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Chapter 3
Time seemed to be moving at a much faster pace, because the following two weeks passed by in almost a blur. I had arranged all of my classes, bought all of my books (thank God for scholarships and grants), and conducted a complete overhaul on my finances. Every single penny was put towards a purpose, though I left myself no room for play. However, if I really wanted to get my grandparents roof fixed (for real) while saving for my camping trip, it was what needed to be done. I was on a fixed schedule with Bubba-Gump to accommodate school, though most of my classes that semester were online. However, I was a diligent student, so I knew I would do just fine. I had managed full-time school and full-time work for the past three and a half years. One more semester wouldn't kill me, and then I would graduate.
Though my major was technically in English, I had no idea what to do with it. I was always extremely indecisive and English was always a strong point of mine, so I clung to it like a lifeline. Having almost graduated, I found myself at a loss as to what to do with the degree. I supposed my only option was teaching, which I wasn't too sure about, but it was all I had to go on, so I stuck with it. Asides from English, my only true passion was learning. While I hated history, I loved learning every random fact about every random thing there was in the universe. Due to that interest, I was a veritable walking library of the most useless knowledge in the world, which would not get me a job. I was terrible with kids, but college might have been easier to teach in. Maybe if I went for my Masters... I also supposed I might could try some teaching abroad, maybe utilize what little Japanese I knew to teach the hardcore English classes there.
Whatever.
For the foreseeable future, I was stuck in New Orleans. Lord only knew when – and if – Ashley was coming back, and even if she did, I doubted she would stick around to help with Nanny and Pop. So, yeah, figuring out what to do with my life was basically put on hold until something changed drastically. Until then, I would continue working and hope something good would cross my path.
The rain on the trek home from campus was unyielding, soaking me from head to toe in freezing water before I was even close to the bus stop that would get me to the ferry. I was lucky that my only in-person class that day happened to be a lab, so my books and laptop weren't necessary. Otherwise, I would have had a ruined bookbag, books, and laptop to go along with my soaked-self. Once the bus stop was in sight, I looked on in horror as I watched the current bus drive away.
GodDAMMIT.
Due to maintenance on certain city streets, the amount of buses available were few and far between for my route. It would be another thirty minutes at minimum for another bus to show. Looking up into the wet sky, I shouted, "Is this what I really deserve?! If I did something wrong, just tell me and SKIP THE THEATRICS!" I basically screeched that last part before huffing away into the bookstore across the street. The employees might not have liked how dripping wet I was around their books, but they could just deal with it. Stomping around the shelves and finding an alcove deep in the back, I shoved myself into an armchair as my teeth chattered with the force of the winter rain seeping into my bones. Pulling my arms tightly around myself to futilely try and warm myself up, I realized just how wet I had gotten the chair. Oh well.
Sitting there in a stony silence, my chattering teeth the only thing making any noise, I seethed deeply at the day as a whole. I was going to get sick if my bus didn't hurry soon, and then I'd be completely screwed. School was easy enough to get out of – work, not so much. My coat may have been great for warmth, but it absorbed moisture like a sponge. I clearly needed to pay more attention to what the weather would be like.
Ha, who was I kidding? I had been telling myself that since I had started my frequent trips to the city, back when I had started college. I clearly wasn't going to learn my lesson.
"My, you really are quite the damsel," a voice said from beside me. If I hadn't been so rigid with cold, I would have jumped out of my skin. I had no idea anyone else was in that alcove. Looking over, I saw who spoke, though I already knew by the lavish accent.
"L-Loki?" I stuttered out, looking at the dark-haired man who was sitting in another armchair, a thick book held limply in his hand. He was dressed in a very nice black button-down that matched his black slacks and boots. His green eyes were focused on me in amusement. Remembering how much a prick the guy seemed to be, I tried to stay nonchalant, which was sabotaged by my frozen body. "I-I'm not a d-damsel, jerk."
