Loki's Daughter, Mortem and Mischief

Chapter Twenty Four

"And that's...everything," I said, finishing my complete explanation of the entire fiasco I had myself in. I spared no details, explaining everything beginning with Ragnarok and ending up back in Asgard. My mother listened intently, softly rubbing my back as she did.

My mother took a moment, just absorbing all the information I had just dumped on her. After a few seconds she turned to Sylvie and asked, "You let my daughter do this?"

"Well we made a deal," Sylvie argued, "Trust me, I wanted to leave her in the dust and just steal the TemPad."

My ears pricked as I turned towards Sylvie. I furrowed my brows and asked, "You were just going to betray me?"

"I was planning on it, but I couldn't," Sylvie said, putting her hands up in defense, "I don't know why, okay? I would've if I could."

"Well, from what I can tell...you're just as much her...father as the version of my husband she was living with," my mother said with a shrug, "Perhaps it was parental instinct of sorts."

"Parental instincts?" Sylvie scoffed, "That's ridiculous. I don't care about-...Okay maybe you're right. How can you read me like that?"

"That's besides the point," my mother sighed, rubbing her face, "What matters now is the situation you two have put yourself in."

"Well, we have a plan," Sylvie stated proudly, "With my help, we can change the past and make this world just as you two desire it to be. Doesn't that sound great?"

"No, it doesn't sound great," I said quickly, "We're not going about your plan. She wants me to kill father."

"And what would that accomplish?" My mother said, her brows furrowed in confusion, "Forgive me if I'm a little slow to this whole...time manipulation thing."

"If she kills Loki, I can lure the TVA in, steal a TemPad, and yeah, I've explained all of this to Hela multiple times," Sylvie explained in exasperation, "Basically, we were going to fix this timeline. Right it's wrongs."

"That seems extremely irresponsible," my mother remarked, "If meddling with time made you end up in this mess, why do you think it'll get you out of it?"

"Well, I'm sure I can, um, work it out," Sylvie stammered, crossing her arms.

"I'm not letting that happen," my mother said matter of factly, "Hela needs to make a choice. She's either staying here, in this new timeline, or, we are figuring out a way to send her back where she came from."

"No," I interjected, "No I'm not going back. Mother, you're dead there, a-and I have no friends, Thor's a drunk, and Dad's so so sad. I can't go back there, I just can't."

"Then you're staying here," my mother said, "Where you shall become Queen under your father's guidance and live life as it's meant to be here."

"But, father is..." I began. I didn't know how much my mother knew about my father's wrongdoings but frankly, I didn't want to be the one to break the news to her. And even if I did, where would I start? His infidelity?

"Your father," my mother sighed, "You don't even need to begin, dear. I know what you mean."

"You do?" I asked in surprise, turning to Sylvie, even she looked perplexed.

"I'm not stupid, sweetheart," my mother said, tucking a stray hair behind my ear, "I know he's unfaithful, both to me and you. He's an infidel and he traded you off to be a weapon."

"Then,  if you know, why do you act like you love him?" I questioned, "He's terrible here. Terrifying too, how can you even stand to look at him?"

"I knew who your father was when I married him," she replied as she smoothed out her skirt, "I thought that I could fix him. Heal him with my love, I suppose. But I realized, that his change had to come from within."

"So you just let him cheat on you? You let him give me to Thanos?" I asked worriedly.

"Hela," my mother said, doing her absolute best to change the matter of conversation, "That hardly matters now. We can't change the past, dear. You need to make your choice."

"Awesome, great," I huffed, "I either have to actively chose for you to die or I have to put up with my monster of a father in this world."

"Not much of a choice, is it?" Sylvie said as she slowly walked towards us, "But there's always my way. Cause a timeline disruption, an imbalance, get the TVA here and bend them to your will."

"But you said you'd have to steal the TemPad to even begin to work with any of that," I argued, becoming increasingly frustrated with this entire situation, "You keep changing the plan. First I had to kill my father so you could beat up the TVA and now I have to kill him to negotiate with them?"

"I know, I know," Sylvie said in defense, "But, you..you have power over them. Hela said it herself, time means nothing without death, right? If you can get the TVA's attention, enough for them to intervene, maybe you could...get them to do as you please."

"I still have to kill my father for that to work," I said harshly, "I don't care if he's an awful person, I'm not killing him."

"Since when was your moral compass so strong?" Sylvie mused with a raised brow, "You certainly didn't feel the same concerning your aunt."

"That was different," I argued even though I knew Sylvie was right.

"Well, dear," My mother sighed as she stood up, "You have three options here."

"But which should I choose?" I asked, attempting to follow her as she made her way out of my room, "This is a matter of life and death for you, for father, for everyone! I can't just choose, I-"

"Hela," my mother said, turning to face me, "It's not my choice to make. It's not Sylvie's either. It's yours. Whatever decision you make, I trust that it will be the correct one."

She held my face, pressing a kiss to my head before she slipped through the door. Sylvie and I were left alone within my dark room, the light just barely spilling in through my windows.

"You know, Hela," Sylvie began before I swiftly cut her off, "No, no, your plan is crazy. I'm not doing it."

Sylvie shook her head, "Though I fully disagree with you, that is not what I was going to say."

"Then what?" I groaned, not wanting to hear whatever mad scheme or crazy statement Sylvie had to say next.

"Well, I was gonna say your mum's hot,"she said with a shrug.

"Get out," I said, rubbing my face in disgust, "Please, get out."

"But Hela, I can help-" she attempted but I just shook my head. I wanted to be alone. I had to made this decision on my own and I certainly couldn't do that with Sylvie there.

"Just leave," I begged.

"As you wish," she replied before disappearing in a cloud of hazy green smoke.

Finally, I was alone. The only noise that filled the room was the ticking of a clock. I could now concentrate of the tornado of thoughts that dashed around my mind. Now was the time to decide.

What the hell was I going to do?