Loki and Sigyn were in their room, as Loki quickly created an illusion of himself in the hall where the Gladiators were kept until it was fighting time. Thor was quietly praying the prayer of fallen warriors for Odin, and, as a considerate gesture, Loki finished the prayer with him.
This caught Thor's attention, and he turned around in surprise, but upon seeing him, only gave the Trickster a hard look.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" Loki grimaced in disgust. "Being lied to. Being told you're one thing and then learning it's all a fiction."
Thor picked up a nearby pebble, and chucked it at Loki's immaterial body. It passed through with a vague shimmer of green, clattering against the wall behind the illusion.
"You didn't think I'd really come and see you, did you? This place is disgusting!"
Thor made no reply, only threw another rock through the illusion.
"Look, I'm sorry, I couldn't jeopardize our position with the Grandmaster." Loki sighed. "It took me time to win his trust." That wasn't exactly a lie. Thor didn't need to know that the time it took was approximately two minutes. "He's a lunatic, but he can amenable."
Thor threw another rock at him, entirely disinterested.
Loki was getting frustrated. "What I'm telling you is, you could join us at the Grandmaster's side. Perhaps, in time, a greater distraction arises, and then…" He made motions meaning, "You and I run."
Thor merely threw another pebble.
Loki scowled in impatience. "You're not seriously thinking of going back, are you? Our sister destroyed your hammer like a piece of glass. She's stronger than all three of us. Let alone just you. You don't stand a chance. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"
Thor glared balefully.
"Fine." Loki gave him an unimpressed look. "Sigyn and I can handle it alone." Thor smirked. "Would you say something?" Loki demanded, absolutely frustrated by now.
Thor was out of pebbles, and glanced around the floor for more ammunition. "Say something!" Loki commanded.
"What would you like me to say?" Thor asked. "You faked your own death, you stole the throne, you stripped Odin of his power, stranded him on Earth to die, releasing the goddess of Death. Have I said enough, or do you want me to go back further than the past two days?"
Loki stared coldly at Thor. First of all, that had been two weeks ago for him. Secondly, Thor had no idea why he'd done that. Third of all… Loki was too angry to think of a third thing, so he tried to compose himself. "You know, I'm trying to help you. I wouldn't even be here, if it wasn't for Sigyn. I've never seen this Champion the Grandmaster's so fond of, but I've heard he's quite fierce. It would be better if you just listened to me, for once, and…"
Thor wasn't even listening.
"I've placed a large wager against you, for tonight." Loki fumed. "Don't let me down."
With that, he vanished the illusion, and flopped backward on the bed with a frustrated groan.
"He didn't listen?" Sigyn guessed.
"Does he ever?" Loki exploded. "He can't even get over Svartalfheim! He just sat there the entire time pelting me with rocks. I tried to help, Sig, really, I did, but honestly, that man gets under my skin!"
Sigyn nodded. "Yeah, I know. Don't give up, okay?"
"Too late." Loki mumbled. "We're breaking out, tomorrow tonight, or not at all."
Sigyn pressed her lips together in distaste. "I don't like it, but… I guess the kids need us more than he does."
"Thank you." Loki smiled. "I'll be down at the Arena, Grandmaster specifically requested me to be there."
Sigyn nodded. "I'm going to pick out a ship. See you soon."
Sigyn found a ship, the Grandmaster's pleasure craft. It was light, yet strong and maneuverable, and she used the access codes to change the password for its' controls. She was now the only one who could start the engine.
Grinning like a maniac, she skipped through the halls until she reached the Grandmaster's VIP box, where Loki undoubtedly was, at the moment. She wove her way through the small crowd, and found the two men sitting on a long couch, eyes trained at the gruesome spectacle through the window before them. Sigyn spared it a glance, but was disgusted by the amount of blood on the walls, and turned her eyes to Loki, instead. He was white as a sheet of paper, his eyes wide and frightened as he watched the carnage. She'd never seen him so affected by violence, before, and she sat down next to him in concern.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"Do you recognize either of those fighters?" He asked in a hoarse voice.
