BURN AND BLOOM

« emilia clarke, immortal and simply ageless, she/her, thor trilogy/mcu » ∙∙ loading case file for hela odinsdottir. known aliases, if any: hela. current location: new york, new york.  current occupation: goddess of death. she have known to be ambitious and volatile, so proceed with caution. their current alliance: villain. 

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Things were… shockingly good. Clint was being cautiously optimistic, letting himself ride the wave while it lasted. Because it never lasted forever, and he knew that, but still – in the end he was actually an idiot. Because he always, always believed it would. Even now he was letting himself think that maybe things would work out with Lena, remembering the moments they’d shared in the archery range. And maybe that would mean that everything would be easy from now on, that he wouldn’t have dark days and bad dreams and thoughts too twisted to unravel. He heard the knock on his door and propped himself up, brows furrowed. He threw on a t-shirt and patted Lucky on the head. “You’re a bad guard dog,” he told the golden, who just panted at him. He opened the door a crack, then wider when he saw her on the other side. “Hey,” he said, smiling. “I was just thinking about you. How’d you find this dump?”

»

♕ — Hela could hear his footsteps as he approached the door, his words that came out as mumbles through the door, and she counted the seconds before the door opened. At first a little, and then wider. She lifted her gaze to meet his and the smile that he gave her. She would never admit it out loud but it hit something her. Something that made her want to retreat and keep that smile on his face. But that was a coward notion and if there was anything that would describe her, cowardly was not one. Any child of Odin knew how to face the impossible. “I have my ways,” she replied before she tilted her head to the side. “Are you going to invite me in?”

Loki pulled a face at the muzzle, reaching up with a hand to dissolve it with his magic when she tightened it unnecessarily. He rolled his eyes at the little speech, and jab at him, and turned to look at Thor. “Tell me what we’re doing,” he said to his older brother, his hands and eyes already glowing emerald green. “Because you know what I want to do.”

A wise king never seeks out war, but he must always be ready for it. Despite all his father had done, his lessons remained in Thor’s mind. Along with the lessons he had learned from his friends, his fellow teammates. So Thor made the offer. He did not want to fight if he had any other choice.

But then she hurt his brother. Muzzled him like a dog, called him frost giant. The rage was instant, powerful, he felt it in his entire body. The sky above them darkened with storm clouds. Thor paused only long enough to make sure Loki wasn’t hurt. That the muzzle was gone from his brother. He didn’t even answer him, just clapped him once on the shoulder and then rushed forward.

The air crackled with energy all around him. Thor inhaled deeply, let the fury within him ignite. Felt the lightning building in his veins, and he welcomed it. His jaw clenched tight, his knuckles white around Mjolnir as he raised it high. He closed the distance between them, jumping forward the last few feet. He called to the lightning, and struck out with Mjolnir, aiming directly for his sister’s head.

»

♕ — She could see the anger form in Thor’s eyes, annoyance in Loki’s, and she couldn’t help but to smirk. How predictable. And it was unfortunate. She was rather hoping for a good fight from everything that she had learned about the two. But now, all she felt was disappointment and boredom. As Thor jumped forward, Hela glided out of the way and raised her left hand to the lightning. She grasped it as if it had been her own power and whipped around her small frame with a force of a hurricane directing at Loki’s chest. Then, she turned back to Thor with her movements faster than light and raised her right hand.

♕ — Hela didn’t even have to think as she summoned Mjolnir to her. Feeling the cool handle against the palm of her hand again felt like a greeting from an old friend. A chilled laugh escaped her lips and she pointed the hammer back at its previous wielder. “Are you done with your temper tantrum? It’s time for you to submit.”

The way she paused, the hesitation in her words, made him tilt his head. “You don’t hear that a lot?” he asked. “Now that doesn’t make sense. You’re beautiful, dress or no dress. Wait.” He stopped, smacking a hand on his forehead. “That came out wrong, I swear. I just– I meant…” He trailed off, shaking his head and laughing at himself. “I’m out of place here too. You wanna go somewhere I’m not?” he asked, holding out his hand. “I’ll even try to keep my foot out of my mouth for you, sound good?”

