Lucy held the key in her hand. She paused at her own front door, her small briefcase grasped in her hand. She shook her head and scattered the stupid, mindless thoughts that were stuck in her mind.
She slipped the key in and turned the knob. Slowly, she opened the door and peered into the living room.
Roxie sat cross-legged on the sofa, a bowl of cereal clutched in her hands. Slowly, she spooned the little honey o's into her mouth.
Lucy crept in the living room quietly, as though she was sneaking into someone else's apartment. Roxie lifted her head, but remained silent. Her eyes were bloodshot and tired. Dark bags hung under her light eyes. Lucy noticed her hair was damp and the makeup was washed off her face.
Good, she showered, Lucy though, happy Roxie had made herself at home as usual.
Even though Roxie was a burden, Lucy cared about her. It worried Lucy to see Roxie on such a slippery slope of destruction. Lucy had tried hundreds of times to convince her to slow down and stop her alcoholic endeavors, but Roxie could not be persuaded. So, Lucy vowed to be there when Roxie needed her. Although three years younger than her, Lucy was more much responsible than Roxie, who had a habit of drinking and ending up in various beds around New York.
"Hey Rox, how you feeling?" Lucy asked as she placed her briefcase of paints and brushes on the table.
Roxie shrugged and pushed a golden blonde lock out of her face. She swallowed a mouthful of cereal and placed the bowl on the floor, next to the sofa.
"Good, you seemed pretty…bad this morning," Lucy said as she sat next to Roxie. "Roxie, you shouldn't keep doing this-"
"Lucy, why don't you come to a bar with me tonight," Roxie proposed. She pulled her golden hair in a pony tail and stared at Lucy with her clear, blue eyes. Lucy felt her stomach turn in nervousness.
"I'm not so sure Roxie. I kinda have something to do," Lucy said apologetically. She folded her hands together and tucked them between her thighs. She stared at the floor and tried to conceal the half lie she had made. But Roxie wasn't stupid, and could easily see right through Lucy.
"Spending hours on end in that morbid hospital won't help him Lucy," Roxie said, her statement blunt.
Lucy's face grew hot with embarrassment. She didn't lift her head and continued to stare at the floorboards. She knew that her trip to the hospital was foolish, but Lucy couldn't just leave him there, all alone. She didn't want to abandon him.
"Come on Luce. If you're there, I won't drink as much."
Lucy sighed and gave in. She felt bad refusing Roxie again. Lucy knew Roxie needed her and Lucy would be a horrible friend if she didn't go. She felt guilty leaving Roxie alone all night, and knew she would show up at the doorstep if she didn't go to the bar with her.
"Okay Roxie. But only for a little, and I'm not drinking," Lucy told her. She put on her best impression of someone being stern. Roxie saw through that too, and cracked a smile.
"Fine, but you better dress up. There's someone you have just gotta meet," Roxie told her. She placed her hand on Lucy's arm and gave it a squeeze. "He's really handsome," Roxie winked. Lucy shook her head and rolled her eyes. Roxie's attempts of convincing Lucy to date never worked.
"You know that I'm not into the dating scene," Lucy reminded her.
Though Lucy wished she was, or rather, wished she was able to be. But she had too many secrets to keep, and knew she could never be in a stable relationship if it was based only on lies. She couldn't dedicate herself to someone when she could barely stop lying to herself.
"Trust me, when you meet him, you'll forget all about that," Roxie confided. "Oh crap, I gotta go feed Lucky. But meet me at Barney's around eight, and dress like…a girl," Roxie instructed her. Lucy glanced down at her current outfit; a pair of form fitting cargo pants, a Nirvana t-shirt and winter boots. Not the most feminine outfit, but the most comfortable for Lucy.
"I'll try," Lucy promised as she walked Roxie out the door.
Lucy laughed to herself and slipped off her boots. She turned down the head a bit and dove onto her bed. She buried her face in the pillow and snaked under her blankets.
She had been quite tired all day, and she still had mysterious muscle aches on her back and arms. She sprawled out her legs and stretched the tender muscles. Her fingers pulsed a bit and felt warm to the touch. She felt herself begin to drift again, the warmth of the blankets lulling her to sleep. She sighed right before her eyes closed.
