A week had passed, and Tony hadn't really left his workshop in all that time. He thanked himself for installing a fully equipped fridge, because otherwise he had no idea how he would have survived with a traumatized and severely co-dependent Norse god trailing behind him. He had to admit though that he had taken an unexpected liking to the broken man. Loki couldn't bear being alone; in the beginning even going out of his sight was enough to get him to roll on a ball in fear. In the past week Tony had managed to improve the situation a bit. Now the god slept most of the time, or sat curled up on a chair close to Tony while he was working.

The first two days Loki had barely been aware, his mind clouded and his responses reduced to mere instinct. Being close to whom he now knew was Tony Stark however had allowed him to sleep without the nightmares, and the sleep had brought his mind back from the darkness. At least partially. Loki felt weak and scared, and the mere thought of everything that would be coming for him in the future was enough to send him into a crying fit. Something inside him told him he was being a pathetic monster, that he was disgusting and despicable for showing his weakness like that, but he simply couldn't help it. It seemed to him that his failed teleportation had somehow damaged his "emotional circuitry" and left him with no defence against the feelings that flooded him. Those thoughts only faintly crossed his mind in-between emotional outbursts. Always, always there was the mortal engineer, the man of iron, his enemy who behaved nothing like an enemy when he held Loki close and whispered calming words to him… The voice in the back of his mind told him he had to get away, that this man couldn't be trusted, but Loki was far too starved for contact and comforting to care. Time after time he let the mortal calm him and shush him to sleep…

Friday morning Tony woke up with Loki staring at him. It wasn't the petrified puppy stare of earlier, or the psychotic glare from back in the battle… It was an observant, uncertain look. Tony smiled at him.

"Hey."

And for the first time since he had said he didn't want to be alone, Loki spoke again.

"I… I am sorry."

In that whispered apology Tony heard more than just "sorry for trashing your lab and occupying your bed and using you as nightlight-slash-teddy-bear." It also was a "sorry for wanting to conquer your world" and a "sorry for mind-controlling your friends into killing their colleagues" and perhaps even a "sorry for throwing you out of a window". It just said everything. Almost automatically Tony reached out his hand and caressed the god's face.

"It's okay."

"W-why are you…"

"Trying to be nice? I don't know, actually."

Loki smiled hesitatingly, and Tony couldn't help but admire how beautiful Loki's face was when he didn't stare at him as if he were the bogeyman. Loki reached out to the arc reactor in Tony's chest, barely touching it, his eyes wide with awe and curiosity. It was utterly strange to Tony.

"This… thing…"

"It's an arc reactor. It powers the suit."

Tony didn't feel like telling his (former?) archenemy that he only needed to pull the reactor out to kill him. Loki pulled back his hand but continued to look at it.

"They… can't find me… when I'm close to you. Because of this."

"They? Is someone after you?"

Loki shook his head.

"No. Yes. T-the… the dreams are real."

That made little sense to Tony.

"Dreams aren't real, Loki. They're just that, nightmares. They can't hurt you."

Loki's mouth folded into something that could pass for a smirk, but Tony saw he was crying again.

"No. T-the dreams… they take place… in another dimension. A r-real dimension. T-they are real…" He started sobbing again. "I'm sorry…"

Again Tony pulled the god closer, as he had been doing every time Loki had had a crying fit. Quickly he calmed and rested his head against Tony's shoulder.

"When y-you… leave me alone… T-they will find me again."

"I won't leave you alone then. I promise."

He didn't know why he said that, and it was beyond his own comprehension how it was possible, but he actually meant it. He didn't want to leave Loki prey to his demons, real or not. Strangely entangled they fell asleep again.

(Pagebreak)

"I'm done with this. I'm done with this. I can't fucking take this shit any longer, who does that asshole think he is, a WEEK! A WEEK Natasha!"

Pepper had lost her cool, big time, and was ranting to Natasha. The Russian spy just lounged on the couch and occasionally nodded or shook her head, never once losing her stoic expression. At long last Pepper shut up for a moment and Natasha said.

"It's not as if he hasn't done things like this in the past."

Pepper looks at Natasha and shakes her head.

"That's it, Tasha. He really hasn't, not like this. He cheated on me more times than I can count, been drunk off his ass more often than not, been in bar- and other fights almost every time he went out, disappeared to other countries for a holiday on a whim… Really, he has done virtually everything wrong you can think of. But not like this. Ignoring me, locking himself up, refusing to talk to anyone… It's not right. Something's going on and I'm worried about him."

"So it's more worry than anger."

Pepper let out a joyless chuckle.

"Please, if I were the angry type I would have had my outburst at the first time I caught him bedding some spoiled heiress. I'm pretty sure there is nothing left for him to do that I wouldn't forgive him for at this point. But yes, I'm worried. I'm worried he isn't eating or sleeping, I'm worried he's drinking himself to an early dead, I'm worried his reactor is poisoning him again, I'm worried all the shit from his past is coming back up… You can easily say I'm the worried type."