Sigyn bit her lip, and turned to look at the arena. Inside, fighting like the lunatics they were, were Thor and… "Hulk? What in the Nine is he doing, here?"
"He's the Champion, apparently." Loki whispered. "He already smashed Thor, but I think he'll be going down pretty quickly."
"Not if I have anything to say about it." Grandmaster muttered, holding up a small device, somewhat like a remote control. Down in the Arena, Thor advanced on the Hulk ominously, his eyes glowing white, and his skin crackling with lightning. It was truly a terrifying sight, until suddenly, he fell over in convulsions. Sigyn glanced over at the Grandmaster, who held out the device with a triumphant smirk.
"What happened?" Sigyn asked Loki. "Did he short-circuit?" She paused. "Can he short-circuit?"
Loki grinned, shaking his head while laughing. "Obedience Disk."
"Oh." Sigyn raised an eyebrow at the Hulk as he launched himself into the air to come crashing down onto the inert Thunderer. "I thought, you know, electricity powers, and all…"
Loki smirked, standing up, and nodded goodnight to the Grandmaster as he led Sigyn back to their room. "I wonder what happens if you dump water on him while he's lightning-ing."
"He'd fritz." Sigyn giggled.
The next afternoon was the second day of the Contest of Champions, and it's the night they'd planned to escape. Loki was called to the audience of the Grandmaster, and made a telepathic link with Sigyn as he did. Apparently, Thor had escaped, therefore, Loki and Scrapper 142 were sent after him, trying to find him. Sigyn waited patiently in the hangar as Loki walked out of the throne room-thingy, got into a fight with Scrapper 142, who was apparently a Valkyrie, and got knocked out by the wrath of the Asgardian woman.
She waited patiently until Loki came to, chained up in the Valkyrie's room.
Hey, Melleth. She called over the link as he glanced around the room in confusion.
Sigyn. He acknowledged. Where are you?
Inside the ship, waiting for you to arrive. She replied. You okay? 142 hit you pretty hard.
Yes, I'll live. Loki affirmed, but Sigyn could feel his brain humming in confusion.
Are you sure? Sigyn tilted her head. How many fingers am I holding up?
I can't see you, Melleth. Loki laughed. Honestly, I have no idea.
Good, because I wasn't holding up any, anyway. Sigyn smirked. Take care of yourself, okay?
No. He sniffed. It's far more amusing to have you freak out when I'm hurt.
Sigyn rolled her eyes. Whatever you wish. Just, don't die.
Oops.
Sigyn laughed aloud. I gave you one job, okay? Just the one!
Loki laughed, amused. Hush, now, I think someone's coming, on my end.
Sigyn couldn't resist. Okay. I'll be so quiet, you won't even know I'm here. No noise coming from me. Silent Sigyn, holey Sigyn. See, because…
Loki was shaking with laughter. Cut that out, Ziggy! I'm the only one allowed to use that line!
Sigyn laughed again, and piped down, climbing on top of the ship to wait. It didn't take long for Thor and Loki to make their way down to the hangar where she was, and they walked along together, obviously bickering about something.
"I still hate it." Loki's voice echoed through the room. "It's humiliating."
"Not for me, it's not." Thor chuckled. "Which one was the ship Sigyn said to get?"
"The Commodore." Loki sighed. "You're really sure about this?"
"Having second thoughts, now, Brother?" Thor laughed.
Loki raised his eyebrows. "You never listen, do you?"
Thor grinned like a small child. "Nope!"
"I can't believe you. Asgard's just another planet, now. There's no reason to save it."
"Never one for sentiment, were you?" Thor smirked.
Loki agreed. "Easier to let it burn."
"What about Sigyn?" The Thunderer challenged. "There's no sentiment in your heart for her?"
"She's different." Loki stiffly corrected. "Family's different. You don't see me giving you up, at the slightest threat, do you?"
