So at the end of the last chapter update I said that I would likely need two more chapters to finish the story, but as it turned out, I only needed one. So, without further ado, I present to you the final chapter of Family.

It had been half an hour since Loki had discovered Sif in the Collector's throng. The first fifteen minutes of this Loki, Astr, and the Warriors Three had spent filling each other in on their respective journeys. The next fifteen minutes they had spent in an ineffectual circle, throwing around, and then immediately shutting down, the same bad ideas and plans for what they could do to take down the Collector. Darcy, meanwhile, had been intently observing the Collector and the comings and goings around his throne.

It was when Volstagg asked Loki to explain to him for the third time why Loki's powers weren't operating at full strength that Darcy turned to the others and said, "That magenta chick is the only one whom the Collector lets through his Chitauri wall. She's delivered food to him twice in the past half hour, and once before that that I saw."

"I feel as if I am missing the relevance here," Fandral told her blankly.

"Don't you see?" Darcy continued enthusiastically. "She has direct access to him. And Loki's illusions are still working, more or less."

Loki picked up what she was putting down immediately. "Are you suggesting I disguise myself as the Krylorian, gain access to the Collector in that form, and kill him?" he asked.

"Yes!" Darcy exclaimed. "You or someone else here."

"By the Allfather . . . ." Astr whispered. "That might actually work."

"Yes, well, there is a small catch to this plan . . . ." Darcy added, making a face.

"And what is that, Lady Darcy?" Hogun asked.

"I don't think the Collector is as big a dumbass as we would all hope to believe," Darcy began. "I think he's well aware that Loki is an illusion master, and has prepared himself for the possibility that Loki might escape and attempt to do the very thing we're talking about attempting now. I believe that's what the wall of Chitauri is about and also why only one person is allowed through to directly interact with him. But I think there's even more to it than that. Every time the Krylorian girl has had to cross the line of Chitauri, she would say something to them first, and only then would she be let through. Like a password to prove that it's really her, you know?"

"It does make sense," Loki said, nodding. "I do not see what else she could possibly have to discuss with them, especially since they wouldn't be able to reply in any language she'd understand."

"So, first things first, we must interrogate the Krylorian and secure that password," Astr concluded.

"And how do you propose we do that?" Fandral asked.

"I can track her down," Astr replied. "Tell her the Collector ordered me to escort her somewhere, and bring her here. If she is as obedient of the Collector's wishes as she seems, I do not see why she would not comply."

"'Tis as as good a course of action as we currently have," Volstagg rumbled. "I say we go ahead with it."

"As do I," Loki concurred, then waved his right hand at Astr. "I have just lifted your invisibility spell, but as you surely can tell, you can still see the rest of us," he informed her. "And your eyes still make you appear as though you are under the Collector's control. You should therefore once again be able to go about the Palace without attracting anyone's attention."

"Thank you," Astr said, smiling at Loki appreciatively, then turned to Darcy. "You say the Krylorian has been bringing the Collector refreshments?"

Darcy nodded.

"Then I shall start by looking for her in the kitchens," Astr said. "Let us hope it will not take me long to find her."

Thankfully, Astr's wish came true, because not twenty minutes later Darcy, Loki, and the Warriors Three heard voices approaching down the passageway leading to the balcony.

"I don't understand why Master Tivan would order you to bring me here," an unfamiliar female-sounding voice was saying. "What is this place? I've never been here before."

"You shall obey orders, not question them." Astr's voice now, robotic.

And then Astr and the Krylorian stepped out from the passageway and onto the balcony.

Loki immediately waved his hand at them, and Darcy knew he was making them sympathetically invisible to her, himself, and the Warriors Three.

Catching sight of the latter five, the Krylorian froze on the spot, realization dawning on her face. She turned and looked reproachfully at Astr. "You tricked me," she said accusingly. "You're not even under the Collector's control, are you?"

"I am not," Astr confirmed apologetically. "And I am sorry for misleading you. It was the only way to bring you here without attracting attention. My name is Astr, and my friends are Darcy, Loki, Volstagg, Hogun, and Fandral. We brought you here because we desperately need your help."

"I know who they are," the Krylorian said. "My name is Aradae, but people call . . . called me Ara." She looked incredulously at Darcy and Loki. "The Collector has no idea you two are out of your cell. How in the world did you escape?"

"With lots of ingenuity and some improvisation," Darcy replied. "But now we're stuck for a whole different reason. Unless, that is, you're able to provide us with some information."

Ara seemed to deliberate this for several seconds. Then, her features attained a hard-set resolution. "I will do anything I can to help you," she said.

"What, really?" Loki demanded, raising his eyebrows. "You're going to betray your master, just like that?"

Ara looked at Loki evenly. "Do I really look like someone who desires to be in that monster's service?"

"That . . . is fair," Loki conceded.

"So, what do you need to know?" Ara asked.

"When you bring the Collector food and have to get past the wall of Chitauri," Darcy began, "you must tell them a phrase, right? Like a password?"

"Yes, I do," Ara confirmed.

"Well, we need to know what that password is," Darcy said.

"Oh, you will love this," Ara replied, with an actual snicker. "It is 'all hail His Excellency Taneleer Tivan, the Collector, Lord of Asgard, mighty Overlooker of the Dark Realm of His Majesty King Thanos'."

"I think I'm gonna throw up . . . ." Darcy muttered.

"You are not the one who will actually have to speak those words," Loki retorted.

"So that is it then?" Fandral spoke up. "We have what we need?"

"It appears so," Loki said.

"Excellent," Fandral replied, then proceeded to produce a pair of shackles from among his gear and use them to cuff Aradae to the balcony parapet.

"What are you doing?" Ara exclaimed indignantly. "I am on your side!"

