A/N: So, I know there's a couple of you that like how I've portrayed Sigyn, but what do the rest of you think? She won't be a major character, but she's been pretty key in Loki's past so she's kind of been in it a lot. I just want to make it clear that this isn't a Loki/Sigyn story, as there will be chapters where she isn't even mentioned. She's just part of the whole norse mythology aspect of things. This is not, and will never be, a romance-centric story.

But, on another note, I can't believe how well this story has been received.

I love you all. Thank you so, so, so much.

Steve had seen a lot of things in his life time- hell, he'd had seventy whole years to catch up on, so he was bound to see some unexpected stuff- but nothing could have prepared him for the raw, complete power that Loki expelled in that instant.

Seconds before, Steve- and he was fairly sure everyone else in the Quinjet- had come to the horrifying revelation that the old man was Thor and Loki's father, and therefore King of Asgard. And as if that wasn't bad enough, he'd remembered at the last moment that Thor had mentioned something about Loki being adopted, and that there were some pretty irreparable rifts in their family. When he was on the plane with Thor and Sigyn, he'd been told some really quite horrible stories about Loki's past- most of which were, apparently, quite well known in Norse mythology- and he could now see that the man down on the ground was more than broken; he was completely shattered. And Steve hated that he had to fight against that. But, as a wave of pure energy-magic-whatever-you-called-it washed over the Quinjet, Steve was once more reminded that this was Loki and that he was a threat.

The Quinjet was knocked backwards, and Steve held onto one of the bars above his head with one hand and grabbed hold of the nearest person with the other hand, making sure they didn't fall. It was Bruce, and Steve thought for a sickening moment that he caught a glint of green in his eyes.

"You okay?" He asked Bruce.

The doctor had his eyes shut and was taking deep breaths. After a moment, while the Quinjet was still trying to right itself- (Damn it- It's not working- We're going down- Get everyone to safety-)- Bruce nodded and said, "Yeah... I'm good... For now."

"We need to land!" One of the pilots shouted.

Steve met Bruce's gaze. "Well, I hope you're ready for a reunion with Loki."

Sigyn barely had time to protect herself from the blast- Loki's magic, strong as it was, did not affect her nearly as much as it did others, but it would still have been enough to knock her off her feet- and she just managed to stay upright, such was the raw power behind it. Luckily for everyone, it was just a single wave of magic, but Sigyn still frowned. Loki had not been that powerful before... (Oh, Loki, what did those monsters do to you?)

Thor had shielded himself by holding Mjolnir in front of his face, though there were deep grooves in the overturned dirt from where he had been pushed back several feet. Odin seemed completely unaffected. Sigyn was not entirely certain that it was a good thing, considering that Loki's current goal was to hurt him and only him. The mortals' jet was completely dead, and they were doing their best to land it safely and get out. Even so many miles away, Sigyn could sense that the SHIELD agents that had been sent to monitor Loki now had no transportation; their aircraft was also completely powerless.

And Loki himself was at the centre of it all, stalking towards Odin with glowing green magic around his hands. The sun had broken from the cover of the mountains in the distance and now illuminated the entire scene; magic glittering, green eyes blazing, pale skin glowing, inky black hair blowing in the wind.

Sigyn had never been afraid of Loki, but there was something in the way he glared at Odin- like he just wanted to kill- that made her heart twist. Right now, he was not the man she had fallen for so many centuries ago. Right now, he was not the God of Mischief.

Right now, he was not even the God of Chaos.

He was Chaos itself, in its purest form.

Odin did not move. He did nothing other than shield himself from Loki's magic. He stood his ground even as Loki came closer. (My son, I am so sorry I have done this to you.) He wanted to say it, but his damned pride would not allow him. He had thought he could do it, he had thought he could say that he was sorry and he could have what was left of his family back together again. He was a fool for thinking it would be so easy.

Loki seemed to realise that his magic was having little affect on Odin's defences, and he snarled in an almost feral way, sending another blast straight at the king. This time, it was much, much stronger and Odin actually staggered backwards slightly. When had Loki gotten so strong? Had Odin truly been so blind to the power his son held?

"Loki-"

"No!" Loki stopped Thor with a random stream of magic sent in his direction, but the focus of his power remained on Odin.

The Allfather could see Thor trying to get closer to Loki; he could see Sigyn doing her best to protect the mortals from Loki's magic; he could see his youngest boy hurting and wanting to hurt him. And he would succeed, at the rate his magic was going. Odin had only just woken from the Odinsleep, and so his own magic was still not completely reliable. He was old, worn and tired; he knew, despite his own power being immense, he would not be able to keep defending himself. Loki would overpower him.

