Revamped!


Chapter 95: A Living Hel Part Three

Stark Towers - 9:44 AM

They sit around the hospital wing in a deafening silence. Some of them are pondering, others wondering, and the rest examining. What they did so far was looking into the deep web of scientific journals and medical periodicals to see if there was ever a case like this anywhere. Nothing showed up. They also thought of the possibilities that could restart Xavier's heart but there was the risk of blowing up his heart and killing him.

"Science and medicine learn more and more about the world as it goes on. It evolves and improves based on what happened," Daniel mutters. "I'm sorry, but I honestly have no idea how this is biologically possible. Blood travels to the heart to get oxygen but blood isn't flowing which is what I don't understand."

"We should call our parents for help," Angela says. It sounds more like pleading rather than suggesting.

"They'll be in the same position as us," James says, "but just a bit more worried than us."

"We could take the risk at restarting his heart ourselves," Iqadi suggests. "There's the same chance in it killing him as it's saving him. He could stop breathing."

"I don't want to gamble this," Angela states. "We still have time. Oxygen is still somehow making it to his brain so it's fine."

Daniel nods as he checks Xavier's vitals again. "Speaking of his brain, it's now going through a lot of activity. For some reason, it resembles what it would if he were sparring or fighting with someone."

"Maybe he's dreaming of a battle," James suggests hypothetically. "You gotta do something while down under to pass the time."

-o-

Hel

Xavier gets knocked over by one of Hela's skeletons. It pins him down on the ground and, to his surprise, they're strong for a pile of bone reconstructed bones. Xavier kicks it away and hops back up. He pulls his shield off his back and spins around, bashing the few that were behind him. He sees Sigyn and she's just standing there, swatting the skeletons away with her magic but with not enough power, treating them as if they were houseflies.

For Xavier, seeing Sigyn was both the best thing that has happened to him, although he has no clue what was going on and it was like being with a stranger. He wanted to be happy to see her but aside from all the Hel drama, she was being so stagnant and drained that it was agitating him but only because he didn't know why she was being like this. He covers up his feelings by taking part in the battle against Hela's fleet with great energy, fighting for the them.

Xavier avoids her eyes not to see her gloomy demeanour, but whenever they would accidentally brush by one another, his heart would skip a beat. When their eyes would meet for a slim second, he swears that her cold aura heats up for a moment.

Sigyn jumps a little when she sees one of Hela's skeletons come at her with its spear. It almost pierces her torso but her fate-ridden magical forcefield forms around her as protection. That's when she realizes that she's still in a limbo but Xavier isn't. Unlike her, his shield can't ensure survival.

She sees Xavier using his shield and it reminds her of a warrior in action. Sigyn can't help but stare and admire the man Xavier has become in the span of seven years. She tries to ignore an itching thought at the back of her mind. The one that keeps on telling her that the more Xavier fights back and shows Hela's fleet how powerful a mortal is, the more likely he is to die if he isn't already dead, especially since they have history.

Hela's fleet grows by the second. Xavier sees the crowd of them coming his way and he backs up, holding his shield in defence. He tenses as he feels Sigyn's warm fingers press against his back. They're steady against him, calming. When Sigyn takes her hands back, they're glowing, almost as if she's expelled his nervous energy onto the fleet. Xavier watches her magical fingers that are still covered in several rings. He's so mesmerized by both the magic and her jewelry that he almost missed her fists blading her power towards the fleet, plowing them over.

"You're helping me?" Xavier asks.

Sigyn opens her mouth to answer but nothing coming out. She looks past Xavier, above him and sees Hela hovering. Her arms are crossed in a delighted disappointment that she knows is aimed towards her.

"Wrong battle," Hela says, sounding like a scold towards Sigyn.

Sigyn turns around to run off. Xavier calls her name as she trips over her feet. Hela throws a portal her way and she falls right through it.

-o-

Stark Towers - Time Unknown

Sigyn lands on her feet, unsure of her location. The light hits her eyes and it feels foreign to her after being in the dark depths of Hel for so long. She inhales and exhales slowly as she examines the area. It's quiet and empty. This entire place seems familiar yet not all at the same time which scares her more than Hel ever did. She turns around and sees someone lying on a bed. Sigyn quietly walks over, the heels of her boots clicking on the ground.

With the surrounding vital machines that her eyes first land on, she knows that she's in some sort of hospital. Then, her eyes land on the hospital bed in front of her and she sees Xavier lying there unconscious.

She picks up the clipboard on his bedside table to see what happened. Her mind is unable to process the typed words as one since her eyes fill with tears. She refuses to believe that this is real yet if there was something that could make his heart stop beating but also rip it out of his chest, it was her, it was Britney Braun, at least.

