p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Moriarty was waiting for me. I don't know how he knew when I was arriving. I liked the idea of him spending his time idly waiting for me just so it seemed like he knew the exact moment of my arrival. Yes, I was going to believe that./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Let's get this over with" I said under my breath./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"After my conversation with Stark, I had barely held it together, and so I had forgotten to cast a spell near Jörmungandr for my alibi. Well, it could be worse. I could do that later./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Do you have what I need?" Jim asked without rising from his seat./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I wouldn't be here if it weren't the case, dear. You know I like to keep the pleasure of your company to the minimum."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Sure you do." The singsong tone of his voice made my alert levels spike./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Is Amora here?" It was an innocent enough question, but we both knew it wasn't./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I hid my hands behind my back so he wouldn't see my fingers moving for a spell. I quickly checked my surroundings. I didn't detect any magic. Strangely, it only made me worry more./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"This was starting to seem more and more like a trap./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Nope" Jim said with a smile. It wasn't a pleasant smile./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""A pity. I wanted to say hi." I shrugged. Then I raised my hands to retrieve the elements for the portal./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Not so fast, Loki. Where are your manners?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Not really fond of those when they're not needed."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Don't be like that. Come have tea or something. There's time." Moriarty winked. "I'm ahead of schedule."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"emI'm the schedule,/em I reminded myself. I just wanted to finish this and go home. emHome/em. What a strange word. It changed so much lately. But it usually was a person rather than a place./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Wouldn't you rather end this and go bother another Realm?" I complained in a light-hearted tone I didn't feel./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Don't be such a killjoy. You'll be back with our beloved Sherlock soon enough. Now, sit down." That last sentence was a veiled command, and I really wanted this to go as smoothly as possible. If it was a trap, though, which it probably was, given it was Moriarty, I would be going directly towards it./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I chose to go along and sat down./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I don't see any tea" I commented, raising an eyebrow./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Jim pouted childishly./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'm sure you can produce some with your magical hand waving" he commented dismissively./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"With a sigh and a lazy wave of my fingers, some beautiful and elaborate cups appeared, along with a matching kettle and some pastries. If it was going to take some cheap tricks of magic to appease him, then so be it. Jim had always been really interested in magic, but I would have to careful in case his envy surpassed his admiration./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Wonderful." There was a gleam in his eyes, an echo of madness, of veiled joy and sadistic satisfaction that frankly scared me a little. Not that I would admit it out loud. Ever. I still had a role to play, and fearful god is not it./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You have your tea, now I'll give you the objects and you can call Amora to come running like a puppy to do your bid. My part is over."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I almost, emalmost/em believed he would let me off that easy./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Of course he didn't./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Come on, Loki" he started, leaning forward until he was on the edge of the seat, elbows on his knees. "Don't you want to be part of it? Part of the emfun/em?" The way he said that last word sent a shiver down my spine./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Sorry, I already have things to do. Important meetings with important people. Prince of Asgard, a god, you know how it is." I moved my hand dismissively, as if it were not of consequence./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I thought you were banished." His eyes widened in realisation. "Oh my, Loki, what are emyou/em planning? Have you come back to your senses, to the wonderfully spiteful creature I once had fun with?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I actually wasn't planning anything, for once. But if it kept him talking instead of acting, then I could make up a plan right now. Or maybe stalling was such a monumental bad idea. It gave Jim time to prepare whatever trap this was./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I just need Thor's help. It's not a big deal. You know how the oaf is. He can't help coming to my aide." Short version of a plan. Good. Not too many details but enough to keep his attention. "But enough about me. What's the next step?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I thought you had important meetings with people far more important than me?" Jim's tone seemed genuinely hurt. He was probably just mocking me./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I do, but that doesn't mean I'm not curious."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'll tell you if you stay" he murmured, placing a hand on the side of his mouth, as if telling me a secret. He talked so quietly I almost couldn't hear him./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I shrugged in indifference./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I guess I'll have to wait until it happens to know. A pity."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I got up. None of us had touched either the tea or the biscuits. I retrieved the objects from where they were stored, in a pocket universe, and placed them on the table./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""My part of the deal is over, then. Have emfun/em, Jim" I declared, smiling at him./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I turned to leave, relief on the edge of flooding me. Just a couple of seconds more…/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Actually" Moriarty started. emFuck/em. "Your part is not over yet."