Loki's Story

A blur of white and yellow dashed with a little red broke up the grey surroundings. The morning sun broke upon Marionette City, bathing its lush gardens in a dazzling gold. Not a single person stirred. If awake, they were not getting up. It was half six after all. Seven o'clock was the official wake up time.

Loki licked her lips quickly, smirk in place. Her recent paintings adorned the city, white doves that flew along the buildings. But she had stayed a little too late. But perfection could never be rushed, everyone knew that. The young woman rammed her hands into her pockets and checked that the things she had "borrowed" were still there. After being sure that 70% of her goods were in her pockets, the blonde took off down the street. Her soft bottomed shoes pattered quietly as she streaked down the road. The sun hit her hair and made it gleam in the early morning light. Loki passed the sign for the North Side of Marionette and entered the safe haven. She slowed to a walk, her gold eyes taking in the lush area. The large lake rippled gently as a solitary bird glided across. The young woman spotted the apple tree beside the lake, ripe with its fruit. The mischief maker sniggered and snagged an apple. After a second, she grabbed another. Hela would get all prissy if she didn't get one too. Taking a large bite out of her prize, Loki carried on through the parks and forests to reach the large grey building at the bottom of the district. She stepped over the fence that kept the two areas apart with ease, straightening her hat as she stood up.

"Well, th're's work ta be don' round 'ere. Best get start'd." She reasoned, scratching the back of her head. The young woman stepped over the large muddy hole in the ground before making her way to the Complex. She'd learnt before that stepping in that particular hole was never a good idea. It may have looked rather small but it went up to the blonde's waist, easy. Loki yawned and smiled as the sun shine in her face. She always liked the sun. It was so...warm and cosy. She reached the Complex before too long, her legs carrying her to the building on autopilot. She pushed the wooden door open and was not surprised to find the barrel of a shotgun pressed in her face.

"Aw'right, Jackie boy, calm yer tits. S'only me." Loki sighed, hands on her hips. The barrel of the gun did not waver. The trickster rolled her eyes and lifted her fox mask a bit higher.

"Wot? Ya need pro'f or som'fink?!" She asked, eyebrows raised. The barrel disappeared and the old man holding the weapon appeared.

"Loki?! What were ya doin' out there?" The grumpy man asked, his face openly suspicious. Loki scoffed heavily and dug her hands into her pockets. She retrieved a small bottle of vodka she'd pillaged from an Enforcer earlier.

"'Ow abo't I giv' ya this and we forg't abo't the "what was I doin'"." The blonde offered, throwing the bottle at the old man. He caught it nimbly in his fingers and gave her a hard look.

"Fine then. But don't think I'll keep quiet if Hela asks me!" He shouted to Loki as she hopped up the stairs. She turned and pulled a face.

"Oh, c'mon Jackie boy! Ya know she'll te'r me ta pieces!" She exclaimed, leaning over the rotting banister. The guard of the Complex didn't waver and Loki spat a curse out in a foreign tongue. Jack raised an eyebrow and gladly informed that Hela would be hearing about that.

Loki politely aimed a hand gesture in the old man's direction and ignored the tutting that followed.

She hopped up the stairs, banging on a door every now and then. Did nobody any good to be lying in bed all day, now did it? She eventually reached her own flat and gently pushed open the door. Hela wasn't at the door, grabbing at her ear or yelling at her. In fact, the smaller blonde didn't seem to be in the living room at all. Loki smirked. The little midge must still be in bed. She crept in the door and silently shut it behind her. The older left the ruby red apple sitting on the kitchen table as she washed her hands. The remains of her artwork clung to her fingertips and she scrubbed at the stubborn stains.

Well, she was until a little weight threw itself at her shoulders. She automatically caught the weight with ease and moved into a comfortable position for her guest.

