Chapter 2

The people who gained powers go by many names. "Children of Loki" or "CoL"(pronounced the same as 'coal') is by far the most popular in the United States. People here are familiar with the stories of Loki the shapeshifting trickster god of the vikings and neopagans due to the required world mythology and religions class in our schools. Some, however, choose to be known as "Children of our Lord" as they feel being connected to a pagan god to be against their religion. There are even those who prefer to use the secular name "Mimic." Generally, "Children of Loki" and "CoL" have been adopted by official and unofficial agencies within the United States. It's interesting to note that the word 'col' has, until now, only meant the lowest point between two mountain peaks. There have not been many CoLs who have chosen to connect their identities with such a gap.

Excerpt from "The Book of CoL: Second Edition", Chapter 1: Names and Identity.

The night shift winds up being more of an impromptu party than actual work. Melanie agrees to stay late for a couple hours to make sure the news that I'm a CoL doesn't cause much of a stir. She can be a bit protective of me since she was the first person to learn I had powers.

Even before me.

Thankfully she hasn't shared that story with our coworkers. I pray she doesn't open her mouth about it. It was embarrassing as hell.

"I can't believe we've had a super hero working at Mythic Grocery this whole time," Becky says while holding a paper plate full of cake.

I don't know who brought the cake. They must have gotten it from the bakery earlier in the day because it had "Best of Luck, Page!" written in icing on it before we hacked it to pieces.

Maybe it was Mr. Brim?

"I wouldn't use 'super hero,'" I say between bites. "Mostly I just lift heavy things when the forklift breaks."

"That's why day shift has been able to get so much shit done?" Terrance asks accusingly. He's not actually upset, more surprised and still processing.

"How did it happen, anyway?" Becky asks. "I mean, I know becoming a CoL is random but, you've worked here awhile. When did you get powers?"

Everyone stops eating and stares at me. Six and a half pairs of eyes watch my every move. George is missing an eye. I'm not sure how they lost it and haven't asked but they have seemed a bit more wary to join the festivities since the news broke that I've been a CoL and that I'm quitting work to move away without prior notice.

I can't help but worry it's connected to the day when we first CoLs gained our powers. That day was pretty rough most places.

I finish my bite of cake and chase it with a swallow of fruit punch before answering. "First day."

"First day you started working here?" Becky asks.

Bless her, she's not very bright.

"No, I've been a CoL since the first day the powers manifested," I clarify. "I really don't want to talk about it."

I catch a glimpse of Melanie out of the corner of my eye, careful I don't do anything weird to see her better like manifest an extra eye. Now that everyone knows I'm a CoL I have to be even more careful than usual not to slip up and shift in a way that could unsettle them. Up until now I pretended to be normal around people who didn't know to trick myself to stay in line. Mel's not going to tell the story of when I gained my powers. Thank gods.

"Wanna see Page lift some heavy shit?" Melanie asks instead.

"Hell yes," Terrance replies.

Melanie doesn't stay the whole shift but I'm thankful she's there for a while, at least. The rest of the time is spent with me lifting and moving pallets of things so we can stock the store.

A repair person is supposed to show up tomorrow to fix the forklift. I debate telling everyone to just call if they need me. Mr. Brim knows he can call, but I doubt he will.

I'm going to be over a hundred miles away by Monday, starting a new job in a new place. Or at least helping out with a job for a Detective. If it falls through I'll just look for something else to do in the city. Austin is a big place, there's a bustling CoL community there and some businesses that cater directly to them.

Us. To us.

I don't sleep after leaving the store. Instead I head home, take a shower, and look up new places to live. There are two apartment complexes that are strictly for Children of Loki in the Austin area.

Both have a market, restaurants, coffee shops, and the like, built on the bottom floor. There's also a subdivision south of town that's CoL exclusive as well, but as I sit at my laptop in this empty house I'm reminded that I don't exactly like being this...lonely. Maybe an apartment would be a nice change?

Little Asgard Heights has three openings according to the website while Valhalla Estates has four. Valhalla Estates is really in Leander, much further North than I'd like to be. Little Asgard heights is in East Austin, near a place called 'Boggy Creek' just off Airport Boulevard, in an area populated by other large apartment complexes. Valhalla Estates would require me to travel a lot farther to do anything in Austin proper while Little Asgard Heights is in a more busy area. Then again, travel isn't much of a problem for me. I don't have a car but that's because I don't need one. However, busy would be nice. Part of the point of getting an apartment is to not feel so lonely, after all.

I can't decide.

I get a quarter out and toss it. Head for Heights and tails for Estates.

It lands on Heights. I jot down the phone number on the website. I'm starting to feel a bit tired so I use my powers to clear out my exhaustion. I try not to do that very often but it has come in handy more than a few times.

"Hello, I was calling about looking for an apartment at Little Asgard Heights," I say to the agent who answers. "Yes, I am a CoL. Do you get many Basics who call? Wow. That many? Damn."

I text the agent my information and within an hour of calling have an apartment. Then I call a mover to transport all my things. The rent on my current house is paid through to the end of the lease which isn't up for another couple weeks. I go ahead and call the landlord to tell her I'll be moving soon.

I promise to come back and go over everything with her before the lease is over. We set a date for a week and half from now and she thanks me for having been a tenant.

