Jane Foster stood in attention, still but ready to jump into action at any moment. It was her duty. She was among the several guards joining Brunhilde for her negotiation. Brunhilde, dressed in a fine black and silver suit, stood across from the Goddess of Death: Hela.
Jane had not met Hela before; her presence was potent. It was like Jane could feel death in the air just from being near her. The tall and slender goddess wore a black cloak down to her feet. The cloak formed into a cowl and an elaborate headdress on her head. A thin sort of green mist seemed to be emanating from every part of her pale body.
They were gathered in a meeting room in the Asgardian palace. Brunnhilde and Hela stood at opposite ends of the room, each flanked by their guard. Hela's guard was made entirely of animated corpses, which Jane tried not to pay too much attention to.
Hela ruled over the domain of Hel, a region of Niflheim known for being the realm of the dead. This wasn't entirely accurate, as Hel was not in fact an afterlife; rather it was a realm populated by the animated dead. Hela was the most skilled necromancer in the Nine Realms and welcomed all undead beings into her domain. She would also visit the dying and offer them a chance at eternal life by swearing loyalty to her and living as corpses in Hel.
Hel's relationship with Asgard was rocky at best. There were many Asgaridans who didn't even consider Hela's authority legitimate. Still, Hel was one of the most powerful forces in the Nine Realms and maintaining peace with them was essential. It made tense negotiations like this difficult.
"These unprecedented attacks on Nidavellir are unacceptable, Hela," said Brunnhilde firmly, "You have no right!"
"No right?" smiled Hela, "Who are you to give and rescind rights to me as you see fit?"
"You are spilling innocent blood!" shouted Brunnhilde.
"The price of arming ourselves," said Hela, "The dwarves refused to provide the services we requested. Now we're taking it by force. They have no one to blame but themselves."
"Hela," said Brunnhilde, "You're being unreasonable."
"Be that as it may," said Hela, "So long as Hel is in need of weapons and armor, we will continue to acquire it by whatever means we can. If that means a few dwarves have to die, so be it. They'll all have the chance to join me if they so choose."
Hela chortled to herself as Brunnhilde glared.
"Hel has no need for weapons!" argued Brunnhilde, "Certainly not at this expense! There are no wars to fight!"
"Then I suppose you wouldn't mind giving up the weapons from Asgard's armory to compensate us," said Hela, "After all, if you have no wars to fight, why do you need the weapons?"
"What you're asking for is absurd," scoffed Brunnhilde, "Peace or not, I will not be extorted for the contents of our armory."
"Then we will have to continue acquiring equipment through our own means," said Hela, standing and turning to leave, "Maybe even expand our reach-"
"Wait!" called out Brunnhilde suddenly, jolting up from her seat.
Hela turned back around with a smile.
"What if we offer to slowly transition a portion of our armory to you?" said Brunnhilde, "We can slowly send it over to you over ten solstice cycles."
"Make it five," said Hela, "and we want at least an eighth of what you have."
"...deal," said Brunnhilde.
Jane almost gasped, but held her tongue. She couldn't believe Brunnhilde had just given up such a huge chunk of their military strength to the Goddess of Death. Sure the negotiations were tricky, but Brunnhilde was normally better than this. She always got Asgard the best of their agreements with other realms. Jane could tell by the look on Brunnhilde's face as Hela left that she wasn't happy about it either. Hela paused just before she was completely out of sight.
"You've done your people well," she smiled back at Brunnhilde, "You should be proud, Second-Rate."
Second-Rate? thought Jane, What's that supposed to mean?
Brunnhilde turned and returned to her guard, fury and frustration written all across her face.
"All-Mother?" said one of the guards.
"We will discuss it later," hissed Brunhilde back, storming out of the room.
They never ended up discussing it. The head of the armory smashed several different suits of armor in rage when he learned about the agreement, but Brunnhilde didn't speak of it again. She also began spending less and less time on the throne listening to the grievances of her people, instead locking herself in her private quarters.
Jane stood guard at the door to those quarters, wondering what was causing Brunnhilde to behave so strangely. She was the strongest and most just ruler Jane had ever known. What was it about Hela that shook her so badly?
"Still holed up in there, eh?" asked the other guard.
"What?" asked Jane, turning to the guard.
When the guard looked over, Jane saw that it wasn't the guard from before but Loki in his masculine form wearing the armor instead.
