Hello everyone! I have not one but two chapters for you (mainly because this one is a wee bit shorter). Thanks for the reviews!
RandomW - Ah yes I debated keeping Alex around a little longer but I decided to be mean and bump him off (the power of being the author! Mwah hah hah!).
fastreader12 - yup things are starting to get a bit hairy!
thephoenixandthedragon4ever - is Loki unchanged? Hmmm... I'd say something further, but as River Song says "spoilers".
Enjoy.
Nell Bennet looked at the time on her mobile phone, 12:42AM. She'd been standing on the steps on Alex's building now for several minutes, unable to work up the courage to go inside.
Unable to reach Alex on his phone and unable to sleep, Nell finally resolved to go and see him, hoping he was home.
"Just go in and talk to him you coward" she scolded herself, "he deserves an explanation".
Her finger hovered over the buzzer for his flat for another minute before she finally took a deep breath and pressed it firmly.
After a second the intercom crackled to life but there was silence at the other end. "Alex?" Nell said tentatively, "it's me. Can we talk?"
Almost instantly the door buzzed open and Nell sighed with relief, at least he would hear her out.
Nell climbed the stairs and walked down the silent corridor to Alex's flat. She was about to knock when she realised the door was ajar. With a frown she pushed it open; subconsciously she patted the hip pocket that she kept her stiletto blade in.
"Alex?" Nell stepped into the living room and looked around. Nothing seemed to be out of order, but something didn't feel quite right.
Nell felt something crack underneath her foot and looked down, there was a broken coffee cup handle lying on the floor – how had she not seen it? The hair on the back of Nell's neck stood up as though she could sense an unseen danger. "Alex? Are you here? Are you ok?" she walked around the room cautiously.
Suddenly, Nell caught a shadow of movement in her peripheral vision; there was someone in the room. She spun around with her body tensed, but her shoulders sagged and she let out a relived sigh when she saw it was Alex. He was leaning in the front doorway with his arms folded.
"How did you sneak up on me like that?" she said with a wan smile.
Nell studied his face. No red eyes, so he hadn't been crying. In fact he didn't look upset at all, he looked amused. But it was not a pleasant look of amusement. His eyes were cold, and he had an odd smirk on his face.
"Talk" he said, as though he were giving her a command.
"What?"
"You said you came here to talk" Alex replied, "so talk".
"Right" Nell said clasping her hands; she had practiced the speech on the way over to his place.
"Alex, you're great. You are brilliant. And I care about you a lot, I truly do. You're my dearest friend and I love you. I know it's not in the way you'd like me to love you and I'm sorry, I truly am. But please understand that your friendship means so much to me".
Alex took a few steps towards her with the odd smirk still on his face "is that it? I think you missed the line about how one day I'll meet someone that deserves me so much more than you do".
Nell instinctively took a step back "well yes of course that's true".
"Indeed" Alex said with a menacing smile, "look at you. So tiny and insignificant, so fragile and fleeting. You're no more than a mayfly. An insect that I could crush in a second if I chose to".
Nell frowned "Alex have you been drinking? You don't seem yourself".
"I'm more myself than I have been in months" Alex replied cryptically, "are you being yourself Eleanor?"
"What do you mean?" Nell asked nervously.
"I'm a bad person" Alex mimicked her mockingly; "I've done things that you don't know about. Bad things. I've lied to you".
Nell felt her cheeks grow hot.
"Tell me" Alex continued, "what have you lied about? What weighs so heavily on your conscience?"
Nell stared at the ground and said nothing.
"Perhaps your friendship was a lie?" Alex volunteered.
"No, that isn't true" Nell replied still staring at the ground.
"No?" Alex sneered, "I disagree. All your familiarity, all your sentiment, it was a fabrication. You let a man fall in love with you even though you knew you felt nothing in return, and never could".
"No I do care for you Alex! I-" Nell looked at him sadly, "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to hurt you".
Alex smiled strangely again "well if it's any consolation, he's beyond the reach of pain now".
"Who is?" Nell's hand reached for her hip pocket.
"Alex" was the reply, "unfortunately I must inform you that he is dead, and I wouldn't reach for that knife if I were you" he added.
"OK look" Nell said blinking back tears, "if you're trying to tell me our friendship it's over, fair enough. I deserve that. But don't say such silly things."
The young man gave a menacing laugh and clapped his hands sarcastically "Bravo, I'm impressed. You know I thought I was a good liar, but you- you have been masterful. How long are you going to keep this up?"
Nell gave him a bewildered tearful look "Alex-".
"I am NOT Alex!" he snapped, "and what's more, you know that! You know damn well who I am!"
He took another slow, menacing step towards her. "Say it" he hissed, "say my name".
Nell was silent.
"SAY IT!"
Nell gave a little start as he screamed at her. She pinched her brow and then with a sigh she brushed her false tears away and looked at him stonily.
"Loki" she said tersely, "your name is Loki".
