FIC: Hela (1/1)
Title: Hela
Fandom: Thor/Avengers
SPOILERS: THE AVENGERS!!! (Do not read if you have not seen the movie.)
Characters: Ariana Lokidottir, Loki Odison/Laufeyson, Nick Fury, Odin Borson, Darcy Lewis, Phil Coulson and mention of Natasha Romonov and Lady Sif.
Summery: Ariana is sent back to correct a mistake Loki made.
Author Notes: I just wrote this out, because this scene was stuck in my head. It originally was supposed to just be a drabble about a time-traveling Ariana taking a picture of her father in his cage during Avengers. Then it got out of hand.
This is inspired by the description of Hela, Loki's daughter who got replaced by Ariana in this timeline. She's the Queen of the Dead who did not die a warrior's death. Which isn't the case in this fic, but its her role in mythology. She's also said to have the body of a woman, but her legs are that of a corpse.
There are some references to things that have happened already in Looking After You.
Unbeta'd. So may be edited in the future due to a mix of reader responces and how it fits within the storyline I've got going.
Takes place both before Looking After You (the Avengers film) and 17 years later.
Ariana smirked as she walked into the room. When her father and grandfather had sent her on this mission, she never thought she would actually have time to watch as her father was kept captive by SHEILD. His back was to her currently and for a moment she paused to take in his younger self. He looked almost the same as he did in her normal time, except perhaps a little more put together.
She took out her phone, which was still working as far as a camera went, if not capable of making phone calls on the current phone systems. She held it out and took a picture just as her father turned around, having become aware of her presence. He scowled, but her grin grew. The picture had turned out perfect. She was sure that mother would appreciate it for the family albums. She could just see Darcy’s writing under the picture, naming it Loki’s first Midgardian mug shot.
Her father and Uncle got arrested a lot. Ariana’s mother and her aunts Jane and Sif often took bets on how they would get locked up next. Usually nothing that required a long stay, and usually only a few hours. The only time Jane and Darcy had left their husbands in jail for a full night that Ariana could remember was when their arrest had taken place during Loki’s bachelor party. She had been ten at the time, and remembered her mother being torn between amusement and anger. Luckily the wedding was a few days later so her father made it to the wedding. But they had spent the night in jail, along with her adopted uncles Clint and Tony.
“Interesting tactic, I must say,” Younger Loki stated, walking towards her with his hands clasped behind his back and a grin on his face that told her he thought he had the upper hand in this situation. She had been around her father enough to know when he was bluffing. She was after all, his protégée. “Fury must think me an easy target if he sends such a young agent to interrogate me.”
“That would assume I am here to interrogate,” she responded, her smile matching her father’s. She wondered if he noticed their physical similarity. It had been mentioned more than once that she had more than her fair share of his features. Jory took after their mother, light brown hair and blue eyes. Nari on the other hand seemed to be equal mix of the two of them. She alone had her father’s green eyes. Her hair was also the same shade of his, only slightly curlier, one of the few traits she inherited from her mother. “Perhaps I’m only here to see what Fury has been eager to cage away.”
She turned to leave at that moment, knowing that Natasha Romanov would be entering soon to do the actual interrogation. Her father had insisted she not be present for that. She was not sure what it was about that made him so determined she not see, but her father rarely hid things from her, so she would do as he asked.
She had made it to the door when she heard Natasha enter from the other side of the enclosure. Looking down at her clock she noted that she had an hour or so before her mission would be completed. She had been sent back to heal a victim of her father’s, a man named Phil Coulson. She thought it out that he needed saving, being that she knew him in her own life, had even seen him at her recent birthday party to celebrate her 17th year.
She shielded herself and leaned against the wall, playing games on her phone ignoring the alarms that went off across the ‘carrier. She looked up when she heard footsteps, seeing Coulson carrying a massive gun in his hands. She frowned. From her experience, Coulson hated guns. He carried one of course, and was an excellent shot, but he preferred other methods of deterring the bad guys. She followed him into room and watched as her father duplicated himself and impaled Coulson in the stomach.
She stood in shock. She had always known her father was not always a good man. He had never hidden that from her. He believed honesty was the best policy with his children, and that included his past. However, she had not been prepared to see him take a life so easily.
She had to wonder how her mother had forgiven him for such an act. She could almost rationalize to herself that it was self-defense, that her father was protecting himself. But she knew he was not. Coulson had gotten in the way.
