You sat staring at the Midgardian city of New York bustling below you. It was noisy and completely different to everything you had ever experienced on Asgard and the people that Thor had sent you to were an odd eclectic group. The soldier was polite, but seldom around, and when he was, he seldom bothered to try to speak to you. He usually spent his downtime catching up with different things he had missed after over half a century, which apparently in the Midgardian world, seemed to be a lot.
The doctor was a shy man, seldom out side of the comfort of his lab, but he too was polite. The times you had spoken to him, he asked a few questions about Asgard and its technology, he was also the only one who seemed to understand that the Loki they had seen was not the one you knew growing up, and how important a part of your life he had been.
The female spy avoided you as though you were stricken with the plague the moment she was told of your abilities. It was only by accident when you were in the elevator with her that you had gotten her to admit as to why she avoided you so avidly; you respected her space after that. You knew it was an issue for her to have a living, breathing truth serum around her.
The archer felt the same as the spy, but the reason for his distrust ran even deeper. Loki had infiltrated his mind, controlled his thoughts, and you were, if Thor was speaking the truth, closer to him than any other being. He accused you of having known Loki's plan all along. As a result, he wanted nothing to do with you, and actually spent large sums of time glaring at you from a safe distance.
Then finally there was the man whose name was plastered on the side of the building you were now dwelling in, he was by far the most fascinating character. His AI servant was witty, but it was only because he was himself. He genuinely seemed to never care about most anything, until it came to his partner, and his constant invoking of her wrath, which usually led to hilarity.
Since Thor left you with this group, you were stuck in a world far less technologically advanced and if their news was to be believed, was at constant war with himself, using brutal and animalistic methods to annihilate each other. Weeks passed where you did not see anyone, deciding to remain in your room, with only the ever present JARVIS for company, but he usually only spoke when spoken to, unless it was to inform you that Dr. Banner had left something for you to eat outside your door. One thing you did like about Midgard was their array of food and spices.
There was one occasion where you felt most uncomfortable, that was when one Nick Fury, who like your father, had only one eye, came and effectively told you that there were agents watching you and were you to so much as put one foot out of place, you would be taken down. You simply shrugged and told him to jump off the highest point of the building, earning you a hateful glare and an under the breath comment regarding your similarities to Loki, which you took as a compliment from a man such as him. You started to wonder at that point was there coloration between losing an eye and being a heartless, horrible, deceitful being.
After a year, there was still no word from Asgard, and Thor never visited, so you assumed you were being cast out and forgotten. As you had experienced before, no one notices a star alone, only the moon and sun catch people's eye. Staring up at the darkened sky, only the moon was visible. The lights of the city causing it to be too bright for the stars to be seen, causing you to feel even worse.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Your Highness." The AI spoke. You rolled your eyes, on this realm to these people, you were not a princess but an inter-realm nuisance little sister of their friend and ally. They did not refer to Thor by his title. "Your brother is requesting your presence in the main common room."
You leapt to your feet before the computerized voice finished speaking. "Thank you. JARVIS, which room is the main common room?"
"Take the elevator at the end of the corridor and I shall do the rest."
"Thank you JARVIS."
"Any time Ma'am."
You watched as the numbers to each floor went by as you rose through the building. Reaching your destination, and with a final ping, the doors opened and you rushed out, only to pause in hesitation as you surveyed the room. All of the Avengers were present along with Thor who had his hand around the waist of a slight built woman. You never really cared about the woman called Jane that had apparently changed Thor, as your father had stated, her life was fleeting, and as such was of little interest to you, so you looked to Thor. But the mood in the room told you whatever he had to say, it was not good. He turned to look at you, along with everyone else present, especially the woman.
"You look odd in Midgardian robe." You smiled pathetically, trying to avoid whatever horrible words you knew were coming.
"I think this is the first time I have not seen you in a dress." He retorted, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.
"He knows I am here doesn't he? He sent you to bring me back." You braced yourself for his answer. Thor shook his head sadly. "Then what is the matter?"
He looked to the Stark man. "She does not know what has been happening?"
"She never really leaves the room, and according to JARVIS's information, she has not used any sort of media device since her second week here." He responded.
"Know what?" You asked looking around; hoping any present would tell you what was going on.
"It was all over the Midgardian news." Thor started.
"Their news is nothing but slaughter and tragedies. I rather stare at the wall than watch how they decimate their own species day after day. What is going on Thor just tell me?"
"Do you recall when we were told of Malekith and the Dark Elves as children?"
You nodded. "Yes of Svartalfheim and how grandfather defeated millennia's ago, what of it?" Stories and histories had a time and place, but you failed to see how now was such a time.
"Malekith returned, and tried to possess the Aether once more and bring forth the eternal darkness again, but I stopped him, with some help from Jane." He looked to the woman beside him. "And from Loki."
You could not stop the small smile that came to your face. Loki still had good in him, and now Thor could see it too. "So after that father stuck him back in a cell no doubt. How in the Nine Realms did you ever convince him to let him out in the first place?"
"I didn't, I had to break him out." Your eyebrows shot up at the confession, as did one or two of the Avengers.
