Loki pushed past Thor, his eyes sweeping over the expanse of the garden and finding no one else amongst the flora and fauna. "Where is she?" he asked, his voice tight. "Where is Sigyn?"
"She is not here, Loki. Let me ex –"
"I'm sorry," said Loki, whirling on his feet hard enough to pull a divot from the ground. "I think I misheard you. It sounded like you said 'she is not here', but that can't possibly be right." He laughed, an utterly joyless sound that made Thor cringe. "I distinctly remember demanding exactly one thing of you before you left – that you return her to me, unharmed. Now let me ask again, and slowly this time. Where…is…she?"
"She remains on Midgard."
"You left her on Midgard," said Loki, his words barely audible. "Alone."
"Not alone. Ambassador Bjorn –"
Loki launched himself at Thor before he could finish, his body moving of its own volition, fingers and teeth hunting for any soft point to dig in. He sought to rend flesh, to shear tendons, to break bones into dust, but Thor's damnable armor hindered his best efforts to find a vulnerable spot. He threw all of his weight into him instead, catching Thor off guard just long enough to successfully drive him into the ground, just barely missing their mother in the process.
Distantly he could hear their voices – both of them begging for Loki to come to reason, to calm himself and listen – but he continued on unabated, straddling Thor's torso and scratching at his face and throat. He was beyond consolation; he couldn't rest until he'd drawn blood.
"Days I've waited!" he screamed, his hair falling into his eyes as his blue fingers searched for purchase in Thor's skin. "And you return without her!? You are an even more idiotic than I –"
The breath was knocked from Loki's lungs as he found himself forcefully thrown from Thor's body and into the dirt, momentarily stunned as his head glanced painfully off a buried rock.
"Just hear what I have to say, Loki," said Thor, raising himself up from the pathway and brushing dirt from his breeches. "I don't wish to fight with you."
"And I don't wish to kill you in front of our mother," said Loki, clearing his head with a shake as he flipped onto his hands and knees. "But I will."
He remained crouched, rushing to grasp Thor's legs. His forward momentum sent his brother flying over his back, far easier than he should have. It was infuriating – if he was going to murder Thor, he at least deserved a proper fight first.
"Loki, stop," said Thor, jumping to his feet and grasping Loki's arm to pull him up. "Think of your son."
"I am thinking of him! How am I to explain to him that his mother was killed because his dear uncle felt it wise to leave her in the company of my enemies?"
He clutched Thor's forearm, focusing all of his energy until he could feel Thor's armor begin to crack and fall away. They could bind his magic – but he could still use his true nature to defend himself.
His hand finally reached flesh, and Thor roared as his skin began to freeze under Loki's touch. He lashed out with his free hand, Loki's head snapping back painfully as it connected with his cheek. His concentration broken, Loki hesitated just enough to lose his grip and stumble back.
"Sigyn –" Thor began, before Loki cut him off.
"You aren't worthy of even uttering her name!" He used what little magic he had available to summon forth a dagger into his hand. He threw it blindly, too overcome with rage to aim properly, and watched in frustration as it flew by Thor's head to bury itself uselessly into the earth.
Loki tried to run past his brother to retrieve it, intending to thrust it into Thor's eye up close, but strong arms circled around his waist and lifted him from the ground. He screamed in fury, loud enough that he could hear Ari's cries begin to mimic his own.
As Loki watched, Frigga – who had been watching the spectacle before her in stunned horror – sprinted away to retrieve her grandson. Thor began to carry Loki away the opposite direction, and was rewarded with more vicious kicks and scratches for his efforts. They rounded a tree, and Loki was once again thrown to the ground; before he could get his bearings, Thor grabbed his wrists and held them above his head.
He heard it before he felt it, the click of metal on metal, and when he tried to pull his hands away to seek out Thor's throat, he found himself completely immobilized. Arching his back and tilting his head revealed exactly what he'd feared – his hands were cuffed once again, but this time, the shackles were looped through the strap on Mjolnir's handle. It was a final insult, and it reduced him to wordless screeches of rage.
With both his magic and his hands bound, he fought with the last weapons available to him, kicking his feet out in an attempt to land a blow on his brother's face, but even in this – and when has it ever been different thought Loki bitterly – Thor had the advantage. With little effort, he managed to grab Loki's legs and pin them to the ground, straddling his knees to hold them in place.
"You must listen to me, brother. You have no other choice."
