Weakness | Loki [Book One]

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Delta!" Loki said when I teleported back. "Thank the gods. We need to go."

"Now, we can," I said. "I just had to take care of something first."

"Alright," he wrapped his arm around me and teleported to a hill near the base. "Would you do the honors, m'lady?" he handed me the trigger for the explosives. 

"With pleasure." I pressed down on the button and the base in front of us exploded straight into the sky in a mushroom cloud of fire. 

"What will you do now?" Loki asked a while later.

"What do you mean?"

"The current Hydra threat is gone, at least for a little while. You left the tower because of them."

"I don't know," I sighed. "Part of me wants to run and start over. The other part of me... doesn't."

"Hydra will follow you wherever you go. At least you have some protection here in New York."

"Alright," I said. "We should probably go back, then." We teleported back to Avengers Tower, where Stark was waiting with his arms crossed. 

"Against my better judgment, Delta," he said, "we have decided to make you an Avenger."

"Cool?" I half asked, half said. 

"Yes, cool. There are fifty-plus reporters in the press conference room waiting for you to get up there with the announcement. Let's go."

"Can I get food first?"

"No."

"Fine." I grudgingly said goodbye to Loki and followed Stark. 

When I walked in, the room erupted with voices. Questions flew at me from all directions and reporters pushed and shoved toward the stage to have their inquiries heard above the rest. Eventually, Stark motioned for everyone to settle down and individually picked a reporter to ask a question. 

"Who are you?"

"I've been wondering the same thing," I said. "Let me know if you figure out the answer. Next!"

"Why are you an Avenger?"

"Because I lost a bet with Stark."

"What are you bringing to the table that the--"

"Excuse me," I interrupted him, "I need to take this." My phone had started ringing in my pocket. I stepped away from the microphones and stood the to side while I answered. "What?"

"How's the conference going?" Loki asked. 

"I want to stab everyone," I said as I fended off a reporter that the security guards hadn't managed to keep back. 

"Don't get any blood on your clothes. I got us a dinner reservation in an hour."

"You're the best. 'Love you for enabling me."

"'Love you, too." He hung up.

"Sorry about that," I said once I was back at the microphones. For the record, I wasn't sorry at all. 

"Who was that?" someone asked. 

"Loki Laufeyson and Odinson, Prince of Asgard, rightful ruler of the Jotunheim, god of mischief and lies, and, in my personal opinion, a good friend."

There was silence for a moment until a young, naive reporter asked another question.

"Is he your suitor?" she asked.

"Probably." I feigned checking my phone. "Speaking of Loki, I have dinner in a few minutes, so I'll have to end this here. Farewell." A green shimmer surrounded me and I disappeared, leaving the infuriating reporters in my wake.