Ch.3: All of the ghouls come out to play

A soft rumble deep on the earth woke Loki from his trance. Again, he cursed the lack of ways to measure time. He couldn't know how long he had been staring out the window. He was positive he dozed off or at least spaced out several times, only to be brought back by the incessant tingling and prickling of his right hand. At least he knew now that his hand acting up was Sigyn's doing, how or why? It had yet to be seen.

The rumble brought a shift in the air and Loki felt a shiver run down his back. A sharp electric shock pulled his hand, as if it wanted to yank it off. Loki instinctively pulled against it. His skin flickered pale white for a second, then back to dark blue, and the buzzing subsided.

He didn't have time to focus on his hand anymore, as something started sprouting on the barren land. Small shapeless lumps seeping up as if water was saturating the terrain.

It took a while, but the globs took the shapes of their former selves, and looked around confused. Many creatures of different sizes started reacting to their new reality. Desperate screams echoed in the land, cold and sharp screams, gut wrenching screams. Loki's blood would've chilled if he had any. Some beings fell to the knees in some form of prayer, while others curled up in themselves and cried. Loki watched in horror, realizing a great number of creatures had died in a split second… but how? Wait-

Did he do it?

Hastily, he walked to the throne room, but Hela wasn't there. Then he made way to the high observatory of the palace, the one place they could see all of the land.

Hela was there, hands of the rail, watching.

"He actually did it." Hela muttered, probably more to herself.

"Thanos?"

If Hela was startled, she didn't show. "Yes."

There was a silent understanding of it: Thanos had successfully wiped out half the population of the known multiverse. Loki remembered reading about different afterlife beliefs, and how souls could choose the preferred dimension, or at least one close enough to what they believed in. Funny thing about the so called life after death: they were all real, just not how they would imagine. A million different Valhallas and Helheims, being filled by Thanos' genocide. Souls all over the multiverse transitioning planes. The amount of energy it was taking threatened to crack the fabric of reality and Loki's magic, as weak as it was, could feel it.

"This could be bad news for you, Jotun." Hela said side-eyeing him.

Loki shook his head slightly, panic setting in the pit of his stomach, and clutched his right hand. Sigyn cannot be dead.

"The deaths happen at random, and no magic is strong enough to counteract it. So if whoever you thought was coming for you…" There was a slight smirk on Hela's words, but not glee, just certainty.

"I appreciate the lack of sentiment." Loki chuckled.

"Death is inevitable. In time, it comes for everyone. But it's not the end." She said criptically. "That's what that old fool could never understand."

Loki realized she was talking about Thanos, but said nothing.

"Before he knew of the stones, he sought to strike a deal with Death to carry out his mission." Hela spoke plainly, almost bored.

Loki clutched his cape and waited for her to continue.

"I was only one of those he asked for help." She said. "I wasn't born the Goddess of Death, I was chosen as such for my actions." She added. "Thanos traveled many dimensions to find Death. When he found me, I refused to help."

"Any particular reason why?" Loki asked tentatively.

"His mind is so small and simple, he couldn't grasp the true meaning behind what he was asking." Hela just stared at the land, at the countless souls and their despair, as if that image would explain. "So he betrayed me. He's the one who made Odin imprison me." She said coldly, her hands gripping the rail of the balcony. "Not himself of course. He has a legion of minions, brainwashed to do his dirty job while he hides, biding his time."

Loki didn't need to hear about that: he had been one of those brainwashed subjects, nothing more than a boar for slaughter.

"I didn't go mad, they made me look mad." She deadpanned. "It was the perfect timing: Odin, wanting to be a benevolent king, took the bait…" She scoffed. "Everything I was, everything he made of me, was not longer useful." Bitterness was evident in Hela's voice.

"Yet he sits as ruler in Valhalla…" Loki said disdainfully, having more than enough reasons to hate Odin himself. "Too late to fix that, unfortunately."

"Well, you could go to Valhalla, just to annoy him." Hela said with a small sarcastic chuckle. "That is, if you can get out of here."

"I will." Loki stated quickly, determined to ignore the panic that had settled inside of him since he realized what Thanos had done.

"She might be dead."

"She is not." She has to be alive.

"Your hope is almost laughable."

"It's not hope, it is knowledge."

Loki focused very intently on his right hand. Heat spread through his fingers, sending hot waves to his palm and wrist. The golden thread flickered on his skin, and he showed Hela. She's alive. A wave of relief washed over him.