"I hate you," Loki hissed, his lips pulled back from his teeth in a hideous snarl, Thor's image doubling and then doubling again as his eyes filled with tears. He cried out in his humiliation, and what was intended as a shout of defiance came out instead as a mournful sob.
"Hate me all you like, but this was not my doing," said Thor. "Sigyn –"
"Don't say her name!"
"That's enough! I will silence you if I must," said Thor, nodding toward a guard standing a short distance away who was holding the muzzle in his hands and nearly trembling with the desire to use it. "Don't make me do that."
Loki tried to twist his torso, flexing and bucking in a futile struggle to free his legs, but Thor remained as immovable as a stone. At last, the little remaining energy he had seeped away, leaving him bloodied and tearful and completely defeated.
"Sigyn chose to remain behind," said Thor the as soon as he felt Loki's body relax. "As guarantee that we would return."
"We? Why would I wish to return to Midgard?"
"The Chitauri – they are gathering their remaining forces to attack Midgard once again. My friends need your help, brother."
"Let them die. I don't care." Loki closed his eyes, his tears burning trails down his cheeks.
"Do you care about anything at all?" said Thor, remaining perched upon Loki's legs.
"Not those detestable creatures from Midgard – creatures that you would call friends." He spat the last word like a curse.
"And Sigyn? Do you care for her?"
Loki opened his eyes to level a murderous glare upon his captor. You will never remotely comprehend the love I hold for her, brother was on the tip of his tongue – but with considerable effort, he held it in.
"Obviously you do," said Thor. "She stayed because she loves you. She wants your freedom – and she believes this may be the quickest way to earn it."
Loki took a deep breath, forcing his heartbeat to slow and settle before he spoke again. "I will listen to what you have to say, Thor, if only for Sigyn's sake. But if we return to Midgard and she is dead, know this…the bodies of every man, woman and child on Midgard will feed her funeral pyre."
Odin's voice carried clearly through the heavy doors of his personal chambers as he spoke to Thor.
"You ask me to not only release Loki from prison, but also to restore his powers and allow you to escort him back to Midgard?" he asked. "Are you testing a newfound grasp of wit, my son?"
Thor had thought it best to approach the king alone, leaving Loki to sit on a bench in the corridor, his shackles still attached to Mjolnir's handle. Frigga sat next to him, Ari in her lap.
"Mother, I would not have Ari see me bound this way," he said, ignoring the continued argument beyond the doors. "Can you not ask the guards to free my hands?"
"And risk you running…or worse? I cannot do that."
"Then take him away."
"I will not. There is no better reminder of what you stand to lose than this child."
Ari popped his fingers from his mouth, gurgling at his father before grinning at him. Loki leaned as close as he could, nuzzling his nose into the softest part of Ari's cheek, then kissing the top of his head. The thought that Sigyn might never see their child again was enough to make his stomach turn.
"You worry for her."
"Of course I do," said Loki, his attempt to keep his voice low causing it to come out more viciously than he intended. "Every moment that passes is another moment her life is in danger."
"Do you have no faith in her abilities? No faith that she can protect herself?"
"I have no faith that the fates will allow me any sort of happiness," he responded dryly, pulling uselessly on his chains. "Even for a fleeting instant."
The voices inside Odin's chambers had gone quiet, with heavy footsteps approaching the door filling the ensuing silence. Thor came through the doors, looked at his brother, and shook his head.
"Of course," said Loki, shaking his head and snorting a sharp laugh through his nose. "You were a fool to think you could convince him, Thor."
"Do not give up hope," said Frigga, rising from her seat. "I will talk to him."
"Hope?" said Loki. "What use is hope?" Thor lifted Mjölnir, pulling Loki up with it.
"Think on Sigyn and Ari," said the queen. "Be strong for them."
"Whatever strength I possess is for them and them alone, Mother," said Loki, the chains on his bonds echoing through the halls as Thor led him away.
Pepper came to Sigyn's rooms the day after Thor's departure, bearing several bags of Midgardian clothing.
"I know you didn't plan on staying this long, and honestly, those dresses you brought can't be the most comfortable things to live in day after day. I had to guess on your size, but after so many years of handling Tony's shopping, I've gotten pretty good at it."
She laid the clothes out across the bed, rattling off the names of the dressmakers in a way that suggested they were renowned, though they were all unfamiliar to Sigyn.
She spent an hour trying on different outfits, items Pepper described as "sweaters" and "pants" and "flats", each of them softer and more comfortable than even her best sleeping gown.
"Asgard would do well to adopt these clothing styles," she said. "I, for one, would appreciate the convenience of breeches being available to more than just the men."
