***WARNING*** - The following chapter contains mature content. It features graphic depictions of sexual acts that may be inappropriate for young readers.
Born to be a King
Chapter 24
The half-woman, half-demon looked out from her realm of darkness toward the vast expense of the universe. Once again, she had been bested by the son of the dead Jotun king and had lost sight of both items of interest.
"Clever, clever boy" whispered the Mistress of Death in her raspy, ghoulish voice. Behind her, a Hel-hound approached and delivered yet another set of unwelcome news.
"Mistress, it appears King Thor goes to join the son of Laufey"
"Why, of course he does" she growled. She twiddled her fingers over her jaw on the side of her face that was still beautiful and perfect. The alignment was in five days, and she needed to find the woman and her child before then.
"It appears the woman has been forcefully taken away from the son of Laufey" the Hel-hound interjected as if reading his mistress' thoughts.
"Betrayal is the source of opportunity" she replied "prepare our forces. We set out at the onset of the alignment"
"And Asgard, Mistress?"
"Let it feel the sting of my wrath for a while longer" she said, turning toward the Hel hound and giving a perfect view of her profile that rotted away like a corpse. A dead, bulging white eye looked at her subject while the most malevolent of sneers played on lips that were naught but scaly slabs of decaying flesh.
She watched the hound scamper away to relay the order. She envisioned the moment in which she would pull the breath of life from the two lives that would soon be hers. She would make sure that Loki looked on helplessly, watching his beloved Barbara wither away before him. And when he held her lifeless body in his arms, she would do the same to the small boy. Loki's cries of anguish would serve as an indication that his debt had been settled and the payment had been fair. The flow of time would be set right, for the son of Laufey had a predestined design that did not involve the two innocent lives who had been the result of his tampering with fate.
"A most satisfying payment" Hela whispered, looking out again towards the vastness of the universe.
The doors of the aircraft opened and out stormed a numb Barbara followed by Victor.
"Barbara, just tell me what happened!"
She placed her hand on her forehead as she realized the magnitude of what she had done. Her entire body shook, cold and clammy as the shock finally began to ebb.
"Barbara" Victor warned, taking hold of her arms and forcing her to look at him "why did you order the retreat?"
"I killed Beyard" she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"YOU DID WHAT?!" Victor was stunned. His hold on her arms was almost bone-breaking as his expression now mirrored hers. He felt shock, but deep beneath, he felt anger rising to an immediate boil.
"Barbara, do you realize what you've done?" he spoke before he even realized he had "You made him king! He now has full control over the Shadow Legions and they outnumber us ten to one! Even if we manage to retrieve the last three stones, he still has two, and he has Verdandi. Keeping the Infinity Gauntlet from him is useless now!"
"I don't know what came over me. I almost had him, Victor. I swear to you, when the old king showed up I just reacted. It was as if I lost all control and the sword flew out of my hand before I even realized what I'd done. I swear to you that's what happened, you must believe me!"
Victor stared at her, angered and almost appalled. He searched her eyes and when he saw the deep guilt and the shock beneath the tears that pooled, he knew she was telling the truth. And yet, somehow, she had acted in a way that went against her programming.
"How could I have been so stupid!" she choked out as she pulled away from his hold "I literally handed Verdandi over to him! And the look on his face when he saw what I'd done... I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!"
She balled her hands in her hair and screamed at the top of her lungs. She felt a searing rage surge in her veins at the thought that Loki was now the rightful king of all of Verdandi.
"Thank you" he had whispered to her with the proudest and most beautiful smile on his face as Beyard collapsed against the doorway. She shut her eyes at the memory of how he had leered at her and goaded her as they fought. He still made her blood boil, in more ways than one. And why had she gotten a sudden image of them sparring under the moonlight? What had THAT been all about?
With a grunt, she pushed a doombot out of the way and stormed off, stomping across the platform. She yelled out in sheer anger, and a ripple of power burst through the dome, sending bots, machinery, and Victor von Doom flying backwards. Victor's back collided with the wall, and from his fallen position he watched Barbara as she disappeared into the aircraft, yelling obscenities, raving, and attacking any who crossed her path.
