Bab 46: Chapter 46: Reunion
A/N: Thor POV! In which our favorite blond himbo is lost in thought.
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Even Thor knows he's being uncharacteristically quiet as the Midgardians discuss Loki, her plans, and their next steps. He interjects to tell them what Loki is after of course, to tell them about the Chitauri that Heimdall had spied with his all-seeing eyes and to warn them that Loki meant to bring an army of the aliens to Midgard so they could conquer it in her name.
From there, the Midgardians figure the rest out pretty easily, like the fact that the Iridium that Loki's unwilling stooges had stolen was the stabilizing agent needed to power the portal she wanted to open to allow the Chitauri to invade their world.
Despite having clearly earned the one-eyed man's ire, Tony Stark all but commands the room with his sheer presence, guiding the discussion to its inevitable conclusion… namely that he and the man who has been introduced as Dr. Bruce Banner will be using their Midgardian technology to track down the unique energy signature of the Tesseract. With any luck, they will succeed in doing so while managing to hold onto Loki so that his sister can never actually summon the Chitauri to wage war on Midgard… but Thor has to admit, he's not convinced.
Loki has always been a trickster. Even though the Iron Legion that his Shield-Brother has invented are indeed formidable warriors for Midgardians and Thor would love to go another round with all of them to truly test their capabilities… he has to wonder why his sister let them take her down. Loki has never been one to fight fair, nor has she ever allowed herself to be outright defeated in this way.
Thor suspects that Loki's scheme runs deeper than it appears, but more than that… her words to him out in the forest continue to ring in his ears.
"Odin meant for me to be your bride by Rite of Conquest, Thor! Just as our mother was before me!"
Surely not… right? It was just as Thor had told Loki. Even if that were Odin's first inclinations, there was no way that the All-Father had intended for Loki to marry Thor now, in this day and age. They'd been raised as siblings for a thousand years and their father had never so much as whispered his intentions in that regard.
It was clear that Thor's sister was unwell. She'd lost all sense of reason. In her madness, she was creating imagined slights from nothing. Just because their mother had been gifted to their father by Vanaheim to be Odin's bride didn't mean… it meant nothing. Not only did their mother and father love each other, but Thor and Loki were not going to be married! No matter what!
And yet, it was still weighing on him. Unfortunately, even as Thor was busy trying to come to terms with that rather pressing concern, his other problem was walking up to him. With Tony Stark and Bruce Banner leaving to locate the Tesseract and the other Midgardians going off to do their own thing, Thor found himself suddenly face to face with one very angry Lady Sif.
"Sif, I-urk!"
The Asgardian woman's fist buries itself in Thor's gut with lightning speed, causing the air to expel from his lungs as he groans in pain. It would seem the past two years on Midgard have not dulled her skills even slightly… if anything, he'd say she's actually gotten just a little bit faster and a little bit stronger.
"… I deserved that."
"Yes. You did. Now we're even."
Thor blinks, a little surprised. He'd been expecting Sif to punch him at least one more time, perhaps a sock across the jaw. She was ever so found of those. But instead, as he straightens himself back up, he finds her standing before him mulishly, her arms crossed over her chest.
"I acknowledge that you had no way of knowing that you would be forced to destroy the Bifrost in order to stop Loki from using it to annihilate an entire realm. I also acknowledge that it was not your choice but rather the All-Father's to leave me stranded on Earth these past two years. And… I even acknowledge some small culpability on my own part. If I hadn't decided to stay, I never would have wound up stranded in the first place."
A slow smile has begun to spread across Thor's face as his friend talks. Finally, he grabs her by the shoulders.
"Sif! You have spent much time with my Shield-Bro, haven't you? His way of articulated Midgardian speech has rubbed off on you!"
Sif takes one look at Thor's grin… and perhaps it is a little too unintentionally smug, because THEN she slugs Thor in the face hard enough to send him staggering. Groaning, the God of Thunder rubs his jaw as he holds up a finger to her.
"I thought we were even! By the All-Father, that stings!"
