A/N: I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I promise something special tomorrow in honor of Olivia's birthday! Happy reading :-)
The hour of our departure arrived far too soon for my taste. I walked down the halls next to Thor, given that Loki glowered at me briefly before ignoring my existence entirely. On the few occasions when I had thought of my imminent destruction, I had imagined him not being angry with me. Instead, knowing that in a few hours I would either be a pile of golden dust or a corpse, and that he couldn't care less, seemed to make everything worse.
The footage of the destruction of Earth was nothing compared to the actual devastation. Trees had been uprooted and flung hundreds of feet. Buildings had been reduced to rubble and broken pieces. Bodies littered the ground, the scent of death and decay filling my nostrils. It was too horrific for words.
We had barely arrived when it began. The frost giants had become aware of our presence and were already making their way towards us. I grimaced as I saw a massive shadow stir in the distance. I had come far too close with that serpent once, I had no desire to do so again. As miserable as my life may have been, I took comfort in knowing that I wasn't Thor; he was the one who had the responsibility of killing that thing. I watched as a slew of agents, Asgardians, and the Avengers fanned out in various positions. I was left alone with Loki and Eithne. I began to wonder where Hel was when my thoughts were interrupted.
"Baby brother," The voice was deep and gravelly, the very sound of it vicious. It had come from somewhere behind us and I turned to look at the enormous giant that spoke. Býleistr was truly frightening. He was at least twelve feet tall, if not taller, with a massive head that was covered in one foot spikes. His red eyes glowed with hatred as they found Loki and I felt my heart race. "We meet at last."
Býleistr's gaze drifted to me and he smiled broadly, revealing a set of overly white, large teeth. I shuddered at the sight and he chuckled menacingly. "And I see you brought the woman with you. How sweet." He returned his focus to Loki was smiling bemusedly. That was not particularly encouraging.
"Such a pity Hel claimed her for herself; I would so enjoy watching your reaction to her screams."
"How little you know me, Býleistr." Loki replied with a smirk. "To think I could ever care for such vile, pathetic scum."
I sincerely hoped that this was just his bluff and that he hadn't decided to hate me for all eternity. "Your lies will not work on me, inferior bastard that you are." The serpent screeched in the distance but I didn't dare take a glance. "Father was right to leave you for death; such a miserable excuse for a Jötunn you were. It was to be expected, given your mother. My mother, the queen, would never have produced such a pitiful wretch."
Though his smirk remained fixed, I saw the twitch in Loki's eye. The words served their purpose: to sting, provoke, and anger. "It was luck that Asgardian farce of a king found you, but then he didn't want you either, did he? And now here you are, fighting alongside them. And for what? Approval?"
"Now, now, Býleistr," Hel chided from behind. "Don't be cruel. I am rather fond of your brother, even if he did betray me." She stepped forward, staff in hand. She was just as disgusting in daylight, her matted and greasy hair hung limply against her body. "Olivia, child. I was rather hoping you had died."
"We both know that's impossible." I replied evenly, flashing a knowing smirk.
"Yes, well unfortunately my follower killed the wrong child. My one opportunity to rid myself of your nettlesome existence and the poor idiot curses the wrong baby." She tsk-ed with annoyance and I saw Eithne bristle. "Ah well, I suppose at least you had your little family reunion. What do you think of your aunt, eh?" She watched for a reaction. I gave her none. "Several times removed, of course. I must say, I don't see the resemblance."
"You killed my son!" Eithne hissed, knocking an arrow.
"Not I, that woman. Still, such a temper you have. Tsk-tsk!" Hel smiled at me with pleasure and I fought the urge to slit her throat then and there. "Which is why Olivia is a far better opponent. Knows how to keep her emotions in check, don't you, child?"
I shrugged and she laughed. "Come now, let us leave boys to be boys." She took me by my arm and I set my jaw firmly. Eithne released the arrow and it whizzed just over Hel's head. "Why don't you do something useful?" Hel asked menacingly, flicking her wrist and sending Eithne flying backwards several hundred feet. "All better."
In an instant we were transported to a nearby hilltop and I knew she wanted to gloat. That was the thing about evil people, they enjoyed rubbing your face in what they had done. In what was waiting for you. It was best to hope, if you were facing death, that it was at the hands of someone evil. Simply because a good person would kill you without so much as a word. "You have the blades, I presume?"
"Hel," I tutted in mock disbelief. "You insult me. Did you really think I wouldn't find them?"
She sighed wistfully. "One does hope." From the corner of my eye, I watched Býleistr toss Loki around like a rag doll. I reminded myself that I was his best chance for survival, because with Hel gone, it would disrupt morale. I hoped. "We both know how this ends."
