"Hold on, hold on," Peter Quill raised in hands to stop the group from talking any further. "This isn't right. It doesn't even sound right."
"What it suits you so well," Peter Parker suggested.
"It does not," Peter Quill argued.
"You would make a great Rogue or a Fighter with multiclass," Peter Parker explained again. "Groot is a Druid. Mantis is a Cleric. Drax would be Barbarian. Dr. Strange is obviously a wizard. Sam is a Druid, maybe Ranger. Bucky would be a Rogue or Paladin."
"Stop-stop-stop!" Peter Quill rubbed between his eyes. "This is bad as those houses you put us into. Game of Hogs was it?"
Shuri face palmed. Her and Peter Parker were trying to explain to the group what they would be to pass the time and it seemed to make more trouble.
"Alright, alright," Sam stepped up. "We will make this easier. Most of you are all nerds. There done. Simple. The rest jocks. Look easy."
"Oh, the colonizers high school trope," Shuri looked up. "Lame."
"Hey it was easier than the rest of the stuff, we could sort by which character you pick in Mario Cart," Sam shrugged.
"Mario Cart?" Mantis looked between everyone one.
"Okay-okay-okay," Peter Parker thought of something else. "What about Dark Side or Light Side?"
"Dark side or light side?" Sam was taken aback. He looked around. "I think it's pretty obvious. All except for this guy and him," he pointed to Loki and Bucky. "We would be Light side."
Loki didn't even care for this. He was just there, sitting next to Nick with his children. He wished time would go by faster. Bucky was just observing as some of the things they were discussing made sense while others did not. He had to wait for the explanations.
"Oh yeah," Peter Parker agreed.
This was the normal passing for them. They would play card games, ice breakers, would you rather, what if's, and the like. Sometimes they would roam around to see the other places in the Soul World and venture back. They would play charades, trivia, and sometimes do equations.
They would also spar each other again and again. The group finally got Loki and Dr. Strange to fight. That helped pass the time. Vali and Nari were in their cribs. The group was sitting or standing in front of the home.
Stephen was on one side and Loki was on the other. Sam and Peter Quill were taking bets on who would win. The two groups were far enough away, that they couldn't hear one another.
"I think you're only doing this to get revenge," Stephen called out to him.
"Revenge?" Loki didn't know what he was talking about.
"When I had you falling for twenty minutes," Stephen reminded him.
"It was thirty," Loki corrected.
"See," Stephen tilted his head.
"I wouldn't need an excuse to enact any temptation in fighting," Loki quipped. "I would just need to do it."
"AND GO!" Nick yelled out to them to start the spar.
Loki winked before running towards him. Stephen moved his arms, getting the shields up to brace for impact. Loki multiplied right before him. A swarm of Loki's were closing in while moving their arms just slightly to get the daggers in each hand. Stephen sent a shock wave that made the illusions disappeared but Loki had jumped up on the last second. He landed an elbow into Stephen's collarbone sending him to the ground.
Loki's arms came forward in a quick slashing motion. Stephen put his arms up to fend him off. Stephen tried to trip him but Loki jumped up, dodging it. This gave time for Stephen to get back up.** He took away his defensive shields for a gold whip. Stephen maneuvered to kneeling. He flung the whip, latching onto Loki's forearm, flipping him downwards. Loki spun in the air, but he braced himself to roll out of it. Loki skidded in a half kneeling position.
They kept fighting one another until it was a tie where Loki's dagger was in his neck and stomach, while the whip was around one of his forearms. Stephen's other arm was ready to emit power.
"Damn," Sam muttered.
"It's a tie," Bucky agreed. "Good thing I didn't bet."
"It's only evenly matched since we can't really emit that much power here," Wanda explained. "Dr. Strange and I had been testing if we could escape using our powers but it feels like our powers are on the lowest setting possible."
"That explains a lot," Peter Quill scoffed. He was disappointed that this match was not over the top.
Drax turned to him. "You don't have any powers. How could you feel anything?" He placed a hand on his chest. "I felt it though. I cannot become invisible like I use to."
"You never could!" Peter Quill raised his arms in defeat.
The group was arguing as Loki and Stephen untangled from one another.
