A/N: Later in this chapter I put a spin on the birth/creation of Hela, so no strict mythology there.

Chapter 5

Death had disappeared from the Penthouse. No one said anything. The air seemed to carry confusion and shock that enveloped the group. Hela shifted back to her original form without words. She was wearing black pants and a long sleeve black shirt. She walked over to where Loki stood without words and threw her arms around his waist, burying her head into his chest. The group heard her say to him, "I didn't want to hurt you, but I couldn't think of another way." Loki smoothed his hand over her hair. "My child, I know what lies in your heart. Your actions need no explanation."

"You seem tired. You should rest." Hela said as she turned her head and laid it flat on his chest. Loki didn't say anything. Hela pulled away from Loki and looked up at him. "I'm serious."

She walked behind and started pushing him towards the guest bedroom she had used the night before. He allowed her to walk him back towards the room, a slight smile upon his face.

Loki's behavior was so perplexing to the Avengers. It was as if he was a totally different person when he was interacting with Hela. When he spoke with any other one of them it was with disdain; the same disdain they had for him. But when he spoke to his daughter it was with love.

When Hela and Loki left the room the others moved into the living and sat down.

"Why is he acting so weird?" Clint asked the group.

"I know not what you mean?" Thor replied with a questioning look.

"What kind of hold does she have on him?" Clint replied

Thor still looked perplexed. "Loki and Hela have gone through much adversity. Even though they had been separated for much time when she was an adolescent, their bond is strong." He explained.

Hela marched Loki into the bedroom. "I worry about you, father."

"You shouldn't trouble yourself. You have more important things to deal with."

"You are important to me. And I will always worry." She paused and thought for a couple of seconds. "Can you switch out of that...or I can…"

"I still have the power to switch clothes, yes."

Hela gave Loki an expectant look.

"Alright, I will appease you." He shifted into more casual sleeping clothing and sat on the bed. He looked at Hela and their eyes met, but he didn't say anything.

"What is it?" Hela asked.

"How did Thanos capture you? You are too powerful to be overtaken overtly."

Hela looked at the floor. "I should not wish to tell you. You would be disappointed. It was foolishness on my part and a created weakness that should not have existed."

Loki's eyes narrowed. "Tell me."

She looked at Loki and sighed and then sat next to him on the bed. There was a few silent moments before she started. "Sometimes—," she stopped talking and thought. Then she blurted out, "I like to come to Midgard to watch the people." She breathed in and exhaled loudly. "I like to watch them live their lives. I like to watch children playing or young lovers strolling through the park. I sometimes blend in or I will stayed veiled and invisible." She looked down at her knees disappointed in what she was saying. "I would have rather done it on Asgard, but I can't. Thanos must have had his minions tracking me. I was here one day and a couple of his minions found me. They clamped a band around each of my arms that started draining my magic and I lost consciousness. When I woke up I was in a cell in whatever dark place he inhabits."

There was silence for a few moments again, then Hela started again. "I know that it was a foolish habit to have. I created a weakness. You taught me better than that. I know."

Loki slid his arm around Hela's shoulders and pulled her to him. She laid her head against his chest and sighed.

"I was hell-bent on subjugating this world, thus bringing on the wrath of Earth's mightiest warriors and your uncle, the God of Thunder; all the while planning to betray the mad titan himself. I think I have you beat for creating weaknesses." Loki said, making Hela give a slight laugh.

There was another pause in conversation. "I get lonely sometimes." She confided to him. "I know." He replied.

Hela sat up straight and changed the subject. "You need to rest. It's not every day your daughter almost kills you." Hela laughed as she stood up. She stopped laughing and thought for a moment as Loki got beneath the comforter. "Do you still have nightmares-What I mean is… I can try to give you a dreamless sleep enchantment, if you want. It's hard for me to practice that one because I don't have a lot of living people around me, so it might not last all night." She smiled at him waiting for his response.

He smiled back at her. "I won't deny you an opportunity to practice."

Hela nodded and kissed her father's cheek. She closed her eyes for a moment and then reopened them. She mouthed an incantation silently as she flicked her wrist a couple of times. Green tendrils of magic swirled around Loki as he relaxed into the bed and the magic pulsed into him. He fell into calm sleep.

With a flick of her wrist she shut off the lamp and exited the room.

When she returned to the living room, only Thor, Tony and Bruce remained.

She took a seat on the opposite end of the sofa that Thor was sitting on.