I have about four hours before the movers are set to arrive so I finish packing up my belongings that aren't already in boxes and put the clothing I've been wearing in a duffle bag.

I pull a few of my prototype premium shift-ready clothing pieces out of a box and add them to the duffle before resealing the box. All told I don't have a lot of belongings and the fact that I haven't been using most of them for the last month only nails home that I don't use most of what I do have.

I move all twelve boxes closer to the door to make them easier for the movers to pick up. My laptop gets stowed in its bag next to my duffle. I'll hitch a ride with the movers to the city. It'll be a bit of a journey that I could make much more quickly on my own using my powers but I don't mind riding in a truck.

There's something somewhat relaxing about watching trees and hills go by from a car window.

All the furniture came with the house so it's all in still place. Even Melanie and Young-Mi's stuff is in the room they used, just where they left it.

I set an alarm on my phone and lay on my bed that's already been stripped of the sheets. It's not going to be my bed anymore after today.

I'm moving. I'm going to the city to help a detective out with a CoL related mystery.

I honestly don't think it's possible for a ten year old to develop CoL powers. If it has happened it would be the first recorded case of it. None of Doctor Hailu's research suggests anyone younger than nineteen could have powers. There's a lot of things we still don't understand about CoLs, even with ten years of research into us, but that's one thing that's held pretty true.

My mind races and I just can not relax. It's not because I blanked out my fatigue earlier, either. I just can't settle down. I look at my phone and see I now only have an hour and half before the alarm goes off.

I shut my eyes and use my powers to sedate myself. It won't be a great sleep but it should help me clear my head.

***

The move goes well. I offer to help the two man team change the tire when we have a flat halfway to the city but they tell me to stay in the truck's cab.

I chat with Melanie on the phone when she calls.

"I can't believe it, you're finally moving," she says. "I mean, I can believe it I was there when you quit work and stuff but still. I didn't think you'd move to Austin. I figured you'd just rent a smaller place here in town."

"Sorry about that," I say. "I can always move back if things don't work out and all."

"That is true," Melanie says. "Just give me the heads up if you do and please don't forget to visit. You can't use the excuse of it being too far like someone like me can."

I don't know why that comment stings.

"I will be sure to let you know when I'll be in town. I'll bother you incessantly. Besides, I still have the walk-through with our old landlord in a week and a half."

"I look forward to you regaling us with your stories of life in the big city, then!" Melanie cheers. "Oh shit, I gotta go. Love you lots!"

"Tell Young-Mi I send hugs and kisses too!" I say.

"Absolutely!"

I check my phone for any news or info about a ten year old gaining CoL powers. There is none.

I wonder if the man I met is even a real detective or not. I look at his business card and find his website. He's a former cop with ringing endorsements on his site from people who've hired him. But then, who doesn't put the praise they've gotten for their business on their website? It's not like he's going to put any bad comments on there. At least he seems to be a real detective.

I really should have looked him up before I decided to move.

***

Little Asgard Heights is a big change from my old house. It's also a gigantic building. The movers seem a little wary of the place but I don't have that many boxes and tell them they can stay outside if they want while I go talk to the building manager to get my card key.

When I come back to the truck the two guys seem to be even less keen on making me do all the work despite them having just driven me and my belongings a hundred miles. I suppose they don't want to come off as lazy or some sort of taxi service, not that there's anything wrong with a taxi service.

A few of the residents, CoLs who are far more conspicuous than me, watch as I and the two movers make a few trips back and forth to my new place. I spot at least one minotaur and two different people with some kind of horns and pointy ears. There's also one person with a classic adventurer elf look going on.

I'm not sure if it's just not a very busy time or if most people are avoiding us, but I can tell the ones who are watching have made the movers a bit...nervous. Especially the dragon-person wearing the blue hoodie who ducked into the building a minute ago.

My apartment is on the second floor, which I don't particularly like, but there are no living units on the bottom floor of the building.

We get the last of my boxes unloaded and I give the movers a pretty substantial cash tip with my thanks. They're surprised. I basically just moved into the equivalent of public housing for freaks even though I'm not using a government program for my unit.

Maybe I shouldn't flaunt that I have money? It might give people the wrong idea and reinforce the thought that CoLs leach off the government.

It's an age old bullshit argument leftover from before Children of Loki even existed. 'That minority is nothing but a mooch! A leech! A burden! They're getting what you deserve!'

The movers look at me funny, as if those very thoughts may be running through their heads at that moment. I can't read minds. No CoL can, but I do know how people work.

"I'm a detective," I say confidently after they take the cash. It doesn't feel wrong to say, but I'm used to outrageous things feeling 'right.' So I add, "More mysteries to solve in the city."

That seems to do it. Now I've gone from possibly being a 'scary outsider burden' to 'tangentially related to law enforcement.' It's not something I'd like to do often but in this case maybe I've done something to prevent these two guys from being weird about CoLs in the future. They thank me and wave as they leave.

The sunset paints the city in warm pinks and oranges. Everything smells different. There're more CoLs in a four block radius than I've ever seen before. Even more than at Doctor Hailu's laboratory during the peak of the last round of studies.

I try to not feel overwhelmed as I breathe a deep breath and let it out smoothly. My sister and our mom live in a nearby town. I'll have to remember to give them a call after I've helped out on this job.

I finally moved.