"Feel better now?" Stephen got rid of the whip. Loki looked over as he hid his daggers again. "I wonder what Sigyn would have thought of the match?"
Loki tilted his head back. "Are you infatuated with my wife? You keep bringing her up." Stephen jerked his head to view Loki. "She is a Goddess, as well as an Eternal Valkyrior, Allmother, Twin Flame, royalty of Jotunheim, and my loving, loyal wife and mother of our children. She would think this match is lacking. Needs more oomph." Loki clenched his fists and brought them.
Stephen could only stare at him in silence. Loki chuckled. "You're not as bad as I thought you were."
"Being misunderstood can be favorable just as it is unfavorable," Loki mused as he started walking.
Stephen walked along side of him. "I don't take you as being misunderstood. Pompous, arrogant, and a showoff."
"All the words that describe you," Loki quipped. "Might need a thesaurus to come up with something new."
Stephen rolled his eyes. "What would you describe yourself then?" He was ready to hear what adjectives he could come up with.
"Cunning," Loki started. "Mischievous, of course." His smiled widened. "And magnificent!" He raised his chin a bit.
Stephen let out a groan. "Maybe if we met earlier on Midgard when you were with the Avengers secretly, we may have gotten along."
"The groan was for how similar we are," Loki gloated.
"Yes, it was," Stephen was disappointed in himself.
"It takes several lessons to humble oneself," Loki mused. "Not just one." He looked over to him.
They regrouped with the others. Some wanted to spar themselves, so now it just became entertainment to see one another battling it out.
Another year went by, Sigyn and Pepper celebrated the two baby's birthdays together. Tony made a big event for both of them in the house. He had decorations set up. He even made little cakes for each of them.
Tony handed Pepper a mimosa and grabbed another for Sigyn. She declined it. Tony set it down. He turned to her with a curious stare.
"Are we expecting?" Tony raised an eyebrow. He started to smirk as Sigyn looked away. "We are!" He beamed. "You couldn't help yourself, could you?" Sigyn cleared her throat. She glanced at him, her lips breaking out into a smile. "Ah! I knew it. It happens to the best of us." He brought her into a hug. The two chuckled.
Pepper came over. "Why are we hugging?"
The two let go. "Sigyn, here, has an addiction," he teased. Sigyn turned beet red. Her jaw dropped in shock.
"Tony!" Pepper chastised.
"Sorry, sorry, bad joke," Tony raised his hands in defeat. "We should congratulate her, she's eating for two, again."
"Oh! You're pregnant!" Pepper brought her into a hug as Sigyn nodded. The two hugged. "After everything, I don't know if I could handle another one right now. You're so strong! Oh, congratulations!" Pepper hugged her again. She turned to the two babies who were sitting in high chairs. "You're going to be big sisters!"
Sigyn had asked Tony and Pepper to be Godparents of her Einmyria. The three of them treated the two little girls as sisters. Getting older, the two girls started to play like they were family. The two girls spent holidays as well as playdates together. Tony made sure to take tons of pictures and recordings of them.
He even did family portraits. Sigyn was reluctant but gave in. It was a nice gesture and she would like to get Midgardian pictures of her family.
Tony brought up one time that it would have been fun to throw a baby shower. Pepper and Sigyn were on the couch as the infants were taking a nap.
"A baby shower?" Pepper had been reading a book. "What theme would you do?"
"Ironman theme," spoke as if it was obvious. She gave him a wry look. "Okay-okay, Avengers."
"What theme would you have wanted?" Sigyn tried not to laugh. Their banter always made her smile.
"I think maybe elephants or maybe I did see some with teddy bears," Pepper rested her head on the back of the couch. "That was cute. Different colored teddy bears."
"Sigyn, and you?" Tony took that into account. They did have a variety of stuffed animals and got whatever cute baby items they saw.
"We don't have traditions like that, but if I had to pick," Sigyn thought out loud. "Vali would be horses, Nari would be ravens, Einmyria would have snakes."
"Snakes?" Pepper lifted her head up.
"I helped save Jormungandr," Sigyn explained. "I'll check on him from time to time, Einmyria likes him." It was also because Loki liked shifting into a serpent.
"You're so weird," Tony shook his head. "Now, what about this one?"
