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The second Hellfire Gala since the timestream entanglement was approaching and somehow, Hela had been invited. Hela thought the mortals would be too petty and scared of retribution to invite her after the “Queen in Black” business. A momentary lapse in judgement, she admits. The power should belong to her, but the folly was in working with anyone else. Especially the psychotic god of goo or whatever he was.
At first she wondered whether she should bother showing up. Despite her association with these “heroes” on the field of battle, it was clear she did not belong amongst them and Hela had never been one to care about the idle pastimes of mortals. She was a Goddess of Death, the ruler of Niflheim. She was above such worthless pleasures.
Then again, she was a goddess. A force of nature, regal and deadly. It would please her to have the mortals recognize her beauty, her power, her station, Her. No, she would show up for their inane fashion event and remind her temporary allies of exactly why they should worship her.
To this point, many of the mortals were bringing dates, so it only made sense for her to have a date as well. Not that she’s not above such silly human concerns like love, but again, she cannot let herself be shown up. She requires someone beautiful, a commanding presence, someone worthy of her brief attention.
Which is how the Queen of Hel found herself mid-fight contemplating who to bring to the Gala. A repulsor blast landed inches away from her and she whipped her head to the skies. “Pest.” She snarled looking at the annoying man in a metal suit soaring high in the skies. She quickly launched a volley of her thorns at him, dispatching him with ease.
Shifting forms, she ascended to higher ground in the landscape of 2099 Tokyo, looking down on her opponents. The man dressed in stars and stripes rounded a corner, charging towards her own team. The weird shark thing followed him eagerly, leaving all safety of cover. She smirked, and the shark went down before they could react.
Her next target chose themself for her. A red beam shot through the air, colliding into her stomach and knocking her back. The goddess retreated behind cover as another shot rushed past her head, damaging her crown. She gritted her teeth and popped her head out quickly, locating the attacker. Ah yes. She will suffice.
A few daggers from her team's healer flew towards Hela, reinvigorating her in warm light. She shifted once more, rushing to close the distance between her and the opposing sniper. Hela landed behind her, drawing a thorn and holding it to her throat. “The Black Widow. Your exploits are-”
She was cut off by a jab to the stomach. The dagger slipped from her hand, dematerialising into nothingness as the Widow turned, batons already in hand. “Hmm, not bad.” The baton crackled with electricity as she swung without hesitation. Hela simply dodged, making no further move to attack.
“I did not come here to fight.” She sidestepped. “I actually wanted to talk.” An elbow soared towards her face. The goddess caught it, using it to push the other woman away. “But if you want to fight, by all means. Gain my ire and lose the reward I was prepared to offer you.”
Widow held her batons defensively. “A reward? What, pray tell, have I done to earn a gift from the Queen in Black?” Hela frowned. “You, mortal, have sent a great many souls to my realm over the years. And for that, I have chosen to give you the greatest privilege of your tiny life.” She simply raised any eyebrow, prompting Hela to continue. “I have need of a date to the Hellfire Gala. You will receive the honor of accompanying me.”
She blinked in shock, finally lowering her weapons. “Wait, what? You’re asking me out? Seriously?” Hela shook her head. “I am not asking, Widow. You will be my date. Really, you should be honored that I find you worthy to stand at my side, even for a brief moment.” Widow paused, considering this for a moment.
“Ok. Not sure how true that is but this is somehow one of the most interesting things that’s ever happened to me so… yeah. I’ll go with you.”
Hela nodded, face emotionless as she turned. “Excellent. Show up in your finest fashions, Widow. It wouldn’t do for my date to look too below me.” She flew off to rejoin her team, leaving the other woman behind.
Hela arrived outside the gala, eyes immediately scanning the crowd. She wore a strapless gown, the dress ending above the knee, accentuating her legs ending with black strap heels. The colours matched that of her usual garb, verdant greens, intermittent with pitch black fabrics and a black lace bodice. An emerald green crown, twisted with small thorns, and dotted with gold adorned her head allowing her long raven hair to spill down her back. A silver raven pendant dangled from her throat, completing the look simply but effectively.
She looked expectantly for her date, surveying the others gathered. She watched as the singer with the ice powers ran in happily, dragging her fox spirit lover behind her. The bonded pair, connected to forces beyond their comprehension, arrived in the doorway from a shroud of darkness and walked in too, followed by the archer and the metal armed man, the former loudly joking while the latter smiled despite himself.
“Hmm. Not sure how to feel about two of my exes dating but they are cute together.” Hela turned her head, regarding the mortal beside her. “Really, Widow? Surely you can do better than that clown with a bow? Better than either of them really.”
