OOO
Siggy didn't have long enough to really process the experience of flying across space before they landed. Both she and Banner looked at each other with mutual awe. "Holy hell!" she hissed, and then felt Thor's reassuring hand on her shoulder.
With a start, she stood up fully and looked around the odd architecture of the room. She thought it looked very…star trek meets star wars."
"So freaking weird." She said and moved to touch something when a pink-skinned woman tiptoed into the room.
"Greetings. The Collector has been expecting you. Please…follow me."
When Siggy looked at Bruce, she had super wide eyes and scrunched her mouth in almost comically. He got the message.
"I know," he whispered. "This is so strange."
Thor led the way after the female, followed by Siggy and then Banner. "You know this is crazy…she's pink! There are bodies and crap all over this fucking place; inside jars and shit!" She snapped, eyes wary.
Banner was clearly gritting his teeth as he walked, though he did reach out and grip Siggy's hand. She stopped freaking out again, mid-sentence, and looked up at him.
He gave a quick, tight grip on her hand and she got the point as she me his gaze. Show no weakness…
Siggy nearly snarled at her own actions, because she completely understood Banner's point. She mentally stepped up to the task at hand and attempted a poker face.
They walked through a hall with live beings held in glass cages. Many looked hostile, some paced their prison, and others sat without any fight in their eyes. She slowed to take in one young girl, bearing scales on one side of her face and eyes devoid of any emotion.
Seeing the little girl set a heat to Siggy's roots and she had to clench her fists, digging her nails into her palms to avoid combusting. She looked back at Banner, who was resolutely looking forward, like Thor. They were not trying to get involved in any way.
Seeing these victims of forced servitude, living in glass boxes, made her have to actively push out her thoughts. Everything about this was ethically, morally, and simply fucking wrong. She forced herself to keep walking, though she knew she'd be leaving with some fresh recurring nightmares.
They entered a larger room with a man at the far end. He had more 'specimens' around, as he hovered over a desk. He had bleached blonde hair in tall, soft spikes, with a side-cape of leopard skin. If the people in the other room were any inkling, she knew it was of a real big-cat. She wanted to maul this guy with the blunt end of an axe.
The man turned around as she had a particularly murderous image in her head, and she started when she realized he looked like David Bowie out of the Labyrinth. His eyes were heavily lined, and there was a draw of charcoal beneath his lower lip.
Despite her anger and complete humor at seeing his Bowie-like appearance, Siggy could tell this was no simple human. He was not one to be trifled with…
"Welcome!" he said with a dark timber in his voice. "To one of my many museums, of course. I have seen you were coming but, tell me, why are you after my humble help?" He said and looked deeply upon each of them.
Thor stood in the middle, Siggy on the left, and Banner on the left, though the Collector watched the doctor with an intense gaze, before skipping to Siggy. "You have a monster and a Valkyrie in your midst, Asgardian. How intriguing." He said, and rubbed his gloved hands together.
Before Thor could change the subject, Siggy needed to poke at this guy, the reason being because he'd ruffled her feathers so much. "Not grade-A Valkyrie, I'm afraid. Not borne of the lightning or anything like mom…never knew who pops was."
At her words, the Collector grinned in a way that set her hair on end. "Ah…so rare. A womb-born Valkyrie? Most rare indeed." He said and took a step forward.
Thor stepped forward then, sensing bad intentions. "We came here to ask for assistance. My companions left a legacy stone here in safe keeping two years ago. We need to either take it with us, or receive your promise to send it to us with our need. We fear a threat is coming to Earth and we need to set up precautions."
The Collector held his gaze on Siggy for a moment longer, before addressing the god. "You are right to fear." He said, and walked to his left, as if thinking. "It is Thanos who is hunting for blood now. I don't wish to meddle with him, so I keep my distance. It would take much for me to keep your item safe…remembering that this new threat I did not provoke. And on top of this free of charge request made by you, I am now expected to get it to you in an hour of need?"
At the frowns he received in answer, he lifted his brows. "And yet this is where I can be most helpful…for a price."
It was like the room dropped ten degrees.
Thor lowered his chin and took a pained breath. "What would you require in return?"
The Collector moved back to the center again before stepping toward Siggy purposefully. Before the others could intervene, she took two steps forward to meet him.
"What are you hoping to get from me? A trophy in a glass cage?" Siggy didn't even try to withhold the anger from her voice and she dimly registered that Banner had pulled on her arm to stop her.
The Collector lifted his hands together, index fingers joined, as he took her in. "I couldn't do such a thing to one of flame…maybe another someday." he said, shocking herself and the companions at her sides. "But no, alas," he continued, "I cannot hide you in a shell for only my eyes. You will have tasks in your lifetime to bring to…fruition." He said with a purr that really unsettled Siggy. "These are tasks that will eventually benefit myself."
"So what do you want?" she snapped, patience wearing thin as the tips of her hair turned blue. The heat became palpable in the room and was noted by the others.
The Collector smiled. "I said you were womb-born, but that means you are a pure Valkyr. None of the ancient Valkyrie are actually born." When he got a grouping of confused looks, he knew he had to explain.
Looking put-upon, he began with a sigh, "Valkyrie are created of mortal women. Their deaths are the catalyst. Choices are the control so that only the best candidates are chosen." He stopped and looked at Sigrün. "Fate will not choose a coward who runs from it at the end. But one who faces it with valor and selflessness."
"Continue...please." she said with her teeth snapped tight and eyes glowing. She was conflicted; she had to know despite the possible lies or the asinine man before her.
