Chapter 15

Just after 7:00 that evening, Ilia and his men pulled up outside the abandoned warehouse where Nova was supposed to meet with the B-Streeters. Another one of his men had been watching it and reported when she, Lev, Viktor, Barak, and three of her bodyguards had shown up. Shortly after that, four B-Streeters had arrived. Now they were all inside. Just sitting ducks waiting for him and his allies to put them down. Three cars full of Norteños and four SUVs carrying the triad men were right behind him.

There were four vehicles parked in front of the warehouse, confirming the presence of people inside. After conferring with his lookout, he knew he had them. He could almost taste the sweet success of victory.

They spread out and a group of each took an entrance. On command, they all burst in at the same time, surprising the small group in the middle of the warehouse. They opened fire and advance on the group, who pulled their guns and returned fire. Determined to survive, Ilia ducked behind some wooden crates to wait it out. They really didn't need him, there were enough to take care of Nova and her crew without him putting his life on the line. His men and their allies fired on the group until they ran out of bullets in their magazines.

When Ilia peeked over the crate, Nova and her people were in a bloody pile in the center. Ilia crept out of his hiding spot and joined the others as they scoured the bodies to ensure there were no survivors. In his head, Ilia was already celebrating.

Suddenly, the pile of bodies disappeared, and flood lights shown on them from the perimeter of the warehouse, blinding them.

Nova's voice floated to them from beyond the lights, "you always were an idiot Ilia. Did you really think it would be this easy?"

What the hell was happening? "You Bitch!" he screamed at her. "You don't deserve to run this business, you worthless slut!"

Her laughter echoed through the building. "Reduced to name calling like a child on the playground. That's why I would never date you. You were too pathetic."

Ilia's blood boiled at her insults. That bitch always thought she was better than him just because of her daddy. "Come out here and say that to my face!" he screamed, spittle flying.

There was no answer except the sounds of bullets being chambered.

"I've had enough of this asshole," Nova told Lev and Viktor, checking that the safety was off on her gun. "Kill them all."

Lev gave the signal and they open fired on the men in the middle of the warehouse and all hell broke loose. There were a lot more people in the warehouse than Ilia knew about. They had arrived over an hour early and parked several blocks away. Nova alone had fifteen men, including Lev, Viktor, and Barak. The Los Zelas man, Juaquin, had brought ten men and the new leader of the B-Street Boys had brought eight. Loki and his two companions brought their total up to thirty-nine, making the two groups almost evenly matched.

But Nova had Loki on her side and he was the master of illusion. It was his illusion of her and a smaller group that brought Ilia and his men in guns blazing and drew them into the center of the warehouse so they could be easily targeted. Now, Loki used his skills to multiply their numbers and confuse their enemy even more. Ilia and his people were wasting bullets on targets that weren't even there.

The warehouse was in mass confusion; bullets flying and people running everywhere. Nova saw Ilia duck behind some crates and took off after him. There was no way she was going to let him get away. A statement had to be made, a line drawn. Nobody fucks with her business and lives. She skirted the edge of the fight, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. One of the triad's men had gotten smart and ordered his guys to shoot out the flood lamps. Some of the Norteños had followed suit and now only about a third of the lamps were still working.

She made it to a position where she could just make out Ilia behind the crates and started to creep closer to get a clear shot. She aimed for the back of his head and was about to pull the trigger, when a movement at one of the doors caught her eye. It was Dax and four other men slipping in the door and making their way towards the others. She was about to call a warning out to her men, when the cold, hard barrel of a gun touched the back of her head.

"Drop your gun," Ilia ordered her.

Not having a choice, she allowed her gun to fall to the floor. Ilia grabbed her arm in a painful grip and spun her around to face him.

"Now, who's the idiot?" he sneered at her and put the gun against her head just above her eyes.

Nova only saw a blur of green, then Ilia dropped the gun and looked at her in incomprehension. In the middle of his chest protruded the handle of a dagger, a growing stain of blood turning his blue shirt dark red. His lips moved, but no sound came out as he collapsed, dead at her feet.

Loki spun her to face him, "are you alright?"