She was strewn on the ground again, just as in the previous dream. Snow surrounded her, and padded her fall onto the ground. The sun was falling below the desolate forest; a streaky and dismal sunset encompassed the sky. Lucy knew instantly where she was, and turned her head quickly.
He was lying right beside her, closer than before. His head was turned toward her, his face peaceful. His beautiful green eyes were concealed behind closed lids. His lips were slightly agape and exposed a set of sparkling white, sharp teeth.
Lucy felt panic take over her. Quickly, she sprung up and looked over his still body.
He lengthy body was perfectly still, his legs straight and flexed. His arms hung at his sides, long and muscular, even under the layers of the ridiculous outfit he was wearing. He wore what looked to be a breastplate of gold armor and a long, green cape under him. His golden helmet was adorned with two long horns, curved toward the sky. His thin, pale face was childlike in its current state and looked almost…kind.
He can't be dead! Lucy thought. Without any hesitation, she pressed an open hand to his chest plate. She didn't care what the consequences were, the pain she might have had to go through. She couldn't let his heart stop. She didn't understand why she felt it to be a necessity, but she did it.
She put every ounce of life she could in that hand. She brought the power from every inch she her small body could summon. She needed him to live, even though he was only a dream, a figment of her imagination.
At first, she felt nothing. All she heard was a slight buzz in her ears. The entire forest fell silent. The birds stopped their chirps, the wind came to a fatal stop. The sun stopped its descent and the moon hung in the balance. And then, like an explosion, Lucy felt the rush of emotions encompass her entire body.
It was pain she had never felt before. Her entire body began to pulsate with heat; her blood ran faster and hotter through her veins. Her entire body felt like it was on fire, burning her from the inside out. She had never felt pain quite like it, and began to feel her body losing consciousness. Her head grew light and airy. Her nerves became numb and her heart slowed its beats.
But her hand was still scorched.
And just when she had thought the worst had come and gone, and that she had finally reached the calm, something else took over her senses;
Rage.
The hate, the anger, the disappointment consumed her. Her mind began to fire off commands to the rest of her body, but her soul resisted. Her teeth ground together, her mouth beginning to fill with blood. She felt an all-consuming hatred fill her heart to the brim.
They had left her all alone. They had forced her out of childhood and into adulthood. She was the one that was left to take care of all the issues they had left behind. She was the one that had to stand the looks of pity, all alone.
"No," Lucy gasped. Her breathing was labored, her entire body racked with pain. She couldn't stand it anymore, she had to let go. Lucy withdrew her hand and sunk to the ground. Her heart stopped for an instant and her body fell into the stupor it always did whenever she used her power. Her ears filled with the ring, her sight went black, and she felt nothing.
Loki awoke with a sudden burst. His chest felt odd; like a little bird was inside it, fluttering around. His head felt light and clear, his body no long weighed down by the filthy air. He blinked his clear, green eyes and slowly sat up.
He wasn't entirely sure how, or why, but his power came fleeting back to him. His body stung with power and magic. He slowly stretched out every inch of his body before standing once again. He felt light on his feet and swift like the wind. He didn't understand why his power had returned to him so suddenly, but he thought it best not to question it and continue his quest for the tesseract.
First, Loki changed into a simple dark grey suit and tie, along with a green scarf and a black overcoat. He left himself get used to the ridiculous outfits mortals insisted on wearing. Loki would never understand why they dressed so informally and plainly at all times. He thought the outlandish outfits were not only homely, but weak. They provided no protection from any warrior, not to mention the mild weather.
Next, Loki fixed any bumps and bruises he may have accumulated and restored his flawless alabaster complexion. He was aware of his charming good looks and knew he had to keep them in his arsenal in case he needed to seduce the foolish and flimsy mortals. Mortal women were so stupid, so easy to convince. It was almost too easy for Loki, and only provided entertainment for a very insignificant period of time. It was actually quite hilarious to watch mortals flaunt and flirt as though they were attractive in any way. Loki found the women of Asgard much more beautiful than any woman on the filth that was Midgard.
With a mischievous grin, Loki transported himself to the crowded, grimy city that hid the tesseract. He could feel the power brimming underneath the city, ready to be unearthed. He ended up in a dark alley not too far from a small bar. He staggered a bit, and felt his power wade away. He teetered against the brick wall and tried to regain a bit of strength by remaining still.
