The Dark Within Us || Loki Laufeyson

14 ~ Home

~

The ground felt wet. I tried to open my eyes, but decided against it after blinking twice. Beside the bright light, the noise around me was deafening.

A thump against my side.
I groaned.

"Hello?"

"Hey, don't-"
Another thump.
"Ned! Dude, stop!"

I let my eyes slowly adjust to the light. My hands skimmed the ground beneath me, making me realise I was laying on grass. In the middle of a downpour.

"She's moving."
The first voice hissed. A face slowly began to melt together above me, eventually forming a brown face with the same colour hair. Rain was dripping down from his face onto mine. His eyes widened.

"Shit, shit, shit—she's alive."
He stumbled back, caught by another person.

Trees, picnic tables and lanterns next to gravel paths leading through grass.

Earth. I was back on Midgard.

I immediately turned over and pushed myself up from the wet, muddy ground.
"Where can I find the Avengers?"

A pale young boy with a black umbrella now stared back at a me, together with what seemed like his friend. An identical frown painted their—what I assumed to be—13 or 14 year old faces.

"The Avengers."
I repeated.
"Where can I find them?"

"Hey Pete, what the heck is she wearing?"
The boy who woke me up whispered, receiving a slap from his friend.

"But don't you want some dry clothes? I-I live right over next to the park, I can help!"
The second boy offered, nervously fiddling with the straps of his red backpack.

I shook my head, pulling my soaked dress closer to my body.
"The Avengers. Tony Stark, Captain America?"

"Do you... Do you know how you got here? Does anyone know where you are? Maybe I should call-"

"Where?!"

Startled by my outburst, he hastily pointed a finger towards my left. So I turned around, following his hand with my eyes. Then I simply started walking, the thin soles of my sandals barely having grip on the wet grass. When I reached the path, I heard the second boy call for me again.

"Are you sure you're okay, miss?"

~

The clouds had turned even darker than I thought they could. The beautiful way Kyr had put my hair up had now fallen into loose, wet strands in front of my face and the thin layers of my outfit were sticking to my sides. I was cold, miserable and probably getting sick. But I had to keep going.

My mind jumped between Asgard, the Avengers and all the potential threats around me; and my brain couldn't decide which was more important.

The streets of Manhattan were mostly empty, just like when I arrived there the first time. The only people there, were carrying umbrella's, calling cabs or hurrying home as quickly as possible.

And then the big, flashy A popped up above me. The door was locked this time, humouring me a bit. Stark had learnt from his mistakes after all.