"I don't know," Sigyn touched her stomach. "I am eight weeks along. Maybe this one will be foxes."
"Foxes, that's cute," Pepper smiled.
"Well, since Einmyria, looks exactly like you, maybe this one will too," Tony glanced on the two babes still sleeping.
"Maybe," Sigyn held her stomach.
"Did the other two," Pepper spoke softly, her head resting back on the couch.
"Yes, they look exactly like him," Sigyn rested her head on the couch too. "We have his and hers. Double trouble."
"Quadruple trouble," Tony corrected. "I think so far I could only handle one of the combinations of us, for now."
"Me too!" Pepper agreed. "I would love to have another but giving all my love to this little is what all I can see. Just all for Morgan."
"And none for me," Tony teased. "I'm on the couch for most of the time." Pepper and Sigyn both threw their pillows at him.
Months passed by and Sigyn gave birth to another little girl. She named her Eisa. Val was with her for that birth as well. Sigyn stayed in the oasis until Eisa was old enough. Einmyria kept asking for Morgan. Sigyn would try to soothe her until Eisa was ready.
Tony and Pepper were excited to meet the newest addition. It did make Pepper want another from time to time but when Morgan was rampaging about, it did bring Pepper back down to Earth.
New Asgard didn't know about Einmyria and Eisa yet. When Sigyn would visit, the Healer was more than happy to watch both of them. Val wanted to watch them too but she couldn't when she had duties with Sigyn. Only afterwards Val would get to hold both of them.
Another year passed. Sigyn prohibited herself from using Loki's gift. After Tony teased her about it, she couldn't bring herself to use it when she felt that much embarrassment. There was also so much of it she could take. She would rather have Loki, himself, there. She would still get depressed but it came in intervals. She would feel it at certain times when she would have both children around her. Sometimes staring at the boys' cribs and toys. It stabbed her heart the most when she would spend their wedding anniversary alone.
One night, placing the two to bed in the cribs in the master chamber, Sigyn called out to him in her thoughts. She wanted to reach out with her soul to him.
Loki was luckily enough to be in the master chamber in the Soul World, sitting on the bed reading one of her new diaries. He perked up when he heard a voice he wished to hear for so long now. It was faint. He thought maybe it was his subconscious calling out to him.
Loki, where ever you are, Sigyn closed her eyes. I wish to show you that we have two little girls.
Loki paused. This wasn't his subconscious. He glanced around trying to find where her voice was coming from. His eyes landed on the faintest haze of what looked like her by the cribs. He had to narrow his eyes to focus, when he blinked it seemed like she disappeared. He had to focus. This could be a way out or to at least tell her that he would be coming back to her. He would never leave her.
Sigyn continued. Vali and Nari are big brothers now. Our family got a bigger while the three of you were away.
Loki set down the book. He slid off the bed. His hand reaching outwards to the mirage that could be her. He was listening but could only focus on her. She seemed thinner to him. Her bright aura was a little subdued. His heart clenched. Was this truly her? This was not his imagination.
Sigyn opened her eyes. She turned to look at the bed. It struck Loki as if she was staring right at him.
"S-Sigyn," Loki called out with his hand still reaching to her. He let out a gasp. I wish to reach you as well. He wished it in his soul. Her image became a littler clearer. His breath caught in his throat.
Where ever you are, Sigyn closed her eyes again. A single tear rolled down her cheek. Please, PLEASE come back. Our sons to come back. Everyone to come back. It's the first time I have ever felt true loneliness without you. Three years and it already feels like three hundred.
"Sigyn, I-I will come back," Loki's hand cupped the faint image of her. "I'll bring our sons back with me. I promised." His heart clenched. He could not take seeing her like this. It was like he was in a nightmare all over again. "Just await a little more. I will never leave you again. I will never leave our family again. I won't. Just wait. Please, just wait." Tears started to brim his eyes as the other hand cupped the other side of her cheek. He wanted to her to open her eyes again, to look him straight in the eye and understand what he just said.
The love I have for you pains me much more than I had ever thought it would, Sigyn clutched her chest.
"Don't do that," Loki begged. "Don't hurt yourself."
I hope my words reach you, Sigyn tightened her hold.
"It has," Loki swallowed back tears. "I can hear every word and can see you, faintly, but I can see you."
