The Dark World | Book 3

Chapter 31: Farm House

Sigyn followed Clint and Laura inside their house with the Avengers following. She entered into a small living room connected to a dining and a kitchen, it was small and cozy. She walked into the living room, hearing a crunch beneath her foot, she looks down to see she stepped on scattered papers with drawings on them done by the children.

"Apologies." Sigyn quickly lifted her foot as the little girl crouched at her feet.

"It's okay!" the girl peered up at Sigyn with bright brown eyes and a wide smile as she gathered her drawings and placed them on the table. "Thor already stepped on my brother's lego."

"Ah...?" Sigyn replied with a smile, not having a clue what 'lego' was. Clint chuckled as he entered the kitchen space with his pregnant wife.

"I'm Lila, by the way." The girl introduced herself.

"I am Sigyn of Asgard."

"I know, I saw you on tv. Daddy says your husbands a bad man." Lila stated bluntly. Clint looked over at his daughter warily. Sigyn chuckled,

"He's not as bad as you think."

"Lila." Laura called as she prepared dinner. "Leave the lady alone."

"She is quiet alright." Sigyn says as she walked towards the dining table.

"What do you like to eat?" Laura asked.

"I am content with whatever is served."

Fury then stepped into the kitchen, "If I may ask. Why are you so hell bent on finding the sceptre?"

"You have no idea what that sceptre contains, Directer—"

"I'm not director anymore. SHILED fell a while back." Fury explains. "What is in the sceptre?"

Sigyn remained silent as the Avengers gathered around, waiting for an answer. Sigyn let out a breath, "If 'whatever' is in that sceptre is powerful enough to create an artificial intelligence-" She eyes Tony and Bruce who averted their eyes. "-That is capable of having a mind of it's own, you tell me what you think is in it."

The Avengers fell silent.

"All of you tamper with power you do not understand and cannot control." Sigyn says flailing her arms. "First the Tesseract, and now the sceptre that was given to the Trickster himself from a being we have no knowledge of, and mind you, was able of conjuring an army of aliens. Tony, what did you think you were doing?"

"I wanted to help the world." Tony replied confidently.

"You cannot hope to protect this realm with something that is meant to control and destroy." Sigyn stated.

"Sigyn!" Lila tugged the goddess hand, breaking the tension in the room.

"Yes, child?"

"I want to show you my room!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Take me to your chambers, little one." Sigyn allowed Lila to take her hand and guide her towards the loft to the staircase and to the second floor.

Clint nodded towards Natasha and then towards Lila and Sigyn, telling her to keep an eye on his daughter.

Natasha smiled and nodded, she stood up from the table and proceeded to silently follow Lila and Sigyn upstairs.

"There's something she's not telling us." Steve stated.

"Really?" Tony remarked sarcastically. "Never noticed. She's talking about something powerful in that sceptre and she wants it."

"Or maybe she's right." Steve says. "Maybe she wants to protect us from it. Maybe it's for the better."

"Protect us from what, is the answer I need?" Fury says.

"She's Asgardian." Banner sighs heavily. "It's her job to protect our world, I'd know, I read up about it and so did you Tony."

"Don't bring me into this."

"You're already in this." Fury stated. "Steve... Can I have a word?" Fury placed a hand on his shoulder and guided him out of the room. Fury looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was eavesdropping and whispered,

"She's knows about Barnes."

"What?!" Steve shot.

"Ask her when you're alone." Fury says softly. Steve nodded taking in a breath.

Upstairs, Sigyn was led into a pink room filled with toys and all the fantasies of a child. Lila released Sigyn's hand and quickly dove into a toy chest.

"Wow." Sigyn says looking around. "You're chambers are extravagant."

"I don't know what that means. But, this is Hannah." Lila pulled out a barbie doll. "And this is her friend, Tinker Bell." Lila then proceeded to name each and every one of her dolls. "That's Charlie, and thats Ariel, she's a mermaid. This is her boyfriend Eric, and then thats Pixie, and this is Grace—"

"How do you even remember all that?" Natasha says from the door. Lila turned and smiled at Natasha and shrugged and then continued to name her dolls.

"She is a precious child." Sigyn says approaching Natasha. Memories came pouring back in, watching her two sons grow and play together.

"This is my tea party set!" Lila pointed to a small round table with a tea set. "Have some tea! I only make the best." she invited Sigyn and Natasha to sit. Both women sat on the floor as Lila poured them fake tea.

"Is that so?" Natasha says. "Then why don't you give the rest of the Avengers some tea?"

"Cause it's not real." Lila pouted in a matter of fact tone.

"Then what am I drinking?" Natasha says astounded making Lila giggle.

"Would you like to see some real magic?" Sigyn asked leaning over the table. Lila nodded excitedly.

Sigyn smiled and held out her hand and with skilful flicks of her wrist, a golden glow settled upon the tea set. The tea pot and cups began to float,

"Whoa!" Lila says with awe as she watched the tea pot pour real tea into the cups. Even Natasha watched with delight.

"Can I show Cooper!?" she asked excited.

"Of course." Sigyn nodded as Lila ran into the hall into her brothers room. "Cooper, come look at this! It's real magic!"

"I'm busy!"

"Come and look!"

A load groan was heard before footsteps stomped down the hall before Copper came walking into the room while his sister ran back to the table. Cooper stopped at the door, watching the tea set float. "...Whoa."

"Cool isn't it?" Natasha says as Cooper nodded slowly.

"Can you make my dolls dance?"

Sigyn flicked her finger in the direction of the toy chest, the dolls floated out of the box and began to twirl in the air with what movement they could make. Lila laughed loudly and began to dance with her dolls.

Down stairs, The Avengers could hear Cooper and Lila laughing. It made Laura and Clint smile, "What are they doing?" Laura asked looking up at the ceiling as they heard a loud thud.

"Sigyn's probably training them for battle—" Tony laughed sarcastically then Lila shouted down the stairs,

"Daddy! My dolls are floating!"

"Or, you know, that?" Clint says.

"Dinner!" Laura yelled out loudly, but it wasn't loud enough for all the laughing upstairs. "Clint."

"Got it." Clint stood up from his seat and jogged upstairs, he came to Lila's room where a gold light was emanating from under the door. He opened the door and for a split second second everything in the room was floating, including his two children, before everything quickly dropped and hit the ground, Cooper and Lila landed safely on the bed.

"Uh..." he looked towards Sigyn and Natasha who sat around the tea set table looking innocent around the destruction of the room.

"...Dinner's ready."