Part Four: Glory and Gore

I scrabbled about at the mouth of the tunnel, looking up into the dark shaft, wondering if I could crawl my way out. Needless to say, I was breathless with panic. Loki had upped and left, gotten to god only knows where, and all I knew was that I needed to find him and preferably trap him under a pile of blankets until all of this blew over.

You sicken me you know that?

And yet. The hypercube was here, I thought, turning around to the lab. Sure there was a few feet of solid steel walls and an impregnable security system standing between me and it, but at least I knew for certain where it was. And just how powerful it was. I fancied I could feel it radiating a kind of energy I'd never felt before, like a seismic tremor, but barely perceptible. Before anyone in a suit and die decided to duck down into the lab again, I sucked in a breath, rolled up my pants and forced myself to crawl up the tunnel, bare knees against the cold metal sides. I used to love going back up the playground slides like this, when I was a kid. But I was lighter and quicker, and now, as a fully grown woman, I found my knees could only just take the brunt of it. Gritting my teeth and praying that nobody would come sliding down from above, I made my way up until my head bumped against something hard. Spitting and puffing at loose strands of hair near my mouth, I steadied myself and felt around with one palm. There was no latch, but if I pushed hard enough, I could see a sliver of the lamp lit street outside. Nearly ready to weep and collapse, I crawled out into the bush and extricated myself from the twigs and leaves. The night air was an immense relief and I staggered to the truck. Hastily pulling at the breaks, I rolled the car out a block or so and then got in and turned on the engine.

Back home it was quiet. Eerily quiet. And the emptiness of the house was palpable.

I dropped my keys in the bowl, without bothering to shut the front door and went out the back. Empty.

The Chitauri had taken off as well.

An inexplicable rage seized me and I screamed up at the trees, "You son of a bitch where are you?"

The leaves only rustled in response and I was left to sit on the steps, alone, rubbing my face over and over, trying to understand what it was I had to do.

Nothing. You do nothing. You are n-

I wondered how long intrusive thoughts had been plaguing me like that. And I hated Loki for leaving me alone again. I hated to admit that he had moved in and taken over my life and filled up something that was missing. I hated to admit that even though he was a slave driver and possibly deranged he had made me feel, well, real. I hated that now that he was gone I would go back to being a machine, living from one day to the next, because what else is there?

For you? Nothing.

Get out.

I'm just saying, somebody with your self esteem? Looks pretty bleak to me.

Liar.

Oh come on, it's what you believe and you know it.

No. No. No.

Come off it.

No, I'm done. I'm done with you. With this part. I'm done.

You can't be done, moron. I am you, remember?

Liar. You're pulling me down. That's all you've ever done.

I keep you grounded.

You keep me scared. I'm done. I will never stand for your crap again. Ever. Do you hear me?

"Do you?" I said aloud to the silent back yard and the trees stood unperturbed in the distance.

"Do you," I repeated, as if tasting the words for the first time.

There.

That was it.

It was gone.

"McAllister!" Delacroix barked from his office.

"Yessir?"

"Hurry up with that inventory, we haven't got all day!" He was combing through his moustache in the small circular mirror on his desk. Bit of an odd place for a mirror but the workers tended not to cross question the boss on his life choices. I ticked off boxes and scribbled in numbers as he adjusted his bow tie.

"All done, sir," I called, snapping the clipboard down on his table.

"Excellent, excellent. Top work. You've been doing very well this week, McAllister."

"Uh, Mr Delacroix," I said pointing at his hair.

He grunted and smoothed down a cowlick before turning to me again, "Scooter's birthday, McAllister," he paused.

"Twenty-nine," I commented without really knowing what to say, "good year, sir."

"Aye, between you and me I never really liked the lad, but who's gonna turn down free drinks at O'Malley's?"

I smirked at him as though we were sharing a private joke.

"You are coming, aren't you, kid?"

I nodded quickly.

"Not like you've got any other plans eh," he said genially, slapping me n the back and then sashaying out into the foyer.

I watched him going thinking, "Oh, no not really, just happen to be waiting for the return of an almighty trickster and his alien army buddies, and probably applying my less-than-adequate mortal brain to protecting my almight trickster from harm, oh and also something about stealing an immensely dangerous and valuable piece of weaponry right out from under some secret service's nose, but sure, I'll have a brewski with the boys before I go."

Smiling to myself, I climbed into my truck at six-forty-five and followed a line of cars out on the pine-flanked road as Scooter Pince led the way to a South Dutton bar. O'Malley's was, after all, a hop skip and jump from Palace Street.

HELLO LOVES. So so sorry I haven't updated in months. This makes me a huge butt. However, you guys are still reading and that makes you the opposite of a butt. Thank you for sticking with Loki and Paton so far. Tell me what you think of part 4! More actiony stuff coming up!