Super Glitches 3: Stranded

Oh Very Much Dear

Water covered my head and I stupidly opened my mouth to cry out. Cool liquid rushed in and I started to choke, bubbles whirling around my head to the surface. I was panicking, arms flailing madly. I splashed about in circles unable to tell which way was up, water flooding into my every opening. 

A hand gripped my hair and yanked me out of the fountain. I gasped and watery sick dribbled down my chin. Laughter rang in my ears once they were cleared of water and my eyes flicked about to see who had both saved me and drowned me.

"Hello again," a rich, amused, English voice said. My eyes widened and they focused on the teenage boy stood opposite me, still holding my quiff. I tugged my head back and stood up, shadows covering me like a towel. I created for myself a new shirt, trousers and waistcoat made entirely of light.

"That's the most un-goth your outfit has ever been," the same voice said. "Seriously, Shaade. You're a snowman!"

"Y... I... I saw y... you... but..." I stammered. The person laughed, tossing back his hair.

"Awestruck, are we?" he teased. "Come on, you mewling quim. Go to the fire and dry off, yeah?"

"E... explain first," I stuttered, still stunned. "H... ho... how you're still... here..."

"When the King clicked his fingers and made me vanish I merely left the sketchbook," the boy sighed, "and appeared in New York. I found that scientist - Doctor Dufus, I believe he was called - and got him to take you lot and give you powers. It was quite amusing seeing you panic about Edaahs but when Georgina died? I was ready to step in and kill you, Shaade, my boy. Luckily you brought her back to life otherwise you would be joining her in death." He narrowed his eyes at me. "Mewling quim."

"Hey, I brought her back a well as the others," I retorted. "Where were you when Edaahs murdered everyone?"

"Hidden," he replied. "Standing at the sideline. Watching, waiting. You handled the situation relatively well, for an idiot." 

"Shut up and follow me," I grumbled. I shook the remaining water droplets off my shoulders and walked over to the burning fire. Georgina was sat on the same log as before, talking to Rebecca and Sophie. Rebecca floated just above the bark, legs crossed. Sophie was keeping her distance from the fire, stitching her hand back on even tighter so it wouldn't fall into the flames. She always carried a set of needles and thread with her, incredibly useful for when her rucksack broke, as it frequently did.

"Shaade, who's your friend?" Rebecca asked, noticing my follower before anyone else did. I twitched my nose in distaste and sat down. The boy stayed standing, smiling slightly. He was high cheekboned and tall, almost six foot despite being thirteen. He was wearing armour, a golden and black breastplate with a green cape fixed with gold to his shoulders. His helmet was golden and curved, long horns coiling down to the back of his neck. In one hand he held a golden staff that had a blue gemstone at the top. His hair was black, darker than even my eyes, and slicked back. His eyes were crystal blue and glittering mischieviously. 

"Have a look," I muttered, shifting on my seat. Rebecca lowered to the log and watched him closely. Sophie was looking up by now but Georgina was tracing patterns in the dirt.

"Hang on..." Sophie frowned. "Is that...?"

"George, you can see better than us," Rebecca said. "You have a look because I think... I think it might be..."

"It must be someone pretty special to get you to be quiet," Georgina said, smiling slightly. She looked up and froze. After a few seconds she stood and walked over to the boy, almost as if she were in a trance.

"Loki?" she whispered. He nodded, grinning. 

"Hello," he said. Georgina raised her hand as if she were going to hug him but instead one lowered. Her right hand slapped Loki hard around the face and anger flahed briefly in her eyes. 

"You git!" she yelled. "Why didn't you contact us?! How long have you still been alive?! What... how?!"

Loki held one hand to his face and winced. He explained all that he had told me - quite frankly, the bare minimum - and then looked down at Georgina hopefully. 

"Am I forgiven?" he asked. Georgina hesitated and then nodded, smiling once more. She hugged him and the armour vanished. Instead he was stood there in a tight green T-Shirt and faded blue jeans. His hair was ruffled and his smile seemed genuine, for once. 

"Hang on!" I cried, outraged. "If I'm not forgiven for not killing you but bringing you back to life and then saving your new life then why is he forgiven?"

"He's not a prick," Georgina said by way of explanation. I felt hurt and it obviously showed on my face as Georgina looked guilty for a second. She stepped away from Loki and stood opposite me. 

"Sorry," she said softly. "But thanks to you I did die."

"That was Edaahs," I said miserably, "and in case you weren't listening, Loki gave me the powers and was stood by and so he could have saved you."

"Yeah, well," she shrugged. "I'm alive now."

"Thanks to me," I said as she walked away. All the other Super Glitches were crowded around the Frost Giant, asking him questions, laughing and joking with him. I sat on my log feeling like the fifth wheel, left out and friendless. I sniffed and rubbed a sleeve across my nose. In an instant I had turned into a jealous toddler.

"Hey, Shaade, Loki's taking us back to England," Sophie called over to me. "Are you coming?"

"Of course he's coming," Rebecca scoffed. "He can't stay in New York forever, he'll die."

"Thanks," I muttered, standing and joining the group. Loki was stood in the middle, staff in one hand. The other hand was holding Georgina's and in turn her right hand was holding Sophie's, Sophie's Rebecca's and Rebecca's mine. 

"Nobody let go," Loki ordered. He tapped the staff on the ground and there was a flash of light. We were dragged into a tunnel of wind, rain and electricty. It was like the start to Doctor Who and I started to feel like the TARDIS, being knocked about and being struck by lightning. 

There was a sudden boom of noise and vibrations and we were all thrown in different directions. Rebecca spiralled a few feet away from me, Sophie rocketed in the opposite direction, Loki fell backwards through a rip in the tunnel and Georgina bounced around in circles, yelling and cursing. 

There was another flash of light and I felt my head connect with something wooden. When my ears had stopped ringing and my eyes had stopped popping I looked around. I was on the floor in a grand room, a four poster bed next to me. Everything was velvety and just looked rich. The furniture was oak and the new clothes I wore were Victorian in appearance. 

I scrambled to my feet and blinked a few times in shock. I was wearing a white and gold thread cravat, a dark green velvet smoking jacket, brown breeches, long socks and laced shoes. I looked much the same as I usually did but there was one thing missing when I looked in the mirror.

My quiff was brushed out into a curly mess, neat but in my mind. I gasped and immediately tried to spike it up again. To my horror it remained stubbornly flat, an out of date style that I hated. I groaned and buried my head in my hands. 

I was stuck in the Victorian era with a haircut I hated and no way of communicating with my friends. There was no way for me to get home, no way for me to get my life back and no way for me to get my hair back!

"Sir," a maid said, rushing into the room. She had a Yorkshire accent and when I looked out of the window I saw the rolling moors of Yorkshire. 

Even better, I thought. I'm in the middle of nowhere in the wrong time period. 

"What is it?" I snapped, amazed at how posh and un-Yorkshireish I sounded. She bowed her head and brushed her hands on her apron.

"Mistress Eleanor to see you," she said nervously. 

"Who?" I asked in surprise. She looked at me even more shocked than I felt at being wherever I was.

"Your fiancee," she explained. "Your wedding is at the week's end, remember, sir?"

END of book three!

DISCLAIMER: Loki is not created by me, he is a product of Norse myth and Marvel.