"Well, 'ello th're, lil' monkey." She cooed, twirling around on her tip toes. The small teen clinging to her back let out a giggle before dropping gracefully to the floor. Loki gave a genuine grin as Hela sorted herself out. The urge to mess up her little routine was impossible to ignore and she ruffled her little sister's curly blonde hair. Hela let out a tiny squeak and lashed out at her big sister, who laughed in response.

"That's Miss Little Monkey to you! Or just Hela for short. Where were you?!" Hela asked, hands firmly planted on her hips. It would have been cute if Loki wasn't feeling so guilty.

"I was only out paintin', luv! 'onest!" She offered, hands raised in mock surrender. Hela looked her sister up and down before her eyes rested on a rectangular shaped bulge in Loki's right pocket.

"Then why do you have something that strongly resembles the shape of a book?" Loki's golden eyes widened and she moved to hide the book in her pocket. Hela was too quick though and plucked the tome from her sister's pocket.

"Did you steal this?!" Hela asked, finger pressed against the hardback cover.

"Nah, I borrow'd it from the loc'l libra'y. Course I nick'd it!" Loki looked down and bit her lip a little. "I'll giv' it back w'en I'm done though, 'onest." She answered. Hela frowned and looked down at the cover. Mythology. Of course that would catch Loki's eye, a fan of the obscure and myths. The younger inwardly sighed.

"Don't. Don't return it." Loki looked up and gave Hela a strange look. The younger sighed. "Well, if you return it, I wouldn't get a shot of reading it, will I?" She carried on, nose in the air. Loki grinned in response before throwing the apple at her sister. Hela plucked the apple from mid air and smiled.

"Well, are you just going to stand there all day and be all soppy or are we going to get actual work done today?" Hela asked, picking up her small notebook. Loki smirked and hoisted the smaller over her shoulder. Hela let out a little squeak as she was tossed ever so gently over her older sister's shoulder.

"Cou'd say the sam' abo't you, darlin'." Loki laughed back as Hela hammered her small fists against her back.

...

As always, the Black Market was loud. People, people, people. Loki made a face as Hela sold their wares to passing customers. She, herself, wasn't all that big on the "social" front. More of an action person. Never felt better than when she had a weapon in her hand and a wise-crack on the tip of her tongue. Loki let her eyes rove over the crowds until she was disturbed from her daydreaming. Someone calling for her attention. Loki shook her head and turned to see who was brave or stupid enough to ask for her and not the cute little girl who was getting the crowd to buy everything she had. Loki made a mental note to check those guys who were getting a little close to her Hela for her liking.

Huh, a quick death threat and a loaded gun would scare them off in no time.

The young woman's gold eyes looked up into the face of the person who had demanded her attention, small smirk already in place.

Loki turned her head to meet the eyes of a young rebel, barely older than Hela. Her large gold eyes narrowed. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know what this kid was angling for. But no one could ever say that Loki ever judged a book by its cover (except dictionaries. It was pretty easy to judge those by their covers) and so she let the kid say his piece. And then she’d disembowel him.

"I-is that y-your sister over t-there?" The kid asked, his eyes wide as the young woman brushed a hand over her pistols. She felt the cold hard metal graze her fingertips and grinned widely. Ah, guns, god's gift to psychos. Loki sniggered before cocking a hip. This kid had guts, she'll give him that. Not that she'd let him anywhere near her Hela, guts or not, but it was refreshing to see someone who didn't cower from the infamous fox faced woman.

"Yup, sur' is, luv. Why ya' askin'?" Loki probed, inwardly giggling as the boy's eyes widened at the questioning. She was obviously not expecting that at all. Perhaps he thought she would impale him or just ignore him. Well, today was not this kid's lucky day. Not at all. Loki pushed her fox mask back a little, her golden eyes boring into the poor boy's wide blue orbs.

"W-well, I was wondering i-if I could go on a date with H-hela sometime." The young man stuttered, eyes growing impossibly bigger as Loki climbed to her feet gracefully. Loki’s face darkened and her stance became more threatening. She let out a little snarl.

