Mourning Star- Chapter Nine

Nine

Darcy found Sigyn outside Stonehenge, where she had attracted a small gathering of onlookers. Though she supposed that was to be expected when someone materializes in a flash of light in the middle of an ancient historical site and tourist attraction. She found her sitting underneath a small tree by the side of the road, with her knees pulled up to her chest, unmoving even when Darcy pulled up and got out of the car.

“Hey.” She crouched in front of her. “You alright?” Dumb question; Sigyn just lost her husband, but it seemed like the right thing to ask at the time.

“The last time that fucking portal brought me here, it dropped me in a forest in the middle of nowhere. This time it…everyone saw me. They saw me land in the middle of some ancient rock formation.”

“Yeah, well, lucky for you, most of us are a little more used to weird things happening now,” she said, extending her hand. “C’mon. Let’s get you out of here.”

Sigyn took her hand and followed to the car in silence. For the two and half hour ride back to London, Sigyn remained just as silent, her forehead pressed to the window as she watched the landscape fly by. Any attempts at conversation were met with grunts, nods, or one word answers.

“I’m really sorry about Loki,” she said, not sure if it was too soon to touch this topic or not.

“Really?” She turned her head just enough to look at her out of the corner of her eye.
“After everything that’s happened? After what we did?”

“A year ago, I would have punched the both of you for what you did. Now there isn’t any point to keeping that anger. He was still your husband, and I’m sorry you lost him.”

“I believe you mean that.”

Jane wasn’t kidding when she said she was worried about Sigyn. In the short length of time, Darcy’s own worried levels doubled. “I don’t know if Thor told you this, but you can stay with us as long as you want.”

Sigyn nodded, wrapping her arms around her midsection. Her breathing fell into a steady rhythm, and at a quick glance Darcy noticed that she’d fallen asleep.

---

Thor ended up carrying Sigyn up to the apartment; Darcy didn’t have the heart to wake her once they arrived. He placed her on the air mattress they set up in Darcy’s room while Darcy made them all some tea.

“She looks…” Jane whispered, leaning in close. “How was she on the way over?”

“She slept for most of it. I get why you were worried about her; she’s barely holding it together.”

Thor came back out and plopped onto the couch, cradling his head in his hands. Jane brought him over a mug of tea and he took it with a grateful, tired smile.

They didn’t talk about her until Erik came over. He’d heard reports of unusual things happening at Stonehenge, and his first instinct was to find them.

“What do you mean she’s here?” he asked once Jane and Thor filled him in on their newest arrival. Darcy didn’t think she’d ever seen him this freaked out before he went banana balls.

“I know you have no reason to trust her, or even like her. But she could not stay in Asgard,” Thor said.

“Why not?”

“Because they believed I was a danger to myself.” They all turned to see Sigyn leaning against the door frame. Her eyes were locked on Selvig.

“When S.H.I.E.L.D. finds out you’re here, and it’s only a matter of time before they do, you will be in more danger.”

“Because that is your concern: that I’ll be in danger?” She stepped forward slowly, carefully, never moving her gaze. “Or is it that my presence unnerves you?” Before Erik could answer, Sigyn dropped into a shallow curtsey, her head tipped downwards. “I do not expect your forgiveness, and I know that every scrap of kindness I receive here is a gift. Still, I would apologize for what my husband did to you.” She swallowed. “And for what we did to New York.”

Erik blinked a few times, clearly too stunned to actually respond before Sigyn straightened and walked back to her room.

“Well, it certainly won’t be boring,” Darcy said, sipping her tea.

---

The next day, Darcy dragged Sigyn out of the apartment to get some new clothes. Dragged probably wasn’t the right word, since Sigyn really didn’t put up much of a fight, but damn if drawing some sort of life out of the girl wasn’t impossible. Not that she expected Sigyn to be happy, but she wondered how Sigyn was even able to cross between realms when she looked like she was going to fold over on herself at any moment.

“So, what do you think you’ll do now?” she asked, hoping for some attempt at conversation. After an hour or so of shopping, they were taking a break at a small coffee shop. A few bags were gathered around their feet. Most everything was shades of green and black before
Sigyn moved on to purple as well.

“Whatever you and Jane need me to do.”

“What like another assistant?”

