"The third day of 2014," Sigyn said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible, while opening the curtains of Peggy's room. She looked at the snow clouds gathering in the Washington sky. "It might snow tonight."

Peggy chuckled lightly. "I hope it does. The city looks so beautiful when it snows."

"I agree."

"Sigyn? Where are my yarns?"

"Here." She opened a drawer and took out three balls of yarn—red, blue, and white—and a pair of knitting needles. Peggy had started knitting a scarf for Captain Rogers the other day, saying knitting helped her feel somewhat useful. Sigyn was surprised that she still wanted to work on it. "Who is this for?" she asked, to see how much she remembered.

Peggy seemed confused at first, but the colors must have given her a hint. "Steve, I think?"

"Yes, Peggy. I'm sure Captain Rogers will love it."

"I should make one for you, too. Can you go buy blue and silver yarns, dear?"

"Now?"

"If it's not too much trouble…"

"It's no trouble at all. But we usually order them online, you know."

"No, no, I need them now," she said quickly, as if she was scared that she would forget about her new project.

"Alright." She put on her coat, took her purse and the car keys, and went out to the corridor. Elderly mortals were often not much different from little children. They could become persistent about trivial things, and it was hard to say no to them.

As she made for the elevator, she was using the navigation app on her phone—she sometimes couldn't believe how useful these Midgardian devices had become over the years—to find the nearest yarn store, so she wasn't paying much attention to her surroundings. That was how she bumped into someone.

When she looked up, she realized that someone was, unmistakably, Steve Rogers. He usually called the nursing home before visiting, and Sigyn would hide while he was around, but today, he had shown up unannounced.

It was weird to see Captain Rogers like this, after everything she had heard about him. For decades, his story had been a beacon of hope for Sigyn. A sickly mortal who had become as strong as an Asgardian. She had hoped she could be like him one day. Eventually, she had. It wasn't the same formula, but a miraculous serum was running through their veins. And now, here he stood, not as a legend or even a beacon of hope, but a mere man.

"I—I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"You know Peggy?"

Damn. He must have seen her emerging from Peggy's room.

"I'm just an old family friend. I sometimes come here to keep Peggy company. Though most of the time she doesn't even remember me," she lied.

He eyed her suspiciously. "You don't seem that old."

"Neither do you, Captain Rogers… My name is Helga Tiersen, by the way." Now that he worked for SHIELD, she decided to use a different alias. If he dug deep enough, he could find "Sharon Tyler."

And if he found out who Sigyn was, she was going to have to tell him about a lot of things, things she didn't want to tell. How his blood had come between Peggy and Howard, what Howard's obsession with him had done to his family, and more importantly, HYDRA… Sigyn still didn't know what had happened to the other five doses of Howard's serum. If HYDRA had used them, where were the other super soldiers? Heimdall had simply said she didn't have to worry about them, but Sigyn didn't know if he meant the doses, or the soldiers by "them."

They shook hands. He didn't seem convinced, but he didn't press her either. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Tiersen. How is Peggy today?"

"She is doing great. She is actually knitting you a scarf."

That put a genuine smile on his face.

"I need to run some errands, but someone will bring her breakfast soon. Can you make sure she takes her medicine after she eats? I left the pills on her nightstand."

"Of course, ma'am."

"Thank you, Captain Rogers," she thanked him, and walked away, hoping Peggy wouldn't tell him anything he wasn't supposed to know.

…

Captain Rogers was gone by the time she returned.

"I wish he didn't have to see me like this," Peggy huffed, examining the yarns Sigyn had bought her. She seemed satisfied.

"I'm sure he's happy you're still here. Everyone else he knows is gone."

"Why didn't you tell him who you really were?"

"Trust me, Peggy, this is for the best. I wish you hadn't told Sharon the truth about me either."

She frowned. "Did I tell her? When?"

"Sometime after the Battle of New York." When Captain went on a mission, and Sharon had nothing to do until he returned, they would go grab a coffee sometimes. She loved hearing about the adventures of the first Consultant of SHIELD. And she would tell Sigyn everything she had missed while hiding in Tonsberg. Sharon saw her more of another grandmother figure than a peer.

They were interrupted when Sigyn's phone pinged and she received an emergency notification. "Sif!" she gasped. "Peggy, my sister is here!"

