Nightmare

SH!T--

I wake up, shuddering in the cold. Even with warm arms wrapping around me and blankets piled on top of me, I'm freezing. But at least it's a little better than yesterday.

My stomach hurts. So bad.

The voice of the most annoying person in the universe  comes into my head.

I suppose--

Please. Get out. Leave me alone.

If you'd let me finish, I was going to say that I suppose you don't know that I plan to go to this Stuttgart for my portal tomorrow?

Oh. Shit. How are you--How is time still working for you?

What the fuck is going on? I shudder.

Oh, yes, a clever trick. Unfortunately for you, the rule of time stopping when you are in that second dimension does not apply to other immortals. Nor does it apply to my Chitauri or those mortals whose minds I hold. I can easily take the world right now, and no one would know until you enter this version of Midgard again.

Why are you telling me this again?

Be grateful I am warning you of this. Know that I will easily walk into that place, find the iridium, and walk out without anyone knowing if you do not come back here and start time again. His snarl fills my head.

Good to know.  I know it probably won't work, but it's worth a shot, especially since he's telling me this crap. I don't suppose you could delay the Germany crap by a few days? Or like a week?

No.

I thought as much, I shiver in the cold. Well, I don't think I can make it to your little stunt.

I am risking  everything to tell you this, but you decide to let me take Midgard?  The disbelief in his voice is apparent.

Listen, mister, I am really sick right now and it's going to be really inconvenient for me to get through these dangerous lands to stop your stunts. So if you refuse to reschedule this mad stunt, then you've got the point, I will not make it.

If he actually wants me to stop him from taking over the world, then he will delay it and make it convenient. And if he doesn't actually want me to stop that insane shit and is only telling me this out of spite because he thinks I won't get there, then he has an unpleasant surprise waiting for him. Because I am going there, now that I know what he's doing. It just depends when.

I am still going tomorrow, mortal.

Okay. Now please leave. I'm not doing that great and really can't deal with your shit for too long.

Great. He's gone.

"Rowan," I whisper. He doesn't move, hi chest rising and falling in gentle breaths. "Rowan," I say more urgently, trying to shake him and failing. "Rowan!" I try again, as loud as I can go, which, admittedly, isn't very much because my voice is almost gone.

This time his eyes open and meet mine. He sees the urgency in my eyes and wakes up fast. "What's wrong?"

"Time didn't completely stop in that other world. It didn't stop for Loki or his minions. He is going to Germany tomorrow,"  my breathing is faster. "But time is muted for everyone else in the world. He's just going to walk into Stuttgart and get the thing he needs."