The NightWalker: Reborn

Time To Train

Loki leans his hands down on his desk and stares down at the set of stakes he just pulled out.
"Now then, We need to end this as soon as possible. We have less than 48 hours left until Hayward sends in the air strikes. If we haven't restored order by then... We will all burn. And we can't restore order while Punisher and his group of merry men are running wild,"
"So it's war then?" Thor clenches his fists so tight, that I swear I could see the bones of his knuckles "We take them all out. No mercy,"
"It won't be that easy. There's a whole lot of them and just five of us. We'll have to play this smart," Sif stared at the map that Loki laid out on the coffee table.
"One of us should sneak into their den and provide a way to let the rest of us inside so we can launch a surprise attack," Loki pointed to a little figure on the map and then flicked it off the table "Take out Punisher and his friends before they even know we were there,"
"It's a good plan but the wanker knows our faces. They will recognize us too easily," Thor states, crossing her oversize arms across his chest "We should make it fast. Get in, Get out,"
"Sounds like a normal Saturday night for you," Melody smirked.
"Really? Now is not the time," Thor glared at Melody. I simply patted her hand, letting her know that I understood her joke.
"We can't rush them, Thor. There are too many of them to take on at once. Speed won't be on our side,"
"Perhaps someone from our clan can be a diversion?" Melody looked at Thor. Thor tapped his chin.
"Sir, allow me to go. I am more than happy to offer my services," Huggin raised his hand, His face calm and collected "I'm sure I could go a few rounds of fisticuffs should the need arise. I'll give them what's what,"
"No, Huggin. Our clan needs you to help them stay safe and out of Punisher's hands,"
"Then... who will go?" Melody asks. I looked around at the others, their faces were grim. Something settles within me.
"I am going to regret this," I take a deep breath and stand up from the couch "I will take the ring to Mordor," I speak clearly.
"For real, Em?" Melody tilted her head at me. I looked at Loki and he looked down at the ground. I knew he didn't want me to go but what choice is there?
"Yeah, I mean, none of you can go, right? So that leaves me,"
"Can someone please translate?" Sif looked between Melody and Me.
"Em is saying she wants to be the one to go into Punisher's lair," Loki mumbled.
"I'm not on the council. Punisher and his mates don't know who I am," I smiled. I was already trying to convince myself that this was a good idea but I forgot that I had to convince the others.
"He might recognize you from the fight," Thor replied, glancing at Loki. They were all worried about his reaction. And if we are being honest, Even I thought he was about to kick off.
"It was dark and things were moving fast. I don't think he'd recognize me again," At least, I hope not.
"You have only just become a vampire, Emily. Doing something like this... it might overwhelm you," Loki sighs and runs a hand through his hair, at a loss.
"Why are you acting like I am a newborn kitten or something? I am a vampire. And even when I wasn't, I could handle myself just fine,"
"That is true. Remember the Black Order's compound?" Melody grinned. At least she has faith in me.
"You will be outnumbered. Alone," Sif stated. I nodded.
"Like I was at the Black Order compound," I nodded once. If I was human, they wouldn't have argued with me.
"And Frank is surprisingly smart. He might see through you," Thor sighed.
"I highly doubt that he has a brain cell," I crossed my arms.
"Darling, Please reconsider. We can find someone else," Loki stood next to me, a worried look etched on his face.
"Can you though?" I looked at Loki and then at the others. My challenge goes unanswered, the others exchanging uneasy looks between them. Loki steps in front of me, gently taking my hand.
"Emily... I can't lose you again," Loki took my hands in his, pressing his forehead to mine.
"You won't," I lift my head up and stare into his eyes, almost getting lost in them. I take a hand away from Loki's and place it on his cheek, feeling him lean into the touch "But you also can't let this go on. You can't let the knobhead that is known as Hayward send in the army,"
"Emily..."
"This is my home too. I don't want to see New York this way. I don't want it to all go down in flames. And besides, there are people to protect. Your people. Our people," As I say the words, the room goes quiet, contemplative and heavy with impact. Finally, Loki squeezes my hand.
"You're right. You are absolutely right,"
"You are one of us, now. Which means protecting those who need protection,"
"Damn," Melody looks down at her arms before raising one, pointing at the skin "See that? See my arms? Goosebumps,"
"I'm so proud of you, darling" Loki pulls me close to him, wrapping his arms around my waist as he kisses my forehead.
"Hey, none of that! You're going to make me cry,"
"Alright then. We've agreed on who is going. Now, we need a plan," Thor clapped his hands together and rubbed them together.
"Loki, I need your computer," Melody vaulted Loki's desk, landing in his chair. Loki tilted his head.
"Really?" He frowns. Loki doesn't like people going on his computer.
"It's faster than my loading my laptop," Melody smiled as she turned on the screen "Password,"
"What is the point of fighting it?" Loki mumbled. He spins me around so now my back is pressed against his chest "Asgard1753. Capital A. No spaces," Melody crackles her knuckles before setting her fingers on the keyboard.
"Alright. I am in. Sif, whereabouts was their den?"
"Hell's Kitchen subway," Sif fills her in on the intel we collected. Melody lets her fingers fly over the keyboard.
"All right... and... ha!"
"What have you found?" I asked.
"See, if we weren't in another life or death thing, I could have given a total Melody answer," Melody grinned. I wonder what she would have said.
"Melody, concentrate," Thor spoke.
"I am concentrating," Melody frowned at Thor before turning back to the screen "We just need to load up Google Maps," Melody spun the laptop around "Looks like there is a second entrance to that subway station a few blocks away from where you saw those guards,"
"Perfect. That just means they have some sort of back door" Loki walked away from me and stood next to Melody, leaning over her shoulder. Melody curled up and pushed him away.
"Out of my nerd space, if you please," She pointed at Loki and pushed him towards me.
"My computer. As if I am being told to move away," Lok pouted as he came and stood next to me. He wrapped his arms around me and hid his face in my hair.
"So, what's the plan?" I patted Loki's hands. He leaned his head on top of mine.
"Against my better judgement, You will go through the main entrance and blend in with the unchained. Find the back door and open it for us," Loki stares at the set of stakes "Then, we will attack,"
"English version is, You gonna have to Assassin Creed: Vallhalla it," Melody leaned back in her chair.
"Sounds easy enough. I can totally do this," Sif gives me a sideways look "Why did you give me that look?"
"Don't let cockiness get the better of you, Emily,"
"She was cocky as a human," Melody scoffed. Thor agreed.
"She has a point. And after the stunt that those wankers pulled in the park, I am more than ready to take them down," I put my hands on my hips, right above Loki's. He let out a slight cough and I turned my head at an uncomfortable angle "Yes?"
"Nothing. I just want to make sure you are okay with this, darling. We can always find another plan,"
"No, you can't. It's now or never. I can do this. I am sure of it," I spoke, spinning back around and leaning my head on Loki's chest. Thor nods, a light smile dancing across his lips.
"Good. Em. Come with me, then. If things go bad in there, you will need to know how to fight,"
"Sif's trained me already," I looked at Sif.
"Indeed, I did," Sif smiled.
"When?" Loki glared at Sif.
"Earlier when we went to find Punisher," I bit my lip. Loki glared at Sif.
"It was only stealth training. Weapon training was when we were in Prague. It was memorable," Sif beamed. Loki growled, Sif rolled her eyes at him "Oh pipe down, jealous. She was a good student. She's a fast learner,"
"Yeah, well, fighting as a vampire isn't like fighting as a human. You're faster, stronger... More involved. It's like the difference between riding a bike and flying a jet," Thor crossed his arms.
"So you're going to train me to fight as a vampire?" I smirked as I cocked an eyebrow.
"What, Are you scared?" Thor taunted. I grinned as I gently shook my head.
"Hell no! I'm just wondering why it took so damn long," I jumped up and grinned. Thor laughs and as we walk out the door, he turns to Loki, pointing a finger at him.
"And don't growl at me," Loki holds his hands up and smiles softly.
"The training hall is 5 levels down," Loki mumbled as he pointed at the elevator. I wink at Loki and we walk out of the office and down to the training hall. I am excited but a little nervous.

