Disclaimer: Once again, I still don't own Marvel
A/N: I'm not exactly sure what's going on with me, but I have been crazy motivated to write this story this month. As such, have another chapter! This chapter and the next were actually supposed to be one chapter, but… Well, I just thought it better to split into two chapters instead. Fortunately, that means half of Chapter 14 is written, so hopefully it'll be up next Friday (Aug. 6th).
I've actually got up through Chapter 19 loosely outlined, which is a miracle, really, given that it's me. For as long as I can keep this pace up (if I can keep this pace up), I'll try to post a new chapter every Friday. Wish me luck!
Content warning this chapter for fantastic racism.
Objectively, Darcy Lewis knew that most people would have panicked after nearly being incinerated by an alien murder machine in New Mexico. On the other hand, Darcy Lewis knew she was not most people. Her mother insisted she'd been an adrenaline junkie by the time she could crawl - though how exactly that was possible eluded Darcy to this day - and frankly, while the whole murderbot incident had been scary, the pros had so outweighed the cons.
If anyone had told eighteen-year-old, fresh-faced Culver University freshman Darcy that one day she'd regularly text a Norse god pictures of snakes with arms drawn on them, or that she'd develop a love for the stars and throw herself headfirst into scientist-wrangling and astrophysics, she'd never have believed them.
Joke's on past Darcy, because that was her reality now, and it was the fucking coolest. Ha!
Present Darcy had spent the past four days as an invited guest at the Avengers Compound. While yes, it was technically a work visit (and boy did she and Ian have their work cut out for them on the scientist-wrangling front, given the sudden increase in scientists and similarly minded magic users), it was also just a genuinely good time.
She'd even finally got an apology for her stolen iPod all those years ago! It turned out that Clint Barton, resident arrowhead Avenger, had been one of the SHIELD goons who'd shown up in Puente Antiguo. He'd had the decency to extend his sympathies. Also, he'd nearly choked on his coffee laughing when Darcy told him about the time she tased Thor, which automatically raised his standing in her mind, and asked if she'd be willing to do the same to Loki.
She was considering it.
The trouble - at least on that front - was that Loki'd actually been hard at work with the rest of the science and magic crew, which was great for the project, but less so for having an excuse to chase him with a taser. Then, of course, was the matter of Loki's kids; she didn't think they'd be thrilled with her if she did that.
While Darcy hadn't spent all that much time with Hela, what with the girl being a workaholic that could rival Jane, she had been spending time with Fenrir and Sleipnir. The self-proclaimed "pseudo-twins" - whatever that exactly meant - were good kids, and she enjoyed spending time with them. She didn't let just anyone practice braiding on her hair (and Sleipnir, bless him, was terrible at it, given that he wasn't used to having fingers), and she'd already mentally dubbed herself "Auntie Darcy" anyways. No take-backsies.
Plus, she and Fenrir shared a bond now, after she'd had to rescue him from being stuck in an air vent. The kid had apparently seen Clint climb into them on a regular basis (Darcy had questions) and wanted to try it out for himself, only to forget that he was in his lupine form at the time and could not fit.
So yeah, no Loki-tasing, but her stay at the Compound had been fun. Jane and the others, however, would probably disagree.
Despite the optimism on the first day, they hadn't had much luck. Strange had even brought in another sorcerer - a woman named Urvashi who was apparently particularly perceptive of fluctuations in cosmic energy - and still, nothing. Or, well, not nothing. Between the six of them, they'd hammered out the theory pretty quickly - operative word being theory. Despite their best efforts, nothing they'd built had worked.
This was the scene that greeted Darcy on the morning of day five: two Norse gods, one of the world's best astrophysicists, and three wizards sat on the floor of the lab they'd occupied - the space in complete disarray. Sheets of paper were everywhere - diagrams and notes of all sorts littering the space between them, punctuated by the occasional open book laying just as unceremoniously on the floor. To the left, in the only vaguely organized part of the room remaining, stood their failed prototype of a portal.
Another Norse god (Thor) and an Avenger (Wanda) sat slumped on the lab's ratty couch clutching cups of coffee. They looked little better than the rest - still exhausted, and the failure clearly weighing on the both of them.
"Any luck?" came a voice from behind her. Ian had arrived, stepping out of the elevator with cups of coffee for the both of them. Darcy grimaced, but took her cup gratefully.
"No luck," she confirmed, and Ian's shoulders fell. She felt kind of bad for dragging him into all of this - the saving the world business - but she couldn't manage to feel too guilty about it. Not when he'd used a floating car to smash some jackasses who were trying to kill her back during the whole Convergence thing, or when they made out afterwards, or when eventually settled into a comfortable friendship (no kissing, that hadn't quite fit them) in which Darcy had an ally on the team in remembering to sleep at regular hours.
Still, she knew it wasn't easy on him.
"Apparently 'the walls of Midgard, while permeable, are not very flexible.'" Darcy elaborated. "I'm not entirely sure what that means, but I think it's got something to do with getting close enough to Asgard to make the connection."
"That's rough."
