Chapter 15

Thor had forced his way to the front. In his excitement dark storm clouds began brewing over head, thunder boomed in the distance.

'Hercules!' he roared. 'It's time for a rematch!'

Hercules blinked and lifted up the edge of his lion skin.

'I'm sorry, but did someone taunt me? Only it's difficult to hear over the rapturous cheering and adoration.'

'Yes, I did!' Thor screamed. 'Look down here! It's me, Thor!'

'Door? Door? I don't know anyone named Door.' Hercules scanned the crowd, but his eyes seemed to slide over Thor, although he was at this point jumping up and down and waving his arms.


From her place at the very back of the crowd, Loki was hugging her sides and laughing so hard that Hermes' sandals were almost jiggled from where they had been stashed down her dress.

'You're cute when you laugh,' Sigyn told her.

It was flattering enough to actually halt Loki's giggles. She straightened up and smoothed down her hair.

'Hey, Sigyn,' she said in a low, husky voice. 'You know how earlier I was all about being responsible and not taking advantage of you? Well, that was half an hour ago, which is a long time for being responsible, much longer than anyone should expect of me. Let's ditch the party and go back to our cabin.'

Sigyn's face flushed a darker shade of pink.

'Okay...but after Thor and Hercules are done fighting.'

'What?'

Sigyn raised her clenched fists and punched the air. 'Yeah, it's going to be an epic fight! I can't wait!' She cupped her hands around her mouth. 'GO FOR IT, THOR! SMASH HIM!'

Loki ran a hand through her hair, completely frustrated and thinking about how awfully life treated her, but not for very long. The Hulk had heard the words "smash him" and bad accordingly jumped on Loki's back, smooshing her into the ground. It is a good thing that Loki is made of strong stuff.

Sigyn was delighted. She raised her fists and began hopping around, yelling, 'Fight me, Hulk! Fight me!'

The Hulk stared at her and then shook his great head.

'No, crazy girl.'


'Down there, Dad,' drawled Anicetus, pointing at Thor. 'The little guy.'

Hercules followed the direction of his son's finger. He frowned, squinted, and blinked until at last he caught sight of Thor. And then his eyebrows rose up into his hairline.

'Thor, my old friend! You made it!'

'I challenge you to a re-match!'

Hercules blinked, taking a moment to understand Thor. 'Surely you mean match?'

'No, re-match. We have fought before.'

'Oh, yes, so we did. But that was a very long time ago and we were just kids. You don't count that, do you?'

Thunder boomed.

'I challenge you to a re-match!' Thor yelled. 'Right here, right now!'

'Fine, but no special powers or weapons. We use only our raw strength and our -by Zeus! What is that?'

He had, of course, caught sight of the Hulk at the back of the crowd, whirling and spinning two figures around in his hand. The Hulk then let go and the two figures flew over the heads over the dumbfounded people. They would have smashed against the side of Hercules' ship had the hero himself had not leapt up and safely caught them both in his arms.

'Raw wits,' said Loki, somehow finishing Hercules' sentence. She was good like that. 'Hello, Herc. Remember me?' She took a sip of her drink, having somehow not spilt a single drop. She was amazing like that.

Hercules put her down first and then Sigyn.

'I do remember you, Loki the Liesmith, as do my sons. And I don't need any help finishing my sentences.'

'Sorry, sorry, it's the alcohol. Most people when tipsy -'

'Drunk,' Thor muttered.

'Tipsy. They forget words or can't string two sentences together. But not me. I become so talkative that I just can't keep quiet.'

Hercules looked to Sigyn, and for the sake of getting a few words in before Loki, asked, 'Who's your friend?'

Loki beamed. 'Ah, yes. This is Tina and/or Sigyn, my girlfriend -'

'What?' Thor squeaked and a thin lighting bolt in the distance blasted a nymph. But, not to worry, she was fine, if a little charred.

' - and/or Mary Sue.'

'Mary Sue?' Sigyn asked.

'Don't worry. Most poorly written stories have one. If you're lucky you might get some character developing development.'

As Sigyn bristled quietly, Loki rambled on, 'Thor, I think I'm in love with Sigyn -'

'WHAT?' A larger bolt of lightening.

' -I don't know why because she is a woman who likes to spend most of her time as a shopping trolley and has a panic attack if so much as a gust of wind feels too sharp against her cheek, but I am. I have very warm, fuzzy feelings towards her. She makes me feel like there's more to me than just my guilty past. She makes me feel whole. In fact, in fact, here's an idea. Instead of fighting, why don't Sigyn and I just get married?'

'WWWHHHHAAAAAAATTTTTT?!'

Trees exploded into flames as forks of white hot lightening hit them, but they were soon smoking as a downpour of rain began, soaking everyone. A poor caterpillar would have quickly been soaked had it not found Loki's paper umbrella lying in the grass. Of course, being a caterpillar it did not understand that paper does not stand up well against water and so was soaked anyway.

Thor grabbed Loki and he grabbed Sigyn, pulling them both away from Hercules' ear shot and out of range of all the boos and cries of protest.

'Sister, many wonderful and startling thoughts are spilling out of your mouth right now and it is fascinating to hear, but you are drunk. You can not be serious.'

'Why not? We're all here together, she's been made temporarily confident by Dionysus -'

'It won't last for ever, my dear,' said Dionysus, appearing as if by magic. Which he had. 'if you're going to get hitched then move fast.'

'Exactly. And she can afford my brideprice -'

'The weight of Asgard in gold?' said Korg, appearing as if not by magic, but just by slouching in in his usual manner.

'Asgard was blown up, Korg, it weighs nothing,' said Thor. 'Did you not understand that? Loki was mocking you. You could've married her months ago...well, no you couldn't. Only you want that.'

'I think I could've won her over.'

Loki's face scrunched up in disgust. 'No. No you could not.'

'And in any case as Loki's older brother and king I would have forbidden it.'

'Exactly.'

'Just like I'm forbidding you to wed Sigyn this day.'

'Whaaaatttt? So unfair! You mean!'

'When you've sobered up and cease to talk like a teenage girl, you'll thank me.'

'Awww,' groaned Sigyn, leaning heavily on Loki's shoulder. 'I wanna get married.'

'This is not the time! I'm going to defeat Hercules, remember? That's why we're here. That's what is actually important.'

'ZUCCHINI!' Loki blurted out.

'Uh...what?'

Loki gazed blearily back at Thor.

'I don't know,' she whispered.


AN: Thanks for reading! Take care, everyone!