"Insurance, my dear, plain and simple," Fandral said. "If you provided us with the incorrect information and we all get killed out there, you now pay the price too. The price being that it would likely be months before anyone found you up here, seeing as the existence of this balcony is known only to a select few, most of whom are currently under mind control. And how long can Krylorians survive without food and water? Plus, we cannot risk you running and tipping off the Collector, or wandering about in plain sight while one of us is borrowing your appearance."

"Hold on, so that is your plan?" Ara asked. "For one of you to disguise yourself as me and then trick the Collector into letting you through to him? Because it won't work! At least, not if you try it at this very moment. Don't you see? The Collector is acutely aware of Prince Loki's projection abilities. That is what the wall of Chitauri is for, why I am the only one who is allowed past it, and why I must confirm my identity every time I cross it. But there is a fourth failsafe. I cannot just come see the Collector whenever I wish. At the end of each visit, he tells me when I am to return to him next, and I am currently not due back to him for another two hours! So if I tried to go see him right now, he would just send me away. Not unless I had a very good reason to be let through to him."

"Two hours?" Loki said in disbelief. "We do not have two hours. Thanos might very well finish conquering Midgard in two hours."

"Oh, this is quite a dire turn of events!" Astr cried out.

"It appears we are back to square one," Hogun said.

"'Tis a shame," Volstagg added. "I truly thought we stood a chance."

"And now all we have done is waste precious time," Fandral growled.

"Everyone, shut up for a second," Darcy snapped. "Ara, you said the Collector wouldn't let you through to him, unless he had a very good reason, right?"

"Yes, but it would have to be genuinely phenomenal," Ara replied.

"So, let's give him a genuinely phenomenal reason," Darcy said simply.

"Little Mortal, I do believe you have an idea," Loki observed.

"Oh, I have more than an idea, Jazz Hands." Darcy looked around at the group, an enthusiastic smile breaking across her face. "I have a plan."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

As far as her plans went, Darcy decided this quite possibly wasn't her greatest conception, as she currently made her way across the Hall of Asgard toward the Collector's throne. She was flanked on her right-hand side by Loki and on the left by Astr, and both of them currently had a tight grip on her arms, as if they were escorting a prisoner. And all of them were no longer invisible. Astr's eyes were still Tesseract blue, and Darcy's had been enchanted to look the same, while Loki was no longer Loki at all. He had projected Aradae's appearance over himself, as well as her voice, with the only exception being that he also carried Gungnir with him, though the spear had been rendered invisible to the outside eye. Also invisible to the outside eye were Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun, following at a small distance behind Darcy, Ara-Loki, and Astr.

Loki was still not fully confident in the strength of his magic, which was why he had avoided creating free-standing projections and why Darcy and Astr's presence was required in the flesh. It was also the reason Darcy had refrained from bringing her Chitauri staff with her: one less invisibility spell for Loki to cast. So, as they climbed the steps to the throne platform and approached the wall of Chitauri, Darcy understandably felt a little uneasy.

Ara-Loki took a deep breath, and then, "All hail His Excellency Taneleer Tivan, the Collector, Lord of Asgard, mighty Overlooker of the Dark Realm of His Majesty King Thanos," he said, and Darcy was impressed to notice he didn't even bat an eye.

"What . . . in the name . . . of Thanos." The Collector had risen from his throne and was staring with evident interest at the trio which had just arrived. Invisible to him, Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun were getting into strategic positions around the circle of Chitauri.

And then it was showtime.

"I found the prisoner wandering the hall outside the kitchens, Master," Ara-Loki told the Collector meekly. "So I ordered this Einherjar to help me bring her to you at once. The prisoner was in search of the one called Loki. She still believes she must kill him."

"How . . . interesting," the Collector remarked slowly, though his voice betrayed no emotion. And then: "Bring her to me. But the Einherjar remains where she is."

As Astr let go of her arm and the wall of Chitauri parted before her and Ara-Loki, Darcy swallowed nervously. They were through, but they lost their backup in the process.

Ara-Loki led Darcy across the platform and up the steps to the throne, and they came face to face with the Collector. He held the scepter in his hand, clearly still on alert. Ara-Loki let go of Darcy's arm.

"So . . . I see Loki did not kill you," the Collector said, addressing Darcy.

With the Collector's attention diverted to Darcy, Ara-Loki took the opportunity to take the smallest step to the right without the Collector noticing.

"This is wonderful," the Collector continued. "It appears I have found myself a new escort after all."

Ara-Loki whimpered at the threatening statement, and as the Collector turned to sneer at her, Darcy took the smallest step to the left.

The Collector turned back to Darcy—Ara-Loki took another tiny step to the right—and asked, "How did you and Loki escape? I order you . . . to answer me."

"Loki used his Jotun powers and his magic to bring down the cell barrier," Darcy answered robotically. "He then ran away."

The Collector turned to face Ara-Loki again—Darcy took a step to the left—and snapped, "Did you inform the guards? Did you . . . sound the alert?"

"N-No," Ara-Loki stammered, cringing at the Collector's violent tone.

"I must find Loki," Darcy interjected, diverting the Collector's attention back to herself and providing Ara-Loki with the opportunity to take another step to the right. "I must kill him."

"Forget about it," the Collector ordered. "You are my escort now. You will focus only on serving me."

"No!" Ara-Loki wailed. "Please, Master, allow me to make it up to you! I will do anything!"

The Collector whipped around at Ara-Loki's outburst, and Darcy took a final step to the left. Without the Collector noticing, she and Ara-Loki had managed to place him directly between them. Darcy withdrew her loaded Taser gun from within her shirt . . . .

"The only thing you will do, my . . . dear Aradae," the Collector was saying to Ara-Loki pleasantly, his tone deathly, "is become the new Krylorian in my collection. That is . . . unless I manage to think of a, ah . . . more creative . . . ending for you."

