The day of Sigyn's return to Asgard had finally come. Sylvath made his way to the garden with the help of Celleth and Manavana, who had come with Sylvath and Armallia to see Sigyn off. Sigyn had an entire wardrobe of Asgardian clothes in the palace so she had no need of her Elvish ones. She had chosen a beautiful white gown and matching cloak to wear to Asgard. While the outfit was lovely, it did force her to ride Skrípi sidesaddle, which Sigyn loathed. She gave her friends and family one final hug before mounting Skrípi and calling out to Heimdall. Sigyn sent a parting smile to those standing in the garden as the blue light from the newly repaired Bifrost engulfed her. It did not take long for the light to fade again, and when it did Sigyn was in Asgard.
Heimdall was the first to greet her, and standing just behind him were Thor, Odin, Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three. The presence of Lady Sif and the Warriors Three was a pleasant surprise. Normally the foursome would wait and meet her at the palace, but given the recent loss of her mother and Loki's imprisonment they must have decided that Sigyn needed to see some familiar faces upon her return. Sigyn led Skrípi onto the Rainbow Bridge before dismounting and embracing Thor. She buried her head into Thor's chest and inhaled his familiar scent. In return, Thor wrapped his powerful arms around her and squeezed.
"I know you have questions. We will talk this evening." He whispered into her ear.
Sigyn nodded in understanding and Thor released her from his grip. She then threw her arms around Odin's chest, and the AllFather placed a soft kiss on her head. Once she had greeted her other father, Sigyn gave Sif a sisterly hug and greeted the Warriors Three in turn. Once everyone had said their "hellos", the party mounted their horses and headed back to the palace. Once there, the horses were collected by servants and taken to the stables. The group then led Sigyn to the stairs that led to the catacombs and Frigga's tomb. None descended into the crypt with her knowing that she needed this time with her mother alone. Once she had reached Frigga's grave, Sigyn ran a hand over the cold marble.
"I am sorry I wasn't there mother…" she whispered.
It was a simple apology, but it was the best way for Sigyn to articulate her thoughts. Sigyn hadn't been there to help bear Loki's loss, and she hadn't been there when Frigga died. Sigyn couldn't help but feel that she had abandoned her mother, even though that was far from the truth. After spending a few somber moments in the crypt, Sigyn ascended to the main floor of the palace and made her way to her bedroom to freshen up for dinner. Once in her chambers, Sigyn pulled off her white cloak and laid it on her bed. She then sat at her vanity and redid her hair into a curly halfway pulled up style. She adorned herself with a golden circlet and crystals that wove in and out of her hair. Once finished, she retouched her makeup and headed to the banquet hall. Dinner was pleasant and consisted of light conversation that steered away from the topics of Frigga's death and Loki. After dinner was finished, Thor and Sigyn excused themselves from the table and strolled along the corridors of the palace.
"So where would you like me to begin?" Thor asked.
"Actually, I think I should begin." Sigyn suggested.
Thor gave his sister a quizzical look, but waited for her to continue.
"I have written something that I think you need to take a look at." She quickly explained.
"Something you've written?" Thor questioned.
"Let us just say that I have been keeping myself busy over the past two and a half years." She replied, leading Thor to her chambers.
When she opened the door to her room, she was relieved to see that the items in her saddlebag, including the journal, had made their way to her room. Sigyn picked the journal up and tossed it to Thor. Her half-brother deftly caught it and took a seat on her bed to read. As Thor studied the journal, Sigyn studied him. She could tell he really had matured since their last meeting. He seemed more grounded and thoughtful than the Thor she knew. Sigyn silently made her way onto the balcony and let the cool Asgardian breeze caress her skin. She was watching the stars rise in the evening sky when Thor's worried voice called out to her.
"Sigyn, this creature you speak of, the one that gave Loki the scepter, I know who he is!"
Sigyn turned to Thor immediately.
"Who is it!?"
Thor gave Sigyn a chilling look. "Thanos…"
A hush fell over the room, and Sigyn felt her heart leap into her throat.
"That can't be… how can you be sure?" she pressed.
"He's been spotted."
"Tell me." Sigyn demanded before sitting on the edge of her bed next to Thor.
"An emissary from Vanaheim arrived not a week ago. Apparantly there were some attacks on the outskirt villages." He explained.
"That is not an uncommon occurrence on any realm." Sigyn argued. "What makes them assume these attacks are related to Thanos?"