Lucy sprung up from her sleep, her mouth filled with blood. She darted to the bathroom and hunched over the sink and spat out the blood. She grasped onto the counter, her legs feeling weak. Her head spun with confusion and the light burnt her eyes. She gasped and caught her breath, her chest aching.
Her mouth was filling with blood again. She poked and prodded and found she had a large gash on the inside of her cheek. She pressed her tongue against the laceration and tried to clot the bleeding.
Lucy looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was in a giant knot, loose hairs hanging around in her face. Her entire body was covered in sweat, and she had a red mark on her cheek where she must've hit herself. Her eyes looked tired and dull, and dark bags had formed, making her overall appearance look worse.
She then glanced down at her fingers. Small bruises formed on the tips of each finger, the skin purple and grotesque shades of yellow. She touched the fingertips and winced at the sudden spark of pain.
This doesn't make any sense…it was a dream! Lucy thought hysterically.
Lucy felt tears sting the corners of her eyes. She didn't understand why this happened to her, and why only now her dreams actually caused her harm. She didn't know how to stop it from happening again.
It's that man in my dream. This all began after I started dreaming of him, Lucy concluded.
But that was the problem. Lucy didn't want to stop dreaming about him. He was so beautiful and interesting that Lucy didn't want to lose him. He was what she looked forward to at the end of a long day. But, most importantly, he needed Lucy's help. He had practically been dead when Lucy saw him in her dream.
"What am I thinking? He's in my damn dreams!" Lucy shouted. Why was she being so foolish? This was something children did; rationalize their dreams.
Lucy jumped at the ring of her cellphone. She scampered out of the bathroom and grabbed the mobile device. She answered it without looking at the caller id.
"Lucy where the hell are you? Its 8:15 and you're still not here yet!" Roxie yelled. Lucy glanced at the clock and her heart dropped.
"I'll be there soon, I promise," Lucy said and quickly ended the call. Lucy ran into the bathroom and started the shower. As the water heated up, she grabbed a pink lace top and a white blazer. She then picked out her nicest pair of jeans and black heels. Roxie would kill her if she didn't look decent.
Lucy jumped into the shower and quickly washed her hair and body. She didn't bother with conditioner or any fancy body wash. She then towel dried herself and applied makeup to the bags under her eyes and the red mark on her cheek. She then put on mascara, cursing at herself whenever it got on her eyelid. She let her hair fall in waves around her shoulders and got dressed without looking in the mirror. She grabbed a yellow clutch and ran out the door.
Lucy kept up a jog as she sauntered down the streets of New York. She glanced at her watch and began to jog a little faster in her platform heels.
"Roxie's gonna kill me!" Lucy exclaimed.
Loki saw a shadow speed past him, out on the sidewalk. And just like before, in the forest, he felt that odd sensation in his chest. He crept out of the alley and looked down the street.
A small mortal woman was running down the block at full speed. Loki couldn't explain it, but he felt his heart tug in his chest at the sight of her. He could feel her power, even as the distance between them grew. A silver aura surrounded her, and Loki could smell something sweet as he focused on her.
What a peculiar mortal Loki pondered as he glided down the street. He grew closer to her, even as she ran. He moved like a slippery snake through the forest, following his prey. He needed to see this foolish woman and find out what made her so different from every other meaningless soul on the disgusting landmass. Perhaps she would prove to be some worth to him.
Loki was fast, but she was still a decent distance away from him. The sidewalk came to a breach, but the foolish woman did not stop. She sped out into the street without a care that a truck was barreling down her path.
What Loki did was unexplainable. How he moved so fast was unbelievable. Even he was quite confused as to why he did what he did, but he figured it was merely reflex. After all, he was the powerful God of Mischief.
And if it had been any other mortal, he would have been delighted to see their body contorted and twisted and scoff at how absolutely useless they really were. How insignificant their bag of blood, bones, and water really was. He would laugh at their weak bodies and remind himself of that when he took his rightful place on the throne.
Without a moment's heisitation, Loki tackled the stupid woman to the ground and out of the path of the speeding truck.