"Yo, Pioneer Taiwan," Darcy said.

The Collector turned around, facing her fully, and Darcy fired her Taser into his chest.

At first, the Collector didn't react. At all. Then, he burst into a fit of maniacal giggles. "Oh, Miss Lewis," he drawled sweetly. "I see you are . . . no longer under my control. How . . . sneaky . . . of you. And tricking my escort into delivering you to me? Impressive. But did you really believe I could be taken down with . . . whatever this Terran trinket is?"

With that, the Collector tore the Taser electrodes from his chest and wrenched the gun out of Darcy's grip. Darcy watched on in horror as the Collector then crushed her Taser in his white-gloved hand, dismissively letting the pieces fall to the ground.

"Well, it was worth a shot," Darcy said with a casual shrug. "'Cause you see, try as I might, I just can't seem to bring myself to be cool with this whole Anus-wanting-to-kill-everything-in-the-known-universe-because-he-wants-to-fuck-Death situation."

The Collector visibly bristled at that, and the next moment, he had his white-gloved hand around Darcy's neck. If Darcy could've made a sound, she would've cried out in pain.

"Unwise . . . of Loki to send you to me alone," the Collector growled. "And I am curious . . . where is that Jotun rat? Hiding in fear? Or attempting an escape?"

Still unable to speak, Darcy gave the Collector a look of How fucking dumb are you?, and almost simultaneously, she saw the realization in the Collector's eyes.

The Collector released Darcy and spun around, and was presented not with Aradae, but with Loki, all illusions and deceptions gone.

"'Jotun rat'?" Loki asked indignantly. "That's new."

With an infuriated roar, the Collector lunged at Loki with the scepter, but Loki was quicker, spearing the Collector through the chest with Gungnir.

"I'll take that," Loki said, catching the scepter as it fell from the Collector's hand.

As the Collector dropped limply to the floor, an expression of utmost surprise frozen in his now-unseeing eyes, time to Darcy appeared to stand still. And then everything happened at once.

"Now!" Loki yelled, a signal to his and Darcy's allies outside the circle that he has reversed the scepter's curse.

The circle of Chitauri, who up to this point had appeared to be too dumbfounded by what had happened to actually react, suddenly burst into action, launching themselves at Loki and Darcy. Loki didn't hesitate to engage them, using both Gungnir and the scepter, while Darcy scrambled to get out of the way by climbing onto the throne. Astr, Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun also engaged the circle, but, Darcy realized, Loki's magic seemed to have failed again: Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun were no longer invisible, as the Chitauri whom they were fighting appeared to be able to see them quite well.

Outside the circle was even greater chaos, as the Einherjar, finally restored to their former selves, took on the hordes of Chitauri. Darcy saw Sif fighting three Chitauri at once, before Sif vanished back into the thick of the battle.

In all the chaos, it was hard for Darcy to tell if the battle lasted half a minute or half an hour. All she knew was that one moment everyone was fighting for their lives and the next . . . they weren't. The fighting ceased, and everyone found themselves looking around the Hall at their comrades. And that was when it hit them: They had won.

A cheer went up around the Hall, as reunited friends ran and hugged each other. Loki picked Darcy up off the throne and spun her around in his arms, both of them laughing in joyous relief. They were joined by Astr, Fandral, and Volstagg on the platform, all of them beaming and none of them worse for wear.

"Loki."

Loki set Darcy down and turned around to see Sif also climbing the steps to join them.

"I suppose I owe you a 'welcome back'," Sif continued. "And a thank you."

"Did you really think I would abandon Asgard in its time of need?" Loki challenged.

"If I am honest . . . I thought the whole Nine Realms had abandoned us," Sif answered quietly. "Is it . . . . Is it true that Odin is . . . dead?"

"It is," Loki said gravely.

"I am sorry," Sif said, sincere compassion in her voice. "But I believe his final words have put you on the throne of Asgard."

"We will decide who gets the throne later," Loki said. "Darcy and I must return to Midgard at once, and I am putting you, Sif, in charge until we return to Asgard. Surely not all Chitauri have been killed or have managed to escape, and those who remain on Asgard must be captured and locked in the dungeons. People surely need medical aid. And please . . . my father's body is in the Throne Room. Find a better resting place for him until we can have a proper funeral."

"It shall be done," Sif said with a reassuring nod.

"I should better help," Astr told Loki and Darcy.

"Thanks for everything, girl," Darcy said, pulling Astr into a tight hug, and then Astr and Sif took their leave.

"We can help you find transport to get you back to the Observatory," Fandral said, addressing Loki and Darcy. "Ensure you do not get attacked by any Chitauri stragglers on your way."

"Thank you, that would be helpful," Loki said.

"Where is Hogun?" Volstagg suddenly boomed out.

"Here, friend," came Hogun's voice from behind them.

Darcy, Loki, Volstagg, and Fandral turned around to see Hogun approaching them up the steps, accompanied by none other than Aradae.

"Since Lady Ara was true to her word, I thought it only fair that she regain her freedom as soon as possible," Hogun explained.

Ara was staring at the Collector's body with a mixture of fear and disbelief. "Is it true?" she asked apprehensively. "Is Master Tivan really dead?"

"Not even an Elder of the Universe is a match for Gungnir," Loki answered smugly, approaching the Collector's body and crouching beside it to wipe the bloodied spear on the Collector's immaculate white coat.

"Does that mean . . . I'm free?" Ara said, her eyes growing wide with realization. "I'm actually . . . free?"

"It appears so," Loki replied reassuringly.

"You can go home now," Darcy said excitedly. "Do you have a family?"

"Home?" Ara asked, her wide eyes beginning to glisten. "Family?"

