Muffins - Loki & Ylva alternate universe stories

The handler II

It's the middle of the night when I wake up from a sound. At first I don't know what it is and I almost turn over again when I hear it a second time: a slight scuffle in my living room. I slip out of bed and grab my gun; there is someone in my house! For a second I think it could be Loki, returning from his mission, yet this isn't his style. If he wanted to scare me in the middle of the night he would have just appeared at the foot of my bed to see my reaction.

In my shorts and T-shirt and with my gun drawn I move along the wall to the door of my bedroom. As always, that door is not fully closed. I can see no movement, not even when I switch to the other side and carefully push the door open a little further. Not seeing anything or anyone means I will have to leave the safety of my bedroom. I take a deep breath and count to ten in my head. The door is still partly blocking my view, so I'll have to take a chance.

In a whiff I'm outside my bedroom, my back against the now closed door. That is one safe room; now I have the kitchen, my bathroom and the hall to cross off. The living room in front of me looks empty, unless someone hid behind the couch. With my weapon ready I sneak along the walls, making my way to the kitchen. It's hard to see in there, as the only window in that room looks out at a narrow alley, letting hardly any light in from outside.

It all goes so fast I hardly register what happens. One second I turn into the kitchen, the next I'm flying through the air because someone grabbed my gun hand and threw me up over his shoulder. My weapon skids across the floor, though I am not yet fully disarmed. My training kicks in and I manage to pull my attacker out of balance in my momentum. He - he's larger and heavier than me, I'm sure it's a guy - stumbles only momentarily before he moves with me and we both roll over the floor. My attacker has gained the upper hand again and has me in a choke hold from behind. Instead of trying to rip his arm away from my throat I reach further back to grab his face or neck. As soon as I feel skin I open up the floodgates, pouring as much of my powers into my attacker as I can. This should take him out in seconds, yet it doesn't. He does loosen his arm a bit to try and get my hands off him, but he can't without letting me go completely. My nails dig in his skin as I try to hold on with all my might. This has to work!

And it does, after maybe the longest minute of my life. My attacker slumps to the floor and I scramble to my gun as quick as I can.

With my gun cocked I hit the lightswitch. My attacker is lying face down on the floor. He has long black hair and his armour in black and green leather is all too familiar. What the hell??

In my work bag I have some zip tie cuffs. I put them on Loki, hands behind his back, even though I doubt they will restrain him long. I did it just in time; he starts moving again.

With a suppressed groan Loki wakes up. He tugs a little at his bound hands before he pulls his knees under him and sits up that way. Loki's hair hangs in his face and he whips it back before he looks at me.

"What the hell, Loki?!" I call out, the gun trained at his head.

"You know me?" He squints his eyes at me.

"Of course I know you, you asshat!" I gesture angrily at him with my weapon. "Why did you attack me?!"

"My name is Loki, not asshat," he angrily throws back at me. Then he suddenly looks insecure. "Isn't it?"

This is too ridiculous, I can't help but start laughing.

"This is not funny!" Loki growls at me. "Why are you pointing a gun at me if you know me?"

"Because you broke into my house in the middle of the night!" I pull my gun up to aim at his head again. I don't know what this is, if it is one of his tricks he really invested in this. He truly looks a bit lost with the way his eyes flit across the room.