I said..." the golden stranger spat, "KNEEEEL!" he roared, banging his stick on the ground and creating a huge blue flash. All around me, people froze in place, and started... kneeling? Even the ones that didn't speak English kneeled obediently. Why...
This is what passes for a gala on Midgard? I was unimpressed. I leaned against the railing atop the balcony, a bored look on my face, as I scanned the crowd below. The museum was full of shallow, vapid, weak mortals, all dressed up in their meager finery. Except for one...
One foolish mortal child, I estimated about seventeen, had chosen to attend the gala in something even less impressive than the people around her. She had light brown hair with thin streaks of caramel that fell in messy, tight, frizzy waves below her shoulders, and strange amber eyes that explored the room with fearless curiosity, heedless of the stares from the mortals around her. They reminded me of Heimdall's eyes, but much duller and more boring. She, for reasons that I could not fathom, had made the decision to wear a pair of blue pants and shirt with a hood attached to it in a truly awful shade of pink.
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I looked past her, frowning. If I cared, I might have read her mind, but it was beneath me to concern myself with her worthless thoughts. She wasn't worth my time or the energy it took to break through their thin mental walls. My gaze traveled to my quarry: Heinrich Schafer, the man who's eye I needed so that the Hawk could steal the iridium I needed to power my machine. He was conversing with several other mortals in some Midgardian language, a pompous expression on his face that was unbefitting of someone like him. Because of the gift of Allspeak, which allowed me to understand every language in the Nine Realms, I could easily understand him, though his words were of little interest to me. As the strange music swelled from the stringed instruments held by musicians around the hall, I walked down the stairs. Strangely, I felt the mortal child's eyes on me as I descended the stairs. I brushed it off, reaching inside my suit for the instrument the Hawk had made.
As I walked toward the Midgardian, a man stepped in front of me with a suspicious look on his face. One look into his rather tiny mind told me that he had realized that I was not on the guest list. I simply swung my scepter-turned-staff with godly strength into his head. He flew backward and collapsed on the ground with a thud. Without a change in my expression, I continued toward my prey.
People shouted, and backed toward the walls. Some of them rushed toward the exit, and I let them. They wouldn't get far.
I raised the instrument and plunged it into Schafer's eye, ignoring his twitching and screaming. The crowds began to run for the exit, which greatly amused me. The tool Barton had given me lit up, and I pulled it out of the man's eye and started for the exit. As I walked, I summoned an illusion of my armor, and changed my scepter back to its original form. It would be easier for the Midgardians to accept their new ruler if I looked the part.
I continued down the steps, relishing in the fear on the mortals' faces. Soon they would all know my name. I cast several duplications of myself surrounding the crowd, each mirroring my own movements. The partiers all stopped in their tracks like the weaklings they were, looking around for an escape like a deer in the headlights.
"Kneel before me," I commanded, raising my scepter. I stared at them expectantly, but none of them obeyed. I caught one or two of them looking at me with impudent expressions, and made a mental note to teach them a lesson later. I refused to let my rage show on my face.
"I said," I snarled, "KNEEL!" I struck the ground with the scepter, creating a flash of blue light. All around me, mortals began to fall to their knees. One by one, they knelt. I began to smile triumphantly, until my eyes fell upon one single issue.
It was the girl in odd clothing, the one from before. She looked around frantically, her wild, tawny hair whipping around her face. Her golden-brown eyes widened when she confirmed that she was the only one left standing. I thought that would be the end of it, but no.
She lifted her head, and amidst some pathetic trembling, said softly but clearly, "No."
I blinked. "What?" I hissed, danger and disgust in my voice. How dare one of these ants refuse to submit to me!
The girl paled, and her trembling worsened. She pulled on the sleeves of her hooded shirt and stood straighter, blinking rapidly.
"I. Said. No." she squeaked. I narrowed my eyes.
Interesting. She has heart.
I swept towards her, getting close enough to read her mind, but I didn't stop there. I did force myself past her flimsy mental barriers, which took barely any effort, but I continued until I was nearly within arm's reach of the small mortal.
SHIT. I heard her think as I drew closer. Such language. I could hear that she wanted to run, to scream, to fight, but like the mouse she was, all she could do was freeze. Her eyes reminded me of frozen honey as they darted around for escape routes, flashing in the light from my scepter. They darkened with evident fear as they met mine. Good.
I love you, Catherine. That made me pause, but only for a moment. What did I care of mortal relationships? Then a burst of primal fear and helplessness radiated from her mind, making me smirk in triumph. I reached for her forehead, gathering my concentration.
I heard her think, What is he doing WHAT IS HE DOING- as my hand made contact with her forehead. I then performed a simple sleeping spell, to make it easier to transport. I had decided someone like her would be useful in my endeavors, if only for entertainment value.
She collapsed backward instantly, since she was already leaning as far back as she could go without falling over. Since there was no point in listening to the thoughts of a sleeping person, I extricated my mind from hers with slight relief, as if I had put down a heavy object I had not realized I was carrying. I caught her with a steady arm behind her back and easily hoisted her over my shoulder, her head lolling against my back. One last look at the cowering Midgardians revealed that they were all sufficiently horrified. One female, kneeling by a lamp post near where the girl had stood, glared at me with protective hate darkening her hazel eyes, which darted between me and the child. Her features were similar to those of the girl I had enchanted, but her hair was straight and a pale blonde. She looked older as well. A mother, perhaps? A sister? I leveled a piercing stare at her, and her eyes widened.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of a woman's voice over the loudspeaker. "Loki, drop the weapon and the girl and stand down."
I smirked up at the ship that was now hovering over the street nearby. "Tempting offer, but I like this one. I am sure I will see you soon, though." With that, I disappeared along with my duplicates.
A blast of heat struck the road where I had been standing a minute before, but I had already moved on. Of course, I didn't really disappear. Without the Tesseract, which I had left at the base, I could not teleport away. I simply used illusions to make myself invisible, then carried the surprisingly light Midgardian girl away with me. I took care to walk quietly, since, while I could disguise sound and touch, I was tired, and I simply did not feel like it at the moment. Once I had crossed the road, I removed my illusion and hurried away. The girl's head bounced against my shoulder, her messy curls tapping against my back lightly as I walked. Her slow, even breathing warmed my back where it touched, and her odd hooded shirt was surprisingly soft. I strode away, one thought overshadowing all others.