"Yeah, do you have a family waiting for you back home?" Darcy reiterated.

Suddenly, Ara burst into tears, covering her face with her hands and sitting down heavily on the floor. "Don't you understand?" she sobbed. "People with homes and families don't sell themselves into the Collector's service. I have nothing but my old life on the streets waiting for me back on Knowhere."

Darcy kicked herself internally for assuming that Ara had a family or a place to call home, and now felt extremely guilty. "Jazz Hands, isn't there anything we can do for her?" she asked Loki. "She couldn't just stay on Asgard, could she?"

"If it weren't for you, Ara, Asgard would still be under the Collector's control," Loki said to the Krylorian. "You are of course welcome to remain here, if that is what you wish."

Ara ceased her crying and peered at Loki from underneath her hands. "Do you really mean that?"

Loki nodded. "I do. Is remaining on Asgard what you desire?"

Ara sniffed, then smiled. "Yes. More than anything."

"Then it is decided," Loki said conclusively.

Wiping the tears from her face, Ara proceeded to pick herself up from the ground, nearly falling back down as she did so due to her earlier Collector-induced injuries. Hogun immediately offered her his hand for support.

"You should see Lady Eir, our Healer," he told her with a gentle smile. "She will be able to take care of you, and I can gladly escort you to the Infirmary."

"I'd like that, thank you," Ara replied gratefully, and with that, she and Hogun departed from the group once more.

Darcy turned to Loki. "Jazz, we really should be getting back to Earth now."

"I know," Loki agreed. "We need to find a skiff to take us back to the Observatory."

"Volstagg and I will accompany you to the Skiff Bay," Fandral offered. "In case you run into any less-than-friendly Chitauri survivors on the way."

"Yes, that would be appreciated," Loki said, then turned back to Darcy. "Here," he said, holding out the scepter. "Your new weapon. Genetic restriction free."

Darcy gaped at him in response. "You want me to have the scepter? But I thought it was like your baby."

"I have Gungnir now," Loki said. "And I do not know how to explain it, but it feels as if I were meant to have it my entire life."

"No, I get it," Darcy replied. "And considering my Taser was fucking destroyed, I definitely do need a new weapon now." She accepted the scepter from Loki, noting immediately how light and easy to carry it was.

"Shall we?" Fandral asked.

"Let's go," Loki said.

The Skiff Bay turned out to be only a short walk from the Hall of Asgard, and Darcy, Loki, Fandral, and Volstagg encountered no Chitauri on their way. However . . . .

"Where the Helheim are all the ships?" Volstagg boomed out, looking around the great hangar-like hall . . . which was completely devoid of skiffs.

"Those damned Chitauri . . . ." Fandral growled. "Must have taken all the skiffs when they were running back to their mothership with their tails tucked between their legs."

"Well, there are other modes of transportation to be used," Loki said, turning around and leading the group back out of the Skiff Bay. "Tell me, how has Sigyn been in my absence?"

"Ohhh, stubborn as always," Volstagg replied, chuckling. "Would accept no other master, as predicted."

Loki smirked. "Of course she wouldn't."

Darcy Lewis, who had researched enough Norse mythology to know who motherfucking Sigyn was, had stopped dead in her tracks.

Finally taking notice of this, Loki stopped as well. "Darcy?" he asked confusedly, taking a couple steps back toward her.

"Sigyn?" Darcy hissed at him. "As in your wife Sigyn?"

Behind Loki, Volstagg and Fandral exchanged a peculiar look.

Loki, however, looked even more confused than before. "Sigyn is my horse, Darcy. I'm taking us to the Stables right now."

"You're married to a horse?" Darcy screeched.

Volstagg and Fandral were both visibly smirking now.

Loki looked at Darcy as if she had gone mad. "No, Little Mortal," he said slowly, "I am not married to a horse, or to anyone else for that matter."

But Darcy's brain was already going a mile a minute. "How do you explain Sleipnir then?" she cried out.

Fandral snorted, to earn himself an elbow in the ribs from Volstagg.

"Sleipnir?" Loki asked. "You mean my father's eight-legged steed?"

"YOU GAVE YOUR SON TO YOUR DAD TO RIDE?" Darcy shrieked.

At this, both Fandral and Volstagg burst into uncontrollable raucous laughter.

Loki now looked like he was about to ascend to another plane of existence from confusion. "Sleipnir is not my son. Sigyn is not my wife. Darcy, honestly, where are you getting this?"

"It literally says it on Wikipedia!" Darcy cried hysterically. "This is coming from the myths we humans have about y'all Asgardian folk!"

By this point, Fandral and Volstagg were laughing so hard, they could barely breathe. Loki turned around to shoot daggers at them.

"Why do I get the impression you two know exactly how these myths came about?" he asked, looking dangerously unamused.

"We know not—of what—you speak," Volstagg wheezed, doubling over as he gasped for air.

Loki pointed Gungnir in Volstagg's face. "Don't test me, Volstagg."

"All right, all right," Fandral cut in, pushing the spear out of his friend's face. "Do you remember the night we spent in the Viking village, after driving the Frost Giants from Midgard?"

"I mostly remember you and Volstagg getting roaringly drunk," Loki replied judgmentally.

"Well, yes, we did," Fandral admitted, "but do you remember how Sigyn had hurt her leg in battle?"

"Of course," Loki said. "I spent most of that night tending to her injury."

"Well," Fandral continued, "some of the villagers were talking about how, er, close you and Sigyn appeared to be . . . ."

"And all we said was that you would surely love that horse more than you would any actual wife or husband!" Volstagg roared.

He just said "wife or husband", didn't he? Darcy thought to herself triumphantly, feeling highly satisfied to have finally received her answer as to Loki's sexuality.

