REVAMPED!

Chapter Twenty-One: May The Gods Be With Them

And what seems to be like always, Loki sits against the wall of his cell. However, instead of reading his books for the nth time or ignoring the other prisoners as per usual, he holds a magical hologram of Midgard in his hands. He spins it around, ignoring the fact that he's currently having flashbacks of his failed attempt of ruling (especially those memories involving The Avengers). Loki continues to spin it, acting as both the spinner and the pedestal. He scans every region, every square centimetre just to find either Sigyn or Amora. When neither comes up, he continues to spin it as fast as he could, watching the land and water blur together.

Eventually, it starts spinning on its own. Loki removes his hands and sees that it's no longer in his control. He quickly morphs into his green battle uniform with a knife in his hands as he slides back across the floor. He watches as his model of Midgard turns black and starts growing thinner and vertically. Eventually, it turns into Hela stepping foot into his cell. Loki grunts, unamused at both the fact that she's here and that he wasted a good outfit on her.

"Fantasizing about Midgard?" Hela asks with a little demeaning hope in her voice. He can't tell if she's being sarcastic or sadistic but, considering that it's her, maybe both.

"I have other things in mind," Loki grunts as he phases the knife away.

"Looking for your child, I see," Hela says, taking a few steps around his cell. "Why did Amora pick Midgard out of all the Realms? She should've gone with Jotunheim and froze her in a block of ice."

"To traumatize me even more and have Thor go berserk."

"That's a dream scenario, but I think I'll see it one day."

Loki glares at her. Hela smirks as she puts her hands on her hips. Loki can only infer that after all of what they have been through with the prophecies and The Battle of Magic Runs, Hela comes out on top. Why? Because she's the Goddess of the Dishonourable Dead and they all die in the end. There was no chance that a good portion of them would be worthy enough to go to Valhalla so they'll end up as one of her skeletons.

"I told you, I should've gotten your child," Hela says to him. "Amora promised me to her."

"She did not," Loki replies.

"She said if her plan failed, I could have her."

Loki scoffs. "You can't really be that dense, Hela. Amora would only agree to that because she thinks that she'll win."

"That's where you're wrong, Brother…" Hela walks around his cell. "I took a part in writing the future so I know what happens. I tried my best to get everything I wanted which included Sigyn but, like always, The Gods wrote in their rebuttals and now we only have the final copy. Either way, the story ends the same: I get your daughter in my realm."

"You won't." Loki grits through his teeth. "Apollo won't kill her."

"That's what you want to believe. You don't know the child except for the fact that he's Thor and Jane's son. What makes you think he won't grow envious of his father searching for her more than spending time with him? You envied Thor so what makes you think he won't? Or better yet, what if Thor doesn't get to her in time or at all? Amora is probably using her time to engineer the child, training her in her birthright to harness all that power, making her despise The Gods who set her up to die. She'll become too powerful for even Amora to control. And then, she'll be a threat that Thor will have to put down even if it's against your wishes. Why? Because he's a king who has to protect his people. So, he sends Apollo into the field to do the job and he will agree because it's an order and as the prince, he will protect his people. What makes you so sure that Apollo will keep his hands to himself?"

Loki stares at Hela and scoffs as a small grin forms on the corner of his mouth. "Because as much as you and The Gods write the future, you don't know him either. You write events but that doesn't mean that your characters will follow your path. If they grow up together, he will care for her too much to do it. They will go mad because they reject your words, I can assure you on that."

Hela nods, curling her lips. "What if it was for the sake of the Realms?"

"What do you know about the sake of the Realms?"

"Fate wants her dead!" Hela exclaims at him. "That is what I'm trying to tell you. Fate wants Sigyn Lokisdottir to be dead."

"Go back to where you came from," Loki spits at her. He turns away, looking at the ground. "And tell The Gods to burn their story at the stake. I'm already mad so what more could they do to my mind?"

"You've done your part of the prophecy. You have nothing to lose your mind over anymore."

Loki waits for Hela to leave but he hears nothing. He turns back around and sees that she's still standing there. However, instead of her usual retort of proving her superiority over him, she shows concern. Nevertheless, her concern is for Sigyn and not him. The more Loki thinks about what Hela's words this entire time meant, he finally catches on (at least, more than he did before).

"You said that the Gods wanted to kill off their own bloodline - Thor's bloodline," Loki states. Hela nods. "That is the bloodline that becomes too powerful for its own control, Hela. You're saying that Apollo is the last."

Hela doesn't nod but her solemn expression signifies the motion. "Know this, Loki, when writing the prophecy, I tried to save them both. But hopefully, Apollo and Sigyn don't let their hearts overpower their heads. That's why it's better for them to be separate until the end. Or, if you want them to entangle before their time, maybe they'll find a way out and not go crazy."

Loki balls his hand into a fist as he feels his rage building up. "You - "

"It should've meant something to you and Thor that your children were born in my Realm - the Realm of the Dishonourable Dead," he hisses that last part, making Loki feel uneasy. "Nobody is born in a Realm where others go after they die. There is more to knowing a prophecy and the one we are all in is only the beginning. If you reject what your role is, you will deteriorate in trying to think of a way out of it. If you know too much, you'll lose yourself. If both occur, then may the Gods help us all."

"I don't need their help."

"Apollo and Sigyn need it, not you."

Loki makes a glass of wine appear in his hand and holds it up high. "Then may The Gods be with them."