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I looked at him and he made a grimace./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What I meant before is, you'll stay and I'll tell you. My bad."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Must you tell me?" I said that with as much boredom and condescendence as I could muster./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Of course. If no one knows my plan and tries to stop me, what's the point of it?" Jim asked./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You seriously think I'm going to try and stop you? This benefits me as well."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You'll try. And fail. For Sherlock. You, the God of Mischief and Trickery, have become predictable. Love has made you a fool if you think you can succeed."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Predictable? Me? emPredictable/em? That was flat out insulting. Even if I knew he was only provoking me, I felt outraged. I didn't win the title of God of Mischief and Trickery emand/em Fire by being empredictable/em./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I just rolled my eyes. If I answered I would be letting him take control./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Just tell me your plan and let me go. I'm bored here." I knew he would take as much offence with that last sentence as I did with his./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Okay, okay." He smiled excitedly, showing all his teeth. "So, open the portal, travel to another Realm. I'm thinking Alfheim. What do you think?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You've thought this through. It doesn't matter what I think."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You're right, of course. I was merely being polite." Another smile. "So, we're there and— Wait, no, I can't tell you that. You might interfere. Sorry, no evil plan for you." Moriarty looked at me apologetically, but there wasn't a single shred of the emotion behind his eyes./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I arched an eyebrow and got up again. "Then we're done. The best of luck, Jim."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I got to the door before he spoke again./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I've recently purchased a military submarine. State-of-the-art, top notch tech, heat sensors, a radar enhanced with magic and emfor/em magic."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I didn't like the way this was heading, but I couldn't see exactly what he meant./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Congratulations." I flashed my most fake smile for a moment. "Your point being?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""It would be a shame if something happened to, what's his name? Oh, Jörmungandr, yes." That enticed a reaction whether I liked it or not, which I absolutely didn't. "How's it doing? Or is it he? She?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You can't harm him" I hissed./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Are you really going to risk that? Military submarine. Pretty big missiles." He illustrated it with his hands as he spoke./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Is this your way of asking me to kill you?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""On the contrary. You can't kill me. See, if you do, your dear Jörmungandr is… poof." Moriarty made explosion noises as he imitated said explosion with his hands. "Gone." He paused for a moment. "And Sherlock would know about your dirty little secret John Watson. Oh, come on, don't look at me like that. They're just fail safes. We'll have fun, don't worry. You'll get wrinkles if you keep frowning."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I had almost, almost killed him on the spot. I could do it. It was so easy. A word. A quick movement of my fingers. Or even something more physical. My hand around his throat, his pulse quickening, his lungs screaming for air, sheer panic in his eyes, his hands fruitlessly trying to pry himself free. Or maybe he would smile, just smile, as the blood supply stopped reaching his brain. It would be so satisfying to see the light go out of his eyes. It didn't even have to be quick. I could take my time, make him suffer. She would have so much fun; it had been so long since I last let my magic roam free. She wanted me to do it. I could do it. It would bring such sweet oblivion…/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"emNo/em. I couldn't. I shouldn't. The risk was too high, and the satisfaction would soon fade into realisation and more guilt, like it always did. Oblivion didn't last, unlike regret./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You wouldn't harm them. You know I would kill you" I stated./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Oh my god, you don't see it. You still don't see it." Jim pinched the bridge of his nose in a dramatic gesture. "I. Don't. Care. Whether you kill me or not, I do not care. At all. Either would be fun."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I took a step towards him, but he raised a finger to stop me./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""But. If you do kill me, there'll be consequences. So think carefully what your next movement is going to be."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Moriarty smiled smugly from his seat. He knew what was going to happen. He had always known. It was his plan, after all./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I closed my hands into fists for a moment, and took a deep breath to assess the situation. He was right. I couldn't do anything, not without consequences. Not without hurting those I love./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What do you want?" I eventually asked. I knew what he wanted, it was what Sherlock had warned me. He wanted me to open the portal. Amora wasn't even here, so maybe I could gain a little time by saying I couldn't do it alone./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I want you to open the portal for me, obviously" Moriarty responded, gesturing towards the three components on the table. The bug twitched and scrambled inside its glass sphere, trying to break free./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I can't do it alone. I need Amora, or someone else with magic. Even that may not be enough." It would take him less time to get Amora, but maybe something had happened and she was unavailable./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""That won't be a problem; she'll be here shortly. Just a couple of minutes. You can start preparing everything." Jim beamed a smile, like he knew something I didn't. Which he definitely did./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"This was so obviously a trap, but I could do nothing to stop it. If Amora was coming, I couldn't use magic to manipulate Jim, and even though I had trained my magic to make up for the lack of my staff and helmet, I couldn't battle her properly and keep Moriarty under a spell at the same time. Speaking of…/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Where is my stuff?" I asked./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Your stuff?" Jim frowned, and uttered an emoh/em when he realised what I was talking about. "The helmet and the staff. Of course. I'll give them to you when you are done."