"Loki!?" exclaimed Jane, "I thought you were in prison!"
Loki laughed.
"Fair enough," sighed Jane.
"You're wondering what's gotten into our All-Mother," said Loki.
"Isn't everyone?"
"Everyone else already knows, dear."
"What?"
"I suppose it was before your time," said Loki, "but the fearsome Goddess of Death was once in training to become a Valkyrie just like Brunnhilde."
"Really?" said Jane, now deeply interested, "What happened?"
"She chose to rule Hel instead," said Loki.
"But part of the duties of the Valkyrie is to guide dying warriors away from Hel!"
"Indeed," said Loki, "As you can imagine, the other Valkyries were not fond of her decision."
"But why is the All-Mother so easily shaken by her?"
"Dear Brunnhilde was the most skilled warrior among the Valkyries and the unquestionable choice to become their leader," said Loki, "but that wasn't always the case. When Hela was still in training, that honor belonged to her."
"That's why she called her 'Second-Rate'..."
"Did she really?" chuckled Loki, "During the negotiation? That's devilishly brilliant. She and I have that in common. We're half siblings you know, Hela and I."
"I didn't know," said Jane, "but somehow it's not all that surprising."
"It's a shame," frowned Loki, "This new deal makes Asgard look weak."
"...it does," admitted Jane.
"What are you doing?" asked Loki as Jane turned around to face Brunnhilde's door.
"Our All-Mother needs a pep talk," said Jane, knocking on the door.
"That's my cue to leave," said Loki, somewhat nervous at the prospect of Brunnhilde learning of his escape, "Good luck!"
Loki disappeared in a flash of green light as Brunnhilde slowly cracked open the door and peered out at Jane.
"What is it?" she demanded.
"All-Mother," said Jane, "Could I speak to you for a moment in private?"
"This isn't about making love, is it?" asked Brunnhilde annoyedly.
"What!? No!" exclaimed Jane flustered, "I mean not that I don't want to. You're still very attractive, uh, All-Mother. As much as I'd like to do that again-"
"What is it?" asked Brunhilde impatiently.
"It's about Hela."
"No," said Brunnhilde, closing the door,
"No, wait!" cried Jane, forcing the door back open, "Please, listen!"
"What could you possibly have to say for me to listen to?" asked Brunnhilde coldly.
"Let's just say I have some experience dealing with bullies."
"I am not being bullied!" asserted Brunnhilde angrily.
"It's just," said Jane, "I don't know if I ever told you about my roommate, Darcy Lewis, but she would walk all over me. She got me to do whatever she wanted while she picked on me constantly."
"I don't see how-"
"Until I stood up for myself!" added Jane emphatically, "The moment she saw that I was willing to fight back, she left me alone. The two of us had just assumed that she had all the power, but once I fought back she lost all the power she had over me!"
"...that really worked?" asked Brunnhilde in disbelief.
"Yes!" said Jane, "So come on, let's bring Hela back for another negotiation. Show her you're not willing to take her punishment lying down!"
"Jane Foster," smiled Brunnhilde, opening the door all the way, "I guess Mjolnir chose you for a reason."
Jane smiled back. She was proud to be able to help.
"This better be important," said Hela as she took her seat across from Brunnhilde, "I thought we had settled this matter already."
"We have not," said Brunnhilde firmly.
"You're not having second thoughts, are you?" said Hela quietly.
Jane and the other guards were once again stationed behind Brunnhilde as she held her meeting with Hela, herself flanked by the soldiers of the undead.
"I am," said Brunnhilde, "You will cease these attacks on Nidavellir without any tribute on our part."
"...no I won't," said Hela plainly.
"You-"
"Maybe you've forgotten, Second-Rate," said Hela sharply, "but I command the undead. No army can defeat me. War only brings more death, and death makes me stronger!"
Brunnhilde swallowed nervously, but hardened her face.
"So I will continue doing as I like in Nidavellir," said Hela, "unless Asgard provides me with a quarter of their weapons and equipment."
"Hey!" protested Jane, "You agreed on one eighth!"
"Silence, Jane Foster!" whispered Brunnhilde back angrily.
"Having trouble keeping your soldiers in line, Second-Rate?" chuckled Hela, "Allow me to address her outburst anyway. The agreement was for an eighth, but that was before you tried to go back on our deal. If you want to keep Nidavellir safe, you'll agree to these new terms."