"Because Freyja has received a threat from him."
"Again, receiving threats is not an uncommon occurrence in royal courts Thor."
"Freyja was inclined to believe that too so she dismissed the threats as hollow, and that is when the attack on the palace came." Thor informed her. "There were an extensive number of fatalities and injuries. The leader of the invading force claimed to be Thanos, and matches your description of the creature who bestowed Loki with the scepter perfectly."
"What had been the nature of the threat? What did he want?" Sigyn asked, trying to put this puzzle together.
"The emissary stated that Thanos demanded the location of some sort of Gem…"
Thor's mentioning of a Gem brought back the memory of Sigyn's dream, and suddenly it all made since. "He's after the Gauntlet!" Sigyn exclaimed. She hastily jumped off the bed and threw her cloak on. "I have to see Loki now!" She explained while heading out the door.
"Sigyn!" Thor yelled after her.
She continued down the hall however, ignoring Thor's call. In a few strides Thor had caught up to her. She had pulled up her hood, but Thor could still catch glimpses of her dead-set gaze. Sigyn had decided to see Loki, and Thor knew there was nothing he could say or do to dis-sway her. The pair reached the stairs to the prisons, and descended in silence. Once they were under the palace Sigyn allowed Thor to lead the way to Loki's holding cell. The catacombs were far too cold for Sigyn's taste so she pulled her cloak tightly around her. She thought that it was a bit cruel to leave Loki in such a cold place, but then she remembered that he was a Frost Giant. He probably didn't mind the chill. Thor stopped Sigyn when they reached the door that led into the room containing Loki's holding cell.
"Sigyn I must warn you, Loki is not the man you remember. You know that something has changed him. I believe that the events you recorded in your journal are true, which means Loki might not be ready to face you." Her brother warned.
"I understand that Thor." Sigyn assured.
"I know that I cannot persuade you to wait till later to see Loki, but at least allow me to go in and talk to him first. Maybe that way we can avoid shocking him too much with your appearance." Thor suggested.
Sigyn nodded in agreement even though she didn't believe Loki would be all that shocked by her appearance. Thor gave Sigyn a grateful smile and slid into the room. He left the door slightly ajar and Sigyn pressed her ear to the crack in order to eavesdrop. If the guards stationed outside the door found her actions odd, they didn't show it.
"Good evening brother." Loki's silky voice greeted bitterly. "That is, I believe it to be evening since I just received my third meal of the day. It is rather difficult to know for sure without a window. Perhaps you could send a request in for one to the AllFather since I have behaved so well as of late." Loki mocked.
Thor ignored the taunt. "You have a visitor."
Sigyn took this as her cue to enter. She nodded politely to the guards who promptly opened the double doors for her. Both Thor and Loki looked her way as she descended the few steps that led into the chamber.
"Ah I see… so ten years have passed have they? Tell me Sigyn, how does it feel to see your false brother caged like a wild beast?" Loki queried.
Sigyn ignored his comment, and instead approached the glass cell. Using her magic Sigyn tested the strength of the spells that kept Loki from breaking out through the glass. She smirked to herself at the simplicity of the magic, and decided she would have to offer to improve the security around the palace once she had sorted out her business with Loki. Sigyn kept a steady gaze on Loki as she easily bypassed the spells on the cage and crossed harmlessly through the glass barrier.
Loki raised an eyebrow. "Someone has been practicing." He commented.
Sigyn refused to respond again, and instead walked confidently up to where Loki was lounging against the glass wall. She didn't look back to inspect Thor's expression, but she assumed that he was panicking. Sigyn was so close to Loki now that she was forced to look up slightly to him. Without any warning she slapped Loki across the cheek, causing him to drop his infuriating smirk in shock. It took a few moments for Loki to collect his thoughts again as he rubbed his stinging cheek in amusement.
"Do you think that was wise? Slapping a war criminal." He asked before standing to his full height.
Sigyn, unaffected by Loki staring down his sharp nose, held her ground.
"I am not the least bit afraid of you." She stated coolly. "The markings on your wrists would suggest that Odin has bound your magic, and you are intelligent enough not to hurt me physically as long as Thor is in the room."
Loki smirked at Sigyn's call of his bluff. He only hoped she would puzzle the rest of it together before things got out of hand.
"You are as sharp as ever Sigyn." He mused in what Sigyn took to be a complimentary tone.
While Sigyn would have loved to chat with Loki about a couple of topics, she knew that she didn't have time to beat around the bush.
