What Comes Next?

Chapter 7: Gods

The two men embraced in a Godly hug, pounding each other on the back. "This is incredible! Look friends, tis my brother Loki, God of Mischief! He keeps fooling me with the dying. It's all very convincing." The man thundered, addressing a odd crew including a green woman and a small rodent.

The man gestured at me, "And you have a girlfriend now! Whom likes to dress like you. Bit weird..but alright." He continued to beam as he looked around, his brow furrowing at the various Lokis that gathered around them. Several were misty eyed either at the emotional reunion or because this brother reminded them of their own lost brothers. The Loki with the hammer however, looked absolutely murderous.

The Prime chucked, "I have much to tell you brother. But first, come into my palace and let us feast to our victory." I turned to see the palace restored to it's grandeur before the battle, the gardens again blooming with flowers, but now there was no sign of the Asgardian citizens. All I saw of My Loki was a flash of his white shirt as he disappeared through the gathered chaos.

I exited the celebratory crowd, choosing to follow the trail of my own white rabbit. I momentarily lost him when a heavily scarred shirtless man and a tree creature stepped between us, arguing. I think they were arguing though the tree just kept repeating the same phrase...I stepped under the arm of the tree creature after several moments, finally breaking free of them and the splattered remains of the monster.

I passed the Oak we'd rested under, then the fountain I'd fought at, finally finding him hunched over a stone fence with his face in his heads.

I leaned on the fence beside him for a few minutes as his shoulders silently shook. "Do you want me to go?" I whispered gently.

"No. I would very much like you to stay." He dragged in a ragged breath, his eyes red rimmed and unfocused.

I laid my hand on his clenched fist. "May I try something?" I asked giving him a small smile.

His eyes sparkled as he narrowed them at me, "You're not going to hit me are you?"

I laughed and took a threatening step closer to him,"Would you like me to?"

He started to respond but bit back his retort when our eyes locked. A flush crept up his cheeks as he pulled at the neck of his tie. He squeaked out a sound, cleared his throat then tried again, "You..umm wanted to try something?"

"I'd like to try lots of things." I said, biting my lip. His mouth opened and closed a few times but no clever retort excaped for once. He stared at me in a daze for a moment, his face betraying his confusion at his own lack of words.

I smiled, resting my palms on either side of his face and he mimicked me. His long graceful fingers stroked my face and for a moment I could sense that he was considering stealing a kiss.

I shot him a stern look, receiving his instant obedience in return. I tapped into my power, accessing our first memories together and sending them to him as well as my feelings. I showed him my irritation at our first meeting and the overwhelming curiosity that soon followed. I showed him how I'd intentionally went easy on him so he could follow me through that first gate, how nervous I was at the thought of him not taking the bait. I let him feel the wonder I felt at his powers. I could feel him smiling as our foreheads came together.

We began to breath in rhythm as I reached deeper. I showed him the happy parts of my childhood that I remembered, the images of my Mother and Father hosting massive feast. My best friend Thora and I launching wooden boats down a creek. However, his laughter at the time I enchanted a snake and bit a mean nursemaid almost caused me to lose focus.

I took a moment to get my own laughter from the memory under control then reached out again, this time searching for his power. His sharp intake of breath indicated that he knew what I was up to and I felt him make a renewed effort to relax.

His power felt different then mine, colder and surprisingly more subdued. I grasped it and tugged making Loki cry out. He tensed, dropping his hands from my face to my shoulders. His breathing grew ragged and quick. The tips of his fingers dug into me, as sweat beaded on his brow.

I calmed him with images of more of our shared memories, the first time he showed me his firework illusion. I showed him the awe I felt when he caught the building that was going to crush us. The first time I felt overwhelming and unexpected love for him when he sang for me on the train.

He stilled, his power spilling over into mine. I pulled him closer as the warmth of our magic grew and spread. I felt like I had been split in two, half of me entirely energy and the other half anchored to my physical form.

Our mutual power continued to pulse with a life of it's own as his lips finally met mine. He slipped his hand behind my neck, tilting my head back and deepening our kiss. His other arm encircled my waist, crushing me to him.

Electric waves started at the base of my skull, radiating through every point of shared contact. I briefly broke our kiss as he began to send images to me. He showed me the admiration he felt at my stand against the TVA. How intimidated he felt on Lemetis. How awestruck he was at what he considered to be my constant heroism. And he showed me his guilt...his guilt for loving me. The relief he felt when he thought he'd been pruned because then he couldn't drag me down. His devastation when he decided he wasn't worthy of being Thor's brother. Guilt for murders, countless betrayals, lies..the images were suddenly coming too quickly.
The warmth became searing heat as I felt him begin to panic.

I opened my eyes and found him looking at me, his face a mask of regret and shame. We were both panting, swallowed in a blaze of green light.

"It's alright." I said, sending him a wave of reassurance. I looked from one of his panicked eyes to the other. I tried to pull my energy back from his but instead felt something snap. Wave after wave of pure chaotic magic poured unchecked from both of us.

I screamed from the intensity of it, burying my head into his chest. Pressure built behind our eyes and caused our ears to pop. Our bones felt like their centers had gone liquid with the heat. Every heartbeat a drum thrumming out more power.

It built in our chest, the green light becoming so overwhelming that we had no choice but to close our eyes against it.
Then the pressure released, flinging us apart and sending out a massive shockwave.