A/N: So, I know I don't have a large audience, but I'm curious, how is everyone doing after Endgame? I'm going to share my personal thoughts in the Author's Notes section at the end of this chapter, so proceed with caution. I guess spoilers are everywhere on the internet by now, but I'll try to keep it as vague as possible, just in case. Normally, I don't like writing long Author's Notes, but I wanted to share the excitement while it was still fresh.

Unlike most Asgardians, Sif had never looked down on mortals. How could she, while her sister was a half-mortal? Still, it hurt her pride, to know that Thor had chosen a Midgardian woman over her. Not that he blamed Thor, or even that mortal, Jane Foster. Thor had waited for Sif for a very long time, with a patience he didn't have for anyone or anything else in the universe. Sif had always been afraid to love Thor. After what had happened to Haldor, it had become even worse. And then, Thor had been banished to Midgard, and Jane Foster had taught him something nobody in Asgard could: Humility. For that alone, she would always have Sif's respect.

That was why she had been trying so hard not to blame Jane Foster for Queen Frigga's death.

After her death, Asgard wasn't the same. More importantly, neither was the Allfather himself. Sif was starting to fear for him. If he went mad with grief, what was going to happen to the Nine Realms? And she wasn't the only one. Her father agreed that something was very wrong with Odin.

Sigyn had grown distant and gloomy lately. Sif wasn't sure if this was because she was back in Asgard, or something else. She had made no comments on Odin's odd demeanor yet, but it couldn't possibly have escaped her notice.

After tossing and turning in the bed for hours with these thoughts nagging at her mind, Sif decided to take a more direct approach and share her concerns with Sigyn. It was past midnight, and there was no light or sound coming from her chambers, so Sif assumed she was asleep. Still, Sif was going to lose her mind unless she talked to somebody. She had to wake Sigyn up. But when she opened the door, she found the room fully lit, her sister sharing a passionate kiss with Loki in the bed. They froze when they saw Sif. At least they were still dressed. Thankfully.

"Didn't you lock the door?" Loki scolded Sigyn. They both climbed out of the bed and stood on their feet.

"I cast a muffling charm but… Everyone had gone to bed by the time you came tonight. I forgot. Sif, please close the door. Let us not wake Father up. The charm doesn't work when the door is open."

Sif closed the door, and then turned to face them. "What's the meaning of this?" she demanded.

"Sister, am I not allowed to share a bed with my husband?"

"You are, except your husband was supposed to be dead!" It all made sense now. Loki had been posing as Odin all this time. "Where is Odin?"

Loki chuckled shamelessly. "He is safe."

"Do you honestly think I'm going to take your word for it, trickster?"

"What about your sister's word?"

Sif looked at Sigyn in utter disappointment. She knew Sigyn loved him, but this? This was treason. "If you weren't my sister, I'd take your head. I'd take both your heads."

"Sif, please just hear us out."

She crossed her arms. "Alright. Start explaining. Now."

"Believe it or not, we're doing this to keep Odin alive. The Odinforce is the only—"

"Are you going to tell her the truth?" Loki interrupted.

"Yes, Loki. I will!"

Loki shook his head in frustration, but didn't try to stop Sigyn from speaking.

"What truth?" Sif asked, this time more softly. Something was going on between the two, she could see that now. Something that was much more important than Loki's desire for a throne. He might be a trickster, but Sif was a seasoned warrior and she recognized danger when she saw it.

Sigyn told her everything. How Sigyn had received a vision that had warned her against Thanos, how the Princess Shuri of Wakanda and Howard Stark's granddaughter had received similar warnings, to whom the Chitauri army really belonged, and why it was so important for Odin to stay alive at all costs. It was a shock to discover what the sister she thought she knew so well had been going through all these years.

"I still don't understand why you have to exile him, though," Sif said once Sigyn was done explaining. "If he is weakened, he needs to go into the Odinsleep and regain his strength."

"Except he wouldn't stay in the Odinsleep while I rule Asgard," Loki muttered angrily. "And Thor doesn't want the throne. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Don't pretend like you're doing this for Asgard, Loki."

"No. I'm doing it for Sigyn."

Sif believed him. At least she believed his desire to do right by Sigyn. Loki could have revealed the truth about HYDRA to spread chaos across Midgard. He hadn't. He could have escaped while everyone thought he had died on Svartalfheim and hide from Thanos for the rest of his life. He hadn't. His first command as the king had been to send Sif and Volstagg on a mission to give the Aether to the Collector for safekeeping, instead of using the Reality Stone for his own selfish gain. Sif didn't like this, but she had to admit that he was on their side now. And they were going to need all the help they could get.