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I can't open the portal safely without them. You would probably end up permanently injured trying to cross. Or dead. Not that you care."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Moriarty sighed./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Always whining. Okay, okay, I'll give them to you now. Happy?" He rolled his eyes. "Now go do something."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Jim turned his back to me and took out his phone. I heard him telling someone to bring those things we took, the funny helmet and the other emthing/em. He wouldn't risk anyone else coming, so it was probably Amora. Besides, not that many people could know this place. Jim had given me coordinates to teleport to, which, in retrospective, had been the first sign that this was a trap./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I stared at the immobile objects in front of me. Actually, there was very little I could do without magic. I picked them up and placed them facing an open space. The spell was a complicated one, so I may as well rehearse it a bit. Jim wouldn't let me die. For all his chaos and his madness, he was irremediably human, and so craved recognition, company. I doubted Amora was capable of maintaining his interest for long. If she ever had it at all. My best option was to play along until I thought of a way of protect my children and Sherlock from him. Then I would end that pathetic mortal creature./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I sensed Amora's magic the second she stepped into the building. So that was it. There was no escaping. First I needed to make sure Moriarty didn't escape and now it was me who couldn't. Stupid blackmail. Stupid feelings./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I didn't turn to greet her./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""As eager to please as always, Amora" I mocked, appearing busy examining the controller./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Loki" was the cold response./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"She went directly to Moriarty to give him emmy/em things. He made a gesture towards me and she reluctantly handed me the staff and the helmet. As soon as I touched them I felt a surge of power, as if my magic welcomed them back. She probably did. I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes, basking in the sensation./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Careful there, or you'll have an orgasm. Now emthat/em would be embarrassing."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""As opposed to being head over heels for your criminal boss, who, by the way, has a girlfriend" I retorted./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Then how come he never speaks about her?" Amora placed her hands on her hips, changing the weight from a foot to another./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Maybe because you're not worthy of knowing about his personal life" I stated, still paying more attention to the controller than to her./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I can hear every word you're saying" Jim warned, like a concerned parent scolding his bickering children./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I know." I beamed a smile at him, the most fake and disgusted smile I could./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Then I left the controller on the floor and picked up the bug with one hand as I reached out with the other towards Amora. She didn't take it./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""If I'm doing this, and I'm using your magic, I need you to take my fucking hand."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You're not emusing/em me; I'm doing it too."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I rolled my eyes so hard they almost opened a portal to another Realm on their own./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Do you even know how it works?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Yes."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You'd just get trampled with the words and hinder me."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Or maybe emyou'll/em hinder me."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I chuckled./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""That's not possible. I have better control over magic."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""My understanding of magic has got better."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What does that even mean?" I was going to continue with don't get philosophical on me, Amora, when Jim gave her a look and she sighed and took my hand./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Anyway, let's do this. I want to go home" she suddenly said./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I eyed her and Moriarty alternatively, trying to decipher the communication that clearly had just happened. Amora was looking at me expectantly and Moriarty was grinning smugly, which in itself wasn't such a strange thing./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Oh, by the Nine. I was so going to regret this. But then again, I most times regretted emat least/em part of my plans. There was still the looming shadow of suspicion and betrayal, but how could it be betrayal if Jim and I didn't trust each other? No, it was something with way less sentimentalism. It was the certainty of Jim's eternal boredom, and his wanting to wreak havoc anywhere and everywhere. He was unstable, and should be acted upon accordingly./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Where to?" I asked./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Amora will handle that. You just do your thing and she will think of the place." Amora looked so resentful when Jim said emdo your thing/em, as if it were something only I could do. Which was exactly the case; Amora couldn't do it and she knew it. It was definitely eating at her on the inside, not being able to be enough, to be good enough. She was a formidable magician, but she'd always envied my abilities./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I channelled Amora's magic and added it to mine before uttering the spell, too quietly for Amora to hear it. I wasn't going to let her do this; she was to be a tool for me and nothing more./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The bug started squealing and tried to pry its