When she read the details, she realized Sif was here to find Lorelei, who had escaped the dungeons of Asgard during the invasion of the Dark Elves. Only then, she realized she hadn't thought of her nemesis in a long while. Even when Thor had told her about the Kurse freeing the prisoners, Sigyn's grief for Frigga was so overwhelming that it hadn't occurred to her to ask about Lorelei's fate.

But now, she had remembered, and all that rage was flooding back into her heart. Lorelei was here, in Midgard...

"Peggy, I must go," she said frantically.

"Why?"

"Lorelei, Peggy… Do you remember what I told you about Lorelei?"

"She killed your sister's lover," she recalled.

"She made Sif choose between me and Haldor," Sigyn elaborated. "Finally, I can get my revenge." It looked like the super soldier serum could fix at least one of her problems, after all.

"Where are you going?"

"She was last seen in Nevada. It won't be difficult for me to track her down."

"Sigyn?"

"Yes, Peggy?"

Peggy's eyes, clouded with worry, were fixated on hers. "Promise me that you'll be careful."

"I promise. And once I get back, I'll tell you all about it." Though Peggy would probably forget why Sigyn had left by then.

She went down to the reception desk and informed the receptionist that she would be absent for a few days. Then she drove to the empty field outside the city, where she hid her ship. As it took her to California, she donned her armor and conjured her sword. She tested its balance. She hadn't used her sword in a long time.

A part of her was glad that Lorelei had escaped. It gave Sigyn the perfect excuse to kill her. She just had to find her before Sif and SHIELD did. If only she and Sif could kill her together, as sisters, but she still didn't want SHIELD to find out about her. Not until HYDRA revealed itself.

As she flew to California, she kept getting more updates on the Lorelei situation. Lorelei had been able to ensnare a SHIELD Specialist, Grant Ward. Sigyn read his file to see if he was a dormant HYDRA agent, but she couldn't be sure. He had been recruited and trained by John Garrett, who was definitely HYDRA, but there was no way to know for certain if his trainees were involved as well. His latest trainee, Antoine Triplett, for example, was the grandson of a Howling Commando. Sigyn didn't think HYDRA would want to recruit him. Still, her primary focus now was Lorelei, not HYDRA.

SHIELD Specialists had a pattern. So did Lorelei. Knowing Lorelei, she would choose extravagance over secrecy. Therefore she and Agent Ward would choose the most luxurious hotel nearby as their base of operation. Caesars Palace, most likely. Tony used to go there often, to have fun, while living in Malibu. Indeed, Sigyn was almost there by the time SHIELD reports confirmed that they had checked into Caesars Palace.

Sigyn cloaked herself invisible before she entered, and directly headed for their room. The door was locked. She listened for a while. She could hear the water running. Someone was probably taking a shower. Hoping it was Agent Ward, she unlocked the door with magic. She had never been so nervous and so eager to prove her worth, not even before her very first battle. Not even during the conflict with the Starforce. Yes, that fight had brought her the glory she had been dreaming of, but in the end, it was only duty. This, on the other hand, was purely personal. Defeat wasn't an option. She didn't think she could live with the shame if she lost today.

Edwin Jarvis' words echoed in her head once again.

"If anyone deserves this power, it's you."

Lorelei was there, looking out the window, with her back to the door. She was dressed like a mortal; a pair of leather pants and a leather vest. But it was definitely her.

"Ward?" she asked when she heard the door being opened.

Sigyn was planning to get this over with before Agent Ward got involved. She revealed herself. "Hello, Lorelei."

She grinned. "Sigyn… I was starting to think you'd got yourself killed by now. You weren't there with Sif when she confronted me in the desert."

"Sif doesn't know I'm here."

"Oh, making a bit of mischief, are we? It's good to see you, Sigyn, really. Thanks for bringing me my sword."

Sigyn unsheathed said weapon. She knew how much Lorelei desired one of these swords. "Come and get it, then."

Lorelei rolled her eyes, and lunged forward. When she tried to take the sword from Sigyn, she stopped her with her left hand.

For a split second, they both froze, and Sigyn tried to savor the moment as best as she could. The look on Lorelei's face was priceless. It was everything Sigyn had dreamt of since Haldor's death. "What in Hel happened to you?" she whispered in fear.

Sigyn smirked. "I told you I'd be a great warrior." She pushed Lorelei away, sent her staggering backwards, and charged at her. Lorelei had grabbed a chair and used it as a shield to protect herself. Sigyn sliced it in half. Now that it was useless, Lorelei tossed the pieces aside. Sigyn was preparing to deliver another blow when Agent Ward emerged from the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his hips.

