Guys, I'm back!! FINALLY. I'm so sorry for leaving you for a week, but I got ridiculously busy, plus I got sick. I'm fine now (mostly), and I hope you like the chapter!
AGE OF ULTRON WAS AMAAAAAZING. Whoo.
~Music~
burning gold (Christina Perri)
(I also listened to Les Miserables while writing this. Mostly "Paris/Look Down". )
~Edit~
Moi
Chapter Twenty-Seven
~Nobody's POV~
When Thea walks out of the bathroom about twenty minutes later, Videl clearly wants to ask her something, but Angelique's glare is enough to shut up him. Instead, he lounges on the same bed as before, while Angelique and Thea sit down at the table and chairs next to the bay window. Angelique had brought back sandwiches for herself and Thea, and the two girls begin to unwrap the food.
"All right," says Videl, "Let's get this done with now, because I'm starving. Did you know it's dreadfully rude to eat in front of people?"
Angelique ignores his smart mouth, "Fine then. I want to know what's going on. Not from you," she points at Thea, who is clumsily trying to eat her sandwich with her broken wrist- she eventually switches over to her other hand, "But from you," Angelique points more vehemently in Videl's direction.
"Well first of all," says Videl, looking at Angelique shrewdly, "You can't be a snitch, or else I might have to kill you."
"I'm not going to tell anyone," says Angelique, taking a sip from the water bottle she had brought, "But I want to hear what's going on."
"Ask her," says Videl crankily, nodding towards Thea, "It's her fault we're tangled up in this."
Thea doesn't say anything, but looks out the window. Her eyes are veiled and distant, and she shifts. Angelique notices for the first time that her lip is bleeding; Thea had been biting it, probably to keep in the pain she is feeling in her wrist.
"We need to get her to a doctor, seriously," says Angelique, looking at Thea and putting her her arm around the younger girl's shoulders, "That's got to hurt."
"Of course it hurts," says Videl, "It was snapped by her deranged father who also just tried to kill her."
Thea bursts into tears, covering her face with her hands.
"Videl!" exclaims Angelique, wrapping both of her arms around Thea, "Really?!"
"Yes really," says Videl, over Thea's sobs, "There's no need to be sentimental, really. I warned you, Thea, I warned you back when you were in Asgard, that Loki is a psychotic-"
Thea's ruby dagger lands inches from Videl's head, sticking into the headboard viciously.
"Okay, okay, okay, calm down," says Angelique hurriedly to Thea, "I know he's a bigheaded ass, but-"
"I prefer perfectly proportioned Adonis, but that's just me."
"-But we need to at least put off crucifying him until he updates me on all that has happened," Angelique fixes some of the loose, short strands of Thea's hair, which is a darker blonde than normal.
"Have I ever mentioned that Loki also tried to crucify me?" Videl asks, "It wasn't very nice of him."
Thea looks up at him, and although her face is smeared with tears, her eyes are burning with loathing.
"Just talk, Videl," says Angelique, "Catch me up, and then get out and go about sucking out the life of a squirrel or something."
"Squirrels are annoying, rodent creatures. I-"
"Talk now."
Videl sneers, "Fine. What do you know?"
"I know that Thea was kidnapped, probably to Asgard, and then you took her away. And that Loki is her father." Angelique glances at Thea, hoping that this information wouldn't bring a new onset of tears, but thankfully, Thea remains silent, although she slouches miserably. Angelique hurries on, "And you're a Velah. I also know that Ardhigiza and Asgard are at odds with one another right now, and that Neidra and Fjodr have become a power couple, trying to manipulate Asgardians into rebellion."
"Well you're wrong there," says Videl, "It's not Fjodr whom Neidra seems to be attached to. It's Loki."
Angelique frowns, "But Fandral and Sif went to her house, and a servant said that Neidra's lover had a black-haired daughter."
"I don't know if you know much about genetics, but if Loki is Thea's father, chances are that she has black hair."
"I'm looking at her right now. It's dirty-blonde."
"Yes, it is dirty. It's also cropped so that she looks like a boy. But apparently, you're observation skills are obsolete, because during the struggle with Loki, Thea's hair turned black. I assume that it's true color. Right, Thea?"
Thea nods, but refuses to look at him. She instead stares at the wall, eating her sandwich in small bites.