She nodded, then said, "I just saw Dax come in."

"Who?" he asked, not understanding.

"The Chitauri," she explained. Ducking behind the crated for cover, she scanned the warehouse. "There!" she pointed. "That's him."

Loki smiled and gave her a quick, hard kiss, "thanks!" Then he was running towards where she had pointed. She smiled at his back and turned to shoot a member of the triad as he ran in front of the crates. The number of people still standing was definitely smaller, the bodies on the floor piling up. They had to hurry up and end this. Her police connections could only slow down the response for so long.

Throwing a look back at Loki, she prepared to join Lev, when she saw two of the men that entered with Dax circling behind him. He was going to be caught in the middle of the three. She yelled a warning, but he didn't hear her over the noise. She changed direction and circled around to where they were, but they were directly across from her and it would take time for her to get there. She was afraid she wouldn't be there on time.

Fear gripped her such as she had not felt since she was a little girl. She was not going to lose Loki. Not when she had just found him. Not when she had just realized how much he meant to her. She took off straight through the mass of bodies and bullets towards him.

She watched in horror as one of the imposters raised a weapon the likes of which she had never seen and target him with it. She screamed his name and he turned just in time to duck out of the way. The blast from the weapon knocked another of the flood lights instead. Loki stabbed the Chitauri several times with his daggers and it fell at his feet. Then he turned towards the second one and engaged it, slashing its throat with one flash of his dagger.

Dax was still behind him, though and he raised his alien weapon. Nova lept the last steps and flung herself at Loki as he fired.

Loki was thinking that these Chitauri were not the cream of the crop, that was probably why they weren't part of either of the battles that the rest of their race had perished in. They were just too easy to dispatch. But Nova's warning was timely, allowing him to get the jump on the two coming up behind him.

As he slit the second ones' throat, he caught Nova with his periphral vision and spun to catch her. She hit his body with a lot more force than she should have, her eyes wide. Over her shoulder, he saw the Chitauri standing with his weapon smoking from being fired, then spinning away to face Braggi. A strange sound from Nova drew his attention back to her.

Blood was trickling from the corner of her mouth, and her breath gurgled as she gasped again.

"I'm getting blood all over your pretty clothes," she whispered.

He lowered her to the ground and held her to him. "I've got more," he told her gently as he pushed her hair out of her face with a hand that shook.

She gasped again and more blood trickled down her chin, she looked up at him and raised a hand to his face, touching his lips. He kissed her fingertips, tasting her blood on them.

"Loki," she struggled to speak, "I..,"

"It's okay," he told her, tears in his eyes. "Save your breath. You can tell me later, when it's over." He bent his head and kissed her lips tenderly.

"Loki," she breathed, but then her eyes grew distant and she went limp in his arms.

He hugged her body to him, tears running down his face, "I love you, too," he whispered.

Then he laid her gently on the floor and stood. "Chitauri!" He bellowed.

Braggi had knocked the weapon out of the Chitauri's hand and they were circling each other looking for an opening. At Loki's yell, they both froze and turned towards him. He sprinted to where they were standing, shoving any human that got in his way roughly aside. One was foolish enough to point a gun at him, but Loki stabbed him in the neck as he passed.

The Chitauri dropped his disguise and changed back into its true form and screamed a challenge at the oncoming Asgardian, holding its long sharp claws out, ready to slash and maim. Loki threw himself at the Chitauri and it swiped at him, but at the last instant, Loki darted to the side and ducked under its arm, striking out with his dagger and leaving a long gash in its side.

The Chitauri swung around to face Loki, but even though it was taller and more muscular than him, it was slightly slower, and Loki was buried two of his daggers deep into its back, before dodging out of the way of its claws. His eyes blazing, he threw two more is quick succession, one reaching its mark in the Chitauri's midsection, too low to be lethal, but adding to the damage being inflicted. In their native forms, Chitauri were tough and hard to kill. Armed with only his daggers, Loki would have to get in past its long claws and land a direct hit to something vital, like its brain or heart, both encased in thick, boney armor. He would have to rely on his speed, stamina, and illusions to wear down the Chitauri and wait for his chance to strike.

