The Last Shifter (a Loki romance)

Chapter 136

Heimdall had been right, the Bifrost journey was far longer than any other I had. Normally it didn't last more than thirty seconds to a minute, but this time it felt like closer to five. Instead of my heart leaping to my throat at the exhilaration and then dropping off just as fast, it leapt there and fell slowly. Until I was almost...bored. In the back of my mind, I was concerned that Heimdall wouldn't hear my call to return, but I knew it was stupid. If he could see my landing zone clearly, he would know when it was time to bring me back.

He had also said that the conflict was over, but I still armed myself as a bit of an afterthought. Gamora had sounded pretty desperate. Besides, just because she remembered me didn't mean anyone else did. Better to go in over-prepared than be caught off guard.

Just when I'd gotten used to the weightlessness of Bifrost flight, I found myself landing on the outer hull of a ship. Only a meager bubble of air remained around me and it was already getting thin.

I looked around frantically. No form I could take would withstand the harsh environment of space. There was a hatch–or at least that's what it looked like–five feet away. I had no time to debate it, with seconds of air left, I inhaled the remainder of the air in the bubble and leapt towards it. My fingers closed around the handle. The metal singed my skin with unimaginable cold, but I had no choice but to hang on. It felt like I was moving through molasses as I fought to put my feet down on the hull. I had to look down and check that I'd succeded. I couldn't feel anything aside from the cold. Then, I locked my elbows and pulled. It wasn't with my muscles, more so with my entire body because I couldn't feel anything else. The handle gave and the opening hatch nearly hurtled me off the ship, but my grip held at the cost of my vision going black around the edges. And all the air getting expelled from my lungs. Reflexively, I tried to inhale, but there was nothing. My entire body seized and with my last rational thought, I gave myself a shove down through the hatch. Fortunately, the artificial gravity was strong enough to yank me in and to the ground.

Air flooded into my lungs, so suddenly that black spots swam in my vision for the exact opposite reason than they had a moment before. My head was pounding. Or was that an alarm blaring? Regardless, I was still panting and heaving on the floor. Suddenly, my head stopped pounding. An alarm then. The hatch hissed shut behind me.

"Ammon?" That's right. I was wearing a different form than the last time she saw me.

"Gamora." I rolled to face the direction her voice had come from, "Sorry I'm late." There was a hand on my shoulder.

"You came."

"What happened?"

"It's a long story." She helped me to my feet, "But the threat is over now." I examined the enhanced Zehoberei. Instead of durable warrior garb decked out with weapons, she had on an entirely black outfit, including a thin, velvet top with stylish shoulder gaps.

"Do the others know I'm here?" She shook her head.

"It was so chaotic I never got the chance to tell them." She replied. I gave a nod.

"Do you still need my help?" Gamora hesitated again.

"I may, but with a more...personal matter."

"Gamora?" A male voice called. She jumped and looked over her shoulder, "We're ready. Where are you?"

"Here." She motioned for me to stay hidden, then whispered, "Take this corridor to the third left, then the first right. It will lead you to a hangar. Wait until someone shows there. I'm coming!" She jogged away, turning right at the first junction.