"Set our course for Marr. Immediately" he ordered, then set off after her.
High in the palace of Dwyvendale, Ireena gasped when she heard the doors to her chambers open and a guard announce that the king was en route to her chambers.
"Tell the king that I am not yet ready to receive visitors" she ordered the guard with all the courage she could master.
"The king is not to be deterred" the guard informed her, then stepped to the side when Loki suddenly appeared on the doorway. He stared at Ireena as he waved the guard away, and when they were finally alone in the dimly lit chamber, he finally smiled. It was a most charming leer, meant to comfort the nervous princess, but she could see the grimace hidden beneath the upturn of his lips.
She took a few steps back when he began to approach her slowly. "Ireena" he spoke "I hope that you see my presence here not as intrusion, but as a balm for your grief"
"Milord, my grief is indeed lessened by your presence" she replied, trying to sound as calm as she could. Her hands trembled and her heart raced almost to the point of bursting out of her chest, but she graciously bowed her head in perfect compliance.
"It pleases me to hear you say that" Loki sneered, stepping even closer. She unconsciously took another step backwards, but then her back hit a column. The devilish smile on Loki's lips did not falter as he came to stand a mere two feet from her.
"I pray that my king will allow me my days of mourning before being required to continue with our upcoming nuptials" she asked cautiously.
"Why of course, princess. You may continue with mourning as you please" Loki said with mock sympathy as he reached out to touch a lock of her hair "Ireena, do you remember your promise to me?"
She felt her blood suddenly run cold. "What promise, milord?"
"Oh, have you forgotten it so soon?" Loki asked with a chuckle, then he crossed the distance between them and pressed his body against hers "allow me to remind you of it" he whispered as he placed a finger under her chin and tilted her face upwards. His gaze bore into hers before he suddenly crashed his lips with hers. His kiss was rough and demanding as his hands searched for the bindings of her dress.
"Loki... please..." she begged as she tried to pull away, but it was futile. She was pinned to the column and his hold on her was firm.
"No" she said boldly in a last attempt to break free, pushing him back. He took a step backwards and glared down at her. Ireena shook to her very core when she saw the mad look in his eyes.
"My king, forgive me, but please..."
She was silenced when his hand wrapped around her throat and she was slammed back against the column.
"Do not play coy with me, Ireena" a seething Loki snarled in her face "have you forgotten that only yesterday you were so eager for me to take you? Well, now that I'm your king you are mine to do with as I wish. And my wish tonight is to see you declare and prove your loyalty to me"
"I am my king's most faithful subject..." the princess pleaded.
"Oh no, my beautiful princess" Loki purred as he ran his knuckles over her jaw "words will not do. The blood of your maidenhead on your bed sheets is the proof that I need"
"Loki, please. We will soon be wed, and then..."
"The terms of the treaty indicated that you were to be given to me at my succession. Well, I have succeeded. And now that I am king of both Asgard and Vendandi an alliance by marriage is no longer necessary, is it? But still, you were promised to me, and I intend to claim what is mine"
She was stunned speechless. Horrified. How had she come to dread the very thing she once longed for with all her heart? This was not the Loki that Odin had spoken of. This was not the charming prince she had always dreamed of. This was a tyrant. A monster.
She let out a cry of terror when he grabbed her gown by the cleavage and tore it. The material fell at her sides and pooled at her waist, revealing the bodice beneath. With another yank, the bodice was torn off and her upper torso was now fully exposed. Instinctively, her arms went to her chest and she covered her nakedness.
"Lower your arms" Loki ordered in a voice that gave no chance for refusal.
She kept her gaze fixed on the floor as she obeyed, daring not to look at the lecherous smile that no doubt graced his features.
"Now look at me" came the next order.
Ireena let her tears finally flow freely as she complied, and she nearly broke down when she saw the predatory hunger written on his face. She gasped when his hand reached out and he brushed a nipple with his thumb before his hand traveled lower. His fingers traced the skin of her abdomen before his hand dipped into the pool of fabric at her waist. She cried out when she felt his fingers press into the juncture of her legs and she instantly took hold on his arm to stop him, then realized what she had done and looked up at Loki with pleading eyes.
