Heimdall hesitated, his hands trembling as he unrolled the scroll Frigga had handed him. His eyes widened as he scanned its contents, shock washing over him.
"This…" He looked at Frigga, disbelief etched into his features. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Frigga sighed, her expression weary yet resolute. "He will understand. It's not the ideal time to expose this dark chapter of Odin's history, but it may be the only way to temper Hela's anger."
On the coast of northern Norway, the peaceful waves abruptly turned chaotic. Seagulls screeched, their panicked cries piercing the air as they fled. The pale sky darkened, and storm clouds gathered unnaturally, twisting and overlapping as if drawn by an unseen force.
The clouds descended lower and lower, so dense and black they seemed within reach. The oppressive weight of the air was suffocating, making it hard to breathe.
At the center of the gathering storm, a vortex of black energy twisted and pulsed. Dark green light flickered at its core, and slowly, a slender figure emerged.
Hela, Goddess of Death.
She inhaled deeply, savoring the salty air, before opening her cold, calculating eyes. A sly smile crept across her face. "So… he's dead?" she mused, her tone dripping with mockery. "What a pity. I wanted to see him fall with my own eyes."
Thor stepped forward, his expression unreadable. "We meet again."
Hela's lips curled into a sneer. "Why so formal? You can call me 'sister.' Or has Odin erased even that from your memory?"
Loki, standing slightly behind Thor, was visibly unsettled. But as he glanced at Thor—his brother, the warrior who had defeated even Thanos—he felt a flicker of confidence. He smirked and said, "Maybe… we can talk."
Hela chuckled darkly. "You've got his arrogance, but not his strength. Weak, so weak. You're an embarrassment to Asgard." She paused, her eyes narrowing. "Still… you might make a decent lackey. Kneel before your queen, and I'll consider making you my advisor."
"Lackey?" Loki's pride flared. He drew his daggers with a flourish. "You think I'll bow to you? Try me!"
With a swift motion, he turned to Thor and shoved him forward. "Brother! She's all yours!"
Thor: …
Hela: …
Thor groaned and buried his face in his hand. "Just when I thought you'd made progress…"
Without hesitation, Thor kicked Loki square in the backside, sending him stumbling toward Hela.
Hela rolled her eyes and casually returned the favor, punting Loki back toward Thor. Even she couldn't help but feel secondhand embarrassment for him.
The chaotic back-and-forth ended with Loki sprawled in the dirt, nursing his bruised pride. "Damn it! Enough of this!" he snapped, glaring at them both. "Sort out your 'family drama' without me! It's not like the throne's going to land in my lap anyway."
Hela smirked, her tone dripping with condescension. "Oh, you're absolutely right. The throne isn't yours."
Her gaze shifted to Thor. "So, little brother, what will it be? Will you kneel? Or will you fight?"
Thor's voice was calm, but resolute. "There's only one way this ends. We fight."
Hela raised an elegant hand, and a long, gleaming sword materialized in her grasp. "As your sister, I'll be generous. You may have the first move. Show me your best."
Thor's brow furrowed. He knew her game—she wanted to mock him, to crush him utterly by letting him strike first. But he had changed since their last encounter.
"I don't need a hammer to fight you," he said, summoning Stormbreaker with a crackle of divine energy. The air around him thrummed with power, causing Hela to pause.
Her expression shifted slightly as she regarded him. "Impressive. It seems you've grown stronger than I anticipated. But is that the source of your confidence?"
Thor didn't answer. Instead, he reached out with his other hand, summoning a Sling Ring to draw a glowing orange portal. With a quick motion, he shoved Loki through it.
"Wait, what are you—" Loki's protest was cut short as the portal closed behind him.
Thor exhaled sharply. "No distractions."
The siblings faced each other, divine power radiating from both. The air grew dense with tension, the sheer weight of their presence causing the ground beneath them to tremble.
Neither made the first move. The moment stretched taut, like a bowstring ready to snap.
Finally, Hela broke the silence, her voice low and dangerous. "You've improved. But you'll need more than that to stop me."
Before Thor could respond, a commanding voice rang out from behind them.
"Stop this madness!"
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