Of course she knew what the young man was going to ask. She knew it would concern Hela. But this was her Hela. Her little sister. This was not allowed. She knew that she was being a little overprotective. But that didn't matter right now. Hela could be trouble!

Hela turned her head a little to see her big sister menacing a young dark haired man. She sighed a little to herself before giving her current customer a quick, almost blinding grin.

"Excuse me a minute, sir. I have an older sister to control..." Hela muttered, her own eyes glimmering darkly. She watched as Loki gripped her guns tightly. Oh, come on, Loki. You promised me, no more murders. Hela thought angrily, rolling her eyes.

"Loki!" She yelled at her big sister. The older sister froze and turned on the spot, innocent smirk already in place.

"Sup, sp'der monk'y?" Loki asked gently, her voice betraying nothing. Hela was not moved.

"Stop terrorising people. It's rude. And annoying. I do not have time to be your babysitter!" The younger spoke sternly, poking Loki's chest as she spoke. The older hide a little smile as her little sister tried to intimidate her. It was never going to work in Hela's favour yet it was still rather cute to watch. Hela let out an angry sigh and grabbed the poor boy's hand, letting him away from the terrors of Loki.

"Here's a quick bit of advice. Never, ever directly approach my sister. She'll eat you alive. And if you still want that date, it would be rather unbeneficial for both of us if you were dead." Hela remarked, giving the young boy a quick grin. One that he readily returned. Loki let out a scoff as she watched Hela get all flirty with some guy she didn't know all that well! The blonde hissed as she tried to rid herself of the anger directed at the young man and breathe deeply. She needed to calm down. So, the older hissed loudly, turned on her heel and stomped out of the Black Market. People walking past moved out of the way, hiding away from the raging young woman.

Loki wasn’t aware of where she was going. She just wanted to leave. To go away. Just until the thumping in her head had stopped and she could breathe again. When Loki finally stopped walking, just walking, she found herself in the middle of the park. She had completely left the surrounding area of the Complex in her rage. The young woman sniggered despite everything.

“If I had gone a little further, I would have gone straight into the City Centre. Dressed like...well, me!” The blonde giggled to herself before spotting someone. Someone was curled up on a bench. In the early morning. This person was also wearing city regulated clothing. Loki snarled and strode up to the person, careful not to attract too much attention. If one of these Marionette puppets were out here, who knew how many there could be?

When she reached the blonde haired man on the bench, she whipped out her gun and aimed it at point blank. She hissed at the blonde as she kicked him awake. Her fox mask was pulled half way down her face, only revealing her mouth and chin.

She knew how to orchestrate fear.

“Who the h’ll are ya and the fuck ye’ doin’ ‘ere?” Loki hissed out, everything about her projecting anger. If this city boy had any thoughts of messing with her home, her family, Loki would have something to say about it.

So would her gun.

Wandering. Thalia has been wandering for the past hour with no destination in mind. She has kept out of sight making sure to stay in the shadows, but she was getting tired of walking. When the streets started to clear she walked in the street looking for a place to go. She didn't have any information on her family and she didn't have a place here anymore. The government collected her house a while ago. Whatever was left of her home is now destroyed by the very people that driven her to wandering. Subconsciously she fiddled with the necklace as she looked around for a spot to rest. The sun has barely made it to the center of the sky which means it is still morning. She let out a deep sigh and stopped walking. Sitting down on the cold ground she started thinking about Thomas.

Thomas loved being outside. She never knew what was so good about it since she has never been out. He would tell her stories about the sun and the moon. He would mention how the people were nice and treated everyone the same. It sounded perfect and it filled Thalia's head with fantasies about leaving her house. She never did because she never could but she would spend her days by the window. Her brother would be home most of the week to teach her, but when it was the weekend he was out. Doing who-knows-what, but he seemed to enjoy it. She liked to seem Thomas smile. Dimples would show on his cheeks that she loved to poke. Thalia looked directly up at the sun and saw her brothers face. He would love the sun right now.

