Hela was awake, listening to her father in his sleep. Loki's breath was fast and panting, and she knew it were the dreams and memories he suppressed during the day that came back to haunt him in the night. If anything she wished there was something she could do to help him. Lying on her bed, stretching the tendrils of her power through the penthouse, Hela's mind wandered. She let her mental fingers run over her father's back until he calmed down, absorbing a bit of his sadness into her own.

Her thoughts turned back to the school and the strange new life she led now. Midgard was loud and dirty and full of people, thousands of faces and dates and memories thrown together in a giant melting pot. No one here shielded his thoughts properly, and it put a strain on her, hearing the pleading cries, silent prayers and choked up curses of those around her. Not to mention their bizarre customs, their habits and their social norms. The image of Peter Parker came to mind again. She didn't trust him.

Then why did you agree to meet him tomorrow? A nagging voice in the back of her head questioned her. Hela sighed. She wished she didn't have to explain her motives to herself, she wished her father would be happy again, she wished she could see Asgard again, she wished for so much but there was no deity to which a Goddess of Death could direct her prayers. Her nightly wishes were doomed to fall in deaf ears. A silent tear ran over her bony cheek as she remembered the plains and hills of what she once called her home…

Peter and Hela met in the library at noon the next day, and the day after that, and the next day as well… Their agreement became an unspoken permanent one. Peter was impressed with Hela's insight; she worked through the basic concepts of physics and chemistry in no time. It was odd at times, how Hela could make the smartest observations and deductions, and then turned out to lack a piece of really fundamental basic education on the subject. Peter had tried to prod into her school history in Norway, but that had only caused the girl to close up like an oyster. Eventually he had taken peace with just trying to be her friend. Their agreement became more and more like friendship anyway. Even when he wasn't explaining her things, they would just meet and both sit down with a book. Not much had to be said.

Hela read book after book, absorbing the knowledge in them like a sponge. Monographs, encyclopaedias, science books and technical manuals, the Norse girl read them with such enthralled fascination that just seeing her read was a joy to the eye. At least, that it was to Peter.

They said goodbye, polite and slightly awkward, when the lunch break was over. In the hallway, Peter caught up with Justin.

"Hey there. How was Creepy Eyes?"

"Her name is Hela."

"And she has creepy eyes, which justifies the name." Peter grinned at his friend, suddenly thinking of Tony Stark, who also nicknamed everything and everyone.

"I think I know someone who would like you…"

"Creepy Eyes has a sister?"

Laughing, Peter punched Justin in the side.

"Stop it! She's really not as creepy as she seems. She's just foreign here and everything is new to her. You should give her the benefit of the doubt."

Justin bent towards his friend and said suspiciously.

"Then you haven't heard the stories I have…"

Peter raised an eyebrow.

"What stories?"

"Well, Apparently they had the vivisection of the frog in Biology, and her frog died."

Justin says it with theatrical drama, making Peter chuckle.

"Isn't that what vivisected frogs usually do?"

Justin shakes his head.

"No, no, you don't understand it. The frog died before she could even start the vivisection! Robert was her lab partner and he said the beast died the moment she took it out of the pot. Just like that."

"It could have been a coincidence…"

"Once perhaps… but then the teacher gave her the spare frog, already prepared and ready, she touched it, and bang! Dead."

Justin made wide eyes at his friend and nodded as if he has just shared an amazing secret.

"For all you know Petey, she could be a life-sucking Norse vampire… or worse, she could be Death herself!"

Peter rolled his eyes.

"I thought Death was a male skeleton with a big scythe?"

"You have no imagination!" Justin complained. "Just imagine what could happen, I mean, you bed her and then she sucks out all your life juices through your…"

Peter punching him again interrupts Justin.

"You have too much imagination, pervert!"

