"And how do you know I won't just kill you?" He asked.
"Because you need me. Without my survival skills and knowledge, you won't last a week in the Alaskan Bush. Once summer rolls around we can retrieve your precious stone and I'll let you leave, a...
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We stayed there for a few moments, waiting to see what happened. By now most of the fighting in the prison had settled down and it was very quiet.
I wondered if Thor found the creature that broke everyone out, and destroyed it. I had no way of knowing until I left the security of Loki's cell and went looking for him myself.
"I think everything's over." Loki whispered.
"Maybe. I'm not convinced though. It's too quiet." Just then we were startled by a loud crashing noise coming from above us. It sounded like the combination of an earthquake and a thunder storm. I felt the ground tremble beneath us, as if we were standing in the path of an avalanche. I looked up towards the ceiling. Something's definitely still wrong.
"What the heck?" I turned to Loki, who still had a worried expression on his face. "Loki I've gotta go." Then I turned to exit the cell, and I almost had one foot out before he grabbed my arm and pulled me back in.
His eyes were pleading. "I'm sure Thor and Odin can take care of it. Don't go out there. It's dangerous. And for once, please don't argue with me."
"Loki, this is my job. What use is a guard that doesn't defend what they're supposed to be protecting? I've racked up a hefty toll in the universe. Let me start paying it back. If something awful happens and I wasn't there to prevent it, I don't think I could live with myself. Please, let me go."
Loki exhaled a shakey breath. "Lex, if I lose you, every last shred of my humanity will be stripped away. I couldn't bear living in a world without you in it."
"Loki..." My heart ached at his words. I felt the same way about him of course, so I understood his fear, but a couldn't sit idly by while the world above could be in chaos. "I have to go."
He sighed and placed his forehead against mine. "I know you do." Then he cupped my face with his palms and planted a short kiss on my lips. "Just be careful."
"Always."
I gave him one more quick peck and turned to hop out of the cell. I'd gotten so used to the energy of the barrier that I easily passed through it, and once I landed on the stone floor of the prison hall, I took off sprinting towards the exit. I looked back to see Loki turned the other way, raking his fingers through his fair, probably out of frustration. He felt guilty that I was the one putting myself in harm's way, and he was the one stuck in a cell, unable to help me and keep me safe.
But he was going to have to get over himself. Asgard was in trouble and it was my job to protect it.
I raced up the stairs of the prison and tried to see what was happening, but I saw nothing. Aside from the obvious signs of battle like dead bodies and toppled decor, everything looked normal.
What about the huge noises we heard from below? And where did Thor and the others go?
I thought for a minute and walked over towards an open window, but sucked in a breath at the sight before me. Off to my right, the columns of the palace were seemingly destroyed. I couldn't see most of the damage from there, but from the amount of smoke coming out of the palace walls, it was pretty bad.
