Loyal to a Forgotten King

Lies on Top of Lies

"Well I was" Liam said. "Not anymore"
"Were you exiled?" Angela asked.
"Something like that" Liam replied. He was dying to tell her the truth but she probably wouldn't believe him and end up slapping him for lying to her.
"What about your brother?" Angela asked. "You said you had one?"
"Yes... my brother is the true prince. One day he will be king." Liam said. "unfortunately. Having an arrogant fool as the king won't do very well for my home"
Angela laughed. "so he's full of himself"
"you have no idea" Liam said.
"Why come here?" Angela asked. "What happened?"
"Well..." Liam started to answer but as he looked up he saw 2 men that were wearing black suits and pointing at him and Angela. "Let's speak of this elsewhere."
Angela went to turn around but Liam stopped her. "Don't let them see you"
"w... why?" Angela asked. "Liam... what's going on?"
They quickly paid and exited the restaurant. Angela was worried at how quickly Liam was walking. Where they heard a van coming Liam broke their bet and grabbed Angela's hand. He let her down an alley and hid behind a building. He pulled her close to him and covered her mouth with his hand. Angela was tense at first but relaxed at the fact of how gently he was holding her. It felt very protective. He obviously didn't want to hurt her. The van drove a few circles round their area but it drove off soon after, giving up the search. After about 10 minutes Liam let Angela go.
"What was that for?" Angela asked. She was a bit annoyed about having little answers, and also being pretend kidnapped.
"I'm sorry Angela but they are looking for me" Liam said.
"Why?" Angela asked. "Does this have to do with you exile?"
Liam sighed. He wanted to tell her the truth but he just put more lies on top of lies. "Yes. I am wanted for murder"
Angela steeped back. "What?!" she became afraid of him. "What are you talking about?"
"Let me explain" Liam said. "I was protecting the king. His enemies wanted to kill him in his sleep. I was only defending him but my brother in his stupidity accused me of murder. So I was exiled and somehow ended up here" It was 1/2 the truth at least.
"You... you won't hurt me right?" Angela asked.
"Angela." Liam said. "I would never hurt you. I give you my word."
Angela pondered this for a minute. With all that's he's done for her she could trust him... right? "Well let’s go home and I'll think about it"
"I can't" Liam said. "Now that they've seen me with you, I have to leave. I can't put you in danger for that. But I will walk you home from a distance just in case." And that's exactly what he did. Angela walked home with Liam watching but as she turned he disappeared. She sighed. She was going to miss the tall mysterious man that she grew to accept as a friend. She thought about what he had said to her. About staying inside for the next week at least so the men would go off of her trail and continue looking for him. It hurt to see him just disappear without a goodbye but she was glad for the 2 months she got spend with him.
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A week passed and Angela got back into the swing of normal life. Susan never spoke to her again except to say that it figured that Liam wouldn't last. "You weirdness scared him off" she teased.
Angela sighed and tried to ignore it but she couldn't get him off her mind. She always looked out her window when she had the chance to see if he would be standing outside but it never happened. She missed him. She 1/2 expected him to be sitting in the kitchen waiting for her like he did when he was with her.
Angela sat in class and looked out the window completely ignoring her professor's talk. She rubbed the Norse helmet key chain with her thumb for good luck that maybe she could see her friend again. She never expected it to work.
In truth, Liam was watching Angela from afar; making sure she was ok and that his pursuers never got too close to her. He missed her almost as much as she missed him. He missed the fun crazy blonde that loved to talk. As he watched the college, he saw a disturbing sight. The 2 men from before were stalking the grounds.
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Angela got up from her seat and was pulled aside by the professor. "What was so interesting outside that you ignored my class Ms. Reede?"
"Um... It was..." Angela said. She looked outside and saw 2 men in black. "It was the men sir" Angela said. "They..."
"You never change" The professor said.