"My niece, you must try this delicious drink." Thor said handing her a mug. "It is called 'hot chocolate.'"

Hela took the mug and tried the drink. She smiled at Thor. "It is very good."

Bruce turned to Hela. "I have a question for you." Hela nodded for him to proceed.

"What were you doing to Loki in the guest room?" Bruce questioned.

Hela looked at him with a quizzical look.

"I walked past the guest room and saw you flicking your wrist and saw these green ribbons of light swirling around him and then absorb into his body. What was that?"

Hela looked surprised. "It was an….. enchantment that I cast on him." She looked over to Thor.

Thor looked at her and said quietly, "Dreamless sleep?" Hela nodded her head.

Thor spoke in the direction Tony and Bruce. "My brother has always been plagued by nightmares. He often does not sleep because of them. My niece cast a spell on him so that he would not dream while he slept."

"I don't think it will last all night. I haven't been able to really practice that enchantment, so it is not perfection." Hela chimed in.

"I'm sure the time that it does work will be most beneficial." Thor leaned over and squeezed her shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile.

Tony, Thor and Bruce began conversing about various happenings around Stark Tower and Shield.

There was a break in the conversation and Hela spoke up and addressed Thor. "Uncle, I have decided that Hel will align with Asgard in defense of Midgard."

"Hel? How are you going to be able to help us?" Tony questioned.

"I have an army."

Tony shuddered when she said that. He had heard that phrase said before with the same conviction. It was odd however, to hear it said this time as an offer of help.

She turned to Thor. "I understand if you don't want to use my army. I will use it elsewhere, if needed, if you chose not to use it here. But I will help you fight in defense of this realm." Thor smiled broadly and nodded. He seemed proud of what he heard. "Yes, Lady-Queen Hela. I would very much like you to fight side by side with us. Stark, do not underestimate my niece, she holds immense power and would be an asset in our fight."

"We're going to need to approval from Fury, first." Tony said. He sent Natasha a text about a new possible ally so that she could get Fury's approval. The less Tony had to deal with Fury the better.

"Uncle, you have to take my father back to Asgard. He can't be here without his magic when Thanos or his forces arrive." She told Thor, urgency in her voice.

"Aye, Lady Hela. I agree that he should not remain here, especially when unable to fully defend himself." Thor nodded in agreement.

"You know speaking of your parents." Tony jumped in. "I asked Loki about your mother yesterday. He was really quick to change the subject. Did mommy and daddy not get along after you were born?"

Hela seemed amused by Tony's question. She had a huge smile on her face and looked at Thor who had a smirk on his face.

"I wasn't actually 'born'." Hela began to explain. Confusion spread across Tony and Bruce's face.

Hela got a bit more serious and began to explain. "My mother was Angrboda. She was a giantess and almost as powerful as Loki. They were 'associates'. There was never any kind of love between them. They decided to create an offspring through magic. They figured that this offspring would have equal, if not greater power, than each of them. I am that creation. They had a falling out of sorts and when my father when back to Asgard, he took me with him. I spent my childhood in the palace. When the Allfather saw what kind of power I had, as well as my other form; he decided to send me away when I came of age. I was probably the equivalent of a Midgardian teenager. He sent me to underworld and named it after me. I became the Goddess of the Dead; the Queen of Hel." Hela paused and took a sip of her drink. "So to answer your question, 'no' they did not get along. I think my father could get physically ill thinking of her. Especially when people assumed that they….conceived me by tradition methods." This made Hela and Thor chuckle.

JARVIS spoke during the break in conservation. "Sir, there seems to be a disturbance in the guest room where Loki is sleeping."

"What's going on?" Tony questioned.

"It appears that he is having a rather intense nightmare."

"Thanks, JARVIS." Tony replied.

Hela's frowned as her heart sank. She said to no one in particular. "It wore off." It was 1 am and had been about 4 hours since she had cast the spell. "I'll wake him." She said to Thor and she got up and retreated to the guest bedroom.

When she entered she heard her father making whimpering noises and crying out 'no'. She flicked the light on with a twist of magic and sat on the edge of the bed. Loki was thrashing his head and arms back and forth and mumbling words she could not make out.

She put her hand on his shoulder and shook him. "Father, wake up."

He started crying 'no' again. She grabbed both of his shoulders shaking him and said louder, "Loki wake up!"

No change. Loki's fists were clenched and his body was tensing up as he tried to curl in on himself.