way out with even more insistence. Its spherical cage started to vanish, like molten glass, slowly melting./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I handed the disappearing cage to Amora, who reluctantly took it, surprise written across her face. I needed a free hand to do the next step. I shot her a look so she knew that was the reason for her being holding the sphere, and not because I trusted her. It'd be a really reckless move on my part, and for all my flaws I wasn't stupid./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Pining the bug down with a finger, I searched for the start of its thread. It seemed fragile, but it could withstand the forces of a portal without breaking. So did the shiny surface of the shell. I briefly wondered if an armour made from them would make it viable to go through wild paths and survive. I had always wanted to travel between Realms without going through the adapted paths. They were so boring, so predictable. You entered in a place and stepped out in another. But that was a thought for another time./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Finally I found the start of the thread and pulled. I took the remnants of the sphere back from Amora. It had almost completely melted by then, and the bug vibrated in my hand but had stopped trying to escape./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Amora had already taken the controller in her hands, and was quickly muttering with her eyes closed. I couldn't make out enough of what she said to determine where the destination was, but at this point it didn't matter. I would have to let Jim go if I wanted to make it out alive. Sorry, SHIELD, but my life comes first. Not sorry at all./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"When she was finished, the bug started glowing dimly, and so did the controller. I placed the bug on the floor and a second later it began to crawl. There were a myriad of uncharted paths across the Nine Realms, so the possibility of one being here was high. If it was, the bug would find it and pry its way through./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"It wandered aimlessly for a minute, glowing brighter and brighter the closer it got to a potential portal. Finally, it stopped. Mimicking the movement of digging, it opened a hole in the air. It was small at first, too small for even the bug to cross, but it grew rapidly and soon even Sleipnir could have fit through it. The bug stopped and disappeared through the portal to continue clearing the path./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The edge of the portal was unstable, changing both in size and shape. I handed the thread that connected us to the bug to Amora and took the stabiliser from the coffee table. I knelt down beside the morphing entrance and placed the stabiliser in front of me. The runes engraved on the surface of the disk started glowing, just like the bug and the controller had done before. Slowly, the borders of the portal stopped moving, and its shape became defined. Now the most unsettling thing about it was the abyss staring at me from the centre of the portal./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I suppressed a shudder and some memories that threatened to flood me. I had to focus if I wanted to survive./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I looked back to see Amora holding the thread. She looked annoyed, as she usually did. The thread suddenly relaxed for a moment before tensing again and her features changed to a surprised expression for a moment./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""It is done" I announced, maybe more ominously than needed. Well, if someone was to appreciate my dramatic efforts, it was Moriarty. "Now you can go wherever you're going and do whatever you're doing."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""How does it work?" Jim asked./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You just walk into it. You'll appear on the other side."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Aren't you even a bit curious about where the other side is?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I'd be lying if I said I didn't, but I had more pressing matters to tend to. Like, surviving. Nothing had happened yet, though, so I wondered for a moment if it wasn't a trap after all. I couldn't let my guard down anyway. That's how you walked directly into said trap without even noticing./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Yeah, nah." I used the most indifferent tone I could. "I'm sure I'll hear about it once you've started wreaking havoc."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Jim pouted./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Don't you prefer to hear it before anyone?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Not really." I smiled as widely as possible. Jim returned the smile. "I guess it's time. Farewell, James."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I tried to teleport, but nothing happened. Moriarty was still smiling. I looked at Amora and tried again. Nothing. She was smiling too. It was a menacing smile, proud and dangerous and wicked./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What have you done?" It was a rhetorical question, I already knew what they'd done. Stark's magic blocker. I could feel my magic, it was there, she wasn't gone, but I couldn't reach it./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Moriarty's smile just widened even more, showing his teeth like a shark./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Don't you know?" he said in a terrifying singsong voice. "You're coming with us. Oh, I have grand plans in store for you, Loki. It would be a shame if you left too early."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"That was it. I was done. Magic or not, Jim was mortal, and no match for me. I charged towards him, consumed with blind rage. I wanted to destroy him, destroy everything he held dear. It was a mad desire that had nothing to do with her, with the desire for destruction that came from my magic./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Amora watched with an amused look as I got closer and closer to Jim. Just a second more and my hands would be around his neck, or maybe tearing through the soft flesh of his chest until they found his blackened heart./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Amora twisted her wrist when there was only a couple of metres separating us. Then, I fell./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I found myself on the floor, struggling to remain conscious. Everything was going dark. I saw Moriarty towering over me and laughing in pure delight./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'm not only taking you because it would hurt our dear Sherlock, although it is a plus." He smiled, and the world froze a bit. "Now that you're here, I'm going to destroy him. And you'll watch all of it."