"I very much doubt he willingly walked back into the palace to be imprisoned once more. Where is he?" You asked.
Thor looked at the floor for a moment before answering, unable to look you in the eye. "Loki died, on Svartalfheim." His voice thick with emotion. "He died defending me."
Large heavy tears fell straight from your eyes without welling up for a moment. Gone. Loki was gone. "Do mother and father know?" You asked barely able to hold yourself together.
"Father does. But…Mother was… Malekith attacked Asgard, and the palace." He still did not look you in the eye as you attempted to process what he said. Half of your family, the half you cared deeply for, were gone. Dead. And you had not even gotten to say goodbye. With Thor calling after you, you fled the room, JARVIS opening the elevator before you reached it as you tried to breathe, but found it incredibly difficult to.
Fleeing to the small area that was effectively your own little cell, you asked the AI to lock the door, not letting anyone near you. Once he confirmed that your request was carried out, you fell against the nearest wall, sliding down it as sobs racked your body and you cried.
After some time, you became aware of a faint knocking on the door. "Go away Thor."
"They were my family too." His voice was low.
"Did you get to say goodbye? Did you attend their funerals?"
"I could not get to you without notifying father of your whereabouts for mother's and Loki was lost during the battle with Malekith so…" you could hear his head hit the other side of the door as he leant back.
"So you left him to rot on Svartalfheim!?" you screeched in disbelief. "So I have lost the two people who meant more to me than any other and your first thoughts were to spend time with your mortal, and not to even have the decency to come tell me straight away."
"What do you mean?" he asked, when you knew he was asking 'how did you know'.
"Your wounds have healed somewhat, and you are wearing Midgardian clothing as I have stated already. I refused to believe you fought without your armour, much less without Mjolnir." You snapped. His silence said everything. You laughed coldly. "No matter how you try Thor, you still have not changed as much as you wish to have. You still put everyone else first."
"I…" He began, but you silenced him with a blast of seidr that went through the door, forcing him into the far wall. You had some seidr power but you seldom used it, lacking the finesse of Loki and your mother when wielding it and finding its power sporadic and too in tune with your emotions. "LEAVE!" you shouted. You listened to him get to his feet and head away.
"Thor is now in the elevator to the common room." JARVIS informed you. You said nothing. "Please let me know if I can be of any more assistance. Also I am sorry for your loss."
You left out a small laugh that the only being that actually seemingly care about you was a machine. You thought for a moment. "JARVIS, has Thor asked to be notified if I leave the room?"
"No, Your Highness." The AI informed you.
"Unlock the door please." You requested and JARVIS complied. Walking the corridor you walked passed the elevator to the stairwell, deciding instead to walk up. When you reached the correct floor, you stopped for a moment, hearing voices talking within.
"Has she really sat inside there the entire time?" Thor asked.
"She rarely even comes out to eat, most days she only eats because Banner has left something for her, but according to JARVIS, she only picks at most things. She only sits at the window and stares at the city apparently." You heard Stark tell him.
"Has she always been like that?" Banner queried.
"Honestly, I never really took much notice. But growing up, there was one thing guaranteed, where Loki was, she was. You seldom saw one without the other, the only times I recall them separated was when they were with their tutors. When Loki fell from the Bifrost, she retreated from all public events for some time."
"Why did you even bring her here to begin with?" The archer asked. It took a moment to recall his voice, since he seldom used it around you.
"Father was becoming annoyed with her for questioning him, so he threatened to marry her off to a brute of a man thrice her age. She begged me to get her off realm. Here was the only place I could think of that might be good for her. It appears I was wrong."
"She was forced away from all she knew, to a realm where few could risk trusting her since she was so close with Loki, because her own father was willing to do such a thing to her and then today she has been told half of her family has died, it has been a very difficult time for her." Banner consoled.
"Except she speaks the truth, even when only she can be dishonest, she chooses to be truthful, I did not concern myself with telling her as soon as I arrived back on Midgard, I chose to be selfish. I simply acted as though she did not exist through my actions. I forgot about her."
Thor's admission cut you deeper than any blade ever could. Looking up the stairwell you decided to climb further up and not face those inside the common room after such words. Opening up the door to the roof, your mind raced as you looked at the city bustling below. Midgard held even less than Asgard for you now, looking to the sky, you made a decision and called out. "Heimdall, please, if you can hear me, please bring me home."
Clouds darkened the sky and the bright light of the Bifrost exploded over the building.
XXX
"What the hell is that?" Barton asked, reaching for a gun as the building shook. "Are we under attack?"
"That is the Bifrost." Thor stood looking at the ceiling. "Who is coming?"
"Not coming Mr. Thor, but leaving." JARVIS informed him. "It would appear your sister requested for one 'Heimdall' to 'bring her home'".
"Why would she do that? I thought she begged you to get her away from there?" Natasha asked, looking to Thor who shrugged in response.
"It may have something to do with the discussion being had mere moments ago, she was after all standing in the stairwell for the duration of it." The AI stated.
An awkward silence filled the room as everyone looked at one another before looking to Thor. "She heard what I said about forgetting about her, didn't she?"
"Correct sir."
Thor collapsed to his knees with his face in his hands. "What have I done?"