"Sister," Sigyn started. "I'm glad you now know the truth. I hated lying to you. But we can't tell father. We can't tell our friends. And more importantly, we can't tell Thor. If we want to prepare for Thanos, we must do it from the shadows."

Sif understood. Heimdall must have seen all these happen, and warned Odin and Frigga, but they both had kept the truth from everyone. Working silently in the shadows was the wisest way to win this war, then. And speaking of Heimdall…

"Does Heimdall know what you've done to Odin?"

"No. I conceal both Odin and myself from Heimdall's sight."

Sif rolled her eyes. "Oh, please! Don't tell me he doesn't suspect anything."

"Even if he does, he chooses to ignore it. If he becomes too much of a trouble, I'll exile him. Now, I'll leave you ladies alone. After all, you have so much to discuss." With these words, Loki walked himself out.

"I've forgotten that Loki actually had some manners, at least while you were around."

"He became worse after I left, didn't he?"

Sif made no reply. They had never openly discussed it before, but Sigyn was right. If Sigyn had never left home, Loki would not have ruined Thor's coronation by letting the Frost Giants into the realm. But perhaps, he would. There was no need to lament over what might, or might not have happened. Both Sigyn and Thor had needed an exile in Midgard, for completely opposite reasons. Midgard might have taught Thor humility, but it had given Sigyn confidence and self-respect. There were many other unfortunate things that might have happened if they had never left Asgard.

"I broke his heart," she went on. "And I broke yours, too. I failed, both as a wife and a sister."

"No, Sigyn. I'm not going to pretend to understand what it is like to be a half-mortal, but I know you did what you had to do. We loved you, but we never treated you as an equal. We were so condescending, so…"

Sigyn gave her shoulder a squeeze. "You only wanted to protect me."

"And look at you know. The Queen of Asgard…"

She laughed mirthlessly. "Do I look like a queen to you?"

"You shouldn't ask me. I only saw my little sister when I look at you."

"Sif?"

"Yes?"

"I wish Frigga were here."

"I know." Sif wasn't sure why, but if Frigga were still here, neither of them would feel so vulnerable right now. Not knowing what else to do, she pulled Sigyn into a hug, and Sigyn held onto her tightly, like the way she used to do when they were children. "Sigyn…"

"Mm?"

"If we fail, if your vision comes true…"

Sigyn immediately pulled herself back to look her in the eye. "Sif, no…"

"This time," she continued, "Choose to save Loki. You don't owe me anything."

"No," she said, shaking her head frantically. "I'm not going to choose anyone!"

"Sigyn, listen to me," Sif insisted. "I'm asking you to choose Loki, because if Asgard falls, you two are the only ones who can still avenge us. You are… different. You think differently, you fight differently. You can do things warriors like me cannot do. This is why I want you to choose him."

"All warfare is based on deception," she mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing… Just something I learned in Midgard." This time, it was Sigyn who pulled her into a hug. "I'm not going to choose anyone," she repeated. "It won't come to that."

…

Sif had never thought she would become a liesmith herself, but the current circumstances had left her no other choice. Well, she wasn't exactly a "liesmith," but hiding the truth about Thanos and Odin from everyone was challenging enough for her. Nonetheless, she would be a fool if she refused to understand why this was necessary. The truth would only spread fear and chaos across the Nine Realms. As for Thor, he had never been one for elaborate schemes. Sif loved him, but she had to admit that he would ruin everything they had achieved so far. Which wasn't much, but it was still better than being completely unprepared.

When Loki summoned them to the throne room one day, Sif hoped Odin was alright. He was all alone in Midgard now, with no memory of who he really was, or what he was capable of. Even a mere mortal could easily kill him. The thought made it especially harder for Sif to be a part of this scheme, but she had been dragged into it, and there was no going back now.

"Odin" seemed quite cheerful when they entered, though, so Sif assumed his father was still safe. He dismissed the guards. Once they were alone, he started, still wearing his disguise, "I learned a few things today."

"Well?" Sif asked impatiently. Just because she had to work with him, it didn't mean she enjoyed it.

"Heimdall told me what the Nexus is."

The Nexus was the solution the mortals had come up with, though even they didn't know what it was yet.

"It's a combination of the essence of each Infinity Stone," Loki went on. "That was the time-traveler's plan."

