It's Magic, My Dear

“What…is…that?” Darcy gasped as we stood shocked and open mouthed at the great armour of metal standing at the edge of the road.

It groaned with a forceful grumble and sent the ground beneath us into a shuddering frenzy as it took slow steps closer and closer towards us. My stomach skipped and jumped with fear. Things had just become that much more serious.

“That is what we call The Destroyer.” Thor stepped forth and moved his arm against Jane to push her back.

“The Destroyer?” She questioned him as she came to stop by my side. “I don’t understand.”

My hand slipped into hers. “It’s big and it’s mean. It’s all you need to understand.” I said as I began to shake with terror. I knew what this thing was and what it meant. But what I didn’t know was why it was there in the middle of the road.

“Thor!” In the midst of horror three smiling faces rattled their hands over the café door. It was just so…odd. A joke inside a nightmare.

I recognised the three faces as they entered the building and greeted Thor. Sif was just as I had imagined her to be. Raven haired and fierce. Fandral reminded me of someone who’d play the heartbreaking lead in a Shakespearian sonnet and Volstagg was a hulking God and like a brick wall. My mind was just about to run out of fuel as I did my best to comprehend what was happening.

“Tiggie…” Jane whispered in my ear. “What’s going on?”

“I have no clue.” My head shook. “But I am going to guess that they are here to help Thor to try and defeat The Destroyer.”

“And you are right!” Fandral looked over at us with a bright smile.

“But I cannot fight.” Thor rested a hand over Sif’s shoulder. “I am but a man now.”

“Do not worry.” She smiled with a vicious warriors smile. “We will need your help.”

Suddenly a whirring noise began about us and a zapping blast of fire smashed into a building opposite us. We jumped with shock and the sounds of screams from outside snaked in around us.

“We have to help those people. Get them inside!” Jane’s hand slipped from mine as she ran forward.

“Jane!” I called after her and gave chase. Why did she have to be so stupid? There were God’s here, couldn’t she have just stayed inside with me?
Apparently not.

“Get in the café, everyone!” My big sister began to wave her arms over her head catching the attention of the people.

I felt someone brush past my side and as I looked over Sif glanced at me. “Help everyone inside.”

Nodding I began to do the same as Jane and catch people’s attention, directing them inside the café. “Inside the café, it’s safe!”
Jogging forward I pushed people in the direction of the doors that Darcy and Erik were holding open and the entire time as fear gripped my soul all I could think was, “Loki why are you doing this?” I knew it was him controlling The Destroyer from Asgard. He had sent it here.

It’s eyes opened up wide and blew another stream of molten fire and I felt the heat scold my legs as it shot the ground near me. A scream left my throat and I stumbled to the ground. Rock bit into my palms and knees, but I picked myself up just in time for Fandral to catch my waist and whip me away from another blast.

“Go inside and keep everyone calm.” His panting breath hit my face and I knew even the Gods were struggling to control The Destroyer.

I nodded as my own breath panted just as hard. He let go of my waist and pushed me in the direction of the café. Jane, Erick, Darcy and Thor stood on the road watching with pent up faces and baited breath.

“Are you okay?” Jane asked as I stopped by her side.

“Sure. Fine.” My hands ran sweat through my hair and I took in a deep breath.

The Destroyer moved forward, closer to us and we watched as Thor stepped forth. His fists balled up and tight. The look on his face was free of fear.

“Thor, don’t.” Jane choked.

I grabbed her wrist before she could follow and as I did I noticed something, something that I think Thor did as well.

The Destroyer turned its attention, its fire pitted eyes squarely on Jane.

“No!” A guttural yell erupted forth from Thor’s lungs, but it was just too late. The moment Loki had decided to set The Destroyer’s lights on my sister, it was already too late.

I heard her gasp as it reared back and the flames caused a growling din in its gut. Mustering as much power as it could before launching the ball of liquid flam forth and directly at Jane. In that moment time seemed to slow before my eyes and I could see everything right down to the bright glowing particles creating the fire stream forth through the air.
Thor was turning on the spot and Erik had hold of Darcy as they began to fall back. Jane was caught in a moment of disbelief and her feet were melted to the spot. I turned towards her, Thor wasn’t going to make it in time. Just as the ball of orange death was about to hit her square in the chest and obliterate her from Earth I took a deep breath and threw myself in front of her.

A scream pierced the air around me. It was a scream unlike any I had heard before. And it was coming from me. The fire burned and ate away at my flesh. It felt as if I were being torn to shreds. Melted down for scraps. Though soon the flame ceased to flicker and my body came smashing into the side of the café. The sheer force indented me into the wall and a rubble of tilings fell down over me.
But I wasn’t dead. No. I was in a place far worse than death. I was caught in a world that only offered me pain. I could feel my backbones sticking through my skip, ripping through it like fabric. My legs were crushed under a bed of cement.
Desperately I wanted to move my hands, but I couldn’t for the life of me muster the energy. Through my chest stuck a scrap of metal rod, poking out slick with my own blood. A terrible bite buzzed about my right eyes and I knew it had been claimed by The Destroyer’s fire.
I was wrecked.
My body was broken.
My life barely hanging on by a thread.

So this was how I was going to go out? In a blistering injection of mind slashing pain. Well…