A Tale of Death and Debt ✔

Chapter 8

Inspiration struck Tessa. Of course! The only way to get through Loki was to play the mommy card. Use his identity crisis. In the main timeline, Frigga's death gave impetus to Loki's redemption. Now she had to figure out what happened to Frigga in this timeline.

Tessa's watched beeped.

48 hours left.

"Tell me Loki. What's happened since you tried to take over New York?"

"You didn't answer my question" Loki replied.

"I will but first –"

"No, and here is your mistake - mortal wench: you can no longer bargain with me now that I have my power back"

Loki stood to leave. Tessa covertly pressed a little button on a switch-like object she held in her hand. Loki jerked forward receiving a severe electric shock and slumped back down.

"What?" breathed Loki

He touched the back of his neck to feel a small circular machine stuck to it.

"Yup. Do you like it?" Tessa asked sarcastically. "It's an obedience disc. My friend gave it to me. They call him the Grandmaster. He's a little erratic. But if you're on his good side, he's the best. Always be friends with the Grandmaster." she said.

"Grandmaster," Tessa quipped, then shifting gears, continued, "As far as your mother is concerned, I have been alive many years. Not as long as you. But long nonetheless. There came a point in my life where things weren't going so well ... and... I ran away from Earth. I crashed into Asgard. Your mother... she helped me cope with my losses. Taught me magic. Gave new meaning to my life."

Tessa sighed. "She really loves, you know. She told me stories about you. She would always be worried sick about you."

Loki sat there, silently crushing his sorrow beneath an iron-eyed gaze, "Indeed." he said shortly.

Tessa narrowed her eyes. "I suppose she still worries for you."

Loki glared at her. "My mother is dead."

****

"Noo ... what!" Tessa exclaimed. She secretly rejoiced; this would make her work much easier. But pangs of guilt ached her heart. Frigga had turned Tessa's life around. Tessa would never be able to pay her back. They only reason she took this assignment was to somehow do something for the person Frigga loved the most.

"Yes. And now I bid you adieu." Loki said.

"Woah, woah, woah. It's my turn to ask the questions now"

"We are done!"

Loki darted his eyes looking for way to escape. Tessa pressed the buzzer again, temporarily paralyzing Loki. She lunged forward and pressed her palm against Loki's forehead. The vision of Frigga's death flashed through her mind. Surprisingly is wasn't very different from the main timeline.

Frigga had been protecting Jane Foster from the elves. Thor was nowhere to be found because he had got an emergency call from Fury to catch Loki who was causing mayhem at the shield facility he had escaped from. With Thor busy with Loki and Odin invalid, Frigga had no one to protect her.

Loki slammed her hand on the table, glowering. "Let's make a deal human. Tonight, let me rest. Tomorrow morning we'll talk. If I don't turn up you can electrocute me. Satisfied?"

Tessa nervously glanced at her watch. She didn't have much time left. But she conceded anyway. Hide-and-go seek with Loki had made her tired.