"So we have to live in this?"
Hela stared at the two-story villa with barely concealed disdain. Her eyes swept over the manicured lawn, the neat suburban street, the neighbors' houses lined up in identical rows.
To someone who'd grown up in the golden palaces of Asgard—where hallways stretched for miles and throne rooms could fit entire armies—this looked smaller than Fenrir's kennel.
"And why," she continued, her voice dropping dangerously low, "do I have to live with you?"
Elric looked at her like she'd just asked why water was wet.
"You know exactly why." He gestured vaguely at her. "Left unsupervised, you'd probably slaughter half the city over the slightest inconvenience. 'Someone looked at me wrong'—dead. 'The coffee was cold'—massacre. 'Traffic was bad'—apocalypse."
Hela's face flushed slightly. "Am I really that predictable?"
"Yes."
She opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again.
"Anyway, you're living with me whether you like it or not," Elric said, already walking toward the front door. "As for why it's 'small'—it's because I don't want to keep my senses open 24/7. This way I can actually know what you're doing. So stay here obediently and try not to break anything."
"You—" Hela's eyes flashed dangerously. "Who do you think you are, ordering me around? I am the rightful heir to Asgard's throne, the firstborn of Odin, the—"
BONK.
Elric flicked her forehead without even looking back.
"Shut up, you dumb princess. Do you want to be stuck in this universe forever? Then stop complaining about every little thing."
"You dare—!" Hela's face turned red, her hands clenching into fists.
For a long moment, she trembled with barely contained rage. Her fingers twitched, yearning for a blade to summon. But slowly, painfully, she forced herself to take a breath. Then another.
She needed him. That was the infuriating truth. Without Elric, she had no way home.
"Fine," she bit out.
"Good. Now come on, let's get you settled in."
Hela followed him into the house, silently plotting a hundred different ways to make him suffer.
Two Years Later
"Breakfast is ready! Come down!"
Elric's voice echoed up the stairs as he tied his apron more securely. The kitchen smelled of fresh coffee and toast. Morning sunlight streamed through the windows, making the modest dining area look almost cozy.
Ten minutes passed.
Then fifteen.
Finally, shuffling footsteps sounded on the stairs.
Hela descended like a zombie, eyes half-closed, her long black hair an absolute mess. She wore an oversized white t-shirt that hung off one shoulder and a pair of shorts. No makeup, no jewelry, no trace whatsoever of the fearsome goddess of death she'd once been.
Anyone who saw her now would just think she was a lazy college student who hated mornings and spent too much time binge-watching TV shows.
She slumped into her chair at the table, staring at the glass of milk Elric had poured for her.
Her nose wrinkled.
"I want pizza," she announced.
"For breakfast?" Elric didn't even look up from his own plate.
"I want pizza," she repeated stubbornly.
"Then go buy it yourself."
Hela glared at the milk. She hated drinking milk—the taste, the texture, all of it. But she hated going outside even more. Dealing with people, with traffic, with the mundane frustrations of mortal life...
She picked up the glass and drank it reluctantly, grimacing the whole time.
"Hey, Elric." She set the empty glass down. "How much longer do we have to wait? When is this Phoenix Force you mentioned supposed to show up? Why don't we just go to space and try finding the Infinity Stones ourselves?"
"If you want, you can go by yourself." Elric finally looked up. "But honestly, who knows where the Infinity Stones even are right now? It's more logical to wait for the Phoenix Force—it's coming to Earth eventually. We can try the stones later if this doesn't work out."
Before Hela could argue, the front door opened.
Ororo and Jean walked in, both looking slightly windswept. They'd become regular visitors over the past two years, though the arrangement was still somewhat strange.
"Elric," Jean said immediately, "Professor Xavier sensed it again."
"The energy signature?" Elric set down his coffee.
"Yes. Somewhere close to the North Pole this time. But just like before, it vanished before he could pinpoint the exact location."
Elric sighed and waved them toward the table. "Alright, leave it for now. Come have breakfast first."
Over the past two years, Professor X had sensed that mysterious energy signature multiple times—appearing briefly in different locations around the globe, then disappearing like smoke. They'd chased leads to Tibet, to the Amazon, to remote islands in the Pacific.
Every time, they came up empty-handed.
Elric had gradually stopped paying close attention to it. The pattern didn't match the Phoenix Force he remembered. That entity should have been more direct, more drawn to Jean specifically. This was something else—something he couldn't quite identify.
Ororo and Jean settled into chairs, accepting the toast and eggs Elric offered.
"Hey," Hela said suddenly, looking directly at Elric with an almost challenging expression. "Anyone interested in going to see that new movie? The alien invasion one?"
It was a transparent ploy. She'd been trying to get him to take her out more often, complaining about being "imprisoned" in the house.
"You can go with Ororo," Elric said without missing a beat. "I don't have time today."
"You never have time."
"Today I especially don't have time."
Before Hela could press further, he stood, grabbed his jacket, and headed for the door.
The door closed behind him.
Hela stabbed her toast with unnecessary violence.
"He's insufferable," she muttered.
"He's paying for your food and housing," Ororo pointed out mildly.
"I could get my own place."
"With what money?"
Hela had no response to that.
Jean hid a smile behind her coffee cup. Over the past two years, she'd watched this odd dynamic develop. Hela and Elric bickered constantly, like siblings who couldn't stand each other but were stuck together anyway. Yet there were small moments—Elric making sure Hela ate properly, Hela reluctantly watching the shows he recommended—that suggested something more complicated underneath.
Not that either of them would ever admit it.
....
The transition was instant.
The world dissolved into white space.
He was the last to arrive, it seemed.
The moment he appeared, every head turned toward him.
"Well, well, well." One of them grinned widely. "Look who decided to show up. Our VIP has arrived."
"Guys, seriously, stop it already." Elric rubbed his temples. "This is getting really old."
"Old? Oh no, buddy, we're never stopping." Another version of himself, laughed. "Not as long as you live, you lucky bastard."
A third chimed in, leaning against nothing in the white void. "We all thought you got the worst draw, you know. Stuck in a hellish universe without any obvious windfalls."
"And then what happens?" The one in armor spread his hands dramatically. "A literal queen of Asgard shows up at your door and basically offers herself up on a silver platter. Oh, and sends Storm along too, just for good measure."
"We can never forgive you," several of them chorused together.
Elric groaned. This had been going on for two years now—ever since the others had figured out what must have happened.
Hela's last words before sending him back—calling him "darling" had made the conclusion pretty clear.
In the original timeline, something had happened between them. The older Hela, the one from the future, had developed feelings for him. Maybe they'd worked together for years. Maybe they'd fought side by side against some great threat. Maybe—
He didn't like thinking about it too much. Right now, she was just an annoying houseguest who complained about everything and tried to order pizza for breakfast.
"Can we please focus on why we're actually here?" Elric said, trying to regain control of the conversation.
"Fine, fine." The one in the business suit straightened up. "But you're still our favorite target for—"
The white space shuddered.
Everyone froze.
The sensation was unmistakable—a resonance they'd all felt before, but not in nearly three years. The void itself seemed to ripple, like a pond disturbed by a falling stone.
"No way," someone whispered.
The trembling intensified. Reality bent and twisted at a point in the center of their gathering.
"Someone new is coming," Elric breathed.
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