"So Loki must have changed it black before going to Neidra's house with her," says Videl, "That way, people would think that Neidra is with Fjodr. Apparently, his guise worked."
"How long was she at Neidra's?" asks Angelique, "And why would Loki take her there in the first place?"
"A day or so," says Videl, "And I haven't the slightest idea. Thea?"
She shakes her head, and doesn't say a word. She subconsciously rubs her thigh, where Neidra's whip had cut her.
"Well," says Videl, rolling his eyes, "Apparently, we don't know why. But we do know that Neidra doesn't like Thea very much."
"And we know that because...?"
"Well," says Videl dryly, "I doubt whipping someone is a sign of affection, but maybe that's just me."
Angelique jerks her head to Thea, who has bitten her lip again so that beads of blood form on her. "What?"
"I don't suggest bringing Neidra up to Thea," says Videl, "Apparently, it's a touchy subject."
"Oh Thea," says Angelique mournfully. "I'm so-"
"Stop saying sorry to her," says Videl, inspecting the ruby dagger, and then yanking it from the headboard, "Maybe now, she'll grow up a little."
Thea grits her teeth.
Angelique steers the conversation away, although arguably, into more dangerous waters, "Okay, fine. But what about that necklace? And... Loki is supposed to be dead."
"I'll let Thea explain that bit," says Videl, "I'm not completely clear on that either."
"Would you mind telling me?" asks Angelique to Thea, "Just so I can understand what's happening."
"Of course she doesn't mind," says Videl, "It's-"
"If you say another word," seethes Angelique, "I'll stake your heart."
"Ooh, I'm scared," taunts Videl, "Especially because a stake to my heart won't kill me."
"You can have my dagger," says Thea dully, "That'll kill him."
Videl rolls his eyes, "Thank you, Thea. I'm the one that saved you, but please, go ahead and conspire towards my death."
"Lifolas saved me," says Thea.
He peers at her, "I wasn't talking about from Neidra's place. And in my defense, I couldn't get there because your little friends locked me up, blaming me for kidnapping you when I was actually quite innocent. Funny how the world works, isn't it?"
"It's-"
"And by the way, stop biting your lip. I've already mentioned that I'm starving, and your blood isn't helping anything."
Thea flushes, and Angelique squeezes her arm. The younger girl takes a deep breath, and then says to Angelique, "Loki made a spell with Myrinea- she's a prophetess. Once it started working, nobody would remember him, and think he died in a rebellion a long time ago. He made the spell for everyone but me, I don't know why. My necklace lets him know that I'm alive. But Myrinea also made the spell useless to Videl, so Videl knew about Loki from the beginning. I don't know why she had to pick him, though."
"Because," says Videl, "Nobody would guess that I would be helping you."
"Then why are you helping her?" asks Angelique.
Videl twirls the ruby dagger in his long, ring-studded fingers, "I have my reasons."
"You're making Thea tell everything. I suggest you do the same."
"And I suggest you change the subject before I suck out your blood."
Angelique purses her lips and then looks back at Thea, "Why didn't you tell anyone?"
"Because," says Thea, "Loki made it so that I couldn't say a word about his existence. I literally couldn't even say his name. But I can when he's nearby, and we're alone. Or if Videl is there because he's in the spell. And probably you now too, because he showed himself to you in his true form."
"Ah," says Angelique, and then drums her fingers on the table before saying, "Was this the first time you met Loki? When he kidnapped you?"
Videl scoffs. Angelique ignores him.
"No," says Thea softly, "I've known him since last December."
Angelique blinks, "How?"
"He was with us on the Imeldi mission," says Thea, "And Ardhigiza."
"That's impossible," says Angelique faintly.
"It's not if you're one of the most powerful sorcerers in the universe," says Videl, "He is erased from the memory of every single person, except for Thea and myself. And you, apparently."
"And Neidra and Caomh," says Thea.
"Who's Caomh?" asks Videl and Angelique at the same time.
"Neidra's son," says Thea.
"Ah, wonderful, there's a mini Neidra," says Videl, "Just what we need."
"Have I ever met Loki?" asks Angelique, "I mean, if he's erased himself from-"
"No," says Thea, "I don't think so."
"When did you know he is your father?" asks Angelique, who is stalling asking the most important, yet most touchy, question she has.
"In September," says Thea.
"So two months," says Angelique.
"Yeah."
"By the way," says Angelique, "Who is Lifolas? You mentioned him earlier."
