When Thor arrived back across the Bifrost Bridge with Sif, Volstagg, and Fandral beside him, the last thing he expected to see was his little sister, sitting cross legged at Heimdall's feet. "What exactly are you doing?" he asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Fandral laughed. "Waiting for Sif's detailed recounting of all that she missed out on."
"I don't remember requesting the extra commentary," Signy said as Sif pulled her to a stand and threw her arm over her shoulder. "But Sif is literally the only one of you I'd care to speak to at the moment."
"Then it's a good thing that I always have time for you, little Sig," Sif said, pressing a kiss to the girl's cheek.
Signy would hear the stories from that day and days past of restoring peace to the Nine Realms time and time again. She attended a large celebration that night for their success and would listen to each retelling with equal excitement as the first time.
Every time she thought of battle, she longed for New York and her friendship with the Avengers. But she knew her father would never approve of her returning to Midgard in coming times of transition. Soon Thor would be king and Asgard couldn't be without its little princess.
That is, until the first in line for the throne requested her presence.
---♦♢♦---
Heimdall transported them from Asgard to Earth, a part of the planet Signy hadn't visited yet.
England was certainly different from New York, the last place she visited on Midgard. Though Thor was obviously focused on finding Jane after Heimdall hadn't been able to see her earlier, Signy took her time watching the England countryside of spralling, green hills turn into sparse buildings closer to the city.
It was already wet outside from an earlier storm, but Signy found herself feeding off of the strong pull of the dark clouds. She took a deep breath and let the droplets fall down on her, though Thor made sure he and Jane were spared from the pouring rain.
Thunder rumbled as Thor laid his eyes on Jane. She and Darcy, in the center of a dry circle in the middle of the storm, looked around confusedly until Jane laid her eyes on the two superheroes.
While Thor was standing in a dramatically heroic stance, Signy had her head tipped up to the sky, catching droplets of rain in her open mouth.
As Jane approached the children of Odin, Signy's umbrella followed her, leaving Darcy in the downpour. "Typical," she muttered.
"Oh, my apologies!" Signy said, running over to give Jane and Thor some alone time and to keep the unfamiliar girl dry. "I don't believe we met last time around. I'm Signy."
The brunette shook her hand. "Darcy. Nice to meet you. Cool rain. It was very... cold."
"Yeah. Sometimes I forget not everyone loves the rain."
Darcy nodded. "Wanna go interrupt your big brother's moment?"
Signy looked over and felt like gagging as Thor took Jane's face in his hands. "Bleh. Always."
"Hey, could you, like... I don't know. Stop the rain?" Darcy asked as the two made their way over.
"You're right. It's probably lending to their moment. Disgusting."
Thor narrowed his eyes at his little sister. "Sig-"
"Um, we're kinda in the middle of something here," Jane said, directing this to Darcy.
"Um, I'm pretty sure we're getting arrested," Darcy mocked.
"Hold that thought." Jane ran off to talk to the police officers, leaving the three together.
"Look at you, still all muscly and everything," Darcy said, poking his bicep. "How's space?"
"Space is fine," Thor replied simply.
While they continued to exchange pleasantries, the police officer attempted to grasp Jane's arm only to be thrown off by some unknown dark red haze which shattered everything around them. Thor moved to block Signy and Darcy from the rubble, but Signy was quicker in growing a wall of ice to shield them.
Thor quickly ran over to check on the girl who now laid on the ground, having also been harmed by the blast. The police attempted to arrest her again, saying she was dangerous.
"Signy, come quickly," Thor beckoned. Signy waved back to Darcy and ran to her brother's side. "Hold on to me," he told Jane.
"What are you doing?" Jane asked.
Signy smiled as Thor's arm wrapped around her. "I like to call it the rainbow bridge."
The three were transported up into the sky, leaving a large mark in the cement behind as a sign of their departure. They landed back in Asgard at Heimdall's feet. And with that, Jane made her first trip to space alongside the demigods.
---♦♢♦---
"This is not of Earth. What is it?" Thor asked one of the lady's maids who was tending to Jane, trying to discover what was brewing inside of her.
"We do not know. But she will not survive the amount of energy surging within her," the woman replied.
Signy ran into the room excitedly with a plate of her favorite Asgardian foods for Jane to try. When she saw the girl was still engaged, Signy went to stand beside her brother, offering up the snacks.