"Don't be ridiculous, Loki, that's impossible!" The essence of the Infinity Stones? Even Asgard, the most advanced realm in the universe, couldn't create something like that.

"No, it's not," Sigyn disagreed. "Howard discovered the essence of the Space Stone. Though it took him decades to do it. At least it explains why Ana and Shuri asked me about the Infinity Stones."

"And you didn't tell them," Loki reminded.

"A grave mistake on my part."

"Why did you not ask Heimdall about this Nexus before?" Sif scolded him.

"Do you think it's easy to ask Heimdall such questions without raising suspicion? Show some gratitude, Sif! I'm doing whatever I can."

"You knew it wasn't going to be easy when you usurped your father's throne!"

"Sif, Loki, please!" Sigyn snapped at them, and they went quiet. "Alright, they don't trust us now, but we have to find a way to let them know."

"Thor can help," Loki suggested.

"Thor?"

"HYDRA has revealed itself," Loki said. "That's another thing Heimdall told me this morning."

Sigyn's eyes blazed with such a fury that for a moment, Sif couldn't recognize her own sister. "How?"

"They tried to kill every mortal who might be a threat to them one day. Like, 20 million mortals… Don't worry, Rogers, Fury, and Romanoff took care of them before they could execute their plan. But SHIELD went down with HYDRA."

"Good. The corruption went too deep. It was the only way."

It didn't make much sense to Sif, but then she remembered that Sigyn understood Midgard better than any of them. If she said this was the only way, then it was the only way. "Then why are you so upset, sister?"

"I'm not upset. I'm just… I've been waiting for too long for this day."

"What will happen to Midgard now?"

Loki smirked. Sif wished he stopped doing this. Seeing Loki's arrogant smirk on Odin's face made her skin crawl. "Tony Stark has invited the Avengers to his tower in New York so that they can destroy HYDRA's remaining forces. And this is where we can use Thor's help."

"How?"

"Let me show you."

Sif and Sigyn looked at each other, but the latter didn't look like she knew what Loki was up to. They watched him in confused silence as he reached out to Thor through astral projection. A projection of Thor appeared in the throne room, but it looked like he could only see "Odin." Sif tried not to think about how handsome he still looked in those Midgardian clothes.

"Father!" Thor greeted him. "You look well. How fares Asgard?"

"Asgard is prospering, as usual. What of Midgard?"

His smile faded. "Not well. HYDRA finally revealed itself. SHIELD has been destroyed. It is safe now, but people are concerned. Even Jane…"

"Yes, yes… So, I've been told by Heimdall. Are you going to accept the Howardson's invitation?"

"Of course! Many glorious battles await us."

"Good… Because I want you to deliver a message to his daughter."

"Ana?" he asked, apparently surprised that his father had a message for a mortal.

"Yes. Director Fury entrusted her with Loki's scepter. And I have decided to do the same. I want the girl to keep and study it. Tell her that the scepter contains the Mind Stone."

He furrowed his eyebrows in vexation. "Loki's scepter contains an Infinity Stone?"

"It does. That's why you cannot bring it to Asgard. Especially now that another stone has appeared."

"Another stone?"

"The Aether. It contains the Reality Stone. I sent it the Collector by Sif and Volstagg immediately."

Thor nodded gravely. "A wise decision… But, Father, do you think this is a coincidence? Three Infinity Stones showing up in the last few years..."

"Let me worry about that, my son. Do you remember your lessons on the creation of the universe?"

"Yes, of course."

"Good. Then you can answer any questions the Stark girl will have about the Infinity Stones. Oh, and tell her that I am sorry. It was wrong of me to ignore Midgard for so long. I was being… sloppy. Just tell her that. She'll understand."

Thor now seemed even more confused, but he nodded nevertheless. "As you wish, Father."

"Farewell, my son," he said, and broke the spell.

"You didn't say anything about the Nexus," Sif said. "How is that going to help them?"

"I don't have to say anything about the Nexus. The Stark girl will figure it out."

"How do you know that?"

"Because she's a clever one. I've been inside her head."

"I'm going back to Midgard," Sigyn suddenly announced, and stormed out of the throne room. Sif went after her. Even if she sensed Sif was following her, she didn't stop to look back. They just strode in silence for a time.

"Where are you going?" Sif finally asked as they left the city behind them and Heimdall's Observatory appeared on the horizon.

"I told you, I'm going back to Midgard!" Sigyn replied without even looking at her.

"Yes, but for what?"

"To avenge Maria and Howard."

"Now?"

"Yes!"

"Alright, I'm coming with you."