As I walk into the training room, I see mats on the floor and practice weapons lining the walls.
"Is this Loki's stuff?" I tied my hair back as I took off my shoes. Thor came and stood next to me.
"Mine, actually. It's what we managed to get out of the thunder den. Loki let me store it here while we worked things out. Though I had no idea, he had organized it so well,"
"That's Loki for you," I look around the room, admiring the swords and staves... until my eyes fall on a sword at the far end, covered by a cloth "Hey, Thor... is... is that?" I gulped. I had a mini flashback of that day. Odin grins at me as he stabs me. I remember the sword buried in my chest. I put a hand where the hole would have been.
"Yeah," Thor winces when he sees my hand "I... I should have gotten rid of it. I didn't..."
"No. It's okay. I want to see it," I gulp again, steeling myself. Thor nods and walks over to the sword and, with one more glance to make sure I am okay, pulls the sheet off. I recognize it... It is the sword that ended my life.
"Emily? You okay?" Thor asks, regret all over his face. I take a few wobbly steps towards him.
"Yeah. Just... remembering?" I shake the memory out of my head.
"Vision or normal?" Thor tilted his head.
"Do you see me stumbling around?" I crossed my arms, looking at the man over my glasses.
"Good point," Thor sighed, looking back at the sword "I'm sorry about this... I... I didn't know what to do with it after... after what happened. This sword once meant the world to me, but after what... after what Odin did... I couldn't bear to touch it,"
"Thor..." I let my hands drop to my side and I reach out to him.
"He killed you, Emily. He killed you with my sword," Thor clenches his hands and opens them a few dozen times.
"Thor... It is not the sword's fault," I put a hand on his upper arm.
"I know that but every time I see it... I remember that moment and..." Thor shakes his head "I should not have kept it. It should have melted it down,"
"Thor, no. The past is important. You had this sword for a long ass time before you met me, right? Before... before I died?"
"I had a hammer too before I broke it and yeah... it was decades," Thor mumbled then coughed.
"And this sword mattered to you? It was important?"
".... very," Thor whispered.
"That's what's important. What this sword meant to you before, the reason you treasured it... what happened to me doesn't change that," I take Thor's hand and rest it on the hilt "I'm still here. That's what matters," Thor winces for a moment and grips it "Use it to fight for us. For your clan. For your friends. For the future," Thor raises the sword, turning it over in his hand.
"You're something else, Emily. You know that?"
"I've been told a few times," I fist-bumped his shoulder before walking off "Now, can we get to the part where you train to fight?" Thor grins sets the sword down and paces to the centre of the room.

