The Misadventures of Loki and Strange

Chapter 11

"That's a Reaper," Loki stared in near awe at the being, "an actual Reaper, such a rare sight to catch for yourself."

"Why do you sound impressed?"

"Because I am, near excited actually, it's not everyday you get to see a Reaper."

"From what I've heard, you should be regular acquaintances."

Loki smirked at him, lifting one shoulder in a half shrug.

"Exactly, should be."

"Whatever," Stephen sighed, "what matters now is the fact that it's obviously not here for you, once again to everyone's disappointment."

"How scathing," Loki chuckled, "but you're right, the great morons have played perhaps once too often."

Stephen looked down the corridor to the door that was being pounded on by their captives, the screams quietening down as their voices had started to go hoarse.

"This just became a race against time."

"My favourite," Loki rolled his eyes a little. "So, you find our wandering spirit and I'll control the idiots, we'll meet in their obvious hiding spot."

"The master bedroom?"

"The master bedroom."

The two sorcerers shared a look before Loki disappeared, leaving Strange alone in the corridor.

Strange scanned the corridor, looking for a visual of the reaper but seeing nothing.

His lips pressed into a thin line as his brows furrowed.

The thing moved fast and he needed to decipher how it moved, whether it could only move through wall or if it could blip in and out where it needed to be, and where the soul it was searching for was.

"I hope Loki can keep them under control."

------

"Okay, everyone," Loki called out with all the authority of a school master.

Not that it stopped anyone from screaming and trying to open the doors, windows and even the walls in their blind panic.

He'd already stopped his poltergeist activity and let everything settle back into place, hoping that they would settle along with the items surrounding them but it seemed as though their fear had taken over logic further than he had anticipated.

As much as he was tempted to let them scream and fret for a little longer, his chaotic nature finding the scene just a little amusing as it was at his own expense, Loki knew that if he didn't get them out and get them out fast that they were in danger worse than any threat he could have posed.

He didn't want any of their annoying, whining souls, that is something the reaper could deal with.

Loki made another attempt to gain their attention with another call of; "Everyone,", only this time a little louder than before.

They still ignored him, though their screams calmed a little and they instead huddled together while the two supposed professionals whispered between one another, him crying as he clung to her.

Loki was waiting for the fear induced confessions to start spewing for them to regret later, something he'd love to be on the fly on the wall before were the situation not so dire.

"Will you listen?!" He finally yelled.

Everyone paused and eyes turned to him as he cleared his throat and acted as if he hadn't just raised his voice in such an undignified manner.

"Thank you," Loki said calmly, adjusting the sleeve of his disguise outfit, "now that I have your attention, I must ask you all to follow me as calmly as you can."

"Why should we listen to you?"

His eyes darted to one of the chattier group members, one with an irritatingly nasal voice and a hideous pink and yellow coat.

"As much as I'd love to tell you the morbid details, I feel you wouldn't take well to the facts, so let us just settle on 'it's for the best' and go along without argument, hm?"

"You ain't our guide," one of her friends argued back, looking like he believed he could take the God down with a single punch, judging by the way he was holding his arms out like a bird puffing out its wings.

"No, I 'ain't'," Loki parroted, "if I were then this wouldn't be such a sorry excuse of a ghost tour but as it stands, you could all very much become the real ghosts of this place if you don't leave."

"Is that a threat?"

The man, sporting some rather distasteful and not too artistically finished tattoos stepped forward, his hands clenched into fists so tightly that Loki wondered if perhaps that was their natural position.

"If it were, you wouldn't be standing there as we speak, it's merely a warning to the current state of affairs if I don't get you out of here."

He was trying his best to keep his cool and not take this man's attitude personally, it was most likely a reaction to the adrenaline and fear that had been stored in his barely there muscles that he appeared to be flexing out in an attempt to appear bigger.

It seemed as though this man needed a relief from that tension and Loki didn't fancy the chances of it being his face that received that outlet.

Especially with how the man grabbed the lapel to his jacket and pulled his forward, teeth gritted as his eyes glared into Loki's.

"The only state of affairs I see if you tryin' to take charge and ruin our fun."

Loki merely sighed and let his head turn to the side while he mentally weighed out his options.

He could either use force and make this a complete overhaul of the tour or he could attempt to continue trying to placate things with linguistics this animal clearly didn't understand.

It didn't take long to come to the right decision.

He just hoped that Strange was having better luck than he was.