"If you don't watch out I'm gonna resort to calling you the Holy Virgin"

Laughing, the two boys walked away. Hela was still in the library at that time, holding a book she hadn't thought she would need. "The Ultimate Guide To Norway" the title read. After she made sure no one was watching her, Hela started reading. Turning the glossy pages of the book, she learned about the political system, the wars, the alliances, the administrative divisions, the judiciary and the economy. There was a lot she didn't understand about the money-thing, but as she was the ruler of a realm herself many of the other things sounded familiar enough. Reaching the part about the geology, environment and biodiversity, Hela was confronted with page-wide images of snowy landscapes, fjords, grassy plains and forests. She bit her lip. It clearly wasn't Asgard, but it looked just enough like it to make her feel homesick all over again…

"Don't you have homework?"

Natasha looked severely in Peter's direction. The boy laid sprawled out over the sofa, watching a quiz on TV.

"All done." He said on an uninterested tone.

"I haven't seen you do anything today."

"I did it all in the library, at school."

"Since when do you work in the library?"

Peter didn't answer her. It wasn't as if he could tell her that it was since he had met this beautiful Norse girl with eerie green eyes… Natasha shrugged and left him alone with his thoughts. The quiz couldn't hold his attention any longer, and eventually he got up and went to look for someone who might be able to give him some advice.

"JARVIS, where is Mr Stark?"

"Mr Stark is currently in his workshop, Mr Parker. Shall I warn him you are coming?"

"Yes, please do so. Thank you JARVIS."

"My pleasure, Mr Parker."

Peter walked to the workshop. Tony was tinkering with one of his suits when he entered.

"Ah, Peter! What are you here for? Need help with your homework?"

Tony Stark threw him a grin. Peter felt his cheeks go red…

"Well… err… You see… I do need a little help. Just… not with homework."

While Peter was stuttering, Tony smirked. From the colour of his ward's face he could already tell what his question would be about.

"You need help with a girl."

Peter sighed and looked pleading at the engineer.

"Please?"

Tony rolled towards Peter on his chair, grinning widely.

"Tony Stark, always at your service. At least, where it concerns ladies, booze and fighting. Go on, say what is bothering you."

Peter slicks and starts.

"So, there is this girl. She's new too, the daughter of a Norse expat. And she is cute. I like her. At first I didn't think she liked me, but now we're meeting regularly and I… you know, would really like to… you know…"

"You want to date her, for real."

"I would at least want to try! I just don't know how to do it, she's a bit old-fashioned and all…"

"Well, she's Norse so why don't you ask Thor?"

"He would probably tell me to slay a dragon for her or something."

"Or Steve, he's old-fashioned too."

"And he's a virgin."

Tony made a theatrical gesture and spun on his chair.

"Fine then, I'll help you. It seems that you're walking the edge of the friend-zone here, Mr Spider-Man! If you want her to see you, you'll need to break your usual pattern and catch her somewhere new. That'll place you in a new light as well. And then you should ask her to go out with you. Dinner, the movies, I don't have to explain you what I mean. And that's that. Then it's all up to you and your spidey charms! Catch her in your webs! Not literally though, I have found women hate spider webs in their hair. Pepper always made a fuss about it…"

Peter smiled at Stark, who was already distracted again by something on his screens, and nodded.

"Thanks, Mr Stark."

"No problem, son!"

It had to have escaped the man's mouth unknowingly, but it gave Peter a jolt. Did he really just hear Tony Stark call him 'son'?"

The next day Hela wasn't in school. Peter felt oddly disappointed.

"Don't tell me you're sulking because the Queen of Creep isn't in class today."

"Do you think she's sick?"

"It's just a chick, no need to worry! Man, really. I tell you this, she's probably a voodoo mage, and now she used your umbrella to place a spell on you, forcing you into obedience! "

"Once again with the imagination, Justin…"

"Spoilsport…"

Hela wasn't ill, and yet she wasn't just skipping either...

"Could you please just hold still?"

"I am holding still already Hela, now could you please get it over with?"

Hela was bandaging the shoulder of a very grumpy Loki, after she had pulled out the tip of a rather nasty crooked arrow from it.

"Here. All done. You won't see it anymore tomorrow, the bandage is just to stench the bleeding."

Loki turned to his daughter and sighed.

"Thank you, Hela dear."

"It's my pleasure, father."

