Understanding
It takes three hours to stop Sigyn trembling and one more to get her to drink the glass of water Pepper brings for her. The small, gray-skinned creature now sits atop a small bar-stool staring blankly at the wall in front of her with the empty cup clutched tightly in her right hand.
"Is she going to be alright?" Pepper asks Loki, turning her gaze from Sigyn to the other alien in the room.
Loki looks back over at his companion and bites the inside of his cheeks, thinking seriously before responding.
"Sigyn was in the Void a very long time without any contact." He says, "People do not get over such things, nor do they ever come out alright."
"But, there's hope. Isn't there?"
Loki sighs, shaking his head in distress.
"So, there's nothing anybody can do for her?" Tony asks, his frown deepening.
"Her life, though long in comparison to your own, is extremely short when placed against those of full-blooded gods and dwarfs." He says, "She was never meant to be born, much less live a long life. One long enough to heal the damage caused to her by the unfiltered nature of the Void."
Sensing the tension in the room, Tony clears his throat, attempting to change the subject.
"You said something earlier about some dude you called 'Thanos' and him 'bringing darkness'. What was that all about?"
Loki looks at him quizzically before shaking his head in defeat and answering the man's question, "It is strange to be back in Midgard after so much has changed. Man does not even remember the names of the greatest gods and darkest enemies." His eyes flicker to his own hands before he continues, "Thanos is part of a species of mutants called the Titanian Eternals, which your people have, at one point or another, in your history, shortened to Titans, which is coincidentally the name of the planet on which Thanos originated." Loki smiles grimly, still not looking back up at Tony and Pepper, "He has caused much death and destruction across the Nine in his search for some form of infinite power over the entirety of the Multiverse. My fa- Odin Allfather, ruler of Asgard, finally over-powered him, though. Taking the Infinity Gauntlet and sending Thanos into the Void 'til the coming of Ragnarok."
"But, what happened?" Pepper asks, "Why is he a problem for us now? He's still trapped, isn't he?"
"Not completely." Loki says grimly, "Not anymore, at least." He looks over at Sigyn sadly before turning his eyes to the two mortals seated before him. "Thanos found himself followers within the Void. The Chitauri, the Leviathans, and the Other. He wanted me to be his general and lead his army to this Realm to retrieve some item of value. Though I know not what it is he searches for."
"How can he get here, though?" Tony asks, "You've escaped."
"No one can truly escape the Void, mortal. Once it has had a taste of you it will search forever to devour you."
Suddenly there is a smashing sound from the bar area and the three turn to see Sigyn standing determinedly by the bar-stool, the glass shards remaining from the ruined cup scattered about her bare feet.
"Loki." She says, "I am breaking."
"You do not know what you say, Sigyn." Loki responds, reassuring her in her native tongue.
"Loki! I may not be a god but I am no idiot. Something is coming and it is breaking me."
"Hm," A voice comes from the direction of the doorway and they all turn to see a tall, dark-skinned man with an eye-patch being flanked by a red-headed woman in black and a middle-aged mortal in a suit standing in the entrance of the room, "I have no idea what the weird looking little girl just said but it sounded like a warning."
Nick Fury turns his one good eye to look directly at Tony, "Hello, Stark. Ready to join my team?"