Merry Christmas. ;)
You scared?
You should be. >:)
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Chapter Fifty-Two
When the news was spread throughout the tower that Seline was joining the Avengers, everyone seemed fairly pleased with the news. Especially Jordan, seeing how he was the one that had been telling her that it was a good idea to save people instead of just kind of lingering like the two of them had for centuries. He was extremely excited, and proved it by bringing what could have been the most expensive bottle of wine she had ever seen.
"Jesus, even I wouldn't spend that much," Tony mumbled after Jordan told him the cost.
Funny that he would say that, considering how he was throwing her a damn party.
"Why are we even throwing this thing anyway? I don't need a party," Seline insisted, watching unhappily while the workers all ran about the rather extravagant hall that Tony had rented out. They decorated as they went, taking food trays and different drinks between tables while hanging special lights from the walls.
"Yes you do," Jacob told her from beside her.
Seline turned to look at him, and saw that he was smiling. His smile was contagious, and she soon found herself fighting her own.
She crossed her arms over her chest, sighing softly. "You really didn't need to make it so... Fancy," she said, saying the last word with a slight amount of disgust.
She didn't like that type of thing. She could barely handle it in Asgard, and now she had to deal with it on Earth too. It was nice of Tony to put in so much work - or rather, pay for other people to work on it - but she felt awkward that he would do such a thing. Especially since he had disliked her only a few weeks before. Now he suddenly wanted her to be a part of his team? The team he was so very protective over ever since Loki stormed New York.
"You deserve this, Seline," Jordan said, grinning down at her.
He was usually unbearably sarcastic, so it was just plain strange to see him smiling genuinely at her. But pleasing, nonetheless.
"How is this, Miss Volkov?" one of the workers asked, holding up banner that said her name over the top of the door frame. His cheeks were tinted pink, and she almost smirked at the way he was blushing at her.
She felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist from behind, and placed her hands over the cold ones of Loki.
"It'll do nicely," Loki said, and she looked back at him to see a rather dark and possessive look in his eyes.
The worker's eyes widened a little, and he finished hanging the banner before scurrying out of the room.
Seline turned and swatted his chest. "You terrified the poor man!"
Loki just smirked.
Jordan snickered from behind the bar, looking over at Jacob and Tony. "I ship it like FedEx."
Seline narrowed her eyes, snatching a pen from one of the worker's clipboards and throwing it at him like a dart. It would have gone straight through his eye if he hadn't grabbed it out of mid air, smirking at his dear friend.
"Come on now, Seline! No need to be violent," he said smugly, throwing the pen from one hand to the other.
"I will not hesitate to throw you off the roof."
"You already did that, remember? 1894, I believe?"
"Right. When you tried to murder a man who was attempting at courting Megan."
"Good times, good times," Jordan sighed contently, though Seline didn't miss the expression of pain that lingered in his eyes when she mentioned Megan's name.
A few hours later, everything was set up. Everyone else had gotten into dresses or suits, while Seline just opted to stay in her usual outfit of a long sleeved shirt, jeans, and her lovely leather jacket. She found Loki in the hallway, mumbling curses under his breath at his tie.
Seline couldn't help but laugh, and his head shot up to glare at her until he realized who it was. His expression relaxed, and he pouted a little. It was adorable.
"I'll help you," she said.
"I am a God!" he argued, narrowing his eyes at her. "I need no help from an Earthling."
She raised a brow at him, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the wall while he continued to struggle for another minute. Then he flung his hands up in exasperation and looked to her.
"This God may require help from an Earthling," he muttered, saying it rather quickly.
She grinned at tied it for him. When she pulled her hands away, he quickly grabbed them again and yanked her back to him with a smug expression. He gave her a chaste kiss, then continued to drag her down the hallway.
She was still surprised, but not enough to not notice how he was holding her hand a little tightly.
"Why are you still holding my hand?"
"Because we both are well aware that you would run the other way to avoid this party if I did not," he chuckled.
She only sighed, knowing full well that he was right.
With that, as they entered the room once again, drinks were soon poured and of course, Tony just had to make a speech.
"So I know that not all of us trusted you in the beginning, especially not me," he said, and a few people (including himself) chuckled awkwardly as he said this. "But I, of course, have changed my mind. You saved my life, Seline. And you saved Clint's too. You didn't have to do that, but you did. You were made to save people. You were made to change this world for the better, just like us," he said, and raised his champagne class. "And I know that you can help us do that."
Her cheeks began to redden, still unable to believe all that was really happening. She felt a new feeling deep within her heart now... These people would be her family now. Perhaps she would finally have one after all these years. Jacob, Jordan, and Megan had been the only ones that she really let in. Would these people be the ones that could make her feel alive again?
Loki kept one arm around her waist, holding her tight to him. Hours past until she told everyone that she was going outside for some fresh air, and Jacob followed after her a few minutes later. She went out onto the balcony, but could still see everyone, since that wall was mostly made of just glass.
"So, are you enjoying it?" he asked her, leaning on the railing the same way she was.
"Of course," she nodded, smiling and looking out at the city.
"You know, I don't think I've ever seen you smile like that before," he hummed.
"I'm smiling differently?"
"You're smiling like you're finally happy," he smiled down at her.
"That's about to change."
A familiar voice spoke from behind them, and Seline felt her stomach drop and her lungs constrict. A moment later, a hand gripped Jacob's shoulder and spun him around, only to have another hand send a knife straight into the middle of his chest.
"Jacob!" she shouted, lunging towards him, only to felt a blood-covered hand wrap around her neck.
Her eyes widened, and the hand tightened. She looked into the dark eyes of Malachai, who was not smiling like she would have expected him to be. He tightened his grip even more, his expression completely blank.
"Told you I would find you," he said calmly.
Then he sent her back against the glass wall, still holding her neck. The glass broke and splintered like a spider web, but did not fall all the way through.
"Seline!" she heard both Jordan and Loki shout, before she heard Jordan also say Jacob's name as well.
Malachai raised his opposite and free hand, and sent it palm-first at the glass. The glass shattered, and when it did, each person in the room was thrown back. It was like he had created a sonic wave that had knocked them unconscious. When she heard their steady breaths, but none of their attempts to get up, she knew it was true.
He kept his hand on her neck, but spun her around so that her spine was up against his chest. She was choking for air, as he gestured down to a struggling Jacob. He was holding the spot that he had been stabbed in, blood slipping past his lips. Then he turned her towards her now unconscious friends.
"This is what you've done, Seline," he growled. "This is what you have caused. This is me taking everything you love."
He suddenly leaned closer to her, his lips grazing along the curve of her ear while he whispered harshly.
"And you can't do a single thing about it."
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Yo that went from 0 to 100 reaaaaaal quick
Out of all of the villains I have created, Malachai is by far my favourite
Merry Christmas/Whatever you happen to celebrate :)