She put a hand to her chest, regarding Hela carefully. “Wow, that almost sounded like a compliment. And they’re good people. Clint can be brash, or goof off sometimes but he’s got a good heart, and doesn’t give up. He fights with more skill than most people here.”
“Just an observation. I would not have chosen you if you were on par with them. But… perhaps I will consider claiming his soul once he dies then. His aim could be an asset in my hands.” Hela looked her up and down. “You follow my instructions well. You look exceptional enough for me.”
She wore a long, tight, low-cut black dress with a slit in the side, showcasing the curve of her waist, her, admittedly, impressive bust, and the stunning length of her legs. A choker wrapped her throat, her logo hanging in the center. Her wrists both featured thick gold bangles and she wore simple black flats. “Quite exceptional.”
“That just an observation too?” Hela took the other woman by her arm and turned to the entrance. “I haven’t decided, Widow.” She laughed slightly as they walked. “Are you going to call me Widow all night? I do have a name you know.” Hela considered it for a second, not pausing to think and continuing forward. “I suppose it’s only fair. Very well, mortal. How should I address you?”
Widow blinked, mildly shocked. “Wait, do you actually not know my name?” Hela was unfazed, face continually neutral. “No. Do not be offended. I don’t care to learn anyone’s name. Be thankful I am willing to learn yours.” She nodded, trying her best to remain neutral. “Well, my name’s Natalia. I am… honored to be worthy of you learning my name.” She did a fake bow towards Hela as the pair reached the entrance.
“Oh, I like that attitude, Natalia. Keep it up. Now, shall we?” She extended a hand towards Natalia, which was taken without hesitation. They entered the party together, hands clasped together.
“So… daughter. The assassin?” Hela faced her parent. “I do not know what you are referring to, Mother. Don’t you have a golden man to go lock lips with or something?” Loki smirked, cocky and smug. “Oh don’t worry, I will be doing that later. For several rounds-” “You’re disgusting.” “- But right now, I’m just inquiring into my wonderful daughter’s love life. You’ve been ruling Hel alone for sooo long. I’m just excited to see you making connections. It’s what any parent would do really.”
“There is no love involved. I am above such concerns. How disgustingly mortal. I simply needed her to adhere to human customs and exceed them.” Loki looked at her unconvincingly. “Right… You keep telling yourself that. I used to think I was too and now look at me.” He gestured at themself. “I’m in an actual relationship with a spaceman who cherishes me, who embraces me as I am. Don’t close yourself off to the possibility, daughter.”
“I have better things to do than court some mortal who will be gone in the blink of an eye.” Hela began to walk off. “Enjoy the party, father.” Her voice called after Hela. “I mean you are the queen of the underworld, it’s not like you couldn’t keep her around past her lifespan, but yeah, sure whatever, what do I know?”
She paused for a moment. The words landed softly in her thoughts. Hmm. Despite herself, the idea took root in her mind and spread.
Natalia stood talking to the short hairy man, the metal armed man from earlier and the man in stars and stripes. “I wish I had gotten a chance to meet the other invaders. I mean, Namor notwithstanding. Especially the Human Torch. I think the day that news broke was one of the best days of my life.” The hairy man grunted. “I wish I could remember that day. Bet it felt great.”
Hela sauntered up, laying a possessive arm around the assassin's waist. “Ah yes. Many souls came to my kingdom during that war of yours… Of course, so did Valhalla but I suppose I shouldn’t complain.” Natalia’s ex pointedly looked at the arm and raised an eyebrow at her. “So many toys to play with. I suppose that was a long time ago for you humans.”
Natalia nodded, waving away the man’s concerns. “I would’ve been around 17 at the time it ended. It’s been about 150 years since then, for me at least. Same for Cap, I guess, but he was frozen in ice up until a couple years ago.” The short, feral one took a swig of his beer. “Closer to 80 for me. Although I’ve been alive a lot longer than that.” Her ex chimed in next. “80 years also, but intermittently frozen in ice.”
Hela shifted her head to look at Natalia. “Well I must say, you age a lot better than most mortals. How has a mortal remained so… youthful for so long?” She looked back, bringing her face mere inches from the goddesses. “Super soldier serum. Not the same as either of theirs,” she said, gesturing to the captain and her ex, “but it keeps me looking young. I’m not immortal, but I’ve got a longer lifespan than most. I’m more likely to die on the job than anything else.”
“Well if you are going to die, make sure it’s not in honorable combat. I intend on claiming your soul for my kingdom.” She scoffed. “Oh boy, eternal torture, what a tempting offer.” Hela leaned back, almost offended. “I do have some decency. I only torture the murderers, the corrupt, the oathbreakers. I mean- it’s probably not pleasant for the rest but most souls just wander the wastelands. But I would never let someone so talented go to waste. No, you would serve me and help prepare my armies for Ragnarok. Which is pretty much what you’d be doing in Valhalla anyway, for the record. Just constant training for the end times.”