"Quite right, I suppose," he smirked at me. "A damsel in distress, more like."
If I could have moved, I would have picked up the nearest object and thrown it at him in my irritation. I may have barely known the guy, but my ire was enough to take out my frustration on someone with such little meaning to me. "Not in distress. I h-have it under control. I just g-gotta wait for the next bus and I wasn't about to sit under a tiny b-bus stop overhang for thirty minutes in th-this weather." Feeling as though I had made my point, I returned my gaze to a specific spot on the wall, telling myself to not look at the rude, yet curiously beautiful, man. Then I had a thought and addressed him once more. "Wh-Where's Thor? Aren't you two usually j-joined at the hip?"
My description wasn't so much of a jab as it was that both times I had encountered the men, they were both there. I hoped that they really were just close brothers and not actually gay or something, because it would have just been too unfair for the female race to be denied two such fine specimens.
"My brother is currently next door, having a cup of coffee with an old colleague. I just happen to frequent this store by coincidence."
Riiiiight.
"Um, okay," I said, not bothering enough to call him out on the obvious deceit. "Well," I said, standing from my chair as every inch of my frozen-self complained, "I better get to the stop so I don't miss it – "
As soon as I said that however, a ringing came from Loki's person, cutting me off and forcing him to turn his annoying smirk elsewhere. Watching him search his pockets for the offending noise, he finally produced a cell phone that was blaring some type of symphony music. Deciding that my farewell had been sufficient, I turned my attention away and began making my way back to the front of the store. I ignored the sounds of Loki answering his phone and focused on how much it was going to suck going back out into the cold rain.
Why did I keep running into that/those guys? They had been staying at The Maison Dupuy when we first met several weeks before, and it was not a cheap hotel by any means. And what were the odds that I kept running into them? New Orleans had about 400,000 residents. The chances of running into them twice was astounding, and a third time seemed almost astronomical. Ugh. Whatever. I didn't have the time nor the energy to speculate on the two odd strangers.
A hand clamped over my mouth as a large arm wrapped itself around me, pulling me into a secluded stack of books. I wanted to scream, kick, scratch, do anything to fight for my life, yet the shock seemed to allow my attacker to quietly drag me out of view from few people near the front of the store. Finally coming to my senses, I screwed up my eyes in concentration before I did the first thing that came to mind. I bit down on my attacker's hand. Hard.
"Oh, for Odin's sake!" a familiar voice hissed out, the hand jerking away from my mouth. Twisting around, I saw Loki standing there, cursing quietly and nursing his hand. "I'm not trying to hurt you, you petulant wench!" He growled, though he spoke lowly.
"What the hell is your problem, asshole – ?!" I started yelling defensively, deciding on whether I should give him a good swift kick where it hurts or just punch him in the nose. I knew I could never actually outmatch the guy (despite the several years of karate my sister and I were forced to attend and my frequent kickboxing classes I took at the university's gym), but I knew I could hurt him enough to get away.
Loki stepped in closer to me, his hand suddenly on my mouth again, shutting me up. At that point I was done, so I just raised an eyebrow at him as if to say, "Do we really wanna do this again?" I had no problems biting the guy twice. Seeming to understand the look in my eye, he dropped his hand quickly, though not without saying, "Quiet."
Rolling my eyes and wishing I would quit attracting weirdos, I dropped my voice and hissed scathingly, "What the fuck is going on and who the fuck do you think you are grabbing me like that? I ought to scream for help! Explain!"
"I – "
"Brother – Oh, hello again, Alexis!" Of course. It was a fucking party and I was slowly becoming the ice statue. I was freezing and wet. I wanted to go, and I definitely wanted to get away from these people.
Never one to be impolite to those who had been only pleasant towards me, though, I forced a smile and said quickly, "Hi, Thor, it was good to see you two again but I really gotta go – "
"Will you just wait?" Loki cut in, stepping in front of me to stop my departure.
