Tabula Rasa (Unlike Loki: Book Two)

Chapter 39

(Loki)

If she didn't die trying to save my ass, I would kill her.

Not true, but still, what was she thinking?

Maybe this was the universe's last clue that I was meant to die. Maybe I should start listening to it.

I slowly walked up the stairs from the dungeons, Thor patiently helping me. I was getting weaker by the second, feeling the life draining from my body. Anna had run up the stairs, her hair swinging, determined. I was proud that she could be so independent, but dammit, I wish it wasn't so that she could run and attempt to save my life.

My mind when back and forth between her and how I was going to make peace with those who were angry with me. They would surely die and go to Valhalla when they realized that they had no purpose here anymore, and then the streets would be strewn with even more bodies. It hurt my head when I realized how many lives we had already lost on Asgard.

Why hadn't Mangog attacked yet? Was he leaving it all up to the others?

Why did trouble and death seem to follow me? And why was I always somehow the cause of it?

We were almost at the top of the stairs now. We had left the demon prisoners behind, letting them watch us go.

"Come back to me when this is all done, Loki! You will succeed, I know you will! There is more you must know." I heard Lady Maleah call out to me.

I never answered.

As soon as we hit the top step, some unseen force barrelled in between us. We both yelled out a cry of pain, and went toppling down the stairs backwards. Our bodies colliding and tangling and spinning and bumping. My head hit the stairs as toppled down them, tumbling over myself. I grunted and groaned when I finally stopped and then had the breath knocked out of me as Thor landed right on my abdomen.

"Damn." He mumbled, not moving. I pushed him off of me, and we both laid on our backs, trying to breath.

I tilted my head back towards the cell and nearly screamed out in horror.

The inside of the wall was covered in blood.

I scrambled to my feet, my vision covered in stars, and my balance nonexistent. I stumbled as best as I could towards the cell. I had a deep, dark pit in my stomach about the blood.

"Loki?" Thor asked confused. I heard him gasp when he saw what I was walking towards, and as he stumbled to his own feet.

I rushed towards the cell as fast as I could, slamming my hands against the golden light of the cell's cage to keep standing.

My fears were confirmed.

Lady Maleah was dead. And Mrs. Anderson was gone.

Her throat had been slit, the blood still spilling. Thor grunted in disgust when he saw what I was looking at. I took a deep breath, trying to keep the tears out of my eyes.

Lady Maleah had pissed me off, when I found out what she had done to me. But she had been there ever since I was little, had always kept a caring eye on me. Even now, when I had her locked up, she had been trying to help me. Against her own wishes, she had loved the child she had used dark magic to make. And in some ways, I loved her back. There were just too many mixed emotions.

But now she was dead.

It was like my mother's death all over again, where I was hopeless to help because I had put a barrier between me and a woman I cared about.

Again, another death because of me, because of my actions.

Another sign that maybe I should just call this life quits.

"Where's the other one?" Thor asked, spinning around, looking for Mrs. Anderson.

"Right here dearest." We spun around at the sound of her demonic voice.

Mrs. Anderson was covered in blood, her eyes filled with revenge. Beside her stood a young girl with blonde hair, about 7 years old, dressed in black. Her eyes were nothing but black as well, not a sliver of white to be seen. She smiled horribly, like we were her prey. I decided not to underestimate this girl, not matter how young she looked.

"Your little pretty girlfriend should have just killed me when she had the chance." Mrs. Anderson said, spitting blood out of her mouth. Had she fed off of Lady Maleah? The thought sent shivers down my spine.

"What do you want?" Thor asked. He didn't have his stupid hammer with him. Fat lot of good he was now.

"Revenge. Plain and simple." She said, tilting her head. Yes, her teeth were definately stained red. Ugh.

"On?" Thor asked, his fists clenched

"Little Anna, of course. I can't touch him." She pointed a finger at me. "Because he's not my creation. But I can do whatever I want to that little bitch." She chuckled, the little girl did as well.

"Your own child?" I asked. I was trying to stall.

"She is not my child. She went against me. And she killed my children and my other creations. All very important to me." Anger was setting in.

"Yea, well I killed your husband the moment he told me 'Hail Hydra', so.." I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess I should have known Hydra was behind it all and that it wasn't just him. But I do find it wonderful that Anna and I are the reason you are now alone. And that we will be the reason for your death as well. It's so fitting." I didn't care if I made her angry. I was pissed off.

She growled at me, actually growled at me. I laughed, not caring that it made me even more exhausted.

And then the little girl took Mrs. Anderson's hand. And they were gone, a rush of hard air in between us. So, the girl had super-speed.

And they were headed through the back way out of the dungeons, getting the best advantage for an attack.

And then Thor doubled over, clutching his lower abdomen.

"Brother?" I called out to him, out of habit. He fell to his knees and I rushed towards him, falling to my own. "What's wrong? What's wrong?!" I was panicking now. Please. Please. No.

Thor was shaking as he removed his hand, and grunted in pain to find it covered in blood, letting way for more blood to seep from him. And all too quickly.

He had been stabbed.