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The last thing I heard before I blacked out was a chuckle and "it'll be fun" from Jim./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Let's get this over with" I said under my breath./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"After my conversation with Stark, I had barely held it together, and so I had forgotten to cast a spell near Jörmungandr for my alibi. Well, it could be worse. I could do that later./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Do you have what I need?" Jim asked without rising from his seat./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I wouldn't be here if it weren't the case, dear. You know I like to keep the pleasure of your company to the minimum."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Sure you do." The singsong tone of his voice made my alert levels spike./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Is Amora here?" It was an innocent enough question, but we both knew it wasn't./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I hid my hands behind my back so he wouldn't see my fingers moving for a spell. I quickly checked my surroundings. I didn't detect any magic. Strangely, it only made me worry more./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"This was starting to seem more and more like a trap./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Nope" Jim said with a smile. It wasn't a pleasant smile./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""A pity. I wanted to say hi." I shrugged. Then I raised my hands to retrieve the elements for the portal./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Not so fast, Loki. Where are your manners?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Not really fond of those when they're not needed."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Don't be like that. Come have tea or something. There's time." Moriarty winked. "I'm ahead of schedule."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"emI'm the schedule,/em I reminded myself. I just wanted to finish this and go home. emHome/em. What a strange word. It changed so much lately. But it usually was a person rather than a place./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Wouldn't you rather end this and go bother another Realm?" I complained in a light-hearted tone I didn't feel./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Don't be such a killjoy. You'll be back with our beloved Sherlock soon enough. Now, sit down." That last sentence was a veiled command, and I really wanted this to go as smoothly as possible. If it was a trap, though, which it probably was, given it was Moriarty, I would be going directly towards it./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I chose to go along and sat down./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I don't see any tea" I commented, raising an eyebrow./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Jim pouted childishly./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'm sure you can produce some with your magical hand waving" he commented dismissively./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"With a sigh and a lazy wave of my fingers, some beautiful and elaborate cups appeared, along with a matching kettle and some pastries. If it was going to take some cheap tricks of magic to appease him, then so be it. Jim had always been really interested in magic, but I would have to careful in case his envy surpassed his admiration./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Wonderful." There was a gleam in his eyes, an echo of madness, of veiled joy and sadistic satisfaction that frankly scared me a little. Not that I would admit it out loud. Ever. I still had a role to play, and fearful god is not it./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You have your tea, now I'll give you the objects and you can call Amora to come running like a puppy to do your bid. My part is over."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I almost, emalmost/em believed he would let me off that easy./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Of course he didn't./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Come on, Loki" he started, leaning forward until he was on the edge of the seat, elbows on his knees. "Don't you want to be part of it? Part of the emfun/em?" The way he said that last word sent a shiver down my spine./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Sorry, I already have things to do. Important meetings with important people. Prince of Asgard, a god, you know how it is." I moved my hand dismissively, as if it were not of consequence./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I thought you were banished." His eyes widened in realisation. "Oh my, Loki, what are emyou/em planning? Have you come back to your senses, to the wonderfully spiteful creature I once had fun with?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I actually wasn't planning anything, for once. But if it kept him talking instead of acting, then I could make up a plan right now. Or maybe stalling was such a monumental bad idea. It gave Jim time to prepare whatever trap this was./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I just need Thor's help. It's not a big deal. You know how the oaf is. He can't help coming to my aide." Short version of a plan. Good. Not too many details but enough to keep his attention. "But enough about me. What's the next step?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I thought you had important meetings with people far more important than me?" Jim's tone seemed genuinely hurt. He was probably just mocking me./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I do, but that doesn't mean I'm not curious."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'll tell you if you stay" he murmured, placing a hand on the side of his mouth, as if telling me a secret. He talked so quietly I almost couldn't hear him./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I shrugged in indifference./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I guess I'll have to wait until it happens to know. A pity."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I got up. None of us had touched either the tea or the biscuits. I retrieved the objects from where they were stored, in a pocket universe, and placed them on the table./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""My part of the deal is over, then. Have emfun/em, Jim" I declared, smiling at him./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I turned to leave, relief on the edge of flooding me. Just a couple of seconds more…/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Actually" Moriarty started. emFuck/em. "Your part is not over yet."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I looked at him and he made a grimace./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What I meant before is, you'll stay and I'll tell you. My bad."