Thea looks down at her lap, her face contorting with the strain of keeping away her tears.
Videl answers, his voice no longer mocking. Now, his tone is tired, "Lifolas was a Velah. I asked him to rescue Thea from Neidra's mansion, because I couldn't get out of Stark Tower. Neidra killed him, I suppose, but Lify managed to get Thea to San Francisco."
"Oh," says Angelique, "I'm sorry."
Videl shrugs, then goes about carving designs on the wooden headboard with Thea's dagger.
Angelique clears her throat, "Er, Thea, how well did you and Loki get along?"
Videl scoffs again, "Do you really want to go into that right now?"
"I was asking Thea," snaps Angelique.
Videl raises his hands defensively.
"It depended," says Thea in a tiny voice, "We used to hate each other, most of the time. I thought he was mean and bossy-"
"And scary," adds in Videl, "Don't pretend you were never scared of him."
"I'm not."
Videl closes his mouth.
"And I guess he thought I was stupidly rash and sneaky and temperamental."
"Not much has changed, has it?" asks Videl.
Angelique glares, but Thea pretends not to hear him, and continues talking, "But...he was the first person who understood me after the Imeldi attacked me. He...he...helped me, and saved my life more times than I can count. When...when Leah died, he was the first person who could comfort me, before I turned away from him. But when...I was sent to Asgard three or four months ago, because I was...upset about Leah, I don't remember when, and he was the only person who understood me. He helped me, he saved me. He..." Thea's voice wobbles, "He said he loved me."
"Liars play on what their victims crave the most," says Videl.
"Okay," says Angelique in a loud voice, "Videl, get out. You're not helping us any. Thea can finish talking with me, and you can go get food, because you keep whining about how hungry you are. You're being an ass to Thea. She doesn't need any of your taunting right now. So just get out. Now."
Videl looks at Angelique sullenly, but there is something like a spark in his eyes. Then, he peels himself off the bed, throws the dagger back to Thea (it misses her by inches), and walks out the room, slamming the door behind him.
Angelique turns back to Thea, "I'm sorry. But he was just annoying me out of my mind." Angelique hugs Thea, "Okay, so Loki really did care about you, I think he really did. You think he did too, right?"
Thea nods, and says, her voice trembling, "He had a nightmare about me dying, and woke up terrified."
Something in Angelique's heart breaks a little for Thea, but knowing she has to be strong, Angelique continues, "Then what happened? Why did he...er...act like he did? And you said something about his eyes."
Thea sniffs, "Neidra put a spell on him to kill me. That wasn't really Loki, well it was, but he didn't have control over his brain, or what he did. His eyes were silver, like Neidra's, but my fath-Loki has green eyes."
"Just like you," says Angelique quietly.
"Yeah," says Thea, "Just like me."
*
~Thea's POV~
Angelique and I talk a little longer, mostly about how Neidra is wanting to kill both Loki and me for some reason, but Angelique seems to have all the information she needs, and doesn't want to push me to keep talking. But actually, talking about Loki had helped. It had been like my chest felt a little lighter.
She also catches me up on everyone back in New York. As I had suspected, they're going berserk with worry, but are exploring all possibilities. Angelique thinks that the note is a good idea. When I ask her about Jack, she says, "He's okay. He locked himself in his room for the first couple days, but recently, he's been adamantly doing anything to help."
This information makes me feel a little bit better.
Angelique wants to take me to the doctor, but she says sadly, "Unfortunately, Videl has a point. We can't let you just talk to anyone right now, and if Videl is right about your Asgardian blood, then you'll probably get better soon. I can get some pain medicine for you when Videl comes-"
"Can I come with you?" I ask. "Videl could be gone for hours."
"Sure," says Angelique, "There's a CVS at the end of the street, if you're up for the walk."
The walk is about fifteen minutes, back up Main Street and the little shops, and across from the green where we had appeared. Angelique doesn't say much, but lets me be alone in my thoughts as we walk up the street. The church bells ring two o'clock, and the ringing is a beautiful, peaceful chime that echoes through the green.
"It's pretty here," I comment.
"It really is," says Angelique, "It's one of the reasons I picked here to go to college. The people are friendly, and the weather's never terrible. And Charlotte's just twenty minutes away, if I wanted a little bit of nightlife."
