Avengers: Legacies

Brother's Keeper

Sigyn returned from her training session with Wanda breathless and flushed. Wanda Maximoff, her mentor, was a powerful witch, although the older woman had explained that she was not one. Sigyn wasn't so sure. She had only seen such power once, and that was the magic of Loki. What would he say if he could see her now? He'd probably pity her. But she could care less as to what he would say. She was far far away from Asgard for the first time in her life, and she wanted to experience as much of it as she could. So far, she had learned about elevators, computers, and a disembodied voice called Friday. The Midgardians were far more advanced than she had originally thought which made them all the more fascinating.

Her brother, however, didn't seem to think so. He despised the Midgardians as much as their uncle did. Tait's head would roll if she ever pointed that out to him. But he had always been this narrow-minded, even when they were children. Sigyn had learned diplomacy early on to replace Tait's lack of it. He refused to try anything new or unfamiliar lest he make a fool out of himself. Sigyn suspected that that fear was what was holding Tait back from engaging with the group and their superiors.

Tait had a horrible habit of appearing like a total ass to everyone around him in the hopes to save himself from something. But Sigyn knew exactly what it was. She could read her brother like an open book. Right now, he was still in denial. He didn't want to believe that he had been banished here and he was now supposed to live among people he would have to get close to. Despite his rough exterior, he was extremely soft on the inside. Sigyn knew this better than anyone. He looked after her with the close attention of a mother hen who would scold when she got hurt but would gently wipe her tears away. He doted on her as they got older, bringing her back gifts from his travels and sharing the tales of his adventures. They would spend long hours talking until the first rays of dawn slid over the horizon about their hopes and dreams. Even when they fought, their anger towards one another didn't last long. For a while, they were each other's best friends. Now, she had no idea what they were. They weren't even siblings anymore. Just mutual acquaintances.

Their time apart had never felt more lonely than this past one. Sigyn spent most of her days with Loki which distracted her a great deal, but her mind often wandered to the state of her brother. He had been gone for many months, the longest he had ever been from home. She waited for his return with bated anticipation. Loki had lost his patience with her many times over her brother's absence.

Now, she was here beside Tait like she had always wanted, and it didn't seem there was much for them to bond over. She was mad at him for his stance on her and Loki, and he was mad at her because she seemed too eager to be around the Midgardians. Their trust for one another had faded in their time apart. Sigyn only hoped for it to return in their time here on Midgard. She prayed to Valhalla and the Old Gods that it did.

Sigyn entered the dining room that separated the kitchen from the living room. Mentors mingled with their mentees around the long table that rivaled the one back home in the Great Hall. Sigyn found a seat on the very end next to Rosalie. The redhead greeted her with a wide, welcoming smile.

"How was your day today?" Rosalie asked. Sigyn poked at the glass cup in front of her, having not seen one so tiny and delicate before. She tore her eyes away from it once she realized that Rosalie was patiently waiting for her answer.

"It's been wonderful, truly. I am going to learn much from Wanda. What of you?" she replied, returning the smile.

"Oh, it's turned out great," Rosalie smiled more to herself now as she glanced across the table. Her eyes landed on the archer who tapped his silverware against the tabletop absently, unaware of Rosalie's gaze. Sigyn immediately understood that something was up between the two.

"Oh," Sigyn giggled. "I see. Good luck to you then."

"Thanks. We've known each other for years, and we've tried to make things work, but life just wasn't on our side until now," Rosalie shrugged, her cheeks brightening.