and unfurled his fingers; they shined with blood, and seeing this, he began to tremble.
"What… what did I just do?" Julian panted, unable to stand or lower his trembling arms. He felt better, no longer struggling against impulse, but as he became himself again, he felt ill in a more ordinary way. His stomach soured, and he felt weak.
Loki turned away to address the two assailants who were still conscious, but gravely injured. "You take orders directly from me now," he announced. "Is that understood?"
One nodded dumbly; the other seemed too preoccupied with the breaks in his arm to reply.
"Good," Loki said. "Inform the others. Tell them what happened here today."
Without delay, the man dashed toward the rear of the house and out the back door, slamming it shut behind him. His accomplices remained, but Loki paid them no mind.
"You see? There was nothing to fear," Loki said.
"Nothing to fear?" Julian shouted through the lump forming in his throat. "Dad, I just killed somebody!"
"Yes, I know," Loki replied nonchalantly. "You should wash your hands."
"But… but… what now?" Julian stammered. "I can't… what should I do?"
"Well, as I said, wash your hands first," said Loki. "Baccari's neighbors should already be sufficiently intimidated, but, in the interest of caution, I will task some of the more competent among my staff with ensuring their silence. Beyond that, however, we are through here."
Julian shook his head slowly, and his heart beat hard in his chest. "I just… I don't know how you can be so… relaxed about this. It's horrible…"
"It is quite difficult the first time," Loki said. "It only becomes easier after that." He took a step closer to Julian and the body and used the toe of his shoe to tip Baccari's head over onto its other side. "That must have hurt," he remarked casually. "It is exciting to have power over life and death, is it not?"
Julian stared numbly at his father's face. Loki was wrong. Julian hadn't felt power in that moment, only a lack of self-control, an overwhelming sense of helplessness. In his right mind, he never would have killed Robbie Baccari, no matter how much he hated him. Something was wrong with him, and something was even more wrong with his father.
He needed help.