She slid to the floor and waited, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. Obviously her father had redeemed himself in some way. Her mother would not have stayed with him if he had not. She had to believe that. She could not imagine that the man who had just slain Coulson was the same person who had taught her how to use her magic to heal.
She finally calmed herself down enough and walked in, removing the shield from her as she felt Coulson fade into the final stages of death. Nick Fury, another man she knew from another time, looked up at her sudden appearance.
“I’m here to help him.” She stated, centering herself as she knelt before the two men. Fury looked at her with suspicion as she lifted a hand and a soft blue light emitted between her and Coulson. “I can only heal him so far, Colonel. You should call your medical staff.”
“Already did that, who the hell are you?” She didn’t answer right away, but did so before he asked her again.
“I’m Hela,” she stated using her code name when on earth. “I was sent from Asgard to heal this man.” It was the truth, but not quite. Her father had always said that the best lies were the ones so close to the truth they were indistinguishable.
The medical people arrived as she was finishing, and Fury watched as Coulson’s body moved with his shallow breathing. It was not the best, but considering that a few minutes ago he had not been breathing at all it was an improvement.
“Why didn’t you stop Loki?”
“When traveling in time, there are fixed points, Colonel Fury.” She explained, reciting from memory what she had been taught before she had left. “This is one of them. Healing Phil Coulson was all I could do. Loki still needed to have slain him for events to happen as they should.” She paused. “I was told to tell you that you should tell the avengers he is dead. They will need the common desire for vengeance on Coulson’s behalf to fight Loki.” He stared at her for a few minutes. Then he nodded, apparently accepting her for what she had said. She wondered about that.
“I’ll do that.”
“I must go,” she said as the medical personal carried Coulson away and Fury finished telling the others he was dead. “I’m sorry for what he has done.”
“Your father’s sins, not yours.”
“I don’t understand.” She had not claimed that she was Loki’s daughter. If Loki had not recognized her, how had Nick Fury?
“You are Asgardian. You were told to come back and save Coulson, and apparently your color scheme runs in the family,” he said pointing at her outfit, which was a pair of leather pants, a vest to match, and green and gold arm bands. “And I’ve read enough Norse Mythology since your Uncle arrived to know who Hela is.” He grinned at his ability to stun the granddaughter of. “Interesting take on being the Queen of the Dead.”
She started to fade, the time piece that had brought her was set on a timer. It would bring her back as soon as the time was up, or earlier if she needed to.
“I believe it was you who gave me the name,” she stated. “Interesting. I think I’ve just fulfilled a predestination paradox.” She paused in thought. “Romana would be quite interested in this interlude. Goodbye Colonel. I shall see you in a few days I believe.”
And with that she disappeared from Nick Fury’s sight, leaving him with the interesting problem of proving Coulson’s death in a way that would impact the other avengers. And writing the report on why he was alive when this was all over.
~*~
Loki stood waiting in the chamber where the time pieces were kept. The only two occupants of the room were himself and his father. The older man watched as Loki paced, an uncommon show of nervousness.
“She will be fine, my son. You have raised a good woman.”
“She was too young for this. She shouldn’t have to see me the way I was at that time.” He sat down on a bench and rubbed his face with his hands. The problem was not his daughter’s worthiness to handle this mission. Ariana had the skills to do the task. He had taught her well. The problem was more what his daughter would think of him when she returned.
Loki and his daughter had a better relationship then he had with his own father. She had looked up to him and more than once told him she wanted to grow up to be just like him. He had smiled when she had said that, though he prayed that she would turn out more like her mother. That her life would be filled with less painfully taught lessons.
Now she would have seen him at one of his worst times. When he was under the influence of the tessaract and the casket, power hungry and sure of his hatred for everyone. Would she still look at him as if he were a hero when she returned? It had always amazed him that in her eyes he was one.
The door opened and both the King and the Prince looked up to see who entered. Nick Fury looked remarkably similar to how he had 17 years ago. He still had an imposing presence, still dressed in leather and black despite having retired a few years previously and handed over the reins of SHEILD to Maria Hill.
“She has not returned, Fury,” Odin stated. The three men were the only three who knew about Ariana’s mission. Coulson had remembered nothing, and Fury had decided that he wouldn’t give away her identity. In fact, Coulson had not been told till Ariana had been sent back.