"Well, I think you are just the woman to bring about a revolution," said Pepper. "Here, you might like these as well." She held out a smaller bag.
Sigyn took it from her and emptied it onto the bed; the contents appeared to be no more than tiny scraps of lace. She held one up for inspection.
"Undergarments?" she asked.
"Panties and bras. A little less utilitarian than what you're used to, maybe, but a lot more attractive."
Sigyn ran her fingers across the fabric. "My husband will like them," she said, biting her lip when she realized she'd spoken aloud. "Forgive me, Ms. Potts. You must think me terribly naïve to be entangled with one so dangerous."
"Lady Aradottir, you've met Tony. I am the last person to judge someone on their romantic relationships. And please, just call me Pepper."
"And you can call me Sigyn. I cannot thank you enough for your kindness and generosity. Had we met under better circumstances, I feel we would have been great friends."
"Let's not count that possibility out just yet. There aren't many women who so intimately understand what it's like to love a narcissist."
"Pepper, I feel compelled to tell you something," said Sigyn with a sigh. "Loki and I…we have only been married for seven days. I understand how that must make me look – foolish beyond measure to commit myself to him after all he's done. But he…he hasn't always been the cruel and intolerant man you know. I believe there is still good in him, well hidden perhaps, but still there. I must believe that, for our son's sake."
"Well, I only hope for your sake that he proves you right."
The next day, Stark himself came to collect her after breakfast, accompanied by Ambassador Bjornson.
"We're having a meeting this morning, sunshine. There's gonna be a few people there who might want to meet you." He looked her over. "You look amazing by the way. Pepper really knows her stuff."
She had followed him to a large conference room five floors up, dominated by an enormous table enhanced with the latest Midgardian technology. She took a seat at the end next to her tutor, just as various other men and a few women began to file in. Once they were all settled, Stark spoke.
"I know you've all been briefed on the situation with the Chitauri. What you haven't been told is how we plan to combat this threat.
"As you all know, Thor returned to Earth several days ago, along with three Asgardian ambassadors. Two of them are here with us this morning," he said, pointing their direction. "Radi Bjornson, and Lady Sigyn Aradottir."
"And where is Thor?" asked a fair-haired man at the end of the table.
"Well, Steve, that's an excellent question. Thor returned to Asgard to collect a tool we can use against the Chitauri. A giant tool, as it happens."
"And what, exactly, is this tool?" asked a dark-haired man, twirling glasses in his hands.
"Loki."
As one, the table erupted into anger and indignant shouts. Sigyn sank back into her chair, trying to ignore the choicest and most vile epithets being attached to her husband.
A voice rang out above the others, this one female. "And exactly how do we plan on compelling that asshole to help us? He would happily kill us all first."
"Because we have something he wants," said Stark, shooting a pointed look at Sigyn. "His wife."
Sigyn was overcome by the silence and stares that greeted this information. She would have welcomed the shouts again, just to feel less scrutinized.
The dark haired man spoke again. "Does that word mean something different on Asgard than it does here?"
"Afraid not, Bruce," said Stark. "Not only does Loki have a wife, but an infant son as well. Refusal to cooperate would mean he loses both."
"Loki has a kid?" asked the man Stark had called Steve. He looked at Sigyn. "You were intimate with him?"
Stark answered for her. "It's kinda what husbands and wives do, Captain Rogers. Maybe one day you'll find out for yourself."
"Sorry, Lady Aradottir," said a redheaded woman across from her. "I dealt with your husband one-on-one. I don't buy for one second that he wouldn't be willing to sacrifice anything for his own gain – even you."
"Natasha –" Stark began, before Sigyn cut him off.
"It's alright, Mr. Stark," she said, her voice much stronger than she was expecting. "I understand everyone's unwillingness to trust Loki, and having only just met me, I understand the hesitation to place any confidence in me as well. I only ask that you have faith in Thor. He loves this realm too dearly to risk it."
"Now, we're not sure when Thor will be able to return," said Stark, "or even if he'll be able to bring Loki with him. I'm taking the Quinjet to Alaska tomorrow to wait for them; we don't want to risk losing our newest weapon before he's had a chance to fire.
"Before I leave, we'll begin our preparations for attack. And while I'm gone, I expect our Asgardian guests to be treated with the utmost respect and protection, no matter who they're married to. I've been assured we wouldn't want to find out what happens if we don't."
If ceaseless pacing could have released Loki from his cell, he would have been long into his freedom.