"Yeah." Darcy took a long drink of her coffee, looking out over the lab. Nobody looked happy - Jane looked exhausted, Strange's hair was sticking up at odd angles, and Hela frankly looked like she was going to cry.
Wait.
"Hey Hela?" Darcy's mouth was moving before she could finish the thought. "How did you get to Earth? Or were you already hiding out here somewhere?"
Hela's head whipped up, blinking at her.
"Good morning, Darcy," she smiled a bit, but looked rather confused. "No, I was not on Earth prior to contacting Uncle - I came from the realm of my dominion, Helheim."
"...Why don't we just go to Asgard doing that then? By using however you got here?"
"Oh!" Hela's eyes widened in understanding. "That's a good thought, but unfortunately it wouldn't work. The trouble is that I am banished from Asgard, and I know that Odin has taken precautions against my attempting to enter. My ability to travel from Helheim to other realms is rooted in my connection to it as Queen, and as such the signature of my magic is entwined with any portals I create. We'd be recognized and shut out before ever making contact."
Darcy's heart sank, and Hela smiled apologetically at her. Wanda, however, straightened up, her eyes flicking between Darcy and Hela under furrowed brows.
"Hela…" she began, visibly mulling over her words. "You come up through a staircase in the ground, yes? Am I correct in guessing this is not the same mechanism as the Bifrost?"
"You are, yes." Hela nodded.
"How does that work, then? From everything I've heard these past few days, the Bifrost's power output is a lot of what makes it work. Do you not need the same in Helheim?"
"That's another excellent question, Wanda - and the answer is no, you don't. The walls of Nifleheim - the realm which receives the souls of the dead, and of which Helheim is its nexus - are particularly plastic. It takes considerably less energy to bend them and make contact with other worlds, and thus can be done without the Bifrost. My magic amplified by and in conjunction with the power of the throne are sufficient."
"In that case, why don't we just build the device in Helheim? Seems like that'd circumvent the power issue we're having."
For a moment, a spark seemed to ignite in Hela's eyes. It died a moment later, and she sagged.
"...The energy flow of Helheim is nothing compared to that of Midgard," Hela sighed. "And since we'd be unable to use my magic or the throne without tripping Asgard's security, we'd run into the same power deficiencies there."
Wanda sagged too, her disappointment palpable.
"It was a good thought - a brilliant one, really." Hela offered in consolation. "That goes for you too, Darcy. I am so sorry this could not come to fruition."
"Wait a second," Jane cut in. "Maybe it still can. How long can you keep a pathway to Helheim open? Is there any chance that we could power the device here but operate it from Helheim?"
"Like a waterwheel," Wong breathed, eyes going wide. "Queen Hela, if we could run a conduit through your pathway without your magic affecting the energy…"
"...We could. Father, I'd need your help setting a few things up, but..." The spark was back in Hela's eyes, and this time it caught, blooming out hope and straightening her spine. "That could work. It could really work."
"Skurge, Isobel! We have business to attend!"
Isobel was on their feet in an instant, only to realize, as their mind caught up to their body, that their young queen's voice did not carry the same anxiety it had the last time she had said those words. In fact, Queen Hela sounded excited from where she was stepping out of her portal from Midgard, and - oh, it was an elevator this time, not a staircase, and there was some sort of device half assembled on it, not to mention that with its arrival the population of Helheim more than tripled.
Isobel could not remember the last time they had seen so many people.
Now wasn't the time for that though, and Isobel snapped themself back to the present just as Skurge rounded the corner from the hall into the throne room at high speed.
"Your Majesty!" Skurge shouted, skidding to a halt. "You're back already? What sort of business is at hand - I'm still clearing out a space for the Infinity Stones in the Lower Archive, but if there should be space for at least one —"
"Relax, my friend, "Queen Hela laughed, holding up her hand. "We have not come to store the Stones yet."
"Oh, good." Skurge visibly relaxed. "What are you here for, then?"
Now, while Isobel would not have phrased the question as Skurge did, they were wondering the same thing. Why had Queen Hela returned so soon, what was that device those she brought with her were dragging out of the elevator, and why were there so many living people?
"I come to further our quest to bring my father and uncle to Asgard," Queen Hela answered, still grinning, and Isobel wondered if they'd ever seen the girl so happy. "It has come to our attention that Helheim will be more viable as a launching point, and so we shall continue much of our work here. However…" Queen Hela straightened up, motioning two of her companions over. "...I would also like to formally introduce you to my Royal Father and Uncle. Noble Isobel, Executioner Skurge, these are Princes Loki and Thor of Asgard; my family."
Isobel froze, something not unlike fear seizing them. It had been a long, long, time since they'd interacted with the Royal House of Asgard - and last they remembered, Prince Thor had been the jewel of his father's eye. They could remember less about Prince Loki, but whether he'd taken after his father or not, he was still Queen Hela's. He could very well feel that Isobel had tried to replace him, which certainly would not bode well for them. In a moment of desperation, Isobel found themself wishing they'd wore their hair down that day - anything to cover their ears.