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Must you tell me?" I said that with as much boredom and condescendence as I could muster./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Of course. If no one knows my plan and tries to stop me, what's the point of it?" Jim asked./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You seriously think I'm going to try and stop you? This benefits me as well."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You'll try. And fail. For Sherlock. You, the God of Mischief and Trickery, have become predictable. Love has made you a fool if you think you can succeed."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Predictable? Me? emPredictable/em? That was flat out insulting. Even if I knew he was only provoking me, I felt outraged. I didn't win the title of God of Mischief and Trickery emand/em Fire by being empredictable/em./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I just rolled my eyes. If I answered I would be letting him take control./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Just tell me your plan and let me go. I'm bored here." I knew he would take as much offence with that last sentence as I did with his./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Okay, okay." He smiled excitedly, showing all his teeth. "So, open the portal, travel to another Realm. I'm thinking Alfheim. What do you think?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You've thought this through. It doesn't matter what I think."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You're right, of course. I was merely being polite." Another smile. "So, we're there and— Wait, no, I can't tell you that. You might interfere. Sorry, no evil plan for you." Moriarty looked at me apologetically, but there wasn't a single shred of the emotion behind his eyes./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I arched an eyebrow and got up again. "Then we're done. The best of luck, Jim."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I got to the door before he spoke again./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I've recently purchased a military submarine. State-of-the-art, top notch tech, heat sensors, a radar enhanced with magic and emfor/em magic."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I didn't like the way this was heading, but I couldn't see exactly what he meant./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Congratulations." I flashed my most fake smile for a moment. "Your point being?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""It would be a shame if something happened to, what's his name? Oh, Jörmungandr, yes." That enticed a reaction whether I liked it or not, which I absolutely didn't. "How's it doing? Or is it he? She?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You can't harm him" I hissed./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Are you really going to risk that? Military submarine. Pretty big missiles." He illustrated it with his hands as he spoke./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Is this your way of asking me to kill you?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""On the contrary. You can't kill me. See, if you do, your dear Jörmungandr is… poof." Moriarty made explosion noises as he imitated said explosion with his hands. "Gone." He paused for a moment. "And Sherlock would know about your dirty little secret John Watson. Oh, come on, don't look at me like that. They're just fail safes. We'll have fun, don't worry. You'll get wrinkles if you keep frowning."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I had almost, almost killed him on the spot. I could do it. It was so easy. A word. A quick movement of my fingers. Or even something more physical. My hand around his throat, his pulse quickening, his lungs screaming for air, sheer panic in his eyes, his hands fruitlessly trying to pry himself free. Or maybe he would smile, just smile, as the blood supply stopped reaching his brain. It would be so satisfying to see the light go out of his eyes. It didn't even have to be quick. I could take my time, make him suffer. She would have so much fun; it had been so long since I last let my magic roam free. She wanted me to do it. I could do it. It would bring such sweet oblivion…/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"emNo/em. I couldn't. I shouldn't. The risk was too high, and the satisfaction would soon fade into realisation and more guilt, like it always did. Oblivion didn't last, unlike regret./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You wouldn't harm them. You know I would kill you" I stated./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Oh my god, you don't see it. You still don't see it." Jim pinched the bridge of his nose in a dramatic gesture. "I. Don't. Care. Whether you kill me or not, I do not care. At all. Either would be fun."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I took a step towards him, but he raised a finger to stop me./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""But. If you do kill me, there'll be consequences. So think carefully what your next movement is going to be."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Moriarty smiled smugly from his seat. He knew what was going to happen. He had always known. It was his plan, after all./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I closed my hands into fists for a moment, and took a deep breath to assess the situation. He was right. I couldn't do anything, not without consequences. Not without hurting those I love./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What do you want?" I eventually asked. I knew what he wanted, it was what Sherlock had warned me. He wanted me to open the portal. Amora wasn't even here, so maybe I could gain a little time by saying I couldn't do it alone./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I want you to open the portal for me, obviously" Moriarty responded, gesturing towards the three components on the table. The bug twitched and scrambled inside its glass sphere, trying to break free./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I can't do it alone. I need Amora, or someone else with magic. Even that may not be enough." It would take him less time to get Amora, but maybe something had happened and she was unavailable./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""That won't be a problem; she'll be here shortly. Just a couple of minutes. You can start preparing everything." Jim beamed a smile, like he knew something I didn't. Which he definitely did./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"This was so obviously a trap, but I could do nothing to stop it. If Amora was coming, I couldn't use magic to manipulate Jim, and even though I had trained my magic to make up for the lack of my staff and helmet, I couldn't battle her properly and keep Moriarty under a spell at the same time. Speaking of…/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Where is my stuff?" I asked./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Your stuff?" Jim frowned, and uttered an emoh/em when he realised what I was talking about. "The helmet and the staff. Of course. I'll give them to you when you are done."