Queen of Asgard (NaNoWriMo2018, Completed!)

16: Loki Returns

"It's not for everyone," Amanda said, eyes dropping slowly back to her cell phone. If my calculations were right, this was a new record. Not looking up she continued. "Are you training with Sif today?"

"Is the sky blue?" Melinda snorted from her side of the table. "Suzume has been training since the day she got here. I'm sure Sif has to pry her away from the gym." I saw Elise crack a smile beside me and it mirrored on my own face.

"Hey, in my line of work, i have to be in shape. I have to compensate a bit for my lack of testosterone."

"What's that like though? Working in such a boys club? I mean, higher education has a lot of male professors too but it's not like law enforcement."

"At first it was awful," I admitted, recalling  how interactions with most of my fellow officers went from awkward to straight out condescending and sexist. "But after the Dunkin Donuts incident, most of them came around. Started treating me like I belonged." Some of them, like Officer Harris and Morgan were still pricks but every profession had some.

"Dukin Donuts incident?" Melinda asked with a gleam in her eye.

"It was my day off and Matthew, my partner and I were getting breakfast together and two guys  showed up and tried to rob the place."

Melinda burst out laughing. "Cops stopping a robbery in a donut shop? That's unbelievable!" She slammed her palms down on the table, eyes streaming with mirth and I smirked.

"Oh it happened, I still have the scar."

"What?" Elise smile vanished. "You were shot?"

"No. One of the guys threw a blender and Matthew and I knocked him out of the way. The thing cut me open a bit though," I lifted my tank top so they could see the tiny scar on my right side. "See?" I let go of my shirt and let it drop. "I love telling that story but it's too bad I can't wear crop tops anymore."

"Oh fuck that," Melinda said, "scars are sexy and with all the work outs you do, you gotta show off the results a little, know what I mean?"

I laughed. "I was kidding you know. I don't mind the scar, if anything it's a great conversation starter."

"That's the spirit!" Melinda said, once again speaking as though she was a football field away. It still gave me headaches, but I liked her enough now that it bothered me less.

"Melinda, I'm a foot from you."

She blushed. "Right sorry, sometimes I don't realize I'm doing it."

"It's alright, besides, I'll always be able to find you in a crowded room." I polished off the last of my toast. "I've gotta go, Sif is waiting for me."

"I should get going too," Elise said, "Fulla and I start training today as well." She looked less than excited about the prospect and I felt a pang of sympathy for her. While she certainly looked fit, I was sure that learning to fight was far out of her comfort zone. I wanted to say something to comfort her, but no idea where to start as I didn't want to come off as condescending or make her even more anxious.

"I'll see you two later," I said with a slight wave of my hand as I walked out of the dinning room, ready to meet Sif and start the rendition of Sif kicking my ass for half the day but to my surprise, she was already waiting for me and she wasn't alone.

Loki was at her side. I'd only seen the shapeshifting man once, but he'd made quite an impression. His curly brown hair was carelessly messy atop his head and his dark blue eyes gleamed when he saw me.

"I told you we'd see each other again." He said as I approached, arms crossed as I wondered why he'd shown up at all. Sif certainly didn't look too happy to see him.