Flashback

"Thalia story time." Thomas shouted out from his room. Thalia dashed down the hallway and into his room. She crashed right into Thomas sending them both to the floor, but they were laughing. She got up and sat on the bed. Thomas opened his window curtain real wide letting in the moonlight. She already knew what the story was going to be about.

"The Tale of the Moon," she said enthusiastically. Thomas rolled his eyes and sat down in his swivel chair.

"Once upon time Mother Earth and Father Sun were very unhappy. The universe they had created was enough to satisfy them. And the humans were fun for a while, but the humans quickly rebelled against their creators. Through this rebellion they created Dr. Dark. He is the night sky that would keep Father Sun away from Mother Earth. It made Mother Earth very sad. She wanted to see her husband again." Thomas paused and Thalia was going crazy trying to figure out what was going to happen.

"When Father Sun came back during the day, him and Mother Earth decided to create the moon. The moon is a giant rock that let's the sun's light shine through. So that night when Dr. Dark took Father Sun away the moon shined. It meant that Father Sun was still around and would never leave Mother Earth. It was a sign of love. Till this day when the moon is out the Sun and Earth rejoice." Thomas finished and Thalia clapped.

"Best love story ever Tommy." Thalia cried out.

End of Flashback

Thalia looked down at her bandanna on her belt loop. "Great story." She mumbled to herself. She stood up and continued walking towards nothing. Eventually she came up to a park that she believed was abandoned. It was dark and no one was around. She took her hair out of it's tight ponytail and let it be free. She sat on the swing and started to swing back and forth while she tried to come up with a new plan. "If mom was here she would know what to do. She always knows what to do." She said aloud. Then she saw a fox masked person with a gun go up to a blonde haired boy. She was scared out of her mind, but he seemed harmless and she looked like the danger. She tied her hair back and crept closer without making a sound.

Xavier eventually had fallen asleep on the bench, dreaming peacefully. He woke up some time later, and sat up, trying to remember what he was doing. Noticing that the sun was just starting to come up, he knew his mom, or someone, was going to give him hell for sneaking out. He hated being confronted like that, being told you did something wrong. So, he decided it would be best if he just... stayed there, for a little while longer. Maybe they'd forget about him, or think he went off to work, or... or.. something.

After a moment, Xavier curled back up on the bench, staring at the ground in front of him. The city was pretty quite, but it was so early that it would be expected that not many people were around. Xavier wasn't exactly sure how long he laid there, just staring at the ground thinking, but it was long enough for him to decide something was wrong with the city. With the government. With... everything. Nothing seemed right, and he always felt like he was being watched. More so after the book incident when he was younger. Wondering what time it was, Xavier reached into his pocket but found no phone in there. Then he remembered leaving it at home. When his mom woke up, she'd see he didn't have it. "I'm so screwed," he muttered, curling up on himself.

Then he heard footsteps. He tensed a bit, listening to them come closer to the park. Relax, they're just passing by, they won't even see you, he reasoned with himself, but that didn't help release any of his tension.

Soon, he saw a girl, but he immediately knew she'd be something like trouble. For one, she wasn't wearing what they were supposed to. Her clothes were more colorful looking. And, she was wearing an odd mask. Xavier swallowed nervously, closing his eyes and pretending to be asleep. The last thing he needed was more trouble. But, he had no luck.

The woman kicked him, for one thing, which he had to admit hurt, but when he opened his eyes she was also pointing a gun at him. Fuck fuck fuck she's going to kill me, she's going to fucking kill me,he thought, panicking and eyes going wide.
“Who the h’ll are ya and the fuck ye’ doin’ ‘ere?” the woman said, though he could barely understand with the heavy accent.