"I figured we should start with the basics," Thor clicks his neck as he wiggles his arms "Has Sif shown you anything yet?"
"She taught me how to blend in with the shadows, stilling my heart and breath,"
"Great. So we can skip all that boring stuff," Thor takes his jacket off and flings it across the room "I am going to show you how to move,"
"I like to move it, move it," I wiggled to the beat. Thor clicked his fingers.
"Concentrate," Thor gestures for me to stand before him in the middle of the room "You may have noticed that your new body isn't like your old human body. It moves differently. It senses differently,"
"Sif called it bumbling," I put my hands on my hips.
"And I have to agree with her. You are like a newborn deer, All legs, no grace,"
"Thanks," I scoff, frowning.
"While it is normal for a newborn vampire to be all legs it is also dangerous, If you misstep or you get overwhelmed, you're done,"
"Yeah, I... I got that impression," I wiggled a finger in my ear. Thor tied his hair back "I think you look better with short hair,"
"Leave my hair alone,"
"You handled yourself well during Punisher's attack but you were sloppy. It would be best if you learned specific defensive and offensive patterns," Thor slips into a fighting stance, hands ready at his side "Try to come at me," I know it's futile but I run towards him anyway. Quick as a snake striking, he easily grabs me and flings me over his shoulder.
"Whoa!" I yell out. Thankfully, Thor's control is restrained and instead of crashing to the ground, I land harmlessly on my back. Thor grins above me.
"Do you want me to break that down for you?" he tilts his head.
"Let's," I nod. Thor holds his hand out for me, I smile as I take it. I then pull him to the ground and somehow, I pin his arms to the ground.
"So you do know some moves?" Thor grins at me.
"Enough to keep me out of trouble," I didn't loosen my grip and Thor wiggled. I have younger brothers and I needed to be on my toes "Shall we carry on with the training? Where do I put my feet so I don't fall over?" I help Thor to his feet and he positions my body so I am in the right format for the move he showed me. His hands settle just above my hips "Hands off, buddy," I warn as I go to grip his thumb. It was the one move I knew that could bring anyone to their knees. Even vampires.
"As you know, Speed is integral when fighting. It is one of our biggest advantages. In order to tap into that speed, you need to flood yourself with adrenaline," Thor speaks as he lets go of me.
"How do I do that?" I keep my eyes on Thor.
"It requires a stronger connection with your body. Being acutely aware of each limb and where's about to move,"
"That seems like a lot to be aware of at once," I sigh. Being a vampire should have come with an instruction manual.
"At first but I promise it gets easier," Thor smiles, standing sideways "Now, try to do the move I just did," Suddenly, Thor runs at me. I try and do what Thor said and tap into the adrenaline in my body, blood rushing through my veins like liquid heat. I think about moving my legs. I am startled when they shoot me forward in a sudden blur, making me crash into Thor.
"Whoa!" Thor lands on his back and I land on top of him "Sorry, Sorry," Thor is laughing and shaking his head.
"Trust me, That is pretty standard for a first-timer. Want to try it again?"
"Hell yeah!" I climb off him and help him up. I think he enjoyed being on top of him a little bit too much.

We try it again. and again. And again. Thor charges at me. I grab him and hurl him over my shoulders. He flies through the air, bouncing off a padded wall.
"Oh my god! I'm sorry. Are you okay?" I ran over to him and Thor pushed himself up onto his knees. Thor coughs around a small laugh.
"I'm fine. You just need to refine your control a bit. Good form through," Thor stands and dusts himself off "So, now that you kinda know what it feels like, you should next try to direct that energy,"
"How do I do that?" Thor backs up and spreads his arms out on either side of him.
"Jump and do a flip over me," Thor smiles. I dead-face him.
"A flip? I failed gymnastics at school. I can't flip, a flip requires balance and I have the balance of Bambi on ice. I can't do a flip,"
"You can totally do it. Remember, focus on the adrenaline and be conscious of where you want your body to go," I eye Thor over, wondering how on earth I can jump over him, let alone do a flip in midair "You can do this," I take a deep breath, letting the energy spiderweb through me, making my lower belly and thighs ache with it. My vision tunnels until all I can see is the spot above Thor's head.
"If I kick you in the head, it's your own fault," I tensed up, ready to go "Remember, you asked to lose that one brain cell,"
"Just focus, don't think too much about it," Thor smiles at me.
"Here goes nothing," And with that, I push off the wall, running forward. The training room turns into a blur, the air whipping past my face and through my hair. It feels exhilarating. The energy bunches up inside me and when I jump off the ground, I go flying through the air, well over Thor's head.
"Nice," I tilt myself forward, executing a perfect flip before I land in a crouch on the other side of Thor, "I thought you failed gymnastics?"
"I also failed maths," Panting for breath, my body singing, I give Thor a huge grin "I... I can't believe I just did that!"
"That was amazing. Sif is right, you are a fast learner," Dizziness hits me when I stand and I wobble when I stand. Thor puts a hand on my back "Be careful about using too much energy, though. You are no good to anyone if you stumble in the middle of a fight,"
"I will do my best," I smile as Thor puts his hands on his hips.
"I do have one more move for you. This might help you with your control," He walks over to a wall and grabs a dull blade training sword. I eye warily.
"Urm?" I take a step back.
"You need to funnel energy and pay attention to where your body goes but you also need to understand that you only have so much strength. So, instead of flooding yourself with energy all at once, keep it localized to the area that needs it. Reserve your strength," He gestures using his sword, spinning it slowly in his hands "I'm going to come at you. You're going to dodge by jumping onto the wall, running across it and jumping back down. Got it?"
"I think so," Thor doesn't give me much time to react. He runs at me, swinging the sword in a wide arc. Though, I do react faster than I expected, lunging for the wall on your right. I leap in the air and feel my body twist, my feet landing on the wall's surfaces but my centre of gravity tilts drunkenly. I remember what Thor said and funnelled my adrenaline down into my thighs and calves. The heat of my strength burns through my muscles, urging me to run. I move across the wall, running parallel to the floor until I twist again and see Thor below me.
"Didn't know I drove you up the wall?" Thor grins. Getting an idea, I leap off the wall and straight into Thor. I crash into Thor and send him to the floor, landing on his chest. We both stare at each other, wide-eyed and then we both break out into laughter "You know what? Not bad. It ain't perfect, sure, but it ain't bad,"
"Thanks" I stand up and help Thor to his feet. He picks up his fallen sword "You're really good at this kind of stuff, you know. Not just the fighting but teaching, too," Thor gives a half smile and sheathes his sword.
"Thanks. I'm not used to teaching other people so this was nice,"
"So who taught you how to fight?"
"The man who turned me into a vampire. Eric Selvig. He taught me almost everything I know. He..." Thor trails off, lost in a memory "Anyway. Doesn't matter. Come on, the others are probably waiting for us," He glances down at his practice sword, then gives me a sideways glance "Unless you want to learn a different kind of fighting,"
"Oh?"
"A vampire is well enough off using their strength but it also helps to have a weapon, just in case," Thor whirls the training sword in his hand in a tantalizing display of swordsmanship "I prefer fighting with a hammer or an axe but it helps to train with all sorts of weapons,"
"If you prefer hammers or axes, why not get another one?" I titled my head.
"I need to find the right metal and with the who end of the world bullshit going on, I haven't had the time," Thor shrugged "If you want to spend a little more time in here, I can show you some cool tricks with a sword that might come in handy,"
"Teach me the ways of the blade, Sensei," I bowed at the waist. I looked at Thor through my sweaty hair, smirking "Just don't do that wax on, wax off shit," Thor smiled as he walks over to a wall, takes a sword down from the wall and handed it to me. It looks like it is heavy but when I hold it, it is surprisingly light "Are you going to give me an inspirational speech about how I need to learn the basics for months before actually fighting?"
"Fuck no. Raise your sword," Thor scoffed with a smile. I mentally cheered as I lifted the sword. Thor silently readjusts my posture. His hands linger on my arms and hips.
"Easy there tiger. Anyone would think you have bad intentions," I flicked my hips so Thor would be forced to move his hand.
"If it wasn't for Loki then I would have," Thor grumbled. Even when I wasn't dating Loki, I wouldn't go for Thor. It's nothing against him, I mean he is gorgeous as hell but I prefer bean poles to jocks. Besides, Thor is one of my dearest friends, so it would never work out. I stand with one leg in front, the sword held diagonally before me.
"What's this position called?" I adjust my feet so they are a little comfier.
"It's called 'you better not break my defence or I will kick your ass' or something along those lines,"
"Seems a little wordy,"
"Fine. Let's go with position one. It's good for going on the defensive," Thor mirrors the stance across from me, the corner of his mouth curled upward "I am going to come at you and you are going to try and block me,"
"What if I can't?"
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I don't want Loki breaking my kneecaps. I just want to see what your range of motion is. How your reflexes are, all that stuff,"
"If you say so..." I sort of know what I am doing from Sif's training back in Prague. I need to watch his body. I notice Thor tense, ready to strike. Thor stands to attention, muscles bunched, ready to move. As I watch, his left leg shifts slightly. As Thor lunges forward, I am able to duck under his sword. I turn and point the tip of my sword at his back.
"Hey!"
"How was that?" When it comes to swords, all I know is what I saw on TV. Like where to stab someone to injure them, You aim for the hip area. I got that tip from some gothic horror rom-com movie... fuck what was the name? Bloody Beak? No, that sounds wrong... I don't fucking know. And to kill someone, you stab between the 2nd and 3rd rib. Game Of Thrones taught me that. But mainly, the pointy end goes in the other man.
"Not bad," Thor grinnedThor repositions me so that my feet are now hip-width apart, my arms raised and bent, holding the blade horizontally to my head "Position two. This one is offensive,"
"How do I apply it?"
"Try to disarm me," Thor let out a steady breath. I dead-faced him.
"Oh yeah, because that will be super easy," I couldn't even disarm Sif.
"Humor me," I gauge his stances, wondering how to best attack. Finally, I rush in and swing my sword towards his. But Thor meets my blade with his own, the metal scraping together. He pushes my sword down and around, making it spin out of my hand.
"Hey!" I raise my voice. Thor bends down and picks my sword up for me.
"You have the right idea. Let me break it down for you," I pay close attention as Thor walks through the move with me, stepping as he steps, moving my arms the way he does. His chest presses against my back as he rests his hands over mine, moving the sword with me. The heat of his body is intense "And then if you jerk up like this... the sword should go flying,"
"Okay, I think I got it," I nod. Thor walks to the other side of the mat.
"From the top,"

