Sigyn is busy fighting off the last remaining guards in an offset room when she hears Loki call out her name in a long yell from the great hall. The inflection of his voice is oddly familiar, but Sigyn cannot be distracted until the guards are incapacitated. Her stolen sword is blunt and heavy, not like the fancy weapon she was once used to, but it does the job well enough. When the last guard falls, Sigyn takes a few breaths. She hears Loki's call to her again; this time his voice is different, as it seems interrupted with coughs and the wet sound of someone whose throat is caught.

Sigyn turns and sees red flickering light coming up the stairway to the small room that she cornered the guards in. She immediately registers strong heat, and no sooner notices that flames are walking up the steps. The figure crests the doorway and stands so tall that Sigyn cannot see all of it in a single glance. It is most definitely a creature and not simply a wall of flame, wielding a long, fiery sword, and a grin that appears in the same way the flicker of a fireplace can mimic an expression. Sigyn's heart drops, recognizing the beast, aware of her fate.

I will not go quietly.

Loki's calls to her echo in the walls of the room; he is continuously yelling out to her, hoping to hear her response. But Sigyn is determined to fight off The Flame, and doesn't call back to him. The sword she was using against the soldiers is starting to weigh against her shoulder, getting heavier with every upward thrust.

...

Loki is still trapped beneath Cerberus as the animal growls down at him. Pluto is enjoying the scene. He paces back and forth, not giving in to the cries Loki is making for his love.

"What is it I took from you, you horrid monster?" Loki hisses at Pluto, flinching beneath the bark of Cerberus when trying to inch away. Tears are slowly streaming down his face, and his chest is rising heavily in exhaustion. His shoulder is again twisted out of place; his body is covered in scrapes and new bruises, all from fighting with Thor for what he thought was a common cause of action.

Pluto looks Loki in the eye. "You really think Thanos was working alone?" In that moment, Loki finally understands and sees Pluto's own agenda. The underworld god was an ally to Loki's failed master, Thanos. Loki further sealed his fate by brutally and publicly killing his messenger Skrull for all the realms to watch. Pluto never intended to be Loki's ally. He only wanted the misguided trickster to do his dirty work and get rid of Thor, so that he might take his revenge. He wished to revel in watching Loki suffer at the loss of his greatest asset.

Loki is hit with a sense of deep awareness, that even while being cold to Sigyn, he must have expressed to Pluto during one of their meetings that she was most precious to him. Greater than his mother, or his uncle, even his desire to rule, it was Sigyn that Loki treasured most. Pluto didn't intend to deny Loki a crown; instead, he wanted to destroy the reason Loki's still-pumping heart beat in his chest.

The guilt that washes over Loki is bitter and tangible. Pluto turns away from his writhing body and walks to the end of the judgment hall. Quickly, and while Pluto is distracted, Loki thrusts Odin's staff into Cerberus' belly, killing the animal. He uses some of his strength to silence the creature with magic so that Pluto will not turn to see. But as the animal falls on top of his legs, trapping him where he lies, Loki is painfully aware of how alone he is. The sorcerers he brought with him are dead, and in the distance he can hear the clanking sounds of Sigyn, along with her loud exclamations each time she successfully hits The Flame, fighting for her life. Loki is responsible.

He uses the last bit of magic left within him, and whispers an incantation into his hands. Loki repeats the spell over and over, not even bothering to wipe the tears off his face as he speaks. He blows across his hands, releasing a familiar red mist.

Thor stirs.

...

Sigyn is fighting with every ounce of strength she has left. Clearly, The Flame did not intend for her to fight with him this long as even he is growing tired of the swordplay. Occasionally, he blasts fire outwards at her, making singes on her skirt and hair. Sigyn is thankful that the golden breastplate she wears is not retaining the heat, or she would have to fight him naked to keep from burning. Loki's calls to her have stopped, and Sigyn cannot decide if it a comfort, or a sign that he's been killed in the other room. Was he calling out to me for help, or to warn me?

The Flame takes the second that she is contemplating as an opening to defeat her. The figure of fire charges Sigyn, trapping her in the corner of the room. He knocks the sword right out of her hands, and prepares to engulf her in flaming arms for the kill.

Sigyn only has moments to think, and mustering every last ounce of energy she has, creates the form of her old sword. She holds the illusion above her in defense, bringing up every second of anger against Loki, all the laughter with Grid, and the lessons she learned from Frigga. Sigyn closes her eyes.

The Flame meets resistance against her sword. Sigyn's magic is strong enough to protect her, even if only for a few more minutes. She realizes that this could be the end, and uses her short breaths to call out for help.

"Loki!"