Page 123 of Remnants: Disruption
I get my head up in time to watch his single form split once. Then twice. In the blink of an eye, there are now fourteen Loki’s circling me, each leering with murderous intent.
Fuck.
“I’m the fucking god of tricks, you dumb bitch,” his clones say in unison. “You won’t be able to—”
The one directly in front of me retches as a shadowy spike extends from his abdomen.
He falls to his knees, revealing–
“Aw, fuck me,” I groan, losing the war with my nausea and falling forward on my hands and knees. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Alice says, voice kind and gentle. “You did nothing wrong. I don’t blame you for anything.”
I nod, accepting it as it is. “Thanks for the assist.”
“That was all you,” she says, slowly beginning to dematerialize. “You’re figuring out how this works. So many of us want to see you succeed.”
I hear footsteps on the soft sand and regather the darkness around me. My wraith-like form reappears, and the sharp pains fade to dull throbs. I launch a handful of spikes at the next attacker, wondering who manages to show up late to an ambush, but then everything sort of just breaks.
“Fuck!” I screech out, hitting the sand again. Whatever, whoever, it is absolutely decimates my incorporeal form.
“Oh my God,” I hear the familiar voice and then see her face over me as the lights in the colosseum brighten.
I roll to my side and get to my knees, the exhaustion and weight of pain beginning to really do a number on my spine.
Or maybe it’s the knife that I think might still be in my back.
With a grunt, I manage to get both feet under me, staggering forward a step.
“They—” I hack up something gooey and coppery, spitting it at the ground between us. “They fucking came after me. Are you here to finish the job?”
Bloody Mary looks horrified as she studies me. Though, for a second, I would almost think there’s terror there, too.
“I’m not some rabid dog,” I hiss, reaching behind me and feeling at the handle that is most definitely there. “If you’re going to put me down, just fucking go for it.”
I can’t reach the damned thing, and brushing the hilt only sparks a new wave of nausea.
Mary doesn’t look at the bodies. She doesn’t look at the sinew and gore. She just keeps staring at me.
“What the fuck is your problem?” I almost feel like crying as I stare at her.
Adrenaline gives way to debilitating pain and I crumple, my knees hitting the sand roughly. I manage to stay upright, though, and sit back on my heels.
Everything fucking hurts.
Mary moves faster than I can see, and I wonder if I’ll even feel it. Maybe she’ll be merciful and–
She’s in front of me, now, both knees planted in the sand, her hands steadying my shoulders.
“God fucking damnit, Mary,” I spit into her face, she doesn’t even flinch. “If you’re going to kill me, then just do it. I’m sick of whatever game you’re playing–”
Mary’s mouth is on mine before I even get the final word out. I groan as I lean into her, letting her tongue in without a single bit of resistance.
She huffs what sounds like a sob as she leans back, arms now around my torso.
“They would have used you against me,” her voice is watery as I watch tears brim at the corner of perfect orange rises.
“Who?” I ask, breathless from a kiss that just shattered my world.