Natasha slowly nodded.

"Pepper, don't think I don't understand how difficult this is. But perhaps Tony just needs some space…"

"You mean… in our relationship? Do you really think he's locking himself up because he doesn't dare to break up with me?"

Pepper was on the brink of tears again. Natasha sighed and shook her head.

"No, just that he needs some space of mind, you know, free of the avenger business and the company and even you. None of us really had time to recuperate after the Chitauri attack because all those new villains decided to take their chance immediately after it, and maybe it just became a bit too much for him."

"Why doesn't he see I want to be there for him? He's such a difficult person to care for… He's so hard to love, he doesn't let anyone come close enough to really have an impact, not even me…"

Pepper sighed desperately, and Natasha patted her on the back.

"You'll see, it'll be fine. Just give him time. Yelling in front of the lab doors really won't make him come out any faster, and it's terrible for your vocal chords." And my ears, but that the spy didn't say out loud.

"I… I guess you're right…"

(Pagebreak)

Dr Banner was pacing in his lab while JARVIS ran every possible test on the blood samples he got from Peter's friend. Thoughts rapidly twirled through his mind… The post-it note Peter had given him had rang more than one alarm bell in Banner's head, and now he found himself waiting for proof of what he thought was hardly possible…

When Peter had described the powers of his friend, he had felt sorry for her, but he hadn't thought deeper about it. After seeing her and learning her name though… Hela Helvete could very well be Hela Lokidottir, Queen of Niflheim and Helheim, and Goddess of the Dead. No matter how ridiculous it sounded to him, it made sense. Her power to suck the life out of things, her looks, the fact she recited the Edda in Old Norse…

He had read up on Norse mythology shortly after the Chitauri battle, and the fates of Loki's children had shocked him even though he still couldn't stand the trickster god. Hela had been cast out of Asgard to the realm of the dead because of her unusual, half-skeleton complexion, Jormungandr had been banished to the oceans of Midgard for… well, for being a giant snake basically, and Fenrir had been bound somewhere secret with a sword in his mouth because they believed he was to kill their king. The worst was probably though that Loki had never been allowed to visit his children. Dr Banner shook his head. If Hela Helvete really was Loki's daughter, then the myths had to be incorrect. How else would she have appeared on earth other than with Loki's help? JARVIS interrupted his musings.

"Dr Banner, the analysis is complete. My apologies for the wait, the genetic material was very unusual and I had to recalibrate certain algorithms."

"The results, JARVIS."

"A positive paternity test, Sir. Miss Helvete is the daughter of Loki Laufeyson."

Shit. Dr Banner felt his heartbeat rise. This meant he had just left Peter in the flat of Loki, together with his death-spreading daughter. Somehow he felt he had to so something, but he couldn't figure out what…

(Pagebreak)

When Hela woke up, she felt really strange. Floaty and warm and very hazy. It wasn't such a bad feeling, actually. Her mind appeared to be filled with cotton wool, which made thinking rather hard. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times, trying to remember what had happened. She didn't remember much. She remembered not finding Loki… It still made her sad, but for some reason it wasn't so painful anymore. And… Peter. Her mind was slowly processing her surroundings, and she realized now the boy in question still sat next to her.

"Hey there… How are you feeling?"

She couldn't help but feel surprised.

"Y-you… you s-stayed…"

"Yeah. Friends never leave when they're needed."

Hela smiled faintly. Peter held her hand, and it was oddly comforting to know he was there. She wanted to say something, but her eyelids were drooping again already. She was so tired…

"Sleep, you will feel better soon."

Oh, how she wanted to believe that…

(Pagebreak)

Loki got better, slowly. Tony was happy to see the trickster god's condition improve. He told himself it was because he really wanted to get out of the workshop, but deep down he knew that wasn't the reason. He had come to like Loki, but he would never admit that, not in the least to himself.

He was using a laser torch on a part of his suit, when he noticed the sight of it had Loki scurrying away in a corner. He stopped and approached the man.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

As usual, he sat down and pulled the god closer. Loki didn't resist, but Tony could feel he didn't relax either. Running his hand over Loki's back he calmly whispered.

"You can tell me, you know… It's better when you speak about it."

A moment there was silence, and Tony thought the god wasn't going to give anything away of what was troubling him. But then, Loki told him. His voice was a mere whisper, often broken by sobs, and his story made Tony's blood run cold…

"They… They knew… how much I longed for Death… They nearly killed me, time after time… Only to pull me back… Every night, every day, I… I d-didn't know anymore who I was, what I was d-doing… only pain… such pain… They had a fire… a t-torch of some sort… It burnt me, but n-not my skin… It b-burnt my m-mind… It w-was such pain…"

Tony now understood how his laser torch had caused a painful flashback for Loki…

"Day after d-day… I begged them, begged them to stop… To kill me… But t-they made m-me kill o-others in return for the torment t-to stop. F-first, I had to kill a s-single man… I c-couldn't… t-they brought the fire b-back until I agreed and k-killed the man. H-he was a p-prisoner just l-like me… B-but he…"

Loki's explanation became unintelligible in sobs, and Tony softly cradled him, not knowing what to say that could make the memories less painful. After a while, he resumed.

