Spy Games Ch. 32

"Greetings Hela Odinsdottir, Rightful Queen of Asgard, Goddess of Death and the True Conqueror of the Nine Realms. I've come to bargain."

My arrival within the Asgardian Throne Room is quite different from the last time I was here. For one, I am not escorted in. Rather, I simply appear there before Hela, having used Reality and Power to warp myself and my companions from our ship in orbit over Asgard to the throne room directly. There was no one left to stop me, after all… the armies of Asgard that I had seen the last time, I was here were nowhere to be found. Instead, they were replaced by undead from what I had noticed.

Regardless, Hela reacts to my and my companions' sudden appearance as expected. Sitting up in her throne, she tenses at first, ready and perhaps even eager for a fight. When my words reach her ears however, she goes stiff, listening to what I have to say. For the briefest of moments, I can see that my words have mollified her… but then, of course, she takes note of just who stands at my sides.

Coming up out of her throne, Hela's lips curl into a vindictive sort of smile as she manifests one of her swords and points it at us.

"You come before me with honeyed words interloper, and yet you bring the Last Valkyrie with you. Tell me, sweetheart, have you enjoyed living with the weight of all your sisters' deaths on your conscience?"

The lack of reaction from Brunnhilde makes the smile drop off of Hela's face after a moment of silence fills the throne room. But before the pregnant pause can crown and the Queen of Asgard can decide to attack, I snap my fingers… and Brunnhilde kneels before the woman who murdered all of her sisters, the woman who left her with a thousand plus years of trauma and heartache.

"Your Highness, I give my sincerest apologies for my part in keeping you imprisoned. My fellow Valkyrie deserved to die for following the Allfather's commands over your own, our former General and Battle-Sister. I would offer you mine own life now as further recompense for what you suffered, but it is not mine to give. My Master owns me, and through service to him I can only hope to make up for the crimes I committed against you."

The Last Valkyrie's monotone voice betrays not a trace of emotion as she speaks. The dark-skinned warrior woman falls silent once she's done but remains kneeling with her head bowed. Meanwhile, I watch Hela's face throughout Brunnhilde's apology, enjoying the way the Queen of Asgard goes silent, her eyes wide as she stares down at her kneeling enemy in shock and awe.

Slowly, that shock and awe morphs into something like delight, her eyes brightening up as she finally looks from the kneeling Valkyrie to me, giving me much more of her attention, her interest shining through her tone and the words that slip forth from her lips.

"You. You interest me. To shackle the Last Valkyrie so, to break her to you and make her your slave… I must admit, I am intrigued by your work. Very intrigued."

Chuckling, I offer a slight bow in return. It's a bow of respect rather than subservience, and I know that Hela notes as much, even as I raise my head again to once more look her in the eye.

"Vali Masters, at your service Your Grace. I have some experience with disobedient subjects and traitorous family members, you could say. What your father did to you… it wasn't right. You have my sincerest condolences."

Cocking her brow at that, Hela sweeps her gaze from me to Brunnhilde to Sylvie, though she pays Sylvie the least mind before humming questioningly.

"And what do you know of my father?"

It's obvious what she's looking for. Fortunately for her, I'm more than happy to give it.

"Odin? He was a coward, through and through. Especially in his later years, without you to give him any sort of edge, his ambition dulled to that of a bread knife. I stood before him in this very hall not but a few years back. He did not appreciate my… quest for power. I sought artifacts of great strength to augment myself with you see, and he and I did not see eye to eye on my ownership of such things."

Hela's eyes dip down the length of me, and I'm quite confident she's aware of exactly what I'm talking about. I can feel her presence all around me. She isn't just of Asgard, she is Asgard itself, thoroughly intertwined with it, a symbiotic relationship, a feedback loop of sorts that makes her more and more powerful.

It's only now, standing here before the Goddess of Death, that I realize just WHY Odin was so weak willed and unwilling to stand up to me all those years ago. His power… it was nothing compared to his daughter's. More likely, it was a shadow of its former self BECAUSE his daughter was locked away. I could see it now easily. Odin and Hela were two parts of the same whole.

Father and daughter, conquering the Nine Realms, slaughtering entire enemy armies' hand in hand. Their power was THEIR power, as in theirs combined. Together, they were unstoppable. Apart… they were greatly diminished. How that worked, I knew not. But it seemed obvious that by choosing Peace and Diplomacy over Blood and War, by locking Hela up, Odin had halved his power, possibly even more than halved it.