Only then, Sigyn stopped in her tracks and turned to face her. "Why?"

"I don't want you to be alone."

"Thanks, but I can handle HYDRA myself."

"Do you even know who killed them?"

"No."

"How are you hoping to find out?"

In response, Sigyn only looked at the Observatory.

"And if Heimdall refuses to tell you? Sigyn, you must think this through. Loki said SHIELD was gone as well. I know you had some… privileges in Midgard, privileges that could help you find out who killed your friends, but if SHIELD has really collapsed, you must have lost those privileges."

Sigyn conjured a piece of fine hide that was folded into two. When she flipped it open, Sif saw the SHIELD sigil embedded inside. "What is this? Your coat of arms?"

Sigyn laughed half-heartedly. "This is my SHIELD badge. Or, rather, it was. You're right, I don't have any privileges in Midgard now." She tossed the badge into the abyss, as if it had suddenly caught on fire.

"You shouldn't have thrown it away. It was a keepsake. Something to remember your friends by."

"I don't need trinkets to remember them. Howard and Peggy… They did so much to protect their world. Too much. In the end, it consumed them. I'm glad SHIELD is gone."

Sif took her hand. "I know you can do this on your own. The thing is, you don't have to. Let me help."

Sigyn gave her a small smile. "Thanks, sister."

She started walking again. Heimdall was waiting for them.

"My ladies," he greeted them dryly.

"You know why we're here." Sigyn was almost begging him.

"Have you not learned anything from your mistakes, Lady Sigyn?"

"I have. That's why I've waited for so long. Please, good Heimdall. All I ask is a name. Just give me a name."

Heimdall considered it for a moment while Sigyn waited expectantly, then finally said, "The Winter Soldier. The Winter Soldier killed your friends. The rest is up to you."

The name didn't mean anything to Sif, and she didn't know if it meant anything to her sister. But she seemed satisfied. "Thank you."

"Now, where do you want to go?"

"To the last known location of the Winter Soldier."

"Very well. I wish you good fortune in your quest for vengeance."

With these words, he unsheathed Hofund, and activated the Bifrost. In a matter of seconds, the two sisters were in Midgard. They were standing on the top of a hill, but Sif could see a river in the distance, and a mortal city beyond that river.

"Where are we?"

"Welcome to Washington DC, sister."

…

It amazed Sif to see how resourceful her sister had become. She disguised their armors as Midgardian outfits, found a four-wheeled vehicle—a car, she called it—that would help them travel faster, and brought them to a hotel, like the one Lorelei had chosen to hide in. Sif thought they would visit her friend, Peggy, while they were here, but Sigyn had said she didn't want to be distracted right now. She was trying to discover the identity of the Winter Soldier with the help of a laptop and WiFi connection, while Sif was busy exploring their chambers.

"Sif, come here," she gasped at some point. "You must see this."

Sif ran up to her immediately. "Yes?"

"I've been going through the leaked HYDRA files. I know who the Winter Soldier is. But then, so does everyone else in Midgard. Sergeant Barnes. It's quite a scandal."

"Why?"

"He was a Howling Commando, and Captain Rogers' best friend."

The way Sigyn spoke, this surely had some significance, but whatever it was, it eluded Sif. "So?"

"He was supposed to have died a hero. I think Barnes killed the Starks, and many other innocent people, but not willingly. I think he was brainwashed by HYDRA."

"Sorcery," Sif spat, disgusted.

"I wouldn't call it 'sorcery,' sister. Mortals are not that advanced. It's just primitive science."

"Whatever you say. So, what do we do now?"

"Heimdall is clever. He gave me a name, but not of the man who ordered the hit. But if we find Barnes…"

"He can tell us who was behind it."

"Yes. The problem is, he is good. Really good. No one has seen him since the HYDRA Uprising."

"How are we going to find him?"

"With sorcery. If I have something that was a part of him once, I can locate him. According to the reports, Barnes and Rogers had a fight on one of the Project Insight helicarriers. There must be some blood or hair."

"Are you going to search the entire place by yourself?" Sif had seen the ruins of the Triskelion on their way to the hotel. The debris was massive. Sigyn had said it would take years for mortals to clean it up.

"I don't have to. Damage Control has been doing that for me. I'm just going to pay them a visit, and borrow all the blood, hair, and tissue samples they have found. At least one of them should belong to Sergeant Barnes."

Once again, she was impressed. "Clever… But please, don't get caught."

"I'll be back in a few hours."