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I can't open the portal safely without them. You would probably end up permanently injured trying to cross. Or dead. Not that you care."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Moriarty sighed./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Always whining. Okay, okay, I'll give them to you now. Happy?" He rolled his eyes. "Now go do something."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Jim turned his back to me and took out his phone. I heard him telling someone to bring those things we took, the funny helmet and the other emthing/em. He wouldn't risk anyone else coming, so it was probably Amora. Besides, not that many people could know this place. Jim had given me coordinates to teleport to, which, in retrospective, had been the first sign that this was a trap./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I stared at the immobile objects in front of me. Actually, there was very little I could do without magic. I picked them up and placed them facing an open space. The spell was a complicated one, so I may as well rehearse it a bit. Jim wouldn't let me die. For all his chaos and his madness, he was irremediably human, and so craved recognition, company. I doubted Amora was capable of maintaining his interest for long. If she ever had it at all. My best option was to play along until I thought of a way of protect my children and Sherlock from him. Then I would end that pathetic mortal creature./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I sensed Amora's magic the second she stepped into the building. So that was it. There was no escaping. First I needed to make sure Moriarty didn't escape and now it was me who couldn't. Stupid blackmail. Stupid feelings./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I didn't turn to greet her./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""As eager to please as always, Amora" I mocked, appearing busy examining the controller./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Loki" was the cold response./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"She went directly to Moriarty to give him emmy/em things. He made a gesture towards me and she reluctantly handed me the staff and the helmet. As soon as I touched them I felt a surge of power, as if my magic welcomed them back. She probably did. I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes, basking in the sensation./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Careful there, or you'll have an orgasm. Now emthat/em would be embarrassing."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""As opposed to being head over heels for your criminal boss, who, by the way, has a girlfriend" I retorted./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Then how come he never speaks about her?" Amora placed her hands on her hips, changing the weight from a foot to another./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Maybe because you're not worthy of knowing about his personal life" I stated, still paying more attention to the controller than to her./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I can hear every word you're saying" Jim warned, like a concerned parent scolding his bickering children./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I know." I beamed a smile at him, the most fake and disgusted smile I could./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Then I left the controller on the floor and picked up the bug with one hand as I reached out with the other towards Amora. She didn't take it./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""If I'm doing this, and I'm using your magic, I need you to take my fucking hand."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You're not emusing/em me; I'm doing it too."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I rolled my eyes so hard they almost opened a portal to another Realm on their own./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Do you even know how it works?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Yes."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You'd just get trampled with the words and hinder me."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Or maybe emyou'll/em hinder me."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I chuckled./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""That's not possible. I have better control over magic."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""My understanding of magic has got better."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What does that even mean?" I was going to continue with don't get philosophical on me, Amora, when Jim gave her a look and she sighed and took my hand./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Anyway, let's do this. I want to go home" she suddenly said./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I eyed her and Moriarty alternatively, trying to decipher the communication that clearly had just happened. Amora was looking at me expectantly and Moriarty was grinning smugly, which in itself wasn't such a strange thing./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Oh, by the Nine. I was so going to regret this. But then again, I most times regretted emat least/em part of my plans. There was still the looming shadow of suspicion and betrayal, but how could it be betrayal if Jim and I didn't trust each other? No, it was something with way less sentimentalism. It was the certainty of Jim's eternal boredom, and his wanting to wreak havoc anywhere and everywhere. He was unstable, and should be acted upon accordingly./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Where to?" I asked./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Amora will handle that. You just do your thing and she will think of the place." Amora looked so resentful when Jim said emdo your thing/em, as if it were something only I could do. Which was exactly the case; Amora couldn't do it and she knew it. It was definitely eating at her on the inside, not being able to be enough, to be good enough. She was a formidable magician, but she'd always envied my abilities./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I channelled Amora's magic and added it to mine before uttering the spell, too quietly for Amora to hear it. I wasn't going to let her do this; she was to be a tool for me and nothing more./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The bug started squealing and tried to pry its way out with even more insistence. Its spherical cage started to vanish, like molten glass, slowly melting./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I