"Why?!" I asked in extreme exasperation, running a frustrated hand through my wet hair.
"There is a man outside," Thor responded, seeming quite apologetic. Looking at Loki, he said, "You noticed it too?"
Loki nodded. "His magical signature alerted me. And... It's clear that he's waiting for the girl." With that, Loki indicated towards me.
"What the hell are you talking about – "
"Alexis, you must come with us," Thor spouted quickly, looking out the door a bit nervously. I was getting real sick of being cut off and being out of the fucking loop.
"What? No!"
"Listen – Alexis – I know you don't really know me, but I need you to trust me right now," Thor said, looking out the door suspiciously.
"Oh, hell," Loki scoffed. "Just because she might be in a little danger, you want to go and drag her with us. Not all of these mortals are completely helpless." He displayed his bitten hand where my teeth marks resided for example.
"Yeah!" I agreed readily before suddenly shaking off my confusion. "Wait! No! A little danger? Um, if you hadn't noticed, you two could easily take me out – "
"We're not the danger, you impetuous doxy!" Loki sighed irritably.
"Then what – "
"There is someone outside," Thor said, cutting me off again. "A... stranger, of sorts."
"Look, pal. I don't know where the hell you guys are from but – hate to break it to ya – almost everyone is a stranger in New Orleans."
Seriously? What was wrong with these guys?
"No, I mean – "
"What Thor means to say is there is someone outside who is clearly waiting for you. Someone extremely powerful, and no good intentions to speak of." At least Loki spoke in clear terms... When he wanted to.
"What? Like the mayor?" So there was someone "powerful" creeping outside waiting for me? "Wait, how do you know? And for that matter, why do you care?"
"Not like the mayor," Loki said rather seriously, eyeing the door as well. "More like a god on some type of bounty hunt."
There was silence for quite a long moment before I burst out laughing. "Yeah, right. A god. A god wants to kill me. Sure. Goodbye, crazy men."
With that, I tried to leave once more, only to be grabbed by the bicep by Thor. Without addressing me, Thor looked at Loki. "Are you sure he's after the girl?"
Loki rolled his eyes. "Yes. He has missed the last three buses and only moved when she approached. He tried to follow her into this store, but I believe my magical signature is keeping him from wanting to come in. Though I don't know what his intentions are exactly, I can tell he's looking for a capture, not a kill. He has plans."
"Then we can't just leave her here undefended," Thor said, looking surprised with his brother's nonchalant explanation.
"Normally, I would disagree with you," Loki said, curling his lip in what almost looked like disgust, "but he has strong magic and clearly she has something to do with whatever antics he's up to."
"Um, hello? I'm still here. And magic? You guys are clearly insane, so if you don't let me go right now, I'm going to call the cops." I hoped my paramount tone was enough to cover the fact that I was completely freaking out on the inside. The way the men talked, the way they carried themselves, their strange idiosyncrasies... It wasn't normal, and I was not about to let myself get wrapped up with two psychos.
"Come with us and we'll explain everything," Loki said, removing Thor's hand from my arm and instead placing a light hand on my lower back, directing me to the exit. A tingly warmth emanated from the spot where he was touching me, and I suddenly found myself speechless and unable to do anything to stop the men from leading me out of the store and down the stormy street. I couldn't speak. I couldn't move of my own free will at all. All I could do was keep walking with the men, though I eyed the bus stop suspiciously. No one was there.
"Brother, I don't think controlling her with your magic as such will aid in gaining Lady Alexis' trust..." Thor said a bit nervously, looking at the bus stop as well.
Magic? Magic magic magic. Why did they keep talking about magic? Is... Is this compulsion to follow them peacefully the magic they're talking about? No, there was no way. Magic wasn't real. Magic... But I should be screaming my head off, not dutifully following them like I actually believed them. But I can't make myself do anything different. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Magic? Really?
