Sigil: The Avenger of Mischief

Chapter 5 - Path of Revenge

On the Milano, Emerald sat at the table with her arms folded across her chest.  Hela was sitting behind her, her feet up on the wall, twiddling her fingers.  Across from them, were the Guardians of the Galaxy.  The expressions on their faces, were a mix of worry and anger.  Peter Quill was sitting opposite Emerald, with a pack of ice on his balls.  Drax was standing behind him, glaring at her.  He was not very happy that her ice had managed to hold him down.  It had only been when she waved her hand, that he was released from his icy prison.  Gamora was just looking at Hela, who was very nonchalant in her attitude at that moment.  Groot was just chewing on one of his leaves, and Rocket was sitting in his lap, just staring at Emerald, his mouth hanging open.  Finally, Peter Quill decided to break the silence.  "We're sorry if it seemed like we intruded-"

"If it seemed like you intruded?!  You messed up my whole operation!  And it's bad enough a sister I did not know I had, shows up, I now have you buffoons!" Emerald snapped, standing up and knocking her chair back.  Drax came up right in front of her.  Emerald looked up and fixed him with her piercing green stare.  "I was going to question, and pry from his insignificant mind, all the information I need in order to find and kill Thanos!  And you guys screwed that up something royal!" Emerald shouted, not backing down from Drax.  The Destroyer's hands started to twitch, but that was when Groot said his signature phrase.

"I am Groot."

"Yeah Drax, back down," Rocket translated, and Drax glared at Rocket before he stepped away.  A clapping made them all look up and they saw Hela.  She had put her veil back on, and pulled it down, so that more of her face was concealed, but her feet were still up on the wall.  She was clapping because this situation was amusing to her in some way.  Emerald glanced at Quill before sitting back down, her legs crossed at the knees. 

"This is very funny!  You people obviously don't understand the orders you were given," Hela said, suddenly producing a printout of the info Nick Fury had sent them.  They all gasped, and Emerald rolled her eyes.  "You're orders are to make sure that Emerald stays alive enough to return to her husband and son.  In other words, you're to help her along her path of revenge.  Right now, you're just soldiers, who haven't really followed their commands," Hela said as she turned the print out into a paper airplane and threw it at Gamora.  The assassin caught it and crumpled it in her hand. 

"Where do you fit into all this?" Quill asked Hela, and the Goddess of Death sat up.  She shrugged her shoulder, stood up, and walked over to where Emerald was sitting.  Hela draped one hand over the back of her sister's chair, and her fingers fiddled with the leather of Emerald's coat.  Emerald brushed her hand away, but Hela did not at all seem disturbed by it.  Finally, after a few minutes of awkward silence, Rocket jumped onto the table and cleared his throat. 

"May I just say that, if you need any help, you can call on me and Groot," Rocket said, placing a hand over his heart.  Emerald looked at the little rodent and had to smirk, her signature expression only making Rocket drool more.

"Yeah, and that's because you're head over heels in love with a married woman," Starlord remarked dryly.  Rocket hissed at him, but Emerald and Hela were already laughing.  Emerald wiped the tears from her eyes and actually pulled Rocket in for a hug.  He struggled at first, but when Emerald put her cheek against his furry head, he melted into her arms. 

"Thanks for the offer.  I'll consider it," Emerald said as she stroked his fur with her nose.  Rocket just closed his eyes, and smiled.

Thanos sat on his throne, tapping the arms of his chair with his fingers.  The Other stood a few feet away from him, his hands in the steeple position as he waited for his master's orders.  "She is hunting me," Thanos said and The Other bowed.

"Yes Master.  It is as the Norns predicted," The Other said and Thanos was up out if his chair and standing in front of The Other.  The Other went lower towards the ground, his nose almost touching.

"And her flame will be harder to stifle!  Those were their exact words to me!  What's the flame of a child compared to me?!  Even if she is a goddess now," Thanos said as he walked away from The Other.  The Other glanced over his shoulder at his master and he growled a little.  Thanos had not suspected Emerald taking the place of Loki as the Goddess of Mischief.  The Other thought his master was slipping.  "Where is your apprentice?" Thanos suddenly asked and The Other was startled from his thought. 

"Randaar?  He is never far from me.  Like his master, he is in the shadows, waiting to be summoned," The Other said, a little bit of pride swelling his voice. 

Thanos smirked before he shouted, "Randaar!"  Another creature appeared, and he bowed to Thanos.  Randaar was a Skrull, once a captain in their army.  He had been captured by the Chitauri as Thanos had advanced on his colony.  In order to save his own wretched hide, he had betrayed his colony's weaknesses to The Other and the colony fell.  The Other then decided to keep him alive as his personal servant.  "Randaar, I want you to take your master's place while he runs an errand for me," Thanos said.  Randaar glanced at The Other, and his master raised his eyebrow.  The Other turned to Thanos and waited obediently for his orders.  "I want you to go and find Emerald Lokisdaughter.  I don't care what you have to do.  I don't care who else you will have to kill.  I want her dead!  Bring her head to me in a bag!" Thanos ordered.  The Other went down on one knee while placing a hand over his heart.

"As you wish my master.  Your wish is my command," The Other said, before he disappeared from sight.

Emerald tossed and turned as she lay in a makeshift cot on Starlord's Milano.  Hela lay above her on a bench which had been converted into a bed.  They had done a magical version of Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide who would get it.  Emerald lost.  Now, Hela was watching her little sister fight through a nightmare.  The raccoon, Rocket, was sleeping, curled up in Groot's arms at the table.  Drax's head was on the table, his arms supporting him, and Gamora was up in the cockpit with Quill.  Hela's green eyes watched Emerald closely as she rolled around, moaned, and muttered.  It took Hela a moment, but she started hearing names.  "Dad... Dad... don't go... Clint... I love you... it's okay... Damien... Dad... Dad... Dad!"  The last one was an exclamation and Emerald sat bolt up right in the bed.  Rocket was startled from sleep and he suddenly pulled out a gun.  The weapon was the first thing Drax saw, so he drew his big knife.  Gamora and Peter came down the stairs and looked around.  Emerald had pulled her knees into her chest and she was breathing hard.  Her dark brown hair, hung messily down her shoulders, and her green eyes were wide with terror.  The only person who did not react like the world was coming to an end, was Hela.  She slid out of her bed and sat down next to Emerald.

"What is it?  What scared you?" she asked her in a gentle, big sisterly voice. 

"I saw Dad!  He was with Clint.  It was really strange.  They were working together on something, but wolves attacked.  They were both in danger!" Emerald said.  Hela did not even acknowledge the Guardians as she pulled Emerald in close and hugged her.

"It's okay Emerald.  It was just a dream.  Just a bad dream," she soothed as she slowly rocked Emerald, and her sister relaxed.  Emerald turned and put her head in her sister's shoulder.  She did not cry.  She just slowly went back to sleep.