"I...I...." he stuttered. he usually wasn't liek this, but you'd freeze up to if you had a GUN pointing at you. What could this lady want? "Look, I'm sorry I snuck out, okay!I... I... didn't think it would be that much of a big deal! And I only left my phone because I thought I;d lose it!" he said, words coming out in a rush. Most of that was a lie, especially the phone part. He left his phone because he knew it was the reason people kept acting weird.

"P-please, just don't shoot me," he said, voice now quieter as he stared at the gun in her hand.

Loki froze for a second. ...What? This kid snuck out? Jesus, the guy must be as lucky as a magic cat to have gotten out here without being spotted. Loki scanned the guy's appearance. Decked out in the regulation uniform and looks about as experienced as a nine year old? Yep, lucky bastard.

"Ya know, if s'meone e'se found ya f'rst, ye'd be dead by now, mate." Loki sighed, rubbing her temples with the barrel of her pistol. She was too tired for this crap. First she had gotten yelled at by the midget of a sibling and then she found this joker in the middle of the park. This joker who was definitely not supposed to be here. She pulled up her mask a little more, her golden eyes peeking out.

"Yer lucky I ain't sae trigg'r happy." Well, not as trigger ready as say, Jackie. But that old coot was something of an extreme case. The blonde carried on, her gun still resting against her own head. She rolled her eyes and put her loaded gun away again. She sighed and placed her hands on her hips, feeling the long knife she hit in her pocket bump against her thigh. Her gun might be away but she was still no light weight. Oh no. Loki felt secure in her position. There were some rumours in Marionette of the fox-faced women, she knew that for certain.

After all, she had started them. Purely for protection, of course. Notoriety, it got you noticed but it also made people reluctant to say they that spotted you. At least in Marionette it did. Because The Government had not acknowledged her existence publically, thus, she was safe from the prying eyes of locals.

But if this kid snuck out...then he must be different. He would tell stories. And Loki couldn’t let that happen. The young woman struck out and grabbed the guy’s top, holding him in a tight grip. She bobbed her head a little so the mask fell back down.

“So, l’mme say it ag’in. Who the h’ll are ya and the fuck ye’ think yer doin’ ‘ere? Huh?” Loki snarled, her voice dipping an octave so she growled out the words. Her golden yellow eyes were locked on the young kid’s face. Well, she didn’t know his age really. But all the city kids always looked so damn young compared to the rebel kids...experience was obviously a harsh mistress. The sun was still shining sweetly on the young woman’s back and as she terrorised the person in front of her, she soaked up the sun like a big lazy cat. The lush trees around them glimmered an emerald green and the large lake shimmered like liquid silver. But she didn’t let her guard down. There was already a kid here who had “snuck out”. So who knew who else could be out here.

Maybe an Enforcer who decided to “sneak out” too.

You could never be too sure, Loki supposed. Not being sure got you a one way ticket to the Ministry and a coffin with your name on it. Or, that’s how the stories went. Loki hissed and let go of the kid, letting him fall to the ground. She looked down at him on the grass and cracked her knuckles. If the kid didn't have a mobile then he couldn’t be tracked. But for some reason, the blonde didn’t exactly put all her faith into this kid telling the truth for some reason.

A few years of waving guns about taught her that people in trouble tell you what you want to hear.

The young woman quickly and professionally searched his pockets, finding no phone but instead a rock. She turned the large weight over in her hands.

“The feck ye’ got tha’ in yer pock’t for?” She asked, genuinely curious. There didn't seem to be anything different about this rock. Sure, it was kinda heavy and if you threw it hard enough, it would make a decent sized dent in someone’s head but it was no proper weapon.

She turned the weight over in her hands a few times, feeling the contours of rock rolling against her palms. She gave the guy in front of her a funny look. Just who was this guy and what did he think he was doing?
...

