After stopping a bank robbery with the help of Spider-Man, and returning to his humble bum-abode under a bridge he's been dwelling under for the past two days, he emerges from underneath that bridge and begins his ascension up the steep grassy slant leading up to a sidewalk. As he does, a familiar voice speaks up and snags his attention.

“Fancy spotting you here… Stepping out from the shadows beneath a bridge like some sort of troll.” The individual remarks.

“Huh?... Oh. It's you.” Tyson comments, paying no mind to the troll bit - who he sees is none other than the trickster God himself, Loki. Or rather, KID Loki. The reborn youth lays upon his side atop of the bridge's blocky stone ledge 30 feet above.

“Indeed, it is I. Decided to finally step into the sunlight, hmm?” Loki questions, staring stoically while resting his jaw upon the palm of his hand.

“Uhh, I guess so.. But now that you mention it… I SHOULD probably consider getting a job instead of just sleeping under a bridge. I don't even have a dollar or wallet to my name.” Tyson answers as he rubs at the back of his neck. The response causes Loki to arch a judgemental brow.

“By the Gods, are you a troubled child or just bad with life choices? I highly doubt a mild-mannered young man such as yourself was banished from his home by his own kin, so I'm inclined to believe you tried leaving the nest and are now failing miserably at being on your own.” Loki theorizes with a ridiculing undertone.

“Funny enough, my mom didn't want me to leave home. Said there was no good reason I couldn't stay and prepare to build wealth through a career. But…” Tyson begins to explain, but recalling the tragedy from several years ago wasn't something he could just share so carefree-ly. He places his hands at his hips, hangs his head with a sigh, and at least concludes the topic.

“It… it's nothing really worth going over. It's just a change I have to learn to deal with. I can't afford to stagger too much and stay within a codependent mindset. I'm ready to live in the moment and look forward to the future.”

“...Sounds more like you're trying to convince yourself than I, my peculiar friend. But no matter. I'm curious about you, though. Your… confrontation with that man. I observed a bit of it, and what I've heard has left me quite puzzled. Care to chit chat over lunch?” The Asgardian offers.

“Hnnn… Like I said, I don't even have a wallet. I can't really afford to be in debt to anyone right now.” Tyson reminds him.

“No worries at all. You needn't pay a single silver. Trust me.” Loki assures. Being a reader of comics, and also experiencing shenanigans from his own Loki - his horned and mischievous grandfather - he's quite skeptical of doing so. A frown of concern takes shape on his facial features as he stares in thought for a long moment.

[ 25 Minutes Later ]

Though he’s somewhat reluctant to, Tyson agrees to accompany Loki for lunch. Enough time passes to where the two have their orders upon their table outside of the establishment and under an umbrella that blocks off the sun's rays. Loki, a large cheeseburger with fries and a large milkshake on the side, while Tyson has a plate of a spicy n’ crispy chicken sandwich with Cajun fries with a glass of cool water nearby.

“Now then. Why don't you tell me who you really are?” Loki prods stoically before taking a bite out of his burger.

“And I mean REALLY. Why does that bizarre and oddly powerful stranger think you're a kin of the King of Olympus?” He goes on to specify for good measure.

The question takes Tyson a little by surprise. He thinks on it for a moment, letting silence sink in. Long enough for Loki to raise a brow and press him.

“WELL?”

“I guess it couldn't hurt to tell you. Honestly, it might be the safest thing that I COULD tell you.” Tyson reasons before lifting a season fry to his lips to chew.

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“Go oooonnn…” Loki encourages while sparing a hand to grab his milkshake and take a swig from it.

“I'm your grandson.”

“PFFFFFFTTTTT! EU-WHAT?” The Asgardian turns his head to spit out his drink before asking for elaboration with a single word. The reaction earns a soft chuckle from the young man.

“Heh. Well, more specifically… A Loki is my grandfather. Hel is his daughter, and she's my mother. My father is Apollo. I am the illegitimate son of deities from two different pantheons.” Tyson explains.

“H-how? Another me, you say? You sure it's not just–”

“He is the God of Chaos and trickery. Horns and glowing eyes. Lives in the city of Asgard, likes to torment everyone, and loves his daughter.” Tyson chimes in to inform.

“Hel, was it? As in… Hela?” Loki questions with shifty eyes.

“Yeah. I guess they're pretty much the same, too. My mother is the Goddess of death and lives within a cold, unforgiving kingdom of her making in Niflheim. It's even where I was born.”

“How strange… Why is your universe so different? Hela is my sister, not my daughter. Why would that change?” Loki murmurs as he stuffs a few fries into his mouth.

