Sinbound: Variants

Part 5

I burst into the living room, dripping wet from the rain and holding my mother's diary in the air. "She did it to protect me. She did everything to protect me!" I say, tears streaming down my face. Loki and Tony rush to me, Tony getting to me first. Loki stays close behind him as they lead me back into the living room.

"Kid, what are you talking about?"

'This diary... it explains everything. Mom was there when Odin and Hela created the city, and she was there when Odin tried to cover up it's bloody history. She was captured by Thanos years later and tortured for answers, for information... all he wanted was power and control. That's when she started losing her mind, she couldn't take it!"

"Ok, slow down..." Tony says, sitting me down.

"And he made a deal with her, that if he let her live she could never return to Asgard as a Valkyrie, and instead would have to sacrifice her child to have his power in order for him to succeed. I was born to literally be a double agent to this world. But she refused to sacrifice me in the end like that, and gave up her immortality to give me humanity and a life and a mind of my own, in return creating the only creature to either save everything... or destroy it." I gasp for air, croaking in pain from the knot in my throat. I sob into Tony's shoulder, and he holds me tight as he sits next to me on the couch.

He kisses my forehead, rocking me slightly to comfort me. I can tell he didn't know about this, and I can tell Loki didn't know either. I peak a glance at his facial expression from my blurry, saddened eyes to see his darting back and forth, trying to make sense of everything.

"Mom was a Valkyrie?" Beth asked, also trying to make sense of everything. I try to answer, but nothing comes out. 

"Loki...?" I say, my words muffled from being spoken through my dad's clothes as I keep my head buried in his chest.

"Yes?" He asks softly, kneeling in front of me and putting a hand on my back.

"Do you remember when we first met her, and she said she knew I would go for the darker one? She meant it. She knew you, she knew what Odin did. She knew I would fall in love with you." I say, sobbing harder. My mother had always been looking out for me, and knew me better than anyone.

"Your mother is a brave woman, Ayca. You are so much like her." Loki says to me, rubbing my back.

"I know." I say at a whisper, letting another wave of sobbing come.

I take a beat upstairs in my flat, coving my head with the covers. I don't want to see anyone unless it's Loki at this point. He slides in bed behind me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into him.

"She knew you." I say after a moment.

"I'm sorry to say that I do not remember her." He admits, kissing the back of my head.

"Her diary said she was taken from Asgard long before you would have, but had a vision of you in the future. I guess she knew that she would be seeing you again."

"Darling," He says, winding his leg between mine and rubbing his foot lightly against my ankle, "Stay here as long as you need. I'm here. Whatever you need, just say the word and it's yours."

"I need you to stay here with me." I say as my only request. 

"As you wish." He says, cuddling me and settling into his position. I can tell he closed his eyes because he takes the same kind of deep breath that staggers midway on the inhale when he does. That always means he's setting in for a while. 

--------------------

I ended up spending the rest of the evening and the night in our flat. I wake up to the smell of fresh coffee that Loki's made, and wander sleepily into the kitchen. He pours me a cup and fixes it the way I like it, and I take it with a yawn.

"Sleep well, darling?" He asks, leaning against the counter. 

"It would have been worse if I didn't have you." I say, leaning into him and resting my head on his chest. He wraps one arm around me, pulling me in. He kisses the top of my head and rubs my back, taking in a deep breath. as he lets it out I set my coffee down and wrap my arms around his waist, hugging him. He embraces me with both arms now, letting me just stand there and take him all in.

We hear a static from the speaker in the wall by the door, and it's Tony. "Hey kid, come on down when you're decent. We gotta deal with variant you."

I groan into his chest, and he chuckles a little. "Come on, love. Get dressed, we will walk down together." He says, handing me my coffee to take with me while I get ready.

We walk down the stairs together and find just my dad and Beth this time. 

"We think Loki should see her." Beth starts.

'Oh?" He says, furrowing his brow at her.

"You've gotta see her at some point, so why stall?" Tony points out. "She's going to be upset, but maybe you should break some news to her."

"What exactly am I informing her of?" He asks, rocking back on his heels and clasping his hands behind his back. 

"Let's start with... 'you're a variant of Ayca when you died in Asgard. You're basically the essence of your own magic, kept alive because you were still slightly immortal from your magical purple dad' how does that sound?" Tony says, patting him on the shoulder.

"I would not exactly word it that way, but, very well."

"Please say 'magical purple dad'." I say, trying to smile at him. He returns the same doubtful expression, then enters the room.

-------LOKI'S POV-------

I enter the room to see a past version of Ayca sat on the ground, turned away from the entrance to the room. She's tired and still blonde. Although I always think the world of her beauty, sometimes I miss this physical appearance of hers. It made it clear why her parents called her 'buttercup'. 

I slowly walk up to the glass, feeling a sense of deja vu. This is not going to be easy. "Ayca?" I call out to her. She whips her head around immediately, standing up and accosting the glass window. 

"You've got some nerve." She growls.

"I understand why you're upset."

"You do? Huh! Enlighten me, then!" She scoffs. I look down and sigh. Here goes nothing.

"Ayca, you're a variant."

"Come again?" She says, clicking her tongue and raising her eyebrows.

"You are the remaining immortal magic of what was left of you when Hela killed you in Asgard. You survived, while the greater part of you pressed on. I had to stay by your side for weeks until you were fully recovered by a healer, returning you to your conscious state."

"English, please. You're not making any sense. I didn't die, I was immortal! You... you left me! I had to find my way back to Earth with the help of Hela, of all people!"

"You did not. You were bedridden and I brought you back myself, I would never leave your side!"

"But you did!" She shrieks at me. I stand tall, wetting my lips.

"I have proof." I admit.

"How stupid do you think I am?"

"Hardly. I actually assume you're smart enough to comprehend all this." I say, keeping my tone steady.

"How am I here?" She asks after a moment. "How am I back in here, Loki?" She repeats herself.

"There's someone here who can explain that all to you. You just have to promise me one thing, my dear."

"What's that?" She asks, her attitude slowly resurfacing.

"Remain calm." I say, turning my back and walking out of the room.

I walk up to Ayca, giving her a warm embrace. 

"Well? How'd she take it?" She asks me, looking deeply into my eyes. There's definitely something more familiar about her than the variant in the other room. The variant lacks personality, she lacks the essence of herself. My Ayca is here, in my arms, and suddenly my doubts and paranoia disappear when she holds my gaze in those pearly blue eyes of hers. 

"She's ready to see you now." I say, my tone low and serious.