Hela moved her hand to the side of Loki's face cupping his cheek and holding his head still. She moved down spoke into his ear. "Pabbi, wake up. I'm here. Pabbi, wake up. Come to my voice, follow it and wake up. I've got you. Wake up. I've got you."

Hela felt Loki startle awake. She lifted her face away from his ear and sat up, Loki looked around the room and then at her; then he followed her into a sitting position. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. She whispered, "I'm sorry it didn't last longer."

"No worries, my child. You gave me 4 hours of restful sleep." Loki replied as he patted her back. "You can go on back out. I'll be out shortly." She smiled at Loki and proceeded back out to the living room.

She sat back down where she was seated before. The three other men were engaged in a conversation about Tony's latest mishap in the lab.

A few minutes later Loki came out of the bedroom and sat on one of the cushioned chairs. He appeared deep in thought.

When Tony finished his story, Thor and Bruce laughed at the outcome. No one spoke for a few moments.

"Will Thanos be able to reach you or anyone else when they are in your realm?" Loki asked. Hela knew this question was directed towards her.

"No, of course not. Not even Odin can pull someone out of the depths of my realm. I hold the sole power over Hel and I protect those who dwell there. You know about my power over Death and my realm" Hela responded. The look on her face indicated that she thought Loki should know this information.

"Will Odin's spell that binds my magic work in Hel?"

"No. It shouldn't." Hela looked questioning at Loki.

Loki thought for a moment and then got up and walked over to Hela, she stood up to meet him. He held her at her elbows. "Hela, then let us go. Take me to Hel with you. Thanos cannot touch me there, Odin cannot bind me there. Let me serve you in your court for the rest of eternity."

Hela stared at Loki, processing what he was proposing. She turned her gaze at the floor, thinking about what he was offering. She looked up at Loki and smiled. She chuckled to herself.

"Always a plan..." She said to Loki and she smirked. Loki looked into her face, searching for her answer, trying to hide his anxiousness. She did not answer.

"I will serve you well, daughter. No one will take you away from me again."

Hela's face became serious, understanding the impact of Loki's last sentence.

Thor broke in. "Hela no! You cannot take him with you. I will not hold you to your offer to fight here, but you cannot take Loki with you to Hel."

"It would work, wouldn't it?" She said to Loki, ignoring Thor. There were several moments of silence as she appeared to be considering Loki's idea.

Just then there was a crack of thunder and lightning shot across the sky. Odin suddenly appeared in the middle of the living room.

Bruce and Tony backed away into the dining room watching the scene about to unfold. "Shit, just got real. I'm assuming that the big man." Tony said to Bruce. "This episode will be for sweeps week when we need high ratings. The commercials will say 'Special Appearance by Odin.'" Bruce just shook his head at Tony in disbelief. "You really don't know how to let things go, do you?"

Loki, Hela, Thor looked surprised as they stood beside each other in a line, with Hela in the middle, as they faced Odin. Upon seeing him, Thor and Loki knelt where there were. Hela had instantly shifted into the form she took when she traveled back to Hel; she remained standing.

"Lady Hela.. kneel." Thor implored just above a whisper. She looked down at Thor and then back to Odin.

"Odin is not my king and I am not in his throne room." Hela replied evenly looking at Odin. Odin gave a very slight bow of his head in response.

"Father, it is surprising to see you here. We were not expecting you." Thor addressed Odin.

Odin and Hela had not taken their eyes off each other.

"Would you take him?" Odin said to Hela, almost ignoring Thor's words.

"I see Heimdall must have informed you of what was transpiring here." Hela replied to Odin.

"Would you take him to Hel with you?" Odin asked again.

"It would prove that you were right, if I did. Wouldn't it? Would you feel validated in your decision?" Hela swallowed hard after she replied.

"You have yet to answer the question." Odin responded.

"There is no trust from you. You continue to believe that he would manipulate me….and that I would either let him or not even realize that he was manipulating me." Hela replied anger starting rise in her voice and her face. "I make my own decisions! I'm not Loki's pawn!" She yelled. Loki and Thor slowly rose from their kneeling positions. They stood with Hela in between them, watching the exchange between her and Odin.