"Yes, that is all Volstagg and I said . . . ." Fandral went on. Then: "It was Sif who suggested that Sleipnir is actually your son. And it appears the Midgardians embraced it enough to turn it into legend!"

As Fandral and Volstagg exploded into uncontrollable laughter again, Loki turned back to Darcy with an exasperated expression on his face. "As you can see, Little Mortal, the only basis for these allegations appears to be my arsehole so-called 'friends' and your people's apparent beastiality fetish. I am neither married to a horse, nor do I have one for a child."

"What about Fenrir, the wolf?" Darcy asked, still not fully convinced of Loki's childlessness.

"Nope, no wolf children either."

"What about a giant snake?"

"Seriously?" Loki groaned. "Does humanity's depravity know no bounds?"

"A wolf and a giant snake?" Fandral asked incredulously. "My, my, the mortals truly took your preferences to an entirely new level, Loki."

"What can I say, we're into some sick shit," Darcy said with a shrug.

"Please tell me this conversation is now over and we can continue on our way," Loki requested mournfully.

"Sure thing," Darcy said.

"Of course," Fandral concurred.

"Absolutely," Volstagg added.

It was a few more minutes before Darcy, Fandral, and Volstagg finally stopped giggling between themselves and the group was able to continue on their way, and about ten more minutes until they reached the Stables.

As with everything else on Asgard, the area of the palace designated as the Stables was huge. The particular stable inside of which Loki proceeded to lead the way looked as if it contained at least a hundred stalls, and Darcy had counted about twenty such buildings inside the grounds.

Loki led the way to a stall about halfway down the two rows of stalls running parallel to each other, and as they walked, Darcy looked around at the horses. They were of course the biggest damned horses she'd ever seen: tall, beautiful, and emitting a radiance of nobility. Growing up in a hick town, Darcy had always wanted to learn how to ride, but her parents had deemed the idea too "unladylike", and after she'd moved out, the opportunity had never arisen again. At least, not until now.

As Loki, Darcy, Fandral, and Volstagg got closer to the stall, a horse poked its head out over the stall door, and then whinnied happily at the sight of Loki.

"Sigyn!" Loki cried out, beaming as he rushed forward to greet his trusted steed. After giving her a few pets down her long, smooth muzzle, he proceeded to let her out of her stall.

Relishing in her newfound freedom and getting reunited with her master, Sigyn nuzzled Loki's face enthusiastically and then started dancing happily around him. She was lean and graceful, much like Loki himself, and was all black save for a white sock on her front right leg.

"That's my girl," Loki said, stilling Sigyn's excited prancing and then leading her over to Darcy. "Darcy, meet Sigyn. Sigyn, meet Darcy."

"Hello, girl," Darcy said, holding out her hand, palm up, for Sigyn to smell.

Sigyn sniffed Darcy's hand, snorted, and then pointedly turned around and walked back to stand by her stall.

Loki chuckled. "She'll warm up to you, don't worry," he told Darcy. "But now we must get going. Come on."

They wasted no further time. Fandral and Volstagg helped Loki saddle and bridle Sigyn, while Darcy kept watch for Chitauri. Once Sigyn was ready, Loki thanked the Warriors Two for their help, and they wished him good fortune and took their leave of him.

"Lady Darcy," Volstagg said, approaching Darcy and thankfully not crushing her in a hug for once, "I wish you good luck. I hope—nay, know—that we shall meet again."

"We will, big guy," Darcy said, reaching up to squeeze Volstagg's shoulder.

Volstagg winked at her in response, and then Fandral approached her.

"Lady Darcy," he said to her face, "I . . . apologize for my earlier behavior towards you, and I hope you know that I have taken your words to heart."

"Glad to hear it, my dude," Darcy said earnestly. "The first step to finding a solution to your problem is admitting you have a problem."

Fandral nodded his understanding, then held out his hand. Darcy shook it with a smile, Fandral responded with a small bow of his head, and then the Warriors Two departed from the stable.

"Are you ready?" Loki asked, leading over Sigyn.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Darcy responded, eyeing the tall mare distrustfully, who eyed her distrustfully back.

"All right," Loki said, "you climb on first, and then I'll climb on behind you."

Climbing onto a horse turned out to be fairly straightforward, but once in the saddle, Darcy realized she was too short to reach the stirrups. As Loki climbed on behind her, she swung her legs back and forth like a little kid to indicate her dilemma to him, and asked, "So how the fuck do I keep myself from falling off this thing?"

"Hold on with your legs, and hold on to the saddle, and I'll hold you," Loki answered, wrapping an arm around Darcy's waist.

Darcy swallowed uncertainly, but nevertheless did as she had been instructed, clenching her legs tightly around Sigyn's sides and using her free hand, the one not holding the scepter, to grab a firm hold of the front edge of Sigyn's saddle. This did thankfully seem to greatly improve her sense of stability.

With Darcy now more or less secure, Loki took a hold of the reins and clicked his tongue at Sigyn. "To the Observatory, my girl. Fly like the wind."

And with that, they were off.

Darcy, who had expected to go flying off the horse within the first five seconds, was surprised not only that she didn't, but also that she seemed to get the hang of riding practically right off the bat. By the time she and Loki were galloping down the Rainbow Bridge, the stars and open space on either side of them, she was having the time of her life.

This shortly came to an end however, as upon reaching the Observatory, Darcy and Loki were surprised to find the obvious sounds of a fight coming from within. Quickly dismounting, they ran inside and were presented with quite the sight: Four dead Chitauri lay on the floor, which would've been fine and dandy if it weren't for the eight living Chitauri currently surrounding and engaged in a vicious battle with none other than Heimdall.

"Finally!" Heimdall yelled, catching sight of Darcy and Loki. "I do not know how much longer I could have kept this up on my own!"