"A soul bond!" She said, intrigued by the spell. "I hadn't seen one that overcame death in many lifetimes."

Hela's half smile was unnerving, but of course Loki wouldn't let that show. Wordlessly, she took Loki's free wrist and muttered a spell of her own. A dark green smoke latched to his left wrist making his whole hand go obsidian black for a second.

"You've bound me." He said.

"Until you fulfill your end of the deal." Hela conceded.

"Making sure Thanos gets here." Loki smirked at the choice of words.

"Killing him is the easy part." She mused, correctly guessing what Loki was thinking. "Sending him specifically to Hel…"

"I'll come up with something." Loki shrugged it off, he would tackle that problem when he came to it.

The earth rumbled and quaked again, drawing Hela's attention away from Loki.

"They're coming." Hela stated.

Loki turned to see a black mass coming from the opposite edge of the land, moving as a cloud or smoke would do. At first it wasn't clear, but the closer they go, Loki noticed it wasn't one individual entity, but a swarm of dark beings, their bodies made of black smoke with hollow white eyes. Some of them carried black gleaming weapons that they seemed to be summoning out of the mist. They hovered a few inches off the ground, moving so fast that Loki realized they could teleport small distances. Some would turn into shapeless wisps of cloud to regain their forms half a mile after.

The guardians.

Most of the newly arrived souls were left alone. But the ones targeted by the wisps were in for some panic. Some souls just dropped to the floor, shaking in panic while the dark clouds consumed them. Others tried to make a run for it, fur before they got to far another wisp would block their path. Or maybe it was the same, moving like a cloud over the ground or teleporting.

Souls coming to realize their punishment had begun shrieked in a high pitch that would've frozen Loki's blood if he had any. The guardians were merciless with them. Many ended up with several weapons and staffs skewering their bodies, and the wisps would carry them by the protruding sticks, as if they were boars for a fest. They could not die, they could only exist in pain.

In all the chaos, Loki had almost forgotten they should be coming for him too. And still he had the time to be amused by the thought of the army of guardians being really annoyed by the sudden surplus of souls. They will be working some extra hours today.

"Now is when you should make your escape." Hela said, motion Loki to follow her. "Your first approach to the Muspelheim gate wasn't as farfetched. But you weren't going to find it."

Loki looked at Hela, confused.

"Think, little brother. Where is Muspelheim?" She rolled her eyes, smirking as if the answer was obvious.

"Muspelheim is a volcano." Loki muttered. "Underground… The gate is underground. Of course." He said, almost slapping himself.

Hela trudged to the lower levels of the palace with Loki behind her. A new sense of urgency grew inside of Loki after seeing all those condemned souls. If only there was a way to tell Sigyn all this! There was no doubt in his mind that she would come to save him, but time was of the essence. She had to be at the gate when he got there, she was the only one who could pull it out before the guardians got him.

Under the vault of the palace there was another chamber, smaller and colder. Its granite walls were hard, but smooth.

"THis is as far as I can help you." Hela said plainly.

"I'm guessing you're not one for tearful goodbyes." Loki smirked.

Hela laughed coldly. "You know? If Odin wasn't the biggest bacraut in existence, I could have tolerated you as a sibling."

Loki had to laugh at that. He gave Hela a significant nod, before entering the catwalk. There was a small chirring sound, and Loki turned back just to see the same rock closing the entryway.

For a fraction of a second, he panicked, thinking Hela might have tricked him and led him into a trap, but it made no sense. And he had no time to panic either: he had to get to Muspelheim.

Loki took a deep breath and concentrated hard on Sigyn, until his hand started to burn.

Helheim.

Muspelheim.

The gate.

Several images bombarded Sigyn's mind. Images of death and punishment, of wandering souls and barren lands.

Helheim.

Muspelheim.

The gate.

A swirl of darkness engulfed her, cold and lifeless. There was no wind, no air, no sun. Only an eternal dusk, and fear. Her breathing picked up as she clutched her chest and felt no heartbeat.

Helheim.

Muspelheim.

The gate.

Her hand was freezing cold, it was turning blue. Dark markings on the surface she immediately recognized as Jotnar markings.

Loki?

"Sigyn?"

A deep broken voice pulled Sigyn away from her visions, and the pain all over her body came back with a vengeance. As did her heartbeat, drumming in her ears. I am not dead then.

"Sigyn, please wake up." The same voice pleaded.

Taking a deep breath, Sigyn blinked awake. Her muscles were sore, but the broken bones had mended. Her magic was working properly again. She flinched as she sat up to face Thor, but her eyes wouldn't meet his yet.