The Collector chuckled and turned around. "Ah yes. Because only those whose death was directly caused by their own true acts of valor are chosen and the transformation can begin. In rare cases, these Valkyrie are actually carrying before death and birth pure but "lost", as they say, daughters. They drop them on a world and leave them. You are one of many in the cosmos." He said and turned away.
She must have shown some upsetting, childhood driven emotion on her face, because Thor stepped up to her side and tried to push her back. To shelter her…
Siggy snapped to attention and pushed the god out of her way as she advanced on the Collector. "How the hell do you know that?" she growled, "Why the fuck would you even tell me? What do you have to gain?" She shot-gunned the questions and watched the non-man smirk as he took in her inquiries.
"Well, the simple truth is that it helps me to help you; it's ultimately my benefit by informing you to search for answers. I get snippets of the future… You just happened to make an appearance in one." Before she could bark another question, he became coldly serious and whirled away to his table.
"I am done with your inquiries. You will find answers elsewhere. For now, you will hear my request."
Both Thor and Banner stepped up to her side and tried to shoulder her back, though she was forced to elbow the god in the gut. "Back off." She hissed and pushed back to the fore. "What were you wanting...you seem pretty clear it involves me some way."
The Collector turned to her and said, "A lock of your hair."
At the blank looks he received he sighed and waved at his pink minion. She hopped with surprise and bowed to the three before speaking. "The Collector needs a lock of yours, my lady, because he has been gathering the hair of each Valkyrie he's encountered for centuries. There is a prophecy that if he can get a suitable length of braided Valkyrie hair, they will all be at his will for a time. He shall control your kind for a time."
At the words, Siggy took a breath and asked, "How long would he control...us?"
"It is not known. The Valkyr would still wield their own power and minds, but they would be compelled to obey the wielder of the braid until the control is broken."
Siggy sighed and moved to step up to the table, but she was stopped by both of her companions.
"We don't know all the variables!" Bruce whispered.
"Siggy, this is not wise." Thor followed.
She looked at the both of them and shook her head. "This is more than myself. I think my 'cousins' and I can handle ourselves, if his word is to be believed. And besides, it's just a myth right?"
She ignored the nervous looks she got in return and stepped up to the Collector, holding her hand out. "Deal. You get us the stone when we need it and keep it safe til then. In return, you get a lock of my hair, with which you'll control myself and my cousins or something for X amount of time...as long as its not permanent of course."
Without a word, the not-man bowed his head subtly, and held out a razor sharp knife for her.
Siggy took it and grabbed a bundle to the front of her forehead. "Always wondered what it'd be like to have bangs…Hello, eighties." She ran the blade across the taunt hair at her brows, and she stood there in awe as she looked at her hand. Each strand of hair glowed in her hand, as if flame within thread. So not normal…
To her right, the pink assistant held up a box with a curled up bundle within. Siggy looked into it and spotted a haphazardly begun braid that shown with many colors and elements.
Siggy suddenly inhaled and had to physically hold back tears. She'd finally realized she was not truly alone. There were others out there like herself, who'd been abandoned in a strange world and left to survive alone.
Her amber eyes lifted to meet the Collector and she watched his pride run to the fore. He'd gathered another rarity.
"You finish this braid?" she whispered with a dark undertone, "You better be all set with the repercussions, should you actually command a group of Valkyrie doing stupid shit for you."
The Collector grinned openly and shook his head. "Ah. You sound like all the others when they offer up their hair for a boon…though not as eloquently. Braid it in."
Siggy turned her gaze back to the box and found the most recent additions to add hers to. One was a light strand set that flowed with cold and white. Another looked black and hummed with an earthy energy. She couldn't hide her smile as she weaved her heated hair in with them.
She felt something deep down, and knew this braid was no joke. Siggy and her cousins would one day have zero control over their actions for an unknowable amount of time. The thought scared her to the bone, but she was not going down without a fight.
"Done."
"The die is cast." Said the Collector. "I will send you the stone when you require it, if it is required. As for Thanos, use all of your resources to know where he'll strike first."
With that said, the assistant closed the box and left the area, while another one appeared and led them out. I'll be back for that braid, you dick head. She thought and followed the others to their entrance.
The little girl was no longer in the glass cage, and it made Siggy wary. What if she'd caused that?
Banner grabbed her shoulder and pushed her to keep moving. "Lets get the hell out of here."
No one said anything more as Thor called upon Heimdall and the Bifrost took them out of a living hellhole.
OOO
When they returned to the helipad, they looked at one another with levels of unease. "You know we'll get grilled on this." Bruce said.
"You mean more like I will get grilled." Siggy said and rubbed her forehead, then pulled on her new bangs. "Shit."
Thor made an audible sigh, then laid a heavy hand on Siggy's shoulder once more. "It is done. Many of us make sacrifices for the better at one point. I know you are not doing this needlessly. You also learned something of yourself!"
Siggy smirked and led the way to get inside the tower. "Shit…I learned I wasted time with my dissertation rather than being a total badass and judging the recent dead for access to Valhalla."
Thor chuckled as the doors opened, and the others all suddenly barraged them with questions.
"Fuuuck…" Siggy hissed under breath as she pushed her way through Barton, Romanoff and Hill, before reaching Stark on the outskirts. "How about that drink?"
"Let em argue, I got your back." He replied in all seriousness as he led her to the bar. "Now, the most important question is…is this a glass or a bottle kind 'a night?"
OOO
As for the Valkyrie braid, it was another of Kresley Cole's inspirations on her Valkyrie. Seriously…read that series. -