"I s-still don't know… if it w-was real… they p-put things in my head… images… dreams… and I h-had to kill more each t-time… to be spared of the fire…"

Loki cried against Tony's shoulder, and Tony let him. The possibility of Loki lying to him about this didn't even cross his mind. There was no way the proud trickster god would ever degrade and humiliate himself like this for the sake of manipulation alone…

"You know, it probably sounds crazy, but it's a good thing to talk about it. It only starts getting better when you talk about it."

Tony had experience after all. Afghanistan was sometimes as fresh as yesterday in his mind, and talking helped. Talking, and getting drunk and getting laid. More the last two actually in his case, but they were hardly feasible for Loki at the moment. He still barely ate anything and there were no eligible females in the workshop. Or any females at all, for that matter. For a moment a thought crossed Tony's mind that made the blood rush to his face. Why did he just think that? He would never… Loki interrupted his stream of thoughts.

"I am d-disgusting, I d-don't understand why you h-help me."

"I've been there. You may not believe me, but I know what it is to lose all dignity and self-worth while people torture you and force you to work for them. I know."

Loki seemed genuinely surprised, but still too shocked to say something to it. He quietly continued sobbing, and Tony continued to rub the god's back and whisper calming words to him. He knew that any day now he would run out of excuses, food and things to do, and he would be forced to leave the workshop. Just… not yet, not now. He didn't want to think about that just yet.

(Pagebreak)

The second time Hela opened her eyes she felt less floaty and more confused. She now was more aware of her environment, and noticed a strange tube sticking from her arm. She reached out for it, but before she could pull at it, a voice interrupted.

"You were dehydrated. I called a doctor and he put that in, it's just some basic fluids I suppose."

Surprised Hela looked up and met Peter's face.

"You… You're still here…"

Peter sent the confused girl a smile.

"Of course. Where else would I be? Your fever has dropped considerately, so that's good, and you're not screaming weird stuff anymore, so…"

"Screaming?"

Peter nodded.

"Yes, your eyes were rolled back and you were screaming out loud in Old Norse, apparently pieces of some poem about the apocalypse…"

"Ragnarök…"

"That's it."

Hela sank back in her pillows and sighed deeply. Peter noticed a tear running over her cheek.

"Her hands have run over me, Her lips have taunted mine…"

A moment Peter feared she had succumbed in a feverish delusion again, but then Hela opened her eyes and looked at him, her eyes sad but lucid.

"I have looked with the all-seeing eyes of Death and felt with her greedy hands that touch everything… You cannot understand. Her help comes at a price, and She has taken all my strength… And it was in vain still…"

"What was in vain?"

"My father is gone. I cannot find him. Even Death couldn't find him, and She is all seeing like the guardian Heimdall. You cannot understand…"

"Couldn't you have… well, contacted the police or anything?"

Hela chuckled coldly.

"Your guardians are blind and deaf and foolish. They would not find my father…"

Peter felt confused. Hela spoke more archaic than usual, and these things she mentioned… She spoke of Death as if it were a person. He knew she was a mutant with the power to take the life force from things, but to have a personal relation with Death himself –or herself- was still something entirely else… He felt her forehead again. Hela gave him a weak smile.

"You think I am still in Her clutches, don't you?"

"You talk weird, that's all. I'm worried."

"I…" Hela sighed. She was tired still, so immensely tired as only Death herself could make one feel, and talking exhausted her. Peter noticed it.

"You shouldn't be talking this much, it's clearly tiring you out."

"My strength will return in time…"

She sighed and tried to push thoughts about her father and the inability of even Death to find him away. Strangely enough Peter's presence helped a lot with that. She looked at him with heavy eyes and whispered.

"I thank you, Peter Parker…"

Again there was that awkward, pulling feeling, that chill along his spine. Hela's weakness hadn't made the sensation any less, and Peter wondered what the feeling meant. He didn't ask though, instead he said.

"You must thank Justin as well, he hacked the school computers to find your address…"

Hela closed her eyes, and her last conscious thoughts had to do with how she might repay this Justin properly…

(Author's Notes)

PLEASE people, review! It makes me so happy even if it's only a short word of appreciation. Critics are welcome too, I'm always eager to learn. Please, please pretty please with a cherry on top? I would promise a giant cupcake with Loki hiding inside but I doubt he's forgiven me for the ballerina thing of last chapter already... Anyway REVIEW!