“You and Jane were kind enough to take me in. I will at least earn my keep.”

Jeeze, Thor wasn’t kidding when he said Asgard hadn’t been kind to her. “We did that because we’re your friends, but I mean Jane will probably end up picking your brain for any information on Asgardian technology.”

For the first time since arriving, Sigyn gave a small smile.

---

Days later, Erik proved himself right. Two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents showed up at the apartment when it was just her and Darcy. A wise choice on their part; Thor would not have been understanding. Sigyn remained seated on the couch, a mug of tea resting on her lap between her hands. Darcy stood beside the couch, her arms folded across her chest. Sigyn wouldn’t be surprised if there was a taser hidden on her somewhere.

Something about one of them seemed familiar. “Lady Sigyn, I’m agent Harrison. It’s been a while. Last time I saw you, you were masquerading as a research assistant going by the name Victoria Anderson.”

“You were the agent who extracted Jane in New Mexico.”

“Good to see you remember,” he said, and something in his smile felt hollow. “Mind telling us what brings you back to Earth after you and your husband trying to conquer it?”

“Widowhood, I’m afraid.” There was no point in lying; S.H.I.E.L.D. would find out about Loki’s passing sooner or later. “Loki is gone.”

“I see. I would say I’m sorry for your loss but…”

“No sympathy for the devil, I know.”

“Then you’ll understand why I’ll have to bring you in.”

“Oh bullshit!” Darcy snapped. Sigyn expected an outburst from Darcy at some point, but the force of it still surprised her. “She hasn’t done anything! Look at her! Does she look like she’s up to something nefarious right now?”

Sigyn didn’t like the way Harrison looked at her. She wasn’t familiar with enough agents to know if this was something they all did, but it felt he wasn’t just evaluating her threat level. It was the look of appraisal she so often saw in the jewel merchants her father worked with. His partner wouldn’t look at either of them for too long.

She had considered that part of her atonement would be answering to S.H.I.E.L.D., even if it meant temporarily ending up in their custody. Thor spoke highly of them, of the agents he worked with in New Mexico and the one Loki had killed, and Sigyn believed that perhaps she might even be safe with them. But if there were any others like Harrison who looked at her like a jewel whose cut, clarity, color, and weight needed to evaluated for her worth,
Sigyn would run as far from S.H.I.E.L.D. as she could.

But she couldn’t run right now. There may be two in here with them, but there would be at least a car or two outside waiting in case she did and she wouldn’t get very far. She sat up straighter, fingers closing tighter around her mug, and glanced at the clock. Thor should be back with Jane soon. “Darcy, why don’t you make our guests some tea?” She said with a courtly smile. “Or some coffee if they’d prefer.” Maybe Darcy would text Jane an urgent message as well. If not, well, she’d entertained far worse company for far longer than an afternoon.

“What? They want to haul you off to S.H.I.E.L.D. prison and do God knows what, and you want offer them a drink?”

“It’s only polite; they are our guests after all. And besides,” She met Harrison’s gaze, and was pleased when he had the sense to look away and sit back. “I’m not going anywhere until my brother returns.”

It was Jane who went on the attack first, yelling that she was tired of S.H.I.E.L.D. invading all parts of her life, but Sigyn knew that it was Thor’s glowering silence and the dark clouds slowly gathering on the horizon that were the real thing to fear here.

“She’s a criminal,” Harrison argued, the fourth time he had made such a claim. “An accomplice to a tyrant who needs to answer for that.”

“She is a widow, and she is family. So have care how you speak.” Thor may be one of the Avengers and the personal friend of a murdered agent, but he would also change the currents of the ocean if he could to help those he loved. “Losing Loki has been punishment enough. It has taken the fight from her.”

Thor continued to explain her motives for her involvement in New York, and the circumstances she faced in Asgard and the events leading to Loki’s death. But as he did, something stirred in her chest. It has taken the fight from her. Some part of her knew that, but hearing from someone else, from him, made her aware of it.

No, the fight had not been taken from her. It had weakened, gone dormant in her grief, but was still there beneath the surface. That she still lived and distrusted this S.H.I.E.L.D. agent was proof of that.