»

♕ — Hela lifted her gaze to meet his and before she could answer his question, he slapped his hand against his forehead. She chuckled at the sight. “I understood what you meant, Clint,” she murmured for him to hear. “Though, I would be slightly insulted if something along those lines hadn’t crossed your mind at least a little with how much we’ve been speaking.” She looked to his hand before she gently took a hold of it. “Lead the way.”

♕ — The engagement party had stirred many things inside Hela. More than she would care to admit though, as her feet carried her to where Clint was residing, there was something she was not quite familiar with. There was a word for it but she wouldn’t dare bring life to it. Especially when she spent her whole existence learning it as a weakness, and she couldn’t bear the thought of having any weaknesses. But still, she rapped her knuckles against the wood of the door and simply leaned back against the wall across from his apartment. She was simply going to tell him the truth, her truth, and leave it at that. They weren’t going to see each other again after this, she knew that much. But she also knew that she was pushing down how sad that thought made her feel. A mortal was not worth this grief.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes when his brother made an entire production of changing into his Asgardian armor, subtly doing the same beside him. Loki’s eyes narrowed at the woman he’d briefly had an exchange with. The short encounter wasn’t nearly long enough to figure out anything was off with her, like she was accusing them of not being able to do. As she went off on her little tangent, Loki did roll his eyes. “Okay, that’s all very good and well. But I really don’t have the patience for your vindictive I’ve been scorned, everyone hates me, and this is my vendetta villain speech right now. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt,” he moved around Thor so he was more in front of him. “What exactly is it that you want? Other than the obvious of our father’s throne because I’ve gathered that. If it’s to get our attention, congratulations, you’ve done it.”

Thor’s grip tightened around Mjolnir. His eyes drifted to the smoke behind her, the ruins of the town becoming clearer now that he realized what he was looking at. The mentions of his friends and their revelry only made the anger hotter in his veins. He felt the air crackle with electricity above them, the sky darkening. He stepped forward, placed a hand on Loki’s shoulder so they were standing side by side once more. “Unfortunately sister, we’ve decided the throne is ours. The old ways are over,” he said firmly, looking at Loki for strength. His eyes flicked back to Hela. “There’s still time to put things right. Surrender peacefully and we won’t hurt you. We can find a place for you, sister.”

»

♕ — Their bravado was cute at best. It was clear that they had fought many battles together but it was also quite clear that they had no idea who they were dealing with. Clear that Odin didn’t warn either one of the wrath they were about to face and that made this all the more amusing. She didn’t even bother to look at Loki before she conjured a muzzle around his mouth, far tighter than it needed to be, and kept her gaze on her old friend, mjolnir. “You can’t make a decision on something which is not yours, brother,” she hummed and simply clasped her hands behind her back as she lifted her sharp gaze to meet his daring him to do what she knew his instincts were telling him to do. “My place is above you and the frost giant, and I look forward to you learning just that. There will be no peace with me.”

“You are being… like, way too kind to me,” Clint breathed, staring down at her hands on his collar. “I look like a cracker jack prize. You…” He shook his head slowly, and before he could stop himself, his hands had come forward, settled on her waist. “You look like an actual goddess.” He paused a moment, then shook his head. “That was too cheesy, wasn’t it?” he murmured. “If it helps, I really mean it. You look amazing,” he said softly.

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♕ — Hela chuckled. Kind was never a word that was ever used while describing herself. It almost sounded foreign to her as Clint graced her with the compliment. In fact, he was the only being that she could recall having niceties to say about her in her whole immortal life. One man after centuries of existence but she had to remind herself, if he knew the truth he wouldn’t be so generous in his words for her. She glanced down. “It’s lovely to hear,” she finally spoke when she looked back at him, “I tried my best, I’m a little out of place here.”