I move into the second position and rush forward, my movements fluid. Time almost seems to slow down as we clash together. It takes a couple of goes but in the end, I perform the manoeuvre flawlessly.
"Damn, Sif was right. You are a quick learner," Thor pants.
"Do I get a gold star?" I smile.
"Even better. You are going to apply what I just taught you," Thor wiped his sweat away.
"And then do I get a gold star?" I grinned, spinning my sword in my hand.
"... You used to be a teacher's pet, didn't you?" Thor gets into position two, sword held up by his head. Panickly slightly, I mirror Thor's stance and shift into position two. But when Thor comes at me, I have no way to block.
"Bollocks," I flail my sword around but it's too slow. Thow taps me lightly on the chest.
"Remember, position one is defensive and position two is offensive," He smirks, he drops his sword to his side and taps me on the nose.
"Sorry. I'll remember next time," I bat his hand away and get into position 1 "Again,"

The two of us continue to spar, going back and forth between blocking and attacking. Thor gets into position two, sword held up by his head. I get into position one and block his move.
"That's it. Just like that," The sword is starting to begin to feel like an extension of my arm. It is almost like I was born with a metal limb. My awareness of it and Thor only increases the more I practise. I can hear Thor's harder breathing and the smell of sweat on his forehead. I never knew how powerful being a vampire could feel. I love it. Wish I had done this sooner. Not the whole dying part. That I could have done without. Thor almost dropped to his knees.
"What, You getting sleepy?" I smiled at him.
"I can do this all day," Thor grinned, getting into another stance.
"Okay, Captain Thor," I mocked, saluting him. That was Rogers's favourite line. I wonder how he is doing? Did he make it after being seriously injured?

We continue practising, whirling, slashing, blocking and weaving. It would have taken me weeks, possibly months, to gain this level of skill. But now, I pick it up effortlessly.
"Again," We start to circle each other, eyes bright and gleaming. We both move at the same time, swords caught at the hilt, pressing hard, panting. Then fall away, exhausted.
"Talk about a workout," Panting, I stumble away and wipe the sweat from my bow "Thanks for teaching me all this, Thor,"
"Any time. I want you to be able to protect yourself, to fight alongside us," Thor put a callused hand on my shoulder, grinning "And I think you are going to do just fine. By the way..." Thor gestures to the sword I have been using "Hold onto that word. It will help in the fight to come,"
"You really think I am ready to have my own sword?" I grip the handle as Thor grabs a quiver from a rack.
"I do. Emily, you are more than ready," The two of us smile at one another before we head out to rejoin the others.