He'd stopped all of the fighting and bloodshed at great personal cost to himself, a sacrificial play that any righteous hero or do-gooder would have to applaud. Of course, I was not a hero. I was no do-gooder. In the end, all Odin had truly done was kick the ball down the road. Because he hadn't had the strength to make the true sacrifice and kill his other half, his own daughter, he'd left things to turn out like this, here and now.

Hela Odinsdottir, released from her prison and with her father's death, she now had access to ALL of the power of Asgard. No longer one half of a pair, she was the whole package deal now. No wonder she was so fucking powerful.

And yet, as oppressive as her presence felt all around me, I still held more than enough Infinity Stones to hold her back and we both knew it. Sizing each other up, able to see where both of us stood, I could see the faintest bit of respect in Hela's eyes as she gave me a slow nod. At the same time, I saw something else… something like longing.

"… It does not surprise me that the dear old dad grew senile and weak in his advanced age. He was always weak of spirit and heart. It only makes sense that his will and body would follow along in a similar fashion. But you… you are not like him, are you? You know what you want, and you take it."

I smile as she gives me too good of an opening to pass up. Inclining my head, I raise an arm with my hand open, palm facing up.

"Quite right. And full disclosure… I already took what I initially came here for."

With that, the Tesseract flashes into existence in my palm and before Hela's eyes, I invoke Reality and Power both to crack the cube-like casing and claim the Space Stone within. As I assimilate the Space Stone into my collection, bringing myself up to four of the six, a shiver runs through me, and I let out a contented sigh. It feels good to finally take the one I let slip out of my grasp so long ago, all for the sake of playing nice.

Hela, to her credit, doesn't immediately attack. I'm expecting her to if I'm being honest, or at least half-expecting her to. I did, after all, just steal from her and it's obvious to me that the Queen of Asgard isn't what one would call… conventionally stable in the mind. But no, while Hela's eyes narrow and her lips think out into a smirk, she stays where she is, appraising me and considering me with a regal gaze.

"… You said you came to bargain, back at the start. I assume you have made this very public display of taking from my Treasure Vault because you have something you think I will want even more in return."

Good, she's as smart as she is psycho. I like her already.

"That's right, Queen Hela. I consider the Space Stone to be mine. I left it with your father as a courtesy that I came to regret and have reclaimed it now as my own lost property. But… at the same time, I am not unaware of the plight you currently face. One of… travel restrictions?"

That makes Hela mad. The Asgardian Monarch bristles and her hands clench into fists as I bring up something of a sore spot, proving I've done my homework. Indeed, it was that very thing that had let me slip in unannounced and steal the Tesseract right from under her nose. Truth be told, when I'd initially learned all, I could about Hela from Valkyrie's mind, I'd feared that once she was on Asgard, the Goddess of Death would have complete dominion over this realm.

But that… simply wasn't true. Oh sure, she was an ever-growing power that would only get stronger and stronger thanks to the feedback loop she was sharing with Asgard itself, but she did not have total awareness of what was happening IN Asgard. Otherwise, she would have already found Heimdall by this point. Asgard's Gatekeeper had arrived back on Asgard shortly after Hela slaughtered the entirety of the Asgardian Armies in a frightening display of singularly focused power. He'd taken his sword, Hofund, from the Bifrost Controller and in doing so had locked up Hela and her armies of undead here on Asgard for as long as he could stay out of her grasp.

I knew this because I had used the Mind Stone to effectively canvas the joint before pulling off my heist. As such, I knew everything the people of Asgard knew, Heimdall included. Luckily, he was too busy fleeing from Hela's Berserkers to use that All-Sight of his on anything else besides staying ahead of the enemy. So, he didn't know I was here… not that he could have done much of anything with the knowledge either way.

Still, I was pissing Hela off, and that wasn't the point of any of this. Indeed, I was here to help the Asgardian Queen. As I saw it, we could have a mutually beneficial relationship, if she could prove reasonable for just a moment.

"I can help you with that, you know. I can help you with all of your various loyalty problems."