Hela let out a soft sigh. Loki still hadn’t returned. She was still sulking somewhere. The younger sibling growled beneath her breath and crossed her arms. Loki was always going off and doing the stupidest things when she got angry. It was only a date, not a proposal of marriage! She had no idea why the older blonde always got so ticked off about the small things. She let out a little noise of frustration at her older sibling, before turning back to the customer who was pestering her about a toothbrush.

All the while, the younger sibling felt a trickle of discontent start to settle in her stomach as she tried to think of anything else but her older sister. She just hoped Loki wouldn’t get into much more trouble.

Xavier could tell this woman was crazy. Well, maybe not crazy crazy, but different. The kind of different that usually would make you disappear. He sat there, watching her, trying not to move at all, as if moving would make her shoot him, despite what she said about not being trigger happy. She then looked like she had a headache, but before he could ask if she was okay she was rubbing her head with the gun. He chose to stay quiet. She seemed to be thinking, but not really about him, so he relaxed a bit, figuring everything would be okay now. She'd let him off with a warning, and he'd go home. Her mask moved a bit, and he noticed her eyes looked a yellow orange color. Not a common color at least. For some reason, this only made him feel more nervous. Get a hold of yourself, he thought, but quickly forgot as she put away her gun and grabbed him.

Letting out a yelp, he almost tried to struggle. Almost. He realized it would be pointless before he did though, so chose to just let her do whatever she wanted. Hopefully the gun stayed away, though. At this point, his less-than-safe home seemed like heaven.
“So, l’mme say it ag’in. Who the h’ll are ya and the fuck ye’ think yer doin’ ‘ere? Huh?” the woman snarled as him, making him flinch slightly before answering. "Xavier. I'm Xavier. And I... I just... I don't know..." he said, trailing off. The more he thought about it, the less sure he was about why he snuck out in the first place. What was the point? With this woman holding him up snarling at him, it seemed hardly worth it.

Xavier noticed a slight change in the girl, like she was considering the fact that people could be around and was paying more attention. He wasn't sure how he caught the slight change, but he did. He decided not to say anything, but glanced around. He was sure he saw something or someone, but couldn't be sure as the girl started searching him.

She took the rock out of his pocket, looking at it like it was the strangest thing she'd ever seen. If he wasn't so scared for his life, he probably would have felt embarrassed. She asked about it, all while staring at him strangely. Xavier swallowed, shifting awkwardly on his feet. He could never tell anyone normal that it was his last desperate chance at protection, but she didn't seem normal.

"I don't know, I guess I feel safer. They don't let us carry guns," he said, shifting his eyes to her gun as he spoke. he didn't really feel all that nervous about it anymore though, as if her asking that question made him realize she wasn't some horrible monster. Monsters didn't ask questions about rocks. Not ones he'd heard about. "I mean- it's strange you know? The people randomly disappearing, not one questioning it, and then never letting us have anything to protect ourselves? I just thought-" he cut off mid sentence, realizing he'd said way too much. Rule one in his book, don't say what you're thinking out loud. Was she going to tell someone what he said?

Loki raised an eyebrow at that. Feel safer? Heh, doesn't this guy know that a little rock will do little to nothing if he's in trouble? But hey, if it made the kid feel better then he could do whatever he wanted. The blonde handed the rock back to the boy before scratching her head a little. This kid had noticed some of the stuff? She knew that she saw all this stuff with the disappearing people who stepped out of line and the Government's laws but the city kids?

It was unheard of for city kids to actually see this stuff. They were usually blind as bats to the inner workings of Marionette. Loki let out a little sigh before sitting down beside the guy and giving him a funny look.

"So ya see it tae, huh?" The blonde asked, her golden eyes boring into the other's eyes. "The creepy arse G'vernment bull, right?" Loki asked, her body tense and her eyes harsh. She may be listening now but Loki was not accepting. That came later...perhaps. This kid may be able to spot the problems in the city but she wasn't going to accept this guy's word just yet. She looked out at the green lush parks around her and sighed. This was a haven, a place of peace. She didn't want the Rebels to fall because of one person. Loki climbed to her feet again before letting out a heavy sigh.