"You dare deny yourself to me" he rasped. The next thing she knew, she was flung backwards and she landed in a heap on the bed. Before she could react, she was pinned down and with one swift movement, he tore the rest of her gown, and she now lay fully naked beneath him.
Her knees were roughly pulled apart, and he positioned himself between them. He laughed malevolently at her as he held her hands above her head, but then suddenly, as he caught sight of her desperate weeping, he was transported back to a day long ago...
Her quiet cries echoed through the hall as he spoke.
"My, my. Look at you, the defiant mortal, reduced to a heap of whimpering rubble at my feet. Still thinking you can challenge a god?"
He grabbed her wrists and yanked her up to her feet. He shook her, forcing her to look at him.
"Finish it" she whispered "or do you enjoy taunting before delivering the killer blow?"
"Oh, I do. Immensely. I am going to torture you, and I am going to break you, you delicate little thing. I will make you hurt, and I will make you beg. Do you not think it generous to know your fate before it is bestowed upon you, Barbara?"
The only response he received was the ragged sound of her breathing. He let go of her wrists and roughly turned her around, facing her away from him. She let out a shriek when he took hold of her hair with his left hand and yanked it back. Loki buried his nose in the crook of her neck as his right hand slid under her top.
"You smell divine, mortal" he breathed into her neck as he began exploring the soft skin of her belly "as divine as you did in that room, proving your intelligence to those foolish men. Oh yes, I was there. Little did you know that by demonstrating your knowledge you were offering yourself to me"
He cupped a full breast through her bra and began kneading as she squirmed in fear at the realization of his intent. The hand under her top began sliding downwards, and the button of her jeans burst as he dove into her lace panties. She gasped and writhed at the rough intrusion of her privacy as a long, cold finger parted her and snaked its way over her entrance.
"Fuck you" came her final act of defiance. He stilled for a second before removing his hand and then he slammed her painfully against the steel doors, covering her body with his frame.
"Oh, I intend to" he snarled as he yanked her jeans down and ripped her undergarments off her body. She heard the shuffling of leather behind her as he freed himself from his trousers and began squirming to get away.
"You will not enjoy this" Loki rasped into her ear and then thrust himself fully into her in one big stroke. She screamed out in pain and clawed at the steel doors she was pressed against as a flood of tears poured from her eyes...
"Barbara" Loki whispered at Ireena, reaching down to touch her face but seeing another's.
Just then, a sudden burst of multicolor lights flashed in from outside. Loki snapped out of his stupor when he took in the unmistakable light of the bifrost that touched down on the courtyard of the palace. He jumped from the bed and ran to the balcony, then his eyes burned with rage when the light receded back into the sky and he saw the lonesome figure standing on the courtyard, clothed in red cape and silver armor.
"Impossible" Loki breathed.
It was Thor.
Victor found Barbara inside their quarters, looking down from the glass panels at the comings and goings of bots as they prepared for the attack on Marr. She had her arms crossed and though she appeared to observing the bots at work, he knew her to be far away. If she had heard his arrival, she made no indication of acknowledging his presence until he came to stand behind her.
"It's all my fault" she whispered.
"No it's not" he replied into her hair as his hands wrapped around her "you simply reacted out of pure instinct"
"What do we do now?"
"We go on as planned. What happened today means nothing in the grand scheme of things, and there are still three gems at play"
She turned in his embrace and looked up at him. "And in the end? After Neffarim?"
"We go far away from here"
"Really?" she asked hopeful.
"When all this is over, after that Asgardian scum is dead and we destroy these wretched planets, we will have the power to make other worlds fall at our feet, Barbara. We will be invincible and all those who dare stand in our way will be nothing but specks of dust in the wind. We will rule the universe, together"
"Is that all that really matters to you?"
"No. Having unlimited power is not the most important thing to me"
"And what is?" she whispered, bringing her lips very close to his.
"Us, Barbara. You and me"
Their lips collided. Hard. She threw her arms and legs around him and let her carry her to the bed. He deposited her on it and continued to kiss her hungrily as he pulled down the zipper of her bodysuit. Her hands pulled on his cloak, throwing it off of him and making quick work of his metal armor and tunic underneath. Her hands finally reached flesh and she reveled in the feel of the pulsating, electrical energy that hummed beneath in unison with his heartbeat.