"Kill her!" the seductress ordered.

When Sigyn realized he was reaching for the gun on the dresser, she grabbed her real enemy and jumped out through the window. She wasn't sure if she would survive the fall, but she was hoping to use Lorelei to soften the impact. Unfortunately, Lorelei was trying to do the same with her. They kept fighting as they fell, and in the end, Lorelei was the first to hit the ground. A sickening crack was heard, and it was probably some of Lorelei's bones breaking. Sigyn had fallen on top of her. The civilians around were screaming in panic, but she didn't care. She still had her sword. She pressed it against Lorelei's neck, just like Lorelei had done to her once.

"Tell me, Lorelei, how does it feel? To know that you're going to be killed by a half-breed?"

"Better than an eternity in the dungeons of Asgard."

"Sigyn, stop!"

Sigyn looked up when she heard her sister's voice. Sif was there, running towards her, with Agent Coulson and a bunch of other SHIELD agents at her heels.

"Kill me," Lorelei pleaded.

"Sigyn, stop," Sif repeated. "Odin wants her alive."

Sigyn looked around, not knowing what to do. To be honest, she was feeling a bit dizzy right now. Her sister, SHIELD, Lorelei, the civilians… It was as if they were all moving in slow motion.

"She is my sister!" Sif, who was now standing above them, told the agents, and gave Sigyn a golden collar, identical to the one Frigga had once made for Lorelei. "Put this on her."

Sigyn was too dazed to argue, so she obeyed, and let the agents take Lorelei. She could still walk, so her injuries couldn't be too severe. Shame.

"Sif?"

"Hello, little sister."

"I did it. I bested Lorelei."

Sif nodded, with a sad smile playing about her lips. "You did. I'm so proud of you."

"I missed you." She hugged Sif as tightly as she could. Yes, she occasionally used astral projection to communicate with her loved ones in Asgard, but it was never enough.

"I missed you, too. But, Sigyn, your injuries…"

"What?" she said, and only then, realized she had been bleeding. There was a bullet in her midriff. That explained why she felt so disoriented. "This is weird, I don't remember being shot…"

"Is there a healing room here? You know this realm better than I do."

"SHIELD—" she started, but her vision suddenly became blurry, and then everything went dark.

…

When Sigyn woke up, she was lying in a bed, in some kind of medical chamber. When she looked around, she realized she wasn't alone. The chamber was very small, but there was a second bed, with Daisy Johnson sitting on it, typing away on a laptop. Her hair was longer, and she seemed much more carefree than she was in that vision, but it was definitely the same young woman.

"You…"

Daisy smiled at her. "Hi. This is the only Medical Pod on the Bus, so I guess we'll be roommates for a while… Oh, I'm Skye, by the way."

"Skye? Is that your name?"

"Last time I checked, yeah."

Sigyn sat up slowly, trying to force herself to remain composed. This couldn't be a coincidence…

"Hey, take it easy. You're going to pop your stitches."

"It's alright, I'll cast a healing spell," she said, and started doing it.

Skye—or Daisy, whatever—laughed. "Are you a witch or something?"

"Kind of… What happened?"

"You were unconscious when they brought you here. Simmons removed the bullet and patched you up. Coulson is probably debriefing your sister right now. She'll be back soon."

Sigyn nodded.

"You're different from Sif," she observed.

"Different how?"

"You seem more… adapted. I've been trying to find something, anything on you, but there's nothing… I don't think you came here for Lorelei. How long have you been on Earth?"

Clever girl, she thought. "That's classified."

She laughed as if she had made the most exciting discovery. "You are a SHIELD agent!"

"Technically, I'm a Consultant."

"So am I… Technically."

Before Skye could ask her anything else, the door whooshed open and Sif entered. "You're awake!"

"I'm fine, sister. Come." She led Sif out of the Medical Pod so that they could talk in private. Sigyn had heard about the Bus, the extravagant plane Fury had given Coulson, along with a team. Everyone assumed it was a gift for confronting Loki bravely, but Sigyn believed it was a way for Fury to keep an eye on Coulson and observe the side effects of the Kree medicine. The plane was on the ground now, though, and from the open back hatch, Sigyn could see that they were in a SHIELD airfield.

"I'm taking Lorelei back to Asgard," Sif started.

"Good."

"Before I came here, Odin told me you were allowed to come home. Your banishment has been lifted, Sigyn!"