“This is so fucking stupid,” he mumbled under his breath. He looked up and caught his older brother’s gaze. “What? It is,” Loki said, before Thor could say anything in response. “What the hell does an Asgardian signature look like? Actually, no. What does that even mean? Stupid,” he said, following behind Thor. It wasn’t entirely stupid, given that Thor and Loki really were the only ones who came back and forth and were allowed to do so on a frequent basis. But he really wasn’t in the mood to think logically about it and decided it gave him more pleasure to bitch about it instead. “And why Canada? Is that where we are? What the hell is in Canada?” He huffed and kept trailing after him. “If I was a normal Asgardian wanting to take a trip to Midgard, I wouldn’t waste it on Canada.”

Loki had been complaining for… some time. Hours, really. But that wasn’t entirely unusual – Thor recalled their school lessons as children and the way Loki could carry on about that. He took the complaints in stride, and merely kept repeating their duty as Avengers. Finally, just before they crested the hill, he turned with a smirk. “If you’re frightened, brother, I could ask them to send a different partner in the future. But for now, we must…” The remarks he had planned died in his throat as they got to the top and looked out. There she was, standing in front of them. And he recognized her, Helena. “I know her,” he whispered. “She – I spoke to her. I sent her to your office,” he whispered, looking over to Loki. He blinked for a moment, then tightened his grip on Mjolnir. He raised the hammer in the air and slammed it into the ground, the lightning transforming his Midgardian garb into his armor. “Hela, I presume?” he called out to her. “Quite rude of you, to not tell us your true name.”

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♕ — Finally, her brother’s had found her. She only had destroyed a whole town and had its people cowering like the subjects that they were, but that was ages ago. “Your friends really do hold you back, it’s a shame really.” She examined her nails as she too changed into her armor sans her helmet, letting her silver blonde curls be free in the wind. “I’ve been right under your noses for weeks now and you both were none-the-wiser. And this,” she gestured around them. “Happened nearly a day ago. Were you that drunk in your revelry that you needed the mortals to tell you the trouble I’ve caused on your precious migard. Especially considering that this is not the first town I’ve desecrated. One can only hope you’d survive to help save those who I’m assuming on their last moments here... on this sad excuse of a realm.” She shrugged her shoulders. “But you’re correct, dear brother, I did forget my manners. I am Hela, the true heir to Odin’s throne.”

♕ — The engagement party had her thinking. And thinking too long, with the added aspect of her lack of patience, made something in her mind tick. As jovial and fun as the party was-- she would never admit that she as Hela had fun-- it was all a reminder of what had been taken from her. Taken from her and given to the unworthy. So maybe she decided to have a little fun in Newfoundland island. Maybe she wanted her brothers to come after her, to know fully that she was truly back and here to stay. She took in a deep breath and slowly grinned as the smoke and sulfur filled her lungs. No one was hurt... yet. She wanted witnesses for that part.

@thefutxrequeen

He would’ve been lying if he’d denied it – he was hoping to see her here. A huge part of him was absolutely convinced he should walk away while he still had some scrap of dignity, while it was just a possibility instead of another bad memory. But downing a glass of champagne quickly pushed that part down. “Hey,” he said. “You look… amazing, Lena,” he said, letting out a nervous laugh. He plucked at his own jacket. “I went for tacky to piss off my teammates,” he explained. “Kinda regretting that now though.”

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♕ — Hela sort of hit the dress code brief as she looked down at the black and gold fabric of her dress. It was certainly a lot better than the other options that she mulled over and she simply just had to ignore that she looked far more asgardian than she probably should have. And ignore the twinge that hit the back of her mind that all this kind of victorious celebration was taken away from her. She placed on a smile when she saw Clint approach and she switched on the Helena part of her brain. She reached out and toyed with the collar of his suit jacket. “Why do you regret it,” she asked, “we clearly match now.”

“I guess so,” he grumbled, but he was on thin ice. Still. Being gone with a handful of other Avengers the last few days had sparked that homicidal tendency in him. Loki looked up at her. Not recognizing her, he said, “Sorry, did you need something?”