She remained silent as Thor and agent Harrison brokered a deal to keep her out of custody. She would be monitored, from a distance, her whereabouts known by S.H.I.E.L.D. at all times, and if she attempted anything she would be brought in without question. It was more than she expected, and Sigyn figured that they would be watching her more closely than they were letting on. Still, she was free for the moment.

---

Loki withdrew from Sigyn's dreams as he did every night. Wherever she was, she had shielded herself well enough that even her dreams would not reveal her location. As a result, it was like trying to speak to her over the wind. If anything he said made it to her, she likely wouldn't hear, or believe, it.

A part of him was angry with her. If she hadn't fled, he wouldn't have to take time away from keeping his cover as the All-Father to search for her. Worrying about her broke his concentration and was a dangerous distraction, but every time he thought about giving up--because if she had gone through all this trouble to hide why not just let her be-- he would start feeling jittery, his mind racing with potential scenarios.

So every night he tried, no matter how unsuccessful his efforts. She was his, and eventually she would come home.

Damn it, you foolish girl, where are you?

---

Sigyn's head ached as it did every morning. Thor had figured out how the coffee machine worked, and he would rise early and make coffee for all of them every day. The smell always roused her before anyone else and they sat at the little table each morning with their coffee while they waited.

"Did you not sleep well, again?" he asked, setting the coffee down in front of her.

She shook her head. "I keep dreaming of him, and each time it's like something has been clawing at the inside of my head." It was better than what she experienced on Asgard; mercifully, these dreams at least lacked the mocking verisimilitude of his presence.

"Grief affects us all differently. I cannot pass a garden without expecting to find Mother there. I'm sure these dreams will pass in time.”

Sigyn tore open the little sugar packet and poured half of it in; she found that amount cut the bitterness just enough without making it too sweet. "Do you believe the dead try to reach out to the living?" She didn't need to look up to know that he was looking at her with concern. She may not be hysterical anymore, but she knew that there was still concern over her melancholy, that a bit of madness still lingered in her. But these dreams haunted her, poked and prodded at the void left in her with such dexterity that she questioned whether it was truly in her head.

"Not like this, Sigyn."

"But I can hear him, feel him, calling to me."

"What does he say?"

She paused, almost deciding not to tell him. "To come home," she whispered.

Thor looked at her with such sadness it broke her heart a little more, and he took her hand. "My brother would not want you to join him in death. That much I am certain. You and he shared a bond I can't even begin to understand, but I know he would not want that for you."

"I know." She gave his hand a squeeze. "Then why does it feel like more than just a dream?"

"Because your heart wants it to be more. The loss is still too fresh and you don't want that connection to be lost. In time the pain will subside."

Sigyn managed a smile. Thor meant well, and she was grateful for his words of kindness, even if the thought of no longer seeing Loki in her dreams was more terrifying and painful than the recurring dreams.

---

Darcy was good about keeping her out of the apartment. Every day she picked some new sightseeing or shopping excursion that kept her moving and her mind from lingering on painful memories. If Darcy noticed that S.H.I.E.L.D. agents would trail them at a difference, she made no mention of it. Perhaps the Midgardians were so accustomed to having their every move watched they didn't notice it, but Sigyn was acutely aware of the presence that followed her like a shadow.

As grateful as she was for Darcy making sure she was distracted, it was also apparent that there was another who desired her attention. Her intern, Ian, was always asking her to a movie, or dinner, or to get coffee, and each time she either denied him or insisted on Sigyn coming with them. Ian was perfectly cordial and pleasant with her, but she sensed that her presence was extraneous.

"You should go with him," she finally said one afternoon while lounging around the apartment watching T.V. Ian had texted Darcy for the third time that week.

"You really want to see this movie? Alright, I'll tell him."

"No, I mean you should go with him. I'll figure something else out."

"What? No it's fine."

"Do you not like him?"

"I do. It's just...friends before boys, ya know?"

"I'm perfectly capable of being left alone. Haven't even cried in days." She omitted that she wanted to cry, but she simply didn't have the energy any more. "Besides, you deserve some happiness, too."

"Just seems a little cruel. Me going off on a date after you just lost your husband."

"I will still be mourning Loki long after you've passed on; what's cruel is you not taking advantage of what little time you have because you were babysitting me." Sigyn set her cup down on the table by the couch. "Besides, you want to go with him; I can tell, so just go out and have a good time."

