A/N: Next chapter will have Loki in it, I swear! :D

The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head, and Kaia, Gabby, and Nathan. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.

Tony turned around, looking at his surroundings as Nathan and Thor walked ahead of him. Tony wasn't sure who he should be more afraid of, Hel or the rest of the team that was back in his mansion. He could hear their shouts as they left from the workshop. But he knew that they would ry to stop him, and Nathan, from just barging in to another realm.

Tony faced forward again and blinked her no longer saw the two men he had followed. "Uh, well, this doesn't bode well." He started to walk forward, wishing that he would have brought at least his gauntlets.

"Anthony Stark," a cool voice curled by his ear and he stopped. A soft hand caressed his cheek and jaw and Tony could only stare forwards. "Tony."

"You're dead," Tony whispered. A woman with long black hair and clear blue eyes stepped in front of him, smiling softly. "You died, so you aren't real."

"Tony," the woman placed both of her hands on his cheeks. "You can see me can't you? I'm in front of you."

"I've been through weirder," Tony tried to pull away but the woman grabbed his hands. "Listen, you died, a really long time ago, and-"

"We were in love though, Tony," She purred and pulled him close, swaying back and forth with him. "Remember the times we would dance in the courtyard between the dorms? And we would walk each other to classes, even if our next class was on the other side of campus?"

"Darla, don't," Tony whispered and pulled his hands away from her.

"Dont? Don't what, Anthony?" She placed her hands on his chest and started to push him backwards. "Don't remind you of all the good times we had? Don't remind you of the love that we shared, how you almost abandoned your family name for me? Or, don't remind you of the accident?" Tony felt himself slam up against a wall or something. "Of how I died, and you survived?" She narrowed her eyes and closed her hands around his shirt, nails digging into his chest.

"We were lab partners, we were lovers, and I died," she hissed out and Tony grabbed her wrists. "You, you were able to survive. Did you mourn me? Did you suffer?" Tony's eyes widened when he noticed flames appearing around them.

He remembered the day, of course he remembered it. There was an accident with the lab equipment next to them. Tony had grabbed Darla to try and put her behind him but the chemicals had reached the open flame and there was the explosion. Glass shattered, chemicals ran loose, people were screaming. She had died instantly, the woman that he was going to propose to, at 18 while pursuing his Master's. He was going to give up Stark Industries to Obidiah because Howard had had the forethought to put in his will that he did not approve of Darla and she was to be no where near the company.

Tony gasped when he felt the flames licking up his arms. He looked away from Darla and found that he was on the floor, liquid pooling under his body, burning at his clothes and starting to burn at the skin. "You thought I was dead, but I wasn't," she hissed and Tony started to squirm on the floor, unable to get up. "Do you want to know what I felt? Let me help you with that, lover." Tony suddenly screamed, his back arching up, as the chemical induced fire swallowed his body.

"Tony!" He could hear a couple of voice calling his name, but they sounded fall away. His arms were pressed against his chest and he couldn't move. He needed to move, needed to get away. "Tony, open your eyes!"

He gasped when he was suddenly pulled up into a sitting position. He saw Thor holding onto him and Nathan at his side. There were no flames around him but he swore he could still feel the pain. Tony pulled away from Thor and stood up quickly, trying to ignore the way his hand and knees started to shake.

"Tony, what the hell happened?" Nathan asked, eyes wide as they both up. "One second you're behind us, the next your on the ground screaming."

"You're in my realm now," a voice hissed int he air around them. "I just gave him a taste of what I can do."

"Hela!" Thor shouted, hand gripping his hammer. "Show yourself!"

"You belong here, Anthony Edward Stark," the voice got closer. Tony suddenly turned, throwing his fist out, and feeling it connect with something for a second. "You are only a mortal! Do you honestly think that you could just come into my realm, again I might add, and leave without me knowing?"

"Why don't you just stop all the bullshit," Tony looked around, flexing his fingers. His hand moved suddenly and he caught a wrist that had been going for his throat. Hela smirked at him as her hand caught his other wrist.

"My, what a strange dance we find ourselves in, Stark."

"Where's Kaia?" Tony growled out.

"Do you actually care? Do you even remember who she is?" Hela started to move them, putting Tony's back to Nathan and Thor. "You could leave now, leave everything, start over, it wouldn't be hard. Why would you want to remember all the years of hurt and anguish that you went through?"

"Because I know that there are years of happiness in there," Tony glared at her, stopping her from taking him two far away from the other two.

"Are you sure?" She pulled him closer, bring her face closer to his ear. "Anthony Stark, when have you ever been allowed to stay happy for too long? Your parents, Darla, the arc reactor? We've met before and you know it, in fact it's one the freshest memories you have." Her appearance changed slightly, and Tony looked at her, willing himself to hide his surprise. He let go of her wrist and took a step back, but she pulled him closer. "You belong here, you know it, you saw me while they were trying to save your life. If you stay here, I'll give you back your memories, and send the girl back with those two dimwits."

Tony blinked, actually considering the offer. "And Loki," he said and it was Hela's turn to be surprised. "You have to send Loki back."

"Of course, I shall-"

"She's lying!" Tony's head shot up when he heard Kaia's voice. Hela hissed and wrapped a hand around Tony's throat. "She traded him away!"

"You will stay here anyway! You know that you shouldn't have lived!" Tony gasped for breath and tried to claw at Hela's hand. He suddenly threw himself at her and they hit the ground hard. Tony saw that Nathan was holding onto Kaia and was glad that he had provided enough of a distraction for his cloaking device to work.

Hela pinned Tony to the ground and he used his leg to push against her body. She growled and tightened her grip on his throat, attempting to crush his windpipe. Tony gagged and used both if his feet. He felt a little relief when Thor managed to pull her off. Helping him up he saw the god working at the return spell quickly.

"You can search for your pathetic lover," Hela called out from the spot she had landed. "But I guarantee he's already been broken. The Chitauri have longed for revenge, and they'll use him to release their master. Thanos will be free again, mortal."

Tony felt a flash of fear run through his body at the name. He looked at her as Kaia held onto him and she only smirked. She started to laugh as they disappeared and Tony felt that he had still lost.