"Then why'd you go back to New York?" I ask, remembering that Angelique is only twenty.
Angelique shrugs, "SHIELD. I transferred to online classes. It gave me an opportunity to expand my career. I hated to leave Davidson, but I knew it was for the best. My parents were really encouraging about it."
"Your parents are probably wondering where you are," I say, "I'm sorry you got pulled into this."
"They'll be fine," says Angelique, although a little wave of sadness comes across her dark brown eyes, "And I don't mind. At least I can help you out, because Videl certainly doesn't seem to be doing anything."
"He did save my life," I say, "And took care of me when I was about half-sane."
"Have you ever wondered why he's actually helping you?"
"Yes," I say, "But there's no point in asking him." I don't mention that I don't pry Videl for his secrets when I haven't even been straight-forward with him either.
"Hm," says Angelique, "I wonder what he's up to right now."
"Probably sucking the blood of someone's house cat," I say as we pass a Ben and Jerry's. For some reason, I really want ice cream, but I don't want Angelique to have to pay for it. She'll already have to pay for my pain meds, seeing as Videl isn't here to steal for us.
"Yeah, or probably whining to someone about his hair."
I laugh, despite myself, "How do you know he's vain about his hair?"
Angelique laughs too, "Because boys with an ego are always vain about their appearance, you mark my word."
"Or boys who think they're God's gift to everything, and think they're incredibly handsome," I smirk.
She grins as we cross the street towards the CVS pharmacy, which is housed in a surprisingly large brick building. "That too."
In the CVS, Angelique and I take our time as we look around the store. Angelique snatches up a couple different pain medications after consulting a pharmacist in the back, but before we check out, we pass the cosmetic section. I forlornly look at all the hair products that I could have used when my hair was long.
Angelique notices my look, and says cheerfully, "You can still do plenty with your hair when it's short." She picks up a purple fabric headband with a white flower on the side and, sliding the tag around to the end, fixes it at the top of my head. She also runs her fingers through the ends of my hair, which are curling slightly. I recall how Loki's hair got slightly wavy when it got longer, and try to push the memory away. "You look great. I'm getting it."
"What? No way, you're already getting me the pain medicine, and earlier, you-"
"Shush, shush," says Angelique, putting her finger to my lips, taking the headband from my hair and putting it around her wrist like a bracelet, "And grab me that brush too, while you're at it. The little, blue one at the bottom."
"No," I say, "I-"
"Who said the brush is for you?" asks Angelique, "It's for me. Your hair is short enough that you can just run your fingers through it."
I know that she's lying, but I've also known Angelique long enough to at least know that she's just as stubborn as I am.
"Ooh, these are cute," says Angelique, also picking up a couple hairclips, "Do you like the flowers or the hearts better?"
I give in, "The flowers."
"Me too," says Angelique. She steers me towards the cash register, which is home to a bunch of celebrity magazines, assorted candy, and also the photo section of the store.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know that we were opening a beauty salon," says Videl's voice. I hadn't even known he was here.
Angelique, like me, doesn't turn around, but does say to me in a bright, fake voice as she pays, "I'm sorry, Thea, did you hear something? Because the only thing I can hear is a really annoying fly buzzing in my ear."
"Same," I say, keeping in my smile, "Weird insect behavior these days."
"Oh great," says Videl, "You two are ganging up on me now. Yippee."
"Your boyfriend's cute," says the cashier, an elderly woman with salt-and-pepper hair and a knowing smile.
Angelique couldn't have looked more horrified than if the woman had transformed into a snake, "Oh dear Lord, he's not my boyfriend."
"She's right," says Videl, "She doesn't deserve me."
I kick backwards, and apparently manage to hit Videl's shin, based on the curse word he lets out.
"Well, then he thinks you're cute," says the cashier, "Because he won't stop staring at your little behind."
Angelique whirls on Videl, who says, "It's not my fault you won't look at me. Where else am I supposed to look?"
"At the ground," says Angelique, smacking his arm, but I'm surprised that her cheeks are flushed.
"Not my style," says Videl. He is smirking at her openly. His eyes are not quite so strained, so the hunt must have gone well. It also probably explains why he's not as cranky right now.
"Pervert," I say to him.
Videl makes a face at me.
"Well, then your little sister has quite the temper," says the woman, handing the receipt to Angelique, "If that is your little sister, that is."
"That," says Angelique, "I can accept."