The Rise to Heroism {Loki Laufeyson} Book One

Chapter Thirty-One

Becca's POV

The universe is strange - with it's various galaxies and every star beinging made up of human energy, including mine. It's a gorgeous sight above the clouds and I can't stop staring at it all. The way everything shimmers, like moonlight on water. So I stand there, watching it overhead and drinking in the subtle beauty. It's a shame that Loki isn't here to see it. I wonder where he is...

"Becca?" I turn to the voice. Blaine stands there, his curly black hair perfect, light blue t-shirt and jeans. There's not a speck of blood on him - no trace of panic or shock in his eyes. It's just... Blaine.

"Blaine?" I blink, confused.

"Yes, it's really me." He takes my hand, pressing it to his cheek and smiling fondly. His face is warm, comforting. It's really him. He's okay.

"But how-"

"Shh..." He puts a finger up to my lips. "Do you want to go on an adventure?"

"Adventure? What-"

"C'mon," He moves down to my wrist and drags me after him. We come to a familiar door, a ripped, paper sign taped to the front of it saying 'Rebecca's Room' with both of the R's backwards. Blaine moves in front of me. "Do you recognize this door?"

I comb back through my memory, the familiarity nipping at me. "My old room at home," I say finally. Blaine smiles, opening the door and inviting me inside.

I step hesitantly past him, peering in. It looks relatively the same. The same bright pink painted walls, posters stuck to them to cover the holes that dad put in them when he came home, looking for mom and I. The carpet floor is littered with various limbless Barbies, stuffed animals, clothes, the works. Only, one thing is different. A little girl sits in the corner, caressing the fur of a raven coloured wolf. Slowly, she turns to face me, her blonde ringlets swaying with the movement. She smiles, her two front teeth missing and blue eyes bright, full of life.

The scene changes to the schoolyard of my Junior High school where the same wolf is lurching in the shadows of the woods, watching the girl eat her lunch. She scans the crowd of kids for anyone, anything to keep her mind off of the loneliness she feels in her heart. She spots the wolf. It almost cringes and pads away. The girl watches it leave, longing to follow it, but choosing otherwise. Instead, she resumes eating her lunch, keeping her head down.

"What significance does this hold?" I ask, my heart aching.

Blaine glances at me. "That little girl is you. You don't remember the wolf because every time you saw it, your memory was erased."

It sinks in. "It's Loki. Loki is the wolf." His porcelain face appears in the sky, intensifying the ache in my heart. Where is he? Why hasn't he found me yet - wherever this is...

Blaine smiles. "You catch on quick don't you?" He drags me away. The scene is now pitch black. "Close your eyes." I obey his orders.

"Mommy?!"

I know that voice.

My eyes open automatically to see the same girl, but older now, searching the crowd of hysterical people on the day of the attack on New York.

"Where are you, mom?" She screams - a familiar scream to me, because I was screaming the same thing. Among the chaos, she gets pushed by at least ten frantic New Yorkers, retreating from the west side of town. She turns around, spotting a Chitauri warrior aiming at her. She jumps to the side, ducking the shot and rolling underneath a table. That's when she spots the woman on the ground. She then finds herself standing over the woman, shock piercing her body and paralyzing her. There's a hole where her heart should be, a pool of blood surrounding her body. She can see the pavement through the woman's chest and she vomits on the ground, wiping her mouth and glancing back at the vulgar scene. Her knees buckle and she slips to the ground, bending over the woman. "Mama?" She whispers and pushes a strand of the woman's hair behind her ear. "Please answer me." She begins to sob.

"Mom?" She tries. "Mom?" Shes says a little louder. "Mom?" She screams and her expression quickly changes as the realization settles in. She's dead. She's lost both her mother and father. This couldn't be happening - not again.

She looks up, searching for help of any sort but spots the same wolf again. She watches it curiously, standing up and chasing after it. It leads her to an empty building far way from the chaos, safe and sound from only the raging war, but not her thoughts of darkness. She kneels down in a corner, crying and screaming, breaking things and tiring herself out. She's alone, and she knows that now.

The scene stops and Blaine appears.

I didn't realize that I have been crying until Blaine comes over and wipes a tear from my cheek, grinning sadly.

"Why did you show me this?" I ask, my voice breaking.

"They say that the last seven minutes of your life is used to relive the memories you hold dear. But you were stripped of most memories, therefore in order to relive, you needed to restore." He pulls me into his arms and I break down, sobbing frantically. So, I'm dying. That's why Loki hasn't shown up to comfort me yet - that's also why Blaine's here. I'm dying and it's because of Loki.

No.

It's because of Hel.

"There's some people who I think you should see." Blaine whispers in my ear.

"No, no more memories. Just let me go, give me my peace!"

"You can't go just yet. Not without closure or else your soul will never rest."

I pull away. "What do you mean?"

"Hello, Rebecca."

I turn and find the woman standing there. The hole is still in her chest, her white blouse soaked in scarlet. The woman, being my mother.

My eyes start to blur and she rushes over to me as I drop to my knees, sobbing. "Am I done yet?"

"Yes," My mother coos, stroking my hair. "My dear child, you've done so well."

"What about the others?" I choke out. "Loki, Thor, Tony, Steve, my friends?"

"They'll care for each other," She whispers. "That's what people do."

"Where's daddy?" I sniff, looking up at her.

She stops, laying her chin on my head. "He's safe. Trust me, we'll see him soon." She lets me go and I stand intending to follow her, when I notice a movement in the sky.

Images of my fondest memories swirl overhead, projecting the happiness of those limited moments. When I first made pizza with Loki, when he proclaimed his love for me during an argument, when I broke him out of jail... Everything I hold dear in the back of my mind comes to light before me.

Suddenly, the ground shakes and I look up toward a circle of light forming above me. A staircase appears, the marble shining against the stars that burn bright around me. I mount the stairs, my loved ones trailing behind.

***

Could I be forgiven for all I've done to get here?

I want to be.

I can.

I believe it.

(I'm so, so sorry for this one! I know that the Divergent reference kills you guys, but I swear - it's all okay. Are you crying? Good - at least you feel the pain - that means that I've done good! Don't get me wrong, I feel really bad that your tears were my goal, but seriously - it's an honour when a reader cries over your story because it shows that they care enough about it to get upset.

Another thing, it's not over yet! Four more chapters to publish and then we're done. Only... WE'RE NOT BECAUSE THERE'S A SECOND ONE! So, savour it because at the end of the last chapter, I'll reveal the title to the sequel. But for now, enjoy!)