Chapter 11 - Now. Enjoy!
Aria stormed down the stairs, leaping over the last four steps. Skidding across the floor in her fox printed socks, she giggled childishly to herself.
"Take your time, kiddo" Tony joked, sipping his coffee at the breakfast table.
She took her seat, thanking Pepper when she placed the bagel and eggs in front of her. Everything seemed so suburban, routined and natural. Aria felt relaxed and content, spending the last year and a half hiding out in a small English town. Tony felt restless of course, but a SHIELD headquarters nearby were happy enough to accept his expertise.
"You heading to work?" Pepper asked, sitting next to Tony.
"Yup" Aria grinned, grabbing her barista apron off the back of the chair. "Come in for a coffee later, Pepper."
She wanted to offer the same to Tony, but being a multimillionaire, playboy made him a little more noticeable. Sometimes he borrowed some gear from Natasha and went under disguise, but he spilt his midnight coffee on it the other week and it was being repaired.
"See you later, chick" Tony called as she darted out the house, earning himself a wave in return.
Plugging her headphones, Aria grinned as 'Heavydirtysoul' blared through her ears and people strolled passed unaware. She had always found listening to headphones in public thrilling, debating what music taste would be expected of each person, and hoping the piercing-clad teenager was listening to Instrumentals and the old guy who hung out in Wetherspoons was listening to the new Katy Perry album.
Arriving to work just as 'Semi-Automatic' closed off, Aria tugged the headphones off and tucked them behind the counter.
"Hey Ri" Gareth greeted, appearing from the back. "How's things?"
"Alright, thanks Gaz" she greeted, wiping the side down. Gareth tried, but he always missed those little spots tucked under the till or underneath the tip jar.
"You got close or 1?" He asked, clearly not having checked the rota recently.
"Close, i'm determined to get my own car by fall" Aria explained, taking a customer order before continuing. "Been saving all spring."
"Well, i've got a Metallica concert to waste my money on in 2 months" they both chuckled, before falling into work routine.
The radio continued to play the recent hits. Being midweek, the coffee shop was at a simplistic pace, never falling silent, but not too rowdy.
Gareth was also on close, so it was just the two of them for the whole day, which was always calmer. They could handle things well together.
"Breaking News" the radio blared during the Newsbeat segment. A couple people requested the radio be turned up and Gareth went to comply.
The shop fell silent and frozen as everyone avidly listened to the announcements.
"King Loki is to be set to visit the Greater United Kingdom within the next week to commence the gift of three African Countries to the British Empire" the announcer commented.
'Gift' Aria scoffed to herself. More like going back to Medieval times. Gifting other countries to each other like a gambling board.
"King Loki intends to spend 2 months in Greater United Kingdom, travelling to every major city to greet every citizen. The King has already done this 3 other Continents over the past two years" they continued.
He's still looking for me, Aria panicked.
"Insane isn't it?" Gareth commented, turning the radio down again when the music returned, the cafe going up in murmurs about the announcement. "Thinking someone that powerful has times for day rides around the English Countryside"
Aria smiled forcefully, knowing that the chances of her hanging around her any longer were slim. But that would draw attention. Chances are, if he was still interested in finding her or Tony, he would now track any tickets and flights out of the country after that announcement till after his arrival here. Weasel out anyone who was fleeing.
"You'd think he'd be busy, you know, ruling?" she joked, before deciding to forget about until she got home. Tony and Pepper could deal with this as the adults. She had a future to think about without stressing about the self-proclaimed 'King'.
Her 'tattoo' reflected in the coffee machine, reminding her that he had claimed her. The pitch black 'L' illuminated against her pasty, white skin. They had thought it would fade, but two years on, it was still as bold as the day it burnt into her skin.
"I'll lock up. You can owe me" Gareth told her, probably hinting at whenever this concert was, before ushering her out the door.
"Thanks" Aria agreed, grabbing her keys. "See you Friday"
Disappearing around the corner, she headed home.
"Pack everything Aria" Tony yelled, throwing another backpack atop the seven piling in her doorway.
