He was mentally weak. Hela thought as she scanned him over. Other than the big problem, there were only a few minor bruises and scratches, which was definitely good news.

Hela channeled all the extra magic she could muster onto the problem spot. Sure, Elixir got his own healing system kicked in quite well, but its like it's not willing to reach its most potential, as if too lazy to finish the work it started.

Or is it that it wasn't willing to?

Hela had no idea how this being's magic or body or mind or anything worked, but she tried to base everything off normal magic users. It would hurt more to not try anything than at least trying.

When she believed everything was sorted, she unraveled he bandages around his neck, needing to lift his head ever so often to get the bandage out from under him.

Hela smiled, pleased with her healing work. The only thing that showed a fatal wound was there a pale patch of newly grown skin.

She then proceeded to remove all the random Midgardian equipment. She knew the Midgardians were trying their best, but now these wouldn't be needed. After all the stuff were cleared, she lifted Elixir off the bed. He wasn't light, but she wasn't weak either.

A nurse waltzed in most inconveniently, froze to the spot at the sight of Hela, and dropped her tray with a clang.

Hela ignored the nurse and closed her eyes.

Top of building.

OOO

Natasha leaned over the railing. Wind brushed through her curls.

It was a lot to swallow in one day.

Clint shot Elixir again. Elixir came from the future and was made to destroy. He had the Teseract in him that wanted to kill Loki and take control of him, so to destroy things easier.

There was a pop behind her and Hela appeared with what seemed to be Elixir in her arms.

'Hela!' Natasha yelped. 'What do you think you are doing?'

'He's mostly healed. I just put him into a sleep.' Hela said as she carefully laid him out on the floor. 'Wait here.'

Then a puff of smoke and she was gone.

Natasha stood, stunned at what just happened.

Then Hela was back, this time with Loki.

'Hela!'

'I know what I am doing.' She laid Loki out of the floor as well. He was dressed in fresh clothes that only made his ashen face look more dead.

'Right. We will not have much time. I could sense Thanos playing with portals right this minute. Tell your friends to prepare and try and gain more time.'

'More time for what?'

'To get Loki out of Elixir.'

'How will that help?'

'The Tesseract's trace is connected with Loki's soul, meaning if I extract him, I may be able to destroy it before it merges back into Loki's body with Loki.'

Natasha tried to keep up with what she said.

'So,' she breathed. 'Is this part that important?'

'Unless you are saying you have anyone that can compare to Thanos.'

'Thor? Hulk?'

'Forget it.' Then Hela knelt down between the two and touched their shoulders.

'Wait! Where are you going?'

'Some clearing with no people.'

'Let me come with you.'

'No, too risky.'

'Thing could go wrong, and Thor would go crazy if his brother's body got taken. He would want updates.'

'Fine, for the sake of my uncle's sanity.' Hela snapped. 'Grab me.'

Natasha barely touched her tingly skin before completely enveloped in smoke.

OOO

Clint was devastated. It wouldn't be long before Fury starts giving him suspension, but that wasn't on his list of things o worry about yet. He worried that no one will ever trust him. Like all his efforts after last year wiped out, and he will have to start all over again.

Bruce ran into the room, words bursting out of him as he waved his arms around in a panic.

Tony only frowned.

'Bruce, wouldn't it be better if you tell Fury first?'

The doctor realized his mistake and took off out of the room.

Then Clint's intercom crackled.

'Clint?'

'Nat? Where are you?' He raised his hand to his ear.

'Right Clint, I just left the facility, to, um, nevermind, its not important, but Thanos will be attacking.'

'Just heard that from Bruce.'

'Oh, right-' It sounded like there a lot of noise. 'And I am with Hela, and Hela has Loki and Elixir.'

'What?!'

'I don't know Clint, but its sounds like she knows what she is doing. Something about returning Loki to his body-'

'You went by yourself?!'

'Clint, there's no time to argue.' Natasha said sternly. 'Tell Thor what happened. And Fury.'

'Fury probably knew now.'

'Right, see you later, Clint.'

Then the intercom went silent.