After she left, Sif decided to meddle with her laptop. It seemed like a useful tool to learn more about this realm. She read about Sergeant Barnes and Captain Rogers first, and then the Avengers. Eventually, she found herself reading everything she could find about Thor. She couldn't believe how many "fans" he had here. There were pictures as well. Pictures of him fighting the Chitauri in New York, pictures he had taken with some of his fans, and pictures of him and Jane Foster taken by the "paparazzi." He seemed happy. He seemed at home. Just like Sigyn. The last thing Sif wanted was to empathize with Loki, but she had to admit that she understood how hurtful it was to lose first a spouse, and then a sibling to these mortals. Well, she hadn't really "lost" them. She and Sigyn still loved each other dearly, and Thor was still her friend. It wasn't the mortals' fault that Thor no longer fancied her. It was her own. She was the one who had rejected his advances in the past.

Sigyn returned by nightfall. And she seemed victorious. "We're going to Bucharest," she announced.

"Where is Bucharest?"

"A city in Europe."

"So, I assume you cast your locating spell?"

"Yes. And because I hid my ship in Tonsberg, I'm going to cast an invisibility spell so that we can fly commercial to Norway first without forging us passports."

"Can't you just find another flyer for us?"

"Do you want me to steal a jet? Because that would be much more conspicuous."

"Well, being stowaways sounds less dishonorable than being thieves…"

Sigyn narrowed her eyes suspiciously when she realized Sif had been using her laptop. Thankfully, Sif had closed the "windows" when she had heard Sigyn return. Still, Sigyn did something with it, and what she saw on the screen made her burst into laughter.

"You've been stalking Thor!"

"I'm not stalking anybody!"

"It's alright, Sif. Next time you stalk someone, remember to delete your browser history afterwards."

Sif turned around stubbornly and pretend to look out the window.

"Sister, please!" Sigyn came up to her and hugged him. "I just missed this. I missed having fun together."

"I'm sorry. I'm being childish."

"No. I guess I hit a sour spot. But Thor's relationship with Jane Foster won't last long."

"I know."

"No, it's not what I meant. It doesn't necessarily have to end with her death. I just don't think they can make this work."

"Why not?"

"Thor wants to give this a try, he really does. But when he came to me, he just didn't seem… ready. There is a price, Sif. And Thor isn't willing to pay that price."

Sif sighed. She wasn't supposed to feel selfishly hopeful. This was a terrible struggle for Thor. But deep down, she was hoping Sigyn was right.

"It's alright, sister," Sigyn said, as if she could read her thoughts. "It's alright to be selfish sometimes. When was the last thing you wanted something for yourself?"

To be honest, Sif couldn't remember when was the last time she had wanted something for herself. "Let's just go to this Bucharest and find out who really killed your friends."

…

Although Sigyn had cloaked them invisible, Sergeant Barnes was constantly looking back over his shoulder as they followed him through the streets of Bucharest. Sif wasn't sure if it was merely a habit, or he could somehow "sense" them. He bought some food, then returned home. Sif was surprised to see that the mortals here lived in tiny cubes that formed concrete towers, but Sigyn said it was a common practice, especially in large cities.

"What now?" Sif asked after Barnes entered his apartment.

"Let's see if we can do this the easy way first."

She knocked on the door. When no answer came, she knocked again. Sif didn't have much hope, but the door suddenly opened.

"Can I help you?" he asked tensely. Sif decided to let her sister do the talking.

"Hello, Sergeant Barnes."

His eyes widened in alarm, and he started backing away from them.

"Please," Sigyn continued. "We're not here to fight you. On the contrary, we have a common enemy: HYDRA."

"Who are you people?" he asked, still retreating further into his apartment.

"I'm Sigyn Tyrsdottir of Asgard. This is my sister, Lady Sif."

"So, you're aliens… Do you really expect me to believe that?"

Sigyn broke the illusion spell that hid their armors as Midgardian clothes.

"Shit," he hissed, and then punched a hole on the floor. He took out a bag, then threw it out of the window.

"No, wait—" Sigyn approached him, but he sent her flying back to the door, knocking over them both. Barnes ran past them and started descending the stairs at an incredible speed. They went after him, with their swords drawn. At some point, he stopped descending, and jumped through a window. He landed on another, lower rooftop, where his bag was waiting for him. The two sisters kept pursuing him.

"What's in that bag?" she asked Sigyn.

"Money, weapons, fake IDs, passports… Whatever he needs to stay alive and off the grid."