handed the disappearing cage to Amora, who reluctantly took it, surprise written across her face. I needed a free hand to do the next step. I shot her a look so she knew that was the reason for her being holding the sphere, and not because I trusted her. It'd be a really reckless move on my part, and for all my flaws I wasn't stupid./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Pining the bug down with a finger, I searched for the start of its thread. It seemed fragile, but it could withstand the forces of a portal without breaking. So did the shiny surface of the shell. I briefly wondered if an armour made from them would make it viable to go through wild paths and survive. I had always wanted to travel between Realms without going through the adapted paths. They were so boring, so predictable. You entered in a place and stepped out in another. But that was a thought for another time./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Finally I found the start of the thread and pulled. I took the remnants of the sphere back from Amora. It had almost completely melted by then, and the bug vibrated in my hand but had stopped trying to escape./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Amora had already taken the controller in her hands, and was quickly muttering with her eyes closed. I couldn't make out enough of what she said to determine where the destination was, but at this point it didn't matter. I would have to let Jim go if I wanted to make it out alive. Sorry, SHIELD, but my life comes first. Not sorry at all./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"When she was finished, the bug started glowing dimly, and so did the controller. I placed the bug on the floor and a second later it began to crawl. There were a myriad of uncharted paths across the Nine Realms, so the possibility of one being here was high. If it was, the bug would find it and pry its way through./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"It wandered aimlessly for a minute, glowing brighter and brighter the closer it got to a potential portal. Finally, it stopped. Mimicking the movement of digging, it opened a hole in the air. It was small at first, too small for even the bug to cross, but it grew rapidly and soon even Sleipnir could have fit through it. The bug stopped and disappeared through the portal to continue clearing the path./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The edge of the portal was unstable, changing both in size and shape. I handed the thread that connected us to the bug to Amora and took the stabiliser from the coffee table. I knelt down beside the morphing entrance and placed the stabiliser in front of me. The runes engraved on the surface of the disk started glowing, just like the bug and the controller had done before. Slowly, the borders of the portal stopped moving, and its shape became defined. Now the most unsettling thing about it was the abyss staring at me from the centre of the portal./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I suppressed a shudder and some memories that threatened to flood me. I had to focus if I wanted to survive./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I looked back to see Amora holding the thread. She looked annoyed, as she usually did. The thread suddenly relaxed for a moment before tensing again and her features changed to a surprised expression for a moment./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""It is done" I announced, maybe more ominously than needed. Well, if someone was to appreciate my dramatic efforts, it was Moriarty. "Now you can go wherever you're going and do whatever you're doing."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""How does it work?" Jim asked./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""You just walk into it. You'll appear on the other side."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Aren't you even a bit curious about where the other side is?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I'd be lying if I said I didn't, but I had more pressing matters to tend to. Like, surviving. Nothing had happened yet, though, so I wondered for a moment if it wasn't a trap after all. I couldn't let my guard down anyway. That's how you walked directly into said trap without even noticing./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Yeah, nah." I used the most indifferent tone I could. "I'm sure I'll hear about it once you've started wreaking havoc."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Jim pouted./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Don't you prefer to hear it before anyone?"/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Not really." I smiled as widely as possible. Jim returned the smile. "I guess it's time. Farewell, James."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I tried to teleport, but nothing happened. Moriarty was still smiling. I looked at Amora and tried again. Nothing. She was smiling too. It was a menacing smile, proud and dangerous and wicked./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""What have you done?" It was a rhetorical question, I already knew what they'd done. Stark's magic blocker. I could feel my magic, it was there, she wasn't gone, but I couldn't reach it./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Moriarty's smile just widened even more, showing his teeth like a shark./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Don't you know?" he said in a terrifying singsong voice. "You're coming with us. Oh, I have grand plans in store for you, Loki. It would be a shame if you left too early."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"That was it. I was done. Magic or not, Jim was mortal, and no match for me. I charged towards him, consumed with blind rage. I wanted to destroy him, destroy everything he held dear. It was a mad desire that had nothing to do with her, with the desire for destruction that came from my magic./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Amora watched with an amused look as I got closer and closer to Jim. Just a second more and my hands would be around his neck, or maybe tearing through the soft flesh of his chest until they found his blackened heart./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Amora twisted her wrist when there was only a couple of metres separating us. Then, I fell./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I found myself on the floor, struggling to remain conscious. Everything was going dark. I saw Moriarty towering over me and laughing in pure delight./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'm not only taking you because it would hurt our dear Sherlock, although it is a plus." He smiled, and the world froze a bit. "Now that you're here, I'm going to destroy him. And you'll watch all of it."/p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The last thing I heard before I blacked out was a chuckle and "it'll be fun" from Jim./p