'What happened?' Tony asked.

'Nat went with Hela who had Loki and Elixir. She's going to sort things out.'

'What exactly is happening?' Thor's deep voice came from the door.

Clint groaned.

OOO

'This may be the last time I see you here.'

Elixir looked up.

'Prince?'

'Stop it.'

'Fine, Loki.'

'Hela picked us up. I suppose the ritual to happen soon, but before that, I would like to make some things clear.'

Elixir stiffened. He didn't like Loki's tone.

'First of all, I would like to thank you for being the best companion to me for last year.'

'You are my best companion was well!'

'Don't interrupt me. Now, secondly, as I said just then, if the ritual turned out badly-'

'It could?'

'Yes, it's a possibility now I am in you for too long. And thirdly-'

'So you are saying, you might die?'

'If I do, it doesn't really matter.'

'It does!' Elixir choked. 'It does matter to me! If you are dead, even after the Thanos is defeated, even if that means I could be free, what is it without you?'

'You lived well enough before you met me.'

'Barely!'

'Elixir! Don't you dare blame yourself for my death! It will happen sooner or later anyway with a wretched creature like me.'

'Wretched? Are you mad?'

'Don't you-'

'Yes, I am calling you stupid!' Elixir shouted. 'You are the biggest idiot in the whole World Tree but you are my first friend. Don't be my last…'

Loki just chuckled softly.

'Elixir, you have grown.'

'What do you mean? I haven't changed a bit since I was born.'

'You didn't hear the blue ones conversation with the agent then?' Loki indicated the monstrous blue aurora in the corner, biding its time to lash out. It had become stronger than before.

'What conversation?'

'You wouldn't remember. But it might be the best.'

'Its not. Of course I would want to know who I am.'

'After you grow more mature.'

'But-'

'Right, thirdly, don't allow Thor to smash everything if the second point was true. He would embarrass my mother.'

'Loki-'

'And finally, Elixir.' Loki took a ragged breath. The piteously weak green aurora surrounding him faltered even more. 'I am sorry, sorry for leaving you alone and leaving you to a big mess you will have to deal with yourself. Sorry for being so, temporary and weak. But promise me one thing. Promise me that if I did die, you will move on without me.'

'I-'

'And anyway, Hela wouldn't mind you visiting.'

'Stop-'

'Do you promise me, Elixir?'

Elixir opened his mouth once more, but no words came out.

'Ok then.' Loki shrugged. 'I take it as a yes.'

'Hey!'

'Good bye. Elixir.'

Then things went blank.

OOO

Hela had no experience whatsoever in this. But she did research about it. It had about a gazillion ways of going wrong.

Which was a pretty sad note.

She looked around. There's only dirt, rocks, and more dirt for all her normal eyes could reach.

'Natasha, stay back.'

The poor human quickly scrambled back a few meters.

Hela picked up a rock, and started to draw on the dry ground.

She first drew a large circle around Loki and Elixir. Then she added the runes along the outside. Runes were always an important part of any ritual. Its simple: put anything now than might come in connections along with the basic ones.

Light. Soul. Power. -

If she missed one, then every living thing in the radius of ten kilometers could be wiped out.

Life. Infinite. Hel. -

What if it does go wrong?

Death. Reverse. Separate. -

What if both Elixir and Loki died?

Break. Heal. Breath. -

She wouldn't allow it to happen. Not in the all the nine realms.

Warmth. Virtue. Mercy. -

Mercy? The very first thing Hela learnt was mercy is a lie, being tossed into the realm of the dead to rot, where was mercy then?

Time. Infinity. Universe. -

Infinite is a lie as well. Things change. Time comes to an end.

Release. Free. Relieve. -

All the things Loki and Elixir don't have.

Bitterness. Lost. Surrender. -

Even the goddess of death will have to pity them.

Hunger. Blood. Lust. -

The things they turn themselves to.

Love. -

What they are missing.

Hope. -

There's no hope for them, yet-

Alive. -

Is what they will have to be.

Hela snarled and threw the rock away. It flew so far it disappeared in the air. The Midgardian stood frozen as she stared at Hela's work in awe and horror.