Darcy grinned a little. "You're sure you'll be alright?"

"Yes, now text him back and tell you'll see him tonight. I'll even help you get ready."
By the time Sigyn was done with Darcy, she looked as stunning as any Asgardian. One of the benefits of growing up with as many sisters as she did and a mother like Freya, in addition to her friendship with Amora, was that the beauty tricks she picked up through osmosis alone. Ian seemed to appreciate her efforts; as soon as he saw Darcy he could barely speak properly.

"Have fun," she said, practically hurrying them out the door. "And don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"And what exactly would that be?"

"I was married to Loki; it's a pretty short list."

The first hour alone was fine. Sigyn reorganized a few things around the apartment, made herself a cup of tea, and tried to relax. The melancholy didn't set it right away, but instead slowly crept up on her. Thor would soon be returning to Asgard for a while, so he and Jane were on a romantic getaway, and now Darcy and Ian were out. This was what she knew would happen; everyone would move on as they should while she watched from the sides. Still, she would not let her loneliness and longing drown her. If she was going to survive this loss, she would have to reforge her strength.

And she couldn't do that sitting on the couch.

Sigyn dressed herself as inconspicuously as possible, a black hoodie, green shirt, jeans, and boots comfortable enough to walk in, before grabbing her bag and heading out into the city. There, she was just one more face, as unidentifiable as any other. She wandered the city for what felt like hours, until she was far from anything that looked or felt familiar.

She was lost, she realized, like the magpie had told her the last time she was on Earth. He is lost and so are you. Sigyn nearly expected the bird to show up again and remind her, but the only birds she saw were gathered by a nearby fountain and didn't speak. Yes, she was lost, drifting through her existence. But she would find a current again; she had to or else she would drown. Jane had graciously offered her a position as her additional assistant, and while Sigyn was grateful for the kindness, she knew that it could not be a permanent life for her.

It was a while later, when dusk was beginning to settle, that she began to feel hungry, truly hungry. She found a pub nearby that, hopefully, wouldn't exhaust too much of the money from Jane and Darcy. The waiter brought her water and left her with a menu.

"Is this seat taken?" She didn't have to look up from her menu to know who it was. Harrison must have been following her. He didn't wait for her to answer, either; he slid into the seat across from her.

"Usually when someone picks the booth in the very back of the pub, they don't want company," she answered, still hiding her face with the menu.

"Which is the most obvious tactic." He paused. "If you're having trouble deciding, I haven't had a bad order of fish and chips since I've been in this city."

When the waiter returned, she ordered a chicken and bacon pasty along with a side of chips and an ale, which was more to calm her nerves. "Is it the fish and chips that brought you here?" she asked, trying to avoid his gaze now that she no longer had a menu to hide behind.

"Mostly the company." She didn't like his smile. "Can I ask what brings you out this far, lady Sigyn?"

"Dinner. Which you are interrupting."

He ignored her comment. "By yourself? Where are the rest of your companions?"

"They have dates. They've done such a good job monitoring me I gave them the night off."

"I remember you being far more pleasant back at the apartment. A picture of hospitality."

That's because she'd had Thor and all his protection behind her. "Surely even the women of Midgard dislike having their private meals intruded upon." The waiter brought her ale and she gulped down several sips. He made no mention of Harrison's presence, probably because he had been instructed not to.

"My apologies. This meeting will be as short or as long as you make it. Think of it as us checking in on you. You know, to see how you're adjusting."

"Adjusting." She was over a thousand years old; did he really think she was stupid enough to believe S.H.I.E.L.D. actually cared for her wellbeing. "You mean you're spying on me."

"Again, if that is how you wish to see it." He paused, looking at her in the same manner he had back at the apartment. "You don't think highly of S.H.I.E.L.D. do you?"

"Not particularly."

"Because we defeated your husband?"

"No, the Avengers did that. I'm not fond of you because of your constant intrusions. I understood you would watch me from a distance. I did not expect to see you again."

"If you're cooperative you won't hear from me again, unless you want to. I have a few more questions for you, and I didn't want to ask in front of the rest of your entourage."

"If it will make this conversation end any quicker then ask them and be done with it."