"… I've actually been spending a lot more time with your Shield-Brother's wife, Lady Stark. She has taught me much regarding the battlefields that she must fight on day by day. As well as the key lesson… sometimes, subterfuge is necessary to win the day."
After parsing the meaning behind those words, Thor snorts in amusement.
"You sound like Loki."
Of course, he then immediately has to backpedal, his hands raised in surrender as he laughs.
"Mercy Sif, mercy! I did not mean it as an insult, only a jape! I am… glad that the Lord and Lady Stark have looked over you during my absence. I am sorry I couldn't come earlier. You know I would have if it were my choice."
By the end of his words, he's stopped laughing and become solemn again. In response, Sif nods her head, solemn as well.
"I know. But you're here now, I suppose. Better than nothing."
Thor brightens at that.
"Indeed! Finding the Tesseract actually has twofold use to us, Sif! Not only must we stop Loki from using it to summon the Chitauri, but also, once we have secured it, I have been given a device by the All-Father that will allow us to utilize it to take us and Loki back to Asgard, so that you may return home and she may stand trial for her crimes!"
Sif's brow raises at that and Thor is surprised that she's not as excited as he would have thought at this declaration.
"That is good, Thor. Quite good."
… Maybe she's just distracted by the threat Loki's presence poses. Out of everyone on this flying craft after Thor himself, Sif knows Loki's mischief best. In fact…
"Lady Sif. I seek your counsel on something."
Noting his grave tone, Sif furrows her brow in confusion.
"Of course, my Prince. What is it?"
"As you know from our messages back and forth, Loki turned out to be a Frost Giant. A Jotun. My father brought her back from Jotunheim at the end of the war, to raise alongside me."
Sif nods slowly.
"Aye, I'm aware."
Thor huffs.
"What do you… what do you think the chances were that Odin intended to wed her and me, once upon a time? After all… you do not bring a princess from a conquered realm back to your palace to raise as your ward if you do not intend to utilize her down the road, right?"
Sif considers that for a long moment before nodding her head.
"There is certainly precedent for such things. Your own mother was King Odin's bride by Rite of Conquest. Her and the All-Father's marriage tied Vanaheim and Asgard together and in a way, that relationship has led to prosperity for Vanaheim that none of the other Nine Realms can boast…"
Thor's heart sinks in his chest at Sif's initial words. And then, much to his relief, she shakes her head.
"That said, even if that was Odin's initial inclination, I cannot see why the All-Father would allow you to grow up as brother and sister for all these centuries. He would have told both you and Loki about her true nature when she was young, raising her as a Princess of Jotunheim and your betrothed so that the two of you would have had these last few centuries to get used to the idea."
That was exactly what Thor had been thinking! What a relief. Though Sif's next words are not quite so relieving.
"That said, it's likely the King abandoned his initial plans when he realized how deep the hatred for Jotunheim ran in Asgard. I grew up hearing stories of the Jotunheim war, of the Frost Giants being true monsters who had to be stopped at all costs. So did you. We were raised to know them to be savages and monsters who had tried to step beyond their means and use their ancient artifact to wage war on Asgard and the rest of the Nine Realms."
Sif gives Thor a look that makes him undeniably uneasy.
"Truly, if you were in your father's shoes, would YOU have presented Loki as a potential bride at any point in time? Mayhap the All-Father intended to use Loki and you to one day bridge the distance between our two peoples and bring the Jotun back into the fold… only to realize that distance was too great and the task impossible."
Thor's breath hitches at that. The way Sif was talking…
"But we know better now. The Frost Giants aren't the savage we were raised to believe them to be, Sif. Loki… Loki is not a beast or a monster, certainly!"
Sif gives him a curious look at that.
"Tony tells me she killed over eighty people in two days, Thor."
Thor winces.
"… She's unwell?"
Sif scoffs at that, but Thor feels a little defensive on behalf of his sister.
"She fell into the void, Sif! We know not what horrors she saw as she fell. We know not where she landed or who came upon her! The Would-Be Queen has a benefactor though… that Scepter of hers is evidence enough of that. If we could just figure out who promised her the Chitauri, if I could just convince her to give up this mad quest and renounce her new allegiances, then perhaps father would see fit to show mercy. Perhaps… perhaps we could be a family again."