Nostrils flaring in anger, the dark-haired monarch is nevertheless intrigued once more by my offer. After a moment, she sits back down on her throne almost casually, a clear power play and an obvious attempt to make her seem less caring than she actually is. It's obvious that she's been without social contact for a long, LONG time…

"Oh? I have no loyalty problems. Merely enemies that need to die and subjects that will bend or break, one way or the other."

As flippant as she sounds, I can detect the deep anger in her voice, as well as the deep, DEEP seated thread of longing. As I'd hoped, Hela Odinsdottir has a weakness after all. Deep down inside, she does in fact want to be desired. Deep down inside, she does in fact want to be loved and admired by her subjects.

"I've found death to be a bit too final at times for my tastes, your majesty. Especially when you can have your cake and eat it too with the right… application of certain esoteric effects. Perhaps a demonstration would please the Queen?"

Once again trying and failing to hide how interested she is, at least to my practiced eyes, Hela waves a hand airily, as if to say 'get on with it'. Chuckling, I raise my own hand and call upon the Reality Stone. For this, I don't use any of the other stones, not even Power. Just Reality, and just a localized effect of this throne room and the handful of rooms surrounding it.

Hela stiffens as she feels the effect ripple over her, not actually affecting her but certainly altering a small piece of Asgard. She opens her mouth, but before she can say anything, a side door of the throne room opens up and an Asgardian maidservant bustles in, humming to herself. She jolts when she sees me and my companions though of course, eyes widening.

"O-Oh! Intruders?! M-My Queen, are you alright?! Shall I call for the guards?!"

The look that the servant gives Hela is one of actual concern for her safety, coming from a place of true devotion and affection. Hela, predictably, isn't sure how to deal with it.

"Would I not have already called the guards if I had need of them? These trespassers remain because I allow it. Am I not the Queen of Asgard?"

And yet, even Hela's brusque tone isn't enough to dim the Asgardian woman's devotion as she quickly curtsies deeply to her liege.

"Of course, Your Grace! My sincerest apologies for daring to doubt you!"

And the funny thing is, there's not a hint of fear in her voice either. She's actually sorry, but not in a terrified way, merely in a truly apologetic manner. Straightening up, the servant brightens up a bit as she clasps her hands in front of her.

"Can I get you anything, Your Grace? Perhaps drink or food? Or I could take your order to the kitchens, if you've decided what you want to be served for dinner tonight!"

Having long since caught on to what I'd done by this point, Hela nevertheless sits there in silence for a moment, mulling it over before going for audacious and sticking out one of her booted legs.

"How about a foot massage?"

"Of course, my Queen! It would be my pleasure~"

The slightly sultry undertone to the maidservant's voice makes it clear that it will indeed be her pleasure, as she hurriedly scuttles over and drops to her knees before Hela upon her throne. Carefully, reverently, she begins to take off Hela's boot. And for a moment, the Queen of Asgard seems ready to let her, the hungry look of NEED and longing on her face making it clear that this sort of devotion and adoration is exactly what she craves deep down inside, no matter what she says to the contrary.

But… she realizes that I'm still there and before the Asgardian woman can begin removing her boot, she stops her and shakes her head.

"Leave us. You… did well."

"As you wish, my Queen."

Bowing deeply one last time, the maidservant departs out the opposite door from the one she entered. Hela watches her go, but as soon as the door is closed behind the woman, her gaze snaps back to me. I just smile and snap my fingers, and we both feel it as reality reverts back to the way it was before.

"That was just a taste of what I can offer you, Hela. I can, if you wish, warp the entire reality of Asgard to be much like that encounter. All the peoples of this Realm, recognizing you not just as their rightful Queen, but venerating you for it. Worshipping you for it. Obeying your every word not just because you hold their lives in their hands, but because they want to serve. And of course, that extends to your wayward Gatekeeper."

Hela's back goes ramrod straight at that. The mention of Heimdall raises the stakes. I could make every Asgardian in Asgard love her unconditionally… but Heimdall coming over to her side would give her access to the Bifrost, the rest of the Nine Realms, and the Universe beyond. She could finally begin her conquest anew. His hiding from her was quite literally the only thing holding her back.

Did I care that I was offering to unleash Hela on the galaxy? Not one bit. After all, I was hoping to join her for some good old fashioned murder and mayhem.

"Who… who ARE you? Vali Masters is a name, to be sure… but I would know more. Who are you? What are you? What are your motivations?"