"I thought you said Sigyn was why you were doing this for me." Thor crossed his arms.
Loki waved a hand in frustration. "So she was the one who convinced me, sure. But there's nothing for me on Asgard."
"Boys!" Sigyn called in a sing-song voice, perched atop the ship. "Perhaps you want to stop running around like little puppies chasing their tails and think for a moment?"
They glanced over at her in surprise. "Sigyn?"
"The same." Sigyn nodded. "Are you two coming, or not? Also, Melleth, I believe you owe me one Narfi."
Loki rolled his eyes. "Can we focus on surviving, first?"
Sigyn nodded curtly, opening the door for them. "What's the plan?"
"We're going to Asgard." Loki sighed in exasperation. "Valkyrie is coming with the main percentage of the gladiators and a larger ship, the Statesman, to evacuate the Asgardian people. Heimdall will be waiting on the Bifrost for them, and we'll hold whatever army Hela's gotten off until they arrive, and then we, as the Midgardians say, skedaddle."
"You like that word, huh?" Sigyn laughed, powering up the ship.
"It's amusing." Loki nodded. "Head for the biggest wormhole; it comes out near Asgard, according to Thor."
Sigyn shrugged in agreement. "Okay. But if we die, I'm blaming you."
Loki scoffed. "Oh, please, Sigyn, I've died twice, already, and lived to tell the tale. We'll be fine."
"That is such a weird thing to say." Sigyn sighed, taking to the skies, as a loud alarm began blaring. "They've seen us." Thor sighed. A large hologram of the Grandmaster appeared over the city.
"Loyal Sakaarians, Lord of Thunder has stolen my ship and my favorite champion. Sakaarians, take to the skies. Bring him down. Do not let him escape the planet!" The Grandmaster commanded, and a fleet of spacecraft rose from the city.
"Now they're following us." Loki pointed out.
Thor nodded, sharing a glance with his brother. "Now they're firing at us."
"Yeah, thank you for the commentary, boys, it's not at all distracting!" Sigyn grinned, not actually annoyed, maneuvering the ship through the skies, and dodging all the shots. Valkyrie's voice came through the radio.
"Open the doors." She commanded. "Why?" Sigyn countered.
"Just…" Loki reached over, and flipped the switch to open the doors. There was the sound of screaming, and suddenly, Banner flew through the door, and landed in heap on the floor. "Bruce!" Sigyn glanced over her shoulder as Loki moved to help the physicist up. "Are you okay?"
"What can I say, he was getting annoying." Valkyrie excused herself.
Bruce wearily gave a thumbs-up, and Loki seated him in one of the normal seats in the lounge room. "Don't move."
"Aren't we supposed to be firing, or something?" Bruce asked.
"Yeah, we are, if this uchand ship had a gun!" Sigyn whooped, laughing as she swerved around a particularly large missile that exploded in the city below.
"She gets Elvish when she's on adrenaline." Loki explained. "Uchand means stupid."
"I see." Bruce nodded.
Meanwhile, outside, There were more and more ships seeming to join the side of the revolution. Valkyrie's ship, the Warsong was piloted by a gleeful looking Kronan, who steered the ship into the enlarged Grandmaster, who stumbled, and fell over as the Warsong exploded.
"Korg!" Thor gasped, but a tiny speck shot out of the remains of the ship, and flew up into the Statesman, looming large over the city.
Sigyn screamed in her native tongue as she spun through the skies away from the remains of the city.
Loki sarcastically lifted an eyebrow as Thor jumped out of the ship onto one of the attacking crafts, beating it to a pulp, before leaping to another. "Ah, who needs a gun, when you have Thor?"
Bruce shuffled up to the cockpit, as Loki leapt out of the ship to aid his brother. "Any way I can help, Sigyn?" the physicist asked, hoping to not be useless.
"Yeah, can you look around, see if we do actually have a gun?" Sigyn suggested. "This is technically a pleasure vessel, the Grandmaster used it for good times and revelries, orgies and stuff like that."
