Disclaimer: This story is a work of Fanfiction. I hold no claim to any but my own original components.
She'd reached the Eastern Shores. 6 days before the start of Doomsday. It was a hideous journey, but she'd made it. Without her friends.
With some pointers and help from Magnus' cousin's boyfriend Percy, and with help from Odin's ravens (Don't ask),
The Naglfar was horrific yet astonishing. It was locked in ice- literally. Not just the floor was frozen, but every single part of it was caked with frost, with mist spewing from the sides, as if it was an ice cube freshly out of the refrigerator. Workers- or servants, rather, of her father were chipping at the ice, some trying-and failing- to melt the boat with fire, but as soon as there was a flicker of flames, the ice encased it, too, leaving a bunch of cold and miserable giants shivering and starving in the boat.
Loki was certainly not waiting for Midsummer to come. He had already waited for centuries in his cave with poison dripping on his face, dreaming about his revenge on the gods.
She tried her best to stay steady on the cold-and frozen branches. She knew that it may crack, but as soon as the branch started to break, the mist spewed over, mending it instantly. Her hands were turning numb from gripping at the branches, trying to keep her balance. Her eyes turned back onto the giants, who were trying to strike a flame with their matches. One of the matches lit on fire, but instead of freezing over, it burned and brightened.
The giant whom lighted it literally brightened up with glee. He yelled to his buddies about something Sam couldn't decipher, but they started grabbing the nearby trees, as if they were merely picking up twigs from the floor.
The giant whom lit the match threw it into the now-stacked trees.
For a second, nothing happened- but then, the bushes lit on fire, and then the trees, turning it into a massive bonfire.
A blast of air- warm air- enveloped her. Her tree started to melt.
Midsummer didn't feel like waiting.
She'd scrambled- trying to find her footing, trying to grab on something, anything, as she fell.
Her hands ached. The ordeals from travelling to the Eastern Shores weighted upon her. She didn't have the strength to fly.
The tree wasn't tall, compared amongst the others. She wasn't afraid of falling and landing, but she was afraid of being discovered.
Sure enough, she made quite a sound when she fell- jarred bones against the cold floor, bones cracking. She grimaced, pain flowing through her.
It wasn't loud - but it was loud enough for the giants to notice.
''Who is that?!''
She held her side, ignoring the pain surging through her as she took each step. Spots danced in front of her eyes, and fatigue threatened to claim her. And yet, she continued.
She heard calls and yells coming from the direction of the frozen boat. She knew that they were going to find her.
Her legs were trembling, threatening to collapse at any moment.
Come on, Sam! Now is not the time.
Loki walked out casually, surrounded with hundreds-no, thousands of guards and monsters, whom flanked by his side.
''Hello, daughter. What brings you here?''
His voice was full of kindness and sympathy, affection even, but his his green eyes betrayed his true motives. They glinted cruelly, his eyes malevolent, darting around as if he went insane. She had no doubt on what would happen to her if she tried something.
She wasn't stupid, or foolish. She didn't fight Loki. By Helhiem, she didn't even stand to her ground against Loki.
She ran, ignoring the shoots of pain coming out from her side. She knew that she couldn't run for long, though.
That's what you've been doing with your whole life. Running.
''That's not true'' she growled, but she didn't know who she was growling at.
Running from your mother's funeral. Running from your Father. Running away from yourself; refusing to accept your true self.
Loki's laughter vibrated through the air. With no doubt, he was enjoying this.
Enjoying seeing his proud, regal daughter run for her life.
Running from him.
She could get away from him, if she'd tried shapeshifting. A wolf, perhaps? She'd nearly laughed at the irony at her thought. Her brother, Fenris Wolf, was a wolf. She'd fought him with her friends when the moon was full, when Surt tried to free him to signal the start of Ragnarok.
She remembered Valhalla, the wild cheering and celebration as they had found intel on Loki's location and his plans.
She remembered Magnus' face, agitated and seemingly angry on her having to go alone, without backup to infiltrate Loki's ship, but he had the hint of worry on his face as she departed Valhalla, accompanied by Odin's Ravens.
She remembered Hearth, clutching a rune tightly in his hands and thrusting it into her open palm as she left. He signed to her.
The rune of Algiz. Protection, ward off evil. Valkyrie rune.
She signed back to him to show her thanks, and abruptly left.
She knew she wouldn't be able to use the rune, but she knew what Hearth meant. A good luck charm.
She remembered Blitzen's face, reminding her that they had fashionable chain armour (now available for women) for sale at Blitzen's Best. He was also trying to design a hijab that prevents mind control, throwing in a few powerful paradoxes into the design along the way. ''A fashionable designer's outfit without a few paradoxes is like seeing a dog without his fur'' he'd said. She knew that it was his way of expressing his worry, and fury, perhaps.
She remembered Alex's gruff but worrying face, asking her again and again if she wanted to learn how to resist against Loki incase her mission went south. She'd politely declined her offer, and left without looking back.
Lastly, she remembered Amir's face as he paced around the room, his face barely controlled with agony.
It's too dangerous, Sam. You can't do this!
And in that second, she knew that she would never get away from him.
She was trapped. Trapped in her own life, which Loki loomed over like a storming cloud. Shooting random tendrils of lighting whenever he felt like it, destroying everything she had done. Getting tricked into doing what she thought was right, but when in truth he was just manipulating her.
It was over. She knew that, at least.
She heard maniacal laughter.
She'd stopped running.
She took out a rune from her pocket.
The rune of Algiz. She turned the rune over. Behind it, she knew that there was a rune symbol carved on the back.
The rune of the four empty cups.
I'm sorry. I failed.
She finally collapsed, from the pain she'd unintentionally inflicted onto herself when she ran.
Loki's laughter seemed to vibrate throughout the forest. In a burst of dark light, he appeared in front of her.
He snapped his fingers.
And then, she heard her mind snap.
—
Dang it. i was trying to write a nice, Loki & Sam (Father & Daughter) bonding fic, but this is what I ended up with.
Anyway, I will be updating my supposedly one-shot, 'Remorse'. I'll also be posting another story when I finish the 2nd chapter of it.
Also, for those of you following 'Demigods of SHIELD', I will be updating it, possibly when I get my priorities sorted out. Thanks and I'm horribly sorry with the lateness of the updates .