Sigyn still has the medical report in her hands. Unaware of her actions, she lights up her pointer finger and scrawls across it as if she was writing with a pen. Once done, she's conscious of what she did and she hates it.

Sigyn is paralyzed for what feels like an eternity. Fight or flight, they called it and yet, she wasn't moving. She has to stop herself from collapsing right then and there … and get out. She runs. She didn't know what else to do except escape from what she just saw.

-o-

Hel

Xavier has his grip on the jaw of a skeleton who was about to bite into him like an animal. He takes his shield and uses it for decapitation. He looks out at the growing fleet and doesn't know how long he can take this, so he runs as well.

He runs without even looking. He doesn't care where he goes as long as he can outrun a fleet of skeletons. Xavier turns back to see how much ahead he is and he crashes.

While falling, he's grateful that out of all things to crash into, it was Sigyn again. She positions herself on top of him as they fall, acting as a shield as she makes her magic explodes all around them. Xavier looks up as Sigyn nestled into him tighter. The fleet disintegrates in seconds and again, they're left silently.

Sigyn stays on top of Xavier longer, turning it into a hug of some sorts. Xavier slowly rests a hand on the small of her back and she doesn't protest. It feels safe to be in his arms again, feeling his breath against her neck. Memories come back. Their eyes meet and she rests her hands on his defined chest while his firm, gentle hand runs through her hair and the others hold her head at her cheek. He's so dominant and strong that Sigyn has to stop herself from melting into him.

"You're either dead or you're dreaming," Sigyn states.

Xavier doesn't nod. It seems like he didn't care about how he got here because he's with her. Sigyn nods as she rolls off him and gets back on her feet.

Xavier gets up and picks up his shield. "Can we have a normal conversation for a bit?"

Sigyn nods.

Xavier smiles a little. "How have you been recently?"

Sigyn bites her lip. "My life has been a living hell."

That was totally an intentional pun. Xavier knows it, Sigyn knows it, but neither of them laughs.

"Have you dated anyone on Asgard?" Xavier asks.

Sigyn snorts a laugh and it surprised not only him but herself as well. She knows that he asked that for his pleasure but just to lighten up the conversation a little. That was the first time she's laughed in seven years. It felt foreign to her yet so familiar.

"None," Sigyn admits. "Asgardian boys don't line up-to-date Loki and Amora's daughter. They're smart and run the other way."

Sigyn starts walking again and Xavier huffs. He thought he was finally getting somewhere with her.

"Hey, we were in the middle of a conversation!" Xavier yells at her.

Sigyn doesn't even turn around. "Yeah, and now it's over."

"Seven years, Sigyn! Seven years! Do you know how long that is?"

Sigyn takes a breath, brushing her hair out of the way as she turns back around. She seems more awake now, according to Xavier, but was that really a good thing?

"Yes," she states. "It's longer than six years but not as long as eight."

"Cut the crap."

Sigyn is taken aback at this sudden sharpness in his voice. She straightens her posture.

"Tell me now," he orders. "Why haven't we seen you or Apollo in seven years?"

Sigyn wraps her arms around herself. "You won't like the truth."

"Try me."

"I got banned from Midgard."

Xavier isn't sure he heard that right. "...what?"

"You know, Apollo and I had a plan to visit you all after a year so we could see how you all were doing, possibly watch Emily and Daniel get married, but then…"

Sigyn trails off and rolls her hand, referring to Hel. It isn't as much of an explanation that Xavier was expecting but he will go along with it.

Xavier nods. "So, why did you get banned?"

"Apollo and I made a promise with one another and I broke it badly," Sigyn replies. "I tried arguing with him but he got so mad up to the point where I was scared that he would actually kill me."

"Did you get banished here as punishment?"

"Nope."

"Then, how long have you been here? Thor said you and Apollo left Asgard."

Sigyn stares at him and says nothing. Xavier takes a step closer to her.

"When you first appeared in my dream and told me to get Apollo, you were in this forest," Xavier prompts. "Sigyn, please be honest with me, how long have you been in Hel?"

"The night you found Apollo was when I first arrived," she mutters.

Xavier freezes. She has been here for months.

"What -" he starts, "what kind of promise could you have broken done to end up here and get banned from Midgard? What ticked off Thor that much?"

Sigyn laughs but unlike before, this was straight-up cackling like a madwoman. She cackles so hard that she has to bend over and hold her side. Once she's done, she swipes back up and her hair flies over her head.

"That is the funniest part," Sigyn admits, "the true irony of all ironies. Thor didn't ban me, not even Jane or Loki or my fucking mother. Apollo did."