Soaked to the core once more in icy rain, I stood obediently beside the men as Thor waved down a cab. One stopped for us suddenly, much more quickly than usual, and, without further prompt, the three of us were in and on our way to the Maison Dupuy. I was basically having a complete meltdown, but whatever was going on that was detaching my brain from my body kept me from showing it. Once we were at the hotel and entering their room, I felt my body come back finally.
"What the ever-living fuck – ?!"
"Lower your voice and listen unless you want to be subdued again," Loki cut in almost dangerously, leaning his face closer to mine. "And do not try and make a run for it after this if you value the life you have now. That man is certainly still searching for you and the moment you are out of my range of spirit he will pounce."
"Brother, you mean to show her the truth?" Thor questioned hesitantly, sitting on the couch.
"It's the only way to make her understand. Humans possess the capability of accepting new ideas, but most are scientists for a reason. Now, Alexis," Loki said, addressing me by name for what I was pretty sure was the first time. "Please, do try and stay calm. Do your race some justice."
With that, I felt a ripple of energy seem to wave around me before completely disappearing. And in that moment, I had to spend a good minute readjusting all of my memory of the two men in front of me.
Loki, the Norse God of Mischief. He had tried to decimate New York a few years before, and his face had been plastered over every T.V. screen in warning to the general population so there should have been no way that I would have missed it before. The story was that he had opened some kind of wormhole and allowed an army of alien invaders to filter in to wreak havoc on the city. The man before me, Loki, had literally tried to take over the world.
On the couch next to me was Thor, the Norse God of Thunder. He really was Loki's brother, though he was the good guy in everything. He had helped the Avengers take Loki down and (sorta) saved Manhattan. They were two actual gods, with actual powers. If I hadn't seen it plastered over every news channel, internet forum, and social media site, I never would have believed it.
After my long moment of silence, I suddenly blurted out, "You're a murderer!" I said horrified as I leapt from the couch and pointed a finger at Loki. "And... Wait, why am I just now realizing this? Fuck it, nevermind – "
"Loki is in reform," Thor said, getting up from the couch to stand next to his brother defensively. "He has vowed to make amends to this world. He simply had a charm placed on us to keep us from being recognized while we settle into Midgard."
"I..."
"I'd listen to them, cupcake," a new, female voice resounded. Spinning around quickly, I watched as a very lithe, red-headed woman slipped easily through the window and into the room. She was a small woman, but she exuded confidence... And danger. She was wearing a fitted navy t-shirt and skinny jeans, complete with very stylish and shiny black boots. "Though Loki may have had a few screws loosened, that's definitely not the problem right now." Bounding over to me, the woman grabbed my hand and shook it, her grip surprisingly strong. "Natasha Romanov."
I looked at the woman bewildered, not recognizing her face really but definitely remembering the name. She was an Avenger, too, just a more subtle member. My eyes widened, looking between the three almost frantically, trying to make my brain understand what was going on.
"Natasha, did you find what you were looking for?" Thor questioned, but everything sounded a bit distant and hazy.
"Yes, but it's not good."
"I... I need to sit down..." I said faintly.
…
"So, Loki escaped prison, went on a... quest... with Thor, Thor and Natasha helped save Sokovia, kinda, Loki went gallivanting around the universe unsupervised, Natasha was forced into a battle royale with other Avengers, then Thor and Loki's long-lost sister went haywire and destroyed their home, forcing them to voyage here on a spaceship to lay low... Is... Is any of that right?"
I was sitting on the couch, a thick blanket draped over me and a cup of coffee in my hand. Natasha had offered me a change of clothes, but my curves were a bit too generous to fit anything she might have had. Instead, the rather beautiful woman helped me change out of my wet clothes and into a bathrobe as I just complied in a daze. My mind was reeling in shock.
"For the most part, yes," Natasha said, sitting across from me in an armchair. "Which leads us to now. Thor?"