Hela's interest lies bare now, her honest desire to get to the kernel of what made me almost refreshing to see as she lets her barriers down just a bit. I chuckle and shake my head.

"All of that is certainly very private information, Your Grace. But I would be willing to share it… with someone I was particularly close to."

Hela's eyes widen at that, and she looks honestly taken aback as I smile at her, spreading my arms wide.

"Which brings me to what I'm truly here for, Hela Odinsdottir, Queen of Asgard. I am here… for you."

For a moment, she looks amazed. Then, she looks angry, and the reason why is obvious as she looks to my companions, Brunnhilde who is still kneeling with her head bowed in apologetic supplication, and Sylvie who hasn't said a word the entire time we've been talking.

"Oh? Am I to be the latest toy in your toybox, creature? The next conquest in a list of conquests?"

Her power begins to radiate but I cut her off.

"Quite the contrary. I am here to offer myself to you, Queen of Asgard. If I wanted to set myself in opposition to you, I can think of no better way than to try and use my usual methods on your august person. Instead, it is you who shall claim me. Take me as your consort. Allow me to prove my worth to you and stand by your side as we take the universe by storm. With my help, there is nothing and no one who will be able to stop you."

Hela hesitates and it's clear she's trying to judge the truth of my words. She's right to do so, considering I am in fact lying. Not entirely… but there is deceit to what I'm saying. The problem for dear Hela is the deceit is exactly why she can't actually discern any falsehood in anything I've said. Unlike everyone else I've been dealing with of late, it is not so simple to worm my way into the Queen of Asgard's mind. She's too powerful.

But from the moment I arrived before her, she made one crucial mistake… she didn't immediately attack me on sight. In the end, all I truly need is time. To be fair, I'll need a LOT of it with Hela Odinsdottir. She won't break or submit as easily as Brunnhilde, and Sylvie did. But that's okay, because right now all I need is for her to believe my offer is genuine and the small little sliver of access I've managed to get to her mind is enough for that.

Her face softens, for a given value of softening, and her hackles lower as the Queen of Asgard regards me appraisingly for a long moment… and clearly likes what she sees.

"… If you can deliver unto me my people and the Gatekeeper as loyal and adoring servants… then I will accept you as my consort, Vali Masters."

Grinning wickedly, I raise my arm once more and bring my fingers together.

"Consider it done."

Snapping them, even though it's fairly unnecessary, I alter reality around us once more. But this time I don't just use the Reality Stone, I use the Power Stone and the Mind Stone as well. Reaching out across the whole of Asgard, able to feel Hela's immense powerful presence in every nook and cranny as I do so, I alter things. I change reality as we know it, and in the end it's only the four of us in her throne room who will remember it any different. For everyone else on Asgard, it's a new dawn and a new day.

For Hela and me… it's the start of a beautiful relationship.

-x-X-x-

It takes an hour for Heimdall to come in, mostly because he'd holed himself so far away into the boonies of Asgard that he had to trek a fair distance before turning himself over to the Berserkers hunting him in order to be brought before Hela in chains. Not that said chains were necessary, as the All-Seeing Gatekeeper bowed his head to his Queen, planting his forehead against the floor of the throne room, kneeling in supplication.

"My Queen. There is no excuse for my actions. Please, relieve me of my life so that I may atone in death."

Seeing the great Heimdall brought low brings a smile to my face, and not a nice one. Hela, on the other hand, is visibly conflicted.

"If only that I could. But you represent a unique opportunity with those eyes of yours. Tch… as my enemy, I would love to see you dead. But as my loyal and adoring subject… I have use for you yet."

See, Hela could be reasonable! You just had to alter reality itself and force the people of Asgard to love her with all of their minds and all of their hearts!

With a snap of her fingers, the chains on Heimdall are removed and Hela's newly loyal Gatekeeper rises, ready to fulfill his function for his new monarch. As he leaves to once again man the Bifrost, Hela looks to me and I can't help but smile at the interest mixed with a modicum of lust in her eyes.

"… We shall retire to my chambers now then… and finalize our arrangement, my consort."

Inclining my head in easy acceptance, I allow her to lead me through the Palace to our ultimate destination. After all, with her taking the lead, I got to stare at that gorgeous ass of hers the whole way there.

This? This was going to be fun.

-x-X-x-

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