Disclaimer: Stan Lee is god, and I still don't own any of these guys!
Chapter 7
It's Complicated
After leaving the interrogation room, Hela and Natasha went back to the penthouse lounge in complete silence – neither of them spoke during the elevator ride back up, but it wasn't because they were having a stand-off, or were having hostile feelings against each other. It was a silence that more or less signifies understanding, not entirely trust, but Natasha felt that isolating off the other woman would mean more trouble than it was worth.
By the time they reached the floor, they found the men sitting idly in various across the expanse of the lounging area. Hela gave them a soft smile and promptly headed to where Tony was sitting and held out her hand without greeting – her smile fading into a black stare.
"I'd like to have my phone back," She intoned bluntly.
"Say 'Please'," Tony raised a brow and gave her a teasing grin.
Hela rolled her eyes and drew her hand back to flick Tony's forehead. She walked away without a word and went to sit next to Thor who had an extremely brooding face, his body crouched and his arms resting on his legs. Tony, who had just regained his usual composure after Hela flicked his forehead winced after he frowned at her, growled loudly, "What the fuck?"
He went to touch the area with his forefinger and winced again, muttering another curse word, and scrambled to his feet to dash for the floor to ceiling glass panes overlooking the city. Scrunching his eyes to study his reflection, he cried out, "I have a zit."
Everyone turned their heads to where Tony was standing as he faced them, pointing at the huge, red, very swollen zit on his forehead, "I have a fucking zit the size of Manhattan on my forehead. A fucking zit! What the fuck?!"
Hela shrugged, "I asked you nicely."
Tony was baffled and took long striding steps towards her, "That wasn't asking nicely. And this wasn't nice either!"
"I don't know Stark, it's a good look on you," Natasha said amusedly.
Everyone was beginning to snicker at him now, some not even remotely discreet when Clint piped in, "I gotta agree with Nat, it grows on you."
"Yeah Tony, I really think it's growing on you," Bruce didn't help Tony's case at all and decided to jump in with the rest.
"No! There will be no more growing!" Tony stomped his foot and glared at the trio, "Or bad puns. Get rid of this, now!"
His last words were directed at Hela and she didn't know whether it was a command or a plea, but judging Tony's glowing red face, Hela decided it was the latter and she gave him a long, considering look before she lifted the corner of her lip into a playful smirk and said, "Only if you say 'Please'."
"What? No!" Tony cried in outrage, "I asked you that earlier and you gave me a fucking zit!"
"I wasn't the one rummaging through anyone's purse for a phone," Hela countered, "Tell me, you found anything you like?"
This time Tony groaned and turned his head to the side, "Please."
"What was that Mister Stark?" Hela was enjoying this very much, "I didn't catch that, did anyone of you heard what he said?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"Please. I said please."
"Please what?" Hela egged him on.
"Please get rid of this fucking zit, please." Tony grumbled insincerely, but Hela thought it was enough and decided to end his misery and made a small gesture of her hand, to which her phone appeared from thin air the same time Tony's zit disappeared.
Everyone looked on, impressed that Hela got Tony to do something, earning their respect.
The day went on uneventfully after the Tony incident. They decided to invite Hela over for dinner which she gladly accepted.
Surprisingly, Doctor Banner and Captain Rogers were both great cooks and she very much delighted in the meal they served. They all made small talk with each other, avoiding any pressing matter to be dished out on the dinner table. Hela found their company rather refreshing, though it was a little strained due to her questionable intents, she was still thankful to have gone this far. But despite the amiable aura permeating the air, she could feel Clint eye her suspiciously. She didn't fault him for that, instead felt a sense of understanding from where he was getting the hostility towards her.
After the Chitauri invasion, she made it a point to keep an eye on those who went under her father's mind control and sadly, only a handful survived. The effects were strong and even after undergoing various cognitive recalibration processes, most couldn't live through the guilt and shame of what they'd done and had gone into insanity, some taking their lives out of misery. But she knew better – those who fell under control suffered through the after effects of the sceptre's power, addling their minds to the brink, and she could only guess what kinds of horror they could see when they put their guards down and let the power take over their minds in a frenzy of violent recollections of all things horrific.