“Well, I will certainly take that into consideration.” She took a sip of her drink, thoughtfully looking at the area where a few couples were dancing. The scientist and the forcefield wielding woman were to be found on the floor, along with the other married pair of mutants, the storm goddess and the earth king, and the annoying spider with the fire boy. Perhaps she should learn some of their names.
“Would you care for a dance, Lady Hela?” Natalia, pulled away, holding out a hand. “It would befit your earth customs, wouldn’t it? Very well, let us join the revelry.” Hela took her hand, letting her lead her to the floor. Their hand remained clasped, Natalia's other coming to rest on her waist, Hela’s to her shoulder. They began to dance with the music, elegantly moving in unison. They remained silent for a moment, simply a part of the crowd, in harmony with the rhythm.
“I know it’s not quite the same for us. You live in centuries, I live in years. But… I get where you’re coming from. It’s easier to never get attached when you know you will outlive everyone around you. To not bother learning anyone’s name.” Natalia was looking at Hela with sympathy and understanding. “But I’ve also learned - it’s very lonely. And maybe you’re fine with that, I don’t know.” She shrugged, continuing on.
“But I do know that your uncle, your aunt, even your mother, they all have made connections. I’m not saying you have to befriend everyone here! But you know… just try it. Make a friend. See how it feels.” Hela remained silent for a long period of time, taking in her words as they danced. “Perhaps you are right Natalia.”
Hela opened her mouth then closed it again. She paused. Why is it so hard to speak these words? Finally, she muttered. “Would you like to be my friend, Natalia?” She seemed genuinely taken back by this but smiled earnestly all the same. “Yes. I would like that, my lady.”
The gala began to wind down, some partiers leaving, others finding a quiet corner to talk, the music still going but quieter. This year, it had thankfully gone off without a hitch, even with the presence of a Hulk, that chattering lunatic in red spandex, and a giant red dinosaur. The host, Emma Frost sat contentedly sipping champagne, watching the party, satisfied with her work.
The pair left the dance floor, passing Clint and James (she thought it right to ask his name) making their
way to the center. They passed Thor and the captain (Steve) at the bar, chatting over a drink. Thor caught sight of the pair and gave them two big thumbs up before turning back to his conversation. Hela rolled her eyes at the lumbering oaf, making no mention of it to Natalia.
They crossed the threshold into the outer areas, stopping beside a fountain. “Did you enjoy yourself, Lady Hela?” She sat on the edge of the fountain, crossing her legs and gesturing for Natalia to sit beside her, folding her hands on her lap. “Yes, I suppose I did. And if we are to be friends, it is not necessary for you to refer to me as Lady Hela. You can address me only by my name.”
She followed the gesture, sitting beside Hela, leaning in just enough for the skin of their arms to brush each other when they breathed. “I know.” She considered leaning away, just for a moment. She made no move to retreat. “And you… Did you enjoy your reward?”
“I don’t know if this can be considered a reward, it more seems like I was doing you a favour, but… yes. I had a lovely time. I enjoyed your company.” Hela laughed, short but genuine. “Yes, I suppose you could look at it that way. Your joining me as my date was very helpful. And pleasing.”
“So I think you still owe me a reward then. For the souls and the favor.” Natalia smirked. “You have earned that, I think. Very well. What boon do you ask of me?” Hela relented, turning to more properly face the other woman.
She tapped her chin, pretending to think about it for a few moments before finally deciding. “I would like… a kiss. From you. It’s a perfect way to end a date too if you think about it.” Hela paused for a moment, feeling emotions she did not recognize. Excitement? No, that can’t be it. “You could ask for anything and you choose that? What a waste. But if that is your desire…”
Hela leaned in, cupping Natalia’s cheek. Their lips made contact, softly but earnestly. Hela pulled away after a normal, respectable time of only a few seconds. A light blush graced her cheekbones, blooming red against porcelain skin.
Natalia looked confident, smirk in full force as she leaned back on her arms and looked Hela up and down. She stood up after a moment. “Well I should really be going, Lady Hela. Let’s do this again sometime?”
Hela nodded, stammering on her words with a lack of grace uncharacteristic for a closed off goddess of the underworld. “Yes, I- I would enjoy that. I will see you around, Lady Natalia.”
She continued to stare as the assassin nodded and walked off, emotions flaring in her heart. As she transformed and flew off, her heart fluttered in a way she was not sure it ever had.