"That's a quantum field generator, isn't it?" Jane asked, watching the vague form of her body dust above her.
"It's a soul forge," another woman replied as she worked on it.
"Does a soul forge transfer molecular energy from one place to another?"
The woman looked down at her in surprise. "Yes."
Jane turned to the children of Odin and whispered, "Quantum field generator."
Signy looked up at her lovesick, smiling brother. Their happiness was put to an end, however, when Odin entered the room. "My words are mere noises to you that you ignore them completely?" he asked.
"She is ill," Thor replied.
"She is mortal," Odin argued. "Illness is their defining trait. And you had the nerve to drag your sister along."
"I do have a mind of my own, believe it or not," Signy muttered. "I chose to go along."
"I brought her here because we can help her," Thor continued, trying to take the focus away from his sister's sass, knowing how that would end.
"She does not belong here in Asgard any more than a goat belongs at a banquet table," Odin said.
Signy rolled her eyes. Jane said, "Did he just-? Who do you think you are?"
"I am Odin. King of Asgard. Protector of the Nine Realms."
"And a total dick," Signy murmured, earning a slap to the arm from her brother.
"Oh..." Jane trailed off. "Well, I'm-"
"I know very well who you are," Odin interrupted. "Jane Foster."
"You told your dad about me?"
"Something is within her, Father," Thor said, ignoring Jane's question. "Something I have not seen before."
"Her world has its healers. They are called 'doctors'. Let them deal with it," Odin said. "Guards, take her back to Midgard!"
"Doctors cannot solve what she has! You haven't seen it," Signy tried.
Nevertheless, the guards persisted, trying to grab onto Jane's arm. "No, I would not-" Thor attempted, but he was too late. The guards were thrown back by the same haze as before, and Jane was left half-conscious on the table. "-touch her. Jane, are you alright?"
"Yeah," she whispered faintly.
Odin approached and hovered his hand down her arm, watching red swirl within her skin. "It's impossible. The infection, it's... defending her."
"No. It's defending itself," Signy said.
With that, Odin led the trio back to a room Signy hadn't visited before. It showed the Nine Realms above them, slowly moving towards alignment, and contained an ancient book with gold script detailing the long history of Asgard and the Dark Elves.
"I remember these stories..." Signy muttered, running her fingers over the shimmering letters. "You and Loki told them to me when I was a child."
"Just as Mother told them to us," Thor said.
"Their leader, Malekith, made a weapon out of darkness and it was called the Aether," Odin retold for Jane's benefit. "While the other relics often appear as stones, the Aether is fluid and ever changing. It changes matter into dark matter. It seeks out host bodies, drawing strength from their life-force. Malekith sought to use the Aether's power to return the universe to one of darkness.
"But, after eternities of bloodshed, my father Bor finally triumphed, ushering in a peace that lasted thousands of years."
"What happened?" Jane asked.
"He killed them all," Signy recalled. "But are you certain, Father? I was always told the Aether was destroyed with them, and yet here it is."
"The Dark Elves are dead," Odin said confidently, giving his children a stern glare.
"Does your book happen to mention how to get it out of me?" Jane questioned, bringing their focus back to the task at hand.
"No. It does not."
Odin walked away and Signy threw up her hands exhaustedly. "Then why did we come back here?"
---♦♢♦---
When Signy next saw her mother, she ran after her down the sprawling halls of the palace, lined in gold. "Have you seen him, Mother?" she asked.
"Yes, Darling," Frigga said, a sadness coating her tone. "He is unwell. In his mind, that is. He believes Thor and Odin to not care for him. You as well, though I told him you're always asking after him."
"Did he enjoy the books I sent?" Signy questioned.
"He is not enjoying much these days. I say we ought to give him time. Perhaps he'll come to his senses."
Signy coughed to cover a light laugh. "Whatever you say, Mother."
With that, they approached a balcony overlooking Asgard where Thor and Jane stood close. "My father does not know everything," Thor spoke on the topic of finding a way to save Jane.
"Don't let him hear you say that," Frigga said.
"Jane Foster, please meet Frigga. Queen of Asgard and my mother."
Jane quickly separated from Thor and anxiously nodded at her. "Hi."
"Please, don't separate on my account," Frigga chuckled.
"But do seperate on mine," Signy said with a roll of her eyes.
♦ author's note ♦
i love sig being disgusted by thor and jane's relationship :)