Brunnhilde tensed her fists and pressed them into the table. She couldn't let Hela keep ravaging Nidavellir, but she was right: any military action would start a war they could never win. She had no choice but to give into Hela's demands.
"Fine," muttered Brunnhilde bitterly, "One quarter it is."
"Excellent," said Hela, standing up, "I trust that you will not waste my time like this again."
Hela and her train left, leaving just Brunnhilde and her guards in the room. Brunnhilde let out a roar as she punched a hole through the table, breathing heavily as she glared at the hole and fumed in rage.
"...All-Mother?" asked Jane nervously.
"I tried it your way!" spat Brunnhilde, "Are you happy!?"
Brunnhilde shoved past her guards and stormed off to her quarters. Jane looked to the other guards before following after her.
"All-Mother, wait!"
"Don't you think you've done enough?" asked Brunnhilde quietly, "Perhaps you should be the one to publicly announce this development to the public!"
"Hela is up to something!" said Jane, "I'm sure of it!"
"I think it's pretty clear what she's up to!" yelled Brunnhilde, "She's extorting Asgard to weaken us. She wants us to look weak toward the other realms."
"Think about it!" insisted Jane, "Why military assets specifically? She must need them for some sort of reason."
"...maybe," admitted Brunnhilde, annoyed at not having drawn that conclusion herself.
"We have to do something about it!"
"How do you propose we do that?" asked Brunnhilde.
"I know someone who can help," smiled Jane confidently.
"No."
"Come on, Loki!"
"I don't want to."
"Didn't we imprison him?" asked Brunnhilde.
Loki laughed.
Brunnhilde and Jane stood before a tall tree on the outskirts of Asgard, where Loki lay lazily on a tree branch eating an apple.
"What help would he be anyway?" asked Brunnhilde.
"You must know something useful," said Jane to Loki, "She's your half-sister, after all!"
"We don't exactly go to family reunions together."
"But you're the one who told me about her!" whined Jane, "About how she was the only Valkyrie better than Brunnhilde!"
"You told her what!?" growled Brunnhilde angrily, drawing her sword.
"Oh boy," whispered Loki, curling in his legs and getting ready to jump away.
"All-Mother, please!" pleaded Jane, jumping in front of her, "We all have to work together on this!"
"You still haven't convinced me to join you," reminded Loki.
"Oh, come on!" whined Jane, "Where's the 'I despise authoritarians' Loki that I know?"
"Hela isn't an authoritarian, she's the Goddess of Death," said Loki angrily.
"Why do we even need him?" asked Brunnhilde impatiently.
"Do you know a different sorcerer who can get us into Hel?"
"Who says I can even do that?" asked Loki incredulously.
Jane raised an eyebrow at Loki expectantly.
"Okay, yes," said Loki proudly, "I could absolutely do that. But what's in it for me?"
"...what do you want?"
"Jane!" exclaimed Brunnhilde.
"Hm…" considered Loki, "Let's say… You owe me a favor. A favor to be repaid at an unspecified time in the future of my liking."
"Deal," said Jane.
"You're an idiot," muttered Brunnhilde, pinching the skin between her eyes in frustration.
"Alright, ladies," smiled Loki, leaping down from the tree, "Let's go to Hel."
Many solstices ago...
Brunnhilde brought her sword up and caught the blow from her opponent. She pushed the sword aside and brought her own back up in a circular motion, stopping to rest the edge of the blade on her opponent's neck.
"I yield," said the woman.
Brunnhilde smiled and moved her sword away from Hildegarde's throat. The two Valkyries in training let their muscles relax as a loud bell signalled the end of their sparring match. The two approached one another and gave one another a firm hug of respect.
"You're improving, Hildegarde," said Brunnhilde, "You're getting faster."
"Not enough to keep up with you, Brunnhilde," smiled Hildegarde back.
The two were in the training courtyard of the Valkior's keep, a small castle on the edge of Asgard. Several other Valkyries in training stood at the edges of the courtyard, having watched the match. Most were staring in quiet amazement. Brunnhilde's swordplay was always a sight to behold, even in training.
"Can't keep up with her?" scoffed one of the Valkyries, "I certainly wouldn't admit to that."