Sigyn wondered why he might have said such a thing. Also, she wondered why he wanted Lorelei alive. Odin had always wanted her to be eliminated. It was Loki who had thought she deserved a fate worse than death. But she decided not to share this with Sif. Not until she was certain…

"Father misses you," Sif went on. "I know one of your mortal friends is still alive, but…"

"Thor paid me a visit recently. He told me what happened to Loki… and Queen Frigga."

Sif bowed her head, and sighed heavily. "Then you know why I need you. She was a mother to both of us. I… I would like to mourn her with you, sister."

"As would I… And now that my identity has been compromised, it's not wise for me to stay here."

Sif leaned closer, and whispered, "Are these agents…"

"I know Coulson is… innocent. But I can't vouch for anyone else."

"I see."

"There are some things I need to take care of first, but I'll see you in a few days."

Sif beamed at her. "So, are you coming home?"

"I am."

Tears pooled in Sif's eyes, an indication of how much Sigyn had hurt her sister. She silently watched Sif in shame as she quickly wiped away her tears and went to fetch Lorelei, who had been shackled and muzzled. Coulson and his team came with her. Sif bid them farewell, then took Lorelei and called to Heimdall. A second later, the Bifrost sucked them in.

"Lady Sigyn?" Coulson said. "We need to debrief you as well."

"That won't be necessary, Agent Coulson," she said, and conjured her SHIELD badge as everyone watched her in confusion. She then crossed to the nearest computer, and hold her badge out to be scanned.

Coulson leaned towards the screen and blinked a few times, as if he was struggling to believe what he saw. "I—I don't understand. It says here that you're a Consultant, but SHIELD Consultants don't have badges, let alone Clearance Levels. You're an Alpha member with Clearance Level 10… That's Director Level."

Funny, it was almost the same reaction Fury had given years ago, when he had first met Sigyn.

"True, but I'm not just any Consultant. I'm the first Consultant."

Agent Simmons gasped. "You worked with the founding members of SHIELD!"

"Yes. And because I have the highest Clearance Level here, I believe I'm allowed to give orders."

"What do you want?" Agent Ward asked impatiently. It hadn' t escaped Sigyn's notice that he and Agent May had exchanged displeased looks when they found out about Sigyn's Clearance Level.

"The girl in the Medical Pod, Skye… What's her real name?"

"She doesn't have a real name," Coulson said, almost defensively. "She grew up as an orphan. In fact, she was an 0-8-4."

"I'd like to have a word with her… in private," she said, and made for the Medical Pod again. No one came after her, but Sigyn assumed there were other ways to eavesdrop at a conversation on this plane. Nevertheless, she had to do this.

"Hey," she said when she saw Sigyn. "You're back."

"Skye, there's something I need to tell you. Do you know Ana Stark?"

She frowned in confusion. "Yeah, we met at the Academy once."

"Stay away from her."

Daisy, or Skye, looked at her, taken aback. "Why? She was cool."

"She will turn you into the Destroyer of Worlds."

"What?"

"Just stay away from her," Sigyn repeated firmly, and stormed out of the Bus before anyone could ask her anything.

…

"You're not planning to come back, are you?" Peggy asked. She must have realized how much Sigyn was struggling to say goodbye. Sigyn had told her everything that had happened with Lorelei, Sif, and Coulson's team.

"No, I'm not. And…"

"And you fear that I won't remember why you left."

"Yes," she admitted. And there was also the fact that she would probably never see Peggy again.

Peggy patted on her hand feebly. "It's alright, dear. Even if I don't remember why you left, I will know it must be for a good reason."

"Thanks, Peggy."

"I remember how you were when you first came to us."

"I was a savage."

"You were just confused. And look at you now."

"I'm a failure. There are… things, Peggy. Things I can never tell you."

"Why not? Because I might get into trouble?" she scoffed, but Sigyn could hear the insinuation behind the words.

"No. It's not that. I just…"

"Please, dear. We both know Howard and Maria didn't die in a car accident. I never believed it for a second. Tell me, what really happened?"

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"It does to me."

"Alright… Howard did it, Peggy. He replicated the super soldier serum."

Peggy's eyes widened in excitement. "So, did he…"

"Used it on me? Yes."

"Did it work?"

"How do you think I kicked Lorelei's ass?"

Peggy gave her shoulder a squeeze and shook her lightly, the way she used to do after they completed a mission successfully back in the day.