We return to the office, where Melody and Loki wait for us. I was adjusting my sword quiver so it fitted nicely on my back.
"All right. I am ready to go," I grinned. Loki smiles, scooping me up as he spins me around. I wrap my arms around him "Is that the sort of greeting I am going to get every time I leave,"
"I could be worse and you know it," Loki whispers in my ear. He licks his lips as he stares at me "But yes, you will get that greeting each and every time I see you. And no, I will never stop. So get used to it," Loki kissed me before arching an eyebrow.
"What are you staring at?" I touch my face "Do I have a spot? I stink, don't I? I knew I should have gone for a shower,"
"You don't stink. You don't have a spot. You... have a sword now," Loki looked past me and stared at my sword.
"Damn right,"
"I want one," Melody whispered. Melody went to touch my sword but I batted her hand away "I just wanna hold it,"
"No," All three of us said. Melody is dangerous with a crossbow, Her owning a sword, even I would be worried.
"But..." Melody stuck her bottom lip out.
"No," We all said. Melody sulked for about a minute.
"So not fair!" Melody stamped her foot "Anyway, That sword is extremely cool. God tier even. Yes, dot yes, dot com," She bigged it up, clicking her fingers every time she said yes or dot.
"Anyway, Where's Sif?" I looked around the room.
"Feeding to recover her strength. We're going to take off in about an hour," Loki looked at the clock. It wasn't even 11 o'clock yet.
"I will make sure Huggin knows what we are doing," Thor leaves the office.

After a minute, I notice that Melody is pacing nervously by the desk, arms crossed as she glares at the floor.
"Mel?" I spoke but she ignored me and started muttering. Never a good sign. I looked at Loki and he shrugged. He said that she was fine, despite double-double checking the map coordinates "Melody, What's wrong?"
"If this doesn't go smoothly, we won't be able to make Hayward's deadline," Melody spoke quickly.
"We will," Loki reassured her. Melody started counting on her fingers.
"What if I got the entrance coordinates wrong? Maybe I should check again,"
"You have checked the coordinates at least five times already," Loki pinched his nose. Melody groaned and rubbed her hands over her face.
"This is all way too stressful. You should be out there having fun. Like I did when I turned vampire,"
"Hey, I am having fun. Running around and punching people is fun,"
"I mean like real fun. Like... going to clubs or..." Melody stopped pacing once she looked out the window "Oh my god,"
"What?" I asked, immediately worried. So was Loki.
"I know exactly what we should do," Melody mumbled before spinning on her heel. Her dreadlocks hit herself in the eye "Oww... Loki, You said that we have an hour right?"
"Yes,"
"What are you planning?" I narrowed my eyes at Melody as she rubbed her eyes, blinking several times.
"I know how we can have fun and possibly, show you some useful vampire skills. You in?"
"Learning how to fight and blend in, isn't useful?" I cocked an eyebrow.
"You in or not?"
"You really doubt me. Girl, I am always in for some fun,"
"Loki?" Melody swings her head at Loki, grinning like a child at Christmas Loki checks his watch and hesitates.
"I don't know..." He mumbles as he tries not to look at me. I look at Melody and she nods at me. I smile at him as I wave my hand in his face "I'm not looking at you, Emily,"
"You're going to though," I taunt. Loki spun around. I just kept following him at every turn.
"No, I will not," Loki closed his eyes, backing away. Melody snuck up on Loki and stopped him from falling over a chair.
"But you like looking at her," Melody flicked Loki on the forehead. Loki's eyes snapped open, his gaze on Melody.
"Well, yes... but that... that is beside the point... I'm not going to though,"
"Because if you look at her, you'll crack like an egg,"
"... yes," Loki whimpers. Melody places her hands on Loki's head and turns it so now he is facing me. I put my hands together and pout. Loki then nods with a smile.
"You cracked," I beamed. Loki rolled his eyes while I high-fived Melody.
"So, are you in?" Melody put her hand on her hip.
"You know what? Life's grim enough. Let's have some fun," Loki finally relented. Melody and I high-fived again.
"My god... who are you and what have you done with the real Loki Odinson?" Melody cheered.
"Oh haha. Let's go... before I change my mind," Loki rolled his eyes.
"I highly doubt you will change your mind as long as Emily keeps looking at you," Melody grinned as she ran to the elevator.
"You can look at me all you want," Loki whispered in my ear as he playfully grabbed my butt, squeezing it "As long as I get to look at you all day," Loki licked his lips. I patted his chest.
"Easy tiger. You can play later,"
"I will hold you to that," We smiled at each other and then rushed after Melody.

Loki and I follow Melody up onto the roof. The city spreads out before me in smudges of grey and black, ash floating on the air. But I am quickly distracted from the sight as Melody goes to stand on the edge of the roof.
"Urm, Mel?" I tilted my head "What are you--?"
"Shush, I am calculating," Melody clicks her tongue, nods to herself and backs up. Loki looks unconcerned, his arm crossed as he watches on. Melody then takes off, sprinting across the roof in a blur.
"Melody!" I go to grab her. Melody kicks off from the roof's edge and launches herself into the air, arms and legs propelling her towards the building across the street. Loki and I both run towards the edge.
"Woooohooooo!" Melody lands and rolls, hopping to her feet and punching the air with her fist "Hell fucking yes!" I let out a sigh of relief as Melody whoops and runs a victory lap around the roof "All right! Your turn!"
"What?!" I asked, jaw dropping open.
"Girl, I know you heard me!" Melody put her hands on her hips "You can totally do this!"
"Are you mad?!" I shouted back.
"Always," Melody grinned. She kept shouting at me to jump. Groaning in dread, I lean a little over the edge and look down. That was a mistake. Why did I agree to this?
"Fuck me," I ran a hand over my head.
"I will later," Loki mumbled. I smirked at him, shaking my head. Loki smiled softly at me "I know, I know. I got to calm down," I licked my lips and turned back to the roof's edge.
"Em, Don't you dare freak out on me now!" Melody shouted.
"A bit fucking late!" I exclaimed. I tied my hair back.
"Just don't think about the ground. Just think of yourself flying through the air!" I put two fingers up at her as I walked to where she first took off running.
"And make sure you jump once you hit the edge," Loki spoke.
"Melody is right... what have you done with my Loki?" I smiled at my boyfriend.
"Oh, I am still me... Just in the mood to cause mischief and mayhem," Loki grinned at me, Leaning on the edge.
"You're a bad influence on me,"
"I know," Somewhat shaky, I do a few stretches. I shake out my hands and get into a starting position.
"Okay... I can do this... I can do this,"

