Home | Loki [Book Two]

Chapter Two

When Loki arrived back at Avengers Tower that afternoon, he told them that he was there to monitor Thor's progress with the mortals. In reality, he was going to find out if this X was the new ruler of Niflheim and kill him if he was. 

Thor kept trying to get Loki to participate in the Avenger's activities. Games, battles, and worst of all, movie night. He always declined, saying that he had some reading to catch up on. Loki would follow X and investigate other leads that Kathy found.

Eventually, Loki grew tired of chasing a shadow and teleported to Niflheim before X even left the tower. Sure enough, X appeared on the throne and began speaking to Hela again. In death, the goddess could not kill X and was forced to do whatever the cloaked ruler wished. 

Loki couldn't hear what X said, but Hela frowned and shook her head. 

"I can check," Loki heard her say, "but I don't think anything like that has ever been recorded. 

An icy voice seeped through the darkness as X slammed a hand down on the arm of the throne. "I have spent months searching for answers and have found nothing!"

"I am aware--" 

"Find something." The shadow faded into the darkness.

Loki spent the night formulating his plan. The only way to get the crown would be to kill X; negotiations didn't even cross his mind. By the time morning came around, he had an entire strategy devised down to the last second. 

"Brother!" Thor called from outside Loki's room in the morning. "We have another enemy base to destroy! Join us!"

"I have more pressing matters to attend to," he responded. 

"You have not been as social as you once were," Thor said and walked away.

Once the sound of his brother's footsteps stopped echoing down the hallway, Loki slipped out the door and up to the roof, hoping to find X somewhere. He searched the entire building, even the room where X lived, but still came up empty-handed. 

He'd gone to the Helipad without thinking; he froze when he saw the dried blood staining the concrete. But he sprang into action again when he noticed X sitting on the side of the Helipad. 

"You have something of mine," an illusion of him said on one side of the dark ruler. 

A sword materialized in X's hand and was thrown it into the wall beside the real, invisible Loki, who returned with half a dozen daggers. A fight ensued between the two, with knives, swords, and punches. X was on the defensive most of the time but still put up a good fight against the experienced Asgardian. 

With time, Loki disarmed and pinned X to the ground, making the dark hood fall away, 

"Delta?" Loki asked incredulously.

"I can explain," I said. 

Loki pulled me into his arms, pressing my head against his chest. "You're alive," he said.

"And you're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad? I have no reason to be."

"I was alive and didn't immediately tell you. You should be angry."

He laughed. "Delta, that's not how love works."

"The books think so."

"The books aren't always right, love." He tilted my chin towards him and pressed his lips to mine. 

"No one else knows I'm alive," I said when we broke apart. 

"I don't care," Loki said. "Let's go to the old coffee shop."