hello all!!!

here's another chapter; hope you like it! :D 

So I've also decided to add a few songs to most chapters. If you want to listen to them while you read, it'll make it even better... Some will be instrumental, some will be vocal. And of course, you don't have to, but it's just a suggestion.

~Songs~

Swords Crossed- Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

3200 Years Ago- Troy soundtrack. 

-------- 

love, sierra

PS: edit credit (lol, rhyme) goes to lokidottir once again.

Chapter Two 

~Thea's POV~

I pass Kyle in the office kitchen; he's on the computer, typing at hyper-speed. The clicking of the keyboard coincides with the soft pitter-patter of the rain. 

"Thanks!" he calls in a teasing voice to me, knowing that it pisses me off to do his work for him and also knowing that I'm only doing it to avoid Max's wrath. 

I stick my tongue out at him, even though he can't see me, and let myself out into the yard, immediately thankful that the rain has slowed to a slight drizzle. 

As I close the screen door behind me, I know that the horses are frantic. The pastures are hidden behind a copse of trees, separating the house's lot from that of the barn, but even from here, I can hear the squeals of scared horses.

Running now, I hurry along the gravel path towards the barn and pastures. It's very dark, and the only way I'm able to see is the flashlight in my hand and the gentle lanterns hanging over the barn, casting the pastures in a very soft, luminous golden glow. 

My flashlight lands first on two frantic figures, galloping around the pasture, sweating as if they are racing for the derby: Frollo and Rook. They're tossing their heads, squealing horrifically, and I now notice that they are running up and down one side and corner of the fence, away from the far edge. 

Thinking it's a cat or something that has them spooked them, or maybe even a coyote, I climb over the fence, wanting to get ahold of the horse's bridles so that I can calm them and blanket Frollo and Aster. 

When I try to calm Frollo, however, he squeals again, lunging at me, his teeth snapping. I leap back- Frollo is the most spirited of the three horses- we sold the pony a month ago- but he has never tried to bite me. 

"Calm down!" I exclaim, when Rook nearly kicks my teeth out. I am forced to back away, against the fence. 

Shining my flashlight around, wondering what on earth could have the horses so spooked, I stop cold. 

In the far reaches of the fence, on the other side of the field, there is a large black mass on the ground, open, bleeding, dead. It's Aster. 

"Aster..." I whisper, horrified for the fate of my horse. 

But what horrifies more is what is looming over Aster's mangled body. It's a giant wolf, black, hackles raised, its maw covered in Aster's blood. Its tongue is hanging gruesomely as it looks over the carcass.

When it looks at me, I see that it has red, gleaming eyes. There are streaks of silver across its back, and its ears probably come up to my shoulders. I don't need to be Sherlock to deduce that this is no ordinary wolf. 

It blinks those luminous eyes at me, and I back away, slowly. But then, with a snarl, it nimbly leaps over Aster's corpse and begins to lope towards me. I scarcely have time to prepare for the attack, it's moving so fast, and I grab my dagger that is dangling from my belt. 

It leaps on top of me, growling, snarling, knocking me over. I scream and try to get the teeth and claws at me, but it rakes my arm painfully, ripping the cloth of my sweater. 

I feel the vindictive passion come over me that happens every time I am attacked. I flip over, practically straddling the wolf, grabbing its neck, yanking it back. Before I can cut its throat though, it has thrown me to the ground, so painfully that I see stars. 

Saliva hits my face as it barks, horrifically at me, deep from its throat. I scream again. This struggle is not like any I have encountered before; it's purely animal, and I'm savage in my attempts to live. This wolf is unusual; it's smart, much more clever than any animal I've encountered.

I raise the dagger, and it meets its mark in the wolf's sinewy thigh. I tear it out from its body, hoping to strike it again. It yelps, but its teeth are snapping right in front of my face and I feel myself tumble, my grip on the dagger- it falls a few feet from me.

The two horses are still screaming like banshees, and my shrieks are adding to the din, me praying that Max or Kyle will somehow hear me.

I roll, getting out from underneath the wolf, who is now limping, but perhaps even more savage now. As it licks the blood off of its leg, I crawl, scrambling towards the dagger. The wolf, with a turn of its beautifully chiseled face, growls as it sees my attempts and begins to run towards me. 

I'm panicking, trying to grasp the hilt of my weapon in time. The wolf is almost on me... I hear distant shouts...

Grabbing my dagger, I scream, thinking it's going to be my last as the wolf springs at me, all teeth and claws, but then the blade sinks into the beast's chest, and with a demonic howl, its body falls on top of me. It's much heavier than it looks, and I barely stop the handle of the knife from digging into my abdomen, my fingers shaking. 

"Thea!"

It is only when the weight of the wolf is lifted off me that I realize I am trembling madly. Max throws the wolf's body to the side as Kyle falls down on his knees next to me. "Good god, Thea, what happened?"

"Aster..." I whisper hoarsely... "Wolf...got him."

Max and Kyle both turn their heads towards Aster's body, which is illuminated by my fallen flashlight. 

Then, all our eyes widen as the wolf's body disintegrates into a fine black mist, shifting upwards into the sky. Within seconds, nobody would have guessed that I had nearly gotten mauled by anything. I hear the hooting of an owl nearby. 

"Ah." says Max, whose brow is furrowing. "I see. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm-"

"Actually," says Kyle, who is looking me over with professional eyes. "You are not all right. You're covered in blood and there are claw marks all over your arm."

"I'm alive." I point out. "Unlike my horse."

"Well of course you are, otherwise you wouldn't be here to sass me." 

Max interrupts my next, outraged comment, "How about you get to the house so Kyle can patch you up? I'll take care of Aster."

