Krystal

38

I stand there in utter disbelief that this woman, who's been the cause of all my pain and suffering for the past fifty years, had the audacity to offer me such a ridiculous choice.

She waits for my answer with a big grin on her face, almost as if she's just gifted me with an amazing job opportunity.

"You're joking, right?" I laugh.

"Not at all. You're capable of so much more and with further teachings from me, I could make you unstoppable".

"Let me think about that for just a second? No".

"Such a shame".

She conjures some of the power dampening ropes, that tightly wrap around my wrists and tie them both together behind my back.

"After that impressive display of power you showed me down in the dungeons of Asgard, I expected more from you. Then again, you always were a disappointment to me".

"Disappointment and jealousy are two different emotions, mother. I never needed to take on dark magic to increase my power, unlike yourself. I also didn't have to throw myself at men to get attention".

"But look at you now, daughter. So weak, so pathetic and powerless before me. You lack ambition".

I can't help but laugh at how she's currently trying to give me the stereotypical villain monologue, so she slaps me hard across the face. She then uses magic to force me down to the ground so I'm on my knees.

"It's finally time for you to join your husband in the next life, little dove. My final kindness to you" she tells me and caresses my cheek.

She summons her purple magic into her hands, clearly intent on ending my life quickly judging by it's bright intensity. Probably the nicest thing she'd ever do for me in all honesty.

"Goodbye, Krystal".

"FREEZE".

I compel her just in time, because while she was busy talking, I'd managed to use the dagger from Hela that I'd concealed in my dress to cut the rope around my wrists.

As soon as I'm back on my feet, I run over to Thor and free him from the chains before walking back over to my mother, who remains in place like a statue.

"Mother, look at you now. So weak, so pathetic and powerless before me" I stand proudly in my success.

"Go ahead, finish it" she tells me.

"You know, I was planning on just cutting out your heart and finally breaking the curse before I killed you. That was before Hela gave me an interesting idea".

"What are you planning to do?" Thor asks me.

"Let's just say, I've had a change of heart" I tell him.

I use the dagger to quickly slit my mother's throat, knowing there's nothing that she can do to stop it and it will stop her from talking all together.

After plunging the dagger into her chest while she remains completely still, I make quick work of cracking her chest open and taking her heart out.

I see the life slowly but surely draining from her eyes before I finally finish what I started.

"LIVE" I instruct her just before her final moments.

She's now barely able to make a sound while I close her chest back up, with Thor looking on at my actions in horror.

"SLEEP" I whisper to her and she falls to the floor.

"I thought you wanted her dead?" Thor asks.

"I did something far worse" I tell him while I hold her still beating heart in my hand.

"What did you do?"

"If you cut out a witches heart, but leave her alive, you inherit all of her powers. She won't be able to send those creatures to terrorise Asgard anymore".

"What about the curse?"

"It's gone" I reveal just as I crush her heart, reducing it to nothing but dust.

That's when a sudden wave of power surges through my entire body. It felt good.

"What happens now?"

"We go and get my husband back" I smile at my new sense of freedom.

Once we're outside, I use the new power I've just stolen from my mother to open a portal that will take us directly back to Asgard.

Without her heart, my mother may as well be mortal and all those creatures she's been in control of would eventually turn against her.

Hela would be free to rule Hel again.