"How long was I out?" She asked, rubbing her eyes and braiding her hair with magic.

"Only a couple of hours." Thor replied. "You passed out right after-"

"Right." She nodded curtly, making Thor stop. "Where is everyone else?"

"Healing rooms."

"I should go help." Sigyn tried to stand up, but Thor stopped her.

"No, you need to rest." He said, and pushed her back to the bed.

"I don't have time for that…" A small magic blast pushed Thor back, and Sigyn stood up.

Her head was pounding and her chest felt heavy. The emptiness inside of her was still too painful, but her dream- Now Sigyn understood what Loki meant about hope being terrifying and annoying. Her energy was low, depleted it to heal herself while unconscious. She had to close her eyes and take a deep breath not to lose her balance, but Thor had to hold her in her spot.

"We all need a break, you do too…"

"No," she shook her head violently. "I need to get moving." Sigyn pushed Thor away again.

"Sigyn, I know you're grieving, but-"

Sigyn glared at Thor, making him stop. "Oh, this is the part where you sell you case of revenge?" She said with a scowl. Thor huffed, but couldn't stop her from reading his mind. "Follow you halfway through the universe to kill Thanos?" She chuckled sadly. "No, I have other priorities now… Loki needs me."

Thor looked at her confused. "He's-?"

"Dead." She spat. "He's in Helheim. I'm guessing despite everything he did Odin still kept him out of Valhalla." She added with contempt. "Dickface."

"How do you know this?"

Sigyn lowered her gaze. "He- showed…" Her hand was normal now, her own color and form, but the invisible bond in her wrist was freezing.

Thor got close to her again, hands on her shoulders. "Sigyn, if he's dead, you shouldn't-"

"We're bound, Thor." Sigyn cut him off again. "Loki and I have been magically bound since we got married." She squirmed away from Thor's grasp, and muttering a short spell, made the golden thread visible in her skin. "This is the bond, done by Master Thyra, in the most ancient of Asgard's shrines."

"I don't know what-"

"Of course you don't." She mumbled. "It's hard to explain even if you have some knowledge of seidr. And you, oaf, have none." Thor gave her an offended look, that she decidedly ignored. "Our souls are joined, it is what allows us to share magic, memories, conversations, track each other down… This is how I found him when Odin sent him away to be tortured." Sigyn clenched her fist. "We've lived inside each other's heads for centuries. The only thing he could never borrow was the mind reading."

"That actually explains a lot." Thor said with his eyebrows raised.

"I have to go to Helheim." She stated, and her hand shimmered blue for a moment.

"Sigyn, try and listen to reason first. If he's dead and he's on Helheim… It would be suicide." Thor offered, trying to soothe her down, but she wouldn't have it. "I loved Loki too, but-"

"No, you didn't!" Sigyn snarled at him. "He was always the spare. Less, even for you! Don't tell me now how much you loved Loki, cause you never did! You just wanted him when he was useful, when he followed your steps."

Thor was thrown off by the cruelty in her voice. "That's not-"

"Do you want me to show you?" She interrupted with a scoff. "Because I actually can take you down memory lane and show you all the times you loved him."

Her frustration was an open floodgate. Blame it on the grief, but she wanted someone else to feel the tiniest amount of the pain she was feeling. If that someone was to be Thor, she would break him if she had to.

"Everything you've said, about loving him, respecting him, mourning him… why didn't you tell him when he was alive? Why did your love only appear when you thought him lost? Why did you realize you loved him when there was nobody else left?" Sigyn stared Thor down. He felt unnaturally small under her glare. "Why the only time you said anything remotely close to how much Loki meant to you was as part of a ruse to hurt him?"

Each accusation was a dagger on Thor's heart. But he couldn't deny it: the shame and truth of Sigyn's words were not something he could make excuses for.

"I know I can bring him back, and I will bring him back." She declared. "If you want to make amends, have the chance to say all this to his face and actually apologize, you will help me. If you want to hide and run half a universe away, claiming revenge in his name, you will be nothing more than the coward I always took you for."

Sigyn took a step back, only now noticing the tears that were streaming down her face. She gripped her right wrist in her left hand and held her breath, as if holding on to the one last thing she had left of Loki.

"Killing Thanos will only help you." She said slowly, her voice dripping with venom. "But that's what you've always done, isn't it?"

Thor took too long to answer that, and Sigyn stormed out of the room.