"I know that it was Thanos who sent you to Midgard, and I know that he searches for the Infinity Gems. His search has led him to Vanaheim, and I suspect Midagard also. The question is why? The Gems are kept here in Asgard with the Gauntlet." She reasoned
"Ah, but that is where you are wrong my dear. The Gems are not in Asgard." Loki corrected.
"Of course they are, I cast the spell in the vault that protects them!" She argued.
"That may be true, but sometime between the Frost Giant's attack on the vault and the discovery of my parentage that same day the Gems were removed from the vault." Loki admitted.
Sigyn only had to think for a second before the answer came to her. "Odin."
"That would be my guess." Loki concurred.
"He must have separated the Gems, that is why Thanos is searching the Nine Realms."
"Good job." Loki confirmed. "So what's his next move?" He prodded.
"Once he has recovered the Infinity Gems he will still need the Gauntlet to combine their powers fully, but while Odin was able to bypass my spell, Thanos won't be able to."
"Are you so sure?" Loki asked.
"Positive. He wouldn't even be able to get into the vault." She assured.
"Then surely you see his play." Loki admonished. Sigyn paused a moment to think, but Loki knew this was wasting time. "Why does Thanos have to be the one to enter the vault? Haven't you questioned why he hasn't gone after the Gauntlet yet?"
Sigyn's innocent eyes widened in shock as the meaning of Loki's words sunk in. "Me…" she breathed.
Loki turned his attention from Sigyn to Thor. "Thor, get her out of here now!" He commanded.
Before Sigyn could exit Loki's cell however, an explosion sent all three of them sprawling to the ground. Sigyn expected to be pelted with rubble as a second explosion tore a hole in Loki's cell, but instead she felt a cool body shielding her own small frame. The person was roughly pulled off of her, and she was jerked up after. Sigyn managed to look over to where Thor had been standing, but saw that he was lying motionless on the floor. One of the blasts must have knocked him out, which meant that Loki had been the one to protect her. The pair was shoved by their captors out of the remains of the cell and into the hallway. The guards who had been posted outside the door were either dead or unconscious, Sigyn could not tell which. The sound of screams and running could be heard ringing through the corridors as several more explosions rocked the palace. Sigyn carefully observed the beings that were pushing Loki and her down the hallway, and was not entirely surprised to discover that they resembled Thanos. While their complexions were similar to his, none of them were as large or intimidating as their leader seemed. It did not take the group long to reach the vault, and when they did, they were greeted by the Other.
"Finally, it took you long enough to bring the two Asgardian rejects." The creature hissed to his companions. He then turned his focus to Sigyn. "Be a good girl and open the door." He commanded.
"Why would I help you? In a few moments Thor will have caught up to us, and he will destroy those of you that I haven't already taken out." She threatened.
The creature began to laugh. "You are assuming that he knows where to find you. As for you taking us out, I wouldn't count on it. You are severely handicapped. Even if you could defend yourself what would become of Loki? Would you risk leaving him helpless and at our mercy? Without his magic you might as well condemn him to death." The Other pointed out before placing a knife to Loki's bared throat.
Deep down Sigyn knew the Other was right. She couldn't attack her captors and protect Loki at the same time. As for Thor, she couldn't be sure he would know where to look or if he was even still alive. When she saw him lying motionless she had assumed that he was merely unconscious, but there was another worse alternative. After she gave no rebuttal the two warriors shoved her towards the doors of the vault, and she reluctantly opened them. The group proceeded into the vault and Sigyn was forced to lead them to the Gauntlet. Sigyn knew that if she wanted to get Loki and herself out of this alive she would need to stall for time.
"I have done as you asked, now release Loki." She demanded.
"Not yet Light Elf. I am not so stupid to think that you would leave the Gauntlet unprotected. First you will retrieve it for me, and then we shall discuss the fate of you and the Frost Giant." He spat at her.
Sigyn was racking her brain for any way to stall the Other longer, when a crashing sound drew all the attention away from her. The bellowing Sigyn heard sounded like Thor, and the sounds of thunder confirmed her suspicion. She quickly took advantage of her captors' momentary distraction by taking out the two that were holding her with the golden dagger that she wore on her calf. She tossed the dagger over to Loki, and he took out the ones guarding him with relative ease. Thor suddenly burst through the doors and began to take out the rest of their captors. Loki made his way to the Other and Sigyn went for the Gauntlet. She quickly circumvented the protective spell and snatched it from its resting place. She had to get it out of harms way, and she had a gut feeling that she knew just where to take it. She turned to Loki, who had managed to disarm the Other, and grabbed his arm before he could deliver a fatal blow.
