Competition/Challenge Block
Written for/Stacked with: Monthly Challenges for All (Year 4); Whumptober 2021
MC4A: Fireworks; Garden; Link; PP; NC; SIN; ToS; Rum; MLG; RoB; AV; ER; Fence; Star; O3; SN; T3
Other Challenges: Whumptober Day 7: My Spidey-Sense Is Tingling | Numbness
Word Count: 492
Tingling Numbness
"Hurry up!"
The elder Loki made a dramatic wave of his hand, summoning a green portal that he and a child Loki—who picked up an alligator wearing a golden-horned helmet—promptly stepped through.
Loki looked to Sylvie, wary of following yet another version of him after witnessing what they just came from. Sylvie half-rolled her eyes, grabbing his hand along with Mobius and pulled them both through. They appeared in a field far from the stormy cloud. The other Loki's were busy climbing down into a hole in the ground, and Sylvie soon was helping Mobius down before hopping in herself, poking her head out when Loki didn't move.
"You coming?"
He nodded mutely. Unable to think about anything right now much less something to say. Processing what had just happened was causing him to short-circuit, leaving him completely numb to everything else. Loki climbed down the makeshift ladder on heavy legs, barely able to take in his surroundings before Sylvie placed a delicate hand on his injured shoulder that was trying to heal where it was set.
"Hold tight, this needs reset before it heals poorly," she said, waiting for him to respond.
He simply looked at her, feeling the burn of tears pricking his eyes.
She grabbed him, getting a firm grip on his wrist before yanking his shoulder forward. Loki hissed, flinching from it, but otherwise said nothing. Sylvie patted him gently then, lingering in front of him as she scanned his very emotionally blank face. Mobius was sitting nearby, Loki could see him in his peripherals being tended to by the elder Loki, but he could feel himself start to shut down.
"Are you okay?" Sylvie asked, cupping his face in her hands. "It's safe here. We're safe…"
Loki covered one of her hands with his, closing his eyes at the contact. I just—"
The loud cursing from Mobius pulled him from his racing thoughts, turning his head to look his way. "You okay?"
Mobius waved him off, holding a rag to his nose with his head tilted back. Loki sucked in a breath, blinking a few times before looking back at Sylvie. "Quite a bit has happened, is all… I just need to get my head straight."
Seeming satisfied with this, Sylvie nodded and released him. Loki wished she didn't turn and walk away, her presence was strangely warm, exactly like Mobius' was, and now it felt empty. She was speaking to the younger Loki now, the elder Loki was gathering up the medical supplies, and Mobius sat back in a chair wiping blood from his face.
"We have to be careful," the child said loudly, addressing them. "We disturbed the hive, they're going to be hunting for you now."
"In case they show up, there's an escape route behind that chair. It will take you through a tunnel and back to the surface," the elder one explained, pointing out a large throne-like chair across the room.