"Thank you for your assistance, Natasha. You have such a calming power for such a dangerous mortal," Thor said, smiling at her. Looking back at me, Thor continued the explanations. "Though I did not know you were the target, I noticed a man outside the coffee shop where I was having a cup of coffee with Natasha here. I know that man, and he is very devious. Kol, the God of War and Obedience." He paused, almost seemingly for dramatic effect, before continuing. "He has been known to stir up trouble, and seems to enjoy making mischief even more-so than Loki. I haven't a clue what he's doing here on Midgard, as he's supposed to be exiled to the ice planet, Yeln, outside the eighth realm. Whatever he's doing, it's not good, and he must be stopped."
I felt like my head was going to explode with all the information being thrown at me. I swore I must have been dreaming, because my tiny, pathetic life didn't even warrant drama, let alone on such a huge scale. "O... Okay... And what... What does this have to do with me?"
"Moronic girl, we just told you – "
"Watch it, Squeaky Toy," Natasha interrupted Loki, shooting him a dangerous look. "We need her to trust us if we want to keep her out of Kol's hands."
"It seems as though, from his magic signature and behavior earlier, that he wants something from you. If Loki and I hadn't been in the same vicinity by chance, he surely would have taken you." Thor seemed concerned, but I was starting to decide on calling it insanity and just going home. I couldn't handle this shit. None of it should be my problem. I had enough to deal with.
"Why me?" I finally asked, looking carefully at the three other occupants of the room.
"We don't know – not yet, anyway," Thor responded a bit dejectedly. "I trust Loki's magic enough to know whatever he's doing isn't good, and if it involves you, that puts you in very real danger."
"Okay..." I said, trying to get my brain to sort itself out. None of it seemed too outlandish – at least, not in this day and age. So I opted for more questioning. "So what am I supposed to do now? I... I need to get home." Looking at the window, I could see that it had gotten dark. "I need to get back to my grandparents! They're probably worried and I need to get dinner ready – "
"Natasha?" Thor questioned, looking at the chilled-out redhead.
"He didn't follow you guys," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "He clearly knows how to use a cell phone though. When I followed him he made a couple of phone calls, one of which I heard him say he lost the three of you. He clearly doesn't know where to find any of you just yet. He seemed very unhappy that you two decided to be there, though. My suggestion is Alexis be escorted home. We'll continue tailing him to see what he's trying to play while she stays put where he doesn't know how to find her."
"Whoa, I can not just stay at home!" I objected, growing slightly angry. "I have school and a job! I literally can't afford to just sit at home and hope you three find the guy. I have my grandparents to take care of!"
"Hmm, that does seem problematic..." Thor said, mostly to himself as he looked away as if in thought.
"I'll escort you home," Natasha said. "Neither of us have magic so he won't be able to sense us."
"But what about – "
"We'll exchange phone numbers," the red-head said, two steps ahead of me. "Whenever you have to go to school or work, just contact one of us and we can escort you. We'll keep a safe distance to keep from interfering with your work and studies."
"Um, I don't think so!" I said vehemently, jumping to my feet and walking to the bathroom. Slamming the door behind me, I continued loudly as I shrugged off the robe and pulled on my still-heavily damp clothes. "I don't need some bodyguards. I don't even think the guy is after me. I'm just a loner homebody with a menial job and average grades. I'm not worth the interest of some god."
"Alexis, please," I heard Thor's voice call pleadingly through the door. He sounded sincerely worried.
Finally pulling on my soaked boots, I stomped to the bathroom door and threw it open, almost glaring at the three people who had all-but abducted me. They clearly did not want to leave the issue alone, so I decided to comply – kind of. "Fine. If that's what it takes to get away from you guys and go home."
…
After exchanging numbers with the three, I remained silent as Natasha called a cab and took me home. I gave her the address to one street over from my house as a precaution, and hoped none of them figured out that I had given them all a fake number.
I didn't need this kind of shit in my life.
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