He barely slept, ate next to nothing, choosing instead to ruminate upon every horrendous torture his wife was likely experiencing on Midgard and the fact that he was as helpless as Ari to prevent any of it. He wanted to claw his eyes out from exasperation.
Thor had deposited him in his cell once more after his failed audience with the king, assuring him that he and their mother would convince Odin to grant him temporary release. That had been three days prior, and Loki had not heard from anyone since. For all he knew, Odin had been so furious with the very suggestion he'd locked his own wife and favorite son away in a distant tower until they could come to their senses.
He thought on what Thor was asking of him. Help the Midgardians? Against an enemy he'd once led himself? The humans' desperation, something Loki would have once found delightful, was now bitter on his tongue. They had his wife, one of the few beings left in the Nine Realms who held any meaning for him. He would lay his life down for her, and the fact that his brother and those ridiculous "superheroes" of Midgard were using that fact to control him was galling.
He had just lain on the bed, hoping to escape his thoughts with dreamless sleep, when a click on his cell door caught his attention.
"Brother," said Thor, stepping into the cell. "We must make haste."
"How did you convince him?" said Loki, approaching Thor warily.
"That isn't important. Mother?"
Frigga stepped up behind Thor, approaching her youngest son to take his face in her hands. "I cannot remove all the bonds Odin has placed, but I can remove most. You will not be left helpless in this fight."
"You are going against Odin's wishes," said Loki. It wasn't a question.
Frigga did not respond, instead grasping Loki's hands in hers and invoking the words to remove the bonds on his powers. At once, Loki could feel the ties on his magic, the internal ropes he'd grown used to after so long, loosen and fall away bit by bit. It gave him a heady rush, the feeling of his power being restored; his eyes rolled back in his head and his legs began to buckle as it flowed over him.
Frigga guided him to his chair and had him sit. A glass of water appeared, and she held it to his lips, his hands shaking too badly to hold it himself.
He could still sense the slightest restrictions on his most powerful magic, almost insignificant but still there. Wanting to test what he could do, he raised his hand up and summoned a flame to his palm. It grew in intensity as he concentrated, the golden glow reflecting in his mother's eyes as she knelt before him. He smiled, a true smile, unlike any that had graced his features in what felt like ages.
"Thank you, Mother," he said, elated. He snuffed the fire out, marveling at his unburnt, Aesir hand.
"Loki, I believe you will do what is right, for your son and your wife," said Frigga, caressing his cheek. "However, you should know we have put a failsafe in place. Should Thor feel that you are…uncooperative…in any way – he needs only recite a simple phrase, and your powers will be removed again. All of them."
It should have come as no surprise, but this bit of information was still hurtful. "And what guarantee do I have that he will be discriminating in the use of this power?" asked Loki. "That he won't leave me defenseless on a whim?"
"I would cease to be a disappointment to you, brother," said Thor. "Just once, think the best of me instead of the worst."
"Take me to Midgard. Prove to me Sigyn is alive and well…and I will consider it."
His normal armor stored away with magic until such time as he would need it, Loki was given new clothes for the journey, all made of hideous shades of brown and ocher to help disguise his identity.
Thor had also tried to convince him to cut his hair as further camouflage, but he had refused; in compromise, he had instead cast an illusion on himself, making his hair appear closely cropped and dark brown rather than black. He wouldn't be able to fool any facial recognition tools the Midgardians had at their disposal, but his new appearance would certainly attract less attention from any humans they might encounter on the journey to New York.
Heimdall was less than enthusiastic about sending Loki back to Midgard, but the queen's presence at their departure helped soothe his nerves.
"Gatekeeper," she said. "Your prodigious gifts of sight are necessary now more than ever. Watch over my sons on Midgard. Ensure their safety and ours…and if you see anything at all that causes you concern, I authorize you to use any means necessary to correct the problem. Whether that means bringing one or both of them back," she said, nodding toward her sons, "or sending help from Asgard to ensure their victory. I trust you to discern the best course of action when the time comes."
"I serve you and our realm, Your Majesty," said Heimdall. "I defer to your command."
Loki watched her as she stepped farther back into the Observatory, out of the path of the Bifröst. He called to her, just as Heimdall activated the bridge.
"Mother, make certain my son is raised to be the prince he was born to be."
"Return to him, Loki, along with his mother, and make certain of that yourself."
"I plan to. But if something should happen…tell Odin-" He paused, searching for just the right words. "Tell Odin I'll see him in Hel."