By some miracle, Prince Thor said nothing of Isobel's heritage. Instead, he simply gave a warm grin as his niece introduced her attendants. He reached out an arm first to Isobel, then to Skurge, smiling all the while.
"It is an honor to meet you both," Prince Thor said. "Or, in your case, Executioner, meet you properly. I would like to thank you, good Skurge, for your bravery on that dreaded night four-hundred years ago."
Skurge gaped. "I —"
"Your refusal saved my children's lives," Prince Loki, who had previously simply been watching, interrupted. "You bought them time - time in which Frigga could talk Odin down - and followed my daughter into exile. If you intend to disparage yourself, I beg you reconsider your words."
Skurge's mouth snapped shut.
"Uh, thank you, Your Highness. I just — It was the right thing to do."
"Yet so many others did not act as you did." Prince Loki gave Skurge a final nod of thanks before turning to Isobel. "And you, Noble Isobel, I must thank as well. Hela speaks highly of you, and you have my eternal gratitude for taking care of my daughter."
Isobel, still shocked and untrusting of their tongue, only nodded. They stood dazed as the others dispersed - Queen Hela called back to her mortal companions by a question, and Prince Thor and Skurge rushing over to help move some equipment a moment later. Prince Loki, however, hesitated, looking at Isobel thoughtfully.
"...It is always nice to meet someone else who rejects the gender binary," he said, quirking a half-smile. Isobel stared in confusion, and the prince laughed. "Genderfluid." He pointed to himself. "He and him today, but tomorrow? Who knows?"
With that, Prince Loki grinned and spun away, walking over to join his daughter. Isobel blinked, shaking themself. Had that been Prince Loki's way of easing Isobel's nerves - by offering a moment of solidarity?
If it was, it seemed to be working.
The readings were excellent.
Hela shared an ecstatic grin with Lady Jane. Taking the operation to Helheim had definitely been the right move. The energy required would be manageable now - all they had to do was harness it from Midgard.
"Isobel," Hela called, "We should have cabling able to serve as an arcane conductor in the Lower Archive, yes?"
"Most certainly - should I grab some stabilizers while I fetch it?"
"That would be greatly appreciated, provided it is not too much trouble. We shall need four - but only bring as many as is easy to carry. We can make other trips."
"If Skurge comes with me, we can do it in one," Isobel said, Skurge rising to his feet to join them with a nod. Hela smiled at the two of them.
"Thank you," she said. Skurge grinned.
"Not a problem, Your Majesty," - and with his words, Skurge and Isobel were off, and Hela turned back to the equipment. All she and the others had to do was finish assembling their portal and build their "waterwheel" - the goal was in reach, and Hela felt light. They could do this.
Lady Jane, it seemed, was thinking along similar lines.
"We can probably finish building the portal itself by morning; my concern is the energy harness. Dr. Strange, Wong, Urvashi - do you guys have any thoughts? I think you might be the most qualified of us on this front."
"I was actually thinking we could use the Eye of Agamotto," Urvashi said, sharing looks with her fellow sorcerers. In Hela's opinion, Strange seemed rather surprised. "I've spent a lot of time studying the Eye - it generates fluctuations in the arcanum, which makes it great for studying that kind of thing - and if there's one thing I've learned about Infinity Stones, it's that they're incredible power sources. They have to be, to be able to do what they do."
"Is there a particular way to harness that energy that you think would work best?" Strange asked his fellow sorcerer. Urvashi grinned.
"Well, that's just it - it's already set up for us. There's a reason why the Eye is traditionally stored in the Chamber Between Sanctums. The Chamber's an engine."
"So that's how the shield against the dark dimension is powered," Strange breathed, understanding dawning on his face. "The Eye gets the wheel turning…"
"...And Earth's arcanum does the rest." Urvashi finished for him. "All we have to do is find spells that will let us divert the energy not being used to power the shield into another source"
"That won't be a problem," Wong said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I'm not Kamar-Taj's librarian for nothing."
A/N: A month or so ago I was talking with a friend about racism in media, and she brought up that it's kinda fucked that – in addition to the whitewashing and stripping of Tibetan influence – they also set the entrance to Kamar-Taj in Kathmandu and then proceeded not to have a single South Asian on the cast. I wasn't about to have that carry over to Sympathy, and thus, Urvashi was created. She's a new OC, and I'm definitely still building up her character, but here's what I can tell you (that isn't already in the body of the chapter): she's from Nepal, on the extroverted end, and is the kind of person who is fond of dramatic entrances, exits, and reveals.
Speaking of, I'd like to thank everyone who has given this fic a try – I know OC heavy stories aren't everyone's cup of tea, and given that my Hela is nothing like the MCU's canon Hela, I know this fic counts among them. It's always nice to hear someone is enjoying it regardless, and I hope I can continue to deliver.
Lastly, I'm hoping to get some of the author's commentaries for the earlier chapters out on ao3 soon - before there gets to be so many chapters that feels daunting. That's part of why I'm implementing a posting schedule for however long I can keep this burst of speed up; I know myself, and I will just chapter-dump if I don't set that limit now. That, and I don't want to hit burnout. Thank you again for reading, and I'll see you next time.