We're Not Dead Yet (Split Souls part 2)

23: The Hardest Part

Kat didn't have much time to think by herself. Loki had noticed her arrival and made a beeline to her. He knelt in front of her, and placed his fingers against her temples, reinforcing his magic.

"Where did you go? What happened?" Loki asked, worried.

"Mom's." She said quietly, voice muffled from her face at her knees.

Loki blinked. Then he sat next to her. She had met her mother.

"Did something go wrong?" He asked softly.

"No, not um, not really." She mumbled.

Loki waited for an explanation, or an 'I'm okay' or 'fuck off, I'm fine' or even a simple 'fuck off'. Eventually, she reached and took his hand in hers, and set it against her temple. He felt her mind give a gentle push at his, and a tiny gap in her wall to let him in.

He took the invitation, and saw her memory first-hand. He also felt her emotions, and it ignited a pain in his own chest. Her emotions resembled a minor, muted version of his at finding out his heritage. She was more confused and displaced, where he had been lost and angry.

When he retreated from her mind, she sighed, and uncurled from around her knees to wrap her arms around Loki's waist and rest her head against his chest. He settled his own arms around her shoulders. Loki was was glad she couldn't see his blushing face. 

"I thought I knew who I was." Kat said softly. "I thought that... I don't know how to explain it. That because Percy's soul got split, I could exist. And then I find out that I was supposed to be born, but I wasn't... I feel like I got cheated out of my life."

Loki frowned, and ran some fingers through her hair.

"For a little while, I felt like a copy. But then I moved on, and thought that copies can be edited, changed from the original. Now... I'm like a hitchhiker." 

Loki stayed silent for a while, just being as comforting as he could. Besides, he was having a hard time believing how comfortable he was with Kat next to him. 

"You know what?" Kat blurted suddenly.

Loki hummed in question.

"I'm a goddess. I have forever. I can live however I want. What's seventeen years against eternity?"

"Not much," Loki replied, "But even one year can change a person forever. Or a single day."

"Yeah." She said, "It's time for me to start living."

~~~~~~

"He- he just-" Winter said. "Where did he go?"

"SHIELD probably. Report what happened." Steve said.

"Then HYDRA will know too." Winter frowned.

"Not if he goes straight to the director. Tell me they don't have Fury on their side?" Steve replied, voice in a plea at the latter sentiment.

"No." Winter answered. "But does he have that much sway with the director?"

"Well," Steve said, "If he doesn't, he'll probably get it pretty quick."

The room fell into silence. For a long while, they both sat there, unknowing of what to do or say. Winter was the first one to break the silence. "So, you used to know me." Winter paused, "Or whoever I was."

Steve swallowed. "I did."

"How well?" Winter asked.

How well indeed. What was Steve supposed to say to that? 'We lived together'. 'You used to clean me up after I got into a fight'. 'You used to save me when I got into fights'. 'We'd share a bed on cold nights'. 'I'd cook for us because you didn't know how'. 'We sent letters to each other all the time when you were away at war'. 'We pranked the bullies together in school'.