The Rise of Hel {Loki Laufeyson} Book Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

We're shot out of the sky.

Hel immediately notices us rounding the corner and charging her, her eyes wild and blazing with a fiery rage. Aiming a sphere of purple enerygy at us, she shoots, hitting us hard enough for Peter to let me go.

I hurtle to the ground, luckily aimed at the grass. Not a completely soft landing, but it's better than the road. There's enough of my blood on that road. I put up my arms, preparing for impact. I slam into the grass on my right shoulder. I feel the pain just seconds after the collision.

I start screaming.

My shoulder is broken.

My vision is hazy, but in the foggy view, I can just make out Peter and Loki's heads snapping in my direction, looks of alarm plastered on their faces.

Hel is just smiling deviously. If only I had the strength to wipe that smile off of her f**king face.

Peter shouts something to Loki and he swings over to me, rolling into a crouch at my side. "Becca, Becca!" He calls but his voice is so hushed in my ears. It's as if he's miles away.

"Becca!" He screams and I whimper and choke on a sob. My shoulder, my finger, my body. It all hurts too much to even breathe.

"Loki! She's not responding! What do I do?" He cries out and Loki turns, blocking Hel's energy balls.

"Fend her off! I'll take care of her." He orders and they switch places. Peter is now fighting off Hel while Loki works on restoring me.

I feel the ground shake and hear Hel roar. In spite of myself, I smile and giggle. Maybe Peter's defeating her, maybe she's defeating him - I don't care. I have given up.

Loki flips me over onto my back, placing a hand to my stomach. I feel a surge of warmth and my body becomes numb. I gasp and look up at him.

"Good morning, pet." His voice is gravelly, strained and exhausted. "The pain is only temporarily exiled. I do not have the strength to restore your full health, not without powerful Asgardian elixirs. Lay here, look dead, and don't do anything stupid." He orders, stroking my hair and getting to his feet, running over to Peter.

I turn my head, catching a glimpse of a giant Hel, floating in the sky and shooting at the boys with all her might.

I turn back, sighing and forcing myself to get up. I stagger over to the house, sinking to knees and looking through the bodies. They're mangled; flesh hanging off in strips, bone showing, blood stains, detached limbs. It's like something from a horror movie, only in real life.

Then I see it. Long, wavy chestnut hair, dead green eyes, same face shape as mine; Victoria, Addison's mother.

I push my way through the bodies to reach her. Her black skirt and red blouse are soaked with blood, as is her hair and face. A trail of the scarlet dribbles from her mouth. Her eyes stare blankly at the sky, her jaw slack.

I pull her into my lap, cradling her. As much as she annoyed me by taking all of my deserved credit, I still didn't want to see her like this.

"Mom?" The voice in my head whispers as I stroke her matted hair. "Momma?" It tries again, my heart rate picking up. "Mommy! Please, answer me! Mom..." I begin to sob and bend down, cuddling her limp body. I'm shaking, I'm crying, I'm dying.

I'm nothing.

"Please... answer... me... mommy..." The voice finds it's way to my vocal chords, pulling the words from my mouth. The light in her eyes is gone. She's gone.

I lay her down, closing her eyes and crossing her hands over her chest for the least bit of closure. That's the most honourable thing I can do right now.

Looking around frantically, my eyes lay on the thing that may just kill me. Jonah.

I crawl over to him, shaking him by the shoulders. He's turned away from me so I flip him onto his back, facing the night sky. I scream as I see his face.

It's bloody, his face and eyes covered in it. But that's not what I'm looking at. There are x's scratched into his irises, the ends extending to both his eyebrows and cheeks. Fresh blood still oozes and streams from the wounds.

I hear myself release a strangled scream and I drop him, turning toward Hel. Adrenaline pumps through me as I charge toward her. My screams get louder and louder until finally, I feel something snap inside me and a gust of forceful wind hits me from behind but I stand firmly on the pavement.

It hits Hel and she flies backwards, shrinking. She slams into a light pole, getting up and smiling. "Did you like my present? I thought it was so creative on my part!" She screams to me. I'm breathing so heavily, anger fuelling my heart with fire.

"You bitch! He was only a little kid!" I shriek, the heat of my rage reaching my cheeks. I'm going to kill her for what she's done. I'm going to slice those x's into her eyes while she's still alive so she can feel the pain she dealt to Jonah.

"Exactly! Such a little part of the world - no one would notice his absence except you and her." She pints a talon at me, smiling a know all smile.

I blink. The voice in my head - could it be...? "How could you do that? Innocent people-"

"Innocent people who wouldn't give me an answer!" She screams. "Have you forgotten that I am the Queen of Death, young one? That decapitated mess gave me great joy because I know that my job is done!"

"Her mother! Her brother! And Sky! He tried to kill me!"

She laughs. "Yes, her eldest brother is mine now. He doesn't know friend from foe, and that includes you. Want another example?" She charges at Peter, grabbing his throat.

I tense. She wouldn't.

"Say goodbye to your boyfriend, Addison. He'll be such an interesting addition to my collection of toys." She strokes his face with a finger, ripping of his mask. His face is red and he's sputtering, trying to catch a breath but her grip is too tight around his throat.

"Peter!" The voice in my head screams and I do the same, charging at the psychotic bitch.

"Becca! Stop! If you get any closer, she'll kill the both of us! I'll be okay Beck. I swear that I'll be back!"

"Peter! No!" I reach out but Hel opens a vortex, stepping into it and dragging Peter with her.

My head snaps toward Loki, who's watching my actions. "Loki!" He nods and holds out his hands. I run at him and he grabs my waist, throwing me in the air and toward them. I pull out the dagger and aim at Hel but she's too fast. She yanks Peter into the vortex with her and shes gone in a flash of light that explodes and pushes me backwards. I scream, flying back and hurtling toward the pavement when Loki teleports there and catches me in his arms.

I let myself relax, cuddling into his chest. I've lost four people today. Victoria, Jonah, Skyson and Peter - all because Tony wanted to say hi.

Tears rush down my cheeks, dampening my face and I sob into Loki's chest. He shushes me, stroking my hair. "It's okay. It's okay. You're safe now. She's gone." Those are the last things I hear before the pain restores itself and I pass out.

(So, I'm going to try and post every Monday and Thursday - just to make your Monday a bit better and because Thursday is my favourite day of the week. That's what I did on Deviant Art and that's what I'm going to attempt to do here! I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! P.S.How cruel am I to have killed Jonah? I'm a bitch, wow... P.P.S. I figured out how to add gifs! I'm such an idiot omg.

For future update news, follow me on Twitter @Saveiya or on Tumblr @Saveiya)