"I want him to feel everything I have felt. I want him to know," Loki continued.

And it was only a matter of time before Loki got what he wanted.

There wasn't much that could scare Natasha Romanov- she wasn't scared now- but the sheer force of whatever it was that Loki was doing was pressing down on her from all sides, and she really, really didn't like it. Not one bit. It made her feel trapped. Under normal circumstances, she would have been fine, but these weren't normal circumstances. (This is monsters and magic and nothing we were ever trained for.)

Steve was doing his best to protect her and Clint with his shield, but it was like the power was fluid. It got everywhere. And it felt like she was being eaten alive by billions of microscopic monsters, each one biting and clawing at her flesh. She risked a look a the scene behind her. Loki was still advancing on the old man; he was hell bent on getting to him. Thor was trying to get to Loki, but his brother kept blasting him backwards with magic whenever he made any progress. The white haired woman... she was just behind Steve, her arms outstretched towards Loki, and the green magic seemed to wash over her completely. It was then that Natasha noticed that there was almost like a bubble around them, and she realised that the woman was trying to protect them from the worst. Whoever she was, she seemed to be a friendly.

The woman turned her head around, looking at them over her shoulder. "You need to get away from here!"

"We can't just leave! He'll get someone killed!" Steve shouted back.

"He will kill you if you don't get out of here now!" She insisted. "Now go, before your green friend decides to come out and play!"

(Shit.)

Natasha hadn't thought of Bruce. She looked over to where she had last seen him. The physicist was leaning against the Quinjet, one hand flat against the metal and the other gripping his hair. His eyes were shut tightly and he seemed to be shaking. There was a dent in the side of the Quinjet, right where his hand was, and it seemed to be getting bigger each second. The Hulk wanted out.

(Run- Run- Run- Don't stop running- If you stop, he'll kill you- Run-)

"Steve, she's right. We need to get Bruce out of here," Clint said before she could form the words.

Steve looked at the two of them, then at Bruce, and then at Loki. Then he nodded. "You two go with Bruce and take cover somewhere."

"He'll kill you!" Clint protested.

"Captain, your friend is right. There is nothing you can do right now other than get to safety," the woman said calmly.

"What about you?" Steve asked.

She smiled grimly. "He will not hurt me."

Natasha would've scoffed if it weren't for the confidence with which she said it. Her blue eyes were completely earnest, no trace of a lie in them, and the assassin truly did believe her.

"Steve, we have to trust her. We're no good to anyone dead," she said to the super-soldier.

Steve frowned at her and looked ready to protest, but hesitated. He looked back at the woman. "You're sure you'll be okay on your own?"

She laughed, but the sound was mirthless. "Captain Rodgers, I think I can handle my ex-husband, don't you?"

Natasha shared a glance with Clint. (Who the hell is this woman?) A groan from Bruce snapped them all back to reality.

"Steve, we have to go now!" Natasha insisted.

Bruce was doubled up and on his knees, trying with all his might to stay in control. He was losing. If they didn't get him out of there, he'd end up hulking out and someone would get hurt.

Steve nodded, and with one final glance at the woman, protected them with his shield as they made their way over to Bruce.

Loki knew Odin could not hold him off for much longer. He waited for the moment with eager anticipation, because, Norns, he just wanted the man to know. He wanted him to know how alone he had been his entire life. He wanted him to know the pain he had been subjected to in the Void. He wanted him to know how he had created a monster that would not stop until he knew how it felt.

Loki had thought the rage was gone. He had thought it had finally left him and that he could live out the rest of his life- however long or short that may be- in peace. But the Norns must hate him, because the rage was back and it would destroy everything. He knew that it would even destroy himself in the end.

"Loki, please!" Thor shouted over the loud, pulsing hum of his magic.

"No. I am tired of him thinking he understands when he really knows nothing at all. But that will change. I'm just giving him what he wants. I'm letting him understand," Loki said. He was sure that Thor could probably not hear him, but it did not matter. All that mattered was that Loki broke down Odin's defences.

And with- one- last- push- there was an explosion that rippled throughout the entire field and for miles beyond, a mixture of shimmering green and gold magic.

"No!" He heard Thor's cry, but there was no sight of him.

There was no sight of anything for several seconds, but then the magical haze cleared, and a small, bitterly triumphant smile worked its way onto Loki's face.

Odin was on his knees in the dirt, the only thing keeping him upright was his spear, which he clung to like an elderly mortal did to a walking stick.

Odin Allfather, on his knees in the dirt before Loki, son of none.