"Underground chambers?"
The words echoed in Elric's mind as he followed Thor down the spiraling staircase. Something felt off—not wrong exactly, but... suspicious.
He replayed his interactions with Asgard in his mind, searching for any moment where he might have offended Odin. Had he violated some ancient protocol? Disrespected some tradition? Threatened Asgardian interests?
No matter how thoroughly he examined his memories, he couldn't find anything. He'd been careful, respectful, and had barely interacted with Asgard beyond his friendship with Thor.
He glanced at Thor's broad back as they descended. The Thunder God walked with easy confidence, occasionally pointing out details in the carvings that lined the walls—stories of ancient victories, legendary warriors, cosmic events. There was no tension in his posture, no hint of deception.
Thor wouldn't lead me into a trap, Elric thought. He's too straightforward, too honest. If something were wrong, I'd see it in his face.
But then again, Hela had somehow appeared from nowhere, alive and well when she should have been sealed away. The timeline was already deviating from what he knew. Who was to say what else had changed?
Better safe than sorry.
As they walked, Elric began layering defensive enchantments on himself. He did it subtly, under the pretense of adjusting his coat or stretching his shoulders, murmuring incantations so quietly they were lost in the echo of their footsteps.
"Body Strengthening."
His muscles tightened, his bones reinforced themselves. His physical durability multiplied several times over.
"Body Hardening."
His skin took on the resilience of enchanted armof.
"Barrier Layer. Mystic Shield. Reactive Defense."
One by one, he activated every defensive spell in his arsenal, weaving them together in overlapping patterns. By the time they reached the bottom of the stairs, he had transformed himself into a walking fortress.
There's no way Odin could kill me in one hit now, he calculated. And if something goes wrong, He can teleport away. Fighting the All-Father on his home ground would be suicide, so running away is the best option.
The staircase finally opened into a corridor that stretched ahead, lined with doors of various sizes and materials. Some appeared to be solid gold, others carved from single pieces of crystal, still others seemed to be made of frozen starlight.
"Here we are," Thor announced, gesturing expansively. "The secured levels. Father keeps his most important research down here, away from prying eyes."
Elric stepped into the corridor and stopped, his suspicions immediately giving way to surprise.
This was nothing like what he'd imagined.
The "underground dungeon" Thor had mentioned was, in fact, more luxurious than most palaces on Earth. The floors were polished marble that seemed to glow from within. The walls were decorated with tapestries and paintings depicting cosmic vistas. Soft, warm light emanated from crystalline fixtures that floated near the ceiling. Comfortable seating areas were positioned at regular intervals, complete with tables bearing books, scrolls, and what appeared to be refreshments.
"So this is where you keep your prisoners?" Elric couldn't help but comment, his tone dry.
Thor laughed. "No, no! The actual prisons are elsewhere—though honestly, they're not much different from this. When you're as long-lived as we are, you learn that comfort and beauty aren't luxuries; they're necessities for maintaining sanity."
If Odin decided to imprison someone instead of killing them, they'd have to be pretty important, Elric mused. Or maybe Asgardians just have a fundamentally different view of imprisonment.
He shook his head, pushing aside the random thoughts. There was no point in speculation. Better to focus on the meeting ahead, get it over with, and move on to Xandar.
They walked deeper into the corridor, passing several doors until Thor finally stopped in front of one that was larger than the others. It was made of some dark metal that seemed to absorb light, covered in intricate runes that pulsed with a faint blue glow.
"Here we are," Thor said, placing his hand on the door.
With a deep, resonant creak, the massive door swung open, revealing the chamber beyond.
The room was vast, circular, and filled with what could only be described as organized chaos. Tables covered in scrolls and ancient texts lined the walls. Arcane instruments—astrolabes, crystalline devices of unknown purpose, floating spheres that displayed star maps—were scattered throughout the space. In the center of it all stood two figures with their backs to the door, engaged in what appeared to be an intense discussion.
The first was an old man, tall and powerful despite his age, wearing golden armor that seemed to be part of his very being. Even from behind, Elric could sense the immense power radiating from him—this could only be Odin All-Father.
The second figure was a woman with long black hair that fell past her shoulders, dressed in dark green and black armor that seemed to blend elegance with lethality. Her posture was rigid, commanding, and something about her presence made the air itself feel heavier.