"Hela," said Brunnhilde loudly, "Perhaps you'd like to go a round. You can show us what our newest arrival can really do."
Hela was a tall, pale woman with slicked back black hair dressed in the same Valkyrie training armor as the rest of them. She was watching from the far end of the courtyard, standing by herself.
"Please," dismissed Hela, "There's no need for me to waste my time on a second-rate swordswoman such as yourself."
The other Valkyries began to murmur in surprise.
"Second-rate!?" replied Brunnhilde angrily, "Why don't you let your sword do the talking, coward?!"
"Oh dear," mused Hela playfully, "It seems as though I've ruffled somebody's feathers."
"If you have any honor at all, you'll face me directly like a true warrior!" asserted Brunnhilde.
"Perhaps," considered Hela, "Why don't we make it interesting? The loser has to take stable duty for the remainder of the solstice cycle."
Several of the other Valkyries winced. The Valkior's stable held the winged horses that the Valkior rode into battle. Stable duty was one of the many tasks that was distributed among the Valkyries and by far the most hated of them. For one person to handle all the remaining stable cleanings was almost unthinkably unpleasant.
"Very well," smirked Brunnhilde, "Enjoy your last few moments of not smelling like manure."
Hela smirked as well. She approached the weapons rack and drew an arming sword off of it, walking over to the central part of the courtyard where Brunnhilde awaited her. The two prepared their battle stances as Hildegarde stood ready at the bell.
"Begin!" she announced, ringing the bell.
Brunnhilde swung her sword at Hela, but the pale woman took a step back and effortlessly dodged it. Annoyed, Brunnhilde took another step and another swing, barely missing again. This continued a few more times until Hela used her own sword to parry Brunnhilde's, holding it away from her face.
"Brunnhilde," chastised Hela, "You know better than to just attack wildly like that. Where's your focus?"
Brunnhilde let out a roar of anger and pushed past Hela's sword. She went to swing at her, but Hela dropped down to a squat to dodge it. Hela then gripped Brunnhilde's ankle and yanked up on it as she rose to her feet, flipping Brunnhilde over and onto her back. Brunhilde grunted as she landed hard in a mud puddle. The observing Valkyries chuckled. Brunnhilde gritted her teeth in embarrassment.
"Temper, temper," tisked Hela, shaking her head, "You're going to have to learn to control that, Second-Rate."
Brunhilde let out a roar of frustration as she rocked back and launched herself forward, kicking both feet into Hela's gut and using the momentum of the move to return to her feet. Hela stumbled a few feet back, clutched her stomach, and coughed. Brunhilde then charged at Hela with a shoulder check but merely stumbled as the image of Hela vanished in a flicker of green flame.
Magic! realized Brunhilde, Where'd she go!?
Brunnhilde's eyes opened wide when she felt something sharp slowly push up against her butt. Before she could react, the tip of Hela's sword had already snagged the seat of Brunnhilde's trousers and the next thing Brunhilde knew she was dangling from the end of Hela's sword as the pants worked their way farther into her butt. This again earned laughter from the other Valkyries.
Riip!
Brunhilde gasped as her body dropped an inch from the tear beginning to form in her trousers. She nervously looked over her shoulder and saw the rip widening.
"Oh no…" she whispered.
RRRIIIPPP!
Brunnhilde fell face first into the dirt, a large hole in the back of her trousers clearly exposing her white britches. Hela herself let out a long cackle at the sight. Brunnhilde froze up for a moment, feeling too insecure and small to do anything.
Whap!
"AH!"
Hela had smacked the exposed britches with the flat end of her sword, creating such an impact that she actually sent Brunnhilde flying forward a few feet until she landed face first in a mud puddle.
"Did you want to yield?" asked Hela casually, approaching her opponent.
"...never…" grunted Brunhilde, getting to her knees.
Whap!
"AH!"
"Wrong answer."
Hela placed one foot gently on Brunnhilde's neck. Then she shoved her down to the ground and pinned her neck that way. Hela prepared the flat of her blade once again as she eyed Brunnhilde's rear end.
Whap! Whap! Whap!
"Stop this at once!" demanded Brunnhilde indignantly, forcing back the tears of pain.
"I will," said Hela, "as soon as you yield."
Whap! Whapwhapwhapwhapwhapwhapwwhap!