"These fights… I didn't… " Loki stopped midsentence, he didn't continue. Hela didn't ask: she didn't need to. His inner strife was all too clear to her. Battling the Avengers had nothing to do with ruling the world anymore. It was just a way of making victims, destroying things, keeping dangerous thoughts at a safe distance. Loki was angry at the whole world, and he wanted the whole world to know.

"Father, would you mind if I took a walk outside?"

Loki smiled.

"Not at all. Try to be back in time for dinner!"

"I will!"

The school had ended when Hela passed it by. She paid no attention to the exiting students; she had somewhere else to be. Despite that, she couldn't help but stand there for a moment, on her usual pick up spot, thinking of the Parker boy. He was the only one to be nice to her. Hela knew that she should be glad everyone else left her alone, but the frightened looks and uncomfortable stances whenever she was around made her feel almost as bad as mean words would… She was once again lost in thought, and didn't notice someone approaching.

"Hela?"

Startled, she looked up, seeing Peter Parker. He eyed her curiously.

"You weren't in class today."

"Indeed. I wasn't."

"Something wrong?"

"Family issues. It's rather personal."

Peter shut up. Without her uniform, Hela Helvete looked years older than fifteen; Peter would easily estimate her to be eighteen. She looked sadder than usual, yet by now he already knew better than to prod.

"It's okay. Just know if you ever want to talk, I'll listen."

Hela looked at him with something resembling gratitude.

"Thank you. I am grateful for your kindness… Peter."

"Err… Do you have anywhere to be?"

"Well… I…" Hela decided to take a gamble. Peter Parker was the only thing she had that could pass for a friend here in this realm of noisy mortals, and perhaps she had to reward his persistence to befriend her. She sent the boy one of her rare smiles.

"There is this one place…"

Close to the school she had found the entrance to a small park, in which there were a chapel and a graveyard, both old and abandoned, almost completely overgrown. It was one of those forgotten corners of the city, and Hela was rather pleased with herself that she had found it. Peter appeared to be surprised.

"Oh… wow. I never knew this was here…"

"I don't think many people know."

Hela walked between the crumbling gravestones, and sat down under a tree. Peter followed her example. Pretty girl –albeit with a squint-, check, romantic location, check, no school clothes, check at least for her… he gathered his courage.

"Err… Hela…"

"Yes?"

"I… Err… You… You still have my umbrella."

Peter's face turned the colour of an overripe tomato. Hela nodded thoughtfully, as if he hadn't just made a complete fool out of himself.

"That is true… Do you require it back?"

Peter bit his lip.

"Not really. You can keep it, if you want."

"Your umbrella has been very useful already. I will continue to put it to good use."

There was a silence. Then Hela sighed.

"This place… It reminds me of my house."

Peter decided it probably wouldn't be a good plan to ask if her house was overgrown with weeds too.

"How do you mean?"

Hela didn't answer at first. She only answered in her mind, how the soil of the old graveyard was soaked with the souls of those who died of old age and illness, how she could hear their quiet whispers in the back of her head and welcomed them like old friends. Finally she said.

"Green. Plants. It reminds me. There is so little of it here in New York."

"You should go to Central Park once. There is much more green and nature, I bet you would enjoy it."

"Central… Park? What is that?"

Peter drew wide eyes.

"You have never heard of Central Park? It's like, well, what the name says actually. It's a big park in the middle of the city. I don't think they organise hunting parties there, but there's lots of trees and stuff…"

"I would love to go there once…"

Hela suddenly got a longing look in her eyes. Even though she liked the graveyard because of the closeness of her own realm there, she loved nature. The only realms she had known after Asgard, Helheim, Niflheim and Jotunheim, were all devoid of fresh green, and she missed it terribly. Seeing he had touched a sensitive snare, Peter smilingly proposed.

"We could go there together, I could even bring a picnic."

For the first time since he knew her, Hela's melancholic half-smile grew to something that could pass for a real one, and Peter knew he had just hit home…

Read and Review please! I love each and every one of you and I send you all virtual cookies and a pizza!