"Wait." I point to the place where the black mist had disappeared "That wolf is not normal."

Kyle raises an eyebrow. "Not normal how, besides the fact that there are no wolves in this area of Michigan, it's gigantic, it has red eyes, it vanishes into smoke and it's by itself?" Kyle is sarcastic when he's concerned, "Yeah, sweetie, I think we got the point."

"We'll take care of it." Max assures me. "Now get on to the house, all right?" 

*

The bad news is that the stuff Kyle puts on my arm stings horribly. While he's administering first aid, I text Jack, who is very relieved that I am alive. 

From: Jack

first the bully, now a wolf. what are you gonna take down next, a god?

To Jack:

funny, i was thinking about going to asgard and taking down loki. 

From: Jack 

hilarious. I guess I set myself up for that one. 

The good news is that the wolf episode is evidently important enough for Peter to finally text me back. Jack must have told him the news. 

From: Peter

u ok?

I would have rather him have called me, and the text is far less detailed than Peter's normal conversations with me, but nonetheless, when his contact flashes across my screen, I get so excited that I nearly fall off the couch. 

To: Peter

I'm perfectly fine. What about you???

He doesn't reply to that for about an hour, at which point, I am drowsing on the same couch, because Kyle will not let me out of his sight.

From: Peter

I'm good.

I know he's not, but I don't press him. Bidding him good night, I silence my phone, turn around on the couch, and fall back asleep. 

*

The next morning, I wake up blearily to the smell of waffles and my equine chores already taken care of, courtesy of the Calen brothers. I didn't sleep well. I haven't slept well for a very long time. 

"You know," I say after breakfast as I skip up the stairs two at a time to get ready, nearly running into Max. "I should get attacked by mutant wolves more often. This treatment is nice."

Max gives me a steely look. "You are still in trouble, young lady. There will be no more fighting at school, I don't give a damn how petty they're being. You're risking your discovery."

I give him my best Jack-puppy-dog face. "Max, I nearly got eaten by a wolf. What if I were dead right now? Wouldn't you be at least a little upset?"

I can tell he's trying his very best not to laugh. "Get upstairs." he says, his eyes twinkling. 

As per usual, I check the journal on my window seat, just in case. Also as per usual, there is nothing there. 

Sighing, I change into jeans (it's raining cats and dogs outside) and a clean t-shirt before clomping downstairs to await my fate. 

*

After Max drops me off, I head into Vice Principal Mattison's office, where she looks just as buzzard-like as normal, maybe even a little more so, because she's wearing what looks to be a feathered hat. I have to try very hard not to laugh. 

My detention is a written essay on my behavior, why it was wrong, why I should be receiving the punishment that I am, blah, blah, blah. Thankfully, I am one of those people who can stare outside a window while writing and not really paying attention to either, which is exactly what I do. I spend my time contemplating all the possibilities of being able to sneak into Asgard.

An hour and a half later, Mattison releases me, accentuating the point that I am not to step foot on campus this entire week, including for the last basketball game of the year. I resist the urge to ask her, who would want to, given the choice?

Bruce Banner would be so proud of me I think wryly as I pass my locker to grab my phone, which had not been allowed in my detention cell- I mean room. 

Jack has texted me. Several times.

From: Jack

when are u getting here? I'm as bored as hell.

From: Jack

thea. im lonely, when your best friend says he's lonely, you're supposed to reply.

From: Jack

you're suspended, you shouldn't even be in school right now. I'm not suspended, and I'm not in school.

From: Jack

hello.

From: Jack

you're in detention, arent you?

From: Jack

I can't wait to tell tony.

I roll my eyes as I slam my locker shut. It clangs very loudly in the empty hallway, since most everyone is in class, unless they have a drop period.

To: Jack

dont you dare!

My phone buzzes as I walk through the back part of the school, the short-cut to the front of school. 

From: Jack 

too late. he says good job. :) 

I'm paying so much attention to my phone that I lose my guard for half a second. That's when they pounce- four senior girls led by Victoria. 

*

~Nobody's POV~

The owl reaches its destination at nearly three in the morning, sweeping into the third story window of the abandoned warehouse, white and silent as a ghost. 

With a click of its beak, it lands on the waiting arm of Videl, who is busy with something that appears to be a bunch of glass and a woman tied up, an agent of the former agency of S.H.I.E.L.D. that had caused Videl a lot of trouble today.

"Ah..." says Videl, the word hissing in his teeth as he brings the owl inside, letting it skate onto a perch in the corner of the darkened room. "So she killed Blaidd, did she?" 

From the ornate chair, Archer looks up, his crimson eyes troubled. 

With one finger, Videl strokes the bird's head, both of their figures white in the light of the small candle on the table. "How...fascinating." 

Archer, who knows what's coming, vanishes from the room in an ephemeral black mist. 

Not paying attention to his brother's absence, Videl walks, his footsteps silent as a cat's, towards the woman, whose eyes are shining in apprehension. "Isn't that lovely? Your little assassin killed one of my associates."

The woman, charcoal skin, with a regal appearance, stares up into Videl's eyes. Her shaking voice is that of a rich Caribbean baritone. "More likely, she defended herself, did she not?"

Videl's lips smile devilishly. "Perhaps. But how does that saying go? An eye for an eye?"

The woman does not have time to react before Videl's fangs sharpen and his eyes grow wildly with anger and revenge. 

Outside, Archer can hear the screams as he paces in the courtyard. Quickly, they are silenced.

How unusual. Videl usually plays with his food first. 

~~~~~~

:}

Hope you liked it!

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Three Tasks Fact: 

Go to Google translate and look up Blaidd. :D

thanks!