The Rise to Heroism {Loki Laufeyson} Book One

Chapter Twenty-Five

Okay, so it may have been bigger than I had anticipated.

But it's not like I can't take it, it is big! Like, really big!

"Ah!" I scream as I'm batted to the ground once again. With impact, I leave another gaping hole in the pavement of Dunkin Donuts. Groaning, I stand. Another catch of my breath and I'm flying again. I'm surprised that Rescue has held out this long. After about fifty trial and errors, there's a point in which durability becomes an amazing factor.

The nerve of some huge robots! Don't they know that knocking random women dressed in an Iron Man suit into huge craters is completely rude and uncalled for?

I heat another laser shot in my palm. Aiming it at the beast, I see it's tail swinging toward me. I ascend in the sky, barely missing it and shooting the beam into the beasts eye. It screams and collapses, the smoke blowing me away. I slam into a building, whimpering as I begin to slide down it. I can tell that this guy doesn't intend to give up without a fight.

Struggling to my feet and preparing for another attempt, I see a flash of silver in the corner of my eye. A strike of lightning hits the beast and it roars. I feel a hand steady me and I come face to face with Thor.

"I had this under control. I can handle it." I snap.

"If your idea of 'under control' is several broken ribs and limbs, along with deteriorating buildings, then yes. It seems as if you have it handled." He retorts, smiling.

Ignoring him, I turn back to the beast. "What is this bastard?"

"I've no idea."

"So, how do you figure we defeat it, wise guy?"

"I may be a god, but that does not mean that I have all of the answers." He says, flying off with Mjolnir. He strikes the beast, plowing through it's chest. The monster stops, roaring and falling to the ground. It is dead.

He returns, picking me up. "Show off." I mutter and he smiles widely.

"I was merely aiding a friend."

"Yes, because making me look like an idiot is 'aiding a friend.'" I mean it as an angry comment, but he just laughs, flying off toward Stark Tower.

***

"What the hell?"

Tony stands in the middle of the kitchen, gesturing wildly at the dishes strewn across the counter. "We are not pigs here people. This is a home! Not a restaurant! No one is going to clean up after you." He turns to me, his eyes wide and furious.

I shrug. "Actually, isn't that kind of the point of JARVIS? To clean up your messes?" I poke his chest, my finger nail clinking against the Arc Reactor.

Tony's expression softens, considering this. "Well-" He falters.

"Ha! You hesitated!" I giggle and sit down on the couch, flipping on the TV.

"Another Alien attack? Rescue takes on what looks like Godzilla! Details at 7." The news anchor says.

"Crap!" I exclaim, fumbling with the remote.

"No no! Keep that on." Tony grabs it from me. "Pepper sweetie, what did you do today?"

I look to Thor who stares back at me. It's our little secret that we both vowed to keep as long as we can. But with the stupid media, they're making that hard to carry out.

"Nothing really," Pepper calls from the kitchen. "Just setting up public appearances for you, filling out paperwork, the usual. Why?"

"Take down any huge raptor robots lately?" Tony asks casually, as if it's usual for Pepper to do these sorts of things.

"What? No. Tony, are you drunk already?" She says, walking into the living room. Her eyes widen as she watches the footage of me from today. "What the hell?"

"Well, I'm tired. Goodnight!" I stand up abruptly, attempting to escape.

Tony grabs the back of my shirt. Damn - busted. "Uh, no. Who is that and what is going on?"

I break free of his grip, turning to Thor. "Take it down. They know."

Thor nods and my form shimmers, revealing what I really looks like. My stomach is swollen and bruised, as is my face. I have several cuts around my body that had once oozed blood but have since dried, leaving crusty, brown streaks on my skin. My hair is matted with blood and dirt. I look like the result of plastic surgery gone wrong with all of the swelling on my body. Pepper gasps, her hands going to her mouth. Tony's eyes just widen.

"I wanted to go outside so I took Rescue out for a spin. While out, I encountered Godzilla here," I gesture to the TV, which plays the footage over and over. "We started fighting. I was losing badly so Thor came and helped me out." The words spill from my mouth without authorization.

"What? Do you even understand what you've just done?"

I look down, shuffling my feet. "No?"

"Well, nothing - but that doesn't mean you're off the hook H.P!" Tony scolds. "Bodyguards for the next week. And by bodyguards, I mean your partner in crime Clyde over there." He gestures to Thor.

"You aren't allowed to go anywhere without him around."

"Even the bathroom?" I try jokingly.

"Especially the bathroom." Tony growls. Does he think that I'm going to crawl out the window of the twentieth floor bathroom? Jesus...

"Pervert." I mutter. "Can I go to bed now, please?"

Tony sighs. "Fine. I know how exhausted you must be from this afternoon. Go, get some rest."

Loki's POV

A part of me doesn't like seeing her so battered up, yet I know that I have to drain her energy so that she can't fight back. For tomorrow is the day that I will strike, when no one would be around to save her and she would be too weak to attempt to rescue herself.

As she struggles into bed, I wonder why I can't just strike now, but I know why. Something is stopping me as I watch her every move. The way her long lashes flutter in sleep, searching for something or someone in her dreams. Then, my brother is there comforting her in his arms. Fury surges through me suddenly, as if I actually care about who my brother cuddles. Yet, I can't help but feel jealous for a reason that I don't understand. I push these feelings away, focusing on the mission. Tomorrow Loki, I reassure myself. It shall be over tomorrow.