At the sound of the door opening, both figures turned.
The moment they saw who had entered, their expressions shifted—Odin's eye narrowed thoughtfully, while the woman's face became distinctly... annoyed.
"You stupid golden retriever!" The woman's voice was sharp as a blade as she glared at Thor. "Didn't I tell you to show him around for the day and bring him here tonight?"
Thor blinked, confused. "Oh, well, he said he was in a hurry, so I thought we'd leave for Xandar after meeting Father. What's the problem?"
"You stupid—" She cut herself off, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Anyway, it should be fine. We'll make it work."
Elric's mind had been working overtime from the moment the woman turned around. This had to be Hela. But why was she angry about the timing of his arrival?
Something is definitely wrong here.
But before he could voice his concerns or prepare to defend himself, he felt it—a sudden, complete paralysis. His body locked in place, unable to move even a finger. His defensive spells activated automatically, flaring to life, but they couldn't break whatever force held him.
Then the room erupted with light.
Runes—thousands of them—blazed to life across every surface. The floor, the walls, the ceiling, even the air itself seemed to be inscribed with ancient symbols that pulsed with overwhelming power. They formed intricate patterns that spiraled toward the center of the room, where they converged on a single point.
A pedestal.
And resting on that pedestal, emanating an ethereal green glow that seemed to pierce through reality itself, was a stone.
Elric's blood ran cold.
The Time Stone.
One of the six Infinity Stones. The artifact that controlled time itself, capable of viewing the past, the future, and every possibility between. And it was here, in Asgard, powering what appeared to be a massive magical ritual with him at its center.
"Okay," he said aloud, his voice remarkably calm despite his racing heart. "What the fuck."
His mind raced through possibilities at superhuman speed.
The Time Stone. A binding ritual. Odin and Hela working together. This isn't a simple meeting.
The most logical explanation formed quickly: Hela was from the future. In that future, he must have done something to her—something significant enough that she'd traveled back in time to when he was relatively weak to eliminate him before he became a threat.
My plan to claim Celestial power must have succeeded, he reasoned. I must have become powerful enough that the only way to stop me was to prevent my rise entirely. That's why she came back, that's why she has the Time Stone, that's why—
"Father, what are you doing?"
Thor's confused voice cut through Elric's thoughts. The Thunder God stood at the door, his expression bewildered as he looked from his father to his sister to Elric, frozen in the center of the runic array.
"Sister, what's going on?"
Hela didn't even look at him. "Shut up, you stupid oaf. Father, can you take him out for a bit?"
Before Thor could protest, he vanished—teleported away in a flash of golden light. A moment later, Odin disappeared as well, his single eye lingering on Elric for just a moment with an expression that might have been... sympathy?
Then Elric was alone with Hela.
So it's not Odin's doing, he realized. At least, not primarily. This is Hela's operation. Which means... no personal grudge from the All-Father. That's something, at least.
He looked at Hela.
"Ok," Elric said, trying to keep his voice steady, "what are you doing? I don't think I've offended you somehow. At least, not yet. So whatever I do in the future—"
Hela's serious expression suddenly transformed. Her lips curled into a smile that could only be described as... predatory. No, more than that. There was something almost hungry in her eyes.
"Darling," she purred, taking a step toward him, "I really can't wait any longer."
Elric's thoughts screeched to a complete halt.
The fuck?
He had cursed more times today than in the entire past month combined, but this—this—
Darling?
His carefully constructed theory—the future grudge, the preemptive elimination, the desperate time-traveling assassination attempt—all of it collapsed into dust.
Hela's face, which had been so stern and serious moments ago, now wore what could only be described as a somewhat perverted smile. Her eyes raked over him with an intensity that had nothing to do with combat.
"But we don't have to wait too long," she continued, her voice dropping to a husky whisper as she circled him like a predator stalking prey. "For our long-awaited reunion."
Elric's mind—which had been working at lightning speed just moments ago—ground to a complete and utter stop.
Reunion? We've never even met! What reunion?! What is happening?!
The Time Stone pulsed with green light, the runes around him intensified, and Hela stepped closer, reaching out to trace a finger along his frozen jaw.
"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment."
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