"Okay, so maybe putting a Variant in a theatre to watch the entirety of her 'future' self go through trauma after trauma is a bad idea. Lesson learned," says Mobius to Ravonna. He and Hilda have been called to a meeting in her spacious and meticulously decorated office.

"But we needed her to have all the information," Hilda insists. "If we want her help catching this Variant, then we need her to have full knowledge of her relationship with Loki on the Sacred Timeline, which she now has."

Sighing, Ravonna sits back into her chair, a hand running over her face. "You traumatized an Avenger Variant."

"Only a little?" says Mobius, though more as a question than an answer. "Listen, Ravonna, we're on top of this, okay? She's got the information now. She just needs a bit of time to process it all. Like you said, even though she's a Variant, she's an Avenger Variant. Eventually, she'll see that the greater good is at stake and that will whip her back into shape."

~~~
A crumpled piece of paper hits Loki in the side of the head.

"If you could stop throwing paper at me, that would be wonderful," says Loki from behind a desk. Sigyn sits across from him, reading a TVA manual.

Throwing another ball of paper at him without looking up from her reading, Sigyn replies with a simple, "No."

"Oh, I'm sorry, lovely adoring wife whom I sacrifice my entire life for needlessly, stop it, or I'll stab you with this pencil," threatens Loki, holding up a yellow number two pencil. Sigyn's eyes dart up to his, almost daring him to do it.

Luckily for the pencil, Mobius enters, breaking the tension. "Nice to see that I don't have to worry about the two of you running off in the sunset together," he teases. "Hilda wants to see you in her office," he says to Sigyn.

Nodding, Sigyn gets out of her chair and walks off towards Hilda's office, having already figured out the route from the library to there.

Hilda is sitting behind her desk when Sigyn enters and she closes a case file as she notices her Variant walk in. "Sigyn, hi, I wanted to ask your opinion on something."

Sigyn narrows her eyes. "Are you going to show me everyone I love dying again? Because that was a nice touch."

The agent's eyes flash with guilt. "No."

"Then I'll consider it," says Sigyn coyly. Although clearly trying to act like it, Sigyn's demeanour is different than before. Her sass, her bark, just doesn't have as much bite or venom as it did before. And her eyes, they don't light up with a mischievous glint anymore. Even her gait has lost the bounce and verve it once had. It's as if she's been mellowed out. "What's your question?"

"I wanted to ask you if you thought you were ready to come out into the field with us."

"You're asking me that? Don't I have to do everything you say?"

"Listen, I know we haven't necessarily gotten off on the right foot, but the only way I'm going to find this Variant is if we work together. Think of it as partners. And me giving you this choice is my way of saying ...I'm sorry."

Sigyn considers the woman's words for a moment. "Where is it? Oh, sorry, I mean, when is it?"

Hilda looks at Sigyn with confusion. "I just said you don't have to go if you don't want to, really it's fine if—" Hilda catches sight of the look Sigyn is giving her and changes her tune, seeing that the Variant is clearly interested. "1985. A renaissance faire in Wisconsin."

"I'm in. On one condition."

~~~~~~~~

Just as the debrief is about to end, Sigyn, wearing a white and dark green dress renaissance dress, and Hilda walk into the room. "So, what did we miss?"

Loki looks back at Sigyn, noticing she's prepped to go out into the field too. "No, absolutely not."

"Oh, come on, why not?"

"Well, for one you're dressed like that."

Leaning over to Hilda, Mobius whispers in her ear, "Why is she dressed like that?"

"She said if I let her wear it, we'd be even."

Mobius tilts his head in consideration, not a bad deal. "Well, good thing it's not up to either of you," says Mobius to the room. Then, he turns to Loki, "They're coming with us."

Mobius fills Sigyn and Hilda in on what they've missed, even showing a few examples of what a Variant Loki looks like.

A puzzled Sigyn stares on at the giant one, wondering how on earth that happened. Mobius clicks to another Variant Loki, but this time he looks rather the same, if not a little bit more whimsical looking.

