The Stronghold 2: Immortals

I'm Sorry, Who Are You?

"Loki?" Georgina said in amazement, temporarily forgetting about her dead friend. Loki untangled himself from his cape and stood up, keeping his head held high and his gaze icy. The red haired human was staring at him with her mouth partially open and the Frost Giant felt a hint of irritation at her gormless behaviour.

"Lady Georgina," Loki said, bowing.

"Don't call me that, you eejit," Georgina said but she was smiling. 

"Why are you here now?" Emmi asked. "You've been gone for years."

"He died, I think," Sophie said, frowning. 

"Everyone dies in Georgina's stories," Rebecca scoffed. Shocked, irritated and amused glances were shot her way but she just shrugged, not particularly caring that she just broke the fourth wall.

"I lost my life in Asgard, and came through the portal and am now living here," Loki declared.

"Don't try to take over again," Amalia warned.

"I shan't," Loki promised.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" the red haired human asked.

"I could say the same to you," Loki said, looking down at the small girl.

"The name's Delta Jenkins," she said. "I'm a shapeshifter."

"Loki Laufeyson, prince, demigod and Frost Giant," Loki said. 

"You don't seem that gigantic," Delta stated just as more children came running towards the group. Loki rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his armoured chest, cuffs clinking slightly as they came into contact with his silver breastplate.

"Delta!" One of the 'children' was a man, dressed in a ragged suit. He appeared to be younger than he acted and Loki wondered as to the reasons.

"And who are you?" Loki said, trying to keep his voice authoritative. 

"Harry Jenkins," the man said, wrapping Delta into a tight hug. "Delta's brother."

"And I'm Angel," a white haired girl said, smiling prettily at the demigod. "I'm her sister too, but I'm a lot better behaved than her. But I can be bad if you want me to." She winked and Loki shuddered, already regretting his decision to stay in Midgard.

"Angel, you're fourteen," a boy with purple hair scowled. Something about him reminded Loki of Shaade, be it the way his eyes were dark or that his hair was a ridiculous colour, Loki couldn't be sure. "I'm Max, by the way."

"Tobias," a boy with blue hair said, skidding to a halt beside the other boy and then doubling over, gasping for air. "The others... everyone... they're coming down here, Cleo tried to stop them but Angel ran off..." He glared at the white haired girl and she smiled sweetly. 

"Everyone here has different powers, if you like," Max explained. "I can see in the dark and stuff, Tobi changes colour, Angel changes people's emotions, Cleo is a healer, Delta, like you heard, is a shapeshifter and Harry knows everything. Like pretty much everything."

"Oh really?" Loki said, arching an eyebrow and turning to look at the young man. Harry coughed and loosened his tie a little bit, going pink.

"I just know things," he mumbled. "Nothing in particular, but-"

"What do you know about me?" Loki interrupted, curious as to how far the man's powers would stretch. 

"I..." Harry gulped, suddenly nervous. "You're not human, that's for sure. You're an orphan now, and were adopted. Something made you go mad - a yearning for power, I think. Yes. You tried to take the throne many times but only succeeded in hurting people... hurting Asgardians. Asgard is your home planet and you know Shaade very well. When you were young you were dragged into earth... Midgard, by Georgina, whoever that is."

"That's me, hello," Georgina said, holding up a hand in greeting. 

"You exist but at the same time you don't," Harry continued, looking at the Frost Giant curiously. "Like... you're there but you're not. Did you die, by any chance?"

"In Asgard, many times," Loki nodded.

"That doesn't really make sense but okay," Harry sighed, rubbing his forehead. "That's all I've got."

"Where's Brian? Or Starr? Or Junior?" Delta questioned.

"Here," a voice croaked from a few metres away. Loki narrowed his eyes in thought and then alarm flared through him. The werewolf would be weak and seeing Shaade might destroy him. 

"Don't move," Loki ordered.

"Why?" the werewolf asked.

"You're too weak, just don't." Loki glanced around at the people surrounding him and cursed. "He needs clothes."

"I'll volunteer," Angel purred, beginning to take off her white dress. Loki quickly spun around and looked the other way. 

"Here," Georgina said, holding out a bundle of clothes. "I have no idea where they came from but there are some here."

Loki nodded and took them over to the shivering werewolf. He was covered in dirt and grime and his eyes seemed angry.

"Why did we have to come to Nightmare?" he whispered to himself. "Why here?"

"Life isn't fair," Loki said, giving him the clothes and then walking back to the two groups. "Does anybody have a plan?"

"What for? Everything has been solved," Tobi said in surprise. Loki pointed to Shaade and the boy's face fell. "Oh yeah."

"Loki, you're still a Frost Giant, right?" Georgina said. Loki nodded and then something clicked inside his brain. Swiftly he froze Shaade's body, preserving it in a way.

"It gives us more time before the body rots," Georgina explained. "Maybe then we can think of a way to get him back to life."

"Shaade's dead, isn't he?" the werewolf said flatly. Brian, Loki recalled, that was his name. 

"Sorry, but yes," Emmi said. "I know you. Sort of."

"Fighting little gremlins is a good bonding exercise," Brian said with a grim smile. "Talking of monsters, what about that oncoming attack from another world.

Loki had forgotten about that. "Still on its way. That was a minor portal, only linking to the palace I was in and this clifftop. All of the monsters that were up here are now trapped in Asgard, miles away from where the army prepares to advance."

"And where is that?" Harry asked.

"New York," Loki replied. 

"Not America," Georgina said immediately, going pale. "I'm not going there." She got to her feet, leaving the others kneeling around Shaade, and walked away quickly. Loki went after her, his footprints leaving icy indentations in the muddy grass.

"Lady Georgina," Loki called, speeding up a little. Georgina's shoulders tensed and she stood still.

"Go away," she said.

"I've been gone for long enough," Loki said firmly, finally catching up and just standing by Georgina's side. 

"You've been dead," Georgina pointed out.

"Not all of the time," Loki corrected. "And I've been keeping up to date with your affairs. It's a shame I never met Pepper, I have some things I'd like to say to him. It's also a shame I don't have my sceptre because I'd like to stick it up his arse."

That brought a laugh from Georgina and Loki smiled. "You've been in Shaade's head too long," Georgina giggled.

"Oh, I do hope not," Loki said with a shudder. "I don't particularly want to become another version of him."

"Now that would be plain weird," Georgina agreed. "As much as I like Shaade, he's an infuriating bastard most of the time."

"You swear a lot for a lady," Loki said, lightly teasing. A fist to his arm made him yelp with pain but Georgina was laughing.

"Mind what you say, Frost Giant, or you may find yourself thrown back into Asgard," she said, walking away again. Loki rubbed his arm and shook his head. Humans confused him sometimes.