»

♕ — Hela raised her brows as she schooled her expression. Loki definitely seemed less irritating than the other one, at least in her eyes. At his question, “I was sent to give this to you to review and sign. I’ll get out of your hair as soon as that’s done.”

“Give me a reason not to kill everyone on this floor.”

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♕ — Hela had several reasons why she should encourage him but instead, she looked over and replied, “they’re not worth the paperwork or lecture that is bound to follow their deaths?”

The visit back home had been tense, to say the least. But returning to Midgard, Loki at his side, and Jane waiting for him, that had eased some of the confusion and heartache. He did not know what they would do about this supposed sister he had, did not know whether to believe his father about how dangerous she was. He supposed he had to operate under that assumption, or else his father would likely have never told him the truth.

To say he was distracted was an understatement. He found it difficult to focus on even the most rugged of training sessions, let alone the pile of paperwork that came with this job. Midgardians had a lot of odd customs around their warriors. Thor had taken to pacing the hallways, turning Mjolnir over in his hand, as if to assure himself he was still worthy of the hammer. The sudden voice that broke through his thoughts was unfamiliar, and Thor lifted his head to see a young woman approach him. “Of course,” he said, shaking his head and letting a smile cross his face. “It would be a welcome distraction for me, and I will spare you any poor mood he might be in,” he said, hooking Mjolnir to his belt and taking the folders. “Do not let rumors fool you, though. He is not as scary as he seems,” he quipped. “What do they call you, my lady?”

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♕ — The closer Thor approached, the more Hela took him in. At first glance, she wouldn’t have guessed that he was Odin’s prized son. He radiated warmth and kindness, not things that she associated with their shared parentage but, when he was directly in front of her, she could see a glimmer of their father. A glimmer that awakened the fire that was in her blood. She could hear it pounding like a front line drum in her ears and all she wanted to do was to remove that light and glint in his eyes. It would be so easy for her to do so. He was all alone- no brother, and no friends- and with her being so far away from her prison, her power was limitless in this realm and the next. But no, she kept that irritatingly sweet smile on the delicate features that she presented to him and simply replied, “thank you.” Words that she didn’t commonly used and only were slightly bitter on her tongue.

♕ — “Don’t worry, I’m not so easily intimidated,” she then said as she clasped her hands behind her back once they were free of the folder. “I figured you’d just be a bit faster at getting it to him,” she explain before she let out a gentle laugh. “I forgot my manners, Helena, Helena Owens.”

The smirk on his face morphed into the genuine crooked grin he had, and he nodded. “I think the same thing,” he said, laughing lightly under his breath. “It’s kind of my job around here. Seeing things other people don’t. Not as cool as you know, superpowers or lasers, I know, I know,” he said, holding up his free hand in mock-surrender. “But someone needs to keep an eye out. Just in case.”

They wove through the halls, Clint leading with ease. The lounge wasn’t far, so he kept a slow, casual pace. Maybe a little slower than strictly necessary, but hey, the conversation was going well and he didn’t wanna jinx it. He flashed her a grin at her teasing tone, but it slipped away when she continued. “I’m sorry,” he said softly, seriously. “I know a thing or two about unkind dads. Mine wasn’t so creative though, just hit like a truck,” he said, shrugging as if he were talking about the weather. His eyes flicked to meet hers, and he set his hand on top of hers where it touched his arm. “You know, it’s funny. I just had this conversation with a friend of mine. About the difference between bad guys and good guys. Bad guys get hurt and try to hurt everyone around them. Good guys… Good guys try to make sure no one else feels that way again.” He bit his lip and paused as they came to the lounge door. “Guess that makes you one of the good ones, huh?”

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♕ — Hela hummed at the mention superpowers. The avengers all seemed to rely of the gifts they were given, she believed her brothers included, and it did set someone like Clint Barton apart from all the rest. She debated about showing what she was perfectly capable of when she was going through the mediocre tests that this organization provided upon entry, but in the end, she decided to let all that be a surprise. “Seeing what others do not can also be counted as a superpower, Clint,” she murmured using the softness in her tone to lure him closer to her. “I think you’re far more special than you believe you are.”