She quickly came back to her senses. Yes, she let her emotions carry her away. She can throw tantrums later.

Hela scraped a line down between Loki and Elixir, separating them.

She stood between them, in the middle of he circle, and raised her arms. She could feel the power of the runes humming and vibrating, waiting to be released.

Please let this work. She begged to whoever is higher than the gods.

OOO

The thing Hela drew was the most beautiful thing Natasha had ever seen. The hundreds of detailed pictures surrounded the circle like crawling army ants.

The moment Hela raised her arms, the skies darkened to a deep shade of purple. The runes glowed in all sort of different colours.

'Spiritus isti, surge.' Hela's voice was maginified a hundred times louder. 'Lux dedi vobis.' A mixture of green and blue smoke slithered out of Elixir in the form of snakes. Hela grasped the large blue one. 'Ut nihil vobis!' She screamed. The blue snake writhed and dissolved. Hela calmed herself and tunred to the fereish green one. 'Requiesce in pace.' She whispered. It towards Loki's body and dissapeared. The ground shook and cracked. A blast of wind scattered the runes, mixing them with the dust until unreadable. Hela fell down to her knees. The skies turned bright once more. OOO So it worked after all. Loki thought. He twitched his long unused joints. He took in deep breathes of fresh air, feeling his chest rising and falling. He could feel the magic boiling inside of him, rejoicing. There's no blue along the green.

He finally tear his eyes open. The blinding light made him blink. He tried to push himself up, only to fall back again, hard.

Blasted body.

He flipped himself onto his stomach and tried to push up instead. After a few more tries, he got on his knees.

The stretch of emptiness.

'Go on.' His voice was ragged and weak. 'You may as well do it while Hela and Elixir are out.'

The agent didn't move, her gun still digging into his head.

'What is stopping you, Romanoff?'

'I want answers.'

'As always.'

'Why would two people risk their lives for someone like you?'

'Why don't you ask them youself after you finish me off.'

'I would rather have answers from you.'

'We have things in common, Romanoff.' Loki tried his feet and failed. 'We were abandoned, trapped, forced to do terrible things, misunderstood-'

'You are?'

'Me? I was just a pawn. I expected death after throwing myself of the Bifrost, but no.' He choked. 'My wretched life wouldn't allow a easy and clean ending.'

'So you fell into the hands of Thanos.'

Loki struggled to his feet.

'And he's coming, isn't he?'

'Yes.'

'Just finish me off, and it will be for the better.'

'And face the wrath of Thor?'

Loki laughed.

'I never knew you have a sense of humour.'

'Being with a man called Tony Stark must've had some influencing.'

'Shoot me, Romanoff. I would rather this misery end.'

The agent didn't pull the trigger.

'Just tell Thor I asked for it.'

'He wouldn't believe me.'

'Make it look like a accident.'

'Make it look like I accidentally shot you?'

'Or, if you wouldn't…' Loki raised his hand to his neck.

'Idiot!' Someone screamed.

Both of them froze as Hela whipped towards them like an angry storm. Hela snatched the gun out of Natasha's hand and crushed it with her bare hand. Then with just as much fury she spun around and slapped Loki on the face.

Loki stumbled backwards, stars erupted in front of his eyes.

'Father! The Hel are you thinking?!' Hela thundered.

'Hela!' Loki stammered, a hand still on his cheek. 'I-'

Hela slapped him again, this time knocking him over onto his back.

'If you die!' She hollered. 'What am I suppose to say to uncle and Elixir?!'

Loki simply looked up at her daughter's furious face, stunned. Hela reached down and grabbed him by his shirt, pulling him closer to her burning eyes.

'Don't, you, dare, try, and, kill, yourself, again.' She seethed each word.

Loki gulped and nodded frantically.

'Go on.' She dropped Loki and turned to dumb folded agent. 'Tell you friends it worked and both Loki and Elixir are alive. But if any of them harm Loki or Elixir, they shall be sorry.'

Hela released her clenched hand. The powered remains of the offending gun fell to the ground.