“My grandfather is also the blood-uncle of Thor, so don't sweat too much over it.” Tyson adds.

“What a bizarre—” RRRRRRRRRRMMMMMMMM.

Suddenly an abrupt ground shaking rumbling intervenes into their discussion, and the two, as well as all the other pedestrians around, begin to wonder what could possibly be causing this as they try to maintain their balance. Well, Tyson did lay eyes on a hint on what was brooding just days ago.

Within New York, though many miles away, a giant hole suddenly opens up and swallows not only the solid ground of the Time Square's asphalt, but the poor unfortunate victims who're just living their life. Screams erupt and fade into the bottomless abyss. It becomes quite apparent they have met their demise, especially with the sudden violent upshot of purple flames that extend like a thick pillar into the clouds. Its brightness shines over the entire state. Just until it simmers and withdraws back down into that giant hole. Though something else begins rising to the surface, something accompanied by a feminine voice laughing menacingly. Soon enough, a wide circular platform resting upon a giant bronze hand comes into view, and there standing near two dark gothic thrones is none other than Persephone and her husband, the great and feared King of the underworld - H a d e s. Both wearing black lantern rings and distorted in appearance.

“Death… so much death! The chalice of the afterlife overflows with it. It beckons governance. It BEGS to be ruled over. The End has not a schedule, so it shall be NOW. The world shall fall cold and silent once all light has been extinguished.” And upon those unsettling words of hers, Persephone raises her hand to the sky. Then? Suddenly an aggressive downpour of dark energy spills from the sky and engulfs that entire platform within a curtain of black. When it finally stops, the two are visible again. Perfectly fine, though the Goddess’ body is covered by a flame-like aura of darkness.

“Go forth!” She exclaims and discharges a sphere of onyx energy from her palm into the air. One that abruptly splits in countless fractions and flies away into a myriad of directions.

[Back with Tyson and Loki]

“What is going on?” Righteous Lad questions as he sits facing toward the source of the commotion.

“I haven't the slightest clue, but it's suddenly getting a bit dark out.” Loki observes. Suddenly, two fractions from that sphere of energy find and latch onto the two. Both males suddenly find a black lantern ring on their ring finger.

“Huh? What is this jewelry?”

“Didn't I already deny your offer earlier? Get…” Tyson grips the ring and begins pulling. Despite his struggling and formidable strength, it will not budge an inch.

“Off! Why can't I pull it off?”

“I can't… I can't seem to get mine off, either. Is this a branding of a curse of some kind?” Loki Questions–

“I, the new Ring Master of the Black Lanterns, command the dead and all who have received its branded ring… DIE FOR ME.” Persephone orders and the rings suddenly claim their victims. In an instant, both Loki's and Tyson's hearts stop beating. Tyson collapses onto the ground, eyes wide open while Loki's head thumps against the table. Both motionless. The colors begin fading from their skins and eyes. The Black Lantern symbol takes form upon their shirts. They've officially become members of the deceased ring bearers, much like many others.

“U-uuuUgh…” Tyson groans as he raises up from the ground, climbing into a kneeling position while throwing his forearms atop of the table near him. A strange sensation brews within his torso, beneath his flesh and the muscle. A sense of coldness he hasn't felt since he was 15 years old. Though he has to admit that it's at least better than the sudden sharp pain that sent him laying limp on the ground just a moment.

“What happened?”, he questions no one in particular. He continues to climb back up onto his feet, though also takes a moment to look around. What he sees makes him stare in shock, or perhaps disbelief. Yellow. He sees humanoid bodies of yellow around him. Some hold a bit of red, but yellow is what every frame is made of.

“Are those… people?” He murmurs under his breath. He's just about to investigate right then and there, but the thump of a boot meeting solid ground behind him grabs his attention. Turning his head, it's there he sees Kid Loki standing and facing away.

“Lo–” He pauses for a moment, recalling his parents instilling manners to NOT address elder members of his family without some form of formality. Though this Loki isn't the one he knows, Tyson cannot help but feel that the rule still applies in other worlds.

“...Grandfather Loki, are you all right?" He asks, now turning his entire body toward the reborn God of Trickery. The boy turns his head to look over a shoulder at Tyson, and what the young man sees sends an uncomfortable chill down his spine. Loki's skin is a sickly pale that looks to be a shade of gray-steel, while his eyes are pupiless. The Asgardian's sockets are pools of neon eerie red. The boy gives nothing beyond a mild frown and dismissive 'Hmph’ before taking off into the air via flight, courtesy of the lantern ring on his finger.

“Okaaaay… That's DEFINITELY not good.”