"No but... what in the..." She was still looking out the window at the strange men. They seemed to be questioning the other students. The professor also got distracted. "No one harasses my students" he said and walked outside. Angela went to go the other way but the professor shook his head. "I don't think so Ms. Reede. If these men interest you so much why don't we meet them?"
Angela took the walk of shame behind her professor as he went outside. She has to get away without them noticing since she knew the men were looking for her for being with Liam.
"What are you asking my students?!" The professor called out. "They need to go to their classes. Not bothered by government officials. If you have business it will be direct towards me"
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Liam's eyes went wide when he saw Angela following the big mouth professor. She would be seen by the men and maybe even taken. He waited a little bit longer just in case.
"We're from a special government branch sir" one of the men said. "I think you know us" He held out some sort of badge and the professor made a face.
"You slimy men in black get off my campus." he said. "You've already bothered me enough"
"We're simply looking for a woman" the second man said.
"That one in particular" the first said and pointed to Angela. "She been in contact with a very dangerous criminal"
Liam took the risk and came out of his hiding place when Angela was pointed out. "Was has that poor woman done to you? She is nothing but a harmless girl"
The second took out his weapon and armed it as Liam came into view. Angela had a look of shock, happiness and irritation on her face and the professor looked a bit scared.
"Liam!" Angela cried. "What... but..."
The first raised an eyebrow. "what an original name." he looked from Angela back to Liam. "Loki"
Liam glared at the first. It was over now. He had been exposed.
Angela's eyes widened at the name. Loki; the Norse god of Mischief was Liam?
"I will not let you harm her" Loki said. "if you do, i'll kill you"
"Oh how good of you to go to her rescue after sending a giant metal assassin to kill hundreds" the first replied. "That earth couldn't possibly defend against it without your brother's help"
"I suggest you come quietly so your girlfriend doesn't have to get involved the messy way" the second said.
Loki looked at Angela who looked heartbroken. He had no choice. He didn't want Angela to get hurt but he knew they would take her anyway.
"Just go" Angela said.
"Wise choice" the first commented. They put him in cuffs and took him away. In a separate van, Angela was also taken but was free to have hands unchained. She was silent the whole way there. The second man rode with her.
"What do you want with him?" she finally asked.
"This man is a threat to our world." the man answered.
Angela sighed. If he was such a threat, why was he kind to her? "I don't get it" she said. "Why'd he lie?"
"He's the Norse god of Mischief and Lies Ma'am." The man explained. "Lying is what he does." He looked at the scar on her elbow. "He do that?"
"No!" Angela said. Surprised by her loudness she looked down. "I... I was hit by a bike"
"Yeah ok" the man said.
"No I’m serious" Angela said. "It was a few months ago. I was walking home and wasn't paying attention and was hit by a kid on bike. Then I met Li...Um... Loki" She desperately wanted her key chain to piddle with. They confiscated everything of hers. Even the scarf that Loki gave her.
"So do you know anything about me?" she asked.
"Angel Reede" The man said. "Age 27 birthday, on May 15, went to Grendel’s Boarding School at age 11..."
"Ok, ok geez." Angela said. "You guys are the one that are creepy. Are you sure you don't work for Stalkers incorporated"
"Very funny Ms. Reede" the man said. "I suggest you stop talking before you say something you regret"
"well excuse me for using the 1st amendment" Angel said folding her arms. She thought back to when she first saw the men in black. How Loki hid from them with her. He held her so gently, even though he wanted to keep her silent. His touch was kind. So why were these men making him sound so cruel?
When they arrived Angela was put into a room and left there for what seemed like hours. When the man that rode with her came in again she was taken to another room for questioning.
"I'm agent Coulson" the man said. "I just want to ask you a few questions and then you're free to go"
"What about Loki" Angela asked.
"I'll be asking the questions Ms. Reede" he replied.
She made a face when he faced his back to her to shut the door. "How long have you known Loki?"
"About 2 months" Angela said.
"Any physical contact at all?" Coulson asked.
"Only to get away from you" Angela said.
Coulson cleared his throat. "That's it?"