The waiter brought her food, and Harrison at least had the decency to let her eat a few bites before he started. "Does the name Johann Schmidt sound familiar?" She shook her head. "He might have gone by the name Red Skull. Named so due to the fact that his face looked like, well, a red skull."

Sigyn curled her lip. "Surely I would remember such a creature. Why do you ask?"

"He was the founder of Hydra, an organization bent on global control, not unlike what your husband tried to accomplish in New York. He was also a great fan of your kind and was the one unearthed the Tessaract in Norway. So you see, plenty of connections between you, Loki, and him."

"If Loki had any dealings with Hydra or this Johann Schmidt, he didn't tell me." She thought of the group of mercenaries he had when she first came to Earth, but they hadn't seemed like this Hydra Harrison spoke of.

"And have you been approached by anyone? You would be a powerful asset to them: an Asgardian with no love for S.H.I.E.L.D."

"No, the only ones who've approached me have been you and your people. How would they even know I'm here? My arrival has been kept quiet."

"Hydra has ways of knowing these things."

Sigyn took another long drink of her ale. What had she stumbled into by returning?
"Lovely. More people who won't leave me alone. I take it I'm to tell you if they contact me?"

"It would be helpful, yes. You...would not side with them, even after everything that's happened?"

"I did not come to this world to start another war, Harrison."

If that was the answer he wanted, he didn't show it. There was no relief, and his smile felt carefully crafted rather than genuine. "That is good to hear, lady Sigyn. I'll leave you to your dinner. Thank you for your time."

He stood, but she stopped him before he passed by her. "If Hydra is such a threat, why wouldn't you tell me in front of Thor? He is the protector of Midgard, surely he should be informed."

That got some reaction from him; his eyes widened slightly and his face, as Darcy would have put it, was an 'oh shit' face. "He already knows of them, and I needed honest answers not him trying to protect you."

They called my husband the god of lies; what makes you think I would tell you the truth. She had been of course; This Hydra was unknown to her. But she held her tongue. She wanted to be left alone and antagonizing a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent would make sure that she had a permanent shadow. She waited for him to leave before exhaling and relaxing into the seat. The waiter brought her another ale with an apologetic smile. Sigyn decided to quickly finish her meal and return to the apartment. She'd had enough socializing and excitement for one evening.

---

Sigyn chose not to mention her conversation with Thor before he left. His departure was stressful enough on everyone and she didn't want to add to it. Besides, if Harrison was right and Thor already knew about Hydra then there was no point divulging that conversation.

Jane threw herself into her work for a while, which left Sigyn and Darcy to help her until whenever Jane called it quits for the day. As sleep still brought her dreams that left her heart aching and her head throbbing, after the others went to bend she would bring out her spell books and practice. Simple charms and spells were first. Within a week she had placed a charm on everyone's cellphones and keys (so they would not be lost or stolen), warding spells all over the apartment to keep out any unwanted company, and several other spells that were purely decorative such as the great helix made of sparkling light that changed colors as it turned and which Darcy and Jane named Cosmic D.N.A.

The more complicated spells she performed after everyone had gone to bed, when she was guaranteed no interruptions. Darcy had taken her to several thrift shops, and Sigyn had returned with a few bags of bracelets and pendants. They lacked the purity of dwarven mined metal, and Sigyn worried how they would hold any of the spells she wove into them, but it had been over a year since she had done so and she could already tell her skills had waned a bit.

One night she had taken a break from a particularly troublesome bracelet that was making her eyes cross to stand out on the balcony. The breeze was cool and carried the scent of an oncoming storm. Sigyn was starting to feel comfortable here. Perhaps not quite home but she had longer periods of happiness that dulled the longing she still felt.
The quiet was broken by the sound of the door slamming shut, followed by Darcy's hushed curses. Sigyn just smiled and shook her head. "Aren't you coming back a little late?" she called.

After a long stretch of silence, Darcy poked her head through the patio door. "Oh hey the mad scientist is awake. And you're not my mother so don't even start."

"By my people's standards you are still practically an infant."

"Well here on Earth I'm a grown ass woman capable of making her own decisions and mistakes," she said as she came through the door holding two bottles of ale and handed her one. Before Darcy could pull out the bottle opener she kept on her keys, Sigyn merely flicked bottle cap off. "That's so not even fair."