Mobius points at the Variant Loki, "Ooo, oh, wait, that one was my favourite to read. Get this, Sigyn is born on Asgard and has an arranged engagement to a guy named The-Theroic, I think? Anyway, but then Loki straight up kills the guy so he can marry you. Like seriously, it's a pretty cool story." Everyone stares at him, unsure of what to make of his story. Mobius clears his throat. "Alright, let's move out!"

They walk down the halls and into some sort of locker room where Sigyn notices that the others are picking up their weapons.

"Ooo, can I have a gun, please," says Sigyn. "I'm quite a good shot."

"We know," says Hilda as she walks by. "That's why you're not getting one."

"Why even bother with a gun when you can just shove things around with your mind?" asks Loki.

"Why bother with knives when you can use magic?" Sigyn makes an ugly face at him as she passes by and walks down the corridor.

Loki is the only one left in the room, unbelieving at what the woman's just said. "Because they're magic knives."

~~~

As soon as they walk through the portal, Sigyn takes in a deep breath. The air is nice and crisp from the forested area around them, unlike the slightly stuffy air of the TVA. As much as she's glad to have her feet on the earth's ground again, she can't fathom the fact that she's in the past.

The notion starts to go away when she spots a stand selling fresh corn on the cob sprinkled with cayenne, the smell of butter wafting into her nose and making her mouth water. The food in the TVA is bland and boring, with no flavours or spices to be seen except maybe a little salt and pepper. Powers now back online because she's out of the TVA, Sigyn pulls a cob towards her when no one is watching.

The TVA agents lead them all into a tent, but Sigyn notices something and elbows Hilda.

"Hey, what was tha—where did you get that? You're messing up the timeline!"

"Relax, they're going to reset it all anyways, aren't they?" says Sigyn. "We should talk to some of these people, ask if they've seen anything."

Reluctantly, Hilda agrees and they separate from the rest of the group. Finally, Sigyn spots her target: three men dressed up in knight's costumes. "I've got this. I was stuck inside a lot as a child. Read lots of fairytales," Sigyn whispers to Hilda, strutting off towards the men, but not before handing over her corn on the cob for Hilda to hold.

One of the knights hit's the other two when he sees that Sigyn is coming towards them. "Hot girl, twelve o'clock." They all pop down onto one knee.

"Rise, my good sirs," says Sigyn. Of all of her years, having a British accent has never been handier. "I am looking for someone about, hm, over six feet tall, dark hair that cuts off at his shoulders, eyebrows that are..." Sigyn gestures to her eyebrows as she furrows them, "Likes to wear green. Have you seen him? Particularly, have you seen someone who looks like that go into that tent?"

The three knights turn around to have a huddle discussion with one another as Hilda finally catches up to Sigyn.

"What are you doing?" Hilda whispers harshly.

"Those three are here to get girls. You can feel the desperation coming off of them in waves. So, naturally, they'd take notice of any man they deem hotter than them who might attract 'female attention'."

Not believing her assumptions, Hilda shakes her head. "That's ridiculous."

"I know. You'd think with so many beautiful women around they'd realize that some of them are bound to be competition too."

Before Hilda can respond again, the three knights turn around. "My lady, we'd like to make a trade. Our information in exchange for a favour from you for our next battle."

Sigyn shrugs.  "Alright, what do you want it to be?"

"Your sleeve," says one of them confidently.

Hilda goes to protest but it's too late. Sigyn has already ripped off part of her sleeve and is trying it around one of the knight's swords. They all admire the new accessory with large grins on their faces. "We haven't seen anyone who looks like that and we've been here in the tavern almost all day."

Sigyn thanks them before parting and takes back her corn on the cob from an unimpressed Hilda. "Great, all of that and they haven't seen him. What a waste of time."

"Not quite," Sigyn says in between bites of her corn.

Reaching the tent that the other agents went into, Sigyn dramatically flicks the curtain doors open with her powers, not wanting to use her hands and be forced to part with the first good she's had in who knows how long. All of the agents turn to her and Hilda as they enter the room. "Right, so he's not here and he doesn't look anything like you," says Hilda, pointing at Loki.

"Oh, look, there's Hilda and Sigyn alive," says Mobius.

Loki ignores the obvious jab since he had just tried to convince Mobius and the other TVA agents that the other Loki was indeed outside waiting to ambush them and that Sigyn and Hilda were probably already dead. "And you would know that how?"

"Well, unlike you anti-social people, I decided to ask around and see if anyone has seen someone who looks like him, and they haven't, so, checkmate," says Sigyn, proud of herself for discovering that fact.

Mobius lilts his head in consideration. "That does narrow it down quite a bit. If it's true. Who did you ask about this again?"

"Very reliable people."

Hilda rolls her eyes at Sigyn's answer. "And by that, she means horny knights."

Sigyn shoots Hilda an unappreciative glare.

"Hang on a minute," says Loki, "'horny knights'? And why are you eating a piece of corn? And where did the rest of your sleeve go?"

A beeping sound prevents Sigyn from answering Loki's questions. Instead, it's Hunter B-15's device telling them that the Nexus is growing dangerously close to the red line. "We need to go. You can explain later."

Once the reset charges are set, the entire team files back into the portal and they immediately proceed to another debrief room. Sigyn explains exactly how she came across the information, her asking the knights, the use of her powers, and why she thinks that they would have certainly spotted someone who looked like Loki—or rather, is Loki.

"So hold on, let me get this straight; you think the Variant doesn't look like me because they would have noticed someone so obviously handsome like me and be threatened by my presence?"

"I wouldn't put it that way but essentially, yes. And I could tell that they weren't lying."

"Hold on, why didn't you just use your powers to peek inside their minds instead?" asks Hunter B-15.

"Do you honestly think I would want to go inside their minds? Think of how gross it probably is in there. I feel sick just thinking about it." Sigyn gives a small shudder at the thought as they wrap up their briefing.

Hilda and Mobius walk out with one another, motioning for their Variants to follow them. Hilda wears a small smirk on her face as they exit, satisfied that it was her Variant that's provided one of the biggest leads on the case so far.

"Don't say I told you so," scolds Mobius.

A smirking Hilda gives him a faux offended shrug, "Wasn't planning on it."