"We made a bet that I wouldn't touch him ok?" Angela said. "In return I let him stay" she was bending the truth and glad this idiot was buying her story.
"So he lived with you for the period of time" Coulson asked.
"Yeah so?" Angela replied. "Look today's been a long day, can I go home?"
"I'm not finished" Coulson said. "Why did you make the bet?"
"Because I'm a dumb blonde I figured what the hell I have nothing better to do" Angela replied. This guy was starting to get on her nerves.
"It seems you're quite a fan of Norse mythology" Coulson held up her 2 Norse key chains.
"I'm a mythology nerd" Angela said. "I got those at a convention because the Renaissance wizard staff key chain was out of stock"
He continued to ask questions for the next 30 minutes.
"One more question" Coulson said. "What's he mean to you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Angela asked. "He's..." she stopped to think about it. This was hard. He was a friend, but everything she knew about him was a lie...or bent truth. He did help her get out of the gutter and into a more normal life and away from street trash looking for a good time.
"Well?" Coulson asked. "I need an answer"
"He's just a guy I made a bet with" Angela said. "Nothing more"
"Ok" Coulson said. "I'll be right back"
"Hey whoa you said you'd let me go!" Angela snapped. "You lying good for nothing..."
"That's enough" the man that was with Coulson at the college stepped into the room. "Ms. Reede. Why did he even try to defend you?"
"I don't know, because he's a fool. I'm not worth anything I'm just a playgirl that made a bet with him so I could get the street trash off my back" Angela said quickly.
"You’re a flirt" the man said. "If you were playgirl you'd have 3 kids by now. As bad as you think you rep is, it's not"
"wow you even know the number of kids I’d have if I slept with a guy. You're good" Angela gave him an irritated look.
"I just threw out a number" the man said. "If you knew how dangerous he was, would you still make the bet with him"
"Probably" Angela shrugged. "Just for shits and giggles... why not?"
"Interesting" the man said. "Why?"
"I told your partner why" Angela said.
"You answered him with a smart ass comment. I'm asking for the truth" the man snapped at her.
Angela looked down. "Because I wanted to be better and didn't know how to start"
The man raised an eyebrow and listened.
"I didn't like him at first; yeah he was creepy with the whole" she started mimicking Loki. "I'll take over your friend and release him after he kills you.' Bull crap, but that was just to scare off the jerks that wanted me as their play toy."
"So he defended you?" the man asked.
"Yeah he did" Angela said. "Got a problem with a little bit of nice guy? Geez" she folded her arms and put her hand on her sore elbow.
"Coulson told me you got that from a bike" the man pointed to her scar.
"Oh yeah. I had too much to drink and this kid on a bike ran into me" Angela said and made a face, thinking about how Loki helped take care if her. "He called me baby... for crying about it."
"The kid called you a baby?" The man asked.
"No, Loki did." Angela said. "He helped me take care of the scratches and called me a baby for crying about it"
"so there's more than one?" the man asked.
"Well duh" Angela said. "You don't just get on gash from getting ran over" she put her hand on her hip. "I have one here and on my knee, but the elbow scratch is the worst one. I ended up getting glass in it"
"What do you mean by you wanted to be better?" the man asked.
"Well..." Angela started. "I was a glutton for attention and not all of it was good. I'd go to bars and then get mad when a guy wanted to go too far. It was my own fault." she smiled. "Loki helped get me back on my feet. He said that if I could go two months without physical attention that he’d help me. I don't know why he chose to help but he did"
"So he didn't want anything from you when he made the bet?" the man asked.
"I let him stay in my extra room but no... He didn't want anything in return" Angela thought about this. He never asked for anything. He even gave her his scarf as a gift.
The man left Angela to her thoughts, promising that he'd let her go soon. Angela didn't believe him but pondered the reason as to why Loki helped her the first place. "He couldn't be out for that" she thought. "He probably would've gotten it before he helped me change if he was after that" she sat back down. "What if..." she went red just thinking about it. She knew what he meant to her.