Loki took the hint and immediately jumped into the fight, taking on four out of the eight Chitauri. But with most of his magic still unoperational, and with Heimdall nearing exhaustion, the Chitauri were still getting the upper hand.

"Now would be an excellent time to use that scepter, Little Mortal!" Loki yelled out desperately.

Darcy shook her head, taking a step back. "Nuh-uh," she said, feeling the blood drain from her face. "No way. Trust me, Jazz Hands, I do not have the coordination for any kind of hand-to-hand combat."

"I am not asking you to fight hand to hand!" Loki yelled back. "Do you think I have forgotten the shoe you threw at my head? Or our snowball fight? You have excellent aim! Use it."

Oh. Loki was right, Darcy did have good aim. She looked down at the scepter in her hand, then aimed it at one of the Chitauri, to no effect. Okay, but how the hell do I fire this thing?

No sooner did the word "fire" cross her brain that the scepter went off with a great blast of blue, hitting the Chitauri at whom Darcy was pointing it. The creature disintegrated. Literally ceased to exist. Shocked, Darcy staggered backwards. She definitely hadn't meant to shoot to kill. But if the scepter was activated by the user's thoughts, then surely Darcy could think it into shooting to stun instead, like the Collector had stunned Aradae?

Deciding to test this theory, Darcy aimed the scepter at another Chitauri, but this time thought specifically about firing a non-lethal shot. The scepter went off, and to Darcy's relief the Chitauri was simply hurled across the chamber and knocked out, rather than disintegrated.

Darcy proceeded to take out two more Chitauri in this way, while Loki and Heimdall were able to take care of the remaining four, and the Observatory was reclaimed.

"I will dispose of the beasts still breathing," Heimdall said, approaching one of the unconscious Chitauri, his great sword at the ready.

"No," Loki said, stepping in Heimdall's way.

"What are you doing?" Heimdall growled. "They will rewake at any moment."

"I know," Loki said. "But there is another way." He walked up to Darcy. "Little Mortal, may I borrow that?" he asked, pointing at the scepter.

Darcy obliged, and Loki then proceeded to approach the three unconscious Chitauri and tap them each on the chest with the tip of the scepter. Once done, he returned the scepter to Darcy with a polite "Thank you." Moments later, the Chitauri stirred and rose, their blue eyes empty, and then, as one, they proceeded out of the Observatory and back down the Rainbow Bridge.

"What have you instructed them to do?" Heimdall asked.

"To go on to the city and surrender themselves to the first Einherjar they encounter," Loki said.

"How uncharacteristically merciful of you," Heimdall remarked.

"It's something new I'm trying out," Loki answered.

"And I am grateful for it, for as you can see, I might very well owe your mercy my life," Heimdall said. "As soon as my curse was broken, I battled and killed the four Chitauri with whom the Collector had left me here. At that point I would have sought you two out myself, but then these eight arrived, hoping to escape Asgard by means of the Bifrost. If it were not for you, they would have surely finished me. So, thank you."

"Don't even worry about it, bro," Darcy said. "But why were you gonna go seek us out?"

"Because you two," Heimdall yelled out, suddenly pointing his sword at Darcy and Loki, "are the ones I hold directly responsible!"

"Directly responsible for what?" Darcy asked, exchanging a nervous look with Loki.

"For devising and carrying out the plan to kill the Collector and free Asgard of course," Heimdall replied, lowering his sword. "The entire realm owes you their freedom. I wished to seek you out to give you my sincerest thanks for mine."

"We were only doing our duty," Loki said.

"No." Heimdall shook his head. "Do not attempt to undersell yourselves or your actions. Loki, you have no duty to Asgard, after the way it has treated you. And Lady Darcy, you are not even of this realm. After escaping your cell, you two could have ran, fleed Asgard by means of one of its secret portals, but you chose to stay and fight, at the risk of your own lives. The Allfather may be beyond even my gaze now, and yet I still see that he is proud."

Loki looked at an utter loss for words, so Darcy jumped back into the conversation: "Asgard may be saved, but Earth is far from it. That's why Loki and I are here. We want you to send us to Chicago, so that we can join the fight against Anus."

"But the battle for Midgard is long over, my friends," Heimdall informed them.

"Thanos has already won?" Loki asked, his face blanching, and Darcy felt her heart jump into her throat.

Heimdall chuckled. "Will you ever not underestimate your brother and his Avenger friends? Worry not—Thanos has been driven from Midgard."

"But . . . how?" Loki asked, his face now displaying the exact mixture of simultaneous relief and confusion that Darcy felt.

"Why not ask Thor and his friends themselves?" Heimdall told him, ascending the platform in the middle of the Observatory and inserting his sword into the glowing apparatus that stood upon it. "They have been asking to be brought up for the past half hour, but seeing as I was . . . otherwise occupied, I have not had the chance to answer their request until now."

With that, Heimdall turned the sword inside the apparatus, which activated the Bifrost, and moments later, Thor, Jane, and Erik were lighting onto the floor of the Observatory.

"Okay, this is now definitely the craziest thing I've seen today," Erik said, gawking around at his new surroundings.

And then Jane caught sight of Darcy, Loki, and Heimdall.

"DARCY!" she shrieked, and the next thing Darcy knew, Jane, Erik, and Thor were rushing over and she was being engulfed in the most massive group hug ever.

Erik was the first to let her go, approaching Loki instead. "You did it, son," he told him warmly. "You saved our Darcy."

"Actually," Loki replied, his voice suddenly heavy with emotion, "I believe she is the one who saved me."

Jane and Thor finally let go of Darcy as well, but that was when Jane noticed Darcy's throat.

"Jesus, Darcy, what happened to your neck?" she cried out.

"The Collector," Darcy replied without hesitation. "It was all the Collector's doing."

