Angstober 2023 Day 7: Attacked
Whumptober 2023 Day 4: "You in there?"
I See the Danger
The lighthearted atmosphere was soon abolished with a loud, harrowing metal bang from the ceiling. Sylvie immediately drew her short sword and sent a piercing glare toward Boastful Loki. Mobius and Loki startled from their slumber on the couch, both on sudden high alert.
"Friends of yours?" she spat, moving toward the ladder.
She was stopped by the elder Loki throwing his arm out in front of her. His gaze fixed on the porthole above. Everyone was deathly silent.
"You in there?" a muffled yet eerily familiar voice hollered, another loud bang echoing through the space.
"It is them," he half-whispered.
"And you can thank your friend for that," Sylvie hissed, pointing her blade at the one she accused. "We're fish in a barrel here because of this rot."
The broad-shouldered viking god puffed out his chest and tightened his grip on the makeshift hammer, staring her down. "Would you like to say that to my face, little kitten?"
Sylvie squared up with him, unwavered by their physical differences. The elder interrupted the stand off with a flourish of his cape between them.
"Stand down! We're safe here. No one can break my magic," Elder Loki assured, eying the ceiling. "They will not get in, and we do not need to fight amongst ourselves. We don't know for certain how they discovered us."
Sylvie scoffed. "Keeping the one who stabs you in the back around is foolish. You all should know that!"
"How are you certain they can't override your magic?" Loki questioned, interrupting Sylvie's rant.
She could detect a hint of fear within his voice. He still looked unwell, and Mobius' face was still quite swollen, too. They were screwed.
"We all have agency of our own magic," Elder Loki said, "and we all use it differently than another. I spent my entire life perfecting my craft. Trust me when I say they cannot get through unless I allow it."
"It's true," Child Loki assured. "I trust his magic abilities over anyone else's."
Loki seemed satisfied, but Sylvie wasn't. "Great. We're still trapped, supplies are scarce at best I'm sure, and two of ours are down. So unless you are comfortable resorting to having reptile for supper, I suggest we ditch this flytrap now and seek refuge to recoup somewhere else."
"We'll go out the back," the child said urgently, collecting the alligator from the pool along with his backpack. "I know of another undisclosed safe house. Come on!"
The child was grabbed by the Boastful one, opting Sylvie to rest her blade right against his own throat. Everyone was on guard in an instant.
"What is the meaning of this?" Elder Loki shouted, clearly quite angry.
"Pardon me, Your Highness, but you are not going anywhere," Boastful Loki said, holding the child firmly on the back of his neck. "And neither are any of you. So I suggest you let our guests in before things go sour."
"Over my dead body, you rat!" Sylvie snarled. "Let him go."