AN: This is probably the last chapter that I'll upload at the moment. I might get around to uploading more later this week, so look for more soon! If I made any spelling or grammar errors, please tell me. And that's all I have to say, so... Enjoy!
I still don't own anything.
Song: The Thunder Rolls, Garth Brooks
Lyrics:
And the lightnin' flashes in her eyes
And he knows that she knows
And the thunder rolls
And the thunder rolls
She runs back down the hallway
To the bedroom door
She reaches for the pistol
Kept in the dresser drawer
Tells the lady in the mirror
He won't do this again
Cause tonight will be the last time
She'll wonder where he's been
She had narrowly avoided the bumbling idiot at work today and was making a quick dinner as she got ready. 'Got ready for what?' you ask? Why she got ready for a walk through a nearby park.
Rayne had gotten used to making enough food for two people at dinner. It had simply become a habit. And, in an attempt to make Loki stop harassing her and tempting her to join his cause, she decided that she should provide a change of scenery, as a sort of treat. Besides, the park was a much nicer place to talk than her messy little apartment.
After a quiet dinner, the only conversation being the usual "Hello, how are you?"s, Rayne led Loki out to the park, relishing the fresh, tree-scented air. They talked about the idiots she dealt with at work, and Rayne somehow got him to open up about Thor and his childhood.
"Thor was loved and admired by many for his strength and bravery, but most people didn't see the humor in my tricks, and generally looked down on my use of magic instead of more traditional weapons. Asgardians in general value strength over cleverness and careful planning. Magic was viewed as something for cowards and women, with few exceptions. It was quite infuriating." Loki was saying, relieving years of frustration, but something else had gotten Rayne's attention at the moment. She saw a shadow of a figure in the trees near the pair, but acted as if there was nothing there, continuing the conversation, not wanting to alert Loki until she was sure there was real danger.
But the figure soon stepped out of the trees, and Rayne recognized James, his face contorted by rage, his gun held at the ready. Normally, she wouldn't have worried about a gun being pointed at either one of them, but she knew something that concerned her. James had recently started working on a new hobby that he was fairly decent at: making his own ammo. He was overly fond of the exploding variety, and she wasn't sure how well she (or Loki, though she wouldn't admit that she cared) would hold up to a close range explosion. She didn't have much time to contemplate the situation, though, as James aimed his pistol at Loki and squeezed the trigger.
Rayne's body reacted before her mind could, and she moved in the way of the bullet and the blast, squeaking out a quick (and slightly high-pitched) "No!" She threw her arms out in front of her, palms facing away from her, as the bullet exploded. Judging by the size, she knew she couldn't absorb all of its energy, but she tried. As more of the energy melted into her body, she dropped to one knee, then both, beads of sweat slowly rolling down her face. She let out a short yell of pain as she neared her energy limit. She looked over her shoulder just long enough to order Loki to run, leave. She reached and exceeded her limit and her body began to shut down. In a last-ditch effort to remain awake and conscious, she shot a beam of pure energy in a random direction, but that didn't work. Rayne collapsed in the dirt as the explosion dissipated.