Disclaimer: Yep, don't own Marvel, or the Avengers.


Chapter 6

Lie To Me


After humouring the Captain by letting them lead her out, they road an elevator going down the basement level of the Avengers Tower. She was escorted by Captain America and the other two men into the farthest room in the hallway and from there, the Clint and the other person stood aside to usher in Steve and Hela inside the room. It was a large, spacious room that had a long table and two chairs sitting opposite each other; it was a tell-tall interrogation room, minus the glass partition – but knowing that Stark doesn't do conventional, she knew that there were cameras installed at every angle for the audiences view.

She was guided to a chair, as was predicted and they asked her permission to attach some equipment to her. They put on a metal band at the back of her head, with two diodes planted at her temples, two wireless diodes to each of her wrist and one of each pads of her fingers which had the similar glowing blue center.

Having checked that the equipment was up and running, Clint and Sam nodded at the Captain and made their quick exit. After that, they joined the rest of the Avengers in the next room where Tony was making some final adjustments on his computer, Natasha seated in front of one of the screens, monitoring the various data, with Bruce and Thor leaning against the wall.


"Is this going to work?" Steve asked as he entered the room.

"Hundred percent," Stark replied dismissively, "Fury sent me the original sometime after the HYDRA incident. Let's just say this baby can measure galvanic skin response, oxygen consumption, microexpressions, biofeedback, brainwaves, pupil dilation, and voice biometrics, without the bulk."

"Fury got the first made with Nat in mind," Clint gave the Black Widow a look and smirked.

Natasha lifted the corner of her lip in return and gave everyone a proud look before turning her attention towards the massive wall screen where it showed Hela in the interrogation room, "I'm up. I'll see you boys later.


It had been at least seven minutes since the men exited the room and Hela was quite getting bored. When she heard a click from the door, she smiled when she saw the redheaded assassin walk towards the other chair, a StarkPad in hand, and took a seat in front of her.

"Comfortable?" Natasha asked, not in the least concerned whether Hela was or not.

Hela knew it was a question as hollow as an empty cardboard box, so she shrugged and said, "I've had worse."

"I'll be asking you a couple of questions, some of them random, to gauge if you're a hostile or not," The Black Widow finally making eye contact.

The goddess breathed a soft chuckle and returned her gaze, "So you saved the theatrics like you did my father and put me on Lie Detector instead? How fun. By all means, ask away Black Widow."

Natasha felt a nerve tick at the way Hela enunciated every word, but she dismissed it and gave the woman her best Black Widow look – expression blank and unreadable.

"First question – what is your first and last name?"

"Hela Lokisdóttir," Hela answered truthfully.

Natasha now had her StarkPad propped up on the table, so she can switch between monitoring her vitals and analysing Hela on her own, "Second – yes or no answer. Are you Loki's biological daughter?"

"Yes," Hela smiled.

No changes in her vitals so far, Natasha continued, "Third, you can response to this freely. Thor said you love your father. Love equals to loyalty. Do you mean to take revenge on the Avengers for your father's defeat?"

"Not at all," This time she was honest. "My father was under duress at that time, so I can't avenge him for something he has done devoid of his own free will."

Natasha quirked a brow at her and studied her expression at every point and for a brief moment she saw her face break out of its impassive state and she saw sadness in Hela's eyes before the woman before her regained her composure. She wasn't expecting that answer at all, and according to what she witnessed and her vitals on the screen, she wasn't lying.

"Loki died in battle according to Thor," Natasha began, "But a few days ago, you said he's gone missing without a trace, and when Thor told you he hasn't seen Loki, you simply went up and left. So tell me, is Loki dead, or alive?

"He's alive," Hela replied and didn't make a move to elaborate any further.

"How sure are you?"

"Sure enough to risk going here," Hela quipped and frowned at the woman before her, "I know it makes no sense, I would persuade you to have Thor go back to Asgard to validate my words but I highly doubt the All-Father would give him answers, let alone have him come back here on Midgard. I have many reasons for my being here; one of them was retrieving the Winter Soldier."


"Wait, what could she possibly need from Capsicle's buddy?" Tony looked at Thor questioningly and just as quickly after seeing Thor's expression, waved his hand off saying, "Don't say it. You don't know, you haven't seen her in ages."

"I guess we're about to find out why she had those HYDRA files," Bruce looked at Tony and Steve before they stared back at the screen at Natasha's questioning words.


"About that," Natasha followed up, "How did you get your hands on his files and the tracker?"

"I called in some favours," Hela smiled confidently.

"That doesn't answer the question."

"It doesn't matter, it's not as if naming my contacts would be in any way beneficial to you, nor be made available to any of you by any way of means," She inclined her head slightly to the side and found Natasha's raised brow amusing, "It also wouldn't make sense."

"Just answer the question," By now there was a coat of threat in the Black Widow's voice.

"Alexandre Pierce."

"What?" Natasha looked lost for a moment.

"You heard me, Black Widow," Hela teased.

"He's dead," Natasha stated. Now this, she wasn't expecting at all. If she was any other person, she would've lost it, but she is the Black Widow and this is what she does.

"I didn't say he's not," Hela rested her chin over her interlaced fingers, "I told you it wouldn't make any sense, but you read the Norse Myths, I'm sure you can figure it out."

Natasha nodded her head in understanding, "What do you need the Winter Soldier for?"

"Information," Hela responded with ease, "Pierce wasn't at all helpful, but he did tell me the Winter Soldier was my best shot to find what I was looking for."

"Loki?"

"No," Hela shook her head, then chuckled, "The 'Glow Stick of Destiny'."

"What would you need Loki's sceptre for," Natasha asked, "And you said you only came here looking for Loki? Are you having a slip now, Miss Lieschmidt?"

"To completely undo the effects of the mind control," Hela answered, taking on a look of seriousness, "And it's not a slip, I simply didn't want to bombard you all with information."

"And this is tied to the Winter Soldier how?"

"As you know, SHIELD kept all the remains of alien tech and weapons which were left after the Battle of New York, which included the sceptre," The device hasn't made a peep whether Hela was lying or not, and Natasha could only keep her under scrutiny as Hela continued on with her words, "SHIELD's gone, the sceptre unaccounted for, HYDRA is my best guess where it's at."

"Then why make us go after him when you could've done so yourself?"

"I needed a way in," Hela looked Natasha straight in the eyes, "The Battle of New York was just the tip of the iceberg. If the sceptre is what I think it is, then Midgard is in grave danger, and so is my father."

"But can we trust you?" Natasha leaned back in her chair, done with the questioning.

"If I tell you my answer to question number two was a lie, would you trust me?"

Natasha muttered a curse in Russian and Hela giggled in response. She'll have to address that lie one of these days.


Author's Note: Yes, I will address that little sneaky secret in the end in one of the upcoming chapters. If you have any guesses, leave it up for the reviews.

Also, I'm planning a little "date" chapter for Hela and Bruce, they need some alone time so I'll appreciate any suggestions.

Like always, don't forget to review, fave or follow! We're already setting up a bakeshop in Nifleheim and we're generous enough to give free cakes for those who'll leave me some lovin'. Heheh.