Swallowing my fear as best as I can and trying not to think about the hard and unforgiving floor below, I start to run. Once I reach the edge, I jump and go sailing through the air. My stomach lifts like I am on a rollercoaster, adrenaline pumping through me like liquid fire. The wind is sharp and cold in my ears, rolling over my skin and buffeting my clothes.
"This is amazing!" I kept repeating. I was so high above the ground, I felt invincible and powerful. Melody shouts do a flip. Grinning, I use my momentum, I tuck forward in a flip, the world spinning around me.
"Yes... YES! THAT IS MY GIRL! THAT IS MY GIRL RIGHT THERE!" As the rooftop of the opposite building approaches, I start to flail a bit. How the fuck do I land? "I know that face! Tuck and roll. Use that momentum," I nod and once I land on my feet, I lurch forward, tucking my head in as I roll across the roof and come to a stop.
"Oh... my... god," I pant as I stop rolling. Melody laughs, scooping me up as she spins me around.
"Girl, did I tell you? Mama Melody is always right. Go on, you can say it," Melody puts me on the floor.
"Just this one. Mama Melody is always right,"
"Damn straight," Melody beams. I get up and dust myself off as Melody turns to the opposite building "Your turn now, Grandpa! Or are your joints a bit too old for this sort of thing?!" Loki raises an eyebrow at her, a slight smile on his face. He then backs up a bit. He sprints towards the edge of the building and leaps high into the sky.
"Old joints my ass," I smile at my man as he sails through the night sky.
"Damn," Loki jumps in a smooth, perfect arc, slamming into the rooftop with one fist down, pure Ironman landing. Melody claps like a seal "Stark would be proud of that landing,"
"I always wanted to try it," Loki stands up and dusts the dirt off his knee. He turns to Melody, grinning "How's that for old joints?"
"Pfft, show off," Melody slings an arm around each of us "I hereby officially declare us Team Sweet Flips,"
"Really?" I roll my eyes. I could have argued that Melody didn't do a 'sweet' flip. She just rolled.
"And in honour of our new title. I say we participate in a little... friendly... competition,"
"Such as?" Loki asked. Oh, good lord. I wonder if Melody knows just how competitive Loki actually is.
"A race across New York," Melody gestures to the rows of buildings spread out before us.
"What does the winner get?" Loki tied his long black hair into a man bun. Why does he suit it so well? How am I even going to be able to concentrate with him looking so good?
"You'll see. I found a nice spot that I haven't shown you yet," Melody did a few stretches.
"Well, we do still have some time to kill,"
"Great" Melody clapped her hands as Melody swung her head at me, grinning like a child "Em, are you in?"
"I don't know," I want to join in but I hate heights. He mumbles as he tries not to look at me. Loki looks at Melody and she nods at him. I quickly close my eyes as he waves his hand in my face "I'm not looking at you, Loki,"
"You're going to though," Loki smirked, repeating my words from earlier.
"Nope, not doing it," I tried backing away but Melody was behind me. She wrapped her arms around me.
"But you like looking at him," Melody whispered in my ear.
"I'm not going to though," I scrunched my face up. I would have covered my eyes with my hands but Loki had hold of them.
"Because if you look at him, you'll crack like an egg,"
"Well duh," I whimper. Melody lets me go and I feel a pair of strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer. I open my eyes just slightly, I sigh as I smile as I make the grave mistake of looking at Loki.
"You cracked," Loki kissed me on the lips.
"Cracked? Her brain scrambled when she looked at you," Melody elbowed me as she walked behind me.
"She ain't wrong," I mumbled. Sticking my tongue out at both Loki and Melody. Loki caught it before I could put it away.
"Don't poke that out at me," He whispered. I cocked an eyebrow as I smirked. I gazed adoringly into Loki's eyes. When Loki is a little bossy like this, It makes my blood run hot and heady in my veins.
"And what are you going to do about it?" I taunted as I sucked my tongue back in. Without a single word, Loki proceeded to stick his tongue down my throat "Mmm," groaning into the heated kiss.
"I didn't sign up to be the third wheel here!" Melody waved her hands in the air. Bringing us back to the real world. Loki and I smirked at each other as we pulled apart "So before he kisses you again and you lose all control. Are you up for a race?"
"well, duh! I am so ready!" I jog on the spot.
"That's my bestie!"
"My girl," Loki whispered in my ear, making me blush. Melody clicks her tongue and goes to the corner of the roof, pointing out our path.
"All right. Here's the deal. We'll run straight until we hit the bank, go right until we reach the park, then left," Melody spins back to us "The finishing line will be a massive apartment complex called Wisteria Place,"
"What's at Wisteria Place?" Loki crossed his arms. I remember Melody talking about that place. She was there right before everything kicked off.
"That, Grandpa, is for me to know and you to find out," Melody rubbed her hands "That is... If you can catch me," and with that, Melody takes off in the direction of the bank. If she was a cartoon, she would have left a dust cloud version of herself.
"Hey! No fair!" I exclaimed. Loki shoots me a wink and takes off after her, jumping from the roof of the building onto the next one "Oh no you don't. Get back here!"

