Chapter Ten:

The Game Goes too Far

As Alayna is walking away in a huff she realizes that the bastard still has her jacket. "Great! Just great! That means I am going to have to track him down again." But not at the moment. Instead, she burns through her anger trying to make it home without killing anyone. She makes it but just barely. Once there she she stares at herself in the mirror wondering what in the hell she has gotten into. It was so less complicated when she just wanted to kill him but no! She had to actually fall for a stunt like that. After berating herself, she makes a vow not to fall for his tricks again promising to find that cold place in her heart and head. It lasts for about five minutes before she breaks down and orders copies of her books for him.

As if nothing had happened, Loki finds her the next night while she is in a dark alley fighting off three gang members. One moment she out matched in a physical fight then the next he is by her side. Alayna is so surprised by his appearance that for a moment she forgets to duck and is staggered by a fist to the head. She falls on her ass and has to watch as he finishes the job before offering her a hand up. In her daze she forgets that she is supposed to be angry with him. Once the world stops spinning she remembers, refusing his offer and gets up on her own while trying to walk away from him. With his long stride he is more than capable of keeping up.

Loki can tell she is still angry but that doesn't stop him from playing games with her. "By the way, you're welcome." His comment stops her in her tracks and she turns to face him holding out her hand. "I want my jacket back." Her tone is cold and clipped with each word. He produces it out of thin air and passes it to her pretending to be hurt by her formality. "Now I thought we had gotten past our differences?" Alayna turns and walks away from him with her jacket over her arm. Loki plays his next card. "Do you always run away instead of facing your problems?" Again she stops in her tracks with her back still turned to him, grinding her teeth and flexing her fists.

With her pride piqued she turns around and walks back to face him, looking up into his eyes. "I think I prefer to return to our previous arrangement." Knowing that he has her hooked, Loki allows a sibilance of pain to leak into his eyes. "I am sorry I offended you. That was not my attention but sometimes I cannot help myself. Please allow me to make it up to you." Alayna crosses her arms and weighs what he has just said. "And exactly how would you do that?"

Loki tries not to grin too broadly but instead pretends to give it some thought. "I did enjoy our conversation before I ruined us. Please let us continue but this time with no games. The two of us can do as we intended and take the opportunity to get to know one another better." Once more Alayna weighs his words, looking for some sort of deception. She finally gives in. "Oh, all right! I guess I owe you that much for your assistance back there." Loki just gives her a knowing smile before offering her his arm. Alayna takes a moment to remove her mask again before completely ignoring his arm. Instead, she settles for putting her hands in her pockets. "Where to this time?" Happy with his game of chess, he directs them to a bench by the river.

For a moment they sit in silence as Loki places his arm behind her on the back of the bench with feigned awkwardness. Alayna just rolls her eyes before angling her body towards him. "So what do you want to know?" He takes a moment to savor the moment before asking his first question. "The same thing you asked of me. What are you? You say what you do isn't magic. From where do your talents come?"

Alayna turns her head to face the river but doesn't really see it. Instead her eyes stare off into the distance, her thoughts running down dark pathways, voice stuck in her throat. How much should she tell him? How much can she tell him? She takes a moment to compose herself but continues not to look at him. "What I am is complicated. I was made to be a weapon. As for my abilities, you can say they were a form forced of evolution." From her reaction Loki can tell that his game has gone too far and for once in his long life he actually feels like a cad. He immediately changes his demeanor and tone.

"Alayna, what do you mean by forced evolution?" He asks the question in a non threatening and quiet manner. If possible, Alayna only stares harder at something he cannot see before speaking. "What I mean is that it was done without my consent. I was human once before...this happened." She uses her hands to indicate herself as her vision starts to swim. "I was human once but now I am ..." She searches for the right word and finds it in the dark corners of her mind. "An abomination."

Loki is shocked by her words and for a moment cannot speak. It is a feeling he has lived with and understood for far too long. He just never expected to encounter it in anyone else. "Alayna, look at me." She hears his words but cannot bring herself to turn her gaze. Instead she closes her eyes more tightly determined to hold herself together and hide her pain. Very gently, Loki takes her chin in his hand and turns her face to him. "Alayna open your eyes and look at me." This time his request is a command.

She tries to shake her head as unshed tears flow hotly down her cheeks. Finally, she opens them to see his image swim in front of her. Loki curses himself before pulling her head to his shoulder, speaking soft words as she cries.