She opened her mouth to respond, but he and Thor were thrust forward into the void before she could say a word.
An airship was waiting for them in the clearing when they arrived. No sooner had the Bifröst closed than the hatch opened up, Stark rapidly descending the ramp himself.
"Well, well, well – I was really hoping I'd never see you again, you sadistic bastard."
"Now, now. That's no way to speak to my brother," said Loki. "After all he's done to help you."
"Haven't lost your sense of humor, I see." Stark looked him over. "Though it appears you have lost your sense of style."
Thor interjected before Loki could reply. "Have you been waiting long?"
"We've been camped here for two days – we weren't sure when you'd be back, but we didn't want a repeat of the potential disaster when you arrived last time."
Loki looked to Thor, his brow furrowed. "Potential disaster? What is he talking about?"
"Oh not much," said Stark. "A couple of random hunters nearly shot your lovely wife, but your big brother managed to save the day. Lucky you."
Loki gritted his teeth, shooting a glare at Thor that promised they would have words later. "Lucky me, indeed."
"Now come on, you two," said Stark, waving his hand toward the interior of the ship. "I'm ready to get home."
The ship began to rise before they had even taken their seats. Loki and Thor sat next to one another, while Tony settled in across from them.
"Is Sigyn safe, Stark?" asked Loki. "For your sake, I hope the answer is yes."
"She's perfectly safe, unharmed in any way," said Stark, raising his hands in a gesture meant to pacify. "She's actually enjoying her time here on Earth, despite your best efforts to eradicate us."
"She's always had a soft heart for those least deserving." He meant it as an insult, but he realized too late that he could just as easily have been talking of himself.
"Hmmmm, evidently she does. I gotta say, you could have knocked me over with a feather when we discovered that you – of all people – have a wife. She's beautiful, cultured, smart – well, if you overlook her choice of husband. Did you win her in a bet?"
Loki wanted to wipe the smug grin off of Stark's face, preferably with his fists, but he refrained. "Would you like to know my secret?" he asked instead, smiling innocently and leaning forward in his seat for a conspiratorial whisper. "She stays with me, you imbecile, because my royal endowment is so…substantial." He sat back in his seat, all traces of humor gone from his face.
Stark merely laughed. "Well, I knew it couldn't be your winning personality."
"Let us save the barbs for later, both of you," said Thor, his tone that of a parent dealing with unruly children. "You can go back to hating one other once this threat has been eliminated."
Sigyn and Radi were sitting in the common area of their living quarters, going over a textbook about the history of Native Americans, when the elevator door opened.
She jumped from the couch as soon as she saw the flash of Thor's armor. She glanced over his companions, recognizing Stark but not the other man until he spoke.
"Sigyn?"
She was struck dumb, nearly tripping over a table in her effort to get to her husband. He met her halfway, lifting her up effortlessly as she threw her arms around his neck. She buried her face into his shoulder, breathing him in as though her very life depended on it. "Loki," she said when she found her voice. "I was so…so worried…"
"I'm here now," he said as he held her up, not loosening his grip in the slightest as he marched down the hallway. "Which one is your room?"
She lifted her head just long enough to point at the correct door. Glancing back over Loki's shoulder, she could hear Stark speaking to Thor. "Damn. It's like I've been waiting for a punchline, and no one's told a joke. Unbelievable."
She barely had time to mouth the words thank you to Thor, before they were in her room, Loki kicking the door shut with such force she was sure they would never be able to open it again – not that she cared. She had her husband back, and in that moment nothing else mattered.
She raised her head, kissing him with as much vigor as she could muster, dimly aware that he was setting her down. It wasn't until her lips parted from his that she felt him gripping her arms and pushing her away, gently but firmly.
"What? What's the matter?" she asked, bewildered.
"Do you have everything you need?"
"What? Yes, I suppose. Why?"
"Because you and I are leaving this building, this city, this realm," said Loki. "Together. Right now."
A/N: As always, favorites, follows, and reviews are always welcome! :)
To answer a few guest reviews:
amazing: Thank you so much, and sorry for the lost sleep! My love for Loki and Sigyn is just so deep; I fear they would butcher her character in the movies, though. Especially now, with his character as deep in as he is - any woman would look absolutely crazy to attach herself to him at this point. :(
A Nice Person: Daddy!Loki is my biggest weakness. And Sigyn's #45 will happen...eventually. ;)
Guest: I think the only way for Loki to have any sort of believable redemption is to have him do something heroic - even if it's also completely self-serving at the time. :)