"Livay! Double kick! Now!" I shouted as my dog did the move. It was my newest invention. She mastered it a couple of days ago, but I wanted to be sure everything's perfect when the time comes.
"Good girl, who's the best? Of course, you are!" I praised her and gave her a treat. Professional war dog or not – who wouldn't like a treat after such hard training? I sat down and looked her in the eyes like so many times before and said: "We're the best team. Nothing can part us; we'll go together to death and beyond. Right?" I lowered my voice with every word, which is the "listen carefully" command. She then put her front legs on my shoulders and her head on mine. That was the answer and all that I needed. She'll never disappoint me. And neither will I.
As I was packing my stuff I heard a "beep" sound. Livay immediately came to me so I could check the machine on her collar. It turned out it was the radar. It caught the signal of another similar collar. That could mean only that...
No. That can't be. He couldn't have come back. So suddenly... I didn't want him back. I didn't want to see him ever again. Even after six years, the wound hasn't healed yet.
"Livay, find him," I whispered. She looked at me all worried as if she was asking "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, now go," I replied with tears in my eyes.
Okay, Althea, concentrate. Breathe in, wink. Livay is at the door. Breathe out, wink. Livay is gone. Breathe in, wink. What do I do? Breathe out, wink. The communicator. I turned it on.
"Livay, I'm going to my apartment now, don't let him anywhere near."
He's there. He's standing in front of your apartment. Dodger is with him. I can't get them away.
Oh, what else? Now he apparently wants to talk to me. AND he brought his dog, too.
"Get inside, I'm going to use the window."
He'll know you're there. Dodger will smell you.
"But neither one will be able to get in, you know, the password, fingerprints, collar chip..."
Oh, that's right. Okay, I'm inside. All clear, good luck.
"Thanks, Livay."
I got to the hall on the third floor where the gym was and outside to the balcony.
"What a beautiful view, isn't it, my love?"
I almost fell to the ground. I turned around and there he was in all his glory. My father Loki.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?!"
"Forgive me, I couldn't help it. Now, what are you doing? You know you have never done this. And that you can get seriously hurt if you fall." I didn't comment on him reading my mind again.
"I know, but... Steve's back." There it is. I said it.
"Oh, that little-"
"Not so little anymore. See?" I showed him a picture taken by the cameras in front of my room on my spy watch.
"Still too little for your daddy," he replied and winked at me.
"Okay, okay. Now how do I make this work?" I asked and lifted my hands.
"Oh, poor thing. She has so much power she gets lost in it."
"Dad, I'm serious." I really didn't have time for his stupid sarcasm. And making fun of me just because I had almost no power at all didn't help, either.
"Just tell yourself to soar. You must make your magic obey your will. Tell it to take you wherever you want to go. You know, closing your eyes might really help." He added when he saw I wasn't able to concentrate. I did what he told me, I closed my eyes and wrapped my mind around the single command. Soar.