"Oh!" she gasped when she felt a miniscule surge of energy on his tongue that sent delicious shocks all through her body.
His lips left her mouth and carved a path of open-mouth kisses along her jaw, down her neck, and past the valley of her breasts. He continued to shock her with his tongue as he traveled down the wonderland of her body, eliciting gasps and small cries of pleasure. When he reached her abdomen, he pulled the bodysuit down her legs in one quick yank and threw it on the floor to join his clothing.
Barbara moaned loudly when he began to travel upwards now. His kisses were electrifying, making her entire body vibrate and hum in the most erotic of ways. His mouth and tongue were now slowly inching their way up her calf, past her knee, and were now exploring the skin of her thigh. Through her haze, she heard him mutter something about wishing to hear her scream his name. She looked down at him, but there, lodged between her thighs, she didn't see Victor von Doom...
She saw Loki.
She smiled lovingly and reached out to touch him, but then realization hit: He was the enemy. She shrank back, shrieking in terror and ready to strike.
"Barbara! What's wrong?!" Victor shook her.
At the sound of Victor's voice, she came back into her own, realizing it had only been a figment of her own fevered brain. She grabbed onto him like a frightened child, and for reasons unbeknownst to her, burst into tears. Victor simply held her tight, whispering words of comfort, but his eyes were hard with rage. He didn't need her to say what had happened, he knew.
"Victor" she sobbed "what's happening to me?"
End of Chapter 24
Responses to reviews:
Guest: Hello! Thank you so much for such a thoughtful and beautiful review, it makes me so happy to hear that you're enjoying this new story. You know, your words reminded me of someone I knew who also expressed himself beautifully as you do, and I smiled with great fondness at his memory as I also remembered some very happy times. I hope you liked this chapter and that you continue to enjoy the story! :)
Hiddles-Skittles: I'm glad you noticed that I tried to revive the same Loki from The Avengers, and that you liked the scene between Arik and Tony. There will be more scenes of Arik on Earth, and I can't wait to write them! Imagine what any of the Avengers will say about him! Lol Talk to you later, girl!
Anon fan: I hope that the scene you wanted between Loki and Ireena was exactly what you wished for! ;) Poor girl is probably traumatized for life now, thanks to Loki hahahahaha. See what you've just gone and made me do lol Holla back youngin'!
Scarlet3102: Oh yes, imagine Arik coming back all Midgardian'd Out, talking about playing Halo, watching movies, eating pizza, and wanting to be an Avenger when he grows up, and then imagine the heart attack that Loki will most definitely have when he hears his son say such blasphemy! LOL Thanks for your review, Scarlett darling! :)
LokiGrey: Don't feel bad hunny, I am always happy to lend an ear and to give any advice that you want. And about what you said, we all have experienced that. Yes, school is monotonous and at seems completely unnecessary and pointless, but one day, you will be very grateful to have finished school. You're still very young Becca, allow yourself to ease into adulthood. When I was in my early 20's I was forced to quit college full time to work a full time shift (I continued to study half time) because my mother got very sick and she was unable to work. I was forced to become an adult and take on many responsibilities, but now that I look back on retrospect, I wish that had not been my experience. It affected my professional development and it took me a lot of work to get back on track. I know that having a job and making your own money is very appealing to you now, and trust me, that time will come. But life is so much easier when you have the necessary tools and education to make enough money to survive in today's economy. The cost of life is going up every year, and even those of us who have a career are forced to look for ways to improve our situation. I'm a licensed teacher but I have to go back to school and get a higher degree just so I can make a better salary to meet my financial needs. Ask me now what my 'career goal' is and I wouldn't hesitate to say "housewife" LOL.
CLTex: Well, now that Beyard is dead, I wonder what's going to happen to Diarmaid if Loki comes back to himself? ;) They really had no idea what Loki is truly capable of and have no clue what's coming next. Thanks for your review, Christi! Love ya girlie! :)