"The Collector?" Thor asked. "Is he also the one responsible for mind-controlling Heimdall?"

"Not just me," Heimdall answered. "With the help of a Chitauri army, he was able to place the entire city under his control. Thankfully, the Chitauri forces have now been vanquished, and the Collector felled by Loki's own hand."

"Is this true, Brother?" Thor asked carefully. "You are the one who took the Collector's life?"

"It's true, but do not go congratulating me just yet," Loki answered, looking at Thor with anguish in his eyes. "Brother, I am so sorry, but . . . Father is dead. Killed by the Collector. I could not save him."

"I know, Loki," Thor said, his gaze softening. "I felt him die. But the last thing I want is for you to blame yourself."

"Thunder Wonder is right, Jazz Hands," Darcy said comfortingly. "There was nothing we could do."

Slowly, Loki nodded in resigned agreement.

"The question now is," Darcy said, addressing Thor, Jane, and Erik, "how the fuck did you guys manage to beat Thanos when his Chitauri had Tesseract weapons?"

"Well, you see, my dear," Erik began smugly, "Tesseract weapons are only useful when they are actually operational."

"Meaning?" Loki demanded.

"Erik and I were able to use the Tesseract data you had provided us with, Loki, to build a jamming device that disrupted the subdimensional link between the Tesseract and the Chitauri's weapons on a local scale," Jane answered excitedly.

"And in English?" Darcy asked with a sigh.

"We . . . subdimensionally . . . unplugged the weapons from their power source?" Jane tried.

"Which rendered them absolutely useless," Erik finished triumphantly. "After that, Thor and the other Avengers were easily able to drive the enemy from Earth. Well, the U.S. military helped too, I suppose," he added as an afterthought.

"But we were unable to recover the Tesseract," Thor said. "Thanos possesses it still."

"So Thanos gained an Infinity Stone, but lost another," Loki remarked. "I say that is not much of a victory for him."

"'Lost another'?" Thor asked. "What are you talking about?"

"The scepter," Loki answered, nodding at the spear in Darcy's hand, "is not merely a Tesseract weapon. Its Tesseract-reactive crystal also conceals and shields the Mind Stone."

"Brother, are you telling me that Darcy is wielding an Infinity Stone right now?"

"That is exactly what I'm saying, yes."

"But how was the Collector able to get his hands on the scepter in the first place?" Jane inquired. "Wasn't it in HYDRA possession?"

"Thanos struck a deal with HYDRA," Loki explained. "The scepter in exchange for HYDRA's dominion over Earth after Thanos conquered it."

"So much for 'the meek shall inherit the earth'," Erik muttered.

"Humanity shall inherit the Earth, I can promise you that," Thor said. "But as to who shall inherit the throne of Asgard, that as yet remains to be seen. Loki, I presume you believe that right has fallen to you, as per Father's last will?"

"What are you talking about, Sweetheart?" Jane asked. "What last will?"

"Immediately before his death, Odin decreed that whoever kills the Collector shall obtain the right to the throne of Asgard," Thor explained. "It was his final decree, spoken across space to all Asgardians."

"Why didn't you mention this before?" Jane said, looking a little taken aback at having been kept in the dark. "All you said was that you felt Odin die."

"I did not mean to keep it from you, My Love," Thor replied apologetically. "I simply did not deem it worthy of mention until now."

"To answer your question, Brother," Loki spoke up, "as the Collector did perish by my hand, yes, it appears the responsibility of the throne has officially fallen to me."

"But of course, you and I both know that your retaking the throne simply cannot be allowed," Thor stated matter of factly.

"WHAT?" Darcy cried out, outraged. "Loki earned that right! You can't just—" She was quieted by Jane's hand on her shoulder—a silent request to not get involved—although the look on Jane's face told Darcy the Boss Lady was every bit as distressed by this turn of events as Darcy was.

"Brother, are you serious?" Loki asked in a small voice. "You would defy Father's last testament?"

"Loki, please," Thor said dismissively. "Do you truly believe Father thought you would be the one to kill the Collector? Do you truly believe he intended you to rule? You, who is not even of Father's own blood? You, who is not even Aesir? Please, Brother, quit this fevered dream. Hand over Gungnir now, and let go of this delusion."

Thor extended his hand expectantly, and Darcy held her breath in horror, fully expecting Loki to end Thor there and then. But to her utmost surprise, Loki showed no sign of intending to get violent.

"No, you are right," he said to Thor instead. "Father did always intend it to be you. But you know what? It doesn't matter to me anymore. In my time on Midgard, I grew to realize that there are things, and people, that make me happier than even ruling ever could. So if you wish to take the throne in my stead, Brother, I will not stop you. Here."

Loki held out Gungnir, Thor reached for it, and then . . . the thunder god took hold not of the spear, but of Loki's hand around it. Giving the trickster's fingers a reassuring squeeze, Thor then gently pushed the spear back toward the confused-looking mischief god.

"Wh-What?" Loki stammered.

"Brother . . ." Thor began, a warm, loving smile spreading across his face, ". . . how have you not learned by now that I wish to rule Asgard about as much as you wish to join the Avengers? I do not desire the throne, and neither did I deserve it. That was all you. Father practically named you King of Asgard, you fool. He believed you capable of handling such responsibility, and now that I know you no longer thirst for power, so do I. Who knows, you might even be better at it than I. Because you have what it takes, and Father knew it. He would have been so proud of you. Mother too. Like I am proud of you now, King Loki."

With that, Thor pulled the completely baffled-looking God of Mischief into a tight embrace, and by that point, Darcy couldn't hold back any longer: With a sob, she rushed forward and threw her arms around Loki's back, hugging him close. Seconds later, Jane followed suit, and then, Erik.