I will always love you. Sigyn continued.
"And I would always love you," Loki kissed her forehead.
I would rather be burdened with holding the bowl to catch the venom from Jormungandr while you were chained to a rock instead of being apart from you, another tear rolled down Sigyn's cheek.
Loki tilted his head back and forth. "Yeah, that possible punishment would have been better than this but waiting five years compared to a hundred years of that, it's a toss-up, surely."
Sigyn lifted her head. Her sight was a bit blurry. She could see a figure before her. She wiped both eyes to see better. A faint, haze figure of Loki was there before her, distraught and worried. "L-l-loki?" She choked in surprise. Was she really seeing her husband before her? Was she hallucinating him now?
"Ah, Sigyn!" Loki breathed with a smile forming. She could see him! He wanted to let her know she wasn't alone. He would be back.
Sigyn looked away. "I'm imagining you are here." Tears welled up again. Her swallowed back a sob.
"No-no-no-no," Loki argued. "I'm here-I'm here!"
Sigyn moved walked away. Her figure moving through his hands. He brought his hands back, looking at them as if he had done something wrong. He looked back to her, dropping them to his side. His heart squeezed in agony. How could she not know that she was reaching with her soul to his? This may be a low point, begging for him to come back, but Sigyn was intelligent to catch on. She should figure it out. This wasn't a hallucination; this was his soul viewing hers.
She glanced back to where she thought she saw him. His image in her sight was no longer there, but her image for Loki was getting clearer. He was reaching out to her with his soul. His hand reached out to try to grab her wrist and bring her back. "Sigyn, don't go." He commanded. Sigyn paused. Loki felt relieved but wished he could actually grab her wrist.
I feel my soul wanting to be with yours, Sigyn sighed. If only there was a way to get into the Soul World. Having a connection may help, but there is no knowledge of getting out of the Soul World without the stone. Its almost like writing in my diary all over again. It's almost like all the obstacles we hurdled over for us to only end up far away from one another. Maybe this is our fate. As the Midgardians would say, star-crossed. She let out a laugh. At least we will be in the same night sky.
Loki placed his hand on his heart, as his chest ached with pain. Her words were stabbing him. "No." His voice quivered as he wanted to cry. He swallowed once. "No. This will change. Dr. Strange said we will be out in five years. We are not fated to be away from one another. I won't let it. I make my own fate. Damn the Norns. If they can weave fate, then I, Loki, God of Mischief, can untangle it and make it any way I deem fit! Nothing, nothing will get in the way of what I want. Not Thanos, not this Soul World. Do you hear me, Sigyn?!"
Sigyn glanced over to the area once more. Her emotions were written all over her face. She kept hope he would come back, but the grief and depression felt like she was mourning over them. That forlorn melancholic face, stabbed Loki. His face shadowed hers.
The door opened on Loki's side. The image of her disappeared. Stephen had heard Loki talking, his voice being raised in some instances. He was worried something might have happened. He caught a glimpse of a side of Loki he was surprised to see. Loki had masked his emotions, only showing a pensive scowl.
"Ever heard of knocking?" Loki snarled.
Stephen flinched. "I-my apologies. I was worried. I heard you speaking and your voice started to become hostile and louder." He shut the door behind him. Loki narrowed his eyes at the gesture. He wanted him out of the room. "Wanda and I were getting worried."
"Like I need the two of you to worry about me," Loki walked off. He wanted to mull over what had just happened but now the second rate thinks he could just barge in like its his own home. "If that's all you can leave."
Stephen wasn't going to leave. He's seen enough to know Loki needed to talk about this. He knew Loki was going to keep it to himself. Stephen didn't want that. Especially when he heard Sigyn's name was brought up. "I'm not leaving until you tell me."
Loki chuckled. "Oh, thinking you can be some sort of solace because we have gotten closer. You know me enough to comfort me. It's none of your business." He had his back to him.
"It's not," Stephen agreed. "What you had to say was personal but if it had to do with souls, then I have the right to know."
Loki turned right around. He looked around him, raised his hands, almost shrugging. "Still here, aren't I?"
