Loki and the Kindergarteners Save the World (ONC 2023)

just shake it off

The morning sun trickled through the windows, waking the children early. Thor's battle had subsided for the time being, though inside the school, a different kind of battle was unfolding. The children's moods had turned weepy and sombre. The thrill of having a sleepover at the school had worn off. All they wanted was to go home. Half the class didn't want to eat, and the other half wanted to eat because it gave them something to do.

"When is Mommy coming to pick me up?" Alexandre asked as he rubbed sleepy sand from his eyes.

At around midnight, Will had managed to fall into a light, restless sleep, which didn't help settle his nerves. After the encounter with Loki, Will's mind was buzzing with all manner of thoughts.

First: Loki could shapeshift. A neat trick, but Will now had the added worry of Loki causing more problems.

Second: he couldn't get the trickster out of his head. He'd wormed his way under Will's skin, his charm and beauty like a parasite.

The last and probably most troublesome: Will had a horrible feeling they were in the calm before the bloody storm. They'd yet to see any real traces of the battle, and Loki's monstrous children were laying low, but their luck could only hold for so long. Will had to prepare for the worst while keeping his class from the horrors of the impending Ragnarok.

Nursing another cup of instant coffee, Will massaged his aching temples. The headache went from one to ten overnight, pulsing with each heartbeat. Loki kept his distance, lingering in the hall, though he never strayed far.

"I'm sorry, bud, I don't know," Will sighed, "but I'll make sure you find your parents as soon as possible, okay?"

"But I want to go home now," Alexandre pouted. His classmates echoed his demand, whimpering and grumpy about their situation.
"I want to go home too, but that's not going to happen right now." Will set his cup down on the desk. "How about we go to the gym and play some games?"

"Can we go outside?" Deirdre asked. Her round, hopeful stare hit Will in the gut.

"We can't today," Will replied with apologetic unease. He was treading on cracking ice. One wrong step, and he would drown in the tears of five-year-olds. "I know this is tough, but we'll get through this. Playing in the gym will be fun, I promise."

"I want to play in the gym," Charlie offered. She climbed to her feet and, as Will had hoped, her classmates all fell in line with her decision.

Will smiled. "Finish your food. Then we'll head to the gym. You all have to eat something, though. Otherwise, no playing."

That motivated his class to eat. While they devoured their breakfasts—which consisted of more yogurt, granola bars and milk—Will hopped onto the storage unit.

With the sun out, the city took on a different facade. The scary shadows from the night were gone, replaced by a deceiving cheerfulness. If it weren't for the eerily empty streets and monsters lurking around, Will might be convinced the worst was behind them.

However, as he stared, he noticed the sun was shining too brightly. A shimmer rippled across the blue sky. When Will blinked, the shimmer was gone.

Loki appeared next to the teacher, clutching a strawberry yogurt. He was fresh-faced and as stunning as ever. Standing next to the trickster, Will probably looked like a zombie.

"Where are your children?" Will asked.

"Oh, they're out there," Loki replied, with a vagueness that the teacher despised, "waiting for us to make a mistake, I'm sure."