"Leave him Loki, we don't have time!" She insisted as she pulled him towards the door. "Thor!" She called out. "We need to get out of here!"
Thor slammed Mjölnir into his opponent and sprinted to catch up to Loki and Sigyn. As the trio reached the door a golden light consumed them and they were lifted off of their feet. Since Sigyn knew what was coming she was able to nimbly land on her feet still clutching onto the Gauntlet. Loki and Thor on the other hand were not so lucky. The two unsuspecting boys had landed in a pile on the ground. The light from the portal quickly faded leaving them in darkness.
"What did you just do?" Loki asked in surprise as he untangled himself from Thor.
"I made my own exit…" she replied innocently.
"So where exactly are we?" Thor queried while rising to his feet.
"I am not exactly sure." Sigyn admitted while glancing around the bare desert like terrain. "We should be somewhere on Midgard."
"Midgard!?" Her two companions shouted in unison.
"Did you ever consider that Midgard might not be the best location?" Thor asked while throwing a glance in Loki's direction.
"It is regrettable, but I didn't have any other option. I need information, and your friends here on Midgard are the only ones that can supply it to me." She explained.
"My friends? Do you mean the Avengers?"
"Yes Thor, the Avengers." She confirmed in an exasperated tone. Seriously how many friends did Thor have on Midgard.
Sigyn could sense Loki's apprehension at the mention of the Avengers, but his discomfort was the least of her concerns at the moment. Thor seemed to consider Sigyn's words, but finally gave in.
"If you need to speak to the Avengers, then I know who can help us."
Thor motioned for Sigyn to join him. He carefully wrapped his free arm around her and pulled her to his chest. She held onto the Gauntlet as tightly as she could and buried her face into Thor's armor.
"Come brother, we cannot leave you here unattended." Thor beckoned.
Loki hesitated, but he joined Sigyn and Thor all the same. Thor threw his arm around Loki as well, and Sigyn couldn't help but smile as Loki grunted in an annoyed manner. Her smile did not last long however, as Loki's body began to crush her. She could hear Thor begin to swing Mjölnir, and a moment later she felt her feet lift off of the ground. A few minutes passed before their feet touched back down again, and Sigyn was more than relieved to be on solid ground. Thor released Sigyn and Loki, but made sure to keep a watchful eye on the later. Sigyn quickly turned to face the building where they had landed, but almost lost her balance in shock. Instead of standing on the ground, they were on a suspended walkway high in the air. Sigyn looked around and could see thousands of twinkling lights, but her inspection of the surroundings was suddenly interrupted by a male's voice.
"If he moves even a muscle I'll blast him." The man threatened. "And who's the girl?" he added as an afterthought.
Sigyn studied the man. He was not very tall compared to Loki and Thor, but he was still a few inches taller than her. His hair was brown and he sported an odd little goatee. His eyes also appeared to be brown, and they held a very intelligent look. On one of his hands he wore a strange metallic glove that caused his palm to glow blue in the night. The strange glow also matched a faint blue glow on his chest. Before responding to the man's queries, Sigyn poked through his mind.
"My name is Sigyn Sylvathdóttir. I am Thor's half-sister." She finally greeted.
Sigyn took a few steps toward Anthony Stark, and a conflicted look crossed his face. He seemed to be struggling with the dilemma of having Loki, the war criminal, on his front step. Adding yet another Asgardian to the mix, and a female no less, was putting him on edge. Sigyn couldn't blame him for his caution. Just because she was related to Thor did not mean that she could not be a potential threat, and she knew that he needed to be put at ease.
"Mr. Stark…" she whispered in his mind, "I need your help."
Stark's mouth fell open in disbelief. Sigyn knew that if she hadn't won his trust, she had at least earned his curiosity. She pulled the Infinity Gauntlet out from under her cloak and Stark studied it inquisitively. She understood that he was still a tad uneasy about this entire situation, but she also thought that his inquiring mind would win-out over any fear he might have. Apparently she was right.
"Come on in." He replied, lowering his hand. "Oh, and try not to break anything." He added while throwing a scolding look at Thor and Loki. Sigyn couldn't wait to hear the story behind that comment.