He hadn’t had to fake his surprise when he had learned that Darcy Lewis had given birth to a baby girl that was Loki’s. When she claimed a few days, he had assumed she meant he would see her in her older form.
He had been against sending her back at first. Not because he didn’t think she should, he knew she had to. He believed she was just too young. The other two men hadn’t seen the pale face of a girl whose hero had been ripped from his pedestal as she healed one of his victims. But Odin had ignored both his and Loki’s objections, saying she was ready.
Frankly, Fury was just glad Darcy Lewis did not know her daughter was being tested. He wondered if he could get Ariana to record the scene when she learned what had gone on. Sif would also be displeased. She had been training with Ariana with daggers and swords, and had not thought that Ariana was anywhere near ready for being tested.
The three men watched a grey circle in the ground, waiting for the girl to arrive. It was only a few minutes later that she did so, fading in and out for a few seconds before solidifying. Fury squished the part of him that was surprised to see her looking exactly the same as she had that night on the heliocarrier. Of course she was as that was when she had gone to.
She looked up; head held high and walked over to her grandfather, ignoring the other two men.
“I have accomplished what you sent me to do.” She removed the wristband from her arm and handed over to her grandfather. He nodded and took it.
“Thank you, Ariana Lokidottir. You have earned your place as a Valkyrie.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I am proud of you, Ari,” he stated in an uncustomary soft voice, allowing her to see her grandfather through the King. He walked around her to return the device to its holding box. Fury took his spot in front of Ariana.
“Good work, Hela.” He grinned at her. She responded with a smile, although he could tell it was weak. “I believe your favorite Zombie is outside waiting to thank you.”
“He does not need to thank me, General.”
“He disagrees, but I will let you discuss that amongst yourself. All-father, I believe we should leave Ariana and Loki alone for a moment.” Odin nodded his agreement, and the two eye-patched men walked out of the room, closing the door behind them and leaving Loki and his daughter in the room alone.
“Ariana, I’m sorry.”
“For what?” She asked, turning to face her father, her face losing the smile she had kept up in front of Fury and her grandfather. “For killing Coulson the way you did, or for making me be the one to clean up your mess.” He looked down, trying to figure out what to say. His heart broke slightly at the thought that he may never repair his relationship with his daughter.
Part of him wondered if this was how Odin felt all those years ago.
“Can it be both?”
“Has Coulson forgiven you?” She asked. “Has Mother?”
“Your mother has an intense ability to forgive me,” Loki admitted, reaching out to his wife though their bond. He could feel her warm spirit reach back before he disconnected. “And Agent Coulson an ability to see through a mask. Forgiveness I do not know, but I know he has accepted that I was not myself at that time. Or I was myself, just a distorted version.” He reached out for his daughter’s hand. “And what about you? Do you forgive me?”
“I think so,” she admitted, a tear falling down her face. “Was this what you were trying to protect me from?”
“Yes and no. I never wished for you to witness anything from that time. Fury and your Grandfather were the only ones who knew the truth that it was you till a few days ago when they told me. As you know, my memories from that time have a tendency to be vague. If you had to see me at that moment, I wanted you to be exposed to my actions as little as possible.”
“I got your mug shot,” she said, some amusement breaking through her sadness. “I think mom will love it.”
“She does enjoy those, doesn’t she,” he responded with a smile and walked up to her, embracing her. Her arms automatically wound themselves around his waist. She was slightly shorter than him, but not by much. It was hard to believe that his little girl had grown up so fast. For a human, she would reach maturity in a year. For an Aesir she had several hundreds of years to grow into her abilities.
“I love you,” he said, kissing the top of her head, which rested on his shoulder.
“I love you too, Dad.” He knew that there was much he needed to discuss with his daughter. But the fact that her love had not been taken from him lifted a weight.
“We probably should go see your zombie.” He teased, letting her go. She laughed lightly and the two of them made their way to the door to see Coulson. He remembered wondering why they had called the Agent that, and Darcy had explained the genre to him. She had been quite fond of those movies. Now he realized there were more to it than a simple allusion to pop culture.
“I don’t mind being the Zombie Queen,” Ariana joked later to her mother after Darcy had calmed down a bit, “but I have awesome legs.”
“Of course you do," Darcy replied. “You got those from me. Now what’s this about a picture?”
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