Brunnhilde's eyes were tearing up in pain. Couldn't Hela find another way to end this? Brunnhilde couldn't believe her fellow Valkyries were about to see her lose in such a demeaning way. She couldn't take it any longer though. The searing pain of her burning ass cheeks was becoming too much to bear on account of pride alone.
"FINE!" shouted Brunnhilde finally, "I yield! I yield!"
"Good girl," smiled Hela.
Whap!
Brunnhilde gritted her teeth in shame from the final blow as Hela casually twirled the sword about on her way back to the weapons rack.
"Enjoy cleaning the stables," chuckled Hela on her way out of the courtyard, "Mind your step this week. Their diet has been a bit unusual."
Brunnhilde buried her face in the dirt she was still lying in. She couldn't believe it. Hela really was better than her. She was right all along. Now Brunnhilde knew it. So did the rest of the Valkior.
Today...
"This… isn't what I expected Hel to look like," said Jane.
"Were you expecting fire and brimstone?" scoffed Loki.
"I was expecting… something at least."
Jane, Loki, and Brunnhilde walked along a long, dark green road high above a range of mountains covered in shadow. Above them was a night sky clear of any cloud, star, or moon. The silence of the vast area was deafening.
"Hel isn't a place as you understand it," explained Brunnhilde, "Time and space don't work normally here. There is no geographic consistency. The realm bends to the will of Hela herself."
"How do we find her?"
"We just keep going," said Loki, "We'll get there in time."
Jane nodded. The three continued walking. All were decked out in armor. Brunnhilde was wearing her old silver Valkyrie armor, Loki was in her feminine form wearing her green and gold set, and Jane was in her usual Goddess of Thunder garb with her hammer at her side.
"Do you think she knows we're here?" asked Jane.
"Certainly," nodded Loki, "This realm is basically an extension of Hela. It's part of her. They can't exist without each other."
"Then how did she leave this realm to go to Asgard?" asked Jane.
"Her cloak," explained Loki, "It's enchanted. It keeps her connected to Hel so long as she wears it."
"That seems-"
"Sh!" hushed Loki, looking farther down the green path.
The road in front of them was twisting, forming into a different shape, and changing directions entirely. Several of the mountains below them rose while others shrank. Colors continued to twist all around them. The trio we briefly engulfed in a green flash.
"What was that?" asked Jane.
"The realm shifted," explained Loki, "We've found her."
They were in an ebony black throne room. The room was entirely empty except for the throne and it's occupant: Hela. Hela casually rested her head in her hand as she sat upon the throne, deep in thought. Jane and Brunnhilde both brought up their weapons, but Loki motioned for them to stand down.
"She doesn't know we're here," explained Loki, "I've cast a spell to keep us unseen and unheard. Don't engage. Fight her and we all end up dead."
Jane slowly lowered Mjolnir as she got a closer look at the throne itself. It was the same black as the rest of the room, but not as sharply cut. The edges seemed jagged and uneven. When Jane looked closer she saw why. The entire throne was built from charred and blackened bones. Jane's eyes adjusted as she saw every individual bone that made up the throne, including the skulls on the arm rests.
"So now what?" asked Brunnhilde, "We just hang out here until she blurts out all her plans?"
"Actually," said Hela, "It'll be a great deal simpler than that."
It felt like Jane's heart stopped. Didn't Loki just say that Hela couldn't see them!?
"Oh dear sister," smiled Hela at Loki, "You didn't think such a simple charm would work on me, did you."
"Well," sighed Loki, "I did, actually."
"What are you three doing here?" demanded Hela, standing up from her throne and slowly walking toward them.
"We know you're up to something, Hela!" shouted Jane, bringing Mjolnir up once again, "We won't let you get away with it."
Lightning began to dance around the head of Mjolnir as Jane tensed her muscles. She had no idea if she could take Hela on. This woman scared even Brunnhilde, who up until recently Jane was certain no one could beat. What sort of chance did an anthropologist with a fancy hammer stand?
"You're right," said Hela, staring them down, "I am planning something."
"You'll never get your filthy hands on Asgard!" growled Brunnhilde, raising her sword again as well.
Hela let out a long cackle. The others looked at one another nervously.