~~~

After receiving a rather scalding talk from Mobius about his behaviour on the mission, Loki is taken down to the library section. They finally reach a large desk with several stacks of folders already on it. "Let me park you at this desk. And don't be afraid to really lean into this work. Here's a good trick for you. Pretend your life depends on it. I'm gonna go get a snack."

Mobius takes his leave, leaving Loki alone with the stacks of papers on the desk. But not for long at least. Coming around the corner of one of the stacks of books and files is Sigyn carrying another large pile and cursing when she sees who is standing at her desk. "You've got to be kidding me."

Loki holds out his hands in a mock greeting, "Surprise." Sigyn gives him an unimpressed glare and flops the stack onto the table. Not happy he's being ignored, Loki instigates the conversation further.  "I'm sorry Miss Perfect Variant, am I ruining your research? We get kidnapped and now you're playing 'student' with the people—"

Not being able to take it anymore, Sigyn leans forward and grabs Loki's tie, pulling his face towards hers, "Listen, while you try and scam them every opportunity you get I'm settling in for the long game. I need them to have as much trust in me as possible so they'll let their guards down and I can get out of here. If you want to get out of here too, you're going to need to play along. Got it?"

Loki nods and Sigyn releases his tie, allowing him to sit down across from her at the desk. Sigyn grabs one of the folders from the top of the pile and flips it open to the first page. She intently reads as Loki stares at her from across the table as if to size her up. After reading for less than a few moments, Loki glances up from his papers wanting to say something. He considers just shutting up, but he can't resist. "What abilities do you have? I know you can move objects with your mind but there's another part to that, right? The whole sensing part."

"I'm telepathic."

"You don't need to tell me you're pathetic," says Loki sardonically.

"No, I said telepa—" Sigyn glances up from her readings to see Loki's face and realizes he's done it on purpose, "I hate you."

"Other you would disagree," says Loki mockingly.

Sigyn slams her manilla folder onto the table, creating a loud thumping noise that echoes throughout the library. "Listen pal, you and me are never going to happen."

