Something was pressing into Thirteen's spine. It felt jagged and sharp, like the hewn-off end of a blade just about to pierce her between her ribs. She shifted but it did not disperse. Perhaps it wasn't real at all. Perhaps it was only the effect of seeing them. The President's men. Out here.
Fluttering against her oesophagus was the feeling of a gag reflex, as if the meagre contents of her stomach wanted to make a violence recurrence.
TVA Loki was crouched beside her. The dagger that he'd once pressed against her throat was now at his side, unsheathed, and clenched between knuckles that were going white from the pressure. When he met Thirteen's eyes, they shared a panicked look.
The first Loki variant was far taller than any of the other variants Thirteen had ever seen. Tall and bulky, he reminded her more of the descriptions of Thor passed up by the other Lokis. Arms bare of clothes, to let loose the thick cords of muscle. He carried a Viking's axe. Around his shoulders was a green pelt, which actually looked more like a cloak made of astroturf, and his helmet looked like a disgorged ram's skull. The ram's thin facial bones came down over this variant's face like a visor. Viking Loki, she named instinctively. Though all descended from the Norse gods, this was the clearest link to their ancestry.
The next variant was the oddest Loki yet. The most far-removed from any form of the god of mischief, he wore a long garment that appeared to be more of a dressing gown than an actual robe. Around his neck was a purple necklace made of orbs of different sizes. There didn't appear to be a helmet on his head, but the braided strands of his brown hair had been twisted upright and pinned in place to resemble them. In his hands, he carried a trash can lid shield. The only poignant thing about him was the fact that he was wearing sunglasses. Gold-trimmed.
"There's nothing out here!" Glamshades Loki spat at the ground.
"The President told us to search this area for something," Viking responded.
Glamshades snapped, "What something? All I see are heaps of rubble! We are in the dregs of forgotten reality. It makes me want to compose a haiku - "
Viking grimaced, "Not another haiku!"
Unperturbed by his companion's plea, Glamshades cleared his throat and composed,
"Wading through wreckage
Forgotten by Time itself
Man, this really sucks!"
The Viking bellowed, "Shut up!"
Glamshades scowled, "I'm unappreciated in my time."
Thirteen felt her heart skip as the variants started to walk in the direction where they were hiding. As her mind hazed with confusion, she shifted on her stomach and tried to make herself as small as she could as she observed them. What were they doing here? Out of the many times that she had been out to scavenge in the Void, she had never seen the President's men so close to the base. It was only out of pure luck that the entrance to the Loki Palace was so well-guarded, lest it be discovered by the variants. What had they said? The President had told them to search this area? Had he finally discovered their hideout's location?
No, Thirteen dismissed the thought. If he had discovered it with any level of certainty, the President himself would be leading a charge of his finest warriors and mercenaries - he would cut down each variant hiding there and drag Kid Loki before all of his assembled 'subjects'. He would make an example of the boy in front of them all. See? The President would declare. See what happens when people oppose me? Then he would slit the boy's throat in front of them all.
Thirteen couldn't let that happen.
Loki had to turn on his back to avoid being sighted. From the way that his chest was heaving, quick and sharp as if he was having trouble breathing, it was clear that he understood they both were in trouble. Being as silent as she could, she leopard-crawled to his side. It was harsh and difficult to move along the ground by her elbows and knees, not making any noise either by the force of her breath or the sting of the fragments of grass and metal that were biting into her exposed skin. When she was close enough to whisper in his ear, he turned to look up at her.
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Lore: When a Trickster Meets His Match
Fanfiction"Loki." Her hands were timid. They were much more shy than he had been, which should've made him wonder if he'd been too forward with his actions in the first place, and there was a tremble in each fingertip as she gently reached out and put her ha...