Sigyn took the bottle from her and did the same thing before handing it back. "Might as well use my Asgardian strength for something."

"You know, you could become a super hero, too. Protecting the people you once tried to enslave."

"The people of Earth already have a protector, several actually. They don't need me."

"I think you'd be a pretty good one, all things considered. I'm not saying you'd do the whole saving the world thing. More like 'making sure people get home from the bar safely' kind of thing." Her eyes lit up as though she had the most brilliant idea ever. "You could be Bar Girl."

"How much have you had to drink, Darcy?"

"Not that much I don't think."

She hiccupped and Sigyn took the bottle from her. "I think you've had enough and should probably go to bed."

"Fine, moooom." Darcy wobbled a bit and Sigyn placed an arm around her waist to steady her. "See? Bar Girl helping those who've had too much to drink back to safety!"

Sigyn rolled her eyes, but still couldn't help but smile at Darcy's optimism.

---

It was a relatively quiet afternoon. Sigyn was tinkering with one of the bracelets she was working on the night before, Jane was working and Darcy was on her computer, ear buds in and oblivious to the world.

"Oh my god," she muttered, pulling her ear buds out. "You guys need to see this."

"What is it, Darcy?" Sigyn asked. This spell didn't want to work with the metal in the bracelet and she didn't feel like breaking her concentration for a cat video, though they were adorable.

"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s gone." Sigyn nearly dropped her bracelet.

"What do you mean, gone?" Jane asked.

"I mean they no longer exist. They just dumped all their secrets, on everything, into cyberspace. According to this website they were infiltrated by a group called Hydra, and they were going to use S.H.I.E.L.D.'s new Helicarriers to...shit...to eliminate anyone they saw as a current or future threat."

Hydra. Was her conversation with Harrison a coincidence then? She pulled up chair next to Darcy. "If they released all of their information, then there should be a list of agents and who they were affiliated with. I need to see a list of Hydra agents."

"Why?" Jane asked.

"Because the other night when you were all on dates I went to dinner and was cornered by Harrison. He asked if I had heard of, or been approached by, someone from Hydra."

"What?!" Darcy gasped, turning from her screen to face her. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"You think Harrison is Hydra?" Jane had just as much of a reason to be concerned as she did. He'd had the most contact with her research, and if any of it had been used to help Hydra... "Darcy just find out."

It took about a half an hour for Darcy to find what she was looking for, but Sigyn knew she found it when she muttered, "Shit. Says here he was. Last report said..." She looked up from her screen. "He was assigned to watch you."

"He asked if I hated S.H.I.E.L.D., probably trying to figure out where I'd stand." Had this been successful, Sigyn had no doubt that they would have come for her. A powerful asset he had said, appraising her as though she were some precious gem. "S.H.I.E.L.D. has one Asgardian; it would make sense that Hydra has one of their own."

Jane's phone went off and she answered. "Erik? Are you alright? Yeah, we've heard. Sigyn's here." A few more things were said before she hung up. "Erik said he'd be here in a few hours."

"I'm going to see what else they released," Darcy said.

Sigyn felt that she should be more worried, though the fear would probably set in later. Without a word to Darcy or Jane, she grabbed several of the pendants she and Darcy had picked up from their last thrift store visit from her room and set to weaving protection spells into them. They would most likely need them in the next few days, and this would keep her mind from dwelling on what this meant for her.

By the time Erik arrived, she had already woven a protection ward into one pendant, a simple piece of flat circular metal with a dark stone set in the middle, and was working on the second one. Darcy was still at her computer, taking notes on most of what she read. The news was on constantly, muffled background noise about the massive information leak. Erik pulled Jane into the kitchen area, and Sigyn could pick up on bits of their muffled conversation. "How much do we think they know?" "Are we safe here?" Sigyn kept her focus on the pendant and the spell she was working into it.

"Guys, you might want to see this." Darcy hadn't said much of anything since all of this started, and she sounded especially worried. Sigyn placed the pendant down and joined Erik and Jane by the computer. "Both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra had extensive research on Loki and Sigyn. Most of it is from New York. Stark apparently had a whole system in place to trick Loki into talking using Sigyn's voice. And...This hasn't gone viral yet...they know she's on Earth. All the orders for Harrison to watch her...all his findings...it's all out there."