"Orgies?" Bruce looked horrified.
Sigyn snorted. "Yeah, I wouldn't touch anything if I were you."
"Okay…" Bruce looked around for something gun-related. "So, how have you been?"
"Well, I had another kid, since you disappeared." Sigyn smiled as she wove through the ships, now pursued by Topaz, in her own ship.
"That makes how many, five?" Bruce asked. "Oh, this looks somewhat promising." He pushed a button marked with a splat mark. A shower of fireworks exploded behind them, and the words "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!" repeated over the loudspeakers at top volume.
"Okay, that's annoying." Sigyn grunted, swerving, and suddenly coming directly in front of Topaz's ship as an enormous amount of powder-paint and fireworks exploded from the back of the ship, coating Topaz's windshield in bright colors. Topaz lost control of the ship, and it was sent spiraling into the ocean below. Sigyn and Bruce high-fived, as a new ship came up behind them, piloted by Loki, Thor in the shotgun. They leapt out into the Commodore, the doors still wide open as the ship crashed and burned them.
"Great job, Sig!" Loki grinned, patting her shoulder.
"Brace yourselves!" Sigyn screamed, as they flew straight into the massive wormhole, the entire ship shaking with a jolt, as the computer board shorted out, drowning the ship in darkness. Loki was sent flying back wards from the impact, while Thor, Sigyn and Bruce clung to the walls of the cabin. He started flying out into the tumultuous pressure of the wormhole, when suddenly, a firm hand wrapped around his wrist, and he was crushed to a large, muscular body. Thor. Thor had saved his life. That was the last he knew before he blacked out.
When they came to, Banner stared in awe out the window at what remained of Asgard. "I thought that it'd be nicer." He mused.
Thor gave him a look.
"Not that it's not nice." Bruce quickly amended. "It's just… on fire."
"It's nice fire." Sigyn smiled, patting Thor on the bicep. "Hey, you cut your hair!"
Thor glared at her. "Take you this long to notice?"
Sigyn nodded cheerfully, before turning back to the control panel. "Hey, look at this. Heat signatures." She pointed to a red dot on the screen, way high up in the mountains. "People, all huddled together."
"Hela's coming for them." Loki stated grimly.
"Okay, drop me off at the palace." Thor ordered. "I'll draw her away."
Sigyn and Loki stared at him in shock. "I have a better idea!" Loki announced sarcastically. "Let's see you practice your high-dive from this height! Go on, just jump off the ship! You'd do us just as much good, either way!"
Thor rolled his eyes. "Brother, the people trapped down there are what matters. While I'm dealing with Hela, you three get everyone off Asgard."
"Yeah, like they're going to trust me…" Loki leaned against the wall of the cockpit, arms crossed over his chest.
"They'll trust me." Sigyn pointed out. "Even if I say to trust you."
Loki raised an eyebrow, but remained silent.
"How are we supposed to do that?" Banner asked, glancing down at the mountains.
Thor smirked. "I have a man on the ground."
Sigyn waited patiently in the ship, now equipped with a large blaster, thanks to Thor, as Heimdall and Loki led the people to the Bifrost. She was flying over them, the dense fog limiting visibility. She wasn't sure, but it looked like there was something up ahead, on the bridge. She used her Sedir to change her into her Lady Victory armor, in case it was a threat. Of course it was a threat, who was she kidding? The people on the bridge stopped at Heimdall's command, squinting at the shape, through the fog.
It was an enormous wolf, at least thirty feet tall, and it did not look pleased. Immediately, she swooped forward, firing the blaster at the dog, but it batted the shots away like flies. The Asgardians started moving back, but were stopped by an army of… zombies? Literal zombies? How in the nine had Hela gotten zombies? It didn't matter, they needed to be gone. Sigyn kept shooting at the wolf, but it was just getting more annoyed.
"Why won't you die, idiot dog?" She screamed in frustration, as Bruce stood up. "What are you doing?" She asked.