"There were others who wanted the formula, though. I don't know what they did with it. Heimdall doesn't tell me."

Peggy simply nodded, as if this was the exact answer she had been expecting to hear.

"Well, now I'm going back to being nobody."

"I don't think you can ever go back to being nobody. None of us can go back, even if we wanted to."

"The future frightens me," she admitted, and even though she couldn't share the actual origins of her fears with Peggy, she wanted to share as much as she could before leaving.

"Michael would always tell me to stop pretending to be someone I'm not. Now I'm telling you the same. Stop pretending to be someone you're not."

"I'm not pretending anymore."

Peggy studied her face very attentively for a moment. Then she said, "I think you do. I think there's one last thing that has to change."

"What are you talking about?"

"Loki. You don't love him. I don't think you ever have."

Goosebumps raised on her arms. Just a coincidence, she told herself. Peggy's usual ramblings. "Goodbye, Peggy Carter," she said, kissing her cheek. "Thanks for being my friend."

She straightened up, turned around on her heels, and scurried out of the room, so that Peggy wouldn't have to hear her sobs. She went to the roof, and took one last look at the city of Washington DC. This wasn't her realm anymore. There was a new life ahead of her. And a new war.

"Heimdall, open the Bifrost!"

A second later, she was speeding through the rainbow bridge that took her back to Asgard. Heimdall was standing there, at the Observatory. Everything was exactly as she remembered.

"Welcome back, Lady Sigyn," he said, pulling out his sword to close the Bifrost. The gatekeeper didn't seem angry, but Sigyn's constant disobedience in the past decades had put some distance between them, that much was obvious from his tone.

"Hello, Heimdall. It's been a long time."

"Your sister is waiting for you at your home."

"Thank you."

Sigyn set off to the city, where their house was. For their father was the most trusted general in Asgard, it wasn't very far from the royal palace. People were the same, too. Most of them just ignored her, or pretended to ignore her, but some gave her curious looks. Occasional whispers were exchanged here and there.

She found Sif in the garden, sharpening her sword thoughtfully. But she must have heard the footsteps, because she smiled, put the sword aside, and looked up. They ran to each other's arms.

"Welcome home, little sister."

It didn't exactly feel like home, but fearing to offend her family, Sigyn decided to keep that thought to herself. The sisters only parted when they heard their father's voice.

"Sigyn…"

Their father hadn't changed a bit either. Sigyn went to hug him this time. "Father."

"You look great." He had said this like he had been expecting to find his daughter in a miserable spirit.

"Thank you."

He released her, took a step back, and studied her from head to toe. "So, you're stronger now… Perhaps we should test that strength sometime."

"Of course. I can't wait to show you what I'm capable of."

"I told the cook to prepare a feast in your honor tonight."

"Oh, Father—"

"Don't fret. It will be only for you, me, Sif, and the Warriors Three. But first, the Allfather wishes to have a word with you."

Well, Sigyn wished to have a word with the "Allfather," too. "Then I better not keep him waiting."

When she went to the palace, the guards told her that the Allfather was attending a party at the roof garden, so she headed there. Garden parties were usual in Asgard, but there was nothing usual about that huge golden statue of Loki that welcomed the guests at the entrance of the roof garden. She found "Odin" sharing a drink with a couple of maidens.

"Allfather," she said sharply. "You wish to see me?"

An expression of panic crossed his face when he saw her, and stepped away from the maidens. "Oh, Sigyn… Welcome back to Asgard, my dear. It's so good to see you."

She looked around, and wondered why no one had figured out who "Odin" was by now. Still, she decided not to say anything suspicious. "I'm really sorry to interrupt your party, my king, but perhaps you'd like to have a word with me in private?"

"Of course, of course… Come, let's go to the throne room."

Once they went down to the throne room, he dismissed the guards. With a wave of her hand, Sigyn broke his illusion.

Loki grinned. "You knew…"

Sigyn slapped him. Hard.

Loki blinked in confusion, trying to look innocent, but of course, she wouldn't fall for it. "What was that for?"

"That was for cheating on me." She then slapped his other cheek. "This was for faking your death."

"I didn't cheat on you," he said, rubbing his cheeks. "Damn, you are stronger…"

"Do you really expect me to believe drinks are the only thing you share with those women?"

"Yes."

"I'm going to pretend to believe you for the time being… Where's Odin?"

"In Midgard."

"And what exactly is he doing in Midgard?"

"I imagine he is busy not remembering who he is."