♕ — Her turquoise eyes darkened. Her father was creative in his punishments back before he swore a peaceful reign. His punishments were specifically designed to make her stronger than any other ruler who had come before. His last one was particularly cruel and with the intention to end her. But Clint was mortal and from what she had learned from this realm, fathers weren’t supposed to be cruel. Out of touch and maybe a little goofy, but not someone who hit like a truck. And then, Clint took her by surprise by simply being kind. Something that she had never experienced from another and her first instinct was that he was playing her just as she was him. She forced those thoughts from her mind and looked up to meet his before she simply shrugged. “To me, there is no such thing as good or bad,” she said and raised her shoulder to meet her cheek (she had seen this done a time or two by an asgardian girl interacting with a boy, she wasn’t sure it would have any effect) and gave him a sad smile. “It’s all a matter of where you are standing. Bad guys are usually just like the good ones, just no one saved them from their hardships but themselves.”

♕ — Waiting wasn’t a skill that she was raised to have. Her adolescence was filled with getting everything that she wanted when she wanted. Including her victories. But those centuries in Hel forced her to wait, to observe, to find the weaknesses. She had joined SHIELD only to find out that her brothers weren’t in Midgard anymore and had gone back home-- what should have been her home. Her first instinct was to teleport herself there and just take what she wanted but then her plan would be ruined. And while she was certain that was a fight she would win and rightfully so, it wouldn’t provide her with the satisfaction that she needed. The satisfaction she was desperately wanted.

♕ — So, as her younger brother stepped into her view, she had to fight the urge to wrap her fingers around his throat. And resist the urge to embarrass him in front of all these weak-minded mortals and summon mjolnir to her. She clenched her fists and with one deep breath, she unclenched them. Instead, she stepped forward and pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. “Excuse me, Thor?” The nervousness in her own voice was grating on her own nerves. “Can ask you a favor. I was an airhead and forgot to drop these off at your brother’s office,” she explained as she held up the folders in her hands. “Do you think you could drop them off for me and save me from the trouble I’m bound to be in?”

Clint rubbed the back of his neck and laughed lightly. “Yeah, yeah it was… a complete and total futzing shitshow,” he admitted. “Let’s just say you shouldn’t mix coffee, road flares, and arrows. That’s the short version.” He saw the sparkle in her eyes and it surprised him, but in a good way. “Wouldn’t have guessed,” he mused. “But now that you mention it… you do look like a firecracker,” he said, looking her over once more. “Seems there’s more to you than meets the eye,” he pointed out with a smirk.

He beamed, thinking about how he’d have to tell Loki later that he could be a gentleman too. “Unfortunately, you have to settle for me,” he quipped, as he led her not towards the general cafe, but towards a lounge that Tony kept separate. “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me. Who’s your CO? Is it Raf? If it’s Raf, tell him I’ll stick a slime arrow in his office if he doesn’t start being nicer to the recruits.” Clint glanced down at her and smiled gently. “What brings you to SHIELD? Or do I have to wait for coffee to ask that?”

»

♕ — Hela bobbed her head back and forth as she casually raised her shoulders in a shrug. Firecracker could possibly be on the list of nicer names that she had been called throughout her immortal life. Others: Warmongering, vindictive, volatile, crazy. All rather accurate but now, she was posing as this sweet girl for this poor fellow to let into his life so she could turn it and Loki’s life upside down. “I think there’s more to most people if you take the time to look.”

♕ — This is what she had practiced and this was the first test to see if her plan was a meticulous as she thought it was. Though, of course it was, it was her plan after all. “Well, the short version,” she said teasingly drawing back to what he had said only moments before, “my father wasn’t a very kind man. Very creative in his punishments. I guess you can say, I’m trying my best to save others from men like him.”