I chase them both, leaping from the roof's lip and soaring through the air. I stumble a little on the landing but I keep going.
"You gotta be faster than that," Melody taunts as she jumps over me. I take a deep breath, trying to centre myself, to feel the energy in my body and tap into the speed I now harness. The world around me becomes clearer and crisper. Sounds and smells become stronger "You better start running,"

I take off again, moving in a wild blur. The next leap sends a thrill through my body. I embrace the thrill of the chase, the almost animal instinct in me to run... to hunt. Loki is far ahead, somehow graceful and reckless all at once as he parkours over the rooftops. I follow his example, leaping over ventilation systems and deck chairs.
"I wonder if he knows I am behind him?" Suddenly I notice that one of the rooftops on my left slants down at a sharp angle. That is perfect! I run up the roof, leap onto the other side and ride it down like a slide. I land in front of Loki, who stumbles slightly.
"Where did you come from?" Loki grins as I blow him a kiss.
"That's my secret,"

The three of us continue our chase. I hop across a row of protruding windows and see the bank up ahead. But Melody keeps going straight, her pace never slowing.
"Mel! Didn't you say go right once we hit the bank?"
"Yeah, exactly! once we hit the bank," And with that, Melody smashes through one of the windows.
"Melody!"
"Shortcut, huh?" Loki sighs. He flies through another window in a crush of glass, leaving me in the dust.
"Fuck it... here goes nothing," I launch myself at the building, shielding my head as I crash through the window.

I roll and hop back to my feet. I seem to be in the middle of an office layout, a labyrinth of desks and cubicles. Melody rounds the corner with a cackle as Loki vaults over a desk. I frantically give chase, dodging copiers and water coolers. I have to find a way to catch up. I think I know what to do. I take a sharp right and burst through a meeting room. I knock over a projector and sprint over the long oval table.
"Okay, Emily. If you can run through a window, you can run through a wall," I run shoulder-first into a wall and smash through it. I honestly didn't think it would work. I keep running through the meeting rooms, smashing through walls and gaining an advantage. I can see why Hulk smashes through things, it's fun.

But the building comes to an abrupt end and the three of us smash through the windows into the smoky New York air. We parkour our way through the city, heading straight for the park and soon enough, I can finally see the apartment complex up ahead. We seem to be in a part of the city that is in better condition. Most likely, this place was evacuated before the chaos hit.

Melody gets there first, I come second and Loki comes in third (Personally, I think he just wanted to be a gentleman and let the ladies win but given how competitive he is, I am not entirely sure) I land near a pool. Loki grabs me to stop me from falling into the pool.
"Easy darling," Loki whispers. I thank him and I look around, catching my breath. Melody punches her fists into the air.
"I am the rooftop racing Queen!" Melody prances around.
"Yeah, yeah. Suck it up while you can," I put my hands on my hips.
"I can assure you that we will definitely be having a rematch in the future," Loki replies as he takes his jacket off and flings it over his shoulder.
"I am down for that. But first," Melody whips her tank top off and then her skinny jeans.
"Why are you taking your clothes off?" I question.
"What are you losers waiting for? Pool time!" Melody does a cannonball, splashing me and Loki.
"... well, at least this suit already had bloodstains on it,"
"Get in here" Melody splashes the water. Loki sighs and takes his shoes and socks off and places them with his jacket on a lounge chair. He sits at the edge of the pool, dipping his feet in "You are such a grandpa,"
"I would rather not be socking wet before taking on Punisher," Loki kicked the water.
"But where's the fun in that?" Melody shoots a glance at me, she scratches her head and then pushes the water out in front of her. I know what she wants me to do. I wiggle my eyebrows "Em, are you coming in?"
"Oh for sure I am getting in that pool. I just need to get ready," I go behind Loki and stark to take my outfit off. I grin at Melody and we wink at each other. I quickly shimmy out my clothes and place them on a chair. Using my sneaky skills, I sneak up behind Loki and push him into the pool. He lands with a clumsy splash.
"That is why we are besties!" Melody cheers. Loki comes up to the surface, shock on his face, he wipes the water off his face "Oh my god! Your face!" I double over laughing as Loki rakes a hand through his wet hair, grinning.
"Okay, okay. fine. you win," Loki swims to the edge and takes off his wet suit. I cannonball into the pool and swim over to Melody. We give each other a high-five.
"Okay, I can see why you are attracted to him," Melody's jaw dropped as Loki jumped back into the water. I growled at Melody "Oh, don't you bloody start growling at me. God, you two are as bad as each other,"

We swim around for a bit, enjoying the water and the company. I float on my back and watch the stars above, trying not to think about the upcoming confrontation.
"Hey guys, do you think that this plan will work?" I sigh.
"We will make it work," Melody assures me.
"And if anything happens, we will be nearby to get you out," Loki speaks from somewhere behind me. I close my eyes and let their words comfort me, buoyed by the water. When I concentrate, I can hear their heartbeats, slow and steady. It's intimate and surreal. I open my eyes and see Melody in the corner with her arms braced behind her, eyes closed. Loki is sitting on the edge of the pool, looking up at the sky.