"You can't bluff me," Stephen explained. "I've seen enough to know when someone is bluffing. I'm a neurosurgeon. What happened? You saw Sigyn?" Loki ignored him. "That's what I think is the most logical. Heard some of things you were saying. Let's work together. Did you really see her?"
Loki was starting to get hot under the collar. His fist clenched. There was nothing he could do. Fight him. What would that solve? Nothing. He might as well humor him. Loki unclenched his fist. He let out a breath he was holding. "It could have been her. The image of her was faint, hazy even."
"Could you hear her?" Stephen raised his eyebrows.
"Yes," Loki sighed. "She was speaking with her mind for most of it, but when she did speak, I did hear her."
"Could she hear you?" Stephen crossed his arms. His chin rested on his thumb while a finger was on his lips.
Loki shook his head. He was disappointed. "No. She couldn't hear me. She thought she could see me. Probably the same. Hazy. If I reached out with my soul, or felt like I was using my soul, her image became clearer."
"Hm," Stephen was thinking about it. He didn't see anything like this in any of the situations. This was something he wanted to tread carefully on. "Well, that's an interesting case. Do you think it will happen again?"
Loki looked around. She could reach out again. He was more worried about her having a break down. The two of them fought to be together once they met up again. He was not going to let everything that happened separate them. "How much longer do we have in this realm?"
Stephen shrugged. "Could be two to three years. Maybe four-four and a half. You haven't felt pain from Sigyn again."
"I should have though," Loki stared at the floor. He had a half a smirk. "She gave birth to two little girls."
"Congra-wait," Stephen was confused. "How? You're here." He was trying to figure it out. "H-how is that possible?"
"When you leave your wife an interesting gift," Loki looked up.
"You gave your wife a gift of your sperm," Stephen let out a groan.
"When you put it like that, its unromantic," Loki quipped.
Stephen rubbed between his eyes. "A sexual toy with enough AI to AI. That's grand. Where did you get a gift like that?"
"Sakaar," Loki answered. "When I was biding my time to get off the damned planet to get back to Asgard. Time is different there. Had a lot of time. Thought about all possible outcomes. Paid off, I guess."
"I guess," Stephen didn't want to keep speaking about this. "You didn't see the children?"
"No," Loki shook his head. "I didn't see the two girls she spoke about."
"Did she see your sons?" Stephen continued.
"No," Loki sighed.
"We saw her though," a voice similar to Loki's spoke.
"Heard her loud and clear," another similar voice spoke.
Stephen and Loki jerked their heads to see two young men, about their late teens standing next to the cribs. They both had jet black hair, similar features to Loki. One was in dark green and purple while the other was in gold and black.
"Are these your illusions?" Stephen back towards Loki. He shook his head.
"We get our good looks from our father," the first one spoke who was in green and purple.
"Vali?" Loki was now thinking he was dreaming. "Nari?" He looked over to the other one. Both nodded.
"Before you ask anymore," Vali raised his hand to stop him. "Soul World. All Souls can become any state of age they want. Why we haven't been this form earlier?"
"It's because we didn't tap into it," Nari continued. "We're babies but mother's connection, her protection on us, as well as the Soul Stone, helped us gain this form."
"I didn't see anything like this," Stephen was just as confused as Loki.
"Of course not," Vali scoffed. "Soul Stone won't let you. Everyone is going to forget when they leave. That's how the Soul World works, just in a pocket dimension."
"That's why we're able to be like this," Nari raised his arms. "The Stones are mysterious but sometimes its easy to use. Soul Stone is only gained by losing what you love. A soul for a soul."
"Mother's a guardian over souls," Vali cut in. "She can speak with any soul she has protection over. She's brought souls over the afterlife."
"Could any Valkyrior speak to the souls?" Loki questioned their logic.
The two sons looked to one another before looking back. "Sure, if they have protection over them and they ended up here." Vali smiled. Loki couldn't believe this what his sons will turn out to be. Sigyn would be so proud. He started to feel proud.
"How long are you two going to stay like this?" Stephen didn't know how he was going to explain to the rest, but really it didn't need any explanation when they were almost carbon copies of Loki. There were features that belonged to Sigyn and possible relatives.
"You can't tell me about your lives, can you?" Loki questioned them.
"No," Nari shook his head. "Just that this is us grown up a bit."