The Rise of Hel {Loki Laufeyson} Book Two

Chapter Thirty-Two

We leave the city at midnight.

The sky is a beautiful ombre of blue to black as I wait for Tony, Steve and Natasha to load their bags into a 'borrowed' Chevrolet truck. A black vehicle slows down next to us, the S.H.I.E.L.D logo faintly painted on it's side. Nat pulls Steve to her, whispering something and they kiss, Nat pulling her hood up to hide her hair. Tony and I just hop into the truck, keeping our heads down as they drive past, several other cars following in tow.

"Where did Captain America learn how to steal a car?" Natasha inquires as Steve gildes down the barren road on the way to the compound.

He grins, cocking his blonde head. "Nazi, Germany." He glances at her feet which are propped up on the dashboard. "And we're borrowing - take your feet off the dash."

"Alright, I have a question." She says, taking her feet down cockily. "Which you do not have to answer - I feel like you don't answer it though, is kind of answering it..."

"What?" Steve asks, slightly annoyed.

"Was that your first kiss since 1945?"

"That bad, huh?"

"I didn't say that-" She smiles.

"Well it kinda sounds like that's what you're saying."

"No, I didn't- I just wondered how much practice you've had."

"I don't need practice-"

"Everybody needs practice-" Me and Tony start to snicker in the backseat, covering our mouths as Steve turns around, glaring.

"Not you two- it was not my first kiss since 1945." He stares out the windshield, a small smirk teasing the corners of his mouth. "I'm 95, I'm not dead."

Loki and Harry meet us at the doors. I hop out and Harry runs over, hugging me.

"I left after I heard about what happened. Are you okay?" He asks. His pupils are slightly dialated, his skin pigmented with a pale green. I become skeptical, asking myself why he isn't getting any better.

"I'm fine." I pull away, taking a step back.

Loki walks over, touching my arm. "You're wounded." He opens my hand, giving me a look as he sees the cuts my fingernails made.

I slip my hand out of his, shoving them in my pockets. "Seriously, I'm okay. It'll heal." Looking away, I sigh, locking eyes with him. "I'm going to bed." I say. "I have school in the morning."

Tony shakes his head. "No you don't. We're pulling you out for the moment being. Too much back there that could get you killed."

Steve steps up. "It's just that we all need to stay low for a while. S.H.I.E.L.D has been compromised which means that we're basically lone wolves right now. We don't know how many Hydra members there are. We can't trust anyone at this point."

"Steve..." I start but again, he waves to cut me off.

"Go to bed, Beck. It's been a long day and without sleep, it'll be even longer."

I nod, walking away from them.

***

A sharp sound pierces through the darkness and I shriek, bolting up in my bed, covering my ears. Steve stands there in my doorway, a whistle strung around his neck. It's pressed between his lips and he continues to blow it until I scream at him to stop.

"Get up, maggot!"

I blink the sleep from my eyes, focusing on Steve's face. He has a whistle in his teeth, glaring down at me. Sitting up, he moves back, plopping down at my feet.