Witches
Arya knocked on the door to her childhood home with a fever. She saw the light inside turn on and heard scuffling. She took a step back as the door cracked. Jane's eye peaked through. Arya pushed the door open, nearly knocking Jane to the ground. Thankfully the house was in Erin's name so she didn't need to be invited in. She already had when she turned.
"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Jane shouted as Arya pinned her to the floor. Arya looked up as Erin and Darcy ran down the stairs to see what all the commotion was about.
"You knew! You all knew!" Arya seethed releasing Jane and pacing the floor. Darcy helped Jane to her feet.
"Knew what!?" Jane screamed at Arya.
"Hela killed mom and dad!" Arya's eyes were dark and her fangs were showing.
She was trying her best not to attack them. Trying her best to express her anger without unleashing her wrath at them. Just as she was about to lung at Jane someone held her back. It was Loki.
"Stop. This won't solve anything." He said holding her arms behind her back.
"And you know what's worse!? You and Thor!? Really Jane. You talk about how vampires are the scum of the earth until your blue in the face but when a god like that walks into your life you are okay with it! Self righteous much!?" Arya said with tears streaming down her face as she struggled against Loki's hold. Thor smirked to himself at the god comment, but quickly pushed away his flattery.
"You wanted nothing to do with this life." Jane said staring daggers at Arya.
"We just wanted to protect you." Erin said now visibly distraught. Darcy stood leaning against the staircase averting her eyes. She hated when the Foster sister's argued.
"You betrayed me! Look at me! I'm a monster!" Arya fell to her knees in defeat.
"Well isn't this nice. Family reunion." A woman's voice bellowed from the open doorway. Everyone turned. It was Hela.
Arya immediately ripped herself from Loki's hold and charged Hela. She threw her to the ground and Hela laughed as Arya snarled in her face.
"Keep laughing, bitch." Arya seethed in her face.
Hela gripped Arya by the arm and flipped her over so she was standing above her. Arya screamed as Hela grabbed her hair and dragged her to the center of the front yard. The soft glow of the porch light casting a shine on her dark expression. Arya thrashed against her hold but it was no use Hela was taller and stronger than her. Thor and Loki stood with rage in their eyes and ready to strike.
"Hela you don't want to do this." Thor said pleading with his sister to see reason.
"You think so highly of me brother." Hela said dropping Arya to the ground. She kicked her and Arya groaned.
Arya stood and began walking back toward the door when she felt her body lift into the air. She gasped as she floated. Loki and Thor looked to each other.
"You think you can win this fight? Think again." Hela said Arya began screaming. Her skin became flushed and her eyes grew wild.
"Reveal your witch, sister!" Loki seethed through grit teeth. Jane, Erin, and Darcy stood in the doorway holding weapons.
"Well, well, well. Isn't it little miss perfect. Strung up by a witch." Wanda said walking out from the side of the home. Everyone was shocked, Arya continued to scream. "Back off and I won't fry her from the inside out." Wanda said and Erin screamed in frustration. She was angry, an emotion she didn't show often. Arya made eye contact with Erin. Her screaming subsided but the burn beneath her skin persisted.
"I knew there was something off about you!" Arya yelled down to Wanda who held her body into the open air.
Loki looked between all three of them. Hela, Wanda, and Arya. Trying to decide his next move. Should he strike? Attack Hela or Wanda? Thor turned to Loki sensing he was planning to attack. He shook his head at his brother trying to deter him.
"Try anything, and the girl dies." Hela said stepping next to Wanda.
"What do you want!?" Jane asked holding up her gun.
"Just the murderer I was looking for." Hela said smiling at Jane.
"Your one to talk!" Darcy shouted over Jane's shoulder.
"Give it a rest, sister. This isn't you." Thor said beginning to walk toward Hela with his palms out, trying to signify that he meant no harm. She stopped him with a hand to his chest and flung him back. His body smacked into the house and he fell to the ground. He groaned as he stood and brushed the grass from his now soiled clothes. "I know you are upset. But just listen to reason. This is not the way!" Thor shouted balling his fists and stalking back over to stand beside Loki who was still devising a plan.
"I deserve this kill. After what she did to Sam!" Hela shouted, there was anger in her voice but also pain.
"You killed my parents! You deserve nothing!" Jane shouted adjusting her gun in her hands.
"Enough chit chat." Hela said then nodded to Wanda who threw Arya to the ground.
Thor ran to her side and helped her to her feet.
"Are you okay?" He asked and Arya nodded.
"Get her out of here!" Loki said and Wanda yanked on Arya with her magic once more. Arya screamed as she held onto Thor for dear life.
The wind began to howl and the trees rustled. Wanda looked around her with furrowed brows. Hela clapped at her witch's display of power.
"This isn't me!" She shouted over the sound of the wind.
Lightening struck the ground between Hela and Thor and Wanda jumped back, releasing Arya from her hold. Arya stumbled to the ground and Loki helped her to her feet. He was smiling. The ground shook as the wind swirled faster and faster. Wanda felt her body go limp. Her head began to pulsate painfully and she reached up and held her throbbing skull between her hands. She squeezed her eyes shut as she let out a blood curdling scream. Hela ran to her side.