"Xavier, kid, ya m'ght wanna go back home. Soon, mate. This place...it ain't for city kids..." Loki spoke more gently than before, her voice softer and less of a harsh growl. Now she had found this guy wan't a spy, she was more amicable towards him. The blonde supposed that this one kid wouldn't cause too much trouble but someone would eventually find out he is missing. And then there would be search parties. And then someone might come to the North Side to look for him. After that who knows what might happen? The Rebels could be discovered and then people could be taken away.

Little Hela could be taken away.

Loki couldn't let that happen, not now, not ever. Hela was her baby sister and she was to be protected. Always. The young woman turned on the boy and gave him a look.

"So if ya know what's good for ya, ya'll go h'me as soon as." Loki finished off, her voice a little harsher again. She needed this guy to leave. He couldn't be the reason for her losing Hela. Loki gave Xavier another look before starting to walk away.

...

Hela knew that Loki had run out of the Complex. She usually did when she was angry. Her big sister would storm out, cause a little vandalism and then eventually return. This was the routine and to the most part, this was fine. Hela didn't exactly enjoy this happening but it did and usually, that was no problem. Except this time, Hela had a niggling feeling. Right in the pit of her stomach. It wouldn't let go and was making the younger sister very nervous. So, since she had sold most of the wares, Hela went out to find her big sister.

Just in case. Not that she was worried or anything.

It was just to check on Loki and to rid herself of that overbearing worry in the pit of her stomach. The smallish blonde had dashed through the North Side of Marionette, passing the lush parks and public gardens to reach the main body of the city. She had assumed that Loki would be rampaging through the City Square or through the more densely populated districts. The small girl hid herself from view in the shadows like she was taught and scanned the city scape for a colourful blur that was her sister.

Unfortunately, she didn't get much of a chance to find her as a strong grip plucked her from her hiding space. She let out a large gasp before turning to see who had her in their grasp.

An Enforcer.

Well damn.

Xavier
Xavier took the rock back, but it felt awkward in his hand now. Frowning, he stuck it in his pocket and listened to her telling him he better go home. No joke, people are starting to point guns at me, he thought, but didn't dare say it out loud. This woman seemed very... Well, he wasn't really sure what. Maybe intimidating? He mentally shrugged it off, before realizing she was repeating for him to go home soon. She looked slightly determined now, like there was something she was supposed to be doing. She started walking away, making Xavier frown. She had seemed to understand something was wrong, and he wanted to have answers, but it looked too late now.

"Uh, good luck..." he said quietly, not caring if she heard. The chances of him seeing her again were slim anyways. He was about to get up and go home, praying his mother was asleep, when someone else walked up to him. Oh god, she doesn't have a gun too does she? he thought, eying the girl suspiciously. She greeted him, and it looked like she was trying hard to look friendly. Not because she was a murderer kind of a way, more like someone trying to gain trust. For what, I wonder...
She told him her name was "Thalia", and asked if he was from the city. Well, more stated the fact. Had she heard him talking to Loki? Or was it his clothing? Probably clothing.

"Uh, Xavier," he mumbled, straightening up in his seat. He then realized she had her hand out and took it, shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you." I hope.

"Do you, uh, need something?" he asked slowly, not wanting to piss another person off. Then again, he didn't really piss the other girl off. She just kicked him awake and started threatening him. Now that I think of it... what a bitch, he thought, looking for where Loki was but seeing she was gone. At least she confirmed there is something wrong with this city.

Loki hurried back to the Black Market, anxious to get back to Hela. She knew her little spider monkey would be fine but that niggly feeling in the pit of her stomach wouldn't leave. The meeting with the city kid had left her feeling very worried about her little sister. Not that she needed to worry of course. Why would she worry? Hela would be fine. She would be at their stall and would complain at Loki for leaving her like she always did. It was the way things worked.