"Asgard!?" laughed Hela, "Please. I've had enough of these gods and magic. What I need is a place teeming with life. I need somewhere filled with souls willing to do anything to avoid death, who will desperately follow my every command out of fear of it. I'm not taking Asgard. I'm taking Midgard."
Jane let out a roar as she flung a bolt of lightning at Hela. The lightning blew apart the body into dust, but Hela's echoing laughter let them know that the attack had failed.
"We won't let you harm Midgard, Hela!" said Brunnhilde, looking around.
"Oh, Second-Rate…" sighed Hela's disembodied voice, "You should know by now that you have no say in the matter."
Jane felt the floor buckle under her feet. Looking down, she saw that the once solid floor had changed into the same charred bones as the throne, which were falling away under Jane's weight. Soon the bones started to move and a skeletal hand grasped onto Jane's ankle.
Brunnhilde roared as she severed the arm of a skeleton reaching for her. Loki attempted to disappear in a green flash, but reappeared several feet away where she was quickly overwhelmed as well. Soon skeletons were crawling all over all three of them.
"Now this is more what I expected Hel to be like!" called out Jane as she smacked away corpse after corpse with her hammer.
"Well, I'm glad it lives up to expectations!" shouted Brunnhilde, cutting down a large body that had just risen in front of her.
"Give it up," came Hela's voice, "I am death. And death is unavoidable."
Loki let out a cry of protest as both of her arms were now being held down by skeletons. Jane looked around and saw that the entire structure had changed. They were now in a seemingly endless sea of skeletons, all grasping at their faces and trying to pull them under.
They saw the tip of Hela's headdress slowly rise from the writhing pit of bones. Hela's head emerged as she continued to rise, desperate skeletons clawing at her black cloak as she did. She rested her hands on her hips and smiled.
"This must be familiar for you, Second-Rate," mused Hela, "Having that stubborn confidence of yours shattered as you fall before me."
"Wait!" cried Loki, her face mere seconds from being completely drowned by the bones, "Wait, listen to me!"
Hela tilted her head. Suddenly all of the skeletons froze. Brunnhilde and Jane, who were at this point both buried up to their necks, looked over nervously at Loki. The skeletons relented from the Goddess of Mischief as she climbed out and stood atop the bodies like Hela did. Hela smiled at her.
"I'm of more use to you alive than dead," explained Loki, "I know Midgard well. I know all their greatest warriors along with many of their weaknesses!"
"Loki…" whispered Jane, "Don't…"
"Together," continued Loki, "we could conquer Midgard in no time at all!"
"Together," considered Hela, "with you as my loyal servant."
"But of course," agreed Loki immediately.
"You bastard!" cried Brunnhilde, "You cowardly- Mmph!"
The skeletons around Brunnhilde and Jane became animated once more, grasping onto either of their faces and pulling them completely under. Loki took a moment to look at the spot where her former allies had just been. Hela looked to the same spot and then back to Loki.
"Well," smiled Loki, "I see no reason to waste any more time, do you?"
"No," said Hela, waving her hand through the air.
Loki looked around as the entire room around them, skeletons and all, faded away to a soft grey. Brunnhilde and Jane were nowhere to be found. Hela waved her hand again as a rainbow of light began to pour down in front of them.
"The Bifrost," noted Loki.
Hela walked through the light. Loki followed. They emerged on the other side, assaulted by wind and snow. Hela seemed unbothered, her cloak flapping in the violent winds as snow swept up in swirls around them. Hela gathered some sort of blackish green energy in her hand and plunged it into the snow at their feet.
Loki watched as the snow around them evaporated in an instant, revealing the blackened and smoking earth beneath it. Loki saw the green necromantic smoke rising from the ground and knew exactly what it meant. Hela had infected the planet. Loki looked around as the blackened earth expanded out farther and farther, melting away the snow as it did. The expansion would continue until it had engulfed the entire planet.
Hela brought both hands up in a lifting motion. Loki felt the ground rumble beneath them. That black metal sprouted from the earth on all sides of them, forming a room around them as more black metal and stone emerged from the planet and flew up to the structure, building it up more and more. Loki felt the structure rise higher and higher from the ground.
Soon the two were looking out the window of the tallest tower in a vast castle. They could see snow up all the way to the horizon, but they could also see the blackened land slowly extended outward as the pure white landscape became a black and green smoldering wasteland.
"Today," said Hela, "is the day Midgard dies."