"You'll see!" He screamed back, before leaping out of the ship, and landing with an enormous splat on the rainbow bridge in front of the wolf. Sigyn blinked in horrified shock as the wolf sniffed at Bruce, then continued charging toward the Asgardians, before something suddenly stopped him short.
It was Hulk, grabbing the wolf's hind foot.
There was a brief and desperate struggle, until they both went plummeting into the water below.
"Okay…" Sigyn blinked. She swerved, and landed the ship on the Bifrost, crushing a large amount of zombies, as the "birthday" function triggered again, powder paint and fireworks exploding behind the ship. Sigyn leapt out, brandishing her sword.
With a wild war whoop, she threw herself into the horde of zombies, slicing through their masses, until she cut a way to Loki. "Hey, Thalionen!" She grinned, giving him a peck on the cheek.
"Duck!" Loki screamed, slamming himself onto the Bifrost, and pulling her down with him as an enormous spaceship swung over the Bifrost, knocking out a good number of Draugr into the ocean below. Loki turned to her with a mischievous smile. "I mean, nice weather for the ducks?"
Sigyn laughed, and pushed herself back up. "Valkyrie's here!" She cheered, as the Kronan who had been in Valkyrie's ship helped her up. "Hey, man." He smiled. "My name's Korg. This, here's my very good friend, Miek."
"How did you get here?" Loki gasped, as a bug-like thing waved at them cheerfully.
"Oh, we're just going to hop on that ginormous spaceship, right there, and get out of here. Wanna come?"
Sigyn grinned. "You'd better believe it! Melleth, can you help me get the people in?"
Loki nodded, and sprinted over to the crowds of people.
"It's Prince Loki!" Sigyn heard them collectively murmur.
"Did you miss me?" Loki grinned gleefully. "Everyone on that ship, now!"
Suddenly, a young boy burst out of the crowd. "Father!" He screamed in joy, wrapping his arms around Loki.
"Yes, hello, Vali." Loki irritably pulled back from his son's embrace. "I'm rather busy saving the world, at the moment, so please get on that ship."
Vali nodded and rushed up the gangplank along with the rest of Asgard.
The fog began clearing, as Loki, Sigyn, Valkyrie, and Heimdall continued fighting the oncoming zombies. There seemed to be no end to them. Gradually, the stars came out, and as they battled on the Bridge, an enormous, deafening crack of lighting, such as Sigyn had never seen, before, flashed through the sky, and crashed down onto the palace.
"Thor." She smiled, as the lightning seemed to multiply, and the Thunderer flew out from the rubble of the palace, landing on the bridge like some sort of human tesla coil, and slaying the monsters in the droves. He clumped over to Loki. He was missing an eye.
"Your behavior today has been nothing less of shocking, Brother." Loki smirked, seeming to be favoring a leg.
Sigyn shook her head, completely out of breath. "Oh, Melleth, you're just jealous of his electrifying personality."
"You two are the worst." Valkyrie rolled her eyes.
"Enough with the puns." Thor growled, gesturing behind him as Hela stalked down the Bifrost, a small smile playing on her lips. The screams of terrified people rang through the air as the Asgardians continued pouring into the ship.
"I think we should disband the Revengers." Thor announced.
Sigyn turned to him in confusion. "The what?"
"I'll tell you, later." Thor sighed.
"Hit her with a lightning blast." Loki suggested.
Thor gave him a look. "I just hit her with the biggest lightning blast in the history of lightning. It did nothing."
Sigyn squinted. "I think it may have singed her eyebrows."
"Not the point." Thor sighed. "We just need to hold her off until everyone's on the ship."
Sigyn shook her head. "Can't you see? She won't stop there! She'll hunt us down, and destroy the Nine until she finds us. We need to stop her now."
"What's our move?" Thor turned back to Hela, still swaggering down the bridge.
Loki raised his hand. "I'm not doing 'Get Help'." He volunteered, Sigyn snorting in laughter.