"All right, all right," Loki said about thirty seconds of tolerating such extreme level of affection later, "as my first order of business as King of Asgard, I order you to release me!"

Laughing, Darcy, Thor, Jane, and Erik complied, with Darcy noting that although Loki had tried to sound annoyed, the wetness in his eyes betrayed an altogether different emotion.

"As my second order of business," Loki continued, "Thor, I would like you, Jane, and Erik to take the Mind Stone with you back to Midgard."

"Are you sure, Brother?" Thor asked, looking surprised by the request. "Do you not think it would be safer on Asgard?"

"No, as I do not yet trust myself with such power," Loki replied. "Besides, Asgard has just proven that it is not the most secure place in the galaxy after all. This is why I believe the Stone would be safer in the care of Stark and the Avengers."

Thor nodded. "Then it shall be done."

"Aw, man," Darcy said, reluctantly handing the scepter over to Thor, "I was actually growing kinda fond of the Poking Stick . . . ."

"Don't worry, Little Mortal," Loki said, "once the Infinity Stone is removed from the scepter, I will ensure the scepter makes its way back to you. It can be fitted with a new Tesseract-reactive crystal, and once it is, you will be able to use it every way you did before."

"So the Mind Stone has been inside this thing this entire time?" Erik asked, observing the scepter warily.

"Yes, and it would appear it is what controlled people's minds, including yours," Thor replied.

"So . . . does that mean its magical signature is inside me, same as the Aether's is inside Jane and the Tesseract's inside Loki?" Erik inferred.

"Ooh, what a fascinating question," Jane said. "I wonder, had we had this information from the start, would we have been able to calibrate S.E.E.R. to track the Mind Stone too?"

"If that would've meant Loki putting me through what he put you through when trying to awaken the Aether's signature inside your body, Jane, then I am damn glad we didn't have this info from the start . . . ."

As Erik, Jane, and Thor continued their heated Infinity Stone discussion, Loki wandered away to stand at the edge of the Observatory where it opened up directly to open space, gazing out at the stars. Darcy joined him.

"So, 'King of Asgard', eh?" she teased. "I can dig it, but just don't expect me to start calling you 'my king' any time soon."

"Ohhh, I wouldn't even imagine to," Loki replied, chuckling.

"I suppose you'll be staying on Asgard then?" Darcy continued, hoping the tone of her voice wasn't betraying her apprehension.

Loki nodded. "Yes. I must stay to help repair the damage done by the Collector's attack."

Darcy fell silent. She couldn't be happier for Loki, but she didn't know what she would do if his becoming King meant they now had to part ways forever.

"I trust you'll be staying as well of course?" Loki asked, to Darcy's genuine surprise. "I could really use your help."

"But . . . doesn't Asgard have a strict no-Midgardians policy?" the small brunette replied tentatively.

"Abolished," Loki said with a smile. "As of this very moment."

Darcy grinned, elated. "Then yes, of course I'll stay! Though I'm not quite sure if I'm qualified enough to be of any actual help to you . . . ."

"Is your education not in politics?" Loki asked. "And did you not once tell me it qualified you to rule a small country?"

"I was clearly bullshitting, Jazz Hands."

"That doesn't necessarily make it untrue."

"Hold on," Darcy said, narrowing her eyes. "So when you say 'rule', do you mean as Queen?"

"Well, yes," Loki replied. "As far as I'm concerned, you have as much of a claim to the throne as I do. After all, I didn't kill the Collector alone. I may have delivered the final blow, but none of it would have been possible without your plan."

Darcy's heart was now beating extremely fast. "Jazz, I don't know what to say. That's a hell of a commitment you're asking of me. I mean, what if I don't like life on Asgard?"

"Then we'll appoint a different ruler in our stead and return to Earth, or go anywhere else you wish. I did mean it when I said there are now things that make me happier than ruling, you know."

"You are serious, aren't you?" Darcy asked incredulously.

"Never been more serious in my life," Loki said.

"But wait . . . ." Darcy said, a realization suddenly hitting her. "If I do become Queen . . . doesn't that mean we'll have to get married?"

"Of course," Loki said nonchalantly.

Darcy put her hands on her hips. "And what if I don't believe in marriage?"

Loki shrugged. "I'll marry you anyway."

"Excuse me?" Darcy screeched. "So what, I don't even get a say? Who do you think you—"

But she was cut off by Loki sweeping her into his arms and kissing her until she saw stars bursting behind her eyelids, and whatever doubts she had felt moments earlier burst with them into the promise of a brighter and better future.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, Fin. Holy fuck, I can't believe it's actually over. It definitely hasn't hit me yet. This story has been a constant in my life for nearly four years now, during which I've had three separate jobs, lived at two different places, and started and graduated college. It is by far the longest thing I've ever written. It is one of the most rewarding, frustrating, life giving, and exhausting things I've ever done. And no, I absolutely could not have done it without you guys. Reading your reviews after every update is what inspired me to keep going chapter after chapter, no matter how lazy my muse was feeling at the time.

And now it's time to say goodbye. Frankly, I think I'm ready. It was getting harder and harder to find the time to work on Family, and I was really afraid I wouldn't be able to give it a proper ending. So to say that I am relieved that I'm actually posting this chapter would be an understatement. I truly hope everyone enjoyed the ride as much as I did. If you're wondering what's next for me, I honestly have no idea, but I do know that I'll always be an obsessed Tasertrickster and a passionate MCU fan. Like Darcy and Loki, I'm ready for life's next adventure, whatever it might be. Hope everyone finds theirs too. Ciao!

EDIT: Corrected whatever weird-ass FF glitch had made italicizedwordsbunchtogether. Gave me a laugh, because it made everyone look like they were talking supercrazyfast. Anyways, LOVE YOU ALL! THANK YOU!