"You said yet." Sigyn didn't know what 'viral' meant, but she had a felt the sinking feeling in her gut.

"It's only a matter of time. The US government already wants to talk to the Black Widow and it's been less than 24 hours. There's a few articles and blog posts about the 'rogue Asgardian' but compared to everything else that's going on they aren't making waves. But eventually..."

"They will turn their attention to me."

"The wife of the man who tried to conquer the world living in secret amongst its people," Erik said. "When that news breaks, who knows the kind of pandemonium that will follow?"

She would be taken into custody, interrogated, and if she was kept alive it would only be because the world governments might not want to anger Thor.

"We have to get her into hiding," Jane said, already about to start packing her bags.

Sigyn met Erik's gaze. They rarely saw eye to eye on everything, and he vocally opposed her presence, but in this she felt they had come to the same conclusion. "Jane. That won't be necessary."

"What? Don't tell me you're going to let them find you. I know you wanted to make up for everything you guys did but..."

"Jane, I can't stay in this realm."

"What? That's a little drastic, don't you think? I mean, you know a lot of places in Scandinavia. You could like...hide in the mountains of Norway or the flagship IKEA store in Sweden and be safe, right?" Darcy asked.

"If or when this goes 'viral' as you put it, I doubt there will be many places for me to hide. Besides, my continued presence here will most likely put you all in danger, or at the very least get you in trouble with your governments or damage Jane's research credibility. I can't stay on Midgard." She always knew this would be a temporary living situation, but not this temporary, and she found herself wishing she could have stayed a little longer.

However, there wasn't the immediate, pressing sense of danger she felt when she first fled Midgard. The media and everyone seemed to be focused on any of the other stories, so Darcy figured that there was at least a day and half to two days to pack her things and figure out where she was going to go.

Sigyn finished weaving protection charms into several pendants and gave one to Jane, Darcy, and Erik. It was the least she could do after everything they had done for her, and with the uncertainty of everything to come they could use the added protection.

Two days after S.H.I.E.L.D. fell, Jane and Darcy drove Sigyn back to Stonehenge at sunrise. The ride was quiet, save for the occasional sniffle from Darcy.

"Do you know where you'll go?" Jane asked.

Surprisingly, since all of this had happened, Sigyn had been able to remain calm and plan her next move. And there was only one other realm she would consider right now. "I'm going to stay with my father on Nidavellir."

"And you'll be safe there?"

"Safer than here, and I'll receive a warmer welcome there than on Vanaheim."

The sky was a dusty blue and the sun was still low in the sky when they arrived at Stonehenge. They were alone except for the guard that told them to leave. Sigyn murmured a sleep spell and the guard curled up on the grass at their feet.

"This is goodbye then." Sigyn said, even though it pained her to say so.

"Will you come back?" Darcy crossed her arms over her chest to combat the early morning chill.

"I don't know. I'll try to when some of this calms down."

Their goodbyes were tearful, albeit brief (the guard wouldn't stay asleep forever). They watched as Sigyn picked up her bag, walked up to one of the giant, stone slabs, and cut her palm as usual. Before she pressed her hand to the stone, she glanced back at them. Jane had her arm around Darcy's shoulders and both were wiping away tears. Before her resolve could weaken, Sigyn pressed her palm to the stone. The cool hard surface gave way to a gaping, pitch black hole large enough for her to walk through.

Don't look back. She thought as she stepped through the makeshift doorway. Three steps in, the doorway closed behind her and the ground dropped off. Sigyn tumbled down down down into the darkness.

She fell for what felt like ages, silent and blind, until she landed on a rocky slope and rolled until she hit the ground. Her body was scraped and she struggled to push herself to her feet. It was still dark around her, so she muttered a quick illumination spell and a small orb of golden light appeared in her hand. She was in a cave.

"Great. Couldn't have landed in a field or forest, huh."

She wandered until she heard the sound of rushing water, and followed that to a small stream that lead her towards the cave's exit. Stepping out into the light, Sigyn could see the familiar mountain formations reaching towards the sky. Her father's hall couldn't be far.