9

Loki flicked the hair from his eyes and straightened up.
"Come on, Paton. Try, I mean really try."
I exhaled sharply through my nose and reached for another plate before flinging it across the living room at him.
He quickly shifted his weight and thrust the sceptre forward, the plate dissolved in thin air with a screech.
I'd had enough, I grabbed six or seven of them off the rack and began hurling them in quick succession, aiming for his face every time. All he had to do was wave that sceptre around a couple of times and all my effort was in vain.
"Keep it coming, I'm not tired yet."
"But I am!" I argued, leaning onto the island. "I'm bloody seeing spots where my fingers should be."
I stared at my hands in a daze for a while.
Loki rested the sceptre on the island and pulled up his stool to sit down.
"You've terrible aim."
"No need for thanks, mate," I panted, giving him a thumbs up. "Why can't you ask the Chitauri?"
"They're busy."

And I might have been too, if I still had a job. I hadn't heard from Mr Delacroix in days. Even my private deliveries around Riverside were on hold.

"So this is how I'm to spend my mornings now, is it?"
"Not keeping you from anything important, am I?" He smirked at me.
"Oh, shush."
"Now that we're practically living off my magic and not your wages, you really ought to show me a little more respect."
"I'll show you-" I made a grab for a plate but I felt my entire body being jerked through space and then blinding light hot upon my skin. Somehow I was on the roof. You learn to stop asking questions after a point.

"Oh, so you put me in time out, is that right?" I asked, scrambling over to the edge, looking for him. "Negative reinforcement will get you nowhere."
I watched him come out into the back yard, keeping a safe distance from the spaceship. He had been doing this an awful lot, of late - practicing his magic in the yard. Sometimes I'd watch him the window, conjuring small animals into the clearing and vanishing them just as quickly. Sometimes he would himself would vanish entirely, or duplicate himself a hundred times. For now I watched him from the room as he paced around.
"What are you doing," I asked finally.
"Thinking."
"About that army of yours?"
"It isn't mine yet," came the testy response.
"Have the Chitauri even been out in the past twenty-four hours?"
"I question not their methods and they extend me the same kindness."
That shut me up momentarily.
"Could you conjure me a burger or something? I'm starving."
Loki looked up at me, visibly perplexed. He returned to his pacing.
I heard the rustle of a paper bag in the wind next to me - there was take-out from a fast food joint. I don't think I'd ever get enough of this free food deal!
I bit into the burger, wincing at the extra onions. He'd probably done that on purpose.

Loki suddenly turned to the house as if he'd heard something.
"Telephone," he said looking up at me.
I was as surprised as he was. I found myself in the living room.
"The police, do you think?" I asked.
He simply shrugged, waiting by the door, with the sceptre in his hand, shrunk down considerably.
I picked up the receiver, "Hello?"
"Paton, that you?"
It was a male voice I thought I recognized.
"Paton, it's Oliver."
"Oliver!" I clutched the receiver. I hadn't seen him in a long time. He usually took the night deliveries after me and even worked Frostborough so I wouldn't have to.
"Where have you been?"
"I haven't been getting any calls, Olly. I thought there was a standstill. With the oil-spill and all?"
"Yeah, yeah, that," he said slowly. "There was. We even had a few outages in the warehouse. Work's backed up by two days."
"What's the problem?"
"Can't say yet. Grid distribution problems maybe. Anyway, we need you to come in today."
"And Delacroix?"
"He wants ever man and woman out, now."
"I'm on my way," I said gingerly.

Loki was not overly pleased by this, but he promised to keep the house in working order while I was out.
"It's just a few quick deliveries," I said slipping into my shoes and jacket. "I'll get paid up front."
"Marvelous."
"Hey," I said, halfway out the door. "I'm getting my pay. We should celebrate."


It felt surprisingly good to be on a job again, to be of some use. You were useful to Loki. I drove down to my final delivery in South Dutton. The roads were quieter in this part of town and the houses were much bigger. As I cruised along the need lanes it struck me that I had been here before. 29 Palace Street. I had been here before. The night I found him near the game-reserve.

The house was as darkened and foreboding as I remembered it. I looked at the parcel on the seat next to me. Simple brown packaging, coarse rope and a printed address. It was much lighter than the last parcel I had delivered. A feather in comparison. I slid out of my truck and walked up to the tall gates. The camera zoomed in on me and I swallowed.

"What's your business," a husky female voice asked.
"Riverside deliveries."
There was a click and the gates opened admitting me along the neatly paved path to the front door. I rang the doorbell and much like last time everything happened very quickly. I got a better look at the woman's face, if nothing else. She was beautiful, smooth-skinned with large eyes and full lips and dark red hair. There were more people this time, I was sure of it. I could hear them talking inside. It all came in disjointed scraps:

"Pretty unstable as far as I'm concerned."
"Put a pot of brew on would you?"
"Never seen a cube quite like it."
"Tasha are you done?"
"Heading out for a drink, you guys want anything?"

I thought nothing of it as I made my way to the truck, happy to have made my final delivery. Delacroix had paid me in full that morning and the envelope was heavy with notes in my pocket. I was happy that he trusted me that much. I drove back into the denser part of South Dutton. I passed a car where a cop was writing a ticket and realized I hadn't strapped on my seatbelt. I was at a long red light, placing the clipboard onto the seat and buckling down when it hit me.

"Never seen a cube quite like it."

I must've broken at least ten traffic rules as I raced home, going well over 100 on the Riverside roads. I left the car in the dive, engine running, doors open and burst into my living room. Loki spun around in surprise to find me panting and rasping. He waited a moment for me to catch my breath.
"I know where it is," I breathed.
"Where what is?"
"The hypercube. I know where it is."