Revamped!
[HELLO, 100,000 WORDS! I'm glad you came since school is killing me].
Chapter 72: A Kiss to Remember
Location Classified - 7:40 AM
To Xavier's surprise, the Council isn't mad at him for skipping work which is what he expected to happen once they found out, which they did. Maybe it was because of the reason why he skipped and lied about it as to why they were being soft. They're more focused on Apollo showing up than Xavier making something up (a part of him is grateful for that). Besides, Xavier got Apollo so that had to have won him some points with the Council.
Councilwoman Ameen: How did you know Apollo was coming?
"He sent a raven," Xavier replies.
Xavier was joking but judging by the skeptical faces of the Council, they didn't catch that. He decides it to be best if he kept quiet about his joke given the gravity of the situation. Hopefully, the Council believes him and chooses not to question him further about an unnecessary raven. Either way, he wouldn't know what to say, especially if they ask about Sigyn. He's already lied on oath to protect Daniel and the 0-8-4, and now more of his friends are on the line.
Councilman Lausanne: And what about his cousin, the Lokisdottir? Any ravens from her?
Xavier isn't sure if they're serious about the ravens or not. "...no."
Councilman Lausanne: Is she possibly up to something in her nature?
It takes Xavier a minute to process what the Council said but only a second for him to be offended by it.
"In her nature?" Xavier repeats. "Please elaborate on what you meant by that because the fact that she's Loki's daughter doesn't mean she's up to any criminal activity. Do you think that just because my team and I followed in our parents' path she would do the same? That's an accusation far -"
Councilman Neilson: Settle down, Captain Rogers, you aren't her defence attorney.
"Then don't be her opposing prosecution."
The Council is uneasy because they whipped Xavier in his weak spot the moment they started asking about her and he fired back. They should have seen this attitude coming but since it's from Xavier out of all people, they have no idea how to act or respond to it.
Councilman Lausanne: Back to our original question, do you know if the Lokisdottir is up to something?
"I haven't heard from her in seven years," Xavier replies.
Councilman Lausanne: Has Apollo said anything about a possible plan?
"No."
Councilman Lausanne: Anything about their actions within their seven-year absence?
"Nothing."
That's the only part which hurts about this whole situation. Yes, he had the dream with Sigyn in it followed by a series of hallucinations but the whole thing just felt fake.
Councilwoman Kwon: You are dismissed.
Xavier looks up at them and realizes that they're letting him go without answering their question.
-o-
SHIELD Headquarters - 12:53 PM
Angela sits with James on one of the lounge's couches while Merida is sitting a nearby armchair. From the outside, they're all relaxed and calm when in reality they're still pretty startled by what's happening now. SHIELD isn't assigning them any mission until they're steady with the whole Apollo situation.
"Apollo said we gave the crown to Sigyn," Angela tells them.
"No, we didn't," James says.
"I told him that but I don't think he believed me. He almost seemed positive that we gave it to her."
"Last I checked, he lost his memories."
"But it could've been Sigyn disguising as Thor."
"Why would she do that?"
"That's what I told Apollo but he wasn't sure about anything. Now I don't even know."
"So what if we might have given it to Sigyn?" Merida says. "What was that crown anyways? Did he say?"
Angela shakes her head.
"Who knows and, at this point, who cares?" James says.
"I'm just happy that Apollo hasn't beaten me up," Angela says optimistically.
Merida and James nod to that. Apollo hasn't been here for a long time and out of their whole group, he's already beaten up Xavier, strangled Daniel, and attacked Emily. Then again, Apollo just got here and any one of them could be next.
"I wouldn't stress much on what Apollo says," Merida says. "Maybe he just had a bullshit dream with Sigyn in it."
"Remember when we had a 'bullshit dream' with Sigyn in it?" Angela questions. "Now look at what we're dealing with."
Merida is left speechless for a moment. She didn't put their whole Sigyn dream into this new perspective about them not being dreams until now. When she dreamt of her and Britney at a party and then jumping from a water tower with Apollo and Daniel, she thought it was fun. When she got to the eerie forest part, she woke up and laid in bed until she got the call from the others.
"Maybe we should just let Apollo rest," Merida suggests. Nobody is used to her speaking so gently. "Look, he just got here and is kinda screwed up but I say we leave him to take a nap. Okay, I'm not talking about a full-on hibernation. Maybe he just needs to breathe like the rest of us."
Angela sighs. "Aside from that, I think it's good that Apollo is aware of Sigyn minus the whole cousin relationship they have. We should probably address her as Britney if we need to talk about her without Apollo questioning. I doubt that he knows who Britney is if Sigyn is foggy."
Merida and James agree. Now, they just have to inform the others. But if Apollo somehow knows who Britney is then their plan is ruined.
Merida's phone chimes and she looks down at it. "It's Daniel. He and Emily released Apollo from the medical ward since he was getting bored and annoyed in there."
Angela's phone chimes. "I'm getting called down to train recruits."
Angela gets up to leave but James holds her back. She notices his grip and feels his arm since something seems different about it.
"Babe, are you working out?" Angela questions. "Your shirt is tight around your bicep."
"I sure am."
James flexes for her. Angela swoons and Merida rolls her eyes. Even in times like this, flirting would always be present. Even after seeing that for years, she would still roll her eyes.
"I bet ten bucks that you bought your shirt a size too small to get laid," Merida says.
James glares at her. What she said may or may not have been true. Angela snickers as Apollo approaches the entrance of the lounge wearing extra SHIELD civvies. He looks at Merida as she watches Angela and James share a quick kiss before Angela scurries out. She waved to Apollo on her way out.
Apollo waves back and suddenly remembers - smiling warmly as Merida is disgusted by all the love surrounding her.
"Excuse me," she said, getting up from her seat.
"Where are you going?" James asked her.
"Somewhere I can get a fork and stab my eyes out."
"Hold on," Angela said, stopping Merida.
Angela winked at James and they both stand up on opposite sides of Merida. Merida is suspicious of what they're doing but before she could make a run for it, Angela and James kiss Merida on both her cheeks. As the two of them sit down and laugh, Merida is frozen before she screams her lungs out.
Apollo approaches Merida and puts a hand on her forehead. Merida stares up at him oddly and James turns over with his eyebrows scrunched in confusion.
"What the hell are you doing?" Merida asks him.
"Are you ill?" Apollo asks her.
"What?" She swats his hand away from her forehead. "No. Last I checked, you were the one leaving the hospital. Why would you think that?"
"The Merida I remember didn't tolerate emotions, especially public displays of affection. You didn't react when Angela and James kissed just a moment ago."
Merida isn't sure what to say back. Out of all the things of her to remember, it was that.
"Did you happen to meet someone in my absence?" Apollo questions, interested in knowing the answer.
"Bye!"
Merida runs out before anyone could stop her. Apollo is confused as James laughs in the background. Apollo turns to him for some sort of explanation to Merida's reaction and sudden exit.
"Merida's love life is as good as your memory," James tells him.
"That bad?" Apollo questions.
"I was going for non-existent."
Apollo nods and then looks at James. James notices and thinks that he remembers their time together back in the day.
"Do you remember me?" James asks him.
Apollo shakes his head and James is silent until Apollo smiles.
"I kid, I kid." Apollo laughs. "I do remember you."
James smiles.
"I wish the opposite."
James narrows his eyes, especially since Apollo didn't say he was kidding. But when Apollo grabs him in a tight hug that nearly suffocates him, James wishes he was forgotten.
[I can't promise that the next chapter will be out next week because like I said, school is killing me. I do have it written in a kind-of script format but it will take a while to put up. That and I have two other stories in progress as of now].