She only knew a fraction of its power, but it was enough for her to grow extremely concerned for all of them, her father most especially. It was already a feat in itself that it was able to take control of her father who had one too many layers of protection magic about him, and she vehemently refuses to believe that he willingly let it take over – there were too many tell-tale signs of his struggle, not to mention the many holes in his plot to take over Midgard. He was a very careful person, strategy and tactics were his best suits and that was enough to let her know something was wrong.
After dessert was served, they all decided to take it in the living room and they sat around enjoying the rich, molten chocolate lava cake that Bruce made.
Hela noticed that Thor was the last to finish his dessert and he had pretty much feigned his enjoyment throughout the meal that she couldn't help it anymore.
"Uncle, if you have something, anything to tell me, I believe you should tell me now before your involvement," Hela had her head down as she placed the ramekin down on the coffee table when she lifted her eyes up to look at the others through her lashes, "All your involvement into this. I would understand it if you refuse me your assistance, I just didn't have that many options…"
Silence again. They've been doing that a lot for the past few hours, looking at each other, letting the stillness of the room consume them, "I don't make a habit of humbling myself to others, but this is something I'd willingly do just to see my father safe."
Thor opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again, his hands balling into fists.
Hela sighed and decided this would go nowhere until she speaks up, and so she took a deep breath and straightened back in her seat.
"We Asgardians are very long lived," She began, not necessarily talking to anyone in particular, "I could only guess how painful it had been for my father when he found out his existence was not wanted, the building blocks of which were founded in lies. We grew up in contempt of monsters, of stories where the Asgardians slayed those monsters and mother's using said monsters to scare children into behaving themselves otherwise those monsters would creep out from the dark and eat them…"
Each of the Avengers had a faraway look on their faces, but had their ears to her nonetheless, Thor on the other hand sitting tensely beside Hela, his arms resting on his legs again as he looked at the floor in deep thought once again.
"Frost Giants were one of those monsters, if not the scariest monsters that had children screaming at night in an unfounded fear that they would somehow spring up from nowhere and take them to their icy realm," Her thoughtful face was replaced by mirth when she recollected a fond memory, probably a story for some other time and she continued, "Nevertheless, they were the evil that threatens the peace. I believe Odin also told you the same tales, which my father told us in turn, without the scary theatrics. He was a good man, and I still believe that he is. He was a very kind and nurturing father, and he was the same to you too, Uncle, you just fail to see all the things he's done for you in the past."
"He's killed many," Was Thor's reply.
"And so did you," Hela sighed, "We all have blood in our hands."
"He killed a lot of innocent people," Clint shot at Hela, and the goddess gave him a sad, apologetic look.
"I know," She breathed, "But faulting him while he was under duress, though still a theory for now, is not right. I know you hate him, I see it in your eyes every time you look at me, and any sort of apology from me won't appease you until you finally have it out with my father, but I'm here to set things straight."
"But how sure are you that Loki is alive," Bruce asked this time, his voice low and unwavering as he locked gazes with Hela, "This could be a wild goose chase, you could be chasings ghosts for all you know."
"Chasings ghosts won't be a problem at all," Hela allowed herself a real smile for the doctor, "I'm certain because my brother's and I are connected to him. I did mention earlier that I'm not his biological daughter, did I not?"
Bruce nodded and had a very curious, quizzical look on his face.
"My brother's and I were not born nor procreated through physical means," Hela explained, "We were created by magic, simply put. While we do not share his blood, we are bonded by something much stronger. And since having left his side, I always kept a close eye on my father, the same with my brothers."
Hela saw the knotted brows of the two scientific geniuses and shook her head, "It's complicated."
Thor still had that brooding look on his face and Hela patted his shoulder. She hasn't talked about her father with anyone outside of her family, and while she hadn't poured her entire mind and heart to it, she could feel the tug on her and she felt she needed her space and bid her goodbyes. She promised them she'd be back in the next coming days to help ease the Winter Soldier's memories, which can be easily done with her magic, much to Tony's chagrin.
She planted a soft kiss on Thor's head a good night and whispered, "Please have faith in him…"
Author's Note: I think I might've left two little surprises there, which I'll unfold in the next coming chapters.
And Loki!Cat should be making an appearance soon, I promise! Until then, keep reading, reviewing, following, fave'ing and the works! Love y'all~!
