Chapter 7: Loki

A week earlier.

Loki hadn't been to Jotunheim for three years, but it wasn't as if anything had changed greatly. There was some damage from when he'd tried to destroy the planet, but the darkness, bitter cold, and ice all remained.

Home, sweet home.

Loki breathed in the snow-laden air as he walked towards the ruined Jotun Temple and tried to imagine what his life would have been like, had he grown up here. It really didn't bear thinking about, he decided after a moment.

He reached the Temple and moved through it to the empty throne. He stopped before it, listening as the movement of the being that had been following him since his arrival here ceased. "I know you're there," he said quietly. He wasn't afraid. His stalker was curious, or he'd already be dead.

A deep female voice answered out of the shadows behind him. "How did you enter our Realm?"

Loki turned to face the giant, shadowy figure. "You mean, how did I enter my Realm?" He sat down on the throne to stress his point and waited for the storm.

The figure stepped out of the shadows with a growl. She was – as he had guessed – a Frost Giant, leather-clad and reasonably young. She wasn't exactly beautiful, but was notably finer-featured and smaller than the two male Jotuns that had entered the room behind her. "Only the king may sit there, you fool!" she snarled.

Loki leaned forward, unperturbed. "I am your king. Laufey was my father. I killed him three years ago."

The female Jotun sneered. "Where's your proof?"

Loki had known this would come, and he was ready. He stood and conjured the Casket, holding it in front of him.

The male Frost Giants moved to attack, growing ice blades from their hands, but the female held up her fist. "Wait." She watched intently as Loki's skin turned blue. When the transformation was complete, she stepped forward and ran her fingers over the ceremonial scars on his face.

"You are Laufey's son," she said quietly. Then she sank to one knee, bowing her head. The other Jotuns followed suit.

Loki vanished the Casket, repressing a smug smile. This was too easy. "What is your name?" he asked.

"Sigyn," the female Frost Giant replied. "What are your orders, my King?"

And then Loki really did smile.

AN: Now, I know Sigyn is a character from the Marvel comics, but this Frost Giant isn't at all based off her. Sigyn here is simply a Jotun with a name I more or less randomly selected because I liked it and I didn't know Marvel had already used it at the time. But who knows, I might decide to pull from some of her comic-book history one day... XD