Sighing, Sif shakes her head.
"You are as blind as ever to Loki's faults, Thor. I wish you the best of luck in this foolish endeavor, but I caution you… it shall likely only end in heartbreak."
Thor knows he's pouting, but he can't help himself. His brow furrows as he looks at Sif in shock.
"You will not assist me?"
"I am here to make sure Loki does not escape or do any more damage to Midgard than she already has, Thor. I owe a debt to Lord and Lady Stark. Did you know they had a child?"
Thor had not known that, his eyes widening in delight. Why had his Shield-Brother not told him?! No, that wasn't fair… they hadn't had much of a chance to talk yet between the fighting in the forest and the debriefing on this ship. Tony was off figuring out how to track down the Tesseract with that scholar friend of his. Still…
"That's amazing!"
Sif smiles and nods, before growing solemn again.
"Her name is Morgan, Thor. She and Pepper have departed from this region, traveling all the way across to the other side of this landmass where Lord Stark has more holdings. It is so that they will be safer in the event that Loki does anything… but if she is able to summon the Chitauri in full, if she is able to bring her army to Midgard to spread death in her name, then nowhere in this realm will be safe."
Her hands clenching into fists, her jaw locking, Sif looks Thor in the eye.
"I will not allow any harm to come to Lord and Lady Stark or their child. Not while I draw breath. I tell you this now Thor, not as a threat but as a solemn vow… if my choice is between Loki's life and ensuring the safety of Lord Stark's family, then I will take Loki's life every time."
Thor's mouth opens… and then closes at that. He wants to protest that Lord and Lady Stark are well protected and Loki cannot hurt them. Tony is a secret king after all, and that makes Pepper a hidden queen! They are more than capable of defending themselves! However… the babe changes things. And while Thor doesn't think he could ever strike a killing blow against his sister, he also finds that he cannot fault Sif for her promise.
In the end, he bows his head solemnly, letting out a broken sigh.
"Was it… was it always this bad, Sif? Was I blind to what Loki truly was?"
He expects an answer in the affirmative from his friend. After all, Sif and Loki had long been enemies, even before all of this mess. Which is why he's surprised when Sif's response is instead to say…
"No."
Looking up, he stares at Sif with wide eyes. Grimacing, Sif glances to the side for a moment before huffing.
"Loki has always been intolerable. Spiteful. Vengeful. A pain in my fucking ass. But this… she is not this. I believe that learning her true heritage broke her. I believe that the fall into the void harmed her mind. You are right, someone found her and has given her the power to attack Midgard as she has. Loki by herself would not have, could not have done all of this. And that Scepter…"
Sif shivers and her lip curls in disgust.
"I can feel its filthy presence halfway across this ship. Whatever manner of weapon that is, it's not something Loki crafted even with all of her magic. It is beyond her… and yet she wields it all the same. Something is awry here, Thor."
His heart soars as Sif voices his own thoughts right back to him. This… this is wonderful! Except then she gives him a look, bringing him crashing right back down to the earth with her next, more grounded words.
"But she is still the main threat, Thor. And so long as she continues to attempt to summon the Chitauri to this world, she and they must be our priorities. We can discuss Loki further once the Tesseract has been located and secured and her plot has been completely derailed. Until then… there's no point in discussing this."
Sif is right, of course. And Thor finds himself feeling filled with a fresh sense of purpose after speaking with her. As always, his friend has a way of getting through his thick skull. Though she definitely wasn't this articulate and capable of voicing her own thoughts and feelings before her stay on Midgard. None of them were that good at using their words instead of their fists, truth be told.
Thor would have to find a present for Pepper Stark, both to thank her for civilizing the Lady Sif and also to congratulate her for the birth of young Lady Morgan! Hm, though what to get a hidden queen and her equally secret princess daughter? This will require much thought…
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A/N: Sif actually sounding reasonable? Will wonders never cease?!
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