They were closing the gap. Sif had to admit that she had underestimated this mortal's strength, but it would be a lie if she said the chase wasn't giving her a thrill. And while Sigyn was a lot stronger than she used to be, she still wasn't as fast as Sif. Once Sif decided that she was close enough, she leaped forward and tackled him from behind. They started wrestling on the floor.

"Yield, Sergeant Barnes! We don't want to harm you."

"Then why do you have swords?"

There was no time to explain. Sigyn came to her help, and pulled Barnes away from her, but he managed to grasp Sif's sword with one hand. Sif pulled his arm with such a force that she ripped it off. Only then, they realized that arm was of metal, not flesh. Sigyn forced him down on his knees, and pressed her sword against his throat. She only released him when he raised his hand in surrender. They all looked at each other, panting heavily.

"Aren't you going to kill me?" he asked, as if he was surprised that they hadn't slain him where he stood already.

"That depends," Sigyn replied.

"On what?"

"On how much control you had over your actions when you killed two of my friends… Now, can we go back to your apartment and talk?"

…

Barnes didn't tell them anything, claiming he didn't remember his life as either Sergeant Barnes, or the Winter Soldier. Sigyn, on the other hand, told him her entire story.

"I wish you hadn't done it, sister," Sif whispered to her while Sigyn was studying Barnes' notebook. He had been keeping notes on his scattered memories, details that came and went, and the facts he had been able to discover about his old life.

"Hadn't done what?" she asked idly.

"Told him who you were."

"I can heal him, Sif. But I need to earn his trust first."

"What if he chose to kill your friends?"

"Then he will know he is paying for their lives with his as I kill him."

Barnes was out on the small and filthy balcony of the apartment, probably considering Sigyn's offer. She had told him how she could use her magic to give him his memories back. He had been standing there, doing nothing for hours. At last, he returned inside.

"I want to do it," he announced.

Sigyn closed the notebook and put it aside. "Very well. Sit down and try to relax. This won't hurt you, I promise."

"I can handle the pain. I've been tortured countless times."

"That may be so, but I'm not a torturer."

He sat down on a chair and closed his eyes. When Sigyn placed her hands on his temples, he sucked in a sharp breath. She told him to relax, but he only frowned and clenched his fists. Sif was ready to intervene in case he turned hostile and attacked Sigyn. But he didn't. By the time he opened his eyes, Sif could see that he was a different man now. He and Sigyn looked at each other and nodded in something that resembled agreement.

"Sister?"

"Vasily Karpov," she whispered, her voice full of venomous hatred. Sif didn't ask her who that was. It was the name of the man Sigyn had been waiting to kill for more than two decades.

…

They traveled to another country called Germany next. After landing on an empty field, Sigyn left Sif and Barnes alone on the ship, and returned wih a car a about quarter an hour later. "Get in," she told them.

Sif sat down next to her sister, while Barnes seated himself in the back of the car. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"We're going to meet someone. I wish I didn't have to bring her into this, but I had no choice."

When Sigyn turned a key, the vehicle started humming. As her sister drove, Sif quietly observed the Midgardian roads. It was way past midnight, so they were mostly empty now. She could see the lights of their cities in the distance. They stopped under a concrete bridge, where a woman who was dressed completely in black was waiting.

"Stay in the car," Sigyn told them, and went out.

She and the woman greeted each other with a hug, then the latter gave her something. They exchanged a few words, then she scurried away, while Sigyn returned to the car. She was holding a rectangular, straw-colored envelope.

"Who was that?" Sif asked.

"Sharon Carter. Peggy's great-niece," she replied and turned to Sergeant Barnes. "You never saw her here. She works for the CIA now, I don't want her to get into any trouble because of us."

"Understood."

"Good." She tore the envelope open and looked at the papers inside.

"Well?" Barnes asked. He sounded as bloodthirsty as Sigyn now.

"He's in Cleveland."

A/N: I loved the movie, but aside from the general awesomeness, there were two particular details that made me fall in love with it. The first one was, Jarvis, of course. He's always been my favorite character, and I'm so happy that he was chosen to be the first character that made it from TV to the movies. The second was, the nod to A-Force. As a fanfiction author who created her own version of A-Force, that scene made me so proud of my work and inspired me so much!

As for the ending… Well, it was heartbreaking, of course. To be honest, I felt like I had a taste of my own poison after what I did you guys at the end of The Princess. But because Ana seems to be my most popular OC, I want to say that she's going to get a less depressing closure at the end of The Goddess. Let's just say you haven't seen the last of the Starks ;)