The blonde hopped the fence and quickly made her way through the muddy grass to the opening to the Black Market. She weaved through the crowd of people, ignoring the fact that they opened up like the Red Sea. Really, people always moved out the way when they knew you had a unpredictable trigger finger and a scowl on. Loki leapt over a neighbouring stall and felt her heart stop.

Her stall was all closed up.

Hela wasn't here.

Loki's brain stopped for a second, her thoughts stalling all at once. All she could think was that Hela wasn't here and if she wasn't here, where was she? The young woman frantically scanned the surrounding area, looking for a small blonde head and bronze eyes to appear out of thin air. Nothing. A whole lot of nothing. She turned to the woman in the stall across from Hela's.

"Ya ain't seen Hela, 'ave ya?" Loki asked, her voice betraying her worry. The woman gave her a shaky smile before answering. Everyone knew of Loki's violent streak and the woman felt that this may unleash the blonde's rage.

"She said something about finding you, dear." Loki's blood froze in her veins. She tried to restart her brain but couldn't. If Hela was looking for her, she would have gone to the city. Right into the city. Which meant that Hela was in the middle of the city. In broad daylight. Loki let out a curse before turning on her heel and sprinting. Her adrenaline was pumping at a hundred miles an hour and her fear was notched to the very limit. The blonde leapt over the fence and carried on in a flat run. She pulled out her gun, feeling she would need it very soon.

She passed Xavier who was still sat on the bench without blinking. She also spotted his new friend but didn't dare to stop. Hela could be in danger, all other things fell by the wayside right now. Besides, she could deal with those two later. When Hela was back home and safe. The blonde reached the gates into the city square and hid herself in the shadows as quickly as she could. No point being seen when looking for her little sister. Loki quickly searched through the small network alleyways she had taught Hela to use. Neither hair nor tail of the smaller blonde was to be seen. Loki was ready to move deeper into the city, into the other districts when she spotted a crowd of people in the very square itself.

Enforcers. A group of four or five. They were gathered around something, calling the higher ups on their mobiles. Loki crept closer to see what poor soul they had caught. Then she spotted a dipped head. A head of lightish blonde hair. Very familliar blonde hair. Loki's breathing caught in her chest as she moved forward briskly. The guards spotted her and went to grab their guns when she aimed her own gun, opting for her rifle in a time like this and unsheathed a long knife. She took on a battle ready pose and snarled.

"Let h'r go or I'll fuckin' slaughter you all."

Loki's eyes narrowed as she aimed her gun. People always looked at her as if she was going to go on a rampage when she held a weapon. Well, this time, they may be justified in thinking that however.

"I woul'n't say 't ag'in! Let h'r go!" The blonde growled darkly. The Enforcers grabbed their own guns and aimed their own firearms. The young woman wasn't detered and held strong. She had a baby sister to look out for. A baby sister who looked absolutely terrified. Loki made a face as she spotted the tears running her little sister's face. The older fought the urge to run over to her and clutch her tightly. But witht he Enforcers around, she had no way of getting there without being shot. The blonde's mind worked quickly, methods of getting to Hela being shot down by the fact that there are Enforcers there, the sheer distance she had to run and the over bearing feeling of "Ohmigod, Hela, ohmigod". Then she realised something.

"R'ght. I'll do ya a deal.Me for h'r." Loki spoke lowly, her voice a growling noise. A small group of people were starting to gather around the scene. The Enforcers themselves shared confused looks. Loki barked a humourless laugh.

"Guys, I'm a lot more v'luable th'n she is. What, she's j'st a l'ttle girl. I'm the girl wh' p'ints the pictures on the b'ildings. I'm the "ringleader". It's me ya w'nt. Not h'r." Loki snarled, her heart pounding beneath her chest. She knew that if she was taken by the Enforcers, she'd go into the Ministry Building. And no one ever came out of there.

Ever.