Growing Pains

Twenty

Helena quickly left the library and did as her brother instructed. Pietro turned to Loki.

"Who's her uncle?" Loki asked, but he was ignored.

Faster than Loki could register, Pietro was in front of him and punching him in the face. Loki gasped in pain before glaring daggers at him.

"What was that for?!" He demanded.

"For making my little sister cry." Pietro said.

Loki took out a dagger and thrust forwards, but Pietro simply sped behind him and knocked him over.

"Great, you got powers from my scepter too?" Loki growled, springing up.

"Yep, but I don't need any powers to kick your ass for the way you've been treating Helena." Pietro threatened.

"She was responsible for my mother's death!" Loki yelled.

"No, she wasn't!" Pietro yelled back, "She was literally forced to hide while your mother chose to save her. She sacrificed herself, and yet you blame the traumatized twelve year old!"

"Why would my mother sacrifice herself for Helena?" Loki demanded.

"For the same reason I sacrificed myself for Clint Barton and the child he was rescuing- because it was the right thing to do...and, I'm also not an asshole like you."

Loki shot him a glare, but threw down the dagger.

"I shouldn't have yelled." He admitted, "I just- my mother was the only one who ever believed in me- ever loved me, even."

"That's where you're wrong again." Pietro said.

"What?"

"Helena looks up to you. She sees you as a mentor, of sorts. You're about the worst mentor to ever exist, but she believes in you."

"She's foolish then."

"Yeah, she's also just a kid. A kid that wanted to believe her father could be anything but a complete monster." Pietro said.

Loki blinked.

"...her father?" He repeated.

"I wasn't really supposed to tell you that. It was supposed to be classified information, but I figured you ought to know the child's heart you just broke was your own's."

"That's not possible." Loki said.

"Talk to Odin." Pietro said.

"I- she can't- this isn't possible." Loki insisted, "You're lying."

"Why would I lie?" Pietro asked.

"But you're her brother! And she said she has a sister too!"

"Wanda and I adopted her into our family after finding her alone in the streets." Pietro said.

Loki was silent, mind reeling. He opened his mouth only to close in again.

"Look, you're the god of lies and whatnot, aren't you? I'm telling the truth, as you probably know. Now, I'm going to go find my sister before something bad happens to her." Pietro said, giving Loki one last glare before leaving the room.

Loki could hardly breathe. He was a horrible father, just like Odin had been to him. He had failed, and didn't even know it when it was happening. Loki closed his hands into fists and a mini force blew away from him, knocking over some stacks of books. His green eyes shined, but he was determined not to shed any tears. How could this have happened?

Of all the children in the world that he could've lashed out at, it had to be his own? Helena would never forgive him. He couldn't even forgive himself. Loki closed his eyes for a moment, trying to catch his breath. All the thoughts swirling around his head began to whisper the same thing- he needed to find Helena.