Thor stared at his approaching sister. "Asgard's not a place. It's a people." He mused. "This was never about stopping Ragnarok." He turned to Loki. "It's about causing it."
Loki raised his eyebrows. "Bold move, Brother. Even for me." With that, he limped off towards the palace, as fast as his legs could carry him.
"Shall we?" Thor smiled at Valkyrie and Sigyn.
"After you." Valkyrie answered politely.
"Oh, no, ladies first." Thor smirked.
Sigyn rolled her eyes, and charged at Hela. "Why do I have to do everything?" She muttered under her breath.
Hela immediately met her blade with one of her own, and the battle was joined. "Tell me, Hela, why do you look so familiar?" She asked conversationally as she dodged and weaved between the blades shooting toward her with expert speed.
"This scenario doesn't ring any bells for you?" Hela smirked wickedly. "How quaint. You've all 'forgotten'. My story was blotted out as if I never happened. Tell me, how much did Odin pay you?"
"To do what?" Sigyn gasped, running out of breath. Thor and Val were finishing off the zombies, but they'd be here for backup, soon.
"To forget." Hela smiled, a twisted thing with no warmth.
Sigyn shook her head. "I don't understand."
"I taught you how to do this." Hela grinned, sending a blade towards her face. Instinctively, Sigyn ducked, and flipped backwards, not realizing she'd run out of bridge. With a scream, she plummeted down toward the waves below, her arms flailing for anything to grab onto, when, suddenly, a hand grabbed her wrist. Sigyn looked up. It was Hela.
"…What?" She gasped, as Sigyn hauled her back onto the bridge.
"You never did pay attention to your surroundings." Hela said quietly. "Now. Come at me, again."
Sigyn's eyes widened. She… she remembered Hela. Hela had been the one who taught her to fight, Hela had been regent, every time Odin went into the Odinsleep, Hela was Thor's older sister, and… Sigyn remembered it all.
"Why are you doing this?" Sigyn demanded.
Hela set her jaw. "You're going to forget me, leave me in literal Hel for ten years, you need to pay the price."
"But you saved me." Sigyn breathed.
Hela nodded. "You're my little sister. I could never let you die."
Sigyn opened her mouth to speak, but at that moment Thor and Valkyrie lit into her, beating the snot out of her as she dodged, and danced away from them. She wasn't on the offense, anymore, though.
"Thor, wait!" Sigyn called, but Thor pinned his sister to the bridge, seething in rage. "You can't kill her!" She pleaded.
"Maybe not." Thor stood up, dusting himself off as if she was some sort of vile worm. "But he can."
Silence.
Thor glanced irritably at the palace. "I said, BUT HE CAN!"
Just then, the palace exploded, an enormous fire demon bursting through the roof, with a huge sword.
Sigyn's jaw dropped, and she stared dumbly at the spectacle before her.
"No…" Hela breathed in horror. "No!"
"Hela…" Sigyn started forward, but Valkyrie grabbed her by the waist, and ran into the ship, up to the bridge, overlooking the spectacle.
"Sigyn!" Loki rushed to her from the crowd, and wrapped his arms around her protectively. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"Hela…" Sigyn tried to pull away, but Loki held her close.
"What did that monster do to you?" Loki held her at arms' length, looking her over in search of injuries.
Sigyn shook her head. "She's not a monster! She's sorry!"
"Sigyn, you're exhausted." Loki soothed, holding her tight to his chest. "Come, you need to lie down."
"No…" Sigyn protested, but Loki scooped her up, and carried her back to the cabins. "It's alright, Beloved," He whispered, smoothing her hair. "You'll be alright."
Sigyn squeezed her eyes closed, blinking away tears. "We killed her…"
"Yeah, it's alright, Sig." Loki nodded, sitting on the bed next to her. "She's dead, she can't hurt you anymore."
"You don't understand!" Sigyn pulled a pillow over face. "She didn't want to kill us," she mumbled into the pillow.
Wow, long chappie today!
Happy Passover, everyone! :D
TheOnlyHuman.