"Leave. Before I rip you apart!" Brunhild said walking into the yard from the street. Her hands were splayed out before her and thunder cracked above her. Thor and Loki looked to each other with pure awe.
"Wanda! Wanda!" Hela said shaking Wanda who had just passed out in her arms.
"LEAVE!" Brunhild shouted making lightening strike once again on the already scorched ground beneath their feet. Just enough to scare them but not enough to hurt them.
Hela pulled Wanda into her arms and turned to look at Jane.
"This is far from over." She said then sped away with Wanda.
Brunhild relaxed her hands and strode toward the group of perplexed faces.
"Everyone okay? I knew she had the help of a witch. Couldn't track her no matter what I did." Brunhild complained walking into the house.
Everyone followed and closed the door behind them. Brunhild flicked her wrist and a yellow light sparkled around the house for a brief moment.
"Privacy spell. They can't hear us while we are within these walls." Brunhild said and Thor thanked her profusely while he guided Arya to the couch.
Jane followed and looked at Thor and Arya with questionable eyes. Why was he being so careful with her? Why did he seem so concerned.
"Are you alright? You had me worried there for a moment." Thor said sitting next to Arya on the sofa and holding her hand in his. His eyes pleaded with her to tell him she was going to be okay.
"I'm alright." She said and squeezed his hand.
"Wanda has always been a problem. I had a feeling there was something off about her. I just knew it." Erin said pacing the floor biting her thumb nail.
"She was in our home. Pretended to be nothing but a babbling mortal." Loki said running his hands through his hair frustrated.
"Talk." Arya said turning to Jane who sat in the chair across from her.
Jane sighed. She wanted to tell Arya everything. Start to finish. But she knew she was angry with her for all the lies she told. How could she ever believe a word that came out of her mouth? She thought she and Erin were doing the right thing. Keeping the truth from Arya. It's what she wanted. To be out of the loop. To have nothing to do with the hunt. To be left in the dark on such matters. But maybe the part about her parents should have been known. Maybe her knowledge of vampires who didn't simply want to hurt people should have been known. Maybe being honest in the first place would have repaired their relationship to begin with. The lies seemed to only drive them apart.
"I told her most of it. I can't lie. I'm sorry." Thor said and Jane nodded. She knew Thor to be truthful and genuine. After all he did confess to her that he was a vampire after he learned the truth about her.
"We just wanted to protect you."
"So you say. But you forget. I'm a big girl now. You don't have to protect me."
"We thought we were doing the right thing." Erin chimed in.
"Maybe. But that doesn't change the fact that if I knew maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe... maybe I would still be human." Arya leaned into Thor, intertwining her fingers with his absentmindedly. Jane noticed.
"You spend less than seventy-two hours with him and your already sleeping with him? And you get upset about the one night we shared months ago." Jane said getting upset. Arya looked down to her and Thor's joined hands.
"It's not like that."
"We are just friends." Thor said confirming with Arya.
"Fast friends. Last time I checked you hated vampires." Jane retorted.
"I am a vampire! You wanted me to live so selfishly that you took my life away. You took my choice! This is who I am now. I should have never come back." Arya said tearing her hand from Thor's and walking toward the door.
"That's right, run away! Like you always do!" Jane said.
"Jane!" Erin chastised and Jane shrugged her shoulders, leaning back in the chair.
Arya paused at the door. She looked at everyone in the room. Thor, Loki, Brunhild, Darcy, Erin, and Jane. She wanted to stay. But the part of her that always chose flight was pushing her to go.
"I can't handle this." She whispered.
"Let's get you out of here." Loki said placing a hand on her shoulder. Thor stood up and walked over to him.
"She needs to stay and face this." He said and Loki shook his head.
"She needs to get away and process everything. Before she loses control and hurts someone." Loki said and Thor scoffed. He began to argue but Brunhild stepped between them.
"Go. Call if you need anything." Brunhild said then opened the door for Arya and Loki to leave.
"You can't just leave!" Erin shouted.
Arya hesitated but turned to Erin. She pulled her into a hug. Erin wrapped her arms around her twin and cried softly into the crook of her neck.
"I almost lost you. Don't go." She said and Arya held her tight.
"Just a little while. I can't be here." Arya said and as much as Erin wanted to deny it she understood. Arya had been through too much. Too much for one person to handle at once. Erin looked at Loki and pointed her finger in his face.
"Don't get her killed." Erin said then stepped away.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Thor asked taking Arya's hand in his once more.
"You should stay. Protect Jane and the others."
"I can take care of myself, thank you very much!" Jane said crossing her arms. Arya sighed.
"Please. I need someone here I can trust." Arya said placing a gentle hand on the side of Thor's face. He smiled into her touch.
"Alright. I trust you too." He said then leaned his forehead against hers. They got lost in the moment. Just before their lips touched Loki cleared his throat.
"We should get going. Hela could be waiting to strike at any moment." He said and Arya nodded, pulling away from Thor reluctantly.
"Keep her safe brother." Thor said to Loki and he nodded.
Loki and Arya left the house and waited for the door to shut behind them.
"So, where too?" Arya asked still upset from the evenings events.
"New York City!" Loki said enthusiastically and Arya's eyes went wide. "The city that never sleeps. Shall we?" He asked holding his arm out for her to take.
She took it and smiled up to him. But before she could say another word he sped off with her at the speed of light.