Two additional versions of him appeared and began to circle the Chitauri. It watched warily, looking for a clue to indicate which one of the three was real. One of the Loki's lunged towards its exposed side and it swung its long arm to block, another Loki went low, trying to eviscerate, and it blocked with the other arm. Both arms passed through the apparitions and crossed in front of its body, the third Loki leaped forward and used its crossed arms as a step to vault up and over its head, striking at its throat as he flipped over. The Chitauri was ready, knowing this was the real version of Loki and slammed its fists into him as he struck to send him flying across the space.

It roared with surprise when its fists met only air. The real Loki appeared behind it and agilely leapt onto its back, slashing two daggers deep across its exposed throat, nearly severing its head, before jumping clear. The Chitauri dropped to its knees, grey blood gushing from the fatal wound, but did not collapse. It struggled to climb back to its feet and face Loki once again.

Suddenly, a spray of bullets caught the Chitauri, sending chunks of grey flesh and gore flying. Lev and Viktor stepped up to either side of Loki, emptying their magazines into the creature. When they ran out of ammo, the warehouse fell eerily silent. The Chituari chuffed once, then fell forward onto the floor and didn't move again.

Loki spun and disappeared. Across the warehouse, a door to the outside opened and slammed shut with his passing.

The Cathedral was packed, and still more people waited outside to pay their respects to who many local papers were calling the 'Secret First Lady of Los Angeles'. The first row was occupied by Nova's loyal lieutenants, Lev, Viktor, and Barak, and the rows behind them were full of her employees. City officials and the elite occupied the rest of the pews. No less than a dozen people spoke, telling stories of how Nova had touched their lives and made them better for it, or how she was a champion of the downtrodden.

Loki stood in the back, an illusion hiding him from the masses, almost laughed out loud at some of the shit they were saying. Nova would have, he thought, if she could hear it. She never pretended to be anything other than what she was: a criminal. Albeit, a highly influential criminal, but one, nonetheless. She had been proud of her status as the crime queen of the west coast.

Unable to stand the drivel these people were dishing out, he wandered up the aisle and looked down upon her still face in the coffin. At least she would have been pleased by how she looked. Not a hair was out of place, her dress was immaculate, and he was willing to bet her feet were shod in her favorite pair of Louboutin's. She looked cold and untouchable, just like in life.

Sitting on top of her casket was Nibbler, munching happily on the floral arrangement. Sensing his eyes upon it, the little creature looked up and growled menacingly at him.

"Yeah, I know," he muttered at it, low enough for those around not to hear. Quickly shutting down the feelings of remorse that rose, he turned and marched out of the cathedral and out into the late morning sun.

Waiting outside, leaning against a black sedan parked across the road was Nick Fury, casually waiting on Loki as if he was certain he would be here. Loki started to stay invisible and pass him by, but curiosity got the best of him and he stopped and leaned beside him, dropping the illusion.

"I was wondering if you were just going to ignore me," Fury told him.

"I should have," Loki responded.

"Is everything taken care of?"

Loki nodded, "all the Chitauri have been located and no more bodies have been found. We got them all."

"Good." Fury said.

They stood in silence for a moment before Loki blurted, "are we done here?"

Fury turned to him with an eyebrow raised, "that depends."

"On what?"

"Whether you are tired of just drifting around, not doing anything with yourself. Tying up resources to keep an eye on you," Fury answered.

Loki considered his words. Maybe he should take a page from Nova's book and own what he was. He nodded, "I think I am."

"Good!" Fury said, "Welcome to the Avengers! I need someone to go to…,"

"No, you misunderstood me," Loki stopped him with a grin. "I'm not an Avenger. I am not one of the good guys. I am Loki the Trickster, Prince of Lies, and if you will excuse me, there is mischief to be made!"

With that declaration, he strode off. A few steps away, he turned back and looked at Nibbler, who was chewing on the tire of Fury's car; a tire that was decidedly flat.

"Are you coming?" he asked it.

It chirped and scampered after him on its stubby legs and they both disappeared.

"Just fucking great," Fury said to nobody in particular. Then, "will someone come fix this damn tire!"