A woman a few rows away shushes her for being too loud.

Loki turns around and shushes the woman back before turning to Sigyn across from him. "Finally, something we can both agree on," says Loki, only a little hurt by the statement. He would never want to be involved with a human of course, but it would be nice to know that she isn't completely immune to his charms.

About an hour or so of silence goes by as the two start to make a dent in a couple of the piles, reading everything they can about the Varaint. Not able to sit there and be quiet any longer Loki quips, "It was clever you know. Your theory about the knights."

Sigyn puts down her folder and stares at him. "Okay, what's wrong with you. A compliment with no backhand?"

"No, it's quite genius actually." Sigyn eyes him suspectly, not believing him, but slowly starts to raise her folder to read. Evidently, she's right because, after a brief pause, Loki continues with a mischievous smile on his face, "Especially since it hinges on the fact that you think I'm unmissably and undeniably handsome."

Sigyn lets out a big sigh in exasperation. "It was simply an observation."

Loki gives her a look as if to say, 'really?'.

Sigyn lets out a small but genuine chuckle. "What?"

"No, it's fine. Keep lying to yourself then," teases Loki. "But to be honest, I really thought that blond and patriotic was more your type."

"Shut up," says Sigyn, but her disdain comes out as more playful than she meant it to. After a moment, the two have a bit of a laugh at the situation, perhaps one of the first times they've been in a room together while smiling at the same time.

Sigyn's smile starts to fall when she realizes something. She's seen something a lot like this before. When she and Loki would chat during his imprisonment on Asguard. This is how it all started before. Sigyn clears her throat, "I—we should get back to work."