"Despite what you think, I still believe that it was the right course of action to send you to Hel so that your powers could develop free from your father's influence. It was obvious that you were going to be very powerful. You needed to develop this on your own without your father's corruption. I stand by my decision because I do not know if you would be the being you are today, the ruler you are today, the daughter you are today, if I hadn't sent you away! You and Frigga are the only ones that can challenge and stand up to Loki and he not be thrown into a fit of rage because of it! I know that he cherishes you; you are one of the few things that he does. It was not an easy decision to send you away. I know the heartache that it caused, not just for the two of you. There are some powers that you hold over your realm that not even I can interfere with. I know that you exercise this power with deliberate thought and free from influence. I have come here now, to find out what your decision is regarding the proposition my son has just given you."

There was a minute of silence. Hela's face softened. "You have to admit, it's a clever scheme. It would actually work."

"Indeed." Odin nodded.

Hela seemed to be in thought as several quiet moments passed.

"It's amazing the scheme one can develop in order to create… a choice… when a choice does not… initially exist." Hela ended her statement. She nodded her head at the ground and then looked to Odin. She then gave him a smirk and a knowing look.

Odin thought for a moment and nodded as if understood a silent message between the two of them. He gave a quiet, yet visible chuckle to himself that made his one eye close. "Queen Hela, you are wise beyond your years."

"That I am, grandfather." She said smiling. He laughed and stepped towards her and patted her arm.

Thor and Loki both had confused looks on their faces and they continued to watch.

Odin stepped back to his original place and nodded his head, continued to smile back at her. With a grand booming voice Odin proclaimed, "Queen Hela, Goddess of the Dead in the Realm of Hel, I accept your alliance in defense of Midgard against the titan, Thanos. It is up to the Midgardian warriors as to whether or not to accept your offer to fight and the offer of your army of the dead to aid in this venture. Asgard will not interfere in the use of your army in other realms that you have offered to defend against Thanos." Hela nodded to Odin accepting his terms of alliance. Then she shifted back into her more Asgardian looking form. He smiled at Hela and continued. "Loki Odinson-"

"Laufeyson" Loki tried correcting Odin. Odin gave Loki a scowl. Hela jabbed Loki with her elbow. She said just above a whisper, "Father, blood isn't the only thing that makes you family. You know that." Loki shook his head with an eye roll.

Odin smiled at his granddaughter, knowing that if he or Thor had said the same thing, his son would have had a much different response. He continued, "Loki Odison, I offer to you…a choice." Hela smiled as Odin continued. "If you align yourself alongside your brother and your daughter as they fight with the Midgardian warriors in an effort to defeat Thanos; I will consider your sentence complete and your freedom will be restored. Should you make this choice, I will unbind your magic entrusting you to use your talent to the best of your abilities during this. The Midgardian warriors will also need to approve of your assistance in order for this to occur."

"And if don't choose this option?" Loki questioned.

"Then, seeing as your daughter is fully recovered from her ordeal at the hands of Thanos, I will take you back to Asgard with me now so that you can continue serving your sentence."

Loki turned to Hela. "Am I to assume that you are no longer considering the original option that I presented to you?"

Hela looked at Loki and sighed while closing her eyes. She opened them and smiled at her father. "I think a better choice has been presented." Loki looked away and nodded his head, thinking.

He turned to Odin. "Must I make a decision at this moment?"

"No, my son. I will return tomorrow evening for your decision." Odin said evenly. He turned to face Hela again. "Lady Hela, when your work is done here and you decide to leave this realm, you are permitted to come to Asgard for a short period of time so that you might have an audience with the Queen."

Hela, Loki and Thor looked at Odin with the shock clearly visible on their faces. Hela's eyes grew wide and a bright smile lit up her face. She surged forward wrapping her arms around Odin. She whispered, "Thank you" so that only Odin could hear it. He leaned into her and whispered in her ear, "My dear, you have earned this. You serve your father well. You have made me proud."

Hela stepped back into line. Thor had a broad smile on his face; Loki a small smile of contentment. The three of them bowed their heads at Odin. Odin turned to Tony and Bruce and nodded his head at them. Bruce nodded back and Tony gave a wave.

In an instant Odin was gone.

A/N: "Pabbi" is Icelandic for Daddy. (couldn't find an Old Norse word other than the one for father. If you have a suggestion, let me know). I'm finding that I like Hela kind of protective of Loki (and that he goes along with it because it's her). I also think that Loki would have been a younger adult when he created Hela in order to keep him within the movieverse age range. I think that makes their relationship unique as well (he wasn't an older seasoned adult when he became a parent). I think that Thor, Loki and Hela would all be considered young by Aesir standards and that to a third party Hela might look to be the younger sister to the two brothers and not necessarily the child of one of them.

I hope that makes sense.

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