I swam over to Loki and ran a hand up his leg. He looks down at me with a knowing smile.
"Am I the sailor about to be accosted by a siren?"
"Well, I could pull you down to a watery grave... or..." I climb out of the pool. Dripping wet, I straddle Loki's lap and his hands come to my hips.
"Hello there,"
"Hi," I lift my head and meet his lips with mine.
"Emily..." I kiss him again and he pulls me in closer "This is definitely the best part of my day," His hands travel up my sides. and I shiver at his touch "Is this appropriate?" He glances at Melody, her eyes still shut.
"Since when have you cared about appropriate?" I whispered. We both laugh until Loki kisses me again. My lips part and his tongue brushes mine. I sink into his embrace, feeling warm and content and safe. I kiss him hungrily, rubbing my wet body against his. He groans low in his throat and holds me in a tight grip. I open my mouth to him, amazingly hot against the coolness of the night. We kiss for long, languid minutes until I finally pull away.
"Okay. I am ready for my watery grave now," Loki says. He leans back and grabs his phone out of his jacket, checks the time and sighs "It's just about time to go," We should head back. I go to shout for Melody but she is already out of the pool. We dry off and get dressed. And as we do, I savour the rooftop, the night sky, my friends... all of it. I savour it for what might be the last time."Here goes nothing,"

As soon as we get back to Odinson HQ. Thor and Sif were arguing. Again. Sif was sitting in the chair and Thor was pacing.
"I am finding you increasingly tiresome, Thor," Sif rubbed the sides of her temple, groaning. Thor leaned in closer.
"I don't care," He whispered. Sif shot up. Loki and Melody both tensed up.
"You should," Sif snarled. Both of the vampire's eyes were red. I sighed.
"Ladies, handbags away," I got up and stood between Thor and Sif. I pushed Thor to his seat while Sif remained a statue. I looked at Loki but as I went to talk his phone went off.
"Excuse me," Loki mutters as he walks off outside the conference room. I then turn back to Thor and Sif.
"What were you two arguing about?" I frowned at both vampires.
"Thor was being annoying ass self," Sif mumbled.
"All I said was that we should think of a backup plan if this goes sideways," Thor spoke, leaning back in the chair and putting his feet on the table. Melody sat down and video-called her uncle.
"Oh, thanks for the vote of confidence," I rolled my eyes.
"Hey, I don't want to get caught up in the crossfire of Hayward's army," Thor held his hands up in defence. Sif stared at me.
"You have a sword," She tilted her head. I nodded at her "I approve,"

But when Loki comes back, he looks grim. I rush to his side.
"Bad news?" I ask, wrapping my arm around Loki's forearm. He sighs, heavily and nods.
"That was Hayward. He says the military wants to act now,"
"What about the 72 hours that we were promised?" Thor frowned.
"He tried to extend it," Loki mumbled.
"Doubtful," Thor scoffed. He and Hayward really do not see eye to eye.
"Some of the higher-ups are trying to undermine him. They already preparing a squadron,"
"Uncle Nick couldn't do a damn thing. He's been trying," Melody shut her laptop lid.
"I know,"
"then we have no time to waste. We need to take Punisher now and restore order,"
"Emily, are you still okay with your role in this?" Sif stared at me. Do they not have any confidence in me? I have dealt with way worse than Frank fucking Castle.
"Fuck yeah. I can do this," At least I hope I can.
"Hmmm," Melody tapped her chin, walking around me in a circle.
"What's that look for?"
"You need to change. Your clothes don't really scream unchained to me. You will deffo stand out,"
"Melody's got a point. Blending in will be integral for this mission," Loki sighed as she sat down on a chair.
"Allow me to scrounge up some MadMax-looking gear for you," Melody pleaded.
"Sure," I nodded. Melody grins. She grabs my hand and leads me to the bathroom.

Melody sits me down on the toilet while she rummages in the suitcase.
"From what I saw of those MadMax wannabes... we are going to need chains, leather and.... belts... Ohh and fishnets..." Melody flung item after item at me "Strip,"
"you're enjoying this way too much,"
"Well duh. I love dressing you up," It took a while but Melody found a leather black bra and shorts set. Ripped fishnet tights with matching gloves. I have a belt around one thigh and about 5 mini belts up my arms. A black choker. She also found a belt-like harness for my top and added some silver chains here and there "Now, you look like you fit in with the unchained aesthetic,"

We walk out of the bathroom and the other's jaw drop.
"How do I look?" I twirled.
"Girl, you can run me over any day," Melody smiled. Loki let out a low growl "Don't growl at me. I can and will be like this. My bestie,"
"That is a lot of belts... but I like it... I like it a lot," Thor stuttered. Loki let out a loud growl "Oh, pipe down dude,"
"Very sexy," Sif nodded her head as Loki let out another growl "Oh shut up. We can say what we want about Emily. Our eyes haven't stopped working,"
"Yeah, we all know that Emily has eyes for you," Thor sighed.
"Then put them back in your heads before I scoop them out with a spoon," Loki warns, crossing his arms "Oh and lift your jaws off the floor, your drool is staining my rug,"
"Loki... play nice," I poke his shoulder.
"I will if they do," Loki comes over to me "Darling, you are stunning. Is it strange to be jealous of an outfit?" He whispers into my ear.
"A little but I don't blame you,"

All of us leave Odinson HQ together but once we approach the unchained hideout, we are going to split up.
"Remember, act naturally. As if you belong there," Melody smiled at me. Thor agrees.
"Just shout if anything happens and we will be there," Sif nods at me.
"I will. See you all soon," I nod. I watch each of them take off towards the other subway station. Loki is still standing with me. He seems to be hesitating a little "Loki? Did you want to say something?" I smile as I turn to Loki, putting on a brave face. When in fact, I was scared shitless. I might be a vampire but these unchained idiots are still stronger than me.
"You know I think this is a bad idea, right?"
"Oh, I do. Doesn't mean anything though. I am the only unknown vampire in our group. Only I can get past those brainless morons," I sighed. Loki looked back at the door, his face tightened with fear as he stared at the guards outside the entrance "So there is no need to worry. I can handle myself,"
"Oh, I know. I watched you train with Thor on the cameras... but that doesn't mean I can't worry," I lean forward and press my lips to his. Loki pulls me into his arms "Emily..." I kiss him tenderly, cupping the side of his face in my hand "Emily... I can't lose you again,"
"You won't. I will see you soon," I sigh before I pull away. Loki holds me tightly.
"I will hold you to that," Loki whispered in my ear. He kisses me once more before taking off to meet the others. my hands trembling. With a deep breath, I head for the main entrance.
"Okay, here goes nothing,"