"Tony" she called, "Tony!" Still no reply. "DAD!"
Tony's face appeared in the doorway, clearly in shock.
"Aria, we spoke about..." he trailed off, when she rolled her eyes.
"You need to calm down" she urged, taking the next bag out his hand and leading him downstairs.
"We don't have time" Tony insisted, ignoring the tea Pepper put in front of him.
Her and Aria shared a desperate glance, before sitting next to him.
"He will be monitoring the flights, every plane. If we leave, He will know" Aria pleaded for him to understand, finally watching the realisation flicker across his face.
"Dammit!" He cried, falling back in his chair. "I can't let him get to us."
"He won't" she promised, before patting the back of his hand and leaning back. "You are basically at the point of defeating him. You said so last week, that SHIELD is inches from finding a way to destroy him, or send him back"
Tony nodded, opening his eyes and staring at the table. He looked so much older like this, jagged, tired and stressed.
"If you find it before he gets here, then he will have the biggest shock of his life" Aria encouraged, Pepper nodding along.
"I should go. SHIELD have called about a hundred times. Probably want me down there" he mumbled, grabbing his keys.
"I'll drive" Pepper deciding, not trusting him in such an emotional state.
Watching them leave, Aria sat on the sofa and soon drifted to sleep.
"Aria"
Someone shaking her awake jerked her upright.
"Tony?" she mumbled, flattening her hair and stumbling off the sofa.
"We have to leave now" he urged, taking her hand and fumbling towards the door.
It was still night outside, the street lights barely illuminating anything. Taking her towards a black SUV, Aria tightened her grip on his hand in worry.
"He's arrived, Aria" Tony explained as the car roared into motion, Pepper next to him. "And SHIELD are getting us out of the country as discreetly as possibly"
Nodding, she forced herself to wake up. The journey took a while, the car swerving down country lanes and avoiding major roads and attention.
When she could just about make out the blinking red light to indicate their destination in the distance, the ground started shaking.
"What...?" Tony muttered as the van started to skid across the road.
But the road was barely there, shaking and fragmenting before their eyes. Trees tumbled into the road. The driver cursed under his breath, roaring towards the air-plane.
Suddenly, the car flipped. Rocks and lumps of asphalt flew with them as the car smashed onto the road.
Blinking through the pain, Aria saw blood drip past her vision. Looking forward, she chocked on her breath as a jagged piece of road stuck out of the drivers chest.
"Tony?" she whispered, intending her voice to come out stronger.
Aria's belt was locked, and after a lot of fighting, she braced her hands on the ceiling of the car and fell against the floor.
First thing she noticed was the door on Pepper's side was missing, as was Pepper. Then she noticed Tony was also dangling unconscious from his seat.
Falling into Agent mode, Aria unhooked his belt and lowered him less than gently on the roof the car, moving the sharpest pieces of glass out the way.
Kicking the door against, she gasped in pain, realising a piece of glass was sticking out of her thigh at an awkward angle. Tearing it out and smashed it to the ground, stumbling out the car.
She noticed Pepper a few metres away, clad in the Iron Man suit. Thank God, she thought. Removing the helmet, she noticed her head was bleeding but nothing else seemed wrong. Just unconscious like Tony then.
Becoming dizzy, Aria fell to the floor, before picking herself back up. Clearly her head wasn't great either.
Limping forward, she knew she had to get to the air-plane and call for help. Shouldn't they have noticed the road tearing itself to pieces and come found them. How does a road even do that? The UK isn't known for its freak Earthquakes.
Looking up, her breath caught and eyes widened.
Loki stood centre of the road, hands resting behind his back and eyes glowering into the night.
"Fuck" she breathed, before falling down, eyes clouding over with pain.
Hands wrapped around her spin, gripping her shoulders to their chest.
"Mine now" it sung, before the world fell away and so did her freedom.
Sorry for filler start and shorter chapter, I suffer with action-to-action writing or just dialogue. My middle ground moments, which a writer should have, never go great.
Review please, favourite and follow.
This story is getting gritty and real now. Just like a Loki fic should be.
Thanks, Tayz x