"You erased his memory?"

"I had to. His burden was too heavy, it was going to kill him! And we both know why he must stay alive." He had suddenly become much more serious, and Sigyn knew he wasn't faking it.

"Alright. Where is he?"

"In New York. In one of those places for elderly mortals, you know, the one like your friend Peggy is staying…"

"A nursing home?"

"Yes!"

"Damn you, Loki… What if something happens to him? No one knows who he really is."

"What else was I supposed to do?"

"You could've put him in Odinsleep."

"He would've woken up before he fully regained his strength. He would've never let me rule Asgard."

"Can you blame him? You're not exactly doing a great job at pretending to be him. I mean, you're the God of Lies, but right now, you're not even trying."

"People think he's gone mad with grief."

"What about my father? Sif? The Warriors Three? Heimdall? They must have suspected it by now. Thor is going to kill you this time…"

"Like I said, they all think Odin has gone mad."

"And is this how you get back at your father? By tainting his memory?"

"He is not my father."

"Alright. But he was still Frigga's husband."

Loki turned away from her.

"Look at me!"

"They didn't even let me attend her funeral," he said in a small voice.

Sigyn didn't know that. She knew he was a prisoner, but still… She had hoped they had made an exception for the funeral, at least.

He chuckled bitterly. "See? Even you didn't expect Odin to be so cruel."

"I missed her funeral, too. I was in exile. I didn't even know she was dead until Thor came to see me after the Convergence."

"Well, you're not in exile anymore. He is."

"Unlike you, I don't hold any grudge against him. It wouldn't do anyone any good."

"What about Lorelei? Would you like to pay her a visit, as the Queen of Asgard?"

Queen of Asgard. To be honest, Sigyn had never seen herself as the Queen of Asgard. That was Frigga's title. And she could easily picture Sif as the future queen, but that was a long-forgotten image now.

She sighed. "You told her, didn't you?"

"I wanted her to know."

"To know what, exactly?"

"That you're the queen she will never become."

"You have such a weird way to express your love for me."

"Call me vindictive," he said mischievously.

"I don't give a damn about Lorelei anymore. I got my closure. There's something else I want to see."

"What is it?"

"You."

He chuckled. "Well, I'm right here."

"No. You, in your true form."

His smile was replaced with an expression of fear. "Why?" he asked bitterly. "Are you so desperate to fall out of love with me?"

"No, Loki. I know I won't fall out of love with you. I want to see it because it's a part of who you are."

"I don't know how to… do it myself. It only happens when I hold the Casket."

Sigyn craned her neck and kissed his lips. It seemed to have made him less afraid. "Then we're going down to the Vault."

"Fine." He disguised himself as Odin again, and they set off to Odin's Vault together. The guards opened the door for them, but they didn't follow the couple inside.

The first artifact she saw was the Infinity Gauntlet. She froze in shock.

"It's a fake," Loki reassured her.

"And who has the real one? Thanos?"

"Even if he does, I never saw it during my time on the Sanctuary."

And then, she saw the Tesseract. "Can we destroy it?" If they did that, Thanos could never have all the six stones. Perhaps they could even convince the Ancient One to do the same with the Time Stone, and Fury with the Mind Stone.

"You're welcome to try." His voice gave her the impression that he had already tried.

Finally, she turned her gaze to what had brought them here in the first place. The Casket of Ancient Winters.

Loki took it from the pedestal, but his back was still turned to her, so she couldn't see anything. "Loki," she said softly. "Look at me."

He turned around. What she saw didn't disgust, or even shock Sigyn. Yes, his skin was blue, his eyes were red, and there were Jotunn markings on his face, but this was still Loki.

"Well?" he asked, as if he was waiting to hear a verdict.

"It's beautiful." She closed the gap between them in two steps, and extended her hand to touch his face.

"Don't—" Loki started, but he had been too late. The icy skin had burned her fingertips. He put the Casket down, and once his skin turned to its usual color, he took her hand into his. "Did you really have to hurt yourself to prove a point?"

"I didn't know it was going to hurt. But it wouldn't have mattered."

"Sigyn…"

"What is it?"

"Stay with me tonight. I missed you."

"I can't. My father is throwing a feast in my honor tonight. But once it's over, you can visit me in my bedchambers."

"I'll be there," he said, and sealed the promise with a kiss.

But in Sigyn's ears, Peggy Carter's words were ringing.

"Stop pretending to be someone you are not."