I stood tall and raised my brow in inquiry. "You could just always surrender?"
"Ha!" Hel descended into a fit of laughter and I ensured the same, cool smile remained on my face. "My dear girl, you are such a treat. You know as well as I that even if I did, you would not escape your fate. That's what makes this all worth it. I shall leave this universe but I shall take you with me. Time cannot leave loose ends."
That wasn't true. Time left loose ends frequently. All the things that could have been, yet never were. If that wasn't a loose end, I wasn't sure what was. A faint hope began to rise withing me. "And that's what I am?"
"Of course, child." Hel grinned, her pointed teeth gleaming wickedly. "Now, let us finish this. And I shall see if you shall die quickly or in misery."
Still, Hel knew far more about what exactly I was capable of in terms of powers. She had seen several champions of time throughout the ages. Perhaps there was something they had all missed. "Who's to say I'll die at all?"
She cackled again and I patiently awaited her reply. "Surely, you cannot be so naive as to think you will survive this? My dear child, you are doomed."
"Right, I either become corrupted by the blades and become a bit of fairy dust or I lose my abilities and die from past wounds inflicted. But we've been doing this for a very long time and things are about to end. Humor me."
"If you are so fortunate as to disappoint time, yes. But if you do as I expect, which you likely will being the poor fool that you are, you won't. You will be taken. You will be erased. And you will be forgotten." Forgotten? Forgotten was good; if something could be remembered, it could be brought back. All that was needed was the right push.
"Taken? Erased?"
"Time will take you and your body will fade from existence. You will become one with time, your very essence assimilating into it. Your memories, your life, your identity will mean nothing."
"Seems a bit extreme." I stated with a hint of amusement, hiding my satisfaction perfectly.
She laughed and I smiled once more. "Oh, look around you, girl. Your world has lost!" Hel extended her arms wide in dramatic flair. "Your friends shall perish and your beloved has lost at the hands of his far more powerful brother." She gestured below us and I saw a mangled heap of limbs and blood. My initial reaction was that of sorrow and burning anger. Until I saw the incredibly faint flicker in his hair. Hel had returned her gaze to me, so she was completely oblivious to what happened next.
Býleistr laughed gleefully, lifting the broken form high, opening his mouth wide to devour the remains of what he believed was his dead enemy. He never saw the spear coming. A bloodied and slightly broken Loki jabbed his weapon into Býleistr's inner thigh from behind and I watched as the giant crumpled, howling in pain. Hel was too content in gloating to think anything of it. She thought the howls were victory shouts. If she had planned on any kind of resistance, it was too late for that.
"Well, that's my queue." I stated simply, pulling the scythes from my back. Before she could respond, I dug the tips into her chest, ripping apart her heart as I did so. Hel stumbled backward in alarm, clutching her chest as she did so. Her staff fell from her hand and her gaze raised to me. A ripping sound could be heard and her body began to fall into the tear. Then, as if she had suddenly realized something beautiful, she smiled happily.
"I shall take you with me." With those words, she was consumed entirely, a blinding light flaring from the tear. As the void closed with a crack that could be heard for miles, I felt a sudden lightness of mind. The world around me stretched and morphed, my very thoughts becoming muddled. You will be taken. Her voice mocked me in my own mind.I glanced down to see my skin beginning to glow with golden light.
I was vaguely aware of someone calling my name, but only just. Erased. One glance at my hand revealed that I was disintegrating into particles. I felt my body collapse to the ground. My eyes returned upward to find a dirt and blood encrusted Loki. His lips were split in two and blood trickled in a steady stream from his nose. He clutched his ribs with one hand and reached for me with the other.
My plan...what had been my plan? Distant screeches echoed in the distance, the faint sounds of blades clanging. I searched for my plan in the addles of my mind, groggily determined. "Olivia," He spoke my name with such sorrow. I wish I had something to tell him. Something that would make it all right. I felt my body disappear piece by piece, the sensation altogether strange.
Tell him. That was what I needed. I needed to tell him. Plan. I had found the plan. "L-Loki, I-I need you t-to l-listen." I extended my hand upward to his bruised cheek, his tears wetting my fingers. "A-as long as s-something c-can be r-remembered it c-can," I was fading, far too fast. It was so tempting to fall into the nothingness but I had to try. If not for myself, then for the life I had made. For the lives I would leave behind.
"What? It can what?" His voice was pleading and I spent the last bit of my strength.
"Come back." I finished wearily. "Remember..." With that, I felt myself disappear entirely, falling hard and fast into the vortex of time.