"Wait. I've got an idea," says Loki. "Come with me."

~~~

Sigyn and Loki approach the librarian's desk, whispering amongst each other. "Are you sure you've got this?" asks Sigyn.

As an answer in and of itself, Loki steps up to the desk. "Hi." But the librarian doesn't look up and continues to type away on her old and outdated computer. Loki looks to Sigyn for an answer but she only gives a small shrug. "Hello?"

He pushes the bell on the desk, finally getting the librarian's attention. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, we're on some important TVA business. Follow up to a field mission. You know how it goes. We, uh, redlined near the apex, and...well, it's never good. um, I'd like all files pertaining to the creation of the TVA, please."

"Those are classified."

"Okay, I'd like all files pertaining to the beginning of time then."

"Those are classified."

"Okay, the end of time."

"Those are classified."

"Okay, what files can I have?" asks an irritated Loki.

Rather ironically, the librarian leads the two to a small section containing their own files. She flops all the materials into their hands. "Happy reading."

They make their way back to the desk that they've claimed with the new files and get to reading. After about ten or so minutes, Sigyn stops because she hears...giggling?

Loki, the God of Mischief, is laughing at whatever he's reading. What on earth could be that funny? Sigyn asks herself.

Realization flashes across her face before she practically dives across the table to pull down Loki's manilla folder and see what he's reading. It's a file on her. She snatches it out of his hands roughly. "Hey, I was reading that."

"Are you researching me?"

"I was thinking, perhaps if I can find out why a version of me would be attracted to you, I can figure out what motivation they might have because I'm certainly not going to get any information from my personal life experience."

Never has Sigyn been more tempted to use her powers to hit someone in the back of the head with a book. Luckily for him, her powers don't work in the TVA. "As much as I want to punch you in your smug little face, maybe your right. We should both read each other's files to get a fresh perspective on it all."

Sigyn moves her pile of files over to Loki's side of the table and takes his. It's almost laughable how much larger his are, seeing that he has a lot of years of life on her and therefore more material to go through.

After only about ten minutes or so of peace and quiet, Loki breaks the silence for what Sigyn feels like is the millionth time. "Hang on. I thought you said you were human?"

"I am human," says Sigyn, thoroughly confused. This has to be some sort of punchline or joke.

"From Midgard," Loki tries to clarify again.

Having heard Thor use the term before, Sigyn knows he means Earth. But why he's still on her about it, she can't figure it out. "Yes. Why?"

The file in Loki's hands suddenly feels like something he shouldn't be seeing.  Instead of teasing her on it, he decides to lie about it, knowing the feeling of finding out this sort of thing all too well. "Nothing. It's nothing. I just read something wrong."

But Sigyn can sense something is wrong. He wouldn't just take that sort of lead up and then not follow through with at least a minor insult. It must be serious. "Loki...what is it?"

"It says here that you're adopted," says Loki cautiously.

Sigyn gives Loki a glare and lets the tension that's built up in her shoulders release. All of that buildup for something she's known since right before the Dr. Nemesis incident? "Loki, I know that—"

"—from Xandar."

And for Sigyn to think he was serious before? She feels ridiculous. Obviously, it's all a lie. He's the God of Mischief, for god's sake. "You're real funny," she says, miffed that he tried to pull that sort of joke on her.

"I'm not joking." Once again, Loki's face shows no sign of the usual roguish look in his eyes.

"Give me that, " says Sigyn as she aggressively swipes the folder from him. Sure enough, it reads Birthworld: Xandar. Homeworld (if different than birthworld): Earth. And if that didn't already spell it out enough for her, the section below it does. Species: Xandarian. She closes the file and passes it to Loki, not wanting to look at it any longer. "I'm an alien," she says in disbelief.

"Alien is a rather offensive way of putting it, so I wouldn't go around using that," supplies Loki, trying to lighten the mood.

Her mind rushes around. How was this not in her tapes? Does she never find out where she actually came from in her real life? "Which ones are the Xandarians? I don't remember what they look like."

"They look nearly identical to humans. More durable, which makes sense now that I think about it—you did get thrown around quite a bit in New York—sometimes different coloured eyes but not always, and oh, some of them have blue blood."

Sigyn's eyes go wide. " I don't have blue blood."

"That's why I said some," stresses Loki.

Sigyn is tempted to ask for Loki's pencil so that she can double-check her blood isn't blue, but something else distracts her. Something worse. She feels the blood—hopefully red blood—drain from her face, making her instantly feel woozy and pale. She gulps hard before she asks, "Are my birth parent's names in there?"

Loki nods. "Do you want to see it?"

For the briefest of moments, the temptation hits Sigyn. She's always had a curiosity to know who her birth parents were ever since she found out she was adopted. And why they would give her up and allow her to be experimented on.  The rage bubbles up inside her at the thought of it. "No," Sigyn says, sounding hurt by it all. She tries to play it off by sighing and adding, "It's not like they're my real parents anyway. I think knowing the names of the people who let me be experimented on is a bit redundant at this point."

But Loki isn't too sure about that. This could be her only chance to ever find out something like this. As a fellow adoptee from a different planet than his parents, he knows how confusing it all can be. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, very," snaps Sigyn.

Loki puts the file down, respecting the woman's wishes, but not before memorizing both names. Loki takes a couple of files from his pile to avoid any other awkward incidences when Loki comes across one labelled: The Destruction of Asgard.

The casualties are high with nearly 10,000 Asgardians losing their lives and total destruction of the planet. Tears well in his eyes at the sight of the words on the paper telling him that everything from the life he once knew is destroyed. He takes a quick glance up to make sure Sigyn hasn't noticed the tears and luckily she still has her head down in the pages of another of his files. His eyes continue to dampen until he spots something lower on the page. Zero Variance Energy Detected.

He knows where the Variant is hiding.

That's all for this chapter, folks!

How will Sigyn react to yet another bombshell being dropped on her? What will happen during the trip to Roxxcart? And can the civility between Sigyn and Loki really last? Find out next chapter!

For this chapter, I imagined that this part of Sigyn's backstory would have only been hinted at thus far in the MCU, like in the last minutes of her solo film before Ragnorok. For those also wondering why it wouldn't have appeared in her flashbacks, it's because I imagine the character wouldn't find out until Thor: Love and Thunder or Guardian's of the Galaxy Vol. 3 because they both apparently explore Xandar, and this Sigyn stops her tapes before getting that far.

Onto the next, but first, here are the chapterly memes!